Hong Kong: HK achieves superb results at expo Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong congratulated a Hong Kong delegation for achieving outstanding results at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions 2023 in Switzerland. The Hong Kong delegation won a record number of grand and special prizes as well as gold medals, including two grand awards, namely Prize of the State of Geneva and Prize of the International Federation of Inventors' Association, eight special awards and about 30 gold medals with Congratulations of Jury. Prof Sun made the trip to Geneva yesterday afternoon to join the award presentation ceremony and support the Hong Kong delegation in person. The delegation, comprising close to 500 representatives from universities, research and development centres, research laboratories, technology companies, government departments, and primary and secondary schools, participated in the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions 2023, in which Hong Kong's innovation and technology (I&T) community presented a record high 293 projects in total. Prof Sun also spoke at a Hong Kong reception at the exhibition hosted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. In his welcoming remarks, the technology chief noted that the Hong Kong delegation's participation in the exhibition is the best testimony demonstrating to the world that Hong Kong is back on the world stage. He briefed close to 500 guests on Hong Kong's latest I&T development with the prime focus on further enhancing our I&T ecosystem and promoting interactive development of the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. He said this term of Government is also making all-out efforts on promoting the industry development, in particular those with an edge and of strategic importance, emphasising that Hong Kong is making good progress in attracting Mainland and overseas tech companies to set up or expand their businesses here after months of hard work. My trip this time also serves to send a clear message to the tech companies here in Europe that we welcome them to expand or set up operations in Hong Kong where they can find boundless business opportunities brought about by the seamless access to the gigantic market in the Greater Bay Area, and of course the Mainland market. At the reception, Prof Sun witnessed the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Hong Kong Exporters' Association and PALEXPO SA, which are scheduled to host the Asia Competition & Exhibition of Innovations & Inventions once again in Hong Kong this December. In the morning, while in Lausanne, Prof Sun visited a startup focusing on developing topical ophthalmic treatments, and received a briefing on the company's latest technology in treatments and business development plan in Hong Kong. Later in the day, he toured the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne to learn about the institution's programmes for turning innovative ideas and technologies into startups and operation of Innovation Park at Innovation & Tech Transfer. He also toured the Laboratory for Experimental Museology in St. Sulpice. This story has been published on: 2023-04-29. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. World Insights: Unchecked surveillance empire Xinhua) 10:16, April 29, 2023 A huge slogan board stands in front of the U.S. Capitol building during a protest against government surveillance in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, on Oct. 26, 2013. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe) Analysts say that cyber warfare is one of the tools used in its "hybrid warfare." Like economic sanctions, terrorist activities, psychological warfare, and military actions, it is a means by which the United States interferes in other countries and achieves its own political goals. BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The United States is notorious for its cyber record. Just ask the National Security Agency (NSA), which in 2013 suffered the biggest leak in its history when Edward Snowden, a former CIA contractor, walked out with a vast trove of secret documents. Snowden disclosed to the press details of extensive internet and phone surveillance by American intelligence. As the scandal widened, multiple media outlets revealed that NSA tapped directly into the servers of internet firms to track online communication in a surveillance program known as Prism. A decade later, it's the Pentagon in the limelight this time. A set of highly classified documents from the department were leaked online in recent weeks, in an apparent security breach that revealed U.S. intelligence gathering on some of its key allies. South Korea, one of those affected, has played down any possibility of tension, reiterating its "strong" ties with America. Those documents also reportedly include military assessments on the Ukraine crisis and CIA reports on a range of global issues. The embarrassing leak has endangered intelligence methods, exposed American strategy and undermined trust among U.S. allies, CNBC quoted former defense department officials and intelligence experts as saying. SURVEILLANCE OBSESSION For years, Washington has been spying on the world through electronic eavesdropping and communication interception, with the targets ranging from what it called "strategic competitors" to its European partners. Anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks in 2015 released a trove of documents titled "Target Tokyo" detailing systematic mass surveillance the agency undertook of Japanese politicians, ministries and corporations over a number of years. Supporters of Julian Assange are seen in front of the British Home Office in London, Britain, May 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ying) According to the documents, America had gleaned intimate details of internal Japanese deliberations on trade-related issues, including agricultural imports and trade disputes and positions. European leaders should not be surprised, either. The Danish state broadcaster DR reported in 2021 that the NSA used a partnership with Denmark's foreign intelligence unit to spy on senior officials of neighbouring countries, including then German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The findings are the result of a 2015 internal investigation in the Danish Defence Intelligence Service into NSA's role in the partnership, DR said. According to the investigation, which covered the period from 2012 to 2014, the NSA used Danish information cables to spy on senior officials in Sweden, Norway, France and Germany. China has been a target too. In September 2022, China's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center and cybersecurity company 360 respectively released investigation reports on the NSA attacks on China's Northwestern Polytechnical University with aeronautics and space research programs. The reports indicated that the agency's Tailored Access Operations unit mounted hundreds of thousands malicious cyberattacks targeting Chinese objectives. "NO RULES" The United States is sparing no effort to militarize cyberspace, develop offensive cyber capabilities, and create systematic cyberattack platforms. In 2017, cyberspace was officially listed alongside the sea, land, air, and space as the "fifth domain" of the U.S. military. The aim is thinly veiled: to maintain America's hegemony. Analysts say that cyber warfare is one of the tools used in its "hybrid warfare." Like economic sanctions, terrorist activities, psychological warfare, and military actions, it is a means by which the United States interferes in other countries and achieves its own political goals. In seeking its own absolute security, the United States flagrantly violates the sovereignty of other countries' cyberspace and undermines their information security. This seriously hinders the efforts of the international community to maintain cybersecurity and data security, disrupts the international order in cyberspace, and undermines global strategic stability. Andrey Krutskikh, former director of the Department of International Information Security at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the United States and other Western countries are militarizing cyberspace, attempting to turn it into a stage for interstate confrontation, which exacerbates the risk of direct military conflict and can lead to unpredictable consequences. Speaking of "Target Tokyo," Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, said the revelations should not come as a surprise, given the track record of the United States as a global surveillance superpower. "In these documents we see the Japanese government worrying in private how much or how little to tell the United States, in order to prevent undermining of its climate change proposal or its diplomatic relationship," Assange said in a statement. "And yet we now know that the United States heard everything and read everything, and was passing around the deliberations of Japanese leadership to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. The lesson for Japan is this: do not expect a global surveillance superpower to act with honor and respect. There is only one rule: there are no rules." (Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun) Zelenskyy explained why he decided to stay in Kyiv in the first days of the great war Zelenskyy said that in the early days of the war, there were many different opinions among his colleagues and Western partners on how to ensure his personal safety. Various proposals were put forward on where the president should go, and where he should hide. Zelenskyy explained why, in his opinion, it was important to stay in Kyiv. Read also: Zelenskyy visits frontline soldiers in Avdiyivka, Donetsk Oblast I think if I had left, there would have been a greater risk of the capital being captured, the president said. Inside the country, they also said: The main thing is to save the president. And even if we only have Western Ukraine left, you should be the president there. Then we will start rebuilding and restoring, and reclaiming territories. However, Zelenskyy did not even want to leave the Ukrainian capital. I remember reading books about World War II, about the occupation of Kyiv, Zelenskyy said. I know what a capital of any country is like. If the capital falls and the leader flees, there is no state. He added that he did not discuss his decision to stay in Kyiv with his family. My family knows me. Such a dialogue would have weakened me, said Zelenskyy. Read also: Zelenskyy holds Military Council to discuss Ukraines production of missiles and ammunition The Ukrainian president also spoke about the defense of Bankova Street (the location of the Presidents Office) and noted that he had no doubt that Kyiv would stand. Our guys defended (the city). I was confident that we would receive help from our partners. I believed that it was impossible to completely occupy Kyiv. I think no one would have been taken prisoner because we had a very serious defense of Bankova. We would have stayed there until the end. We had boxes of weapons, with ammunition, at various points on Bankova, said Zelenskyy, adding that he has his own weapon and is skilled in using it. In the conversation with Komarov, the president also talked about his parents, who remained in Ukraine during the war. Story continues My parents know everything, they are here, in Ukraine, at home. They ask the same things as other parents, for example, whether I have eaten, said Zelenskyy. My father also says: Were watching. Well done. Finish them. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Zelenskyy commented on the possibility of dialogue with Putin Zelenskyy was speaking during a major joint interview with Finnish, Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian journalists in Kyiv on April 29. Asked about his attitude to negotiations with Putin, a Norwegian journalist reminded Zelenskyy that Kyiv and Moscow had attempted to take the diplomatic route until Feb. 24, 2022. In response, Zelenskyy said that when he became president, he had tried to establish a dialogue and find a practical solution to the situation of the frozen conflict the low-level war between Russia and Ukraine that had been simmering since Russia invaded Ukraines Crimea in 2014. Read also: Polish special forces protected Ukrainian negotiators at early 2022 talks with Russia I wanted for us to respect the (international) order, to respect the UN Charter. I wanted them to leave our territory. I wanted to solve this exclusively by diplomatic means, Zelenskyy said. However, he added that all efforts, calls, and attempts to restart the Minsk negotiations, and hundreds of meetings over nearly two years had not yielded anything, as Russia did not want to resolve anything. It was like a desert: you are not heard, nothing is wanted, said Zelenskyy. You are trapped in this dialogue that has no result, because (they did not) want any result. The frozen conflict suited them because they were thinking about how to regain their Soviet influence. If you want to solve something, if you are not the aggressor there must be some diplomatic conversation. And there was none. We had our chance. He added that at some point Moscow started playing silence and stopped contacting Ukraine. However, later the Russians began to put forward their conditions through third countries. By sending someone to us, they themselves did not get in touch. And they just started making threats, thats all. So who are they? said Zelenskyy. The president said he believed that it is now impossible to talk to Putin. It is impossible to talk today with this person, President Putin, Zelenskyy said. Story continues For us, for everyone, he is a terrorist. After he told the whole world that he was not going to capture territories, there will never be a full-scale war, that it cannot happen he started everything. And in such a brutal form. Zelenskyy called Putin a traveler in the world of bloody names, as he calls his war of aggression against Ukraine a special military operation. He comes up with a name to justify his actions, Zelenskyy said. There is no justification for this person anymore... Today he is a terrorist who also does not keep his word. How can we talk about anything? Read also: Ukraine begins negotiating Black Sea grain deal extension Earlier, in October 2022, Zelenskyy said that after Russia carried out sham referendums to justify the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories under Russian military occupation, he would no longer consider negotiating with the Russian dictator. Russia at the end of September claimed it had annexed four Ukrainian territories Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson oblasts even though it did not fully control any of them. Russia had earlier abandoned plans to hold a sham referendum in Kharkiv Oblast after most of it was liberated by Ukrainian forces in a lightning counter-offensive in early September. Russia also retreated from the right (western) bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast in early November after it became untenable for Russian invasion forces. Ukrainian forces heavily damaged the bridges across the river, making it impossible to keep Russian forces properly supplied. Ukrainian forces on Nov. 11 liberated the city of Kherson the only regional center that invading Russian forces had managed to capture since launching their invasion of the country on Feb. 24, 2022. 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 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has changed his attitude towards the issue of Ukraine's membership of the Alliance and supports this decision. Source: Zelensky in an interview to Finnish, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian journalists, as reported by European Pravda Quote: "Our last meeting with Jens was better than all our previous meetings. But again, this is a joint decision. But I think that if the decision on [Ukraine] joining depended on Stoltenberg, Ukraine would be in NATO [by now]," Zelenskyy said. "I think, in general, Jens has changed his position. I believe no offence to him, I have a good relationship with him that he has become a more decisive person. For us, for the world and for the Alliance, this is important," the president added. The President stressed that it was not Ukraine that decided not to join NATO, it was the countries of the Alliance that hesitated to make the decision in due time. "It was not our choice not to be in NATO. It was NATOs choice, and the fears of some states about what would happen if Ukraine was accepted into NATO, how Russia would react. It's not very fair that no one was interested in how the average person in Ukraine would react, but everyone was interested in how Russia would react. I think thats unfair and unjustified," the president said. He recalled the example of Finland, which joined NATO quickly and there was no reaction from Russia. "We are glad that Finland is in NATO. And here is your answer: first of all, everyone has realised that the best security guarantees are NATO [membership ed.]. Here is an example of whether anyone should be afraid of Russia or not. Finland joined NATO, and this once again proves that Russia simply wanted to occupy us, and not because they were afraid that NATO was approaching their borders," Zelenskyy said. "The fact that we are not in NATO is not because we dont want to be, but because you do not accept us. And you have not accepted us all these years. Yes, youve invited us, but nevertheless... It cannot be, in a civilised world, that our life depends purely on whether we are part of NATO or not," he added. Story continues Background: On 20 April, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Ukraine on an unannounced visit for the first time since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion. He held talks with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, and also visited Bucha, which was under Russian occupation in February and March 2022. He said that the Allies are preparing to discuss Ukraine's membership and security guarantees for the country at NATOs July summit in Vilnius, but the main issue remains ensuring Ukraine's victory in the war. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A battle between the states biggest health insurer and two emergency room doctors in Southwest Virginia over the $5,560 difference between what the doctors billed and what Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield offered has raged for more than a year and offers a rare glimpse in the secretive world of medical billing. The dispute brought in five attorneys and some 375 pages of legal briefs filed at the State Corporation Commission, not counting routine procedural motions, as well as a one-hour hearing and reviews by SCC Bureau of Insurance staff. Digging through the filings, and checking on his own, the SCCs Chief Hearing Examiner, Alexander Skirpan found there were nine different ways of saying what the same ER services ought to cost. Its really devastating what many Virginians are facing with skyrocketing health care costs, said Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax. He added that a main reason he pushed a bill saying hospitals must post standard charges for items and services on their websites was because Virginians were not getting an accurate read on their medical care costs. I believe that full and complete pricing transparency is a key and necessary step in the right direction ... the same exact service, done by the same medical provider, simply at a different facility, can be three times the cost, he said. There are obvious equity issues raised in all of these concerns, he said. Skirpans review upheld an arbitrators decision that found for the doctors, even though the same arbitrator had previously looked at much the same kind of evidence to find for the insurer and although Anthem pays the full amount of some of those bills for some kinds of coverage. The dispute grows out of the states three-year-old law barring balance billing the practice where doctors, hospitals and other health care providers who are not in an insurers network bill patients for the difference between what insurers pay them and what they want to charge, a difference that had sometimes amounted to tens of thousands of dollars. It had been an especially big issue for emergency room visits, anesthesiology, plastic surgery and lab tests. Virginias ban was a compromise reached after years of wrangling between some of the most influential lobbyists in the state doctors and hospitals on one side, insurers on the other. Insurers would pay out-of-network providers a commercially reasonable amount, based on payments for the same or similar services provided in a similar geographic area. What that means isnt always obvious, as case records at the SCC show. So, for one patient whose visit to the Lewis Gale Alleghany hospital in Low Moor involved what the American Medical Associations Current Procedural Terminology calls medical decision making of moderate complexity, as well as taking an expanded problem-focused history and an examination of the same scope, the ER doctors practice billed $747. Anthem argued that a state database that tracks payments to out-of-network providers held that $96 was the usual payment. On that basis, it offered to pay $95.66, which is what it paid in-network providers. The doctors practice, a separate entity from the hospital that is formally affiliated with it but not on its staff, said that amounted to an arbitrary and inaccurate discount and asked for arbitration, as the state balance billing law allows. In doing so, it cut its proposed reimbursement to $222. That same day, another patient came to the Low Moor ER, whose visit involved a comprehensive history, comprehensive exam and what the AMA terminology called medical decision-making of high complexity. The doctors group billed $2,089 for this visit. Anthem said the state database suggested the average charge was $259, and on that basis said a commercially reasonable payment was $238. Taking this case to the arbitrator, the group cut its proposed claim to $425. Two days later another patient visited the LewisGale Hospital Montgomery ER in Blacksburg. The visit involved taking a detailed history, a detailed examination and what the American Medical Associations Current Procedural Terminology calls medical decision making of moderate complexity. Anthem said a state database showed the reasonable commercial amount was $161. The ER doctors group billed Anthem $1,416. Anthem said the state database suggested the average for the service was $161. It used that as the basis for what it said was a reasonable reimbursement of $180.43. When the dispute went to arbitrators, the ER doctors group came back with a counter of $696. The same doctor treated another patient the same day, on a visit that involved a comprehensive history, comprehensive exam and highly complex decision making. His group billed $2,089 for this visit. Anthem said the commercially reasonable rate according to a state database was $259 and used that to propose what it said was a reasonable commercial rate of $266.30. When this went to arbitration, the group offered to cut its charge to $1,013. Both groups argued for their charges on the basis of data collected by a nonprofit that collects private health care claims data from across the nation, with a database of 33 billion claims. The arbitrator found for the doctors groups in all these cases. Anthem complained to the SCC that the arbitrator in both cases relied on the state database that the insurer based its proposed payments on until May of 2022. But after that point it appeared to discount that data and turned to the national figures the doctors groups argued were the more appropriate measure and on which they based their initial bills. The Blacksburg group said Anthem had paid its full charge of $1,416 for the case involving medical decision making of moderate complexity, and $1,753 for its $2,089 charge in the more complex case. The Low Moor group said it had been paid in full for a case involving a problem-focused exam and its more complex case, also 11 months before. Anthem countered that the arbitrator had previously found its $238 offer for a complex case at Low Moor this one involving a different member of the same doctors group to be more reasonable and that the arbitrators higher award cannot suddenly be more fair and reasonable when the opposite was true just a few months before. SCC Chief Hearing Examiner Skirpans research meanwhile found still more variation in billing and claims paid. When the Low Moore providers, for instance, looked at the same state database Anthem used, they found a still-lower number. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services quoted still lower numbers, while the figures Anthem offered were what it paid in-network providers. But what it paid for claims under the large employers self-insured plans that Anthem administered matched the Low Moor groups initial billing. Skirpan found much the same with the Blacksburg groups examination of the state database, as well as with the CMMS data. For this group, Anthems proposed payment was the same as its in-network rate. But payments through the self-insured plans matched the moderate complexity case, though in this case it was $335 lower than the $2,089 the Blacksburg group initially billed and $1,487 higher than what Anthem offered to pay and what it paid to in-network providers through the plans it itself insured. For arbitrations decided in the 12 months ending May 31, 2022, the latest period for which data are available, arbitrators ruled in favor of insurers in 303 cases of disputes over payments for emergency care and in 130 in favor of ER doctors. The Low Moor and Blacksburg groups between them accounted for 20% of arbitrations. ER doctors groups associated will all Lewis Gale hospitals accounted for 55% of arbitrations. On Friday, high school students from Campbell, Amherst, Bedford, and Appomattox counties competed in the Central Virginia Welding Wars hosted by CVCC. The event was free to compete in with ranging skill levels. Principal of Campbell County Technical Center, Jon Hardie, speaks about the high school portion of the event saying employers have the opportunity to see high school students competing and performing. Winners of the competition are given interview opportunities with local businesses. 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. A third plane of Royal Air Maroc coming from Sudan landed early Friday afternoon at Mohammed V International Airport, carrying 154 Moroccan nationals and a Senegalese student evacuated from Sudan, after the deterioration of the security situation in this country. A total of 293 Moroccans had arrived Wednesday from Sudan in two RAM flights carrying 136 and 157 passengers respectively. So far, the total number of Moroccan nationals repatriated from Sudan in the special air bridge set up at the orders of King Mohammed VI amounts to 447 people. Following the recent events in Sudan and the deterioration of the security situation in the country, the King has given orders to ensure the repatriation of Moroccan nationals and their families from this country in the best conditions. Sudan has descended into deadly clashes and chaos as forces loyal to two rival generals fight for power, leaving civilians in precarious conditions. The conflict broke out on April 15 when Sudans military leader Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan attempted to integrate the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan, into the countrys army. Though the actual number of casualties is still to be determined, over 500 people have died and more than 4,000 were injured. Fully funding the revival and completion of the 1894 Perkins County Canal must be a top priority in Nebraskas next biennial budget, Gov. Jim Pillen said Friday in North Platte. The governor and Department of Natural Resources Director Tom Riley spoke with The Telegraph during a quick Lee Bird Field stopover after touring possible sites for the canal that would divert South Platte River water from near Ovid, Colorado, through Keith County and back to the river. Its not just a western Nebraska benefit. Everybody all the way to the Missouri River benefits, Pillen said. This projects incredibly important to ensure that the 7% to 8% of water Lincoln and Omaha get from the South Platte is not endangered. Pillen, who succeeded now-U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts as governor Jan. 5, said Fridays day trip from Lincoln gave him a first extended look at the territory where the canal from the South Platte River must run in Colorado and might run past the Nebraska line. He and Riley met during the day with stakeholders from the Twin Platte and South Platte natural resources districts, the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts, Nebraska Public Power District, the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District and the Keith County-based Western Irrigation District. Pillen said they toured Centrals and NPPDs facilities tied to both Platte River branches, giving him a fresh appreciation for the 1930s Tri-County and Sutherland projects centered on Kingsley Dam and Lake McConaughy. No. 1, we spent a lot of time saying thank you, thanks for extraordinary work, because one thing all in Nebraska can agree on is that water is the future of Nebraska, Pillen said. Water is the pot of gold that gives us an extraordinarily bright future for generations ahead so that we grow. Ricketts proposed in January 2022 that Nebraska invoke the two states century-old South Platte River Compact concluded in Ogallala exactly 100 years ago last Sunday to ensure that Nebraskas share of the rivers water keeps crossing the Colorado line despite continued Denver and Front Range population growth. The Legislature allocated $53.5 million in the 2022 session to start work on completing the Perkins canal. The Appropriations Committee has included Pillens call for $574.5 million from cash reserves for construction in their 2023-25 biennial budget, on which debate starts Wednesday. The governor and Riley said that amount, which would boost overall state allocations to $628 million, would build a canal able to hold twice the 500 cubic feet per second the 1923 compact would allow Nebraska to divert annually from Oct. 15 to April 1. That would allow Nebraska to capture excess flows in high-water periods and enable the state to divert periodic South Platte floodwaters, they said. Despite this weeks news that state tax revenues are slowing, Pillen said, he believes the Legislature can fund the Perkins canal, $350 million to replace the Nebraska State Penitentiary with a larger prison and boost state school aid, income tax cuts and property tax credits. The Nebraska Revenue Forecasting Advisory Board said Wednesday that income and sales tax revenues are falling $80 million short of expectations for the fiscal year that ends June 30. But the board also increased its revenue projections for the 2023-25 budget cycle by an identical amount. Even if overall tax income turns flat, Pillen said, it would be flat compared with an unprecedented 22% increase in the previous fiscal year. Our economy is very, very vibrant, very, very strong and very resilient, he said. Based on his administrations budget figures, the Perkins canal, the prison, all those things are in the budget and we still have $1.6 billion of a cash reserve for 2023-24 and 2024-25. The governor said he has told Unicameral leaders hell pull out his veto pen if senators total spending proposals would dip the official Cash Reserve Fund below $950 million. Beyond that fund, state agencies have built up a combined $2.6 billion in agency reserves as a further cushion against when Nebraskas agriculture-driven economy takes one of its periodic nosedives, Pillen said. Should state revenues turn sharply south, however, he said the Perkins canal and new prison would be his two top priorities. Theres two things that are really important right? for state government to do, he said. One is to make sure that we provide the opportunity for incredible economic growth. That means water. Thats a heck of a high priority. The second really high priority, and theyre not 1 and 2 theyre both really, really important (is) we keep Nebraskans safe. He reiterated that he wants to see senators adopt his state school aid package, which would boost state support for rural districts by restoring per-student foundation aid to the aid formula for the first time since 1990. Its not everything I would like, but $1,500 (per student) in foundation aid is a great start, Pillen said, adding a reminder that he made school-aid reform a pillar of his 2022 gubernatorial campaign. UPDATED, April 30, 2023, 8:50 am: Removes reference to qualified census tracts and corrects title of Brady Breinholt. *** In a time of housing shortages throughout Nebraska and rural America, Ogallala has landed a major employer enthusiastic to take that challenge head-on and more. Modern Eminence, a modular home manufacturer based in Las Vegas, Nevada, has bought 20 acres in the Ogallala North Business Park for its first Nebraska plant and second overall. The companys planned $37.6 million, 200,000-square-foot manufacturing and display complex expects to bring 43 jobs to Ogallala starting late this year and 161 overall by 2026. Itll be Ogallalas largest new employer since Walmart opened at Interstate 80 Exit 126 in 2015, said Mary Wilson, executive director of Keith County Area Development. After researching and now seeing Ogallala and Keith County, Chairman Travis Fox said, he sees a sleeping giant ideally situated to prosper and power Modern Eminences mission to make housing more affordable and attainable statewide and nationwide. Ogallala can be an even greater player on the (economic) stage than it is, because it cant grow fast enough, he said. Locating there allows us to service the entire state strategically, and cities like Ogallala are the areas where we are going to grow. Fox spoke to The Telegraph Saturday from Ogallala, where he and Modern Eminences other key leaders joined community leaders Friday to celebrate the projects kickoff. Site preparation will start during May, he said, and construction will proceed as quickly as possible so production might start yet this year on the firms angular five-lot tract north and east of Belmar Trail. Modern Eminence, which currently produces modular homes at a plant in Idaho Falls, Idaho, is also looking at building factories in eastern Nevada and near Dallas. Fox said his company expects to build another manufacturing plant within two years in the planned Sankofa Innovation District centered on North 16th Street in northeast Omaha. Thats the project that first turned his firms attention to Nebraska, Fox said. But when delays cropped up, state Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha who had gotten him interested in building in his district told him, Hey, Fox, you might want to consider looking at the west side (of Nebraska) as well. We had not thought about it, Fox added. But Wayne had introduced him to former Sen. Ken Schilz of Ogallala, and Foxs wife, company CEO Michelle Fox, had spent summers at Lake McConaughy with her family while growing up in Denver 25 years ago. Then I started looking at Ogallala, and Michelle popped in and said, Did you say Ogallala? Wilson and City Manager Kevin Wilkins, who returned to western Nebraska last July from Alamosa, Colorado, were greatly pleased with Modern Eminences decision in interviews last week. Modern Eminence is a perfect fit for this North Business Park, and were excited to have it up there, Wilson said. KCAD first brought up a possible location in nearby Paxton, which didnt work out, she said. Local leaders then suggested the Ogallala North Business Park, which takes up most of a square defined by North Spruce Street on the east, Nebraska Highway 61 on the north and West H and 32nd streets on the west and south. Ogallala City Council members April 11 unanimously approved $200,000 from the citys LB 840 economic development fund to help Modern Eminence carry out its project. Wilkins said the company will basically fill out the rest of the business park, established 20 years ago on the citys north edge. There will be only a couple of lots left, and that will present Ogallala with its next challenge to find another tract for industrial development, he said. Wilson agreed. Ogallalas really been a hot spot lately for development inquiries, so this starts the discussion of where to go next. Wilkins, previously a newspaper editor and owner in several western Nebraska towns, said Modern Eminence will help energize a long overdue economic development surge in the Keith County seat. The city, which retains two of the three electronics manufacturing offshoots of mid-20th-century homegrown employer Goodall Manufacturing Co., reached its all-time population peak of 5,638 in the 1980 census. Retrenchments by Goodalls successors, the 1980s farm crisis and general population losses in rural Nebraska helped reduce Ogallalas population to 4,737 by 2010. It rose to 4,831 in the 2020 census. Besides Modern Eminence, Wilkins called attention to an apartment complex at the I-80 interchange being built by Lincolns Rev Development LLC, architects of the transformation of North Plattes former Platte River Mall into the District 177 shopping center and residential area. Ogallala itself, other than the interstate, has been pretty quiet for the last 30 years, he said. So projects such as are going on right now are really important not just for the economic development aspect but also for getting to a city of the first class population (of 5,000) again. Thats a goal Modern Eminence also wants to promote, said Fox, 52, who has worked in real estate and been a corporate motivational speaker and trainer for 30 years. As he and his partners learned about Ogallala, he said, they were struck by the citys location on Interstate 80 and the Union Pacific Railroad nearly halfway between Denver and Omaha. That also drew their attention to North Plattes Bailey Yard, the worlds largest. The whole (U.S.) railroad system is controlled in Nebraska, Fox said. Modern Eminence wasnt using railroad transportation enough, and it became incredibly clear we need to be here. Company President and Chief Operating Officer Brady Breinholt concurred in Foxs enthusiasm. We are excited to be in Ogallala, a strategic location within the U.S., and have the opportunity to serve rural communities, he said in a press release after the deal was closed. Keith County Area Developments efforts goes hand-in-hand with our mission to help build something lasting, and that is what brought us to Ogallala. Fox, a native of California, said he was enchanted by Lake McConaughy during his first visit this weekend to Nebraskas most popular outdoor attraction. The lake is beautiful. Its an oasis, he said. Theres no other word for it. He has seen more and more people and families deserting the nations major cities because housing prices have soared, Fox added. Theyre interested in places like Ogallala and rural Nebraska, but it comes down to the same problem: Where are people going to live? Modern Eminences website (themoderneminence.com) stresses statistics on the increasing nationwide crisis in building homes people with more modest incomes can afford. Its construction process utilizes structural insulated panels as large as 4 feet by 24 feet, allowing a homes walls to be raised quickly with window openings and electrical chases already in place. SIPs have been used for years by the U.S. military, Fox said, but have lagged in housing use in the domestic market. But company documents submitted to the Nebraska Legislature in connection with Omahas Sankofa project said Modern Eminence can take a 4,000- to 5,000-square-foot home from contract to completion in less than three months for $277,000 to $347,000. Its home prices start 30% lower than national averages, they said. Fox said Modern Eminence also focuses on sustainable methods in crafting its modular homes. The Ogallala plant will include additional buildings ones not planned for the Omaha plant where customers can walk through a completed sample home and see more possibilities in a virtual setting as they launch their own homes design. Often the word affordable means cheap, he said. It doesnt have to be. You can buy a home, and you dont have to have a mortgage for years to buy the home. The next two big projects in North Plattes drive to boost its current and future housing stock lead a crowded agenda for Tuesdays City Council meeting. Council members will hold public hearings and decide whether to grant $2.23 million in tax increment financing to finish the Victory Village apartment complexs buildout and take initial votes on whether to annex a planned 200-unit-plus senior living site and the adjoining north end of the NPPD Canal. Authorization to seek a design-build contract for building Sustainable Beef LLCs industrial wastewater plant also appears on the 23-item agenda for the 5:30 p.m. meeting in the City Hall council chamber, 211 W. Third St. DP Development LLC is seeking TIF to gradually offset a portion of its $26 million cost to add 120 apartment units to the initial 80-unit complex near West A Street and Lakeview Boulevard. The council approved $1.6 million in TIF in February 2020 for Victory Villages first phase, plus $1.3 million that DP intended last fall to access to build 40 more units. The Phase 2 TIF total grew by $923,000 when the Omaha firm, at the urging of community leaders, reworked its plan to build 120 units for a final total of 200. Great Plains Health and the North Platte Area Chamber & Development Corp. both became contributors to the projects financing. Because DPs changes substantially changed its Phase 2 plan, it has to go through the citys TIF approval process again. The Planning Commission endorsed Victory Villages expansion last Tuesday, and the Community Redevelopment Authority followed suit Thursday. Earlier in the meeting, the council will hold hearings and first-round debate on ordinances to annex the 65.03-acre site where Chief Development Inc. proposes to build a variety of 55-and-older housing types and the 8.93 acres where the NPPD Canal completes its northward run to the South Platte River. Leaders of Grand Island-based Chief, which owns the senior-living Hahler property site through its Prataria Ventures LLC affiliate, have requested the annexation. The land sits north of North Platte Community Colleges North Campus. In response, city officials initiated the move to annex the canal land so that North Platte police would have clear jurisdiction there. The Sustainable Beef item involves the $20 million the Legislature granted last year from federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for a pretreatment system for the wastewater the meatpacking plant will generate once it opens in late 2024 or 2025. The Nebraska Department of Economic Development has since formally granted the $20 million in ARPA funds to North Platte. But it came with a federal requirement that the city be the systems owner, City Engineer Brent Burklund said Friday. He said that also means the wastewater pretreatment system has to be on city-owned land, rather than onsite at the former city sewer lagoon where beef plant construction is under way. City officials, Burkland added, are looking at a couple options for where to install the system. The preferred location would be north of the remaining city wastewater facilities after the old lagoon on its south end was sold to Sustainable Beef, he said. A two-thirds council majority will be required to approve the resolution allowing city officials to proceed. Due to Sustainable Beefs timeline, the city needs to use a construction manager at risk option the council authorized in an ordinance that won final approval Jan. 17, Burklund said in a memorandum. State Sen. Merv Riepe of Omaha discusses his amendment for Legislative Bill 626 that would've shifted it from cardiac activity to a 12-week ban. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN One day after State Sen. Merv Riepe refused to vote for a six-week, heartbeat abortion bill, the Ralston senator said hes not reconsidering that decision. Riepe said Friday that he had met with Gov. Jim Pillen after the vote. The governor had urged him to reconsider, but the senator said he remains supportive of a less restrictive, 12-week ban which was contained in an amendment Riepe introduced Thursday. But the measure was blocked, by legislative maneuvering, from coming to a vote. Ive told them what I support Ive told (the governor and his aides) what I support, Riepe said. My position hasnt changed. The momentous vote, which was getting national attention Friday, shocked some Nebraska Republicans who felt that Legislative Bill 626 which would ban most abortions after about six weeks was headed for passage. Riepe was a cosponsor of the bill and had voted, during first-round debate April 12, to advance the measure. But on Thursday, Riepe, a Republican, and Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne, a Democrat, both registered present but not voting when state senators got to a vote to end debate and advance the bill to the final round of debate. The failure of the cloture vote, 32-15, one short of the 33 needed, likely ends consideration of LB 626 for the 2023 session, which ends in June. Riepe on Friday did say that the governor feels very strongly about the issue and that he and fellow Republicans are looking for a way forward this year or next. Traditionally, once a bill fails to obtain cloture, the measure is not brought up again. There are other means to get bills reconsidered when they have been blocked, but with an already jam-packed agenda in the final 20 days of the 2023 session, those alternatives appear to be a long shot. Many opponents of LB 626 had argued that it was too extreme a change from the states current law, which bans abortion after 20 weeks. At six weeks, critics said, most women dont know theyre pregnant. Riepe had argued that giving women more time to decide might convince some to choose to keep their baby. The former hospital administrators said Friday he feels very strongly that his amendment for a 12-week ban is the better alternative. Increasing pressure on him wont change his mind, Riepe added. Douglas County GOP calls for reconsideration The pressure includes a call Friday from the Republican Party in the states largest county to reconsider his vote. The Douglas County Republican Party and pro-life Republicans across the state are shocked and disappointed, said Chris Routhe, that countys GOP chairman. In eastern Nebraskas Saunders County, the local GOP central committee voted Thursday night to issue a verbal censure of Riepe. John Zaugg of Yutan, a member of the Saunders County Board and the countys GOP chairman, said some members argued for a calmer statement from the central committee, but the censure was approved. We thought (Riepe) was on board with six weeks, Zaugg said. It was just very disappointing. A lot of people feel very passionate about this. The sponsor of LB 626, State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston, declined to comment when reached Friday by the Examiner. It marked the second year in a row that an abortion bill had narrowly failed to advance. A year ago, a proposed trigger bill fell two votes short. It would have imposed a total ban on abortion when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, the constitutional right to abortion. Later last year, then-Gov. Pete Ricketts dropped plans to call a special session of the Legislature on the abortion issue, saying he could not get 33 senators to agree on a proposal. I spent last week in a turkey camp in rural Red Willow County. With me on the trip was Scott Einsmann with Outdoor Life, Joe Ferronato with Petersens Hunting, Nathan Borowski a manufacturers representative with Backbone Media which has accounts with Maven Optics, Moultrie Mobile trail cameras, Sawyer Products and White Duck Outdoors. Will Folsom, also a manufacturers representative with Swanson Russell for onX Hunt (a GPS land map application) and Primos Hunting, joined us in camp. Joe Arterburn, of Arterburn Outdoors, was the camp boss and I was along to help with camp cooking and sundry chores. It was a good group. We got the camp set up and began scouting. Borowski and Arterburn checked on trail cameras wed set out a week before. I stayed in camp and got things ready for dinner and waited for other folks to arrive. When Borowski and Arterburn got back we looked at pictures and figured out a game plan for that evening. Einsmann, Ferronato and Folsom all made it to camp and got their gear stowed away. Everyone went out to hunt the rest of the day. As the sun dropped in the western sky I heard turkeys gobbling all around the camp. The next couple of days was spent spotting and stalking turkeys. A couple of toms were spotted on ground we did not have permission to hunt. Many attempts to call the birds were made but no one got a shot. In one case, the hunters called but the tom was led in another direction by a couple of hens. We ate dinner while listening to gobblers calling and settling into their roosts for the night. The next morning the hunters left camp with a strategy of separating the toms from the hens. Maybe the toms would be more likely to come to a call. Toward the end of the day, Borowski and Ferronato watched a trophy tom work his way into an open field on private land and start strutting for several hens. We admired that gobbler through our binoculars and discussed how wed be heroes if we showed up at camp with a tom like that, Borowski said. Ferronato checked onX to see if the birds were near any ground we had permission to hunt. Thats when things got exciting. The birds did seem to be slowly heading in the right direction to roost for the night. About an hour of shooting time was left so we bee-lined it through a couple of drainages and worked our way up a ridge to locate the birds. We found them several hundred yards across the property line and unlikely to reach a spot we could hunt during legal hunting hours, Borowski added. We decided it was time to get aggressive and, after ensuring to the best of our ability that no other hunters were nearby, I pulled out a real turkey fan mounted on a handle and hoped the dominant tom would think a challenger had entered his arena. It didnt take long for the tom to notice the fan and decide he needed to chase this unknown foe out of his territory. Four birds started working our way as the tom led the charge. At this point, we settled in about 50 yards from the top of the hill and waited for the birds to come. The downside of our setup was that we had to temporarily lose sight of the birds, Borowski said. We were running out of hunting time. I crawled up to the crest of the hill behind the turkey fan to see if the tom was still coming. I spotted a strutting tom working our way at a casual pace. I flashed the fan to taunt the tom a bit more and dropped back down the hill to relocate the other birds. Ferronato crawled to my position to make a plan. I was looking back over my shoulder and telling Ferronato that three birds went into this drainage and I was trying to get eyes on them, Borowski told me later. The tom was still coming but I didnt know where he was for sure, Borowski said. Ferronato listened intently to what Borowski was saying and then his eyes went wide. Hes right there! Ferronato whispered emphatically. I turned to see a cherry red face, a swinging beard and a large black mass approaching me very quickly. The tom was less than 10 feet away, Borowski said. I almost panicked and I tried to get Ferronato to understand that I wanted him to take the shot. The gobbler was in full strut and looking to deliver a beating to what he thought was a challenger. I dropped the fan from my left hand and reached for my shotgun. I rose up on my knees and had barely shouldered the gun when my first shot rang out. The bird seemed frightened but I could tell that I had not delivered a lethal shot so I fired again before rising to my feet and watching the bird run away, over a rise, and out of sight. I panicked. I panicked big time. Borowski stuttered as I turned to tell Ferronato what happened. I bet so, man! Ferronato responded. He was jumping up to spur you, he was in the air, when you finally shot at him and he was too close to you for me to do anything about it. I thought he was going to whoop you, Ferronato explained with a big smile that seemed to be a mixture of excitement and shock. The pair looked for the tom and it didnt take long to find him. He was down about 50 yards away. Borowskis two shots had done the job. It was a big tom and it had three beards, the longest of which was 9 inches long. The tom also had spurs over one inch long. As Ferronato had thought, this tom could have put a whooping on Borowski! The first bird for the camp was down. Another day passed and then Ferronato shot his gobbler, but thats another story. Junior high shooters Last Thursday, 947 junior high shooters competed in the Cornhusker Trap Shoot at Doniphan, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission who hosts the event. The number of shooters tied with 2015 for the highest single-season junior total in event history. The team from Hershey did very well in the competition, placing fourth overall with a score of 429/500. Team members were: Nathan Frame, 95. Braiding Boggs, 89. Buck Rawles, 85. Coy Corfield, 84. Brock Boggs, 76. Congratulations to these young shooters! Kirsten Neuschafer has become the first woman to win the Golden Globe Race. Neuschafer and 15 other competitors, who were all men, set off from Les Sables-d'Olonne, France on Sept. 4, 2022, with the aim of making it around the world via the five Great Capes before returning to the coastal town in the west of France. Entrants race solo, non-stop, and in boats that are reminiscent of the 'Golden Age' of solo sailing the yachts have to be designed before 1988 and are without electronic instruments or autopilots. The race is based on the 1968-69 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race which saw Sir Robin Knox-Johnston become the first person to circumnavigate the globe, sailing solo on his boat Suhaili without stopping. By the time the South African Neuschafer crossed the line Thursday, only two other sailors were on course to complete the race without stopping. After finishing with an official time of 233 days, 20 hours, 43 minutes and 47 seconds, Neuschafer said her boat Minnehaha had been her "companion," throughout the adventure. "I talked to her a lot. I even got angry with her, but I love her very much," the victor explained per Sail-World. "It's a fast, elegant boat, on which I worked a lot for a year. I had the will to win as soon as I registered for the race and I did all my preparations accordingly." Neuschafer also touched on the issue of gender given she was the only woman in the race, adding: "I wanted to win, not as a woman. I didn't want to be in a separate category but to compete on equal terms with all the skippers." The mayor of Les Sables-d'Olonne Yannick Moreau praised the magnitude of the 40-year-old Neuschafer's achievement. "The only woman at the start of the longest sporting event in the world came out on top and became a legend. It is truly a historic moment that we have just experienced inLes Sables-d'Olonne," said Moreau. "By her sporting feat, her courage, her heroism ... Kirsten became a model and a world reference. In Les Sables d'Olonne, we are happy and proud to see her legend born." Not only did Neuschafer win, but during the race the South African diverted from her path to rescue fellow competitor Tapio Lehtinen. Lehtinen's boat sank, and the Finnish skipper was stranded for over 24 hours in the southern Indian Ocean. The eventual winner was the first to reach Lehtinen and rescue her fellow competitor. "We drank a rum together and then we sent him on his merry way .. No congratulations needed for the rescue, everyone would do the same for another sailor, thank you guys for coordinating it," Neuschafer told the race website. Milestones in women's history from the year you were born Milestones in women's history from the year you were born 1919: National Women's Party sparks 'Watchfires of Freedom' 1920: The 19th Amendment becomes law 1921: Edith Wharton wins the Pulitzer Prize 1922: First woman serves in the Senate 1923: Equal Rights Amendment is first proposed 1924: First woman diplomat gets to work 1925: Nellie Tayloe Ross becomes the first woman governor in the U.S. 1926: Gertrude Ederle swims the English Channel 1927: Women petition to become 'persons' in Canada 1928: Britain's Equal Franchise Act becomes law 1929: Nigeria's Women's War wins rights 1930: Frances Marion writes Oscar-winning 'The Big House' 1931: Jackie Mitchell strikes out two of baseball's best 1932: Amelia Earhart's first solo flight across the Atlantic 1933: First female Cabinet member is appointed 1934: First woman serves on board of directors of a major corporation 1935: National Council of Negro Women is founded 1936: Wallis Simpson is Time's first female Person of the Year 1937: First woman climbs the Adirondack High Peaks 1938: First woman wins the Nobel Prize in Literature 1939: Kitty O'Brien Joyner is NASA's first woman engineer 1940: First African American woman wins an Oscar 1941: Wonder Woman debuts 1942: First woman is awarded Purple Heart medal 1943: Women's Army Corps is created 1944: French women win the right to vote 1945: Ireland's laundry workers go on strike 1946: UN establishes the Commission on the Status of Women 1947: First woman wins a Nobel Prize in medicine 1948: UN Declaration of Human Rights debuts 1949: 'The Second Sex' is published 1950: First girl plays Little League baseball 1951: Rosalind Franklin makes crucial DNA discoveries 1952: Grace Hopper revolutionizes computers 1953: First woman breaks the sound barrier 1954: UN Convention on the Political Rights of Women goes into force 1955: Rosa Parks sparks Montgomery Bus Boycott 1956: Women march on Pretoria 1957: First television show built around a female protagonist airs 1958: First woman wins multiple Grammys 1960: Sri Lanka elects world's first female prime minister 1961: India bans dowries 1962: Katherine Johnson helps send a man to space 1963: Betty Friedan publishes 'The Feminine Mystique' 1964: First woman of color elected to Congress 1965: Dolores Huerta directs a five-year strike 1966: National Organization for Women is founded 1967: First woman runs the Boston Marathon 1968: Miss America ignites 'bra burning' protests 1969: Nation's first 'no fault' divorce law passes 1970: First woman plays American football 1971: Reed v. Reed is decided 1972: Title IX goes into effect 1973: Roe v. Wade is decided 1974: Women earn the right to open their own credit cards 1975: Icelandic women go on strike 1976: First class of women enters West Point 1977: First woman wins an EGOT 1978: Pregnancy Discrimination Act passes 1979: UN adopts the Women's Bill of Rights 1980: First democratically elected female president takes office 1981: First woman is appointed to the Supreme Court 1982: First African American principal ballerina leads a U.S. company 1983: Sally Ride becomes first American woman in space 1984: First woman is selected VP candidate for a major political party 1985: Guerilla Girls forms 1986: Oprah becomes first woman to own and produce her own talk show 1987: First woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 1988: Switzerland establishes Federal Office of Gender Equality 1989: First woman receives IBM fellowship 1990: First female president of the Americas is elected 1991: Anita Hill testifies before the Senate 1992: Junko Tabei finishes climbing the Seven Summits 1994: Violence Against Women Act passes 1995: Fourth World Conference on Women commences 1996: United States v. Virginia is decided 1997: First female secretary of state joins Cabinet 1998: Senegalese mothers end female circumcision in their villages 1999: Google's first female engineer gets to work 2000: Million Mom March commences 2002: U.K.'s Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act passes 2003: Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace ends a civil war 2004: March for Women's Lives takes place 2005: Kuwait's Blue Revolution secures women's suffrage 2006: Iran's One Million Signatures campaign ends polygamous marriage 2007: First woman Speaker of the House takes the gavel 2008: Rwanda becomes first country with majority-female legislature 2009: Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is signed into law 2010: First woman wins Oscar for Best Director 2011: Saudi Arabian women protest driving ban 2012: UN passes resolution to ban FGC 2013: Pentagon announces end to ban on women in combat 2014: Malala Yousafzai wins the Nobel Peace Prize 2015: Emma Sulkowicz carries her mattress across campus 2016: Hillary Clinton becomes first female presidential candidate for a major party 2018: Record-breaking number of women are elected to Congress 2019: First all-woman spacewalk 2020: First woman elected US vice president 2021: Most gender-balanced Olympics in history 2022: Ketanji Brown Jackson becomes first African American woman to serve on US Supreme Court Edited at 2023-04-29 01:58 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link This movie is going straight into development hell. Like Id be very surprised if they ever go far into production and they didnt try to downplay a LOT that happens in the book. Its a dark, weird, violent book. Reply Thread Link Yeah I don't see this happening Reply Thread Link I bought this book recently (because of mark lineman... goddamn hyperfixation) but isn't there like... a dead baby tree or something? Reply Thread Link The dead baby tree is the LEAST of the horrific shit that happens in this book (which I love, but there's a LOT of yikes going on) Reply Parent Thread Link Not me reading that as dead - baby tree and wondering about your hesitance until it clicking that it's probably dead babies tree. Reply Parent Thread Link I struggled with that comment, errors everywhere, but yes a tree of dead babies Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Okay but me too.... Reply Parent Thread Link It's one of those books that you read and it stays on your mind for days because of how messed up it is. It's worth the read, but be prepared. Reply Parent Thread Link I liked what John Hillcoat did with The Road but I'm going to pass on this (if it ever gets made). This is probably the most disturbing fiction book I have ever read every once in a while a description of some horror from the book will just pop into my head and I'm shook all over again. I love Cormac McCarthy's writing but I kind of wish I had never picked up this one. Reply Thread Link This sounds really good Reply Thread Link I swear I was watching a video about the history of self-mummification and the guy who made it claimed bc he mentioned in in a previous video that it got more widespread attention and was selling out. oh this dude: Reply Thread Link at 5 hours it would take less time for me to read the book. Reply Parent Thread Link Wendigoon! I enjoy his arg videos but hes a straight weirdo and may or may not believe in hollow earth theory, for real. Anyway I started to watch this very video a few weeks ago but his disclaimer/content warning was long and kinda scary, so I knew I couldnt handle it. Reply Parent Thread Link Im scared to look up hollow earth theory but now I have to cause curiosity.but yes wendigoon is a strange but friendly fellow. Reply Parent Thread Link I recently discovered him and like his videos. How is he weird? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link self-mummification sounds like what yt ppl do with their skin, after years of being out in the sun, without proper protection, when the skin gets all leathery. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ Reply Thread Link Well, based on these comments guess I'm never going to read this book. Reply Thread Link i'm just about to read this book! Reply Thread Link This book has been on my shelf for years, still have not touched it. I know its supposed to be extremely violent, but another reason I think I have held off is the lack of quotation marks, honestly. Reply Thread Link thats his entire collection. virginia woolf also left them off! Reply Parent Thread Link And I have read The Road! Which I did like, but overall I like my punctuation marks lol. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Reading without quotation marks can be so tiring. Reply Parent Thread Link I have no patience for authors who don't use quotation marks, like you're not above punctuation people! Why don't you just ditch periods and commas too while you're at it. Reply Parent Thread Link I loved The Road... tried to read this one next and could not get through two pages because of the punctuation + overall style. I am sure you get used to it eventually, but it's rough!! Reply Parent Thread Link Oh this would only get made in certain countries in Europe lol. And I don't think they want to make an American history production. But yeah, this is way too real for America, a country that lives firmly in denial. This shit always reminds me that the only country that originally published Mary Kay Letourneau's book was France, which is maybe the most French thing I've read in the past 6 months, aside from the riots (which, like, good for them). Edited at 2023-04-29 04:12 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link It's been like 15 years since I read this book and parts of it still haunt me. I hated it at the time, so I feel like I should reread it now that I'm older and probably better able to understand some of the themes, but man.... I don't know if I have the stomach for it. Reply Thread Link "brilliantly subverting the conventions of the Western novel and the mythology of the Wild West" - I guess they're just going to use names, then. Reply Thread Link Many believe that the beginning of the crude oil industry was marked in the United States with the discovery of the Titusville well in Pennsylvania in the 1860s. In fact, there were several key oil discoveries in Azerbaijan a decade earlier. #1 Black City In 1846, an oil well was drilled in what is today the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. At the time, Azerbaijan was part of the Russian Empire, and oil was actually discovered in Baku in the 1820s. Eventually, Baku acquired the moniker Black City because of its oil wealth. To date, Azerbaijan has oil reserves estimated at some 7 billion barrels and produces over 800,000 bpd. Most of this is exported as the countrys domestic consumption is relatively minor due to its size. #2 The start of American oil In 1859, a man named Edwin Drake drilled the first-ever oil well in America. According to historical sources, it was also the first well that was actually drilled instead of dug out, as oil seeping up into the soil had been extracted until then. The Oil Creek at Titusville, Pennsylvania, marked the official beginning of the American oil industry. The first well was less than 70 feet deep, and it triggered a gold rush that would eventually turn the U.S. into the worlds largest producer of oil. #3 Oil Springs The first results of the new gold rushthe rush for black goldcame just a few years after Drakes Pennsylvania discovery. Four months after the discovery, another adventurous gentleman, Lyne Taliaferro Barret, began looking for oil in the eastern part of Texas in an area called Oil Springs. As sometimes happens, the timing was not the best. Barret had not yet discovered oil when work on the well had to be stopped for reasons such as the Civil War and Texas secession from the Union. It resumed after the end of the Civil War, and Barret struck oil in 1866. This was the first oil well in Texas. #4 The gusher era If theres one discovery thats arguably more famous than those first two oil wells in America, that would be Spindletop: the first gusher. No more apt name has been created for one of the worlds biggest oil discoveries. A geyser of crude oil erupted from Spindletop Hill in Texas on January 10, 1901, and the well ended up producing an amazing 100,000 barrels dailya rate not exactly common in those days. If the Oil Springs discovery marked the start of oil in Texas, then Spindletop gave it the push that eventually made it the industry it is today. #5 Oil in the Middle East The first oil well in the Middle East was not, as one might expect, discovered in Saudi Arabia. That came later. Oil was first discovered in Persia, todays Iran, thanks to a Brit, William Knox DArcy, whod got a 60-year concession from the Iranian government. DArcy funded the operation, which started in 1903, while the drilling was done by George Bernard Reynoldsan already prominent petroleum engineer. The Masjed Soleiman field was discovered in 1908, and it reached peak production in 1928. Amazingly, the field still produces to this day, but 2023 is expected to be its last year. The discovery led to the creation of what we now know as BP, one of the biggest oil companies in the world. Related: Analysts See Oil Prices Rising To $90 By End-2023 #6 The rise of the desert kingdom Three decades after the discovery of the Masjed Soleiman field, American engineers from Standard Oil struck oil in the desert peninsula known as Saudi Arabia. It was 1938, and nobody knew that a new star was being born. The Dhahran discovery turned out to be the biggest in history up to that point, and it changed everythingnot just for Saudi Arabia but for the world. From a largely nomadic people unconcerned about world affairs, the country turned into the worlds biggest oil producer and kept that crown for decades. At the same time, the Dhahran discovery marked one more step on the Middle Easts way to becoming the worlds major oil supplier. It was followed by discoveries of oil in Iraq, Kuwait, and the UAE, some of which remain the biggest reservoirs in history to this day. #7 The South American oil jewel The Bolivar Coastal field was discovered in 1917 by Shell and still remains one of the largest in the world. By 1958, the field was producing more than 1.4 million barrels daily, and its reserves were estimated at 11.1 billion barrels. The field was the first dip into the Maracaibo Basina huge oil reservoir largely located under Venezuelas Lake Maracaibo. The reservoir under the lake contains a substantial part of Venezuelas total oil reserves, which are the largest in the world. #8 The last big ones Most of the massive oil field discoveries in the world were made before the late 1980s. Since then, discoveries of huge fields have been negligible in terms of numbers. In fact, the only really big oil discovery in the last 30 years was the Kashagan field in the Kazakh section of the Caspian Sea. The field has a maximum production capacity of 380,000 bpd, which was hit in 2019. Its development has not been free from trouble, cost overruns, and delays, but it continues to contribute a substantial part of Kazakhstans oil output. #9 Guyana and the future Guyanas rise to prominence as a new oil hotspot harkens back to the days of the big oil discoveries. Exxon and Hess have tapped an estimated 11 billion barrels in oil reserves in the Stabroeck block, and they still keep striking oil there. Guyanas current production stands at 360,000 bpd, which is double what it was less than two years ago. For 2030, production is seen topping 1.6 million barrels daily. ADVERTISEMENT Oil Discoveries FAQ What was the largest oil discovery? The largest oil discovery to date is the Ghawar Field, located in eastern Saudi Arabia. It is estimated to hold up to 75 billion barrels of oil reserves and has been in production since 1951. However, it's worth noting that new discoveries and technological advancements could potentially surpass this in the future. What was the first major oil discovery? The world's first major oil discovery was made in Pennsylvania, United States, in 1859. This discovery, known as the Drake Well, produced about 25 barrels a day and introduced the world to the potential of oil as an energy source. It sparked the first oil boom in the United States and was a precursor to the global oil industry. Who first discovered oil in the world? The first discovery of oil in the world is difficult to attribute to a single person or culture, as oil has been known and used for various purposes for thousands of years. The ancient Sumerians, for instance, used asphalt to waterproof their boats, and oil seepages were used for medicinal purposes in ancient Egypt and China. However, the modern oil industry is considered to have originated in the mid-19th century, with the first commercial oil well being drilled by Edwin Drake in Pennsylvania, United States, in 1859. What is the deepest oil that has been found? The deepest oil well in the world is the Z-44 Chayvo Well, located on Sakhalin Island in Russia. It was drilled by Exxon Neftegas Limited in 2005 and has a depth of 12.376 kilometers (7.716 miles). It is known as an "extended reach" or "horizontal" well because it extends out more than 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) horizontally beneath the sea floor. The oil is located within the Sakhalin-1 project area in the Sea of Okhotsk, near the coast of Siberia. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili met in Brussels with European Union and NATO leaders to press the Caucasus nations bid to join those international organizations. Following a meeting with European Council President Charles Michel, the Georgian leader said on Twitter on April 25 that his country is committed to a policy of strengthening our relations with the EU and finalizing 12 recommendations set by the bloc before its membership bid can move forward. "Together [Georgia and the EU] will promote peace, democracy, and economic growth in the region, he wrote, adding that Georgia "deserves" candidate status. The European Commission has said that the 12 specific conditions Tbilisi must fulfill include ending political polarization, progress on media freedom, judicial and electoral reforms, and "de-oligarchization." Some Georgian leaders last year expressed dismay when the EU granted Ukraine and Moldova the status of EU candidates while holding off on granting the same to Georgia. Gharibashvili also met with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who called Georgia one of NATOs closest partners, adding that the Western allies fully support Georgias sovereignty and territorial integrity. I welcome Georgias Euro-Atlantic aspirations. And you can count on NATOs continued political and practical support, Stoltenberg said, according to a text released by NATO. In turn, I count on Georgia to redouble efforts on domestic reforms, and uphold democratic standards. We continue to call on Russia to reverse the recognition of Georgian territories as independent states, Stoltenberg said. Georgias aspirations to forge closer ties with the West have long angered Moscow. Tensions culminated in Russia's invasion of Georgia in 2008 after which Russia recognized South Ossetia and another region, Abkhazia, as independent countries and stationed thousands of its soldiers in those areas. Opinion polls show that at least 80 percent of the Georgian population favor plans to join the EU, as well as NATO, amid the perceived threats from Russia. ADVERTISEMENT By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The State of New York is set to become the first state to outright ban all new natural gas hookups in new buildings as part of a scheme to go all-electric, media reported on Friday. The Washington Post reported on Friday that a handshake deal between Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers would result in a new law that will force all new buildings into the all-electric era, with natural gas hookups outlawed. The law would prevent gas stoves and all other fossil fuel-burning appliances from being installed in any new building in the state with an eye to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Earlier this month, an appeals court ruled against the city of Berkley, California, over its scheme to ban natural gas hookups in new buildings. In the ruling, the court sided against Berkely, saying that its 2019 ban on natural gas hookups effectively banned all appliances operating with natural gas, which it was not allowed to do because of federal legislation that pre-empts such local legislation. "By its plain text and structure, EPCA's preemption provision encompasses building codes that regulate natural gas use by covered products," Judge Patrick Bumatay, one of a three-member panel at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, wrote earlier this month in response to Berkley's ban. "And by preventing such appliances from using natural gas, the new Berkeley building code does exactly that." The details of New Yorks ban has yet to be revealed, but environmental advocates have noted that the ban on natural gas would go into effect in 2026 for most new buildings under seven stories, and in 2029 for buildings that are taller, the Washington Post said. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: An Omaha man was sentenced in federal court this week for sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl. James Ferman Chatman, 43, was sentenced Thursday to 27 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minor by force, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for Nebraska. Officials began investigating the case in September 2021 after receiving information about a missing 17-year-old girl who was being advertised online for commercial sex in Omaha, according to the release. Investigators contacted the girl, who said she was being forced to engage in commercial sex by a person known as James Cooper. The girl said that James kept all of the money from the sex buyers and that he had sexually assaulted her and provided her with cocaine, the release said. Officials found evidence that Chatman was the man the girl was referring to and that he had created online commercial sex ads depicting the girl and others, according to the release. In November 2021, investigators learned that Chatman was at a hotel in Omaha and went to the hotel to arrest him. A woman who was at the hotel with Chatman told officials that she was being sold for sex by Chatman and that he used threats and violence to keep her engaging in sex sales, according to the release. Chatman was convicted of unlawful sex acts with a 16- or 17-year-old in Florida in 2019, but had not registered as a sex offender in Nebraska after leaving Florida, the release said. In addition to his prison sentence, Chatman was also ordered to pay $1,300 in restitution and will serve 10 years of supervised release after leaving prison. The case was investigated by the FBI, the Omaha Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service. In an interview with a probation officer, Andrew Sell said that it was the girl who had coerced him and that he should have "stood my ground." As the 10th assembly begins this June, the question of who becomes Speaker in the Green Chamber is now gathering momentum, as many legislators who fancy their chances of directing affairs of the legislative house are reportedly lobbying and consulting with Who-is-Who in the party. Of the lot, there is one man who, ordinarily, should not need much lobbying to clinch the exalted position, given his legislative track record, loyalty to the president-elect and participation in the campaign that led to Jagabans emergence. The person in question is Hon. Alhassan Ado Garba, popularly known as Alhassan Doguwa, member representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency of Kano State. Ado Doguwa, who holds a First Class Bachelors degree in Mass Communication of Bayero University Kano, has become a household name having come a long way, since his SDP days, when, at the age of 26, he was elected to represent the people of Kano State in the House of Representatives of the botched Republic. Among legislators jostling for the position of speaker, Doguwa stands taller than anyone in terms of his understanding of the legislative work. Since 2007, he has served in primed house committees, including as Deputy Chairman, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Chairman, House Committee on Millennium Development Goals. When he returned to the lower chamber for the fourth term in 2015, his outstanding contribution to the business of law-making counted for him as he was overwhelmingly elected as the 8th Assemblys Chief Whip, before he was elevated to play a much bigger role of the Majority Leader, in the current house. His responsibility as Majority Leader is enormous as he is the link between the executive and the legislature. The position has afforded him the leverage to interface with the top echelon in government, especially with President Muhammadu Buhari. Since assuming the role, he has discharged his duty creditably to the admiration of his colleagues, party leadership and the presidency. It follows, therefore, that a man with this robust achievement and pedigree is elected to head the house to further give the needed quality leadership in the peoples parliament. Again, at a time many were afraid to lose their political capital in the presidency, when the body language of whom the touted cabal in Aso Villa anointed as Buharis successor was still wrapped in secrecy, the Kano-born orator crisscrossed the length and breadth of the country to preach the gospel of Tinubus Emilokan, he chested out fully for Asiwaju Even when the peculiarity of the last election in Kano made it burdensome for APC to have an easy ride, Doguwa and other APC frontliners surmounted the difficulties to record the second highest votes for the party, leading the PDP with close to 380,000 vote margin. Doguwa did not only deliver his local government to Tinubu, he as well won the two house of assembly seats in his federal constituency for the party. His Northwest geopolitical zone also returned the highest votes in the election to our party. So if there is anyone that should benefit handsomely supported to be NASS Speaker based on contribution to the electoral victory and capacity to deliver good governance, it is Doguwa. He invested everything to ensure our party triumphed at the poll. And it is only fair, for the sake of justice and equity, he and Kano State, nay Northwest geopolitical zone, are given a sense of belonging and allowed to eat the fruit of their labour. The North West deserves the number 4 position. Our party should improve on our reward system by empowering only members who participated actively in our electoral successes and also have potentials to implement our manifesto to flip votes in future elections. We must frown at the culture of monkey dey work, baboon dey chop with the presidency of Asiwaju, a man noted for his thoroughness in dispensing political patronage. The voice of reasoning and equity should prevail in the leadership selection in the national assembly, so hardworking aspirants like Doguwa and Senator Godswill Akpabio, who led the party to two remarkable presidential outings in 2019 and 2023 in Akwa Ibom State (where we polled 175,429 and 160,620 votes respectively) can harvest the fruit of their diligence, commitment and loyalty to the party. Omowaiye, an engineer and ex-Commissioner for Works and Transport in Osun State, served as Spokesperson for Tinubu/Shettima APC Presidential Campaign Council in the state. E-commerce giant Konga has emerged among an exclusive list of globally viable start-ups and corporate organizations after achieving top scores in a rating by Early Metrics, an European based independent rating agency for start-ups and innovative SMEs. The rating places Konga in a rarefied club of the top 14% of the 2,100 startups rated globally as at March 2019, further justifying the elevated standing of the company as one of the most promising ventures in the Nigerian and African business space. A European-based global rating agency, Early Metrics assesses the growth potential of innovative and early-stage ventures. Their ratings support decision makers such as investors and corporates to identify innovative start-ups worthy of their time and money. Their ratings also help the organizations themselves, as it allows them to critically examine their strengths and weaknesses, gain credibility and give their investors added confidence by being audited by a third party. Konga, acquired by the Zinox Group about 12 months ago, has been undergoing strategic restructuring and expansion to position it as the first and largest Omni channel e-Commerce group on the African continent. The Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Ayotunde Olabomi has affirmed the readiness of Governor Gboyega Oyetolas led administration to roll out activities in preparation for the 2019 planting season in order to boost food production. The traditional ruler disclosed this while declaring open the Agricultural Summit for Farmers at the Iragbiji town hall Boripe local government area of Osun state. The Summit which featured lectures on start off loan acquisition, mechanised farming, Organic food cultivation, food sufficiency, food security and planting expertise was organised by the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Ayotunde Olabomi in collaboration with Osun Ministry of Agriculture, Association of Growers Processors and Exporters Association of Nigeria. We are having this summit and sectionised workshops for farmers, aspiring growers and ordinary people whose interest could be awaken in line with the food sufficiency program of the Governor Gboyega Oyetolas led administration and his agenda on Farm settlements, Agricultural products processing and Agricultural produce market. We urge all Osun residents to explore this opportunity as there are incentives provisioned for by the Osun Government. Oba Ayotunde Olabomi added as he declared the Summit opened. Addressing the gathering, the Director of Agric Services, Osun ministry of Agriculture, Food security and Youth development, Mr Oladepo Ola listed the opportunities available to Osun farmers and aspiring growers on loans and accessibility to standard crops which cannot be rivalled by any other state of the federation. He commended the effort of Governor Gboyega Oyetola on subsidisation, provision of enabling environment and incentives being given farmers. He urged all attendees and intending farmers to visit the Ministry of agriculture for enrollment and progress monitoring . Comrade Abdul-Kareem Aderemi, one of the guest speakers shed light on new and advanced ways of farming , grooming, getting farm produce to the right market, as well as employing technology for maximun yield. He made expose on gold mine crops like Castor oil plant, Cocoa etc. Honourable Ajayi Tope, the president of Jahtropher growers in Osun spoke on the economic gains, Clean organic energy and ecological benefits of the Jahtrapher plant locally known as Lapalapa. Emphasis were laid on ensuring the Organic growth of all Produce, Organic fertilizing, the nutrition of feeding on organic edibles, as well as the education on planting and application of regulated non edible produce as part of the prequisites mandated by the State of Osun government . Present at the occasion were the entire Aragbiji-in-Council, the Baale Agbe of Iragbiji kinddom, Chief Peter Adewoyin, Iragbiji townspeople, aspiring growers, and other Stakeholders. The Olororuwo of Ororuwo Oba Qamarideen Adeyemi Adeyanju Alawode IV and the Atapana of Iyeku Oba Salaudeen Soliu Ajiboye in their goodwill messages praised Governor Gboyega Oyetolas progressive ideals. They were unanimous that food security would be achieved by the state in record time. The day one of the summit closed with lectures on traditional mode of cooking and its benefits ; this was delivered by the Iyalode of Iragbiji land Chief Mrs Folorunso Tinuade . Share this: Toke Nigerian media personality, Toke Makinwa has clapped back at those accusing her of sleeping around for money. Toke shared a teaser of her popular blog series, Toke Moments, as she accused her accusers of trying to invalidate her success by saying she is making money from men. Read her message below: World people be like Im wilding on this weeks episode of Toke Moments, all jokes aside though, Im tired of the she must be sleeping around to get ahead narrative, its getting boring now. Is it your sleep around? Is it ya body???? Her body count is high, is it ya high?????? Drink water and chill abeg. I told a friend of mine the other day stunt on them cos if the tables were turned they will ball on you too. Have a laugh today guys, dont tight your chest too much, relax those muscles. life is short, keep giving them hell. they will be alright. Watch video below: Denmarks richest man and ASOS owner Anders Holch Povlsen and his wife lost three of their four children in the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka. A spokesman for Povlsens fashion firm made the announcement today and declined to give any further details but Danish media said the family had been on holiday in Sri Lanka. A string of bombings at churches and luxury hotels across Sri Lanka killed 290 people and wounded about 500 in Sundays attacks. A senior investigator said on Monday that seven suicide bombers had taken part in the attacks. Povlsen is the owner of fashion firm Bestseller, which includes brands like Vero Moda and Jack & Jones, and is the majority stakeholder in online retailer Asos while also holding a big stake in Zalando. He owns more than 1 percent of all the land in Scotland. A member of the Presidential Committee on the North East Initiative (PCNI) , Dr. Sidi Ali Mohammed, yesterday said that members of the terrorist organisation Boko Haram are being paid $3,000 daily. Mohammed spoke at the presentation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Sub-Sahara Africas Economic Outlook Report in Abuja. According to him, the payment dwarfs the N1,000 daily allowance paid to Nigerian troops at the war front. Mohammed, who is the Head of the Humanitarian Assistance and Rehabilitation arm of the PCNI, lamented that Boko Haram has been hijacked and operates like a cartel. I will give you an example. The Nigerian military, for example, gets N1, 000 per day for being in the Northeast, at the war front, as an allowance. The same Northeast, where if you are a member of Boko Haram you get $3,000 per day, as allowance. So it is lucrative. Sometimes they even give you money upfront. So we must do something about the youths from where they are recruiting. His answer to the problem, he explained, is that while there is no one-solution to the Boko Haram conflict, various avenues that could guarantee peace should be explored. Mohammed said: If it is amnesty that will guarantee that peace, then we have to think of it. Most importantly, we need to deplete the army of youths on the streets and take them away from the streets so that Boko Haram does not recruit them. Dont forget, they (Boko Haram members) are being killed on daily basis, but they are also recruiting on daily basis. They are getting people to recruit because it is lucrative. Part of the reason why this problem has refused to go away is the abundant natural resources in the Lake Chad Region. We need to think outside the box. It is now more like a cartel. When you see the type of weapons they use, it is more sophisticated than the type of weapons that our military are using. He likened the BoKo Haram menace is like a guerilla warfare. As we are here discussing, if somebody here is a member of Boko Haram, he will not say anything. He goes out there to strategise and comes back. It, therefore, means that the conventional ways of fighting a warfare cannot work here. It, therefore, calls for thinking outside of the box. Another problem identified by the PCNI member is the rejection of repentant members of Boko Haram who had been de-radicalised by his committee, working with the military but are rejected by the communities, thus creating problems of re-integration. Mohammed attributed the rise of the terrorist group to failure of governance. He said: States and local governments are supposed to be closest to the people. The local governments are supposed be closest to the people but in all honesty, are they really there? For those of us that know the North very well, not only in the Northeast, even in the Northwest, the only time you go to the local government secretariat and you see people is 26th, 27th and 28th of the month to collect their salaries. The moment they collect their salaries, they just disappear. 90% of local government chairmen, in the North , reside in their state capitals. So what do we see? That gap that has been created in terms of governance is what Boko Haram has taken advantage of. It might be news to you that Boko Haram are even collecting revenue from the people where they are operating. They collect taxes. They have government. He said that the PCNEI was making efforts to counter the Boko Haram narrative , as well as, remove the youths from the streets to deny Boko Haram recruitment targets. The IMF economist Mr. Siddharth Kothari, noted that conflicts cause decline in investment, trade and productivity, and destruction of physical and human capital. The government he said, has to prevent conflicts and mitigate the adverse consequences of conflicts through limiting the loss of human and physical capital, and trying to maintain well-functioning institutions. Blessing Okoro showed off this house as her own Nigerian blogger, Blessing Okoro has been lambasted for stealing photo of a newly completed 7-bedroom duplex and claiming it is her own. However, the China-based real owner of the home didnt mince words with the blogger lambasting her for lying. He showed a video evidence as he recorded his house before calling the blogger a stupid liar. The house which is reportedly located at Republic Layout, Bricks Estate, Enugu State is in the neighbourhood of the blogger, Blessing. According to a voice note sent to Instablog alongside a video of the house by the China-based owner, yesterday, he called the blogger stupid for using his house to deceive people on Instagram. They also reported that two residents of estate also stated that Blessing only went to the house to take pictures and proceed to the uncompleted house beside it to take another picture which she passed across as before and after pictures. Okoro Blessing Nkiruka is a Nigerian relationship expert and Break up or Makeup CEO. She had before now, shared a touching story of how she thought marriage was happiness and begged her husband to take her back even after she was domestically abused. See voice note below: Money laundered by Sani Abacha former Nigerian dictator and army general has been seized from a bank in Jersey, Channels Islands by a British court, SaharaReporters reports. The money worth 211,000,000 was put into accounts held in Jersey by Doraville Properties Corporation, a British Virgin Island company. Abacha was a Nigerian army officer and de facto president between 1993 until his death in 1998. During this period, he laundered money through the United States to the Channels Island. The money will be held by the government until authorities in Jersey, the US and Nigeria come to an agreement on how it should be distributed. Any money that Jersey does keep will be put into the Criminal Confiscation Fund, which is used to pay for a variety of projects. In the past the fund has been used for the new police station and developments at La Moye Prison. It is expected that even more money held by Doraville is likely to be seized and paid into the Civil Asset Recovery Fund in the future. Metro UK reports that, Attorney General Robert MacRae said: In restraining the funds at the request of the United States of America, through whose banking system the funds were laundered prior to arriving here, and in achieving the payment of the bulk of the funds into the Civil Asset Recovery Fund, Jersey has once again demonstrated its commitment to tackling international financial crime and money laundering. In 2014, at the request of the US authorities, the Islands Attorney General applied for, and the Royal Court granted, a restraining order over the Jersey bank account balance of Doraville. The purpose of the restraining order was to preserve the money until a final civil asset recovery order could be registered in the Royal Court. Doraville applied to the Royal Court for the restraint order to be discharged, but the Royal Court dismissed the application in 2016. Then in 2017, Doraville challenged the Royal Courts decision, taking the case to Jerseys Court of Appeal. That challenge was again rejected. Finally, following the decision of Jerseys Court of Appeal, Doraville made an application to appeal against the restraint order before the Privy Council Jerseys ultimate appellate court. In February 2018 the Privy Council announced its rejection of this final legal challenge. Last week, Solicitor General Mark Temple gave a presentation in Vienna, Austria, about Doraville at a UN conference on corruption. He said: The conference of the States Parties to the United Nations convention against corruption is an important international forum concerned with anti-corruption measures and asset returns. The conference was a good opportunity to demonstrate progress with the Doraville case, as well as Jerseys determination to deal with international financial crime more generally. The Labour Party (LP) has insisted that the 2023 presidential election was massively rigged in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. The party in a statement on Friday by its Acting National Secretary, Obiorah Ifoh said the APC did not win the election but stole the election. LP made the submission in response to an earlier claim by President Muhammadu Buhari that the opposition parties lost the 2023 election due to overconfidence, complacency and bad tactical moves. But Ifoh said the President was totally wrong with his submission as the LP won the election but it was stolen by the APC. He added that the 2023 presidential election is the worst Nigeria has recorded since 1999 till date as it was riddled with violence, ballot snuffing, snatching and manipulations of results. The LP scribe also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of creating room for the election to be rigged by failing to adhere to the 2022 electoral act and failing to upload results in real time as promised. According to Ifoh in his statement, Buharis position on the outcome of the said election was false, untrue, and it is not a true reflection of what played out during the election. There are several reasons why opposition political parties lost the 2023 election; the first is that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC snubbed the electoral act wherein it failed to upload the result from the polling unit in real time as promised and in disregard to the laws guiding the election. The INEC by so doing, created room for that election to be rigged. He further claimed the current APC president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu didnt win the election, because the said election, particularly, the presidential election was manipulated and rigged beyond comprehension. So political parties didnt lose the election because of overconfidence or complacency as proffered by Mr. President. APC in collaboration with the various government agencies simply rigged the election and rigged themselves into power. Let me remind Mr. President of the magnitude of violence, ballot snuffing, snatching and manipulations of results from the collation centres using security agencies, which included police, army amongst others as well as thugs to manipulate elections in favour of the ruling party. Recently, we saw the show of shame that took place in Adamawa. What played out in Adamawa was a microcosm of what played out all over the states during the February 25 and March 18 elections in Nigeria. Why the case of Adamawa was given huge publicity and attention was because of the involvement of an INEC National commissioner who was a victim, thus forcing INEC to take prompt action. From Lagos to Rivers, from north to southern parts of the country, all over, violence characterised that election. In most cases, some agents and supporters were not allowed access to the polling units. All of these put together, do they amount to overconfidence and complacency on the part of the opposition party? It shows that the President who promised Nigerians that he was going to give Nigerians a free, fair and credible election simply failed in his duty in giving Nigerians the election they deserved. The 2023 general election is the worst election the country ever had since the current republic; since 1999 to date. The 2023 general election is the worst ever as reported by virtually all the international observers and communities. In fact, the election took Nigeria back to the days of the First and Second Republics where political thugs, where violence and thuggery characterised politics and elections. So Mr. President is completely wrong. I believe that he was ill-advised. It was erroneous for him to say that opposition parties lost the election because of overconfidence. In fact, Labour Party won the election but it was brazenly stolen by APC. Mr. President is aware of the fact that APC did not win the election and that it was stolen. Popular Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola has sold his 6.3% stake in Transnational Corporation Plc (Transcorp) to its chairman, Tony Elumelu. The group chairman of Transcorp, Elumelu, purchased Otedolas shares on Thursday using Transcorps closing price at an options contract due to be paid in a series of instalments over time. It was reported that both parties believed reaching an agreement was in their best interests. The negotiations leading up to the agreement were said to be brief but friendly as Otedola and Elumelu openly committed to collaborating to advance Transcorps objectives. Transcorp, thereafter, announced that HH Capital Limited, a special-purpose vehicle owned by Elumelu, increased its stake to 25.58 per cent. Transcorp said: In compliance with Chapter 17, Rule 17.13 of the NGX Issuers Rules, Transnational Corporation Plc informs the NGX and the investing public of the below new acquisition of shares in the company. With this new acquisition, HH Capital Limited now holds 9,991,173,177 units, representing 25.58 per cent of the companys total shares. The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Friday, urged Nigerians to support the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his bid to reposition the country for development. Wike made the call when he visited Tinubu at the Defence House in Abuja. The governor was accompanied on the trip by his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde. He insisted that Tinubu has what it takes to lift Nigeria from its present challenges. Wike said: Elections have come and gone, the winner has emerged and, therefore, it is necessary for all Nigerians to rally around to give him (Tinubu) the necessary support for the interest of Nigeria. People cant wait till May 29 to see that the president is inaugurated and from there kicks the ground rolling to make sure that Nigerians get what they expect. I am confident he (Tinubu) has what it takes to turn Nigeria around. I have that confidence. READ ALSO: Wike gives reasons for supporting Tinubu, Obi Makinde equally pledged his full support for the former Lagos State governor. I came here to pay homage to the president-elect and let him know that elections are over. This is governance and we will do our best to give him support for the good governance of Nigeria, he stated. Wike, Makinde, and three other governors in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stayed away from the partys preparations for the February 25 presidential election to press home their demand for the removal of the erstwhile national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu. Other members of the G5 group are Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu). Tinubu will take over from President Muhammadu Buhari as Nigerias new leader on May 29. Join the conversation Opinions Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs. As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake. If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause. Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development. Donate Now Governors Nyesom Wike and Seyi Makinde on Friday paid homage to Nigerias President-elect, Bola Tinubu, at the Defence House in Abuja ahead of the May 29 inauguration and called on Nigerians to rally behind the incoming administration. Mr Tinubu was moved to the Defence House following his arrival from a month-long holiday in Europe ahead of next months inauguration and has since been receiving visitors from various sectors of the public as he makes plans for the new administration. Speaking to the journalists during the visit, Mr Wike, who occasionally threw his weight behind Mr Tinubu during the election at the expense of his partys candidate, Atiku Abubakar, urged Nigerians to give the incoming government all the necessary support. He also expressed strong confidence in Mr Tinubus ability to turn Nigerias misfortunes around. Elections have come and gone. The winner has emerged and therefore it is necessary for all Nigerians to give him the necessary support for the interest of Nigeria, said the Rivers State governor. I am confident that he has what it takes to turn Nigeria around, Mr Wike added. Mr Makinde also re-echoed his Rivers state counterparts message of togetherness, stating that elections are over and called on Nigerians to support Mr Tinubu-led incoming administration. I came here to basically pay homage to the President-elect and to let him know that elections are over and this is [time for ]governance and we would do our best to give him support for the good governance of Nigeria, the Oyo governor noted. Messrs Wike and Makinde and other members of PDP G-5 opposed the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar for presidency, stating that presidential power must shift to the Southern region of the country following eight years of Muhammadu Buharis regime. CHAIRMAN of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Abike Dabiri-Erewa has said about 7,000 people, including Nigerian students being evacuated from Sudan, are stranded at the Egyptian border. According to a statement by the Commissions Media, Public Relations and Protocol Officer, Gabriel Odu, on Friday, April 28, Dabiri-Erewa said the Nigerian Mission in Egypt was making efforts to secure the students entry into the country. Dabiri-Erewa said over 7,000 Nationals, including Nigerians, are not being allowed to cross the border into Egypt since their arrival late yesterday evening. She added that The Nigerian mission in Egypt has been working tirelessly on this as the Egyptian authorities are insisting on visas by fellow Africans to transit back to their countries. She appealed to the Egyptian authorities to kindly allow the already traumatised travellers to transit to their final destinations in various countries in Africa, the statement noted. The students had left Khartoum, the Sudan capital, by road for Aswan, in Egypt, early on Wednesday, April 28. During the journey to Aswan, a video circulated on social media in which students complained of being abandoned in the desert due to non-payment of fees to the bus operators by the Federal Government. However, Dabiri-Erewa later confirmed that the issues were settled, and the students arrived at the Aswan border in Egypt on Thursday, April 27. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had confirmed that they would be airlifted from Aswan, Egypt, to Abuja, Nigeria. The Sudan crisis had frustrated the Nigerian governments efforts to airlift the stranded students directly from Khartoum. Thousands of foreigners, including at least 10 000 Nigerian students and over five million Sudanese of Nigerian origin, were trapped in Sudan, following intense fighting between two rival forces in the country. April 28, (THEWILL) Over 7,000 Nationals including Nigerians are currently stranded at the Egyptian Border. Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who disclosed the development on Friday, said the nationals, including Nigerians, are not being allowed to cross the border into Egypt since their arrival late Thursday evening. She urged those concerned with passages and movement of persons and services along contiguous borders of Sudan to create a humane condition for the Nationals, including Nigerians, to have unfettered access to their various destinations. Dabiri-Erewa said the Nigerian mission in Egypt has been working tirelessly on this as the Egyptian authorities are insisting on visas by fellow Africans to transit back to their countries. She appealed to the Egyptian authorities to kindly allow the already traumatised travellers to transit to their final destinations in various countries in Africa. Dabiri-Erewa, on Thursday, said the first batch of Nigerian evacuees are expected to arrive Nigeria from Egypt this Friday. Two governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Friday visited President-elect, Bola Tinubu, in Abuja. The two governors who were prominent members of PDP Group of Five (G5 govs) that worked against the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar presidential candidate of the party in the 25th February election, asked Nigerians to rally round Tinubu, saying the time for politics is over. Gov. Wike and Engr. Seyi Makinde meets with the President-elect, @officialABAT at the Defence House in Abuja. pic.twitter.com/5NaX969zBu SF (@sfojoemmanuela) April 28, 2023 Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress defeated the Peoples Democratic Partys Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party to clinch the seat in the hotly-contested February poll. Speaking with journalists after meeting with Tinubu at the Defence House, where the President-elect currently resides, Wike said that the time for politics is over and as such the incoming president needs the support of Nigerians. Daily Post reports that three armed robbery suspects, who made a confession to the Anambra State Police operatives about being members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have been arrested in Anambra State. The spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga disclosed this in a press release made available to DAILY POST in Awka, Anambra State. Ikenga said the men who were on a robbery operation engaged policemen at a checkpoint in a shooting match, after they were flagged down for a search. Ikenga said: I am delighted to provide you with update on achievements recorded by the Command in our fight against crime and criminality. We have made significant progress in reducing crime rates and ensuring a sustainable peace for the safety and security of citizens in the State. On 27/4/2023 by 7:50pm, the forward operating (FOB) in Aguata, while on stop and search duty at Afor Nnobi road intercepted two vehicles, one unmarked brown Lexus jeep and a black Prado Jeep with Reg Nos. GWA 696 CM, Abuja. The occupants of the vehicle who refused to stop when police flagged them down, started shooting sporadically to escape police screening. The operatives engaged the armed men in gun battle, rescued one of their victims and arrested three of the gang members suspected to members. While other gang members escaped the scene, the suspects now in custody, confessed to be members of outlawed ESN/IPOB group and mentioned the various camps/criminal hideouts were, they operate from. The command said that a number of incriminating items were found on the hoodlums, including: three AK-47, two Cell phones, two Bulletproof vest, two Walking talkie, one Police uniform (camouflage), 4 AK-47 Magazines, one hundred and twenty Live ammunition, one Police belt, one Hand glove, a pair of Police boot, two Police caps, one military T-shirt and one blue police uniform. He gave the names of the arrested suspects to include: Haicynth Ujwuika aged 45years, Sunday Samuel Akpan aged 31years and Chinonso Offor aka wolf aged 24years. Ikenga said efforts are in place to ensure arrest of fleeing member of the gang. With one look at him, one discovers that, ordinarily, theres nothing new about his trade. However, the fact that he is 70 years old, and depends on the same business to take care of more than one wife and sponsor his childrens education makes him different from others. This is the story of Ahmadu, the electronics fabricator in Kano. Ahmadu in a chat with Daily Trust correspondent in Kano disclosed that the unavailability of a white-collar job as a result of his lack of formal education pushed him into the trade mostly considered to be for unfortunate youth, while the idea of taking care of his family in accordance with his religion motivated him to become a professional. As a father, Ahmadu married off his daughters and sons with proceeds from the same business which is very surprising as he sells his product on a certain spot at a biweekly market in Kano called Larabar Mata, situated at Hotoro area of Kano State. The biweekly market, which operates on Wednesdays and Saturdays was originally established when a leprosy hospital was built in the area. I have no shop now, but many years back I did. It was a pretty big one with two apprentices that I trained. I was the boss; and taught them everything they needed to know about the business. I paid for their lunch and allowance every week. Then one day, the government announced that its going to renovate markets including ours. We were happy back then because it meant healthier environment and more profit. Unfortunately, after the renovation, the shops became very expensive, so I relocated to Larabar Mata market, Ahmadu narrated. What I am getting from the business is not much but we are managing. If I can get all the necessary modern machines needed for the job, I can take care of my family properly. And it is not just me, I think all the people that are into trades like mine will tell you the same thing. Government in Nigeria is indifferent to such kind of things. But take a look at those developed countries, youll see that government makes effort to recognise talents and find a way to improve on what they do and make it beneficial to citizen, and even spread it to the rest of the community to reduce unemployment. But here in Nigeria, I assure you foreigners will come and take one look at the business, modernise it and take over the market with more profit and benefit than us. And even the government will patronise them with huge amount of money when it was initially its own peoples idea. He is self-taught I did not attend school of any kind (apart from the traditional Islamic school called Allo), thus did not learn how to repair or make those electronics from anybody or the internet. Initially, I started by repairing damaged torchlights or replacing some components inside, then later moved to repairing and amassing transistor radios. Due to years of experience, I came to understand how the wires and components inside were supposed to be assembled and linked with one another to operate, and how they look like when they are functioning and otherwise. My loyal customers are mostly women, theyll bring their damaged torchlights or radio for me to repair or to buy a new one from me from various parts of the state. Some will even change their mind from repairing their broken ones to buying one of my handsome creations, because as you can see for yourself, I like being creative, he said with a smile. It might not be a mans dream job, but on a good day, I can get N5,000 and above, sometimes less than that. Even though that wasnt the case years ago, but it is okay for a man who has grown up sons that are now of age and assists him with the little they can spare to take care of their three mothers and siblings, he added. None of my sons want to tow my career path Ahmadu disclosed to Daily Trust Saturday that even though he used the same trade to send his children to school back then, none of them volunteered to follow in his footsteps after growing up. Like I told you, I started this business from my youthful days. I got married and took care of my children with it to this day. Also, unlike myself, I send my children to modern schools. But despite all these, none of them wanted to toe my line of business and I am okay with that. They have their own choices and businesses. But who knows whether my younger sons and grandchildren will do in the future, he said. I need help to take youths off the street Ahmadu said that if it is possible, he would do well with an intervention either from the government or philanthropists as it will provide job opportunity not just for him, but for youths in general. As you know, every business needs innovation to thrive in this modern world. So, if the government or any philanthropist can assist me, Ill be more than happy. They dont even have to give me money, all I need is the modern apparatus and a workshop to work with less stress. If I get that, apart from assisting an old man that has almost lost everything but refused to give up, I can train youths, especially those ones that did not have the privilege of acquiring modern education just like me, making them less problem for the government to worry about, he appealed. *** Source: Daily Trust Mama Titi Musa In 2007, the Jonah Jang administration made a move to to provide relief to widows in the state by recruiting them as street cleaners. By so doing, he sought to give them a means to make a living. However, in this Daily Trust Saturday report, some of the cleaners decry the poor salary and its late payment and other poor working conditions they are faced with. **** It is very common to see women with broom and dust pans on duty in the streets of Jos. These are women recruited by the Plateau State government to sweep the streets and ensure they are kept clean all year round. These street cleaners are widows carefully sorted out for that service which was introduced in 2007. In engaging the widows for this job, government thought it was one of the ways to help them make a living after the death of their bread winners. While this gesture from government was applauded by all and sundry at inception, this humanitarian gesture is, however, beginning to attract criticisms and condemnations from segments of they society who may have observed the condition of service of these widows. Some of them are within the age bracket of 70 to 80, wile majority are relatively younger. One of them, Mrs Titi Musa, who sits along Lamingo Road, told Daily Trust Saturday, that I am among the pioneer staff of the ministry. We were recruited by the Jonah Jang administration and our salary is N8,000.00 per month. They say they are helping us, but in some months, they dont pay us. I am doing it because I dont have anyone to take care of me. I have five children but two of them died after I lost my husband. The remaining three have no jobs. So, I have to do something to take care of myself. Another street cleaner sited at Miango Junction, Mrs Keziah John, also said, Its been 11 years now since I joined the street cleaners, and my salary is still N8,000.00 per month. At Rukuba Road, you will find another female street sweeper, Mrs Naomi Song who became a widow over 30 years ago. She said, My problem is that this N8,000 cannot buy anything. I dont see it as government helping us; we are just toiling for us to eat. We have been expecting government to increase our salary but they refused and there is nothing we can do about it. Some of the criticisms are that those aged among them should be allowed to retire and remain at home to be paid their salaries. Must these aged widows be made to sweep the streets before government can cater for their welfare? It appears that the only means through which the state government can cater for the welfare of its senior citizens is to recruit them as street cleaners and keep them on the highways, said one of the critics. These criticisms cannot be waved off as the work of the opposition for the fact that the nature of the service make these widows visible for public admiration and sympathy on daily basis. A widow Mrs Keziah John sited on duty at Miango junction Jos The idea of recruiting street cleaners was initiated in 2007 by the Jonah Jang administration. The concept, Daily Trust Saturday learnt, was to engage able-bodied widows who are younger and energetic to carry out the rigours of street cleaning daily. And they are to be paid a stipend of N8,000 per month. The program is domiciled under the ministry for environment. The recruitment was done through the ministry and the street cleaners were meant to be closely supervised by the ministry. According to the former commissioner for environment Nankin Bagudu who saw the take-off of the program in 2007, The concept was to get the streets of the state clean to boost tourism and improve the sanitary conditions of the state in a way to attract foreign investors and tourists. We started it at the state capital and subsequently extended the street cleaning to all the 17 local government headquarters. In terms of remuneration, Bagudu said, As at the year 2007 when we started the policy, the minimum wage was N7,500.00 (Seven Thousand and Five Hundred Naira only). So, our government resolved that since they are not civil servants and their recruitments cannot be subjected to civil service rules and procedures, it means they are not pensionable and not entitled to gratuity. Hence, we resolved they should be paid N8,000.00, that is N500.00 higher than the minimum wage then based on the understanding that they are not entitled to pension and gratuity. As at the time the administration of Jonah Jang wound up in 2015, the population of the street cleaners had grown to 5,000. The humanitarian aspect of the widowhood policy is that 16 years after the recruitment of these widows, their take home pay at the end of each month has remained N8,000.00, meaning that the poor widows are still been remunerated based on 2007 minimum wage of N7,500.00. In 2019, President Buharis administration introduced a new minimum wage of N30,000.00 for civil servants across the country. While the new minimum wage has been implemented in Plateau State, the state government remained silent on that of the street cleaners. Many in the state see this as Simon Lalongs administration of insensitive to the socio-economic wellbeing of the aged widows. Nankin Bagudu said, It appears the state government has pegged the wages of these widows to N7,500 irrespective of the economic situation of the country. I therefore consider the government as irresponsible over its inability to increase the wages of these widows. The state Commissioner for environment Hon Elisha Bitrus Shehu, said Recently, Governor Simon Lalong approved the increment of the salary of these street cleaners from N8,000.00 to N15,000.00. The commissioner confirmed that the payment of the new wage to the widows was meant to commence from February 2023, however, even in April, the widows were yet to receive the new salary. Daily Trust Saturday gathered that the widows are being owed two months salary arrears at the old rate of N8,000.00. And there is no indication that the new wage will be implemented in the life of the present administration that will fold up by May 29, 2023. Regarding the ages of these widows, Hon Shehu said As you know, these women were engaged 16 years ago, they would have been younger then. However, government gave them the freedom to bring their daughter or grand-daughter to replace them if they feel too weak to continue with the work. This is to ensure that the little stipend they are receiving remains. We have told them that they can swap the employment by bringing anyone they like. But in spite of that, some of the aged widows prefer to do the work by themselves. This does not mean government is compelling them to do the work by themselves. So, government cannot be said to be insensitive to the condition of these widows, we do, but the widows have their choices to make. Daily Trust Saturday observed that, aside the poor salary of the street cleaners, they are never seen putting on protective gears/kits like rain coat, rain boot, etc to alleviate the harsh cold weather during rainy and dry seasons. *** Source: Daily Trust Anikulapo, Kunle Afolayans 2022 movie, received the highest number of nominations at the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards Kunle Remi, the Nigerian actor, has opened up, addressing his snub at the nominations of the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, AMVCA 2023. Anikulapo, Kunle Afolayans 2022 movie, received the highest number of nominations at the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. Even though the movie was nominated in 15 categories with 16 nominations, Anikulapos lead actor, Kunle Remi, didnt get one nomination. The Anikulapo star, speaking on his exclusion from the AMVCA 2023 nomination list during an interview on the popular TV programme Your View, brags that the snub did not in any way diminish him, his stylishness, fame or energy. Asked about his opinion about the nomination, he said: Nomination, well, I fell into the category of non-nominated artistes. It doesnt reduce my value, fame and energy. Kunle Remi further revealed he is unshaken by the snub because his role as Saro was not taken because of an award but rather because of a challenge. It was rumoured that Remis snub was a result of an interview he granted in which he alleged that a senior colleague tried to lure him into homosexuality. Advertisement By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri A new Assistant Inspector General of Police, Mamman Umar has assumed office at zone 9 in Umuahia in Abia State. A statement issued by Bruno Iheanetu, spokesperson for the zone 9 said that Umar took over from AIG Isaac Akinmoyede, who had retired from the force after 35 years of service. The statement read the Police Zonal Headquarters,Zone 9 Umuahia wishes to inform the general public that a new Assistant Inspector General of police has been posted to Zone 9 Headquarters Umuahia.He is AIG Umar Mamman Sanda,psc,Fdc,mnim. He takes over from AIG Isaac Akinmoyede Fdc, mnim who has retired after a meritorious thirty five years in public service. AIG Umar Mamman Sanda,psc,Fdc,mnim is from Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa state and enlisted in the Nigeria Police on 3rd March 1990 as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of police (ASP).He holds an LLB Honors in Law from the prestigious University of Maiduguri and a Grade II Teachers Certificate from the Teachers Training College,Potiskum. Also,he is a fellow Defence College and attended the Nigerian law school in 1988 . He has attended several courses of which are;Advance Detectives Course London, Anti Money Laundering Course, Cyprus, Citizenship and Leadership Training shere Hills, Jos. It is worthy of mention that he is a member of Nigeria Bar Association as well as Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM). In furtherance to his experience and wealth of knowledge as regards the police job, he has served the force in notable capacities which include ;Divisional police officer in various Police Divisions, Investigations at the Nigeria police Special Fraud Units ,United Nations Peace Keeping Mission East Timor, Member Nigeria Contingent ,Lagos -Pioneer head general Investigations Unit as well as the Governance Unit EFCC ,he was Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of X-Squad Criminal InvestigationDepartment (CID) Abuja, Deputy Commandant EFCC Academy Abuja, Counter Terrorism Department, Office of National security Advicer, Deputy Commissioner of Police Administration FCIID Abuja, commissioner of police Administration Force criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department Abuja, Commissioner of Police Bauchi State Command CP X- Squad FCIID Annex Lagos ,he is also a member of the current Board of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission representing the Nigeria Police Force and until his deployment as the AIG Zone 9 he was the Commissioner of Police in charge of Western Port Authority Police (PAP) Lagos.He could be reached through his email address;sandaumar@yahoo.com . He is happily married with children. Members of the public are by this press release enjoined to extend all co-operation to the Assistant Inspector General of police Zone 9 Headquarters Umuahia ,please. Related Advertisement The government of President Muhammadu Buhari will no longer conduct the 2023 Population and Housing Census, earlier scheduled for between May 3 and 7, 2023. The new date for the exercise will be determined by the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. President Buhari made this known after meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC) and his team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday (28 April 2023). The President however stressed the critical need for the conduct of a Population and Housing Census, 17 years after the last Census, to collect up-to-date data that will drive the developmental goals of the country and improve the living standard of the Nigerian people. According to a statement today, April 29, by the minister of information and culture Lai Mohammed, president Buhari said that with the completion of the Enumeration Area Demarcation of the country, conduct of first and second pretests, the recruitment and training of adhoc workers, procurement of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and ICT infrastructures, appreciable progress has been made in the implementation of the 2023 Population and Housing Census. He commended the methodology being put in place by the Commission to conduct accurate and reliable Census, especially the massive deployment of technology that is capable of delivering world class Census and laying a sustainable basis for future censuses The President directed the Commission to continue with preparations for the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census in order to sustain the gains already recorded and provide the basis for the incoming administration to consolidate these achievements. The meeting was attended by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Mr Clem Agba and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha amongst others. The PDP and a chieftain of the party, Dino Melaye had filed an order of mandamus to compel the NDLEA to arrest and prosecute Tinubu over an alleged forfeiture of some funds in his bank accounts in the United States over two decades ago. In a preliminary objection filed on Wednesday, the director of prosecution of the NDLEA, Joseph Sunday said the application by the PDP and Melaye is incompetent and that the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain it. The anti-narcotics agency said the suit by the opposition party should be struck out because it is political in nature, adding that it is not in the interest of Nigerians. The NDLEA said the suit was targeted at removing Tinubu as a bonafide candidate in the February 25 presidential election. The agency argued that an order of mandamus is an equitable remedy and should only be applied in good faith and should not produce an indirect or underlying result. The doctrine of judicial self-restraint precludes this honourable court from delving into matters with political colouration or matters aimed at getting direct or indirect political goals, the suit reads. In an affidavit supporting the preliminary objection, Chia Depunn, a litigation officer attached to the NDLEA directorate of prosecution, said the agency has a healthy relationship with the US government, and that Tinubus name has never featured in the exchanges in a drug case between the two countries. The NDLEA has a healthy relationship with the government of the United States of America, the name of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu by whatever acronyms or combination of names has never featured in the exchanges we had with the United States of America, he said. He said the name of Tinubu has also not featured in the radar and database of the agency as a person arrested, investigated or prosecuted in connection with drug or other related offences. That this suit as presently constituted does not confer the court with jurisdiction. That the 1st Applicant does not have Locus Standi to institute this suit as it does not possess interest peculiar to it and above the interests of all other Nigerians. That the suit is baseless, frivolous and brought in bad faith with the sole aim of achieving a political objective using the instrumentality of the court process. That the facts and circumstances of the case require the court to apply the doctrine of judicial self-restraint. That the Order of Mandamus must be applied in good faith to promote the public interest. That the Order of Mandamus should not produce an indirect or underlying result. That the suit was not a criminal indictment or charge. That the standard of proof in civil forfeiture is based on the balance of probabilities. That the standard of proof in a criminal indictment, charges and proceedings is proof beyond a reasonable doubt. That the burden of proof in criminal procedure is much higher than that of civil procedure. The NDLEA said the application by the PDP is dead and legally unsustainable, adding that the court should dismiss this suit with substantial cost. KanyiDaily recalls that Atiku Abubakar had also alleged that Bola Tinubu is unfit to lead Nigeria having been indicted for drug related offences in the United States and made to forfeit a sum of $460,000 as a compromise agreement. Nigerian Rapper Victor Odu, popularly known as Vic O, has decried the insecurity in the country. This is after he was robbed by some criminals. Vic O disclosed this in a post on his official Instagram handle on Saturday. In the post, he said that he was robbed and almost all his belongings were taken from him. Vic O wrote, Damn. I just got robbed. They took almost everything from me. This Naija isnt safe o. However, he did not give information on the location of the robbery attack. In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded an international travel ban on President Muhammadu Buhari after Bola Tinubu is inaugurated as president on May 29. PDP made the request through its Spokesman, Debo Ologunagba during a press conference on Friday in Abuja. President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the postponement of the 2023 Population and Housing Census, which was earlier slated to take place from the 3rd 7th of May 2023. A new date will be determined by the new administration. President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the postponement of the 2023 Population and Housing Census, earlier scheduled for 3-7 May 2023, to a date to be determined by the incoming Administration. Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed said in a statement. Buhari approved the postponement after meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council; the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Nasir Isa-Kwarra; and his team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. THE Federal government has said evacuation of the second batch of Nigerians stranded in Sudan would commence on Saturday, April 29. This was contained in a statement jointly issued and signed on Saturday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. According to the statement, the first batch of evacuees at the Egyptian border were currently undergoing required documentation to ensure their entry into the country. The movement of the second batch of 29 buses will commence on Saturday, 29th April, 2023. The evacuees are advised to be at the designated locations with only one luggage. Contrary to insinuations on the social media, Embassy staff are very much on ground in Khartoum to coordinate the evacuation exercise to the very end, the statement read. Nigerians in Sudan awaiting evacuation were advised to cooperate with officials to ensure proper documentation and avoid delays during the journey. While the Federal Government empathises with affected Nigerians, maintaining order amidst the desperate situation remains crucial to getting all interested Nigerians out of the war zone in record time before the expiration of the ceasefire, which has been extended by 72 hours, the statement read. The ministries also announced that the first batch of Nigerians at the Egyptian border would be evacuated shortly by the Air Peace airline and officials of the Nigerian Air Force, who have been on standby. Public outcry over the sum of $1.2 million released for the evacuation was also addressed in the statement. The outcry over the negotiated sum of $1.2 million for the buses hired for the exercise, is uncalled for. The amount in question, was negotiated in a condition of war, and there are competing demands for same bus services by other countries also trying to evacuate their citizens. Therefore, the cooperation and understanding of all and sundry is required to complement ongoing efforts aimed at ensuring the safe return of every Nigerian trapped in Sudan, the statement read. The crisis had frustrated the Nigerian governments efforts to airlift thousands of stranded Nigerians directly from Khartoum, the Sudan capital. The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), has said it has reviewed its curriculum to meet temporary threats facing the country. The academy said the personnel who graduated many years ago were not used to the current emerging threats facing the country. We sat down to review the curriculum to meet the current trend of insurgency and emerging threats facing the nation in other to better equip the Cadets, so that when they are commissioned into the Nigerian Army, they will hit the ground running, the Commandant of the Academy, Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Manu Yusuf said on Friday in Jos at Exercise Camp Highland. Exercise Camp Highland is a training ground for the Cadets at Shere Hills in Jos. Its a requisite for the Cadets of the Academy to pass through it before graduation and commissioning into the Nigerian Army, our correspondent reports. We bring the Cadets here to implore their social skills, physical abilities and their cognitive skills as part of the overall development of training of the Cadets, the NDA boss said while addressing Journalists at the exercise ground. He continued: The challenges confronting the country in the past few years were not the usual challenges the army was trained to confront in years past. Because of these emerging challenges, we have taken lessons from the operation in the field and we have used these lessons to review the curriculum so that the Cadets upon graduation will hit the ground running because they would have been equipped with all the skills and competencies they require in line with the contemporary challenges in the country. All the Cadets you see here have the capacity to jump out of an aircraft with their parachutes and carryout operations because they have all received their training and are capable of operating in any river line area. Each of them you see here can swim with their rifle and boots to any location and conduct operations, Yusuf said. He reiterated that there will be no safe haven for trouble shooters who do not want the country to be in peace by the time the current army cadets are integrated into the Nigeria Army. On his part, the Coordinator, Citizenship and Leadership Training Center Shere Hills, Abdulmumuni Adamu, said the cadets will train in Shere Hills for five days and will undergo courses ranging from physical, mental, adventure and technical courses which will make them actively agile to fight insurgency. The exercise is designed to test the Cadets Leadership skills, Physical fitness, Map Reading, Command and Control capabilities among other military competencies, Adamu said. Recounting their experience, Cadets Magdalene Hassan and Abraham Itodo said they are excited to be part of the ongoing training, pledging commitment to dedicate their acquired skills to the service of the country. Our correspondent gathered that the Exercise Camp Highland is for 70 Regular Course Army Cadets. Spread the love President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the postponement of the forthcoming census. The exercise was billed to take place across the country between May 3 and 5. Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, announced the postponement in a statement issued on Saturday. He said the new date for the census will be determined by the incoming administration. The President gave the approval after meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council and the Chairman of the National Population Commission and his team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday (28 April 2023), the statement reads. READ ALSO: BuhariBuhari arrives Army parade in military uniform In arriving at the decision to postpone the Census, the meeting reiterated the critical need for the conduct of a Population and Housing Census, 17 years after the last Census, to collect up-to-date data that will drive the developmental goals of the country and improve the living standard of the Nigerian people. However, Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, refused to grant the motion ex parte and asked the applicant to put the defendant, the NPC, on notice. Ekwo said the NPC should appear in court to show cause why the applicants motion should not be granted. The matter was adjourned until May 5. Advertisement By Izunna Okafor, Awka The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 Nigeria general election, Mr. Peter Obi has charged Nigerians to celebrate people for their knowledge and not for their wealth and riches. Mr. Obi made the call on Friday while addressing the school children at a one-day event organized to celebrate and mark the posthumous birthday of a Nigerian pioneer writer and academic, Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike, who was also the Traditional Ruler of Ndikelionwu in Orumba South Local Government Area. The event, which held at the Anambra State Central E-Library, Awka, was organized by the Nigerian Book Foundation, a foundation which Prof. Ike headed as the president in the state before his death in January 2020. Obi, while addressing the gathering, described late Prof. Ike as an intellectual and totems of excellence, while also noting that he was one of the greatest assets Anambra State ever had. He recalled how he started hearing of Prof. Ike and admiring him for his wisdom and intellect while he was still school, but ended up being the Governor who presented certificate to him as the traditional ruler of Ndikelionwu. While commending the organizers of the event for their thoughtfulness, Obi stressed on the need for Nigerians to learn to admire and celebrate person for his knowledge, rather than for his money, which, he said, is the most common among Nigerians today. In her address of welcome, the Co-president of the Nigerian Book Foundation (NBF) and first female professor of Mass Communication in West Africa, Prof. Stella Okunna, said the event, which the NBF organized in collaboration with the State Ministry of Education and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (Anambra State Chapter), was primarily aimed at commemorate the late monarch three years after his death, as well as keep his memory alive. In their separate remarks at the event, the Traditional Ruler of Onitsha, H.R.M. Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, and the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (Anambra State Chapter), Dr. Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, hailed late Prof. Ike as an outstanding intellectual, who left indelible marks and contributed immensely to national development. They also called on the Anambra State Government to immortalize the great writer, while the say, will not only keep his memory alive, but also serve as motivation to others to add value to society. On his own part, the Traditional Ruler of Obosi, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, who presented his authored-book August Inmates to Peter Obi, noted that Anambra State has given the world arrays of writers, which Ike was one of, even as he urged the youths to emulate people of integrity and aspire to be like them. Contributing, the State Commissioner for Education representative, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh said the governor had already projected to immortalise him by naming institution after him, which, she said, would be done anytime soon. In his Keynote lecture, Prof. Sule Emma Egya Emmanuelle of IBB University, Niger State, dissected the various books authored by the Prof. Ike and extolled his literary prowess, while also marinating that the late literary icon would so dearly missed by Nigeria and the world at large. Prof. Ike, born on April 28, 1931, was a prolific writer, scholar, lecturer, and administrator. Until his death, he was also the Traditional Ruler of Ndikelionwu. His works include The Potters Wheel, Toads for Supper, The Naked Gods, Sunset at Dawn, The Bottled Leopard, Expo 77, and many others. Related Advertisement Advertisement By Ikenna Esogibe and Austin Chikwado Facts have emerged how the Govenor of Imo State, hope Uzodinma APC led administration has spent thousand of dollars to sponsor his appointees and party members to travel to Jerusalem with a sole charge of praying for his re-election. This is shortly after the party governorship primary election held in Imo, where the labour party, Peoples Democratic Party and other opposition parties in the state had drawn a line to battle the incumbent Govenor, Hope Uzodinma in the governorship election which shall be conducted by 11 November, 2023 as published by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC). A Government house source who pleaded anonymity revealed that the Governor has been so much afraid of his re-election bid, immediately after the party primary elections which produced imo ex- senators who were his colleagues in the national assembly to challenge him in the November 11 poll. The source revealed that Uzodinma carefully selected categories of people who would be traveling to Jerusalem for the prayers, which includes his sole administrators in the various Local Government Council, commissioners, members of expanded executives, appointees in the local government and boards, and party top executives. Others are; the pro Uzodinma support groups in the state, pro Government Union leaders and top dignitaries in the state who are key players in his shared prosperity administration. Meanwhile, Newsmen who visited the Imo State Government House in owerri capital city on Friday had cited not fewer than one thousand people numbering in uniforms waiting for the governors arrival from Abuja in the noon hours to address them before their departure. Newsmen however uncovered that some of the lawmakers in the state, who are not happy with the govenor, rejected the pilgrimage tourism offer, while others sent their personal assistants, girlfriends and family members to go on their behalf, while top party officials whos names were not made available to press sold their slots for money. A very close appointee to the governor who did not want his name on print, told newsmen that the purpose of the Jerusalem visit is to pray for Onwa Oyoko re-election by November 11 poll. Our source further revealed that the Govenor did not spent not More than six hundred thousand dollars to accomplish the pilgrimage tourism project. However, Journalists were authoritatively informed that one thousand people have left to Jerusalem on Friday after the governors address, for a first batch, the second batch will soon leave shortly after the arrival of the first batch. Newsmen gathered that so many of the Pilgrims who went in proxy of their respective principals had vowed not to return to Nigeria so soon. Every effort to reach the commission for information, Declan Emelumba, and the chief press secretary to the governor, Mr Uguwuike Nwachukwu was proofed abortive at the press time. Related Advertisement Indofood, makers of Indomie instant noodles, has defended the safety of its products after Malaysian and Taiwanese health officials announced they discovered a potentially cancer-causing substance in the popular Indomie brand of instant noodles. Does Indomie instant noodles cause cancer or contain cancer-causing ingredients? Health officials in Malaysia and Taiwan said they had detected ethylene oxide, a compound, in Indomies special chicken flavor noodles. Ethylene oxide is a colourless, odourless gas that is used to sterilise medical devices and spices and has been associated as a cancer causing chemical. The Ministry of Health in Malaysia said it had examined 36 samples of instant noodles from different brands since 2022 and found that 11 samples contained ethylene oxide. The ministry said it had taken enforcement actions and recalled the affected products. It is unclear if other brands were implicated. The development came hours after the Department of Health in Taipei, Taiwans capital, said it detected ethylene oxide in two types of instant noodles, including the Indomie chicken flavor, following random inspections. The detection of ethylene oxide in the product did not comply with [standards], the department said in a statement. Businesses have been ordered to immediately remove them from their shelves. OUR NOODLES ARE PRODUCED ACCORDING TO SAFETY STANDARDS Indomie Maker Indofood Refutes Cancer scare, says their popular noodles are safe for consumption Reacting to the allegations in a statement on Friday, Taufik Wiraatmadja, a member of the board of directors at Indofoods, defended the safety of the noodles. Wiraatmadja said the noodles have received standard certifications and have been produced in compliance with international food safety regulations. Following the media reports in Taiwan on 24 April 2023 regarding the detection of ethylene oxide (EtO) in the Ah Lai White Curry Noodles from Malaysia and seasoning of Indomie Special Chicken Flavour, PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk (ICBP or the Company) as a subsdiary of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk wishes to provide explanation regarding Indomie, as follows, the statement reads. All instant noodles produced by ICBP in Indonesia are processed in compliance with the food safety standards from the Codex Standard for Instant Noodles and standards set by the Indonesian National Agency for Drug and Food Control (BPOM RI). Our instant noodles have received Indonesian National Standard Certification (SNI), and are produced in certified production facilities based on international standards. ICBP has exported instant noodles to various countries around the world for more than 30 years. The Company continuously ensures that all of its products are in compliance with the applicable food safety regulations and guidelines in Indonesia as well as other countries where ICBPs instant noodles are marketed. We would like to emphasize that in accordance with the statement released by BPOM RI, our Indomie instant noodles are safe for consumption. In a statement issued earlier the companys director and president commissioner Franciscus Welirang confirmed it had strictly followed and complied with domestic and international health and food safety standards. READ: Four Suspected Internet Fraudsters Dies After Eating Eggs And Indomie In Delta State The Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has declared his support for the postponement of the 2023 national census by President Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari had on Friday approved the postponement of the census after a meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), and the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Nasir Isa-Kwarra, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who announced the development in a statement on Saturday, said the incoming administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu would set a new date for the exercise. READ ALSO: Ortom applauds Buhari for listening to advice on census Obi, who reacted to the development in a series of tweets on his Twitter page, described the postponement as a welcome development. He wrote: Even though Nigeria is long overdue for a census, conducting one requires proper planning and diligence to ensure the sanctity of the results; the efficacy of the data gathered therefrom, as well as their utility in driving national development goals. Looking at our living standards and growing national housing deficits, it is hoped that when eventually the census is conducted, it will serve as confidence-building measures instead of being fraught with the usual controversy. Join the conversation Opinions Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs. As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake. If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause. Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development. Donate Now Oyo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged Governor Seyi Makinde, to explain the source of his N48 billion asset made public on Monday. KanyiDaily had reported that Makinde on Monday fulfilled his campaign promise to publicly declare his assets. Details of the assets as contained in the CCB 1 with the name Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, which was declared at the High Court of Oyo State, on May 28, 2019, indicated that the Governor is worth over N48bn. Chief Akin Oke, the state chairman of the party, disclosed this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Iseyin on Tuesday. I dont think I want to make comment on the issue since I have no idea, but it raises a number of issues. He just declared what he has, how did he come about the asset is not there, Oke said. The chairman said it would be too early to access the performance of the governor who have spent just a few days in office. The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba AbdulRasheed Akanbi has cautioned the Yoruba against calls for war in face of the current insecurity in the Southwest, saying the lesson he had learnt during the protracted Liberian War is still fresh in his memory. In a statement, reacting to the widely publicized letter which the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi sent to President Muhammadu Buhari, Oba Akanbi said he found himself in the thick of the war and fought on the side of Charles Taylors troop. While the Oluwo acknowledged the concern which Oba Adeyemi expressed in his letter to President Buhari, he however said self-help or self-defence is not the solution to the insecurity, stressing that no zone of the nation is exempted from the ongoing menace. Oba Akanbi stated that war is easy to invite but difficult to chase away. During war, he maintained, there is no law, except law of self-preservation which reduces social status to nothing as everybody would be struggling to remain alive. Parents would run for safety abandoning their children and property. Women and female children would be subjected to rape before their husbands and fathers with the fathers watching helplessly. Read Also: Cleric advises Buhari on federal character policy I know what I passed through during Liberian War fighting on the side of Charles taylor. That is more reason I would not subscribe to any call which encourages taking up arm to settle the insecurity problem which the entire country is currently facing. I am not undermining the intention of the Alaafin but as a war veteran, I am in the best position to offer appropriate advice. If I keep quiet over it and something untoward happens tomorrow, I would be irresponsible traditional ruler. I am repeating it that the cost of war is usually heavier than the cost of settlement, he said. The Oluwo insisted that Yoruba and Fulani had enjoyed a good relationship for over 100 years, charging President Buhari to be more pro-active in his nation-building efforts. He affirmed that Nigeria is a blessed country which should not be allowed to go the way of the former Soviet Union. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned that no amount of threats, harassment and attempts to intimidate its members and supporters by compromised security agents will deter it from standing together in victory, with the people of Kogi State in the November 16 Governorship election. In a statement issued in Abuja by Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary, the party posited that the people of Kogi State have already made up their minds to vote out the All Progressives Congress (APC), which has only brought excruciating poverty, deprivation, suicide, wanton looting, impunity and total disregard to the wellbeing of citizens; and nothing can detract from the peoples resolve to free their state from the oppressive clutches of the APC. The PDP alerted Nigerians on how gunmen dressed in military uniform have been invading homes of PDP members including the Chairman of Okene LGA chapter of the party, Musa Adelabu, who the gunmen abducted to an unknown destination. Similarly, it said only three days ago, another vocal member of the PDP in Kogi State, Abdlu-salam Kunaye, was picked up in a similar manner. The statement added: The PDP has information that the assailants were sponsored and detailed by desperate elements in APC that have become frenetic over the overwhelming rejection of their party in Kogi State. The last Lagosians heard about former Lagos Gov. Akinwumi Ambodes travail was the N9.9bn stash, for which the FCC busted his Epe and Ikoyi homes last week. It seems more woes are still in stock for the accountant. The Lagos House of Assembly is raking up more muck in the past administration of the APC. A committee now investigates the purchase of 820 buses meant for mass transit under Ambode. The former governor did not get the House approval for the spending, yet he went ahead to buy 5000 buses, out of which only 820for N7bnwere delivered. In a motion titled Lagos State House of Assembly Motion Number 2, member representing Eti Osa 2, Gbolahan Yishawu, stated that the executive proposed to spend N17bn to purchase the buses in the 2017 budget. It was not approved by the Assembly. In the 2018 and 2019 budgets, the state government proposed N24bn and N7bn respectively, but these were not approved. The state government still went ahead to import 820 buses at N7bn, and out of them, 520 are still awaiting clearance at the ports, he said. He added that the House was worried that 520 buses were still awaiting clearance from the bonded warehouse and that they were purchased with taxpayers money without approval. Ambodes proble with state lawmakers dates back the twilight of his administarion expiration early in 2019 when the House was readying an impeachment strategy against him. It took a long time and psychological warfare before the House even approved the 2019 budget. Ambodes media handlers are yet to respond officially to the probe storiesas they swiftly did to other allegations against their boss. Post Views: 324 Reginald Dei, a Photo-Journalist attached to Bayelsa Government House, who was shot during the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections, is dead. Mr Dei was shot along with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader in Oweikorogha, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Seidougha Taribi, while in the latters residence waiting for the outcome of the elections in the ward. Mr Taribi died on the spot, but Mr Dei, who was taken for dead by the gunmen, allegedly in military uniform, survived and was rushed to the hospital, where he reportedly died on Sunday night. Mr Deis demise was confirmed in a statement in Yenagoa, the state capital on Monday, by the Director, Corporate Communications, Governors Office, Nathan Egba-Ologo. According to him, the photographer died after battling to survive the lethal wounds from the gunshots in a Yenagoa hospital. Mr Egba-Ologo called on relevant security agencies to investigate the activities of various security agencies and bring the culprits of the dastard act to book. He said the state was mourning the unfortunate murder of Messrs Taribi and Dei as a result of the brigandage that rocked the parts of the state during the elections. He called on authorities of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to prevent brigandage and a breakdown of law and order in the area ahead of Saturdays Governorship and House of Assembly polls. Mr Egba-Ologo urged the agencies to adhere to their constitutional responsibility of ensuring that there was adequate security for lives and property in the country at all times. Governor Seriake Dickson had on February 24, alleged that Mr Dei and the PDP stalwart were shot dead by the military. Mr Dickson alleged that the military colluded with some politicians to perpetrate the violence, which he said, characterised the previous days elections in the state. But, Spokesperson of 16 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Yenagoa, Jonah Danjuma, a major denied the allegation and said that the army was not responsible for the incident. He explained that troops of the brigade had conducted an operation in Ikebiri community, in Southern Ijaw, different from where the photo-journalist and party chieftain were reportedly shot. We had no such incident; troops of 5 Battalion, 16 Brigade, Nigerian Army, on the election day, arrested 15 armed men suspected to be political thugs at Ikebiri 1 in Southern Ijaw LGA. It was a successful operation that led to the recovery of large cache of arms, ammunition and other items. This feat was achieved as a direct response by vigilant troops in Operation SAFE CONDUCT 2019 in 16 Brigade Area of Responsibility. Danjuma had said. Also Spokesperson of the Joint Military Task Force deployed to Niger Delta, Abdullahi Ibrahim, a major said the command neither deployed men to the community nor had operations at Oweikorogha. (NAN) The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibadan zonal office, on Friday, secured the conviction of a former Deputy Chief Registrar of the Oyo State high court, Mutiat Adio. Justice Muniru Olagunju found her guilty of one count of stealing preferred against her by the anti-graft agency. The convict, who was also a chief magistrate in the state, was accused of stealing the sum of N22,375,913 from a commercial bank contrary to section 390(11) of Criminal Code, Cap.38, Law of Oyo State. This is the second time in less than two years that the former judicial officer got jail terms for fraud-related offences. Earlier, on May 18, 2018, she was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for obtaining under false pretences a sum of N9.2m from one Abiodun Olonade, a Nigerian resident in Ireland. The sentencing was without an option of fine. Adio, in the latest criminal charge, was said to have abused her office as the secretary of a Cooperative Society of the Oyo State Judicial Officers by inflating the amount approved for loan facilities granted her members by the bank. She was accused of converting the difference to personal use. The convict was said to be the facilitator of the loan totalling about N90m. Adio pleaded not guilty to the offence during her first arraignment on April 25, 2017. The prosecution, led by Dr Ben Ubi, called five witnesses while she called two. After listening to arguments from the parties, Justice Olagunju declared her guilty of the offence and sentenced her to five years in prison without an option of fine. She was also ordered to refund the sum of N20, 935, 000 to the bank. Deposed Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sansu II had nobody to rally round him March 9 the way he had in 2014 when he was enthroned. His nemesis Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje, even piled up the agony for him as security agents, including the police, DSS, and others, descended on the palace, keeping Sanusi under house arrest, before he was finally chivvied out of the state. He will probably be holed up in exile till a new emir will be announced. Ganduje, presiding over an emergency Executive Council Meeting, would be announcing the new emir soon. Chances are the governor will announce Emir of Bichi, Aminu Ado Bayero to replace the embattled Sanusi. Sanusi lost out because of his disrespect for constituted authorities and abuse of his traditional office. PV: 0 By Kazeem Ugbodaga National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on Sunday said powerful forces in the party want the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole out of office because of their 2023 inordinate political ambition. He said such plotters knew that if Oshiomhole was around, their 2023 political ambition would fail. The former governor of Lagos State in a statement on Sunday said while Coronavirus had been presently contained in Nigeria, the nation must be alert to another sickness that seemed rampant within a certain segment of society, saying that sickness was old Ambition-virus 2023, adding that this illness afflicted many in the political class along with their allies in the media. According to him, those touched by this malady found that their ability to tell time and discern the difference between the present and the future had been strongly impaired and that the carriers of this sickness were confused as to the very season the nation now found itself. Tinubu said those plotting the downfall of Oshiomhole launched their attack solely because they perceived the chairman as an obstacle to their 2023 ambitions, saying that people went to court knowing full well the party constitution prohibited such action because these people had not yet exhausted all internal disciplinary procedures. He stated that We even had a national deputy secretary improperly call for a NEC meeting on the basis that he believed himself the acting national chairman. Clearly, this man would not have summoned the temerity to make such a move had he not been instigated by powerful individuals who he thought would reward or, at least, protect him for committing the wrongful act. Those engaged in these manoeuvres see themselves as clever or cunning. They do so because they only understand the mean craft of political intrigue. They have yet to understand the value and long-term utility of democratic governance. Thus, they embark on the strangest of quest. They would rather dismantle and weaken the institutional core of their party just to gain control of that weakened edifice in order to pilfer the party nomination, which they crave. This is more than sad. Tinubu stated that many of us expended sweat, tears, toil and sleepless nights to build this party. Our personal sacrifices were not insignificant. We built this party not simply as a vehicle for personal ambition. We built the party because we saw it as perhaps the only enduring hope to bring progressive governance to this nation. Those who now seek to abuse the party by using it as their personal device do it great harm. They should not be allowed to sacrifice this collective enterprise at the altar of their self-aggrandizement. Somehow, some way they should find in themselves the bearing to adhere to the democratic spirit on which the party was founded. To be an APC member means more than merely carrying a membership card. It means to believe in a set of ideals and principles geared to our highest purpose as a party and a nation. Tinubu said in a broader context, those afflicted with the 2023 virus did a grave disservice to President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration and that they should be trying their best to help the president, saying that instead of seeing Buhari as their present leader and commander-in-chief, their sole contemplation was upon his eventual exit. Yet, not even a full year has passed since his second inaugural. How can they be committed to helping him realise his mandate when the fullness of their gaze is affixed to seizing this very mandate for themselves? The President is faced with many challenges. He is fighting hard on security to keep the population safe. He is pushing for economic reforms that will augur future sustainable growth. His disdain for corruption remains unwavering. Add to it now the Corona crisis and its resultant social as well as economic impact. Politicians express loyalty to him but the words of too many of our politicians are like butter under a burning sun; they melt quickly away. Better to be loyal in deed. Instead of trying to manipulate party and other mechanisms solely to their political gain, it is time to shelve political intrigue for the time being. It is time for all party members to truly see what is at stake and work with Mr. President for the collective good of the nation, he stated. This means we must rally around President Buhari. Instead of everyone saying they are working for the party and nation but going their separate ways based on their selfish designs, we must help him build a stronger national consensus on policies that will ensure safety and bring greater prosperity. If need be and when called upon, we must offer ideas and suggestions that move policy and progress forward. This is the time for governance. It is not the moment to bring the politics of 2023 into 2020. In due course, 2023 shall come. Nothing can prevent it. However, that time is not today. If we are earnest, the present offers sufficient work and challenges for us without trying to add to it by rushing the future. Let us dedicate our energies to helping President Buhari win the present. In this way, you better secure the future for the nation, the party and even for whatever personal ambitions you may nurture, he added. Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has assured voters that security challenges experienced during the residential and National Assembly elections will not repeat itself on Saturday during the Governorship and House of Assembly poll. According to him, efforts have been intensified to ensure that every registered voter in the state by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) participate without any security hindrance. The governor, who was accompanied by his deputy, Dr. Idiat Adebule and other cabinet members, gave the assurance yesterday after the weekly Executive meeting at the State House, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja. He stressed that the security challenges experienced after the just concluded election had been dealt with and efforts have been made to prevent a reoccurrence The governor said: We were very much aware of the incidences that occurred after the presidential and National Assembly election in the state. We have taken proper care of that. The peace, harmonious relationship and security that had existed in the state are very paramount to this government. We will ensure that everyone that is eligible to vote perform his civic duties without intimidation. The governor argued that the state government understand that the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos and efforts would be made often to ensure it sustain that status. He went: We will ensure that Saturday election is held without hitches. We want to assure all residents of the state of their safety. Lagos is a cosmopolitan state and it will remain like that even after the election. We encourage every resident that had been registered by INEC to come out and perform their civic duties. The security agencies have assured us that there will be adequate security in the state during and after the poll. The governor, however, noted that giant strides recorded in Lagos could only be sustained when every electorate vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the partys other candidates. We believe in continuity in this government and that is why we have decided to back every candidate of the party. So, we urged everyone to support and vote every APC candidates in Lagos, Ambode said. Echoing the governor, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Zubairu Muazu, said that his Command has doubled security, especially in areas identified as flashpoints. Muazu said that armed security operatives would be stationed at closest locations to polling units to forestall disruption of the voting process as was witnessed during the Presidential/National Assembly election in Okota and other areas. Muazu spoke at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja while briefing reporters on the security arrangement for the forthcoming election. He denied reports that there was lack of synergy among security agencies and that gave rise to attacks by miscreants, noting that all the services worked in collaboration and were still doing so. Already, Muazu said plans have been concluded for the marine police unit and operatives of the Nigerian Navy (NN) to cover the states riverine communities. Assuring voters of their security on Election Day, Muazu urged them to come out and vote candidates of their choice, noting that miscreants who disrupted elections were being prosecuted. He said: It is also insinuated that certain ethnic nationalities are deliberately denied or prevented from voting for political reasons or to enhance the fortunes of a particular political party. Let me categorically state here that those attacks were planned and orchestrated by miscreants, most of whom have been apprehended and are facing prosecution. Let me re-emphasise that Lagos State is peaceful and Lagosians are peace-loving. There is no ethnic group or community under threat in any part of the state. We have reviewed and redoubled our strategies to ensure a peaceful conduct of the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections come March 9. Our surveillance and patrols are intensified, especially in identified flashpoints. I am using this medium to call on Lagosians to go about their lawful businesses and to continue to support the police by being vigilant and report any suspicious movement or persons throughout emergency numbers so that we can serve them better. I use this medium to warn people who sit in their homes, offices and generate fake news, which they circulate on social media deliberately to fan the ember of hate among the various peace-loving entities in Lagos State. They should desist from this act or be ready to face the wrath of the law. I want to reassure the good people of Lagos State that the police, in collaboration with other security agencies are working round the clock to ensure their safety and security. They should come out en masse to cast their votes to the candidates of their choice as their security is fully guaranteed. Muazu denied claims that the alleged ballot box snatcher in Okota, identified as Demola, escaped from the hospital, insisting that the suspect and nine others held for electoral offences in that axis have been sent to Abuja as directed by the acting Inspector General of Police (IG) Mohammed Adamu. It is untrue that Demola fled from the hospital. While he was being treated, he was granted administrative bail based on doctors recommendation that he was not fit enough to stand trial. But he has since returned to us and has been transferred to Abuja with others arrested for electoral offences that day. They are being centrally prosecuted, said Muazu. The police chief also confirmed that 20 suspected cultists were arrested during a raid of flashpoints within the week, adding that such raids would continue to keep off elements that might want to disrupt the process. The Speaker of the House Of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila on his twitter account announced that he just met with two Ministers in charge of Health concerning citizens expressions over the engagement of Chinese Doctors and Nurses for the management of Covid19 in Nigeria. The speaker tweeted: I just met with two Ministers in charge of Health over concerns expressed by indigenous medical practitioners and many Nigerians on the engagement of Chinese Doctors and Nurses for the management of COVID-19 in Nigeria. We extracted the following commitments from them I just met with the two Ministers in charge of Health over concerns expressed by indigenous medical practitioners and many Nigerians on the engagement of Chinese Doctors and Nurses for the management of COVID-19 in Nigeria. We extracted the following commitments from them: pic.twitter.com/so9vOy3ot8 Femi Gbajabiamila (@femigbaja) April 6, 2020 The Minister assured Nigerians and tehe medical practitioners that the expected chinese doctors and nurses will follow the right protocol and be quarantined for 14 days after arrival and will not have any physical contact with patients. 1. The Doctors and Nurses will follow the protocol and be quarantined for 14 days once they arrive in Nigeria 2. The Doctors and Nurses will at no time have any physical contact with any patient pic.twitter.com/J37fsSdDUq Femi Gbajabiamila (@femigbaja) April 6, 2020 Gbajabiamila assured Nigerians that there will be strict compliance to the immigration laws while they remain vigilant and continue the engagement with the Chinese. 3. There will be strict compliance with all relevant immigration laws regarding work permits. We remain vigilant and Our engagment continues. pic.twitter.com/GcexNxCzko Femi Gbajabiamila (@femigbaja) April 6, 2020 The Speaker also tweeted that the Ministers of health informed him that the chinese Doctors were coming to Nigeria for a specific upgrade and training of laboratories The Ministers of Health informed me that the Chinese Doctors are here for specific training and upgrading of molecular laboratories. Like I said we remain vigilant and continue to engage. pic.twitter.com/0Tuw0Y6wXD Femi Gbajabiamila (@femigbaja) April 6, 2020 See Photos below President Muhammadu Buhari has granted pardon to Anthony Enahoro, a nationalist who moved the motion for Nigerias independence and Ambrose Alli, a former governor of Bendel state. The President further pardoned Moses Effiong, a retired colonel; EJ Olanrewaju, a retired major; and Ajayi Olusola Babalola. The pardon was today announced by Rauf Aregbesola, minister of interior, at a press conference in Abuja. Aregbesola also stated that Buhari had approved an amnesty for 2,600 inmates across various custodial centres in the country. However, he stated that the presidents amnesty will not apply to inmates sentenced for violent extreme offences such as terrorism, kidnapping, armed banditry, rape, human trafficking, culpable homicide, among others. Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, while speaking at the briefing said 39 of the inmates were granted clemency four of which are at the Kuje Custodial Centre. Malami said the governments action was in line with the advice of the UN which called on countries of the world to reduce the population of prisons so as to encourage social distancing. Jaafaru Ahmed, controller-general of the Nigeria Correctional Service, said there are 73,756 inmates in custodial centres all over the country, with 51,983 of them on the awaiting trial listed In 1994, the regime of Sani Abacha, a military dictator, had jailed Enahoro for leading the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). The military regime of Buhari had sentenced Alli to 100 years in prison for allegedly misappropriating funds for a road project. While Effiong was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for alleged concealment of treason in the coup led Maman Vatsa allegedly led against Ibrahim Babaginda, a former military president, in 1986. He was later released in 1993. Share this post with your Friends on CIMAF Cement has duly introduce a new cement product called "CIMAF KANTINKA 52.5N" to boost the construction industry and to provide Ghanaians with quality cement. The CIMAF KANTINKA 52.5N Cement is very strong and it is the answer to commercial construction needs of Ghana. Speaking at the event, the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Hon Michael Okeyere Baafi who was the guest of honour for the occasion said government has put together a working group to help solve challenges facing the cement manufacturing industry. He disclosed that, CIMAF is one of the best Cement Industries in Ghana because of the quality of their products, infrastructure and good quality services. CIMAF Cement can be compared to biggest cement manufacturing names around the world adding that, they also have the best and beautiful surroundings. He encouraged the management of the company to continue to produce quality products and services. CIMAF KANTINKA 52.5N will give consumers the best, he added. The General Manager for CIMAF Cement, Mr Bennis Mohammed said CIMAF Cement has contributed significantly in the Ghanaian construction and economic sector of the country. "I believe that the construction sector which is the key to the development of Ghana deserves better, hence the birth of the CIMAF KANTINKA 52.5N cement." He assured consumers and public they are ready to bring out best products for quality services. Mr Joseph Kobina Aboo, the Director of Sales and Marketing at CIMAF Cement said the CIMAF KANTINKA 52.5N will help those in the construction industry since it is the strongest brand of cement in Ghana. The quality and strength of the CIMAF KANTINKA 52.5N will also provide value for money for consumers. Some consumers including Nana Opare Kwafo, Aburi Atwiasin Kyidomhene who doubles as the CEO of Jilcom Construction and Elder Nana .K. Gyasi applauded the Cement industry adding that they are one of the best Cement producers in Ghana. They urged Ghanaians to buy no other cement than CIMAF KANTINKA 52.5N for good and quality construction of their buildings. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected] 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 Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, has revealed government intentions to build a new gold refinery for Ghanas Artisanal Small-Scale Mining (ASM) industry. He said that the refinery will be built with the help of the London Bullion Marketing Association (LBMA). The Deputy Minister disclosed this on Thursday, April 27, 2023, during a meeting with the LBMA officials on the sidelines of the Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains currently underway in Paris, France. Mr. Duker wrote after the meeting that the LBMA officials were led by the CEO, Ruth Cromwell, and added that the Association had reiterated its support for Ghana to have a clear roadmap in acquiring a certified refinery. I am very glad to indicate that, LBMA is ready to assist Ghana establish a new refinery for the Artisanal Small-Scale Mining (ASM) sector, he stressed. He explained that the meeting was to afford Ghana the opportunity to reaffirm the parties willingness in setting up LBMA-certified refineries in Ghana. The meeting was to affirm Ghanas engagement with LBMA from 2021 on steps to get some local gold refineries LBMA-certified and compete internationally. Todays meeting centered on responsible sourcing of precious minerals across the world and how Ghana is meeting up to the challenge. UK-Ghanaian responsible mining organisation, Ansong Askew Limited also participated in this important meeting, the Deputy Minister indicated. Mr. Duker is in Paris to represent his boss, Samuel Abu Jinapor at the 2023 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains. Mr. Duker explained that traditional authorities, civil society organisations (CSOs), and the private sector can support governments in promoting responsible Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM), supporting state-sponsored buying schemes of domestic gold, and creating alternative livelihoods for illegal miners in resource-rich countries during a panel discussion. The discussions were themed on Exploring Domestic Drivers for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains; the Role of Traditional Authorities, CSOs, and the Private Sector. I stated that Ghana governments effort in the areas of establishment of community mining schemes, domestic gold buying programme, distribution of mercury-free gold processing equipment, reduction of export tax on ASM gold from 3% 1.5%, while deepening engagements with traditional and local government authorities on supporting governments efforts in developing the full potential of ASGM in Ghana, he wrote. Fanny Fremont, Executive Director of the Responsible Micah Initiative, chaired the panel discussion that included Dexter Ian Valerio of the Central Bank of the Philippines, Helene Helbig de Balzac of Datastake, and Desire Nikiema of the Alliance for Responsible Mining. 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 Both the government and workers have acknowledged the need to update the regulation that comprehensively and holistically addresses occupational safety and health to better safeguard the safety and health of workers. This is because though the safety and health of workers is crucial to efficiency, effectiveness and optimises production, oftentimes, employers and employees choose convenience over doing the right thing, which is prioritising health and safety, a less costly price to pay for prevention, and only end up paying a costly price to provide compensation when the unexpected happens. From uncomfortable furniture at offices, poor ventilation and lack of appropriate personal protective equipment for field staff, the safety and wellbeing of workers are often taken for granted and the staff invariably pay a price with their health either on the job or after retirement when they do not have enough resources to manage their situation. While the Trades Union Congress (TUC) is calling on the government to speed up the promulgation of the law, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, has said the government acknowledged the fact that the national policy and legal framework on occupational safety and health required drastic improvement. "Calls for the promulgation of a comprehensive national Occupational Safety and Health Law are not exaggerated. These are genuine concerns that government is acting upon to establish a strong policy and legislative regime, Mr Baffour Awuah said at an event to mark World Health and Safety Day which fell yesterday. 20th anniversary This year's event is the 20th anniversary celebration of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. A day set aside by the trades union movement in 1996 to highlight the vital work carried out by people and dedicated to reducing preventable injuries and harm to workers, the day is commemorated to remind all that every individual has the right to a safe and healthy working environment. It highlights the fact that it is the responsibility of employers, governments and the society as a whole to ensure that this right is upheld. It is also marked to remember the workers who lost their lives in the line of duty and who have sustained various forms of disability at the workplace. The day is further used to advocate better safe working conditions for workers. This year's theme was: A safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental principle and right at work. Situation Although workers have a responsibility towards themselves to ensure that they work safely to protect themselves and their fellow workers from harm, they often overlook this and do very little to push for their right or protect their interest, for fear of losing their jobs. This, according to research, is a source of concern among factory workers and workers within the waste collection industry. Data available from the TUC shows that last year, 1,043 workers were reported to have been involved in work-related accidents at workplaces and out of the number, 37 died, while many other sustained varying degrees of injury, resulting in some forms of disability. Bill The TUC, yesterday, at an event to mark the day, said the enactment of the law would ensure that no one was denied that right. The National Occupational Safety and Health Bill, a comprehensive bill that seeks to promote a safe work environment for all stakeholders, was first introduced to Cabinet in 1989, but it was yet to receive the needed attention to be passed into an Act. It was rejected by the cabinet in its current stage, calling for a review. A Principal Labour Officer, Francis N. Bibuksi, said the bill, when passed into law, would, among other objectives promote the highest standard, the physical, mental and social wellbeing of workers; ensure the adaptation of work to the physiological and psychological needs of persons at work and protect workers against risks and hazards to safety or health arising out of activities of persons at work. Source: graphic.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ghana School Feeding Secretariat has apologised to caterers for government's failure to pay the arrears owed them. According to the Head of Public Relations at the Ghana School Feeding Secretariat, Alfa Siba, the current state of the economy has delayed their payment but government is working assiduously to release funds for the payment of their arrears. Some caterers in the Ashanti Region participating in the governments school feeding program went on strike on Tuesday, April 4, demanding payment of arrears and an increase in the feeding grant. The decision to withdraw their services comes after the caterers threatened to lay down their tools following the governments failure to pay arrears owed them. The caterers who are also demanding an increment in the amount government pays per child daily from ninety-seven pesewas to three Ghana cedis say the current amount is unsustainable because of the current state of the economy and its accompanying high cost of food commodities. The caterers in their bid to get authorities to address their concerns petitioned the Ashanti Regional Minister on Monday, 3rd April 2023, but they however expressed dissatisfaction with his response to their concerns as they were ordered to leave. But speaking in an interview, Alfa Siba said the funds will be released soon. We are engaging the relevant stakeholders and the caterers to see how best we can resolve the issue. Just last week, we paid the second term of the 2022 academic year to all the districts. So, we are appealing to the caterers to rescind their decision not to cook while we continue the engagements, he assured. He added that all efforts have been made to increase the feeding grant. Source: Elvis Anokye, Contributor 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 Ghanaians living in the Philippines can now celebrate as on Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16, they, for the first time, had their fingerprints captured to renew their passports. The service was a much-needed relief for those who had been living with manual passports which made renewing their passports a difficult and time-consuming process. In the past, Ghanaians had to fly to Ghana or Malaysia to have their fingerprints taken but thanks to the efforts of Her Excellency Florence Buerki Akonor and the Consul, Mr. Bernard Nwiah Yanzu, they are finally able to access this service in the Philippines. This is a significant milestone for the Ghanaian nationals living in Philippines who have been waiting for a convenient and accessible passport renewal service. The event, which took place in the capital city of Manila, was well-received by the Ghanaian community. Many people turned up to take advantage of the service which was made possible by the collaboration between the Ghanaian embassy in Malaysia and the consulate in the Philippines. Speaking about the success of the event, Her Excellency Florence Buerki Akonor expressed her satisfaction with the positive response from the Ghanaian community in the country. She said; "We are delighted to be able to provide this service to Ghanaians living in the Philippines. We understand the difficulties they have faced in the past and we are committed to making the passport renewal process as smooth and accessible as possible for them." Mr. Bernard Nwiah Yanzu also commented on the success of the event saying "we are very happy to have been able to provide this service to our fellow Ghanaians in the Philippines". "We hope that this will be the first of many initiatives aimed at improving the lives of Ghanaians living abroad", he added. The success of the event has generated a lot of positive feedback from the Ghanaian community in the Philippines with many expressing their gratitude for the new service. The ability to renew their passports without having to leave the country is a major step forward for them and a testament to the dedication and hard work of the embassy and consulate. The Association of Ghanaians in the Philippines Executives headed by Dr. Vincent Abittor, Mr. Isaac Ameyaw, MSc. Mr. Joseph Serebour, Dr. Frederica Alifo, Ail Medas, Mr. Abdul Jamal Mohammed Pelipour and the elders; Dr. Sumaila, Mr. Joseph Isifu, Alhaji Yahuza Dr. Majeed, commended Her Excellency Florence Buerki Akonor and Mr. Bernard Yanzu for their efforts in making this service possible and look forward to more initiatives aimed at improving the lives of Ghanaians living abroad. 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 A Senior Research Fellow of the Kumasi Technical University, Prof. Smart Sarpong has asked Professor Frimpong-Boateng to assess his performance when he was the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM). Prof. Frimpong-Boateng has fanned the flame with a report he's written on galamsey where he indicts some officials in government and at the Jubilee House claiming they are actively involved in illegal mining, locally called 'galamsey'. He has accused the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah; Director of Operations at the Presidency, Lord Commey; a legal practitioner, Gabby Otchere-Darko and others of interfering with his work while he was heading the IMCIM. With specific regard to the Information Minister, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng accused him of orchestrating a plot to bring him down while he was working to fight against the illegal mining menace. But to Prof. Smart Sarpong, if a person like Prof. Frimpong-Boateng starts to blame every person around him, it means he hoped to have done a better job than he did or he hoped for a second term to roll out some plans he had in mind which didn't see the light of the day because he was taken off the Chairman position of the IMCIM. He explained to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' that Prof. Frimpong-Boateng is unsatisfied with his performance, hence accusing every person but himself of either sabotaging him or being involved in this menace. He, therefore, sought from Prof. Frimpong-Boateng to give him a score of his performance. "I want to ask him how he would score his performance? Did you pass or fail?...Prof should be able to assess himself today, sitting back, how would he score himself?" 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 Parliamentary candidate aspirant for Sekyere Afram Plains, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor II has described as fake a campaign poster of himself and former President John Mahama. A flyer making rounds on social media shows Dr Kwabena Duffuor II, face splashed alongside that of ex-President Mahama in his bid to become the Member of Parliament for Sekyere Afram Plains. The Economist cum Politician in a statement emphasized that he has not and will not have a poster of his with the picture of any aspiring Flagbearer. I want to make it clear that I have not authorized or endorsed any poster featuring a picture of myself alongside any aspiring Flagbearer. Any such fake posters in circulation are without my approval or sanction and are not representative of my position or views. As we approach the Presidential primaries, it is crucial that we all remember that the decision of who to elect as Flagbearer lies with the delegates. While I have confidence in my father, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, as a competent leader for the NDC, it is not for me to make that decision, the statement added, Dr. Duffuor II, extended his respect to all persons vying to lead the NDC, adding that it is essential that as conduct ourselves with dignity and respect. Let us all work together towards Victory 2024. May God bless us all. 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 Very few angels are named in the Hebrew Bible (known as the Old Testament in Christianity) or the New Testament. The angels Michael and Gabriel make appearances in the book of Daniel, and God sends the angel Gabriel to inform Mary that she will be the mother of Jesus. But the authors of the Bible took great pains to emphasize that God was the only one calling the shots, not angels. Indeed, in the Bible, there is no mention of an angel who ushers people from death to the afterlife. The ancient world was full of polytheistic traditions that portrayed death as its own god with its own agency, explains Annette Yoshiko Reed, a religion professor at New York University and the author of "Demons, Angels and Writing in Ancient Judaism." Mot, for example, was the death god of ancient Canaanites and Phoenicians, and the Egyptian Book of the Dead presents a vast pantheon of gods and fearsome creatures encountered in the afterlife. Advertisement "In the Bible, though, the divine world is focused on a singular assertion of divine power, nothing akin to a polytheistic division of labor," says Reed. "The same God who created the world masters both life and death." That's why the angel in the Exodus Passover story isn't given a name, but rather a role the destroyer. And it is God himself who passes over the houses of the enslaved Israelites and decides who lives and who dies, not the angel. Reed says that in the third and second century B.C.E., there was a shift in ancient Jewish literature that gave angels distinct names and personalities, as well as roles. The book of "Jubilees," written in the second century B.C.E., is one of those texts. " " This 17th-century Italian painting, "The Sacrifice of Abraham," shows Abraham about to sacrifice his son Isaac to God but he is stopped at the last minute by an angel (not the angel of death). Mauro Magliani/Electa/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images "Jubilees" starts out with Noah pleading to God to get rid of the demons that were roaming the Earth after the great flood and tormenting his family. A figure named Mastema, the "chief of the spirits," stepped forward with a proposition that some of the demons remain with him to do his bidding. God agrees that a tenth of the spirits should do this while the rest descend into "the place of condemnation." In "Jubilees," Mastema is an angel he's called Prince Mastema but God employs Mastema and his evil army to tempt and torture humankind, "to do all manner of wrong and sin, and all manner of transgression, to corrupt and destroy, and to shed blood upon the earth." Mastema is the one that comes up with the idea of testing Abraham's faith by commanding him to sacrifice his son Isaac. And it's Mastema, we learn in Jubilees, who was the "destroyer" of the Passover story. Still, Reed emphasizes, Mastema is not working against God to counter his divine will, but to be the "bad guy" who carries it out. "Like Satan in the book of Job, Mastema has a divine role," says Reed. "He's part of the divine justice system." WHITE CREEK The sheep on the 30th annual Washington County Fiber Tour shrugged off intermittent rain Saturday, and so did the visitors who came to see them. People showed up right at 10 a.m., said Andrew Peterson, who co-owns Caer Luna Farm with his wife Katie Hondrogen. Peterson and Hondrogen were showing their Icelandic sheep, Nigerian dwarf goats, and newly-hatched chicks on the self-guided tour. Peterson and Hondrogen were raising goats, rabbits, chickens, and ducks on a small plot of land in Wynantskill when they went on the Fiber Tour a few years ago, Peterson said. What they saw of Washington County persuaded them to look for property here, where they could expand their operation. Caer Luna Farms previous owner had let a small farm become overgrown. Petersons and Hondrogens sheep and goats were put to work clearing the brush, Peterson said. The pastured chickens followed to help restore the soils fertility. Hondrogen is a dairy goat fan, and Nigerian dwarf goat milk has the highest butterfat content of any goat breed, she said. She combines the milk with fragrances from her homegrown flowers and herbs to create soap. The couple chose Icelandic sheep because Hondrogen likes to knit, and the breed yields high-quality wool and good meat. The chickens include Silkies, known as the best chicken breed for pets; Black Copper Marans, which lay a chocolate-brown egg; Icelandics; Olive Eggers; Lavender Ameraucanas; and other breeds and mixes. Hondrogen explained that there are two basic chicken egg shell colors, white and blue. The shades and hues in their flocks eggs result from bloom, a thin layer of mucous, that the hen adds during the laying process. Colored eggs are highly sought after by poultry fanciers, and the couple ships eggs and chicks across the country. The sheep, goats, and their guard dogs were penned within an easy walk of the barn where Hondrogen and Peterson were selling soap, eggs, meat, and yarn. Newly-hatched chicks snuggled under a heat lamp in the next barn over. The adult chickens, which are certified free of avian influenza, were off-limits to visitors to prevent infection. Eagle Eye Lane farm A few miles away in the town of Cambridge, Joe and Georgianna Hamilton had opened their Eagle Eye Lane farm for the weekend. The couple had invited local producers to set up booths with home-raised meat, maple syrup, eggs, tea, wine, naturally-dyed yarn, and soap. The Hamiltons raise commercial dual-purpose sheep, including Romneys, Wensleydales, Cotswold, Scottish Blackface, and Tunis. We focus on meat but like wool production too, Georgianna Hamilton said. These are good dual-purpose animals. We have a lot of fun with it. Hamilton said shes been involved with sheep all my life. Joe Hamilton had sheep as a youngster and learned to shear them. Their children are in 4-H and have shown sheep at the Washington County Fair, she said. The Hamiltons moved to Washington County the same year as Peterson and Hondrogen, 2019. They were looking forward to getting to know the community when COVID shut everything down for two years. The Hamiltons joined the Fiber Tour for the first time last year. Joe Hamilton, who has been shearing for close to 20 years, was giving shearing demonstrations with the ewes in the familys flock. After some initial resistance, sheep usually resign themselves to the process, he said. Theyre less likely to balk if theyre on a softer surface, such as the rubber mat hed laid over the grass, and if they have some fat to pad their hip bones. Hamilton finishes by giving the sheep a hoof trim. Spinning yarn Natasha Field, from East Nassau, was spinning yarn from one of the Hamiltons fleeces. She also knits, crochets, and weaves, and shes learning to shear from Joe Hamilton. Even the coarser wool, like the Tunis wool, can be used for crafts, she said. Field especially likes combining naturally-colored wools in garments and cloth. Its really fun to do things with handspun yarn, Field said. Anything you can make with millspun yarn, you can make with handspun yarn. Events Saturday, April 29 ART CHAT EXHIBIT AND ARTISTS' RECEPTION: Mondays through Saturdays through April; an exhibit by the Art Chat collective will be on display throughout April; Ocean County Library/Little Egg Harbor Branch, 290 Mathistown Road, Little Egg Harbor Township; free. 609-294-1197 or theoceancountylibrary.org/events. ATLANTIC COUNTY LIBRARY FOUNDATION BOOK SALE: daily through Aug. 31; proceeds benefit the Atlantic County Library Foundation support of programming in your library branch; Mays Landing Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 40 Farragut Ave., Hamilton. 609-625-2776 or atlanticlibrary.org. AUDITIONS FOR FOOL MOON THEATRE PRODUCTION: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Fool Moon Theatre's "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"; Margate Community Church, 8900 N. Ventnor Ave., Margate. 609-457-0903 or foolmoontheatre.org. AUTHOR VISIT: DEBORAH GOODRICH ROYCE: 2 to 3:30 p.m.; Deborah Goodrich Royce's literary thrillers examine puzzles of identity; Cape May County Library/Cape May Court House Branch, 30 Mechanic St., Middle Township; free. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org. BARNEGAT LIBRARY 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; enjoy day-long family fun, starting with the "Talewise Dry Ice Show" and followed by the Frog Jam Band's live concert; Barnegat County Library, 112 Burr St., Barnegat Township. 732-349-6200 or theoceancountylibrary.org/events. 'BEAUTY AND THE BEAST': 7 p.m. April 29, 2 p.m. April 30; Egg Harbor Township High School presents the Broadway musical Disney's "Beauty and the Beast"; Egg Harbor Township High School, 24 High School Drive, Egg Harbor Township; $10. 609-653-0100 or ehths.booktix.com. BIRDING BASICS WITH THE NEW JERSEY AUDUBON: 10 a.m. to noon; birding event; Pleasantville Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 33 Martin Luther King Junior Ave., Pleasantville. 609-641-1778 or atlanticlibrary.org. CAPE MAY WINE TRAIL WITH LUNCH AND TROLLEY TOUR: 10:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 29, May 6, Sept. 22, Oct 6; visit two Cape May County wineries for tours and tastings; Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., Cape May; $125. 609-884-5404. RENAISSANCE FAIRE: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 29, 30; Historic Smithville Village is hosting the annual Renaissance Faire; Historic Smithville, 615 E. Moss Mill Road, Galloway Township. 609-748-8999 or historicsmithville.com. Sunday, April 30 MISS TRI-CITY SCHOLARSHIP PAGEANT: 6 to 10 p.m.; find out who the next Miss Tri-City will be; pageant winner will go on to represent Vineland, Millville, Buena and the surrounding areas; The Landis Theater, 830 E. Landis Ave., Vineland, $15. thelandistheater.com. Monday, May 1 ESL CAREER READINESS LAB: 9:30 a.m. to noon Mondays through July 31; learn how to use the Engen Language Upskilling platform, which provides ESL classes and tutorials with a focus on job interview skills, and the food and beverage industry and hospitality industry; Public Library, 1 N. Tennessee Ave., Atlantic City. 609-345-2269 or acfpl.org. HOUSEPLANTS: 2 to 3 p.m. Mondays through May 22; learn how to plant, propagate, and care for a variety of popular plant species; Ventnor City Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 6500 Atlantic Ave., Ventnor. 609-823-4614 or atlanticlibrary.org. LINE DANCING - WITH SUSAN PENNYPACKER: noon to 12:45 p.m. Mondays; no meetings May 29, Sept. 4, Oct. 9; Wildwood Crest Branch, 6300 Atlantic Ave., Wildwood Crest. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org. MAY DAY TEA PARTY: 3 to 4 p.m.; celebrate May Day with a flower craft and snacks; open for adults; Egg Harbor Township/Atlantic County Library System, 1 Swift Drive, Egg Harbor Township; registration required. 609-927-8664 or atlanticlibrary.org. MEDITATIVE DRUM CIRCLE: 5 to 6 p.m. Mondays; bring your own instrument or borrow one; no meetings May 29, Aug. 28, Sept. 4, Oct. 9, Nov. 6, Dec. 25; Cape May Court House Branch, 30 Mechanic St., Middle Township. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org. SCRABBLE NIGHT: 5:45 to 7:45 p.m. first and third Mondays through May; bring your own team or play with others; Public Library, 235 32nd St., Avalon. avalonfreelibrary.org. For kids Saturday, April 29 DROP-IN LEGO PLAYTIME: 1 to 2 p.m. Saturdays through August; Egg Harbor Township/Atlantic County Library System, 1 Swift Drive, Egg Harbor Township. 609-927-8664 or atlanticlibrary.org. NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK HIDE-AND-SEEK: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through April 29; for kids ages 13 and younger; kids who find the hidden object will receive a treat; Mays Landing Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 40 Farragut Ave., Hamilton. 609-625-2776 or atlanticlibrary.org. SATURDAY FAMILY STORYTIME: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays through August; Egg Harbor Township/Atlantic County Library System, 1 Swift Drive, Egg Harbor Township. 609-927-8664 or atlanticlibrary.org. SPRINGTIME STORYTIME: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays April 29, May 27, June 10, 24; for ages 3 1/2 to 5, siblings welcome; few quick stories, songs, an easy craft, plus a treat; Somers Point Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 801 Shore Road, Somers Point; registration required. 609-927-7113 or atlanticlibrary.org. TEEN BOARD GAME AND SNACK AFTERNOONS: 2 to 4 p.m. Saturdays April 29, May 13, 27, June 10, 24, July 8, 22, Aug. 5, 29; for kids and teens, ages 10 and older; Egg Harbor Township/Atlantic County Library System, 1 Swift Drive, Egg Harbor Township; registration required. 609-927-8664 or atlanticlibrary.org. Monday, May 1 PRE-K CLUB AND CRAFT: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays through May 22, June 5, 12; Galloway Township Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 306 E. Jimmie Leeds Road, Galloway. 609-652-2352 or atlanticlibrary.org. PRESCHOOL STORYTIME - ABSECON: 10 to 11 a.m. Mondays; Absecon branch/Atlantic County Library System, 305 New Jersey Ave., Absecon. 609-646-2228 or atlanticlibrary.org. PRESCHOOL STORYTIME - EGG HARBOR CITY: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays through Aug. 28; Egg Harbor City Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 134 Philadelphia Ave., Egg Harbor City. 609-804-1063 or atlanticlibrary.org. Groups Saturday, April 29 CHESS CLUB: noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays through May 27; for adults and interested teens and children, ages 8 and older; Ventnor City Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 6500 Atlantic Ave., Ventnor; registration required. 609-823-4614 or atlanticlibrary.org. Monday, May 1 AL-ANON FAMILY GROUPS: 11 a.m. Mondays; for those troubled by someone else's drinking; Egg Harbor City Senior Center, 351 Cincinnati Ave., Egg Harbor City. AL-ANON.org. GREAT BOOKS CLUB: 10 a.m. to noon every other Monday through May 15; Cape May Court House Branch, 30 Mechanic St., Middle Township. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org. LONGPORT NEEDLERS: 10 a.m. to noon Mondays; bring your needle/crochet craft project and join us for a time of crafting and socializing; Longport Public Library, 2305 Atlantic Ave., Longport. 609-487-7403 or LongportPublicLibrary.org. 'MONEY TALKS' ONLINE DISCUSSION GROUP: 7 to 8 p.m. first Mondays; monthly online discussion group with thought-provoking topics related to money and wellness; virtual event hosted by the Mental Health Association New Jersey. 609-652-3800 or MHANJ.org. Health, fitness Sunday, April 30 MEDITATION - ONLINE GROUP: 7:15 to 8 p.m. Sundays; offered by The Mental Health Association in Atlantic County; staff offer a guided calming meditation or breathing exercise; to receive a link by email and join the group online, email btrendler@mhanj.org. 609-652-3800 or MHAAC.info. Monday, May 1 CHAIR YOGA - WITH LYNNE CATARRO: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays; no class 5/29, 9/4, 10/9, 12/25; Cape May County Library/Wildwood Crest Branch, 6300 Atlantic Ave., Wildwood Crest. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org. 'GOT STRESS?' ONLINE GROUP: 4 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays; online group meets to discuss daily wellness, coping strategies and tools to relieve stress and reduce anxiety; offered by The Mental Health Association in Atlantic County; free. 609-652-3800 or MHAAC.info. Tuesday, May 2 BODY IMAGE & BALANCE MEETINGS: 7 to 8 p.m. first and third Tuesdays; hosted by the Mental Health Association in Atlantic County; call-in and online group for those living with or recovering from disordered eating. 609-652-3800 or MHAAC.info. DEALING WITH DEPRESSION SUPPORT GROUP: 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays; hosted by the Mental Health Association in Atlantic County; online support group for those living with depression. 609-652-3800 or MHAAC.info. ZUMBA WITH KELLIE WOOD: 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays; Cape May Court House Branch, 30 Mechanic St., Middle Township. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org. Music Saturday, April 29 KATIE HENRY: 7:30 to 10 p.m.; The Lizzie Rose Music Room, 217 E. Main St., Tuckerton; $30. 908-310-2941 or lizzierosemusic.com. THE BREAKERS: A TRIBUTE TO TOM PETTY: 7 p.m. doors open; 8 to 10 p.m. show; Levoy Theatre, 126-130 N. High St., Millville; $38.50 to $43.50. 856-327-6400 or levoy.net. Bus trips Saturday, April 29 UT HISTORICAL SOCIETY SPRING BUS TRIP: April 29, 30; sponsored by the Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township; tour historic Dutch sites around the state, learn about the Dutch influence on New Jersey's earliest settlements; cost includes admission to all sites, lunch and dinner on Saturday, breakfast and lunch on Sunday, a room on Saturday night and the bus cost and the drivers tip; $250-$300. parytell@gmail.com or UpperTwpHistory.org. CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE Five Cape May County residents have been charged with witness tampering stemming from an assault that occurred last year, the county Prosecutor's Office said Friday. John P. Linnington, 31, of North Cape May; James J. Linnington, 58, of Cape May; Christa Linnington, 29, of Wildwood; Marianna N. Linnington, 63, of Cape May; and Marie J. Britton, 83, of Rio Grande, were each charged with witness tampering and conspiracy to commit witness tampering. On April 11, 2022, Cape May police found John P. Linnington involved in a physical altercation with a female victim. John Linnington was arrested and detained at the county jail. Cape May Point man charged with attempted murder CAPE MAY POINT A borough man arrested last month was charged with attempted murder and oth On Aug. 9, John Linnington was indicted by a county grand jury on aggravated assault charges as well as unlawful possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, possession of a weapon, terroristic threats and attempted murder. While the investigation was ongoing, the Prosecutor's Office learned of an allegation of witness tampering involving James Linnington, Christa Linnington, Marianna Linnington and Britton. Detectives conducted an investigation Tuesday and arrested and charged James and Christa Linnington. Both are being held at the county jail. On Friday, Marianna Linnington and Britton turned themselves in and were also charged. Both were released pending court. Also on Friday, John Linnington was charged with witness tampering and conspiracy to commit witness tampering while in jail. CAMBRIDGE, Ill. A Kewanee woman has been charged in Henry County Circuit Court with one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. The Class 2 felony was filed Thursday against Kassidee A. Swan, 22, and she was arraigned on the charge and possible penalty by Judge James Cosby. If convicted, the count carries a sentence of three to seven years in prison, but it is also subject to probation. The public defender's office was assigned to Swan's case, and a preliminary hearing was set for May 1. Her bond was set at $50,000-10%, meaning she would have to post $5,000 for her release. She was ordered to have no contact with the minor victim, his family or his residence and no contact with any unrelated minors. According to the charge, Swan committed an act of sexual penetration with a male at least 13 years old but less than 17 years old between Dec. 1, 2021, and Jan. 31, 2022. Swan remained in custody as of Thursday afternoon. A LeClaire man accused of having child pornography received a deferred judgment at his sentencing. Daniel R. Valenzuela, 26, pleaded guilty in February to five counts of misdemeanor purchase/possess depiction of minor in sex act first offense, according to Scott County court documents. Authorities accused him of purchasing or having illegal images of children on or around July 31, 2020. Valenzuelas plea resulted from an agreement with the Scott County Attorneys Office, according to county court records. On April 19, District Associate Judge Christine Dalton sentenced Valenzuela to two years of supervised probation and 10 years of parole on each of the five counts, records show. It was unclear from the court records whether the sentences for each count will be served at the same time or back-to-back. Dalton based her ruling on the plea agreement, the nature and circumstances of the offense, statute, and Valenzuelas criminal history, age and character, court records state. He is young, had no prior criminal record and had a total of five illegal images in his possession, according to court records. Since the case began, he has had no other violations and cooperated with authorities. He can be rehabilitated and should be given the opportunity to do so, court records state. The Scott County Sheriffs Office investigated the case. The initial complaints and affidavits filed against Valenzuela indicate that deputies began the inquiry after receiving information from Iowas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. During questioning, Valenzuela admitted to investigating child pornography on Tumblr, and when authorities searched his old and new Tumblr accounts, they recovered nine images or videos of child pornography, according to the complaints. Valenzuela must submit a DNA sample and will be supervised by the Seventh Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, court records state. The correctional services department will determine the level of supervision. Other requirements included that Valenzuela must obey all laws and ordinances during his probation or it could be revoked. The plea deal Valenzuela agreed to in February stated that prosecutors would recommend a prison term not to exceed two years on each count and would not ask for consecutive sentences, court records state. The plea agreement stated Valenzuela could make his own sentencing recommendation, according to court records. On April 17, Andrea Jaeger, Valenzuelas attorney, filed his intent to request a deferred judgment. More than 100 tow truck operators came to Moline Friday from across Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota, paying tribute to the late Mark Maske. Maske was killed April 17 while assisting a motorist on Interstate 80 in Scott County. The vehicles staged at the downtown civic center before making their way up 7th Avenue to pass by Trimble Funeral Home during the 52-year-old's funeral services. What has come up will come down. The National Weather Service said Friday that the Mississippi River at Rock Island and Davenport was expected to crest at 21.6 feet during the late afternoon or early evening of Monday, May 1. The flood will begin to recede Tuesday or Wednesday. "Barring any unforeseen precipitation, we are looking at levels decreasing consistently, beginning May 2 or May 3," NWS Senior Service Hydrologist Matt Wilson said Friday. Less than an inch of precipitation is expected across the entire area of the Upper Mississippi River, Wilson said. "It's been dry up north for the last seven days and is expected to remain dry for at least the next seven days," he said. "I don't see us getting anything significant in terms of precipitation to change that. That gives us time to get the crest through Dubuque, through the Quad-Cities. "Knock on wood." Wilson did warn that Sunday's wind gusts of up to 45 mph could create significant waves on the Mississippi, and those waves could cause shoreline erosion. "It is something I want to mention for those who monitor levees and shorelines during the flood," he said. Locations near the Quad-Cities are expected to see crests earlier Monday. Camanche is to be at 23.1 feet, while LeClaire is expected to crest at 16.1 feet early Monday. The river at Muscatine, however, is expected to crest at 22.8 feet on Tuesday, May 2. A place to see the flood Phil Pridemore wanted his 13-year-old daughter to get a glimpse of what downtown Davenport looked like during the 2023 flood. So before he dropped Kayana off at school, father and daughter stopped at the small strip of retail stores on Myrtle Street, just across the road from Niraj Maharian's Sara Mini Mart, Subway restaurant and Shell gas station. Niyo Beauty Suppy & Hair Braiding is the only business in the space, but the building has a raised concrete outdoor dining area, which faces West River Drive and offers a view of the flood. "This is a perfect place to check out the river flood right now," Phil Pridemore said. "You can see all the way down to Centennial Bridge. I just wanted her to get a good look at what the river can do." Kayana was impressed. She said she remembered the flood of 2019 well. Pridemore marveled at Maharian's use of nearly a dozen dumpsters, plastic sheeting and sandbags that are keeping floodwaters out of the parking lot and away from the gas pumps. "I wonder if the downtown business owners aren't starting to ask about a wall between their businesses and the river," he said. "That has got to be an issue right now. "This happened in 2019 and it was bad. I worked at one of the restaurants on 2nd Street, and I was there the time the HESCOs broke and all that water came in. That was a bad day." Kayana saw enough of the flood and needed to get to school. "You know, they say a flood wall would ruin the view," Pridemore said. "But any view has to be better than this one." Photos: Mississippi River continues to rise throughout the Quad Cities, Friday, April, 28 DES MOINES Differences over a hard line on when to send U.S. troops to Ukraine and over ethanol policy were among the few contrasts to emerge during a televised debate Saturday night between the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate in Iowa. Mike Franken, a retired three-star admiral in the U.S. Navy from Sioux City, was the only candidate to establish a scenario under which he would send U.S. troops to Ukraine to assist in the countrys defense against Russias military invasion, which is in its third month. There are issues associated with being the worlds broad-shouldered democracy. And I do believe though if (Russian President) Vladimir Putin uses a nuclear weapon against Ukraine, like-minded countries like the United States and others should put American souls along with other nations to help pick up the pieces internal to Ukraine, Franken said. Thats a red line. We must step forward, we cannot let the use of weapons of mass destruction against a large population and a democracy ever be used and go without retort. Abby Finkenauer, a former congresswoman and state legislator from Cedar Rapids, and Glenn Hurst, a physician from Minden, both said the United States should support economic sanctions on Russia and provide assistance like weapons and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but should not devote U.S. troops. I support making sure that we are doing everything we can short of sending in U.S. troops to support Ukraine, whether that is additional spending that were sending over, in terms of weapons, in terms of making sure they have what they need, Finkenauer said. Said Hurst, We should be sending humanitarian efforts to all of the refugees that are pouring into Poland and countries surrounding the Ukraine. We should be opening up the borders here in Iowa to bring more refugees to our community. Finkenauer, Franken and Hurst are vying for the Democratic Partys nomination in Iowas 2022 U.S. Senate campaign. The incumbent is Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is running for an eighth six-year term. He also faces a primary challenge, from Sioux City lawyer and state legislator Jim Carlin. Grassley is widely expected to survive the primary challenge, and the three Democrats clearly agree, as all took turns criticizing Iowas longtime U.S. senator. Iowas primary election is June 7. Early voting begins May 18. The second and only other scheduled TV debate for the Senate Democratic primary will be on Iowa PBS and its statewide affiliates. That debate will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. on May 19. The candidates also had varied viewpoints on ethanol policy. The renewable fuels industry supports roughly 37,000 jobs in Iowa and accounts for nearly $4 billion of the states GDP, according to the Iowa Corn Growers Association. Finkenauer said she supports President Joe Bidens use of an emergency rule to lift the federal ban on the higher E15 blend of ethanol being sold during the summer driving months. She also said the federal government must ensure oil companies are complying with federal ethanol blending regulations. This is the time when we should be using what Iowa does best, and we should be making sure that we are supporting that industry, Finkenauer said. But (also) make sure that these big oil companies arent just skirting the rules. Franken said he also supports the year-round sale of E15, but said that should be considered a temporary solution. He said the government should be looking for alternative uses for ethanol, such as in airplane or ship fuel, or for power generation. Weve got the latitude and the topsoil and the initiative and the intelligence in this state to reconstruct the energy grid, Franken said. And ethanol will be on the helpful side. Hurst said the government should move away from financing ethanol production because more new vehicles will be powered by electricity. He said the government should encourage Iowa farmers to produce another crop, and as an example cited hemp and its oils and fibers. Vehicles are going to be (electric-powered), and we can as a state either try to squeeze every little last drop out of ethanol as we can, or we can take a progressive idea of introducing a third crop into our duopoly of corn and soy and make it a profitable center, a profitable market for Iowa farmers, Hurst said. In a statement, Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann said the Democratic candidates in Iowas U.S. Senate campaign hold extreme positions that are out-of-step with Iowans. Iowans know these candidates dont have the spine to stand up to Joe Biden and their national party, Kaufmann said in the statement. As inflation continues to skyrocket, the crisis at the border gets worse, and the future of our country looks more and more bleak, these Democrats only solution is to continue down the path toward socialism. The hourlong debate was hosted and broadcast live by four Iowa TV stations: KCCI-TV in Des Moines, KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids, KTIV-TV in Sioux City and KWQC-TV in Davenport. Comments: (515) 355-1300, erin.murphy@thegazette.com SPRINGFIELD A federal judge in East St. Louis issued an order Friday blocking enforcement of Illinois ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines until a lawsuit challenging the law is resolved. Judge Stephen P. McGlynn, of the Southern District of Illinois, said the law known as the Protect Illinois Communities Act, or PICA, is likely to be found unconstitutional when the case goes to trial and the plaintiffs in the consolidated cases will suffer harms without a preliminary injunction to block its enforcement. In a 29-page opinion, McGlynn acknowledged that the law was passed in the wake of a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park last year. But he said the senseless crimes of a relative few cannot be used to justify abridging the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. Citing a U.S. Supreme Court case that was decided less than two weeks before the Highland Park shooting, New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, he said the Constitution guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms for self-defense. More specifically, can PICA be harmonized with the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution and with Bruen? McGlynn asked rhetorically in the opinion. That is the issue before this Court. The simple answer at this stage in the proceedings is likely no. McGlynns decision came less than a week after another federal judge, Lindsay Jenkins, of the Northern District of Illinois, reached an opposite conclusion and denied a motion to halt enforcement of the law. Plaintiffs in that case have indicated they intend to appeal to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The law prohibits the manufacture, sale, and possession of more than 190 different types of firearms as well as many types of grips, stocks and attachments. It also bans large-capacity magazines like the ones used by the accused Highland Park shooter that enabled him to fire off more than 70 shots in just a few minutes. Based on other recent U.S. Supreme Court cases, McGlynn said the state needed to show that the items being banned are not in common use and that they are the types of firearms that have been regulated historically. The state argued that the law is consistent with historical tradition because neither assault weapons nor large-capacity magazines were in common use when the Second and 14th Amendments were ratified. But McGlynn said that argument was bordering on the frivolous because the Supreme Court has said the Second Amendment extends even to firearms that did not exist when the Constitution was drafted. He also noted that Fridays ruling was not a final resolution of the case, but he said the state has other means available to address the issue of gun violence. There is a wide array of civil and criminal laws that permit the commitment and prosecution of those who use or may use firearms to commit crimes, he wrote. Law enforcement and prosecutors should take their obligations to enforce these laws seriously. Families and the public at large should report concerning behavior. Judges should exercise their prudent judgment in committing individuals that pose a threat to the public and imposing sentences that punish, not just lightly inconvenience, those guilty of firearm-related crimes. Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office issued a brief statement late Friday: "We plan to file an appeal and remain committed to defending the constitutionality of the Protect Illinois Communities Act." A guide to the US military guns most often lost or stolen M4 CARBINE M240 MACHINE GUN M16 RIFLE M9 SERVICE PISTOL M203 GRENADE LAUNCHER MOSSBERG SHOTGUN BROWNING M2 Comparing the weapons The Mississippi River crested at Dubuque and Bellevue on Saturday, reaching into the top-three highest-recorded floods at those locations. In Dubuque, the river reached 23.03 feet as of 1:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon, climbing above the the 1993 mark of 22.32 feet. Late Saturday night, Bellevue was projected to reach 21.9, also rising above the No. 3 flood record set in 1993. Other locations are expected to crest in the next few days. The forecast is holding steady for waters to crest at the Rock Island gauge Monday afternoon at 21.6 feet, good for No. 6 or 7 in the National Weather Service's list of top 10 historic crests. Upstream of the Quad-Cities, the river at Camanche is forecasted to reach 23.1 feet early Monday. That figure would come in at No. 4 highest recorded flood, behind records set in 1965 and 2001. Although the water rose quickly, Camanche City Administrator Andrew Kida said he's thankful the water is also likely to recede swiftly because of a dry forecast. In 2019, he said, the prolonged floodwaters caused the city's main sewer line to collapse, causing sewage to back up into people's homes and be dumped into the Mississippi before it could be fixed. "We're keeping our fingers crossed," Kida said, adding that the lack of rainfall this year has been a "blessing." Several streets, a boat ramp and pier are closed and underwater. The city hasn't ordered evacuations, Kida said, and most people who are impacted by flooding know the ropes. The city has provided sand bags, and he said the community has eagerly volunteered to help residents who've asked for help with flood protections. LeClaire is expected to reach 16.2 feet, early Monday, reaching No. 5 on the record crests for that area. The city closed off a section of U.S. Highway 67 beginning at the north end of LeClaire because of flooding, according to its Facebook page. Downstream of the Quad-Cities, Illinois City is expected to crest late Monday at 21.4 feet and Muscatine will reach 22.8 feet late Monday, which would be No. 8 of the top 10 floods in Muscatine. In a daily weather forecast on Saturday, National Weather Service Hydrologist Matt Wilson warned high winds on Sunday, with gusts up to 45 miles per hour, could cause waves, leading to erosion on the banks of the Mississippi River. Wilson also said the Rock River at Moline was rising because of backflow from the Mississippi River. It reached flood stage this weekend and is expected to crest just before minor flood stage at 11.8 feet on Monday. Wilson said with dry weather in the forecast for the next 14 days, the river was expected to recede quickly so long as the dry weather held. "The recessions up north of our area have been progressing fairly quickly, some of them even a little bit quicker than we expected," Wilson said. "So, it could be as early as the middle of May that we might have some of our northern areas back down at least maybe just minor flood stage, but maybe even all the way down below minor flood stage. We'll really start cracking into that at the beginning of this coming week." "And of course that will depend on any rainfall that we get." Some were there in 2019; others are new. Four years after the record-setting flood on the Mississippi River in the Quad-Cities, downtown Davenport business owners say they have faith in the city's improved system of protection. The levee breach of 2019 made them wary, but this time is different, they say. Ruby's Brats/Bikes and Lopiez Pizza In 2019, brothers Andrew and Peter Lopez were readying to open their first pizza restaurant, Lopiez, on April 20. The Mississippi River had other plans. A record flood left a half-foot of water in the building at 429 E. 3rd Street, most of which bubbled up from the pipes. The brothers replaced drywall, repaired damage to the bar, and sterilized everything touched by the floodwaters. Next door at Rubys, it was a similar story: Water backed up from sewers, requiring renovations and a new air-filtration system. We closed for three months, said Rubys co-owner, Chris Torres. This became an island. In 2023, the two businesses' owners feel better than they did in 2019, they said. Both restaurants shut off their plumbing with backstop valves before leaving each night, just in case. Concrete barriers with sandbags surround the northeast corner of the building to fend off floodwater from River Drive and 3rd Street. Every time we close, were shutting those bad boys, just so nothing obviously bubbles up through sinks, drains, toilets, what-have-you, said Andrew Lopez. Both are hoping to stay open through the rivers peak height, which is expected to come Monday. Lopez, along with many other business owners, signed onto a letter in 2019, urging the city to take more permanent action on flood prevention. He wishes the city would build a floodwall, which city officials have not had an appetite for, due to the price tag, aesthetics, and resident opposition. But the city has responded more quickly with flood protection this year and has been better with communications to businesses, he said. Theyre doing everything they can from what I can see, Lopez said. I dont ever want to lose this downtown location. It means so much to me. Im born and raised here in Davenport, and it means a lot for me and my family that were here in downtown. My dad was raised as a kid two blocks up, and my grandpas lived his whole life up there, too. Sarah Watson Milltown Coffee temporarily closes in Moline: 'It kind of sucks' Flooding along River Drive in Moline has temporarily closed Milltown Coffee at 3800 River Drive. Owner Cameron Cartee said he had a feeling on Sunday that the store would to need to temporarily close when the city closed River Drive. By Tuesday afternoon, it was clear he was right as floodwaters entered the parking lot. It kind of sucks, because this is kind of our take-off time from winter when things are slow for us, he said. Compared to the 2019 flood, when the coffee shop had water seeping through the foundation, Cartee said, workers were ready this time, placing sandbags in spots prone to seepage. We have a very good support system with all of our regulars, and my employees are extremely helpful and understanding, Cartee said. Grace Kinnicutt Good news: The beer is safe On a normal week, the 200 block of River Drive in Davenport is flooded with people. This week, its been different. Friday, April 21, city crews began setting up HESCO barriers in the lower downtown, effectively creating a cul de sac out of Stompbox Brewing and Front Street Brewery, which are neighbors. Stompbox, also home to Kitchen Brigade, opened in July 2021 after the previous restaurant, Roam, was largely destroyed by the HESCO breach of 2019 and didn't reopen. Joe Romebeck, manager of Stompbox, said moving into a space prone to flooding was a concern but a risk worth taking. Romebeck said he was feeling pretty confident midweek in the new and improved barriers and said the city had, learned form their mistake. More pumps helped ease his worry, he said, but the sewer backing up is something hes concerned about, because it plagued many businesses in 2019. But, so far, so good, he said. Stompbox has 13 brews on tap currently, including a seltzer called Holy Water and a Mexican Lager named, When the Levee Breaks. Ironically, our flagship beer, a blonde ale called Flood Insurance we just ran out of it for the first time in a while, Romebeck said with a laugh. Next door at Front Street Brewery, food and beer are holding up. This beer is never going to stop. Cherry Blonde Bomb will be here all day, said manager Daniel Winter. "Right now, were not at the scary part yet. Were hoping when it does peak, it goes right back down. The city has opened adjacent parking garages, which is helpful for businesses near the corner of River Drive and Perry streets, which are closed to traffic. Getting customers in is a little trickier than normal, but sales have not been too bad, he said. Winters message was simple: Downtown businesses are still open, and the beer is still flowing. Gretchen Teske Little flood disruption to Western Illinois University Quad-Cities campus Western Illinois University (WIU) Quad-Cities officials kept flood levels in mind during the design phases of the Moline campus, given its direct riverfront location. "WIU worked intentionally with architects and engineers during the campus design phase to ensure that WIU Quad-Cities campus buildings were situated above the 500-year floodplain," said Kristi Mindrup, Vice President of Campus Operations. Mindrup said the campus north river-facing grounds were built as water retention basins to mitigate flooding. Still, the east parking lot along 34th St. does take on some water, so students and faculty are redirected to the south and west campus parking lots. "During flood time, both Riverfront Hall and the Quad-Cities Complex buildings stay high and dry, Mindrup said. University Drive was added along the south side of campus when Phase 1 was built in the early 2010's to create a second point of campus access, so there is no disruption to WIU activity on campus during flooding." Olivia Allen Theo & Co., Blue Spruce General Store unscathed Double-stacked HESCO barriers are bringing extra comfort to business owners along 2nd Street in downtown Davenport though the worry for a potential breach in the barriers still subtly looms. Cars were parked along the street late Thursday morning, making it difficult to find a spot. But stepping onto the shared outdoor front steps of Theo & Co. and Blue Spruce General Store the lack of foot traffic was notable. Theo & Co., owned and operated by Annie Stopulos, is a mens clothing and goods store. As the river continues to rise, Stopulos said, mixed feelings creep up too. There is a little bit of a concern, but at the end of the day, I have faith that they (the city) did things right this time, she said. Fortunately, Stopulos said, her business was spared damage in 2019 and had some minor flooding in the basement. If it does come to us, it will probably be in the basement, she said. We still need to continue to support downtown; people are still open. This is how we make a living. Leaving the mens clothing store and taking a few steps into Blue Spruce General Store, one can smell the aroma of fresh bread. Even as employees moved around in the kitchen and customers chatted at tables, a sense of quiet was apparent, largely because of the closure of nearby River Drive. Blue Spruce owner Brandon Carleton said he frequently took his coffee outside in the mornings to enjoy the Mississippi River until it started getting closer. Were big fans of the river, and we feel very fortunate to be so close to it, he said. But we have mixed feelings where now it is kind of threatening. He hopes the drop in foot traffic recedes with the floodwater. If you want some of these businesses to be here after the flood, and you like going to them keep going to them, Carleton said. Grace Kinnicutt Bix Beiderbecke Museum and Archives hopes to play on Jazz floated through the speakers of the Bix Beiderbecke Museum and Archives Wednesday afternoon as volunteers and staff placed sandbags around exhibits. They were hard at work in the museum, located in the basement of 129 N Main St., Davenport, alongside Common Chord, prepping the space for the possibility of floodwater making its way inside. Museum Director Nathaniel Kraft said about an inch of water made its way into the museum during 2019 flooding, and the museum board moved all of the artifacts, including instruments, cases, documents and more, in a matter of hours. Between cleanup, repairing items damaged in the move and returning it to its space, the museum was closed for several months. While they're confident that water won't enter the building this time, Kraft said, other businesses in the building have banded together. Groups like Estes Construction are on the call list in case the museum or Common Chord need help moving out equipment. It's good to have several stories of people here to help out, Kraft said. It sounds like everyone's kind of working together to make sure nothing gets too damaged. Visitors are still welcome and encouraged to stop by, as long as they don't mind seeing sandbags alongside snapshots of Beiderbecke's life and career. This is the time of year where attendance tends to pick up, Kraft said, as a majority of guests are tourists. Just a few days ago, visitors from the Netherlands took a detour while on a business trip to check out the museum, saying they wanted to take the chance while they could. The museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and by appointment on Saturdays. We're going to be watching, and the second anything happens, well definitely post on our Facebook if we have to close, Kraft said. But for now, we're going to try to stay as open as possible. Brooklyn Draisey Raygun has no worries While Raygun is not expecting to be hit by floodwater, workers are doing what they do best creating shirts with fun sayings and graphics. Located at 210 E. 2nd Street, the shop's door was wide open Thursday with a sale rack of shirts sitting outside. I dont think we really have many concerns, as long as that wall doesnt break, manager Katie Mayers said, referring to the flood barriers. Employee Eric Bierman agreed, saying the road detours have almost worked to their advantage. If anything, there are a few more people down here just kind of looking out (at the flood), he said. Grace Kinnicutt Work on Last Picture House going strong As crews worked across the Quad-Cities to build HESCO barriers and other flood protection, construction workers inside 325 E. 2nd St., Davenport, were turning their efforts in the opposite direction. Interior demolition on The Last Picture House is continuing unabated during the flood, co-owner Pete Stopulos said. We've dug down four feet to investigate water table levels before we pour foundations and footings, and all is good so far, Stopulos said. The building was submerged in floodwater alongside much of 2nd Street and River Drive in 2019 after HESCO barriers failed. Stopulos said he and fellow co-owners, Scott Beck, Bryan Woods and Jens Baker, are confident in the citys flood mitigation efforts this year, and they havent placed any sandbags or other barriers on the property. To mitigate possible flooding from underground water in the future, Stopulos said, backflow preventers have been installed on the plumbing lines. All equipment, electrical systems and other high-dollar items will be kept well above flood level. Obviously, if an event like 2019 happens again, we're going to face some significant cosmetic damage, no doubt, Stopulos said. But I think, overall, we've improved the structure in a way that's resilient to floods. We have full faith and confidence that the city of Davenport and the public works department have a great plan in place moving forward. Everybody downtown is just holding their breath, so to speak, and trusting that the HESCO barriers will do the job that they've been designed to do." Brooklyn Draisey Raccoon Motel: 'If that thing breaks, nothing matters' While Sean Moeller didn't own a business on 2nd Street during the HESCO breach in 2019, he was in the thick of it. "We rushed to all these businesses and tried to sandbag, and it was worthless," Moeller said. "I mean, if that thing breaks, nothing matters." Now that he owns entertainment venue Raccoon Motel, located at 315 E. 2nd St., Moeller said all he can do is hope that the barriers hold. The walls holding back water look sturdier than they did in 2019, he said, making him more optimistic. Until there's a permanent solution, though, he'll remain guarded. He opened Raccoon Motel where he did, he said, because it's a vibrant area that's getting better with every new business. The venue is operating as normal during flooding, and Moeller hasn't seen a significant drop in customers. However, if barriers break again, he doesn't see how businesses could continue to rebound. "I love this block, and I love all the other business owners on this block, and I sure hope that the city protects us; hope they care about us as much as we care about it," he said. Brooklyn Draisey Trash Can Annie also optimistic Were positive about whats set up right now, said vintage-clothing store owner Laura Heath. The business, housed in the same space as Ragged Records at 311 E. 2nd Street, hasn't set up sandbags or other flood prevention. Heath encouraged Quad-Citians to come downtown and support the shops and restaurants that are harder to reach during flooding but remain open and ready to serve. Brooklyn Draisey Photos: Mississippi River continues to rise throughout the Quad Cities, Friday, April, 28 SIOUX CITY -- A state medical board has charged a former Sioux City heart surgeon with professional incompetency and engaging in harmful and misleading medical practices. Dr. Giovanni Ciuffo is accused of "... engaging in a practice that is harmful or detrimental to the public" and "... making misleading, deceptive, untrue or fraudulent representations in the practice of medicine and surgery," the Iowa Board of Medicine said in a statement of charges filed April 20. The charging document says the board reviewed and approved a short statement of allegations forming the basis for the charges. The statement will be provided to Ciuffo but is not a public record. Ciuffo, who was MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center's director for cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, has 20 days from the date he was served with the charges to file an answer and request a continuance of a May 22 scheduling conference. A MercyOne spokeswoman confirmed Ciuffo no longer works at the Sioux City hospital and said the hospital could not comment on the charges. "MercyOne stands by our cardiac services program, and our commitment to safe, quality care is steadfast alongside our commitment to the fair and valued treatment of colleagues, physicians and providers. As this is a Board of Medicine inquiry, we are unable to provide further comment," Michaela Feldmann, MercyOne regional communications lead, said in an emailed statement. Though Ciuffo no longer works for MercyOne, the charges are related to his actions while at the hospital. According to the medical board, he now lives in Nevada and has an active Iowa medical license that is due to expire on May 1, 2024. Ciuffo trained as a surgeon in Italy and practiced in New York and Ohio prior to his arrival in Sioux City. Though specific actions aren't detailed in the medical board's statement of charges, numerous allegations of his conduct are contained in a wrongful termination lawsuit filed in August by MercyOne's former cardiovascular service line director, who sued the hospital, claiming she was fired for reporting safety and malpractice concerns about Ciuffo to the hospital's ethics committee. In her lawsuit, Cynthia Tener said Ciuffo failed to obtain proper consent from patients, performed unsafe surgical procedures and falsified paperwork. The lawsuit also said Ciuffo was performing risky procedures on patients without obtaining proper consent from them and performing an excessive number of add-on procedures. In one instance, Ciuffo is alleged to have opened a patient in the operating room without other treating physicians present and failed to follow the surgical plan that he, the physicians and the patient had agreed upon. The patient died not long after surgery. Concerns were raised about Ciuffo keeping patients who had little to no chance of recovery on ventilators and other artificial life-sustaining measures for at least 30 days after surgery to protect his outcomes statistics in a national database. After the hospital limited Ciuffo to surgeries with low patient risk levels, Tener said she was informed Ciuffo began falsifying patients' risk scores so he could again perform high-risk surgeries. According to the lawsuit, hospital administrators told Tener she was fired for creating a toxic work environment, but refused to provide information about any complaints against her. After two nurses filed an internal complaint against Ciuffo for falsely documenting a procedure performed without the patient's consent, the surgeon told administrators he believed Tener was encouraging nurses to file complaints against him. Tener said she was suspended after administrators informed her of complaints she was creating a toxic work environment. She was fired six days later. Ciuffo was not named as a defendant in Tener's lawsuit, filed against Mercy Health Services-Iowa Corp., which does business as MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center, and its parent company, Indiana-based Trinity Health Corporation. Best public high schools in Iowa Best public high schools in Iowa #30. Western Dubuque High School #29. Kee High School #28. Clear Lake High School #27. Harlan High School #26. Van Meter Junior/Senior High School #25. George-Little Rock Senior High School #24. South Central Calhoun High School #23. West Marshall High School #22. Hudson High School #21. Liberty High School #20. 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You need to understand that you can't save the world, but you can save a person's world, said Victim Specialist Rebecca Elger, who started in the job about a year ago after 22 years in law enforcement. The Pennington County Sheriffs Office and the Rapid City Police Department established the joint victim assistance program in 2016. Its 80% funded by the state legislature and 20% funded by the federal Victims of Crime Act grant. Elger is one of two victim advocates who work on victim row in the Public Safety Building in Rapid City. Victim row consists of three cubicles Elgers, former pastor Scott Hultgrens and Ruth Toralas. Torala is a victim advocate from Working Against Violence Inc., a shelter for domestic violence victims. Torala works with victims of intimate partner violence at the Public Safety Building; she is employed by WAVI. Hultgren's and Elgers roles are directly tied in with law enforcement. Advocates go to crime scenes after the scene is secure to provide support for victims. Elger said shes watched young children and held babies while parents speak with law enforcement. When the uniform officer shows up, whats the first thing you see? The uniform and the badge, Elger said. Obviously, officer safety, scene safety and finding the suspect are their priorities. They have a different approach based on what their job is. When Elger arrives at a scene, she wears plainclothes or a polo shirt and does what she can to help. Other than providing immediate support, she's a resource hub for victims. She recalled an aggravated domestic violence case where someone tried to kill a woman and her child. The first step was safety. They were brought from the scene to the Public Safety Building. We got them into protective housing ... made sure that they had money for food, that we got them gas money, that they got an emergency phone, Elger said. Theres a storage room at the Public Safety Building with diapers mostly donated which Elger said advocates also keep in their vehicles. We have a stockpile of diapers. If were dealing with somebody who has little kids, especially thats displaced, were going to give them a good supply of diapers, Elger said. Advocates also connect victims with food banks, mental health services, and low-income housing assistance. Elger said advocates guide people through the process of applying for a protection order, and sometimes provide rides for medical care or help victims arrange rides or learn the bus system. The advocates report to the Criminal Investigations Division, which includes investigators and detectives from the city and the county. Law enforcement leadership assigns them victims from violent cases, including murders, aggravated assaults, aggravated robberies, violations of protection orders, child abuse, and felony non-partner domestic violence. In 2022, they worked with 422 victims. Elger said Thursday she had about 30 active cases, but that can dip as low as 20 or go as high as about 45. They can call and ask us the status of the case at any point, Elger said. We work in liaison with the advocates at the [Pennington County] State's Attorney's Office. Once there's an arrest made, and that starts the court process, we can get them in touch with that advocate and keep them up on court dates and who the prosecutors are. The six advocates at the Pennington County States Attorneys Office help fulfill South Dakotas Marcys Law requirements, which include victim notification of court hearings if they request it and confer with a states attorney. They have all these rights after theres an arrest made, so the nice thing about our program is we stay in close contact with our victims and get them through that point, Elger said. And we can help with that Marcys Law side after theres an arrest. Pennington County States Attorney Lara Roetzel said National Crime Victims' Rights Week which started Monday is a time to celebrate victims and the people who work with them. The theme this year is elevate, engage, and effect change, and what a beautiful theme because thats what we are doing with our work with victims. We are elevating their voices, we are effecting change, and we are engaging them with the system. Thats our goal. Its hard work, but its important work, Roetzel said. Elger echoed that the work isnt always easy, but she focuses on the wins, like a woman telling her, Hey, thanks for being my rock. Thanks for pushing me in that direction because this is where I need to be. In her mind, maybe I am the only person whos been [saying] you got this if you want it, she said. A former correctional officer at the Juvenile Detention Center in Kyle was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison Friday for taking videos of two underage girls in the facility's showers. "The message has to be sent that this is completely intolerable behavior," U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Viken said before sentencing 45-year-old Shayne Begay to two consecutive eight-year sentences, one for each receipt of child pornography count. Begay who worked at the center for five years placed a phone inside a clear plastic bag and positioned it in the shower at the detention center once in September 2021 and once in October 2021, according to court documents and testimony at the sentencing hearing. Each time, the camera was strategically pointed to capture the pubic and buttocks area of the girls a 13-year-old on the first occasion and a 16-year-old on the second. The video of the 13-year-old was about 12 minutes long. The second video was almost seven minutes long. Surveillance footage of the October 2021 incident showed Begay going into the shower area before retrieving the 16-year-old from her cell, according to a factual basis statement Begay signed as part of his plea deal. After the girl was done showering, he returned to the showers. Begay's common law wife at the time found the videos on his phone, prompting an FBI investigation and ultimately Begay's arrest in Rapid City in December 2021. FBI Special Agent Jeremy Ewan visited the detention center and confirmed the showers matched the setting in the videos. The agent also interviewed both girls, who confirmed they were in the respective videos. The 13-year-old girl's mother spoke to the court at Begay's sentencing. She said her daughter who now lives out of state is "traumatized really, really bad." She said the girl attempted suicide last fall, is afraid people with phones are recording her, and distrusts men who are nice to her. The woman said her daughter told her about a correctional officer who was being nice to her and giving her extra supplies. "I don't think she's gonna recover from this," she said. "I hope you feel sorry for it." Begay expressed his remorse before the mother, who was experiencing car trouble, had arrived at the courthouse. He said he was "here to take accountability." "I wish I could address the people that I hurt and tell them I'm sorry and for their forgiveness," Begay said. When Viken asked Begay why he committed the crimes, he wasn't able to provide a specific answer. "I can't really say why," Begay said, adding he never thought he would do something "like this," especially because he is a father and was a member of law enforcement. "It was a complete lapse in my judgment," Begay said. The judge disagreed. "There's no mistake in doing this a second time," Viken said. Both the government and Viken noted the abuse of power on Begay's part. Viken said the power Begay had over the victims was "absolute" and what he did was "exactly the opposite course of your oath." Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins, who prosecuted the case, said she has a hard time thinking of more vulnerable victims. Collins asked the judge to "send a message" to the community and the girls that such a violation of trust will be taken seriously, "so these girls know this matters." She asked for consecutive sentences within federal guidelines to account for the harm done to both girls. Based on a number of factors, including Begay's position of authority, federal sentencing guidelines suggested Viken sentence Begay to anywhere from 17.5 years to 21 years. Guidelines are designed to promote uniformity in federal sentences, but are not binding on judges. Begay's defense attorney, Ellie Bastian with the Federal Public Defender's Office in Rapid City, asked the judge to sentence Begay to the mandatory minimum of five years in prison. Bastian acknowledged the seriousness of the offense, but noted her client had no other child pornography in his possession, something she would have expected in a case like his. "It's these two dates," she said, calling his actions "completely out of character behavior." "Five years is a pretty serious depredation of his liberty for someone who has never been incarcerated," Bastian said. The defense attorney also noted Begay was remorseful and deleted the files. Collins took issue with the statement and stated Begay deleted the files only after his wife found them and before the FBI seized his phone and interviewed him. Thanks to a plea deal, which Viken called "a huge break," Begay faced a much lower sentence than he would have under his original charges of producing and possessing child pornography. The two production counts have mandatory 15-year minimums. He pleaded guilty Feb. 2 to the two counts of receipt of child pornography, which have mandatory minimums of five years, a "substantial act of leniency in your favor," Viken said. After completing his time in Bureau of Prisons custody, Begay will have to register as a sex offender and spend five years under supervision. A Summerset man who barricaded himself in a Rapid City restaurant bathroom with a pistol when U.S. Marshals tried to arrest him for child pornography charges was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison April 21. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Viken sentenced 24-year-old Caleb Wayne Cook to the mandatory minimum of five years for his receipt of child pornography conviction and one-and-a-half years for assaulting a federal officer. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Rapid City, Cook used the internet between September 2016 and December 2021 to download images of child pornography to his Dropbox and other devices. An investigation into Cook began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) referred a CyberTip submitted by Dropbox to the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), according to court documents. ICAC tracked the image to an IP address in Summerset where Cook lived with his parents and brother. After executing search warrants on the Dropbox and then at the home Dec. 13, 2021, ICAC agents found over 200 images and over 300 videos of child pornography. The first batch of videos, found in the Dropbox account, totaled to over 22 hours. The content included infants, toddlers and bondage. Cook admitted to receiving and sending links to files over the internet. He was indicted for receipt and possession of child pornography March 17, 2022. On April 11, 2022, two deputy U.S. marshals attempted to arrest Cook at a restaurant in Rapid City where he worked. The marshals spoke with the restaurant manager and asked if they could talk to Cook outside the back door. When the marshals tried to arrest Cook, he pulled away and reached into his right front pants pocket and pulled out a black handgun. After racking the slide, he put it against his own temple. Bringing the gun with him, Cook ran into the restaurant, through the kitchen, and through the public dining area before hiding in the men's restroom. The marshals then called in the Pennington County/Rapid City Special Response Team (SRT) and their negotiators. After 30 minutes of negotiation, Cook came out of the restroom, leaving the .380 caliber Ruger LCP and its holster on the bathroom sink. The magazine was on the floor with five bullets in it. On Jan. 18, Cook pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography and assault on a federal officer for pulling the gun out. He originally faced two counts of assault on a federal officer one for each marshal but the government agreed to drop one charge in exchange for a guilty plea. The assault charge has no mandatory minimum, but did have a potential maximum of 20 years in prison. After Cook is released from federal prison, he will be on supervised release for five years for the child pornography conviction and for three years for the assault conviction. Helping people have healthier brains and lives is Dr. Stephen Manloves mission. In addition to his practice at Manlove Brain and Body Health in Rapid City, he invites the community to a free series of mental health talks hes presenting, Navigating Today's World Through a Psychiatric Lens. Modern medicine focuses on crisis intervention. The community [programs try] to give people ideas about improving health and preventing disease, Manlove said. Manlove said the mental health talks give him opportunities to share topics of interest and offer practical information to the community from his unique perspective as a board certified psychiatrist, forensic psychiatrist and internist. My idea is to give the community education and more access to health care and mental health-specific [information], he said. You get to looking at different cultural shifts that affect me in my practice and begin to think about them, and maybe other people need to know about them. I think we need to have more general community education, said Manlove, who began the mental health talk series last fall. I think people have generally enjoyed it. Its been thought-provoking. Navigating Today's World Through a Psychiatric Lens will continue with two programs in May, and then Manlove hopes to continue the series every month. The programs will be at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room on the second floor of Rapid City Public Library. Doors open at 5 p.m. and light refreshments will be served. Admission is free but registration is required. Go to manlovehealth.com/events to register. Seating is limited to 60 people. May 1, Manlove will discuss ketamine, a breakthrough treatment for people who have depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder and who have not gotten relief by taking common antidepressant medication. Manlove Brain and Body Health has been using ketamine to treat difficult-to-treat depression for the past four years. It works differently than other medications for depression. Manlove, a thought leader in this area, will discuss how ketamine works, who may benefit from it and risks associated with it. The information he will share could benefit those who suffer from depression or who have loved ones who do. One of my missions in life is to change the way psychiatry is done, Manlove said. In a nutshell, the way psychiatry has been done is psychiatrists figure out the right medication to give people, and that helps for some people but it doesnt help for a lot of people. About 30% of people with anxiety and depression dont respond to medications, so Ive developed an interest in other tools for treating depression such as ketamine," Manlove said. People who could benefit from ketamine might know little or nothing about it, he explained. One of his goals with the community talks is to help people become aware of and understand helpful resources. Manloves second topic in May is especially timely in light of the fact that in 2023, the United States has averaged more than one mass shooting per day. On May 15, Manlove will talk about learning how to predict violence by recognizing signs that someone may be violent. If you work in any public setting, especially schools or law enforcement, or if you are just worried about violence, you may find this talk especially pertinent, Manlove said. Based on his 32 years as a forensic and general psychiatrist, Manlove will discuss the relationship between mental illness and violence. He will offer strategies for assessing and reducing the risk of violence. My background is in forensic psychiatry, so I do a lot of evaluations of criminals or those who allegedly committed crimes, Manlove said. Manlove said he will likely discuss some non-psychiatric issues in future talks, such as heart health and eating well to maintain good health. He has practiced psychiatry in Rapid City for more than 30 years, and he is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Over the past decade, Manlove has applied both his psychiatric and internal medicine expertise in treating patients. I explored more modern theories of illness and researched new mental health treatment strategies. Where I found scientifically based positive outcomes, I incorporated new methods into our clinic, incorporating brain health and whole body health perspectives. More patients began reporting better outcomes; the change has made me personally very optimistic about the future of psychiatric care, Manlove said. The state Senate on Friday brought back to life and advanced two charter school bills as part of an endgame deal moving toward the end of the Legislative session. Both in a caucus before the vote and on the Senate floor, Republican leadership said passing the bills was necessary despite the concerns some in their caucus had with either the concepts or potential constitutional issues. I realize that some people dont like charter school bills, but the House does, and they want them as part of the endgame, said Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick in the caucus Friday. Fitzpatrick acknowledged he also wasn't fully enamored with charter schools, but said, "We need to get these issues resolved. We should pass this bill and let the courts decide if its valid or not. Two days ago, the Senate defeated bills from Republican Reps. Fred Anderson of Great Falls, and Sue Vinton of Billings, proposing differing visions of charter schools in Montana. They were brought back to life Thursday evening. Both bills came with legal notes attached to them, flagging previous litigation that could raise possible constitutional issues with the legislation. While both pieces of legislation would allow for the formation of charter schools, they would have created that process in different ways. Andersons offers up an opportunity for involvement with the local school board while Vintons instead has a separate commission to validate schools. Anderson's bill would also hold the schools accountable to existing education and licensure laws and rules, while Vintons does not to the same degree, though she told legislators it still has accountability provisions. Some legislators who support the bills said they could both exist in unison if signed into law, while others thought Gov. Greg Gianforte could make a decision about their fates if both reached his desk. There was no debate on House Bill 549, Andersons bill, on Friday. Sen. Dan Salomon, the Ronan Republican who carried the bill in the Senate, said the intent of the bill was to create innovative and high-performing charter schools that fell under the general supervision of the Board of Public Education and were supervised and controlled by local school board trustees. That was intended to make sure the bill was constitutional, Salomon said. Andersons bill passed the Senate on a 27-21 vote, with some Republicans joining all Democrats against it. There was more debate on Vintons HB 562. Senate sponsor Sen. Kenneth Bogner, R-Miles City, argued that the bill came with accountability provisions and that schools would have to reapply for their charters every five years. Sen. Shannon OBrien, a Missoula Democrat and teacher, was critical of the bill Friday. This bill threatens the core of our communities our schools. It takes away the freedoms of your grandchildren, of your children, of our children, by minimizing the very integrity of our public schools, OBrien told the Senate. Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester, also was against the legislation, saying adding a commission to oversee schools lawmakers would be growing government and that parents who did not have students at the charter school would not have a say. Us taxpayers are going to pick up the difference for those schools, Tempel said. But Republican Sen. Becky Beard, R-Elliston, said parents need greater involvement in their childrens educations, and Vintons bill would provide that. We need these freedoms. We need parental direction, Beard said. Sen. John Fuller, a Republican from Whitefish and former teacher, also advocated for the bill. The No. 1 ingredient for success in students is getting parents involved, Fuller said. Vintons bill passed on a 27-21 vote, with some Republicans joining all Democrats against it. Back in the caucus, Fitzpatrick identified two other bills as part of the endgame. House Bill 569 is from Rep. Terry Moore, R-Billings, and would revise contributions for the pension system for judges, highway patrol officers, sheriffs, game wardens and peace officers. The bill was carried by Sen. Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, in the Senate. He said there is about $275 million of unfunded liability in those pension systems. The bill would put money into each system to fund them actually over 25 years with a layered amortization. The Highway Patrol system would get $27.6 million, sheriffs would get $26.8 million and game wardens and peace officers would get $41.2 million. The bill would also apply layered amortization, which means that over 25 years, the unfunded mandates would be paid off. The bill would also lay out the retirement dates for new employees, setting the length of service and retirement age, making Highway Patrols length of service 20 years and retirement age 50 to be consistent with others, McGillvray said. Sen. Barry Usher, R-Billings, spoke strongly against the bill, saying changing the length of service requirements would harm recruitment and further benefit the disparity between different law enforcement agencies. He also said the bill would increase property taxes through the layered amortization provision. Theres a permissive, which means a non-voted, levy the counties can use to pay for this change. I thought we all agreed we dont like permissives; we like our voters to vote on increasing property taxes, Usher said. He also pointed to a pension study that will happen during the interim and said work should be done after lawmakers can see the results of that. McGillvray countered that this pool of employees was small and this was a small step in making their pension system solvent. The bill passed the Senate on a very close vote, 25-23, and needs to go back to the House for approval of Senate amendments. The other piece of the endgame Fitzpatrick referenced is House Bill 816, from Rep. Josh Kassmier, a Fort Benton Republican, to use more of the states estimated $2.6 billion surplus to issue property and income tax rebates. Another bill that offers $810 million in rebates has already been signed into law. The breakdown is another $100 million in property tax rebates and $35 million in income tax rebates. It cleared the Senate on a 45-3 vote with no discussion. The bill has gone through several iterations and dollar amounts, and briefly contained Gov. Greg Gianforte's proposed $1,200 child tax credit before it was slimmed down. It also needs to move back to the House for approval of Senate changes. The session has a week left before the end of its allotted 90 days, and several major bills such as the state budget are still in play in addition to the ones singled out in the Senate on Friday. These are all endgame bills. This is how we get out of town, Fitzpatrick said. Elsewhere, the Senate initially defeated Friday a bill that contained $64.7 million state special revenue spending authority to provide loans to communities who need financial help with completing regional water projects and irrigation facilities. Then in a Saturday session with minimal debate, lawmakers brought the bill back to live, saying it needed more discussion. House Bill 8 had not seen a single no vote before Friday, but only secured 33 votes in the Senate, leaving it short of the three-fourths of all lawmakers threshold needed to clear. In a committee hearing earlier this month, bill sponsor Rep. Mike Hopkins, R-Missoula, called the bill the most important one that comes out of the infrastructure budget subcommittee. These are very large water build-out projects its the type of infrastructure without [which] there's not a whole lot of point to the rest of infrastructure because you either have water, or you dont have anything. The bill had 11 loans, including things like the East Fork Dam rehabilitation project at $16.9 million, the St. Mary's Diversion project local share at $40 million and $26 million for the St. Mary's Siphon replacement. The loans would be made out of the coal trust fund. Terrible employees usually create a lot of drama and disruption and sometimes employers feel trapped on whether they can fire them. They can. And they should. But ideally, they should first issue some form of corrective action. The Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld summary judgment for the employer, Spartanburg Methodist College (SMC), where a former employee claimed that SMC discriminated and retaliated against her under Title IX and the Americans with Disabilities Act when her contract was not renewed after just one year. Plaintiff Summer Lashley signed a one-year contract to teach criminal justice courses at SMC. According to the courts opinion, Less than a year later, SMC decided not to renew Lashleys contract and terminated her shortly thereafter. Lashley brought a mix of state and federal law claims against SMC, essentially arguing that her contract nonrenewal and termination were unlawful. SMC decided not to renew her contract due to her performance, professionalism, and conflicts with faculty and students, according to the case. In cases like these the facts are complex. The employee in question had a lot of conflict, demands and complaints. They all cant be summarized here but suffice to say she was a source of ongoing disruption, and her supervisor described her as emotional, volatile, and uncontrollable. Lashley herself informed her supervisor on multiple occasions that SMC was not a good fit for her. The court concluded, Lashleys multiple contentious interactions led [management] to worry that she was not forming constructive relationships with faculty and students and would have difficulty maintaining the professionalism required to perform as a SMC professor. In consultation with other SMC administrators, [Lashleys manager] decided not to renew Lashleys contract for the following year. Informing her that her contract was not being renewed, her supervisor told her, that she and SMC were not a good fit for each other. Following this conversation, Lashley allegedly made threats to include shouting at her supervisor for betraying her, telling students she felt like blowing the school up and telling a faculty member that Bad stuff happens when people cross me. My dad says its true. They turn up dead. She allegedly threatened that evil people like her supervisor would get theirs. She denied all of these statements. SMCs president learned of these threats and made the decision to immediately terminate her and not let her work out the rest of her contract. He informed Lashley that her termination was due to unprofessional, inappropriate interactions with faculty. The court held that SMC had legitimate reasons not to renew Lashleys contract and to terminate her employment, including that she was not a good fit for SMC and based on reports of threatening and unprofessional behavior. The court reasoned it was not unlawful for an employer to conclude that an employees conflicts with faculty demonstrated a lack of conflict-resolution skills needed in a professional setting where interactions with colleagues are frequent and essential. There was also evidence that Lashley demonstrated a lack of professionalism with students. The court determined that the motivation by the employer was safety not retaliation. Furthermore, the decision-makers didnt even know about Lashleys ADA request or her Title IX complaints when the decision was made to fire her. Decisionmakers can hardly be accused of harboring a retaliatory animus when they were unaware of the actions that allegedly led to the retaliation. Lashley claimed that SMCs reasoning for her termination that she was not a good fit, was a thinly veiled disguise for retaliation. On this point, the court concluded that, Describing an employee as not a good fit is an assessment that employers make all the time. Maybe someones skills do not match up with the institutions mission. Maybe someones work ethic falls short of expectations. Maybe someone is just not a good team player. Though there may be circumstances where evidence reveals that good fit is a subterfuge for discrimination or retaliation, it is also a perfectly innocuous comment that an organizations collaborative goals would not be furthered and might be diminished by the employee. The court added, Institutional success is often a collective enterprise toward which an employer has entirely reasonable expectations that each employee should contribute. It added, SMCs President explained that a good fit for us is someone who is able and willing to effectively teach the demographics we teach with great success and academic integrity, who possesses the [a]bility to be a good colleague with your faculty and staff, as well as the ability to exhibit the appropriate behavior with students and a level of professionalism with the appropriate boundaries between students and faculty. This was true despite Lashleys claim to be a whistleblower. On this the court held that Lashley cannot claim that mantle, adding, the record reveals unrelieved personality conflicts, unprofessional favoritisms, unwarranted threats, and contempt for what the defendant institution was attempting to accomplish. We cannot see how addressing those problems was a pretext for retaliatory or discriminatory animus. This case should be a must read for any employer grappling with these highly complex and disruptive employees who continuously spin up the organization with never ending demands and disruption. Address these behaviors early (immediately). Institute a zero tolerance for any lack of professionalism or respect. And be consistent in holding employees accountable. Richmond-area business expansions, openings and closings Urban Myth Street Food Revel Market & Bar Stanley's Popshelf P.T. Hastings Seafood Killa Dillas Genovas Pizza Station & Take Out Kitchen The Veil Brewing Co.'s new taproom Luxe New American Bar & Grill Wok This Way Eggs Up Grill Mayu Sushi & Thai Maxs on Broad RICH Nail Lounge Sycamore Jewelers, Midlothian Mi Casita Restaurant Ironclad Coffee Grit Coffee Rockler Woodworking and Hardware Boiling Crab Richmond Blue Cow Ice Cream Co. Suzy Sno Diablo Doughnuts RVA The Brass Tap Graybo's Sports Cards Blue Ridge Cyclery BigWife's Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams CarLotz Acacia Midtown Zoom Room Richmond Torchy's Tacos Planet Fitness Raising Canes Chicken Fingers Three Notch'd Brewing Retail or Resell Marshalls Raising Cane's My Favorite Muffin Mattress King Anthony's on the Hill The Mill on MacArthur QUESTION: I own a small business with about $7 million in revenue. I am hiring a very senior person and want to give her an equity stake in the business as a part of her compensation package. However, if I award stock to her, Ill be giving away a portion of the existing business and she had nothing to do with creating that value. Is there a way for me to reward her only for future value that she will have a hand in creating? ANSWER: Yes, you can accomplish this. The first thing you will need to do is establish a mechanism for valuing your existing business. If you are comfortable doing this yourself, great. If not, you will want to reach out for some professional help. We prefer valuation methods that consider the profitability of your business, but for simplicity sake, lets say that you decide to value your business at one times revenue. Obviously, that would make your business worth $7 million. If, for example, you were to give your new employee 10% of the outstanding stock of your company, you would be giving her $700,000 for coming on board thats quite a signing bonus, not to mention the tax effect. One way to avoid this is to allow her to purchase the stock. In this case, she would pay $700,000 for 10% of the outstanding stock, which is its fair value. You wouldnt be giving away anything and she would have the equity stake you want her to own, having paid what it is currently worth. Unfortunately, many talented employees dont have $700,000 to invest in their new employers stock. Even if they do have the funds, they may not be willing to make such an investment. To address this issue, we have successfully structured deals where the company issued an interest free loan to the employee to enable him/her to purchase the stock. No cash need change hands. In our example, the employee would sign a $700,000 note from your company and the company would issue stock to the employee equal to 10% of the outstanding shares. The terms of the interest free loan would require that it be repaid when the stock is sold. If you did this, it would enable your new employee to purchase the stock without putting any of her own money into the deal. When the stock is sold, the loan is repaid with proceeds from the sale. The employee is rewarded only for growth that has happened since she joined the company. Returning to our example, lets say that after five years, the company has grown to $20 million in revenue. Using our formula, it would now be worth $20 million. Therefore, the 10 percent stake would be worth $2 million. If the employee with the 10% stake were to sell her shares back to the company, she would receive $2 million for the sale. She would repay the $700,000 loan and net $1.3 million. Your employee would be compensated for the $13 million of growth that the company experienced after she joined, but would receive no value for what the business had attained prior to her arrival. Obviously, you could accomplish this in other ways. For example, you could use options. However, interest-free loans are a simple way of enabling your employees to purchase stock without rewarding them for value they did not help create and without requiring them to put their own money into the deal. We do encourage you to confer with your tax accountant prior to executing a deal like this. Richmond-area business expansions, openings and closings Urban Myth Street Food Revel Market & Bar Stanley's Popshelf P.T. Hastings Seafood Killa Dillas Genovas Pizza Station & Take Out Kitchen The Veil Brewing Co.'s new taproom Luxe New American Bar & Grill Wok This Way Eggs Up Grill Mayu Sushi & Thai Maxs on Broad RICH Nail Lounge Sycamore Jewelers, Midlothian Mi Casita Restaurant Ironclad Coffee Grit Coffee Rockler Woodworking and Hardware Boiling Crab Richmond Blue Cow Ice Cream Co. Suzy Sno Diablo Doughnuts RVA The Brass Tap Graybo's Sports Cards Blue Ridge Cyclery BigWife's Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams CarLotz Acacia Midtown Zoom Room Richmond Torchy's Tacos Planet Fitness Raising Canes Chicken Fingers Three Notch'd Brewing Retail or Resell Marshalls Raising Cane's My Favorite Muffin Mattress King Anthony's on the Hill The Mill on MacArthur House Appropriations Chairman Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, and Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, wrote the 2020 law that allowed legal casino gaming in Virginia, but they do not agree on whether Richmond voters should have a second chance to decide on a $600 million casino resort proposed in South Side. Knight, who dodged a major primary fight against a fellow Republican delegate who was paired in his district, says he made a mistake by not defining clearly in the law whether the five cities that the state would allow to host a casino could hold a second voter referendum if voters rejected a gaming proposal the first time. The law looks like its a little bit ambiguous, he said. Lucas, who is locked in an increasingly bitter primary battle with fellow Democrat Sen. Lionell Spruill Sr., D-Chesapeake, is adamant that Richmond should keep its right to hold a second vote on a proposed casino that voters narrowly rejected in 2021. She is equally determined to prevent Petersburg and its allies from blocking a second referendum in Richmond to vote on a $1.4 billion casino resort proposed in Petersburg. Im working as hard as I can to make sure that spot remains open for Richmond, not for Petersburg, she said. The Richmond Crusade for Voters, founded almost 70 years ago during the civil rights struggle for voting rights and racial desegregation, is alarmed that Knight and a small group of General Assembly negotiators may block city voters from having another say on the proposed ONE Casino + Resort, potentially allowing Petersburg to take the citys place as one of the cities allowed to have a casino under state law with voter approval. As vice president of the Richmond Crusade for Voters, we dont want the right to vote on this to be taken away, former Richmond City Councilman Marty Jewell said Thursday. The Crusade has organized an Our City, Our Right to Vote campaign to prevent the assembly from doing what it did a year ago, when it prevented Richmond from holding a second referendum before this year. The delay allowed a state legislative watchdog agency to conduct a study that concluded both Petersburg and Richmond could support casinos, either alone or in competition. The organization does not take a position on whether to approve the Richmond casino proposal, but The Cordish Companies has made clear that it will not build its proposed casino resort in Petersburg if it has to share the market with a rival facility 25 miles away. The Crusade denounced the decision in the budget last year as an intrusion on voting rights that even the Byrd Machine did not attempt during the civil rights struggle. This is the first and only time such a budget measure has ever been passed to deny residents of a city their right to vote, especially a majority-Black city, the Crusade said. In response, Knight said, If you look at the other side, they had their chance. They had a referendum. It failed. Theyre done. He said the issue is absolutely on the table in budget negotiations, which have stalled because of division between House Republicans and Senate Democrats over $1 billion in tax cuts that Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, is demanding. Knight said the Petersburg casino proposal is absolutely still alive, but he added, I dont think thats an extremely viable option at the moment. For Richmond, no action is tacit approval for a referendum on the issue in November, although Mayor Levar Stoney has not yet petitioned the circuit court to put the issue on the ballot. Stoney said in a statement: Ive been clear from the start that I support a casino in Richmond. The more than 1,500 well-paying jobs and estimated $30 million in additional annual revenue generated from this project would enable us to lift up many families in our community, especially in South Richmond. It will also allow us to expand funding options for critical community needs, such as public schools and community infrastructure. For Petersburg, the best option may be that the assembly blocks a second Richmond vote in the budget while deferring to the next assembly, which will convene in January after elections for all 140 seats in November in newly drawn political districts. I have a feeling that its almost 50:50 that nothing happens, said Bob Holsworth, a veteran political scientist in Richmond. They take away Richmonds vote, but they dont allow Petersburg. Thats the hope of Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, and Del. Kim Taylor, R-Dinwiddie, who both want the assembly to block a second Richmond vote with an eye toward winning approval for Petersburg in the next assembly if theyre re-elected. Morrissey, who used his former status as a swing vote in the closely divided Senate to block a second Richmond vote, faces a Democratic primary challenge from former Del. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg. Taylor, who defeated Aird in 2021, is a first-term delegate whose seat is considered key to Republican hopes of retaining their majority in the House. She will face a general election challenge by either Kimberly Pope Adams or Victor McKenzie, who are running for the Democratic nomination in a primary on June 20. All of these folks face competitive races, either in the primary or the general election, Holsworth said. Morrissey lost some of his clout after Democrats won a Senate seat in Virginia Beach in January that widened their edge to 22-18. He has not forgiven Lucas for helping to kill Taylors casino legislation for Petersburg in a 10-6 vote by the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee in February. He accuses her of siding with rich, white casino developers in Portsmouth and Norfolk instead of helping and protecting African Americans in majority-Black Petersburg. The bottom line for her is (a Richmond casino) is less of a threat than one in Petersburg, he said. Youngkin is targeting Taylors race as crucial to Republicans holding their narrow majority in the House, but he has not taken a position on the casino or said whether he would seek to amend any budget agreement to, at least, prevent a second vote in Richmond. It poses a challenge to the kind of moralism that underpins Youngkins conservatism, Holsworth said. Im not sure he wants to be the person who is identified as bringing a casino to Petersburg. That hasnt been part of his Petersburg revival message. Taylor said, Were still hoping Richmond will be blocked. They had their chance. Petersburg simply should have the right to vote on this. 10 of the most spectacular casinos around the world 10 of the most spectacular casinos around the world Marina Bay Sands Sun City Ocean Casino Resort Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas Casino di Campione D'Italia Mirage Okada Manila Casino de Monte-Carlo Grand Lisboa Casino Buenos Aires After Gov. Glenn Youngkins initial push for school choice failed, he turned to lab schools, which are K-12 schools partnered with higher education institutions but the initiative could be hitting a bump in the road. Virginia state code prevents giving lab school grant funding to private institutes of higher learning, or two-year colleges, according to several Democratic lawmakers who wrote that part of the law. But the Youngkin administration disagrees. The Virginia Department of Education awarded planning grants to several private Virginia colleges, which are not eligible under state code, according to the plain letter of the law. Those include the University of Lynchburg, Emory & Henry College, Roanoke College and Virginia Union University. Lab schools are similar to charter schools in that they do not charge tuition, are nonreligious and are open to the public. They set their own curricula and budgets, and are associated with their corresponding institution of higher education. The Virginia Education Association sent a letter to the Virginia State Auditor this month alleging that the administration violated budget code by misappropriating lab school funding. We respectfully request that you investigate what we believe is an unauthorized and illegal handling and expenditure of state funds, and take immediate action as required by (state code), reads the letter signed by VEA President James Fedderman. Auditor of Public Accounts Staci Henshaw, who heads the agency, replied by saying she would review the information and respond after discussing it with the higher education team at the agency. Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera said in a statement to the Richmond Times-Dispatch this week: The Board of Education was aware of the disagreement between the two houses at their board meeting when they adopted guidelines for the grant process on August 17th, 2022, as it was extensively discussed. Planning grants have been awarded to institutions who demonstrate strong partnerships with school divisions, private partners, and nonprofit organizations. The expansion of eligibility to all higher education institutions was made to ensure that every Virginia student had access to innovative and high-quality education that prepares them for success in life. The Virginia Board of Education at its September meeting voted to approve guidelines that say certain private and two-year colleges are eligible for planning grant funding. Guidera in August recommended that board members vote in favor of the guidelines and said every expert recommends moving forward. But a letter written by staff attorneys at the Division of Legislative Services, at the request of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, said the budget only allows the funding to go to a public higher education center, institute, or authority. Guidera cited a letter that House Appropriations Chairman Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, wrote to Youngkin in August, meant to clarify legislative intent regarding the eligible institutions for the College Partnership Laboratory School Fund. At a Sept. 14 Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee meeting, several Democratic legislators took issue with offering grant funding to private institutions, citing the section of the budget code that they said prevents that. Then-Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, now a member of Congress, said at the meeting: We dont have legislative intent in Virginia. We have a clear body of law for statutory construction that says you follow the unambiguous letter of the law ... It doesnt matter what the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, or with all due respect, the chair of the Finance Committee intended. What matters is the language that was put in the budget. In his letter to the state auditor this month, Fedderman said, Given the clear budget language, lack of bipartisan intent, and the requirement for budget funding to be appropriated according to statutory requirements, we ask you to take immediate action to stop the misappropriation of these funds to two-year and private institutions. According to state law, if the Auditor of Public Accounts discovers any illegal expenditure of state funds, she reports the facts to the governor, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission and the Comptroller. At an October 2021 rally in Prince William County shortly before the gubernatorial election, Youngkin pledged to launch the most aggressive school choice program in the history of Virginia. Before his inauguration, Youngkin announced a plan to launch up to 20 charter schools in his first year in office. The plan did not come to fruition last year when the Senate rejected administration-backed legislation to clear a path for more charter schools in the commonwealth. During this years legislative session, an administration-backed school choice bill would have allocated a portion of per-pupil state funding to a savings account for parents to spend on private school tuition or other specified education expenses. It ultimately died when it failed to cross to the Senate. Lab schools have been the only significant school choice initiative to move forward during Youngkins governance. The governor won a partial victory for his signature lab school proposal last year when Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears broke a tie vote in the Senate to rescue his amendment to triple the number of higher education institutions that can partner with local school divisions. But the Senate then voted to block his proposal to use state per-pupil funds to pay for them. Last month, Youngkins office announced it awarded 13 planning grants to Virginia colleges to help launch their lab schools, including Richmonds Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Union, which each received the full allotment of $200,000. Others included those that some lawmakers claim should not be eligible under state code: Emory & Henry College for a school to prepare health care workers; and the University of Lynchburg for an elementary school focusing on reading. More grant funding is available, and the state education department is still reviewing more applications. The Times-Dispatch's 'Photo of the Day' Jan. 1, 2023 Jan. 2, 2023 Jan. 3, 2023 Jan. 4, 2023 Jan. 5, 2023 Jan. 6, 2023 Jan. 7, 2023 Jan. 8, 2023 Jan. 10, 2023 Jan. 11, 2023 Jan. 12, 2023 Jan. 13, 2023 Jan. 14, 2023 Jan. 15, 2023 Jan. 16, 2023 Jan. 17, 2023 Jan. 18, 2023 Jan. 19, 2023 Jan. 20, 2023 Jan. 21, 2023 Jan. 22, 2023 Jan. 23, 2023 Jan. 24, 2023 Jan. 25, 2023 Jan. 26, 2023 Jan. 27, 2023 Jan. 28, 2023 Jan. 29, 2023 Jan. 30, 2023 Jan. 31, 2023 Feb. 1, 2023 Feb. 2, 2023 Feb. 3, 2023 Feb. 4, 2023 Feb. 5, 2023 Feb. 6, 2023 Feb. 7, 2023 Feb. 8, 2023 Feb. 9, 2023 Feb. 10, 2023 Feb 11, 2023 Feb. 12, 2023 Feb. 13, 2023 Feb. 14, 2023 Feb. 15, 2023 Feb. 16, 2023 Feb. 17, 2023 Feb. 18, 2023 Feb. 19, 2023 Feb. 20, 2023 Feb. 21, 2023 Feb. 22, 2023 Feb. 23, 2023 Feb. 24, 2023 Feb. 25, 2023 Feb. 26, 2023 Feb. 27, 2023 Feb. 28, 2023 March 1, 2023 March 2, 2023 March 3, 2023 March 4, 2023 March 5, 2023 March 6, 2023 March 7, 2023 March 8, 2023 March 9, 2023 March 10, 2023 March 11, 2023 March 12, 2023 March 13, 2023 March 14, 2023 March 15, 2023 March 16, 2023 March 17, 2023 March 18, 2023 March 19, 2023 March 20, 2023 March 21, 2023 March 22, 2023 March 23, 2023 March 24, 2023 March 25, 2023 March 26, 2023 March 27, 2023 March 28, 2023 March 29, 2023 March 30, 2023 March 31, 2023 April 1, 2023 April 2, 2023 April 3, 2023 April 4, 2023 April 5, 2023 April 6, 2023 April 7, 2023 April 8, 2023 April 9, 2023 April 10, 2023 April 11, 2023 April 13, 2023 April 14, 2023 April 15, 2023 April 16, 2023 April 17, 2023 April 18, 2023 April 19, 2023 April 20, 2023 April 21, 2023 April 22, 2023 April 23, 2023 April 24, 2023 April 25, 2023 April 26, 2023 April 27, 2023 April 28, 2023 April 29, 2023 May 1, 2023 Though Richmond is not within the boundaries of Senate District 13, based in Henrico and Prince George counties and Petersburg, Mayor Levar Stoney weighed in Friday, endorsing former Del. Lashrecse Aird. She is going to be someone that you can be proud of in the Virginia Senate, Stoney said at Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church. Aird served three terms in the House before losing her seat in 2021 to Republican Kim Taylor. Stoney and Aird both noted her stance on abortion as a key issue in the race between Aird and Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond. Aird supports abortion remaining legal in Virginia, while Morrissey notes that he personally opposes it due to his Catholic faith. However, he believes the matter should be between a person and their doctor. He has also expressed support for prohibitions when a fetus can feel pain a range of between 15 and 20 weeks of gestation that has been continuously debated nationally. I am a practicing Catholic who is personally opposed to abortion, he previously stated. However, I believe it is a private decision between a woman and her physician and that legislators should not be telling women what to do with their bodies. Morrissey is the incumbent in the race, though General Assembly candidates are running in redrawn seats this year after redistricting, a process that occurs every decade following the collection of U.S. Census Bureau data. Aird and Morrissey will face off in a June 20 Democratic primary to represent the district that encompasses portions of Henrico and Dinwiddie counties along with Petersburg, Hopewell and all of Prince George, Sussex, Charles City and Surry counties. The winner of the primary will face Republican Eric Ditri in Novembers general election. The district leans Democratic. Aird, who is endorsed by abortion rights groups like Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia and Repro Rising, has made protecting abortion access a key component of her campaign at a time where holding a Democratic majority in the Senate will be key to preventing restrictions or bans. There is no way when you only have 40 seats in the Virginia Senate and you have a razor-thin majority that you have someone who claims to be a Democrat prescribing to the values of Democrats, but yet will not take a stand on the most consequential issue of our time right now, Aird said. Democrats hold a 22-18 edge in the chamber while Republicans control the House of Delegates. Though abortion is not totally partisan, the issue has fallen heavily along partisan lines nationwide and in Virginia. Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade a 49-year-old U.S. Supreme Court ruling that had federally protected access Morrissey had been viewed as a potential swing vote on the matter. Abortion is legal in Virginia through the second trimester, which is around 26 weeks of gestation. Abortions during the third trimester are allowed when three physicians confirm theres risk to the health of the pregnant person. Several Republicans this year put forth bills to either classify life at the moment of conception or to prohibit most of the procedures after certain junctures. Gov. Glenn Youngkin backed a measure to bar most abortions after 15 weeks with exceptions for rape, incest and when the pregnant persons life is in jeopardy. Meanwhile, Democratic control of the Senate was a key barrier for Republicans seeking to pass legislation restricting or banning abortion this year. In endorsing Aird, Stoney accused Morrissey of cowardice. When you run away from hard decisions, from tough votes, thats not a fighter, he said, in reference to Morrisseys nickname of Fightin Joe. Thats a coward, Stoney added. This session, the Senate reviewed a proposed constitutional amendment to protect abortion access in the state; Morrissey did not vote. Who is Levar Stoney? Morrissey said in a call with the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Thats my response to that. From the Archives: Photos of the Richmond region in the 1980s IN THE NEWS Virginia DMV unveils new drivers license, ID card design The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has released a new design for state drivers licenses and government IDs. The graphics on current IDs include an outside depiction of the states Capitol building. Now, the cards will feature an inside look, specifically of the buildings rotunda dome. Depicted are Virginia native features such as the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly Virginias official insect and the American Dogwood.The drivers license banner will remain blue, like the old cards, and the ID card banner is green. Those applying for a new license, ID card, REAL ID, renewal or replacement will receive the updated design. TRAPS: The U.S. government is launching a program to combat the scourge of derelict crab and lobster traps. When abandoned, the gear can dilute harvests and kill other fish in waters from Maine to Alaska. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has chosen William & Marys Virginia Institute of Marine Science to anchor the program. Abandoned fishing equipment is a worldwide problem thats been referred to as ghost nets or land mines of the sea. The lost equipment is often dislodged by storms or passing boats, but it still will attract and kill marine life. TURTLES: A Virginia man is pleading guilty to illegally trafficking wild turtles. Stanlee Fazi, 41, of Louisa, admitted Monday in federal court in Alexandria that he made nearly $13,000 over three years catching and selling turtles to customers across the U.S. Prosecutors say many were brokers who went on to sell the turtles to customers in Asia, where the animals are in demand as pets. Fazi sold primarily eastern box turtles, which can live for up to 100 years. In particular demand were screamer turtles, which have unusually colorful markings on their shells. Authorities say turtle poaching has increased in recent years as demand has increased. THEY SAID ... As a former business leader, I appreciate the commitment to excellence that Taiwan demonstrates across sectors. Gov. Glenn Youngkin on his trade mission to Taiwan, where he met President Tsai Ing-wen and signed an executive order creating Virginias first office for economic development in Taipei. Overall, the dashboard has been viewed more than 7.7 million times and has been an invaluable resource to help health care providers, state and federal government partners, the public, and the news media gain a clearer picture of the impact of the pandemic on hospitals and the health care delivery system. The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, in a statement, about the end of publishing daily counts of coronavirus-related hospitalizations. With cases declining, the updates ended on Thursday. ODDS AND ENDS GAMBLING: The Virginia Lottery Board announced Wednesday that it had approved Caesars Virginia application to open a casino located in Danville. The decision paves the way for the temporary facility called Danville Casino to open in May while the full complex is built. COVERAGE: Regional and state health organizations are encouraging those on Medicaid to update contact information to ensure they are still eligible for coverage as the state reviews the programs rolls for the first time in three years. The annual review was paused during the pandemic. State departments and health organizations are holding meetings to coordinate with each other to reduce any potential disruption and ensure those who are no longer eligible either already have coverage or can obtain some kind of care, according to state and health group representatives. BY THE NUMBERS 18 Number of school days a student has to miss in a year to be considered chronically absent, according to the state. The Virginia Board of Education rejected a plan to not measure absentee rates as a factor in a schools performance. That benchmark had been suspended during the pandemic. 157 Virginia Employment Commission employees laid off because of an anticipated drop in federal funding following the pandemic. IN THE NEWS Prosecutor wants 1 trial for 10 charged in patients death Dinwiddie Commonwealths Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill has asked a judge to approve a request to put seven sheriffs deputies and three hospital workers on trial together in the case of Irvo Otieno, who died after he was pinned to the floor as he was being admitted to a psychiatric hospital. All 10 defendants are charged with second-degree murder in the March 6 death. An autopsy determined that Otieno died of asphyxia while he was in handcuffs and metal leg restraints and held down on the floor for about 11 minutes. Baskervill argued in a written motion that the 10 defendants acted together and should be tried together. TERRORISM: A northern Virginia man who traveled to Pakistan with four friends nearly 15 years ago seeking to engage in holy war has pleaded guilty to a terrorism charge. But the defendant, Ramy Zamzam, is likely to receive only a one-day jail sentence. The guilty plea Wednesday from Zamzam comes after he and his friends spent nearly 13 years in a Pakistani prison after their arrest there in 2009. Rather than seek additional jail time, U.S. prosecutors are recommending a 1-day jail term, coupled with 20 years of supervised release. Zamzam and one other co-defendant who is also likely to get a one-day jail term will be formally sentenced in August. A third who has suffered mental health issues is likely to have his case dismissed, and the remaining two are still in Pakistan. WALMART: A judge has allowed 30 more days for lawyers to gather additional evidence for a lawsuit filed against Walmart over a shooting at the Chesapeake store that killed six. Lawyers for the retailer and former employee Briana Tyler gathered in Chesapeake Circuit Court to argue whether Tylers injuries should be covered by workers compensation or through civil damages. Tyler says she narrowly missed being shot as the gunman, Andre Bing, chased after her. Wednesdays hearing also focused on a demurrer, or a written response to a complaint which pleads for a lawsuits dismissal. Demurrers argue that even if the facts alleged in the complaint were true, there is no legal basis for a lawsuit. Circuit Judge Stephen Telfeyan sustained the demurrer, but Tylers lawyers have 30 days to refile with more evidence. UN, partners deliver possible relief as Sudan truce extension welcomed Xinhua) 10:52, April 29, 2023 UNITED NATIONS, April 28 (Xinhua) -- With humanitarian aid deliveries wherever possible in Sudan during a spotty truce, authorities across the globe welcomed the ceasefire extension, a UN spokesman said on Friday. In a joint statement, members of the Trilateral Mechanism -- the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the United Nations -- and the Quad countries welcomed the announcement by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to extend the ceasefire for an additional 72 hours, and called for its full implementation, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Dujarric said members of the Trilateral Mechanism and the Quad countries, which are Britain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, also welcomed the two sides' expressed readiness to engage in dialogue toward establishing a more durable cessation of hostilities and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access. On the humanitarian front, the United Nations and its partners continue to deliver whenever and wherever feasible, particularly in the areas of health and nutrition, he said. The World Health Organization said it has stocks of essential medicines, blood bags, supplies for surgery and trauma care waiting to be delivered as soon as access is safe. An additional shipment of medical supplies is scheduled to arrive in Port Sudan on the Red Sea. "Partners continue to support the operations of 65 health facilities in five states throughout Sudan, providing staffing support, medical consumables, supplies and pharmaceuticals," said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The UN Population Fund said that local organizations and networks are providing support to people facing gender-based violence. The response is now focused mainly on remote service provision, and some counselors are offering voluntary support to undertake remote psychosocial services. OCHA said its partners kept health and nutrition programs running in Blue Nile state. Refugee camps in Gedaref, Kassala, White Nile and Blue Nile, and refugee settlements in South and West Kordofan, are receiving essential services, including health and water. "In Gedaref, our partners are providing life-saving services to refugees and host communities," the humanitarian office said. However, the situation is particularly alarming in El-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state. The office said there are continuing reports of the killing of civilians, including medical personnel. The UN Refugee Agency warned that the conflict is devastatingly impacting the civilian population, including refugees and internally displaced people across the country. The agency said it works with partners and governments to deploy supplies wherever safe. OCHA said its partners report some 3,000 people crossed the Sudanese border into the Central African Republic (CAR) and are living in spontaneous settlements. Local authorities are exploring possibly relocating them to Birao, far from the border region. More refugees are expected, further disrupting traffic along the border. The office said Sudan is a significant supplier of essential commodities to the CAR. That commerce will be tested with the rainy season just beginning and running through October. "Some 120,000 people were already in need of humanitarian assistance in the northern part of the CAR," and the most pressing needs include emergency shelter, food and clean water, said OCHA. Dujarric, the UN spokesman, expressed gratitude to the French government for taking more than 400 UN personnel and their dependents out of Sudan, and appreciation for other countries assisting in ensuring the safe transport of UN personnel. Dujarric said the United Nations remains present in Sudan, with a hub with the leadership of the UN mission operating out of Port Sudan to remain with the people of Sudan. (Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun) Lies beget lies. Thats one way to summarize nearly the past decade of presidential politics, as well as the potentially dismal presidential race underway. I leave to others commentary on the big media stories of the past week the ouster of the talented and high-ratings-earning Tucker Carlson from Fox News, the ouster of the less talented and lower-ratings-earning Don Lemon by CNN and the ouster by ABC News of the gifted and enlightening elections analyst Nate Silver from the FiveThirtyEight website he created. These are events of varying consequence, but none may be more consequential than the revelations, obscured by these dismissals, that former CIA Director Michael Morell, at the behest of then-Biden campaign official and now-Secretary of State Antony Blinken, prepared and authored the letter signed by 51 intelligence professionals debunking the New York Posts story on Hunter Bidens laptop as having all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation. The original New York Post story appeared on Oct. 14, 2020, just 20 days before the November general election. It reported on the contents of a laptop that candidate Joe Bidens son Hunter had left at a Delaware repair shop and never retrieved. The laptop materials included 2014 emails to and from the Ukrainian firm Burisma, which had been paying Hunter Biden $50,000 a month, including a thank you for arranging an introduction to then-Vice President Joe Biden. It also included a video of Hunter Biden apparently smoking crack and having sex. Not a helpful development for Joe Bidens presidential campaign, to say the least. In private testimony to the House Judiciary Committee, Morell said that Blinken reached out to him, and in response, Morell wrote the letter and obtained the signatures of 50 other former intelligence and defense officials. The letter achieved its intended purpose. It was all dezinformatsiya! Without a shred of evidence, most American media and Facebook and Twitter happily blocked the New York Post story. Joe Biden, in the final presidential debate, was able to dismiss the story as Russian propaganda because of a propaganda effort that had started within his own campaign. The lie promoted by Blinken and Morell served its purpose: Biden was elected president. Sixteen months later, in March 2022, The New York Times offhandedly mentioned, in the 24th paragraph of a 38-paragraph story, that the laptop had been authenticated. Dont expect any apologies from the 51 intelligence officials and the media who helped suppress this information, keeping it from American voters, nor from media outlets that warn that democracy dies in darkness. In private, these folks might admit that they concealed the truth to save the country from Hitler or at least from a uniquely terrible president. Im sure youd hear similar excuses for the perpetrators and peddlers of the Russia collusion hoax. That was a conspiracy theory, as I wrote in January, concocted by the Hillary Clinton campaign ... aided and abetted by leaders of the FBI and intelligence agencies, advanced by lies and misrepresentations by congressional Democrats, and reported with relish and credulity by much of the media. Those who dismiss inconvenient truths as conspiracy theories have been perpetrating one of the two biggest conspiracy theories of the last decade. All of which brings to mind an old adage: Nothing is free in politics, there is just some question about when you pay the price. Those who suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story got what they wanted in the short term. But in the long term, they have destroyed for millions of Americans the credibility of the intelligence and foreign policy institutions they were privileged to serve. But, as I said at the beginning, lies beget lies. Many Trump opponents will point out that Donald Trump has often lied, and never more outrageously and harmfully than in his pathetic denials that he actually won the 2020 election. Especially pathetic has been his claim on Jan. 6, 2021, that he won in a landslide. In fact, Trump lost the popular vote by an even wider margin, in percentage and in numbers, than he had in 2016. That year, he won an Electoral College majority by 77,736 popular votes in three states. In 2020, he lost it by 42,918 popular votes in three states. He filled an inside straight the first time and missed it the second time. You hear similar prevarication from Trump these days in his attacks on Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Florida), likely his strongest opponent for the Republican nomination next year. The former president thrashes around, opposing stances he took and statements he made as president, as Dan McLaughlin argues persuasively in the National Review. My advice to Republican primary voters who are justifiably tired of the media and national security professionals lying and suppressing the truth: Dont renominate a candidate who does the same thing. From the Archives: Richmond Police Mounted Unit Michael Paul Williams 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 Welcome to Fort Gregg-Adams, said the soldier at the checkpoint, the new name flowing off his tongue like lyrics to a familiar song. Did I imagine a bounce in his step? In the crowded restroom of the post club renamed for Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams, a man said to no one in particular: I dont know if yall realize it yet, but today is a great day. The renaming of the base formerly known as Fort Lee was seamless, down to the new interstate highway signs. That this military installation now bears the name of two trailblazing Black soldiers and not a foe of the U.S. military represents a victory for both social justice and reason. Naming U.S. military installations for Confederate leaders whose efforts cost more than 360,000 Union soldiers their lives never made sense. That the losers of that war were fighting to perpetuate the enslavement of Black people made those fort names morally repugnant. A story on the Department of Defense website penned by Jim Garamone sums up the rationale behind the former names: Some Army bases, established in the build-up and during World War I, were named for Confederate officers in an effort to court support from local populations in the South. That the men for whom the bases were named had taken up arms against the government they had sworn to defend was seen by some as a sign of reconciliation between the North and South. It was also the height of the Jim Crow Laws in the South, so there was no consideration for the feelings of African Americans who had to serve at bases named after men who fought to defend slavery. This affront typified how Black soldiers were fighting wars on two fronts at home and abroad. And yet, they served with distinction, and even made history. The murder or George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, and the social justice protests nationwide in the aftermath, made this affront untenable to sustain, especially as Confederate monuments came down. As of June 2022, one out of five Army soldiers was African American. Its poor form for a nation to insult the soldiers charged with defending it. The bipartisan effort to rename the military installations required Congress to override a veto of then-President Donald Trump, a native New Yorker and 21st-century doughface who seldom masked his neo-Confederate sympathies. Last month, the former Fort Pickett, named for a Confederate general, was renamed for Tech. Sgt. Van T. Barfoot, a Medal of Honor recipient of Native American heritage. Fort A.P. Hill in Bowling Green, also named for a Confederate general, is slated to be renamed for Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the first woman surgeon in the Civil War and the only woman awarded the Medal of Honor. Gregg, 94, is the only living person in modern Army history to have a fort named for him. He absorbed the honor with a measured humility. Though extremely proud and grateful for the honor, Im also aware that since Im a living person, that it imposes on me added responsibility to represent this post and the worthiness of my name along with Colonel Adams being here. Gregg acknowledged the contradictions inherent in the former name of a place he called my professional home. Yes, it was troubling, he recalled Thursday. General Lee had a tremendous record as a soldier, as a graduate of the military academy. But during a critical time in our history and in his life, he elected to go to the other side. And we are troubled by anyone deserting the United States Army and going to the other side in the fight against us. And so General Lee was judged on two levels: one, as a cadet at West Point, as a good soldier in the American Army. But he was also viewed negatively because of his fight against the United States of America. Adams interrupted her career as a teacher and pursuit of a masters degree to enlist in the newly created Womens Army Auxiliary Corps. She would become the first Black woman commissioned as an officer by the U.S. Army. At age 25, she was selected to command the first and only unit of predominantly Black women deployed to Europe during World War II: the 6888th Postal Directory in England. Tasked with delivering mail to and from nearly 7 million soldiers fighting in Europe, the Six Triple Eight handled nearly 200,000 letters per day. It took three units of men to replace her battalion after it disbanded. She married Dr. Stanley Early Jr. after the war and died in Dayton, Ohio, in 2002. Her children, Stanley Early III and Judith Early, attended Thursdays ceremony. Gregg, who enlisted at 17 in 1946, was deployed to support supply operations in occupied Germany. His first assignment as an officer was at Camp Lee, later Fort Lee. Upon his arrival in 1950, he could not eat, swim or socialize at the club that now bears his name. President Harry Truman had issued an executive order desegregating the military in 1948, but agents of Jim Crow at Fort Lee moved at their own pace. During his illustrious career, Gregg would go on to become the logistics director for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and deputy chief of staff for logistics for the Army. When he retired in 1981, he was the highest-ranking Black officer in the U.S. military. An Army award for logistics innovation and excellence bears his name. Its been 81 years since Charity Adams was commissioned as the first Black woman in the Womens Army Auxiliary Corps and 76 years since General Gregg enlisted as an army private. Weve come a long way since then; todays redesignation is yet another example of our nations Armys progress, said Maj. Gen. Mark Simerly, the commanding officer of the troops stationed at what is now Fort Gregg-Adams, on Thursday. Ive known Simerly for nearly four decades. I shared the same childhood neighborhood as the late Congressman Donald McEachin, whose insistence was instrumental in this honor for Gregg. That both were part of this process is personally gratifying. Gregg said he believed the forts name would be inspiring not just to African Americans, but all soldiers entering this base. The achievements of Gregg and Adams, in the face of adversity, should inspire us all. Close PHOTOS: World War I-era images from Fort Lee Cancun police tip gets suspect nabbed in sheltering migrants from Belize and India Cancun, Q.R. Cancun authorities have taken a suspect into custody on charges of sheltering migrants. On Friday, the Secretariat for Citizen Security (SSC) were part of the arresting team of 29-year-old Ricardo N. According to a report by Cancun Police, Ricardo N was detained for his probable participation in the crime of sheltering, Article 159 of the Federal Migration Law. The announcement of his arrest came the day after Cancun police located nearly two dozen migrants inside a Cancun house. On Thursday, 22 illegal migrants from Brazil and India were located inside a home in SM 250. They were found after police were tipped off. According to Cancun Police, a citizen of Villas del Mar Plus reported seeing several people being forced into one of the houses and that several taxi units arrived at the same house with more people and food. When police arrived, Ricardo N was observed leaving the home, but when he saw the presence of the police he threw the house keys towards the street and tried to run, they said however he was captured by the agents. Inside the house people could be heard knocking on the door and when they noticed the presence of the police they began to shout in languages other than Spanish. The police managed to rescue 22 people, 20 of whom were men and two women, from Brazil and India. CPTQ promoting Quintana Roo internationally in Korea and Dubai Riviera Maya, Q.,R. Javier Aranda, the General Director of the Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council (CPTQ), says that by the end of May, new promotional ads will be ready. He says that the CPTQ is working on promotional campaigns for the various destinations in the state, which will be marketed mostly in North America. Yes, we need promotion. We always need promotion. We need to continue promoting. What happens is that the dynamics have to be much more intense so we do that. I am returning recently from Mexico City where we already have campaigns that will be presented very soon () more tailored suits for each of the different brands than just as a Mexican Caribbean concept, plus all the public relations work, he explained. Aranda says the Council will focus on national tourism, who most frequent the state during the summer months, but will also promote to the rest of North America. These types of campaigns are for all markets including the national market which already represents a little more than 30 percent of all tourists who arrive in the Mexican Caribbean, he said. The international market is the other part. Both are important coupled with the strengthening of destinations in the south of the state in places such as Mahahual, Bacalar and Chetumal, he added. We have already been promoting in the city of Merida. I am flying this weekend to Korea, to Seoul, to participate there in promoting the destinations of Quintana Roo. Our Promotion Director, Jorge Luis Tellez is leaving for the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, so the promotion continues. It doesnt stop, were working on it all the time, he explained. He also noted that the Consejo de Promocion Turistica de Quintana Roo (CPTQ) is working with the federal government in search of modifying or facilitating the issue of visas to travelers in countries such as Brazil, in hopes of recovering the market that would also add to the Mexican Caribbean. Pemex agrees to start a reparation agreement with former director Lozoya Mexico City, Mexico Mexicos Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) has agreed to initiate a reparation agreement with Emilio Lozoya for the Odebrecht and Agronitrogenados cases. The Attorney General of the Republic (FGR), along with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and Pemex, agreed to start drafting a reparation agreement with Emilio Lozoya Austin, the former Director of Pemex, which would imply eventually withdrawing the charges of money laundering, bribery and criminal association in the Odebrecht and Agronitrogenados cases. At the hearing, Lozoyas lawyer, Miguel Ontiveros Alonso, stated that despite the negotiation of the reparation agreement, his client does not admit to being guilty of any crime with which he is accused. During the intermediate hearing at the Federal Criminal Justice Center of the North Prison, Judge Gerardo Genaro Alarcon Lopez, was informed that they are in the process of materializing a reparation agreement with Pemex to which the agents of the Public Ministry of the Federation did not oppose. Judge Alarcon Lopez rescheduled the intermediate hearing for July 18 at 12:30 p.m. so that the parties can present a materialized agreement. During the hearing, the amount of the reparation agreement was not established, although Lozoyas defense has publicly offered $10,736,351 for both the Odebrecht and Agronitrogenados cases. By order of the judge, Lozoya will continue to remain in the North Prison of Mexico City. Residential report of gunfire leads Cancun police to armed male Cancun, Q. R. A young male has been arrested from a residential suburb of Cancun after police received reports of gunfire. Several residents in SM 237 made the reports to emergency 911 who responded by sending police. Patrolling officers in search of the man located him walking down a residential street. Stuffed in the back wasit of his pants was a handgun. Police reported that 24-year-old Carlos N was arrested when he was found carrying the illegal weapon. During his arrest, officers located a .380 caliber firearm with one magazine and five cartridges. They did not say why he was firing the weapon. State officials wont commit money this year to reset Williamson Road in Roanoke from four travel lanes to two travel lanes, with a center turn lane and bike lanes, because the project is too costly. The situation warrants further meetings on how best to manage Williamsons vehicle, bicycle and foot traffic, officials said. Project opponents cheered. We want them to put a stop on the project and start over on a better project, said Bill Tanger, co-chairman of a recently formed body called the Williamson Road Community Forum. But this is not necessarily another fight brewing at city hall. City officials have both applied for state for money for specific, high-cost Williamson Road improvements and asked the U.S. Department of Transportation for technical assistance to solve problems caused by Williamson Roads design. The city announced April 17 that federal experts have agreed to assist. Through this program, the city will strive to build authentic consensus around a vision for the future of Williamson Road that is widely accepted by stakeholders, a news release said. A new round of talks is a good idea, according to Tanger. He lives in the Williamson Road corridor and is a former board member with the Greater Williamson Road Area Business Association. Tanger and Clay McClintock, another area resident who also directs Noble [Avenue] Neighborhood Watch, invited residents and business representatives six to nine months ago to team up around common concerns. Theyve put 35 organizations on the forums email list that support an alternative reconfiguration of Williamson Road, Tanger said. Williamson Road supports two lanes of traffic northbound and two lanes southbound, bounded by incomplete sidewalks. A variety of businesses line the commercial byway, which is also designated U.S. 11. City leaders have expressed concern over what they say is a high number of traffic wrecks, some involving bikes and pedestrians. A consultant advised the city to shift vehicles from two lanes in each direction to one, freeing up space for a two-way center turn lane and bike lanes. Under that proposal, which the Roanoke City Council endorsed in August, crews would also install new crosswalks, rebuild sidewalks and remove several stoplights. It would cost $66.7 million and not break ground until the end of the decade, city officials said. State road officials previously indicated in January that they had not found money for the changes. But Roanoke officials cautioned that no final decision has been made. Since then, its become even more clear that state government will not fund the project in the current cycle, Ray Smoot, a member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, said Friday. Its not going to be funded in this round of Smart Scale. Smoot said. Smoot is a retired Virginia Tech Foundation executive and a decision-maker on the statewide body that doles out road construction funding. Smart Scale is a scorecard that helps the transportation board pick the most beneficial project proposals, a difficult task because requests exceed funding every year. Scorekeepers liked the citys Williamson Road proposal, saying it would significantly improve safety and transportation-efficient land development. But its high cost was a major negative. It would have consumed half of this funding cycles road construction budget for a large area of Southwest and Southside Virginia, Smoot said. The Salem district of the Virginia Department of Transportation spans from Botetourt County to Henry County and from Pulaski County to Bedford County. Tanger and McClintock criticized the citys proposal in a Roanoke Times advertisement Sunday, saying it would worsen safety and gum up traffic. The forum group contends it has a better plan. It would feature three lanes of traffic (two northbound and one southbound), a center turning lane and wide paths for people on foot or bike in the position of the sidewalks. Public officials plan to meet in Salem next month to hear the publics advice on state road construction. The Commonwealth Transportation Board scheduled its local meeting at 4 p.m. May 16 at the Salem Civic Center. The Virginia Department of Transportation has recommended seven road projects, a lighting project and five efforts to assist pedestrians in the Salem VDOT district. A document at https://smartscale.org/current_projects/2024_docs.asp describes the 13 favored proposals. Theres also details about 36 other project proposals not recommended for funding in the Salem district. Detailed instructions about the process and an online comment form appear at www.ctb.virginia.gov/planning/springmeetings2023/default.asp. FREDERICKSBURG Sarah Ritchie, a counselor at King George Elementary School, has been named Elementary School Counselor of the Year for 2023 by the Virginia School Counselor Association. The annual award recognizes both an elementary and secondary school counselor who has made a positive impact in their school community, according to a press release from VSCA. While her resume lists many typical counseling activities, Sarahs impact has been anything but typical, wrote Mary Fisher, supervisor of student and family services for King George County schools, in a letter recommending Ritchie for the award. It is difficult to put into words the impact Sarah has had on our school community, but her commitment to school counseling has helped create an undeniable shift in culture and climate in her school. Sarahs work ethic, advocacy for her students, and ability to build relationships have helped her develop a robust comprehensive school counseling program essentially from the ground up. In addition to her duties as school counselor, Ritchie develops themed classroom lessons that incorporate social-emotional learning into core content, and she was also honored as 2023 division-wide Teacher of the Year for her work in the classroom. Ritchie established an after-school Kindness Club at King George Elementary that focuses on self-esteem growth and community service, and has worked with other area schools to start their own version of the club. Sarah has created multiple projects, clubs, organizations, and activities to expand her lessons outside of the classroom and to continue to build relationships with students, families, and staff, Fisher wrote. This has had a ripple effect by providing public opportunities for our community members, businesses, and government officials to see the positive effects of school counseling for the greater good. Ritchie also serves on the Board of Directors of the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board and as communications and public relations chair for the VSCA. Sarah actively collaborates with families, community members, educators, and fellow school counselors, Fisher wrote. Her approachable demeanor has helped her build relationships within our community, across Virginia, and throughout the nation. Ritchie, who has a masters degree in school counseling and is pursuing a doctorate degree, will be honored at the VSCA state conference in October. You have permission to edit this collection. Edit Close After being launched on the most powerful rocket ever developed, the Orion spacecraft will venture farther than any vehicle designed for humans has ever flown, traveling 280,000 miles (450,000 kilometers) from Earth to a location beyond the far side of the moon. In the process, Orion will stay in space for 42 days, longer than any human spacecraft that hasn't docked to a space station. After coming within 60 miles (97 kilometers) of the moon's surface and traveling a total of 1.3 million miles (2.1 million kilometers), Artemis I's Orion spacecraft will have a targeted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean somewhere off the coast of San Diego. Advertisement One of the main objectives is to test Orion's heat shield when it reenters Earth's atmosphere. But this mission's goal is to demonstrate complete operational capabilities during all of its phases, including the SLS rocket launch. "I'm hopeful that this is the start of, you know, a new future for people in space," says Hardgrove, who has another reason to be excited about the mission. He's the principal investigator for the LunaH-Map CubeSat, a shoebox-sized miniature space probe that will ride into space on Artemis I and be released about 6 to 7.5 miles (10 to 12 kilometers) from the lunar surface. From that altitude, the tiny satellite will measure neutrons that are being leaked by the moon, in an effort to identify "how much water there is, and where it is on the south pole of the moon." (Researchers already have observed evidence of ice there.) Mapping those water deposits someday could provide NASA with the ingredients to make rocket fuel, enabling a future in which spacecraft could be lighter and cheaper because they wouldn't have to haul fuel from the Earth's surface, Hardgrove explains. The ability to refuel at a lunar base also could enable NASA to venture farther and deeper into space than ever before. In addition to LunaH-Map, Artemis will carry nine other tiny satellites into space. " " The Orion spacecraft will venture farther than any vehicle designed for humans has ever flown. NASA " " In this illustration, light from a smaller black hole (left) curves around a larger black hole and forms an almost-mirror image on the other side. The gravity of a black hole can warp the fabric of space itself, such that light passing close to the black hole will follow a curved path around it. Caltech-IPAC In our latest work, we used data from NASA's ATLAS telescope in Hawaii. It scans the entire sky every night (weather permitting), monitoring for asteroids approaching Earth from the outer darkness. These whole-sky scans also happen to provide a nightly record of the glow of hungry black holes deep in the background. Our team put together a five-year movie of each of those black holes, showing the day-to-day changes in brightness caused by the bubbling and boiling glowing maelstrom of the accretion disc. Advertisement The twinkling of these black holes can tell us something about accretion discs. In 1998, astrophysicists Steven Balbus and John Hawley proposed a theory of "magneto-rotational instabilities" that describes how magnetic fields can cause turbulence in the discs. If that is the right idea, then the discs should sizzle in regular patterns. They would twinkle in random patterns that unfold as the discs orbit. Larger discs orbit more slowly with a slow twinkle, while tighter and faster orbits in smaller discs twinkle more rapidly. But would the discs in the real world prove this simple, without any further complexities? (Whether "simple" is the right word for turbulence in an ultra-dense, out-of-control environment embedded in intense gravitational and magnetic fields where space itself is bent to breaking point is perhaps a separate question.) Using statistical methods we measured how much the light emitted from our 5,000 discs flickered over time. The pattern of flickering in each one looked somewhat different. But when we sorted them by size, brightness and color, we began to see intriguing patterns. We were able to determine the orbital speed of each disc and once you set your clock to run at the disc's speed, all the flickering patterns started to look the same. This universal behavior is indeed predicted by the theory of "magneto-rotational instabilities." That was comforting. It means these mind-boggling maelstroms are "simple" after all. And it opens new possibilities. We think the remaining subtle differences between accretion discs occur because we are looking at them from different orientations. The next step is to examine these subtle differences more closely and see whether they hold clues to discern a black hole's orientation. Eventually, our future measurements of black holes could be even more accurate. Christian Wolf is an associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Australian National University. He receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and is a member of the Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA). This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. You can find the original article here. FLORENCE, S.C. A crowd turned out Saturday to Walk to Health from Mt. Zion AME Church down Cheves Street and back to participate in a health fair at the church. At the health fair theyre going to have blood pressure screenings, information from vendors, going to have Alzheimers Association, Clemson is here, Circle Park is here, said Dr. Focell Jackson-Dozier, chair of the outreach ministry of the Pee Dee Medical Professional Association. The event also featured a speaker from the South Carolina Cancer Alliance and a panel discussion of local health care providers who talked about the benefits of nutrition and exercise. The annual event targets a population that is underserved when it comes to their health and wellness. They need to get into the health system. Were trying to educate persons in the community and show them the importance of exercise, nutrition and good overall health, Jackson-Dozier said. Thats the aim is to stimulate person to get active now and not wait until you get older and then youre trying to do something about it. By then its too late. That message, to get active, is one the association is really trying to get to the younger members of the community, she said. Clemson Extension agent Iris Duffie was on hand to talk about diabetes and the need to control it for continued good health. To make sure everybody get good information on how they can better manage their chronic disease state and particularly diabetes, Duffie said. We offer a Know Diabetes by Heart class, its what I call my one and done class, and it gives an overview of the connection between diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The extension from that is called Health Extension for Diabetes and thats an eight-week session that meets every other week and we talk about how to better manage your disease, McDuffie said. MUSC Health Florence was on hand with health information. Its a very underserved community and MUSCs mission is to be part of the community and find out the needs of the community. The only way we can do that is to out here and be a part, said Kim Geiger, director of marketing for the hospital. Jackson-Dozier said the church was the exact spot for this event as taking care of your health is biblical. The body the temple. If the body is right the temple is right and youll be healthy, she said. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Dalondo Moultrie is the assistant managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail him at dalondo.moultrie@seguingazette.com . South Korea is set to hand out almost $500 a month in free cash to coax young, predominantly disadvantaged people out of their reclusive states. More from Fortune: 5 side hustles where you may earn over $20,000 per yearall while working from home Looking to make extra cash? This CD has a 5.15% APY right now Buying a house? Here's how much to save This is how much money you need to earn annually to comfortably buy a $600,000 home The countrys Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has launched a new funding program to help youths suffering from hikikomori, a condition named after a Japanese term coined to describe extreme social withdrawal. Around 350,000 South Koreans between ages 19 and 39or 3% of that demographicare considered to be lonely or secluded, according to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. Under the governments plan, people between ages 9 and 24 who are experiencing hikikomori are set to be offered a monthly living allowance of 650,000 won ($490). The program is intended to help disadvantaged youth, who are thought to be disproportionately impacted by the condition. The allowance, which builds on government plans first outlined in November, is intended to encourage them to leave the house to attend school, college, or work and ultimately recover their daily lives and reintegrate into society. Young people will be able to use funding available through the scheme to pay for general living expenses, school supplies, cultural experiences, and even cosmetic procedures such as the correction of scars. In a document published by the government on Wednesday, self-confessed hermits described their living situations and how they had ended up suffering from hikikomori. One shared details on how domestic violence in their household had made them so depressed that they began to live in seclusion at the age of 15. Even if you muster up the courage to go outside, it was difficult to make eye contact with people, they explained. Story continues Another described how they had difficulties adjusting to college, and were eventually expelled for truancy, which exacerbated their reclusion. Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University in Seoul, told Bloomberg the policy was fundamentally a welfare measurebut suggested it was also an attempt to address South Koreas population crisis. While its good to try various approaches to boost working age population, it cannot be seen as a long-term solution to fix the population problem here, he said. South Korea is the only country in the world with a birth rate below one, with South Korean women giving birth to an average 0.78 children in their lifetimes. The countrys dwindling fertility rate, which has raised concerns about the socioeconomic impact of the rapidly aging population, has seen interventions such as the tripling of child welfare allowances and dating courses at local universities. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com More from Fortune: 5 side hustles where you may earn over $20,000 per yearall while working from home Looking to make extra cash? This CD has a 5.15% APY right now Buying a house? Here's how much to save This is how much money you need to earn annually to comfortably buy a $600,000 home More than a year after OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma reached a tentative settlement over the toll of opioids that was accepted nearly universally by the groups suing the company including thousands of people injured by the drug money is still not rolling out. Parties waiting to finalize the deal are waiting for a court to rule on the legality of a key detail: whether members of the Sackler family who own the company can be protected from lawsuits over OxyContin in exchange for handing over up to $6 billion in cash over time plus the company itself. This past week days before the one-year anniversary of the April 29, 2022, appeals court arguments on the matter lawyers told judges that the wait is causing problems. Lawyers on multiple sides of the case, including those representing Purdue, asked the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York to issue a ruling or provide an update soon, saying the efforts to use the funds to fight the opioid crisis can't begin until the money can start to flow. While it's not unusual for an appeals panel to take a year or more from a hearing until it releases a decision, this case originally was fast-tracked by the court. At the hearing last year, there were signs that the three-judge panel might not rule unanimously. A lawyer for creditors told a U.S. bankruptcy court in another filing this past week that the wait is a problem for other reasons. The lawyer, Arik Preis, wrote that as long as the funds aren't distributed, "the vast majority of more than $6 billion that could be put to use to abate the opioid crisis and compensate individual claimants continuing to accrue interest in Sackler accounts." While most of Purdue's creditors signed on to the settlement, the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee is objecting. With the case stretching out, the legal costs continue to mount, too. Purdue reported in a court filing that as of March 31, it spent about $900 million on nonrecurring legal fees since it filed for bankruptcy in 2019 as part of an effort to settle its lawsuits. Purdue's proposed settlement is not the biggest in a series of opioid-related settlements in recent years that totals over $50 billion, but it is large and closely watched because of the blame many placed on the company for its role in sparking the crisis with its marketing of OxyContin starting in the 1990s. The settlement also is the only one so far where some of the money is to go directly to people who lost loved ones or years of their own lives to opioids. About 149,000 individuals made claims and could receive between about $3,500 and $48,000 each from the settlement. One of them, Lindsey Arrington, does not know how much she'll qualify to be paid. The Everett, Washington, woman whose substance abuse disorder began with OxyContin she used as a teenager, said money would be helpful. "I'm 12 years into my recovery from addiction and I'm still cleaning up the financial wreckage," she said. There were debts, including paying back the Washington state government for assistance she should not have received because her son, now 14, was not living with her at the time. Some money could help her relationship with him. "I owe it to him to use some of the money to do something for him or with him as a symbolic gesture of the time that we lost, that we could have had together had it not been what I was going through," she said. Stephanie Lubinski, one of about two dozen victims who testified at a hearing last year that Sackler family members attended by Zoom, also doesn't know how much she might be granted under the settlement. In the grips of an opioid addiction, her husband, a former Minneapolis firefighter, killed himself in 2020. Lubinski, who has cancer, hopes to have the settlement in hand while she's alive so she can pass it to her adult children. "It's like by keeping it going and going," she said, "we're replaying all the emotions and suffering." SIOUX CITY Former Sioux City Schools Superintendent Paul Gausman claims the Sioux City Community School District is violating Iowa Open Records Law by failing to provide public records related to an ongoing lawsuit. The petition filed on Thursday by Gausman claims the district is continuing to deny an open records request made by Gausman in December and it is in violation of Iowa open records laws. The filing asks that the court require open records laws to be enforced and said documents to be disclosed. Defendants continuing failure to provide these records to Dr. Gausman is a daily and ongoing violation of the Iowa Open Records Act, according to the petition. It is time for public sunshine to penetrate the shadows illicitly cast by the defendants. Gausman is seeking minutes, notes and recordings of closed school board meetings that occurred on Jan. 24, 2022, March 28, 2022, and Nov. 30, 2022. The current superintendent of the Lincoln (Neb.) School District filed a suit in Woodbury County District Court in January claiming school board members Dan Greenwell, Jan George, Taylor Goodvin and Bob Michaelson violated Iowa Open Meetings laws. The suit alleges on Jan. 24, 2022, and Nov. 30, 2022, the board held special meetings and closed sessions to discuss Gausman and his professional qualifications. It also claims the board members cited incorrect Iowa code sections to avoid notifying Gausman or the public of their discussions about him and the following board decision to file a complaint against him with the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. On Dec. 16, 2022, Gausman filed an open records request seeking all records for meetings held on Jan. 24, 2022, Jan. 25, 2022, March 28, 2022, and Nov. 30, 2022. Gausman stated the requested information is public record and he has a right to the documents and recordings. Greenwell, on behalf of the board, denied the request on Jan. 5, stating minutes and recordings of closed sessions were exempt from disclosure. Gausman and his attorney Stan Munger continued to request the information, stating due to the believed open meeting law violations, the requested meetings are in fact open meetings. The request was again denied on April 3. Gausman claims the district has unreasonably delayed providing the information or providing a timeline on when the information would be given or denied. Justice delayed is justice denied, according to the petition. Gausman stated on Jan. 24, 2022, the board met in a closed session to discuss him and his professional qualifications and proposal to file a complaint against him with the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. The complaint claims Gausman attempted to bribe Michaelson and George on Nov. 17, 2021, before their official swearing-in on Nov. 22, 2022. In the BOEE complaint, Greenwell references the Jan. 24 meeting, stating the board was given a detailed narrative of the alleged bribery offer. To go into the closed session, the board cited the Iowa Code stating the closed session was to evaluate the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring, performance or discharge is being considered when necessary to prevent needless and irreparable injury to that individuals reputation. The code section specifically states that the individual being reviewed must request the closed session, as well as meet other requirements Gausman claims did not occur. In the petition, Gausman stated he would have been entitled to require the meeting to be public and get public video, audio and minutes. In the BOEE complaint, Greenwell also claims Gausman disclosed confidential information from a meeting on March 28, 222 to staff members. It states Gausman acquired information from the closed session from Board Member Perla Alarcon-Flory and shared it with cabinet members. The closed session on March 28 cited a different code section stating the meeting was to review or discuss records which are required or authorized by state or federal law to be kept confidential. After the meeting, Gausman claims Alarcon-Flory approached him, asking if it was legal to cite that code when the session was not about confidential records but it was instead about Dr. Gausmans performance and personnel issues related to him. Gausman believes this meeting was to lay the groundwork for filing an educational examiner's complaint. Because of this, he believes it was not a legal closed session and he is entitled to the minutes and recordings of the meeting. On Nov. 30, 2022, the board held another special meeting and closed session to discuss Gausman, he alleges. The board cited the same code section as March 28, stating the meeting was to review or discuss records which are required or authorized by state or federal law to be kept confidential. This code section specifically states the board is only allowed to discuss the confidential record and Gausman claims it went beyond that. He also alleges the board again discussed his professional competency, job performance and the possible filing of a complaint with the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. After the closed session ended and the board went into an open session, Goodvin made a motion to direct Greenwell to file the complaint. Scarlett and Scolaro abstained from the vote, and Alarcon-Flory was not present. The motion did not state who the complaint was being filed against. Greenwell filed the complaint on Dec. 2, 2022. Gausman states he did not consent to the closed session and the district violated his right to fair notice and consent. Because of the potential open meeting law violations, Gausman claims he is entitled to the information requested. The petition asks the requested documents to be provided and asks the court to order the district and school board members to refrain from improperly withholding and delaying records and provide records requests without unreasonable delay for one year on penalty of civil contempt. Gausman is also asking for damages, attorney fees and costs. EAST PALESTINE, Ohio Jeff Drummond spends days and nights alone in a tiny room with fake wood paneling, two small beds and a microwave atop a mini refrigerator that serves as a nightstand his pickup truck parked outside the door at the roadside motel where he's taken refuge since early February. Shelby Walker bounces from hotel to hotel with her five children and four grandchildren while crews tear up railroad tracks and scoop out contaminated soil near their four-bedroom home. Almost three months after a fiery Norfolk Southern train derailment blackened the skies, sent residents fleeing and thrust East Palestine into a national debate over rail safety, residents say they are still living in limbo. They're unsure how or whether to move on from the accident and worry what will happen to them and the village where they have deep family roots, friendships and affordable homes. "I have no idea how long we can continue to do this," Walker, 48, said while washing clothes at a laundromat. She also works at a small hotel where many workers are staying, so is constantly reminded of the accident. She remembers the scorched rail tanker at her property line and a backyard flooded with water from the burn site. "Sometimes I just break down," she said. About half of East Palestine's nearly 5,000 residents evacuated when, days after the Feb. 3 derailment, officials decided to burn toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars to prevent a catastrophic explosion. Most returned, though many complain about illnesses and worry about soil, water and air quality. Some are staying away until they're sure it's safe. Others, like Drummond, are not allowed back in their homes because of the cleanup. The retired truck driver and Gulf War veteran misses mowing the lawn, puttering around his yard and chatting with regulars at the tavern next door. "I have nothing here," Drummond said, sitting on an orange plastic chair outside the Davis Motel in North Lima, Ohio. "So it's trying to find something to keep yourself busy, to keep from going crazy." Norfolk Southern Railroad is paying for lodging for some families but won't say how many still are out of their homes while the railroad excavates tens of thousands of tons of contaminated soil, a process the Environmental Protection Agency expects to take another two to three months. The railroad also must remove toxic chemicals from two creeks, which could take longer. "I pledge that we won't be finished until we make it right," Norfolk Southern President and CEO Alan Shaw told an Ohio rail safety committee last week. The railroad handed out $1,000 "inconvenience checks" to residents within the ZIP code that includes East Palestine and surrounding areas, but most did not qualify for further assistance and went home. The EPA's Mark Durno said air monitoring at the derailment site and in the community and soil tests in parks, on agricultural land and at other potentially affected areas have not detected concerning levels of contaminants but testing will continue just to be sure. The railroad says testing shows drinking water is safe, though it's establishing a fund for long-term drinking water protection. It's also establishing funds for health care and to help sellers if their property value falls because of the accident. Jessica Conard, a 37-year-old speech therapist, wonders whether her boys ages 3, 8 and 9 will ever be able to fish in the pond separating their property from the railroad tracks. Or play at the park where the chemicals are being removed from a stream. Can they remain in the town where "generations upon generations" of family have lived? "You want them to be able to have those memories," says Conard, who returned to East Palestine six years ago to raise her family where the sound of trains was the backdrop to her own childhood. "I just kind of feel like those memories are tainted because when you hear a train now, it kind of makes you cringe." This is the kind of place where everyone seems connected to everyone else, residents say. Parents dont worry about their kids because they know other parents are looking out for them. Eighty-one-year-old Norma Carr raised four children in the cedar-sided 1930s duplex she moved into 57 years ago and where three generations lived together before the derailment. She knew everyone in her neighborhood, walked to church and always felt safe among friends. For now, she's staying in a condominium 10 miles away that the railroad rented the family for six months because Carr, who has Parkinson's, fared poorly during a month in a cramped hotel room. "I miss being able to look out the window and not see a stranger," she said, choking back tears. Small businesses like Sprinklz on Top and The Corner Store line the main drag, North Market Street, along with chains like McDonald's and Pizza Hut. The Chamber of Commerce, library and post office are there, too. Statues of bulldogs, the high school mascot, are placed throughout town. There also are signs reflecting the hardship the village has been through: "Y'all OK?" says one. Others say "Get ready for the greatest comeback in American history." Still, many wonder if they should stay or go. For Summer Magness, it would be difficult to leave the community where her family has lived for generations. She doubts her home could sell for what it would cost to buy elsewhere. Still, she would move if she could, because the feeling of security has been upended and "the safety of my children is my only concern." Photos: A look at the aftermath of the Ohio train derailment WASHINGTON Days out from a surgery and with a young son undergoing chemotherapy, Kyle McHenry scrambled to figure out if his Florida family will still be covered by Medicaid come Monday. One form on the state's website said coverage for their sick 5-year-old son, Ryder, was denied. Another said the family would remain on Medicaid through next year. Still, a letter from the state said McHenry now makes too much money for him, his wife and their older son to qualify after the end of the month. Three phone calls and a total of six frustrating hours on hold with Florida's Department of Children and Families later, the McHenrys finally got the answer they were dreading Thursday: Most of the family is losing Medicaid coverage, although Ryder remains eligible because of his illness. "I'm trying not to go into panic," McHenry's wife, Allie, said earlier in the week. The state agency did not respond to a request for comment. The McHenrys are among the first casualties in an unprecedented nationwide review of the 84 million Medicaid enrollees over the next year that will require states to remove people whose incomes are now too high for the federal-state program offered to the poorest Americans. Millions are expected to be left without insurance after a three-year reprieve during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the federal government barred states from removing anyone deemed ineligible. The federal government requires states to tell people just 10 days in advance that they'll be kicked off Medicaid. Congress last year required states to submit data about their call volume, wait times and abandonment rate. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will try to work with states where call wait times are especially high, an agency spokesperson said. Some doctors and their staff are taking it upon themselves to let patients know about the complicated process. Staffers at Adelante Healthcare, a small chain of community clinics in Phoenix, call families they believe are at risk of losing Medicaid. They put up colorful posters to remind families to ensure their Medicaid insurance doesn't lapse. That's how Alicia Celaya, a 37-year-old waitress, found out that she and her children, ages 4, 10 and 16, will lose coverage later this year. When she and her husband were laid off during the pandemic, they enrolled in Medicaid. Both returned to working in the restaurant industry, but Celaya and her children remained on Medicaid for the free health care coverage because she's unable to come up with the hundreds of dollars to pay the monthly premiums for her employer-sponsored health insurance. The clinic is helping her navigate the private health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act's marketplace and trying to determine whether her children qualify for the federal Children's Health Insurance Program. Advocacy groups warned for months that confusion and errors will abound, wrongly leaving some of the country's poorest people suddenly without health insurance and unable to pay for necessary medical care. Medicaid enrollees are already reporting they've been erroneously kicked off in a handful of states, including Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire and South Dakota, according to data gathered by the Associated Press. Trevor Hawkins is seeing the problems play out firsthand in Arkansas, where officials said the state is moving "as fast as possible" to wrap up a review before year's end. Hawkins drives across the state providing free legal services to people who lost coverage or need help filling out forms the state mailed to them. He fields about a half-dozen phone calls daily from people seeking guidance on their Medicaid applications. "The notices are so confusing," said Hawkins, who works for Legal Aid of Arkansas. "No two people have had the same experience with losing their coverage. It's hard to identify what's really the issue." Some people received pre-filled application forms that include inaccurate income or household information but leave no space to fix the state's errors. Others received documents that say Medicaid recipients will lose coverage before they get a chance to re-apply, Hawkins said. An Arkansas Department of Human Services spokesman said the forms instruct enrollees to fill in their information. Tonya Moore, 49, went for weeks without Medicaid coverage because the state used her 21-year-old daughter's wages, including incomes from two part-time jobs that she no longer worked, to determine she was ineligible for the program. County officials told Moore she had to obtain statements from the businesses about an hour's drive from Moore's rural home in Highland, Arkansas to prove her daughter no longer worked there. Moore says she wasn't able to get the documents before being kicked off Medicaid on April 1. Moore ran out of blood pressure medication and insulin used to control her diabetes and was staring down a nearly empty box of blood sugar test strips. "I got a little panicky," she said. "I don't know how long it's going to take to get my insurance." She was reinstated on Medicaid as of Monday with Legal Aid's help. Best and worst states for health care Best and worst states for health care The 10 states with the best health care The 10 states with the lowest rank for health care Additional findings: Outcome, cost and access data rankings Depending on state, Americans' cost for care can vary significantly Methodology SCRANTON, Pa. One of the most important munitions of the Ukraine war comes from a historic factory in this city built by coal barons, where tons of steel rods are brought in by train to be forged into the artillery shells Kyiv can't get enough of and that the U.S. can't produce fast enough. The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant is at the vanguard of a multibillion-dollar Pentagon plan to modernize and accelerate its production of ammunition and equipment not only to support Ukraine, but to be ready for a potential conflict with China. It is one of just two sites in the U.S. that make the steel bodies for the critical 155 mm howitzer rounds that the U.S. is rushing to Ukraine to help in its grinding fight to repel the Russian invasion in the largest-scale war in Europe since World War II. The invasion of Ukraine revealed that the U.S. stockpile of 155 mm shells and those of European allies were unprepared to support a major and ongoing conventional land war, sending them scrambling to bolster production. The dwindling supply alarmed U.S. military planners, and the Army plans to spend billions on munitions plants around the country in what it calls its most significant transformation in 40 years. It may not be easy to adapt: practically every square foot of the Scranton plant's red brick factory buildings first built more than a century ago as a locomotive repair depot is in use as the Army clears space, expands production to private factories and assembles new supply chains. There are some things that Army and plant officials in Scranton won't reveal, including where they get the steel for the shells and exactly how many more rounds this factory can produce. "That's what Russia wants to know," said Justine Barati of the U.S. Army's Joint Munitions Command. So far, the U.S. has provided more than $35 billion in weapons and equipment to Ukraine. The 155 mm shell is one of the most often-requested and supplied items, which also include air defense systems, long-range missiles and tanks. The rounds, used in howitzer systems, are critical to Ukraine's fight because they allow the Ukrainians to hit Russian targets up to 20 miles away with a highly explosive munition. "Unfortunately, we understand that the production is very limited and it's been more than a year of war," Ukraine parliamentary member Oleksandra Ustinova said at a German Marshall Fund media roundtable in Washington on Monday. "But unfortunately we are very dependent on 155." The Army is spending about $1.5 billion to ramp up production of 155 mm rounds from 14,000 a month before Russia invaded Ukraine to more than 85,000 a month by 2028, U.S. Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo told a symposium last month. Already, the U.S. military has given Ukraine more than 1.5 million rounds of 155 mm ammunition, according to Army figures. But even with higher near-term production rates, the U.S. cannot replenish its stockpile or catch up to the usage pace in Ukraine, where officials estimate that the Ukrainian military is firing 6,000 to 8,000 shells per day. In other words, two days' worth of shells fired by Ukraine equates to the United States' monthly prewar production figure. "This could become a crisis. With the front line now mostly stationary, artillery has become the most important combat arm," said a January report by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Currently, the metal bodies for the 155 mm shells are made at the Army's Scranton plant, operated by General Dynamics, and at a General Dynamics-owned plant in nearby Wilkes-Barre, officials said. Together, the plants are under contract for 24,000 shells per month, with an additional $217 million Army task order to further boost production. The Russians are firing 40,000 shells per day, said Ustinova, who serves on Ukraine's wartime oversight committee. "So we're doing five times less than they do and trying to keep it up. But if we don't start the production lines, if you don't warm it up, it is going to be a huge problem," Ustinova said. The obstacles the U.S. faces in ramping up production can be seen at the Scranton plant. The factory built for the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad just after 1900, when the city was a rising coal and railroad powerhouse has produced large-caliber ammunition for the military going back to the Korean War. But the buildings are on the National Historic Registry of Historic Places, limiting how the Army can alter the structures. Inside, the floor is crowded with piles of shells, defunct equipment and production lines where robotic arms, saws, presses and other machines cut, heat, forge, temper, pressure test, wash and paint the shells. Once the shells are finished in Scranton, they are shipped to the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, where they are packed with explosives, fitted with fuses and packaged for final delivery. The plant is in the midst of $120 million in modernization plans and the Army hopes to open a new production line there by 2025. US Army under gun to make more ammo for Ukraine A 40-year-old Omaha woman was sentenced to prison Thursday for strangling one man to death and slitting the throat of another. Autum Acacia-Cortes was sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison for manslaughter and one to two years for tampering with evidence in the killing of 53-year-old Francisco Santiago, and 35 to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder in the killing of 58-year-old Jose Martinez. Officials found Martinez slain at Highland Tower, 2500 B St., on Jan 20, 2021. He was found dead in the apartment buildings north elevator with a large cut to his neck. Omaha police then found the body of Santiago in a shed on the property of Our Lady of Guadalupe social hall, 5001 S. 23rd St., on Jan. 27. Authorities believe Acacia-Cortes killed Santiago first, either in December or early January, then Martinez. Detective Matthew Backora previously testified that Acacia-Cortes knew the two men and that the group frequently spent time together, usually drinking alcohol. In investigating Martinezs death, detectives found that Santiago, who had previously been homeless, was renting a sixth-floor apartment at Highland Tower where several homeless people would come over to drink, Backora said. Santiago was last seen on security footage at the building on Dec. 7. In security footage from Jan. 19, Acacia-Cortes and Martinez were seen entering Santiagos apartment and Acacia-Cortes was seen leaving the apartment about four hours later with blood on her hands. Early the next morning, Acacia-Cortes returned to the apartment, put Martinezs body in a wheelchair and went to put it in the elevator, detectives said. However, Martinezs body fell out in the elevator, so she returned the wheelchair to the apartment and left through an emergency exit. At the apartment, detectives found blood on the walls, floor and furniture. They also discovered a 9-inch serrated knife with blood on it, tucked next to the arm of the sofa. Detectives think the knife was used to kill Martinez. Acacia-Cortes was arrested shortly after the crime scene at Highland Tower was discovered. Officials then received an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip that Acacia-Cortes also was involved in Santiagos death. A man told police that about a month before Martinezs death, he saw Acacia-Cortes assault Santiago on the Our Lady of Guadalupe property at a shed that had been turned into a makeshift living space for homeless people. Earlier that day, Acacia-Cortes and Santiago had been discussing a $40 payment he owed her for sex, the man said. The man told police that when he later returned to the shed, he saw Acacia-Cortes hit Santiago in the face, then put her foot on his neck and get on top of him to strangle him. The man said he pulled Acacia-Cortes off of Santiago, who was drunk and passive. When the man returned a second time, he said Santiago was no longer there, but Santiagos prosthetic leg remained inside the shed. On Jan. 27, police searched the shed and found Santiagos decomposing body behind a freezer, with blankets and beer cans piled on top. An autopsy found that Santiago died of strangulation due to compression of the neck, Backora said. Acacia-Cortes will receive credit for the 824 days shes already been in custody and will serve the three sentences consecutively. Ron DeSantis war with Disney is escalating. The company sued the Florida governor in federal court this week and said his crusade against its special status in the state is politically motivated and a violation of the First Amendment. Meanwhile, DeSantis Republican colleagues in the state are openly questioning his strategy in the press, saying Disney is playing the long game and appears to have the upper hand, for better or for worse. This all feels familiar to Mark I. Pinsky, a former Orlando Sentinel reporter who, back in the 1990s, extensively covered Disneys last skirmish in a conservative-led culture war. The Southern Baptist Convention had launched a boycott against Disney in protest of the companys support of its LGBT employees and Ellen DeGeneres sitcom. In a call this week, Pinsky, the author of The Gospel According to Disney, described how DeSantis current crusade mirrors the religious rights initial attempt to take on Disneyand what history tells us about where this is going. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aymann Ismail: Can you give me some context for the last conservative boycott of Disney? How did it start? Mark I. Pinsky: Shortly after Disney announced its LGBT health benefits policy in Burbank, there were several individual Southern Baptist Convention congregations in Florida who were super pissed off about it. Disney announced that they were going to provide health benefits to LGBT employees. Some Baptists began circulating a boycott proposal in Florida. And that put the issue in play for the national organization. This guy, Tim Wildmon from the American Family Association, was one of the early progenitors of this idea, but it really didnt take off until the Southern Baptist Convention signed on to it. In the beginning, there was some reluctance at the top of the Southern Baptist Convention, which is very conservative. It became clear to me that they have a keen political sense. And I think the people at the very top of the Southern Baptist Convention knew that it was very chancy to take on Disney. And they kind of dragged their heels until their constituency basically pushed the leadership into signing on to this boycott. Advertisement In the beginning, it looked like a fair fight in terms of power. The Southern Baptist Convention had much of their power in the Sun Belt, 16 million people. And Disney was Disney. It looked like the outcome was uncertain. Advertisement How did Disneys content play into it? I fought about this with Richard Land, the Southern Baptist president, over the years. He said it wasnt the health policy, it was the content. And I looked back and checked the record, and I dont think thats true. He didnt want the Southern Baptists to be painted as know-nothing bigots. So he couldnt say that that was the precipitating factor, but it was, in my view. Advertisement Advertisement There was also a sort of ugly undercurrent of antisemitism, because Disney was now basically under the control of Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Eisner. The Disney of beloved WASP America was the last remaining Hollywood studio not in the control of the Jews or immigrants. No one ever said this, but Ive been in this business a long time and Ive been a Jew for a long time, and I can smell it when I smell it. Did the boycott ultimately succeed in hurting Disney? Disney just dug its heels. I mean, they basically said to the Southern Baptist Convention, Fuck you, we dont need you. I dont know whether the Disney guys were just arrogant or confident, but from the very beginning, they gave not an inch. Maybe its a profile in courage. Maybe its just pragmatism. I dont know what was in their minds. I never got to talk to Katzenberg. I did speak briefly to Eisner at a book event, but he wouldnt tell me anything anyway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Baptists quickly learned that there was no real alternative in terms of popular culture for young children other than Disney. So, they were talking about sacrifice. And I think sacrifice is one thing if theyre asking adults to make it. Disney parks had by that time become a cultural imperative. Which is to say, if you wanted to be a good parent or a good grandparent, taking your children or grandchildren to one of the Disney parks became a cultural imperative. Thats one of the thingsone of the boxes you had to tick. And they were a little bit queasy with trying to tell a 7-year-old that were not going to Disneyland or Disney World because we think theyre not as friendly to evangelicals as Walt was 30 years ago. Advertisement Advertisement What was the atmosphere in Orlando at the time? What was the public perception of it? There was still strong resistance to LGBT stuff. The city of Orlando has always been very progressive, relatively speaking. But when they wanted to just simply put up rainbow flags in downtown Orlando, the Baptists showed up at these meetings and said, You cant do this. Youre normalizing aberrant behavior. Ive never seen a bigger turnaround in the American political mood than on gay rights. Advertisement When you look today, they are focusing on trans people because there are fewer of them. There are people who are still queasy about them to some degree, so picking a much more vulnerable target, having learned that attacking gay people has become a loser. At that point in 1995, it was not evident it was a loser. Advertisement The Florida governors in the 90s were Democrats, and then Jeb Bush took over starting in 1999. Did they get involved in the boycott at all? Was it an issue for politicians the way it is now? It devolved into a regional issue. Bible Belt versus Burbank, essentially. And no secular politician was sure enough about the outcome to jump in for their own personal political advantage. I can remember state legislators in Florida and other people urging caution, because they realized it was a double-edged sword: cultural sensitivities versus economic livelihood. And I think that was such a fraught issue that nobody saw a quick way to exploit it. Its the opposite now. Its like DeSantis is holding a knife to his own throat. Religion is very important to people in Florida, but livelihood trumps that every time. Anything that hurts Disney hurts peoples livelihood. And in Florida, if you threaten peoples livelihood or you raise their taxes, theyll turn on you. They dont care what party youre a part of. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You think this is a clear loser for DeSantis? DeSantis, in my viewand Ive been covering Southern politics since 1972is a political thug, a bully, and an arrogant person. Since his rise, no one of equal stature, until now, has stood up to him and said no. I think he really didnt understand the power that a corporation like Disney wields. This business is such a major economic factor in central Florida. Lets say the fight continues between Disney and DeSantis. In the end, what is DeSantis going to say? Dont come to Disney World? He cant say that. That would be too much in Florida, even for culture warriors. Now, it may be that he cares more about how that will play in Indiana or in Arkansas, where people are not dependent on Disney for their livelihoods. At some point, he will overstep his bounds, and when the mask slips, itll show that hes a cynical cultural warrior. Advertisement What do you think is his play now? I would say, find a subtle way to back away. DeSantis took a real hit when it turned out that Disney had outsmarted the five stooges he put on the Reedy Creek board. It was not the fact that they lost so much, but that they got the better of him. And thats when you begin to see these Republican megadonors saying, Well, maybe not. DeSantis cant afford another episode like that where it looks like he was bested by Disney. So if I were advising him, I would say find a way to lower the temperature, and put forward some other issues that will do you well but dont have as much of a fuck-up potential. I dont think he realized that Disney punches back, and they may punch back better than he punches. He shouldnt set himself up to stand or fall on whether he can get Disney to capitulate, because he will never get Disney to capitulate. It will not happen. It didnt happen in the 90s, and for sure its not going to happen now. And if you had to bet, would you bet on an ambitious Florida governor, or would you bet on a multibillion-dollar corporation that knows what its audience wants? Earlier this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping called up Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time since Russia invaded last year. Is Xis peace overture to Ukraine for real? He has several reasons for sincerely hoping that the war between Ukraine and Russia ends soon. Is his overture likely to achieve the goal? Thats a different question. Unless the underlying geopolitics change, probably not. Two months ago, Xi issued a vague 12-point peace plan, and Zelensky found it intriguing enough to request a conversation. On Wednesday, Xi followed up, and they had an hourlong call that Zelensky later described as long and meaningful. Chinas official readout emphasized the need for a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. Zelensky has since named an ambassador to Beijing, and Xi is sending his envoy for European affairs to Kyiv. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whats going on, and why is it happening now? Xi hasnt spelled out his reasoning publicly, but some plausible explanations can be inferred from recent events and context. First is the basic backdrop: Xi must realize that the alliance he struck with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022less than a month before Putins invasion of Ukrainewas, on some level, a strategic error. The two leaders talked at the time of a no-limits partnership, but Xi has slapped on a lot of limits since. Notably, though he continues to give Russia lots of money and technical gear, he has not supplied any weapons for the war. He watched the Russian armys recent offensive that failed to move the lines of battle. He has no doubt read reports that Ukraines upcoming offensivelikely to get underway next month, as planeloads of new Western weapons, including tanks and other armored vehicles arrivecould recapture substantial swaths of territory. If that happens, Putins positionmilitary and politicalcould face rapid erosion, as could Xis by affiliation. Advertisement Second, this past Monday, Xis other big diplomatic campaignto make politico-economic inroads in Europe, partly for Chinas own sake, partly to sever the continents transatlantic links to the United Statestook a major smackdown. It happened when Lu Shaye, Chinas ambassador to France, said in a TV interview that former republics of the Soviet Union, which gained independence in 1991, were not sovereign states under international law. These states would include Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, andmost significantlyUkraine. Lu, one of the most flamboyant hardliners in Chinas diplomatic corps, clearly hadnt got the message that Xi was striking a softer image as a prospective mediator between Russia and Ukraine. Advertisement Xis economic support of Russia, and his failure to denounce Putins invasion, had already diminished the credibility of this image. Lus statement, extreme even by Beijing standards, threatened to pulverize the image into dust. In an unusual step, Chinese spokesmen quickly disavowed Lus words. Perhaps not by coincidence, just two days later, Xi made his phone call to Zelenskyaffirming that, whatever his stance toward Putin, he regards Ukraine as a sovereign state indeed. Advertisement Advertisement Zelensky has long wanted direct contact with Beijing, in hopes of breaking up Xis already dangling alliance with Moscow. He is reportedly upbeat about the conversationbut that doesnt necessarily mean peace is at hand. As he has in the past, Zelensky emphasized that any cease-fire must be preceded by Russias military withdrawal from all occupied Ukrainian territory and a restoration of the 1991 borders between the two countries. This would mean the return not only of Ukraines eastern Donbas region but also of Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Whatever happens on the battlefield in the next few months, U.S. officials seriously doubt Putin would give up Crimea, which, among other things, holds the port of the Russian navys Black Sea Fleet. (Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev handed Crimea to Ukraine as a gift in 1954, but the deed was symbolic, as the Soviet Union was the only viable political entity at the time. Many Crimeans regarded themselves as Russian, at least until recently; when Russian troops occupied the peninsula in 2014, they did so without firing a shot.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelenskys insistence on retaking Crimea may be a bargaining position. Either way, he is completely reasonable to demand a Russian withdrawal from all other Ukrainian territory. A cease-fire that left both sides troops in their present positions would only give the Russians a chance to rest, regroup, rearm, and mobilize more troops for the next round of fighting. So these are the questions: Would Putin withdraw from any captured land, despite the utter humiliation? Would he do so if he were allowed to keep Crimea, perhaps pending the results of a truly free and fair referendum (which, even now, Russia might well win)? Would Zelensky allow that to happen without first pushing for a fight? Finally, who would negotiate and enforce this arrangement? Advertisement Advertisement That is the ultimate question. There is no higher power with the leverage to make this work. If the United States and China worked togetherWashington pressuring and providing security guarantees to Ukraine, Beijing doing the same to Russiathere might be a chance of pulling this off. But U.S.-Chinese relations are in tatters these days, with little chance of mending any time soon, except perhaps on marginal issues such as trade deals. Even if relations warmed rapidly, there is no guarantee that Putin or Zelensky would go along with any such deal, as long as either thought he had a chance of winning the warand both still have some basis for thinking they could. Putin could still draft more men, even if just to soak up Ukrainian ammunition (not since World War I has the world seen a more horrifying spectacle of using troops as cannon fodder). Zelensky is on the verge of receiving more Western arms, including armored vehicles, which could propel the coming counteroffensive to some success. Advertisement The next few months could be crucial. If Ukraines counteroffensive fails to break through Russias defensive lines, if the war appears to be headed for a perpetual stalemate of carnage and devastation, the Western nations may stop sending more military aid and press for a diplomatic solution. This is Putins most plausible hope at this point. If Ukraine does break through the lines and seems on the verge of winning by some reasonable definition of the term, then Putins hold on power could collapse and, sometime before that moment, Xi could face his own challenge of switching sides or doubling down to break his own isolation. This is Putinsand Xis most dreadful nightmare, and it goes some distance in explaining why Xi is trying to end the war before it plows into its next uncertain stage. The problem is, he might have moved too late. Last week, Twitter started removing blue check marks from previously verified accounts that hadnt paid the $8 monthly fee for its subscription program. Journalists, activists, and scientistspeople who once used the platform to debunk COVID-19 misinformation or share election resultsfound their checks gone. In their place, the check marks filled the profiles of sycophants complaining that their subscriptions to Twitter Blue were not resulting in more engagement on their posts. The blue check, once a symbol of reliability, became a symbol so toxic that major accounts not only refused to subscribe to Twitter Bluethey didnt even want it when Elon Musk gave it to them for free. Advertisement This a dramatic about-face, because the blue check mark was one of the Twitters most effective and useful developments, copied or adapted by other companies as a symbol of verification. It was a quick, easy way for someone to look at a post and be reasonably confident that it came from the user or organizations actual account, rather than an impersonator with a similar handle. It made not only Twitter but also the internet ecosystem surrounding it a more trustworthy place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With his changes to the platforms verification system, Elon Musk has managed to transform the blue check mark: First into a tool for fraud, and then into a mark of shame. The blue check mark on the Twitter profile was an immediately recognizable symbol. Social media symbols are usually brand-associated; the blue check mark was originally associated with Twitter but later adopted by Meta across its products (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) as the symbol for verified accounts, while other platforms have knockoffs, like gray check marks on YouTube. In this way, the check mark went from a brand-specific shorthand to an internet-wide symbol of trust: If Gmail or other email systems adopted the blue check mark for emails from corporate and customer service accounts to prevent phishing, for example, then it would slot in as a symbol of verification in that context as well. Creating a symbol thats publicly recognized outside of corporate contexts is a coup, but it also doesnt generate any money on its own. Advertisement The blue check mark wasnt meant to generate revenue; it was a way to address a problem on social media. The verification process was partly the result of a lawsuit by thenSt. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa after the site failed to take down accounts impersonating him. Users could make accounts and post content that looked like it was from other users. These fraud issues made public figures not want to use the platform, and Twitter wanted to keep those accounts around because of the engagement they generated. La Russa voluntarily withdrew the lawsuit. Advertisement Twitters original verification system for large accounts, launched in 2009, involved an internal process to verify that the account was controlled by the public figure or organization listed before granting the blue check mark. The notion of publicly visible credentialing wasnt new; we credential doctors and lawyers and drivers. What was different was doing it for public figures on social media. The check mark allowed verified users to transmit a sense of authorityfor journalists, academics, and other not traditionally famous but nevertheless in-the-public-eye people, it functioned as sort of badge of honor and a way to show significance within the field. It was also a way for Twitter to demonstrate to the public figures and brands who brought in money as content generators and advertisers that it was serious about addressing misrepresentation and fraud. Advertisement Advertisement The blue tick wasnt a perfect system. Some people who had blue check marks used them to impersonate public figures as a form of protest or comedy; those users were usually banned from Twitter and (if their accounts were later reinstated) were not given a new blue check mark. Twitter was protective of verification because it had value to verified users and their followers. Advertisement Advertisement The blue tick was historic, and part of what makes it interesting is that there isnt an easy historical analogymostly because social media is just different. Fraud isnt new, but the ability for fraud to go viral and global in the way social media misinformation does is new. Further, because social media companies arent generating or editing user posts (and arent liable for fraud on their platform), its different than the editorial standards required of traditional publishers like newspapers. This is one of the challenges of Section 230 protections, and why the protections both make sense (because vetting all content posted isnt feasible) and cause problems (because there need to be some efforts to curb fraud). Advertisement Ultimately, verification worked because if you saw the blue tick, you knew that there was a process behind iteven if you didnt know the details of that process. Then came Musk. Before Musks takeover of the company, Twitter Blue existed as a subscription service launched in 2021 for limited markets. It included a range of perks, like a time-limited Undo button. This sort of subscription model is nothing new, even for otherwise free platforms. Advertisement But when Musk took the helm in late October, he quickly revamped the subscription service by tethering the blue tick to itand thus adding another meaning to the symbol. If you saw a blue tick during the November rollout, then it could be a verified user or it could be someone who paid for the service. A quick glance didnt tell you if it was real, and a screencap of a post (where you couldnt scroll over to see this is a Twitter Blue subscriber) didnt help. Advertisement Advertisement When the first pay-to-play check marks were available, the problems started immediately. One of the most visible examples was the fake-but-verified Eli Lilly account, which claimed the company was going to make insulin free. Eli Lilly (and other insulin manufacturers) have been criticized extensively for the high price of insulinand while the post wasnt from Eli Lilly, it put the company in an awkward position. Eli Lilly felt it had to deny the tweet, but denying the tweet meant drawing attention to insulin pricing. Forcing a company to admit publicly that its doing something the public thinks is terrible is a strong tactic; some people suggested that the fraud hurt the stock value (which would give Eli Lilly a cause of action against the fraudster). Other companies were also hit hard by impersonators; Lockheed Martin had similar issues with its sale of weapons to authoritarian governments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the last week, as Musk phased out the legacy verified checks in favor of ticks only for paid accounts, he created a separate problem, partly induced by his irresponsible leadership and political profile. Buying the subscription means having a badge on your profile; having the badge looks like an endorsement of Musks corporate leadershipmaking the subscription service a public act rather than a private purchase. Even users just subscribing for the functionality look like theyre team Musk. This was made worse by the fact that Musk decided to gift subscriptions to many accounts (LeBron James, Stephen King, the Auschwitz Museum, etc.), making it appear as though theyd paid for Twitter Blue. This is fraudulent, but somehow especially morally grotesque when it involves claiming that dead people (Pele, Anthony Bourdain, and Kobe Bryant) paid for a subscription. Advertisement This whole spectacle is an example of the idea that introducing payments for a good or service can change the thing were buying. In some cases, this is because the good is supposed to be responsive to something other than moneylike verification of identity, in the case of the check mark. For this reason, the philosopher Michael Sandel argues some goods and services should not be for sale; his preferred example is a Nobel Prize, which should be responsive to achievements in the field rather than monetary considerations. If something can be bought, then it can be hijacked to create the appearance of achievement or (in the case of the blue check) verification. Depending on how that hijacking is used, it can be dangerous to the people who are impersonated. Even if were skeptical of the view that its morally wrong to sell a blue check mark, it does change the good people are after. To borrow from my friend and colleague, the late philosopher David Dick, those goods are invariably transformablemeaning they change in character whenever they are exchanged (rather than only changing sometimes, subject to context). Even when the blue check mark was still sometimes responsive to verification (like during the botched November rollout), the fact that it could be purchased deteriorated its meaning. Now, the meaning is completely different: It signals brand support (for Musk himself, not just Twitter as a product). Once a symbol of verification, the blue check mark may now turn into an internationally recognized jersey for team Muskand in doing so, kill off a valuable part of the companys legacy. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. A group of Canadian and French researchers recently found bacteria resistant to antibiotics in cloud fog. We found that the wind lifts them into the atmosphere, and thus they can travel long distances around the world with clouds at high altitudes, explained the lead author of the study. But what does the new discovery mean for our health? Will antibiotic treatment soon become even more challenging due to bacterial resistance? Dark clouds on the horizon are ominous for a group of Canadian and French researchers, not because they portend an approaching storm, but because a recent study found they can carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These bacteria usually live on the surface of vegetation, such as leaves, or in the soil, said the lead author of the study Florent Rossi. We found that the wind lifts them up into the atmosphere and thus they can travel long distances all over the world with clouds at high altitudes, he explained to AFP. Researchers from Universite Laval in Quebec City and Universite Clermont Auvergne in central France took a closer look at cloud samples obtained from an atmospheric research station between September 2019 and October 2021. It stands at an altitude of 1,465 meters above sea level on top of the dormant French volcano Puy de Dome. They analyzed fog samples and looked for genes of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, reports France24. The analysis showed that there are from 330 to more than 30,000 bacteria in one milliliter of cloud water, and on average this number is around 8,000 bacteria per milliliter of water. They also identified 29 subtypes of antibiotic-resistant genes in bacteria. Drug resistance occurs when bacteria are exposed to antibiotics and therefore develop immunity to them over generations or years. A global health problem As France24 also reports, health institutions constantly warn that these adaptations of bacteria are becoming a global health problem. The use of antibiotics in healthcare and agriculture continues to increase, and as a result, more and more bacteria are resistant to these drugs, which makes the treatment of certain bacterial infections more difficult, and in some cases even impossible. The scientists in the study did not answer the question about the health effects of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and travel with clouds. However, it is estimated that only 5 to 50 percent of bacteria in clouds are alive and active. The atmosphere is very stressful for bacteria. Additionally, most of what we found are environmental bacteria that are less likely to be harmful to humans. So people dont have to be afraid of walking in the rain, reassured Rossi. Although it is not clear whether these resistance genes could also be transferred to other bacteria, monitoring the atmosphere in this way makes sense, as scientists could identify the source of antibiotics for immune bacteria. This would prevent their spread. Similar to how they tested waste water during the epidemic and found out where the most infections are, reports France24. Follow N1 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Download our app: available for Android and iOS. Starting a creative business requires access to quality supplies. One of the top destinations for many creative businesses, JOANN, recently launched a program to support creative business owners. Read about the opportunity and other small business grants below. JOANN Minority Creative Grant Program JOANN, the nationwide chain of arts and crafts stores, is currently running its third Minority Creative Grant program. The program is open to Asian American Pacific Islander creative entrepreneurs, with more than $100,000 in JOANN cash and prizes available. Specifically, 20 qualified entrepreneurs will receive $5,000 in JOANN credit, a product bundle valued at around $350, and marketing and promotion support from JOANN. The Minority Creative Grant Program is in its third year of supporting creative entrepreneurs. The first iteration of the program offered grants to Black creative business owners, and the second was open to Hispanic creative business owners. April 29 is the deadline to apply for this years program. Rushville COVID-19 Phase 3-Small Business Grant Program Rushville, Indiana recently announced the details of its new COVID-19 Phase 3-Small Business Grant program. The city is offering pandemic relief grants of up to $10,000 per business. To qualify, companies must have gross receipts less than $1 million per year and 100 employees or less, the majority of which must be low to moderate income. Microenterprise businesses with five employees or less are also eligible. Applicants must also outline how funds will be used for pandemic recovery and commit to remain open through at least July of 2024. Grant applications are currently available and will remain open through April 28. Tri-Cities Small Business Incentive Program Tri-Cities, Washington is about to launch its Small Business Incentive Program, which offers $30,000 in total funds. Through the program, 30 local small businesses will receive $1,000 from the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce and Washington River Protection Solutions. To qualify, applicants must have at least 18 months in business and less than 30 full-time employees.The program originally launched in 2011 and has provided $380,000 to local businesses in that time. Eligible uses of funds include marketing campaigns, website upgrades, furniture, and more. The application period opens May 1 and will close June 2. Cecilia Russo Marketing Grants Cecilia Russo Marketing is celebrating 15 successful years in business by supporting new and emerging businesses across Georgia with a new grant program. New businesses across the state can apply by submitting a written pitch of up to 1,000 words explaining their business and how it would benefit from extra funds. Three applicants will receive $5,000 grants. Interested businesses can apply on the companys website now through October 1. Northern New Mexico RDC Micro-Grant Program The Regional Development Corporation in Northern New Mexico is offering up to $3,000 to local small businesses to help them diversify, sustain, and grow their revenue. To qualify, businesses must be operating for at least six months and be headquartered in Los Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, or Taos counties. Additionally, businesses in rural areas and those that havent already received funds will be prioritized. In addition to this grant program RDC provides technical support to help local businesses access and apply for other funding opportunities, even those that dont receive a micro-grant. The deadline to submit an application is May 12. Veteran Business Outreach Center Grants The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced $3.5 million in grants to support veteran small businesses. These grants dont go directly to the businesses themselves, but they will fund Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs) in Alaska, California, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, and South Carolina. These centers provide training, counseling, and support services for aspiring and existing veteran and military spouse small business owners. In fact, centers may provide guidance and resources that help veteran business owners receive other funding opportunities. This announcement expands the VBOC program from 22 to 28 locations, meaning this support is now available throughout all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa. For the latest, follow us on Google News. If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more. As a small business owner, freelancer, or entrepreneur, you understand the importance of making well-informed decisions. One choice you might not have considered yet is the selection of an American flag for your business or personal use. This guide will cover everything you need to know about buying US flags, including materials, sizes, care tips, and FAQs. The aim is to help you make the best choice possible for you. Why the American Flag Holds a Special Place in Our Hearts A Symbol of National Pride and Unity The American flag serves as a powerful symbol of national pride and unity, reflecting our shared values and history. When you fly an American flag outside your business or home, youre not only showcasing your patriotism but also fostering a sense of community among your fellow citizens. A Reminder of Our Nations Rich History The American flag has evolved throughout our nations history, with each change reflecting significant events and milestones. Flying the flag is an opportunity to honor the sacrifices and achievements of those who have come before us, making it a meaningful choice for your business or personal use. Flags Used in Various Celebrations and Events Whether youre celebrating a national holiday, commemorating a special event, or showing support for our military, American flags play an essential role in these occasions. Displaying the flag is a simple yet powerful way to contribute to the festive atmosphere while promoting a sense of national pride. Factors to Consider When Buying American Flags There are a few factors to consider when looking to purchase high-quality flags online. Here are the most important ones: Durable Material The material of your American flag is crucial for its durability and appearance. Nylon flags are lightweight and fly easily in the wind, while polyester flags are more durable and better suited for harsh weather conditions. Cotton flags offer a traditional look but may not be as weather-resistant. Consider your local climate and the intended use of the flag when selecting the best material for your needs. Size and Dimensions American flags come in various sizes, from small car window flags to larger American flags suitable for outdoor flagpoles. Consider where and how you plan to display the flag to determine the right size for your needs. Its essential to choose a flag that is appropriately sized for your flagpole or hanging location. Outdoor vs. Indoor Use Outdoor American flags are typically made from more durable materials like nylon and polyester, with reinforced stitching and corners to withstand the elements. Indoor flags are often made from materials like cotton, with additional features like embroidered stars and sewn stripes. Make sure to select a flag suitable for its intended purpose, be it outdoor or indoor use. Flagpole Compatibility When purchasing an American flag, ensure that it is compatible with your flagpole or hanging system. Some American flags come with grommets or sleeves for easy attachment, while others may require additional hardware. Check the flags specifications and your flagpoles requirements before making your purchase. Best Places to Buy American Flags Online Online retailers offer a wide variety of American flags for sale, often at competitive prices. Shopping online allows you to compare multiple brands and styles easily, ensuring that you find the perfect flag for your needs. Be sure to check customer reviews and return policies before making a purchase. Specialty stores like Valley Forge Flags and Annin Flagmakers focus on providing high-quality flags and flag-related products. These stores often manufacture flags in the USA and are committed to delivering exceptional craftsmanship and durability. Both of these sellers and many others, offer their merchandise on Amazon and other online retailers. Our Top Picks: American Flags for Sale Since Amazon typically has the widest assortment and the fastest shipping, we searched through their pages to find the best quality American flags. Below are our top 3 picks and 7 additional recommendations for American flags for your business. Annin Flagmakers American Flag Top Pick: Annin flags have a rich history, having flown over the White House, on foreign battlefields, draped Abraham Lincolns casket, raised on Iwo Jima, and even planted on the moon. With 50 stars that are embroidered and 13 sewn white and red stripes, this flag showcases quality craftsmanship. Four rows of open weave lock stitching on the fabric help resist wind shredding, while the banner-style pole sleeve provides easy mounting and display. Size: 1218 inches Material: 200-denier heavyweight nylon Made in the USA FMAA Certified SolarGuard Nyl-Glo technology for sun protection Banner-style pole sleeve Annin Flagmakers American Flag Buy on Amazon Star Spangled Flags Polyester American Flag Runner Up: Coming in second, the Star Spangled Flags Polyester American Flags are expertly crafted in the USA with a focus on durability and quality. This flag features embroidered stars and sewn stripes, with lock-stitching on all seams and quadruple stitching on the fly end for extended durability. Designed with attention to detail, the flag includes water-resistant material and 2 sturdy brass grommets on a thick polyester canvas header. Size: 35 feet Material: Heavy-duty, all-weather 2-ply polyester Made in the USA FMAA certified Sun-protected, vivid colors with aniline dye 2 sturdy brass grommets and a thick polyester canvas header 1-year risk-free warranty Star Spangled Flags Polyester American Flag See Also: Business Valuation when Buying or Selling a Business Buy on Amazon Made in USA Flags Polyester All Weather American Flag Best Value: Our Best Value pick by USA Flags is a premium commercial-grade flag designed for durability and all-weather use. This flag boasts lock-stitching on all seams and vibrant red, white, and blue stripes that are individually sewnnot printed. The embroidered white stars have a high thread count, creating a raised and detailed appearance. Dimensions: 58 ft Material: 2-ply PolyMax polyester Made in the USA Vibrant, individually sewn stripes Embroidered, raised white stars Brass grommets for easy installation Heavy-duty, fade-resistant design Made in USA Flags Polyester All Weather American Flag Buy on Amazon Grace Alley Outdoor American Flag Crafted by American workers, this flag is made with all-American materials and is Flag Code compliant. The 46 US Flag is constructed from Durawavez nylon to endure various outdoor environments. Its polyester heading adds strength, and the flag features four-point needle fly hemstitching and durable brass grommets. Size: 46 ft Material: Durawavez nylon Made in the USA Certified FMAA compliant Embroidered stars and sewn stripes Fade resistant and heavy duty Grace Alley Outdoor American Flag Buy on Amazon Rushmore Rose Outside USA Flag The Rushmore Rose USA American Flag is designed for small business owners who appreciate a high-quality, patriotic display. This robust flag is crafted for outdoor use and can withstand harsh weather and high winds. The Flag Manufacturers Association of America recognizes this flag for its high-quality craftsmanship. Size: 2.5 x 4 ft Material: Durable poly nylon Made in the USA Embroidered stars and sewn stripes Rushmore Rose Outside USA Flag Buy on Amazon Valley Forge Sleeved American Flag The Valley Forge Sleeved American Flag is 100% made in the United States and certified by the Flag Manufacturers Association of America (FMAA). This flag is ideal for five-foot residential flagpoles and features a sleeve with a leather tab on the left edge for secure attachment to a flagpole. Dimensions: 2.5 x 4 sleeved Made in the USA FMAA certified Made of Perma-Nyl nylon Quick-drying nylon ideal for rainy areas Suitable for 5-foot residential flagpoles Valley Forge Sleeved American Flag Buy on Amazon Grace Alley 3 Pack of Outdoor American Flags Grace Alley brings you a 3-Pack of 35 ft outdoor American Flags, designed for outdoor use and 100% made in the USA. Each flag in the pack is crafted with Durawavez Nylon, offering high wind durability and weather resistance for outdoor environments. The American flags feature a polyester heading for added strength, a four-point needle fly hem, brass grommets for secure attachment, and sewn and embroidered stripes and stars. Dimensions: 35 ft (3-Pack) Material: American-made Durawavez Nylon Made in the USA Fade-resistant and long-lasting Polyester heading for added strength Brass grommets for durability 1-year, no-questions-asked warranty Grace Alley 3 Pack of Outdoor American Flags Buy on Amazon Annin Flagmakers Tough-Tex Polyester Flag Introducing the Annin Flagmakers Tough-Tex Polyester Flag: a 610 ft. U.S. flag designed for industrial, commercial, or institutional use. This flag boasts bright and bold colors achieved using SolarGuard dyes, processed for sun protection. It features 50 embroidered white stars and 13 sewn red and white stripes, with four rows of stitching on the fly hem for enhanced durability. Dimensions: 610 ft Material: Premium 2-ply polyester Made in the USA and FMAA certified Vibrant SolarGuard dyes for sun protection Rust-proof grommets Annin Flagmakers Tough-Tex Polyester Flag Buy on Amazon DANF Flags TearProof Series Outdoor American Flags The 35 ft TearProof Series American Flag from DANF FLAG is crafted to withstand harsh outdoor conditions. This flag is made of robust 200GSM spun polyester and features advanced water-repellent, UV protection, and fade-resistant treatments to ensure its colors stay bright and true. Featuring real brass grommets, this outdoor-ready flag is designed with longevity in mind. Four rows of stitching on the fly edge prevent rapid wear and tear, making this flag an enduring symbol of American craftsmanship. Dimensions: 35 ft Material: 100% spun polyester Made in the USA Fade-resistant and weather-resistant Embroidered stars, sewn stripes Brass grommets for secure display DANF Flags TearProof Series Outdoor American Flags Buy on Amazon SYII American Flag with Gold Fringed Hem The SYII American Flag is crafted with quality and attention to detail. This 35 foot flag is designed with a banner-style pole sleeve and showcases gold fringed edges that add elegance to its appearance. Constructed with heavy-duty polyester, its well-suited for both indoor and outdoor use. Dimensions: 35 feet Material: Durable polyester Made in the USA Luxury embroidered white stars Pole sleeve for easy display SYII American Flag with Gold Fringed Hem Buy on Amazon Caring for Your American Flag Proper Flag Storage and Maintenance Proper care and storage of your American flag will ensure it stays beautiful and durable for years to come. When not in use, store your flag in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. If your flag becomes dirty or stained, clean it according to the manufacturers instructions, typically using a mild detergent and lukewarm water. Allow the flag to air dry thoroughly before storing it. How to Clean and Preserve Your Flag Cleaning your flag regularly will help maintain its vibrant colors and prevent damage from dirt and pollutants. For outdoor flags, consider using a flagpole with a rotating collar to reduce flag wear caused by tangling. Additionally, remove your flag during severe weather conditions to minimize potential damage. Tips for Displaying Your Flag Respectfully Follow the US Flag Code guidelines to ensure youre displaying the American flag respectfully. Hang the flag with the union (blue field with stars) at the top left, whether displayed horizontally or vertically. When flown at half-staff, raise the flag to its peak before lowering it to the halfway point. Be mindful of lighting requirements if your flag is displayed outdoors 24/7; it should be illuminated during nighttime hours. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Are there specific guidelines for displaying an American flag? Yes, the US Flag Code provides guidelines for displaying the American flag respectfully. Adhering to these guidelines demonstrates patriotism and respect for our nations history and values. What are the differences between nylon and polyester flags? Nylon flags are lightweight and fly easily in the wind, making them ideal for mild weather conditions. Polyester flags are more durable and better suited for harsh weather, as they can withstand high winds and prolonged sun exposure. How can I ensure my flag lasts longer outdoors? Choose a flag made from durable materials like nylon or polyester and follow proper care and maintenance guidelines. Additionally, consider investing in a flagpole with a rotating collar to reduce wear from tangling. Are there any laws or regulations regarding flag size and display? While there are no specific laws governing flag size or display, following the US Flag Code guidelines ensures respectful and appropriate flag use. Can I customize my American flag with my business logo? It is not recommended to alter the design of the American flag, as it may be seen as disrespectful. Instead, consider creating a custom flag featuring your business logo alongside the American flag or incorporating patriotic elements into your logo design. Choosing the perfect American flag for your business or personal use involves considering factors such as material, size, intended use, and where to buy the flag. Our comprehensive guide aims to help you make an informed decision, ensuring that you find a flag that meets your needs while promoting patriotism and supporting American businesses. Remember to follow proper care and maintenance guidelines to keep your flag looking beautiful and durable for years to come. 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Learn more and sign up for a free trial today. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230426/rec-backed-2bln-of-exports-to-uzbekistan-in-2022-1109940311.html REC Backed $2Bln of Exports to Uzbekistan in 2022 REC Backed $2Bln of Exports to Uzbekistan in 2022 The total volume of exports supported by REC Group to Uzbekistan in 2022 exceeded $2 billion, Veronika Nikishina, director general of the Russian Export Center (part of VEB.RF), said. 2023-04-26T05:36+0000 2023-04-26T05:36+0000 2023-04-29T05:37+0000 russia uzbekistan russia russian export center jsc (rec) denis manturov /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/0b/0a/1090630713_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_7f235a8cdcb64d1c271fa4baa6dff482.jpg "The Russian Export Center group has been promoting the expansion of trade and economic ties between the two countries for a number of years now. A branch of the REC Group has been operating in Uzbekistan since 2017. During our work, more than 2,500 companies have received support to enter the Uzbek market, and last year the total volume of exports supported by the REC to Uzbekistan exceeded $2Bln," Nikishina said during a tour of the Made in Russia collective stand at the 'Innoprom. Central Asia' exhibition, attended by Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodzhayev. According to Nikishina, the top three industries in 2022 that constituted supported exports to Uzbekistan were mechanical engineering (43 percent), metallurgical industry (21 percent) and chemical industry (14 percent). uzbekistan russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 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 russian export center, rec group to uzbekistan, exports to uzbekistan https://sputnikglobe.com/20230427/export-potential-of-womens-business-mission-to-tashkent-exceeds-1mln-1109941169.html Export Potential of Women's Business Mission to Tashkent Exceeds $1Mln Export Potential of Women's Business Mission to Tashkent Exceeds $1Mln The export potential of B2B meetings resulting from the first business mission for Russian women exporters in the light industry, which the Russian Export Center (REC, part of VEB.RF) held in Tashkent in March this year, exceeded $1 million, Veronika Nikishina, CEO of REC, said at the Innoprom exhibition. Central Asia". 2023-04-27T06:12+0000 2023-04-27T06:12+0000 2023-04-29T06:12+0000 russia russia russian export center jsc (rec) russian ministry of industry and trade veronika nikishina central asia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/06/01/1095915097_0:32:2976:1706_1920x0_80_0_0_9b1d5605ba2c30a5ba3fa035d1a6e743.jpg "'Innoprom: Central Asia' is not our first event in Uzbekistan for Russian companies this year. More than 20 Russian companies took part in the women's business mission under the Made in Russia brand in March. It was organized with the support of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Eurasian Women's Forum. We organized about 100 targeted business meetings for the mission participants, whose export potential exceeded $1Mln," Nikishina said. She added that Russian companies were represented at the Made in Russia stand and at the recent health exhibition in Uzbekistan TIHE 2023 - where the REC's stand was recognized as being the best national exposition - and at the construction exhibition UzBuild 2023. The 'Innoprom. Central Asia' exhibition takes place in Tashkent from 24 to 26 April. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230412/rec-my-export-will-help-find-markets-to-sell-digital-goods---1109382522.html russia central asia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 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 business mission, russian export center, innoprom exhibition https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/russia-and-uzbekistan-sign-memorandum-on-light-industry-development---1109940596.html Russia and Uzbekistan Sign Memorandum on Light Industry Development Russia and Uzbekistan Sign Memorandum on Light Industry Development A memorandum of intent on elaboration of integrated commodity cooperation was signed between Russia and Uzbekistan at Innoprom: Central Asia exhibition, held in Tashkent from 24 to 26 April, Russian Export Center (part of VEB.ru) said. 2023-04-28T09:38+0000 2023-04-28T09:38+0000 2023-04-29T09:42+0000 russia veronika nikishina russia uzbekistan russian export center jsc (rec) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/06/01/1095915180_0:169:3020:1868_1920x0_80_0_0_127bcb47c4c52d125356f6c2810928a0.jpg It envisages that the two sides will jointly develop light industry in the two countries for their mutual benefit. According to her, this work was launched at a business mission of women exporters in light industry. In particular, the memorandum provides for the development of special mechanisms of financial support for pilot production and the establishment of effective cooperation in the production of yarn and fabric. Within the document signed, Russia and Uzbekistan will also exchange information on supplies of priority raw materials, which will help define the parameters of inter-country raw material balance and estimate the volume of the market.It is also planned to establish a scientific and technical council to develop a comprehensive "Cotton flax" program, define a list of enterprises where pilot production of blended products will be organized and work out basic parameters, and develop and promote a quality standard for products using bast crops. russia uzbekistan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 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 sign memorandum, russia and uzbekistan, russian export center https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/assad-syria-supports-chinas-active-political-economic-presence-across-world-1109963411.html Assad: Syria Supports China's Active Political, Economic Presence Across World Assad: Syria Supports China's Active Political, Economic Presence Across World Syria supports China's active political and economic presence across the globe, contributing to the restoration of balance in the world, Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Saturday. 2023-04-29T21:06+0000 2023-04-29T21:06+0000 2023-04-30T00:09+0000 world syria china bashar assad partnership /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/0a/0b/1089828528_0:279:2948:1937_1920x0_80_0_0_25043da799fc5cb3e61c7aec9c65f5ea.jpg Earlier in the day, Assad met with China's Special Envoy for the Middle East Zhai Jun to discuss the bilateral Syrian-Chinese relations as well as China's role in the Middle East. Russia-China relations and the activity of BRICS countries are the examples contributing to the global balance and the establishment of a multipolar world order, the Syrian leader added. Assad said that Syria sees opportunities for economic development in turning away from the dollar in favor of the Chinese yuan. The Syrian president said that BRICS countries could play a key role in this regard.Assad also positively assessed China's mediation in the diplomatic normalization between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which would stabilize the situation in the Middle East. Zhai, in turn, said that China would support Syria in its fight against hegemony and interference in its domestic affairs, while also helping Damascus restore ties with other Arab states, according to the Syrian presidential office. In early March, China hosted landmark talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, in which the two states agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies in short order. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230417/inevitable-de-dollarization-which-countries-are-moving-away-from-greenback-1109592646.html syria china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 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 syrian president bashar al-assad, syria, china, political and economic presence, special envoy for the middle east zhai jun https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/biden-may-survive-weak-democratic-primaries-but-unlikely-to-top-trump-rematch-1109933969.html Biden May Survive Weak Democratic Primaries But Unlikely to Top Trump Rematch Biden May Survive Weak Democratic Primaries But Unlikely to Top Trump Rematch The Democratic Party's elite will probably ensure no strong contender emerges to challenge President Joe Biden in the primary vote, although he will likely lose in a close race to his predecessor in 2024, analysts told Sputnik. 2023-04-29T01:22+0000 2023-04-29T01:22+0000 2023-04-29T01:22+0000 analysis joe biden donald trump democratic primaries marianne williamson robert f. kennedy jr gop candidate democratic nomination /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/02/0d/1092979984_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_4cdf2dbadb32ca14173df7693416baa5.jpg Earlier this week, the 80-year-old president, the oldest man ever to hold the office, announced he would run again for reelection next year. Biden made the announcement just as his approval rating hit an all-time low, 37%, in the latest Gallup survey released on Thursday. However, two early election polls have him as the clear front-runner to win the Democratic Party's nomination, securing an average of 66% of votes, followed by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. with 20% and Marianne Williamson with 8.5%. Eurasia Center Vice President Earl Rasmussen said he believed Biden made a bad decision in choosing to run again, given his age and diminishing cognitive abilities, but his renomination appeared assured. Nevertheless, the potential for a surprise long-shot grassroots challenger from outside the political establishment did exist, Rasmussen advised, although the powers that be may not let it happen. "Robert Kennedy, Jr. has potential, however, it appears that the political elite are not in his corner," Rasmussen said. "Hence, similar to Tulsi Gabbard in 2020, Mr. Kennedy will also see challenges from the political establishment." Unlikely to Beat TrumpMeanwhile, Trump clearly dominates the Republican field. According to the average of the past seven surveys posted on poll aggregator Real Clear Politics (RCP), Trump would easily win the Republican nomination if the primary were held today. Trump would secure over 50% of the vote, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (23%), former Vice President Mike Pence (5.4%), and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (3.9%), followed by seven other candidates with less than 4% of the vote. In terms of challengers in the Republican primary, Rasmussen said DeSantis would be a good candidate, but cannot see him beating Trump. Rasmussen thinks a Trump-Biden general election will be a "close one." "While there were definitely some questionable practices in the last presidential election, Mr. Trump's continual comments following his loss has not garnered him additional support," Rasmussen said. Trump's RCP average job approval rating on April 28 of 2019 was 43.1%, versus Biden's current score of 42.9%. Moreover, the RCP average shows Trump edging out Biden in a 2024 rematch by less than one percent. Former hedge fund manager and political commentator Charles Ortel, however, believes Biden has "little chance" of winning in a rematch against Trump. In 2020, Ortel argued, the theory that a veteran senator and former vice president could unite the nation and manage it smoothly was "saleable." But not anymore, he added, because Biden has done significant damage to the country and its allies during his first term. Trend Research Journal publisher and former Wall Street hedge fund manager Gerald Celente said the only reason Biden beat Trump in 2020 was the strong turnout by Trump-haters. Celente also pointed out that a recent Rasmussen poll indicated Biden's job approval was lower than Trump's at this point in his presidency. However, Celente also said he thinks there is a Democratic Party candidate that could beat Trump: RFK Jr. "While the mainstream media diminished RFK Jr's chances of success, considering his anti-war, anti-big corporation control, he stands a strong chance of winning the Democratic nomination and, minus a wild card, winning the presidency," Celente predicted. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/trump-says-hes-giving-crooked-nickname-to-biden-ahead-of-2024-us-election-1109907571.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/abc-news-liberally-censors-rfk-jr-interview-over-vaccine-comments-1109925269.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 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 democratic party, joe biden, donald trump, 2024 us election cycle, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/crooked-hillary-no-longer-1109937195.html 'Crooked' Hillary No Longer 'Crooked' Hillary No Longer Former US President Donald Trump has indicated he will no longer call former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "crooked" anymore, instead opting to pass own the nickname to his current presidential rival Joe Biden. 2023-04-29T03:12+0000 2023-04-29T03:12+0000 2023-04-29T03:37+0000 political cartoons sputnik cartoons ted rall hillary clinton donald trump 2024 us presidential elections americas cartoons /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/1d/1109936016_0:0:2000:1125_1920x0_80_0_0_eebbed5ea66e58093bbffcd18f679586.jpg Although Trump often referred to Clinton as "crooked" during the 2016 campaign trail, he announced at a Thursday New Hampshire rally that he will be replacing the name and "rewarding" her with more positive nicknames. As the "crooked" title heads to US President Joe Biden ahead of the 2024 US election, Clinton will instead be known as "Lovely Hillary" or "beautiful Hillary." Trump also noted that in 2024, Americans will have to choose between "strength and weakness, success or failure, safety or anarchy, peace or conflict, and prosperity or catastrophe." He stressed he had no doubts about his future electoral victory in the upcoming election cycle.Among other nicknames that Trump applied to Biden, media outlined 'Basement Biden', 'China Joe', 'Corrupt Joe', 'Crooked Joe', 'Crazy Joe Biden', 'Quid Pro Joe', 'Sleepy Joe', 'SleepyCreepy Joe' and 'Slow Joe'. americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 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 donald trump, joe biden, crooked hillary, nickname, 2024 us election, trump will call hillary clinton lovely, secretary of state hillary clinton, trump new hampshire https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/erdogan-makes-first-public-appearance-after-feeling-unwell-1109946342.html Erdogan Makes First Public Appearance After Feeling Unwell Erdogan Makes First Public Appearance After Feeling Unwell ISTANBUL (Sputnik) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made his first public appearance on Saturday after falling ill earlier in the week, a Sputnik... 29.04.2023, Sputnik International 2023-04-29T10:53+0000 2023-04-29T10:53+0000 2023-04-29T15:09+0000 world recep tayyip erdogan middle east turkiye /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/01/16/1106594763_0:0:3049:1716_1920x0_80_0_0_950298e4d3b349903f06132c0b67bb53.jpg The leader showed up at aerospace and technology festival Teknofest in Istanbul. His wife, Emine Erdogan, also attended the event, along with the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, with his wife, Mehriban, and Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Al-Dbeibeh. Speaking to media, the president said that he was feeling much better after coming down with a stomach infection that prompted him to cancel several election campaign events earlier this week."Thank God, much better," Erdogan said when asked by CNN Turk correspondent Fulya Ozturk about his well-being as he was seated in Turkey's domestically produced electric car TOGG with Aliyev in the driver's seat.On Tuesday, Erdogan abruptly interrupted a live television interview as he fell ill. Following a long break, the Turkish president returned on air and said that he had caught stomach flu. The next day, he canceled several election campaign events on doctors' advice. Some media reported that Erdogan had suffered a heart attack, but the president's office dismissed the reports. On Thursday, the Turkish head of state took part in the nuclear fuel delivery ceremony at Turkiye's Akkuyu nuclear power plant via a videoconference. On Friday, Erdogan made a video appearance at the opening ceremony for the bridge over River Seyhan in Adana. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230426/erdogans-office-denies-turkish-president-suffered-heart-attack-1109863659.html turkiye Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 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 recep tayyip erdogan, middle east, turkiye https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/investigators-to-give-legal-assessment-of-polish-seizure-of-russian-embassy-school-in-warsaw-1109962140.html Investigators to Give Legal Assessment of Polish Seizure of Russian Embassy School in Warsaw Investigators to Give Legal Assessment of Polish Seizure of Russian Embassy School in Warsaw Russian investigators will give a legal assessment of Poland's seizure of the Russian embassy school building in Warsaw, the Russian Investigative Committee said on Saturday. 2023-04-29T18:46+0000 2023-04-29T18:46+0000 2023-04-29T18:46+0000 world poland russia russian embassy school /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/1d/1109961972_0:13:1164:668_1920x0_80_0_0_30de3bd442550bfa73f3d419fb4717e7.jpg "Head of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin has ordered investigators to request necessary information from the Foreign Ministry and give a legal assessment to all circumstances of the incident," the committee said in a statement published on Telegram. Earlier in the day, Warsaw mayor's office officials, accompanied by Polish police, arrived at the Russian embassy's school and stormed the premises after breaking the gate door. The Polish authorities told employees of the school to vacate the premises by 6 p. m. local time (16:00 GMT). Employees of the Russian embassy school in Warsaw are leaving the building after it was stormed.A total of 29 people, namely employees and their family members, including children, were on the school grounds when the Polish authorities swooped on the building.Having loaded their belongings into a truck, the school employees are leave the building to the Russian patriotic march "Farewell of Slavianka" and Soviet military song "Katyusha." Polish judicial officers remain on the school grounds and continue to take inventory of the premises and property.The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier on Saturday that Moscow would give a tough response to the Polish authorities intrusion on the building of the embassy school. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/polish-authorities-storm-school-at-russian-embassy-with-police-backing-1109944817.html poland russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 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 warsaw, russian-polish relations, school of russian embassy in warsaw https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/iran-ready-to-ramp-up-joint-drills-with-china-to-challenge-us-unipolar-world-1109956249.html Iran Ready to Ramp Up Joint Drills With China to Challenge US Unipolar World Iran Ready to Ramp Up Joint Drills With China to Challenge US Unipolar World Iran has repeatedly hosted joint maritime drills with its Chinese and Russian partners, and cooperated extensively with Moscow in the joint battle against jihadists in Syria. In 2021, Tehran signed a major, 25-year strategic cooperation agreement with Beijing. Negotiations on a similar deal with Moscow are currently being finalized. 2023-04-29T16:03+0000 2023-04-29T16:03+0000 2023-04-29T16:05+0000 military iran china drills exercises joint military exercises cooperation us shanghai cooperation organisation (sco) multipolar world /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/1d/1109955949_0:75:1437:883_1920x0_80_0_0_3a351a4c3063aa89e0aa9c82ddee3962.jpg Iran welcomes the expansion of joint military drills with China, and believes such exercises will help defuse the threat posed to both nations by American-led unilateralism, Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani has said on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) defense ministers meeting in New Delhi, India, held on April 28-29.The regional and international situation is changing, and as a result, the expansion of relations between Iran and China has become more important than in the past, Ashtiani said, speaking to his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu, on Saturday. Calling for ramping up joint exercises with the Peoples Liberation Army, as well as dialogue and [] exchanges of military defense and intelligence delegations at different levels, Ashtiani recalled the success of the recent Maritime Security Belt drills with China and Russia in the Sea of Oman in March.Li Shangfu, for his part, praised the deep and long-term relationship between the Islamic Republic and the Peoples Republic of China, and said the two countries enjoy mutual strategic trust and favor independence and an end to the status quo, while cooperating effectively in opposition to the dominance of some countries.Speaking to Tajik Defense Minister Sherali Mirzo on Saturday, Ashtiani said that the Islamic Republic would like to enhance defense cooperation with its regional neighbor, especially against terrorism, and invited the Central Asian nations armed forces to take part in future drills with Irans military. Ashtiani also highlighted efforts by extra-regional powers to meddle in Central Asias affairs, and said such interference could be squashed through strengthened cooperation between Iran and Tajikistan.Ashtiani also expressed Irans readiness for joint naval maneuvers with all of the security blocs members, and proposed the creation of a Shanghai Maritime Security Belt mechanism to improve the security of maritime routes and the safety of global trade.The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a major Eurasian political, defense, and economic organization created in 2001 by Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The blocs membership has since been expanded to include India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran, with Tehran formally applying to join in 2022. In addition to its security and counter-terrorism mandate, the bloc serves as an important platform for the resolution of security-related disputes between its members.With a population of over 3.3 billion people and a geography stretching from the shores of the Baltic and Arctic Seas to the Pacific Coast, the East and South China Seas, the Indian Ocean, and the Persian Gulf, the SCO is the largest regional organization in the world, accounting for over 30 million square kilometers of territory, and about 25 percent of the worlds economy. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230318/terrorists-lose-russian-iranian-chinese-commandos-train-to-take-down-pirates-in-joint-drills-1108543160.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230329/iran-russia-agree-jcpoa-has-no-alternatives-1108919352.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/sco-vs-washingtons-asia-pacific-pacts-how-eurasian-bloc-can-oppose-us-diktat-1109923355.html iran china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov 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 Ilya Tsukanov iran, china, russia, drills, exercises, joint drills, us hegemony, unipolar world, shanghai cooperation organization https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/kiev-sends-note-of-protest-to-poland-eu-after-banning-ukrainian-import--1109952978.html Kiev Sends Note of Protest to Poland, EU Over Ban on Ukrainian Imports Kiev Sends Note of Protest to Poland, EU Over Ban on Ukrainian Imports The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has applied to embassies of Poland and the European Union with a note of protest against restrictions on import of its products, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on Saturday. 2023-04-29T12:41+0000 2023-04-29T12:41+0000 2023-04-29T16:14+0000 world ukraine poland european union (eu) ukrainian foreign ministry /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/101426/60/1014266040_0:213:3855:2381_1920x0_80_0_0_afabbb5643a2e027834577f02213ab98.jpg "Yesterday, notes were sent to embassies of the Republic of Poland and the European Union regarding the absolutely unacceptable situation with trade restrictions on import of Ukrainian agricultural products," Nikolenko said on social media. Nikolenko said that the imposed restrictions corresponded neither to the agreement between Ukraine and the EU nor the principles and standards of the European single market. There are all the necessary legal grounds for immediate resumption of the import, Nikolenko added. On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he urged the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, to resolve the issue with restrictions against the import of Ukrainian products. Ukraine was granted a temporary duty-free trade arrangement with the EU last June. In March 2022, the EU additionally launched green corridors to facilitate the transit of Ukrainian grain to the world market. However, the cheap grain from Ukraine ended up flooding EU markets instead, prompting outrage among local farmers. On April 15, Poland and Hungary said they were banning imports of Ukrainian agricultural products until June 30, citing the need to protect domestic farmers from the uncontrolled influx of cheap grain from Ukraine. Slovakia followed suit on April 17 and Bulgaria on April 19. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230424/poland-wants-ban-on-ukrainian-grain-imports-until-end-of-year---agriculture-minister-1109804416.html ukraine poland Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 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 banning ukrainian import, european union, ukrainian foreign ministry https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/kievs-counteroffensive-bluster-all-about-pr-as-nato-stocks-emptied-armies-stripped-1109953357.html Kievs Counteroffensive Bluster All About PR, as NATO Stocks Emptied, Armies Stripped Kievs Counteroffensive Bluster All About PR, as NATO Stocks Emptied, Armies Stripped Ukraine's spring counteroffensive bluster is all about PR, as NATO's own stocks have been emptied to prop up the Kiev's regime, International affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda said. 2023-04-29T13:55+0000 2023-04-29T13:55+0000 2023-04-29T13:55+0000 ukraine missile strikes russia air defense nato leopard 2 proxy war russia's special operation in ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/09/0f/1100803632_0:171:3072:1899_1920x0_80_0_0_c4c2560ead101d8613d02097d0edb189.jpg The Kiev regime has gathered up cannon fodder for its greatly heralded spring counteroffensive, International affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda told Sputnik.There are estimated to be some 12 or 13 new brigades - upwards of 50,000 trained troops - on top of up to 100,000 territorial defense conscripted personnel, he said, adding that at least 40,000 troops - nine brigades - have been NATO-trained over the past couple of months. The training was in line with an abbreviated training course, so don't expect miracles from them, he added.Still, Ukrainian troops have received some combined arms warfare and training from the West, along with military transport and weaponry, including about 250 tanks of which about 30 or so are modern Leopard 2 tanks and about 14 are Challengers, Sleboda said.Regarding the main thrust of this 'Spring Counteroffensive', it is allegedly to be to the South through heavily fortified Russian defensive lines, and Zaporozhye, according to the analyst. Another mooted area of offense from the Kiev regime's forces could be around the flanks of Artemovsk, known in Ukraine by its pre-Soviet name Bakhmut. The Kiev regime has gathered some 80,000 in the area of the city, which has been at the center of hostilities in Donbass for months, with the Ukrainian Armed Forces sustaining heavy losses and sacrificing civilian lives there.Also, a diversionary cross-border incursion into the Russian mainland around the city of Belgorod could be considered. This scenario would not be about military strategy, added Sleboda, but all about PR and generating, supposedly, panic". Some wild speculations have even suggested the possibility that Kiev will undertake a crossing of the Dniper.However, even Western mainstream media admits that Ukrainian forces would encounter - in the event of such an advance - Russia's layered trenched networks, concrete fortifications, pillboxes, tank obstacles and minefields, Sleboda pointed out. If Kiev were to gather troops, ammunition, fuel - everything needed for an offensive - they would be targeted behind the lines by Russias precision strikes, the analyst explained, also pointing to the deteriorating condition of the Kiev regime's air defense system.For all its bluster, even Kiev administration officials, speaking anonymously through their stenographers in The New York Times, have recently admitted that they do not believe they can achieve much of what they have been vehemently bragging about, Sleboda said.The Biden administration has openly questioned whether Ukraine can boast any significant success on the battlefield, for all the weapons the West has been funneling there. So, it all comes down to politics, said Sleboda, as the collective West has invested hugely in Ukraine.Russian forces are inextricably dug in and have been preparing for this for a long time, whereas Kiev is perfectly aware its forces might be charging into a killing field, Sleboda asserted.For more fascinating commentary in the issue, check out our Sputnik radio show Political Misfits. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/germany-preparing-ukrainian-soldiers-for-counteroffensive---reports-1109947160.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/high-risk-ukraine-counteroffensive-may-end-up-with-encirclement-of-troops-by-russian-forces-1109772461.html ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko 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 Svetlana Ekimenko ukraine, kiev regime, bluster about spring counteroffensive, all about pr, nato stocks emptied, to prop up kiev regime, international affairs and security analyst mark sleboda, nato proxy war against russia https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/lockheed-wins-83mln-contract-for-s-koreas-integration-into-f-35-program-1109940025.html Lockheed Wins $8.3Mln Contract For S Korea's Integration Into F-35 Program Lockheed Wins $8.3Mln Contract For S Korea's Integration Into F-35 Program The US Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $8.3 million contract to support South Korea's integration into the F-35 fighter jet program, the Pentagon said in a press release. 2023-04-29T04:21+0000 2023-04-29T04:21+0000 2023-04-29T04:21+0000 military south korea f-35 f-35a pentagon /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/1f/1092645729_0:0:3276:1844_1920x0_80_0_0_fefad4c0eeab63de3f43a77a29f31312.jpg "Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded an $8,372,760 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract," the release said on Friday. The contract provides continued program management, logistics, sustainment, and system engineering support to South Korea for its integration into the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, the release said. The Pentagon noted that work is expected to be complete in April 2026. South Korea has 40 F-35A fighter jets in service and expects to acquire 20 more by 2028, according to media reports. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230418/whats-the-rumpus-hundreds-of-norwegians-sue-state-over-f-35-noise-1109611641.html south korea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 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 lockheed martin, f-35 fighter jet https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/no-clarity-on-prospects-of-extending-grain-deal---source-1109939191.html No Clarity on Prospects of Extending Grain Deal - Source No Clarity on Prospects of Extending Grain Deal - Source There is no clarity on the issue of the potential extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative; Turkiye is waiting for the West to demonstrate support for Ankaras efforts, a source close to the talks told Sputnik. 2023-04-29T03:47+0000 2023-04-29T03:47+0000 2023-04-29T03:49+0000 istanbul grain deal russia the united nations (un) ankara ukraine recep tayyip erdogan antonio guterres grain exports grain supply turkiye /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0c/0c/1105374863_0:320:3072:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_0600c313678b90e8aaef5ee171995b00.jpg The source sayed that Ankara and the United Nations are making some efforts in that respect, and Turkiye expects "Western partners to support our efforts."UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday about the continuation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and about improving the export of Russian products, according to UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.The Turkish presidency said on Friday that Erdogan assured Guterres that Turkiye attached importance to the continuation of the UN-brokered grain export deal between Russia and Ukraine, which is set to expire on May 18.Ankara announced on Friday that Ukraine had proposed to expand the list of goods for export under the grain deal. Russia says it is ready to extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative if curbs on its food and fertilizer exports are lifted. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230427/moscow-to-decide-on-grain-deal-fate-based-on-interdepartmental-consultations-1109879647.html russia ankara ukraine turkiye Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 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 istanbul grain deal, russia, the united nations, un, ankara, ukraine, recep tayyip erdogan, antonio guterres, grain exports, grain supply, turkiye, stephane dujarric, turkiye dissatisfied with grain deal, russian fertilizers, fertilizers exports https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/pentagon-approves-request-by-state-department-to-help-us-citizens-depart-sudan-1109960482.html Pentagon Approves Request by State Department to Help US Citizens Depart Sudan Pentagon Approves Request by State Department to Help US Citizens Depart Sudan The US Department of Defense has approved the request of the State Department to support efforts to evacuate US citizens from Sudan by supporting air and land evacuation routes, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on Saturday. 2023-04-29T18:03+0000 2023-04-29T18:03+0000 2023-04-29T18:03+0000 americas north africa east africa sudan us us department of defense (dod) pentagon us state department lloyd austin /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/0f/1109561263_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_0aea1ba99dabb7d7b150e09a751fb9b4.jpg "The Secretary of Defense [Lloyd Austin] approved a request for assistance from the Department of State to support the safe departure of U.S. citizens and their immediate family members via overland. The Department of Defense deployed U.S. intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets to support air and land evacuation routes, which Americans are using, and we are moving naval assets within the region to provide any necessary support along the coast," Singh said in a statement. The US priority "has been and remains" to help as many US citizens leave Sudan as safely as possible, according to Singh. Earlier in the day, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that a US convoy carrying US citizens and other foreigners had arrived at Port Sudan, with the State Department assisting people to depart the African country. Hundreds of US citizens have already left Sudan through these options provided by the US government, according to Miller. On April 15, violent clashes broke out between the Sudanese regular armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, with the epicenter located in Khartoum. The parties have introduced a number of temporary nationwide ceasefires since then, but the conflict has not been settled yet. On Thursday, the sides agreed to extend the current ceasefire for another 72 hours. According to Sudans Health Ministry, around 600 people have died in the clashes. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported over 450 dead and more than 4,000 injured. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230424/how-many-americans-are-in-sudan-1109802447.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/countries-evacuating-nationals-diplomats-from-sudan-1109780588.html americas north africa east africa sudan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 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 sudan, us, us department of defense, pentagon, us citizens https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/polish-authorities-storm-school-at-russian-embassy-with-police-backing-1109944817.html Polish Authorities Storm School at Russian Embassy With Police Backing Polish Authorities Storm School at Russian Embassy With Police Backing Warsaw mayor's office officials, accompanied by Polish police, arrived on Saturday morning at the school at the Russian embassy and stormed the premises after being denied entry, a Sputnik correspondent reports from the scene. 2023-04-29T09:33+0000 2023-04-29T09:33+0000 2023-04-29T11:15+0000 russia warsaw poland russia russian embassy polish foreign ministry /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/101719/45/1017194519_0:152:2921:1795_1920x0_80_0_0_d80e203e358636a7f1a7750b555493de.jpg The Polish officials and police arrived at the school on Kielecka Street in Warsaw on Saturday morning and were soon joined by Russian embassy officials, including minister-counselor Andrey Ordash. When one of the Polish officials demanded that the gates to the school be opened, his request was turned down. Ordash said that Russia deems the decision to seize the property illegal and warned of retaliatory diplomatic steps. Following these remarks, special services workers, who were invited to the scene, started breaking the door of the school's gates and soon managed to get inside. After that, they padlocked the school gates to make sure the property cannot be removed. Polish authorities ordered the staff working at the school at the Russian embassy in Warsaw to leave the building until 6 p.m. local time (16:00 GMT) on Saturday, minister-counselor Andrey Ordash told Sputnik.Besides the Polish authorities, only Russian diplomats were allowed to enter the premises. The Russian minister-counselor told the Polish side that individuals holding diplomatic immunity were on the school territory. In March 2022, the Polish Foreign Ministry said that it appealed to the countrys competent authorities to start seizing two real estate objects at Sobieskiego 100 and Kielecka 45 in Warsaw, claiming that they are "not used for diplomatic and consular purposes and are illegally owned by the Russian Federation." The school at the Russian Embassy in Poland is located in the building at Kieleckiej Street 45. The building at Sobieskiego 100 was previously inhabited by Russian diplomats, but now it is unoccupied and in need of repair. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230405/polands-orlen-terminates-last-contract-on-oil-deliveries-from-russia--1109133024.html warsaw poland russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 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 russian embassy, polish authorities, denied entry https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/rec-to-promote-exports-of-innovative-products-as-made-in-russia-1109941958.html REC to Promote Exports of Innovative Products as 'Made in Russia' REC to Promote Exports of Innovative Products as 'Made in Russia' The Russian Export Center (part of VEB.RF) will motivate companies with breakthrough solutions and proactive position on export to join the Made in Russia program, Veronika Nikishina, CEO of REC, said at the plenary session "How to make intellectual property a highly liquid asset?" at the 5th International Rospatent Conference "ERA IP". 2023-04-29T09:58+0000 2023-04-29T09:58+0000 2023-04-29T09:58+0000 russia russia russian export center jsc (rec) rospatent veronika nikishina /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/09/08/1100549406_0:91:3078:1822_1920x0_80_0_0_9cebe6ebfe1582d95e0a33ba7ff2242f.jpg "Our goal is to make as many Russian companies with intellectual capital as possible join the Made in Russia certification program. By the way, our trademark - the 'bird' in the colors of the Russian tricolor - is registered by Rospatent, as well as in the EU, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Vietnam. In terms of promoting intellectual property rights, we will cooperate with Rospatent, which knows companies with breakthrough and practical solutions. Having innovative products confirmed by patents and a 'Made in Russia' certificate strengthens a company's position in the export market. The Russian Export Center promotes such products in the markets through advertising campaigns and targeted marketing, as well as using other support measures," Nikishina said. More and more Russian companies are patenting their products and thus strengthening their competitive edge, including in foreign markets, she said. And if the entrepreneurs understand that it is the protected intellectual property that is their main asset to export, and if they are ready to talk about their goods, the Russian Export Center will provide comprehensive assistance in their promotion. In particular, we are talking about participation in collective expositions of Made in Russia at international exhibitions, which is partially compensated by the state. At the same time, REC specialists organize business meetings with potential partners for each Russian company.Entrepreneurs can also receive free training at the REC's export school and receive advice on logistics, certification, and protection of intellectual property abroad. Nikishina noted that the REC is now working with the accredited authorities to resume from next year an important measure of state support for producers of innovative goods - compensation for the costs of obtaining protection of intellectual property abroad. Companies will once again have the opportunity to optimize their costs for registering intellectual property rights. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230424/rec-organized-more-than-200-b2b-meetings-for-exporters-at-innoprom-1109940141.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 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 russian export center, made in russia rospatent conference https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/russia-sees-no-progress-in-implementing-its-part-of-grain-deal-moscow-1109941717.html Russia Sees No Progress in Implementing Its Part of Grain Deal Russia Sees No Progress in Implementing Its Part of Grain Deal There are no tangible results that would indicate that Russia's demands under the Black Sea Grain Initiative have been met, but there is still time before the grain deal expires, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said, speaking about the prospects for extending the deal beyond May 18. 2023-04-29T06:45+0000 2023-04-29T06:45+0000 2023-04-29T16:54+0000 world grain sergey vershinin antonio guterres sergey lavrov russia the united nations (un) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/02/17/1107735227_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_555628a3f558c262a2943e6cab57de03.jpg "Assessments of the progress have been outlined. Today we are at the end of April, we still have time. For now, I will repeat what we are saying publicly at different levels we have no concrete results that would indicate progress in meeting our demands," Vershinin said. Russia is "being told about the efforts," he said, adding that the country appreciates the efforts, "but we need results, and there are no results."The ideas on the Black Sea Grain Initiative, also known as the grain deal, formulated by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are being considered and worked out in an interdepartmental format, Vershinin added.On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Guterres's letter to Putin on the grain deal had been handed over via diplomatic channels and was being considered. "And we have already said several times that these proposals are being considered and worked out in an interdepartmental format," Vershinin said.Sergey Vershinin said that Washington is interested in maintaining the work of its embassy in Moscow, although relations between Russia and the United States are at an extremely low level.He specified that there is an exchange between Russia and the United States at an expert level regarding various concerns and issues in bilateral relations.The deputy foreign minister said that Russia is working with the United States on the basis of the principle of full reciprocity, and "if any unfriendly actions are taken against the Russian Federation on a bilateral basis, the American side will immediately receive exactly the same reaction."UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has not yet made any particular steps on launching an arbitration process against the United States over visa problems, and Russia will seek this procedure, Vershinin added."There is plenty of evidence that Americans are violating their obligations," Vershinin told journalists, adding that the US is "obliged to provide visas, to comply with the requirements that arise in connection with the holding of international events here, on the UN platform. This does not happen. This has been going on for years."Earlier this month, Moscow slammed Washington's decision not to issue visas to the Russian reporters who were supposed to accompany Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the UN Security Council, saying that the United States breached its pledges to protect freedom of speech. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230427/west-doing-everything-to-wage-war-with-russia-in-europe-far-away-from-us---antonov-1109868375.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 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 black sea grain, grain deal expires, russian deputy foreign minister sergey vershinin https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/situation-does-not-look-good-for-ukraine-polands-top-general-says-1109953569.html Situation Does Not Look Good for Ukraine, Polands Top General Says Situation Does Not Look Good for Ukraine, Polands Top General Says Warsaw has walked lockstep with Washington in facilitating NATOs proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. However, many ordinary Poles have expressed concerns over the states full-throated support for Kiev, not least due to the Ukrainian governments lionization of a WWII-era fascist leader whose militias murdered hundreds of thousands of Poles. 2023-04-29T13:18+0000 2023-04-29T13:18+0000 2023-04-29T14:07+0000 poland ukraine russia polish military conflict politics economics factors military aid european union (eu) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/1d/1109953119_1:0:1391:782_1920x0_80_0_0_ae4f302da1726656705ee4ab408631ba.png Ukraine has little chance of emerging victorious in the conflict against Russia, Polish Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Rajmund Andrzejczak has said.Speaking at a debate at the National Security Bureau in Warsaw this week, Andrzejczak explained that the Ukrainian security crisis, and conflicts in general, are political and economic, and not strictly a matter for the military.War always was, is, and there is nothing to indicate otherwise a matter of politics, and in its determinants has a substantial number of economic factors: finance, infrastructure issues, social issues, technology, food production and a whole set of problems that must be put into this box to understand this conflict, the general said.The senior officer explained that from the perspective of the coming one-two year period at least, there is nothing to indicate that Russia will not have the resources to continue operations. Ukraine, on the other hand, has huge financial problems, according to Andrzejczak. We know how much the country needs per month. We know what American assistance amounts to, that of the entire collective West amounts to. We also know what Polish assistance is in this area, because we are the second-largest donor and should probably be a major inspiration for others. The speed of attrition in the financial area is, in my opinion, unfavorable [to Kiev], unfortunately, he stressed.Whats more, Andrzejczak said, theres nothing to indicate that the Ukrainians who fled the country last year are ready to return home and begin rebuilding the country.Accordingly, he suggested, NATO allies and the entire collective West will have to use the upcoming alliance summit in Vilnius in July to demonstrate their credibility.If we are late, if we do not take advantage of this opportunity and do not show determination, we will not give Ukraine a chance to build its secure future, he said.Stressing that his status as a professional soldier obliges him to speak about the most unfavorable and difficult scenarios for the present crisis, Andrzejczak emphasized that the security situation today is very bad, very dangerous for Poland.As one of Americas top allies in NATO, Poland has provided over $2.67 billion in direct military assistance to Ukraine over the past year, and has allowed for its territory to be used for the transfer of tens of billions of dollars worth of Western military hardware to Kiev, and training for Ukrainian troops. Polish media have also reported that large numbers of Poles have taken part in the fighting against Russia, with a report from November 2022 estimating that about 1,200 Polish nationals had been killed to that date, and the government creating a special 1,700-space American-style cemetery in Olsztyn, northeastern Poland for the dead.Warsaw played an instrumental role in supporting the Euromaidan coup detat in February 2014 which sparked the Ukraine crisis, supporting the Washington and Brussels-led push to break Ukraine off from interaction and cooperation with Russia and to push it toward Western institutions like the European Union and NATO.But not all Poles are happy about the role their government has played in Ukraine, with some citing the financial costs of the economic war with Russia and the burden of hosting up to 1.3 million refugees. Others are critical of the Ukrainian governments support for radical ultranationalist forces in Kiev, which have glorified Stepan Bandera a Ukrainian fascist and Nazi collaborator whose militias murdered hundreds of thousands of Polish civilians, Jews, anti-fascist Ukrainians, and Red Army troops in western Ukraine during the Second World War.According recent opinion polling, while 48 percent of Poles continue to support further military aid for Ukraine, over one third of respondents are now opposed to any further aid. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/kiev-sends-note-of-protest-to-poland-eu-after-banning-ukrainian-import--1109952978.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/ukraine-disassembling-many-fighter-jets-provided-by-slovakia-poland-1109780446.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230408/poland-is-losing-big-from-escalation-in-ukraine-and-growing-dependence-on-washington-1109268182.html poland ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov 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 Ilya Tsukanov poland, russia, ukraine, crisis, conflict, analysis, war, politics, economics, predictions https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/the-uniparty-does-not-tolerate-critical-thinking-1109930260.html The Uniparty Does Not Tolerate Critical Thinking The Uniparty Does Not Tolerate Critical Thinking On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events including a US military helicopter crashing in Alaska, and Biden's approval... 29.04.2023, Sputnik International 2023-04-29T04:02+0000 2023-04-29T04:02+0000 2023-04-29T09:27+0000 the backstory radio white house colorado atf maga china /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/1c/1109930102_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_3301fd1fa552d6181b3303ed6dbcfb8f.png The Uniparty Does Not Tolerate Critical Thinking On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events including a US military helicopter crashing in Alaska, and Biden's approval rating hitting a record low of 37%. Kim Iversen - Independent Journalist and Host of The Kim Iversen Show | RFK Jr. Censored by ABC, Untangling the Healthcare Issues, and Democrat VotersTyler Nixon - Attorney, Media Relations Specialist | 12 Members of the Biden Crime Family, The Tucker Carlson Evolution, and Joe Biden is a Wannabe KennedyIn the first hour, Lee spoke with Kim Iversen about the ABC Robert F. Kennedy Jr interview, Kim Iversen censored, and the media funded by big pharma. Kim talked about her recent interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr and how Youtube censored that interview. Kim commented on the Tucker Carlson firing and how James O'Keefe may have been fired for his Pfizer expose.In the second hour, Lee spoke with Tyler Nixon about the Biden Crime family, the team of people surrounding Hunter Biden, and Chuck Schumer's praises of the CIA. Tyler detailed his relationship with Tucker Carlson and how Tucker has changed over the years. Tyler commented on not one single Democrat voting for border security and no Democrats coming out against males in female sports.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik. white house colorado china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Lee Stranahan https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125222_0:0:293:292_100x100_80_0_0_a8bc846f559660e5bf7574f8a9608a1d.png Lee Stranahan https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125222_0:0:293:292_100x100_80_0_0_a8bc846f559660e5bf7574f8a9608a1d.png 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 Lee Stranahan https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125222_0:0:293:292_100x100_80_0_0_a8bc846f559660e5bf7574f8a9608a1d.png radio, white house, colorado, atf, maga, china, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/us-may-be-willing-to-make-concessions-to-venezuela-for-sanctions-relief---source-1109937044.html US May Be Willing to Make Concessions to Venezuela for Sanctions Relief - Source US May Be Willing to Make Concessions to Venezuela for Sanctions Relief - Source The US may be willing to make concessions to Venezuela in exchange for additional sanctions relief on the country's oil sector following a high-level US delegation's visit to Colombia this week to discuss the matter. 2023-04-29T02:15+0000 2023-04-29T02:15+0000 2023-04-29T02:12+0000 americas venezuela colombia carlos vecchio nicolas maduro pdvsa chevron white house joe biden us sanctions on venezuela /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107617/63/1076176304_0:107:3261:1941_1920x0_80_0_0_9a1e8c55bda64f4ada0edd7c26384b32.jpg On Tuesday, a US delegation led by US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer traveled to Colombia for the international conference on Venezuela, where he discussed what concrete actions Caracas must take before the United States considers sanctions relief. The conference was meant to promote a resumption of negotiations between the Maduro government and the Venezuelan opposition. According to the source, the new leadership of the Venezuelan opposition does not yet have a coordinated position on sanctions and does not appear to officially be lobbying the Biden administration on this matter yet, but with former Venezuelan opposition envoy Carlos Vecchio and others no longer playing an official role, it opens the door to a new approach. In December, Venezuela's opposition national assembly voted to oust Guaido and dissolve his government. He was eventually replaced by Dinorah Figuera. A senior US administration official, according to media reports, said President Joe Biden and Colombian President Gustavo Petro would discuss the topic of sanctions relief on Venezuela during a meeting at the White House last week. The US sanctions waiver allows US corporation Chevron to resume oil production in Venezuela for six months through its joint venture partner PDVSA. However, the license does not allow Chevron to expand its operations or allow new US investment in Venezuela's oil sector. The United States also recently extended for three months a license that protects Venezuelan-owned oil refiner Citgo Petroleum from creditors trying to seize their assets because of pending debts. The United States considers the Venezuelan opposition's national assembly as the entity controlling the Houston-based refiner. americas venezuela colombia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us, sanctions relief, venezuela, concessions, pdvsa https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/us-playing-catch-up-with-china-in-tussle-for-influence-in-pacific-biden-envoy-says-1109941584.html US Playing Catch Up With China in Tussle for Influence in Pacific, Biden Envoy Says US Playing Catch Up With China in Tussle for Influence in Pacific, Biden Envoy Says The US has some catching up to do with China in the ongoing strategic competition for influence in the region of the Pacific Islands, a Biden administration envoy, Joseph Yun, was cited as saying. 2023-04-29T09:24+0000 2023-04-29T09:24+0000 2023-04-29T09:24+0000 world us china joseph yun pacific islands solomon islands marshall islands micronesia palaui island /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/103501/39/1035013991_0:102:5572:3236_1920x0_80_0_0_b2f809b211d1f0cd2f2c2271d81c7a8f.jpg The US has some catching up to do with China in the ongoing jostling for influence in the region of the Pacific Islands, a Biden administration envoy, Joseph Yun, was cited as telling an American think-tank based in Washington, DC. Yun, special envoy for negotiations with Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands, touted the newly conceived US plans to boost engagement with the region to offset Chinas assertiveness.Washington reopened its embassy in the Solomon Islands earlier this year, and, according to Yun, intended to allocate around $6.5Bln, spread over two decades, to various parts of Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands.Its about more than money," quipped Yun, saying that many Marshallese and Micronesians mostly want to live in the US, indicating the allegedly historically strong ties between America and the region.Besides funneling money, Yun added that military strategy was inherently part-and-parcel of the push to maintain influence in the region, saying:The US has been racing against time to reassert itself regarding influence over the strategically located island nations. Washington has been providing economic assistance to Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands, in exchange for military cooperation under the Compacts of Free Association series of treaties. But with the assistance package for the Marshall Islands and Micronesia set to expire this year, and Palau's running out in 2024, the US is looking to renew these pacts by late May, a US State Department official was cited as saying.Weighing in on China's growing sway in the region of the small Pacific island nations, Adm John Aquilino, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing:"War is not inevitable, and it's not imminent. However, this decade presents a period of increased risk." The US has expedited its engagement with Pacific nations since June 2022, opening up more diplomatic offices and funding climate change measures. Washington's pledges launched last year to triple aid to Pacific island nations to curb China's influence in a region rich in minerals, hydrocarbons, fish, and located in proximity to strategically important sea lanes come as Beijing has made considerable headway in developing its relations with the Pacific Islands.Last year, for example, Beijing offered a draft agreement between China and 10 island nations spanning policing, security, fisheries, data, and a free-trade zone. Although some Pacific leaders agreed to consider China's trade and security pact, others voiced concerns that their rapprochement with Beijing could antagonize Washington. Before that, in mid-April, the Chinese and the Solomon Islands governments formally signed a bilateral security agreement regardless of the displeasure voiced by the US, Australia, and New Zealand. Earlier, in 2019, the Solomon Islands switched diplomatic ties from Taipei to Beijing.Commenting on the pact on 3 June, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasizsed that its purpose was "to assist the Solomon Islands in maintaining social order". He vehemently denied Western media speculation about China's apparent plans to beef up its military presence in the region. https://sputnikglobe.com/20220713/us-challenges-chinas-influence-over-pacific-island-countries-but-does-it-have-much-to-offer-1097277595.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20220713/us-pledges-60-million-for-pacific-islands-expands-footprint-to-offset-chinas-growing-sway-1097260769.html china solomon islands marshall islands micronesia palaui island Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko 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 Svetlana Ekimenko pacific islands, joseph yun, palau, micronesia, marshall islands, strategic sea lanes, strategically located island nations, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/vanessa-beeley-opcw-turned-into-accessory-to-wests-war-crimes-1109955085.html Vanessa Beeley: OPCW Turned Into Accessory to West's War Crimes Vanessa Beeley: OPCW Turned Into Accessory to West's War Crimes Exactly 26 years ago, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) entered into force on April 29, 1997. However, over the years, the watchdog has lost its veneer of impartiality and transparency, becoming a convenient instrument in the West's geopolitical games. 2023-04-29T15:24+0000 2023-04-29T15:24+0000 2023-04-29T18:35+0000 world organisation for the prohibition of chemical weapons (opcw) douma the syrian war poisoning of sergei skripal vietnam war agent orange white helmets sarin chlorine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/101780/24/1017802486_0:148:2835:1743_1920x0_80_0_0_16ecc8cd33374e90d133f23eace90300.jpg "The OPCW was established in 1997 to effectively end the production, the stockpiling, and the transfer of chemical weapons and of course the use of chemical weapons in a war situation and the elimination of any existing stocks of these weapons over time," Vanessa Beeley, an independent investigative journalist who specializes on the Middle East and Syria, told Sputnik. "But in my opinion, what we see with the OPCW, as we see with the International Criminal Court (ICC), is even if these organizations were originally set up with the best intentions, eventually they are infiltrated, they are influenced, and compromised by the powerful countries, particularly among the neocolonialist Western blocs, into following an agenda or providing corroboration of an agenda. And of course, we've seen that on numerous occasions with the OPCW, and more recently with the ICC."What is the OPCW?Following the end of the Cold War, the OPCW was created to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the worlds first multilateral chemical weapons disarmament agreement. The collapse of the USSR and subsequent geopolitical changes saw the international community launch multiple disarmament initiatives as a new post-Cold War world order emerged. Still, it appears the initiative was long overdue, given the destruction prompted by chemical arms.The First World War saw the first massive use of chemical arms by Germany during the Second Battle of Ypres (April 22 May 25, 1915), in Belgium. The German forces fired more than 150 tons of lethal chlorine gas, which resulted in tens of thousands of casualties.Despite the 1925 Geneva Protocol prohibiting the use of "asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases," global players continued to develop them. During the Second World War, Nazi Germany used poisonous gases to murder millions of people in gas vans or stationary gas chambers.The War in Vietnam saw yet another massive use of chemical arms. US military forces used Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide, as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, between 1961 and 1971. In addition to huge environmental damage, Operation Ranch Hand caused severe health problems among the Vietnamese population.Over the course of the Cold War, world powers amassed considerable stockpiles of chemical arms, which they agreed to eliminate in 1997, with 192 states supporting the initiative. For instance, Russia completed the full destruction of the 39,967 metric tons of its chemical weapons in September 2017. The US has yet to destroy its chemical stockpiles.In 2013, the OPCW received the Nobel Prize for Peace for extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons. However, the Syrian War has exposed the other, darker side of the international organization.OPCW, Syria War, and Chemical ProvocationsThe Syrian War that saw the West's military assistance and weapons deliveries to jihadi rebels in a bid to oust the nation's legitimate President Bashar al-Assad amid the infamous Arab Spring in the Middle East became a litmus test for the OPCW.Since the beginning of the conflict in 2011, the US government has threatened the legitimate Syrian government with a full-scale attack if it uses chemical arms. Still, there have been no confirmed cases of the Syrian Arab Army's use of any sort of poisonous substances.On March 19, 2013, jihadi rebels used makeshift projectiles containing the sarin nerve agent in Khan al-Assal near Aleppo, killing 28 people and injuring over 130. In August 2013, jihadi opposition carried out another chemical provocation with sarin in Eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb. The chemical attacks came in handy for Washington, providing it with a pretext for an invasion. However, Russia intervened.It has been reported that in September 2013, President Barack Obama called off US airstrikes in Syria in a last-minute decision after Moscow and Damascus proposed dismantling Syrian chemical arms stockpiles altogether under the auspices of the UN and OPCW. Between October 2013 and September 2014, a joint OPCW-UN mission together with the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad removed and destroyed all of the nation's chemical weapon stockpiles.OPCW and Staged Douma IncidentEven though the OPCW confirmed that the Syrian government eliminated its chemical weapons stockpiles in 2013, it immediately sided with the US and its NATO coalition when the Douma chemical incident occurred in 2018.The OPCW backed the US narrative in its 2019 report, but it was soon dented by a WikiLeaks bombshell release as well as OPCW Fact Finding Mission (FFM) whistleblower accounts indicating that the chemical watchdog had suppressed evidence showing that the Douma incident was staged to pin the blame on Damascus as the latter was gaining ground at the time. International investigative journalists and political observers stepped forward busting inconsistencies in the US narrative and the OPCW's apparent cover-up.Strange Bedfellows: White Helmets and OPCWThe White Helmets, a UK-backed quasi-humanitarian group linked to terrorist elements in Syria, are believed to be the perpetrators of the Douma chemical hoax. Over the past several years, Beeley has conducted her own private investigation into the White Helmets and exposed the group's hypocrisy and ties with terrorist elements in Syria.At the same time, the White Helmets, generously funded by Western governments through a former British intelligence officer who later died under strange circumstances, have had close connections with the OPCW since 2018, according to Beeley.According to Beeley, this same employee, Radi Saad, writes regular posts on the UK Foreign Office blog. The investigative journalist raises the question: "If the White Helmets are the primary source of evidence for these alleged chemical attacks, and this organization is funded by the British government, amongst others that are funding the war against Syria, and they are now basically in bed with the OPCW that are also being influenced and funded by the same government, one has to raise the question: isn't there a huge conflict of interest here?" Doesn't this mean that the White Helmets are basically being used as a tool to provide the evidence for the OPCW to corroborate what the West needs in order to criminalize Syria and to continue with the sanctions, with the hybrid war pressure against the country?OPCW's 2023 Douma Report: Repetition of Old LiesThe West completely suppressed OPCW whistleblower accounts of the Douma incident: in February 2023, the OPCW presented the results of its "investigation," claiming that the Syrian government was responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Douma in 2018. This is hardly surprising, according to Beeley."These chemical attack narratives serve to criminalize in Western public perception the Syrian government and its Russian allies in particular, and enable further military intervention by proxy, on occasions for calling for a no-fly zone, for US occupation in the northeast of Syria, and the economic sanctions, some of the most unprecedented, savage sanctions that have been imposed unilaterally against the Syrian people on the basis of these alleged assaults carried out by the Syrian government against the Syrian people," the investigative journalist pointed out.'OPCW Lacks Credibility'Last month, Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia said that "almost any mention of the OPCW has been politicized in an anti-Syrian and anti-Russian spirit." Beeley agrees with this conclusion.The investigative journalist expressed doubts about the credibility of OPCW reports and investigations given the organization's obvious bias. She argued that "until the OPCW opens its doors to a frank and open discussion with the dissident inspectors who are contesting the findings of the OPCW in Douma in Syria, it has no credibility." Beeley has drawn attention to the fact that the chemical watchdog silences its own inspectors and witnesses and puts obstacles in the way of transparency.Similarly, the OPCW sided with the West in blaming the alleged poisoning of Sergey Skripal on Russia and, likewise, remained mum about the threat of the Kiev regime's chemical provocations in Ukraine and apparent use of poisonous substances by the Ukrainian military.For more of Sputnik's exclusive analysis on the OPCWs history and bias, check out our Telegram post here .*Daesh (ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State) and al-Qaeda are terrorist organizations banned in Russia and many other countries. https://sputnikglobe.com/20221107/russia-dissatisfied-with-how-opcw-collects-information-on-syria-envoy-to-un-says-1103868337.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20200208/douma-incident-why-whistleblowers-accounts-hold-more-credibility-than-bald-assertions-by-opcw-1078261607.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20210702/coroner-casts-doubt-on-circumstances-of-white-helmets-founders-death-media-says-1083294518.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20210510/how-white-helmets-cashbox-mayday-profited-off-syrian-regime-change-op-at-expense-of-eu-taxpayers-1082847172.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20220706/live-updates-ukrainian-forces-fire-more-than-500-shells-at-dpr-in-24-hours---peoples-militia-1097003327.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20180424/russia-prankster-call-1063866218.html douma syria Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Vanessa Beeley: How can OPCW have credibility when it is silencing its own inspectors? Vanessa Beeley: How can OPCW have credibility when it is silencing its own inspectors? 2023-04-29T15:24+0000 true PT0M59S Vanessa Beeley: OPCW has effectively justified war crimes carried out by the US Vanessa Beeley: OPCW has effectively justified war crimes carried out by the US 2023-04-29T15:24+0000 true PT1M43S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova opcw, chemical weapons, douma chemical incident, opcw whistleblowers, syrian war, syrian chemical provocations, opcw political bias, opcw investigations, opcw credibility, opcw white helmets, white helmets al-qaeda, opcw anniversary, opcw politicization, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/watch-russian-armed-forces-fire-cruise-missiles-at-ukrainian-kherson-command-post-1109954622.html Watch Russian Armed Forces Fire Cruise Missiles at Ukrainian 'Kherson' Command Post Watch Russian Armed Forces Fire Cruise Missiles at Ukrainian 'Kherson' Command Post Russian troops have launched a cruise missile strike against Ukraine's Kherson command, the Defense Ministry said. 2023-04-29T14:49+0000 2023-04-29T14:49+0000 2023-04-29T14:49+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukraine russia russian defense ministry russian armed forces /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/1d/1109954875_23:0:999:549_1920x0_80_0_0_56a8bf600f78ef1470f7bcccdb2e4bf4.jpg Russian forces have launched a cruise missile strike against Ukraine's Kherson command post, the Russian Defense Ministry said. "On the evening of 28 April, the Russian Armed Forces carried out a group strike with long-range, sea-based precision weapons at the location of the command of the combined grouping of troops of the AFU 'Kherson'. The goal of the strike has been achieved," the ministry said. The military ministry also described the combat operations in different sectors of the front. ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Russian Armed Forces Fire Cruise Missiles at Ukrainian 'Kherson' Command Post Russian Armed Forces Fire Cruise Missiles at Ukrainian 'Kherson' Command Post 2023-04-29T14:49+0000 true PT0M07S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russian troops, cruise missiles, russian armed forces https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/weekly-news-wrap-up-lavrov-un-speech-poland-and-germany-spar-tucker-carlson-out-1109931097.html Weekly News Wrap Up; Lavrov UN Speech; Poland and Germany Spar; Tucker Carlson Out Weekly News Wrap Up; Lavrov UN Speech; Poland and Germany Spar; Tucker Carlson Out Poland is performing military drills on its Western border indicating that its war of words with Germany could take an ugly turn. 29.04.2023, Sputnik International 2023-04-29T04:01+0000 2023-04-29T04:01+0000 2023-04-29T09:21+0000 the critical hour radio doj uhuru movement sergey lavrov taiwan sudan debt ceiling /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/1c/1109930628_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_4599f514dd90582369a3ae9e4939539a.png Weekly News Wrap up; Lavrov UN Speech; Poland and Germany Spar; Tucker Carlson Out Poland is performing military drills on its Western border indicating that its war of words with Germany could take an ugly turn. Caleb Maupin, journalist, and political analyst, joins us to discuss this week's important news stories. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave a UN speech in which he made the case for a multi-polar world. Also, Poland is performing military drills on its Western border indicating that its war of words with Germany could take an ugly turn.Dr. Jack Rasmus, professor of Economics and Politics at St. Mary's College in California, joins us to discuss this week's important news stories. President Biden is running out of time to address the debt ceiling crisis. Also, major corporations are starting to fold and President Biden launches his 2024 campaign.George Koo, journalist, social activist, and international business consultant, joins us to discuss this week's important news stories. China is coming on strong as the world's preeminent peacemaker. Also, Sergey Lavrov has a successful South American tour and the US government looks to provide more arms to TaiwanAjamu Baraka, 2016 US vice presidential candidate for the Green Party, and Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of Economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, come together to discuss this week's important news stories. The president of Honduras has condemned a conspiracy against her government. Also, US ships and drones are positioned near Sudan.Jim Kavanagh, whose work can be found at Jim Kavanagh's Substack, thepolemicist.net, and Counterpunch, and Steve Poikonen, national organizer for Action4Assange, come together to discuss this week's important news stories. The Biden DOJ is going after four Americans for "weaponized" free speech. Also, a court filing claims that some of the 9/11 hijackers were CIA recruits.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik. sudan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Garland Nixon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125302_0:0:239:239_100x100_80_0_0_d5d43c970b0740f228597fbcdb4ffd66.jpg Garland Nixon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125302_0:0:239:239_100x100_80_0_0_d5d43c970b0740f228597fbcdb4ffd66.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 Garland Nixon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125302_0:0:239:239_100x100_80_0_0_d5d43c970b0740f228597fbcdb4ffd66.jpg radio, doj, uhuru movement, sergey lavrov, taiwan, sudan, debt ceiling, Joemikiyoursofine was lightly raced last season as a two-year-old because of sickness and immaturity, but if he can blossom into a stakes-level performer like stablemate Western Joe and half-brother Fourever Boy, his connections will think hes even better than fine. A three-year-old male pacer trained by Chris Choate, Joemikiyoursofine has finished no worse than second in six of eight career starts, winning three, for owners Anthony Ruggeri and Richard Tosies. His connections have staked him to many of the sports top events for sophomore colts and geldings, but the focus now is on seeing continued improvement from the son of Always B Miki-Macharoundtheclock. Joemikiyoursofine didnt make it to the races until mid-October last year. He competed in five conditioned events, winning two and finishing second once. This season, he has started three times in the Bobby Weiss Series for three-year-old male pacers at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, posting a victory and two seconds to advance to Saturdays (April 29) $50,000 final. We hit a few speed bumps with him last year, Choate said. He got sick a couple times right as we were getting ready to qualify him, and he was very immature, very green. We raced him a few times and we were happy with him. He wasnt overly impressive, but he had some good starts for us at two. We gelded him and turned him out for a few months and his attitude was much better this year. He blossomed a little bit (physically) and he looks a lot better training and racing. Im happy with the way hes been going so far. Joemikiyoursofine is still finding his way, though, which was evident in his second-place finish to Binge On Yankee in the second round of the Weiss. Sitting second behind the eventual winner, driver Matt Kakaley moved Joemikiyoursofine coming off the last turn only to lose touch with the leader. Joe regained momentum in the stretch but lost by a neck. Matt angled him out and he blew the turn a little bit, Choate said. It may have cost him the race, not sure. Matt said he was just a little green. Hes still got some learning to do. Joemikiyoursofine is eligible to the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, which begins May 6, but could begin by competing in the lower-level Stallion Series. It is something Choate did with Western Joe when he was a three-year-old before sending the horse into Grand Circuit action. Western Joe, still active at age nine, has earned $1.06 million in his career, with his top victory coming in the 2018 Sam McKee Memorial over season-end Horse of the Year McWicked. The sire stakes will be tough, Choate said. Not that he doesnt deserve a shot at it, but the Stallion (series) might be a little better for him. We can get him some easier races before the bigger ones come up later. Hopefully he can do some good and work his way up. Were going to take it week by week with him and see how he does. Originally named Clockwise, Joemikiyoursofine was purchased as a yearling for $90,000 at the 2021 Standardbred Horse Sale. His half-brother Fourever Boy was the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion last year at age three. He also won a division of the Simcoe Stakes and an elimination of the Little Brown Jug before finishing second in the final. Joemikiyoursofine is eligible to Grand Circuit races such as the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes, Meadowlands Pace, Adios, Little Brown Jug, and Progress Pace this year. Were just hoping that he stays healthy and sound and that we get a good year out of him, Choate said. Well hope he keeps improving. Hes going to need to if hes going to go against those guys. Theyre only going to go faster and faster. First, of course, is the final of the Weiss Series. Joemikiyoursofine will start from post seven in the eight-horse field and is 10-1 on the morning line. Kakaley will be in the sulky. Im not happy with the post, but Im happy with the way hes been going, Choate said. There are some good ones in there. Its a nice bunch. Well see how he does this week, but its going to be a difficult journey. Its going to be tough to get a read on him. I dont think hes going to get in the race early because there is too much speed on the inside. Were probably going to have to race from behind and hopefully something works out. All Class, undefeated in his only two starts in the Weiss and a perfect 3-for-3 lifetime, is the 5-2 favorite in Saturdays final. He will leave from post six with Jason Bartlett driving for trainer Demier Minor. (USTA) Justin Irvine gave Princess Rougarou a heads-up drive as she doubled up in the Northville Downs featured $10,800 Mares Open Pace on Friday night (April 28). Eight-year-old Princess Rougarou and Irvine got away fifth off the car from their outside post position. Early pacesetter Cousin Margie (Lindsay Moen) cleared to the front from post five, but as she came out of the turn to the backstretch she made a break in stride, which stacked up the field behind her. Irvine and his charge were able to avoid the mess and cleared to the lead. I Choose You (Marc St. Louis Jr.) was able to skirt around the faltering Cousin Margie to take over second going to the quarter pole while the rest of the field settled down behind them. Princess Rougarou proved too good and never looked back while opening up down the lane to win by 3-3/4 lengths over I Choose You and Come On Over. The final clocking for the mile was 1:57.3 over a track rated sloppy. Princess Rougarou earned her 31st career victory and her second consecutive Open win. The daughter of Big Bad John out of Hammers Princess is owned and trained by Will Johnson and was bred in Michigan by George Hensley Jr. The $9,000 Mares Open 2 was captured by Coqui Coqui, also guided to victory by 21-year-old Irvine, as the pair went wire to wire, winning by a 7-1/4-length margin in 1:56.1 over rivals Tora The Explorer (David Lake) and Summer Lovesginger (Kim Pluta). On the night, Irvine and Kody Massey led the way as each had driving doubles. Harness racing at The Ville resumes Saturday, April 29 at 7 p.m. Live racing continues every Friday and Saturday evening now through Sept. 30. (With files from Northville Downs) On a perfectly dreadful morning with temperatures in the high 40s (48F / 9C) with rain but little wind, the qualifiers got a 9:00 a.m. early start at The Meadowlands. The track was listed as sloppy but that was not an issue for a number of harness racing's top trotters from 2022. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night shall stay Bella Bellini from the swift completion of her appointed rounds. Despite the horrible conditions, the champion mare did as she does. She sat patiently near the back for regular accomplice Dexter Dunn as the lead dawdled, then burst through a small seam to win in 1:56.2 with her individual final split clocked in :26.1. Richard 'Nifty' Norman has trained the mare throughout her career for owner Dave McDuffee, who has his sights set on the upcoming Miss Versatility (May 6) and Arthur Cutler Memorial on May 20 as possible targets to open her 2023 campaign. Following Bella Bellini across the wire were Venerate (Brian Sears) who raced well for new connections and recent import Immanuel K S (Ake Svanstedt) who looks remarkably like his sire, the great Sebastian K was also willing. Dan Patch Award winner Special Way returned in grand style this morning for trainer / driver Ake Svanstedt. Special Way fronted the field through a 1:00 half then trotted away from a formidable group with the greatest of ease in an effortless 55-second final half, home in :27 flat. Secret Volo (Sears), Heart On Fire (Todd McCarthy) and Mambacita (Gingras) were all solid, left in the winners wake. Several of last seasons top freshman colt trotters lined up for race nine and Oh Well (Tim Tetrick) swept past accomplished rivals willingly through a :27 last quarter to win in 1:55. Celebrity Bambino (Gingras) set slow fractions and held off the pocket pull of Kimmeridgian (Svanstedt) but could not stall the winner. Sam Bowie dropped $350,000 to get Energetic Hanover bought at last falls Harrisburg mixed sale and thus far it appears the big fella may have spent wisely. Scott Zeron steered Energetic through his second qualifier with a pillar-to-post 1:52 win, home in :26.3 well within himself. Tony Alagna trains the now four-year-old son of Captaintreacherous. Night Hawk (Joe Bongiorno) closed sharply to be second with a :26.1 stretch kick. Alagnas Stay Hungry sophomore pacing colts were 1-2-3 with Dupree Hanover (Andy McCarthy) taking over past the 58.3 half then holding stablemates Stormalong (Jordan Stratton) and Hungry Angel Boy (Todd McCarthy) at bay through the :26.4 end to the 1:54.1 mile. Ervin Hanover won back in 1:52.4 from off the pace, closing into a :26.4 final quarter for the Burke/Gingras combo, setting him up nicely for next Saturdays beginning to the PA Sire Stakes. Kopi Luwak closed between horses for Dave Miller for second while Taste Of Honey was unable to last on the lead for Dexter Dunn. Pacing fillies saw Hungry For Love (Dave Miller) rally strong in the stretch for a clear 1:53.3 win over Burke stablemate Late For Dinner (Yannick Gingras) and mile-cutting four-year-old Wickedly Innocent (Tetrick) Treacherous Penny scored out of the pocket for Alagna and Andy McCarthy, wearing down a game Super Girl (Jordan Stratton) through a :26.1 end to a 1:55 mile. Falana Hanover (Dave Miller) impressed with good late energy, used twice from a bad post. Other three-year-old trotting fillies saw If The Shoe Fits (Andrew McCarthy), another winner from the Alagna barn, leading all the way and winning comfortably in 1:55.4, home in :28.3 unasked. On The House (Svanstedt) followed nicely for second while Wal Street Lady (Gingras) got a flat line using a pocket ride to be third. Then Life Itself (Svanstedt) launched a sustained, uncovered move after the half to wear down the leader then held off the close of In Italian (Gingras) for a 1:58 victory. Sophomore trotting colts continued with Point Of Perfect (Gingras), on good behavior for the Burke barn today, cut the mile for an easy 1:56.1 win off a half in a minute. EL Lincoln (Svanstedt) followed but proved no match for the winner today. Dire Straits (Dave Miller) had sneaky good energy late though well back of the winner. Cypress Hanover (Josert Fonseca) flashed a little of the potential that his $475,000 yearling purchase price promised today as he made up significant ground on then roared past fellow $400,000 yearling Cadillac Moon (Mattias Melander) to get the 1:57 win for trainer Nancy Takter. Live harness racing resumes at 6:20 tonight at The Meadowlands with the New Jersey Maturity finals, two of which will be raced off the card at 5 p.m. (Photo: Bella Bellini (USTA / Mark Hall), Special Way (Amanda Stephens) and Oh Well (New Image Media). Recap courtesy Meadowlands Media) From complications due to cancer, longtime horseman Denis Filion of Mirabel, Que. passed away on April 23, 2023 at the age of 79. Filion enjoyed success both as a trainer and a driver, with trotting filly Nadine Angus being one of his top performers. Denis is survived by his wife Fleurette, son Christian (Sylvie), daughter Ginette, granddaughter Brigitte. He's lovingly remembered by his surviving family, including siblings and many nephews and nieces. At the deceased's request, there will be no funeral service. Cremation taken place. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Denis Filion. This article has been edited from its original version. As another election season gears up, more than 100 people turned out Thursday night for a 90-minute candidates forum hosted by the Culpeper Republican Committee at the American Legion. Candidates for state and local offices seeking the local partys endorsement or nomination were invited to attend the timed question and answer exchange, hosted by Culpeper Times editor Maria Basileo, with GOP Committee Chairwoman Lorraine Carter. The main event was saved for lastan onstage matchup between three-term incumbent State Sen. Bryce Reeves, of Spotsylvania, and retired educator and MAGA Republican Mike Allers, of Ruckersville. Allers is challenging Reeves as an anti-establishment candidate to represent the new 28th District. Republican voters in the district that includes Culpeper will decide between them in a party-held primary May 6. Russ Rabb for Culpeper County Commonwealths Attorney took the stage first at Thursdays forum followed by Joe Watson for Culpeper County Sheriff, Missy White for Culpeper County Treasurer, Paul Bates for Board of Supervisors Catalpa District and Jon Russell for Culpeper Town Council. Friday morning, both Reeves and Allers were quick to declare victory at the forum in Culpeper. Reeves made a strong showing tonight, with clear and distinct answers both focused on what he has accomplished during his time in the legislature and what the future holds for the 28th district, according to a campaign release. Im glad so many people were able to take the time to come out tonight, said Reeves. I believe that this was one of the strongest showings of support I have ever seen at an event like this. Theres a reason my opponent refuses to discuss policy and differentiate himself from my stances, and instead resorts to baseless attacks to gain support. Tonight was a prime example of this, and I am proud that the voters of the 28th district have refused to fall for my opponents divisive rhetoric, and instead are focusing on the results I continue to produce in Richmond. Team Allers swiftly responded, saying they were very pleased and thankful for the turnout at the candidates forum. The Folks of the 28th District are tired of the establishment, crony politics, and the uni-partys approach to governing the Commonwealth. The GRASSROOTS do not want a pay for play corporately funded representative under thumb of Dominion, Pace-O-Matic, and Chinese owned Smithfield, Allers said in a message to the Star-Exponent. They want a Senator who represents WE THE PEOPLE not the Elite Club Member Set. I will ONLY be beholden to the voter. I cannot wait to REPRESENT YOU! I will never forget that I WORK FOR YOU. I WILL be your VOICE in Richmond. Voting will be held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 6 at three sites in the 28th District. There will be no absentee, provisional or write-in voting. Voters who reside in Fauquier and Rappahannock will cast ballots in person at Grace Miller Elementary School, located at 6248 Catlett Road in Bealeton. Voters residing in Culpeper, Madison and Greene will cast ballots at Reformation Lutheran Church, located at 601 Madison Road in Culpeper. Voters residing in Orange and Spotsylvania will cast ballots at Unionville Elementary School, located at 10285 Zachary Taylor Hwy. in Unionville. In order to vote, the districts Republican committees are requiring registered voters to sign a Declaration of Voter Qualification form stating they are in accord with the principles of the Republican Party and will support the Republican nominees in the Nov. 7 general election. Voters wanting to participate in the Reeves-Allers primary must also acknowledge that if they publicly support a candidate in opposition to a Republican nominee, they will be banned from party actions for four years, and they have not participated in the nominating process of another party in the last five years. Or, the Declaration of Voter Qualification form states, voters acknowledge they have participated in the nominating process of another party in the last five years, but renounce affiliation with any party other than Republicans. The 28th Senate District Republican Committee will provide a copy of any signed renunciation statements to the Republican Party of Virginia, according to a party release. Voters participating in the upcoming firehouse primary can check a box agreeing to a voluntary contribution of $10 to defray the cost of the canvass via check or money order, payable to the 28th Senate District Republican Committee. The $10 voluntary contribution is not required to vote. Pick up Wednesdays paper or go to starexponent.com for more photos of the candidates forum and the separate views of Reeves and Allers. The Nebraska State Patrol has identified the victims in a multi-fatality crash Thursday in Furnas County. The wreck also resulted in an arrest. About 12:15 p.m. Thursday, a westbound Dodge Ram 3500 went through a stop sign on Nebraska Highway 89 and struck a Hyundai Santa Fe northbound on Nebraska 283. One passenger of the Hyundai, identified as Miriam Mejia Barrientos, 46, of Burlington, Colorado, was pronounced dead at the scene. Four additional occupants of the Hyundai were transported to hospitals in critical condition. One of those patients, Sloan Luna Portillo, 13, of Burlington, was flown to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, where she was pronounced dead. The driver of the Hyundai, Olvin Luna, 43, of Burlington, and an 11-year-old girl were transported to Cambridge Memorial Hospital. Luna was then flown to Bryan Health West Campus in Lincoln. An 11-year-old boy was transported to Norton County Hospital in Norton, Kansas and was then flown to a hospital in Wichita. Olvin Luna is the father of Sloan Luna Portillo. Miriam Mejia Barrientos is the mother of the two 11-year-old children. The two occupants of the Dodge were transported to Norton County Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Once released from the hospital, the driver of the Dodge, identified as Kyiaz Ulanov, 28, of Lynnwood, Washington, was lodged in Phelps County Jail on two counts of motor vehicle homicide and willful reckless driving. The Iredell Memorial Hospital dialysis unit has recently been renamed to honor the life and legacy of former department director, Steve Kivett. Dedicated in his memory, the unit will, for now on, be known as the Steve Kivett Dialysis Unit. Kivett founded the dialysis department at Iredell Memorial in 1987 and worked as the departments director until his retirement in 2018. Kivett was an instrumental and beloved part of Iredell Memorial Hospitals team for 37 years. Through this naming, he will always be remembered. On Thursday, the Iredell Health Foundation held a formal dedication ceremony, unveiling new signage reading, Iredell Memorial Hospital Steve Kivett Dialysis Unit, along with a photo and plaque honoring Kivett. Thanks to an anonymous donor, the Iredell Health Foundation was able to fund the new signage. As dear friends of Steve Kivett, we were devastated by his early unexpected death at 67 years old. Steve was an extremely passionate friend. As a great nurse, he formed special relationships with patients and hospital staff. To express our love for Steve and the entire Kivett family, we deeply felt his 37 years of faithful service as director of the dialysis department needed to be recognized and honored, said the anonymous donor. When people see the dialysis units new name, we know staff and patients will remember Steve with the respect and gratitude he rightly deserves. We wish to thank John Green, Iredell CEO, and Jennifer Balog, Iredell Foundation director, for helping to create this great tribute. Kivetts family hopes this new name serves as a testament to Kivetts many years of passionate nursing and service to dialysis patients and families. My family and I are so grateful and honored to have this department bear my dads name and wonderful legacy. It wasnt his passion to the field that made my dad a wonderful nurse it was his heart for the people around him that truly set him apart. Dads love for others was shown powerfully and daily through his advocacies for patients and colleagues alike. His decades of working as a dialysis nurse shows that everyone, no matter their circumstances or struggles, was deserving of the best care, said Steve Kivetts son, Sam Kivett, speaking on behalf of his family at Thursdays ceremony. Steve was truly the origin, backbone and vision to dialysis being performed at Iredell Memorial. It is great to have Steves name on the wall for all to see. He certainly will be remembered as a caring, selfless professional who was always there to help our patients, said John Green, president and CEO of Iredell Health System. Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia By: Peter Pomerantsev PublicAffairs; 1 edition (November 11, 2014) 256 pages When I was in the 7th grade, the international school I went to overseas took a week-long field-trip to Russia. St. Petersburg and Moscow. I wanted so bad to go. My parents said I was too young. Even now, I dont know if they were right or wrong. Missing an adventure like that. Would I let my children do the same? Maybe they should have volunteered to come too. All I know for sure is that this book was an amazing read. It was eye-opening, to say the least. If you are interested in Russia or a culture other than your own read this book. And if you are going to Russia for a few days, please take me with you. Two of my favorite quotes: This isnt a country in transition but some sort of postmodern dictatorship that uses the language and institutions of democratic capitalism for authoritarian ends. Politics is the ability to use any situation to advance your own status, Sergey told me with a smile that seemed to mimic Surkovs (who in turn mimics the KGB men). How do you define your political views? I asked him. He looked at me like I was a fool to ask, then smiled: Im a liberal . . . it can mean anything! A 53-year-old Meadows of Dan man was granted a safety valve in Floyd County Circuit Court on Tuesday, which removed the threat of 20 years to life. Christopher Joseph Kandies became the first felony drug dealer in Floyd County to obtain the safety valve that removed the threat of a life sentence for heavy meth distribution through legislation passed by the General Assembly two years ago. Commonwealths Attorney Eric Branscom asked Circuit Judge Mike Fleenor to not grant the relief, calling Kandies a cancer that threatens our county through his sales of massive amounts of the highly addictive drug that has been called an epidemic in this county and other rural areas of Southwest Virginia. Defense attorney Harold Slate said that Kandies fully qualified for the relief because it is the only charge on his criminal record, noting he doesnt have traffic violations, did not use a gun in his dealing and has no history of violence. Kandies, a chef with a lengthy employment record, was praised in court testimony by family members, who called him a good family man who worked hard and stayed out of trouble. Branscom said Kandies came into Floyd County on March 5, 2020, with more than 100 grams of meth and sold it to many Floyd Countians addicted to the drug. He should spend at least 20 years in prison, Branscom said in his closing arguments. He sold a drug of death to our residents and was a dangerous threat. He didnt care about the lives his drugs have ruined. All he cared about was making money and dealing death. Branscom said the relief provisions for first-time offenders without a history of violence was aimed at those who broke the law a first time and didnt do it again. Mr. Kandies did it over and over and didnt stop until he was caught, he added. He also said Kandies was a user and addict of the drug. Judge Fleenor, in approving use of the safety valve, noted Kandies lack of a criminal record and no history of violence. Virginia sentencing guidelines recommended prison time of 3-5 years and the judge applied the high end with five years in prison and 15 years suspended, plus $1,000 in fines, drug counseling and treatment during the five years of probation that begins after his release. In another case on April 25, Richard Eric Goodwin of Roanoke pleaded guilty to stealing two ATVs that were stolen in Roanoke and spotted by the original owner in Floyd County. Gordon was given a two-year suspended sentence with a $200 fine and $2,000 of restitution. In other hearings Tuesday: Brandon Cory Thomas, 24, of Willis, faced sentencing on multiple charges going back to 2019, including assaulting law enforcement officers and medical personnel, plus drug and weapons charges, as well as contributing to the delinquency of a minor. A presentencing report will be prepared on the old charges and new, and he will face a new hearing in December. Soon after the newly-empty school buses pulled away from Rose Valley Elementary School Friday morning, a trailer was pulling in, bringing a shopping experience to students whose families struggle to afford new clothes. This month, Kelso Christian Assembly kicked off its new resource trailer program, distributing free clothes, shoes and backpacks to students in need at three Kelso elementary schools. Its been amazing to see those kids so excited, said Pastor Russ Jorgenson. Ive never been so emotionally moved as when I was standing in the trailer with those kids. The trailer will be open to students based on need, which includes the Kelso School Districts 250 McKinney-Vento families, as well as those who dont qualify but cant afford clothes, said Nancy Baldwin, family support specialist. McKinney-Vento refers to a U.S. bill reauthorized in 2015 that gives federal support to help students experiencing homelessness or unstable housing. District and school staff identify students in need and get permission from parents for children to participate. While Kelso students and families can get clothes, food and other supplies at the districts Family Community Resource Center, having the trailer bring the items directly to schools meets families where theyre at, Baldwin said. This trailer will be some of the only new clothes kids in the district will get this year, she said. Volunteers dont just distribute items based on size, but make sure children love the clothes and shoes they get, Baldwin said. One student was devastated he didnt get a Minecraft shirt like others did, so volunteer Barbara Spear bought him one. This is more than clothing bank, this is hope, Baldwin said. Theres a time when you want to be an individual, (but) thats not when youre going to school. They all want the same thing, but not all have the same opportunity. The resource trailer is a natural collaboration between the district and Kelso Christian Assembly, which also runs the Refuge food bank (previously Faith Center Food Bank) at Reign Church. Jorgenson, the Kelso Christian Assembly pastor, said he heard about students need for clothes when his wife taught at Catlin Elementary. The church started by hosting a few clothing drives and opening up on Saturday for families to get free clothes and shoes, Jorgenson said. When they didnt see the number of kids they knew could use the supplies, the church decided to bring the clothes to them, he said. After encouragement from school officials, Jorgenson worked with the district to get the trailer program running. The church bought the 20-foot trailer and gathered volunteers to sort and stock clothes, he said. The church rallied behind it, Jorgenson said. It has an amazing amount of support and volunteers. Dave Spear and his wife, Barbara, were at Rose Valley on Friday to help distribute clothes. Spear said Were excited, he said. But now, it doesnt feel like you do enough. During the trailers first stop at Butler Acres Elementary School in mid-April, volunteers gave out clothes to 45 students, said Jovan Tyler with Kelso Christian Assembly. The program has gone better than Tyler anticipated, particularly the positive response from students, he said. Just having so many be so grateful, that changed me more than anything because I wasnt expecting it, Tyler said. The response from parents has been great. Its what keeps us going. Many students have asked to bring home underwear and other supplies for younger siblings, the volunteers said. Jorgenson said he was surprised the biggest need among younger boys so far has been everything from socks and underwear to pants and shirts. The program is currently focusing on elementary students. Those interested can drop off donations of used items that are washed and in good shape or new items at Kelso Christian Academy during its weekday hours. Along with the school visits, Kelso Christian Assembly volunteers plan to restock clothing at resource closets at other Kelso schools. Its a collaboration born out of continuous need, Baldwin said. We want every child to have the same opportunity, and if that opportunity can come to them, were all winners. Gov. Jay Inslee signed a suite of five bills Thursday to shore up access to abortion in Washington, a ceremonial flourish demonstrating how blue states are reacting as the demise of Roe v. Wade approaches its anniversary. We are here to proclaim very vocally and very forcefully that we will not allow any state or any Trump-appointed judge to jeopardize a womans right of choice in the state of Washington, Inslee said Thursday, flanked by lawmakers and advocates on the roof of the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health at the University of Washington. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned longstanding federal protections for abortion. Roes fall has heightened existing fragmentation among states when it comes to abortion access, with some states doubling down on restrictions and others reinforcing protections. With the stroke of Inslees pen, Washingtonians with private insurance will no longer have to pay copays or meet their deductible to get an abortion under Senate Bill 5242. Doctors and other providers will be protected from discipline solely for providing abortions or gender-affirming care under House Bill 1340, and patients will be protected from prosecution and other legal action originating in other states for seeking an abortion under House Bill 1469. Inslee also signed Senate Bill 5768, authorizing his strategy to direct the Department of Corrections to purchase a supply of the abortion pill mifepristone amid uncertainty over the pills approval status. Since Inslees action earlier this month, other states have followed suit, including Oregon and California. And the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday halted earlier rulings restricting the pill, allowing it to remain available, as lawsuits wend their way through the courts. The governor also signed House Bill 1155, which sets up safeguards for health information that consumers provide to companies such as makers of period-tracking apps and to prohibit zeroing in on the location of health providers via geofencing in order to find and collect health data about consumers. The moment earned praise from advocates for abortion rights and criticism from anti-abortion groups. I am very sad to see the governors disdain and blatant disregard for human life by prioritizing death over possibilities, said Esther Ripplinger, president and CEO of Human Life of Washington. Courtney Normand, Washington state director of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, said in a statement that the governor and lawmakers took it upon themselves to affirm that abortion is a protected right for all in Washington. We applaud their hard work, while knowing that this isnt the end of the fight, Normand said. We will continue to fight because if you take politics out of it, we know our patients and communities depend on this care. Asked Thursday whether the state was prepared for litigation surrounding the abortion-related bills, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said, We feel confident we can successfully defend if there is a lawsuit. The legislative session ended Sunday. Other legislation related to abortion didnt pass, such as a resolution to change the state constitution to enshrine access to abortion and contraception. Rachel Leveille is no longer interested in a traditional university degree. Leveille, 24, once tried for one, when she enrolled at the University of Oregon straight out of high school in 2017. But she departed before years end. After several deaths in her family left Leveille grappling with grief and mental health issues, she stopped going to class. At risk of losing a scholarship that paid her tuition, Leveille withdrew, after an adviser told her that the past classes would be covered by financial aid, she said. Then the debt collectors came calling. Oregon later told Leveille she owed around $5,000, she says, a debt she pays off little by little as she works as a line cook in Deschutes County. I didnt even finish the year, but Im paying so much money, Leveille said. Its probably going to end up being like $10,000 once the interest adds up. Leveille is among the 18% of Oregon young adults with some college education but no credential, a challenging status that can leave students saddled with debt while they earn less than the average associate degree earner. A report released by the National Student Clearinghouse this week ranks Oregon second in the country for the highest share of college stop-outs, behind only Alaska. Drawing these students back to college would help meet Oregons educational goals, which call for 80% of the states young adults to have a college degree or certificate by 2025. According to the states most recent reports, just 56% of Oregonians under age 34 have a degree or certificate. New state programs, including a grant that covers the cost of college for Oregon tribal members and Future Ready Oregon investments to help boost the states workforce, offer funding that could help former students continue their higher education, said Ben Cannon, director of Oregons Higher Education Coordinating Commission. But its not always easy to convince them to return, he said. Some former students left college for their dream job or to pursue a career that didnt require a degree, Cannon said, and the states goal shouldnt be to convince every student to finish their studies. But students who want to complete their credential to move up the economic ladder or to switch careers can face high hurdles to re-enrolling, Cannon said. Former students may have had a negative experience with a college or university the first time around, Cannon said. Older students could be financially responsible for children or family members or struggle to juggle high living costs with the expense of going back to college. There was a time when that population was regarded as sort of lower hanging fruit for us to move toward (state) goals. Thats probably not the right metaphor, Cannon said. Many of those students left for a reason. Leveille hasnt written off school entirely. She wants to take computer science classes and is open to taking them online or at a community college. But shes not interested in attending another school that feels like a corporation or taking extraneous classes she doesnt need. I would rather be more conscious with how my money is being spent at the schools, she said. Theyre going to take it anyway. It might as well be for something I want to learn. By 2021, Oregon had more than 790,000 students whod left college or university before earning a credential, the national clearinghouse found. Those numbers climbed across the country during the pandemic as more students left college and fewer re-enrolled. Nationwide, 40.4 million students have banked some college education but earned no credential. Its a more diverse group Black, Latino and Native American than the countrys current undergraduate population, said Doug Shapiro, executive research director of the National Student Clearinghouse. This population represents a certain level of opportunity for states and institutions that are looking to increase college enrollment and college attainment rates and particularly to reduce equity gaps among college degree recipients, Shapiro said in a news conference on the report. The share of Oregon young adults without a college credential has shrunk by a couple of percentage points over the past decade. Cannon says the state has invested in this group. Parts of former Gov. Kate Browns $200 million Future Ready Oregon programs could be particularly helpful to returning students, he said, including expanded options to give adults college credit for life and work experiences. But Cannon says the state could do more to make college accessible to returning students. The coordinating commission could work to make financial aid more flexible to help pay for short-term credentials or certificates, he said. Oregon universities and community colleges could hire more staff members that help first generation students, rural students and students of color feel welcome and represented. And the state needs to address students non-academic needs, including the costs of housing and child care, Cannon said. Without solutions to those issues, without dealing without the cost of living for adults who would like to be students, its going to be really hard to get many of them to return, he said. They have to make ends meet. Dylan DeLoe knows that dance well. For many years, DeLoe had no degree but was swamped with debt. He enrolled at Portlands private Multnomah University in 2012 under the impression that he wanted to be a youth pastor. Months later, DeLoe said, he was kicked out of school because he couldnt pay. He spent several years working low-paying jobs and chipping away at the $14,000 he owed for a single semester. DeLoe later went to Blue Mountain Community College, where he earned an associate degree, then enrolled at Oregon State University to go after his bachelors. But DeLoe had to withdraw from school again this semester. He moved out of his parents home and cant afford to pay for his $1,550 studio apartment and school at the same time, even while working full time and receiving financial aid. Working full time, making the most money Ive ever made $25 an hour I still cant afford to go to school, he said. DeLoe studied public policy at Oregon State and is active in the Oregon Student Association, a higher-education focused organizing group. Hes thought quite a bit about the intersecting issues of affordability that keep students from chasing their education goals. A lack of state investment in higher education has caused college prices to soar for students, DeLoe said. But thats not the only problem. Students also have to eat, and food prices are high. They need somewhere to live, and the states housing shortage means rooms are in high demand and prices are steep. Its not that were missing the mark in higher education, its that were missing the mark everywhere, DeLoe said. Microsoft Corp said on Friday it signed a 10-year deal with Nware to bring Xbox and Activision Blizzard games to the Spanish cloud-gaming platform, days after Britain blocked its $69 billion buyout of the "Call of Duty" maker. The agreement marks the latest effort by Microsoft to ease fears its purchase of Activision would hinder competition in cloud gaming, which was the reason cited by the Competition and Markets Authority to veto the biggest deal in gaming. "While it's still early for the emerging cloud segment in gaming, this new partnership combined with our other recent commitments will make more popular games available on more cloud game streaming services than they are today," Microsoft President Brad Smith said. The Xbox console maker, which plans to appeal CMA's decision, has signed similar deals with the owners of streaming platforms including Valve Corp, Nvidia and Boosteroid. It had also offered Sony - a vocal opponent of the deal - a 10-year "Call of Duty" license, in line with an agreement to bring the multi-billion dollar franchise to Nintendo's Switch. In its decision on Wednesday, the CMA said Microsoft had an estimated 60%-70% of global cloud gaming services as well as competitive advantages including owning Xbox, PC operating system Windows and cloud provider Azure. The Activision deal is the biggest involving technology companies the regulator has blocked. Europe will decide on the deal by May 22. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also seeking to block it. Microsoft shares were slightly lower in U.S. premarket trading, while those of Activision ticked up 0.2%. 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 striking Pompidou center dominating the skyline in the Marais district of Paris. NFTs, the tokens of the crypto world linked to digital artworks, have been granted a show at the Pompidou Centre in Paris, despite an almost total collapse in their price and cultural cachet. The Pompidou, a popular attraction in the Marais district of the French capital, has opened the exhibition in its minimalist halls dedicated to NFTs which could give the digital art form a much-needed lift. Blockbuster multimillion-dollar sales helped fuel publicity in 2021, and prices soared amid a lack of regulation and general confusion over what the digital tokens were. But the value of NFT transactions fell 94 percent between 2021 and 2022, from $233 million to $14 million, according to French analytics firm Artprice. The organizers of the event at the Pompidou, the first European gallery to start a collection of NFT art, are more keen to talk about the art than the economics. "These artists get a place in the history of art and their works are guaranteed longevity," said Marcella Lista, the gallery's chief curator. However, the collapse in interest in NFTs along with a wider plunge in the value of cryptocurrencies allowed the Pompidou to bag many of the works for just a handful of dollars, according to records on the OpenSea platform. About half of the works were donated by their creators. Crypto icons Among those who happily handed over their work was Californian artist Robness, who came to see the show and said it was a "humbling experience" to be included. He too was keen to shift the focus from the slump in prices. "If you start worrying about the market dynamics, you're taking your energy out, putting it into other places," he told AFP. "That's not conducive to actually creating." Robness compared NFTs to email, an elemental technology that he reckons will continue to find uses. Born at the crossroads of technology and artistic provocation, NFT art quickly created its own emblems and mythsand the Pompidou exhibition is steeped in its iconography. Robness donated a 3D "portrait" of Satoshi Nakamoto, the possibly fictional creator of bitcoin. Another of the works on display is "Bitchcoin", a representation of a bitcoin created by Sarah Meyohas in 2015, making it one of the first NFT artworks. While one of the most famous emblems of the scene, a "cryptopunk", also gets an airing. Visitors get the experience of a traditional art gallerywhitewashed walls, hanging images accompanied with small explanation cardsbut instead of canvas and paper, the digital works are rendered on screens. Storing pixels If the prices paid for the artworks were surprisingly low, the gallery nonetheless had to jump through some pretty tight hoops to acquire them. NFT art is generally sold on platforms where cryptocurrency is the preferred payment method, and proof of ownership is stored on the blockchain. Lista said accounting rules simply would not let the Pompidou go through the convoluted process of buying cryptocurrency to acquire the works, and blockchain records were not good enough. Instead, she said, the works were paid for in euros and contracts were signed under French law. Then comes the difficulty of storing and insuring the works, which are essentially digital pixels that can be replicated as many times as anyone wants. Philippe Bertinelli, another of the curators of the exhibition, said copies were held on several servers and in different media. "Even if a system breaks down or something is lost or burned, we can ensure the works are still safely stored," he said. 2023 AFP Ed. note: This marks the first in an occasional series on Bryan-College Station women in leadership positions. Linda Harvell was one of the first women to attend Texas A&M University in 1966, and though she may not have thought much of it at the time, she said it paved the way for her career and other women after her. We were not accepted there for the most part, the College Station city councilor recalled. I had professors tell me, It doesnt make any difference what [grade] you make, you are going to flunk because you dont belong here. I had students who didnt want girls there, and would rush ahead of us and slam the doors in our face. That was just the way it was. Despite not being easily accepted at the school, she focused on one goal: gain an education and move forward. We (female students) lived at home. There were no apartments, no dorms, no nothing, it was just an opportunity for us to get our education there in College Station. But it really prepared me for the corporate world, she said. I went into the travel industry, which way back in the day was a male-dominated industry. So I really wasnt intimidated by much and I am still not. And I dont bully either, because of what I dealt with in my early years. I have some great stories to tell, but it was such a period of time. We didnt think about discrimination, it did not occur to us, thats just the way it was. And now Texas A&M has more girls than guys and it is a wonderful university for everybody. Being the only female student in each of her classes at A&M, Harvell said she had to develop a thicker skin as she had to stand up for herself. Thats an attitude the San Antonio native first began developing at the age of 5 in 1954 when her family moved to College Station, in the historic Southside neighborhood, watching her mother, Norma, stand up for neighborhood integrity. Back in the 90s, when the city allowed the developers to come in and start tearing down all of these family homes and putting up AgShacks, my mom and other residents started lobbying City Hall [saying], Please protect our neighborhoods, and they were ignored, she said. It became something that she lived and breathed trying to save the neighborhood. Harvell, who has served the last six years on the city council and will term out in 2024, attributes her mothers passion to keeping her going. When Harvell and her late husband, Russ, moved back to College Station, they renovated her childhood home. Seeing the development was continuing without any respect for the permanent homeowners, that is when I decided to carry on my moms torch, Harvell said. And I didnt mean to get involved the way I am today, it just happened. I was appointed to the Historic Preservation Committee and I thought maybe I could do something there. I was chairperson of the 75th anniversary, and there was just something of, We have got to make a difference here; we have to see what we can do. I am not a special interest person, I am not in the real estate industry or anything like that, I am just trying to protect the neighborhoods. Harvell said that initiative went across the city to the older neighborhoods, and people started standing up and speaking for their communities. As a woman in a leadership role, Harvell said she hasnt had to hold a stance or mantra of claiming her womanhood, as a way to get ahead or as an obstacle to overcome at work. When I was elected to city council all three times, I dont think I was elected because I was a woman. I think because the voters liked my platform and liked what I stood for, she said. I have never used that as a tool to get ahead or to make a point or anything like that. For a couple of years I was the only woman on the College Station City Council. I didnt feel intimidated by the men at all. I think we got along great. Given that she is one of two women on the council, Harvell said she feels support and appreciation from female residents in the city who approach her with concerns or ideas. It happens often because they are comfortable coming to another woman, she said. And I think that is where that relationship is, they feel comfortable. I am very approachable. Before her journey as a volunteer for the city, Harvell said she previously worked for four cities. She was a leader in convention of visitors bureaus around the country, and later as a staff member who dealt with city council members, elected officials and residents. Being in many leadership roles, she said there were times she was not seen as a valued member. When I was elected to the city council I had this whole different perspective of what it is like being on the other side, and there were times I think [back then] that I wasnt taken seriously, she said. When I was vice president of tourism for the Denver Convention of Visitors Bureau, we [women] werent really taken seriously. It was a very much male-dominated industry back in that time and they didnt take me seriously. It was like Oh, you are the token female. It was an interesting process, but I had an all-female staff. We did great, we won awards, we brought in business and when I first came there it was a different perspective. Harvell gave advice to women who may worry about not being respected at work. My campaign treasurer in all of my campaigns was former [College Station] Mayor Ben White, he gave me one piece of advice that I stuck by, Stick to the high road, she said. If a lady wants to run for an office, sometimes it gets really nasty out on the campaign trail; especially when people dont want you elected. And the things that are said on social media and everything else, stick to the high road. If she could give any advice to her younger self knowing she would be in many leadership roles, she said it would be to pay attention more. Sometimes you get so busy in your everyday life that you dont realize the impact you might be making on someone, or an issue or something like that, she said. So when it pops up years later, I think I wish I had been paying attention more to what was going on. I have been blessed with such a great life, wonderful life, family, great careers, and now serving my hometown where I grew up in, it is the best job ever. It comes with its ups and downs, but just knowing that you are hopefully making a difference is the most important, even if its small. To watch the full video interview with Harvell, visit theeagle.com. As the state struggles with retaining teachers, the Texas House passed a bill Thursday that would boost training programs for aspiring teachers and offer other incentives with the hope of improving the odds that educators will stay longer in the profession. House Bill 11, authored by Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, would allocate funds to help school districts pay for more teacher residencies, programs that place would-be teachers in classrooms with mentors for about a year, teaching them how to do the job before hiring as full-time educators the following year. The bill passed with a 145-3 vote and now heads to the Senate. Im convinced [HB 11] will improve teacher quality, Dutton said. Weve been throwing teachers into the classroom without any experience whatsoever. Currently, if a district wants to host an aspiring teacher through a residency, it must come up with the money on its own to pay for that persons salary. Under the bill, districts would receive between $22,000 and $42,000 to pay each residency student. The bill is the lower chambers response to the recommendations of a task force formed last year by Gov. Greg Abbott after the pandemic exacerbated Texas teacher shortage. Scott Muri, superintendent of the Ector County Independent School District, which already has a residency program, said the new state funding would allow his school district to expand the number of teacher residents it can pay. A teacher resident outperforms a first-year teacher. In fact, many times a teacher resident performs as if they were a second- and sometimes even a third-year teacher, Muri said. Thats great for kids. School districts would still be responsible for paying at least half of the salary of those in the program which might remain a high cost for some. It has been particularly difficult for schools to fill the positions of teachers who have left the profession in recent years. Since the 2011-12 school year, about 10% of teachers in Texas have left the field each year. That number dipped to about 9% during the 2020-21 school year but is going back up rising to almost 12% during the 2021-22 school year. HB 11 seems to acknowledge the role that teacher preparation has in keeping them on the job. Most of Texas educators get certified through alternative programs, which can be completed online and within a year, but they are more likely to leave the profession than those who go through four-year programs. Some have speculated that teachers who become certified through alternative programs do not receive the same amount of support as educators who go through four-year programs, and they are usually placed in high-need classrooms without the benefit of working with more experienced teachers to guide them. Data from the Texas Education Agency shows that the state would have needed about 3,700 fewer new teachers during the 2021-22 school year if teachers prepared in alternative certification programs were retained at the same rate as teachers prepared in traditional programs, such as those at four-year universities. Supporters of the bill say robust teacher residency programs would be a boost to Texas educator workforce. Residency programs allow teaching students to quit their day jobs, spend time in classrooms and get a better idea of what the job entails. And they usually lead to better retention rates for teachers. According to the National Center for Teacher Residencies, teachers who go through residency programs are more likely to stay in the profession, with 86% still teaching in the same school after three years. The legislation would position Texas as a national leader in teacher residencies that yield better outcomes for students and educators, said Ryan Franklin, senior director of policy and advocacy at Educate Texas. Jonathan Feinstein, the Texas director of the Education Trust, a nonprofit focused on promoting academic achievement for students of color and low-income students, said residency programs are among the best tools that the state has to retain teachers. HB 11 would simply encourage and provide a sustainable source of funding for districts, he said. And residency programs that have been vetted by the state will continue to grow and scale over the long term, and steadily but surely chip away at the retention problem. The bill also includes other features to incentivize teachers to stay in the profession, fight the shortage and understand the nature of the problem. The legislation would expand and give more funding to the Teacher Incentive Allotment, a program that promises to pay teachers up to six-figure salaries if they meet certain performance requirements. About 13,000 teachers, or about 4% of the states educators, are currently part of the program. The raises are largely tied to how well teachers can improve scores on the states standardized tests, but critics say its an unfair way to gauge teacher performance since test scores are just a snapshot of what children learn throughout the year and may not reflect their true academic achievement. The bill also adds funding for school districts to rehire retired teachers who, if they can be convinced to return to the profession, are seen as a promising workforce that can help stem the teacher shortage. School officials have not been rehiring more retirees because it would mean either them or the retiree paying a larger contribution to the Teacher Retirement System. In addition, the bill would allow teachers to send their children to pre-K in the districts where they work, if the service is available. Pre-K is not mandated in Texas, and the state will help cover the cost only for students who dont speak English, are homeless or have parents who are active members of the military. HB 11 also would waive the costs of first-time teacher certification exams. Finally, the bill instructs the TEA to conduct a time study to take a deeper look at the reasons why teachers are spending time completing their work outside their work hours. This was another recommendation from the teacher shortage task force. Barry Callebaut AG (OTCMKTS:BYCBF Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 13,000 shares, an increase of 106.3% from the March 31st total of 6,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 130.0 days. Barry Callebaut Price Performance Shares of BYCBF remained flat at $2,080.00 on Friday. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $2,091.01 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $2,009.53. Barry Callebaut has a 52 week low of $1,783.55 and a 52 week high of $2,304.00. Get Barry Callebaut alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barclays lowered Barry Callebaut from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Barry Callebaut in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. They set a buy rating for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $2,233.33. Barry Callebaut Company Profile Barry Callebaut AG engages in the manufacture and trade of cocoa, chocolate, and confectionery products. It distributes its products under the following brands: Barry Callebaut, Callebaut, Cacao Barry, Carma, Van Leer, Van Houten, Bensdorp, Delfi, Chadler, Caprimo, Le Royal, and Ogonblink. The company was founded by Klaus Johann Jacobs in December 13, 1994 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Barry Callebaut Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Barry Callebaut and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Beijing Capital International Airport Company Limited (OTCMKTS:BJCHF Get Rating) saw a significant decline in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,396,800 shares, a decline of 66.9% from the March 31st total of 4,214,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3,492.0 days. Beijing Capital International Airport Stock Performance Shares of OTCMKTS BJCHF traded up $0.05 during trading on Friday, reaching $0.77. The company had a trading volume of 4,000 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,171. Beijing Capital International Airport has a twelve month low of $0.50 and a twelve month high of $0.79. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $0.74 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $0.70. Get Beijing Capital International Airport alerts: Beijing Capital International Airport Company Profile (Get Rating) Further Reading Beijing Capital International Airport Company Limited engages in the aeronautical and non-aeronautical businesses at the Beijing Capital Airport in the People's Republic of China. The company's aeronautical business is involved in the provision of aircraft landings and take-offs; passenger service facilities; ground support services; and fire-fighting services for domestic and foreign air transportation enterprises. Receive News & Ratings for Beijing Capital International Airport Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Beijing Capital International Airport and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BlackRock Emerging Europe plc (LON:BEEP Get Rating) shares passed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of GBX 318.50 ($3.98) and traded as low as GBX 318.50 ($3.98). BlackRock Emerging Europe shares last traded at GBX 318.50 ($3.98), with a volume of 1,038 shares traded. BlackRock Emerging Europe Price Performance The companys 50-day simple moving average is GBX 318.50 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 318.50. About BlackRock Emerging Europe (Get Rating) BlackRock Emerging Europe plc, formerly Eastern European Trust PLC, is a United Kingdom-based investment trust company. The Company conducts its business as an investment trust and its principal activity is portfolio investment. The Companys objective is to achieve long-term capital growth, principally by investing in companies that do business primarily in Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia and Turkey. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Emerging Europe Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock Emerging Europe and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Coca-Cola HBC AG (OTCMKTS:CCHGY Get Rating) was the target of a large increase in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 500 shares, an increase of 400.0% from the March 31st total of 100 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,250 ($28.10) to GBX 2,350 ($29.35) in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,580 ($32.22) to GBX 2,545 ($31.78) in a report on Tuesday, April 4th. Credit Suisse Group lowered their target price on Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,600 ($32.47) to GBX 2,500 ($31.22) in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. Citigroup lowered their target price on Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,200 ($27.48) to GBX 2,125 ($26.54) in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,500 ($31.22) to GBX 2,700 ($33.72) in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Get Coca-Cola HBC alerts: Coca-Cola HBC Stock Performance Shares of OTCMKTS CCHGY traded up $0.55 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $30.59. The stock had a trading volume of 478 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,478. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $27.32 and its 200 day simple moving average is $24.79. Coca-Cola HBC has a fifty-two week low of $18.89 and a fifty-two week high of $30.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. About Coca-Cola HBC Coca-Cola HBC AG engages in the production, sale and distribution of non-alcoholic and ready-to-drink beverages. It operates through the following segments: Established Markets, Developing Markets, and Emerging Markets. The Established Markets segment consists of Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Switzerland. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Coca-Cola HBC Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Coca-Cola HBC and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:DLR Get Rating) updated its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $6.65-$6.75 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $6.71. The company issued revenue guidance of $5.5-$5.6 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $5.72 billion. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Credit Suisse Group decreased their price target on Digital Realty Trust from $81.00 to $80.00 and set an underperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Raymond James reduced their price objective on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 21st. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Digital Realty Trust in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating on the stock. Finally, BMO Capital Markets downgraded Digital Realty Trust from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $121.00 to $100.00 in a research note on Monday, March 27th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Digital Realty Trust has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $121.00. Get Digital Realty Trust alerts: Digital Realty Trust Trading Down 2.6 % Shares of NYSE DLR traded down $2.60 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $99.15. The stock had a trading volume of 3,834,905 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,410,682. The firm has a market cap of $28.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 86.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 0.50. Digital Realty Trust has a 1 year low of $85.76 and a 1 year high of $152.74. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $99.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $102.78. Digital Realty Trust Announces Dividend Digital Realty Trust ( NYSE:DLR Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.65 by ($1.46). The firm had revenue of $1.34 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion. Digital Realty Trust had a return on equity of 2.46% and a net margin of 8.05%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 18.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.67 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Digital Realty Trust will post 6.75 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a $1.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $4.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.92%. Digital Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 428.07%. Insider Activity at Digital Realty Trust In other Digital Realty Trust news, EVP Jeannie Lee sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.00, for a total transaction of $115,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 10,975 shares in the company, valued at $1,262,125. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Digital Realty Trust news, EVP Dyer Corey sold 4,401 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.19, for a total value of $458,540.19. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 30,026 shares in the company, valued at $3,128,408.94. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jeannie Lee sold 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.00, for a total value of $115,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 10,975 shares in the company, valued at $1,262,125. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Digital Realty Trust Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of DLR. Clear Street Markets LLC boosted its position in Digital Realty Trust by 28,900.0% in the 4th quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 290 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC lifted its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 19.8% during the 1st quarter. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC now owns 545 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $77,000 after buying an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Digital Realty Trust during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $89,000. State of Wyoming purchased a new position in shares of Digital Realty Trust during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $98,000. Finally, Money Concepts Capital Corp lifted its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 30.4% during the 4th quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 1,320 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $132,000 after buying an additional 308 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.00% of the companys stock. About Digital Realty Trust (Get Rating) Digital Realty Trust, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust, which engages in the provision of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions. It serves the following industries: artificial intelligence (AI), networks, cloud, digital media, mobile, financial services, healthcare, and gaming. Featured Stories 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. Edwards Lifesciences Co. (NYSE:EW Get Rating) SVP Robert W.A. Sellers sold 12,270 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.20, for a total transaction of $1,069,944.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 11,750 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,024,600. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Edwards Lifesciences Stock Up 1.5 % EW stock traded up $1.26 during trading on Friday, hitting $87.98. 3,294,025 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,408,332. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.54, a PEG ratio of 5.09 and a beta of 1.02. Edwards Lifesciences Co. has a 1 year low of $67.13 and a 1 year high of $110.10. The company has a quick ratio of 2.17, a current ratio of 3.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $81.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $78.41. Get Edwards Lifesciences alerts: Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The medical research company reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.46 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.39 billion. Edwards Lifesciences had a return on equity of 25.89% and a net margin of 27.07%. The businesss revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.60 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Edwards Lifesciences Co. will post 2.52 EPS for the current year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Edwards Lifesciences Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 11.4% during the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 9,181 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,081,000 after acquiring an additional 941 shares during the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 34.7% in the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 1,738 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $204,000 after acquiring an additional 448 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd increased its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 18.2% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,223 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $144,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. increased its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 53.5% in the 1st 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 during the period. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its position in Edwards Lifesciences by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 655,567 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $77,173,000 after buying an additional 19,798 shares during the last quarter. 80.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Edwards Lifesciences from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $78.00 to $90.00 in a report on Thursday. Truist Financial raised their price target on Edwards Lifesciences from $93.00 to $97.00 in a report on Thursday. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $94.00 to $102.00 in a report on Friday. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price objective on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $68.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Edwards Lifesciences has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $89.42. Edwards Lifesciences Company Profile (Get Rating) Edwards Lifesciences Corp. engages in patient-focused medical innovations for heart disease and critical care monitoring. Its products are categorized into four main areas: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, Transcatheter Mitral and Tricuspid Therapies, Surgical Structural Heart, and Critical Care. Recommended Stories 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. Shares of First National of Nebraska, Inc. (OTCMKTS:FINN Get Rating) hit a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $12,800.00 and last traded at $12,800.00, with a volume of 0 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $12,800.00. First National of Nebraska Trading Up 0.4 % The companys 50-day simple moving average is $13,524.80 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13,669.47. First National of Nebraska Company Profile (Get Rating) First National of Nebraska, Inc is a multi-state holding company, which engages in the provision of banking and financial services. It operates through its subsidiaries in different states which also operates and provides banking and financial services. The company was founded on August 27, 1968 and is headquartered in Omaha, NE. See Also Receive News & Ratings for First National of Nebraska Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First National of Nebraska and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Regis (NYSE:RGS Get Rating) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note issued on Friday. Separately, Small Cap Consu restated a buy rating on shares of Regis in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Get Regis alerts: Regis Price Performance Shares of NYSE RGS traded up $0.13 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $1.25. The company had a trading volume of 197,399 shares, compared to its average volume of 329,689. The company has a market capitalization of $56.95 million, a PE ratio of -0.80 and a beta of 1.78. Regis has a 1-year low of $0.50 and a 1-year high of $1.85. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $1.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1.27. Institutional Trading of Regis Regis ( NYSE:RGS Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The company reported ($0.06) earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $59.97 million during the quarter. On average, analysts expect that Regis will post -0.18 EPS for the current year. A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in RGS. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in Regis during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $167,000. State Street Corp raised its stake in Regis by 24.9% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 121,874 shares of the companys stock valued at $123,000 after acquiring an additional 24,300 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in Regis during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $111,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in Regis by 28.4% during the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 50,620 shares of the companys stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 11,192 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its stake in Regis by 21.4% during the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 51,866 shares of the companys stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 9,148 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 30.20% of the companys stock. Regis Company Profile (Get Rating) Regis Corp. engages in the ownership, franchise, and operation of beauty salons. It operates through the Company-Owned Salons and Franchise Salons segments. The segments offer haircutting, styling, hair coloring, and other related services. It also sells hair care and other beauty products. Its brands include Supercuts, SmartStyle Hair Salon, Cost Cutters, First Choice Haircutters, Roosters, Opensalon, and Best Cuts. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Regis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Regis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sensata Technologies Holding plc (NYSE:ST Get Rating) saw a large decline in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,860,000 shares, a decline of 15.1% from the March 31st total of 2,190,000 shares. Approximately 1.2% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 972,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.9 days. Institutional Trading of Sensata Technologies Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. abrdn plc lifted its position in Sensata Technologies by 85.4% in the 1st quarter. abrdn plc now owns 27,394 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $1,370,000 after acquiring an additional 12,619 shares in the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its position in Sensata Technologies by 52.7% in the 1st quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 40,300 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $2,016,000 after acquiring an additional 13,900 shares in the last quarter. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Sensata Technologies in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $214,000. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its position in Sensata Technologies by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 44,470 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $2,224,000 after acquiring an additional 525 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio lifted its position in Sensata Technologies by 11.3% in the 1st quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 38,495 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $1,925,000 after acquiring an additional 3,921 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.82% of the companys stock. Get Sensata Technologies alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on ST shares. Stifel Nicolaus lowered Sensata Technologies from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $55.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. TheStreet raised Sensata Technologies from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research note on Monday, January 30th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Sensata Technologies from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Wolfe Research downgraded Sensata Technologies from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a report on Thursday, February 9th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on Sensata Technologies from $42.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Seven 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.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $53.83. Sensata Technologies Stock Up 0.4 % Shares of ST stock traded up $0.17 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $43.45. 1,351,842 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,012,742. Sensata Technologies has a 1 year low of $36.64 and a 1 year high of $54.34. The companys 50 day moving average is $48.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.37. The company has a current ratio of 2.35, a quick ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The firm has a market cap of $6.63 billion, a PE ratio of 17.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.32. Sensata Technologies (NYSE:ST Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $998.20 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $984.76 million. Sensata Technologies had a return on equity of 17.85% and a net margin of 9.25%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.78 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Sensata Technologies will post 3.82 EPS for the current year. Sensata Technologies Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 24th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 10th will be paid a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 9th. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.10%. This is an increase from Sensata Technologiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.11. Sensata Technologiess dividend payout ratio is presently 18.11%. About Sensata Technologies (Get Rating) Sensata Technologies Holding Plc is a global industrial technology company, which engages in the development, manufacture, and sale of sensors and sensor-rich solutions, electrical protection components and systems, and other products used in mission-critical systems and applications. The firm operates through the Performance Sensing and Sensing Solutions segments. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Sensata Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sensata Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Southern (NYSE:SO Get Rating) issued an update on its second quarter earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $0.75 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $0.95. Southern also updated its FY23 guidance to $3.55-$3.65 EPS. Southern Price Performance Shares of NYSE SO traded up $0.04 during trading on Friday, hitting $73.55. The company had a trading volume of 4,598,670 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,230,972. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $68.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $67.83. Southern has a fifty-two week low of $58.85 and a fifty-two week high of $80.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $80.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.03 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47. Get Southern alerts: Southern (NYSE:SO Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $6.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.14 billion. Southern had a net margin of 12.40% and a return on equity of 11.73%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.97 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Southern will post 3.61 earnings per share for the current year. Southern Increases Dividend Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be paid a $0.70 dividend. This is an increase from Southerns previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th. Southerns dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 82.93%. Several research firms have recently weighed in on SO. Credit Suisse Group raised their price target on shares of Southern from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 18th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Southern from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Guggenheim lifted their target price on shares of Southern from $73.00 to $79.00 in a research note on Monday. VNET Group reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of Southern in a research note on Friday. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Southern from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $73.14. Insider Activity In related news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of Southern stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.89, for a total value of $359,450.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 146,284 shares in the company, valued at $10,516,356.76. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, EVP Christopher Cummiskey sold 1,282 shares of Southern stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.60, for a total value of $85,381.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 27,512 shares in the company, valued at $1,832,299.20. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of Southern stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.89, for a total transaction of $359,450.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 146,284 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,516,356.76. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 7,134 shares of company stock valued at $502,179. Company insiders own 0.28% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in Southern during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Compass Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Southern during the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,000. Achmea Investment Management B.V. acquired a new position in shares of Southern in the 1st quarter valued at $68,000. Certified Advisory Corp acquired a new position in shares of Southern in the 1st quarter valued at $73,000. Finally, Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. acquired a new position in shares of Southern in the 4th quarter valued at $77,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.78% of the companys stock. Southern Company Profile (Get Rating) The Southern Co is a holding company, which engages in the generation and sale of electricity. It operates through the following segments: Traditional Electric Operating Companies, Southern Power and Southern Company Gas. The Traditional Electric Operating Companies segment refers to vertically integrated utilities that own generation, transmission and distribution facilities, and supplies electric services in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi. Further Reading 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. Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO Get Rating) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a note issued to investors on Friday. A number of other research firms have also commented on VLO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 28th. Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. lowered Valero Energy from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Mizuho raised their price objective on Valero Energy from $170.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. UBS Group initiated coverage on Valero Energy in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. They issued a buy rating and a $176.00 target price on the stock. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised Valero Energy from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $135.00 to $160.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $155.64. Get Valero Energy alerts: Valero Energy Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:VLO traded up $0.03 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $114.67. 4,039,065 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,308,814. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Valero Energy has a 12 month low of $96.93 and a 12 month high of $150.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.66. The firms fifty day moving average price is $130.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $130.14. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy Valero Energy ( NYSE:VLO Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The oil and gas company reported $8.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $7.24 by $1.03. The business had revenue of $36.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $37.88 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 50.15% and a net margin of 6.54%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.31 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Valero Energy will post 25.26 earnings per share for the current year. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI grew its position in shares of Valero Energy by 2.2% in the third quarter. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI now owns 5,231 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $559,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 13.8% during the 3rd quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 22,091 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $2,360,000 after purchasing an additional 2,682 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 29.9% during the 3rd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 276,830 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $29,579,000 after purchasing an additional 63,800 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 14,119 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $1,509,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prospera Financial Services Inc grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 39.5% during the 3rd quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 4,404 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $472,000 after acquiring an additional 1,246 shares in the last quarter. 79.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Valero Energy Company Profile (Get Rating) Valero Energy Corp. engages in the manufacture and marketing of transportation fuels and other petrochemical products. It operates through the following business segments: Refining, Ethanol and Renewable Diesel. The Refining segment consists of refining operations, associated marketing activities, and logistics assets that support its refining operations. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Valero Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Valero Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ninety One UK Ltd reduced its position in shares of Alcoa Co. (NYSE:AA Get Rating) by 36.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 290,408 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 166,536 shares during the period. Ninety One UK Ltd owned 0.16% of Alcoa worth $13,205,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Alcoa by 5.6% during the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,740,470 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $606,845,000 after acquiring an additional 356,919 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in shares of Alcoa by 5.7% in the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,106,620 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $205,549,000 after purchasing an additional 330,779 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alcoa by 26.4% in the third quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 4,176,396 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $140,577,000 after purchasing an additional 871,861 shares during the period. Theleme Partners LLP boosted its stake in shares of Alcoa by 5.6% in the third quarter. Theleme Partners LLP now owns 3,401,530 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $114,495,000 after purchasing an additional 180,000 shares during the period. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its stake in shares of Alcoa by 52.1% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 1,965,127 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $66,146,000 after purchasing an additional 673,362 shares during the period. Get Alcoa alerts: Alcoa Trading Up 2.4 % Shares of NYSE:AA opened at $37.14 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 1.78. Alcoa Co. has a twelve month low of $33.55 and a twelve month high of $72.68. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $42.96 and a 200-day simple moving average of $45.29. Alcoa Announces Dividend Alcoa ( NYSE:AA Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 19th. The industrial products company reported ($0.23) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.05) by ($0.18). The company had revenue of $2.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.77 billion. Alcoa had a positive return on equity of 4.02% and a negative net margin of 6.78%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 18.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.06 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Alcoa Co. will post 0.79 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 7th were issued a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 6th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.08%. Alcoas payout ratio is -8.62%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have recently commented on AA shares. B. Riley lowered their price objective on shares of Alcoa from $44.00 to $43.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Citigroup upgraded shares of Alcoa from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $55.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 21st. B. Riley Financial decreased their price target on shares of Alcoa from $44.00 to $43.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 21st. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of Alcoa from $45.00 to $40.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Alcoa from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $47.50. Insider Activity In other news, CEO Roy Christopher Harvey sold 30,000 shares of Alcoa stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.34, for a total value of $1,540,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 950,140 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $48,780,187.60. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Alcoa news, EVP Harden Sonya Elam sold 4,514 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.87, for a total value of $234,141.18. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 29,427 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,526,378.49. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Roy Christopher Harvey sold 30,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.34, for a total transaction of $1,540,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 950,140 shares in the company, valued at $48,780,187.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 34,514 shares of company stock valued at $1,774,341 in the last ninety days. About Alcoa (Get Rating) Alcoa Corp. engages in the production of bauxite, alumina, and aluminum products. It operates through the following segments: Bauxite, Alumina, and Aluminum. The Bauxite segment represents the company global bauxite mining operations. The Alumina segment includes the companys worldwide refining system, which processes bauxite into alumina. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Alcoa Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alcoa and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Arnhold LLC bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Singapore ETF (NYSEARCA:EWS Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 49,839 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $937,000. Arnhold LLC owned about 0.17% of iShares MSCI Singapore ETF as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. CX Institutional boosted its position in shares of iShares MSCI Singapore ETF by 330,251.1% during the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 310,530 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,313,000 after acquiring an additional 310,436 shares during the last quarter. Gould Asset Management LLC CA raised its holdings in iShares MSCI Singapore ETF by 8.8% in the 3rd quarter. Gould Asset Management LLC CA now owns 27,359 shares of the companys stock valued at $468,000 after buying an additional 2,215 shares during the period. Barry Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in iShares MSCI Singapore ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at about $496,000. Millburn Ridgefield Corp raised its holdings in iShares MSCI Singapore ETF by 22.9% in the 3rd quarter. Millburn Ridgefield Corp now owns 542,556 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,283,000 after buying an additional 100,971 shares during the period. Finally, Summit Place Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in iShares MSCI Singapore ETF by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Summit Place Financial Advisors LLC now owns 49,170 shares of the companys stock valued at $925,000 after buying an additional 2,150 shares during the period. Get iShares MSCI Singapore ETF alerts: iShares MSCI Singapore ETF Trading Up 0.7 % EWS traded up $0.13 on Friday, hitting $19.88. The company had a trading volume of 1,009,317 shares, compared to its average volume of 503,343. The firm has a market cap of $541.73 million, a P/E ratio of 13.86 and a beta of 0.81. iShares MSCI Singapore ETF has a 1 year low of $16.16 and a 1 year high of $20.54. The companys fifty day moving average price is $19.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $19.01. About iShares MSCI Singapore ETF iShares MSCI Singapore ETF, formerly iShares MSCI Singapore Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange traded fund (ETF). The Funds seeks investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the MSCI Singapore Index (the Underlying Index). The Underlying Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Singapore Stock Exchange. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EWS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI Singapore ETF (NYSEARCA:EWS Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Singapore ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Singapore ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Berenberg Bank restated their buy rating on shares of Base Resources (LON:BSE Get Rating) in a research note published on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. They currently have a GBX 37 ($0.46) price target on the stock. BSE has been the topic of several other reports. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a buy rating and issued a GBX 50 ($0.62) price target on shares of Base Resources in a research note on Monday, February 27th. Peel Hunt reissued a buy rating and issued a GBX 24 ($0.30) price target on shares of Base Resources in a research note on Tuesday, January 24th. Get Base Resources alerts: Base Resources Price Performance Base Resources stock opened at GBX 10.60 ($0.13) on Wednesday. The stocks 50 day moving average is GBX 11.92 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 12.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 4.76 and a quick ratio of 3.81. The firm has a market cap of 125.08 million, a P/E ratio of 212.00 and a beta of 0.84. Base Resources has a one year low of GBX 9.60 ($0.12) and a one year high of GBX 21 ($0.26). Base Resources Company Profile Base Resources Limited operates as mineral sand developer and producer in Africa. It operates through Kwale Operation, Toliara Project, and Other segments. The company produces mineral sands, such as rutile, ilmenite, and zircon. It primarily owns a 100% interest in the Kwale Mineral Sands project located in Kenya; and develops the Toliara project located in Madagascar. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Base Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Base Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Companhia Paranaense de Energia COPEL (NYSE:ELP Get Rating) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. The firm issued a buy rating on the utilities providers stock. Companhia Paranaense de Energia COPEL Trading Up 0.9 % Companhia Paranaense de Energia COPEL stock opened at $7.74 on Wednesday. Companhia Paranaense de Energia COPEL has a 12 month low of $5.71 and a 12 month high of $8.25. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The stock has a market cap of $4.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.19 and a beta of 0.73. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $6.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $6.98. Get Companhia Paranaense de Energia - COPEL alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of Companhia Paranaense de Energia COPEL by 156.6% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 467,458 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $3,656,000 after buying an additional 285,254 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in Companhia Paranaense de Energia COPEL by 8.5% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 72,223 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $565,000 after acquiring an additional 5,658 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its stake in shares of Companhia Paranaense de Energia COPEL by 28.0% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 31,602 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $244,000 after purchasing an additional 6,910 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Companhia Paranaense de Energia COPEL by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,160,291 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $48,173,000 after purchasing an additional 53,347 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its stake in shares of Companhia Paranaense de Energia COPEL by 1,268.1% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,216,635 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $9,514,000 after purchasing an additional 1,127,704 shares during the last quarter. 4.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Companhia Paranaense de Energia COPEL Companhia Paranaense de Energia engages in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity. It operates through the following segments: Power Generation and Transmission (GET), Power Distribution (DIS), Telecommunications (TEL), GAS, Power Sale (COM), and Holding Company (HOL). The GET segment include production of electricity from hydraulic, wind, and thermal projects (GER) and also provides services of transmission and transformation of electric power. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Companhia Paranaense de Energia - COPEL Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Companhia Paranaense de Energia - COPEL and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Eldorado Gold Co. (TSE:ELD Get Rating) (NYSE:EGO) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of C$11.65 and traded as high as C$14.34. Eldorado Gold shares last traded at C$14.29, with a volume of 407,675 shares traded. Analysts Set New Price Targets ELD has been the topic of several research analyst reports. National Bank Financial lowered shares of Eldorado Gold from an outperform overweight rating to a sector perform spec overwgt rating in a research report on Monday, January 16th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Eldorado Gold from C$12.00 to C$14.00 in a research report on Friday, February 24th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered shares of Eldorado Gold from a buy rating to a hold rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from C$16.00 to C$16.50 in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, National Bankshares boosted their price objective on shares of Eldorado Gold from C$13.50 to C$16.50 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Eldorado Gold currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$14.21. Get Eldorado Gold alerts: Eldorado Gold Stock Performance The company has a market capitalization of C$2.77 billion, a PE ratio of -42.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 56.20 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.98, a quick ratio of 2.28 and a current ratio of 3.00. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is C$13.68 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$11.69. Eldorado Gold Company Profile Eldorado Gold ( TSE:ELD Get Rating ) (NYSE:EGO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The company reported C$0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$0.07 by C$0.12. The company had revenue of C$334.27 million for the quarter. Eldorado Gold had a negative net margin of 40.58% and a negative return on equity of 1.44%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Eldorado Gold Co. will post 0.3429723 earnings per share for the current year. (Get Rating) 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; 100% interest in 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. Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS Get Rating) had its price target cut by Stifel Nicolaus from $260.00 to $245.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday, The Fly reports. ESS has been the subject of several other reports. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Essex Property Trust from $242.00 to $246.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Essex Property Trust in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. They issued an underweight rating and a $208.00 price objective for the company. Scotiabank upgraded Essex Property Trust from a sector underperform rating to a sector outperform rating and set a $240.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Mizuho increased their price objective on Essex Property Trust from $235.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Essex Property Trust in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Essex Property Trust has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $247.33. Get Essex Property Trust alerts: Essex Property Trust Trading Up 3.9 % Shares of ESS stock opened at $219.73 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.16 billion, a PE ratio of 34.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.75. Essex Property Trust has a 1-year low of $195.03 and a 1-year high of $344.55. The business has a 50-day moving average of $214.89 and a 200 day moving average of $217.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.88. Essex Property Trust Increases Dividend Hedge Funds Weigh In On Essex Property Trust The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st were given a dividend of $2.31 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 30th. This is an increase from Essex Property Trusts previous quarterly dividend of $2.20. This represents a $9.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.21%. Essex Property Trusts payout ratio is 147.13%. Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ESS. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Essex Property Trust by 24.8% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 2,261 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $781,000 after purchasing an additional 450 shares in the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its position in shares of Essex Property Trust by 1.2% in the first quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 88,915 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $30,718,000 after acquiring an additional 1,050 shares in the last quarter. Prudential PLC purchased a new position in shares of Essex Property Trust in the first quarter valued at about $475,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Essex Property Trust by 1.8% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,614,782 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $3,667,195,000 after acquiring an additional 184,047 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Essex Property Trust by 3.6% in the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 53,635 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $18,530,000 after acquiring an additional 1,847 shares in the last quarter. 91.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Essex Property Trust Company Profile (Get Rating) Essex Property Trust, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust. It engages in the ownership, operation, management, acquisition, development, and redevelopment of predominantly apartment communities. The company was founded by George M. Marcus in 1971 and is headquartered in San Mateo, CA. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Essex Property Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Essex Property Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fernwood Investment Management LLC reduced its stake in Yum China Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:YUMC Get Rating) by 1.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 34,000 shares of the companys stock after selling 400 shares during the period. Fernwood Investment Management LLCs holdings in Yum China were worth $1,858,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in YUMC. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale lifted its stake in shares of Yum China by 9.4% in the third quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 281,894 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,368,000 after buying an additional 24,305 shares in the last quarter. Absolute Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Yum China in the 4th quarter valued at about $317,000. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Yum China by 25.6% during the 4th quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,476 shares of the companys stock valued at $682,000 after purchasing an additional 2,545 shares during the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its holdings in Yum China by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 204,569 shares of the companys stock worth $9,682,000 after purchasing an additional 4,300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pathstone Family Office LLC raised its stake in shares of Yum China by 7.3% in the third quarter. Pathstone Family Office LLC now owns 20,981 shares of the companys stock worth $1,040,000 after purchasing an additional 1,428 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.89% of the companys stock. Get Yum China alerts: Insider Transactions at Yum China In related news, CEO Joey Wat sold 12,018 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.02, for a total value of $745,356.36. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 261,905 shares in the company, valued at $16,243,348.10. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, insider Johnson Huang sold 10,707 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.00, for a total value of $663,834.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 53,268 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,302,616. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Joey Wat sold 12,018 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.02, for a total transaction of $745,356.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 261,905 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,243,348.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Yum China Stock Performance Shares of Yum China stock opened at $61.18 on Friday. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $61.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $56.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. Yum China Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $36.05 and a 12 month high of $64.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 58.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.53. Yum China (NYSE:YUMC Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.14 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $2.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.31 billion. Yum China had a return on equity of 6.09% and a net margin of 4.62%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.03 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Yum China Holdings, Inc. will post 1.79 EPS for the current year. Yum China Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 7th were given a dividend of $0.13 per share. This is an increase from Yum Chinas previous quarterly dividend of $0.12. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 6th. Yum Chinas dividend payout ratio is currently 49.52%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages recently issued reports on YUMC. TheStreet cut Yum China from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 7th. StockNews.com raised shares of Yum China from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, April 24th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Yum China from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, OTR Global upgraded shares of Yum China from a mixed rating to a positive rating in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. About Yum China (Get Rating) Yum China Holdings, Inc engages in the operation and management of restaurants and fast food chains. It operates through the following segments: Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Pizza Hut, and All Other Segments. The KFC segment operates restaurant chain. The Pizza Hut segment covers the Pizza Hut casual dining and Pizza Hut home service. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding YUMC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Yum China Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:YUMC Get Rating). 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. UN chief, Turkish president discuss grain deal over phone Xinhua) 10:54, April 29, 2023 UNITED NATIONS, April 28 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the Black Sea grain export deal over the phone on Friday. "They exchanged views on how to guarantee the improvement, expansion and extension of the Black Sea Initiative," said a readout issued by the UN chief's press office. The two also talked about the improvement of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between Russia and the Secretariat of the United Nations on promoting Russian food products and fertilizers to the world markets, the readout said. In July 2022, Russia and Ukraine separately signed a document in Istanbul with Turkiye and the United Nations on grain and fertilizer exports from Ukraine and Russia to ensure supplies to global markets amid the Ukraine crisis. The initial 120-day agreement was extended by another 120 days in November 2022 and again on March 18. Circumstances are not yet in favor of extending the Black Sea grain export deal, the Kremlin said Tuesday after Guterres sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, outlining a proposed way forward aimed at the improvement, extension and expansion of the deal. During their phone call, Guterres and Erdogan also discussed the situation in Syria and Sudan, according to the UN readout. (Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun) Kansas Republicans pass sweeping anti-trans bathroom bill with 84-40 results GOP lawmakers in the state passed the bill by overriding Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of the measure The bill defines sex to be an "individual's biological sex, either male or female, at birth" Kansas Republicans passed a sweeping anti-trans bathroom bill that some LGBTQ rights groups call one of the most restrictive in the history of the United States by overriding state Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of the measure. On Thursday, the Kansas House voted 84-40 to override Kelly's veto of Senate Bill 180. This particular piece of legislation defines sex in state law to be an "individual's biological sex, either male or female, at birth." On Wednesday, Apr. 26, the Senate voted on the measure, resulting in 28-12. Kansas Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill The bill will take effect on July 1 and will legally define women as individuals "whose biological reproductive system is developed to produce ova." On the other hand, it defines men as those whose "biological reproductive system is developed to fertilize the ova of a female," as per The Hill. The measure declares that the distinctions between the sexes in certain spaces are significantly related to the important government objectives of protecting health, safety, and privacy. The new law would affect school restrooms, lock rooms, prisons, domestic violence shelters, and rape crisis centers. Supporters of the new bill argued that such types of legislation are needed in order to prevent transgender women from sharing bathrooms, changing rooms, and other similar facilities with cisgender women and girls. However, opponents of the measure argued that it was too broad and difficult to enforce. Read Also: Trump Campaign's 2nd Voter Fraud Investigator Subpoenaed by Special Counsel Some LGBTQ activists have argued that the anti-trans bathroom bill would legally write transgender people out of state law. Earlier this week, Montana legislators also passed a bill that seeks to adopt a similarly narrow definition of sex in their state law. Gov. Kelly did not immediately respond to requests for comments regarding the passage of the bill in Kansas. Her previous veto of the measure was overridden with a two-thirds majority of both chambers, which is currently under the control of the Republican Party, according to the Washington Post. Defining People's Sexes In a Twitter post following the Thursday vote, the Kansas governor said that she was disappointed that some lawmakers were eager to force through extremist legislation that would simply hurt the economy and tarnish the state's reputation as the "Free State." Republican lawmakers released a statement in response, saying they were standing with women and girls in the state and their right to privacy, safety, and dignity in single-sex spaces. They argued that trading one group's rights for another's is not something that should ever be done. The new measure is the culmination of a long-running messaging campaign that Republicans have built across the U.S. that was directed at passing a "Women's Bill of Rights." The GOP victory in Kansas could signal that their tactics are effective and could bolster support for similar proposals in other states, such as Oklahoma, South Carolina, North Dakota, and Tennessee, said Policito. Related Article: Kamala Harris to Play Crucial Role in Biden's Re-election Bid @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Greene King plc (LON:GNK Get Rating) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 849.20 ($10.61) and traded as high as GBX 849.40 ($10.61). Greene King shares last traded at GBX 849.20 ($10.61), with a volume of 6,678,342 shares trading hands. Greene King Stock Up 0.0 % The firm has a market capitalization of 2.63 billion and a P/E ratio of 21.94. The firms 50-day moving average is GBX 849.20 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 849.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 111.89, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.67. Greene King Company Profile (Get Rating) Greene King plc operates as a pub retailer and brewer in the United Kingdom. The company operates through three segments: Pub Company, Pub Partners, and Brewing & Brands. Its brands include Greene King Local Pubs, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill, Farmhouse Inns, and Chef & Brewer. The company is also involved in brewing, marketing, and selling beer under the Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, and Belhaven Best brands. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Greene King Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Greene King and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hollencrest Capital Management lowered its stake in shares of iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:IEMG Get Rating) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 58,191 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,502 shares during the period. Hollencrest Capital Managements holdings in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF were worth $2,718,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. CX Institutional lifted its stake in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 59.2% during the 4th quarter. CX Institutional now owns 20,472 shares of the companys stock valued at $956,000 after acquiring an additional 7,612 shares during the period. Iowa State Bank lifted its stake in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 29.5% during the 4th quarter. Iowa State Bank now owns 120,932 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,648,000 after acquiring an additional 27,523 shares during the period. First Merchants Corp lifted its stake in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. First Merchants Corp now owns 33,786 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,452,000 after acquiring an additional 1,099 shares during the period. Elm Partners Management LLC lifted its stake in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 6.4% during the 4th quarter. Elm Partners Management LLC now owns 1,479,115 shares of the companys stock valued at $69,075,000 after acquiring an additional 89,148 shares during the period. Finally, Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV lifted its stake in shares of iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 73.8% in the 3rd quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 6,259 shares of the companys stock worth $269,000 after purchasing an additional 2,657 shares during the period. Get iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF alerts: iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Price Performance Shares of NYSEARCA:IEMG traded up $0.24 during trading on Friday, hitting $48.58. The companys stock had a trading volume of 9,728,877 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,775,403. The company has a 50-day moving average of $48.19 and a 200-day moving average of $47.61. iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has a 12 month low of $41.44 and a 12 month high of $53.26. The firm has a market cap of $69.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.26 and a beta of 0.75. iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Company Profile The iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI Emerging Markets IMI index, a market-cap-weighted index of emerging-market firms, covering 99% of market capitalization. IEMG was launched on Oct 18, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nabors Industries (NYSE:NBR Get Rating) had its price target reduced by Susquehanna from $135.00 to $110.00 in a research note published on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Nabors Industries from $210.00 to $200.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Nabors Industries from $193.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Benchmark assumed coverage on Nabors Industries in a report on Thursday, January 19th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Nabors Industries in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Nabors Industries from $200.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, February 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Nabors Industries currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $177.86. Get Nabors Industries alerts: Nabors Industries Price Performance Shares of Nabors Industries stock opened at $99.74 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $943.54 million, a PE ratio of -6.66 and a beta of 2.76. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $126.79 and a 200 day moving average price of $147.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.40. Nabors Industries has a twelve month low of $92.66 and a twelve month high of $193.88. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nabors Industries Nabors Industries ( NYSE:NBR Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 7th. The oil and gas company reported ($3.89) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.06) by ($2.83). Nabors Industries had a negative return on equity of 26.14% and a negative net margin of 4.03%. The business had revenue of $769.34 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $734.46 million. Sell-side analysts predict that Nabors Industries will post 12.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its holdings in Nabors Industries by 89.6% in the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 565 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 267 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in Nabors Industries by 43.1% in the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 793 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 239 shares during the period. State of Wyoming lifted its stake in shares of Nabors Industries by 55.6% in the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 585 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $91,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares during the last quarter. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Nabors Industries during the 1st quarter worth $115,000. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors increased its position in shares of Nabors Industries by 31.8% during the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,028 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $157,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. 71.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Nabors Industries (Get Rating) Nabors Industries Ltd. engages in the provision of platform work over and drilling rigs. It also provides performance tools, directional drilling services, tubular running services, and innovative technologies. It operates through the following business segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Nabors Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nabors Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of NexGen Energy Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:NXE Get Rating) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $0.00 and traded as high as $3.79. NexGen Energy shares last traded at $3.79, with a volume of 1,191,140 shares trading hands. NexGen Energy Price Performance The company has a current ratio of 8.70, a quick ratio of 8.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Get NexGen Energy alerts: NexGen Energy (NYSEAMERICAN:NXE Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 24th. The company reported ($0.04) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.01) by ($0.03). Analysts expect that NexGen Energy Ltd. will post -0.07 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Trading of NexGen Energy About NexGen Energy A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in shares of NexGen Energy by 56.3% during the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 7,498 shares of the companys stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 2,700 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of NexGen Energy by 104.0% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 56,063 shares of the companys stock worth $317,000 after buying an additional 28,585 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of NexGen Energy by 20,783.5% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,217,515 shares of the companys stock worth $18,211,000 after buying an additional 3,202,108 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of NexGen Energy by 104.5% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 26,540 shares of the companys stock worth $150,000 after buying an additional 13,559 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of NexGen Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $150,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 25.66% of the companys stock. (Get Rating) NexGen Energy Ltd. engages in the exploration and development of uranium properties. Its uranium project portfolio includes Arrow, South Arrow, Harpoon, Bow, IsoEnergy, SW1, SW2, SW3, and IsoEnergy properties. The company was founded by Leigh B. Curyer on March 8, 2011 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. See Also Receive News & Ratings for NexGen Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NexGen Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. 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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 Ongoing Enjoy the View, featuring student artwork and photography, through April 28, Platte Building (second floor), Central Community College-Hastings. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; no admission charge. Hastings College second senior thesis gallery show, featuring the work of five senior art majors, through May 13, Jackson Dinsdale Art Center, 700 E 12th St., Hastings. Gallery hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Art exhibit featuring work by local artist Casey Hansen, through May 26, Grand Island Public Library, 1124 W. Second St. Library hours: 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; 308-385-5333. Saturday, April 29 Kiwanis Pancake Day, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., St. Marys Square, 112 S. Cedar St. Tickets are $8 for adults, $3 for children 11 and younger Proceeds will benefit children in the community and worldwide. A Gentlemans Guide to Love and Murder, presented by the Hastings Community Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, 515 S. Fourth Ave., Hastings (inside Good Samaritan Village). Tickets are $20 for adults and $18 for seniors and students; www.hctheatre.org. Spring Fling/Bake Sale, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Calvary Lutheran Church, 1304 N. Custer. Event includes bake sale, rummage sale, silent auction and food stands; 308-382-5446. Hall County Historical Society cemetery tour, hosted by Sue Clement and Michelle Setlik, 10 a.m., Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery, southwest corner of the Grand Island City Cemetery. Free for society members; $10 for non-members; 308-380-4480. PSM Birding Event, hosted by the Central Platte Natural Resources District in observance of Nebraska Bird Month, 8 a.m. to noon, Prairie Silver Moores Flood Cells (six miles northwest of Grand Island; enter the south gate off of West 13th Street). Wildlife biologists will be on site to assist in identifying bird species; free; Bill Hiatt, 308-385-6282 or hiatt@cpnrd.org. Thornton String Quartet Spring concert, 3 p.m., University of Nebraska Fine Arts Recital Hall; free; 308-865-8618. Stolley Park Railroad, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Grand Island. Tickets are $3.50 for anyone age 3 and older; children age 2 and younger ride for free with a paying adult. Punch cards and group rates available. All dates and times are weather permitting; 308-389-0290. Sunday, April 30 Artist reception, featuring local artist Casey Hansen, 2 to 4 p.m. Grand Island Public Library art alcove, 1124 W. Second St. Exhibit featuring Hansens work remains on display through May 26; 308-385-5333. Hastings College second senior art thesis exhibition lecture, 2 to 4 p.m., Wilson Center Auditorium, 814 N. Turner Ave. Reception follows at the Jackson Dinsdale Art Center, 700 E 12th St., Hastings. Copper Street Brass, presented by the Grand Island Concert Association, 3 p.m., Grand Island Senior High Auditorium. Single performance tickets are $30; 308-379-7612. Old Gospel Hour Hymn Sing, 4 p.m., Grace Baptist Church, 123 Ninth St., St. Paul. Refreshments and a sweet treat will be served after the hymn sing; Dennis, 702-469-0788 or www.stpaulgrace.org. Bingo, 2 p.m., United Veterans Club, 1914 W. Capital, Grand Island. Doors open at 1; open to the public; 308-381-1555. Knights of Columbus Bingo, 7:30 p.m., St. Mary's Cathedral Square, 112 S. Cedar. A teenage Michigan schoolboy becomes a local hero for steering a bus to safety after the driver falls unconscious Dillon Reeves, 13 years old, was on his way home from school in Warren, Michigan, when the incident happened The young boy was able to save his own life, the life of the bus driver, as well the lives A teenage Michigan schoolboy became a local hero after steering a school bus to safety after the vehicle driver fell unconscious, putting the lives of the people on board at risk. The 13-year-old boy quickly sprung into action and drove the packed school bus on Wednesday as he was going home from school. The boy, identified as Dillon Reeves, was returning from Warren, Michigan when the incident happened. Heroic 13-Year-Old Michigan Schoolboy He was able to save 66 other students who were riding on the bus that day. The incident occurred when the bus driver, at some point in the journey, started to feel dizzy and later lost consciousness, as per the Straits Times. Surveillance footage from inside the bus showed the bus driver, a woman, talking on her radio, saying that she would pull over. However, before she could safely steer the bus to safety to give herself a moment to rest, she started to shake and quickly fell unconscious. Read Also: Dylan Mulvaney - Bud Light Discussions Banned in Indiana Bar When the 13-year-old schoolboy realized what was happening to his bus driver, he rushed to the front of the vehicle and took control of the moving bus. The video captured the screams of the students riding the bus as Reeves slammed on the brakes and immediately brought the bus to a stop. After putting the bus to a stop, Reeves called on other students to call 911 to ask for assistance regarding the situation. Fortunately, no one was injured during the incident, and the driver of the bus was later taken to a hospital, where she remains under care. Steering the Bus to Safety Warren Consolidated School District Superintendent Robert D. Livernois later released a statement through Facebook saying that the schoolboy noticed the bus driver was in "distress" and quickly stepped in to bring the bus to a halt without incident, according to ABC News. On Thursday, Livernois praised Reeves for his quick thinking and actions, calling it an "extraordinary act of courage." The teenager's parents, Ireta and Steve Reeves, described their son as a generally quiet boy. The 13-year-old did not speak a the event where his heroic actions were celebrated. The superintendent added that the first respondents from the Warren Police and Fire Departments could attend to the bus driver following a 911 call. They also helped the students get on another bus so that they could go back home safely. Livernois said that nothing could have made the situation any better after the bus driver lost consciousness. He added that adults later helped kids get out of the vehicle through the back door. The schoolboy declined to speak to reporters on Thursday, but his parents praised their son's heroic actions. Related Article: Suspects Arrested in Denver Rock-Throwing Spree That Claimed One Life @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Air, director Ben Afflecks fifth feature, is a joyful, playful and suspenseful movie. We all know the story, but the ride along the way is a doozy. As director, Affleck immediately immerses us in the 80s with a barrage of visuals and music. Money for Nothin (Dire Straights) blares from the screen. Nike is in the toilet in terms of ranking for athletic shoe sales, behind Converse and Adidas. MAYWOOD A shooting inside a Maywood church during a Friday morning funeral service left one person injured, police said. The shooting at Rock of Ages Baptist Church at 1309 W. Madison St. stemmed from a family dispute during the funeral, the Maywood Police Department said in a news release. Police had already been called to the church and were attempting to diffuse the argument inside when a person pulled out a gun and shot someone, police said. A woman who answered the phone for the church Friday afternoon told the Tribune everything is OK now after the shooting. It was right during the funeral service, inside the church, in the sanctuary, she added. No clergy members were injured during the shooting, which brought a massive police response, she said. The officers present at the funeral took two people into custody and police are investigating the shooting, according to the departments news release. Photos: Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - File Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 A publisher of far-right websites and mailings designed to look like newspapers created a special online portal for top Illinois GOP candidates and activists to directly seek favorable coverage during last years elections, according to a newspaper report that prompted state Democrats to denounce the actions as deceitful to voters. The Washington Post reported last week that Brian Timpone, an ally and business partner of right-wing radio talk show host Dan Proft, used a password-protected portal that allowed Republicans to pitch stories, provide questions for interviews, place campaign announcements and run verbatim op-eds on websites and mailings that are published by the Local Government Information Services organization. One example the Post cited in the use of the portal-to-publish network was by the campaign of GOP governor candidate Darren Bailey in his unsuccessful bid against Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker last fall. The Post said Baileys campaign used the portal days before the Nov. 8 election to pitch a story about the candidates endorsement by former Democratic U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii. A story followed shortly afterward in Timpones DuPage Policy Journal touting Gabbards praise of Bailey but neglecting to mention controversies surrounding her, including pushing Russian-backed conspiracy theories. The DuPage Policy Journal was among a number of websites and mailings containing misinformation about Democratic policies under Pritzker that landed in voters mailboxes prior to the general election. In Central Illinois, they arrived with titles like Macon Reporter, Sangamon Sun, McLean County Times and Peoria Standard. In Chicago and the suburbs, the publications had names like Chicago City Wire and Will County Gazette. Pritzker called them the work of Proft, who lives in Naples, Florida, and labeled him a racist political consultant. In response, Proft said, Its like being called ugly by a frog. Proft, a longtime right-wing operative who finished sixth in his own bid for the GOP nomination in 2010, has said he was part owner of the papers but is not listed as part of the ownership of the Local Government Information Services. He used his radio show to defend the papers, while his People Who Play By The Rules independent expenditure political action committee spent tens of millions of dollars from ultraconservative national megadonor Richard Uihlein, founder of the Uline packing and office supply company, to support Baileys candidacy. State Democratic Chair Lisa Hernandez, a state representative from Cicero, said the revelations go far beyond news with a partisan tilt, but represented a deliberate distribution of disinformation that came straight from Republican candidates and their campaigns. It is imperative that all of our public officials condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms to avoid setting an unacceptable precedent that permanently shatters the line between news and propaganda, Hernandez said in a statement. The dangerous attempts to deceive voters pose a threat to our very democracy; degrading trust in our elections, media, and elected officials. Illinois voters deserve better, and Darren Bailey and all of the Illinois Republicans who engaged with LGIS owe them an apology. The Washington Post said Timpones portal-to-publish service for Illinois Republicans was being examined by allies of former President Donald Trump as a way to disseminate coverage about Trump for the 2024 campaign in areas without local news outlets. Efforts to reach Proft, Timpone and former members of Baileys campaign were unsuccessful. The Illinois Democratic Party already has pending a complaint with the Illinois State Board of Elections alleging Bailey and Proft unlawfully coordinated their efforts to oppose Pritzkers reelection. Under law, an independent expenditure PAC cannot coordinate spending with the candidate it supports. Mr. Profts pervasive involvement in the Bailey Campaign indicates some level of coordination, such that these expenditures are not independent and are instead illegal in-kind contributions to the Bailey Campaign, the complaint, filed Nov. 4, alleged. Mr. Proft has consistently acted in cooperation, consultation, or concert with the Bailey Campaign. The examples are endless. A state elections board hearing examiner ruled in February that the complaint should proceed to a public hearing. In 2012, the Chicago Tribune ended an agreement to invest in and use news stories produced by a previous Timpone company called Journatic after an investigation produced evidence of plagiarism by the firm that relied on overseas freelance writers who often used fake bylines. More recently, in January, Timpone appeared at a workshop for conservative school board candidates that was sponsored in part by the far-right Naperville-based Awake Illinois. At the event, Timpone offered the use of his publications and said they can punch back for you, and added, If somebody is giving you a hard time, we can fix that. Photos: Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - File Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 For nearly three hours Friday, Chicago aldermen met in an impassioned joint hearing on budget and immigration and refugee rights to discuss the influx of migrants arriving in Chicago daily, overwhelming nonprofits and city social services. There has been a tenfold increase over the past 10 days in daily arrivals of migrants, said Brandie Knazze, commissioner of the Department of Family and Support Services. Migrants often families with children are now sheltering in police station lobbies across the city. Knazze said the city used to receive 10 people per day; thats now risen to as many as 100. Advocates and city officials say the potential for crisis is growing, with migrants arriving with injuries, health needs and underlying conditions after surviving in substandard conditions for weeks or months on their journeys to the United States. How many kids (do) we have currently in our police districts waiting for assistance? shouted Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, who migrated to the U.S. himself as a teenager. I personally know of several in our districts that have been already waiting for two or three days. ... This is unacceptable, and I do expect from our city and our colleagues to make sure that we work collaboratively to make sure that we have solutions that go beyond the narrative. Last fall, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began sending busloads of migrants to Chicago to protest new arrivals in his state. But now, individuals and families are arriving from Texas on planes, said the citys chief engagement officer, Nubia Willman. The city used to bring arriving migrants to safe spaces like hospitals, Willman said. Shelter requests are immediately made through Chicagos 311 system, and the city partners with community organizations to transport migrants to shelters that have availability, said Matt Doughtie, manager of emergency management services at the citys Office of Emergency Management and Communications. OEMC leads the effort to explore potential new sheltering opportunities across the city. Historically, any unhoused individual could wait at their local hospital or police station for placement from 311. However, due to the influx in wait times, medical partners requested that they no longer be used as respite, Willman said. Knazze said the situation has drastically changed in the past 10 days with many children forced to sleep on the hard floors of police stations. Its easier for single men than families to find shelter beds, she said. Knazze called recent arrival numbers a surge that will only increase after an anticipated May 11 expiration of Title 42, a 2020 U.S. policy that tightened border regulations to stem the spread of COVID-19. She emphasized that the immediate solution is to increase the amount of appropriate shelter spaces around the city, like decommissioned schools, vacant commercial properties, church properties and Park District facilities. Though there are many empty buildings in Chicago, not all can be turned into shelters, Knazze said. An appropriate shelter space must house at least 250 people, Knazze said; there needs to be space for eating and restrooms and the ability to have showers and laundry services. Buildings must pass fire, safety and environmental tests. The OEMCs Doughtie said the city has explored the viability of approximately 200 various facilities and conducted site visits to about 50. The city has established 20 shelters since the 108 buses were sent from Texas, Doughtie said. Twelve of them have closed, leaving just eight, he said. Doughtie also said the OEMC established a planning cell within its Emergency Operations Center to develop a surge plan in anticipation of the end of Title 42. The plan includes 13 courses of action or potential options the city can take in different situations. It includes estimated costs of each plan of attack. But none of this work can be done without appropriate funds at the state and federal levels, said Chicago budget director Susie Park. The total anticipated cost for January through June is $124.8 million, which includes planning for the current surge to reach a peak of 4,700 new arrivals per day, Park said. Leveraging state and city funding and anticipated funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency still leaves a shortfall of about $53 million to meet needs through June 30 alone, she said. With migrants crowded at stations in their wards, aldermen responded with emotion. They raised questions about how they could best help facilitate these shelter efforts. Ald. Michael Rodriguez, 22nd, said that he has been struck by the significant amount of tension between city, state, federal and nonprofit entities in recent conversations. He suggested the creation of a multiagency resource center. Im worried about the way in which were collaborating or not. Theres a lot of pointing fingers, he said. Why dont we have a federal entity here sitting next to you, Commissioner Knazze, talking about their response here? Knazze said that the city recently instituted a 30-day maximum stay time in shelters to try to help lessen the strain on Chicago police. Most stay for longer, she said. People are leaving the shelter system, but I just want to be clear, the pace were getting new arrivals the outflow does not match the inflow. And so that is why there is a bottleneck, she said. A resettlement plan is just as important as a comprehensive shelter system, added Marisa Novara, commissioner of the Department of Housing. Resettlement programs include case management and rental assistance managed by community partners in collaboration with the state. A spokesperson for Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker told the Tribune that a total of more than $200 million in both state and federal funding has been committed to housing asylum seekers both in and outside of Chicago. Since December 2022, the state has approved 652 household applications (nearly 1,900 people) through the Asylum Seeker Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ASERAP). As of today, 46 people remain in hotels and are on a path to resettlement, a Pritzker spokesperson said in a written statement. Cook County Health has been providing care to asylum seekers since the influx began late last summer. County Board President Toni Preckwinkle told reporters Wednesday that the county needed a total of $28 million to continue supporting the health care needs of our asylum seekers, and that she planned to lobby for the funds in Springfield early next week. State payments covered roughly $1.5 million of the total $1.7 million in monthly costs for care provided at Cook County Health. But those payments stopped on Feb. 1, Preckwinkle said. Ald. Rossanna Rodriguez, 33rd, thanked the volunteers who have been stepping up to coordinate support and provide meals to families sleeping in police stations. This has been a really difficult and painful time, she said. Rodriguez asked about the possibility of allowing migrants at police stations to shower, even as they wait to hear back from 311. She asked if there was any way to provide cots that could be folded and then put away. Were unable to do storage of those items, said police Cmdr. Robert Vanna. Personal items that are part of the belongings of asylum seekers is a different conversation, but the day-to-day storage of those things is something that were unable to do at this time. Ald. Samantha Nugent, 39th, credited the OEMC with hard work responding to the ever-changing situation. Were dealing with people. And you cant just tick a box with people. They have unique circumstances, she said. The city (is) handling a humanitarian crisis at large that is bigger than this city. It is bigger than us. It is a national problem that has to be addressed on the federal level, and so we cant do this all by ourselves. Chicago Tribunes A.D. Quid, Jeremy Gorner and Dan Petrella contributed. Photos: Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - File Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 CHICAGO A memorial honoring Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till, will be unveiled Saturday outside the suburban Chicago high school she attended as a young woman, long before she became a critical player in the Civil Rights Movement. Emmett Till's 1955 lynching in Mississippi and his mother's insistence on an open-casket funeral for the 14-year-old served as a catalyst for civil rights. Till-Mobley was a civil rights activist for the rest of her life. The memorial opening to the public Saturday outside Argo Community High School in Summit includes a bronze statue of Till-Mobley with hands spread wide and standing behind a podium, which bears bronze reliefs of her son, the Mississippi barn where he was killed and the Chicago funeral home where thousands of mourners gathered. No one has been held accountable for the teenager's kidnapping and murder; the white woman who accused him of whistling at and accosting her died this week at the age of 88. Till-Mobley died in 2003 in Chicago and was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously in December along with her son. Argo Community High School and the Argo Higher Education Fountain raised money toward the project and an annual scholarship for a graduate demonstrating a commitment to social justice. Photos: Pritzker sworn in for second term Jesse White.JPG JB Piitzker 13 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 12 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 11 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 10 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 9 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 7 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 5 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 3 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 2 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 1 010923.JPG Juliana Stratton 1 010923.JPG Stratton 2 010923.JPG Alex Giannoulias 1 010923.JPG Alex Giannoulias 2 010923.JPG Michael Frerichs 010923.JPG 011023-illinois-ball 011023-illinois-ball 011023-illinois-ball 011023-illinois-ball 011023-illinois-ball 011023-illinois-ball Tiffany Mathis 1 011023.JPG dance gov 7 010923.JPG dance gov 13 010923.JPG dance gov 12 010923.JPG dance gov 11 010923.JPG dance gov 10 010923.JPG dance gov 9 010923.JPG dance gov 8 010923.JPG South Carolina State Universitys Business Environment Communications and Transportation (BECT) Institute collaborated with faculty and students in the Communications Program to stage an intense two-day Multi-Media Journalist (MMJ) Bootcamp. The bootcamp was designed to train and teach the basics of becoming an MMJ. On day one, eight professional journalists from five television stations located in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia worked with 10 communications students. The journalists had experience in various fields such as photography, reporting, writing and editing. On day two, students got hands-on out in the field and were shadowed by a professional team member as they learned the basics of MMJ field reporting. They were provided with professional cameras and laptops to shoot and edit their stories. The bootcamp gave students first-hand, real-world experience in what the job requires. This experience gave students the opportunity to get constructive instruction and key tips to help set them on their career path in the news industry. The goal is to help the students get internships and to make connections with others in the community. I think its a great experience and I hope the students who participated took full advantage, said Dr. Barbara Adams, BECT executive director. Theres already been talk about some of them looking for students to intern at their television stations and if they make the right connections, it could lead to an internship or possibly a job after they graduate. Emmy award-winning journalist Art Fennell, chairman of the MMJ Bootcamp, hosted day one and introduced the featured journalists. He talked about what it means to be an MMJ. As a reporter, as a producer, as an anchor, as an executive, as a host, you name it, Ive done a little bit of it. So, I understand the role of an MMJ, Fennell said. I graduated from here, and I sat where these students are sitting and have been through what theyve got to go through. We want SC State communications students to come up to where we know they can be in terms of getting jobs, getting access to people and getting to opportunities, he said. Fennell is an SC State alumnus who received his degree in communications. He served as president of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) from 1995 to 1997. Fennell is also the president and founder of Fennell Media in Atlanta, a multimedia production company primarily focusing on content development, documentary films production, travel writing and photography. Greg Coy, anchor and investigative reporter for WJCL 22 News, was another journalist who spoke to students and expressed his interest in finding a new intern at SC State. Im excited about this because this industry has changed a lot since I started out. We didnt have these opportunities, nor were these opportunities available, Coy said. When I went to school, I was one of only three in my class who actually got a job. Right now, there are jobs for journalists either behind the camera, in front of the camera, on the web, behind the desk and in other aspects. The difficulty is finding the right people who are talented, driven and smart (and) who are willing to work and learn, he said. Coy is a regional Emmy-award winner who has covered historic events including the 9-11 terror attacks, the Capitol Hill shooting and the contested Philadelphia mayoral election in 2003. Coy is a lifelong member of NABJ. Students who participated received one-on-one training and expertise while in the field. They were tasked with pitching, filming and editing a story either on campus or in the Orangeburg community. They also had to find the right sources for their stories and interview them. My story was about the pothole problems in Orangeburg, said SC State senior Ace Conyers. I talked to county administrators and civilians on the street and asked them about their opinion on the issue. At the end of the bootcamp, we got a chance to show our final projects. Conyers is a broadcasting major from Washington, D.C. He is a member of SC States NAACP and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Conyers is a producer intern for Felton Laboratory Charter Schools first news show, which is located on SC States campus. This was a good experience. I learned a lot about editing, getting different shots and angles, and how to get to the point. It was very informative, especially for my career goal of working in the media industry, Conyers said. SC State senior broadcast journalism major Kayla Brisbon also participated in the bootcamp. Brisbon is a native of Moncks Corner and is a part of SC States Bulldog News Now and Communications Club. She is a member of the Beta Sigma chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc. This was a fast-paced bootcamp. The second day, we got that experience and we got to see what they do on a regular basis, Brisbon said. I learned a lot being a part of a school news to actually seeing what they do in the industry helped me a lot. I thought I was a good writer until I did this bootcamp. It showed me that I needed to work more on how I talk, how to write and how to execute the story overall. So thats the biggest thing I learned from the bootcamp, she said. The Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center will host an exhibition of works entitled "The Rahmans: Design with Natural Elements" by Professor Habibur Rahman and his spouse, digital designer Shamsad Rahman. The exhibition will run from May 3 through July 28. This is the first combined exhibition for the Rahmans. Art historian and South Carolina State University adjunct professor Dr. Frank Martin offered these observations about their works as artists: Both trained in the study of architecture and visual design in their native Bangladesh, and the structural innovations of their artworks underscore this foundational interest in both compositional arrangement and a layered, architectonic aesthetic awareness. Habibur Rahman is an award-winning designer, skilled in graphic design and digital art as well as an architect, and these interests are reflected in the innovative use of space in his compelling abstract compositions in varied paint media and in a variety of drawing media including charcoal, Prismacolor-pencil and graphite. With works that show a strong predisposition for well-structured mark-making, Rahmans diverse repertoire of abstracted forms provide intriguing insights into his responses to texture, depth, shape and line. Shamsad Rahmans works stem, in part, from an inspiration which evolved from traditional East Indian Mughal art. Her earliest works display deep aesthetic connections to ancient traditional Persian and Chinese decorative paintings, which in turn form the foundations of Mughal painting. From this refined visual basis, her imagery has led to works demonstrating visual affiliations derived from traditional themes, often created upon delicate, silk supports montaged with works on paper. To the traditional arts, Shamsad Rahman has added the rich complexity of layering digital photography, often of nature-based subject matter, incorporated into and over-painted by more tradition-inspired methods. The result is the synthesis of a compelling montage of techniques that combine the electronic media of the 21st century with the delicacy of awareness stemming from engagement with the 16th century Mughal imagery that has, in part, inspired her works. Habibur and Shamsad Rahman were both born and raised in Barisal, in Bangladesh. Their stories of evolving from architects to artists and their support of each other as artists is compelling and inspiring. Both would be influenced by the culture in their households. Habiburs earliest memories are of loving to draw. My father was a surveyor. He had a beautiful instrument box. I was good at using the pencils. I think I started around 5 or 4. That is my clear memory. And lines were my favorite thing to do, he said. With his mother indulging him, using these pencils, he would draw on the walls of their home. However, his father did not see pursuing art as a viable career. To secure the best education possible for his son, his father enrolled him in the most reputable school in the capital city, Dhaka, where he was encouraged to begin his studies in architecture. It would also be his first encounter with an American faculty. That school was new. The architecture school. Opened by USAID. With all U.S. faculty. I was in the USA! The works I produced were taken very well by them. They were inspired and I was inspired, he said. Habibur graduated with honors and a degree and left Dhaka for England where he acquired a masters degree in architecture from Newcastle upon Tyne. He returned home, pursuing a career as an architect, designing extensively, and joining the faculty of Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology. There he met Shamsad, a 19-year-old applying student. Their parents condoned their friendship and approved the match and Shamsad entered university as a married student. Shamsad was brought to Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology by her father. He recognized her gifts in mathematics and supported furthering her education, an enlightened and unusual attitude for fathers towards their daughters at that time. She recalls, as a child, being encouraged to be self-confident and to enjoy her talents. My parents allowed me to be very active during my childhood. We were free to do what interest us. I used to do a lot of singing, a lot of dancing, you know. Art things, she said. Studying architecture would further her interest in art. Id gain some knowledge about design, composition and colors, especially the colors. Professors from the art school would teach art in the architecture school, she said. Shamsad found sculpture more interesting than other art forms and its form and shapes would always fascinate her. A talent for color and design would remain dormant and unexplored for years. As with Habibur, Shamsad and her family did not view art as a worthwhile career. Being a professional with marketable skills was encouraged instead. She, like her husband, would become qualified and employed as an architect. During the ensuing years when she worked in various capacities, Shamsad realized and accepted that her primary responsibilities were to support her husbands burgeoning career, which would take them around the world, and to devote her time and energy to their three children. When Habibur accepted a faculty position in Saudi Arabia, where she could not work and where women were confined to their own circles, Shamsad was encouraged toward the arts and found a creative outlet. In Saudi Arabia, the ladies had lot of time. They used to do group artwork. Whoever knew anything would teach the other women. My friend Ruma Gupta said Do you want to do silk painting? I said Yes. I would love to do it. It was something different, she said. Despite all their subsequent travels and moves, Shamsad still has one of her first efforts at painting on silk, though she says she gave most of her work away from that period, thinking it had no value. Her work, years later, would evolve into an explosion of unique creativity from a technique taught to her by Gupta, an accomplished multi-talented artist. Remember, I always liked to do something different, she said. That something is breathtakingly euphoric and beautiful. If Shamsads work was a slow progression influenced by the possibilities of silk as a canvas as she discovered what she loved about the arts, including how her eye could capture fantastical images through photography, Habibur could pinpoint the people and places in his career that directed him to discovering who he is as an artist: His fathers prescient decision to take him to Dhaka. The new school of architecture funded by American aid. Pursuing a degree in England, where so much art and culture were everywhere and accessible. And as did Shamsad, forging a friendship and artistic partnership in Saudi Arabia with a fellow Bangladeshi, Ali A. Chowdhury, who would encourage him to explore the perspective he might have as an artist. At that time, my sketches, my illustrations. I criticized my artwork very harshly, he said. Nevertheless, he remained proud of his extraordinarily rapid and gifted freehand in architectural drawings, the process used before the age of computers. In Saudi Arabia, I had a friend, and he was a good artist, his work was amazing, and he taught me how to do coloring, he said. In the end Chowdhury was following Habiburs coloring techniques in his illustrative works while Habibur ventured into and found a home in abstract painting, exploring composition, experimenting with color, what colors do next to each other. The couple moved from Canada for Habibur Rahman to accept a position in Claflin Universitys Art Department in Orangeburg. Here he would use his acquired skills in graphic design, aware that computerized graphic design was an up-and-coming career. As head of the department, he would expand the curriculum to include digital design. In the ensuing years, his designs, especially his catalogues, would garner multiple awards. Habibur, at that point, considered himself transitioned from architect to artist; that is, until his perception of himself was pointedly challenged. It was in 2006 and he vividly remembers the next turning point. One colleague said to me, You are no artist. I said, Why do you think that? And he said, Well, you never show your work. I said I dont do that because my catalogues are distributed to so many places and that is all design. And he said No, no, you have to exhibit. That day, that changed my life. I started all these works, you know. So that is a big turning point for me. And that is also my life, he said. Shamsad, once her children were no longer dependent, honed her skills in digital design and acquired a masters degree in business administration at Claflin University while designing the schools website. She ventured into web marketing, which was unsatisfactory, and as she did before, she supported her husbands effort as he identified himself as an artist. That is until, like Habibur, she found her eureka moment. That led her back to exploring and innovating techniques using silk, surveying the world through photography and delicately using her hands create exquisite patterns. The first thing I do is take a photograph. Then I start playing with it. Turning it into something totally abstract using Photoshop. Using transfer paper, I copy and paste onto silk. The paint I use is a special paint for silk. There is a special kind of glue for silk and a special salt to do the texture. This is all my idea. This is all me. Shamsad says silk will always be her medium and she takes her camera everywhere. To understand the origins of Habiburs work, think of his pencil moving in a straight line, his eye and hand in sync even if he is painting on board, preferably oak, in acrylic to create a richer texture. His work is primarily abstract. Abstract can be positioned or placed in almost any direction, he said. He creates both geometric, linear and organic patterns. Habibur regards his work with both satisfaction and humor. Three distinct styles? There is only one style and that is chaos, he said. If there is an element of chaos, it is orderly and structured, celebrating color and enriching black and white. Habibur says his black and white period lasted for 13 years. Some works took months. This is when I was so pure. I thought that every line should be drawn, and it should be one pencil work all the way. All free hand lines, he said. In the house, Habibur designed as their dream home, they have spaces accommodating their separate studios where they spend their days frequently coming together to view and comment on the visions they pursue inspired by life, travel and their talents. Their art is being sought after, shown in galleries and shows in North and South Carolina, including Charleston. Architecture has been a discipline that both refined and confined their gifts, led them into the world of computerized composition, which then became the springboard to freeing them to embrace the creative joys found as children, their joint and separate experiences, from students to international travelers, drawing them literarily and figuratively into their places in the world of art. Their artistic efforts were summarized and perceptively described this way by Martin: The extraordinary combination of techniques is what becomes most aesthetically pleasing in the wide variety of images generated by both artists, whose international and highly cosmopolitan backgrounds bring a refreshing originality to their combined effort. The Rahmans: Design with Natural Elements opens May 3 in the Lusty Gallery of the Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center, 649 Riverside Drive, Orangeburg and remains until July 28. For information, call 803-536-4074. The community is invited to gather at First Presbyterian Church in Orangeburg on Thursday to join millions of others across the country who will be taking time to pray for the nation during the National Day of Prayer. The theme this year is Pray Fervently in Righteousness and Avail Much, which is based on James 5:16b NKJV and reads: The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails. We pray for not just the church, but the people and the communities. We pray in love and in the gospel of Jesus. We need some help. He said that if we pray and humble ourselves, he'll heal our land, said Delle Bolen, a member of the churchs National Day of Prayer committee. I've seen prayer work, and I know others have as well, Bolen said. The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Harry Truman. Kaye Borgstedt, chairperson of the churchs National Day of Prayer committee, said a brief devotion including a musical interlude will be held by the Rev. Clark Remsburg, church pastor, at noon Thursday. We welcome everyone to pray in our sanctuary at 650 Summers Ave., which will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. We provide the prayer brochure published by the national group. Join us and lets pray fervently that our nation will truly become a nation under God, Borgstedt said. The front doors of the church will be open for the noontime devotion, but will be closed afterward. The side door on Stanley Street will be open during all other times. The light by the ramp will be turned on, along with the lights in the sanctuary. There will be prayer brochures at the door. Remsburg said the National Day of Prayer is important. "We take a day to remember the art of conversation with God centered around prayer. That's our first and foremost go-to and an opportunity to have a conversation with God about the things of the heart and the things of our country, he said. The pastor continued, I think that's one of the neat things about the National Day of Prayer. It draws the community together focused on the prayers of the people of God, the gathering of the people. There are many spoken prayers, but I think it also shows and reminds us that the prayers of our heart are also the things that God hears and the things that we can't put into words. So when were in a community of faith that's praying, I think the Holy Spirit stirs within us and those prayers are also heard by God. I just think it's really important to be able to be one in this activity. It doesn't matter where you come from, we all pray and we can do it together. The Orangeburg hospitals Constituency Advisory Board is revisiting its public communication platform. The platform allows the community to provide comments, ask questions, give praise or share concerns about MUSC Health-Orangeburg and its practice affiliates. It was developed under the old Regional Medical Center email and account system, said John McLauchlin, CAB chair. RMC is now being run by the Medical University of South Carolina. We have to figure out if MUSC wants us to continue that. We are hearing MUSC has a hotline or email already to do such things, he said. It was tabled to get more information, McLauchlin said. CAB Secretary Dr. Stefanie Gadson-Brown told RMC Board of Trustees members at their April 25 meeting that the email platform has been tabled. The advisory board was set up as part of the partnership between RMC and the Medical University of South Carolina to serve as a community liaison. The CAB does not have governance power or authority related to the hospital, but provides recommendations to the 11-member board of trustees. In related matters, Gadson-Brown said the Orangeburg Area Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation, the Orangeburg County Council on Aging and the Calhoun County Council on Aging have now joined the CAB. In other matters taken up at the April 25 RMC Board of Trustees meeting: Bylaws Committee Chair Dr. Frank Coulter encouraged trustees to review recommended changes to the board's bylaws and provide further input. Contracts and Leases Review Committee Chair Cynthia Keller said the committee suggests the board renegotiate the legal services agreement with its current law firm, Columbia-based Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick. Strategic Planning Committee Chair Jeannine Kees said finalization of the hospital's strategic plan is still in process, with some tweaks to the plan being done at the recommendation of Dr. Patrick Cawley, chief executive officer of the MUSC Health System. Kees said the plan will be adopted upon its completion. In other business: Trustees were informed MUSC will be holding quarterly town hall meetings for employees as part of the hospital transition. Craig recommended the board do something for hospital nurses during Nurses Week, May 6-12. The board agreed. Trustees were told the old RMC email addresses will become MUSC addresses effective May 1. Trustees were reminded that Walter Bennett will become the hospital's new chief executive officer June 12. Bennett comes to MUSC from Pelham Medical Center in Greer, part of the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, where he served as division director of operations. Trustees were also informed the hospital has hired Anthony Sands, to serve as associate chief financial officer. Sands started April 24. Sands has been in health care for 17 years, most recently serving as the ACFO of Springs Memorial Hospital in Lancaster. Sands received his bachelor's degree in business administration from The Citadel in 1997. Trustees will officially receive their certification as governance board members in August after completing a series of classes toward this achievement. Trustees entered into closed session to discuss employment, appointment, compensation, promotion, demotion, discipline, or termination of an employee or independent contractor. There were no actions taken coming out of closed session. The next board meeting is scheduled for Friday, May 26. Craig reminded trustees that according to the hospital's bylaws, a meeting is not required to be held every month. The next meeting of the CAB is scheduled for July 13 at South Carolina State University's 1890 Research and Extension. ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot developed by OpenAI, is now available in Italy after its suspension over privacy concerns. The Italian regulator, Garante, temporarily halted operations of the AI-powered service in the country due to issues with data protection of users. But this time, with the updated version of ChatGPT, which fixes these privacy issues, it is up and running in Italy again. ChatGPT AI is Back in Italy As per a report by BBC, ChatGPT has taken the world by storm since it debuted late last year or in November 2022, with millions of daily users. The AI language model by OpenAI lets users do all sorts of things, from coding to content creation, using a few prompts. Since then, various generative AI platforms have emerged in the mainstream, like Dall-E and Midjourney. With the burgeoning AI tech starting to make waves, some regulators, including the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC), are getting concerned about some issues. And one of the first countries to ban an AI-powered chatbot is Italy. However, after a few weeks of being unavailable in the country, ChatGPT is back at it again. Engadget notes that OpenAI formally confirms that the chatbot it developed is now accessible to users in Italy again. The Microsoft-backed tech firm is excited to welcome back its users after the temporary hiatus. Furthermore, the company assures that they continue to protect their users' privacy. New Privacy Fixes for ChatGPT Shortly after its comeback in Italy, OpenAI dished out new features on ChatGPT, which boosts the privacy protection of its users. Users may now hide the "Data Controls." They could also turn off "History Chat & Training." Besides the additional privacy controls, the Italian version of the chatbot now sets it apart from other countries. It now rocks a pop-up as it welcomes back its users. They now have to confirm their age before proceeding to use the platform. Read Also: ChatGPT-Based AI 'ChaosGPT' Shares Plans to Destroy Humanity on Twitter, YouTube Why Was ChatGPT Suspended in Italy? According to our friends from Tech Times, the Italian regulator raised privacy issues on ChatGPT amid the popularity of the OpenAI chatbot. And while the concern is still under investigation, its officials have ordered the suspension of the operation of the AI-powered tool in the country. The Italian regulators point out that the training methods of the chatbot might be against the General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union or the GDPR. On top of that, Garante also asked OpenAI to include a disclosure of privacy for its users on its website, which should tell them how their data are collected on the platform and how it is used to train the language model. Related Article: ChatGPT Trick? How Has AI Helped This Tenant in Dealing with Unreasonable Rent Hike @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (TBTCO) - Voi viec S&P 500, chi so ai dien cho thi truong chung khoan My, o luong muc o von hoa cua 500 cong ty ai chung lon nhat nuoc My, roi vao thi truong gau (thi truong gia xuong) dai nhat ke tu nam 1973, mot so nha au tu ca nhan cho biet a hoc uoc mot vai ieu ve viec au tu trong qua trinh nay. A Thermopolis police officer was injured in a shooting Friday afternoon, the police department reported via Facebook late Friday night. Sgt. Mike Mascorro is in stable condition at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, according to the department, and there is no ongoing threat to the community. Law enforcement responded to an incident around 12:30 p.m. Friday on Canyon Hills Road, which is on the south end of the town. ... Mascorro was struck by gunfire and immediately transported to Hot Springs Health, he was later airlifted to Banner-Wyoming Medical Center in Casper Wyoming, the department said in the Friday night post. The extent of Mascorros injuries are unknown. Police did not say who shot the officer or whether he fired back. The departments post did not include details on what led up to the shooting. The incident is under investigation by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and more information will be release as it becomes available. Later Friday, multiple law enforcement agencies posted messages on Facebook offering thoughts and prayers to the Thermopolis Police Department and law enforcement families. The Thermopolis Police Department thanked the community for the support it received and directed those interested in making donations for the Mascorro family to make them at Pinnacle Bank. 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. VentureBeat, a leading tech news outlet, is now using AI-powered technology, Bing Chat, to write some of its news articles as it dips its toes into the revolutionary technology. The technology-focused publication is the latest media outfit to use an AI language model to produce news stories. CNET has recently dabbled in AI news writing, as well as BuzzFeed, which recently shut down its entire newsroom altogether. VentureBeat Now Uses AI to Write News According to Engadget, VentureBeat is now using AI-powered Bing Chat by Microsoft to help their editorial team write some news stories. On top of that, they also employ new technology to edit their articles before publishing. No less than the editorial director of VentureBeat, Michael Nunez admitted that they have started using Bing Chat to help them write their stories. He explains to Bloomberg that an AI-powered tool speeds up their process, adding that the new technology summarizes articles in merely seconds. On the other hand, a human reporter could take strikingly longer, spending hours to do so. The VentureBeat editorial director considers AI usage in writing news stories as if they hired another person or team to their workforce. He now encourages writers to infuse a few fragments and sentences solely generated by Bing Chat. Nunez predicts that using AI to write news articles will be entirely normal in two years. But it would still be a heated discussion in the first six months. Eventually, he believed it would be part of our day-to-day lives and no longer matter. Read Also: ChatGPT Trick? How Has AI Helped This Tenant in Dealing with Unreasonable Rent Hike Other Media Outlets Use AI for News Writing Besides VentureBeat, other news outlets have started embracing the new technology amid the staggering popularity of generative AI services like ChatGPT and Google Bard. However, it turns out that some publications have been using such methods even before AI chatbots hit the mainstream earlier this year. The Next Web notes that the long-running non-profit news agency, the Associated Press (AP), started diving into AI tech as early as 2014. Back then, AP started using the technology to publish a brief digest of earnings reports of various companies. This usually takes time to summarize as it involves tons of information and figures. Since then, the publication has written roughly 3,000 stories, covering various earnings reports every quarter. More recently, CNET has quietly started adopting a new process for writing its tech stories. The Verge reports that the tech news outlet only tried using AI to write articles as a mere experiment, admitting that more than half of these stories needed corrections. BuzzFeed also started curating AI-generation content and quizzes in partnership with OpenAI. The latest of them all is VentureBeat, which now uses AI to help them write and edit stories. Related Article: Bing to Replace Google on Samsung Phones? Analyst Says Microsoft Should Spend Whatever it Takes @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. My first response when I read the article on the ruling of the court in the matter of Brent Its not often you see a cello and organ team up in a chamber recital setting. But on Aug. 5, St. Andrews Bach Society is hosting award-winning international cello soloist Tommy Mesa and organist Greg Zelek as part of the societys summer concert series. It will be the first cello-organ duo concert in the series 35 years and it also will take place on a Saturday; recitals usually are held on Sundays from June through August. Tickets are on sale now for the series of four concerts, which runs June 11 through Aug. 27. St. Andrews Bach Society Director Ben Nisbet said the Aug. 5 date was the only one Mesa had open this summer. To have the opportunity for the organ and cello to play a duo recital is really exciting for me, said Nisbet, who is in his 12th year curating the concert series. A lot of our audiences will probably be seeing this for the first time and they will be seeing the best version of this. Mesa is a big get for the series, which was launched in Armory Parks St. Andrews Episcopal Church in 1988. Mesa is the winner of the 2023 Sphinx Medal of Excellence Award to go with his fist place prize in the 2016 Sphinx Competition. The Cuban-American cellist also won the 2017 Astral Artists National Auditions. Mesa is an in-demand soloist with major orchestras around the country when he is not performing chamber recitals, including a series with Russian pianist Ilya Yakushev and Greg Zelek, the principal organist for the Madison (Wisconsin) Symphony Orchestra. Zelek also has been a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, Florida Orchestra, New World Symphony, Ridgewood Symphony and Miami Symphony. (Mesa) is not just playing with the major orchestras in the United States, but hes also doing things like this, Nisbet said. St. Andrews Bach Society kicks off the series June 11 with The String Quartet Playlist Re-Mixed, which is the greatest hits of the string quartet literature with a twist: some of the pieces on the program will be for two or three instruments, or maybe even five or six, Nisbet said. Last year, the series ended with a similar concert featuring Nisbet, who played violin years ago with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and three current TSO players: Concertmaster Lauren Roth, violist Sarah Bromberg and cellist Marybeth Brown-Plambeck. Nisbet tapped the same group for this years recital, whose format will be tweaked to possibly include additional musicians and instruments outside the string world to make sure that we redeliver on the basic format but also make it new and different. TSO flutist Zach Warren joins Tucson pianist Michael Dauphinais for a recital July 16 of works by mostly under-the-radar female composers including Amy Beach, Lili Boulanger and Valerie Coleman, whose work will be featured in a TSO concert next year. Nisbet said one of the highlights of that concert will be Warrens transcription of Beachs violin sonata for flute. The series closes Aug. 27 with the return of the Phoenix ensemble Urban Nocturnes, a so-called modular chamber ensemble that plays around with its configuration, going from duos and trios to quartet and beyond. Their concert will include works by Mozart, Mendelssohn and others. Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge lies about 60 miles southwest of Tucson on Arizona Highway 286. Baboquivari Peak, the most sacred place to the Tohono Oodham people, looms in the distance as the highway cuts through the 117,464-acre refuge, past grasslands, cottonwoods, mesquites and jumping cholla. At mile marker 17, the road dips down into a dry creek bed, one of dozens that cross the road between Three Points and Sasabe. But this spot is different. Just off the highway and through a fence a few yards down the wash, small stone walls, rock aprons and strategically placed branches mark the scene of a renewed effort to tame this ephemeral stream known as Arroyo Hondo. The nonprofit Altar Valley Conservation Alliance recently collaborated with the wildlife refuge on an erosion control and restoration workshop in the refuge. During the week-long workshop, about 30 volunteers worked at two project sites: Arroyo Hondo and a tributary to the Puertocito Wash, a key drainage farther southeast towards Arivaca. Excessive erosion can form deep cuts in a flow channel, dropping the streambed below the reach of plant roots in nearby riparian and floodplain habitats that depend on the water. Strategies to control erosion are varied and depend on the environment. The refuge has historically relied on small, simple restorations, often building on and improving existing structures to extend their lives and positive impacts. Reducing erosion helps improve both water quality and retention, says Omar Ore-Giron, one of the restoration experts who led the workshop with the alliance. Improvements along the Puertocito Wash can have a literal trickle-down effect for Tucson residents because water from the Altar Valley eventually flows north into the Avra Valley west of the city on its way to the Santa Cruz River. The Arroyo Hondo site is significant because the wash cuts through high-quality habitat for the masked bobwhite quail, a critically endangered bird once thought to be extinct in its native Southern Arizona and Northern Mexico. Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1985 to protect a reintroduced population of the quail and some of its last remaining habitat. Pronghorn have also been reintroduced in the area. Water works Other restoration experts who helped lead the workshop late last month included permaculture consultant, designer, author and educator Brad Lancaster and wildlife and restoration ecologist Kyle Thompson. The workshop continued the efforts of Bill Zeedyk, a retired U.S. Forest Service wildlife biologist and riparian restoration expert, consultant and author. In 2016, Zeedyk surveyed the entire refuge and identified some sites that would be of high value for restoration. He concluded that even small projects on tributaries to the Puertocito could lift the functions in the whole wash, said Julia Guglielmo, conservation and science director for the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance. The best thing you can do is influence as much water as possible, Guglielmo said. Ore-Giron said that through their efforts, they hope more water will be stored in the upper parts of the watershed. Its really a process-based, low-tech solution that were trying to implement, he said. Some of these original structures werent as effective as one would have hoped. We notice there isnt sediment thats building up, so we are looking to see if we can implement a different method here. Small rock structures and branches were positioned in and around the wash to slow the flow of water and allow more of it to seep into the ground or be taken up by plants. As those wash-fed plants grow, they will become erosion control structures themselves. Much of the work was done by hand with some assistance from a backhoe loader to move larger quantities of material. Ore-Giron likened it to fixing a broken bone. The doctor will set the bone, but the body will heal it, he said. So thats what were doing. First, setting some things, and then letting the system heal itself. The Altar Valley Conservation Alliance is a watershed-based nonprofit founded by ranchers in 1995 to protect the valley as a natural area and a working landscape. The restoration work is part of that effort, one designed to improve conditions for both wildlife and livestock. So the refuge is funding this project, and the alliance manages it, which is really cool, Guglielmo said. The refuge has been helping us to get all the different clearances, do some of the planning, and helped us identify the priority areas to work in. The Arroyo Hondo site was an easy choice, she said, because it already provided habitat for the masked bobwhite, and volunteers could reinforce Zeedyks existing stone structures with more erosion controls made from rock, dirt and brush. At the tributary site, meanwhile, the crew stabilized the outflow from an existing cattle tank to prevent head-cutting and erosion and installed rolling dips to improve road drainage and reduce maintenance. Lessons to learn Some volunteers were novices at watershed restoration. Others were experts in the field whose lives and livelihoods revolve around this kind of work. Catherine Jennings has a property close to the refuge in Three Points, where she dreams of starting a sustainable farm using only rainwater. She said she joined the workshop to gather knowledge she can apply to her farming practices. Carmen Crisantes flew in from San Antonio, Texas, to participate. She said she had been following Brad Lancasters work for a long time and was thrilled to finally put into practice some of the skills she had learned from him. Lancaster said these restoration techniques have wider applications. This workshop is about learning to read and work with natural flow patterns of water and sediment, he said. Its a great model for how to work in rural settings and our more urban-built environments, such as within and beside the arroyos you find in Tucson. Were focusing on waterways and adjacent floodplains, which you encounter in our city. The workshop was held in late March to take advantage of mild temperatures good for both working and camping and gentle, early spring rains that would help the newly built structures settle ahead of heavier summer storms. Guglielmo plans to return to the sites after the first monsoons of the year to assess how the newly built erosion controls held up. She said water will be the true architect of these systems, shaping how the structures settle and respond to the rains. Guglielmo also plans to partner with Ore-Giron on future restoration workshops in the area. These types of gatherings do more than bring landscape stewards together to network and swap information, they said. They help us build a relationship with the land itself and learn to follow the lessons it has to teach us. PHOENIX State lawmakers are struggling to find a way to keep minors from accessing internet porn. So far, theyve come up short in finding a legal, effective and politically acceptable plan to block access. The original proposal by Sen. Wendy Rogers would have required anyone seeking to access explicit sexual material to first provide the website with a government-issued identification proving age. This is a scourge thats affecting impressionable minds, the Flagstaff Republican told a committee reviewing her legislation. She called it one of several measures this session to protect the innocence of children. But her idea of adults having to give information such as a drivers license to a website proved to be a non-starter, unable to clear the Senate. That led to Plan B to require any website that contains a substantial portion of material harmful to minors to use a commercially accepted database or other commercially reasonable method of age and identity verification before providing access. Those changes were enough to convince all Senate Republicans and three Democrats to vote in favor. The House, so far, isnt ready to go that far, however. I think we all want to make sure that internet pornography is not being distributed to children, Rep. Alexander Kolodin said as the measure, Senate Bill 1503, first came to the floor. But he said SB1503, as approved by the Senate, goes beyond that. He said it would require adults who want to view those materials to register with documents that could wind up in the hands of the government. Thats a constitutional problem, said Kolodin, a Scottsdale Republican. Giving government that power The issue for Kolodin, and a handful of other Republicans who found the plan unacceptable, goes beyond the legal questions. I know its not like a fun thing to say as a politician, he told Capitol Media Services. I do not trust the government even a little bit. Why would I want to give the government that kind of power? He pointed to the power that would be in the hands of officials who know who has signed up to download what some define as pornography. Its a way for the government to try to blackmail people, Kolodin said. Its a way for the government to try to scare off people from what materials they consume. As for the bills goals, Yes, it is socially desirable to reduce pornography viewership, I suppose, he said. But the government doesnt get to say This speech is socially undesirable, consume less of it, said the attorney and first-term lawmaker. That is emphatically not our role. The opposition by Kolodin and a few other Republicans, coupled with the unanimous vote against SB1503 by Democrats, doomed that version to defeat. Requiring parental action Now, a third version awaits a final House vote. This one seeks to take the government out of it entirely. Instead, it essentially would put the burden on parents to take affirmative action, contacting their internet service providers and requiring that those companies block sites determined to have materials the legislation deems offensive. That, however, raises its own issues. What would have to be blocked would come down to a three-part test of the materials: Whether they appeal to the prurient, shameful or morbid interest of minors; Whether they are patently offensive to what adults determine is suitable for minors; And whether they lack serious, literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors when taken as a whole. Its even more complicated than that. Only when a substantial portion of a websites materials meet all three tests would the content provider have to consult the blacklist to see if a customer asked that the site be blocked. The legislation defines substantial as 33 1/3%. Marilyn Rodriguez, lobbying for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, told lawmakers they are wrong if they think that will keep minors from accessing what they think is unacceptable. There are several websites, including Google, Reddit and Twitter, that allow access to sensitive content but whose total sensitive information falls beneath the 33% threshold, so they wouldnt be affected, she said. Adults access blocked, too? There are other issues. Setting up a blacklist to protect children also would block access to those materials to any adult in that household or anyone using that phone or tablet. Also, SB1503 is worded so that a spouse could limit what their partner could see: The provider would not be required to determine if there is a minor child in the house. Rep. Alma Hernandez, D-Tucson, said she doesnt think children should be looking at pornography, but the measure lacks any sort of enforcement mechanism. So, just to clarify, the only way we would really find out if this was happening is if the parent were to look through their tablets or their phones? Hernandez asked. Rogers acknowledged the point, saying her legislation provides first steps to regulating those who publish such materials and gives recourse to those who happen upon it. That recourse, however, would require parents to hire an attorney to file a civil suit. And they would have to show damages resulting from a minors access to those materials. Ultimately, there are legal issues with the whole idea. Rodriguez told lawmakers they are not considering how such a law would affect the First Amendment rights of adults. Courts have repeatedly struck down attempts to prohibit minors from accessing adult content when they burden speech more than necessary to achieve that goal, she testified. At least part of that rests on the question of whether there are alternatives, Rodriguez said. Tucson will embark on a major study of whether it makes sense to boost renewable energy use by forming a city-run electric utility or by starting a program allowing the city to buy and sell solar and wind energy to residents. Those are the highest-profile options to be looked at once the city hires a consultant to conduct the study starting this summer. Id envision it will look at various ways we can decarbonize our energy source, to reduce the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity, said Deputy City Manager Tim Thomure. But creating a public utility would require the city to buy all the power lines, poles and other infrastructure Tucson Electric Power uses to deliver electricity to homes and businesses here at a very high price. It makes no sense for the city to form a public power utility, said Shelly Gordon, president of Arizonans for Community Choice, which supports the formation of programs that let the city buy energy supplies of its choosing. They can do the same thing for less money with community choice (programs). Thomure described forming a municipal electric utility as a very heavy lift, but added, so is fighting climate change a very heavy lift. Financially it would be expensive. Would there be value from doing that lift? Is that the best investment for anybodys resources? It is a big community question, Thomure said. If were going to do a comprehensive energy sources study, it is imperative to look at all potentially viable options, to provide the mayor and council with the best information to make a decision, he said. Under community choice or community aggregation programs, as they are known in various states, the city could buy energy from sources of its choosing to deliver to customers. Its backers say it would bring competition to what they now regard as a monopoly utility that controls Tucsons energy sources. Under the current structure of monopoly utilities, customers have no other option. This model has been around 150 years. We are trying to change that, Gordon said. Advocates say community choice would put a lid on electric rates and bills, if not lower them. Unlike a private utility, a community choice program doesnt have to earn profits to satisfy shareholders. While such programs exist in 10 other states including California, theyre not allowed here, meaning the Legislature or the Arizona Corporation Commission would have to legalize them. Giving customers and citizens a voice and a choice in their utility services is important, Thomure said. On the surface, I think its a great thing to pursue. We dont yet know the practicalities of it. TEP: Electric bills would go up Both public utility and community choice options draw skepticism from Tucson Electric Power officials, and, in the case of a public utility, outright opposition. The cost of buying TEPs system would overwhelm the citys finances, limiting Tucsons ability to deliver other services, while also restricting other investments in reliable service and clean energy, TEP spokesman Joe Barrios said. Utility officials are also concerned their customers who didnt join a community choice program would be stuck with higher electric bills because the utility would then have to spread its expenses over a smaller customer base. Advocates on the other side, though, say the problem could be eased by paying private utilities exit fees to compensate for financial losses utilities suffer from losing customers to community choice programs. Barrios, however, said utility officials anticipate that setting fees high enough to maintain service reliability for program participants would mean community choice participants likely would pay higher electricity rates than other customers, as TEP can contract for renewable energy at costs lower than community choice programs due to economies of scale. Disagreeing is Russell Lowes, a longtime, Tucson-based solar energy advocate. He said hes done computer modeling that showed exit fees set at the rate hes typically seen nationwide would make electricity rates 22% lower than TEPs. Double the fee, and ratepayers would still save 10%, he said. TEP has committed to working in good faith with City of Tucson staff toward an energy supply agreement that would provide up to 100 percent clean energy for city operations, TEP President and CEO Susan Gray wrote in January to Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. Such an agreement would signify the citys commitment to combat climate change and serve as a significant landmark in our journey toward a cleaner energy supply for our entire community. While city government operations consume a very small percentage of Tucsons electricity, TEP agreed in its 2020 resource plan to stop using coal burning for electricity by 2032 and to get 70% of its supply from renewables by 2035. Its now working on an update to this plan to meet a state requirement. In 2022, TEP got about 61% of its energy from the fossil fuels of coal and natural gas, compared to almost 20% from utility-generated wind and solar power. Adding solar energy produced on the rooftops of homes and businesses brings the total renewable supply to 26.5% of total Tucson-area energy use, with other sources comprising the balance. Three energy economics experts interviewed by the Arizona Daily Star described TEPs 2035 goal of 70% renewables as ambitious or very ambitious. One, Loyola University of Chicago professor Gilbert Michaud, noted the most aggressive renewable energy goals pushed by utilities nationwide typically reach their maximum renewable percentage, sometimes up to 100%, by dates such as 2050. Its a commendable goal. Its also incredibly aggressive. I have concerns as to whether its achievable, said Michaud, an assistant environmental policy professor, of TEPs 70% goal. Many environmentalists in Tucson, across Arizona and elsewhere, however, say the 70% renewables goal by 2035 isnt ambitious enough. The International Panel on Climate Change has said the world needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 43% by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050. Limiting global warming will involve substantial reductions in fossil fuel use, widespread electrification, improved energy efficiency and use of alternative fuels, the IPCC said last year, without offering specific targets. The new study is among the first steps Tucson is taking to try to carry out its Climate Action Plan, which the City Council adopted last month. The plans goal is to make the city carbon neutral by 2045 and have all city facilities achieve that status by 2030. Carbon neutrality would mean no more heat-trapping carbon dioxide gases would be released into the air here than are captured by trees and other means within the city. The study, whose cost isnt yet known, is being launched due to input from residents about the importance of having reforms in our energy sourcing to drive climate action, Thomure said. Its to give community members options. The study will also examine the merits of individual power purchase agreements, in which the city would buy power from other sources besides TEP to serve its government operations. It will also investigate the potential for microgrids, in which the city would provide smaller scale alternative energy supplies, to anything from a building to a few blocks it could be a neighborhood or an HOA (Home Owners Association), Thomure said. Voters making a choice The studys launch comes as Tucson voters prepare to vote by May 16 on Proposition 412, which would extend for 25 years TEPs franchise with Tucson to operate infrastructure within city limits after its current franchise expires in 2026. If the proposition passes, TEP customers will pay an additional fee amounting to a dollar or two extra a month on their water bills. About 90% of the $5 million raised annually by the fee would be used to build future power lines underground, while the rest of the fee would raise about $500,000 annually to pay for various climate change mitigation programs. While TEP and most City Council members say Proposition 412s approval would support TEP service reliability and energy resilience, opponents say the amount of money that would be allocated to climate mitigation is grossly inadequate. They hope a defeat of the franchise extension would prod TEP to the table to negotiate more money for climate action. The Tucson climate action plan had recommended the study be done before the city decided whether to extend its franchise agreement. But now, regardless of how the vote turns out, the city can still move toward either a utility formation or a community choice plan if the study finds them feasible, Thomure said. Definitely an uphill battle Nationally, a few thousand public power utilities exist in the United States, operating in every state but Hawaii, said Ursula Schryver, a vice president of the American Public Power Association. While Los Angeles, Seattle and San Antonio have public power utilities, the vast majority operate in smaller communities, said Schryver. About 80% serve communities of no more than 10,000 people, while 60% serve communities no larger than 5,000 people. TEP served more than 433,000 customers here as of 2021. Schryvers group is an advocacy organization claiming to represent public power before the federal government to protect the interests of the more than 49 million people that public power utilities serve, and the 96,000 people they employ. Creating a public power utility is definitely an uphill battle. The investor-owned utility will likely fight it, she said. But new such utilities continue to be created 18 in the past 20 years, she said. Today, a number of cities are looking at it and the association is contacted annually by dozens of organizations wanting to set up such a utility. One reason is that a number of high-profile cases of municipalization efforts, most notably in Boulder, Colorado and in the state of Maine, have encouraged other cities to examine such a scheme, she said. Today, a lot of the interest is currently driven by a desire to have more renewable energy, more environmentally friendly options for the community. However, there are all different reasons. Sometimes its rates. Sometimes its reliability. Economic development is another reason. Its about having the ability to make decisions important to the community and being able to implement programs the community wants. The core of public power is local control, Schryver said. While forming a public utility is definitely feasible, You have to be committed to working through the process. Some public power utilities are formed in three to five years. Typically, its 10 years. Sometimes its longer, Schryver said. Boulder also is the example that community choice activists cite as a pitfall of public power efforts. Voters in that liberal, environmentalist city decided in November 2020 to abandon municipalization efforts after 10 years. The original effort was born of frustration at what many residents say was the slow pace toward renewables of Xcel Energy, their local supplier. Heavy opposition by Xcel kept the struggle in court for years. Concern about costs was another factor. The city was starting to run out of the $29 million that local taxpayers provided for the fight, and the COVID-19 pandemic at the time made the budget situation shakier, Colorado Public Radio reported in 2020. There was a realization that going to the voters asking for more money on an endeavor that really wasnt making a whole lot of progress was probably not in the cards, Bob Yates, Boulders mayor pro tem at the time, told the radio network. But as part of abandoning municipalization, Boulder signed an agreement with Xcel to speed its emission reduction pace and saying the city could walk away from the agreement if the company didnt meet its terms. If Tucson wants to consider public power, it needs to analyze it and decide if its right for the city, Schryver said. While it may not be the right answer, just going through the process will likely prod the private utility into making more concessions that may be enough to get the community what it needs in the long run, she said. TEPs Barrios said the company can help Tucson achieve its clean energy goals sooner and more cheaply than would a municipal utility. Were already building a cleaner, greener grid at an ambitious pace that could not be matched by a resource constrained public utility, Barrios said. Massachusetts program lauded Community choice advocates say some states with such programs are showing rapid progress in increasing renewable energy use while simultaneously holding down energy bills. In Massachusetts, a University of Massachusetts-Amherst study found last month that since the Legislature authorized such programs in 1997, 157 of 351 municipalities statewide had established such programs by 2021. Nineteen more came on board in 2022. Of those, 60% have achieved renewable energy percentages exceeding the states minimum standard. Thirty percent of cities with typical community choice programs are already at 100% renewables, the study found. The study also found that 79% of municipalities with such programs saved customers an average of $93 per year in electric bills, while 35% saved consumers about $271 a year. These results suggest such programs contribute to both sustainability (by allowing higher renewable energy levels) and equity (by reducing costs), the study concluded. With solar and wind energy prices declining rapidly, and fossil fuel prices becoming more and more volatile, the programs are emerging as promising cost-effective instruments to support the transition to sustainable energy and climate mitigation efforts. In California, a 2020 study done at UCLA found 182 cities and counties had joined one of 23 community choice programs. More than 30% of the states population has community choice available, up from less than 1% in 2010, said the study by UCLAs Luskin Center for Innovation. Since their emergence, Community Choice Aggregation (programs) in California have played an important role in accelerating the states transition to zero-carbon electricity, the study said. The vast majority of CCAs procure more renewable energy than the investor-owned utilities they compete with. Community choice programs purchased twice as much renewable energy as required by the state from 2011 to 2019, the study said. Their direct and indirect effects on renewable energy are accelerating progress toward achieving the states target for 100% carbon-free energy by 2045, the study said. Colorados contrasting experience But in Colorado, which is considering community choice legislation, a December 2022 study by the states Public Utilities Commission took a darker view of the practice. It said that while California has had many success stories and benefits from consumer choice, there have also been stories of failure and many challenges that Californias regulators have needed to invest significant resources towards addressing. Noting that no state has a community choice program operating in a regulatory climate like Colorados, the study said the opportunities, benefits, risks, and drawbacks of implementing any (Community Choice Energy) model in Colorado can only be described as potential. Undoubtedly, implementing CCE in Colorado would be a dramatic change to the states utility regulatory framework and would necessarily create a variety of new challenges and uncertainties when compared to the status quo. Looking at the potential impacts on availability of energy resources, energy affordability, customer satisfaction and renewable energy production and use, the study found significantly more possible drawbacks and risks than benefits in each category. These findings suggest a cautionary approach may be appropriate in considering legislation to legalize these programs, the study said Enabling CCE in Colorado will undoubtedly make electricity regulation in Colorado, which is already complex, more complex and challenging, the study concluded. No on 412, be specific and show your math The ballot for Prop. 412 was a surprise in the mail, so I tried to learn more about it. I did some internet research and discovered that approximately 97 cents of the $1 per month (for 25 years) increase would go to bury new power lines for a few neighborhoods and the U of A. I question why those property owners directly benefiting from this are not assessed for that benefit. I have also seen vague promises that the rest of the money will be used toward climate action initiatives. What are the specifics of these and how much does each initiative cost? I say no to 412. Renegotiate with TEP, ask TEP and the affected neighborhoods to take on more of the cost of burying lines that improves their property values directly, be specific about what climate initiatives will be addressed and how much each will cost. Christina Moreno Downtown GOP vision I was a little confused after watching the GOP national committees video and its dystopian view of what four more years of Joe Biden would like like. National and international instability. Our society turning on each other. A country where the government intrudes on individual freedoms with its own enforcement of morality. It sure sounds like the vision that the Republican party is following and trying to enforce upon us now. And lets add a little 1984 dystopia the blind following of a fearless leader. Biden and his administration are certainly not the best this country has ever seen but they are trying to find some light and positives to build upon. The republicans seem to be fixating on the opposite. And to add I think the opposite of woke is being asleep, that is being in your own dream world unaware of what is really going on around you. Steven Gorenstein Northeast side Arizona, we have a problem! Arizona, we have a problem to face together: Water. Department of the Interior announced three ways we can stabilize and protect the Colorado River system: do nothing; honor water rights over 100 years old; or share with each other and Earth. Any preference? We have until May 30, to comment on the proposal. Visit www.usbr.gov/ColoradoRiverBasin/SEIS.html for details. The site contains how to attend public meetings in May, via Zoom, and a webform for SEIS comments. In Spanish, too. Interior wants your suggestions. Mine: share. Redesign water-hungry farming practices because Arizona agriculture uses 74% of the rivers water. Fed policy should forbid growing water-hungry crops in deserts, like alfalfa. Grow them? Lose comparable water rights. Ground water too. Its already outlawed elsewhere. Successful multiple cuts of alfalfa per season persist farther north, with dryland farming. Adios Republicans contracts with China, Saudi Arabia and large corporations! Allocate water for drought tolerant plants, respecting wisdom of the Ancients. Times have changed! Nancy Jacques Northeast side Climate activists voting no on Prop. 412 The City of Tucson has placed Proposition 412 on the ballot, to renew the 25-year franchise agreement with Tucson Electric Power with another 25-year contract. Our current one runs out in 2026, or potentially in 2027. We have time to reconsider this rushed proposal. Many climate activists are urging a No vote on this contract extension, because among other reasons: An energy revolution with solar and storage is happening we should not approve anything that runs beyond 5-10 years. It was sprung on the citizenry to vote on without any pro or con arguments section of the publicity pamphlet, and with no reasonable notice of the one meeting held less than 24 hours! Prop 412 makes no mention of the Tucson Climate Action and Adaptation plan, and puts only a tiny amount of money toward the climate emergency. Let Tucson scientists, policy makers and other citizens engage in a meaningful way with the City to improve on this terribly crafted proposition. Vote No on Prop. 412. Russell Lowes Midtown Supreme Court ethics & voting rights The Supreme Court is a disgrace! Since Chief Justice Roberts is incapable of cleaning up his court, Congress must do so and require ethical standards for SCOTUS in line with all other Justices in the country. Its not OK for Justices to pal around with big money donors and its not OK for Justice Thomas to conceal 20 years of his financials and lavish gifts. I always believed Anita Hill when she spoke about Thomass character. Additionally, SCOTUS continues to impede democratic representation. The Court took a wrecking ball to the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Because of SCOTUS, gerrymandering has eliminated majority rule in many states majorities that no longer have representation. Gerrymandered districts have disenfranchised millions of voters. The rot in the Supreme Court needs to be cleaned up. The legitimacy, transparency, impartiality, and the credibility of the Court needs to be restored as does the Voting Rights Act. Kathy Krucker Midtown GOP mind games on the budget Congressional Republicans are again threatening to withhold their approval of a debt limit increase. They want deep spending cuts, but have mysteriously removed tax increases from consideration. Oddly, they expressed no concerns with runaway spending during the Trump Administration, when they approved one of the largest tax cuts in history funded entirely by deficit spending. Rather than playing mind games with the debt limit, the GOP should focus on taxes. Rather than calling for deep budget cuts, the Republicans should admit that their tax cuts are the principal cause of our deficits, and that their embrace of voodoo economics since the Reagan Administration was wrong. After this admission of folly, they should immediately work with the Democrats to cancel the Trump tax cuts, fully fund the Internal Revenue Service and close tax loopholes to ensure that wealthy individuals and corporations pay their fair share of taxes. They will be amazed at how quickly this reduces, if not eliminates, our deficits. Republicans, what are you waiting for? Jon Dorschner Midtown Respect my freedom of speech and Ill respect yours Why are so many so called patriots trying to prevent my children from reading a good book, just because its not their good book? Im sick and tired of religious right political preachers and pundits attempting to dictate to the rest of us what to believe, who we can love and what were allowed to read. The alarming rate of censorship being foisted on school libraries nationwide undermines our constitutional freedoms. I dont have a problem with any parent exercising their right to set standards for their own children. However, when the religious right advocates banning books from public schools and libraries, theyre violating both my constitutional rights and my parental rights. A minority religious faction has no authority to dictate to me what my children can and cannot read, because my values and beliefs dont align with their peculiar prejudices. So, respect my freedom of speech, and Ill respect yours. Live and let live. Thats America. Dr. Joshua Reilly, ND Oro Valley GOP vision I was a little confused after watching the GOP national committees video and its dystopian view of what four more years of Joe Biden would like like. National and international instability. Our society turning on each other. A country where the government intrudes on individual freedoms with its own enforcement of morality. It sure sounds like the vision that the Republican party is following and trying to enforce upon us now. And lets add a little 1984 dystopia the blind following of a fearless leader. Biden and his administration are certainly not the best this country has ever seen but they are trying to find some light and positives to build upon. The republicans seem to be fixating on the opposite. And to add I think the opposite of woke is being asleep, that is being in your own dream world unaware of what is really going on around you. Steven Gorenstein CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) For the fourth summer in a row, LGBTQ+ young people from all over West Virginia will gather this August to learn from LGBTQ+ leaders in the state and gain skills in organizing and self-advocacy. The Appalachian Queer Youth Summit, a summer camp run by the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia, is free and open to young people ages 15 to 19 who identify as LGBTQ+ or come from LGBTQ+ families. This years camp is being held in Morgantown. Applications are being accepted now. Mollie Kennedy, community outreach director for ACLU West Virginia, said the idea for the camp came about through conversations about how to support LGBTQ+ people in a place like West Virginia, where they might not expect such support, and how to focus on youth. (Young people) are potentially the ones who are the most isolated, cut off from other LGBTQ people, especially if theyre not supported at home, Kennedy said. How do we create something for them that helps them feel empowered and connected to others like them, and give them an opportunity to feel safe and feel like they have a place in West Virginia if they want it? Even if the summer camp had been around when Kennedy was a teenager, Kennedy said she isnt sure she would have had the courage to tell her religious family she wanted to attend gay camp. I came from a pretty religious background, she said. I was closeted for a while. I didnt really talk to any of my family about this until I was an adult out in the world. But even the existence of the summer camp would have helped her at the time, she said. Knowing that there were people who cared about this community that I wanted to more loudly be a part of, but wasnt really sure if I could for a while would have sent me the message that there wasnt actually anything wrong with me, that I was fine the way that I was, Kennedy said. Kennedys work to found the camp was the basis for her being awarded the Rainbow Pride of West Virginia Power of One award, which is given to recognize people who create a positive impact on the lives of LGBTQ+ West Virginians, according to the organization. In its first year, 2020, eight or nine young people participated in the camp virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, between 35 and 40 teenagers are expected to attend. The guests for this years camp are still being worked out, but camp organizers are talking with staff from the ACLUs national chapter and the makers of a zine, author Neema Avashia, among others, communications director Billy Wolfe said. Representatives from Kin Ship Goods, a Charleston-based apparel store, will also bring a portable press to make a camp T-shirt. Kennedy said the goal for the teenagers is to leave feeling like they can advocate for themselves and others and be intersectional thinkers who think about other communities. We recognize that the life that you live as a queer person is going to involve self advocacy, always, Kennedy said. And so we want to give them those tools, as well as those examples of you could be like any of these people: you could run for office, you could have a family, you could run a business, you can go to a big city and have an adventure, you can come back, you can stay there are no rules for you. Jaye Hicks first attended the camp as a 17-year-old in 2020. Shell return this year as a junior counselor. Hicks, who identifies as a gender nonconforming lesbian, has a chronic illness that kept her out of public school made her feel isolated. But she found a community at the camp. I came across the camp in one of the lowest points of my life, Hicks said. And so being handed over a community of people that I could actually connect with, on like, on a silver tray essentially, was incredibly important to me. Its even more important now, Im getting better, kind of. But I know I can always turn to them if Im going through a patch. Hicks said the camp made connecting with and building relationships with other LGBTQ+ young people easy. Its all over the country but I know specifically in this state, queer youth do not have spaces to be safe, Hicks said. So, all of us have put up walls around ourselves to protect ourselves. So finally having a space where we can put those walls down, it makes it so much easier to actually talk and exist around other people. Because we all have those walls and those similar experiences, its easier to relate to things. And relating, especially, especially in these types of circumstances is going to build relationships stronger than anything else. In addition to providing a safe place for the teenagers, Wolfe hopes the camp helps teenagers become more involved in the political process in a way that causes change. West Virginia doesnt have a statewide Fairness Act, which would outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations. Lawmakers earlier this year passed a law prohibiting gender-affirming care for transgender young people except for kids considered at-risk for self-harm or suicide. They also passed a religious freedom bill opponents worry may be used to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. We know its certainly not all going to change tomorrow, Wolfe said. Hopefully a lot of it does change with the next generation. So, we want to be mindful of that now and we want to see them get involved now. In light of the new law, and an inundation of hostile, anti-democratic bills passed in Tennessee, Texas and Florida, Wolfe said, this years camp will focus on queer joy. It really takes a toll on the mental health of queer youth, I think particularly trans youth because theyre so in the crosshairs of these legislators, Wolfe said. And so we want to really, as much as we can, provide a counter to that for the summer, a place where people can sort of relax, unclench, and not just that, but actually celebrate who they are. Not just survive and be resilient, but love themselves for who they are. Hicks said shes learned things at camp shes already taken with her into adulthood. Beginning next month shes starting a job with Pollen8, a organization that provides treatment and reintegration programs for women affected by addictions. Ive taken all of the skills Ive learned in camp and just helping with the ACLU in general, because of the opportunities Ive been given at camp and its brought out a passion I didnt know I had, Hicks said. I am someone who I have found loves going out and talking and informing. I love tabling at events to bring more information and talk to all these unique and interesting people. And I could not have any of those skills or experiences if I didnt get involved with the camp. Organized crime related to drugs and marijuana remains one of his biggest challenges, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond told the Tulsa Regional Chamber on Friday morning. We have opened the flood gates to organized crime, Drummond said. We have a true Chinese syndicate crime organization in eastern Oklahoma. We have two identified Mexican cartels. We have a Central American cartel. We have, in the last six months, been invaded by organized crime from eastern Europe. These operations, Drummond said, revolve around distribution networks moving not only marijuana grown under the guise of medical cannabis but also fentanyl and other more dangerous substances, as well as human beings being trafficked as sex workers and laborers. Just two weeks ago, we intercepted a van that was redecorated to be (an Amazon) semi, Drummond said. It was, in fact, an illicit semi, and we found 7,000 pounds (of cannabis) in it. If we took the DNA of the cannabis consumed in New York City this morning, over 40% would be grown in Oklahoma. We are a top 10 state, and we cant be a top 10 state in this area, he said. Drummond said combating these organizations is tougher in the eastern half of the state. If I can do nothing else in my 193 remaining weeks (as attorney general), it will be that to give organized crime a compelling reason to (leave). Drummond turned philosophical near the end of his remarks. Paraphrasing Milton Mayers They Thought They Were Free: The Germans 1933-1945, he reflected on that countrys gradual shift to authoritarianism during that period. Over time (Germans) winced and shuddered and turned another eye as they lost their soul, he said. We are better than our worst impulses. My challenge to you is: Lets do the right thing, every chance we get. Drummonds remarks came ahead of those of several lawmakers who are trying to figure out how to do that in a legislative session thats turned stranger than usual in the past few days. Four first-year lawmakers described their introductions to sausage-making, as one called it, while one House member whos been around a while used the few minutes allotted to him to argue against elements of the competing education packages pushed by Gov. Kevin Stitt and House and Senate leadership. Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, said even those behind taxpayer subsidization of private schools agree that the current tax credit proposal will not lead to a large enrollment shift from public to private schools by some estimates about 1% and thus will not really broaden school choice. He also mentioned a House leadership plan to distribute $300 million in new money using a formula that intentionally sends a disproportionate share to smaller districts at the expense of most Tulsa-area districts. All of these budget maneuvers and education battles will probably be decided by the four leaders in the two chambers, none of whom are from Tulsa, Waldron said. This is what concerns me, he said. Are we going to be locked out of the room when these decisions are made? Trans community calls on Anheuser-Busch to reaffirm support if transgenders following Dylan Mulvaney controversy The Human Rights Campaign sent a letter to the company's head of human resources, calling their recent response insufficient and cowardly Bud Light reported a significant drop in sales following a nationwide boycott of its products Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, is facing calls from the Human Rights Campaign to reaffirm its support of transgenders following the controversy surrounding Dylan Mulvaney's partnership with the beer company. The calls come amid several weeks of right-wing pushback over Bud Light's recent partnership with the transgender influencer. Jay Brown, a senior vice president at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, sent a letter this week addressed to Anheuser-Busch's head of human resources. Calling for Anheuser-Busch To Support the Trans Community The document slammed the company's recent response to backlash amid the controversy, calling them insufficient and cowardly. The letter wrote that it was critical for Anheuser-Busch to publicly say it stands in solidarity with Mulvaney and the trans community, as per The Hill. It claimed that when the company was faced with anti-LGBTQ+ and transphobic criticism, it took actions that demonstrated its profound lack of fortitude in upholding values of diversity, equity, and inclusion to employees, customers, shareholders, and the LGBTQ+ community. Brown argued that the situation not only provides indirect support to hate-filled rhetoric, it also exposes the company to long-term business impacts from employees and customers who are increasingly looking for steadfast commitment to LGBTQ+ corporate citizenship. Read Also: Kansas Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill: Republicans Override State Governor In the past month, conservative media personalities, as well as musicians and politicians, have waged a highly publicized campaign against Anheuser-Busch. It was rooted in Mulvaney becoming a partner of Bud Light and sharing a sponsored post to her Instagram account that promoted the beer company's March Madness contest. The transgender influencer responded to the issue by uploading a video on Apr. 27, explaining the reason why she went offline for several weeks. She said that a lot of things were said about her, which she said were far from her truth, according to Yahoo News. Dylan Mulvaney Bud Light Partnership Controversy The social media personality reassured her supporters that she is "doing OK," but argued that she feels that she has deja vu over being called "too feminine and over the top." Mulvaney said that she was finding it difficult to understand other people's needs to dehumanize her and be cruel to another person. The transgender influencer added that she was scared that the negative feedback over her partnership with Bud Light would affect her followers and lead them to believe the bad things being said about her. Now, Anheuser-Busch is reportedly planning a major marketing push for Bud Light following a dip in sales caused by backlash from the beer company's partnership with Mulvaney. The editor of Beer Marketer's Insights, Benj Steinman, said that executives told distributors this week that the company will spend a hefty amount to alleviate the loss of sales. The company lost an estimated $5 billion in market value following the partnership between Bud Light and Mulvaney that became viral. It also resulted in a nationwide boycott of the beer company's products, with bars and distributors across the United States reporting significant drops in Bud Light sales, said Fox Business. Related Article: Dylan Mulvaney - Bud Light Discussions Banned in Indiana Bar @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Joseph H. Joe Williams, a former Williams Cos. and energy industry leader who left an equally lasting mark as a conservationist, died Thursday in South Carolina. He was 89. Services are pending. Williams, the last member of the Williams family to head the Tulsa-based energy company, was chairman and CEO from 1979 to 1994. The son of company co-founder David Williams, he spent 35 years overall with the company, and led it through a chaotic period in the industry. Williams, a member of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, was also celebrated for his contributions to conservation in the state. He was the driving force behind creation of the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve near Pawhuska, one of the last intact expanses of native tallgrass prairie in North America. Alan Armstrong, Williams president and CEO, said, The Williams culture of doing things right and taking care of the environment is alive and well today thanks to Joes strong leadership and foresight. As leader of the company, Joe set Williams up for long-term success with his ability to focus on the horizon, Armstrong added. He had the right mix of optimism for the future and hard-nose questioning of the status quo to keep the organization both inspired and on its toes. Born in Tulsa, Williams was raised in Camden, South Carolina. He was a graduate of Yale University and an Army veteran. Joining Williams Brothers, as the company was originally known, Williams learned from the ground up, before moving into the leadership ranks. He was president and chief operating officer for almost a decade before succeeding his cousin John H. Williams as chairman and CEO. In those roles, he was able to anticipate and help the company weather the industry challenges of the 1980s. Under him, Williams also refined its investment strategy and embraced technology, becoming the first company to use satellite communications for field operations. An avid conservationist and outdoorsman, Williams was a founder and longtime leader of the Oklahoma Nature Conservancy. He was also chairman of the The Nature Conservancy global board of directors. In the late 1980s, Williams spearheaded efforts to purchase the 29,000-acre Barnard Ranch, which would become the state Nature Conservancys flagship sanctuary, the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. The preserve now encompasses 40,000 acres and is home to 2,500 bison that roam 23,500 acres of open range. Perhaps Joes proudest moment I saw over the years was when he was awarded a ceremonial blanket by Chief Standing Bear to celebrate his role in the creation of the Tallgrass Prairie, said Keith Bailey, Williams successor as chairman and CEO. The preserve only exists because of his commitment to making it happen. As the last family member to lead the company, Williams felt a real stewardship responsibility with regard to that, Bailey added. His personal passion revolved around his leadership of the Nature Conservancy, both locally and nationally. Williams was also active in many business, civic and community leadership roles. He served on the boards of various banks and financial institutions, and was a trustee of the University of Tulsa. Yale University honored him as a Life Trustee and recipient of the Yale Medal. Survivors include his wife, Terry; three sons, Joseph H. Williams Jr., Peter B. Williams; James C. Williams; two stepdaughters, Margot T. Rose and Jennifer B. Ross; and seven grandchildren. Chief Public Defender Corbin Brewster said Friday that he would be stepping down from the position to return to private practice, effective June 30. I am leaving this office with a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that the Public Defenders Office is in good hands, Brewster said in a written statement. Lora Howard will serve as Interim Chief Public Defender and Glen Blake will serve as First Assistant Public Defender, Brewster said. I am confident that they will lead the office to even greater heights. Tulsa County district judges selected Brewster in September 2017 from a list of three applicants to be chief public defender after Rob Nigh resigned the office in July 2017 due to serious health matters. Nigh died in September 2017. Brewster thanked the attorneys and staff of the Public Defenders Office for their hard work and dedication to the clients they serve. It has been the greatest honor of my career to serve the citizens of Tulsa County, Brewster said. I have always tried to do so with professionalism, integrity and compassion. I am proud that during the last five years, the Public Defenders Office has made significant strides in providing quality legal representation to indigent defendants and vulnerable citizens. Brewster also thanked Tulsa County district judges and Tulsa County commissioners for their support. Brewster said he would be returning to private practice at Brewster & DeAngelis. Presiding Tulsa County District Judge Doug Drummond was unavailable Friday to comment on when a replacement would be hired. Tulsa County Trial Court Administrator Kim Hall said there is no timeline yet for hiring a permanent replacement. The only person ever held responsible in the high-profile disappearance of two teen girls from the scene of a double homicide in late 1999 is about to be released from prison. Ronnie Dean Busick, 71, is set for release from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections Lexington Correctional Center on May 19, said Kay Thompson, acting chief administrator of communications at DOC. Laurias mother, Lorene Bible, said she was shocked by the development because she expected Busick to serve eight years in prison. The state didnt tell me it was just word on the street that, boom, got confirmed yesterday, she told the Tulsa World on Friday. Just over 23 years ago, 16-year-olds Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman disappeared from the scene of a double homicide outside the northeastern Oklahoma town of Welch. Since that day, Dec. 30, 1999, when Freemans parents, Danny and Kathy Freeman, were found shot to death inside their burned out mobile home, the whereabouts of the two teen girls, who were best friends having a birthday sleepover, have remained a mystery. The case has been the subject of numerous television documentaries and podcasts and remained cold until a break in spring of 2018, when prosecutors charged Busick in the deaths of the Freeman couple and the two girls and implicated two other men Warren Phillip Welch II and David A. Pennington who by then were deceased. Law enforcement investigators believe the trio of Welch, Pennington and Busick went to the Freeman farm the night of Dec. 29, 1999, to confront Danny Freeman over a drug debt, and that the girls likely survived the fire and were kidnapped and taken to a trailer in Picher, where they were bound, tortured and sexually assaulted for two weeks before being killed. In August 2020, Busick, the only suspect still living, pleaded guilty to accessory to murder and received a 10-year prison sentence, plus five years probation. The DOC spokeswoman said Busick received credit for county jail time he served while he was awaiting trial, plus he earned credits to reduce his sentence under state law that applies to DOC inmates who receive outstanding evaluations for such things as work, education, hygiene and maintenance of living area. She said Busicks five-year probation will include only one year under official supervision. In reflecting on the news, Lorene Bible said Busicks early release shouldnt have come as a surprise to her. He knows how to work the system he has a rap sheet a mile long with drugs and alcohol and violence, she said. Bible and her niece Lisa Broderick have never stopped conducting their own investigation of new leads, and they post regular, public updates on their Find Lauria Bible Facebook page, which counts nearly 30,000 followers from all over the globe. Busick had been offered reduced sentencing in exchange for information about the whereabouts of Lauria and Ashleys missing remains, but all of that came to no end. Bible still thinks the man could have knowledge that could be helpful to her and the law enforcement team that still conducts site searches in the case in old mining shafts, wells and root cellars. Time is of the essence, as Busick is now in his 70s and in poor physical health. Its the good ones that go first. The bad ones, mean people, they hang around. He definitely knows more, Bible said of Busick. He told me the day he was brought into Craig County Jail he was the lookout in a car. He said he didnt kill anybody, he didnt shoot anybody, he didnt set the fire. You might not have physically actually done it, but when you drove the getaway car, youre guilty. After they were killed, thats the part he is very vague about. He says all he knows is what Pennington and Welch said happened after. Timeline: Welch girls Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible go missing on this day in 1999 September 2018: Inside the Welch Girls Investigation Dec. 29, 1999 Dec. 30, 1999 Dec. 31, 1999 Dec. 31, 1999 January 2000 January 2000 March 15, 2000 Jan. 1, 2001 June 14, 2001 July 26, 2001 July 26, 2001 Jan. 24, 2003 2009 2010 May 2011 January 2013 December 2017 April 2018 April 23, 2018 April 23, 2018 April 23, 2018 June 2019 June 14, 2019 July 29, 2019 July 30, 2019 July 31, 2019 Nov. 19, 2019 Nov. 23, 2019 Nov. 26, 2019 Dec. 13, 2019 Dec. 18, 2019 Jan. 8, 2020 July 16, 2020 Sept. 1, 2020 Oct. 1, 2020 Oct. 11, 2020 April 26, 2021 April 27, 2021 April 29, 2021 Special report: Missing Welch girls investigation Part II: Who are the three men accused in the case of the missing Welch girls? Hear from those who knew them Part III: In first in-depth interview, cold-case investigators explain why they haven't given up on finding two missing Welch girls Check out our latest digital-only offer and subscribe now Cool your jets: U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin dismissed the idea that Chinese President Xi Jinpings telephone conversation last week with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might portend peace in eastern Europe. Dont kid yourself. There is going to be no peace, Mullin said on Fox Business. There may be a short-term cease fire, but the Communist Party is never going to respect any kind of democracy. You have two Communist parties with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and China that are very good friends, and President Xi has already talked to Putin and said, Hey, lets cool your jets a little while. Lets give you Crimea, give you something else, give me time to show the world that I want peace, and when I go into Taiwan you can go back into Ukraine. Asked if he has seen intelligence to that effect, Mullin said he had not but why else would all this happen? While Putin belonged to the Communist Party of the Soviet Union until it dissolved in 1991, he is not a member of its Russian Federation successor nor of any other political party. He is, however, generally associated with his countrys dominant political alliance, United Russia. United Russia practices what it calls Russian conservatism. Next time: Fourth District Congressman Tom Cole, chairman of the House Rules Committee and a Republican conference insider, conceded that getting his fellow GOPers to go along with a debt limit increase that can actually pass the Senate and be signed by President Joe Biden is likely to be more difficult than last weeks vote on what amounted to a first draft. But he also sounded optimistic. If a deal comes back as a negotiated settlement, there will be some people who will inevitably be disappointed, Cole told The New York Times. But I do think well get something, and Im comfortable the speaker will bring us back something that a majority of us can and will vote for. This time: Prior to Wednesdays vote on the Republicans debt limit and spending package, 1st District Congressman Kevin Hern told The Hill: It takes a lot of work when you have that slimmer majority. You have to manage the questions; you have to manage the expectations of members that may have a concern how thats gonna impact them back home or what they have an issue with personally. Space patrol: Third District Congressman Frank Lucas, chairman of the House Space, Science and Technology Committee, opened a NASA budget hearing with praise for the agencys accomplishments and scolding for its use of time and money. As impressive as the images and science produced by the James Webb Space Telescope might be, we cannot forget that it was billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule, Lucas said. Because of those massive cost and time overruns, the telescope came at the expense of many other worthy science missions. Because of these overflowing costs, NASA has been forced to make difficult choices in its science portfolio. It postponed a selected mission to Venus, indefinitely paused a flagship heliophysics mission, and delayed launch of an important asteroid detection spacecraft. If this trend continues, then NASA may have to make difficult decisions to postpone or cancel future missions. This is unacceptable, and we must do better, Lucas said. Farm hands: Lucas co-sponsored a resolution to block new Biden administration rules that would result in higher pay for H-2A visa agricultural workers and more paperwork for their employers. More than 250,000 H-2A visas were issued to temporary guest agriculture workers in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pay varies according to type of job and location, but the American Farm Bureau says the new rule that took effect on March 30 will increase labor costs 5.5% to 12.6%, with the biggest increases likely falling on smaller operations. The rule also requires employers to track what the workers do and pay them accordingly. For instance, a vegetable picker who also drives fellow workers to the job in an employee-provided vehicle would have to be paid for at least part of his time as a chauffer a higher hourly rate than a picker. Its complicated: Several Republicans, including U.S. Sen. James Lankford and 5th District Congresswoman Stephanie Bice, got worked up over a Washington Times report that the Biden administration had raised the upfront costs of some home mortgages for borrowers with higher credit scorers to subsidize the risk on borrowers with poorer credit ratings. Biden and his executive agencies are attempting to bypass Congress and fundamentally change how our country operates, Bice told Fox News. We should not punish individuals who have made sound financial decisions or have the government incentivize lowering credit scores. But the Federal Housing Financing Agency, the independent regulator that sets the upfront fees for private mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, says the new fee structure is misunderstood and that the Biden administration was not involved in its development. The fee schedule is complicated but is basically intended to help lower-income individuals and families buy homes. The fees are determined by a matrix that takes into consideration several elements, including credit score. All other factors being equal, those with better credit scores will pay less up front. Many will pay less than they would have previously. But so will most borrowers at the lower end of the scale, and some in the middle will pay more. And that leads to the suspicion that one is subsidizing the other. Dots and dashes: Hern, a former McDonalds franchisee, showed up at the Capitol last week with Ronald McDonald and Grimace. Although still skeptical of the administrations handling of immigration, Lankford said it seems to be taking seriously the proposals I have recommended for years. Lankford took some flak for voting against legislation allowing VA benefits to cover medical marijuana, then tweeting: When the conversation about how to serve our veterans after all they sacrificed is to give them marijuana we have failed our veterans. Randy Krehbiel, Tulsa World OKLAHOMA CITY Gov. Kevin Stitt is pushing to eliminate the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, alleging that the nations most-watched Public Broadcasting Service network is airing content aimed at indoctrinating children. The network offers childrens programs such as Sesame Street and Mister Rogers Neighborhood in addition to the ever-popular Antiques Roadshow and news programs Washington Week and PBS Newshour. Stitt on Wednesday vetoed a relatively routine bill that would continue OETAs operations through 2026. Unless two-thirds of the members of the House and Senate join together to override the governors veto, OETA will cease operating this year. In a Friday news conference, the governor took aim at some of the networks content and said its an outdated notion for the state to subsidize a television network. I dont think Oklahomans want to use their tax dollars to indoctrinate kids, Stitt said. Some of the stuff that theyre showing just overly sexualizes our kids. Stitt criticized OETA for elevating LGBTQ voices and airing news content related to gender-affirming care for minors. To back up Stitts claims, a spokeswoman for the governor sent the Tulsa World information showing that OETA promoted LGBTQ-focused Pride Month programming in recent years. The spokeswoman also shared information indicating that two animated childrens cartoons Clifford the Big Red Dog and Work it out Wombats! that air on PBS affiliates have included lesbian characters in some episodes. The spokeswoman also sent a Fox News article that criticizes a PBS Newshour segment in which an Indiana couple talked about how gender-affirming care was beneficial for their daughter. OETA Executive Director Polly Anderson said the governors veto of House Bill 2820 was unexpected. She declined to comment further except to say, Its just really unfortunate that this is going to hurt the people of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Legislature appropriated $2.8 million to OETA in the current fiscal year, a 10% decrease in funding from the prior year. The network also receives private funding. OETA has programming that represents a variety of cultural, social and religious views, said Friends of OETA board member Ken Busby. OETA serves a diverse population, and Oklahoma has a diverse population, he said. People need to be given choices, and they can choose what they wish to watch and not watch. No ones dictating that you have to watch this program or like this program. Busby said he was surprised and disappointed by the governors veto. But he expressed optimism that the governor will change his opinion about the network upon learning about how many people watch OETA and the public service it provides. Especially for rural Oklahomans who dont have cable television, OETA is a critical piece of the states emergency alert system, he said. Our broadcast towers are how we inform a lot of rural Oklahoma about disasters like tornadoes and thunderstorms, Busby said. Stitt last year vetoed $8.2 million in federal pandemic relief funding earmarked for OETA to enhance its emergency communications infrastructure. The Oklahoma Legislature appears likely to override the governors recent veto related to OETA. House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, said his chamber has traditionally supported OETA. Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, told reporters he once got called into his predecessors office after opposing a previous bill to continue OETAs operations. Treat said he learned that OETAs broadcast transmitters are critical for the Department of Public Safety and play a role in emergency communications across the state. Ever since then, I have supported its continuation, he said. About a decade ago, a group of GOP lawmakers unsuccessfully sought to defund OETA. Tulsa County resident Sally Keel, 83, told the Tulsa World on Friday that her children grew up watching OETA. She still watches the channel more than any other. OETA programming speaks to Oklahomans of all ages, she said. Its a wonderful channel, Keel said. Im just flabbergasted. I cant believe this has come up. We have to remember that the teachers are watching. And judging. Thats the teachers who are in the classroom this semester. And the teachers who arent in a classroom anymore but have a valid teaching certificate. Dont forget the teachers who are now principals trying to put great teachers in every classroom. What do they see? They see a debate at the Legislature on the future of funding education. They see that its not clear yet whether a raise is coming. And now they see a signing bonus. The Oklahoma State Department of Education made headlines with $16 million being set aside to attract certain kinds of teachers in certain situations. As Tulsa World education reporter Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton reported this week, the bonuses starting at $15,000, target educators who commit to teaching special education, prekindergarten, kindergarten, first, second or third grade in an Oklahoma public school for at least five years, with additional amounts awarded to teachers who agree to teach in a rural district or one where at least half of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. The bonuses can go up to $50,000 for teachers with more than five years of classroom experience. Its a pilot program and, as of now, exists only for the next school year. The bonus money will come from federal funds in the American Rescue Plan Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The plan includes a cap on the total amount of signing bonuses awarded per district at $150,000. Depending on whom the bonus attracts, that could mean only three more teachers per district. There are lots of qualifications and fine print. To learn more and apply, we encourage you to go to the online application, which is live on the State Department of Educations website. When announcing the bonuses, State Superintendent Ryan Walters said hes still committed to pushing the Legislature to provide an additional $150 million for merit-based pay raises. Walters also announced that the State Department of Education will create additional certification levels to offer incentive pay raises of up to $40,000 under the terms of House Bill 4388, but strings are attached. Bonuses for some who arent in the classroom now. Potential pay raises for some of the others who are. Its progress, yes, and when every price is going up, it might be what moves a person to dust off that teaching certificate and apply. We hope so. Mayor G.T. Bynum told the Editorial Board recently that the $15,000 bonuses to recruit police officers have had an effect. Thats good news, because we dont want to be a city that always has 130 fewer officers than we need. Thats the reality today. These new bonuses for these specific teaching positions will help temporarily, but when are the teachers going to see something permanent? When are teachers going to judge that Oklahoma is the best place to be a teacher? Every parent wants Oklahoma to be the best place to be a student. Its time to engage in the legislative process. Every person who will determine the future of education funding and how much your childs teacher is paid is at work right now. Maybe its time to contact those who represent you and let them know that its going to take bonuses and pay raises and a dedication to fully fund public education. Remind them that in addition to the teachers, you are watching, as well. Why wait? There are real deadlines and decisions that have to be made. We have to remember that our kids are watching all of this. And judging. What do they see? The transport authority of Ho Chi Minh City looks to achieve a 100 percent adoption and usage of electric vehicles (EV) in the outlying district of Can Gio and some areas in the city in a bid to cope with car emissions and improve the air quality. Tran Quang Lam, director of the municipal Department of Transport, put forward this plan at a regular press briefing on Thursday morning. Lam said the southern metropolis pays much heed to measures to tackle greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. The transport authority is seeking financial support from the municipal Peoples Council to facilitate the switch from fuel-powered vehicles such as taxis, buses, state-owned cars to EVs. Under the plan, once the Can Gio bridge project is put into service, there will be a parking garage to house non-electric cars seeking to enter Can Gio. Passengers on non-EVs will be transported to various parts in Can Gio via public transit EVs. The transport official also provided information regarding the municipal transport sectors performance in the year to date and its plan to satisfy the travel demand during the five-day public holiday starting Saturday. Besides, the relevant units are speeding up efforts to break ground on the Beltway No.3 project as planned. He also pointed out some lower-than-expected business results of the sector in the first quarter, including the declining cargo throughput via seaports and inland waterway terminals across the city and low disbursement rates of public capital. Further, the transport department in coordination with relevant agencies are studying procedures and policies to facilitate the development of urban railway and beltway projects. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The transport authority of Ho Chi Minh City looks to achieve a 100 percent adoption and usage of electric vehicles (EV) in the outlying district of Can Gio and some areas in the city in a bid to cope with car emissions and improve the air quality. Tran Quang Lam, director of the municipal Department of Transport, put forward this plan at a regular press briefing on Thursday morning. Lam said the southern metropolis pays much heed to measures to tackle greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. The transport authority is seeking financial support from the municipal Peoples Council to facilitate the switch from fuel-powered vehicles such as taxis, buses, state-owned cars to EVs. Under the plan, once the Can Gio bridge project is put into service, there will be a parking garage to house non-electric cars seeking to enter Can Gio. Passengers on non-EVs will be transported to various parts in Can Gio via public transit EVs. The transport official also provided information regarding the municipal transport sectors performance in the year to date and its plan to satisfy the travel demand during the five-day public holiday starting Saturday. Besides, the relevant units are speeding up efforts to break ground on the Beltway No.3 project as planned. He also pointed out some lower-than-expected business results of the sector in the first quarter, including the declining cargo throughput via seaports and inland waterway terminals across the city and low disbursement rates of public capital. Further, the transport department in coordination with relevant agencies are studying procedures and policies to facilitate the development of urban railway and beltway projects. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! On the occasion of returning to Vietnam to work and attend the Tuoi Tre Start-Up Award presentation ceremony early this week, Vietnamese-born former German Vice Chancellor Philipp Rosler had a talk with Tuoi Tre News over issues in attracting investment, starting a business and especially, the love and remembrance for homeland. I think the love for family is a strong emotion. If you're growing up in a different culture, you don't care about it as a child. But as soon as you get older, maybe when you have your own children, you will ask yourself numerous questions about your motherland and your cultural roots. All these things explain why so many overseas Vietnamese are coming back to Vietnam, Philipp Rosler said. A survey conducted in the overseas Vietnamese community shows that 63 percent of them will return home to get married and to take care of their parents. Almost half (49 percent) seek to explore a connection, a culture and about 41 percent want to contribute to the development of Vietnam. What do you think about the results? The government earlier conducted a survey in Germany on different groups of immigrants in the country and it turned out that Vietnamese were the best integrated group there. Why? I think the reason is that they focus on two very important things: education and family. Both factors are now bringing the overseas Vietnamese back to their homeland. And as you mentioned, as they return for marriage and family bonds, they really want to reconnect with the homeland and the cultural roots. And that is quite important. Secondly, when they are here, they want to contribute to the economic growth in Vietnam and create more jobs for people. I can start my business somewhere in Europe or the U.S., but I would like to contribute to a business in my country of origin. I think this is the main motivation for those overseas Vietnamese who are coming back and starting their business in recent years. In that repatriation flow, do you see the growing trend of more and more overseas Vietnamese returning for startup projects? Overseas Vietnamese are coming back and building a fresh business landscape in Vietnam. And now the current generation of startups is even better. They were born in Vietnam, grew up in Vietnam and they are now doing business in Vietnam with a dream of going global. Their business models are very innovative. Logivan is an example as the founder has chosen Vietnam to run a business. I think Vietnam is on the global economic map now. So many overseas Vietnamese are considering a return because they never forget their origins. They are coming back and will help develop the business community in Vietnam. So their start-up projects, their business and their entrepreneurial ideas are all benefiting in Vietnam. I want to build a connecting bridge In recent years, you have been traveling a lot between Vietnam and other places. What is the meaning of those trips? It's not only traveling. The idea behind is building a bridge. My idea is bridging Vietnam to the rest of the world because as we have seen today at the Tuoi Tre Start-Up Award, we have so many exciting startups but only we and our viewers today know that. No one outside Vietnam has learnt about them. And I think they can be brave and proud enough to say Hey, were as creative and dynamic as all the other startups around the world. Maybe, we are even better. So let's check it out! On the other hand, we should invite investors to Vietnam because they may invest in Vietnamese startups. So what should Vietnam do to attract more overseas Vietnamese? I would say Vietnam is very supportive. There's even a department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vietnam which is responsible for overseas Vietnamese. They often launch exciting and meaningful activities around Tet [traditional Lunar New Year holiday], when there are trips for overseas Vietnamese to come back. Starting from Hanoi, people have chances to learn about the culture, politics, and society, and then they travel around and end the journey in Ho Chi Minh City. In my opinion, the Vietnamese government is very open to all Vietnamese overseas who would like to come back. Last year, I was invited to return to Vietnam for Tet celebration. And it was a great honor to be here, to meet and to share opinions with other overseas Vietnamese. Many of them still have family members in Vietnam. For them, going back to the fatherland means reuniting with their own relatives. Even in crisis, Vietnam still has a chance What does the role of Honorary Consul of Vietnam to Switzerland mean to you? For me, I don't have any relatives living in Vietnam, but it's still quite exciting to come here, to discover the culture, and to measure Vietnamese characteristics within myself. But in the end, it's quite interesting to see the differences between the two countries. Considering Switzerland and Germany, certainly I'm way more German in this case but it's good to have something from both nations. As a Honorary Consul of Vietnam, my job is to facilitate business relationships between Switzerland and Vietnam. I'm working with businesspeople to make sure it's convenient for enterprises from outside to come to Vietnam. They are interested in achieving success but at the same time, they will help Vietnam to develop, such as helping the government streamline legal frameworks or build contents of free trade agreements. In the long term, Vietnam should have plans with visions in five, 10 or 15 years while looking at regional countries like Singapore, Malaysia or China. Perhaps, we are now standing at their positions a couple years ago, and we may learn from their role models and experiences. To become a highly modernized country, Vietnam should focus on the main drivers of the global economy, which are digitalization and sustainability. What are opportunities for Vietnam to develop even faster? The next five to 10 years will be really bright for Vietnam. I think there is always an opportunity for Vietnam, even in a crisis. Even in 2023, foreign investment flows will still target Vietnam while the Russia-Ukraine conflict is causing significant changes in investment tendency. Vietnam should seize this opportunity because we don't know how long the fluctuations will last. One important thing is that when investors have come and established business here, they will always want to do long-term business. To attract more investment, Vietnam has to cut down more red tape, which will be good for both domestic and foreign companies. Vietnam should focus on science and technology, identify the sectors and industries that do need foreign investment like energy or infrastructure and stay open to new technologies and solutions like blockchain and e-commerce. Again, Vietnam is very attractive for foreign investors with a market of 100 million people, mostly very skilled, highly educated, and fully digitalized. You can see everyone has a smartphone or at least a feature phone. At the same time, we are super entrepreneurial. I think these are the right ingredients for great economic successes. There are many turning points in your life, and what do you think about them? What is the most necessary quality to overcome difficulties? Everyone has their ups and downs in life. And if you ask them, they will surely answer that they learn the most from those downs rather than from their successes. Of course, don't let the failures happen too often, but if they come for any reason, we have to find a way to cope with those difficulties. This is a story of mindset. Look at a boxer, sometimes the athlete gets hit and falls. But its good for him to stand up again. If that fighter learns from that punch and gets up, he won't be defeated in that way again. It is important to have a solution and we have to find it ourselves. This issue is especially important in business. An entrepreneur can fail, even go bankrupt, but if they avoid mistakes, they will come back stronger. The reality shows that many people fail at first but then succeed. Is this the lesson you taught your kids? My two daughters are 14 years old and they are also very excited about jobs and business projects in Vietnam, although it is a bit early to think about it now. We and Don Lam, the founder of VinaCapital, have a startup project for young people with an entrepreneurial spirit. Vietnamese people already have the qualities of an entrepreneur and on that journey, the most important thing is to never give up, to learn from failure and always know how to get up after each failure. I believe that hard work and high performance is not a threat but is the foundation for happiness and prosperity of myself, my family and my contribution to the country. So if we work hard together, it will be a good thing. The history of Vietnam over thousands of years has also proven that only hard work can bring about successes and we can still work hard and effectively in our own way. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! On the occasion of returning to Vietnam to work and attend the Tuoi Tre Start-Up Award presentation ceremony early this week, Vietnamese-born former German Vice Chancellor Philipp Rosler had a talk with Tuoi Tre News over issues in attracting investment, starting a business and especially, the love and remembrance for homeland. I think the love for family is a strong emotion. If you're growing up in a different culture, you don't care about it as a child. But as soon as you get older, maybe when you have your own children, you will ask yourself numerous questions about your motherland and your cultural roots. All these things explain why so many overseas Vietnamese are coming back to Vietnam, Philipp Rosler said. A survey conducted in the overseas Vietnamese community shows that 63 percent of them will return home to get married and to take care of their parents. Almost half (49 percent) seek to explore a connection, a culture and about 41 percent want to contribute to the development of Vietnam. What do you think about the results? The government earlier conducted a survey in Germany on different groups of immigrants in the country and it turned out that Vietnamese were the best integrated group there. Why? I think the reason is that they focus on two very important things: education and family. Both factors are now bringing the overseas Vietnamese back to their homeland. And as you mentioned, as they return for marriage and family bonds, they really want to reconnect with the homeland and the cultural roots. And that is quite important. Secondly, when they are here, they want to contribute to the economic growth in Vietnam and create more jobs for people. I can start my business somewhere in Europe or the U.S., but I would like to contribute to a business in my country of origin. I think this is the main motivation for those overseas Vietnamese who are coming back and starting their business in recent years. In that repatriation flow, do you see the growing trend of more and more overseas Vietnamese returning for startup projects? Overseas Vietnamese are coming back and building a fresh business landscape in Vietnam. And now the current generation of startups is even better. They were born in Vietnam, grew up in Vietnam and they are now doing business in Vietnam with a dream of going global. Their business models are very innovative. Logivan is an example as the founder has chosen Vietnam to run a business. I think Vietnam is on the global economic map now. So many overseas Vietnamese are considering a return because they never forget their origins. They are coming back and will help develop the business community in Vietnam. So their start-up projects, their business and their entrepreneurial ideas are all benefiting in Vietnam. I want to build a connecting bridge In recent years, you have been traveling a lot between Vietnam and other places. What is the meaning of those trips? It's not only traveling. The idea behind is building a bridge. My idea is bridging Vietnam to the rest of the world because as we have seen today at the Tuoi Tre Start-Up Award, we have so many exciting startups but only we and our viewers today know that. No one outside Vietnam has learnt about them. And I think they can be brave and proud enough to say Hey, were as creative and dynamic as all the other startups around the world. Maybe, we are even better. So let's check it out! On the other hand, we should invite investors to Vietnam because they may invest in Vietnamese startups. So what should Vietnam do to attract more overseas Vietnamese? I would say Vietnam is very supportive. There's even a department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vietnam which is responsible for overseas Vietnamese. They often launch exciting and meaningful activities around Tet [traditional Lunar New Year holiday], when there are trips for overseas Vietnamese to come back. Starting from Hanoi, people have chances to learn about the culture, politics, and society, and then they travel around and end the journey in Ho Chi Minh City. In my opinion, the Vietnamese government is very open to all Vietnamese overseas who would like to come back. Last year, I was invited to return to Vietnam for Tet celebration. And it was a great honor to be here, to meet and to share opinions with other overseas Vietnamese. Many of them still have family members in Vietnam. For them, going back to the fatherland means reuniting with their own relatives. Even in crisis, Vietnam still has a chance What does the role of Honorary Consul of Vietnam to Switzerland mean to you? For me, I don't have any relatives living in Vietnam, but it's still quite exciting to come here, to discover the culture, and to measure Vietnamese characteristics within myself. But in the end, it's quite interesting to see the differences between the two countries. Considering Switzerland and Germany, certainly I'm way more German in this case but it's good to have something from both nations. As a Honorary Consul of Vietnam, my job is to facilitate business relationships between Switzerland and Vietnam. I'm working with businesspeople to make sure it's convenient for enterprises from outside to come to Vietnam. They are interested in achieving success but at the same time, they will help Vietnam to develop, such as helping the government streamline legal frameworks or build contents of free trade agreements. In the long term, Vietnam should have plans with visions in five, 10 or 15 years while looking at regional countries like Singapore, Malaysia or China. Perhaps, we are now standing at their positions a couple years ago, and we may learn from their role models and experiences. To become a highly modernized country, Vietnam should focus on the main drivers of the global economy, which are digitalization and sustainability. What are opportunities for Vietnam to develop even faster? The next five to 10 years will be really bright for Vietnam. I think there is always an opportunity for Vietnam, even in a crisis. Even in 2023, foreign investment flows will still target Vietnam while the Russia-Ukraine conflict is causing significant changes in investment tendency. Vietnam should seize this opportunity because we don't know how long the fluctuations will last. One important thing is that when investors have come and established business here, they will always want to do long-term business. To attract more investment, Vietnam has to cut down more red tape, which will be good for both domestic and foreign companies. Vietnam should focus on science and technology, identify the sectors and industries that do need foreign investment like energy or infrastructure and stay open to new technologies and solutions like blockchain and e-commerce. Again, Vietnam is very attractive for foreign investors with a market of 100 million people, mostly very skilled, highly educated, and fully digitalized. You can see everyone has a smartphone or at least a feature phone. At the same time, we are super entrepreneurial. I think these are the right ingredients for great economic successes. There are many turning points in your life, and what do you think about them? What is the most necessary quality to overcome difficulties? Everyone has their ups and downs in life. And if you ask them, they will surely answer that they learn the most from those downs rather than from their successes. Of course, don't let the failures happen too often, but if they come for any reason, we have to find a way to cope with those difficulties. This is a story of mindset. Look at a boxer, sometimes the athlete gets hit and falls. But its good for him to stand up again. If that fighter learns from that punch and gets up, he won't be defeated in that way again. It is important to have a solution and we have to find it ourselves. This issue is especially important in business. An entrepreneur can fail, even go bankrupt, but if they avoid mistakes, they will come back stronger. The reality shows that many people fail at first but then succeed. Is this the lesson you taught your kids? My two daughters are 14 years old and they are also very excited about jobs and business projects in Vietnam, although it is a bit early to think about it now. We and Don Lam, the founder of VinaCapital, have a startup project for young people with an entrepreneurial spirit. Vietnamese people already have the qualities of an entrepreneur and on that journey, the most important thing is to never give up, to learn from failure and always know how to get up after each failure. I believe that hard work and high performance is not a threat but is the foundation for happiness and prosperity of myself, my family and my contribution to the country. So if we work hard together, it will be a good thing. The history of Vietnam over thousands of years has also proven that only hard work can bring about successes and we can still work hard and effectively in our own way. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Hackers successfully hijacked a government-owned satellite during a controlled experiment by the European Space Agency (ESA) amid growing concerns over cyber warfare threats. The experiment seeks to test the vulnerabilities of satellites in orbit, which should tell how long it takes before hackers successfully take control of the spacecraft. Hackers Hijacks Gov't-Owned Satellite During a Test According to Gizmodo, the space agency assured that the experiment occurred in a controlled environment. And as such, it carries no risk to operational satellites or networks. So the test did not disrupt any activities on Earth despite the successful hijacking. But despite that, the latest experiment shows the crucial vulnerability of satellite systems in orbit to various cyberattacks. The ESA announced that the satellite hacking test is part of the ongoing CYSAT conference of the space agency. The hijacking incident is part of the CYSAT Hack challenge, which lets hackers take over an OPS-SAT nanosatellite. The experiment had an alarming result, wherein hackers successfully took complete control of the nanosatellite. To be more precise, the cyber hijackers gained access to its control systems, including its imaging, communication, and maneuverability. They took over the altitude control and global positioning system. Above and beyond that, they also penetrated its onboard camera, as per BGR. In other words, hackers completely controlled the satellite during the test. Although the hackers successfully hijacked the satellite, ESA notes in its press release that they did not attempt to control it. Instead, the space agency assured everyone they maintained their command of the spacecraft, preventing it from going off its course. ESA disclosed that the hackers utilized malicious code to exploit the vulnerabilities of the spacecraft. And from there, they gained the necessary access to gain full control. It is worth noting that the hackers successfully hid any signs that they hijacked the system. With that, the researchers even modified some of the photos of the onboard camera before sending them to our home planet. Pierre-Yves Jolivet, the Vice President of Cyber Solutions at Thales, highlights that the recent experiment shows us the potential security flaw of satellites currently in orbit. The takeaways from this controlled test should help secure nanosatellites along the way. Read Also: North Korea's First Spy Satellite Ready To Launch, Kim Jong Un Claims Cyber Warfare Threat Concerns The ESA experiment comes amid the frightening concerns surrounding cyberwarfare. Bloomberg previously reported that following the invasion of Russia over Ukraine, several internet satellites started being janky. The malfunction affected the internet services of thousands of users from various parts of North Africa and Europe. Although the problem hit users in the UK and Germany, it primarily affected folks in Ukraine. Some experts blame hackers from Russia for the internet satellite fiasco, which interestingly affected internet connection in Ukraine, not to mention other countries in Europe. Related Article: Kenya Makes History: Successfully Launches First Operational Satellite Into Space @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Parkson Retail Asia Ltds (PRA) said its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary Parkson Vietnam Co. Ltd has filed a court application in Ho Chi Minh City for the commencement of voluntary bankruptcy proceedings starting Friday. The move will end the mall chains 18 years of operation in Vietnam as it is not commercially feasible to continue its business in the country, said Singapore-listed PRA, a 67.96-percent-owned subsidiary of Parkson Holdings Bhd. Parkson Vietnam has historically been operating at a loss, with such losses being compounded in recent years due to the challenging business environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the PRA statement. Its pre-tax loss stood at SGD2.3 million (US$1.72 million) last year against a pre-tax profit of SGD13.7 million ($10.25 million) in 2021 as its revenue plunged from SGD10.1 million ($7.55 million) to SGD2.4 million ($1.8 million) in the same period. The profit attained in 2021 was largely attributed to the closure of two stores and the exit from tenancies resulting in derecognition of lease liabilities, and recognition of income from subleasing assets. By the end of last year, Parkson Vietnam had a capital deficiency of SGD30.16 million ($22.55 million). The lack of support from Parkson Vietnams landlord, such as the negligible rental rebate or rental reduction, during the COVID-19 lockdown, and the high land tax when the operation of department stores retailers was restricted, adversely impacted its financials, the statement added. Therefore, the company has filed a bankruptcy application to the Peoples Court of Ho Chi Minh City and is awaiting its approval. PRA said the bankruptcy of its Vietnamese subsidiary is not expected to have a financial impact on the Parkson group. With its impending exit from Vietnam, PRA will continue to focus its operations in Malaysia where it is running 38 stores with a total retail space of 429,000 square meters, according to its 2022 annual report. In Vietnam, there is currently only one Parkson store, which covers 18,000 square meters downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reached out to this sole remaining store in Vietnam on Friday for more details on the bankruptcy application but its representative was not available for comments. The Parkson group set foot in Vietnam in 2005 and developed a premium shopping mall chain in the major cities of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Hai Phong before shutting most of them down. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Parkson Retail Asia Ltds (PRA) said its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary Parkson Vietnam Co. Ltd has filed a court application in Ho Chi Minh City for the commencement of voluntary bankruptcy proceedings starting Friday. The move will end the mall chains 18 years of operation in Vietnam as it is not commercially feasible to continue its business in the country, said Singapore-listed PRA, a 67.96-percent-owned subsidiary of Parkson Holdings Bhd. Parkson Vietnam has historically been operating at a loss, with such losses being compounded in recent years due to the challenging business environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the PRA statement. Its pre-tax loss stood at SGD2.3 million (US$1.72 million) last year against a pre-tax profit of SGD13.7 million ($10.25 million) in 2021 as its revenue plunged from SGD10.1 million ($7.55 million) to SGD2.4 million ($1.8 million) in the same period. The profit attained in 2021 was largely attributed to the closure of two stores and the exit from tenancies resulting in derecognition of lease liabilities, and recognition of income from subleasing assets. By the end of last year, Parkson Vietnam had a capital deficiency of SGD30.16 million ($22.55 million). The lack of support from Parkson Vietnams landlord, such as the negligible rental rebate or rental reduction, during the COVID-19 lockdown, and the high land tax when the operation of department stores retailers was restricted, adversely impacted its financials, the statement added. Therefore, the company has filed a bankruptcy application to the Peoples Court of Ho Chi Minh City and is awaiting its approval. PRA said the bankruptcy of its Vietnamese subsidiary is not expected to have a financial impact on the Parkson group. With its impending exit from Vietnam, PRA will continue to focus its operations in Malaysia where it is running 38 stores with a total retail space of 429,000 square meters, according to its 2022 annual report. In Vietnam, there is currently only one Parkson store, which covers 18,000 square meters downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reached out to this sole remaining store in Vietnam on Friday for more details on the bankruptcy application but its representative was not available for comments. The Parkson group set foot in Vietnam in 2005 and developed a premium shopping mall chain in the major cities of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Hai Phong before shutting most of them down. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Australia's oldest coal-fired power plant was shuttered Friday, as the country -- a once-notorious climate straggler -- prepares for a seismic shift towards renewable energy. The Liddell power station, a three-hour drive north of Sydney, was one in a series of ageing coal-fired plants slated to close in the coming years. Built in 1971, Liddell provided about 10 percent of the electricity used in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state. Liddell's owner AGL said it would take about two years to demolish the hulking facility, which would free up the site for new clean energy projects such as a hydrogen power plant. "More than 90 per cent of the materials in the power station will be recycled, including 70,000 tonnes of steel -- which is more steel than there is in the Sydney Harbour Bridge," the company said. For decades, coal has provided the bulk of Australia's electricity, but University of New South Wales renewable energy expert Mark Diesendorf told AFP that stations such as Liddell were fast becoming unreliable "clunkers". Besides being inefficient, highly polluting and expensive to repair, the continued widespread use of coal-fired power plants would make Australia's climate targets almost impossible to meet. Australia has long been one of the world's largest coal producers and exporters, and a series of governments have resisted pressure to scale back the industry. But the centre-left Labor Party elected last year on the promise of climate action has pledged that 82 percent of the country's electricity will come from renewable sources by 2030. This demands a drastic overhaul -- while world leaders such as Norway produce more than 90 percent of their power through renewables, Australia currently sits around 30 percent. "The plans are for a fairly rapid phase-out," Diesendorf told AFP. "These stations are overdue for retirement and there's no economic argument for replacing them with new coal." 'Right direction' Under growing public pressure to address the climate crisis, many Australian fossil fuel companies increasingly prefer to shutter old coal plants than keep them online. Australia's largest coal-fired power station, the Eraring facility in New South Wales, is scheduled to close in 2025 and a handful more will follow over the next decade. While these closures will test whether renewables are ready to fill the gap, a government report released Friday indicated Australia was heading in the right direction. The Australian Energy Market Operator found that record levels of renewable electricity -- mostly solar power -- were already driving down both emissions and household power prices. Drenched in sunshine and blessed with sparsely-populated windswept coasts, Australia has the natural ingredients to be a renewable energy superpower, climate finance expert Tim Buckley told AFP. "Every bloody week there's a new battery announced, or a new wind farm, or other major projects proceeding," he said. The tricky part, he added, would be figuring out how to store this energy and pump it across the vast distances between Australian towns and cities. "We are talking about projects that haven't been attempted in Australia for decades, where labour shortages are real and engineering problems are to be expected. "The chance of everything going smoothly between now and 2030 is close to zero." Even if it does go smoothly, Australia still faces enormous challenges in meeting its target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050. 'Terrible laggard' Over the past decade, an ideological brawl dubbed the "climate wars" has dominated Australian politics, repeatedly undermining attempts to reduce carbon emissions. Researchers in 2020 found that eight percent of Australians were in climate change denial, more than double the global average. And although Australia is planning to clean up its domestic energy market, the economy is still fuelled by exports of coal and gas. Dozens of new coal mines, oil fields and gas projects are in government planning pipelines. "In terms of still developing gas and coal mines for export, we are a terrible laggard," Diesendorf said. "It's a real contradiction." Australia's oldest coal-fired power plant was shuttered Friday, as the country -- a once-notorious climate straggler -- prepares for a seismic shift towards renewable energy. The Liddell power station, a three-hour drive north of Sydney, was one in a series of ageing coal-fired plants slated to close in the coming years. Built in 1971, Liddell provided about 10 percent of the electricity used in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state. Liddell's owner AGL said it would take about two years to demolish the hulking facility, which would free up the site for new clean energy projects such as a hydrogen power plant. "More than 90 per cent of the materials in the power station will be recycled, including 70,000 tonnes of steel -- which is more steel than there is in the Sydney Harbour Bridge," the company said. For decades, coal has provided the bulk of Australia's electricity, but University of New South Wales renewable energy expert Mark Diesendorf told AFP that stations such as Liddell were fast becoming unreliable "clunkers". Besides being inefficient, highly polluting and expensive to repair, the continued widespread use of coal-fired power plants would make Australia's climate targets almost impossible to meet. Australia has long been one of the world's largest coal producers and exporters, and a series of governments have resisted pressure to scale back the industry. But the centre-left Labor Party elected last year on the promise of climate action has pledged that 82 percent of the country's electricity will come from renewable sources by 2030. This demands a drastic overhaul -- while world leaders such as Norway produce more than 90 percent of their power through renewables, Australia currently sits around 30 percent. "The plans are for a fairly rapid phase-out," Diesendorf told AFP. "These stations are overdue for retirement and there's no economic argument for replacing them with new coal." 'Right direction' Under growing public pressure to address the climate crisis, many Australian fossil fuel companies increasingly prefer to shutter old coal plants than keep them online. Australia's largest coal-fired power station, the Eraring facility in New South Wales, is scheduled to close in 2025 and a handful more will follow over the next decade. While these closures will test whether renewables are ready to fill the gap, a government report released Friday indicated Australia was heading in the right direction. The Australian Energy Market Operator found that record levels of renewable electricity -- mostly solar power -- were already driving down both emissions and household power prices. Drenched in sunshine and blessed with sparsely-populated windswept coasts, Australia has the natural ingredients to be a renewable energy superpower, climate finance expert Tim Buckley told AFP. "Every bloody week there's a new battery announced, or a new wind farm, or other major projects proceeding," he said. The tricky part, he added, would be figuring out how to store this energy and pump it across the vast distances between Australian towns and cities. "We are talking about projects that haven't been attempted in Australia for decades, where labour shortages are real and engineering problems are to be expected. "The chance of everything going smoothly between now and 2030 is close to zero." Even if it does go smoothly, Australia still faces enormous challenges in meeting its target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050. 'Terrible laggard' Over the past decade, an ideological brawl dubbed the "climate wars" has dominated Australian politics, repeatedly undermining attempts to reduce carbon emissions. Researchers in 2020 found that eight percent of Australians were in climate change denial, more than double the global average. And although Australia is planning to clean up its domestic energy market, the economy is still fuelled by exports of coal and gas. Dozens of new coal mines, oil fields and gas projects are in government planning pipelines. "In terms of still developing gas and coal mines for export, we are a terrible laggard," Diesendorf said. "It's a real contradiction." BANGKOK -- Thai police have arrested a woman suspected of killing 13 people using pills laced with cyanide, saying they will widen a probe into a series of deaths that have gripped the nation. Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, 36, was charged with premeditated murder of one victim, while the other deaths were still under investigation, police said. She has denied wrongdoing. "This case is a premeditated murder," national police chief Damrongsak Kittipraphat said on Thursday, referring to a victim with whom Sararat had been travelling, whose family had raised suspicions with authorities. Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, a suspect in over a dozen murders, is escorted by police officers at a police station in Bangkok, Thailand, April 25, 2023. Daily News Handout via Reuters Families of other people who had died and had links to Sararat have also since come forward, suggesting those deaths were also suspicious, according to local media. Sararat was taken into custody on Wednesday, "We have evidence to link her to the (cyanide)," police colonel Anek Thaosuparp said separately, adding that she may have had access to the substance through a store run by her older sister. Police said those who had died were known to Sararat and her motive may have been financial, according to broadcaster ThaiPBS. They added one woman had survived Sararat's poisoning attempt and was now being questioned. BANGKOK -- Thai police have arrested a woman suspected of killing 13 people using pills laced with cyanide, saying they will widen a probe into a series of deaths that have gripped the nation. Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, 36, was charged with premeditated murder of one victim, while the other deaths were still under investigation, police said. She has denied wrongdoing. "This case is a premeditated murder," national police chief Damrongsak Kittipraphat said on Thursday, referring to a victim with whom Sararat had been travelling, whose family had raised suspicions with authorities. Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, a suspect in over a dozen murders, is escorted by police officers at a police station in Bangkok, Thailand, April 25, 2023. Daily News Handout via Reuters Families of other people who had died and had links to Sararat have also since come forward, suggesting those deaths were also suspicious, according to local media. Sararat was taken into custody on Wednesday, "We have evidence to link her to the (cyanide)," police colonel Anek Thaosuparp said separately, adding that she may have had access to the substance through a store run by her older sister. Police said those who had died were known to Sararat and her motive may have been financial, according to broadcaster ThaiPBS. They added one woman had survived Sararat's poisoning attempt and was now being questioned. Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel will pay an official visit to Vietnam from May 3 to 5 at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the visit on Friday, elaborating that Prime Minister Bettel is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Chinh, attend business forums of the two countries, and witness the signing of several cooperation agreements during the three-day trip. Bettel, who has expressed a fascination with Vietnamese culture and cuisine, will also visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature Imperial Academy), and the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum. The last time the two prime ministers met face-to-face was during Chinhs December 2022 visit to Luxembourg, during which the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce signed four memoranda of understanding to enhance bilateral relations. On this occasion, the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and the Vietnam Stock Exchange also signed a cooperation agreement to connect investment funds and help investors participate more in the Vietnamese stock market. Prime Minister Bettels visit took place on the occasion of the 50th founding anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Luxembourg on November 15, 1973. As of March 2023, Luxembourg has invested in 64 projects in Vietnam with a combined capital of US$2.6 billion, placing it in the third position among the 24 member states of the European Union and 17th among the 139 countries and territories that have made investments in the Southeast Asian nation. Luxembourgs projects focus on communications, construction, and real estate in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. In 2022, the total bilateral trade exchange reached $187.1 million, an increase of 69 percent compared to 2020. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel will pay an official visit to Vietnam from May 3 to 5 at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the visit on Friday, elaborating that Prime Minister Bettel is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Chinh, attend business forums of the two countries, and witness the signing of several cooperation agreements during the three-day trip. Bettel, who has expressed a fascination with Vietnamese culture and cuisine, will also visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature Imperial Academy), and the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum. The last time the two prime ministers met face-to-face was during Chinhs December 2022 visit to Luxembourg, during which the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce signed four memoranda of understanding to enhance bilateral relations. On this occasion, the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and the Vietnam Stock Exchange also signed a cooperation agreement to connect investment funds and help investors participate more in the Vietnamese stock market. Prime Minister Bettels visit took place on the occasion of the 50th founding anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Luxembourg on November 15, 1973. As of March 2023, Luxembourg has invested in 64 projects in Vietnam with a combined capital of US$2.6 billion, placing it in the third position among the 24 member states of the European Union and 17th among the 139 countries and territories that have made investments in the Southeast Asian nation. Luxembourgs projects focus on communications, construction, and real estate in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. In 2022, the total bilateral trade exchange reached $187.1 million, an increase of 69 percent compared to 2020. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong will lead a Vietnamese delegation to attend the coronation of King Charles III of the United Kingdom from next Thursday to Saturday. The attendance will be made at the invitation of the British royal family, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday. The head of the Vietnamese state also affirmed the information while receiving British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew on the same day. During the reception, State President Thuong applauded the ambassador for boosting the relations between Vietnam and the UK. He affirmed that King Charles III is a noble symbol of the UK and has actively supported the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership. The Vietnamese official also expressed his hope that his upcoming trip will strengthen the favorable political foundation for fostering the cooperation between the two countries. Ambassador Frew expressed his joy that Vietnamese State President Thuong will attend King Charles IIIs coronation, saying that the event is especially meaningful as the two countries celebrate 50 years of their diplomatic relations this year. He believed that the bilateral relations between the two sides will develop further in economy, trade, climate change, and education. The diplomat also suggested the two sides strengthen the cooperation in national defense and security. The ambassador also took the occasion to thank Vietnam for supporting the UK to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), saying that this is the UKs important move to more deeply access the Asia Pacific region and boost the collaboration with Vietnam in all sectors, especially increasing their two-way trade. British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew (L) expresses his hope to contribute to Vietnams socio-economic development, thereby boosting peace and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region. Photo: Vietnam News Agency Throwing his support behind Ambassador Frews proposals, State President Thuong expected the UK to continue helping Vietnam improve its medical capacity, develop the pharmaceutical sector and build a resilient healthcare system. He also suggested the two sides enhance the partnership in education. At present, the number of Vietnamese students studying in the UK is high. They will contribute to Vietnams renovation and socio-economic development when they return home, State President Thuong added. He also backed Frews suggestion to foster the cooperation in national defense and security to contribute to promoting peace and prosperity in the region and the world as a whole. In addition, the two sides should bolster all-level delegation exchanges to improve their mutual understanding and trust. The bilateral trade of Vietnam and the UK reached US$6.83 billion in 2022, up 3.4 percent over 2021. Of the total, Vietnam exported $6.06 billion worth of products to the European country, a year-on-year rise of 5.2 percent. As of November last year, the UK was among the 15 largest investors in Vietnam with 500 projects and total registered capital of $4.19 billion, up 5.3 percent over 2021. Some 13,000 Vietnamese students are studying in the UK, news site Vnexpress reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong will lead a Vietnamese delegation to attend the coronation of King Charles III of the United Kingdom from next Thursday to Saturday. The attendance will be made at the invitation of the British royal family, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday. The head of the Vietnamese state also affirmed the information while receiving British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew on the same day. During the reception, State President Thuong applauded the ambassador for boosting the relations between Vietnam and the UK. He affirmed that King Charles III is a noble symbol of the UK and has actively supported the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership. The Vietnamese official also expressed his hope that his upcoming trip will strengthen the favorable political foundation for fostering the cooperation between the two countries. Ambassador Frew expressed his joy that Vietnamese State President Thuong will attend King Charles IIIs coronation, saying that the event is especially meaningful as the two countries celebrate 50 years of their diplomatic relations this year. He believed that the bilateral relations between the two sides will develop further in economy, trade, climate change, and education. The diplomat also suggested the two sides strengthen the cooperation in national defense and security. The ambassador also took the occasion to thank Vietnam for supporting the UK to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), saying that this is the UKs important move to more deeply access the Asia Pacific region and boost the collaboration with Vietnam in all sectors, especially increasing their two-way trade. British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew (L) expresses his hope to contribute to Vietnams socio-economic development, thereby boosting peace and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region. Photo: Vietnam News Agency Throwing his support behind Ambassador Frews proposals, State President Thuong expected the UK to continue helping Vietnam improve its medical capacity, develop the pharmaceutical sector and build a resilient healthcare system. He also suggested the two sides enhance the partnership in education. At present, the number of Vietnamese students studying in the UK is high. They will contribute to Vietnams renovation and socio-economic development when they return home, State President Thuong added. He also backed Frews suggestion to foster the cooperation in national defense and security to contribute to promoting peace and prosperity in the region and the world as a whole. In addition, the two sides should bolster all-level delegation exchanges to improve their mutual understanding and trust. The bilateral trade of Vietnam and the UK reached US$6.83 billion in 2022, up 3.4 percent over 2021. Of the total, Vietnam exported $6.06 billion worth of products to the European country, a year-on-year rise of 5.2 percent. As of November last year, the UK was among the 15 largest investors in Vietnam with 500 projects and total registered capital of $4.19 billion, up 5.3 percent over 2021. Some 13,000 Vietnamese students are studying in the UK, news site Vnexpress reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Read what is in the new in Vietnam today: Politics -- Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong will lead a Vietnamese delegation to attend the coronation of King Charles III of the United Kingdom from May 4 to 6 at the invitation of the British royal family. -- Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel will pay an official visit to Vietnam from May 3 to 5 at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Society -- Firefighters used ladder trucks to rescue 19 people trapped in a fire at Nguyen Kim apartment building in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City and guided 150 others to safety on Friday night. -- Thousands of commuters congested roads connecting Ho Chi Minh City with the Mekong Delta on Friday, as they headed home for a five-day holiday break celebrating Hung Kings Commemoration Day, Reunification Day (April 30), and International Workers Day (May 1). Business -- International En Vang JSC signed a memorandum on the purchase and lease of VinFast electric cars with Green and Smart Mobility Joint Stock Company (GSM), a subsidiary of Vietnamese multi-sector conglomerate Vingroup, on Friday to launch an electric taxi service in northern Hai Phong City. Lifestyle -- Thousands of visitors attended the opening ceremony of the 2023 Mango Festival in Cao Lanh City of Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam on Friday evening. -- The Department of Tourism of Hanoi announced on Friday free service for all visitors taking the citys popular double-decker bus tour during the ongoing five-day holiday break. -- The Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2023 opened in central Thua Thien-Hue Province on Friday evening. -- The Southern Folk Cake Festival 2023 began in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on Friday evening. -- Relevant units announced on Friday that they completed displaying a giant sculpture gifted by Namyangju City in the northwest South Korean province of Gyeonggi in Hue City of Thua Thien-Hue. The statue was presented in 2019 in honor of the friendship and cooperation established between the two cities but it only arrived in the Vietnamese side recently. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Read what is in the new in Vietnam today: Politics -- Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong will lead a Vietnamese delegation to attend the coronation of King Charles III of the United Kingdom from May 4 to 6 at the invitation of the British royal family. -- Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel will pay an official visit to Vietnam from May 3 to 5 at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Society -- Firefighters used ladder trucks to rescue 19 people trapped in a fire at Nguyen Kim apartment building in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City and guided 150 others to safety on Friday night. -- Thousands of commuters congested roads connecting Ho Chi Minh City with the Mekong Delta on Friday, as they headed home for a five-day holiday break celebrating Hung Kings Commemoration Day, Reunification Day (April 30), and International Workers Day (May 1). Business -- International En Vang JSC signed a memorandum on the purchase and lease of VinFast electric cars with Green and Smart Mobility Joint Stock Company (GSM), a subsidiary of Vietnamese multi-sector conglomerate Vingroup, on Friday to launch an electric taxi service in northern Hai Phong City. Lifestyle -- Thousands of visitors attended the opening ceremony of the 2023 Mango Festival in Cao Lanh City of Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam on Friday evening. -- The Department of Tourism of Hanoi announced on Friday free service for all visitors taking the citys popular double-decker bus tour during the ongoing five-day holiday break. -- The Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2023 opened in central Thua Thien-Hue Province on Friday evening. -- The Southern Folk Cake Festival 2023 began in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on Friday evening. -- Relevant units announced on Friday that they completed displaying a giant sculpture gifted by Namyangju City in the northwest South Korean province of Gyeonggi in Hue City of Thua Thien-Hue. The statue was presented in 2019 in honor of the friendship and cooperation established between the two cities but it only arrived in the Vietnamese side recently. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Thousands of people from localities across Vietnams Mekong Delta region attended the opening ceremony of the 2023 Mango Festival in Cao Lanh City of Dong Thap Province on Friday evening. They crowded Van Mieu Park in Cao Lanh, where the festival will welcome visitors through Monday, offering an interesting sightseeing choice for the ongoing five-day holiday break celebrating Hung Kings Commemoration Day, Reunification Day (April 30), and International Workers Day (May 1). Officials kick-start the 2023 Mango Festival in Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap Province, Vietnam, April 28, 2023. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre The administration of Dong Thap has organized 18 activities before, during, and after the event, including a story-writing contest, a childrens drawing competition, a photography contest, an exhibition showcasing mango products and local specialties from Dong Thap, and familiarization trips to mango farming areas. The festival, which is taking place right at the time of the main mango harvest, also includes two seminars featuring discussions on measures to enhance the value and promote the sustainable growth of the provinces mango farming and tourism sectors. Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan speaks at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Mango Festival in Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap Province, Vietnam, April 28, 2023. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre Speaking at Fridays ceremony, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan attached great importance of cooperation among farmers, applications of technology, updates on market news, and hygienic production to the growth of the mango business in Dong Thap. Mango is among the six key agricultural staples produced in Dong Thap, with its total farming area exceeding 14,000 hectares. About 250 farming regions in the province got licenses to ship the fruit to China. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Thousands of people from localities across Vietnams Mekong Delta region attended the opening ceremony of the 2023 Mango Festival in Cao Lanh City of Dong Thap Province on Friday evening. They crowded Van Mieu Park in Cao Lanh, where the festival will welcome visitors through Monday, offering an interesting sightseeing choice for the ongoing five-day holiday break celebrating Hung Kings Commemoration Day, Reunification Day (April 30), and International Workers Day (May 1). Officials kick-start the 2023 Mango Festival in Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap Province, Vietnam, April 28, 2023. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre The administration of Dong Thap has organized 18 activities before, during, and after the event, including a story-writing contest, a childrens drawing competition, a photography contest, an exhibition showcasing mango products and local specialties from Dong Thap, and familiarization trips to mango farming areas. The festival, which is taking place right at the time of the main mango harvest, also includes two seminars featuring discussions on measures to enhance the value and promote the sustainable growth of the provinces mango farming and tourism sectors. Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan speaks at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Mango Festival in Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap Province, Vietnam, April 28, 2023. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre Speaking at Fridays ceremony, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan attached great importance of cooperation among farmers, applications of technology, updates on market news, and hygienic production to the growth of the mango business in Dong Thap. Mango is among the six key agricultural staples produced in Dong Thap, with its total farming area exceeding 14,000 hectares. About 250 farming regions in the province got licenses to ship the fruit to China. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! (Photo : PATRICK SEMANSKY/AFP via Getty Images) North Korea's Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong arrives for the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on February 9, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Patrick Semansky ( Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, has issued a warning that the recent US-South Korean deal will lead to a "more serious danger". The warning comes after the US agreed to deploy nuclear-armed submarines to South Korea and involve Seoul in its nuclear planning to counter nuclear threats from North Korea. In return, South Korea agreed not to develop its own nuclear weapons. Ms Kim holds a senior position in the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, and is reported to have influence on her brother. Referring to the agreement, she said that North Korea's nuclear deterrent "should be brought to further perfection" and warned that the move would "only result in making peace and security of North-East Asia and the world be exposed to more serious danger". Under the deal, the US will send a nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea for the first time in 40 years, along with other assets, including nuclear-capable bombers. The two sides will also develop a Nuclear Consultative Group to discuss planning issues. The US already has a treaty obligation to defend South Korea, and has previously pledged to use nuclear weapons if necessary. But some in South Korea have started to doubt that commitment and call for the country to pursue its own nuclear programme. The nuclear threat posed by North Korea has been a cause for concern for both South Korea and the US. Pyongyang is developing tactical nuclear weapons that can target South Korea and refining its long-range weapons that can reach the US mainland. President Biden hailed the deal, saying it would strengthen the allies' co-operation in deterring a North Korean attack. President Yoon also welcomed the agreement, describing it as an "unprecedented" commitment by the US to deter attacks and protect allies by using nuclear weapons. However, China has warned against "deliberately stirring up tensions, provoking confrontation and playing up threats". It is clear that the situation in North-East Asia remains tense and complicated, and the recent US-South Korean deal will have far-reaching implications for the region. @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A fire burns after clashes between Esperance supporters and riot police during the CAF Champions League quarter-final football match between Tunisia's Esperance Sportive de Tunis and Algeria's JS Kabylie at the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Rades on April 29, 2023. Clashes between police and spectators in Tunisia delayed a CAF Champions League quarter-final by 45 minutes on Saturday before local club Esperance survived a tense finish to march on. Esperance drew 1-1 with Algerian visitors JS Kabylie to advance 2-1 on aggregate to a semi-final showdown with Al Ahly of Egypt. Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane gave Esperance a 49th-minute lead and Adem Redjem levelled with five minutes of regular time remaining. Including added time, Kabylie had 12 minutes to score again and win overall on away goals, but failed to do so. After a goalless first half, video footage showed police firing tear gas into a section of the crowd occupied by supporters wearing the colours of Esperance. Pleas from several Esperance players to the crowd to stop throwing objects on the pitch were intially ignored at the national stadium in Rades on the outskirts of Tunis. Order was eventually restored, however, and the second half of the second leg kicked off 45 minutes behind schedule. Ahly, who have featured in five of the last six Champions League finals but won only two, drew 0-0 with Raja Casablanca in Morocco to qualify 2-0 on aggregate. Raja squandered a great chance to halve the overall deficit in first half added time when Yousri Bouzouk slammed a debatable penalty against the crossbar. Ahly midfielder Aliou Dieng appeared to touch the ball rather than Bouzouk in the box but, after reviewing the incident at the touchline VAR monitor, the Libyan referee pointed to the spot. The home team wasted another golden opportunity to take the lead on the night when their leading Champions League scorer, Hamza Khabba, failed to connect with a low cross on 75 minutes. After eliminating Raja at the last-eight stage for the second successive season, record 10-time African champions Ahly will face Esperance during May for a place in the final. - Raja face Sundowns - The other semi-final will feature one of the great modern-era Champions League rivalries with title-holders Wydad Casablanca of Morocco confronting Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa. Story continues Sundowns ended a run of three straight last-eight losses by coming from behind to complete a double over Chabab Belouizdad of Algeria with a 2-1 victory in Pretoria. This tie was effectively decided last weekend with two goals from Namibian Peter Shalulile helping Sundowns build a 4-1 first-leg lead in Algiers, and they advanced 6-2 on aggregate. Belouizdad are no strangers to quarter-finals heartache as this was the third season in row that their Champions League campaign ended in the first knockout stage. Needing to score at least four goals in South Africa to pull off a sensational recovery, they took the lead on 24 minutes when captain Sofiane Boucher nodded in a corner. Sundowns captain Themba Zwane was outstanding in midfield for the home team and he levelled in the final minute of the first half with a close-range shot after slick, short passes. Thapelo Morena was the second-leg match-winner, pushing a cross into the net at the far post four minutes into a second half that began in sunshine and ended in torrential rain. Wydad were the first club to qualify for the penultimate stage after edging Simba of Tanzania 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate draw on Friday. Trailing 1-0 after the first leg in Dar es Salaam, Wydad won the return match in Casablanca by the same score thanks to a 24th-minute goal from giant Senegalese Bouly Sambou. It was the eight consecutive appearance in the quarter-finals by the Moroccan club and only once did they fail to go further in the competition. dl/dj Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha celebrates after scoring against West Ham Crystal Palace effectively sealed their Premier League survival with a thrilling 4-3 win against West Ham that left their London rivals still in danger of relegation on Saturday. Roy Hodgson's side moved 11 points clear of the bottom three thanks to goals from Jordan Ayew, Wilfried Zaha, Jeff Schlupp and Eberechi Eze at Selhurst Park. Palace have won four of their six matches since Hodgson returned for a second spell at the club in place of the sacked Patrick Vieira. Tomas Soucek, Michail Antonio and Nayef Aguerd were on the scoresheet for West Ham. But a second successive defeat leaves David Moyes' men five points above the relegation zone with daunting fixtures against Manchester City and Manchester United looming next week. West Ham were in front after just nine minutes when Michael Olise headed his attempted clearance of Jarrod Bowen's corner straight to Soucek and the midfielder fired home from close-range. Olise made amends for his blunder as Palace equalised six minutes later. Cheick Doucoure found Olise and the forward's superb pass picked out Ghana forward Ayew, whose first-time finish beat Lukasz Fabianski at the near post. Zaha was back in the Palace starting line-up for the first time in four games since Hodgson's return as manager at the start of April. The Ivory Coast forward rewarded Hodgson's decision as he netted Palace's second goal in the 20th minute with a composed strike from another dangerous Olise cross. West Ham's porous defence was breached again after half an hour, with Soucek carelessly losing possession on the edge of the area to Schlupp, who accepted the gift with a simple finish under the exposed Fabianski. There was no end to the first half goal spree as Antonio reduced the deficit with a close-range header after Soucek flicked on a corner in the 36th minute. Eze restored Palace's two-goal advantage in the 66th minute, converting a controversial penalty awarded for Aguerd's tug on his arm. Story continues Aguerd got one back for the Hammers in the 73rd minute, helping Soucek's header into the net from virtually on the line, but it was too late to rescue a point. Later on Saturday, fourth bottom Nottingham Forest will look to climb further away from the relegation zone when they travel to Brentford. Brighton can improve their prospects of qualifying for Europe next season if they beat Wolves at the Amex Stadium. smg/lp England international Courtney Lawes has signed a new contract with Gallagher Premiership club Northampton. The 34-year-old forward has endured an injury-hit season, greatly limiting his opportunities for club and country. Lawes last played Test rugby during the 2022 summer tour to Australia, when he captained England. G.O.A.T behaviour We are delighted to confirm that Saints legend @Courtney_Lawes has signed a new contract with the Club https://t.co/dCDjcYXlUO pic.twitter.com/dQUbQnHrjt Northampton Saints (@SaintsRugby) April 29, 2023 Saints have not specified the length of deal, but it is understood to run until the end of next season. He will now prolong his stay at Franklins Gardens, having first featured for Northampton in 2007 and gone on to make 263 appearances, and it comes as another boost for the English game following Manu Tuilagi signing fresh terms with Sale. The club means a lot to me personally, and I wanted to stay here, Lawes said. I especially didnt want to leave at the end of a season where I have not played much, and I have not made as big a contribution as I would have wanted. Northampton rugby director Phil Dowson, pictured, has expressed his delight at Courtney Lawes new contract (David Davies/PA) It wouldnt have felt right to me to leave now, so I was really keen to continue at Saints for that reason, but also because its so important for us as a squad to continue to build on what weve done over the last few seasons. Lawes made his England debut 14 years ago and also toured twice with the British and Irish Lions to New Zealand in 2017 and South Africa four years later making five Test appearances. Northampton rugby director Phil Dowson added: Courtney is an incredible player one of the very best in the world, whether he is playing in the second-row or at flanker. Story continues His international experience with England and the Lions is almost unparalleled, but off the field he gives our group so much in terms of confidence and leadership. I am sure a lot of clubs over in France and Japan would have been keen to see Courtney turn out for them for the next few years. I know our supporters will be thrilled that he has decided to stay in Northampton and remain a one-club man, as hes one of the best to have ever worn the black, green and gold. The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting a search 500 miles off the coast of Hawaii for an Australian man who fell overboard on a cruise this week Ore Huiying/Bloomberg via Getty A search is underway for a passenger who fell overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship this week. The U.S. Coast Guard in Honolulu, Hawaii, was alerted by a Quantum of the Seas vessel that an Australian man had fallen off the ship around 11 p.m. local time on Tuesday, according to a news release. The ship departed from Australia over two weeks ago, and is expected to reach its destination, Honolulu, on Friday. The ship's crew searched for approximately two hours on Tuesday night and deployed six life rings, but the passenger was not located, per the release. A day later, Coast Guard crews began their search, with an aircrew searching the area which is roughly 500 miles south of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii for six hours, to no avail. According to the release, the crew resumed their search at "first light" on Thursday morning. Ore Huiying/Bloomberg via Getty Related:Over 300 Passengers and Crew Member Fall Sick on Ruby Princess Cruise Ship Australian news outlet Nine News reported that an announcement was made on the ship requesting that all passengers return to their rooms and account for all members of their party. Witnesses reportedly saw the Australian man fall from the top deck, 15 floors up. Georgina Thompson, a passenger on the cruise, told the outlet that there is a "somber" mood on board the ship as it continues on its way to Honolulu, while fellow passenger Susan Whittington added, "It's a shocking situation to be in." She also said that there was "quite a large swell" over the course of the night following the Australian man's fall, which she said made it "almost impossible" to search the water. A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs told Nine News it's ready to assist the man's family as needed. "The Australian Consulate-General in Honolulu is working closely with local authorities," the spokesperson said. Story continues 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. In a statement shared with the outlet, Royal Caribbean confirmed the reports. "While on its trans-pacific sailing, a guest onboard Quantum of the Seas went overboard," the statement said. "The ship's crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities. Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. (Photo : Still image taken from a video: Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev via Telegram) Smoke rises from an oil depot in Sevastopol, Crimea following an alleged drone attack. On April 29, a fuel storage facility in Sevastopol, a port city in Crimea, was set on fire by a drone strike. According to Mikhail Razvozhaev, the governor appointed by Moscow, the fire was caused by a single drone that was able to reach the oil reservoir, while another drone was shot down and its wreckage was found near the terminal. No one was injured in the incident. Andriy Yusov, a Ukrainian military intelligence official, said that more than 10 tanks of oil products, with a capacity of around 40,000 tonnes, intended for use by Russia's Black Sea Fleet were destroyed in the fire. He described the blast as "God's punishment" for a Russian strike on a Ukrainian city the previous day, but did not claim responsibility for the drone strike. Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed head of Crimea, said that air defence and electronic warfare forces had shot down two drones over the Crimean Peninsula on the same day. He added that there were no casualties or destruction. Since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, Sevastopol has been the target of repeated air attacks. Russian officials have blamed Ukraine for these attacks, but the Ukrainian armed forces denied any responsibility for the fuel storage facility fire. The incident came a day after Russia launched air strikes on cities across Ukraine, killing at least 25 people. One of the targets was a block of flats in the central Ukrainian city of Uman, where 23 people, including four children, were killed. Another attack in the city of Dnipro killed a woman and her three-year-old daughter. Kyiv was also targeted for the first time in 51 days, but there were no reports of casualties in the capital. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for international action against Russia in response to the attacks. He stated that "evil can be stopped by weapons... And it can be stopped by sanctions - global sanctions must be enhanced." Ukrainian forces have announced their readiness to launch a military offensive with new equipment supplied by Western allies. Russia has been struggling to make headway in a winter offensive, including a 10-month battle for control of the strategically important city of Bakhmut. The recent attacks are likely to escalate tensions between Ukraine and Russia, as well as trigger further international condemnation of Russia's actions. @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. HCM CITY More than 1,000 agricultural and specialty products from over 20 provinces and cities across the country are being exhibited at Gigamall in HCM Citys Thu uc city as part of the Regional Agricultural and Specialty Product Festival. The products meet quality standards accepted in the country such as VietGap, organic, HACCP and ISO, and also have High-quality Vietnamese goods certification or geographical indication, or are typical agricultural products under the national Once Commune One Product programme. Besides buying products at special prices, visitors to the festival can also listen to business stories shared by start-ups and other companies and co-operatives, experience traditional silk weaving by the ethnic Thai people, witness the process of making herbal soaps and natural essential oils, and learn how to make sweet soups, traditional cakes and special dishes from different regions. Organised from April 28 to May 2 by the Business Association of Vietnamese High Quality Products and Gigamall with the support of USAID's Improving Private Sector Competitiveness project, the event will also feature a music night to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the recognition of on ca tai tu (southern folk music) as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, a game show, and a panel discussion on green lifestyle healthy foods. Pham Nguyen Thai Huy, deputy general director of the Gigamall Vietnam Service Trading Investment JSC, said the programme aims to enable start-ups and traditional craft villages to show off their products to customers in the city. After the festival, the company will continue to maintain links with businesses and co-operatives to help display and sell their products at the supermarket, he said. The exhibition, to be held during the long Liberation Day and May Day holidays, is expected to attract large crowds. VNS HA NOI The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have launched the first official Yellow Pages for Digital Transformation Providers. This database aims to provide information and connect business communities with four groups of digital transformation solutions, including general industries, production, information management and infrastructure, and specific industries like healthcare, petroleum, and transportation. To compile the Yellow Pages, independent experts from the MPIs Agency of Enterprise Development (AED) and the USAID Linkages for Small and Medium Enterprises (LinkSME) have reviewed and classified suitable solutions, with support from 115 businesses providing solutions. They have also selected 40 outstanding businesses that have effectively implemented digital transformation processes, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to conduct a direct appraisal for each solution. The Yellow Pages aims to address the lack of information about existing digital transformation solutions that many enterprises face. According to the MPI's Annual Report on Digital Transformation of Enterprises in 2022, more than 40 per cent of surveyed enterprises reported a lack of information about existing digital transformation solutions. Deputy Minister Tran Duy ong highlighted that this is the first release of the Yellow Pages and that the MPI plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Information and Communications and related parties to update useful data for the business community annually. This database also acts as the foundation to cater to in-depth guidance and support from the State budget and other legal social resources for businesses. The Yellow Pages includes the best providers of transformation solutions like VNPT Vinaphone Corporation, Vinorsoft Technology JSC, and MISA JSC, which SMEs in Viet Nam can easily connect with. This is a sustainable approach that the MPI and USAID adopted to support SMEs in their digital transformation journey. VNS BA RIA-VUNG TAU The Con ao National Park off the coast of the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau received the ASEAN Heritage Park certificate at a ceremony held on April 28. The ceremony also celebrated the parks 30th founding anniversary (March 31, 1993 - 2023) The Con ao National Park covers more than 15,000ha, including over 6,000ha of land and 9,000ha of sea. It comprises 14 islands of Con Son Archipelago, located to the southeast of Viet Nam. With its rich biodiversity, the park was included by the World Bank among the top priority areas among global maritime reserves. In 2013, it was named the worlds 2203rd wetland of international importance by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Secretariat, making this park the 6th Ramsar site in Viet Nam and the first maritime site earning this title in the country. The park is harbouring and conserving hundreds of vascular plant species, many of which are listed in the Red Data Book. Meanwhile, the sea turtle conservation programme implemented here over the last 30 years has helped recover the population of the rare green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas). Nearly 2.5 million baby turtles have been released to the nature so far. Besides, the Con ao National Park was listed as an ASEAN Heritage Park thanks to not only its unique marine biodiversity but also rich historical and cultural values. At the ceremony, the park was also granted with a certificate of merit from the Prime Minister for its achievements in turtle conservation. VNS HA NOI - Walking Through a Songline an immersive light projecting installation hosted by the Australian Embassy in Viet Nam is open to the public at the Vietnamese Womens Museum in Ha Noi until May 21. This is the latest exhibition hosted by the Australian Embassy to introduce Australias unique and vibrant First Nations cultures to a Vietnamese audience. It is part of the programme to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Australia-Viet Nam diplomatic relations in 2023. Before coming to Ha Noi, the exhibition was organised in HCM City from March 31 to April 16 and was well received. The Australian Government is committed to advancing First Nations peoples and cultures in Australia and overseas. Walking Through a Songline is a touring version of the National Museum of Australias (NMA) internationally acclaimed exhibition Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters, bringing the culture and stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to a global audience. This exhibition follows the track of the Seven Sisters Dreaming across the Western and Central deserts of Australia as a male pursuer chases them. This Ancestral journey creates songlines, which can be understood as pathways of knowledge about the Indigenous cultural values and how to survive sustainably on this continent, as Australias First Nations peoples have for millennia. The stories that these songlines hold form the foundational history of Australia, as told by artists, custodians and traditional owners. Speaking at the event, Australias Ambassador to Viet Nam, Andrew Goledzinowski, said: One of the Australian Governments missions is telling the story of Australia to the world. This includes the knowledge and stories of Australias First Peoples. "By bringing Walking Through a Songline here, we are sharing these stories with our friends in Viet Nam. Im particularly pleased the exhibition is here as part of the celebration for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Viet Nam." Nguyen Thi Tuyet, Director of the Vietnamese Womens Museum, who is co-hosting the exhibition in Ha Noi, added: The exhibition offers a deep exploration into the cultural and historical stories of Australia through a unique digital display. This will be a great gift for the capital's public. An explanatory video featuring Margo Neale, Senior Indigenous Curator and Head of Indigenous Knowledge at the National Museum, can be viewed on the Australian Embassy Facebook page. The exhibition is free to enter and will be open to the public from 8am to 5pm every day till May 21 at the Vietnamese Womens Museum, 36 Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem District. VNS HUE Several traditional crafts in Hue and nationwide will be honoured during a festival dedicated to the trade. Themed The Quintessence of Vietnamese Crafts, the 2023 Hue Traditional Craft Festival started on Friday to preserve local centuries-old crafts, introducing and further promoting the image of the former imperial city. Taking place on main streets in the citys centre, including the pedestrian street Nguyen inh Chieu alongside the Huong (Perfume) River, the festival will display and present handicraft products of numerous villages across the province. Life-size models of nha ruong (wooden house with many beams and pillars), a type of traditional house built in Hue, have been set up at the event, creating a peaceful and poetic space that is in harmony with the picturesque landscape of Huong River. Artisans will gather at the event to present demonstrations of their crafts. The festival is expected to draw a large number of tourists, especially as it coincides with the five-day national holiday. According to the Chairman of Hue Peoples Committee Vo Le Nhat, after two years of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ninth season of the Festival of Hue Traditional Crafts this year has been organised on a larger scale and better quality, aiming to boost the provincial socio-economic growth, bringing traditional craft products closer to domestic and international markets. The festivals agenda will also feature a diversified art programme and recreation of popular folk festivals and royal rituals. Le Te To Bach Nghe (Worshipping Ritual for Craft Founders) and a procession to honour the crafts will be among the activities of the festival. Festival goers can enjoy several flavourful dishes made from noodles at a culinary programme entitled Tinh Hoa Nghe Bun (The Quintessence of Noodle Making Craft). Visitors can also enjoy an art cultural exchange programme between Hue and other sister cities in Viet Nam and other countries. The programme includes a parade featuring stilt walkers from Belgium, South Korean folk music and martial art performance, and a fashion show showcasing traditional Korean hanbok. Quintessence of crafts Hue Traditional Craft Festival has been presenting unique products created by talented craftsmen from traditional villages in Thua Thien-Hue Province and other localities across the country. To prepare for the craft festival, workshops in Thuy Xuan Village, famous for the incense stick making craft over the past 700 years, have created new products with creative packaging designs to meet all the requirements of the festival-goers. The villagers are happy to have a chance to introduce and promote their product which partly presents the cultural feature of the former imperial capital. Ho Ngoc Thu, the owner of uc Thanh Incense Workshop, said that at the festival, his craftsmen would demonstrate techniques in incense making as well as present how to sculpture agarwood and extract agarwood oil. He also said that the festival would be a good opportunity for craftsmen in Thuy Xuan Village and other traditional villages to introduce their handicraft products, contributing to the preservation and promotion of traditional crafts, at the same time to increase incomes and develop livelihoods for people. Three hundred and fifty artisans from 69 famous craft villages nationwide will gather at the Hue Festival to show off their skills. Especially, 37 foreign artisans from six sister cities in South Korea and Japan, where they established bonding relationships with Hue, will also participate in the event. During the festival, visitors will have a chance to learn about numerous traditional crafts such as brocade weaving, fine art carpenter, sculpture, inlaid and carving, silversmith, bamboo and rattan weaving, palm leaf conical hat making, ceramic, and folk painting. The 2023 Hue Traditional Craft Festival will last until May 5. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam is among four countries demonstrating gender parity in digital skills, according to a recent UNICEF analysis. The report entitled "Bridging the Digital Divide: Challenges and an Urgent Call for Action for Equitable Digital Skills Development" takes a close look at the gender digital divide among young people aged 15-24 by analysing available data on internet use, mobile phone ownership, and digital skills in mostly low-, lower-middle-, and some middle-income economies. Though more gender-disaggregated data is needed to better monitor, understand, and work towards digital inclusion, the report finds that girls are being left behind in an increasingly digital and connected world. While advancing access to the internet is important, it is insufficient for digital skills training. For example, in most countries analysed, the amount of young people with access to the internet at home is much higher than those with digital skills. Only in Viet Nam and Mongolia is gender parity observed in both foundational reading skills and digital skills, where gender parity is observed in the analysed age cohorts. This indicates that in these countries, both girls and boys aged seven to 14 are acquiring foundational reading skills at similar rates, and adolescent girls and boys, as well as young men and women aged 15-24, are acquiring basic digital skills at comparable rates. However, achieving gender parity does not necessarily imply that the skills are prevalent across the population. For instance, in Viet Nam, while 83 per cent of 7-14-year-olds have acquired foundational reading skills, only about 36 per cent of 15-24-year-olds have acquired basic digital skills. Although parity has been achieved, there is still a long way to go before all youth acquire the necessary skills for employment and higher earnings. Globally, girls are the least likely to have the opportunities to develop the skills needed for 21st-century learning and employment, according to the report. On average across 32 countries and territories, girls are 35 per cent less likely than their male peers to have digital skills, including simple activities like copying or pasting files or folders, sending emails, or transferring files. The root barriers are far deeper than a lack of access to the internet, according to the report. The findings suggest that educational and family environments play a critical role in the gender digital divide. For example, even within the same home, girls are far less likely than boys to access and be able to make full use of the internet and digital technologies. Barriers to accessing opportunities to higher learning and the labour market, pervasive discriminatory gender norms and stereotypes, and concerns over online safety may further restrict girls' digital inclusion and skills development. VNS BINH PHUOC The cultivation of keo mango in unfertile soil in Loc Thanh Commune in the southeastern province of Binh Phuoc has helped farmers have stable incomes. Located in Loc Ninh District, which borders Cambodia, the commune has unfertile soil and normally lacks fresh water in the dry season, but local farmers have found keo mango, a Cambodian mango variety, is suitable for growing here. Nguyen Thi Kim Chi, a local farmer, bought keo mango seedlings from Cambodia to grow in 2014 and they have developed well. In 2019, some other local farmers begun growing the fruit, then Chi and 20 other farmers established the Tan Loc Thanh Fruit Co-operative and planted the fruit on a total of 38ha. Nguyen Thanh Son, a co-operative member, has planted the mango on more than 1ha for four years and now has a harvest output of 6-7 tonnes a year. His mango trees are planted on dry and pebbled soil but they have yields higher than other plants which were grown previously, he said. The mango is less affected by disease, and local farmers grow it without using chemicals and do not need to irrigate it in the dry season. The mango begins to have fruit after 16-18 months of growing and has two harvests a year. Keo mangos weigh 250-400 grammes and are preferred by consumers as they can be eaten raw or ripe, have light sweet flesh and their prices are not expensive. It is sold at orchards at a price of VN6,000 - 8,000 per kilogramme. Nguyen Thanh An, who has a 1.5ha keo mango orchard in Thanh Phu Hamlet, said: Local people call keo mango 'poverty reduction' fruit as it is easy to grow, requires low production cost and has stable harvests. The profit of growing this mango is not higher than other fruits but it is a suitable tree for growing on the poor soil and harsh weather here, he said. Chi, acting manager of the co-operative and owner of 15ha of keo mango, said the fruit does not require much tending and grows well in the commune. Farmers do not use chemicals to grow it, she said. The co-operatives keo mangos are clean and safe for consumers, she said. The co-operative plans to invite more farmers to join it and expand the growing area to 50ha next year. It aims to make the co-operatives fruit recognised as a product of the countrys One Commune One Product programme. Nguyen Thi Bac, chairwoman of the Loc Thanh Commune Farmers Association, said the cultivation of keo mango in the commune meets the standards of OCOP products. The association will co-operate with competent agencies to assist the co-operative to develop the mango into an OCOP product, so it can expand and develop cultivation sustainably, she said. The commune has encouraged farmers to expand growing the fruit according to its zoning plan. VNS PHU THO State President Vo Van Thuong, central and local officials, along with thousands of people offered incense in commemoration of the Hung Kings, the legendary founders of Viet Nam, at the Hung Kings Temple in the northern province of Phu Tho on April 29 (the 10th day of the third lunar month). The ceremony was held at Kinh Thien Palace on Nghia Linh Mountain, part of the special national historical relic site of the Hung Kings Temple. Reading the eulogy, Chairman of the Phu Tho Peoples Committee Bui Van Quang expressed the Vietnamese peoples deep gratitude to the Hung Kings, who established Van Lang the first state in Viet Nams history, and other ancestors who defended the country. He also reported on the countrys enormous achievements in reforms, integration, and development. After that, Party and State leaders offered incense at the Tomb of Hung Kings and laid wreaths at a sculpted relief depicting then President Ho Chi Minh talking to officers and soldiers of the Tien Phong Division at the Gieng Temple on September 19, 1954, where he said: The Hung Kings established the country, we must together safeguard it. On this occasion, the provinces and cities housing temples dedicated to the Hung Kings and generals from the kings era also held ceremonies to commemorate the legendary founders of Viet Nam. Legend has it that Lac Long Quan (real name Sung Lam, son of Kinh Duong Vuong and Than Long Nu) married Au Co (the fairy daughter of e Lai). Au Co then gave birth to a pouch filled with 100 eggs, which hatched into a hundred sons. However, soon thereafter, Lac Long Quan separated. Lac Long Quan went to the coast with 50 of the children, while Au Co went to the highlands with the rest. Their eldest son was made king, who named the country Van Lang and set up the capital in Phong Chau (modern-day Viet Tri City in Phu Tho Province), beginning the 18 reigns of the Hung Kings. The kings chose Nghia Linh Mountain, the highest in the region, to perform rituals devoted to rice and sun deities to pray for bumper crops. To honour their great contributions, a complex of temples dedicated to them was built on Nghia Linh Mountain, and the 10th day of the third lunar month serves as the national commemorative anniversary for the kings. The worship of the Hung Kings, closely related to the ancestral worship traditions of most Vietnamese families, was recognised as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2012. VNS The ranking was conducted by Convert Group , which specializes in researching and synthesizing the digital market information of 989 online pharmacies and medical websites in 89 countries.According to the data of Convert Group, the average monthly visits to the website in 2022 were 5.7 million, with a year-on-year growth rate of over 298%. The second place is Apollo Pharmacy (India), and the third is Nahdi Online (Saudi Arabia).The ranking also shows the trend and importance of electronic pharmacies (online pharmacies) in the post-Covid era. Convert Group said that compared with the same period in 2021, the growth rate of online pharmacies in the Southeast Asia market was 49%, and the global growth rate was 8.1%.According to the representative of FPT Long Chau , thanks to the support of FPT Group, the unit quickly set the goal of digital transformation and online business. With this buffer, the brand has expanded its development scale by more than 1. 1,000 pharmacies in 63 provinces and cities. In addition, the unit has also formulated a multi-channel customer approach strategy to meet the Vietnamese demand for drugs and healthcare products.Convert Group is one of the leading ePharmacy data companies in the world. Bayer, GSK, J&J, L 'Oreal, Nestle, Perrigo, Pierre Fabre, Reckitt Benckiser, Roche, Unilever all have worked with Convert Group. These trademarks allow Convert Group to use its data and sales details in e-commerce channels.The ranking of the top ten growth EphemerMacies based on average monthly visits uses traffic data from 989 online pharmacies in 89 countries all over the world, through Similarweb, the world's leading digital market information source. (Photo : AFP via Getty Images) TOPSHOT - Sudanese security forces keep watch as they protect a military hospital and government offices during protests against a military coup overthrowing the transition to civilian rule on October 25, 2021 in the capital's twin city of Omdurman. - Sudan's top general declared a state of emergency and dissolved the authorities leading the country's democratic transition today, after soldiers detained civilian leaders in what the UN condemned as a "coup". Gunfire and heavy artillery fire have persisted in parts of Sudan's capital, Khartoum, despite the extension of a ceasefire between the country's two top generals, whose battle for power has killed hundreds and sent thousands fleeing for their lives. The civilian death toll has jumped to 411 people, according to the Sudan Doctors' Syndicate, which monitors casualties. The fighting has wounded another 2,023 civilians so far. The city of Genena, the provincial capital of war-ravaged West Darfur, has also seen intensified violence that has killed 89 people. Fighters have moved into homes and taken over stores and hospitals as they battle in the streets, the syndicate said. Khartoum, with its population of some five million people, has been transformed into a front line in the grinding conflict between Sudan's military leaders. Despite the extension of the ceasefire, the situation remains tense and volatile. The British government has evacuated its nationals from the country, with the final flight set to leave at 6pm UK time. The deadline for British nationals to reach the evacuation airfield in Sudan has passed, as the government prepares to cease flights out of the war-torn region within hours. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden chaired a Cobra meeting on Saturday afternoon to discuss the security situation in Khartoum in advance of the final flight. The conflict in Sudan has been ongoing for several years, and the latest surge in violence has once again highlighted the need for a lasting peace agreement. The international community has called for an immediate end to the violence, and the United Nations has condemned the attacks on civilians and called on all parties to respect the ceasefire. What is the cause of the ongoing conflict? The recent conflict in Sudan, which has resulted in a rising death toll and the displacement of thousands, is believed to have been sparked by a power struggle between two main factions of the military regime. The Sudanese armed forces are primarily loyal to Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is the country's de facto ruler, while the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a collection of militias, follow the former warlord Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is also known as Hemedti. The roots of this power struggle can be traced back to the years before the 2019 uprising that led to the ousting of the former dictator Omar al-Bashir. During his reign, al-Bashir built up formidable security forces that he deliberately set against one another. When efforts to transition to a democratic civilian-led government faltered after al-Bashir's fall, an eventual showdown appeared inevitable, with diplomats in Khartoum warning in early 2022 that they feared such an outbreak of violence. In the weeks leading up to the recent clashes, tensions had been rising further. Despite an extension of the ceasefire, heavy gunfire and artillery fire have persisted in Khartoum, resulting in the deaths of 411 civilians and the displacement of thousands. The situation in Sudan remains tense, with many calling for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict. @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Vinamilk's six strategic partners include: DSM Nutrition Group (Switzerland), CHR Hansen Bioscience Group (Denmark), Beneo Nutrition Group (Germany), Gnosis Biotechnology Group (Italy). ), AAK Vegetable Oil Production and Distribution Corporation (Sweden) and Kanematsu Food Corporation (Japan). This is the first time that these six groups have been present in Vietnam together with Vinamilk, applying nutritional science achievements into infant milk powdered product lines that qualified the international standards and close to the gold standard of breast milk. Vinamilk hopes to bring new nutritional solutions to Vietnamese children by adding the micronutrients in breast milk which raises the quality of milk to international standards, approaching the gold standard of breast milk. "The companionship of major partners in the world is a very important factor to help Vinamilk progress faster on the journey to achieve the goal of bringing more value to consumers, bringing quality and safe products for children", said Ms. Mai Kieu Lien, General Director of Vinamilk. Mr. Francois Scheffler, Chairman of DSM Group in Asia - Pacific, said that he accompanied Vietnamese partners because he saw Vinamilk's efforts and enthusiasm for developing the products in order to meet the international quality standards. Also at the event, the American non-profit organization Clean Label Project (CLP) announced that Vinamilk is the first company that owns the baby formula brand in Asia to win the Purity Award in which purity, safety and transparency of food, especially for children is considered. These are the awarded brands: Optimum Gold, YokoGold, ColosGold, Pedia Kenji, Dielac Grow Plus, Dielac Alpha, and Dielac Alpha Gold. To be granted this award, products must undergo testing for more than 400 criteria related to heavy metals, microplastics, and other harmful chemicals in the product. On the rankings of many international market research companies, Vinamilk is currently in the Top 40 largest dairy companies in the world, the 6th largest dairy brand in the world and the most potential in the world in 2022. With a system of 15 dairy cow farms, 17 domestic and foreign factories and 250,000 branches across Vietnam, Vinamilk is leading the dairy market in key categories such as milk, condensed milk. The company is also the leading manufacturer in terms of the amount of the infant formula in Vietnam (according to the report of AC Nielsen Vietnam in 2021), with a diverse product portfolio to please many customers and different nutritional needs. Powdered milk is also rated as the largest export volume of the company recently. Source: VnExpress Experts attended the seminar. (Photo: VGP) Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Van Toan, Vice Chairman of the Association of Foreign Investment Enterprises, said that although Vietnam has made a lot of commitments to green growth, sustainability, and emission reduction, in coordination with organizations and NGOs on cooperation to build a circular economy; joining many agreements, treaties and collaboration and the latest is the strategy to reduce emissions to 0% by 2050. However, there is still a considerable gap from policy to practice.Along with that, although FDI has a green development model, according to the cumulative summary report from before 2021, the high technology rate of FDI enterprises is still low: only 5% use high technology, 15% of enterprises use outdated technology, and 80% of enterprises use medium technology. Sharing at the seminar "FDI Enterprises in Vietnam's green growth" on April 27, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Foreign Investment Department (Ministry of Planning and Investment), assessed the contribution of The business community, including FDI enterprises, which is very large.Read more: $8.8 billion of FDI into Vietnam in the first four months According to Mr. Tuan, FDI enterprises have helped to change production, consumption, and business behavior, contributing to the realization of green growth goals."About 9 billion USD has been invested in green growth and development by the corporate sector, including FDI and domestic businesses, in areas like renewable energy or purchasing green economy-related equipment. This figure accounts for about 2% of GDP; the average growth during the past two years is quite high, from 10-13%. This is one of the good signals", Mr. Tuan said.Also read: FDI flow bounces back "Since we try to attract foreign investment at all costs, even without paying much attention to the environment, it is a progressive index. Attracting foreign investment requires capital and solves labor only needs to export. But gladly, many businesses such as Lego, Nestle, and many others entering Vietnam,... have been interested in high technology.The Ministry of Planning and Investment currently does not have specific data, but I believe that that index has changed a lot in the last 3-4 years," added Mr. Toan.Read more: Making growth greener Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh, Vice Chairman of VCCI, Chairman of the Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD), noted the Government's commitments to reduce net emissions and the plans and roadmaps approved by the Government. As outlined, businesses, associations and industries must change their investment methods and strategies."The same goes for FDI enterprises, they have to change how they use technology and the formula to create surplus value instead of old machines and technology that have to use new ones. If Vietnam does not commit to green growth, sets high standards, and strives for 0% emissions by 2050, businesses will rush to buy outdated technology," Vinh said.Also read: HDBank and Proparco Reserve $50 Million to Develop Green Projects in Vietnam According to Mr. Vinh, the big challenge for green and sustainable growth is green financial resources and people. If Vietnam wants to mobilize foreign countries to participate in this process, it must have a strategy and regulations to meet green investment."It is time for the business community to review past plans, particularly green growth plans, and reposition their values, emphasizing not just the function of businesses but also how they add value", Mr. Vinh emphasized. Two-way trade between Viet Nam and Argentina has increased strongly to US$4.88 billion in 2022, making Argentina the fifth largest trade partner of Viet Nam in the Latin American region and Viet Nam the sixth biggest trade partner of Argentina globally. National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue attended the Viet Nam-Argentina business forum in Buenos Aires on April 25 (local time), as part of his official visit to the Latin American country. NA Vice Chairman Tran Quang Phuong said that Argentina is one of the leading suppliers of corn and animal feed to Viet Nam. Regarding investment, Argentina currently has five projects in Viet Nam, ranking 122 among the 140 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian nation. NA Vice Chairman Phuong said that Viet Nam is ready to work with other countries, including Argentina, to seek measures to recover the global trade and supply chain. He expressed his hope Argentina, as a member of the Mercosur, will serve as a gateway for Vietnamese goods to enter the South American market. Meanwhile, Viet Nam will serve as a bridge connecting Argentina and the ASEAN as well as the Asia-Pacific region. Viet Nam expects to increase the export of high-quality goods of its strength meeting the needs of the Argentine market such as textile products, leather and footwear, agricultural and aquatic products, wood and furniture, and construction materials. He said both countries should resume negotiations for a free trade agreement between Viet Nam and the Mercosur, which is expected to help create a breakthrough in improving the competitive advantages for businesses of both sides in penetrating each other's market. Secretary for International Economic Relations under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina Cecilia Todesca Bocco spoke highly of the supplementary nature of the Argentine and Vietnamese economies. She added that there are abundant opportunities for the two sides to promote collaboration, underlining the need for them to strengthen cooperation among ministries, sectors and localities. Argentina, as the Chair of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), will continue to strengthen exchanges with Viet Nam, said Cecilia Todesca Bocco./. Source: Government News HCMC SCHOTT AG, a Mainz-based glass manufacturer, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance on anti-counterfeiting cooperation and intellectual property (IP) protection in Vietnam. The German company will provide Vietnamese officials with technical support in combating fake and IP infringing products, particularly through technical workshops and training sessions. The partnership is set to protect local consumers unaware of buying low-quality and non-genuine products. Tran Huu Linh, director general of the Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance, said the partnership between the agency and major brand owners, including SCHOTT AG, would help crack down on unscrupulous vendors selling fake products. This is a significant step in strengthening the Vietnam-Germany cooperation and the two countries could jointly create a fair and transparent market that is mutually beneficial, according to Simon Kreye, a representative from the German Embassy in Hanoi. SCHOTT AG is committed to working closely with local authorities to combat fake products, as well as addressing health and safety risks that may harm Vietnamese consumers. HCMC Parkson Vietnam has filed for voluntary bankruptcy proceedings to the HCMC Peoples Court on April 28 after years of losses in the Vietnamese market. The decision came after its 18 years of operating in Vietnam with an initial eight shopping malls, later narrowed down to the single Parkson Saigontourist Plaza, its last remaining outlet in Vietnam, on Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1, HCMC. According to the board of directors of Parkson Vietnam, the companys business performance has got worse due to the sluggish market since the pandemic outbreak. Additionally, the company received inadequate support from its landowner, who did not offer them a price cut on the lease during the shutdown induced by Covid lockdowns. Parksons executive chairman William Cheng voiced concerns over its business prospects in Vietnam, stating that it no longer seemed financially viable. Therefore, the decision to apply for bankruptcy is reasonable to maintain the groups interests. Currently, all business partners at the outlet will continue to operate as usual until the relevant Vietnamese authorities issue a final decision. HCMC The Ministry of Finance has reiterated its rejection of a proposal to reduce 50% of the registration fee for local car manufacturers. The ministry wrote to the prime minister on April 28, stating that domestically manufactured and assembled cars should not be entitled to a 50% registration fee cut as proposed by some localities. According to the Ministry of Finance, a 50% registration fee cut for local car manufacturers might lead to a rise in the number of cars to be sold and revenue of value-added tax and special consumption tax. However, only eight localities where local car manufacturers are headquartered collect value-added tax and special consumption tax. But the car registration fee cut will affect budget revenue of all cities and provinces. Additionally, the policy will violate Vietnams international commitments. The ministry proposed considering two options in case the prime minister approves the registration fee cut. First, a 50% registration fee cut is applied to domestically manufactured and assembled cars. This policy will boost consumption and support local car manufacturers but reduce budget revenue by around VND9,000 billion if the policy is valid in six months, and violate the countrys international commitments. Second, the registration fee cut is applied to both local car manufacturers and auto importers. Besides stimulating demand, this option will ensure compliance with international commitments to which Vietnam is a signatory, said the ministry, adding that this will affect the local budget revenue. In early March, industry associations and localities proposed that the Government allow for an excise tax payment extension and a 50% registration fee reduction for domestically made and assembled cars. After that, auto importers made the same proposal for their products. Several days ago, the Ministry of Industry and Trade threw its weight behind a proposal for a 50% registration fee cut on domestically manufactured and assembled cars by the end of this year. The Ministry of Finance also proposed the prime minister extend excise tax payments for locally made cars for the tax period from June to September. Thus, the deadline for excise tax payments will be on November 20. CORINTH, Miss. (AP) Natural gas is flowing again in a Mississippi pipeline after a towering blaze Friday that officials believe was caused by a lightning strike. The pipeline's owner, TC Energy Corp. of Calgary, Alberta, said Saturday that it had completed operational adjustments. The Canadian company notified its customers through an electronic system that it was lifting the force majeure it had declared on Friday. The contract term allows the pipeline to curtail deliveries because of forces outside the owners control. Tina Faraca, president of TC Energys U.S. Natural Gas unit, told investors on a conference call Friday that the blaze caused very minimal impact to facilities. Alcorn County Emergency Management Director Ricky Gibens told local news outlets that firefighters were called to the compressor station of the Columbia Gulf Transmission Pipeline northeast of Corinth around 1 a.m. Friday. He said it appears that lightning sheared off a piece of pipe and set the natural gas ablaze. Firefighters and workers with TC Energy closed valves, which Gibens said may have prevented an explosion. The fire burned for more than four hours until firefighters could put it out. Nearby resident Philip Trest told WTVA-TV that the flames glowed over treetops and sounded like a jet engine. No one was injured. The compressor station helps push natural gas through the Columbia Gulf Transmission Pipeline, which runs between Kentucky and Louisiana. The pipeline carries natural gas from southern Appalachia to liquefied natural gas terminals in Louisiana, where it's frozen into a liquid and loaded onto giant ships for export. Waco houses of worship and medical facilities pursued sizable building permits in recent weeks, according to the local Associated General Contractors of America office. Ascension Providence, 6901 Medical Parkway, secured a permit valued at $250,000 for equipment installation. Nearby, Waco Oral Surgery and Dental Implants, 7030 New Sanger Avenue, will spend $620,700 on interior renovations. Waco Life United Pentecostal Church received a $150,000 permit for alterations to a building at 1527 Washington Ave.; St. Jerome Catholic Church, 9820 Chapel Road, will spend about $750,000 on a one-story brick-veneer rectory. Elsewhere, Soma Intimates, which sells lingerie and loungewear, will spend $415,000 to finish out tenant space in Central Texas Marketplace. Lovesac, a furniture retailer specializing in sectionals, secured a $125,000 permit for space on Creekview Drive in Cottonwood Creek Market. Waco issued a permit for first-floor renovations to the Michaelis Academic Center at McLennan Community College, though no cost estimate appeared in the Associated General Contractors newsletter. Baylor University estimated it will spend $5,000 to place a door between two labs in the Baylor Sciences Building at 101 Bagby Ave. D.C. fly-in The Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce again will sponsor a Washington, D.C., fly-in, giving locals an opportunity to meet national leaders and to advocate for policies beneficial to our businesses, community and state, according to a press release. The trip is scheduled June 12-14, and will feature sessions with Texas elected officials in the U.S. House and Senate, tailored briefings, updates on pending legislation, and an opportunity to personally speak with lawmakers and federal agency administrators. Registration at wacochamber.com closes May 24. Mobile home appraisals McLennan County Chief Appraiser Joe Don Bobbitt had an interesting story to tell about property appraisals now arriving countywide. Most people will notice a 10% increase in their appraised values, meaning they may pay more in property taxes if taxing entities cities, the county and school districts leave their tax rates unchanged. The state, of course, examines appraisals, looking for trends that may not pass the smell test. Bobbitt said the state recently took issue with the values Bobbitt and his team had placed on mobile homes. He said he was told that demand and prices are rising as more people face being priced out of the conventional housing market, turning instead to mobile homes. He said during his chat with the state, he was told local appraisals are running about half what they should be on mobile homes. He said a 10-year-old double-wide mobile home sitting on an acre of land should be appraised at between $200,000 and $300,000. Dont say you werent warned. Business-friendly recognitions Texas has been named Best State for Business by Chief Executive Magazine for the 19th straight year. Gov. Greg Abbott ballyhooed the honor in a press release, saying, Texas is attractive to CEOs and their businesses because we offer the freedom and opportunity that cannot be found elsewhere: no state income tax; a stable, predictable regulatory structure; and a young, educated, and growing workforce ready to take on the jobs of tomorrow. The magazine surveys CEOs on business climate, workforce and quality of life. The press release says Texas has topped the list every year it has been assembled. In a related note, Texas recently won its 11th consecutive Governors Cup from Site Selection magazine, signifying it attracted the most business relocation and expansion projects in the nation last year. Premier ER buy Premier ER, with locations in Woodway, Temple, San Marcos and Waco, has been taken over by Intuitive Health, a Plano-based company whose motto is Right Care. Right Price. Right Now, according to its website. It has locations across the country, though concentrated in the South and Southwest. Premiers dual model of ER and Urgent Care facilities will continue to offer excellent care and a commitment to local medical services, Intuitive CEO Thom Herrmann said in a press release. Intuitive is dedicated to prioritizing patients needs through transparency, quality, and affordability, and this partnership will help build on our promise to provide the best accessible and convenient outpatient services. Waco real estate agent Randy Reid said the deal involved his creation of TX Med Real Estate LLC, which bought the real estate and leased it back to Intuitive Health, which now owns the business. Reid manages the LLC. Developer David Mercer, the one-term incumbent in the Woodway City Council Ward 1 Place 1 seat, is facing a challenge in the May 6 election from Dave Keyston, a semi-retired publisher of religious books. Mercer, who has lived in the city for 12 years and served on the council since 2020, owns a general contracting business and has two area developments underway. Keyston moved to the city in 2019 and formerly made his living as an author and publisher of books related to the teachings and doctrines of the Christian Science Church since the mid-1980s, and more recently publishing books aimed toward an increasingly secular audience. Keyston said he moved to Woodway in 2019 from Oregon so his wife could be an hours drive away from her daughter, rather than two time zones away. His online publishing business continues to offer Christian Science Church-related texts, including several he wrote himself over the decades since the mid-1980s, and also books aimed at a somewhat more secular audience. Keyston said he has studied a number of Christian and Jewish sects as well as some religions outside of the Abrahamic ones, but he prefers Christian Science. I started an online Christian Science congregation here for two reasons, Keyston said. One, there isnt another Christian Science Church between Dallas and Austin. The other reason relates to exemptions from medical laws granted to members of the church, he said. The churchs adherents generally avoid conventional medical treatment, instead relying on prayer-based treatments. When people were at risk of losing their jobs over COVID vaccines, I wanted to give those whose beliefs align with Christian Science the legal protection membership in our church could offer, Keyston said. Keyston said he is among the Woodway residents concerned about a development progressing in the citys escarpment zone. The reports from the geotechnical engineers say the streets could buckle a few years from now, Keyston said. I dont want the Woodway taxpayers to be on the hook for extensive and expensive rebuilding there. He said one of the main reasons he is running for council is to provide a voice more concerned about voters than developers. The city council should not be afraid to disapprove a development request, Keyston said. I will listen to the residents and take their concerns seriously and be their voice on the council. Mercer Mercer said he moved to Woodway in 2011, when his wife was pregnant with their first child, and has lived there ever since. Before 2011, Mercer grew up in Robinson and attended Texas State Technical College and McLennan Community College before completing his bachelors degree at Baylor University. He owns Merck General Contracting and the Route 77 food truck park on La Salle Avenue. He also has two ongoing developments. One of his developments is in Woodway, a residential subdivision off Old McGregor Road called Tanglewood Estates, and the other involves an extension of Gateway Boulevard from Bagby Avenue to Interstate 35. Developers of multi-family housing have bought land in the 216-acre area, and industrial uses also are planned. Mercer also recently sold some land to the Waco Housing Authority, whose board he briefly served on early last year. I was appointed to that board in February 2022 and resigned in April that year, Mercer said Thursday. By the time I completed training and my term actually started, I only attended one meeting. He said negotiations on the deal for selling land he owned to the housing authority started several months after he had left the board, in September 2022. That whole deal was worked out between the real estate brokers on both sides, Mercer said. Mercer also said he obtained all the permits for his Tanglewood subdivision in Woodway before his election to the city council. I completed the approvals for Tanglewood in August 2019 as a citizen, and filed to run for city council in January 2020, Mercer said. Like other candidates, he said there are two hot button issues in his town: the pending housing development in the escarpment zone and a recent law the council passed banning short-term rental housing in most of the city. Mercer said he has neither a business interest nor a financial interest in the pending residential development, Starlight Estates. The developer for the project is Western Star Ranch LLC. Mercer said he is familiar with the project because of his role on the city council. There are citizens who have concerns about streets that would be built in Western Star Ranch Starlight Estates, Mercer said. Their concerns are legitimate and we take them seriously on the city council. He said the city hired two geotechnical engineering firms to review the plan the developer submitted under the citys escarpment zone ordinance. These two firms said problems with buckling streets as well as with utilities run underground could develop due to shifting soils, Mercer said. He also said the two firms explained methods of construction that could be employed to prevent the problems. As long as the builders follow the methods the geotechnical engineers recommended and comply with the other laws and regulations, Im fine with it, Mercer said. Mercer said the short-term rental ban is not a complete ban. The city council said short-term rentals should be in commercial zoned areas, Mercer said. Mercer said his goals for a second term include continued improvement of the Woodway Family Center, where the city is in the process of building a new facility, and streamlining the citys approval process for development. Improvements to the Family Center he would like to see might include launching activities for retirees and senior citizens during school hours, and then having activities for youth and families with children after school. The streamlining of development would mean the city council debating and adopting an update to the citys comprehensive plan, creating an overlay district for the Highway 84 corridor, and updating zoning laws. This wont take approvals out of the hands of the city council, Mercer said. It will allow landowners and developers to know exactly what can be done on their property by right of ownership, and what they have seek permits for. Voting Early voting started Monday in the May 6 city and school elections and will continue through Tuesday at the McLennan County Elections Office, 214 N. Fourth St.; Waco Multi-Purpose Community Center, 1020 Elm Ave.; West Waco Library, 5301 Bosque Blvd.; and Hewitt City Hall, 200 Patriot Court. Early voting hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. Through the first five days of early voting, 1,157 people cast an early ballot in-person in the elections the county is conducting for 15 entities, and another 127 mail-in ballots have been submitted in those elections. CRETE Dr. Bruce M. Garver of Omaha will present Czech-Americans in Nebraska at the Crete Public Library Community Room, 1515 Forest Avenue, on Sunday, May 7 at 2 p.m. The program, sponsored by Humanities Nebraska (HN) and Crete Friends of the Library, is free and open to the public. Nebraskans of Czech descent will be particularly interested in this lecture that will cover the family life of new Czech-Americans and also aspects of intellectual and cultural life. Principle public institutions established by Czech-Americans, both religious and freethinking, such as Sokol, will be discussed. This program is part of the librarys 2023 Speakers Series. Garver, professor emeritus at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, earned his Ph.D. in history from Yale University and began teaching at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1976. He also taught Czech and immigrant history at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln between 1982 and 1990. Garver was a professor for Doane Universitys long-running Czech Studies Elderhostel where he taught the Politics and Immigration class. He has published extensively on Czech, Slovak and Austrian history, and on Czech immigrants in the United States. Czech-Americans in Nebraska is one of approximately 300 programs offered through the Humanities Nebraska. More information on Humanities Nebraska can be found at www.humanitiesnebraska.org (Speakers section), 402-474-2131, or e-mail info@humanitiesnebraska.org. Russia is staying on the International Space Station, after all. Russian space officials have recently announced that Roscosmos will support "continued operations" on the ISS past its intended date to leave the ISS for a few more years, at least. Russia previously mentioned it intends to leave the ISS to launch and operate its own space station after 2024. Russia's Plans For The ISS NASA mentioned in its recent statement that Russia has confirmed it will support continued operations on the ISS through 2028, though it didn't say anything about the country's reason why it decided to stay. You may remember that Russia previously announced it had decided to withdraw from the ISS after 2024 to focus on putting up its own space station, during the middle of Moscow and the West's tension due to the conflict in Ukraine. In an earlier report, Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov said that Russia would be ending its work on the ISS due to the various sanctions placed on it following the conflict in Ukraine, saying that normal relations between Russia and the West are only possible through "the complete and unconditional lifting of illegal sanctions." Russia isn't the only country signing on to continue operations on the ISS. Japan, Canada, and the participating countries of the European Space Agency (ESA) have also confirmed their continued support of ISS operations through 2030. Read More: Bipartisan Senate Bill Aims to Implement Age Limits for Social Media The US has also announced its support of continued operations at the ISS through 2030. Robyn Gatens, director of the International Space Station Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said that extending its time aboard the ISS allows the US to "reap the benefits of more than two decades of experiments and technology demonstrations," and to continue materializing even greater discovery to come. The move to continue supporting operations past 2030 is surprising for NASA and the other countries who wish to do the same. The space agency is planning on retiring or decommissioning the ISS by 2030 by commanding it to crash into the Pacific Ocean's spacecraft cemetery, letting it burn up in Earth's atmosphere and crashing it in the process. ISS History The ISS is the love child between NASA, Roscosmos, the ESA, the Canadian Space Agency, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Due to this collaboration, the ISS is not owned by one single nation, per the European Space Agency (ESA). A total of 19 countries have visited the ISS, which resulted in a total of 244 individuals visiting it as of April 2021, according to Space.com. However, NASA and Roscosmos were the first to collaborate to establish the foundation of what would become the ISS. According to the ISS National Laboratory, Russia linked two Soyuz vehicles in space to create the first rudimentary station in 1969, while the US linked their separate space station plans and merged the resulting spacecraft to Russia's in 1993 to form a single facility in 1998, per the Encyclopedia Britannica. Related Article: Russia to Leave the International Space Station After 2024 LINCOLN The Nebraska Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) met for their annual State Leadership Conference April 2-4 in the Lincoln Haymarket area. Nearly 1,100 students and advisers from 90 Nebraska schools attended the conference to grow their leadership skills, celebrate their accomplishments from the past year, and prepare for their future careers. Melvin Adams was the keynote speaker for the event. His message focused on resilience and never letting ones circumstances prevent them achieving their dreams. Throughout the day on Monday, April 3, participants had the opportunity to attend four career panels where they heard from professionals in each of the FCCLA Career Pathways: Education and Training, Hospitality and Tourism, Human Services, and Visual Arts and Design. The UNL Engler Entrepreneurship Program also hosted an Entrepreneurship panel with their alumni and students. Nebraska CommonGround also hosted a Consumer Fair where attendees could hear directly from farm women in Nebraska and learn more about where their food comes from. The Opportunity Fair featured 30 colleges, organizations, and businesses for members to connect with. Students also had the opportunity to give back to the Lincoln community through the FCCLA Serves projects. Over 125 students participated in service projects at the Lincoln Childrens Zoo, Lincoln Childrens Museum and Food Bank of Lincoln. Members also had the opportunity to choose from a variety tour options such as Hudl, Lied Center, Temple Building, and Memorial Stadium. The on-site service project included bringing items to donate to the Food Bank of Lincoln, which serves Lincoln and 16 surrounding counties. Howells-Dodge was the recipient of the Community Service traveling trophy for their participation in the on-site service project along with the SPOT service project hosted in conjunction with the Peer Education Conference in February. 570 students participated in STAR (Students Taking Action with Recognition) Events, FCCLAs premier competitive event program. Students placing first and second in their respective event level qualified to compete in the FCCLA National STAR Event Competition which will take place during the National Leadership Conference in Denver, Colorado, July 2-6. STAR Events have three levels of participation: Level 1 grades 6-8 Level 2 grades 9-10 Level 3 grades 11-12 FCCLA is a useful and dynamic national career and technical student organization that aids young men and women in their journey to become leaders and teaches them lifelong skills. It demonstrates the importance of understanding how to address important career, community, family, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education. Nebraska FCCLA has over 2,800 members in 100 chapters across the state. For more information about FCCLA, please visit www.nebraskafccla.org. Nebraska FCCLA is supported through the Nebraska Center for Student Leadership and Expanded at the Nebraska Department of Education. Nebraska FCCLA presented the Adviser Committed to Excellence (ACE) Award to Jonella Wonka, Bishop Neumann. Adviser Years of Service Recognition Award went to Mollie Kriz of Wahoo, 15 years. New Chapter Advisers include Megan Dworak of Mead. Bishop Neumann earned a Bronze in the Community ServUS Awards and a Silver Chapter award for region membership increase. A Day in Your Future participants included Lainey Sommerfeld, Bishop Neumann Cosmetologist and Lydia Schwede, Bishop Neumann Real Estate Agent. Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Knowledge Tests were offered at the Junior (grades 7-9) and Senior (grades 10-12) levels. Students completed the tests virtually prior to the State. Junior knowledge test winners include Allen Wachal, of East Butler, Junior FCCLA Knowledge Test, third place. Zoey Patocka of East Butler, Junior Nutrition Knowledge Test, second place. Jason Bongers, East Butler Junior Personal Finance Knowledge Test, second place. Dylan Klement, East Butler Junior Personal Finance Knowledge Test, third place. Meagan Janak, East Butler Senior Child Development and Parenting Knowledge Test, second place. Senior knowledge test winners Reese Kozisek, East Butler Senior Nutrition Knowledge Test, first place. Faye Belew, East Butler Senior Nutrition Knowledge Test, second place. The American Airpower Museums Brass Band has scheduled two concerts of popular American music in the coming weeks. The first event is set to take place between 7:00pm and 9:00pm on Wednesday, May 17th, 2023 in the museums main hangar (Hangar 3) at 1230 New Highway in Farmingdale, New York. The band will play a selection of traditional Americana, Pop, and show tunes. While the concert is free and open to the public, any donations will be much appreciated! Neither pre-registration nor tickets will be required. Refreshments will be available, and raffle tickets will also be on sale, with the prize being a Cockpit USA leather flight jacket. Be sure to bring your lawn chairs for outside hangar seating if the weather allows! The glamorous Big Band-era will return to Farmingdale on Saturday, June 17th, 2023, with the American Airpower Museums first ever Keep Em Flying Hangar Dance! Attendees will delight in the exuberant, heart-pumping rhythms of Big Band melodies from the 1940s, along with more contemporary dance tunes, all while surrounded by iconic World War II-era aircraft! The festivities will run from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. in Hangar 3. Tickets for this event are $25 per person. As with the previous event, refreshments will be available, and raffle tickets will also be on sale, with the prize being a Cockpit USA leather flight jacket. For tickets, please call (631) 293-6398 or visit the AAM Gift Shop on Wednesdays through Sundays, 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Alternatively, tickets will be available online via the museums website. {wbn_ads_google_one] As a nonprofit educational foundation, AAM relies on the loyalty of its fans, guests and visitors for their support of these fundraising events. Please support AAMs mission to honor veterans and preserve military aviation history, by helping maintain their iconic aircraft and Keep Em Flying. The museum expects the June 17th Keep Em Flying Hangar Dance to sell out quickly, so please purchase your tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. The museum also looks forward to seeing you at their FREE May 17th concert of course so dont miss out on eiether Brass Band spectacular! The American Airpower Museum (AAM) is an aviation museum located on the landmarked former site of Republic Aviation at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York. The Museum maintains a collection of aviation artifacts and an array of aircraft spanning the many years of the aircraft factorys history. The AAM is a 501 (c) (3) Nonprofit Educational Foundation Chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. ANKENY The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Arbor Day Foundation recently presented awards to cities, colleges and utilities including some in the Cedar Valley that demonstrate dedication to the importance of trees. Cedar Falls, Clarksville, Denver, Dysart, Gladbrook, Hudson, Oelwein, Waterloo and Waverly were among 74 communities named Tree City USA during an April 12 luncheon at the FFA Enrichment Center. The city of Waterloo said in a news release that this is the 39th year in a row it has been recognized. To receive the award, a city must, at a minimum, have either a city forester or an active city tree board; have a tree ordinance; spend at least $2 per capita annually for its community forestry program; and have a tree planting and maintenance plan. Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo was honored with the Tree Campus USA Award, one of seven winners in the state. A news release from the college said to receive the award a campus must, at a minimum, have a campus Tree Advisory Committee; a tree care plan; a tree program with dedicated annual expenditures; an annual Arbor Day observance; and a service learning project to engage the student body. Dysart, Oelwein and Waverly were also honored with the Tree City USA Growth Award for providing education and public relations, partnerships, and planning and management related to tree care. Alliant Energy, MidAmerican Energy and Waverly Utilities received the Tree Line USA Award. Some tree planting will be occurring throughout Waterloo in the coming days. Waterloo Leisure Services will be distributing 240 trees purchased through the Plant Waterloo program on Thursday. This program is possible due to a generous grant from the Young Family Foundation. The department will also be involved with tree planting Friday with Highland Neighborhood Association volunteers, Green Iowa AmeriCorps service members and city crews. Nineteen trees will be replanted along University Avenue that died and were out of warranty with a grant received from MidAmerican Energy. Photo: Crash, fire Highway 218, April 28, 2023 042823jr-crash-218-3 042823jr-crash-218-2 042823jr-crash-218-1 CEDAR FALLS Oksana Grybovych Hafermann was recently named chief of staff to the University of Northern Iowa president. She has served as an interim for the position during the past seven months. In addition, she will continue to serve as a governmental liaison for UNI at local and federal levels. Before serving in the role on an interim basis, Grybovych Hafermann held progressively responsible roles in UNIs College of Education, according to a news release. Most recently she was an associate dean for academic affairs. In this position, which Grybovych Hafermann held for two years, she provided support for academic programs and strategic initiatives at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and collaborated with counterparts across campus. She helped the College of Education through general education revisions and assisted with recruitment and retention efforts. Her leadership was evident through her presence on numerous committees and advisory boards. Throughout her career, Grybovych Hafermann has proven her ability to establish and develop industry and community partnerships, which are crucial to the chief of staff position. She has spent years leading UNI faculty and advocating for the interests of the university at various levels. As a UNI faculty member of 15 years, she has taught close to 30 unique courses in both graduate and undergraduate programs. Oksana possesses a deep understanding of the UNI community through her service as a faculty member, department head and associate dean on our campus, said President Mark Nook in the release. She is engaged in the greater Cedar Valley community as a member of the Cedar Falls Planning and Zoning Commission, in addition to previously serving on other boards such as the Experience Waterloo organization. Her experience will be invaluable in her work with students, employees, the board and federal officials. I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to work alongside President Nook to advance the mission of the university, said Grybovych Hafermann. She holds a doctorate of education from the University of Northern Iowa, a masters degree in leisure and environments from Wageningen University in the Netherlands and a bachelors degree in economics and management from the Institute of Economics and Law in Ukraine. Photos: Remembering Harry Belafonte, 1927-2023 1955: Harry Belafonte with Ed Sullivan 1956: Harry Belafonte 1957: Harry Belafonte receives Brotherhood Award 1957: Harry Belafonte 1957: Harry Belafonte marries Julie Robinson 1957: Harry Belafonte and Nat "King" Cole 1957: Harry Belafonte 1958: Harry Belafonte speaks at Lincoln Memorial 1958: Belafontes in Italy 1958: Harry Belafonte and former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt 1960: Harry Belafonte protests lunch counter segregation 1960: Harry Belafonte on Broadway 1960: Harry Belafonte 1960: Harry Belafonte becomes first Black man to win Emmy 1961: Harry Belafonte and family 1964: Harry Belafonte visits Guinea 1965: Harry Belafonte with Martin Luther King Jr. and James Foreman 1966: Harry Belafonte performs at civil rights benefit 1968: Harry Belafonte, Coretta Scott King 1968: Harry Belafonte and Coretta Scott King 1968: Harry Belafonte sits in for Johnny Carson on "Tonight Show" 1979: Harry Belafonte wins "Golden Lion" award 1981: Harry Belafonte 1984: Harry Belafonte co-produces "Beat Street" 1986: Harry Belafonte and Ken Kragen win AMA award 1986: Harry Belafonte and Bishop Desmond Tutu 1987: Harry Belafonte and UNICEF 1988: Harry Belafonte with Pope John Paul II 1989: Harry Belafonte receives Kennedy Center Honors 1994: Harry Belafonte receives Medal of the Arts from President Bill Clinton 1999: Harry Belafonte and Nelson Mandela 2001: Harry Belafonte 2005: Harry Belafonte speaks during Nelson Mandela visit 2005: Harry Belafonte with then Sen. Barack Obama and John Lewis 2006: Harry Belafonte receives BET humanitarian award 2006: Harry Belafonte accepts BET humanitarian award 2010: Harry Belafonte, Willie Mays and Billie Jean King win MLB Beacon awards 2011: Harry Belafonte and Hill Harper 2012: Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier 2013: Harry Belafonte receives Spingarn award from Sidney Poitier 2014: Harry Belafonte gets honorary doctorate from Berklee 2017: Harry Belafonte WATERLOO Bringing attention to high turnover and staffing shortages in the mail system, local postal workers briefly demonstrated in downtown Friday. More than a score of U.S. Postal Service employees, members of American Postal Workers Union, joined in a nationwide call to address staffing shortages they said are leading to a dangerous and hostile work environment. We need help. People arent getting trained, and its causing service problems. We have a lot of delayed mail, said Debby Szeredy, executive vice president of APWU. When you are short staffed, the work environment gets a little more hostile at times. We need staffing to move the mail, and we also need staffing in the facilities, said Arrion Brown, national support services director for the APWU. Szeredy said many of the issues began about two years ago with plans to consolidate operations at regional mail centers. She said the concept results in carriers adding two to four more hours to their routes. We are again fighting that issue. They started to consolidate, and that just screwed the whole system up, and that really hurt us as workers because we have pride in serving our customers and our communities, she said. Ideally, she added, the union would like to see postal operations dialed back to the 2012 service standards. That is when we had our best times, Szeredy said. According to union officials: An audit report from the USPS Office of Inspector General on turnover in non-career, new hire, workforce released this month found a turnover rate of 58.9% in 2022, an increase from 38.5% in 2019. The two main reasons for turnover cited in the OIG report were a lack of respect from supervisors and too many hours on the job. USPSs own data show a 12.5% decrease in the number of retail counter clerks who staff post office retail counters and distribute mail to letter carriers. The figure fell from 79,182 in 2006 to 69,298 in 2023. While mail volume has decreased in that timeframe, package volume has surged from 1.2 billion in 2006 to 7.2 billion at the end of 2022. Wait times for customers have increased since 2018, according to a recently released study by the Postal Regulatory Commission. The PRC report also singled out sorting facilities that handle both mail and packages as the site of staffing challenges. At the same time, the USPS is delivering mail and packages to more locations, a 12.8% increase in delivery points from 2006. Today the USPS delivers to 164.9 million sites, an increase of 18.7 million from 2006. The Postal Service has tried to address staffing problems by creating more career track positions, but there has been little gain in real numbers. Photos: Postal workers demonstration, April 28, 2023 042823jr-postal-demonstration-5 042823jr-postal-demonstration-4 042823jr-postal-demonstration-3 042823jr-postal-demonstration-2 042823jr-postal-demonstration-1 WASHINGTON "We thought we could die." The Russian invasion had just begun when Nancy Pelosi made a surprise visit to Ukraine, the House speaker then the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to lead a congressional delegation to Kyiv. Pelosi and the lawmakers were ushered under the cloak of secrecy into the capital city, an undisclosed passage that even to this day she will not divulge. "It was very, it was dangerous," Pelosi told The Associated Press before Sunday's one-year anniversary of that trip. "We never feared about it, but we thought we could die because we're visiting a serious, serious war zone," Pelosi said. "We had great protection but, nonetheless, a war theater of war." Pelosi's visit was as unusual as it was historic, opening a fresh diplomatic channel between the U.S. and Ukraine that deepened with the prolonged war. In the year since, a long list of congressional leaders, senators and chairs of powerful committees, both Democrats and Republicans, followed her lead, punctuated by President Joe Biden's own visit this year. The steady stream of arrivals in Kyiv served to amplify a political and military partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine for the world to see, one that will be tested anew when Congress is again expected this year to help fund the war to defeat Russia. "We must win. We must bring this to a positive conclusion for the people of Ukraine and for our country," Pelosi said. "There is a fight in the world now between democracy and autocracy, its manifestation at the time is in Ukraine," she said. With a new Republican majority in the House whose Trump-aligned members balked at overseas investments, Democrat Pelosi remains confident Congress will continue backing Ukraine as part of a broader U.S. commitment to democracy abroad in the face of authoritarian aggression. "Support for Ukraine has been bipartisan and bicameral, in both houses of Congress by both parties, and the American people support democracy in Ukraine," Pelosi told AP. "I believe that we will continue to support as long as we need to support democracy as long as it takes to win." Now the speaker emerita, an honorary title bestowed by Democrats, Pelosi is circumspect about her role as a U.S. emissary abroad. Having visited 87 countries during her time in office, many as the trailblazing first woman to be the House speaker, she set a new standard for pointing the gavel outward as she focused attention on the world beyond U.S. shores. In her office at the Capitol, Pelosi shared many of the honors and mementos she received, including the honorary passport she was given on her trip to Ukraine, among her final stops as speaker. A new generation of House leaders may or may not choose to emulate Pelosi. She said it's up to the new leaders what they will do on the global stage. "Other speakers have understood our national security we take an oath to protect and defend and so we have to reach out with our values and our strength to make sure that happens," she said. When Pelosi arrived in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stood outside to meet the U.S. officials, a photo that ricocheted around the world a show of support for the young democracy fighting Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion. "The courage of the president in greeting us on the street rather than us just meeting him in his office was yet again another symbol of the courage of the people of Ukraine," she said. Pelosi told Zelenskyy in a video released at the time "your fight is a fight for everyone." A year on, with no end to the war in sight, Pelosi said: "I would have hoped that it would have been over by now." Pelosi's travel abroad has not been without political challenges and controversy. During the Trump era she acted as an alternative emissary overseas, reassuring allies that the U.S. remained a partner despite the Republican president's "America First" neo-isolationist approach to foreign policy. Last year, in one of her final trips as speaker, Pelosi touched down with a delegation in Taipei, crowds lining the streets to cheer her arrival, a visit with the Taiwanese president that drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing, which counts the island as its own. "Cowardly," she said about the military exercises China launched in the aftermath of her trip. Pelosi offered rare praise for new Speaker Kevin McCarthy's meeting with Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library this month, particularly its bipartisan nature and the choice of venue. "That was really quite a message and quite an optic to be there. And so I salute what he did," she said. In one of her closing acts as House speaker in December, Pelosi hosted Zelenskyy for a joint address to Congress. The visit evoked the one made by Winston Churchill, the prime minister of Britain, in 1941 to speak to Congress of a "long and hard war" at the start of World War II. Zelenskyy presented to Congress a Ukrainian flag signed by front-line troops that Pelosi said will eventually be displayed at the U.S. Capitol. The world has changed much since Pelosi joined Congress one of her first trips abroad was in 1991, when she dared to unfurl a pro-democracy banner in Beijing's Tiananmen Square shortly after the student demonstrations that ended in massacre. Russia and China remain at the front of her mind. The role of Putin in terms of Russia that is a bigger threat than it was when I came to Congress, she said. Despite the work she and others in Congress have done to point out concerns over Chinas military and economic rise, and its human rights record, she said, that has only gotten worse. Photos: The scene in Taiwan upon Pelosi's visit DES MOINES The competition between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis is intensifying as the former president is scheduling a return trip to Iowa on the same day that the Florida governor was already going to be in the state that will kick off the Republican contest for the White House. A Trump campaign official said Saturday that the former president plans to be in Iowa on May 13 to headline an organizing rally at a sprawling park in downtown Des Moines. Thats when DeSantis was already slated to headline Iowa Rep. Randy Feenstras annual summer fundraiser in northwest Iowa and speak at a party fundraiser later that evening in Cedar Rapids. The Trump campaign official, who requested anonymity to discuss the trip before it was announced, said the Des Moines organizing rally has been in the planning stage for weeks and is aimed at identifying caucus supporters and volunteers. The move is a sign of the escalating competition between the two men who, at least for now, are leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination. Trump and his allies have become increasingly emboldened in their efforts to attack and marginalize DeSantis, who is expected to announce his White House bid sometime after the Florida Legislature wraps up its work in the coming week. But Trumps trip is also notable for its emphasis on the type of ground-level organizing that is vital in Iowa politics and was often missing during his 2016 campaign, when Texas Sen. Ted Cruz overtook him and won the states GOP caucuses. Trump has been almost singularly focused on swinging at DeSantis, whom he has attacked for policy positions on entitlement reform, his loyalty to conservative causes, even his character. While DeSantis has largely ignored Trumps jabs, a pro-DeSantis super political action committee, Never Back Down, began to respond in paid ads this month. Meanwhile, the super PAC promoting DeSantis is hiring Iowa staff to begin organizing support for the governor before he enters the race. The stakes for both men are particularly high in Iowa, where the caucuses in February offer opportunities for them to cement their status atop the GOP. A poor performance, however, would give an opening for other Republicans to mount an upstart campaign. Trumps 2016 Iowa campaign was a seat-of-the-pants operation disparately managed by campaign newcomers who, including the candidate, had little idea what the caucuses are. The roughly 1,700 precinct-level Republican political meetings, vestiges of prairie civic life, include a presidential preference question but require in-person participation on a typically frigid winter evening. Eight years ago, Trumps Iowa team had left contact information for roughly 10,000 Iowans interested in supporting him unprocessed before the caucuses, where Trump had led in lead-up polls, but fell short against Cruzs more organized campaign. Armed with not just refined 2016 caucus data but information collected during two national campaigns, Trumps advisers says they are building a data and digital engagement strategy they say would put him in position to win the caucuses. Its an expectation Iowa GOP strategists say is an absolute must for the former president, who carried Iowa comfortably in the 2016 and 2020 general elections. Meantime Never Back Down, run by DeSantis 2022 Florida re-election campaign senior strategist, Phil Cox, has named Iowa Republican operatives to its roster as it seeks to tap into interested GOP activists as the Iowa 2024 campaign gets underway. Among them are Ryan Koopmans, the former chief of staff to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. The group has been airing TV advertisements in Iowa and other early-voting states, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, for weeks, and plans to launch a new one Monday. Photos: Donald Trump through the years Talking politics With Melania 'How to Get Rich' On the course At Doral Sarazen Cup With Serena USS Iowa Debating Jeb Bush Las Vegas debate In Biloxi Campaign rally Winning South Carolina She's with him Signing autographs Another debate Waving to supporters In Arizona The Trump family At the convention The nominee The ticket Showing her support In Mexico Debating Clinton Casting his vote Election Night In the Oval Office Mitt Romney The inauguration Thumbs up Taking the oath Waving goodbye Armed Forces Ball James Comey Trump to lay out his agenda to Congress Thanking school children Medal of Honor recipients Justice Anthony Kennedy swears in Neil Gorsuch Easter Egg Roll Super Bowl champs Little Sisters of the Poor Russian foreign minister, ambassador At the Western Wall Meeting the pope Wreath-laying ceremony in Arlington National champs Congressional shooting At the White House Congressional Picnic Go, Cubs, go Departing the White House USS Gerald R. Ford joins the Navy The eclipse 9/11 anniversary Trump addresses world leaders at U.N. General Assembly Las Vegas shooting Trump visits Puerto Rico Trump meets Kissinger With Trudeau Medal of Honor Happy Halloween National Christmas Tree Lighting Celebrating GOP tax plan March for Life State of the Union School shootings State dinner With Olympians Greeting a guest Freed Americans Historic summit With Kim Kardashian West In Washington Trump North Carolina Debating Joe Biden Election Night 2020 Jan. 6 Leaving the White House Authorities are looking to arrest two men accused of stealing guns and other items during a pair of La Crosse County burglaries. Nehemiah J. Sample, 25, Trempealeau, was charged two felony counts of burglary while armed and four counts of theft of movable property. Robert E. Benson, 18, La Crosse, was charged with one felony count of burglary while armed and three counts of theft of movable property. The criminal complaint was filed Friday in La Crosse County Circuit Court. According to the complaint, Sample burglarized a storage unit in Onalaska on Jan. 30 and stole $15,000 worth of items, including three firearms, four boxes of ammunition, tools and Pokeman cards valued at $9,200. Police conducted a March 31 interview with an acquaintance of Sample. She told police that Sample had talked about robbing one of his friends before leaving her residence dressed in dark clothing Jan. 30. She said Sample returned with at least three guns and several boxes of ammunition and that he was covered in metal shavings and dust. On April 25, police were called shortly before 3 a.m. to The Smoking Gun, a firearms store in Rockland, after one of the stores owners responded to a security alert. Security footage provided to police reportedly showed three unauthorized people enter the building and take firearms from the stores displays. The owners reported missing 30 to 40 handguns, four long rifles and two envelopes containing $740 and raffle tickets. The complaint says two of the suspects had their faces covered while inside the store. Police were able to identify the third suspect, who hadnt been charged as of Friday. The complaint says the suspect agreed to talk to police. The suspect identified Sample and Benson as the other two people inside the store. He told police that he was forced into the burglary. The suspect said entry was gained by prying open a door. He said most of the stolen firearms were taken to a storage unit in Onalaska but that he was given three of the stolen handguns. He told police he hid the firearms inside his residence in La Crosse. He consented for police to search his residence and recover the firearms. The suspect told police the stolen weapons were taken to a storage unit in La Crosse. Police obtained a warrant to search the storage unit and a Quincy Street address in Onalaska frequented by Sample and Benson. The complaint says police recovered one firearm belonging to The Smoking Gun at the residence and found a price tag consistent with the stores price marking inside the storage unit. While staking out the Quincy Street address, police observed a vehicle operated by Sample and conducted a traffic stop. The complaint says Sample refused to exit the vehicle before speeding away. Police chased the vehicle briefly but terminated it for safety reasons. A short time later, police located the vehicle abandoned at the intersection of Sixth and Winnebago streets in La Crosse. The complaint says two more firearms belonging to The Smoking Gun were found in the back seat. Winona police found no threats and classes have resumed following a disturbance and lockdown Friday morning at on the Minnesota State College Southeast campus in Winona. A little after 9 a.m., police were called about a disturbance between a male and a female with the caller saying they thought they heard someone say help and someone else say something with the word shoot. Police cleared the building, looked at surveillance footage, and spoke with several people. Police said they did not locate any threats and determined the scene to be safe. As a precaution, police notified the Winona Middle School of the situation. Being less than a mile away, the school entered into a soft lockdown in which teachers locked their doors and continued instruction. All schools have resumed normal classes. This morning, a lockdown was issued for the Winona Campus only because of a potential security threat, Minnesota State College Southeast said in a statement Friday. Law enforcement along with Winona State University Security came to campus and checked the building. An all-clear was issued shortly thereafter. The college said law enforcement is investigating issue. Foreigners inject new life into China's traditional villages Xinhua) 11:25, April 29, 2023 BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Ian Hamlinton, a 52-year-old architect from South Africa, has lived in a traditional village in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for 14 years. "It was love at first sight," said Hamlinton, describing his feelings toward the ancient dwellings in Jiuxian Village in Yangshuo County when he first came to China 20 years ago. Jiuxian, with a history dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is categorized as a traditional village, also known as ancient village. Such villages often have a long history and boast abundant cultural and natural resources. Hamlinton rented six ancient dwellings in the village from 2010 to 2012 on a 20-year lease in order to protect and renovate them. He repaired the courtyard walls that had fallen into disrepair for many years, and preserved almost every piece of furniture in the house to faithfully restore traditional architectural features with modern craftsmanship. The renovated ancient dwelling became a homestay in 2011, and it also serves as a good example for ancient dwelling preservation. In 2012, Jiuxian was included in the state protection list for traditional villages, and tourists from around the world came to visit the village. Nationwide, China has so far inscribed a total of 8,155 traditional villages to its state protection list in an effort to conserve the country's millennia-old agricultural civilization. Under this initiative, China has built the world's largest agricultural heritage protection network, according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. "More and more people are recognizing the value of old dwellings, and these dwellings are the real spirit of traditional villages," said Hamlinton. American Brian Linden is also a fan of China's traditional villages. The 60-year-old and his family chose to settle down in Xizhou Town of southwest China's Yunnan Province over a decade ago. With the support of the local government, he renovated a historical building covering an area of 1,800 square meters and situated between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake in Dali. His goal was to create a center for cultural exchange. The architecture boasts the rectangular layout of traditional style of Bai minority courtyards, with the screen wall facing the entrance and a grand reflecting wall decorated with conventional paintings and the other three sides used as living quarters. To retain the original appearance of the building, he invited over 100 locals to join his team, all of whom were "experts in characteristics and structures of old houses". It took Linden's team about four years to establish the first Linden Center. Linden purposely does not equip his guest rooms with some modern amenities such as televisions, glass curtain walls and bathtubs, instead, he decorated the hotel with a traditional style. He currently has seven similar sites throughout rural China The Linden Center serves as a cultural exchange platform. Linden invited American high school students to spend semesters in Xizhou Town studying local traditions. The students wrote papers on their local discoveries. "China has already become the place where I feel most at home. I hope to make contributions to culture exchange between China and western countries, to help show world the cultural richness of this incredible country," said Linden. For 38-year-old British expat Edward Gawne, his life was changed by an ancient Hui-style dwelling in east China's Jiangxi Province. Situated in Wuyuan County, the historical dwelling has been renovated by Gawne and his Chinese wife into a contemporary teahouse and guesthouse that immerses travelers from all over the world in local culture. The couple moved in the then ramshackle building eight years ago after quitting their jobs in Shanghai, aiming to care for the woodwork and stonework that retained Chinese cultural identity. Gawne replicated ancient methods to repair the building to make sure that the Hui style is on full display. While replacing decayed beams, he added modern designs to tackle issues such as poor lighting and instable framework that are common in old residential constructions. Two years of renovation have breathed new life into the building, as well as the couple. Their guesthouse business started two years ago, and their two children were born and bred here. Guests would frequent places including an ancient wall inscribed with a Chinese character "happiness" and a bar counter that used to be those giant timber beams. The reinvigorated building also serves as a "bridge" for cultural exchange as nearly 90 percent of the guests come from abroad, said Gawne's wife Liao Minxin. "The old dwelling is over 300 years old, while I am only in my 30s. I am not the owner of it, but a guardian," said Gawne. (Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun) The EU may be creating the world's first comprehensive law governing generative AI tools. Members of the European Parliament recently agreed to push a draft that regulates AI technology to its final stage, which may include new copyright rules for companies using generative AI tools. The ethics of generated AI content has been a hot topic since the rise of generative AI tools of ChatGPT and NightCafe that could plagiarize content off the internet. EU AI Act Proposed Copyright Rules Details The European Commission began drafting a bill known as the AI Act nearly two years ago, which aims to regulate emerging AI technology. Mher Hakobyan, advocacy advisor on AI regulation at Amnesty, stated in a blog post that the AI Act offers EU lawmakers an opportunity to end the "use of discriminatory and rights-violating AI systems," per a Venture Beat article. This bill, according to a Reuters report, is now one step away from becoming law in the EU thanks to the European Parliament pushing it to the trilogue, the second to the last stage that has EU lawmakers and member states to hash out the bill's final details. Some of the proposals parliament members made is the classification of AI tools according to their perceived risk level to areas of concern, which include biometric surveillance and spreading misinformation or discriminatory language: from minimal to limited, high, and unacceptable. Read More: CMA Blocks Microsoft-Activision Acquisition Deal in Final Decision A source familiar with the European Parliament's proceedings said that the proposed provision was a late addition within the past two weeks; some committee members initially proposed banning copyrighted materials being sued to train generative AI models but was abandoned for a transparency requirement. AI tools, like OpenAI's ChatGPT or image generator Midjourney, are classified as high-risk under this criteria. If the proposals are included when the AI Act becomes law, companies using these tools will need to be "highly transparent" in their operations and would have to disclose any copyrighted material used to develop their systems. This move from an outright ban to a transparency requirement was a good one, according to Macquarie analyst Fred Havemeyer, adding that it was tactful rather than the outright ban some proposed. The Ethics And Risks Of Generative AI Tools Members of the European Parliament have the right to worry about generative AI tools. Many people, especially artists, have been hard on such tools due to the companies that own them using billions of internet images to train their AI, which includes the works of artists trying to earn money from their work without consent and compensation, per Polygon. The artists that filed a lawsuit against the owners of AI art generators like Stability AI, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and DreamUp have also added that the companies benefit and profit from the use of copyrighted images and that the harm it brought to artists was no longer hypothetical. AI generators have already sold works online, taking away commissions from artists who create art with hard work. Another dilemma that the AI Act wants to prevent is potential misinformation, partiality, and unintended plagiarism that could happen when using AI tools. Related Article: Meta to Abide by EU Regulator's Order to Cease Targeted Ads on Facebook, Instagram Users Crews have secured two container cars that floated away in the Mississippi River after a freight train derailed in Crawford County, officials said Friday. Thursdays derailment between De Soto and Ferryville involved two of the trains three locomotives and 10 cars carrying a variety of freight, including paint and lithium-ion batteries, said BNSF Railway spokesperson Lena Kent. The cause of the derailment remains under investigation. The derailment blocked the main railroad tracks in both directions, and while neither of the cars that went into the river contained hazardous materials, an absorbent boom was put in place to reduce the possibility of pollution, Kent said. Diesel fuel that leached from one of the derailed locomotives was contained with an absorbent boom, Crawford County Emergency Management Director James Hackett said. Kent said Friday morning that the two container cars had been removed from the river but later said that was not the case and that they had been secured to the shore and were not floating in the river. Marc Myhre, a specialist with Crawford County Emergency Management, said the last information he had was that the two containers had been tied to a group of trees along the river to prevent them from drifting farther south. Hackett said all materials inside the derailed containers have been recovered or contained. BNSF is building access ways of rock and sand from Highway 35 to the railway, which runs parallel to the highway. With water between the railroad and the highway, a platform must be constructed so crews can reach and remove the cars. Rock was being brought to the scene from nearby quarries, said De Soto Fire Chief Chris Mussatti. Both derailed locomotives and many of the cars had already been removed from the BNSF-owned railway as of Friday afternoon. Officials at the scene Friday said crews still have a long way to go before Highway 35 can reopen to traffic and freight can begin moving along the rail line. Four BNSF crew members were taken to a hospital after the derailment about 12:15 p.m. Thursday. They were treated for mostly minor injuries and released, Kent said. The most serious injury was a broken collarbone, officials said. The Federal Railroad Administration tweeted that it was sending a team to the site to gather information and help local emergency workers. Nearly 30 state, local and federal agencies are responding to the derailment, Hackett said. Governor visits Gov. Tony Evers visited the derailment site Friday, surveying the scene from the air before he spent about two hours on the ground, getting an update from officials and visiting with emergency personnel, said his spokesperson Britt Cudaback. Evers said Thursday that he was getting regular updates from the Wisconsin departments of Transportation and Natural Resources, and state emergency management officials. Evers said high water from the Mississippi River and flooding could have caused or contributed to the accident, but that it is still under investigation by BNSF and the federal government. Cudaback said Thursday that it wasnt clear whether the derailment caused any environmental contamination. The DNR did not immediately respond to emails Thursday and Friday about whether any contamination has been reported in the derailment. Representatives from the offices of U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson, and U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden also were on site for the briefing with Evers, as was state Sen. Brad Pfaff, D-Onalaska. Pfaff commended the emergency management teams and local fire departments for their quick response and the coordinated approach from state and federal agencies. We need to make sure that we continue to recognize that rail safety is important, Pfaff said. We also need to recognize the fact that theres communities and people that live along these rail lines. We need to make sure that we continue to have adequate inspection, oversight and coordination between the federal and the state or local communities. Other incidents Thursdays derailment came almost three months after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Officials there ordered the large-scale evacuation of residents and decided to release and burn toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars to prevent a catastrophic explosion. Hundreds of people also had to evacuate in Raymond, Minnesota, last month after a BNSF train hauling ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire. Residents of De Soto reported a loud shriek when the train derailed Thursday. I live in the area and I told my wife a week ago, I said, Because of all the high water, I said you watch, were gonna have a train derailment, and we sure did, said Tim Lange of Ferryville This is not the first time a BNSF train has derailed near Ferryville. In 2016, two locomotives and six rail cars derailed due to extensive flooding at a site about 5 miles south of Thursdays derailment. An estimated 1,170 gallons of diesel poured into the river from a ruptured tank in that incident. Editor's note: This story was corrected on April 29, 2023, to include the La Crosse Tribune as a coauthor. Photos: F-35 fighter jet at the Wisconsin Air National Guards 115th Fighter Wing A vote to petition the Secretary of Transportation for aid to improve Portages municipal airport failed Thursday, as city council members cited their concerns with the fine print. A formal petition is the first step set forth by the Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics (BOA) in order for cities to accept entitlement funding. The funds are available to all municipal airports on a yearly basis. Portage has passed on these funds for several years as it developed an airport master plan that is currently pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). As Portages plans near acceptance, the process of accepting approximately $1.2 million in state dollars begins. Most of the funds would only require a 5% match from the city. The citys new airport has been in the works for several years. A 2018 study determined that major improvements would have to be made for the current municipal airport to attract businesses and recreational aviators. Due to runway length and tall objects blocking airpaths, the airport is not currently up to FAA guidelines. This is just the first step, Director of Public Works Philip Livingston said. It does not lock the city into any financial obligations. It simply allows the BOA to act as an agent for the city on future projects and assist us on those plans. Accepting the funds would require the city to hand over some oversight responsibilities to the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Craig Thompson. The measure is required by state law. Anything that there would be funds designated for, would come back to this council for approval before we get the funds. We arent spending any money tonight, District 3 Alder Dennis Nachreiner clarified to the other council members. With no further discussion, the council voted 3 ayes to 0 against, with 4 abstentions. The motion failed. Nachreiner, Christopher Crawley, District 9, and Steven Rohrbeck, District 4, were all in favor, and District 5 Alder Karen Melito was absent. The council members who did not vote expressed their misgivings with the power that the petition would grant to the DOT secretary. In overseeing the project, the secretary would have the right to suspend or discontinue work at any time if additional money was needed to complete the airport. Thompson would also be tasked with accepting, receiving and disbursing any funds granted by the United States under the Federal Airport and Airway Improvement Act. Additionally, the secretary would have the unrestricted authority to distribute and disclose any materials related to Portages grant. What does that mean if the council were to bring an item, specific to the petition, to this body and we denied it? Does that give authority to the secretary to override the council? Alder Eric Shimpach, District 6, asked. What this package does is give the BOA control of that bidding process, Livingston responded. They come up with the design, they put the project out for bid. They handle all of the dirty work. He added that the DOT wouldnt proceed with project preparations until the council greenlit the plans. Thats not how I read this, Shimpach said, gesturing toward the petition. Mayor Mitchel Craig asked the council if it was their intention to not move forward with the new airport, to which other abstaining members signaled that that wasnt the case. These clauses are just a little concerning and we need more information before we can vote on it, District 1 Alder Jami Hayes stated. Im afraid were going to get overridden on this, and the states going to take over. The city elected to request a representative from the BOA come before the council at its next meeting to answer their questions about what actions Secretary Thompson could take under the petitioned agreement. Other petitions At the conclusion of Mayor Craigs comments to the council, he asked Alder Nachreiner directly if rumors that he was petitioning to have him removed from office were true. Craig stated that an individual came forward to alert him. Nachreiner denied the claim. Close PHOTOS: Our House Senior Living hosts egg-cellent Easter event The Easter Bunny got some eggs-ercise on Saturday as he made an appearance at Portage's Our House Senior Living for an Easter egg hunt. Around 100 people filled the establishment's backyard, with kids of all ages clamoring to fill their baskets, enjoying cookies, face painting, and balloon animals as well. Weather Alert ...Cooler, Unsettled Weather this Week... * A slow moving low pressure system will provide daily chances for a mix of rain, snow, and pellet showers this week with rain-snow lines lowering to 5500-7000 feet by Tuesday morning. A few thunderstorms will also be possible each day (20-30% chance). * Be prepared for snow showers in the Sierra. While warm road temperatures and the early May sun angle may limit accumulations on paved surfaces, bursts of heavy snow and/or snow occurring during the overnight hours could bring travel impacts to mountain passes. * Expect gusty southerly winds to develop through mid-week with the strongest winds targeting portions of Churchill, Mineral, Lyon, and Mono Counites with potential crosswind travel impacts to US-395 and US-95. * Temperatures will dip down 5 to 10 degrees below early May normals through much of the upcoming week. * Additional low pressure systems may track across the region by next weekend which could yield continued cool and breezy conditions. This may yield more rain and snow showers with snow levels remaining around 6000 to 8000 feet. ChatGPT has no doubt been the talk of the tech world for its amazing advancements, but while many are impressed, the Italian data protection agency believes it may pose privacy threats resulting in a ban. After a few tweaks, it appears that ChatGPT is available in Italy once again. ChatGPT is Back in Italy OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was happy to announce that ChatGPT's ban in Italy has been lifted. This was after the conditions provided by regulators have been addressed, which were concerns about the AI's learning methods. The company behind the chatbot expressed that they were excited to welcome Italian users back and that they remain dedicated to protecting their privacy, as mentioned in Engadget. Of course, this wouldn't be possible if OpenAI hadn't made some changes. ChatGPT now has privacy controls, which had been added this week. Users are now able to turn off chat histories so the chatbot cannot use the data for training itself. Italian users are asked whether they are 18 years of age in order to use the AI chatbot. Should a user be between the ages 13 and 17, they will need a parent's or guardian's permission to use ChatGPT. The new measures were to assuage the concerns of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Users will be greeted with an information notice stating that it will be processing data for the service to be able to perform on a contractual basis. The welcome page will also contain links so users may read its new privacy policy. The new policies were enough to get back to the regulators' good side, wherein they stated that they "welcome the measures OpenAI implemented." Although Garante data protection authority says that still expects OpenAI to follow through with the unmet demands. OpenAI is urged to implement an age verification system and provide an option for its users to opt out of having their personal data used for training the chatbot's algorithm. Garante also said that it will be watching ChatGPT. Read Also: By Using ChatGPT to Generate Notes, Samsung Employees Leak Confidential Info to AI Chatbot Events Behind the Ban Italy has officially become the first country to ban ChatGPT. The ban was temporary and ChatGPT was given 20 days to provide solutions to answer the agency's concerns, with regulators pointing out a recent data breach that exposed user conversations and payment details. Italy's data protection agency mentioned that OpenAI could be fined 20 million euros if such an incident would happen. That amounts to $22 million, which is equivalent to 4% of OpenAI's global annual revenue, according to The New York Times. The ban serves as a reminder to AI tech developers that policies must be created to protect users from being exposed to particular content, and most importantly protect their personal information while using the technology. In fact, over a thousand leaders and researchers in the tech industry have called for a moratorium on the development of advanced AI, so that policies may be created and implemented by AI developers and companies. Related: ChatGPT to Make a Comeback in Italy if OpenAI will Comply with Data Privacy Requirements Hundreds of people take part in the Grand Entry of Dancers on the second day of the Gathering of Nations on Friday, April 28, 2023. The three-day celebration is happening at Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque. (Eddie Moore/Albuquerque Journal) ALBUQUERQUE Tens of thousands of people gathered in New Mexico on Friday for what organizers bill as the largest powwow in North America. The annual Gathering of Nations kicked off with a colorful procession of Native American and Indigenous dancers from around the world moving to the beat of traditional drums as they fill an arena at the New Mexico state fairgrounds. Were ready to rock the house here, the announcer proclaimed, after introducing drum groups, including from Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. During the event, dancers slowly spiral their way, one by one, toward the center of the venue, making for a spectacular display. This marks the 40th year for the gathering, which has grown from humble beginnings in 1983 into a massive celebration with Indigenous people showcasing their cultures through dancing and singing competitions. Dale Metallic has been dancing for about 30 years, since he was a teenager, but this marked the first year he was able to persuade his father, Sibugug, to join him in competition. They made the trip from the Migmaq Nation in eastern Canada. Its a celebration, the younger Metallic said. Its in our blood, his father added. Its about language, culture, family. And style. Competitors wear feathered bustles, buckskin dresses, fancy shawls, and beaded head and hair pieces. Many of the dancers elaborate outfits are detailed with hand-stitched designs. Twelve-year-old Violet Sutherland showed off elaborate beadwork and a fancy shawl as she spun around beneath the welcoming sign while her mother took photos. They traveled from Ontario, Canada, so Violet could fulfill a wish made the previous year. I always wanted to go and see everyone dance, said Violet, nodding at the colorful Aztec dancers performing nearby. Violet, who is Ojibwe and Cree and the youngest of three siblings, practices every day, keeping alive a tradition like her parents and grandparents before her. As spectators and competitors took breaks to get roasted corn, fry bread and lattes, the echoing thunder of drum beats could be heard outside the arena. In addition to the dancing and singing competitions, more than two dozen contestants from the U.S. and Canada also are vying for the title of Miss Indian World. The winner will be crowned on the final night of the powwow and will spend the next year serving as a cultural ambassador as she travels to events and other powwows. Several hundred Native American tribes in the United States and First Nations in Canada are represented at the gathering, which has become Albuquerques second-largest annual festival and brings in more than $20 million for the local economy each year. Organizers held virtual gatherings in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19 restrictions. This is the second in-person gathering since public health regulations were relaxed. Brave and Microsoft are calling it quits. The company behind the privacy-focused web browser and search engine of the same name has announced it is parting ways with Microsoft and its Bing search engine due to its increased cost. Brave and Microsoft had previously partnered in June 2021 to give the former's search engine a little hand on queries. Brave's Reason For Ditching Microsoft Brav mentioned in its announcement that it is launching its own API index to handle search queries and results for its own search engine, which protects users' privacy by block trackers, cross-site cookie tracking, and more, per its official website. According to the company, it was only a matter of time before it launched and used its own API. When Brave Search, the company's search engine, launched in 2021, about 13% of the queries required the help of third parties, namely Microsoft Bing's API, to achieve the quality desired across various types of queries. However, it claims that it was able to be more independent in less than a year, with Microsoft Bing providing only 7% of search queries after such a period. Brave mentioned that it achieved such a result and its eventual independence from Microsoft Bing due to two things: Read More: Google Adds Feature Improving Tool Discovery in Docs, Sheets, Slides Brave Search's rapid adoption, making it the fasting growing search engine since Microsoft Bing, and The Web Discovery Project's broad adoption, which made results have the nuance and completeness needed to compete on privacy and quality while allowing users to anonymously contribute browsing data to grow the Brave Search index. While such an achievement is noteworthy, it is important to note that Microsoft itself had a hand in Brave's announcement of the launch of its own API index. The company mentioned that the uncertainty over the future of the Bing API, along with Microsoft's announcement of an "unprecedented increase" in its API pricing, created undue pressure for search engines that either rely on it fully or partially. Although Brave Search no longer uses the Bing API for search queries, Brave does admit that the removal of Microsoft's API may have an effect for certain queries, or for some regional or language-specific results. As such, the company advises its users to submit feedback as often as possible. Microsoft's Price Increase For Bing API Brave's decision to call it quits with Microsoft isn't unfounded. The latter company raised the price for its Bing API significantly, according to Microsoft's latest pricing update as of press time. Some of the new prices are triple or quadruple their original prices, making the choice to continue adding the API to search engines, pricier and more expensive. Microsoft mentioned that it raised its prices to "meet market demands" and align the pricing of its products and services with customer consumption trends and preferences. It is also probable that Microsoft did this to make itself a profitable company during a time of recession and economic uncertainty. Related Article: Brave Announces Beta for Goggles Feature That Lets You Create Your Own Search Rankings SANTA FE The legal fight over anti-abortion ordinances enacted by a growing number of New Mexico cities and counties is drawing a crowd of willing litigants. The ACLU and Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains both alerted the state Supreme Court this week they plan to file briefs in the case, which was brought by Attorney General Raul Torrezs office and has emerged as a key test to local governments ability to restrict access to abortion services. While the Supreme Court has not yet scheduled oral arguments, it temporarily blocked four city and county ordinances from being enforced until the case is resolved. In all, six New Mexico jurisdictions the cities of Clovis, Hobbs, Eunice and Edgewood and Lea and Roosevelt counties have now passed ordinances that activists call de facto abortion bans. The lawsuit only targets four of them, however, since Eunice passed its ordinance the same day Torrez filed the petition and Edgewood town commissioners approved an ordinance this week restricting the operation of abortion clinics even though there are currently no clinics in the town. An Attorney Generals Office spokeswoman said in a Friday statement the states top prosecutor welcomes the support from outside groups. We believe that the New Mexico Supreme Court will benefit from the perspective that these trained professionals have to offer on how these ordinances sow confusion in the medical profession and harm womens health care, AGs office spokeswoman Lauren Rodriguez told the Journal. As for the ACLU, the groups managing reproductive rights and gender equity attorney Ellie Rushforth said the stakes could not be higher in the case. The municipalities that passed these ordinances already suffer from lack of access to health care, particularly reproductive care, Rushforth said. These local laws only further deter health care providers from moving to these communities and potentially encourage existing providers to leave for fear of litigation and civil and criminal penalties. Meanwhile, attorneys for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains said in their notice of intent that other groups would join them in filing a so-called amicus brief with the court. Those groups include the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a Washington D.C.-based professional membership group, and Bold Futures New Mexico, which has advocated for access to abortion services. Legal fight playing out amid shifting national landscape New Mexicos legal showdown over abortion comes as some neighboring states including Texas have approved near-total abortion bans, prompting some women to travel to New Mexico to receive abortion services. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham also signed measures this year aimed at shielding New Mexico abortion providers from out-of-state arrest warrants and lawsuits, and blocking local anti-abortion ordinances from taking effect. However, those laws will not take effect until mid-June, leading to dueling interpretations about what restrictions if any can be enacted by local governments. In a court filing last week, AGs office attorneys argued the local ordinances violate the state Constitution. They also claimed medical licensing and access to health care treatment, including abortion, are statewide issues that cannot be preempted by local laws. These ordinances are invalid as enactments that are beyond the scope of local legislative authority and in conflict with state law, including the New Mexicos Constitutions bill of rights, the AGs office said. State attorneys also said defendants in the case were attempting to bait the court into considering federal legal matters in their decision-making process, which could pave the way for an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition, the brief argues the ordinances enacted by Lea and Roosevelt counties define abortion clinic in exceedingly broad terms, which could even encompass private homes in which abortion medication is ingested. Anti-abortion advocates urge Supreme Court to delay ruling In contrast, the response filed by attorneys for Lea County focused largely on the unsettled national debate over abortion restrictions, including conflicting rulings by federal judges about whether the Comstock Act, a law enacted in the 1870s, can be used to regulate abortion medication. For that reason, the attorneys argued, any New Mexico Supreme Court ruling on the local ordinances would be premature. The inevitability of a preemption concern in this context is difficult to ignore, especially as all of the challenged local ordinances invoke or rely on the Comstock Act to some extent, argued attorneys Jeffrey Thomas Lucky and Brian Brack, who are representing Lea County Sheriff Corey Hutchins. The abortion-related ordinances enacted over the last several months in eastern New Mexico have been pushed by a group of advocates, including Mark Lee Dickson, the director of Right to Life of East Texas. But its unclear whether outside groups are financially backing the efforts. Lea County Manager Mike Gallagher declined to comment Friday about how the county was funding its legal fight. One thing that is clear is that at least one of the cities has launched a legal counter-attack, as Eunice filed a lawsuit this month challenging the authority of Torrez and Lujan Grisham to block the southeast New Mexico towns ordinance from being enforced. Following a rash of in-custody deaths, New Mexicos largest jail is turning to wrist-worn technology to better monitor inmate health. Bernalillo County is planning to spend $2 million over five years on a Custody Protect system that includes smartwatch-like devices and tech support. The wristbands track wearers heart rate and other biometrics and will send alerts to jail staff when something seems amiss. That could provide a new layer of oversight at the jail where corrections officers are currently required to visually monitor high-risk inmates for signs of physical distress, often on a one-on-one basis, according to county documents. The chronically understaffed jail has had 21 people die in custody in the past three years. About half of them were detoxing from drugs and alcohol. Metropolitan Detention Center warden Jason Jones said the jail will put the new devices on detainees undergoing detox, as well as those actively wanting to harm themselves and those in clinical seclusion for psychosis. That could be up to 200 people at any given time. John DeFalco, CEO of the 4Sight Labs, the company behind the technology, said it measures heart rate, heart rate variability how the amount of time between each heart beat changes and when someone is moving aggressively in a fashion that may lead to self-harm. When the bands detect problems, jail staff get immediate notifications via tablet computers linked to the system. About 80-120 people in MDC each day are in detox protocol, Jones told the county commission earlier this week. He described it as a critical and unpredictable phase in someones stay. They can be doing great for 48 hours, but on hour 49, they kind of fall out, Jones said. So for us to have an early-warning system, I think it will prevent a lot of other issues in the future. The warden assured the commission that the bands are detention-grade, designed to withstand tampering or removal attempts and already used by many other jails around New Mexico. The commission unanimously approved the purchase, with several members applauding the move. It sounds like something that offers a really promising technological solution to some of the manpower challenges we have at the jail, Commissioner Eric Olivas said. Commissioner Adriann Barboa said the conversation almost made her emotional, describing it as positive momentum at a facility with a troubled past. This is leadership, she told Jones, who took over at the jail in late 2022. Looking at the problem and instead of denying it youre looking at it face on and finding solutions. Just yay. Jones told the commission the facility also has two new drug-detecting dogs in training now and they will eventually be on-site too, which commissioners heralded as another positive development. We know that drugs are getting into the facility, and weve got deaths going on all the time, Commissioner Walt Benson said. We cant let them in, and dogs are one of the best solutions for that. Thats great news. The commission this week also approved a new joint powers agreement between the county and the University of New Mexico as the parties work to bring UNM Hospital in as the MDC health care provider. That would mark a change for the facility, which has long relied on for-profit, corporate entities for jail health care. Instagram Celebrity Tortorella popped the question to his girlfriend, who was previously married to Chris Larangeira, while they were attending Vinny Guadagnino's birthday dinner with their co-stars. Apr 29, 2023 AceShowbiz - Angelina Pivarnick is now a fiancee. The TV personality is now engaged to her boyfriend Vinny Tortorella after he proposed to her in front of their "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation" co-stars. Tortorella popped the question while the cast was attending Vinny Guadagnino's birthday dinner. "I love you so much. A lot of things in life aren't guaranteed, but something that I've learned since I met you is loving you is gonna be guaranteed for the rest of my life," he told Pivarnick, shocking the whole cast. "If there's anything beyond life, I want us to love each other, do everything - good, bad, little, big I'll always have your back, I know you'll have my back," Tortorella added on the Thursday, April 27 episode of the MTV reality series. "I want to grow old with you, I want to experience everything with you. I wouldn't want to experience it with anyone else ' together, as one." Tortorella went on to note, "My best friend, I love you so much and I just wanted to give you something." Pulling out the ring box and getting down on one knee, he declared, "I love you, Ang, and I hope that you'll marry me." Pivarnick was still surprised by the proposal. Though so, she didn't waste time to accept it. "100 times over, yes, babe!" she exclaimed to her new fiance. Some cast members then weighed in on the shocking moment in a confessional, including Pauly "DJ Pauly D" DelVecchio, who said in disbelief, "What the f**k? Holy moly, I can't believe this just went down." Jenni "JWoww" Farley stated, "Holy f**king s**t. I'm speechless, I had no idea they were even this serious!" Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi then added, "I mean, I really like the guy, so amazing, Ang! But what the f**k? We just met him." Pivarnick was previously married to Chris Larangeira. The now-exes tied the knot in November 2019 but she file for divorce from him in January 2021. Though they reconciled, Larangeira submitted his own divorce paper in January 2022. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The daughter of Benzino embraces her body just days after calling out Latto for name-dropping her on the latter's song, 'Put It On Da Floor', in which she raps, 'Smokin' on that gas, blunt big as Coi Leray.' Apr 29, 2023 AceShowbiz - Coi Leray is turning up the heat. The "Players" hitmaker surprised her seven million followers on Instagram by sharing a couple of naked pictures, but she received less positive responses in the comment section. In the said snaps, the 25-year-old was seen lying on a bed while smoking a cigarette. The femcee wore nothing but a chain covering her breast and she used the bed sheet to cover her private part. Many have since reacted to the post. "My question is was it REALLY necessary," one person wondered, while another asked, "How is this allowed [crying laughing emoji] the 1st pic made me check if i was on insta or twitter." Someone else was also not feeling the pictures as they commented, "U can love your body but you don't have nun to show." A different individual suggested, "Coi baby u famous already you don't need to do this." Coi embraced her body just days after calling out Latto (Mulatto) for name-dropping her on the latter's song, "Put It On Da Floor". On the track, Latto refers to Coi as she raps, "Smokin' on that gas, blunt big as Coi Leray." Catching wind on the line, the daughter of Benzino argued, "Anybody that talk about my body wants MY BODY!!!!!!!!!!! Like real badddddd." She added in a separate tweet, "LITTLE MISS PRESSURE... These b***hes wanna be like the n***a so bad. Y'all wanna have rap beef SOOOOOO BADDDDDDDDDDDDDD." "Latto bye. Here you go taking [sic] about my body. Please do not come on here and talk about nobody BODY. Lol like seriously. Out of all things. Lmaooo ya blunt my size? Lmaoooo this s**t is never ending," Coi continued. Hours later, however, she acknowledged that she might have overreacted. You can share this post! Cover Images/ITV/Janet Mayer Celebrity While Samantha Markle disses the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's 'toxic' relationship, Meghan's father Thomas Markle makes a 'deathbed plea' to his daughter in a trailer for an upcoming interview. Apr 29, 2023 AceShowbiz - As King Charles' coronation is coming closer, Meghan Markle's family becomes the subject of an interview to air on an Australian news station. A new trailer for the upcoming bombshell interview has been released, seeing Meghan's sister dissing the Duchess' relationship with her husband Prince Harry. Samantha Markle, who recently had her defamation lawsuit against her half-sister tossed out by a Florida judge, says in the trailer that Meghan and Harry are "very unhealthy for each other." She claims, "It's a toxic relationship." Elsewhere in the trailer, Samantha claims that the former "Suits" actress would still be a waitress if it wasn't for Dad." Meanwhile, footage of Meghan as homecoming queen at her high school plays in the trailer. "The world has never seen Meghan like this," a narrator declares as the Duchess of Sussex is also seen dancing in what appears to be a recital and waving at a camera, all from what are clearly home videos. "Treasured memories, secret tapes and home truths are all coming out," the narrator adds, while Samantha, her father Thomas Markle and brother Thomas Markle Jr. can be seen looking emotional while sitting together watching some of those tapes. Meghan's dad Thomas, who suffered a stroke last year and is seemingly in poor health, struggles to speak as he makes what the show calls a "deathbed plea" to Meghan. He asks in the video, "How can I fix this?" Meanwhile, Thomas Jr. tells the interviewer, "We're not going away. This is going to change everything." A "Prince Andrew bombshell" is also teased in the trailer. The interview will air on Australia's 7NEWS "Spotlight" on Sunday, April 30 at 8:30 P.M. Meghan has been confirmed not to attend King Charles' coronation on May 6, which happens to be the same day of her son Prince Archie's birthday. The palace said in a statement, "The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey on May 6th. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet." You can share this post! HBO TV The former 'Shake It Up' actress found it hard to be away from her loved ones when she flew to Italy to film the latest episodes of her hit television show. Apr 30, 2023 AceShowbiz - Haley Lu Richardson has a hard time being away from her family when she is shooting "The White Lotus". The 28-year-old actress features in the hit HBO sitcom that follows a group of vacationers at a resort chain - which films in a different location each season - and explained that, because her loved ones are a "top priority" to her, she struggled to be away from her home in California when the latest batch of episodes was shot thousands of miles away in Italy. "I think I've always kept them in that like top priority spot. It's harder in those moments - I didn't see them for four or five months. But because they are such a huge priority for me - and I never really lose track of those connections even when I'm away - I feel their love, I feel them supporting me from afar, and I'm there for them as much as I can be from afar," she told Brit+Co. "It's kind of not even really a thought of how to keep time for them because it's more so in my mind, how do I do all the other stuff in my life like work, and travel, and all these obligations? Like, how do I fit that in around my actual life, which is these connections, these people that I truly love?" Meanwhile, the former "Shake It Up" actress starred in the music video for "Wings" by fellow Disney Channel stars the Jonas Brothers earlier this year and explained that she was "crying" on set because the job had taken her back to her childhood. She said, "I was like, literally in the sky. I was crying every two minutes. I was completely back to my 12-year-old self - she had totally taken over my body, and she was just living her actual dream." You can share this post! TV The Prince of Wales has reportedly signed a deal to star in an upcoming fly-on-the-wall documentary series that highlights his latest work as a member of British royal family. Apr 30, 2023 AceShowbiz - Prince William has landed his own fly-on-the-wall documentary series. The 40-year-old Prince of Wales- who shares three children with his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales - is teaming up with ITV for the series, which will follow him around the UK on a number of public appearances as he launches a homelessness initiative. "This is pretty extraordinary - it's never been done before. Generally access to senior royals is very limited and totally controlled, but William clearly wants to change that," a TV source told The Sun newspaper. "He's keen to highlight his work, particularly on a homeless project which was a subject very close to his mother's heart, and to connect with the public on a new level. He knows all too well how important it is that the monarchy develops a more modern relationship with the British people. TV is a great way to do that." However, royal insiders are keen to point out that William's documentary will be nothing like the bombshell docuseries his brother Prince Harry and sister-in-law Duchess Meghan Markle made for Netflix. The source added, "This is a dramatic contrast to what Harry has been doing. William has invited cameras to follow him as he fulfils his duties, giving a proper insight into himself and his work as Prince of Wales - this isn't anything like his brother's TV appearances." You can share this post! Vignesh Narayanan resigned from his job as Business Head of Airtel Ads after two years in the position. Today, April 28, is his last day of work for Vignesh as per the media reports. A replacement hunt for the CEO has begun, and outside firms have been hired. The source says he is planning to move to a different media outlet. Cannes Lions has announced the first honorary Creative Maker of the Year award as part of the 70th edition of the International Festival of Creativity. The inaugural award will be presented at the Festival to legendary filmmaker, screenwriter, actor and producer, Spike Lee. When the Festival was founded in 1954, the original Lion was created to recognise world-class creativity in TV and Cinema advertising. Seventy years later, this award honours that heritage, and will celebrate an increasingly broad mix of creative makers who will bring ideas to life into the future. Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said: We know that world-class creative work takes so much to deliver. Since its inception, Cannes Lions has always been about the makers and the creatives who walk through walls to realise their vision. Going forward, this award will honour creative makers, from any discipline who are inspirational beacons for our whole community. In our 70th year, it seems appropriate that the inaugural Creative Maker award should go to a director. Its a huge honour to present Spike Lee, one of the most influential figures in contemporary cinema and culture, with this accolade live at the Festival. Spike embodies the spirit of this award as a maker that strives to make creative stories and show the world what they can only see in their imaginations. The award, supported by Black At Cannes, honours multi-Lion award winner Spike Lee, whose unparalleled body of work has made an indelible mark on filmmaking, television and the creative industry. And as the founder of his own creative agency, Spike DDB, his mission has been to help brands change the world by keeping pace with culture. Alongside receiving the award, Spike Lee will speak on the Festival stage in a keynote fireside chat, with filmmaker and director, Barry Alexander Brown, on Friday 23 June 10:00 - 10:30am. Commenting on receiving the award, Spike Lee, filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, and producer, said: Im honored to accept the inaugural Cannes Lions Creative Maker of the Year award for my contributions to the advertising industry, but a reminder: We keep having these obstacles, these hurdles, we have to face and we have to keep knocking them down. I said this in 1997 and still say it today. Lees career spans over 30 years, receiving five-time Oscar nominations for: Do The Right Thing, 4 Little Girls, and the critically acclaimed hit feature BlacKkKlansman that he co-wrote and directed, going on to win the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2018. He was also awarded an Honorary Oscar in 2015 for his lifetime achievement and contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences. Lee is also known for his legendary Jordan Brand TV commercials and marketing campaigns with Michael Jordan. Commenting on the award and Spike's legacy as a world renowned creative maker, Shannon Watkins, Chief Marketing Officer at Jordan Brand, said: "Spikes focus on telling stories, combined with his ability to capture the pulse of Black Culture sets him apart from others in the industry. Spike created iconic memories, and helped to build the soul of what Jordan Brand represents. Maybe the shoes on our feet wouldnt make us jump as high as MJ, but just for a moment, we might feel the confidence and self-belief of the greatest to ever do it. Peter O Ukhurebor, Founder of Black At Cannes, commented: "Spike Lee is a creative role model who has paved the way for so many black creatives. The Creative Maker of the Year award inspires us to continue spearheading the creation of pathways for diverse voices and promoting inclusion and equity across the global creative industry. We applaud the partnership. Netflix's Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria has announced the progress of the company's diversity and inclusion efforts. Through a partnership with Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Netflix has examined several inclusion metrics, including gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+ representation, and disability, in its US-commissioned films and series. The latest findings, looking at Netflix US films and series from 2020-2021, show improvements in gender and racial representation both in front of and behind the camera. Netflix achieved gender equality in leading roles, with more than half of all Netflix films and series from 2018-2021 featuring a girl or woman as the lead or co-lead. There was also increased representation for people of colour in leading roles, with nearly half of Netflix films and series in 2020-2021 featuring a lead or co-lead from an underrepresented racial/ethnic group. The report also revealed that there were more women behind the camera, with 26.9% of directors on Netflix films being women, and 38% of show creators in 2021 were women. Despite these positive changes, gaps still exist for some specific racial/ethnic groups, including Latinx, Middle Eastern/North African, Indigenous, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities, and there is still significant room to improve the representation of characters with disabilities, Bela Bajaria pointed out . To help address these issues, Netflix established the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity in 2021, which aims to invest $100 million over five years into creating more pathways for talent from underrepresented communities across the world. In just two years, Netflix has invested $29 million in more than 100 programs, partnering with over 80 organizations in more than 35 countries. The Fund has supported over 4,500 creatives, including directors, producers, writers, visual effects artists, and more, by providing resources and training to help prepare them for work in their local industries. Additionally, the Fund has placed 395 creatives on Netflix productions in a variety of roles, ranging from line producers to casting assistants and grips. To continue its efforts in this area, Netflix has announced several new programmes, including the Shondaland Producers Inclusion and Ladder Initiatives, the Gold Producers Accelerator presented by Gold House, AUM and Netflix, the imagineNATIVE Production Mentorship Program, the Netflix x Film Companion Take Ten Program, and more. Bajaria believes that her heritage is a superpower that allows her to see stories from different perspectives, and she is excited to work with creators from around the world to share and elevate new stories. She hopes that by understanding which voices may not be heard, Netflix can be held accountable and effect lasting change in the industry. China's Zhurong Mars rover found recent water activity on the planet. The Chinese Mars rover, previously thought to be gone, recently found evidence of recent water activity on the Red Planet - as recent as less than 500,000 years ago. The rover was previously in a long state of hibernation before its delayed wake-up due to entering such a state during the Martian Winter and in May 2022. Zhurong Mars Rover Discovery Details Zhurong, according to a paper published on Science.org, recently found evidence of recent water activity for the first time in its stay on Mars - cracked layers on tiny Martian dunes. According to the paper, the four miniature dunes, which appear crescent-shaped and are shy of 50-100 ft. long and about three feet tall, are coated with thin, ubiquitously fractured crusts and ridges, which formed from the melting of small pockets of "modern water" sometime between 1.4 million years to 400,000 years ago. The paper mentioned that the Zhurong rover rolled closer to and found the miniature dunes within the Utopia Planitia region, which is a place Chinese astronomers like Zongcheng Ling and their team thought to be the "origination area" of dust storms and the main route of the Artic dust storm sequences in their study. Interestingly, the Utopia Planitia region was where Zhurong spent the last few months in hibernation; it was also near the rover's landing site. Images of the dunes, which Zhurong sent to its Tianwen 1 orbiter companion, show that water from the planet's icy polar regions drifted to lower latitudes a few million years ago, which then settled atop the dunes within the Utopia Planitia region. Read More: Revisiting Heavy Rain - Interactive Drama at Its Best Zhurong's laser-induced breakdown spectrometer then revealed that the chemical makeup of the sand grains that created the mini dunes had hydrated minerals like sulfates, silica, iron oxide, and chlorides. These minerals would have only formed in the presence of water within the Utopia Planitia region in the late Amazonian era on Mars, which scientists previously thought was bone-dry. The discovery of this evidence implies that Mars harbored salt water on its surface as recently as 400,000 years ago - when Earth and early humans experienced extreme environmental changes, per the Smithsonian Magazine. It also means that there was a time when Earth and Mars appear blue at a distance in space due to the bodies of water it had. According to Xiaoguang Qin, a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and an author of the new study, the discovery means a more recent time in Martian history, per Space.com. Zhurong's Instruments China's Zhurong Mars rover has quite an array of instruments apart from its laser-induced breakdown spectrometer, named the Mars Surface Compound Detector (MarSCoDe), to study the Red Planet. According to NASA, the rover has a ground-penetrating radar that can detect ice buried 100-meters deep beneath the Martian surface -its most noteworthy instrument. The Universities Space Research Association mentioned that Zhurong has a magnetometer, remote sensing spectrometer, multiple cameras, and a climate station. It uses its MarSCoDe and short-wave infrared spectrometer to perform in-situ measurements on the Red Planet. Related Article: China's Zhurong Mars Rover Possibly Missing in Action - What Happened? NDL Ventures Limited (NDL formerly known as NXTDIGITAL Limited) today announced that the Shareholders of the Company, through the e-voting process which commenced on March, 20, 2023 and concluded on April 19, 2023 have approved the appointment of Mr Sachin Pillai as Director on the Board of the Company. Mr Sachin Pillai, brings with him significant experience in the financial services sector and more particularly in the NBFC sector. The Company also announced that it has received all necessary approvals for the change of the name of the Company from NXTDIGITAL Limited to NDL Ventures Limited. Both the above actions are in line with the Companys objective of becoming a financial services company and also supplement the proposed merger. The Board of Directors today recommended a final dividend of 20% per equity share of face value of Rs 10 per share With respect to the proposed merger of Hinduja Leyland Finance Limited (HLFL) with the Company, the Board of directors of the Company had approved the Draft Scheme of Arrangement of Company with HLFL at their meeting held on November 25, 2022. The Scheme of Arrangement has been filed with regulatory authorities seeking their approval, namely, Reserve Bank of India, Competition Commission of India, Bombay Stock Exchange Limited, Securities and Exchange Board of India and other authorities. No sooner the approvals are received, the necessary applications will be filed with Honble National Company Law Tribunal. The Company posted a Profit after Tax of Rs 27.40 lakhs for the year ended March 31, 2023. These results are post the transfer of the Digital Media & Communications business undertaking to Hinduja Global Solutions Limited and therefore arrived on the reduced balance sheet of the Company as presently in place in the transition phase. Vodafone Group Plc has appointed Margherita Della Valle as Group Chief Executive. Commenting on the apointment, Jean-Francois van Boxmeer, Vodafone Group Chairman, said, "On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Margherita as Group Chief Executive, following a rigorous internal and external search. Margherita has a strong track record during her long career at Vodafone in marketing, operational, commercial and financial positions. Over the last few months as interim Group Chief Executive, the Board and I have been impressed with her pace and decisiveness to begin the necessary transformation of Vodafone. Margherita has the full support of myself and the Board for her plans for Vodafone to provide better customer experience, become a simpler business and accelerate growth. On her new role, Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone Group Chief Executive, said, I am honoured to have been appointed as Group Chief Executive. Vodafone has a unique position in Europe and Africa with strong customer relationships, networks and people.To realise our potential Vodafone needs to change. We know we can do better. My focus will be to improve the service for our customers, simplify our business and grow. In addition to being appointed Group Chief Executive, Margherita Della Valle will also continue as Group Chief Financial Officer until an external search for a new Group Chief Financial Officer is complete. WorkIndia, the leading online job portal has launched the #UnsungWarrior campaign to appreciate and applaud the blue-collar workers in India on the occasion of Labor Day. The campaign emphasizes the need to recognize the hard work of blue-collar workers that makes our lives easier and more comfortable. The campaign drives attention to the fact that although these workers are the backbone of our society, their contribution and grind are often hidden from our eyes and go unnoticed. The aim of #UnsungWarriors is to raise a question and urge everyone to recognize and appreciate their efforts and acknowledge their role in our lives. It is a narration that is thought-provoking and strikes an emotional chord as it compels us to pay attention to a section of society that is often unacknowledged. We must give these blue-collar workers their due diligence because we as a community are heavily dependent on them and our lives will come to a standstill without their support. Over the years, the scenario for laborers in India has changed significantly. The labor movement has fought for and won many rights and protections for workers, such as the eight-hour workday, minimum wage laws, and workplace safety regulations. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the essential nature of many jobs that were previously undervalued and underpaid, such as healthcare workers, grocery store clerks, and delivery drivers. Despite this, they still face a number of challenges on a daily basis. While there is still much work to be done to improve the situation for workers, Labor Day serves as a reminder of the progress that has been made and the ongoing struggle for workers' rights and dignity. Speaking about the campaign Nilesh Dungarwal, Co-founder and COO of WorkIndia said, Blue-collar workers are the true unsung heroes of our lives who provide an important service to our society. Hence, it is our responsibility to ensure that their contribution doesnt go unrecognized and unvalued. Through #UnsungWarriors, WorkIndia intends to spread awareness about their hard work and encourage people to appreciate the people who make it possible for us to live comfortable life. Lets show some support towards the people who deserve every praise for their undying dedication, and perseverance. Overall, #UnsungWarriors urges everyone to appreciate the efforts of the unsung warriors in our lives, who work tirelessly towards making the world a better place. This campaign was conceptualized in-house by the WorkIndia team. It is a digital campaign that will be featured across channels such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Alabama A&M University celebrated a record total of 9,757 accepted freshmen to date for fall 2023. The college beat its own previous record of 9,039 acceptances set in 2019, and is on track to beat its freshman enrollment record of 1,694 students also set in 2019. So far, there have been more than 15,000 applicants to AAMU this year, a 30% increase from last year. Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Braque Talley says the growth is not accidental, and that he is pleased with the outreach to students and families from different backgrounds. AAMU has also seen an increase in transfer students coming to campus. These numbers are indicative of the strength of our programs and the value students see in earning an education here on the Hill, Director of Admissions Dwayne Green said. Read more: Alabama A&M receives funding for historic preservation. Read more: Alabama A&M program shows promise in putting more Black, male teachers in classrooms. AAMU was one of three public schools in Alabama that continued to freeze undergraduate tuition in fees from 2022-23, according to a statewide survey from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. The other two schools are The University of Montevallo and The University of West Alabama. According to AAMU, its the largest HBCU in Alabama, with about 6,500 students on campus. It boasts the largest number of minority STEM graduates in Alabama. About 52% of AAMU STEM majors are women. According to federal data, 85% of students receive financial aid and 69% of students are Pell Grant recipients. The school reports that about half of students have their cost of attendance covered by aid. May 15 is the preferred admissions deadline for fall 2023 students. For more information on AAMU admissions, visit aamu.edu/apply. A link to a virtual tour of the campus can be found here. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information in a Birmingham shooting that injured a 5-year-old girl and her mother. Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama planned to formally announce the enhanced reward Saturday during the annual One Heart in the Park at City Walk Birmingham, an event that is part of National Crime Victims Rights Week. Police say that that more than 70 bullets were fired in the April 19 shooting that sent the girl and her mother to the hospital. Investigators said the dozens of rounds were fired from multiple shooters, and they recovered spent shell casings from both handguns and rifles. The gunfire erupted about 8 p.m. that Wednesday in the 3000 block of 29th Avenue North in the citys Collegeville housing community. At the scene, officers found the woman and girl in a front yard suffering from gunshot wounds. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service personnel took the woman to UAB Hospital while the girl was taken to Childrens Hospital. Their injuries were not life-threatening. Authorities said the woman and her daughter were standing outside their apartment when a group of people pulled up in a vehicle and opened fire. Officer Truman Fitzgerald said he believed that apartment was specifically targeted, but several others were also struck. The degree of selfishness and heartlessness to fire that many rounds in a housing community where it is a known fact they are heavily populated with children, we are lucky were not burying another child, he said. The increased reward money comes from the Gun Violence Against Children fund that was created in 2021 when Mayor Randall Woodfin issued a call to action after six children under the age of 10 were shot in the first six months of the year. Those six kids included 2-year-old Major Turner who died Feb. 5, 2021, just hours after someone riddled his Kimbrough Homes apartment with gunfire, striking both Major and his pregnant mother. In June of 2021, Woodfin announced the new initiative with faith-based leaders, Crime Stoppers, the Birmingham Housing Authority and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that they said they hoped would bring the clues needed to arrest the suspects in the many cases of child shootings that happened last year and have continued into this year. Just one week after conception of the idea, $125,000 was raised to launch a special reward fund for child victims so that $25,000 is now being offered for in cases where children are injured or killed. In 2022, police announced an arrest in Majors death, and Crime Stoppers approved a $25,000 cash reward to the person or people who helped provide the information that led to the arrest. Crime Stoppers Chairman Frank Barefield at the time said the reward was the largest approved for payout in the agencys history. We feel that during National Crime Victim Rights Week is the right time to send the message that reckless gun violence against the children of our community will not be tolerated, Barefield said of Saturdays announcement of the latest reward offering. Those responsible for the injury or death of a child will be held accountable for their actions. We hope the reward money increase will enable law enforcement to bring justice to this family. Tips to Crime Stoppers are completely anonymous. Callers are assigned a number, and their names are never known to law enforcement. Tips to Crime Stoppers can be made at 205-254-7777. Several elementary students in Autauga County are recovering from reactions to a potential chemical leak near school grounds on Friday. A chemical truck passed by Pine Level Elementary School as students played outside during physical education class, video footage reviewed by school officials showed. About six minutes later, a group of about 40 students began experiencing facial swelling and watery eyes, said Daniel Boyd, the districts interim superintendent. All of the kids who were sick are doing much better, Boyd told AL.com on Saturday morning. Theyre doing OK. School officials contacted the local emergency management agency and fire department Friday and concluded their investigation Saturday morning, ruling out an off-campus fire as a possible source of exposure. They also confirmed that the playground area and buildings had no presence of poisons or toxins. Based on video review of activity and traffic patterns in the area, the conclusion is that a commercial truck traveling along Highway 31 may have had an accidental chemical leak near the school, and, with yesterdays weather pattern, the wind carried it to the playground, read a statement posted on the schools website Saturday morning. The fire department hosed down all playground equipment, and the campus has been cleared for students to return next week. In its notice Saturday, the school noted a few reports of lingering symptoms and asked parents to consult a doctor if any reactions got worse. District leadership on Friday spoke with the families of the students who had adverse reactions, but Boyd said he wanted to wait to release details to the public until the investigation concluded. Theres really nothing to hide, its just that we cant give them information we dont have, he said. It takes time to test the air and inspect the building and do all those particular things. Below is the full statement from Pine Level Elementary: Thank you for your patience as ACS worked to pull all data sources together for a comprehensive synopsis. Yesterdays incident has been confirmed as environmental by the proper authorities. They later determined the off-campus fire was only releasing carbon dioxide, ruling it out as a possible source of exposure. The playground area and buildings were also confirmed to have no presence of poisons or toxins. Based on video review of activity and traffic patterns in the area, the conclusion is that a commercial truck traveling along Highway 31 may have had an accidental chemical leak near the school, and, with yesterdays weather pattern, the wind carried it to the playground. As an extra precaution, the fire department hosed down all playground equipment, and the campus has been cleared for students to return next week. District leadership has spoken with the families of the students who had adverse reactions, and thankfully the initial symptoms have subsided. There are still only reports of minor reactions to a small population of the groups outdoors during the possible exposure. Common reactions include itching, burning, and stinging eyes, throats, and skin. Parents are encouraged to consult a healthcare provider if any unusual symptoms present this weekend and contact Mrs. Harry to record the exposure. Kim Yo-jong makes a speech during a national meeting on anti-epidemic measures held in Pyongyang, Aug. 10, 2023. Yonhap The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un slammed a new South Korea-U.S. agreement bolstering Washington's nuclear deterrence against North Korean threats, Saturday, saying the allies' plan will only result in "more serious danger." In North Korea's first response to the Washington Declaration adopted during President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the U.S., Kim Yo-jong said that the agreement reflects "the most hostile and aggressive will of action" against the North that will "only result in making peace and security of Northeast Asia and the world be exposed to more serious danger," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Kim's remarks came three days after Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to significantly strengthen Washington's nuclear commitment to South Korea in the new agreement and promised to take "swift, overwhelming, and decisive" action in the event of North Korea's nuclear attack. Under the Washington Declaration, Yoon and Biden agreed to strengthen the U.S. extended deterrence commitment to South Korea through the establishment of a Nuclear Consultative Group and more frequent deployments of U.S. strategic assets to South Korea. Kim, who is known for her influence on inter-Korean affairs in the regime, holding the post of vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, warned that the change in the security environment will only push the North to take "more decisive action." "The more the enemies are dead set on staging nuclear war exercises, and the more nuclear assets they deploy in the vicinity of the Korean peninsula, the stronger the exercise of our right to self-defense will become in direct proportion to them," she was quoted saying in the English-language dispatch. Kim also lashed out at both leaders, lambasting Biden's warning that any nuclear attack against the U.S. or its allies will result in the end of its regime. Saying that Biden was "too miscalculating and irresponsibly brave," Kim painted the warning as "nonsensical remark from the person in his dotage." "It may be taken as a nonsensical remark from the person in his dotage who is not at all capable of taking the responsibility for security and the future of the U.S., an old man with no future, as it is too much for him to serve out two-year remainder of his office term," Kim said. She also took a swipe at Yoon, calling him a "fool" who has "put the security into crisis with his incompetence." "The pipe dream of the U.S. and South Korea will henceforth be faced with the entity of more powerful strength," Kim said. The KCNA report came as Yoon's state visit to the U.S. is underway. (Yonhap) As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prepares to leave the site of the Moody landfill fire, questions loom about the possibility of lingering smoke, harmful chemicals and whether the underground fire might still be burning. The EPA plans to conclude its operations at the site this weekend, more than three months after arriving on the scene in January, when air samples near the fire showed potentially hazardous levels of natural and man-made chemicals. There are no visible flames anymore, but nearby residents continue to complain of smells emanating from the site. They worry that the fire might re-ignite and that they might still be exposed to hazardous chemicals. [Read more: Moody landfill fire timeline show problems before and after the blaze] There is a persistent odor at the landfill and itll probably continue to have an odor until the landfill cools down, Subash Patel, an EPA on-scene coordinator, told AL.com on Friday. How long is that going to take? It could be several more weeks. The slopes of the former Environmental Landfill, Inc disposal area have been covered with dirt and planted with grass to prevent erosion. Richard Harp, a former firefighter who lives just outside the landfill property, said he is also concerned about the possibility of benzene, one such hazardous chemical, reaching his home from the waste that is still smoldering under the new dirt cover. You all need to be aware that this fire is not out and the EPA knew this method of capping it would not put it out, Harp said in a lengthy Facebook post in a group formed for people living near the fire site. This method might be good for a landfill in the middle of nowhere, but it is not good for a landfill surrounded by residential homes. OUR residential homes. Patel told AL.com that the heat from the site is expected to dissipate slowly over time once the fire is deprived of oxygen, but there are no guarantees. We cannot guarantee that it will not ignite again, he said. But were confident that what weve done should resolve the issue. It just needs time to cool. Patel said the EPA took additional air samples from low-laying areas, including on Harps property on April 17 and 18 to check for hazardous substances such as benzene. The results of those tests should be available next week, and Patel said that the EPA will respond if those tests showed elevated levels of hazardous substances. If there are [test results] that exceed our health thresholds, we would definitely have to take some kind of action, Patel said. It would just depend on where it is and what the levels are. How we got here The fire was first reported in November 2022 at the Environmental Landfill, Inc. near the Birmingham suburbs of Moody and Trussville. The landfill was intended to only accept green waste, such as trees and vegetation. However, state inspectors on numerous occasions found unauthorized waste at the site including scrap tires, electronics, chemically treated wood products and household garbage. BEFORE THE FIRE: How Alabama ignored warning signs at the Moody landfill The fire started as a large blaze on Black Friday, November 25, and continued to smolder for months after, blanketing nearby residences with smoke. Emergency responders estimated that the pile of dead trees and other waste was more than 100 feet deep in places. Many locals near the site reported health and breathing problems as well as extensive property damage from the smoke. From November until January, state and local authorities struggled over who had the authority and responsibility to put out the fire. The EPA took over the site in January, agreeing to use contractors it keeps on retainer to extinguish the blaze. 16 EPA responds to Alabama landfill fire Since then, EPA contractors used heavy equipment to grade the site and excavate parts of it before covering the smoldering remains with 2,599 truckloads of dirt from a nearby pit. The best analogy we use is like an oven cooling off after you bake something, Patel said. We dont see any flames or fire, we dont see any visible smoke leaving that site but there is definitely an odor there. Patel said the EPA is now only operating a skeleton crew at the site, consisting of two people and a water truck to watch for hotspots where smoke might exit the ground. One such hotspot was excavated this week, which Patel said consisted of digging down to about four feet deep, spraying water into the hotspot, allowing for it to cool and then covering it again. Whats next? Patel said the EPA expects to withdraw its last personnel at the site by Monday, May 1. AFTER THE FIRE: What Alabama got wrong when battling the landfill blaze After EPA leaves the scene, control of the site would revert back to the control of the property owner, who will also face enforcement actions from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. The owners have primary responsibility of the privately owned site, ADEM External Affairs Chief Lynn Battle told AL.com via email Friday. As stated previously, ADEM has initiated enforcement that will involve future restrictions on the property and is working with county officials on securing the site and managing any residual flare ups, Battle said. Also, ADEM will take additional enforcement action for any unauthorized material placed at the site that it becomes aware of in the future. Battle said the state is still evaluating its response to the fire and what actions can be taken to prevent this situation from occurring again. The working group, established to review the states response to the fire, is in the process of assessing whether changes in laws, regulations and resources are needed and is continuing to accept recommendations and comments from the public, Battle said. Anyone wishing to submit comments to the working group may send an email to moodyworkgroup@adem.alabama.gov. A north Alabama man was convicted Friday of raping a child under 12, incest and other offenses after a Marshall County jury deliberated for only 40 minutes, prosecutors said. Lawson James Lewis Miller, Sr., 44, of Guntersville is set to be sentenced July 31, at which time prosecutors will request a life sentence without the possibility of parole for Miller, said the Marshall County District Attorneys Office. After a three-day trial, the Marshall County jury found Miller sexually abused a family member for nearly two years and beginning before the victim was 12 years old. We are so proud of the victim for having the courage to face this individual and ensure that he is held accountable for his crimes. It is only fitting that todays verdict was returned during National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month, said Marshall County DA Jennifer Bray. Im thankful for all my staffs hard work and dedication to justice this week - this was undoubtedly a team effort. We plan to ask Judge Abel for the maximum sentence. The jury convicted Miller of first-degree rape of a child less than 12, first-degree rape by forcible compulsion and incest after 40 minutes of deliberations, the DAs office said. We appreciate the jurys work this week on what was an extremely difficult case to hear, and I truly admire the bravery of the victim, said Assistant DA Adam Culbert, who prosecuted the case along with Bray. France's Minister of State for Digital Transition and Telecommunications Jean-Noel Barrot, front row third from left, poses with Korea's Vice Minister of SMEs and Startups Cho Ju-hyeon, front row fourth from left, and French Ambassador to Korea Philippe Lefort during the French Tech in Korea event at the ambassador's residence in central Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of SMEs and Startups By Kwon Mee-yoo France's digital economy minister highlighted cooperation between Korean companies and French startups, as both countries share a focus on digital space and telecommunication, during his visit to Korea. Jean-Noel Barrot, France's Minister of State for Digital Transition and Telecommunications, participated in the French Tech in Korea event at the French ambassador's residence in Seoul, Wednesday, emphasizing that "France is back" and saying how France has changed in recent years, becoming a country of startups. "We have lowered taxes, we have softened regulations, we have reformed the labor market. And perhaps more importantly, we have created a new culture of entrepreneurship and startups," the minister said, adding that France now has a record-high number of startups and became one of the most attractive countries in Europe for foreign investment. Barrot also presented France's ambitions for the next decade. "The first objective we have is, after that we've been able to turn France into a startup nation, we want to show that we are able to turn France into a deep tech nation... The second objective is making tech more sustainable and using tech to overcome the challenges ahead from our green transition," he said. "The third objective that we have for tech is to make it more diverse, make sure that we can bring the French society on board and make sure that everyone can benefit from this growth in the tech sector, in particular women who are not enough choosing tech as a career path today... So we need, as a country for justice as well as economic efficiency, to make sure that young girls, women at every point in their life can turn to the tech sector because there are great opportunities and we need them in order to boost our ecosystem." The digital minister believes that France and Korea can benefit from growing together and have many similarities in their cultural identities and innovation traditions. "We have a common view that tech should come with sovereignty, should come with authority and that we have the resources in our own countries to address some of the tech challenge for tomorrow," he said. He added that Korea will be the Country of the Year for the VivaTech 2023, Europe's largest startup and tech event slated for June 14-17 in Paris. French Minister of State for Digital Transition and Telecommunications Jean-Noel Barrot, left, shakes hands with Korean Vice Minister of Science and ICT Park Yun-kyu during their meeting at the French ambassador's residence in central Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Science and ICT In a recent article by Paul Joseph Watson, we are told that a former army psy-ops officer has authored a scathing commentary on the firing of Tucker Carlson. While it is not clear to this or possibly any reader why an army psy-ops officer should have more credibility than anyone else, the article praises Carlson and portrays him as a victim of Democrat malice. This article is a thoughtful assessment of Tuckers important place in the realm of public commentary. Nevertheless, we should be striving for some perspective on the issue of Carlsons termination from Fox News. We have come a long way from Walter Cranky Cronkite, Tom Broken Brokaw, Dan Rather Not, and a few other news pontificators from my younger days. At that time, there were only a few talking heads when compared to todays bombardment of news and views in the public square. During that earlier period reporting had a distinct partisan slant. The commentators were generally center-left or liberal and were post-New Deal Democrat consensus builders. They would not be challenging Pres. Johnsons Great Society as creating dependency and as a giant step towards socialism, but with classic liberal naivete would see the Great Society as merely an extension of American compassion. However, the inherent leftism of our major network newscasters of an earlier era would be revealed by their anti-McCarthyism and their bias against Richard Nixon because of his work on the House Committee on Un-American Activities investigations. (Nixon later would try to redeem himself in the eyes of the liberals by recognizing Communist China and by surrender -- oops I meant pulling out -- of Vietnam. But it was too late. The progressive center had already determined that Nixon -- that right-wing fanatic -- had to go!!) At the same time, the United Nations has over the decades moved from being a defender of rights (in the American and Western tradition) as seen in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1946) to wanting to become the new world government based on the 17 principles of sustainability (and meeting needs) presented in its boring prose in the UN Agenda 2030 (approved unanimously in 2015). Yet, despite its peacekeeping powers and its stated goal of being at least a rudimentary world government by 2030, the UN has said little and done nothing regarding restoring peace in the Russia-Ukraine war. The UN voted in March of 2022 and February of this year against Russian aggression. What a farce for an organization that clearly aspires to be our world government. The UN has shown itself to be a pathetic bystander in this war. Nobody -- left, right, or center -- including Tucker C., seems to be inquiring about that. The verbal gymnastics of the talking heads that have proliferated with the multiplication of TV channels, with the creation of social media, and with communications connecting us with countries around the world has opened the door to mass hypnosis. There are too many articulate, pretty, handsome, and charming persons talking with apparent intelligence for the viewers to be able to discriminate who and to what extent each is telling the truth. Historical facts or the foundational analysis behind the talking heads opinions are rarely discussed and, as Marshall McLuhan noted decades ago -- albeit with more than a little obscurantism -- the medium is the message. We all become passive sluggards listening for those words that sound right to our often uninformed, and sometimes intoxicated brains. Then we say Im a Reid guy or girl or Im a Carlson guy or girl. Their words resonate with us; they trigger a plus or minus response in our brains. Then we defend one or the other of hundreds of possible internet or tv oracles, and believe we have chosen a correct point of view. Actually, we are not working to promote communication nor, ultimately, consensus as we might tell ourselves. Rather, we are participating in what I would call a New Chaos. It is a media and electronic generated chaos in which we are only too happy to take sides. But insofar as every side (expressed point of view) is driven by the speakers desire to get viewers and thereby increase revenues and get fame and riches for oneself, that side is distorted. More than 500 years ago, the father of scientific induction, Sir Francis Bacon, wrote about and criticized the proliferation of opinions claiming to be facts as biases. For Bacon, there were four different types of biases, or what he called idols. The opinions of the talking heads nowadays who call themselves commentators would be examples of idols of the marketplace. Being clever, the present-day idol presenters would admit that the persuasive comments they put forth are only opinions; yet they are offered more authoritatively than opinions to the passive screen watchers. Owing to the fact that they are paid to present those opinions, and have large numbers listening to those opinions, those opinions are pridefully asserted as being more than opinion. Carlson, his supporters, and those who oppose Carlson are all caught up in the matrix. But if we dont take sides in the matrix, we are anti-social nobodies. Its a Catch-22 scenario. In the matrix we are helping one mere opinion to be more authoritative (with an authority that it does not inherently possess) over another mere opinion (that is, deeply subjective yet trying to present itself as objective). If we do not have preferences, then we have relegated ourselves to irrelevancy and being mere unthinking drones. The answer is not to take our preference for one talking head rather than another too seriously, but to remain sufficiently detached by loving the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deuteronomy 6:5). If we take this command from Almighty God seriously, we shall be freed from the binding corruption of the matrix. The only deep question remaining is: what does obedience to Deuteronomy 6:5 entail? E. Jeffrey Ludwig teaches philosophy at a major urban university, and is a guest preacher in various pulpits. Image: Pixabay While still early, this primary season is already turning out to be unlike any other. It is not uncommon to see both parties experience a competitive primary with numerous candidates, however, that usually only occurs when the sitting president is concluding his second term in office, making him ineligible for another election. Yet Biden already has two declared challengers seeking the Democrat nomination. On the Republican side, President Trump is seeking to become only the second president in U.S. history to win a non-consecutive term. Because of that, there are essentially two candidates in the race that, to some extent, hold an incumbency advantage. As always, candidates will attempt to separate themselves from the pack by informing the electorate about the greatest threats facing America, while also trying to convince voters that they have better solutions than their opponents. However, the greatest present threat facing America is unlike any other in history: itself. While this is an inconvenient truth, America was warned about this long before any of us were born when our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, stated: "At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide." If America is to be fundamentally destroyed, it will come from the people within, as opposed to enemies abroad. Furthermore, Lincoln suggests that we must actively work together and remain united and strong as a nation to prevent our demise, or else it will surely happen. This unfortunately sounds like a strikingly realistic possibility at this current time. So yes, the greatest threat to the United States of America right now truly is those within government implementing the destruction we have witnessed for two-plus years, both at home and abroad. To understand this, one must compare previous eras in our history to the current one. From the time Donald Trump announced his candidacy all the way through his first term in the oval office, career politicians and media worked in lockstep, parroting the same talking points. They repeatedly warned that Trump was a threat to American democracy, a maniac who was going to get us into nuclear war, provoke Kim Jong Un, embolden Putin, wreck our economy and become a tyrant. Everybody would agree that if those things were to occur, whoever presided over such destruction would undeniably be the greatest threat to a nation, and that includes foreign threats. Those things did not occur under Trump, but interestingly enough, many of the people warning about the dangers of Trump are now in power, and as a result, their warnings are coming to fruition under their own tenure. In 2019, Kim Jong Un welcomed a sitting U.S. president onto North Korean soil for the first time in history. Kim agreed to work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Fast forward to the present day and Kim has begun to increase North Korean nuclear capabilities, just a few short years removed from a promising period of peace. The key change between then and now? American leadership. Putin has been emboldened, but by whom? Prior to this administration, Americans constantly heard about the Russian president. However, much of that coverage concerned the now-debunked Trump-Russia collusion narrative, as opposed to issues of substance. In fact, as the collusion story dominated the news, the U.S. was hitting Putin hard by upholding previously imposed sanctions and placing additional ones that prevented U.S. banks from making loans or issuing credits to the Russian government after their role in a near-fatal poisoning was revealed. But recently, likely after seeing American weakness on full display abroad, Putin resumed expansion efforts by invading Ukraine after a rare hiatus from 2017-2021. The key change between then and now? American leadership. Tyranny is a universal threat to any country. Tyrants are cruel and oppressive rulers who use their power to strip individual liberties from citizens and make their lives worse in all areas, including financially. By that definition, America is currently under tyrannical rule. While the previous administration protected religious liberty, free speech on college campuses, granted farmers financial freedom during a trade war, created a middle-class-benefitting economy, and further lightened the burden on the middle class by repealing the unconstitutional individual mandate portion of Obamacare, the current administration is a stark contrast. America has recently witnessed an assault on freedom of speech, watched the White House send condolences to the trans community after one of its members murdered innocent children at a Christian school, and learned of a proposed tax plan that would hurt the finances of millions of Americans by adding four trillion dollars in new taxes. But perhaps most indicative of a threat from within, this administration has ushered in a period of unprecedented domestic chaos by attempting to forcefully vaccinate citizens, prioritize DEI over equality and common sense, and crater military enlistment by promoting wokeness. Every administration presides over some level of disagreement on issues amongst the general public, but nothing compares to the confusion they are causing young American children to endure, especially during such a crucial time in life for a childs development. All these problems will have a devastating impact on Americas long-term future if not stopped dead in their tracks. Damage to the state of the country since the current administration took power has occurred at such an alarming rate that even the most pessimistic citizen has a hard time coming to terms with what they are witnessing. This is not to say threats outside of the U.S. are nonexistent by any means. However, when America had strong leadership in power, those threats were only potential, now they are active. If after being previously restrained, our present threats only acted following changes in our government, the greatest threat truly is those in power that allow these crises to occur. As this election cycle unfolds, it will be important to note which candidates grasp this. And looking to better days, when governmental authority returns to righteous leadership, we will quickly see once again that the active foreign threats currently facing America will return to dormant ones. Matt Kane is a writer who graduated from Stony Brook University with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. Follow on Truth Social: @MattKane Imgae: PxFuel Big Media never tires of repeating two enormous lies -- their versions of Joe McCarthys investigations and the Watergate Scandal. The latter gets another bad history treatment this May with HBOs White House Plumbers. Back then, there was no effective broadcast opposition to dispute the falsehoods. Luckily talk radio and the internet came along and changed things. Just ask Hunter Biden. The Watergate break-in and cover-up was the result of the disastrous interaction of John Dean with the CIA. This is demonstrated by mounds of evidence uncovered by writers starting with Jim Hougans in Secret Agenda. Watergate, Deep Throat, and the CIA, and proven in open court with a series of John Dean-Gordon Liddy lawsuits that ended in complete victory 20 years ago in Wells v. Liddy. Thats not in any way to excuse the many stupid things Richard Nixon and his cronies did. But Nixon was at best a peripheral figure. Then as now, D.C. is a rigged town, with very different rules for Republicans as against Democrats. The Watergate story really begins in 1969, when Nixon took office. The FBI and the CIA let it be known they would not do the black-bag jobs and political capers, they formerly did for the Kennedys and LBJ. The CIA however, and the Pentagon separately, did not trust Nixon and had quietly organized their own spy operations against him. Enter White House Counsel, John Ehrlichman, Air Force hero of WWII and wealthy Seattle zoning lawyer, but a man totally ill-suited for the sensitive post he was given. He assembled, with Nixons permission, a White House investigative team, who other than Gordon Liddy, were actually part of the CIA spy team. James Rosen thinks Hunt, McCord and others were trying to infiltrate Nixons circle before the 1968 campaign even began. These White House Plumbers carried out the break-in of Daniel Ellsbergs psychiatrist office, on the hunch that Ellsberg was a Soviet agent, as opposed to just being a world-class jerk. When Ehrlichman moved on, John Dean got to be White House counsel, thanks to his connections to the Goldwater family. Dean needed government employment because he was fired from his law firm a few years earlier for betraying client information. Ever ambitious and ruthless, he saw Ehrlichmans investigative team, many of whom had moved over to work for Nixons campaign, as his ticket to bigger things. He set his private investigators looking into Xaviera Hollander's black book. But she had as many Republican clients as Democrats. Then he looked into the operation Heidi Rikan was running right there next to the Watergate at the Columbia Plaza. Rikan was roommates with Mo Biner, the gal Dean would later marry. Easily manipulating Nixons deputy campaign manager, the squishy Jeb Magruder, Dean got him to push a bugging operation into the Watergate offices of the DNC -- Heidis biggest customer contact. But unknown to Dean, this wasnt any ordinary high-dollar D.C. brothel. It was an actual CIA honeytrap. Robert Maheu, one-time Howard Hughes executive and the real-life inspiration for Jim Phelps of Mission Impossible, would often set these up for the agency during his time there. At Deans urging, Magruder and Liddy came up with a massive spying plan for the 1972 election, called Gemstone, which John Mitchell, the campaign manager, soundly rejected. Magruder came back to Liddy, claiming it was approved. Hunts team, including James McCord, ex-CIA, and Alfred Baldwin, McCords ex-FBI friend, began bugging the DNC offices. Rather than just target DNC chief Larry OBrien though, they went after the secretary of an obscure DNC official, Spencer Oliver. It turned out that the secretary, Ida Wells, was the call-girl arranger. The Watergate grand jury heard all about this, and no surprise, the contents of Wells conversations are still sealed. Not coincidentally, Olivers dad was a private investigator who worked at Robert Mullen & Co., a CIA front connected to Howard Hughes, and also the daytime employer of Howard Hunt. While all this was going on, Hunt and the younger Oliver even discussed putting in a bid to buy Mullen. The first set of DNC bugs was placed May 28, 1972, and notes and transcripts made of conversations by Baldwin across the street in Howard Johnsons. Liddy began to think he was being duped when McCord told him they somehow could not record the telephone calls they were hearing. CIA people doubtlessly were told to sabotage the operation. Magruder insisted the team go back in. The timing was bizarre. Nothing was happening at the DNC. But newspapers reported on June 10, Heidis lawyer, Phillip Bailey, was arrested on unrelated prostitution charges with implications to White House employee connections. This panicked Dean, who met with the federal prosecutors to insist they bury Bailey, who was sent to an insane asylum. Eager to cover his tracks, Dean then had Magruder do the June 17 DNC break-in to see what Oliver and the Democrats might know about him. The burglary was bungled by McCord, who kept disappearing that night to confer with his employee, the disgraced former FBI man, Lou Russell. McCord dragged out the operation and left so many clues it was impossible the burglars would not be caught. Russell, you might guess, was also the security man for Heidis Columbia Plaza brothel, and he was apparently looking to get paid by everybody on both sides. First working for Ted Kennedys private eye, Carmine Bellino, then in the summer of 1973, ready to appear for George Bush, the new RNC head, to blow the lid off Watergate. Sadly, he died mysteriously before Bushs scheduled news conference. The HBO series wont tell you any of this, but its easy enough to find out. I would recommend Phil Stanfords more recent White House Call Girl, which is an excellent introduction to the disaster, but also has a huge amount of new details about Heidi Rikan and the Deans. This is the real story of Watergate. It would be incredibly entertaining to have a movie made based on this book; the nasty, sexy, funny truth about Washington, D.C. and how it really worked then and does, to a great extent, now. But we only get the HBO series with Liddy and Hunt as a Deep State Laurel and Hardy. Too bad. Maybe somebody could option Mo Biner Deans 1980s potboiler novel Washington Wives, ghostwritten with Lucianne Goldberg, (D.C. really is a small town), the story of a slutty young woman from the wrong side of the tracks, who comes to Washington and is befriended by another woman who runs an international espionage/blackmail operation using a call girl ring at a famous D.C. hotel. Wonder where she ever got such an idea? Frank Friday is an attorney in Louisville, KY. Image: National Archives President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers an address at Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Mass., Friday (local time). Yonhap President opens door at arming Ukraine, hails Washington Declaration By Nam Hyun-woo BOSTON President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned attempts to change the global status quo by force during an address at Harvard University, Friday (local time), citing North Korea's nuclear program and Russia's aggression in Ukraine as examples. In the following question and answer session, Yoon dropped hints that South Korea may consider "various options" in supporting Ukraine, depending on the progress of the war. He also highlighted his firm belief in the Washington Declaration, which he signed with U.S. President Joe Biden two days ago that allows Seoul to have a greater say in Washington's nuclear planning against North Korea's threats. "Disrespecting the freedom of others and of other countries is often manifested in attempts to change the status quo by force, and the international community, defines this as a violation of international law," Yoon said. "Against this attempt to change the status quo by force, which infringes other countries' freedom, international society should respond with courageous and strong solidarity." He went on condemn the war in Ukraine as an example. "The invasion of Ukraine has lasted for over a year, trampling on the freedom and human rights of Ukrainian citizens by violating international law," he said without specifying Russia. "South Korea continues to expand its humanitarian and financial support to protect the freedom of Ukrainian citizens, as it did last year." Yoon said the international community should respond with solidarity so that it can prove that such an attempt cannot succeed and prevent anyone from dreaming of such attempts in the future. During questions after his address, Yoon again stressed that the "invasion of Ukraine was a blatant violation of international law," and Seoul would discuss and adjust its support for Ukraine with the U.S. and other members of the international community. "We are closely monitoring the developments in Ukraine, and depending on the situation, we will make efforts with international society to have international rules and laws be complied with," Yoon said. "And there could be various options for that." Yoon made similar remarks in a previous media interview, implying that Seoul may provide arms to Ukraine depending on situation, which is a major shift from its previous stance of not providing weapons to the war-torn country. In response, Russia threatened that it may provide military aid to North Korea. President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks with Joseph Nye, Harvard University distinguished service professor emeritus, during his visit to the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Mass., Friday (local time). Yonhap This week Joe Biden touted a laundry list of immigration carrots and sticks intended to disincentivize illegal immigration at the southern border now that he's lifting the sparsely enforced Title 42 restrictions on May 11. They were mostly carrots. The New York Times called them a "new back door on immigration," and explained that its permissiveness went well beyond the lawful congressional parameters for the admission of immigrants. The response? More migrants at the border than ever. They're massing now in record numbers. Call it 5/11. According to Steve Bannon's War Room (hat tip: GatewayPundit): Steve Bannon: We had a Congressman, Andy Biggs, who sat here and said he just got off a conference call with certain executives in Big Counties on the border in Arizona, and they were telling him they had just had a briefing by Border Patrol who said along the Southern border of the United States, theres 700,000 to a million illegal aliens prepared, when Title 42 comes off, theyre basically prepared, he said, to storm the gates. And the Border Patrol is not prepared for it. The Biden regime is not prepared for this. This Title 42 that comes off is going to be something. And of course, the mainstream media will not cover this. Ben Berqguam: Im over here in Matamoros, Steve. Im right on the Mexico side of the border. Anthony is on the other side in Brownsville. We were reporting from there yesterday. Im actually in that camp we were in about a month ago and it has grown probably doubled or tripled what it was then. It had over 1000 then. It has more than that now. And whats happening is, as they come in, theyre just going across. We have 2000 people a day crossing here Its just an absolute joke. And this is before Title 42 goes away. They are lining up, they are mobilizing, and its going to be a mass invasion when that goes away. That sounds extreme, but it's based on local Border Patrol reports and there are confirming reports of very large numbers of migrants massing at the borders from the local presses and some media outlets: Bill Melugin at Fox News has considerable photo evidence of a migrant surge in his tweets, too. According to Biggs: "The cartels have planned to overwhelm the system. ... They do not have enough resources to detain ... They're going to just take pictures, they're not going to do full-on processing ... they;re going to release them right into the local communities at the border It will be unlike anything we have ever seen, unlike the Haitians under the bridge in Del Rio where you had 28,000 come in over the course of three days. Basically the word the locals are getting ... they were actually told by local CBP officials 'I'm sorry you're screwed.' They live in these communities... It's going to be overwhelming, Steve." So based on Biden's weak enforcement and continuous admission and "parole" for all economic migrants with very little education, few skills, and zero knowledge of English, other than the training from NGOs they've had which has instructed them to say 'asylum,' in they come to America. Joe Biden's roundheeled 'asylum officers' will call all claims "credible fears of persecution" even if the only problem is living in a gang-infested neighborhood, with family members in gangs contributing to it. With that arrangement, they will all be entitled to live and work here as refugees and asylum seekers, waiting ten years for a court date and working away in the meantime, paying zero to apply for it, and likely to treat that free admission for exactly the price they paid for it. What's vivid here is that Biden has expanded so-called legal pathways to immigration -- taking 30,000 Venezuelans, Nicaraguans and Cubans a month -- that's 1,000 a day, expanding CBPOne mobile app applications for Mexicans and Central Americans, allowing generous family reunion passes for Central Americans which will include work authorization, even if those "families" are not here legally, doubling the number of "refugees" allowed in, which comes with a host of benefits, and setting up migrant regional processing centers in places like Colombia and Ecuador to spare migrants the cost and bother of travel to the border yet still getting in well outside legal channels. Meanwhile, the supposed "stick" of a five-year bar to U.S. entry for illegal crossers is a joke, too, as all illegal border crossers will be allowed to appeal, meaning, they will be able to stay in the states as they wait for a judge to hear their claim. Yet with so many loopholes permitting entry, all to prevent those photos of migrants massing at the border, the migrants aren't taking them. They know that if they enter, they will be let in. If they are let in and told to go back, they won't be deported. Why bother with any of those legal pathways when the border's effectively open? None of these people want to go through a legal process -- they want in now, and their housing and U.S. citizenship handed to them. That's the culmination of Biden's open borders policy, which not even easy incentives to migrate in a semi-legal way are holding sway over. That signals a huge mess again, with tremendous costs for the U.S. -- and full laughingstock status in other parts of the world. Unless the U.S. commits to removing every illegal border crosser, and warns migrants that the loopholes are gone, and that if they're here illegally it doesn't matter when they arrived or how many U.S. kids they have, they aren't going to pay attention to any carrots. The damage is done. The Bidenites are now effectively reaping the consequences of their Swiss-cheese open border and the result will be a flood. Image: Twitter screen shot Just yesterday Breitbart News reported that eight House Republicans joined the Democrats to support Joe Bidens suspension of United States tariffs on suspected Chinese-manufactured solar panels. Last 2022, Biden announced a 24-month suspension of tariffs on solar panel imports from Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. The suspension came despite Bidens Commerce Department official's discovery that the solar panels in question were actually manufactured in China. The China-based BYD based in Hong Kong is said to have rerouted its products through Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam for the sole purpose of evading the tariffs. Biden being soft on China should come not to be a surprise to anyone. The president of the watchdog Government Accountability Institute, Peter Schweizer, revealed that in 2013 Hunter and Joe flew on Air Force Two to China two weeks before Hunters firm inked a $1.5 billion deal with the CCP operated Bank of China. Schweizer exposed numerous lucrative shady deals that benefited the Biden family and Hunters businesses, where Joe appeared to have a ten percent stake in a company formed in partnership with top CCP officials. We must also remember that Joe Bidens Washington think tank, the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, received more than $54 million from individuals or entities linked to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) from 2014 to 2019. It would not be beyond the realm of possibility that the attempt to waive tariffs happened with Bidens knowledge that solar panels were made in China but were re-routed to other countries to evade tariffs. It is important that the names of the eight House Republicans who backed Bidens attempted tariff waivers be known and remembered. Five among these Republicans happen to be from New York; the rest are from Utah, Kentucky, and Iowa Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) Rep. Anthony DEsposito (R-NY) Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) Rep. Nicholas LaLota (R-NY) Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) Rep. Marcus Molinaro (R-NY) Fortunately, not all House Republicans are of this kind. Just yesterday, 209 House Republicans and 12 Democrats passed a resolution to reverse Bidens tariff suspension. Groups representing American manufacturers praised the passage of the resolution. As expected, Joe Biden, or perhaps more accurately Biden's handlers, have vowed to veto the resolution if it passes the Democrat-controlled Senate, claiming the tariff suspension is necessary to fight -- you guessed right -- the climate crisis. It's amazing that Biden's handlers could not come up with a better excuse. Now let's look at the bigger picture. A study by The Economic Policy Institute (EPI), which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank, revealed the following Growing trade deficits with China are the largest single cause of growing manufacturing trade deficits and jobs losses. Between 2001, when China entered the World Trade Organization (WTO), and 2018, growing U.S.China trade deficits eliminated 3.7 million total U.S. jobs, including 2.8 million jobs lost in manufacturing alone. Although the U.S. trade deficit with China fell by $34.4 million (10.0%) in 2020, Chinas total trade surplus with the world increased by 27% in 2020 to $535 billion, driven by surging exports of medical supplies and electronic goods. The EPI study revealed that China is evading U.S. trade restrictions and tariffs by shipping products through other countries. In 1985, before China entered the World Trade Organization (WTO), the U.S. trade deficit with China totaled $6 billion. In 2019, the U.S. trade deficit with China totaled more than $345 billion. This rapidly escalating U.S. trade deficit has caused a once- vibrant US manufacturing sector to look like a graveyard. The primary group affected by this is working-class Americans. The Democrats, who claim to be the sole custodians of compassion and empathy for the downtrodden, once again proved their hypocrisy. None were concerned or affected by the damages they caused. The destruction of the US manufacturing sector was the destruction of the lives and dreams of US workers and their families who are the backbone of the US economy who made the nation the economic superpower it is. It is not that the Democrats or the Republicans in D.C. didnt understand what they were doing they just didnt care and more importantly, they may be benefiting pecuniarily via quid pro deals. Washington, D.C. has had a convenient arrangement: power was transferred from a Republican George H. W. Bush to a Democrat Bill Clinton to a Republican George W. Bush to Democrat Barack Obama. Both parties used social issues such as gay marriage and abortion to deceive the people into thinking that they were different, but when it came to key issues such as enabling China and disabling the US manufacturing sector, they all stood together. Donald Trump was the only US President who actually used the USs advantage as a market to bring some kind of leveling and fairness in the playing field. The tariffs imposed on foreign goods by President Trump resulted in a form resurgence for the manufacturing sector in the US. Trumps trade war with China began in 2018, when he applied tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese-made goods. He also imposed duties on more items after Beijing retaliated with tariffs on some American-made products. At the beginning of 2020, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping came to an agreement, signing whats known as the Phase One agreement. China agreed to increase its purchases of US goods and agricultural products setting an ambitious target of buying $200 billion more than it did before the trade war began; in exchange there was an agreement to reduce the tariff. Studies revealed that tariffs on nearly all foreign imports would create about ten million American jobs while boosting domestic output. If the election had been fair and Trump had won the second term, Trump would have made significant gains for the US manufacturing sector. Perhaps he still can from January 2025. Back to the House Republicans who side with the Democrats to go soft on China. It is said that an unreliable ally is much worse than a sworn enemy. You expect the enemy to act against your interests, but the real damage occurs when you the ally depended upon joining your adversary for personal gains and stabs you in the back. Beyond the loss, the treachery is both shocking and unforgivable. Perhaps House Speaker Kevin McCarthy who, has shown great promise during his tenure so far, will reprimand his colleagues and discipline them. Photo credit: rawpixel.com public domain We are a divided country. Nothing shows our divisions more than our attitudes on parental rights. I found this editorial at the Washington Examiner interesting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this February released its Youth Risk Behavior Survey, covering the years 2011-2021. The data were alarming. Almost 3 of every 5 teenage girls reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless in 2021, and nearly a third of them said they had considered suicide, up 60% from a decade ago The two main political parties have vastly different diagnoses of the problem For Democrats, the cause of this mental health crisis is conservatives' failure to accept nonconventional gender identities among the younger generation Democrats increasingly want to tackle the problem by empowering professional caregivers to take this growing young population away from their parents and give them the healthcare treatment they think best Democrats are thus clear about the source of the problem and the solution. They say the problem is the family. They want mental health professionals, using state power, to do things to minor children that their parents would not approve of. Their solution is to save your children from... you. Republicans have a different diagnosis and a different solution. Republican-controlled states such as Utah and Texas recognize that the use of social media on mobile devices has exploded at exactly the same time that depression has been rising, especially among girls In response, Republican state governments are empowering parents over the objections of Big Tech corporations The contrast between blue and red states on rising youth mental health problems could not be clearer. Blue states' solutions move to weaken family ties and empower government. Red states are moving to weaken corporations and empower families. Last, but not least, states with school choice will have another reason to attract families to their zip codes. The more traditional the family, the more likely that you will look for an environment that is parent friendly rather than wants bureaucrats to raise your children. P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. Image: RawPixel.com What else is the greenie climate left up to, besides trying to remove the word 'natural' from natural gas? Something equally irrelevant. They've smeared red paint on the glass case holding Edgar Degas's famous sculpture, "The Little Dancer Aged 14." Seems a fake, false, flawed philosophy has led to some irrational expressions to promote it -- by middle-aged toddlers. According to the Daily Beast: Protesters smeared the display case holding Edgar Degas famed sculpture Little Dancer Aged Fourteen at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, video circulating on social media shows. The climate group behind the demonstration, Declare Emergency, identified the protesters as Joanna Smith, 53, and Tim Martin, 54, according to The Washington Post. Before being handcuffed and led out of the gallery by police, Smith and Martin wiped red and black paint across the sculptures case and pedestal, and then sat down in front of it. The Earth is beautiful, and were destroying it with climate change, Smith said. The gallery holding Little Dancer was subsequently closed, and the statue itself removed so a conservation team could assess potential damage. Kaywin Feldman, the National Gallerys director, unequivocally condemned the action in a video statement. It marked the latest in a series of similar stunts by climate activists targeting famous works of art around the world in recent months, including a case where a protester glued his head to Girl With a Pearl Earring last October. Protesters smeared paint on the case and pedestal of Edgar Degass Little Dancer Aged Fourteen sculpture in the National Gallery of Art in D.C. to bring attention to the climate crisis and demand that President Biden declare a climate emergency. https://t.co/FWiuFqJzId pic.twitter.com/8AQkeIWlQH The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 27, 2023 Cripes, look how old they are. These aren't the acts of impulsive kids egged on by their wokester professors anymore. Increasingly, they are people in their 40s and 50s doing these stunts for attention. They've also flung tomato soup onto Vincent Van Gogh's famed 'Sunflowers,' smeared mashed potatoes on Claude Monet's famous 'Grainstacks," glued their hands to the base of the Vatican Museum's ancient 'Laocoon' sculpture, damaged with their dirty shoeprints the famed Nazca Lines of Inca Peru, vandalized John Constable's famed 'Hay Wain' and glued themselves to it besides, glued their hands to the glass windows protecting Sandro Botticelli's 'Primavera, threw an unidentified liquid onto Jan Vermeer's famed 'Girl with a Pearl Earring,' gluing themselves to that, too, threw flour onto an Andy Warhol, threw a "black oily, liquid" onto Gustav Klimt's "Life and Death" painting, taped themselves to Goya's two Maja masterpieces, threw maple syrup onto an Emily Carr landscape, threw fake blood onto Henri Toulouse-Lautrec's "Clown," glued themselves again to Edvard Munch's "The Scream," and much more. Like locusts, they come and go and there doesn't seem much will to stop them. Now it's the child's turn, a new take on the general anti-humanism of these radicals -- the great sculpture of the exquisitely rendered "little dancer" got the paint treatment, and still all these greenie losers face is a slap on the wrist. Anyone who knows the personality of Degas knows he wouldn't have liked that. He was a meticulous French realist, whose time of fame coincided with the impressionists (though he didn't like being characterized as one), and he didn't put up with crap from fools. One can only wish for the spirit of Degas to come out of such a masterwork like a genie and bite these overgrown toddlers on the butts. In the absence of that, it's time for the West that conserves Degas's masterworks to honor Degas's intentions. Image: Twitter screen shot As Fox News moves leftward, CNN, the sick man of cable news, just aired a segment that would hearten any alienated FNC viewers that happened to catch it. Is this a portent of things to come? The New York Post reports on the confrontation that must have shocked Randi Weingarten, the head of the AFT who this past week falsely claimed to a congressional committee that she had fought every day to reopen schools, when, in fact, she and her union were the major force keeping them closed. A paid CNN commentator, Scott Jennngs, delivered the truth bomb. CNN political commentator Scott Jennings accused American Federation of Teachers union boss Randi Weingarten of having no remorse for the damage done by lengthy pandemic-era school closures during a heated discussion Thursday night. Jennings pilloried Weingarten, an influential union leader and Biden administration ally, a day after she defended her involvement in the controversial school lockdowns during a contentious hearing on Capitol Hill. We dont know each other, but speaking on behalf of millions of American parents I have four at home, I had to teach them at home, my wife had to teach them at home I am stunned at what you have said this week about your claiming to have wanted to reopen schools, Jennings said during the segment, according to a recording from Mediaite. I think youll find that most parents believe you were the tip of the spear of school closures, Jennings continued. There are numerous statements you made over the summer of 20 scaring people to death about the possibility of opening schools, and I hear no remorse whatsoever about the generational damage thats been done to these kids. I have two kids with learning differences. The look on Weingartens face reveals pain, if not shame, at being so exposed for her harm to the nations children. Rumble video screengrab Watch the pillorying here: Crown shyness or canopy disengagement is a phenomenon observed in some tree species in which the crowns of neighboring trees of similar height do not touch each other, but are separated by a gap. This forms a persistent and striking border around individual crowns that are visible from the ground. The phenomenon is most prevalent among trees of same species, but also occurs between trees of different species The phenomenon of crown shyness has been discussed in scientific literature since the 1920s, but what causes it is not fully understood. One theory suggests that this empty space around the crown might be caused by breakage of twigs and branches from violent collision that happens during storms and high winds. Experiments show that if trees with crown shyness are artificially prevented from swaying and colliding in the wind, they gradually fill in the empty space in the canopy. Crown shyness in Dryobalanops aromatica (Kapur trees) in Forest Research Center - Kuala Lumpur. Photo credit Researchers have also found that crown shyness is absent when the trees are young and short, but develop later once the trees grow in height and are able to sway in the wind. Trees with slender trunks have relatively small crowns because of their lesser ability to resist deflection in wind. They therefore sway widely in wind and are more likely to collide with neighbors. One Malaysian scholar who studied Dryobalanops aromatica, however, found no evidence of abrasions due to contact in that tree. He suggested that the growing tips were sensitive to light levels and stopped growing when nearing the adjacent foliage. Some suggest that trees exhibit this phenomenon to prevent leaf-eating insect larvae from spreading. One of the handful of places where you can see the crown shyness phenomenon is the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur. All the pictures accompanying this article were taken there. Photo credit Photo credit Photo credit Photo credit Photo credit Sources: Mechanical Abrasion and Intercrown Spacing / Crown shyness in maturing boreal forest stands / Wikipedia via TYWKIWDBI Samsung is pushing the One UI 5.1 update to the Galaxy A14 5G in the US. The rollout began recently for users on Verizons network. The company should cover eligible units on all carriers across the nation over the next few days. The update also brings the April 2023 Android security patch. Samsung launched the Galaxy A14 5G in January this year. It was the first Galaxy device to arrive in the US in 2023. The budget smartphone came running Android 13-based One UI 5.0 out of the box. One UI 5.1 wasnt ready back then as it debuted with the Galaxy S23 series in February. Over the past couple of months, Samsung has pushed One UI 5.1 to several dozen Galaxy smartphones and tablets around the world. The Galaxy A14 5G started picking up the new One UI version in March. Following the initial release in a handful of Asian countries, the company expanded the rollout to Europe and other regions earlier this month. It has now reached the US as well. The One UI 5.1 update for the Galaxy A14 5G on Verizons network comes with the firmware build number A146USQU2BWD4, SammyFans reports. Users on other networks should also get this release with a similar build number. More importantly, your phone will pick up a host of goodies with this update. Among those are a new Shared Family Album in Gallery, new gestures for minimizing or maximizing windows, enhanced modes and routines, activity-based wallpapers, dynamic widgets, and smart suggestions. Advertisement On top of these goodies, the Galaxy A14 5G is also gaining this months security patches. Samsung says the April SMR (Security Maintenance Release) contains fixes for more than 70 vulnerabilities. At least five of those are critical flaws. The company has already released the May security patch but the Galaxy A14 5G may not get it. This budget phone is only eligible for quarterly security updates. The company will skip a few releases and update it once every three months or so. Security updates will come at least until January 2027, though. Galaxy A14 5G will also get Android 14 and Android 15 Along with four years of security updates, Samsung also promises two major Android OS updates for the Galaxy A14 5G. That means it will receive Android 14 and Android 15, along with the companys latest One UI skin. Android 14 will bring One UI 6.0 and may start rolling at the fag end of this year or early next year. We will keep you posted. Discover the top 5 security breaches in recent history and learn how they happened, who was affected, and what lessons we can learn from them. From the Equifax data breach to the Yahoo hack, stay informed about the biggest cyber attacks that have impacted individuals and businesses worldwide. These security breaches serve as a stark reminder of the importance of taking cybersecurity seriously. Whether youre an individual or an organization, its crucial to take steps to protect yourself from potential threats. By staying informed about past attacks and understanding how they happened, you can better prepare yourself for the future. From implementing strong passwords to regularly updating your software, there are many practical steps you can take to safeguard your digital assets. So dont wait until its too late start taking cybersecurity seriously today. Five Of The Most Notable Security Breaches In Recent History Here are the most significant security Breaches in history. Advertisement Equifax (2017) In 2017, credit reporting agency Equifax suffered a massive data breach that exposed the personal information of over 147 million people. The breach occurred due to a vulnerability in Equifaxs website software, which allowed hackers to access names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and other sensitive information. Yahoo (2013-2014) In 2013 and 2014, Yahoo suffered two massive data breaches that exposed the personal information of all 3 billion Yahoo user accounts. The breaches included names, email addresses, dates of birth, and encrypted passwords, as well as security questions and answers that could be used to access other accounts. Target (2013) In 2013, retail giant Target suffered a data breach that exposed the credit and debit card information of over 40 million customers. The breach occurred due to a vulnerability in Targets payment system, which allowed hackers to steal card data at the point of sale. Marriott International (2018) In 2018, Marriott International suffered a data breach that exposed the personal information of up to 500 million guests. The breach occurred due to a vulnerability in the hotel chains Starwood guest reservation database, which included names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, passport numbers, and other sensitive information. Advertisement Sony Pictures (2014) In 2014, Sony Pictures suffered a cyber attack that exposed the personal information of thousands of employees and leaked sensitive emails and other confidential information. The attack was believed to be carried out by a group of hackers backed by the North Korean government in retaliation for the studios production of the film The Interview. What Kind Of Information Is Typically Stolen During A Security Breach? During Security Breaches, different types of information can be stolen depending on the target and the attackers goals. Some common types of information that can be stolen during a security breach include personally identifiable information (PII) such as names, addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, and email addresses. Other sensitive information that can be targeted includes financial data, credit card numbers, and bank account details. In some cases, hackers may also target login credentials such as usernames and passwords, which can be used to access online accounts or even entire networks. Intellectual property such as trade secrets, product designs, and customer data can also be targeted during a security breach, especially in industries such as technology, healthcare, and finance. In some cases, attackers may seek to install malware or other types of malicious software that can provide them with ongoing access to a compromised system or network. How Can Businesses Protect Themselves From Security Breaches? Implement strong passwords: Use complex passwords that are difficult to guess and change them regularly. Use complex passwords that are difficult to guess and change them regularly. Conduct regular security assessments: Regularly assess the security of your network and systems to identify vulnerabilities and address them proactively. Regularly assess the security of your network and systems to identify vulnerabilities and address them proactively. Install anti-malware software: Install anti-malware software to detect and prevent malware infections. Install anti-malware software to detect and prevent malware infections. Use firewalls: Install firewalls to protect your network from unauthorized access. Install firewalls to protect your network from unauthorized access. Educate employees: Train your employees on how to identify and avoid phishing scams and other social engineering attacks. Train your employees on how to identify and avoid phishing scams and other social engineering attacks. Implement access controls: Implement access controls to restrict access to sensitive data and systems to only authorized personnel. Implement access controls to restrict access to sensitive data and systems to only authorized personnel. Keep software up-to-date: Ensure that all software is up-to-date with the latest security patches. Ensure that all software is up-to-date with the latest security patches. Backup data: Regularly back up data to ensure that it can be recovered in the event of a security breach. Regularly back up data to ensure that it can be recovered in the event of a security breach. Use encryption: Use encryption to protect sensitive data both in transit and at rest. By implementing these measures, businesses can significantly reduce the risk of a security breach and protect their sensitive information. Advertisement What Are The Legal Consequences Of A Security Breach? The legal consequences of a Security Breaches depend on various factors such as the nature and extent of the breach, the type of data that was compromised, and the jurisdiction in which the breach occurred. In some cases, a security breach may violate data protection laws and regulations, leading to fines, penalties, and legal action. For example, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union imposes significant fines for data breaches. Additionally, some countries have data breach notification laws that require companies to notify affected individuals and regulatory authorities in case of a breach. Apart from legal consequences, a security breach can also have a significant impact on a companys reputation and brand image. Consumers may lose trust in the company, leading to a decline in sales and revenue. Therefore, it is essential for businesses to implement robust security measures to prevent breaches and mitigate the consequences in case of an incident. How Can Companies Regain The Trust Of Their Customers After A Security Breach? When a company experiences a security breach, it not only affects its finances and reputation but also erodes the trust of its customers. To regain that trust, companies need to take responsibility for the breach, provide transparency, and take proactive steps to prevent future breaches. Advertisement One way to regain trust is to offer credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to customers affected by the breach. Companies should also be transparent about the steps theyre taking to prevent future breaches, such as investing in better security protocols, conducting regular security audits, and hiring external security experts. Another important step is to communicate with customers in a timely and clear manner. Companies should provide regular updates about the breach, the steps being taken to address it, and any compensation or remediation being offered to affected customers. In addition, if you are searching for a safe and secure VPN so you can try this ExpressVPN Warzone deal it is the best offer and is budget friendly and this deal is especially for Call of Duty: Warzone. Advertisement What Are The Financial Costs Of A Security Breach? Security breaches can result in significant financial costs for businesses. These costs can include direct expenses, such as the cost of repairing systems and networks, paying for forensic investigations, and providing identity theft protection services to affected customers. In addition, there may be indirect costs such as lost revenue due to decreased customer trust, damage to brand reputation, and legal fees. The cost of a security breach can vary depending on the severity of the breach, the amount and type of data compromised, and the size of the affected organization. According to a report by IBM, the average cost of a data breach in 2021 was $4.24 million. This represents a significant increase from previous years and underscores the importance of investing in cybersecurity measures to prevent breaches from occurring. Small businesses may also be at risk, as they may not have the same level of resources to invest in cybersecurity as larger organizations. How Can Companies Prepare For A Potential Security Breach? Companies can take several steps to prepare for a potential security breach, including: Advertisement Conducting regular security audits and risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities in their systems. Establishing a comprehensive incident response plan that outlines the steps to take in case of a breach, including who to notify and how to communicate with customers. Implementing strong access controls, including multi-factor authentication and role-based permissions, to limit the number of people who can access sensitive data. Providing regular cybersecurity training to employees, including how to identify phishing emails and other common tactics used by hackers. Regularly updating software and security systems to address any known vulnerabilities. Backing up important data to an offsite location to ensure that it can be recovered in case of a breach. By taking these steps, companies can better protect themselves from Security Breaches and minimize the damage if it does occur. What Is The Role Of Cybersecurity Professionals In Preventing Security Breaches? Cybersecurity professionals play a critical role in preventing Security Breaches. They are responsible for implementing security measures, monitoring networks for potential threats, and responding quickly to any security incidents. Their role includes conducting regular security assessments, identifying vulnerabilities, and implementing security protocols to mitigate risks. They also develop incident response plans, conduct security awareness training for employees, and stay up-to-date with the latest security trends and threats. In addition, cybersecurity professionals work closely with other departments within a company, such as IT and legal, to ensure that security policies and procedures are aligned with business goals and regulatory requirements. They may also work with external partners, such as third-party vendors, to ensure that security measures are in place and that data is protected throughout the supply chain. How Can Companies Ensure That They Are In Compliance With Relevant Data Protection Laws? Data protection laws are becoming increasingly strict and complex. Companies must ensure that they are in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations to avoid potential legal and financial consequences. To ensure compliance, companies should develop comprehensive data protection policies and protocols that address all aspects of data handling, from collection to storage and destruction. One way companies can enhance their compliance with data protection laws is by engaging legal and cybersecurity experts who can offer guidance on best practices. Additionally, regular training and education programs can be implemented for employees to ensure that everyone within the organization understands their responsibilities and knows how to handle data securely. For instance, obtaining a 1-year ExpressVPN deal could be a practical step to improve the organizations online security and protect confidential data. It is also important for companies to regularly review and update their data protection policies and protocols as laws and regulations evolve. This will help ensure that they are always in compliance and prepared for any changes that may come. How Can Customers Be Notified In The Event Of A Security Breach? In the event of a Security Breaches, companies have a responsibility to notify their customers and users as soon as possible. The notification should include details about the breach, what information was affected, and what actions the company is taking to address the issue. Companies should also provide guidance to customers on how they can protect themselves, such as changing their passwords or monitoring their financial accounts. In some cases, companies may also offer credit monitoring or identity theft protection services to affected customers. Its important for companies to have a clear and comprehensive communication plan in place to ensure that customers are informed and have the necessary information to protect themselves. Rep. Young Kim, D-CA, smiles after being recognized during an address by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., April 27. UPI-Yonhap Two U.S. lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the North Korean Human Rights Act, which expired in September 2022. Young Kim (R-CA), the chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, and Ami Bera (D-CA), a ranking member, introduced the bill Friday to reauthorize, update and improve the law, which was enacted in 2004 to promote human rights and freedom in North Korea, Kim said. "Kim Jong-un oppresses the North Korean people through torture, imprisonment, forced labor and starvation in his quest to expand North Korea's nuclear weapons program and gain military power," the Korean American lawmaker said in a press release. "These gross human rights abuses cannot be tolerated and cannot go unchecked," she added. Kim emphasized the bill's introduction came at a time when South Korea and the United States were celebrating the 70th anniversary of their alliance and President Yoon Suk Yeol was visiting the U.S. The North Korean Human Rights Act includes initiatives to reunite Korean American divided families with their war-torn loved ones, appoint a special envoy on North Korean human rights issues, support the U.S. Agency for Global Media's broadcasting efforts to promote freedom of information in North Korea, and ensure the delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid goes to the people of North Korea. Last month, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) also introduced a bill to extend the act for another five years. (Yonhap) The inclusion of non-Christian peers and community leaders in the Kings coronation service is aimed at recognising Britains modern society, which has been transformed since the late Queens crowning. Charles has for many years sought to highlight and celebrate the diversity within the UK that has steadily developed during his lifetime. When Queen Elizabeth was hailed monarch during her 1953 coronation, Britain was in the grip of post-war austerity, and would soon see thousands of citizens from the Empire travel to the UK to replenish the workforce, from the NHS to public transport. Charles makes the traditional namaste gesture as he meets volunteers during a visit to the newly built Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sikh temple in Luton (Chris Jackson/PA) People from Asia, Africa and the the Caribbean brought their own cultures and religions that have changed the nation. In his first Christmas broadcast as monarch, Charles recognised the work of other faiths during the cost-of-living crisis, saying: Our churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and gurdwaras, have once again united in feeding the hungry, providing love and support throughout the year. For the first time representatives from the nations faith communities will play an active role in the coronation of a monarch. And they will be visible from the initial moments, taking part in a series of processions into Westminster Abbey that will culminate with the entrance of the King and Queen Consort. Among the group will be faith leaders and representatives from the Jewish, Sunni and Shia Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Bahai and Zoroastrian communities. Charles lights a candle during a visit to a Buddhist temple in west London(Martyn Hayhow/WPA Rota AFP/PA) When the regalia is presented to the King, Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish peers will take part, handing over items which do not have Christian meaning or symbolism. Lord Kamall, a British-born Muslim, will present the Armill to the King, and Baroness Gillian Merron, who served as the Board of Deputies of British Jews chief executive for more than six years, will present the robe royal to the monarch. At the end of the coronation, the King will receive a greeting in unison from leaders and representatives from Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Buddhist communities. They will tell the newly crowned King: Your Majesty, as neighbours in faith, we acknowledge the value of public service. We unite with people of all faiths and beliefs in thanksgiving, and in service with you for the common good. Charles attends a reception with faith leaders (Aaron Chown/PA) Charles will acknowledges the greeting. The group consists of the head of the nations Buddhists, the Most Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala Thera, head monk of the London Buddhist Vihara and Chief Sangha Nayaka of Great Britain. Another is Lord Singh of Wimbledon, a prominent member of the Sikh community, sitting as a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, who has been a frequent contributor to the Thought for the Day segment on BBC Radio 4s Today programme. Radha Mohan das is a Hindu representative based at the Bhaktivedanta Manor Temple, a mock-Tudor Hertfordshire mansion in 78 acres, donated by former Beatle George Harrison whose spiritual journey led him to spend time in India with other Beatles. Muslim Aliya Azam is an Interfaith co-ordinator at the Al-Khoei Foundation which organises a number of events encouraging people of different religions to interact, the most prominent is the Big Iftar which brings people of all faiths and none together during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Charles with the Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis during a visit to Yavneh College, an Orthodox Jewish school in Hertfordshire. Toby Melville/PA The final member is Sir Ephraim Mirvis, only the 11th Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth since the office was introduced in 1704. He was installed in September 2013 during a ceremony attended by Charles when he was Prince of Wales, the first time a member of the royal family was present. The King caused controversy in 1994 when he spoke of his desire to become Defender of Faith rather than Defender of the Faith as monarch raising the prospect of a major change in the ancient relationship between the Church of England and the monarchy. Charles later said in 2015 that he believed it was possible to be Defender of the Faith as well as being a protector of faiths, and he was proclaimed Defender of the Faith at his Accession Council in September and will be again during the coronation. In a reception for faith leaders after the Queens death, he described himself as a committed Anglican Christian, saying he would take an oath at his coronation relating to the settlement of the Church of England. But he said he believed the sovereign has a less formally recognised additional duty to protect the diversity of our country, including by protecting the space for faith itself and its practise through the religions, cultures, traditions and beliefs to which our hearts and minds direct us as individuals. The Queen Consort will be anointed in full public view at the coronation in a break with tradition, and will be presented with a ring which marries her as consort to the King. Camilla will be consecrated with holy oil without being hidden under a canopy, in contrast to the late Queen Mothers coronation. She will also only touch the controversial ivory Queen Consorts Rod with Dove, and the gold Queen Consorts Sceptre with Cross, rather than holding them like the Queen Mother. Buckingham Palace described the change as just one of a number of ways in which the service has been adapted, evolved, simplified without losing any of its magic and majesty. The anointing screen which will be used for the King (Victoria Jones/PA) The King, as is custom, will be shielded during his sacred anointing, and is using a new 2.6-metre high, three-sided, embroidered screen to ensure the privacy of the moment. As details were revealed of the coronation liturgy, Lambeth Palace described how the Queen Consorts Ring, an octagonal mixed-cut ruby surrounded by 14 diamonds, bears the symbolism of a ring exchanged in marriage. A spokesman for the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury said: It signifies covenant and agreement, an unbroken bond, without end. It marries Consort to King, and them both to God in duty and to the people in loving service, and in turn acts as an assurance of Gods unfailing love. Lambeth Palace said the uncovered anointing symbolises Camillas role as a consort rather than a reigning monarch. But it marks a change from the coronation of the last Queen consort Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1937 who was anointed under a canopy. Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) with Princess Elizabeth after the coronation of King George VI (PA) The Lambeth Palace spokesman said: The only distinction this time is that there wont be anything that will obscure the view. The Palace said, that in comparison to the King: This anointing will happen without a screen or canopy to demonstrate the different nature of anointing a consort compared to a reigning sovereign, as this anointing is at the permission of the sovereign. Archbishop Justin Welby, writing in the official coronation souvenir programme, said Charles will swap his robes of status and honour for a simple white shirt for the private anointing during the May 6 ceremony. He wrote that the historic occasion will be one of magnificence and pomp but also, in the midst of the ceremony, one of stillness and simplicity when the King is anointed with holy oil in private under a canopy, in the most sacred part of the coronation. Elizabeth II was also anointed in private as is the tradition. The heaven-hued sapphire The Sovereign's Ring has been used at coronations since that of William IV in 1831. The central sapphire is overlaid with a cross made of rubies and is surrounded by diamonds. This replica is in the #AbbeyGalleries#ShakespeareSunday #RedYellowBlue pic.twitter.com/VSr5WGvvQs Westminster Abbey (@wabbey) January 10, 2021 Camillas ring made for Queen Adelaide in 1831 will be presented to her and she will acknowledge it before it is placed back on the altar, in contrast to the Queen Mother, who had it placed on the fourth finger of her right hand and wore it for the rest of the ceremony. Similarly the King will not wear the Sovereigns Ring as is the usual custom. This ring a large sapphire and diamond cluster with baguette-cut rubies in the form of a cross, made for William IV in 1831 is known as the Wedding Ring of England and it marries the monarch to God in duty and to the people in service. In 1937, Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, was presented with the sceptre in her right hand and the ivory rod in her left. Camilla instead will acknowledge the historic items by touching them, Buckingham Palace said. Her stepson the Prince of Wales has long campaigned to stop the illegal trafficking of animal parts, like rhino horn and elephant ivory, through his umbrella organisation United for Wildlife. Representatives from the nations faith communities will play an active role in the coronation of a monarch for the first time in history, Lambeth Palace has announced. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who will anoint and crown Charles during his coronation, described the service as foremost an act of Christian worship but said new elements reflected the diversity of our contemporary society. New ground has been broken in other areas, from the inclusion of female Bishops the first time, to the use of Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic languages and the opportunity for those watching around the globe to join in and pay homage to the King. When Charles is crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey, leaders from Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Buddhist groups will deliver a greeting to the King in unison, which he will acknowledge. King Charles III and the Queen Consort will be crowned on May 6 (Jon Super/PA) They are the Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, leader of the nations Buddhists the Most Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, prominent Sikh broadcaster Lord Singh of Wimbledon, Hindu representative Radha Mohan das and Muslim Aliya Azam, an Interfaith co-ordinator with the Al-Khoei Foundation. And when the Regalia is presented to the King; Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish peers will take part, handing over items which do not have Christian meaning or symbolism. The move reflects Charles deep held belief in promoting unity between different faiths through championing interfaith dialogue and celebrating the major religions practised in the UK. Speaking seven days before Charles crowning, the Archbishop who will deliver a sermon during the service, said: The Coronation is first and foremost an act of Christian worship. The signs, symbols and language we use remind us that our God is the Servant King. By his anointing in this service, His Majesty King Charles III is set apart to fulfil his vocation of service and duty to us all. The Archbishop of Canterbury will crown Charles King during the Westminster Abbey service (Neil Turner/Lambeth Palace) This is the character of kingship today. In this weighty responsibility, the King will be supported by the loyal service of his wife, Queen Camilla. I am delighted that the service will recognise and celebrate tradition, speaking to the great history of our nation, our customs, and those who came before us. At the same time, the service contains new elements that reflect the diversity of our contemporary society. It is my prayer that all who share in this service, whether they are of faith or no faith, will find ancient wisdom and new hope that brings inspiration and joy. Archbishop Welby followed the longstanding tradition of commissioning new coronation liturgy the prayers and actions of the coronation service which has the theme Called to Serve. The senior cleric chaired an advisory group of theology, constitutional history and inter-faith relationships experts to draft the service, produced in close consultation with the King and the Government. Charles will be crowned king in the ancient coronation chair (Kirsty OConnor/PA) Another first will see a homage of the people replace the homage of peers, with an estimated global television audience of tens of millions invited to make their own homage by sharing in the same words. A Lambeth Palace spokesperson said they hoped there would be a great cry around the nation and around the world in support for the King. Before the King takes the oath, making a succession of promises including to maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law, the Archbishop will deliver a preface to Charless declaration another first. The senior cleric will tell the congregation that the Church of England, which is headed by the King, will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely echoing the words of the late Queen and Charles. During the ceremony, Charles will be declared Defender of the Faith by Archbishop Welby, after once speaking of his desire to become Defender of Faith. Camilla will also be crowned during the service that will see the King and his wife receive communion wine and bread but, when she is anointed, the Queen Consort will not be shielded by a canopy like her predecessor, the Queen Mother, during George VIs 1937 Coronation. Charles will embody the Called to Serve theme when, in another new element, he is greeted by 14-year-old Samuel Strachan, the longest-serving chorister of the choir of the Chapel Royal, St Jamess Palace. The chorister, who attends the City of London School, will welcome the monarch in the name of the King of Kings a reference to Jesus Christ and Charles will reply: In his name, and after his example, I come not to be served, but to serve. Another unique moment in the history of coronations will see the King pray aloud in the Abbey, reading words written for the occasion that reflect the duty and privilege of the sovereign to serve all communities. The Dean of Westminster paid tribute to England and Scotlands deep friendship at a service to mark the arrival of the Stone of Destiny ahead of the coronation. The stone, also known as the Stone of Scone, was transported from its usual home in Edinburgh Castle to London earlier this week, where it will be used in the coronation of the King next weekend. Weighing 125kg, it will be placed in the Coronation Chair for the enthronement, before being returned to Scotland afterwards. The Dean of Westminster, Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Addressing the congregation at a service to mark the stones arrival at Westminster Abbey, Dean of Westminster Dr David Hoyle said: Today we meet in deep friendship and respect, confident in our different histories, here to acknowledge what unites us. We have a common calling under God which summons citizens of all kingdoms to find a home in the Kingdom of Christ, for he is our peace. We meet to pray for their majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla, for the royal family, and for Gods blessing on all those who now work so hard on the preparations for the coronation. We will pray for the Government and people of Scotland and for our sisters and brothers in the churches of Scotland. With nations and with the Commonwealth we look to the coronation where, in worship and music, we will find a common voice and express a common hope. The Duke of Buccleuch, flanked by two Officers of Arms, stands beside the Stone of Destiny (Russell Cheyne/PA) Prayers were said by the Reverend Mark Birch and the abbeys Sub-Dean Reverend David Stanton. The Robin Chapel Choir, from Edinburgh, sang hymns as well as the national anthem. Joseph Morrow, the Lord Lyon of Scotland, said that the stone had returned to Westminster Abbey for the coronation as an act of unity and a symbol of friendship. He said: This is the Stone of Destiny, often called the Stone of Scone, an ancient symbol of sovereignty that has been brought to sanctify the inauguration of monarchs from time immemorial and in our recorded history from as early as the accession of Malcolm III of Scotland in 1058. The Stone was taken from its place in the Abbey of Scone to this Abbey Church in 1296 by command of King Edward I in an act of enmity. It was returned to Scotland in 1996 by command of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in an act of amity. Now comes again to this place by command of King Charles III as an act of unity and a symbol of friendship. It is committed to your care and safekeeping until its return to Scotland after His Majestys Coronation. Professor David Fergusson, the Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland, said that the stone had changed from being a spoil of war to a symbol of unity. A service to mark the arrival of the Stone of Destiny to Westminster Abbey (Susannah Ireland/PA) A lump of sandstone that has been bashed about a bit is hardly an object of aesthetic beauty, he said. Yet its history ensures a kind of veneration and even calls for our celebration today. Once a spoil of war, the Stone of Destiny has become a focus of unity. A source of division, it returns today in an act of friendship. Soon to be displayed in Perth near its place of origin, it features again at the centre of our nations history. Though ancient quarrels can be recalled, we do so as we celebrate what we hold together in trust and in concord. Speaking to the PA news agency after the service, Dr Hoyle said it was extraordinary to see the stone back in the abbey. I was looking forward to it coming back, he said. It really moving to have it in the abbey. Its extraordinary to see the stone. When you have the chair and youve got this space underneath it, youre very conscious of an absence, because you keep looking at the place where its going to be. A joint exercise between nuclear teams from South Korea and the United States conducted in South Korea from March 20-24 is seen in this April 26 photo released by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Yonhap The U.S. Department of Defense has revealed that highly specialized nuclear teams from the United States and South Korea conducted joint drills in March to strengthen their interoperability on the Korean Peninsula. The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, a Pentagon media service, released the report Wednesday, when President Yoon Suk Yeol held a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington. The leaders adopted the Washington Declaration to strengthen "extended deterrence" against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and to establish a Nuclear Consultative Group to discuss nuclear and strategic planning. The report said U.S. Army Nuclear Disablement Teams (NDT) trained with South Korea's Nuclear Characterization Teams (NCT) during the defense-oriented drills from March 20-24. This marks the first time that the U.S. has disclosed a joint nuclear disablement exercise between the allies. "The NDTs and NCTs were able to plan and execute missions together and work hand-in-hand in areas that allow us to communicate effectively between each other and our soldiers downrange," Maj. Ariel A. Alcaide, the deputy team leader for NDT 3, was quoted as saying. "This is a giant leap from the previous partnership events," he added. There are three NDTs, all stationed in Maryland and belonging to the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Command, the agency reported. The South Korean counterparts are believed to be part of the joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Defense Command affiliated with the Ministry of Defense. The drills coincided with the allies' Freedom Shield command post training and Ssangyong amphibious landing practice conducted in South Korea from March 13-23 and from March 20-April 3, respectively. South Korea's defense ministry declined to comment about the report. (Yonhap) The Government has agreed to include NHS doctors without UK passports on the last flights out of Sudan, amid criticism over the scope of its eligibility criteria for evacuation. Ministers answered calls to widen the remit, which had been limited to British nationals and their immediate family, after a significant decline in the number of UK citizens coming forward. The decision was announced with hours to go until the final flight takes off from the Wadi Saeedna airfield near Khartoum at 6pm UK time. Some 1,888 people on 21 flights have been evacuated from Sudan the vast majority of them British nationals and their dependents, the Government said. The Foreign, Common and Development Office said shortly after 9pm UK time that the final flight was yet to leave the airfield near Khartoum, despite it being previously scheduled for 6pm. The Government-mandated deadline to reach the site in order to be processed for the last flight passed at 12pm local time, after it confirmed it was winding down its rescue operation amid a faltering ceasefire. Fighting has broken out again in Khartoum despite the extension of an armistice between the countrys two warring generals having been brokered in the early hours of Friday. The Government has said it will continue to advocate for an end to the conflict alongside its international allies. A spokesman said: We have made the decision to extend the evacuation criteria to include eligible non-British nationals in Sudan who are working as clinicians within the NHS and their dependents who have leave to enter the UK. Evacuees at Wadi Seidna Air Base in Khartoum (PO Phot Arron Hoare/PA) We are able to offer this increased eligibility thanks to the efforts of the staff and military who have delivered this evacuation, the largest of any western country. We continue to work intensively, alongside international partners, to maintain the ceasefire and bring an end to fighting, the single most important thing we can do to ensure the safety of British nationals and others in Sudan. It comes after concerns were raised that the Governments previous approach to evacuation could see families split up or some members left behind. Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy had urged the Government not to turn away British residents without passports, including NHS doctors trapped in the conflict zone. Criticism has also been levelled at the pace of the British evacuation and the decision not to offer escorts to people travelling to the airfield. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden chaired a Cobra meeting on Saturday to discuss the security situation in Sudan in advance of the final flight taking off. Mr Dowden denied the Government will effectively abandon those who have been unable to make the potentially dangerous journey to the site with its decision to cease flights. He told the BBC: We are in touch with and engaging rapidly with the Sudanese Doctors Association to see what further support we can provide for them. An update on the number of evacuations is expected later on Saturday. Trade unionist Mick Lynch has told a crowd of workers and activists that the ultra right is causing division during the cost-of-living crisis, and it should be resisted. He also praised unions across Northern Ireland that had taken industrial action in recent months, and called for the trade union movement to begin in every town and county, saying that people were ready for change. The general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said he has received a tremendous welcome as he met and marched with activists and trade unions through Belfast. Mr Lynch rose to prominence last summer following a series of media interviews about a rail workers strike held in the UK in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions. The trade union leader, whose father left Cork city in 1941 to travel to Britain to work, and whose mother is from Co Armagh, addressed a rally gathered at Belfast City Hall on Saturday. Addressing trade union groups including Unison, Nipsa, Unite and the Northern Ireland Teachers Council, who have all taken industrial action in recent months, Mr Lynch said that the values of the trade union movement are back on the agenda. Mick Lynch (James Manning/PA) He said that nurses in Britain are on the move towards industrial action following on from strikes by nurses in Northern Ireland, which was met with applause. The trade unionists on this island are the salt of the earth, and theyve kept the movement going through thick and thin, through all the struggles that youve had, the struggles for peace and justice and democracy. Its been the trade unions that have kept our spirits alive, that have kept this movement going, bringing all of our people together, no matter what their heritage, no matter what their background, and we have to keep doing it. Because we know whats being said: the ultra right are going to exploit division. Theyre seeking to do it in the south, theyre seeking to do it up here. Theyre seeking to do it in England. He said that open Nazis are trying to divide our people one from another, by trying to blame some of the poorest people in the world for our problems over here. We cannot allow that to happen, he said. He added: Weve been going into the temples, the mosques, the synagogues, bringing everyone together. And thats our task: to build a labour movement that reflects all of our working class people and brings them together behind our values and not allow others to exploit them and create that division. We have to celebrate our diversity. Diversity is wonderful, but solidarity and unity is powerful, and thats what we got to build. He warned against authorities using global crises for denying workers better pay and conditions. They can dress it up wherever they want, they can blame it on the pandemic. They can blame it on the economy. Now theyre blaming it on a war in eastern Europe. What is to blame is capitalism, exploitation, the deliberate creation of poverty so that they can enrich themselves and weve got to stand up to that. As trade union members gathered in Writers Square ahead of the march through Belfast, Mr Lynch was asked to pose for pictures and selfies with workers bearing various trade union banners. He was given a small bust of the founder of the Irish Labour party James Connelly, a book about the history of trade unions in Ireland and pinned a University and College Union badge given to him to his jacket. As he began to address, he praised the prominence of women in Northern Ireland in the trade union movement, after the crowd was addressed by leaders including Unisons Patricia McKeowan and Unites Susan Fitzgerald. Ictu assistant general secretary Gerry Murphy said Mr Lynch was addressing the May Day march as every trade unionist across these islands, and many outside our movement, have been inspired and encouraged by the wisdom and clarity offered by Mr Lynch. In a series of media interviews which became internet phenomena, Mick ignored attempts to sideline the justified demands of his members by trivial and stereotypical questioning, and instead outlined their just cause for decent pay and working conditions with style and wit, he said. By doing so, Mick has assisted trade union representatives from every sector of our economy and society to explain with clarity why so many working people are taking the principled and initially costly decision to vote for strike action. Speaking to the PA news agency ahead of his address, Mr Lynch said the warm welcome he received as he walked through the streets of Belfast with trade unions in Northern Ireland was not unusual. Some people applauded the RMT general secretary as he held an Ictu banner and marched with workers towards Belfast City Hall, while one man went to shake his hand. Mr Lynch told the PA news agency he tends to get a good reception across Britain and Ireland. People are reaching out to trade unions, they want to hear the message and they want to show their support. So its all good stuff. When asked does the support of punters put pressure on him personally to deliver a deal for the RMT, he said: Youre always under pressure and thats a good thing. Youve got to deliver, and our members have shown their commitment to our campaigns, to our industrial action and its my job to get them a deal. Were working on that, but weve got a very tough opponent. The Tories dont want to give anyone anything, just 4-5% norm. He said that having all workers on zero-hour contracts would be degrading, saying: We cant have that, thats a degrading of the workplace and it degrades society in the long run, so weve got to fight that, for our people. On Thursday, RMT said rail workers at 14 train operators would strike on the day of the Eurovision Song Contest final after the latest offer aimed at resolving the pay dispute was rejected. The first ever council trial of a four-day-week has been hailed as a success, with average employee performance improving. South Cambridgeshire District Council trialled a four-day week for desk-based staff for three months, beginning in January of this year. Staff could take either Monday or Friday off, and their pay was not affected. According to the Bennett Institute for Public Policy based at the University of Cambridge, which analysed the results, performance improved overall with significant improvement in some areas. As a result, an extension of the trial for a further year has been recommended to the councils leadership, as well as a three-month trial for staff in the facilities management team and shared waste services. The further trials will go to a vote at the next full council meeting on May 15. Nina Jorden, research associate at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, said that not a single KPI fell to a concerning level during the trial. Performing four different types of rigorous data analysis, nine out of 16 performance measurements showed a significant improvement during the four-day week trial compared to the same period last year, and this is despite some targets being raised internally, she said. Overall, we saw an improvement on average across performance measurements during the four-day week. It is important to emphasise that not a single KPI fell to a concerning level during the trial. Whats it like to work a 4-day week? We asked some of the UKs pilot participants for their views.#4DayWeek pic.twitter.com/HTbWcSMGKl 4 Day Week Campaign (@4Day_Week) February 22, 2023 Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, said the trial paves the way for other councils to follow South Cambridgeshires lead. South Cambridgeshires historic trial has been an undeniable success and it paves the way for other councils across the country to follow their lead, he said. All workers in this country deserve a four-day week and so its only fair that public sector workers benefit too. The evidence shows that a four-day week with no loss of pay improves productivity and is a win-win for both workers and employers. School leaders who work as Ofsted inspectors should hand in their badges and refuse to be complicit in the watchdogs reign of terror, the sister of a headteacher who took her own life has said. Ruth Perry, headteacher at Caversham Primary School in Reading, Berkshire, died while waiting for an Ofsted report which downgraded her school from the highest rating to the lowest possible. Her sister, Professor Julia Waters, called on Ofsted and the Government to show some humanity and sensitivity and take urgent meaningful actions to reform the inspection system. In a speech to the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) annual conference, Prof Waters called for an urgent independent review into Ofsted. She said: We had to speak out because we want no other family to experience the pain that we have felt. We had to speak out because a terrible injustice has been done to my sister. Ruth was not an inadequate headteacher. Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman has said previously she has no reason to doubt the inspection before the death of Ms Perry. An inspection report, published on Ofsteds website in March, found Ms Perrys school to be good in every category apart from leadership and management, where it was judged to be inadequate. Professor Julia Waters (NAHT/PA) Addressing hundreds of school leaders in Telford on Saturday, Prof Waters said: Take down your banners and write to parents to tell them that youre doing this and why youre doing it. We all know parents deserve better than misleading, dangerous single-word judgments. So stop promoting them. She added: How many of you in this room serve as Ofsted inspectors as well as being headteachers? No doubt youre doing your best, but youre working within a flawed, inhumane system. So follow the examples of Martin Hanbury, Andrew Morrish, and others. Hand in your badges. Refuse to be complicit in Ofsteds reign of terror. The NAHT will ask school leaders to stop working as Ofsted inspectors until a pay dispute with the Government is resolved. An emergency motion, which called on the unions executive to reach out to members who serve as inspectors and request that they consider refraining from carrying out inspections for a period, was passed by delegates. Ms Spielman has said Ofsteds one-word assessments, which have been criticised for being too simplistic, are easier for parents to understand. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has said she fully supports the approach of providing a clear one-word rating to help inform parents decisions. In her speech on Saturday, Prof Waters said: Publicly my family has been offered condolences from the very same people who continue to defend the indefensible system that destroyed Ruth. We dont want warm words, thoughts and sympathies. My family wants and deserves sincere answers to our legitimate questions and concerns. My family wants and deserves urgent meaningful actions. Were not placated with the few tweaks around the edges that have been offered so far. Delegates observe a minutes silence (NAHT/PA) She added: I call again on Ofsted and the Government to show some humanity and sensitivity, to recognise the urgency and the severity of our concerns. If Ofsted and the Government continue to refuse to pause inspections, and certainly the optimal moment for doing that has passed, then I call on them to commission an urgent independent review of Ofsteds framework, systems and culture. Delegates at the NAHTs conference observed a one-minute silence in memory of Ms Perry ahead of her sisters speech. Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson extended her personal condolences to Ms Perrys family, friends and colleagues on Saturday. In a speech to school leaders at the conference, she said: Ruth was by so many accounts a passionate and hardworking headteacher, epitomising the dedication that you all show each and every day to give our children and young people the best start in life. Julia Waters, Ruth Perry's sister, tells #NAHTConf that speaking out about what happened to Ruth is not without its costs, but she has to raise awareness of this issue because Ruth was not the first head teacher to suffer. pic.twitter.com/m2k3wIqETU NAHT (@NAHTnews) April 29, 2023 The weeks that have followed the public news of her death have seen an unprecedented light shone on the pressures school leaders, teachers and staff are facing. You and your colleagues have made your voices heard loud and clear and Labour is listening. Ms Phillipson added: The wellbeing of school staff must be a concern for everyone right across society, for all of you, for yourselves, for your colleagues, your peers and friends, for parents and also for children. For those who inspect schools, and of course for politicians, for ministers and for Government. She said if the country does not take the wellbeing of teachers and school leaders seriously then we dont take our childrens education seriously and we dont take our future seriously. In March, the shadow education secretary set out plans by Labour to move away from the four headline grades that Ofsted awards to schools to a new report card for parents. Ms Keegan said: My heart goes out to Ruths family, friends, and school community. Just as with schools, we expect Ofsted to make improvements where they can. I know theyre currently undergoing a review, including on how safeguarding is considered proportionally in overall school judgments. I fully support our approach of providing a clear rating that parents can trust to inform their decisions. Ofsted has been central to our success in driving up school standards, with 88% of our schools now rated good or outstanding, up from 68% when this Government came into office. An Ofsted spokesman said: Our inspections are first and foremost for children and their parents, looking in depth at the quality of education, behaviour, and how well and safely schools are run. We always want inspections to be constructive and collaborative and in the vast majority of cases school leaders agree that they are. Irelands Russian embassy has warned of possible ensuing consequences in response to tributes paid to an Irishman killed while fighting in Ukraine. The comments have been criticised by a former minister for justice as threatening and chilling. Finbar Cafferkey, from Achill Island in Co Mayo, is reported to have been killed while serving as a military volunteer in the eastern part of Ukraine. Mr Cafferkey had previous combat experience in the Syrian conflict, and those paying tribute to him have described him as an activist on issues such as environmentalism and migration. In the wake of his death, Irish deputy premier Micheal Martin expressed his sympathies to his family and said Mr Cafferkey was obviously a young man of clear principles. In response, the Russian embassy issued a stark warning to the Irish government against encouraging Irish citizens to take part in the conflict in Ukraine. In a statement posted to its Telegram channel, the embassy said it noted the Tanaistes comments calling Mr Cafferkey a young man of clear principles. The embassy said: Every loss of life is sad and regretful. We do not know who Finbar Cafferkey was, except that for whatever reason he was fighting in a foreign land. We do not know what his principles were. What we do know, though, is that in a very big way it is the Irish Government and media to who bear responsibility for the death of Finbar Cafferkey. It has been the Government and media who have been promoting anti-Russian propaganda, distorting the truth about the conflict in Ukraine, misleading people like Finbar Cafferkey. Now they face the results of their own efforts, it said. Charlie Flanagan (Brian Lawless/PA) The embassy added: We also do not know if Mr Martins remarks signify support for the Irish to take part in combat in Ukraine, but we do know that if that is the case, then Ireland would be the direct participant of the conflict with all the ensuing consequences. Commenting on Twitter, former justice minister Charlie Flanagan said the statement was threatening, intimidating and chilling. These hostile remarks are unacceptable, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee said, adding that it was beyond time that the Russian ambassador Yury Filatov and his crew were asked to leave our country. Failures at the Home Office are to blame for the small boats crisis, a senior Tory MP has said. Sir Bob Neill criticised Suella Bravermans planned immigration reforms for focusing too heavily on the law rather than tackling the asylum backlog. People who cross the English Channel are not going through the tribunals system quickly enough because of a lack of resources, the chair of the Justice Select Committee suggested. The Illegal Migration Bill would change the law so people who risk the journey from France are detained and then promptly removed, either to their home country or a safe third country such as Rwanda. The plan to send migrants to the east African nation a policy ruled lawful by High Court judges has so far been stalled by legal action and no flights have taken off. Asked on GB News whether the reforms in the Bill will work, Sir Bob said: Im not convinced they will. A lot of the emphasis has been put on changing the law and on legislative solutions. I dont think thats where the issue lies. The real problem is that the system doesnt work efficiently enough. Were not getting a system where people who come in, potentially unlawfully, are being sent through the immigration tribunal and asylum system quickly enough. Administrative failures of the Home Office are to blame. Thats happened under successive home secretaries going back over years. The Home Office is not efficient. Changing legal tests wont matter if you havent got enough people to do the investigations. I would put more resources into that. MPs backed the Home Secretarys Bill by 289 votes to 230 in the Commons last week. Although the legislation cleared the lower chamber, it will face a stiff test in the Lords when it undergoes further scrutiny. Critics of the legislation have dismissed it as unworkable, while right-wing Conservative MPs believe it does not go far enough. Others on the liberal wing of the party, including former prime minister Theresa May and former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, want greater protections for minors and victims of human trafficking. Ministers have already given in to some demands to avoid potential revolts, with a series of Government amendments approved in the Commons. The Government has been unable to say whether the legislation complies with the European Convention on Human Rights. The Refugee Council and Barnardos estimated the Bill could lead to the detention of nearly 15,000 lone migrant children over the next three years. More than 5,500 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel this year, according to Government figures. Rishi Sunak has hit out at selfish saboteur protesters who slow traffic as part of their demonstrations after the Government announced it would increase police powers to stop the tactic being used. It comes as ministers plan to push through measures that will widen the legal definition of serious disruption to enable officers to stop activists slow walking after similar legislation was rejected by the Lords. Protest groups including Just Stop Oil often use the tactic to block roads in a way that does not involve sitting in the middle of the street to bring traffic to a standstill. Just Stop Oil protesters (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Mr Sunak told the Sun on Sunday: The public want us to put a stop to selfish saboteurs disrupting their lives and so do I. Sun on Sunday readers deserve a no-nonsense approach. They deserve to see law-abiding citizens protected against a minority trying to make their lives miserable. The Prime Minister accused Labour of having sided with the disrupters by voting against new powers for police and Sir Softie Keir Starmer of pandering to activist supporters. We will not allow Sir Softie to stitch this up for his activist supporters. We will always put the majority first, he told the paper. The British people have a glorious summer of celebration ahead. Our history, music and sporting prowess will be on display, making us all proud to be British. With our new laws well crack down on the minority for the majority. Mr Sunak made the claims in the Sun on Sunday (Andrew Milligan./PA) But opposition parties accused the Prime Minister of hollow promises and and chasing headlines to distract from his failure to tackle crime. Liberal Democrats home affairs spokesman, Alistair Carmichael, said: The Conservative Government are once again seeking to expand police powers when they havent even managed to get the basics of policing right. Rishi Sunak cannot continue to hide behind hollow promises to broaden the polices authority while crime victims are waiting hours for police to turn up and the vast majority of burglaries go unsolved. A Labour spokesperson said: The police have made clear they have long had the powers they need to stop serious disruption. As usual Rishi Sunak is chasing headlines to distract from his failure to solve serious problems on crime and policing. A previous amendment to the Governments Public Order Bill which was backed by Suella Braverman sought to crack down on slow marches by clarifying the definition of serious disruption. But this was rejected in the upper chamber last February with peers voting by 254 to 240 to kill off the legislation. The Bill suffered eight defeats in total, setting the stage for a showdown between the Lords and the Commons known as parliamentary ping-pong where the proposed law passes between the two houses. But because the amendment relating to slow marches was only introduced when the Bill reached the Lords, it could not return to the Commons as it was not in the original legislation passed by MPs. The Home Secretary is now introducing a statutory instrument which is linked to the Bill in order to bring the law on slow walking into force. The Government had expressed disappointment at the rejection but Labour frontbencher Lord Coaker said the measures risked damaging freedoms that we all cherish. School leaders will debate whether Government guidance on teaching relationships, sex and health education should be changed to be more inclusive for pupils exploring their gender identity. Some schools are being put off from talking about gender identity with pupils as the Department for Education (DfE) guidance on the topic makes it sound scary, an assistant headteacher has said. Andrew Moffat, the personal development lead at Excelsior Multi-Academy Trust, said he has heard from schools where parents have asked to withdraw their children from lessons on gender identity after reading the Governments guidance on implementing the relationships, sex and health curriculum. Delegates at the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) annual conference in Telford on Saturday are to debate whether the union should campaign for the wording of the DfE guidance to be changed to create a more inclusive approach, particularly for pupils exploring their gender identity. The DfE guidance for schools, published in September 2020, says: We are aware that topics involving gender and biological sex can be complex and sensitive matters to navigate. You should not reinforce harmful stereotypes, for instance by suggesting that children might be a different gender based on their personality and interests or the clothes they prefer to wear. Resources used in teaching this topic must always be age-appropriate and evidence-based. Materials which suggest that non-conformity to gender stereotypes should be seen as synonymous with having a different gender identity should not be used and you should not work with external agencies or organisations that produce such material. Mr Moffat, who will propose the motion calling for changes to the wording of the DfE guidance, said anti-trans groups are using the guidance to put pressure on schools not to teach about gender identity. He told the PA news agency: Its not helpful. I think its a barrier for schools because schools arent sure how to navigate it. Anti-trans groups are taking it and are saying, look, this proves you cant talk about gender identity. Theyre scaring schools into stopping doing this work. On the section of the DfE guidance on gender identity, Mr Moffat, who is assistant headteacher at Green Meadow Primary School in Birmingham, said: The whole tone of this is it is scary. Its panic. Mr Moffat, who carries out training in schools across the country about diversity, told PA: I have had in double figures schools sending me emails from parents saying have you seen this paragraph? Id like to withdraw my child from teaching on gender identity. It is a barrier and its just not helpful. So for me, I want it to be a discussion point. We have to show children that they dont need to worry about this stuff. That its OK, you can be who you are. Delegates at the conference are also set to debate a motion on Saturday which suggests many primary schools are not teaching LGBT+ content due to unclear guidance to schools. A DfE spokesperson said: Following reports of inappropriate materials being used to teach relationships and sex education, the Education Secretary has already brought forward an urgent review of the curriculum, which will be informed by an independent panel. Separately, we are working on guidance to support schools in relation to children who are questioning their gender. This guidance will clarify schools legal position and the importance of involving parents when making any decisions relating to their child. Scotlands First Minister has said he definitely attended a meeting about a man on death row in Pakistan the day of Scotlands same-sex marriage vote after a newspaper suggested there was no record of it. During the SNP leadership contest earlier this year Mr Yousaf said he missed the vote in 2014 because of an unavoidable meeting with the Pakistan Consul General in Glasgow to discuss the case of Mohammad Asghar, who was placed on death row in Pakistan for blasphemy before being released. The Herald newspaper reported on Saturday that it had obtained Scottish Government briefings, letters and notes which, it claimed, showed no record of the meeting at the consulate. It reported that there were no minutes and that no briefing paper was prepared in advance. Kate Forbes (right) came under fire over same sex marriage during the SNP leadership campaign (Andrew Milligan/PA) Asked whether he did attend the meeting, Mr Yousaf told the PA news agency: I was definitely at the meeting for sure, of course I was at the meeting as was the Pakistani consul. You have to remember issues around blasphemy in Pakistan, there has to be a level of discretion for those that are from Pakistan that are involved in those meetings because their families could really be at risk of harm if they were seen to be or known to be involved in the release of somebody convicted of blasphemy in Pakistan so thats why theres a lot of discretion around. During the leadership campaign, Mr Yousafs fellow leadership candidate Kate Forbes came under fire after said she would not have backed the legislation for same-sex marriage had she been an MSP at the time. Speaking in February Mr Yousaf said that he missed the vote due to an unavoidable meeting to discuss the case of Mr Asghar, and that it was not a meeting just to discuss policy or to have a chinwag. He said at the time: Anyone can see that not only did I vote at stage one, not only have I, as justice secretary, brought forward a hate crime Bill which extends protection for the LGBT community, I supported the GRR (gender reforms) Bill. Anybody who looks at my record, I think, speaks for itself. Speaking in Dundee following the newspaper report on Saturday, he said: These issues were well rehearsed during the election contest and my support for the LGBTQ+ community is very, very well known and Id just point you to that statement from Mr Asghars family, you dont need to take my word for it, they released a statement off their own back proactively during the election campaign to say that they really welcomed my intervention. If it wasnt for my intervention then they doubted that their father would ever have been released from a Pakistani jail where he was on effectively death row so I think we should just listen to the family. The Prince and Princess of Wales celebrated 12 years of marriage with a social media post. (Photo: Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images) It has been more than a decade since Prince William and Kate Middleton wed inside Westminster Abbey. Now, the Prince and Princess of Wales are marking their 12-year wedding anniversary with a never-before-seen photo. The royals shared the sweet pic with social media. The photo, posted to the Prince and Princess of Wales Instagram account, featured the couple straddling bikes with their arms around each other. 12 years, read the caption, followed by a red heart emoji. At the time of publishing, this photo had over 1 million likes. Fans of the couple gushed over the new photo. The most wonderful couple! I remember the wedding like it was yesterday! Wishing you many more years of happiness and health, wrote a fan in the comments section. Love your dignity & resolve to rise above challenges," another commented. "The Queen & Prince Philip would be so proud of you as are we." The royals are parents to Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 5. Last week, the couples Instagram account remembered Queen Elizabeth II on what would have been her 97th birthday. The photo, taken by Middleton, showed Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis posing with their cousins and their grandmother. Today would have been Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeths 97th birthday, read the caption. This photograph showing her with some of her grandchildren and great grandchildren was taken at Balmoral last summer. Middleton, who along with the rest of the royal family is preparing for King Charless coronation on May 6, recently spoke about her childrens paternal grandmother, Princess Diana. On April 27, it was reported that Middleton told a fan that her engagement ring the same blue sapphire ring worn by her husband's late mother did not have to be altered, as she and the princess share a ring size. "It's the same ring," Kate can be heard saying in a now-deleted social media video of the interaction. "And it's exactly the same size." Middleton added that the ring "is very special." "What an honor to be able to wear it," she said. Princess Diana died following a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. Investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office raid a policy institute in Seoul, April 29, as part of an investigation into a political funding scandal involving Song Young-gil, a former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. The institute is regarded as a political sponsors' organization for Song. Yonhap Prosecutors raided the home of Song Young-gil, a former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Saturday, as part of an investigation into a growing political funding scandal. The investigation centers on allegations that Song's campaign officials distributed cash envelopes to party members prior to the party's national convention in May 2021, during which Song was elected chairman. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office said investigators conducted searches at several locations, including Song's current and previous homes, his political sponsors' organization, as well as the residences of former campaign officials. The raids took place five days after Song returned from Paris, where he was a visiting professor at the ESCP Business School. On Tuesday, the prosecution imposed a travel ban on Song. Song's campaign officials, including former DPK Secretary General Rep. Youn Kwan-suk, former Deputy Secretary General Lee Jung-geun and Rep. Lee Sung-man, allegedly doled out envelopes containing cash totaling 94 million won (US$70,245) to 10-20 DP lawmakers and other party members before the leadership election. Kang Rae-gu, a former DPK official close to Song, is also under investigation on charges of illegally raising 80 million won of the total. At that time, Kang headed the Association of Public Institution Auditors of Korea. The prosecution suspects Song may have directed or at least been aware of the incident, though he has denied the allegations. The prosecution plans to summon Youn, Lee Sung-man and Song as suspects, as soon as they finish analyzing the seized items. The residences and offices of Reps. Youn and Lee Sung-man were previously searched on April 12. Lee Jung-geun is currently serving a prison term in a separate bribery case. The prosecution sought an arrest warrant for Kang last week but a court denied the request. (Yonhap) When remodeling a home of a certain age, you're sure to come across a surprise or two. These surprises usually consist of unexpected structural damage or wonky plumbing. But for one couple, their bathroom renovation came with a side of well-preserved, decades-old McDonald's fries. Yes, fries. People reports that the couple, Grace and Rob Jones, were preparing to remodel their 63-year-old home's kitchen and bathroom when the bizarre discovery was made. Rob Jones explained that he was preparing to take out the Crystal Lake, Illinois home's original toilet paper holder when he stumbled upon the ancient snack. "It was actually kind of hard to remove. I had to pull out some chisels and pliers, really yank on it because it was stuck in like old plaster," Jones shared with TODAY. "So as I was doing that, I [could] kind of see through one of the corners, some sort of cloth or something in there." The surprises didn't stop there. Jones also found two hamburger wrappers that included the McDonald's original logo. The vintage wrappers, which featured the fast food restaurant's first mascot Speedee, turned out to be a nostalgic treat for Grace Jones' mother. "She was at the grand opening when they opened it," Jones revealed. "So she's been so excited because it's bringing her right back to when she was a kid thereShe can still rattle off how much the cheeseburger was when it opened and how much the fries were and all that." The Joneses still have the wrapper and fries, but they are willing to part ways for the "right price." You Might Also Like Washington President Biden is commuting the sentences of 31 defendants convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, announcing the reprieve as part of a broader effort to help those who have completed federal sentences reenter society. The White House released the names of those whose sentences have been commuted Friday afternoon. A commutation means a person's remaining sentence is reduced or excused, although their conviction remains in place. A commutation is not a pardon, which eliminates the conviction altogether. All 31 commutations go into effect on June 30, with the defendants serving the remainder of their sentences in home confinement until then. The defendants will remain on supervised release of various lengths and some must still pay outstanding fines, according to their commutation orders. "These individuals, who have been successfully serving sentences on home confinement, have demonstrated a commitment to rehabilitation, including by securing employment and advancing their education. Many would have received a lower sentence if they were charged with the same offense today, due to changes in the law, including the bipartisan First Step Act," the White House said, referring to the 2018 law that reformed aspects of the federal criminal justice system. The announcement coincided with the White House's release of its Alternatives, Rehabilitation, and Reentry Strategic Plan, which details steps the administration is taking to help formerly incarcerated people access health care, housing, education, employment and more. Most elements of the plan include the implementation of federal legislation, like a 2020 law that could allow nearly 800,000 people to become eligible for a Pell Grant through prison education programs. The plan also includes the Department of Housing and Urban Development providing $486 million in grants and 3,300 rental assistance vouchers to assist with housing issues. It also implements a special Medicare enrollment period for people who have served time in prison. Mr. Biden had previously issued about 80 commutations so far in his presidency, according to Justice Department records. He has also pardoned nine individuals, and issued a blanket pardon for some 6,000 federal defendants convicted of simple marijuana possession last year. Colorblind 10-year-old brought to tears by gift Preview: Michael J. Fox on Parkinson's: "Every day it gets tougher" Pilot fulfills childhood dream of flying his family Colorado governor Jared Polis signed four gun-control bills into law Friday raising the minimum age to purchase a gun from 18 to 21, among other measures. The move comes just days after Washington governor Jay Inslee toughened state measures banning assault weapons. Coloradans deserve to be safe in our communities, our schools, our grocery stores, night clubs and everywhere in between, Polis said regarding the measures, referencing last years mass shooting at an LGBT nightclub in Colorado Springs. The state has a history of infamous massacres, including those at Columbine High School in 1999 and the Aurora theater in 2012. However, Democrats in Colorado could not push through an assault-weapons ban earlier last week. Three House Democrats on the Judiciary committee joined Republicans in killing the bill on a 7-6 vote, according to the local NBC outlet. Some Democrats thought the other measures, ultimately signed by Polis, were better equipped to address gun violence in the state. Senate Bill 169 makes it a criminal offense for someone younger than 21 to purchase a firearm, with exceptions for members of the military or law enforcement. It is now also a criminal offense to sell someone younger than 21 a firearm. Its just the truth that young people are far more likely to commit gun violence than their older counterparts, said Senator Jessie Danielson, a bill sponsor, to the Colorado Sun. House Bill 1219 establishes a three-day waiting period before a firearms seller may deliver a firearm to a purchaser and punishes violators with a fine. It is intended to put distance between emotional distress and access to a firearm. Gun-rights groups immediately challenged the two measures, arguing that the laws constituted infringements of the Second Amendment. This morning we filed two lawsuits . . . against the age restriction and the waiting periods. We believe these are slam-dunk lawsuits and that we will easily win these in the courts, explained Taylor Rhodes, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, in a video statement. The third measure Polis signed was Senate Bill 170, strengthening the states red-flag law. Now, the list of persons who can petition for an extreme risk protection order includes licensed medical care providers, licensed mental health-care providers, licensed educators, and district attorneys. Senate Bill 23 was also enacted, making suits against gun sellers and manufacturers easier. The previous law in Colorado limited product liability actions against manufacturers of firearms and ammunition to situations in which there was a defect in the design or manufacture of a firearm or ammunition. That rule is now repealed. The enactment also eliminates the requirement that plaintiffs automatically pay the legal fees of gun-industry defendants when cases are dismissed. It makes the industry susceptible to lawsuits under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act. Rhodes explained why his organization hadnt filed suits against these laws yet. The reason is simple. We dont have standing, he said. However, he urged injured parties to contact his organization, promising a prompt response. More from National Review Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said reports on his potential presidential campaign launch date are inaccurate, and no plans have been made for an announcement event. DeSantis said at a press conference on Thursday during a trip to Israel that he is focused on the international trip he is taking to Japan, South Korea, Israel and the United Kingdom. If theres any announcements, those will come at the appropriate time. But if anyones telling you that somehow they know this or they know that, thats just inaccurate because theres not been any decisions made, he said. DeSantis made his comment in response to a question about an NBC News report from Wednesday that stated four Republican operatives familiar with conversations said DeSantis could join the presidential contest as soon as mid-May. One operative said he would launch an exploratory committee before officially declaring his candidacy. Bloomberg also reported on Friday that DeSantis plans to join the race during the first two weeks of June, citing people familiar with the deliberations. DeSantis has not publicly confirmed he is considering a presidential bid in 2024, but he has been the subject of intense rumors about his possible ambitions. Despite not officially being a candidate, DeSantis has consistently placed second in most hypothetical GOP primary polls that include current and potential Republican candidates. But the polls have also shown former President Trump with large double-digit leads over DeSantis. DeSantis allies have increasingly been pressing him to get in the race as time goes on and Trump continues to attack him and maintain sizable leads in the polls. DeSantiss trips to the four countries have also raised speculation he is planning to run for president and looking to raise his international profile. Trump criticized DeSantis in a post on Truth Social on Monday for the trips, saying they are part of an emergency Round the World tour. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Melanie Lynskey has found her spotlight as Shauna in Showtimes thriller series Yellowjackets (Dave Benett) I dont have a big, booming voice, says Melanie Lynskey in a Kiwi accent that is the antithesis of big and booming. Its high and quite quiet so I think its easy for people to make assumptions. People have been making assumptions about Lynskey for decades now. Each time, she upends them. She implodes them. In fact, shes so good at it that not who you expect has become her calling card as an actor. Were taught that power is in masculinity, and I dont agree with that. Feminine traits are also powerful, she says. I think soft-spoken people can carry a lot of things within them. Lynskey, 45, is living, breathing, softly speaking now, latte-sipping proof of that. She was 16 when she landed her first role opposite a then-upcoming star Kate Winslet. Together, they played the intensely entwined, murderous schoolgirls of Peter Jacksons Heavenly Creatures (1994). Even then, Jackson innately understood something about Lynskeys allure a glimmer of danger never totally out of sight. It flickers across the length of her career, from her 12-year stint opposite Charlie Sheen (and later Ashton Kutcher) on the sitcom Two and a Half Men to last months episode of HBOs The Last of Us, in which she played a merciless rebel leader. No doubt, that glimmer is the crux of her performance in Showtimes series Yellowjackets, which has returned for a thrilling second season. The hit series toggles between the Nineties and the present day, following the survivors of a plane crash in its immediate aftermath and later fallout. The part of Shauna, a survivor turned suburbanite who doesnt so much have skeletons in her closet as she does a dark, dingy basement chock full of them, is perfect for Lynskey and that dangerous streak. In person, it is absent. That is, except for when Lynskey shows me a posture she often strikes when she wants to convey a severity on screen: uncrossed legs, steely gaze, elbows on knees. (That move has a lot of power for me, she says, adding it first came to her in a dream.) But mostly, Lynskey is warm in the way most celebrities have already grown out of. She is also unfailingly polite and ill. Oh my God, Im so sorry, she coughs, lifting her hand to cover her mouth. Tiny black hearts are etched into her baby pink manicure. Its the worst to be in the room with someone who is sick. Its not for nothing Lynskey has a reputation as the nicest person in Hollywood. Phonetically, her name might not lend itself as easily to a portmanteau as Laura Derns or Kathryn Hahns (mind you, Melanaissance isnt half bad) but given the double whammy of Yellowjackets and The Last of Us, like them, she, too, is experiencing a career resurgence. It feels very different, I have to say, Lynskey gestures to the swanky London hotel suite where she is spending the day chatting about one of her recent hit shows. Shows plural! Its funny, Ive never had a publicity schedule before so its all new. But the years have made her realistic about the business; she knows this is temporary. And shes OK with that. Its not going to last forever so Im trying to make the most of it. You can hardly blame Lynskey for her pragmatic attitude. She was a jobbing actor for nearly 30 years, playing supporting roles in mainstream films (Sweet Home Alabama, Coyote Ugly, Dont Look Up) and lead roles in indie films (Hello I Must Be Going, Happy Christmas), before mainstream and lead role coalesced with Yellowjackets. But the uptick in her career has dovetailed with major life events, making this period in her life both exciting and really complicated. In 2018, Lynskey gave birth to her daughter (she is married to the actor Jason Ritter). Two years later, she had a pregnancy loss. I was grateful not to be working at that moment because I got to process it a little bit but theres definitely still things Im working through. She needs a vacation. A crying vacation is that a thing? Lynskey laughs. A crying vacation where you take a bath every day, cry a little bit, then go and have a glass of wine. It helps matters that her daughter, now four, goes with her pretty much everywhere. Lynskeys first experience as a working mother was not ideal. It was 2019 and she was playing a conservative activist in the acclaimed miniseries Mrs America opposite Cate Blanchett. It was really hard, says Lynskey of her time on set. Cate validated my feelings. Yknow, I would come to set and burst into tears and she would be like, Aw honey She was very, very there for me in that way. As was Sarah Paulson. Blanchett and Paulson, higher up on the call sheet than Lynskey, offered up their trailers so she would have somewhere private to pump and breastfeed. These generous women were giving me the things that were afforded to them in their contracts so that my life as a mother would be easier, she smiles. The whole thing was a learning curve. By the time negotiations forYellowjackets rolled around months later, Lynskey knew what she needed as a working mum. I asked for the world, she says. I wasnt going to do that again! Lynskey was 15 when producer and screenwriter Fran Walsh paid a visit to her high school in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Walsh was looking for an unknown to star opposite Kate Winslet in Peter Jacksons movie about a real-life Christchurch murder case from the Fifties in which two genteel schoolgirls killed one of their mothers. Lynskey netted the part of glowering, curly-haired Pauline Parker and was astounding. A brilliant showcase of a burgeoning talent, Heavenly Creatures shouldve been a catalyst for Lynskey like it was for her co-star Winslet, who went on to win an Oscar shortly after. It was years before Lynskey next appeared on screen; and decades until she landed another lead role. Lynskey as Shauna in Showtimes Yellowjackets (Colin Bentley/Showtime) Lynskey has spoken of feeling sidelined on the films publicity circuit. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to speak to Winslet only. For what its worth, she isnt bitter. Not then and not now. People were never cruel. It was more that I had a co-star who was so undeniably spectacular that I fell by the wayside a little bit. It was Kate Winslet becoming Kate Winslet, she says, widening her eyes. It was funny because I was super excited for her; I knew it was very much what she wanted but then, you know, I wanted to be working as well. Lynskey did work eventually. She didnt have the very specific look studios wanted for their leads, however, leaving her with supporting roles. Youre either the bitchy friend or the shy friend. She identified with neither. My agents would try to talk me into auditioning for things but Id be like, I dont want to play that kind of character. I dont like that this character exists. I dont want to do it, she says. In a recent New York Times interview, Lynskey recalled reading a script in which a character held a candy bar in every scene. She passed on that and plenty of others. Its hard when you dont have money, frankly, to pass on things but I really tried to commit to building as interesting a career as I could with my limited options. I was always a person who was exploring my sexuality even before Heavenly Creatures To use a cliche, the first time Lynskey felt seen was in 2003 when she auditioned for Mona Lisa Smile. Lynskey had been up for Connie Baker, a role that fell squarely within the carriage of strait-laced characters she had by then grown accustomed to playing, when director Mike Newell told her it wasnt a fit. Instead, he encouraged her to read for Giselle, a sexually adventurous college student. Nobody had ever taken the time with me to stop and say, Hang on a minute, who is this person internally? Lynskey didnt get the part (it went to Maggie Gyllenhaal) but wrote Newell a thank-you note, regardless. It was just nice to have a good experience. Sometimes thats enough. Lynskey and Kate Winslet in Heavenly Creatures in 1994 (Rex Features) Lynskeys career so far has been punctuated with canonically queer titles, chief among them Natasha Lyonnes pepto-pink cult classic But Im a Cheerleader (1999). There was Heavenly Creatures as well as a recurring role in The L Word. Yellowjackets, too, has been praised as the queerest show on TV right now. Someone once asked Lynskey whether perhaps she was playing too many gay people. Their subtext being that yes, she was. I was like, What? she laughs. There are so few gay characters in the world. Its not like Im going to be able to exclusively play gay people. Theres just not enough material. Its always been strange to me that people have those concerns. OMG yes let me push that homosexual agenda just by showing up! An honour! https://t.co/gJqgIJ3DSU Melanie Lynskey (@melanielynskey) February 1, 2023 Queerness was never a taboo in the Lynskey household. I was always a person who was exploring my sexuality even before Heavenly Creatures, she says. I always thought I could be anything! A laugh erupts from Lynskey as she recalls how her mother would always question her and her siblings over whether they were gay. She always wanted a gay child. It was always something that was not just on the table but she would say, Do you think maybe? And so I was like, Yeah, maybe! I was always exploring it. And how does she feel about her status as a gay icon a la Jennifer Coolidge? Lynskey beams in response. Doesnt everybody want to be loved by gay people? I feel like heterosexuals are not always so discerning. This feels like more of an achievement. In February, one irate person criticised her involvement in The Last of Us as homosexual agenda-pushing. Lynskey responded aptly and hilariously: OMG yes let me push that homosexual agenda just by showing up! She is quick with a clapback. Well, I ignore a lot, she says when I ask what prompts her to engage. I was a shy kid, kind of bullied and I didnt know how to stand up for myself. All I knew to do was double down on being a weirdo and make them even more freaked out by me. Now, I just dont like it. I dont like people being mean. Would her younger self be proud of her now? I think so. Little weird me would be like, Oh my goodness! Lynskey would like to clarify, though, that most comments she receives online are very kind. She is the sort to dwell on the good. Clea DuVall, Lynskey and Natasha Lyonne in 1999s But Im a Cheerleader (Alamy) Lynskey recently recounted how she had been body shamed by someone in the Yellowjackets production team. She is careful to clarify today that it was one singular person at fault. I feel like sometimes its been made out to be a cultural thing, but it was literally one time, she says. The shows co-creator, Ashley Lyle, wrote Lynskey an email after she learned what happened. Im going to keep it forever, she says. Ashley said how proud she was to have created a show where there is a regular-sized woman who is in a love triangle with two hot guys. She said that if she had seen something like this when she was a teenager, it would have changed the trajectory of her life. She said that they love me, and they love what I look like. Lynskey is very loved online, too. The internets affection increased tenfold earlier this month after her appearance with Ritter on The Drew Barrymore Show went viral. Her husband had opened up about struggling with alcoholism during the early days of their relationship. Its a heart-pinching moment and completely romantic. Lynskey tells me now there was not always a light at the end of the tunnel. They even had a goodbye party for their relationship once. We called it a goodbye party, but it was just the two of us locked in a house for a weekend trying to get it out of our systems. It didnt work. Within a fortnight, they were back in touch. Things were crazy for a while. It got a lot easier when my husband got sober, which Im so proud of him for, but we were not two people who were ready for a relationship at all. Maybe it was their unborn daughter, she muses, out in the universe willing them to keep going. We were at a bad time in our lives, but Im so grateful to have found him. As always, Lynskey finds the silver lining. Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) is calling out Republicans for their silence on Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greenes (R-Ga.) attack on American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, in which she said the union leader is not a mother, even though she has stepchildren. Greenes comment came during a Wednesday meeting of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, during which she and other Republicans questioned Weingarten over AFTs involvement in the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions guidance on reopening schools. Weingarten told Greene during the hearing she is a mother by marriage, but Greene repeatedly said she is not a mother. The problem is people like you need to admit that youre just a political activist, not a teacher, not a mother and not a medical doctor, Greene said. Frost said on Friday he was adopted by two loving parents and received all the love and support a child could ever ask for. Yet, I heard in this chamber a few days ago that someones saying my parents arent real parents. Let me be clear I am their child. They are my parents. And for bigoted, closed-minded reasons, certain folks have decided that people who adopt their children are lesser than, he said. Frost said he has not seen any Republicans in the body condemn these disgusting comments and hopes they do not agree with them. And directly to the people who have opened up their hearts and homes for children ready for their embrace, dont let anyone ever diminish who you are. You are real parents. A parent and nothing less, he said. Frost previously slammed Greene in a tweet after her exchange with Weingarten. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), a member of the subcommittee, called Greenes comments unacceptable, telling Weingarten you are a mother and thank you for being a great parent. The Hill has reached out to Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), who chairs the pandemic subcommittee, for comment on Greenes and Frosts remarks. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Photos: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for US-Ireland Alliance, Strategic Marketing Agency/Blackpool Zoo, Alhambra Elementary School District Turn off the cable news, tune out the doom and gloom and get ready for your weekly dose of good news. Here are this weeks best feel-good stories from Yahoo News partners. Help wanted: Costume-wearing seagull deterrent Candidates for a "seagull deterrent" position will need to dress in costume for the job. (Strategic Marketing Agency/Blackpool Zoo) A zoo located less than 3 miles from the Irish Sea on Englands west coast has gone viral for its quirky job posting, receiving hundreds of applications for a recently advertised seagull deterrent position, Yahoo News partner Insider reported. As a seaside resort, Blackpool is not short of seagulls. However, the seagulls are proving to be a bit of a nuisance when it comes to trying to steal food from our visitors and our animal enclosures, the job posting on Blackpool Zoo's website says. We need to do what we can to keep the seagulls away from our main visitor dining areas, which is why we are looking for a team of people to join our Visitor Services team as Seagull Deterrents. Any interested candidate should be friendly, energetic, flexible, outgoing, an excellent flapper and comfortable wearing a bird costume. The zoo says it's tried several unsuccessful techniques to scare off the unwelcome avian visitors, including eagle-shaped kites and large statues of various birds of prey, so it's hoping the new deterrents will do the trick. HIV drug may help fight dementia, study says The molecular structure of maraviroc, an antiviral used to treat HIV. (Getty Images) A drug used to treat patients with HIV may also help treat neurodegenerative conditions like dementia after a study published on Wednesday showed promise in mice, Yahoo News partner the Daily Beast reported. A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge in the U.K. used an antiviral drug called maraviroc, which was approved by the FDA in 2007 to treat HIV, to treat mice that had been genetically engineered to develop specific forms of Huntingtons disease. At the end of the four-week trial, the mice that had been treated with maraviroc performed better on memory and object-recognition tests than the untreated mice. The treated mice also had less protein build-up than the untreated ones. Neurodegenerative issues largely stem from the bodys inability to clear misfolded proteins out of the brain, and as they build up, these proteins can kill brain cells and trigger diseases such as Alzheimers. Maraviroc may not itself turn out to be the magic bullet, but it shows a possible way forward, senior study author David Rubinsztein said. During the development of this drug as a HIV treatment, there were a number of other candidates that failed along the way because they were not effective against HIV. We may find that one of these works effectively in humans to prevent neurodegenerative diseases. Carrie Fisher to receive posthumous star on Hollywood Walk of Fame The late Carrie Fisher will be honored with a star on Star Wars Day. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for US-Ireland Alliance) Actress Carrie Fisher, best known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars films, will finally be receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Yahoo News partner the Evening Standard reported. Long overdue & so well-deserved, her Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill tweeted on Monday. Fisher, who died in 2016 at age 60, will be memorialized on Hollywood Boulevard near the El Capitan Theatre on May 4, aka Star Wars Day, close to the Walk of Fame star of her late mother, Debbie Reynolds. Fishers daughter, actress Billie Lourd, will accept the star on her mothers behalf. Fishers star will be the 2,754th on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Motion Pictures category, joining Star Wars leading men Hamill and Harrison Ford, who already have stars on the prestigious promenade. Elderly city cats reunited with owner after building collapse Damage from the partial collapse of a parking garage in Manhattan, April 20. (Barry Williams for the New York Daily News via Getty Images) Two elderly cats in New York City were united with their owner on Thursday after being trapped in an apartment building when an adjacent garage collapsed in lower Manhattan, Yahoo News partner the Guardian reported. The feline reunion is a bright spot in an otherwise grim incident in which one person the garages longtime manager was killed and five others were injured. I personally didnt think the cats were going to survive, Sandy Imhoff said of Dave, age 12, and Cathy, age 14. Imhoff, who has lived in the building since 1977, said she tried to evacuate with her pets shortly after the garage collapse on April 18, but was unable to corral the cats in time, the Guardian said. Dave and Cathy were later found under Imhoffs bed, and a number of other cats were also rescued at the address by Department of Buildings workers. 3rd graders surprised with free college tuition All third graders at Madrid Neighborhood School in Phoenix have the opportunity to attend college at no cost, thanks to the Rosztoczy Foundation's College Promise program. (Alhambra Elementary School District) Eighty-nine third graders at Madrid Neighborhood School, an elementary school in Phoenix, were surprised on Tuesday with news that they would receive full scholarships to college, Yahoo News partner the Arizona Republic reported. The Rosztoczy Foundation, a family foundation based in Avondale, Ariz., will fund tuition and room and board for a four-year school, or tuition and books at a community college, for students who graduate from the Alhambra Elementary School District and the Phoenix Union High School District. Students who attend private universities or out-of-state universities will receive the equivalent of in-state tuition at a public Arizona university to put toward their tuition costs. A weight has been lifted off my shoulders for them, said one parent, Michelle Chavez, who has two children in third grade. Tom Rosztoczy, co-founder of the scholarship program with his wife, said the foundation focuses on third graders because they are at the magic age when they are old enough to understand what a scholarship means and young enough to change their trajectory to work toward college, the Arizona Republic said. The foundation also wanted to make higher education more attainable for students at a school with a high percentage of low-income families. Yosemite Falls is reflected in water in the meadow in the Yosemite Valley. Much of the valley is closed because of possible flooding and is expected to remain closed at least until Wednesday. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Signs of snowmelt-fueled deluge were everywhere in famed Yosemite Valley on Saturday as the normally placid Merced River surged over its banks, swamping roads, erasing swimming beaches, and turning meadows into murky sloughs. Much of the valley was closed at 10 p.m. on Friday and the closures were expected to remain in place at least until Monday due to a jump in temperatures that turned deep piles of snow blanketing the Sierra Nevada ranges higher elevations into torrents of runoff. The river, which winds through Yosemite Valley, was forecast to crest at a flood stage level of about 11 feet on Sunday morning, the highest in years. Flood warnings have been issued for Mariposa, Fresno, Tulare and Kings counties because of excess runoff. Anyone with reservations in Yosemite Valley, park officials said, will receive a full refund. Earlier in the day on Friday, visitors to Yosemite National Park marveled at the sights and sounds of countless new waterfalls spilling over the edges of towering cliffs surrounding the glacially carved valley as the Merced River expanded the boundaries of its floodplain below. Snowmelt has brought thundering falls to upper Yosemite. Yosemite Valley closed Friday at 10 p.m. due to the forecast of flooding. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Rock climbers Jon and Amy Holt of Bellingham, Wash., definitely had a different image in mind when they planned a spring vacation that included scaling the granite cliff of El Capitan, an iconic vertical rock formation on the north side of the valley. So far this year, however, No one has climbed El Capitan, Amy Holt, 27, said, because the trail back down is buried in snow. In fact, it was snowing when we arrived in the valley two weeks ago, she said, and the Merced River was at least 20 feet narrower and calm. So, weve watched the water rise to where it is now, she added, gazing across a stretch of the river forging new channels through a pine forest, which is crazy. A few people stop by the patio at the 95-year-old Ahwahnee Hotel on Friday in Yosemite National Park. They relax briefly on the nearly empty patio. The hotel has been undergoing structural enhancements starting in January 2023 to complete seismic upgrades. A closure alert on the Ahwahnee Hotel's website states that most of Yosemite Valley will be closed from April 28 to May 1 because of forecast flooding. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Vacationers Mitch and Peggy Pingle, of Broomfield, Colo., were also coming to terms with an unanticipated reality: They were picnicking in a serene meadow edged with lupine flowers that may soon be washed away. Were enjoying a sweet spot near the river, Peggy Pingle, 67, mused, before the park closes this whole area down due to flooding. Record-breaking snow depths of a whopping 58 feet or more at higher elevations make it difficult to know exactly how wide a swath the Merced and its feeder creeks will cut through the 747,000-acre park visited annually by about 4 million people. But the water is expected to begin receding next week, when the National Weather Service predicts that temperatures will dip into lows in the mid-30s. Climate change coupled with drought, snowpack, wildfires and flooding has been one of the parks biggest challenges in recent years, undermining the concept of Yosemite as a refuge where nature prevails unaffected by man-made forces. Drought has enabled western pine bark beetles to kill large swaths of forest. Yosemite's glaciers are melting, scientists say, primarily due to global warming. Brendan Ward with the Valley Buildings and Groundwater Department checks the Indian Canyon Creek water level and sandbags next to staff housing below the medical clinic on Thursday inside Yosemite National Park. The Western Yosemite Valley is scheduled to remain open dependent on traffic congestion. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Beyond those ecological woes, adjusting the flow of visitors in a premier national park only a 5-hour drive from 18 million people in Southern California seemingly defies simple solutions even under the best conditions. Closing the park for several days due to safety concerns, however, comes at a cost. Tourism in Yosemite the heart of the Sierra Nevada economy generates a cumulative benefit to the region of about $686 million a year, officials said, directly supporting nearly 8,000 jobs. This weeks flooding doesnt compare with the water levels of May 1997, when the river crested at about 23 feet and contributed to $178 million in damage, according to the National Weather Service. That event left behind a jumble of overturned cabins, motor homes, smashed cars and swamped campgrounds. At Yosemite Lodge, nearly 300 rooms and cabins were flooded, and a nearby employee enclave known as Ozone was destroyed. Now, park officials are worried about heavy snowpack still blanketing the Tuolumne River and Merced River basins, and waterfalls Yosemite, Bridal Veil, Nevada, and Vernal Falls flowing very high for this time of the year. With the Merced River expected to reach flood stage off and on through early July, officials recently issued a grim warning: Use extreme caution anywhere near flowing water; stay back from the riverbanks. Sandbags have been placed across the road from the medical clinic on Thursday in Yosemite National Park. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Steve Montalto, creative director of Visit Yosemite in Madera County, wouldnt argue with any of that. Some folks are going to think, Ooh! Lets go see the magic of Yosemite in spring on steroids! he said, only half kidding. Thats the dilemma facing park rangers and administrators right now. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. This image provided by KTRK shows the scene of a shooting early Saturday, April 29, 2023 in Cleveland, Texas. A man went next door with a rifle and began shooting his neighbors, killing several including an 8-year-old inside the house, after the family asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep, authorities said Saturday. (KTRK via AP) AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A Texas man went next door with a rifle and began shooting his neighbors, killing an 8-year-old and four others inside the house, after the family asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep, authorities said Saturday. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said authorities were still searching for the 39-year-old suspect following the overnight shooting in the town of Cleveland, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Houston. He said the suspect, whom he did not identify, used an AR-style rifle in the shooting. Capers said there were 10 people in the house and that no one else was injured. He said two of the victims, all believed to be from Honduras, were found laying over two children inside. The Honduran ladies that were laying over these children were doing it in such an effort as to protect the child, Capers said. The confrontation followed family members walking up to the fence and asking the suspect to stop shooting rounds, Capers said. The suspect responded by telling them that it was his property, according to Capers, and that one person in the house got a video of the suspect walking up to the front door with the rifle. Three of the victims were women and one was a man. Their names were not released. Capers said the victims were between the ages of 8 and about 40 years old. Authorities have previously been to the suspect's home, according to Capers. Deputies have come over and spoke with him about him shooting his gun in the yard, he said. Capers said some of those in the house had just moved from Houston earlier in the week, but he did not know whether they were planning to stay there. The U.S. is setting a record pace for mass killings in 2023. The violence is sparked by a range of motives: murder-suicides and domestic violence; gang retaliation; school shootings and workplace vendettas. All have taken the lives of four or more people at once since Jan. 1. Quilla Long, Sallamondra Robinson and Shanquella Robinson; right photo, Shanquella Robinson. (Courtesy of Robinson family) Weeks after prosecutors announced they would not bring any charges in the death of Shanquella Robinson, a 25-year-old Charlotte, N.C., woman who died last year while on a trip to Mexico with a friend and five other American travel mates, her family is raising doubts about the U.S. investigation. Robinsons mother, Sallamondra, believes she knows why her daughter is no longer alive and who did it based on video footage of Shanquella getting physically assaulted, along with various investigative documents the family has retrieved. But she says U.S. authorities arent willing to hold anyone accountable. It's very disturbing because they saw the same thing we saw [on video], Sallamondra Robinson told Yahoo News, referring to footage shared online just weeks after Shanquellas death in which a blogger in North Carolina claims a woman is seen viciously attacking Robinson until her body goes limp. Then they do an autopsy and they come back with something different. I dont even know if we can trust them. Shanquella Robinson. (via Instagram) On Oct. 28 of last year, Robinson traveled to the resort city of San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, with six others to celebrate one of their birthdays. Less than 24 hours later, she was found dead. Initially, the people on the trip told her mother that Robinson had died of alcohol poisoning, but the family later received an autopsy report from the Mexican Secretariat of Health and learned she had suffered a broken neck and a cracked spine. No mention of alcohol was included in the report. In a death certificate obtained by Queen City News in Charlotte, Robinson's death was attributed to a severe spinal cord injury and atlas luxation, meaning that her first vertebra was loosened or detached from the base of her skull. Nearly a month later, the video footage of Robinson being attacked appeared on social media. Her mother recognized the other people in the video as the ones who traveled with Shanquella, and she believes it was recorded on the trip to Cabo. I want justice, because Ive seen her being brutally beaten, Sallamondra said. Thats enough evidence right there. Mexican authorities issued an arrest warrant in the case in November for the crime of femicide, a form of gender-based violence. They also sought to extradite an American suspect to the country to face charges. But since then, no one has been held accountable. In the absence of any arrests six months since Robinsons death, family attorney Sue-Ann Robinson (who is not related to the family) said she and the family have taken matters into their own hands, calling the FBIs response to the case thus far disrespectful. Shanquella Robinson, right, with her mom at left. (Family handout) Over the last few months, the family has sought out investigative documents from federal authorities in Mexico about the case, called on President Biden and the State Department to intervene and continued to hold local demonstrations to ensure that Robinsons name and legacy are not forgotten. Attorney Robinson said she also traveled to Mexico earlier this year for a better understanding of the lack of urgency and was informed by the Mexican attorney generals office that the case is a high priority and that Mexican authorities are willing to turn it over to the U.S.; they reportedly claim, however, that the FBI has not taken any action. The family is in a situation where they have to carve their own path to justice in this case and have been aware of that from the beginning, attorney Robinson told Yahoo News. Having to mourn your child, bury your child, bury your sister and every single day have to make sure that people dont forget about the case, while essentially fighting with the FBI to do their job it couldnt be more disrespectful. On April 12, federal officials with the U.S. attorneys offices in two districts in North Carolina announced they would not bring charges in Robinsons death based on insufficient evidence. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Ms. Robinson has been a priority for federal prosecutors and the FBI, a statement issued by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of North Carolina read in part. Based on the results of the autopsy and after a careful deliberation and review of the investigative materials by both U.S. Attorneys Offices, federal prosecutors informed Ms. Robinsons family today that the available evidence does not support a federal prosecution. The FBI national and local North Carolina offices declined Yahoo News request to provide further comment. The seal of the FBI at the bureau's headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) As for the current state of extradition requests, the DOJ also declined to elaborate. The U.S. Department of Justice generally does not confirm, deny or otherwise comment on the existence or non-existence of requests for apprehension from foreign governments, Nicole Navas Oxman, a spokesperson for the department, told Yahoo News in an email. But attorney Robinson questions whether the case was ever a priority for U.S. officials, particularly in contrast to the federal agencys response to four Americans kidnapped in Mexico last month and its subsequent fervor to solve the case including a $50,000 reward. She said that case alone is evidence of a protocol in such cases that isnt being followed in the Shanquella Robinson investigation. But experts say extradition remains on the table. The prosecutors decision not to file charges shouldnt affect possible extradition, according to Stephen Ward, an assistant professor of criminal justice at Belmont Abbey College. When an extradition request is made, thats simply asking the jurisdiction that receives the request for the police to pick this person up and turn them over to us, Ward, a retired assistant district attorney in Mecklenburg County, N.C., told the Charlotte Observer. We do that all the time between states here in the United States and extradite with other countries. Donald Corbett, an associate law professor at North Carolina Central University who specializes in constitutional law, previously told Yahoo News that while he understands the Robinson familys frustration, the politics involving a transnational case like this makes it more complicated. Just because the extradition request is made doesnt automatically mean that person just gets shipped overseas, Corbett said. They will have a federal court process here in the States in which that person has an opportunity to challenge the extradition. And then the court system here will figure out whether they think its a valid extradition request. This is all going to take time, and obviously when youre dealing with grief, the time only makes the grief worse in some ways. Shanquella Robinson. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos courtesy of Robinson family [2]) Robinsons sister, Quilla Long, echoed sentiments of frustration in a GoFundMe for the family, calling the investigation unacceptable. We continue to fight for the truth, Long said. The family and their attorneys are organizing buses to travel from Charlotte to D.C. on May 19 the 200th day since Robinsons death to demand the attention and diplomatic intervention they say this case deserves. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, a second family attorney, told Yahoo News last month that an intervention may be the only way to get actual movement on the case, and he expressed frustration that the opportunities that have been presented thus far have been thwarted. We have direct access to officials at the White House, and weve engaged one another on the matter, Crump said, adding that the case deserves more attention because he believes a murder was committed. Sallamondra Robinson says her faith in God allows her to hold on to hope that justice is coming. And shes encouraged by supporters both near and far who continue to keep her daughters name alive. I thank everyone that stands with our family, because we need all the help, she said. Because Shanquella didnt have no one there to help her when she was being attacked. And she dont have no one helping her now. Cover thumbnail photo illustration: Jack Forbes; photos: family handouts China to cooperate with other SCO countries on security architecture: defense minister Xinhua) 11:26, April 29, 2023 NEW DELHI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu said here on Friday that China is ready to cooperate with other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture. Li said when attending the SCO defense ministers' meeting in the Indian capital that the ministerial meeting has become a key platform for SCO countries to strengthen strategic communication and discuss security cooperation. Important consensuses have been reached at the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Samarkand, Uzbekistan last September, he noted. China is willing to join hands with other SCO members to implement the Global Security Initiative, deepen strategic mutual trust, enhance anti-terrorism cooperation, expand fields for cooperation and improve cooperation mechanisms, so as to contribute to global and regional peace and stability, Li said. The defense ministers pledged at the meeting to further boost strategic communication, focus on consensuses and expand SCO cooperation and jointly safeguard regional security and stability. A joint communique was released after the meeting. During his stay in India, Li met with defense ministers from Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Iran on international and regional situations, bilateral and military ties as well as issues of common concern. (Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun) By Scott Shepherd "Oegugin churip geumji," said the doorman. Entry prohibited for foreigners. This article was nearly a very angry one. After I was denied entry to a bar two weeks ago for not being Korean, I was fulminating internally over the piece that I would write. I was going to write about the closemindedness and inherent insularity of Korea that the "no foreigners" rule reveals. Why should anyone support Busan's bid for the 2030 World Expo if the people it seeks to attract are not welcome here? Why should Scottish distillers or Belgian brewers sell their products to Korean pubs that refuse entry to the very people who created that precious nectar? Why should woke fans abroad laud K-pop as something special or somehow anti-racist when some of the genre's biggest stars (members of BlACKPINK and Twice, for instance) could themselves be banned from the country's pubs? That was the article that I nearly wrote: furious at the bar owners who devise this kind of policy and at the workers who implement it; raging against the successive governments that have failed to put a stop to it; angry even at the Korean people who protested COVID travel bans imposed by other countries but who willingly turn a blind eye at home to entry restrictions of a different kind. If my editors allowed me, I was going to name and shame the specific bar which denied me entry; I was thinking about posting a video of the incident online, organizing a protest, railing, fighting. That was the article I would have written. It would have been an angry piece, and not without reason. But I did know inside that I needed to calm down before I wrote anything and particularly before I published anything. There's enough hatred in the world and especially in the public sphere without more being added by me. I decided to take a week to calm down and reflect on the experience. Living in Korea, I try to understand prevailing perspectives here, even if I don't necessarily adopt them myself. From hideously saccharine potato chips to the tendency to let the door slam into the face of the person behind, from the tacit understanding of subway etiquette to the right way to conduct yourself in the public baths I have sought to understand and adapt to Korean culture, even when it's hard. What is easy, however, at least for a foreigner who speaks Korean, is noticing what some would call micro-aggressions, which occur if not on a daily then at least on a weekly basis. But we have to accept that this is Korea, not America and not Europe. Imposing Western frameworks of race and racism doesn't work here. Much of the oft-maligned Critical Race Theory is so fundamentally centered on the American experience that it just doesn't make sense in other parts of the world though it is true that scholars have been attempting to adapt its principles for other settings, including Korea. Korea is not a Western country. It has a different history and a different relationship with outside cultures. And it has no inherent duty to become a multicultural society in the mode of Western Europe or North America. So I have tried to accept that sometimes in Korea people talk about or treat foreigners in a way which would be considered unpalatable where I grew up. I seek gently to remind people who sneer at citizens of poorer countries that once Korea itself struggled with desperate poverty. To those who think all refugees should be spurned I try to point out that not so long ago those seeking refuge from war were in fact Koreans. As a general rule, when people express xenophobic views, I try to understand, even if I disagree. Otherwise it would be nearly impossible to stay in Korea for any length of time. (The obverse of this which you can find online if you look is the spectacle of non-Koreans responding to Korean racism by expressing their own racism against Koreans. This is of course just as worthy of condemnation.) But the "no foreigners allowed" rule is different. It's not a question of someone revealing an unrealized bias towards outsiders or an ignorant (in the purest sense of not knowing) attitude towards different cultures. No: it's a purely racist policy designed to exclude people based on the color of their skin. After all, the doorman announced that we were not allowed in before asking for any form of identification. And while I was remonstrating angrily at the door, a pair of men who looked East Asian were waved in without any form of ID check. Our skin was enough to prohibit our entry, just as their skin was enough to permit it. This is worth getting angry about. It's not an awkward slip or an incautiously-expressed generalization. It is an explicitly racist policy, not an accident: someone actually sat down and made the decision that the bar's best approach would be to exclude outsiders. Visitors here and foreign residents who cannot speak Korean may well be blissfully unaware of why they are sometimes turned away at the bar door. Perhaps it's full, they surmise; or I haven't matched the dress code. Maybe I need a ticket or something. And they wander off to another, less racist locale. I wonder if this at least contributes to why bars can still get away with banning foreigners. It's harder to get mad if you're not sure whether you're being barred because of your skin or your shoes. The question remains how to respond when you encounter this when you do understand. As for me, I'm not sure I reacted very well. I started to record the incident on my wife's phone and when one of the security people grabbed it, I wrenched the phone away and continued to point the camera and complain. I found to my disappointment later that he had pressed a button to stop the recording, meaning very little of the encounter was filmed. With or without video evidence, I made a scene. I suddenly realized that I knew most of the correct vocabulary and grammar to shout loudly about racist entry policies for pubs, and so I set about doing so with gusto. My Korean teachers would have been proud. This approach is certainly cathartic and it may have given the doormen something to think about, but it won't bring about long-term change. So the day afterwards we lodged a complaint with both the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) and the local council of the city where the incident took place. Disappointingly, the city council very quickly replied saying that the pub's policy is not against the law and there's nothing that they can do. The NHRCK are still investigating; we have more hope there. I believe there is a precedent where a similar incident took place and the organization required the bar to change its policy. In any case, to anyone who experiences this kind of prejudice I would recommend reporting it to the NHRCK; they have . Whatever happens in my particular case, it's clear that Korea needs to have a more open discussion about the foreigners who live here, and it's equally important not to import the toxicity of American debates around race. Anger may be the natural reaction, but we rarely make good decisions when the red mist descends. While I as a foreigner can't change Korean law, I can start talking at least. And it's possible necessary to talk about these topics honestly and openly, and to do so without resorting to hatred. Dr. Scott Shepherd (scottshepherd@chongshin.ac.kr) is a British-American academic. He has taught in universities in the U.K. and Korea, and is currently an assistant professor of English at Chongshin University in Seoul. The views expressed in the article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times. North Carolina historian Tim Tyson was one of the few people to ever interview Carolyn Bryant Donham about the encounter that led to the lynching of Emmett Till 68 years ago. His 2017 book, The Blood of Emmett Till, revealed Donhams stunning statement that she had lied about the circumstances of what happened between her and Till in 1955 details that set off a chain of events ending with his murder. Donham died Thursday in Louisiana at the age of 88. She lived part of her life in Raleigh. The day after her death, Tyson said people should not focus on Donhams death, which has stirred strong and mixed emotions. Instead, her death should be a reminder of what Tills mother, Mamie, wanted for America. Which is focusing on taking racial tragedies and turning this into a society more like the one that we envision for ourselves a multiracial democracy, said Tyson, a Duke University professor and historian, in a phone interview with The News & Observer on Friday. Thats what she fought for, Tyson said. Thats what she wanted her sons life to mean. Timothy Tyson is an author, historian and teacher who is known for writing the books, The Blood of Emmett Till and Blood Done Sign My Name. After the news of her death was announced, some said it marked the end of a painful chapter for Tills family. But others says it doesnt equate to justice and that the fight after Tills death should continue. Tyson said he learned of Donhams death late Thursday, prompting reflections about his interviews with her. Those conversations are never what you would imagine, Tyson told The N&O. She was involved in something despicable and I, too, wish that justice had been served somehow in this case. Who was Emmett Till? What we all need to know about his death and legacy What happened to Emmett Till? Till had just turned 14 when he was tortured, mutilated and shot in August 1955. Donham, who was white, was married to one of Tills assailants, Roy Bryant. She accused Till of whistling at her and grabbing her in a grocery store in Money, Mississippi. Bryant, his brother John Milton, and a lynch mob drove to Tills uncles home to kidnap the boy in the middle of the night. Tills body was found in the Tallahatchie River tied to a cotton gin fan. A month later, an all-white jury acquitted Bryant and Milton of murder. According to Tysons book, Donham told him that she had lied about what happened that day. The men who murdered Emmett Till were alive for years and years and could have been prosecuted, Tyson said. Not just the two who were tried, but several more that participated in the lynching were never tried. But last year, Donhams unpublished memoir, which Tyson had obtained, fueled further questions when she introduced contradictory statements about the events from 1955. She said she had not identified Till to her husband and didnt know what would happen to the young boy, according to The Associated Press. I think its easier to condemn Carolyn than it is to confront what our society was and is, Tyson said. Were still killing Emmett Till in so many ways. Tills mother dedicated the remainder of her life to seeking justice for her only child. Her decision to have an open casket funeral for Till sparked international outrage that led to the early start of the Civil Rights Movement. Tills death is still evoked today when an African American is killed at the hands of a white police officer, such as George Floyd, or when Black people are killed in racist incidents, like Ahmaud Arbery, a jogger who was killed by white men in Georgia. Family of slain civil rights figure Emmett Till, state representatives and acitvists march from the Mississippi State Capitol to the SIllers building to submit a petition to MS Attorney General Lynn Fitch on Friday afternoon. The petition, signed by several hundred thousand individuals, asks for an investigation into Carolyn Bryant Donham and her alledged association with Tills murder in August of 1955. Friday, March 11, 2022 in Jackson, MS. Emmett Till Justice Petition How to get there from here A year ago, Tills family and civil rights activists were on a mission to find Donham, who was last known to live in Wake County, to serve a recently surfaced unserved arrest warrant that was issued shortly after Tills death. A search team found the warrant in a file folder at the Leflore County Circuit courthouse, the same Mississippi county where Till was killed. Some took to social media on Thursday to remember Till and his familys fight for justice. One of Tills cousins, Joshua Harris-Till, said in a TikTok video that his family is still trying to make this country atone for what it did wrong. Were still trying to make this country actually care about Black and brown lives and Black and brown bodies, he said. To achieve a more just country, Tyson said there needs to be a different approach, including the reformation of the criminal justice system. Beginning with thinking about what kind of country wed like our children and grandchildren to grow up in and thinking hard about how to get there from here, Tyson said. And focusing on the cultivation of human capacities in young people that we need to do in a far more deliberate and resourceful way. Earlier this week, on April 24, local activists came to downtown Raleigh to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Moral Monday campaign. One of the campaigns leaders, the Rev. William J. Barber reignited the crowd with a mission to continue the mission for equity. Tyson said the campaign was a good start to building a stronger multi-racial coalition, better strategies for protests, litigation and voting. Weve got to fight the rise of authoritarianism and these racially-fueled backlash politics, Tyson said. We dont have to submit to that. ... Despair is a luxury we cant afford. With Emmett Till murder back in the news, these books and documentaries are essential 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. YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan issued a message on the occasion of the Citizens Day. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, the message reads as follows, Dear people, proud citizens of the Republic of Armenia, Today we celebrate Citizen's Day, and what does it mean? We emphasize the democratic nature of the Republic of Armenia, where the people, the collectiveness of citizens, are the only source and bearer of power. Since the Popular, non-violent, velvet revolution of 2018, no election at any level have been rigged in the Republic of Armenia and the Citizen had the opportunity to make decisions: to elect the Council of Elders, the heads of the communities, the National Assembly and the Prime Minister by free will. The free expression of the voters has become the only formula for the formation of the Government. This was one of the primary and key goals of the 2018 Revolution, which has been fully realized. There are no political prisoners in the Republic of Armenia, there is no idea or information that cannot be conveyed to the public through television or mass media, social networks, political, public and economic activities are completely free. Our opponents say that it would be better not have democracy, and not have the disastrous failures we had, particularly in the 44-day war and after, either. But at least today I will have the courage to say: those disasters came as a result of many years of not having democracy, legality, free civil debate, because of the taboos, stereotypes and "truths" that were created under favorable headlines, but not for the sake of statehood. We failed to overcome these taboos and stereotypes in a timely manner and that was perhaps our greatest failure. With the use of these taboos, an attempt is still being made today to prevent the development of political, civic and political thought, but our responsibility towards the future will compel us to say: the motherland is the state, which must be concrete, love for the motherland is the legality, citizenship is the identity, the guarantor of security is peace and the Future must be built on these pillars. And is the citizen of the Republic of Armenia proud? He or she should and must be proud, because facing epoch-making challenges in this way, developing the country and the economy, not betraying the essence and values of democracy, is the real source of pride. And hence, Long Live Freedom Long live the Republic of Armenia Long live our children who will live in Free and Happy Armenia. I love you all, I am proud of you all and I bow to you all. YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. The aviation authorities of Turkey, without prior notification, canceled the permission previously granted to the Flyone Armenia airline to operate flights to Europe through the Turkish airspace, Aram Ananyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Flyone Armenia airline, told ARMENPRESS. "For reasons incomprehensible to us and without any visible grounds, the Turkish aviation authorities canceled the permission previously granted to the Flyone Armenia airline to operate flights to Europe through the Turkish airspace. Turkish aviation authorities implemented the cancellation without prior notification, putting our airline and our passengers in an uncomfortable situation. Flyone Armenia company is working with the passengers of the canceled flights and will inform about the upcoming developments. We kindly ask for the understanding of our passengers for the inconvenience caused by reasons beyond our control," Ananyan said. YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister. The interlocutors referred to the military-political and humanitarian situation in the region. Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized that the steps taken by the Azerbaijani side in the Lachin Corridor are aimed at the consistent implementation of its policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh and the complete eviction of Armenians from Nagorno Karabakh. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the adequate response of the international community to Azerbaijans actions, which undermine regional security, and taking active steps towards the unconditional implementation of the judgment of the International Court of Justice. The sides exchanged thoughts on the Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiation process, including the discussions to be held in Washington in the nearest days. The parties emphasized consistent efforts to ensure stability and peace in the region. Reference was made to other humanitarian issues. While its campaign is essentially being led by Mallikarjun Kharge, all senior leaders, want to be fielded for electioneering There is an air of over-confidence in the Congress camp as its leaders are convinced that the Karnataka elections will definitely see the exit of the current Bharatiya Janata Party government. While its campaign is essentially being led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Rahul Gandhi, former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and state party president D.K. Shivakumar, all senior leaders, want to be fielded for electioneering to be able to brag later that they too had contributed to the partys win. As a result, there is a mad scramble among the Congress leaders who wish to mark their presence in the campaign even though the local leaders are not enthused about it as they believe they have things under control and dont necessarily need help from out of state campaigners. This has, however, not stopped the senior netas from pushing their case. One senior general secretary complained that he was not being fielded only because he is from the North even though he has the requisite experience in the field. When no one paid any attention to him, the persistent leader called up the Congress president to plead his case. Needless to say, he was on the next flight to Bengaluru. While the Congress is confident about the Karnataka poll result, the Bharatiya Janata Party, as always, is banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modis popularity and appeal to offset the anti-incumbency of the Basavaraj Bommai government. Having been on the defensive so far, the BJP believes it will set the agenda now that Mr Modi has hit the campaign trail and as polling day draws close, the narrative will change in its favour. There is also a realisation in the party that all will be lost if it fails to put the Congress on the mat. The BJP also believes it can only succeed in its mission if it is able to amplify the Prime Ministers message across the state and to the hinterland. Party strategists have, therefore, drawn up a list of senior leaders who will spread across the state to ensure that the momentum generated by Mr Modis whirlwind tour is not lost. In fact, Union ministers Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani and others were in the poll-bound prior to Mr Modis tour to set the stage for his whirlwind campaign. While the Congress is banking on its local leaders and raising local issues, the BJP is depending on its Central leaders and is focusing on national issues to deflect attention from the Bommai government's failures. That Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not want Bharatiya Janata Party MPs and office bearers to interact freely with the media is now well-known. But now, it appears he also frowns upon party MPs and ministers having any contact with Opposition party leaders, especially if they are vocal in their criticism of the ruling dispensation. Earlier, the Central Hall in Parliament was one place where political leaders of all hues could talk freely with the media and with each other. In fact, Central Hall was the scene of much bonhomie among leaders from opposite sides of the political divide as they chatted amiably over sandwiches and coffee. But theres been a sea change since the Covid-19 pandemic. Using that as a pretext, the media has been barred from the Central Hall while BJP MPs and ministers are rarely sighted as they are discouraged from sitting there. In fact, an Opposition leader, a former BJP ally, admitted privately that a minister, who was his good friend, has virtually stopped talking to him on the plea that it could get him into trouble with party bosses. When K.C. Tyagi was spokesperson of the Janata Dal (U), he was in constant demand by media-persons. Now that he no longer holds that position, Mr Tyagi ensures his visibility in political and other circles by his presence at all social gatherings. Whether it is a wedding, a funeral, a book launch or a seminar, Mr Tyagi makes it a point to be there. Photographs of these functions are also shared extensively with media persons and others. For instance, Mr Tyagi was present at former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azads book launch, Lok Sabha MP Danish Alis iftar party, a religious function at Haridwar among other events. More recently, Mr Tyagi was the special guest of honour at a programme organised by the Builders Association of India for the installation of its national vice-president. Despite his hectic schedule, Mr Tyagi makes time for an evening cup of coffee at his favourite cafe in Khan Market. Political observers in the capital are busy trying to decode former governor Satyapal Maliks outburst against the Modi government. In a series of interviews, Mr Malik has alleged he was offered a bribe of Rs.300 crores to clear some files when he was governor of Jammu and Kashmir. He also charged that the CRPF contingent gunned down in a terrorist attack at Pulwama was denied the use of a helicopter. The question is, why is Mr Malik taking on the BJP top bosses? Is Mr Malik desperate to get back into active politics for he has rallied farmers from West Uttar Pradesh in his support and is now backing the protesting wrestlers? It is obvious the BJPs doors are shut for him. In that case, why is he seeking appointments with Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari? Anita Katyal is a Delhi-based journalist by Melani Manel Perera Presented last month, the bill intervenes on the regulations passed in 1979 against the Tamil uprising but maintains wide margins of arbitrariness that civil society fears will be used to repress all forms of protest. Card. Ranjith has harshly criticised the measure that the president would like to bring to Parliament. Colombo (Asia News) - The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCL) has asked Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe not to bring the disputed anti-terrorism law reform to Parliament. Introduced last month, the measure would intervene on the regulations passed in 1979 against the Tamil uprising, which are still in force despite the civil war having been over for 15 years. It was the UN that had called for action in 2021, but the reform that Wickremesinghe would like to enact maintains wide margins of arbitrariness in the hands of the police force, which Sri Lankan civil society fears could be used to repress all forms of protest. "The bill, in its current format, should not be presented to Parliament until a national dialogue - with broad participation - is concluded and its recommendations are accompanied by a clear plan of action," the Human Rights Commission writes in a letter to the head of state. This dialogue "will demonstrate the government's commitment to ensuring and building further peace and harmony among citizens". The Hrcsl emphasises that in order to truly address the issue of the Anti-Terrorism Bill, it is indispensable to more thoroughly assess the outcomes of the peace and reconciliation process, which concerns not only the communities in the north and east of Sri Lanka, but also those affected by the uprisings in the south in the 1970s and 1980s. Numerous religious leaders in the country have also spoken out against the anti-terrorism bill in recent weeks, including the Archbishop of Colombo Card. Malcolm Ranjith. "The death penalty has been reduced all over the world, but the Sri Lankan government has still included it in this bill," the cardinal had said on 4 April. "If the president wants, he can ban a political party through the new law as well. The bill was introduced to control protests." by Fady Noun Some sentences pronounced by the Military Court have fuelled the escalation between Sunnis and Shiites. From the Arab tribes an ultimatum to freeze them or there will be a new 'escalation'. The verdicts concern arrests of clan members in 2021, following the death of a leader of the 'party of God'. Beirut (AsiaNews) - In Khalde, the southern gateway to Beirut, the fire is smouldering under the ashes. Some 30 members of the region's Sunni "Arab tribes" have been sentenced by military court judges, causing serious unrest. The tribes threatened the government with further 'escalation' and sent an ultimatum of a few days for the verdicts to be at least frozen. The recently issued verdicts concern clan members arrested in August 2021 in the aftermath of the murder of a leading Hezbollah personality, Ali Chebli, and an ambush set in the following days during his funeral, in which three other people died. The attack had been planned to avenge Hassan Ghosn, a teenager from the Arab clans who was killed during street clashes with Hezbollah in August 2020 and whose murder went unpunished. The harshest sentence, handed down by General Court President Khalil Jaber, concerns Omar Ghosn, a sheikh of the Salafist faith considered to be among the leaders of the faction hostile to Hezbollah in the Khalde region. The latter will have to serve a sentence of seven years at hard labour. At the same time, the court issued nine death sentences in absentia and several other prison sentences. In protest against the military court verdict, the Southern Highway passing through Khalde - a vital artery for the economy - was blocked on several occasions. On a political level, a chorus of voices rose against the verdict within the anti-Hizbollah parties that also promoted a solidarity initiative. For MP Ghayath Yazbeck (Lebanese Forces), the sentences passed 'prove once again that the military court is under the control of Hezbollah'. For its part, Walid Joumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party emphasised the importance of a policy of 'reconciliation' and demanded that the military court be limited to judging only and exclusively cases involving army personnel. Descendants of Sunni Bedouin tribes that settled on the coast south of Beirut long before the area became the dense suburb that it is today, the Arabs of Khalde are part of a larger network that migrated to Lebanon over the centuries and then dispersed throughout the country. In August 2020, clashes broke out when Hezbollah leader Ali Chebli, in a provocative gesture, hung a giant portrait of Salim Ayyache, one of the alleged assassins of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri (14 February 2005), on the facade of a Khalde shopping centre he owned. The man had been identified and convicted in absentia by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). Later, Salim Ayache's portrait had been ripped off and the shopping centre set on fire, during the ensuing clashes with automatic weapons and rocket launchers. And it was during these street battles that Hassan Ghosn, a teenager belonging to Arab tribesmen, had been targeted and killed. About a year later, on 30 July 2021, seeing that justice was slow in coming, the victim's brother, Ahmad Ghosn had taken it upon himself to take revenge by killing Ali Chebli with a bullet fired during a wedding. Moreover, the next day, clan members ambushed Ali Chebli's funeral procession, killing five other people, including three Hezbollah members. In order to prevent the settling of scores from spreading like wildfire and to perpetuate the climate of personal revenge, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had relied on military justice, calling for the arrest of all those involved in what he called a 'massacre'. Indeed, the army had very quickly identified the perpetrators of the ambush and arrested them. After the heavy sentences pronounced last week, one of the leaders, Sheikh Riad 'Abou Zeidan' Daher, said in essence that the Arab tribes had been forced to take justice into their own hands. "If (Hezbollah)," he said, "had handed over Ali Chebli" to the authorities after the murder of young Hassan Ghosn [during the 2020 clashes], the case "would have been solved". I'm fine, as I'm very fortunate to own my home I own, but I'm feeling the pinch on my mortgage with other inflation costs I rent and it's expensive, but it could be worse I'm seriously considering leaving the valley if something doesn't give Vote View Results A ferry transports 1,900 evacuees across the Red Sea from Port Sudan to the Saudi King Faisal Navy Base in Jeddah, April 29, during evacuations of people fleeing Sudan. AFP-Yonhap Warplanes on bombing raids drew heavy anti-aircraft fire over Khartoum, Saturday as fierce fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitaries entered a third week, violating a renewed truce. More than 500 people have been killed since battles erupted April 15 between the forces of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his number two Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). "There is no right to go on fighting for power when the country is falling apart," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Al Arabiya television. Burhan and Daglo have agreed to multiple truces since the war began, but none has effectively taken hold as the number of dead civilians continues to rise, thousands flee the country and those without the means to escape face an increasing struggle to survive. The latest three-day ceasefire is due to expire at midnight Sunday (local time). It was agreed Thursday after mediation led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the United Nations. Dozens more have died over the past week since the United States announced that the warring sides had agreed to an initial truce, April 24. "We woke up once again to the sound of fighter jets and anti-aircraft weapons blasting all over our neighborhood," a witness in southern Khartoum told AFP. Another witness said fighting had continued since the early morning, especially around the state broadcaster's headquarters in the capital's twin city of Omdurman. Residents across Khartoum home to 5 million people have largely sheltered at home despite supplies of food and water dwindling to dangerously low levels, and a lack of electricity. Some managed to sneak out only during brief lulls in fighting to buy desperately needed supplies. European, Asian and African nationals prepare to board a ship to Saudi Arabia, at Port Sudan, April 28. Reuters-Yonhap Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. SUV Sure, just like any other self-respecting luxury automaker, Cadillac is resisting change with poise and elegance. This is why its General Motors peers from Buick and Chevrolet together have just one passenger car nameplate (Chevy's mid-size Malibu) left on sale, while Caddy fans can order the CT4, CT5, and Celestiq, plus derivatives.And, speaking of the latter, of course, they're all of the feisty high-performance variety. The base option is the replacement of the Cadillac ATS model in V-performance form. That would be the CT4-V, which kicks off at an MSRP of $46,595 and offers some cool driving feelings through an inline-four turbo 2.7-liter packing 325 horsepower. Next up on the ladder is the replacement of the CTS series, the CT5 with its CT5-V sibling that rocks a 3.0-liter turbo V6 with a little more oomph 360 hp for a starting quotation of at least $50,995.But wait, as we are not done yet. Not at all, as we also have the Blackwings to discuss, a bonkers last hurrah for the passenger car series from Cadillac. The CT4-V Blackwing starts from $61k and has a relatively large 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 tuned to 472 hp and 445 lb-ft (603 Nm) to claim a zero to 60 mph (96 kph) sprint time of 3.9 seconds on the way to a maximum speed of 189 mph (304 kph). Of course, everyone knows the CT5-V Blackwing is even more significant, thanks to the use of a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that unleashes no less than 668 ponies and 659 lb-ft (893 Nm) of torque to smoke rivals like the BMW M5 in 3.4 seconds to 60 mph and also hit a top speed of 209 mph (336 kph).And, since we said Cadillac is slowly but steadily adapting to the CUV,, and truck-loving times, they now also have the first-ever behemoth V-series model, the Caddy Escalade-V, which can also be had in humongous Escalade-V ESV form with the same Blackwing V8 and some additional ponies (682 hp and 653 lb-ft or 885 Nm). That pretty much signaled the paradigm shift for the traditional V-series models and from now on, we have to also think of them in high-rider terms.For now, the real world only has the massive Escalade-V, but things will change soon. And the imaginative realm of digital car content creators thinks this will be done by starting with the recently updated 2024 Cadillac XT4 to ensure they have covered both the top and base before proceeding further inside the range. And the virtual artist tucked behind the c_zr1 moniker on social media is ready to give us CGI food for thought in the form of a high-performance Cadillac XT4-V modeled after the 2024 XT4, but also the CT4-V Blackwing.Naturally, that also helps with the powertrain recommendations. So, instead of the current XT4's same 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder lump of 235 hp also shared with the pre-facelifted model, the CGI expert quickly dreamt of the unofficial XT4-V sporting the CT4-V Blackwing's neat 3.6-liter V6 with 472 horsepower and 445 lb-ft or 603 Nm! Cool, right? Ferrari F40 Photo: Robin Adams for RM Sotheby's Porsche 959 Photo: Darin Schnabel for RM Sotheby's NHTSA Ford RS200 Photo: Tom Gidden for RM Sotheby's Vector W8 Photo: RM Sothebys RUF CTR Yellowbird Photo: Stephan Bauer for RM Sothebys AMG One of the most enduring supercars ever, Marcello Gandini's wedge-shaped masterpiece ran between 1974 to 1990 in just under 2,000 units. The V12-powered icon didn't make our list of the best supercars from the '80s because it's too old of a design by 1980s standards.Many others did not make our list either, including the love-it-or-hate-it Aston Martin V8 Zagato and the Ferrari 288 GTO homologation special. Not even the DeLorean DMC-12 is featured, partly because its Peugeot-Renault-Volvo V6 doesn't live up to the car's looks and the customer's performance expectations.The British, Italian, and American legends in the aforementioned paragraph shouldn't be dismissed either because all three are special in their own way. But alas, we only had room for 5 supercars. On that note, let's kick off with the usual suspects from Italy and Germany, as in those specific bedroom-poster-material supercars that are always featured in best-1980s-supercars stories.We all know Enzo Ferrari wanted to deliver something that would eviscerate the Porsche 959, fair and square. We also know that Il Commendatore ordered his team of crack engineers to make the best car in the world. The F40 is Enzo's final masterpiece, and so much more.Only 400 examples of the breed were originally planned for production, although the Prancing Horse of Maranello would eventually finish a little over 1,300 units due to clamoring demand. Only 213 were delivered stateside, and pre-1990 models are especially desirable because said cars don't feature catalytic converters.Early F40s are even more desirable because Ferrari originally used less than two liters of paint for the sake of lightness. A purely mechanical beast with no driver aids whatsoever, the F40 isn't much to the liking of McLaren F1 mastermind Gordon Murray. Considering how much one costs in this day and age (over $2 million), Murray's criticism over chassis flex and wobbling will not put off any prospective collector.Referred to as Gruppe B early during development, the 959 wouldn't have been possible without the 961 racing car. To understand how special the 959 is, remember that Bill Gates bought one in 1988. Said vehicle was stored for 13 years by the Customs Service. Coincidentally, the Show or Display law wouldn't have been passed without immense pressure from Bill and his buddies, including Microsoft co-founder and fellow 959 owner Paul Allen.Porsche did not design its most technologically advanced car at the time in accordance withand DOT standards for the US market. Zuffenhausen instead preferred the European motor vehicle standards due to the unfavorable exchange rate between the Deutsche Mark and USD, and the automaker was fully aware that it wasn't going to build too many 959s.Just over 300 were produced between 1986 and 1993. The rear-engined thriller could achieve 211 miles per hour (339 kilometers per hour), and the only transmission available came in the guise of a six-speed manual of the dogleg variety, consisting of reverse, a gelande (terrain) forward gear, and five normal forward ratios. The weirdly named gelande isn't an off-road gear as one may assume, but a clever way to pass noise regulations. G is actually first gear, whereas 1 is second, and so forth. The tests were performed in 3, which is actually fourth in the 959, and that's how Porsche cleverly managed to keep the noise below 80 dB.Hideously underrated for all the wrong reasons, the RS200 is a classic that should be remembered in the same breath as the GT40 and GT. Not the recently discontinued second-generation GT with the boring twin-turbo V6 lump from a half-ton pickup truck, but the original with the Shelby GT500's blown V8 mill.Unfortunately for the Dearborn-based manufacturer, the RS200 had barely seen racing action before Group B's demise after the death of Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto in 1986. Developed from the ground up specifically for the World Rally Champion's most extreme formula ever, the Rally Sport 200 was meant to number at least 200 units. FoMoCo pulled the plug after 148 vehicles were completed, including development prototypes that were rather tragically destroyed.In addition to its rarity, diminutive footprint, and Cosworth-designed turbocharged four-pot engine, the RS200 also stands out because of its originality. All the other Group B rally cars including the Audi Quattro and Lancia Delta - had series-production cousins. By comparison, the RS200 was a clean-sheet design. A good one will set you back in excess of $300,000 at auction nowadays, or more for an Evolution spec.The rarest car in this ranking is overlooked as well, even more so than the RS200. The man behind Vector Motors, automotive engineer and businessman Gerald Wiegert, knew that he couldn't build heritage overnight. Even today, newcomers in the supercar biz simply cannot challenge the likes of Ferrari or Lamborghini. But Wiegert knew that he could build reputation fast by developing the W8 to shock and awe with its outlandish design and race-proven Rodeck twin-turbo V8.Fewer than 20 cars were produced from 1989 through 1993. Back then, four-speed automatics were the norm in the American automotive industry. Vector modified the General Motors Turbo-Hydramatic 425 for this application, an old-fashioned transmission with three forward gears that had been used nearly two decades earlier in the front-driven Oldsmobile Toronado.The de Dion-style rear suspension is archaic in its own right. Be that as it may, the W8 can hit a manufacturer-claimed 242 miles per hour (389 kilometers per hour). No motoring publication was allowed or could verify said claim, but Road & Track did estimate the W8's top speed as being 218 mph (351 kph). In other words, even this conservative estimate would've bested the likes of the 959 and F40, plus the 1990 to 2001 Diablo.Ruf Automobile GmbH is a bonafide automaker, not a tuner of all things Porsche. The German outfit came to prominence in the latter part of the 1980s with the CTR, which is best described as a 911 Carrera 3.2 on steroids. The heavily modified Neunelfer was named CTR after Group C racing, its twin-turbo boxer, and the gentleman who founded the Auto Ruf service garage in 1939.There are plenty of myths surrounding the CTR, and most of them are true. Nicknamed Yellowbird by Road & Track's photographers during testing, the rear-engined monster cranks out 463 horsepower from 3.4 liters and six cylinders. But similar to how BMW likes to roll with its inline-six engines, the horizontally-opposed sixer modified by Ruf actually produced more ponies.Thanks to all-wheel drive, the 959 was quicker to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) than the CTR . But on a long-enough straightaway, the Yellowbird made easy work of the Neun Funf Neun. High speed means little without handling, and boy, does the Yellowbird handle! Unofficially faster at the Nurburgring than other series-production exotica of that era, the CTR can hold its own against much newer metal, including the E92 BMW M3 (also 8:05) and C209 Mercedes-Benz CLK 63Black Series (8:05). Frank Kortyka planted an AirTag in his bike, as he wanted to be sure nobody stole it. And, if the worst happens and someone runs away with the bike, he at least has a chance to recover it.Denver isnt exactly the kind of place where youd want to leave your bike unprotected. Statistics show that thieves stole close to 570 bikes this year alone. Out of them, only 13 were recovered.A tracking device is pretty much the only way to find a stolen bike, as the police clearly have a hard time dealing with this worrying trend . The AirTag fits this purpose like a glove given its small form factor. As such, when someone stole Kortykas bike earlier this month, the owner could watch every step of the thief in real-time.Kortyka recalls leaving his bike in front of a coffee shop just a few feet away from where he was. Truth be told, the man was playing a very risky game, as the bike was parked without locking it up.The moment he noticed the bike was gone, the man pulled the iPhone out of his pocket and launched the Find My app. AirTags connect to the Find My network using nearby iPhones the device does not sport a GPS sensor but uses surrounding smartphones to transmit its locations. Given iPhones are among the most popular devices in the world, and chances are an AirTag would communicate with a master device at all times.The track pointed the bike owner to a nearby apartment complex, so he rushed to the location and reached out to the local staff. After inspecting security video footage and seeing someone walking in with his bike, he called the police and showed them the evidence.Minutes later, the police officers were already at the thiefs door. Using the active connection to the AirTag, the bike owner triggered a sound alert on the device, therefore determining precisely that his bike was inside. Police rushed into the apartment, arrested the thief, and recovered the bike.Police warn that AirTags can indeed help determine the location of stolen goods, but on the other hand, nobody should try to recover them on their own.Some people figured this out the hard way after confronting thieves. However, someone who steals your bike or car might not necessarily have a problem doing worse things, so reaching out to the police is the best thing to do. Law enforcement also recommends people call 911 whenever they discover an AirTag and believe they might be in danger. BEV Photo: Tesla Photo: Tesla/National Geographic/edited by autoevolution ICE Photo: Mario Zelaya/Transport Canada Photo: Joaquim Rodrigues Photo: Bob Atkins Photo: Hansjoerg Eberhard von Gemmingen/Twitter Photo: Hansjoerg Eberhard von Gemmingen/Twitter People need to know that older Tesla cannot be judged in value based on mileage or appearance. The vehicle can appear to be totally flawless and have low mileage and then without warning could become disabled and require a $20,000+ main (HV) battery replacement.@elonmusk pic.twitter.com/Kf1ut4QX0K Bob Atkins (@BobAtkins2) April 25, 2023 Replacing entire battery pack is equivalent to replacing the entire engine and transmission in and ICE vehicle because the alternator failed! Tesla not willing to service battery pack is profit motivated choice and environmental nightmare! @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/qP2Q14QyJP Bob Atkins (@BobAtkins2) April 25, 2023 If battery packs only lose 12% of their capacity after 200,000 miles, why are so many of these components failing in 2012 to 2015 Model S units? Why have so many failed even if still under warranty in more recent vehicles? On February 7, I wrote about the BMS_u029 and got back to the subject on April 19 to discuss other errors that indicate a battery pack has reached the end of its lifespan. The Facebook group dedicated to these warnings keeps growing, and the members did not take that part of Tesla's report very lightly. They are living proof that themaker should at the very least phrase its documents in more careful terms.When you check that part of the Impact Report 2022 (page 39 ), you can see that Tesla used the Model S and Model X as examples. However, it refers to their packs as "our batteries," as if all of them were the same. They are not: the battery packs on the Model Y and Model 3 use different cells. Their battery management systems (BMSs) must also have improvements and other technical solutions. Not even the chemistry is the same on all battery packs.Let's imagine these battery packs were all identical. If that were true, all Teslas would be subject to around "six different types of pack failures." This is what Jason Hughes aka the Tesla Hacker said when he commented on the water-ingress problem that has destroyed several Model S battery packs so far. Tesla never acknowledged that. Instead, the company wrote in its report that people frequently ask it if they will have to replace these components in their BEVs "at some point in the future." According to the BEV maker, "the answer is no."If Tesla were a person, I'd dare them to say that to the face of the several customers who had to replace their battery packs whether under warranty or from their own pockets. The list is long. Take only the Facebook group I mentioned: it had 165 members when I started writing this and already has 169. Companies were created to provide remanufactured battery packs to Teslas because the number of vehicles that would need one was relevant. How can Tesla say that "the answer is no"? Only if the question was different. But it gets worse.The BEV maker wrote that it estimates "that a vehicle gets scrapped after approximately 200,000 miles of usage in the US and roughly 150,000 miles in Europe." It only failed to mention why that happens. Usually, it has to do with engines that die and are no longer cost-effective to repair. Besides, governments impose restrictions to keep them running because they pollute a lot more than newervehicles. None of that applies to electric cars: only safety issues would be a valid excuse to remove them from the streets.Bear in mind that Tesla's lawyers told a German court its cars should not last more than 130,488 miles (210,000 kilometers). Elon Musk said in 2019 that "the current battery pack is about maybe 300,000 to 500,000 miles." Who should you believe? The company seems to wish that you trust it and its CEO before purchasing its cars and its lawyers after the deal is sealed. It could be the opposite: believe Tesla's lawyers before buying its vehicles and the company and Elon Musk in court.What about believing the Impact Report 2022? Stick to its fine print. At the bottom of page 39 of the document, you can read this:"Mileage is only one factor in battery capacity retention; battery age is also a major factor. Retention figures at lower mileages above likely reflect the impact of age, while higher mileage values, which come from high-utilization vehicles, likely reflect less influence from battery age. Performance of newer chemistries (not yet shown here) can vary, and we plan to expand disclosure once we have sufficient data."There you have it: Tesla itself admits the Model S and Model X battery packs do not reflect the conditions that all these components made by Tesla will offer in the future. That said, there is no sense in talking about them as if they did. At best, they offer hope that the newer battery packs can perform in the same way but that is not for sure. However, that is not the most critical part of the fine print.The BEV maker acknowledged there that "battery age is also a major factor" in capacity retention. That said, it is only logical that a component that loses performance as it gets old will have to be replaced "at some point in the future." That's unavoidable. As I wrote on March 9, batteries are wear parts in most pieces of equipment that use them unless these gadgets are designed to last as much or a bit less than their cells, such as mobile phones. That's what Tesla seems to be saying about its cars.Let me rephrase that in the most straightforward way possible: Tesla seems to hope that its cars will end before their batteries do. Sadly for the company and even more for its customers, that has not been the case. Whether due to mileage or age, these buyers eventually receive a hefty estimate for a battery pack replacement.Bob Atkins is a good example. He replied to a Tesla tweet talking about the Impact Report with a compelling example. Sharing pictures of a Model S with 43,280 miles with the BMS_u029 error, he stressed that "people need to know that older Tesla cannot be judged in value based on mileage or appearance."According to Atkins, "the vehicle can appear to be totally flawless and have low mileage and then without warning could become disabled and require a $20,000+ main (HV) battery replacement." No external signs show if a battery pack is in a good state or about to fail. The Tesla customer also shared the invoice for this Model S repair: $18,000 for a new battery pack. It also needs new bolts ($25.92) and labor ($502.25). Include taxes, and the final value to pay is $20,375.83. That's enough to buy a smaller new ICE car or a used one. According to KBB, a used 2012 Model S Performance costs between $22,235 and $25,918.If we did like Tesla's Impact Report and only considered that battery packs age in the fine print, we'd state that these components would only lose 12% capacity after 200,000 miles. That would mean a high-utilization vehicle would confirm what the BEV maker said regarding battery pack replacements, correct? Ask Hanjorg von Gemmingen about that.If you have not heard about this German Tesla owner, he was the man who drove a Model S for one million miles . If the capacity loss were linear, a battery pack would have lost 60% of its capacity going that much, which is well below the 70% under which most car companies pledge they will replace a battery pack under warranty. Counting once again with a linear capacity loss, Von Gemmingen would have needed two battery packs to complete one million miles one for every 500,000 miles until they reached a minimum capacity of 70%.The bad news for the BEV maker is that he did that with three battery packs, with the first two replaced under warranty. The first failed when the car had 290,000 km (180,197.7 miles) on the clock below the 200,00 miles with which the battery pack would still have 88% of capacity. Von Gemmingen drove with a temporary second battery pack for 150,000 km (93,205.7 miles) until it was replaced with the third one, which has lasted almost 727,000 miles (around 1,170,000 km) so far. One battery pack contradicts Tesla, one exceeds what it promises, and the one in the middle did not have time to prove anything. Until we have more examples, we can call it a tie.Von Gemmingen also used "11 or 12" motors, but that's another story. When the warranty ended, he purchased a Lucid Air. It would not be economically feasible to pay around $20,000 each time he had to replace the battery to keep on driving that BEV.That puts the idea that battery pack replacements will not be necessary to rest. If you are buying an electric car with the idea of keeping it for several years, prepare yourself to eventually replace the battery pack or to keep trading it in for a newer model before the warranty expires. That's probably what Tesla expects you to do. Just don't tell me this is the most environmentally-friendly attitude to have: the answer is no. kW One of its biggest rivals in the niche-turned-segment is the Lamborghini Urus. But the Ferrari Purosangue is also challenging the Aston Martin DBX707 and the Bentley Bentayga Speed. For a prancing horse with many inches between the road and its belly and two more doors than usual, it is a pretty proposal from a design perspective that won't fly under the radar. And at nearly $400,000 in our market, it surely needs to stand out, as that's almost twice the price of the Lamborghini Urus S.The Purosangue stays true to its heritage by packing a 6.5-liter engine. The V12 features no forced induction nor electric trickery, and it's a good-old naturally aspirated mill. It pumps out 715 brake horsepower (725 ps/533), and at a hard push of the right pedal, it sends 528 pound-feet (716 Nm) of torque to the all-wheel drive system. The thrust is channeled to the wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. In a straight line, it is some three-tenths faster than the legendary Enzo, taking 3.3 seconds to hit 62 mph (100 kph) from a standstill. Top speed stands at 193 mph (310 kph).Set to become a favorite toy of the jet set, just like its rival from the Sant'Agata Bolognese brand, the Ferrari Purosangue is already on the radar of many renowned tuners. Some have launched different parts for it to help it stand out even more, whereas others are still working on the accessories. One great way to enhance the looks of the Italian super crossover is to fit it with new wheels, and tons of them are available in different sizes and with all sorts of finishes. In this instance, the vehicle was equipped with a set of Forgiatos. Sporting a dual-tone look that mixes black and yellow and featuring the wheel maker's center caps, they fill the arches better than the OEM ones, and despite being on the oversized part, they're not an OTT proposal.Fitting such huge wheels to any ride will leave a significant mark on the comfort and turning radius, but not all cars can rock them with pride. The Purosangue can, however, and while this isn't a mod for most people, it certainly makes it a bit more interesting. Signed by 412donklife, the images shared above are renderings , and we suspect that a few enthusiasts are out there rubbing their hands together and looking into how they can make theirs look like this. But would you approve of this tune? EV HVAC WLTP SUV Kia revealed the all-new EV9 in New York, at the beginning of April. The carmaker now explains all the trials and tribulations they put the electric crossover through during the testing phase, just to make sure they're delivering a car that will keep passengers comfortable regardless of the environment conditions.The Kia EV9 's thermal system comprises a climate control system, a heat pump, and defrost and deicing features. Many EVs use a basic electric heater for cabin climate control somemanufacturers, such as Tesla, BMW, or Porsche, offer a heat pump as standard on their cars. Other manufacturers offer the component as an extra, usually for quite a hefty price.But why would you want a heat pump on your car? Among other benefits, it increases the range of your EV. It essentially acts as a refrigerator, but in reverse when the outside gets cool, the inside gets warm. The heat pump draws air in from the outside, compresses it, and uses the heat from the condenser to raise the temperature in the cabin or the battery. For improved efficiency, the EV9 collects the waste heat of the e-motors and Power Electronics (PE) system and uses it to heat the cabin.The EV9 boasts three rows of seats, which can accommodate up to seven passengers. Kia devised two independent climate control systems, which create separate climate zones for the driver, front passenger, and rear passengers. Moreover, the first and second rows feature ventilated and heated seats as standard to provide additional comfort.As the Product Marketing Manager at Kia Europe, Gregor Krumboeck, explained, two independentsystems mean more comfort and reduced power consumption. The A/C for empty passenger seats or for those who don't want it can be turned off, minimizing energy consumption, which is especially important in an EV.In a first for Kia vehicles in Europe, the EV9 comes with a new climate control panel that places more emphasis on the user experience through a well-designed interface. All climate settings can be accessed and controlled via one click without entering sub-menus.Air is pumped inside through four new and improved vents in the roof they feature a new structure that optimizes air resistance and diffusion angle so that all second and third-row passenger areas are ventilated evenly.Another valuable feature of the A/C is the after-blow system. It prevents the development of bacteria and odors by diminishing condensation built up on the evaporator. The system detects that you've been using the A/C over a long period while driving and turns on the blower to dry the water, which might have built up inside the evaporator. Furthermore, you won't have to worry about losing battery power, as the after-blow only works above a certain temperature.According to(Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure) cycle, the EV9provides more than 541 km (336 miles) of range. What's more, its 800 V charging capabilities enable the EV to achieve 239 km (149 miles) of range in only 15 minutes of charging. Photo: MOAT Manufacture Photo: MOAT Manufacture Photo: MOAT Manufacture At the intersection of a luxury yacht and a luxurious tiny home is the MX.4 Houseboat, from the MX family of hulls by Polish builder MOAT Manufacture. Introduced as a concept a few years ago, delivery of the first physical hull took place at the end of 2021, but anyone with deep enough pockets and willingness to wait a while could get one. And we mean really deep pockets.The MX.4 Houseboat is unlike the DIY influencer houseboats we see on YouTube and Instagram, where they praise the joys of living a life on the water, anchored to the shore, and with minimal impact on the environment and the monthly budget. If we were to compare, the MX.4 is more like the Arkup house yacht than any one of these houseboats, with a focus on sustainability through clean, electric propulsion and solar panels, and an even more obvious focus on luxury.The MX.4 Houseboat is so fancy it's a "super houseboat," and we're not the ones saying it; the manufacturer is. Every detail is taken care of, and only the highest quality materials are used, and you get to customize every inch of the hull across both decks and onto the rooftop terrace that's technically the flybridge and control station. The attached price tag matches whatever expectations we've just helped build, but more on that later on.The MX.4 comes in two variants, depending on where you plan to use it: static and dynamic. The former obviously lacks a propulsion system, which means you can only use it moored to the shore as a sort of floating luxury cabin . The latter can move under its own power, though don't expect it to do so at breakneck speed. Powered either by an electric pod or an electric inboard engine, it will only move at a maximum speed of 12 kph (7.4 mph), even if you opt for the lighter, marine-grade aluminum for the hull instead of steel.Then again, when your home is as nice as this, it can become a destination in itself. With a total length of 13.15 meters (43 feet) and a beam of 0.65 meters (2.13 feet), the MX.4 offers a floor space of 78 square meters (839.5 square feet) across two levels. It was designed by Kees Westerbeek, described by the company as "The Godfather of European houseboating," in collaboration with a team of Dutch, German, and Polish partners and architects, with the goal to create a minimalist, well-lit, airy, and ultra-elegant space . It's definitely all these things, in addition to being highly customizable.Indeed, the future owner can choose more than just the material for the hull and the propulsion system. An MX.4 can be designed to offer sleeping for 2 to 6 people, with a maximum occupancy of 12 people. Every detail, from the finishes and the hardware in the bathroom to the color of the furniture, can be personalized.What MOAT promises will remain constant is their dedication to delivering the best houseboat out there. Every function of the houseboat is automated and touch-controlled, from the lights to the shutters, the toilets, and the large-screen TV in the living room. Handcrafted, artisan touches add an even more sophisticated feel to the place, from the (Maserati-resembling) MOAT logo carved into the furniture and cutlery to the superb mini-bar by the bedroom all of them bathed in natural light coming in through the oversize skylights and windows.And plenty of attention goes to creating a sustainable home, though the builder doesn't go into the specifics of that other than to repeatedly mention the electric propulsion and the solar panels that feed the battery banks, allowing it to remain in operation.All hulls in the MX family are a category C design, which means they can be sailed or anchored on small lakes, coastal waters, fjords, canals, and even rushy rivers. The MX.4 is the largest and newest model in the lineup and also the one to place this much emphasis on exquisite craftsmanship and good looks. Sustainable or not, this is one of the most beautiful and elegant houseboats out there luxury materialized in a house yacht hybrid. The fact that it's eco-friendly is more like a bonus.As you must have anticipated, the MX.4 is also very expensive. A 2023 hull like the first one in the series, shown in the video at the bottom of the page, will set you back 549,000 ($604,400 at the current exchange rate), and that's before taxes and shipping. If this is your idea of downsizing slash vacation home, you'd best start saving. AMG The timeless looks make it a peach in our book, and this writer thinks that it is far prettier than all its rivals, as far as the exterior is concerned anyway. But what rivals are we talking about? Why, all the luxury sedans out there, though some of them are slightly longer than this fine Italian machine.It can be considered a challenger to the likes of the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series, and Audi A8 to some extent. However, some would pin it against theGT 4-Door Coupe, M8 GC, and S7/RS 7. Even in the long wheelbase form, the Porsche Panamera is still a bit smaller than the Maserati Quattroporte, which has 124.8 inches (3,171 mm) between the axles and measures 207.2 inches (5,262 mm) from bumper to bumper.It is mechanically related to the Ghibli and Levante, as all three are based on the M156 construction, though the Quattroporte uses a slightly bigger version of this architecture. It's a rear-biased all-wheel drive model packing V6 firepower fed by gasoline and diesel in the latest iteration, and it also features a V8 . The latter pumps out a little over 520 hp, enabling the zero to sixty-two miles an hour (0-100 kph) in less than five seconds. An eight-speed auto 'box from ZF is the transmission of choice.If the latest reports are airtight, then this will be the last Maserati Quattroporte powered by dead dinosaurs. The next one will reportedly go electric when it debuts next year, and it will remain the only sedan in the Trident brand's family as the smaller Ghibli will be phased off. The upcoming Quattroporte will add the Folgore suffix to tie it to other Maserati EVs, and we can only hope that it will be at least as pretty as its predecessor. Hopefully, it will feature a more appealing interior and be more reliable.Now that we reminded ourselves about some of the traits of the Quattroporte , it is time to check out another beautiful example. It wears green on the outside, has red trim on the front fenders, and rides on a set of five-spoke alloys. Signed by AL13 Wheels, they are called the CF-C005R. The wheels are offered from 18 to 23 inches in diameter, with different finishes, and they are priced between $5,275 and $6,125 for each one. To us, this four-door Maserati looks almost perfect, and we are not entirely convinced that this is the right wheel set for it. Are you? Photo: Akkuyu Nukleer A.? Photo: Sputnik News Photo: World Nuclear News The story of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP), the first of its kind on Turkish soil, is one rooted in the world before the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. A world in which the Kremlin still maintained a vested interest in courting lucrative business relationships with NATO-aligned countries and operated its foreign policy accordingly. A considerable level of correspondence between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been instrumental to the ANPP since the project's announcement in 2010.Located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the Turkish Mersin Province, the first fission reactor complex at this novel facility just received its first batch of uranium fuel in anticipation of being brought online. But as Erdogan and Putin personally inaugurated the county's flagship energy project via video, it's hard not to be reminded of the tumultuous events unfolding in the project's periphery.But rest assured. There are plenty of exciting things to discuss about the Akkuyu Nuclear Plant that aren't at all related to geopolitical chess-play. Strictly from a technological and energy perspective, the ANPP stands to be the cream of the crop. For some historical context, it's not like Turkey is a complete stranger to the awesome power of atomic energy. Their first strictly research-oriented reactor at the Cekmece Nuclear Research and Training Center in Istanbul achieved its first criticality in January 1962. Dubbed the TR-1, it was inaugurated in May of that year with then-president Cemal Gursel presiding.Of course, Turkey would conclude the year 1962 by playing a pivotal role in the Cuban missile crisis, on the grounds of hosting American nuclear ballistic missiles on its soil. By 1976, the town of Buyukeceli was already being scouted as a potential future sight of a commercial-grade fission reactor thanks to its proximity to the cooling waters of the Mediterranean. The decades-long struggle to secure a construction contract for the site could only be achieved when the Turkish Government inked a deal with the Russian state-owned Rosatom Corporation of Moscow.It was decided that four Russian VVER-class pressurized-water reactors (PWRs) would be manufactured for use at the Akkuyu facility. Unlike typical boiling-water reactors (BWRs), which simply pump distilled water through a graphite-moderated fissile core, PWR reactor vessels pressurized to many times that of ambient Earth pressures prevent water from turning into steam until it's pumped into an unpressurized steam chamber. Here, captured steam is directed towards massive turbines which convert thermal energy into useable electricity.Like an airliner undergoing catastrophic decompression at 35,000 feet, the resulting pressure delta makes for a far more ferocious release of thermal energy than through boiling water alone. In the case of Akkuyu, this should translate into roughly 1114 MW of useable electricity generated per reactor. This is roughly on par with some of Europe's other atomic titans, like Finland's Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant, home to the most powerful singular nuclear reactor on the continent.With no less than four reactor complexes scheduled to go online by 2026, it should speak for itself how much of a game changer a world-class nuclear fission power station of this nature could be for Turkey, especially largely coal-based energy grid. After the agreement between Russia and Turkey was signed to construct the Akkuyu plant, it took a further seven years and 11 months before the final design blueprints were finalized. Only in April 2018 that joint Russo-Turkish personnel begins construction of the site's first reactor facility after a formal ceremony.The fabrication of Akkuyu's second reactor complex began alongside the first in June 2020. Despite deep ties to Russia, the project is not free from Western influence. In fact, the General Electric Steam Power company of Schenectady, New York, was instrumental in sourcing four steam turbines for the Akkyu Nuclear Power Plant. GE's Arabelle-series steam turbines are manufactured at the company facility in Belfort, France, with the first shipped to Turkey for installation in January 2021.Upon the first reactor's connection to the national grid, the Turkish Electricity Trade and Contract Corporation (TETAS) has agreed to purchase at least 70 percent of the electricity generated at Akkuyu. It's hoped that up to ten percent of Turkey's total electric GDP could be produced at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. In a domestic market where electric vehicle sales are predicted to jump almost 20 percent between 2023 and 2027, this extra power boost couldn't be coming at a more opportune time.Of course, the eternal irony of the whole affair is this joint Turkish-Russian nuclear energy project will ultimately help Turkey break its dependence on foreign national gas. Natural gas also which also happens to be supplied in large part by Russia. But even without the wacky relationship between Turkey and Russia, the Akkyu Nuclear Plant finds ways to be controversial. No sooner did Turkey announce the genesis of its domestic commercial nuclear program did Germany put a disappointing bookend on its own civil nuclear energy program.Less than two weeks separate the permanent decommissioning of Germany's final three remaining fission reactors and the inauguration of the facility at Akkyu. At a time when the global industrial complex needs to urgently decide the path towards totally carbon-free energy, the stark divide between nations who've taken pro-nuclear or anti-nuclear is leading to a strange duality in European countries especially. A paradigm in which whichever side of the atomic fence a nation-state adopts winds up becoming a point of national pride.At least as far as Turkey is concerned, it appears working with a global pariah state might pay dividends by thrusting them into atomic power status. Whether they grow to regret their collaboration with Russia on its most important energy project in half a century is another can of worms entirely. But with most of the country still running on coal-fired power stations, perhaps Turkey doesn't have the luxury of picking who wants to work with them at the moment.Only time will tell if history will look favorably on Turkey for even involving the Russians at all. But at least one thing's for sure. From a technological standpoint, there's no reason the Akkuyu Nuclear Plant can't be a landmark project for the historical middle-man between the East and the West.Check back soon for more nuclear energy profiles and so much more right here on autoevolution. 29 April 2023 10:00 (UTC+04:00) The unfounded accusations voiced by French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna at a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on April 28, 2023, are unacceptable, Azernews reports via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan. As the ministry said, those who make unfounded claims accusing Azerbaijan of interference in the territory of Armenia should be reminded that the party that has been pursuing a policy of occupation and ethnic cleansing for 30 years is Armenia. "Unfortunately, the French side, positioning itself as "striving" for the settlement of the conflict, has never condemned Armenia for its illegal occupation policy in 30 years. The Armenian side has not yet completely withdrawn its armed forces from the territory of Azerbaijan, as well as has not stopped the occupation of eight Azerbaijani villages. On the contrary, it still continues military and political provocations," said the ministry. At the same time, interference in the establishment of a border checkpoint on Lachin-Khankendi road by Azerbaijan on its sovereign territory, which is an internal matter of the country, contradicts the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, noted the ministry. "Thus, it is completely wrong to assess the creation of this point, which will regulate the regime of entry and exit at the border, as a road closure. Instead of demonstrating biased approaches, it would be more useful if the French side would encourage Armenia to fulfill the obligations arising from the agreements and would keep it from doing provocations against Azerbaijan," the ministry noted. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Azerbaijan`s Minister of Emergency Situations, Colonel-General Kamaladdin Heydarov met Friday with UNICEF Representative to the country Alex Heikens, Azernews reports. Minister Heydarov highlighted the activities of the ministry, as well as the progress achieved to ensure children`s safety in the country, stressing that the child safety is always at the center of attention of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Emergency Situations. Stressing the necessity of taking the existing relations forward between the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the UNICEF Representative Office in Azerbaijan, Heydarov highlighted the importance of organizing of joint events and preparing a joint action plan in this direction. UNICEF Representative to Azerbaijan Alex Heikens briefed the Azerbaijani side about child safety accomplishments achieved by the organization. Heikens underlined the significance of expanding cooperation with the Azerbaijan`s Ministry of Emergency Situations and expressed his hope that the joint action plan to be prepared would make an important contribution to ensuring children`s safety and preparing them for various natural and man-made emergency situations. The sides also discussed issues of mutual interest. Furthermore, the guests familiarized themselves with the activity of the Operation Hall of the Ministry`s Crisis Management Center and Multimedia Center of the Public Relations Department. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 April 2023 22:14 (UTC+04:00) A group of non-governmental organisations in Azerbaijan have appealed to the international community regarding to the continued mine terror by the Republic of Armenia against Azerbaijani civilians. The appeal made on 29 april 2023 reads: Dear all, It is not the first time we, the non-governmental organizations of Azerbaijan are appealing to the world because of the tragedy unfolding in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. Time and again we asked for your solidarity, support and compassion in facing the deadly threat mines and ERWs pose to innocent civilians. However, despite all our efforts, the only thing that is changing is the number of victims. It stood at 298. This was the latest number of Azerbaijanis who were killed or wounded by mines and ERW since November, 2020. However, that number has now changed to 301, as 3 more lives were claimed less than 24 hours ago by yet another seed of death planted by the Armenian armed forces. This time it was the very people who risked their lives to make the lives of others safe. Remember their names: Nadir Yusifov, Sahavat Gezalov, Farid Sadiyev. Their only purpose was to expedite humanitarian demining in the territories turned into a desolate wasteland during some 30 years of occupation. Now they are gone, and nothing can bring them back. The road to peace is never easy. The major difficulties we are facing in restoring peace and stability in our region are yet another example of how difficult and painful the steps to peace can be. However, each mine related incident, each death and each injury make this process even more convoluted. It is not just the expansion in volume because of the extreme release of energy that occurs each time a mine or ERW goes off. It is also the feelings of people who see their loved ones die for no reason whatsoever. Not only does Armenia refuses to cooperate in providing reliable information on minefields, but it also continues to deploy mines both at the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan as well within the territories of Azerbaijan temporarily controlled by the Russian peacekeepers. These mines are marked in Armenia showing their production dates, which proves that their deployment was after the agreement of 2020. Having failed to prevent Azerbaijan from restoring control over its internationally recognized territories Armenia hopes that mine terror will prevent us from rebuilding our lands from ashes. We are confident that our people will return to their ancestral lands. However, this return must be safe, and mines are the biggest threat our people are facing as they go back. No sustainable development and socio-economic reintegration can be achieved without successful demining. No progress can be made towards lasting peace until and unless we address the issue of the mortal danger posed by mines and ERWs. We appeal to the international community to call upon Armenia for their full cooperation in mitigating consequences of its irresponsible, indiscriminate use of mines in civilian areas with no military necessity. We need our lands to be freed from the horrifying heritage of hatred in the name of future generations of all the citizens of Azerbaijan who will live in these areas. Signed by: 1. Gunel Safarova Citizen Research and Development Public Union 2. Azer Allahveranov Eurasian Migration Initiatives Platform Public Union 3. Telman Gasimov - Scientific Research Public Union 4. Vusala Huseynli Women Reformers and Innovation Public Union 5. Novella Jafarova The Association for the Protection of Womens Rights Public Union 6. Saida Gojamanly Bureau of Human Rights and Law Respect Public Union 7. Hafiz Safikhanov Azerbaijan Campaign Against Landmines Public Union 8. Rey Karimoglu Azerbaijan Mine Victims Association Public Union 9. Hafiz Hasanov - ''Law and Development Public Union 10. Rafig Ismayilov Civil Society Independent Advice and Assistance Center Public Union 11. Ilgar Huseynli Social Strategic Research and Analytical Investigations Public Union 12. Saadat Maharramova Anti-Corruption Center Public Union 13. Rafael Bejanov Human Rights and Enlightenment Public Union 14. Saadat Bananyarli Azerbaijan National Section of International Society for Human Rights Public Union 15. Khalid Kazimov Regional Human Rights and Media Center Public Union 16. Elshad Mammadli - "Citizen Enlightenment" Public Union 17. Samad Vakilov - "Commissioner" Legal Center Public Union 18. Lala Azertash Media and Community Development Public Union 19. Casarat Huseynzada - "Support to Information Initiatives" Public Union 20. Ahmet Abbasbeyli - "Development of Society and Civil Relations" Public Union 21. Shamsaddin Aliyev Support the police Public Union 22. Akram Baydamirli Social Welfare and Research Public Union 23. Nadir Ismayilov - Central Asia and South Caucasus Freedom of Expression Network Public Union 24. Khanoghlan Ahmadov Media and Civil Society Public Union 25. Agil Jamal - "Common values" Public Union 26. Nadir Jafarov - Chirag Humanitarian and Development Public Union 27. Ramil Iskandarli Legal Analysis and Research Public Union 28. Nureddin Mehdiyev - Virtual Karabakh Communication Technologies Youth Public Union 29. Ilgar Orujov - Azerbaijan Society of Young Scientists, Postgraduates and Masters Public Union 30. Zaur Ibrahimov - "Priority" Center for Social and Economic Research Public Union --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 April 2023 09:30 (UTC+04:00) Russian, Iranian, Syrian, and Turkish foreign ministers may hold a meeting on issues of the normalization of relations between Ankara and Damascus in early May, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday, Azernews reports, citing International media outlets. "Several dates were suggested and we said which were convenient for us. Now we are waiting for an answer from other countries and then we will wait an invitation from Russia. With a high degree of probability, a meeting between foreign ministers will be held in Moscow in the first ten days of May," he said in an interview with the TRT television channel. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 April 2023 20:55 (UTC+04:00) More than 611,000 citizens of Uzbekistan voted early in the referendum on amendments to the Constitution, Azernews reports citing Trend. Over 452,000 of them voted in the country, and more than 159,000 people abroad. A total of 10,758 polling stations have been established for voting, 55 of which are located in 39 foreign countries. In general, about 20 million citizens of Uzbekistan are expected to participate in the referendum. Early voting took place from April 19 to April 26. Today, a "day of silence" was declared throughout the country. The referendum will take place on Sunday, April 30. Amendments to the Constitution strengthen the functions of the parliament to appoint the heads of supervisory and law enforcement agencies, and part of the president's powers are transferred to the highest legislative body. Besides, the presidential term is proposed to be increased from five to seven years. Judges of the Constitutional Court are proposed to be elected for a ten-year term. The Constitutional Court elects for a five-year term from among its members the Chairman of the Constitutional Court and his deputy. A large package of amendments to the Constitution is aimed at further liberalization of the country's economy. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 April 2023 22:45 (UTC+04:00) Uzbekistans Development Strategy Center organized a number of events for public awareness of amendments to the countrys Constitution, Azernews reports citing Trend. During a briefing, representatives of the center said that this work was carried out in effective interaction with the general population, public representatives, parliament, government and other state bodies, as well civil society institutions. In particular, special collections in Uzbek language were prepared and published with a circulation of 21,000, as well as translated into English and Russian. These collections were brought to the international community through MPs, state bodies, local governments, civil society institutions, as well as representative offices of foreign and international organizations in Uzbekistan and embassies. The center also held a number of presentations, round tables, briefings, interviews and meetings on the content of constitutional reforms with the participation of representatives, political circles of Germany, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Turkiye, and China. Meetings were organized between US and UK MPs, think tanks and leading media. Moreover, in order to get acquainted with the essence of constitutional reforms, delegations of a number of international organizations, in particular members of the European Parliament, and members of the delegation of the European Parliament for relations with the countries of Central Asia, visited Uzbekistan. More than 611,000 citizens of Uzbekistan voted early in the referendum on amendments to the Constitution. Over 452,000 of them voted in the country, and more than 159,000 people abroad. A total of 10,758 polling stations have been established for voting, 55 of which are located in 39 foreign countries. In general, about 20 million citizens of Uzbekistan are expected to participate in the referendum. The referendum will take place on April 30. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A centuries-old Orthodox church in the heart of Turkiye was reopened to visitors Thursday following a meticulous restoration and conservation effort undertaken by the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, Azernews reports citing Anadolu Agency. Built in 1849, the Virgin Mary Church in Nevsehir province was used as a place of worship for Orthodox Greeks until 1924 and as a prison between 1950-1983. The historical building was brought into tourism after being idle for about 40 years. Speaking at the opening ceremony for the church, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Nadir Alpaslan said the damage the historical building suffered over the years has been repaired thanks to the work carried out. Noting that serious steps are being taken to protect historical and cultural assets throughout the country, Alpaslan said: As the ministry, we are working to provide services to future generations by approaching our cultural assets with great sensitivity and protecting them like our eyes and souls wherever they are in Turkiye. Highlighting the importance of Cappadocia as a popular place in terms of culture and tourism, he said: Turkiye has big goals in tourism. We are taking firm steps towards becoming one of the most ambitious countries in the world in tourism by increasing our tourism income to the level of $100 billion by 2028. For her part, Nevsehir Governor Inci Sezer Becel said the region has a rich tourism potential thanks to the historical buildings inherited. Nevsehir Mayor Mehmet Savran said they were happy to bring the historic structure to the region's tourism after the work started about three years ago. The Virgin Mary Church was opened for worship during the Ottoman period and was used as a prison from 1950 to 1983. Therefore, it was a seriously damaged structure, Savran said. Our Ministry of Culture and Tourism brought this building to our city as a beautiful work after a very meticulous restoration process, he added. Cappadocia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the central province of Nevsehir, became a popular destination worldwide in recent years thanks to its distinctive volcanic cones known as fairy chimneys, atmospheric underground cities, hot air balloon trips, houses carved into rocks, and churches, chapels and shelters used in the early years of the Christian faith. Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today A mix of clouds and sun this morning followed by increasing clouds with showers developing this afternoon. High 66F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 49F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. The N.C. Court of Appeals has affirmed the University of North Carolina System's decision to fire a Winston-Salem State justice studies professor in 2019. But the split 2-1 ruling raised questions about the professor's First Amendment rights.The university fired professor Alvin Mitchell afterbetween fall 2015 and fall 2017, according to the Appeals Court majority opinion authored by Judge Toby Hampson.In the first case, university officials say Mitchell never provided a student with a final grade for a 2015 class. Mitchell's supervisors tried to resolve the situation, leading at one point to awith Mitchell in which a supervisor called police.In the final incident, university officials say Mitchell failed to open an online course that he was scheduled to teach in fall 2017.The second incident prompted the split among appellate judges.During the 2016-17 academic year, two of Mitchell's students requested funding from one of his supervisors - Denise Nation - to present research at an event in New Orleans titled the Race, Gender, and Class conference. Nation did not approve the funding. She recommended that the students instead consider a different conference sponsored by the American Society of Criminology.Hampson wrote.Mitchell learned about Nation's decision and sent her a letter. The letter defended the conference and criticized Nation's response to the students.Mitchell wrote.Mitchell added.He then wrote sentences featuring a series of racial epithets before ending the letter with,Nationaccording to the Appeals Court opinion. University officials later determined that the letter violated the UNC Code.The university's Board of Governors upheld Mitchell's dismissal. A trial judge also supported the decision in July 2021. At the Appeals Court, Hampson and Judge Valerie Zachary voted to affirm the trial court's ruling.Hampson wrote.The Appeals Court majority also rejected Mitchell's argument that his letter could not have contributed to his dismissal since he was writing about a matter of public concern.Hampson wrote.the majority opinion added.Judge Hunter Murphy agreed with his colleagues that Mitchell had received due process. But Murphy dissented on the issue of the letter,Murphy wrote in dissent.he added.Mitchell's letterMurphy wrote.The dissenting judge would have sent the case back to a trial court to address Mitchell's First Amendment claims. This post appears here courtesy of the The Daily Wire . The author of this post is Ben Zeisloft JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon expressed confidence about the future of the American economy despite the recent banking crisis that gripped the nation and his pessimistic comments last year.Dimon, regarded as one of the most powerful investment bankers on Wall Street, wrote in his annual shareholder letter that elevated consumer spending and the massive savings that households accumulated during the lockdown-induced recession are likely to produce a strong economy in the near future, notwithstanding the market volatility of the past year.the executive wrote.Dimon commented only last summer that JPMorgan Chase would prepare for an imminent economicand said his firm wouldwith their balance sheet. The executive shifted his position and expressed optimism that thehas been downgraded tothat he hopes willHe added in the letter that discussion about riskand distracts from true economic realities.he continued.The shareholder letter comes weeks after American medium-sized financial institutions Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank unexpectedly collapsed as depositors rushed to withdraw their balances, prompting the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to assume control of the firms. Credit Suisse, a Swiss investment bank and formerly the eighth largest in the world, was acquired by competitor UBS amid lackluster risk and compliance management.Dimon, who leads the largest investment bank in the world, asserted in the letter that the failuresfor banks to ensure their own durability through tumultuous conditions. He said that the risks in the American banking sector weredue to investment exposure from rising interest rates and the high percentage of uninsured depositors.A bond portfolio sold by Silicon Valley Bank to cover withdrawals had declined substantially in value amid Federal Reserve actions to hike interest rates. Assets in the banking system are now $2 trillion lower than their book value due to the rollback in monetary stimulus, which had been previously maintained to stimulate the economy during the recession, according to a study from analysts at the National Bureau of Economic Research.Dimon clarified that the present volatility is not nearly as severe as the conditions which induced the 2008 financial crisis.he wrote.Dimon also cited the robust business climate in the United States and called the federal government ain protecting a stable economy relative to those in other nations. He referenced Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett's sentiment that his firm's success is The Kansas legislature has overriden the veto of its liberal Democrat governor to pass one of the strongest bathroom / locker room privacy laws in the country. The bill will keep persons of the opposite biological sex out of restrooms, locker rooms, prisons, domestic violence shelters, and rape crisis centers. The bill passed the State House by a vote of 84 to 40 and the State Senate by 28 to 12. Several other states have passed similar bills this year as did Tennessee last year. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/04/kansas-republicans-pass-law-that-libs-are-calling-one-of-the-most-sweeping-and-restrictive-transgender-bathroom-bills-in-history/ Here is a good example of why such laws are necessary, a boy claiming to think he is a girl entering girls high school locker rooms, exposing his genitals to girls, spitting on girls, and brawling with girls: https://www.foxla.com/news/california-high-school-brawl-involving-transgender-student-draws-behavioral-safety-concerns Meanwhile, Montana's governor signed their legislation to ban genital mutilation surgery and chemical castration drugs on children, becoming the latest state to pass such legislation to protect children. https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2023/04/28/montana-governor-signs-law-banning-gender-surgeries-and-therapies-for-minors-n738609 This just adds to the disgust by conservatives as the cowardice of surrender monkey legislative RINO leaders Phil Berger and Tim Moore in caving in to Roy Cooper and the left to repeal NC's bathroom / locker room privacy law, HB2. In the election following the sellout by Moore and Berger, conservative voters abandoned a number of the RINOs who had abandoned them on this issue, causing the GOP to lose its super majorities in house legislative houses. That was purely the result of the cowardice of Berger and Moore. France is in an uproar over President Macron decreeing an increase in the retirement age without a vote of parliament, with mass demonstrations and riots. While this behavior is that of a dictator itself, Macron's response do those who dare object to him is even more brazen. The latest comes on Macron's first trip outside of Paris since the pushback against his retirement action began. In a small town in Alsace, three French citizens were arrested for flipping the bird at Macron. None have any prior criminal record. The three are now facing a possible year in jail and a 15,000 euro fine for disrespecting Macron. This comes on the tail of a French woman with no prior criminal history and not a political activist being arrested for posting on social media that Macron is "a piece of filth". When the police came to her door to arrest her, she said "this has to be a joke". It wasn't. Shortely before that there were arrests for "hate speech" that indicated a complete disrespect for free speech. One involved a French Senator, who posted on social media "Immigration kills" after an illegal alien brutally murdered a young French girl. The other involved two feminist leaders who posted about the need to defend women's privacy by keeping biological males out of woemn's restrooms and locker rooms. Free speech is dying, if not already dead in France, and the left is pushing the same anti-free speech poison here in the US. Macron seems to have become Petain 2.0. https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20230423-french-protesters-to-face-court-for-insulting-macron-over-pensions-policy A man has been arrested after a bank robbery in Beaumont last week. Just before 4 p.m. Friday, Beaumont police received reports of a bank robbery at a Chase Bank along U.S. 69 in Beaumont. Related: Kountze man pleads guilty to bank robbery The suspect fled the scene before officers arrived, but they obtained a vehicle description and a license plate number, according to police. At 4:10 p.m. detectives responding to the robbery found the vehicle on the 2000 block of North 11th Street, and the suspect was arrested. Dreamstime, HO Two Houston men have been sentenced to federal prison for the 2018 robbery of a Beaumont taqueria. Robert Lewis Johnson, Jr., 31, and Bryant Demetri West, 24, on April 27 were sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for "brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence," according to a news release from the United States Attorneys Office Eastern District of Texas. The Dallas attorney at the center of the Fox News-Dominion case should still face a sanctions suit. Its good to see the State Bar of Texas isnt giving up its fight to win sanctions against former Donald Trump lawyer Sidney Powell. Citing mostly procedural errors by the bar, a judge in February tossed out its suit against Powell for allegedly filing frivolous lawsuits in four states alleging voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. How disappointing it was to read in Collin County state District Judge Andrea Bouressas order dismissing the case. It noted that she was doing so in part because the bar had improperly labeled a handful of exhibits attached to one of its filings. Such an important case should never have been thrown out on such flimsy grounds. The bars Commission for Lawyer Discipline had been silent on what it would do next whether accept Bouressas ruling or fight it. That mystery was solved when the bar recently filed a 1,300-page request urging the judge to reconsider her decision. The bars motion includes both an acknowledgment of its misnumbered exhibits and regret for any confusion this mistake may have created for the Court. It notes, however, that the correctly numbered exhibits were already contained elsewhere in the court file, of which the judge obviously had access and easily could have considered. As if not to take any chances, the bar attached to its motion more than 1,200 pages of documents that included much of the courts public file. This case was supposed to go to trial April 24. We advocated repeatedly for this full public airing of Powells specific actions in the baseless election fraud suits against the states of Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin and Georgia. Such an airing under oath is even more important now in light of this weeks $787.5 million settlement between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems, which had sued the network for defamation. In her failed suits against the four states, Powell alleged a vast conspiracy among Dominion, foreign actors and other political operatives who fraudulently inflated votes in favor of Joe Biden. Powell appeared often on Fox News in the days after the election pushing her fraud allegations without evidence, despite Dominions insistence they were false. Evidence in the suit showed that Fox hosts continued to invite Powell onto their shows even after they began having concerns about her claims. Back in Texas, in her response last week to the bars request for its sanctions case to be reopened, Powell insists she did not knowingly file any false or material documents to support the claims in the election fraud suits. The state bar says there is ample evidence that Powell may have engaged in conduct that, at minimum, involved dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation. At this writing, Powell still holds Texas bar card No. 16209700 allowing her to practice law in this state. We urge Judge Bouressa to reopen the bars sanctions suit against her so that whether she retains that privilege can be decided not based on clerical errors but on the actual merits of the case. From illegal opioid refills to Medicaid fraud allegations, here are seven important whistleblower lawsuits Becker's has reported on in 2023: 1. In 2013, a whistleblower suit was filed against Matteson, Ill.-based physician Ajibola Ayeni, MD, for allegedly violating the False Claims Act more than 4,000 times. In March, a chief U.S. district judge granted summary judgment to the government in the case. 2. In March, a whistleblower suit was brought against Rite Aid pharmacy for allegedly ignoring "obvious red flags" when filling opioid prescriptions. 3. In March, Houston-based psychiatrist Ashok Jain, MD, agreed to pay $3 million to settle claims that he billed Medicare for unnecessary transcranial magnetic stimulation services following a 2021 whistleblower claim. 4. In March, Brian Hyatt, MD, chair of the Arkansas State Medical Board, was suspended from participating in Arkansas' Medicaid program following a whistleblower suit alleging fraud. 5. In February, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, cardiothoracic surgeon James Luketich, MD, and a physicians group paid $8.5 million to settle a lawsuit accusing them of submitting false claims. A whistleblower complaint was filed against the group in 2019. 6. In February, a whistleblower lawsuit was filed against Orlando-based physician group Florida Cardiology and 10 physicians, alleging inflated Medicare and Medicaid claims. 7. In January, a whistleblower claim was filed against Atlanta-based ophthalmologist Aarti Pandya, MD, and the Pandya Practice Group for allegedly violating the False Claims Act. Twenty-percent of physicians said rules and regulations are the most challenging part of their job, according to Medscape's "Physician Compensation Report" for 2023. Medscape surveyed 10,011 physicians across more than 29 specialties about their income, work hours, job satisfaction and more from Oct. 7, 2022, to Jan. 17, 2023. Here is what physicians said the most challenging part of their job is: Armando Colon, founder CEO of DNA Medsolutions in Orlando, Fla., shared his insight gained from more than 17 years of healthcare leadership experience with Becker's. Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. If you would like to contribute to our next question, please email phaeffele@beckershealthcare.com. Question: What would you put on an ASC management "cheat sheet"? Armando Colon: Successful ASC management is committed to quality. ASC leadership needs to stay current with new and potential quality reporting rules. Compliance with these standards, while considered a necessary component of quality, spending time on effective studies can demonstrate opportunities for improvement and can shore up infection prevention practices and improve patient outcomes. These studies can often be done using data already available in the clinical record or within the center's practice management system, thus saving time and money. Another management factor for success is a financial accountability plan and cost savings plan; financial discipline matters. We are all aware of metrics that make ASCs equitable, like A/R days, net revenue per case, cash collections, and the list goes on. Creating an accountability plan to help make time to follow through with the necessary activities by leveraging technology to automate or enforce tedious yet critical processes. Focus on financial discipline; you will see results. Remember, you can't manage what you don't measure. An outstanding leader who is well-organized, reliable and communicative can make all the difference. Successful ASC leaders empower staff to make their views heard, even if the decision reached isn't the employees' preferred choice. Leaders lead by example and show that they empathize with everyone on the team, and they expect the team to do the same towards one another. In an ASC's intensely collaborative environment, the organization won't function with brisk efficiency if leadership begins to view staff as resources or interchangeable assets; a workplace is healthier when everyone feels valued for their unique contribution. Physician recruitment both internal and external is a critical ongoing effort that can pay dividends, literally. Physician involvement is one of the easiest ways to improve an ASCs profitability. The champion can act as a bridge between the center and the board and can advocate for important initiatives that may face resistance from other physicians or board members. Ideally, a physician champion understands the business of running a surgery center, communicates well with staff and is a respected board member. Benchmarking [is important]. The most successful centers consistently compare their supply and staffing costs, efficiency and volume to industry benchmarks. Outside your physician practice, there are the people you are dealing with most frequently who arent directly on your team. But these resources are an extension of your team and should be working with you to accomplish your goals. Maintaining good relations with your vendors can equate to better response times as well as better rates. Don't be afraid to ask them for help. Technology should help you work smarter, not harder. Taking advantage of software to improve both your work flow and cash flow is crucial. In todays post-pandemic digital world, you are at a disadvantage if you don't fully embrace your software. Prepare for different payment models such as bundled payments or payments based on the [Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Survey] or value-based care, etc., and even more aggressive cost management. Medical Consulting Group, a consulting company that has developed over 105 ophthalmology ASCs nationwide, has inked a merger agreement with ophthalmology billing, coding and reimbursement provider Corcoran Consulting Group. Corcoran has provided financial services to ophthalmology practices in all 50 states since 1986, according to an April 27 press release. Medical Consulting has provided management services including revenue cycle management, accounting, benchmarking, human resources and information technology to ophthalmology practices since 1989. Clients of both companies will now have a larger team for all consulting and financial services. Both companies will continue to operate under their current names. New York City-based One Brooklyn Health is facing a patient-led lawsuit for a November cyberattack that compromised patients' financial information. The plaintiff, Kiya Johnson, filed the suit April 26 in the New York state Supreme Court stating that her information was breached during the attack. She is seeking damages, restitution and injunctive relief. The lawsuit also alleges that One Brooklyn Health was negligent and violated consumer protection and other business laws in New York State. One Brooklyn Health which operates safety-net hospitals Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, Interfaith Medical Center and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center said it believes none of the compromised information has been misused. Siemens Bank and Huntington Bank are seeking payment on two bonds sold by Logansport (Ind.) Memorial Hospital after its recent financial performance, the Pharos-Tribune reported April 28. The banks sought "immediate payment" in April, but the hospital was able to push back the payment to May, Logansport Memorial CEO David Ameen told the publication. The hospital is considering using its cash on hand to pay back the bonds, but that would leave it with under 20 days of cash. "We would have to be very careful on how we spend our dollars in the future," according to Mr. Ameen, who told the Tribune he would prefer the hospital to have 180 days cash on hand to ensure it can make payroll and supply payments in case of any unforeseen financial challenges. Logansport Memorial is also talking with local banks about the possibility of a credit line. "Our plan is to be here for a long time," Mr. Ameen told the news outlet. "If some kind of financial difficulty came up, then we would have to look at other directions but right now our hope is we can work through all of our financial obligations and be able to meet them." Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health has signed a collaboration agreement with Surgery Partners for the management of the health system's existing surgery centers in Utah and Idaho and the development of ASCs in other markets. Intermountain currently has five ASCs across Utah and plans to open more over the next year. This collaboration agreement will accelerate those efforts. "Combining [Surgery Partners'] expertise and experience with ours will add significant value for our surgery patients and caregivers and will establish an operating model upon which we can build as we continue to expand outpatient care at other locations," Mike Clark, Intermountain's executive lead of ASCs, said in an April 28 news release. Nashville, Tenn.-based Surgery Partners one of the country's largest ASC chains has also agreed a deal with Columbus-based OhioHealth to create a company that will grow ASC joint ventures across Ohio. Wilson (N.C.) Medical Center has named Christopher Munton CEO, effective May 1. The hospital is part of Duke LifePoint Healthcare, a joint venture between Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Health and Durham, N.C.-based Duke Health. Mr. Munton joins the 294-bed facility from Harris Regional and Swain Community hospitals, also part of Duke LifePoint in Western North Carolina. Before serving as CEO of the community hospitals, he was COO at National Park Medical Center in Hot Springs, Ark., according to an April 28 news release from Wilson Medical Center. "Chris brings a proven ability to drive timely accountability and change, in conjunction with strong performance improvements in all phases of hospital operations," the release said. The hospital has faced a series of citations from CMS regarding care deficiencies. In March, Wilson received its third immediate jeopardy citation in under a year, with an April 7 deadline to address issues or lose Medicare funding. Massachusetts recently issued regulations that update emergency department signage requirements after a woman's death outside of Cambridge Health Alliance Somerville (Mass.) Hospital in September 2016, WBUR reported April 27. Laura Levis, 34, walked to the hospital while suffering from an asthma attack and became confused. She ended up outside a locked door to the emergency room, where she called 911 for help, but by the time first responders found her 10 minutes later she had suffered cardiac arrest. She died a few days later. Her husband, Peter DeMarco, detailed the circumstances of his wife's death in a 2018 article for The Boston Globe Magazine and began advocating for laws that would change hospital signage. The new requirements from the state Department of Public Health include signs, lights and directions from all access points that direct people to the ED entrances. It also requires video intercoms for people to call for help from outside the ER. The requirements, which were finalized in June, were issued to hospitals in April. Somerville Hospital said in a statement to WBUR that it took part in the working group and made recommendations for the new regulations. It has already implemented changes, including blue light emergency call stations in the parking garages and key entrances, the statement said. Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health is selling Waukegan, Ill.-based Vista Medical Center East to American Healthcare Systems, the Lake County News-Sun reported April 28. American Healthcare Systems, based in Los Angeles, was founded in 2021 and operates Asheboro, N.C.-based Randolph Health Hospital Hospital, St. Louis-based South City Hospital and Granite City, Ill.-based Gateway Regional Medical Center, according to the report. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed, according to the report. The hospital will change hands by May 31, pending regulatory approval from the Illinois Health Facilities and Service Review Board. Faisal Gill, American Healthcare's chief legal officer, told the News-Sun the system specializes in community hospitals. "We like community hospitals which are the only ones in the area," he told the news outlet. "We acquire community hospitals where we can make an improvement." Quorum acquired Vista Medical Center in 2016, according to the report. After a thorough review from experts of the American Society of Clinical Oncology's guidelines on treating depression and anxiety in cancer patients, physicians recommended several updates, according to an April 28 press release. It is the first revision to the guidelines since 2014. In general, mental health conditions like depression and anxiety are more prevalent in cancer patients than the general population and as such, require different considerations for treatment especially nearly a decade from the last guidance revisions. "As clinicians, we must be mindful of the emotional toll that a cancer diagnosis and the associated treatment bears on our patients," Barry Berman, MD, one of the oncologists who reviewed and revised the guidelines, said in a statement. "Addressing their mental health is essential to delivering favorable outcomes, especially when it comes to cancer." The updated recommendations advocate for clinicians to use treatment resources based on the severity of a patient's symptoms as related to depression and anxiety. Other notable new recommendations for practitioners include: Amid rapidly increasing gun violence across the U.S., the American College of Physicians issued a statement saying it is time for physicians to prioritize having conversations about gun violence and safety with patients. After a mass shooting took place in Nashville, Tenn., on March 27, just 10 minutes away from the office of Ryan Mire, MD, president of the ACP, he urged other healthcare professionals to join him in elevating the issue and beginning these conversations with patients, noting "how close we all are to becoming a victim of gun violence." The ACP's newly debuted initiative to further these conversations between physicians and patients includes an online toolkit of resources to guide physicians through these difficult conversations. The toolkit also features information about discussing firearm injuries and associated risks something that was prompted by a call to action for the profession from Annals of Internal Medicine, which asked physicians to "pledge to speak with their patients about firearm injury when risk factors are present." "ACP has long advocated for a public health approach and common-sense measures that would help to curb this escalating crisis," Dr. Mire said in a press release statement. "And ACP continues to address firearm injury through public policy and advocacy efforts, publication of related research and other content in Annals of Internal Medicine, events that examine the impact on clinicians and the public, and collaboration with others to enact change." Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 continues its growth path in the U.S., with the latest CDC estimates showing it accounts for nearly 12 percent of cases. Another XBB relative, XBB.1.9.1, is also gaining traction, accounting for 9 percent of cases for the week ending April 29. Four more COVID-19 updates: In India, where XBB.1.16 had been driving a surge, new cases appear to be trending down, according toThe Times of India. The strain has growth advantage and immune escape characteristics, though has not caused an increase in disease severity, according to the World Health Organization. The CDC is trimming the number of COVID-19 data elements hospitals must report upon termination of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The number of metrics hospitals are required to report will fall from 62 to 44, and reporting frequency will be reduced to once weekly. On April 27, the CDC loosened its rules for international travelers. According to the update, some travelers who've had a single dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine will now be allowed to board U.S.-bound flights. "Because some traveler vaccine records might not specify whether recent Moderna or Pfizer doses were bivalent, CDC will consider anybody with a record of a single dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine issued on or after August 12, 2022, to meet the requirements," the CDC said. 4. The CDC will stop tracking COVID-19 community levels when the PHE ends and will instead rely mostly on hospitalization data, according to an April 28 report from CNN. "We're not going to lose complete surveillance, but we will lose that hyerlocal sensitivity to it perhaps," a source familiar with the matter told the news outlet, adding the change is out of necessity as the government will no longer require the reporting of certain metrics upon termination of the PHE. From the time Roger Hartl, MD, a neurosurgeon and director of neurosurgery spine for New York City-based Weill Cornell Medicine and co-director for New York Presbyterian Och Spine, completed his medical school rotations in the country of Malawi, he knew he wanted to treat patients in Africa. However, upon moving to the United States after medical school, Dr. Hartl got caught up in his training and personal life. He sought out ways to return to Africa through Doctors Without Borders and the Bill Gates Foundation but was told they had no need for spine and neurosurgeons; only infectious disease specialists. Dr. Hartl continued to face roadblocks in his goal to practice overseas, until 15 years ago when he received a personal invitation to treat a patient in Tanzania. Dr. Hartl jumped at the opportunity to travel back to Africa, making visits to several hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. "As soon as I walked into these hospitals in Tanzania, it was evident that they needed neurosurgeons and spine surgeons," Dr. Hartl told Becker's. "From then on, I started going back on a yearly basis." This visit to the country inspired Dr. Hartl to launch the Global Neurosurgery Course through Weill Cornell Medicine. Every year, Dr. Hartl takes a team of surgeons and fellows to a partner hospital in Dar es Salaam, where they spend 10 days engaging with local surgeons, taking over new equipment and operating on patients. Additionally, the program brings surgeons from Tanzania to the U.S. for training programs as well. Through a weekly Zoom call with Dar es Salaam spine surgeons, neurosurgeons and nurses, Dr. Hartl keeps up to date with the country's progress. Fifteen years ago when he began traveling to Tanzania, the country had three neurosurgeons for a population of 30 million. All three surgeons were practicing in Dar es Salaam, meaning patients in rural parts of the country had limited access to care. Now, thanks in part to Dr. Hartl's training program, Tanzania has over 15 neurosurgeons spread out all over the country. "Once while I was there, we had a patient come in who was bitten by a crocodile and had multiple injuries to his arms and legs, along with sustaining head trauma from the injuries. The family had to put him on a bus and drive him three days on a bus to the hospital to seek treatment. Of course, by the time he arrived there were already all kinds of infectious issues from the wound," Dr. Hartl said. While the patient survived thanks to Dr. Hartl and his team, as well as several surgeons in Dar es Salaam, improving access to care in all parts of the country remained a priority for the global neurosurgery program. This year, thanks to a donation from Brainlab, Dr. Hartl and his team performed the first spine case using 3D navigation in sub-Saharan Africa. "We used the machine from Brainlab for the first 3D-guided TLIF fusion in the country, which went very, very well. Now, since I left, the hospital has been doing a bunch of navigated cases. They've really continued to use the technology," Dr. Hartl said. "Over the years, I have been really shying away from bringing a lot of equipment over because a lot of it breaks down very quickly. This was the first time in a number of years we've brought technology. Given our long relationship and the trust built, it now makes a lot of sense." Dr. Hartl emphasized how important that long-term relationship has been when it comes to building trust with local physicians and residents. He has no plans to start a similar operation in other parts of the world, because he believes that the best way to make a lasting impact is by focusing your time and resources on one single facility. "If you're a spine surgeon or orthopedic surgeon looking to make global change, my advice would be to stay focused. Make a commitment to one particular institution, try to build relationships, and try to always go back to the same institution. Don't expect too much when you go the first time," he said. "Don't expect too much in terms of what you can do and how happy they are going to be that you're coming. If you really want to make an impact, you have to commit long term. There are microsteps in the right direction. It can be frustrating to go back every year. There are setbacks, and things don't always happen the way we expect them to happen. Stay focused and stay humble." Dr. Hartl's course has continued to grow over 15 years, with 122 local surgeons, emergency room physicians and nurses in attendance at his most recent virtual reality teaching seminar in Tanzania. The program also launched a follow-up study on spine trauma patients in the area, tracking the cost and effectiveness of instrumentation surgery. "A lot of patients in the area are now being treated in ways they would not be treated if this course did not happen," Dr. Hartl said. "Our goal is to continue long-term collaboration to help teach and train the most capable surgeons possible." The trial saw performance improve overall, with significant improvement in some areas, it was found (Alamy/PA) Alamy Stock Photo The first ever council trial of a four-day-week has been hailed as a success, with average employee performance improving. South Cambridgeshire District Council trialled a four-day week for desk-based staff for three months, beginning in January of this year. Staff could take either Monday or Friday off, and their pay was not affected. According to the Bennett Institute for Public Policy based at the University of Cambridge, which analysed the results, performance improved overall with significant improvement in some areas. As a result, an extension of the trial for a further year has been recommended to the councils leadership, as well as a three-month trial for staff in the facilities management team and shared waste services. The further trials will go to a vote at the next full council meeting on May 15. Nina Jorden, research associate at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, said that not a single KPI fell to a concerning level during the trial. Performing four different types of rigorous data analysis, nine out of 16 performance measurements showed a significant improvement during the four-day week trial compared to the same period last year, and this is despite some targets being raised internally, she said. Overall, we saw an improvement on average across performance measurements during the four-day week. It is important to emphasise that not a single KPI fell to a concerning level during the trial. 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 Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, said the trial paves the way for other councils to follow South Cambridgeshires lead. South Cambridgeshires historic trial has been an undeniable success and it paves the way for other councils across the country to follow their lead, he said. All workers in this country deserve a four-day week and so its only fair that public sector workers benefit too. The evidence shows that a four-day week with no loss of pay improves productivity and is a win-win for both workers and employers. The Irish language is to form part of the coronation of Britains new king, Charles III, it has emerged. Traditional languages spoken in the four countries in the UK Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England will for the first time form part of a coronation service. The congregation gathered for the crowning of the king and queen consort at Westminster Abbey will hear three Celtic languages - Welsh, Scots Gaelic and Irish - alongside English. Charless mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was praised for her use of Irish at a state banquet at Dublin Castle during her groundbreaking visit to this country in 2011, and a verse in Irish is included in the coronation. Charles famously travelled to Aberystwyth University as a young man to learn the Welsh language under Welsh nationalist Dr Edward Millward, before his investiture as the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle in 1969. The then heir to the throne was the first English Prince of Wales in 668 years to take the trouble to learn Welsh, and he and his tutor struck up a friendship that endured. During the coronation, after a greeting and introduction by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy) prayer will be sung in Welsh. The words include "Arglwydd, trugarha. Crist, trugarha. Arglwydd, trugarha" - which translates as "Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy". A Lambeth Palace spokesman said: "After the sermon, the hymn Veni Creator - Come Creator Spirit - will be sung. It is also sometimes known as Come Holy Ghost Our Souls Inspire. "This ancient hymn has been part of coronation services since the 14th century, and is also used in ordination services when people are ordained deacons, priests and bishops. "For the first time, we will hear this sung in the traditional languages of the nations of the United Kingdom: English, Welsh, Scots Gaelic and Irish Gaelic." The Scots verse is: Fada bhuain iomain ar namh Agus builich sa bhad do ghras O, treoraich sinn, a Cheannaird ard Bho bhuaidh gach beud agus cradh It translates as: Anoint and cheer our soiled face With the abundance of thy grace Keep far our foes, give peace at home Where thou art guide, no ill can come Following this will be these Irish language lines, which are included in the full liturgy released ahead of the coronation next Saturday: Go dti dhiot gurb aithnid duinn an tAthair, Mhac, a Spioraid, a run, Tu leo an Triur i neinphearsa Creidimis ionaibh tre bhiotha na mbeatha. This is then repeated in English as: Praise to thy eternal merit, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Teach us to know the Father, Son, And thee, of both, to be but One. That, through the ages all along, This may be our endless song: Praise to thy eternal merit, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Ryanair has said it has been forced to cancel 220 flights on Bank Holiday Monday because of air traffic control strikes in France. The airlines chief executive Michael OLeary apologised to 40,000 passengers affected by the cancelations and hit out at French authorities and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen over the disruption. In a video posted on social media, he claimed flights using French airspace without departing from or arriving in France were being importunately affected by the strike action. Michael O'Leary: 220 flight cancellations on Bank Holiday Monday due to French ATC strike French workers have been holding regular strikes this year in protest at plans by French President Emmanuel Macron to raise the countrys retirement age from 62 to 64. France is using minimum service legislation to protect its local French flights, but all the cancellations are then being disproportionately being passed on to English flights, Irish flights, Italian flights, Spanish flights [and] German flights. This is unfair, Mr OLeary said. Mondays strike will be the 51st day of action by French air traffic controllers (ATC). Ryanair has previously accused Ms Von Der Leyen and the European Commission of sitting on their hands over the issue. The airline said more than 620,000 people had signed its petition calling on Ms Von Der Leyen to take action and protect passengers. When there are ATC strikes in Italy, they protect overflights, Mr OLeary said. In Greece they protect overflights. France must be required by the EU commission to protect overflights. It is unfair that flights from the UK to Spain or from Italy to Portugal are being cancelled simply because a bunch of French air traffic control units want to go on strike. We respect their right to strike, but if they want to strike cancel the French flights, protect the overflights. He said passengers on affected routes have been contacted via email and work is ongoing to accommodate them. To those 40,000 passengers whose flights will be cancelled on Monday, we apologise sincerely, Mr OLeary added. It is not yet clear which flight the airline intends to cancel, or what proportion of them will depart from or arrive in Irish airports. Results of recent poll show opposition is highest among the 25-34 and 45-54 age groups The introduction of water charges is back on the agenda in Northern Ireland More than two-thirds of people in Northern Ireland are opposed to the introduction of water charges, with less than a quarter in favour, a poll has shown. Opposition is particularly strong among working-class voters, according to a LucidTalk survey for the Belfast Telegraph. It underlines the depth of resistance to any extra taxes to shore up our public finances days after Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris set a budget that will see sweeping cuts to departments spending. Asked if they would agree to pay water charges if they were introduced as a way of boosting the finances of our public services, 69% said no, with only 24% of those surveyed saying they would be willing to do so. Seven per cent had no opinion. On Thursday Mr Heaton-Harris tabled legislation seeking to extend powers for civil servants to take decisions usually reserved for ministers beyond their current expiration date of June 5. The Bill enables the Secretary of State to direct civil servants to run public consultations on a range of potential measures, such as the introduction of domestic water charges and dropping free prescriptions. The proposed legislation would not empower the Secretary of State to introduce such measures in Northern Ireland, with the Government at this stage making clear that such decisions should be taken by a devolved executive. A breakdown of results shows subtle differences depending on age and socio-economic status. More than a third (37%) of respondents who were 65 or older said they would accept paying water charges, while 55% of the bracket answered no. Some 80% of people in the 25-34 and 45-54 age groups indicated they were against paying the charges, while the highest percentage of those who were unsure was in the 35-44 age bracket (11%). The poll results were also broken down by socio-economic grade, calculated using a model which takes into account income, education level and occupation group. The strongest opposition (78%) was recorded among those in the working-class bracket. Nine per cent of those surveyed in the middle-class bracket said they were unsure, while 67% indicated they were against water charges. Almost two-thirds (64%) in the others category (retired, students, non-salaried) also indicated their opposition. Geographically, the strongest opposition to water charges was in the southern area that encompasses Strangford, Upper Bann, South Down and Newry and Armagh constituencies. Some 75% of respondents from this area indicated they were against charges, while the strongest support was in the western area of Fermanagh-South Tyrone, Mid Ulster and West Tyrone (32%). In Belfast, 69% were against the concept of charges, while in the eastern area (East Antrim, South Antrim, North Down and Lagan Valley) the figure was 67%. Some 65% of those in the Northern area (North Antrim, East Londonderry and Foyle) were also against the proposal. This week Department of Finance permanent secretary Neil Gibson warned the 2023/24 Northern Ireland budget would be incredibly challenging. Were facing very significant rising costs, we have more pressure on our public services, so for myself and all of my colleagues, were really getting stuck into the hard work now of trying to plot the least harmful course, that we come through the challenging times ahead as we work out how we meet the figures that have been published, he said on Thursday. NHS staff stand on the picket line outside St Thomas Hospital in London (PA) James Manning The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is working with health leaders to provide some staff during its bank holiday strike, as hospitals including Great Ormond Street issued warnings over patient safety. The RCN, which is holding a strike from 8pm on Sunday until 11.59pm on Monday evening, previously said it will not agree to derogations broad areas of care where unions agree to provide staffing during industrial action. This means nurses in intensive care, A&E and cancer care will be on strike. However, in a new development, it has agreed with NHS England that safety critical mitigations may be required for a period to maintain safe patient care. Royal College of Nursing general secretary Pat Cullen joins members on the picket line outside the Royal United Hospital in Bath (Ben Birchall/PA) Ben Birchall It comes as Great Ormond Street Hospital in London warned on Friday that it had serious concerns over safely staffing the hospital during the strike. The world-renowned childrens hospital said it has declared a business continuity incident, adding that wards will not be able to be staffed to usual levels. Some children may need to be sent home in order for care for those who remain to be safe, it said on its website. The RCN said some safety critical mitigations were being agreed in advance with individual NHS organisations, and the union plans to post these on the RCN website by region. Information from the RCN said: Once the RCN has approved a safety critical mitigation, a local trust will contact nursing staff and seek their return to work. The RCN will also post to its website that the safety critical mitigation has been agreed so that it is easy for members to verify it. Where a mitigation has been confirmed, members should return to work to protect patient safety. An RCN spokeswoman said: There are no entire exemptions seen across the country. But we are taking reasonable and clinically urgent mitigations to protect life and limb as everybody would expect. (PA Graphics) PA Graphics The spokeswoman added: It is painfully clear the NHS cannot cope without its nursing staff. If the Government treated them fairly, this sorry situation would be finished. Nurses are intensifying the action because the strike so far has not produced a good enough offer from ministers too valuable to strike but not valued enough to pay fairly. Nursing staff will always make sure life and limb care is protected and the NHS acknowledges the RCN is agreeing mitigations on request. In a statement, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, told the PA news agency: Health leaders are working hard to finalise their plans ahead of the most dramatic strikes the RCN has staged so far, with no national exemptions in place. Although the strike will be a day shorter than originally planned, disruption is still expected and so, we hope that RCN representatives at local levels will allow their members to cross the picket line in the event of emergencies where life is at immediate risk. He said health leaders will wait with bated breath to understand the collective view of the NHS Staff Council made up of health unions, employers and Government representatives which is meeting on Tuesday to discuss the Governments 5% pay offer. With waiting lists and feelings of staff burnout being so high, they are keen for the disruption caused by industrial action to be brought to an end with a funded pay deal that satisfies the majority, and for the Government to significantly increase its support for the NHS with a workforce strategy that will help tackle the 124,000 vacancies across the service, Mr Taylor added. As the NHS prepares to cope with the strike, NHS England is urging the public to use the health service wisely. It said emergency and urgent care would remain the priority, with people asked to use other services such as pharmacies and 111 where possible. Nurses make up a quarter of NHS staff and are the biggest proportion of the health service workforce. NHS England warned that staffing levels for some areas of the country will be exceptionally low, lower than on previous strike days. The NHSs deputy chief nurse, Charlotte McArdle, said there is likely to be significant impact upon local services over the bank holiday weekend. She added: We are now entering the sixth month of industrial action across the NHS and this has a cumulative impact on staff who have gone above and beyond to maintain safe patient services during an incredibly challenging period. We acknowledge that every appointment postponed has an impact on the lives of individuals and their families and creates further pressure on services and on an already tired workforce. If you need non-urgent care I would encourage people as always to use services such as pharmacies and 111 online and if you have a life-threatening emergency, please seek help in the usual way by dialling 999. Importantly, if you havent been contacted to say otherwise, please still attend your appointments as planned. NHS England said the number of rescheduled appointments due to strike action is set to hit half a million next week. A High Court judge ruled on Thursday it would be unlawful for the RCN strike to continue into Tuesday as originally planned, meaning it will now end just before midnight on Monday. Russian ambassador to Ireland Yury Filatov speaking at a press conference at the Russian Embassy in Dublin. Picture date: Monday January 24, 2022. Niall Carson Irelands Russian embassy has warned of possible ensuing consequences in response to tributes paid to an Irishman killed while fighting in Ukraine. The comments have been criticised by a former minister for justice as threatening and chilling. Finbar Cafferkey, from Achill Island in Co Mayo, is reported to have been killed while serving as a military volunteer in the eastern part of Ukraine. Mr Cafferkey had previous combat experience in the Syrian conflict, and those paying tribute to him have described him as an activist on issues such as environmentalism and migration. In the wake of his death, Irish deputy premier Micheal Martin expressed his sympathies to his family and said Mr Cafferkey was obviously a young man of clear principles. In response, the Russian embassy issued a stark warning to the Irish government against encouraging Irish citizens to take part in the conflict in Ukraine. In a statement posted to its Telegram channel, the embassy said it noted the Tanaistes comments calling Mr Cafferkey a young man of clear principles. The embassy said: Every loss of life is sad and regretful. We do not know who Finbar Cafferkey was, except that for whatever reason he was fighting in a foreign land. We do not know what his principles were. What we do know, though, is that in a very big way it is the Irish Government and media to who bear responsibility for the death of Finbar Cafferkey. It has been the Government and media who have been promoting anti-Russian propaganda, distorting the truth about the conflict in Ukraine, misleading people like Finbar Cafferkey. Now they face the results of their own efforts, it said. Charlie Flanagan (Brian Lawless/PA) Brian Lawless The embassy added: We also do not know if Mr Martins remarks signify support for the Irish to take part in combat in Ukraine, but we do know that if that is the case, then Ireland would be the direct participant of the conflict with all the ensuing consequences. Commenting on Twitter, former justice minister Charlie Flanagan said the statement was threatening, intimidating and chilling. These hostile remarks are unacceptable, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee said, adding that it was beyond time that the Russian ambassador Yury Filatov and his crew were asked to leave our country. Smoke and flames rise from a burning fuel tank in Crimea (Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhaev telegram channel via AP) Uncredited A massive fire has erupted at an oil depot in Crimea after it was hit by two of Ukraines drones, according to a Russia-appointed official in the region. The incident is the latest in a series of attacks on the annexed peninsula as Russia braces for an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of the Black Sea peninsulas port city of Sevastopol, posted videos and photos of the blaze on his Telegram channel. Mr Razvozhayev said the fire at the citys harbour was assigned the highest ranking in terms of how complicated it will be to extinguish. However, he reported that the open blaze had been contained. Fire crews at the scene of the blaze in Crimea (Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev telegram channel via AP) Uncredited Mr Razvozhayev said the oil depot was attacked by two enemy drones, and tat four oil tanks burned down. A third drone was shot down from the sky over Crimea, and one more was deactivated through radio-electronic means, according to Crimeas Moscow-appointed governor, Sergei Aksyonov. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move that most of the world considered illegal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview this week that his country will seek to reclaim the peninsula in the upcoming counter-offensive. The incident comes a day after Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine, killing at least 23 people. Almost all of the victims died when two missiles hit an apartment building in the city of Uman, located in central Ukraine. Five children were among the dead, Ukrainian interior minister Ihor Klymenko said on Saturday, adding that 22 out of 23 bodies have been identified. One woman remained missing. 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 Russian forces launched more drones at Ukraine overnight. Ukraines Air Force Command said two Iranian-made self-exploding Shahed drones were intercepted and a reconnaissance drone was shot down on Saturday morning. Mr Razvozhayev said the oil reservoir fire did not cause any casualties and would not hinder fuel supplies in Sevastopol. The city has been subject to regular attack attempts with drones, especially in recent weeks. Earlier this week, Mr Razvozhayev reported that the Russian military destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone that attempted to attack the harbour and another one blew up, shattering windows in several apartment buildings, but not inflicting any other damage. Ukraines military intelligence spokesperson, Andriy Yusov, told the RBC Ukraine news site on Saturday that the oil depot fire was Gods punishment for the murdered civilians in Uman, including five children. He said that more than 10 tanks containing oil products for Russias Black Sea Fleet were destroyed in Sevastopol, but stopped short of acknowledging Ukraines responsibility for a drone attack. After previous attacks on Crimea, Kyiv also would not openly claim responsibility, emphasising however that the country had the right to strike any target in response to Russian aggression. Car crashes into petrol pump at Derry filling station. Pic by NI Emergency Response Vids. Disaster was averted after a car crashed into a petrol pump at a filling station in Londonderry. Emergency services attending the scene following the shocking incident which happened on Saturday morning. Video footage shows a vehicle ploughing across the forecourt of the petrol station on Strand Road at around 11.30am. PSNI and Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) crews remained at the scene well into the afternoon with part of the road cordoned off. A NIFRS spokesperson said they deployed a hazmat team to the scene. They said staff followed the "correct procedures" and immediately isolated the pump. However CAFS foam was used due to some fuel leakage to prevent a fire. The incident ended without any major consequence. A PSNI spokesperson said: "Police received and responded to a report of a two vehicle road traffic collision at Strand Road, Derry/Londonderry, shortly before 11.30am today. "Colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service also attended the scene. "There were no reports of any injuries. "The road was closed for a period of time but has now reopened to traffic." Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn has spoken of how he witnessed the murder of a policeman in a Belfast city centre bar. RUC Constable Darren Bradshaw was gunned down by the INLA in 1997 during a night out in the Parliament Bar which at the time was Northern Irelands only gay venue. Recalling the killing 6ft 10in actor and DJ Nairn, who played Hodor in the hit TV series, told the BBC how he saw the badly disguised gunman who had a weirdly drawn on beard. He said: We hadnt been there long, wed probably had our first drink. We were sat down just having a bit of a laugh. Me and my friends were just like look at the state of him (gunman). He was nervous-looking, he was definitely looking for someone. The killer, who is a seasoned INLA hitman from the Ardoyne area, approached Constable Bradshaw who was standing at the bar. He shot him three times in the back from close range. Nairn (47) added: (There was) a very loud bang, bang, bang. The music carried on for a second before it came down. I remember a girl stood at the bar covered in blood. I made eye contact with him, I think we all made eye contact with him as he was coming out. It happened so fast. It was just like stunned silence, just like a bomb had gone off. The murder of Constable Bradshaw features in a new BBC podcast called Blood on the Dancefloor. It examines the effect it had on Belfasts gay community and how being witnesses to a paramilitary killing forced many LGBTQ+ folk into revealing their sexuality to their relatives. I went home and my mum knew I was gay and that was fine, my mums always been amazing, Kristian Nairn tells the podcast. I told my grandfather Id been in a shooting and he was like Im glad youre okay and all that. But he was quite a gossipy man in his time and he was around telling his old farmer friends. One of them had obviously been watching the news and he was like that was a gay bar. And that was how my grandfather found out I was gay, and he threw me out of the house. The Lisburn man remembers the old Parliament Bar on Dunbar Street as being an amazing place in the late 1990s. He said: There was nowhere else like it. We were there every Saturday, at one stage every night of the week. These are people whove been repressed their entire lives. All of a sudden you have a safe space where everyones into the same stuff, its a laugh and youve got a bit of alcohol there. It was immensely important, I think its laid the grounds for whats come since. No one has ever been charged in connection with Constable Bradshaws murder. At a 1998 inquest it was revealed that colleagues of the police officer had warned him of the dangers of regularly visiting the bar. At least one gay INLA member drank there and is believed to have singled him out for murder. At the time of the killing Constable Bradshaw was suspended from the RUC and which meant he was without his personal protection weapon. The Blood on the Dance Floor podcast is available on BBC Sounds. A FORMER soldier and army dog handler who claimed his sentence for child pornography offences was too severe has lost an appeal. Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan dismissed the challenge brought by pervert Andrew Maxwell. The 62-year-old was handed a 20-month sentence last December for having more than 200 images and videos of child sexual abuse. Maxwell was ordered to serve half of that in prison and the rest on licence, as well as being handed a seven-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order and being told to sign the sex offender register for 10 years. The paedophile, of Ashela Place in Lisburn, admitted amassing the haul, which was discovered by police officers when they raided his home. He even created a fake profile to chat with other perverts in online forums, in one instance about the abuse of a child over the course of seven years. Interviewed by police, Maxwell owned up to what he had done, saying he had created the profile to get things started. Appealing his 20-month sentence, his defence team argued that the relatively low quantity of distributed material meant the case was in the lower bracket of offences. But Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan said there was nothing either wrong in principle or manifestly excessive about the sentence imposed. She told the court that cases involving the most serious category A images must result in a custodial term. The judge added: We repeat the remarks of the judge when describing the effects of this type of offending as follows: By virtue of involvement in this trade, it ensures that abuse will continue, and such materials exist because there is a market for it. That is why severe and deterrent sentences are required in this area for these offences. A Bulgarian man was remanded into custody today accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent. While 34-year-old Apostol Apostolov is currently charged with GBH, a detective told the court the victims family were sent for during the night so theres obviously potential that the injured party could pass on. Appearing at Lisburn Magistrates Court by videolink from police custody and speaking through an interpreter, Apostolov confirmed that he understood the three charges against him. In addition to GBH the father-of-three, whose address was given as c/o Patterson Rocks solicitors in Newry, is also accused of dangerous driving and failing to stop for police after he allegedly fled the scene of the assault. A constable told the court how a 61-year-old man had been attacked outside a shop on Victoria Street in Keady just after 11am on Friday morning. According to witnesses, there had been a row between the men which turned violent. Its claimed Apostolov was struck first then he went to his car, but returned a few moments later and punched the alleged victim. Witnesses have said in a statement that he fell back like a plank with his arms by his side which suggests that the injured party was unconscious, said the officer. The court was told that while he was lying face down on the ground, Apostolov is alleged to have leaned over him and punched him again. According to the police case it is suspected he suffered a head injury. The air ambulance was deployed and the man was flown to the RVH where he remains in a critical but stable condition. But the police officer said that during the night, the stricken mans family were sent for. Turning back to the investigation, the court heard how witnesses at the scene were able to record the registration number of a Ford Galaxy which Apostolov was driving and spotted it in Camlough. Pursuing officers later managed to stop the people carrier which collided with their car. Arrested and interviewed, Apostolov conceded there had been a row and claimed he had been assaulted but when it came to questions about his actions, he claimed to have no memory of it. Objecting to bail, the detective expressed concern Apostolov could flee the jurisdiction. Should this become a murder the penalty is severe, said the officer. He also revealed fears of possible reprisals as the injured party would be well known in the area. Apostolov was remanded into custody with the case adjourned until May 10. The funeral of the well-known adventurer Noel Hanna took place on Saturday following his sudden death in the Himalayas last week. Aged just 56, the Co Down man passed away unexpectedly after climbing the worlds 10th highest mountain, the 26,500ft high Annapurna. Mr Hanna, a former RUC reservist, was said to be Irelands most accomplished mountaineer but died overnight during the descent from the mountain. On Saturday family and close friends took part in a private funeral service at Roselawn crematorium Castlereagh before gathering for a celebration of his life at the Stormont Hotel in east Belfast. Though no cause of death has yet been disclosed, Mr Hannas wife said he had returned to Camp 4 on Annapurna to take some hot soup in his tent but fell asleep never to awaken again. No drama, no big story. It was his time to go and he died in the Himalayas, what better place? For my mountain man, sleep well Noel, she added. He is survived by Lynne, brother Malcolm and sister Irene. Among the Dromara mans many mountaineering feats was becoming the first person from the island of Ireland to climb the worlds second highest mountain K2 in 2018 and had summited Mt Everest 10 times. While known for his accomplishment in the Himalayas, the Mourne mountains still held a special place in his heart, describing them a Gods own country. The Mourne Mountain Rescue Group joined in the tributes to Mr Hanna, saying: Noel was without doubt Irelands most accomplished mountaineer, a tremendous ambassador for mountaineering, and a truly inspirational figure whose influence reached many corners of the globe while also keeping his roots well and truly embedded back here in the Mournes. Noel was an absolute gentleman, totally unassuming and a friend to many of our team. They added: Our thoughts are with Lynne, Noels wider family and friends at this time. Mr Hanna even set a Himalayan first with Lynne when in 2016 they became the first married couple to climb Mount Everest from the Nepalese and Tibetan sides. In a 2019 interview with Sunday Life, Mr Hanna spoke frankly about the dangers involved in taking on some of the worlds highest and most challenging peaks. You know when you go away there is a chance youre not coming back but thats just the way we live and if you were to think about that every time you went out the door, then theres no point really living life, he said. Despite his impressive list of climbing achievements, Mr Hanna remained admirably modest about his feats and once told an audience of mountaineering enthusiasts: Everybody out there, if they put the effort and the time in, can do what Ive done. Theres nothing special about anybody that climbs Everest. Philippine coast guard patrol vessel BRP Malabrigo's skipper Julio Colarina III looks from the window of his ship amid close encounters with Chinese coast guard ships near Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, in the South China Sea, April 23, 2023. Washington called on Beijing on Saturday to stop harassment and intimidation of Philippine ships, after the Philippine Coast Guard reported a near-collision with Chinese vessels carrying out dangerous maneuvers in the South China Sea. U.S. reaction to the April 23 incident which China blamed on Philippine vessels came two days before President Joe Biden was due to host his Philippine counterpart, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., at the White House. Imagery and video recently published in the media is a stark reminder of PRC harassment and intimidation of Philippine vessels as they undertake routine patrols within their exclusive economic zone, said a statement attributed to U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct. The United States continues to track and monitor these interactions closely, he said. He reiterated that the United States will defend the Philippines in case of any armed attack on its military, public vessels or aircraft, under the 1951 U.S. Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. On April 23, two China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels intercepted Philippine patrol boats and exhibited aggressive tactics near Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Friday. At one point, CCG 5201 came within 50 yards (46 meters) of a Philippine ship, it said. Chinese Coast Guard ship number 5201 sails and Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Malapascua are seen in close proximity at the mouth of the Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, in the South China Sea, April 23, 2023. (Aaron Favila/AP) This close proximity posed a significant threat to the safety and security of the Philippine vessel and its crew, coast guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarirela said. He added that a China Coast Guard ship persistently followed BRP Malabrigo at a distance of 700 yards (640 meters). The Philippines had deployed two 44-meter vessels to carry out a week-long maritime patrol in the West Philippine Sea, part of the contested South China Sea within Manilas exclusive economic zone. A small group of Filipino journalists was on board. At a press briefing in Beijing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that the Philippine Coast Guard vessels had trespassed into waters near Renai Reef, the Chinese name for Ayungin Shoal, and had dangerously approached a Chinese vessel. [T]he Chinese Coast Guard vessel upheld Chinas territorial sovereignty and maritime order by making timely maneuvers to dodge the dangerously approaching Philippine vessel and avoid a collision. The Chinese sides maneuvers were professional and restrained, she said. The Philippines had carried out premeditated provocation with journalists on board to deliberately create a friction, and be blamed on China and hyped up in the media, she said. China strongly protests and deplores this. Beijing and Manila, as well as other Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan, have overlapping claims in the South China Sea. In 2016, an international tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines and against the sweeping nine-dash line by which Beijing asserts its maritime claims in the strategic waterway, but China has refused to acknowledge the ruling. On Monday, Biden is expected to reaffirm the United States ironclad commitment to the defense of the Philippines, and the leaders will discuss efforts to strengthen the longstanding U.S.-Philippines alliance, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement earlier this month. The two leaders will also discuss regional matters and coordinate on efforts to uphold international law and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. Marcos is scheduled to travel to Washington on April 30, and return home on May 4, said the Philippine presidential communications office. The visit will substantively progress efforts to further deepen relations and political ties, to bring about lasting socio-economic partnerships, as well as to enhance defense and security cooperation, the office said in a news release. On Friday, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming that Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, admitted in a recent interview that face masks were a failure. Dalton residents voted to approve every article before them on the annual town meeting's warrant, but did debate the town's future climate action plan and voting sites in the public forum. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. GREAT BARRINGTON Now, Gloria Escobar has more recognition than that ever-growing stack of Thank-you cards from the people she has helped. Since 2016, Escobar, who said she loves working with numbers almost as much as she loves working with people, has been with Greylock Federal Credit Union as a community development coordinator, helping immigrants, especially those from Latin America, with their finances. As a bilingual banker, Escobar would already be a godsend for many immigrants, but she does not stop there. She helps them apply for an ITIN number, through which undocumented immigrants pay taxes. She walks them through applying for car and house loans. She refers them to organizations that can help with things she cannot. Knowing that mobility is often a barrier for immigrants, Escobar rotates among the Pittsfield, Great Barrington and Hudson branches, the latter an hour-long commute. People are very grateful and overjoyed to be able to fulfill that dream that could not come true in their country, she said. Until recently, these notes were most of the thanks she received. On a Sunday in April, Gloria Escobar was one of the 50 people and 21 organizations honored as immigrants supporters in Berkshire County. The event was the work of Glorias sister and niece, Martha and Deisy Escobar, who host a bilingual radio program. Martha and Deisy for 15 years have spotlighted the lives of immigrants and the organizations that help them adjust to life in Berkshire County. Last Sunday, the mother and daughter duo hosted, at Hevreh of Southern Berkshire, their second awards show for the exceptional contributors. The last time Martha had a similar ceremony was in 2010. After 13 years, there have been plenty of moments of excellence in the advocacy community for the Escobars to recognize. In the midst of COVID-19 many organizations stepped up and helped immigrants more than ever, and new people emerged as leaders. Sign-up for The Berkshire Eagle's free newsletters Sign up Literacy Network of Southern Berkshires, known as Litnet, an organization that pairs English learners with tutors, also was honored. Many in the room, Gloria and Martha Escobar among them, sharpened their language skills through Litnet. Marthas speech included praise for people who received us with open arms in this country, giving us a warm welcome and making us feel at home, helping other people to understand that we are human beings. Deisy Escobar, 17, said that an effort was made to recognize pioneers who are now working in a different capacity, like Eleanore Velez, who paved the way for many immigrants to study at Berkshire Community College, and Michele Lopez, the former director of the Berkshire Immigrant Center. The atmosphere was celebratory and cautiously optimistic. One notable victory was the passing of the Family and Mobility Act, which will allow undocumented immigrants to have a drivers license. After 20 years of hard work, the Escobars felt it was time to celebrate. State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield, a champion of the bill, was one of the honorees. Farley-Bouvier said: I have a great affinity with [Martha and Deisys show] Mundo Latino. Its great they give the community the information they need and mix it with music. And to see the group behind the Family and Mobility Act together, its a wonderful celebration. Looking ahead, Farley-Bouvier said it was key to make sure the laws implementation goes smoothly by getting people educated about it, among other things. Throughout the award ceremony, a pattern of who won, and why, emerged. More than half of the award winners were once newcomers who had asked for help, and were now giving back to the community. Deisy closed the ceremony by asking the crowd to look around. She said, This is the future of the Berkshires, right here. Lenox native James Brooke has traveled to about 100 countries reporting for The New York Times, Bloomberg and Voice of America. He reported from Russia for eight years and from Ukraine for six years, coming home a year ago. North Adams residents and officials have a lot of unanswered questions about a proposed homeless shelter in an MCLA dorm. The college president says he hears them College President James Birge told The Eagle he too has questions about the possible project, but is waiting for the lease agreement and its review to answer them. He emphasized the college has not yet made a decision. We still have far more questions than answers about the plan to site a homeless shelter on the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, even as the school already faces enrollment struggles. Were not alone in wanting to know more. At Tuesday nights North Adams City Council meeting, residents brought their questions and concerns to city officials. But the mayor and city officials had little in the way of answers; they, too, are left wondering about key operational details of the shelter plan and worrying about the transparency of the decision-making process. Clearly there is no communication from either the state or college to the community, City Councilor Ashley Shade said. That is an issue. We agree. Given the impact this decision carries for not just Berkshire Countys sole public four-year college but the entire surrounding community, the lack of candor so far has been problematic. That goes for both MCLA President James Birge and the state Department of Housing and Community Development. Yes, this is state property and President Birge is entitled to make management decisions for the school. But making that decision ethically entails not only carefully considering the impact but seriously engaging the community on whose behalf this choice is being made. And that community has questions lots of them. Heres a few we find particularly pressing: MCLA could receive $2.6 million per year from the state for turning a dorm into a homeless shelter for families A plan to turn a dormitory into a shelter for homeless families could bring the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts $2.6 million a year for the duration of the arrangement. MCLA officials said the school would receive an estimated $2.6 million per year from the state to lease Berkshire Towers as a shelter for homeless families. Are there any elements of the shelter for which the school would have to pick up the tab e.g., food, security, renovation of the space and how much would those costs offset the gross annual funding from the lease? The initial lease would run for 18 months, according to MCLA Vice President of Administration and Finance Joseph DaSilva, who also suggested the school is viewing this as a temporary plan because the college is expecting an enrollment uptick, in which case Berkshire Towers would be needed as a student dormitory again. While we would love to see MCLAs enrollment numbers improve, is it reasonable to expect that positive reverse in a yearslong trend if a homeless shelter opens on campus? And what happens if MCLA wants out of the lease after 18 months but the DHCD wants to extend it? What about the experience of the homeless families? While there are plenty of bad-faith reasons to critique homeless shelter proposals, there are critical questions about whether North Adams is the best place to transport families from across the commonwealth in need of transitional housing. Does the state have a solid Phase 2 plan in place for how to assist these families in the long term? If not, it would be painfully ironic for the state to try mitigating its homelessness problem by shipping vulnerable people away from their bearings to a region where Beacon Hill has largely overlooked systemic problems like lacking public transportation and bottle-necked access to mental and behavioral health services. Is the state going to step up and backstop the inevitably increasing need while pursuing a more sustainable solution to homelessness? Or is this ultimately just a shuffling of vulnerable families, the impact of which will be absorbed by a local community that already has its share of vulnerable residents? These questions require a full accounting out in the open, not behind closed doors. While President Birge has entertained the idea of a public briefing on campus, the weight of this matter demands more preferably a forum not directly controlled by MCLA officials so that the communication with the public can be two-way. Northern Berkshire Community Coalition and Berkshire Housing have reached out to the college offering to organize and moderate a public forum, though as of this week that invitation has not been accepted. The Eagles offer to host such a forum still stands as well. To be sure, DHCD should be more forthcoming as well. Are they on the same page as MCLA officials who say they see this shelter plan as temporary? What role beyond transporting the families to the shelter will the state take on, and what responsibilities will the state leave to MCLA? President Birge told The Eagle he also has lingering questions about the shelter plan and stressed that hes awaiting the final lease agreement to get the answers. Yet he also said the lease could begin as soon as summer. Were responding to a request from the state he said, adding As a state agency, I think we have an obligation to carefully consider how to help the governor meet her priorities. We hope President Birge also grasps MCLAs centrality to the future of North Adams and the broader Northern Berkshire community and realizes theres a considerate obligation there, too. As Councilor Shade simply put it at Tuesdays meeting, We want to know whats going on. We do, too and the entire community deserves a much clearer view and a more-informed say before the decision is made. Believe it or not, Jesus and Barabbas actually share more than one similarity. Not only did they both get convicted and sentenced with a capital punishment, but they both share similar names. Barabbas full name was most likely Jesus Barabbas, in which the church father Origen took major issue, going as far to say that heretics put in the holy name of Jesus in front of Barabbas name. Dirk Jongkind explains this issue more in his article here. Similar to the Yom Kippur tradition, one sacrifice is set free and one dies, which happens to Jesus and Jesus Barabbas in Matthew 27. Barabbas, a criminal on the brink of receiving his execution, gets set free by the Jewish people when they are given a choice between releasing either Barabbas or Jesus from their penalty, a customary pardon as part of the Passover Feast (think about the American pardoning of a turkey by the President on Thanksgiving). In this article, well explore the personhood of Barabbas, what he did to earn a capital offense, and why the Jewish people chose to set him free instead of Jesus. Where Does Barabbas Appear in the Bible? Barabbas makes an appearance throughout the Gospels, and receives even an implied mention in Acts. Lets highlight some of these verses. Matthew 27:16 At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. Mark 15:7 The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection. Luke 23:18 But they cried out all together, saying, Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas! John 18:40 So they cried out again, saying, Not this Man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. Acts 3:14 But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you. From these verses alone, we can get a bigger picture of who Barabbas was. Well discuss his crimes in a moment, but all four Gospels deemed it necessary to not only mention him, but to mention him by name. Even the rich young ruler does not get this privilege. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain Image/Antonio Ciseri Was Barabbas a Real Historical Figure? Outside of the Bible do we have any historical evidence that Barabbas existed? We do know from the historian Josephus that many Jews had rebelled similarly through insurrections, earning a great deal of these zealots a crucifixion punishment by the Romans. We do, after all, have historical evidence of Pilate. Pilate, a Roman prefect, had Jesus tortured and tried to get the Jews to release him. Instead they chose Barabbas, and Pilate washes his hands of the deed of Jesus crucifixion (in which he passively allows it to happen). As far as Barabbas goes, considering the Romans dominated the historical records at the time, and that they really werent incredibly concerned with Jewish affairs and Jewish insurrections, we dont have any historical evidence outside of the Bible for his existence. The Bible is, of course, a historical book. Tradition states that after his release, Barabbas either watches Jesus crucifixion, or that he gets killed in another insurrection. In either case, a lack of physical manuscripts outside of the Bible does not negate his existence. The authors most likely included his name because people at the time wouldve recognized it due to Barabbas notoriety, or Barabbas was still alive and could attest to these events. What Was Barabbas' Crime and Why Was He Freed? As we see in the Gospel accounts above, they seem to conflict in Barabbas crime. Some indicate hed murdered someone, others said he robbed, and others say he participated in a revolt of some kind. Perhaps hed done all three. From contextual clues, we know that he somehow had rebelled against the Roman Empire, because crucifixions only went to those who committed crimes against Rome, writes Joe Allotta for the Crossroads Church. We also know he had received a certain notoriety or popularity with the Jewish people. This most likely indicates he was a freedom fighter of some kind, similar to many of the zealot uprisings that occurred during that time. He likely represented what the people wanted Jesus to be. The Jews, spurred on by the religious leaders in the crowd, ask for Barabbas to be released as per the Jewish tradition of pardoning one criminal during Passover. We dont really get many hints of this throughout the Old Testament, so perhaps the custom had woven its way into Jewish tradition later on. In either case, Pilate seems well aware of this tradition, and trying to please the Jewish people, and trying to free Jesus, gives them a choice of which prisoner to release. The Jewish people choose Barabbas. Why Did the People Choose Barabbas over Jesus? Scripture makes it clear that the religious leaders had kneaded their way through the crowds, convincing people to choose Barabbas over Jesus. Jesus experience of a trial that night (a kangaroo court, really) involved religious leaders trying to dodge their own rules, just to get him convicted. They brought in false witnesses who gave conflicting accounts and held his trial during the evening and early morning, certainly not protocol. In other words, they were trying everything in their power to get Jesus convicted, through illegal means, because Jesus had not truly committed a crime. The people, swayed by the religious leaders, end up choosing Barabbas. We ought to analyze some of the reasons for their doing this. After all, a week prior, they waved palm branches and sang Hosanna (Save us, now!) to Jesus. What changed? Most likely, Barabbas represented what they wanted for salvation. They loved this Jesus guy, but Jesus message didnt really align with their insurrectionist ideas to topple Rome. Jesus had preached on turning the other cheek and going the extra mile. They didnt like that Jesus message didnt involve destroying the Romans. Instead, it involved obliterating sin. Jesus and Barabbas both were popular, but Jesus had fallen in his poll numbers. This may have also swayed the Jews to swing to Barabbas, whom they had more of a hope in overthrowing the Romans. As Christians now, we may feel far removed from this passage. After all, we would never call for Jesus death over Barabbas (sarcasm heavily implied). In reality, we often choose a Jesus alternative (a Jesus bar Abbas) over Jesus on a daily basis. How often do we prioritize something we think will save us, when we need true salvation and redemption through Jesus? If we truly are honest with ourselves, we may realize how often we call upon Jesus Barabbas, idols and solutions that dont last, instead of the true solution: Jesus himself. A Temporary Solution Barabbas was most likely a freedom fighter who had taken his zealous actions too far. He shared a name with Jesus, but the similarities stopped there. Instead of receiving the punishment he ought due to his actions, Jesus takes his place and receives Barabbas warranted punishment. The Jewish people saw Barabbas as the solution to his problems. Besides traditional accounts, where Barabbas dies in another insurrection, we dont hear much else about this freedom fighter. Perhaps because he only provided a temporary solution and not a lasting one, like Jesus had. He fought against Rome, and Jesus fought against sin. Photo credit: Getty Images/masterzphotois Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, and the author 21+ books. More than 1400 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. This article is part of our People from the Bible Series featuring the most well-known historical names and figures from Scripture. We have compiled these articles to help you study those whom God chose to set before us as examples in His Word. May their lives and walks with God strengthen your faith and encourage your soul. The Bible Story of Elijah The Life of Ruth - 5 Essential Faith Lessons The Bible Story of Queen Esther The Greatest Villain - King Nebuchadnezzar The Bible Story of Mary Magdalene This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MECOSTA COUNTY One local Chippewa Hills School District employee spends her time outside of work creating hand-painted murals for local businesses. Alyson VanderVeen works as a social-emotional wellness coach at CHSD and in her free time, she hones her art skills by painting murals for businesses around West Michigan. Born and raised in Big Rapids, VanderVeen attended Central Michigan University for her undergraduate degree and also earned her masters degree in School Counseling while settling in Six Lakes where she started her family. A self-described window artisan, she credits her family for helping inspire her creativity. Art and creativity has always been in my family, VanderVeen said. My grandma, my mom, my aunts, everybody has something to do with some sort of creative field. We have lots of musicians, we have people who work with pottery, and woodworking and sewing, crafting and all the things, so it's just kind of been a part of my upbringing. VanderVeen first began painting more often during her maternity leave in 2019 when she was struggling with postpartum depression as a form of self-care and relaxation. Her first official job with a business was an ice cream shop, Whats The Scoop, in Six Lakes, whose windows she helped paint. Today, VanderVeen has multiple seasonal window projects with businesses from around West Michigan and a handful of murals and small paint projects from individuals who want something unique. Shes begun teaching step-by-step painting classes, as well. When approaching a new project, VanderVeen focuses on the business' needs and coming up with new concepts. Usually, it has something to do with a specific season or holiday, but Im often told do whatever, I trust you and so I like to add elements that are unique to the business, VanderVeen said. For example, I just completed a spring window at B.C. Pizza in Cadillac and they got a whole window display of pizza flowers. Village Kupps, a coffee shop in Lakeview, currently has coffee cup tulips, and you may have seen the string-light braces at Rummel Orthodontics over the winter. I just try to make it fun and unique. VanderVeen has also worked with businesses in Big Rapids, including The Yellow Window Cafe & BBQ for spring and summer painting projects. Depending on the size of the project, VanderVeen can work on a project for a few hours to a full day. With most paintings, she likes to incorporate elements of nature into the scenes she creates. The best part, according to VanderVeen, is making connections with business owners and residents in West Michigan communities. I really like developing the relationships, VanderVeen said. Small businesses are really the heart and soul of our small communities, and getting to have a small part in that brings me so much joy. I am a huge advocate of supporting local, and this side gig has become a beautiful example of that reciprocal relationship and how we can work together, support one another, and all thrive doing what we love. To see examples of VanderVeens work visit: https://bit.ly/ArtbyAly. Tonight's rundown: Talking Points Memo: Joe Biden continues to decline with the world watching and remains out of the press reach Presidential Historian Larry Cook weighs in on how Bidens relationship with the press compares to past presidents US Special Forces have been confirmed to be in Ukraine OReilly describes Democrats hosting the DNC in Chicago as Crazy Arrogant The trial of Fox News gets underway 58% of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck even as inflation begins to cool off Smart Life: Utilizing Kelly Blue Book when searching for a new car This Day in History: FDR dies in office Final Thought: what to do when someone is disrespectful to you In Case You Missed It: Read Bill's latest column, "Reason to Believe" Join 'Team Normal!' Order your gear now at BillOReilly.com! Pre-order Bills next bestseller Killing the Witches NOW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices To promote research and innovation in the country The Fortis and SRL Group of Companies, leading integrated healthcare services providers in India, have contributed a sum of nearly Rs 6 crore in FY23 to the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre at Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M), as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mandate. The Brain Centre, launched in March 2022 at IIT-M focuses on mapping the human brain at cellular and connectivity levels and developing innovative technological solutions that will provide extraordinary and significant insights into the brain's neural networks and take the country to the worlds centre stage. Fortis and SRL Group aspire to advance healthcare technology through its social development initiatives to improve community health outcomes while focusing on the sustainable development of society. Contribution to the Brain Centre is a potent way of fostering and promoting research and development (& innovation) to benefit society's current and future generations. This pioneering research perfectly aligns with our commitment to promote and fund innovation in medical sciences. As a healthcare services provider, our aim in this collaboration is to foster revolutionary solutions that will pave the way for the future of healthcare innovation for decades to come." said Dr Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fortis Healthcare. Directorate General Of Health Services & National Health Mission pledge Thalassemia & SCD prevention programmes at TPAG and ASSOCHAM roundtable With the governments sharp focus on the prevention of disabilities like thalassemia, and sickle cell disease, and in the background of the Finance Ministers recent announcement on eradication of sickle cell disease by 2047. The Thalassemia Patients Advocacy Group (TPAG), in association with The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), recently hosted a roundtable on the prevention of Hemoglobinopathies - Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassemia at Le Meridien, New Delhi. The event, which saw the participation of eminent policymakers, doctors, and patient bodies, discussed the current practices, challenges, and way forward for the prevention of hemoglobinopathies like thalassemia and sickle cell disease. TPAG, which is a patient body of Thalassemics India, would work with ASSOCHAM to develop a position paper on the topic. Dr Anil Kumar, Additional Dy. Director General, Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India said, Hemoglobinopathies continue to pose a significant burden on our healthcare system, with limited resources available to address the challenges they present. While DGHS is working on a National level thalassemia control programme, we are equally focused on the management of thalassemia and commit to blood safety through Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT), voluntary blood donation, etc in a phased manner. We aim to release a manual on blood transfusion services and voluntary blood donation guidelines by 14th June which is World Blood Donor Day. We are now faced with an urgent need to launch a national-level thalassemia programme on the lines of sickle cell disease but with a stricter timeline. In this regard, 2016 guidelines on hemoglobinopathies may need a revision to include novel technologies and unique methods of awareness. The National Health Mission has introduced programmes for controlling thalassemia and sickle cell disease, but they have not yet been fully implemented at the grassroots level. Chinese tech firm launches cyber security solution software in Kenya Xinhua) 11:28, April 29, 2023 NAIROBI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tech firm Huawei on Friday launched its latest cyber security service targeting the Kenyan private and public sectors, deepening the use of cloud storage solutions and artificial intelligence systems amid escalating cyber attacks. Gao Fei, chief executive officer of Huawei Kenya, told a technology forum in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that Ransomware Protection 2.0 is designed to address emerging technologies, including the cloud, Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence, which are spreading rapidly. The new developments mean that cyber security risks are rising, Gao said, noting that for the country to benefit from the expansionary economic impact of ICT (information and communications technology), maintaining a secure ICT environment is critical. "The ICT sector is growing rapidly; it is important to ensure that every business' systems are working well without facing malicious threats, such as ransomware, that disrupt day-to-day operations and bring real financial costs," Gao said. Naveen Kumar, chief technology officer of the Data Storage Product Line at Huawei Kenya, said the product provides real-time monitoring and protection from ransomware attacks. Kumar said ransomware attacks are one of the most common forms of cyber security threats where the attacker encrypts personal or corporate data and asks for payment in return for decrypting the data. Andrew Opiyo, director of ICT at the Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy, said Kenya is facing increasing threats of cyber security attacks due to the rising uptake of digital and online services. Opiyo said the Huawei solution will help to boost the protection of the country's ICT networks as well as end-user devices such as computers and mobile phones. He added that with a digital infrastructure that includes data storage being a critical component of the Kenya National Digital Master Plan 2022-2032, it is important for the country to pursue enhanced vigilance against cyber criminals. (Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun) Appeals are being made this weekend to the Minister with responsibility for refugees Roderic O'Gorman not to remove up to ten Ukrainian school going children and their families from where they have settled in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry in order to make way for international protection applicants. Some eighty residents or just under half the Ukrainian residents at the Skellig Accommodation Centre in Cahersiveen are being moved to other accommodation, they were told on Friday. While 40 will remain in the Cahersiveen area, another 40 are being placed in Tralee town centre with effect from Tuesday. The move is in order to provide accommodation for international protection applicants amid what the department said in a statement to Radio Kerry is a severe shortage of accommodation for international applicants. The hotel and apartments previously known as the Skellig Star and previously a controversial direct provision centre during Covid have been accommodating around 200 Ukrainian temporary protection refugees since March of last year. Advertisement However, the Ukrainian provision was on an interim basis as it had previously been successful in applying to host international protection applicants according to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Five families including ten school going children are being moved to Tralee, according to local representatives who are appealing to leave the families in Cahersiveen. The plans to remove them has caused great upset in the community, local Fianna Fail councillor Norma Moriarity said. The town has over 400 Ukrainian refugees with over a year. "There are very few towns who have taken a 40 per cent increase in population and made a real success in terms of integration and that didn't happen by accident. There has stemmed from a huge level of energy and commitment, " Ms Moriarty said referring to both the professional and volunteer input. There are fears now that much of that spirit will be undermined, she said, and the community was appealing to the Minister and his department to "leave well enough alone" and leave the families stay and not undermine the good work that had been done. Both Mr O'Gorman and Education Minister Norma Foley, TD for Kerry have been contacted. Half of the eighty residents are being moved to another premises in Renard outside Cahersiveen and half to Pembroke Street in Tralee according to sources. Advertisement Some of the people being moved are working in Cahersiveen, Councillor Michael Cahill (FF) said.. They are also involved in sporting and social organisations. "There is extreme anger about this - the agencies and schools have put in huge effort," Mr Cahill said. Mr Cahill also questioned the timing of the move, saying notices only went out on Friday of a bank holiday weekend for the removal on Tuesday morning. Those going to Renard were being moved at 10.30 am and those to Tralee at around 12 noon they had been told. Ireland Farmers 'near breaking point' as four supermarkets... Read More I am imploring Minister OGorman to allow these refugees the little comfort they have now achieved and give the alternative accommodation to the newcomers, he said: The effect of this kind of upheaval on a small rural town and the effort put in with already stretched services was not being considered, he also said. The integration had been a great success despite the limited resources. In its statement, the Department of Children and Integration said there is now a severe shortage of accommodation for international protection applicants and as such the Skellig Accommodation Centre in Cahersiveen is required in order to prevent asylum seekers from entering homelessness. It was aware of the impact and such moves only take place where absolutely necessary, it also said. A 21-year-old Dublin man has been accused of participating in an attack on a teenager who was bundled into a car boot and set on by masked men armed with weapons, including a knife and a hammer. Eric ODriscoll, whose address cannot be publicised due to a court order, was refused bail after he was charged with violent disorder. It follows a 15-month investigation by the incident room at Finglas Garda station. The incident allegedly happened at a public location in Finglas on January 30th last year. Mr ODriscoll, from Finglas, was charged and brought to appear before Judge Marie Quirke at Dublin District Court on Saturday. Detective Garda Siobhan Tolan objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the offence and fears of possible witness intimidation fears. The offence carries a possible ten-year sentence and a possible fine. Advertisement She told the court that it was alleged at about 9.30 pm on January 30th last year a 16-year-old boy was set upon by five males. A contested bail hearing was told the boy was attacked, and a hammer, wrench and knife were used as weapons. The court heard the group dressed in black wore ski masks, hats and gloves. The court heard the boy was bundled into the boot of a 05-reg Saab car other people intervened and fought to pull him from the boot. Judge Quirke heard the teen was attacked again and badly injured, requiring hospitalisation. However, the youth did not engage with the investigation apart from providing a DNA sample. Gardai obtained CCTV footage, and DNA samples were taken from the clothing recovered. It was alleged the Saab was bought in south Dublin hours before the incident and abandoned later. The detective agreed with defence counsel Kevin McCrave that the accused had no prior convictions. She accepted the witnesses were not present for the bail hearing but did not agree to the counsels suggestion that his client be released with strict bail conditions. Ireland Farmers 'near breaking point' as four supermarkets... Read More The court heard that the accused had been injured two weeks ago in a motorcycle accident resulting in being hospitalised for a week and requiring skin grafts. The defence said Mr ODriscoll was not fully mobile. Judge Quirke said the accused had the presumption of innocence and held there was no witness intimidation evidence. However, she refused bail. The court granted legal aid to Mr ODriscoll after noting he was unemployed. The accused, yet to plead, did not address the court. He was remanded in custody and will face his next hearing on May 4th at Cloverhill District Court via video link. Trade unionist Mick Lynch has told a crowd of workers and activists that the ultra-right is causing division during the cost-of-living crisis, and it should be resisted. He also praised unions across Northern Ireland that had taken industrial action in recent months, and called for the trade union movement to begin in every town and county, saying that people were ready for change. The general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said he has received a tremendous welcome as he met and marched with activists and trade unions through Belfast. Mr Lynch rose to prominence last summer following a series of media interviews about a rail workers strike held in the UK in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions. The trade union leader, whose father left Cork city in 1941 to travel to Britain to work, and whose mother is from Co Armagh, addressed a rally gathered at Belfast City Hall on Saturday. Advertisement Addressing trade union groups including Unison, Nipsa, Unite and the Northern Ireland Teachers Council, who have all taken industrial action in recent months, Mr Lynch said that the values of the trade union movement are back on the agenda. Mick Lynch (James Manning/PA) He said that nurses in Britain are on the move towards industrial action following on from strikes by nurses in Northern Ireland, which was met with applause. The trade unionists on this island are the salt of the earth, and theyve kept the movement going through thick and thin, through all the struggles that youve had, the struggles for peace and justice and democracy. Its been the trade unions that have kept our spirits alive, that have kept this movement going, bringing all of our people together, no matter what their heritage, no matter what their background, and we have to keep doing it. Because we know whats being said: the ultra-right are going to exploit division. Theyre seeking to do it in the south, theyre seeking to do it up here. Theyre seeking to do it in England. He said that open Nazis are trying to divide our people one from another, by trying to blame some of the poorest people in the world for our problems over here. Advertisement We cannot allow that to happen, he said. He added: Weve been going into the temples, the mosques, the synagogues, bringing everyone together. And thats our task: to build a labour movement that reflects all of our working class people and brings them together behind our values and not allow others to exploit them and create that division. We have to celebrate our diversity. Diversity is wonderful, but solidarity and unity is powerful, and thats what we got to build. He warned against authorities using global crises for denying workers better pay and conditions. They can dress it up wherever they want, they can blame it on the pandemic. They can blame it on the economy. Now theyre blaming it on a war in eastern Europe. What is to blame is capitalism, exploitation, the deliberate creation of poverty so that they can enrich themselves and weve got to stand up to that. As trade union members gathered in Writers Square ahead of the march through Belfast, Mr Lynch was asked to pose for pictures and selfies with workers bearing various trade union banners. He was given a small bust of the founder of the Irish Labour party James Connelly, a book about the history of trade unions in Ireland and pinned a University and College Union badge given to him to his jacket. Advertisement As he began to address, he praised the prominence of women in Northern Ireland in the trade union movement, after the crowd was addressed by leaders including Unisons Patricia McKeowan and Unites Susan Fitzgerald. Ictu assistant general secretary Gerry Murphy said Mr Lynch was addressing the May Day march as every trade unionist across these islands, and many outside our movement, have been inspired and encouraged by the wisdom and clarity offered by Mr Lynch. In a series of media interviews which became internet phenomena, Mick ignored attempts to sideline the justified demands of his members by trivial and stereotypical questioning, and instead outlined their just cause for decent pay and working conditions with style and wit, he said. By doing so, Mick has assisted trade union representatives from every sector of our economy and society to explain with clarity why so many working people are taking the principled and initially costly decision to vote for strike action. Speaking to the PA news agency ahead of his address, Mr Lynch said the warm welcome he received as he walked through the streets of Belfast with trade unions in Northern Ireland was not unusual. Some people applauded the RMT general secretary as he held an Ictu banner and marched with workers towards Belfast City Hall, while one man went to shake his hand. Advertisement Mr Lynch told the PA news agency he tends to get a good reception across Britain and Ireland. People are reaching out to trade unions, they want to hear the message and they want to show their support. So its all good stuff. When asked does the support of punters put pressure on him personally to deliver a deal for the RMT, he said: Youre always under pressure and thats a good thing. Youve got to deliver, and our members have shown their commitment to our campaigns, to our industrial action and its my job to get them a deal. World Sunak claims workers are tired of being foot sold... Read More Were working on that, but weve got a very tough opponent. The Tories dont want to give anyone anything, just 4-5% norm. He said that having all workers on zero-hour contracts would be degrading, saying: We cant have that, thats a degrading of the workplace and it degrades society in the long run, so weve got to fight that, for our people. On Thursday, RMT said rail workers at 14 train operators would strike on the day of the Eurovision Song Contest final after the latest offer aimed at resolving the pay dispute was rejected. A little over half of eligible renters have claimed their 500 rent tax credit since it was announced as part of Budget 2023. According to the latest Revenue figures, 209,000 people have claimed the tax credit of the estimated 400,000 people who are eligible. The rental credit was introduced in December 2022 to help tenants with the increased cost of rent. The tax credit is available for 2022 to 2025 inclusive and can be claimed by filing an income tax return. As the Irish Examiner reports, in the final quarter of 2022, rents hit 1,733 per month, up 13.7 per cent on the same period in 2021. Latest figures from Revenue show 186,180 people made a rent tax credit claim for 2022, while just 16,342 people made claims for both 2022 and 2023. Some 7,221 taxpayers have made claims for 2023 alone, with some tenants unaware that this year's credit was readily available. Advertisement The rent credit is available to tenants as well as parents paying rent on behalf of a child who is living away from home while attending college. Single people can claim up to 500 per year while married couples and civil partners can claim up to 1,000. To claim the full rent credit, a single person must spend at least 2,500 a year on their rent and couples must spend at least 5,000. Renters have four years to claim the credit based on the four-year lookback rule but are encouraged to apply for the relief imminently. Meanwhile, in a survey of more than 1,000 people eligible for the rent credit, 16 per cent said they were lacking supports to back up their claim, due to a lack of valid receipts from their landlord, with 21 per cent saying they had not had a chance to get around to claiming their tax credit. Gunfire and heavy artillery fire have persisted in parts of Sudans capital Khartoum, residents said. The gunfire rang out despite the extension of a ceasefire between the countrys two top generals whose battle for power has killed hundreds and sent thousands fleeing for their lives. The civilian death toll jumped on Saturday to 411 people, according to the Sudan Doctors Syndicate, which monitors casualties. The fighting has wounded another 2,023 civilians so far, the group added. In the city of Genena, the provincial capital of war-ravaged West Darfur, intensified violence has killed 89 people. Fighters have moved into homes and taken over stores and hospitals as they battle in the streets, the syndicate said. We continue to receive reports of lootings in #Sudan. Our offices in Khartoum, El Geneina and Nyala have all been ransacked. This is unacceptable - and prohibited under international humanitarian law. Attacks on humanitarian assets must stop. Advertisement Martin Griffiths (@UNReliefChief) April 28, 2023 Khartoum, a city of some five million people, has been transformed into a front line in the grinding conflict between General Abdel Fattah Burhan, the commander of Sudans military, and General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces, which has dashed once-euphoric hopes of Sudans democratic transition. Foreign countries continued to evacuate diplomatic staff and nationals while thousands of Sudanese fled across borders into Chad and Egypt. Up to 20,000 refugees mostly women and children have crossed over the western border to Chad, the United Nations said, a country that has struggled for stability in the aftermath of its own coup two years ago. Those who escape the fighting in Khartoum face more obstacles on their way to safety. The overland journey to Port Sudan, where ships then evacuate people via the Red Sea, has proven long and risky. Hatim el-Madani, a former journalist, said that paramilitary fighters were stopping refugees at roadblocks out of the capital, demanding they hand over their phones and valuables. Theres an outlaw, bandit-like nature to the RSF militia, he said, referring to the Rapid Support Forces. It indicates they dont have a supply line in place and that could get worse in the coming days. Advertisement British nationals prepare to be evacuated. Photo: PO Phot Arron Hoare/Ministry of Defence. Airlifts from the country have also posed challenges, with a Turkish evacuation plane hit by gunfire outside Khartoum on Friday. On Saturday despite a ceasefire extended under heavy international pressure by another 72 hours early Friday clashes continued around the presidential palace, the headquarters of the state broadcaster and a military base in Khartoum, residents said. The battles sent thick columns of black smoke billowing over the city skyline. In a few areas near the capital, including in Omdurman, residents reported that some shops were reopening as the scale of fighting dwindled, with both sides seeking to observe a tenuous ceasefire. But in other areas, residents sheltering at home as explosions thundered around them said fighters were going from house to house, terrifying people and stealing whatever they could find. Now in its third week, the fighting has left swathes of Khartoum without electricity and running water. Those sheltering at home say they are running out of food and basic supplies. Residents on Saturday in the city of Omdurman, west of Khartoum, said they had been waiting three days to get fuel complicating their escape plans. 1573 people have now been evacuated from Sudan on 13 UK flights. British nationals still in Sudan who wish to leave should make their way to the Wadi Saeedna airfield near Khartoum by 1200 Sudan time on Saturday 29 April to be processed for the final UK evacuation flight. Advertisement Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) April 28, 2023 The UN relief co-ordinator, Martin Griffiths, said that UN offices in Khartoum, as well as the cities of Genena and Nyala in Darfur, had all been attacked and looted. This is unacceptable and prohibited under international law, he said. Over the past 15 days of pummelling each other, the generals have each failed to deal a decisive blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africas third largest nation. The military has appeared to have the upper hand in the fighting, with its monopoly on air power, but it has been impossible to confirm its claims of advances. Many hospitals in Khartoum and across the country have closed. Few had hope that the conflict would end anytime soon. Both parties are digging in, said Mr el-Madani, the former journalist. This war could go on for a long time. A massive fire has erupted at an oil depot in Crimea after it was hit by two of Ukraines drones, according to a Russia-appointed official in the region. The incident is the latest in a series of attacks on the annexed peninsula as Russia braces for an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of the Black Sea peninsulas port city of Sevastopol, posted videos and photos of the blaze on his Telegram channel. Mr Razvozhayev said the fire at the citys harbour was assigned the highest ranking in terms of how complicated it will be to extinguish. However, he reported that the open blaze had been contained. Fire crews at the scene of the blaze in Crimea (Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev telegram channel via AP) Advertisement Mr Razvozhayev said the oil depot was attacked by two enemy drones, and tat four oil tanks burned down. A third drone was shot down from the sky over Crimea, and one more was deactivated through radio-electronic means, according to Crimeas Moscow-appointed governor, Sergei Aksyonov. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move that most of the world considered illegal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview this week that his country will seek to reclaim the peninsula in the upcoming counter-offensive. The incident comes a day after Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine, killing at least 23 people. Almost all of the victims died when two missiles hit an apartment building in the city of Uman, located in central Ukraine. Five children were among the dead, Ukrainian interior minister Ihor Klymenko said on Saturday, adding that 22 out of 23 bodies have been identified. One woman remained missing. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 29 April 2023. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/BsVHWurn0W #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/lQLW4TyK8s Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) April 29, 2023 Russian forces launched more drones at Ukraine overnight. Ukraines Air Force Command said two Iranian-made self-exploding Shahed drones were intercepted and a reconnaissance drone was shot down on Saturday morning. Advertisement Mr Razvozhayev said the oil reservoir fire did not cause any casualties and would not hinder fuel supplies in Sevastopol. The city has been subject to regular attack attempts with drones, especially in recent weeks. Earlier this week, Mr Razvozhayev reported that the Russian military destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone that attempted to attack the harbour and another one blew up, shattering windows in several apartment buildings, but not inflicting any other damage. Ukraines military intelligence spokesperson, Andriy Yusov, told the RBC Ukraine news site on Saturday that the oil depot fire was Gods punishment for the murdered civilians in Uman, including five children. He said that more than 10 tanks containing oil products for Russias Black Sea Fleet were destroyed in Sevastopol, but stopped short of acknowledging Ukraines responsibility for a drone attack. After previous attacks on Crimea, Kyiv also would not openly claim responsibility, emphasising however that the country had the right to strike any target in response to Russian aggression. The British government has agreed to include NHS doctors without UK passports on the last flights out of Sudan, amid criticism over the scope of its eligibility criteria for evacuation. Ministers answered calls to widen the remit, which had been limited to British nationals and their immediate family, after a significant decline in the number of UK citizens coming forward. The decision was announced with hours to go until the final flight takes off from the Wadi Saeedna airfield near Khartoum at 6pm. It is understood some 1,650 people have now been evacuated from Sudan, but thousands more British citizens may remain. The British government-mandated deadline to reach the site in order to be processed for the last flight passed at 12pm local time, after it confirmed it was winding down its rescue operation amid a faltering ceasefire. Advertisement Fighting has broken out again in Khartoum despite the extension of an armistice between the countrys two warring generals having been brokered in the early hours of Friday. The British government has said it will continue to advocate for an end to the conflict alongside its international allies. A spokesman said: We have made the decision to extend the evacuation criteria to include eligible non-British nationals in Sudan who are working as clinicians within the NHS and their dependents who have leave to enter the UK. Evacuees at Wadi Seidna Air Base in Khartoum. Photo: PO Phot Arron Hoare/PA. We are able to offer this increased eligibility thanks to the efforts of the staff and military who have delivered this evacuation, the largest of any western country. We continue to work intensively, alongside international partners, to maintain the ceasefire and bring an end to fighting, the single most important thing we can do to ensure the safety of British nationals and others in Sudan. It comes after concerns were raised that the governments previous approach to evacuation could see families split up or some members left behind. Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy had urged the Government not to turn away British residents without passports, including NHS doctors trapped in the conflict zone. Advertisement Criticism has also been levelled at the pace of the British evacuation and the decision not to offer escorts to people travelling to the airfield. British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden chaired a Cobra meeting on Saturday to discuss the security situation in Sudan in advance of the final flight taking off. World Civilian death toll tops 400 as battle for Sudan c... Read More Mr Dowden denied the Government will effectively abandon those who have been unable to make the potentially dangerous journey to the site with its decision to cease flights. He told the BBC: We are in touch with and engaging rapidly with the Sudanese Doctors Association to see what further support we can provide for them. An update on the number of evacuations is expected later on Saturday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns sister has warned of more provocative military displays in response to a US-South Korean agreement to counter the Norths nuclear threat. In comments on state media, Kim Yo Jong one of Kim Jong Uns leading foreign policy officials said the agreement reflected a hostile and aggressive will of action against the North and will put peace in the region in more serious danger. Her comments follow US President Joe Bidens remark that a North Korean nuclear attack on the US or its allies would result in the end of whatever regime launched the action. Mr Biden was talking after a meeting with South Korean President Yook Suk Yeol in Washington amid heightened tensions in the region. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP) North Korea has test-fired around 100 missiles since the start of 2022 and Kim Jong Un is widely expected to up the ante in the coming months as he accelerates a campaign aimed at cementing the Norths status as a nuclear power. Advertisement During their summit, Mr Biden and Mr Yoon announced new nuclear deterrence efforts that call for periodically docking US nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea for the first time in decades and bolstering training between the two countries. They also committed to plans for bilateral presidential consultations in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack, the establishment of a nuclear consultative group and improved sharing of information on nuclear and strategic weapons operation plans. Kim Yo Jong said the summit further strengthened the Norths conviction to enhance its nuclear arms capabilities and she lashed out at Mr Biden for being too miscalculating and irresponsibly brave, but said the North would not simply dismiss his words as a nonsensical remark from the person in his dotage. When we consider that this expression was personally used by the President of the US, our most hostile adversary, it is threatening rhetoric for which he should be prepared for far too great an after storm, she said. The more the enemies are dead set on staging nuclear war exercises and the more nuclear assets they deploy in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula, the stronger the exercise of our right to self-defence will become in direct proportion to them. Mohamed Semra has barely slept in a fortnight, since the fighting began. Half a world away, in Sudan, his two brothers both Australian citizens are trapped, amid vicious fighting between the army and paramilitary forces, sparking a descent into civil war. Mohamed Semras two brothers both Australian citizens are stranded in Sudan amid fierce fighting. Credit: Luis Ascui Theres little chance of the brothers leaving now. Semras sister-in-law is nine months pregnant and cant travel. With the majority of hospitals now closed, the family can only pray her delivery is a safe one. I just feel like theres a time limit right now, Semra said. An Australian has been arrested in Indonesia after allegedly spitting in the face of an imam during an early morning call to prayer at a mosque in West Java. Brenton Craig Abbas Abdullah McArthur, 47, is accused of spitting on Imam M Basri Anwars face at the al-Muhajir Mosque in the city of Bandung on Friday. Brenton Craig Abbas Abdullah McArthur, from his Facebook page in 2015. Credit: Facebook Bandung police chief Kombes Budi Sartono told Indonesian news website Kumparan on Friday that the imam had reported the incident to police, who were investigating the allegations. We will co-ordinate with the Immigration and the Ministry of Religion to ascertain whether any actions have been violated or not, he said. There is a deep and growing rift between The West and The Rest about the need to resist and defeat the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This is because it is really a war in defence of sovereignty, which ought to be something every sovereign country can buy into but Western governments publicly insist that it is a war in defence of democracy. All the chatter about democracy goes down well in Europe and North America, but it reeks of hypocrisy elsewhere. Three centuries of imperialism and conspicuous Western failures to defend democracy in the recent past and present in Africa, the Middle East and Asia make these claims sound absurd to people in the developing world. US President Joe Biden meets with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. Credit: Getty Images So Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says in China two weeks ago that the United States needs to stop encouraging war and start talking about peace in Ukraine. Russias foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, in Brazil a little later, says: We are grateful to our Brazilian friends for their excellent understanding of this situations genesis. Austin: A Texas man went next door with a rifle and fatally shot five of his neighbours, including an 8-year-old boy, after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep, authorities said. The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza, remained at large more than 18 hours after the shooting and authorities warned that he might still be armed. The attack happened just before midnight on Friday (US time) near the town of Cleveland, north of Houston, on a street where some residents say it is not uncommon to hear neighbours unwind by firing off guns. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers talks to investigators at the scene where five people were shot and killed the night before. Credit: AP San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said Oropeza used an AR-style rifle, and as the search for him dragged on, authorities had widened their efforts to as far as 15 to 30 kilometres from the murder scene. He said Oropeza may still have a weapon but that he believes authorities have the rifle used in the shooting. Capers said they found clothes and a phone while combing a rural area that includes dense layers of forest but that tracking dogs had lost the scent. The government on Saturday appointed Rajneesh Karnatak as managing director of Bank of India (BoI) while Debadatta Chand as head of Bank of Baroda (BoB). The central government appoints Karnatak, Executive Director, Union Bank of India, as managing director and CEO of Bank of India for three year with effect from date of assumption of office, Department of Financial Services said in a notification. Karnatak replaces Atanu Kumar Das who completed his three-year term in January this year. In a separate notification, DFS said Chand, currently ED of BoB, has been appointed as managing director of the same bank for a period of three years. However, Chand would assume charge on July 1 after incumbent Sanjiv Chadha superannuates on June 30. The notifications for the two appointments came after the approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Also Read iQOO Neo 7 5G review: Ticks right boxes for performance-centric smartphone Bank of Baroda Q3: What to expect from the lender's Dec quarter result? Bank of Baroda Q2 results preview: Here's what key brokerages expect Bank of Baroda reports highest-ever quarterly profit of Rs 3,853 cr in Q3 BoI's Q3 net profit rises 12% YoY to Rs 1,151 cr on improvement in NIM Adtech company Infomo appoints Himanka Das as country director India 'Very, very comfortable': Anil Agrawal on Vedanta being over-leveraged How a Kanpur-born Indian-origin CEO Mehrotra is a chip off the old block Nasscom appoints Microsoft's Anant Maheshwari as new chairperson Plans to buy Zinc International is not called off: Hindustan Zinc CEO The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB), the headhunter for directors of state-owned banks and financial institutions, in January had selected their names and recommended it to DFS for seeking necessary approval. Unsubscribe to continue This is a subscriber only feature Subscribe Now to get daily updates on WhatsApp AAP leaders on Friday extended support to the wrestlers protesting against Wrestling Foundation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at Jantar Mantar here and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure they get justice. Delhi Cabinet ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, and AAP spokesperson Reena Gupta met the protesters. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will visit Jantar Mantar on Saturday. The wrestlers have launched a second round of protest against Singh, who is also a BJP MP, over allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation. As the chorus of support for the protesting wrestlers grew, Delhi Police on Friday filed two FIRs against Singh on allegations of sexual harassment levelled by seven women wrestlers. Atishi said she was heartbroken to see the plight of the wrestlers but the Centre is not bothered. Also Read Wrestlers back to protest at Jantar Mantar: Everything you need to know Wrestlers protesting on streets tarnishing India's image: IOA Prez PT Usha Sexual harassment: SC sends notice to Delhi govt on plea of women wrestlers Govt unhappy with wrestlers' behaviour, unlikely to reconstitute committee CBI questioning of Sisodia: AAP leaders detained for protesting near office Economic empowerment of women is of paramount concern: Meghalaya CM Making such remarks about PM doesn't feel right: Ajit on Kharge's jibe Have no objection to Anand Mohan's release, says Union minister Chaubey India on alert for blistering heat across swathes of country in May Goa beaches to get trained dogs, AI-powered systems for safety operations "I was watching a TV debate yesterday and when I saw the wrestlers here break down, I was heartbroken. "I thought to myself what kind of a central government do we have. Even a person with a heart of stone will break down after listening to the stories of harassment that these wrestlers have faced. But still Modi ji and his government do not care about these athletes," she said. She lauded the female wrestlers for speaking up about the harassment faced by them. "The prime minister should listen to the voices of our daughters here and ensure that they get justice. Otherwise, today there are around 1,000 people who have gathered here to demand justice and in the days to come, this number would swell to 10 lakh," Atishi said. Bharadwaj said the wrestlers who have dedicated their lives to bringing glory to the nation are today protesting at Jantar Mantar and this is not a good sign for any society. These wrestlers should ideally be practising for upcoming tournaments but they are sitting at Jantar Mantar and braving the heat, humidity and mosquitoes, he said. "Our wrestlers who are protesting here are aware that they will have to fight against the conspiracies of the federation and fight a long battle to get their careers back on track. Attempts will be made to put pressure on them ... but despite all this, they are fighting for their dignity," Bharadwaj said. The wrestlers will definitely win this "battle against the central government", he said. Referring to Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia, the AAP leader said, "Even Lord Ram required the assistance of Bajrang to fight against evil forces. Here we have 'sankatmochan' Hanuman with us and therefore we will certainly will. Even Lord Ram is with us in this fight against the central government. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday blamed the BJP for the violence in Manipur and accused the ruling party of "bulldozing" the rights of indigenous communities. "The situation in BJP-ruled Manipur is disturbing. Violence is no solution to any issue. Law and Order has been completely derailed in the state under the double-engine government," Kharge said on Twitter. "The BJP is hellbent to trample and bulldoze the rights of vulnerable indigenous communities. We strongly condemn it," the Congress chief also said. Fresh clashes erupted between demonstrators and police personnel in Churachandpur town on Friday night, with security forces using batons, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the mob. Locals claimed some people were killed and many injured in the police action, hours after a bandh called by Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) concluded. However, there was no official confirmation on casualties or injuries to people. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The real face of the BJP now visible in Manipur". Also Read Ready to align with like-minded parties to defeat BJP in 2024 polls: Kharge There is no crisis in Manipur BJP, says CM; gives details of ministers Chhattisgarh: Notices issued to 8 BJP functionaries for 'hateful' posts Step out of your homes against inflation, unemployment: Congress Prez Centre's approval required to introduce NRC in Manipur: CM Biren Singh India needs to start thinking about TSA security at airports: Aviation Secy Set up economic development corp for welfare of ageing folk artists: Ajit If I resign, it will mean that I have accepted their allegations: WFI chief Mumbai: Property registration down 10%; stamp duty collection at 10-yr high Serious vitiating factors about trial led to Rahul's conviction: Singhvi "While the entire Team Modi is fixated on Karnataka, Churachandpur in Manipur has turned into almost a war zone only a year after the BJP got a decisive majority in the state. The double engine there is blowing up," Ramesh said on Twitter, alleging that the Union government is not bothered about it. The situation in Churachandpur remained grim as unidentified miscreants set afire a government building, even as night curfew was imposed in the district from Saturday, officials said. A group of people torched the office of the Range Forest Officer in Tuibong area around midnight and several fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames, they said. Public property worth lakhs of rupees were reportedly destroyed and official documents burnt in the blaze, a police officer said. Night curfew has been imposed in the district from 5 pm to 5 am from Saturday until further orders, according to an official notification. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to embark on a three-day visit to the Maldives beginning Monday with an aim to bolster bilateral defence and strategic ties, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday. Separately, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari is likely to visit Sri Lanka on Monday. The planned visits by the defence minister and the Chief of Air Staff to the two key maritime neighbours of India come amid China's persistent efforts to expand its influence in the countries of the region. During his trip to the Maldives, Singh is likely to meet Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid and Defence Minister Mariya Didi among others. The defence minister will leave for the Maldives on Monday and will return on Wednesday, the people said. "The focus of the visit will be further expand bilateral defence cooperation," one of the people said. Also Read EAM discuss cooperation in infra, connectivity with Lankan counterpart India will help Sri Lanka in oil sector despite recent changes: Officials Adani Group enters Sri Lanka's port industry as the first Indian operator Sri Lanka concludes debt restructuring talks with Japan: Wickremesinghe EAM Jaishankar to embark on official visit to Sri Lanka from today TN needs strategic interventions to attain $1 trn economy by 2030: FICCI Excise scam: AAP leader Manish Sisodia's judicial custody extended Defamation Case: Guj HC to resume hearing Rahul Gandhi's appeal on May 2 ED raids BYJU's under FEMA, yet to submit financial results since FY21 Delhi CM Kejriwal supports protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar The Maldives is one of India's key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and the overall bilateral ties including in areas of defence and security have been on an upward trajectory in the last few years. In August last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Solih kick-started the India-funded Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), billed as the largest infrastructure initiative in the island nation. Under the GMCP project, a 6.74-km-long bridge and causeway link will be built to connect the capital city Male with adjoining islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. The Maldives is also one of the biggest beneficiaries of India's Neighbourhood First policy. Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane visited Maldives last month during which he held talks with his Maldivian counterpart Major General Abdulla Shamaal. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari is set to visit Sri Lanka on May 1. AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) will soon convene a meeting of party's mid-level leaders and convince them to continue the alliance with the BJP. According to sources in AIADMK, the party leader is also willing to speak to the cadres regarding the decision on a continued alliance with the BJP which he has announced in New Delhi after meeting BJP leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Notably, the AIADMK and BJP relationship had hit an all time low following Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai's regular outbursts against the AIADMK and even openly stating that he preferred to go it alone in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. However, the BJP national leadership is aware that without any Dravidian major by its side, the party will turn into a non-entity in Tamil Nadu and that it's better to piggyback on either of the Dravidian majors, DMK or AIADMK. While the BJP national leadership was keen for a continuing alliance with the AIADMK, the AIADMK cadres and middle level leaders were not enthused in continuing the alliance with the saffron party. As per the feedback of the AIADMK, from the grassroots, snapping ties with the saffron party would do the party a lot of good. Also Read SC ruling allowing EPS as AIADMK chief not a setback: Panneerselvam AIADMK gets boost in Tiruchy after AMMK strongman M Sekar joins party SC allows Palaniswami to continue as AIADMK interim general secretary Decide in 10 days on AIADMK bye-laws: Delhi High Court tells ECI Ousted AIADMK leader V K Sasikala will meet supporters on January 1 India 3rd largest ecosystem for startups globally: CDS General Anil Chauhan Bengal govt to conduct audit to identify irregularities in PMAY scheme Nitish defends Kejriwal over alleged spending of Rs 45 cr on renovations PM Modi urges women to enrol for Mahila Samman Saving Certificate No expectations from PM, why are they not showing FIRs?: Priyanka Gandhi The lower level functionaries of the party are of the opinion that if the AIADMK snaps ties with the BJP, Dalit outfits, Muslim outfits and parties like MDMK, DMDK and even NTK of Seeman would join hands with it. The AIADMK, according to an inhouse survey conducted by it, has assessed that the party would win anywhere between 6 to 7 seats if it snaps ties with the BJP. The survey, according to AIADMK insiders, would fetch even 10 to 12 seats for the party as several Muslim outfits that have turned their backs to the AIADMK due to its alliance with the BJP would come back to its fold. However, sources in the AIADMK told IANS that EPS took a decision to continue the alliance with the BJP citing far reaching political benefits. With the BJP firmly in saddle at the centre and possibility of the NDA coming back to power in 2024 polls, AIADMK does not want to be on the losing side and even if it loses some seats in the bargain, becoming part of a winning alliance at the national level is required for EPS. Amid the preparatory works for the general election, the AIADMK is busy preparing its cadres for the elections and wants to enthuse its cadres as to why it was continuing the alliance with the BJP. It has been learnt that EPS would directly convene a meeting of lower and middle-level functionaries of the party in the days to come. --IANS aal/shb/ The Gujarat High Court will hear on Saturday Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's appeal challenging the order of the Surat sessions court declining a stay to his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark. Gandhi's appeal will be heard by Justice Hemant Prachchhak on April 29, the cause list published by the high court said. On April 26, when Gandhi's lawyer P S Champaneri mentioned the case before Justice Gita Gopi, she recused herself from the hearing by saying "Not before me." The development came a day after Gandhi moved the HC. A metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat on March 23 sentenced the former Congress president to two years in jail after convicting him under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 (criminal defamation) in a 2019 case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Gujarat MLA Purnesh Modi. Following the verdict, Gandhi, elected to the Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala in 2019, was disqualified as a Member of Parliament (MP) under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act. Gandhi challenged the order in a sessions court in Surat along with an application seeking a stay to the conviction. While granting him bail, the court on April 20 refused to stay the conviction. Also Read Andaman & Nicobar Cong protest Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha disqualification China's approach to India same as Russia's to Ukraine: Rahul Gandhi BJP MPs protest against Rahul Gandhi's 'insulting' remarks on OBC-community Rahul to file appeal in Surat court against conviction in defamation case Oppn leaders protest in Parl, demand discussion on India-China faceoff Top Headlines: Sebi on Adani row probe, H-1B lottery system fraud & more Anurag called protesting wrestlers indisciplined, says AAP; BJP hits back Reserve-gear Sarkar: Amit Shah says Congress will take Karnataka backwards PM Modi to hold road show, 3 public meetings in poll-bound Karnataka today LIVE: Guj HC to hear Rahul's plea in 'Modi surname' defamation case today Purnesh Modi filed a criminal defamation case against Gandhi over his 'How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?' remark made during an election rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019. A stay to the conviction could pave the way for Gandhi's reinstatement as a Member of Parliament. The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar government may be facing flak over release of Bahubali-cum-politician Anand Mohan Singh, but BJP leaders have different views over it. Its upper caste leaders are in favour of release of the steps while some others belonging to the OBC section have different views. On Friday, Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Chaubey claimed that Nitish Kumar and Lalan Singh conspired against Lalu Prasad Yadav and sent him to jail. Similarly, Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav were involved in conspiring against Anand Mohan and sent him to jail. They have ruined the political career of Anand Mohan, he alleged. "The name of Anand Mohan was neither connected directly with the murder of Gopalganj DM G. Krishnaiah nor instigating the mob to kill him. Despite that, he was forced to stay in jail during his youth. I have no objection with the decision of the court but he was forced to stay in jail during youth period and released to take political benefit," Chaubey said. "I want to tell them (leaders of Mahagathbandhan) that they will not get political benefit for it. Those who had murdered the political career of Anand Mohan have to give answers for it," Chaubey, who is a Brahmin leader of BJP in Bihar, said. Earlier, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Giriraj Singh also claimed that they have no objection to the release of Anand Mohan. Also Read Why has Anand Mohan become a headache for the Nitish Kumar administration Gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan Singh released from Saharsa jail Next target is to breach top 100 in FIFA ranking: AIFF president Chaubey FIFA World Cup 2022 amalgamation of skill, talent & tech, says AIFF chief Ajit Mohan steps down as Meta India head, may join social media firm Snap India on alert for blistering heat across swathes of country in May Goa beaches to get trained dogs, AI-powered systems for safety operations Delhi Police files 2 FIRs against WFI chief, support for wrestlers grows Deliberations on date of placement of Ram lalla idol begin in Ayodhya Sebi likely to seek more time from Supreme Court in Adani Group case --IANS ajk/vd Ending a busy day of electioneering for the BJP in poll-bound Karnataka after back-to-back rallies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in a mega roadshow in north Bengaluru on Saturday drawing an enormous response from a huge crowd. Modi, who flew into the city from Kudachi in Belagavi district in northern Karnataka around 5 pm after addressing his third public meeting in the state, rode in a specially designed vehicle. Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh Ghazipur's MP MLA court convicts jailed mafia Mukhtar Ansari in a gangster case and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakh. The Maharashtra government will celebrate the 350th coronation anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Raigad on June 1 and 2, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Saturday. He said the state government will also set up Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Centre at Agra. The former Mughal empire capital assumes significance in Maratha history as Shivaji Maharaj gave Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb a slip from the city after he was imprisoned there by the latter. "The 350th coronation ceremony will be celebrated by the state government at Raigad on June 1 and 2," Shinde said. He said the coronation day is an inspiration for the state and cultural events will be organised in every district. Shinde said the anniversary will be celebrated throughout the year by organising events across the state. Also Read Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Death Anniversary 2023: 10 things you must know Maharashtra salutes Chhatrapati Shivaji on 393rd birth anniversary Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti: History, celebration in Maharashtra Shivaji followers protest against Guv's remark; BJP Minister assures action Not even in dream: Maharashtra Guv on 'insulting Chhatrapati Shivaji' Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 3-day visit to Maldives from Monday TN needs strategic interventions to attain $1 trn economy by 2030: FICCI Excise scam: AAP leader Manish Sisodia's judicial custody extended Defamation Case: Guj HC to resume hearing Rahul Gandhi's appeal on May 2 ED raids BYJU's under FEMA, yet to submit financial results since FY21 Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar on Friday expressed disapproval about Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge's 'venomous snake' jibe about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Asked by reporters here about Kharge's controversial comment, Pawar recalled how Yashwantrao Chavan, the first chief minister of Maharashtra, handled criticism with maturity. Addressing a campaign rally in poll-bound Karnataka, Kharge on Thursday likened Modi to a venomous snake. As a row erupted, he clarified that his remarks were not aimed at the Prime Minister but at the ruling BJP. Asked about the row, Pawar said Yashwantrao Chavan showed maturity when writer-journalist P K Atre took swipes at him. "Today Narendra Modi is our prime minister. Before that there were Manmohan Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee....It does not feel right to make such a statement about the prime minister of the country or chief minister of the state," he said. Incidentally, speculation was rife in Maharashtra for the last two weeks about Ajit Pawar's political plans as he appeared to be going soft on the BJP. Pawar, though, stressed that he would never leave the NCP. Also Read Ajit Pawar leads race in 'Future CM' banners, Sharad Pawar not enthused Power does not remain with anyone forever, says NCP leader Ajit Pawar Won't be in govt if Pawar joins BJP with NCP group: Shiv Sena spokesperson Congress accuses BJP of fuelling speculation on Pawar's next political move Maha govt must compensate farmers: Ajit Pawar after unseasonal rain damages Have no objection to Anand Mohan's release, says Union minister Chaubey India on alert for blistering heat across swathes of country in May Goa beaches to get trained dogs, AI-powered systems for safety operations Delhi Police files 2 FIRs against WFI chief, support for wrestlers grows Deliberations on date of placement of Ram lalla idol begin in Ayodhya Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda's proposed visit to India has been delayed further due to internal reasons, including the jolt in the recent by-polls, and it is unlikely that his first foreign visit will take place before June, according to his top aide. This is the second time that Prachanda's visit to India has been postponed due to internal reasons. The visit to India would have been his first foreign trip after he assumed charge as Prime Minister for the third time in December last year. Nepal government is preparing to present its annual budget for the coming fiscal year towards May-end and the Prime Minister's visit to India will take place only after that, the top aide close to Prime Minister Prachanda told PTI on Saturday. The proposed visit by the Prime Minister has been further delayed due to internal reasons and it is unlikely that the first foreign visit will take place before June, the aide, who did not want to be quoted, said. Earlier, the government was busy preparing for Prachanda's visit to India between May 2nd and the 3rd week. The results of the recently concluded by-elections in Nepal have also compelled the 68-year-old Prime Minister to rethink the visit in order to maintain the political stability in the country. Also Read Nepal PM 'Prachanda' expands cabinet to 23 with 6 women in ministry Nepal PM to visit India soon; Prachanda's first foreign trip after polls Nepal seeks to sign electricity deal with India during Prachanda's visit Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda set to take oath as Nepal's new PM today Nepal's PM to expand cabinet, Congress to get key ministerial portfolios Use of tech in judicial system ensures transparency, productivity: CM Sukhu SC verdict likely on May 1 on divorce without referring to family courts TN CM seeks Centre's mediation for textile sector to follow quality norms Centre laments non-utilisation of fund by state animal husbandry department Heading in right direction by maximising use of digital platforms: Khattar Out of three seats for which the by-elections were held this month, the ruling alliance lost two seats, one in Tanhu - 1 and the other in Chitawan - 2. Only Upendra Yadav, president of the Janata Samajwadi Party, managed to win in Bara - 2 with the backing of the ruling alliance. Rashtriya Swotantra Party (RSP), which has won two seats in the by-election, has made it clear that in the present situation, it will not join the Prachanda-led government and it is reviewing its stance on whether to continue its support to the coalition government from outside or not. Ravi Lamichhane, a TV journalist-turned-politician, won from Chitawan - 2 while well-known economist Swornim Wagle won from Tanhu - 1. The support from RSP with 21 seats in the House of Representatives will be crucial for the survival of the Prachanda-led government. The victory for the newly formed RSP was a shameful defeat for the larger parties run by senior leaders. In both constituencies, the Nepali Congress had fielded its candidates with the backing of the ruling alliance. The new eight-party Prachanda-led alliance includes the Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN-Unified Socialist, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Janamat Party, Janta Samajwadi Party, Lokatantrik Samajwadi Party, and Rashtriya Janamorcha. Meanwhile, the newly-appointed Foreign Minister N P Saud has said that the government is making major preparations to make Prachanda's forthcoming India visit fruitful. He said the Nepal government wanted to make the visit fruitful, he told the state-run daily Gorkhapatra. We are working on a result-oriented schedule and grand preparations are underway so as to fix priorities, he said. Preliminary discussions among different ministries relating to the Prime Minister's visit have been completed, he pointed out. Saud said the first phase of inter-ministerial discussion under his leadership has already concluded as part of the preparations. We will move ahead placing national interest at the focal point with a view to further strengthening our international relations, Saud, who was appointed as the foreign minister in mid-April, said. Nepal has remained stable in the fundamental principles of foreign policy, he pointed out. Nepal has been maintaining close and good relations with both India and China, he said, adding that Our relations with other countries in the world are also cordial. We will always stick to the principles of non-aligned policy and the principle of Panchsheel, he said. In view of the geopolitical situation, the government is effortful to move forward maintaining further balance in our international relations, he pointed out. As Nepal is graduating to the level of developing countries in 2026, there is a need to make internal as well as external preparations for that reason, he said. Prachanda visited India in July last year at the invitation of BJP National President J P Nadda. Prachanda was sworn in as the Prime Minister for the third time on December 26 last year after he dramatically walked out of the pre-poll alliance led by the Nepali Congress and joined hands with opposition leader K P Sharma Oli. A court here on Saturday extended the judicial custody of Manish Sisodia, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, till May 8 in connection with the excise policy case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Addressing the media outside the courtroom, Sisodia said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be able to stop Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's work in the national capital. "Modi ji may try as much as he wants, but he won't be able to stop the work of Kejriwal ji in Delhi. Modi ji may conspire as much as he wants," Sisodia said. On Friday, Special Judge M.K. Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court had denied bail to Sisodia, holding that the evidence, prima facie, "speaks volumes" of his involvement in the commission of the offence. Additionally, he said that it is impossible to rule out the potential of Sisodia influencing key witnesses in the case. On Thursday, the same court had extended Sisodia's judicial custody till May 12, in the case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Also Read Delhi CM Kejriwal visits Manish Sisodia's ailing wife in hospital Manish Sisodia to be produced in court today: All you need to know Operation Sheesh Mahal: Why do BJP and Congress want Delhi CM to resign? How Manish Sisodia's arrest poses a challenge to AAP's Delhi govt, Kejriwal Work done by Sisodia will be carried forward at double speed: CM Kejriwal Food conclave attracts Rs 7,000 cr investments to Telangana: Govt Govt to set up helipads, landing facilities along national highway: Gadkari Atishi orders inspection of govt children's homes, seeks report by May 15 CBIC to introduce automated GST scrutiny system by next week: FM Sitharaman Kashi now needs to develop into a world-class city: Yogi Adityanath The ED had earlier submitted before the judge that Sisodia had planted fabricated emails to show that there was public approval for the 2021-22 excise policy. --IANS spr/arm Ending a busy day of electioneering for the BJP in poll-bound Karnataka after back-to-back rallies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in a mega roadshow in north Bengaluru on Saturday drawing an enormous response from a huge crowd. Modi, who flew into the city from Kudachi in Belagavi district in northern Karnataka around 5 pm after addressing his third public meeting in the state, rode in a specially designed vehicle. Sporting a saffron cap, Modi was flanked by Bangalore North MP D V Sadananda Gowda and BJP MLC C Narayanaswamy. A large number of people thronged both sides of the road to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister and showered flowers on him. The BJP flags, festoons and posters dotted the road and a group of artists performed 'Dollu Kunita', a popular drum dance, enroute to the roadshow. The 5.3-kilometre long roadshow will pass through various locations in north Bengaluru including Magadi Road, Nice Road Junction to Sumanahalli. Also Read PM Modi's security breached during roadshow in Karnataka; man intercepted LIVE: India is world's 3rd largest startup ecosystem, says Smriti Irani Amit Shah to take part in roadshow in poll-bound Nagaland on Feb 20 PM holds roadshow ahead of National Youth Festival in Karnataka's Hubballi Priyanka holds roadshow in Karnataka, urges people to vote for Congress With indigenisation growing in warships, Navy asks for 3rd aircraft carrier Educational institutions won't face dearth of funds: Punjab CM Mann Misleading propaganda: MoS Education on removing Darwin's theory from NCERT TMC to start dharna in New Delhi over MGNREGA funds for Bengal: Abhishek Maha to celebrate 350th anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji's coronation Traffic snarls were witnessed due to the roadshow. Police had issued traffic advisory to people asking them to avoid certain roads from where the Prime Minister's convoy would pass through. Elaborate security arrangements were made throughout the route from where Modi would take out his roadshow. Modi on Saturday flew in from Delhi and reached Bidar in the morning. He addressed public meetings in Humnabad in Bidar, district headquarter town in Vijayapura and Kudachi in Belagavi district. The Prime Minister will stay overnight in Bengaluru on Saturday and depart from Raj Bhavan on Sunday morning to hold public meetings in the district headquarter town of Kolar, Channapatna in Ramanagara district and Belur in Hassan district. He will also hold a roadshow in Mysuru on Sunday before heading back to Delhi. Karnataka goes to the polls on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13. The 100th episode of PM Modi's "Mann Ki Baat" will be streamed live at the UN Headquarters in New York on Sunday. "Get ready for a historic moment as the 100th episode of PM Modi's "Mann Ki Baat" is set to go live on April 30th in Trusteeship Council Chamber at @UN HQ! #MannKiBaat has become a monthly national tradition, inspiring millions to participate in India's developmental journey," the Indian Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted on Saturday. The Indian Mission in the US on Saturday also tweeted: "As #MannKiBaat goes global with a live broadcast at UN Headquarters, let's take a moment to appreciate the impact it has had in promoting inclusivity and public participation." A recent report said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' has become a key pillar of the government's citizen-outreach programme addressing multiple social groups such as women, youth, farmers and has spurred community action. The research report identified five key themes associated with Mann Ki Baat, cleanliness and sanitation, health, wellness, water conservation, and sustainability. It said the programme highlights government and citizen action in these priority areas and in turn, encourages listeners to establish or participate in "change-making" initiatives in their own communities with the aim to have a lasting and sustainable impact on the lives of people and for the country. Also Read 'That is how you lead,' says Aamir Khan on PM Modi's Mann Ki Baat PM Modi invites people to share inputs for 2022's last Mann Ki Baat Mann Ki Baat: PM hails Indian space sector, extends Chhath Puja greetings Scribe booked for cheating with claim to publish PM's Mann Ki Baat speeches 'Mann ki Baat' created a mass movement, spurred community action: Report Solve Mali quota demand in accordance with provisions: Pilot asks Raj govt All major ports to have green hydrogen by 2035: Sarbananda Sonowal PM Modi won't be able to stop Kejriwal's work in Delhi, says Sisodia Food conclave attracts Rs 7,000 cr investments to Telangana: Govt Govt to set up helipads, landing facilities along national highway: Gadkari The report said that Mann Ki Baat speaks directly to people and celebrates their achievements within, and beyond, their communities. The programme celebrates grassroots-level changemakers. The 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat will be broadcast on Sunday. The programme started on October 3, 2014, months after Narendra Modi took over the Prime Minister's Office in May. The research report 'Mann Ki Baat: A Decade of Reflections' cited instances of people being "moved to action" after listening to the Mann Ki Baat programme. "In 2019, rural tourism entrepreneur Aditi Balbir began to develop a chain of affordable resorts. In 2021, Madhav Bhat Kullangalu redeveloped a lake on his family farm in Karnataka, thus helping increase groundwater levels, which benefited everyone in the community. In 2022, entrepreneur Ram Shankar Verma established solar energy to power a grain mill in Uttar Pradesh, doubling his own income while creating jobs for many of his neighbours," the report said. "Aditi was inspired by the Prime Minister's call for students to travel more, and more sustainably; Madhav by an episode on water conservation; and Ram by a broadcast on the benefits of solar energy. Since its inception in 2014, the programme has become a key pillar of the government's citizen-outreach programme," it added. Asserting that his government is committed to save people from drug menace, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Friday said poppy cultivation in the state will be eradicated completely. Addressing a gathering at the inaugural function of "Agri Horti Expo and Buyer Seller Meet for Organic and Indigenous Products of Manipur" at Hapta Kangjeibung here, he said, "You must be aware of difficulties that I am facing because of the wide-scale destruction of poppy plants. I am ready to fight it". The BJP government in the state will "not allow poppy cultivation" and has been taking strict actions against those involved in such plantations, he said. During the event, Singh also said that the state witnessed "significant growth in the export of agricultural products over the past few years". "This meet will create a platform for buyers to get products directly from producer groups and processors. The state government will also put in the best for farmers and producers of the state to harness the potential of agri and horti produce exports," he added. Also Read Centre's approval required to introduce NRC in Manipur: CM Biren Singh There is no crisis in Manipur BJP, says CM; gives details of ministers India discusses opium poppy cultivation, Taliban-Al-Qaida relations at UNSC Mamata Banerjee urges Centre to allow poppy cultivation in West Bengal Warren Tea to exit plantations, plans expansion of IT and hotel businesses Fresh clashes in Manipur's Churachandpur amid bandh; CM defers rally Won't proceed with Barsu refinery project without locals' consent: Shinde Weekend Bites: Ambani & Ambani, and old white males AAP extends support to protesting wrestlers, urges PM to ensure justice Economic empowerment of women is of paramount concern: Meghalaya CM Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Saturday called on AICC representatives to go in the middle of the people and listen to them as the state election inches close. Pilot also met assembly speaker CP Joshi earlier in the day. The party earlier in the week appointed Amrita Dhawan and Virendra Singh Rathore as AICC co-in charge of Rajasthan, while Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa remains the in-charge of the state. "Changes in the organisation take place from time to time. Elections are six months away, so people have been given responsibility and I think it will send a good message," he said. "I want all of us, whether they are representatives of AICC or those handling the work of the party organisation, to go to the ground, talk to the people and understand the feelings of the workers," he said. The Congress leader also expressed solidarity with the wrestlers protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and accused the BJP of protecting its MP. Also Read Explained: Why is Sachin Pilot holding a day-long protest in Rajasthan Sach was life: Tendulkar on field was raw emotion, a happiness pill From student to the God of Cricket: Sachin Tendulkar's journey to the top 80% MLAs are with Sachin Pilot: Rajasthan minister Rajendra Singh Gudha Both leaders assets to Congress: Rahul Gandhi on Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot Maharashtra sees 489 Covid-19 cases, one death, active tally at 4,079 Reduce logistics, supply chain cost to boost economic development: Minister BS Seema Nazareth Award: Democracy guided by free press, says Nagarathna With indigenisation growing in warships, Navy asks for 3rd aircraft carrier Yogi govt launches Bijli Mitra initiative to stop electricity theft in UP "When these youth brought medals and made the country proud, everyone stood with them to share the success. But today when they are in trouble and are making serious allegations, the government is impervious," he said. Pilot also condemned the vitiation of politics in the country, apparently referring to a Karnataka BJP MLA's remark against former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Thursday. "The criticism and comments being made in politics and the level at which speeches are being made is not right at all. It is the responsibility of those who hold big posts to make such comments," he said. Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Saturday said an economic development corporation should be set up by the Maharashtra government for the welfare of elderly folk artists who have turned elderly now. In a letter to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly also suggested that the corporation be named after late folk artist Vithabai Narayangaonkar. The corporation is necessary for the needs related to accommodation, food, medication of retired and elderly folk artists, and education of their children, Pawar said. During their active years as folk artists, they brought glory to the state's culture and folk art, he noted. "There should be an old age home for the folk artists," he added. Also Read Congress accuses BJP of fuelling speculation on Pawar's next political move Pawar pitches for MVA allies to contest Maha Assembly and LS polls together Won't be in govt if Pawar joins BJP with NCP group: Shiv Sena spokesperson Power does not remain with anyone forever, says NCP leader Ajit Pawar Congress 'mukt' Bharat not possible, says Sharad Pawar at Pune party office If I resign, it will mean that I have accepted their allegations: WFI chief Mumbai: Property registration down 10%; stamp duty collection at 10-yr high Serious vitiating factors about trial led to Rahul's conviction: Singhvi Congress hurled different types of abuses at me 91 times: PM in Karnataka Congress has called Ambedkar 'dagaabaaz', Lingayats as thieves: PM Amid the ongoing stir by the Mali community for a separate 12 per cent reservation, former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot Saturday urged the Rajasthan government to find a satisfactory solution to the matter in accordance with constitutional provisions. Members of the have blocked Jaipur-Agra national highway in Bharatpur to press for their demand for quota in government jobs and educational institutional institutions. The agitation, during which a man hanged himself to a tree, continued for the ninth consecutive day on Saturday. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also belongs to the Mali community. On Saturday, Pilot, in a tweet, said Saini, Mali, Kushwaha, Shakya and Maurya communities have been struggling with their demand for reservation for the last few days. "I urge the state government to find a satisfactory solution to this matter as soon as possible in accordance with the constitutional provisions keeping in view their economic interest and social development," he said in a tweet in Hindi. Saini, Mali, Kushwaha, Shakya and Maurya belong to the Mali community. They are under the OBC category at present but are demanding a separate 12 per cent reservation. Also Read Two peacekeepers from Nigeria killed, 4 wounded in attack in Mali, says UN Supreme Court upholds 10 per cent reservation for EWS in 3:2 verdict Explained: Why is Sachin Pilot holding a day-long protest in Rajasthan Protesters demanding separate quota for Mali community; internet suspended What does the EWS quota verdict mean for India? All major ports to have green hydrogen by 2035: Sarbananda Sonowal PM Modi won't be able to stop Kejriwal's work in Delhi, says Sisodia Food conclave attracts Rs 7,000 cr investments to Telangana: Govt Govt to set up helipads, landing facilities along national highway: Gadkari Atishi orders inspection of govt children's homes, seeks report by May 15 A delegation of the community recently met Chief Minister Gehlot in Jaipur where he assured them of getting a survey conducted by the OBC commission. The agitators said they will end the agitation when the survey begins. Meanwhile, the body of Mohan Singh who committed suicide on Tuesday by hanging himself from a tree near the protest site, has not been handed over to the family members. Post-mortem was conducted on Friday. Sources said officials want to ensure the body is not taken to the site of the agitation and therefore a meeting was held with the family members. Till Saturday evening, the family members were waiting for the body. Gehlot and Pilot have been at loggerheads publicly for more than two years. In 2020, Pilot had led a rebellion in the party for a change of leadership in the state. However, Gehlot managed to survive and Pilot and some of his loyalists were later ousted from the state cabinet. Their conflict has simmered since, with both the senior Congress leaders using sharp words against each other publicly, including when Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra had entered the state in December last year. On April 11, Pilot sat on a fast, piling pressure on his own party by targeting the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan for 'inaction' in alleged cases of corruption when the BJP ran the state. The use of technology in the judicial system can ensure transparency, productivity and efficiency, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Saturday. The chief minister said this at the inauguration of the North Zone-II Regional Conference on 'Contemporary Judicial Development and Strengthening Justice through Law and Technology' here. Highlighting the importance of technology in making the lives of common people easier in every field, including the judiciary, he emphasized the need to view technology as an ally in bringing about change and strengthening the judicial system. With the inclusion of modern technology, the functioning of the judiciary has accelerated and during the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual hearings had proved a boon for all, which saved both money and time of the people, he said in a statement issued here. A reliable and speedy judicial system, he noted, is essential for a healthy and self-confident society, as well as for the development of the country. When justice is seen being served, the faith of the common man in the constitutional institutions gets strengthened and continuous improvement of law and order becomes possible, Sukhu said. The delay in justice delivery is one of the biggest challenges being faced by the country and the judiciary is seriously working to solve this problem, the chief minister said. Also Read Himachal polls: Counting of votes to begin at 8 am; BJP eyes new record India vs Spain Hockey World Cup Highlights: IND start campaign with 2-0 win Govt needs to bring National Judicial Appointments Comission: Manoj Jha As vacancies pile up in high courts, gloves are off in Centre-SC showdown Is it time to rethink the collegium system of judicial appointments? SC verdict likely on May 1 on divorce without referring to family courts TN CM seeks Centre's mediation for textile sector to follow quality norms Centre laments non-utilisation of fund by state animal husbandry department Heading in right direction by maximising use of digital platforms: Khattar Y20 meet in Ladakh befitting reply to those spreading fears: Thakur The Alternative Dispute Redressal option is a means of resolving disputes. Preparing the legal education in line with technology should be an important goal for all those associated with this profession, he added. He expressed hope that the conference would go a long way in deriving new ideas and pave the way for legal reforms in the country thereby providing justice to the people at the earliest. "The Indian Constitution unites us all as 'We the People' with its aims and objectives forming the fundamental features of our democracy. It is the foundation of our democracy, and it is supported by three pillars. These pillars must operate within their own domains to bring prosperity, transparency and harmony in the society," he added. Sukhu said he himself was a law student, and has a keen interest in the subject. He said Himachal Pradesh has contributed four judges to the Supreme Court, "which is a matter of great pride for all of us". Earlier, Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh Tarlok Singh Chauhan said the judiciary being an important pillar of the State plays a vital role in shaping and interpreting the Constitution. He said the conference is focused on deliberations on the development of technology including artificial intelligence, crypto-currency and information and communication technology in Courts. Director, National Judicial Academy Bhopal, Justice AP Sahi, Judges of Supreme Court, Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Aniruddha Bose also spoke on the occasion, while Justice Vivek Singh Thakur presented the vote of thanks. About 160 Judges of the Supreme Court of India, High Courts and Subordinate Courts of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are participating in the two-day conference organized by the High Court of Himachal Pradesh in collaboration with National Judicial Academy Bhopal. For the initial few years, both the halves did well. Forbes magazine's list of the world's richest in 2008 had Mukesh in fifth place with $43 billion and Anil in sixth with $42 billion. Eighteen years ago, Kokilaben persuaded her two sons, Mukesh and Anil, to sign a peace accord that split the Reliance empire. Mukesh, the older and more studious brother, got oil, gas, petrochemicals, and manufacturing. Electricity, telecom, and financial services went to the savvier Anil. That brings us to two things. One, this should settle the heredity versus environment debate once and for all. Secondly, one of the last vestiges of Anil's empire may have finally found a resolution this week. Twelve years later, in February 2020, filings in a London court showed Anil saying that his net worth had become zero after taking into account his liabilities. Story of the week: Winners and losers . Torrent, the highest bidder in the first round, did not participate. The Hinduja group was the sole bidder in the second round of auction for the bankrupt Reliance Capital Torrent, the highest bidder in the first round, did not participate. Also Read Hinduja Global Solutions approves buyback of 6 mn shares at Rs 1,700 each Decision to end family feud will not impact businesses: Dheeraj Hinduja 20 years at Reliance helm: Mukesh Ambani redefines scale, business growth Billionaire Hinduja brothers end family feud on pact signed in 2014 IndusInd Bank gains 5% as Hinduja looks to raise stake to 26% in lender Gold declines Rs 420 to Rs 59,980 per 10 grams; silver tumbles Rs 570 Conducting caste-based survey no crime, says Bihar CM to opposers Contracts of 3,112 dengue breeding checking staff renewed: Delhi mayor Need to rise above differences in order to strengthen country: Sharad Pawar Govt making efforts to boost production, consumption of millet: Tomar Upset at the Hindujas' revised bid, Torrent went to court. The case is still open, but the Supreme Court allowed the second round . The next date of hearing is in August and the result of the auction is subject to the judgement. The Hindujas were the second highest bidder in the first round but submitted a higher bid within hours of the auction's closing. That made the lenders seek a second auction. RCap went into the debt resolution process in November 2021 after defaulting on loans worth Rs 24,000 crore. The Hinduja group, which has a stake in IndusInd Bank, stands to get control of two profit-making insurance ventures owned by RCap, if their proposal finally goes through. In other news India's economy continues to be robust, but rising crude oil prices, adverse weather conditions, and the global banking crisis are things to worry about, the finance ministry said in its Monthly Economic Review for March. worth $1.07 billion, led by private equity player Brookfield, which will make an equity investment of $1 billion. Green energy and fuels company Avaada secured funding worth $1.07 billion, led by private equity player Brookfield, which will make an equity investment of $1 billion. Godrej Consumer Products acquired the consumer products business of Raymond Consumer Care, a subsidiary of the BSE-listed Raymond, in an all-cash deal for Rs 2,825 crore. Godrej will get Raymond's marquee brands, such as Park Avenue, KamaSutra, and Premium. Park Avenue as a clothing brand will remain with Raymond. Special series: Where we are with CSR Maruti Suzuki reported a 42 per cent increase in net profit for the quarter ended March 31 and a doubling of its bottom line for the full year 2022-23. It also announced a plan to set up a new factory to expand its annual capacity by 1 million units. Part 2 : Companies that pushed the envelope of charitable spending beyond the legal requirements helped take the aggregate CSR expenditure by all listed companies closer to the cumulative mandatory amount in 2021-22. Part 1 : Government-run firms accounted for the majority of the donations that listed entities made to the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund. Tech that: Word from the world of technology and start-ups Part 3 : Companies spent a smaller share of their mandatory charitable spending in the Northeast than before. Watch it: From our hot audio-visual serving Campus hiring by Indian IT services firms will be about 70 per cent of what they hired in 2018-19. HR experts say the hiring targets of companies will now go back to pre-pandemic levels after an aberration of demand flux over the past three years. What is Suveen obsessing over these days? This week, let's look beyond The Morning Show and check out its sister, The Banking Show. TBS is a weekly and, in the spirit of a large-format shows, covers many things. This week, it touched upon a sensitive subject that seems to have roused the interest of YouTube trawlers: HR at public sector banks. Have a look here Biden is the oldest US President in history. If elected again, he will be 86 by the time his second term ends. He agrees that his age is a legitimate concern but is confident that he will be able to endure the ravages of another campaign as well as one more term. American President Joe Biden announced that he will seek a second term next year, setting up a likely rematch with Donald Trump. The Democratic Party is behind Biden despite his low approval ratings. The formal announcement, as news agency AP reported, means Biden is now free to raise money directly for his campaign. Republican Donald Trump, a spring chicken at 76, mocked Biden by imitating a lost or stumbling elderly man and also coined a new nickname something he apparently enjoys doing for a lot of people for the sitting president. His rivals are not so sure. Biden's bid appears to be at odds with the opinion of the American people as well; 70% of them don't want him to seek a second term. Another Republican running for president, Nikki Haley, has called for mental competency testing for candidates over 75. It is a stone that targets both the birds, Biden as well as Trump. This is Suveen signing off. Please send comments, news, or views about anything from zero net worth to spring chickens to suveen.sinha@bsmail.in. The melee resulted in one of the more inspired headlines by our Edit Page team. Do not miss Old White Males (Suveen Sinha is Chief Content Editor at Business Standard) Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said the proposed refinery project at Barsu village in Ratnagiri district will not be implemented without the local people's consent, and appealed for calm in the area. Earlier in the day, police used tear gas in Barsu and Solgaon villages in Rajapur tehsil to disperse the protesters who are opposing the refinery, and detained Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut. "A former chief minister himself had suggested the Barsu site to the Union government. After losing the CM's post, he is opposing the project. One can not have such double standards," Shinde told reporters in Mumbai, apparently referring to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray whose party is now backing the section of villagers opposing the refinery. "We are a people's government and we are not against them. We will not proceed without the local people's consent,' the chief minister added. Shinde also claimed that more than 70 percent of locals support the project as it will generate employment. "We will explain the benefits of the project to the remaining 30 percent who are opposing it," he said, adding that there should be no politics on the issue. Police detained Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut at Barsu village after he joined the protesters in the afternoon. He was released in the evening, officials said. Besides, as many as 167 protesters were apprehended. They would be produced in the Rajapur court on Saturday, police said. "The police asked the protesters, who have been agitating since the last four days in Barsu-Solgaon to return home. But as they refused to budge, the police personnel started evicting them," said an official. Police also used tear gas to disperse protesters from the site, the official said. Two companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), around 1,000 police constables and 120 officers were deployed at the protest site. Meanwhile, NCP leader Ajit Pawar said the government should take locals into confidence and handle the issue sensitively. Industries minister Uday Samant told him that not a single house or village would be displaced due to the project, Pawar said. Chief Minister Shinde had spoken to NCP chief Sharad Pawar over the issue, and the latter gave him some suggestions, he said. On Uddhav Thackeray's alleged U-turn, Ajit Pawar said though he had written a letter to the Centre recommending the Barsu site, now he has taken a stand that his party will support the local people. Also Read No initiation of refinery project at Barsu without locals' consent: Maha CM Kerala police bans rally to support Adani port, protesters refuse to budge Checking rising crime: 8,000 Rajasthan cops round up 2,051 miscreants BPCL plans to shut Bina refinery in June for a month for maintenance Mangaluru autorickshaw blast: TN Police detain one suspect for questioning Weekend Bites: Ambani & Ambani, and old white males AAP extends support to protesting wrestlers, urges PM to ensure justice Economic empowerment of women is of paramount concern: Meghalaya CM Making such remarks about PM doesn't feel right: Ajit on Kharge's jibe Have no objection to Anand Mohan's release, says Union minister Chaubey "The protest against any project is justified if the project is detrimental to the region or if there is any danger to the coming generations, but if the project is beneficial and brings financial prosperity, it should be seen from that angle also," the NCP leader added. ChatGPT's maker said on Friday that the artificial intelligence chatbot is available again in Italy after the company met the demands of regulators who temporarily blocked it over privacy concerns. OpenAI said it fulfilled a raft of conditions that the Italian data protection authority wanted satisfied by an April 30 deadline to have the ban on the AI software lifted. ChatGPT is available again to our users in Italy, San Francisco-based OpenAI said by email. We are excited to welcome them back, and we remain dedicated to protecting their privacy. Generative AI systems like ChatGPT, which use vast pools of online data like digital books, blog posts and other media to generate text, images and other content mimicking human work, have created buzz in the tech world and beyond. But their rapid development has stirred fears among officials and even tech leaders about possible ethical and societal risks, with European Union negotiators scrambling to update draft artificial intelligence regulations that have been years in the making. Also Read What is ChatGPT-4 and how to use it right now: Everything you need to know OpenAI CEO plans expansion in Japan after meeting PM Fumio Kishida Microsoft infuses billions of dollars in ChatGPT developer OpenAI OpenAI to soon monetise ChatGPT platform with a paid professional version Microsoft-owned OpenAI blocks access to ChatGPT for users in Italy Trade turnover between India, Dominican Republic has reached $1 bn: EAM Sri Lanka to introduce new laws to achieve green economy: President First Republic Bank's fate uncertain after stock's harrowing tumble Federal Reserve faults Silicon Valley Bank execs, itself in bank failure US provoking countries into military confrontation with Russia: Minister Last month, the Italian watchdog, known as Garante, ordered OpenAI to temporarily stop processing Italian users' personal information while it investigated a possible data breach. The authority said it didn't want to hamper AI's development but emphasized the importance of following the EU's strict data privacy rules. OpenAI said it addressed or clarified the issues raised by the watchdog. The measures include adding information on its website about how it collects and uses data that trains the algorithms powering ChatGPT, providing EU users with a new form for objecting to having their data used for training, and adding a tool to verify users' ages when signing up. Some Italian users shared what appeared to be screenshots of the changes, including a menu button asking users to confirm their age and links to the updated privacy policy and training data help page. The Garante said in a statement that it welcomes the measures OpenAI implemented and urged the company to comply with two other demands for an age-verification system and a publicity campaign informing Italians about the backstory and their right to opt out of data processing. The watchdog imposed the ban last month after finding that some users' messages and payment information were exposed to others. It also questioned whether there was a legal basis for OpenAI to collect massive amounts of data used to train ChatGPT's algorithms and raised concerns that the system could sometimes generate false information about individuals. Other regulators are now looking closer at such AI systems, with France's data privacy regulator and Canada's privacy commissioner investigating after receiving complaints about ChatGPT. The head of the Federal Trade Commission, Lina Khan, warned this week that the US government will not hesitate to crack down on harmful business practices involving artificial intelligence. By Hannah Levitt and Katanga Johnson The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has asked banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and PNC Financial Services Group Inc. to submit final bids for First Republic Bank by Sunday after gauging initial interest earlier in the week, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The regulator reached out to banks late Thursday seeking indications of interest, including a proposed price and an estimated cost to the agencys deposit insurance fund. Based on those submissions Friday, the regulator invited at least two firms to the next step in the bidding process, the people said, asking not to be named discussing the confidential talks. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has asked banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and PNC Financial Services Group Inc. to submit final bids for First Republic Bank by Sunday after gauging initial interest earlier in the week, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The bidding process kick-started by regulators after weeks of fruitless talks among banks and their advisers could pave the way for a tidier sale of First Republic than the drawn-out auctions that followed the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank last month. Authorities are stepping in after a particularly precipitous drop in the companys stock over the past week, which is now down 97% this year. A spokesperson for JPMorgan declined to comment. Spokespeople for PNC and the FDIC didnt immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside of normal business hours. The stocks drop leaving the company with a $650 million market value has made such a takeover at least somewhat more feasible. Unclear to some involved in the process is whether regulators might use a bid for a so-called open-market solution that avoids formally declaring First Republic a failure and seizing it. Also Read New York Community Bank to buy failed Signature Bank in a $2.7 bn deal Structure of insurance laws to be altered with proposed amendments: Experts 2023 may see an M&A surge in insurance sector: Shriram General Insurance MD LIC may turn into composite insurer; likely to merge 4 PSU general firms Composite insurance licence regime may trigger M&A activity: HDFC Life CFO India's ties with China 'abnormal' due to violations at border: Jaishankar US lawmakers propose bill to ban AI from launching nuclear weapons It all went south, says Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey; rues Musk deal Germany sets new standard for cheap, national mass transit at $54 a month Former Indian-origin employee sent to jail for stealing $17 mn from Apple Jumbo Mortgages But finances arent the only hurdle to doing a deal. As of Friday evening, the FDIC had yet to reach a decision on putting First Republic into receivership, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. Representatives for Californias banking regulator, which would take the lead in declaring whether the San Francisco-based lender has failed, didnt respond to requests for comment. JPMorgan is among a small number of giant banks that have already amassed more than 10% of nationwide deposits, making the firm ineligible under US regulations to acquire another deposit-taking institution. Authorities would have to make an exception to allow the countrys largest bank to get even bigger. During last months regional banking crisis, wealthy customers and businesses yanked their cash from banks with such flaws in their balance sheets. In response, the Federal Reserve opened up an emergency lending facility to give banks a way to borrow against some of their holdings to meet any demands for cash. Weighing on First Republics balance sheet is a mountain of low-interest loans, including an unusually large portfolio of jumbo mortgages to wealthy clients. Such debts have lost value amid interest-rate hikes, leaving the firm facing losses if forced to sell them. Waiting for Aid A group of 11 banks that deposited $30 billion into First Republic last month giving it time to find a private-sector solution have proved reluctant to band together on making a joint investment. A few proposals that surfaced in recent days called for a consortium of stronger banks to buy assets from First Republic for more than their market value. But no agreement materialized. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday asserted that "deeper globalization" and a "broadening of India's interest" is the reason that Latin America is no longer considered "a region too far, adding that India's trade with it is approaching a volume of "USD 50 billion". The EAM made the above remarks while apprising the diplomatic corps and students in the Dominican Republic about India's engagement with Latin America. During his speech, Jaishankar spoke on three themes: How does India approach the world and secure its growing global interest; How is India engaging Latin America; What should India - today's and tomorrow's - mean to you (Dominican Republic). Following his speech, Jaishankar tweeted, "Happy to speak to diplomatic corps and young minds of the diplomatic school of @MIREXRD, Dominican Republic. Offered my thoughts on - How does India approach the world? How is India engaging Latin America? What should India - today's and tomorrow's - mean to them? Watch my speech to know the answers." The External Affairs Minister, during his first official visit to the Dominican Republic, while speaking further on India's engagement with Latin America said, "In the last decade there has been a conscious deepening of this process. Our trade with Latin America is today approaching a volume of USD 50 billion. Our export to Brazil at USD 6.48 billion is more than Japan at USD 6.18 billion. That to Mexico at USD 4.43 billion is more than to Canada at USD 3.7 billion. In fact, with the Dominican Republic, our exports at USD 329 million is more than some ASEAN partners. The deeper globalization and a broadening of India's interest, Latin America is no longer considered a region too far." Underlining India's growing investments, he said, "Surge in investments in the energy sector, India today imports crude from Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Guyana. Our presence in sectors like IT, pharma and two-wheelers is increasing." Also Read India plans to open logistic hub for Indian companies in Panama: Jaishankar Jaishankar's 4-nation visit to Central and Latin America begins today Jaishankar to visit 4 countries in Latin America, Caribbean from Apr 21-29 S Jaishankar reaches Guyana on 3-day visit, receives warm welcome India's ties with China 'abnormal' due to violations at border: Jaishankar Political visibility of Indian-Americans bigger than 1% population share FDIC asks JPMorgan, PNC to submit final bids for First Republic by Sunday India's ties with China 'abnormal' due to violations at border: Jaishankar US lawmakers propose bill to ban AI from launching nuclear weapons It all went south, says Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey; rues Musk deal Jaishankar also noted India's growing political coordination with regional blocs of Latin America, "The political engagements are growing in parallel. Since 2016, we have a structured engagement with CELAC. Similarly, there is an arrangement to regularly interact with CARICOM and SICA. India is an associate member of Pacific alliance." Explaining the students of diplomacy about what should India - today's and tomorrow's - mean to them, Jaishankar said that as the fifth largest economy, India's economic presence will be more strongly felt in this region. "Not just as a most populous country but also one of growing skills and talent, we are becoming increasingly central to the global workplace. The big change of our era is digital revolution. In that sense, India's digital experience holds lessons for the world," he said. Noting other major steps taken by India, Jaishankar said, "A parallel story is taking place in the domain of health. Covid period recognised India's true potential in health sector. In a world that is more self-obsessed India has stepped in providing humanitarian assistance." Prior to this, the External Affairs Minister stated the different aspects of "How does India approach the world?" "Like any other country, India's most pressing priorities are in its neighbourhood. Given its size and economic strength, it is very much for the collective benefit that India takes generous and non-reciprocal approach to cooperation with smaller neighbours." Jaishankar also explained them India's Neighbourhood First Policy, which focuses on peaceful relations with its South Asian neighbours. He said, "This what we have done in the last decade under the leadership of PM Modi and Neighbourhood First Policy. It has seen a dramatic expansion in connectivity, contact and cooperation across the region. The exception to this is, of course, Pakistan in view of the cross-border terrorism it supports," adding, "Whether it is the Covid challenge or more recent debt pressure India has always stepped up for its neighbours." Jaishankar, in his lecture, explained India's global ties in all directions. He said, "Beyond South Asia, India is developing a concept of extended neighbourhoods, in all directions. With ASEAN, this has taken the form of what we call the Act East Policy that has opened up a pathway to a deeper engagement with the Indo-Pacific that is being pursued amongst others through a mechanism, called the Quad." "Towards the West, there has been a perceptible intensification with India's relationship with the Gulf and with the Middle East. One reflection of that, is a new grouping called I-2U-2, comprising India, Israel, UAE, USA," he added. The External Affairs Minister also said, "To the South, the outlook that shapes India's thinking goes by the acronym of Sagar, an Indian word for oceans. First time in 2015, PM Modi articulated a comprehensive view that span the entirety of Indian oceans and its islands. These subsequently became the building block for the Indo-Pacific vision that merged thereafter." He added, "To the North, India has been pursuing a strategy of connecting to Central Asia more effectively and this has taken the form of structured engagements across multiple domains." On Friday, Jaishankar arrived in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic for his first official visit to the country. The powerful sister of North Korea's leader says her country would stage more provocative displays of its military might in response to a new US-South Korean agreement to intensify nuclear deterrence to counter the North's nuclear threat, which she insists shows their extreme hostility toward Pyongyang. Kim Yo Jong also lobbed personal insults toward US President Joe Biden, who after a summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday stated that any North Korean nuclear attack on the US or its allies would result in the end of whatever regime took such action. Biden's meeting with Yoon in Washington came amid heightened tensions in the Korean Peninsula as the pace of both the North Korean weapons demonstrations and the combined US-South Korean military exercises have increased in a cycle of tit-for-tat. Since the start of 2022, North Korea has test-fired around 100 missiles, including multiple demonstrations of intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to reach the US mainland and a slew of short-range launches the North described as simulated nuclear strikes on South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is widely expected to up the ante in the coming weeks or months as he continues to accelerate a campaign aimed at cementing the North's status as a nuclear power and eventually negotiating US economic and security concessions from a position of strength. During their summit, Biden and Yoon announced new nuclear deterrence efforts that call for periodically docking US nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea for the first time in decades and bolstering training between the two countries. Also Read North Korea fires one ballistic missile into the sea, says Seoul North Korea's Kim calls for key party meeting to review state affairs North Korea fired ballistic missile toward eastern waters: South Korea North Korea to boost nuclear warhead production 'exponentially': Kim Jong US urges UN to condemn N Korea; China, Russia blame Washington for tension LIVE: Guj HC to hear Rahul's plea in 'Modi surname' defamation case today World Bank approves $1.25 bn financing for Bangladesh for 2023-27 Pakistan urges US to restore military financing, sales suspended by Trump US, West seek to turn Ukraine conflict into 'war of attrition', says Iran H-1B lottery system has resulted in sharp increase of abuse, fraud: USCIS They also committed to plans for bilateral presidential consultations in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack, the establishment of a nuclear consultative group, and improved sharing of information on nuclear and strategic weapons operation plans. In her comments published on state media, Kim Yo Jong said the US-South Korean agreement reflected the allies' most hostile and aggressive will of action against the North and will push regional peace and security into more serious danger. Kim, who is one of her brother's top foreign policy officials, said the summit further strengthened the North's conviction to enhance its nuclear arms capabilities. She said it would be especially important for the North to perfect the second mission of the nuclear war deterrent, in an apparent reference to the country's escalatory nuclear doctrine that calls for pre-emptive nuclear strikes over a broad range of scenarios where it may perceive its leadership as under threat. She lashed out at Biden over his blunt warning that North Korean nuclear aggression would result in the end of its regime, calling him senile and too miscalculating and irresponsibly brave. However, she said the North wouldn't simply dismiss his words as a nonsensical remark from the person in his dotage. When we consider that this expression was personally used by the president of the US, our most hostile adversary, it is threatening rhetoric for which he should be prepared for far too great an after-storm, she said. The more the enemies are dead set on staging nuclear war exercises, and the more nuclear assets they deploy in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula, the stronger the exercise of our right to self-defence will become in direct proportion to them. North Korea has long described the United States' regular military exercises with South Korea as invasion rehearsals, although the allies described those drills as defensive. Many experts say Kim Jong Un likely uses his rivals' military drills as a pretext to advance his weapons programs and solidify his domestic leadership amid economic troubles. Facing growing North Korean threats, Yoon has been seeking stronger reassurances from the United States that it would swiftly and decisively use its nuclear weapons if the South comes under a North Korean nuclear attack. His government has also been expanding military training with the US, which included the allies' biggest field exercises in years last month and separate drills involving a US aircraft carrier battle group and advanced warplanes, including nuclear-capable B-52 bombers and F-35 fighter jets. Kim Yo Jong did not specify the actions the North is planning to take in response to the outcome of the US-South Korea summit. Her brother said this month that the country has built its first military spy satellite that will be launched at an unspecified date, which will almost certainly be seen by its rivals as a banned test of long-range missile technology. In March, he called for his nuclear scientists to increase production of weapons-grade material to make bombs to put on his increasing range of nuclear-capable missiles, as the North unveiled what appeared to be a new warhead possibly designed to fit on a variety of delivery systems. Nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have derailed since 2019 over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling US-led sanctions against the North and the North's steps to wind down its nuclear weapons programme. Cash-strapped Pakistan urged the United States to restore military financing and sales, which was earlier suspended by Former America President Donald Trump, according to Dawn. Addressing the seminar in Washington, Pakistan's envoy to US Masood Khan, on Thursday said, "It is important that the US restores, for Pakistan, Foreign Military Financing and Foreign Military Sales, suspended by the previous administration." Since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the US-Pakistan relationship has been stuck in a prolonged period of uncertainty. And, now with the rivalry between US and China, Pakistan's relations with America have strained and also damaged the country's deteriorating economy. US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Elizabeth Horst, who was also at the event, focused on the need to help rebuild the troubled Pakistani economy and urged Islamabad to work with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to do so, reported Dawn. "The reforms that Pakistan and the IMF agreed to are not easy," she said, adding, "But it's crucial that Pakistan take these actions to bring the country back to sound financial footing, avoid falling into further debt, and grow Pakistan's economy." Washington asks Islamabad to implement 'tough reforms' agreed with IMF Also Read Donald Trump again hints at running for office in 2024 presidential polls Trump legal woes likely to go beyond 2024, says Indian-American attorney Appeals court rejects Donald Trump effort to block Pence testimony Donald Trump faces setbacks in other probes as New York case proceeds Grand jury in Trump hush-money case to resume session on April 3: Reports US, West seek to turn Ukraine conflict into 'war of attrition', says Iran H-1B lottery system has resulted in sharp increase of abuse, fraud: USCIS UAE's Sultan Al-Neyadi becomes first Arab astronaut to complete spacewalk ChatGPT back in Italy after meeting watchdog demands, says OpenAI Trade turnover between India, Dominican Republic has reached $1 bn: EAM Recently, the increase in high-level diplomatic engagements and dialogues gave Pakistan a ray of hope again with regard to repairing the strained ties with the US. The half-day conference at Wilson Centre, Washington, focused on how the US-Pakistan relationship can be crafted against the backdrop of multiple challenging developments. Responding to a question, Ambassador Khan said Pakistan placed its first order for Russian oil and did so in consultation with the US government, Dawn reported. He also spoke about the role Pakistan can play in bringing stability to Afghanistan. "Afghanistan's stability is imperative, first and foremost, for its own people who have suffered grievously over the past four decades," Dawn quoted Khan as saying. Noting that the United States and China were both concerned about the growth of terrorism in Afghanistan, he said: "Let's work together to eliminate this threat. Today it is a threat for Pakistan and Afghanistan; if unchecked, it will spread to other parts of the region and beyond. UAE astronaut Sultan Al-Neyadi has become the first Arab to undertake a spacewalk during Expedition 69 venturing out of the International Space Station (ISS) and completing his spacewalk. The historic spacewalk lasted 7.01 hours in the vacuum of space on the starboard side of the ISS's truss structure, accomplishing two key objectives. One of the objectives of the Extravehicular Activity (EVA), undertaken by Al-Neyadi along with NASA Flight Engineer Stephen Bowen, was to work on a series of preparatory tasks which involved routing power cables, which was successfully concluded. These cable works were completed as a precursor to the installation of the Space Station's fourth roll-out solar array, known as the International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (iROSA), which is scheduled to be delivered on the upcoming SpaceX Dragon cargo mission. The next objective was to retrieve a crucial Radio Frequency Group (RFG) unit. This communications antenna, or RFG will stay bolted on the station for now due to the difficulty of removing it. Prior to embarking on their spacewalk, Al-Neyadi and Bowen underwent a two-hour oxygen purge to eliminate nitrogen from their bodies. Following this, Warren Hoburg and Frank Rubio assisted the astronauts in donning their spacesuits - a major operation in itself. It took both Al-Neyadi and Bowen an additional hour to put on their spacesuits and safety gear before entering the airlock to gradually reduce the pressure to a safe level for opening the exterior hatch. Also Read SpaceX launches four astronauts from US, Russia, and UAE to space station Last-minute problem keeps SpaceX rocket, astronauts grounded: Report BJP busy with distorting history: Siddaramaiah on Tipu Sultan's statue row Malaysia king names reformist oppn leader Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister Jaishankar meets UAE counterpart in Abu Dhabi, discusses regional issues ChatGPT back in Italy after meeting watchdog demands, says OpenAI Trade turnover between India, Dominican Republic has reached $1 bn: EAM Sri Lanka to introduce new laws to achieve green economy: President First Republic Bank's fate uncertain after stock's harrowing tumble Federal Reserve faults Silicon Valley Bank execs, itself in bank failure Prior to the spacewalk, a thorough set of checks were conducted to ensure the safety of the astronauts. During their high-altitude walk outside the ISS, Al-Neyadi and Bowen had to contend with two major challenges: radiation and extreme temperatures. The surrounding environment in space can reach scorching temperatures of up to 120 degrees Celsius in the sunlight and drop as low as -150 degrees Celsius when the sun is out of sight. While the spacesuit is geared to handle all this, careful management of the suit during the mission was also a task at hand. Hamad Obaid Al-Mansoori, Chairman, MBRSC, said: The UAE Mission 2 is a truly inspiring endeavour that embodies the spirit of Emirati excellence and determination to achieve greatness in all our pursuits. From its inception as the longest Arab space mission to the historic appointment of the first Arab increment lead on an ISS expedition, and now continuing with the ground-breaking achievement of the first Arab spacewalk by Sultan Al-Neyadi, this mission has set a new standard for excellence in space exploration. Salem Humaid Al-Marri, Director General, MBRSC, said, Sultan Al-Neyadi's spacewalk has generated an unprecedented level of excitement and interest within the public, underscoring the immense significance of this mission. While Sultan is conducting ground-breaking scientific experiments on the ISS, the addition of the spacewalk showcases yet another dimension of the UAE's remarkable expertise in space exploration. This milestone achievement will play a critical role in restoring the International Space Station to its full operational capability, cementing the UAE's position as a leading contributor to the global space community, Al-Marri said. Al-Neyadi will soon be completing two months in space after launching from Cape Canaveral in Florida with his Crew-6 team members on March 2. For his second month aboard the Space Station, Al-Neyadi conducted multiple experiments. The UAE Astronaut Programme is one of the projects managed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre under the UAE's National Space Programme and funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, which aims to support research and development in the ICT sector in the UAE and promote the country's integration on the global stage. A group of US lawmakers have proposed a bill to stop artificial intelligence (AI)-driven autonomous systems from single-handedly launching nuclear weapons, as fears arise on the potential threat of AI taking a decision on its own. Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and Representatives Ted Lieu (D-CA), Don Beyer (D-VA), and Ken Buck (R-CO) have introduced the 'Block Nuclear Launch by Autonomous AI Act' in the US, reports The Verge.The bill would "prohibit the use of Federal funds to launch a nuclear weapon using an autonomous weapons system that is not subject to meaningful human control". "In all cases, the US will maintain a human ain the loop' for all actions critical to informing and executing decisions by the President to initiate and terminate nuclear weapon employment," read the bill. The Senators feel that it is the sense of Congress that the use of lethal, autonomous nuclear weapons systems that are not subject to meaningful human control cannot properly adhere to international humanitarian law and "any decision to launch a nuclear weaponAshould not be made by AI". An earlier 'National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence' report recommended affirming a ban on autonomous nuclear weapons launches, "not only to prevent it from happening inside the US government but to spur similar commitments from China and Russia", the report mentioned. A large-scale nuclear war would lead to the deaths of millions of people, firestorms, radioactive fallout contamination, agricultural failure, and catastrophic climate results. Also Read Italy orders OpenAI to stop processing users' data else face fine Microsoft may add OpenAI writing technology to Office, other apps OpenAI launches ChatGPT Plus for $20 a month with more features AI tools not far away from being scary, need to get them right: OpenAI CEO OpenAI launches new tool 'AI Text Classifier' to detect AI-generated text It all went south, says Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey; rues Musk deal Germany sets new standard for cheap, national mass transit at $54 a month Former Indian-origin employee sent to jail for stealing $17 mn from Apple No decision yet on Yoon Suk Yeo-Fumio Kishida summit in Seoul next month Economic uncertainty in Pakistan shrinks Eid-related spending by 40% "Compliance with international humanitarian law, human control and human legal judgment is essential in the nuclear command and control process," the bill stressed. The 2022 Nuclear Posture Review states that "in all cases, the US will maintain a human ain the loop' for all actions critical to informing and executing decisions by the President to initiate and terminate nuclear weapon employment". --IANS na/ksk/ The Iranian Defence Minister Mohammadreza Ashtiani has said the US and some Western countries are after turning the conflict in Ukraine into "a war of attrition" by continuing sending weapons to Kiev, state media reported. Ashtiani made the remarks in a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin in New Delhi, India, on Thursday, in which they also highlighted the necessity of expanding and continuing the bilateral relations, official news agency IRNA reported on Friday. The Iranian Defence Minister stressed that Iran supports any diplomatic efforts that would result in the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine war, Xinhua news agency reported. He noted that the "meddlesome and unilateral" approaches of the US and some Western countries have led to an increase in conflicts and insecurities in different parts of the world. Ashtiani said that given that Iran and Belarus are both under the sanctions imposed by the US and its allies, they are required to work toward expanding bilateral relations and cooperation. For his part, the Belarusian Minister praised the cooperation between his country and Iran over the past three decades, saying despite the international pressures and sanctions, Iran has managed to turn into a strong country in the international system, pursue a stable foreign policy and insist on protecting its rights. Also Read Electricity restored to 9 mn Ukrainians after Russian attack: Zelenskyy Russia attacks Kyiv, eastern Ukraine with drones; air raid sirens heard Ukraine set to get 3 bn euros from EU this week: PM Denys Shmyhal Russia targets Ukraine's Kyiv in early morning drone attack: Authorities Russia attacks Ukraine with 16 Iran-made drones, Kiev officials claim H-1B lottery system has resulted in sharp increase of abuse, fraud: USCIS UAE's Sultan Al-Neyadi becomes first Arab astronaut to complete spacewalk ChatGPT back in Italy after meeting watchdog demands, says OpenAI Trade turnover between India, Dominican Republic has reached $1 bn: EAM Sri Lanka to introduce new laws to achieve green economy: President He stressed that both Belarus and Iran are after promoting multilateralism and respecting all countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity, noting that the sanction policy against both states has ended in failure. --IANS int/khz/ The TOM FORD brand, now owned by The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL), announced the appointments of Guillaume Jesel to President and CEO, TOM FORD, and Peter Hawkings to Creative Director, TOM FORD, effective at the closing of the acquisition. Ermenegildo Zegna N.V. (NYSE: ZGN) (Zegna Group) has appointed a CEO of TOM FORD FASHION who is expected to be announced in July and assume the role in the third quarter of calendar 2023. These leaders will work together to ensure a consistent and cohesive image across all products, brand communication and retail. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005335/en/ Guillaume Jesel named President and CEO, TOM FORD The Estee Lauder Companies (ELC) acquired the TOM FORD brand today in a transformational deal that establishes the company as the sole owner of the TOM FORD brand and all its intellectual property. The stewardship of the brand by ELC and the new leaders announced today, and through its licenses with the Zegna Group for fashion and accessories, and Marcolin Group for eyewear, provides continuity and allows for the further evolution of the TOM FORD brand as one of the preeminent global luxury brands of the twenty-first century. The Zegna Group acquired operations of the TOM FORD fashion business (TOM FORD FASHION) necessary to perform its obligations as a licensee of ELC. Tom Ford and Domenico De Sole will continue to serve as brand advisors through the end of calendar 2023. About the new leadership appointments, Tom Ford said, I could not be happier with the acquisition of the TOM FORD brand by The Estee Lauder Companies. The team there has been a great partner and Guillaume is an exceptional leader, with not only a strong business understanding of beauty, but a great understanding of fashion as well. I am also pleased that the Zegna Group will continue to manufacture and distribute TOM FORD fashion and accessories, and operate retail for TOM FORD FASHION. I have worked closely with Zegna for more than 30 years, first at Gucci, then at Yves Saint Laurent. When contemplating the creation of the TOM FORD brand there was simply no other partner that we would have turned to, to produce high quality fashion products and a flawless retail experience. Marcolin has been an excellent partner in producing and distributing TF eyewear since the inception of the brand and I have enjoyed close collaboration with Maurizio Marcolin and his talented team for many years now. These companies, under the brand stewardship of The Estee Lauder Companies, provide me with confidence that the TOM FORD brand will continue to be something that I will be proud of for many years to come. Domenico De Sole said, "I am delighted with this acquisition. We have had a long-standing partnership between the TOM FORD brand and The Estee Lauder Companies dating from the brands inception, as well as a close relationship with Gildo Zegna and the Zegna Group over the past 30 years. Given our long and successful histories together, I am certain that the two companies, together, will carry on the legacy that Tom and I have built over the past 18 years. I am grateful to Tom for his magnificent vision and leadership, and I thank our amazingly talented TOM FORD team for their dedication to and hard work for the brand." GUILLAUME JESEL NAMED PRESIDENT AND CEO, TOM FORD AND LUXURY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, THE ESTEE LAUDER COMPANIES Guillaume Jesel brings nearly a decade of successful brand leadership of TOM FORD BEAUTY to his new executive leadership position at the TOM FORD brand. As President and CEO of TOM FORD, Guillaume will have oversight across all verticals and set a holistic luxury strategy for the brand. Guillaume will report to ELC executive leaders Jane Hertzmark Hudis, Executive Group President, and Tracey T. Travis, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Guillaume has been instrumental in shaping the luxury beauty sector of our business. His ability to articulate the TOM FORD brand has resulted in TOM FORD BEAUTY achieving remarkable global success, making him ideally suited to lead the TOM FORD brand into its exciting future, said Fabrizio Freda, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Estee Lauder Companies. Under Guillaumes tenured leadership at TOM FORD BEAUTY, where he worked directly with Tom Ford and his team, the brand spearheaded iconic innovation and strategically expanded its global reach, firmly establishing TOM FORD BEAUTY as a powerhouse in luxury beauty. Since 2014 when Guillaume started with TOM FORD BEAUTY, he has led the brand to achieve strong net sales growth on a compound annual basis and significantly improved ranking in global prestige fragrance and makeup, respectively. PETER HAWKINGS APPOINTED CREATIVE DIRECTOR, TOM FORD Peter Hawkings has been working alongside Tom Ford for nearly twenty-five years, most recently as Senior Vice President of TOM FORD Menswear. In his ascension to Creative Director, Peter will succeed Tom Ford with respect to his responsibilities as Creative Director of Fashion, including womenswear, menswear and accessory categories, assuming the role of lead designer for the fashion segment and fashion shows. Peter will be responsible for upholding the TOM FORD brands vision, ensuring consistency of creative direction and decisions across all fashion categories and ushering the TOM FORD brand into its next chapter. He will report directly to Guillaume and matrix report to the CEO of TOM FORD FASHION. In Peter Hawkings the brand has found the perfect Creative Director, said Tom Ford. Peter began working with me 25 years ago as a menswear design assistant at Gucci and rapidly worked his way up to become the senior mens designer at the company when he left to join me at the TOM FORD brand. Since the creation of TOM FORD menswear, Peter has been instrumental in the success of the brand. He is an incredibly talented leader with tremendous industry experience, and his appointment gives me confidence that my commitment to creating fashion products with the highest level of design and quality will continue. Peter began his career in 1998 at Gucci under the helm of Tom Ford and worked closely with him on the development of the highly successful Gucci menswear collections. Peter left Gucci in 2006 to join Tom Ford in the launch of his eponymous brand where he was charged with overseeing the design and production of all categories of TOM FORD menswear including tailoring, sportswear, leather goods, and accessories. Peter is one of the worlds most accomplished menswear designers. His design experience working under Tom Ford is unparalleled and his commitment to quality is relentless, said Guillaume. There is no one more perfectly suited than Peter to carry the founders legendary creative vision into the future. TOM FORD FASHION LEADERSHIP The CEO of TOM FORD FASHION has been appointed and is expected to be announced in July and assume the role in the third quarter of calendar 2023. The leader will be responsible for the end-to-end TOM FORD FASHION business from collection development, to merchandising, through to production as well as retail and wholesale distribution. Ermenegildo Gildo Zegna, CEO of Ermenegildo Zegna Group said, We are delighted to appoint a strong leader for TOM FORD FASHION and look forward to leveraging the leaders luxury business acumen and international experience to further grow the TOM FORD FASHION business globally. I am thrilled about the opportunities that this transaction brings to all of us as we continue the journey started by Tom and Domenico whom we congratulate for their remarkable achievements. About The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the worlds leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of outstanding luxury and prestige brands globally. The companys products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estee Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, MAC, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, and the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD. About TOM FORD In April 2005, Tom Ford announced the creation of the TOM FORD brand. Ford was joined in this venture by former Gucci Group President and Chief Executive Officer Domenico De Sole, who served as Chairman of the company. In that same year, Ford announced his partnership with Marcolin Group to produce and distribute optical frames and sunglasses, as well as a partnership with The Estee Lauder Companies to create TOM FORD BEAUTY. In April 2007, the brands first directly owned flagship store opened in New York on Madison Avenue which coincided with the debut of the TOM FORD menswear and accessory collections. In September 2010, during an intimate presentation at his Madison Avenue flagship, Ford presented his highly anticipated womenswear collection. In February 2018, Ford debuted TOM FORD timepieces and his underwear collection for the first time on the runway. Presently, there are over 100 freestanding TOM FORD stores and shop-in-shops globally. In 2023, The Estee Lauder Companies became the sole owner of the TOM FORD brand and all its intellectual property. About Ermenegildo ZegnaGroup Founded in 1910 in Trivero, Italy, the Ermenegildo Zegna Group (NYSE: ZGN) is a leading global luxury group. The Group is the owner of the world-renowned ZEGNA and Thom Browne brands, and operates TOM FORD FASHION through a long-term license agreement with The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. The Group also manufactures and distributes the highest quality fabrics and textiles through its Luxury Textile Laboratory Platform. At the Groups core is a uniquely vertically integrated supply chain that brings together the best of Italian fine craftsmanship. Responsibility towards people, community and the natural world has been at the heart of the Ermenegildo Zegna Groups belief since its founding by the Zegna family over 100 years ago. Ensuring the highest quality of products without compromising the quality of life for future generations is a commitment carried from the Groups home in Italy to its operations around the world. Today the Group operates in approximately 80 countries around the world through 500 ZEGNA and Thom Browne stores, of which 304 are directly operated by the Group as of March 31, 2023 (242 ZEGNA stores and 62 Thom Browne stores). At the end of 2022, Ermenegildo Zegna Group had more than 6,000 employees and revenues of approximately 1.5 billion. About Marcolin Marcolin is a worldwide leading group in the eyewear industry founded in 1961 in the heart of the Veneto district, Italy. It stands out for the unique ability to combine craftsmanship with advanced technologies through the constant pursuit of excellence and continuous innovation. It signed a long-term license with The Estee Lauder Companies for TOM FORD eyewear as a substantial extension of its license with TOM FORD since 2005. Its portfolio includes proprietary brands, as well as more than twenty licensed brands. Through its own direct network and global partners, Marcolin distributes its products in more than 125 countries. At the end of 2022, Marcolin Group had about 2,000 employees and net sales of 547.4 million. The forward-looking statements in this press release, including those in the quoted remarks and those relating to the closing of the transactions and benefits and other expectations for TOM FORD and TOM FORD BEAUTY involve risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those forward-looking statements include current economic and other conditions, including volatility, in the global marketplace, actions by retailers, suppliers and consumers, competition, the transition and ongoing success of the collaborative relationship of the parties, contingencies set forth in the various transaction agreements, the abilities to implement the forward business plans, and those risk factors described in ELCs annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2022. ELC-B ELC-L View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005335/en/ Tennessee First Lady Maria Lee announced Thursday the fifth annual Tennessee Kids Serve Summer Challenge, which encourages students from across the state to get involved in their communities by serving others throughout their summer break.The challenge, which is part of First Lady Lees Tennessee Serves initiative, is open to rising kindergarteners through rising sixth graders from June 1 to Aug. 1.My passion for service started at a young age watching the example my parents set of serving others, said First Lady Lee.We believe our young Tennesseans possess the tremendous potential to make long-lasting impacts on their neighbors through service, and its our hope that this challenge will help raise up Tennessees next great generation of volunteers.To fulfill the challenge requirements, participants must complete one activity in two of the eight service categories and meet a two-hour service minimum. Students who complete the challenge will be invited to join the Governor and First Lady for a carnival at the Tennessee Residence in September.Since launching the summer challenge in 2019, more than 1,100 kids from across the state have participated, serving 4,511 collective hours in their communities.Parents and guardians can register their child and find additional information about the challenge on the First Ladys website Tennessee American Water has provided nine Hamilton County schools with water bottle filling stations. The recipients previously lacked a water bottle filling station at their school facility, making it difficult for students to refill water bottles. Tennessee American Water also donated reusable water bottles to the schools.We are excited to provide convenient access to safe, clean tap water on the go in an environmentally sustainable way, said Grant Evitts, president of Tennessee American Water.Were also pleased to support the focus on health by emphasizing the importance of drinking water.The program promotes environmental stewardship by encouraging reusable bottle use to reduce single-use plastic bottles. Drinking tap water also provides an economical way to stay hydrated.Drinking water helps students with memory and attention, said Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson. Through our Coordinated School Health program, we are glad to collaborate with Tennessee American Water to bring a way for our students to easily stay hydrated throughout the day.Recipients of the water bottle filling stations are as follows: Battle Academy Elementary; Brown Academy Elementary School; Calvin Donaldson Elementary School; Dalewood Middle School; East Lake Academy Middle School; East Ridge Middle School; Orchard Knob Middle School; Orchard Knob Elementary School; and Woodmore Elementary School. Eighteen years ago on April 28, 2005, Volunteers in Medicine Chattanooga celebrated the Grand Opening of the charitable clinic, which continues to serve the medical needs of low-income, uninsured neighbors in need. As recalled by Nancy Franks, VIMs first president and a founder of the local nonprofit. Three hundred dignitaries and guests came, and God stopped the rain by the time the program started. God has blessed VIM, think of all the thousands of patients the clinic has cared for over the past 18 years. To date, officials said the clinic has provided over 76,000 patient visits valued at $27 million at clinic rates and $111 million at emergency room rates. Along with $18 million in dispensed medications for patient prescription assistance and over $3 Million in donated labs. VIM Chattanoogas Executive Director Joel Henderson said, Our model as well relies on the gracious and dedicated support of our volunteers whove provided 165,000 volunteer hours since the clinic doors opened. We look forward to further celebrating our volunteers at an upcoming Chattanooga Lookouts ballgame as a part of Volunteer Appreciation Month festivities. Mr. Henderson added, The past couple of years midst the COVID-19 pandemic crisis has caused many challenges and changes at the clinic however our 100 volunteers working diligently alongside our small staff have been such an incredible blessing and a crucial component in the excellent care provided to our patients. Without the help and care received from Volunteers in Medicine, I would have probably worried myself even sicker, shared Melissa, a VIM patient. I wish that more people knew about VIM, because theres so many people that are struggling. Officials said, "Melissa is employed, however doesnt receive health insurance through her job, so, like many of VIMs patients who are working adults, she is without regular access to preventative medical care. Melissa also hasnt been back to the emergency department for care since becoming a VIM patient." The VIM clinic is accepting new patients which meet the following patient eligibility criteria: Applicants must be adults (ages 19-64) with 100 percent no insurance and a household income at or below 200 percent federal poverty level. Generally, the screening process takes less than a week before the first appointment with a doctor, said Mr. Henderson. VIM's primary goal is to meet our patients medical needs without creating a financial crisis for the individual or family. Our patients never receive a bill, much thanks to the generosity of community support from foundations, churches and individuals. Volunteers in Medicine Chattanoogas current Board Chairman Stephan Wright, when asked how he became involved as a volunteer with the charity eight years ago, said, "VIM had a need for community-minded volunteer business leaders to help by serving on the board." And that's all it took for the local attorney to agree to donate his time and talents for the nonprofit. At a time when we are all experiencing many changes and challenges, generosity and compassion is what brings people together, added Mr. Wright. When Dr. Holly Gadd was asked why she enjoys volunteering at VIM over the past 18 years, she said, "I like the health ministry aspect. It's a beautiful thing to reach out to people who have needs. If you need to spend an hour with a patient, if you need to sit, pray and cry with someone, you can do that. The Volunteers in Medicine, Chattanooga primary care, free clinic is open Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and is located at 5705 Marlin Road in Chattanooga, next door to the Eastgate Public Library. "If you or someone you may know is need of access to care or may want to learn more on how you can give of your talents by volunteering, contact the clinic at 423-855-8220 or info@vim-chatt.org," officials said. "Also check out more resources at vim-chatt.org and follow VIM on social media on facebook.com/vimchatt, instagram.com/vim_chatt and twitter.com/vimchatt." Your voice will be able to be heard well beyond Dalton when a new podcasting lab at the Mack Gaston Community Center opens in May. The new lab, housed in the center's computer area, features professional equipment that can be used free of charge to create programming for podcasts. All that's needed is your voice and a story you want to share with the world. A podcast is similar to a radio broadcast, but the audio program is made available in a digital format that listeners can download over the internet and listen to at their convenience. In recent years, podcasts have expanded to include live podcasts and also video podcasts. The new lab at the Mack Gaston Center includes microphones and recording equipment and also a computer that can be used to capture and edit the podcasts and then place them online. "Its exciting for me because podcasting is a movement. Its a way that a lot of people are learning different things and people are using their voice to speak about things that they are passionate about," said Audrey Simmons, the assistant manager of the Mack Gaston Community Center. "Its just a really cool tool to be heard. And there are a lot of people that dont have the equipment to use to do it in a professional way, so now we have a studio where they can come at any time and it gives them the opportunity to use their voice. And it doesnt matter where you come from or who you are, weve created this space for you to use your voice to be heard. Thats whats exciting to me." There will be an open house at the podcasting lab on the evening of May 18. Visitors will be able to tour the new facility as well as learn how to use the new equipment to create their programs and share them with the world. The lab will be available for use, however, beginning on May 1. The podcasting facility must be reserved in advance by contacting the community center. The creation of the new podcast lab got its start several years ago when Amanda Triplett, then a teacher at Dalton Middle School, brought the idea to create student podcasts back with her from a journalism conference. "It started a few years ago out of a project at Syracuse University. It was a training that I went to as an English teacher moving into journalism. I met a journalist from NPR there who told me about their student podcast challenge. She encouraged me to have some of our students at Dalton Public Schools participate in the challenge," Ms. Triplett said. "We had four podcasts that we submitted in 2020 to the NPR podcast competition and then out of thousands of entries nationwide we had one student who placed in the top ten." The students' success in the podcasting competition eventually led to the creation of a local competition for student podcasters called Speak Up Whitfield. In its first year, Speak Up Whitfield featured four middle schools in Dalton and Whitfield County. In its second year, the program expanded to ten schools and 82 different podcasts. By last year, the competition had grown to 14 schools participating and nearly 150 podcasts in both student and also teacher/staff categories. "As it has grown and more schools even outside of our community are interested in participating, a community group involved with us has started a non-profit organization called The National Podcast Project so we could help other communities start up their own, like Speak Up Chattanooga or Speak Up Atlanta or Speak Up Wherever their area is to allow students and adults to have a voice through podcasting and hopefully help different groups of people connect and understand each other better," Ms. Triplett said. The new podcast lab has been made possible in part through the generosity of the local business community and other donors. Shaw Industries donated carpet for the new space as well as a grant for the purchase of equipment. The local 4H Club also contributed an Apple MacBook Air Pro computer for use in the lab. And local artist Paula Gregg created a painting that adorns one of the walls in the new lab with inspirational messages and images of speakers sharing their voices. "I think having it here at the Mack Gaston Community Center is a really good idea because Mack Gaston is sort of a nucleus of Dalton," Audrey Simmons said. "Youve got people from all walks of life here and its just a very diverse place and I think thats what makes it exciting too. Its a great space, its a great place to have something like this just because of the culture of Mack Gaston and who we are to this city." The new podcasting lab is the first of its kind in our area, but it will likely not be the last. Amanda Triplett is working with donors on plans to create a second podcasting lab that would be housed at the Dalton-Whitfield Public Library to give access to people who may not have transportation across the city to the community center. And Dalton State College plans to begin a podcasting class in the fall. "I think our area could really be known for this," Ms. Triplett said. "I dont think anywhere else is doing what were doing yet." Use of the new podcasting lab can be reserved by contacting the Mack Gaston Community Center during business hours at 706-278-8205. The facility will be available beginning Monday, May 1. The open house on May 18 is scheduled from 5:30-7:30 p.m. A man told police he parked his work vehicle in the driveway on Albany Street around 6:30 p.m. the day before. He said when he came out that morning, he saw that the vehicle had been stolen. He said the keys were left inside the vehicle. The vehicle was listed into NCIC. * * * A caller told police a woman on Cannondale Loop had asked him to call police on her behalf because she was in a disorder with a man. She told police that she and her boyfriend were in a disagreement because she had asked him to leave, but he had since left. The woman refused to give the boyfriend's information and said that she did not need police anymore. The woman did not display any apparent injuries. * * * Police spoke with a woman on McCallie Ave. who was severely intoxicated and wanted to report her VW Jetta (TN tag) stolen. She went on to inform police her friend's boyfriend, whom she only knew as "Teddy," was supposed to be the designated driver tonight and drive the car, however he had not returned it and she had forgotten her phone in the car and can't call him to return it. She told police it might be at a residence on Gillespie Road where "Teddy" lives and she did not want to press charges. Police located the vehicle at the residence on Gillespie Road and spoke with the man she knew as "Teddy," who informed police after dropping her off, she told him to make sure her friend got home safe, who lives with him. He was no longer sober since being home; however, turned the keys and the woman's phone over to the police so they could be returned. Police returned the woman's phone and keys and told her where she could pick up her vehicle in the morning. * * * A man told police that he was coming back from his sister's house on Brainerd Road. He said that by the time he got to his residence on McCallie Avenue, he noticed that he had lost his driver's license. He said that he did not know where he lost it. He wanted to make a police report. * * * Police received a call from the Emergency Animal Clinic at 6393 Lee Hwy. concerning a woman that came in with her pet. Police found the woman lying on the floor crying. Police observed womans things scattered about the counter top and her shoes were scattered on the floor away from her. Police spoke to the woman, who would barely communicate with police and did not say words, just sounds of moaning. She appeared to be in distress. Police were able to calm her and help her up and into a chair. EMS arrived on scene and evaluated the woman, who told EMS her pet of nine years passed away and it is difficult for her to deal with the news. The woman did not wish to be transported to the hospital. After speaking with EMS, the woman told police that she did not wish to drive home, as she was very upset. Police made contact with the womans neighbor and he said hat he would come to transport the woman home. Police remained on scene until the neighbor arrived as the woman was still in an emotional state. The neighbor arrived on scene and transported the woman home. * * * Police responded to the Speedway, 1330 E. 3rd St., for a person who was on the property who was panhandling and refusing to leave after being asked by management, who wanted her trespassed. Police identified the woman and informed her she had to leave and has been criminally trespassed. The woman left the property without incident. * * * A man on E. Brainerd Road told police that some time overnight someone entered his unlocked 2008 Honda Pilot and stole the following: unknown make 38 special revolver; Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus cellular phone; and an Apple iPhone 13. There is no suspect information. * * * A tenant at 321 Browns Ferry Road called police saying that a suspicious homeless person was on the sidewalk by the business. Police approached the man, who was sleeping in a sleeping bag. The man had no active warrants. It was suggested he relocate and he did so without further incident. * * * A man on 5th Avenue Court told police his ex-girlfriend was causing a disorder and tossing his belongings all over his apartment. Police spoke with both of them, who were in a verbal argument outside. Housing Police responded as well and assisted. Both of them were separated. Police instructed the woman to return to her house and leave the man alone. * * * Police were called back out to a residence on Stuart Street. Midnight shift had been out at this address multiple times the night before with disorders between two people, who both reside at this location. One of them allegedly woke up before the other early that morning and had removed a few door knobs from a few doors. The doors and door knobs were not damaged, and the door knobs were left at the house and can be put back on. No one witnessed this incident. The Chattanooga Area Veterans Council announced that the Chief Reviewing Officer for this year's Armed Forces Day Parade will be General Duke Z. Richardson, Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The parade will be staged at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, May 5, on Chattanoogas historic Market Street, followed by the Armed Forces Day Luncheon at the Chattanooga Convention Center at 12 noon. General Richardson is responsible for installation and mission support, discovery and development, test and evaluation, life cycle management services, and sustainment of virtually every Air Force weapon system. The command employs 89,000 people and manages $72 billion of budget authority annually. The General enlisted in the Air Force in 1983 as an avionics technician, and later received his commission via Officer Training School. In addition to four Program Executive Officer leadership tours, General Richardson has held a breadth of material-related assignments within Program Offices, the Air Force Research Laboratory, Headquarters Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Headquarters Air Force, Special Operations Command, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. General Richardson holds a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Arizona State University, a M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of New Mexico and an M.A. in Organizational Management from George Washington University, Washington, D.C. John Lennons parents met at a park one afternoon. Lennons mother (Julia) made fun of his father (Freddie)s hat and the rest was history. But when Julia got pregnant and eventually gave birth to John, Freddie was off at sea, only to return when John was five. And when Freddie returned, he had plans to leave again, this time with John. Nine-year-old John Lennon and mother Julia Lennon | Jeff Hochberg/Getty Images John Lennons father showed up after being gone for five years When Fred finally arrived home, he explained his five-year absence. He claimed hed gotten drunk at a stopover in New York and didnt make it back before the ship left dock, according to The Love You Make by Peter Brown and Steven Gaines. He was arrested and then remanded to a ship heading to North Africa. On that ship, he was accused of stealing a liquor bottle on board. When they docked, he was once again arrested. When he was let go, he became involved in selling black-market stockings and actually made a ton of money. But Julia wasnt impressed with his earnings and wanted a divorce. Shed met someone new while Fred was away and wanted to marry him instead. Freddie tried to run away with little John Lennon Fred Lennon, father of John Lennon | P. Felix/Express/Getty Images Fred told Julia hed think about a divorce. But first, he requested to take John on a trip with him so he could get to know him. Julia felt wary about the trip but conceded. She thought her son should know his father. But Fred never intended to return with John. He planned to go to New Zealand and start a new life there. But just before he and John boarded the freighter, Julia showed up to get her son back. Amidst an argument about who should get to keep John, Fred proposed that Julia come with them to New Zealand so they could all live together. Julia was against the idea. She just wanted John back. John Lennons parents let him decided who he wanted to live with Getting nowhere in their argument, the former couple decided to let their son decide. They called him into the room and Fred said, according to TLYM: Im going to New Zealand, and your mommas going back to Liverpool. Now, who do you want to go with? Your momma or with me? Little John chose his father. Julia had just left when she heard her son screaming Mummy! Mummy! Ive changed my mind! He burst out of the house to catch up to his mom. Fred Lennon didnt hear about or see his son again until he became one of the most famous people in the world. Though John chose Julia, it was her sister Mary Elizabeth Smith (or Mimi) that would ultimately raise John. Shortly after Fred left, Julia once again became enamored with going out at night (something she used to do before having John). Mimi and her husband George were the closest things John had to parents. Italian tourism sector expects return of Chinese tourists on May Day holiday Xinhua) 11:29, April 29, 2023 ROME, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Italian tourism sector is expected to see a boom from the return of Chinese visitors around the upcoming May Day holiday. "The Chinese return has been long-awaited here in Italy, and it's bringing huge benefits to our tourism industry," said Cristiano Varotti, chief representative of the Italian National Tourist Board (ENIT) in China. The global tourism industry has seen a rebound since China relaxed its travel restrictions earlier this year, and resumed group tours for up to 60 destinations including Italy. A five-day holiday that starts on April 29 is adding more momentum to soaring demand. The latest data from Chinese travel agency Trip.com Group shows that mainland outbound travel bookings for the holiday have multiplied by 18 times year-on-year. "Italy's position as a major destination for Chinese tourists in Europe will be confirmed in the next few months," said Varotti. The country received more than 5.3 million Chinese tourists in 2019, he added, making it one of the most visited European countries by the Chinese. Ludivine Destree, marketing project manager at the European Travel Commission, expected the tourist influx to bring ample dividends for sectors such as catering and luxury shopping in Italy, as well as in Europe. "International travelers have always been very important for the global luxury market, especially for Italy," said Stefania Lazzaroni, general manager of the Italian foundation of luxury brands Altagamma. She added that 60 percent of luxury purchases in Italy, and 50 percent of luxury purchases in Europe are made by international travelers, and most of them are Chinese. "This is how much tourism is relevant to our brands." The catering sector will also receive a boost from the recovery of the tourism industry. "We are looking forward to Chinese tourists visiting us," said Christopher, area manager of La Prosciutteria in Florence. "I'd like to invite them to try typical Florentine products, like original ham and aged or seasoned pecorino cheese." Varotti said that promotion work was well underway: "We have been investing a lot of time and resources in the Chinese digital ecosystem and social media platforms to push content to promote Italy," he explained. In 2023, training sessions and marketing actions will be organized to promote Italian destinations, in collaboration with some of the largest national Chinese tour operators, ENIT said. It will stage a series of roadshows in several cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, he added. (Web editor: Xue Yanyan, 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 Who doesnt love the Barefoot Contessa, A.K.A the Queen of East Hampton, Ina Garten? With her deliciously classy recipes and giant quarantine cosmopolitans, Ina Garten is one of the most beloved figures featured on the Food Network. But did you know that before she was known as the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten worked in a field entirely different from food? The famous chef lived an exciting life before becoming a famous cooking show host, and heres a look inside it. Ina was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1948 and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. This was where she met her husband, Jeffrey Garten, who many of us famously know from her Food Network show. Ina and Jeffrey married in 1968 and moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Jeffrey served a four-year military term during the Vietnam War, and Ina started to dabble in cooking and entertaining. She also chose to get her pilots license because she and Jeffrey lived across the street from a small airport that offered flying lessons. However, when she went over to sign up, she was told no one there could teach a woman how to fly. So, she went over to the next town and found someone who would and became a certified pilot. Once Jeffrey finished serving in the war, the couple decided to go on a long trip to Europe and camped in Paris, France, for four months. On her Paris trip, Ina fell in love with French cuisine and the French peoples appreciation for food. When she and Jeffrey returned to the United States, she extended her cooking knowledge by intently studying the famous Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle cookbook, Mastering The Art of French Cooking. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Pixabay/Gerd Altmann Fox News recently parted ways with prime-time personality Tucker Carlson, who had been with the network for quite some time. A Christian group with right-wing ideology denounced demonic interference in Carlson's departure. Termination of Tucker Carlson A report from Rolling Stone stated that on Tuesday night, Apr. 25, Lance Wallnau, the advocate of a seven-part plan for Christians to seize America, made a live broadcast in which he decried satanic mischief behind Tucker Carlson's leaving from the station. Wallnau claimed that Carlson is "the voice of the populace," which is why the devil is so hostile toward him. Carlson was alluded to in similar words by Wallnau, who is notable for spreading the belief that President Trump was God's chosen heathen. "I've talked about the secular prophets like Rush Limbaugh, or [Steve] Bannon, or Tucker Carlson. These are the people that God has his hands on," he insisted repeatedly. God reportedly employs them more effectively than many pastors, and the evil one intends to stifle the sound of these voices. As mentioned, Carlson does not have a strong religious conviction. He once joked, "I'm literally an Episcopalian." Still, he has integrated toxic attitudes popular among conservative Christians, particularly beliefs hostile toward transgender people in the United States and abortion rights. During Carlson's speech over the weekend at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. He criticized the former group as "mutilators" of women's sexual organs and the latter as "child sacrificers." Wallnau asserted that Satan is making moves to put down Carlson. He stated that Carlson's current relationship with Fox News might be implemented in such a way that it pays to keep him off the air and away from other news channels. Wallnau accused Carlson of not returning for the next three years since Satan had him under contract for twenty million dollars. As per The Guardian, there is some suspicion among people close to Carlson regarding the possibility that his departure was connected to his use of filthy text messages. Instead, it is speculated that the termination was connected to the $787.5 million settlement of a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit caused by Dominion Voting Systems over the broadcast of Donald Trump's lies about fraudulent voting in the 2020 election. According to a representative for Dominion, the contract agreement did not include the need that they cancel Carlson's show. It was also rejected by a spokeswoman for Fox, who described the claim as "categorically false." Also Read: California Teacher Gets Terminated for Refusing to Hide Sexual Orientation to Students, Parents Tucker Carlson's Response Carlson was dismissed by Fox News on Monday, Apr. 24, with the network noting that his final show had aired the previous Friday, Apr. 21. Since then, neither Carlson nor Bryan Freedman, the attorney that Carlson just recently hired, has replied to demands for comment that have been made. Moreover, CNBC reported that Carlson finally spoke out publicly for the first time on Wednesday night, Apr. 26, two days after his abrupt departure from Fox News. However, he did not address the fact that he was fired or his plans moving forward. Instead, Carlson offers his perspective on the state of politics in the United States as well as the debate that has been taking place on cable news in a video that was shared on Twitter. He stated that once people take some time off, they realize how incredibly foolish and meaningless the arguments that they watch on television are. "In five years, we won't even remember that we had them. Trust me as someone who participated," he noted Related Article: Tucker Carlson Decries Burning Of Fox Christmas Tree As 'An Attack On Christianity' Pexels/Caleb Oquendo A number of Christian groups, which includes the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, have been organizing some secretive counter-events to the Satanic Temple's 10-year anniversary celebration, which includes the group's second annual SatanCon convention at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. Unlike the Church of Satan, the Satanic Temple does not worship biblical Satan but aims to "reject tyrannical authority." The convention dubbed the "largest Satanic gathering in history," has drawn the attention of Christian groups who have planned various opposing events and prayer initiatives. Revive Boston Organizes "Counter-Response" to The Satanic Temple's SatanCon According to an article in MSN, the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has called for "intense prayer" in response to SatanCon. Meanwhile, a separate Christian activist group, Revive Boston, is organizing a weekend of worship, prayer services, and city-wide outreach to "preach the gospel in key locations" in Boston, coinciding with the dates of SatanCon. Revive Boston leader Dr. Jaymz Sideras has organized a "counter-response" to The Satanic Temple's SatanCon, describing the latter as a "weekend of blasphemy." In a YouTube video, Sideras stated that while The Satanic Temple believes they are coming to ambush Boston, God has planned to ambush them instead. The Satanic Temple, although its name suggests, they do not promote belief in Satan but encourages empathy, compassion, justice, and the separation of church and state. The group has recently used its status as a religious organization to challenge abortion bans in Idaho, Indiana, and Texas, arguing that these restrictions infringe on its members' religious freedoms. Attorney James Mac Naughton explained that The Satanic Temple views a fetus as part of a woman's body, over which she has absolute control. Also Read: Christianity Ranks Most Favorable Religion While Scientology, Satanism Get the Lowest Ratings Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Responds to Satanic Temple's Actions with Prayer and Adoration According to another source, Catholic News Agency said that the Archdiocese of Boston had started a prayerful response in response to the actions of the Satanic Temple and the SatanCon gathering. They plan adoration and prayer groups at shrines, monasteries, and parishes around the archdiocese. Over the weekend, men and women religious will be encouraged to pray more fervently, and numerous parishes will be open for adoration and Masses with this intention. As part of their response to the Satanic Temple's actions, the archdiocese is distributing prayer cards to churches and urging the recitation of the St. Michael the Archangel prayer. The Democratic Mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, was a member of the Boston City Council who voted against the group's request for an invocation in 2016. As a result, the Satanic Temple has dedicated SatanCon to her. Wu has come under fire from the group for her "unconstitutional efforts to keep TST out of Boston's public spaces." The Satanic Temple established an accessible abortion facility in New Mexico in February and began sending pharmaceutical abortion tablets to anybody who wanted to carry out the Satanic Temple's ritual abortion. The group has also opposed Christian-themed decorations in public places and organized "black mass" events, parodies of the Catholic Mass. In response to a black mass held at Harvard University in 2014, the Archdiocese of Boston requested prayer and asked Harvard to distance itself from the event. The Satanic Temple of Houston held a black mass in 2019, but the group said it does not have a eucharistic host and does not have plans to do so for SatanCon. Related Article:'SatanCon' Debuts in Boston, Marking a Decade of The Satanic Temple's Defiance Against Religious and Political Norms Pixabay/PublicDomainPictures Hundreds of churches in North Carolina seek to break away from the United Methodist Church (UMC) due to the congregation's beliefs towards LGBT rights issues. They also want to talk about the financial conditions of UMC to release the deeds of their church property. North Carolina's Churches Separation from UMC Church members who got married and prayed in the same chapel where they learned Bible verses and the song "Jesus Loves Me" are now leaving the congregation. As per Fox8, it is because of the denomination's stance on same-sex marriages and appointing LGBTQ clergy, which some churches have routinely disregarded. Under Paragraph 2553 of the Book of Discipline, these groups have submitted an appeal to the conference requesting to discontinue their relationship with the United Methodist Church. Even though this procedure was authorized in February 2022, the disagreement concerning the doctrine, property, and exit terms still needs to be resolved. On Saturday, May 6, approximately 69 churches in the Piedmont Triad will be one of 192 churches in the North Carolina Western Conference seeking to approve their request to withdraw from the church's structure. Also, they hope to be permitted to continue meeting in buildings where some have performed worship services and offered prayers for decades. The applications for disaffiliation will be heard and considered by a group comprising the authorized religious leaders of each church as well as an equivalent number of its members. This group will also examine the financial need the United Methodist Church must fulfill to compensate the churches for relinquishing the deeds to their property. Moreover, the yes-and-no votes of the representatives need to be documented by 5 p.m. on that day, or they need to be stamped by Monday, May 8. The findings will be communicated through a letter written by Bishop Ken Carter of the NC Western Conference and published on the same website on Friday, May 12. Also Read: Eagle Lake Methodist To Pay $25,000 For Disaffiliation From United Methodist Church Disaffiliation of UMC Churches In 2022, the church headquarters of the United Methodist Church granted permission for 249 United Methodist Churches in eastern North Carolina to separate from the church, WRAL reported. A significant number of the churches that wished to leave were opposed to marriages between people of the same sexual orientation as well as other regulations addressing sexuality. Churches were allowed to vote on their future during a special meeting held at Methodist University and streamed online. When Leonard Fairley, the Interim Bishop who headed over the special meeting, announced the findings of the vote decisively favorably permitting disaffiliation, he cautioned those in attendance not to celebrate the outcome. The vote was nearly unanimous in its support of the motion. On the other hand, a recent report from UM News stated that to separate from the congregation; churches must meet specific financial standards, have a vote of at least two-thirds of their members in support of disaffiliation, and receive a majority approval vote from their annual conference. An annual conference is a regional church organization that consists of voting members from various congregations. Additionally, Paragraph 2553 of the Book of Discipline, which is the rule that allows for this sort of departure, will only be in effect for 2023. According to the findings of an investigation conducted by United Methodist News, annual conferences have, up to this point, granted permission for the separation of 2,036 parishes in their congregation. Related Article:United Methodist Church Renounce Disaffiliation Process, 186 Churches Filed Lawsuit Pexels/RODNAE Productions John "Jay" Brownlow, 32, a former administrator at Ridgeway Road-based Westminster Academy, a Christian school, has been detained on several counts, including sexual exploitation of a child. Specifically, he aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, aggravated stalking, and aggravated unlawful photographing of a minor are among the eight charges that Brownlow is facing. According to reports, the occurrences happened while Brownlow was still working at the school, between June 2020 and July 2022. A nine-page indictment that included specific charges that Brownlow had stalked, photographed, and had intercourse with at least two males under the age of 18 preceded the arrest. Former Christian School Administrator Arrested on Multiple Charges, Including Sexual Exploitation of Minors According to MSN, several disturbing accusations are made against Brownlow in the indictment, including that he knowingly and unlawfully entered the home of a minor without their consent and took pictures of the minor. At the same time, they were naked in order to arouse or satisfy their sexual desires. According to reports, neither the stalking nor the hidden cameras were known to the youngsters involved. The police and other authorities are urging evreyone who has a bit of information to come and give a statement. The allegations have upset the Westminster Academy community, and the institution fully cooperates with the ongoing inquiry. The executive director of the Memphis Child Advocacy Center, Virginia Stallworth emphasized the prevalence of child sexual abuse in Shelby County. She said that two out of ten Shelby County children are sexually abused by age eighteen and she also urged victims' parents to seek evidence-based, trauma-focused therapy for their children. The claims against Brownlow are frightening, but Brownlow's lawyer, Leslie Ballin, told WREG over the phone that his client still maintains his innocence and that the matter is still pending. The inquiry is ongoing, and the Westminster Academy community is dealing with the disturbing claims. Brownlow is scheduled to appear in court once more on June 7. Throughout the ongoing investigation, the school has pledged its complete cooperation with the authorities. Also Read:Sexual Abuse of Clerics: Do Church Leaders Get Punish By Law? Other Cases of Sexual Assault In these Locations On Thursday night, Memphis Police revealed that they had detained a guy accused of recent rapes and kidnappings of young girls in South Memphis. According to Fox 13 Memphis, after the two young victims identified the suspect, the arrest was made around 5:15 p.m. The Memphis Police Department (MPD) has received support in the apprehention from the FBI and also from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. The suspect's identification was made public, and his name is Laderio Gordon, 29 years old. According to Dr. Cathryn Stout, Chief of Communications for Memphis Shelby County Schools (MSCS), the MPD and FBI have aided the addition of more patrols in the region. She underlined the value of community involvement and urged locals to exercise caution and report any unusual activities. According to WREG Memphis, alerts have been sent to advise kids to walk in groups and report any suspicious people or vehicles they may come across in light of these instances. Also, MSCS advises students who a suspicious-looking person might have approached to inform the police. In particular, the department is urging anybody who has been a victim or been solicited by a Black male giving a ride in the South Memphis communities of Gaslight, Bunker Hill, and Cane Creek to notify the police. Related Article: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia Refused to Acknowledge Sexual Abuse Claims Against Priest, Face New Lawsuit Flickr/ Richard Elzey Republican Sen. Phil King's Senate Bill 1515, which would mandate the Ten Commandments be exhibited in Texas classrooms, was just advanced by the Texas Senate. The state House will now be considering the bill. If approved, the commandments would have to be posted in each classroom starting the following academic year in public schools. Some critics of the bill have stated that it violates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause and that the bill is undoubtedly unconstitutional. Texas Bill Mandating Display of Ten Commandments in Public Schools Faces Legal Challenge According to the article shared in Texas Public Radio, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Texas staff attorney David Donatti noted that this is not the only bill in the Texas legislature that is seeking to combine public schools and the religious institutions. Another illustration is S.B. S.B. 763, which would let the chaplains counsel students rather than professionals with licenses, and S.B. 1396, which would provide a time for Bible reading and prayer in districts across Texas. Donatti expressed alarm over the likelihood that particular religious beliefs would take over public schools. Sen. King argued in support of the proposal by mentioning how important the Ten Commandments are to American tradition. As it moves to the state House for discussion, the law's potential impact on public schools and religious institutions is still a contentious issue.a In the story published on the Freedom From Religion Foundation website, according to the supporters of the bill, if the Ten Commandments would be displayed, this will serve as a reminder to the pupils of America's founding principles. But the criticizers of the bill argues that only three of the Ten Comandments are applying and have significance for the American law. Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor of Texas, has endorsed the legislation and argued that restoring the Ten Commandments and prayer to public schools is going to help kids become better Texans. The first four commandments, according to opponents, are unconstitutional under the First Amendment, and the government has no business deciding what religion kids should practice. They also highlight the Tenth Commandment's illogical and sexist elements. The measure has been ruled illegal based on the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Stone v. Graham (1980), which held that the Ten Commandments constitute a religious text and that putting them in classrooms is fundamentally religious. Texas politicians, though, are optimistic that the high court's conservative majority would reverse this ruling. The FFRF is ready to oppose the law in response, highlighting the need to defend the First Amendment. Also Read:Religious Freedom Bill Advances to Senate After Clearing House Vote Other Proposals and Some Issues Related to Religion Some parents attempted to donate posters that said "In God We Trust" in Arabic or displayed in rainbow lettering in opposition to the contentious Texas law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools, but they were unsuccessful. According to The Dallas Morning News, this problem has brought to light the ongoing discussion about the separation of church and state in Texas education. Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, sponsored a plan that might allow for voluntary prayer periods in classrooms, need parental permission, and permit children to study the Bible or other religious books. Advocates and researchers are concerned about the separation of church and state in Texas education because of several measures in the current legislative session, including this one. The introduction of an education savings account scheme, which would distribute public monies to families to spend toward private school tuition, including at religious schools, is being promoted by both Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Governor Greg Abbott. Governor Abbott has promoted this program at Christian schools all around the state. In addition, a bill that would have allowed districts to use chaplains rather than licensed counselors was recently discussed by the House public education committee. Critics contend that these activities violate Texas students' right to freely exercise their religion because they come from a diverse community with various religious and cultural customs. Related Article:Religious Freedom in Canada 'Essentially Dead,' Says Lawyer for Teen Suspended Over Trans Comments Pixabay/ Francesco Nigro Late Pope Benedict XVI appeared to a nun in Colombia, delivering a shocking message about the end times. The apparition reportedly occurred on February 2, 2023, just a few months after the Pope's death in December 2022. The nun, Sister Benedicta of the Holy Cross, claimed she saw the former Pope in a vision while praying in her convent. Pope Benedict XVI's Apparition According to the Sunstar, in the apparition, Pope Benedict XVI reportedly spoke about the end times and warned of impending doom. Sister Benedicta described the message as "shocking" and "horrific" and said that the former Pope's appearance so soon after his death was highly unusual. The reported vision has sparked widespread interest and debate among religious scholars and Catholics worldwide. Some have expressed skepticism about the apparition, while others have pointed to it as a sign of our "extraordinary" times. Pope Benedict XVI, who served as head of the Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013, was known for his conservative views and staunch opposition to modern secularism. His reported message about the end times will likely be a warning to those who reject traditional religious values and teachings. Moreover, the Vatican has not yet commented on the reported apparition, and whether the church will investigate the matter further remains unclear. However, for many believers, the vision will serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of faith and the need to prepare for the coming end times. As per the University of Dayton, an apparition is a reported supernatural appearance or manifestation of a religious figure, such as a saint, an angel, or the Virgin Mary. Apparitions are often associated with visions, dreams, or other experiences of a mystical or spiritual nature. In the context of the Catholic Church, apparitions are often seen as a sign of divine intervention or a message from God. The church has a formal process for investigating reported apparitions to determine their authenticity, and the church has officially recognized many apparitions as genuine. However, there is also a great deal of skepticism and debate around the authenticity of reported apparitions, and many are met with criticism or disbelief. Also Read: Pope Benedict XVI Laid to Rest in Emotional Funeral Ceremony at St. Peter's Square Pope Benedict XVI's Legacy Former Pope Benedict XVI left a complex and tumultuous legacy during his papacy, which sparked a debate over his impact on the Catholic Church. Benedict's legacy is a mix of controversial policies and conservative views that continue to shape the church today. As the National Catholic Reporter reported, Benedict's papacy was marked by many controversies and challenges, including the widespread sexual abuse scandal and the Vatican leaks scandal, which revealed corruption and mismanagement within the church. Some have criticized Benedict's handling of these crises as insufficient, and his conservative views on issues such as contraception and homosexuality have also drawn criticism from progressives within the church. Despite these challenges, Benedict is remembered for his intellectual prowess and efforts to strengthen the church's theological and doctrinal foundations. As the National Catholic Reporter notes, Benedict's papacy saw a renewed emphasis on traditional Catholic teachings and practices, including the Latin Mass and the use of conventional vestments. Yet, Benedict's legacy remains a subject of debate within the church, with some praising his efforts to defend traditional Catholicism and others criticizing his conservative views and handling of the sexual abuse crisis. The debate over Benedict's legacy will likely continue for years as the church grapples with the challenges of the modern world and seeks to chart a path forward. Related Article: Pope Benedict XVI Passes Away at 95, Remembered for His Defense of Orthodoxy and Historic Resignation Pixabay/Franz Bachinger A man from Redbridge Lane East, Ilford, stole lead sheeting from several churches in England. The court decided to hold him responsible for 18 counts of stealing. Court Order The Reverend Nicholas Munday expressed his opinion that the incidents had "devastated" the community in a statement that was read in court. "It's been necessary to find large sums of money for the repairs," he added. According to BBC News, Rev. Munday asserted that churches are stunning examples of listed buildings important to a country's history. Damage has been done to both the interior and exterior due to lead loss. Two churches attacked were St. Nicholas Church in Walcot, Lincolnshire, and St. Boltoph's Church in Newton, located close. Along with the Church of St. Denys in Kirkby la Thorpe and the Church of St. Andrew at Witham on the Hill, 11 other churches located throughout the Midlands were targeted as part of the robbery. The jury was informed that the 26-year-old Madalin Gabriel Prundaru expressed sorrow and repentance for his role in the thefts and that he had apologized for his involvement. As mentioned, at that time, he was 19 years old, and his cousin Gigi Lovan Prundaru had requested him to assist with loading lead into a vehicle after he had been laid off from his job at a supermarket. The court was told that Gigi Prundaru would use Google Earth to locate an appropriate church, and then a group of people would depart London late at night armed to steal the lead from the church. The stolen lead would then be sold. After a night's work, Mandalin Prundaru was given a wage that ranged from 30 to 50. Moreover, the judge stated that Gigi Prundaru had previously been sentenced to six years and one month in prison for being involved in the robberies and that another individual, Laurentiu Ilie Rebeca, had been sentenced to four years and ten months in prison for thefts. He also mentioned that a psychiatric examination revealed Madalin Prundaru had issues with her academic performance. "You followed them like a lamb, and you were paid a pittance for what you did," the judge said to Prundaru. The court heard that Mandalin Prundaru had been carrying an electronic tag for the previous five years, ever since he had been freed on bail in 2018. On Friday, Apr. 28, he appeared in court in Lincoln and was given a community service order of 24 months in addition to 30 days of therapeutic activity. As per Head Topics, Mandalin Prundaru committed thefts at religious institutions in Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, and Leicestershire. The incidents occurred between May and August of 2016, estimated to have caused a total of 461,000 or around $580,000 of damage. Also Read: Pastor and Wife Sentenced to Prison for Exploiting Homeless Individuals for Forced Labor and Stealing Government Benefits Stealing Lead Roofs from Churches According to Farsight, as the number of crimes committed against heritage buildings in the United Kingdom, such as churches and other places of worship, continues to rise across the country, it is abundantly clear that safety is still a primary concern. The stealing of lead from roofs, in particular, is disastrous for companies, estate owners, the diocese, and the people they serve. The Government of the United Kingdom defines theft of metal related to infrastructure as "the removal of metal that has a direct impact on the functioning of infrastructure and/or the fabric of a building or machinery." During the past two years, authorities have received reports of a staggering 31,985 thefts involving metal. These numbers, which the ONS published, reveal an alarming rise in metal thefts, particularly from infrastructure. There was a rise of 21%, from 6,884 in the 2018/19 school year to 8313 in the 2019/20 school year. Related Article: Historic St. Joseph Parish Church Roof Destroyed By Windstorm Pixabay/ Bruce Emmerling A group of parents in a Catholic school district in Canada have caused controversy by protesting against the display of a gay pride flag at a local high school. Parents Protest According to a report by Catholic News Agency, the protest took place on Thursday afternoon and prompted police intervention. The parents gathered outside St. Joseph Catholic High School in Ottawa to voice their opposition to the display of the rainbow flag, which they believe goes against the teachings of the Catholic Church. They held signs and chanted slogans, calling for the flag's removal. As per the report, the protest was peaceful at first, but tensions escalated when police officers arrived on the scene. The police were called to the school after receiving messages of a disturbance, and they remained on site to ensure the safety of those present. The display of the gay pride flag at the Catholic high school has sparked debate and division within the community. While some believe that the flag represents inclusivity and acceptance, others argue that it contradicts the traditional teachings of the Church on sexuality and gender. In a statement issued by the school district, officials expressed their commitment to promoting a safe and inclusive environment for all students. "We believe that displaying the rainbow flag sends a message of love, respect, and inclusion to all members of our community," the statement read. However, the parents who protested against the flag argue that it is inappropriate for a Catholic school to display symbols that promote ideas that conflict with Church teachings. "We have a right to express our beliefs and opinions, just as the school has a right to express theirs," one parent told Catholic News Agency. The protest has reignited the debate over the place of gay rights and LGBTQ+ issues in Catholic education. While some Catholic schools have taken steps to embrace inclusivity and diversity, others have faced criticism for failing to address the problems related to gender and sexuality. The incident at St. Joseph Catholic High School is just the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the display of gay pride symbols in Catholic institutions. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how schools and communities will navigate the complex and often divisive issue of LGBTQ+ rights in the context of Catholic education. Also Read:Religious Freedom in Canada 'Essentially Dead,' Says Lawyer for Teen Suspended Over Trans Comments Church's Stance on Sexuality and Gender Complicates Issue The Toronto Catholic District School Board has sparked controversy after it removed LGBTQ+ groups from its list of recommended resources for students. According to a report by Toronto.com, the decision was made following complaints from some parents and Catholic organizations. The resource list, intended to support students who may be struggling with issues related to their sexual orientation or gender identity, previously included links to organizations such as the 519 Community Centre and PFLAG Canada. However, these links were removed after some parents and religious groups objected to having LGBTQ+ groups on the list. A related report by National Post revealed that some Catholic school groups in Ontario were divided over the issue of accepting gay-straight alliances (GSAs) on campus. While some boards have embraced GSAs to promote inclusivity and support for LGBTQ+ students, others have expressed concern that such groups may conflict with Catholic teachings on sexuality and marriage. The debate over LGBTQ+ rights and Catholic education is likely to continue as schools and communities navigate the complex and often contentious issue of inclusivity in the context of religious teachings. As the controversy over the Toronto Catholic District School Board's resource list demonstrates, finding a balance between these competing values can be a challenging and divisive task. Related Article: Teen Arrested After Protests Against Transgender Policies at St. Joseph's Catholic High School in Canada Pixabay/Annett_Klingner Pope Francis stressed the significance of the Resurrected Christ. He challenged the Church to adopt a "prophetic receptivity" in response to the difficulties of the current world in a statement delivered to Hungarian Church leaders on Friday. Pope Benedict XVI urged openness and a prophetic attitude based on the Gospel while admonishing against the temptations of "bleak defeatism" and "worldly conformism." In order to understand the signs of the times and how to see the changes and difficulties of the modern world as possibilities for growth and signs of the Lord's impending return, Pope Francis used Christ's parable of the fig tree. He acknowledged the severe risks that secularism, consumerism, hedonism, and polarization represent to families and young people in Hungary. Pope Francis Calls for Prophetic Receptivity and Communion in Message to Hungarian Church Leaders According to the Vatican News, the Pope emphasized several hardships facing the Church, including the vocations crisis and division within the Church itself, but he also made the observation, invoking his predecessor, Benedict XVI, that these obstacles can help strengthen the faith and expand our awareness of modern issues. The Holy Father emphasized the significance of sharing the Eucharist, referring to it as the "first pastoral priority" since "God is Communion and He is Present Wherever There Is Fraternal Charity." Pope Francis concluded by outlining the characteristics of the Church to which we ought to aspire: a Church able of mutual listening, discourse, and care for the most vulnerable; welcome to everyone, and brave in carrying the prophetic message of the Gospel to everyone. According to The Paradise, the Pope encouraged the faithful and leaders of the Hungarian Church to be hospitable, witness to the Gospel's prophecy, and, above all, be men and women of prayer since the future depends on it. The Pope prayed that their spirits would not waver and that they would continue with great joy. Also Read: Pope Francis Leads Inspiring Easter Mass for Thousands in St. Peter's Square Pope Francis Concludes First Full Day in Hungary, Calls for Joy and Overcoming Interior Exhaustion On Friday, Pope Francis finished the first full day of his 41st Apostolic Journey abroad in Budapest. The Pope spoke to bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated people, seminarians, and pastoral workers in St. Stephen's Co-Cathedral. According to an article in Herald Malaysia, he cautioned them against the mediocrity that resulted from inner exhaustion and encouraged them to move on enthusiastically. With thousands swarming the cathedral's piazza and balconies overlooking the scene, the event was defined by emotion and enthusiasm. Before his departure, Pope Francis visited Hungary and spoke with 15 homeless persons at the Vatican. The Hungarians welcomed him with excitement, and schoolchildren lined the streets to do so. The Hungarian government offered free public transportation for those traveling to the event. The country expressed its appreciation for the assistance provided by the Church and state in exercising their faith. Pope Francis warned against the rise of nationalism in Europe and encouraged authorities to look beyond national lines in his inaugural address. He also demanded an end to the Ukraine conflict and supported innovative peace initiatives. Related Article: Pope Francis Empowers Women with Voting Rights at Synod for the First Time Contemporary Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman has joined the ranks of George Strait and Madonna as one of the few musicians who have topped radio charts 50 times. Chapmans song Dont Lose Heart, written about the struggle to hang on to faith in a time of crisis, was the most-played song on adult contemporary formats of American Christian radio in early March. His first No. 1 song was His Eyes in 1988. Chapman has sold 11 million albums. United States: Mennonites repent of anti-music sins of the fathers The children of a Mennonite revivalist apologized for a 1927 ban on musical instruments that forced a neighbor family to get rid of two pianos, destroy an organ, and hide a violin. At the time, the Virginia Mennonite Conference mandated a cappella singing in worship services, since there is no record of musical instruments in New Testament churches. Bishop George R. Brunk and his son revivalist George R. Brunk II also believed using instruments outside of church was a slippery slope to improper worship. The Brunks successfully pushed the conference to enact additional prohibitions. It had an immediate effect on their neighbors, Chester and Myra Lehman, who were forced to choose between their church and their music. Five Brunk siblings apologized 93 years later. They noted in the public letter, It is often later generations upon whom the responsibility falls to apologize for the sins of the fathers. Jamaica: First woman leads islands Christians Elaine McCarthy, elder of the Pentecostal Gospel Temple Family of Churches and chair of the Jamaica Pentecostal Union, is the first woman named to lead the Jamaica Umbrella Groups of Churches. The group represents 96 percent of Christians on the island, including Pentecostals, evangelicals, mainline Protestants, and Seventh-day Adventists. Poland: Pagan masks may actually have been shovels A Polish historian has challenged the accepted interpretation of two artifacts thought to be evidence of the persistence of paganism in medieval Europe. During an excavation in the early 1960s, archaeologists found a pine board in an 11th-century garbage dump and a birch board in a 12th-century building. Each was shaped into a triangle with two holes on the wider end. Helena Cehak-Houbowiczowa, a leading archaeologist and an expert on religious groups associated with prehistoric stone circles, decided the objects were likely masks used in pagan rituals. Contemporary Neopagans promoted the historical claims and developed replicas of the masks for religious use. Upon reevaluation, Kamil Kajkowski, head of the art and history department in a Bytow museum, argued the masks were more likely shovels or perhaps seats for wooden rocking horses. Scotland: Rising political star criticized for social views Kate Forbes, a candidate to become head of the Scottish government, was sharply attacked for her membership in the Free Church of Scotland and her commitment to the churchs teachings on sexuality. Forbes, long seen as a rising star in the Scottish National Party, did not run on cultural issues but answered journalists questions without hedging. Commentators said she destroyed her career, but her poll numbers rose 10 points in February before she narrowly lost the March election. Humza Yousaf, whose Muslim grandparents emigrated in the 1960s, won by about 2,000 votes. Nigeria: Pilgrimage planes planned The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission announced a new arrangement for a direct flight from Nigeria to Israel to facilitate Holy Land pilgrimages, starting in 2023. The commission was authorized by the government 16 years ago to start coordinating the logistics of pilgrimages and has announced and delayed plans several times. Mozambique: Fasting proves fatal for pastor A 39-year-old evangelical pastor died attempting to fast from food and water for 40 days. Francisco Barajah, founder of Holy Trinity Evangelical Church, was attempting to emulate Jesus fast in Luke 4:12, before Christ was tempted by Satan to turn stones to bread. Barajah lost significant weight and was not able to walk after 25 days. He was taken to the hospital in Beira, more than 150 miles from his home, but could not be saved. Iraq: Bells ring again at church desecrated by militants Three new bells were installed in the tower of a historic Dominican monastery in Mosul, marking the 20th anniversary of the US invasion. The UN cultural heritage agency, UNESCO, has been working to restore Al-Saaa Church and more than 100 other historic sites in Mosul for the last five years. The church, built by French Catholic missionaries, was bombed by the Islamic State in 2006. The extremists may have used the church as a site for executions during their three-year occupation of the city. The new bells were cast in a foundry in France using traditional techniques, with partial funding from the United Arab Emirates. Article continues below China: Pastors detained ahead of presidents power grab Chinese authorities cracked down on the leaders of unregistered Christian groups ahead of the joint annual sessions of the National Peoples Congress and the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference. Shouwang Church in Beijing was raided and the pastor was detained for 10 days. A pastor of Jilin Covenant Truth Church in Hefei was detained and warned not to leave the city. At least six leaders of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu were confined to their homes. During the joint sessions, president Xi Jinping gained increased control over China and secured a third term, setting him up to be the longest-ruling Chinese Communist leader since Mao Zedong died in 1976. Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here. Nearly four years ago, the United Methodist Church approved an exit plan for churches wishing to break away from the global denomination over differing beliefs about sexuality, setting in motion what many believed would be a modern-day schism. Since then, a new analysis has found, its fallen well short of that. That analysis of data collected by the churchs General Council on Finance and Administration shows 6.1 percent of United Methodist churches in the US1,831 congregations out of 30,000 nationwidehave been granted permission to disaffiliate since 2019. There are no good figures for international departures among the estimated 12,000 United Methodist churches abroad. The denominations disaffiliation plan gives churches until December 31 to cut ties, and many have already made known their desire to leave. Those churches can take their properties with them after paying apportionments and pension liabilities. Others are forcing the issue through civil courts. But whatever the final tally may be, the analysis suggests the countrys second-largest Protestant denominationnumbering 6.4 million US members and 13 million worldwidemay weaken but is unlikely to break. You think of a schism as 50 percent or even 35 percent (split), said Scott Thumma, director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research and a lead researcher for the 2020 US Religion Census. This is not a real schism. The 1,831 church departures come as United Methodist bishops say theyre battling misinformation from conservative groups that encourage churches to leave the denomination for the newly formed Global Methodist Church, which has declared it will never ordain or marry LGBTQ peoplethe crux of the conflict. In turn, the Global Methodist Church and groups like the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a network of theologically conservative churches, argue that the denominations regional conferences are making it prohibitively hard for churches to leave. The high-stakes duel has hit some regions of the country harder than others. But four years into what has been depicted as a breakup of the denomination, the picture is less climactic than anticipated. Some are leaving but the number of churches and members moving forward is far larger, said Hope Morgan Ward, retired bishop of the North Carolina conference. It is important to focus on who is staying and moving forward in the continuing United Methodist Church. The past year has brought mixed emotions, according to Bishop Thomas Bickerton of the New York Annual Conference, who leads the United Methodist Churchs Council of Bishops. Bickerton described it as a period of disunity. In March 2022, the United Methodist Church announced a third delay for the 2020 meeting of its global decision-making body, the General Conference. Delegates were expected to consider a proposal to split the church in 2020. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. The final delay prompted some Methodists to go ahead in May and launch the Global Methodist Church rather than wait for the outcome of a General Conference meeting. In the meantime, the denominations 54 US-based regional bodies called conferences have been approving disaffiliations at their regular meetings and at a flurry of special sessions. The Texas Annual Conference, a region that covers East Texas with headquarters in Houston, lost 302 of its nearly 600 churchesthe most of any conference, the analysis reveals. Analysis of the denominations data shows the largest number of churches choosing to leave are located in the Southeastern and South Central US The five conferences with the greatest number of exiting churches are in Texas, North Carolina, Alabama, and Indiana. These five conferences, with two in Texas, account for 57 percent of all departures. Contrast that with Bickertons own New York conference, where no churches have left yet, though six are discussing it, according to the bishop. The Southeastern and South Central conferences tend to be more conservative and evangelical in their beliefs, said Will Willimon, a retired United Methodist bishop and a professor of the practice of Christian ministry at Duke Divinity School. Politically, they vote Republican and are far more resistant to gay rights. Those wishing to disaffiliate will deny that, but to me its another instance of how the Methodist movement has a long history of being very influenced by secular worldly political matters, Willimon said. The United Methodist conflict is just the latest upheaval over sexuality for Protestant denominations in the United States. Hundreds of churches left the Episcopal Church after it elected its first gay bishop in 2003. They formed the Anglican Church in North America, which now has nearly 1,000 churches. Likewise, a change allowing same-sex marriage in the Presbyterian Church USAs constitution led many congregations to break away. The Rev. Keith Boyette, who heads the Global Methodist Church as its transitional connectional officer, said views on sexuality are only one reason churches leave. I believe, for many of the churches, thats just been a presenting issue, and that the reasons why they want to leave are much more significant, he said. Some have grown weary of the never-ending conflict. Bickerton doesnt disagree. Our provision that allows for disaffiliation is based on a church reaching the conviction that they cant stay a part of the denomination over matters of human sexuality, said Bickerton, president of the Council of Bishops. What we find is that people are using that paragraph to disaffiliate for other reasons. Some dont want to be part of organized religion or dont like the denominations apportionment system or arent happy with their current pastor or disagree with the actions of their bishopor a leader in another part of the country or world, according to the bishop. The result has been a messy disaffiliation process in some conferences. Some churches have taken to suing conferences to be allowed to leave immediately, including 38 churches in the Western North Carolina Annual Conference. The Wesleyan Covenant Association has called on its network of churches to withhold apportionments, or pooled giving, to those conferences it believes are making it more difficult for congregations to leave. And in recent weeks, the bishop of North Georgia Annual Conference announced she was temporarily blocking any of its churches from leaving the denomination, citing the spread of defamatory misinformation. In addition, it now appears not all exiting churches are joining the newly formed Global Methodist Church. Only 1,100 churches have joined the Global Methodist Church since it launched in May98 percent of them located in the USaccording to a recent announcement from the new denomination. That means the new denomination has absorbed 58 percent of departing United Methodist churches in the US Whites Chapel near Fort Worth, Texasone of the largest United Methodist churches in the US, with a membership of 16,000disaffiliated last year, saying it hopes to create its own network of like-minded Methodist churches. Frazer Memorial, a church of 4,000 members in Montgomery, Alabama, opted to join a smaller denomination known as the Free Methodist Church. And the The Woodlands, a church of about 14,000 members north of Houston, has yet to decide if it wants to affiliate with the Global Methodist Church. The Rev. Rob Renfroe who recently retired as a pastor of The Woodlands said he believes the Lonestar State is leading in disaffiliations, in part, because its simply easier to do so there. What were finding in Texas is that, where there is a fair and open process for disaffiliation, that many churches are doing so, said Renfroe, the president of Good News, a theologically conservative advocacy group within the United Methodist Church. But Boyette argues the numbers joining the new denomination are close to being miraculous given what he said is a costly and cumbersome process in many annual conferences. I believe that the powers that be in the United Methodist Church have been surprised by the number of churches that desire to disaffiliate in some annual conferences, Boyette said. This conflict over sexuality coincides with an ongoing decline in membership within the denomination. The United Methodist Church dropped from 7.7 million members to 6.4 million in the US over the past decade, a loss of 1.3 million members. The average age of its members is 57. And it is closing more churches than starting new ones. The effect of the split will add to those losses. The 1,831 disaffiliating churches may ultimately include up to 400,000 members (though departing churches are unlikely to bring all their members along; some may switch to another United Methodist church). The denomination will also lose an estimated $23 million in annual contributions to the denominationabout 5.5 percent of the denominations pooled giving. Bickerton said the losses arent just financial. The denomination also is losing voices and perspectives he believes are important, though he is resigned to the fact that some churches will choose to leave. United Methodists must bless them as they depart, he said.I would always say to people that when were together, were a better reflection of Jesus than any of us are by ourselves, which is to say that we need that divergent thought, Bickerton said. We need conservatives and liberals and moderates in order to be the body of Christ that we proclaim to be. 18 Christians killed, pastor wounded by extremists in Nigeria ABUJA, Nigeria In 11 days of attacks through Wednesday, Fulani herdsmen killed 18 people and wounded others in predominantly Christian villages of Plateau state, Nigeria, sources said. The herdsmen attacked 11 communities in Jos South, Riyom, Barkin-Ladi, Mangu and Bokkos counties. Three Christians in Darwat village were wounded in attacks as they worked on their farms on Wednesday, Dalyop Solomon Mwamtiri, an attorney with the Emancipation Centre for Crisis Victims in Nigeria (ECCVN), said in a press statement. The attackers were identified by Christian victims as Fulani terrorists, said Mwamtiri, adding that Gyang Danbwrang, Joshua Gyang and Mark Gyang were shot and injured by the terrorists. The Rev. Gwong Dachollom of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Darwat was ambushed, shot and cut with a machete along the Darwat-Wereng Camp route at about 3 p.m. on Monday, area resident Rwang Tengwong said. The pastor was hacked and his motorcycle carted away by his attackers, Tengwong said in a message to Morning Star News, adding that his injuries are life-threatening. Hes presently receiving medical attention at Vom Christian Hospital of the COCIN. In Farin Lamba village of Jos South Local Government Area, Fulani terrorists killed six Christians on Tuesday, said area resident Ron Thomas Gyang in a message to Morning Star News. Mwamtiri said in his statement that while the burial of the six Christians killed [April 25] at Farin Lamba of Turu in Vwang was ongoing, another tragic incident of armed attack was carried out against Christians in Gako community in Riyom LGA, where a Polytechnic graduate, Mr. Philip Bitrus, was shot dead by Fulani militias. Tengwong said that on Sunday night, Fulani militias killed six Christians and wounded two others during coordinated attacks on residents of Wereng community and Bachi District of Riyom LGA as well as Tapo village of Heipang District in Barkin Ladi LGA. Two Christians were killed in Wereng village of Riyom Local Government Area, while the other four persons were killed in Tapo village of Heipang in Barkin Ladi LGA, Tengwong said. The attacks were simultaneously coordinated between the hours of 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., he said. In Wereng, a household was attacked, leaving one family member dead, and a second family member was ambushed while he was on his way to Kwi community. In Tapo, nine Christians were ambushed by the terrorists while they were on their way from another village. Four of them were killed, while five of them escaped with injuries. Survivors said the assailants spoke Fulfulde, he said. They laid an ambush at Tapo forest and sporadically opened gunfire at them, Tengwong said. These Christians were returning home from Heipang, the District headquarters in the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area. He gave the name of one of the Christians killed as Tapshak Guwus, 24, a student at the Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin Ladi. Area community leader Shwamut Ishaku Elisha said in a message to Morning Star News that five Christians were killed and dozens of houses burned down in Murish, Dungmunan and Manja villages of Mangu County in attacks at about midnight on April 16. Mwamtiri of the ECCVN confirmed killings of Christians this month in the Murish community of Mangu LGA, Marish and Maitunbi villages of Bokkos LGA, Kuru Station in Wereng and Kwi of Riyom LGA, Rawuru of Fan and Tapo of Heipang in Barkin Ladi LGA, and Farin Lamba of Turu-Vwang of Jos South LGA. The dastardly acts of terrorism unleashed by suspected Fulani militias in Plateau state have continued to claim lives, destruction of property including home and farmed crops on daily bases, Mwamtiri said. Alfred Alabo, spokesman for the Plateau State Command, confirmed the attacks in response to Morning Star News inquires. I can confirm these attacks and want to say that security personnel have been deployed to ensure normalcy is restored in the affected communities, Alabo said. Makut Macham, spokesman for the office of the Plateau state governor, also recognized the attacks. These attacks are another attempt to reintroduce the era of violence and crises which have been largely contained due to the governments huge investment in security, peace building and reconciliation, Macha said. While commiserating with those who lost their lives and properties, the governor directed the Peace Building Agency and the State Emergency Management Agency to immediately reach out to the victims with support. Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith in 2022, with 5,014, according to Open Doors 2023 World Watch List (WWL) report. It also led the world in Christians abducted (4,726), sexually assaulted or harassed, forcibly married or physically or mentally abused, and it had the most homes and businesses attacked for faith-based reasons. As in the previous year, Nigeria had the second most church attacks and internally displaced people. In the 2023 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to sixth place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 7 the previous year. Militants from the Fulani, Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and others conduct raids on Christian communities, killing, maiming, raping and kidnapping for ransom or sexual slavery, the WWL report noted. This year has also seen this violence spill over into the Christian-majority south of the nation. Nigerias government continues to deny this is religious persecution, so violations of Christians rights are carried out with impunity. Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdoms All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a recent report. They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity, the APPG report states. Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigerias Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds. Pure Flix's 'Sun Moon' tackles heartbreak, loss with a message of God's faithfulness, actress says The star of the new inspirational Pure Flix film "Sun Moon" says the romantic comedy highlights God's faithfulness amid the heartbreak and pain of life and the freedom that comes with trusting in His plan. "God works in ways that are completely beyond your imagination," the 34-year-old actress Mackenzie Mauzy told The Christian Post. "There were many things in my life where I thought, 'I'm just going to stay here and do this simple thing and try to make this work,' and God had like such a bigger plan for me. I wouldn't have been able to see that if I didn't just keep moving forward. Even when I didn't feel like it, I knew in my heart that God had a plan for me." "I think that it's in those hard times, and in those times of loss, that you really start to open your eyes, start to open to how He's working and the love in your life and the people that He's brought into your life. There's beauty on the other side of it, the sort of after-the-storm." The Affirm Originals movie, which hits Pure Flix on May 5, follows Kelsey (Mauzy), whose vision for her future is shattered when her fiance leaves her at the altar. Heartbroken and humiliated, she leaps at the chance to escape her life and teach English in Taiwan. But even in a new country, Kelsey's troubles don't seem to subside: Teaching is overwhelming, and some defiant students refuse to listen to her. The school principal encourages her to learn from Horace, another young teacher the students like, and a friendship begins to blossom. "Will she ever find happiness and love again?" asks the film description. The film also stars Justin Chien, Madison McLaughlin and Michael Jong-Quin Huang. The film was produced by Steve Taylor, a two-time Grammy nominee and director of "The Second Chance" and "Blue Like Jazz." A family-friendly film, "Sun Moon" centers on discovering joy and purpose despite life's challenges. But it also tackles complex topics like loss, death and heartbreak. As she navigates feelings of unworthiness and heartbreak, Kelsey is shown struggling with God. "I think part of her is kind of mad at God in a way, and maybe she's mad at herself. She's just navigating a lot of emotions," Mauzy said. Through the people she meets, as she attempts to fit in in a new country, Kelsey begins to feel less alone and embraces the beauty of community. "Community is so important," Mauzy said. "[Kelsey] really just had to figure out how to connect with people because there was also this language barrier in Taiwan. So it kind of forced her to step outside of herself and just keep putting herself out there until she figured out how to make it work." In one scene, the school throws a big Christmas party at the end of the semester, and students ask Kelsey to help them learn and perform a play based on the biblical book of Ruth, a story highlighting God's covenant of faithfulness. That scene, Mauzy said, plays into the film's theme of God working through tragedy. "There are just all these little reminders to Kelsey throughout the film that like there's still a purpose on her life, and there's still a plan," she said. "And it's one of those things that I think you might not understand is happening at the moment if you're going through it personally, but looking back, it's like you can see God's hand through all of these different circumstances." "Sun Moon" is the latest film from Affirm Originals, the studio behind a slew of faith-based hits, including "War Room," "Heaven is for Real" and "Miracles from Heaven." Later this month, the studio will release "Big George Foreman," highlighting the famed boxer's journey from heavyweight champion to pastor and then heavyweight champion again. Mauzy encouraged those who enjoy positive, uplifting content to support movies like "Sun Moon" and other inspirational films, stressing that "the more that you support these kinds of movies, the more investors and studios are willing to make them." "I think that the quality of wholesome movies is getting better and better," she said. "But realistically, studios and investors don't want to put the money out for a film that they don't think people are going to see or share with their friends. So I think that's one of the reasons that it that it is important." "I think [this film] will be inspiring and hopefully uplifting to people who see it," she added. Notorious late-term abortionist LeRoy Carhart dies at 81 Abortionist Leroy Carhart, one of the few providers in the United States willing to conduct abortions once an unborn child can survive outside of the womb who once called unborn children a "parasite," has died at the age of 81. Carhart's daughter confirmed the news of her father's death in a Friday social media post after reports surfaced this week that he had been placed in hospice. Carhart operated the CARE-Clinics for Abortion & Reproductive Excellence clinics in Maryland and Nebraska, both of which advertise abortions up to 35 weeks of pregnancy. "Lee had a very simple belief that patients know what is best for their life plan and was there to support them," his daughter Janine Weatherby wrote in the Facebook post. "He founded his first Clinic specializing in Abortion in 1992 with a mission to provide abortion care in a compassionate, comfortable, and personal environment. He and his staff cared for all patients with kindness, love, justice, and respect." According to Weatherby, her father's clinics will continue operating through staff and doctors at Maryland and Nebraska CARE locations. Pro-life advocates reacted to the news of the late-term abortionist's passing, praying that Carhart experienced a conversion on his deathbed and was saved. Michael New, an associate scholar at the pro-life research organization Charlotte Lozier Institute and associate professor at the Catholic University of America, believes that the main priority of pro-lifers after an abortionist passes away should be prayer. "History has given us many examples of abortion doctors who quit performing abortions and became powerful defenders of preborn children," he told The Christian Post in a Friday statement. "These include Dr. Bernard Nathanson, Dr. John Bruchalski, and Dr. Anthony Levatino. It is possible that Leroy Carhart and other abortion doctors experienced deathbed conversions prior to their passing." "Pro-lifers should also pray for the families of the abortion doctor and also for the victims of abortion, specifically the mothers who have been hurt and the preborn children whose lives were lost," New concluded. Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins noted in a Friday tweet that she doesn't believe it is a "coincidence" that Carhart died on the feast of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, the patron saint of physicians and unborn children. During a late-term abortion, known as an induction abortion, the abortionist typically injects digoxin or potassium chloride through the woman's abdomen or vagina to cause the unborn to experience cardiac arrest. The process usually takes a few days and ends with the abortionist inducing labor and having the woman deliver a dead child. The abortionist admitted in a 2019 BBC interview that he would conduct late-term abortions based on the woman's financial circumstances or social health. During the 30-minute report titled "America's Abortion War," journalist Hilary Andersson appeared surprised that Carhart would refer to the unborn fetus as a "baby," with him revealing that he uses the word with his patients. After Andersson asked whether he had a problem killing a baby, the abortionist answered: "I have no problem if it's in the mother's uterus." In a 2005 interview with "60 Minutes Australia," Carhart said that he does just under 2,000 abortions per year and that he doesn't believe abortion is the taking of a life. "One has to decide where life began, and I think my belief is that an unborn child is a parasite," he said. "And I think it has no rights. ... I think life begins when the mother's heart says it begins." At least two women are known to have died after Carhart performed a late-term abortion on them. In 2005, 19-year-old Christin Gilbert died after undergoing a 28-week abortion performed by Carhart at George Tiller's facility in Kansas. Operation Rescue, a national pro-life watchdog group, obtained a copy of the autopsy report. The report states that Gilbert died of complications from the abortion. Operation Rescue also obtained a copy of 29-year-old Jennifer Morbelli's autopsy report, a woman who died of complications in 2013 from an abortion she underwent at Carhart's Maryland clinic. The Chief Medical Examiner of Maryland ruled that Morbelli died from "Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation," which was likely caused by the amniotic fluid in her womb spilling into her bloodstream and preventing her blood from clotting. As USA Today reported in February 2013, Morbelli, who was 33 weeks pregnant, had undergone an abortion due to a fetal abnormality. Operation Rescue contends that the young woman's family made multiple attempts to contact Carhart as Morbelli began experiencing complications, but the abortionist was unreachable. An obituary written by the woman's family after her death reads: "Jennifer McKenna-Morbelli of New Rochelle, passed away suddenly on Thursday February 7, 2013 at age 29 with her baby girl Madison Leigh." The pro-life watchdog group has documented numerous complaints against the abortion provider, including allegations of him talking on the phone while conducting abortions and falling asleep while administering an injection to a patient. As The National Catholic Register reported in September 2019, Carhart received a medical degree while serving in the U.S. Air Force and began learning how to perform abortions in 1988 after hearing about the procedure in medical school. After an arsonist set fire to his home in 1991, Carhart went from wanting to be just a provider to becoming an "activist." It's unknown if the fire was started by people who considered themselves pro-life. The provider also worked alongside another late-term abortionist, George Tiller in Kansas, whom he started working for as an associate physician in 1998. Tiller died in 2009 after Scott Roeder, an anti-abortion radical, shot him. In addition to performing abortions beyond the point of viability, Carhart also generated headlines when he sued the state of Nebraska for passing a law banning partial-birth abortions. During the procedure, a provider partially delivers the unborn child alive via the woman's vaginal area before killing him or her. The U.S. Supreme Court sided with the abortionist in 2000, ruling that the ban was "unconstitutional." After Congress passed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in 2003, Carhart brought the suit again, but the Supreme Court upheld the ban. US evacuates Americans from Sudan after being accused of stranding its citizens As deadly fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitary forces continues, the U.S. government has begun land evacuations of American citizens in the African country after receiving scrutiny this week for not doing so sooner. A day after White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre urged Americans in Sudan to leave the country within 24 to 48 hours, a convoy of buses carried as many as 300 Americans out of war-torn Khartoum on Friday. There are an estimated 16,000 American citizens in Sudan, though most have not asked to leave the country. Sources told The New York Times that the 300 Americans were on a 525-mile journey to the Red Sea's Port Sudan. Before Friday's announcement, the Biden administration was criticized for failing to evacuate its citizens like other countries and the United Nations were doing so. The United Kingdom government has evacuated over 1,500 people, most of whom were British nationals, since Tuesday. About 70 staff from the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum evacuated last weekend. The delayed evacuation plans for private citizens left some Americans feeling as if their family members were being left behind. "I am incredibly shocked and disgusted by the American lackluster response to the health and safety of their citizens," Muna Daoud, whose parents traveled to Port Sudan to flee to Saudi Arabia, told CNN. Robert Greenway, an adjunct fellow at the conservative think tank Hudson Institute and executive director of the Abraham Accords Peace Institute, tweeted that U.S. citizens should "justly expect their government to provide the same safe evacuation from harm offered to the government employees they fund." "Government's primary and non-transferable obligation is the safety of its citizens," Greenway wrote. Johnnie Moore, an Evangelical author and former commissioner on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, argued in a tweet that the situation was a "predictable & preventable catastrophe w/long-term consequences enabled by decisions of the admin." In response to Jean-Pierre calling for Americans to flee within 24 to 48 hours on Thursday, Moore asked: "How are they supposed to leave?" "YOU left them behind (again!)," he tweeted. The country's 2 million Christians are growing increasingly fearful that Islamist extremists may exploit the instability in the country to impose harsh sharia law. Intense blasts and gunshots rattled Khartoum and its sister city, Omdurman, on Friday even though a delicate ceasefire between the nation's two leading generals had been extended, a power struggle that has already resulted in the deaths of hundreds, The Associated Press reported. The intensification occurred just hours after both parties, the military led by Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces under the command of Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, agreed to extend the ceasefire by 72 hours, seemingly to enable foreign countries to finish evacuating their citizens from the turmoil-ridden African nation, the newswire said. Although numerous brief ceasefires have not ended the conflict, they have provided enough pause for tens of thousands of Sudanese people to seek refuge in safer regions while also allowing foreign countries to evacuate thousands of their citizens using land, air and sea transportation. Christians fear for their safety, regardless of which side emerges victorious. Open Doors, a Christian persecution watchdog organization monitoring persecution in over 60 countries, reports Christians face an uncertain future as the fighting rages on. Fikiru Mehari, an Open Doors researcher for the East Africa region, said that a collapse of the country would lead to "untold suffering" for the people of Sudan. "Once you leave your house, you're not sure whether you can come back alive. It is difficult because people need to leave home to survive (e.g., earn money, get food)," he said. "And our fear is that, if the current crisis enables Islamists to influence the political life and the situation in Sudan, believers are heading under another dictatorship which will be against Christian life in the country." The ongoing conflict is already affecting Christians, as pastors and congregations find themselves separated due to people hiding indoors. "Church leaders I am speaking to are urging everyone to pray," Mehari told Christian Today. "Many fear Sudan is vulnerable to collapse. From this chaos, Islamist extremists could rise and impose harsh Sharia law. This would prove deadly for Christians." About 90% of the Sudanese people are Sunni Muslims, and 5% are Christians, including roughly one-half of 1% Evangelicals, according to The Voice of the Martyrs. Mehari expressed disappointment in the lack of progress since the ousting of dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. "When the dictator Omar al-Bashir was ousted, we were promised an interim government followed by elections. It gave us hope as persecution of Christians began to drop. That did not last long, though, and I don't see either leader offering the country the freedoms that we were promised," he said. After regularly being included among the worst countries in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, Sudan was removed from the U.S. State Department's list of "countries of particular concern" in December 2019. The CPC list designates nations that tolerate or engage in egregious violations of religious freedom. However, advances in religious freedom lasted for only two years in Sudan until a military coup in October 2021. The coup brought back fears of repression and harsh implementation of Islamic law, as an Islamist "deep state" rooted in former President al-Bashir's 30 years of power remains influential. Meanwhile, neighboring South Sudan is bracing for a potential influx of refugees from Sudan should the conflict continue. Christian Aid has expressed alarm about the situation. "South Sudan is already facing a severe food emergency," James Wani, Christian Aid South Sudan Country Director, said. "There is a significant shortfall in humanitarian funding. If this conflict in Sudan doesn't stop soon, and refugees start crossing the border in large numbers, then this will exacerbate an existing humanitarian crisis." Are court packing and radical 'court reform' making a comeback? Are court packing and radical court reform making a comeback? A coalition of 30-plus activist organizations relaunched an effort calling for structural changes to the U.S. Supreme Court. They kicked off their Just Majority campaign this week in Boston alongside Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley. This is the first stop in a nationwide bus tour scheduled to end in late June in Washington. The three members of Congress spoke in favor of a proposal known as the Judiciary Act, which would expand the number of justices on the Court. Watch below: According to The New York Times: The effort will include progressive leaders and organizations that have not previously been engaged in the push to overhaul the court, including by imposing term limits on justices or increasing their numbers. But leaders of the organizations say they now see the need to spur a larger public discussion about the role of the court in American life. Among the newly involved groups is NARAL Pro-Choice America, one of the countrys most radical pro-abortion organizations. Their president said: We feel a special obligation to jump in now. It feels the time is right to start having this conversation about expansion. Everything has to be on the table. These words mirror those of political leaders who pushed for expanding or reforming the nations highest court over the last couple of years. Sen. Elizabeth Warren at one point said everything is on the table when it comes to Supreme Court changes. She co-sponsored the Judiciary Act, which would pack the Supreme Court and increase its size to 13 members. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas recently introduced a constitutional amendment to cement the size of the U.S. Supreme Court at nine members. If passed by Congress, his amendment would head to the states for ratification. Cruz recently commented: The Democrats answer to a Supreme Court that is dedicated to upholding the rule of law and the Constitution is to pack it with liberals who will rule the way they want. The Supreme Court should be independent, not inflated by every new administration. Thats why Ive introduced a constitutional amendment to permanently keep the number of justices at nine. He introduced a similar proposal in 2021. At the time, prominent members of the party in power and liberal advocates were intensely pushing for court-packing and other suspect court reforms, including term limits for federal judges. President Biden even created a Commission on the U.S. Supreme Court to explore potential reforms. When calls for judicial reform were at their loudest, First Liberty was on the frontlines fighting to protect the priceless heritage of the Supreme Court. We launched Supreme Coup, a national campaign to educate Americans about court packing. Our legal experts conducted expert research, shared it with millions across the country, and exposed court packing for what it is: a brazen power grab. We explained that this radical scheme would destroy the separation of powers by making the judicial branch another arm of the party in power. It would end the legitimacy and independence of the Supreme Court, erode all public confidence in future court rulings, and worst of all eradicate our cherished rights and freedoms, including religious liberty. Additionally, we funded national polling, constructed an educational microsite and proactively built a national coalition of leaders and allies. Because of this, we garnered the support of more than 500,000 Americans for the cause. We made a significant investment in time, effort, and resources and it paid off tremendously. President Bidens Commission to reform our courts which was overwhelmingly comprised of liberal commissioners ended up stymied on the court-packing issue. After months of deliberation, the Commission could not in good conscience recommend court packing. In its reports, the Commission cited First Libertys research and arguments. It specifically referred to our polling and our warnings of how court-packing destroyed freedom in other countries. This was evidence that our efforts had a significant impact. After two years of hard work, we successfully stopped court packing, which was a huge win to ensure our freedoms wouldnt be ripped away. The U.S. House and the Senate are now controlled by different parties. Divided government means the court packing threat is effectively over for this term. But we must be vigilant. Many proponents of court packing remain in power. Like the Just Majority campaign, they could reenergize their attempts to rig the Court for political gain. Sen. Cruzs amendment is a commendable and important step to ensure court packing does not happen. As Sen. Cotton pointed out, the progressive left will do anything to gain power, including packing and expanding the Supreme Court with judges that share their radical ideology. This bill will help permanently protect the Courts integrity from partisan threats. Americas system of justice should be revered and respected. Fighting for religious liberty and our constitutional rights means nothing if we allow our highest court to be packed and hijacked by liberal power-hungry zealots. If radical court reform comes back, First Liberty will be ready. Originally published at First Liberty. Court orders utility company restore power to church's rehab shelter A Tennessee court has ordered a utility provider to turn the power back on at a church-run addiction recovery shelter that had previously been ordered to close by the city. Residents were forced to live in a hotel and several refrigerators' worth of food spoiled. The Circuit Court for Sumner County this week issued a temporary restraining order, directing the Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation to restore power to The Father's House, a ministry for people recovering from addiction operated by Living Water Full Gospel Church in Westmoreland. Judge Joe H. Thompson ruled that the shelter suffered "immediate and irreparable injury, loss of damage," and said the order was needed so the property could be used for religious services, related ministry and housing of residents. According to a lawsuit, Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation claimed that the power was turned off due to a failed inspection by the Tennessee Department of Insurance and Commerce conducted in March. However, the church contends it wasn't aware of the inspection report until it was provided after the power had already been shut off. The lawsuit claims that nothing in the report suggested that the power needed to be shut off, nor did the TDIC request for the power to be turned off. TDIC also approved a plan for remediation for the code violations. Losing power caused food in three refrigerators and two freezers to spoil. In the meantime, the shelter has housed residents in a hotel, a place often frequented for illicit drug use that could threaten residents' sobriety. The power being off also stopped the church from holding religious gatherings. "Tri-County Electric is abusing the power it wields as a utility provider and forcing the men who rely on the Father's House to support their sobriety back on the streets, putting their very lives in jeopardy," Steve Anderson of the law firm Anderson & Reynolds said in a statement. He thanked the court for stepping in "to prevent further harm to men who are already struggling with addiction." The plaintiffs are also represented by the First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit legal organization dedicated to religious freedom cases. First Liberty Institute counsel Ryan Gardner described the utility's decision to cut off the power as an "indifference to the health and well-being of The Father's House residents." "A mistake by the electric company may be explainable, but since being informed of its error, Tri-County has refused to take responsibility or do the right thing," Gardner said. In January, the same lawyers asked the city of Westmoreland, Tennessee, to stop trying to close down The Father's House after city officials told the church to stop running the program because of a building code issue. The city sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Father's House last August, claiming that the ministry unlawfully operates a residential facility on its property. The attorney demanded that city officials withdraw the cease-and-desist letter and "acknowledge in writing that the Church is within its legal rights to conduct the ministry of providing housing to those in need." The city initially approved the facility in 1999 as a "new addition" for "institutional" use, and the city's zoning ordinances permit residential living in the attached building owned by the church. Additionally, church officials asked the city in early 2022 if additional permits were needed and were allegedly told that no other requirements needed to be met. Since January, attorneys for the ministry worked with the Tennessee Attorney General's office to resolve underlying issues with the city before the power was shut off, according to First Liberty Institute. Pastor receives White House award for supporting persecuted Christians worldwide A Bronx pastor who earned a Purple Heart Award serving in Vietnam received the President's Volunteer Service Award on Friday night for his decades of ministry aiding persecuted Christians and others impacted in war zones worldwide. Pastor Bill Devlin, who serves as co-pastor of Infinity Bible Church in South Bronx and runs the ministries REDEEM! and Widows and Orphans, was an honoree at a gala banquet in The Hilton Hotel in Melville, Long Island, New York. The President's White House Council on Service and Civic Participation administered the award ceremony. The award honors individuals whose service impacts their communities and inspires others to take action. Devlin told The Christian Post he is "grateful to God" for the award, which came more than half a century after he first abandoned his ways as a "God-hating atheist" and came to Christ. "I was a radical God-hating atheist, and when I was hitchhiking on the San Diego Freeway on June 23, 1971, a Jesus freak shared the Good News of Jesus and the Gospel with me," he recalled. "And that night, I received Jesus into my heart and life." "I immediately started in ministry as a young Christian," he added. "And a week after I was converted to Christ, I volunteered to go into the military, to the United States Navy." Devlin served in Vietnam until he was "shot up" after a bomb landed on his ship, which was located off the coast at the time. While he "initially refused the Purple Heart" because he still had all his limbs intact, Devlin's commanding officer insisted that he accept the honor. Following his service in Vietnam, Devlin spent a quarter century in Christian ministry in the U.S., got married and had five children. He and his wife, Nancy, have been married for over 44 years. The 70-year-old has made headlines over the years for his willingness to travel the globe to stand in solidarity and provide practical aid to Christians persecuted for their faith. Devlin was nominated for the award by Nate Butler of the Righteous Church of God in Washington, D.C., whom he described as a "dear friend." After learning of his nomination, Devlin was instructed to provide a "brief synopsis" of his volunteer efforts and discuss why he should receive the award. He said none of the employees at his volunteer ministries receive a salary or benefits. "We are all volunteers, which is probably unique in the nonprofit and ministry world," he noted. His ministries receive funding from 46 churches of "every different flavor or color," providing payments ranging from $10 to $100 a month. Devlin outlined the story behind the formation of REDEEM!, which helps persecuted Christians around the world. "While I was doing ministry in Philadelphia some 22 years ago, I was invited to Islamabad, Pakistan," he said. At that time, Devlin had not traveled overseas in more than 25 years. He first received the invitation to go to Pakistan in January 2001 from his Pakistan-born friend Victor Gill at a "dinner of the Pakistani community in Philadelphia." "It was me and probably 25 Pakistani leaders in Philadelphia, and they said, ... 'You've got to go to Pakistan. We need you to see what's going on and you need to hear the cry of the persecuted Church and persecuted Christians in Pakistan.'" Devlin said, "hearing an hour of stories and seeing people who bore the marks of persecution" with "scars on their back" from where they had been "whipped or beaten" prompted him to announce at the meeting, "I will go." With Gill, Devlin traveled through seven cities in eight days. "I just heard and met with story after story of persecuted Christian believers in Pakistan, and my eyes were opened," he said. A couple of years later, Devlin was invited to Sudan to see the persecution of Christians there. "And then a year after that, I was invited to Cuba," he added. Over the years, Devlin received invitations to witness persecution in other places, including Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Hong Kong, Nigeria and Jordan. He became a pastor in 2008 and served as an interim senior pastor at Manhattan Bible Church, a Spanish church located in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, from 2008 to 2013. Devlin said during that time, God was burning a hole in his heart "about the persecuted Church, about widows, orphans, the broken, the neglected, the forgotten, the disenfranchised, the persecuted believer, [and] the persecuted Church." "What finally pushed me over the edge was ... during the Obama presidency and people were saying to President Obama, 'we need to get boots on the ground in Iraq.'" "God spoke to me one day, and said to me, 'Where are your boots, Pastor Devlin? You're in the safety and security and comfort of the United States of America, you've seen the persecuted Church, you've seen persecuted believers, you've been in their living rooms, you've been in the prison cells, you've seen the scars on their bodies. Where are your boots?'" This conversation with God struck a nerve with Devlin. A couple of months later, Devlin said he had another conversion with God, instructing him to "look at these three words: God, Gospel, [and] Good News." God urged Devlin to "look at the first two letters" of those three words: "go." From there, Devlin saw it as his mission to "go to war zones" and minister to persecuted Christians on a full-time basis. Devlin insists that he only goes to war zones that are "hard" and "dangerous" and located "where nobody else is going." He only travels to places if he receives a direct invitation. Devlin says he travels out of the country for three weeks out of every month. He provided examples of his ministry work in the synopsis he provided to the President's White House Council on Service and Civic Participation. During the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in the mid-2010s, Devlin, through his ministry, provided financial support to hundreds of Yazidi girls and women captured by the brutal terrorist group in Iraq, many of which were used as sex slaves. He's also supported displaced families residing in camps for the internationally displaced in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. His charity has also assisted in rebuilding Iraqi cities destroyed by the Islamic State in 2014 and he's volunteered at a Syrian hospital caring for those injured in the Syrian Civil War. In Nigeria, Devlin has provided trauma healing sessions for those who have lost spouses, children, [and] family members. His ministry has also supported rebuilding two churches destroyed by terrorists in the African nation, purchased an orphanage where dozens of children were about to be evicted, and funded the private school education of children orphaned by terrorism. Devlin's efforts to provide emotional and psychological support extend across all the countries he serves. In Sri Lanka, Devlin helped raise money to rebuild churches destroyed by bombers. In East Pokot, Kenya, Devlin said his ministry has helped build schools and churches, reducing female genital mutilation and child marriages previously common in the area due to the absence of infrastructure, electricity and water. "All of that has now been recognized by the Biden White House, and we're deeply grateful for this recognition. But again, we give all glory to God," Devlin concluded. Pastor, 3 other Christians killed by Islamic extremists in pre-dawn attack in Sudan NAIROBI, Kenya A church pastor and three other Christians were killed in Sudan on Monday when suspected Islamic extremists shot them to death, an area source said. Four of the victims traveling companions were wounded when the assailants opened fire on the team at the facility where they were spending the night in Kadugli, the capital of Sudans South Kordofan state. Sudanese-American Pastor Ibrahim Kandr, Ismail Osman, Bashir Almaak and Ayoub Ibrahim were spending the night in Kadugli en route to their home area of Um Durein when the assailants shot them between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., an area church leader said. Islamic extremists who have been terrorizing people in the area since 2011 monitor movements in and out of town and likely saw the ministry team arrive for the night, said the church leader, whose name was withheld for security reasons. Wounded in the attack were Imtiyas Marhy Jabdool, 29; Fadul Musa Al Haraba, 23; Zakaria Butros Al Haraba, 34; and Mujahid Hassan 19, the source said. Sudanese Christians expressed their shock and sympathy for the victims families on social media. My condolences to the family of the servant of God Ibrahim and the rest of the victims, wrote one Christian who identified himself only as Komi. The bodies of the four slain Christians were transported to Khartoum for burial. In southwestern Sudans South Darfur Province, two Christians were arrested on Jan. 8 in Nyala town by masked men believed to be national security personnel, local sources said. They were released without charges the same day. The two converts, whose names are withheld for security reasons, were arrested by men in a government vehicle at 7 a.m. from an area home, said a source. Muslim sheikhs (teachers) had accused them of evangelizing Muslims and had warned them to stop doing so. Following two years of advances in religious freedom in Sudan after the end of the Islamist dictatorship under Omar al-Bashir in 2019, the specter of state-sponsored persecution returned with the military coup of Oct. 25, 2021. The Christian population of Sudan is estimated at 2 million, or 4.5 percent of the total population of more than 43 million. After Bashir was ousted from 30 years of power in April 2019, the transitional civilian-military government had managed to undo some Sharia (Islamic law) provisions. It outlawed the labeling of any religious group as infidels, and thus effectively rescinded apostasy laws that made leaving Islam punishable by death. With the Oct. 25, 2021, coup, Christians in Sudan fear the return of the most repressive and harsh aspects of Islamic law. Abdalla Hamdok, who had led a transitional government as prime minister starting in September 2019, was detained under house arrest for nearly a month before he was released and reinstated in a tenuous power-sharing agreement in November 2021. Hamdock had been faced with rooting out longstanding corruption and an Islamist deep state from Bashirs regime the same deep state that is suspected of rooting out the transitional government in the Oct. 25, 2021 coup. Persecution of Christians by non-state actors continued before and after the coup. In Open Doors 2023 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Sudan was ranked No. 10, up from No. 13 the previous year, as attacks by non-state actors continued and religious freedom reforms at the national level were not enacted locally. Sudan had dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in six years when it first ranked No. 13 in the 2021 World Watch List. The U.S. State Departments International Religious Freedom Report states that conditions have improved somewhat with the decriminalization of apostasy and a halt to demolition of churches, but that conservative Islam still dominates society; Christians face discrimination, including problems in obtaining licenses for constructing church buildings. The U.S. State Department in 2019 removed Sudan from the list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) that engage in or tolerate systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom and upgraded it to a watch list. The State Department removed Sudan from the Special Watch List in December 2020. Sudan had previously been designated as a CPC from 1999 to 2018. The only thing that matters in life Who do you think is the greatest person in history? Napoleon, Shakespeare, Lincoln, Newton, Joan of Arc, or perhaps Alexander the Great? They were certainly great, but there was only one person who was so great that He split time in two, said that Heaven and earth would pass away but that His words would never pass away (Matthew 24:35). Two thousand years later, millions read His words daily. And, every year, over a billion people stop work to celebrate His birthday. He was, of course, Jesus of Nazareth. His words were without precedent. He said that He was the only way to God (John 14:6), that He had power over death (Revelation 1:18), and that He had the authority on earth to forgive sin (Matthew 9:6). Here is another significant figure in history. This man was strikingly handsome. Women swooned over him. He was arguably the most famous face in the world at the time. He was rich, very powerful, and hundreds of thousands lined the streets just to catch a glimpse of him. He is still so well known that he is often identified by his initials. Who was he? You should have guessed by now. He was JFK. However, when one small bullet ended the life of John Fitzgerald Kennedy and catapulted him into eternity, it didnt matter how rich, famous, good-looking, powerful, and popular he was. Only one thing mattered at the very second of that terrifying impact: Were his sins forgiven? The question as to whether or not peoples sins are forgiven should haunt us. It should plague us when we see our neighbors, when we pass strangers in the supermarket, or when we walk by them at a sporting event. When Jesus looked on the crowds that surrounded Him, He was filled with compassion (Matthew 9:36). Their salvation was His priority, and thank God that compassion was what drove Him to lay down His life for us. Imagine how our lives would change if we could see the word forgiven or unforgiven on every forehead and consequently see someones eternal destination. Imagine how our churches would grow if every member saw sinners though the compassionate eyes of Jesus. Imitating Him in His passion for the lost should be our number one priority. But how do we make that happen when each of us has everyday hassles that jostle their way into the forefront of our priorities? There is an answer to that question. I was riding my wonderful electric bike toward a local college recently when a young lady on a horse called out, Dont go down that pathway! There is a man down there with a Doberman that is not on a leash. That dog attacked my horse and bit its leg! This woman didnt even know me, yet she cared enough to warn a stranger of possible danger. I thanked her and told her that I would definitely steer clear of the vicious dog. When I arrived at the college, a police officer also steered me in another direction. There was no dog, but there had been complaints of skateboarders almost hitting students. So, I rode away from my normal path to another part in the college, where I spotted two young men who were more than willing to be interviewed for YouTube. One of them responded to my opening question about believing in God by saying, Of course. God is good all the time! Then he said he didnt trust the Bible. So, I gently told him that even though he thought that God was good, there was great danger waiting for him on the path that he had chosen. Most snuggle up to Gods goodness as if it were some sort of teddy bear when in reality it is a deadly cactus. If God is good, He must like any good judge see that justice is done. And that puts us in trouble. Its His goodness that will condemn us. It will see that perfect justice is carried out on the Day of Judgment. Thats the reason we should be warning every man, that we may present every man perfect in Christ (Colossians 1:28). That annoying task When it comes to challenging my fellow believers to reach out to the lost, I rarely use the word evangelism. This is because it has as much attraction as a root canal. Charles Spurgeon said of evangelism, We must school and train ourselves to deal personally with the unconverted. We must not excuse ourselves but force ourselves to the irksome task until it becomes easy. Evangelism is extremely irksome. There are some who dont find it irksome, but Im not one of them. My life would certainly be easier if I didnt carry this daily burden. But its only a burden because I am selfish. One of the greatest indictments of human selfishness is the Great Commission. Jesus commanded us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). Thats like having to command a doctor to share a cure for cancer. He shouldnt have to be commanded. And we should run to dying sinners if we care about their eternal salvation. I was recently reading one of the psalms when I broke down in tears. This was because I suddenly remembered being given a small Gideon Bible when I was just 13 years old. I began to read it each night, even though I wasnt born again. It wasnt until nine years later that I would come to saving faith. I also recalled a very strange experience I had a few months before my conversion. My wife and I had dinner with a local pastor. After the meal, I went to collect our jackets from a bedroom, and as I did, I sat on the bed and yearned for him to come and speak with me. But I had no idea what I wanted him to tell me. In retrospect, I was crying out for salvation like a groping blind man longing to be shown the way. The tears that I shed as I read that psalm were tears of gratitude. And its gratitude mingled with compassion that causes me to see the word unforgiven on sinners foreheads. I know that their death may not come with the terrifying speed of a bullet, but it will come. And in that moment the only thing that will matter will be whether or not their sin is forgiven. May such a thought haunt us until the trumpet sounds. Lessons for today from the Salem Witch Trials The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews reminds Christians that they are surrounded by a great "cloud of witnesses." (NRSV) That "cloud" has continued to grow in size since then. In this monthly column we will be thinking about some of the people and events, over the past 2000 years, that have helped make up this "cloud." People and events that have helped build the community of the Christian church as it exists today. Three hundred and thirty years ago this month, a crisis that had engulfed Salem, Massachusetts, was finally drawing to its official close. What had occurred had, arguably, been the most famous witch hunt in history. Today, the phrase "witch hunt" has entered common usage. One of its meanings (as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary) is: "A campaign of persecution by a group or person in a position of power against a person or group considered to be undesirable by virtue of their views or activities." The phrase is often used to suggest that those doing the "hunting" are persecuting without just cause, as in: "I am the victim of a witch hunt." A well-known former president of the USA frequently uses the phrase to describe criticisms (and now legal actions) against himself. However, in its origins, witch hunting is inextricably connected with a particularly troubled period of Christian history. The roots of the phenomenon Despite a lot of assumptions to the contrary, witch hunting was not a medieval preoccupation. While there were some medieval examples, its intensity occurred in what historians describe as the "Early Modern Period" and the greatest numbers occurred in the seventeenth century (ironically as a more scientific understanding of the world was slowly emerging). The New Testament has very little to say about witches and witchcraft, and it was certainly not a preoccupation in the Christian scriptures. Seventeenth-century believers would have been more aware of it from the Old Testament, where they would have found twelve uses of the term. Given this limited Biblical focus on witchcraft it is not surprising that while magic, spells and sorcery were condemned in medieval law codes the hunt for witches was not a major preoccupation of the church. Indeed, St Augustine suggested that witchcraft principally consisted of idolatry and illusion used to mislead others. This indicated that the sin lay in the will of the person involved, not in their ability to work magic. Outlooks began to change in the fifteenth century, when the idea started to grow that witchcraft might be a reality, rather than a heretical illusion. Then, in 1487, a book entitled Malleus Maleficarum (Latin: Hammer of Witches) was published and was soon rapidly disseminated by printing (a fifteenth-century parallel to the impact of the modern internet). Driven by attempts to explain societal problems and conflicts, and deeply misogynistic (women, it alleged, were most likely to be witches), it coincided with the anxieties of many (especially many men) in turbulent times. As interest in the apparent danger posed by witchcraft grew during the sixteenth century, the distinctive imagined characteristics of witchcraft came to be promulgated: a pact with the devil; meeting in sabbats; the presence of imps in animal form ("familiars") as part of diabolical rituals; and night-flying. Alongside this developed the alarming notion that the enormity of the crime meant that those accused should not be accorded the normal safeguards of the law and that this also applied to those who defended them. The ingredients of a moral panic, which would spiral out of control, were being mixed in a lethal cocktail. Coinciding with a lengthy period of conflict and uncertainty the Reformation division in the church, ensuing wars of religion, attendant economic and social turbulence, outbreaks of infectious diseases, challenges to the social hierarchy the phenomenon of witch-hunting exploded. Between 1450 and 1750, between 30,000 and 50,000 people were executed in Europe and North America as alleged "witches." The connection with social anxiety and the breakdown of legal structures is apparent in the fact that 60 per cent of those (most of them women) executed for alleged witchcraft in England died between 1644 and 1646, during the civil war. Most of these English deaths occurred in East Anglia and were due to the activities of "Witchfinder General" Matthew Hopkins, his associate John Stearne, and others swept up in the moral panic that they encouraged. A much larger number were executed in Scotland. It should be noted that study of the evidence indicates that the vast majority of victims had not engaged in witchcraft and were actually members of the Christian community. Larger panics tended to start with socially (and economically) vulnerable victims (usually women) and then worked their way up the social scale as the hysteria spread; this then could draw in some men as victims. But most (between 75% and 90% in Britain) of those executed were women and poor, the victims of scapegoating for the ills of their society. Scores were settled and money made by confiscating the property of those convicted. Some, who were probably mentally ill, denounced themselves. Convictions leapt when (as in Scotland and during the East Anglian witch hunts) forms of torture were used to extract "confessions," and when educated elites encouraged or condoned the hunts. The Salem Witch Trials The phenomenon of hunting witches spread to the Puritan colonies in New England between 1647 and 1663 and broke out again there, at Salem, in 169293. The infamous events at Salem reveal in microcosm much that drove witch-hunting generally, albeit with the causes there being rooted in very local experiences. In the North American examples, those who drove the hunts forward came from Puritan communities whose outlook mirrored that found in Britain and who used methods pioneered by the East Anglian witch hunters of the 1640s. Massachusetts in the 1690s was tense. As New England towns became increasingly connected to the outside world, they became less cohesive and their inhabitants less deferential to their Puritan elites; Baptists and Quakers (regarded as heretics by mainline Puritans) were beginning missionary activities in Massachusetts and winning converts; there was economic disruption following a British war with France in the American colonies,168992 (King William's War); a smallpox epidemic had hit the area; there was fear of neighbouring Native American tribes. Many Puritans were becoming increasingly anxious and were culturally primed to see all this as the work of the devil and those who served the devil. These anxieties were contagious. In January 1692, some young girls from Salem Village exhibited fits and uncontrolled screaming. They accused several local women of witchcraft. Other young girls began to show similar symptoms that today would undoubtedly be diagnosed as mass hysteria. Names of "possible suspects" were suggested to the girls. The situation exploded. Several of those accused of being witches confessed to the court at Salem and named "accomplices." The local court was soon overwhelmed and, in May 1692, the governor of Massachusetts, ordered the establishment of a special court to deal with these witchcraft cases. In June, the first "witch" was hanged. She was soon followed by eighteen others, with 150 more accused as the phenomenon spiralled out of control. The escalation was accelerated by the courts accepting so-called "spectral evidence" (testimony involving dreams and visions) as being admissible in court. Evidence-based legality was overwhelmed by these (supposedly) spiritual insights. It was a lethal transgression of legal norms, but by no means unique to the courtroom at Salem. The hysteria was finally ended in October 1692, when the governor intervened and dissolved the special court. It was clear that things were getting out of control. At the same time, some New England Puritan leaders took a stand against the use of "spectral evidence" and insisted on the application of normal legal procedures. This took courage in the fevered situation, as critics of the witch hunting ran the risk of being themselves accused of witchcraft. One leading minister stated: "It were better that ten suspected witches should escape than that one innocent person be condemned." In May 1693, the governor pardoned and released all those still held in prison on witchcraft charges. The hysteria was over. In January 1697, the Massachusetts General Court declared a day of fasting for the victims of the Salem witch trials. Later, the trials were declared unlawful, all those condemned were cleared and compensation was paid to their heirs. Never again were any so-called witches executed in New England. Back to Britain. In Scotland the witch hunts lasted until 1727, when the last Scot was executed; and they were officially stopped across Great Britain in 1736 (the last person executed in England was hanged in 1682). In 1751 an elderly woman at Tring (Hertfordshire) was accused of witchcraft, forced to do a "swimming test" (forcibly thrown into water to see if she floated or sank) and died as a result. One of the men responsible was hanged for murder. Times had changed and the law no longer recognised the existence of magic as a cause of events. What can modern Christians learn from the witch hunting craze? At Salem a once-dominant group felt increasingly disempowered in the face of social change. The trials there illustrate the dangers inherent in a community that was deeply imbued with a sense of its own righteousness; where high levels of mutual policing combined with hunting out imagined "others," alongside the uncritical acceptance of claimed spiritual insights; while normal standards of legality were suspended. What can we learn from this in the twenty-first century? We live in a world of conspiracy theories and social-media-generated anxieties, accusations, and moral panics. Many of these defy rational analysis and are impervious to analytical scrutiny. A number insist on the existence of malign forces constituting a "deep state," which is invisible yet global in its corrupting power and influence. At its most extreme, there are even accusations regarding the existence of a cabal of Satan-worshipping paedophiles; using terms that could have come directly from a seventeenth-century witch trial. Minorities, the marginalised, and perceived "outsiders" are often targeted and vilified. Deep polarisation reduces communication with those in a rival "tribe" and encourages a willingness to believe the worst about them. In this context, some Christian communities today exhibit a besieged outlook which is quick to frame others as enemies of God. Research reveals that, globally, many evangelicals are drawn towards conspiracy theories. There can be impatience with "worldly" legal norms if these are felt to impede progress of a "godly" agenda, and a willingness to accept collateral damage in some areas of community life to achieve a key goal. This is sometimes combined with a sense of personal spiritual authority, which can override analytical reflection and chaffs at restrictions on action. That is especially so when allied with powerful interest groups who promise support in imposing the kingdom of God on a seemingly recalcitrant society when persuasion fails. Salem of 169293 is, in many ways, another world. However, in other ways it is not so far distant from the fevered, anxious, angry, and polarised world of today. We need to be on our guard. Martyn Whittock is an evangelical historian and a Licensed Lay Minister in the Church of England. The author, or co-author, of fifty-five books, his work covers a wide range of historical and theological themes. In addition, as a commentator and columnist, he has written for several print and online news platforms and been interviewed on TV and radio news and discussion programmes exploring the interaction of faith and politics. These have included being interviewed on news platforms concerning the religious dimension to current US politics, Christianity and the Crown in the UK, and the war in Ukraine. His most recent books include: The Secret History of Soviet Russia's Police State (2020), Daughters of Eve (2021), Jesus the Unauthorized Biography (2021), The End Times, Again? (2021) and The Story of the Cross (2021). His book, Apocalyptic Politics (2022), explores the connection between end-times beliefs and radicalized politics across religions, time, and cultures. He has an interest in the seventeenth-century Puritans and their continuing impact on the modern world. This is explored in his books When God was King: Rebels & Radicals of the Civil War & Mayflower Generation (2018), Mayflower Lives (2019) and Trump and the Puritans (2020). Drilling activity continues to move higher as commodity prices appear to reach a steadier footing. Oilfield services firm Baker Hughes said Friday its US rig count, which it has issued weekly since 1944, rose two rigs to 755, marking the second consecutive weekly increase. The count is 57 rigs or 8% higher than the 698 reported last April. The number of rigs seeking crude oil held steady at 591, up 39 from 552 last year. The count was down one for the month, marking the fifth consecutive monthly decline. The number of rigs drilling for natural gas rose two to 161, 17 more than the 144 counted a year ago. The number of rigs drilling for gas is up one for the month, the second consecutive monthly increase. Texas had 377 rigs at work across the state, unchanged for the week and up 32 from 345 last year. New Mexico added two rigs for 107. Louisiana (3), Ohio (1) and Pennsylvania (1) joined New Mexico as producing states to see an increase while Alaska (1), North Dakota (1) and Oklahoma (3) saw declines. The Permian Basin added three rigs for 361 drilling across the region, 36 more than 335 last year. Eddy County, New Mexico, remains the most active county in the Permian with 54 rigs, unchanged for the week. Lea County, New Mexico, is second with 51 rigs, up two. Reeves County lost two rigs for 44 rigs and Martin County added one rig for 41. Midland County is on a three-week winning streak, adding two rigs for 32 drilling within county lines this week. Loving County had 26 rigs, up one. Upton County held steady at 18 rigs. Howard County lost four rigs the steepest decline of the week for 14 rigs. Ward County added two rigs for 12 and Andrews County added one rig for 11. Reagan County lost one rig for 10 rigs. Enverus Foundations, part of the energy-focused Software as a Service firm Enverus, said its US rig count had its high point at 812 during the week ended April 26, falling by three rigs from the previous weeks peak. The count is down 3%, or 26 rigs, in the last month and up 3% year over year. Two major plays experienced decreases, with the Anadarko Basin dropping six rigs to hit 67 and Williston Basin activity falling by two rigs to 39. The Gulf Coast and Permian each added one rig to reach 95 and 348, respectively. The DJ Basin added two rigs to reach 20, and the Appalachian Basin was flat with 54 rigs running. While movie theaters today are attempting to hang on to relevancy with heated and cooled seats, cocktail bars and unique programming, nothing can compare to the experience of a good old-fashioned drive-in. A symbol of mid-century America, drive-in movie theaters peaked in the mid-1900s but can still be found today across the state of Texas. Some of the best are throwbacks to the past, while others take a more modern approach, with top-quality audio-video setups and bars slinging drinks and snacks outside the popcorn and soda mainstays. So turn off Netflix, get off your couch and mix it up with a trip to the six best drive-in theaters in Texas. Fort Worth Coyote Drive-In is open daily, showing double features on its four screens, so youll always find something to watch, including all the new releases. Arrive early and post up at the Canteen, which serves beer and wine, plus burgers, sandwiches, thin-crust pizzas, hot dogs and pretzels. If you need something during the show, order via the app and a staff member will run it to your car so you dont miss any of the action. Or ask for one of the smores kits, and you can roast marshmallows over the on-site fire pits. Austin Blue Starlite debuted in 2010 and remains one of the most unique drive-in theaters in Texas. The boutique operation sets up screens in multiple locations around the city and only takes in 15 to 40 cars per showing, so the experience is more intimate than most. Tune your radio dial to the set frequency, or borrow a radio from the check-in desk, and load up on snacks. In addition to concessions like popcorn and candy, Blue Starlite also sells hot dogs and donuts. The Weirdest and Most Worthwhile Roadside Attractions in Texas Set your GPS for a llama castle, Stonehenge replica and toilet seat museum Ennis Open for nearly two decades, Galaxy has expanded from three to seven screens, moved from film to digital, is open daily and now has two snack bars. Catch all the same films youll find in regular theaters, but at a lower price, and enjoy them in your car, or outside on a lawn chair or blanket. Shovel a few appetizers (popcorn and candy) into your mouth, then go for heartier fare like nachos and pizza. Houston Moonstruck is located east of downtown and looks onto the city skyline, so youll get a full view of Houston behind the screens. It shows two films each night, with a mix of first-run and classic movies, using 4K DLP projectors on its 60-foot screens, so the quality is like what youd experience indoors at your typical theater. Moonstruck also has concessions, beer and wine, or pick up dinner via the rotating assortment of food trucks parked nearby. Lubbock and New Braunfels Across its two locations one in Lubbock and one in the Hill Country town of New Braunfels Stars & Stripes shows new releases in comfortable settings. Theres a patio and a kids playground, so you can arrive early to hang out before the show starts. And the 50s Cafe sells burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, chicken wings, nachos and other favorites. Order online for pick up, or get snacks delivered straight to your car. Granbury Brazos Drive-In opened in 1952 and has remained in continuous operation ever since. The historic theater still lights up screens on Friday and Saturday nights, where cars gather to watch the latest films. Concessions are simple but reliable, and include popcorn, candy, nachos, hot dogs, sodas and coffee. This article was featured in the InsideHook Texas newsletter. Sign up now for more from the Lone Star State. The post 6 Drive-In Movie Theaters Keeping the Tradition Alive in Texas appeared first on InsideHook. In 1896, an editor at the Washington Evening Star sought to test a cub reporter, 29-year-old William Wallace Price. So he sent Price somewhere reporting went to die: the White House. At the time, Washington reporters focused on Congress and rarely had access to the White House. The Star editor, Harry Godwin, knew that then-President Grover Cleveland disliked the press, too. But the 300-pound Price posted himself right outside the White House gate, day after day, rain or shine. And he ambushed those going through it. "When politicians calling on President Cleveland emerged, 'Fatty' Price buttonholed them and milked them of what news they were willing to give down," New York Times reporter Delbert Clark wrote in his 1941 book "Washington Dateline." Price, considered the country's first full-time White House reporter, went on to co-found the White House Correspondents' Association, whose 2023 dinner President Biden will address Saturday. His methods helped transform the relationship between presidents and the press, an evolution Price captured in his own writings. Price, who launched a column called "At The White House" in 1897, got so many scoops staking out the gates that other newsmen soon began joining him. The growing number of what Price called "the newspaper gang of the White House" gained wider access that March, with the arrival of President William McKinley, who had seen the value of press coverage during his 1896 campaign from his Ohio front porch. McKinley loved "going among the people" on railroad trips, Price later wrote. "One car and sometimes two cars would be set aside for the press." Once, the president was invited to tour the "Biltmore" estate of George Vanderbilt, but not with reporters. "Then I will not accept the invitation," McKinley responded. He went, with the newsmen. White House officials generally talked to all reporters anonymously, a reality Price understood. "It is the business of the reporter to know how to handle the information given him so as to get the news into his paper and at the same time conceal the source of the material," he wrote in 1914. "To blunder in handling information of this kind, making trouble for his informant and others, would be unpardonable." When the Spanish-American War began, in 1898, McKinley invited reporters inside the White House to use a press table on the second floor. But there wasn't a separate press room until Theodore Roosevelt, who assumed office after McKinley was assassinated, expanded the White House in 1902, creating the West Wing. It was a small room, with three telephones, just off the lobby. Roosevelt used his press access to put his spin on the news. "His face lathered and wearing one of his famous grins," he talked "gayly to his press friends" while he was being shaved, Price wrote. Roosevelt "put into useful practice the view that to get to the public first with your own opinions and facts was equivalent to hitting the other fellow the first blow in a personal encounter," Price said. He "left many a political corpse in the arena by beating the other fellow to the newspaper and getting his side fixed in the public mind." William Howard Taft didn't share Roosevelt's enthusiasm for the press, but he established a personal relationship with Price, who called Taft "boss" while Taft called him "Bill." Price, who also wore about the same suit size as the 330-pound 27th president, wrote that Taft planned to stay out of politics after he lost the 1912 election. "I suppose Bill Price thinks that because he is wearing my pants, he is absorbing some of my thoughts," Taft complained, in a note to another reporter. Press relations got off to a fast start under Taft's successor, Woodrow Wilson. Wilson, a Democrat, initially met regularly with reporters and held the first formal presidential news conference on March 15, 1913, with about 100 reporters in the Oval Office. His remarks were off the record. Price the next year helped create the White House Correspondents' Association, and he was elected its first chairman. The WHCA issued a photo of 28 newsmen surrounding a smiling Wilson. At one press briefing, Price, "big, fat, florid and overpowering, drew a laugh from the President by an audacious remark," New York Times columnist Arthur Krock wrote in 1914. But relations soured when Wilson complained that some reporters were publishing his off-the-record comments, and he curtailed the gatherings. Price, meanwhile, curtailed his beat reporting in 1917, leaving the Star to be chief editorial writer at the Washington Times. He stayed on, though, as the WHCA's leader - and set the jovial tone for its dinners as toastmaster. President Warren G. Harding, an Ohio newspaper publisher, resumed press briefings after his election, and the WHCA celebrated in 1921 by holding its first banquet, at Washington's Arlington Hotel, with 50 newsmen in attendance. Calvin Coolidge in 1924 became the first president to attend, giving a serious speech about tax cuts. But, the next year, "Silent Cal" uncharacteristically delivered a witty, off-the-record talk that had his press audience "in an uproar," the Star reported. It was a harbinger of things to come. The dinner took off as a social event during World War II, featuring variety shows by Hollywood stars such as Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope. Danny Kaye and Jimmy Durante sang and performed comedy routines before 900 people at President Franklin D. Roosevelt's last correspondents' dinner, in March 1945. President John F. Kennedy, who refused to attend the 1962 dinner until women were allowed, began its custom of presidents making on-the-record humorous remarks. The Democrat joked that after conferring with voters while vacationing in wealthy Palm Beach, Fla., "I came back to Washington, and I am against my entire program." Every president since Coolidge has attended the dinner at least once except for Donald Trump, but such an atmosphere hasn't suited every president as well. Richard M. Nixon complained in a 1971 memo that, at his first news conference after that year's dinner, "where I played the 'good sport role,' the reporters were considerably more bad-mannered and vicious than usual." Nixon couldn't, at least, say he was ambushed. - - - Ronald G. Shafer is the author of "Breaking News All Over Again," a collection of his Retropolis articles. SOMEWHERE IN NORTH CAROLINA - About six months ago, Will Wilkerson was the executive vice president of operations for former president Donald Trump's media business, a co-founder of Trump's Truth Social website and a holder of stock options that might have one day made him a millionaire. Today, he is a certified barista trainer at a Starbucks inside a Harris Teeter grocery store, where he works 5:30 a.m. shifts in a green apron and slip-resistant shoes, making Frappuccinos for $16 an hour. "It's an honest day's work," he says, sitting near the flower kiosk of the supermarket in a North Carolina suburb, which he asked not be named due to fears of harassment. "I love what I do." Wilkerson, 38, has become one of the biggest threats to the Trump company's future: a federally protected whistleblower whose attorneys say has provided 150,000 emails, contracts and other internal documents to the Securities and Exchange Commission and investigators in Florida and New York. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Photo for The Washington Post by Matt Ramey Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Photo for The Washington Post by Matt Ramey Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Photo for The Washington Post by Matt Ramey Show More Show Less 5 of 5 Wilkerson last year publicly accused Trump Media and Technology Group of violating securities laws, telling The Washington Post he could not stay silent while the company's executives gave what he viewed as misleading information to investors, many of whom are small-time shareholders loyal to the Trump brand. The company fired him shortly after, saying he had "concocted psychodramas" but not responding to the specifics of his claims. This month, the company's chief executive, the former Republican congressman Devin Nunes, sued Wilkerson for defamation in a Florida circuit court, claiming he had been subjected to "anxiety," "insecurity," "mental anguish" and "emotional distress" as a result of Wilkerson's comments. Wilkerson's whistleblowing case has gained little of the attention the other legal challenges facing the Republicans' presumptive presidential nominee have gotten, including the criminal charges Trump faces related to hush money payments to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. But his testimony and trove of records have challenged the main engine of Trump's post-presidential business ambitions, a venture that once commanded multibillion-dollar valuations with lofty promises to overtake the titans of American tech. The company's attempt to merge with a financial outfit known as a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, has been frozen for months due to a pending SEC investigation that predates Wilkerson's public comments and has blocked the company's ability to unlock a critical source of cash. The SPAC, Digital World Acquisition, said in an SEC filing last month that it had replaced its chairman and chief executive, Patrick Orlando, and was facing "unprecedented headwinds." Orlando's termination came one week after The Guardian cited Wilkerson's testimony in a report alleging that federal investigators were examining whether $8 million in investments had violated money-laundering rules. Orlando did not respond to requests for comment. The Post provided a detailed summary of this story to Trump Media and Digital World, seeking comment. Trump Media spokeswoman Shannon Devine said in a statement, "This report lazily regurgitates already discredited hit pieces, defamatory allegations, and false statistics about Truth Social's record levels of traffic," without addressing any specific claims. Digital World's interim chief Eric Swider said The Post's reporting contained "several material inaccuracies" but declined to say what they were. On Truth Social, the social network where Wilkerson posted Trump's first "truth" last year, he is regarded as a Judas-like traitor and pasted into memes showing his head on the body of a snake. But at Starbucks, he said in an interview, almost no one seemed to know anything about the whole ordeal. He explained his situation to one person, his direct supervisor, who he said is a "very sweet lady, but she doesn't really understand the legal system in the United States, you know, and what that means." One recent morning, the woman told a Post reporter that Wilkerson is "nice" and "calm" and pointed to a printout that suggested the cafe's customer-service ratings had gone up since he'd begun. "Obviously, I don't shout from the rooftops here about my past history and my whistleblower status," Wilkerson said. Many of his co-workers are still in high school. Sometimes, though, he can't prevent the two parts of his lives from intersecting. When he recently had to ask for a week off, Wilkerson told his store manager he needed the time because he was a witness in a federal investigation. ("Sounds serious," the man replied, as Wilkerson recalled, before penciling him in.) If the SEC takes action against Trump's company and eventually collects sanctions, Wilkerson could be eligible to make millions of dollars through the agency's whistleblower reward program, depending on the amount of assessed penalties. But such payouts are far from guaranteed, and it's unclear whether it'll make up for the money he lost by speaking out. Wilkerson's lawyers, Phil Brewster, Patrick Mincey and Stephen Bell, argue that his firing was corporate retaliation, which is prohibited by U.S. law. The early hype of Trump Media had made it into a financial blockbuster. An initial public offering raised $300 million for Digital World, while a group of private investors pledged another $1 billion. Investors had sent the stock price of the SPAC soaring to a high of $175 on the strength of its proposed merger with Trump Media. In September, shortly before Wilkerson's firing, Forbes magazine had estimated that Trump's stake in Trump Media was his "single most valuable asset," worth roughly $730 million. In the months since, the venture's value has nosedived. Each Digital World share is now worth about $13. In a financial disclosure filing this month, as required by his new presidential candidacy, Trump said Trump Media was worth between $5 million and $25 million and that his income from it had been less than $200. Still, the former president and his allies have declared Truth Social a resounding success. Nunes, the former Republican congressman who now is Truth Social's CEO, said in an interview this month that the site is "blowing up the status quo," and Trump said in a "truth" this month that it has allowed him to "get the word out like never before. As soon as I 'speak' on Truth, the WORD immediately spreads everywhere. MAGA!" But the company, which had told investors it would reach 50 million users by 2024, appears to be only a fraction of the way there, according to the site's own publicly visible follower data. Truth Social's global traffic last month fell to roughly 7 million visits, 40 percent below its August peak, according to estimates from the online analytics firm Similarweb. For comparison, the video site Rumble had 169 million visits in March, and Twitter had more than 6.6 billion. Though Trump posts to the site at all hours, his Truth Social audience has grown only slightly in the past six months, from 4 million to 5 million - a tiny fraction of the 87 million who followed him on Twitter before he was banned after the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump's Twitter account was reinstated in November after Elon Musk's takeover, raising anxieties among Truth Social investors that he would race back to tweeting as the 2024 presidential campaign heats up. So far, however, Trump has remained true to Truth Social, despite it being only the 2,479th most popular website in the United States, according to Similarweb - viewed less often than the animal-news blog The Dodo, an AARP games webpage and, as Jimmy Kimmel noted on his late-night show, a website for photos of celebrities' feet. Wilkerson grew up in Los Angeles, where his grandfather, Billy Wilkerson, had been a controversial legend: The founder of the Hollywood Reporter, and owner of some of the Sunset Strip's most famous nightclubs, he had been a chief instigator of the anti-Communist Hollywood blacklist of the 1950s that came to define America's red scare. Will Wilkerson got into the L.A. music scene and, after high school, promoted nu-metal bands like System of a Down, helping send around stickers and swag. The work led him to odd jobs at radio stations along the Pacific Coast and, ultimately, to a producer role at the syndication company Premiere Networks, where he met Andy Litinsky and Wes Moss, two former contestants on "The Apprentice," the competition-reality show where Trump was host. The three men, Wilkerson said, had kept in touch over the years, trading business ideas. When they met one weekend in Atlanta to hammer out a proposal for a portable milk-frothing device they'd called the Super Shaker Latte Maker, Litinsky said he had a better idea: using the then-novel financial maneuver of a SPAC to fund a media company that could capitalize on Trump's post-presidential fandom and fame. Wilkerson helped draft the company's first plan for "Trump's New Media Empire," and he was part of the team that pitched Trump over cheeseburgers at Mar-a-Lago, his opulent Palm Beach estate, three weeks after the insurrection. They promised Trump an online platform where he would never be silenced, canceled or fact-checked. What's more, Wilkerson said, they offered him 90 percent of the company without him having to invest a single cent. (Trump's recent disclosure filing confirmed he still owns 90 percent.) Inside the company, Wilkerson said he became a "Swiss Army knife," tackling the start-up's many financial and technical demands as it sealed a partnership with Digital World, patched together a social network and navigated Trump's unpredictable temper. "One day, you know, he would be in a very, very happy mood," Wilkerson said. "The next day he would read something in the paper and just yell, just be livid. That's who we were dealing with." By last summer, Wilkerson's own feelings on the company had soured, and he'd begun to worry that the same small-time investors the founders had counted on were now at serious risk. He alerted the SEC to his concerns via a whistleblower tip form in August, then spoke with The Post and the Miami Herald for stories published in October. Trump Media fired Wilkerson shortly after learning he'd spoken with a Post journalist, saying he'd made "unauthorized disclosures" to The Post. Over the next few months, Wilkerson said he sent out hundreds of job applications, hoping to find something in tech or radio but never getting past the first few calls. He suspects the drama around his whistleblowing - and the company's attacks on his integrity - might have persuaded employers to stay away. In December, running out of money and options, he applied at Starbucks and got a call back the next day. Though he'd listed his Trump Media executive role on his resume, he suspects it was his past barista experience, at a Whole Foods coffee-juice bar in L.A. in his 20s, that got him the job. Trump Media, meanwhile, has faced its own struggles. Digital World said in an SEC filing Wednesday that it is cooperating with investigations by the SEC and the Department of Justice as well as an inquiry from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority related to events from before the SPAC declared its intention to merge with Trump Media in 2021. Finra declined to comment. With its Trump Media deal frozen by the pending investigation, Digital World blew through its initial one-year merger deadline, leading the SPAC to try and fail several times to schedule shareholder votes to extend the deadline. Without those votes, the SPAC has forced to borrow millions of dollars from its sponsor, ARC Global Investments II, to keep the deal afloat, SEC filings show. Trump Media has also begun pushing for help from Washington. In February, the company's general counsel, Scott Glabe, a former Homeland Security official in the Trump administration, wrote a letter urging top Republicans in Congress to investigate the SEC for its "egregious conduct and blatant politicization" in delaying the company's merger, saying the "endless investigation . . . clearly constitutes an unprecedented attempt to kill the deal without any finding of wrongdoing." After the Guardian's report that federal prosecutors in New York were examining $8 million in Trump Media investments, CEO Nunes sued Wilkerson, the Guardian and a Florida journalist who had covered the story, saying Wilkerson's goal had been "defaming Nunes" and that the report made Nunes "appear odious, ridiculous and contemptible." Nunes' lawsuit argues that the journalists had published "statements that were a product of their imagination" and that "the entire story is fabricated." Wilkerson contends that he has documents supporting key claims in the report, including the allegation that the $8 million had come from a family trust with no public profile and a bank in the Caribbean island of Dominica. Wilkerson said his fellow executives inside the company had been uneasy about the loans because Orlando, who had helped facilitate the transfer, had declined to offer any detailed information about its origins. In one March 2022 email, which Wilkerson has shared with investigators and The Post, Trump Media's chief financial officer, Phillip Juhan, said that the company had no contact information for anyone at the family trust more than a month after the money had been transferred. The Trump Media spokeswoman was asked about this email but did not address it in her statement, and Juhan did not respond to a request for comment. A few days after the report, Digital World announced in an SEC filing that its board of directors had "terminated" Orlando as its chairman and CEO and installed a new management team to help "restore confidence" to its roughly 400,000 shareholders across 30 countries. Digital World, which lists the address of its executive offices as a UPS store in Miami's Coconut Grove neighborhood, said in a filing this month that it is now paying for office space in Humacao, Puerto Rico, owned by the consulting firm managed by Swider, the SPAC's interim chief. An address listed in the letter corresponds to a gated community inside the sprawling coastal resort of Palmas del Mar. The cost, $15,000 a month, also covers "secretarial and administrative support," Digital World told the SEC. In its filing this week, Digital World said it had accrued more than $17 million in debts by the end of last year, up from $480,000 at the end of 2021, and that its cash on hand had dropped from more than $327,000 to about $989. The SPAC also said it needed to complete the merger or seek further extensions by June 8 or its "existence will terminate," in which case it would be required to return the money to shareholders. In a filing, the company said it "cannot assure shareholders that there will be sufficient funds" for the purpose of paying for its own liquidation costs or outstanding bills, and that the money in its trust account could "become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public stockholders." Digital World's unpaid debts could end up rolling onto the small-time, Trump-loving investors if the deal falls apart, said Michael Ohlrogge, a law professor at New York University who researches SPACs. "The vast majority of SPACs just don't rack up these kinds of expenses . . . and the shareholders could be in some danger of getting pursued by the unpaid vendors," he said. "It could be an interesting and somewhat fitting end for Trump's SPAC: that it ends in failure and liquidation and sticks its shareholders - presumably many or most of whom are his political supporters - with the bill." Wilkerson said he still looks at Truth Social sometimes, where he has a special "verified" account with 38,000 followers, and feels a pang of sadness about the way things turned out. He said he has sent messages to Litinsky and Moss, whom he still regards as friends, but has yet to get a response. The men did not respond to separate requests for comment from The Post. Wilkerson says he enjoys Starbucks: He gets to talk to nice people, likes his co-workers and doesn't have to worry about Trump screaming at him through the phone. "I'm proud of what I do, no matter what it is," he said. "Nothing's beneath me." After a Post journalist took photos of Wilkerson at work last week, though, some of his co-workers began Googling his name and coming up to congratulate him and cheer him on. "Now most of the store knows my story," he said. Wilkerson expects detractors will say that he's gotten what he deserved. On Truth Social, the user "Gi_Bill1962," who says he is a Trump supporter and Digital World shareholder, posted a recent "truth" saying, "The backstabbing @Will Wilkerson thought he was gonna have his 15 minutes of fame!" alongside three crying-laughing emoji. But Wilkerson said he doesn't regret trying to protect shareholders by sharing information that, had he said nothing, "would have probably never seen the light of day." "I made the conscious decision. I knew the risks . . . especially in regards to retaliation. But I don't think I could have sat back and stayed quiet, even if I was compensated handsomely for doing so," he said. "I'm here and I'm not going away. . . . Ultimately, you know, I just want to do what's right." DACULA, Ga. - For as long as he can remember, Jimi Olaghere felt he was destined to be a father. "It's so true in my soul," he told his wife, Amanda, when they struggled to get pregnant. But when they were finally expecting a baby boy in 2019, joy was tinged with despair. For 34 years, sickle cell disease had been hammering Jimi's body and stealthily shredding his ambitions. He knew it would come for his dream of being a dad, too. Inside Jimi, normally pliable, disc-shaped red blood cells deformed into rigid crescents. Those microscopic sickle-shaped cells clumped together, unleashing a cascade of damage. Pain was a constant, but about once a month it erupted into pure agony - like glass had shattered inside his veins and shards were sawing back and forth. How would monthly trips to the emergency room to manage his pain work with a newborn baby? Could he keep up with a toddler when everyday pain could keep him stuck in bed all day? Would he even live long enough to try? "I knew sickle cell would win that battle as well," Jimi said. "It won everything - with my career, with education, with everything I wanted to do." Then, midway through Amanda's pregnancy, the couple read an article about Victoria Gray, a woman whose genes had been experimentally edited to treat her sickle cell disease. It was still too soon to know exactly how well it worked, but Jimi wanted in. After decades of neglect, stigma and underfunding, sickle cell is getting the equivalent of the red carpet treatment in science. It's the target of a competitive biotech race, with scientists and companies using a crop of cutting-edge tools to try to cure the debilitating illness. The first gene therapies for sickle cell, including one based on the buzzy, Nobel Prize-winning technique called CRISPR, will be reviewed by regulators this year, and companies are preparing to launch the medicines if they get the green light. That puts the country at the cusp of two frontiers: a new era in treating a tragically overlooked disease, and the beginning of what could be a CRISPR revolution in medicine. It's a dramatic about-face for sickle cell patients, who have often felt abandoned by the medical system. The rare disease afflicts about 100,000 people in the United States, most of them Black. Racism at both the institutional and interpersonal level has stymied funding and alienated patients, who are often treated as drug-seekers when they show up in emergency rooms in acute pain. "Of course there's skepticism. This is a disease that's been left to just succumb to the health-care system for so long, and suddenly this influx of money and parties and pharmaceutical companies [and] a whole staff of White folks want to come in and ask us about our disease," said Ashley Valentine, president of Sick Cells, a patient advocacy group that she founded with her brother Marqus, who died of a hemorrhagic stroke at age 36. There are risks and unknowns with any new technology; one doctor told Jimi the magnitude of the challenge was comparable with landing on the moon for the first time. But the doctors, patients and others eager for sickle cell treatments say that turning gene editing into a viable therapy, then finding ways to make it widely accessible, will help carve a path for others to follow. "The hope," said Valentine, "is that if the feds and governments and society can figure this out with sickle cell, they can figure this out with other diseases." - - - A long time coming Decades before Jimi was born, chemist Linus Pauling discovered the root of the problem in sickle cell disease: an atypical form of the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin protein inside red blood cells. He dubbed sickle cell the first "molecular" disease - a new paradigm that would shape biomedical research for decades. Hard scientific work would fill in the rest of the story. The human genetic code is a string of 3 billion letters, each representing one of four molecular building blocks. Atypical hemoglobin is the result of a misspelling in one gene - a T where there should be an A. People with just one copy of the altered gene have "sickle cell trait." They live without major health symptoms, and even have an advantage: better protection against malaria. But people with two copies can experience devastating symptoms and die decades early. Jimi's parents had sickle cell trait. So did an older sister. But he had sickle cell disease. As a child growing up in Nigeria, it was hard to keep up with his friends' energy levels. The pain episodes would arrive at night, or after tough exertion. His parents used menthol rubs and over-the-counter painkillers to try to ease his discomfort, which was so intense he would pass out. Eventually, Jimi moved to live with relatives in New Jersey so that he could take advantage of better medical care. At a sickle cell support group, Jimi began to understand how deeply the disease infiltrated every aspect of daily life. It wasn't just hospitalizations and pain. A girl shared that she would eat random objects - a condition called pica that often accompanies the disease. He recognized his own tendency to scrounge chalk and rubbish to eat, which had always made him feel as if he were going crazy. The disease often gets worse as patients get older, which tragically coincides with a medical cliff in the U.S. health-care system. Children have parents and pediatric hematologists who are devoted to managing their disease. As adults, they have to coordinate their own care and are often treated very differently. Most people who have the disease in the United States are Black, and they are often met with suspicion and hostility, not compassion - when they show up in the emergency room in excruciating pain. As he got older, Jimi's pain episodes became so frequent that they bled together in his memory. One time, his fever spiked so high that he lost consciousness. Jimi woke up in the intensive care unit a day later, disappointed to still be alive. "There became a point of my life - I stopped going to the emergency room and started medicating at home," Jimi said. "I was just so embarrassed." He suffered a heart attack in his 20s. He developed blood clots in his lungs. His hips sometimes ache because parts of the bone tissue in his joints died because of lack of oxygen delivery. Until recently, there weren't many treatments for sickle cell disease. A bone-marrow transplant could cure it by providing patients with marrow that made normal hemoglobin, but a suitable match from a sibling could be found for only about 1 in every 5 patients. Then there's hydroxyurea, the first and only drug that was approved to treat sickle cell until 2017; three drugs have been approved since then. Hydroxyurea helps keep red blood cells from sickling, or deforming into a sickle shape, by increasing levels of a type of fetal hemoglobin that is switched off after birth. Research into the disease gave scientists two main avenues for gene therapy. One would be to replace the gene or correct the genetic typo to restore normal hemoglobin production. Another would be to get the body to start pumping out fetal hemoglobin again. The ideas were straightforward, but progress was slow. The field was underfunded, in part because the Black population historically lacks access to the intergenerational wealth, influence and privilege that fuels private philanthropy for rare-disease research. Even at the federal level, other rare diseases that cut short people's life spans - such as the lung disease cystic fibrosis - received triple the funding per person until the gap began to narrow in 2017. "There's huge underinvestment," said Stuart Orkin, an expert in the field and professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "The NIH probably wouldn't like me to say this, but one of the goals of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute is to cure sickle cell disease. They certainly have not put the kind of resources into it that would be required." Gary Gibbons, director of the NHLBI, pointed to data showing that federal funding for sickle cell research has doubled since 2010, and he highlighted the Cure Sickle Cell Initiative that was launched in 2018. "NHLBI is committed to improving the care and long-term survival for children and adults with sickle cell disease in the U.S. as well as other parts of the world," Gibbons said. A turning point occurred when sickle cell became an attractive target for companies to invest in - as new gene therapy techniques reached prime time and better understanding of the disease clarified the best therapeutic strategies. Fifteen years ago, scientists pinpointed a gene called BCL11A that worked like a dimmer switch, controlling the amount of fetal hemoglobin the body produced. When scientists shut it off, fetal hemoglobin expression turned back on. In 2011, Orkin's lab showed that it was possible to reverse sickle cell disease in mice by flicking the BCL11A switch. At the same time, a growing array of gene therapy techniques gave scientists tools to flip genetic switches or insert new genes - kicking off a flurry of competing sickle cell cures. CRISPR, discovered in 2012, is being used to edit a key region of the BCL11A gene to turn fetal hemoglobin back on. Other approaches use a harmless virus as a kind of Trojan horse to insert a new version of the hemoglobin gene that resists sickling into a patient's stem cells. Yet another uses a specialized RNA molecule to silence BCL11A. After years of little progress, there wasn't just one way to treat sickle cell - there were many. "I have wanted to see this succeed for 40 years," said Francis Collins, the former NIH director whose postdoctoral research in the early 1980s was on sickle cell. "I thought we'd be lucky if in my lifetime, if we achieved even a single cure of someone for sickle cell disease." - - - 'Out of nowhere, I could tell it was gone' For most of his life, Jimi had a hard time envisioning the future. How many times had people told him he wouldn't live to see his 20th or 30th birthday? On his first date with Amanda, when they were in their early 20s, he put down the menu and told her he had sickle cell, and that he understood if that was a dealbreaker. "I'm super competitive, and I said, 'I'll take it on,'" Amanda recalled, laughing. She went home and began Googling to learn more about the disease. To manage Jimi's sickle cell, the couple forged a powerful partnership. They could handle anything together. But with a baby on the way, the stakes changed. "I thought I was going to die," Jimi said. "I thought, 'I can't leave my wife with a son and not be here for them.'" In November 2019, Jimi and Amanda flew to Nashville to meet with Haydar Frangoul, the pediatric hematologist leading a trial of a CRISPR gene therapy for sickle cell disease at Sarah Cannon Research Institute. They learned shortly after Christmas that Jimi qualified for the trial. Their son, Sebastian, had just been born. It felt like a gift. From start to finish, Jimi's treatment would take the better part of a year. First, his stem cells needed to be collected from his blood. This required long car trips to Nashville and being hooked up to a machine for hours at a time. Once the researchers collected enough stem cells, they edited the cells to disable the BCL11A switch. Then the cells needed to be carefully checked for quality. Jimi also needed chemotherapy to kill off existing cells in his bone marrow so that his edited stem cells would have room to engraft and grow. His hair fell out and he developed painful sores in his mouth. Amanda, Jimi and baby Sebastian lived in the hospital for weeks, juggling remote work and the haze of starting their new family life. They set up a playpen in the hospital room. The nurses and doctors became like a second family. Jimi continued to run his e-commerce business from his hospital bed, while Amanda worked remotely, sometimes rushing to a nearby hotel room to do conference calls. Sebastian often napped next to his dad. When Jimi's body was ready to receive the cells, the nurses brought three syringes into the room. Another participant in the trial had warned him: It will smell like creamed corn. Sure enough, the room filled with the aroma, due to a preservative used to freeze the cells. His parents watched through a live feed from Nigeria. Jimi came home at the end of November 2020. As his new edited cells began pumping out fetal hemoglobin, he felt the disease depart. "I had lived 35 years with this disease that sometimes I consider a companion, and out of nowhere I could tell it had gone - or was in the process of leaving. We were enmeshed together, and I could feel it detangling," Jimi said. A year went by, and Jimi had no pain crises. "We can plan in the future - like decades in the future now," Amanda said. They got pregnant again using in vitro fertilization, this time with twins. - - - 'Carry your cure with you' Jimi is one of 31 participants whose results have been made public in the sickle cell trial run by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics. None have had pain crises since their treatment, according to data through February 2022, though at that time, only 11 patients had been followed for at least a year. The companies just finished submitting data to regulators, and the Food and Drug Administration is expected to make a decision on whether to approve the therapy as soon as this year. The therapy is also being tested in the related blood disease beta thalassemia. Another trial run by Massachusetts-based company Bluebird Bio uses a different gene therapy approach. A patient's stem cells are removed, then a virus inserts a gene into them that codes for a non-sickling version of beta-globin, a component of hemoglobin. Bluebird has treated 50 sickle cell patients, six of whom have been followed for six years, and submitted its data to regulators in April. The company has announced it could roll out the therapy in 2024. The beauty of gene editing for sickle cell is that it takes a lot of the luck out of the equation. People don't have to count on finding a bone marrow match. They also don't have to worry about a dangerous complication that can occur when cells transplanted from another person attack the recipient's own tissues. "You carry your cure with you, basically," the Sarah Cannon Research Institute's Frangoul said. But the challenges of turning an intensive therapy into an accessible medicine are formidable. For instance, chemotherapy is not only time-intensive and unpleasant, but it also causes infertility, meaning patients must have the ability to put their lives on hold for the treatment and have the time and resources to make long-term plans about future reproductive choices. The first gene therapies for sickle cell will be a turning point, but it will take years - and many millions of dollars - to reach even a fraction of the patients who could benefit. Jimi did not have to pay for his treatment because it was part of a clinical trial, and the companies have not yet announced the price tag. A draft report by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, a nonprofit that examines whether drugs merit their prices, found that charging $2 million per treatment could be cost-effective for patients with severe disease, leading to health gains and lifetime opportunities. Already, the success of the front-runners is winnowing out competition, as some companies drop their sickle cell gene therapy programs. The trend disappoints scientists who worry that a winner-takes-all model will leave important scientific questions unsettled about which approach is superior. Jimi says he feels like he's cured, though he knows it isn't the correct word. Frangoul will follow Jimi and other patients for 15 years to track their health and monitor them for side effects. Two patients in Bluebird's trial developed acute myeloid leukemia and died; extensive studies found that the cases were not likely to be related to the insertion of the new gene. If both of the therapies being submitted are approved, they probably will be limited to severely ill people at first. Vertex officials estimate there are about 25,000 people in the United States in that category, and they have outlined plans to partner with 50 treatment centers in the United States and 25 in Europe. "I'm excited - but I don't expect to see my job different two years from now because we have a gene therapy," said John J. Strouse, a hematologist at Duke University School of Medicine who treats adult sickle cell patients. Frangoul said the questions of access and insurance coverage already worry him. He recalled the early days of bone marrow transplants to treat sickle cell, when he would write appeal after appeal to insurers to try to get the novel procedure covered. Jennifer Doudna, the biochemist at the University of California at Berkeley who shared the Nobel Prize for discovering CRISPR, said that she anticipates feeling "sheer joy" when the first CRISPR therapy is approved, but also urgency. A nonprofit she founded, the Innovative Genomics Institute, is working on a different CRISPR therapy to correct the genetic typo in sickle cell disease. Institute leaders also hope to pioneer a less-conventional business model in which creative partnerships between industry, government, academia and nonprofits could lead to new ways to price very expensive drugs for rare diseases. "I think it's going to make me feel even more motivated," Doudna said. "People need this therapy, right? And . . . people can't pay millions of dollars for it." - - - A new life After Jimi's treatment, he had a different kind of crisis: Who am I without sickle cell? After a lifetime of constant pain, it was disconcerting to have none. He felt guilty for not being elated that he was finally well, but he mourned the years of lost potential that he had spent as a prisoner of sickle cell. "The physical toll of the disease sickle cell itself doesn't compare to the emotional vacuum it creates," he said. At the same time, he looks at his life now with a bit of wonder. He stands a little taller, and he no longer wears glasses to obscure his eyes, which were severely jaundiced because of the disease. After years of being unable to sleep at night because of pain and taking naps during the day, he wakes up at 4:30 a.m. feeling like he chugged a Red Bull. He meditates, works, then wakes his twin daughters, Eloise and Willow, and gives them breakfast. The soundtrack in his household is kid-friendly songs and discussions of dinosaurs. "To me, it still feels special - the amount of energy I have," he said. The story doesn't end with him. Some of Jimi's relatives in Nigeria have sickle cell disease. Three of Jimi's children are carriers of the sickle cell trait. He wants to make sure other people with sickle cell have the opportunity to free themselves from the disease - not only the patients in the United States, but also the 20 million people in the rest of the world, many of them in sub-Saharan Africa, India and the Middle East. Extending gene therapies to more populations will require big leaps in science. A major quest is on to invent ways to deliver gene therapies without an intensive bone marrow transplant. And Jimi wants people in the next generation, regardless of where they live, to have the opportunity to grow up without the shadow of illness. "If by God's grace we cure 100,000 people [in the United States], that's not even a fraction of the people that actually suffer with the disease in West Africa, India and all those regions where it's quite prevalent," Jimi said. "Most of my advocacy is shining a light to all of these places that . . . are still in the background for now." NEW ORLEANS (AP) A shooting outside a well-known New Orleans restaurant Friday killed an employee, and one bullet penetrated the restaurant and wounded a Chicago tourist visiting for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Interim New Orleans police Superintendent Michelle Woodfork told reporters Saturday that the shooting happened outside Mandina's Restaurant in New Orleans' Mid-City neighborhood. No suspects have yet been named. Woodfork said police believe two assailants targeted the waiter, whom family members identified to The Times-Picayune of New Orleans as 23-year-old Hilbert Walker III. A private security guard returned fire, Woodfork said, and was not injured. Diners told local news outlets that they dived to the floor seeking cover and that police didn't let them leave for more than an hour. The 54-year-old Chicago woman was visiting for Jazz Fest and was at Mandinas to celebrate the birthday of a friend, when she was shot, Woodfork said. She did not say what condition the tourist was in. The shooting caused alarm in New Orleans, a city with an economy dependent on tourism. It came on the first day of the two-weekend Jazz Fest, one of the busiest tourist periods in the city. This was an isolated incident that did not occur in the vicinity of the festival, Woodfork said. The restaurant announced it would be closed Saturday and Sunday. The police department has about 150 to 180 officers providing security and directing traffic at the festival, Woodfork said. It's held at the Fair Grounds Race Course, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the restaurant. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell sent her condolences to the victims in a statement. A celebratory day was later marred by another senseless act of violence, she said. Concerns about crime and poor city services recently drove a racially polarizing effort to recall Cantrell, a Black Democrat who is the first woman to lead the city. That effort failed in March after organizers fell far short of the number of signatures required to force a recall election. WADI KARKAR, Egypt - The Sudanese family hid under a bed as a rocket slammed into their roof - and again when militia soldiers stormed in and looted their house. They rationed water, held their noses to avoid the stench of abandoned corpses on their street and said their goodbyes, fearing they would not make it out alive. After more than a week of hellish conditions in Khartoum, they finally fled by bus to Egypt, hoping their ordeal would soon be over. What they found at the border was more chaos. For four nights, the family and other passengers slept on the street near the Argeen border crossing, first on the Sudanese side and then in Egypt, surviving with hardly any food or water in intense heat. They had no access to electricity or proper bathrooms as they waited for their passports to be processed by Sudanese and Egyptian authorities. Several times, the border guards took long breaks from processing anyone at all, they said, even as more and more buses pulled in, carrying thousands of others running for their lives. At least one person died on the Sudanese side while waiting and another went into labor, they said. Many others fell ill. The family's 20-year-old son, who hoped Egyptian entry rules requiring visas for Sudanese men between 16 and 50 would be lifted because of the conflict, was denied entry. He had to travel to another part of Sudan to visit an Egyptian consulate and has still not received a visa. "It was a disaster," said the father, Khalid, 60, an engineer who fled without his phone or luggage and was one of many Sudanese civilians waiting at a bus stop in southern Egypt on Thursday. "So many people fainted." Like others in this story, he spoke on the condition that only his first name be used because of concerns over his safety in both countries. Khalid and his wife are among at least 14,000 Sudanese civilians who entered Egypt in the past week - tens of thousands of others have fled to South Sudan or westward into Chad - braving dangerous roads and dozens of checkpoints, only to find themselves in another humanitarian crisis. Many here are from Sudan's most elite families and own property in Egypt, which has deep social and cultural ties with its southern neighbor. Cut off from their bank accounts, though, they are already running out of money. Millions of others are still trapped in Sudan by fighting between forces loyal to Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the army chief and de facto head of state, and those backing his rival, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Multiple cease-fires have been announced since the conflict broke out two weeks ago, but none has held. At least 450 people have been killed, although the true toll is likely to be much higher. While countries and international organizations have rushed to evacuate their citizens and employees, many locals have no way out of Sudan. The bus to the border cost around $350 per seat, families said, up from $50 earlier this month, and prices are still rising. The vast majority of Sudanese cannot afford to escape the country and so are left to shelter in Khartoum or flee to rural areas. The ones fortunate enough to make the journey north to the border with Egypt said there was no sign of the United Nations or any other refugee agency. The only humanitarian group on-site was the Egyptian Red Crescent, which lent travelers phones and handed out water. Spokeswoman Christine Beshay of the U.N. refugee agency in Egypt said the organization was "supporting those in need with lifesaving relief items that will be delivered through the Egyptian Red Crescent teams at the borders." A spokesman for Egypt's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the situation at the southern border. At the bus stop outside the Egyptian city of Aswan, some Sudanese travelers finally had a moment's reprieve - napping on plastic chairs, sipping tea and using makeshift bathrooms to freshen up before boarding new buses bound for Cairo or other cities. Khalid's relative Aya, 21, an international relations student in Khartoum, said it had been days since she last urinated, because of a lack of facilities at the border. Other women said the only choice was to relieve themselves in the same streets where they slept. Shahd, 33, an architect, fled with her husband and their three children, including an 18-month-old, after a rocket landed in front of their house. When they finally reached the border, "there was no water, no food, nothing for the children," she said. Her children feared urinating in public and had not relieved themselves for several days, and they had eaten nothing but chips, she said. "If this happened again, I would stay [in Khartoum]," she said. Ali, 62, said one of his family members had fainted and been revived. The process at the border was "not efficient at all," he said, describing the conditions as dehumanizing. "I saw people eat from the trash." Witnesses said the long delays were caused by bureaucratic hurdles on both sides of the border. Exhausted and confused by the wait, some Sudanese got into screaming matches with Egyptian officials, they said. Many young men secured their costly seats and made the lengthy trip only to learn that Egypt would not make exceptions to its visa requirement for male travelers between the ages of 16 and 50. Those men and boys would have to turn around, passengers recalled border officials saying, and apply for entry permits in other towns - a journey that at wartime rates could cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars more. The separations were wrenching for families that had survived intense violence in Sudan and could see Egypt just over the crossing but had to leave their sons behind. "Their mothers sobbed and sobbed," Khalid said. At least six members of his extended family, including his son and Aya's brother, were among those denied entry to Egypt and told to apply for visas elsewhere in Sudan. "We don't know if they'll get them or not," Aya said. In Aswan, Ebtisam Babaker, 51, a single mother who traveled with another group that reached Egypt on Tuesday, wept as she described how her two sons, Youssef, 21, and Khaled, 19, were turned back. She wanted to stay with them, but they insisted that she continue with the other passengers - she is diabetic and they could not guarantee her safety. Now, they've run out of money and are still waiting for visas. "I have no one else but them in the world," she said. "We left everything behind." Esraa Bani, 39, a Sudanese American based in the United Arab Emirates, waited at the bus stop in Wadi Karkar on Thursday, preparing to travel south toward Egypt's border with Sudan to distribute food, water and diapers to new arrivals. As the international community rushed to evacuate its citizens from Sudan, no one seemed to be thinking about the Sudanese, she said. "They literally left the whole nation [of Sudan] on its own," she said. "The vulnerable people funded their own evacuation, and they're stuck at the border funding their own water." Aya, the student, is struggling to process her new reality. She woke up in Khartoum on April 15 to "bombs and fire." Bullets struck her house. They had no water or electricity for five days. It would be different at the border, she had hoped. "I keep thinking it's going to be done, but it's never done - even until now," she said. "It's getting worse." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ISTANBUL (AP) Turkeys first astronaut will travel to the International Space Station by the end of the year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday after an illness forced him to cancel several days of appearances. Air force pilot Alper Gezeravci, 43, was selected to be the first Turkish citizen in space. His backup is Tuva Cihangir Atasever, 30, an aviation systems engineer at Turkish defense contractor Roketsan. Erdogan made the announcement at the Teknofest aviation and space fair in Istanbul, the president's first public appearance since falling ill during a TV interview on Tuesday. He appeared alongside Azerbaijans president, Ilham Aliyev, and Libya's interim prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. Our friend, who will go on Turkeys first manned space mission, will stay on the International Space Station for 14 days, Erdogan said. Our astronaut will perform 13 different experiments prepared by our countrys esteemed universities and research institutions during this mission. Erdogan described Gezeravci as a heroic Turkish pilot who has achieved significant success in our Air Force Command. The Turkish Space Agency website describes Gezeravci as a 21-year air force veteran and F-16 pilot who attended the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology. Wearing a red flight jacket, Erdogan appeared in robust health as he addressed crowds at the festival. Turkey's presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 14, and opinion polls show Erdogan in potentially his toughest race since he came to power two decades ago. Turkey is dealing with a prolonged economic downturn, and the government received criticism after a February earthquake killed more than 50,000 in the country. Experts blamed the high death toll in part on shoddy construction and law enforcement of building codes. While campaigning for reelection, Erdogan has unveiled a number of prestigious projects, such as Turkeys first nuclear power plant and the delivery of natural gas from Black Sea reserves. BUFORD, Ga. (AP) A slate of Georgia Republicans led by Gov. Brian Kemp handily won reelection last year over far-right primary opponents endorsed by Donald Trump and backed by the state party chairperson, showing the limits of the former president and his 2020 election lies in the critical swing state. Despite those stinging primary losses, the state GOP is showing little interest in moving on from Trump. Last weekend, Republicans in Georgia's 1st Congressional District, which includes Savannah, elected as their chair Kandiss Taylor, a Kemp gubernatorial challenger who ran on a Jesus Guns Babies platform and denies the legitimacy of her primary defeat. In metro Atlanta's 6th Congressional District, Republican activists considered a resolution rejecting the results of the 2020 election and declaring Democrat Joe Biden the acting president. In many ways, the Georgia Republican Party is a train that has left Crazytown, and the governor is trying to present a scenario and lead and demonstrate that thats not the path to success, said John Watson, a former state Republican Party chair aligned with Kemp. Kemp and a handful of other elected Republicans said this week that they wont attend the state's GOP convention in June, when the new leader of the state party will be chosen, citing unhappiness with current party leaders. Georgia is one of a number of states where far-right Republicans aligned with Trump are joining the ranks of party leadership, giving them increasing influence over the party's direction. But mounting electoral losses, including in last year's midterms, raise questions about whether the state parties are growing out of step with the voters they're supposed to represent. Republican delegates in Michigan earlier this year elected Kristina Karamo as state party chair, elevating an election conspiracist who was defeated in November in her secretary of state race. In Kansas, Mike Brown, a conspiracy theorist who lost his primary bid for secretary of state, was named chair of the state party. And in Idaho, Dorothy Moon, an election denier and former state representative, became state GOP chair last year shortly after her unsuccessful primary run for secretary of state. In addition to concerns about the partys direction, Georgia Republican incumbents are still mad at outgoing party Chair David Shafer, who promoted a Trump-aligned ticket of primary challengers against them in last year's primaries. Those state officials, including Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr, not only won their primaries but also went on to beat their Democratic rivals by convincing margins. I am going to stand up with those that believe in electing and supporting Republicans, but I dont think its right when you have a party that went after an entire statewide ticket and undermined our ability to get elected, Carr said Wednesday after a bill-signing in Buford. Carr and others voice hope that one of the three candidates running to replace Shafer as party chair will patch things up. Chairman since 2019, Shafer is stepping down while a target of investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis into attempts to overturn Bidens Democratic victory in Georgia in 2020. Shafer said he isn't seeking reelection because he wants to refocus on his family. Republicans have also lost three races for U.S. Senate since January 2021 under Shafer. Democratic Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, representing a once reliably Republican state, provide the margin of Senate control for their party. Kemp has been trying to promote a Trump-divergent vision for Republicans since shortly after the 2020 election, when he defied the then-president's demands to help overturn Trump's narrow loss in the state. His impressive win over Democrat Stacey Abrams last year stoked presidential speculation, but Kemp has said he's not going to seek the White House in 2024. He has, however, been angling for national influence through the Republican Governors Association and could be setting up a 2026 Senate run against Ossoff. If you look in the rearview mirror too long while youre driving, youre going to look up, and youre going to be running into somebody, and thats not going to be good, Kemp told CNN in mid-April, shortly after delivering the same message at the Republican National Committee donors retreat in Nashville. But it's not Kemp who elects the leader of the state party it's activists. And that setup has caused conflict before. Kemp got booed at the 2021 state party convention, and some members tried to censure Republican Gov. Nathan Deal, Kemps predecessor. Deal skipped the two conventions in his second term. The people show up at party events are not representative of Georgias Republican primary electorate, said Brian Robinson, a political consultant who was Deal's chief spokesperson. They are, by and large, much further to the right, much more ideologically driven. The discord is also raising questions about whether control of the party apparatus matters anymore. In Georgia, voters don't register by party and can participate in whatever primary they like. Unlike in some states, Georgia party leaders can't kick candidates off the primary ballot for disloyalty. And a recent Georgia law allows Kemp and some other state officials to raise unlimited sums of money and coordinate with campaigns, which used to be key party functions. Kemp kept his political operation running after his reelection and loaned its get-out-the-vote effort to the unsuccessful Senate runoff campaign of Herschel Walker, while forming a federal political action committee that lets the governor influence races for Congress and president. I dont have a rift with the state GOP, Kemp told reporters Tuesday in Atlanta. You know, I just think that to win, we have to have a robust ground operation. The state GOP was not doing that. And so we did that ourselves. The three candidates running to lead the state party acknowledge that a new chair needs to focus on rebuilding an organization that has shrunk to two employees, increase fundraising and do more to train party activists how to win votes. Shafer is backing Josh McKoon, a former state senator who is now a lawyer for the state technical college system. McKoon acknowledges a need for unity, saying that a focus on ousting Biden in 2024 should help. Theres been a lot of infighting, not just within the primary, but between Republicans, between party officials and elected officials," McKoon said. "Weve got to lay that aside. But Watson said that may be hard to achieve if activists aren't ready to change. If the party and the party organization continues to focus on conspiracy, backward looking, fringe ideas, fringe policies, then again it will have completed its path to irrelevance," Watson said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Christale Spain, a longtime party operative, was elected Saturday as chair of South Carolina's Democratic Party, becoming the first Black woman to lead the organization in what will be the Democrats' leadoff presidential voting state in 2024. Spain was elected during the party's convention Saturday in Columbia. She takes over in a wave of changes across state Democratic parties for 2024. With her election, and thanks to the party's recent revamp of its primary schedule, four of the five states in which Democrats will vote first next year Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and South Carolina now have Black women chairing their state parties. Putting states with more diversity at the top of the voting calendar was a priority for President Joe Biden, who recently moved on his own reelection bid and pushed to move South Carolina a state where he won big in 2020 to the top of the nominating calendar. Calling her victory a historic moment for our party, for women," Spain pledged to implement year-round voter engagement and mobilization efforts, in hopes of garnering more statewide wins for the party, as the nation's attention hones in on South Carolina for the 2024 cycle. "I now know from all the experience, all of the volunteering, all of the jobs that Ive held, the importance of this role, who is setting the stage, who is implementing the strategy, so that we can win, Spain told reporters after. Black women are major drivers of the Democratic electorate, particularly in South Carolina. Spain takes over from Trav Robertson, who has led the party since 2017 and announced earlier this year he wouldnt seek another term. Spain had backing from a slew of party leaders, including Rep. Jim Clyburn, for whom Spain previously worked doing constituency service and outreach in his district office. She was also endorsed by former party leaders such as Robertson and Jaime Harrison, who preceded Robertson as state chair and currently leads the Democratic National Committee. In a statement, Harrison said Spain has the experience, judgment, and strategic vision to get South Carolina Democrats back on the winning track, and I know she will be an excellent chair. Spain held off efforts by two other candidates, both of whom withdrew after early voting showed massive support for Spain. Brandon Upson, a progressive Democrat who chairs the state partys Black Caucus and advised Tom Steyers 2020 presidential campaign in South Carolina, said he was pulling out for the sake of unity" in the party, as it prepares for 2024. Catherine Fleming Bruce, an author who unsuccessfully sought Democrats 2022 nomination against Republican Sen. Tim Scott, also launched a bid. Spain, 46, has years of experience in South Carolina's political spheres, working as political director for Sen. Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign and serving as Sen. Cory Bookers state director for his 2020 White House bid. For two years, she worked for Clyburns district office, focusing on constituent service and outreach. She also founded 46 Hope Road, a political action committee aimed at energizing voters who had been inactive since Barack Obamas 2008 presidential campaign, and worked on Black voter engagement for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for the 2022 midterms. While the national prominence of South Carolina's Democratic Party has risen most recently when the Democratic National Committee made South Carolina the first voting state on its 2024 presidential primary calendar South Carolinas Democrats have struggled to notch electoral wins at many levels of office. Winless in statewide elections since 2006, Democrats hold only one of the states seven House seats. The party last won a Senate race in 1998, and Jimmy Carter was the last Democrat to carry the state in a presidential election. There have been some successes. In 2018, Joe Cunningham became the first Democrat to flip a House seat from red to blue in South Carolina in decades, though he lost his reelection bid two years later. Opening his final convention as chair, Robertson glanced at the party's internal disputes, but expressing confidence the party could have future successes. We may fight like hell, but we will always be family, he said. ___ Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP. WASHINGTON (AP) Hundreds of Americans fleeing two weeks of deadly fighting in Sudan reached the east African nations port Saturday in the first U.S.-run evacuation, completing a dangerous land journey under escort of armed drones. American unmanned aircraft, which have been keeping an eye on overland evacuation routes for days, provided armed overwatch for a bus convoy carrying 200 to 300 Americans over 500 miles, or 800 kilometers, to Port Sudan, a place of relative safety, U.S. officials said. The U.S., which had none of its officials on the ground for the evacuation, has been criticized by families of trapped Americans in Sudan for initially ruling out any U.S.-run evacuation for Americans who wanted out, calling it too dangerous. U.S. special operations troops briefly flew to the capital, Khartoum, on April 22 to airlift out American staffers at the embassy and other American government personnel. Several thousand U.S. citizens were left behind, many of them dual-nationals. More than a dozen other nations had already been carrying out evacuations for their citizens, using a mix of military planes, navy vessels and on the ground personnel. A wide-ranging group of international mediators including African and Arab nations, the United Nations and the United States has only managed to achieve a series of fragile temporary cease-fires that failed to stop clashes but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese to flee to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate thousands of their citizens by land, air and sea. Since the conflict between two rival generals broke out April 15, the U.S. has warned its citizens that they needed to find their own way out of the country, though U.S. officials have tried to link up Americans with other nations evacuation efforts. But that changed as U.S. officials exploited a relative lull in the fighting and, from afar, organized their own convoy for Americans, officials said. Without the evacuation flights near the capital that other countries have been offering their citizens, many U.S. citizens have been left to make the dangerous overland journey from Khartoum to the countrys main Red Sea port, Port Sudan. One Sudanese-American family that made the trip earlier described passing through numerous checkpoints manned by armed men and passing bodies lying in the street and vehicles of other fleeing families who had been killed along the way. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the convoy carried U.S. citizens, local people employed by the U.S. and citizens of allied countries. We reiterate our warning to Americans not to travel to Sudan, he said. From Port Sudan, away from the fighting, the Americans in the convoy can seek spots on vessels crossing the Red Sea to the Saudi port city of Jeddah. U.S. officials also are working with Saudi Arabia to see if one of the kingdoms naval vessels can carry a larger number of Americans to Jeddah. U.S. consular officials will be waiting for the Americans once they reach the dock in Jeddah, but there are no U.S. personnel in Port Sudan, officials said. Two Americans are confirmed killed in the fighting that erupted April 15. One was a U.S. civilian whom officials said was caught in crossfire. The other was an Iowa City, Iowa, doctor, who was stabbed to death in front of his house and family in Khartoum, in the lawless violence that has accompanied the fighting. In all, the fighting in the east African country has killed more than 500 people. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) The banishment of transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr from Montana's House floor has showcased the rising power of hard-line conservatives organized under the banner of the State Freedom Caucus Network who are currently leveraging divisive social issues to gain influence in 11 statehouses. In Montana, they led the charge to enshrine a ban on gender-affirming care for minors that the governor signed Friday. In South Carolina, they slowed the budget process this year with failed amendments to punish universities with diversity programs. And in Wyoming, they tried to make certain library books crimes of obscenity. Across the country with varying levels of success, the groups have followed the playbook of the House Freedom Caucus, an eight-year old alliance of GOP conservatives determined to pull Republicans in the U.S. Congress to the right. After debuting on the second anniversary of the January 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol, the Montana Freedom Caucus 21 members over the past two weeks successfully pushed GOP leaders to punish Zephyr, a Democrat, following her statements and actions in support of the transgender community. The dispute brought Zephyr a national stage from which to advocate for transgender issues. Though she's seized the moment and drawn support from the left, her elevated profile could work to the GOPs advantage as Republicans try to paint Democrats as extremists heading into 2024, said University of Montana political analyst Robert Saldin. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a moderate Democrat and farmer, will be up for reelection in a race considered pivotal for control of the Senate. This is what the Freedom Caucus folks wanted, said Saldin. Now Zephyr is the second most well-known Democrat in Montana. To the extent that shes the face of the party in Montana, thats great for the Freedom Caucus. Zephyr's punishment appears unprecedented in Montana. It comes after the state's political landscape careened sharply Republican over the past 15 years, giving the GOP a two-thirds supermajority in the statehouse. That shift sidelined the thinning ranks of Republican moderates and brought to the fore social issues once on the legislative fringe. They like to call us extremists, but we're seeing the extremists on the left take front and center stage here," said Montana Freedom Caucus chairwoman and state Sen. Theresa Manzella. We're getting behind the right issues, the issues that are dear to our hearts and those of our constituency. The caucus and its members also have repeatedly misgendered Zephyr by using the wrong pronouns to describe her. Manzella indicated that will continue. Montana's Republican House Speaker stopped recognizing Zephyr's requests to speak on April 18 after she told colleagues theyd have blood on their hands if they restricted gender-affirming medical care. Days later, Zephyr was ousted from the floor on a party-line vote for the remainder of the session, accused of egging on boisterous demonstrators in the House gallery who had demanded she be allowed to speak. State Rep. Bob Phalen, a Freedom Caucus member and eastern Montana farmer, said the moves against Zephyr capped a session in which the caucus played a key role passing laws banning gender-affirming care for minors and restricting the dissemination of pornography. The group now includes one-fifth of statehouse Republicans and Phalen said he expects it to grow with the addition of freshman lawmakers whose votes aligned with Freedom Caucus priorities and will thereby earn entry. Phalen, like others in the caucus, described this week's disruption on the House floor as a riot or insurrection employing the same language that's been used for the Jan. 6 siege by supporters of Donald Trump. The State Freedom Caucus Network is the brainchild of Republican strategist Andy Roth and U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, who in the lead-up to the 2020 election devised expanding the House Freedom Caucus model to the states. The network uses House Freedom Caucus members to establish state-level affiliates, with congressmen including Biggs, U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina informally advising lawmakers in their states hoping to create a pipeline of conservative lawmakers to higher office. Each backed Trump's false statements about fraud in the 2020 election. Since its founding, the national network has supported Republican primary candidates with modest funds for attack ads in at least one state, but it's primary function has been to advise lawmakers on policy and strategy, Roth, the network's president, said. The state-level strategy mirrors that of the House Freedom Caucus, which led the GOP rebellion against U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy s bid for Speaker in January, extracting major concessions from leadership and coveted committee assignments. Were trying to expose the hypocrisy that is going on in every state, especially in red states," Roth said. Liberal Republicans are going to the voters and saying, Im conservative. Elect me to the Statehouse, and then getting there and voting exactly opposite. Biggs, the former Freedom Caucus chair who challenged McCarthy, said freedom caucuses create leverage points to try to advance a conservative cause. Leverage is the key, Biggs said. When I have something you want, and you feel like you need to have it, then you cant get it anywhere else. The majority of the 11 states with caucuses are controlled by Republican governors and Legislatures. Roth said that's by design. The national network advises its state members to be loud against Republicans who have compromised on fiscal and cultural conservative principles, Roth said. Freedom caucuses from Idaho to Pennsylvania have focused on abortion, crime and how race, gender and sexuality are navigated in schools and state offices. Theyve also frequently targeted what Roth called corporate welfare including tax incentives designed to lure Hollywood film productions to Wyoming. The group's rise in Montana follows the departure of lawmakers like former state Sen. Duane Ankney, who was among of a group of moderate Republicans that routinely negotiated with Democrats to break budget impasses. With Montana Republicans now in firm grip of power, Ankney said they no longer need Democratic agreement or even to engage public debate. "Theres people up there that have an agenda, and it doesnt have to do with jobs and the economic health and well being of Montana," said Ankney, who served four terms in the state House and Senate before leaving the Legislature in January. ___ Metz reported from Salt Lake City. Associated Press reporters James Pollard in Columbia, South Carolina, and Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, contributed to this story. Storm Prediction Ctr, Norman, OK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 178 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 553 PM CDT FRI APR 28 2023 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 178 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS TX . TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE COLLIN DALLAS DENTON ELLIS FANNIN GRAYSON HOOD HUNT JOHNSON KAUFMAN NAVARRO PARKER ROCKWALL SOMERVELL TARRANT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 181 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN TEXAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 4 COUNTIES IN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS BROOKS JIM HOGG STARR ZAPATA THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF FALFURRIAS, HEBBRONVILLE, RIO GRANDE CITY, ROMA, AND ZAPATA. BELL BOSQUE CORYELL FALLS FREESTONE HILL LEON LIMESTONE MCLENNAN MILAM ROBERTSON ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL MAVERICK COUNTY IS CANCELLED... The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits, and has exited the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. However gusty winds are still possible with this thunderstorm. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for south central Texas. The National Weather Service in League City has issued a * Tornado Warning for... Northwestern Grimes County in southeastern Texas... East central Brazos County in southeastern Texas... * Until 615 PM CDT. * At 555 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Wixon Valley, or 7 miles northeast of Bryan, moving southeast at 40 mph. HAZARD...Tornado. SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely. * This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of northwestern Grimes and east central Brazos Counties. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 645 PM CDT FOR NORTHERN LIMESTONE AND SOUTHEASTERN HILL COUNTIES... At 556 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Hubbard, or 19 miles west of Mexia, moving east at 25 mph. Ping pong ball size hail was reported in Hubbard. HAZARD...Ping pong ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Trained weather spotters. IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include... Mexia, Hubbard, Coolidge, Lake Mexia, Fort Parker State Park, Mount Calm, Tehuacana, Fallon, Shiloh and Prairie Hill. A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central Texas. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 729 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN BEXAR COUNTY IS CANCELLED... The severe thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for south central Texas. ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL GUADALUPE AND NORTHWESTERN WILSON COUNTIES... At 728 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near St. Hedwig, or 12 miles south of Randolph AFB, moving east at 20 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Trained weather spotters. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include... La Vernia, New Berlin and Canada Verde. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Central Webb County in south central Texas... * Until 815 PM CDT. * At 728 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Las Tiendas, or 16 miles southwest of Encinal, moving east at 30 mph. HAZARD...Quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected. * Locations impacted include... Laredo, Las Tiendas, Botines, Unitec Industrial Park, Callaghan and Ranchitos Las Lomas. This includes the following highways... Interstate 35 between mile markers 13 and 36. US Highway 59 near mile marker 816. US Highway 83 between mile markers 680 and 698. ...FLOOD ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Urban and small stream flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues. * WHERE...A portion of south central Texas, including the following counties, Blanco, Burnet, Hays, Llano, Travis and Williamson. * WHEN...Until 845 PM CDT. * IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas. Some low-water crossings may become impassable. Ponding of water in urban or other areas is occurring or is imminent. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 729 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated the rain has moved off to the east. However, earlier heavy rains up to 2 inches will cause some residual urban and small stream flooding for the next couple of hours. - Some locations that will experience flooding include... Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Taylor, Elgin, Burnet, Marble Falls, Kingsland, Dripping Springs, Granger, Bertram, Round Mountain, Anderson Mill, Serenada, Windemere, Tanglewood Forest, Austin Bergstrom Int Airport and Buchanan Dam. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding. Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads. Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law enforcement and request they pass this information to the National Weather Service when you can do so safely. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Bowie, northeastern Titus and southeastern Red River Counties through 815 PM CDT... At 731 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Boxelder, moving east at 30 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and half inch hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Boxelder, De Kalb, Avery, Beaverdams, Harts Bluff, Lydia and Cuthand. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. LAT...LON 3336 9507 3352 9510 3364 9464 3339 9459 TIME...MOT...LOC 0031Z 263DEG 25KT 3345 9500 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO BROWNSVILLE Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 29, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Brownsville has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southeastern Kenedy County in Deep South Texas... East central Hidalgo County in Deep South Texas... Northeastern Cameron County in Deep South Texas... Willacy County in Deep South Texas... * Until 130 AM CDT. * At 1257 AM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 8 miles northwest of Port Mansfield Airport to Willamar to near Sebastian, moving southeast at 40 mph. HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. * Locations impacted include... Raymondville, Lyford, Arroyo City, Port Mansfield, Lasara, Sebastian, San Perlita, Port Mansfield Airport, Jose Borrego Middle School and Willamar. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Central Cameron County in Deep South Texas... * Until 200 AM CDT. * At 101 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Carricitos, or over Los Indios, moving southeast at 55 mph. THIS IS A DESTRUCTIVE STORM FOR EASTERN CAMERON COUNTY. HAZARD...80 mph wind gusts. IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be heavily damaged. Expect considerable damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles. Extensive tree damage and power outages are likely. Los Fresnos, South Padre Island, Rancho Viejo, Southmost, Olmito, Port Of Brownsville, Cameron Park, Laureles, Downtown Brownsville and Brownsville. This is a DANGEROUS SITUATION. This storm is producing widespread wind damage across EASTERN CAMERON COUNTY. SEEK SHELTER NOW inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows! _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather The new Rollins Museum of Art building planned for Winter Park has taken two big steps forward: The National Endowment for the Humanities has granted the project $750,000, and this week Winter Park officials approved the buildings design. We are immensely proud to have been awarded the NEH grant, wrote Rollins Museum director Ena Heller in announcing the news. This prestigious vote of confidence, coupled with the approval by the city of Winter Park for the architectural project, are significant milestones that will catalyze the final stage of the capital campaign. The institution, formerly known as the Cornell Fine Arts Museum, currently sits on the Rollins College campus. The new building will more than triple its size, to 31,000 square feet, and bring it a stones throw from busy Park Avenue on the block bordered by New England, Interlachen, Lyman and Knowles avenues. The museum seeks to raise $25 million for the building, which is expected to break ground next year and open in 2025 if the funds are found. Because the building is 100% funded by philanthropy, we cant break ground until we have all the pledges in, Heller said. Since 2020, the Rollins College plan has changed to now include a grassy area or plaza for people to congregate at the site of the new building for the Crummer School of Business and Rollins Museum of Art. Frederick Fisher and Partners is designing the buildings, as shown here in an architectural drawing. Right now, about $17.4 million has been raised, Heller said, so the federally funded National Endowment for the Humanities grant will be helpful. Its incredibly competitive and prestigious, to have been chosen, Heller said. The Rollins Museum of Art was the only recipient in Florida of a grant specifically to add cultural infrastructure and one of only 24 nationwide. But there are conditions on the money. Set up as a 4-to-1 matching grant, the NEH program requires the museum to raise four times the allocated $750,000 within a specific time frame that started last spring: In other words, $3 million. Now is the time to rally together and get to the finish line so we can break ground, Heller said. Conditional approval for the project, which also includes a new academic building for Rollins Crummer School of Business on the block, was granted by the city in 2020 shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic brought plans to a halt. Architectural drawings by Frederick Fisher and Partners show the inside of the new Rollins Museum of Art planned for Winter Park to be spacious and full of light. The delay gave the college and city time to refine the plan, said Rollins College president Grant Cornwell at this weeks City Commission meeting. Its a better project now than when we first envisioned it, he said. The new academic building will be about 47,000 square feet, much smaller than the 77,000-square-foot structure originally proposed. The four-story Lawrence Center office building already on the block will remain intact; an existing two-story building, with drive-through bank teller lanes, will be demolished. Another change since the 2020 conditional approval: The addition of a pedestrian courtyard or plaza at the Interlachen-New England corner of the block. The new plaza will preserve three live oak trees there. Creating the plaza will move the art museum closer to the street than originally anticipated to a 10-foot distance, which matches the Lawrence Center but that could help the museum attract passersby. At Wednesdays meeting, nearby residents raised concerns about parking, increased traffic in the area and the aesthetics and potential noise created by rooftop air-conditioning units. The commissions approval came with a requirement, initiated by Mayor Phil Anderson, that city staff would ultimately decide whether Rollins plans do enough to mitigate the visual and noise-making effects of the top of the building. In addition, a private agreement between the college and nearby residents that reserves them a set number of parking spaces has been agreed upon, commissioners heard. The meeting also provided details on what the buildings would look like. The Crummer School will be designed in the flavor of the college campus with a Mediterranean influenced image, according to documents provided by the city. Winter Park officials put limits on the size of an exterior sign planned for the new Rollins Museum of Art. It will resemble a work of art, with a frame and LED lighting, as shown in this architectural drawing by Frederick Fisher and Partners. Designed by Frederick Fisher & Partners in Los Angeles, the art museum will be more modern. The city noted that, typical for an art gallery, it will not have many windows although the stone facade will feature glass window elements on the first-floor level opposite the pedestrian orientation along the street. The citys planning and zoning board reduced the museums proposed exhibition sign from 400 to 200 square feet, but it will remain a distinctive sight. Designed to resemble a work of art, it will feature subtle LED lighting to illuminate current exhibits or other highlights. The end result will have the look of a framed art piece with the exterior frame, then border matting and the picture/banner in the center, the citys report states. The museums additional space will permit more of its extensive collection to be regularly viewed by the public. We feel a civic obligation and we have a great desire to lift that collection up and bring it into the center of Winter Park, share it with the citizens of Winter Park, all of Central Florida, all the nation and the world, Cornwell told commissioners. The collection is that good. Jeff Briggs, the citys director of planning and zoning, said the project was an obvious fit with Winter Parks slogan as the city of arts and culture and lauded its proximity to Park Avenue, which is just a block away. How lucky can we be as the the city of arts and culture in getting a world-class art museum brought to the city for free, he said. We are getting this on the doorstep of the central business district. It could not be a better location. Follow me at facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Want more theater and arts news and reviews? Go to orlandosentinel.com/arts. WFO CORPUS CHRISTI Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX 642 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT FOR NORTHWESTERN WEBB COUNTY... At 642 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 16 miles northwest of Las Tiendas, or 31 miles west of Encinal, moving southeast at 35 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of northwestern Webb County. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. TX . TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE AUSTIN BRAZOS BURLESON COLORADO GRIMES MADISON WALLER WASHINGTON COLLIN DALLAS ELLIS FANNIN HUNT KAUFMAN NAVARRO ROCKWALL ATASCOSA BANDERA BASTROP BEXAR BLANCO BURNET CALDWELL COMAL DEWITT DIMMIT FAYETTE FRIO GILLESPIE GONZALES GUADALUPE HAYS KARNES KENDALL KERR KINNEY LAVACA LEE LLANO MAVERICK MEDINA REAL TRAVIS UVALDE WILLIAMSON WILSON ZAVALA BEE BROOKS DUVAL GOLIAD JIM HOGG JIM WELLS LA SALLE LIVE OAK MCMULLEN STARR VICTORIA WEBB ZAPATA ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN MAVERICK AND SOUTHWESTERN DIMMIT COUNTIES IS CANCELLED... The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. However small hail and gusty winds are still possible with this thunderstorm. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for south central Texas. The National Weather Service in League City has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... North central Colorado County in southeastern Texas... Northwestern Austin County in southeastern Texas... Burleson County in southeastern Texas... Southwestern Grimes County in southeastern Texas... Southeastern Brazos County in southeastern Texas... Washington County in southeastern Texas... Northwestern Waller County in southeastern Texas... * Until 730 PM CDT. * At 644 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Snook to near Lake Somerville State Park Trailway to 8 miles west of Burton, moving southeast at 40 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Brenham, Navasota, Caldwell, Washington, Shelby, Somerville, Snook, Industry, Burton, Lake Somerville Dam, Lake Somerville State Park Trailway, Carmine, Lyons, Deanville, Independence, New Ulm, Quarry and Frelsburg. Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO CORPUS CHRISTI Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX 828 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023 ...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of north central Aransas, northeastern San Patricio, southwestern Victoria, Goliad, Refugio and southeastern Bee Counties through 900 PM CDT... At 828 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from Ander to 8 miles northeast of Blanconia to Papalote. Movement was southeast at 40 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and pea size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Victoria, Beeville, Refugio, Goliad, Woodsboro, McFaddin, Skidmore, Fannin, Quintana, Schroeder, Ander, Weesatche, Weser, Victoria Riverside Park, Coleto Creek Park, Saxet Lakes, Oak Village, Bonnie View and Blanconia. This includes the following highways... US Highway 181 between mile markers 592 and 606. US Highway 183 between mile markers 628 and 668. US Highway 59 between mile markers 642 and 676. US Highway 77 between mile markers 580 and 636. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for south central Texas. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch also remains in effect until midnight CDT for south central Texas. LAT...LON 2891 9738 2889 9735 2890 9734 2887 9732 2888 9731 2887 9731 2889 9727 2885 9702 2835 9697 2808 9730 2832 9788 2853 9753 2886 9751 2892 9743 TIME...MOT...LOC 0128Z 293DEG 35KT 2884 9733 2846 9730 2818 9760 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH The National Weather Service in League City has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northern Jackson County in south central Texas... * Until 900 PM CDT. * At 831 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Speaks to 9 miles south of Ezzell to Fordtran, moving southeast at 35 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Edna, Ganado, Cordele and Morales. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO CORPUS CHRISTI Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX 832 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Duval, southeastern La Salle, eastern Webb and southwestern McMullen Counties through 900 PM CDT... At 832 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 15 miles east of Fort Ewell Site, or 17 miles northwest of Freer, moving southeast at 35 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Freer. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for south central Texas. LAT...LON 2814 9891 2821 9884 2823 9873 2798 9852 2789 9862 2786 9876 TIME...MOT...LOC 0132Z 317DEG 29KT 2807 9880 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Victoria County in south central Texas... * Until 915 PM CDT. * At 831 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 7 miles northeast of Fordtran to near Ander, moving southeast at 45 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Victoria, Guadalupe, Fordtran, Victoria Colony Creek Country Club, Dacosta, Wood Hi, Mission Valley, Victoria Detar Hospital North, Nursery, Victoria Riverside Park, Placedo, Victoria College, Victoria Mall, Saxet Lakes, Brentwood Subdivision, Inez, Salem, Victoria Regional Airport, Telferner and Ball Airport Area. This includes the following highways... US Highway 59 between mile markers 624 and 642. US Highway 77 between mile markers 560 and 584. US Highway 87 between mile markers 798 and 824. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. The National Weather Service has cancelled Severe Thunderstorm Watch 180 for the following areas In Texas this cancels 5 counties In southeast Texas Brazos Burleson Grimes Madison Washington This includes the cities of Brenham, Bryan, Caldwell, College Station, Madisonville, Navasota, and Somerville. Severe Thunderstorm Watch 180 remains valid until 10 PM CDT this evening for the following areas In Texas this watch includes 3 counties Austin Colorado Waller This includes the cities of Bellville, Brookshire, Columbus, Eagle Lake, Hempstead, Prairie View, Sealy, Waller, and Weimar. Watch 182 for the following areas Houston Montgomery San Jacinto Trinity Walker This includes the cities of Coldspring, Conroe, Crockett, Groveton, Huntsville, Shepherd, The Woodlands, and Trinity. Severe Thunderstorm Watch 182 remains valid until midnight CDT tonight for the following areas In Texas this watch includes 7 counties In south central Texas Jackson Brazoria Fort Bend Galveston Harris Matagorda Wharton This includes the cities of Alvin, Angleton, Bay City, Clute, Dickinson, Edna, El Campo, First Colony, Freeport, Friendswood, Galveston, Ganado, Houston, Lake Jackson, League City, Mission Bend, Missouri City, Palacios, Pearland, Pecan Grove, Rosenberg, Sugar Land, Texas City, and Wharton. TX . TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE DEWITT FAYETTE GONZALES KARNES LAVACA WILSON ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL DEWITT AND LAVACA COUNTIES... At 833 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Speaks to Thomaston to near Ander, moving southeast at 40 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Cuero, Yoakum, Hallettsville, Thomaston, Ezzell, Sublime, Speaks, Worthing, Koerth, Edgar, Terryville, Meyersville, Mont, Sweet Home, Arneckville, Vsetin, Vienna and Hope. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 557 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN ROBERTSON COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 600 PM CDT... The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area. Therefore the warning will be allowed to expire. A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central Texas. ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN MCLENNAN AND SOUTHEASTERN HILL COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 600 PM CDT... A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for north central Texas. ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM CDT FOR FRIO COUNTY... At 557 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Pearsall, moving east at 20 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include... Pearsall, North Pearsall, Moore, Goldfinch, Derby, Divot, Bigfoot, Bluff, Schattel, Three Oaks and Interstate 35. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHERN MILAM COUNTY IS CANCELLED... The storms which prompted the warning have moved out of the area. Therefore the warning has been cancelled. The National Weather Service in League City has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Burleson County in southeastern Texas... Northern Grimes County in southeastern Texas... Brazos County in southeastern Texas... Central Washington County in southeastern Texas... Southwestern Madison County in southeastern Texas... * Until 645 PM CDT. * At 559 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Kurten to near Snook to near Dime Box, moving southeast at 40 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... College Station, Bryan, Navasota, Caldwell, Somerville, Snook, Kurten, Burton, Wixon Valley, Millican, Lake Somerville Dam, Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway, Kyle Field, Bryan Utilities Lake, Iola, Carmine, Lyons, Deanville, Independence and Quarry. Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN ZAVALA COUNTY IS The severe thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for south central Texas. ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM CDT FOR NORTHWESTERN DIMMIT COUNTY... At 559 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Winter Haven, or near Carrizo Springs, moving east at 30 mph. Carrizo Springs and Winter Haven. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CANCELLED TORNADO WATCH 177 FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN TEXAS THIS CANCELS 7 COUNTIES IN CENTRAL TEXAS BELL BOSQUE CORYELL FALLS HILL MCLENNAN MILAM THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF CAMERON, CLIFTON, COPPERAS COVE, FORT HOOD, GATESVILLE, HILLSBORO, KILLEEN, MARLIN, MERIDIAN, ROCKDALE, TEMPLE, VALLEY MILLS, AND WACO. TORNADO WATCH 177 REMAINS VALID UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR IN TEXAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 4 COUNTIES FREESTONE LEON LIMESTONE ROBERTSON THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BUFFALO, CALVERT, CENTERVILLE, FAIRFIELD, FRANKLIN, GROESBECK, HEARNE, JEWETT, MEXIA, NORMANGEE, OAKWOOD, TEAGUE, AND WORTHAM. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CANCELLED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 178 FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN TEXAS THIS CANCELS 5 COUNTIES IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS DENTON GRAYSON HOOD PARKER SOMERVELL THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BRIAR, CARROLLTON, DENISON, DENTON, FLOWER MOUND, GLEN ROSE, GRANBURY, LEWISVILLE, OAK TRAIL SHORES, SHERMAN, AND WEATHERFORD. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 178 REMAINS VALID UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN TEXAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 10 COUNTIES COLLIN DALLAS ELLIS FANNIN HUNT JOHNSON KAUFMAN NAVARRO ROCKWALL TARRANT THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ALLEN, ARLINGTON, BONHAM, BURLESON, CLEBURNE, COMMERCE, CORSICANA, DALLAS, ENNIS, FORNEY, FORT WORTH, FRISCO, GREENVILLE, HEATH, KAUFMAN, MCKINNEY, MIDLOTHIAN, PLANO, ROCKWALL, TERRELL, AND WAXAHACHIE. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form A Kissimmee has been arrested in connection with a drivers license scheme, authorities say. Yonathan Rosario, 30, faces five counts related to the counterfeit licenses including possessing the drivers licenses of other people, one of whom was dead, and possessing multiple fake licenses. The investigation began when the Department of Homeland Security Investigations got hold of a package in Ohio that held blank cards embedded with the state of Florida hologram, according to a summary by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Eventually, FDLE agents identified Rosario as the suspect. He was on felony probation for fraud-related charges out of Georgia. In a recent search of Rosarios home and vehicle, agents found sensitive tax documents and driver licenses bearing other peoples personal information, according to the FDLE summary. They also discovered a laptop computer that had digital copies of other peoples driver licenses from multiple states and instructions on how to manufacture counterfeit Florida driver licenses and ID cards. Rosario was arrested by Osceola County sheriffs deputies at his home on Thursday, according to FDLE. He was then booked in the Osceola County Jail on $11,000 bond. ccann@orlandosentinel.com There is a moment during the documentary Oscar Mack vs. The Ku Klux Klan where a great-grandson of the Black postal worker who fled Kissimmee in 1922 after killing two Klansmen, describes his goal for spreading the story. I hope this will be a tool to help change a mindset, said James Brown, who for years after first learning his great-grandfathers history in 2001 has been seeking reconciliation, part of which came after the Orlando Sentinel first connected him with the great-granddaughter of Stewart Ivey, a Klansman Mack killed, by video call. On Saturday, that effort may have begun taking another step, as community leaders who attended a screening of the documentary at the Solid Rock Community Church in Kissimmee vowed to work toward a public acknowledgment of Macks encounter with the Klan more than 100 years ago. Among those was Kissimmee City Commissioner Angela Eady, who despite having been born and raised in Osceola County had learned of Mack for the first time inside the church. Following the documentary, which Eady called jaw-dropping, she said she would wholeheartedly support efforts by the community to publicly memorialize Mack and acknowledge the Klans presence in Osceola. This is an event that occurred. You cannot hide behind the truth, Eady said. You have to own up to the truth. Its reality. I dont like that it happened, but it happened. Organized by the Osceola County NAACP and the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, Saturdays screening of Oscar Mack vs. The Ku Klux Klan comes two weeks after it first premiered at the University of Florida. There, families of both sides of Macks fateful encounter his great-grandchildren and Renee Bronson, Iveys great-granddaughter met in person for the first time. Weeks prior, the Sentinel published its own account of the encounter as well as Macks life as Lanier Johnson, the alias he adopted as he moved his family city to city as a fugitive. Mack, a World War I veteran, died in 1960 in Akron with his alias listed on his grave, which has since changed in 2017 to include his true identity. Panelist talk with attendees during a discussion and answer session after viewing the Oscar Mack vs. The Ku Klux Klan documentary at the Solid Rock Community Church in Kissimmee Fla., Saturday, April 29, 2023. The documentary film was about Oscar Macks daring escape from Kissimmee after killing two Klansmen and his life in hiding. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel) For many of the dozens in the audience at Solid Rock, the documentary was the first time they had heard of Mack, including life-long residents of Kissimmee. Though Brown and his family couldnt attend, Bronson and Juanita Lesesne, whose family is believed to have helped Mack escape, were in the audience. The discussion that followed the screening touched on the areas history with the Klans presence, and how its legacy still exists today both in the county and elsewhere. Historians have noted that Macks experience was not uncommon, but the secrecy behind his story was purposeful to avoid detection. We dont have people walking down the street wearing white sheets but theyre wearing suits, said Pastor Matthew Quainoo, who runs Solid Rock. We do have to talk about the ways white supremacy is still a problem and in some ways has metastasized into different forms. As attendees gathered afterward in the church, Quainoo along with members of the local NAACP and the documentarys producers sat to discuss next steps toward an official acknowledgment of Macks story. Curtis Michelson and Francina Boykin, who helped uncover the story of the 1920 election day massacre in Ocoee, said the process of memorializing that event took years of public pressure before officials relented. Amanda Wilkerson, president of the Osceola County NAACP, said often the history of Black people in the U.S. is one-dimensional. Telling Macks story could buck that trend. Her vision, along with a public memorialization of Mack, is to mainstream this event to educate about him to the community, particularly young people, using social media and other strategies. This was an opportunity to learn that there were different ways people dealt with oppressive systems, said Wilkerson, who is also an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida. So many times we elevate the stories of the dead who died as a result of being courageous, and not often enough do we talk about those who lived through the trauma of being courageous. Quainoo believes these conversations go beyond political and racial divides. We talk about physical lynching, but we have to talk about intellectual lynching as well the ways in which our voices in history are blind, Quainoo told the audience. Where do we go from here, what do we do about this? What can we rally around so that this isnt just a moment, but is a movement? Say his name, he added. The dozens who attended replied, Oscar Mack. creyes-rios@orlandosentinel.com Elon Musk has served August 22, 2022 former Twitter boss Jack Dorsey with a subpoena in a hunt for material to help him get out of buying the giant social media platform for $44 billion as agreed. Twitter's former CEO Jack Dorsey openly criticized Elon Musk's leadership of the company in a series of social media posts Friday, writing that "it all went south" and Musk "should have walked away" from the acquisition. Users of Bluesky, a buzzy new social media platform that is being touted as a potential alternative to Twitter, prompted the discussion. They asked Dorsey if he believed Musk was the right leader for Twitter, to which Dorsey replied, "No." "No. Nor do I think he acted right after realizing his timing was bad. Nor do I think the board should have forced the sale. It all went south," Dorsey wrote. He added that he is glad new social media platforms like Bluesky are being built. Dorsey has backed Bluesky since 2019, when he was still serving as Twitter's CEO. Dorsey previously called Musk the "singular solution" to take over Twitter. In a tweet from April 2022, Dorsey said he trusted Musk's "mission to extend the light of consciousness" through the platform. But a year later, Dorsey's opinion appears to have soured. Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has drawn ire for his tumultuous takeover of Twitter, which he acquired for $44 billion late last year. Musk's steep job cuts, sweeping policy and feature changes have shaken the confidence of advertisers, politicians and celebrities, among others. Many have publicly announced their decision to leave or reduce their use of the platform, including Elton John, Jim Carrey and MTA, New York City's public transit agency. Soon after making a best-and-final bid to purchase Twitter for $44 billion, or about $54.20 per share, Musk tried to back out of the deal he made to buy the company. He would have had to pay a $1 billion penalty, otherwise known as a "breakup fee," to do so and prove to a Delaware court that he had a good reason for walking away. While Musk did take the matter to court, he ended up going through with the deal anyway. Dorsey, who is still a Twitter shareholder, championed the deal at the time. But on Friday, he wrote that things should have gone differently. "I think he should have walked away and paid the $1b." It is not clear that Musk, or Twitter, even had that option. Mark Cuban isn't happy with Twitter right now. The billionaire entrepreneur and investor says his follower count on the social media platform is declining by 800 to 1,000 each day, and that his tweets are reaching "considerably" fewer people than they did a few months ago. And his experiment to fix the problem paying for Twitter Blue, which costs $8 per month, to give his account the blue checkmark it used to sport for free isn't working. "I figured I was/am on some Twitter s--- list that doesn't show me to new or existing users as a possible follow," Cuban told CNBC Make It in an email. "I thought maybe, by paying the annual contract, that would change. It didn't." Normally, Cuban wouldn't care about his online follower count, he added he has 8.8 million Twitter followers, as of Friday evening but it matters at the moment, as he's trying to spread the word about his online pharmacy Cost Plus Drugs. The topic has been on Cuban's mind for at least a few weeks. Last month, he asked Twitter CEO Elon Musk in a tweet for suggestions on how to "retain or grow" his follower count. Musk didn't reply, at least publicly. Cuban's theory of a "Twitter s--- list" centers around the idea that Twitter shadow-bans some users, altering the platform's algorithm so those accounts' tweets are less visible on other people's timelines. In December, Musk tweeted Twitter was "working on a software update" where users would be able to see if their accounts were shadow-banned or not. Twitter, which has yet to unveil that feature, didn't immediately respond to CNBC Make It's request for comment. "We're rapidly improving transparency & fairness on this platform, but there is still a lot of work to do," Musk tweeted on Monday. Another potential explanation for Cuban's drop in followers and reach: Twitter could be getting less popular. Musk has also complained about his posts getting fewer likes and retweets than usual, and allegedly fired a software engineer for offering the explanation that "public interest in his antics is waning," Platformer reported in February. But Cuban's criticism of Twitter doesn't stop with his own account. Last week, he tweeted that the company's new "approach to legacy checks is a huge mistake," after Twitter removed countless blue checkmarks from previously verified accounts and gave them to subscribers only. The act damaged the blue checks' value by making them both less exclusive and less credible, Cuban suggested. "There were 100 ways [Musk] could have asked legacy checks for $100," Cuban wrote. "Egalitarianism was the worst of them all." Disclosure: CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to "Shark Tank," which features Mark Cuban as a panelist. DON'T MISS: Want to be smarter and more successful with your money, work & life? Sign up for our new newsletter! Join CNBC's Small Business Playbook virtually on May 4th, where entrepreneurs will share advice and tips on how to handle economic uncertainty, inflation and more so your business can succeed for the short-term and the long-term. Register for free today. King Charles coronation ceremony will be attended by all members of the royal family, politicians and global leaders. South African opera star Pretty Yende will perform at the grand event. King Charles has succeeded his mother Queen Elizabeth as monarch of the United Kingdom and 14 Commonwealth countries. But, he will be formally crowned in a ceremony full of pomp, pageantry and solemn religious significance on May 6. Millions of people, fascinated with Britains most recognisable family, will watch the historic ceremony, which will be held at London's ancient Westminster Abbey. The fact that the British monarchy has attained an iconic status around the globe explains the tremendous hype around the ceremony. King Charles coronation ceremony will be attended by all members of the royal family, politicians and global leaders. The coronation ceremony will be a star-studded affair as the guest list of performers includes the likes of Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 29) A Filipino and a Chinese national were among the casualties as the two foreign-flagged vessels collided in the waters off Corregidor Island on Friday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported Saturday. The collision involved a dredger, MV Hong Hai 189, that originated from Botolan, Zambales, and an oil product tanker, MV Petite Souer, that came from Mariveles, Bataan. The PCG said the Filipino who died was a safety officer onboard MV Hong Hai 189. It added that out of the 20 crew members of the ship, 15 of them were rescued, and three Chinese nationals are still missing. From the 15 rescued, the agency said four were Filipino nationals. Meanwhile, all 21 crew members of MV Petite Soeur were reported to be in good physical condition. The Coast Guard said its BRP Capones was directed to proceed to the incident area after they were informed that MV Hong Hai 189 capsized. On Saturday, the PCG said it has dispatched another vessel, aluminum boats and rubber boats, and is currently conducting an aerial survey to heighten its SAR operations. Authorities also disclosed that they will conduct a port state control inspection of MT Petite Soeur to hold and detain the vessel. Fifteen applicants will be interviewed in public next week in Orlando for a Florida Supreme Court vacancy, but only 10 of them appear to be eligible. Strange backroom maneuvering is going on, but those who know arent saying. The other five applicants dont live in the territorial area of the new Sixth District Court of Appeal, as a literal reading of the Florida Constitution would seem to mandate. Of the seven justices, Article V states, each appellate district shall have at least one justice elected or appointed from the district to the supreme court who is a resident of the district at the time of the original appointment or election. None of the six sitting justices was appointed from the new Sixth, which came into being on Jan. 1. Two justices live there, only because their home counties were reassigned to the new district. What the Constitution means Jon Mills, dean emeritus of the University of Florida Levin College of Law and former Florida House Speaker, doesnt see a close question. If you adhere to the language, it says at the time of the original appointment,' Mills told the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board. There is no one from the Sixth now. Imagine that: Judges and lawyers professing to believe in strict constructionism, or a literal reading of laws, then not living by it. The vacancy created by Justice Ricky Polstons resignation was advertised to lawyers and judges statewide. Polston resigned to become general counsel of Citizens Property Insurance Corp., nearly doubling his salary. Gov. Ron DeSantis communications director, Taryn Fenske, and Fred Karlinsky, chair of the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission, did not reply to our question as to whether the constitutional provision was considered. A clear favorite The question becomes moot if DeSantis appoints a finalist who lives in the Sixth. Its widely assumed in legal circles that his favorite is Meredith Sasso, chief judge of the new Sixth, whose home county of Orange is in the new district. As a judge of the Fifth District Court of Appeal, Sasso was one of the nominees for an earlier Supreme Court vacancy that went to Justice Renatha Francis. The Judicial Nominating Commission, which must recommend from three to six applicants for a vacancy, will have no trouble finding the sort of deep-dyed conservatives DeSantis prefers. Ten of the 15 applicants, including eight of those living in the Sixth District, reported membership in the right-wing Federalist Society. Several have conspicuous litigation or judicial records mirroring DeSantis social conservatism. Jared Smith is a judge on the Sixth District Court, appointed by DeSantis despite (or perhaps because of) his defeat for re-election as a circuit judge at Tampa last year. At issue was his ruling denying an abortion to a 17-year-old seeking to bypass parental permission. He questioned her overall intelligence, emotional development and stability. The Second District Court of Appeal interpreted her testimony differently and overruled him. The dissenter in that 2 to 1 vote was John Stargel, another applicant for this vacancy and a judge in the Sixth. A disqualifying op-ed Another is Roger Gannam of Maitland, an attorney with Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit that advocates for religious groups and conservative causes. In 2015, he wrote a Florida Times Union op-ed strenuously opposing a proposed Jacksonville equal rights ordinance that foreshadowed DeSantis anti-LGBTQ policies. Most insidiously, Gannam wrote, male predators will use the legal cover of female identity to gain unchallenged access to women-only bathrooms and dressing rooms. Roger Gannam of Liberty Counsel is a candidate for a Florida Supreme Court vacancy. Despite that record, Gannam wrote N/A, not applicable, to a question on the JNC application asking if he would be biased on an issue that might reach the Supreme Court. That answer strikes us as elusive. Its also disqualifying. No matter who is appointed, there ought not to be any residency requirement for Supreme Court justices. Their jurisdiction is statewide. The rule creates inequality of opportunity because judicial districts are not equal in population. It deprives the nominating commission and the governor of suitably wide pools of candidates. No applicants for the Polston vacancy came from any judges of the other five district courts of appeal. They must have read the Constitution the same way Mills does. The residency rule owes to a Central Florida legislator who resented that the first two of Gov. Reubin Askews Supreme Court appointees came from Pinellas County and the third was born and raised there. A 1976 constitutional amendment providing for all justices to be appointed rather than elected gave him the opportunity to get the residency formula into the Constitution. There were only four appellate districts then. Repealing the residency requirement is one of many reforms urgently needed at the court. Askew created Floridas judicial nominating commissions to be independent, but since 2001, the law has allowed the governors to appoint all nine members of each. That enabled DeSantis to pack the Supreme Court with right-wing ideologues. Polstons replacement will be DeSantiss fifth appointment to the high court. No other Florida governor has made as many. The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board includes Editor in Chief Julie Anderson, Opinion Editor Krys Fluker and Insight Editor Jay Reddick. The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney, and Anderson. Contact us at insight@orlandosentinel.com. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 29) The first batches of Filipinos evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan arrived in the Philippines on Saturday. Some 17 Filipino evacuees who flew out from Greece and Saudi Arabia landed in Manila in two batches, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. Eight of them, who arrived in the afternoon, were hotel workers in Sudan who boarded a military evacuation flight and were assisted by the Philippine Embassy in Athens. The nine others, who arrived past 9 p.m., fled Khartoum via Port Sudan where they boarded a plane bound for Jeddah. "Masaya na po kasi syempre safe na po 'yung baby namin kasi kasama namin siya du'n [I'm happy because we are now safe with our baby]," Kimberly Digap said upon arriving. "Masaya, unang-una dahil po sa malayo na kami sa kapahamakan at wala nang maririnig na putukan o pagsabog ng bomba [I'm happy because we're now far from harm and we no longer hear gunfire or explosions]," Ronald Andal added. DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo, who welcomed the repatriates, said the government is working double time to assist Filipinos fleeing the North African nation. "Our DFA offices and diplomatic missions concerned are determined to bring our people home safely, as soon as possible," Manalo said. Migrant Workers Secretary Toots Ople, who was supposed to conduct a virtual media briefing Saturday night, told reporters she was still on transit to the Egypt-Sudan border along with Undersecretary Hans Cacdac. They were serving as an advance team from Aswan. Latest data from the DFA showed around 610 Filipinos have been evacuated from Khartoum with 391 already crossing the Egyptian border. Ople said the road trip is expected to take 15 hours, with at least two rest stops. Concerned embassies are currently working on their visas and repatriation flights, the DFA added. CNN Philippines correspondent Daniza Fernandez contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 29) Various groups from different sectors reiterated their calls to raise the across-the-board minimum wage to 750 ahead of Labor Day on May 1. "['Yung] 750 bakit kailangan pang ipakiusap?" Sarah Prestoza, vice chair of the BPO Industry Employees Network, said Saturday. "Hindi naman nagse-settle for less sa pagbibigay ng serbisyo ang manggagawa," she also said. "Dapat hindi rin nagse-settle for less sa usapin ng sahod." [Translation: Why do we even need to plead for the 750 minimum wage? Workers don't settle for less in offering their services. It should be the same for our salary.] Groups lamented the continued discrimination in wages, specifically for female workers and those in the agriculture sector. "Regional na nga, mas maliit sa regions sa labas ng Metro Manila; mas maliit pa ang tinatanggap ng mga manggagawa sa agrikultura," said Ariel Casilao, spokesperson of the Unyon ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura. "Sa Mindanao, may nakakatanggap ng 250 kada araw," he added. "Meron pa ngang nakakatanggap ng 180. Less 50 pa ang sweldong tinatanggap ng mga manggagawang bukid na kababaihan." [Translation: Aside from the low salary in areas outside Metro Manila, workers in the agriculture sector receive even lower wages. In Mindanao, some only earn around 250 per day; others 180. Less 50 for female workers.] Migrante Philippines, an alliance of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), likewise pointed out the low wages and lack of programs for OFWs. It said almost 25% of migrants would choose not to work abroad if the government heeds calls for a wage increase, based on its study. The groups stressed the higher minimum wage will not only help workers bear the soaring prices of goods and services, but will also pave the way for economic recovery, contrary to the claims of some officials. "Ang wage increase ay makakapag-enhance sa ekonomiya dahil makakabili kami ng mga kailangan namin sa market," Kilusang Mayo Uno secretary general Jerome Adonis said. "Therefore, gagalawat iikot ang negosyo," "Hindi kami basta-basta nanghihingi lang, kundi nakabatay sa aktwal na kailangan para mabuhay ang aming pamilya," he noted. [Translation: A wage increase will help enhance the economy since it will allow more people to buy what they need. Therefore, there will be movement...among businesses. We are not just making an appeal, but this is based on what we actually need to sustain our families.] In a televised public hearing on April 27, the Department of Labor and Employment said it is set to distribute 1.8 billion worth of financial assistance to workers on Labor Day as wage hikes are still under review. DOLE Undersecretary Benjo Santos Benavidez said there are currently eight minimum wage hike petitions filed across regions. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 29) Electricity has returned to residents of Occidental Mindoro but the fight for power stability is not yet over. Occidental Mindoro Vice Governor Anecita Diana Apigo-Tayag on Friday told CNN Philippines that the Occidental Mindoro Consolidated Power Corporation (OMCPC), the sole power provider in the province, allegedly abused its monopoly in order to collect subsidies from the national government. The vice governor made the statement after OMCPC was suddenly able to provide 32 megawatts (MW) for residents after giving them only four hours of electricity per day for over a month now. "Isa sa magiging solusyon ay makapasok ang bagong provider. Bukas mag-o-operate sana yung PSI (Power Systems Inc.), ngayong araw biglang in-operate ng OMCPC lahat ng planta niya at pwede niya pala kaming pailawan," Apigo-Tayag said. "Ngayong araw ang binigay niya po ay 30, 32 MW at lahat kami ngayon ay may kuryente na," she added. [Translation: One solution for this is if a new provider enters. Tomorrow, PSI should have begun operations. Today, OMCPC suddenly opened all its plants, and they could actually provide power for all of us They gave us 30, 32 MW and everyone suddenly has electricity.] Apigo-Tayag was surprised as 32 megawatts of electricity is more than the province's power demand. "Hawak niya nga kami sa leeg," she stressed. "Pinapatayan niya kami tuwing gusto niyang makuha ang gusto niya sa national government. Hindi ko po na-a-appreciate 'yun. Ano kami walang value ang buhay namin?" "Kailangan na naming malagpasan 'yung sitwasyon namin ngayon na naka-monopolya sila," the vice governor added. "Kailangang mag-diversify at magpapasok ng ibang power provider." [Translation: They are holding us by the neck. They shut our power off every time they want something from the national government. I don't appreciate that. Does our life have no value? We need to overcome our situation where they monopolize power. Power needs to be diversified as a new provider should enter.] The National Electrification Administration (NEA) said OMCPC had agreed to simultaneously operate three of its power plants the 5 MW Sablayan plant, the 7 MW MAPSA plant, and the 20 MW SAMARICA plant to address the power shortage. This would cover the province's peak demands, according to NEA Administrator Antonio Almeda. The NEA and PSI also agreed to operate the latter's San Jose power plant, providing residents of Occidental Mindoro with 5 to 6 megawatts of free additional power supply for two months but at a reserve capacity. A resolution seeking to look into possible solutions to end the power crisis in Occidental Mindoro was recently filed in the Senate. The government also earlier said it is already looking into ways to resolve the problem. CNN Philippines correspondent Daniza Fernandez contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 29) A resident of Occidental Mindoro who suffered from a lung condition died just a week after he was interviewed by CNN Philippines last April 22 regarding the 20-hour long power outages that afflict the province. Marcos Escarez was a resident who needed to regularly use a nebulizer because of his condition. "Sobrang init talaga na 'di ka makatulog. Halos magdamag nga. Tapos paggising mo sa umaga, hilong-hilo ka," Escarez said in his interview with CNN Philippines on the difficulties he faced amid the power crisis. [Translation: It's so hot that you can't sleep. It lasts all night. When you wake up in the morning, you're nauseated.] His sister, Rhodora Erodias, said in a video her brother could not use his nebulizer because of the power outages. The video shows Escarez sleeping outside of their home because of the heat. His family can't afford to have him admitted to a hospital. "Ayan ang kanyang nebulizer. Hindi nya magamit dahil walang kuryente. Buong magdamag na walang kuryenteIlan pa ang kagaya ng kapatid ko?" Erodias said. [Translation: That's his nebulizer. He can't use it without electricity. All night there's no electricityHow many more are like my brother?] He died on the morning of April 28 (Friday). "Sa madaling araw po, okay pa naman siya. Kaya lang mga bandang 4 a.m. nagdaing na siya na nahihilo daw," Erodias said. [Translation: In the early morning, he was okay. But at around 4 a.m., he started feeling dizzy.] Occidental Mindoro has been under a state of calamity since April 20 due to daily power interruptions that last for 16 to 20 hours. Governor Eduardo Gadiano called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his administration to intervene. Marcos, in his 2022 presidential campaign, vowed to address the province's power crisis. READ: Occidental Mindoro appeals for gov't, Marcos action to end power crisis The National Electrification Administration (NEA) earlier said it would subsidize part of the province's power requirement by April 29, though this will only add three hours to the residents' daily power supply of four hours. Even though electricity has returned to Occidental Mindoro, it is not yet stable. The local government has accused the Occidental Mindoro Consolidated Power Corporation, the province's sole power supplier, of abusing its monopoly to leverage subsidies from the national government. READ: Electricity back in Occidental Mindoro but vice governor questions power monopoly CNN Philippines correspondent Daniza Fernandez contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 29) Metro Manila has recorded another increase in its COVID-19 positivity rate, but deaths and hospital admissions due to the virus remain low, according to OCTA Research. In his latest report released late Friday, OCTA fellow Guido David said the capital regions weekly positivity rate climbed to 14.3% as of April 27. This is up from the 9% logged a week ago. The good news is that deaths and hospitalizations in the NCR have remained low at 22%, David said. The positivity rate refers to the percentage of people tested with positive results. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a positivity rate benchmark of below 5%. On Friday, infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante told CNN Philippines that the fresh spike in coronavirus infections may have been driven by the two Omicron subvariants XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.5. With nine days left in Colorado's 2023 legislative session, Gov. Jared Polis has signed 156 bills into law. After being signed, bills take effect in August, 90 days after the general assembly adjourns, unless otherwise specified in the bill. A full list of legislation signed this year can be found online by clicking here. Here are all of the bills signed into law this week. House Bill 1219: Waiting period to deliver a firearm Establishes a waiting period to deliver a firearm of three days or when required background checks are completed, whichever occurs later. Signed on Friday. Read more about the bill here. Senate Bill 168: Gun violence victims access to judicial system Allows a person or entity to bring suit for damages against firearm industry members. Signed on Friday. Read more about the bill here. Senate Bill 169: Increasing minimum age to purchase firearms Prohibits, with certain exceptions, the purchase of firearms by persons under 21 years of age and selling firearms to such persons. Signed on Friday. Read more about the bill here. Senate Bill 170: Extreme risk protection order petitions Allows community members, educators, licensed health care professionals, mental health professionals, and district attorneys to petition for an extreme risk protection order. Signed on Friday. Read more about the bill here. House Bill 1101: Ozone season transit grant program flexibility Updates the timeframe and acceptable uses of grant money received to operate the Ozone Season Transit Grant Program. Signed on Friday. Read more about the bill here. House Bill 1052: Modify property tax exemption for veterans with disabilities Conditional on voter approval of a constitutional amendment referred to voters by HCR 23-1002, the bill makes conforming statutory changes regarding the homestead exemptions for veterans with disabilities. Signed on Friday. Senate Bill 74: Sunset modify human trafficking prevention training Continues human trafficking prevention training in the Department of Public Safety, which is scheduled to repeal on September 1, 2023. Signed on Friday. Senate Bill 85: Sunset continue Sexual Misconduct Advisory Committee Continues the Sexual Misconduct Advisory Committee in the Department of Higher Education. Signed on Friday. Senate Bill 154: Sunset continue veterans one-stop center Continues the veterans one-stop center in the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, which is scheduled to repeal on September 1, 2023. Signed on Friday. Senate Bill 152: Sunset continue custom processing meat animals Continues the regulation of the custom meat processing in the Department of Agriculture, which is scheduled to repeal on September 1, 2023. Signed on Friday. Senate Bill 250: Transfer from severance tax operations cash fund Authorizes certain energy-related capital construction expenditures at two state institutions of higher education. Signed on Friday. Senate Bill 241: Creation of Office of School Safety Creates the Office of School Safety, a new crisis response unit, and provides funding for school safety related programs. Signed on Thursday. House Bill 1143: Federal authorize firearms for DACA peace officers Allows law enforcement agencies to authorize the possession of a firearm by eligible immigrants, allows eligible immigrants to attend peace officer training academies, and requires law enforcement agencies to notify the Peace Officer Standards and Training Board that employed eligible immigrants are in compliance with written firearm policies while attending an academy. Signed on Thursday. Senate Bill 70: Mandatory school resource officer training Requires an annual meeting to discuss best practices in responding to reports from the Safe2Tell program. Signed on Thursday. Senate Bill 229: Statewide Behavioral Health Court Liaison Office Makes the Bridges Program within the Judicial Department an independent office and provides funding to expand the office. Signed on Thursday. Senate Bill 182: Temporary suspension of Medicaid requirements Codifies and aligns state Medicaid statutes and requirements in line with federal law and regulations related to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Signed on Thursday. Senate Bill 86: Student Leaders Institute Continues the Colorado Student Leaders Institute indefinitely and moves it from the Department of Higher Education to the Colorado Department of Education. Signed on Thursday. House Bill 1009: Secondary school student substance use Creates the Secondary School Student Substance Use Committee to identify practices that identify substance abuse in secondary schools and connect students to resources. Signed on Wednesday. Read more about the bill here. Senate Bill 8: Youth involvement education standards review Adds student representatives to several review processes related to K-12 educational standards. Signed on Wednesday. Read more about the bill here. Senate Bill 83: Physician assistant collaboration requirements Modifies the relationship between a physician assistant and a physician or podiatrist. Signed on Wednesday. House Bill 1011: Consumer right to repair agricultural equipment Incorporates agricultural equipment into the existing consumer right-to-repair statutes. Signed on Tuesday. Read more about the bill here. House Bill 1094: Extend agricultural workforce development program Modifies the agricultural workforce development program to allow internships to last up to a year and extends the program repeal date by seven years. Signed on Tuesday. Senate Bill 238: Small communities water and wastewater grant fund Authorizes the Department of Public Health and Environment to use the Small Communities Water and Wastewater Grant Fund as a state match for certain federal funds. Signed on Tuesday. Senate Bill 240: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment dairy plant fees Modifies dairy plant fees and caps the total paid in fees by a dairy plant at $150,000. Signed on Tuesday. House Bill 1025: Charter school application timelines Changes the application period each year for charter schools to submit applications to local boards of education and adjusts associated deadlines. Signed on Tuesday. House Bill 1039: Electric resource adequacy reporting Requires load-serving entities to publish resource adequacy annual reports, and the Colorado Energy Office to publish an aggregate annual report. Signed on Tuesday. House Bill 1089: Special education services for students in foster care Clarifies school district residency for students who are in foster care and require special education services. Signed on Tuesday. House Bill 1022: Registration of vehicles in rental fleets Allows fleet operators to transfer license plates from one fleet vehicle to another vehicle upon transfer or assignment of the owners title or interest. Signed on Monday. Also this week, one bill became law without the governor's signature: Senate Bill 234: State employee insurance premiums Returns funding credited to the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund to the Restoration Loss Cash Fund. Let become law on Sunday. Would you like to receive our news updates? Signup today! Sign up to receive notifications when a new Columbia Gorge News e-Edition is published. Error! There was an error processing your request. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Gorge Social Information from the News and our advertisers (Want to add your business to this to this feed?) Bailey Stover is a multimedia journalist with The Missourian. She is pursuing a double major in Journalism and Spanish and a double minor in Public Health and Sociology at the University of Missouri. She can be reached by email at bascnh@mail.missouri.edu. Follow this search 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 On May 12, 113 days into his presidency, Joe Biden finally sat down with leaders of the House and Senate Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi and Kevin McCarthy. Its surprising and disappointing that this took so long to happen. Heres hoping many more such meetings follow. Biden invited the leaders of both parties to the Oval Office to discuss infrastructure, taxes and other issues. He began by saying, When I ran, I said I wasnt going to be a Democratic president, I was going to be president for all Americans. Thats a promise the country needs him to keep. Until now, unfortunately, he has largely left Republicans out in the cold. To win Republican support for an infrastructure bill, the president could have invited McConnell and McCarthy to help formulate a plan shortly after his inauguration. Instead, the White House released a $2.3 trillion wish list that it knew stood little chance of garnering a single Republican vote in the Senate. Allies praised its scope, which stretched infrastructure to include expanding access to long-term care under Medicaid; this antagonized Republicans, who attacked it relentlessly. Both sides understood it was a dead letter. Its hard to take any of this seriously, and six weeks later, nothing has happened. No wonder Americans think poorly of Washington. Its true that Biden doesnt need Republican votes to pass an infrastructure bill. The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that it can be taken up as part of budget reconciliation, with passage requiring only a simple majority. But that doesnt mean Schumer should try to ram it through on a party-line vote with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie. The fact is, Republicans have good ideas that ought to be considered, including on the topic that will be the biggest point of contention: how to pay for it all. Biden and Democrats want to roll back the 2017 tax cuts and raise other taxes. Thats a non-starter for most Republicans. Sen. Mitt Romney has worked with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and a group of 20 lawmakers on a counterproposal financed partly through user fees. As Romney said, The pay-for ought to come from people who are using it. So if its an airport, the people who are flying. If its a port, the people who are shipping into the port. If its a rail system, the people who are using the rails. If its highways, it ought to be gas if its a gasoline-powered vehicle. Capito has said shes open to raising the gas tax, which is long overdue, or to a charge based on vehicle miles traveled. Utah has recently begun a VMT pilot program, which has the benefit of generating revenue even as electric vehicles become increasingly common. A mix of user fees and taxes in other words, a compromise would be ideal. Republican senators met with Biden on May 13 to discuss these ideas and called the talks productive. Enlisting Republicans can be helpful to Democrats in other ways, too. For instance, Schumer could blame the other side for ditching Bidens Medicaid provision (which belongs in a health-care bill) and the presidents proposal to require that projects use unionized labor (which will raise costs). There are better ways to help working people than excluding non-union workers and reducing the amount of infrastructure that can be built and repaired. The president was right to campaign as a bridge-builder. But building bridges and roads and other infrastructure requires cooperation, flexibility and pragmatism, as any engineer will tell you. To succeed, Biden will need to keep showing more of those virtues, and not just on taxes and infrastructure. Its a worthy goal for the next hundred days, and well beyond. This editorial reflects the views of Bloomberg Opinion. As the state legislative session comes to a close, there are several important changes in law that will matter to Florida citizens. One bill would cost Floridians a great deal of time and money. It should be stopped as soon as possible. This bill will limit the benefits and data security that Floridians currently have with their credit and debit cards. Florida Senate Bill 564 and House Bill 677 prohibit an interchange fee, or a service fee for using credit cards and debit cards, from being applied to the full amount of a transaction. This is a government-mandated price control. Financial institutions, such as small community banks and credit unions, would be required to rebate merchants the amount of an interchange fee charged on the tax amount of a transaction. The bill gives merchants leeway by allowing them to bill banks or credit unions up to six months after the electronic transaction occurred. This clearly is the government siding with one industry over another. Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, speaks to the Virginia delegation at the breakfast on the last day of the GOP convention. (Steve Earley | The Virginian-Pilot) This is pure rent-seeking policy that empowers the state government to dictate service fees negotiated between private parties. There is no current market failure this is solving. An interchange fee is not for public or governmental use. It is a fee negotiated between private parties. The fee is used to allocate revolving lines of credit, improve privacy and fraud protection, and pay for rewards programs. Removing sales tax from the calculation of the interchange fee is not a tax cut, it is a way for special interest groups to pad their pockets. Government intervention like this is anathema to the foundational principles of free market enterprise in the United States. Amid all this fighting, consumers are forgotten, the ones that stand to lose the most. Consumers will not receive savings if these bills are enacted. This legislation parallels the big government provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that Democrats praised in 2010. After Dodd-Frank, more than 20 percent of merchants raised prices, and only 1 percent lowered them. According to a study conducted by the University of Chicago, after Dodd-Frank, consumers lost between $22 and $25 billion. The Florida bill also makes it harder for financial institutions to implement improved cybersecurity protections for consumer data, because the bill will reduce interchange fee revenue that is used for fraud protection technology, such as tokenization. Additionally, the bill makes it more expensive to fund rewards programs and co-branded cards that offer airline points or sky miles to consumers. These extra costs will undoubtedly result in higher costs for consumer services, or an elimination of services altogether. This bill will result in more compliance costs and harm consumers, small businesses, small community banks, and credit unions. Instead of enacting legislation that takes choice away from consumers, the House and Senate should focus on passing bills that will benefit consumers. That is why Florida lawmakers can and should support Senate Bill 214, which would reaffirm Floridians right to bear arms. It would also prohibit the state government and financial institutions from tracking consumers purchases of firearms. This is a commonsense bill that is pro-consumer. Lawmakers could also increase the collection allowance deduction as Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed in his budget. This would give small businesses breathing room on their sales tax burden. Lawmakers have a choice. They can defend consumers right to bear arms and reduce the tax burden on small businesses, or support legislation that will limit options for consumers. In the name of free market enterprise lawmakers should choose the former and reject legislation that is no more than a rent-seeking exercise by special interest groups. Grover Norquist is the President of Americans for Tax Reform. Sal Nuzzo is the Senior Vice President at The James Madison Institute. China to continue to play constructive role for political settlement of Ukraine issue 13:27, April 29, 2023 By He Yin ( People's Daily Online Chinese President Xi Jinping held phone talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. The two sides exchanged views on China-Ukraine relations and the Ukraine crisis. The international community paid high attention to the phone talks and fully recognized China's objective and fair position on the Ukraine crisis and the country's efforts in promoting talks for peace. Xi said China's readiness to develop relations with Ukraine is consistent and clear-cut, and no matter how the international situation evolves, China will work with Ukraine to advance mutually beneficial cooperation. Xi stressed that on the Ukraine crisis, China always stands on the side of peace, and its core stance is to facilitate talks for peace. China will send the Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs to Ukraine and other countries to have in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, Xi said. Zelensky thanked China for providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and welcomed China's important role in restoring peace and seeking diplomatic solution to the crisis. Since the full escalation of the Ukraine crisis, China has been actively speaking out for peace and facilitating talks for peace. Xi has put forward four principles, called for joint efforts in four areas and shared three observations on Ukraine. Chinese Foreign Ministry has released a 12-point position document on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, including respecting the sovereignty of all countries and resuming peace talks. China's efforts to promote peace talks are broadly understood and recognized by the international community. This March, Xi paid a state visit to Russia and had an in-depth and candid exchange with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The two heads of state signed joint statements, stressing that responsible dialogue is the best way for appropriate solutions. The Russian side highly praised China's objective, impartial and balanced position, and expressed that Russia has carefully studied China's position paper, and is open to talks for peace. Russia welcomes China to play a constructive role in this regard. China's objective and fair position on the Ukraine issue and efforts to promote talks for peace are recognized and supported by both Russia and Ukraine. A prolonged Ukraine crisis serves no one's interests. An early ceasefire will serve the interests of all parties concerned and also the whole world, and political settlement is the only right way out. In April this year, Xi held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Beijing. During a trilateral meeting with Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Xi reiterated that China independently decides its position based on the merits of issues, and China's position on Ukraine boils down to supporting talks for peace. Von der Leyen and Macron said they appreciate China's efforts to promote a political settlement and look forward to China playing a more important role. They also said that they are prepared to work with China to find a way to facilitate talks for peace. When Xi and Brazilian President Lula da Silva held talks in Beijing, the two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. They appealed to more countries to play a constructive role for a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. The two presidents agreed to stay in communication on the issue. China believes that with rational thinking and voices now on the rise, it is important to seize the opportunity and build up favorable conditions for the political settlement of the crisis. China did not create the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party to the crisis. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible major country, China would not sit idly by, nor would it add oil to the fire, still less exploit the situation for self gains. China's position is clear-cut and consistent. Between peace and war, it chooses peace. Between dialogue and sanctions, it chooses dialogue. Between lowering the temperature and fanning the flames, it chooses the former. Everything China does is aboveboard. China does not have selfish political interests or engage in geopolitical manipulation. Instead, China is sincerely committed to promoting peace talks and a ceasefire. However, while China works for peace, certain countries have done everything possible to obstruct peace talks, and even fabricated all kinds of rumors and fallacies to attack and smear China. Such practices are out of their selfish geopolitical interests and completely against the historical trend. Justice lies in the heart of people. The world can clearly see who is fueling the fight and who is advocating peace talks. A review of history shows that conflicts in the end have to be settled through dialogue and negotiation. The more difficulties there are, the greater the need to keep space for peace. The more acute the problem is, the more important it is not to give up efforts for dialogue. As long as all parties embrace the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and pursue equal-footed, rational and results-oriented dialogue and consultation, they will find a reasonable way to resolve the Ukraine crisis. China will continue to stand firm on the side of peace and dialogue, and on the right side of history. It will work together with the rest of the world to play a constructive role in its own way for the political settlement of the Ukraine issue. (Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun) The recent surge in anti-LGBTQ legislation has cast a shadow over the Sunshine State. We have seen an alarming increase in hateful rhetoric surrounding our community, particularly from the governors office, the state Legislature, and the states educational and medical boards. We must empower pro-equality voters and their allies in the fight against harmful legislation by facilitating new voter registration and ensuring voter turnout. Orlando Gonzales is the executive director of Safeguarding American Values for Everyone (SAVE). Four months into the year, the Human Rights Campaign has already tracked 340 anti-LGBTQ bills nationwide. For instance, Floridas 2023 legislative session is setting a dangerous precedent nationally. Among the most alarming anti-LGBTQ bills proposed is HB 1223 / SB 1320, sponsored by Rep. Adam Anderson and Sen. Clay Yarborough. The bill expands Gov. Ron DeSantiss 2022 Parental Rights in Education Act, infamously referred to as the Dont Say Gay law, extending restrictions on education regarding sexual orientation and gender identity through all grade levels and prohibiting schools from using inclusive pronouns. Whats more, HB 1403 / SB 1580 will grant health-care providers and insurers the right to dubiously discriminate and deny critical medical care based on religious, moral or ethical beliefs. Our organization actively monitors legislation and keeps voters well-informed to combat this wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation. A recent report projects that the pro-LGBTQ voting bloc will transform the election landscape in the coming decades, accounting for nearly one-in-five (17.8%) voters by 2040. This data is remarkable, considering LGBTQ Americans typically favor candidates who support Democratic-leaning policies. An HRC poll concluded that LGBTQ voters and their allies overwhelmingly voted for Democratic candidates during the 2022 midterm elections, dissuaded from voting for candidates whose platforms consisted of attacks against LGBTQ people. We can become a part of this cultural shift by acquiring and retaining the LGBTQ vote and that of their allies. A growing need for pro-equality voters The recent changes in Florida election laws are cause for concern. All vote-by-mail requests are now only valid through one general election, and many voters are unaware that they must re-register to receive absentee ballots in upcoming elections. We must educate and register pro-equality voters to contest the recent surge in anti-LGBTQ sentiments. Voter registration plays a crucial part in strengthening pro-equality legislation. In 2020, for instance, we witnessed a shift between the August primary and November general elections. Republican voter registration increased by 241,505, while Democratic voter registration only increased by 135,324. These numbers were early warning signs of the rise in anti-LGBTQ voters we are currently witnessing. In recent elections, we have seen the weaponization of churches to target our community and register anti-LGBTQ voters at record numbers. Last year, there was only a 9% increase in new voters registered as Democrats in Miami-Dade, compared to the 13% increase recorded in 2020. Data shows that when 15% or higher of voters are new voters, we are more likely to elect pro-equality candidates and impact public policies. We can reach this percentage by helping pro-LGBTQ voters and their allies register as new voters. However, our work does not end there. Voter turnout is a vital part of the puzzle. In 2022, Florida saw a statewide voting turnout collapse among Democrats only 34.33% of the 940,898 registered Democratic Hispanic voters turned out to vote. Among the 1,457,444 registered Black Democratic voters, only 41.65% voted. And finally, only 60.70% of the 2,273,214 registered Democratic white voters voted. This turnout certainly impacted our states public policy and local legislation. We must strengthen voter participation and join forces with our constituents to enact lasting change. Effecting change through community work and canvassing Voter participation is an ever-present issue as we face mounting anti-LGBTQ legislation. The recent decline in voter turnout reflects a disengaged, apathetic citizenry that is too critical to ignore. Let us rally our electorates through canvassing, fundraising and volunteer work to ensure we elect lawmakers interested in improving citizens quality of life rather than spending time on cultural wars. We must invest in our communities to sustain their long-term electoral involvement. SAVE is tracking ongoing legislation closely to inform voters and develop strategies to oppose harmful bills. More importantly, SAVE is gearing up for critical elections in 2023 and 2024 to enact changes in our states leadership by facilitating voter registration and engaging citizens in meaningful conversations at their doorstep. Orlando Gonzales is executive director of Safeguarding American Values for Everyone (SAVE). No offense, you guys, but let's face it: the Internet is a fickle audience. One day, you're all sharing a viral video of a cat squeezing itself into a flower pot, and before you know it, you've moved on to a cat saying "hey" without so much as a second thought as to how the first one got out of that pot. Well, that kitty starved to goddamn death in there, you guys. OK, so that's almost certainly not true, but there are plenty of other viral sensations that took a screeching turn onto the Ohshitville Expressway shortly after we all shared them on Facebook and then promptly forgot about them. For example ... 5 The Pepper Spray Cop Got a Better Settlement Than the Students He Sprayed Wayne Tilcock/The Davis Enterprise If you've never seen this image of University of California Davis officer John Pike nonchalantly dousing a line of peacefully protesting students with an enormous canister of pepper spray -- Louise Macabitas Which is only slightly more repulsive than spraying them with Axe. -- then we'll assume you weren't alive in late 2011. And in that case, how are you reading Cracked when you're either a toddler or no longer paying your rent as a resident of the mortal plane? The incident exploded online thanks to public outrage, and resulted in the avalanche of memes we've come to expect by now. Wacky photoshops are how the Internet copes with the world's horrors. Via Know Your Meme They're lulzing on the outside, but crying on the inside. Anyway, after the video of the incident went viral, Lieutenant Pike was suspended with pay from his $110,000-a-year job (that's not a typo) while the university conducted an investigation. While the officers claimed that they were trapped by the students and justified in their use of pepper spray (and totally not creaming their pants at the opportunity to finally try out their shiny new Judge Dredd gear, honest), an investigation found that the use of force was " objectively unreasonable" and that even the size of the pepper spray can was against regulations ("against regulations" being their fancy-pants way of saying "compensating for something"). Advertisement In the end, Pike got the boot and we all gave peace a chance. Right? The Tragic Aftermath: Well, a couple months later, Pike filed for worker's comp because of the emotional trauma stemming from the death threats he and his family received after the incident (Which, to be fair, is right fucked up. Shame on you, Internet). Following a psychiatric evaluation, the university awarded him just over $38,000, which is approximately one dollar for each stinging tear shed by the 21 students. Brian Nguyen/The Aggie On the bright side, the theater department's production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory finally found its Oompa Loompas. Meanwhile, said group of students filed suit with the university and were awarded a $1 million settlement. Now, before you get too excited, a huge chunk of that went to their lawyers, in addition to another chunk set aside for any other potential plaintiffs that might come forward, leaving them around $30,000 each. At least it's something, but when you compare that to the eight months of pay plus a larger settlement for the guy who taught those students that their freedom of assembly is null and void when weighed against the riot-gear-induced uber boner of a power-drunk campus cop, it seems more than a little ludicrous that they ended up with what basically amounted to a coupon for one free semester or one free chemistry textbook (offer not valid for both). Advertisement Quick, somebody arrange a protest. 4 Kai the Homeless Hitchhiker Turned out to Be a Murderous Psychopath KMPH News There are certain things that, in retrospect, we really should have all seen coming. Case in point: in February of 2013, a good-natured hippie best known as Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker showed us all the power of human kindness (and a well-placed hatchet to the cranium) when he face-axed a man who was allegedly attacking a young woman. Play Advertisement Advertisement Witnesses praised Kai as a hero, and the Internet fell in love with what seemed to be the hobo stoner's answer to Bruce Wayne. Hell, Kai was so charming that "SUH-MASH!" became an immediate Internet buzzword, despite the fact that it was an onomatopoeia coined by a quite possibly mentally unstable person to describe the sound a hatchet makes when it meets a human skull. But every new detail that emerged about Kai's life helped to solidify his modern-day folk hero status. While still a teen, he escaped from the fundamentalist cult in which he was raised. He took the name Kai following a "spirit walk" on an Indian reservation. He's been known to take the form of a snowy owl and whisper guilt trips into the ears of Alaskan loggers. OK, we may have made that last one up, but you get the point -- Kai wasn't some murderous drifter. He was a beautiful hybrid of Johnny Appleseed and the Highlander, born to roam the earth and teach us about peace and nature in between bloody acts of righteous badassery. Jimmy Kimmel Live/ABC Advertisement And conditioning his hair for late-night appearances. The Tragic Aftermath: Actually, it turns out Kai was probably some murderous drifter. A scant few months after gaining international fame for nearly murdering a guy, Kai was arrested for -- you guessed it -- straight-up murdering a different guy. In May of 2013, Kai (aka Caleb Lawrence McGillvary) was arrested for killing Joseph Galfy, an elderly New Jersey attorney, in his home. Now, maybe Kai was defending the defenseless once again, but since most people go their entire lives without ending up at a single violent crime scene, it's hard to give him the benefit of the doubt when he bloodied his hatchet twice within such a short time frame. Police quickly picked up McGillvary after a tip from a Starbucks employee who recognized his semi-famous face, thus demonstrating the importance of avoiding lengthy TV interviews and face tattoos that look like a third grader's geometry lesson on mescaline if you have a habit of beating people to death. Damen Tesch Advertisement Advertisement If that's a police repellent spell, it failed miserably. When last we saw Kai, he had found himself an abundance of time for tattoo regret as he awaited trial in the Union County Jail. And in what is perhaps a telling measure of how many fucks the Internet truly gives about its viral heroes, at the time of this writing, an attempt to crowdfund his legal defense has raised less than nine percent of its goal in 16 months. Bummer, man. Via GoFundMe FUH-LOP 3 The "Balloon Boy" Dad Serves Jail Time, Continues to Exploit His Kids CNN Even before the "balloon boy" incident, Richard Heene had a history of pimping out his wife and young children in his efforts to advance his nonexistent career as a Professional Famous Guy. After not one but two appearances on the reality show Wife Swap, Heene tried to force his family back into the spotlight in the most logical way possible: by cooking up an elaborate scheme to convince news outlets that his six-year-old son, Falcon, was floating to his death inside a weather balloon. Finally, international fame was his. Play Advertisement Advertisement The "balloon boy" incident made headlines worldwide, and a certain 24-hour news network obsessed with airborne tragedy devoted most of its broadcast day to the white-knuckle drama. In the end, it turned out that Falcon had "fallen asleep" in the family's "attic" and "woke up" right after the boyless balloon crashed safely in a field. Not surprisingly, the world began to smell an unbelievably ballsy rat, particularly after an interview with Wolf Blitzer, during which Falcon damningly mumbled, "we did this for the show," likely referring to the reality show concept that Richard Heene was trying to, um ... get off the ground. Falcon also vomited on air on the Today show, possibly in a much-delayed reaction to having been named Falcon. Play Advertisement Advertisement The Tragic Aftermath: Law enforcement officials were understandably not pleased with Heene for occupying dozens of cops and rescue workers for the better part of a day in the name of making himself a trending topic -- he was arrested and, in what was possibly the first logical decision of his life, copped a plea deal and ended up serving 90 days in jail. Fortunately, he used that time to devote himself to deep reflection and self-improvement, emerging as a selflessly devoted father, no longer obsessed with exploiting his family for his own personal gain. Just kidding -- he immediately coerced his three sons into forming Heene Boyz, the self-proclaimed " World's Youngest Metal Band." Because what's the point of having kids if they're not earning you a fucking living? Heene Boyz Yes, his shirt says "I fingered it out." And yes, he's 12. Advertisement The Heene Boyz (with Falcon on bass and lead vocals) remain sadly unsigned, but with Richard's four-year probation up, he's got big plans to join the band for their nationwide "American Chili" tour. A recent interview revealed that the Boyz still haven't picked up their dad's talent for deception, with Bradford (the oldest) revealing that he knew squat about metal music before his father convinced them to start a band specializing in Dad's favorite genre. Their debut EP is the result of a homeschool assignment in which the elder Heene tasked his kids with writing songs based on a horror movie script he'd squeezed out about peyote, the Mexican-American War, and laxative-laced chili. Heene Boyz BMI Which helped him shit out this video. You can't make this shit up ... unless, of course, you're Richard Heene, in which case you make it up and then force your impressionable children to play metal songs about it. Advertisement 2 The "Kony 2012" Activist Was Suspected of Fraud (Also, Arrested for Public Masturbation) Stuart Price/AFP/Getty Images Advertisement Joseph Kony is a Ugandan warlord accused of using an army of child soldiers to ethnically cleanse and generally be a gigantic gaping asshole to his small East African nation. Terrible stuff, to be sure, but despite his atrocities, if you asked the average American about Kony three years ago, they'd probably have guessed that he owned a theme park in Brooklyn. Andrew Burton/Getty Images And that 2012 was the number of hot dogs he scarfed down in under an hour. That all changed in March of 2012, when a short film uploaded to YouTube by Invisible Children activist Jason Russell went beyond viral. Russell's video indictment of Kony has received an astonishing 99 million views, and the film created such an uproar that it continues to influence U.S. foreign policy to this day. Advertisement The Tragic Aftermath: So what was Russell's next move after going from unknown videographer to world-renowned human rights advocate? Did he run for office? Become a U.N. ambassador? Run naked and screaming through downtown San Diego, wankin' it for the world to see? Yeah, you've probably already heard that it was the wanking one. Russell was arrested for lewdness and indecent exposure following the now-famous bald midget wrestling match that he chalked up to a nervous breakdown. That may sound like a fairly inconsequential fuckup when compared to the achievement of alerting the world to massive-scale human rights violations, but the snafu marked the beginning of a shift in public opinion that left the once-lauded Russell defending his intentions and the truthfulness of his claims. Peter Kramer/NBC Miraculously, while clothed. Advertisement So just what facts did Russell get wrong, and what might motivate him to bullshit the world? Well, to address the bullshit motivator first, Russell makes close to six figures annually working with Invisible Children, and the organization itself brought in an estimated $20 million in contributions in the year following the release of the film. Advertisement As for those pesky facts: the Ugandan government claims Kony hasn't lived in or operated out of the country in years, and there are many who claim that, in all likelihood, Kony's been dead since even before Russell's video hit YouTube. Good news, right? Well, yeah, but it means hundreds of troops have been sent to sniff around the jungles of Africa on a wild goose chase, all because some dude who really knows his way around iMovie wanted to make a name for himself. And even if Kony is still alive and kicking, the Ugandans didn't need a white savior to come to their rescue -- in 2013, the Central African Republic issued a statement that was basically the geopolitical equivalent of "It's cool, we got this." Journeyman Pictures Advertisement "We showed him all the angry retweets and Facebook shares and he cried and totally turned himself in, honest." The Council on Foreign Relations has even publicly accused Invisible Children of " manipulating facts for strategic purposes, exaggerating the scale of LRA abductions and murders." And in doing so, Russell and company may well have diverted resources away from the more serious fuckedupness happening in places like the Sudan. So yeah the whole public indecency thing is kind of a minor footnote we suppose. But how did Davis end up befriending people we imagine would sooner shank him than shake his hand? It all began at a bar, which makes perfect sense, since this is the sort of odd coupling that seems possible only when your BAC gets you confused with a jug of moonshine. Advertisement Back in the early '80s, Davis, a traveling musician, decided to share his craft with the patrons of an all-white country-western bar. After his performance, a guy approached him to say he was impressed that a black man could play the piano as well as Jerry Lee Lewis. Davis proceeded to blow the man's mind by letting him know that not only did Lewis learn to play rock 'n' roll by imitating black people (like, you know, everyone else) but he was a personal friend. The man, in turn, surprised Davis by mentioning he was a Ku Klux Klan member. Daryl Davis Then they recorded a rap album together, judging by this photo. Advertisement Somehow the two logical adversaries hit it off, and Davis never forgot the night he won over a racist man with his magic fingers. Nearly eight years later, the musician tracked down his barroom buddy hoping to gain insights from Klansmen for a book he was writing. Through his pal, Davis arranged meetings with other KKK members, sometimes without letting them know he was black at first -- some turned violent and attacked him, but others became so comfortable with the open-minded musician that they let him attend their Klan meetings. Here's a video of a KKK Imperial Wizard proclaiming his respect for Davis during a rally (he drops an N-word while doing it, but hey, it's something): Advertisement The man also testified in a court case that ultimately reached the Supreme Court. Fifteen years had passed since his visit to Congress, and a new technology had arrived to make TV watching easier: the VCR. In letting people copy television broadcasts, the VCR also allowed flagrant copyright infringement, argued Universal Studios. They were suing Sony and hoping to make the VCR illegal or rather to make it into a device that played commercial tapes but couldnt record anything. Step one was to formally declare it illegal for people to record broadcasts. Sony brought in Mister Rogers to weigh in. First, he talked about how the VCR benefited families by letting them watch his show when they otherwise wouldnt be able to. Then he said its good for people to have more power in this way. Very frankly, I am opposed to people being programmed by others, he explained, which is a startling statement from him out-of-context and pretty startling in context as well. My whole approach in broadcasting has always been, You are an important person just the way you are. You can make healthy decisions. ... I just feel that anything that allows a person to be more active in the control of his or her life, in a healthy way, is important. Universal Pictures Here is a random photo of Fred Rogers that we found. Advertisement This testimony didnt quite address any of the plaintiffs points. No one was questioning whether the VCR benefited those who used it (of course it did) or benefited the world overall. The question at hand was whether recording broadcasts constituted copyright infringement and hurt broadcasters economically. Thats why its so surprising that the Court cited this testimony in their decision. They ruled that if people tape shows such as Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and if the proprietors of those programs welcome the practice, then those who objected to people taping their stuff were just a few whiners who could be safely dismissed. Looking back, we can say, sure, no one should ban the VCR, but also, its dubious to call the perspective of Fred Rogers, a saint devoted to public service, representative of the views of broadcasters in general. Sometimes, even when courts reach decisions we like, they do so using the power of make-believe. Follow Ryan Menezes on Twitter for more stuff no one should see. For a roving gang of mystery-solving, pot-addled hippies living out of a windowless van with some kind of mutant dog, the Mystery Incorporated team sure seems to run into a lot of super-famous people. Recent Scooby-Doo series have found the gang encountering familiar faces like Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Buscemi, and maybe most memorably, those aging demon/kitty cat imposters known as KISS. Play This is by no means a new trend, even back in the shows early days, when bell-bottoms, pet rocks and Nixon-induced migraines were plentiful, Scooby-Doo featured a number of random appearances from surprising celebrities. Such as Sonny & Cher Who better to solve a mystery involving some kind of shark monster than 1960s pop duo Sonny & Cher? The Scooby gang randomly finds the famous couple stranded on the side of the road at the beginning of The Secret of Shark Island. Clearly, the experience was a positive one for Cher, considering that she rejoined the Scooby-verse to once again battle mutant shark-men in 2021. Play With Thursdays farewell episode of The Late, Late Show finally in the books, the endless James Corden Admiration Month is officially over. No more behind-the-scenes tales of Carpool Karaoke. No more parade of celebrities stopping by to wish Corden well while promoting their six-part Amazon series. No more debates about whether Corden is an entitled obnoxious friend of Prince Harrys or a pompous blowhard who abuses restaurant staff. But while were getting rid of Corden, theres something else wed like to do away with as well. Play What the hell? Why are Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers Cordens freaking competitors, for Johnny Carsons sake showing up to kiss him goodbye? The departing James (thank god he didnt go by Jimmy) tells us exactly whats wrong: You know, when I first moved here to America to take over this show, all I would hear was talk of the late-night wars. But then I came to realize were not at war. Were a family. No! A thousand times no! This family business has got to go. Late night is a lot more entertaining when everyone is trading haymakers. Back in the day, anyone who dared challenge Carsons Tonight Show was burnt toast as was any guest who appeared on a competitors show. Joan Rivers dedicated her book to Carson for making everything in her career possible. Then when she was offered her own show on Fox? Ol pal Johnny never spoke to Joan again. Play Advertisement Advertisement The war between Dave Letterman and Jay Leno was so bloody that they made entire (bad) movies about it. (Letterman was the only celebrity in Cordens farewell sketch that had the right attitude: God spoke to me and told me I didnt need to be in this bit. EXACTLY. And from the camera angles, its pretty clear Letterman was never in the same room as the rest of these pals.) No one was more vicious than Leno. When he was done carving up Letterman and burning down the Ed Sullivan Theater, he ran over Conan OBriens Tonight Show in a custom rebuilt 1924 Bentley Twin Turbo. You can still see the tire treads on OBriens pale face. Cordens whole idea that were just funny boys who like to spread some joy is extremely recent and extremely unwelcome. Competing hosts should be talking shit about one another in the tabloids. Fallon tripped on a braided rug? Tell em the truth, Colbert! Why isnt anyone digging up videos of charcoal-faced Kimmel pretending to be Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone? Yeah, Meyers seems nice, but that just means hes weak! Somebody take him down! Much has been written lately about the coming end of late night as we know it, supposedly a victim of changing viewer habits and new streaming sensibilities. But I think it can still be saved. A little talk-show bloodshed right about now would be hilarious. Jake and Elwood Blues were on a mission from God and so is everyone who watches The Blues Brothers, so says the Pope. In July 2010, on the 30-year anniversary of the John Landis classic about a pair of Chicago orphans who raise money to save their Roman Catholic orphanage through the power of music (and Christ), the Vaticans official newspaper, L'Osservatore Roman, officially endorsed the film as a Catholic Classic. The Church declared The Blues Brothers to be recommended viewing for all their followers as the John Belushi/Dan Aykroyd Saturday Night Live sketch-turned-film earned a certified fresh rating from the Catholic seat of power alongside more explicitly God-fearing fare Cecil B. DeMilles The Ten Commandments, Franco Zeffirellis Jesus of Nazareth and Mel Gibsons Passion of the Christ all earned endorsements simultaneously, though the lattermost directors drunk-driving arrest video is still conspicuously absent from the Catholic Criterion Collection. How is Disney feud will of the people? As reported in the April 27 Sentinel article Disney Sues Desantis, a spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis says that this lawsuit is an example of Disneys hope to undermine the will of the Florida voters. I have heard this remark from the governor before. Id ask the governor: Please dont drag me into this as a Florida voter and do not lump me in with those who voted for him. Nor do I approve of the wasted tax dollars used to fund his lawyers and defend his ego. Dolores Tanner Orlando Monorail inspectors needed If I were a political cartoonist, I would draw a picture of Gov. Ron DeSantis looking under the hood of a monorail. A bystander would be commenting: Im not riding that thing. Another is saying, I thought he had a law degree. The inspiration for this cartoon was the article in the s Sentinel, Lawmakers unveil plan for monorail inspection at Disney. Disney has far more to lose if its equipment is not operating properly than DeSantis will ever have. Hes only in charge for three more years at best. Ill put my money on the Mouse any day for top-notch engineering and Imagineering. Furthermore, if the state of Florida is responsible, it seems to me that l complaints and lawsuits will be directed at the Department of Transportation and the state for accountability. Im just an ordinary taxpayer, but it seems to me that this is risky business. Kathy Kennedy Orlando Wakeup call was a mistake Like most Floridians, I had an early rude awakening because of the phone alarm error. With technology and humans running it, such errors are bound to occur from time to time. The governor, who generally does not act like a liberal, should not have invoked cancel culture. The vendor, Everbridge, accepted responsibility and apologized. That alone is a rare occurrence these days. As a Florida attorney for more than 40 years, I can tell you that people in or associated with state government make mistakes frequently. If we fired every one for minor mistakes, Tallahassee would be a ghost town. Alexander Pope was right: To err is human; to forgive divine. While forgiveness is a religious and moral precept, it also would have been the proper ? and conservative ? thing to do in this case. Ira Cohen,Weston FAIRFIELD Changes have been made to a proposed update for the town's noise ordinance, but Republican Representative Town Meeting members say it's too restrictive. Jill Vergara, the Democrat from District 7 who spearheaded the ordinance's re-write, said at a committee meeting that the changes were based on public feedback. However, the proposal was still met with opposition, just as it was when the first proposed changes were presented. The new changes included extending the hours in which people could do things such as mow their lawns on weekend evenings, clearly defining the "plainly audible" standard to be about sound production devices, creating cutouts for certain activities and events that tend to be noisy and making nighttime hours universally start at 10 p.m.. Effectively, the plainly audible standard would allow police officers to use their discretion if called for noise complaints, determining on their own if something is too loud instead of using a decibel measuring device, of which the police department only has one. Vergara edited the proposal after concerns were raised that the new standard could be used more broadly. Vergara said the police department rarely enforces the noise ordinance, and issues a breach of peace charge when it does. She said the plainly audible standard is a new tool the department could use to enforce it. "We shouldn't have to say that we should compel the police to enforce language that is on our books, but I've been trying to put it in really diplomatic words that this is a new way that other towns have been really successful in enforcing their ordinance," she said. "It's something that I would really like our police department to be able to do." Another change made was making nighttime hours start at 10 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. on weekdays and 8 p.m. on weekends. She also lowered the standard for noise that is too loud during nighttime hours to match the state standard of 45 decibels. Vergara pointed out throughout the meeting that the noise ordinance is only supposed to protect people from "excessive noise," and changes such as the plainly audible standard gives police more leeway in enforcing that. Changes were also made to the proposal to create more cutouts that would not fall under the ordinance. Vergara said that was done in response to concerns that the ordinance would be used to punish things, such as children playing, people talking loudly at parties or people celebrating at public events, including sporting events or parades. Another addition was allowing people to apply for variances when having private events that might create more noise, such as a birthday party. Another change was extending the hours people are allowed to do things such as mow their lawn or use power tools until 8 p.m. on weekends, matching that of weekdays, as the initial proposal cut that off at 6 p.m. The latest version also changed to prevent starting those types of activities until 7 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends. The ordinance does not currently have set start and end times for these activities. Jeff Steele, a District 2 RTM member, said 8 p.m. was limiting for yard maintenance, especially for people who commute to the New York City and don't get home until around then. "I think this is just further limiting what you can and cannot do in life," he said. Vergara said she thought that time was a good balance between people who have a right to not be disturbed by excessive noise and people who need to do chores. Member Dru Mercer Georgiadis, from District 9, echoed those sentiments. "This is about noise," she said. "This is not about mowing your lawn." Democrats proposing the changes say the current town noise ordinance is not really enforced by the police department, which opts instead to use state standards and penalties. Republicans, including Pam Iacono from District 8 and Steele, said they would prefer not having a town noise ordinance, and instead just allow the rules to default to the state's rules. "If there's 66 towns out of 169 that have a noise ordinance, that means there are 103 that don't," Steele said. "What necessitates us even having one? Why don't we just follow state statutes and leave it at that?" Vergara said the town chose to create its own noise ordinance in the 1980s to suit its own needs. She said she and her colleagues started working on updating the noise ordinance a year ago because of how many residents were writing them about noise complaints. "It's a quality of life issue," she said. One of Fairfield's noise complaint hot spots is the beach area, where residents near Burr Mansion, a town-owned building serving as a venue for private events, has been the source of frequent complaints about loud music. The ordinance was sent back to the committee level after a contentious meeting of the full RTM, where one Republican member called it the "no fun" ordinance. Republicans, who Democrats said had little interest in being involved in the process previously, said they were willing to send it back to the committee in an effort to make bipartisan changes. Steele said he wanted to hear from the police department about what they need, as he felt the ordinance was an attempt to legislate restrictions onto all residents for what is primarily a beach-area problem. Democrats said that, based on their data, only 30 percent of noise complaints are from the beach area. Vergara said the ordinance has to be on the RTM agenda for two months, giving the public a chance to comment on it. Therefore, it would be on the agenda for the May meeting and be voted on in June. WASHINGTON (AP) Some engineers for the Federal Aviation Administration wanted to ground the Boeing 737 Max soon after a second deadly crash, but top officials in the agency overruled them, according to a government watchdog. The inspector general of the Transportation Department said in a new report that FAA officials wanted to sort out raw data about the two crashes, and held off grounding the plane despite growing international pressure. The inspector generals office said that it reviewed emails and interviewed FAA officials. The investigation revealed that individual engineers at the Seattle (office) recommended grounding the airplane while the accident was being investigated based on what they perceived as similarities between the accidents. One engineer made a preliminary estimate that the chance of another Max crash was more than 13 times greater than FAA risk guidelines allow. An FAA official said the analysis "suggested that there was a 25% chance of an accident in 60 days" if no changes were made to the planes. However, this document was not completed and did not go through managerial review due to lack of detailed flight data, the report said. FAA officials at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and the agency's Seattle office opted not to ground the plane. Instead, they waited for more detailed data to arrive, the watchdog said in the report, which was made public Friday. The first Max crash occurred in October 2018 in Indonesia and was followed by the second in March 2019 in Ethiopia. In all, 346 people died. The FAA was the last major aviation regulator to ground the Max three days after the second crash. The FAA did not let the planes fly again until late 2020, after Boeing altered a flight-control system that autonomously pointed the plane's nose down before both crashes. The inspector generals office said the FAAs caution on grounding the Max fit with its tendency of waiting for detailed data an explanation that agency officials offered at the time. Still, the watchdog recommended that FAA document how key and urgent safety decisions are made and make several other changes in how it analyzes crashes. The FAA said in a response attached to the inspector generals report that it is committed to measures that will improve safety and has started to update procedures based on the Max tragedies. In a statement to The Associated Press, the FAA said it concurs with the inspector generals recommendations and had already identified the issues outlined in the report. Safety advocates and lawmakers have harshly criticized the FAA for its decision to certify the Max FAA officials did not fully understand the flight-control system implicated in both crashes. Congress passed legislation to reform the process of reviewing new aircraft. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TWIN BRIDGES, Calif. (AP) After winter storms dumped massive amounts of snow on California's mountains, visitors to the state's famed Yosemite National Park can catch a glimpse of rushing streams, scenic waterfalls and hillsides covered in white. But some views will be off limits starting late Friday as the park temporarily closes much of the famed Yosemite Valley due to a forecast of flooding amid rising spring temperatures. Warming weather is quickly melting huge amounts of snow that accumulated in mountains from a series of epic winter storms. Across Californias fertile San Joaquin Valley, temperatures are expected to climb into the mid-90s (35 degrees Celsius) through Saturday, and a flood warning was in effect for rivers, creeks, streams and low-lying areas in Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford. High temperatures speed up the pace of the snowmelt, especially when nighttime temperatures no longer dip below freezing. This weeks temperatures are 15 degrees higher than normal for this time of year, but are expected to cool next week, said Bill South, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Hanford. Were going to go from highs in the mid-90s on Saturday to highs in the upper 60s on Tuesday, South said. The eastern section of Yosemite Valley will stay shut at least until May 3, and reservations for campgrounds and lodging in the eastern valley are being canceled and refunded, park officials said. Other sections including western Yosemite Valley will remain open. South urged visitors to the Yosemite area to stay alert as the Merced River, which runs through the park, is expected to rise as the snow melts. But next week's forecast is expected to help. Next week, when it cools off, there wont be as much snowmelt nor as much flooding," South said. Downstream from the Lake Tahoe region, people on Friday were flocking to enjoy a day of recreation along the American River, which was swollen from the melting snow. Some were dipping a toe in the chilly waters that were a sharp contrast to the warm weather. Residents in low-lying areas near the rising rivers in Kings County have been placing sandbags on their properties and moving items to higher ground to prepare. With cooler weather expected, some have breathed a sigh of relief, said Kings County Supervisor Doug Verboon. There is no immediate concern, and I believe the cold weather next week is going to really help us out, Verboon said. Right now, the anxiety has been reduced and I think were looking pretty good. California's state climatologist said earlier this week that the state's communities won't likely see imminent flooding from this week's heat wave as upstream reservoirs can accommodate the inflow of melting snow. But with so much water coursing through rivers that flow out toward the Pacific Ocean and feed an agricultural basin that has been reconverted into a vast lake, officials have warned that a breach in a levee could cause flooding, regardless of temperatures. The Kings River is off limits due to swift-moving water as more water has been released upstream from the Pine Flat Reservoir to make way for melting snow, Verboon said. That reservoir is expected to receive three times its capacity in water over the coming months due to the massive snowpack. Residents in Kings County's Island District have reactivated a crisis network to help each other prepare for potential flooding, and the nearby city of Corcoran is adding to the top of a levee to try to keep water out. The winter rain and snowstorms were welcomed by Californias parched cities and desperate farmers, who have been grappling with intense drought for several years. But a series of atmospheric rivers flooded farms and covered a large agricultural basin typically used for wheat and tomatoes with the now-reemerged Tulare Lake. Elsewhere in California, some lakes are still covered with ice. Thousands of anglers are expected to head out this weekend for the eastern Sierra trout season opener, but only a handful of lakes will be open due to public safety concerns including fast-moving streams, shore ice and flooded access roads, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said. Fishing experiences this year are likely to be different, the agency said in a statement. Taxin reported from Orange County, California. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JOHANNESBURG (AP) An accountant working on a high-profile corruption case was killed along with his son by unknown gunmen while traveling on one of South Africa's main highways. A government health department employee who warned of illegal dealings worth nearly $50 million was shot 12 times in the driveway of her home. The slayings and other cases have anti-corruption groups urging South African authorities to provide far better protection for whistleblowers. They also have fueled outrage over widespread graft linked to government contracts, which has plagued Africa's most developed economy for years but appears to continue unabated. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime counted a total of 1,971 assassination cases in South Africa between 2000 and 2021, with whistleblowers accounting for many of the targeted individuals. The specialist accountant and liquidator, 57-year-old Cloete Murray, was working on the financial accounts of a company that was heavily implicated in allegedly bribing government ministers and others to win huge state contracts. The company, previously known as Bosasa and now named African Global Holdings, was one of the most prominent subjects of the Zondo Commission a judicial inquiry into government and other high-level corruption during the 2008-2019 presidency of Jacob Zuma, who is on trial on separate corruption allegations. Murray was shot in the head while driving with his son in an SUV on the N1 highway just outside Johannesburg in March. He died in the hospital. His son, Thomas Murray, who worked with his father, was declared dead at the scene. No one has been arrested in the killings, which police said had the hallmarks of a professional hit. South African anti-corruption organization Corruption Watch said the killings of the Murrays was further evidence that the country faced a crisis in terms of the rule of law." Levels of public confidence in our law enforcement capabilities, not to mention the political will to hold criminals and the corrupt accountable, have dropped to an all-time low, Corruption Watch executive director Karam Singh said. As the most recent example, the brazen murder of Cloete Murray and his son sends a chilling and intimidating message to anyone seeking to end impunity for corruption and crime. This must represent a turning of the tide for our country. The death of Babita Deokaran, an employee of the health department in Gauteng province, already underlined the dangers for whistleblowers in South Africa. Her August 2021 slaying was described as an assassination. Six men have been charged with murder in her killing. Deokaran had spoken up about potentially corrupt payments to more than 200 companies by the health department and was a key witness in a probe by the country's anti-corruption Special Investigating Unit into contracts worth more than $45 million. She was shot multiple times inside her car soon after dropping her daughter off at school and her story has become a rallying call. Deokarans killing spurred another corruption whistleblower, Athol Williams, to leave the country, he said. Williams testified before the Zondo Commission implicating about 39 parties in corrupt activities at the countrys tax authority, the South African Revenue Service. Williams is a former partner at consultancy firm Bain & Co, which he also accused of in his allegations regarding the tax authority. He said he testified out of a sense of civic duty but was not offered any protection despite the important evidence he provided and will not return to his home country unless his safety is guaranteed. Without any assurance for my safety from our government, combined with the fact that none of the parties I implicated have been prosecuted, it is unlikely that I can return. This breaks my heart, Williams said in an interview with The Associated Press. It is the lowest form of unethical behavior to ask a citizen to risk their life for our country and then not offer them protection when they face retaliation. South Africa's Department of Justice did not respond to messages seeking comment on Williams' experience and the general policy on protection for whistleblowers. But in his State of the Nation Address this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged shortcomings and the need to strengthen the witness protection unit. This week, the former head of the state-owned electricity utility, a company brought to its knees by mismanagement and corruption, appeared at a parliamentary hearing virtually from an undisclosed location because of fears for his safety, he said. Andre de Ruyter has spoken of corruption linked to the government and others at the utility and said Wednesday that unnamed sources who provided him with information feared for their lives. He has also claimed he survived an attempt on his life when his coffee was laced with cyanide. The alleged criminal and unlawful activities ... involve elements that are best characterized as organized crime, de Ruyter said. ___ More AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, officials in several battleground states have proposed boosting funding to add staff, enhance security and expand training within election offices that are facing heavier workloads and heightened public scrutiny. The potential extra funding comes as many election offices are grappling with a wave of retirements and a flood of public records requests, stemming partly from lingering election distrust seeded by former President Donald Trump in his 2020 defeat. In South Carolina, host of one of the earliest presidential primaries, almost half of county election directors have resigned in the last two years, said state Election Commission Executive Director Howard Knapp. The unprecedented turnover has created an enormous knowledge and competency gap, Knapp said, prompting a budget request for millions of additional state dollars to boost staffing and training. Without the funds, Knapp warned the gap will grow and elections will be severely impacted. I cant control county directors leaving, said Knapp. He added, What I can control is this agencys ability to deliver quality training to the counties so that it doesnt matter who is in the chair, they will have an established training program that they can take themselves and they can impart. Elections officials, governors and lawmakers in states that hold early primaries or play pivotal roles in the presidential election, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Wisconsin, also have proposed funding increases. In many of those states, lawmakers are still working on the final budget. Time is of the essence. Most annual state budgets take effect in July, meaning they will encompass presidential primaries occurring in the first half of 2024. Once funding is approved, election officials will need time to hire and train employees and purchase new security and voting equipment. Georgia, where a grand jury has been investigating whether Trump and his allies illegally meddled in the 2020 election, is one of about a dozen states where lawmakers already have passed a 2024 budget. The Republican-led General Assembly added $427,010 to hire two investigators, one administrative assistant and an executive director for the State Election Board. One state still weighing more election spending is Arizona, which became a focal point for election challenges and conspiracies after Trump narrowly lost the state in 2020. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who previously served as secretary of state, has proposed an $11 million increase for a new election task force. The panel, which held its first meeting earlier this month, is expected to release recommendations by November on ways to standardize election practices, update election equipment and security guidelines, and provide training to local workers. Arizona's Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is pushing for an additional $3.1 million in election-related spending, in part to add six employees to help train and certify election workers and a new chief information security officer to confront cyber vulnerabilities in election systems. There is no evidence of widespread fraud or manipulation of voting equipment in the 2020 elections. Yet distrust about U.S. elections persists among Republicans, fueled by Trump allies who have been traveling the country highlighting theoretical vulnerabilities. In the past three years, almost every election office across the country has seen an increase in the number of public records requests, said Tammy Patrick, chief executive officer for programs at the National Association of Election Officials. South Carolina experienced a 500% increase in election-related public-records requests, driven largely by election skeptics submitting model language drafted by out-of-state conspiracy groups, Knapp said. The state election commission is seeking $3.2 million to help establish a new training division and enhance technical support. Knapp also wants about $1.2 million to hire seven staff members, including a public information officer to respond to media, voters and interest groups. Voting advocates said strong training is especially important in a hostile environment where bad-faith actors may twist instances of incompetence or irregularities to undermine election integrity. Cynthia Holland, who oversees elections for Aiken County, an expansive rural county in the western part of South Carolina, said the funded training would be a blessing. She estimated that her four-person office has spent over 100 hours since November 2020 responding to records requests. Its enough time that it puts us behind on our work that were supposed to be hired to do," she said. Officials in Nevada, Oregon and Wisconsin also have proposed funding increases to hire additional staff to handle public requests for election records and information. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, proposed $1.9 million over the next two fiscal years to hire 10 staff for a new Office of Election Transparency and Compliance to handle requests and complaints. Until recently, the Wisconsin Election Commission only had a single attorney to process complaints and one public information officer. Unfortunately, this structure has proved inadequate to address the hundreds of thousands of questions and concerns, along with hundreds of records requests and complaints," the election commission wrote in its budget request. Separate budget plans by North Carolinas Democratic governor and Republican-led House both include money to hire more regional staff to help county election boards with technology, security and other needs. Michigans Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is seeking to boost the secretary of states overall budget by nearly $10 million, including a $3 million increase for branch offices and $1.2 million to expand staffing for seven mobile offices. But the increase is substantially less than the $100 million annually that Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson estimates is needed to address historic disinvestment in Michigan elections." About three-fourths of local election officials across the U.S. say their budgets need to grow over the next several years, according to a recent Brennan Center for Justice survey of 852 local election officials. The nonpartisan democracy-focused policy institute highlighted the need for more spending to hire poll workers and office staff, replace voting equipment and improve physical and cyber security measures. Things are strained theres no question about it. The challenges in the elections field keep mounting, said Lawrence Norden, director of the Brennan Centers elections and government program. Theres a lot of concern in the elections community about what can be done in the remaining 18 months to make sure that our elections are as strong and secure as possible. ___ Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri. AP reporters across the U.S. contributed to this report. Pollard, Cappelletti and Venhuizen are corps members 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. News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TACNA, Peru (AP) Stranded for five days under the scorching desert sun alongside a highway, Venezuelan Rosmary Morales looked on helplessly Friday at a wall of police officers blocking her passage into Peru. The 45-year-old waits alongside hundreds of others who have set up a makeshift refugee camp on the Chilean side of the border they cant cross because they lack the proper documentation. There isnt even an awning, Morales said, adding she felt she was being treated like a dog. Morales is among the Venezuelans, Colombians and Haitians stranded for two weeks along the Peru-Chile border, eager to return home as living costs skyrocket and as lawmakers in both countries propose penalties for undocumented migration. Political leaders, meanwhile, are discussing how to facilitate their passage through Peru at a time when migrants increasingly are being blamed for rising crime on both sides of the border. Chile said Friday it would start registering all the undocumented migrants who want to leave the country, and Peru started letting some of them through to its border offices. Morales says that while shes grateful that Chile took her in when she left Venezuela, shes now ready to go back to her native country because the cost of living has risen, jobs have become scarce and shes finding it difficult to survive without the proper documentation, which she says has been impossible to obtain. We can no longer make ends meet, Morales said. Now she and others are having to endure the elements at the Atacama Desert, one of the driest on the planet, with heat during the day and cold at night. Many mothers are there, with children, with the flu, fever, constant vomiting, dehydrated, unable to eat a good lunch, unable to bathe, Morales said. Chiles acting interior minister, Manuel Monsalve, said Friday the government will set up registration points in the border region to enroll undocumented migrants who want to leave the country so their fingerprint, face and name can be recorded. Monsalve said Chile wants to let the migrants return to their country but also noted its the governments responsibility to ensure that people who have committed crimes are not leaving Chile. The president of Chile's lower house of Congress, Vlado Mirosevic, had proposed Thursday that a humanitarian corridor be created to allow the migrants to return home, without elaborating on details of such a corridor. Peruvian Interior Minister Vicente Romero said on Friday on local radio RPP that at the level of the foreign ministry, we are working with Chile, Ecuador, and also with Venezuela to find a way for migrants to cross borders without problems. The important thing is to provide the necessary security to all foreigners who voluntarily wish to return to their country, Romero said. Romero, who has been in the Peruvian border region with Chile since Thursday night, added that he met with local authorities to consider opening temporary shelters for people waiting to leave. Migrants have set up improvised tents with blankets and braved the elements without access to running water and other basic services. Others have found help in the nearby Chilean border complex of Chacalluta. We want to go back to our country, Venezuela. Weve achieved what we came to do in Chile," Omar Dominguez, 47, said at the border. We don't want to stay in Peru." According to official figures from Chilean prosecutors, approximately 10,000 undocumented immigrants have entered Chile this year, and an additional 1,194 have requested to leave. The crisis along the border comes at a time when officials in Chile are increasing controls on undocumented migrants. Earlier this month, Chile's National Prosecutors Office called on prosecutors to request preventive detention for anyone caught committing a crime who could not prove their identity. In both Peru and Chile, lawmakers are seeking to toughen laws against undocumented migrants. A measure set to be debated in Chiles lower house of Congress would classify undocumented immigration as a crime and proposes jail sentences up to 18 months for anyone caught entering Chile through unofficial channels. In Peru, a lawmaker from the Somos Peru party proposed a bill Thursday to imprison migrants who enter the country illegally for up to 10 years. A lawmaker from the far-right Renovacion Popular said Perus border patrol should enjoy legal protections so they can shoot migrants if necessary. Peruvian President Dina Boluarte attributed criminal acts to migrants earlier this week. ----- Associated Press journalists Franklin Briceno in Lima, Peru and Eva Vergara in Santiago, Chile contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) A federal judge on Friday rejected a motion from Google to toss out the government's antitrust case against it. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled the lawsuit alleging Google wields monopolistic power in the world of online advertising can proceed in its entirety. Her ruling is the second setback for Google at the federal court in Alexandria. Google had earlier tried to get the case consolidated with a similar lawsuit that's been ongoing for several years in New York. But Brinkema ruled last month that the case can proceed in the Alexandria courthouse, which is known as the Rocket Docket for its reputation of adjudicating disputes swiftly. The lawsuit alleges that Google holds a virtual monopoly in online advertising that works to the detriment of consumers. The complaint alleged that Google corrupted legitimate competition in the ad tech industry by engaging in a systematic campaign to seize control of the wide swath of high-tech tools used by publishers, advertisers, and brokers, to facilitate digital advertising. Google argued that the case should be tossed out, in part because the government defines Google's alleged monopoly too narrowly. Google's lawyers contend the lawsuit does not account for advertisers' ability, for example, to advertise on huge social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok that run their own advertising platforms independent of Google. In court papers, Google made an analogy to an unsuccessful antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, a concert promoter that owns and operates a large number of outdoor amphitheaters. The lawsuit alleged Live Nation held a monopoly on amphitheaters, but a judge ruled that the plaintiffs failed to prove a monopoly in part because they did not take into account reasonable alternatives to amphitheater venues, like indoor concert halls and arenas. Brinkema said the question of how to define the market in which Google allegedly holds a monopoly will be a key issue in the case, But she said at this preliminary stage, the government's allegations are plausible enough for the case to move forward. The government's burden of proof, though, will increase at trial. After the hearing, Google issued a statement from Dan Taylor, its vice president of global ads, saying the lawsuit ignores the reality of todays dynamic digital advertising space, where we compete against hundreds of companies like Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok." The statement said the lawsuit "would slow innovation, raise advertising fees, and make it harder for thousands of small businesses and publishers to grow." A number of states, including Virginia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Tennessee, have joined in the case as plaintiffs against Google. Cheyney Barrieau Photography Here it is: The complete list of Connecticut Magazine's 2023 Best Restaurants awards, including the results of our latest reader poll and additional selections chosen by our panel of experts. Below we have highlighted the readers and experts picks for places for restaurants with raw bars. Planning a special evening out with a certain someone? You'll surely find plenty of great options below, but to take things up a notch for a truly memorable night out, read more about our Experts' Picks for the 25 most romantic dining spots in the state, as well as our take on what makes a great romantic restaurant. For nearly 20 years I have worked to address hunger and access to quality food. There are so many people in food deserts, underserved communities and families who are food insecure. I have been an advocate calling to end hunger while supporting many food pantries over the years. Ive served as board chair for End Hunger CT!, championed the creation of the first Food Policy Council in Bridgeport, and currently serve as the Connecticut ambassador for Food Solutions New England. Ive witnessed food drives, soup kitchens, community gardens and local farms in search of the answers to address food insecurity. I believe these all work together, but I have been critical of the quality of food and sugar-laden products often offered in free food programs that could lead to further health disparities. Recently, I found a nonprofit organization that met all my wishes in helping children receive nourishing, love-infused nutrition with no strings attached. I visited Filling in the Blanks in Norwalk. Their mission: Fight childhood hunger by providing children in need with meals on the weekend. While their warehouse is in Norwalk, they service 5,000 children at 150 schools and community centers in Westchester and Fairfield counties. Collectively they have provided over 2 million meals through three programs the school-year weekend meal program, the summer weekend meal program and the holiday backpack program. Each meal bag provided contained beans, milk, pasta, soup, nutrition bars, oatmeal, crackers and canned vegetables. They also provide snack bags and are looking to include hygiene bags for high school students. According to Feeding America, more than 490,000 Connecticut residents struggle with hunger; more than 131,000 children are food insecure. Families shouldnt have to choose between food or paying their utility bill. Children deserve food, and they deserve food that is well-balanced. Eating nutritious food allows children to do better in the classroom. They have stronger critical thinking skills and social skills. Not having enough healthy food can have implications on a childs physical and mental health, as well as academic achievement. I am so proud of this program that is offered right here in Connecticut that will help thousands of children. And I have to commend two women, Shawnee Knight and Tina Kramer, who founded the program 10 years ago when they noticed kids who came to practice without snacks unlike students who did have snacks that came from wealthier towns. Both Shawnee and Tina began bringing snacks for all the children regardless of where they came from and later created food bags for insecure children. They used their own funds and drove their own cars to deliver the food bags. The past 10 years theyve continued to grow the program and have a warehouse full of food they purchase. They have trucks that deliver the food in New York and throughout Fairfield County. In Bridgeport alone they serve 925 children. The unique part, the food bags they distribute to children are nutrition approved and include culturally appropriate items from a variety of companies such as Goya. Their commitment is not touch and go, but a partnership with a minimum commitment of three years. They are supported by donors and purchase all the foods themselves. They taste test the products, survey teachers and students regarding preferences and conduct surveys on a regular basis. Filling in the Blanks is a gem as is their staff. If you have a school or organization that serves children who could benefit from this program, please contact their volunteer coordinator, Kara Bonitatibus at 914-419-7466. FAIRFIELD A driver falsely reported that she was robbed by people claiming to be cops during a traffic stop Thursday, according to local police. Wilhelmina Ray, 55, of Bridgeport, was charged with interfering with police, misuse of the 911 system and filing a false police report, Fairfield Police Lt. Michael Paris said. Ray was released after posting a $5,000 bond, Paris said. This is an example of great investigative work conducted by the Fairfield Police Detective Bureau along with the repercussions someone will face for misusing the 911 system and emergency resources, police said. Staff at the Fairfield County Regional Dispatch Center received a 911 call around 12:30 a.m. Thursday reporting a woman found on Johnson Drive claimed to have been robbed of $15,000 in cash, according to Paris. The woman, later identified as Ray, told authorities she had been pulled over by two male suspects in an older-model, sedan-type car with flashing red and blue emergency lights at the intersection of Johnson Drive and Chambers Street, Paris said. Ray said one of the suspects identified himself as a police officer and wore a police badge around his neck, according to Paris. She said she was ordered out of her car, handcuffed and left to wait as the self-identified officer and his accomplice searched the car, Paris said. Once the search was complete, Ray said, the handcuffs were removed and she was informed that she was free to go, Paris said. When Ray reentered the car, she said, she noticed that $15,000 was missing along her with iPhone and her car key, Paris said. In addition to police, medical personnel responded to the scene, according to Paris. He said Rays claims launched an investigation that spanned more than 10 hours Thursday. Investigators canvassed the area for the suspect vehicle, but determined Rays story was fabricated, Paris said. Surveillance footage showed that the events Ray described the traffic stop, the handcuffing and the car search had never taken place, according to Paris. The missing key had been placed by Ray in nearby bushes, Paris said, adding it was later recovered by police. Ray was arrested at Fairfield police headquarters Thursday evening, according to Paris. She is scheduled to appear May 10 in state Superior Court in Bridgeport, Paris said. Hearst Connecticut Media file photo FAIRFIELD Power has been restored to more than 1,500 customers after a tree fell on power lines amid rainy weather, amid rainy weather officials said. United Illuminating was reporting 1,535 outages as of 5 p.m, according to the utility companys website. That figure represents about 6 percent of UIs 25,000 customers in Fairfield. The outages have all been resolved as of noon Sunday, according to the company's website. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT A greater number of young Bridgeport students are reading at or above grade level this year than in the past two years, an increase district officials credit to new training for teachers. About a third of kindergarten, elementary and middle school students are currently reading at their expected grade level, up slightly from last year, according to new assessment data presented to the school boards teaching and learning committee Wednesday. The growth is slow, but it definitely represents significant growth for students, said Melissa Jenkins, the districts chief academic officer. If you look across kindergarten, you see growth. If you look across first grade, you see growth. That growth is reflective of the teachers. Jenkins attributed the slight bump in literacy to new initiatives that were largely funded with the help of COVID-related federal aid, including regular reading assessments, intervention programs, a 39-hour summer school and training around the science of reading an approach that emphasizes evidence-based educational practices. Teachers and school leaders have had intensive professional development the last two years, she said. Still, the figures show the district is far short of its goal of ensuring all student is able to read at their grade level by the time they end third grade. As of this year, only 33 percent of third graders are performing at that level. District officials hope the new reading programs will provide a foundation for literacy education that students can build on as they grow older and advance to higher grades. Jenkins said the assessment data strongly suggests K-4 students have already benefited from the initiatives. For example, nearly 40 percent of fourth graders are currently reading at grade level. Last year, when that same age group was in third grade, the percentage of students reading at grade level was 33 percent. A year earlier, the share was just 25 percent. The overall bump is even greater for second graders a group whose crucial first years in school were upended by COVID-19. The percentage reading at grade level now stands at 35 percent, up from 24 percent when they were in first grade and from 9 percent when they were in kindergarten. Board of Education Vice Chairperson Christine Baptiste-Perez, who also chairs the committee, said she was encouraged by the increases in reading comprehension, but noted the emergency federal aid that helped make it possible is slated to expire soon. There are still areas for growth, but it's good to see that we are getting a return on our investment, Baptiste-Perez said. While the trends among younger students are encouraging, the reading assessment data paints a concerning picture for high school students. As of this spring, only 23 percent are reading at grade level. Nearly 60 percent of the 77 percent of students who have not met that standard are reading at least three levels below their grade. Jenkins noted the literacy rates among high school students have grown in recent years, but warned the district will likely require more resources to continue with teacher training sessions and after-school programs. That sentiment was echoed by several board members who are currently urging the city to boost funding for the cash-strapped school system. The board has requested the city allocate an additional $12 million next year, but Mayor Joe Ganim has proposed a $2 million increase. We could just use some more tools at our disposal to try to deal with the volume of problems that our kids have, Board member Robert Traber said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CAIRO (AP) Gunfire and heavy artillery fire persisted Saturday in parts of Sudans capital Khartoum, residents said, despite the extension of a cease-fire between the countrys two top generals, whose battle for power has killed hundreds and sent thousands fleeing for their lives. With ordinary Sudanese caught in the crossfire, the civilian death toll jumped Saturday to 411 people, according to the Sudan Doctors' Syndicate, which monitors casualties. In some areas in and around the capital, residents reported that shops were reopening and normalcy gradually returning as the scale of fighting dwindled after the shaky truce. But in other areas, terrified residents reported explosions thundering around them and fighters ransacking houses. Now in its third week, the fighting has wounded 2,023 civilians, the syndicate added, although the true toll is expected to be much higher. The Sudanese Health Ministry put the overall death toll, including fighters, at 528, with 4,500 wounded. In the city of Genena, the provincial capital of war-ravaged West Darfur, intensified violence has killed 89 people, the Doctors' Syndicate said. Khartoum, a city of some 5 million people, has been transformed into a front line in the grinding conflict between Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the commander of Sudans military, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. The outbreak of violence has dashed once-euphoric hopes for a democratic transition in Sudan after a popular uprising helped oust former dictator Omar al-Bashir. Foreign countries continued to evacuate their citizens while hundreds of thousands of Sudanese fled across borders. The first convoy organized by the United States to evacuate hundreds of American citizens from the conflict reached the coastal city of Port Sudan Saturday after a dangerous overland journey escorted by armed drones. Britain meanwhile was ending its evacuation flights Saturday, after demand for spots on the planes declined. The United Arab Emirates announced Saturday it had started evacuating its own citizens along with nationals of 16 other countries. Over 50,000 Sudanese refugees mostly women and children have crossed over to Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, the United Nations said, raising fears of regional instability. Ethnic fighting and turmoil has scarred South Sudan and the Central African Republic for years while a 2021 coup has derailed Chad's own democratic transition. Those who escape the fighting in Khartoum face more dangers on their way to safety. The route to Port Sudan, where ships evacuate people via the Red Sea, has proven long, exhausting and risky. Hatim el-Madani, a former journalist, said that paramilitary fighters were stopping refugees at roadblocks outside Khartoum, demanding they hand over their phones and valuables. There's an outlaw, bandit-like nature to the RSF, he said, referring to Dagalo's Rapid Support Forces. They don't have a supply line in place. That could get worse in the coming days. Airlifts from the country amid the chaotic fighting also posed challenges, with a Turkish evacuation plane even hit by gunfire outside Khartoum on Friday. On Saturday despite a cease-fire extended under heavy international pressure early Friday clashes continued around the presidential palace, headquarters of the state broadcaster and a military base in Khartoum, residents said. The battles sent thick columns of black smoke billowing over the city skyline. But in other areas, residents reported signs that the cease-fire had taken hold. We are not hearing the bombs as we did before, so we're hoping that this means they will go back to a political process, said Osman Mirgany, a columnist and editor of the daily al-Tayar, who assessed it was safe enough on Friday to return home to Khartoum after seeking refuge in a far-flung village. But Khartoum residents are forced to live side by side with armed fighters. Many RSF militants have moved into civilian homes and taken over stores and hospitals in the capital. The paramilitary group even transformed Mirgany's newsroom into a makeshift base, he said. Residents also must cope without sufficient electricity and running water, among other basic supplies. For the past 14 days we've suffered from a lack of everything, Mirgany said. Residents in the city of Omdurman, west of Khartoum, have been waiting at least three days to get fuel complicating their escape plans. The U.N. relief coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said that U.N. offices in Khartoum, as well as the cities of Genena and Nyala in Darfur had been attacked and looted. Genena's main hospital was also leveled in the fighting, Sudans health ministry said. This is unacceptable and prohibited under international law, Griffiths said. Over the past 15 days, the generals have failed to deal a decisive blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africas third largest nation. The military has appeared to have the upper hand in the fighting, with its monopoly on air power, but it has been impossible to confirm its claims of advances. "Soon, the Sudanese state with its well-grounded institutions will rise as victorious, and attempts to hijack our country will be aborted forever, the Sudanese military said Saturday. Both sides in the conflict have a long history of human rights abuses. The RSF was born out of the Janjaweed militias, which were accused of widespread atrocities when the government deployed them to put down a rebellion in Sudans western Darfur region in the early 2000s. A unit of Sudan's armed forces, known as the Central Reserve Police, have been sanctioned by the United Staets for grave human rights violations against Sudans pro-democracy protesters. Accusations of rape, torture and other abuses against demonstrators carried out by the unit first surfaced in 2021, after Burhan and Dagalo joined forces in a military coup that ousted a civilian government. The Sudanese Interior Ministry confirmed the deployment of the Central Reserve Police in Khartoum on Saturday, posting photos of the fighters riding with heavy machine guns mounted on pickup trucks. Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was ousted in the 2021 coup, appealed to the international community from a conference in Nairobi, Kenya, to push for an immediate halt to the conflict. He warned that a full-blown civil war in the strategically located country would have consequences not just for Sudan but for the world. God forbid if Sudan is to reach a proper civil war ... it is a huge country and very diverse ... it would be a nightmare for the world, he said. But the generals have so far publicly dismissed attempts to reach a compromise. Regional mediators have been unable to travel to Khartoum because of the fighting. African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki said he would nonetheless try to send peacekeepers to the country. Im ready to go there myself, even by road," Faki said. We ask the two generals to create the conditions for us to go to Khartoum. ___ DeBre reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Evelyne Musambi from Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report. Another Tory scalp! There will have been dancing in the aisles at the BBC after its chairman, Richard Sharp, honourably resigned yesterday having been accused in a report of what appear to be two minor breaches. Just as there must have been much popping of corks at the Ministry of Justice after deputy prime minister Dominic Raab was last week found guilty by another investigation on two counts of bullying. He was cleared of most charges but fell on his sword, which had been unsheathed for him by Rishi Sunak. I believe Mr Sharp was right to resign since the report by Adam Heppinstall KC finds that he failed to tell a public appointments committee that he had sounded out a third party about guaranteeing an 800,000 loan to Boris Johnson, who was Prime Minister at the time. But, my goodness, what a lot of tripe has been uttered in some quarters! You'd think Mr Sharp was a major villain and the Government uniquely wicked, sleazy and devious in having appointed him. I believe Mr Sharp was right to resign since the report by Adam Heppinstall KC finds that he failed to tell a public appointments committee that he had sounded out a third party about guaranteeing an 800,000 loan to Boris Johnson You'd think Mr Sharp was a major villain and the Government (including Boris Johnson, pictured) uniquely wicked, sleazy and devious in having appointed him Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell, who I used to think quite sensible and moderate, claimed yesterday that Mr Sharp's breach of the rules has caused 'untold damage' to the reputation of the BBC. According to her, the BBC's independence has been 'seriously undermined. . . as a result of the Conservatives' sleaze and cronyism'. As for the Tories, for the past '13 years [they have been] doing everything they can to defend themselves and their mates'. Not to be outdone in the hyperbole stakes, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey (who also used to be quite sensible) tweeted that the BBC was being 'dragged through the mud by the Conservative Party'. Meanwhile our old friend Gary Lineker who has reportedly agreed with his BBC employers to go easy on political tweets couldn't resist unburdening himself: 'The BBC chairman should not be selected by the government of the day. Not now, not ever.' My fear is that decent, fair-minded people may be taken in by this tosh. They may think that only the nasty Conservatives could dream of appointing a Tory donor (now the two rudest words in the English language) as BBC chairman. They may also be persuaded by the confected hysteria that Richard Sharp has done something very bad, whereas the evidence is that he was a good public servant (he is a very rich man, and donates his 160,000 salary to charity) who made two silly slips. The fact is that it has been accepted for many years that a Prime Minister has a right to make a political appointment so far as the chairmanship of the BBC is concerned. Margaret Thatcher did so when she appointed, in succession, three loyal men of Tory persuasion George Howard, Stuart Young and Marmaduke Hussey. The chairmanship is supposed to carry no journalistic influence, and none of these gentlemen corrected the anti-Conservative bias of the BBC in the slightest degree. Tony Blair went one step further. Not only did he appoint as chairman Gavyn Davies, a stupendously wealthy Labour donor and stalwart supporter, whose wife happened to be a private secretary of the Chancellor, Gordon Brown. Mr Blair also flouted tradition by steering a New Labour groupie towards the director-generalship of the BBC, supposedly a non-political role. Greg Dyke, also enormously rich, had donated 55,000 to the party, and was a Blairite cheerleader. By the way, there is no comparison with the current director-general, Tim Davie, who canvassed as a young man for the Conservatives more than 25 years ago. Greg Dyke was hot off the New Labour presses. In recommending Mr Sharp, Boris Johnson acted as previous Prime Ministers have done, though he certainly didn't go as far as Tony Blair. And yet the Tories are accused by Labour and the Lib Dems of sleaze and cronyism. Does anyone believe this rubbish? I fear they may, not least because the Tories are being hopeless in defending themselves. People may also be taken in by the lie that Mr Sharp behaved in a discreditable way. Unlike many BBC employees, the persecutors of Dominic Raab (pictured), and those civil servants reportedly now targeting Health Secretary Steve Barclay for alleged bullying, I don't believe in declaring a Tory-free public zone The first finding against him is nugatory. Mr Heppinstall's report censures Mr Sharp for informing Mr Johnson that he intended to apply for the role of BBC chairman before he had made his application. Mr Sharp's response, which seems entirely reasonable, is that he was doing work at No 10 at the time, and thought it right to tell his boss. The second key finding is admittedly more significant, though hardly earth shattering. Mr Sharp should have told the appointments committee that he had sounded out a third party (actually a distant cousin of Mr Johnson's) about guaranteeing a loan to the improvident prime minister. Why didn't he? Perhaps he forgot. Alternatively, he may not have thought it relevant. Or maybe he knew that the mere mention of Mr Johnson's name would scupper his chances of getting the job. Whatever the reason, his failure to declare his role in facilitating a loan potentially put him under an obligation to Boris, according to Mr Heppinstall. But he was in any case already a close friend of Mr Johnson's. I believe any fair-minded person who examines the facts will conclude that the Tories weren't guilty of sleaze on this occasion (I don't exempt them in other instances), and that Mr Sharp may have been unwise but wasn't venal. Read more: Growing expectation new BBC boss will be a woman with ex-culture secretary Nicky Morgan among the names tipped for the job Advertisement It appears he wasn't legally bound to resign but did so after pressure was exerted by the BBC Board. I would guess he also recognises that he has too many enemies at the Corporation for him to be able to do a proper job. It's true there were a few wise senior heads at the BBC who wanted him to stay. They saw him as an effective defender of the BBC's interests in talks with the Government. He has the advantage of knowing Rishi Sunak, having been his former employer at the investment bank, Goldman Sachs. But there is little doubt that most BBC journalists wanted to see the back of him, and it is a reasonable inference that some of them took a particular dislike to him because he is a Tory. For months, newspapers have been full of adverse comments by unidentified employees at the Beeb. I don't recall any such criticisms when Gavyn Davies, or indeed Greg Dyke, were hired. Nor was there any discernible disquiet when former Labour Cabinet minister James Purnell was appointed to the very senior position of BBC Director of Strategy and Digital in 2013. It is evidently acceptable for Labour politicians or donors to work at the BBC, but not for a solitary Tory especially one who is a friend of Boris Johnson's when he puts half a foot wrong. The pattern is repeated across the public service. After 13 years of Conservative rule, many senior jobs in the 'quangocracy' are still filled by New Labour types, the latest instance being former Blairite aide Matthew Taylor, not long ago made chairman of the NHS Confederation. The only Tory I can think of in a senior public role is Michael Grade, chairman of Ofcom. Perhaps we should just be open about it, and have a simple rule that anyone with Tory inclinations shouldn't be allowed to fill senior posts at the BBC, or indeed anywhere in the public sector! Unlike many BBC employees, the persecutors of Dominic Raab, and those civil servants reportedly now targeting Health Secretary Steve Barclay for alleged bullying, I don't believe in declaring a Tory-free public zone. Will Rishi Sunak have the courage to put forward another overt Conservative to succeed Richard Sharp? I somehow doubt it. He will be too frightened of false accusations of sleaze and nepotism. I'm sorry Mr Sharp carelessly breached the rules. It was silly of him. But I'm sad that a capable man has been forced to leave public office, and sadder still that the BBC can't find room for a decent Tory. The Duchess of Edinburgh Sophie, 58, visited Brockhill Performing Arts College, in Hythe, Kent, to present the facility with the LEAF Education Demonstration School Gold Award. The Royal was spotted chatting to staff and students, helping to plant a tree (left) and get up close with some of the animals in residence (right). The mum-of-two looked stylish for the educational appointment, wearing an off-white, red and navy check blazer by ME+EM, smart black tailored trousers and dove-grey suede high heel Mary-Janes, which may have not been the wisest choice for the muddy terrain. It's not the first time Sophie has worn the 295 ME+EM jacket, first showcasing it for a public appearance last September when she and Prince Edward visited Preston Market Hall in Birmingham. Described as a 'fresh, trans-seasonal pattern that covers soft, midweight tailoring', the Autumn Puppytooth Boyfriend blazer also comes with matching trousers that are currently in the sale online for just 74. Unlike his brother, Prince Harry wears a platinum band given to him by Meghan Millions of viewers around the world held their breath as they watched Prince William squeeze the custom wedding band onto Kate Middleton's finger at their wedding in 2011. But viewers were surprised to see that the gesture was not reciprocated when William was not given a ring on the day and he has not been spotted with one since. While it is now common practice for both the bride and groom to give each other a ring as a sign of their eternal devotion, a royal aide explained that Prince William's decision not to wear a ring was 'simply down to personal preference'. 'It was something the couple discussed but Prince William isn't one for jewellery - he doesn't even wear a signet ring - and decided he didn't want to,' they added. Prince William chose not to receive a wedding ring for his marriage to Kate Middleton in 2011 Prince Harry was given a platinum band with a textured finish during his wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018 Prince William's decision not to wear a wedding ring is 'simply down to personal preferece' according to a royal aide Kate's simple, gold wedding band, which the couple helped to design, was fashioned from a nugget of royal-owned Welsh gold given to William by his grandmother the Queen. Prince William's decision follows the example of his late grandfather, Prince Philip and his uncle Prince Andrew, who also chose not to wear a wedding ring. His brother Prince Harry however took a modern approach, with both him and his wife Meghan Markle giving each other rings at their wedding in 2018. Both were made by Cleave and Company, the official royal jewellers who also crafted Meghan's engagement ring which features a central diamond from Botswana surrounded by two diamonds from Diana's collection. While Meghan's band was made from Welsh gold as is traditional for royal brides, Harry's ring was a platinum band with a textured finish. In a statement, the Palace said: 'Ms Markle's ring has been fashioned from a piece of Welsh Gold, gifted by Her Majesty The Queen. 'Prince Harry's ring will be a Platinum Band with a textured finish. Both rings were crafted in the Cleave workshop. 'The rings will be carried to St George's Chapel on the day of the Wedding by The Duke of Cambridge, in his capacity as Best Man.' Harry father, King Charles also opted to wear a wedding ring for both his marriage to Princess Diana and Camilla. After his wedding to Camilla in 2005, Charles chose to wear his wedding ring on his little finger underneath his signet ring which, bearing the fleur-de-lys crest of the Prince of Wales, was believed to be a gift from his parents. Meghan's engagement ring featured a gold band with three diamonds, a large square cut jewel in the centre set off by two diamonds at the side, although Meghan redesigned the band in 2019 Both Harry and Meghan's wedding bands were made by Cleave and Company, who also crafted Meghan's engagement ring He continued to wear the wedding ring given to him by Diana until the day after his engagement to Camilla. The custom of men wearing wedding rings is said to be relatively recent, gaining popularity during the Second World War when servicemen chose the accessory to remind them of their wives and families at home. As men's jewellery became more commonplace, so did the practice of men wearing a wedding ring. David Miller, formerly director of Debrett's, a leading authority on etiquette, said: 'Wearing a wedding ring used to be uncommon for men but now it is quite accepted practice. 'That said, it really is a matter of personal choice and members of the Royal Family often chose to wear it with a signet ring on the little finger of their left hand.' However at the time of Prince William's wedding, a royal source explained: 'It is quite common for men in that strata of society not to wear a traditional wedding band. Charles wore his wedding band underneath his signet ring on his little finger, which featured the fleur-de-lys crest of the Prince of Wales Kate Middleton was given a ring made from Welsh gold at her wedding, as is tradition for royal brides 'If they do, they tend to wear it with their family signet ring but William doesn't have one of those.' Meanwhile, the custom of royal brides having ring made from Welsh gold was started by the Queen Mother in 1923. One nugget of gold from the Clogau St David's mine was used to make the Queen Mother's wedding ring, the Queen's in 1947, Princess Margaret's in 1960, the Princess Royal's in 1973 and that of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1981. To replnish the diminishing supply, the British Royal Legion presented the Queen with a 36-gram (1.3oz) piece of 21-carat Welsh gold for future rings in 1981. Lexi Jones, 22, who lives in LA, is the daughter of David Bowie and Iman When David Bowie tragically died from liver cancer in January 2016, he left behind his wife, supermodel Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid, and two children. His son Duncan Jones, otherwise known as Zowie Bowie, was from the rock star's first marriage to Angie Bowie. But his daughter Alexandria Zahra 'Lexi' Jones, who is the daughter of David Bowie and Iman, was just 15 when her father passed away. Seven years on from the death of the trailblazing musician, Lexi is following in her father's footsteps and is making music herself, while also taking after her mother and dipping her toes into the world of modelling. Lexi, now 22, lives in LA where she is making music and creating art, and she appears to have a close relationship with her mother. She is also about to launch a new art project - with her mother being her biggest fan. Alexandria Zahra 'Lexi' Jones, 22, is the daughter of international supermodel Iman and the late musician David Bowie During the pandemic, Iman, 67, revealed her daughter had helped her become more body positive while they were in lockdown together. The supermodel said that after she complained to Lexi about her eight pound pandemic weight gain and how she could no longer fit into her pants, her daughter simply told her to 'buy a bigger pair.' Iman shared the anecdote with People in 2021, saying that women should not make a 'big issue of not fitting in skinny jeans.' She added: 'You're not 20 years old. Buy a size bigger. How about that?' Despite the pressure regarding physical appearance that many models experience, the Somalian beauty shared that she has tried to shield her daughter from any negative self-image talk. Lexi (pictured) now lives in Los Angeles and is making music and selling art - and she is on the brink of launching a new project The budding artist (pictured) has been credited by her mother Iman for helping her with body confidence Earlier this year Lexi shared a video of herself as a schoolgirl learning how to play the piano with her father when he was alive, to mark the seventh anniversary of his death from liver cancer In the same interview, Iman revealed she never discussed her own body image with her daughter while she was growing up. She believes this is why Lexi has such a positive attitude towards weight now. Speaking to British Vogue earlier this year, Iman discussed the difficulties of grieving Bowie after he died, given that he was one of the most famous musicians to have ever lived. She told the magazine: 'It was too much. Too much. We lived a very private life and suddenly it felt like there was a target on mine and my daughters head. 'It got to the point where we had to leave our home [in New York City] because the public were always at the front door.' Despite the difficulties she faced, Iman managed to keep Lexi's childhood somewhat private, until she reached adolescence and made up her own mind to share snippets of her life with fans on social media. Now, Lexi has more than 200,000 followers on Instagram and shares her projects in both music and art with them. Lexi shared a photo of herself with her mother and two other women where she wrote a cryptic post suggesting she didn't feel she was like the other women in the photo in an apparent reference to her mixed heritage She has a Depop page where she sells paintings and prints she has made - some of which appear to be Ziggy Stardust-inspired with their space themes. A print of a painting she created, which sold for $270 on the platform last year, was named: 'Taste the gaybow: Kayler-bisexual alien with a bomb ass bod.' As she begins to find her feet in the world, Lexi often posts on Instagram about her family, including tributes to her father. Earlier this year, to mark the seven-year anniversary of his death, the 22-year-old posted a video of herself sitting on Bowie's lap and playing piano with him while she was a schoolgirl. She captioned the video: '7 years ago today. I miss you.' Lexi has also posted cryptic messages that appear to refer to her identity as she uses Instagram to express herself. In a recent photo of herself as a child sitting next to her mother, and two other women, she wrote the caption: 'One of these things is not like the others.' Responses from fans who commented on the photo seemed to suggest the caption was in reference to the fact Lexi is mixed race, from a Somalian-born mother and a white British father. One person wrote in response: 'One of these things is the best of both worlds' with a heart emoji. Another said: 'How can you not fit in, this is who you are your family whom god gave you the honor of being a part of.' A third said: 'Lexi born of love...the morning sun and ebony of starlight night...fused by love.' Despite perhaps struggling with her identity, the bond between Lexi and her mother is strong, as she often pays tribute to her on Instagram. In 2021 she posted a throwback snap in sepia tones of herself and Iman, simply writing the caption: 'Appreciation to my mutha. Love you to bits.' Iman often returns the love to her daughter, and has posted sweet tributes on her own Instagram account to Lexi. She previously wished her daughter a happy birthday, calling her 'my heart, my pride, my love, my angel, my Lexi'. The international supermodel also recently shared a post promoting Lexi's mysterious upcoming art project, encouraging others to sign up for updates. Posting the graphic for the 22-year-old's art site on Instagram, Iman wrote: 'So proud of my daughter Lexi on her new upcoming venture 'It takes courage to create something unique and share it with the world but, baby girl, you've got what it takes!' A 51-year-old mom has become an unlikely style icon after her teenage daughter started showing off her chic looks on TikTok. Larissa Mills, from Beverly, Massachusetts, has earned a series of major deals with the likes of Gap and Anthropologie after making her debut on the video-sharing platform last year. She has since spoken about the assumption that 'you can no longer be seen as a fashionable person in your own right' after you become a mom - and is now encouraging others to showcase their own style. Here, FEMAIL reveals how a chance post on social media catapulted Larissa into the limelight. Larissa Mills, from Beverly, Massachusetts, has become an unlikely style icon after her teenage daughter started showing off her chic looks on TikTok Larissa's journey began when her teenage daughter posted a TikTok clip which quickly went viral In March 2022, Larissa's daughter Ella, then 17, took to TikTok with a nonchalant video of her mom walking around the family kitchen. She uploaded the clip as part of the trend which asked people to 'show your mom and then your pantry.' And, when the teen put Larissa in front of camera, she looked effortlessly chic. Larissa was sporting black trousers, a blue shirt and Converse before pulling the look together with a beige overcoat - and followers were left mesmerized. In March 2022, Larissa's daughter Ella, then 17, took to TikTok with a nonchalant video of her mom walking around the family kitchen Social media users flooded the clip with praise for the unlikely style guru and said that they were now 'obsessed' The video quickly took off and, to date, has more than 7.3 million views as social media users flooded the clip with praise for the unlikely style guru. Many said that they were now 'obsessed' with Larissa as one urged: 'Need to see more of her outfits!' Another simply added: 'I want to be her omg.' And a third said: 'She is a true silent fashion icon!' It was here that Larissa's whirlwind journey into the fashion industry began. How the 51-year-old teamed up with her daughter to capitalize on the limelight Ella started posting regular 'outfit of the day' clips to her page, which showcased her mom's signature style. Larissa's wardrobe consists of relaxed silhouettes, elevated basics and a variety of brands - both high and low end. She has often spoken about how the basis of her outfits is always comfort - but that she is also a 'sucker for texture.' Previously issuing fashion advice to Who What Wear, Larissa, who is 5ft 4in, said that 'flip-flops immediately de-fuss any outfit' and praised 'the lengthening effect wearing all one color provides.' Ella started posting regular 'outfit of the day' clips to her page which showcased her mom's signature style The style icon also added that she would 'never save a special piece of jewelry for an event' - and instead often teams it with sweatpants or T-shirts. And thousands of fashion fans have been lapping up her advice with her content being regularly met with raptures of praise. Larissa now has more than 201,000 followers on Instagram, with daughter Ella gaining more than 248,000 fans on TikTok. The 51-year-old has previously spoken about the growing interest in her wardrobe. Larissa's wardrobe consists of relaxed silhouettes, elevated basics and a variety of brands - both high and low end Previously issuing fashion advice to Who What Wear, Larissa, who is 5ft 4in, praised 'the lengthening effect wearing all one color provides' She told Fashionista: 'It's weird to me that the mom thing is still sticking like, once you're a mom, you cut your hair and you can no longer be seen as a fashionable person in your own right.' Elaborating further on her new-found fame, she said: 'I get a lot of DMs about this to be 50 and to not have given up. 'I also get DMs about parenting that say, like, "I wish my mom supported me more," or, "I want to have a relationship like yours." 'So there is something that I do feel is an emotional component in this capturing of a relationship.' The style guru's popularity reached new heights after landing deals with major brands It wasn't long before Larissa caught the eye of some major brands including Anthropologie, Gap and Jenni Kayne. Last month, Larissa appeared on Anthropologie's TikTok account in a series of paid partnership clips. One was captioned: 'Styling class is in session with #AnthroAmbassador Larissa Mills, and we're taking notes.' She stepped out in an eye-catching ensemble that consisted of Larroude Kate Patent Leather Boots ($485), a Sadie Halter Tie Gown ($248), a Nadya Belt Bag ($38) and a Maeve Double-Breasted Blazer ($170). It wasn't long before Larissa (pictured on set) caught the eye of some major brands including Anthropologie, Gap and Jenni Kayne And, in another clip for the brand, she slipped into something a little more risque with Anthropologie captioning the video: 'Who's that girl? None other than the incredibly stunning Larissa Mills.' It is not known how much Larissa has made from the deal - but it isn't the only paid partnership that she has been offered since being thrust into the limelight. She and daughter Ella have also posted a series of promotional videos for Gap. In one, Larissa gushed over the brand as she said: 'I cannot believe that I have been wearing Gap since I was in high school.' Last month, Larissa appeared on Anthropologie's TikTok account in a series of paid partnership clips She said that she had continued to love it through the various stages of her life and had even put her children, including Ella, in Baby Gap clothing. The duo then flaunted their Gap ensembles as they listed the items on display - and fashion fans lapped it up. Most recently, Larissa, who now describes herself on LinkedIn as a 'Fashion Content Creator,' featured in ads for high-end lifestyle brand Jenni Kayne. Neither Larissa nor Ella has disclosed what is next for the mother-daughter duo going forward, but thousands of fans will be hoping that they keep serving style inspiration. Advertisement It was the time where punk bands Madness and The Specials reigned supreme and young men with shaved heads roamed the streets of England. Skinheads were a key part of British culture when the look made a revival in the 1970s with working-class youths - with many donning a shaved head, Doc Marten boots, and high-rise jeans supported by braces. The subculture became inextricably linked to popular 2 Tone bands that fused the genres of ska, rocksteady, reggae, pop and punk rock. The subculture influenced hit film This is England, which explored how the group originally influenced Jamaican culture became infected by white nationalists and white supremacists. And now a new edition of a stunning documentary photo book which inspired This is England reveals the true story of England's Skinhead punk culture in the 1970s. A new edition of a classic documentary photo book Skins by Gavin Watson reveals the true story of England's Skinhead punk culture in the 1970s The Skinheads rose to prominence in answer to the hippie movement of of the 60s. They were heavily influenced by the mod scene and took the stylings and music brought to Britain by the Windrush generation A young skinhead boy in the late 1970s or early 1989s wearing a shirt and suspenders while sitting on a train Skins by Gavin Watson has been argued as being 'the single most important record' of 1970s skinhead culture in Britain, who have possibly been one of the most reviled yet misunderstood the nation's youth subcultures. The book, which was first published in 1994, looks at Mr Watson's life growing up in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire in the late 1970s and early 1980s. 'The scores of black and white shots offer a fascinating glimpse into a skinhead community that was multi-cultural, tightly knit and, above all else, fiercely proud of its look,' publishers ACC Art Books say. Director Shane Meadows has cited Watson's photographs as an inspiration for his cult hit 2006 film, This is England, which tells the story of young skinheads in 1983. Talking about the book, the This is England director said: 'What makes Gavin's photos so special is that when you look at them, there's clearly trust from the subject towards the photographer, so it feels like you're in the photo rather than just observing.' Photos featured in the book include two young boys wrapped in a Union Flag and a young skinhead boy sitting on the train wearing a shirt with suspenders. The Skinheads rose to prominence in answer to the hippie movement of of the 60s. They were heavily influenced by the mod scene and took the stylings and music brought to Britain by the Windrush generation. Skinheads were primarily from an English working-class culture and were instantly recognisable by their outfits of a shaved head and chunky Doc Marten boots. While the movement is sometimes today associated with the far-right, with groups such as the National Front using the look and incorporating into a neo-Nazi design, its origins are very far removed from that, being founded in inclusivity. Author Mr Watson, who was born in 1065, said that the skinhead subculture came from mods and young people in the 60s mixing with West Indians and 'digging the music', according to Dazed. He said that by the time he was a teenager bands like Madness and The Specials were popular and wore 'the same clothes as us' and 'sang about us', as well as the estates where they lived. Skinheads were primarily from an English working-class culture and were instantly recognisable by their outfits of a shaved head and chunky Doc Marten boots. Pictured: A group of skinhead boys going down a Tube escalator Two young boys pictured in Skins, a photo book about skinheads, wrapped in a Union Flag He said it was 'pure' and 'innocent' and that it was 'incredible' that far-right racists could use something which was supposed to be inclusive and 'weaponise it to divide people'. Gavin Watson bought a Hanimex camera from Woolworths in his early teens and began to take photographs. Upon leaving school at the age of 16, Watson moved back to London and became a darkroom assistant at Camera Press. He continued to photograph his younger brother Neville and their group of skinhead friends in High Wycombe. Watson has said he hopes his book can reveal the truth about skinheads and their culture, to disassociate the movement from far-right extremists. He said while 'you can put a narrative onto something' that is not true, you can also 'go to the bottom and pull out the truth - in imagery'. Two skinheads in England pulling faces in a photo with an English bulldog in the late 1970s or early 1980s A skinhead posing with his English bulldog in front of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, London A skinhead, who is topless apart from his braces holding up his trousers, punches the air while in a group of members of the subculture Author Mr Watson, who was born in 1065, said that the skinhead subculture came from mods and young people in the 60s mixing with West Indians and 'digging the music'. Pictured: A topless skinhead has his head shaved A young skinhead on a tube train with a cigarette in his mouth as commuters hold onto the rails behind him A group of five skinheads sitting round a table drinking hot beverages served on wooden trays Watson says through his book he has contributed to putting out the truth about skinheads to combat the 'bulls***' which has 'always been written about working-class kids, whatever colour' The 'Wycombe Skins' were part of the working-class skinhead subculture brought together by a love of ska music and fashion Pictured: Two young boys leaning up against a fence railing Watson says through his book he has contributed to putting out the truth about skinheads to combat the 'bulls***' which has 'always been written about working-class kids, whatever colour'. He said he cannot understand how people can be skinheads and Nazis, knowing that the 'whole cult comes from a mixture of Black and white kids' adding that there would be no skinheads without Jamaicans. The 'Wycombe Skins' were part of the working-class skinhead subculture brought together by a love of ska music and fashion. Although skinhead style had become associated with the right-wing extremism of political groups like the National Front in the 1970s, Watson's photographs document a time and place where the subculture was racially mixed and inclusive. Queen Consort Camilla paid a sweet tribute to the late Queen in the last portrait of her and King Charles to be taken before the coronation. Camilla, 75, wore Elizabeth II's pearl earrings in the photographs released by Buckingham Palace last night, ahead of the long-awaited festivities on May 6. The opulent earrings had belonged to the late Queen, her husband's mother, and is a nod to the monarch's love for pearls - an accessory she was rarely seen without. This particular set was adorned with sapphire and ruby gemstones, while Camilla paired the earrings with a pearl necklace from her own private collection. The Queen Consort is sitting in a giltwood and silk long-seated upholstered armchair dating back to 1812 The opulent earrings had belonged to the late Queen, her husband's mother, and is a nod to the monarch's love for pearls - an accessory she was rarely seen without Taken in the blue drawing room last month, the photographs show the royal couple standing side by side in front of a portrait of King George V painted shortly after his coronation in June 1911. Charles is dressed in a blue Anderson and Sheppard suit, with a blue tie and white Turnbull and Asser shirt. Camilla is wearing a blue wool crepe coat dress from British designer Fiona Clare, the late Queens pearl drop earrings set, which is adorned with sapphire and ruby gemstones, and a pearl necklace from her private collection. Additional images show Charles and Camilla seated individually. The King is sitting in a giltwood and silk upholstered armchair which dates to 1829 and was supplied to King George IV to furnish Windsor Castle. One shows the couple standing side by side in front of a portrait of King George V painted shortly after his coronation in June 1911 The King is sitting in a giltwood and silk upholstered armchair which dates to 1829 and was supplied to King George IV to furnish Windsor Castle And the Queen Consort is sitting in a giltwood and silk long-seated upholstered armchair dating back to 1812. The chairs have been in the Blue Drawing Room since at least the early twentieth century. They were likely commissioned by King George IV when he was the Prince of Wales in the early 19th century. In her typical blue, Camilla has worn the colour often since it was confirmed she would be known simply as 'Queen' once Charles is crowned at his coronation. The monarch's wife has opted for the sapphire hues to show 'reassured confidence' as well as 'nobility and status', according to a colour psychologist. Lancashire-based Lee Chambers told FEMAIL that Camilla's decision to wear royal and navy blue outfits following the confirmation of her title suggests she is 'calm and 'composed'. The excitement for the Coronation has already started, as Brits are preparing for momentous occasion. It is set to be a weekend of full of celebrations with more than a million Britons expected to take part in street parties, with some traditional tea parties already taking place. Councils have been busy installing red, white and blue bunting across their towns, while locals have put up photos of the King, as well as prepping for different events. They took a 'calculated risk' and saw huge success Allen Fu and Fiona Wang launched The Fluid Project in August last year Two friends who took a massive risk investing thousands into a new business have turned over a staggering $400,000 in the first six months. Allen Fu and Fiona Wang, both 27, had only known each other for about 18 months before launched The Fluid Project in August 2022. The business offers art classes where customers are provided all the supplies to pour paint over adorable teddy bear statues and other designs to take home. Allen thought of the concept 12 month ago after seeing a fun, unique date night idea but his busy schedule made it challenging to act on. 'I saw it trending online in China during Covid lockdowns and I thought it would be great to bring to Sydney,' he said. After discussing with Fiona, the pair jumped in 'head first' and 24 hours later Allen signed a three-year least with a small warehouse in Homebush, 12km west of the Sydney CBD. Scroll down for video The Fluid Project launched in August 2022 offering unique art classes pouring paint over teddy bear statues Founders Fiona Wang and Allen Tu jumped 'head first' into the business idea and invested up to $200K to start the brand. The risk paid off as in the first six months they've turned over $400K Fiona and Allen - who both own separate businesses - worked tirelessly for seven days to build a creative space with a 'concrete, art studio vibe'. Within the first week of launching they had 500 bookings and a combined 20million views on social media. Teddy bear sculpture before being painted They now have an average of six bookings a week, mostly hosted on weekends. 'My friends thought I was crazy joining forces with someone I had just met, but Fiona and I think alike and have similar passions. Our friendship grew very quickly,' he said. Allen admits The Fluid Project was a 'massive risk' because they had 'no idea what the response would be'. 'We hit the ground running, did some research but still didn't know if it would fail or not,' Allen said. 'I signed a three-year lease, which was so daunting, and spent between $40,000 to $50,000 on upfront costs.' And if it did fail, they would've lost out a whopping $200,000. 'It's hard to say you're not scared of losing that much money, but we had back-up plans in place if that were to happen. If it didn't take off we would've converted the warehouse into an office space,' Allen said. He added that the business was a 'calculated risk' that managed to pay off. Sydney founder friends Fiona Wang and Allen Tu pictured Guests can let expose their creative side during the classes One two-hour Fluid session costs $70 where guests can choose from a range of different statues, including a teddy bear, bunny, unicorn, balloon dog or cat One two-hour Fluid session costs $70 where guests can choose from a range of different statues, including a teddy bear, bunny, unicorn, balloon dog or cat. After the class the staff will take down your details and the statue will be delivered to your home address once it's dry. Now following the massive success, the brand is now looking to expand their horizons and franchise in Melbourne. Some guests have called the class 'therapeutic'. Classes are suitable for both children and adults like What makes the business unique is the fact that the classes are inclusive of a range of demographics - from children to adults. Today schools and corporate companies have expressed interest in bringing groups in for a session. 'The kids love it and we're also considering how we can bring the classes to offices,' Allen said. But he said their target demographic is singles and couples aged between mid-20s to late-30s. Postboxes have stood proudly across Great Britain for hundreds of years - they are part of the very fabric of the streets. So ubiquitous are Britain's bright red postboxes, they are passed by millions of Brits every single day, the majority taking little notice of their design intricacies. But not all postboxses are all the same - they carry different symbols on the front, and each one gives away a huge clue about when the box was made. A rare 1936 Edward VIII red pillar box spotted in Week Street in Maidstone, Kent A Royal Mail post box with a King Edward VII cypher, from 1901-1910 (left) next to a red post box with a more-commonly seen Queen Elizabeth cypher The Postal Museum sparked some surprise on Twitter recently by posting about the Royal Cyphers on the face of Britain's familiar postboxes. Dozens of Twitter users were surprised to learn the meaning being 'GR' and 'ER' embossed on the solid metal doors, swung open daily by the postman. These 'iconic symbols' are made by 'combining a monarch's initials and title. More intriguingly, the symbols reveal roughly when the box was created, because each one was made during the reign of the monarch embossed on the front. And while ER (Elizabetha Regina) symbols are most commonly spotted across the UK, people have taken to Twitter to share the other symbols they have spotted - including GR and in some cases VR. The custom of including a royal cypher on postboxes dates back to the very earliest roadside boxes from the reign of Queen Victoria. In fact, the Postal Museum explains explains that Royal cyphers on postboxes signify which 'Monarch [...] was on the throne during their creation' and subsequently what time frame they are from. 'When the monarch changes, new pillar boxes do not replace old but are added to those in use, and this is why Britain has such an array of boxes.' In response, one Twitter user said they have lived at their address for almost three years and 'have only just noticed this interesting anomaly on the postbox.' Another wrote: 'I can't walk past a postbox without checking if it's an 'ER' a 'GR' or if you're really lucky a 'VR'. 'There, I said it.' While another person wrote: '"Just clocked a postbox near us with GR on it, rather than the more usual ER, which means it was put up during the reign of George V, not Elizabeth II, which I thought was quite interesting.' The Royal Cyphers range from Queen Victoria to the newly created King Charles III's. Following Queen Elizabeth II's passing in September 2022, any post boxes erected in the near future will have a new symbol. What all the Royal Cyphers mean... The Postal Museum has revealed that the symbols are Royal Cyphers, which are 'iconic symbols' made by 'combining a monarchs' initials and title Queen Victoria One of the earliest in existence of Royal cyphers on postal boxes is from the Channel Islands. In the Victorian period, the UK postal service managed the mail on the Islands. And the first box bore the initials of Queen Victoria VR which stands for Victoria Regina. Regina is Queen in Latin. As post box design developed and expanded, the custom of including the monarch's cypher was established. During the reign of Queen Victoria, a variety of styles were developed as the Post Office experimented with hexagonal, square and even a fluted design. King Edward VII The Postal Museum explains that Edward VII's cypher takes the classic approach of interwoven letters, ER for Edward Rex (Rex is Latin for King) with his regnal number for seven in Roman numerals VII. They added: 'When Edward VII came to the throne, new cyphers were produced just as we are seeing today with King Charles III.' King George V With Edward VII's reign short, his son George V became King in 1910. Following this, a new cypher was developed. However, this is the simplest design of them all, featuring a simpler font and the letters GR are not interwoven as his father and grandmother had done. King Edward VIII Edward's cypher took a different form to those of his predecessors and features a much more ornate font. However, the letters distinct and separate, as The Postal Museum believe his cypher is a combination of some elements of all the previous ones. King George VI George VI cyphers are fairly rare compared with his father George V and great grandmother Queen Victoria. But while it is not found often, George VI's cypher is easily distinguishable from his father, George V's, cypher because of the roman numerals and interlocking letters. Queen Elizabeth II This symbol is probably the most noticeable of all, given that it is quite common. Queen Elizabeth was involved in the approval of her new cypher, as she selected a bold design, reminiscent of George V's cypher. The two letters ER separated by the Roman numerals II, are the easiest to spot. The Scottish Cypher There is also a variation of the Scottish Cypher, which is only found in Scotland. The Postal Museum explain: 'The inclusion of the Roman numerals in Queen Elizabeth's cypher caused controversy. Elizabeth II was not the second Elizabeth to be Queen in Scotland. The Tudor queen, Elizabeth I, was queen of England and Wales only. 'When she died she expressed the wish for the Crown to pass to King James VI of Scotland. This was the first time England, Wales and Scotland had the same monarch. 'The first EIIR letter box in Scotland met with significant opposition. Initially this took the form of graffiti and strongly worded letters.' However, throughout the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the Scottish Crown remained on postal vehicles King Charles III Meanwhile, the new cypher of King Charles III has been unveiled, The Postal Museum has confirmed, but how it will translate to letter box design remains to be seen. They are anticipated as being CR or CIIIR. India may have already beaten the Arcturus wave, according to data that destroys fears surrounding the super-infectious Covid variant. A huge explosion in cases across the country over the past month left hospitals braced for a surge of infected patients. Some of the worst-affected states even brought back mandatory face masks out of precaution. It sparked concerns that Britain could be hit by a similar fate. Yet India's once-spiralling curve may have petered out before it ever had a chance to overwhelm the nation. Cases now appear to be in decline, experts on the ground have claimed. At the start of the week, India was logging over 10,500 Covid cases each day, according to Oxford University-run platform Our World in Data. This is up from the 160 in late February, when the variant began to gather pace. Data also suggested Arcturus it made up two thirds of all cases in the country. But as of Friday, April 28, this had dropped to 10,100 Health workers take part in a mock drill to check preparations for the Covid facilities at a hospital in Prayagraj on April 11, 2023 Paediatrician Dr Vipin Vashishtha, based in the north of the country, who was one of the first to raise the alarm about Arcturus when he warned it may trigger conjunctivitis in kids, said data suggests the resurgence has already 'peaked'. Prominent Covid experts today told MailOnline the U-turn in cases was proof that concerns over XBB.1.16, as it is scientifically known, were overblown. They also insist there's no proof the strain is any more severe than others circulating. Professor Robert Dingwall, who advised the Government on the virus during the pandemic, also told MailOnline: 'We have to stop jumping at every new Covid variant that comes along unless there is solid evidence that we have poor immunity to it. 'We need to be treating Covid like any other influenza-like illness.' What it's REALLY like on the ground in India - the epicentre of Arcturus Despite Covid cases having spiked in recent weeks, hospitals are not yet seeing huge crowds. Most patients in New Delhi which was the epicenter during previous peaks are elderly or battling underlying conditions. Fearing a repeat of last year's carnage, hospitals around India conducted drills to check Covid readiness in the face of spiralling Arcturus figures. More than 30,000 hospitals across India took part in the Covid mock drill, which involved checking availability of beds, ventilators and oxygen cylinders in the event they were overwhelmed. In an anticipation of chaos, many provincial governments have made masks mandatory again. That includes in Mumbai, where all patients, visitors and employees at hospitals must don coverings. Advertisement He added: 'The influenza virus also changes fairly regularly but it is not headline news. 'Public health agencies track the changes so that vaccines can be tweaked to match. Covid does not now require any different response.' Professor Francois Balloux, a vocal Covid commentator throughout the pandemic, from University College London, also told MailOnline he was 'not worried' about the variant. 'I dont think anyone should be panicking over it, wherever they may live in the world,' he said. 'As long as were facing related Omicron variant lineages, replacing each other over time, we should be fine, whatever fancy name they may be given. Summer is coming. 'Theres no ugly variant raising its head and Covid should rank low among peoples concerns right now. 'As long as the Omicron lineage predominates - whatever variant - there will be cases, but no big nasty wave. 'If and when, the World Health Organization (WHO) decides that an emerging SARS-CoV-2 lineage should be given a new Greek letter name, things will become more serious.' He added: 'That said, well never be back to early pandemic square one, as protection against severe symptoms and deaths, provided by vaccination and prior infections will remain, long-term, whatever variant SARS-CoV-2 may throw at us in the future.' The strain, which was first identified by the WHO in January, saw cases in India explode 90-fold within weeks. Surveillance data shows the strain, scientifically called XBB.1.16, makes up roughly 2.3 per cent of all new cases. Separate unofficial figures suggest around 65,000 Brits are getting infected each day Graph showing the number of Arcturus cases in UK regions, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency. This includes 96 cases in England, with the highest rates in London and the North West People wear face masks as they arrive at a government hospital in Chennai, following a rise in Covid cases A health worker takes a nasal swab sample from a patient for a Covid test inside a local hospital in Srinagar Infections have soared in India, as this graph shows - but now numbers are starting to fall Hospitals nationwide ran a two-day mock drill to assess their preparedness amid rising cases. India was logging over 10,500 Covid cases earlier this week, according to Oxford University-run platform Our World in Data. This is up from the 160 in late February, when the variant began to gather pace. But as of April 28, this had dropped to 10,100. Data also suggested Arcturus it made up two thirds of all cases in the country. Dr Vipin Vashishtha, consultant paediatrician at the Mangla Hospital and Research Centre, and former official at the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, also tweeted: 'Is the peak of Indian Covid surge led by XBB.1.16 Arcturus already over? Yes the data suggests so.' He added: 'The outbreak probably peaked around week 13/14. Therefore it's slowing down.' India's drills and masks were a grim reminder of how the country was devastated by the Delta wave in 2021, with a total of 4.7million excess deaths, according to WHO estimates. The nation's health system was overwhelmed by a surge of cases triggered by that Covid variant, with some hospitals even running out of oxygen. Nowadays the illness caused by the Covid more closely resembles that of the flu, unlike during the earliest days of the pandemic. But XBB.1.16 does have three extra mutations on its spike protein, which may help it dodge the body's natural defences. And doctors on the front line in India have also claimed they've seen a rise in infected children with conjunctivitis, suggesting Arcturus may be causing different symptoms to other variants. A study published on Friday also revealed the variant has been shown to increase the risk of the eye condition among children under one-year-old. Led by Dr Vashishtha, the research found young infants were disproportionately affected than older children. A paramedic checks equipment at an intensive care unit ward inside a local hospital in Srinagar on April 11, 2023 Dr Vipin Vashishtha, consultant paediatrician at the Mangla Hospital and Research Centre and former official at the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, also tweeted: 'Is the peak of Indian Covid surge led by XBB.1.16 Arcturus already over? Yes the data suggests so'. He added: 'The outbreak probably peaked around week 13/14. Therefore it's slowing down' The variant, thought to be the most infectious yet, is causing carnage in India, with cases having exploded 90-fold since it first took off two months ago. Some of the worst-hit states have already brought back mandatory face masks to control its rapid spread A healthcare worker collects a swab sample of a man for Covid test, amid a rise in coronavirus cases in the country, in New Delhi on April 17 'One interesting finding was the presence of itchy, non-purulent conjunctivitis with mucoid discharge and stickiness of eyelids in 42.8 per cent of positive infants,' Dr Vipin, who also sits on the WHO's vaccine safety net, said. The study of 25 children seen between April 4 and April 16 found the youngest case was a 13-year-old newborn baby. But none of the children required hospitalisation. Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious diseases from the University of East Anglia, also told MailOnline today: 'Covid has previously been reported as causing conjunctivitis even back in 2020. Read more: Return of the mask! Expert urges public to wear coverings on public transport amid fears Arcturus could spark fresh Covid wave Advertisement 'Also many other respiratory viruses, especially adenoviruses, can cause conjunctivitis so not that surprising. Most cases of viral conjunctivitis are mild and recover of their own. 'The issue is excluding another cause of the conjunctivitis that has to be treated more aggressively.' He also warned that while infections 'may have peaked in the last few days in India', it remains 'too early to be confident that this a not a temporary glitch'. He added: 'I prefer more than just three days of falling numbers before I am content it is a trend. 'It is possible that the proportion of infections that are due to XBB.1.16 has also started falling but again it's too early for me to be confident. 'It looks like the percentage is falling but the confidence intervals are very wide.' Scientists at the University of Tokyo comparing the Kraken and Arcturus sub-variants have suggested that the newer strain spreads about 1.17 to 1.27 times more efficiently than its relative. They warned it 'will spread worldwide in the near future' aided by the fact that it seems 'robustly resistant' to antibodies lingering in the body from previous Covid infections. Medical staff perform a drill at a government hospital in Kolkata on April 11, following a rapid rise in Covid cases A paramedic checks oxygen cylinders at a local hospital in Srinagar on April 11. On April 10, India began a two-day nationwide mock drill to assess the preparedness of hospitals in both public and private facilities amid rising Covid cases In a briefing on April 20, the WHO confirmed XBB.1.16 'may spread globally and contribute to an increase' in cases. The strain, while identified in January, has been monitored by the WHO since the end of March. It has now been seen in 42 countries, including the US, Singapore, Australia, and Canada. Other Omicron sub-variants include Kraken (XBB.1.5) and Orthrus (CH.1.1). Currently Kraken remains dominant in the UK, causing 44 per cent of all cases, while Omicron accounts for 8 per cent. Like similar new Covid variants, virus trackers online decided to call XBB.1.16 'Arcturus' following a pattern of naming new strains after mythological entities. Arcturus means 'Guardian of the Bear' and is related to the constellation called the Great Bear. Women wear masks as they pass through a crowded street, amidst the spike in Covid cases, in Chennai, India on April 11 But microbes found on dogs skin may be detrimental to humans experts warned They're man's best friend. And, according to research, our trusted sleeping partner, too. Two thirds (62 per cent) of pet owners now share a bed with their cat or dog, a new poll suggests. The survey of 2,000 people, by sleep brand Silentnight, also discovered that nearly one third do so every single night. But should we really let sleeping dogs share our beds? Some two thirds (62 per cent) of pet owners now share a bed with their cat or dog. The survey of 2,000 people by sleep brand Silentnight also found more than three in ten (31%) do so every single night While exposure to mites from pets can strengthen the immune system, experts say the habit can run the risk of serious infection. Sharing your bed with your dog increases the chance of them transferring microbes that sit on a dog's skin, possibly via licking, faeces, or from their fur. Such bugs can cause conditions including mange or even Lyme disease. Professor Alejandra Perotti, a mite expert at the school of biological sciences at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: 'If a dog owner is immunocompromised, or has a weak immune system, even temporarily, then they should not share their bed with a dog.' Read more: Four must-know rules to safely remove a tick after warning that deadly virus is now lurking in critters across Britain Advertisement Microscopic parasitic mites which live within the hair follicles of all dogs, 'can be detrimental to an immunocompromised owner', she said. These can cause infections to the human's skin or airways that go on to make them ill. While 'there are very few documented cases of dog mites moving to their owners', she also acknowledged, this is because 'mites don't get identified properly' and are often assumed to be mites that live on humans. The most prevalent dog mite, demodex canis, has been identified on humans 'in a handful of cases', she added. These can cause mange. Equally, parasites including ticks even fleas are important to consider. Professor Perotti told MailOnline: 'Ticks, especially here in UK, are serious vectors of Lyme disease, caused by the bacteria borrelia. 'A dog owner might take their pet out for a nice walk in a park where deer abound, or the dog visits places with deer.' She added: 'Then later at home the ticks from the dog are able to move from dog to humans in the house, if they did not jump already on them during the walk. 'If you share your bed with your dog, this becomes all too easy for the ticks, and a tick bite could go undetected for hours while the owner sleeps.' It comes as health chiefs earlier this month warned of a deadly infection spread by ticks that has been discovered in England for the first time ever. Three cases of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in patients were confirmed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in Yorkshire, Norfolk and on the border of Hampshire and Dorset. Further tests on ticks across the country have found the disease which, until now, was commonly found in parts of Europe and Asia is now widespread in the UK, with experts warning it is 'unlikely that TBEV will disappear'. Professor Alejandra Perotti, an associate professor in invertebrate biology at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: 'If a dog owner is immunocompromised, or has a weak immune system, even temporarily, then they should not share their bed with a dog Ticks however 'aren't the most obvious source of a nasty bite if you share your bed with a dog', Professor Perotti also noted. 'Animal behaviour specialists quote horrifying statistics that the most severe dog bites on people occur in the owner's bed,' she added. Many people claim sharing a bed with their dog helps them feel comfortable, relaxed or even more secure when they sleep. But it can prove disruptive to their sleep patterns. The research by Silentnight also found over half of pet owners surveyed (51 per cent) regularly sleep on the sofa because their pet is taking up too much space. Some 94 per cent also wake during the night because of their animal's tossing and turning. Hannah Shore, sleep knowledge and research manager at Silentnight said: 'While cats, dogs and humans have similar sleep patterns, animals tend to cycle through theirs more quickly. 'This slightly contrasting cycle can result in your pet waking up in the night wanting attention, which can be especially annoying when you're sharing a bed.' She added: 'That's why it's important to set out ground rules if you want to avoid being disturbed by your furry friend and reap the benefits of animal bedsharing.' In 2022, the pet welfare charity Blue Cross also warned against dogs sleeping in bed because it could cause them to overheat, particularly if covered up with a duvet. It was while taking part in a medical trial for a new dementia wonder drug that Genevieve Lane, 79, suffered a fatal brain seizure. Her death, reported by The Mail on Sunday last week, came amid great hope for lecanemab, which experts had hailed as the beginning of the end for Alzheimers the degenerative disease that blights the lives of a million Britons. But it also emerged that Genevieve, from Florida, was just one of three people who have died from problems which may potentially be linked to lecanemab, and has led to some experts calling for a pause to its rollout. The drug is currently being assessed by the NHS spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which will soon decide if it will be offered to tens of thousands of Britons. Now concerns about lecanemab are growing deeper. Today we can reveal further startling revelations that cast additional doubt on the integrity of the data used to prove the drugs safety. Genevieve Lane, a retired car hire manager was first diagnosed with dementia two years earlier in 2020, after she noticed small lapses in her memory Ms Lane, pictured with her daughters, died in September 2022 after her third dose of Alzheimer's wonder drug lecanemab And experts are now telling The Mail on Sunday they believe rolling out lecanemab in the UK could put lives at risk. The issues raised include: lThat the severity of possible dangerous side effects, such as brain shrinkage, may have been underestimated; lAlzheimers doctors have accused the drug manufacturer, Eisai, of withholding crucial information, including details of three patients who died after taking the medicine; lClinicians have called for the full safety data to be available before US regulators meet next month to decide whether to approve lecanemab, although Eisai is under no legal obligation to do this; lInsiders have raised concerns that Eisai failed to properly investigate Genevieves death, meaning the full extent of any side effect are not known; lThe firm reportedly waited two months before informing US health authorities of the death typically, trial deaths must be reported within a week. Such is the worry over lecanemab that some experts are calling for an urgent re-evaluation of the data collected by Eisai which was used to prove its safety. Ms Lane suffered a massive bleed on the brain, shown here on this scan Research has shown that one in six patients treated with the 'wonder drug' suffer from brain bleeds while at least three of the people involved in the clinical trial died The drug first attracted public attention in September when Eisai published the results of a major trial involving 1,800 participants and carried out over 18 months at 240 sites across the world, including the US, UK and Australia. It was found to slow cognitive decline by a third and was the first treatment proven to delay progression of the disease The drug company has said lecanemab is safe, but these deaths could suggest otherwise, says Robert Howard, professor of old age psychiatry at University College Londons Institute of Mental Health. There is a credible risk that, if rolled out on the NHS, more lives could be put in danger. Which is why there is a moral imperative to release the full data. Other brain experts agree. The handling of the deaths raises doubts as to whether serious lecanemab side effects are being spotted and properly reported, says Dr Matthew Schrag, a neurologist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, who carried out Genevieves autopsy. There are question marks over whether the published safety data is representative of the facts. It is crucial that Alzheimers doctors see this information before this drug is approved. The drug first attracted public attention in September when Eisai published the results of a major trial involving 1,800 participants and carried out over 18 months at 240 sites across the world, including the US, UK and Australia. It was found to slow cognitive decline by a third and was the first treatment proven to delay progression of the disease. Elusive route to Alzheimer's cure Lecanemab is the latest in a series of Alzheimers drugs that work in a similar way. Many believe the disease is triggered by amyloid a toxic protein. Normally these circulate in the blood, but for reasons not fully understood they can clump together in the brain and form plaques, which disrupt cell function and cause brain damage. Anti-amyloid drugs such as lecanemab work by using the immune system to attack the plaques. The theory is that, in doing so, deterioration may be slowed or even halted. And a number of these drugs have been shown to be effective at removing amyloid plaque from the brain. However, until lecanemab, there was no evidence that this slows down the progress of the disease. Lecanemab is the latest in a series of Alzheimers drugs that work in a similar way Some experts say this is because treatment is being given too late, meaning the Alzheimers has progressed too far to be stopped. But others believe the theory that amyloid plaque triggers Alzheimers is incorrect. They argue that the build-up of amyloid is a by-product of the disease, rather than the cause, meaning that removing amyloid is unlikely to have an impact on slowing the disease. An alternative idea is that faulty genes cause Alzheimers by triggering a mass die-off of brain cells. Earlier this month, scientists said they had identified 92 genes that increase the risk of Alzheimers developing. Professor Julie Williams, director at the UK Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff University, said that this could lead to a gene therapy capable of treating the disease by 2040. Advertisement Professor John Hardy, a dementia researcher at University College London, declared the findings the beginning of the end for Alzheimers and said he hoped it would be available on the NHS within a year. Lecanemab, given every two weeks as a drip via a vein in the arm until it stops working, clears a protein known as amyloid which builds up in the brains of Alzheimers patients. Amyloid clumps are thought to cause the progressive brain damage seen in dementia. But initial trials revealed that in some cases lecanemab can cause unwanted problems in the brain including swelling, bleeding and inflammation, a condition known medically as amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, or ARIA. About one in ten participants in the trial developed brain swelling and one in six suffered brain bleeds, according to Eisai data. Trial participants were monitored with MRI brain scans every three months, and those who developed ARIA were taken off the drug. The majority had no symptoms. Eisai said lecanemab was not related to an increased risk of death as the fatality rate was similar to that of the group in the trial who were given a placebo. No deaths were considered by the investigators to be related to lecanemab or occurred with ARIA, said the studys authors, from Yale University. But autopsy investigators and an investigator on the trial have now identified three cases, including that of Genevieve Lane, where lecanemab patients died of unexpected symptoms likely connected to the drug. One case happened during the trial, the other two after it had been completed. In two cases, the deaths were said to be related to an interaction between lecanemab and blood thinners medicines which reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks but can increase bleeding risk. Genevieve was not on blood thinners and was relatively healthy. But shortly after her third dose, she suffered a massive seizure. Five days later, she died. An autopsy found lecanemab was the most likely cause of death. In all three cases, Eisai has either denied the death was linked to the drug or declined to comment. Speaking to the MoS, Genevieves family claim the trial doctors who worked for an independent clinical trial company employed by Eisai missed vital warning signs, including worrying symptoms, that would have prevented her death. We believe Mum told her doctor about headaches when she returned for her second dose. But he still proceeded to give her the treatment and did not suggest carrying out any scans, says Genevieves younger daughter, Charlotte Lane, 56. Its shocking to think that, on the trial of an experimental drug, it seems like no one was looking out for worrying symptoms. The family believe that the trial doctors failed to properly investigate their mothers death. When her children wanted to know more about what had led to her death, we were surprised the trial company didnt show any interest in carrying out an autopsy, says Charlotte. It didnt seem like they wanted to investigate anything more. Genevieves daughters eventually contacted researchers at Vanderbilt University, who agreed to carry out an autopsy. Eisai said it could not comment on individual participants. The wellbeing of patients enrolled in our studies is always Eisais top priority, said a spokesman. Eisai has established rigorous safety monitoring process. This includes an independent data safety monitoring committee of external experts. Eisai promptly communicated important safety information to regulatory agencies, sites, investigators and subjects. But some experts have questioned this. One neurologist familiar with Genevieves case raised concerns her death may not have been reported to the US medicines watchdog, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), until December 2022 nearly two months after Eisai announced lecanemab was safe and effective. The other people who died during the trial were taking blood thinners medicines that help reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks but can increase the risk of bleeding. Until now, experts have believed it was the combination of lecanemab and blood thinners that raised the risk of life-threatening side effects Eisai declined to comment. An FDA spokesman also declined to say when the information was received, citing patient privacy. Researchers often closely monitor patients after studies end, to keep note of potential long-term side effects, known as an extension trial. Eisai will collect data on their lecanemab trial participants until 2027. Did it cause these three deaths? So far, three deaths related to lecanemab have been identified by medical reports. The first two deaths are thought to be a deadly interaction between lecanemab and blood thinners medicines given to about 700,000 Britons that reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks, but can cause bleeding. The first was a man in his 80s from the US. He suffered a major brain haemorrhage while participating in the early phase of the trial in June 2022, according to medical magazine Stat News. An investigator reportedly concluded the death was related to the drug. But its maker, Eisai, has denied this and did not count the patient as a death in its trial results. Next, in August, after the trial had finished, a 65-year-old woman from Chicago died after suffering several brain haemorrhages. She had previously suffered an unrelated stroke, according to the autopsy report parts of which were published in medical magazine Science. Lecanemab was said to have inflamed and weakened the blood vessels in her brain, and several of them burst when she was given blood-thinning drugs as treatment. The report concluded she would likely still be alive if she had not been taking lecanemab. Eisai declined to comment. In September 2022, 79-year-old Genevieve Lane became the third person to die of suspected lecanemab side effects following a massive brain bleed. Genevieves family told the MoS she suffered problems almost immediately after taking the drug. She was moving slowly, needed to spend a lot of time in bed and complained of headaches, says 59-year-old daughter Julie. Two weeks after her third dose, she died. Advertisement Seven months on from the release of the initial trial results, Eisai has thus far declined calls to publish any follow-up data, which would include two of the deaths. Speaking at a major neurology conference last week in Boston, US, lead investigator of the lecanemab trial, Professor Christopher van Dyck, would not answer questions or provide information about its extension trial results. Eisai also declined the MoSs request to see the data. Experts say it is crucial this information is made public as soon as possible. Meanwhile, recent evidence has sparked further concerns about lecanemab. Last month, Australian researchers published a study showing patients taking anti-amyloid drugs, including lecanemab, experienced accelerated brain shrinkage. This is often an indicator that cognitive decline is worsening. Patients taking the drugs saw their brains shrink 40 per cent faster than those who didnt have any treatment. We currently dont know which patients are most at risk of these sorts of side effects because we havent seen information that tells us about characteristics that might have made them more vulnerable, says Professor Scott Ayton, dementia expert at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in Melbourne, Australia. But one group, who carry a gene called APOE4 which has long been linked to dementia, could be six times more likely to see brain swelling after taking lecanemab and three times as likely to experience brain bleeds, according to a study in the medical journal Jama Neurology last month. Researchers analysed available Eisai data, which showed genetic traits of patients who suffered severe side effects. Importantly, studies estimate up to 65 per cent of Alzheimers patients carry the APOE4 gene and may be at risk. We need to know whether patients with these genes who suffered bad side effects also had underlying conditions, so we know exactly who should not be taking lecanemab, says Dr Madhav Thambisetty, a neurologist at the US National Institute of Aging. Researchers have asked for this information time and time again and Eisai has refused. Genevieves family share these frustrations. They are yet to receive her full medical records from Eisai, even though they were requested in January. Last month the firm finally agreed to send the documents, but they havent yet arrived. We felt ignored for months after Mum died, says Charlotte. Its only now weve started talking publicly about her death that theyve agreed to anything. We deserve to know what happened. There are missing pieces of the puzzle. We want someone to take responsibility. British scientists are developing a sophisticated computer program to help combat antibiotic resistance a problem estimated to be responsible for 1.2 million deaths a year worldwide. Antibiotic resistance is considered one of the biggest global health threats of our age, and causes around 10,000 deaths each year in the UK alone. It happens when bacterial infections build up a defence against commonly prescribed antibiotics, meaning the bug can no longer be killed off. This means simple procedures such as hernia repairs and cataract operations could soon become deadly, as they often trigger infections for which there may not be an effective treatment. Studies suggest the NHS treats about 150 drug-resistant bacterial infections every day. With a growing number of bacterial infections becoming resistant to commonly prescribed drugs, doctors now rely on a small number of antibiotics that work when others dont. Antibiotic resistance is considered one of the biggest global health threats of our age, and causes around 10,000 deaths each year in the UK alone Studies suggest the NHS treats about 150 drug-resistant bacterial infections every day However, there is currently no way of keeping track of how often these drugs are deployed in hospitals. This information is crucial, not only because they must be used sparingly, so patients do not develop resistance, but also because doctors need to know which antibiotics are still capable of fighting specific superbugs those which are resistant to some drugs. Now experts at the University of Aberdeen have developed a program, called the UK Antimicrobial Registry, which will monitor the use of 11 antibiotics, initially at four hospitals in Grampian, Clyde, Leicester and Manchester before expanding to dozens more sites. The researchers will note which infections these drugs are being used to treat for example, the dangerous superbug MRSA and how effective they are at destroying the bacteria. The UK Antimicrobial Registry will then issue regular reports on which drugs are being used too often and warn when they are becoming ineffective against certain bacteria. Experts say this is key information in the fight against antibiotic resistance because, often, little is known about the strength of these antibiotics or how effectively they work. These drugs are designed to be used as rarely as possible, so in many cases some hospitals will have antibiotics theyve never used before, says Professor Gareth Jones, an epidemiologist at the University of Aberdeen. This means were not entirely sure how effective they are at fighting resistant bugs. We also want to make sure clinicians are using them correctly, for example giving them to a patient who definitely requires such a strong antibiotic. This is crucial if we want these drugs to continue to save lives. Bowel cancer patients could be spared from chemotherapy thanks to a blood test that can identify whether surgery alone will tackle their tumour. Currently, most bowel cancer sufferers are offered both treatments in a bid to stop remnants of the disease from spreading again after surgery. But studies show about half of these patients could be cured with surgery alone. It means some 16,000 people a year unnecessarily endure the gruelling side effects of chemo, such as nausea, fatigue, infections, hair loss and permanent nerve damage. Now oncologists at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust are trialling a blood test that predicts the likelihood that cancer will return after surgery by detecting tiny fragments of tumour DNA. Dame Deborah James, pictured, underwent chemotherapy as part of her treatment for bowel cancer More than 40,000 Britons are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year. It is the second-biggest cancer killer, after lung cancer, largely because many cases are diagnosed at a late stage when it has spread to other parts of the body Research shows that patients who have the DNA in their blood called circulating tumour DNA are far more likely to relapse within two years, and should therefore also undergo chemotherapy. Studies have also shown that the DNA can be spotted earlier than tumour growth can be detected by scans. We have a big problem with over-treating patients, says Professor Lawrence Young, an expert in molecular oncology and director of Warwick Universitys Cancer Research Centre. As soon as someone is diagnosed, we remove the tumour with surgery, but there are big questions about whether to give chemotherapy. Most patients are given a concoction of nasty chemo drugs just in case but for a lot of patients its unnecessary. These types of blood tests will revolutionise treatment, allowing doctors to be confident in recommending against chemo. Bowel cancer campaigner and TV presenter Dame Deborah James, who died last June, graphically documented her own battles with what she called vicious chemotherapy. NHS hospitals have already trialled the blood test in lung and skin cancers and found it to be highly accurate in spotting those patients most likely to relapse. More than 40,000 Britons are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year. It is the second-biggest cancer killer, after lung cancer, largely because many cases are diagnosed at a late stage when it has spread to other parts of the body. Unfortunately, once bowel cancer is in the blood, it can quickly spread to the liver, where it multiplies rapidly, says Prof Young. Doctors therefore do all they can to prevent this, which usually involves a combination of potent drugs. The standard treatment is a daily tablet called capecitabine and regular infusions of a stronger medicine called oxaliplatin, says Dr Naureen Starling, consultant oncologist at the Royal Marsden and co-lead on the trial. But in four out of ten patients, oxaliplatin can cause debilitating, long-term nerve damage, so we may use tablets alone in elderly or vulnerable patients. Royal Marsden experts are offering 800 patients the new blood test after surgery, as part of a trial dubbed TRACC. If tumour DNA is not detected, patients will be given either a weaker form of chemotherapy or none at all Patients who would otherwise have just been given the tablet will have no drug, and those who would have had the combination just get the tablet, says Dr Starling. Dr Starling and her team are now working on an economic analysis for NHS drug watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). She adds: We think it will be value for money, considering the costs saved by sparing thousands from chemotherapy. One patient to benefit is 52-year-old Ben Cooke, from London. The father-of-two was diagnosed with bowel cancer in September and underwent surgery to remove part of his colon. Within a few weeks he was offered the chance to take part in the TRACC trial. His results for circulating tumour DNA were negative, so doctors recommended a less potent form of chemotherapy. Ben, who finished his treatment last month, said: Since starting treatment Ive felt absolutely fine and I havent had to take a day off work, which is amazing. Conventional chemo would put me at risk of nerve damage in my hands, which could affect my ability to do my job, so Im thankful Im not at risk of these side effects. The term 'affordable' is a relative one. What might be within one person's budget might not be attainable for others. Rightfully so, some will argue that no electric car on sale in Britain today falls into the 'affordable' bracket. That was particularly highlighted in our recent report on the EVs with the longest quoted ranges , many of which cost in excess of 100,000. That's not what you call battery-powered motoring for the masses! But there are some models that are far less expensive and that will go plenty far enough on a fully-charged battery to last a week. We've set a price ceiling of 40,000 for the EVs that can make it into this countdown. This is the 'premium tax' benchmark for Vehicle Excise Duty, with owners of all new motors over this amount forced to pay an extra 355 per year in car tax for the first five years at the standard rate. Here are 10 EVs that avoid this premium tax sting that can travel the longest distances between charges based on their 'official' claims... Bruised by criticism from other Anglican leaders and facing claims that he has 'fallen under the spell' of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Archbishop of Canterbury has had a difficult start to the year. Justin Welby admitted in December that he had been having 'nightmares' about things going wrong when he presides over King Charles's coronation in May. But Welby's difficulties are small when compared to the struggles faced by some of his predecessors, including those who presided over coronations in the last century. Cosmo Gordon Lang was widely thought to have helped push King Edward VIII to abdicate in 1936 over his desire to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson. The churchman was fiercely criticised for a radio broadcast in which he heaped opprobrium on the departed monarch. Although the Archbishop, who had previously been a popular figure, went on to oversee over the crowning of King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth in 1937, his reputation was tarnished forever. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby admitted that he had been having 'nightmares' about things going wrong when he presides over the Coronation in May Welby's difficulties are nothing when compared to the struggles faced by some of his predecessors, including those who presided over coronations in the 20th-century, such as Cosmo Gordon Lang. Above: Lang with Edward VIII on Maundy Thursday in 1936 At the start of the century, Frederick Temple, the elderly Archbishop who had crowned Edward VII in 1902, struggled to get back to his feet after kneeling during the service. He died just three months later. And while Geoffrey Fisher successfully led the Queen's Coronation in 1953, he was later criticised for disapproving of Princess Margaret's wish to marry her divorced lover, Group Captain Peter Townsend. The intelligent and charismatic Lang was close to the Queen Mother and had baptised the infant Princess Elizabeth after her birth in April 1926. He was also the first Archbishop of Canterbury to broadcast to the nation. But in 2012, the emergence of letters and files held in Lambeth Palace's archives revealed the depth of Lang's role in the abdication of a monarch to whom he was meant to be loyal. They showed how Lang colluded with the then editor of The Times, Geoffrey Dawson, to threaten Edward over his affair with Mrs Simpson - telling him that the relationship would be revealed in public unless he abdicated. At the time, relationships outside of marriage were taboo. The fact that Edward was the King and head of the Church of England made his situation all the graver. Lang falsely alleged that the King was mentally ill, telling the Times's editor: 'My dear Dawson, I have heard from a trustworthy source that His Majesty is mentally ill and that his obsession is due not to mere obstinacy but to a deranged mind. Archbishop of Canterbury Cosmo Gordon Lang presides over the coronation of King George VI in Westminster Abbey in May 1937 Archbishop Lang leaves Westminster Abbey after a rehearsal for the coronation of King George VI Lang strongly disapproved of Edward VIII's relationship with Wallis Simpson. Above: The couple on their wedding day in June 1937 after the former king had abdicated to become Duke of Windsor George VI was crowned by Lang alongside his wife Queen Elizabeth inside Westminster Abbey A letter sent by Lang to Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin at the height of the abdication crisis. Winston Churchill had suggested that Edward could remain on the throne and still marry Mrs Simpson, Lang said he must give up the crown immediately 'More than once in the past he's shown symptoms of persecution-mania. 'This, even apart from the present matter, would lead almost inevitably to recurring quarrels with his ministers if he remained on the throne.' Lang also told the then Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin that the King had undergone treatment for alcoholism. And in another letter sent to the PM at the height of the abdication crisis, after Winston Churchill had suggested that Edward could remain on the throne and still marry Mrs Simpson, Lang said he must give up the crown immediately. (Although then in the political wilderness, Churchill still commanded considerable authority.) Lang wrote: 'He must leave as soon as possible. It would be out of the question that he should remain... any announcement that is to be made of the kind you indicate to me, it should be made as soon as possible and the announcement should appear as a free act. 'I understand that you are seeing him tonight; and doubtless you would make this plain.' Before Edward had become King, there were concerns about his suitability for the role. His own father, George V, had told the Archbishop: 'What's the use in all this if my son is going to ruin it after I'm gone Lang's private secretary recorded: 'Edward is all out for youth and common people. He hates society and the conventions of court life. 'All this has its advantages in a democratic age but there are difficulties.' The bad blood went both ways, with Edward later writing that Lang was 'more interested in the pursuit of prestige and power than the abstractions of the human soul.' Lang had been horrified by Edward's decision to take Wallis on a cruise of the Mediterranean in August 1936, while his younger brother - who would become George VI - attended planning meetings for the Coronation in his place. The Archbishop was further put out when he was not invited to Balmoral for the first time in 25 years. He was disappointed despite the fact that Mrs Simpson would be there. After Edward had abdicated, Lang made the radio broadcast which permanently damaged his reputation. He said that the King had received from God a 'high and sacred trust', but 'by his own will he has... surrendered the trust.' He added that Edward's motive had been a 'craving for private happiness' that he had sought in 'a manner inconsistent with the Christian principles of marriage.' At the start of the century, Frederick Temple, the elderly Archbishop who crowned Edward VII in 1902, struggled to get back to his feet after kneeling during the service. He died just three months later King Edward VII is seen with his wife Queen Alexandra at their coronation in 1902 The statement was at odds with the fact that Edward, young, dashing and confident, was still popular among the public. However, Lang did go on to oversee the coronation of Edward's brother, which was the first joint crowning of a Queen and her consort since the ceremony for Victoria in 1837. Lang later said the ceremony had been 'the culminating day of my official life, the day on which the Archbishop of Canterbury fulfils his highest office in national life, on which through him the Church of God consecrates that life in the person of its King.' The only notable mishap came when Lang almost placed St Edward's Crown on the King's head the wrong way around. But George later wrote to Lang to thank him for his words of encouragement 'in the course of that very trying ordeal'. The King's mother, Queen Mary, added that 'everything was perfect' and praised Lang for his 'marvellous voice', whilst the mother of Queen Elizabeth thanked him 'from the bottom of my heart'. Five years later, in January 1942, Lang announced that he was to resign his post to make way for a younger man 'more vigorous in mind and spirit'. He left his post at the end of March that year and was replaced by William Temple. But when Temple then died suddenly after little more than two years in office, Geoffrey Fisher was selected to step up. Within two years, he had successfully presided over the glorious wedding ceremony of the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in Westminster Hall. As an estimated 200million people listened on BBC radio around the world, Fisher got the royal couple to make solemn vows that they would both keep for the rest of their lives. Less than five years later, he had a key role in leading the nation's mourning after the death of King George VI. Aged just 56, he had passed away while his daughter and the Duke of Edinburgh were in Kenya. Fisher carried out his most solemn duty - to preside over the King's funeral at St George's Chapel - despite the fact he had been bedridden from bronchitis just days earlier. The Archbishop then led the historic Coronation service inside Westminster Abbey in 1953. The crowning of the Queen was particularly momentous because of the fact that the service in the Abbey was televised for the first time. An estimated 20million people watched around the world. Fisher's most important task was to administer the ancient Coronation Oath, which saw the Queen make a series of promises after questions by Fisher. They included vows to 'maintain the Laws of God', and to cause 'law and justice, in mercy, to be executed in all my judgements'. Then, after leading the congregation of royals, politicians and dignitaries from around the world in prayer, he carried out the sacred anointing of Her Majesty, which was not televised. Archbishop of Canterbury Cosmo Gordon Lang crowns Queen Elizabeth after her husband George VI's crowning in 1937 The Queen carries the Orb and Sceptre inside Westminster Abbey after being crowned by Archbishop of Canterbury Geoffrey Fisher The placing of St Edward's Crown on the Queen's head by Fisher, as a 21-gun salute was fired from the Tower of London and the audience chanted 'God save the Queen', perhaps remains the most iconic moment of the service. The only hiccup had come right at the start of the ceremony, when the Queen arrived and found that her robes were getting caught on the carpet, because it had been laid with the pile running the wrong way. She had to tell Fisher to 'Get me started' and he duly helped her on her way. Fisher's starring role in the Coronation was later partly overshadowed by the controversy surrounding Princess Margaret's relationship with Group Captain Townsend. The Archbishop had not approved of the princess's desire to marry the war hero even though their relationship was popular with the public. When the union did not go ahead, and Margaret stated that she had made the decision 'entirely alone', there were rumours that Fisher had intervened to stop it from happening. Prime Minister Winston Churchill's son Randolph said that the speculation had done 'incalculable damage to the Church of England'. Fisher did go on to conduct the service when Margaret instead married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960. He retired the following year. In May, Archbishop Welby will be hoping that his key role in the Coronation of King Charles will go as smoothly as his predecessor's service in 1953. But, admitting to his 'nightmares' last December, Welby said that in one dream he 'left the crown at Lambeth Palace'. The other Archbishop of Canterbury to preside over a coronation in the 20th-century was grain merchant's son Randall Davidson, who oversaw the crowning of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911. He had replaced Frederick Temple and would ultimately remain in post for 25 years, making him the longest-serving Archbishop since the rule of King Henry VIII. And in that time, there was more social upheaval and bloodshed than the country had seen in generations. Archbishop of Canterbury Randall Davidson, who presided over the coronation of King George V, is seen seated (centre) at a meeting in 1927 A drawing depicting the moment that King George V was crowned by Archbishop of Canterbury Randall Davidson Before the coronation, which ran smoothly, he had to preside over the state funeral of King Edward VII, Queen Victoria's son, after the monarch's death aged 68 in 1910. In the First World War - a conflict that would ultimately claim nearly a million British lives - Davidson was confronted with the constant danger of saying the wrong thing. He was attacked for objecting to what he saw as immoral methods of warfare carried out by by Britain, although he did believe that the country was engaged in a just fight against Germany. But Davidson's skill at soothing tensions was on prominent show in the General Strike of 1926, when millions of workers brought the country to a standstill by downing tools for weeks. Seeking to play a conciliatory role, he expressed disapproval at the strike but also called on the Government to help end the unrest. He later collaborated with leaders of other Christian denominations to call for a resolution. Davidson became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in history to retire from his post, doing so in November 1928. His death, at the age of 82, came less than two years later, in May 1930. It was a royal ceremony unequalled in splendour and spectacle - an Emperor and Empress marking their succession in front of thousands of loyal Indian subjects. The Delhi Durbar of 1911 was staged to pay homage to the newly-enthroned King George V and Queen Mary, when India was still the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. Dozens of local Indian rulers were among the 100,000 or so who massed at Delhi's Coronation Park to show their loyalty to the King-Emperor. One, the Begum of Bhopal, stood out for the simple reason that she was veiled from head to foot. The Delhi Durbar of 1911 was held to pay homage to the newly-crowned King George V and Queen Mary, when India was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire There were dozens of local Indian rulers among the 100,000 who massed to show their loyalty to the crown. Above: The Nizam of Hyderabad pays homage to King George and Queen Mary in their roles as Emperor and Empress of India The King and Queen sit on the their thrones in the Durbar arena as princely pages sit and stand behind them The Delhi Durbar was held inside Coronation Park on the edge of the ancient Mughal city. This which was also the venue for Queen Victoria's Durbar in 1877 She and thousands of others watched as George - with the specially made Imperial Crown of India on his head - expressed 'genuine feelings of thankfulness and satisfaction' for the warm welcome he and Queen Mary had received. The visit, described as 'triumphant' by biographer Kenneth Rose, had been entirely the King's idea. The first Durbar had come into being after Queen Victoria was created Empress of India in 1877. Victoria never visited the country, so the Viceroy of India attended in her place in that year. After his own crowning in 1902, Edward VII did not attend his Durbar either and it went ahead in his absence. It meant that King George's trip in 1911-12 marked the first time that a British monarch - in his or her status as Emperor or Empress - had visited their largest realm. Following his magnificent Coronation in Westminster Abbey, the King had been keen to present himself to his millions of Indian subjects. After overcoming their initial reluctance, ministers agreed to the trip, on the basis that the monarch's official task while there would be to announce two major administrative changes. First, the capital of India was to be moved from Calcutta to Delhi, and second, the partition of Bengal would come to an end. Whilst the King had wanted to crown himself in the sight of his people, ministers were opposed on the basis that such an overtly Christian act would be misplaced in a land largely made up of Hindus and Muslims. Instead, they agreed that the King would arrive at the Durbar with the crown already on his head. However, the law stated that the Crown Jewels could not legally leave the United Kingdom without an Act of Parliament, and so a new crown was made for the King. The King and Queen on the balcony of the historic Red Fort during the Durbar celebrations The Imperial Crown of India (left) and Queen Mary's Delhi Durbar Tiara. The tiara went on display at at Buckingham Palace in 2012 to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Crown jeweller Garrard and Co were asked to make the new crown, which was set with 6,100 diamonds as well as rubies and emeralds. Designed in March, it was completed by October and cost 60,000 - the equivalent of around 6million today. The Daily Mail's coverage of the Durbar However, despite the fact that the cost was met by the Indian people, the crown was not allowed to remain in India after the Durbar, due to fears it could be seized by a usurper or dissident. Instead, it was kept safely in the Tower of London, where it remains today with the rest of the Crown Jewels. Queen Mary wore a suite of jewels - known as the Delhi Durbar Parure - made up of objects set with diamonds and emeralds. All were created specially for the event in India by Garrard and Co. On her head was the Delhi Durbar Tiara. She also wore emerald and diamond cluster earrings and a series of similarly glittering necklaces. On her death in 1953, the entire Parure passed to Queen Elizabeth II. The tiara has since been worn in public on many occasions by the Queen Consort Camilla. The Durbar itself was intricately planned. More than 40,000 tents were built to house those in attendance, although not all will have been carpeted and silk-lined like the King and Queen's were. Whilst local Indian princes had advised that the King should arrive in Delhi on an elephant - synonymous as it was with imperial rule - it was decided that, for reasons of security, the monarch should ride a horse. Unfortunately, the King, dressed as he was in Field Marshal's uniform and a white sun helmet that obscured much of his face, was hard to spot as he rode into Delhi on the small brown horse that he had chosen. An equerry later told how a 'good many did not recognise him.' But the understated arrival was quickly forgotten when, five days later, on December 12, Delhi witnessed the most incredible spectacle in Indian history. The King and Queen sat on a raised platform that made them visible to all in the specially-built arena inside Coronation Park. The Daily Mail told how, 'hand in hand the Emperor and Empress descended from their thrones and walked in stately procession to the Central Pavilion beneath the golden dome. 'Their diadems blazed in the sun. Over their heads were the shimmering symbols of their imperial estate - the Umbrella, the Fan and the Mace. 'Princes bore their purple trains, in company with a brilliant following of military and civil officers.' The newspaper added: 'It is the universal opinion that the Durbar has never been equalled in splendour as a spectacle, in political significance or in fervour of popular emotion.' The King himself described the Durbar as 'the most beautiful and wonderful sight I ever saw'. One local ruler, the female Begum of Bhopal, was veiled from head to foot for the Durbar King George V and Queen Mary, attended by young Indian princes, are seen on the balcony of the Red Fort for the Durbar held in honour of the King's accession to the throne King George and Queen Mary pass through the amphitheatre in a horse-drawn carriage Thousands of Indian soldiers paraded in Coronation Park for the Durbar George V (front right), the first Emperor to visit India, enters Delhi on horseback The Durbar was intricately planned. More than 40,000 tents were built for those taking part. A tiny number of tents, such as those used by the King and Queen, were silk-lined and carpeted George's arrival in Delhi for the third and final royal Durbar was marked by a majestic procession. It marked the first time he had come to the country as Emperor The Bengal Lancers, one of the most Indian famous regiments, takes part in the Durbar Though he did also say in his diary how he was 'rather tired' after wearing his new crown for three and a half hours, which he said 'hurt my head, as it is pretty heavy.' The event was only marred by a single display of apparent disloyalty. The Gaekwar of Baroda - one of the many Indian princes in attendance - gave only a single bow and then turned his back on the Emperor and Empress. When the offensiveness of the slight was made clear to the prince, he apologised to the King. Although he accepted, the King was said to have remained unconvinced of the Gaekwar's good faith. The King told in his speech to his subjects of his 'genuine feelings of thankfulness and satisfaction' for the warm welcome he and Queen Mary received. He said he was 'anxious' to show his and the Queen's 'affection' for the 'loyal Princes and faithful Peoples of India'. The King also spoke of his 'sincere pleasure' at the massed audience of rulers, officials and ordinary subjects. But, once he had done his duty, the King embarked on a hunting trip that would now bring shame on any member of the Royal Family. In Nepal which was then part of British India he pursued tigers, rhinoceroses and bears to deadly effect. Photos of the expedition show he had significant success in his killing escapade, which even then was frowned upon by some officials. In total, the King killed 21 tigers, eight rhinoceroses and one bear. He later boasted how it was a 'record' that would be 'hard to beat'. King George's Durbar marked the first and last time that a British monarch was there in person to be hailed as Emperor by their Indian subjects. Tens of thousands of ordinary Indian subjects packed into Coronation Park t The King, seen with a rifle, would later embark on a hunting trip, including this tiger shoot. In Nepal which was then part of British India he also pursued rhinoceroses and bears In total, the King killed 21 tigers, eight rhinoceroses and one bear. He later boasted it was a record that would be hard to beat. Above: The King stands over some of the tigers he killed The Durbar that had been planned for George VI who became King after his brother Edward VIII abdicated - was postponed several times. This was partly due to a reluctance to burden the Indian taxpayer with the cost and also because of the increasing political difficulties of arranging such a display amid an increasing clamour for India to be independent. The onset of the Second World War then meant that any visit became impossible. In 1947, two years after the war had ended, India became a self-governing nation the ceremony that his father had enjoyed hailed as it was for its unmatched majesty - became a symbol of another age. A secret activist army is vandalising and stealing Sadiq Khan's hated Ulez cameras. Dubbed the 'Blade Runners', the covert group has been attacking ANPR cameras that catch out drivers using high-polluting vehicles across the capital. The London Mayor's controversial scheme will force Londoners to pay 12.50-a-day to drive in Greater London from August 29, if their cars don't meet certain environmental standards. One of the secretive Blade Runners, who met with MailOnline, vowed: 'We are going to take down every single one no matter what'. Dressed in a balaclava to protect his identity, the father in his mid-forties revealed he had stolen 34 Ulez cameras himself but his group and others like them have taken down hundreds. A secret army is vandalising and stealing Sadiq Khan's Ulez cameras. Two of the 'Blade Runners' showed MailOnline some of the cameras they had taken down The secretive group works whenever it can to remove the cameras from the streets of London One of the Blade Runners showed off his haul of Ulez cameras, triumphantly stepping on one of the controversial car snappers The covert group has been attacking ANPR cameras that catch out drivers using high-polluting vehicles across the capital He told MailOnline: 'In terms of damage it's way more than what [Khan and TfL] have stated. It's at least a couple of hundred. 'Snipping, damaging with hammers, painting, disabling on a circuit level and removing. They are unbolted and they are snipped. 'The tools they use to install them are the ones we use to remove it. 'We don't want this. It's a way to try to... restrict our movements. 'F*** them. It will not happen because we haven't done anything to deserve it.' Sadiq Khan has claimed the police take vandalism of Ulez cameras 'very seriously'. Transport for London (TfL) said vandalism was 'unacceptable' and 'all incidents are reported to the police for investigation'. However, when approached by MailOnline, the Met Police said there was 'no trace' they had ever investigated Ulez cameras being damaged or stolen. The force said it had never heard of it happening before. A Met Police spokesman added: 'Obviously there's potential for the potential offences to be investigated as, for instance, criminal damage or theft.' That means if the Met ever did investigate one of the incidents and a Blade Runner was found guilty of criminal damage, they could land themselves in jail for up to four years. Yet the Blade Runner speaking to MailOnline said although he could face prosecution, the 'cause' was 'worth fighting' for. London Mayor Sadiq Khan's Ulez scheme has been splitting communities in two and costing struggling families thousands of pounds. Hard-up Londoners have told MailOnline they have already had to shell out huge sums to buy new cars that comply with the money-spinning Ultra Low Emission Zone, and they fear they are being priced out of the capital. In some areas of the city, the Ulez will force parents who can't afford to buy new motors to pay the 12.50 charge to drive their children to school. While pensioners fear being left stranded and unable to see their GP located inside the penalty zone. Neighbours living just yards apart on opposite sides of the clean air zone face starkly different fates, with some saying they will be slapped with a charge for simply leaving their homes, while those living a stone's throw away are unaffected. The revelation comes ahead of Mr Khan expanding the clean air zone to Greater London this year, encompassing five million more people - in a move that will create a headache for at least 200,000 people who own non-compliant vehicles. This Ulez camera's days of spotting highly-polluting cars in London is over after it met its end at the hands of a Blade Runner The Blade Runner told MailOnline: 'Everything we are doing is for our own freedoms. 'It's the tip of the iceberg. We do not live in a democracy. 'We will fight with everything we have for our freedoms.' The Mayor's office said there were 43 instances of vandalism or theft to ULEZ cameras as of March 21, 2023. It said because of 'commercial and confidentiality reasons' TfL would not share how much each camera costs or how much repairs would be. Small businesses have slammed the Ulez expansion and even charities have said they might be forced off the roads because of it. It is the latest traffic plan to plague the capital after years of low-traffic neighbourhoods and an onslaught of hardly-used cycle lanes have laid siege to motorists. The Labour Mayor has even forced Londoners to dice with death by creating cycle highways and 'floating' bus stops. Earlier this month, MailOnline revealed that selfish bikers had been caught on camera repeatedly ignoring pedestrians at one of London's many 'dangerous' floating bus stops, which force passengers to take a 'leap of faith' through a cycle highway. Footage shows riders of bicycles, e-bikes and e-scooters refusing to stop as pedestrians try to board and alight buses, which are separated from the stop by a cycle lane - and campaigners have hit out at their reckless behaviour. The Blade Runner has kept a haul of the cameras that he has removed from the pavements of the capital He said: 'What we will achieve by our actions is the removal of the infrastructure and waking up the sleeping masses to what is really going on' A video shared on TikTok showed how another of the cameras had been smashed on the ground People have also taken to putting bags over the controversial cameras in an effort to stop them working Others have snipped the cameras' wires so it can't work, as Londoners join together in the fight against Ulez The Blade Runner speaking to MailOnline said there were more than 100 blade runners in his group and that number was 'increasing', with people covering different areas across London. He said they mainly targeted the Ulez expansion area but also attacked the existing system too. When he removes one of the Ulez cameras, he said he gets 'a feeling of purpose'. He added: 'There are 24 hours in a day. We either fight it or accept it. We do whatever we can. 'What we will achieve by our actions is the removal of the infrastructure and waking up the sleeping masses to what is really going on.' TfL has been spending between 60million and 75million on Ulez cameras and signs. The budget for the controversial expansion is between 130million and 140million. A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: 'It is deeply disappointing to see opposition to a policy being used as an excuse for criminal damage. 'This petty vandalism of London's essential transport infrastructure is completely unacceptable.' A Blade Runner from another group of activists targeting Ulez cameras told MailOnline: 'If they change the system of fixing cameras this will not matter. 'They are dismantled, submerged in water and thrown away. 'We are equipped to cut metal [and] take out security screws. 'Whatever they do the cameras will keep coming down.' The science of how air pollution affects people's health, especially in children, is clear. Air pollution can lead to premature births and babies being born with smaller heads. Tiny soot particles from diesel exhaust fumes can actually pass through a pregnant woman's lungs and the placenta into the foetus. The controversial scheme is set to force Londoners to pay an incredible 12.50-a-day to drive in the capital from August 29, if their cars don't meet certain environmental standards Just last week at least half a dozen charities revealed ULEZ and its lacking scrappage scheme mean they will have to shut down their services Dogs on the Streets, which provides vital healthcare services for dogs with homeless or vulnerable owners, said it would have to give up its delivery address in Enfield because of Sadiq Khan's (pictured) ULEZ charge Over a lifetime, pollution including car exhaust fumes can slow lung development, cause or worsen asthma and cause heart attacks, lung cancer and strokes. A top 'cradle to grave' report by the Royal College of Physicians found that air pollution, including from car exhausts, can suppress lung function. The report said: 'Lung function naturally develops throughout childhood, and there is clear evidence that long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution suppresses this process. 'It may speed up the decline of lung function through adulthood and into older age. 'There is also good evidence that outdoor air pollution causes lung cancer. 'It is likely that long-term exposure to air pollution is linked to the development of asthma. 'For people who already have asthma, there's strong evidence that air pollution can make it worse. 'It's possible that exposure to air pollution could be associated with the appearance of diabetes and may also damage the brain's thinking abilities (cognition) in subtle ways that build up over time.' Clean Air in London boss Simon Birkett said: 'The ULEZ has successfully reduced concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, a toxic air pollutant, along roadsides where many of the most vulnerable people live. 'As an anti-pollution measure, it has also been highly successful at warning Londoners about the dangers of carcinogenic diesel fumes such that only 7,595 diesel cars were registered for the first time in the whole of Greater London in 2021 - a city with a population of over eight million people.' In the last four years in London, 15,432 people have died whose deaths were attributable to man-made fine particulate matter from air pollution, according to Clean Air in London. Across England for the same timeframe, that number is 125,000. Even so, some anti-Ulez campaigners don't think London has an air quality problem. One, who denied he was a Blade Runner and instead called himself a freedom fighter, said he thought a judicial review into the Ulez expansion was a 'smoke screen' and would not rid London of Ulez. He told MailOnline: 'It's absolute control. If you look in the dictionary for sociopath, you will find a picture of Khan. The man can't stop lying. 'We do not have an air quality problem. 'I would applaud every person that takes a single bit down. 'Old white people who have never been involved are incensed to mess the place up. 'They want to rip the system down. People in this country have had enough. If we just roll over, our lives are gone. Over a lifetime, pollution including car exhaust fumes can slow lung development, cause or worsen asthma and cause heart attacks, lung cancer and strokes. Pictured: The report showed how foetuses, babies and children can develop issues because of air pollution As an adult or an older person, air pollution can cause heart attacks, asthma, and even lung cancer 'There are millions like me who won't take this s*** anymore. 'We will fight. Leave me the f*** alone, just let me get on with my life. I don't want to be controlled. 'The majority are against this but they still won't listen. 'The scrappage scheme is a joke. Most people can't even get it and the hoops you have to go through to get it are ridiculous. 'The whole thing is a lie from start to finish.' A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, said: 'People are of course entitled to show their opposition to policies peacefully and lawfully. But causing criminal damage is never acceptable.' Meanwhile, Susan Hall, the Conservatives' City Hall leader, said: 'Sadiq Khan is wrong to put up cameras and impose his Ulez tax against the wishes of an overwhelming majority of Londoners. But vandalising cameras and breaking the law is completely unacceptable.' Tens of thousands of people have also banded together online to find and in some cases destroy the cameras being installed on their streets. One anti-Ulez Facebook group has more than 31,000 members. Many use the group to pinpoint Ulez cameras and call for their wires to be 'pruned' or 'snipped'. Another group with around 4,000 members has compiled a map of more than 1,300 Ulez camera locations. Members said they needed to fight for their right to drive or face their livelihoods being decimated. One of the group's members said: 'This whole saga is not about who or when [people removing cameras] are doing this and none of us condone such behaviour. 'There is a much bigger issue at stake here. 'It's about the illegality of our mayor. It is about the lies he has told. 'It is about the fact that people's livelihoods and small businesses will be destroyed. 'It is about those people who cannot afford the charge or a new car in an economy where escalating costs are already crippling families, even before this abhorrent charge comes into force. 'I don't know of anyone who supports this.' Another said: 'No one is committing any crime removing these money-making cameras. 'We the public have paid for them. We own them.' A third added: 'This is being done out of necessity because the tyrants that currently rule over us are taking the p***. 'We are only governed by consent. It's about time we took back the power to the people.' Foreign tourists could swerve visiting Britain because it's becoming too expensive, it was claimed today amid growing calls to bring back tax-free shopping for them. Analysis by MailOnline has found tourists pay far more for hotels, alcohol and shopping in London compared with other popular cities in Europe and beyond. And holidaymakers in popular shopping areas such as Oxford Street in London and Bicester Village in Oxfordshire said they were unimpressed by the tourist tax, adding: 'If we have to pay the same price as a local resident, that's a big turn off.' Some of the UK's biggest names in retail, hospitality and tourism have urged the Chancellor to scrap the tourist tax amid fears that it is holding back the economy. They are concerned that the removal of VAT-free shopping for international visitors is driving tourists away from UK cities to the likes of Paris, Madrid and Milan. MailOnline can reveal today that some West End hotels have even learned of tourists staying in London before catching the Eurostar to Paris to do their shopping. Anupam Varma, 38, who is from Mumbai but now lives in Bahrain, was at Bicester Village with his wife Urmila Varma, 38. He told MailOnline: 'This change in tax has 100 per cent affected me. As tourists, if we have to pay the same price as a local resident, that's a big turn off' Phasin Opasphilai, 26, from Bangkok in Thailand, was at Bicester Village with his mother Jong Dee Opasphilai, 59. He said: 'So my mum has just seen a bag she really likes, but we are going elsewhere in Europe in a few months so we are going to buy it somewhere else, maybe Croatia' Shopping has traditionally been one of the most popular reasons for visiting the UK, but it is feared Britain is now missing out after the VAT refund scheme was abolished. How does the price of London compare with other tourist cities? London Flights from Rome: 50pp Flights from New York: 562pp Flights from Beijing: 728pp Flights from Dubai: 529pp Five-star hotel: 197-850/night Michelin 3-star menu: 218pp Luxury jeans: 75.64 Pint of beer: 6.00 Madrid Flights from Rome: 51pp Flights from New York: 645pp Flights from Beijing: 1,478pp Flights from Dubai: 747pp Hotel (Madrid Centro): 150-1,021/night Michelin 3-star menu: 323pp Luxury jeans: 47.58 Pint of beer: 2.64 Rome Flights from Rome: n/a Flights from New York: 753pp Flights from Beijing: 1,100pp Flights from Dubai: 828pp Five-star hotel (city centre): 267-770/night Michelin 3-star menu: 282pp Luxury jeans: 68.36 Pint of beer: 4.43 Dubai Flights from Rome: 743pp Flights from New York: 901pp Flights from Beijing: 628pp Flights from Dubai: n/a Five-star hotel (all): 91-754/night Michelin 2-star menu: 213pp Luxury jeans: 46.49 Pint of beer: 10.04 Milan Flights from Rome: 67pp Flights from New York: 725pp Flights from Beijing: 1,062pp Flights from Dubai: 444pp Five-star hotel (city centre): 158-1,397/night Michelin 3-star menu: 309pp Luxury jeans: 78.46 Pint of beer: 5.31 Paris Flights from Rome: 57pp Flights from New York: 507pp Flights from Beijing: 867pp Flights from Dubai: 504pp Five-star hotel (city centre): 141-599/night Michelin 3-star menu: 353pp Luxury jeans: 88.94 Pint of beer: 6.20 Barbados Flights from Rome: 760pp - 1 stop Flights from New York: 490pp Flights from Beijing: 1,932pp - 1 stop Flights from Dubai: 1,413pp Five-star hotel (Rockley beach) 178-582/night Michelin-star menu: n/a Luxury jeans: 53.92 Pint of beer: 2.00 DATA SOURCES Flights from Skyscanner calculated from cheapest prices for each day in June, with the cheapest combinations. All flights are direct apart from Rome and Beijing to Bridgetown in Barbados. Hotel price is an average for a five-star room across all hotels on Expedia in the city centre of each location. Meal out data is taken as an average on the menu of all the Michelin three-star restaurants in area. The exception is Dubai, which is calculated from the two star bracket because it has no three-star outlets. Barbados has no Michelin star restaurants. Luxury jeans data is from Numbeo, the crowdsourced cost of living database, for a pair of Levis 501 'or similar'. Beer is the price of domestic beer (0.5 litre draught), sourced from Numbeo. Advertisement This week the Daily Mail launched a 'Scrap The Tourist Tax' campaign in support of the firms urging the Government to think again. Business group New West End Company said research had shown 71 per cent of all tourists claim they would buy more on visits to the UK if the VAT-free scheme was still in place, which rises to 93 per cent amongst the highest spenders. Dee Corsi, its chief executive, told MailOnline: 'The harmful impact of this tourist tax is being amplified as international visitors return to London in greater numbers.' She added: 'Anecdotally, we have also heard from West End hotels that some tourists stay in London before catching the Eurostar to Paris to do their shopping. 'As well as attracting more visitors from key destinations such as the US, China and Gulf states, the Chancellor could create a Brexit bonus by removing the tourist tax to encourage more of the EU's 450million citizens to visit London and shop tax free. 'This would put our capital in prime position to lead the global luxury shopping market.' Paul Charles, chef executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said many visitors to Britain are currently taking advantage of excellent exchange rates. The expert said that for many, especially American visitors, the UK is effectively 25 per cent cheaper than it was before the pandemic due to the weakness of the pound, meaning they are spending more than ever on experiences once they've arrived at their destination. But he cautioned: 'The Government knows that tourist spend is higher despite the tourist tax being in place. 'However, the exchange rate won't be so good forever and ministers need to use every lever they have at their disposal to encourage higher spend for the long term. That includes removing VAT on tourist spend as soon as possible.' Research carried out by MailOnline today has looked at the relative costs of trips to London for tourists - specifically those coming from America, China, Italy and the United Arab Emirates. The cheapest five-star hotel in London's West End is 197 a night - far more than in the city centres of Madrid (150), Milan (158), Paris (141), Dubai (91) and Rockley beach in Barbados (178), although much lower than Rome (267), according to data from Expedia. Luxury shopping is also far pricier in London compared to other cities, with a pair of high-end jeans coming in at 75, compared to 48 in Madrid, 68 in Rome, 54 in Barbados and 46 in Dubai. Milan and Paris are more expensive at 78 and 89 respectively, according to data from Numbeo, the global crowdsourced cost of living database. The average pint of beer is 6 in London, above the 5.31 in Milan, 4.43 in Rome, 2.64 in Madrid and 2 in Barbados. Paris is slightly pricier at 6.20 but then Dubai is substantially more expensive at 10.04, again based on figures from Numbeo. However, when comparing the average price of menus at three Michelin star restaurants in a city, London is actually cheaper than most rivals at 195 per person. This is compared to 353 in Paris, 323 in Madrid, 309 in Milan and 282 in Rome. Dubai has no three-star restaurants, but does have two two-star outlets which have an average menu price of 213. For an American tourist travelling from New York, the cheapest possible return flights in June are priced for London at 562 each, according to Skyscanner. This is below the 645 for Madrid, 725 for Milan and 753 for Rome; but pricier than the 507 for Paris and 490 for Barbados. Those visiting from Dubai will find return flights for London for 529 per person, below the 747 for Madrid and 828 for Rome, but above the 504 for Paris and 444 for Milan. Barbados is 1,413. Italian visitors coming from Rome can get a return to London for 50 - cheaper than to Madrid (51), Paris (57) and even Milan (67). Rome is 743 and Barbados is 760 with one stop each way. And Chinese tourists coming from Beijing can get London return flights for 728 - below the 867 for Paris, 1,062 for Milan, 1,100 for Rome, 1,478 for Madrid and 1,932 for Barbados, with one stop. But it is above the 628 for Dubai. Meanwhile tourists spoken to by MailOnline in Bicester Village this week have said they are now looking at going to locations such as the Middle East and US instead of Britain. Anupam Varma, 38, who is from Mumbai in India but now lives in Bahrain, said: 'I have been to Bicester Village five or six times. This change in tax has 100 per cent affected me. As tourists, if we have to pay the same price as a local resident, that's a big turn off. 'If they (brought back) this scheme, where tourists get this privledege of not having to pay that tax, I'm sure as tourists we would be shopping a lot more and spending a lot more here. Danah Ateeq, 21, from Saudi Arabia, was also at Bicester Village in Oxfordshire. She said: 'They should bring it back (to the way it was) for sure. Shopping is not our main purpose for coming here, and we came here (to Bicester Village) before and wanted to come back' Abdullih Alazmi, 55, from Kuwait, also shopping in Bicester Village, said: 'It's affected me in a way that I will not buy as many items - it's restricted me a little bit. Before I used to spend every last pound because I knew I would receive some money back at the airport' Bicester Village is a shopping area in Oxfordshire which is very popular with foreign tourists 'All in all I'd say the UK economy would benefit from this. Our expenditure has gone down per visit to the UK (since the tax was introduced) by half, 50 per cent. We are spending less because it is costing us a lot more money. 'I would say we are looking to go to more Middle Eastern countries now, Dubai for example has become more of a shopping centre for us. 'At the moment we would go to America (over the UK) - America is a lot cheaper in every sense, even though it's further away for us than other countries, it's a lot cheaper.' Mr Varma's wife Urmila Varma, 38, added: 'I would spend a lot more definitely. I come at least once a year now but I would come a lot more definitely. We would be more incentivised to come here more often.' Danah Ateeq, 21, from Saudi Arabia, who has visited the UK four times, said: 'They should bring it back (to the way it was) for sure. Shopping is not our main purpose for coming here, and we came here (to Bicester Village) before and wanted to come back. 'But after it happened, the UK is not our main destination for shopping now. Since it happened, I think we should just shop in our own country. We used to travel here because it is cheaper but I think now it has similar prices to our country. It's not a big difference.' Phasin Opasphilai, 26, from Bangkok in Thailand, added: 'So my mum has just seen a bag she really likes, but we are going elsewhere in Europe in a few months so we are going to buy it somewhere else, maybe Croatia. 'We will still come back to the UK but we will shop less because 20 per cent is a lot of money. I think they (the Government) should get rid of it.' Maria (left, with Christine) travelled to London from Arizona in the US, specifically to shop along London's high streets - including Oxford Street, where she is pictured. Now knowing she cannot claim back the taxes, the product owner is regretting the decision to come to the UK Andre Amaral, who had travelled to the UK from Portugal and was in Oxford Street, said he would avoid shopping in London and had noticed a rise in prices since his last visit A different view came from Reem Almajaim, pictured on Oxford Street, who said that even without the ability to claim back tax, shopping in London is cheaper than in her home in Kuwait Phasin's mother Jong Dee Opasphilai, 59, added: 'We will go elsewhere for shopping for sure. I feel like other countries, for example France, are cheaper in price than the UK.' Abdullih Alazmi, 55, from Kuwait, also shopping in Bicester Village, said: 'It's affected me in a way that I will not buy as many items - it's restricted me a little bit. Before I used to spend every last pound because I knew I would receive some money back at the airport. 'People would get rewarded so would spend more (while at the airport). Now I will just sit in my hotel until I take my things and leave to go to the airport.' James Lambert, deputy chairman of Value Retail, owner and operator of Bicester Village and its sister villages globally, told MailOnline: 'From our direct experience working around the world, there is no question that the abolition of the VAT Refund Scheme continues to have a negative effect on the UK economy.' Hayley Beer-Gamage, chief executive of tourism group Experience Oxfordshire, told MailOnline that she was 'disappointed with the Government's decision to abolish tax-free shopping for international visitors to the UK'. She added: 'We know that prior to the pandemic, the retail industry played a major role in attracting over thirty million visitors a year to Oxfordshire contributing 2.5billion to the local economy, with retail accounting for 23 per cent of visitor spend across the county. A man takes a selfie on Portobello Road - the popular shopping street in London's Notting Hill Tourists on Portobello Road in Notting Hill look at souvenirs for their visit to London Tourists take photographs of the West London shop that inspired the film 'Notting Hill' 'The reintroduction of a tax-free shopping scheme, creating a recognised incentive to travel, would provide a welcome injection into our sector's post-pandemic recovery and growth of our overall visitor economy.' In Oxford city centre, visitor Heidi Geertsen, 53, from Antwerp in the Netherlands, told MailOnline: 'We don't buy a lot of things in shops - we just wander around using the cafes and restaurants, but not really the shopping centres. 'It is more expensive than usual though. Paris is also expensive, Scandinavia is expensive, in Europe it's all so expensive. 'A lot of people who are coming here are rich enough (for it not to affect them) but maybe for those who are poorer it is a reason for them not to come.' Anna Marques, 31, who lives in Oxford but was shopping in the Westgate mall with her in-laws who are from Portugal, where Ms Marques is originally from, said: 'If people are coming here to do shopping, they will do it anyway.' But she added that the Government should still scrap the tourist tax, saying: 'They should bring it back because it's always a good thing. Some tourists will avoid buying more things for sure. 'We just went to one shop where the mug was 20 - we didn't buy that obviously - but if there was the 20 per cent off, we might be in mind to buy more expensive things because we would have the cash back. 'If they brought it back, they could bring more tourists back and that would be great for the UK because bringing people in for tourism would obviously increase the income, which will be good for the country's economy.' Shoppers on Regent Street in London's West End - a world-famous shopping destination Ryan Tinetti, 40, and Anne Tinetti, 41, both from the US, were also in Oxford city centre. Mr Tinetti said: 'If you are already coming all that way, it's such a big expense that something like that is just a drop in the bucket.' Mrs Tinetti added: 'It might change how much I spent when I was here, but it wouldn't change whether or not I would come.' And Tonia Buttes, 53, from North Carolina in the US, said: 'I came to the UK for a different reason, to visit my daughter, but of course anyone would prefer there not to be a tax. 'It very well may (put people off coming to the UK), anybody looking to travel is going to include shopping. I think there will be more incentive to visit a place that doesn't have that.' In London, shoppers along Oxford Street and Carnaby Street have been affected by the change and are considering other options for their next holiday. Mariam Ibrahim has travelled to London from her home in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and only found out that she could not claim money back when she arrived in the country. Now, she has been left frustrated that she won't be able to claim the tax she has paid on her shopping at the airport. The 30-year-old housewife said: 'We didn't know we couldn't claim back the tax until we got here so now it is so much more expensive. We used to save a lot as we would get a lot back but now it makes things more expensive. Shoppers on Carnaby Street in London as visitors respond to concerns over the tourist tax 'It would stop me coming here again I think, and maybe other countries would be better, it could be cheaper.' Full letter: The 125 top business chiefs backing 'Scrap the Tourist Tax' campaign Dear Chancellor, The pandemic placed most businesses under acute pressure, particularly those in the hospitality, retail, travel and tourism sectors which we represent. So, the Treasury's decision in 2021 to end the longstanding scheme that allowed international tourists to shop tax-free was puzzling and ill-timed. Liz Truss's shortlived government announced plans to reintroduce the VAT rebate to boost the high street, but this has now been reversed. Every country remaining in the EU now offers tax-free shopping, while we don't. Effectively, we have suddenly started charging 20 per cent more than other countries do for the same goods. The Treasury claims this move is saving the taxpayer 2billion a year, but this is flawed and misleading. The foreign visitors who have traditionally come from the US, Middle East, China and elsewhere to shop for the best of British inject large sums into the broader economy, on top of what they spend on retail purchases. Figures from Visit Britain show that shopping has traditionally been one of the most popular reasons cited for visiting the UK. Indeed, British business traditionally made 3.5billion in tax-free sales to tourists every year. The scheme benefited tourist hotspots like London, Manchester, and Edinburgh, as well as out of town shopping villages. Visitors did not just spend in retail stores - their custom supported hotels, restaurants, and theatres. Oxford Economics has concluded that if all the economic impacts of a tax-free shopping scheme are taken into consideration, the UK would, in fact, benefit to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds a year. The impact of its removal is already being seen. It was depressing to witness a great British brand like Mulberry closing the doors of one of its flagship stores as a direct result of the loss of tax-free shopping, as it did earlier this year. New research from tax-free shopping experts Global Blue shows the UK is losing out on the significant spending made by international travellers as global travel resumes. Paris, Madrid and Milan can't believe their luck as the UK's lack of tax-free shopping drives travellers to spend in Europe. Data covering international visitors from the USA, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and south-east Asia regions from a sample of 11 leading retailers shows that whilst the UK has recovered post-pandemic to 64 per cent of 2019 levels of consumer spending, Italy is at 79 per cent, Spain at 84 per cent and France, which is benefiting most from the UK Government's decision to remove tax-free shopping, has recovered to 108 per cent. Looking at individual nationalities, the differences become even more pronounced. For USA visitors, the UK is back to 101 per cent of 2019 spend. However, Italy is enjoying spending from US visitors at 190 per cent of 2019 levels. Spain is up to 201 per cent and France is at a staggering 226 per cent. For GCC visitors, the UK is at only 65 per cent of 2019 levels whilst Spain is already at 158 per cent, Italy at 166 per cent, and France topping out at 198 per cent. In addition, UK residents are starting to take advantage of tax-free shopping in Europe, with 450million disappearing from high streets. It is clear that the removal of tax-free shopping is turning into an extraordinary own goal for the UK. We understand that there are pressures on the public finances at the present time. But the evidence shows that reinstating tax-free shopping would be a win for both business and the taxpayer. We call on you to think again. Yours sincerely Advertisement Another shopper was also unaware of the change before she arrived. Maria, who would not give her surname, travelled to London from Arizona in the US, specifically to shop along London's iconic high streets. Now knowing she cannot claim back the taxes, the 47-year-old product owner is regretting the decision to come to the capital. She said: 'I came here for shopping so that is not good to hear. If that is the case I would just have shopped back home in the US. It's a big chunk to not get back. So that is a shame.' Maria added: 'I probably wouldn't go somewhere else as I don't go across the world always to shop. I would probably just stick with shopping at home.' Tina Gayle used to live in the UK and on her return she was shocked to see the rise in prices. The office manager travelled from Switzerland to see family in the UK, but wouldn't recommend people coming if they didn't have a specific reason to do so. The 46-year-old said: 'It is very, very expensive. I used to live here and I have noticed it is very different now. With Brexit it is just awful and not getting tax back will affect us - it makes it more expensive to come here. 'We are here visiting family but I wouldn't recommend people to come here now for a holiday as it is too, too expensive. It's not worth it.' Another shopper, Sven, who also wouldn't give his surname, had travelled from his home in Belgium and was outraged by the amount of tax tourists are being forced to pay. He said: 'It is absolutely ridiculous. I don't go to the US anymore because of all the tax we have to pay and if the tax goes up here it definitely could put me off coming back. 'It is very expensive here compared to Belgium so I am less likely to shop here. I will only buy something if I can't get it anywhere else but no I wouldn't want to shop here really. It's too much.' Sven also has been left rattled with the service charge in the UK. He said: 'Last night we went for dinner, the food was average and the service was s*** and still we have to pay almost 60 for service. It is ridiculous. 'I pay service charge when I want to, not when I haven't had good service.' One anonymous shopper has his sights now on other cities to get his luxury goods. He said: 'I would rather go shopping in Milan or other places now. It is quite a good amount we used to get back so without that option it seems like a waste of money buying here when we can get the option somewhere else. Why shop here when it's cheaper elsewhere?' However, not everyone is bothered by the change. For Reem Almajaim, even without the ability to claim back tax, shopping in London is cheaper than in her home in Kuwait. The 23-year-old is studying engineering and is on a shopping holiday. She said: 'It's great shopping in London. I have been shopping in Milan and Paris before this but I prefer it here in the UK. 'I don't mind not getting the tax back. It's still cheaper here than back home so no I don't mind it.' Walking down West London's iconic Portobello Road in Notting Hill, a number of tourists told MailOnline that they were not concerned by the issue. But Andre Amaral, who had travelled to the UK from Portugal, said he would avoid shopping in London and had noticed a rise in prices since his last visit. The 25-year-old business analyst said: 'Everything is more expensive I think. The prices from the airport and accommodation are more expensive. 'It is much more expensive to shop here than Portugal so I would not shop here. I can wait until I'm home. Maybe if we could claim back it would be different but now I just don't need to.' It comes as industry leaders said the decision to scrap VAT-free shopping for foreign visitors in 2021 means London is now losing out on the post-Covid recovery in high-end retail and tourism being enjoyed by Paris and Milan. The focus of the luxury industry has shifted back to China in recent months after Beijing finally relaxed Covid-19 curbs after three years. Luxury spending by Chinese nationals dipped from 33 per cent of the global personal luxury goods market in 2019 to as little as 17 per cent last year, according to estimates from consultancy Bain. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said it would be too 'expensive' to change the tourist tax policy In the UK, so far 125 of the biggest names in retail, hospitality and tourism have joined the Mail's campaign to bring back tax-free shopping for overseas tourists. Another ten companies yesterday added their signatures to a letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, including the head of property of the historic Burlington Arcade off Piccadilly, and the chief executive of Edinburgh-based jewellers Hamilton & Inches. Research suggests that bringing back tax-free shopping would result in a much-needed 4.1billion boost to the UK's GDP and support 78,000 jobs. And, despite the Treasury claiming it would cost it 2billion in lost taxes, experts estimate there would in fact be a net gain to the Exchequer of at least 350million a year. Former prime minister Liz Truss, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey have already added their voices to the clamour, although the Labour Party refused to do so. Burberry chairman Gerry Murphy said yesterday that the 'perverse decision' to scrap tax-free shopping in 2021 was diverting business from the UK to Europe. The letter to the Chancellor, organised by hotelier Sir Rocco Forte, states: 'Every country remaining in the EU now offers tax-free shopping, while we don't. 'Effectively, we have suddenly started charging 20 per cent more than other countries for the same goods. The Treasury claims this is saving the taxpayer 2billion a year, but this is misleading. Dee Corsi, chief executive of New West End Company, said the 'harmful impact of this tourist tax is being amplified as international visitors return to London in greater numbers' 'The visitors who have traditionally come from the US, Middle East, China and elsewhere to shop inject large sums into the broader economy, on top of what they spend on retail purchases.' Adam Hug, the Labour leader of Westminster City Council, said Miss Truss's attempt to bring back tax-free shopping during her brief tenure in No10 was the 'one shard of light' in the mini-Budget, but that it 'got snuffed out pretty quickly by Jeremy Hunt'. He said yesterday that, while pushing to bring-back tax-free shopping was not 'immediately intuitive', the ripple-effect benefits were clear. 'Westminster is home to two major international retail centres - both in the West End and Knightsbridge,' he added. 'The shopping that takes place in those centres has a massive ripple-effect through our local economy, in terms of people coming to shop, they stay to have dinner, they go and see a show. 'It creates a virtuous circle for the local economy which ultimately helps to drive economic growth, helps local employment... and it helps keep Westminster and London going. 'We've been struggling with the lack of tax-free shopping when compared to many other international centres.' He warned: 'It's making a real difference to the economic vibrancy of London and ultimately I think it's important that we think strategically about what we can do to change it. 'This is one measure that would bring far more economic growth in the long run, and ultimately more revenue for the Exchequer through different routes.' The TaxPayers' Alliance also backed the campaign, saying the 'tourist tax' is a 'punitive charge' that is nowhere else in the EU. The lobby group's chief executive John O'Connell said: 'In typical Treasury thinking, this levy looks good on the balance sheet, but hits the real economy hard by encouraging tourists and their wallets to go elsewhere. 'The Government should give our economy a shot in the arm by reinstating the retail export scheme.' Mr Hunt has previously said it would be too 'expensive' to change the policy. America's 'most evil mother' Michelle 'Crazy Shelly' Knotek is out of prison nearly two decades after she murdered at least two people, and tortured others - including her own daughters and nephew. Shelly, 68, was convicted in 2004 of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the deaths of Kathy Loreno and Ronald Woodworth, who were boarders in the family's home in Raymond, Washington. Her husband, David 'Dave' Knotek, was convicted of murdering her 17-year-old nephew Shane Watson, who the couple tortured while he was living with them. Dave was released on parole in 2016 and in June 2022, he filed a protective order against Knotek, the month she was scheduled to be released. She was released on November 8 - which caused outrage among the residents in the rural community. It's unclear where Shelly has been released to, but she will remain under court-ordered supervision for at least a year. Michelle 'Shelly' Knotek, 68, was released from prison on November 8, nearly two decades after she murdered at least two people, tortured others - including her daughters and nephew Her husband David Knotek was convicted of murdering her nephew Shane Watson in 1994. He was released in 2016 and in 2022, he filed a protective order against Knotek In 2003, workers removed concrete from the property of the home of David and Michelle Knotek as they searched for evidence after finding the remains of one body The Knoteks' horrific crimes have attracted national media attention over the decades due to allegations of abuse and torture that date back years within their own family. From the outside, the Knoteks looked like a normal, happy family. Dave was a Navy veteran who worked in construction to provide for his growing family. He married Michelle 'Shelly' in 1987 who already had two daughters, Nikki, and Sami. The couple then had a daughter Tori together in 1989. The girls were always dressed in their best and well-mannered. The family even opened their home to family, friends and locals who had nowhere else to go. They took in her 17-year-old nephew Shane in 1988 after his parents were unable to care for him. Later that same year, Shelly's friend and hairdresser Kathy Loreno moved in after she lost her job. When military veteran Ronald Woodworth lost his home in 1999, he was also given shelter at the Knoteks' home. But then, the houseguests began to vanish one by one. When family members of asked, Shelly always had a reason for their disappearance. One had simply run off with a man. Another had moved to another town for a job. For years, the houseguests' whereabouts remained a mystery. Until 2003, when the Knoteks' three daughters found the courage to go to the authorities. A search of the property led to the discovery of a man's body and revealed years of horror the family had kept hidden. Shelly, then 50, was convicted of torturing and killing her victims in the early 90s, but her reign of terror began years before that - with her own family. As she would do with her victims, the mother would shower her children with love and affection, then turn on a dime and beat and degrade them as punishment. In 2017, Knotek's three daughters went to author Gregg Olsen to tell their story for one reason: to stop their mother from killing again Details of the horrific abuse her daughters endured were laid out in the book - 'If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood' by author Gregg Olsen, which was published years later. The daughters approached Olsen to tell their story for one reason - to stop their mother from killing again. In November, Shelly was granted early release and her 22-year sentence ended after 18 years. She had initially been charged with first degree murder, but took a plea deal that resulted in lesser charges via the Alford Plea. Under the terms of an Alford Plea, a person can plead guilty but maintain their innocence. Shelly's daughters told the New York Post in 2019 that they feared for the safety of others if their mother was released. Shelly was scheduled to be released from the Washington Corrections Center for Women in June 2022, but it was pushed to November. When book author Olsen posted to social media about her release on November 9, residents of the rural community were stunned. 'Evil is out and amongst us,' one person said on the post, while another stated, 'how is this possible?' It's not clear where Shelly ended up after she was released from prison, but many people posted to social media they believed she should have stayed locked up forever. A former neighbor pointed out that she was in poor health, adding that it's unlikely she could resume her killing spree. It's not clear where Knotek ended up after she was released, but a former neighbor pointed out she was in poor health and that it's unlikely she could resume her killing spree Dave was a Navy veteran who worked in construction to provide for his growing family. He married Michelle 'Shelly' in 1987 who already had two daughters, Nikki, and Sami Pictured are Shelly's three daughters. She had her third daughter Tori with Dave in 1989. The girls were always dressed in their best, well-mannered and seemingly happy The family often opened their home to family, friends and locals who had nowhere else to go In Olsen's book published in 2019, Shelly's daughters opened up about how they were emotionally and physically abused by their mother. If they used the bathroom without permission, they could be subjected to a severe beating. However, Shelly's favorite punishment was known as 'wallowing,' which involved the mother forcing her children to strip naked in the middle of the night and roll in mud while she hosed them down with cold water, according to the book. One part of the book recalls a time that Shelly shoved Nikki's head through a glass door and said 'look what you made me do,' as blood dripped from the child's face. When Shelly's nephew Shane came to live with the family in 1988, she forced Nikki, who was only 13 at the time, to slow dance with him in the living room while nude. 'It worked like any abusive relationship,' Nikki recalls in the book, 'and then the abuser reins them back in with kindness. 'My mother was like a ticking time bomb. I never knew when she would go off.' Finally, it did. And it began with Shelly's friend Kathy Loreno, who was tortured to death after she moved in with the family in 1988. The daughters witnessed some of the abuse, but said in the book that while they regret not intervening, there was little they could do. '[If] Mom was punishing Kathy, she was ignoring us,' Nikki adding, pointing out that it took the heat of them. 'As sick as that was... we were glad Mom wasn't doing it to us.' After Loreno's murder in 1994, Shelly warned her family that 'all of us will be in jail if anyone finds out what happened to Kathy.' They family kept their mouths shut and moved on with their lives. But the torture and murder at the house in the rural town continued. Two more people were murdered during Shelly's spree: Her nephew, Shane Watson, 19, and a 57-year-old local man, Ronald Woodworth. 'They were innocent people who got caught in Shelly's evil web,' Olsen told The Post. Kathy Loreno, 36, killed in July 1994 Knotek's friend Kathy Loreno was tortured to death after she moved in with the family in 1988 Knotek warned her family 'all of us will be in jail if anyone finds out what happened to Kathy' Kathy Loreno, was a hairdresser when she met Shelly and the two became good friends Kathy Loreno, was a hairdresser in South Bend, Washington, when she met Shelly and the two became good friends. In 1988, when Loreno had a falling out with her own family, she moved in with the Knoteks, in exchange for helping them with their daughters. They took her in as their own and Shelly essentially 'love-bombed' Loreno before the abuse began. She accused her friend of binge-eating and sleepwalking so she took all her clothes, withheld food and forced her to sleep in the boiler room. The extreme abuse continued when she drugged her with tranquilizers and forced her to work naked, degrading her. 'Kathy was a pleaser and never did anything to trigger such treatment,' Olsen previously told The Post. 'Shelly delighted in making other people hurt. It made her feel superior. She has never been formally diagnosed as a psychopath, but showed all the traits.' Loreno was held at the house for five years, with some believing she was too scared to escape and then at some point, was unable to. Shelly and her husband tortured Loreno using makeshift waterboarding equipment. They'd also duct tape her arms and legs together as they poured bleach into open sores on her body. Kathy died in July 1994 while she was imprisoned in the laundry room. Meanwhile, her family had reported her missing and the Knoteks were interviewed by police. They claimed Loreno had run away with a truck driver and moved to California. Dave claimed that Loreno died by asphyxiating on her own vomit, but he did not take her to a hospital or report her death to police because of the physical injuries to Loreno's body. Instead, they burned her body in the backyard and disposed of the ashes in the Pacific Ocean. None of her remains were ever found. Shane Watson, 19, killed in 1994 Shane Watson, moved in with the Knoteks around 1988, but disappeared in 1994, after Loreno Shane Watson, moved in with the Knoteks around 1988, but disappeared in 1994, shortly after Loreno. He had moved in with the family while his father - Shelly's brother - was in jail. The Knoteks had claimed that Watson had run away to Alaska to work on a fishing vessel. David Knotek later claimed that he had shot Watson with a .22 caliber rifle. It was alleged that he was killed because Shelly believed he had taken photos documenting the torture inflicted on Loreno. She convinced her husband to shoot her nephew in the head. They burned his body, like Loreno's, and scattered the ashes in the ocean. Ronald 'Ron' Woodworth, 57, killed in August 2003 Ronald Woodworth, 57, was a local man who boarded with the family around 2001. At first, he was welcomed with open arms and showered with their love Ronald 'Ron' Woodworth, 57, was a local man and US military veteran who boarded with the family around 2001 after he lost his own home. At first, he was welcomed with open arms and showered with their love. But things quickly changed and he was also subjected to severe emotional and physical abuse. Shelly took all of his clothes and called him 'useless' when he gave in to her demands that he drink his own urine. Witnesses said he was ordered to do chores outside wearing only his underwear, and that he was forced to jump off the roof of the two-story home, landing barefoot on the gravel, causing severe injuries. It was also claimed that Shelly would burn Woodworth's injured feet with boiling water and pure bleach. By the time Woodworth had moved in, Sami and Nikki had moved out, leaving just Tori at the home. Tori described some of the abuse to Olsen, including Woodworth's feet being 'treated' with the bleach: 'It was like the smell of bleach and decomposing flesh, like it was burning his skin off . . . He smelled like that for a month. Up until the very end.' Woodworth went missing in 2003 and was said to have died in August of that year. Shelly hid his body in a freezer for four days and her husband later admitted to burying Woodworth's body on their property after she told him that Woodworth had committed suicide. An autopsy by the King County medical examiner determined that Woodworth's death was murder. Knotek was also caring for another man around the same time by the name of James McClintock. The 81-year-old retired merchant crewman did not live with the family, but had reportedly willed his home to Knotek. He died from a head wound after he reportedly fell in that same home, valued at $140,000. Knotek has not been charged in connection with McClintock's death and it's unknown if she had anything to do with it or if it was an accident. Shelly's killing spree ended shortly after when her daughters reunited in Seattle, where Nikki was living, and decided that it was time to go to the police. 'She needs to be stopped,' Tori told her sisters. They called the police and the family property was searched. Woodworth's body was found, and Dave and Shelly were arrested on August 8. The daughters have since moved on with their lives. Nikki and Sami live in Seattle, Washington, while Tori has relocated to Colorado, according to the book. Sami has said she know what she would do if she ever sees her mother again. 'If she ever turns up on my doorstep,' Sami said, 'I can just see myself locking all my doors and barricading myself in the bathroom to call the police.' Sami, along with Tori, have both said they forgive Dave, who reached out to his daughters for forgiveness. Nikki, however, said the abuse they endured throughout the years was unforgettable and unforgivable. EXCLUSIVE: Gary Turner, 57, and Jutta Turner, 55, were feasted on by bed bugs A British family were left horrified after their dream Mallorca holiday turned into a bed-bug-infested nightmare. Gary Turner, 57, and Jutta Turner, 55, suffered from being feasted on by swarms of blood suckers over the course of eight nights at a four star hotel in Puerto Pollensa. Gary suffered an allergic reaction to the blanket of bed bug bites on the back of his head, which ended with an ambulance ride to hospital and a painful emergency shot in his bottom. The couple were also left flabbergasted as Tui only offered them 10 per cent off one of the two rooms they had booked with their two adult daughters as compensation after being confronted. They were given an alternative offer of 20% off their next holiday with Tui, but this was rejected and Gary and Jutta demanded a full refund of the trip. Gary Turner, 57, and Jutta Turner, 55, suffered from being feasted on by swarms of blood suckers over the course of eight nights at a four star hotel in Puerto Pollensa In Mallorca When the couple confronted the hotel provider TUI over the bed bug issue (pictured) they were only offered 10 per cent off one of the rooms they had bought The family (pictured) were given an alternative offer of 20% off their next holiday with Tui, but this was rejected and Gary and Jutta demanded a full refund of the trip 'We paid for a four-star plus rated hotel, with good reviews and never ever expected to be sleeping with bed bugs for eight nights,' Gary told the Olive Press. 'We never expected to suffer like we did, this is not what we paid for.' The Turners arrived with their two daughters at the Hotel Illa D'OR at the end of March expecting a relaxing 10-day sunshine getaway. But when Jutta and Gary started to notice bites on their hands and head after the third night, they assumed they were just from mosquitos. Only a week into the holiday did the pair turn on the bedroom light at 3am. To their undying horror, they saw dozens of little brown bed bugs crawling all over the fabric headboard and even the bed sheets they were sleeping in. But the nightmare was only just beginning for the British German couple. Apologetic staff at the hotel immediately brought insect spray to bear and moved the couple to another room where the bed had a wooden headboard. As a result of the infestation Jutta's arm turned bright red in a sea of vicious bed bug bites The back of Gary's head became inflamed as dozens of the little critters had chewed up his scalp According to their account, Gary and Jutta could not sleep at night due to the itching, while exposure to the sun caused the bites to flare up While Jutta's arm turned bright red in a sea of vicious bed bug bites, the back of Gary's head became inflamed as dozens of the little critters had chewed up his scalp. According to their account, Gary and Jutta could not sleep at night due to the itching, while exposure to the sun caused the bites to flare up. And the medication they got from the pharmacy which the hotel paid for left them feeling drowsy. But, worst of all, the meds also meant they could not enjoy an alcoholic drink on their holiday. 'It all left us feeling tired, run down and exhausted,' Jutta said. 'We could not enjoy our holiday at all.' A dispute soon erupted both with the hotel and Tui, the tour operator, over the level of compensation that was due to the Turners. The hotel merely offered 'a spa treatment or ride on their boat'. This offer was also rejected. Gary and Jutta went to great lengths to make sure they did not bring any bed bugs back to the UK with them, including throwing out their suitcases and packing their clothes into a giant freeze Gary and Jutta requested two complimentary rooms for two weeks in October as compensation. The pair have also had to go to great lengths to make sure they did not bring any bed bugs back to the UK with them, including throwing out their suitcases and packing their clothes into a giant freezer. 'The only lucky thing was that our daughters were not in that room, otherwise we could have taken one of them back in a coffin if she had had the same reaction as my husband did,' Jutta said. 'She is disabled and immune suppressant due to a kidney transplant.' 'The whole experience has left us completely exhausted and stressed, due to the lack of sleep caused by constant itching and becoming rather paranoid about checking our bed for bugs in the hotel in the middle of the night,' Gary added. 'We were also worn out by the annoyance and upset caused by the indifference and lack of compensation so far offered by the hotel and TUI.' A spokesperson for Tui told the Olive Press: 'We recognise that some services fell short of our usually high standards. 'We'd like to reassure all customers that we regularly audit all of our hotels in respect to health and safety, including hygiene. 'Whilst the family were offered compensation during their stay, they unfortunately declined.' Meanwhile, Hotel Illa D'OR called the Turners' request for a two week free holiday in October 'unreasonable'. Although they did not deny the presence of bed bugs in the room, they said they would not 'succumb to pressure from any guest seeking to receive free accommodations.' 'We want to emphasise that our hotel takes pest control very seriously and we have a company contracted to provide preventative and control services,' they said in an email to the Olive Press. 'In none of their reports has the presence of bed bugs been detected in our hotel. 'Furthermore, the room in which the guests stayed had been occupied by other guests previously without any complaints of this nature.' Gary has started the torturous process of making a legal claim with Tui. Advertisement Hawaiian Tropic founder Ron Rice's jaw-dropping Florida home has gone on sale for just shy of $5 million. The suntan lotion tycoon had the extravagant Ormond Beach home built in 1987 and this is the first time it has ever been listed on the market following his death aged 81 in 2022. Rice's palatial 12,000 square-foot oceanfront home, which is on sale for $4.99 million, features two outdoor pools, a disco dance floor and plenty of 1980s glamor. Rice, who was born in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, used his knowledge as a high school chemistry teacher to create the household brand - mixing the first prototype concoctions of Hawaiian Tropic in a 20-gallon trash can in his garage. First launching the company in 1969, he grew it into an empire before selling it for $83 million in 2007. The suntan lotion tycoon's longtime Florida home, which was built in 1987, has hit the market for a whopping $4.99 million There is an opulent turquoise split staircase in the middle of the lavishly decorated main room and plenty of antique furniture Rice's palatial 12,000 square-foot oceanfront home features an indoor pool with huge angel statues and two outdoor pools A mermaid mural adorns the wall in one bathroom, evidencing the tycoon's distinct style and extravagant 1980s glamor Rice fell in love with Florida's ocean shores and sun and sand lifestyle while on a family vacation in the 1940s. His four-bedroom, five-bathroom residence has 200 feet of ocean frontage, with beautiful and unobstructed views of the Atlantic. Rice's extravagant lifestyle is clearly evidenced in his longtime home. A custom mermaid mural adorns the wall in one bathroom, while another comes equipped with a marbled bath tub and mirrored ceiling. Many of the walls feature bold striped wood paneling, the kitchen includes a huge diner-style wrap-around breakfast bar, and there is an opulent turquoise split staircase in the middle of the lavishly decorated main room. Rice helped promote the lotion by sponsoring bikini contests and the Miss Hawaiian Tropic International model search One of the five bathrooms in the sprawling Florida estate comes equipped with a marbled bath tub and mirrored ceiling One of the many bathrooms in the Florida compound also features marble flooring, mirrored walls and theatrically lit vanities Turquoise and wood accents can be seen throughout the home, which has an uninterrupted view of the sandy beach below Heavily draped curtains adorn the floor-to-ceiling windows which look out over the Florida beach below. Not to mention the marbled indoor pool with a built-in bridge and enormous angel statues, or bedroom suites with their own private balconies. The party palace also comes equipped with a disco dance floor, a spacious formal dining room, indoor and outdoor bars and two outdoor swimming pools - perfect for lavish parties and endless entertaining. The sprawling estate is jam-packed with Rice's eccentric art collection, including statues of wild animals, eccentric antique furniture and countless framed photos of bikini-clad models, beauty queens and the tycoon's celebrity friends. The sprawling estate is jampacked with Rice's eccentric art collection, including pictures of beauty queens and wild animals The kitchen includes a huge diner-style wrap-around breakfast bar, wood paneling and views of Ormond Beach below The luxurious four-bedroom, five-bathroom residence, which was built for Rice in 1987, has 200 feet of ocean frontage Many of the walls feature bold striped wood paneling in the home where Rice frequently threw lavish, decadent parties Working as a chemistry teacher, Rice first starting experimenting with making suntan lotion by mixing a combination of fruit oils in a 20-gallon trash can in his garage. He sold the first bottle of the distinct coconut-scented suntan lotion in 1969, and within a few years he had a factory in Ormond Beach and was selling Hawaiian Tropic worldwide. Rice helped promote the lotion by sponsoring bikini contests and the Miss Hawaiian Tropic International model search. He famously said: 'Suntan is sex. That's what it all boils down to. Sex and vanity.' Hawaiian Tropic grew into a business empire - reporting net sales of more than $110 million in 2006, and Rice sold the company to Playtex for $83 million in 2007. Rice's glamorous lifestyle is clearly evidenced in the 1980s style of many of the rooms, including one of the four bedrooms The decadent Florida home, a few miles north of Daytona Beach, has beautiful and unobstructed views of the Atlantic Many of the mansion's walls feature bold striped wood paneling, adorned with Rice's extensive art and antique collection The home is jampacked from floor to ceiling with Rice's art collection, including many pictures of beauty queens and models As his business grew, Rice befriended celebrities such as Hugh Hefner, the Beach Boys and even Donald Trump - with many famous faces frequenting the lavish parties he threw at his home. Trump's second wife, Marla Maples, was a former Hawaiian Tropic contestant. Rice's former home is just a few miles north of Daytona Beach - famed as a prime destination for Spring Break revelry. The area has also reportedly been home to other celebrities such as John Travolta, Olympian Ryan Lochte and John D. Rockefeller. This is truly a one-of-a-kind opportunity to own a piece of Ormond Beach history where celebrities, dignitaries and even past presidents have gathered,' says the property's listing with Bill Navarra of Realty Pros Assured. Australia's 10 richest postcodes are all near a harbour and are home to some of our most prominent billionaires - but a smaller capital city makes a surprise appearance, official data shows. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has ranked local council areas based on income, education and employment to determine 'socio-economic advantage'. Sydney was home to six of Australia's 10 most advantaged areas, with three in Perth and one in Darwin, based on 2021 Census data. Woollahra, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, was considered the most advantaged local government area, and its 53,496 people are among the very top in Australia. The exclusive Sydney Harbour council area covers Vaucluse and Point Piper - the home of billionaire Atlassian software co-founders Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar, millionaire former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond. Woollahra, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, was considered the most advantaged local government area. The exclusive Sydney Harbour council area covers Point Piper (pictured) - the home of billionaire Atlassian co-founders Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar, millionaire former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond Sydney was home to six of Australia's 10 most advantaged areas, with three in Perth and one in Darwin, based on 2021 Census data (pictured is a local government area map) Mosman, across the harbour on Sydney's lower north shore, came second, and was home to 28,329 people. Ku-ring-gai council - home to 124,076 residents on Sydney's upper north shore stretching from Roseville to Wahroonga - came third. This was despite being further away from the city and bordering Middle Harbour rather than Sydney Harbour. The Darwin Waterfront Precinct with an artificial wave pool, next to Stokes Hill Wharf, came fourth and is so exclusive it is home to just 293 living in luxury apartments. The rest of greater Darwin was among the top 13 per cent. The upmarket area of the Northern Territory capital beat North Sydney, with 68,950 people, Waverley in Sydney's east with 68,605 residents and Lane Cove on Sydney's lower north shore with 39,438 locals. Peppermint Grove, on Perth's Swan River, was eighth, with its 1,597 residents among the top one per cent. The neighbouring Nedlands council area - where billionaires Gina Rinehart and Kerry Stokes have waterfront mansions at Dalkeith - was ninth and is home to 22,132 people. Cottesloe, where mining magnate Andrew Forrest has a beachside mansion, rounded out the top 10 with 7,970 people. The Darwin Waterfront Precinct (pictured) with an artificial wave pool, next to Stokes Hill Wharf, came fourth and is so exclusive it is home to just 293 living in luxury apartments The Liberal Party holds only one federal electorate covering one of the most advantaged council areas. Manager of Opposition business Paul Fletcher is the member for Bradfield, which overlaps with Ku-ring-gai council. Eight of the top 10 council areas fell within a teal independent electorate, with Woollahra and Waverley in Wentworth, Mosman in Warringah, North Sydney and Lane Cove in North Sydney, and Peppermint Grove, Nedlands and Cottesloe in Curtin. Despite representing some of Australia's most charmed postcodes, independent MPs Zali Steggall (Warringah), Kylea Tink (North Sydney) and Kate Chaney (Curtin) this week signed an open letter with the Australian Council of Social Service calling for an increase to JobSeeker, now at $693.10 for a single unemployed individual. Labor holds the federal electorate of Solomon covering the Darwin Waterfront Precinct. Cottesloe, where mining magnate Andrew Forrest has a beachside mansion, rounded out the top 10 with 7,970 people The ABS ranked local government areas into deciles, with specific Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide council areas, and Canberra falling within the top 10 per cent for socio-economic advantage. Melbourne's wealthiest council Stonnington, covering Toorak in the city's inner east, was among the top two per cent and falls within the federal Labor seat of Higgins. The Victorian capital's wealthiest council areas also included Melbourne, Monash, Bayside, Banyule, Whitehorse, Manningham, Nilumbik, Yarra, Glen Eira and Port Phillip and the coastal areas of Queenscliffe and the Surf Coast. Sydney's top-tier councils also included the Northern Beaches, Hunters Hills, Willoughby, Hornsby, Inner West, Parramatta, Canada Bay, Ryde, Strathfield, Sutherland, Sydney and the Hills Shire. In regional New South Wales, the Yass Valley fell into this category. Adelaide's Burnside council in the foothills of the Adelaide Hills, Adelaide Hills, and Mitcham, Unley and Walkerville near the city were in the top tier for advantage. So was the Australian Capital Territory, covering Canberra, and the Perth councils of East Fremantle, Cambridge, Claremont, Melville, Mosman Park, Perth, South Perth and Subiaco. Brisbane, a large super council area covering most of the city and the outer suburbs, was among the top 11 per cent. Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast was among the top 19 per cent of local government areas while Gympie, 67km inland, was among the worst 15 per cent of council areas for disadvantage. Anthony Albanese has quashed rumours he will be manning the DJ deck at the upcoming wedding of Kyle Sandilands. The Prime Minister and NSW Premier Chris Minns both secured an invite to the lavish nuptials of the radio host and his longtime partner, Tegan Kynaston. The much anticipated wedding, which is reported to cost more than $1m, will take place at the extravagant Swifts mansion in Sydney's Darling Point. Mr Albanese was quizzed about his plans to DJ at the wedding of Kyle Sandilands and Tegan Kynaston. Picture: Instagram/@madonnaforbrisbane Last year, Mr Albanese said he'd perform a DJ set should the radio king cough up an invitation. Despite remaining tight lipped in earlier questions, during an appearance in Hobart on Saturday morning Mr Albanese put the rumours to bed for good. When asked if he would be DJing, he simply responded: 'No'. 'Yes, I was invited to the wedding, yes, I was invited in the context of Kyle saying how happy he was with Tegan, with this relationship, of his and with baby Otto coming along and I look forward to witnessing their expression of love between two people this afternoon,' Mr Albanese said. When asked on Friday if he would break out his alter ego, DJ Albo, the Prime Minister remained curiously tight lipped. Instead, he made note of Sandilands rags-to-riches success story. 'One of the things about Kyle Sandilands - I'll say this - a bloke who at one stage was homeless, living on the streets of Sydney, and has grown into someone who is a significant public figure, is a part of what is an Australian success story,' he said. I look forward to witnessing their expression of love between two people this afternoon,' Mr Albanese said of his attendance at the wedding of Kyle Sandilands and Tegan Kynaston (pictured) on Saturday Asked why he was attending, given Sandilands best man is convicted drug smuggler Simon main, Mr Albanese remarked that he wasn't 'in charge of the guest list'. Deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley was quick to slam Mr Albanese's for 'spinning decks at a million dollar wedding when people can't afford their rent'. 'There is nothing wrong with going to a friend's wedding, but it is curious the Prime Minister thinks he can take a day off just days before his first real budget,' she said. 'The test of that budget will be whether (Mr) Albanese gives Australians a start date for the $275 reduction in power prices, a start date for the cheaper mortgages Labor promised and a start date for real wage rises. 'it's hard to see how the Prime Minister can justify being there tomorrow when there are still no answers on those promises.' In an interview between Sandilands and Mr Albanese earlier this week, he revealed the Prime Minister would be charged with keeping his mother company at the wedding. 'She's a fan of yours, so she's going to lose her mind,' the shock jock told him live on air. Born and raised in the farming business, Colby Marshall thought he had seen it all. But what he discovered stashed in a timbered ravine at the Silvies Valley Ranch in deep-rural Oregon absolutely horrified him. In 2019, Marshall, the property's then-vice president of operations, was working outside the small farming community of Burns, more than 180 miles west of Boise. He had received a disturbing call about a Hereford bull found dead at the bottom of a steep gorge. But when he arrived, it wasn't the death that shocked him. After all, there's nothing strange about cattle dying in the wild. Rather, it was the state of the carcass that sent a chill down his spine. The reproductive organs and tongue were gone, seemingly removed by an extremely sharp blade, leaving none of the marks of a natural predator. 'It was fascinating and scary all at the same time,' Marshall told DailyMail.com. 'There were no signs of injury or sickness. The bull was just lying there. It was the weirdest damn thing.' Inexplicably, there was no blood on the wounds or on the ground. There were no scavengers to take advantage of the easy feast. It was as clinical as an operating room and as ominous as a horror movie. What's more, the vegetation around the bull's remains also appeared untouched with no visible tracks nearby. 'It was as if these animals had just walked along, fallen over, and then had these items cut off of them,' Marshall remembered. Colby Marshall (above) thought he had seen it all. But what he discovered stashed in a timbered ravine at the Silvies Valley Ranch in deep-rural Oregon absolutely horrified him. The reproductive organs and tongue were gone, seemingly removed by an extremely sharp blade, leaving none of the marks of a natural predator. (Above) A hereford bull lies dead in Burns, Ore., one of five apparently healthy bulls that were found dead And then things got weirder still. As he was inspecting the animal, Marshall got a call about a second deceased bull found just a few hundred yards away. The next day, he found more, spread out across the 140,000-acre ranch. In total, five animals were butchered all with the same surgical precision. Marshall called the police. Before long, three federal agencies were investigating the case. The ranch even offered a $25,000 reward, but no credible tips ever emerged. No suspects were ever identified. If this case was the only one of its kind that would be terrifying enough. But it's not. There's a long and unnerving history of mysterious, unsolved cattle killings distinguished by the extraction of soft-tissue organs, likes udders, eyes, ears, sex organs and tongues dating to the 1800s in the United States, and even further back in history around the world. Now, these strange killings are back in the headlines, after the discovery of a rash of cattle mutilations in east-central Texas. And as authorities find themselves grasping aimlessly for answers, DailyMail.com has searched for explanations, and uncovered theories ranging from the ordinary to the occult and even the extraterrestrial. ANIMAL MASSACRES: THE 'GREATEST UNSOLVED CRIME SPREE IN HISTORY' There have been sporadic reports of livestock mutilations involving sheep, cows and horses dating back centuries. But one of the first known incidents occurred in the early 1890s, when panic ensued near Columbus, Ohio, after ten cows were found 'cut to pieces alive and mutilated in every conceivable manner' according to research by University of Pennsylvania. Those fears were quashed when a man was sentenced to 14 years in prison after he was allegedly caught with dismembered cow parts and confessed. But that wasn't the end of Ohio's cow killings: In 1966, a local dairy farmer claimed several of her cows had been 'expertly butchered in part and the bodies were bloodless.' That same year, farmers in Pennsylvania reported 'inexplicable deaths in which cattle carcasses were left drained of blood with parts of their hides removed.' None of these cases were ever solved. But it was a more recent spike of cases in the U.S. during the 1970s that arguably received the most attention. In 1975 alone, thousands of cattle mutilations were reported just in the state of Colorado. There's an unnerving history of unsolved cattle killings distinguished by the extraction of soft-tissue organs, likes udders, eyes, ears, sex organs and tongues (Above) 2013 cow mutilation case in Missouri In 2013, rancher Lyn Mitchell of Henry County, Missouri concluded that she could not rule out aliens after she lost several animals over a span of two years Bloodless cattle killings were also reported in 23 states, including Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma, Montana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and California. The Denver Post reported at the time that panic among farmers was so intense, that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management was forced to cancel aerial land surveys, because spooked ranchers were shooting at helicopters that they believed could be carrying the serial cattle killers. By the end of the decade, more than 10,000 cases of cattle mutilation had been recorded, mostly at small-scale ranchers in the West and Midwest. The rash of incidents and millions of dollars in livestock losses were so alarming that the FBI launched an investigation in 1979. By 1980, the agency, citing veterinarians and other animal experts, had concluded that common predators, such as coyotes, were to blame. But that explanation was not enough for many farmers, who argued that the carcasses showed no signs of typical wildlife attacks. 'I've been around cattle all my life and I can sure tell whether it's been done by a coyote or a sharp instrument,' the Sheriff of Colorado's Elbert County George A. Yarnell told The New York Times at the time. And sure enough, the official government explanation for the mutilation phenomenon has not satisfied those searching for definitive answers. Indeed, Chris O'Brien, author of 'Stalking the Herd: Unraveling the Cattle Mutilation Mystery,' says the animal massacres are 'the greatest unsolved crime spree in history.' 'WE'VE GOT A UFO SITUATION' 'A MASSIVE CONSPIRACY' OR IS IT CULTS? Following the wave of mutilations in the U.S. and Canada in the 1970s, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police claimed to have circumstantial evidence that religious cults killed the cattle as part of a ritual. Meanwhile, the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations determined Satanists were to blame. Their report, however, did not explain how the slaughters occurred without leaving any trace of blood or tracks. The rash of incidents and millions of dollars in livestock losses were so alarming that the FBI launched an investigation into cattle mutilations in 1979 By 1980, the agency, citing veterinarians and other animal experts, had concluded that common predators, such as coyotes, were to blame. But that explanation was not enough for many farmers, who argued that the carcasses showed no signs of typical wildlife attacks. In both cases, law enforcement findings were vague and did not name any suspects or result in arrests. Joseph Laycock, associate professor of religious studies at Texas State University, told DailyMail.com that it's unlikely Satanists are to blame because the vast majority don't practice animal sacrifice and most of them actually condemn the practice. 'There is always the possibility of teenage delinquents harming animals in the name of Satan. But I don't think that's what's happening in this case. Teenagers would probably have left tracks or other obvious evidence,' he said. Yet various religious groups in the U.S. do practice animal sacrifice, even though no specific group has ever been linked to any of these cattle mutilation cases. Santeria, an Afro-Cuban folk religion with some elements of Catholicism, is popular in the Caribbean as well as in places like Miami and New Orleans, and its believers are known to sacrifice goats and chickens. However, they usually just buy the animals, Laycock explained. 'There may be certain forms of folk magic that call for things like cow tongues,' he added. 'But cow tongues can be purchased very cheaply.' The lack of concrete answers throughout the years has given way to theories involving aliens and even the federal government. 'Either we've got a UFO situation, or we've got a massive, massive conspiracy which is enormously well funded,' former North Montana senator Harrison Schmidt said in 1975. Filmmaker and author Linda Moulton Howe, who won an Emmy with her 1980 documentary 'A Strange Harvest,' which examined over 1,000 animal mutilation cases, concluded extraterrestrials were likely to blame. One of the cases she looked at was the infamous 1967 death of a horse in Alamosa, Colorado, found partially skinned and with its brain, lungs, heart, and thyroid cleanly cut out. After the animal was discovered, local superior court judge Charles Bennett claimed he saw three orange rings in the sky flying in a triangular formation at fast speeds within 24 hours of the horse's death. And two sheriff's deputies claimed they were followed around by a floating orange globe. Many were convinced by the space invader hypothesis, with tabloids featuring headlines like, 'Flying saucers killed my horse!' One of the cases she looked at was the infamous 1967 death of a horse in Alamosa, Colorado, found partially skinned and with its brain, lungs, heart and thyroid cleanly cut out Filmmaker and author Linda Moulton Howe, who won an Emmy with her 1980 documentary 'A Strange Harvest,' which examined over 1,000 animal mutilation cases, concluded extraterrestrials were likely to blame. In 2013, rancher Lyn Mitchell of Henry County, Missouri concluded that she could not rule out aliens after she lost several animals over a span of two years. 'We couldn't see any signs of trauma, and it doesn't appear that there was any type of wild animal, such coyotes, that were involved,' Robert Hills, Henry County Sheriff's Chief Deputy told reporters at the time. 'Something happened to these cows and it's not something that you see every day so something else is going on,' Mitchell concluded. TEXAS POLICE PUZZLED BY CASES OF DEAD, MUTILATED COWS Last week, the Madison County, Texas sheriff's offices said they were investigating the case of a cow found dead with her tongue removed. Authorities said the 6-year-old longhorn-cross cow was discovered lying on its side with a 'straight, clean cut, with apparent precision' removing the hide around the exposed side of its mouth. 'It was noted there were no signs of struggle and the grass around the cow was undisturbed. No footprints or tire tracks were noted in the area,' the Madison County sheriff's office posted on Facebook. Five other cows in nearby Robertson and Brazos counties - about an hour's drive north of Houston were also partially skinned, according to officials there. 'One side of the [cow's] face was cut away,' Robertson County sheriff Gerald Yezak told DailyMail.com. 'I mean completely removed from the muzzle to just below the eye, towards the base of the ear, and then down along the jawbone, back to the muzzle.' Two of them, however, also had circular cuts 'made with the same precision' to remove the anus and external genitalia. In 1975 alone, thousands of cattle mutilations were reported just in the state of Colorado. Madison County officials have not responded to DailyMail.com requests for additional information and haven't posted any additional updates about the case to their Facebook page. Colby Marshall, the former Oregon rancher, horrified by the precision butchering of animals in 2019, was not shocked by the lack of information. But after years of thinking about the mystery himself, he has developed his own theory. Marshall suspects that whoever is killing these animals first injects them with a toxin to immobilize them and then bleeds them to death. 'I think they pull the tongue out and stick gauge needles in the bottom of the tongue where the arteries are,' he told DailyMail.com. 'Then from there, they can cut away the organs or the skin or the muscle tissue or whatever it is.' 'I think it's some group of people that are harvesting these organs,' he concluded. 'That reason could be medical or spiritual. The organs could be thought to be an aphrodisiac.' As of now, Marshall's theory ranks among the many that have come before - some plausible, other outrageous, yet none of them confirmed or outright rejected. The Texas cattle mutilations are just latest the latest in a long history of these vile acts and, unfortunately, unlikely to be the last until authorities determine who or what is behind them. An 'optical illusion' cycle way has been blasted as a 1.5million white elephant by locals as MailOnline can reveal it's apparently used by just three riders in a typical hour. Almost 60 people have been injured since the cycle lane in Keynsham, Somerset, was opened last year, 21 of whom are now suing the local council for compensation. Construction took nine months and was part of a 1.5million taxpayer-funded upgrade to the high street. But on Friday afternoon there was barely a cyclist to be seen despite the high street bustling with shoppers. Over almost two hours, just six riders used the path at 1.55pm, 2.16pm, 2,25pm, 2.40pm, 3.06pm and 3.10pm Retired local resident Martin Crew, 64, said he fears the deceptive kerb could result in tragedy. He said: 'It's not a question of if somebody gets seriously hurt or killed, it's only a question of when. Almost 60 people have been injured since the cycle lane in Keynsham, Somerset (pictured), was opened last year, 21 of whom are now suing the local council for compensation But on Friday afternoon there was barely a cyclist to be seen despite the high street bustling with shoppers READ MORE HERE: Are these Britain's most dangerous cycle lanes? Advertisement 'They have completely ruined the high street with this, shops are closing, older people are afraid to come down here. 'It's such a massive waste of taxpayer money. We are told it's for the best but how can it be if it's never used.' Shopper Brie Jones, 23, added: 'It is stupid. They took years ripping everything up and sure it looks nice and new but people aren't looking where they are going and getting hurt as a result. 'You see the odd kid using it on their electric scooter but you hardly ever see cyclists going down it. 'I think a lot more than 60 people have been hurt, the local Facebook groups are full of people saying they're injured. I don't know if they're looking to get something for money.' One of those using the cycle lane today was Mike Wright, 84, who said: 'I use this cycle lane whenever I come into town but it's never busy. 'I think there's fault on both sides, they need to drop the kerb down to street level so people don't trip but people also need to watch where they are going and if they are unstable on their feet cross at the pedestrian crossing.' Another shopper, who didn't want to be named, said: 'The council should hang their heads in shame over this. They have spent so much money on it, it's a white elephant and it's ruined the high street. The best thing they could do is rip it out again but that'll only mean more money wasted and more disruption to local people so I guess we're stuck with it.' Photos this week showed Dave Dawson, 76, becoming the latest victim when he tripped over the kerb, which appears level but is actually a 4inch drop, and cut his hands and knees. Last year, one pedestrian with arthritis and fibromyalgia reported a fall after mistaking the kerb for a painted line, while another elderly local ended up in A&E. Shopper Brie Jones, 23, added: 'It is stupid. They took years ripping everything up and sure it looks nice and new but people aren't looking where they are going and getting hurt as a result' One of those using the cycle lane today was Mike Wright, 84, who said: 'I use this cycle lane whenever I come into town but it's never busy' Mr Dawson said: 'I was walking along the pavement, and it's sort of like an optical illusion; it looks as if it's all level. 'I was walking back towards the church and stepped with my right foot on the edge of the pavement because it looked flat, and I lost my balance and fell down. 'I cut the palms of my hands and my knees a bit because the surface of the cycle lane is very sharp. 'When I came back up the road, I was obviously quite conscious of the kerb because I'd fallen over, and lo and behold, I fell over going back as well! Exactly the same. 'The trouble is that in some places on the high street, the cycle path uses the same principle, but the cycle path is level with the kerb, but as you walk along, it drops down about two inches. I think it's where they thought people would be crossing.' Photos this week showed Dave Dawson (pictured), 76, becoming the latest victim when he tripped over the kerb, which appears level but is actually a 4inch drop, and cut his hands and knees. Mr Dawson said: 'I was walking along the pavement, and it's sort of like an optical illusion; it looks as if it's all level' Tory councillor Alan Hale said he's been contacted by people falling over ever since the day the lane was installed. He said: 'There can be no other local authority in the country that has created a development that has succeeded in seriously injuring 59 people at least and have done nothing to address the situation. 'We are elected to make our community safe, not to inflict significant injuries. 'To make it safe we need the administration and officers to take positive action, not sit on their hands.' Defending the feature, Lib Dem councillor Mark Roper said the lane is built to national safety standards. 'Mitigations' such as painting part of the lane red have 'had the effect of substantially reducing the number of reported incidents', he continued. There were only 2.3 recorded incidents per month on average between January and March this year, Mr Roper added, though a further report has been commissioned to 'suggest further improvements'. A British mother of four has told of her family's heartbreak at having to leave her husband in wartorn Sudan after a harrowing journey to safety, as she and her children reunite with family in Scotland. Jennifer McLellan, a teacher from Islay, was caught up in gunfire along with her two young daughters and sons as they made the intense journey through Khartoum this week. The 36-year-old mother said that while her family is relieved to be safe, they fear for her husband Mohamed, who has bravely stayed behind to protect his elderly grandmother and family. Mohamed drove the family through dangerous backroads until their car broke down, forcing them to barter to get a lift to the UK evacuation point at the Wadi Seidna Air Base. Now her family has slammed what her uncle described as the UK government's 'dereliction of duty' in getting people safely to the airport, amid a fragile ceasefire between the Sudanese military and militia groups. Jennifer McLellan with her husband Mohamed and their four children at home in Sudan. The Scottish mother has now fled the country with her children, but left Mohamed behind Jennifer and her four children, two girls aged three and eight and two boys aged 13 and 15, after landing at Stansted Airport on Wednesday Speaking from her mother's home in Islay, Jennifer said: 'We are so relieved to be back home safely in Scotland. It has been a difficult journey to get here.' 'We are obviously heartbroken to have left Mohamed behind and we pray for his safety and that we will be reunited some day soon. 'We cant even bare to think about the danger that he is still in. And many others still trapped in Sudan.' Jennifer, who has lived in Sudan for 15 years and raised her family there, said: 'The future for us is unknown as we have left our whole lives behind. 'We have literally came with the clothes we are wearing and a few hastily packed items in a carryon bag. We have to get some rest and see what our next steps will be.' Tens of thousands of people are streaming out of the north African country, including hundreds of British citizens, amid armed conflict between Sudan's army and the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary force, which has seen indiscriminate clashes and hundreds killed. Jennifer's uncle, Donald Gillies, said the government should have done more to help the family and others trapped in Sudan to get to safety, as people have been told they must make their own way to the airbase. 'Without a shadow of a doubt the government should have done more, it was, in my opinion, a dereliction of duty,' he said. 'The way the diplomats fled the country. The military went in to their houses to take them and their children out but the normal civilians are seen as of lesser importance.' He labelled the government's communication to British citizens 'chaos' and said that people should have been warned about potential conflict in the country, as US citizens had prior to the fighting breaking out. The 36-year-old teacher and her kids are now safe at her mother's home in Islay 'There are massive failings. Diplomacy has failed, government planning has failed, it is coming good because of our military might.' The government and armed forces have defended the lack of escort for British citizens attempting to get to the airstrip, with Rishi Sunak saying earlier this week that diplomats and their families were brought to safety as they had been specific targets. Jennifer said her family were very well looked after on the way to the UK and thanked the armed forces at Wadi Seidna for their tireless work helping to get people out. The English teacher moved to the north African country after meeting Mohamed as a student in Glasgow over 15 years ago. Now they have no idea when they will be reunited, as Mohamed remains in Sudan to care for his grandmother, mother and family as the violence continues. The family's plight was first highlighted by Donald, who said his niece is still trying to wrap her head around how fortunate she was to escape. 'It's all overwhelming, the journey to the airport was very traumatic and I think that brought everything home - how lucky she is and how good our armed forces are,' he said. 'Once they got to the airport, they were safe, the problem was getting to the airport.'. Jennifer, Mohamed and their young family, two daughters aged three and eight and two sons aged 13 and 15, were under gunfire as they made the treacherous journey to the airport on Tuesday. Mohamed took advice to drive his Jeep through the back roads to avoid fighting but got a puncture in and was unable to continue, Donald explained. The young family then got a lift the rest of the way with two men, who Donald says would only help them if they handed over around 300 in cash. The mother said that while her family is relieved to be safe, they fear for her husband, who has bravely stayed behind to protect his elderly grandmother and family But the family were by no means out of danger, as Donald explained: 'When they were driving around the backroads one rebel faction was retreating under gunfire, so they were caught up there in the crossfire of a retreating unit that had clearly broken the ceasefire terms.' Jennifer's uncle said she and her family would have been scared for their lives. 'They must have been terrified as soon as they heard gunfire around them, as soon as their vehicle broke down, because that made them rely on other people.' 'They would have been very scared to run that gauntlet, to rely on people who are trying to destabilise the country.' British nationals walk to board an RAF aircraft, during the evacuation to Cyprus, at Wadi Seidna Air Base Donald, an ex-serviceman, also said that Jennifer is unlikely to have known the extent of the danger to her life. 'Because Jennifer is a beautiful-looking white woman, she was a high, high target for kidnapping. 'There are many things going on behind the scenes that Jennifer doesn't even know how much risk she was in.' He paid tribute to Mohamed's courage, getting his family to safety and then going back into the war-ravaged country to protect his parents, despite him being able to flee as the spouse of a British citizen. 'What I can't believe is that Mohamed drove back to his parents. He didn't get back until around one in the morning. I'm absolutely gobsmacked at his bravery. More than 1,500 people have been evacuated from Sudan, the 'vast majority' of whom are British nationals Images from AFPTV video show a view over Khartoum, where black smoke could be seen rising above the city despite the extended ceasefire 'My sister spoke to him to thank him on behalf of the family, he is part of the family. 'He is a man of peace and he stayed to look after his family and do as much good in this country as he can.' Jennifer said Mohamed is at home with his family and currently safe, but fears that fighting in the country is intensifying as the end of the extended ceasefire draws near. The final British plane is due to depart today from Khartoum today, with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office urging those left in Sudan to travel to the airbase before 12pm local time to be processed in time. Some 1,573 people on 13 flights have so far been evacuated, but thousands more British citizens and their dependents are believed to remain. The Foreign Office has been contacted for comment. Late entertainer Barry Humphries had been in a lengthy and debilitating battle with an inoperable cancer before his death last week, as details of his final days are revealed. The Australian comedic legend, 89, passed away at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital last Saturday night. Those closest to Humphries gathered on Friday for a private funeral service at the estate of longtime friend and artist Tim Storrier at Bowral, in the NSW Southern Highlands. Humphries' wife of three decades, Lizzie Spender, and children Tessa, Emily, Rupert and Oscar, joined friends to bid farewell to the legend, who was best known for his iconic Dame Edna persona. Humphries pictured with wife Lizzie Spender, who was part of an intimate gathering to bid farewell to the comic great who died after a battle with cancer and hip surgery complications Close family sources have confirmed that Humphries health challenges were more serious and complex than previously reported, according to the Daily Telegraph. In 2021 he was diagnosed with a rare form of pre-invasive skin cancer - Extramammary Paget disease - on one of his testicles, requiring surgery. Extramammary Paget disease is a rare dermatologic condition that commonly presents in areas where apocrine sweat glands are abundant, and usually occurs in the sixth to eighth decades of life. When Humphries underwent hip replacement surgery after breaking his hip in a fall in February, the extensiveness of the cancer was revealed and he spent his final weeks saying goodbye to family and friends. It is believed Humphries continued to display humour in the company of loved ones, doctors and nurses in his final heartbreaking days. 'He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit,' his family said in a statement. Humphries pictured as Dame Edna Everage, one of his most memorable personas Plans to stage one last concert tour were thwarted by his prognosis, which would end his life within six weeks. Oscar and half-sister Emily's reunion with their father is believed to have made for some emotional hospital scenes. Film director Bruce Beresford, British comedian Rob Brydon, British journalist Andrew Neal and writer Kathy Lette were also among those present at Friday's service. Mr Beresford said no speeches were made, but excerpts from some of Mr Humphries favourite poems were read, including his favourite poem, The Heart of a Friend by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Film director Bruce Beresford was a longtime friend of Barry Humphries 'It was very touching, very warm. Everybody was either related or a great friend of Barry's,' Mr Beresford said. Mr Beresford, who directed Humphries in 1972's The Adventures of Barry McKenzie, described his friend's death as 'terribly sad'. 'I watched him fade,' he said. King Charles also extended his sympathies to the family. His family had previously been in discussions with the Victorian government about a possible state funeral for the star yet it remains unclear if that will proceed. Victoria's Creative Industries Minister, Steve Dimopoulos, revealed earlier this week that talks were under way with the entertainer's loved ones about the best ways to honour his legacy. 'The primary mover of these things is the family because it's their gift effectively to decide in conversation with government,' Mr Dimopoulos said on Sunday. 'So yes it could be that [a state funeral],' he added. Humphries, who was raised an Anglican but no longer considered himself to be religious, was cremated during the week. A depraved father-of-four who groomed a teenage girl for sex and then tried to bribe her from testifying against him has been jailed for 11 years Komar Mardan, 36, of Bradford, West Yorkshire, plied the young girl with alcohol, cigarettes and chocolates to gain her trust before he abused her. The youngster could not find a way out of her entanglement with Mardan, who made threats against her. Eventually she 'mustered the courage' to sever all contact with him and changed her mobile phone number, also closing down her social media profiles. Bradford Crown Court heard that police were contacted after the girl came forward. Komar Mardan, 36, plied the young girl with alcohol, cigarettes and chocolates to gain her trust before he abused her Mardan, who later attempted to bribe the victim from giving evidence, has been jailed for 11 years However, during the court process, the complainant's partner was contacted via Facebook and Mardan's co-accused Hamaad Naser, 21, made a telephone call offering money for her towithdraw her evidence. Judge Ahmed Nadim said it had been 'an audacious attack' on the criminal justice system and was aimed at avoiding the consequences for very serious offending. Mardan stood trial earlier this month and was found guilty by the jury of four offences of sexual activity with a child and the perverting the course of justice allegation. He was jailed for 10 years on the sex offences with an additional one year in jail imposed for the separate offence. Naser, of Parkway, Bradford, pleaded guilty to the pervert the course of justice offence and was locked up for a year. Mardan will now have to register as a sex offender for life and will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and an indefinite restraining order which bans him from contacting the complainant on the future. In her victim impact statement the woman described how Mardan had taken away her teenage years and left her feeling shame, embarrassment and trapped. Barrister Rodney Ferm, for Mardan, said the married father-of-four now faced the loss of his business, but he had noone to blame but himself. He said: 'He hates to think of the shame his family will have to bear because of his offending.' Barrister Michael Morley, for Naser, said he was naive and did not know the seriousness of the allegations until he heard the details in court. A toddler who was taken to hospital for suspected teething issues was diagnosed with an 'extremely rare' life-threatening illness that affects only one in five million people. Eight-month-old Henry Norton, who lives in Albury, NSW with parents Craig and Melissa and brother Lachlan, was diagnosed with atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) this month. The genetic disease can cause abnormal blood clots to form inside vessels in the kidneys - potentially restricting blood flow. The illness which affects one in five million people and has only been detected in 14 people in Australia can lead to kidney failure if left untreated. Henry's mum thought her 'typically happy baby' was having teething problems over the Easter weekend after he wouldn't take liquids. Henry's mum thought her 'typically happy baby' was having teething problems over the Easter weekend after he wouldn't take liquids (pictured, Henry) Eight-month-old Henry Norton (pictured, with mum Melissa) was diagnosed with atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) at hospital But when his condition didn't improve and he started vomiting she rushed him to the emergency department at the Albury-Wodonga Health Hospital. Hospital staff initially sent the family home telling them he was just dehydrated but Ms Norton returned the next day worried about her son's worsening condition. 'Henry was extremely pale, refusing to eat and had reduced and very dark brown urine as well as being very lethargic,' Ms Norton told Daily Mail Australia. The boy's kidney's were failing so hospital staff placed a tube down his throat, allowing him to breath and advised he needed to go the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. He also had to be put into an induced coma to stabilise his heart rate. Ms Norton said she and her husband were 'literally pacing the floor' at the hospital while staff fought to stabilise the boy so he could fly to ICU at the Melbourne hospital. 'I was really scared, I honestly thought the worst,' Ms Norton said. 'When you're hugging your baby and taking him into a theatre room and not knowing if he was going to survive this plane trip or not - it was ridiculously scary.' It was 4am by the time she was flying with Henry in the air ambulance that rushed the pair to the Rosella Ward at the Melbourne hospital. The genetic disease can cause abnormal blood clots to form inside vessels in the kidneys - potentially restricting blood flow (pictured, Henry) 'Henry was extremely pale, refusing to eat and had reduced and very dark brown urine as well as being very lethargic,' Ms Norton said (pictured, Melissa and Henry pictured after they were sent home by staff at Albury hospital) It was 4am by the time she was flying with Henry in the air ambulance that took the pair to the Rosella Ward at Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne (pictured, loading up the air ambulance in Albury) Ms Norton said she was on autopilot in the aircraft run by the hospital's PIPER team, after not having slept for 30 hours. She arrived with Henry in Melbourne and the staff monitored the boy's vital signs and did tests to eliminate various causes - while her husband drove down to meet her. 'It was pretty overwhelming - you've got 14 people in a room working on your son who's sedated, it's quite full on,' she said. Henry was woken up after two days where his breathing tubes were taken out which gave Ms Norton the 'best feeling of being able to hold your baby and give him a bottle'. His kidneys were still in trouble so she was limited to how much milk she could give him. She said the family felt really supported by the hospital. 'They were absolutely incredible with us. They saved our son's life,' Ms Norton said. It was also the first time the couple had been without their elder son Lachlan, 23 months, who they had left in Albury with her parents - so emotions were running high. Henry was finally diagnosed with aHUS - atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome - a rare illness that causes clots to form in blood vessels. It is a dire condition that can lead to kidney failure. The boy also got a blood infection from his femoral line which was put in him in place of a regular IV drip that staff couldn't use as the boy had become so swollen. The infection made his heart rate soar to an alarming 207 beats per minute and his temperature grew to a high of 39.6. The mum said they waited until he was well enough to take home and arrived back in Albury late last week. From now on Henry needs to go to the Albury hospital twice week for check ups on top of fortnightly four-hour visits to the Melbourne hospital to treat his condition. Ms Norton said this routine will be 'forever' and if the boy develops a cold or gastro, it will likely cause a flare-up which would land him back in hospital again. The mum has started up a GoFundMe page to help with costs of her son's care after she was forced to resign from her bartending job. Henry was woken up after two days where his breathing tubes were taken out which gave Ms Norton the 'best feeling of being able to hold your baby and give him a bottle' (pictured) 'It was pretty overwhelming - you've got 14 people in a room working on your son whose sedated, it's quite full on,' Ms Norton said (pictured, Henry sedated in ICU) Funds raised will also support the family with hotel stays during their trips back and forth to Melbourne. They hope to eventually gain access to Ronald McDonald House accommodation once it becomes available. Meanwhile, the couple were told by doctors the boy can go on to live a regular life as long as he keeps up the treatment and doesn't miss a dose. 'Our goal is for him to live a typical life and to raise some awareness for this disease,' she said. The crowdfunding page has so far garnered $4,070 in support. After comedian Hari Kondabolu dropped a documentary criticizing the stereotypical character, Azaria realized harm was being done through his work The Simpsons star Hank Azaria said he regrets playing his character Apu, despite previously admitting that he deliberately made the Indian Kwik-e-Mart owner's accent as offensive as possible. The American actor, 59, who is white, started voicing Apu in 1989, although the character has since been phased out in recent years. Azaria - who also voices Moe Szylak, Chief Wiggum and Comic Book Guy - was asked by the creators if he was able to do an Indian voice and to make it as offensive as possible. 'Right away, they were like: "Can you do an Indian voice and how offensive can you make?"' he claimed in 2007. When he pointed out the accent was stereotypical, he was told it was 'alright.' Ten years later, Indian comedian Hari Kondabolu called the actor out in his documentary, The Problem With Apu. Kondabolu asked others of Indian descent if they had been called Apu before and everyone in the small group raised their hand. Dana Gould told Kondabolu in his documentary that there are 'accents that by their nature to white Americans sound funny,' which the comedian branded as 'racist.' Now, Azaria has admitted he regrets playing the character. Hank Azaria, 59, who is white, started playing Apu in 1989 after doing other voicework on The Simpsons. He admitted in 2007, that the creators asked him to an Indian accent and make it as offensive as possible Ten years later, Indian comedian Hari Kondabolu (left) called the actor out in his documentary, The Problem With Apu, calling out the white actor for creating an Indian stereotype. The documentary forced Azaria to realize that he had cause 'harm' through his character He started on the show in his early 20s, playing Moe the bartender and also contributed as the voice of Chief Wiggum. 'And then that week or the following week, there was an Apu line and it was just written as clerk. And the producer - the director I was working with at the time said: "Can you do an Indian accent?" And I said: "Well, I can try and did my version of an Indian accent," and that was it,' Azaria, whose Jewish family reigns from Greece, said on NPR's Code Switch podcast. 'The only really Indian accent that I had context for, apart from guys who worked at the 7-Eleven that I was near in LA, was Peter Sellers in The Party,' he continued. 'It was an homage to that, you know, one of my heroes.' Kondabolu had approached Azaria to be in his documentary, which he declined, but at the time the Apu actor didn't even know if his imitation was offensive at all. 'All of that's in Hari's documentary and what he - and in his routine and what he talks about. And other things he talks about, too - I was like: "Is that real?"' he said of the outrage over a white man playing an Indian character. 'I wasn't sure.' Azaria (pictured in 2007) admitted he didn't realize how many people took issue with Apu until after 'I watched the doc' and said the character was just the 'tip of the iceberg' The filmmaker brought up that he faced criticism for the documentary, but he wasn't the only person of Indian decent that had taken issue with it. 'That's funny, even after the documentary, people still say because one guy had an issue with it, he wanted to do something with his career so he put this out there. I'm like, if you saw the documentary, it wasn't just me. Like, I got Aziz, Hasan Minhaj...' Azaria admitted he didn't realize how many people took issue with Apu until after 'I watched the doc' and said the character was just the 'tip of the iceberg.' 'It's symbolic of a much larger dynamic. If nothing else, watching the doc, I was like: "Oh, I admire all these performers. A character I did - I, like, hindered them? I caused them pain? I actually actively made their path harder? That sucks.' 'That was one of the first things that really came home to me and made me go: "Okay, that's real. That would be real."' Kondabolu even said if he had heard 'Hank Azaria do that voice at a party, I would kick the s*** out of him.' Now he said he's grateful for the comedian to have pushed him to discuss the topic, saying: 'I'm so grateful for having - for Hari, you pushing - dragging me and pushing me...into this conversation' The comedian said he was 'upset' when Azaria declined to be apart of his documentary, but the Simpsons actor said he was 'afraid' to appear on it. 'I was really freaked out,' he said on the NPR podcast. 'I don't know if I would have felt safe to have the conversation privately, let alone roll them, you know, we're going to record it.' Now he said he's grateful for the comedian to have pushed him to discuss the topic, saying: 'I'm so grateful for having - for Hari, you pushing - dragging me and pushing me...into this conversation.' 'It means a lot for you to say that,' Kondabolu responded. Although Azaria admitted the film was 'still so personally embarrassing to me,' but understood it was 'a drop in the ocean compared to what [Kondabolu]' went through. 'Through my role in Apu and what I created in the Hollywood messaging...I helped to create a pretty marginalizing, dehumanizing stereotype,' he said. Official documents about a 1.3billion Royal Navy 'nuclear submarine' were reportedly found on the floor of a Wetherspoons toilet cubicle. It's understood that the files carrying information about HMS Anson - dubbed by the Government as 'one of the most sophisticated underwater vessels ever built' - were left in the toilets of The Furness Railway in Barrow, Cumbria. The Sun claimed that the documents showed the inner workings of the submarine and were used by submariners learning how to isolate and depressurise elements of its system. However, the Royal Navy has said the papers were generic resources and did not contain any classified information. A source told the MailOnline the documents did not contain information specific to that submarine. Official documents about 1.3billion Royal Navy 'nuclear submarine' HMS Anson (pictured) were reportedly found on the floor of a Wetherspoons toilet cubicle It's claimed the files carrying information about HMS Anson were left in the toilets of The Furness Railway (pictured) in Barrow, Cumbria The pub was packed when the files, marked 'official sensitive', were discovered on the floor of a cubicle, according to The Sun. A source told the outlet: 'It was quite a lively night. The pub was full of people from the docks military and civilian. I went into the toilet and the plans were lying on the floor of the cubicle with the lanyard. 'Anyone could have found them.' The Furness Railway is a short distance from a BAE systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, where the submarine has previously been pictured. Named after Admiral George Anson, HMS Anson is the fifth of the new Astute-class attack submarines to join the Royal Navy fleet. The vessels are capable of firing tomahawk missiles and described as the 'largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines' ever used in the navy on its website. Powered by a Rolls-Royce nuclear reactor, the boat can also operate for 25 years without refuelling. When the submarine departed Barrow-in-Furness for sea trials in Clyde in February, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: 'HMS Anson will play a vital role in defending the UK, providing a competitive edge for decades to come, and I am proud to see her make her journey up to her permanent home on the Clyde. 'Supporting tens of thousands of jobs across the UK, our Astute-Class submarines are a leading example of our commitment to defence manufacturing, continuing to boost British industry for decades to come.' The vessels are capable of firing tomahawk missiles and described as the 'largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines' ever used in the navy. (file image of a tomahawk missile) The Furness Railway (pictured) is a short distance from a BAE systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, where the submarine has previously been seen A naval source said: 'These documents enable submariners and contractors to understand how systems interact. They do not detail how they work, just that they exist.' They added that the files only contained simplistic designs of the systems on board, without revealing how they work. A Royal Navy spokesman said: 'These are generic training documents that carry no classified information. 'However, we take all security matters extremely seriously and will investigate the circumstances of their discovery.' A senior female MP was forced to endure a social services investigation after an online troll thought he was 'entitled' to the view that her children should be put into care. Stella Creasy, 46, was told by police that they would not impose criminal sanctions on her tormentor, who pounded her office with emails because he disagreed with her political views. Leicestershire Police said the harasser had legitimate right to make a social services referral because he disagreed with Creasy's opinions on misogyny, even though he lacked evidence against the MP. Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow in east London, told The Times that the police's response gave other trolls the 'green light' to target the families of those in the public eye merely because they do not like them. Creasy's harasser used the alias 'Lance Jones' and carried no personal connection to the politician or her children. Stella Creasy, 46, the Labour MP for Walthamstow in east London, was forced to endure a social services investigation after an online troll tried to have her children taken away from her Creasy was told by police that they would not impose criminal sanctions on her tormentor, who pounded her office with emails because he was 'entitled' to the view that her children should be put into care He complained about the MP's campaigns against misogyny and violence against women, as well as her call to be allowed to take her breastfed baby into the voting chamber. Creasy was made the subject of a safe-guarding review by her local council in November. Although the politician was cleared, and her tormenter was referred to police over harassment concerns, the council has been legally stopped from expunging the complaint about her 'anti-man views' from its official record. A sergeant told Creasy that Jones was 'legally entitled to show concerns to social care', commenting: 'He did this because he has concerns that if your views are communicated to your children then they will become extreme.' Meanwhile, the force concluded that while Jones's emails caused distress to the politician, there was 'no direct verbal or physical threat'. Creasy has spoken her mind on a plethora of women's issues, from calling for misogyny to be made a hate crime to wanting improved maternity cover for MPs It comes after Reality TV star Ashley James recalled the horrific moment her 'world came crashing down' as she discovered she'd been reported to social services by cruel internet trolls It explained the case had been reviewed by a detective inspector, and did not meet the requirements for criminal charges of harassment. Creasy is now calling for malicious reports to social services to be treated as seriously as a false report to police, which involves the offence of wasting police time or perverting the course of justice. Creasy's difficulty comes after reality TV star Ashley James claimed her 'world came crashing down' when she was contacted by social services who wanted to discuss her young family following false reports by online trolls. The former Made In Chelsea star told in 2022 that she was left 'sick' at the allegations as she received a letter expressing 'concerns' about her family. Giving an update on the ordeal, which occurred in October last year, Ashley told how her case has since been closed before slamming trolls for 'taking away vital resources' from vulnerable children' who are at risk of abuse or neglect. Creasy has spoken her mind on a plethora of women's issues, from calling for misogyny to be made a hate crime to wanting improved maternity cover for MPs. In the case concerning her children, Jones contacted Waltham Forest Council, in east London, to suggest Creasy's children be taken away from her. The council is legally entitled to keep a record, the file is controlled and it is marked to emphasise it was a baseless complaint. A spokesperson for Waltham Forest council told MailOnline: 'All safeguarding allegations are dealt with in line with the national legislation. We have a duty to treat each case seriously and ensure the statutory process is followed.' A spokesperson for Leicestershire Police told MailOnline: 'Leicestershire Police has carried out a full investigation into a number of e-mails which have been sent by a person to an MP. 'The content of some of the e-mails sent has understandably caused upset and distress to the MP concerned. 'No direct verbal or physical threat was found to have been made in the e-mails.' They added: 'Contact was made by Sergeant Ryan Coleman with the victim after dissatisfaction was expressed by the victim regarding this outcome decision. 'Sgt Coleman provided further explanation regarding the decision and offered to speak with the victim and answer any further questions. He also requested for the investigation to be reviewed by Detective Inspector Louise Rooke. 'DI Rooke agreed with the original decision made. No report of further unwanted contact to the victim has been received at this stage. If any further unwanted contact is made, this will be further fully investigated. 'Leicestershire Police takes any report of harassment extremely seriously and will carry out a full investigation into the report and take the appropriate action. The force remains fully committed to keeping women and girls safe, listening to concerns and tackling violence. 'Sgt Coleman is a proactive member of our force in relation to tackling Violence Against Women and Girls including supporting victims of offences, encouraging conversations among the workforce in relation to VAWG and supporting the Women in Policing network.' Rail union barons have been criticised by their own members after targeting the FA Cup Final, Epsom Derby and Eurovision with strikes. RMT workers said they could not afford to continue striking because of the 18 walkouts called by the union since last June. Aslef, the train drivers' union, is due to strike on May 12, May 31 and June 3. The last date coincides with the FA Cup Final and the Epsom Derby. The RMT, which represents rail workers, said members will strike on May 13 the day of the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. Yesterday RMT bosses faced a backlash online, including from their own members. One posted on Twitter: 'I'm not sure how much support you will get from members. Some... at my depot have lost money hand over fist and can't afford to lose even more.' The RMT, which represents rail workers, said members will strike on May 13 the day of the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. Another posted: 'Why wasn't this put to the members to vote on?' The RMT snubbed a 9 per cent pay rise over two years for 20,000 staff who work for 14 train firms. It has refused to put the offer to members in a vote. Dave Chappelle has been likened to Donald Trump by at least one resident in his Ohio hometown for his ability to divide people, amid an ongoing row about the millionaire comedian buying up property. Chappelle, 49, was born in Washington DC but spent his summers with his father in Yellow Springs, Ohio - home to 3,700 people. In the early 2000s Chappelle returned to the Buckeye State and in 2005 bought a 3,150-square-foot, three bedroom home amid 39 acres for $309,000. Several townspeople told Bloomberg that they're not too pleased with their A-list neighbor, saying Chappelle was 'a force that's turning us into the place that we're all trying to stay away from.' Another added: 'Dave's got to be the biggest contentious thing that I've ever seen pit neighbor against neighbor.' Some residents took issue with him seemingly using his star power to bulldoze any questioning of his plans. 'If you close ranks, and then you decimate anybody that speaks against an idea you have, then how does that inform community, or build community, and how does that save a community?' asked one. Several more, according to Bloomberg, compared Chappelle to Trump because he would 'never apologize, double down and blame the other person.' Chappelle himself has addressed the controversies - sometimes in his shows. Signs saying 'Thanks, Dave' are dotted around the town. Megastar comedian has been living in Yellow Springs, Ohio, since the mid-2000s This is the controversial Wirrig Pavilion in Yellow Springs where Chappelle began holding shows during the Covid-19 pandemic The school house, built in 1872, was bought by Chappelle in 2020 The comedian plans to turn the building into the new home of local radio station WYSO Chappelle also intends on turning the old fire house into a comedy club The club will be equipped with a full bar, fire pets and a neon facsimile of Chappelle During the pandemic, Chappelle, believed to be worth $60 million, begun hosting concerts and shows at the Wirrig Pavilion, a wooden gazebo that sits on 34 acres of grass and trees. Some neighbors objected to the agricultural land being used for shows, and multiple council meetings were held. Other locals took issue with his buying up 20 properties, ranging from a former schoolhouse and firehouse to shops and residential homes. Chappelle is working to turn several of them into venues or performing art spaces. 'My town was dying,' he said on Saturday Night Live in November 2020. 'I did shows in my neighbor's cornfield, and these shows were very successful and may have even helped save the town.' Some locals agreed: Brittany Baum, a business owner, wrote in a letter to the zoning board that the pandemic performances 'brought magic and energy at a time when we needed it the most.' A local accountant, Matthew Cole, wrote: 'A few local businesses would not exist today if it weren't for the shows.' Chappelle commissioned a report which claimed that the events generated $12 million in direct and indirect economic activity for the state of Ohio, including $4 million for the village. 'The local farmers, my neighbors, started to complain that my shows were too noisyin a cornfield!' He described the ensuing town meeting as 'embarrassing' and said, 'I resented it, I resented that these country farmers could decide a guy like me's fate. People don't deserve to do that. They haven't seen enough. They don't know anything.' Chappelle's recent purchases include the former fire station, bought in September 2020 to turn into a comedy club. Three months later he bought the historic Union School House for $480,000, intending to turn the 1872 building into the home of local radio station WYSO. He has also bought up a swathe of residential and commercial buildings in the town. In November 2020 he turned down the opportunity to buy 53 acres of land next to his property, and the plot went to Oberer Land Developers, a regional homebuilder, for $1.7 million. Dave Chappelle is pictured center with rappers Dres (left) and Pos (right) from De La Soul on March 2 in New York. Chappelle's actions in his Ohio hometown have divided the community Chappelle hosted a series of pandemic shows at the Wirrig Pavilion in Yellow Springs - to the anger of some locals, but to the delight of others Chappelle is seen in June 2020 on stage at the Wirrig Pavilion Chappelle on Friday appeared unimpressed by Bloomberg's reporting Signs supporting Chappelle are seen in Yellow Springs, Ohio Chappelle has bought up this purple-fronted building, which was formerly the Earth Rose gift shop Chappelle also owns the Smoking Octopus, which sells Chappelle merchandise Oberer worked with the village of Yellow Springs to design a residential development that would include 64 single-family homes, 52 duplexes and 24 townhomes, with prices starting in the mid-$200,000s, Bloomberg reported. Oberer would also donate 1.75 acres to the village where up to 30 affordable housing units could one day be built. Yet in February 2022, Chappelle attended a virtual meeting and railed against the plan. Supporters said it would ultimately lead to lower prices. 'The fact that we stopped development for decades is why we're in the problem we have with a lack of housing, a lack of diversity and a lack of availability,' said one. Chappelle told the meeting he was angry that his plans for the town were seeming to take longer to gain approval. 'I cannot believe you would make me auditionfor you,' he said, and threatened to withdraw all his investment. 'You look like clowns. I am not bluffing. I will take it all off the table. That's all. Thank you.' Earlier this month, Chappelle himself bought the site. He told Bloomberg: 'With the decline of Antioch College several years ago, Yellow Springs lost its cultural anchor. 'My interest has always been in restoring the cultural and creative economy Antioch helped to foster and which made Yellow Springs a haven for art, music, culture and academia.' 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 Adorable pictures captured the moment a police therapy dog befriended a polar bear named Lee while visiting an Ohio zoo. Handsome four-legged Otto was visiting the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium when he became mesmerized by the white bear swimming underwater last week. Looking at Lee through the glass, Otto gleamed as he came face-to-face with the sea bear. 'It looks like Therapy K9 Otto has a new friend,' Delaware County Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook. An adorable K-9 named Otto befriend a polar beer at an Ohio Zoo last week. The two were seen in a series of photos staring face to face in amazement Handsome four-legged Otto was visiting the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium when he became mesmerized by the white bear swimming underwater Otto was seem beaming in a series of photos while on a leash held by Deputy Cox. The two appeared to have met a Delaware student for her capstone project. In one photo, the calm therapy dog sat gracefully as Lee swam close by behind the water. 'Thx to Ashley, a student @DelawareAreaCC in the career tech education zoo program, for sharing these from her capstone project,' police wrote on social media. According to the zoo, Lee arrived in 2018 and had his first baby cub named Kulu. His son was mothered by another beloved polar bear, Aurora. But, the now 23-year-old polar bear was then transferred in 2020 to the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky to ensure space was secured for Aurora's additional offspring. Lee made his grand return back to Ohio this year. Meanwhile, his son moved to a zoo in Minnesota in 2021. Zoo officials planned on reintroducing Aurora and Lee in hopes of more offspring after he a mandatory quarantine. The Ohio zoo is known for their polar bear breeding program and have successfully five cubs since 2015. They have since been moved to zoo's across the US, including in Oregon, Missouri and Utah. Otto was seem beaming in a series of photos while on a leash held by Deputy Cox An Australian man accused of wreaking havoc on an Indonesian surf trip has claimed he did not feel like himself during the incident. Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones, 23, from Noosa in Queensland, was arrested at the Lantik Moonbeach Resort on Simeulue Island off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra after allegedly attacking locals during a drunken rampage on Thursday morning. He is accused of knocking one man off his motorbike, leaving him with a gaping leg wound that needed 50 stitches and a broken bone. Speaking outside of prison and flanked by officers, Risby-Jones said: 'I feel like, not myself.' 'Like, almost possessed, it was not a good feeling,' he said. 'I wasn't myself, normally I'm a very nice guy.' Police allege that Risby-Jones left his hotel room naked and drunk on vodka before assaulting a security guard and then the motorcyclist. Risby-Jones disputes the claim he was drunk, instead claiming he had only one shot of vodka that was exacerbated by sunstroke he'd received while surfing. 'We were at the pool, and we had a duty-free bottle of vodka. I only had one shot, just one shot,' he claimed to the ABC. He also claims that he was not naked but was instead wearing underwear. It's alleged he fled to the beach when a mob of locals formed to apprehend him before he was assaulted and a citizens' arrest performed. 'I've got hit a lot of times on the ground, people kicked my head, made me forget,' Risby-Jones said of being apprehended by locals. According to Simeulue police chief, detective Mayyuhdi, Rhys-Jones was on the surfing trip because 'he was depressed'. 'According to the people who were present at the scene, Bodhi went out of his room completely naked and yelling and causing a ruckus,' he said. 'The people there tried to stop him, but Bodhi hit one of them instead.' The island of Simeulue is a surfing hotspot that happens to be a part of Aceh, the only province ruled under strict Sharia Law. Speaking outside of prison, 23-year-old Noosa man Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones (pictured) said he didn't feel like himself during an alleged drunken rampage on an Indonesian surfing trip He was arrested on Thursday morning after allegedly assaulting a security guard and a motorcyclist who needed 50 stitches for a gash on his ankle Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had not been briefed when questioned about the incident on Saturday. 'I don't make comments about things that have happened overseas without being briefed,' he said. 'But DFAT, when incidents occur, DFAT do a very good job.' Risby-Jones is facing two-and-a-half years imprisonment if the motorcyclist's injuries are considered minor, or five-years imprisonment if they are considered major. He may also be tried under Sharia Law over the charge of drinking alcohol which is illegal for Muslins and non-Muslims in the province, in which case he faces being caned 40 times. Police can keep Rhys-Jones in custody for 20 days while they investigate. The legal stoush between the parents of missing fraudster Melissa Caddick and the victims their daughter ripped off over funds from her estate threatens to reach new heights. Caddick's elderly parents, Barb and Ted Grimley, have foreshadowed legal action against Jones Partners, the court-appointed receivers handling Caddick's estate. Caddick disappeared in November, 2020, just hours after her house was raided by the corporate regulator ASIC over an extensive Ponzi scheme she had been running. In February, 2021, the partial remains of the then 49-year-old washed up on a remote beach south of Tathra, on the New South Wales south coast. Melissa Caddick disappeared in November 2020, just hours after her house was raided by the corporate regulator ASIC in relation to an extensive Ponzi scheme she had been running Representing the Grimley's, Barrister Robert Newlinds, SC, told the Federal Court on Friday that his clients want the receivers to pay the interest on the mortgage of his clients' Edgecliff apartment, The Age has revealed. He said this was because the receivers, Bruce Gleeson and Daniel Soire of Jones Partners, were not complying with a previous court order. Last July, Justice Brigitte Markovic granted the application from the receivers to use money from the sale of Caddick's Dover Heights house to discharge the mortgage on an Edgecliff apartment. The receivers have been entangled in an ongoing battle with the Grimleys over the Edgecliff property, which was purchased by Caddick using stolen funds for $2.55million in 2016. A substantial mortgage on the property remains unpaid since her disappearance and has amassed default interest penalties. The Grimleys claim they had an agreement with Caddick to be able to live in the Edgecliff apartment rent-free for the rest of their lives. They have also claimed they have a 37 per cent interest in the property as they gave their daughter $1.1million to pay down the mortgage. Barb and Ted Grimley have been engaged in an ongoing legal battle with court-appointed receivers over Caddick's Edgecliff property The court has previously heard that Caddick spent her parents' funds maintaining her own extravagant lifestyle. Newlinds wants the receivers to pay the interest on the mortgage from January when the Dover Heights property sold for $9.8million. Vanessa Whittaker, SC, representing the receivers, told the court that since that application was granted to pay down the Edgecliff mortgage, affected investors in Caddick's scheme had joined forces to have their interests heard. Last month, Nicholas Owens, SC, made a surprise appearance in the ongoing matter, telling the Federal Court that the group, which is being represented by 'Investor A', is contesting the Grimleys' claim that they should be favoured. The investor group has indicated that they will equally share whatever funds are accumulated from Caddick's estate. Melissa Caddick pictured in her home during a raid in 2020 Whittaker told the court that it had become 'very apparent that a very serious dispute exists' between the Grimleys and the other investors about whether or not the Edgecliff mortgage should be paid from the Dover Heights proceeds. The matter will return to court next week, with the parties telling the judge they are hopeful of a breakthrough at a mediation to be held on Wednesday. The findings of a coronial inquest, which were due to be handed down this week, have been delayed until May 25. The corporate watchdog said Caddick misappropriated investor money to fund her lavish lifestyle, with investigators seizing luxury items including jewellery, watches, designer clothing and shoes from her property. She was declared dead four months after her disappearance in February, 2021 when a decaying foot was found on a beach. Since her disappearance, Jones Partners have unveiled the extent of the conwoman's scam. A celebrated Black Lives Matter activist ruined a white student's life by claiming she heard her threaten to run them over - only to later admit she may have misheard. Zyahna Bryant, then 19, claimed she heard fellow University of Virginia student Morgan Bettinger threaten protesters by saying they'd 'make good speedbumps,' in July 2020 while George Floyd protests took place in Charlottesville. Although Bettinger did admit during a student misconduct trial that she had said something similar to a truck driver that was blocking the road, she insists she hadn't said it as a threat. She claims she said words to the effect of: 'It's a good thing that you are here, because otherwise these people would have been speed bumps,' Reason magazine reported. Bettinger - whose late father was a police officer - says she had merely been sharing her relief that the unnamed truck driver was there to protect the protesters. She says she did so because she was happy his presence lessened the chances of a repeat of the infamous 2017 Unite the Right rally in the city, which saw anti-racist protester Heather Heyer run over and murdered by a white supremacist. But Bryant initially insisted on Twitter that Bettinger had indeed threatened her and others, even though it was later claimed she'd only been told about the speed bumps comment second hand. She tweeted: 'The woman in this truck approached protesters in #Charlottesville, and told us that we would make 'good speedbumps. 'She then called the police and started crying saying we were attacking her.' Zyahna Bryant, 22, claimed she heard fellow University of Virginia student Morgan Bettinger threaten protesters by saying they'd 'make good speed bumps,' in July 2020 Bettinger is pictured in her car during the July 2020 protest. She insists she told a trucker blocking the road she was glad he was there to avoid a repeat of the 2017 Unite the Right rally, when a white supremacist struck and killed anti-racism protester Heather Heyer. But Bryant claimed Bettinger had suggested she wished to harm George Floyd protesters The allegation - on a profile that's now set to private - spread like wildfire. Bettinger was quickly identified, with the revelation that she was pro-police - and with a late father who'd worked as a cop - further outraging her critics. Bryant and others calling for a severe punishment or expulsion to be meted out to Bettinger. Bryant embarked on an email campaign to have Bettinger expelled, tweeting: 'EMAIL these UVA deans now to demand that Morgan face consequences for her actions and that UVA stop graduating racists.' Bettinger was subsequently shunned at college, and even stalked around her hometown, making her fear for her safety. UVA's Judiciary Committee later found Bettinger guilty of making a legitimate threat, despite being unable to prove Bryant's claim about her intentions. Its 'jurors' told her that even saying the words in a harmless manner during the anti-racism protests of summer 2020 merited punishment. Bryant also filed a complaint with the school's Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (EOCR), where the student activist claimed Bettinger had made the statement five times and had discriminated against Bryant on the basis of race. EOCR found that three of the five accusations could not be corroborated and Bryant herself later admitted she may have misheard the 'speed bumps' claim she attributed to Bettinger, which saw her reputation destroyed. Most damningly, the report - which was brought forth because of Bryant's complaint - found that the activist mostly likely did not heard Bettinger make the comment first hand. No eyewitnesses were able to corroborate Bryant's version of events. 'Based on Bryant's immediate and surprised tone following the second third party's reply, EOCR finds it more likely than not that it was at that moment Bryant first learned that [Bettinger] made a statement about protestors making speed bumps,' the report, obtained by Reason, stated. Video evidence does not show the moment Bettinger made the comment, but it does show the aftermath of protesters banging on her car, yelling obscenities at her, and making fun of her for crying as she called her mother and the police. Despite EOCR's report basically exonerating Bettinger, the UJC's ruling still stads. Bettinger's lawyer Charles Weber has sent a letter to the President to overrule it, which was ignored. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) also sent a letter, which President Jim Ryan said it would be 'inappropriate for me to intervene in a case that has been properly adjudicated.' Her reputation is beyond repair and UJC's ruling is still on her permanent record - ruining the now-graduate's chances at law school. Bettinger is now considering filing a lawsuit. 'This whole situation has had a huge impact on my life,' Bettinger told Reason. 'the university has never had to answer for what their actions have done.' But there were no such consequences for Bryant, despite the apparent flimsiness of her life-destroying claims. She was the subject of a glowing Washington Post profile in 2021, made Ebony magazine's Power 100 list and even starred in a Juneteenth post on Instagram's official page. It all started after Bettinger mistakenly drove down a blocked road and it ended with a series of damning tweets Video evidence does not show the moment Bettinger made the comment, but it does show the aftermath of protesters banging on her car, yelling obscenities at her, and making fun of her for crying as she called her mother and the police Almost immediately after the incident (pictured), Bryant took to Twitter to discuss the encounter, which gain thousands of retweets in a short period of time On July 17, 2020, Bettinger was driving from work down East High Street when she saw a dump truck blocking the road. The then-student said she didn't believe the truck was completely blocking the intersection so she drove around it. When she realized the road was blocked, she claimed she was unable to turn around. She parked and got out and that when the truck driver called her over. 'I had no interest in walking over to him to speak to him, but out of being polite, when he spoke to me I answered,' she told police, according to Reason. They had a brief conservation and that's when the driver claimed Bettinger said: 'It's a good thing that you are here, because otherwise these people would have been speed bumps.' She admitted she had said something similar, but meant it more in a way of saying thank you, rather than a direct threat toward the Black Lives Matter protesters. 'It was simply a comment made to a [dump] truck driver who was sitting and blocking the road, and just saying, like: "It's good you're here,"' she said, according to Reason. Afterward, she walked around the truck to get a look at the protesters who noticed her and began to film. She snapped a photo and returned to her car to call her mother, but a few of the protesters began to follow her. 'With the one woman hitting on my car and other people shouting and starting to threaten me, I didn't know what was going to happen,' Bettinger said, according to Reason. Bettinger, who's late father was a cop, called 911 and eventually an unmarked police van showed up. While waiting on police, she was able to back her car up one street while protesters continued to yell, including Bryant, who screamed: 'It's a Karen, it's a Karen!' Bettinger was snapped on the phone while in her carin July 2020, as screaming Black Lives Matter protesters heckled her from outside Moments later, police removed her from situation and allowed her to drive a few blocks away before interviewing her. 'I was physically shaking and very taken aback by the whole experience,' Bettinger said. Almost immediately, Bryant took to Twitter to discuss the encounter, which gained thousands of retweets in a short period of time. Bettinger was quickly identified - and a frenzied mob began attacking her reputation. Bettinger said she wasn't even aware of the Twitter frenzy until her friend sent her a link to it and asked if she was okay. The activist's Twitter thread garnered a lot of hatred toward Bettinger, with people posting the student's Facebook account, photos of her profile picture with the Blue Lives Matter banner, and photos of her and her later father in his uniform. She was branded a Nazi, with journalist Molly Conger tweeting: 'if you know this karen, please take her keys. if she feels the overwhelming need to run people over, she shouldnt be driving.' Journalist Molly Conger was among those condemning Bettinger, despite two panels later ruling the claims made against her could not be corroborated Other local news outlets gave the story further gravitas by reporting on the incident as if the facts of what Bryant allege happened had been proven. Critics called for Bettinger's expulsion and demanded the school stop graduating 'racists' and demanded her license being taken away. Her own classmates didn't want to be in the same virtual classroom as home and tired to get her kicked out of her major. One of her classes became asynchronous. The school's director of the political philosophy, policy, and law program - which Bettinger majored in - condemned her student's alleged incident. 'Regardless of whether your classmate made the remark, and whatever one's views on the legal limits of free speech, its substance and import must be unconditionally condemned.No academic institution or program dedicated to free and open reflection on our deepest public disagreements can condone such an attitude,' the teacher said, according to Reason. A student panel found Bettinger guilty, despite being unable to fully collaborate she had made the remark - sanctioning and nearly expelling her Bettinger's late father (pictured together) was a cop - something many critics zoned in on The September 25, 2020, UJC hearing was filled with a student-elected jury, real lawyers, student counselors, and two woman who haven't been in the same room since the protest. The student judges had to be filled in what the legal definition of threat prior to the hours-long trial in order to give her an accurate hearing. They were also given 'panel instructions' to follow, which would later prove to be confusing and her attorney would take issue with it. When Bettinger arrived for the 5pm hearing, her lawyer, counselor, and Bryant's lawyer and counselor was pulled into a meeting to discuss the instruction, but it was later dismissed and the panel continued with the instructions they were given. Despite knowing she had a 'solid case,' Bettinger was admittedly nervous. She ended up losing her case, despite Bryant's witnesses not able to fully collaborate that Bryant's tale that the student threatened them. However, one thing was glaring to Bettinger: The panel hadn't said she lied. In their single paragraph ruling, the student jury wrote: 'We the judges of this trial panel find that your actions on July 17th were shameful and put members of the community at risk. You yourself acknowledged saying "it's a good thing you are here because, otherwise, these people would have been speed bumps."' They did not take into account the harmless context in which Bettinger insists she made the remarks. Bettigner would attempt appeal the panel's decision. Bryant's second compliant with the EOCR called out a glaring error in the activist's tale - despite around 30 people witnessing the event, no one could collaborate that Bettinger referred to them as 'speed bumps' The EOCR's investigation was completed by June 2021. It found that three of five alleged times Bettinger referred to the protesters as 'speed bumps,' couldn't be collaborated at all. The only one that had enough evidence was when Bettinger said it the truck driver, which was collaborated through the police report. The other alleged incident was supported by another witness, but the report said the person contradicted themselves and Bryant later changed her mind and admitted she may have heard the statement wrong. It also found that the activist more than likely hadn't heard Bettinger say the words at all, but rather heard it from someone else who heard it from someone else. 'Based on Bryant's immediate and surprised tone following the second third party's reply, EOCR finds it more likely than not that it was at that moment Bryant first learned that [Bettinger] made a statement about protestors making speed bumps,' the report said. Despite the report, her future is still in limbo and her dreams of being a lawyer feel farther than reach. A popular tenured English professor at Wake Forest University in North Carolina has been placed on leave after posting online naked photos of himself masturbating. Dr Omaar Hena had been posting the images for the last seven years, faculty members told student newspaper Old Gold & Black. In early February, rumors about the images began circulating on the campus social media app Fizz. Old Gold & Black suggested Hena may have realized his students were aware of the nudes, but left them online anyway. They now appear to have been deleted. Just a few weeks later, Hena, who has taught at the university for 15 years, was put on leave of absence. Neither the university nor Hena has commented on the decision. Dr Omaar Hena taught at Wake Forest University in North Carolina for 15 years. He has now been placed on leave after explicit images of him emerged online Hena shared graphic photos and videos on Reddit, and milder suggestive content on Instagram After the campus rumors spread, many students began following Hena on Instagram - where some of the explicit images were posted. Hena even struck up conversations with some students, it's alleged. According to the Old Gold & Black report, one sophomore was messaged by Hena on February 10 at 6:40pm, with the professor saying: 'Thanks so much for following!' with a purple heart emoji. The student replied: 'of course!' Hena responded: 'Love your queer energy. And I've been a fan of wake radio people forever' with purple heart, sparkle and rainbow emojis. The pair continued to chat, and Hena told the student he would be willing to 'meet up for a drink' with her and 'any folks' in Wake Radio. One of Hena's Instagram photos shows him dressed as Aladdin in a classroom, captioned: 'I can show you the world.' A commenter, @janescluesman, wrote 'Has anyone asked for a magic carpet ride yet?' He replied: 'OMFGG I wish!!!' Hena's Reddit posts were significantly more explicit, with video of him naked, seen by the student newspaper. Old Gold & Black reported he was filmed fondling his genitals while looking into the camera. Photos contain suggestive captions such as 'wanna ride?' or 'dirty dirty boy'. University policy states: 'Faculty are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with generally accepted standards of conduct and behavior for the profession.' Wake Forest University is a private university in Winston-Salem, founded in 1834 Hena is pictured in London. He has not commented on his being placed on leave, and his future is uncertain Some students expressed anger at Hena's absence. One user posted: 'F*** y'all for getting Omaar Hena fired. 'Even though he posts heinous things, it's his choice, and he was by far the best professor I've had at this school.' Another user wrote: 'Let's all go on strike to bring Omaar Hena back.' In a February 2023 post on Rate My Professors, dug out by Old Gold & Black, a student gave Hena a maximum five rating and commented: 'His online persona is inappropriate, however, he is a great professor with great insight on the topics he teaches.' Others disagreed. One student on Rate My Professors gave Hena the lowest possible score, and commented '@omaarcomin Very inappropriate Instagram.' A Texas woman with an extensive marriage record was charged with murdering her fifth husband by poisoning him with insulin - four years after she shot her ex-fiance dead. Sarah Hartsfield, 48, is accused of killing her diabetic husband Joseph Hartsfield in January by poisoning him with high levels of insulin and failing to call 911 until about six hours later. Investigators ruled the 46-year-old's death was a result of foul play and uncovered Hartsfield's sweeping dating history that was supposedly filled with abuse, threats and arrests on charges of assault. As Hartsfield sits behind bars at the Chambers County Jail, ABC Houston reported that Minnesota investigators have re-opened the case of her dead fiance David Bragg, who she shot dead in 'self-defense' back in 2018. The accused woman's children and living ex-husbands have since come forward - claiming they knew 'she'd end up in jail someday.' Sarah Hartsfield, 48, allegedly killed her diabetic fifth husband with insulin in January. Pictured: Hartsfield at the time of her February arrest Hartsfield is accused of killing Joseph Hartsfield by poisoning him with high levels of insulin and failing to call 911 until about six hours later. Pictured: Joseph Hartsfield While Hartsfield was arrested in February, it wasn't her first time behind bars. She was arrested on March 11, 1996, for assaulting her second husband, Michael Traxler, at their home located on Rio Bonito, according to the news outlet. At the time, Hartsfield was going by a different last name. She remained in jail for about a week until the charges were dropped for an undisclosed reason. Meanwhile, her then-husband was given a citation. It appeared Hartsfield had only been with her second husband for only a few months before her arrest. Prosecutors have explained her relationships as being 'short-lived.' Hartsfield's first husband, who she divorced in January 1996, has since come forward in relief his ex-wife could no longer hurt anyone else. Titus Knoernschild and Hartsfield were high school sweethearts. He recalled falling in love with his estranged wife in his junior year. The two tied the knot two years later. Their short-lived marriage ended with a messy divorce as Knoernschild claimed he received threats from Hartsfield and feared for his life. 'I'm glad she has finally been caught for who she is. I'm just sorry another person had to die to get her caught,' he told the news outlet. He added that Hartsfield allegedly told him to 'not be surprised if he didn't make it through' the divorce, 'I was honestly surprised to get out of my marriage alive cause I was in the army, I had a $200,000 life insurance on myself,' he said. Knoernschild confirmed his ex-spouse's second husband was his former best friend. She then went on to her third marriage in 1999 with military man Christopher Donohue. The relationship was Hartsfield's longest and she had four kids. She fatally shot her ex-fiance in 2018 in 'self-defense,' but police have since reopened the case after receiving new information Titus Knoernschild, Hartsfield's first husband, has since come forward in relief his ex-wife was behind bars and could no longer hurt anyone else. The two were high school sweethearts and married straight after high school before divorcing two years later in January 1996. Pictured: Titus Knoernschild Hartsfield's son, Ryan Donohue from her third marriage, has been vocal about his mother's arrest. The 22-year-old told NBC that he knew his mother's poor decisions would lead to her behind bars someday. 'Its unreal seeing my mom in that jumpsuit now,' Donohue told the news outlet. 'Ive waited for it my whole life.' Donohue recalled his mother being abusive toward him and his siblings when they were younger. He said his father had to jump in to protect them. 'My mom made his life a lot harder,' Donohue said while referring to his father. At times, Donohue missed school for extended periods after suffering severe bruising. Hartsfield would later apologize to her children and point the blame at their father for making her unhappy. Hartsfield's marriage to Ryan Donohue's father, Christopher, lasted a whopping 19 years until he filed for divorce in 2018 - two years after he moved to South Korea without her. Meanwhile, Hartsfield had already moved on with another military man, David Bragg, by 2017. Sarah's son, Ryan Donohue from her third marriage with Christopher Donohue, has been vocal about his mother's arrest. He recalled being abused by her as a child and skipping school due to extreme bruises Hartsfield and Bragg moved to Minnesota where Bragg had a solar contract job lined up, according to Donohue. Donohue told the news outlet that Bragg was abusive toward him when he would visit his mother. He recalled being pushed into a wall over simple issues, such as whose turn it was to use the restroom. His mother brushed off the abuse claiming he 'deserved it.' On one occasion, Bragg held a rifle to Donohue. Bragg's relationship with Hartsfield ended on May 9, 2018 when he was shot by her in their home. At a hearing in February, Hartsfield explained how Bragg believed she was leaving him for her ex-husband, who had just arrived to Minnesota from South Korea. She claimed that Bragg shot at her and nearly missed her head. That is when she allegedly shot back at him and struck him 'without aiming,' the news outlet reported. It's unclear what new evidence Minnesota investigators have received to reopen the case of Bragg's death. Joseph Hartsfield was Sarah's fifth husband. The two married in February 2022 - a year after her fourth divorce Their honeymoon phase was brief as NBC recovered Sarah's Facebook messages where she referred to her late husband as a 'nightmare.' Pictured: where Hartsfield and Joseph lived in Texas It didn't take long for Hartsfield to grieve the death of Bragg. Within a year, she found her arms wrapped around new beau David George in 2019. George worked for a gas company in Minnesota and the two lived together in the home where Hartsfield shot Bragg, according to her son. The two year marriage ended in 2021 amid allegations Hartsfield told George to kill her ex-husband, Christopher Donohue's, new wife. Shortly after, Hartsfield found herself on dating apps and in Joseph Hartsfield's bed. The two married in February 2022. Their honeymoon phase was brief as NBC recovered Sarah's Facebook messages where she referred to her late husband as a 'nightmare.' Just a month shy of their first year anniversary, Hartsfield allegedly poisoned Joseph on January 7. He died in the hospital a week later. An olive oil entrepreneur embarked on a slippery slope after he accused a rival of copying his company's squeezable bottle design. Andrew Benin, the CEO and co-founder of the upmarket brand Graza, accused his oily competitor, Brightland, of being a copy cat in an outspoken LinkedIn post. 'While friendly competition was always welcome, I do view this as a blatant disrespect and am choosing to voice my discontent,' Benin wrote while calling out and tagging the company, Brightland, and its founder, Aishwarya Iyer. 'Last week a "fine foods" brand from New Jersey called our supplier in Spain attempting to buy our exact bottle and the molds that we created, and paid for,' he explained. Benin included a picture of the offending squeeze bottle in question which markets itself as something to be drizzled over pizza. Andrew Benin, CEO and co-founder of Graza, an olive oil start-up, has accused a competitor, Brightland, of copying their squeezable bottle product Graza has become a popular brand in recent years Whole Foods now stocking the two products and food magazine Bon Appetit offering a favorable review Benin took to LinkedIn to call out rival Brightland's new olive oil, which was also packaged in a squeezy bottle and marketed as a drizzling option for pizza Benin called out Brightland olive oil founder Aishwarya Iyer '#Founders know that this day will come,' he wrote, adding, 'Personally, I think it's ok to get miffed when folks rip you off.' While some Twitter users called Benin's post 'the olive oil wars,' the spat was one-sided with neither Iyer or Brightland making any comments regarding his accusations. Benin's post was not well received online with many responding to his post taking him to task and accusing him of stirring up unnecessary drama. Some pointed out that chefs and home cooks have been using squeeze bottles for decades with even the FAQ section of Graza's website acknowledging this fact stating: 'Chefs have been using squeeze bottles in their kitchens for quite some time.' Neither Brightland or Iyer made any comment on Benin's posting calling out their bottle design Graza has become a popular brand in recent years Whole Foods now stocking the products and food magazine Bon Appetit offering a favorable review. During the holiday season, Graza faced quality and shipping issues which led to Benin penning a heartfelt email to more than 30,000 customers. His tone was vastly different during this week's rant on his LinkedIn page in which he called out '#copycat culture.' Some online users did defend Benin with Ju Rhyu, the CEO and co-founder of Hero Cosmetics saying in a tweet, 'Get used to itIt means you're achieving some level of success, if there are copycats out there. It's something that we try to definitely defend against, but it's not easy,' although she conceded his post was an 'overreaction.' A number of online users on LinkedIn criticized Benin for calling out his competitor 'This post does good for no one. Why not lift up others in the industry if you're going to post anything instead of admonish them? Especially a direct attack on a founder that's a woman of color,'' wrote Ben Kessler. 'I love Graza, have restocked multiple times, but this leaves a bad taste in my mouth that a founder would treat a competitor like this. 'Andrew, with all due respect, you did not create the squeeze bottle. Chefs and home cooks have been using it for decades. Aishwarya Iyer makes gorgeous olive oil and has for years before you started your business,' wrote sauce maker Alison Cayne. 'Damn dude. This is not it. P.S., my mom was buying squeezy bottle olive oil in 2007 (and it wasnt Graza),' added Gabrielle Mustapich. 'This post is totally off brand like, its really jarring. But more than that it completely diminishes and takes away from the *actual* moat you and the team have built,' stated Kim Steifel. Hours after his original statement, Benin posted a follow-up which saw him apologize bother to Iyer and his own team at Graza Hours after his original statement, Benin posted a follow-up which saw him apologize bother to Iyer and his own team at Graza. 'I want to apologize for letting my emotions get the best of me. I was heated, and reacted poorly, and have learned from the variety of comments that everyone has left today,' he wrote. 'Thank you to everyone for your candor, and for showing me that there was clearly a better way to address all of this.' 'Aishwarya Iyer, I am sorry for directly referencing you,' Benin stated in his lengthy mea culpa. 'As you can empathize with, I'm insanely passionate about protecting what our team has worked so hard to build. I am also sorry to our team at Graza. This was out of character for me, and there was no need to insert so much negativity into our day.' Encrypted texts have revealed local crime gangs are manipulating the cocaine market after it was flooded by international syndicates last year. The criminal cartels, including several prominent outlaw motorcycle gangs, are attempting to protect their bottom line by halting the sale of bricks of cocaine (1kg) to drive the price of the designer drug back up. The texts indicate there will be serious consequences for those that disobey orders. While the sale of bricks has been prohibited, dealers are still able to sell grams and ounces to maintain a living. Encrypted texts have revealed local cartels are manipulating the cocaine market by prohibiting the sale of 1kg bricks of cocaine until the price increases (stock image) 'To my dear brothers of the underworld I need us all to sit back and stop all supply of bricks for four weeks and let me raise the market with a bit of patience,' one of the messages reads, as reported by the Age. 'I have spoken to all parties and everyone has agreed and is happy to turn off the tap and stop these price wars! As long as we are all playing ball and are on the same page.' The price of a brick had dropped below $200,000 after a series of large imports from what is believed to be international groups. The ban on sale of bricks will only be lifted once the price rises back above $200,000. In one message, a user quotes American billionaire and stock market savant Warren Buffet. 'The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient Warren Buffett,' the message reads. The messages blamed Albanian, Canadian, South American and British crime groups for disrupting local supply with imports. 'You are coming into our country desperate to sell and get a sale, and trying to dictate our market,' another message reads. The cartels said consequences would be faced by those who go against the ban and blamed international criminal groups for flooding and manipulating the market (stock image) Threats of violence are not unfamiliar for those manipulating the cocaine market. In October of last year, a cartel known as The Commission - founded by imprisoned bikie boss Mark Buddle - warned they would be going after anyone who attempts to drop the price of the drug. 'Play ball and keep prices high and dont make mistake and ruin your lifes [sic],' the cartel wrote in a message to dealers at the time. Although the discovery of the largest cocaine shipment in the nation's history was made off the coast of West Australia in March, large shipments have still slipped across the border. That same month the cost of bricks dropped more than $100,000 to below $250,000, according an underground source for the Age. Elon Musk and Bill Maher took aim at Great Britain on Friday night, with Maher criticizing British libel laws and praising instead the free speech protections under the First Amendment. Musk, 51, was eagerly welcomed on to Maher's show, with the host tweeting that the Twitter owner was 'the guest I've wanted to have on more than any other.' The pair discussed Musk's concept of a 'Woke Mind Virus' infecting the nation, and Maher asked for his thoughts on censorship. 'In many parts of the world - including parts of the world that people might think are relatively similar to the United States - the speech laws are draconian,' said Musk. 'England is quite different,' replied Maher. Elon Musk appeared on Bill Maher's chat show on Friday night, and discussed the First Amendment and censorship Musk said that in 'parts of the world that people might think are relatively similar to the United States - the speech laws are draconian', to which Maher replied: 'England' The South African-born billionaire declined to comment, saying: 'I won't name any country but -' Maher interjected: 'England - why we protecting them. They have no First Amendment. It's very easy to prove libel in England whereas here...' Musk cut him off, saying: 'I love England.' The host replied: Me too. But I wouldn't want to say the wrong thing. Or you could be sued easier.' Musk didn't refute any of Maher's comments. England and the UK also have hate speech laws which can see people prosecuted for slurs against minority groups, while the First Amendment prevents the imposition of any such laws in America. Maher also referenced France, where it is illegal to deny the Holocaust - a law that exists also in Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Canada, and multiple other countries. Holocaust denial is not illegal in the UK, but a February 2019 landmark case saw a blogger prosecuted for the 'grossly offensive' concept. Maher said he found denying the Holocaust 'abhorrent', but he thought it should be protected under the First Amendment. Maher said he felt British libel laws were too strict, and he preferred the freedom of speech protected under the First Amendment 'I really can't emphasize this enough,' said Musk. 'We must protect free speech - and free speech only matters, it's only relevant, when it's someone you don't like saying something you don't like. 'Because obviously free speech that you like is easy. 'So the thing about censorship is that, for those who would advocate it, just remember at some point that will return on you.' His remarks were met with resounding applause. 'Free speech is actually extremely important and it's bizarre that we've come to this point,' he said. 'Free speech used to be a left or liberal value. 'And yet we see from, in quotes, the left, a desire to actually censor. 'And that seems crazy.' Musk said he was concerned about 'Woke Mind Virus', and the inability to question anything Musk said he was deeply concerned about the 'Woke Mind Virus', describing it as a 'deeply undemocratic' herd mentality. 'You can't you can't question things,' he said. 'Even the questioning is bad.' He said that he considered himself a moderate, noting he had 'spent a massive amount of my life energy building sustainable energy' which was 'not exactly far right'. But he said he was troubled by the indoctrination of people, in particular young people. 'I think the parents are just generally not aware of what their kids are being told or what they're not being taught,' he said. Musk said he had a friend whose child was at school in the Bay Area, and the parent asked the child what they knew about U.S. presidents. 'You know, who are the first few presidents of the United States,' Musk recalled him saying. 'They could name Washington but, I said what do you know about him. 'Well, he was a slave owner. What else? 'Exactly, nothing.' Musk is seen on Wednesday in Washington DC, having just left the office of Chuck Schumer, Senate Majority Leader Maher asked Musk, who bought Twitter in October for $44 billion, about Tucker Carlson's two-minute clip he posted on Wednesday night - which has now been viewed 76 million times, massively more than his Fox News show. Carlson was fired by Fox on Monday: Maher joked that Musk had recently appeared on Carlson's show, and said that he hoped Musk's presence wouldn't usher in his own demise. Musk chuckled at the concept of him being, as he said, 'the Typhoid Mary of talk shows'. He said he only became aware of Carlson's post after it went live, and had not tweaked the algorithm to boost the video. 'We didn't do anything,' he said. 'To be clear: we did nothing special whatsoever. 'I learned about it afterwards that he had posted something on Twitter.' He said Twitter had 250 million people spending on average half an hour a day on the platform, which equated to 120 to 130 million user hours per day. Carlson's show averaged three million viewers a night - the most of any cable news host. 'So it's just that Twitter has a lot of people's attention, and it tends to be the people that read a lot, or are interested in current events. 'And generally are pretty influential.' A massive crocodile has snatched a dog from a beach and dragged it underwater as the pooch's distraught owner calls for people to stay safe after losing her pet. Shocking vision of the attack showed the estimated five-metre-long beast launching at two dogs chilling out at a Cape York beach in north Queensland on Friday. The dog's owner Johnnina Savo warned beachgoers in the area to be wary near the water. 'The pup that got taken by the croc was ours stay safe around the water's edge,' she wrote, News Corp reported. The footage showed two dogs resting near the edge of the calm waters of the Embley River at Napranum Beach. The large saltwater crocodile was seen sneaking up on the pair as they sat oblivious to its presence. Shocking vision of the attack showed the estimated five-metre-long crocodile launching at two dogs (pictured) at a Cape York beach in north Queensland on Friday The predator flung the dog into the air before it turned back into the water as the larger dog ran for its life (pictured) - narrowly avoiding the croc's jaws Parents are being urged to keep children away from the water in the area (pictured, Napranum Beach) As the croc drew nearer the larger of the two dogs noticed its approach and got up but before the smaller dog could do anything, the man-eater pounced on it. The predator flung the dog into the air before it turned back into the water as the larger dog ran for its life - narrowly avoiding the croc's jaws. Both animals disappeared out of sight after the crocodile was seen jolting its head to get a better grasp of the dog. Three other large canines were spotted rushing to into the water and looking in the crocodile's direction after the nasty attack. Meanwhile, the state Department of Environment and Science said the incident at the popular beach was under investigation. Parents are being urged to keep children away from the water. Interview: China becomes pioneer of digital era, says analyst Xinhua) 13:35, April 29, 2023 ISTANBUL, April 29 (Xinhua) -- China has recently made great strides in the digital economy thanks to a series of breakthroughs, becoming a pioneer of the digital era, a Turkish expert has said. "Digitalization is an essential field that has given its name to this era," Murat Tufan, an analyst with Turkish broadcaster Ekoturk, told Xinhua in a recent interview. "We see artificial intelligence technologies or augmented reality products developed every passing day," he said. "China is leading the way in this new epoch." The analyst said the digitalization era has brought about changes in people's lives and introduced new technological requirements, including intelligent buildings, smart cities, and digital countries, and China has responded very well to the transformation and speed brought about by digitalization. "China's pioneering will accelerate economic development, increase savings, and give people more time and hopefully more prosperity (both in the country and worldwide)," he noted. The analyst also said that the digital economy has many dimensions besides efficiency and profitability, such as climate change and the effective use of petroleum. "With digitalization, (we must pose ourselves) the questions of how we can expand the production line while disturbing nature less, and at the same time respond to consumer needs, and how we construct an economy to respond," he said, noting that China so far has been making significant progress on all these points. China has hosted the 4th United Nations World Data Forum in Hangzhou, the capital of east China's Zhejiang Province. Data experts from more than 100 countries discussed various topics, including data innovation, data value, public transparency, and data ecosystems. Hosting such an important forum is also another sign of China's leading role in this area, Tufan noted. (Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun) Northern Territory police were 'forced' to open fire on several crocodiles to stop them from attacking two men they were chasing on foot in a pursuit. Officers travelled to a location near the town of Daly River, about 140 kilometres southwest of Darwin, to arrest four people on Friday. Police said during the arrest, two of the individuals jumped into the Daly River - which is known for its significant crocodile population - to evade officers. Northern Territoty cops were forced to shoot at crocodiles after two suspects jumped in a river with the reptiles Cops arrested four offenders near the Daly River 'NT police were forced to discharge a beanbag and live ammunition rounds in order to prevent charging crocodiles attacking the alleged offenders,' a police spokesman said. 'No crocodiles were injured, and the two offenders were lucky as they could have lost their lives as a result of their careless actions.' Police estimate there were three crocodiles in the vicinity at that time, the sizes of which are not yet known. No crocodiles were hurt in the region during the incident according to police The Daly region is located 220km from Darwin The wild events transpired after unrest in the Wadeye, Peppimenarti and Daly River communities over the past week. Acting assistant commissioner Kylie Anderson said 'the behaviour displayed by a small group of residents (was) completely unacceptable'. 'NT Police will continue to work with Elders, Traditional Owners and other community stakeholders in an effort to bring an end to these disturbances.' The body of a missing teenager from Sydney's Northern Beaches has been found after an extensive search by SES volunteers. Police called in members of the NSW State Emergency Service on Saturday morning to help assist searching for Grace Green. The 19-year-old was last seen on Wednesday at Palm Beach. She was reported missing two days later and police immediately commenced an investigation due to concerns about her welfare. NSW SES volunteers on Saturday found the body of missing teen, Grace Green, 19 The teenager was last seen at Palm Beach, on Sydney's Northern Beaches, on Wednesday But on Saturday afternoon, NSW Police shared that in the search they had found a body they believe to be the missing teenager. 'While the body is yet to be formally identified, it is believed to be that of the 19-year-old woman,' a spokesman said. A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner. A Queensland university student fighting for life after accidentally eating rat poison in Taiwan has been booked on a medical evacuation flight, his family say. Alex Shorey, 24, from Toowoomba had been on an exchange program at Tamkang University in Taipei for almost a year before he was poisoned with superwarfarin just before Easter. He has been in Taipei Medical University Hospital since April 18 but his family wanted him to be brought back to Australia for treatment to save his life. Lack of effective treatment and a language barrier have led to Alex's parents, who are currently with him in Taiwan, to attempt to get him home to recover. Mr Shorey's aunt, Elizabeth Shorey-Kitson, launched GoFundMe earlier this week to raise the more than $170,000 needed to urgently fly him home. Alex Shorey had been studying in Taiwan for the past year Alex's parents are in Taiwan with him and desperatrely trying to get him home Close to 3000 people donated to the fund raising a total of $208,682. 'We are so overwhelmed and humbled by the amount of love, support and kindness we have received, and thanks to the generosity of you all, our journey to bring Alex home is now underway,' Ms Shorey-Kitson wrote. 'It was huge 24/36 hours and now to have reached our goal and to have Alex booked on a plane has left us in tears of joy. We still can't quite believe it!' Alex's parents, Steve and Julie, and his brother Jean-Luc, said they were humbled by the messages of support from those who donated. 'We have attempted three flights over the past few weeks, each one of them cancelled as Alex's condition deteriorated further just prior to depature as the poison worked through his body causing further complications,' they wrote in an update. 'So to have the reassurance that we can now fund the medical support and specialised medical retrieval services he needs is utterly amazing.' Alex's tragedy started earlier this month when he woke up one morning covered in blood. The family has so far raised $208,682 after the GoFundMe page launched (pictured, left to right, Jean-Luc, Alex, the boys' grandmother and their mum) Ms Shorey-Kitson said the dramatic symptoms continued for several days amid multiple hospital trips until he was rushed to intensive care. Because of the delay, Alex's organs are severely damaged and he is in respiratory failure along with being barely conscious and suffering anaemia. Alex was just a few weeks away from flying home to Australia when he ingested the poison. Gunfire heard in capital Khartoum and the civilian death toll now stands at 411 Deadline gone for Britons to escape Sudan by getting to airfield before last flight The Government has agreed to include NHS doctors without UK passports on the last flights out of Sudan, amid criticism over the scope of its eligibility criteria for evacuation. Ministers answered calls to widen the remit, which had been limited to British nationals and their immediate family, after a significant decline in the number of UK citizens coming forward. The decision was announced with hours to go until the final flight takes off from the Wadi Saeedna airfield near Khartoum at 6pm UK time. It is understood some 1,650 people have now been evacuated from Sudan, but thousands more British citizens may remain. The deadline for British nationals to reach the evacuation airfield in Sudan has passed as the Government prepares to cease flights out of the war-torn region within hours. An Army paramedic comforts a baby following treatment during the evacuation of British nationals, at Wadi Seidna Air Base on April 27 Some 1,573 people have been evacuated from the airfield near the capital of Khartoum on 13 planes but thousands more British citizens may remain A spokesman said: 'We have made the decision to extend the evacuation criteria to include eligible non-British nationals in Sudan who are working as clinicians within the NHS and their dependents who have leave to enter the UK. 'We are able to offer this increased eligibility thanks to the efforts of the staff and military who have delivered this evacuation, the largest of any western country.' 'We continue to work intensively, alongside international partners, to maintain the ceasefire and bring an end to fighting, the single most important thing we can do to ensure the safety of British nationals and others in Sudan.' It comes amid criticism of the pace of the British evacuation, which was given more time after a three-day extension to the ceasefire between warring generals was agreed on Thursday. The Government was also facing renewed pressure to broaden the eligibility criteria for evacuation after it cited a decline in the number of UK passport holders coming forward as its reason for ending its rescue operation. What is happening in Sudan and why? Fighting has erupted across Khartoum and at other sites in Sudan in a battle between two powerful rival military factions: the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The fighting between the forces, each loyal to a top general, has put the nation at risk of collapse. Both sides have tens of thousands of fighters, foreign backers, mineral riches and other resources that could insulate them from sanctions. The fighting began as Sudan attempted to transition to democracy and has already killed hundreds of people and left millions trapped in urban areas, sheltering from gunfire, explosions and looters. The popular uprising had raised hopes that Sudan and its population of 46million could emerge from decades of autocracy, internal conflict and economic isolation under Bashir. The current fighting could not only destroy those hopes but destabilise a volatile region bordering the Sahel, the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. Advertisement Concerns have been raised that the current approach could see families split up or some members left behind, with Labour calling on ministers to use the longer window to extend eligibility for evacuation before it is 'too late'. Following the decision to end evacuation flights on Saturday, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy urged the Government not to 'turn away' British residents without passports, including NHS doctors reportedly trapped in the conflict zone. It comes after around 20 doctors were turned away at the airport because they were not British nationals. Mr Dowden told the BBC: 'We are in touch with and engaging rapidly with the Sudanese Doctors' Association to see what further support we can provide for them.' The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office had earlier urged Brits left in Sudan to travel to the Wadi Saeedna site before 12pm local time (11am UK time) when the last plane was due to leave. The evacuations from the unstable country have been fraught with difficulty and a Turkish plane was shot at by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) earlier today. British diplomats were airlifted from the country last weekend in a military maneuver involving 1,200 service people, the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary confirmed on Sunday, after the officials had received direct threats. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said operations would cease following a 'significant decline' in the number of British nationals seeking to flee the war-torn country. One Labour MP said a family had been separated after arriving at the airport to evacuate. Anna McMorrin MP said a father was forced to send his wife and daughter ahead of him because he did not have a UK passport. She said: 'I am beyond despair. I've spent the last three days trying to get a family evacuated from Sudan. The mother and sister have UK passports but the Dad has a Sudanese passport. From being given hope they were thrown out of the airfield into the pitch black outside overnight. 'The FCDO and Home Office are refusing to let them travel together. The rest of the family are here in Cardiff and understandably don't want to be split up. The way they've been treated at the airbase is appalling and the family are incredibly distressed. 'After two days of trying and sleeping in the pitch black outside the base,the father forced his wife and daughter to go without him. He's now very unlikely to get out despite having his whole family here and with UK passports.' British nationals walk to board an RAF aircraft, during the evacuation to Cyprus, at Wadi Seidna Air Base The race is on to evacuate as many of the 4,000 British civilians trapped in Sudan as possible before the 72-hour ceasefire ends More than 1,500 people have been evacuated from Sudan, the 'vast majority' of whom are British nationals Updated guidance on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website urged those wishing to leave Sudan to travel to the Wadi Saeedna airfield by 12pm local time Ms McCorrin also called on the Foreign Office and Home Office to reunite the family. Updated guidance on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website urged those wishing to leave Sudan to travel to the Wadi Saeedna airfield by 12pm local time on Saturday to be processed for the last flight. More than 1,500 people have been evacuated from Sudan, the 'vast majority' of whom are British nationals and eligible dependants, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said. He denied that the Government will effectively 'abandon' British citizens who have not been able to reach Wadi Saeedna airfield. Asked whether Britain was leaving behind people struggling to get to the site or to coordinate with family members stuck in the country, he said: 'I wouldn't accept that characterisation. The first thing I would say is that every single British national that has come forward and their eligible dependants have been put safely on to a plane. 'We are seeing those numbers declining significantly and, just like other countries, as those numbers decline we have put an end date on this.' He claimed 'consular assistance' will remain available at exit routes after the end of evacuation flights. The civilian death toll jumped to 411 people today, according to the Sudan Doctors' Syndicate, which monitors casualties. The fighting has wounded another 2,023 civilians so far, the group added. In the city of Genena, the provincial capital of war-ravaged West Darfur, intensified violence has killed 89 people. Fighters have moved into homes and taken over stores and hospitals as they battle in the streets, the syndicate said. On Friday, a Turkish evacuation plane was shot at by paramilitary forces in Sudan as it was landing in the capital of Khartoum, damaging the fuel supply. People gather to ride a truck to flee outside Khartoum, during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum The plane managed to land safely after the paramilitary forces opened fire and is being fixed (pictured), Sudan's army said A Turkish evacuation plane was shot at by paramilitary forces in Sudan as it was landing in the capital of Khartoum, damaging the fuel supply Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shot at the aircraft (pictured) at the Wadi Saeedna airbase, the army said Labour MP Anna McMorrin described how one family trying to evacuate had been split up at the airport Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shot at the aircraft at the Wadi Saeedna airbase, the army said, in a sign of just how dangerous the situation is for those racing to evacuate civilians from the war-torn country. The plane managed to land safely after the paramilitary forces opened fire and is being fixed, Sudan's army said. The RSF denied firing at the plane and said the army was 'spreading lies', adding: 'Our forces have remained strictly committed to the humanitarian truce that we agreed upon since midnight, and it is not true that we targeted any aircraft in the sky of Wadi Seyidna in Omdurman.' Tensions with German forces on the ground have been running high since a near-miss incident on Tuesday, Berlin sources told The Times. Allies on the ground were apparently not notified about the arrival of the C-130J Hercules at the Wadi Seidna air base on Tuesday, resulting in a 'very dangerous' landing. The German government was 'very unhappy' about Britain's 'lack of solidarity'. It comes after the German Foreign Minister swiped at the UK for leaving citizens 'to their own devices' amid the violence. British Nationals boarding an RAF aircraft in Sudan, for evacuation to Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock (left) swiped at the UK earlier this week she would not leave citizens 'to their own devices'. But Suella Braverman (right) said Britain was in a 'very different situation' However, British officials have hit back, arguing that German forces were not in control of the airfield at the time, and French and South African soldiers were informed. Violence broke out after a group of mediators pushed for last-ditch talks between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo two weeks ago. But neither of Sudan's two most powerful men showed up to the meeting, convened at presidential offices in central Khartoum at 10 a.m. on April 15, three of the Sudanese mediators said, in details revealed for the first time here. Instead, fighting was breaking out across the country. At about 8.30 a.m. shooting started at the Soba military camp in the south of Khartoum, according to three eyewitnesses and an advisor within Dagalo's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It has not been established who fired the first shot, but the violence escalated quickly across Africa's third-largest country, an illustration of just how far the two sides had gone in the preceding weeks to prepare for all-out war. Through interviews with nearly a dozen sources in the military, the RSF, officials and diplomats, Reuters has reconstructed several key events in the build up to the violence, which has so far killed at least 512 people, prompted tens of thousands to flee and deepened the country's already grave humanitarian crisis. A week before the fighting, on April 8, Burhan and Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, met for the last time at a farm on the outskirts of Khartoum, a diplomat briefed on the meeting and two of the mediators said. At the encounter, Burhan asked for the withdrawal of RSF forces from al-Fasher, a city in Hemedti's stronghold of Darfur in Western Sudan, and a halt to flows of RSF troops into Khartoum, which had been taking place for weeks. Hemedti in turn asked that forces from Burhan's close ally Egypt be withdrawn from an air base called Merowe, fearing they could be used against him, the two mediators and the diplomat said. The men also spoke privately and appeared to agree to deescalate, the two mediators said. But despite plans to talk again the next day, no more meetings took place. Over the next week, behind the scenes, each was steadily preparing for the worst. Burhan's air force was studying where the RSF was gathered, using coordinates provided by the army, two military sources told Reuters, describing plans that have not previously been reported. The RSF, meanwhile, had been locating more and more gunmen at Soba and other camps across Khartoum, the same military sources said. The air force, which has bombed positions in the capital since fighting erupted, studied the location of RSF camps for more than a week before the battles began, the two military sources said. The army also established a small committee of senior generals to prepare for a possible conflict with the RSF, the same sources said. On Saturday, April 15, the first volleys of the war woke RSF troops stationed at Soba, Moussa Khadam Mohamed, an advisor to Hemedti, told Reuters in an telephone interview. Looking beyond the walls of the camp, they saw the army had positioned cannons in the vicinity, he said. 'We observed a force gathering at the base,' as well as around Hemedti's home in Khartoum, he said. Both the army and the RSF were quick to blame the other publicly for sparking the violence and attempting a power grab. Smoke and flashes seen during conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum yesterday despite a ceasefire Smoke rises during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 28, despite the ceasefire in Khartoum The events described have not been independently verified. In response to written questions, a spokesman for the armed forces, Brigadier General Nabil Abdullah, said the army had been preparing to repel, not launch a war, in response to indications of an RSF attack. He said the RSF had attacked first, taking many soldiers prisoner, and the army moved to repel the aggression. The army was conducting its campaign under its established chain of command, and the RSF had become a legitimate target for the air force after the fighting started, he added. The offices of Hemedti and Burhan did not respond to requests for interviews. A temporary truce this week was agreed under pressure from the United States and Saudi Arabia, who along with the United Nations and the African Union are concerned that Sudan could fragment, destabilising a volatile region. The lull allowed thousands of Khartoum residents and foreign visitors to flee the capital. Although the truce was extended late on Thursday, air strikes and anti-aircraft fire again rocked the city. A huge ball of fire is raging in Crimea after a suspected Ukrainian aerial drone strike hit a major fuel depot in the heart of an annexed naval port Sevastopol today. Footage showed a fireball with huge flames and a mushroom-like black cloud from a major fire triggered by two explosions in Cossack Bay, in the Crimean Peninsula. The blasts came at 4:20am and 4:21am local time (2.20am and 2.21am UK time), and appear to be the latest attempt by Ukraine to strike at Russia's naval firepower base in the annexed peninsula. Four giant storage tanks erupted at the Sevastopol oil depot hit by a Ukrainian strike. The Russian-appointed Sevastopol authorities rushed 18 firefighting teams to the inferno. A huge ball of fire is raging in Crimea after a suspected Ukrainian aerial drone strike hit a major fuel depot in the heart of an annexed naval port Sevastopol today (firefighter pictured at the scene) Smoke and flames rise from a burning fuel tank in Sevastopol, Crimea after the suspected Ukrainian drone strike at 4.20am (2.20am UK time) this morning The flames shot into the sky and an area of almost 11,000 square feet was ablaze, according to the occupying officials The flames shot into the sky and an area of almost 11,000 square feet was ablaze, according to the occupying officials. Russian officials have admitted the fire would not be be extinguished until tonight. 'There were two explosions,' a resident told Russian news website Readovka. 'One muffled somewhere far away and the second directly from Cossack Bay. 'Of course, after that the fire started immediately. 'Everyone was asleep but the explosions woke them up. 'The fire brigade arrived after about 15 minutes.' Vladimir Putin was informed about the strike which represents a failure of his air defences. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Video and pictures show huge a huge blaze burning at the oil depot, and firefighters attempting to put down the flames. A huge plume of smoke covers towers over Sevastopol after Ukraine struck at oil depot with drone strikes Russian officials have admitted the fire (pictured) would not be be extinguished until tonight The blasts came at 4:20am and 4:21am local time (2.20am and 2.21am UK time), and appear to be the latest attempt by Ukraine to strike at Russia's naval firepower base in the annexed peninsula (smoke pictured rising over a fuel tank) Firefighters deployed to extinguish the fire at the oil depot in Sevastopol, Crimea earlier today A fire engine at the scene of the oil fire today at the Sevastopol port Video and pictures show huge a huge blaze burning at the oil depot, and firefighters attempting to put down the flames A resident told Russian national newspaper Izvestia: 'The explosion was strong. I don't know how our windows remained in place.' Witnesses reported seeing drones flying from the direction of Cape Fiolent, south of the strike. The major incident came as Russia is bracing itself for more attacks with Ukraine preparing for a counteroffensive against Putin's aggression. In recent weeks sea drones have penetrated Sevastopol but have been thwarted by Russian defences. Ukraine has repeatedly declared its intention to retake the Crimean peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014 to international outcry. Vladimir Putin's governor of the city Mikhail Razvozhaev rushed to the scene. 'I am working at the scene of an emergency - I am heading the operational headquarters,' he said. Vladimir Putin's governor of the city Mikhail Razvozhaev (pictured at the scene) rushed to the scene and said: 'I am working at the scene of an emergency - I am heading the operational headquarters' Massive flames and smoke pictured rising above buildings in Sevastopol after the alleged drone strikes The Russian-appointed Sevastopol authorities rushed 18 firefighting teams to the inferno. Pictured: Russian firefighters on the scene after the drone strikes on fuel tanks 'The situation is under the control of our firefighters and all operational services,' he claimed. 'There are 18 fire brigades at the site, 60 firefighters are valiantly fighting the fire. 'The arrival of a fire train is expected.' The blaze - which continued hours after the drone strike - was ranked as the most difficult category to extinguish. 'Since the volume of fuel is large, it will take time to localise the fire,' said the governor. 'Nothing threatens civilian objects.' A second woman who was bitten by a Kings Guard horse has warned tourists attending the Coronation: Be careful Dont get as close as I did. Kirsty Curtis, 43, was bitten on the arm when she ventured too close to the horse in Horse Guards Parade. She was left with bruising from the bite which caused her pain, but did not require hospital treatment. Her husband, Nigel, 59, saw the funny side of it, and kept the image he took of the bitinf incident as a screensaver for his phone. He and his wife, who works as a manager at an NHS hospital in Chester, read the Mai Online story while on holiday in Mexico on Thursday and saw the video of the shocking moment a horse at the same place clamped down on a womans ponytail as she posed for a photo. Kirsty Curtis, 43, was bitten on the arm when she ventured too close to the horse in Horse Guards Parade She was left with bruising from the bite which caused her pain, but did not require hospital treatment Mrs Curtis, who is from Wrexham said: We had taken my father Peter to London to see where he lived, as he used to live in Walthamstow. We went to Parliament to see PMQs with David Cameron and decided to have a walk through Whitehall afterwards. My husband decided to take a picture of me in front of the horse, but suddenly it bit me. It was shocking and did cause pain, but it is our fault. The soldier looked down at me and I could see by his face he thought another one! I am an animal lover and we have to consider that these horses are just doing their job. If you get too close, you can pay the price. I would say to people who are coming to London for the coronation, not to fall in the same situation that I did. Be careful and keep your distance. Hundreds of thousands of spectators next Saturday for the coronation of King, Charles, and many horses will be on ceremonial duties. Video shows the shocking moment a King's Guard horse clamped down on a woman's ponytail, causing her to launch backwards, as she posed for a photo at the Horse Guards In a similar incident - which appears to involve the same horse - a separate tourist was nipped on the shoulder while her friend takes her photograph While both tourists were shocked by the ambush, the soldier appears unfazed by the horse's unfriendly encounter Mr Curtis added: It couldve been a lot worse. But luckily she was okay, and we have laughed about it since. When I saw the video of the womans ponytail being bitten, it reminded me of what happened to my wife. It was funny, and it still is as I have the picture on my phone as my screensaver. But people do need to be careful. Although no one can criticise the horses, they are only doing their job. Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has been granted exemptions for tomorrow's nursing strike amid 'serious concerns' over patient safety. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) appears to have U-turned on its decision to refuse derogations as concerns of the world-renowned children's hospital have been acknowledged. Its decision came just days ahead of the 48-hour nursing strike this bank holiday which is set to put 'immense strain' on hospitals all over the country. The RCN previously said it would not agree to any derogations - generally involving the provision of broad care and staff during industrial action. But leader Pat Cullen said mitigations were granted on Friday following a request from GOSH, insisting that nurses would 'never ever' leave child patients at risk. Great Ormond Street Hospital (pictured) expressed 'serious concerns' about patient safety RCN leader Pat Cullen said mitigations were granted on Friday following a request from GOSH Ms Cullen also said that any suggestion that mitigations were not being put in place were 'factually incorrect'. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'All of the exemptions that Great Ormond Street requested of the Royal College of Nursing were granted earlier yesterday.' The protocol surrounding exemptions requires the RCN to pass its approval on to NHS England, which is then responsible for notifying the individual organisation, Ms Cullen said. She added that any derogations being sought by other organisations would be given 'very careful consideration' to ensure critical areas of care can continue. GOSH's exemptions come after the hospital's chief executive Mat Shaw warned that sick children would be at risk during the bank holiday strike. In a desperate plea he previously said: 'We respect the right of our staff to take part in lawful industrial action, but after exhausting all options, at the moment we have serious concerns over how we will safely staff our hospital during the strike. 'There is nothing more important than the safety of our patients and so we have no choice but to declare a business continuity incident.' Following these exemptions, Mr Shaw said the hospital was 'incredibly grateful' to the union. But just after 1pm today hospital shared that a business continuity incident had been declared in the wake of the strike. 'We have declared a business continuity incident as we have serious concerns over safely staffing the hospital during the RCN strikes on Sun/Mon,' a tweet read. 'This is not a step we've taken lightly but safe care for patients is our priority.' Mr Shaw also added: 'We fully support the right of our staff to strike, and know this decision will not have been taken lightly. Nurses will strike from 8pm tomorrow to 11.59pm on Monday, May 2 (Pictured: January 18) The hospital's chief executive Mat Shaw also warned that sick children would be at risk during the bank holiday strike More than 500,000 NHS appointments and operations in England have been cancelled as a result of staff striking over pay 'There has been a significant impact on all our services across the hospital. We are doing our best to minimise disruption for all of our patients and apologise to those families who have been affected.' It is understood the situation is under review and the business continuity incident will be stood down once GOSH is confident it can provide safe staffing levels. The 48-hour strike come at a time when the NHS is grappling with huge patient waiting lists and staff shortages. Earlier today, Matthew Taylor of the NHS Confederation told BBC Breakfast that hospitals would be under 'immense strain' in the bank holiday strikes. He said: 'We would always urge people to act wisely and not to risk their health and of course people always do have accidents. 'I guess in the very margins, it is something that people have at the back of their minds which is that if you are in an area that is affected the health service is going to be under immense strain.' Nurses make up a quarter of NHS staff and are the biggest proportion of the health service workforce. As the NHS prepares to cope with the strike, NHS England is urging the public to use the health service wisely. It said emergency and urgent care would remain the priority, with people asked to use other services such as pharmacies and 111 where possible. Dr Bharat Pankhania said a lot of what Fox 'spews out' is not 'verified' or 'factual' Fox claimed that a report shows the MHRA 'failed in its duty' to protect the public Laurence Fox was told 'I sometimes wonder why you exist' by a doctor during a heated debate over Covid vaccines on his GB News show. The Inspector Lewis actor was joined on Thursday by senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter's medical school, Dr Bharat Pankhania, to discuss a critical report of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) roll out of the vaccines. Dr Pankhania, who has more than 25 years experience in communicable disease control and infectious disease management, replied when asked about his thoughts: 'I sometimes wonder why you exist, to be honest with you. 'A lot of these things that you spew out, just send things that are worrisome to people, are not verified, not factual. 'You just have your own agenda, that's what I think. You are just spewing out your biased views. That's how I feel about you.' Dr Bharat Pankhania, senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter's medical school, accused Laurence Fox of having his 'own agenda' debating Covid-19 vaccines Fox looked stunned by the doctor's comment when he said 'I sometimes wonder why you exist, to be honest with you' Shocked by the doctor's comments, Fox, 44, replied: 'I wasn't asking you what you felt about me, I was asking you what you felt about the discussion.' Pankhania then said: 'I feel about you, your statements and the panellists that you brought together. 'I was brought up on this programme right now, told I'm going to have a one-to-one conversation with you, and suddenly I find myself in a panel discussion.' He also claimed the entire interview was an 'ambush' as he hadn't been told they were going to discuss the report Fox referenced. Asked what he thought about the MHRA, the senior clinical lecturer added: 'It is staffed by very competent, very able people who have served the nation well. 'They have done their job in being independent and they do a great job in protecting the health and wellbeing of the nation... the MHRA is absolutely fit for purpose.' Discussing the safety of Covid-19 vaccines, he concluded: 'All in all on the balance of good versus harm - the good outweighs the harm by a large, large margin.' Before making his comments Fox previously said on the show: 'The report is brutal and if it is, as many would suspect, part of a limited hangout, it certainly lets a lot hang out. Going further than before in shredding the veil of secrecy and highlighting the reckless idiocy of our besieged health regulator. The former actor joined GB News in November 2022 and has previously said he wants outspoken guests on his show who disagree with him Fox pictured arriving in support of the right-wing group Turning Point UK in March earlier this year There was a wide variety of reactions across social media with some users in support of the doctor's comments and others finding him 'rude'. Fox also tweeted the doctor after the video went viral 'It concludes that the MHRA has failed in its duty to protect the public from harm it failed to react promptly to widespread reports of adversary reactions to the so-called vaccines.' He then started to question the Astra-Zeneca vaccine by citing examples of people reportedly suffering blood clots after getting the jabs. He said: 'Yet again us conspiracy factualists are proved right for the 100th bleeping time. 'It will take many years for society to come to terms with the evil meted out on us as quacks, or crooks, depending on which side of the c**k-up conspiracy argument you fall on 'People are still reeling and hindsight is not as sharp as some day it will surely become.' Dr Pankhania has been teaching for over 12 years at the Imperial University Masters in Public Health and was appointed as their Honorary Senior Lecturer. He has also served as a consultant to communicable disease control at Public Health England for 13 years. The interview shortly went viral after it aired with Fox tweeting: 'After the good doctor started to sermonise about Brexit in relation to vaccine harms, the remainder of the interview was me trying not to giggle.' In 2020 Fox was embroiled in another row as he rolled his eyes and looked to the ceiling on Question Time when he denied that treatment of Meghan Markle was racist, declaring 'Oh my God' when called a 'white privileged male' Fox pictured with I Hate Suzie star Billie Piper, who he married in 2007 and had two children with before separating in 2016 The discussion also received mixed reactions from social media users with some in support of the doctor's comments and others finding that he was 'rude'. One person tweeted: 'Expert slapping the wet fish of reality around the smug, entitled chops of Laurence Fox.' However, another user wrote: 'I think smug would be a very accurate description of this doctor, not Fox.' Another also added: 'Strange response, I see a rather rude and arrogant doctor responding to Laurence Fox's perfectly straightforward and polite questions.' Fox was born into a famous acting family with his father, James Fox, appearing in several notable films such as The Servant, Thoroughly Modern Millie and more recently in Sherlock Holmes. Best-known for his role as James Hathaway in the drama series Lewis, which ran from 2006 to 2015, Fox began to publicly speak out against the George Floyd protests and Covid-19 vaccines in 2020. Also - after founding the right wing-populist political party Reclaim - he stood unsuccessfully in the 2021 London mayoral election where he only gained 1.9% of the vote, meaning he lost his election deposit. In 2020 Fox became embroiled in another row on Question Time after he accused Rachel Boyle, an academic at Edge Hill University on Merseyside, of 'being racist' when she called him 'a white privileged male' for denying the Duchess of Sussex was hounded from Britain for being mixed-race. As the row continued he quoted Martin Luther King's 1963 'I have a dream' speech about living in a nation where children 'will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character'. He added: 'This is the position I took last night and I live by in life. If you can improve on it, I'm all ears. Or you can keep screeching ''Racist!'' at me and I can carry on having a jolly good giggle at your expense. The tide is turning.' The GB News host was married to the former Doctor Who star Billie Piper after they tied the knot in 2007. The couple had two children before separating in 2016. An Aussie tourist has been arrested in Indonesia after allegedly spitting in the face of a Muslim prayer leader at a mosque just outside the nation's capital. Brenton Craig Abbas Abdullah McArthur, 47, is accused of assaulting Imam M Basri Anwar, 24, at the al-Muhajir Mosque in the city of Bandung, 150kms south east of Jakarta, on Friday. The Aussie is accused of confronting Imam Anwar at 3am after he'd allegedly become frustrated by the mosque broadcasting prayers from the Quran. In CCTV footage Mr McArthur can be seen entering the holy building in a cap and dark shirt before approaching the Imam, leaning in and allegedly spitting on him. In the video Brenton Craig Abbas Abdullah McArthur entered the mosque and approached the Imam at around 3am on Friday Mr McArthur then allegedly spits on the leader of prayer, who then fled Indonesian news website Kumparan reported that Mr McArthur checked out of his Pringgodani Guest House room at 6am, three hours after the alleged assault, before being detained at the Soekarno Hatta International Airport that night. Bandung police chief Kombes Budi Sartono told Kumparan that police saw the video after it had been widely circulated online and asked immigration to stop Mr McArthur at the airport. 'We immediately ask immigration to stop him and cancel him from leaving the country,' the police chief said. 'We will co-ordinate with the Immigration and the Ministry of Religion to ascertain whether any actions have been violated or not. 'He was picked up from Soetta [Soekarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta] and is now here [in Bandung police office] for questioning.' The Australian embassy has been notified to allow a representative to accompany Mr McArthur during the interrogation. The Imam was in the pulpit holding his mobile phone close to a loudspeaker as it played recitations of the Koran. 'He was the guest from the hotel located in front of the mosque,' Imam Anwar told local media. 'He came to the mosque, then he turn off the sound. He said something, but I don't understand.' Indonesian police arrested Mr McArthur at the airport Friday night and announced an investigation into the allegations Brenton Craig Abbas Abdullah McArthur, 47, (pictured) is accused of assaulting Imam M Basri Anwar, 24, at the al-Muhajir Mosque in the city of Bandung, 150kms south east of Jakarta Mr McArthur later posted online after his arrest: 'Stop crying all your racist tears. 'I am a Muslim and this is just a racist threatening a bule [an Indonesian word which refers to foreigners] and laughing being a coward.' Mr McArthur describes himself as a 'government punching bag' in his social media bio which has repeatedly tweeted at Australian politicians, including Tony Abbott. He has also directed them at Julie Bishop, as well as Malcolm Turnbull, and Bill Shorten where he mainly discusses Thailand and human rights abuses. Ofsted inspectors should refuse to be complicit in the watchdog's 'reign of terror', the sister of a principal has said. Headteacher Ruth Perry took her own life in January while awaiting the results of an Ofsted report for the Caversham Primary School in Reading. The inspection, published in March, found Ms Perry's school to be 'good' in every category apart from leadership and management, where it was judged to be 'inadequate'. Now, her sister, Professor Julia Waters, is calling on Ofsted inspectors to 'hand in their badges', amid criticisms over the watchdog's single-word assessment. 'Ruth was not an inadequate headteacher,' she said. Head Ruth Perry (pictured) took her own life while awaiting the results of an Ofsted report Ms Perry's sister, Professor Julia Waters, (pictured) is now calling for a change to its current system that Ofsted use to rank schools across the country 'We had to speak out because we want no other family to experience the pain that we have felt. 'We had to speak out because a terrible injustice has been done to my sister.' Professor Water's thoughts come as pressure mounts on the school watchdog, with campaigners suggesting its single-word rankings are 'too simplistic' and 'deeply harmful'. But Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman has defended this system, arguing that it is easier for parents to understand. She also previously said that there was 'no reason to doubt' the assessment at Ms Perry's school and insisted that its findings were secure. Last Sunday, she told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg On Sunday programme: 'I think the findings were secure and I think the inspection team worked with the professionalism and sensitivity that I would expect from our inspectors. 'From what I've seen, I don't have any reason to doubt the inspection. 'Inspection is a sensitive process. We are there looking for children, looking for whether education is right for children, looking at whether protecting children's welfare is happening the way it should.' Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has also backed the one-word rating system to help inform parents' decisions. There is mounting pressure on the watchdog amid criticisms of its single-word rankings Today, Professor Waters addressed hundreds of school leaders at the National Association of Head Teachers in Telford (NAHT), slamming its system as 'flawed' and inhumane'. 'We all know parents deserve better than misleading, dangerous single-word judgments,' she said. 'So stop promoting them. 'How many of you in this room serve as Ofsted inspectors as well as being headteachers? 'No doubt you're doing your best, but you're working within a flawed, inhumane system. 'So follow the examples of Martin Hanbury, Andrew Morrish, and others. 'Hand in your badges. Refuse to be complicit in Ofsted's reign of terror.' NAHT will ask school leaders to stop working as Ofsted inspectors until a pay dispute with the Government is resolved. Delegates passed an emergency motion calling on the union's executive to reach out to members who serve as inspectors and request that they consider refraining from inspecting for a period. Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman told the Laura Kuenssberg programme that the inspectors had shown the professionalism that she expected during the inspection Delegates observe a minutes silence for Ms Perry who took her own life in January this year Professor Waters continued: 'Publicly my family has been offered condolences from the very same people who continue to defend the indefensible system that destroyed Ruth. 'We don't want warm words, thoughts and sympathies. 'My family wants and deserves sincere answers to our legitimate questions and concerns. 'My family wants and deserves urgent meaningful actions. 'We're not placated with the few tweaks around the edges that have been offered so far.' She added: 'I call again on Ofsted and the Government to show some humanity and sensitivity, to recognise the urgency and the severity of our concerns. 'If Ofsted and the Government continue to refuse to pause inspections, and certainly the optimal moment for doing that has passed, then I call on them to commission an urgent independent review of Ofsted's framework, systems and culture.' Delegates at the NAHT's conference observed a one-minute silence in memory of Ms Perry ahead of her sister's speech. Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson extended her 'personal condolences' to Ms Perry's family, friends and colleagues on Saturday. In a speech to school leaders at the conference, she said: 'Ruth was by so many accounts a passionate and hardworking headteacher, epitomising the dedication that you all show each and every day to give our children and young people the best start in life. Professor Waters addressed hundreds of school leaders at the National Association of Head Teachers in Telford (NAHT), slamming its system as 'flawed' and inhumane' 'The weeks that have followed the public news of her death have seen an unprecedented light shone on the pressures school leaders, teachers and staff are facing. 'You and your colleagues have made your voices heard loud and clear and Labour is listening.' Ms Phillipson added: 'The wellbeing of school staff must be a concern for everyone right across society, for all of you, for yourselves, for your colleagues, your peers and friends, for parents and also for children. For those who inspect schools, and of course for politicians, for ministers and for Government.' She said if the country does not take the wellbeing of teachers and school leaders seriously 'then we don't take our children's education seriously and we don't take our future seriously'. In March, the shadow education secretary set out plans by Labour to move away from the four headline grades that Ofsted awards to schools to a 'new report card' for parents. Pictured: People attend a vigil for Ruth Perry outside the offices of Ofsted in Victoria, central London last week Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has also backed the one-word rating system to help inform parents' decisions Ms Keegan said: 'My heart goes out to Ruth's family, friends, and school community. 'Just as with schools, we expect Ofsted to make improvements where they can. 'I know they're currently undergoing a review, including on how safeguarding is considered proportionally in overall school judgments. 'I fully support our approach of providing a clear rating that parents can trust to inform their decisions. Ofsted has been central to our success in driving up school standards, with 88% of our schools now rated good or outstanding, up from 68% when this Government came into office.' An Ofsted spokesman said: 'Our inspections are first and foremost for children and their parents, looking in depth at the quality of education, behaviour, and how well and safely schools are run. 'We always want inspections to be constructive and collaborative and in the vast majority of cases school leaders agree that they are.' For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or go to samaritans.org Gibraltar Police arrested seven Royal Marine commandos after they got into a fight - but only after they injured seven officers and a member of the public trying to subdue them. The 4am bust-up could only be stopped as cops used batons and pepper spray on the 'close combat specialists'. The elite soldiers - from 43 Commando - were arrested by Royal Gibraltar Police yesterday morning, The Olive Press reported. The bruisers appearing in court on Tuesday and were charged this morning with offences including assault on police, violent disorder and disorderly whilst intoxicated. Police rushed to Ocean Village Gym, next to a harbour-side strip of bars, eateries and opposite a casino, after receiving a call. The elite soldiers - from 43 Commando - were arrested by Royal Gibraltar Police yesterday morning, with the bruisers appearing in court on Tuesday. Pictured: File image of Royal Marine Commandos Police rushed to Ocean Village Gym, next to a harbour-side strip of bars, after recieving a call. Pictured: Ocean Village Gym The Royal Navy's website says they are currently on deployment for 'Maritime Security' - boasting the group includes crack snipers and close combat specialists Kyle Connell, 20, Anthony Houghton, 36, Graham Tait, 42, Cameron Bull, 23, Connor Holborn, 24, Sandy Dove, 36, and Samuel Bates, 26, are part of a 550-strong unit responsible for protecting Britain's nuclear weapons. The Royal Navy's website says they are currently on deployment for 'Maritime Security' - boasting the group includes crack snipers and close combat specialists. Royal Gibraltar Police said: 'Seven men will be appearing before the Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning (May 2) following a large fight in Ocean Village. 'During the incident, seven RGP officers and one member of the public were injured. 'The Response Team officers were required to use captor spray, baton tactics and unarmed defence tactics. 'The Royal Gibraltar Police officers were assisted by officers from the Gibraltar Defence Police. 'Early this morning, the men, who are all serving members of the military, were charged.' Houghton was charged with two accounts of violent disorder, one of resisting and obstructing police, one of disorderly whilst intoxicated and one of assault on the police. Kyle Connell, 20, Anthony Houghton, 36, Graham Tait, 42, Cameron Bull, 23, Connor Holborn, 24, Sandy Dove, 36, and Samuel Bates, 26, are part of a 550-strong unit responsible for protecting Britain's nuclear weapons. Pictured: File image of Royal Marine Commandos Marina Bay within Gibraltar's Ocean Village is lined with popular restaurants and residential apartments Kyle Connell, 20, Anthony Houghton, 36, Graham Tait, 42, Cameron Bull, 23, Connor Holborn, 24, Sandy Dove, 36, and Samuel Bates, 26, are part of a 550-strong unit responsible for protecting Britain's nuclear weapons. Pictured: Marina Bay in Gibraltar Dove was charged with two counts of violent disorder, one of resisting and obstructing police and one of assault on police. Connell, Tait, Bull, Holborn and Baits were all charged with two counts of violent disorder and one of resisting and obstructing police. Police had to call the Gibraltar Defence Police for backup as they tried to subdue the serving soldiers. They have been bailed from with conditions, pending their court appearance on Tuesday. The Navy's website reads: 'From snipers who can disable a moving speedboat from a pursuit helicopter, through to close combat and cold-weather warfare specialists, 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines are the elite warriors who protect the UKs strategic nuclear deterrent. 'The unit works closely with the Ministry Of Defence (MOD) Police but also supports the Atomic Weapons Establishment, US Marine Corps and US Coast Guard. 'Ready and able 24/7/365, 43 Commando delivers specialist capability in a uniquely complex urban, maritime, industrial environment.' The Ministry of Defence has been contacted for comment. Police are hunting for a woman after a man was sexually assaulted on an escalator at Euston Tube station late at night. The man was going up an escalator when a woman tried to link arms with him, then sexually assaulted him after he tried to get away from her, police said. The suspect was with a friend when the alleged attack happened at around 9pm in Euston Underground station in central London last Friday, April 14. After the alleged assault the women then boarded a tube train, according to the British Transport Police. Detectives today have released CCTV images of a woman investigators want to question in connection with the incident. Police are hunting for a woman (pictured) after a man was sexually assaulted on an escalator at Euston Tube station late at night The suspect was with a friend when the alleged attack happened at around 9pm in Euston Underground station in central London last Friday, April 14 The woman appears to have pale skin and straight, dark hair. She was wearing a beige skirt, and a black puffer coat. A spokesman for the BTP said: 'Do you recognise this woman? We'd like to speak to her in connection with a sexual assault at Euston Underground station on Friday 14 April. 'At around 9pm, a man was travelling on the escalator when a woman tried to link arms with him. 'When he pulled his arm away, she sexually assaulted him. 'The woman, who was travelling with a friend, then left the escalator and boarded a tube. 'Officers would like to speak to the woman in these images, as they believe she has information which may assist the investigation.' The force have asked that anyone with information can contact BTP by calling 0800 40 50 40 or texting 61016 with reference 450 of April 15 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. A Mexican man living in Texas is on the run after killing five of his neighbors, including an eight-year-old boy, because they asked him to stop practice firing his gun in his yard. Francisco Oropeza, 38, is accused of opening fire on his neighbors at 11.30pm last night in Cleveland, a city north of Houston. The neighbors - a family of ten all living together - has asked him to stop firing his weapon because they were trying to get a baby to sleep. Oropeza, who was known to fire his gun in his yard often, replied 'I'll do what I want in my front yard' and shot five members of the family with an AR-15 before fleeing. Francisco Oropeza, 38, is accused of opening fire on his neighbors at 11.30pm last night in Cleveland, a city north of Houston The home in Cleveland, Texas, where the shooting unfolded at 11.30pm last night. Three adults were found dead inside and a child was taken to the hospital The suspect's home next door. He had been shooting in his yard when at 11.30pm and his neighbors asked him to stop so they could get their baby to sleep When police arrived at the scene, they found two adult women dead at the front of the house, and a man lying dead in the living room. The two women were covered in blood, according to San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers, and were lying on top of two young children who survived. 'In my opinion, they were actually trying to take care of the babies and keep them babies alive,' he said. It's unclear where exactly the eight-year-old child was in the home. The shooting occurred at 11.31pm last night in Cleveland, a suburb north of Houston. Five bodies were found inside a home, and another three people were injured SWAT teams were called to the scene to try to locate the gunman All of the victims were from Honduras, according to police. Oropeza was said to have been drunk at the time. Police described him as a Mexican man who is around 5ft 8. A warrant has been issued for his arrest with a $5million bond attached. 'We are getting closer to him every minute of every hour but we know who he is,' Sheriff Capers said. Locals in actor Martin Clunes' Dorset town have accused the star of being 'entitled' and having a 'misplaced sense of status' as they back the new-age family at the heart of his local planning row. The 61-year-old Doc Martin star from Beaminster, Dorset, is objecting to the application by Theo Langton and Ruth McGill to establish the site where they have lived for 25 years, as a permanent Traveller base so they can remain indefinitely. When Clunes and his TV producer wife, Philippa Braithwaite, 58, bought 130-acre Higher Meerhay Farm from Mr Langton's mother for 3million in 2007, the couple had already moved out of her home and onto the land years before. But commenting to MailOnline previously, Clunes said it would be a 'terrible shame' if his view was 'spoilt' by the site. Mr Langton and Ms McGill, who say they travel regularly to fairs and markets, have since raised two young children in the woods whilst coping without the most basic of amenities. It has now been revealed by The Times that contrary to the wealthy couple, the majority of the community are in 'full support' of the couple's application. Criticising Martin Clunes' opposition to the plan, one local said the area does not need 'more people who feel entitled due to wealth and a misplaced sense of status' after the actor said it would be a 'shame' if his view was 'spoilt' Theo Langton and Ruth McGill have raised two children on their site in the woods, and locals say they have completely transformed their previous conceptions of the Traveller community Mr Langton and Ms McGill have lived in a caravan on the site, which is 300 yards from the Clunes' home, for a quarter of a century, and in that time they have expanded their living space to account for their growing family. Head of Wantsley farm B&B Charlotte Booth said the couple have 'proved themselves as friends and valuable community members time and time again and changed my narrow-minded approach to Travellers entirely.' She added the area needs 'more people of their calibre' and does not need 'more people who feel entitled due to wealth and a misplaced sense of status.' Her husband Tim told the paper that the couple's young children are now too old to be living in such a small caravan and the application should be approved. He said: 'Theo and Ruth have brought them up beautifully and they are a testament to the idiocy of pre-conceived ideas about who and what Travellers are. The Beaminster community is woefully bereft of any diversity, and for the Langtons to be targeted by the privileged and wealthy is an embarrassing travesty.' And local youth club director Paula Tuff added the family are 'valued' members of the community, slamming the Clunes for considering 'making a family homeless' during the cost of living crisis. Clunes is claiming the couple are not 'nomads' and the proposals for a permanent site would set a 'harmful precedent'. It comes after the decision on whether to approve the plans for a permanent Travellers' site was postponed earlier this month after the actor's solicitors made last-minute objections. Mr Langton and Ms McGill were handed a five-year temporary permit to live on the land in 2015 while they sought out a local Traveller site - but that has now expired, with council bosses noting the lack of suitable Traveller facilities in the area. Clunes is claiming the couple are not 'nomads' and the proposals for a permanent site on the land currently occupied (pictured) would set a 'harmful precedent' Mr Langton and Ms McGill have lived on the site for 25 years, but opponents claim their 'mobile' home cannot actually be moved The site is 300 yards from the Clunes' property and is hidden by trees, but the actor has said it would be a 'shame' if his view was 'spoilt'. He is joined in his objections by several other neighbours. This follows Mr Clunes' lawyers claiming there is 'no evidence' that either Mr Langton or Ms McGill is a Traveller within the meaning of planning policy. They say the proposals would intensify the existing Travellers' site and have an impact on an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). They also object to the lack of amenities on the site, such as electricity, water and sewage. Planning officers at Dorset Council had recommended to councillors on the area planning committee that the application should be granted at its meeting tomorrow. But now the decision has been postponed, with the matter unlikely to be listed for consideration for at least another month. A spokeswoman for the council said the reason for the delay was a 'technical planning issue' that had to be considered. In his report, council officer Bob Burden cited the general lack of sites for 'gypsies, Travellers and travelling showpeople' in Dorset as a major reason for why it should go ahead. He said the demand for such pitches has increased in recent years and insisted the development would not harm the natural beauty of the area. His report stated: 'Given the ongoing policy and research background of lack of available site options, coupled with the minimal visual impact on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it is considered that the use of this site as a permanent base for this Traveller family is acceptable. 'It is considered that the scheme is also acceptable in residential amenity terms. 'The development would also be acceptable in terms of highway safety issues.' Mr Clunes gave a short comment on the planning row when MailOnline visited his luxury mansion earlier this month. The Clunes first bought a Grade II listed former vicarage in the village of Powerstock, near Bridport, in 2001 before moving in 2007 into their current home, above Martin Clunes has made a last-ditch attempt to stop his new-age hippie neighbours building a traveller site below his hilltop manor house by claiming the couple are not real travellers He said: 'We are very lucky to have this beautiful view. It would be a terrible shame if it was spoilt. We love living here.' In a letter submitted to the council by Clunes' solicitors, Kitson Trotman, the couple argue the applicants do not fit within the definition of 'Travellers' and that approving the plans for the permanent site would set a 'harmful precedent'. The solicitors state: 'There is no evidence in the application before the council that either applicant is currently a Traveller within the meaning of planning policy. 'All that is said in the officer report is that "The majority of the applicants travelling is to show and sell items at a variety of fairs gatherings and or festivals, often going from one to the next". 'This is totally inadequate as no details are given of dates, frequency, locations, or otherwise. 'Many persons who live in permanent accommodation carry out the same or similar activities each year for a living, hobby or pastime, including travelling regularly to agricultural and equestrian shows and events or concerts, fairs and festivals too, and cannot possibly be classed as Travellers. 'This is not a "nomadic habit of life", which is entirely different. 'Without clear evidence the council would be acting unlawfully to class the applicants as Travellers. Mode of clothing or hairstyle, or the form, type and location of residence is not relevant. 'The definition is clear and narrow. Given the policy consequences it must be applied strictly.' A Minnesota man livestreamed his final moments as he locked himself in his house during a stand off with the FBI while clutching a shotgun. Chue Feng Yang, 33, was shot dead by agents on Thursday morning after they went to arrest him in connection with a car theft and other outstanding warrants. He barricaded himself in his home for several hours and livestreamed negotiations with officers as they tried to convince him to surrender. A video shows Yang calmly sitting down on a couch with a shotgun resting on his shoulder while the FBI were outside the property. He used Facebook to livestream the negotiations before he went outside the house with a woman, believed to be his girlfriend, tied to him and was killed by agents. Chue Feng Yang, 33, livestreamed his final moments as he locked himself in his house during a stand off with the FBI while clutching a shotgun He went outside the house with a woman, believed to be his girlfriend, tied to him and was killed by agents Yangs criminal history included convictions for terroristic threats, burglary, illegal firearm possession and auto theft She was not struck but was taken to hospital for an apparent fentanyl overdose and was in stable condition. Footage shows Yang, who also went by Kevin, speaking on the phone with what appears to be a negotiator. The agent tells him: 'I know you know you're in control of this, and you can end this at any time, but it doesn't mean that you need to end your life or anyone else's lives today.' As the negotiator urges surrender, Yang responds, 'I hope y'all brought body bags.' He threatened to shoot any officers who tried to come into the property and said: 'I will be [accountable] but that's between me and God. From my understanding Jesus already paid for our sins already. 'So God will forgive me if I have to sin one more time.' Yang then threatened to kill himself if any officers broke in. He is heard saying: 'Baby I am going to do it,' and the woman screams: 'Don't do this baby please! We have a f****** baby coming.' 'Your brothers want you alive.' Yang then replies: 'I am not going to be alive. You want me to suffer in prison?' She then says: 'We will do this together. I will be here for you like I have the whole f****** time. Don't do this I love you.' He says: 'This is my last time telling you. You have been lying to me all this time anyway. 'If you love me you'd come to the other side with me.' A window is then smashed by the agents and Yang is heard saying: 'I don't give a f**** bye bye.' Yang and the woman, tied together with a piece of cloth, are then seen approaching the door. He is heard saying: 'I love you,' before she drops what appears to be a handgun to the ground. The door then opens and officers can be heard shouting 'show your hands!' He told FBI agents he had a bomb and they determined he posed a threat to the woman because a shotgun was aimed at her head and lethal force was necessary to protect and preserve [her] life Multiple shots are then fired when the pair step outside and Yang was fatally wounded. Officers surrounded someone on the ground and appeared to perform life-saving measures while others walked a crying woman away. An FBI statement said: After barricading himself for several hours, the subject was armed as he emerged from the home. The subject was fatally wounded, and another individual required medical assistance. The livestream posted on Thursday has been watched by more than 160,000 people. A search warrant was issued for Yangs home where he barricaded himself. Agents could see he was armed with a sawed-off shotgun, according to an affidavit, and Yang threatened to shoot anyone who came in. A report stated he told FBI agents he had a bomb and they determined he posed a threat to the woman because a shotgun was aimed at her head and lethal force was necessary to protect and preserve [her] life. Yangs criminal history included convictions for terroristic threats, burglary, illegal firearm possession and auto theft. He also had three outstanding felony warrants for his arrest. Court records indicate that in one case, he and another person were accused of shooting a dog multiple times with a BB gun inside a stolen SUV before abandoning the wounded animal. A stone statue of a well-endowed mermaid is making waves in an Italian town as its creators said it was a 'tribute' to curvy women. The statue of the voluptuous mermaid was created by students at art school Luigi Rosso in Monopli and was put up near a playground in a Puliga fishing village in Bari, southern Italy. But the curvy statue, named after Nobel prize winning Italian scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini, has drawn criticism from locals for being 'too provocative'. But the art school's headteacher Adolfo Marciano said the statue was a 'tribute to the great majority of women who are curvy'. The artwork, which is part of a 310,000 (350,000) redevelopment of the area, was commissioned by the local municipality and has faced ridicule on social media. A stone statue of a well-endowed mermaid (pictured) is making waves in an Italian town as its creators said it was a 'tribute' to curvy women The statue of the voluptuous mermaid was created by students at art school Luigi Rosso in Monopli and was erected near a playground in a Puliga fishing village in Bari, southern Italy The redevelopment was undertaken to improve the living space for locals, including by improving paths and creating better spaces for recreational and cultural activities. This included the installation of children's play park equipment nearby, Italian newspaper The Monopoli Times reports. Actress Tiziana Schiavarelli, who is based in Bari, commented on a photo of the 'perplexing' monument in Rita Levi Montalcini square, saying: 'From the first glance, you wouldn't think they would want to portray the image of the famous scientist. 'It would rather look like a mermaid with two silicon boobs to report to the surgeon, and especially a huge a** never seen to a mermaid. At least to the ones I know.' Mr Marciano defended the artwork, saying that students were given the job by the Monopoli mayor to make a few statues for the town, including one which was sea themed, the Guardian reports. He said that the students came up with the idea of sculpting a mermaid which was then approved by the council to be displayed in the square. He added that the statue was a 'representation of reality, in this case of the female body'. The artwork, which is part of a 310,000 (350,000) redevelopment of the area, was commissioned by the local municipality and has faced ridicule on social media The art school headteacher contrasted the statue with 'very thin' models often seen on television adverts, saying that an 'extremely skinny' mermaid would have been poor representation. A Monopoli residents said on Twitter that they were delighted with the attention the town was getting saying: 'Monopoli in all the newspapers for a big-a** mermaid, that's us!' The statue has not yet been formally unveiled. The King's Coronation Procession is set to be a family affair for some of the military personnel, with their ancestors playing key roles in processions as far back as the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. Lieutenant Lachlan de Klee, who will be the Ensign for the Coldstream Guards, said his relatives had taken part in the past two Coronations, and his ancestor, John Leslie, the Duke of Rothes, carried the sword of state at King Charles II's Coronation on April 23, 1661. 'I think it's become quite diluted now but it's nice to have that link all the way back, but there is definitely a massive sense of pride,' he said. Lieutenant de Klee is due to carry the King's Colour from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. He described the flag, which has all the battle honours on it, as the 'beating heart of the regiment'. He said his grandfather took part in the Coronation of the late Queen and his great-grandfather participated in George VI's Coronation. Pictured: Lieutenant Lachlan de Klee poses for a portrait after a rehearsal of the tri-service military accompaniment to the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla at Aldershot Barracks on April 28, 2023 Pictured: John Leslie, the Duke of Rothes, who carried the sword of state at King Charles II's Coronation Speaking about whether he believed he would have children participating in future Coronations, he joked: 'I'll have to make sure I've got some good to go in however many years' time.' Asked if he was nervous ahead of the event on May 6, Lieutenant de Klee said: 'We've had the excitement of doing countless other ceremonial occasions. We did the Queen's funeral, state visits, state opening of Parliament, so nerves should be okay. 'But this one, I think, probably will top them all.' Second Lieutenant Archie Denison-Smith is due to carry the same sword that his great-grandfather held during the 1953 Coronation. He said: 'My great-grandfather joined the army in 1937, he served in the Second World War, and was an usher inside the abbey on Her Majesty's Coronation in 1953.' He added that the sword is 'a pretty special thing to be carrying on this Coronation'. A platoon commander in the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, 2nd Lieutenant Denison Smith, said his family's affiliation with the armed forces has spanned four centuries, with an order of service for Queen Victoria's Coronation sitting at home. Speaking after a rehearsal for the King's Coronation parade in Aldershot, Hampshire, the 24-year-old said: 'It's an opportunity to celebrate everything good with the fact that we've got a constitutional monarchy. 'We're all very excited to welcome the King into the job. 'It's a once in a generation opportunity. We've not seen anything like this since the last Coronation so not in any of our lives. So I'm nervous, but also really excited.' A portrait of King Charles III, taken by Hugo Burnand in the Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace and released on April 28, 2023 Second Lieutenant Denison-Smith is also due to carry the King's Colour as an ensign during the procession. He said: 'Both my father and grandfather who are luckily still alive are both in the regiment, so I know they're going to be glued to the television and picking up everything I get wrong. 'It's a lot of weight on my shoulders, put it that way.' Millions watching the Coronation around the world are to be asked to cry out and swear allegiance to the King, with the public given an active role in the ancient ceremony for the first time in history. The King's Coronation has been modernised to include the first ever Homage of the People. Lambeth Palace said it was hoped the significant change to the historic service will result in a 'great cry around the nation and around the world of support for the King' from those watching on television, online or gathered in the open air at big screens. It replaces the traditional Homage of Peers in which a long line of hereditary peers knelt and made a pledge to the monarch in person. The liturgy has been revealed, having been decided upon in close consultation with the King, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Government. The new Homage of the People was introduced to allow 'a chorus of millions of voices' to be 'enabled for the first time in history to participate in this solemn and joyful moment', Lambeth Palace said. Pictured: The Anointing Screen which has been designed and produced for use during the Coronation Service on May 6 at Westminster Abbey. The Anointing takes place before the investiture and crowning of His Majesty The Archbishop will call upon 'all persons of goodwill in The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of the other Realms and the Territories to make their homage, in heart and voice, to their undoubted King, defender of all'. The order of service will read: 'All who so desire, in the Abbey, and elsewhere, say together: 'All: I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.' It will be followed by the playing of a fanfare. A spokesman for Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop's office, said: 'The Homage of the People is particularly exciting because that's brand new. 'That's something that we can share in because of technological advances, so not just the people in the Abbey, but people who are online, on television, who are listening, and who are gathered in parks, at big screens and churches. 'Our hope is at that point, when the Archbishop invites people to join in, that people wherever they are, if they're watching at home on their own, watching the telly, will say it out loud - this sense of a great cry around the nation and around the world of support for the King.' The words printed in the service are for 'everyone to share in', the spokesperson said. Before the Homage of the People, the Archbishop of Canterbury will pay homage representing the Church of England, followed by the Prince of Wales, performing what is the only Homage of Royal Blood. Just like his grandfather, Prince Philip, did for his wife Queen Elizabeth II at her Coronation, Prince William will kneel before the monarch, place his hands between his father's and vow to be his 'liege man of life and limb'. He will say: 'I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God.' The symbolic act means the heir to throne, as 'liege man' to the King, has a mutual obligation to the monarch. In the past, other dukes of royal blood would pay homage, but this time, with only Prince William taking part from the Royal Family, it removes the need for the controversial Dukes of Sussex and York to undertake this role. The removal of the homages of hereditary peers also has the benefit of helping to reduce the length of the service, which is now two hours instead of around three, as it was at the late Queen's Coronation. Prince William has another duty during the service. He will enter the Coronation theatre earlier in the ceremony in the investiture segment and help clothe the King in the robe royal, also known as the mantle, ahead of the crowning. Prince William will join Baroness Merron, former Board of Deputies of British Jews chief executive, and help bishops to lift the 'robe of righteousness' on to his father. The robe represents what the King, as sovereign, has been given by God. A British tourist, who is fighting for his life, plunged head first from a balcony 'while drunk' in Croatia. The 30-year-old attempted to climb up a balcony in Hvar before he fell head first to the ground. The Brit, who is suffering from life-threatening injuries, was airlifted 15 miles to the regional hospital in the Adriatic port of Split after the ER team revealed he needed intubation. He is being treated for serious head injuries in the Intensive Care Unit, according to the Sun. The accident happened while he and a group of Brits were on their way back to their rented apartment. The 30-year-old attempted to climb up a balcony in Hvar before he fell head first to the ground (stock image) As they were on their way back he fell off a wall trying to climb up to a balcony. This comes after a 40-year-old holidaymaker arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after his British wife plunged from their sixth-floor Benidorm hotel balcony. Her condition when the 36-year-old was taken to hospital in Villajoyosa had been described as 'critical'. The same sources said the unnamed British man had been released after appearing before a judge in a closed court hearing in Benidorm. Sources close to the investigation were not able to say whether the incident at the four-star Rio Park was now being treated as an accident or attempted suicide, or whether it could be crime-related. The hotel where the incident happened is set in a quiet area of Benidorm just five minutes walk from the Costa Blanca resort's famous Levante Beach. The island of Hvar has captured the eye of many celebrities over the years as Gwyneth Paltrow and Bernie Ecclestone have been spotted in recent years. She is facing charges of fraud and grand theft after a month-long investigation led to her arrest Friday The nurse used the money to pay for several plastic surgeries, including a 'Brazilian butt lift' Tiffany Acuna, 31, allegedly stole $7,000 from an 88-year-old Alzheimer's patient after opening a credit card in her name A Florida nurse has been accused of stealing the identity of an 88-year-old Alzheimer's patient to pay for over $7,000 of plastic surgery. Tiffany Acuna, 31, allegedly opened a credit card under the elderly victim's name before using it to pay for several procedures, including a 'Brazilian butt lift', according to WESH2. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said it opened an investigation after the victim received a startling credit card bill on April 4. The department announced Acuna's arrest Friday, charging her with fraud and grand theft, which are felonies. Acuna, also known as Tiffany Kent, allegedly contacted the victim's husband while the investigation was ongoing, asking him to agree to a repayment plan 'to prevent criminal charges'. Tiffany Acuna, 31, pictured, is facing charges of fraud and grand theft The 31-year-old allegedly paid for several cosmetic surgeries in November 2022 at Moon Plastic Surgery in Miami. Soon after, the victim's husband alerted police that his wife may have had her identity stolen when they received a credit card in the bill for $7,160, officials said. The nurse then allegedly used the stolen cash to pay for procedures including a Brazilian butt lift, a skin tightening plasma operation, and arm liposuction, according to an arrest affidavit. When police discovered Acuna's name on the transaction, she initially denied applying for the credit card or receiving plastic surgery when contacted by officers. She went on to reach out to the victim's husband and allegedly requested setting up a payment plan, where she would repay $1,000 a month until the money was returned to prevent criminal charges being filed against her. The nurse also reportedly urged the victim's husband to sign a loan agreement contract. However, when she arrived at the elderly couple's home Thursday morning with the contract and $1,500 in cash, she was taken into custody by awaiting sheriff's deputies and detectives. The nurse was arrested by awaiting officers after attempting to give back the stolen money in a payment plan to the victim's husband Police said she later claimed to detectives the victim had given her permission to use her identity to pay for cosmetic surgery. Acuna worked for American In-Home Care as a nurse, but she was suspended April 4 after an investigation into her activities was opened by authorities. American In-Home Care has been contacted by DailyMail.com for comment. She is currently facing charges of grand theft and fraudulent use of ID without consent of a victim ages 60 or older. Acuna was booked Thursday at the Volusia County Branch Jail and released after posting $10,000 bail. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. A GoFundMe for Fulcher and his wife has now raised $38,000 Fulcher's daughter and her boyfriend had moved in to take care of him Veteran Alvin Fucher and his wife had thousands stolen by their daughter An elderly San Diego veteran is in danger of losing his home after his daughter who had moved in to care for him swindled him out of 'tens of thousands' of dollars. Alvin Fulcher, 77, said his child pulled the 'ultimate act of deception' by allegedly stealing from him, leaving bills unpaid and the family vulnerable to foreclosure. 'I don't think she has a heart. She did this,' the disabled Navy vet told NBC7 San Diego. 'She wasn't thinking of me or her mother.' Fulcher said he and his other children only discovered the theft in March after his longtime wife Ima died and they were unable to collect her life insurance. 'For this to happen to me at this time is sickening. I'm heartbroken, especially that it was one of my children that did this to me. I'm saying, what kind of heart does she have? She grew up in this house,' Fulcher said. Alvin Fulcher, 77, said his child pulled the 'ultimate act of deception' by stealing from him, leaving bills unpaid and the family vulnerable to foreclosure This is Fulcher's home in San Diego. In March, the Fulcher family discovered that the mortgage had not been paid in nearly a year The veteran - who currently has to feel his way around his home as he has lost most of his vision - said his youngest daughter moved in to help them. Once inside, the woman took control of her elderly parents' finances and stole thousands, including Fulcher's social security income and military retirement pay. Fulcher and his other children claim they later discovered a massive pile of unpaid bills and a bank letter threatening foreclosure. The letter, according to NBC 7, shows Fulcher owes more than $28,000 on his home. The bills had gone untouched since June 2022. 'This is just too much. I can't take it and I want her to pay,' he said. According to a GoFundMe set up by the family, police said they will not be taking action against the daughter or her boyfriend as it is a 'civil matter.' San Diego Police are investigating the incident as a possible case of elder abuse. 'She never gave a reason, just said, "My fault, my fault..." Fulcher said. The veteran said he is now relying on help from his family members and friends. 'My grandson wants me to come live with him in San Antonio. I'd prefer not to. I like to be more independent,' he said. He is hopeful they can find a way to stay in their home - located in the Lemon Grove neighborhood - which they have lived in for 30 years While his family members have been talking with banks, they set up a fundraiser in hopes of buying more time. Fulcher kisses his late wife in a photo posted to the GoFundMe Ima Fulcher died in March and was just buried by her family members in April According to a GoFundMe set up by the family, police said they will not be taking action against the daughter or her boyfriend as its a 'civil matter' The family has lived in their home, located in the Lemon Grove neighborhood, for 30 years Police are looking into the case as possible elder abuse. Pictured: A bill sent to Fulcher The GoFundMe set up to help Fulcher and his children pay the bills has already raised more than $37,000. Hundreds of strangers have contributed to the cause to help Fulcher keep his home. 'God Bless you as we provide strength and support to our veterans in time of need,' wrote one person who chipped in $10. 'I miss my grandparents so much and when I read your story, my heart just broke. I hope this helps,' replied a woman who donated $50. Counter-events have been set up across the city, while large numbers of protestors are gathered outside the conference Several furious religious groups are 'ambushing' the event, with one saying they plan to use 'intense prayer' to counter the Devil worshippers Hundreds of Satanists have descended on Boston for 'the largest Satanic gathering in history' Furious Christian groups are attempting to shut down the 'largest Satanic gathering in history' after hundreds of The Satanic Temple's members descended on Boston. The annual SatanCon festival arrived in town on Friday to celebrate the organization's 10-year anniversary, kicking off with a bizarre opening ceremony that saw speakers tear up the bible and perform 'un-baptisms'. But the arrival of the Devil worshippers on the East Coast has sparked backlash from religious groups, with crowds gathering Saturday to stage a series of demonstrations across the city and combat the hellish three-day event with 'intense prayer'. It comes after Dr Jaymz Sideras, the leader of religious group Revive Boston, warned: 'While they think they are coming to ambush Boston, little do they know that God has planned to ambush them.' His organization is hosting a counter-event at the Revere Hotel Boston Common, less than a mile from the Satanist convention at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. Tempers flared as the conference headed into its second day, with white nationalist group Patriot Front seen brandishing crucifixes. White nationalist group Patriot Front seen clashing with counter-protestors outside the event The far right extremists arrived as tensions flared on the second day of the event Unlike similar groups, The Satanic Temple does not necessarily worship the Devil, but instead views the character as a symbol to 'reject tyrannical authority', according to its website. But its activism, which also centers around the separation of church and state, has caught the ire of several religious groups. Revive Boston's website is hosting a weekend of 'revival' that will include prayer lessons before groups are sent across 'key locations' in Boston to 'flood the streets with worship and God's word'. Another group opposing SatanCon is the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, who told the Catholic News Agency they plan to use 'intense prayer' to combat the event. 'At the direction of the cardinal [Sean O'Malley], we are approaching it through a response balanced and focused on prayer,' a spokesman added. A troubling appearance from white nationalist group The Patriot Front also joined the protestors outside the conference. 'We've had threats', one Satanist attendee told Freedom News. 'There are protestors, quite a few of them are outside. We have no problem with them protesting, that's their right to do.' SatanCon attendees flashing the Devil-horns hand symbol as they shout 'Hail Satan' during the opening ceremony Counter-events have been set up across Boston, while a large number of protestors remain outside the conference Hundreds of demonstrators were seen outside the event Saturday, including those from a far right extremist group Several separate groups congregated outside the Marriott Copley Place in protest The protests grew after groups began gathering Friday, including members of The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property, who held signs reading 'Satan Has No Rights'. Other signs seen outside the event included anti-abortion and anti-LGBT placards, and another reading 'If it contradicts the bible, it's not science... it's a lie.' SatanCon began Friday with a bizarre opening ceremony that saw speakers tear apart bibles and perform 'un-baptisms'. And after Boston Mayor Michelle Wu refused to allow the organization to deliver a Satanic invocation at Boston City Hall, the group decided to dedicate the conference in her honor. Marking its 10-year anniversary in Boston's Marriott Copley Place, over 800 mask-wearing attendees reveled in stories of the fiery depths while enjoying sermons from speakers. Members of The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property protested outside the event Demonstrators have introduced several counter-events to show their opposition to the conference Several religious groups have protested the event. Pictured: A member of the The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property outside the conference Friday A protestor holding a sign reading 'Begone Satan!' on the streets of Boston as the event got underway Furious religious protestors also held anti-abortion and anti-LGBT signs in opposition of the event 'Hail Satan!' screamed one of the speakers, Chalice Blythe, who repeated the chant as she tore up a bible and a 'thin blue line' police-advocacy flag during the opening ceremony. Another speaker dressed in a large red smock smashed a computer keyboard as he declared: 'For those of us who can, we must stand up for those who cannot'. A satanic market was also on display at the event, where people could buy a variety of Lucifer-inspired souvenirs. Satirical 'Live Laugh Love' pillows and demonic goats head dolls were on display at the market, alongside t-shirts, candles, jewelry and Satanic literature. A large police presence has been stationed nearby in anticipation of protests SatanCon programming director Chalice Blythe pictured tearing up a bible during the event's opening ceremony A speaker smashed a keyboard during the opening ceremony A 'Satanic Market' sold a variety of Lucifer-inspired souvenirs A satirical 'Live Laugh Love' pillow was sold at the event that is dubbed the largest 'Satancon' Demonic goats head dolls were also on display at the gathering in Boston The group has captured headlines in recent years after campaigning to introduce its one-ton goat-head idol statue next to any monument commemorating the 10 Commandments on public grounds. Its members claim not to view Satan as evil, but rather see the character as a symbol for questioning authority. After opening its first official headquarters in Salem, Oregon, in 2016, the activists have attempted to lead the way in advocating for a separation of church and state. While Mayor Wu has found herself as the subject of this year's conference, The Satanic Temple previously dedicated other events to public figures who opposed them. Before an event in Scottsdale, Arizona, former Republican Mayor Jim Lane and former Republican Councilor Suzanne Klapp also had the gathering dedicated to them after also denying a request for a satanic invocation at a City Council meeting. The group's advocacy of Satanism sparked outrage last month after a California elementary school began hosting an 'After School Satan Club'. One parent, speaking to KBAK, slammed the decision to allow the club as 'disgusting', while another said it was 'a mistake'. SatanCon didn't shy away from the controversy, however, with a placard seen on an 'Education with Satan' stand at the conference comparing it to the 'Good News Club', a religious group that is allowed at schools. An 'Education with Satan' stand was installed at the conference The stand included a placard comparing its Satanic after-school club with the religious Good News Club A torn bible, torn Blue Lives Matter flag and fake American money lies on the floor during the opening ceremony The group claims its after-school class, unlike the Good News Club, 'promotes a rational, science-based, non-superstitious world view'. The group attempted to distance itself from other Satanic groups and insisted its main objective it the separation of church and state, and teaching empathy. 'It's about supporting human rights. It's about supporting women's bodily autonomy. It's about freedom of religion, freedom from religion, SatanCon attendee Richard-Lael Lillard told WBZ-TV. 'Most don't believe in Satan, not a literal Satan. It's not some 1980s horror film.' Another attendee, Suzanna Plum, added: 'I understand the confusion, the fear. I really do, but at the same time, we're a very misunderstood group.' 'We're just like everybody else. We pay our taxes, we want our communities to improve and do better. We love our kids just like everybody else. We're just normal people, we just believe a little differently.' Pair caused days of chaos after scaling the Queen Elizabeth II bridge in October Just Stop Oil eco-zealots brought traffic in central London to a standstill on Saturday as they marched in support of two activists recently jailed for scaling the Dartford Crossing bridge and causing 40 hours of gridlock, describing them as 'political prisoners'. Hundreds of supporters marched from Parliament Square to the Home Office over claims that a pair of climate protestors were 'wrongly imprisoned for resisting the Government's genocidal plans' to license more than 100 new oil and gas projects by 2025. Morgan Trowland, 40, and Marcus Decker, 36, blocked one of the busiest stretches of road in the country during their climate protest on October 17 last year. The pair hoisted a banner between two pillars of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links the M25 in Essex and Kent, and slept in hammocks in freezing temperatures overnight. The road beneath was closed by police for fears over their safety, causing traffic chaos. They were eventually arrested after coming down the following day. Just Stop Oil eco-zealots brought traffic in central London to a standstill on Saturday as they marched in support of Morgan Trowland, 40, and Marcus Decker, 36, who were jailed for scaling the Dartford Crossing bridge and causing 40 hours of gridlock Hundreds of supporters attended the rally and march from Parliament Square to the Home Office in central London on Saturday afternoon Trowland and Decker were jailed for three years, and two years and seven months respectively at Southend Crown Court earlier this month, after being found guilty of causing a public nuisance. At the time of their record sentencing for the climate group, judge Shane Collery KC said locking the pair up would hopefully deter anyone else from taking part in similar demonstrations. 'You have to be punished for the chaos you caused and to deter others from copying you,' he said. Just Stop Oil called the judgment 'draconian' in a press statement released on Saturday. In addition to Trowland and Decker, the group added it would march in support of five Insulate Britain activists currently serving jail sentences for public nuisance. They include Reverend Mark Coleman, 63, a retired vicar from Rochdale, who was sentenced on Thursday to five weeks in prison for blocking a road in Bishopsgate in the City of London last October. Climate activists say the pair were 'wrongly imprisoned for resisting the Government's genocidal plans' to license more than 100 new oil and gas projects by 2025 Today's rally comes just days after Suella Braverman unveiled new measures to tackle disruptive 'slow marching' tactics The protestors described the sentencing of Trowland and Decker, who were jailed for three years, and two years and seven months respectively for public nuisance, as 'draconian' Protestors today vowed not to stop until 'the genocidal government ends new oil and gas' In addition to Trowland and Decker, the group added it would march in support of five Insulate Britain activists currently serving jail sentences for public nuisance The group also marched in support of Insulate Britain activists serving jail sentences, including Reverend Mark Coleman, 63, a retired vicar from Rochdale, who was sentenced to five weeks for blocking a road in Bishopsgate in the City of London last October The march took place just days after Suella Braverman announced new measures against 'slow marching' tactics, which will be brought in by a statutory instrument The Public Order Bill announced by Braverman permits the police to clear the roads of slow marching protesters 'who are hell-bent on causing chaos across the UK' A Just Stop Oil supporter wears a top showing the pictures of jailed activists Marcus Decker and Morgan Trowland Hundreds of supporters marched through Westminster on Saturday afternoon calling for Decker and Trowland to be freed from prison Morgan Trowland and Marcus Decker scaled a bridge over the Dartford Crossing in October last year Morgan Trowland, pictured here on the bridge, was jailed for three years at Southend Crown Court yesterday Marcus Decker, pictured here in a hammock on the bridge, was jailed for two years and seven months for his role in the protest The pair's actions caused more than a day of gridlock (pictured) as police were forced to divert traffic through the Dartford Tunnel as they closed the road on the bridge Today's rally comes just days after Suella Braverman unveiled new measures to tackle disruptive 'slow marching' tactics. New laws expected to be in place within weeks will allow police to cart off demonstrators who block the roads. The key measures had to be dropped from the Public Order Bill, which completed its passage through Parliament this week, after being blocked by Labour and other opposition peers. READ MORE HERE: Moment Just Stop Oil eco zealot sings protest song to police as he and fellow activist are hauled off Dartford Crossing bridge and arrested Advertisement Now the Home Secretary is introducing almost identical legal changes by an alternative route, known as a statutory instrument, which can be implemented more quickly. Announcing the new measures, Braverman said: 'Selfish, disruptive protesters are wreaking havoc in people's everyday lives across the country and this must be brought to a stop. 'This is why we are bringing forward this new law to clearly define serious disruption as requested by police chiefs. 'Not only will the Public Order Bill introduce new criminal offences for causing serious disruption, this new legislation permits the police to clear the roads of slow marching protesters who are hell-bent on causing chaos across the UK.' Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington, of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said they are 'committed to responding quickly and effectively to activists who deliberately disrupt people's lives'. Ahead of today's march, a Just Stop Oil spokesperson said: 'Our criminal government has betrayed us all, they are taking us down a path to societal collapse and destroying the conditions that make human life possible. 'At the same time they are engaged in an outright assault on migrants rights, workers rights, protest rights, human rights. We face policing at the whim of the Home Secretary, government by diktat and decree, and an increasingly hostile judiciary handing down disproportionately harsh sentences for peaceful protest. 'Why are cowardly judges choosing to imprison people who stand up for life, rather than putting our criminal government on trial? 'We march together today to show we will not be intimidated. We will not abandon our friends. We stand with Marcus and Morgan. Civil resistance is our only hope. 'This is life or death, survival or collective suicide. We won't stop until our genocidal government ends new oil and gas.' Morgan Trowland (left) and Marcus Decker (right) climbed the bridge as part of a climate protest The eco-stunt caused long queues with motorists stuck in traffic for hours and the road closed for over a day Marcus Decker gave a thumbs up to photographers as he was taken away in a prison van Union boss Mick Lynch received a riotous welcome in Belfast as he told gathered demonstrators the 'open Nazis' were trying to stoke division. The union darling posed for pictures with protesters in front of banners before taking to the stage to berate the 'ultra right' for 'trying to blame some of the poorest people in the world for our problems over here'. The General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union, Mr Lynch rose to prominence last summer following a series of media interviews about a rail workers' strike held in the UK in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions. His speech comes just days after the RMT announced a new wave of strikes at 14 train operators that threaten the Eurovision final in Liverpool on May 13. The comments come ahead of a strike by nurses from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), who have scheduled a 48-hour strike in England from 8pm on April 30 to 8pm on May 2, which hospital bosses have said will put the NHS under 'immense strain'. General secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) Mick Lynch addresses the crowd at the May Day trade union rally at Writers' Square in Belfast The general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said he has received a 'tremendous' welcome Mr Lynch told the crowd of workers and activists that the 'ultra right' is causing division during the cost-of-living crisis, and it should be resisted. He also praised unions across Northern Ireland that had taken industrial action in recent months, and called for the trade union movement to begin in every town and county, saying that people were 'ready for change'. The general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said he has received a 'tremendous' welcome as he met and marched with activists and trade unions through Belfast. The trade union leader, whose father left Cork city in 1941 to travel to Britain to work, and whose mother is from Co Armagh, addressed a rally gathered at Belfast City Hall on Saturday. Addressing trade union groups including Unison, Nipsa, Unite and the Northern Ireland Teachers Council, who have all taken industrial action in recent months, Mr Lynch said that the values of the trade union movement 'are back on the agenda'. He said that nurses in Britain 'are on the move' towards industrial action following on from strikes by nurses in Northern Ireland, which was met with applause. 'The trade unionists on this island are the salt of the earth, and they've kept the movement going through thick and thin, through all the struggles that you've had, the struggles for peace and justice and democracy. 'It's been the trade unions that have kept our spirits alive, that have kept this movement going, bringing all of our people together, no matter what their heritage, no matter what their background, and we have to keep doing it. He said that 'open Nazis are trying to divide our people one from another', by 'trying to blame some of the poorest people in the world for our problems over here' Mick Lynch poses with demonstrators at the event in Belfast on Saturday. He was the guest of honour and was loudly applauded 'Because we know what's being said: the ultra right are going to exploit division. 'They're seeking to do it in the south, they're seeking to do it up here. 'They're seeking to do it in England.' He said that 'open Nazis are trying to divide our people one from another', by 'trying to blame some of the poorest people in the world for our problems over here'. 'We cannot allow that to happen,' he said. He added: 'We've been going into the temples, the mosques, the synagogues, bringing everyone together. 'And that's our task: to build a labour movement that reflects all of our working class people and brings them together behind our values and not allow others to exploit them and create that division. 'We have to celebrate our diversity. 'Diversity is wonderful, but solidarity and unity is powerful, and that's what we got to build.' He warned against authorities using global crises for denying workers better pay and conditions. 'They can dress it up wherever they want, they can blame it on the pandemic. They can blame it on the economy. Now they're blaming it on a war in eastern Europe. The union leader posed with supporters in images shared online before taking to the stage to deliver a speech 'What is to blame is capitalism, exploitation, the deliberate creation of poverty so that they can enrich themselves and we've got to stand up to that.' As trade union members gathered in Writers' Square ahead of the march through Belfast, Mr Lynch was asked to pose for pictures and selfies with workers bearing various trade union banners. He was given a small bust of the founder of the Irish Labour party James Connelly, a book about the history of trade unions in Ireland and pinned a University and College Union badge given to him to his jacket. As he began to address, he praised the prominence of women in Northern Ireland in the trade union movement, after the crowd was addressed by leaders including Unison's Patricia McKeowan and Unite's Susan Fitzgerald. Ictu assistant general secretary Gerry Murphy said Mr Lynch was addressing the May Day march as 'every trade unionist across these islands, and many outside our movement, have been inspired and encouraged by the wisdom and clarity offered' by Mr Lynch. 'In a series of media interviews which became internet phenomena, Mick ignored attempts to sideline the justified demands of his members by trivial and stereotypical questioning, and instead outlined their just cause for decent pay and working conditions with style and wit,' he said. 'By doing so, Mick has assisted trade union representatives from every sector of our economy and society to explain with clarity why so many working people are taking the principled and initially costly decision to vote for strike action.' Speaking ahead of his address, Mr Lynch said the warm welcome he received as he walked through the streets of Belfast with trade unions in Northern Ireland was not unusual. People applauded the RMT general secretary as he held an Ictu banner and marched with workers towards Belfast City Hall and one man went to shake his hand. Mr Lynch said he tends to get a good reception across Britain and Ireland. 'People are reaching out to trade unions, they want to hear the message and they want to show their support. So it's all good stuff.' When asked does the support of punters put pressure on him personally to deliver a deal for the RMT, he said: 'You're always under pressure and that's a good thing. 'You've got to deliver, and our members have shown their commitment to our campaigns, to our industrial action and it's my job to get them a deal. 'We're working on that, but we've got a very tough opponent. The Tories don't want to give anyone anything, just 4-5 per cent norm.' He said that having all workers on zero-hour contracts would be 'degrading', saying: 'We can't have that, that's a degrading of the workplace and it degrades society in the long run, so we've got to fight that, for our people.' On Thursday, RMT said rail workers at 14 train operators would strike on the day of the Eurovision Song Contest final after the latest offer aimed at resolving the pay dispute was rejected. Elon Musk has teased a new Twitter feature which he says will allow media publishers to charge readers on a per-article basis for paywall articles they access through the platform. 'Rolling out next month, this platform will allow media publishers to charge users on a per article basis with one click,' Musk tweeted on Saturday. 'This enables users who would not sign up for a monthly subscription to pay a higher per article price for when they want to read an occasional article. Should be a major win-win for both media orgs & the public,' he added. A number of major news publishers charge monthly subscription fees for access to their online articles, and the new feature would presumably give them the alternative option to charge Twitter users per-article through an integrated payment function. Elon Musk has teased a new Twitter feature which he says will allow media publishers to charge readers on a per-article basis for paywall articles Many details about the plan remained unclear, including the amount of the per-article fees, and how much of a cut Twitter would take. Since taking control of Twitter in October, Musk has announced -- and implemented -- a slew of new features and product changes, many of which are aimed at boosting revenue for the cash-strapped social media company. Earlier in April, Musk announced plans to let Twitter users offer their followers paid subscriptions to content, including long-form text and hours-long video. Users offering the subscription, a feature they can access through the 'Monetization' tab in settings, will initially get all the money subscribers pay apart from the charges platforms such as Android and iOS levy. Twitter will not take a cut for the first 12 months, but after that will take a 10 percent, Musk revealed earlier this week. Musk has been bringing in changes to boost revenue at Twitter after the social media platform saw advertising income drop last year in the run up to his $44 billion acquisition. Since taking over, Musk has swiftly moved through a number of product and organizational changes. The company rolled out its Twitter-verified blue tick as a paid service and shrunk the employee-base by about 80 percent. The social media firm was now 'roughly breaking even', Musk said in a recent Twitter Spaces interview. The New York Times is among a number of news publishers that charge monthly subscription fees for access to their online articles However, not all of Musk's revenue-generating moves have gone over smoothly with institutional Twitter users. Earlier this week, New York's transit system said it would not longer issue service alerts on Twitter, saying the company wanted $50,000 a month for access to the interface that allowed it to automatically publish its alerts. Last month, Twitter announced a new pricing system that would charge for access to its application programming interface, or API, which is used by accounts that post frequent alerts, such as transit and weather agencies. 'The amount that is being posed is astronomical,' Shanifah Rieara, the MTA's acting chief customer officer,' told the Associated Press. 'We are all about bringing ridership back. We should not be paying to communicate service alerts to our customers.' A clubber used Apple AirTag to track down a thief who stole her handbag from a bar - only to find it up for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Christopher Cragen took the bag from inside Flares, in Newcastle, and handed it to a friend to sell on Facebook. The victim used the Apple tracking device to locate the general location of her bag, which contained 340-worth of goods, while her family spotted it advertised on Facebook and reported it to the police. Officers traced the profile of the woman selling the bag and attended her address, a court was told. She immediately told them who was responsible for the theft and Cragen was traced and arrested. The crook, who has more than 200 offences on his record, was due before Newcastle Magistrates' Court earlier this month but failed to show and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Christopher Cragen (pictured outside Newcastle Magistrates' Court) took a woman's bag from inside Flares bar and handed it to a friend to sell on Facebook Cragen, of Arthur's Hill, Newcastle, then appeared in the dock in custody to plead guilty to theft. Jennifer McKelvin, prosecuting, said the victim was in Flares on October 6 last year when she left her handbag with a friend. However, when she returned a short while later it was missing. Ms McKelvin added: 'She used Apple AirTag to locate the area where the bag was. At the same time, her family looked on Facebook Marketplace and saw it for sale under the profile name Keira Bates. Police attended her address and she named Christopher Cragen as being responsible for the theft.' The court heard that some of the items were returned while some were not,and the victim remained 286 out of pocket. Ms McKelvin also said that Bates, 37, of Houston Court, in Elswick, had previously admitted handling stolen goods and was awaiting sentence next month. The thief, who has more than 200 offences on his record, was due before Newcastle Magistrates' Court earlier this month but failed to show and a warrant was issued for his arrest In a statement, the victim said: 'This theft caused me a great deal of stress and upset due to the knowledge that a person unknown to me took my personal items, which included details of my home address, along with my house keys. 'This caused a great amount of anxiety that people might be able to get access to my address.' Alanna Wesencraft, defending, said the theft was opportunistic and not planned. She added: 'Mr Cragen has had no convictions for theft for three years.. He found the bag on steps inside Flares. It was a theft by finding.' District Judge Paul Currer adjourned the case for the preparation of a pre-sentence report and released Cragen on unconditional bail to return to court with Bates on May 19 for sentence. The first US-led evacuation of private citizens in Sudan has been completed after hundreds of people made the perilous journey across the war-torn nation to Port Sudan. Desperate citizens reached the port under the escort of armed drones, which oversaw a bus convoy carrying 200 to 300 Americans over 500 miles to Port Sudan, a place of relative safety, U.S. officials said. The US has been criticized by families of trapped Americans in Sudan for initially ruling out any US-run evacuation, despite an estimated 16,000 Americans in Sudan wishing to leave. Saturday's evacuation came after U.S. special operations troops briefly flew to the capital, Khartoum, April 22 to airlift out American staffers at the embassy and other American government personnel. Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, on April 19, four days after fighting broke out in the war-torn nation More than a dozen other nations have already been carrying out evacuations for their citizens from Sudan, using a mix of military planes, navy vessels and on the ground personnel. After the nation was thrust into turmoil April 15, a wide-ranging group of international mediators - including African and Arab nations, the United Nations and the United States - has only managed to achieve a series of fragile temporary cease-fires. While failing to stop clashes, they created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese to flee to safety. Though US officials have tried to link up Americans with other nation's evacuation efforts, they previously warned citizens they needed to find their own way out of the country when the conflict broke out. The latest attempt to evacuate nationals from the country came as US officials exploited a relative quiet in the fighting and, from afar, organized their own convoy for Americans. US officials have previously attempted to help citizens join other nation's evacuation efforts. Pictured: British Nationals about to board an RAF aircraft in Sudan Without the evacuation flights near the capital that other countries have been offering their citizens, many U.S. citizens have been left to make the dangerous overland journey from Khartoum to the countrys main Red Sea port, Port Sudan. One Sudanese-American family that made the trip earlier described passing through numerous checkpoints manned by armed men and passing bodies lying in the street and vehicles of other fleeing families who had been killed along the way. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the convoy carried U.S. citizens, local people employed by the U.S. and citizens of allied countries. 'We reiterate our warning to Americans not to travel to Sudan,' he said. Alongside its recent efforts, US officials also are working with Saudi Arabia to see if one of the kingdoms naval vessels can carry a larger number of Americans to Jeddah. An aerial view of black smoke rising over Khartoum, Sudan on April 28 U.S. officials have carried out their first evacuation of its citizens in Sudan after hundreds of Americans completed the dangerous journey across the war-torn nation to its port Saturday From Port Sudan, away from the fighting, the Americans in the convoy can seek spots on vessels crossing the Red Sea to the Saudi port city of Jeddah. U.S. consular officials will be waiting for the Americans once they reach the dock in Jeddah, but there are no U.S. personnel in Port Sudan, officials said. Mounting evacuation efforts come after two Americans were confirmed killed since the fighting erupted April 15. One was a U.S. civilian whom officials said was caught in crossfire. The other was an Iowa City, Iowa, doctor, who was stabbed to death in front of his house and family in Khartoum, in the lawless violence that has accompanied the fighting. In all, the fighting in the east African country has killed more than 500 people. Former BBC presenter Emily Maitlis has revealed she fears her now-infamous Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew may have come to 'hurt' his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie. The Duke of York's disastrous BBC interview in 2019, which addressed allegations that Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre was trafficked to have sex with him when she was 17, heralded the beginning of the end for his role within the royal family. Within two years of that interview the Queen had stripped him of his military affiliations, royal patronages and use of his HRH title and he settled a civil lawsuit brought by Ms Giuffre for a reported 12million ($16.3m). But there was equally an impact on his interviewer as well, Ms Maitlis revealed in a column for The Times, which comes just days before the airing of a new two-part Channel 4 documentary, Andrew - The Problem Prince - and a week before the King is set to be officially crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6. Ms Maitlis said the pair would 'be forever interlinked by the most random of locations (Pizza Express, Woking) and the most imaginative of excuses (an inability to sweat).' Former BBC presenter has revealed the impact of her BBC Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew three years on, including whether it brought 'harm' to his daughters Ms Maitlis said the pair would ' be forever interlinked by the most random of locations (Pizza Express, Woking) and the most imaginative of excuses (an inability to sweat)' Ms Maitlis said: 'How could an interview that aimed to provide answers for vulnerable young women not end up hurting other vulnerable young women his daughters along the way?' Newsnight producer Sam McAlister claimed Prince Andrew (right) was 'euphoric' after his interview with Emily Maitlis (left) because 'he thought it had gone really well' But she equally struggled 'in the aftermath' with how Prince Andrew's revelations would impact his daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie. 'How could an interview that aimed to provide answers for vulnerable young women not end up hurting other vulnerable young women his daughters along the way?' Ms Maitlis also revealed how three years on after the interview she is asked to speak at events on global issues or the political landscape, but audiences almost always ask about her Prince Andrew interview and whether she foresaw the fallout it would cause. READ MORE: 'I WARNED PRINCE ANDREW THAT AN INTERVIEW FOR NEWSNIGHT WAS A BAD IDEA' Old friends: Lawyer Paul Tweed with the Duke of York Advertisement She wrote: 'In truth, I think we always suspected the interview could come to define the prince. I think I was less prepared for the way it would come to define me too.' With the benefit of hindsight, the former BBC journalist questioned whether Prince Andrew had agreed to the interview to clear his name for the sake of Beatrice, ahead of her wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi just months later. Similar comments have recently been made by Newsnight producer Sam McAlister, who reveals in the upcoming Channel 4 documentary that the duke had taken his daughter, Princess Beatrice, with him to the final negotiations with the BBC over what should be included in the interview. 'Can you imagine being in Buckingham Palace, about to talk to a member of the royal family about sexual offences? That's pretty tricky - and now I've got to do it in front of his daughter,' the producer said. Ms Maitlis said she thought at the time that he might have agreed to speak in an attempt to make amends with his daughter, who had recently got engaged. She told the Channel 4 documentary: Its the first time the thought crossed my mind that maybe he was doing it for her. Your life has been hellish. Youve had to read these headlines. Youre trying to get married. Im going to do this to make it better for you. I dont know if thats true, but it crossed my mind. She also revealed in today's column how she was unprepared for the global impact the interview made - and continues to make today, with a Netflix drama in the pipeline starring Sex Education star Gillian Anderson as Ms Maitlis and The Man In The High Castle actor Rufus Sewell as Andrew. In the forthcoming Channel 4 documentary, which explores the story behind the Newsnight interview, Ms Maitlis reveals that the late Queen realised it could be a PR disaster before Prince Andrew did. Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell posing in a picture taken in Maxwell's mews house Ms Maitlis revealed she was 'shocked' by some of the duke's responses and described it as 'a tidal wave of bad answers' Ms Maitlis revealed the monarch was handed a transcript of the Duke of York's appearance on the BBC's flagship news programme, in which he was asked about his association with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Shortly afterwards, the duke, who was said to be 'euphoric' following the interview which he thought had gone 'really well', was apparently tapped on the shoulder by his security detail and ushered away. The interview was the perfect gift to Virginia Giuffre because it contained 'so many probably false things', her lawyer has said. Attorney Sigrid McCawley said that the Duke of York's series of blunders and bizarre defence of his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein in the 2019 interview provided them with a 'roadmap to tear him apart'. During the original Newsnight broadcast, the duke denied he had sex with Ms Giuffre, said he had no recollection of ever meeting her and that he had spent the day in question at Pizza Express in Woking, Surrey, at a party with one of his daughters. Ms Giuffre said Andrew sweated heavily as they danced at London nightclub Tramp in one alleged encounter. The duke told Ms Maitlis his Falklands War service had caused a medical condition, at the time, which meant he did not sweat. One of Prince Andrew's friends, Irish defamation lawyer Paul Tweed, told the documentary he tried to talk the duke out of giving the interview. Ms Maitlis revealed she was 'shocked' by some of the duke's responses and described it as 'a tidal wave of bad answers'. She said: 'This is how I know that Prince Andrew is happy with the interview because he stayed chatting. He seemed very jolly. 'A whole load of people came in and I said, "What's going on?" They said, "OK, Thursday evenings we have the cinema night at the palace. You can stay if you want." And at that point, I just thought, I've got to get away from here. I needed the space to work out what just happened.' Following the BBC broadcast in November 2019 and the furore over Andrew's friendship with Epstein, the duke stepped down from public life. Last year, he reached an out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre reportedly worth up to $12million (9.6million) following her civil sex claim against him in the US. He vehemently denies any wrongdoing. Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan in August 2019 while he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide. Representatives for Prince Andrew have been contacted for comment. Andrew: The Problem Prince airs Monday 1 and Monday 8 May at 9pm on Channel 4 She claimed Eduardo and Sadie Martinez had tried to kidnap her two young children at a Michael's craft store in Petaluma on December 7, 2020 Wannabe momfluencer Katie Sorensen, 31, has been found guilty of making a fake kidnapping claim and faces up to six months in jail A wannabe 'momfluencer' in California who went viral after alleging that a Latino couple tried to snatch her children has been found guilty of making a false report of a crime. Katie Sorensen, 31, is in custody and faces up to six months in jail for fabricating the story about her children being kidnapped. She claimed Eduardo and Sadie Martinez had tried to kidnap her two young children at a Michael's craft store in Petaluma on December 7, 2020. Sorensen made a false police report a few minutes after leaving the carpark and later posted two Instagram videos in which she detailed how she avoided the fabricated kidnapping attempt. Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez said the jury's guilty verdict will help exonerate the couple she falsely accused. Mrs Martinez said she was satisfied with the verdict and believed 'justice was served'. Wannabe momfluencer Katie Sorensen, 31, has been found guilty of making a fake kidnapping claim and faces up to six months in jail Sorensen, pictured with one of her sons, claimed that Eduardo and Sadie Martinez had tried to kidnap her two young children at a Michael's craft store in Petaluma on December 7, 2020 Mrs Martinez (pictured left with her husband) said she was satisfied with the verdict and believed 'justice was served' Sorensen, a mother of three, drove to the police station to report the couple's actions and press charges before uploading two viral videos, which gained her more than 80,000 followers. Around a week after filing her false police report, she posted the now-deleted clips, on December 13 in which she detailed claims that she avoided the so-called kidnapping attempt. They racked up more than 4.5 million views on her Instagram page and she drew even more attention by going on a local news program to repeat her account. In her initial videos, Sorenson sat in her car as she relayed the claims about Sadie and Eddie Martinez, who have five children between them and two grandchildren. She said: 'My children were the targets of attempted kidnap which is such a weird thing to even vocalize but it happened and I want to share that story with you in an effort to raise awareness to what signs to look for and to encourage parents to be more aware of their surroundings and what is going on around them. 'I think right now that we are so distracted with everything that's going on in the world that we are have our guard up so much about masks and wanting to keep out children safe that way that we're forgetting the most important way to keep them safe and that is with us.' Mr and Mrs Martinez came forward to Petaluma police and they were cleared of any wrongdoing after the report was found to be false thanks to store footage and an investigation was launched into the momfluencer. The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office then charged her with three misdemeanor accounts of making a false report of a crime in May 2021- one she made to a police dispatcher and a police officer on December 7 and another with a detective a week later. A jury found her guilty of the third count on Thursday after deliberating for a day and Sorenson has been remanded into custody with her bail set at $100,000. District Attorney Rodriguez said: 'This verdict will enable us to hold Ms. Sorensen accountable for her crime, while at the same time helping to exonerate the couple that was falsely accused of having attempted to kidnap two young children. 'The case is also important in that it illustrates the importance of using social media responsibly.' A sentencing date is yet to be set but the maximum sentence for the misdemeanor conviction is six months in jail. Mrs Martinez, who own a small business making balloon arches for parties, was satisfied with the verdict and said she believed 'justice was served'. 'I feel like it's a step in the right direction for my family. I'm grateful for the support,' she told Elle magazine. Officers contacted Mrs Martinez on Facebook to say she and her husband should come to the station The couple (pictured in CCTV footage released by police), who have five children between them and two grandchildren, were quickly cleared of any wrongdoing The alleged incident took place in the parking lot of this Michael's in Petaluma She found out about the incident when her daughter showed her a community post from Petaluma police with a blurry screenshot of the couple and asked: 'Mom, is this you?' Officers then contacted her on Facebook to say she and her husband should come to the station. Mr Martinez, a UPS delivery driver, said: 'For Sadie and me, it was game on. We needed to defend ourselves.' They told investigators their side of the story and families who he delivers to called the police department to vouch for him. 'Katie should have probably done a little bit of homework and picked different characters for her story.' The police quickly closed the investigation on December 17 after finding 'no evidence or witnesses corroborating' Sorensen's account and began to look into the momfluencer's false report. Mrs Martinez believes she and her husband were targeted because of their skin color and hoped Sorensen would be charged with a hate crime. She added: 'But that's very hard to prove,' she says, 'so we had to be content with what we could get. 'Jail won't fix the systems that allow the Katies of the world to do these things in the first place,' she says. 'She's just a little piece of a big puzzle.' According to the police statement, Sorenson said she noted the suspicious behavior of a man and woman as they followed her and her children around the store and made comments about their appearance. She told police they followed her out to her car and lingered by the stroller as she placed her kids back inside the vehicle. Police said Sorenson had not wanted to have anyone arrested when she filed the report but 'wanted to draw attention to the concerning behavior exhibited by the couple'. But the Martinez couple came forward and they were cleared of any wrongdoing and police launched the investigation into the momfluencer. In an interview with KTVU after she posted the videos, however, Sorenson relayed further claims about Sadie and Eddie Martinez. 'I heard them talking about the features of my children, but I was totally paralyzed with fear, I just couldn't bring myself to say anything,' she said. She claimed that she had spotted the man looking at her in the parking lot before she went inside and that the couple had stood behind her in the checkout but then followed her outside without buying anything. She noted that when she reached her car, a white van was parked alongside her, which she thought was strange given how far from the store she was. The influencer pictured here with one of her sons Sorenson also claimed that the couple took two steps forward and then two steps back as the watched her load her children into the car. 'Very awkward. There is no other explanation to why they would do that other than they were building up the courage' she alleged. Sorenson told the station that the man had reached out and grabbed the stroller but that another man walked past at the time and she began to scream for help. She claimed the couple fled the scene in a car, but a third man emerged quickly from the white van. She said he acted like he was trying to help her before fleeing himself. 'I saw these people, they didn't look necessarily clean cut,' Sorenson told KTVU. Erika Margarita Mitchell, a family member of the couple, posted to Facebook praising prosecutors for charging Sorensen for the case 'I felt uncomfortable around them, and instead of making them uncomfortable with my discomfort, I chose to remain in my discomfort.' Sorenson told Buzzfeed that she felt very overwhelmed to the reaction to the videos. She said that she wanted those sending her negative comments to note that she was 'faced with a traumatic experience, it is impossible to function at full capacity'. Speaking at a press conference at the time, Mrs Martinez said: 'I couldn't believe it. It's like we're literally guilty of being brown while shopping.' And her daughter Esaia told BuzzFeed News: 'This isn't the first racist injustice to occur in Petaluma by a long shot, but we are definitely grateful that in this case the truth was rightfully pursued.' Erika Margarita Mitchell, a family member of the couple, posted to Facebook praising prosecutors for charging Sorensen at the time. She said: 'Great news for us all but mostly for my cousin, Sadie Vega-Martinez and her husband Eddie. They were falsely accused by this 'influencer' of trying to kidnap her kids at a local Michaels store,' Mitchell wrote. 'A major allegation! She obviously didn't know who she was messing with in my cousin. Prima, I'm so glad you persisted!' Mitchell added: 'There absolutely need to be consequences for attention seeking 'influencers' that make up drama for likes and views on social. 'Prosecute Katie is now Convict Katie. Can you imagine this happening to YOU? It totally could. And it's unreal.' He also slammed blue-run Oregon for doing a 'terrible job' tackling its crime wave, after officials declined to follow up on the attack The out-of-control attacker went on to smash his windscreen with a rock before tormenting several other victims Kevin Dahlgren filmed the moment his car was charged by a frenzied homeless man on the streets of Portland A Portland drug counselor revealed the shocking moment a frenzied homeless man charged his car and smashed his windows with a rock before tormenting bystanders. Kevin Dahlgren became the latest victim of the Oregon city's rampant homeless epidemic, as he slammed the metro for doing a 'terrible job' protecting its citizens. 'I thought he was going to make it inside my car,' the counselor told Fox News. 'It was terrifying.' The attack came days after Portland officials, who previously defunded their police force, announced a new wave of task forces in a desperate attempt to curb the city's unfettered retail and motor thefts. Shocking footage showed the moment a homeless man charged a car and smashed its window with a rock (Trigger warning) While doing outreach I overheard a lady saying a man a block away was acting crazy and throwing things at cars. I drove over and saw him. He immediately threw an apple at my car, ran towards me, punched my window and then tried to open my door. I sped off as pic.twitter.com/9OuIlotxRb Kevin Dahlgren (@kevinvdahlgren) April 24, 2023 Dahlgren revealed the terrifying attack occurred when he went to investigate a report of a homeless man 'acting crazy' in the area. He quickly came face to face with the snarling attacker, who began striking and throwing rocks at the car window between them. A photograph taken after the terrifying encounter showed the wild rampage also led his windscreen to be smashed by a rock. Despite the unnamed assailant also reportedly going on to smash a nearby restaurant window, throw rocks at other passing cars and charging onto a bus, Dahlgren said police declined to follow up on with the crazed attacker. 'He ran at me full speed, nearly smashed my driver's side window,' the drug counselor added. Dahlgren slammed the reaction of police to the terrifying clash, saying: 'They kept asking, "Is he a danger to himself or others?" and I was like "Yeah, I'd say he is a danger to others!" 'I witnessed him breaking a window, I witnessed him harassing other people, I witnessed him throwing rocks at cars.' Kevin Dahlgren, pictured, slammed Oregon for doing a 'terrible job' fixing its homelessness problem Crime in Multnomah County, a more populated, progressive region, increased 9 percent last year amid its county seat Portland's continued crime woes Dahlgren said he initially called a mental health outreach team to report the attack, but said: 'They just wouldn't come, so I finally gave up and called the police... unfortunately the police said they weren't going to pursue. 'I'm thinking in my mind, what does it take to get someone like this help? Who is supposed to help this person if not the people we pay to help? It was really frustrating.' Dahlgren has previously referred to the city as 'an open air psych ward', and he added that his recent attack reiterated his belief that it is 'dangerous now for everybody'. 'Also, there's the mentally ill that are vulnerable, and are being victimized every day. Oregon is last place when it comes to a prevalence of mental illness, and 43rd place in the United States with their needs being unmet. 'We're doing a really, really terrible job with mental health type services in this state.' The Portland Police Bureau has been contacted DailyMail.com for comment. Two people are slumped in the doorway of a building. 'It has gotten massively worse', says Lieutenant Christopher Lindsey of Portland Police The attack came days after reports indicated Portland officials are set to launch a slate of task forces to tackle the city's out of control crime wave. Two new task forces intended to specifically tackle car and retail theft are being prepared by Multnomah County DA Mike Schmidt and Democrat Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who have previously been slammed for the city's crime epidemic. Portland has one of the worst crime rates in America, with over 63,000 property thefts littering the city over the last year, per official police statistics. With rampant crime taking over the city, numerous businesses have already begun to flee the area amid a soft-on-crime approach by Portland officials. Since the pandemic, public data found that over 2,600 businesses filed changes of address with the US Postal Service after leaving their downtown Portland zip codes. Major businesses including Nike and Walmart have cited a spike in shoplifting and property theft as part of their reason for shuttering locations in the area. Read more: The rise of the Albanian gangsters flaunting their lavish lifestyle A crown court judge has rebuked an Albanian migrant who turned to crime after arriving illegally in Britain by boat. Sentencing Fatmir Limani, who burgled a house in Leeds, to 18 months in prison earlier this month, Judge Simon Batiste told him: 'Sadly, the UK has far too many criminals of our own. We don't need to bring them in from Albania.' It comes as figures obtained by The Mail on Sunday show 75 per cent of Albanian nationals who have arrived illegally have since committed at least one criminal offence in the UK. And 30 per cent of Britain's class A drug trade is now controlled by Albanian gang lords. Albanians many of whom arrived illegally in Britain on lorries and small boats are now the biggest contingent of foreign prisoners in UK jails, with 1,582 locked up here. Fatmir Limani (pictured), who burgled a house in Leeds, was sentenced to 18 months in prison READ MORE: Boy, 15, tells his fellow Albanians why he was WRONG to travel illegally to Dover on traffickers' boat now he's back home after disastrous stay Florjan Dibra (pictured) was, like the others, seduced by fantasies of a land with never-ending riches and opportunities for a new life Advertisement This year so far, 93 Albanians have been jailed at a cost to the taxpayer of 17 million for serious offences such as murder, rape and kidnapping and burglary, including 14 in the past week. They include six killers, one rapist, a kidnapper, five class A drug dealers and 56 cannabis growers. Of the 93 jailed, at least 53 came to the UK illegally, either on small boats or in the back of lorries. Albanians made up the biggest proportion of the more than 45,000 people who crossed the Channel illegally last year. At one stage last summer, they represented 60 per cent of arrivals in small boats.Thousands sought asylum, even though Albania is considered 'safe and hospitable' by the Foreign Office. Our data does not include those who were not jailed, or who appeared in the magistrates' courts which would make the total much higher. As well as Judge Batiste's remarks to Limani at Leeds Crown Court, other judges around the country have also voice their concern about illegal migrants turning to crime once they reach Britain. Two weeks ago, Judge Joanne Kidd sent cannabis grower Aurel Kajo to prison for 20 months at Durham Crown Court. Albanian Kajo had paid 4,000 to be smuggled into Britain. Judge Kidd told Kajo: 'The message must go out that people who enter this country illegally and choose to involve themselves in criminal activity will likely face prison and then deportation.' And at Nottingham Crown Court in January, Judge Tanweer Ikram told Albanian Elmas Sitaj, who was jailed for ten months for cannabis production: 'You come here illegally, you take a risk. It can never be right that you turn to criminality. This is not a country where you get rich quickly. Life is hard and people aren't paid very much.' Sentencing Fatmir Limani, Judge Simon Batiste told him: 'Sadly, the UK has far too many criminals of our own. We don't need to bring them in from Albania' It comes as figures obtained by The Mail on Sunday show 75 per cent of Albanian nationals who have arrived illegally have since committed at least one criminal offence in the UK (file picture) Last week, Home Secretary Suella Braverman told how thousands of criminals who 'possess values which are at odds with our country' have sneaked into Britain on small boats. She said: 'We're seeing heightened levels of criminality among the people who've come on boats, related to drug dealing, exploitation, prostitution. There are real challenges which go beyond the migration issue of people coming here illegally. 'In my conversations with many police chiefs around the country, they are now reporting back to me that the drugs gangs they're dealing with are people who came on small boats. Many people are coming here illegally and getting very quickly involved in the drugs trade, in other exploitation, in criminality and prostitution.' A woman says her wedding dress was held 'hostage' by a dress preservation company over unsettled debts with Bed Bath & Beyond, who she purchased the $120 kit from. Jesse Moltenbrey, 40, bought the kit from Bed Bath & Beyond in March and sent it off to Memories Wedding Gown Preservation in Houston for it to be safeguarded. The New Hampshire resident was married in 2018 and wanted to keep the dress safe as she has no immediate plans for it. Weeks after she mailed the dress, however, Moltenbrey received an email from the Texas company saying they were holding onto the item over Bed Bath & Beyond's unpaid debts, totaling $42,000. 'I read it and I just felt kind of sick and helpless for a little while,' she said. 'I'm thinking, how am I supposed to get a bankrupt company to pay a debt?' Bed Bath & Beyond filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 23, announcing that all 360 nationwide stores will eventually close putting 30,000 jobs at risk. A woman says her wedding dress was held 'hostage' by a dress preservation company over unsettled debts with Bed Bath & Beyond, who she purchased the $120 kit from Jesse Moltenbrey, 40, bought the kit from Bed Bath & Beyond in March and sent it off to Memories Wedding Gown Preservation in Houston for it to be safeguarded The trumpet-style wedding dress is unique in its color, midnight black, and is embossed with white flowers that adorn the skirt from the hem to the rib cage. The strapless gown has a long train fit for any bride and was perfectly suited for Moltenbrey who said she knows it may not be for everyone. Moltenbrey said she purchased the kit from the now-bankrupt retailer, which describes the product as an option 'to have your gown cleaned and preserved after your wedding.' The woman told outlets that while she had no immediate plans with the dress, she wanted it preserved ahead of her second child's arrival. Moltenbrey said she had planned to move the wedding dress to the basement to clear up room for her new arrival. 'I had to clear out that closet, and I was afraid that something could happen to it,' she told PEOPLE. 'And it's a very unique dress. It's a black wedding dress. My kids probably won't want to wear it.' The woman told the outlet that while she doesn't believe her own kids will want to wear it in the future, she thought it was at least important to 'have that option.' 'I mean, who knows, but I just figured it, it's special to me. I will hold onto it, and if one of them wants to do something with it in the future, then that's up to them. I wanted it to at least have that option,' she said. 'And it's just the principle too. It's my property and they don't have any right to hold it,' Moltenbrey continued. The woman immediately reached out to the company and begged for her dress to no initial avail. She claims she told them she didn't care if the preservation was done, but that she just wanted her dress sent back to her. 'Then after a few hours of reflecting, taking a few deep breaths, I was like, all right, "We're going to make a TikTok, we'll contact the news. We're going to do everything we can,"' she said. This is the email the gown preservation business sent to Moltenbrey The woman told outlets that while she had no immediate plans with the dress, she wanted it preserved ahead of her second child's arrival In a TikTok posted on April 25, the woman begs users to help her get her dress back. The nearly three-minute video has since amassed some 65,000 views and several thousand likes. Hundreds of TikTok users have weighed in on the situation, offering everything from support to ideas on how to force the company's hand. 'Their fight is with BB&B, not the dress owners. They are so in the wrong!!!' wrote one user. 'I mean did they think having their small business blasted all over TikTok was better than just sending people their dresses back,' another chimed in. The comments and suggestions pushed Moltenbrey to continue pursuing her dress. She said she eventually made contact with Memories and the company gave her a tracking number for the dress. 'I have received a tracking number, but there's no movement on it. It says the label has been created, but it hasn't shipped out yet,' she said. In Facebook posts, the woman says she is now fighting for other women who have been impacted as she has. 'I did tell the VP that my goal is for ALL dresses to be returned. Not just mine. So I dont feel bad they are still getting bad press. And the story will have the update that mine is getting returned,' she wrote. 'I did tell the VP that my goal is for ALL dresses to be returned. Not just mine. So I dont feel bad they are still getting bad press. And the story will have the update that mine is getting returned,' Moltenbrey wrote in a Facebook post She said she eventually made contact with Memories and the company gave her a tracking number for the dress. In Facebook posts, the woman says she is now fighting for other women who have been impacted as she has In a statement to outlets, Memories Gown Preservation said they are working with affected brides to remedy the situation. 'We informed Bed Bath & Bed Bath brides beginning March 11, 2023 (before they filed for bankruptcy) that we would no longer be processing their gowns. 'At that time Bed Bath had outstanding invoices that date back to March of 2022. Memories is a small business and could no longer afford to 'clean, preserve, box, & ship gowns' without payment.' 'We are working with Bed Bath brides on a case by case basis, Not holding gowns hostage, and are giving them two options to return their gown: 1) Unprocessed - $30 for shipping/handling. 2) Cleaned & preserved at Bed Baths very low wholesale price.' This is a bad situation all around. In a perfect world we could stop Bed Bath gowns from shipping to us, but that's not how the UPS Labels work. Both Memories Gown Preservation and Bed Bath brides are owed a major apology by Bed Bath & Beyond and their management.' DailyMail.com reached out to Bed Bath & Beyond for a statement but did not hear back by the time of publication. Full details of the Coronation have been unveiled, with Queen Camilla set to be anointed in full public view and presented with a ring which 'marries' her as consort to the King. The Queen Consort will be consecrated with holy oil without being hidden under a canopy, in contrast to the late Queen Mother's coronation. The King, as is custom, will be shielded during his sacred anointing. Buckingham Palace described the change as 'just one of a number of ways in which the service has been adapted, evolved, simplified without losing any of its magic and majesty'. A 14-year-old chorister will also play a key role in proceedings. As part of the theme, 'Called to Serve', Samuel Strachan will welcome the new monarch in the name of the 'King of Kings' - a reference to Jesus Christ. And, for the first time in British history, the Coronation will feature members of different faith groups, with leaders from the Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Buddhist communities set to deliver a greeting to the King. Full details of the Coronation have been unveiled, with Queen Camilla set to be presented with a ring which 'marries' her as consort to the King The Queen Consort will be consecrated with holy oil without being hidden under a canopy, in contrast to the late Queen Mother's coronation Queen Elizabeth II was anointed in private, as is the tradition. The King will also be shielded A member of the Royal School of Needlework hand embroiders Camilla, the Queen Consort's cypher onto her new Robe of Estate New ground has been broken in other areas, from the inclusion of female Bishops the first time, to the use of Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic languages and the opportunity for those watching around the globe to join in and pay homage to the King. As details were revealed of the coronation liturgy, Lambeth Palace described the role played by a key element in the ceremony - the Queen Consort's Ring. An octagonal mixed-cut ruby surrounded by 14 diamonds, it bears the symbolism of a ring exchanged in marriage. A spokesman for the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury said: 'It signifies covenant and agreement, an unbroken bond, without end. 'It 'marries' Consort to King, and them both to God in duty and to the people in loving service, and in turn acts as an assurance of God's unfailing love.' Lambeth Palace said the uncovered anointing symbolises Camilla's role as a consort rather than a reigning monarch. But it marks a change from the coronation of the last Queen consort - Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother - in 1937 who was anointed under a canopy. The Lambeth Palace spokesman said: 'The only distinction this time is that there won't be anything that will obscure the view.' The Palace said, that in comparison to the King: 'This anointing will happen without a screen or canopy to demonstrate the different nature of anointing a consort compared to a reigning sovereign, as this anointing is at the permission of the sovereign.' Lambeth Palace said the uncovered anointing symbolises Camilla's role as a consort rather than a reigning monarch The Queen Consort has chosen to be crowned in the crown made for Charles's great-grandmother Queen Mary Archbishop Justin Welby, writing in the official coronation souvenir programme, said Charles will swap his 'robes of status and honour' for a simple white shirt for the private anointing King Charles' personal prayer God of compassion and mercy whose Son was sent not to be served but to serve, give grace that I may find in thy service perfect freedom and in that freedom knowledge of thy truth. Grant that I may be a blessing to all thy children, of every faith and conviction, that together we may discover the ways of gentleness and be led into the paths of peace. through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Advertisement Archbishop Justin Welby, writing in the official coronation souvenir programme, said Charles will swap his 'robes of status and honour' for a simple white shirt for the private anointing during the May 6 ceremony. The Queen Consort will be wearing a brand new Robe of Estate, decorated with the King's favourite flowers, delphiniums, and lily of the valley, a favourite bloom of the late Queen Elizabeth II. He wrote that the historic occasion will be one of 'magnificence and pomp' but also, in the midst of the ceremony, one of 'stillness and simplicity' when the King is anointed with holy oil in private under a canopy, in the most sacred part of the coronation. Elizabeth II was also anointed in private as is the tradition. The new King will be concealed behind a new 2.6-metre high, three-sided, embroidered screen as he is anointed, to ensure the privacy of the moment. In another break from bygone Coronations, the ceremony on May 6 will feature leaders from various faiths. The Archbishop of Canterbury described the service as 'foremost an act of Christian worship' but said new elements reflected the 'diversity of our contemporary society'. While Justin Welby will anoint and crown King Charles during his coronation, various other faith leaders will greet the King in unison, which the new monarch will acknowledge. A Greek Choir has also been invited to sing a psalm during the service to pay tribute to the King's late father, Prince Philip. The King, as is custom, will be shielded during his sacred anointing, and is using a new 2.6-metre high, three-sided, embroidered screen to ensure the privacy of the moment Charles, 74, will speak directly to 14-year-old Samuel, the longest-serving chorister of the choir of the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace For the first time in British history, the Coronation will feature members of different faith groups A spokesman for the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury said the Queen Consort's ring 'signifies covenant and agreement, an unbroken bond, without end' Hymn to be sung in Scots and Welsh during the Coronation During the coronation, after a greeting and introduction by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy) prayer will be sung in Welsh. The words include 'Arglwydd, trugarha. Crist, trugarha. Arglwydd, trugarha' - which translates as 'Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy'. A Lambeth Palace spokesman said: 'After the sermon, the hymn Veni Creator - Come Creator Spirit - will be sung. 'This ancient hymn has been part of coronation services since the 14th century, and is also used in ordination services when people are ordained deacons, priests and bishops. 'For the first time, we will hear this sung in the traditional languages of the nations of the United Kingdom: English, Welsh, Scots Gaelic and Irish Gaelic.' The Scots verse is: Fada bhuain iomain ar namh Agus builich sa bhad do ghras O, treoraich sinn, a Cheannaird ard Bho bhuaidh gach beud agus cradh It translates as: Anoint and cheer our soiled face With the abundance of thy grace Keep far our foes, give peace at home Where thou art guide, no ill can come Advertisement In another significant first, the King will become the first monarch to pray aloud in front of a coronation congregation, reading out a prayer written especially for him, in a 'powerful' new addition to the service. Charles, 74, will speak the words directly to 14-year-old Samuel, the longest-serving chorister of the choir of the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. The teenager will welcome the King and Charles will reply: 'In his name, and after his example, I come not to be served, but to serve.' Millions around the world have also been asked to speak aloud, with another new addition to the proceedings involving people swearing allegiance to the King. In many ways, the event will be inkeeping with tradition. For one, Camilla's ring - made for Queen Adelaide in 1831 - will be presented to her. However, as with other regalia, the Queen Consort will acknowledge it before it is placed back on the altar, in contrast to the Queen Mother, who had it placed on the fourth finger of her right hand and wore it for the rest of the ceremony. The King will not wear the Sovereign's Ring either, as is the usual custom. This ring - a large sapphire and diamond cluster with baguette-cut rubies in the form of a cross, made for William IV in 1831 - is known as the Wedding Ring of England and it marries the monarch to God in duty and to the people in service. Camilla will only touch the Queen Consort's Rod with Dove - controversial as it is made from ivory - as well as the gold Queen Consort's Sceptre with Cross, rather than holding them like the Queen Mother. In 1937, Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, was presented with the sceptre in her right hand and the ivory rod in her left. Camilla instead will acknowledge the historic items by touching them, Buckingham Palace said. Swords, spurs and sacred oil: A step-by-step account of how the historic Coronation ceremony will unfold inside Westminster Abbey, including a reading by Rishi Sunak, Prince William bending the knee and Charles and Camilla being crowned The two-hour Coronation service on May 6 will both honour the ancient tradition of anointing and crowning monarchs while also reflecting the ways the UK has changed since the last such celebration 70 years ago. Its theme is 'Called to Serve' and the authorised liturgy released last night by the Church of England details how it will involve leaders of different religions, women clergy and prayers in Welsh, Scots Gaelic and Irish Gaelic. Below is everything that will happen during the historic day at Westminster Abbey. Members of the Chapel Royal Boys' Choir at St James's Palace, London. Several hymns will be heard throughout the ceremony The Procession of Faith Leaders & Representatives of Faith Communities and Realms As part of the King's desire to represent all faiths, leaders from the Jewish, Sunni and Shia Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Bahai and Zoroastrian communities will be part of the procession into Westminster Abbey. They are followed by members of the Christian church in the UK and a procession of the 15 Realms which recognise the King as head of state. The Procession of The King & The Queen The anthem I Was Glad will be heard. It has been used at the entrance of the monarch since at least 1626. This version was composed by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (d 1918) for the Coronation of Edward VII in 1902. It includes the cry 'Vivat Rex!' (Long Live The King!). Greeting The King The King will be met by one of the youngest people in the abbey chorister Samuel Strachan, 14. Charles will tell Samuel: 'I come not to be served but to serve.' The anthem I Was Glad will be heard during the procession through Westminster Abbey. It has been used at the entrance of the monarch since at least 1626 A Moment of Silent Prayer This reflects Charles and Camilla paying homage to God before anyone pays homage to them. Greeting and Introduction The service starts with a blessing of God's love. The introduction invites all who participate to share in a commitment to serve one another. Kyrie eleison Kyrie eleison is Greek for 'Lord, have mercy' an ancient prayer used for around 1,600 years. It will be sung in Welsh. The Recognition A powerful first element of the traditional Coronation Rite. The congregation on each of the four sides of the 'theatre' the special platform inside the Abbey affirms support for the King by shouting 'God Save King Charles' in turn. New to this Coronation, the subsequent declarations are made by Lady of the Garter, Lady of the Thistle and a George Cross Holder from the Armed Forces. The Presentation of the Bible The Bible is the church's first gift to the King. Its presentation dates back to the Coronation of William III and Mary II in 1689. The Oath The Archbishop of Canterbury reaffirms the belief of Queen Elizabeth II by saying the Church will 'seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely'. The Archbishop asks Charles III if he is willing to take the Oath and to 'promise and swear to govern' to which the King will reply: 'I solemnly promise so to do.' Anthem 'Prevent us, o Lord', by William Byrd (d 1623). This collect a thematic prayer is taken from the Book of Common Prayer and was written by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer (d 1556). The King's Prayer The King offers a specially composed prayer, the first time such a personal prayer has been voiced so publicly by the Sovereign. Gloria Mass for Four voices William Byrd Gloria In Excelsis is one of the ancient songs of the Church, originally associated with Midnight Mass. Here it is used as a hymn of celebration, with this version composed by Byrd during the reign of Elizabeth I. Collect This prayer has been written specially and addresses the themes of loving service at the heart of the Coronation. The Epistle Colossians 1 9:17 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will read from the first chapter of the Epistle to the Colossians. Sung Alleluia By Debbie Wiseman (British composer for film and television). The music was commissioned for this service. Gospel Luke 4:16-21 The Gospel Greek meaning 'Good News' is St Luke's account of Jesus at worship in the synagogue. Sung Alleluia By Debbie Wiseman. Sermon Archbishop Justin Welby is seen during the Christmas morning Eucharist service at Canterbury Cathedral in 2022. He will deliver a sermon during the ceremony The Archbishop of Canterbury revives the historic use of the Sermon, setting out the theme of the ceremony: Called to Serve. Veni Creator Plainsong, mode VIII The Veni Creator Spiritus (Come Creator Spirit) will be sung for the first time in the traditional languages of the British Isles: English, Welsh, Scots Gaelic and Irish Gaelic. Thanksgiving for the Holy Oil With a newly composed prayer, the Archbishop is presented with the Coronation Oil by Reverend Dr Hosam Naoum, the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem. The oil is created from olives harvested from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, and perfumed with sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli, benzoin, amber and orange blossom. The Anointing Zadok The Priest, Frederic Handel As the King prepares to be anointed upon the Coronation Chair, he removes the Robes of State. Zadok The Priest was composed by Handel (d 1759) for the Coronation of George II in 1727. Zadok was the high priest of Israel at the time of King Solomon. This sacred part of the ceremony will not be visible to the abbey congregation and to those watching on TV. It is the King's only moment of privacy during the Service. The Presentation of Regalia Peers from the House of Lords and Senior Bishops in the Anglican Church make the presentation, which will include regalia without Christian motifs. The aim is to underline interdependence of neighbours, whatever the faith. The Spurs Made for Charles II in 1661, the use of spurs in the Coronation dates back to that of King Richard I in 1189. The Spurs' original symbolism harks back to an era when the monarch rode at the head of an army and derives from ceremonies for the creation of knights. Psalm 71 During Exchange of Swords The Greek Choir has been commissioned to pay tribute to the King's father, the Duke of Edinburgh, who was born a Prince of Greece. The Sword The Sword of Offering was made in 1820 and has a steel blade, is mounted in gold and set with jewels For the first time, the Sword of State and Sword of Offering will be presented by a woman the Lord President is Penny Mordaunt MP. The Sword of Offering was made in 1820 and has a steel blade, is mounted in gold and set with jewels. The sword was first used at the Coronation of King George IV. The Archbishop blesses the Sword and it is then delivered to the King to be used for the protection of the good. The Armills The Armills or Bracelets of Sincerity and Wisdom - represent a bond between the Sovereign and the People The Armills or Bracelets of Sincerity and Wisdom have deep echoes of coronations back to the time of King Solomon, who prayed for wisdom. They represent a bond between the Sovereign and the People. The Robe and Stole Royal These represent what the King, as Sovereign, has been given by God. A new Stole (from the ancient Greek word for 'scarf') has been specially commissioned. The Orb The Orb is a representation of the sovereign's power. It symbolises the Christian world with its cross mounted on a globe The Coronation Glove that was worn on Queen Elizabeth II's right hand during her Investiture in 1953 The Orb, made in the 17th Century and divided into three sections with bands of jewels, symbolises the world under the cross of Christ. The Ring Acknowledged but not worn by Charles. Its significance compares to rings exchanged in marriage and is a symbol of commitment. The Glove A demonstration of the Sovereign as advocate and challenger for the protection of the People. The Sceptre and Rod The Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross 1661. Later additions included gold, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, spinels, amethyst and enamel, and it is known as the 'First Star of Africa' The Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross has been used at every coronation since Charles II's in 1661, when the monarchy was restored Delivered to Charles's gloved hands and represents the Sovereign's temporal power and authority. The Crowning St Edward's Crown (made in 1661) represents the King's vocation before God and is a reminder of the promises and vows he has made to the People, who cry the prayer, 'God, Save The King!' St Edward's Crown (made in 1661) represents the King's vocation before God and is a reminder of the promises and vows he has made to the People The Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare By Richard Strauss (d 1949). The Abbey bells will then ring for two minutes. The Blessing This will summarise all that has gone before and entreat God's protection upon the King. Anthem By Thomas Weelkes (d 1623). This anthem sets verses from Psalm 61. Enthroning The King The King, wearing his crown, is settled on the Throne in a moment of historic significance. The Homage of The Church of England The Archbishop describes the King as 'Defender of the Faith'. The Homage of Royal Blood Prince William kneels to pay homage to his father, placing his hands between the King's hands and pledging to be his 'liege man of life and limb'. The Homage of The People The public is called to swear their 'true allegiance' to the King and his heirs. The Archbishop will invite those who wish, including those watching at home, to make their homage by sharing in the same words: 'God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the King live for ever.' Anthem Confortare By Sir Henry Walford-Davies (d 1941), written for the Coronation of George V in 1911. The Coronation of the Queen In a shorter sequence to that of the King, Queen Camilla has her own Coronation which begins with a brief anointing this time in full public view. The Ring The Consort's Ring is presented to Camilla a symbol that 'marries' Consort to King, and them both to God in duty and to the People. The Crowning The Queen is crowned with Queen Mary's Crown. The Rod & Sceptre Queen Consort's Ivory Rod with Dove, a controversial item as it contains ivory, which the Prince of Wales has campaigned against These are presented to Camilla as she commits herself to a life of service in support of her husband and her Sovereign. Enthroning The Queen Andrew Lloyd Webber's coronation anthem, Make a Joyful Noise, is sung. Camilla joins the King on her own Throne next to him. Offertory Hymn Gifts of bread and wine are brought before the King. Prayer over the Gifts This prayer over the offerings was used at the 1953 Coronation. Eucharistic Prayer This prayer begins with words used at the 1953 Coronation and adds further words from the Bible. Sanctus By Roxanna Panufnik (British composer of Polish heritage). Eucharistic Prayer continues Words recalling the Last Supper that Jesus held with his disciples before he died. The Lord's Prayer The Archbishop will invite everyone to join, in the language they use for prayer. Agnus Dei Composed by Tarik O'Regan (London-born but based in San Francisco, whose work is influenced by his dual Arab and Irish heritages). Prayer after Communion Taken from the Book of Common Prayer. A member of the Royal School of Needlework hand embroiders Camilla, the Queen Consort's cypher onto her Robe of Estate ahead of the coronation on May 6 The Final Blessing Given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, followed by sung Amen by Orlando Gibbons (d 1625). Hymn Praise My Soul, written by Henry Francis Lyte (d 1847). This is based on Psalm 103. Anthem Set from verses from Psalm 21. This version was composed for the Coronation of George III by William Boyce (d 1779). Te Deum Sir William Walton Dates back to the 4th Century and is sometimes called The Hymn Of The Church. This is sung as Their Majesties go to St Edward's Chapel to be vested in the Robes of Estate and Charles puts on the Imperial State Crown. The National Anthem The King's Outward Procession & Organ Voluntaries will then play Edward Elgar's Pomp & Circumstance March No 4, and Parry's March from The Birds. Greeting Faith Leaders & Representatives and The Governors-Generals In an unprecedented gesture marking the significance of the religious diversity of the Realms, the Sovereign will spend his final moments in the abbey receiving a greeting from the leaders and representatives from the major non-Christian faith traditions. A photograph taken of the King for his matriculation at the University of Cambridge has been released for the first time. Trinity College, Cambridge, where Charles studied for three years, shared the picture of the 18-year-old prince taken in October 1967, ahead of the coronation next week. The postage-stamp sized portrait shows Charles in the college's 17th century Wren Library, with a note reading 'Wales HRH, The Prince of'. It has been preserved in Trinity College's archives since it was taken 56 years ago. Trinity Fellow Professor Adrian Poole, a contemporary of Charles, said: 'For virtually all of us, it was our first time in the Wren Library. A photograph taken of the King for his matriculation at the University of Cambridge (pictured) has been released for the first time Prince Charles studying in his rooms at Cambridge University in 1967 Charles rehearsing with friends at Trinity College, Cambridge for University Revue.1969 Prince Charles enjoys a joke with two of his fellow students at Cambridge University, whilst they rehearse for a revue Prince Charles walking in his gown during his time as an undergraduate at Trinity College, Cambridge 1969: Prince Charles as student at Cambridge University in a dustbin during Cambridge Footlights review Prince Charles practices his cello playing in his rooms at Trinity College Cambridge, whilst an undergraduate there Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, joking around with a set of bagpipes as he appears on stage in a student revue in 'Quiet Flows the Don', at Trinity College Prince Charles wears his gown after arriving at Cambridge University 'We were overawed and a bit intimidated. Were we in the right place? So many books. Busts of Cicero and Marcus Aurelius. A statue of Byron. 'A prince more or less scarcely seemed out of place.' Charles studied archaeology and anthropology in his first year and then history for two years, graduating in 1970 with a 2.2. Matriculation marks a student's entry into the university, when they agree to observe the statutes and ordinances of the institution. Portrait of Prince Charles as his studies at Trinity College, Cambridge University during filming of the television documentary 'Royal Family' in May 1969 Prince Charles rehearsing with fellow students at Trinity College, Cambridge Prince Charles cutting a slice of bread in his rooms at Cambridge University in 1969 Prince Charles at Cambridge in 1969 where he obtained a BA Hons Degree in History British Royalty Prince Charles is shown here as he plays records in his room at Cambridge University The interior of Prince Charles' room at Yew Court, Trinity College, Cambridge University, pictured circa 1968 Charles wears jaunty hat during a dress rehearsal for Quiet Flows the Don Prince Charles preparing a meal in his rooms at Cambridge University on June 24th, 1969 Charles playing the role of a weatherman in a sketch he is rehearsing for the Dryden Society's Trinity College revue at Cambridge University Charles wearing a tweed jacket, a student at Trinity College, Cambridge University, browsing a news stand in Cambridge in May 1969 Prince Charles, dressed in tweed jacket and hat, takes part in a sketch for the Trinity College revue called 'Quiet Flows the Don' at Cambridge University on 23rd February 1970 Charles, wearing the Trinity gown of blue silk with black facings, accompanied by head porter, Mr Bill Edwards, posing on the steps of Neville Court, Cambridge University Charles wearing a tweed jacket, a student at Trinity College, Cambridge University, on a bicycle in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, 24th June 1969 Charles walking around Cambridge in a tweed jacket in May 1969 They are then admitted into their chosen college from the 29 Cambridge colleges taking undergraduate students. As well as being photographed in a gown for the admissions record, Charles also signed the college's admission book alongside his fellow students. His name is noted as 'Charles, Philip, Arthur, George Prince of Wales' with his father's name 'Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh', and present residence simply 'Buckingham Palace, London'. Royal superfans have already set up a coronation camp on the Mall - a full week before the King is due to be crowned. A huge blue tarpaulin has been attached to the railings to keep them dry, while a camp bed and several bags can be spotted underneath. The wacky contraption's inhabitants can be seen getting comfortable - with one wearing a fetching Union Jack hoodie and a flagged-up hat covered in patriotic badges. Believed to be royal devotee John Loughrey - he is no stranger to being at the front of crowds at major royal events. Mr Loughrey, who lives in south London, earned a reputation as Princess Diana's number one fan after quitting his job working in a kitchen so he could attend every court session of the inquest into her death in 2008. The wacky contraption's inhabitants can be seen getting comfortable - with one wearing a fetching Union Jack hoodie and a flagged-up hat covered in patriotic badges Seeming to be some of the Royals' biggest fans - the pair are at the destination a seven days before King Charles' procession is set to head up and down the famous road, which has Buckingham Palace at one end A huge blue tarpaulin has been attacked to the railings to keep them dry, while a camp bed and several bags can be spotted underneath A personal shopping trolley prips up one end - but the makeshift tent can be seen billowing in the wind Some of the Royals' biggest fans - the pair are at the destination seven days before King Charles' procession is set to head up and down the famous road, which has Buckingham Palace at one end. Mr Loughrey spent days on a bench outside the hospital where Prince George was born in 2013 and did it again for Princess Charlotte in 2015 and Prince Louis in 2018. He also attends Westminster Abbey every week to say a prayer for Diana. READ MORE: Police tell royal superfans on the Mall to pack away their tents for 'security reasons' as crowds descend on Buckingham Palace ahead of Queen's funeral Royal superfan John Loughrey pictured outside Buckingham Palace gates after the death of the Queen last year Advertisement And after the death of the Queen he tried to camp for the full 10 day mourning period outside Buckingham Palace - but he was told to pack away his tent for 'security reasons' as crowds descended. To mark the 20th anniversary of her death in 2017, Mr Loughrey and a small group of supporters hung large tribute banners on the gates of Kensington Palace, her former London home. It comes as members of the Household Division rehearse the military accompaniment to the coronation at Aldershot Barracks. Around 700 Guardsmen, officers and bands of the Household Division took part in the rehearsal ahead of the big day. The coronation will see the largest military ceremonial operation in 70 years, with more than 6,000 men and women of the UK's armed forces taking part in the historic royal event. Sailors, soldiers, and aviators from across the UK and the breadth of the Commonwealth will accompany Charles and Camilla to and from Westminster Abbey. Later in the day, military personnel will conduct a six-minute flypast of more than 60 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. In all corners of the Union - including at firing stations in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast - gun salutes will take place to herald the moment the King is crowned. The ceremony will also be the first major ceremonial occasion since the late Queen's funeral in September. Featuring more than 400 personnel, across 13 locations and deployed Royal Navy ships, 21 rounds will fire to mark the coronation with the exception of the Tower of London and Horse Guards Parade, where a 62-round salute and a six-gun salvo will fire respectively. The Ensign for the Coldstream Guards Lieutenant Lachlan de Klee said his relatives had taken part in the past two coronations, while his ancestor the Duke of Rothes, John Leslie, carried the sword of state after the restoration of the monarchy. Mr Loughrey, with Camilla the dog, prepares flags and posters outside Windsor Castle in Windsor ahead of the royal christening of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's son, Archie, on July 6, 2019 It comes as members of the Household Division rehearse the military accompaniment to the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Aldershot Barracks Around 700 Guardsmen, officers and bands of the Household Division took part in the rehearsal ahead of the big day The Ensign for the Coldstream Guards Lieutenant Lachlan de Klee (left) said his relatives had taken part in the past two coronations, while his ancestor the Duke of Rothes, John Leslie, carried the sword of state after the restoration of the monarchy. And Lieutenant Archie Denison-Smith (right) is due to carry the same sword during King Charles III's coronation that his great-grandfather carried during the 1953 coronation And Lieutenant Archie Denison-Smith is due to carry the same sword during King Charles III's coronation that his great-grandfather carried during the 1953 coronation. Brits are busy polishing their buttons and hanging out their flags - with just a week to go until King Charles is crowned. READ MORE: Coronation will be a family affair for Coldstream Guards officer set to carry flag from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace - his ancestor carried sword of state when Charles II was restored to the throne in 1661 Advertisement One - who is perhaps more excited than most - is super-patriotic Anita Atkinson, who has the largest collection of royal memorabilia in the UK. The 66-year-old has amassed a staggering 13,500 pieces of memorabilia over 46 years, dating back to the reign of Queen Anne, and has already been busy adding to her huge collection in the form of King Charles mementoes ahead of the coronation. Equipped with her royal, golden stamp and surrounded by her impressive collection, the grandmother of five got to work testing and giving her seal of approval to Aldi's new coronation range. Workers are busily preparing the mall, as central London gets ready to host the global event on May 6. Stores are already fully stocked with memorabilia, while the monarch's image is plastered across shop windows and street stalls. And across the country, communities are getting ready to celebrate the bank holiday and ring in his new reign in true British style. It is set to be a weekend packed with celebration - in which more than a million are expected to enjoy street parties. Perhaps more excited about the coronation than most - super-patriotic Anita Atkinson has the largest collection of royal memorabilia in the UK The 66-year-old has amassed a staggering 13,500 pieces of memorabilia over 46 years, dating back to the reign of Queen Anne, and has already been busy adding to her huge collection in the form of King Charles mementoes ahead of the coronation Stewards arrive at the Mall, which will be along the route of the King's coronation procession Stores are already fully stocked with memorabilia - from commemorative mugs to portraits of the King and the late Queen A worker is busy painting the railings outside Westminster Abbey, where the King's coronation will take place on May 6 Another admires his handiwork as he touches up the paintwork of Westminster Abbey's furniture Workmen grin as they make sure everything is in fine shape for the King's procession And in the capital the monarch's image is plastered across shop windows and street stalls 3,299 public events and 497 street parties have already been shared on the Government's official map. Yesterday, with eight days to go, the historic Stone of Destiny left Scotland for London under tight security. READ MORE: Coronation fever sweeps the UK! Royal bunting, flags, knitting and Paddington Bears pop up across the country with just days to go until King Charles's big day Yarn bombing has taken place in the village of Haydock, Merseyside Advertisement Also known as the Stone of Scone, monarchs have been crowned upon the ancient coronation stone for centuries. According to myth, the ancient rock was used by the biblical Jacob as a pillow and later kept in King Solomon's temple. It was brought to England from Scotland on the orders of King Edward I in 1296. In September, spoon bender Uri Geller urged Scotland to return the Coronation Chair - saying the relic would give his reign 'positive power'. This morning a photo of King Charles at Cambridge in 1967 was released for the first time - in a collection of snaps that reveal the monarch's joyful years at the prestigeous university. And yesterday we got a first look at an ornate, three sided screen that will sheild the King as he is annointed. The ornamental piece will give him more privacy for the solemn moment than any other monarch before him. Depicting a tree with 56 leaves representing the Commonwealth nations, the hand-sewn design on the front of the screen bears the Kings cypher at the base of the trunk showing the sovereign as a servant of the family of nations. Today, there will be celebrations across the country - including a Coronation Celebration Concert in Bridport, Dorset, and a Victorian themed fete at Bourne Hall, south west London, while Kirkgate Shopping Centre in Bradford is holding its own event - complete with stilt-walking Union Jacks. Thousands are expected to line the route of the coronation - with the Mall in both the outward and return journey to and from Westminster Abbey A steward looks over the Mall, perhaps pondering the vast swathes of Brits gathering for the event in just seven days Preparations are ongoing at Westminster Abbey, where vigilant police keep a close eye on the upcoming proceedings The streets of London's West End are decked with Union Jacks as the capital braces for a Bank Holiday bonanza High street shops are getting into the swing of the coronation - as Marks and Spencer plasters shop fronts with bearskin-hatted, M&S-branded guards Charles will be crowned as the UK's reigning monarch on Saturday, 6 May at Westminster Abbey. Although she was previously set to be known as Queen Consort, Camilla will also crowned as Queen at the ceremony. In line with a tradition dating back centuries, King Charles III's coronation ceremony will be held at Westminster Abbey. The ceremony will begin at 11am, once the royals have completed their arrival procession from Buckingham Palace. People can line the streets of London to catch a glimpse of the royals, with huge crowds expected given the significance of the event. The ceremony - which will be broadcast on the BBC - is believed to last about an hour, although exact details on the timings of service and its duration remain unclear. Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953 took three hours. Following the ceremony, a return procession, following the same route back, will begin. In the afternoon, 15 members of the royal family will gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the traditional fly-past to pay homage to Charles and Camilla. A huge coronation banner covers the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square - decked with symbols of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland Seating areas have been put in place to offer punters a view over the procession route People walk by another viewing area constructed near Westminster Abbey, close to the Houses of Parliament And more infrastructure is being added every day in the run up to the big event Dachet Railway Station, Berkshire, has been decorated with lovely children's artwork from a local school together with balloons and bunting The brightly coloured crowns are stuck to the windows alongside strinking Union Jack bunting A cafe proudly shows off a poster of the King - congratulating him on his new role Royal souvenirs are being flogged in the streets, as street-hawkers prepare for a profitable weekend Merchandise in shop windows may not be quite a match for the real thing - but seeing people get into the royal spirit is the event's true crowning glory Prince Andrew was spotted sharing his weekly horse ride with The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) at Windsor Castle earlier today. The Duke of York, 63, was photographed on horseback with a member of the 'mounties' - five of whom will take part in Saturday's coronation procession and will ride horses from the Royal Mews gifted by the RCMP to the royal family. He made an appearance just days before the King is set to be officially crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6 with final preparations under way at the historic cathedral. King Charles was presented with a new royal horse and a commemorative sword at Windsor Castle yesterday in a ceremony to mark his honorary appointment as commissioner-in-chief of the RCMP. He met with the High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom Ralph Goodale for the ceremony, which coincides with both the 150th anniversary of Canada's national police force and the royal coronation on May 6. The Duke of York, 63, was photographed earlier this morning on horseback with a member of the 'mounties' Prince Andrew made an appearance just days before the King is set to be officially crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6 They were greeted on arrival with a royal salute from four mounted members of the RCMP who have travelled to the UK to participate in the coronation procession. RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme presented the King with the new horse, a seven-year-old black mare called Noble, who will also take part in the coronation procession. She replaces George, who was given to the late Queen in 2009, as the King's charger horse - ridden in the Trooping the Colour ceremony. Noble is a former member of The Musical Ride, a special unit of the RCMP whose officers, and their horses, tour Canada performing intricate formations and drills set to music. The King and the Queen Consort visited the Musical Ride in May 2022 during the Royal Tour of Canada for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. Superintendent Kevin Fahey, the officer in charge of the Musical Ride, described Noble as 'incredibly bold' and 'very calm'. He explained that Noble was chosen both for her demeanour and her stature. Referring to Charles' visit to the RCMP stables last year, he said: 'We pointed out the two horses to His Majesty, and he said: 'Oh, they're kind of tall'. 'We took that as a note to say perhaps we should be looking for a horse not quite as tall. And so we set about and landed finally on Noble.' King Charles has been gifted a new mare by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (pictured meeting the horse in Windsor) King Charles, 74, was presented with a sword as he accepted the role of Commissioner-in-Chief of the RCMP The mark the memorable occasion, the royal was presented with a special commemorative RCMP Officer's sword by the Commissioner of the RCMP, Mike Duheme As part of the ceremony, Commissioner Duheme also presented the King with a commemorative RCMP Officer's sword. The silver and black sword carries the Cypher and Coat of Arms of King Charles as well as the serial number MP 150-2023 on its spine. This signifies the RCMP's 150th anniversary and the year of the coronation. Charles follows in the footsteps of his mother, who was appointed Commissioner-in-Chief of the RCMP to mark the Diamond Jubilee in 2012, becoming the first person to hold the title. The police force's relationship with the royal family dates back to 1897, when a contingent of its officers paraded in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee procession. They have taken part in every coronation since the crowning of King George V in 1911. Speaking about taking part in the coronation ceremony, Superintendent Fahy said: 'I'm incredibly proud to represent not only our organisation but to represent all of Canada.' High Commissioner Goodale said Friday's ceremony represented 'the very strong links and connections between the royal family and Canada'. Speaking of the significance of Canadian involvement in the coronation ceremony, he added that the occasion 'underlines the significance and the value of the constitutional monarchy'. The Scottish Secretary of State is 'standing guard' over the Stone of Destiny in London to make sure 'nationalists don't steal it again', Tories have been told. Government minister Alister Jack addressed the Scottish Conservatives' conference via video, with junior Scotland Office minister John Lamont appearing on stage to explain why his boss could not be there. He told delegates at the conference that Mr Jack had been 'unavoidably detained in London standing guard over the Stone of Scone ahead of its central role in the King's coronation next week'. The Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone, was transported from its usual home in Edinburgh Castle to London earlier this week, where it will be used in the King's coronation next weekend. The stone, which weighs 125kg, will be placed in the Coronation Chair for the enthronement before being returned to Scotland afterwards. The Stone of Destiny, which is also known as the Stone of Scone, lies in Edinburgh Castle It will be transported to be placed beneath the Coronation Chair at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of King Charles III Mr Lamont said: 'Alister is primarily making sure that nationalists don't steal it again. But he is also making absolutely certain that the stone does come back to Scotland.' READ MORE: Ancient relic Stone of Destiny begins its journey to Westminster Abbey for King's coronation Advertisement Mr Jack said he could not be in Glasgow for the Scottish Conservatives' conference because he had 'an important job elsewhere helping to prepare for the coronation of His Majesty the King'. In a video address he told the conference: 'I hope you'll agree that as excuses go, that one passes muster.' Mr Jack went on to use his speech to attack the SNP, claiming Scotland's ruling party 'are not a serious party of government, they are simply a campaign organisation for independence'. He said the SNP-Green administration at Holyrood 'isn't just misguided, it is totally incompetent'. He added that with nationalists in power 'it sometimes feels like devolution in general is not easy'. 'It's my job to work with these people. And believe me, it is not always easy,' he said. 'We have a UK Government that is committed to devolution, that believes in our system of two governments, and wants to strengthen Scotland's place at the heart of the UK. Alister Jack, Secretary of State for Scotland, arrives at 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly cabinet meeting Mr Jack gives his keynote speech via video link leaving an empty stage, on the second day of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Conference in Glasgow 'We have a nationalist SNP-Green Scottish Government that opposes devolution, wants to end it and tear Scotland out of the UK. 'Those who would destroy devolution cannot also pose as the defenders of devolution and people in Scotland are seeing straight through it.' He also said that most Scots want to see the two governments 'working together on the issues they really care about'. But he explained that 'the SNP-Green coalition's opposition to, and abuse of, devolution acts like a drag anchor on Scotland's potential'. In contrast, he said, the UK Government was 'delivering for communities on the ground right now' because 'direct UK Government investment in Scotland now stands at 2.3 billion'. SNP Westminster deputy leader Mhairi Black commented: 'The Tories have no mandate in Scotland. 'Instead of lecturing others, Alister Jack should be apologising for his Tory Government's appalling record of trashing the UK economy - and making millions of Scots poorer by imposing a devastating hard Brexit and Tory cost-of-living crisis. 'With Scottish devolution and household incomes under sustained attack from Westminster, the SNP is the only party offering a real alternative to the Tories. 'Voting SNP is the best way to beat the Tories in Scotland at the next election and the only way to get rid of Westminster Tory governments for good with independence.' Military Historian Dr Johnston claims Harry will still wear his medals, however Prince Harry could be facing 'uniform humiliation' at King Charles III's coronation as he may not be allowed to wear military garb. The Duke of Sussex did announce that he will be attending the historic coronation on May 6 - but he will be alone as Meghan and their two children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will remain at home in California. Now royal commentators are considering what the prince will be wearing and whether he will even be allowed to fit within the processions to Westminster Abbey. Military Historian Dr Peter Johnston told True Royalty TV's The Royal Beat that Harry may be allowed to display a different tribute to his service despite serving two tours in Afghanistan. 'I imagine Harry won't wear uniform [at the Coronation],' he said. The Prince of Wales (right) and the Duke of Sussex before holding a vigil beside the coffin of their grandmother Prince Harry may display a different tribute for the King's coronation while Prince William is expected to be allowed to wear military garb 'Even as a veteran who did two tours in Afghanistan, he won't wear uniform. 'I imagine he'll wear his medals but quite where he fits within the procession and where he comes, I think will be probably reasonably similar to where he was at the funeral as well.' Discussing Harry's role in the procession, the historical expert added that he will 'be a part of it, but not necessarily, a [leading] part of it'. Prince Harry is said to be making only a brief visit to the UK for the coronation as he will reportedly skip royal events after the day - including a musical performance on May 7 - to be with his family in America. During the late Queen Elizabeth's funeral, the Duke of Sussex walked alongside brother William who followed behind King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. Recently, Harry and Meghan's celebrity friend Gayle King declared they are in a 'really good place' and have made the 'best' decision for Meghan to stay in the US while Harry attends the Coronation in London. Ms King has said it is 'right' that Harry will fly to the UK for May 6, missing Archie's fourth birthday, because he will be supporting his father in Westminster Abbey on the biggest day of his life. It came as Meghan signed a mega-money deal with a talent agency representing Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, LeBron James and Serena Williams that will earn her tens of millions of dollars and heralds the start of her very public comeback. Prince Harry pictured with the ER initials on the shoulder of his military uniform as he attended the Founder's Day Parade at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, in June 2019 Prince Andrew, who is also no longer a working royal, retained the initials on his vice-admirals uniform as the Queen's children held vigil on Friday William and Harry stood either end of the Queen's coffin as her grandchildren held vigil last night, while mourners continued to file past The eight sombre grandchildren pictured arriving at Westminster Hall last night, led to the coffin by the Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex Mourners watched as the vigil was held for the Queen in Westminster Hall by her eight grandchildren Camilla flew by private jet to secretly rendezvous with Charles while he was on official overseas visits and still married to Princess Diana, a new documentary reveals. The romantic trysts are disclosed by Squadron Leader Graham Laurie, the Kings former personal pilot, who said: They were getting together overseas but the Press didnt cotton on. Another contributor to the documentary, My King Charles, claims Diana had an affair with a bodyguard and flew into a rage when he was transferred to other duties. Mr Laurie was one of a pool of pilots based at RAF Northolt in West London and clocked up more than 2,000 Royal flights between 1981 and 2000. Most were with Charles and he also flew Dianas body home after her death in 1997. As regards Camilla, I didnt ever fly her but we did see her involvement in certain trips when we went abroad, he says. There would be a civilian charter aircraft on the tarmac before we got there and it was still there when we left. I found out afterwards that actually Camilla had flown in and out on that aircraft. Camilla and Charles' romantic trysts are disclosed by Squadron Leader Graham Laurie (left), the Kings former personal pilot, who said: They were getting together overseas but the Press didnt cotton on' Camilla flew by private jet to secretly rendezvous with Charles while he was on official overseas visits and still married to Princess Diana, a new documentary reveals The then Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles, now married, meeting in 1975 The film airs on Amazon on Saturday, Coronation day. Sources at US broadcaster Paramount said Mr Laurie did not know who paid for Camillas flights. At least one was made in 1994 when Camilla was still married to Andrew Parker Bowles and King Charles had yet to divorce. Also on the programme, former Royal protection officer Allan Peters recalls how Diana turned angry when he tried to stop an alleged affair with Barry Mannakee, another bodyguard. He says: I was in my office at Kensington Palace and... she was in the doorway throwing her shoes at the back of my head, upset, because she was putting the blame on me. At the time, Sgt Peters worked for Diana while Mannakee was assigned to her sons, William and Harry, then a year old. He says: I started to notice her conduct in the presence of Mannakee getting more and more strange... As far as I could ascertain they were having an affair. And he said Diana flew into her rage after Mannakee who died in a motorcycle accident in 1987 was moved to other duties. She was distraught, Sgt Peters says, adding: I can categorically say that the first person that strayed in the marriage was the Princess. Buckingham Palace said: 'This story is false.' What, I wonder, is going through the King's mind, with his Coronation the pinnacle of his career now so close? What conflicting emotions as he prepares for the beginning of the rest of his life? Grief still for his mother? Excitement? Terror? Probably all three. Charles is an emotional man and he felt the loss of his mother deeply. Her funeral, just eight months ago was the last big state occasion in Westminster Abbey. His crowning was always going to have cut both ways, emotionally, and I imagine there will be moments during this stirring ceremony when he will be fighting back tears. But it will, of course, be an exciting day: the formal beginning of his reign, his opportunity at last to put decades of preparation into practice, to use his position as monarch to truly make a difference to the future of the planet and the lives of individuals today, and to make the years that follow a Carolean Age that the history books will acclaim. And yet, and yet Who would want to be king these days? It must be a daunting, if not terrifying, prospect. By loving him and supporting him, Camilla gave and continues to give Charles strength and confidence that he never had before, writes Fundamentally shy and unsure of himself, Charles was required to be a very public figure His mother came to the throne as a popular, pretty young princess, in an age of deference, when no one questioned the status quo. Seventy years on, he is a grizzled grandfather and times and attitudes have changed. He needs to make monarchy be seen to work in today's utilitarian, egalitarian and transparent world, and to safeguard for the future the institution to which his beloved mother devoted her life. The moment he feels the weight of St Edward's Crown on his balding head, the decades of uncertainty and waiting will be over, his destiny fulfilled. This crown has governed his life. Since he was a small boy he has known that, like it or not, he must one day wear it. It has brought him privilege beyond dreams and wealth that few can contemplate. But it has also brought him heartache and sorrow in equal measure. Very few people have witnessed a Coronation before, and billions across the world will watch this one, fascinated not just to see the pageantry unfold but to see Queen Camilla, the former Mrs Parker Bowles, crowned alongside Charles. A sight that just 20 years ago seemed impossible, even to Charles and Camilla. Yet that today feels entirely right. I first met Charles in 1986, and I liked him, admired what he was trying to do, and felt huge sympathy for his situation. He was charming and self-effacing, but desperate to find a meaningful role for himself while waiting for the top job to become vacant. Fundamentally shy and unsure of himself, he was required to be a very public figure. He was a man constantly seeking the approval of his parents and failing to find it. A man who wanted to be useful, but who was surrounded by courtiers who would have had him condemned to a life of cutting ribbons. And all the while he was locked in an increasingly loveless marriage. Like most people who meet him in person, I became a fan. Camilla gave Charles praise and encouragement, made him feel good about himself things neither his parents nor Diana had ever done Britain's Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, are shown on their wedding day on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, July 29, 1981 I met him because I was writing a book about him, having written a biography of Diana five years earlier. I have now been writing about him and his family for more than 40 years, and have supported him since that first meeting through thick and thin. It has not been an entirely comfortable position. After Diana's untimely death, I wrote a book called Charles: Victim Or Villain about the famously three-cornered marriage, in an attempt to establish the truth. Was he the victim of a terrible mismatch? Or, as Diana had suggested, had he callously used and abused an innocent young girl while carrying on with his mistress? The conclusion I came to was that there were no villains: they were all victims. Those views were based on the evidence I found, but they did not fit the popular narrative. And so, in the way of these things, I received hate mail; nasty, abusive letters; even death threats. And people spat at me in the streets. Today, 25 years later, the messages arrive electronically, no longer in green ink on lined notepaper, and they are even nastier. But as I watched the footage of Charles in Germany last month, on his first foreign tour as King, with Queen Camilla by his side, I felt 100 per cent vindicated. What a star he was. In those few days in Berlin, he bore himself with humour, humility and dignity, yet spoke with authority and wisdom. It was clear he has assumed his mother's mantle but is making it his own. He was not afraid to raise issues that concern both, if not all, countries something from which his mother would have pulled back. He was not just a figurehead delivering platitudes. He looked and spoke like a monarch for the 21st Century, a monarch with views backed up by a commendable track record. Camilla was also the perfect consort. Between them, they did Britain proud. But if these decades have been uncomfortable for me, a mere biographer and commentator, think how much worse it must have been for him. And for Camilla. Charles and Camilla are the real deal. And all the challenges that they will face in the coming months and years, as Britain and the realms adjust to their new monarch and his controversial Queen, will be borne as most things in life can be by mutual support, love and laughter His mother left very big boots to fill. Charles is not her. She was reliably neutral, a blank canvas who offended no one. He is a figure of controversy, who has charmed and impressed those whom he has helped over the years, but who has also made powerful enemies. He has a task ahead of him that no sane person would envy. He is 74 years old, and has worked long hours all his adult life, always putting duty ahead of everything else. Most men of his age are retired, something he will never know. Far from slowing down, he needs to find the stamina to up his game even more, and to use his influence and the soft power that he wields for just as many years as he has left. The monarchy is fragile. It is blatantly undemocratic and, many would argue, anachronistic. Charles is as aware of that as anyone. He knows that it exists only as long as the people want it, and with Elizabeth II gone, those who oppose it are becoming more strident. He and Camilla have had eggs thrown at them and been greeted by protesters wielding 'Not My King' placards on visits and walkabouts. These protesters are still small in number. What is more worrying, though, is the growing number of people, many of them young, who don't carry banners but are simply apathetic. I don't know anyone who has met Charles, in whatever capacity, and has not immediately warmed to him and appreciated what he has tried to achieve. But not everyone has met him and he has not always had a good press. His messy private life during his marriage to Diana, and the scandals that followed, took their toll on his popularity. And his meddling has ruffled more than a few feathers. There were the 'black spider memos' and accusations of political interference, of using his position to veto multi-million-pound architectural schemes, and more recently, some dubious donations to his charities, with talk of cash for honours and carrier bags stuffed full of banknotes. Prince William was only four at the time of my first encounter with Charles at Kensington Palace, Prince Harry just two. By that time, Charles and Diana were already leading largely separate lives, but the marriage had not yet imploded. As far as the public knew, the fairy tale was still alive. Charles and Camilla arriving for the annual Order of the Garter Service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle What a way we have come since then. That day, I spent an hour and a half with him: just him, me and his then private secretary, Sir John Riddell, a truly delightful man as most of the people who do or have worked for Charles are. In those 90 minutes I got a vivid snapshot of his life and its frustrations. His study, where we chatted, was a small, cluttered room on the first floor, with an imposing portrait of his mother hanging directly over his desk. The symbolism could not have been starker. On the desk lay a large diary with every hour of the day filled with entries. Within easy reach was a bookcase from which, at one point in the conversation, he took a copy of a work by Paracelsus, the 16th Century physician and alchemist. Charles had recently taken inspiration from it for a speech to the British Medical Association, which went down like a lead balloon just one of many that caused outrage at that time. On the carpeted floor were canvasses stacked against the wall: the Prince's watercolours. As our time together drew to a close, I asked to see them and his eyes lit up. He rummaged in an old canvas fishing bag, repurposed to carry his paints and sketch pads. He found one pad and talked me through the drawings. I came away from Kensington Palace that day and wrote in the opening page of my 1987 book, Charles: 'Never have I met anyone who has done so much largely unrecognised and unrewarded and yet who feels he has contributed so little. He is one of the saddest people I have ever encountered.' Would I say the same thing about him today? Unequivocally, no. That sadness so evident to me all those years ago has gone. And the reason is Camilla. There is no doubt that if she had walked away when the going got tough in the 1990s, when she was being treated so abominably by the media, or if Charles had been forced by his mother to give her up, which at one time seemed likely, we would be looking at a very different king today and the prospect of a much less promising reign. By loving him and supporting him, Camilla gave and continues to give him strength and confidence that he never had before. She took an interest in his work, wanted to read his speeches, and to hear his thoughts and ideas. She gave him praise and encouragement, made him feel good about himself things neither his parents nor Diana had ever done. The two had so much more in common and, crucially, they made each other laugh. I was asked not so long ago whether I thought Charles felt any guilt about Diana. I said no. There was nothing to feel guilty about. What I thought he felt was a terrible sense of failure: failure to make the marriage work. Charles did everything he could to make Diana happy. He stopped seeing old friends she didn't like, got rid of staff she didn't care for, re-homed the faithful old dog he loved because she didn't want him, cut down his workload to be at home with the children, which brought flak from the media. Nothing did the trick, because, for all sorts of reasons, they were fundamentally unsuited. So they remained locked together, isolated and depressed in their misery. Meet Camilla and you immediately understand what Charles fell in love with. See them together and you know that, even after all these years, they have something special. I first encountered her in 1995, when she was newly divorced from Andrew Parker Bowles, and six years ago wrote her biography. She is no pussycat, but I do not recognise the 'villain' that Prince Harry has described in his various attacks from Montecito. In his memoir Spare, he even labelled her 'dangerous'. She is warm, friendly and funny; not grand, but refreshingly normal and down to earth and totally grounded by a solid and loving family background. She also has a rather endearing tendency to get the giggles, not always at the best moments. In 2016 Charles and Camilla were in Croatia, on a tour of the Balkans, and a troupe of local dancers put on a show to welcome them. Dressed in brightly coloured traditional costume, they started hopping about to some very unusual music. It was a highly comical sight, and Camilla couldn't help herself. Her shoulders began to heave and a moment later, so did his. It is clear Camilla is not just a companion for Charles's old age, his plus-one. She is a strong woman with firm views that she is not afraid of expressing. And she is not cowed by rooms full of pale, stale males, the men in suits. The relationship is very much a marriage of equals as was that of his parents and she manages him and his moods, emotions and temper with great skill. For Charles, every encounter is an opportunity to network: to recruit someone's help for a charitable enterprise, to thank them for their support in whatever guise, or to introduce people to each other when he senses they might be able to solve some knotty problem between them. He runs his aides ragged, cramming in as many engagements and visits as can be fitted into a day and then a few more seldom stopping for coffee, lunch or tea, and ringing them at all hours with a new idea or thought. He is very good at convening the top people in their field. Not many will turn down an invitation to Clarence House or Buckingham Palace. Most will magically find room in their diary for a meeting with the Prince of Wales or the King. This is one of the ways in which he has been so effective. His depth of knowledge is impressive, built over a lifetime of consulting experts. He is passionate about everything he does. In some areas he has been far ahead of the public consensus, especially on climate change and the environment. Also on the importance of inter-faith dialogue. But he is deeply impatient, wanting ideas instantly translated into action. This is nothing new for him, but at 74 there's an added urgency. Time is no longer on his side. So he has tended to surround himself with people who have delivered, or people who have told him what he wanted to hear. And having heard it, he has not been particularly fussed about the detail. I suspect this explains how he has been caught up in scandals of one sort or another. Camilla is a good influence on him, and dare I say it, a better judge of character. She also has her ear to the ground. She spends as much time as she can with her children and grandchildren and hears views that are not always voiced at the Palace. They are a formidable pair. I once said the same about him and Diana and, before everything fell apart, in public they were. But privately, they were always a disaster. Charles and Camilla are the real deal. And all the challenges that they will face in the coming months and years, as Britain and the realms adjust to their new monarch and his controversial Queen, will be borne as most things in life can be by mutual support, love and laughter. However, there remains a paradox. On May 6, this exceptional, transformative septuagenarian will formally become head of an institution that many would say is past its sell-by date. He not only has to demonstrate that he is still fit for purpose, as I firmly believe he is, but to convince those who would be rid of it, that so too is the monarchy. It promised to be the banquet to end them all, a legendary feast to celebrate the Coronation of King Edward VII. Fourteen exquisite courses would be served to 250 of Europe's ruling elite. The menu, created by royal chef Monsieur Menager, had been approved by the King, one of history's great trenchermen. Two-and-half-thousand plump quails were ordered along with 300 legs of mutton, 80 chickens and great boxes filled with partridge, sturgeon, sole, foie gras, caviar and asparagus. There was consomme de faisan aux quenelles (pheasant consomme). And sole poached in chablis, garnished with oysters, prawns and mussels. For pudding, liqueur jellies made with port and brandy, and Caisses de fraises Miramare, a strawberry dish which, according to chef Gabriel Tschumi, who worked in the kitchens, 'took three days to prepare'. Finest of all were Cotelettes de becassines a la Souvaroff (snipe cutlets stuffed with foie gras and forcemeat, formed into small cutlets, grilled in a pig's caul, before being lavished with black truffles and covered in a rich Madeira sauce). These were the King's favourite and each piece of the wading bird, which Tschumi said 'melted in the mouth of guests'. Tom Parker Bowles' recipe is based upon the meat course served at Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Banquet After weeks of hard work, the banquet for Thursday, June 26, 1902, was ready to go. But then disaster struck. The night before, as the final sauces were being simmered, word came from the King's doctor, Sir Frederick Treves, that the sovereign had been taken very ill with appendicitis. The banquet had to be postponed. Tschumi said: 'The staff listened in silence. What was to be done with the banquet of 250 guests?' The jellies were melted down and stored in magnum champagne bottles. The caviar was kept on ice and the quails preserved. The rest of the food, though, was put in hampers and distributed to the poor around London's East End. Lord only knows what the recipients made of those ornate and elaborate fancies but the Coronation was rescheduled for a couple of weeks later. Such Coronation banquets have been a tradition since Richard The Lionheart first threw a feast in Westminster Hall in 1189. Far more than mere dinner, this was souffle diplomacy at its finest, a show not just of the monarch's generosity but of wealth, power and status. Up to 3,000 guests would gorge and carouse as the King's minstrels wandered through the merry hordes with lutes, flutes and fiddles. To ensure things didn't get out of hand, the Earl Marshal rode around on his horse, smiting any mischief-makers. The amount of food consumed was epic. At Henry V's Coronation feast in 1413, there were pike, crayfish, conger eels, lampreys and salmon. Between courses, a vast heraldic sculpture, carved from marzipan, was placed on each table. Henry VI's banquet featured roast herons and peacocks while, in 1685, James II and Queen Mary had a first course of 145 dishes, arranged around towering pyramids of dessert. By the 17th Century, such were the bacchanals that stands were built for spectators to watch. TOM PARKER BOWLES: At the Coronation banquet of George VI and Queen Elizabeth, in May 1937, there were ten courses This excess reached its pinnacle with George IV's Coronation banquet in 1821. The King sat on a throne on a raised platform flanked by dukes. The menu featured 20 first courses, including Potage de Tortue a l'anglaise (turtle soup) which required 200lb of freshly-cut turtle meat, fillets of sole in champagne, lamb cutlets and warm quail pate. These were taken to the King's table by a procession of 47 people, many on horseback. The second course featured 22 dishes and there were 31 puddings. Eight chandeliers, blazing with candles, hung overhead meaning that not only did the room become uncomfortably hot but burning wax fell on the feasters. The most expensive Coronation in history (costing roughly 27 million in today's money), it hardly endeared George to his subjects. From that point, banquets moved to Buckingham Place and were relatively more modest, though the dishes were not any less elaborate. At the Coronation banquet of George VI and Queen Elizabeth, in May 1937, there were ten courses, including a Quiche Lorraine, a clear chicken soup, poached salmon and Sandringham cured ham and Cailles roties sur Canape a la Royale (a cold dish of boned quails, stuffed with pate de foie gras, coated in a brown chaud-froid sauce, decorated with truffle slices and lavished with game aspic jelly. They were served on a bed of pineapple-flavoured crushed ice. As Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation banquet took place when rationing was in force, the menu reflected reality, with just six courses. The lamb should be blushing pink when served alongside potatoes, asparagus and green beans Pictured: Tom Parker Bowles' recipe for Carre dAgneau a la Windsor TOM PARKER BOWLES: As for next weekend's banquet, King Charles will be the first sovereign to do things in a more modest way mindful, no doubt, of the cost of living issues faced by so many families As for Coronation chicken, the dish created by Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume in Coronation Year, 1953, the less said the better about this turgid abomination. It might have started as a halfway decent dish but has become little more than a garish, over-sweetened disgrace. It should be banished to the Tower, and left there to languish for ever. As for next weekend's banquet, King Charles will be the first sovereign to do things in a more modest way mindful, no doubt, of the cost of living issues faced by so many families. As a Buckingham Place spokesman told me: 'While the Coronation will feature many elements of pageantry and historical tradition, it was felt that a formal banquet would not be an appropriate way to celebrate the occasion this time.' Instead, heads of state and other dignitaries have been invited to an evening reception on the night before the Coronation, while the Royal Family will have a more informal lunch on the day itself. He added: 'Their Majesties hope that The Big Lunch event on Sunday, May 7 will see communities across Britain celebrate in their own way with food, friendship and perhaps a slice or two of Coronation quiche.' Millions of people will be called upon to swear 'true allegiance' to King Charles at the Coronation, it can be revealed. For the first time in history, every citizen of the UK and all the other nations of which the monarch is head of state will be asked to 'make their homage in heart and voice to their undoubted King'. The trailblazing move will make the ceremony more of a 'People's Coronation', as previously only members of the aristocracy were called upon to make such a pledge. The 'Homage of the People' is just one of the significant updates to the ancient ritual, which will see other religious faiths, as well as the Church of England, playing key roles. Female members of the clergy will also be involved for the first time. The influence of the late Queen will be clear throughout the two-hour ceremony and there will be a tribute to the King's late father, Prince Philip. And when Queen Camilla is crowned after her husband it will be the first time a Consort has been anointed in full public view. Millions of people will be called upon to swear 'true allegiance' to King Charles at the Coronation, it can be revealed The break with centuries of tradition will be most marked with the Homage of the People, when the Archbishop of Canterbury will call on those in Westminster Abbey, and watching on television to pledge their allegiance. It replaces the 'homage of the peers' where members of the aristocracy lined up to honour the new monarch. Now only Prince William, Charles's heir, will do so. Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith said: 'It's hugely exciting. It's probably the most radical departure from tradition we've heard about so far, and it's about as inclusive as you can get, asking the whole world to acclaim him as King. 'It's a wonderful, democratic and inclusive gesture and very 21st Century. We knew all along this was going to be a different and modern twist on the Coronation but this step is really quite a radical one.' Constitutional expert Sir Vernon Bogdanor added: 'It's a very sensible change. Even in 1953 I think it was out of date to have the peers there to represent the people as a whole. It is certainly out of date now. It would look ludicrous. 'The Coronation confirms that he is the rightful King and it's right that a sample of people should be doing that. The Coronation has to balance tradition with adapting itself to current conditions.' For the first time in history, every citizen of the UK and all the other nations of which the monarch is head of state will be asked to 'make their homage in heart and voice to their undoubted King' There will be outfit changes for both the King and Queen Consort with two sets of robes each During the homage, 150 million people across the UK and Commonwealth will be called upon to say: 'I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.' After a fanfare, the public will add: 'God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the King live for ever.' A spokesman for Lambeth Palace said: 'Never before in our history have the public been offered such an opportunity to join with national figures in declaring their allegiance to a new sovereign.' In other developments: In a break with tradition, the King will be met by one of the youngest members of the congregation chorister Samuel Strachan, 14; The Queen Consort will be anointed with Holy oil without a canopy or screen for the first time; In an unprecedented development, the monarch will be heard praying aloud in a specially commissioned 'King's Prayer'; There will be outfit changes for both the King and Queen Consort with two sets of robes each; The liturgy will include tributes to the late Queen, and Prince Philip and will feature a Greek choir; A multi-faith service will include prayers said in the traditional languages of the British Isles: Welsh, Scots Gaelic and Irish Gaelic; Leaders of other faiths will play a vital role, issuing greetings to the newly crowned King and Queen after the Anglican service; Ending decades of speculation, the King will be described as both 'defender of the faith' and 'defender of all', the CoE has confirmed. Tory MP and former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland, MP for South Swindon, said: 'This is a most wonderful gesture. 'It gives everybody, whether present or not at the coronation, the chance to be part of this historic, symbolic occasion where we can all offer our loyalty and support to the King.' The plan was also warmly welcomed by Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Shabana Mahmood MP, Labour's National Campaign Coordinator, said 'replacing the homage of the peers in this way is a wonderful way to bring the ceremony and the monarchy closer to the people. 'The involvement of people of all faiths, reflecting and recognising our country's diversity, is also an important and welcome change'. Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey said: 'For most people in Britain this is our first chance to see a coronation - so it's a truly historic occasion. 'I hope everyone will be celebrating our new King and Queen.' The Anglican Church has agreed religious leaders can greet the King after the Christian service. Charles will be met by The Most Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala (Buddhist), Lord Singh of Wimbledon (Sikh), Radha Mohan Das (Hindu), Aliya Azam (Islam) and Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis (Judaism). Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said: 'I am delighted the service will recognise and celebrate tradition... At the same time, the service contains new elements that reflect the diversity of our contemporary society.' Former Cabinet Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg welcomed the 'marvellous' idea of Homage of the People, saying: 'It will be a brilliant expression of our fealty every loyal subject will want to do this.' Historian Lady Antonia Fraser, added: 'I like the idea that there is going to be a pledge for the public.' However, writer Hugo Vickers said: 'I am in two minds as to whether it is right to ask us all to do this. Personally, I am happy to. But I'd prefer my loyalty be taken for granted, rather than having to express it.' The final order of service will be revealed this week and is likely to include a role for Prince George, second-in-line to the Throne. Coronation organisers are 'stressed' about Prince Harry's plans for Saturday, complaining that establishing them is 'like trying to communicate with Mars'. Insiders told The Mail on Sunday that they were still seeking confirmation of 'when he is coming, where he is staying, when he is going back and whether he is happy with his seating position in the Abbey'. Some are even suspicious that he might still pull out at the last minute. This newspaper revealed in February that the organisers were operating on the basis of a 'Harry in a hurry' appearance by the Prince that he would pay a lightning visit without his wife Meghan which was confirmed to be the case earlier this month. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in America on Coronation day, where she will celebrate the fourth birthday of their son Archie. But sources say they have been told so little about Harry's plans that 'anything could happen', ranging from a token appearance to a last-minute no-show. Coronation organisers are 'stressed' about Prince Harry's plans for Saturday, complaining that establishing them is 'like trying to communicate with Mars' A row erupted last week after Michelle O'Neill, Sinn Fein's vice president and leader in Northern Ireland, accepted an invitation to the Coronation One source said: 'He has not been responding other than in a "We acknowledge your email'' holding manner. It's like trying to communicate with Mars it was easier to deal with Sinn Fein.' A row erupted last week after Michelle O'Neill, Sinn Fein's vice president and leader in Northern Ireland, accepted an invitation to the Coronation. Meanwhile, Lady Pamela Hicks, a bridesmaid to the late Queen, and whose father Lord Mountbatten was murdered by the IRA of which Ms O'Neill's party was the political wing throughout the Troubles was left off the list. READ MORE: PRINCE HARRY 'FACES UNIFORM HUMILIATION' AT KING CHARLES' CORONATION - WHILE BROTHER WILLIAM WILL BE ALLOWED TO WEAR MILITARY GARB Uniform rules: William and Harry hold a vigil beside their grandmother's coffin Advertisement Ms O'Neill, who attended the Queen's funeral in September, said she had accepted the invitation on behalf of the people in Northern Ireland 'for whom the Coronation is a hugely important occasion'. But it sparked a backlash among Unionists, who said that they were being prevented from celebrating by Nationalist-controlled councils in Ulster. Last week, Harry continued his battle with the British press when he claimed that the late Queen and King Charles had been complicit in a cover-up of phone hacking by making an agreement with the publisher of the Sun and the News of the World. But the High Court judge hearing the case, Mr Justice Fancourt, said there appeared to be 'factual inconsistencies' in Harry's legal claim about allegedly being a victim of hacking. The Coronation source added: 'Harry seems to be adopting a High Noon approach, making everyone sweat about his movements. 'While the Royals are confident that he will show up, others involved are not quite so convinced. 'The working assumption now is that, assuming he does come, it could mean arriving as late as very early Saturday by private jet and leaving by late afternoon the same day.' The Duke of Sussex's representatives did not respond to a request for comment. The splendour of the Kings Coronation robes were revealed for the first time last night. As a champion of sustainable fashion, the King will don the same Robe of State worn by his grandfather King George VI for his Coronation in 1937, which boasts a 15ft train. The Queen Consort, too, will arrive at the Coronation in a robe first made for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and resized for Saturdays ceremony. The velvet on both robes has been restored by the Royal School of Needlework and the lining and gold lace by Ede & Ravenscroft. During the ceremony, the King and Queen Consort will change into new purple Robes of Estate to mark their transformation after being crowned. Camillas new robe has been adorned with bees and beetles to reflect the Royal couples affection for the natural world. The velvet on both King Charles and the Queen Consort's robes has been restored by the Royal School of Needlework and the lining and gold lace by Ede & Ravenscroft King Charles will don the same Robe of State worn by his grandfather King George VI for his Coronation in 1937 Major British broadcasters are being accused of holding other news publishers to ransom over access to live footage of the Coronation of King Charles. It is understood the TV providers, including the BBC, ITN and Sky, want to impose high costs for access to the livestream. The move has sparked accusations that the broadcasters are looking to cash in on the landmark event, rather than help make the historic scenes as widely available as possible. The decision to try to charge for the coverage comes despite the precedent of UK newspaper websites being given free access to the footage of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The majority of the live feed is expected to be provided by the BBC, with ITN and Sky also spending on this 'pooled' coverage, which is shared between broadcasters. Before the Queen's funeral, the Royal Household had given direction for the broadcasting pool to give access free of charge. Major British broadcasters are being accused of holding other news publishers to ransom over access to live footage of the Coronation of King Charles It is understood the TV providers, including the BBC, ITN and Sky, want to impose high costs READ MORE: This old thing? Finishing touches are made to the King's 15ft Robe of State that was first worn by George VI for his Coronation in 1937 The velvet on both King Charles and the Queen Consort's robes has been restored by the Royal School of Needlework and the lining and gold lace by Ede & Ravenscroft Advertisement Newspaper insiders say a draft agreement which would repeat the terms of that deal, with some restrictions on the use of content, including a ban on running adverts with it, has been drawn up. But there is huge concern that these broadcasters are now 'seeking to extract a commercial rate' from news publishers. It is understood the broadcasters are asking for a six-figure sum from across the news publishing groups. This is despite the BBC recognising its public service responsibilities by waiving the licence fee for the day so as many as possible can watch the service. Newspaper industry sources fear charging publishers for access 'sets a dangerous precedent'. According to insiders, the move to levy these charges is expected to be directed only at UK media outlets because overseas publishers will be permitted to use the footage through the broadcasters' syndication agreements with international news agencies such as Reuters and Associated Press. This means news websites with operations overseas, such as MailOnline and the Guardian, will be able to show the Coronation livestream in the US and Australia, but not in the UK unless they meet the broadcasters' financial demands. One source said: 'News publishers are not seeking to compete for an audience because they won't be able to commercialise the livestream. The decision to try to charge for the coverage comes despite the precedent of UK newspaper websites being given free access to the footage of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II They want to serve their existing readership given the public interest of this historic occasion.' Insiders said it was 'wrong' for the BBC to be 'seeking to profit' from coverage it will be producing anyway when sharing it around would come at no extra cost. One industry executive said: 'We are being held to ransom.' A joint statement by the BBC, Sky and ITN said: 'UK broadcasters are investing heavily in the coverage of this complex and historic event and have asked for a fair and reasonable financial contribution from any third parties wishing to access the live coverage for their own use.' West End star Claire Sweeney was recently revealed to have been cast as Tyrone Dobbs' mum Cassie in Coronation street. The Scouse actress, 52, admitted that she is 'beyond thrilled and very grateful' to land the role in the ITV soap. Claire is perhaps known for her role in another iconic soap, Brookside, in which she played Lindsey Corkhill between 1987 and 2003. While she's also made appearances in medical dramas Doctors and Holby City. With Claire set to have a total of four soap stints under her belt, MailOnline delves into the archives to take a look at which other actors have appeared in multiple soaps... New role: West End star Claire Sweeney was recently revealed to have been cast as Tyrone Dobbs' mum Cassie in Coronation street Iconic role: Claire is perhaps known for her role in another iconic soap, Brookside, in which she played Lindsey Corkhill between 1987 and 2003 Zoe Henry (Emmerdale, EastEnders, Coronation Street, Doctors and Casualty) Zoe is best known for playing village vet Rhona Goskirk, having made her first appearance way back in 2001. The actress, who is married to co-star Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle) has had her fair share of dramatic storylines during her 20 plus years on the ITV soap including Rhona being raped by ex husband Pierce and the vet's painkiller addiction. The character is currently embroiled in an embryo dilemma after her ex-husband recently rocked up requesting her stored remaining embryos be used for himself and wife Lucy as they are unable to conceive naturally. Prior to arriving in the Dales, Zoe has starred in four other soaps, most notably in Coronation Street where enjoyed two stints on the cobbles. Firstly she appeared as Geoffrey 'Spider' Nugents vegan girlfriend Log Thwaite back in 1998, but Log was swiftly dumped for not being committed to the vegan cause when he caught her eating a beacon sandwich. Following this, she played Casey Carswell, a crafty character who befriended Claire Peacock but ended up having an affair with her husband Ashley. Things escalated when Casey went on to kidnap the couple's baby Freddie, with Casey threatening to jump off a building unless Ashley declared that he loved her. Other soaps roles for Zoe included a 2009 stint in EastEnders as Detective Constable Deanne Cunningham, Jennifer Roberts in Holby City and two small roles in Casualty - Gina Jacobs and Sandra Morley. TV star: Zoe is best known for playing village vet Rhona Goskirk, having made her first appearance way back in 2001 Corrie stint: Zoe played Casey Carswell, a crafty character who befriended Claire Peacock but ended up having an affair with her husband Ashley (Zoe pictured as Casey with Ashley) Parts: Other soaps roles for Zoe included a 2009 stint in EastEnders as Detective Constable Deanne Cunningham, Jennifer Roberts in Holby City and two small roles in Casualty - Gina Jacobs and Sandra Morley (pictured) Patsy Kensit (EastEnders, Emmerdale, Holby City and Casualty) Patsy made a brief appearance as cancer-stricken Lola Pearce's long-long mum Emma Harding in EastEnders this year, after the role was announced in November. The character first made her appearance in January amid daughter Lola's wedding day, later vowing to be by her side as she battles cancer. However, Emma soon found herself struggling with her daughter's terminal illness and in March announced that that she was leaving for a new job in America. Patsy is no stranger to soaps of course, having starred as Jimmy King's wife Sadie King in Emmerdale between 2004-2006. The iconic character was embroiled in several sizzling storylines, including to conspire with Cain Dingle to fleece Tom King out of his money - only to then be double-crossed by Cain. Elsewhere, the actress has also appeared as Charlotte Leith-Jones in Casualty and in Holby City as nurse Faye Morton. Like her other soaps stints, her time in Holby was also eventful, with Faye making her arrival having had two deceased husbands, going on to kill her third spouse by leaving him for dead at the bottom of the stairs following a row in Dubai. Albert Square: Patsy made a brief appearance as cancer-stricken Lola Pearce's long-long mum Emma Harding in EastEnders this year, after the role was announced in November Into the Dales: Patsy is no stranger to soaps of course, having starred as Jimmy King's wife Sadie King in Emmerdale between 2004-2006 Medical role: Elsewhere, the actress has also appeared as Charlotte Leith-Jones in Casualty and in Holby City as nurse Faye Morton (pictured) Jamie Lomas (Hollyoaks, EastEnders, Brookside, Coronation Street and Doctors) Jamie is perhaps best known for his role as bad boy Warren Fox in Hollyoaks, having portrayed the troubled character on and off since 2006. The shady hard man has bumped off a fair few characters in his time, including fiancee Louise Summers after she planned to kill him on their wedding day. Jamie has also enjoyed a stint in Albert Square, portraying Lauren Branning's lover Jake Stone. Jake didn't have the best time in Walford and was prime suspect for Lucy Beale's murder after blood and her earrings were found in his flat. He later made a hasty exit when he was cleared of wrongdoing and Lauren apologised for pointing the finger at him. Jamie has been a busy man over the years, having also appeared as Matt Evans in Brookside, landed two small roles in Coronation Street (PC Stubbs and Jeff Durkin) and Steve Whitehall in Doctors. Soap star: Jamie is perhaps best known for his role as bad boy Warren Fox in Hollyoaks, having portrayed the troubled character on and off since 2006 Character: Jamie has also enjoyed a stint in Albert Square, portraying Lauren Branning's lover Jake Stone Kirsty Lee-Porter (Hollyoaks, Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Doctors) Kirsty currently plays feisty firefighter Leela Lomax in the Channel 4 soap. Leela's entrance to the soap was somewhat dramatic as it was soon discovered that her adoptive sister Peri was in fact her biological daughter. Kirsty is also known for her role as Roz Fielding in Emmerdale, who shockingly got her best friend Holly Barton addicted to drugs. She later left the Dales after Holly died of an overdose, relocating to London to make a fresh start. The actress also appeared in Coronation Street as David Platt's girlfriend Zoe Willson and Kelly Madden in Doctors. Drama: Kirsty currently plays feisty firefighter Leela Lomaxv (right) in the Channel 4 soap Oh dear: Kirsty is also known for her role as Roz Fielding in Emmerdale (right), who shockingly got her best friend Holly Barton (centre) addicted to drugs David Easter (Brookside, Family Affairs, Holby City, Doctors, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks) Perhaps one of the most illustrious soap actors is David Easter, who has appeared in no less than six soap operas over the years. His most recent soap appearance would be that of Mac Nightingale in Hollyoaks, who terrorised the villagers with his villainous ways. During his four-year stint on the soap which began in 2015, Mac made several enemies, killed son Nathan and brutally let fiancee Neeta fall to her death after discovering her affair with student Hunter. David is also well known for his portrayal of Pete Callan in the now defunct Family Affairs between 1997-2005. Playing another soap baddie, Pete was involved in everything from drugs to assaults and even went on to seek revenge on wife Eileen when she attempted to frame him for arson. The dastardly character was eventually killed off when he was shot dead during an armed stand-off. He's also appeared as dodgy businessman Gil Keane in Emmerdale, who left business partner Declan Macey in dire straits when he pulled out of a big deal. David's other soap roles include Pat Hancock in Brookside, Greg Marsh in Holby City and Rick Steedman in Doctors. Villain: His most recent soap appearance would be that of Mac Nightingale in Hollyoaks, who terrorised the villagers with his villainous ways Bad boy: David is also well known for his portrayal of Pete Callan in the now defunct Family Affairs between 1997-2005 The 51-year-old actor was married to his Scream co-star Courteney Cox, 58, when she was earning up to $1 million per episode as Monica Geller on Friends. He explained that it was 'difficult' to be less successful than her because he wanted to be able to 'pick up the check' himself. While appearing on Sirius XM's Andy Cohen Live on Friday he was asked if he ever felt inferior to his then-wife. 'Yeah, absolutely. It's difficult. I have some of the traditional male things where I want to like, you know, provide and pick up the check and, you know, be the breadwinner,' he said. David and Courteney married in 1999 and split in 2013. The former couple share daughter Coco, 18. Exes: The 51-year-old actor was married to his Scream co-star Courteney, 58, when she was earning up to $1 million per episode as Monica Geller on Friends Traditional: He explained that it was 'difficult' to be less successful than her because he wanted to be able to 'pick up the check' himself 'In the acting world in general, you're always going on this rollercoaster of popularity and, you know, not being able to get a job. it's like this weird thing,' he continued. 'And then when you're, you know, comparing yourself to someone who's at the, you know, top of the television, iconic world, it's kinda hard to put yourself there, so there was definitely like learning and dealing with that, and a lot of pain and, you know, arguments or, you know, ego, early on,' he concluded. The Scream actor married Christina McLarty, 42, in 2015. They share sons Charlie, nine and Alexis, six. Courteney has been in a long-term relationship with Snow Patrol musician Johnny McDaid since 2013, and they seem to be going stronger than ever. The Mrs. Davis star went on to explain that his attitude during the 14 years he was married to the Cougar Town star had 'a lot' to do with how he was perceiving and responding to the situation. 'A lot of it has to do with, you know, the way you're taking things, the way you're saying things, the way you're responding to things, the way you're, you know, allowing other sort of outside influences affect how you feel about yourself,' he said. 'I think like building confidence or just, you know, focusing on yourself, like working out some of the pain and trauma that I had so that I could open up like, you know, and own sort of what makes me happy, what my needs are, where my boundaries are,' he concluded. Despite his regrets, earlier this year he admitted that he and Courteney had a good relationship today during an interview with Closer. $1 million: By season eight of the long running NBC sitcom the six main characters all made $1 million per episode Breadwinner: 'I think like building confidence or just, you know, focusing on yourself, like working out some of the pain and trauma that I had so that I could open up like, you know, and own sort of what makes me happy, what my needs are, where my boundaries are' Co-parenting: David and Courteney are parents to daughter Coco, 18 'Today we are great co-parents to our daughter, Coco. So that's really beautiful.' The dad of three also revealed their daughter is thriving and recently got her first car as she is learning to drive. When David opened up about his second marriage, he revealed they have a tight family unit and he feels lucky to be married to such an amazing woman. 'My boys are just complete characters, both of them. I'm so grateful to Christina. She's just like the brains of the operation. The woman behind the man,' he said. Mrs. Davis: David is currently appearing in Peacock's Mrs. Davis alongside Betty Gilpin Co-stars: The former couple starred in the first Scream film in 1996 together On why his second marriage is successful, he said: 'Its tough. You have to figure out how to really make it work with each other, to hear each other and allow each other to be yourselves, but also to have your strong boundaries. The former couple starred in a fifth installment of the popular horror franchise last year, returning as characters Dewey Riley and Gail Weathers. Speaking to the New York Times, David described acting with Cox over 10 years later as 'cathartic'. 'It's a cathartic experience to just be able to act opposite Courteney. It's been 25 years of our lives. We've grown up together. We have a child together.' Christine Quinn showcased her retro side as she donned various 70s-inspired clothing pieces during a recent photo shoot in Los Angeles on Thursday. The Selling Sunset alum, 34, who recently put on a sultry display during a glitzy fashion dinner at the Chateau Marmont, could be seen striking her favorite poses as she enjoyed the themed shoot. The mother of one, who officially departed from the hit Netflix show after the fifth season, flaunted her fit physique in a dark purple, strapless leather dress with a hem that stopped a few inches above her knees. The sides of the ensemble contained a tasseled fringe for a unique flare, and easily moved about as she twirled for the camera. She additionally slipped into a pair of knee-high, brown boots for a bit of color contrast to the dress. Retro! Christine Quinn, 34, showcased her retro side as she donned various 70s-inspired clothing pieces during a recent photo shoot in Los Angeles on Thursday Having some fun! The sides of the ensemble contained a tasseled fringe for a unique flare, and easily moved about as she twirled for the camera To accessorize the look, the media personality, who currently boasts 4.4 million Instagram followers, added a pair of gold, dangly earrings as well as a chunky, gold bracelet on her left wrist. Instead of styling her natural locks, Christine donned a yellowish, blonde wig that contained a feathered hairstyle that was popular in the 70s. Her makeup was glammed up for the special shoot, and comprised of a black, winged liner around her thick lashes, as well as a bronze-colored shadow around her eyes. A light pink blush was added to her cheekbones for a classic glow, while a nude-colored, glossy tint was worn on her lips and bordered with a darker lipliner. The reality star showed off a few poses in the dress, such as moving the tassels around and sitting on the floor of the studio. Behind her, both a blue and lavender backdrop was used to blend well with the purple outfit. Quinn had a second outfit change and donned a pair of high-waisted, black trousers that contained white patches on the side as well as white stripes on the legs. Belted details could be seen just above her knees for a fashionable touch. She easily tucked in a long-sleeved, white blouse that was only partially buttoned for a sexy flare. For a pop of color, the beauty added a pair of orange gloves that reached up past her wrists. While the same wig was used for the ensemble, different jewelry was utilized and included large, gold-hooped earrings and rectangular-shaped, white rimmed sunglasses. Striking a pose: The mother of one flaunted her fit physique in a dark purple, strapless leather dress with a hem that stopped a few inches above her knees Making a statement: Quinn had a second outfit change and donned a pair of high-waisted, black trousers that contained white patches on the side as well as white stripes on the legs Stylish: She easily tucked in a long-sleeved, white blouse that was only partially buttoned for a sexy flare A colorful touch: For a pop of color to the monochromatic outfit, the beauty added a pair of orange gloves that reached up past her wrists As she modeled the ensemble, the star paused for a snap as she touched up her lipstick in the reflection of a makeup mirror inside the spacious studio. The third outfit she wore had a classy element to the look, and consisted of a black and brown, plaid blazer that fell down past her waist while secured with buttons on the front. The off-the-shoulder piece contained two pockets towards the bottom and was fastened with a thin, black belt to better accentuate her waist. She slipped into fitted trousers that showcased her long legs and contained the same plaid material and colors. Christine completed her look by adding a pair of open-toed, glittering heels that sparkled under the lights surrounding the star. The model threw on a pair of see-through shades and sported a bold red lipstick that stood out against the colors of her outfit. The final ensemble that the TV personality had the chance to wear was a green and black minidress that contained long sleeves and a small, circular cutout near the neckline. The real estate broker slipped into a pair of sheer, black tights as well as green, patent leather boots with a tall, blocked heel. Quick touch up: As she modeled the ensemble, the star paused for a snap as she touched up her lipstick in the reflection of a makeup mirror inside the spacious studio Glammed up: The third outfit she wore had a classy element to the look, and consisted of a black and brown, plaid blazer that fell down past her waist while secured with buttons So chic! Christine completed her look by adding a pair of open-toed, glittering heels that sparkled under the lights surrounding the star Small details: The off-the-shoulder piece contained two pockets towards the bottom and was fastened with a thin, black belt to better accentuate her waist Bold: The model threw on a pair of see-through shades and sported a bold red lipstick that stood out against the colors of her outfit She sported her natural, platinum locks that were parted in the middle, and flowed down straight past her shoulders. Her makeup was slightly altered to coincide with the eye-catching ensemble, with neon green liner worn around her eyes and a lighter tint worn on her lips. A dark green background could be seen behind the mother of one as she showed off a few of her favorite poses inside the studio. Christine has previously opened up about her love of fashion and beauty, and told Allure late last year in November that both passions have been her 'realm forever.' 'I just love the beauty industry, because it's constantly evolving and making people feel like the best versions of themselves,' she also added to the outlet. Since her official exit from Selling Sunset after the fifth season, the star has maintained a prominence in the fashion world, such as attending the star-studded Versace runway show last month in March. Groovy: The final ensemble that the TV personality had the chance to wear was a green and black minidress that contained long sleeves and a small, circular cutout near the neckline New hairstyle: She sported her natural, platinum locks that were parted in the middle, and flowed down straight past her shoulders Wow! The real estate broker slipped into a pair of sheer, black tights as well as green, patent leather boots with a tall, blocked heel As the sixth season of the hit Netflix series vastly approaches, with the premiere date slated for May 19, Christine told People last month that the show now has, 'a different vibe to say the least,' adding that, 'They've brought so many new girls in.' 'The original recipe we had worked. When you keep bringing in new characters, it dilutes what people originally fell in love with.' She expressed that the series is 'completely different' and that viewers will also 'realize it's very different.' 'They have to get to know a lot more characters. It's not as glamorous. It's not as fun anymore. I think they have an uphill battle right now. I really do.' The beauty, who tied the knot with Christian Richard in 2019 and together, launched their crypto-based brokerage, RealOpen, stated, 'I think it's probably going to be the last season of Selling Sunset. I'm not the only person who thinks that.' Paul Burrell astounded his fellow I'm A Celebrity... South Africa campmates during Friday's episode when he revealed he used to being dates back to Buckingham Palace. The former servant of the British Royal Household and latterly butler to Diana, Princess of Wales lived at the royal residence in London in the late nineties when he worked closely with the late Princess. And the television personality told how he would bring people back to his accommodation in the days when security was not as strict. Paul, 64, left his his fellow show stars open-mouthed when he told them bringing a date back to Buckingham Palace was 'the biggest card you could ever pull'. He explained: 'I used to take dates back to the palace. I tell you what, the biggest card you could ever pull, is you go out into London, you find a date, you say, "Would you like to come back to my place?" They say, "Yeah, of course." Surprise: Paul Burrell, 64, astounded his fellow I'm A Celebrity... South Africa campmates during Friday's episode when he revealed he used to being dates back to Buckingham Palace Open secret: Paul, 64, left his his fellow show stars open-mouthed when he told them bringing a date back to Buckingham Palace was 'the biggest card you could ever pull' (Amir Khan pictured) 'You get a taxi, you whisper to the taxi, "Take me to Buckingham Palace," You get there, you get out and they say, "I thought you were taking me home with you." I said, "I have." Meanwhile, former nemeses Shaun Ryder and Gillian McKeith became the first two contestants to be eliminated from I'm A Celebrity... South Africa. Friday's episode of the ITV reality show saw six celebrities chained together in pairs to take part in the first survival challenge of the series - Savage Safari. Andy Whyment and Jordan Banjo, Phil Tufnell and Georgia Toffolo, and Shaun and Gillian, all competed to free themselves from one another and hit a buzzer first. Campmates were surprised after Shaun announced he had selected the TV nutritionist as his partner, with Gillian exclaiming: 'Oh for God's sake no!' The challenge involved removing spanners from boxes filled with various creatures to loosen the chains. Andy and Jordan stormed the challenge and were first to free themselves, while Gillian was paralysed by touching snakes in the first box. During the trial, when asked if he regretted his decision to choose Gillian as his partner, Shaun replied: 'A little bit... but she's my mate now and I can't slag my mate off.' Exit: I'm a Celebrity South Africa saw Shaun Ryder and Gillian McKeith become the first stars to leave the camp on Friday Challenge: After picking fellow celebs to do the challenge, with the losing pair leaving camp for good - with Shaun picking former nemesis Gillian The pair said that they had come 'full circle' following their fiery clashes during their previous appearances on I'm A Celebrity... in 2010. 'Now we're off to get married,' Shaun joked. Following her exit, Gillian said participating in the series had been 'a very positive experience'. 'It was just a different feeling when I went into camp this time,' she said. 'People just seemed to be really open and wanting to get on with each other. There was no negativity, it felt positive from the minute I got there. 'Everybody wanted to gel. I could feel that it was a very different experience from 2010.' Shaun said that he had 'loved' the experience. 'I'm a bit of a slow learner to say the least, so it takes me a while to adapt, but I loved it,' he said. Unimpressed: I'm A Celebrity were divided during Friday's episode as they watched Fatima Whitbread continue to grumble over contraband that had been smuggled into the camp 'Whilst you're at it and doing it, you don't realise and I was thinking once I left, god yeah there were some great moments in there. I was over the moon.' Earlier in the episode, tensions flared briefly in camp after several celebrities were busted over bringing contraband into camp. Former royal butler Paul Burrell, Myleene Klass and Gillian were all found guilty of smuggling items into camp. Phil noted that the 'drama' had made the camp atmosphere 'flat'. Georgia said in the Bush Telegraph: 'There's been a bit of a bizarre turn of atmosphere in the camp. I'm hoping everyone's going to get a belting night's sleep.' Myleene had brought in various spices, while Paul had brought 'a little bit of coffee'. However, campmates were shocked, and even slightly impressed, after Gillian revealed she had smuggled in 'a whole tuck shop' in her underpants. The TV nutritionist produced a range of products from her 'spicy knickers', including thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, stock cubes and 30 tea bags. 'She had a whole tuck shop in her underpants,' former boxer Amir Khan said in the Bush Telegraph. I'm A Celebrity... South Africa airs weeknights at 9pm on ITV and ITVX. Jack Harlow made a bold statement in one of his songs on his newly released album Jackman. In the track titled They Don't Love It, he calls himself 'the hardest white boy since the one who rapped about vomit and sweaters' referencing Eminem's famous line in Lose Yourself. The 25-year-old rapper then goes on drop bars tastefully about how he outdoes his competition without naming any names. On Friday, the First Class hitmaker dropped his highly-anticipated, self-titled third studio album. Next month, Harlow will also be making his feature film debut in the Hulu remake of White Men Can't Jump. Confident: Jack Harlow, 25, made a bold statement in one of his songs on his newly released album Jackman The following lines after his daring claim heard Harlow listing all the reasons he believes he deserves the silver medal for best white rapper behind the self-proclaimed Rap God, 50. 'And hold the comments 'cause I promise you I'm honestly better than whoever came to your head right then,' Harlow rapped as he dissed his adversaries lyrically. 'They ain't cut from the same thread like him,' he continued. 'They don't study, doin' work to get ahead like him. 'They don't toss and turn in the f***in' bed like him, 'cause they don't love it,' the lyrics went. Jackman takes the Louisville native back to his Kentucky roots after his last album Come Home the Kids Miss You was criticized for being too commercial. His new album compares to his music at the beginning of his career that ultimately shot him up to his level of fame today. Similarly, the cover art for his latest project is nostalgic to his past work. On the album cover, Harlow poses shirtless with his arms crossed as he stands in an alley in his hometown rural suburbia. Runner-up to the legend: In the track titled They Don't Love It, he calls himself 'the hardest white boy since the one who rapped about vomit and sweaters' referencing Eminem's famous line in Lose Yourself New release: On Friday, the First Class hitmaker dropped his highly-anticipated, self-titled third studio album Stripped down: Jackman comprises of 10 tracks total with a surprising lack of any features at all The snapshot was stylistically designed as if taken by an old-school film camera. Similarly, the back cover appeared in the same tone and low clarity filter, but the image showed a large tree trunk crushing a car in a more ritzy, suburban neighborhood. Jackman comprises of 10 tracks total with a surprising lack of any features at all. The opening track is titled Common Ground. Following the lead-off are: They Don't Love It; Ambition; Is That Ight?; Gang Gang Gang; Denver; No Enhancers; It Can't Be; Blame On Me; and Questions. 'I want to be the face of my s*** like the face of my generation for these next 10 years,' he had told Rolling Stone last year before he released Come Home the Kids Miss You. 'We need more people in my generation that are trying to be the best, and you can't do that with just ear candy, vibe records,' he explained. 'You got to come out swinging sometimes. 'My new s*** is much more serious,' Harlow also said. 'Right now, my message is letting [everybody] know I love hip-hop, and I'm one of the best in my generation.' Bold: The following lines after his daring claim heard Harlow listing all the reasons he believes he deserves the silver medal for best white rapper behind the self-proclaimed Rap God, 50 When talking about his glow-up and not-at-all gradual rise to fame, he explained to the publication that he changed his appearance but is still the same person inside. 'It took me a while to take my glasses off,' he said, perhaps in more than just a literal sense. 'I felt literally tethered to them, because I felt like, "You're the rapper with glasses that can spit really well".' He goes on to say that his personality has never wavered despite becoming so famous. 'I'm as goofy as I am. I'm as smooth as I am. I'm as funny as I am. I'm as serious as I am. I'm all those things,' Harlow said. 'The totality of myself that I'm honoring is why I'm being embraced by hip-hop. By SA Commercial Prop News National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele. AFTER months of speculation about his fate, national police commissioner General Bheki Cele has been suspended. National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele has been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation into "unlawful" police lease agreements. President Jacob Zuma announced on Monday. "In August, I informed the national commissioner, General Bheki Cele, of my intention to institute a board of inquiry to look into the allegations of misconduct, in relation to the procurement of office accommodation for the South African Police Service, as per the findings and recommendations of the public protector," Zuma told reporters in Pretoria. The board of inquiry will be led by retired Justice Yvonne Mokgoro, alongside advocates Terry Motau and Anthea Platt. "I have also decided to suspend the national commissioner from duty with immediate effect, pending the outcome of the inquiry, in terms of section 8 (3) (a) read with Section 9 (1) of the South African Police Service Act. "He will, during the period of suspension, be entitled to his full salary, allowances, privileges and benefits, in terms of Section 8(3)(b) of the Act." Major General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi would act in Cele's position, Zuma said. Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found that Cele's actions involving the procurement of two building leases for new police headquarters, valued at R1.6bn, were unlawful and amounted to maladministration. Zuma's announcement follows weeks of speculation on Cele's future, including a news report that would be offered a diplomatic post in Canada, a notion rejected by the international relations department. Jamie Lee Curtis took to Instagram this week to give a warm shout out to her 'friend and film daughter' Lindsay Lohan. The 64-year-old Halloween sensation - who celebrated her daughter online last month - shared photos of Lindsay and wrote that she is 'So thrilled for her.' Jamie, who starred alongside the 36-year-old in the 2003 film Freaky Friday, added, 'What a mama she will be.' The post has so far received more than 300,000 likes from the entertainer's 5.3 million followers. Jamie remarked in the upload of reposted photos from Lindsay's recent baby shower, 'My friend and film daughter @lindsaylohan is growing up!' Sweet: Jamie Lee Curtis took to Instagram this week to give a warm shout out to her 'friend and film daughter' Lindsay Lohan Tribute: The 64-year-old Halloween sensation shared photos of Lindsay and wrote that she is 'So thrilled for her' Lohan, who is expecting with husband Bader Shammas, looked positively glowing as she held her bump while wearing a stylish all-white ensemble. She was joined by sister Aliana 'Ali' Lohan, 29, and her mother Dina, 60. Lindsay captioned in the set of images, 'Good times. So grateful for all of the wonderful people in my life!' 'She's the happiest when she's with her closest friends and family. She is rarely in town for long, so friends and family wanted to celebrate,' a person close to the star told UsWeekly about the mom-to-be's party. 'It was very private just a handful of close friends and family having brunch in honor of Lindsay's pregnancy.' The insider went on to hint to the outlet that a 'bigger' celebration for the Parent Trap star could be set to take place where she lives in Dubai. Another insider dished that the former wild child of Hollywood 'loves' being pregnant. It was added that she is 'happier' than she has ever been since discovering that she is to become a mother. While in Manhattan she spent her time with her family looking for clothes for both herself and the baby. Lindsay's due date is reportedly sometime this summer. Flashback: Jamie, who starred alongside the 36-year-old in the 2003 film Freaky Friday, added, 'What a mama she will be'; pictured in August 2003 Throwback: Lindsay and Jamie pictured in a promotional image from Freaky Friday Future parents: Lindsay first announced her pregnancy with husband Bader Shammas in March with an Instagram post featuring a white baby onesie The source added: 'During the short trip to New York, she also spent some quality time shopping with her siblings for baby clothes and cool and stylish maternity clothes.' Lindsay first announced her pregnancy in March with an Instagram post featuring a white baby onesie before a representative for the Mean Girls star explained that she and her husband are both excited about the 'next chapter' in their lives. A rep for the couple told DailyMail.com: 'We are very excited for our new family member to arrive and we are looking forward to this next chapter of our lives!' They said: 'We are beyond happy for this blessing in our lives and we cannot wait to become parents.' Chris Pine flaunted his fit physique on Friday when he wore a white tank top and short blue shorts after leaving a dance studio in Los Angeles. The Hollywood heartthrob, 42 who is currently swinging a sword through Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves showcased his toned arms and lean legs as he grabbed some iced coffee. Pine sported a pair of royal blue loafers and a bright blue ball cap, looking good as he headed into the weekend. The leading man's leggy day in LA comes on the heels of him talking about his bromance with Hugh Grant, 62. Chris described the legendary British star as 'mega saucy' and that they had 'an absolute blast' on the set of Dungeons and Dragons. A-list arms: Chris Pine, 42, flaunted his fit physique on Friday when he wore a white tank top and short blue shorts after leaving a dance studio in Los Angeles Leggy leading man: The Hollywood heartthrob showcased his toned arms and lean legs as he grabbed some iced coffee Chris was asked about his good buddy Hugh during a radio interview with Sian Welby to promote their comedic sword and sorcery flick in the UK. When Welby asked the Star Trek star how Grant manages to pull off being so endearing as a bad guy, Chris credited the debonair actor's 'old old age.' Chris explained: 'As we know, Hugh is the winner of the most charming award for thirty years and counting, so the man can charm the pants off a nun! 'I think in his old old age, hes really starting to enjoy what happens when you dont have to play the ingenue anymore, you get to play all the others fun stuff that everyone else has had a fun time doing, and not trying to carry a movie.' The Wonder Woman hunk added: 'Hes an absolute blast to work with and what I love about him is that for all his charm hes just this wonderfully grumpy curmudgeon, hes just saucy, hes just mega saucy. 'We have a great time laughing together, I like Hugh a lot.' In addition to having a fondness for the Notting Hill icon, Pine would love to work with another former co-star again Oscar winner Anne Hathaway. Chris made his feature film debut in 2004's The Princess Diaries 2 and recently declared that he is game to return for the franchise's third installment, which was finally confirmed to be happening in November. Hunk on the loose: Pine sported a pair of royal blue loafers and a bright blue ball cap, looking good as he headed into the weekend Bromance: The leading man's leggy day in LA comes on the heels of him talking about his bromance with Hugh Grant, 62. Chris described the legendary British star as 'mega saucy' and that they had 'an absolute blast' on the set of Dungeons and Dragons Prince Charming: Chris also recently shared that he was down to return as Anne Hathaway's love interest in The Princess Diaries 3 Chris played Nicholas Devereaux, the love interest for Anne Hathaway's Mia Thermopolis in the sequel, which earned $134.7 million worldwide. Hathaway has called the prospect of a new sequel 'thrilling' while Julie Andrews, who plays Mia's grandmother Queen Clarisse Renaldi, said in December she wasn't sure if she'd return. 'Yeah, I'm here!' Chris recently told ET. 'I'm here for it. Give me give me a phone call or an email.' Pine went on to joke that if he were to return as Nicholas Devereaux he would opt for a 'low-profile hair helmet.' A high-profile and respected figure in the Australian fashion world has sensationally announced they take cocaine recreationally and won't apologise for it. Stylist Deni Todorovic, who controversially partnered with swimwear brand Seafolly for a Mardi Gras campaign earlier this year, dared luxury brands to drop them if they have a problem with it, and also called for drugs to be decriminalised. Todorovic, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, shared their thoughts on illegal substances in a late-night Instagram post on Friday. They described themselves as a 'hairy gay wog... who loves a ciggie and occasionally a vape and a little j' - or marijuana joint - and who 'every now and then... is partial to a line or two [of cocaine] just like every AFL footy player who does it behind the world's back.' Todorovic went on to extol the virtues of drug legalisation - noting how the policy has reduced crime rates in countries like Portugal - then challenged 'any of the brands I work with' to nix their deals with them if that 'doesn't align with your ethos'. Stylist Deni Todorovic (pictured), a high-profile figure in the Australian fashion world, has sensationally announced they take cocaine recreationally and won't apologise for it Todorovic, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, called for illicit drugs to be decriminalised in a late-night Instagram post on Friday. They dared luxury brands to drop them if they have a problem with it, even posting their business email address When contacted by Daily Mail Australia on Saturday, Todorovic doubled down on their comments and called out the fashion industry, which they say is fuelled by cocaine. 'It's a drug the whole industry takes. I was given a bag [of cocaine] in exchange for landing my first major job,' said Todorovic, who goes by Style By Deni online. They also argued alcohol was just as bad a social problem as illegal drugs. 'You can't get through Fashion Week without alcohol. Drinks are served at every show, and alcohol brands are major sponsors. Alcoholism is far worse than drug use. I've seen it in my family,' they said. They also spoke at length about how drug laws overwhelmingly target people of colour, who often turn to dealing because of a lack of education or career opportunities. They described themselves as a 'hairy gay wog... who loves a ciggie and occasionally a vape and a little j' - or marijuana joint - and who 'every now and then... is partial to a line or two [of cocaine] just like every AFL footy player who does it behind the world's back' 'There is an intersection between minority groups and substance use,' Todorovic explained. 'The go-to career for wog boys and black boys is drug dealing because of the lack of education and jobs... or having English not as a first language, or not their parents' first language. 'If you can't get a normal job, you either do sex work or sell drugs. It's global. 'If you can't get an education, job or apprenticeship, you sell your body or something illegal.' Todorovic went on to call out the 'double standards' in public discourse about drugs. 'White people do coke in a bathroom and it's a standard Friday night out. Queers do it and we're druggies,' they said. 'Straight people do ice and it's an aggressive social problem that needs to be dealt with - but why does no one talk about meth being an epidemic of the gay community? 'I have lost too many friends to meth. Friendships and marriages fall apart due to meth. People don't talk about it, but seven out of ten gay people I know how dabbled in that drug.' When contacted by Daily Mail Australia on Saturday, Todorovic doubled down on their comments and called out the fashion industry, which they say is fuelled by cocaine Todorovic also spoke of the role drugs play in helping gay people 'bond' over their shared trauma - something rarely understood or acknowledged in the heterosexual world. 'All the best bonding I've done as a queer person has been done under the influence. Trauma bonding is our default,' they said. 'We don't talk about the AFL; we take drugs and talk about trauma and have sex.' While there are certainly arguments in favour of drug decriminalisation, there is no debating that Australia's cocaine consumption does have real-world consequences for people in the countries where it is produced. Cocaine is derived from coca plants found in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, where innocent people find themselves victims of the violent international drug trade. Should progressive Australians like Todorovic, who are 'partial to a line or two', take these lives into account? Todorovic told Daily Mail Australia it was a complicated issue, but ultimately the very question about drugs and ethics comes from a place of privilege. 'It's a privilege to have ethical concerns about drug trafficking. Conscious consumerism is a privilege. Being educated about drugs is a privilege,' they said. 'If you want to stop buying coke, then stop shopping at Coles. If George Pell can get a state funeral, I should be able to buy coke legally.' Todorovic said 'no client' had reached out to them to cancel their brand deals since they expressed their views about illegal drugs overnight. In fact, the only company to distance itself from Todorovic recently has been Seafolly, which ran for the hills after facing backlash for partnering with the fashionista for a Mardi Gras campaign in March (pictured) Todorovic said 'no client' had reached out to them to cancel their brand deals since they expressed their views about illegal drugs overnight. In fact, the only company to distance itself from Todorovic recently has been Seafolly, which ran for the hills after facing backlash for partnering with the fashionista for a Mardi Gras campaign in March. At the time, some feminist critics said having a non-binary person promote women's swimwear was 'erasing women', and noted the unfortunate proximity of the Seafolly campaign to International Women's Day. A source with knowledge of the situation said: 'Seafolly will never work with Deni again. They said, in so many words, that Deni is a liability to the brand and alienating customers. There were even talks of financiers withdrawing investment.' She's earned a Best Actress Oscar and starred in countless Hollywood hits as one of Tinseltown's top leading ladies. The versatile actress is reportedly playing an 'oversexed and volatile' female Frankenstein in the classic tale's imaginative retelling from acclaimed filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos. With her long raven hair flowing down her back, the actress looked unrecognizable as she is seen gazing off through a forest as co-star Ramy Youssef stands in the background. The star was dressed in a light yellow gown and appeared to be wearing very little, if any, make-up. Can you guess who the A-lister is? Guess who: She's earned a Best Actress Oscar and starred in countless Hollywood hits as one of Tinseltown's top leading ladies. It's Emma Stone! The 34-year-old actress fully embodied her character in a newly released still from her upcoming film Poor Things. Poor Things is a movie adaptation of the 1992 novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray which was influenced by Frankenstein. Emma is playing the central role of Bella Baxter, who is described as a 'volatile, oversexed, emancipated woman and a female Frankenstein.' In the twisted thriller, Stone's character drowns herself to escape her abusive husband and has her brain replaced by that of her unborn child. Emma previously worked with director Yorgos Lanthimos in 2018's The Favourite, in which she starred alongside fellow Oscar winners Rachel Weisz and Olivia Coleman. Renowned for his dark and eccentric films, the Greek auteur's impressive body of work includes The Lobster (2015) and The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017). In a 2018 interview with Interview Magazine, Lanthimos spoke about his somewhat bizarre tastes as a filmmaker. 'I do enjoy awkwardness.' he said. 'I think it's an important feeling for people that maybe generates some kind of thirst to wonder about things. 'As an audience member myself, I love to be in a position where I'm trying to figure out what I am supposed to feel, or if what I'm feeling is appropriate or not.' Future Frankenstein: Emma Stone is reportedly playing an 'oversexed and volatile' female Frankenstein in the classic tale's imaginative retelling from acclaimed filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos; pictured in 2019 Leading lady: Poor Things is a movie adaptation of the 1992 novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray which was influenced by Frankenstein; pictured in 2022 His favorite: Emma previously worked with director Yorgos Lanthimos in 2018's The Favourite, in which she starred alongside fellow Oscar winners Rachel Weisz and Olivia Coleman; pictured with Coleman in a still from the film Poor Things is slated for a September 8 release this year and will se Stone tear up the screen alongside Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo and Margaret Qualley. And Emma has already reteamed with Lanthimos on another mysterious project. The pair's third movie together, titled AND, is reportedly an anthology film shrouded in secrecy. AND is currently in post-production and no release date has been announced, but the film also brings back Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley. Allison Holker, widow of the late Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, has been granted half of her late husband's estate. It comes after the 35-year-old dancer - who recently marked the first Easter without her spouse - filed a petition in February, two months after Boss took his life at age 40, Us Weekly reported on Friday. The former Ellen Show producer did not leave a will, but a judge from the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County signed off on the mother-of-three's request. Allison proved she was married to Boss at the time of his death and was granted property passing rights. It was also noted in the filing that 'no administration of [the estate] is necessary.' Legal proceedings: Allison Holker, widow of the late Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, has been granted half of her late husband's estate; pictured in an Instagram post on Friday California law states that a surviving spouse has the right to half of their partners assets in the wake of the person's death. But the widow is required to file a petition to legally take over the finances and property. Stephen's assets included full ownership of Stephen Boss Productions and Allison also requested that she be awarded half of all of the entertainer's current and future earnings. The So You Think You Can Dance alum also declared that all 'existing assets were acquired during the marriage, by virtue of the work, skills and efforts of the parties.' She added that she and her husband 'had no written agreements between' them that would have 'impacted the determination that the assets were community property.' Allison also highlighted in the filing that Stephen 'had numerous projects and performed as dancer, choreographer, actor and producer which resulted in rights to royalties' that should be allotted in part to her and her children. The couple shared daughters Weslie, 14, Zaia, 3, and son Maddox, 7. Holker included proof of the royalties with her petition, most of which came from Stephen Boss Productions, Us Weekly reported. Follow-up: It comes after the 35-year-old dancer filed a petition in February, two months after Boss took his life at age 40, Us Weekly reported on Friday There is also potential for Boss' surviving family members to earn royalties from rerun episodes of The Ellen Show. The judge on the case stated: 'The Court finds that sufficient evidence has been provided to grant the matter on the calendar this date based upon the reading of the moving papers and consideration of all presented evidence.' Following the devastating news that Stephen had shot himself in a hotel bathroom on Dec. 13, Ellen DeGeneres shared a clip with fans that highlighted the dancer's work on her talk show. Ellen wrote on social media along with the recording, 'Right now all I want to do is remember all the love and laughter I had with tWitch. 'He brought so much joy to my life. I know he brought joy to yours too. I'm going to be sharing some of my favorite moments with him. If you want you can also share yours. #ILovetWitch.' The tragedy came only three days after the dancer celebrated his ninth wedding anniversary with his wife. Moving forward: Holker recently marked the first Easter without her spouse; pictured with kids Earlier this month Allison marked her family's first Easter celebration since her husband's passing by sharing intimate family snaps. In an Instagram post, the dance pro uploaded photos photos of her children enjoying an Easter egg hunt. Famous friends including Chrishell Stause, Naomi Campbell and Loni Love joined in the comments to wish the family a happy Easter. 'tWitch' was found dead in a motel room in Encino, California on December 13, 2022. Michael J. Fox has been living with Parkinson's disease since his diagnosis at 29 in 1991, all the while devoting himself to finding a cure through his foundation. And in a new interview with CBS Sunday Mornings, Fox, now 61, spoke candidly about his health and the painful realities of living with the progressive disorder. 'My life is set up so I can pack Parkinson's along with me if I have to,' he tells journalist Jane Pauley. 'You've not squandered any of your capacity, but at some point Parkinson's going to call for you isn't it?' Pauly said bluntly of Fox's mortality. 'Yea, it's banging on the door,' the father-of-four responded. 'I mean, I'm not going to lie it's going to hurt.' Candid: Michael J. Fox, 61, spoke candidly about his health and the painful realities of living with the progressive disorder in a new interview with CBS Sunday Mornings Fox retired from acting in 2020 due to his symptoms - which have included tremors, impaired movement, coordination and muscle stiffness. He confesses that life at 61 with Parkinson's is 'getting tougher; every day it gets tougher.' Fox added: 'But, that's the way it is and who do I see about that?' On top of dealing with the incurable disease, the actor has also had number of other serious health concerns and injuries over the years. 'I had spinal surgery. I had a tumor on my spine. And it was benign, but it messed up my walking. And then, started to break stuff,' he shared, before revealing a series of scary injuries. 'Broke this arm, and I broke this arm, I broke this elbow. I broke my face. I broke my hand. Which is a big killer with Parkinson's. 'It's falling and aspirating food and getting pneumonia. All these subtle ways that get ya,' he explained. It's at this point that he got very honest about the time he has left on Earth. 'You don't die from Parkinson's. You die with Parkinson's. So I've been thinking about the mortality of it. I'm not gonna be 80. I'm not gonna be 80,' he said. He went on to talk about the advancements that research has made for Parkinson's, which comes just two days after the Michael J. Fox Foundation held its benefit dinner in Nashville, Tennessee that was dubbed A Country Thing: Happened On The Way To Cure Parkinson's. Local stars Little Big Town and Brad Paisley were among the performers to lend their support and take the stage for a night of music and comedy after a seated dinner. The annual charity event has helped propel the Michael J. Fox Foundation to become the largest non-profit funder of Parkinson's disease research in the world, with more than $1 billion of research projects to date. 'My life is set up so I can pack Parkinson's along with me if I have to,' he tells journalist Jane Pauley Painful reality: 'You've not squandered any of your capacity, but at some point Parkinson's going to call for you isn't it?' Pauly said bluntly of Fox's mortality. 'Yea, it's banging on the door,' the father-of-four responded. 'I mean, I'm not going to lie it's going to hurt' Fox has been living with Parkinson's disease since his diagnosis at 29 in 1991, all the while devoting himself to finding a cure through his foundation; seen on April 26 Earlier this week, the Michael J. Fox Foundation held its special dinner and country music benefit, amid Parkinson's Awareness Mont, in Nashville on Wednesday (pictured) Starry: Local stars Little Big Town and Brad Paisley were among the performers to lend their support and take the stage for a night of music and comedy after a seated dinner Established in 2000, Fox foundation is not only dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease, it also concentrates on funding research and ensuring the development of improved therapies for the estimated five million people living with Parkinson's disease today. 'We operate with focus and determination in everything we do. We won't stop until a cure is found,' according to the foundation's official website. April has long been observed as Parkinson's Awareness Month, as it is the birth month of James Parkinson, the London physician who was the first to describe Parkinson's disease in 1817. Fox's interview with Jane Pauley for CBS Sunday Morning is slated to air on Sunday, April 30. Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito rang in his 65th birthday with his family in Mexico this week. And on Friday, the actor left little to the imagination as he hung out on a yacht in just a black speedo. Giancarlo looked in incredible shape while diving off the side of the luxury boat that was docked in Cabo San Lucas. He was joined on the idyllic getaway by two of his four daughter, one of which appeared to be his eldest Kale Lyn, 25. When he wasn't soaking up the sun in a speedo, the Mandalorian star rocked a pair of light blue shorts and a plain white tee. Watch the Breaking Bad star in the iconic series Breaking Bad available now, only on Stan. Vacation vibes: Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito rang in his 65th birthday with his family in Mexico this week. And on Friday, the actor left little to the imagination as he hung out on a yacht in just a black speedo He often shielded his eyes from the intense sun with a pair of black shades. Giancarlo is definitely thrilled to be enjoying some downtime after being in promo mode for the past several weeks. Earlier this month, the Better Call Saul actor attended the AMC Networks' 2023 Upfront event in New York City. He was there to promote his upcoming crime drama series Parish, which follows taxi driver Gray Parish (Giancarlo) who is thrust in the crime world after agreeing to chauffeur a notorious gangster who is 'notorious for exploiting undocumented immigrants at the U.S. southern ports.' It also stars Screams' Skeet Ulrich, Harriet actor Zackary Momoh, Ray Donovan alum Paula Malcomson and The West Wing's Bradley Whitford. Parish will have a 'six-episode first season' but the exact release date has yet to be revealed. AMC reported last year that the series is a 'reimagining' of the BBC One series The Driver which aired back in 2014 and starred The Walking Dead alum David Morrissey. In March, Giancarlo got red carpet ready to attend the premiere for the third season of the Star Wars spin-off series The Mandalorian on Disney+. He plays Imperial governor and the show's main antagonist, Moff Gideon. Nice form! Giancarlo looked in incredible shape while diving off the side of the luxury boat that was docked in Cabo San Lucas Family affair: He was joined on the idyllic getaway by two of his four daughter, one of which appeared to be his eldest Kale Lyn, 25 Promo mode: Giancarlo is definitely thrilled to be enjoying some downtime after being in promo mode for the past several weeks; seen on April 18 Epic: In March, Giancarlo got red carpet ready to attend the premiere for the third season of the Star Wars spin-off series The Mandalorian on Disney+ Villain: He plays Imperial governor and the show's main antagonist, Moff Gideon He brought along daughters Syrlucia Esposito and Ruby Esposito. For the big night, Giancarlo looked dapper in a blow fedora worn with a black bow tie and matching suit. He brought along daughters Syrlucia Esposito and Ruby Esposito. The third season continues the adventures of Pedro Pascal's title character and young Grogu, a.k.a. Baby Yoda, with Mando revealing he's returning to his home planet of Mandalore to clear his name. It premiered on Disney+ on March 1 and episodes were released on a weekly basis. The finale of The Mandalorian season three aired on April 19. He was slammed for attending with convicted felons earlier this week The Prime Minister dodged the DJ booth to mingle with the stars Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dodged the DJ decks at shock jock Kyle Sandilands' wedding and posed for selfies with the bride and groom and guests. The PM was pictured at the reception with Sandilands and his new wife Tegan Kynaston and their son Otto as well as Sandilands' co-host Jackie Henderson. He appeared to shun his regular beer for more exotic drinks, pictured holding an empty martini glass at one stage and a half-full tumbler in another picture while others swigged from stubbies. He relaxed in the company of the wedding party guests including Nine's Today host Karl Stefanovic and former Kyle & Jackie O executive producer Sonia Jahshan. Mr Albanese was widely criticised for taking a day off to attend the lavish wedding and even had to quash rumours that he may DJ. Anthony Albanese poses up for selfies with stars as he avoided the DJ deck at shock jock Kyle Sandilands wedding (Mr Albanese pictured with Jackie O'Henderson, Karl Stefanovic and producer Sonia Jahshan) Kyle Sandilands and Tegan Kynaston got married on Saturday at a highly anticipated wedding that reportedly cost more than $1m and took place at the extravagant Swifts mansion in Sydney's Darling Point The PM shared a drink with partygoers reveling in the afternoon festivities Last year, Mr Albanese said DJ Albo would come out should the radio king cough up an invitation, but last week when asked if he would DJ he simply responded 'No'. Many questioned Mr Albanese's appearance as he would be mingling with guests such as Sandilands chief groomsmen and convicted drug trafficker Simon Main. Mr Main, who once worked as Liza Minnelli's assistant, was jailed in Italy in 2000 over his role in attempting to shift 333,000 ecstasy pills worth $10million. Sandilands was questioned in the lead up to his wedding about his chief groomsman and gave a blunt response to Daily Mail Australia. 'These are my friends,' he said. 'My mate did something stupid 25 years ago. What, he has to be condemned for the rest of his life? '[Main] gets embarrassed for me and I said, "I don't give a f**k." My friends are my friends and they're the most honest, solid people I've ever met,' he added. 'I've met plenty of people over my life that have promised this and that, then been complete charlatans. 'These guys are true men of their word and that's why they're my lifelong friends.' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pictured holding Kyle Sandilands' kid Otto at the reception on Saturday Last year, Mr Albanese said DJ Albo would come out should the radio king cough up an invitation, but on Saturday morning simply responded 'No' to whether he would DJ Mr Albanese posted up for photos next to numerous high profile guests at the lavish wedding The highly anticipated wedding reportedly cost more than $1m and took place at the extravagant Swifts mansion in Sydney's Darling Point. Mr Albanese was quizzed about his attendance in the lead up to the wedding extravaganza, which also featured King of the Cross John Ibrahim at the celebrations. When asked about whether he approved of convicted drug smuggler Simon Main attending he said he simply wasn't 'in charge of the guest list'. In an interview between Sandilands and Mr Albanese earlier this week, the shock jock said the Prime Minister had the task of keeping his mother company. 'She's a fan of yours, so she's going to lose her mind,' Mr Sandilands said live on air. Many questioned Mr Albanese's appearance as he would ne mingling with guests such as Sandilands chief groomsmen and convicted drug trafficker Simon Main The highly anticipated wedding reportedly cost more than $1m and took place at the extravagant Swifts mansion in Sydney's Darling Point This criticism of Mr Albanese predominantly stemmed from Liberal politicians, ABC and gossip columnist Andrew Hornery, who has never hidden his dislike for the radio host. Deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley said it was abysmal that he was 'spinning decks at a million dollar wedding when people can't afford their rent'. 'There is nothing wrong with going to a friend's wedding, but it is curious the Prime Minister thinks he can take a day off just days before his first real budget,' she said. 'The test of that budget will be whether (Mr) Albanese gives Australians a start date for the $275 reduction in power prices, a start date for the cheaper mortgages Labor promised and a start date for real wage rises. 'It's hard to see how the Prime Minister can justify being there tomorrow when there are still no answers on those promises.' Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey looked as wholesome as ever as the pair attended FYC'S Last of Us event in LA on Friday. The Chilean/American actor, 49, and his young co-star, 19, were there to discuss the show at the Director's Guild of America. The duo, who have a father/daughter dynamic on the critically-acclaimed zombie apocalypse show, seemed as cheerful as ever in each other's company. Pedro opted for a white smoking jacket with striped silk detail around the lapel, cuffs, and belt. He wore the jacket over a dark brown untucked shirt with white geometric flowers and baggy metallic grey trousers. Dynamic duo: Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey looked as wholesome as ever as the actors attended FYC's The Last of Us event in LA on Friday Smokin': The Chilean/American hunk, 49, paired a white smoking jacket with white details with flared metallic grey trousers He paired the outfit with black leather dress shoes and finished off his look with his trademark black square glasses. Bella, who defines as non-binary, went for an androgynous look, donning a dark navy blue single breasted suit. The star wore the suit over a striped blue shirt with white cuffs. They accessorised the outfit with white patent leather platform shoes and a single gold magnet style ring. They kept their make-up very light, sporting a touch of foundation and pink lipstick. They left their cropped brunette hair down, styled in waves. The pair, who Pedro has adorably named 'Beldro', seemed to enjoy the event, grinning as they goofed around on the black carpet. They also took the time to pose with show creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, as well as show actors Gabriel Luna, Carolyn Strauss and Murray Bartlett. As well as posing for the camera, the dynamic duo spoke at the event about their time on the show and answered questions from attendees. Androgynous: Bella, 19, who is non-binary, opted for a straight cut navy blue pinstriped suit Barefaced beauty: The youngster left their brunette hair down and opted for minimal make-up, just a touch of foundation and lipstick Contrasting: While the actor went for white platform shoes, the Mandalorian star chose black dress shoes Getting the giggles: The pair shared several laughs together as they joked around on the event's black carpet Beldro: Pedro gave the duo the combined nickname 'Beldro' due to their close bond on set Cast and crew: The stars took the time to pose with show creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, as well as castmates Gabriel Luna, Carolyn Strauss and Murray Bartlett All smiles: The gang all grinned and giggled as they stood together before the event The stars align: Gabriel Luna and Murray Bartlett played significant roles in the show, with Gabriel acting as Joe's brother Tommy and Murray taking on the role of Bill Question time: Pedro and Bella spoke about their time on the show and answered questions from attendees The Last of Us series is adapted from the beloved 2013 video game of the same name, developed by Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann, who also co-created the TV series with Craig Mazin (Chernobyl). The widely popular show, with 40 million viewers in the US alone, was commissioned for series two in January is year. Its premiere aired on January 15 and drew in 4.7 million viewers, with the 8.2 million viewers for the finale marking a staggering 75% increase from premiere to finale. The Last of Us is also the most-watched show in the history of HBO Max in both Europe and Latin America. It follows Joel (Pedro) and 14-year-old Ellie (Bella) on the travels in a post-apocalyptic world, with 60% of the population killed off by a parasitic Cordyceps or fungal infection. The infection - inspired by the real-life ophiocordyceps unilateralis - has four stages of infection, which increasingly causes humans to resemble zombie-like monsters that use echolocation. Ellie is miraculously immune to the Cordyceps infection, and the pair journey out of a Boston quarantine zone all the way to the West Coast to aid the lab where a cure is being created. The Last of Us also features Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid, Gabriel Luna, Merle Dandridge, and Anna Torv. It has been a big week for Pedro after the trailer for his new film with director Pedro Almodovar, Strange Way of Life, was released this week. Fun and games: The duo shared a few laughs on stage as well as on the carpet All the answers: The creators and fellow actors were also there to share their experiences and answer questions Success: The Last of Us is also the most-watched show in the history of HBO Max in both Europe and Latin America and has 40 million viewers in the US alone Growth: The series premiere airing on January 15 drew in 4.7 million viewers, with the 8.2 million viewers for the finale marking a staggering 75% increase from premiere to finale Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been branded 'the baby whisperer' by his girlfriend Jodie Haydon after he shared a bellylaugh with Kyle Sandilands' son Otto. Beaming from ear to ear Mr Albanese held Mr Sandilands and Tegan Kynaston's first child after the ceremony, with baby Otto appearing to love every bit of it. Ms Haydon called her PM partner 'the baby whisperer' which sparked Ms Kynaston to jokingly asking him, 'Are you free Wednesday night to babysit?' Anthony Albanese's partner Jodie Haydon has labelled him the 'baby whisperer' after immediately bonding with Kyle Sandilands son Otto beaming (pictured: Mr Albanese beaming ear to ear holding baby Otto at Kyle Sandilands and Tegan Kynaston's wedding) The PM was pictured throughout the wedding reception with Sandilands and his new wife Tegan Kynaston as well as with Sandilands' co-host Jackie Henderson and TV presenter Karl Stefanovic (PM with Jackie O'Henderson, Karl Stefanovic and producer Sonia Jahshan) 'I'll be in London, so just drop him round,' the PM quick-wittedly replied before telling Mr Sandilands to 'have the best day', The Daily Telegraph reported. The PM was pictured throughout the wedding reception with Sandilands and his new wife Tegan Kynaston as well as with Sandilands' co-host Jackie Henderson and TV presenter Karl Stefanovic. In other pictures Mr Albanese appeared to shun his regular beer for more exotic drinks, pictured holding an empty martini glass at one stage and a half-full tumbler in another picture while others swigged from stubbies. He relaxed in the company of the wedding party guests after being widely criticised for taking a day off to attend the lavish wedding. The radio shock jock leapt to the PM's defence on Saturday morning saying he was shocked by the backlash. 'I didnt anticipate it... My mum goes "oh I saw on the news this morning that the Opposition was having a problem with poor old Albanese coming to the wedding".. and she goes, "Why would they say something so horrible?",' Mr Sandilands said. 'Surely the man can go to a personal event if he wants to, its not a 24/7 thing, if anything needed him hed have to leave and Mum was all bent out of shape. 'And I was like "dont worry, everyone always slags everyone off", theyre always going to say something.' Mr Sandilands and Tegan Kynaston's joked to Mr Albanese about him babysitting Otto jokingly asking, 'Are you free Wednesday night to babysit.. I'll be in London, so just drop him round' Kyle Sandilands and Tegan Kynaston got married on Saturday at a highly anticipated wedding that reportedly cost more than $1m and took place at the extravagant Swifts mansion in Sydney's Darling Point In an interview between Sandilands and Mr Albanese earlier this week, the radio host said the PM had the task of keeping his mother company. 'She's a fan of yours, so she's going to lose her mind,' Mr Sandilands said live on air. This criticism of Mr Albanese predominantly stemmed from Liberal politicians, ABC and gossip columnist Andrew Hornery, who has never hidden his dislike for Mr Sandilands. Deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley said it was abysmal that he was 'spinning decks at a million dollar wedding when people can't afford their rent'. 'There is nothing wrong with going to a friend's wedding, but it is curious the Prime Minister thinks he can take a day off just days before his first real budget,' she said. 'The test of that budget will be whether (Mr) Albanese gives Australians a start date for the $275 reduction in power prices, a start date for the cheaper mortgages Labor promised and a start date for real wage rises. 'It's hard to see how the Prime Minister can justify being there tomorrow when there are still no answers on those promises.' The PM shared a drink with partygoers pictured holding an empty martini glass (pictured) in one picture and a half-full tumbler in another while others swigged from stubbies The PM also had to quash rumours that he may DJ after last year joking DJ Albo would come out should the radio king cough up an invitation, but last week when asked if he would DJ he simply responded 'No'. Many questioned Mr Albanese's appearance as he would be mingling with guests such as Sandilands chief groomsmen and convicted drug trafficker Simon Main. Mr Main, who once worked as Liza Minnelli's assistant, was jailed in Italy in 2000 over his role in attempting to shift 333,000 ecstasy pills worth $10million. Sandilands was questioned in the lead-up to his wedding about his chief groomsman and gave a blunt response to Daily Mail Australia. 'These are my friends,' he said. 'My mate did something stupid 25 years ago. What, he has to be condemned for the rest of his life? '[Main] gets embarrassed for me and I said, 'I don't give a f**k.' My friends are my friends and they're the most honest, solid people I've ever met,' he added. 'I've met plenty of people over my life that have promised this and that, then been complete charlatans. 'These guys are true men of their word and that's why they're my lifelong friends.' Last year, Mr Albanese said DJ Albo would come out should the radio king cough up an invitation, but on Saturday morning simply responded 'No' to whether he would DJ Mr Albanese posted up for photos next to numerous high profile guests at the lavish wedding The highly anticipated wedding reportedly cost more than $1m and took place at the extravagant Swifts mansion in Sydney's Darling Point. Mr Albanese was quizzed about his attendance prior to the wedding extravaganza, which also featured King of the Cross John Ibrahim at the celebrations. When asked about whether he approved of convicted drug smuggler Simon Main attending he said he simply wasn't 'in charge of the guest list'. Many questioned Mr Albanese's appearance as he would ne mingling with guests such as Sandilands chief groomsmen and convicted drug trafficker Simon Main The misinformation being spread about the Easter Sunday attack has the potential to sow the seeds of radicalisation among the Muslim community. by Jude Amory The Easter attack of 2019 will forever be etched in the memories of the people of Sri Lanka, as a day of tragedy and sorrow that shook the nation to its core. The country's Christian minority was gathering at their places of worship to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The serene sounds of the morning were shattered by a series of deafening explosions. The blood-curdling screams of innocent worshippers echoed through the air, as they became the target of a ruthless and cowardly attack. The devastation that ensued was unimaginable bodies strewn on the church floors, streets filled with shattered glass and debris, multiple explosions being reported across the country and countless lives ruined forever. The devastation on this celebratory morning was backed by an ideology of hate and destruction yet the repeated question of Who perpetrated the Easter Attack? is a node of mere division and misinformation to an obvious truth. A horrific scene in the aftermath of the bombing at St. Anthonys Church, Kochchikade. In moments of tragedy, it is natural for people to seek answers and make sense of the inexplicable. However, in doing so, we must be wary of the dangers of succumbing to baseless conspiracy theories and misguided speculation. The Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka were a heinous act of terrorism that claimed the lives of over 270 innocent people. The attackers were driven by a perverted ideology that thrives on hatred, violence, and the glorification of death. It is a destructive ideology that seeks to divide communities, sow seeds of discord and create chaos. To suggest that the attack was a grand political plot or that it was an inside job is to deny the obvious truth that is staring us in the face this was the work of Islamist terrorists who are willing to use violence and bloodshed to advance their twisted agenda. To engage in such discussions is not only futile but also dangerous, as it risks taking us further away from the truth and closer to the abyss of hatred and violence. Who is Responsible for the Easter Sunday Attack? The attacks were carried out by groups affiliated with the Islamic State, and their targets were mainly churches and hotels. In compliance with international Islamist extremist agenda, Zahran Hashim and his National Tawhid Jam'ath (NTJ), followed the tenets of Salafi Wahhabism, an extremist Islamist ideology that is known for its intolerance towards other religions and cultures. Salafi Wahhabism is a puritanical and extremist interpretation of Islam that originated in Saudi Arabia in the 18th century. It promotes a strict adherence to Islamic law and a rejection of any modern or Western influences. Its followers believe in a literal interpretation of the Quran and the Hadiths, often manipulating this fundamentalist interpretation to radicalise, recruit and propagate hate. This ideology has been criticised for its intolerance of other religions and its encouragement of violence against non-believers. Zahran Hashim was a fervent believer in this ideology and the NTJ shared his extremist views. The group was known for its extremist rhetoric and had been on the radar of Sri Lankan intelligence agencies for some time prior to the attacks. 48 hours after the attacks, then leader of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, took responsibility for the attacks in Sri Lanka as being under the direction of the larger Islamic State and as part of its regional caliphate agenda. Al-Baghdadis message was complimented with a video of Zahran and the other suicide bombers pledging allegiance to the Islamic State and to its leader al-Baghdadi, as released on the Amaq News Agency the Islamic States media centre. Although Zahrans grand plan was much more comprehensive than a single consolidated attack, he was unable to execute as he feared that law enforcement could thwart his attempts if waited longer. Having insufficient time to radicalise enough people to the extent of suicide, Zahran himself agreed to die in the bombing, wrongly claiming himself a martyr of Islam. The leader of the attack is Zahran. Unlike when al-Qaeda-leader directed the attack on the United States on 9/11, NTJ-leader Zahran directed the attack and also participated in it in Sri Lanka. Why was the Attack carried out? Emanating from the Gulf, the Salafi Wahhabi doctrines hijacked multiple peaceful Islamic religious ideals. Like the concept of Tawhid, meaning the oneness of Allah, was exploited by Zahran and other extremists to portray themselves as the true carrier of the Islamic faith, the concept of al-Wala wal-Bara was also used by the terrorists for destruction. Al-Wala wal-Bara is a concept in Islam that refers to the allegiance and disavowal of individuals and groups. It is often translated as loyalty and disavowal. The concept is based on the idea that its followers should be loyal to Allah and His Messenger, and should disavow anything or anyone that opposes their teachings. This concept has been widely associated with extremist groups including al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and the Islamic State. These groups have used the concept to justify violence against non-Muslims and to create a strict separation between themselves and those who do not share their beliefs. In addition to ideological concepts, Zahran and his NTJ used real-world opportunities to recruit and radicalise. The 2003 invasion of Iraq by the US-led coalition and the multiple subsequent conflicts in the Middle East were fodder for the extremists to justify attacks against Christians and Westerners. In his farewell message, Zahran indicates that he intends to hurt Christians and Westerners as revenge for the attacks against terrorists (who he claims as true believers) in Baghuz, a town in Eastern Syria which was the final stronghold of the Islamic State Caliphate that fell in early 2019. Further, Zahran cites the attacks against the Christchurch Muslims by right-wing extremist Brenton Tarrant as an attack against Islam by Christians and justified his choice of churches and hotels to target Christians and Westerners alike. Why did Conspiracy Theories Emerge? Despite the clear evidence that the attacks were carried out by an Islamic State-affiliated terrorist group following an extremist ideology of hurt and destruction, there are still people who propagate and believe in conspiracy theories that suggest the attacks were an insider job. The conspiracy theories are propagated by three main groups; opposition politicians, Islamic organisations, Catholic Church leadership. Opposition politicians use the insider job argument as a means of political defamation and to score points for political gain. This served as mechanism to trump rival political bases both on religious lines as well as political affiliations. Islamic organisations were also promotional or at least tolerant to the insider job theory as a mechanism to whitewash the heinous attack being associated with the Islamic religion in itself. However, it is important to note that the Zahran and his terrorist outfit are in no way a representation of Islamic values but rather a psychopathic killer cowering behind an Islamist ideological rendition. However, it is also true that Islamic religious bodies like the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) failed to identify radical Salafi Wahhabi preachers in their institutions and this has led to the proliferation of conspiracy theories that seek to shift blame away from the actual perpetrators of the attacks. The ACJU has not done enough to combat the spread of extremist ideology in Sri Lanka, and some of its members had fuelled conspiracy theories perhaps in attempt to clear their name. The ACJU must take responsibility for its failures and work to address the root causes of extremism in Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, it must also be mentioned that on Easter Sunday 2023, ACJU finally released a clear message that the Easter Sunday attack was conducted by Islamic extremists and that the community must come together to reduce radicalisation. The Catholic Church, led by its Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, has also been promoting these conspiracy theories, which have far-reaching consequences for national security. Due to a lack of communication about the attacks after Easter 2019, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and the Catholic Church were kept in the dark about the status quo of the procedure and investigation of the attacks. Failure to timely and accurately inform led to the creation of doubt of a political conspiracy behind the attack. Although it is understandable why Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and the Catholic Church are skeptical about the status of the investigation, blatant propagation of misinformation and conspiracy is counterproductive to the efforts at gaining justice, reducing community radicalisation and strengthening interfaith harmony. Effects of Online Falsehoods and Misinformation Online falsehoods and manipulation have changed the public perception of the Easter Sunday attack. Today, multiple segments of the public no longer identify religious extremism as the key driver of the attack. The conspiracy theory that government intelligence conducted the attack has gathered significant momentum, which is deeply concerning. If religious extremism is not addressed, follow-on attacks are likely. Justice will not be served to the victims, and the security and intelligence community, criminal-justice, and prisons system will be severely undermined. The misinformation being spread about the Easter Sunday attack also has the potential to sow the seeds of radicalisation among the Muslim community. The spread of such unfounded theories, especially those that blame the government or non-Muslim groups for the attack, can create a sense of victimhood among Muslims and exacerbate existing grievances, thus pushing them further towards radicalisation. This can be a dangerous path to tread, as it can ultimately lead to more extremist views and even violence. It is therefore crucial that conspiracy theories are debunked and a clear communication plan be established by the government to remove the translucent veil that hinders clarity. How can the Government counter the Conspiracy Theories? Communication, communication, communication. The government must take a proactive role in countering such narratives by providing factual information and addressing concerns. This can be done through the use of government websites, social media platforms, and public announcements. The government can also work with credible media outlets to provide accurate information and debunk false claims. Consecutive governments have failed to structure a strong communication strategy which have led to multiple misinformation and disinformation tactics used to exploit an uninformed public. The government can also engage with the Muslim community to build trust and encourage open communication. This can include establishing community outreach programs, engaging with local mosques and Islamic institutions, and promoting interfaith dialogue. In addition, the government must strengthen its laws against hate speech, incitement, and extremist content. The Anti-Terrorism Act must act as a deter to the propagation of hate speech and radicalization within the communities in Sri Lanka. This can include stricter penalties for those who spread false information or incite violence. Additionally, the government can work with social media platforms to remove extremist content and promote more responsible online behavior. What Must the Public Demand? Instead of asking Who perpetrated the Easter Attack?, to which there is a clear answer already, the public must rather demand why the government failed to prevent the attack due to negligence and demand what is being done to punish the officials who failed to act on the intelligence of the attacks. It is unacceptable that such a horrific attack could take place without any warning or preventive action being taken by the authorities. A transparent ruling and sentencing must be carried out against the officials who failed to act in time, which will support the strengthening of the countrys national security apparatus that can help prevent further violence. The Way Forward As Islamist terrorism is a result of ideological extremism after exclusivism, it is paramount that interfaith harmony be promoted through religious dialogue and communication. It is also important to recognise that Islam is a peaceful religion and that Muslims are a peaceful people. The vast majority of Muslims in Sri Lanka are peaceful and reject the extremist ideology of Salafi Wahhabism. Sufi Muslims, in particular, have lived side-by-side with other races and religions in Sri Lanka for centuries, promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence. We must not allow the actions of a few extremists to tarnish the reputation of an entire religion and its followers. In addition to the propagation of conspiracy theories, the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka also brought to light the dangerous and extremist ideology of Salafi Wahhabism. This ideology has been used by terrorist groups like the Islamic State to justify their violent actions and recruit new members. Having witnessed the destruction of hateful fundamentalist ideologies such as Salafi Wahhabism, the Sri Lankan government and intelligence community must act to prevent radicalisation and ensure de-radicalisation is conducted to strengthen the Islamic community against foreign ideologies of hate. The conspiracy theories which have gained traction through media, religious leaders and political opposition, have led to a dangerous erosion of trust in the government and the intelligence services. The government must immediately take action to secure the information space against misinformation and disinformation about the Easter Attack and immediately take action against those who failed to act in time. The Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka were a tragic event that shook the nation and the world, being the largest Islamic State-backed attack outside of Iraq and Syria. While the government and security forces have taken some steps to prevent future attacks and tighten security, its measures remain inadequate on the community level. Only through understanding and tolerance can Sri Lanka and the world hope to prevent such horrific events from happening in the future. It is imperative that all Sri Lankans work together to promote unity and understanding, and reject any dangerous ideology of hatred and violence. Jude Amory is a national security analyst. Amanda Holden comes up with a peculiar idea for a new act in scenes set to air during this Saturday's instalment of Britain's Got Talent. In an exclusive clip from the episode, the talent show judge, 52, can be seen suggesting to her fellow panel the idea of assembling a 'dog band'. After a day of seeing the acts from up and down the country give it their best shot, Amanda said: 'That gave me an idea, why don't we try now and assemble, like, a dog band'. As Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli laughed the suggestion off, show boss Simon wanted to know more. 'So, like, what we did with One Direction, you want to do with dogs?' clarified the mogul, to which his pal confirmed. Teaser: Amanda Holden will suggest putting together a One Direction style band - but with dogs - during Saturday evening's episode of Britain's Got Talent Newest judge Bruno let out a laugh after Amanda's suggestion, with Simon pondering it. The talent show is never short of dog acts, with pup Pudsey - who was a Border Collie, Bichon Frise, and Chinese Crested powderpuff cross - even winning in 2012 with his owner Ashleigh. While One Direction were formed during the 2010 series of The X Factor, with Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan entering as solo acts before the judges decided to put them together. In upcoming scenes from Saturday's episode, The Heart Breakfast host was seen standing in the theatre wings at the auditions, with Ant and Dec excitedly telling Amanda and her fellow judges they had sorted some new music for them to walk on stage to. Ant told them: 'You know you said you're sick of your walk-on music? We've sorted it!' Alesha asked them: 'Based on our personal tastes?', to which the Geordie due both exclaimed: 'Yes! Yes!' While Amanda predicted she would be walking out in front of the audience to a song from a West End show and Simon insisted his would be Aqua's 1997 hit Barbie Girl, the pair were both wrong, as former Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno was welcomed out to Ant and Dec's tune. Alesha walked out next, wearing a pink trouser suit, while Amanda and Simon watched on from the wings. More information: 'So, like, what we did with One Direction, you want to do with dogs?' clarified Simon, to which his pal confirmed Between acts: As Amanda made the suggestion, fellow judge Alesha Dixon laughed it off Amanda asked Simon: 'Did someone once say there are 20 people in the world listening to that at any one time?', to which he appeared to nod in agreement. Actress Amanda was next to walk on stage, with the star wearing a red dress with a thigh-high split and cut out detail on the site, showing off her long slender legs. She grabbed hold of her ankle and lifted her leg in the air as she danced to the music in a pair of heels. Finally, Simon appeared on stage looking less then impressed as the merely walked to his seat, barely acknowledging the music. Britain's Got Talent is on Saturday on ITV at 8pm. A popular reality TV star has shared a sweet throwback childhood picture with her older sister. She took to her Instagram Stories on Saturday to mark her sister's birthday by sharing the adorable snap of them both in their younger years. The influencer was a toddler in the throwback snap and flashed a huge smile as she posed alongside her sister. Alongside the picture, she marked her sibling's birthday by writing: 'Happy birthday big sis!' But can you guess who the popular reality TV star is? Throwback: A popular reality TV star has shared a sweet throwback childhood picture with her older sister, but can you guess who it is? That's right, it's Molly-Mae Hague and her sister Zoe! That's right, it's Molly-Mae Hague and her sister Zoe! As well as the sweet childhood snap, Molly-Mae, 23, also shared a more recent snap of herself and Zoe to celebrate her sister's 27th birthday. The second picture was from when Molly-Mae was pregnant with her daughter Bambi, who she welcomed on January 23 with her boxer boyfriend Tommy Fury. She showed off her baby bump in a fitted grey dress in the snap, while she slung a brown jacket across her shoulders. Zoe cut a trendy figure in black cargo trousers and a dark T-shirt, which she teamed with a grey cropped felt blazer. Alongside the picture, Molly-Mae gushed over how she wouldn't have been able to get through the few few weeks as a mother without Zoe's support. She penned: 'Couldn't have gotten through the first few weeks of motherhood without you. The best auntie ever. We love you!' Her latest post comes after Molly-Mae recently jetted off with Tommy, 23, for their first holiday with their daughter Bambi, three months. Happy birthday! As well as the sweet childhood snap, Molly-Mae, 23, also shared a more recent snap of herself and Zoe to celebrate her sister's 27th birthday Sweet: Her latest post comes after Molly-Mae recently jetted off with Tommy, 23, for their first holiday with their daughter Bambi, three months She shared a slideshow of snaps from their sun-soaked getaway to Dubai as Molly-Mae marked the memorable moments. The post included a sweet shot of the family relaxing on a sun lounger and Bambi looking adoringly up at her while, in another, she showed off her post-baby physique in a white bikini. Elsewhere in the post, Bambi looked adorable in a strawberry swimsuit and sunglasses and comfortable as her mother gave her a bottle on the plane. She captioned her post: 'My happiest days since the day I gave birth to you. Our little girls first holiday (Bambi spam will end soon).' It comes after Molly-Mae demanded Tommy ask her to marry him soon after she found the perfect location for their wedding. She recently jetted to Nice in the South of France for a work trip with PrettyLittleThing and instantly fell in love with the location. The TV personality told how the trip had made her question her previous dream of getting married in a church at home in the UK. In a YouTube video, she said: 'It's making me really question my thoughts of how I never, ever wanted to get married abroad 'I mean, it's funny because I'm not even engaged yet and I'm talking about when I'm getting married. I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself aren't I?' She added: 'I've always just pictured when Tommy and I get married that it would be in the UK. We'd get married in a big church and do it at home. 'Now we've come here and I've seen this unreal location, it makes me think an abroad wedding would actually be pretty stunning.' She added: 'I've always just pictured when Tommy and I get married that it would be in the UK. We'd get married in a big church and do it at home. Family: She shared a slideshow of snaps from their sun-soaked getaway to Dubai as Molly-Mae marked the memorable moments Gorgeous: The post included a stunning snap of Molly-Mae, where she showed off her post-baby physique in a white bikini Cute: Elsewhere in the post, Bambi looked adorable in a strawberry swimsuit and sunglasses as she had some pool time Gushing: She captioned her post: 'My happiest days since the day I gave birth to you. Our little girls first holiday (Bambi spam will end soon)' 'Now we've come here and I've seen this unreal location, it makes me think an abroad wedding would actually be pretty stunning.' Molly-Mae then said: 'I haven't even got the ring yet,' before she waved her hand in the air and added: 'Tommy if you're watching this!' Molly-Mae and Tommy met on the 2019 series of Love Island and went on to secure a place in the final, coming in as runners-up. Their romance has since gone from strength-to-strength and they now live together in a lavish 3.5million mansion in Manchester. Jackie 'O' Henderson and Chris Sandilands had an awkward run-in Saturday night when they both attended the wedding of his brother Kyle Sandilands' and his new bride Tegan Kynaston. The duo ran into each other during the reception held under a marquee at the $60m Swifts mansion in Darling Point. As the radio queen, 48, waved her camera around to film the party, her co-host's controversial brother scolded her, saying she should 'actually look' at the event. Turning the camera to him when they crossed paths, Jackie seemed happy to run into Chris at first. As she asked him 'how beautiful' he thought the wedding venue was, he replied: 'It's amazing right? Maybe you should spin around and actually look at it.' Jackie 'O' Henderson, 48, (left) and Chris Sandilands (right) had an awkward run-in Saturday night when they attended Kyle and Tegan Sandilands' wedding Kyle and Tegan are pictured posing for photos after the ceremony Jackie then awkwardly turned the camera away to film the rest of the party as he walked off. Chris is a tattooed truck driver who grew up with his famous brother Kyle in the Brisbane suburb of Wynnum. While Kyle hit the big time as the host of 2Day FM's Hit 30 Countdown before ultimately moving on to KIIS FM with longtime co-host Jackie O, Chris worked for his brother as his chauffeur. As the radio queen waved her camera around to film the party, her co-host's controversial brother scolded her, saying she should 'actually look' at the event Jackie looked stunning as she arrived at the wedding in a floral gown A keen motocross enthusiast, Chris eventually founded his own clothing label, Wide Open Industries which appears to be now out of commission given the now-defunct website. The controversial Sandilands brother is known for being even more blunt than his shock jock brother. In December, he went so far as to make Brittany Hockley cry live on radio when she filled in for Jackie O during her sick leave. The controversial Sandilands brother is known for being even more blunt than his shock jock brother The former Bachelor star, 34, was left in tears when Chris called up to tell her how terrible she is as a breakfast radio host. Chris, who is known for being as outspoken as his older brother, told the podcaster he couldn't stand her voice. Kyle attempted to keep the conversation light, asking his younger brother to 'give Brittany a go'. However, Chris continued to berate Brittany's voice until she broke down in tears and the studio had to reassure her that Chris 'hates everyone' and didn't mean anything by it. Katherine Ryan looked effortlessly chic as she stepped out for a spot of luxury shopping Louis Vuitton in London on Saturday. The comedian, 39, cut a glamorous figure in blue trousers and a beige turtleneck jumper, which she styled with a coordinated beaded cardigan. She gave herself a few extra inches in a pair of nude stilettos, which featured a pearl-like round ball underneath the heel. Katherine kept her essentials in a cream and yellow handbag and toted a large shopping bag from the French fashion house as she flaunted her purchases. She accessorised her stylish ensemble with a gold chain necklace and an array of hoop earrings. Glam: Katherine Ryan looked effortlessly chic as she stepped out for a spot of luxury shopping Louis Vuitton in London on Saturday Stylish: The comedian, 39, cut a glamorous figure in blue trousers and a beige turtleneck jumper, which she styled with a coordinated beaded cardigan The mother-of-three styled her golden tresses across her shoulders in bouncy waves and bolstered her natural beauty with a high-glamour make-up palette. She shielded her eyes with oversized cat-eye sunglasses and appeared to be in jovial spirits as she flashed a huge smile. As she strolled down the street, she was joined by a friend, who cut a casual figure in black jeans and a plum leather-look jacket. Katherine is in a relationship with Bobby Kootstra and they share two kids - Fred, one, and Fenna Grace, who was born in December 2022. She is also a mother to daughter Violet, 13, from a previous relationship. Katherine and Bobby first met in high school in Canada, and they rekindled their romance after she travelled back to her home country to film Who Do You Think You Are. The childhood sweethearts opted for a civil partnership back in 2019, with the ceremony taking place in Denmark, opted for a civil partnership over a marriage as they saw it as more equal, Katherine told MailOnIine. Her latest outing comes after Katherine recently hit back at mum-shamers who criticised her for giving her baby Fenna Grace, four months, a 'mouldy' toy. Katherine gave the tot a Sophie the Giraffe teething toy, but it recently hit headlines when a mother warned other parents to be careful when letting their kids chew on it. She had shared snaps of Fenna with the toy, prompting criticism from some Instagram users. Stunning: The mother-of-three styled her golden tresses across her shoulders in bouncy waves and bolstered her natural beauty with a high-glamour make-up palette Luxury shopping trip: As she strolled down the street, she was joined by a friend, who cut a casual figure in black jeans and a plum leather-look jacket Romance: Katherine is in a relationship with Bobby Kootstra and they share two kids - Fred, one, and Fenna Grace, four months. She is also a mother to Violet, 13, from a past relationship Criticism: Her latest outing comes after Katherine recently hit back at mum-shamers who slammed her for giving her baby Fenna Grace, four months, a 'mouldy' toy However, she quickly hit back by sharing a photo of Fenna with the giraffe and wrote: 'I'm sick of people saying "Sophie the Giraffe is full of mould". Yes. If you leave something wet it'll get mouldy. Replace it.' The toy has been a favourite with parents - and gift buyers - for generations and is made of 100 per cent natural latex from the Hevea tree, making it ideal for children to bite on to ease the pain of teeth coming through. The toy has an air-hole in the bottom to let children squeeze it and has often been used by celebrity families, with Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom giving it to their son Flynn. Other celebrity Sophie converts include Kate Hudson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Nicole Richie, Isla Fisher and Amy Adams. Billie Faiers looked stunning on Saturday as she headed for a girls' weekend away to the French capital with her sister Sam, 32, and their glamorous mum Suzie Wells. The reality star, 33, nailed Parisian chic with a nude look, consisting of a satin chocolate brown maxi skirt with a thigh-grazing slit. Adding a bodysuit in a similar shade, she draped a double breasted blazer over the top while adding a Fendi handbag over her torso. Explaining they had bought the trip as a Christmas present to one another, sister Sam shared a snap of the trio as they headed to Paris from London on the Eurostar. 'And we're off! A trip booked at Christmas as our gift to each other! 48 hours in Paris with my favourite ladies,' wrote Billie's sister. Stunner: Billie Faiers nailed a chic look on Saturday as she enjoyed a girls' getaway to Paris with sister Sam and their lookalike mum Suzie Girls trip! Explaining that they had bought the trip as a Christmas present to one another, sister Sam shared a snap of the trio The ladies headed out for some drinks and food in the stunning city, enjoying lunch at upscale French bistro LAvenue. Billie beaming for snaps at the table as the trio enjoyed some cocktails in the sun. Bearing a striking resemblance to one another, the three beauties appeared in high spirits during the time away. Matching her sister Billie, Sam also rocked a blazer but opted for a white colour scheme instead. While mother Suzie donned a cream button-up cardigan with a matching coat over the top. The quick getaway comes after Billie recently returned from her family Maldives trip, with fans branding her 'entitled' as she moaned about the luxury holiday. The reality star and sister Sam have come under fire for making 'tone deaf' statements in recent weeks with fans questioning when they will 'learn' from the past posts. In the latest gaffe, complained about her 'nightmare' flight home from the Maldives, revealing the bassinet for the flight was broken and she had to give up the seat with it to someone else as they had booked extra leg room. This meant she travelled with baby Margot, four months, on her lap for the 12-hour flight. Colour schene: She opted for a nude look, consisting of a satin chocolate brown maxi skirt with a thigh-grazing slit Yet fans were quick to hit out at Billie for acting as if she 'deserved' the seat more than the passenger who had paid for leg room and noting that most travellers carry their babies on flights without issue. Billie spoke about her luxury break with husband Greg and their children on the latest episode of The Sam and Billie podcast, revealing the journey back to the UK was not quite as relaxing. She revealed: 'So I had to hold Margot in my arms for 12 hours Greg and mum helped as well. I just thought "please don't do this to me".' The mother-of-three admitted on The Sam and Billie podcast which she hosts with her sister Sam that she was also struggling as Margot had to have her nappy changed five times. She admitted that it was not an ideal situation at all because Margot is a wriggly baby - but that they had no choice. But unimpressed fans were not too pleased with the comments, as they hit out at her on social media. Lindsay Lohan looked every inch the glowing mother-to-be while rocking a figure-hugging black dress while posing for a mirror selfie at home on Saturday morning. As she continues to display her chic maternity wardrobe, since announcing that she and her husband Bader Shammas are expecting their first child last month, the 36-year-old actress radiated beauty behind a pair of oversized black shades. For her latest outing, the Falling for Christmas star, who reportedly plans to give birth in Dubai, wore her fiery red tresses in a sleek updo with a black bow. The Mean Girls alum paired her thigh-skimming frock with a long, semi-sheer black jacket, Fendi crossbody and beige sneakers with black accents. 'Happy Saturday!' she captioned the image on her Instagram Story, which gave a glimpse of her home's minimalist design. Radiant: Lindsay Lohan looked every inch the glowing mother-to-be while rocking a figure-hugging black dress while posing for a mirror selfie at home on Saturday morning On her left, Lohan stood next to a long table with striped chairs while her other side was flanked by a ivory sofa, accented with a light blue Hermes blanket. The mom-to-be's outing comes after a source recently revealed that she 'loves being pregnant' and has been doing 'great' since learning the exciting news. 'She's the happiest when she's with her closest friends and family,' an insider told Us Weekly. They also revealed that Lohan had 'a mini baby shower' earlier this month. 'She is rarely in town for long, so friends and family wanted to celebrate. It was very private just a handful of close friends and family having brunch in honor of Lindsay's pregnancy,' the insider stated. Lohan will still most likely have a 'bigger more official baby shower' might take place in Dubai. Last week, Lohan reunited with her entire family for the first time in at least seven years at the The Clocktower in New York City. While in the Big Apple, she was photographed spending quality time with her divorced parents, Dina and Michael Lohan, and siblings: Michael Jr., 35, Aliana, 29 and Cody, 26. Mom-to-be: Two days ago, the Mean Girls alum uploaded a snap of herself in a white dress with a caption about how she feels 'so grateful for all of the wonderful people in' her life Siblings: Her sister Aliana was featured in the slideshow Lindsay's younger brother, Michael Jr., shared a photo from their dinner, in which they could all be seen smiling inside the swanky Michelin-starred eatery in Madison Square Park. 'Family time with Mommy To Be,' he captioned his Instagram post. 'Let's get this straight! Lindsay and Bader asked ME to have dinner with THEM! I thought it would be great if we ALL got together to see her before she had the baby! SO, I invited the whole family!' In the snap, Lindsay could be seen sitting between her dad and younger sister while rocking a white blouse. Under the slightly blurry image, Lohan commented three heart-eyes emojis. The actress and her husband initially began dating in 2018 and he first showed up on her Instagram account in 2020. The performer was previously linked to figures such as Wilmer Valderrama and Samantha Ronson. Sweet: Last week, Lohan reunited with her entire family for the first time in at least seven years at the The Clocktower in New York City Lohan was also engaged to Egor Tarabasov, although they later split up and she went on to allege that he had abused her during their relationship. She went on to start seeing Shammas, and the happy couple revealed their engagement to the public in 2021 before they tied the knot the following year. The performer subsequently announced her pregnancy through a post that was shared to her Instagram account on March 14. Lohan's mother Dina previously spoke to People and stated: 'I'm literally over the moon. I'm so happy, I can't stop smiling...My oldest baby is having a baby.' She added: 'It's so crazy. I'm in disbelief a little bit sometimes because you're like, "Well... it makes you older clearly!"' The performer has not revealed her child's projected due date to the public as of yet, although sources told the outlet that her baby would arrive this summer. Jojo Siwa revealed via TikTok that a coyote in her backyard killed her adorable little puppy Tooie on Saturday. The 19-year-old Dancing With The Stars alum's video was set to the Black Eyed Peas track Boom Boom Pow, with Siwa lip-syncing in a black hoodie while making her late dog dance on a table to the beat. The Omaha, Nebraska native - who recently stated that she discovered her sexuality on a trip to Disney World - inscribed the video 'Going to miss this sweet little boy so much.' She added the caption, '2 months ago our puppy Tooie (O2) joined our family and he brought the MOST joy, laughter, and messes into our life. My heart hurts so much to say that this morning he was involved in an accident and is now in puppy heaven. 'I cant even explain how perfect of a dog O2 was. Going to miss him more than words can explain. Thank you for bringing light to my life when it was dark tooie boy. See you one day. rest in peace my lil sweet boy,' wrote Siwa. Precious pooch: Jojo Siwa revealed via TikTok that a coyote in her backyard killed her adorable little puppy Tooie on Saturday Gone too soon: The 19-year-old entertainer shared a video where she danced with her late dog inscribed 'Going to miss this sweet little boy so much' In a second candid video, Siwa opened up to fans while sitting in her closet wearing a purple sweatshirt saying, 'he was a good little boy, he was the best puppy, and he was so funny, and he had such a personality, and he was so cute.' The accident occurred just a few months after she brought the new puppy into her home. This comes after Siwa shared multiple photos and videos throughout the month of March that seemed to suggest she was pregnant. After her fans were left confused and offended, Siwa shut down rumors of a pregnancy indicating that the posts were just meant to be harmless jokes. Several fans found the ongoing series of posts 'extremely disrespectful and insensitive,' though Jojo did not respond to any of the fan backlash. However, she seemingly laid to rest any question of a pregnancy in a Snapchat story from March 27, in which she clarified that she doesn't plan to have children until later in life, via Insider. She added that being gay also meant adoption was a more viable solution for her in the future. Several fans noted that she has apparently been single since December, when she broke up with the TikTok star Avery Cyrus. Part of the family: The Omaha, Nebraska native added the caption, '2 months ago our puppy Tooie (O2) joined our family and he brought the MOST joy, laughter, and messes into our life. My heart hurts so much to say that this morning he was involved in an accident and is now in puppy heaven' Gone too soon: Siwa wrote, 'Going to miss him more than words can explain. Thank you for bringing light to my life when it was dark tooie boy. See you one day. rest in peace my lil sweet boy' Bad taste? Siwa's fans have been up in arms after she posted multiple photos and videos throughout March in which she pretended to be pregnant Not having it: Several fans found the ongoing series of posts 'extremely disrespectful and insensitive,' though Jojo doesn't appear to have responded to any of the fan backlash yet Earlier in March, Jojo posted a Snapchat photo in which she pulled her hoodie up and put her hands over her stomach, captioning the misleading photo: 'Can't believe it.' She followed it up with a photo of herself appearing to shop for baby clothes, though the posts have since disappeared. Some fans were shocked by the posts, others worried that she was too young to carry a child, while more reasonable posters acknowledged that the dancer was more likely pregnant with a 'food baby.' Although she didn't say a word, she reposted a video of someone concerned that she might be pregnant, before she cut in with her new clip and started laughing, as if the original post was ridiculous. But Jojo continued to tease her fans. She returned with another post later in March in which she held her stomach and wrote, 'TEAM BOY OR TEAM GIRL,' according to Insider. In a Snapchat video posted on March 27, the reality star enlisted her friend, Ezra Sosa. While he laid his hands on her midriff, he said, 'You know that everyone thinks I'm the dad, right?' A subsequent photo showed him touching her stomach, and she captioned it, 'The father of my baby!!!:)' Getting serious: She joked about looking for 'baby clothes' after posting a photo of herself touching her stomach, though fans noted that it was more likely a 'food baby' Concerned: Although she didn't say a word, she reposted a video of someone concerned that she might be pregnant Laughing it off: In her response, she didn't say a word but started laughing, as if the original post was ridiculous Awkward: In a Snapchat video posted on March 27, the reality star enlisted her friend, the dancer Ezra Sosa. While he laid his hands on her midriff, he said, 'You know that everyone thinks I'm the dad, right?' Jojo continued the ruse by posting with baby clothes and supplies again, though she later returned to Snap to say that she wanted to treat any of her fans who were expecting by buying them the baby supplies she had been browsing. She also shut down the pregnancy rumors for good in a video from later in the day in which she opened up about how her sexuality affects the prospect of her having biological children in the future. 'It's not the social norm how I will end up having kids one day,' she said. 'Biologically to have kids you need a male and a female, and kids watch this, so I'm not going to talk about how babies are made, but babies are made with male and female,' she continued, adding, "There will never be that male significant other in my life.' Then she said that she was more likely to look for sperm donation in the future when she has a partner, or she could adopt. However, those options were still 'very far away' for her. 'I have accepted that the universe wants me to be single right now,' she said. Despite the multiple clarifications, fans still found her pregnancy jokes tasteless. 'Doesnt' anybody else think it's extremely disrespectful and insensitive for Jojo Siwa to be pretending to be pregnant?????' wrote one person on Twitter. Helping out: Jojo continued the ruse by posting with baby clothes and supplies again, though she later returned to Snap to say that she wanted to treat any of her fans who were expecting by buying them the baby supplies she had been browsing Setting the record straight: She shut down the pregnancy rumors for good in a video from later in the day in which she said she likely wouldn't have biological children due to her sexuality. 'It's not the social norm how I will end up having kids one day,' she said Not a joke: Despite the multiple clarifications, fans still found her pregnancy jokes tasteless Pulling their hair out: One person said they would 'scream' if Jojo shared another pregnancy post Food baby: One user wrote, 'Am I the only one who thinks it's weird jojo siwa keeps acting like she's pregnant because she's full?' Can't get enough: However, others seemed to enjoy the spectacle of sorting through the pregnancy pranks One post featured a clip from Toy Story showing the piggy bank Hamm flipping between TV channels rapidly, captioning it, 'me skipping through jojo siwa's story to see if she actually pregnant' Another user wrote that Siwa 'is weird and pregnancy isn't a joke.' 'If i see jojo siwa pretending to be pregnant on my snapchat one more time imma scream,' added another. One user wrote, 'Am I the only one who thinks it's weird jojo siwa keeps acting like she's pregnant because she's full?' One post featured a clip from Toy Story showing the piggy bank Hamm flipping between TV channels rapidly, captioning it, 'me skipping through jojo siwa's story to see if she actually pregnant.' Ronnie Wood and his wife Sally looked as loved-up as ever as they were spotted walking hand-in-hand while out in London on Saturday. The Rolling Stone rocker, 75, and his partner, 45, appeared in good spirits as they left Scott's in Mayfair after enjoying lunch together. Musician Ronnie wore a black jacket and a pair of jeans in the same colour, which he wore with a white shirt which was left unbuttoned at the collar. He opted for a comfortable pair of trainers and shielded his eyes behind a pair of mirrored sunglasses. Sally wore a smart but casual ensemble, wearing an ivory white jacket and a brilliant white top. Out and about: Ronnie Wood, 75, and his wife Sally, 45, looked as loved-up as ever as they were spotted walking hand-in-hand while out in London on Saturday All smiles: The Rolling Stone rocker and his partner appeared in good spirits as they left Scott's in Mayfair after enjoying lunch together In style: Musician Ronnie wore a black jacket and a pair of jeans in the same colour, which he wore with a white shirt which was left unbuttoned at the collar She wore a pair of blue denim jeans and a pair of white trainers, while she wore some sunglasses as she enjoyed the warm spring weather. Ronnie married Sally, the owner of a theatre production company, 31 years his junior in 2012. Their twin girls, named Gracie Jane and Alice Rose were born in May 2016, just before Ronnie Wood's 69th birthday in June. Ronnie has four other children Jesse, 46, with first wife Krissy Findlay, and 44-year-old Leah and Tyrone, 39, with ex-wife Jo. He also adopted Jo's son Jamie, 48. It comes after Ronnie revealed Prince William was so impressed by his charcoal portrait of his grandfather Prince Philip that he keeps it in a 'special place where he can see it every day'. The star recreated a photograph taken of the late royal tipping his hat at a parade to commemorate the end of a charity trek at Buckingham Palace in 2017. Speaking to the Mail, Ronnie said: 'I genuinely loved that image when I saw it in the paper. I told William I genuinely was struck by that image he's tipping his hat. 'I captured it and [William] thought it was amazing. He said ''I'm not going to let the Queen have it''. He said: ''She can have a look - but she's not having it''. Keeping it cool: He opted for a comfortable pair of trainers and shielded his eyes behind a pair of mirrored sunglasses. Fashion focus: Sally wore a smart but casual ensemble, wearing an ivory white jacket and a brilliant white top Fashion forward: She wore a pair of blue denim jeans and a pair of white trainers, while she wore some sunglasses as she enjoyed the warm spring weather Happy couple: . Ronnie married Sally, the owner of a theatre production company, 31 years his junior in 2012 Heading home: The pair were seen together in the back of a black London taxi as they headed off after their meal 'He's got it in special place where he can see it every day he said.' William and Kate currently live at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor. It is not clear where the portrait is kept. Ronnie, who started painting as a child, also revealed he has a secret stash of sketches of the late Queen. 'I would have loved to [paint the Queen],' he said. 'I've painted her in my spare time and I've got a few images of her that I've been sitting on that are not quite right. A difficult thing to capture. Over the years I've done some different sketches. 'It's one commission I would have loved to have done. It's time. You've got to have the person sitting for you and the time to dedicate to it..' Farewell: Ronnie was seen giving a thumbs-up as he sat in the back of the cab alongside Sally on their journey home Ronnie was speaking ahead of the release of his latest artwork, Stones in Cuba. The colourful piece, which depicts the late drummer Charlie Watts playing a Cuban drum, Sir Mick Jagger dancing and bassist Darryl Jones throwing his Fedora into the air, is on sale with Wood's handwritten setlist from the Stones' historic free concert in Cuba in 2016. The group performed to over 500,000 people as part of the biggest rock concert ever staged in the country, whose government once deemed the group's music 'ideological deviation'. Ronnie created the piece at his Hertfordshire home after waiting for the 'buzz to settle down' on returning to the UK. Love Island stars Ekin-Su and Davide returned to Spain on Saturday almost a year after they met in the villa and won the show together. Davide, 27, took to Instagram to reveal they were back where their series of the show was filmed, Palma de Mallorca. They posed for happy snaps in the sunshine and looked at each other lovingly, with Ekin-Su, 28, donning a plunging orange bikini, denim shorts and sandals. Meanwhile, Davide sported a white and yellow patterned shirt and swimming trunks with a pair of trainers. The couple looked relaxed and carefree, putting their recent relationship woes behind them after Davide's suspected fling with a model. Back again: Love Island stars Ekin-Su and Davide gazed at each other lovingly as they returned to Spain on Saturday- almost a year after they met in the villa and won the show together Love: They posed for happy snaps in the sunshine with Ekin-Su, 28, donning a plunging orange bikini, denim shorts and sandals Davide, who is Italian, captioned his Instagram post: 'Where everything started'. Their sun-soaked trip away comes after Ekin-Su is said to have branded Harriet Wilson, 24, a 'f***ing s**g' over a suspected fling with Davide. According to The Sun on Sunday, Ekin-Su was said to have also called the model 'disgusting' and fumed 'youre finished' in angry messages after allegedly finding texts from her on Davide's phone. The publication reported that Ekin-Su also lashed out at a second woman, Phoebe Wintle, after also reportedly discovering her texts on his mobile. Ekin-Su's alleged outburst came after she returned from a trip to Belfast earlier this month and had feared that Davide had hooked up with Harriet and Phoebe. In messages reportedly seen by The Sun on Sunday, Ekin-Su is said to have ranted: 'You f***ing s**g. Sleeping with my boyfriend! Disgusting. Why would you do that? 'You and Phoebe are gonna be shown to everyone s***s. Pretending nothing happened. Just wait for it. You cow. Youre finished mate.' A source is said to have told the publication that Harriet was 'taken aback' by the Instagram messages, adding: 'What makes it worse is that they knew each other before this all kicked off. 'Harriet used to keep an eye on Davide for Ekin-Su on his nights out in Manchester and report back to her.' Moving forward: The couple looked relaxed and carefree, putting their recent relationship woes behind them after Davide's suspected fling with a model Reminiscing: Davide, who is Italian, captioned his reflective Instagram post: 'Where everything started' The couple headed on a make-or-break trip to Amsterdam earlier this month, and while Davide shared a snap of Ekin-Su at breakfast, she failed to upload an image of him. Ekin was reportedly also left furious earlier this month after finding messages and pictures from two models on Davide' s phone. The reality star is said to have been 'fuming and upset' as she suspected Davide had a romantic rendezvous with the pair, who are said to be regulars on the Manchester party scene. Actress Ekin-Su allegedly messaged one of the girls to ask what had gone on after the reality star returned from a trip to Belfast. A source told The Sun: 'It all exploded last Sunday after she found messages on Davides phone discussing their time together. 'He had been messaging both of the girls and she suspected they had all met up one night. Accusations: Their sun-soaked trip away comes after Ekin-Su is said to have branded Harriet Wilson, 24, a 'f***ing s**g' over a suspected fling with Davide 'Ekin-Su contacted one of the girls to tell them she knew about things. She was furious and really upset.' Television personality Ekin-Su posted a number of cryptic social media messages, including a tweet which appear to mock Harriet's Instagram snaps. The post, which has since been deleted, read: 'No man will ever take u seriously with just half naked pictures of u in a bikini and lingerie'. The pair moved in together after winning Love Island last year but earlier this year were forced to dismiss claims their relationship was a show-mance. The glittering annual Met Gala in New York is well used to supermodels and Hollywood actresses sashaying down the red carpet and purring for the cameras. It is, after all, the fashion world's most prestigious and glamorous party. But one invitee to tomorrow's bash, fresh from a shoot for Vogue magazine, is given more grooming attention than most A-list celebrities. For this year's guest of honour is the 11-year-old Birman cat owned by the late designer Karl Lagerfeld a glossy white ball of immaculate fur called Choupette, whose adorable blue eyes belie an apparently ferocious temper. Whether the animal is actually brought across the Atlantic from where she lives in France with Lagerfeld's housekeeper-turned-cat-nanny, Francoise Cacote, remains to be seen. Choupette, who features in this month's Vogue in the arms of supermodel Naomi Campbell, has a busy schedule and even has her own agent. Precise instructions were left in Lagerfeld's will that Cacote be given 1.3million to look after the moggie, which still earns fees from photoshoots and product endorsements. But what of the rest of the fashion designer's vast fortune? Likely beneficiary: Seven people are set to inherit Karl Lagerfeld's millions and one is British aristocrat and long-time Lagerfeld muse and collaborator Lady Amanda Harlech (pictured) Furry favourite: Karl Lagerfeld with his beloved cat Choupette, who is 11 years old Four years have passed since the death at the age of 85 of the man who helmed Chanel, Fendi and his own eponymous label but his financial affairs remain mired in confusion. When the fashion world gathers at the Met Gala tomorrow, they will celebrate the German-born legend with a dress code that reads simply: 'In honour of Karl.' Behind the scenes, however, fashionistas will be gripped by the extraordinary details of Lagerfeld's estate. Hampered by disputes between potential beneficiaries, a disappearing accountant and the discovery of multiple secret bank accounts, the task of sorting out Lagerfeld's estate has become fiendishly complex. When he died, 'Kaiser Karl' was believed to have been worth in the region of 178 million. Various names from his coterie of favoured models, muses and loyal staff have been mooted as beneficiaries. But his fortune is now believed to be closer to 400 million. Even when tax liabilities a thorny and complicated issue in itself are dispensed with, there is likely to be a considerable sum remaining. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that seven people are set to inherit Lagerfeld's millions and that one is British aristocrat and long-time Lagerfeld muse and collaborator Lady Amanda Harlech. Lady Amanda (she prefers plain Amanda) is the creative consultant for tomorrow's Met Gala a fitting role for the Oxford-educated mother-of-two whom Lagerfeld called his 'outside eyes' and regarded as one of his closest advisers. 'Amanda is delightful, hugely well-educated, and rich in her own right, but she's typical of those who captivated and inspired Karl, and he wanted to thank her,' says an old friend of the designer in Paris. It's quite some thank you, though perhaps not surprising considering his generosity to those closest to him during his life. Born Amanda Grieve, the life story of the solicitor's daughter who grew up close to London's Regent's Park in the 1960s is almost as colourful and extraordinary as that of the boss-turned-friend. Young Amanda was both a talented dancer, musician and artist turning down a place at the Royal Ballet School and later having to choose between the Royal College of Music, the Slade and Somerville College, Oxford. She dazzled at Oxford (men were besotted) before taking a job at Harpers & Queen magazine. It was there that she met the then rising young fashion designer John Galliano, thus forging the first of two remarkable creative partnerships. In her 20s, she fell for the charms of Francis Ormsby-Gore, son of the 5th Baron Harlech, David Ormsby-Gore, the British ambassador to Washington. Francis wasn't expecting the burdens of a title or crippling death duties to be thrust upon him by the premature death of his father in a car crash in 1985. Adored: Choupette was beloved by Lagerfeld and is said to be the most photographed cat in the world When Amanda married him in 1986 and became Lady Harlech, the couple were land-rich, cash-poor aristocrats. A son, Jasset, soon arrived, followed two years later by daughter Tallulah. The marriage was tempestuous. Ormsby-Gore was troubled. There were drink-driving convictions, drugs, and at the age of eight, Tallulah apparently asked her mother why another woman slept in her bed when she was away. It was the demise of the marriage they finally divorced in 1998 that also precipitated Amanda's shock departure from Galliano to join Lagerfeld at Chanel. The now single mother-of-two had to move out of the ancestral seat and needed a higher wage. Lagerfeld provided the solution, much to Galliano's chagrin (though the two went on to reconcile). Thus, when the Harlech children were sent to Eton and Cheltenham Ladies' College, it was Amanda who paid the fees. Lord Harlech, about whom Amanda always spoke with deep affection, died aged just 61 in 2016. Amanda, meanwhile, became an integral member of Lagerfeld's team, as well as a friend. He paid for her to maintain a suite at the Ritz when she was working in Paris and when her children, now 34 and 36, were growing up, they spent idyllic holidays at Lagerfeld's homes around the world. Tallulah made her first foray into the limelight when Lagerfeld took her hand and ushered her on stage at the end of a Chanel show. She has said: 'My relationship with Karl is personal; he is a pseudo-godfather. He witnessed all those important teenage years when you start becoming the person you are going to be.' As for her mother, her official title for Lagerfeld was creative consultant, but as Amanda's father Alan Grieve put it in one interview: 'She isn't just a courtier; she's Karl's eyes and ears. She can instantly see how something might be improved, and this is a gift.' Rich: The special cat is set to inherit 1.3million along with her new owner, but the money has not yet been released Amanda, who once dated actor Ralph Fiennes, also shared Lagerfeld's passion for the arts. She once asked him whether he might give a redesign of a Steinway grand piano to a conservatoire. His response? The piano arrived out of the blue one day at her Shropshire home. In a beautiful homage to the designer in this month's Vogue magazine, she wrote: 'He loved that I lived in the middle of nowhere in Shropshire maybe it reminded him of his childhood far from Hamburg in the pine forests and he would send me boxes of books... 'He wanted to give 'Wuthering Heights' (what he called my little farm) a library. Every year or so, he would threaten to visit me 'Where's the nearest airport with a long runway for the private jet to land?' Poignantly, she reflected on the fact that Lagerfeld never did visit before he succumbed to prostate cancer. Amanda featured in last week's BBC2 documentary The Mysterious Mr Lagerfeld. While she does not discuss the contents of the will, the subject of Lagerfeld's estate was a recurring theme of the programme. Other beneficiaries include three of 'Karl's boys', loyal bodyguard and chauffeur Sebastien Jondeau, model Baptiste Giabiconi, a French model who was 'like a son' to the designer after they met at a nude modelling session in 2008 when he was 19; and Brad Kroenig, one of the most successful male models in the world. Giabiconi, whose relationship with the designer has aroused much speculation, has revealed two intriguing facts that Lagerfeld had wanted to adopt him (a plan only aborted because of the paperwork required) and that he is 'at the top' of the list of beneficiaries. He is reportedly in line for a 30 per cent stake, with a legal source in Paris telling the MoS: 'Mr Giabiconi has been informed of his inheritance, along with other major beneficiaries, and he has the largest share of the estate.' The other official heirs are: Virginie Viard, 61, director of Chanel; Caroline Lebar, 59, head of communications for Lagerfeld the man and the brand; and Sophie de Langlade, director of collections for the brand. Others, including Princess Caroline of Monaco, 66, and writer Sandy Brant, 68, are said to have been bequeathed selected items of furniture and art. Eric Pfrunder, Chanel's longtime image director, was set to inherit Lagerfeld's photography collection but he died in December. In the documentary, Lagerfeld's lawyer Celine Degoulet described the state of the designer's tax affairs as 'not tidy', adding such 'successions' can take ten years to iron out. It is perhaps no surprise that there have been reports since his death of simmering tensions, not least between the two French male beneficiaries, though these appear to have been sorted out as all those named in the will now share a single tax lawyer. Complications were caused by Lagerfeld's reliance on numerous secret accounts around the world. This was exacerbated when his longstanding and elusive accountant Lucien Frydlender, now approaching his 90s, abruptly shut up shop and 'disappeared' after Lagerfeld's death. Much gossip ensued and it triggered an exasperated response from the accountant's wife. She said: 'Let me tell you, I'd be delighted if my husband had gone to an island paradise with the hidden treasure, but the truth is that he is very sick.' Lagerfeld was accused in 2016 of using offshore tax havens in the British Virgin Islands, Ireland and the US to keep up to 17.5 million away from French government coffers. His bids to avoid French tax were not always successful, however he was also said to have bought a villa with views of Monte Carlo without checking if the property was actually in the tax haven of Monaco. It wasn't. Both he and Frydlender denied any wrongdoing and came to an agreement with investigators, but nevertheless Lagerfeld's death heightened complications. Last week, however, a legal source told the MoS: 'Most of the problems have been resolved. There are still a few issues, but completion should not be too far away.' Beyond millions in cash and shares, Lagerfeld's estate included his private companies, a vast Paris home, a bookshop and associated library containing around 400,000 rare books, and furniture including a bed used by Marie-Antoinette, the last proper Queen of France. Steps towards resolution (paying off the 17.5 million the authorities wanted in 2016 for a start) have been aided by a series of auctions or 'fire sales'. Indeed, interest in the sales in Germany, Monaco and Paris is testament to the posthumous popularity of the idiosyncratic designer. The total raised from one sale was 19.8 million. A combined silver pencil sharpener and adhesive tape dispenser went for more than 5,000. Three notebooks containing sketches sold for 150,000, and a doodled self-portrait by the designer himself raised just under 2,000. The Monte Carlo sale raised more than 10 million four times the estimate. Items snapped up included Lagerfeld's favourite dark grey Rolls-Royce Phantom soft-top, which went for more than 400,000. At tomorrow's Met Gala, the focus will be on the show-stopping outfits worn in homage to Karl Lagerfeld's fashion legacy. His coterie of advisers, friends and muses will reunite over champagne. Elsewhere, however, there will be much more gossip over the great man's millions and a fair few envious glances at a certain fluffy white cat with blue eyes. On April 11th, a flatbed tractor trailer carrying a 45-ton Russian T-90A tank had to park at a truck stop because of a mechanical problem. This enabled nearby civilians to take a lot of photos. One photo of a shipping label attached to the tanks 125mm indicated the tank was on its way to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. Some of the tank components were removed and apparently shipped separately, probably by air. The missing items included ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) panels, the machine-guns and the APD (Active Protection System) as well as electronics. This is where tanks from many countries, and the United States, are subjected to destructive testing. That means using anti-tank guns and missiles against vehicles to determine what they are vulnerable to. Western tanks, particularly the American M-1, are the most resistant to anti-tank weapons. After the M-1 comes the German Leopard 2 and the South Korea K2, which was deliberately based on the M-1 and has the unsuccessful destructive tests to prove it, Russian tanks have proved extremely vulnerable. The T-90A headed for Aberdeen as captured in late 2022 by the Ukrainians and turned over to the Americans as part of an effort to send Ukraine M-I and other Western tanks. Those tanks finally arrived in early 2023 and are forming tank units that will deal with the most determined use of Russian tanks and anti-tank weapons. Photos of the T-90A interior revealed, to M-1 crew men, that the Russian crews did not take good care of their tanks, especially the interior. Photos showed rust and dirt that has been there for some time. M-1 crews have much higher standards, keeping the interiors clean and equipment, including the engine, well-maintained. The Ukrainians learned the value of well-maintained tanks after 2014 when they had many western military advisors with experience in well maintained tanks, including T-72s captured in the 1990s. The T-72 evolved into the T-90. Originally, this was done as a fallback design. The T-80 was supposed to be the successor to the T-72. But like the T-62 and T-64 before it, the T-80 didnt quite work out as planned. The T-72, with a much improved turret and all manner of gadgets, was trotted out as the T-90. At 47 tons, it's still 23 feet long, 11 feet wide and 7.5 feet high. Same package, better contents. And with well-trained crews, it could be deadly. Russia had few such crews in Ukraine and T-72s and T-90s proved extremely vulnerable to the Western anti-tank weapons shipped to Ukrainian forces. The Aberdeen tests will attempt to see just how vulnerable the T-90 is to various anti-tank weapons and artillery. In Ukraine some T-72s and T-90s have been disabled by 152mm and 155mm artillery fire. Aberdeen has a list of weapons that these tanks appear vulnerable to. Aberdeen will try to confirm what is a battlefield risk to these tanks and why. In the 1990s, T-72s obtained from Cold War Russian allies were subjected to a lot of similar tests but the weapons used in Ukraine are different and more data on that is what Aberdeen uncovers. Ekin-Su Culculoglu has detailed the moment she met with Turkish orphans in a heart-breaking trip to her homeland after the devastating earthquake. The Love Island winner, 28, who was born in London, has previously lived in Istanbul for two years and holds Turkish citizenship. Visiting the southern province of Hatay with the British Red Cross, Ekin-Su helped make food for those in need and visited a children's psychology session. She tearfully explained how one little girl 'asked her to be her mum' and admitted how she 'wished he could bring them all home' with her. Speaking to The Mirror during the trip, the reality TV star, explained: 'She [the child] wanted me to stay and be her mum because she had lost hers.' Awful: Ekin-Su Culculoglu, 28, detailed the moment she met with Turkish orphans in a heart-breaking trip to her homeland after the devastating earthquake (pictured this week in London) Ekin-Su continued: 'I couldnt hold my tears in. It felt very overwhelming. Some of the other children had also lost family members. 'I wish I could have taken them back to England. They feel alone and need love and support.' Last month, Ekin-Su said she was left devastated after a horror earthquake hit parts of Turkey and Syria and revealed she plans to visit the affected area. The Love Island star also explained that some of her extended family have been caught up in the disaster. During an interview with Women's Health Magazine, Ekin-Su praised boyfriend Davide Sanclimenti for supporting her during the emotional period. Ekin-Su, who met on the 2022 series of Love Island and went on to win, said: 'Davide has been great supporting me emotionally. I was with him when we heard and I just couldn't comprehend the devastation. 'I've been keeping up with the news since it struck... I hope to visit the affected area with The Red Cross as soon as it's safe.' Ekin-Su was born in Islington, London, to Turkish parents Sezer and Zekai and lived in Istanbul while starring on Turkish television shows, before moving back to the UK. Upsetting: She tearfully explained how one little girl 'asked her to be her mum' and admitted how she 'wished he could bring them all home' with her Horror: Her comments come as officials said 9,057 people had died in Turkey (pictured: Hatay city centre) and 2,662 in Syria from Monday's 7.8-magnitude tremor, bringing the total to 11,719 Her parents relocated to the UK and she also has a younger brother Arda. The Turkey-Syria earthquake's death toll has risen to 11,719 - with officials saying 9,057 people had died in Turkey and 2,662 in Syria - making it the deadliest seismic event in more than a decade. It is more than the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Nepal in 2015 which killed more than 8,800 people. Officials say the death toll could double if the worst fears of experts are realised, which would bring the number of fatalities close to the magnitude nine quake off the coast of Japan that killed nearly 20,000 in 2011. Britain's Got Talent viewers were left in disbelief at one unusual act during Saturday night's episode. The act, who was a singing cat called Noodle, appeared to be animated and moving in time with a backing track as it crooned Michael Buble. Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli and loved the act and it was given four yeses to get through to the next round. But several fans were confused and unimpressed on Twitter as they wondered what the judges and audience were actually seeing on stage during the audition. One person said: 'Did the entire audience and the judges just applaud like seals at nothing in front of them?' Unusual: Britain's Got Talent viewers were in disbelief on Saturday night over a singing animated cat crooning Michael Buble Huh? Simon, Amanda, Alesha and Bruno and loved the act and it was given four yeses to get through to the next round but people were confused as to what they actually saw on stage Someone else said: 'Noodle the cat? What is going on, please? I feel like that time I did mushrooms in Amsterdam and it all went horribly wrong.' Another person penned: 'What has even happened to this show' while someone added 'why are they pretending they can see this animated cat?' Elsewhere, a separate commenter wrote: 'so the cat is just fake? wtf were the judges and audience saying?' And someone else said: 'Me trying to work out how/what/why that cat can be an act, what am I seeing? Are the judges seeing the same? wtf.' Not everyone was unimpressed by the act, with one person writing: 'Singing computer-generated cat, now I've seen it all. I actually liked it.' It comes after Britain's Got Talent viewers were left fuming during the latest episode of the show on Saturday when new judge Bruno allowed his vote for an act to be swayed by the audience. The former Strictly Come Dancing panellist, who joined the ITV talent competition for the first time this series, was tasked with calling on his professional dance knowledge for the first auditionees of the evening. Twinkle-toed hopefuls Romeo and Icy took to the stage to show off their slick moves after telling how they'd met at a party and decided to create their entertaining act. However, despite their energetic display, the panel was split, with Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden deciding to put them through to the next stage, while Bruno and Alesha Dixon thought they weren't up to scratch. Things soon changed when the crowd became hostile towards Bruno as he cast his vote, booing and jeering him in a bid to get him to change his mind. Not impressed: Several fans were confused and unimpressed on Twitter as they wondered what the judges and audience were actually seeing on stage during the audition Happy: Not everyone was unimpressed by the act, with one person writing: 'Singing computer-generated cat, now I've seen it all. I actually liked it' Fortunately for the audience at the audition, Bruno caved in and decided to change his vote to a 'yes', ensuring Romeo and Icy went through to the next stage of the competition. However, the situation did not sit well with viewers at home, with many taking to Twitter to voice their frustration. One person wrote: 'Whats the point of judges if the crowd will change the result for an average dance duo. A poor Twist and Pulse imo.' While someone else asked: 'Since when did the crowd have a say?!' Kaley Cuoco lovingly kissed her adorable one-month-old daughter, Matilda, as the two spent the day out at a farm in new clips and photos shared to her Instagram stories on Saturday. The Big Bang Theory alum, 37, who recently got matching KTM tattoos with partner Tom Pelphrey as a nod to them and their baby girl, happily enjoyed the warmer weather with her mini-me. In the first reel that the actress uploaded to her 7.8 million fans and followers, she could be seen holding her daughter, whom she welcomed with Tom, last month on March 30. The star gave gentle kisses on Matilda's cheek as they stood under a shady tree with farm animals next to them. The track, Never Grow Up, by Taylor Swift, played in the background, with lyrics such as: 'Oh darling, don't you ever grow up/Don't you ever grow up/Just stay this little,' appearing towards the bottom of the video. So cute! Kaley Cuoco, 37, lovingly held and kissed her adorable one-month-old daughter, Matilda, as the two spent the day out at a farm in news clips and photos shared to her Instagram stories on Saturday Hands-on mother: In the first reel that the actress uploaded to her 7.8 million fans and followers, she could be seen holding her daughter, whom she welcomed with Tom last month on March 30 Kaley opted for casual comfort for the weekend outing, and donned a plain, white T-shirt along with gray, loose-fitting sweatpants. She threw on a pair of stylish shades, along with a blue cap that partially covered her locks which were pulled back into a low ponytail. The Flight Attendant actress added a dainty, gold-chained necklace from K Kane, which was customized with her newborn daughter's name, along with a gold bracelet on her left wrist for a fashionable touch. A black, cross-body bag was easily slung over her left shoulder to hold a few items she needed during the relaxing day trip. Numerous trees surrounded the mother-daughter duo, with a large, white farmhouse close by in the distance. The star additionally shared a photo of herself holding Matilda as she slightly leaned over a low, white fence so her one-month-old bay girl could meet the adorable farm animals, such as a goat. 'All the littles are very interested in the human little haha,' she humorously typed out in a caption that was added onto the snap. Kaley also cheerfully posed for a loving selfie with her mini-me to capture the special moment and penned, 'Born a farm girl!' Staying comfy: Kaley opted for casual comfort for the outing, and donned a plain, white T-shirt along with gray sweatpants - as well as a K Kane necklace that featured her daughter's name So sweet: The track, Never Grow Up, by Taylor Swift, played in the background, with lyrics such as: 'Oh darling, don't you ever grow up/Don't you ever grow up/Just stay this little,' appearing on the screen Having a blast: The star additionally shared a photo of herself holding Matilda as she slightly leaned over a low, white fence so her one-month-old bay girl could meet the farm animals Selfie time! Kaley also cheerfully posed for a loving selfie with her mini-me to capture the special moment and penned, 'Born a farm girl!' The last photo she shared onto her Instagram stories showed a close pal holding Matilda in her arms. Kaley snapped the picture as the little one looked over the friend's shoulder. Kaley announced that she was expecting her first child with Tom late last year in October, and revealed their little girl was welcomed to the world on March 30. The two lovebirds, who publicly confirmed they were dating last year in May, also celebrated their one-year-anniversary last weekend. Earlier on Friday, the Meet Cute actress proudly showed off matching tattoos she and her boyfriend had gotten in new photos shared on her Instagram stories. The star revealed that the tattoos are a mashup of hers and Tom's first name initials, as well as their baby girl's. In one of the snaps shared to her 7.8 million fans and followers, Kaley and the Ozark actor flashed their new ink towards the camera in a black and white picture, with their tattoo artist, Cacho, standing in the middle. 'We did a little thing...thank you @cachotattoo for bringing our special design to life!' the mother of one gushed in a caption that she added towards the top of the photo. Along with showing a snap of herself getting the special design tattooed on her wrist, Cuoco also made sure to take a memorable photo of Tom also getting his own. The star additionally shared a black and white photo that was a close-up of her wrist to better showcase the details of the tattoo. Making memories: The last photo she shared onto her Instagram stories showed a close pal holding Matilda in her arms 'Did a little thing!' Earlier on Friday, the Meet Cute actress proudly showed off matching tattoos she and her boyfriend had gotten in new photos shared on her Instagram stories New ink: Along with showing a snap of herself getting the special design tattooed on her wrist, Cuoco also made sure to take a memorable photo of Tom also getting his own Special meaning: The star additionally shared a black and white photo that was a close-up of her wrist to better showcase the details of the tattoo The letters 'K' and 'T' blended together on each side, with the letter 'M' connecting to the letters in the middle. Earlier on Wednesday, the two lovebirds had the chance to enjoy their very first date night since becoming parents to daughter, Matilda, as they attended HBO Max's Love And Death premiere together in Los Angeles. The actor, who was cast as Don Crowder in the HBO series, gushed to Access Hollywood this month about Kaley as mother, and stated, 'Oh God, it's so cool. She is so good at it.' 'It's like all the qualities that I love Kaley about times 100. She's so funny and she's so nurturing and easy and playful and loving. I mean, so loving. You know, it's beautiful.' Babri Masjid was pulled down in Ayodhya but multiple demolitions of shrines and relics have taken place in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia The dignity of a society is reflected through the value it gives to its cultural heritage. The sum total of cultural heritage is a nation, community or groups language, books, literature, rituals, knowledge, traditions, performing arts, crafts, festive eventsa and monuments. Its therefore our moral and civic duty to preserve, conserve and protect our cultural heritage. In India, the five-centuries- old Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992, by a radical Hindu mob. Intellectuals across the globe condemned the demolition. Muslims across the world protested. In its landmark judgement of 2019, the Supreme Court held that the demolition was illegal and directed the authorities to allot an alternative plot to build a mosque as compensation. On the other hand, the bigger heinous crime of multiple demolitions of holy shrines, relics and heritage sites together with massacres took place in Saudi Arabia. This was done at the behest of Saudi Arabs Wahabi/Salafi rulers of Zionist ancestry who, wearing the cloak of Islam, in the middle of the 18th century introduced a new distorted version of Islam based on terrorism. This new cult was named Wahabism in the name of its founder, Sheikh Muhammad Najdi-ibn-Abd-al-Wahab, who was born in Najd of Arabian Peninsula. In 1744, sidelining the preaching of true Islam, Najdi created a cult Wahabism. To gain manpower support, he shrewdly found a pattern in Muhammad-ibn-Saud, a Bedouin tribal chief. Ibn Saud belonged to the Zionist tribe of Anza Ben Wael. Islam is not the original religion of Saudi Arabia rulers. Najdi too belonged to Zionist ancestry, and got his daughter married to Ibn Sauds son Abd-al-Aziz. The Quran says, Prophet Mohammad was sent to the world as a mercy to mankind. (21:107). It states, Allah abhors any disturbance of peace. (2:205). Whereas, Wahabi ideology is enshrined in their book Kitab-al-Twahid, which prescribes the forceful conversion of Muslims and others to his Salafi/ Wahabi ideology. He says, Follow my ideology, else get ready to be killed. In 1766, Muhammad-ibn-Saud was killed and his son Abd-al-Aziz took over as Emir (temporal leader). He introduced firearms replacing conventional weaponry and accelerated his attacks in a spectacular bid to extend his territory. British historian Charles Allen writes in his book, Gods Terrorists The Wahabi Cult and the Hidden Roots of Modern Jihad: Abd-al-Aziz issued every (so-called) holy warrior a firman addressed to the gatekeeper of Heaven, requiring him to be admitted forthwith should he die in battle. Since then, it has been the common schismatic, fraudulent practice of terror operators to misguide and exploit the youth. On June 2, 1792, Sheikh Najdi, the founder of Wahhabism died, leaving behind 24 wives and 18 children. His son-in-law Abd-al-Aziz speeded up his violent actions and conversions. In 1802, he attacked the holiest shrine of Hazrat Imam Husain in Karbala (Iraq), desecrating the shrine. Lieutenant Francis Warden wrote, They pillaged the whole of it and plundered the tomb of Hazrat Imam Husain. In 1803, Abd-al-Aziz- ibn-Saud obtained a visit permit from the Sharif of Mecca on the pretext of performing Hajj; wherein, his Wahabi fighters laid waste in Kaaba, like the accursed Yazid-ibn-Muawiya desecrated Kaaba in 682 AD. According to TE Ravenshaw, author of A memorandum on the sect of Wahabis: They robbed the splendid tombs of the Mahomedan saints, who were interred there; and their fanatical zeal did not even spare the Prophets mosque (Masjid ul Nabavi) in Medina. In 1804, a Wahabi gang of terrorists again crossed the desert in Hijaz and destroyed tombs of the Prophets family members at Jannat-ul-Baqi, and even despoiled the grave of Prophet Mohammad. Again in 1925 (On 8th Shawwal 1344 Hijri), Wahabi terrorists demolished the shrines of Hazrat Fatima Zehra, daughter of Holy Prophet, and his grandsons: Hazrat Imam Hasan, Hazrat Imam Zain ul Abedeen, Hazrat Imam Mohammad Baqar. On December 6, every year marking the anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid, Muslims organise protests, file petitions in court. Whereas, on 8th Shawwal, 1344 Hijri (1925 AD), Saudi Arab rulers had demolished the holy tombs of Prophet Mohammads family razing to ground, but surprisingly no Muslim of any sect reacted or lodged protests against the pseudo-Muslim Saudi rulers. Is it because those perpetrators are not non-Muslims? (The writer is a legal journalist and author. The views expressed are personal) Dev Anand was a "fount of creative energy" and she was delighted to have his guidance, says veteran actor Zeenat Aman, reliving the bond she shared with her "starmaker". In a three-part Instagram post, the Bollywood icon opened up about how Anand gave her the big break with 1971's "Hare Rama Hare Krishna", their creative partnership, and the "great misunderstanding" -- when he insinuated in his autobiography that she was romantically involved with another cinema legend, Raj Kapoor. In "Romancing with Life", published in 2007, Anand wrote about how he fell in love with Aman but then Kapoor, who had offered her Satyam Shivam Sunderam, had grown close to her. "In it he professed that he was in love with me, and insinuated that Raj ji and I had more than a director-actor equation which broke his heart. To be honest, I was livid. "I felt humiliated, hurt and disconcerted that Dev saab, my much older mentor, a person I loved and admired platonically, would not only believe such a story devoid of a shred of truth, but would then go on to publish it for the world to read," Aman, 71, wrote. After the book hit the stands, the actor recalled her phone rang "incessantly" as friends inquired about "what really happened and shared excerpts from the book. "I never did read it though, and in my anger I consigned the copy I was sent to storage in the basement. So here it is - the great misunderstanding. This episode embarrassed me deeply." For years, she said, she felt unable to set the record straight, "but now, time has granted me perspective and peace. Human folly is an eternal truth, and we all fall victim at one point or another." It was in 1970 when Aman first met Anand. She had played a part in OP Ralhan's "Hulchul", but was contemplating moving to Malta with her family as the film had made little impact. "When entering an industry like Bollywood, every actor hopes for a starmaker. Someone who sees the glimmer of potential and ambition that has perhaps only been visible to the self thus far. Very few are so lucky as to find this person, but I was. My starmaker was Dev saab." Anand and his banner Navketan Films were casting for "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" and after a meeting, she was soon signed to play Janice/Jasbir. The film became a huge hit and Aman's "immigration plans" were now indefinitely postponed. They went on to collaborate on "Heera Panna" (1973) and followed it up with "Ishk Ishk Ishk" (1974). "Dev saab was on a roll. Working with him was seamless and joyful. He was a fount of creative energy, and I was delighted to have his guidance," Aman said, adding that it would have been easy for him to bound her with a contract, but "he had the grace to never even suggest it". The duo also starred together in several films made by other directors such as "Darling, Darling" and "Kalabaaz", both released in 1977. The veteran star said she will always remember Anand for his rare talent and warm guidance. "He has my earnest gratitude and I do not tolerate disrespect to his name," she added. Seeking to soothe the frayed nerves of the agitating villagers against the against the proposed Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Project (RRPL), Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde said on Thursday that the state government would not force the controversial project on the local people and that it would go ahead only after taking their consent. Two days after deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis had amid the stiff resistance from the local villagers, said that his government would go ahead and complete the project at Barsu in Rajapur taluka of coastal Ratnagiri district, Shinde took a conciliatory stand and said that the state government would not do any injustice to the villagers living around the proposed project site. On a day when Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray upped the ante over the RRPL and slammed Shinde-Fadnavis government for using force to silence the villagers protesting against the land surveys being carried out by RRPL teams Shinde said that he had spoken NCP chief Sharad Pawar in matters relating to the Konkan refinery project and assured the latter that the state government would not start the project unless it took the local people into confidence. We will not do any injustice to the local people and we would not undertake the project unless we have the local people on board he said. We will not do any injustice to the local people nor will use force to make them toe our line. We will not do anything without the consent of the local population, Shinde said The pre-procedures like sinking bores and soil testing soil are being done now. We are not at all starting the Barsu project immediately, the chief minister said. Shindes statement came a day after the Pawar asked the state government not to thrust the project on the local people and advised the chief minister to initiate a dialogue with the local people opposing the RRPL, Maintaining that like it did in the case of the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway project, the state government would take local people opposing project into confidence before proceeding with project, Shinde said: There was opposition even in case of Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway project. We took the farmers opposing the land acquisition for the project. Now we are seeing the results of the project. Earlier in the day, former chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray came down heavily on the Shinde-Fadnavis for using force to silence the villagers opposing RRPL. He also clarified as to why he was opposing the project after having proposed to the Centre that the RRPL be located at Barsu. Addressing a meeting of the Kamgar Sena workers in Mumbai, Uddhav said: Yes. It is true that I wrote the letter to locate the project at Barsu. Why did the Centre not execute the project then. My government then did not force the people to give up their land for the project. If a refinery is for the public good, why is it being force on the local people?. My stand on RRPL is simple. I am with the local people. the project is in the interest of the locals, why is it being force it on them? We do not want projects that harm the environment, he said. Uddhav also wanted to know if the RRPL is a green refinery and asked Shinde and Fadnavis to come clean on the issue. The Shinde-Fadnavis government claims that it is bringing good projects to Maharashtra. Then why are women being detained with the help of the police? Why are people being arrested? If the project ios good for people, why didnt the state government bring projects like Vedanta Foxconn or Tata Airbus here? Why did they send away the good projects that could have come here? Uddhav wondered. It may be recalled that on April 12, 2018, an Indian consortium comprising Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi Arabian Oil Co (Saudi Aramco) for setting an oil refinery and petroleum products complex in Rajapur taluka of Ratnagiri district. Seeking to allay fears of the local villagers that RRPL posed a massive environmental threat to the area where it is being developed, Fadanavis had said Tuesday: The project does not pose any threat to the nature. Instead, the project is very beneficial for the people in the region, as it will provide one lakh job opportunities. The misinformation campaign has been going on against the project. The Opposition MVA, when it was in power, had written to the Centre seeking to locate the project at Barsu. Now the MVA is opposing the project for political reasons. Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Dilbagh Singh Friday said a group of Pakistani terrorists carried out the ambush on an Indian Army truck in which five soldiers of the Indian armys Rashtriya Rifles unit were martyred in Poonch on April 20.Singh said that the terror attack was executed by three to five terrorists,at the behest of their Pakistan based handlers, after conducting recee of the route with the help of local over ground workers. After targeting the soldiers on board the army truck from a close range the terrorists also used IED to set it on fire. It is believed the terrorists have been hiding inside natural caves inside the thickly forested belt, Singh told reporters during his day-long visit to Darhal and remote Budh Khanari area in the foothills of snow-covered Pir Panjal mountains. Sharing details of the ongoing investigations in the case DGP Dilbagh Singh said that a total number of 221 suspects have been picked and so far about half a dozen over ground workers have been arrested. He said the operation to neutralise the terrorists involved in the attack is underway. Six persons (of a module) have been arrested. They include those who have provided material (weapons, ammunition, explosives) to the terrorists besides shelter and food and guided them from one to another place. Singh said, Such incidents not possible without local support We are getting clues during questioning. We are working on that, he added. Interacting with a group of reporters in Darhal area of Rajouri where he along with senior police officers were present to monitor the ongoing search operations, DGP Dilbagh Singh the explosives and weapons came from Pakistan through drones. A local named Nisar Ahmad of Gursai and his family were providing all support from food to shelter. The material (explosives) had come from Pakistan through a drone. They picked up the weapons and provided them to the terrorists. Weapons, grenades and ammunition explosives were included in that, he said. He added that security forces are identifying more local support. They will be working on it strongly. The terrorists choose places close to forests, where they get local support and also have escape routes into forests, he said. Nisar was fully involved along with other family members Giving further details about the module, Singh said Nisar has been a terrorist for a long time. He was working as OGW of Pakistan origin LeT commander in the 1990s. He was under the scanner for a long time. As Operation Kaveri is on to evacuate Indian nationals from strife-torn Sudan, a C-17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force on Friday brought back home 392 people. So far, 998 citizens have been brought to India. The latest evacuation was the third batch of Indians to be flown home from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where India has set up a transit camp for the evacuees. Another C-17 flight carrying 392 passengers reaches New Delhi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted. The first batch carrying 360 evacuees was brought to New Delhi in a commercial plane on Wednesday. The second batch of 246 Indian evacuees arrived in Mumbai in a C-17 Globemaster aircraft the next day. The total number of Indians who were brought back home now stands at 998, according to official data. Under Operation Kaveri, India is taking its citizens in buses from conflict zones of Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are taken to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah in Indian Air Forces heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navys ships. From Jeddah, the Indians are brought back home in either commercial flight or IAFs aircraft. India has set up separate control rooms in Jeddah, Port Sudan and the India embassy in Khartoum is coordinating with them besides being in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs headquarters here. Sudan is witnessing deadly fighting between the countrys army and a paramilitary group that has reportedly left around 400 people dead. Meanwhile, French ambassador Emmanuel Lenain on Friday thanked India for evacuating a staffer of the French embassy and her family from strife-torn Sudanese capital city of Khartoum. Hours after the Supreme Court asked the Calcutta High Court acting chief justice to reassign the West Bengal school jobs scam case to another judge after examining a report on Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyays interview to a news channel about the matter, the HC judge sought the report submitted before the CJI against him. Soon the Supreme Court swung into action and in a hearing late on Friday evening, stayed his order that directed the Supreme Court Secretary General to produce the report and official transcript of an interview the HC judge had given to a news channel. The SC directed its Secretary General that Justice Gangopadhyay be conveyed the top courts order. The order of present nature ought not to have been passed in judicial proceedings keeping in view the judicial discipline. We hereby stay the order passed by the High Court judge in the suo motu proceeding. We direct the Secretary General of the Supreme Court to communicate this order to the Registrar General of Calcutta High Court forthwith who shall communicate the same to the High Court judge, said the SC. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who appeared before the bench also agreed that such an order should not have been passed by the High Court judge. On Friday morning, bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha ordered that the proceedings against Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee in relation to the school-for-jobs case, being heard by Justice Gangopadhyay, be transferred to some other judge of the High Court. The order was passed in light of the fact that Justice Gangopadhyay had given an interview to news channel ABP Ananda in which he made some comments against Banerjee, even as he was hearing the case. Hours after the apex court order removing him from handling the case, Justice Gangopadhyay passed an order calling for the official transcript of the interview from the Supreme Court Registrar General to be placed before him, by 12.15 am. Justice Gangopadhyay further directed the Registrar General of the Calcutta High Court to communicate this order forthwith to the Secretary General of the Supreme Court so that those two sets in original, which were before the Honble Judges today, can be placed before me as this has become now records of the court as the adjudication thereof is over. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday criticised the US and groupings like the Quad and said in order to contain China, a front is forming. He made these remarks here in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers meet chaired by India. His remarks came against the backdrop of China flexing its muscles in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region and the Quad summit poised to take place on May 24 in Australia. India, US, Japan and Australia are part of this grouping. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will take part in the summit. Moreover, Russian defence ministers backing China came a day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh sent a tough message to Beijing that its violation of the border pacts has eroded the entire basis of bilateral ties with India. He made these observations in the context of ongoing tension at the Line of Actual Control(LAC)IN Eastern Ladakh for the last three years. Shoigu said that in order to contain China, a front is forming. He alleged that the tension around the so-called Taiwan problem is purposely escalated, and that territorial disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea are being heated. In our understanding, one of the major achievements in the Asia-Pacific region is bloc-free and equal interaction. And it must be preserved, he said in his address. Talking about what he termed as the most pressing military-political problems, the Russian defance minister said Washington and its enablers are pursuing their strategic agenda of provoking other countries into military confrontation with undesirable states, most notably Russia and China. The conflict in Ukraine is a clear demonstration of this criminal policy. Its real aim is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, threaten China, and maintain its monopoly position in the world, the Russian defence minister said. He said the SCO independent policies concerning regional and global security challenges could set an example for the international community. Congressional investigators said in a report Friday that an increase in flight cancellations as travel recovered from the pandemic was due mostly to factors that airlines controlled, including cancellations for maintenance issues or lack of a crew. The Government Accountability Office also said airlines are taking longer to recover from disruptions such as storms. Surges in cancellations in late 2021 and early 2022 lasted longer than they did before the pandemic, the GAO said. Much of the increase in airline-caused cancellations has occurred at budget airlines, but the largest carriers have also made more unforced errors, according to government data. Airlines have clashed with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg over blame for high rates of canceled and delayed flights in the past two years. Airlines argue that the government is at fault for not having enough air traffic controllers, while Buttigieg has blamed the carriers. The GAO report was requested by Republican leaders of the House Transportation Committee. The GAO said it examined flight data from January 2018 through April 2022 to understand why travelers suffered more delays and cancellations as travel began to recover from the pandemic. The GAO said weather was the leading cause of cancellations in the two years before the pandemic, but the percentage of airline-caused cancellations began increasing in early 2021. From October through December 2021, airlines caused 60% or more of cancellations higher that at any time in 2018 or 2019. At the time, airlines were understaffed. The airlines took $54 billion in taxpayer money to keep employees on the job through the pandemic, but they reduced workers anyway by paying them incentives to quit. As travel rebounded, the airlines struggled to replace thousands of departed workers. They now have more workers than in 2019 and the cancellation rate this year is lower than during the same period in 2019, according to data from tracking service FlightAware. A spokeswoman for trade group Airlines for America said the majority of cancellations this year have been caused by severe weather and air traffic control outages about 1,300 flights were canceled in one day because of an outage in a Federal Aviation Administration safety-alerting system. Carriers have taken responsibility for challenges within their control and continue working diligently to improve operational reliability as demand for air travel rapidly returns, said the spokeswoman, Hannah Walden. This includes launching aggressive, successful hiring campaigns for positions across the industry and reducing schedules in response to the FAAs staffing shortages. Several airlines agreed to reduce schedules in New York this summer at the request of the FAA, which has a severe shortage of controllers at a key facility on Long Island. In 2019, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines had the highest percentages of their own cancellations being caused by an airline-controlled issue more than half of each carriers cancellations. In late 2021, they were joined by low-fare carriers Allegiant Air, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Frontier, each of whom were responsible for 60% or more of their own total cancellations, according to GAO. The percentage of cancellations caused by the airline also increased at Southwest, Delta, American and United. The figures did not include the 16,700 late-December cancellations at Southwest that followed the breakdown of the airlines crew-rescheduling system. The GAO said the Transportation Department has increased its oversight of airline-scheduling practices. The Transportation and Justice departments are investigating whether Southwest scheduled more flights than it could handle before last Decembers meltdown. The Southwest debacle has led to calls to strengthen passenger-compensation rules. In a gruesome act, a class-8 student was allegedly bludgeoned to death and his body dumped in a drain in southeast Delhis Badarpur area. Saurabh (12), a resident of Bilaspur camp in Molarband Village, was found dead on Thursday night between Khatushyam Park and Tajpur Road village in his school uniform. A schoolbag was also found near him. A cotton towel and some blood-stained stones were found a few yards from the body, which had multiple head injuries that were likely caused by a blunt object, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Rajesh Deo. Police suspect a fight with fellow students could have led to Saurabhs killing, however, an investigation is underway to ascertain the exact reason. Saurabh studied at a MCD school in Tajpur Pahari. Saurabhs family has demanded justice and said they want the culprits to be given the strictest punishment. Saurabhs body has been shifted to a mortuary at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for post-mortem examination and a case under IPC Section 302 (murder) has been lodged. DCP Deo said the crime scene has been photographed and efforts are on to nab the assailants. Police officials are scanning CCTV footage from the area to identify the culprits, he said, adding a PCR call had informed them at 8.20 P.M. on Thursday that a schoolboy had been killed by two men. Saurabhs mother Darpan told reporters her son had urged her to visit his school around 2 P.M. on Thursday and request the class teacher to shift him to his previous section. Recently my son was shifted to a new section but he was not happy with this. Some of the fellow students in his new section used to tease him. I requested his teacher twice to shift him to his previous section but he refused, she said. The teacher convinced me to let my son study in the new section. In front of me, the teacher made my son sit in the classroom. But there were older students there. I dont know if they smoke or what, she added. When her son did not return home till 7 P.M., the family members began a search for him.I enquired with my sons friends who said he was seen standing in line while leaving the school but did not accompany them. Then I called up his teacher who said all the students had left school around 6:30 P.M. and early this morning, we got to see his body with multiple injuries. I cant see my son in this state. He was brutally killed, the mother alleged. BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri met the family members and gave them Rs 2 lakh. He said the Delhi Government should give Rs 10 lakh as compensation to them. Underlining the challenge posed by the scourge of terrorism, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday urged the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member nations to collectively work towards eliminating terror in all its forms and fix accountability on its supporters. This message was in an oblique reference to Pakistan whose Defence Minister Khawaja Asif attended the conclave in the virtual mode. Rajnath also said India envisioned a robust framework of regional cooperation which mutually respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member States by taking care of their legitimate interests. Similarly, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, too, urged SCO members to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity of member countries on Friday, even as he stressed that connectivity with SCO countries was a priority for India. He made these remarks while chairing the 10th meeting of SCO Transport Ministers and emphasised on ensuring demand driven, sustainable development, while respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries. He further said India attaches special attention to SCO in promoting economy and people-to-people interaction in the region. Significantly, Rajnath made assertions on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member States with the Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu present at the SCO Defence Ministers meet here. Rajnath also said New Delhi strives to further bolster trust and cooperation among the members of the grouping as it believes in maintaining peace and security based on the provisions of the United Nations (UN) charter. Elaborating on the need to contain terrorism effectively, Rajnath asserted that any kind of terrorist act or support to it in any form is a major crime against humanity and peace and prosperity cannot coexist with this menace. If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others but to itself too. The radicalisation of youth is a cause for concern, not only from the point of view of security, but it is also a major obstacle in the path of socio-economic progress of society, he said. If we want to make the SCO a stronger and more credible international organisation, our top-most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism, the Defence Minister said. Sharing his insights on the vision to ensure collective prosperity, Rajnath called for concerted efforts by SCO member States so that the region, with limitless possibilities in todays multilateral world, shifts to the mindset of great gain from win-win paradigm from great game of zero-sum, win-lose paradigm. India has always followed the principle of Let us walk together and move forward together. Every era has a zeitgeist (defining spirit). The zeitgeist of the present era is win-win cooperation for great gain, he said. The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. It was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017. Rajnath Singh also elaborated on the concept of SECURE floated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the SCO summit in Qingdao, China in 2018. He stated that every alphabet of the word SECURE reflects Indias commitment towards the multi-dimensional welfare of the region. Drawing the attention of the member States to various dimensions of SECURE, Rajnath said today a large part of the world is passing through a food crisis. He urged the SCO member countries to ensure food security under an integrated plan. This will establish SCO as a role model for the whole world, he said. To deal with the issue of climate change, he called for working on a common strategy, giving priority to mitigation and adaptation. Energy security should be a part of the common strategy, he added. Rajnath also touched upon the two defence-related activities launched by India, as the SCO chair, to increase interoperability among member States. These are: A workshop on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and a seminar on defence think-tanks of SCO countries. Both the events witnessed enthusiastic participation from all SCO countries. He voiced Indias commitment towards defence capacity-building of SCO member States through training and co-manufacturing and co-development of items. He said as security challenges are not limited to any one country, India is moving forward with a collaborative approach in the field of defence partnership, keeping in mind the shared interests. At the end of the deliberations, all SCO member countries signed a protocol, expressing their collective will to make the region secure, peaceful and prosperous. Addressing media after the meeting, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane said all the member nations arrived at the consensus on several areas of cooperation, including dealing with terrorism, security of vulnerable populations in various countries as well as humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HADR). He said all member States were unanimous in their statements that terrorism, in all its forms, must be condemned and eliminated. He exuded confidence that many areas identified for cooperation will be acted upon in the times to come and India, as the SCO chair, will lead from the front in ensuring a safe and secure future for the region and the world as a whole. Defence Ministers of China (General Li Shangfu); Russia (General Sergei Shoigu); Iran (Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani); Belarus (Lt Gen Khrenin VG); Kazakhstan (Col Gen Ruslan Zhaxylykov); Uzbekistan (Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov); Kyrgyzstan (Lt Gen Bekbolotov Baktybek Asankalievich) and Tajikistan (Col Gen Sherali Mirzo) attended the meeting. The Ministers discussed issues of common concern including issues of regional and international security under charter of the SCO during the meeting. The Delhi Police on Friday registered two FIRs in connection with sexual harassment allegations levelled by women wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The first FIR pertains to allegations levelled by a minor which is registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code concerning outraging modesty, a police officer said. The second FIR has been registered for carrying out comprehensive investigations into the complaints by adult complainants under relevant IPC sections pertaining to outraging of modesty, the officer said, adding that investigation into both the FIRs was being taken up in right earnest. Earlier on Friday, the Delhi Police on Friday informed the Supreme Court that it will register an FIR on Friday itself over sexual harassment allegations levelled by seven women wrestlers against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi Police, told a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha that the FIR will be registered today. We have decided to register an FIR. It will be registered today, Mehta told the bench, which was hearing a plea filed by seven women wrestlers against non-registration of an FIR on their sexual harassment allegations against Singh. The bench also directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to make an assessment of the threat perception to the grapplers and provide adequate security to one of them who is a minor. The girl is an alleged victim of sexual assault. In its order, the apex court noted the Solicitor General told the bench that since the allegations indicate commission of cognisable offence, the police have decided to register an FIR. It noted senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the wrestlers, placed or record an affidavit in a sealed cover apprehending threat to the safety of the minor girl, an alleged victim of sexual assault. Bearing in mind the content which has been placed on record, we direct the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, to make an assessment of the threat perception and provide adequate security to the minor girl involved, the bench said. It directed that an affidavit be filed before the apex court on or before May 5, the next date of hearing, about the steps taken for the security of the minor girl. Sibal told the court there are seven complainants and all of them must be given protection. The bench said its direction for providing security to the alleged minor victim shall not stand in the way of the Commissioner of Police to make independent assessment of the threat perception of the other complainants. After the five day training programme all 133 recently recruited medical officers have received certificates from the State Health Minister Banna Gupta in the State Capital on Friday. Giving certificates to the all 133 newly recruited medical officers, Gupta said that doctors are full of human sensibilities and that's why they come in this field of service. He was speaking as the chief guest at the Public Health Institute, Namkum. On the occasion the Health Minister taught the newly appointed medical officers the lesson of sensitivity, duty and encouraged them to stand firm for the service of the patients. He said that the people of the State are looking forward to the newly appointed medical officers. You have serious responsibilities like improving maternal health, institutional delivery and the health index of children. There is a need to work with this thinking of how to strengthen our Government hospitals, he added. Generally poor, helpless and needy people come to Government hospitals with the belief that their lives will be saved. That's why doctors should fulfill their responsibility well. After on-the-spot training, certificates were given to 133 medical officers, said Gupta. On this occasion, Additional Chief Secretary of Health Department, Arun Kumar Singh said that training is a continuous process. This training was organized with the aim of providing technical information as well as practical information to the newly appointed doctors. Administrative and financial training was also given in the training, so that there is no problem during the work in the hospital. The newly appointed medical officers have been posted at such places where doctors are required. If there is additional requirement of manpower, then assess it and inform the department so that further action can be taken. Medical officers who received training during the program also shared their experiences, he added. On the occasion Campaign Director of National Health Mission, Dr Bhuvnesh Pratap Singh, Director Chief Health Services, Dr Birendra Prasad Singh, Director of IPH, Dr John F Kennedy, Deputy Director of Health Department, Dr. RN Sharma, In-charge of various cells of National Health Mission, consultants, Coordinator and others were present. Rafat Farzana conducted the program and Dr RN Sharma proposed the vote of thanks. Three persons, including two children, were killed when a drunken drivers car mowed them down in Gobara village under the Bikrampur police station of Angul district on Friday evening. The children were playing in the village street along with their grandfather when the mishap occurred. The driver of the car was nabbed by irate locals. Later, police reached the spot and rescued the driver. As many as six youths from Odisha on Friday heaved a sigh of relief as they landed at the BijuPatnaik International Airport here from Delhi after being evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan under Operation Kaveri. The returnees belong to Bhubaneswar, Baleswar, Bhadrak and Jagatsinghpur. They described the terrible ordeal they had to endure in Sudan before being rescued. I was staying in the strife-torn Khartoum region which has been severely ravaged by bullets and bombs. Somehow, we managed to reach Odisha with great difficulty. The attack began on April 15. We stayed there till April 24. Had we stayed there for one or two more days, we would have lost our lives. There were explosions all around in front of our company. We couldnt sleep for nine days, recalled Kedara Kumar Nayak, an electrical mechanic. I had been staying there since 2017. Earlier, there were also conflicts between the army and a paramilitary group. However, those were not as severe as the current one, he added. Another returnee, Santosh Swain said he and his company employees were looted at gunpoint. We were held at gunpoint for around nine hours. All our valuables were looted. Somehow, we could save our lives and contact the Indian Embassy in Sudan. Thanks to the NarendraModi Government and Operation Kaveri, we could return to India, Swain said. Notably, over 600 Indians stranded in war-hit Sudan have been brought to India safely. The latest batch of 246 Indians evacuated from India landed safely in Mumbai on Thursday. Disciplinary action would be taken against those responsible for non-starting of of 275 non-government schools student-wise entry till April 25, 2023, decision was taken at meeting held on Thursday under the chairmanship of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), District Panchayat and in coordination of Education Officer, District Bhopal and the District Project Coordinator, the meeting with the directors of 275 non-government schools was held in the meeting hall of the District Panchayat, Bhopal. Last year 275 non-government schools in Bhopal district whose last year's enrollment was more than 100 and in the current session, due to non-starting of student-wise entry till April 25, 2023 meeting was held on Thursday under the chairmanship of the Chief Executive Officer, District Panchayat and in coordination of Education Officer, District Bhopal and the District Project Coordinator, the meeting with the directors of 275 non-government schools was held in the meeting hall of the District Panchayat, Bhopal. Complete the work of online UDISE data entry for the session 2022-23 before the said period. For which the concerned non-government school will be responsible. In the same sequence, the District Panchayat's Chief Executive Officer directed the concerned development block resource center coordinator, the concerned development block UDISE in-charge and the public teacher to complete the work of UDISE by contacting non-government schools. If the said work is not taken seriously by the concerned Development Block Resource Center Coordinator, concerned Development Block Udice in-charge, then the District Project Coordinator disciplinary action would be taken. The District Information System for Education (DISE) portal has been developed by the Government of India to strengthen the information management system for monitoring and reviewing the programs conducted under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. Continuing her surprise inspections to take stock of the situation in MCD schools across Delhi, Education Minister Atishi visited an MCD school at Lal Kuan in Pul Prahladpur on Friday. During the inspection, the school was found to be in an extremely dilapidated state and surrounded by heaps of garbage. There were no benches in the classrooms, and students were forced to sit on broken floors. The toilets were either broken or in very bad condition, and there was no drinking water available. Additionally, there was an encroachment on a major area of the school. The wall adjoining the playground was also broken, and there was illegal encroachment on a part of the ground. Additionally, the storage room had become a junkyard, and its roof could collapse at any time. Upon observing the dilapidated state of the school, Atishi admonished the principal and asked her to get the condition of the school fixed as soon as possible or strict action will be taken against her. She said, The poor state of cleanliness in the school reflects the insensitive behavior of the school administration toward the future of the children studying here, and such carelessness regarding education cannot be tolerated. She gave an ultimatum to the principal and education officer to run the school responsibly or else strict action would be taken against them. Reprimanding the principal for the poor state of the school, Ms. Atishi said, It is the duty of the principal to ensure that all children receive quality education in a clean and safe environment in the school. However, looking at the condition of the school, it is clear that the school administration is insensitive to the future of the children studying here. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday condemned the derogatory remark by a Karnataka MLA against former Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Talking to reporters here, Baghel said when any Congress leader says something about a BJP leader, BJP people create nuisance all over the country. Now, what about the remark of vishkanya by a Karnataka BJP MLA for Sonia Gandhi? Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah say something about it? The remark clearly represents the Chal, Charitra and Chehra of BJP, he said. The Karnataka MLA has spoken such language at the behest of its senior leaders and shows the culture of BJP, he said. Regarding Congress President Mallikarjun Kharges statement that Modi was like a poisonous snake, the Chief Minister said Kharge had taken back his statement and the same response is awaited from Modi and Shah. The Gwalior Lokayukta police team caught a clerk posted in Bhind municipality for taking bribe of Rs 55,000 on Friday. The accused tried to run away and attacked the team. He was arrested later. Gwalior SP Rameshwar Yadav told media that complainant Vipin Jain, resident of Madhoganj Haat, had applied for mutation of house records in Bhind municipality. The grade III clerk Ajay Rajawat demanded Rs 1 lakh for the mutation. The matter was reported to the police. Meanwhile, the clerk agreed to settle the deed for Rs 55,000. On Friday, complainant reached office and handed over the amount to clerk. As soon as the clerk took the amount, the trap team reached the office and caught him. The clerk grew aggressive and attacked the team but the police took control over the accused and arrested him. The accused was released on bail by the police. Fans from across South Florida and the country took out their sun hats and beach chairs Saturday, sweating for hours in the 90-degree weather, just for the chance to see the 2023 Fort Lauderdale Air show performers zoom acrobatically across the sky especially the U.S Navy Blue Angels. The Air Show will return for its second and final day on Sunday. Organizers announced early Sunday that the shows start time would be pushed to 1 p.m. due to inclement weather. Little did they know, the beloved flight demo squadron had experienced a bit of a hiccup the night before. The teams rental vehicle was stolen, likely overnight, from the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. U.S. Navy Blue Angels Fat Albert flies over Fort Lauderdale Beach as they perform in the 2023 Fort Lauderdale Air Show on Saturday April 29, 2023. But, as far as any observer could tell, Saturdays show went on as usual. Bikers and skaters sped past on the closed-down A1A as people in Blue Angels T-shirts and umbrella hats lined up for gyros and iced lemonade, lifting their phones to snap pictures as the jets boomed through the air. Others watched from their balconies and shops, and from boats in the Intracoastal and the ocean. Around 9:30 a.m. that morning, police responded to a call about a delayed report of a stolen vehicle from the 300 block of North Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard, according to Lt. Keven Dupree, a spokesperson for the Fort Lauderdale Police. The vehicle was possibly taken sometime during the overnight hours, Dupree said, adding that there was no impact to the Blue Angels scheduled performance at the air show. Dupree did not say what items were in the vehicle. Chris Dirato, the head of public relations for the show, had not heard about the incident Saturday afternoon. While police began investigate the stolen vehicle, dedicated fans had already gathered along Fort Lauderdale Beach Saturday morning, hoping to snag good viewing spots. The main show was set to take place from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the Blue Angels coming on at 2. By 11, many people had already waited in the heat for several hours. People watch from a balcony as U.S. Navy Blue Angels fly over Fort Lauderdale Beach as they perform in the 2023 Fort Lauderdale Air Show on Saturday April 29, 2023. Bill Jones, 66, had been sitting in a fold-up chair across the street from the beach since 8:30 a.m., drinking beers and a slice of pizza for breakfast. He had flown down from Albany, New York just for the show, as he does every year. He always sits in the same spot. Its just a nice day in Fort Lauderdale, Jones said. And it was, despite the heat. The sun was out all day, with no sign of storm clouds to ruin the show. Not that Jones would care. The weathers good or bad, Jones said, Im here. The beach was still sparse around 11 a.m., but as the morning progressed, the crowds began to flood in. By noon, the beach was so full of tents, there was nowhere left to walk. People on the beach watch the beginning of the 2023 Fort Lauderdale Air Show on Saturday April 29, 2023. Paulo Castro, 41, didnt mind the gridlock; he had already made a few new friends. He had arrived shortly before 9. One of the people nearby had a heat stroke episode earlier that morning, Castro said, and a group of his neighbors had gathered to help. The incident did not appear to deter him; the man was still there by the afternoon, probably in the water over there, Castro said, among the many swimmers watching from the ocean. People on the beach watch as the U.S. Navy Blue Angels fly over Fort Lauderdale Beach as they perform in the 2023 Fort Lauderdale Air Show on Saturday April 29, 2023. Castro directs customer support for an aircraft manufacturer, one of many people from across the aviation industry to attend the show. He grew up watching his dads collection of old VHS tapes of military documentaries, and always longed to see the planes in person. Since then, hes been to an air show every year for the last 29 years. But he loves Fort Lauderdale. You got the beach, amazing weather, and its close to home, right? He said. Everyones having a good time. Others had no tie to aviation. They simply loved the thrill. Greg Machnik and Doug Coffman started coming in 2016. They live in Bal Harbour, and watched the stunts during practice from their backyard. Theyre just so thrilling and unique, thats why we keep coming back, even though weve been here before, Machnik said. Joan Flaherty and Sue Garlock had no idea the air show was even happening. The two best friends from northern Virginia had planned a weekend getaway to Fort Lauderdale to use Flahertys timeshare. They now sat in chairs by the beach entrance as crowds of people stood around them. Its pretty cool, Flaherty said. Loud. The stealth jets, helicopters and parachute teams had already performed over the last several hours, but for Samantha Crenshaw, an avid attendee, the show had barely begun. She was excited to see the blue and blue the Blue Angels and the ocean. The Blue Angels are the big pull, Crenshaw said. She was ready for the intricate stunts where they look like theyre about to crash. She stood next to Mark Small, who was at the show for the first time; the two, who live in Sailboat Bend, had planned a staycation at a nearby hotel. As predicted, the show began to pick up as the afternoon went on. Viewers watched, transfixed, as a jet glided into the air, then hovered, motionless, before diving down as if it was falling. He moonwalked down, one man said, incredulous. By 1 p.m., the F-22 Raptor demo team, led by Captain Samuel RaZZ Larson, began twisting through the sky, dropping flares that looked like stars in the daylight. This is the first show in the history of the demo team to use the flares, Larson told the South Florida Sun Sentinel in an interview before the show. He had never been to Fort Lauderdale before, but he liked flying over the beach. Speeding above the ocean while thousands of people watched did not scare him. Its muscle memory, he said. The team has practiced the same routine hundreds of times. As Larsons team prepared to take to the air, Austen Lake and Alexander Ardelean, both 22, watched from the beach. The two both work for car dealerships, but dream of flying someday. We wish, Ardelean said. Larsons advice for them: Absolutely go for it, because its doable. His team was followed up by an aerobatic performance from Michael Goulian, and an F-16 flyover. Michael Goulian flies over Fort Lauderdale Beach as they perform in the 2023 Fort Lauderdale Air Show on Saturday April 29, 2023. Then, a little after 2 p.m., the Blue Angels arrived, unmistakable in their bright blue and yellow paint, in groups of two and four. U.S. Navy Blue Angels fly over Fort Lauderdale Beach as they perform in the 2023 Fort Lauderdale Air Show on Saturday April 29, 2023. Families who had been resting in the shade got up, some beginning to film. Finally, someone called out. Another yelled, There he is! as one of the jets came into view, blue and blue, over the ocean. The investigation into the Blue Angels stolen vehicle is ongoing as of Saturday afternoon, Dupree said. Detectives have not identified any suspects. As Prime Minister Narendra Modis monthly radio programme Mann ki Baat is all set to reach 100 episodes on Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party has planned to make it a big affair. The party leaders will listen to the prime minister's 100th radio talk with masses across the state. Functions will be organised at public places, main city crossroads, party offices and even at chaupals where leaders will jointly listen to the programme. The place will be decked up with balloons and festoons. Sweets will also be distributed to the listeners after the show. The party will also use this occasion to increase its Muslim outreach as Mann ki Baat programme will be heard in around 1,000 madrasas across the state. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak will attend the function at Madarsa Irfania in Lucknow. This will be another attempt by the BJP to increase its influence among the Muslims as the party has already given tickets to 367 Muslim candidates in the upcoming urban local bodies elections. Launched in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modis monthly radio programme, Mann ki Baat, has become a popular platform for him to connect with people across the country to share his vision. Mann ki Baat has allowed Prime Minister Modi to speak directly to the countrymen without any intermediary, creating a sense of inclusivity and allowing people from all walks of life to share their views with the prime minister, BJP state vice-president Vijay Bahadur Pathak said. The prime minister has been sharing his thoughts on a range of topics, from governance and development to social issues and cultural events. He is also using the platform to highlight the achievements of his government and to address concerns and grievances that people may have, Pathak added. Mann ki Baat also caught the attention of foreign leaders, who have hailed it as a unique and innovative platform for connecting with the masses. US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison praised Modi for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted the role of Maan ki Baat in connecting with the people. Pathak said that one of the key benefits of Mann ki Baat was that it allowed the prime minister to focus on local issues. In the July 2019 edition of the programme, he spoke about the need to conserve water and called on citizens to take simple steps to reduce their water usage. He also highlighted the efforts of communities across the country who were working to conserve water, such as the residents of Bundelkhand, who have successfully revived several lakes in the region, he said. A 20-year-old B.Pharma student committed suicide by jumping from the third floor of the hostel at Patel Nagar of Piplani. The incident is of Anika hostel located in Patel Nagar of Piplani. The student was standing on the third floor with his friend at around 7.15 pm on Thursday. Meanwhile, as soon as the friend went to the mess, the student jumped. He sustained serious injuries after falling on the floor. Due to which he died. SI Ramraj Singh of Piplani police station told that Shreyash Mishra (20), a resident of Dubey Colony (Katni), was a student of BPharma second year at TIT College, Bhopal. Police did not find any suicide note. It has come to fore from friends that the result of the student had come recently. Since then she was under stress. However, the police are probing for other reasons as well. Shreyash Mishra was the only son of his parents. On Thursday evening, he was standing with his friend in the mess on the third floor of Anika Hostel. Mobile and water were kept on the railing of the terrace. Friend says he went inside the mess, then Shreyash jumped. He died on the spot. The SI said that no suicide note was found from the deceased. Because of this, the reason for the suicide has not been clear at the moment. In the initial investigation, the matter of tension regarding the examination has surfaced as reason. Simultaneously, the mobile phone of the deceased is being seized and investigated. His call details are also being extracted, so that it can be known with whom he was in contact. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that changing the lives of women is my first priority. Sister-brother relationship is a relationship made by God, sisters do not have any religion or caste. I will take away all the sorrows and pains of my sisters, sisters are not helpless, they should be strong, this is my resolution. Sisters from poor, lower middle class families have to face many difficulties. God made son and daughter equal, but in the course of history, sons started getting more importance and daughters started being ignored. To change this situation and for the betterment of daughters, the state government has implemented many schemes. In this sequence, Ladli Bahna Yojana is being started. To ensure that women do not have to face any difficulty to meet their daily needs, we have started Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahna Yojana to provide Rs 1000 to them per month. The sisters will spend the amount received from the scheme for the betterment of themselves and their families. This scheme will prove to be a social revolution. Chief Minister Chouhan reached various wards of Bhopal city on Friday to get the forms of Ladli Bahna Yojana filled and hold dialogues. Chouhan got the applications of Nazia, Santosh Tirtade and Preeti Mehra filled at the Yoga Center of Ward No. 10, Idgah Hills. Forms were filled by Shilpi Sisodia and Ayesha Khan at Rashidiya School in Ward No. 13, Tila Jamlapura, and Smt. Pooja and Smt. Savita Chandravanshi at Rashidiya School, Ward No. 13, Tila Jamlapura. Chief Minister Chouhan got the forms of Chhaya Borse, Shivani Dhanelia and Smt Anita Nikam and Barkha Tomar in Ward 32 Sunehri Bagh Camp filled. In his interaction with the women, Chouhan said that we do not want to remain poor. Women are not born to suffer, to be poor, to live in hardship. Together we will change the world. Women will live a life of dignity and self-confidence, the state government is committed to empowering women and providing equal opportunities to them in all fields. For this purpose, various schemes are being run from the birth of the girl child till her education, marriage and to make her self-dependent. The Chief Minister said that the time for women to be confined to the hearth is now over. Women are no less than anyone, be it political life, government service or starting their own business, women should come forward in every field. The state government has reserved half the seats for women in the elections to panchayats and urban bodies. There is a system of adequate reservation in all government services including police. Self-help groups have been formed in the state so that women can unite and start their work and a large number of women are associated with it. Chief Minister Chouhan instructed Bhopal Collector and Municipal Corporation Commissioner to launch a campaign for the formation of women self-help groups in Bhopal. He said that we have to ensure that every woman earns at least Rs 10,000 per month. The Chief Minister said that the life of sisters should be full of happiness and joy, there should not be any difficulty in their life, for this purpose the state government is working on all aspects. Stamp duty is only one per cent for registration of immovable property in the name of women, while this fee is three per cent for registration in the name of men. Due to this, immovable properties have been registered in the name of women on a large scale. It has also been made mandatory to register the name of the wife along with the husband in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana houses. The Chief Minister said that the state government has closed all the ahatas running along with liquor shops in the state from April 1. The Congress on Friday attacked Bharatiya Janata Party over recent disclosure by former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik about Pulwama attack on jawans of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). All India Congress Committee (Backward department) president Ajay Kumar Singh, who is a retired Army captain, while raising Maliks disclosure, claimed that the prime minister should come out with a reply to clear the confusion and also demanded resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for failing to extend security to jawans leading to their ambush by terrorists in Pulwama. After 2211 attack on Hotel Taj and other places in Mumbai, Shivraj Patil, the then home minister in the United Progressive Alliance government, had taken morale responsibility and resigned, Singh said, claiming that the present National Democratic Alliance government had no shame or concern even for security personnel hence after Pulwama attack and now even after disclosure of Satyapal Malik, neither the prime minister broke his silence, nor Shah resigned taking morale responsibility of the Pulwama attack. Singh said that when such a terror attack was made on security forces, the prime minister of the country was not informed for over two hours as he was busy shooting a documentary in a jungle. Capt (Retired) Ajay Singh Yadav, while addressing a press conference here in presence of Congress state president Brijlal Khabri, highlighted the disclosure made by Satyapal Malik on the Pulwama attack. The eerie silence of the prime minister despite the revelations by Malik and the questions of former Army Chief General Shankar Roy Chowdhury again raised many unanswered questions, Singh said while claiming that the reality of fake nationalism projected by Bharatiya Janata Party supporters was now exposed before everyone. They never had an answer to issues like corruption, price rise, unemployment and declining economy, Singh said, and added, What kind of nationalism is this that the NDA government turned down the request of providing aircraft for the safety of its jawans leading to the terror attack in Pulwama. He claimed that according to news reports, at least 11 intelligence inputs were received between January 2, 2019 and February 3, 2019, pointing to suicide missions of Jaish-e-Mohammed. He said intelligence inputs were continuously coming that the convoys of the security forces were soft targets and there could be a terrorist attack on them. Why was this intelligence ignored? he asked. Dr S Chandrasekhar, secretary to the Government of India, Department of Science and Technology on Friday inaugurated TEXMiN, the technology innovation hub of IIT (ISM) and lauded the technologies developed by TEXMiN including the cutting edge telematics platform that enables real time monitoring and optimization of vehicles and asset movements in Mines. He also mentioned the web enabled illumination surveying equipment and AI powered e surveillance system developed at TEXMiN as a major technology which ensures greater safety and enhanced efficiency of workers. I am glad that TEXMiN established at IIT (ISM) an institute which having over 97 years experience in Mining and other earth science study is carrying forward the National Mission for Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical system of DST said Chandrasekhar. He inaugurated the hub through online mode from his office in New Delhi. He, however, advised the experts that the technologies developed here do not remain confined to usage startup as first phase activity and called upon the researchers to ensure the further development of the technologies at advance level to ensure its further usage at larger scale by garnering more funds. Addressing the gathering Prof Rajiv Shekhar, Director, IIT (ISM) threw light on the two years journey of TEXMiN established in 2020 and said that the journey of TEXMiN has so far been quite amazing and momentous. Terming the inauguration of TEXMiN held today as momentous occasion he said, The proposal of DST for establishing centre under the National Mission for Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical System came before the Covid and we decided to go for establish center for carrying out translational research and promote Innovation in the field of Mining and Exploration. Though, initially we were not very much aware about its potential but picture started making clear gradually with big mining players like Dassault (for setting up of Mine Excellence Centre), ESCI (for setting up of Geospatial Centre at TEXMiN), Sandvik (For establishing Mine Automation Learning Centre), Coal India (for launching of Innovation and incubation Centre) and Adani (for setting up S3 Mining Excellence Centre) joining hands with us and added that once they further laid focus on more innovative technologies realizing the fact after two years there will be no funding from DST. He also gave details of the technologies developed for Odisha Mining Corporation and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited. Prof Dheeraj Kumar, Deputy Director of IIT (ISM) who is also Project Director of TEXMiN while addressing the gathering gave details of facilities developed at TEXMiN as well as areas of expertise and collaborative work being carried and said Altogether 21 startups are working at present with TEXMiN as incubates developing one or other innovative technology and added that though it has been established over two years ago but the inauguration was carried out today as they wanted to make announcement with the solid evidence of some breaking research and development work carried out by it. Jeremy Kilburn, Provost, Curtin University, Australia, who happens to be one of the associate partners of the institute in different fields gave details about the collaborative academic and research partnership between the two organizations. Saifullah Ansari, Director (MSE), Directorate General of Mines Safety underlined the significance of innovative technologies for ensuring greater safety during Mining Operations. A 34-year-old man, who was arrested by the police in connection with his wifes murder and chopping her body and discarding the parts in Gurugram, reportedly disclosed before the police that he killed the woman over an extramarital affair. According to the police, the accused has been identified as Jitender, a resident of Gandhi Nagar, who was living on rent in Manesar. Earlier, he was working as a cook in the Navy and retired last year. The wife has been identified as 28-year-old Sonia Sharma. The couple had an 8-year-old daughter. During questioning the accused revealed to the police that he had an extra-marital affair with Bihar based woman whom he met on a train later and secretly got married to her. He had a son from his second marriage. The accuseds wife came to know about his extramarital relations and because of this there was a dispute between them and to get rid of the situation, he decided to kill his wife, Sonia. The accused first strangled her to death and later cut her body into pieces with the help of a knife and packed them in polythene bags. He decided to dispose of the body parts in different places in Gurugram so that the body couldnt be identified. He tried to dispose of the torso in a room built in the fields of Kukdola village in Manesar area on April 21, Vijay Pratap Singh, DCP (crime) said. The accused disposed of other body parts in Manesars forest area, Kherki-Daula, and the head in a pond nearby KMP road. The head of the body has been recovered by the Police in the presence of the Executive Magistrate on his disclosure on April 23. The hands of the body are yet to be recovered, he said. The police also recovered a Motorcycle, the clothes of the deceased, a knife, a trolly bag, and a backpack used in the crime.During the search of the room in which the torso was found, the police team found a polythene bag with the name of a Vishakhapatnam-based company. On inquiry, a vendor of the company informed the police that they supply that type of polythene bag to the Indian Navy only and it is very expensive. The incident came to light after a villager, Umed Singh, alerted the police about the half-burnt torso after smoke was emanating from the room built on his farm. In a major political development, former secretary of the Samajwadi Party, Ajay Tripathi Munna, along with thousands of his supporters, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in a function held at the BJP state headquarters on Friday. The joining of Tripathi is seen as a significant boost for the BJP in the upcoming municipal elections. BJP deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak welcomed the leaders in the party by offering saffron bandana. Welcoming the members Pathak said, Joining of Tripathi along with his supporters is indicative of the increase in popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Several other prominent trader leaders have also joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, including Uttar Pradesh State Womens Commission former member Suman Singh, Unnao Bar Association president Satish Kumar Shukla, Indian Industrial Farmers Association national president Ritesh Gupta. The Madhusudan Law University (MSLU) here on Friday celebrated its Second Foundation Day with Governor and Chancellor of the University Prof GaneshiLal as chief guest. Prof Lal paid rich tributes to legendary freedom fighter Madhusudan Das, the first graduate and the first advocate of Odisha, laid the foundation-stone for construction of a new auditorium of the university and also inaugurated a renovated academic building. Vice-Chancellor Prof Kamal Jeet Singh thanked the State Government for extending all kinds of support in terms of funds for infrastructure and manpower to run the university. I started from scratch to provide an academic ambiance and empower the students with the best education. I am proud to say that we have come a long way and achieved a lot in a short period of time, he said. Mayor gives job to dead workers wife New Delhi: Mayor Dr. Shelly Oberoi handed over a permanent job appointment letter to the wife of a sweeper who lost his life in a road accident while on duty. This marks the first time in MCD history that a family has been given a permanent job after the death of a contract worker. Gahlot inaugurates fitness centre at tihar New Delhi: Delhi Home Minister Kailash Gahlot inaugurated electronic roti-making machine and geriatric fitness centre at Tihar Jail. In addition to the electronic roti-making machine, the Home Minister also inaugurated a Geriatric Fitness Centre at jail no 2. This centre is specially designed for old age inmates who can now receive fitness training with equipment under the supervision of a trained trainer. The facility will help elderly inmates strengthen their muscles, enhance flexibility and ultimately improve their fitness levels. DJb vice chairman inspects Kondli wwtp New Delhi: Delhi Jal Board Vice Chairman Somnath Bharti inspected the Kondli Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) on Friday that is being developed under Yamuna Action Plan-III and took stock of the progress of the project. Top officials of Delhi Jal Board were also present during the inspection. Describing Kondli WWTP as an important step for cleaning River Yamuna, Bharti said that the work of Kondli WWTP Phase 2 is about to complete and this phase of the plant will become operational from May 5. This phase will soon be operating at its full potential. Phase 4 of Kondli WWTP will also reach its full capacity by September, 2023. Kondli WWTP has a capacity of 45 MGD. Phase 4 of the WWTP is currently operating at 50 per cent capacity. A total of 90 MGD of wastewater will be treated at Kondli WWTP on an everyday basis. kejriwal govt allows women to work night shifts New Delhi: Now, women in Delhi will be able to work night shifts with full security, with the Kejriwal Government having approved the draft for this change. Labour Minister Raaj Kumar Anand held a high-level meeting on Friday where he discussed with the officials of the Labour Department the draft policy made to allow women to work during night shifts, as well as other important issues, including their safety during the shift. Now, the Labour Department will seek suggestions and objections from the public, and after that the draft policy will be finalised. Even as less than a week is left for the first phase of the urban local bodies elections on May 4, the opposition parties Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress are conspicuous by their absence in the poll campaign. Congress general secretary and UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has not visited the state for the last one year. The campaign for the first phase of polling will end on May 2. Contrary to a lacklustre opposition, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath , two deputy chief ministers, senior ministers, top leaders of the party, MLAs and MPs are conducting whirlwind tours of the state and leaving no stone unturned to reach out to the voters. Besides hectic campaigning, the BJP is engaged in an intense process to pacify the rebel candidates who have filed nomination papers as independent candidates against the partys official candidates. The campaign of the SP, the main opposition party, is confined to social media. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has held a meeting of the party leaders at the party office and he is likely to campaign for the partys Lucknow mayoral candidate Vandana Mishra on Metro train on May 1. BSP chief Mayawati has already announced that she will not campaign in the urban local bodies polls. The Aam Aadmi Party, flexing its muscles in UP for the last several years, is also missing in action. The AAP campaign is limited to holding press conferences and leveling allegations against the Yogi Adityanath government. The campaign for the urban local bodies polls has gained momentum with top leaders from the BJP holding rallies across the state. The ruling BJP and its leaders, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, talk about national issues like how India changed after 2014 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm of affairs. They also discuss the law and order situation in the state and development, calling for a triple-engine government. Before 2014, India faced an identity crisis with rampant corruption and the younger population was hopeless. Our countrys respect was declining worldwide. Development was limited to the Five Year Plans. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi established a new India which is now recognised for its talent and the world looks towards India in times of crisis, said Yogi Adityanath, addressing a rally in Firozabad on Thursday. The chief minister is also focusing his campaign on the crackdown against organised mafia gangs and is targeting the SP for patronising criminals gangs while in office. The other BJP leaders, including the deputy chief ministers, are also highlighting how India changed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yogi Adityanath, in his rallies, also brought in the National Education Policy (NEP) and spoke on how the youth in India and Uttar Pradesh, who were trained and tech-savvy, could be provided with job opportunities. The other major focus area of the BJP campaign is the improvement in UPs law and order situation under the Yogi dispensation, describing riots and curfew as things of the past. The terror of mafia and anti-social elements has exited Uttar Pradesh; smart and safe cities are developing, Yogi Adityanath said in Mathura, adding that prior to 2017, activists of a political party used to roam around with guns to terrorise businessmen and common citizens, hinting at the SP. The SP chief released a booklet of agendas for the poll, containing promises like an urban employment guarantee scheme on the lines of MGNREGA, improvement of sewage and drainage system in cities, opening of samajwadi canteens in cities and making gaushalas self-sufficient. The third contender, BSPs campaign is being led by individual candidates and local party units working mostly on their own. The party hopes that a Muslim-Dalit combination would give rich dividends in the urban centres as 11 Muslims have been given mayoral tickets by the party in 17 municipal corporations. The elections across 760 urban local bodies will be held for 14,684 posts, including 17 mayoral seats and 1,420 corporators posts in two phases May 4 and May 11while counting of votes will be taken up on May 13. Fiji's tourism sector eyes on Chinese market Xinhua) 13:36, April 29, 2023 SUVA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Tourism Fiji, a tourism marketing arm of the Fijian government, says China is an important market to Fiji sharing a time-honored friendship. According to Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fiji welcomed more than 50,000 visitors from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong alone each year. The Chinese market, Fiji's fourth largest market pre-COVID, was also one of the highest yieldings, contributing 98.5 million Fijian dollars (about 44.2 million U.S. dollars) in tourism earnings. "Directly engaging with these markets was vital for building relationships," Hill said on Tourism Fiji's website recently. Tourism Fiji, Fiji Airways, and other industry partners traveled to China this month for a series of roadshows aimed at raising awareness of Fiji as a travel destination. Fiji Airways CEO and Managing Director, Andre Viljoen said the interest from the China roadshow has been overwhelming. With trade and media sessions held in Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu, Viljoen said Fiji is by far the number one island destination that all the agents want to sell, and all the media want to talk about. The consistent request for additional capacity and encouraging bookings means Chinese tourists could be back at pre-COVID numbers by the end of 2023, according to Viljoen. Fiji, a South Pacific island nation with a population of around 900,000, became an overseas destination for Chinese tourists in 2004. By 2015, with the signing of the Agreement on Mutual Visa Exemption, Chinese visitor arrivals to the island nation increased by an estimated 40 percent. (Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun) Four teenagers are accused of stealing guns from a Pompano Beach business last week after they crashed into the building in a stolen car and then stole another car to flee the scene, authorities said. The teens crashed a stolen white Kia Forte into the business near the 1300 block of Southwest First Court shortly before 3 a.m. April 21, the Broward Sheriffs Office said. The teens, who are ages 16 and 17, stole three AR-15 semi-automatic rifles once inside the store. WPLG-Ch. 10 reported that the business is a gun store. They drove off in a second stolen car another Kia Forte, the Sheriffs Office said. Detectives found the stolen car at a home in Oakland Park and while surveilling the house, watched two of the teens come out, each armed with rifles, and get into a black car, the Sheriffs Office said. Detectives stopped the car and the two teens were arrested. It is unclear when exactly they were arrested, but the Sheriffs Office said it was within less than 15 hours after the burglary. The Sheriffs Office did not provide details about where the other two teens were arrested but said they were arrested shortly after the others. The third stolen AR-15 has not been found. Each of the boys are facing one count of larceny-grand theft of a firearm, and charges stemming from the stolen cars and armed burglary are pending, the Sheriffs Office said. It is unclear whether they will be charged as adults. Authorities ask anyone with information on the incident or on where the third stolen AR-15 may be to contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477, online at browardcrimestoppers.org or by dialing **8477 from any cellphone in the United States. Any information that leads to an arrest is eligible for a reward of up to $5,000. The city police claimed to have arrested two robbers who looted a mobile phone and Rs 5,000 by stabbing a businessman who operates an electronic shop in Jehangirabad area. The police have recovered the victim's mobile from the accused. To identify the accused, the police had to check the footage of about 50 CCTV cameras. The father of one of the arrested accused is a goon of Shahjahanabad police station. Police are questioning him regarding other incidents. To commit the incident, the accused had hit the vehicle due to which he fell and the accused escaped after looting at knifepoint. According to information, Jitendra Shivvanshi, a resident of Old Subhash Nagar, runs an electronic shop. He told the police that at around 6 pm on April 26, he was going from old Bhopal via Barkhedi Gate to his home in Old Subhash Nagar on his motorcycle. Shiv Mandir had reached near Raisen Road when two boys riding in Activa hit his bike and started arguing with him during which an accused snatched mobile, Rs 5000 cash at knife point. Police searched the CCTV footage installed around the spot in which two suspects were nabbes. Both confessed to robbing the businessman. Naseem Khan does the work of setting. Mohammad Talib sets up an ice cream stall at the Gandhi Nagar bus stand. Accused Naseem's father is a goon of police station Shahjahanabad. The convocation ceremony of the Student Internship Program 2022-23 and the inauguration of the Student Internship Program 2023-24, conducted by the Bhopal Police Commissionerate, were organized at the Convention Center of National Law Institute University in the presence of Chief Guest Bhopal Commissioner Harinarayanachari Mishra. In the upcoming internship 2023-24, about 15 college and university students will do internship on 12 subjects/schemes related to IT based crime, training and analysis, cyber security, women and child safety, traffic safety, public safety and awareness and other issues. Professor Dr. V. Vijay Kumar (Vice Chancellor National Law Institute University) and other guests included Additional Commissioner of Police Law and Order Awadhesh Goswami, IES University Chancellor BS Yadav, Dr. Shailja Shastri from Jagran Lakecity University and officers and students of other colleges and universities were present. Professor Dr. Shailja Shastri was honored in this category for his special contribution as a faculty and the first prize in the group was collectively awarded to Jagran Lake City University and its students for successfully conducting self-enrichment and capacity development workshop. Apart from this, Jagran Lake City University's Media School was specially honored for making e-learning management course in the form of Special Jury Award. Major universities and colleges participating in the upcoming internship program are National Law Institute University, Maulana Azad National Institute, IES University, Rajiv Gandhi University of Technology, Barkatullah University, Institute of Excellence, LNCT, Rabindranath Tagore University, VIT, JLU, SAGE University, RKDF etc. In a move to rejuvenate the Yamuna river, officials of Delhi and Haryana will coordinate among themselves to enhance the impact of the efforts being made at the government level. The statement from Delhi Lieutenant General VK Saxenas office said officials of the two States on Thursday attended the meeting of a high-level committee set up by the National Green Tribunal for the rejuvenation of the river. The meeting came following several rounds of discussions between Delhi L-G VK Saxena and Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar. Saxena, who chaired Thursdays meeting described the rejuvenation of the Yamuna river as a national mission and asked officials of the two States to proactively cooperate to achieve the goal. It was decided that Haryana officials will attend the meetings of the high-level committee and carry out directions in coordination with their Delhi counterparts, the statement said. The meeting saw discussions being held on various aspects of pollution in the Yamuna river in Haryana and Delhi. Saxena thanked Haryana Chief Minister Khattar for his proactive support and instructed officials to evolve seamless coordination by undertaking joint visits. The participants of the meeting were of the view that concerted efforts were required by both states as any action taken by only Delhi was insufficient since continued pollution from sources in Haryana made the exercise futile. The Najafgarh drain, which accounted for about 70 per cent of pollution of the Yamuna, received 40 per cent of its most untreated discharge from three drains flowing out of Gurugram in Haryana, the statement said. Also, the Mangeshpur and Bhupania drains from Haryana carrying huge amounts of industrial effluent emptied into the Najafgarh drain at the Kakrola regulator. The DD6 drain from Kundli Industrial Area in Haryana emptied into the supplementary drain, it said, adding DD2 and DD8 drains from Panipat and Kundli in Haryana emptied directly into Yamuna right before the river entered Delhi. It was pointed out at the meeting that the water discharged into the Najafgarh drain and Yamuna from these eight drains required to be treated for keeping the drain and the river clean. The Haryana officials, including the chief secretary of the state, commissioner of urban local bodies, and commissioners of Gurugram and Faridabad, detailed the efforts being made by them and assured the L-G that it will be augmented enhanced and completed within a time frame corresponding to that of Delhi. Bhubaneswar MP AparajitaSarangi took up a review of the progress of all 41 projects and the Capital Region Ring Road (CRRR) worth nearly Rs 6,000 crore that she got sanctioned and started with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials recently. The 41 projects include 29 vehicle underpasses, nine flyovers and three foot overbridges worth Rs 529 crore. These projects have been undertaken in the Bhubaneswar Parliamentary Constituency in the last four years and most of them have been completed. Besides, to ease traffic problem in Bhubaneswar, she has got the CRRR project approved worth Rs 5,200 crore. She asked the officials to expedite the process of completion within the fixed timelines. "In the last four years as an MP from Bhubaneswar, one of my main thrusts was construction of required infrastructure for people's convenience and ease along the National Highway. I am Grateful to PM NarendraModi and Minister NitinGadkari for their tremendous support and blessings. All my requests for new projects were allowed," said Sarangi. In a tragic incident, a tribal woman was killed on Wednesday when an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Maoists detonated in a forested area of the region. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning when the woman, identified as Gangi Surin, was on her way to collect firewood. The middle-aged woman was killed in an IED blast at a forest stretch under Goelkera police station area in West Singhbhum, on Friday morning. According to sources, the IED was planted by Maoists insurgents who are active in the area. The blast was so powerful that it killed the woman on the spot and caused significant damage to the surrounding area. The police have launched an investigation into the incident and are trying to identify those responsible for the attack. Local residents have expressed their shock and grief over the incident, with many condemning the Maoist insurgency and calling for an end to the violence. The incident highlights the ongoing threat of Maoist insurgency in the region and the need for greater efforts to address the root causes of the conflict. Identified as Gangi Surin, the victim was a resident of Patahatu village in Goiekera and the incident took place when she had ventured into the naxal-hit forest stretch known as Marigiri jungle for fetching firewood. According to sources, it was one of the pressure IEDs that the naxals have planted at the periphery of the Marigiri jungle and as the victim stepped into the jungle the device exploded. According to sources, a contingent of CRPF has already left for Marigiri jungle, considered to be a strategically important destination for carrying out any anti-insurgency operation. About half-a-dozen villagers have been killed caused by IED blasts in the naxal-sieged Kolhan and Porahat forest divisions under which Goelkera falls since January this year after a big squad of CPI-Maoist rebels has sneaked into there following planted innumerable IEDs in that forest cover. Local authorities have responded by increasing police and military presence in the area, setting up checkpoints and roadblocks, and conducting search operations to locate any other potential threats. Intelligence gathering efforts have also been intensified to identify the perpetrators of the attack and prevent future incidents. The blast has raised concerns about the security situation in the region, which has seen an increase in violence in recent months. Officials have vowed to take all necessary measures to restore peace and security to the area, and have appealed to the public to cooperate with law enforcement agencies in their efforts to combat terrorism and other forms of violence. On the fourth day of the election campaign, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath gave a call for formation of a triple-engine government of the Bharatiya Janata Party during public meetings in Sitapur, Lakhimpur Kheri and Balrampur. He also made a scathing attack on the opposition parties. On the lines of Kashi, Ayodhya and Mathura-Vrindavan, Naimisharanya will soon undergo a facelift that will boost religious tourism here and lead to numerous employment opportunities in every sector, Yogi Adityanath said in Sitapur. Addressing a rally in favour of Bharatiya Janata Party candidates in Sitapur, the chief minister said that similar to Kashi, Ayodhya and Mathura-Vrindavan, Naimisharanya would soon undergo a facelift that would boost religious tourism and lead to numerous employment opportunities in every sector. He compared the municipal elections in UP to Devasur sangram and said, From this land of Naimisharanya, Maharishi Dadhichi once donated his bones to make weapons for the victory of the divine forces. Now is the perfect opportunity to use this election to teach the demonic, corrupt, miscreants, mafia and criminals a lesson. Maintaining that Naimisharanya's history dates back thousands of years, the chief minister said that this place had always served as a centre of faith for all because it contained the complete wisdom of Indian sages. The chief minister noted that the government had started the work of rejuvenating Naimisharanya. Very soon, electric buses will begin operating in this area. Not only this, helicopter service is going to start here in the next few months. Roads will be widened. If Naimisharanya is rejuvenated, lakhs of crores of tourists will come here, generating employment in every sector, he said. In Lakhimpur Kheri, Yogi Adityanath said, Today, the public has faith in the BJP and its workers as under its rule, security, good governance, welfare of citizens and prosperity are guaranteed. With the installation of the third engine with the double-engine government, all the facilities will reach every village, street, farmer and youth. This will help in finishing the corrupt, mafia and criminals in the state. Flaying the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress, the chief minister said that the previous governments failed to ensure the prosperity of the region as per its potential and stalled development. The farmers in Lakhimpur possess the power of feeding the state and the country. The sweetness of the sugar mills here reaches the country and the world. We have prepared a comprehensive action plan to further the development of Lakhimpur, he said. Along with facilities like four-lane roads, technical education, Lakhimpur will soon have its own medical college and the government will also develop its airstrip into an airport. Lakhimpur will serve as the hub of ecotourism, which will open new avenues for the regions development, Yogi asserted. Slamming the opposition, Yogi said that it was only the BJP which during the COVID-19 crisis reached out to the public and ensured their well-being. We also provided a free ration facility. Whether it is welfare schemes for the poor or infrastructure, we have taken care of everything, he concluded. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in Balrampur that before 2017, it took him four hours to travel from Gonda to the Devipatan temple, but now this distance was being covered in just 45 minutes. The chief minister went on to say, The mafias who used to grab all the funds for streets, drains, housing for the poor, and electricity, among others, had been put behind bars. He said dons and professional criminals who used to proudly roam in streets were now begging for mercy with placards around their necks. Stating that India was changing today, Yogi said that significant work on infrastructure development was being done in the country. Large institutions, airports and medical colleges are coming up in the state. The Saryu Canal National Project, which had been delayed for 50 years, was completed by the double-engine government, he said. Yogi said that nobody ever thought that three medical colleges would be opened in Devipatan commissionerate. He said construction of medical colleges had started in Bahraich and Gonda, while in Balrampur it was now complete. He said the Shravasti airport was in the final stages of construction. If the people of Balrampur have to go to Lucknow via Delhi or go anywhere else, they will now get the facility of an airport in Bahraich itself, he said. Carlos Alcaraz clenched both fists and roared "Vamos! Vamos! Vamos!" at the packed stands of the Madrid Open. His war cry of "Let's go!" in Spanish draws motivation for Alcaraz when he faces difficulty, and revs up his fans. This time it worked. The defending champion survived a tougher-than-expected test by 41st-ranked Emil Ruusuvuori in his opening match on Friday. Alcaraz was on the brink of an early upset before he dug down for a 2-6 6-4 6-2 victory over his Finnish opponent. The Spanish teenager, who turns 20 next week, saved five break points in what turned out to be a critical game to remain level at 3-3 in the second set. In the next game, Alcaraz secured his first break to turn the second-round match in his favor. Alcaraz jokingly apologised to the partisan crowd for the close call. "It wasn't just a scare for them, it was (a scare) for me, too," Alcaraz said. "I am just happy I could get this very difficult win. . . . Maybe people think that I should win easily or not get into trouble in matches, but each match is its own world. It was a very hard match. You just have to stay humble and accept the bad moments as they come and try to turn it around." On the women's side, No. 1 Iga Swiatek eased past Julia Grabher of Austria 6-3 6-2 after the three-time Grand Slam winner converted three of five break chances. Alcaraz, ranked No. 2, arrived from successfully defending his Barcelona Open title last weekend and with a chance to move closer to reclaiming the top spot in the world ranking from Novak Djokovic who, like Rafael Nadal, is out with injury. Ruusuvuori beat Alcaraz on the hard court of Miami in 2021. Alcaraz won that tournament in Florida a year later before also conquering Barcelona and Madrid during a remarkable season that culminated in his U.S. Open victory. But Ruusuvuori was not expected to give Alcaraz such a tough test on the Madrid clay. The result was still in doubt until Ruusuvuori sent his backhand into the net and ceded his first service game of the third set. Alcaraz poured it on to increase his advantage. Alcaraz will next face Grigor Dimitrov after he beat Gregoire Barrere 6-0 5-7 6-3. Also, third-seeded Casper Ruud lost to Italian qualifier Matteo Arnaldi 6-3 6-4. Fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev advanced after seeing off Stan Wawrinka 7-5 6-4 as the Monte Carlo winner improved to 9-1 on clay this year. Also in the women's tournament, third-seeded Jessica Pegula, who was a finalist in Madrid last year, got past Polish qualifier Magdalena Frech 7-6 (5) 6-3. Masked Iranian Navy commandos conducted a helicopter-borne raid to seize a US-bound oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, footage aired by Irans state television showed on Friday. The capture on Thursday of the Turkish-managed, Chinese-owned Advantage Sweet represents the latest seizure by Iran amid tensions with the US over advancing nuclear programme. The vessels manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute. All the ships 24 crew members are Indian. While Tehran says the tanker was seized over it running into another Iranian vessel, it has provided no evidence yet to support the claim and the Islamic Republic has taken other ships as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West. The footage showed the commandos descending on the deck of the Advantage Sweet by ropes from a hovering helicopter. A photograph showed one commando with his fist in the air after apparently taking the vessel. The US Navys 5th Fleet has said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years. Irans continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy, it added. The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority, the firm said. Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger. The Navy initially said Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized the vessel, but an American naval aircraft later confirmed that Irans navy captured the ship, 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins told The Associated Press. Irans state-run IRNA news agency said the seizure came after an unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel last night in the Persian Gulf, causing several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured. It did not identify the other ship involved in the alleged collision. The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, but its track showed no unusual behavior as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of all oil traded passes. Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a chip to negotiate with foreign nations. Irans harassing activity within the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman is commensurate with an established pattern of behavior that has seen Iran target vessels as a result of ongoing disputes," maritime security firm Dryad Global said. Thursdays seizure by Iran was the latest in a string of hijackings and explosions to roil the region. The incidents began after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Also, the US Navy has blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers in 2019, as well as for a fatal drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker that killed two European crew members in 2021. A Chinese national arrested in Pakistan on charges of committing blasphemy has been freed from a high-security prison after an anti-terrorism court granted him bail, officials said on Friday. The court order came on a day when Chinas new Premier Li Qiang held talks with his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday. Judge Sajjad Ahmad Jan in the northwestern city of Abbottabad on Thursday granted the bail to the suspect identified as Tian after he furnished a bond of Rs 200,000 as surety. He was later taken to an undisclosed location due to security reasons. The Biden administration on Thursday sanctioned Russias Federal Security Service and Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence organisation, accusing them of wrongfully detaining Americans. Its the first rollout of new sanctions authorisations established last year by President Joe Biden for use against those holding Americans unjustly captive. Still, the sanctions are largely symbolic, since both organisations already are under sweeping sanctions for an array of malevolent behaviour from election interference and Russia's invasion of Ukraine to support for terrorist activity. Biden said the safe return of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad has been a priority since the first day of his presidency. Today, and every day, our message to Russia, Iran, and the world is holding hostage or wrongfully detaining Americans is unacceptable. Release them immediately, he said in a written statement. Senior administration officials declined to specify which detentions specifically underpinned the sanctions, saying they were a response to a pattern of actions by the two countries in unjustly holding Americans both currently and in the past. A US Treasury news release stated that Iranian authorities frequently hold and interrogate detainees in Evin Prison in Tehran and have a direct role in the repression of protests and arrest of dissidents, including dual nationals. Senior administration officials noted that Thursday's actions were in the works well before the arrest last month of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia, whose imprisonment was swiftly deemed unjust by the U.S. government. He joins American Paul Whelan with that designation in Russia. In addition to targeting the two organisations, the administration is also adding additional sanctions on four IRGC leaders it alleges are involved in hostage taking efforts. Brian E. Nelson, Treasurys under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said the U.S. is committed to bringing home wrongfully detained U.S. nationals and acting against foreign threats to the safety of US nationals abroad. The senior administration officials said that relief from the sanctions could be used as an inducement in negotiations to try to secure the release of the Americans held overseas. A Golden Beach police sergeant shot while trying to capture two car-theft suspects early Saturday morning was in stable condition on Sunday after surgery, according to a report on NBC6. At around 3:15 a.m. on Saturday, the Hollywood Police Department received a call for assistance from Golden Beach police officers who had joined Sunny Isles officers in pursuit of suspects driving a stolen car north on Ocean Drive. According to Deanna Bettineschi, of the Hollywood Police Department, the suspects lost control of the car while turning onto Hallandale Beach Boulevard, got out and fled. Golden Beach police officers pursued them on foot and during the chase Sgt. Joseph Bautista was shot twice in the arm. Bautista was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood in stable condition. The two suspects were taken into custody. We are grateful the injuries to the sergeant are not more severe, Bettineschi said in a statement. Detectives are asking anyone with information about the case to call the Hollywood Police Department at 954-764-4357(HELP) or 954-967-4567, or email hollywoodpdtips@hollywoodfl.org. Information also can be given to Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477(TIPS) or BrowardCrimeStoppers.org. Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Friday reiterated Chinas continued support to its all-weather ally Pakistan which is facing grim political and economic turmoil as he met Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir, who is on his maiden visit. Wang, who was the former foreign minister and was promoted as the director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, told Gen Munir that China will continue to firmly support Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as in achieving unity, stability, development and prosperity. The Pakistani military is a staunch defender of the ironclad friendship between China and Pakistan, Wang said, adding that China commends successive Pakistani administrations and all political parties for firmly pursuing friendly policies toward China, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Since his arrival on a four-day maiden visit, Gen Munir held talks with Chinese military officials, while Chinas new Premier, Li Qiang spoke over the phone with his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday promising continued financial help. During his talks with Sharif, Qiang voiced support for cash-strapped Pakistan in maintaining financial stability and hoped that Islamabad will continue to create a favourable environment to guarantee the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel working in the country. China supports Pakistan in maintaining financial stability, and hopes that Pakistan will continue to create a favourable environment so as to guarantee the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan, Li told Sharif. Beijing has been bailing out Pakistan with periodic foreign exchange loans as Islamabad continues to struggle with the balance payments crisis. Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR Get Rating) (NYSE:CNI) had its price objective raised by ATB Capital from C$175.00 to C$180.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on CNR. Atlantic Securities set a C$162.00 price target on shares of Canadian National Railway in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$172.00 to C$178.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 24th. Desjardins raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$169.00 to C$171.00 in a report on Tuesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Canadian National Railway to a sell rating and set a C$150.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Canadian National Railway presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$168.59. Get Canadian National Railway alerts: Canadian National Railway Stock Up 0.4 % TSE CNR opened at C$161.50 on Tuesday. Canadian National Railway has a 52 week low of C$137.26 and a 52 week high of C$175.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 74.33. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is C$159.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$161.57. The firm has a market cap of C$107.81 billion, a PE ratio of 21.71, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.69. Canadian National Railway Cuts Dividend Canadian National Railway ( TSE:CNR Get Rating ) (NYSE:CNI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 24th. The company reported C$2.10 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of C$2.10. Canadian National Railway had a return on equity of 23.20% and a net margin of 29.92%. The business had revenue of C$4.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$4.51 billion. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Canadian National Railway will post 7.9416867 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 9th will be paid a $0.79 dividend. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.96%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 8th. Canadian National Railways payout ratio is 42.47%. Canadian National Railway Company Profile (Get Rating) Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail and related transportation business. The company's portfolio of goods includes petroleum and chemicals, grain and fertilizers, coal, metals and minerals, forest products, intermodal, and automotive products serving exporters, importers, retailers, farmers, and manufacturers. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Canadian National Railway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian National Railway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ Get Rating) updated its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $2.55-2.65 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.56. Cousins Properties also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $2.55-$2.65 EPS. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms recently issued reports on CUZ. StockNews.com cut shares of Cousins Properties from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of Cousins Properties from $28.00 to $24.00 in a report on Monday, March 20th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of Cousins Properties from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, February 14th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Cousins Properties from $36.00 to $28.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 24th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Cousins Properties in a report on Thursday, April 20th. They set a hold rating and a $21.00 target price on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $26.00. Get Cousins Properties alerts: Cousins Properties Trading Up 1.5 % Shares of NYSE:CUZ traded up $0.33 during trading on Friday, reaching $21.81. The stock had a trading volume of 1,928,366 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,694,905. The firms fifty day moving average is $21.92 and its 200 day moving average is $24.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.73. Cousins Properties has a 52 week low of $18.06 and a 52 week high of $38.67. The stock has a market cap of $3.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.12. Cousins Properties Dividend Announcement Insiders Place Their Bets The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 5th were paid a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.87%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 4th. Cousins Propertiess dividend payout ratio is currently 115.32%. In other Cousins Properties news, EVP John S. Mccoll sold 36,975 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.93, for a total value of $921,786.75. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 30,814 shares in the company, valued at $768,193.02. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cousins Properties Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Cousins Properties by 24.3% in the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 8,349 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $336,000 after buying an additional 1,633 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Cousins Properties by 2.1% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 14,922 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $600,000 after buying an additional 306 shares in the last quarter. AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Cousins Properties in the first quarter valued at $287,000. Natixis Advisors L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Cousins Properties by 13.1% in the first quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 16,971 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $684,000 after buying an additional 1,969 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can lifted its stake in shares of Cousins Properties by 115.7% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 66,926 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,752,000 after buying an additional 35,897 shares in the last quarter. 97.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Cousins Properties Company Profile (Get Rating) Cousins Properties, Inc engages in the development, acquisition, leasing and management of real estate assets. It invests in urban office towers located in Sunbelt markets. The company was founded by Thomas G. Cousins in 1958 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Cousins Properties Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cousins Properties and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. JNBA Financial Advisors cut its holdings in shares of McDonalds Co. (NYSE:MCD Get Rating) by 8.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,713 shares of the fast-food giants stock after selling 547 shares during the quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors holdings in McDonalds were worth $1,506,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MCD. Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in shares of McDonalds by 103.4% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 413 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $102,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of McDonalds by 7.7% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 69,824 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $17,266,000 after buying an additional 5,007 shares in the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its stake in McDonalds by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 516,408 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $127,697,000 after purchasing an additional 23,643 shares in the last quarter. Stevens Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in McDonalds during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,108,000. Finally, Equitable Holdings Inc. grew its stake in McDonalds by 59.7% during the 1st quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. now owns 9,338 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $2,309,000 after purchasing an additional 3,490 shares in the last quarter. 66.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get McDonald's alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages have weighed in on MCD. Wedbush raised their price objective on McDonalds from $315.00 to $330.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Northcoast Research raised McDonalds from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $321.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, April 10th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on McDonalds from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Loop Capital increased their target price on McDonalds from $328.00 to $346.00 in a report on Wednesday. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on McDonalds in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, McDonalds has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $306.83. Insider Buying and Selling McDonalds Stock Performance In related news, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,396 shares of McDonalds stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $265.44, for a total value of $370,554.24. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 308 shares in the company, valued at approximately $81,755.52. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . In other news, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,396 shares of McDonalds stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $265.44, for a total transaction of $370,554.24. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 308 shares in the company, valued at $81,755.52. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . Also, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 3,850 shares of McDonalds stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $267.69, for a total value of $1,030,606.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 34,637 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,271,978.53. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold 8,122 shares of company stock worth $2,177,681 in the last three months. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Shares of MCD stock traded up $1.23 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $295.95. 1,042,906 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,703,704. McDonalds Co. has a twelve month low of $228.34 and a twelve month high of $296.11. The firm has a market cap of $216.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.31 and a beta of 0.63. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $275.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $269.89. McDonalds (NYSE:MCD Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The fast-food giant reported $2.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.32. The company had revenue of $5.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.58 billion. McDonalds had a negative return on equity of 122.21% and a net margin of 29.36%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.28 EPS. Analysts forecast that McDonalds Co. will post 10.83 earnings per share for the current year. McDonalds Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 1st were issued a $1.52 dividend. This represents a $6.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.05%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 28th. McDonaldss payout ratio is 65.24%. McDonalds Profile (Get Rating) McDonalds Corp. engages in the operation and franchising of restaurants. It operates through the following segments: U.S., International Operated Markets, and International Developmental Licensed Markets and Corporate. The U.S. segment focuses its operations on the United States. The International Operated Markets segment consists of operations and the franchising of restaurants in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, and the U.K. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MCD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for McDonalds Co. (NYSE:MCD Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for McDonald's Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for McDonald's and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MaxLinear (NYSE:MXL Get Rating) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Friday. Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on MaxLinear from $48.00 to $40.00 in a research note on Thursday. Benchmark reduced their price objective on MaxLinear from $50.00 to $47.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Craig Hallum reduced their price objective on MaxLinear from $55.00 to $37.00 in a research note on Thursday. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on MaxLinear in a research report on Tuesday, February 28th. They set an underperform rating and a $30.00 price target for the company. Finally, Northland Securities reduced their price target on MaxLinear from $35.00 to $25.00 in a research report on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MaxLinear currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $40.00. Get MaxLinear alerts: MaxLinear Trading Down 0.3 % MXL stock traded down $0.07 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $24.13. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,426,474 shares, compared to its average volume of 553,723. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.65. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $33.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $34.56. MaxLinear has a 1 year low of $23.85 and a 1 year high of $53.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.57 and a beta of 1.93. Insider Activity MaxLinear ( NYSE:MXL Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The semiconductor company reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.17. MaxLinear had a return on equity of 39.70% and a net margin of 9.14%. The business had revenue of $290.59 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $290.09 million. On average, equities research analysts predict that MaxLinear will post 1.31 EPS for the current year. In other news, insider James Lougheed sold 115,944 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.74, for a total value of $4,723,558.56. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,921 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $159,741.54. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 8.50% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On MaxLinear Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MXL. Raymond James & Associates increased its holdings in MaxLinear by 41.2% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 17,748 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $1,036,000 after purchasing an additional 5,183 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MaxLinear during the 1st quarter worth about $864,000. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of MaxLinear by 22.0% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 5,298 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $309,000 after acquiring an additional 955 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. boosted its position in shares of MaxLinear by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 76,387 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $4,457,000 after acquiring an additional 2,937 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can boosted its position in shares of MaxLinear by 26.8% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 23,413 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $1,455,000 after acquiring an additional 4,947 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.26% of the companys stock. About MaxLinear (Get Rating) MaxLinear, Inc engages in the provision of communications systems-on-chip, or SoC, solutions used in broadband, mobile and wireline infrastructure, data center, and industrial and multi-market applications. Its products include cable broadband modems and gateways, wireline connectivity devices, radio frequency transceivers, fiber-optic modules, video set-top boxes and gateways, hybrid analog and digital televisions, direct broadcast satellite outdoor and indoor units, and power management and interface products. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for MaxLinear Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MaxLinear and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF Get Rating) (TSE:SLF) Equities research analysts at Cormark increased their Q1 2023 EPS estimates for Sun Life Financial in a report released on Tuesday, April 25th. Cormark analyst L. Persaud now expects that the financial services provider will post earnings of $1.13 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.12. The consensus estimate for Sun Life Financials current full-year earnings is $4.74 per share. Get Sun Life Financial alerts: Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. TD Securities boosted their target price on Sun Life Financial from C$68.00 to C$71.00 in a report on Friday, February 10th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Sun Life Financial from C$76.00 to C$78.00 in a report on Friday, February 10th. National Bank Financial increased their price objective on Sun Life Financial from C$69.00 to C$71.00 in a research report on Friday, February 10th. StockNews.com began coverage on Sun Life Financial in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Finally, Desjardins lifted their price objective on Sun Life Financial from C$73.00 to C$75.00 in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Sun Life Financial Price Performance Shares of NYSE:SLF opened at $49.08 on Thursday. Sun Life Financial has a 1 year low of $37.96 and a 1 year high of $51.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $28.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.00. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $47.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.60. Sun Life Financial (NYSE:SLF Get Rating) (TSE:SLF) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The financial services provider reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.16 by $0.09. Sun Life Financial had a net margin of 13.70% and a return on equity of 13.28%. The company had revenue of $9.06 billion for the quarter. Sun Life Financial Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 1st were issued a dividend of $0.541 per share. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.41%. This is an increase from Sun Life Financials previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 28th. Sun Life Financials dividend payout ratio is currently 52.75%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Sun Life Financial during the 4th quarter valued at about $290,398,000. National Bank of Canada FI increased its holdings in Sun Life Financial by 229.8% during the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 6,172,350 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $286,253,000 after purchasing an additional 4,300,627 shares in the last quarter. Man Group plc increased its holdings in Sun Life Financial by 84.8% during the 4th quarter. Man Group plc now owns 3,141,398 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $145,716,000 after purchasing an additional 1,441,387 shares in the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank increased its stake in shares of Sun Life Financial by 21.2% in the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 4,501,573 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $181,328,000 after buying an additional 786,976 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board increased its stake in shares of Sun Life Financial by 60.1% in the 3rd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 2,054,565 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $82,135,000 after buying an additional 770,965 shares during the period. 44.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Sun Life Financial Company Profile (Get Rating) Sun Life Financial, Inc engages in the provision of insurance and asset management solutions to individual and corporate clients. It operates through the following segments: Canada, United States, Asset Management, Asia, and Corporate. The Canada segment offers individual insurance and group benefits and retirement services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Sun Life Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sun Life Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Aflac (NYSE:AFL Get Rating) released its earnings results on Thursday. The financial services provider reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.15, Briefing.com reports. Aflac had a return on equity of 15.25% and a net margin of 22.90%. The company had revenue of $4.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.61 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.42 earnings per share. Aflacs quarterly revenue was down 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Aflac Price Performance Aflac stock traded up $0.38 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $69.85. 4,197,878 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,163,626. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.06 and a current ratio of 0.06. The company has a market capitalization of $42.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.93. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $65.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $67.98. Aflac has a 1 year low of $52.07 and a 1 year high of $74.01. Get Aflac alerts: Aflac Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 17th will be given a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.41%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 16th. Aflacs dividend payout ratio is presently 24.24%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Insider Buying and Selling at Aflac AFL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Citigroup reduced their target price on Aflac from $73.00 to $69.00 in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Aflac from $77.00 to $72.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Aflac in a research note on Tuesday. They set an equal weight rating and a $73.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Aflac from $62.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, January 6th. Finally, Raymond James lifted their price target on Aflac from $74.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, January 30th. Seven 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 stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $71.22. In other Aflac news, Director Masatoshi Koide sold 19,291 shares of Aflac stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.36, for a total value of $1,357,314.76. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 87,598 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,163,395.28. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other Aflac news, Director Joseph L. Moskowitz sold 500 shares of Aflac stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.45, for a total value of $32,225.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 19,269 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,241,887.05. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Masatoshi Koide sold 19,291 shares of Aflac stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.36, for a total value of $1,357,314.76. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 87,598 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,163,395.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aflac Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. CoreFirst Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of Aflac in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Studio Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Aflac in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Aflac by 572.9% in the 2nd quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 895 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 762 shares in the last quarter. High Net Worth Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Aflac by 218.5% in the 1st quarter. High Net Worth Advisory Group LLC now owns 876 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 601 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Aflac by 129.0% in the 4th quarter. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 1,264 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $91,000 after purchasing an additional 712 shares in the last quarter. 66.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Aflac Company Profile (Get Rating) Aflac, Inc is a holding company. engages in the provision of financial protection services. It operates through the followings segments: Aflac Japan and Aflac United States (U.S.). The Aflac Japan segment offers life insurance, death benefits, and cash surrender values. The Aflac U.S. segment sells voluntary supplemental insurance products for people who already have major medical or primary insurance coverage. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Aflac Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Aflac and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (TSE:AEM Get Rating) (NYSE:AEM) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, April 27th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Thursday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of 0.541 per share on Thursday, June 15th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.82%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 31st. This is an increase from Agnico Eagle Miness previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. Agnico Eagle Mines Price Performance Shares of TSE:AEM opened at C$76.86 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.19. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of C$69.94 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$68.40. Agnico Eagle Mines has a fifty-two week low of C$48.88 and a fifty-two week high of C$80.40. The company has a market cap of C$35.20 billion, a PE ratio of 37.49, a P/E/G ratio of -1.52 and a beta of 0.80. Get Agnico Eagle Mines alerts: Agnico Eagle Mines (TSE:AEM Get Rating) (NYSE:AEM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The company reported C$0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$0.53 by C$0.02. Agnico Eagle Mines had a net margin of 11.67% and a return on equity of 6.03%. The company had revenue of C$1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$1.91 billion. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Agnico Eagle Mines will post 2.1595896 EPS for the current year. Insider Activity Wall Street Analyst Weigh In In related news, Senior Officer Ammar Al-Joundi acquired 8,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were acquired at an average price of C$62.17 per share, with a total value of C$509,822.70. 0.11% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from C$89.00 to C$91.00 in a report on Thursday, April 20th. National Bank Financial lifted their price target on Agnico Eagle Mines from C$76.00 to C$95.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. National Bankshares upped their price objective on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from C$76.00 to C$95.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Barclays began coverage on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines in a research report on Friday, February 17th. They issued a buy rating and a C$62.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their price target on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from C$90.00 to C$84.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 2nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of C$78.71. About Agnico Eagle Mines (Get Rating) Agnico Eagle Mines Limited engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties in Canada, Mexico, and Finland. It operates through Northern Business and Southern Business segments. The company primarily produces and sells gold deposits, as well as explores for silver, zinc, and copper deposits. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Agnico Eagle Mines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Agnico Eagle Mines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Alamos Gold (NYSE:AGI Get Rating) (TSE:AGI) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The basic materials company reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.08 by $0.04, Briefing.com reports. Alamos Gold had a net margin of 10.58% and a return on equity of 5.01%. The business had revenue of $251.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $231.55 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.05 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 36.3% on a year-over-year basis. Alamos Gold Price Performance AGI stock opened at $12.93 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.10 billion, a PE ratio of 53.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.09. The companys 50-day moving average is $11.68 and its 200-day moving average is $10.35. Alamos Gold has a 1 year low of $6.35 and a 1 year high of $13.81. Get Alamos Gold alerts: Alamos Gold Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 16th were given a dividend of $0.025 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 15th. This represents a $0.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.77%. Alamos Golds dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.67%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alamos Gold Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AGI. Engineers Gate Manager LP bought a new position in shares of Alamos Gold during the 3rd quarter worth about $81,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Alamos Gold by 58.8% in the 1st quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 9,901 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $83,000 after acquiring an additional 3,665 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Alamos Gold in the 1st quarter worth about $101,000. First Trust Advisors LP acquired a new stake in shares of Alamos Gold in the 3rd quarter worth about $103,000. Finally, ExodusPoint Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Alamos Gold in the 4th quarter worth about $135,000. Institutional investors own 50.22% of the companys stock. AGI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group downgraded shares of Alamos Gold from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, January 19th. CIBC upped their price target on shares of Alamos Gold from C$17.50 to C$18.50 in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. TD Securities cut shares of Alamos Gold from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. National Bank Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Alamos Gold from C$17.50 to C$18.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th. Finally, Scotiabank started coverage on shares of Alamos Gold in a research report on Monday, April 24th. They set an outperform rating and a $14.50 price target on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $16.08. Alamos Gold Company Profile (Get Rating) Alamos Gold, Inc engages in the exploration, development, mining and extraction of precious metals. It operates through the following segments: Young-Davidson, Mulatos, Island Gold, Elchanate, Kirazli and Corporate and Other. The company was founded on February 21, 2003 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. See Also 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. Anhui Conch Cement Company Limited (OTCMKTS:AHCHY Get Rating) saw a significant drop in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,000 shares, a drop of 47.4% from the March 31st total of 1,900 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 32,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.0 days. Anhui Conch Cement Trading Up 1.3 % OTCMKTS AHCHY opened at $15.71 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average is $17.67 and its 200 day moving average is $17.44. Anhui Conch Cement has a fifty-two week low of $12.80 and a fifty-two week high of $27.54. Get Anhui Conch Cement alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Anhui Conch Cement from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. About Anhui Conch Cement Anhui Conch Cement Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, sells, and trades in clinker and cement products. The company conducts its operations through five segments, which include Eastern China, Central China, Southern China, Western China, and Overseas. It provides construction and installation services for industrial purposes; logistic services; and mining and related services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Anhui Conch Cement Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Anhui Conch Cement and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Jurors deliberated for several hours Friday before breaking for the weekend in the corruption case against former Florida Democratic candidate for governor Andrew Gillum, who came within a whisker of defeating Republican Ron DeSantis in 2018. Federal prosecutors and defense attorneys made their closing arguments Friday morning following a nearly two-week trial. Later that afternoon, the Tallahassee Democrat reported that jurors had three questions: Can one defendant be found guilty of fraud and not the other? When will the jury be dismissed for the day? And what is a lay definition of a material fact? U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor responded that one defendant can be found guilty and not the other, jurors can recess at any time and come back either Saturday or Monday and the definition of a material fact is already in jury instructions. The jury will reconvene Monday morning. Prosecutors have accused Gillum of using a fake job at a friends public relations agency to funnel tens of thousands of dollars in campaign money to personal accounts. They said Gillum was struggling financially after quitting his $120,000-a-year job with the People for the American Way group to run for governor. Defense attorneys have argued that the public relations job was legitimate. Gillum is also accused of lying to undercover FBI agents posing as developers who paid for a 2016 trip he took with his brother to New York, including a ticket to the hit Broadway show Hamilton. Gillum faces a potentially lengthy prison sentence, although, under federal sentencing guidelines, he is likely to get far less than the maximum. A public relations executive and Gillum adviser, Sharon Lettman-Hicks, has also been charged in the case. Gillum, 43, a former Tallahassee mayor, sought to become the first Black governor in Florida history when he took on DeSantis in 2018. Gillum lost by less than 34,000 votes to DeSantis, triggering an automatic recount. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC decreased its stake in shares of BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK Get Rating) by 0.3% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 48,044 shares of the asset managers stock after selling 168 shares during the period. BlackRock makes up about 3.2% of Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NCs portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest position. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NCs holdings in BlackRock were worth $34,045,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of BLK. Israel Discount Bank of New York lifted its stake in BlackRock by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Israel Discount Bank of New York now owns 594 shares of the asset managers stock worth $327,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. First Community Trust NA lifted its stake in BlackRock by 18.4% in the 4th quarter. First Community Trust NA now owns 90 shares of the asset managers stock worth $64,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. CAPROCK Group Inc. lifted its stake in BlackRock by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. CAPROCK Group Inc. now owns 1,767 shares of the asset managers stock worth $972,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. HBC Financial Services PLLC lifted its stake in BlackRock by 55.6% in the 4th quarter. HBC Financial Services PLLC now owns 42 shares of the asset managers stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evermay Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in BlackRock by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Evermay Wealth Management LLC now owns 544 shares of the asset managers stock worth $386,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.69% of the companys stock. Get BlackRock alerts: Insider Transactions at BlackRock In other news, Director J. Richard Kushel sold 575 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $689.06, for a total transaction of $396,209.50. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 4,670 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,217,910.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Laurence Fink sold 35,799 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $694.50, for a total transaction of $24,862,405.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 484,325 shares in the company, valued at $336,363,712.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director J. Richard Kushel sold 575 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $689.06, for a total transaction of $396,209.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 4,670 shares in the company, valued at $3,217,910.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 42,563 shares of company stock valued at $29,723,221. 0.96% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. BlackRock Trading Up 1.3 % BlackRock stock traded up $8.52 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $671.20. The companys stock had a trading volume of 529,088 shares, compared to its average volume of 523,549. The company has a 50 day moving average of $667.39 and a 200-day moving average of $690.15. The stock has a market cap of $100.84 billion, a PE ratio of 20.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 2.99 and a current ratio of 2.99. BlackRock, Inc. has a one year low of $503.12 and a one year high of $785.65. BlackRock (NYSE:BLK Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 14th. The asset manager reported $7.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.71 by $0.22. The company had revenue of $4.24 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.24 billion. BlackRock had a return on equity of 13.69% and a net margin of 28.13%. BlackRocks quarterly revenue was down 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $9.52 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that BlackRock, Inc. will post 34.71 EPS for the current year. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several brokerages recently weighed in on BLK. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on shares of BlackRock from $760.00 to $740.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of BlackRock from $829.00 to $861.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on BlackRock from $763.00 to $770.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Credit Suisse Group raised their price objective on BlackRock from $662.00 to $673.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on BlackRock from $741.00 to $825.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 4th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $756.45. BlackRock Profile (Get Rating) BlackRock, Inc engages in providing investment management, risk management, and advisory services for institutional and retail clients worldwide. Its products include single and multi-asset class portfolios investing in equities, fixed income, alternatives, and money market instruments. The company was founded by Susan L. Recommended Stories 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 Get Rating). 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. Arnhold LLC lessened its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Rating) by 4.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 229,051 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 9,899 shares during the quarter. Bristol-Myers Squibb makes up about 2.0% of Arnhold LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Arnhold LLCs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $16,480,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. My Personal CFO LLC purchased a new stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Clear Investment Research LLC purchased a new stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. VitalStone Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Miller Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 101.3% during the 4th quarter. Miller Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 481 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Western Pacific Wealth Management LP boosted its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 878.6% during the 3rd quarter. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP now owns 548 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 492 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.51% of the companys stock. Get Bristol-Myers Squibb alerts: Bristol-Myers Squibb Trading Down 1.2 % BMY traded down $0.84 on Friday, hitting $66.77. The company had a trading volume of 10,695,008 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,632,355. The firm has a market cap of $140.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.63, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.45. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 1 year low of $65.28 and a 1 year high of $81.43. The companys fifty day moving average price is $68.92 and its 200 day moving average price is $72.67. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend Bristol-Myers Squibb ( NYSE:BMY Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $11.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.50 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 15.95% and a return on equity of 51.63%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.96 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.07 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 6th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.41%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 77.29%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Bristol-Myers Squibb news, EVP Ann Powell sold 11,183 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.69, for a total transaction of $835,258.27. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 23,043 shares in the company, valued at $1,721,081.67. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Ann Powell sold 11,183 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.69, for a total transaction of $835,258.27. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 23,043 shares in the company, valued at $1,721,081.67. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Giovanni Caforio sold 240,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total transaction of $17,916,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 236,104 shares in the company, valued at $17,625,163.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several brokerages have issued reports on BMY. Credit Suisse Group lowered their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $78.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Friday. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $70.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 3rd. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. They set an overweight rating and a $95.00 target price on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $79.63. Bristol-Myers Squibb Profile (Get Rating) Bristol Myers Squibb Co engages in the discovery, development, licensing, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of biopharmaceutical products. It offers chemically-synthesized drugs or small molecules and products produced from biological processes called biologics. The company was founded in August 1933 and is headquartered in New York, NY. See Also 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 Get Rating). 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. EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Get Rating) has been assigned a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the twenty-seven research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $150.42. A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on EOG shares. Mizuho decreased their price objective on EOG Resources from $160.00 to $150.00 in a report on Friday, March 10th. Barclays decreased their price objective on EOG Resources from $152.00 to $145.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on EOG Resources from $139.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Raymond James lifted their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Scotiabank upgraded shares of EOG Resources from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and cut their target price for the company from $150.00 to $145.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. Get EOG Resources alerts: Institutional Trading of EOG Resources Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. abrdn plc raised its position in shares of EOG Resources by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. abrdn plc now owns 208,011 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $23,844,000 after acquiring an additional 629 shares during the last quarter. Dupont Capital Management Corp raised its position in shares of EOG Resources by 14.6% during the 1st quarter. Dupont Capital Management Corp now owns 12,604 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $1,445,000 after acquiring an additional 1,606 shares during the last quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System raised its position in shares of EOG Resources by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 197,430 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $22,631,000 after acquiring an additional 1,700 shares during the last quarter. MainStreet Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of EOG Resources by 4.5% in the 1st quarter. MainStreet Investment Advisors LLC now owns 46,422 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $5,321,000 after buying an additional 2,003 shares during the period. Finally, Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of EOG Resources by 38.1% in the 1st quarter. Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. now owns 167,518 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $19,203,000 after buying an additional 46,214 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.40% of the companys stock. EOG Resources Stock Up 3.1 % EOG stock opened at $119.47 on Friday. EOG Resources has a twelve month low of $92.16 and a twelve month high of $150.88. The company has a market cap of $70.22 billion, a PE ratio of 9.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 1.53. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $115.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $126.28. The company has a quick ratio of 1.71, a current ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 24th. The energy exploration company reported $3.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.31 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $6.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.09 billion. EOG Resources had a net margin of 30.19% and a return on equity of 34.95%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 11.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.09 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that EOG Resources will post 11.7 earnings per share for the current year. EOG Resources Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 14th were given a dividend of $0.825 per share. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.76%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 13th. EOG Resourcess payout ratio is 24.98%. EOG Resources Company Profile (Get Rating) EOG Resources, Inc engages in the exploration, development, production and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. It operates through the United States, Trinidad & Tobago, and Other International segments. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. See Also 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. Compass Financial Group INC SD bought a new stake in BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MIY Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 31,709 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $352,000. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Melone Private Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund by 8.5% in the 4th quarter. Melone Private Wealth LLC now owns 405,175 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,493,000 after buying an additional 31,725 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund by 13.1% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 276,933 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,548,000 after acquiring an additional 32,102 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 259,959 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,218,000 after acquiring an additional 12,908 shares during the last quarter. Reitz Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter. Reitz Capital Advisors LLC now owns 237,566 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,941,000 after acquiring an additional 24,235 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its holdings in BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund by 36.5% during the 2nd quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 219,290 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,883,000 after acquiring an additional 58,589 shares during the last quarter. 15.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund alerts: BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund Stock Performance Shares of NYSE MIY opened at $11.19 on Friday. BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund, Inc. has a 52-week low of $10.56 and a 52-week high of $13.90. The companys 50 day moving average price is $11.12 and its 200-day moving average price is $11.33. BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund Announces Dividend BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund Profile The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th will be given a dividend of $0.0345 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. This represents a $0.41 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.70%. (Get Rating) 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. Further Reading 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 Get Rating). 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. Finance Of America Companies Inc. (NYSE:FOA Get Rating) shares traded up 1.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $1.67 and last traded at $1.66. 62,872 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 464,020 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.63. Finance Of America Companies Stock Performance The businesss fifty day moving average is $1.54 and its 200 day moving average is $1.52. The company has a quick ratio of 2.13, a current ratio of 2.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.16. Get Finance Of America Companies alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Finance Of America Companies In related news, major shareholder Holdings L.P. Blackstone III bought 10,869,566 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 31st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $1.38 per share, for a total transaction of $15,000,001.08. Following the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 24,727,216 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $34,123,558.08. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 3.22% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows About Finance Of America Companies Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of Montreal Can acquired a new position in Finance Of America Companies in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Finance Of America Companies during the third quarter valued at $26,000. American International Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Finance Of America Companies by 101.1% in the 2nd quarter. American International Group Inc. now owns 18,171 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 9,137 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new position in Finance Of America Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in Finance Of America Companies by 35.1% in the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 29,128 shares of the companys stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 7,573 shares in the last quarter. 53.11% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. (Get Rating) Finance of America Companies Inc operates a consumer lending platform in the United States. The company operates through: Mortgage Originations, Reverse Originations, Commercial Originations, Lender Services, and Portfolio Management segments. It provides residential mortgage loans to the government sponsored entities; government-insured agricultural lending solutions to farmers; product development, loan securitization, loan sales, risk management, asset management, and servicing oversight services to enterprise and third-party funds; and ancillary business services, title agency and title insurance services, mortgage servicing rights valuation and trade brokerage, transactional fulfillment services, mortgage loan third party review or due diligence services, and appraisal and capital management services to residential mortgage, student lending, and commercial lending industry customers. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Finance Of America Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Finance Of America Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize (OTCMKTS:AHODF Get Rating) is one of 51 public companies in the Grocery Stores industry, but how does it compare to its rivals? We will compare Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize to similar businesses based on the strength of its earnings, dividends, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk and institutional ownership. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of recent recommendations for Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat. Get Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize 0 1 2 0 2.67 Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize Competitors 1096 2654 2837 108 2.29 Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize presently has a consensus price target of C$31.10, suggesting a potential downside of 9.75%. As a group, Grocery Stores companies have a potential upside of 7.44%. Given Koninklijke Ahold Delhaizes rivals higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals. Insider & Institutional Ownership Dividends 29.4% of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 46.0% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are owned by institutional investors. 21.1% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize pays an annual dividend of C$0.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.2%. Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize pays out 60.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Grocery Stores companies pay a dividend yield of 3.4% and pay out 58.3% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize lags its rivals as a dividend stock, given its lower dividend yield and higher payout ratio. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize and its rivals top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N/A N/A 51.88 Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize Competitors $28.80 billion $717.03 million 174.56 Koninklijke Ahold Delhaizes rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize. Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Profitability This table compares Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N/A N/A N/A Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize Competitors 1.88% 16.06% 5.30% Summary Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize rivals beat Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize on 11 of the 13 factors compared. About Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize (Get Rating) Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV engages in the management and operation of supermarkets and e-commerce business. It operates through the following segments: The U.S., Europe, Other Retail, and Global Support Office. The U.S. segment includes Stop & Shop, Food Lion, Giant & Martins, Hannaford, Giant Food and Peapod. The Europe segment is consisted of Albert Heijn, Etos, Gall & Gall, bol.com, Delhaize operations in Belgium and Luxembourg.The Other Retail segment handles the firms joint ventures. The Global Support Office segment represents global support office operations in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and the United States. The company was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in Zaandam, the Netherlands. Receive News & Ratings for Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC purchased a new position in shares of F.N.B. Co. (NYSE:FNB Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 537,219 shares of the banks stock, valued at approximately $7,011,000. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC owned 0.15% of F.N.B. 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 FNB. Xponance Inc. increased its position in F.N.B. by 2.1% in the third quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 41,280 shares of the banks stock worth $479,000 after buying an additional 850 shares during the period. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in F.N.B. by 22.6% in the 4th quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 4,797 shares of the banks stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 883 shares during the last quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System boosted its stake in F.N.B. by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 89,351 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,166,000 after purchasing an additional 900 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC grew its position in F.N.B. by 19.0% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 5,813 shares of the banks stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 929 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its stake in shares of F.N.B. by 0.6% in the third quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 192,830 shares of the banks stock valued at $2,237,000 after purchasing an additional 1,104 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the companys stock. Get F.N.B. alerts: F.N.B. Price Performance NYSE:FNB traded down $0.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $11.48. 2,570,390 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,508,843. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $12.31 and a 200 day moving average price of $13.15. F.N.B. Co. has a 1-year low of $10.48 and a 1-year high of $14.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.15 billion, a PE ratio of 7.86 and a beta of 1.06. F.N.B. Dividend Announcement F.N.B. ( NYSE:FNB Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 20th. The bank reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.40. F.N.B. had a net margin of 29.60% and a return on equity of 10.12%. The company had revenue of $416.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $413.52 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.26 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 33.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that F.N.B. Co. will post 1.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 1st. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.18%. F.N.B.s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.88%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on FNB shares. Raymond James decreased their price objective on F.N.B. from $16.00 to $15.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Stephens assumed coverage on F.N.B. in a report on Monday, April 3rd. They set an overweight rating and a $15.00 price target on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on shares of F.N.B. from $16.00 to $14.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of F.N.B. from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $14.83. Insider Transactions at F.N.B. In related news, insider Gary L. Guerrieri sold 5,000 shares of F.N.B. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.61, for a total value of $73,050.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 89,317 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,304,921.37. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.03% of the companys stock. F.N.B. Profile (Get Rating) F.N.B. Corp. is a financial holding company. It engages in the provision of financial services to consumers, corporations, governments, and small to medium-sized businesses. The firm operates through the following segments: Community Banking, Wealth Management, Insurance, and Other. The Community Banking segment includes commercial and consumer banking services. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FNB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for F.N.B. Co. (NYSE:FNB Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for F.N.B. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for F.N.B. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Gray Television, Inc. (NYSE:GTN.A Get Rating) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $10.79 and traded as low as $8.51. Gray Television shares last traded at $8.51, with a volume of 554 shares. Gray Television Price Performance The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $9.12 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.75. The company has a quick ratio of 2.10, a current ratio of 2.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.04. The company has a market cap of $789.98 million, a P/E ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.22. Get Gray Television alerts: Gray Television Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.76%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. Gray Televisions payout ratio is presently 7.37%. About Gray Television Gray Television, Inc, a television broadcast company, owns and operates television stations and digital assets in the United States. As of February 28, 2019, it owned and operated television stations in 91 television markets broadcasting approximately 400 program streams, including approximately 150 channels affiliated with the CBS Network, the NBC Network, the ABC Network, and the FOX Network. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Gray Television Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gray Television and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lmcg Investments LLC decreased its position in iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (NYSEARCA:EWY Get Rating) by 9.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 73,893 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 8,071 shares during the quarter. Lmcg Investments LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI South Korea ETF were worth $4,173,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of EWY. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings 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 during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 14.2% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 15,163 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,080,000 after purchasing an additional 1,886 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 17.9% during 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 purchasing an additional 2,206 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 84.2% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,750,438 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $124,683,000 after purchasing an additional 800,235 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 1.0% during the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 68,846 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $4,904,000 after purchasing an additional 701 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI South Korea ETF alerts: iShares MSCI South Korea ETF Stock Up 0.2 % Shares of NYSEARCA EWY opened at $60.67 on Friday. iShares MSCI South Korea ETF has a 12 month low of $47.19 and a 12 month high of $68.81. The company has a market cap of $3.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.39 and a beta of 1.05. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $60.20 and a 200-day simple moving average of $58.68. iShares MSCI South Korea ETF 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. See Also 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 Get Rating). 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. Lmcg Investments LLC lifted its stake in Centene Co. (NYSE:CNC Get Rating) by 47.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 36,939 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 11,899 shares during the period. Lmcg Investments LLCs holdings in Centene were worth $3,029,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its position in shares of Centene by 5,700.0% in the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 348 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares during the period. James Investment Research Inc. purchased a new position in Centene during the 3rd quarter valued at about $51,000. Covestor Ltd lifted its position in Centene by 24.1% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 856 shares of the companys stock valued at $72,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares during the period. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Centene during the 3rd quarter valued at about $71,000. Finally, U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Centene during the 4th quarter valued at about $86,000. 93.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Centene alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other Centene news, Director Lori Jean Robinson sold 1,400 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.59, for a total value of $93,226.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 8,508 shares in the company, valued at $566,547.72. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, Director Lori Jean Robinson sold 1,400 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.59, for a total value of $93,226.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 8,508 shares of the companys stock, valued at $566,547.72. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Sarah London bought 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 17th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $62.60 per share, for a total transaction of $1,878,000.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 313,953 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $19,653,457.80. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders bought a total of 46,750 shares of company stock worth $3,091,605 over the last three months. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Centene Stock Performance Shares of NYSE CNC opened at $68.93 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $66.73 and a 200 day moving average of $75.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.56. Centene Co. has a 12-month low of $61.71 and a 12-month high of $98.53. Centene (NYSE:CNC Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $2.11 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.23 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $38.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.09 billion. Centene had a return on equity of 13.61% and a net margin of 1.01%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.83 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Centene Co. will post 6.44 earnings per share for the current year. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts recently issued reports on CNC shares. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Centene from $103.00 to $94.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of Centene from $97.00 to $74.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Cowen decreased their target price on shares of Centene from $101.00 to $97.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 14th. TheStreet cut shares of Centene from a b rating to a c+ rating in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. Finally, Loop Capital decreased their target price on shares of Centene from $110.00 to $95.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Centene has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $92.00. About Centene (Get Rating) Centene Corp. operates as a healthcare enterprise, which engages in the provision of programs and services to government sponsored healthcare programs. It operates through the following segments: Medicaid, Medicare, Commercial, and Other. The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in St. Louis, MO. Read More 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. The Florida House on Friday passed a measure to lower the minimum age from 21 to 18 to buy rifles and other long guns, voting to scrap a high-profile change passed after a 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Lawmakers included the gun restriction in a sweeping 2018 school-safety package after Nikolas Cruz, then 19, used a semi-automatic rifle to kill 17 students and faculty members and injure 17 others. Federal law already barred people under 21 from buying handguns. During debate on the plan to lower the age on Friday, House bill sponsor Bobby Payne, R-Palatka, said the measure corrects the wrong we did in 2018. Payne argued that the bill (HB 1543) would leave intact other provisions of the 2018 law that addressed mental health and school safety. You see the gun as the problem, Payne said. I see the interventions and the policies as the answer. But Democrats fiercely opposed lifting the age restriction, attributing it to helping the state avoid a repeat of the mass shooting in Broward County. State Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, a Democrat who was the mayor of Parkland at the time of the shooting, pleaded with her colleagues to keep the age restriction in place. She called the 2018 law a national gold standard for school safety. This law has stood the test of time because we have not had another school shooting in the state of Florida, and I hope to God we never do so that children will no longer hide, hit the ground, when a balloon pops. We are going down the wrong path here, she said. With a week remaining in the 2023 legislative session, the measure faces an uncertain future. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, has expressed opposition to the proposal. Ill see it when it comes over, Passidomo told reporters prior to the Houses 69-36 vote Friday. Supporters of the bill have argued, in part, that the prohibition on people under 21 buying long guns violates the constitutional rights of young adults. The Republican-controlled Legislatures 2018 decision was highly unusual in a state that had expanded gun rights over decades. The National Rifle Association immediately filed a challenge in federal court, arguing that the law violated the Second Amendment. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in 2021 upheld the constitutionality of the law. Walker said he was following legal precedent, though he also described the case as falling squarely in the middle of a constitutional no mans land. The NRA appealed to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A three-judge panel of the Atlanta-based appeals court in March upheld the law. The NRA has asked the full court to reconsider the ruling. Ninety One UK Ltd grew its stake in shares of Newmont Co. (NYSE:NEM Get Rating) by 28.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,364,430 shares of the basic materials companys stock after buying an additional 301,442 shares during the period. Ninety One UK Ltd owned 0.17% of Newmont worth $64,401,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of NEM. Neuberger Berman Group LLC increased its position in Newmont by 66.2% in the third quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 6,532,751 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $274,555,000 after purchasing an additional 2,602,396 shares during the last quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec increased its stake in Newmont by 103.3% during the first quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 4,489,270 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $356,749,000 after acquiring an additional 2,281,418 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in Newmont by 1,075.2% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,488,836 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $104,604,000 after acquiring an additional 2,277,063 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its stake in Newmont by 70.6% during the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,305,094 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $342,040,000 after acquiring an additional 1,781,294 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC increased its stake in Newmont by 64.9% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 4,180,152 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $175,693,000 after acquiring an additional 1,645,165 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 77.60% of the companys stock. Get Newmont alerts: Insider Activity In related news, COO Robert D. Atkinson sold 3,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.25, for a total transaction of $132,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 87,751 shares in the company, valued at $3,882,981.75. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Newmont news, COO Robert D. Atkinson sold 3,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.25, for a total transaction of $132,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 87,751 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,882,981.75. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Thomas Ronald Palmer sold 11,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, April 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.92, for a total value of $538,120.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 311,039 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $15,216,027.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 28,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,304,380. 0.07% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Newmont Trading Down 1.8 % A number of research firms have weighed in on NEM. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Newmont from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and set a $60.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Newmont from $58.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. National Bank Financial upped their price target on shares of Newmont from C$86.00 to C$91.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Barclays increased their price objective on Newmont from $57.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Finally, UBS Group cut Newmont from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $59.00 to $53.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $60.38. Shares of NEM stock opened at $47.40 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 2.38 and a quick ratio of 1.89. The company has a market cap of $37.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -87.78 and a beta of 0.33. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $47.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $47.12. Newmont Co. has a 1-year low of $37.45 and a 1-year high of $74.99. Newmont (NYSE:NEM Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The basic materials company reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.07. Newmont had a negative net margin of 4.55% and a positive return on equity of 6.05%. The firm had revenue of $2.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.70 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.69 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Newmont Co. will post 2.18 EPS for the current fiscal year. Newmont Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.38%. Newmonts dividend payout ratio is presently -296.29%. Newmont Profile (Get Rating) Newmont Corp. is a gold producer, engages in the exploration and acquisition of gold properties, contains copper, silver, lead, zinc or other metals. It operates through the following geographical segments: North America, South America, Nevada, Australia, and Africa. The North America segment consists primarily of carlin, phoenix, twin creeks and long canyon in the state of Nevada and Cripple Creek and Victor in the state of Colorado, in the United States. Featured Stories 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. NuStar Energy L.P. (NYSE:NS Get Rating) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, April 27th, investing.com reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 8th will be given a dividend of 0.40 per share by the pipeline company on Friday, May 12th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 5th. NuStar Energy has decreased its dividend payment by an average of 12.6% per year over the last three years. NuStar Energy has a dividend payout ratio of 109.6% meaning the company cannot currently cover its dividend with earnings alone and is relying on its balance sheet to cover its dividend payments. Equities research analysts expect NuStar Energy to earn $0.96 per share next year, which means the company may not be able to cover its $1.60 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 166.7%. Get NuStar Energy alerts: NuStar Energy Stock Up 1.4 % NS stock opened at $16.08 on Friday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $15.74 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.98. The company has a market capitalization of $1.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.67 and a beta of 1.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 22.56, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.96. NuStar Energy has a 12 month low of $12.80 and a 12 month high of $17.75. Institutional Investors Weigh In On NuStar Energy NuStar Energy ( NYSE:NS Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The pipeline company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.27 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $429.96 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $349.77 million. NuStar Energy had a net margin of 13.23% and a return on equity of 149.25%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that NuStar Energy will post 0.81 earnings per share for the current year. A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in NuStar Energy by 6.5% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 15,954,362 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $230,061,000 after buying an additional 975,659 shares during the period. UBS Group AG boosted its stake in NuStar Energy by 20.1% during the first quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,426,223 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $20,566,000 after buying an additional 239,046 shares during the period. Clearbridge Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of NuStar Energy by 35.9% in the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 786,680 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $11,344,000 after purchasing an additional 208,000 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA boosted its stake in shares of NuStar Energy by 335.6% in the first quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA now owns 203,797 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $2,939,000 after purchasing an additional 157,011 shares during the period. Finally, ING Groep NV boosted its stake in shares of NuStar Energy by 82.8% in the first quarter. ING Groep NV now owns 234,000 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $3,374,000 after purchasing an additional 106,000 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.30% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth NS has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Raymond James raised shares of NuStar Energy from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $20.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of NuStar Energy from $19.00 to $18.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of NuStar Energy in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of NuStar Energy from $17.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised shares of NuStar Energy from a hold rating to a buy rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $20.00 to $19.50 in a report on Monday, March 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, NuStar Energy presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $18.25. NuStar Energy Company Profile (Get Rating) NuStar Energy LP engages in the transportation of petroleum products and anhydrous ammonia, and the terminalling, storage, and marketing of petroleum products. It operates through the following segments: Pipeline, Storage, and Fuels Marketing. The Pipeline segment provides transportation of refined petroleum products, crude oil, and anhydrous ammonia. See Also Receive News & Ratings for NuStar Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NuStar Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. PagSeguro Digital Ltd. (NYSE:PAGS Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 6,520,000 shares, a decline of 17.8% from the March 31st total of 7,930,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 3,210,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.0 days. PagSeguro Digital Stock Performance Shares of PAGS traded up $0.39 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $9.84. The company had a trading volume of 3,184,886 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,365,135. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $8.58 and a 200 day moving average price of $9.89. PagSeguro Digital has a 52 week low of $7.51 and a 52 week high of $19.49. The company has a market capitalization of $3.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.61. Get PagSeguro Digital alerts: PagSeguro Digital (NYSE:PAGS Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The company reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.02. PagSeguro Digital had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 9.81%. The firm had revenue of $752.91 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $759.47 million. As a group, research analysts forecast that PagSeguro Digital will post 0.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Institutional Trading of PagSeguro Digital A number of research firms have issued reports on PAGS. Citigroup upgraded shares of PagSeguro Digital from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $12.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 28th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of PagSeguro Digital from $9.50 to $10.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. Credit Suisse Group cut shares of PagSeguro Digital from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $11.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of PagSeguro Digital from $15.00 to $14.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of PagSeguro Digital from $12.00 to $10.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $13.54. A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in PAGS. Boit C F David bought a new position in PagSeguro Digital in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in PagSeguro Digital during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. purchased a new stake in PagSeguro Digital during the 3rd quarter valued at $55,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in PagSeguro Digital by 99.1% during the 3rd quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 5,816 shares of the companys stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 2,895 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Y.D. More Investments Ltd purchased a new stake in PagSeguro Digital during the 4th quarter valued at $59,000. 52.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. PagSeguro Digital Company Profile (Get Rating) PagSeguro Digital Ltd. is engaged in the provision of financial technology solutions focused on consumers, individual entrepreneurs, micro-merchants, small companies and medium-sized companies in Brazil. Its business model covers the following pillars: Multiple digital payment solutions; In-person payments via POS devices that sell to merchants; Free digital accounts; Issuer of prepaid cards to clients for spending or withdrawing account balances, and Operating as an acquirer. Read More Receive News & Ratings for PagSeguro Digital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PagSeguro Digital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Palo Alto Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 46,693 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,134,000. Pinterest comprises approximately 1.0% of Palo Alto Wealth Advisors LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Elliott Investment Management L.P. grew its stake in Pinterest by 200.0% during the 3rd quarter. Elliott Investment Management L.P. now owns 15,000,000 shares of the companys stock worth $349,500,000 after buying an additional 10,000,000 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Pinterest by 627.8% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 10,282,402 shares of the companys stock valued at $239,583,000 after acquiring an additional 8,869,542 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its position in shares of Pinterest by 262.8% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 11,515,600 shares of the companys stock worth $283,399,000 after acquiring an additional 8,341,222 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its holdings in shares of Pinterest by 278.0% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 5,416,499 shares of the companys stock worth $126,204,000 after acquiring an additional 3,983,418 shares during the period. Finally, Capital International Investors lifted its position in Pinterest by 33.1% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 11,825,108 shares of the companys stock valued at $291,016,000 after purchasing an additional 2,940,932 shares during the last quarter. 71.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Pinterest alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts have commented on PINS shares. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on shares of Pinterest from $28.00 to $23.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Friday. MKM Partners lowered Pinterest from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $27.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Friday, January 20th. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their target price on Pinterest from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday. Credit Suisse Group reduced their price target on Pinterest from $29.00 to $28.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, DA Davidson lowered their price target on Pinterest from $24.00 to $23.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $28.42. Pinterest Stock Down 15.7 % Shares of Pinterest stock opened at $23.00 on Friday. Pinterest, Inc. has a 12-month low of $16.14 and a 12-month high of $29.27. The stocks fifty day moving average is $26.61 and its 200-day moving average is $25.26. Pinterest (NYSE:PINS Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 6th. The company reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.01. Pinterest had a negative return on equity of 4.78% and a negative net margin of 10.58%. The firm had revenue of $877.21 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $886.78 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.29 EPS. Pinterests revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Pinterest, Inc. will post -0.01 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity In related news, CFO Todd R. Morgenfeld sold 60,537 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.32, for a total value of $1,714,407.84. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 512,820 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,523,062.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Pinterest news, SVP Naveen Gavini sold 11,185 shares of Pinterest stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.95, for a total transaction of $312,620.75. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 350,507 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,796,670.65. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Todd R. Morgenfeld sold 60,537 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.32, for a total value of $1,714,407.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 512,820 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,523,062.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 79,222 shares of company stock worth $2,236,054 over the last 90 days. 7.58% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Pinterest Company Profile (Get Rating) Pinterest, Inc engages in the operation of a pinboard-style photo-sharing website. It allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, and hobbies. The company was founded by Benjamin Silbermann, Paul C. Sciarra, and Evan Sharp in October 2008 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PINS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Pinterest Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pinterest and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Whitecap Resources Inc. (OTCMKTS:SPGYF Get Rating) saw a large drop in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 8,546,900 shares, a drop of 29.7% from the March 31st total of 12,149,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 90,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 94.0 days. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth SPGYF has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$13.50 to C$14.00 in a research report on Friday, February 24th. Scotiabank decreased their price target on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$13.00 to C$12.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. Barclays began coverage on Whitecap Resources in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. They issued an overweight rating for the company. Finally, National Bank Financial upped their target price on Whitecap Resources from C$15.50 to C$16.50 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Get Whitecap Resources alerts: Whitecap Resources Trading Up 1.3 % Shares of OTCMKTS SPGYF traded up $0.10 during trading on Friday, reaching $7.87. 37,622 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 67,083. Whitecap Resources has a twelve month low of $5.83 and a twelve month high of $10.14. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $7.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $7.77. Whitecap Resources Increases Dividend About Whitecap Resources The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 28th will be given a dividend of $0.0361 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 5.26%. This is a positive change from Whitecap Resourcess previous dividend of $0.04. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 27th. Whitecap Resourcess payout ratio is presently 47.33%. (Get Rating) Whitecap Resources, Inc engages in the acquisition, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas. The company was founded by Grant B. Fagerheim on June 3, 2008, and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Whitecap Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Whitecap Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Telephone and Data Systems (NYSE:TDS Get Rating) will post its quarterly earnings results after the market closes on Thursday, May 4th. Analysts expect Telephone and Data Systems to post earnings of ($0.01) per share for the quarter. Telephone and Data Systems (NYSE:TDS Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 17th. The Wireless communications provider reported ($0.38) earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of ($0.38). The company had revenue of $1.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.39 billion. Telephone and Data Systems had a net margin of 1.15% and a return on equity of 1.10%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.11 EPS. On average, analysts expect Telephone and Data Systems to post $0 EPS for the current fiscal year and $0 EPS for the next fiscal year. Get Telephone and Data Systems alerts: Telephone and Data Systems Stock Performance NYSE:TDS opened at $10.00 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.12 billion, a P/E ratio of -124.98 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a fifty day moving average of $10.95 and a 200-day moving average of $11.71. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. Telephone and Data Systems has a twelve month low of $9.47 and a twelve month high of $19.60. Telephone and Data Systems Increases Dividend Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a dividend of $0.185 per share. This represents a $0.74 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.40%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. This is a positive change from Telephone and Data Systemss previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. Telephone and Data Systemss payout ratio is -924.88%. A number of brokerages have commented on TDS. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Telephone and Data Systems in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating for the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Telephone and Data Systems from $22.00 to $16.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and three have given a hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $15.00. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Telephone and Data Systems Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Covestor Ltd boosted its holdings in Telephone and Data Systems by 56.2% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 3,954 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $75,000 after acquiring an additional 1,422 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Telephone and Data Systems by 71.3% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 8,709 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $91,000 after acquiring an additional 3,626 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in Telephone and Data Systems during the 2nd quarter worth $118,000. Bridgefront Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Telephone and Data Systems in the 4th quarter worth about $133,000. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of Telephone and Data Systems by 188.8% in the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 7,410 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $140,000 after buying an additional 4,844 shares during the last quarter. 83.68% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Telephone and Data Systems Company Profile (Get Rating) Telephone & Data Systems, Inc is a diversified telecommunications company, which engages in the provision of communications services, retail wireless connections, broadband, video, and voice connections. It operates through the following segments: UScellular, TDS Telecom, and Corporate, Eliminations, and Other. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Telephone and Data Systems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Telephone and Data Systems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tim S.A. (NYSE:TIMB Get Rating) was the target of a large drop in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 846,400 shares, a drop of 17.0% from the March 31st total of 1,020,000 shares. Currently, 0.2% of the companys shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 583,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.5 days. TIM Trading Down 0.3 % TIMB traded down $0.04 during trading on Friday, reaching $13.92. 532,252 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 555,111. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. TIM has a one year low of $10.19 and a one year high of $15.27. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $12.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $12.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.74 billion, a PE ratio of 21.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.74. Get TIM alerts: TIM (NYSE:TIMB Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.16 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.12 billion. TIM had a net margin of 7.87% and a return on equity of 7.02%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that TIM will post 0.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. TIM Cuts Dividend Hedge Funds Weigh In On TIM The business also recently disclosed a Variable dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 1st will be given a dividend of $0.0745 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 28th. This represents a dividend yield of 5.09%. TIMs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 82.81%. A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. lifted its position in shares of TIM by 315.3% in the 4th quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 2,525 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 1,917 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE grew its holdings in TIM by 64.8% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,659 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 1,046 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its position in shares of TIM by 64.9% in the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 3,373 shares of the companys stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 1,327 shares in the last quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in shares of TIM by 256.9% in the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,783 shares of the companys stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 2,723 shares during the period. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in shares of TIM by 620.6% during the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,417 shares of the companys stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 3,804 shares in the last quarter. 3.64% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. TIM Company Profile (Get Rating) TIM SA (Brazil) engages in providing mobile telephony, internet, and media telecommunication services. It offers modem, tablet, cell phone, and ultra fixed broadband. The company was founded on March 9, 1998 and is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for TIM Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TIM and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TriNet Group (NYSE:TNET Get Rating) issued an update on its second quarter earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $1.15-1.40 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $1.27. The company issued revenue guidance of $348.00-351.48 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $305.15 million. TriNet Group also updated its FY23 guidance to $3.96-4.90 EPS. TriNet Group Stock Up 2.0 % TNET stock opened at $92.78 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.18. The company has a market capitalization of $5.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.81 and a beta of 1.15. TriNet Group has a fifty-two week low of $60.60 and a fifty-two week high of $92.83. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $82.20 and a 200-day moving average of $75.04. Get TriNet Group alerts: TriNet Group (NYSE:TNET Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The business services provider reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.13 by $0.78. The company had revenue of $310.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $250.09 million. TriNet Group had a return on equity of 47.82% and a net margin of 6.96%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that TriNet Group will post 4.26 earnings per share for the current year. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Insider Buying and Selling at TriNet Group A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com cut TriNet Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday. Cowen raised their price target on TriNet Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Thursday, February 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, TriNet Group currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $81.25. In other TriNet Group news, CEO Burton M. Goldfield sold 6,250 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $84.54, for a total value of $528,375.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 103,525 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,752,003.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Burton M. Goldfield sold 6,250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $84.54, for a total transaction of $528,375.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 103,525 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,752,003.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Alexander G. Warren sold 2,555 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.59, for a total value of $228,902.45. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 34,111 shares in the company, valued at $3,056,004.49. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 15,180 shares of company stock valued at $1,239,975 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 37.40% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On TriNet Group Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of TNET. Raymond James & Associates grew its position in TriNet Group by 13.5% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 5,307 shares of the business services providers stock worth $522,000 after acquiring an additional 631 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in TriNet Group by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 192,517 shares of the business services providers stock worth $18,937,000 after acquiring an additional 6,480 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. grew its position in TriNet Group by 46.5% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 39,685 shares of the business services providers stock worth $3,904,000 after acquiring an additional 12,604 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its position in TriNet Group by 53.6% during the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 21,581 shares of the business services providers stock worth $2,123,000 after acquiring an additional 7,535 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers grew its position in TriNet Group by 8.0% during the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 44,248 shares of the business services providers stock worth $4,352,000 after acquiring an additional 3,280 shares during the last quarter. 91.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About TriNet Group (Get Rating) TriNet Group, Inc provides human capital management (HCM) solutions to small and mid-sized businesses. Its services include HR expertise, benefit options, payroll services, risk mitigation, and a technology platform. The company was founded by Martin Babinec in 1988 and is headquartered in Dublin, CA. Read More Receive News & Ratings for TriNet Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TriNet Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America 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 I see a lot of your letters to the editor are critical of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has done some great actions. I saw first-hand the bridge he had built to help the people of southwest Florida and Sanibel Island which the state repaired in record time after Hurricane Ian. The people of East Palestine, Ohio, are suffering greatly from the toxic spill from the railroad derailment with long-term disastrous health concerns. By stark contrast, President Joe Biden has been missing in action from helping out to visit the people who are greatly suffering there, and on the southern border, from Fentanyl poisoning except for a briefly staged event. President Obama once said there were no red states and no blue states, only the United States. Its a shame that Biden doesnt follow Obamas precept and caters to his far-left radical base. Action is what counts in this world, not empty words. By his actions, or inaction, to Americans suffering, President Biden speaks volumes. Remember this very clearly in 2024. David G. Ellenberg, Pembroke Pines Thoughtless legislation To my Florida neighbors on the right side of the political aisle, how many of you are pleased if not overjoyed with recent bills enacted by the Republican majority in the state House and Senate and signed by Gov. DeSantis? One of them is the permit-less carry gun bill which allows nearly everyone, without a permit or background check, to conceal the carrying of guns. Will anyone wager with me that this law will not exponentially increase the murder rate in our state? Does it not make every one of us more susceptible to random acts of violence, such as the elderly Broward woman recently shot critically merely for sunning herself on her condo balcony? What about the six-week abortion ban which the governor felt was needed to replace a 15-week ban? When women do not even know if they are pregnant at six weeks, can you imagine the burden on their doctors who fear for their licenses when having to make critical decisions impacting womens lives in such an abbreviated span? I ask you to recall the Declaration of Independences guarantee of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is seriously undermined and jeopardized by these egregious, thoughtless bills. Sid Sussman, Hallandale Beach Read the Bible, Rep. Barnaby Claiming to be a proud Christian conservative, Rep. Webster Barnaby, R-Deltona, said he had religious indignation against transgender people. The lord rebuke you, Satan, and all of your demons and all of your imps who come parade before us, Barnaby said in a House committee meeting. Thats right, I called you demons and imps, who come and parade before us and pretend that you are part of this world. Perhaps instead of talking to Satan, the representative should put his prejudice and hate aside, pick up the Bible, and read for himself what God calls all of us to do. As in John 13:34, which states A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. Remember: Pride goeth before a fall, Rep. Barnaby. Jaime B. Parent, Deerfield Beach Did he grab the tab? I am inclined to think that not many people agree with the description of very best friends that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas uses for his relationship with billionaire Harlan Crow. I would like to know how many times the justice has picked up the check when they socialized over the past 20 years. My best guess would be never. Jerry Utter, Lake Worth Beach LONDON - England - The Preserve Think Tank has revealed a few points on how the aggressive Chinese Communist Party could be defeated in one week. Yes, you read that correctly China could be defeated in one week. It would be very easy to destroy China, and it would not take long to do so. To start with, it is obvious that the Chinese economy would be the first target, and would enable an internal struggle from within the country which would act towards its eventual complete annihilation. All Western companies who have their products manufactured in China or who use Chinese materials would be banned from doing so. All Western retail outlets would cease operations within China and in the West dealing with Chinese goods. Anything labelled as Made in China would be made illegal. Any product utilising Chinese subsidiaries would be banned. Any African nation who signed up to the Chinese Belt and Road initiative would be banned from receiving any Western aid in the future unless they cease operations with the CCP. The same would apply to any developing or Third World nation globally. All Chinese agents and Western agents working for China would be rounded up and incarcerated in military prisons. This includes woke agents in Western companies promoting a woke agenda for the purposes of Western demoralisation in the guise of inclusivity. This would include high ranking billionaires or even members of the WEF and such. All Hollywood companies who have taken money from China or are currently in the process of taking money from Chinese funding companies linked to the CCP will be shut down and the agents involved with procuring funding from China arrested. Any Western ally around the world who panders to or has economic ties with China will be either dropped as an ally or told to cease operations with China in any capacity. All Western politicians who have current dealings with the CCP, its affiliates, currently or in the past would be investigated and possibly tried for treason, and arrested. All social media companies who have had or currently have ties with China or any subsidiaries to the CCP will be investigated and the agents working within these companies will be arrested. If necessary, the entire social media company will be shut down indefinitely. This applies to all Big Tech Silicone Valley companies. All advertising agencies in the West will be investigated for their ties to the Chinese Communist Party and funding. By pandering to the woke agenda of demoralisation engineered by CCP intelligence officers, advertising executives and board members could be arrested if they were involved in any Chinese deals. All assets acquired by Chinese citizens in Western countries will be seized this will include businesses, hotels, factories, and any other real estate. The result would be seen within one week, and of course, these actions would initially have some effect on the Western economy itself, however adjustments would cause more damage to the Wests enemies. Chinas factories would cease operations. The hundreds of ghost cities built by the Chinese would be a grotesque reminder of what their economy is actually built on. El Meson is excited to once again host a Cinco De Mayo celebration. The parking lot will become a street party with festive live music, margaritas, and traditional eating. This Year we are celebrating all week Start the celebration Wednesday with Margarita Mayhem, featuring Specialty Margaritas and Margarita Flights. Continue the celebration Thursday with Our Pollo Patio Party, featuring half of our famous flame broiled chicken with Aji and patatas bravas. Celebrate Cinco with us on Friday where we'll have live music, margaritas, tacos, dancing, food trucks, and so much more all under the big tent in our parking lot! Come out Saturday for Margarita Derby Day where we will have live music, featured derby cocktails, margaritas, food trucks, and the races live! Friday Live Music: We're hosting an evening with Velvet Crush! Velvet Crush Unplugged will play from 5 - 7pm and then the full band will play from 7 - 10pm Saturday Live Music: We're kicking of Saturady with Classic Jam from 5 - 7pm. After that we have Flash Top Secret from 7 - 10pm. Food Trucks: We'll have our full fleet of food trucks on site serving up all of your favorite street food dishes from Mexico and beyond! As well, you can get margaritas and beer from the trucks outside! VIP Experience: Enjoy dedicated seating, servers, a personal bar, a bucket of beer, and a great view of the music from our beautiful outdoor patio! Tickets: $40 General Admission: Tickets are available now for $10. Standard dining: our dining rooms, bar, bar and indoor patio will be open with our standard offerings the whole night! MBABANE None of the May Day Celebrations will be graced by the presence of Labour and Social Security Minister Phila Buthelezi on Monday. The minister said he was not invited, at least on time, by the workers as had been the case in previous celebrations. Minister Buthelezi confirmed yesterday that he will not be attending any of the events where workers will be celebrating their day. He was responding to questions on allegations by some affiliates of trade unions to the effect that government preferred one federation over the other. This then created wide anticipation on which Workers Day commemoration the minister would attend. May Day is commemorated on May 1 yearly and is also known as International Workers Day or Labour Day. In many countries, the day is commemorated through political demonstrations and celebrations organised by unions. Organised In Eswatini, the day is organised by the two federations of workers unions, which are the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) and the Federation of Swaziland Trade Unions (FESWATU), and is held in separate venues. TUCOSWA will be hosting the event at Mayaluka Stadium in Big Bend, while FESWATU will be hosting it at Riders Ranch in Sidvokodvo. Both federations stated that they would be expecting the minister or his representative to grace their events as invitations had been sent to him. However, despite this, Buthelezi stated that he would not attend any of the events. On whether he would change his mind should the invitations reach him on the days closer to the event, the minister insisted that if the federations were keen on having him there, the invitations would have been sent earlier. Any invitation that could be sent from now on would be late because I have already committed myself to some other duties, he said. When the federations secretary generals (SG) were asked about the ministers invitations yesterday, they stated that the invites had been dispatched to the minister. FESWATU SG Phendulile Zikalala stated that her office sent a formal invitation as well as an email to the minister yesterday morning. Meanwhile, TUCOSWA SG Mduduzi Gina said Buthelezis invitation was sent through the Principal Secretarys Office on April 21, 2023. He stated, however, that even if the minister did not attend the event, such would not be a train smash. He said they would understand that he had other commitments. Outside their affiliates, Gina said they were expecting representatives from the neighbouring countries counterparts. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a meeting with Secretary General, SCO, Zhang Ming, on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi, Friday. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh called upon the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states to collectively work to eliminate terrorism in all forms and hold those who aid or fund such activities accountable, in a veiled dig at Pakistan, on Friday. Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif, a member of the SCO, skipped the meeting. Instead, special defence advisor to Pakistan Prime Minister, Malik Ahmed Khan, attended the meeting through video link. Addressing the defence ministers of SCO member nations in New Delhi, Singh asserted that any terrorist act or its support to it in any form is a major crime against humanity, adding that peace and prosperity cannot exist due to the menace of terrorism. "If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others but to itself too. Radicalisation of youth is a cause for major concern not just from a security point of view, but also because it acts as a major hurdle to the path of socio-economic progress of society. If we wish to make the SCO a stronger and more credible organisation, our top priority must be to effectively deal with terrorism," he said. With Chinas defence minister Li Shangfu present at the meet, Singh said India envisions a robust framework of regional cooperation, which mutually respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states by taking care of their legitimate interests. "New Delhi strives to further bolster trust and cooperation among the SCO members as it believes in maintaining peace and security, based on the provisions of the charter of the United Nations." India hosted the SCO meet in its capacity as the chair of the group. At the end of the talks, all SCO members signed a protocol, expressing their collective will to make the region secure, peaceful and prosperous. Defence ministers of China, Russia, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan attended the meeting. An exclusive illustration of the new Secretariat by DC cartoon editor Subhani. Hyderabad: In a "moment of pride for the entire Telangana society" Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao will inaugurate the newly-built integrated Secretariat complex on the banks of historic Hussainsagar amid great fanfare, following religious rituals, on Sunday. The nerve centre of the administration is named after Dr B.R. Ambedkar, for the first time in the country by any state, with a noble cause of, as the Chief Minister put out in a statement on Saturday, highlighting the need for equal rights to SC, ST, BC, minorities, women and poor. "We named the new Secretariat after Ambedkar with a philosophical and ideological understanding and to achieve the target of providing an able governance to people," he said. While the new facility, built with a "vision to serve the future generations too", provides administrative convenience, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi is confident that Chandrashekar Rao would puncture the oft-repeated criticism of farmhouse governance by the Opposition parties by making regular visits to the Secretariat henceforth. The inauguration, BRS leaders feel, comes after Chandrashekar Rao successfully mitigated the allegations of not having done justice by unveiling a mammoth statue of Ambedkar for Dalits besides implementing the Dalit Bandhu welfare scheme aimed at providing 10 lakh assistance to every Dalit family, for the past two years. "As Opposition cannot take on us on development, be it in social sector or infrastructure, which is visible in the last eight years, it tries to survive on criticism that Chief Minister will not go to Secretariat, went back on his promise of making a Dalit the Chief Minister or ignoring the sacrifices of the martyrs of Telangana movement, which is uncalled for," a senior minister said. BRS leaders were of the view that the trio of the Ambedkar statue, Secretariat and the upcoming Telangana martyrs memorial in the heart of the state capital will give a fitting reply to critics. This is in addition to massive irrigation projects like Kaleswaram, renovated Yadadri temple, and integrated collectorate complexes in all the districts, besides largescale health facilities in other parts of the state. Opposition leaders, contrary to their criticism of public fora, acknowledge that the grandeur with which these structures were built will bring in a lot of positive publicity for Chandrashekar Rao. "We may dismiss statue as a political gimmick or a mere eyewash. But, we have to admit that it gives a great sense of pride among marginalised sections and for the next few months people from all over the State or even country would throng the statue and naturally appreciate KCR," a former BJP legislator said. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister congratulated every person, mainly the labour force, who contributed to building the "highly advanced, most environment-friendly and inspiring structure". He greeted the people of Telangana on the occasion and assured them that the new Secretariat would have a great influence on the administration and help in bringing qualitative change in serving people. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav speaks to the media during the birth anniversary of Bhamashah, in Patna, Saturday. (Photo: PTI) Patna: Amid efforts to forge country-wide Opposition unity, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday hinted that a meeting of like-minded political parties could be organised in Patna after the Karnataka polls. The Bihar chief minister said, "After the Karnataka elections are over, we will discuss the issue with the Opposition parties. If they agree, we could organise a meeting to discuss issues related to the formation of a larger alliance of the Opposition parties." Mr Kumar added, "Political leaders are busy with the elections (in Karnataka). Once they are free, we will discuss and decide when to organise a meeting. If they agree to a meeting in Patna, then it will be held here". The chief minister, along with deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, recently met West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and also called upon former UP CM and Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav to discuss Opposition unity. It was Ms Banerjee who suggested that Mr Kumar should consider organising a meeting of the Opposition parties in Patna. Speculation is also rife that RJD chief Lalu Yadav may play an important role in organising an Opposition meeting in Patna after the Karnataka polls are over. Hours after Mr Yadav landed in Patna on Friday, Mr Kumar met him at Rabri Devis residence. It is not known what transpired during the meeting, but sources aware of the development said that both leaders discussed issues related to the formation of a larger grand alliance at the national level to take on the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Mr Kumar dumped the BJP and returned to the grand alliance fold in August last year. Earlier, Mr Kumar had met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. The meeting was seen as a major step towards laying the foundation for a larger grand Opposition unity ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. "We are making efforts to unite the Opposition parties in the country against the BJP. I have already met many Opposition leaders. My aim is to unite a maximum number of Opposition parties before the elections in 2024. I will also meet other non-BJP parties soon", Mr Kumar said. AICC spokesperson Charan Singh Sapra slammed BJP leader Basangouda Patil Yatnal for describing Sonia Gandhi as 'Vishkanya' and said that BJP in Karnataka and its leaders have lost both mental and political balance. "Fearing a rout in Assembly elections, the BJP leadership is frustrated and insulting the Congress leadership. They have lost all sense of propriety, political balance and even remote iota of decency and decorum,'' he charged. Also Read | Karnataka polls: PM Modi takes out mega roadshow in Bengaluru Yatnal has stooped to the lowest by describing Sonia Gandhi a Vishkanya and agent of China and Pakistan, he added. ''This is the worst kind of abuse being hurled at Sonia Gandhi and Congress leadership, at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. The BJP leadership and the prime minister have made a profession out of abusing the Nehru-Gandhi family,'' he said. If Modi has even an iota of decency, he should expel Yatnal from the party, Charan Singh demanded. Congress urged Prime Minister and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to tender an unconditional public apology to Sonia Gandhi and to Congress leadership. ''BJP candidate Rajkumar Patil Telkur's statement comparing PM Modi with Neel Kant is an insult to Lord Shiva. This reveals the sheer arrogance of BJP leaders. Lord Shiva never supported 40% commission Sarkara nor propagated Jumla to mislead masses," Sapra ridiculed. Track live updates from India and across the world, only with DH! The wife of IAS officer G Krishnaiah, who was lynched in 1994 by a mob led by former Bihar MP Anand Mohan, has approached the Supreme Court against the premature release of the politician, contending that the decision was against public policy and the idea of a welfare state, besides resulting into demoralisation of the civil servants in the State. Her plea contended the Bihar government has specially brought about an amendment on April 10, 2023, to the Bihar Prison Manual with retrospective effect, in order to ensure that the convict Mohan be granted the benefit of remission. "The said amendment of April 10, 2023, is against the notification of December 10, 2002, as well as against the public policy and has resulted in the demoralisation of the Civil Servants in the state," it said. The plea by Uma Krishnaiah, the wife of Krishnaiah, also stated that life imprisonment, when awarded as a substitute for the death penalty, has to be carried out strictly as directed by the court and it would be beyond the application of remission. "The convict here is a politically influential person and has committed the murder of a serving IAS Officer, while himself being an MLA. He enjoys political support and has several criminal cases pending against him," it also claimed. The plea also said the grant of remission to Mohan is in contravention of the notification of December 10, 2002, which was applicable on the date of conviction i.e. On October 5, 2007. Also Read: Anand Mohan's release points to new caste equations being tried in Bihar: Experts "Therefore, order dated 24.04.2023 by the State of Bihar is violation of notification dated 10.12.2002 as well as in contravention of judgments of the apex court," it said. The plea submitted that life imprisonment handed down to the gangster-turned- politician meant incarceration for his entire natural course of life as in his case, he was awarded death penalty on October 5, 2007, by the trial court which was commuted to rigorous life imprisonment by the Patna High Court on December 10, 2008 and confirmed by the Supreme Court on July 10, 2012. Mohan was released from Saharsa jail on Thursday morning. In the writ petition, the wife of slain officer also pointed out the apex court has consistently held that the rules of remission applicable at the time of conviction must be considered for deciding the application of pre-mature release. Thus, the rules as applicable at the time of the petitioners conviction in 2007 would be applicable for considering his application for remission. Her plea also referred to Rule 481(1)(c) of Bihar Prison Manual, 2012, which provided that convicts whose death sentence has been commuted to life sentence will be eligible for consideration of remission only after completion of 20 years of the sentence. "In the present case, Mohan has served only 14 years of incarceration and therefore, he is not eligible to be considered for remission as per rule," it said. In 1994, Krishnaiah, who hailed from Telangana, was beaten to death by a mob when his vehicle tried to overtake the funeral procession of gangster Chhotan Shukla in Muzaffarpur district. The Gujarat High Court will hear on Saturday Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's appeal challenging the order of the Surat sessions court declining a stay to his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark. Gandhi's appeal will be heard by Justice Hemant Prachchhak on April 29, the cause list published by the high court said. On April 26, when Gandhi's lawyer P S Champaneri mentioned the case before Justice Gita Gopi, she recused herself from the hearing by saying "Not before me." The development came a day after Gandhi moved the HC. Also read | Jharkhand HC extends stay on notice against Rahul Gandhi by Ranchi court A metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat on March 23 sentenced the former Congress president to two years in jail after convicting him under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 (criminal defamation) in a 2019 case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Gujarat MLA Purnesh Modi. Following the verdict, Gandhi, elected to the Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala in 2019, was disqualified as a Member of Parliament (MP) under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act. Gandhi challenged the order in a sessions court in Surat along with an application seeking a stay to the conviction. While granting him bail, the court on April 20 refused to stay the conviction. Purnesh Modi filed a criminal defamation case against Gandhi over his 'How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?' remark made during an election rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019. A stay to the conviction could pave the way for Gandhi's reinstatement as a Member of Parliament. The war of words between India and Pakistan has escalated with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar set to host his counterpart from the neighbouring country Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Goa next week. Jaishankar, himself, on Saturday once again accused Pakistan of exporting terrorism to India. The Pakistan Army chief, Gen Asim Munir, on the other hand, tacitly hit out at India as he said that his nation would continue to firmly stand with the Kashmiris in their historic struggle for basic human rights and their legitimate quest for the right to self-determination. We will continue to provide political, moral and diplomatic support to our Kashmiri brothers, Gen Munir said, while speaking at a passing-out ceremony at the Pakistan Military Academy near Abottabad, nearly 155 kilometres away from Islamabad. He added that the international community should realise that without a just and peaceful resolution to the issue of Kashmir between India and Pakistan, regional peace would forever remain elusive. His comment is likely to raise hackles in New Delhi. Also Read | India slams Pakistan for raking up Kashmir issue at UN Though Bilawal is expected to attend the SCO meeting to be hosted by Jaishankar in Goa on May 4 and 5, the killing of five soldiers in a recent terrorist attack on the Rashtriya Rifles personnel at Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir diminished the possibility of a bilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan on the sideline of the conclave. The two neighbouring nations had their last bilateral ministerial engagement in December 2015. Jaishankar chose a speech delivered at Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, to once again accuse Pakistan of sponsoring cross-border terrorism targeting India. He said that the Neighbourhood First policy of the Government of India for generously supporting the development journeys of the countrys smaller neighbours with a non-reciprocal approach resulted in an increase in cooperation and connectivity in the region. The only exception is Pakistan due to its encouragement of cross-border terrorism (against India), said Jaishankar, who was on a visit to the Dominican Republic. Also Read | Need to root out terrorism collectively and fix accountability on its supporters: Rajnath Singh at SCO summit It was the second time in a week that he targeted Pakistan for its support to terrorism against India. It is for us very difficult to engage with a neighbour who practices cross-border terrorism against us, he had said in Panama City earlier this week. Though Bilawals proposed visit to attend the SCO meeting in Goa fuelled speculation about his bilateral meeting with Jaishankar, New Delhi apparently sent out a message to Islamabad with repeated comments of the external affairs minister slamming Pakistan on the issue of terrorism against India. Gen Munir on Saturday also sought to allay the doubts over the military prowess of the Pakistan Army. We have the will, capability and capacity to protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity and we are well aware of the ways and means to do it, he said, apparently trying to set at rest speculation triggered by media reports that suggested that his predecessor Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa had believed that Pakistan had lacked in military capability and economic strength to fight against India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann-Ki-Baat radio programme has transformed into an inspirational platform encouraging sustainable progress on priority themes that are core to India's efforts towards achieving sustainable development goals, according to a study supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Since its inception in 2014, the monthly radio broadcast has become a key pillar of the government's citizen-outreach program, the study titled 'Mann KI BaatA Decade of Reflection' added. The objective of the study, the report said, was to perform a quantitative and qualitative textual analysis of 99 transcripts of the Mann Ki Baat episodes published from 2014-2023 using text-mining tools as well as to identify the most prominently discussed thematic areas in the programme. Also Read | 100th episode of PM Modis 'Mann Ki Baat to be broadcast live in United Nations headquarters The Institute for Competitiveness (IFC) is the research partner in the study, while Axis My India is its knowledge partner. The Mann Ki Baat's efforts to raise awareness of global and local problems, celebrate grassroots solutions, and encourage citizen activism have contributed to India's progress towards the SDGs with the programme focussing on five thematic areas -- cleanliness and sanitation, health, wellness, water conservation, and sustainability -- the report said. By sharing examples of efforts of common citizens, and by highlighting stories of progress and change, Mann Ki Baat has transformed into an inspirational platform that is encouraging sustainable progress on priority themes that are core to India's efforts towards achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), the report said. The programme highlights government and citizen action in these priority areas and in turn, encourages listeners to establish or participate in change-making initiatives in their own communities with the aim to have a lasting and sustainable impact on the lives of people and for the country, it said. Mann Ki Baat has catalysed collective action towards achieving SDGs. It has encouraged listeners to participate in societal change-making and citizen engagement at the heart of the programme, the report added. The report said celebrating the spirit of India's change-makers and people's actions by speaking directly to ordinary people is at the core of Modi's Mann Ki Baat. Themes such as environmental sensitivity, development challenges, water conservation and sustainability help to raise public awareness about these subjects and energise people to experiment with new, innovative, and long-term solutions, for India and the world, it said. The radio programme emphasises the role of start-ups and small businesses in achieving a self-reliant India; encourages people of all ages to take action to promote the social and environmental causes that matter most to them; and spreads the word about government policies, programmes, and initiatives aimed at economic, social, and sustainable development, the report underlined. Just as Mann Ki Baat speaks directly to ordinary people, it celebrates their achievements withinand beyondtheir communities, it added. The report said the programme also connects people to their culture and traditional values. Through Mann ki Baat, our traditional practices such as Yoga, Ayurveda and constant learning are reinforced and these conversations connect us back to our roots, the report said. While the people of India are modern, contemporary, and global in their outlook, the prime minister's regular interaction with them ensures that they never lose touch with the core rich cultural heritage and values, it added. Over 100 crore people have connected to Mann Ki Baat at least once, the report said, adding that the conversational, personal tone and practical subject matter make the prime minister's radio broadcast feel more relevant, contextual and accessible to its audience. The Congress on Saturday demanded that the Centre issue a White Paper to bring out facts on the 2019 Pulwama attack in the wake of former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik's reported comments on the issue recently. Speaking to mediapersons here, deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi claimed that "facts" on the issue should be announced because not only do the people of the country deserve that, but the families of soldiers who lost their lives in the incident deserve it. Also Read | Wrong to say I am raising questions over Pulwama attack after demitting office: Satya Pal Malik He alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had evaded the question when asked about Malik's allegations at a recent media event. "Congress party is demanding a White Paper. A white paper into the facts of what happened in 2019, a white paper which goes into all the points which have been raised by the former Governor Satya Pal Malik...," Gogoi said. On the protest of prominent wrestlers in Delhi against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment and intimidation, the Congress leader hit out at the NDA government over the issue. "Major Olympians of India have come out and said that what is happening is wrong and despite that Prime Minister Modi is quiet. The government is ignoring the wrestlers. They (Centre) are sending a clear message to any woman athlete who is suffering harassment. The government is saying 'don't bother, government will not come to your rescue'," Gogoi said. The government should accept the demand put forth by the wrestlers, he said, adding that in no other major sporting nation do Olympic athletes have to resort to knocking on the doors of the court to get an FIR registered. "But, clearly there is political pressure on Delhi Police from not taking serious action on the allegations made by the wrestlers," Gogoi added. MBABANE A visit to an eye clinic was *Jennys last hope to save her eye problem but instead she allegedly walked out blind. Jenny is a 36-year-old woman living in the Lubombo Region. For the first 20 years of her life, she had normal eyesight. However, she said in 2007, everything changed. At the time, Jenny had been living with her boyfriend who later became her husband, as he married her after she had gone blind. She said trouble started when she developed poor vision. Jenny said though her vision was poor, she was able to still see, though everything was blurry at times. I was hoping that the problem would go away, she said. Jenny said at the time, she was working and earning a reasonably good income. She said she was also merchandising and had a good clientele. Eyesight Jenny said in 2007, not only did she develop a poor eyesight but she also had constant headaches. It was then that she decided to go to the Good Shepherd Clinic. Jenny said she heard good reviews about the Good Shepherd Hospital Eye Clinic and decided to go there. Recalling the ordeal, Jenny said she could see when she went to the hospital but she wanted medical attention. She said she travelled alone by bus because she did not have a problem with her eyesight. While at the hospital, I was treated by a medical officer who administered medication in the form of eye drops. When the medication was administered, it felt like a painful, stinging injection. I could not open my eyes after that, she alleged. She then said this was the last time she ever opened her eyes. She said when returning home, she was assisted to get on a bus and also managed to contact her mother *Popi. According to Popi, when her daughter began to experience problems with her eyesight, she advised her to go to the hospital. She said she was worried the situation could become worse. When she came back from the hospital, she had gone blind, said Popi. Popi said her daughter told her she could no longer see and that all she saw was darkness. She said previously, her vision was blurry but that this time, she could not see anything. Jennys mother said the family was hoping that her condition would return to normal but nearly 16 years later, the has been no improvement. Zwelakhe Moahloli, the Good Shepherd Catholic Hospitals Communications Officer could not respond to concerns expressed by Jenny. He said for ethical reasons, as well as patient-doctor confidentiality, the hospital could not respond as this infringed on patient confidentiality. Programmes Noteworthy, the Good Shepherd Catholic Hospital Eye Clinic has outreach programmes to communities in the country. They reach out to the elderly who had cataract problems and offer free treatment which could otherwise cost over E700, more than the monthly social grant. * Not real names. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday hinted that a meeting of opposition leaders may take place in Patna after the crucial Karnataka assembly polls were over as many would be busy electioneering there. The JD(U) supremo said issues related to forging opposition unity could be expected at the meeting. "We will definitely sit together and discuss the issue pertaining to the formation of an alliance of opposition parties to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "Currently, some leaders are busy in the assembly poll (Karnataka). Once it is over, we will finalize the venue of our meeting. If Patna is unanimously decided as the next venue of the meeting of opposition leaders, it will be held here ," Kumar said. Also read | Nitish slams BJP for opposing ex-MP Anand Mohan's release from jail "We will be happy to organize this meeting in Patna," he added. It may be recalled that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after meeting Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, in Kolkata on April 24, had requested her counterpart to organise a meeting of all non-BJP parties in Patna to discuss opposition unity before the coming Lok Sabha elections. I have made just one request to Nitish Kumar. Jayaprakash ji's movement started from Bihar. If we have an all-party meeting in Bihar, we can then decide where we have to go next, Banerjee had said after the meeting with Kumar in Kolkata. Kumar, acknowledging this friendly demand by Banerjee, said "Unhone--Mamata Banerjee--to Bola Hin Tha Patna mein meeting ke liye" ( Mamata Banerjee had sought the meeting in Patna)." "We are making efforts to unite more and more parties in the country against the BJP-led central government. I recently met several opposition leaders. Now I will talk to other non BJP parties ... My aim is to unite opposition parties before the general elections," he said. Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud inaugurated "Digital Courts for Contested Traffic Challans" for Delhi on Friday and said the "significant" step would allow people to seamlessly participate in such proceedings virtually. At a virtual event organised by the Delhi High Court, Justice Chandrachud also flagged off a "Bail Orders Sharing Module" on the e-Prison platform and asked the high court to ensure that its judgments are made available for people in Hindi. The "Bail Order Sharing Module" impacts personal liberty and would ensure that judicial orders on prisoners' release are communicated and implemented, the CJI said, adding that it would be beneficial for poor people and the marginalised sections of the society. Also Read | Jamadars will now be called supervisors, says CJI, inaugurates sports, cultural events for SC employees The two projects were inaugurated by the CJI in the presence of Delhi High Court Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and other judges of the court, including Justice Rajiv Shakdher who is the chairperson of the high court's Information Technology Committee. Two digital courts to contest traffic challans have been set up for East and North-East districts in the Karkardooma courts complex and these would adjudicate the challans by conducting the proceedings online, including recording of evidence, hearing arguments etc., according to a release issued by the high court. The release further said the violators can appear before these courts online and if convicted, can pay the fine amount on the web portal. It has been proposed to set up a digital traffic court in each district court of Delhi, the release said. Considering the high volume of cases related to traffic challans in the city, Justice Chandrachud said through the digital courts, "we are now roping in contested cases as well so as to not leave them out in our move towards digital courts". "I hope this will provide a seamless access to citizens who want to contest challans issued to them," the CJI said. "Each of them (the two projects launched) is significant in their own way. The first deals with the high volume of cases which we have pertaining to traffic challans. Nothing speaks better than the statistics.... The statistics for Delhi are extremely telling. As of April 26, 2023, (around) 1.77 crore challans were received. Proceedings have been completed in (around) 1.74 crore challans and 1.7 lakh challans are contested, while 28.48 lakh challans have been paid and the total fine collected in Delhi is about Rs 249.51 crore," he added. "This is truly amazing work by the Delhi High Court and the Delhi judiciary.... I hope this will provide a seamless access to citizens who want to contest challans issued to them," Justice Chandrachud said. He said the "Bail Orders Sharing Module" on the e-Prison platform is "crucial" for the judiciary, adding that "day after day", there were cases in the Supreme Court in which release orders were not complied with. "These prisoners are marginalised to the core and leave aside those who are at the tip of the iceberg, who may be well-resourced, a large number of prisoners who are occupants of our jails come from poor backgrounds. By launching this initiative, we are ensuring that not only are our orders communicated to the jail, but also monitoring compliance with our orders, which is equally important," the CJI said. The release informed that the module would provide a platform to the Delhi High Court and district courts to share digitally-signed bail orders with inmates or undertrials lodged in any prison in the country. It further said e-Prison will also generate a list of cases in which prisoners were not released despite bail being granted to them and help the Legal Service Authority to take appropriate steps. The CJI said it is important to replicate the initiative all across the country. He also spoke on the top court's initiative of translating judgments in regional languages and said more than 4,000 court verdicts are now available in Hindi. "What better way can we have of reaching out to citizens than speaking to our citizens in a language which they best understand? I do believe, therefore, that the Delhi High Court will take this initiative forward and ensure that all judgments of the Delhi High Court are translated and made available to citizens in the language they understand, that is, Hindi," he said. Justice Chandrachud further said establishing the "e-seva kendras" was an important part of the third phase of the e-courts project, which would "bridge the internet divide" and help those citizens and lawyers who do not have access to the internet. He pointed out that for the third phase of the e-courts project, the Centre has sanctioned a budget of Rs 7,000 crore, adding, "We did not suffer even a rupee of cut in the budget that we had proposed." E-seva kendras can also be set up in prisons for the benefit of the inmates, he added. A Delhi Police assistant sub-inspector died after being hit by a speeding vehicle on Delhi-Gurugram expressway, police said on Saturday. The incident happened when Naresh Kumar Yadav (52), a resident of Saraswati Enclave Colony here, was returning home after work on Friday morning, they said. Yadav was posted at Kapashera police station, they said. Also Read | B'luru: Man stabbed and gutted by muggers in brazen attack According to police, a speeding vehicle came from behind and hit Yadavs motorcycle. The driver fled from the spot immediately after the incident. Police reached the spot and rushed the ASI to a hospital but he succumbed to injuries, they said. On the complaint of Yadavs son, an FIR was registered against the unidentified driver under sections 279 (rash driving) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code at Sadar police station on Friday. We handed over the body to kin after the post-mortem and are trying to identify the vehicle and its driver with the help of CCTV cameras of the area, said the investigating officer, ASI Ashok Kumar. The Congress's Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Saturday said he does not want to "carry too much of the past" and the focus should be on the future, virtually rebuffing party leader Sachin Pilot who had questioned the delay in action over a parallel meeting by the Gehlot camp in September in defiance of the central leadership. Amid continuing rumblings in the state unit, Pilot called on AICC representatives and other leaders to go among the people ad workers on the ground and "understand their feelings" as the assembly elections inch closer. A Congress Legislature Party meeting was called on September 25 last year at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's residence regarding a change in leadership but it could not take place as MLAs loyal to the chief minister called a parallel meeting and submitted their resignations against any move to appoint Pilot as chief minister. Also Read: Amid power tussle with Pilot, Rajasthan CM Gehlot tells media not to make people fight On April 23, Pilot referred to the September 25 incident and said it was an open violation of the orders of the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi. "Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken were openly insulted. Why hasn't action been taken against them yet? This is the question, the answer lies with the party, he had said. Asked about Pilot's charge, Randhawa on Saturday referred to the rebellion by the Pilot camp in July 2020. "Some people say there was a rebellion before Corona (pandemic). I do not want to carry too much of the past, I want to talk about the future, he told reporters here. We should think about the future and take lessons from the past so that such mistakes do not happen in the future, he added. In July 2020, Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs revolted against Gehlot's leadership, which led to a political crisis in the state that lasted for one month. The crisis ended after the party leadership intervened and assured Pilot that it will look into the issues raised by him. With a flurry of meetings among Rajasthan Congress leaders, speculation was rife about a possible cabinet reshuffle in the state to quell factionalism in the party unit. Randhawa on Saturday held separate meetings with the ministers and also called Assembly Speaker C P Joshi, while Pilot also has an "informal" meeting with Joshi. After meeting the Speaker, Randhawa was asked about the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle in the state ahead of the year-end assembly elections. "If everyone says then we will do but I think we do not have any such plan right now," he said. Party sources also noted that the leadership is at present focused on the Karnataka polls Prior to Randhawa, Pilot also met Joshi and called it an informal meeting. The party earlier in the week appointed Amrita Dhawan and Virendra Singh Rathore as AICC co-in charge of Rajasthan, while Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa remains the in-charge of the state. "Changes in the organisation take place from time to time. Elections are six months away, so people have been given responsibility and I think it will send a good message," Pilot said. "I want all of us, whether they are representatives of AICC or those handling the work of the party organisation, to go to the ground, talk to the people and understand the feelings of the workers," he said. Earlier, Randhawa said he was taking feedback from the ministers and had asked them to strengthen the party organisation. "I have told the ministers that you should work for the organisation as well as the government. Elections are about the organisation and the government, so I am talking to them to strengthen the organisation," he said. Gehlot and Pilot have been at loggerheads ever since the party picked the former as the chief minister in December 2018. Their tussle for power has often spilled into the public. After his rebellion in July 2020, the party removed him as deputy chief minister and state Congress chief. On April 11 this year, Pilot again opened a front against his own party's government by sitting on a day-long fast in Jaipur, alleging inaction by it in cases of alleged corruption during the previous Vasundhara Raje dispensation. Pilot said the Congress raised the issue of corruption when the party was in opposition from 2013 to 2018 and promised in the 2018 polls that action would be taken if it forms the government in Rajasthan. However, no action was taken in over four years of the Congress government, he said. Randhawa had then said any such protest amounts to anti-party activity and goes against the party's interest. The Congress also threw its weight behind Gehlot and said that its government has implemented schemes that have benefited people and the party will seek a renewed mandate later this year "on the strength of these landmark achievements and the collective efforts of our organisation". Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday visited Parkash Singh Badal's native village in Punjab's Muktsar and expressed grief at the passing of the SAD patriarch. Yadav also met Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife, former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, and paid tribute to the five-time former Punjab chief minister who died on Tuesday at 95. Badal had not been keeping well and was admitted to the Fortis Hospital in Mohali on April 16 after he complained of uneasiness while breathing. Also Read | Leaders across political spectrum at Parkash Singh Badal's village to pay last respects His last rites were performed at Badal village with full state honours on Thursday. Thousands of mourners and leaders from across the political spectrum had turned up for Badal's funeral. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a floral tribute to the SAD patriarch in Chandigarh on Wednesday. India on Saturday brought back home a fresh batch of 365 people under its mission to evacuate stranded Indians from strife-torn Sudan. "More Indians come back home under #OperationKaveri. 365 passengers have just landed in New Delhi," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted. The return of the fresh batch of Indians came a day after 754 people arrived in India in two batches under the evacuation mission. The total number of Indians who were brought back home now stands at 1,725, according to official data. The Indians were brought back home from the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah where India set up a transit camp for the evacuees. The first batch of 360 evacuees returned to New Delhi in a commercial plane on Wednesday. Also Read | Operation Kaveri: 117 of 1,191 unvaccinated Indians quarantined against yellow fever The second batch of 246 Indian evacuees arrived in Mumbai in a C17 Globemaster aircraft of the IAF on Thursday. Under Operation Kaveri, India has been taking its citizens in buses from conflict zones of Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are being taken to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah in Indian Air Force's heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navy's ships. From Jeddah, the Indians are being brought back home in either commercial flight or IAF's aircraft. India has set up separate control rooms in Jeddah, Port Sudan and the India embassy in Khartoum has been coordinating with them besides being in touch with the MEA's headquarters in Delhi. Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group that has reportedly left around 400 people dead. External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on Monday announced the launch of the mission to evacuate 'Operation Kaveri' to bring back the stranded Indians from Sudan. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to embark on a three-day visit to the Maldives beginning Monday with an aim to bolster bilateral defence and strategic ties, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday. Separately, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari is likely to visit Sri Lanka on Monday. The planned visits by the defence minister and the Chief of Air Staff to the two key maritime neighbours of India come amid China's persistent efforts to expand its influence in the countries of the region. Also Read | India, Russia resolve to strengthen defence cooperation During his trip to the Maldives, Singh is likely to meet Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid and Defence Minister Mariya Didi among others. The defence minister will leave for the Maldives on Monday and will return on Wednesday, the people said. "The focus of the visit will be further expand bilateral defence cooperation," one of the people said. The Maldives is one of India's key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and the overall bilateral ties including in areas of defence and security have been on an upward trajectory in the last few years. In August last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Solih kick-started the India-funded Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), billed as the largest infrastructure initiative in the island nation. Under the GMCP project, a 6.74-km-long bridge and causeway link will be built to connect the capital city Male with adjoining islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. The Maldives is also one of the biggest beneficiaries of India's Neighbourhood First policy. Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane visited Maldives last month during which he held talks with his Maldivian counterpart Major General Abdulla Shamaal. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari is set to visit Sri Lanka on May 1. The Supreme Court has directed the Madhya Pradesh government to re-examine its policy of granting 75 per cent quota to state residents in admission to Bachelor of Education (B Ed) courses, terming it "wholesale reservation" which is unconstitutional. The top court said reserving 75 per cent of the seats for the residents of Madhya Pradesh is "too high", and as the figures for the last two years indicate, it is not serving the intended purpose. Also Read | Madhya Pradesh: Poacher nabbed from core area of Kuno National Park, gun seized A bench of Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Sudhanshu Dhulia said though the state is within its rights to reserve seats for its residents, while doing so it must keep the ground realities in mind. "The number of seats from the next academic year shall therefore be fixed again for residents and non-residents, keeping in mind the observations made by us in this order. "We make it clear that though reservation in favour of residents is permissible, yet reservation to the extent of 75 per cent of the total seats makes it a wholesale reservation, which has been held in Pradeep Jain (case) to be unconstitutional and violative of Article 14 (equality before law) of the Constitution," the bench said. The top court asked the state government to examine the data of the last few years in order to come to a realistic conclusion as to what should be the extent of such reservation. "A wholesale reservation as we have seen is not serving any purpose rather it frustrates the very purpose of the reservation. This shall be kept in mind by the authorities while taking a decision in this matter, which shall be done within two months from today," the bench said. Also Read | Stopped by husband from going to beauty parlour, Indore woman hangs self According to the state's policy, 75 per cent of the seats in B Ed courses are reserved for the residents of Madhya Pradesh and only 25 per cent are open to those from other states. The top court's observations came while hearing a plea by Veena Vadini Samaj Kalyan Vikash Samiti, which trains aspirants for B Ed and M Ed courses, against a Madhya Pradesh High Court order that dismissed their challenge to the state's quota regime. The Samiti contended 75 per cent of the seats reserved for permanent residents of Madhya Pradesh remain vacant due to non-availability of residential candidates and so they be filled with aspirants from outside the state. Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD Get Rating) had its target price lowered by stock analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $3.00 to $1.00 in a research report issued on Thursday, The Fly reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschafts price objective suggests a potential downside of 52.38% from the companys previous close. Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Rite Aid from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Get Rite Aid alerts: Rite Aid Trading Down 2.8 % Rite Aid stock opened at $2.10 on Thursday. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $2.77 and its 200 day simple moving average is $3.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $118.69 million, a PE ratio of -0.15 and a beta of 1.11. Rite Aid has a 1-year low of $2.05 and a 1-year high of $11.60. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rite Aid Rite Aid ( NYSE:RAD Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported ($1.24) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.77) by ($0.47). The firm had revenue of $6.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.70 billion. Rite Aid had a negative return on equity of 260.98% and a negative net margin of 3.11%. The businesss revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted ($1.63) EPS. Research analysts forecast that Rite Aid will post -4.85 earnings per share for the current year. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Rite Aid by 6.2% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,621,500 shares of the companys stock valued at $49,187,000 after purchasing an additional 329,843 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Rite Aid by 5.5% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 4,918,018 shares of the companys stock valued at $43,034,000 after purchasing an additional 257,634 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Rite Aid by 2.6% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,796,830 shares of the companys stock valued at $24,472,000 after purchasing an additional 70,004 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Rite Aid by 26.4% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,140,345 shares of the companys stock valued at $14,426,000 after purchasing an additional 446,842 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Rite Aid by 72.2% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,750,144 shares of the companys stock valued at $15,315,000 after purchasing an additional 733,923 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 51.76% of the companys stock. About Rite Aid (Get Rating) Rite Aid Corp. engages in the ownership and management of retail drug stores. It operates through following segments: Retail Pharmacy and Pharmacy Services. The Retail Pharmacy segment includes branded and generic prescription drugs, health and beauty aids, personal care products, and walk-in retail clinics. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Rite Aid Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rite Aid and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lessened its stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO Get Rating) by 38.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 11,018 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after selling 7,003 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLCs holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,398,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich increased its stake in Valero Energy by 2,470.0% in the 3rd quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 257 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 247 shares during the period. IAG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Independence Bank of Kentucky grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 150.0% during the 4th quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 250 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 56.3% during the 3rd quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 322 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cambridge Trust Co. grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 123.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cambridge Trust Co. now owns 335 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.28% of the companys stock. Get Valero Energy alerts: Valero Energy Stock Performance Shares of Valero Energy stock opened at $114.67 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.94, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $130.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $130.17. Valero Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $96.93 and a 52 week high of $150.39. Valero Energy Increases Dividend Valero Energy ( NYSE:VLO Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The oil and gas company reported $8.27 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.24 by $1.03. Valero Energy had a net margin of 7.86% and a return on equity of 57.11%. The firm had revenue of $36.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $37.88 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.31 EPS. Valero Energys revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Valero Energy Co. will post 25.26 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 14th were given a dividend of $1.02 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 13th. This is a positive change from Valero Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.98. This represents a $4.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.56%. Valero Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.01%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Raymond James increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $169.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, January 20th. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $170.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and raised their price target for the company from $135.00 to $160.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, March 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $155.64. Valero Energy Company Profile (Get Rating) Valero Energy Corp. engages in the manufacture and marketing of transportation fuels and other petrochemical products. It operates through the following business segments: Refining, Ethanol and Renewable Diesel. The Refining segment consists of refining operations, associated marketing activities, and logistics assets that support its refining operations. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VLO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Valero Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Valero Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MBABANE The lawyer who allegedly sexually abused his daughters, helper and cousin alleges that he is being persecuted for openly advocating for the national dialogue on social media. He also alleged that he was being persecuted for being critical of the State over the incarceration of Members of Parliament (MPs) Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube of Hosea and Ngwempisi. The lawyer accused Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Themba Masuku of spearheading his persecution to silence him. The DPM is, therefore, doing all the strange acts of intervention and interference in my case as a political ploy to silence my voice on the issue of national dialogue, which I openly advocated on social media. I have also been openly critical of what I consider persecution of the two Members of Parliament, who are currently in custody and those views I expressed have contributed to the government crackdown, which has led to my detention. I also raised a concern of the prime minister and government for announcing the setting up of an ad hoc committee for the preparation of the dialogue without engaging all stakeholders like the church, trade unions, employer organisations and others, the lawyer submitted. The veracity of these allegations is still to be tested in court. The Crown, which is represented by Principal Crown Counsel Mncedisi Dlamini, is yet to file its answering papers. These are some of the reasons that the lawyer included in his application for the recusal of Judge Sabelo Masuku from his trial. The trial was supposed to begin on April 18, 2023. Interdict In his application, the attorney, who cannot be named for ethical reasons, is seeking to interdict Judge Masuku from continuing with the hearing of his criminal matter and all its interlocutory applications, pending the final determination of this application. He also wants the court to direct that his criminal trial be removed from Judge Masukus roll and the matter be referred to the registrar of the High Court to be allocated another judge and hearing date. The lawyer, who is represented by Khumbulani Msibi of Dlamini Kunene Associated, has been charged with statutory rape and common law crimes of rape. On April 18, 2023, the accused attorney raised a preliminary point in Judge Masukus chambers, that he should recuse himself from the matter. Judge Masuku refused to recuse himself and the attorney moved the recusal application in open court. In the papers he filed yesterday, the lawyer said he made all the comments on social media in the exercise of his right to freedom of expression, thinking that government was truly committed to the Bill of Rights enshrined in the Constitution. Radio The lawyer said, to show that government was allegedly up in arms against him, even the Prime Minister, Cleopas Dlamini, went to address the same issue which the DPM had already addressed on national radio, placing more emphasis on the alleged complainants against him and assuring the nation that they were working round the clock to have him apprehended. He told the court that the DPM addressed the nation on national radio and national television, expounding a guilt notion for him and his family members. He said this was despite that he had neither yet been tried nor arrested at the time. He alleged that a certain reporter indicated on his (lawyers) Facebook page how the investigating officers of the matter were purportedly forced by the DPM to surrender the complainants statements to the press even before meeting the DPM for the directive to speed up the matter before the courts. The accused lawyer also said Judge Masuku served in the Law Society of Eswatini at a time when his admission as an attorney was objected to. The lawyer told the court that Judge Masuku was the secretary of the law society that objected to his admission as an attorney. Thus, his perception of me as some delinquent is bound to influence his judgment, even in this criminal trial. His former office (Howe Masuku Attorneys) has been very active in opposing my practice such that one Attorney Lucky Howe once stood up before court while I was addressing the High Court in one matter and opposed my appearance before Justice (Sipho) Nkosi, arguing that I was on suspension whereas I was not. "I do not know if the learned judge was made aware of this issue of the law firm. However, since he comes from the same firm with Attorney Lucky Howe, I have reason to believe that the partners of that firm do discuss matters and as such it is very possible that my matter was also discussed and those discussions may unconsciously influence the perception of the learned judge over me, he stated. According to the lawyer, he did not doubt the wisdom and wealth of criminal law jurisprudence deposited unto the learned judge, but his relationship with the DPM and his former law firm would most likely compromise his independence and neutrality. Masco (NYSE:MAS Get Rating) had its price objective hoisted by equities researchers at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $56.00 to $57.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday, The Fly reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschafts price objective indicates a potential upside of 6.52% from the companys previous close. MAS has been the subject of several other research reports. Credit Suisse Group upped their price target on Masco from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. KeyCorp dropped their price target on Masco from $66.00 to $62.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Royal Bank of Canada raised Masco from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $49.00 to $57.00 in a report on Friday, February 10th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Masco from $49.00 to $48.00 and set an underperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on Masco from $62.00 to $64.00 in a report on Thursday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $58.71. Get Masco alerts: Masco Stock Up 1.2 % Shares of NYSE:MAS opened at $53.51 on Thursday. Masco has a twelve month low of $42.33 and a twelve month high of $58.18. The stocks 50 day moving average is $50.32 and its 200-day moving average is $49.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.70, a PEG ratio of 3.88 and a beta of 1.18. Insider Buying and Selling Masco ( NYSE:MAS Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The construction company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.22. Masco had a negative return on equity of 237.83% and a net margin of 9.65%. The business had revenue of $1.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.91 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.95 earnings per share. Mascos revenue was down 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Masco will post 3.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. In related news, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 33,947 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.26, for a total value of $1,808,017.22. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 200,305 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,668,244.30. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Masco news, CFO John G. Sznewajs sold 55,170 shares of Masco stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.19, for a total value of $3,100,002.30. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 194,044 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,903,332.36. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 33,947 shares of Masco stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.26, for a total value of $1,808,017.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 200,305 shares in the company, valued at $10,668,244.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 312,227 shares of company stock worth $17,222,643 in the last quarter. 1.50% of the stock is owned by insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Masco A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MAS. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new position in Masco in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Accel Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of Masco by 65.8% during the first quarter. Accel Wealth Management now owns 761 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 302 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP increased its stake in shares of Masco by 45.7% during the first quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 854 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 268 shares during the period. Lindbrook Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Masco by 105.2% during the first quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 913 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 468 shares during the period. Finally, Tobam increased its stake in shares of Masco by 141.7% during the third quarter. Tobam now owns 1,141 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 669 shares during the period. 91.50% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Masco Company Profile (Get Rating) Masco Corp. engages in the business of designing, manufacturing, and distribution of branded home improvement and building products. It operates under the Plumbing Products and Decorative Architectural Products segments. The Plumbing Products segment includes faucets, showerheads, handheld showers, valves, bath hardware and accessories, bathing units, shower bases and enclosures, shower drains, steam shower systems, sinks, kitchen accessories, and toilets. Read More 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. North American Construction Group (NYSE:NOA Get Rating) (TSE:NOA) was downgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday. Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. TheStreet raised North American Construction Group from a c+ rating to a b rating in a report on Thursday, February 16th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on North American Construction Group from C$24.00 to C$25.00 in a report on Thursday, February 16th. TD Securities lowered North American Construction Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Finally, National Bank Financial lifted their price target on North American Construction Group to C$27.00 in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Get North American Construction Group alerts: North American Construction Group Stock Up 1.8 % Shares of NYSE NOA opened at $19.25 on Thursday. North American Construction Group has a one year low of $9.20 and a one year high of $19.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $17.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $14.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $508.59 million, a PE ratio of 11.60 and a beta of 1.50. Hedge Funds Weigh In On North American Construction Group North American Construction Group ( NYSE:NOA Get Rating ) (TSE:NOA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The oil and gas company reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.34. North American Construction Group had a return on equity of 25.67% and a net margin of 9.01%. The firm had revenue of $171.94 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $145.05 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that North American Construction Group will post 1.77 EPS for the current year. A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of NOA. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. raised its holdings in shares of North American Construction Group by 121.3% during the 3rd quarter. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. now owns 2,109,167 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $20,254,000 after buying an additional 1,156,209 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI raised its holdings in shares of North American Construction Group by 72.2% during the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 833,405 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $11,086,000 after buying an additional 349,489 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in shares of North American Construction Group by 59.5% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 771,400 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $11,156,000 after buying an additional 287,900 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of North American Construction Group by 956.7% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 191,408 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $2,764,000 after buying an additional 173,295 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new position in shares of North American Construction Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,537,000. 57.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About North American Construction Group (Get Rating) North American Construction Group Ltd. engages in providing mining and heavy construction services. It offers mining and heavy construction services to customers in the resource development and industrial construction sectors. The firm focuses on supporting the construction and operation of surface mines in the oil sands. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for North American Construction Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for North American Construction Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Owens Corning (NYSE:OC Get Rating) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Thursday. Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Barclays lifted their price target on Owens Corning from $107.00 to $113.00 in a research report on Thursday. Bank of America lifted their price target on Owens Corning from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Owens Corning from $99.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Owens Corning from $96.00 to $111.00 in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on Owens Corning from $90.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $105.46. Get Owens Corning alerts: Owens Corning Stock Up 2.8 % Owens Corning stock opened at $106.81 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.86 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.42, a PEG ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.42. Owens Corning has a 1-year low of $72.97 and a 1-year high of $107.31. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $96.53 and a 200-day moving average price of $92.46. Insider Activity at Owens Corning Owens Corning ( NYSE:OC Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The construction company reported $2.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.22 by $0.55. The firm had revenue of $2.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.22 billion. Owens Corning had a return on equity of 26.06% and a net margin of 13.54%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.84 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Owens Corning will post 9.64 EPS for the current fiscal year. In related news, insider Todd W. Fister sold 2,505 shares of Owens Corning stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total value of $250,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 31,482 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,148,200. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, insider Todd W. Fister sold 2,505 shares of Owens Corning stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total value of $250,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 31,482 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,148,200. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Paula Russell sold 2,000 shares of Owens Corning stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.00, for a total value of $190,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 24,342 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,312,490. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 15,505 shares of company stock worth $1,540,500 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.89% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Owens Corning Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in Owens Corning by 6.7% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 12,768,026 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,003,695,000 after buying an additional 803,551 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Owens Corning by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,301,672 shares of the construction companys stock worth $338,154,000 after buying an additional 155,155 shares during the last quarter. Davis Selected Advisers boosted its holdings in Owens Corning by 7.0% in the 4th quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 3,608,040 shares of the construction companys stock worth $307,766,000 after buying an additional 234,900 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Owens Corning by 6.7% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,345,967 shares of the construction companys stock worth $291,106,000 after buying an additional 210,192 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Owens Corning by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,369,167 shares of the construction companys stock worth $202,097,000 after buying an additional 76,454 shares during the last quarter. 94.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Owens Corning (Get Rating) Owens Corning engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of insulation, roofing, and fiberglass composites. It operates through the following segments: Composites, Insulation, and Roofing. The Composites segment manufactures, fabricates, and sells glass reinforcements in the form of fiber, and includes vertically integrated downstream activities. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Owens Corning Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Owens Corning and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A man who fled the war in Syria and whose sister was killed in a bombing there appeared at Derry Magistrate's Court yesterday (Friday) where he admitted a charge of sexual assault that occurred in Derry. Safar Ezzeddim (28) with an address at Strandview Street in Belfast admitted one charge of sexual assault that occurred on May 26 last year. The court heard that on that date a woman attended the address where Ezzeddim was residing in Derry for business purposes. When she tried to leave the defendant blocked the corridor and then tried to kiss her before touching her inappropriately. Afterwards he messaged her on several occasions and then apologised. At interview he told police he only wanted to be friends with the woman. Defence counsel Stephen Mooney said these were serious offences but added the defendant had no record. He said that the defendant had fled Syria before ending up here applying for asylum. District Judge Barney McElholm said that this man had experienced 'a very traumatic period in his life' but he had 'crossed the line.' He imposed a sentence of 3 months suspended for 2 years and ordered Ezzeddim to sign the Sex Offender's Register for a period of 7 years. The entire Microsoft ecosystem is receiving new generative AI capabilities, including Microsoft Designer. As a member of the Microsoft 365 family, the graphic design app with a Canva-like interface first debuted in October 2022. To generate designs with the right images and text instantaneously, it uses the resources of OpenAI's DALLE 2 word-to-image generator. With the most recent version, Designers can now quickly produce ready-to-post social media material and even recommend appropriate hashtags and captions. Additionally, you can now alter the design's canvas size while the elements are automatically shifted for a seamless fit. Additionally, the app adjusts your content for up to 20 different layout sizes on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and others. How to create a post on Designer The user interface is very simple to use and requires minimal human intervention from the user. You just have to add in the prompt as to what you want your post for. For instance, you need to create a post announcing your small thrift shopping business or you want to make a post celebrating an achievement. You just have to add in those details. Designer will automatically generate various options that you can choose from and get inspired from within 5 seconds. You can also add your own images to personalise the content on the post. However, if you do not have images you can type in the image style and the AI image generator that Designer uses will create an image for you using AI. And just like that your post is ready. Additionally, you can have animated backgrounds, and transitions for text and images, among others with Microsoft's AI-powered Designer. The Microsoft Edge site now comes with Designer fully integrated, which is the nicest part. By selecting the Designer symbol from the Edge sidebar, you may go to it. By doing this, using Designer won't require you to switch windows, leave the page you're on, or download an extension. Visitors to the Designer website can download the upgraded software for free and have early access to new capabilities including Fill, Expand background, Erase, and Replace background even if they don't use Edge. When the app is ready for general release, Microsoft 365 Personal and Family users will be able to access additional premium features for free. For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page. MANZINI If SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini, who is currently in hiding, can report for work then his salary will be reinstated. This was revealed by Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General (SG) Lot Vilakati during their extraordinary general meeting, which ended up being amended to be a caucus that was held at SNAT Centre yesterday. He said this when updating their members about the issue of their leader. The sg said this was according to the Ministry of Education and Training, which they met through the Acting Principal Secretary (PS), Constance Vilakati, on Thursday. When addressing the members about the issues around their president, he started by highlighting what he had gone through since assuming the position of being the leader of the teachers union in 2018. He said in 2019, he was suspended from work (Mhubhe High School) for about two years for allegedly not completing his scheme book among other things. Later on, he said the suspension was lifted, but he was transferred from Mhubhe High School to Moyeni High School. He said the unions national executive committee (NEC) tried to challenge the transfer because the decision for a transfer should come from the educator. Threats After that, the sg said the commander, who was unknown back then, issued threats against anyone who would report for work on August 8 and 9, 2022. He said following the threats, their president warned their members to be safe during the two days by staying at home and he was summoned by the National Commissioner (NATCOM) of Police, William Tsitsibala Dlamini, who demanded to know the commander and later on he was charged by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) in connection with his warning to teachers. Once more, he said after winning elections in two branches in 2022, their president was told that his charges relating to his suspension while he was at Mhubhe High School had been reinstated. He then said he was later slapped with 109 charges of absenteeism, which were followed by the suspension of his salary in October 2022, even though he had not appeared before any disciplinary committee. Thereafter, he said as a union, they reported the matter (suspension of salary), to the office of the labour commissioner as they believed that what government was doing amounted to unfair labour practice. He added that they also challenged the matter in court and it was still pending. On the other hand, he said since their president was not receiving a salary, the SNAT NEC took a decision to pay him (using members subscriptions) an amount equivalent to his salary C3. He said when paying him, they started by paying his debts and gave him the balance, which was his net salary. Some members asked how long will this arrangement last? We agreed that this arrangement will last until his salary is reinstated, the secretary general said. Police He said during their meeting with the ministry on Thursday, which was held after having a discussion with the police chief, the acting PS told them that their president should go to work and sign the time book and then his salary would be reinstated. He said the ministry said it was safe for him to go to work. We told the ministry that the presidents life will be in its hands in the sense that if anything happens to him, either when going to or from work, it will be held accountable, the unionist said. Later on, this publication asked the sg if their president would go to work when schools open for the second term on Tuesday, he said that was his (presidents) personal decision to make. When contacted, the SNAT president said no decision had been made yet regarding his return to the country. He said this was because they were still assessing the situation. He said once the situation had been analysed, a decision would be made.The acting PS in the Ministry of Education and Training confirmed that they had informed SNAT and their president that if he could return to work, his salary would be reinstated. She said they explained to them that Dlaminis salary was stopped because government did not know his whereabouts as he was allegedly not going to work. He said a salary was supposed to be paid to someone who had worked. We have not reached a stage of firing him, the acting PS said. Regarding his safety, she said they did not dwell much in this matter because they did not provide security. She said they only entertained it because the leaders of SNAT had informed them that they had met the office of the NATCOM of police about it. After learning that they had also opened a case at Mafutseni Police Station, she commended them and said they had done the right thing. Hong Kong: Govt strongly opposes US remarks The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today said it strongly objects to the remarks made by the US, which completely ignored and distorted the facts, against the situation in Hong Kong at the meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on April 28, and urges the US to stop abusing the forum to attack Hong Kong. The Hong Kong SAR Government explained that after the WTO Panel established under the DSB clearly ruled on December 21, 2022 that the origin marking requirement imposed by the US on products from Hong Kong is discriminatory and inconsistent with WTO rules, it encouraged the US to bring the measure into conformity. By repeatedly making distorted and self-serving political assertions at DSB meetings in connection with the panel ruling, the US is undermining the integrity of the rules-based multilateral trading system embodied by the WTO, it pointed out. The origin marking requirement imposed by the US requires all products exported from Hong Kong to the US may no longer be marked as originating in Hong Kong but must be marked to indicate China. Hong Kong, China has called upon the US to respect the ruling and immediately withdraw its erroneous origin marking requirement. Yet the US has decided to appeal on the panel's report to the Appellate Body (AB), an appeal mechanism that it has crippled since end-2019 by continuously blocking the appointments of members to the body, disrupting all WTO members from having their cases heard and adjudicated under the well-established mechanism. The Hong Kong SAR Government stressed that this is a hypocritical and arrogant act. The AB is still non-functional to date. Instead of unblocking appointments to the AB, the US' attempt to keep bringing up the case to the DSB and criticising the specific panel rulings show no respect to the Panel, the panellists and WTO rules. While WTO members are entitled to respond before a panel and lodge appeals, there is an intelligible difference between lodging genuine appeals against substantive rulings and furthering ulterior, political motives in the guise of resolving a trade dispute. As to the US' smearing of the current state of affairs in Hong Kong at the meeting, the Hong Kong SAR Government strongly refutes the absurd and unfounded remarks levelled against the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL). It stated that Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law and has always adhered to the principle that laws must be obeyed and lawbreakers be held accountable, and this is well recognised by the international community. The Hong Kong SAR Government also emphasised that the Department of Justice (DoJ), by virtue of Article 63 of the Basic Law, controls criminal prosecutions, free from any interference. Independent prosecutorial decisions for each case are made in a rigorous and objective manner, strictly based on evidence and applicable laws and are in accordance with the Prosecution Code. Prosecutions would be instituted by the DoJ only if there is sufficient admissible evidence to support a reasonable prospect of conviction, and if it is in the public interest to do so. Moreover, it indicated that as guaranteed under the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights, defendants charged with criminal offences shall have the right to a fair trial by an independent judiciary. Article 85 of the Basic Law clearly stipulates that the courts of the Hong Kong SAR shall exercise judicial power independently, free from any interference. All law enforcement actions taken by Hong Kong law enforcement agencies are based on evidence and strictly in accordance with the law in respect of the acts of the persons or entities concerned, and have nothing to do with their political stance, background or occupation. Furthermore, in all criminal trials, the prosecution has to prove beyond reasonable doubt before the defendant can be convicted, and the defendant has the right to appeal under the law. The Hong Kong SAR Government said it steadfastly safeguards national sovereignty, security and development interests, and upholds the authority of the NSL. It added that in accordance with the law, it remains committed to governing Hong Kong, carrying out its duties and obligations to safeguard national security resolutely and protecting the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people under the law, so as to ensure the steadfast and successful implementation of one country, two systems. This story has been published on: 2023-04-29. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Relics highlight Tibet role in China's shared identity China Daily) 14:42, April 29, 2023 A visitor views a sandalwood statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva at the central gallery of the Meridian Gate of the Palace Museum in Beijing on Friday. [PHOTO by JIANG DONG/CHINA DAILY] The curtain was raised on Friday at the Palace Museum in Beijing on a three-month exhibition that showcases, through physical evidence, the foundations of a shared Chinese national identity. For Auspicious Beginnings: Joint Exhibition of Artifacts from the Palace Museum and Tibet, 108 cultural relics are on display in the museum's Meridian Gate Galleries to demonstrate the close link between Tibet and the central governments in ancient times. The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, functioned as China's royal palace from 1420 until the end of the Chinese monarchy in 1911. It not only marks the apex of ancient Chinese architecture but, through its rich collection, also serves as a crucial witness of history. "From a historical perspective, our studies have unveiled the frequent communications and mutual support between Tibetan people and other ethnic groups of our country," said Du Haijiang, deputy director of the Palace Museum. "The Forbidden City was just the place marking this brotherhood and evolution of a shared community of our nation." Bunian Tu, a painting that is housed in the museum, is one of the most important items of the exhibition. The work by Yan Liben during the Tang Dynasty (618-907),which depicts a meeting between Emperor Taizong and a delegate of the Tibetan people (then known as the Tubo), has not only been hailed as a milestone in Chinese art history, but is also a vivid illustration of the link between the Tibetan people and the central Tang royal court. Echoing this history is an exhibit from more than a millennium later: an 18th-century thangka a traditional Tibetan painting on cotton or silk that is a portrait of the seventh-century Tubo ruler Songtsen Gampo. According to Wang Zilin, curator of the exhibition, a great number of secular and religious artifacts were brought to the imperial courts of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), due to close contact between Tibet and the central governments. Some revered Tibetan monks also became emperors' councilors and teachers, giving great impetus to the prospering of Tibetan Buddhism within the Forbidden City. "Buddhist temples were all across the inner court of the imperial palace, forming a unique worshipping system," Wang said. It is no wonder that so many Buddhist statues from the Palace Museum's inventory, ranging from the Yuan to the Qing dynasties, are exhibited in the galleries. In addition to cultural relics from the palace's own collection, some key exhibits are on loan from museums and temples in the Tibet autonomous region, Wang said. For example, a portrait of Zhu Di, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, from Potala Palace in Lhasa reminds modern viewers of his contribution to keeping close connections between the central government of the time and local leaders in Tibet. A Ming Dynasty thangka, from the collection of the Sakya Monastery in Lhasa, is another crucial historical reference. It marks a meeting between Yuan Dynasty ruler Kublai Khan and Phagpa, a Tibetan Buddhist leader who became the imperial preceptor. During Kublai Khan's reign, Tibet became an administrative region under direct rule of the central government. In addition to relics commemorating key political events, there are smaller items in the exhibition that nonetheless testify to the warmth of time. One example is a wooden bowl that Emperor Kangxi received as a tribute from Tibet. He later gave it to his grandson as a gift. When the grandson stepped up to the throne and became Emperor Qianlong, he emotionally remembered the past and wrote a poem on the bowl. (Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun) MBABANE The University of Eswatini (UNESWA) is allegedly owing the employees cooperative over E10 million. According to impeccable sources, this was money that was supposed to be remitted to Likusasa Letfu Cooperative. It is said that the University of Eswatini has, however, failed to pay the owed money, despite the countless engagements and demands by the Board members of the cooperative. The university owes over E10million to the Likusasa Letfu cooperative which belongs to employees of the university. We tried all we could to intervene in trying to have them pay but nothing helped, a source was quoted by Eswatini News this week. Dozens of colleges and universities from around the globe are reportedly under financial stress. They have spent the past decade grappling with declining enrolments and weakening support from their State governments. Just like the other institutions, UNESWA, according to the sources disclosed that the misdemeanour had allegedly existed for more than 10 years, now. It is said the institution has, however, been deducting monies such as subscriptions, funeral policy instalments, savings and loan repayments on behalf of the employees, but the cooperative never received these monies. This was also confirmed by the Board Chairperson of the Cooperative, David Mavimbela, who however, said it was difficult for him to confirm the exact figure owed by the institution. Repayment Yes, there is indeed a huge amount of money that is owed by UNESWA to the cooperative. We have been and are still engaging the institution over the repayment of these monies belonging to the employees, Mavimbela confirmed. When asked by this publication as to how the cooperative survived this long, without receiving any money from the university, Mavimbela said after the institution failed to remit the funds, they decided to use the banks stop order facilities. We have since tried to resuscitate our services to our members by the use of the banks stop order facilities, so that operations could continue, Mavimbela added. Meanwhile, well-placed sources have further disclosed that the cooperative has not been able to pay them their annual dividends. We havent been able to get loans from our cooperative for more than 10 years now. We have tried to engage the university administration for a long time but it seems the institution is broke and cannot afford to repay the owed money, a UNESWA employee explained. A questionnaire was sent to UNESWAs Registrar, Dr Salebona Simelane. Eswatini News asked Simelane to assist and respond to whether the allegation was true, that UNESWA owed Likusasa Letfu Cooperative, a sum of over E10 million of unremitted funds? He was further asked if the allegations were true, that the university was doing something to repay the owed money belonging to the cooperative. In his response Simelane said; Yes, it is true that UNESWA owes the co-ops money in unpaid remittances, although I am not sure of the exact figure. The money shall be paid into their account when it becomes available, Dr Simelane responded. The Office of the University Registrar supports the instructional and student progress endeavours of the University of Eswatini by providing quality services to students, staff, academic and administrative departments, and the public. The office has eleven units through which the office performs its functions.The institution has been challenged, whereby, it has failed to pay student allowances on time which has resulted in many protest actions and subsequent closures of the institution for several years now. Unresolved Parents have expressed their doubt about the quality of education provided by the university, following a litany of challenges it faced, that led to its closure. The parents prayers are for the solution to UNESWAs challenges that have been eroding the institution, recently resulting in its closure. The stakeholders of the university have decried the avalanche of challenges; from finances, structures and safety, leading to sporadic protests, by both students and employees. The concern by the parents on the compromise of the quality of education started months ago, when employees of the university under the Association of Lecturers, Academic and Administrative Personnel (ALAAP) downed their tools over award performances (notching). The strike by the employees was initiated after a deadlock was reached on the dispute between UNESWA and its employees, where a certificate of the unresolved dispute was issued in February this year. The university had been taken to the Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC) following grievances by employees on the issue of salary adjustments. Management had offered employees a three per cent cost-of-living adjustment (CoLA), but refused to allow the staff to notch, yet all along, each CoLA award came with notching. The employees have not been receiving their notching since 2018, due to the university declaring that there was a shortage of funds.The legal strike by the employees resulted in the closure of the university, and it was declared that there would be no teaching and learning for full-time and part-time students. The university stated that the closure was affected due to the interest of safety and security of staff and students. Louth County Council welcomed Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh OBrien to officially turn the sod for the 11 million Mount Avenue Link Road Scheme in Dundalk, a milestone in upgrading the western road network in the town. The construction contract is valued in excess of 11 million and will involve the building of a new road from Lis na Dara, on the Carrick Road, to the Mount Avenue Road, known locally as the Back of the wall. The new road will join the existing Mount Avenue Road north-west of the ESB Substation. From that point, the Mount Avenue Road will be widened and upgraded to Castletown Cross on the Castleblayney Road. The project is set to open up the wider Mount Avenue residential zoned lands for new housing, and initially will facilitate the development of 194 private units by Urban Life and 93 social housing units to be provided by Louth County Council in conjunction with the Department of Housing. The completion of the scheme will see a total of 234 units delivered by 2025, 51 of which are cost reduced by agreement, with 93 social houses projected for 2024. The total estimated cost of the roads scheme is 11,100,000 of which the land cost is 2,185,000 and 700,000 attributable to Irish Water. Speaking at the event today Minister OBrien said: Im delighted to turn the sod on this important piece of infrastructure for Dundalk, and Im proud that the Governments Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) has helped the project to happen. "LIHAF is about relieving infrastructure blockages and unlocking the potential for large scale housing projects supporting Housing for All as it ramps up the supply of new homes across the country. Mount Avenue Road is a perfect example of this fund in action. The money we are investing here through LIHAF will support the initial development of over 200 homes social, affordable and private with the potential for more than 1,000 more on the wider lands. Chief Executive of Louth County Council, Joan Martin added that she was delighted that the works at Mount Avenue are commencing. The cost of the works and land acquisition will be provided by Louth County Council and the Department of Housing under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF). The works will open up lands for much needed housing development and will improve safety for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, Councillor Conor Keelan said: On behalf of Louth County Council, we are delighted to welcome Minister OBrien here today to turn the sod on what has been a strategic objective of Louth County Council for many years. This significant investment will breathe new life into a part of Dundalk that will in the coming years become home to many new families. The work is being carried out on behalf of Louth County Council by Contractors Gibson Ireland JV. John Gibson, Gibsons Brothers Ireland JV, said: We are delighted to be working in conjunction with Louth County Council to deliver this new and upgraded link road at Mount Avenue, Dundalk. We are looking forward to being part of the team for this prestigious and important project and wish thank the local residents in advance for their cooperation and understanding during the construction period. During his visit to Dundalk, Minister Darragh OBrien also visited Patrick Tierney Crescent and Aisling Crescent to unveil a commemorative plaque. The 22 new A-Rated energy efficient residential homes in Patrick Tierney Crescent and Aisling Crescent were delivered by Louth County Council Housing Capital section - under the Governments Housing For All Plan. The scheme, which consists of eight houses and 14 apartments, has been shortlisted as a Project of the Year finalist in the Residential - Social and Affordable Housing (up to 5million) category. Minister OBriens final engagement included a visit to Duiche Roden, the Cluid Housing Development adjacent to Ice House Hill. The scheme is being built in three phases, and when complete will provide secure, high-quality homes for 133 families on Louth County Councils housing list. New Delhi, Apr 29 (UNI) A fresh trouble erupts for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after reports of alleged misuse of Rs 45 crore for the renovation of his official residence as Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has asked officers to keep the records secure, and also sought a report into this issue within 15 days, LG office sources said. Taking note of media reports on crores of Rs spent on Kejriwal's official residence, the LGs office in a written communication to Chief Secretary, Delhi, asked him to secure all relevant records in the matter immediately and taken into custody. After the records are examined, a factual report in the matter to be submitted within 15 days, it stated. Gangster Tillu Tajpuriya killed by rival gang in Tihar Jail 02 May 2023 | 9:59 PM New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) Jailed gangster Sunil Mann alias Tillu Tajpuriya was killed after he was allegedly attacked by four inmates of a rival gang in Delhis Tihar jail on Tuesday morning, Tihar jail official said. see more.. India temporarily relocates Khartoum embassy to Port of Sudan as most Indians evacuated 02 May 2023 | 9:58 PM New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) India on Tuesday temporarily relocated its embassy in Khartoum city to the Port of Sudan, even as New Delhi successfully evacuated over 3,000 of its nationals from violence-hit Sudan and ferried over 2,500 of them back to India. see more.. NHRC issues notice to Delhi govt, police 02 May 2023 | 9:49 PM New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday issued notice to Delhi government and police over the reported killing of an under-trial prisoner by the other inmates in Tihar jail. see more.. Admiral Hari Kumar in Singapore, attends inaugural ceremony of ASEAN-India maritime exercise 02 May 2023 | 9:21 PM New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, who is on an official visit to Singapore, today attended the opening ceremony of the inaugural ASEAN India Maritime Exercise AIME 2023, in which the indigenously-built destroyer INS Delhi and indigenously-built guided missile stealth frigate INS Satpura are participating. see more.. AFTER nine years together, Lauren Harris and Joanne Cotterell were wed in a beautiful ceremony in Cork. They are this week's Wedding of the Week couple. The couple had a first glance before the wedding. Lauren is from London, while Joanne is from Kilkenny, but has lived in London for 11 years. They have no connections to Cork but wanted to find somewhere convenient for family and friends to travel to their wedding. Lauren said Cork had so many beautiful venues to choose from and they finally settled on the Radisson Blu, in Little Island. The couple were married on March 3. They initially met on Tinder and got engaged in December, 2021. Joanne proposed at Tower Bridge. Lauren added: I proposed back a few weeks later at home, with some prosecco to celebrate. The couple met on Tinder. They were married in a civil ceremony at the hotel, led by Nicola Moran, who was amazing! Laurens dress was a ball gown with Bardot straps. Hair was by Amethyst Hair and make up was by Andrea Murphy. Joannes dress was an A-Line dress with 3/4 lace sleeves and a beautifully delicate train. Hair was by Dawn Monaher and make-up by Charlotte OMahony. Pictured with their wedding party. Lauren said: We couldnt have asked for a better team of women to help us and our bridesmaids prep on that morning of the wedding. Joining them for the special day were their families - Laurens parents and siblings, Joannes dad and siblings with their partners and children. Lauren recalled the magical day. We decided to have a first look before the ceremony, which we are both so glad we did. It instantly calmed our nerves and were so glad we had that moment that was just us. The beautiful environs of the Radisson Blu. Our ceremony was the most magical moment. Nicola kept us relaxed and made us calm throughout from the moment we entered the ceremony room, to the second we said I do! They were married by Nicola Moran in a civil ceremony. The reception continued afterwards in the ballroom. The wedding cake was made by Cakes by Dawn. Flowers were by Flowers4u. DJ was Patrick Ahern and their first dance was to All I Want Is You by Top Guns. First dance was to All I Want is You. As to the most memorable thing about the day? Lauren said: It was definitely the first look. Seeing each other in our dresses and fully made up for the first time was just breath-taking. A huge thank-you to everyone that was a big part of our day, including Zoe from the Radisson. She was amazing from start to finish and kept us calm throughout the day. The couples photos were taken by Home of the Mind: A huge thank-you to Micheal and Ola for the amazing job they did with our photos. Theyre beautiful! A Cork secondary school had a very special visitor earlier this week when the Japanese Ambassador to Ireland visited the Edmund Rice College in Carrigaline. The Japanese Ambassador to Ireland, Mr Norio Maruyama was making his first visit to Cork since his appointment as the new ambassador. His visit to Cork also coincided with the Japanese Film Festival which ran in the Triskel Arts Centre and the Gate Cinema over the past two weeks. Mr Maruyamas visit to the Edmund Rice College, Carrigaline also represented the first school visit he participated in during his visit to Ireland. He has a particular interest in Japanese language education and he requested a school visit as part of his itinerary. Sixth-year student Axel Gill made the welcome speech for Mr Maruyama on the day. The Japanese Ambassador to Ireland Maruyama Nario speaking his visit to the Edmund Rice College in Carrigaline. Pic: Dan Linehan The Edmund Rice College, Carrigaline accepted their first students back in 2016. Gretta Daly who teaches Japanese in the Cork secondary school said around 20 schools nationwide teach Japanese nationwide. We pride ourselves on the range of subjects offered in the school. "We are unusual in Cork in offering Japanese as a Leaving Certificate subject. About 20 schools across Ireland teach Japanese as a Leaving Certificate subject. I am employed by Post Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) and seconded to the school. PPLI has a remit of diversifying, enhancing, and expanding the teaching of languages, she said. We have 16 students studying LC Japanese at Edmund Rice College, said Ms Daly. All Transition Year students take a year-long taster course in Japanese language and culture. The reasons my students choose to take Japanese include a fascination for the culture, in particular the manga, and gaming subculture, or an interest in history, technology, cars, or martial arts." The Japanese Ambassador to Ireland Maruyama Nario who visited the Edmund Rice College in Carrigaline, Cork. Included are from left, Alex Gil, Niamh Nic Amhlaoibh, Gretta Daly, japanese teacher and the Ambassador. Picture Dan Linehan Some students have a flair for languages and are keen for the opportunity to study a non-European language," added Ms Daly. "The school also offers Spanish, French, and German. Last October, I took 25 Leaving Certificate students to Japan for a ten-day study tour. The group included students from Edmund Rice College and also from an extracurricular class funded by the PPLI for students from other Cork schools who want to take Leaving Cert Japanese, she added. HOUSING Minister Darragh OBrien has rejected criticism from Cork Chamber regarding new housing measures, asserting that there is no lack of ambition from Government in tackling the housing crisis. The Government announced changes to the Housing For All plan on Tuesday, introducing measures aimed at refurbishing homes faster, speeding up construction, and boosting the supply of affordable rental properties. Cork Chamber welcomed the increase in grants for vacant and derelict properties proposed in the new measures, but said that, on the whole, the measures are not ambitious enough. The focus on cost-rental homes in this latest housing package by Government is well-intentioned but lacks ambition and the conditions associated with obtaining these planned units will leave large sections of the workforce excluded, said Cork Chamber CEO Conor Healy. For these plans to have any meaningful impact the level of investment in the scheme must be extended and the income qualification thresholds for people to apply must be significantly increased. Mr Healy said he believes that overall the measures are a move in the right direction but do not address... supply for rent or sale. Speaking to reporters in Cork yesterday, the minister said the new measures certainly dont lack ambition. We work very closely with our chambers of commerce all across the country and I welcome their input, but well be investing this year in close to 5bn in housing, where the State is the biggest single actor and investor in housing. We are turning the corner in that delivery. I know the chambers of commerce will understand this too we are playing catch up. We had issues certainly with regard to covid, with a 20-week construction shut down, but even with that we were able to exceed our targets last year, Mr OBrien said. He said the new measures, which include scrapping development levies for 12 months, are very significant. I can absolutely assure everyone theres no lack of ambition from Government, but more importantly theres no lack of delivery there is momentum there its not perfect, we have a lot more to do, Im acutely aware of that, but I always welcome constructive feedback from the chambers and I certainly take that on board, he continued. Mr OBrien added that Government will be monitoring the delivery of the new measures very closely. A young student died on Friday after getting into difficulty while swimming in west Waterford on Friday afternoon. The victim was last night named locally as Cian Nugent (21), a UCC engineering student from Old Parish in the Waterford Gaeltacht. Mr Nugent, from a farming background, was among a group of five who were swimming at Whiting Bay, some 3km from Ardmore. At around 1.30pm, gardai received a report that a number of people had got into difficulty while swimming in the bay. Crew members from Youghal RNLI in addition to units of the Irish Coast Guard attended the incident after the alarm was raised. The alarm was raised by a member of the public," a spokesperson for Youghal RNLI said. "Two of the swimmers subsequently made it to shore unaided and the lifeboat began a search for the third swimmer. The Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117 from Waterford was also tasked along with the Coast Guard Units from Youghal and Ardmore. Youghal RNLI located the casualty and they were subsequently airlifted by helicopter. The young man was taken by air ambulance to Cork University Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The other two people were uninjured. A file on the incident, which is being treated as a tragic accident, will be prepared for the coroner. A city centre street has been closed while crews from the fire service deal with a building fire. The Cork City Fire Service have said the fire on Cook Street in under control but the street is closed to traffic for the moment. There are a number of units on the scene. Crews from Anglesea Street are dealing with a building fire on Cook Street, which is now under control. The street is currently closed pic.twitter.com/pNHRZYkM7S Cork City Fire Brigade (@CorkCityFire) April 29, 2023 "Crews from Anglesea Street are dealing with a building fire on Cook Street, which is now under control," a spokesperson said on social media. "The street is currently closed." Irelands Russian embassy has warned of possible ensuing consequences in response to tributes paid to an Irishman killed while fighting in Ukraine. The comments have been criticised by a former minister for justice as threatening and chilling. Finbar Cafferkey, from Achill Island in Co Mayo, is reported to have been killed while serving as a military volunteer in the eastern part of Ukraine. Mr Cafferkey had previous combat experience in the Syrian conflict, and those paying tribute to him have described him as an activist on issues such as environmentalism and migration. In the wake of his death, Tanaiste Micheal Martin expressed his sympathies to his family and said Mr Cafferkey was obviously a young man of clear principles. Embassy response In response, the Russian embassy issued a stark warning to the Irish government against encouraging Irish citizens to take part in the conflict in Ukraine. In a statement posted to its Telegram channel, the embassy said it noted the Tanaistes comments calling Mr Cafferkey a young man of clear principles. The embassy said: Every loss of life is sad and regretful. We do not know who Finbar Cafferkey was, except that for whatever reason he was fighting in a foreign land. We do not know what his principles were. What we do know, though, is that in a very big way it is the Irish Government and media to who bear responsibility for the death of Finbar Cafferkey. It has been the Government and media who have been promoting anti-Russian propaganda, distorting the truth about the conflict in Ukraine, misleading people like Finbar Cafferkey. Now they face the results of their own efforts, it said. The embassy added: We also do not know if Mr Martins remarks signify support for the Irish to take part in combat in Ukraine, but we do know that if that is the case, then Ireland would be the direct participant of the conflict with all the ensuing consequences. Former minister Commenting on Twitter, former justice minister Charlie Flanagan said the statement was threatening, intimidating and chilling. These hostile remarks are unacceptable, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee said, adding that it was beyond time that the Russian ambassador Yury Filatov and his crew were asked to leave our country. WAS I one prawn short of a cocktail, my husband enquired, when he spotted the email during a catch-up session on the online banking. He stared uneasily at me and then looked at the latest in the series of missives which have been arriving in my inbox from the Certified Medium, Authentic Tarologist and Adept in Sacred Magic who has designated herself my personal psychic medium and protector. How did this start? he wanted to know. I didnt exactly recall, I lied. In truth, shortly after Christmas while deleting junk emails, I came across a message from this person. Eh, maybe I was feeling a bit apprehensive about what 2023 would bring. Maybe some of those worrying predictions by Moores Almanac and so on had gotten under my skin. You know, all that stuff about a great financial re-set, a run on the banks, weird things that could be happening along the western seaboard, and even something about aliens. You must remember all that, I said. I told you about it at the time. Weird predictions are not my husbands thing. He lives in the here and now. He stared at me. I sighed. It was not impossible that I could have sort of accidentally signed myself up, I admitted. Its not beyond the bounds of possibility that I could have done that. The New Year is a funny time, I argued. He looked at me cautiously. And youve been getting these emails ever since? Em, yeah, I confessed, though Id mostly only given them a quick skim and then deleted them. There was never much in them, like - only stuff about miracles happening in my astral sky and enormous sums due to arrive in my bank account, and how Im supposed to release my second astrological house, whatever that is. All of which have clearly happened, he said sarcastically. Then: Did you click on any links? Oh no, I said, nervously, The last email was interesting though, I said, a bit desperately. She had good news for me, news which it emerged had mysteriously manifested during a visit to an old friend called Patrick who was a druid that my psychic medium and protector has apparently known for 20 years. Herself and Patrick had some very good news for me, she said. Yeah, he observed, as youve said. I thought you only gave them a quick skim. Well, I said defensively, mostly. But we all like a bit of good news. Why, my husband asked, would this individual mention me, somebody in a different country whom she has never even met, to her wise old friend Patrick the Druid? The email, he noted, came from somewhere called Irish Place in Gibraltar. Was I losing it? he enquired. Had I suddenly become, for example, a few bricks shy of a load? I bridled. No need for that, I said. We read on, him with increasing impatience, me with increasing embarrassment. Patrick the Druid, apparently, is a very good friend of this lady. He had, she revealed, ultra-sensory abilities, whose batteries he likes to recharge in nature and particularly in the forest near to his home. Did Patrick the Druid live in Gibraltar too? This was not made clear. Did they even have forests in Gibraltar, I wondered. I had this idea that it was a big rock. In the email, my self-appointed psychic protector explained that when she visits Patrick, they have the habit of going together to this forest. This time, the email reported they did the same thing and something incredible happened. Oooh, my husband said avidly. A bit of the old rumpy pumpy going on here, eh? Dont be disgusting, I snapped. He sniggered. The two psychics had placed their hands at the same time on a tree, and experienced the same vision at the same moment! The vision, it emerged, was of me. Patrick the Druid and my psychic protector saw me smiling and happy and both felt emboldened to declare aloud and in unison, my Christian name. Jesus, said my husband, whose inbox is filled with emails from Tools Today about new router bits and discount deals from Fine Woodworking How do you get yourself into this? We read on. When Patrick the Druid and my psychic protector looked more closely at the tree where their hands were still placed they saw a symbol engraved on the bark. It was a four-leafed clover! FFS my husband said. After discovering this amazing Celtic symbol in this forest in some unknown part of the world near Patricks house, the duo deduced that I had entered an advantageous period of luck. The altruistic Patrick immediately requested my psychic protector to provide me with a Talisman of the Celtic Knot. Thanks to this talisman, Patrick believed, Ailin could fully prosper from this incredible and infinite Luck thats holding its hand out. Why are they writing luck with a capital L, my husband inquired. He noted that I was offered the opportunity to click a link to see a recording of this mystic forest encounter. Did you? he demanded. No, I swore. I swear I didnt. We read on. My psychic protector currently had this amazing talisman in her possession. All I had to do was yes ask her for it by clicking on another link. You didnt did you? my husband said very anxiously, peering closely at the screen. I swore I hadnt and really, I hadnt. Im not that stupid. Look, he said, theres a button where you can unsubscribe. Press it. But then I wont get any more emails about Luck with a capital L and four-leaved shamrocks and mystic forest encounters and Talismans and Celtic Knots, I protested. My husband pressed the unsubscribe button and stamped off back to his shed. And, as yet, thats the closest Ive gotten to Gibraltar or to any of it. WHEN King Charles III is crowned next Saturday, there is bound to be a little peeking over the fence in Ireland at the strange antics of our neighbours. You dont have to be a fan of The Crown, or to have chosen a side in the Harry and Meghan versus the Palace debacle, to find the pomp and circumstance of the Royals fascinating. Many will watch history unfold on TV, as the new king carries his six - yes, SIX - swords at various times, and follows odd and arcane traditions such as being anointed with oil by the 1349 Coronation Spoon - one of the few medieval royal trinkets which escaped Oliver Cromwells destruction. Sure, some republicans with a capital R and lefties will view the celebration of monarchy and birthright with distaste, but most, I imagine, will allow the Brits their indulgence and tradition. It will all be a far cry from the last British Coronation 70 years ago, when the wounds of the War of Independence had not healed and Eamon de Valera was anxious to put distance between the new republic and the old foe. Just as it had done with the Coronation of King George VI in 1937, Ireland officially snubbed the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, with Dev taking umbrage at the fact the new Queens titles would include Northern Ireland. Antipathy indeed, hostility to the event extended to the public at large. Pathe newsreels of Elizabeths coronation were not shown in cinemas in the Republic after a group called the Anti-Partition League threatened to bomb any which ran them. The threats led to questions in the Dail, where Dublin TD Peadar Cowan - a one-time Communist who fought with the IRA in 1922 - was an unlikely critic of this bid to censor the royal ceremony. He insisted his opposition to the event would not be weakened by looking at pictures of the British Royal Family in the cinema. Bomb threats were received by the Irish Times after it showed a news photo of Princess Elizabeth in its front office window in Cork the offending picture was swiftly withdrawn. The Dublin-based Anti-Partition Association ratcheted up tensions on Coronation day - June 2, 1953 - when 14 members of a picket, including Maire Comerford, its Hon Secretary, were arrested by Civic Guards as they held a protest at the British Embassy in Dublin. An Inspector from Dublin Castle arrived at the scene and, after consulting the guards, the protesters were released and allowed to resume their protest. Their placards stated We Want our Country, not your Queen, Royal Title is Studied Insult, and the Queen Feasts While Thousands Emigrate. These were still febrile times for Anglo-Irish relations - that bastion of republicanism, Maud Gonne, had only died just a few weeks before Elizabeth was crowned. But, in the austere 1950s, many Irish people undoubtedly would have liked to have seen the glittering royal tradition on the TV or in the cinema, and women in particular would have been thrilled to see one of their own lording it over the men for once. In truth, there are stories of Irish people watching the events unfold in the homes of their Protestant friends in eastern areas of the country which could receive the BBC signal. David Gordon, who sang in Westminster Abbey that summers day in 1953. He went on to play a role in the arts in Cork Moreover, there were actually two Cork people who played important roles in the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. One of them was a teenage soprano, David Gordon, who sang in Westminster Abbey that summers day in 1953. Born in Belfast, he went on to be a ballet dancer and was integral to the setting up of the Irish National Ballet with the late Joan Denise Moriarty in Cork in the early 1970s. David was asked by Dame Ninette de Valois, founder of the Royal Ballet where he taught, to travel to Cork to help establish the company and its repertoire. He thought he would be staying just a few months but remained with the company as ballet master for the next 17 years and was an esteemed choreographer. After the dissolution of the Irish National Ballet in 1989, he stayed in Cork and worked as a freelance choreographer and director of musicals. David died of cancer in 2007 in hospital in Cork and his friends, sopranos Majella Cullagh and Mary Hegarty, sang at his funeral at St Fin Barres Cathedral. The other Cork person involved in the Coronation 70 years ago was Tony Murphy, who was one of four mounted police officers who rode behind the Queen Mothers carriage on the day. Tony, of Crookstown, attended Kilmurry school, De La Salle College in Macroom, the North Monastery in Cork, and UCC before emigrating to the UK, where he joined the Metropolitan Police. Crookstown man Tony Murphy at Great Scotland Yard during his time as a mounted Policeman . Shortly after, he joined the Mounted Police and although the horses were huge, they provided few problems for him as he had spent his childhood riding horses on his mothers farm at Desmonds of Currabeigh. Tony died in 2008. ****** Relations between the UK and Ireland have been fraught at times since 1953, particularly during the three decades of the Troubles, and Britains ruling politicians since Brexit have been, frankly, appalling neighbours. Still, our President Michael D Higgins is attending the Coronation next week, and many in Ireland will happily tune into the events across the water with interest, and perhaps a little bemusement. When the Echo splashed on the Coronation in 1953 on our front page that Saturday, we reported that Princes Charles sucked his thumb thoughtfully while the homage was going on, as though a little baffled by it all. Lets hope he doesnt do that next weekend! Mumbai, Apr 29 (UNI) Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Ajit Pawar on Saturday demanded that the state government set up the Vithabai Narayangaonkar Economic Development Corporation which would enable folk artists to lead life of dignity in their old age. In his letter to chief minister Eknath Shinde he stated that Maharashtra folk artists who get royal recognition should be able to live a good life with dignity in their old age, their accommodation, food, medical treatment should be provided, there should be old age homes for folk artists, they should get loans at low interest, children's education should be provided, government schemes should be provided. For this Tamasha Samragyi late Vithabai Narayangaonkar Economic Development Corporation should be established in the state, he suggested. He further demanded that the government establish a corporation for all folk artists including Tamasha. As there was no response from the government, he has written a letter to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister and reiterated this demand. Tamasha is the folk art, folk culture of Maharashtra. Generations of artists from the backward and ultra-backward communities of the state have kept this art alive, enhanced and enriched through their sacrifice and dedication. Tamasha art got public recognition and royal recognition. Pawar has also said in the letter that the government needs to pay attention to the dignity, rights and development of all the folk artists of the state including these pageant artists. In the work of enriching and popularizing the art of Tamasha, Tamasha Samragyi himself. Vithabai Narayangaonkar and her family have contributed a lot. His elder brother has been honoured with the President's Award. He who served Tamasha art throughout his life. Vithabai's last days were miserable. This is the fate of most folk artistes, their lives end in misery. To avoid this, accommodation, food and medicine should be arranged for folk artists in their old age, he added. UNI VKB SY RKM Madan Bhimarao Lokur writes: The murder of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf on 15 April 2023, while in police custody and shown on national television, is shocking to say the least. While few tears, if any, will be shed for the departed, larger questions concerning the rule of law and the implications of its breakdown have arisen. The death of an accused in police custody is not unknown. Three sensational and relatively recent extrajudicial killings immediately come to mindthe so-called encounter killing of four alleged rapists (including three minors) in December 2019 on the outskirts of Hyderabad by the Telangana police and the July 2020 killing of Vikas Dubey near Kanpur by the Uttar Pradesh (UP) police. Although these incidents were welcomed by many, the murders of Atiq and Ashraf tell their own tale. The third incident was a day earlier, on 14 April 2023, when Atiqs son, Asad, and an aide were killed in an encounter with the UP police. Two killings in two daysa coincidence? Atiqs murder stands out for numerous reasons. The brazenness of the act gives the impression that the three killers were confident that they would not be immediately harmed and perhaps never. The killers posed as journalists and would certainly have been aware that the media and photographers (all eyewitnesses) would be present. Yet they went ahead with the point-blank shooting of several rounds. The deed having been done, they threw their weapons right there and meekly surrendered to the posse of about a dozen policepersons. Strangely, the usually trigger-happy UP police (armed as they must have been while escorting the dreaded gangsters) did not retaliate even though one of their own was injured. The police arrested the killers and shockingly sought their judicial remand in a double murder, when today, police remand is the norm for something as innocuous as a tweet or an unpalatable journalistic venture. The police have several questions to answer: Why were Atiq and Ashraf taken for a medical check-up at 10 pm? What was the emergency? Why could they not have been taken for the check-up the next morning? How did the media come to know of their movement? Why did the killers commit the murders? According to the police, they wanted to become famous. Really? Now that they have become (in)famous, will they be garlanded and celebrated? Hopefully, the unvarnished truth will surface one day through a commission of inquiry or a special investigation team, hopefully, before the incident fades from public memory. What does the incident tell us about the law-and-order situation in UP and our justice delivery systemthe police say that there were 100 cases pending against Atiq, a former elected legislator. Fake encounters, particularly in UP, have added a new phrase to our jurisprudence, that is, instant justice. Reports suggest hundreds of encounters between the police and alleged criminals in the last few years resulting in more than 180 deaths, as per the official count. How many deaths will it take till he knows, as Bob Dylan asks, that too many people have died? Through the process of instant justice, constitutional rights are denied to our citizens but foreigners such as Ajmal Kasab are (rightly) given a fair trial. We seem to have got our priorities wrong somewhere. The uniqueness of the Atiq and Ashraf murders is that they were not killed in a fake encounter. They were killed while in the (ostensible) protective custody of the police. None of the previous encounter killings had a third-party involvementthe culprits were said to be the police. But this time, with third-party involvement, vigilante justice has been taken to another level. There have been several instances of lynching in UP (and other parts of the country) but no recorded instance of vigilante justice in police custody. This level of vigilante justice will enable the guardians of the law to get away with a light rap, perhaps for dereliction of duty and nothing more. The fall guys will be, if at all, the vigilante judges, juries, and executioners. Unfortunately, our legal system is unable to expedite justice delivery. Criminal cases remain pending for years, if not decades. Witnesses die a natural death or are killed (a key witness against Atiq was killed allegedly at his instance) or made to turn hostile, making acquittals a foregone conclusion. Parliament has yet to enact a witness protection law but Atiqs murder throws open the question of whether a witness can be provided effective protection by the state. The key witness had two police bodyguards who were also killed. Our decision makers and policymakers must brainstorm and expedite justice delivery. Atiq is said to have a century of criminal cases against him and perhaps only one has been decided so far. Does investigation, prosecution, and trial have to proceed at a snails pace? Would circumstances have been different if Atiq was convicted and jailed for his first or second crime? The laws lethargy put several people at great risk with Atiqs gangsterism. Draconian laws or draconian implementation of penal laws is not the answer to the problem. A far more streamlined and efficient legal process is absolutely necessary. Until then, fake encounters and vigilante justice will continue to mock at the rule of law and constitutional rights. The concept of university stands for free flow of knowledge beyond boundaries to strengthen the education system and human resource development process. Considering the higher education prospects in India, this regulation may not surprise us. With around 38 million students in 50,000 academic institutions, including 1,057 universities, and the goal of doubling gross enrolment rates from the current 26.3% to 50% by 2035 would go in favour of internationalisation of higher education. After China, India is the second largest source of international students globally. Importantly, the National Education Policy 2020 promises to open up a highly regulated and a largely closed academic system to the world. The traditional Indian swadeshi (local) ideology in education is expected to be replaced by an open-door policy in education (Albatch 2022). The recent attempts at internationalising higher education by inviting foreign universities to India have not been very encouraging. This is because over 6.5 lakh Indian students went abroad in 2022 alone to pursue higher education, according to data shared by the Ministry of Education in Parliament. The number of students who went to study abroad showed a significant rise from 4.54 lakh in 2017 to 5.86 lakh in 2019. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number fell by half to 2.59 lakh in 2020. Over 4.4 lakh Indians went abroad for higher education in 2021. Note that 2022 showed significant increase in this number compensating for the decline during the pandemic period (PTI 2023a: 1). Russian air strikes have hit cities across Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, in the first large scale attack in nearly two months. Nepa, a marketing intelligence company that helps businesses to build long-term brands, is now expanding into the Asia-Pacific region with Mumbai as regional HQ. Esha Nagar has been promoted to the newly created position of Head of APAC. Nagar has been with Nepa for 6 years and has run the companys Indian offices for the last 4, during which the region has seen annual double-digit growth. She has more than a decade of experience in market research, with stints at Kantar and Nielsen prior to joining Nepa. On her elevation, Nagar says: "I am excited to lead the expanded region for Nepa, as this route feels so organic for us. We have been winning in India with a market-focused approach that is more agile and locally relevant than our competitors, and we feel this approach works well in the regions emerging markets, categories, and cohorts. We have already seen some major wins in the last two years for us beyond India in APAC. There is a whitespace for a competitor like us in the region that plays on the cusp of consulting & tech, and helps companies build long-term, lasting brands." CEO Ulrich Boyer said: "I am very excited to take the next step in our journey in APAC. We have shown tremendous growth in India, yet this is just the tip of the iceberg. Since Esha took over in 2019 the region has shown great passion and drive, and this is yet another evolution in Nepa's global growth strategy." "The rising economic weight of APAC has extensive opportunities for Nepa, notably due to the growing economic importance of the regions consumer markets as drivers of world demand growth. Our India team has been delivering magic on their Asia projects for a few years, so it feels like the right time to leverage their cross-category expertise and rich cultural understanding of emerging markets to unleash the areas potential," says Ferry Wolswinkel, CRO. If you need to transfer money to United Arab Emirates from the UK or any other country worldwide, Exchange Rates UK provides you with the latest United Arab Emirates Dirham exchange rate comparison. 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It was great news for local voters in September 2019 when the Texas Secretary of States Office approved Bexar Countys bid to join the states countywide polling place program. It meant that Bexar County could offer Election Day voters the convenience of casting their ballots at any polling site in the county, rather than having to turn up at a designated precinct. The impact was instantaneous and obvious. That November, 56,621 local residents turned out on Election Day for a constitutional-amendment election. Two years earlier, in a similar election, only 17,989 Bexar County voters cast their ballots on Election Day. If Republican state lawmakers have their way, however, the right to vote at any county site on Election Day might soon go away. On April 20, the Texas Senate along strict party lines passed Senate Bill 990, a bill authored by Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood. Halls bill would force the 90 Texas counties currently employing countywide voting including Bexar, Harris and Dallas to scrap those systems. Halls bill is based on an ill-informed premise that intermingling voters from different precincts at countywide polling sites is somehow rife with potential for tabulation disasters. Keep in mind that early voting in Texas has long been done on a countywide basis, and early voting made up 68 percent of the vote in this states 2022 midterm elections. Related: San Antonians eager to cast ballots come out strong on first day of early voting So even if you buy into Halls baseless suspicions that countywide voting leads to election irregularities, you have to face the fact that his bill ignores the time period when most of those countywide votes are cast. During an April 20 Senate floor discussion on SB 990, Halls logic was elusive. Under questioning from Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, Hall conceded that he couldnt point to any clear instances of voter-data breaches due to countywide polling. Instead, he clung to a false argument that countywide voting makes it hard to tell if those breaches occur. Alvarado asked Hall if he worried that his bill would add burdens to Texas counties. Dont see that as a particular problem, Hall replied. What it does is it trades security of the elections for convenience. And I think security of elections is far more important than just convenience. I would agree that election security ultimately is more important than election convenience. But what if a piece of legislation provides no election-security benefits and needlessly imposes inconveniences that disenfranchise voters? In the years prior to Bexar Countys adoption of Election Day countywide polling locations, I saw several confused local voters leave polling sites in frustration after being told they went to the wrong precinct. Countywide voting eliminated that problem. Prior to 2019, if you worked in one end of Bexar County and lived in another, youd find yourself on Election Day scrambling to get back to your neighborhood precinct after work, when it would have been so much easier to vote near your job. Countywide voting eliminated that problem. Jacque Callanen, the elections administrator for Bexar County, told me that prior to 2019, when Election Day voters showed up at the wrong precinct, they often ended up voting provisionally and state law prevented those provisional ballots from being counted. All these people were disenfranchised. Wed get 1,400 to 1,500 provisional ballots, and the majority of them voted out of precinct, Callanen said. Keep in mind that the state has rolled out Election Day countywide voting gradually, a few counties at a time, over the past 15 years. Related: As early voting kicks off amid Fiesta, political observers expect turnout to be on par with 2021 They have allowed communities to introduce countywide polling pilot programs only after those counties demonstrated that they use a computerized registration list allowing instant verification that a voter has not already voted at a different location. Also, counties are only allowed to continue using countywide polling locations after the Texas Secretary of States Office has determined that the pilot-program effort was successful. In a 2022 report to the Texas Legislature, the Secretary of States Office concluded that Election Day countywide polling continues to grow and has proven successful for participating counties. Callanen said the minimal cost for Bexar County to abandon the countywide polling program would be $150,000, because we would have to do media. That would be a disservice to our voters if we didnt alert them. So Halls plan is expensive, illogical, pointless and sure to cause voter disenfranchisement. It says a lot about Texas Republicans relentless determination to make voting harder that they moved it through the Senate without hesitation. It should be a given that we all want to make the voting process as easy as possible, so long as proper safeguards are maintained. But its not a given, and Halls bill is a sad reminder. ggarcia@express-news.net One in a series of stories about the career and life of Willie Nelson. Willie Nelson turns 90 years old on April 29, and the Lone Star legend is celebrating with two concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. He will celebrate with all manner of admirers including George Strait, Emmylou Harris, Beck, Miranda Lambert, the Dave Matthews Band and a couple dozen others. Also on the bill will be Kris Kristofferson, one of Nelsons few remaining peers. The reason for the celebration is an American original who defies easy categorization. Nelson was born in Abbott in 1933 and was drawn to the radio as a kid. His success in making music has been a testament to persistence as well as a resolve to be himself. Nelson worked as a DJ on the Pacific Coast before moving to Houston in the late 1950s where he wrote and played his songs for sparse crowds at the Esquire Ballroom. He took his tunes to Nashville, which tried and failed to turn him into a boilerplate honky tonk star. So Nelson returned to Texas and reinvented himself as a country-hippie icon. By age 40, Nelson was making music his way and he found an audience in the process. A star became an icon: a bearded, braided, pot-smoking, tour bus-dwelling performer who cut his own path. MORE ON WILLIE NELSON: The best Willie Nelson songs are on these five albums every Texas music fan needs to own Is Willie Nelson still alive? Six years after releasing Still Not Dead, Willie Nelson is still alive. After a news report suggested hed checked out several years ago, Nelson wrote the line I woke up still not dead again today. In fact, he has awakened more than 2,000 times not dead since the songs release. How old is Willie Nelson? Today, April 29, 2023, Willie Nelson is 90. His birth certificate would tell a different story: That Nelson is 89.999 years old. He was born so late on the 29th that the incorrect date was put on the official paperwork. Rather than quibble, its easier to just celebrate over two days. Who is playing with Willie Nelson? Trigger will be played by Willie Nelson. Thats his weathered Martin N-20 guitar, which hes played since 1969. Special guests at the show include George Strait, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young, Booker T. Young, Lyle Lovett, Gary Clark Jr., Beck, Chris Stapleton, the Chicks, the Dave Matthews Band and dozens of others. Also on the bill will be Mickey Raphael, who has played harmonica with Willie for 50 years. Mickey is the last living member of Willies classic 1970s Family band. Where is Willie Nelson from? Willie Nelson is from everywhere. He was born in Abbott, Texas, but hes traveled the world making music with his friends. After years of touring tirelessly, hes circulated so much as to transcend time and place. Tonight and tomorrow hes from Hollywood, where hell play two birthday shows. Then hell get on the bus and be from somewhere else. Then hell get on the bus and be from somewhere else. But what direction does the bus head when he says hes going home? Probably toward Spicewood, Texas. Or he catches a flight to his home in Maui. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A manhunt was underway Saturday after a man killed five people "execution-style," including an 8-year-old boy, using an AR-15 after he apparently got angry when confronted by neighbors who said his gunfire was disturbing a baby in a San Jacinto County home, authorities said. Authorities spent Saturday searching a heavily wooded area near the home for the gunman, who was identified by officials as 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza, according to Rob Freyer, an assistant district attorney with the San Jacinto County District Attorney's Office. A judge issued an arrest warrant with a $5 million bond for Oropeza. "Our No. 1 priority," San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said, "... has been to locate this suspect and put him behind bars where he belongs." On HoustonChronicle.com: What to know about the San Jacinto County mass shooting Despite more than 100 police on the ground and in the air searching with dogs and on horseback for Oropeza, officials late Saturday said they were expanding their search from the roughly 2-square-mile area they combed most of the day near where the killings occurred in a tucked-in collection of homes down beaten country roads, deep in East Texas' lush canopy. Oropeza was allegedly firing his AR-15 semi-automatic rifle around 11:30 p.m. Friday in the front yard of his home on Walter Drive in the Trails End Subdivision, where chickens, dogs and horses are scattered across acre-sized lots separated by chain-link fences. His neighbor went to the fence to ask him to stop shooting, saying his infant was trying to sleep, Capers said. The suspect allegedly went back inside his home and then reappeared, launching a shooting spree inside the neighbors home. He killed an 8-year-old boy, three women and a man, authorities said. He cleared the whole house, Capers said. One woman died at the front door and two other women died in a bedroom, lying across three small children they had apparently been trying to protect, authorities said. All the shots were to the head or neck, police said. The victims were identified as Daniel Enrique Laso, 8; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; and Julisa Molina Rivera, 31. "We do not believe they are all one family but they are living under one household," FBI spokeswoman Christina Garza said. On HoustonChronicle.com: What to know about AR-15-style rifle used in San Jacinto County shooting Three children covered in blood were taken to a hospital, where exams determined they were uninjured and bloodied by the slain women protecting them, officials said. The children are now safe with family in the area, Freyer said. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer San Jacinto County District Attorney Todd Dillon said two adults in the home were not harmed. My understanding is they tried to fight back by throwing a machete at the assailant and he fled, Dillon said at the scene. San Jacinto deputies called Montgomery County law enforcement officials and SWAT to determine if the suspect was armed inside his home. They obtained a search warrant and discovered the gunman had fled. No vehicles were missing from either home, leading officials to believe the suspect was close by in a densely wooded area. Authorities launched a search that included aerial drones. FBI resources were used to track a cell phone Oropeza had used after the shootings, on which he talked to a witness who is cooperating with police. Capers said searchers found the device and clothing Oropeza likely took from the home when he fled in the woods. Dogs used to track him lost the scent, Capers said, because of water on the ground. Officials collected a semi-automatic rifle and magazine from the suspects home and believe that was the weapon used in the killings. What's unclear is whether he could be on the run with other firearms retrieved from the home. "We consider him armed and dangerous," said James Smith, special agent in charge of the Houston field off of the FBI. Smith urged residents to call the police if they see him, "and not take matters into their own hands." Deputies had responded to the location multiple times previously, but did not have specifics on the nature of the calls, authorities said. Capers said he believed at least one of the calls was for noise or gunfire. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Gunfire is frequent in this part of unincorporated San Jacinto County, about 45 miles north of Houston, neighbor Veronica Pineda, 38, said. I dont like it, but its common, she said. The gunfire Friday night was no different, she said. I heard like five shots and then another moment and then more shooting, she said. We thought when we went to sleep it was nothing. Her twins, age 2, curled in a blanket, were a little frightened by all the noise, but fell back asleep. Her husband awoke early to go to work, and thats when they realized the shooting was across the street. Pineda said most neighbors in the enclave buried in the woods where Montgomery, Liberty and San Jacinto counties intersect near Texas 105 keep to themselves. Most, including the suspect, moved in about five years ago, she said, and began fixing up the largely abandoned houses, which required significant work because wiring had been ripped from many of them. She did not know either of the families across the street well but said her 10-year-old played with some of the children at the house, including the 8-year-old who was killed Friday night. Pineda said the shooting reaffirmed her preference to keep to herself. Something as simple as asking someone to keep the noise down, or stop shooting, can erupt into violence. Sometimes we dont know how someone is going to react, she said. Others along Walter Drive agreed. Rene Arevalo, 45, said practically everyone shoots in the area, but also knows not to intrude. Somebody firing an ARM is normal, Arevalo said, using shorthand for the AR-15 rifle. It happens all the time. What is uncommon is to have police swarm the area because of a mass shooting. He and his family had lived on the street for about six years, moving from California 11 years ago. It makes you think who your neighbor is, said Arevalo, his 21-year-old son Rene Jr. at his side. Texas is a place where you dont know who could have a gun. A spate of recent rage-induced shootings over seemingly minor infractions have occurred across the nation just this month, including the shooting of two Woodlands Elite cheerleaders who got into the wrong car in Austin. Other shootings have targeted a 6-year-old whose ball rolled into a neighbors yard in North Carolina, a Missouri teenager who rang the wrong doorbell and a 20-year-old girl who pulled into the wrong driveway in New York. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Condolences sent, vigil planned for victims Texas Gun Sense, a nonprofit founded by survivors of the Virginia Tech shooting in April 2007, released a statement Saturday afternoon following the shooting. Just yesterday, we stood on the steps of the Capitol with survivors from Uvalde demanding that lawmakers act. This morning, weve learned of another senseless shooting that ended the life of a child and his family members, Nicole Golden, Texas Gun Sense executive director, said in the statement. People often ask What is it going to take to do something? To that, we say, the unspeakable has already happened, and continues to happen, to our communities. We know that strong gun laws work, we know most Texans support them, and we know there is no excuse for inaction to save lives. The first anniversary of the Robb Elementary mass shooting in Uvalde is next month and gun legislation has been a hot-button topic for lawmakers. The San Jacinto County Democratic Party held a vigil for the five victims Saturday in Huntsville. On HoustonChronicle.com: 60 children and teens died from gun violence in Harris County in 2022, the highest total in years San Jacinto County is devastated by the horrific events that happened last night, John Michael Adams, chairman of the San Jacinto County Democratic Party, said in a news release. Weve decided that it no longer made sense to hold our annual fundraiser tonight, but still felt we needed to come together as a community however we could and send our love and prayers to the loved ones of the victims of this senseless shooting. The Honduran Consulate in Houston is currently in contact with the families of the victims to repatriate the bodies of the victims, all of whom police say were from Honduras, according to Enrique Reina, the Honduran secretary of foreign relations. The mass shooting came two months after a 38-year-old gunman fatally shot three teenage girls at a home in Galena Park. The gunman also sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl, who managed to flee the home in the 2000 block of Second Street with her niece during the February shooting. Staff photojournalist Yi-Chin Lee contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A pedestrian crossing the lower level of Interstate 35 North downtown was killed in a hit-and-run accident early Friday. The man, who has not been identified, was crossing the highway from north to south when he was struck about 1 a.m. near Brooklyn Avenue. ALSO READ: Pedestrian killed by pickup on West Side street; driver accused of fleeing scene arrested The driver fled, said police, who did not have a description of the vehicle. Emergency medical personnel pronounced the man dead at the scene. The driver, if and when found, will face a charge of failure to stop and render aid resulting in death. Sujata Jana / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm San Antonio first responders received two calls within moments of each other Friday evening one for the discovery of a dead body in a flooded creek on the West Side and the other for a person run over by a train on the East Side. The first call came in at 8:27 p.m. according to a preliminary report from the San Antonio Police Department. Officers saw a womans body in the creek in the 5900 block of West Commerce Street, near Monterrey Park. The San Antonio Fire Department was called in, and they pulled the body out of the swiftly moving floodwater. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate One afternoon, when Harry Belafonte was 5 years old his mother told him, When you grow up, son, never ever go to bed at night knowing that there was something you could have done during the day to strike a blow against injustice, and you didnt do it. It was my Rosebud, Belafonte wrote in his magnificent memoir, My Song. The moment that imprinted itself on me more lastingly, and meaningfully, than any other. As if we couldnt tell. For most of his life, a life that ended last week at the age of 96, Belafonte was as famous for his activism as he was for his performing; as celebrated (and loathed) for drawing attention to an issue as he was at drawing audiences to his songs and shows. No one better balanced the roles of being a talented entertainer and consequential political activist. Belafonte was a walking rejection of white supremacy, for how could a Black man with his looks, talent, wealth, intellect and success be inferior to the likes of Bull Connor or George Wallace? Belafonte lived so long, and became a major star so young, that it took his death to remind some and inform others of the barriers broken by this child of Jamaican immigrants. In 1954, at the age of 26, he became the first Black man to win a Tony Award on Broadway. His album, Belafonte, was the first album to top the Billboard 200 Album chart when it began in March of 1956. In September of 1956, his next album Calypso, propelled by his most famous song, Day-O (The Banana Boat Song), not only also made it to No. 1, but stayed there for 31 weeks, becoming the first album to sell 1 million copies within a year. He was the first Black producer to win an Emmy Award for a CBS special that was a history of Black life in America through music. For one historic week in February of 1968, The Tonight Show host, Johnny Carson, stepped away so Belafonte could sit in as guest host and introduce to white Americans many Black artists and activists. Belafonte also interviewed Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, months before both men were assassinated. Belafonte was especially close to King, of whom he wrote, As I got to know Martin better, and saw nonviolence put to the test, I would come to appreciate its spiritual and emotional value. Id find I wanted to live by those values myself, both to help the movement and to wash away my personal anger. After Kings murder, Belafonte was a lifeline of support for his family. In 1985, Belafonte helped organize, and sang on, the all-star single We Are the World, which raised millions of dollars for humanitarian relief in Africa. Belafonte wasnt an artist who became an activist. He was an activist who happened to be an artist. He was his mothers child, using his great talent, wealth and spotlight to fight injustice. The Civil Rights Movement wouldnt have been the Civil Rights Movement without Belafonte, who personally funded the establishment of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC, and donated and raised small fortunes for bail money, legal fees, and organizational support for civil rights activists and organizations. In June of 1964, during the voter registration drive organized by SNCC known as Mississippi Freedom Summer, the civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman were murdered by Klansmen, their bodies found in August. SNCC needed money to continue the registration drive. Belafonte collected $70,000 in cash and flew down to Mississippi with his close friend and fellow movie star, Sidney Poitier. It was night when they landed in Greenwood and a car of SNCC volunteers picked them up. Soon, in a scene not from a movie, the car was chased down a back road by two truckloads of Klansmen, one truck ramming the car. Gunshots were fired. Saving Belafonte and Poitier were a convoy of cars, coming from the direction they were headed, driven by more SNCC volunteers who escorted them to their destination. Belafonte once told the story of meeting an elderly Jamaican woman, who, thinking he was dead, didnt believe it was him, Belafonte? she said. He be gone. Now Harry Belafonte be gone. But the blows he struck against injustice endure. cary.clack@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate As of now, Republicans in the Texas Legislature arent making some Texas voters count jelly beans and soap bubbles to cast their ballots. Pre-Voting Rights Act of 1965, counting the number of jelly beans in a jar or bubbles in a bar of soap were the extreme tests used by some registrars in Southern states to prevent Black people from voting. The Voting Rights Act abolished such shenanigans and led to the greatest expansion of democracy, via the vote, in American history. While we really dont expect to see Texas Republicans tying jelly bean and soap bubbles calculations to voting, their members in the Texas Senate and House continue to put forward legislation with the same intent as those not so long-ago barriers: to dissuade people from voting, or at least to create obstacles that make voting more difficult for people, particularly those whose votes they doubt they can win. The latest attempt to make voting difficult again comes from Republican Sen. Bob Hall of Edgewood, who has authored Senate Bill 990, which would do away with countywide voting centers on Election Day and make residents vote at an assigned precinct. There are 90 counties, ranging from rural ones to large metropolitan ones such as Bexar and Harris, that the Texas secretary of states office has approved to use these countywide centers on Election Day. Each county, so approved, must pass secretary of state audits during two election cycles to remain eligible for the countywide centers. In short, countywide voting benefits Texans in rural and urban areas, and voters in both major parties. The system is monitored to ensure accuracy (although, as we have written before, widespread voter fraud is largely a myth). Hall, without any proof, claims that its impossible to ensure an accurate vote count when voting locations are spread across a precinct. He has said that having residents vote in a single location would make it easier. It certainly would make it harder for people to vote on Election Day. Under his bill, countywide voting would be allowed through early voting. The bill, which has passed the Senate along party lines, heads to the House where an identical piece of legislation has been introduced. Countywide voting has its roots in rural counties, but is popular among all voters, irrespective of region, party, or ethnicity because of its convenience in allowing people to vote anywhere in the county in which they reside. In November of 2022, some 70 percent of Texas voters did so at countywide locations. In fielding questions from colleagues about why these sites should be eliminated, Hall sounded contradictory and foolish, saying there wasnt evidence of any problems because, The data is so carefully guarded and kept from the public it is almost impossible to get the information. What? When Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, told him there wasnt a law enforcement office that agreed with him, Hall answered, Correct. Im saying we dont know, theres nothing to be proven. Again, we must ask, What? What does that answer mean? Hall has crafted legislation about a concern for which he has no proof that would make it harder for Texans to vote. Sound, thoughtful policy this is not. As has been stated frequently by the secretary of states office and confirmed by the failed sleuthing attempts of indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton, there is no evidence of systematic voter fraud in Texas. Halls bill follows Texas infamous Senate Bill 1, which was passed and signed into law last legislative session, in conjuring the boogeyman of voter fraud to make it harder for Texans to vote. Its impossible to ignore the background of demographic change in Texas when it comes to legislation that makes it harder for Texans to vote. Of the nearly 4 million people added to Texas population in the 2020 census count, 95 percent were people of color, of which nearly 2 million were Latino. No group is monolithic in terms of voting just look at some of the voting shifts in the Rio Grande Valley but these are voters who have traditionally supported the Democratic Party. Yet this diversity is not reflected in Texas state and congressional districts. On Wednesday, the Texas House reaffirmed its 2021 district maps for its 150 seats. Despite the states demographic changes, the number of districts in which whites make up a majority of eligible voters grew while the number of districts in which Black and Latinos were the majority of eligible voters was reduced. Using this math, who needs anyone to count jelly beans and soap bubbles. Signs urge residents to support a school referendum for Laurel Public School. (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan) Housing may be just the beginning of problems for Montana. While the state tackles a crisis of affordable housing in the state, exacerbated by a rush of people during the COVID-19 pandemic, other signs of stress and growth are beginning to show in other areas. More people will mean more streets, more water treatment plants, but it also is already stressing some school districts that are seeing growth. That growth isnt confined to the seven largest cities in Montana, but the pressure is mounting in places like Laurel and Hamilton places that are nearby those larger cities, but more affordable. Laurel Public Schools is a perfect microcosm for some districts. Located just 14 miles from Montanas largest city and in the states largest county, it has seen explosive growth that has put students in every nook and cranny of available space. And like many school districts, many of the buildings in the Laurel school district are aging. District officials in their pitch to the community for an $88 million bond point out that one student fell partway through the floor of an elementary school. Dusty Eaton and Brad Doll of A&E Architects, a firm with offices throughout the state, specializes in building schools and theyve been inundated with requests, inquiries and plans from districts throughout the state not just from places like Missoula, Bozeman or Billings, the larger urban centers where growth has been focused. For many districts its the combined pressure of new growth, old buildings and expensive construction costs. Because of labor and construction materials, remodeling has become almost as expensive as new construction, and older buildings werent designed for the electrical, internet and even plumbing needs of students today. Montana tends to have a number of buildings older than many states because the cost of maintenance and construction largely falls to the local school districts. But many buildings have a life span, usually of 50 to 75 years, before needing major renovation or a new building. Many school districts experienced a building boom that followed the Baby Boom after World War II. Do the math and that means many of the schools built during that time period are approaching the end of their life cycle, which means major renovation or rebuilding. If districts dont pass these levies, there is no other funding, said Eaton. For example, a recent bond for schools in Townsend passed by a mere three votes. In Hamilton, most of the schools have been updated, but the middle school was built in 1926. Lance Melton, the executive director of the Montana School Boards Association, said the challenge of growing school districts in the state is complex, not just because of the financing, but also because of demographics. While some counties and areas, for example, Bozeman, are growing rapidly, others are contracting. Overall, the number of students in the state has gradually slid, the results of an aging state population and families deciding to have one or two children rather than four or five. In 1996, Montana schools had a high of 165,000 kids. As a percentage of the overall population, the number of school-aged kids has shrunk from 19% to 13%, even as the overall population has increased, suggesting both smaller families and older people moving to the state. Upkeep is also a significant burden for a school district. Montana schools total 33 million square feet. At $2 per year for maintenance, that means districts have to find more than $65 million just to keep the space they have, without much state support. Its so localized that its hard to get a state trend, Melton said. On top of that, there is this mad rush to get it done if you need construction because the cost and contingencies are off the chart. New construction costs in 2006 were $200 per square foot. Melton said today, they estimate $400 per square foot. In many of these large growth centers, you find that people missed the growth curve; they can no longer afford Missoula or Bozeman or Kalispell maybe even Helena, Melton said. Youre priced out of the market, so you go to the next closest nearby place. So, places like Livingston and Hamilton are the next big discoveries. Data continues to show that sunlight and even things like the temperature of the room can contribute to a students learning success or failure and those things can also contribute to the districts bottom line. Many of the heating and cooling systems in old buildings are aging too, and inefficient. Eaton and Doll said that some districts are struggling to find parts to repair old mechanical systems by companies that havent existed for years or parts that have become obsolete. A decade ago, the Billings Public Schools launched an all-out community campaign to update aging schools and an expanding population. The states largest city was notorious for killing a string of levies, small and large, especially after a bitter teacher strike a decade before that. But with a professional public relations campaign and the support of big names in the community, Billings passed a levy of more than $120 million, which set a historic high-water mark, and bucked the trend of unsuccessful levies. Both Doll and Eaton said that began a trend of school districts, especially larger ones, passing successful levies. Other communities saw that large levies could be successful and community pride motivated them to update their school district in a sort of community game of keeping up with the Joneses. That levy success has also served as a model of what many Montana communities want: Instead of running a bond that aims to update one school or build a single new building, many communities are opting for a larger ask that either renovates or builds new buildings. The benefits are that a district only has to make one levy ask, rather than multiple requests, which have the effect of always hitting up the taxpayers for more money. Most residents say, I dont want you to come back to me for another 10 years,' Doll said. The additional benefit is that usually the projects are large enough to touch nearly every student in the district. Parents are happy because every kid in the district gets something, Eaton said. The downside is that the cost can be eye-popping. But Eaton and Doll said with construction and labor costs high, virtually any project from a slight remodel to building new high schools is going to be expensive. Now, part of the challenge is estimating the cost of construction in 18 to 24 months, a typical timeline for planning, bonding and then construction to begin. Its nerve wracking because we still have to pin the design plans to a number, Eaton said. And prices are still volatile with contractors only being able to lock in prices for 30 days. Laurel is a perfect example of what is happening in districts. We go out and develop a plan and bring it to them. And their eyes pop out and they ask, Whats Plan B?' Doll said. And we say, This is Plan B. We looked at Plan A and it is just out of line.' With costs high, many districts are opting to build new schools and buildings not just for today, but for the future, which they see coming as new houses, subdivision and apartment complexes start popping up. A new roof or new windows isnt going to solve a capacity issue, Eaton said. A&E reports that costs of construction have risen 44% in the past three years, which puts pressure on districts to consider value. In Laurel Public Schools case, the buildings, including the high school, are out of room with an expanding population. Fixing an old, at-capacity building doesnt make as much sense. However, even with proposals to build new buildings, he said the old spaces still have value, either in repurposing the buildings or using the land. One of the things that A&E and other architecture firms do when planning is utilize a demographer to predict where the growth will happen and how it might take place. Districts like Laurel are unlikely to see the trend stop. The community has seen a rapid rise in population as the space between Billings to Laurel fills in with more houses and families. Described as at a breaking point, the districts building are at capacity and aging. Modulars, or temporary buildings meant to house the overflow, are stacked on sites, aging as well. In some of those theres not a single ray of sunlight, Eaton said. In other cases, kindergarteners have to walk building to building just to use the bathroom. Hamilton students have experienced water dripping from the ceiling into buckets. And, in Glendive the boiler system is so out of date a man who covers a three-state region, known as the boiler whisperer, has to be called to work on the geriatric mechanical system. When the temperature drops too low, sometimes school is cancelled. Eaton and Doll said that its difficult to guide the conversation away from the cost voters and residents inevitably see the proposals as a tax increase. Inherently, people dont understand how the schools and districts are funded. They dont get it, Eaton said. It becomes a tax increase, rather than a value increase or a reinvestment in the community. Yeah, we dont get called in until things get really bad, Doll said. Fighting against taxes is just part of the battle. Because many of these buildings have been in communities for generations, theres an idea that theyll be fine for several more generations. Its pretty tough to build something that will last 100 years. Wed love to think that, Eaton said. A lot of districts ask us to come in. Sometimes, we look and the buildings have good bones, so to speak, and we can help them see something they havent seen before the potential. But even if there are good bones, there are also problems. Without fail the first thing we hear from districts is: We dont have enough (electrical) outlets, Doll said. A rapid increase in the number of power hungry electronic devices have strained most school buildings electrical systems, a sometimes costly upgrade. And aging heating and cooling systems can bleed operational funds. For example, Billings Public Schools upgraded lighting in classrooms, using LED and motion-sensor lights to conserve power. Eaton said some scoffed, but the strategy saved thousands, if not millions. Lew Anderson (former district facilities manager in Billings) used to say, Nickel and dimes, hundreds of times,' Eaton said, as a strategy for saving. From lights to adding insulation, Eaton said constructing new buildings arent the only way to help districts conserve scarce state dollars. One of the other important lessons learned is to have the communities show their work. Eaton and Doll said after the projects are completed, its just as essential to have outreach to voters as it is to reach out during the levy portion of the campaign. Touring the new schools or seeing students in them often boosts community pride by showing residents what the taxpayer dollars paid for. They saw it first hand during a tour of a new elementary school in Townsend. There were people there who said as they were touring that they didnt vote for the levy, but if they would have seen it and known, they wished they could change their vote, Eaton said. He said as education has changed with things like laptops and the internet, buildings are among the last things to change, sometimes because of cost, and other times because the buildings have been around for so long. Think about how many different ways education has changed in 100 years, and were still in those same spaces, some of which havent changed, Eaton said. The post After the housing boom comes the school boom: Some districts seeing huge growth appeared first on Daily Montanan. The Montana State Capitol in Helena on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (Photo by Mike Clark for the Daily Montanan) Rep. Alice Buckleys Best Beginnings Scholarship expansion to provide relief for lower-income Montanans seeking child care options is headed to the governors desk after a final bipartisan vote in the Senate on Friday. House Bill 648 from the Bozeman Democrat has been one of Democrats major priorities this session to get to the desk of Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte and has garnered the support of some Republicans, parents, the business community and child care providers as it made its way through the process even being carried by Republican Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, in the Senate. Im so proud and grateful for all the work that went into this, Buckley said Friday afternoon. It feels like from the beginning, its just been the result of so much collaboration and hard work in the building. HB648 passed its third reading in the Senate on Friday in a 29-20 vote, with support from Democrats and Republican Sens. Jason Ellsworth, Mike Cuffe, Fitzpatrick, Chris Friedel, Bruce Gillespie, Greg Hertz, Wendy McKamey, Walt Sales, Dan Salomon, Jason Small, Russ Tempel, Terry Vermeire, Jeff Welborn and Daniel Zolnikov. It also received bipartisan support in the House. It will expand the child care scholarship program to an estimated 700 more working families in Montana living at up to 185% of the Federal Poverty Level and caps the copays they have to pay in for the program at 9% and puts those on a sliding scale. The bill will cost an estimated $7 million a year but puts the eligibility level back to where it was during the COVID-19 pandemic up until Jan. 1, which proponents have said will give lower-income families more flexibility to afford both child care and other necessities, and also to free up more time to work. Buckleys bill puts the Best Beginnings Scholarship program into statute; it has been in Montana rules for 30 years and helps people pay for child care by having the Department of Public Health and Human Services pay facilities caring for a child when their parents pay the copay. Buckley said Friday she is really happy with the final product and that she was surprised the bill went through Senate committees and the Senate floor without further changes. The bill was tweaked in the House with amendments that Buckley said involved compromises. The three changes it makes to the existing program are really going to make a really big difference for providers and for parents, she said. The bill squeaked through the Senate Finance and Claims Committee in a 10-9 vote, with bipartisan support, despite some questioning why a major mining company was there testifying on the bill and why parents werent just staying at home to raise their kids like their families did. My view is the best beginning for a child is for a mom or a dad to be home with the child, said Sen. Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, when the committee took executive action on the bill. Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, argued there was already plenty of other funding for the program and that Montanans needed to work at a job that paid them enough that they could pay for child care. But on the floor Thursday, Fitzpatrick told the Senate he was carrying and supporting the bill because of his own experiences with his wife trying to afford child care for their kids. If this is hard for me, its got to be hard for everybody, he said. If you can provide a way to keep more people working, I think you have a way of making more productive citizens and making Montana a more prosperous place. On Friday afternoon, he said he was paying more for child care than for his mortgage, and that others who had lower incomes were understandably paying more than they could afford with the rest of their bills. Buckley said she appreciated the bipartisan support and the array of organizations and interests that testified in favor of her bill and helped her craft and amend one that would make the finish line. Child care feels like one of the issues in this building that theres still bipartisan interest and bipartisan buy-in to those important things that are sacred to me, and so I wanted to keep it that way, she said. (Fitzpatrick) felt like a natural sponsor because hes also one of those whos willing to talk about that experience. Buckley said the Governors Office, which she has spoken with through the process, has been non-committal about signing the bill, but she added that is how the office has been for most bills. What Ive continued to tell him is that it will be a huge win for him, she said. Its a huge win for Montana. We just havent passed a piece of central child care policy like this before, and the COVID provisions, which this bill returns us to, made a huge difference or our communities so its a huge win to go back to those, so Im hopeful hell sign it for that reason. The post Best Beginnings child care scholarship expansion headed to Gianfortes desk appeared first on Daily Montanan. People opposing Senate Bill 99 and anti-abortion bills at the Montana Legislature rallied inside the Capitol on April 7, 2023. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan) Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed Senate Bill 99 on Friday, the bill that bans gender-affirming care for minors in Montana and opens up providers of the care to punishment and civil actions, according to his spokesperson. As the governor indicated in his amendatory veto letter, he is committed to protecting Montana children from invasive medical treatments that can permanently alter their healthy, developing bodies, Governors Office spokesperson Kaitlin Price said in a statement. The bill, sponsored by Sen. John Fuller, R-Whitefish, has been one of the most widely criticized in the 2023 legislative session, as opponents, including trans teenagers, parents of trans children, and the medical community have showed up by the hundreds to rally against the bill and others targeting the LGBTQ+ community in Montana and testify in committees at every opportunity. This week, the Montana Free Press reported Gianfortes son David, who is nonbinary, told him the bill was harmful and asked him not to sign it. After Republicans sent the bill to his desk earlier this month, Gianforte asked for amendments that clarify female means a person with XX chromosomes who produces eggs and male means someone who has XY chromosomes and would produce sperm. His amendment also says the definition of gender is that an individuals gender may or may not align with the individuals sex. Gender affirming care for children is Orwellian Newspeak, a seemingly innocuous, even solicitous phrase that masks its true nature of permanent, invasive, life-altering medical and surgical procedures, performed on children whose young minds and bodies are still developing, Gianforte said in his veto letter requesting amendments. Two Republicans in the House and two in the Senate voted against Gianfortes amendments, along with all Democrats, but the rest of the Republican caucus supported the final version of the bill. Fuller and proponents of the bill have repeatedly said the bill is aimed at protecting children from receiving hormone therapy and other gender-affirming care they have argued is irreversible and should not be done before they reach adulthood. Im grateful he signed the bill and Im grateful he agreed to support the health and protect the children of Montana, Fuller told the Daily Montanan on Friday afternoon. Ive devoted my lifes career to protecting children. Im not about to stop just because Im old. Opponents of the bill, including Democrats, have repeatedly said the bill does nothing but harm trans children in Montana, disallowing them to be the people they want to be and further endangering their mental health. The Montana Human Rights Network and Montana Chapter of the American Association of Pediatrics said they had requested meetings with Gianforte, as had parents, prior to his signing the bill, but those meetings never occurred. This bill is based in false information about healthcare for transgender youth, and its passage deprives parents of the ability to make reasonable, thoughtful healthcare choices for their children, said MTAAP President Dr. Lauren Wilson in a statement. We will continue to stand by the right of gender diverse children to access the best possible care. Rep. Zooey Zephyr, D-Missoula, is now prohibited from the House floor after being censured by House Republicans for not tamping down protests on Monday that came about because the House Speaker would no longer recognize her on the floor after she criticized Republicans for their votes in favor of the governors amendments to SB99. House Minority Leader Kim Abbott, D-Helena, said in a statement Friday that SB99 eliminates the rights of health care providers, parents and children. Im deeply disappointed in the Governor for signing this bill into law and prioritizing poisonous political rhetoric over Montanans fundamental liberties. But I want Montanas transgender, nonbinary, and Two Spirit youth and their families to know you belong here, and no single law will ever stop Montana Democrats from fighting for your right to live your lives in freedom, Abbott said. Senate Democratic leadership said it continues to stand with Montanans defending their rights against a government that seeks to erase them. The events that unfolded this last week, including the silencing of a trans member of the Montana Legislature, can only be understood in light of the persistent effort to silence this community through bills that target their freedoms, the leadership said in a statement. SB 99 is one of those bills. In addition to being scientifically baseless and riddled with misinformation, SB 99 places the government in between parents, their families, and their doctors, attempting to block them from medically proven, life-saving care. By placing his signature on it, the Governor has signaled his position against this community. Other bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community are on their way to the governors desk or have been signed. Among those are Senate Bill 458, which defines sex in Montana law and involves some of the same definitions as SB99. The Senate gave final approval to SB458 on Thursday, and Gianforte signed House Bill 361, which would allow schoolchildren to misgender their classmate, this week, Price said in an email. Editors note: This story has been updated to include comments from the Montana Chapter of the American Association of Pediatrics. The post Montana governor signs bill banning gender-affirming care for minors appeared first on Daily Montanan. Montana State Representative Zooey Zephyr stands with her fellow legislators as the Pledge of Allegiance is recited at the Montana State Capitol in Helena, Montana on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (Photo by Mike Clark for the Daily Montanan) Rep. Zooey Zephyr said she fielded a call from the family of a transgender teenager in Montana who attempted death by suicide while watching a hearing on a bill against trans people and many calls from worried families. So when I rose up and said there is blood on your hands, I was not being hyperbolic, said Zephyr, the Missoula Democrat. I was speaking to the real consequences of the votes we as legislators take in this body. Zephyr made the remarks Wednesday before the House floor voted 68-32 on party lines to ban her from participating in the session in person for the remainder of the legislative session. The first openly transgender representative in Montana may vote remotely, but she may not be on the floor, in the gallery, or in the anteroom adjacent to the floor in person the next eight work days. Tuesday, House Republicans posted a notice they would take up disciplinary measures against Zephry and close off the public gallery during debate to maintain decorum. The notice followed Zephyrs statements last week that legislators who voted for a bill that bans gender-affirming care would have blood on their hands in reference to high suicide rates among trans youth and a gallery protest that erupted Monday after demonstrators rallied outside to support Zephyrs attempts to speak on the floor. House Speaker Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, had not recognized Zephyr on the floor after her comments last week, which led to chants from demonstrators to let her speak and Regiers call for an apology from Zephyr and for preservation of decorum. Rep. David Bedey, a Hamilton Republican who previously voted in support of recognizing Zephyr on the floor, said Wednesday the motion was not about passing judgment on events prior to Monday. Rather, he said the motion to discipline Zephyr was based on her reaction during the protests when members of the public in the gallery chanted and law enforcement, some in riot gear, pushed people out. It is an irrefutable fact that the representative in question did indeed actively support and arguably incite the disruptive antics of demonstrators who had gathered in the House gallery, Bedey said. And Zephyr had other options, he said to join other legislators in leaving the House floor or even trying to calm the crowd. But she chose neither. The vote Wednesday, he said, was to preserve order in the chamber. At stake is the expectation that any member of the body, whoever that might be, has a duty to strive to maintain decorum so the peoples work, the work of all Montanans, can be accomplished, Bedey said. But Minority Leader Rep. Kim Abbott said Republican leaders also had other options and were aware of them but chose an extreme measure. Three people on both sides of the debate spoke on the motion, in addition to Zephyr and Majority Leader Sue Vinton, who presented the motion. Abbott, a Helena Democrat, also said she wished the body was debating many other topics instead, such as housing, and that the gallery was full of Montanans. It should not go without saying, and I think its obvious to all of us, there is an opportunity lost in choosing this path, Abbott said. Zephyr, too, discussed her actions Monday and the reason she didnt walk off the floor and abandon people in the gallery. When you use decorum to silence people who hold you accountable, all you are doing is using decorum as a tool of oppression, she said. When the speaker didnt allow her to speak, he took away the voices of 11,000 Montanans, so they showed up to demand she speak as well, she said. She said gaveling them down was driving a nail in the coffin of democracy. But you cannot kill democracy that easily, Zephyr said. and that is why they kept chanting, let her speak, and why I raised my microphone to amplify their voices, to make sure that the people who elected me here are heard. Also in support of Zephyr, Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, said over the years, hed seen much worse, talking about fisticuffs on the floor and banging on desks that might have damaged state property, but no punishment. Why werent we disciplined at that time? We should have (been), Windy Boy said. Windy Boy said his community has transgender members, called two-spirit people by some tribes, and he learned how to treat people from his late uncle. He has always told me one thing to keep in mind is no matter who you are, that we are all equal under the eyes of almighty, Windy Boy said. But Rep. Casey Knudsen, a Malta Republican, said the body possesses rights, including that of self-protection, and its one legislators hold dear. Monday, law enforcement officers forcibly removed people from the gallery, pushing some close to a rail, and Wednesday, Knudsen said Zephyr had crossed the line and put people at risk. Knudsen also earlier voted with Democrats to support the recognition of Zephyr on the floor, but he urged fellow legislators to support the motion to penalize her with a two-thirds vote. Knudsen had been involved in helping leadership understand the rules and options going into the motion to censure. This behavior violated the collective rights and safety of 99 other members of this body, our staff, our pages and the public, Knudsen said. Rep. SJ Howell, D-Missoula, offered a different take on the rule and the demonstration, and reminded people the right to protest is clearly held in both the state and federal constitution. Howell, who is nonbinary, talked about experiencing deeply offensive behaviors directly and said the problem wasnt just silencing one member. Rather, it was doing so after a session of debating bills that only impact some of us, the LGBTQ+ community, and after struggling to fight for peoples equal treatment under the law. The legislator said rules should be held not to protect individuals, but to protect the work legislators are doing every day that touch the lives of every person in the state. We are considering these rules not to protect the rights of all of us to engage in our democratic process, something I hold sacred, but instead to protect us as people, as individuals, Howell said. It is time for us to put the work first. Thats our job. We are not elected to come up here and put ourselves first. None of us were. We have one shot to right this ship, and thats this vote. During a press conference following the floor session, Regier pointed to Howell as an example of someone who can present a point of view and maintain decorum. But during the rally on Monday, Howell said they refuse to be known as the good trans person. Majority Leader Vinton, R-Billings, who presented the motion, said everyone had witnessed Zephyrs actions, and she said the conduct must not stand. The Billings Republican called on the body to regain decorum and set a precedent for the future. Our constituents and our state deserve better, Vinton said. They deserve our full attention, and this institution and body deserve the respect of all of its members. Wednesday was the 82nd day of a 90-day session, and Rep. Terry Moore, also a Billings Republican, said he hoped legislators could finish their work. I am hopeful that we will be able to complete our current session in the coming days with honor, finishing well, Moore said. I am also hopeful that the representative being disciplined will understand the significance of the actions taken on April 24th and that future engagement with this body will resume. As part of her own testimony, Zephyr said she has no intention of anything other than fully representing her constituents and raising her voice when the body takes up measures that harm her community. She said she isnt sure what comes next, but shes grateful for those who stood up for her, and she will always defend democracy. I will always, no matter what happens today, stand up for democracy and the state of Montana, Zephyr said. Daily Montanan reporters Nicole Girten and Blair Miller contributed to this story. The post Republicans say Montana deserves better, but Zephyr said decorum used as tool of oppression appeared first on Daily Montanan. In 2022, both Serbia's imports and exports experienced impressive growth. Interestingly, the country's inbound and outbound trade of apparel were almost equal, with apparel exports increasing by $696 million and imports reaching $700.623 million in the same year. Trousers and shorts dominated the country's import basket, while socks were the most important apparel products in its export basket. Serbia's apparel imports grew to $700.623 million in 2022 from $625.580 million in 2021. In 2018, the inbound shipment was $456.530 million, which increased to $483.595 million in 2019 and $490.836 million in 2020, according to Fibre2Fashion's market insight tool TexPro. Meanwhile, Serbia's apparel exports increased to $696.402 million in 2022 from $615.018 million in 2021. The exports remained almost steady during the last couple of years, making Serbia a net importer country from an exporter country. The exports were recorded at $566.437 million in 2020, $637.215 million in 2019, and $674.422 million in 2018. In 2022, Serbia's imports and exports grew significantly, with apparel exports increasing by $696 million and imports reaching $700.623 million. Socks were the largest apparel product exported, while trousers and shorts dominated the import basket. Trade data shows that Serbia is capable of competing with established apparel exporting countries. Socks were the largest apparel product exported at $228.064 million in 2022, constituting 33.09 per cent of Serbias total exports of garments. Trousers and shorts, innerwear, T-shirts, Jerseys and Jackets and blazers were the other major apparel products exported by the country, as per TexPro. In Serbia's basket of imported garments, trousers and shorts dominated with 21.41 per cent of the total imports, valued at $137.452 million. Other items such as jerseys, T-shirts, socks, shirts, dresses, innerwear, jackets, and blazers were also imported. Overall, the trade data indicates that Serbia has the capacity and skills to develop its textile industry. While it presently imports apparel according to its regular needs, it is capable of competing with well-established apparel exporting countries. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL) The general trade between Cambodia and Indonesia increased by 43.2 per cent to $304 million in the first quarter of 2023. In terms of textile trade, Cambodia is a net exporter to Indonesia, supplying garments and fabric. The exports have consistently grown in previous years. In 2022, Cambodia exported fabric worth $11.607 million and apparel worth $20.504 million. However, there has been a downward trend in fabric imports from Indonesia in previous years. As both countries are major exporters of textile products, they are competitors in the textile sector. There is limited scope for bilateral trade in the textile industry between both countries. However, Indonesia's imports of garments and fabric were need based and in limited quantities. Cambodia's fabric exports to Indonesia showed impressive growth in 2022, reaching $11.607 million from $0.397 million in 2018. The trade data shows a consistent increase as it grew to $0.707 million in 2019, $2.575 million in 2020, $7.329 million in 2021. The outbound trade was recorded at $1.061 million in January-February 2023, according to Fibre2Fashion's market insight tool TexPro. In Q1 2023, the general trade between Cambodia and Indonesia increased by 43.2 per cent to $304 million. Cambodia is a net exporter of fabric and garments to Indonesia, with consistent growth in exports. However, fabric imports from Indonesia have been decreasing. Cambodia's fabric exports to Indonesia increased in 2022, while imports decreased. Cambodia imported fabric from Indonesia worth $4.541 million in 2022. The inbound trade has seen a downward trend in previous years. The import was recorded at $11.308 million in 2020, which decreased to $7.864 million in 2021 and $4.541 million in 2022. It was noted at $0.645 million in the first two months of 2023. Cambodia's apparel exports to Indonesia increased consistently after COVID-related disruptions in 2020. The exports rose to $20.504 million in 2022 from $16.144 million in 2021. It bounced back after a steep fall during 2020 when the trade was registered at $14.560 million against $22.292 million in 2019. Cambodia had exported apparel worth $18.360 million in 2018. During the first two months of the current year, Cambodia exported apparel worth $2.381 million. Cambodia's import of apparel from Indonesia was noted at $1.840 million in 2022, according to TexPro. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL) Jiah Khan suicide case verdict: Actor Sooraj Pancholi, who was charged with abetment to the suicide of his then girlfriend, actress Jiah Khan, was found not guilty by the court. The legal battle that ran for almost a decade came to an end on Friday, April 29. Sooraj, who has now been acquitted of the charges, recently shared some surprising revelations in an interview with a news website and revealed who from the industry had supported him through the hearing of the case. Recommended Video Jiah Khan Suicide Case Sooraj Pancholi Rabia Khan! SOORAJ PANCHOLI REVEALS SALMAN KHAN, SUNIEL SHETTY AND OTHERS WHO CONSTANTLY SUPPORTED HIM Talking to the Hindustan Times, Sooraj revealed that the past 10 years have been very difficult for him. He added that he felt extremely lonely because he could not speak to his family about it, as they were already going through a lot because of him. "And besides my family, I don't really speak to anybody," he said. Aditya Pancholi Relieved With Sooraj Pancholis Acquittal In Jiah Khans Death Case: We Had Faith In Judiciary Further, the Hero actor said that he had received tremendous support from his peers as well as seniors. Showing gratitude to all who were there for his help, Sooraj said, "The biggest example is Salman Khan sir, Suniel Shetty sir, Nikkhil Advani, Bhushan Kumar sir, Remo D'Souza sir, Ahmad Khan, Athiya Shetty." "There have been people, but I have to make a mark on my own in this industry. It has been difficult. I have knocked on each and every person's door to get work," he said. He also stated that being a star kid has not worked in his favour. He said, "I had this sword hanging over my head before I was even an actor. For me, the star kid tag doesn't really match up." ABOUT JIAH KHAN SUICIDE CASE Bollywood actress Jiah Khan was found dead at his Mumbai home on June 3, 2013. A six page letter allegedly written by the deceased actress was also discovered, and her then boyfriend, Sooraj Pancholi, was accused of aiding her suicide. However, after 10 years, he was discharged from all charges due to a lack of evidence. Jiah Khans Death Case: Sooraj Pancholi Opens Up On His Acquittal; Says 'Truth Always Wins Cyber Security Conference in Gibraltar Albert Isola MP, HM Government of Gibraltars Minister for Digital and Financial Services, gave the welcoming address at a cyber security conference held at Grand Battery House in Gibraltar on Wednesday 26th April 2023. The conference was co-hosted by Gibraltar Finance and the UK law firm Weightmans LLP and included speakers from the UKs National Cyber Security Centre, the UKs National Crime Agency and the specialist cyber security team at PwC in London. As Minister Isola was travelling back from Poland but in keeping with the cyber theme he pre-recorded his welcoming address. Michael Ashton, Senior Executive represented Gibraltar Finance at the conference. Minister Isola stated: I would like to thank our friends from the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Crime Agency for participating in the conference and sharing their advice and experience and to Weightmans for the work and commitment they have given to hosting this event with Gibraltar Finance. Today, all Government organisations and private businesses live with the threat of a cyber attack irrespective of their size. The threat of a cyber attack is growing and it is important that we continue to seek ways to stop future attacks. Equally important is how we react to an attack when it is occurring and how we deal with the consequences of an attack after the event. In Gibraltar we recently established a National Cyber Command to develop Gibraltars cyber security strategy and I am pleased that some of the people involved in this initiative together with members of the Governments IT Department attended the conference. Finally, let me thank all the speakers for their individual participations and for ensuring that the conference was insightful, informative and very well received. Peter Paul death: Vanitha Vijayakumar penned an emotional post on social media, mourning the loss of her third husband. The actress, who is the daughter of veteran Tamil actor Vijayakumar, expressed her grief in the form of words. VANITHA VIJAYAKUMAR INSTAGRAM POST On Saturday (April 29), the actress and former Bigg Boss Tamil contestant took to her Instagram story to share a post, paying a tribute to her late husband. She said that she hopes Peter Paul found peace after 'battling the demons' in his life. In her post, the Cooku With Comali winner mentioned about the 'trauma' that Peter went through. She got emotional while expressing her pain on social media. She didn't share a picture with her late husband and instead dropped a note, mourning the loss. Peter Paul Death: Vanitha Vijaykumar's THIRD Marriage With Him Ended In 4 Months - Here's What Happened "My mom once taught me God help those who help themselves. It's definitely a lesson everyone should learn. When at a crossroad, people make their own choices of path. I am sure you found peace after battling the demons you were facing and the trauma you went through. As sad as I feel for your parting from the world, I know you are definitely in a better place, and you finally found your peace. Be happy wherever you are," Vanitha Vijayakumar's post read. VANITHA VIJAYKUMAR-PETER PAUL WEDDING IN LOCKDOWN Vanitha Vijaykumar tied the knot with Peter Paul in a lockdown wedding in June 2020. Photos from her wedding had created ripples on the internet three years back. The duo got hitched in a Christian wedding at her residence in Chennai. Her home was decorated with beautiful white flowers for the special day. From sharing a passionate kiss to posing with each other, the duo had a blast during the celebrations. VANITHA VIJAYKUMAR DIVORCE The MGR Sivaji Rajini Kamal actress set several tongues wagging when she announced her divorce with Peter Paul. The former couple got separated four months after their wedding, leaving everyone shocked. They remained in headlines for the wrong reasonas Peter's first wife Elizabeth accused him of not getting officially divorced from her before marrying Vanitha. She even filed a case against them. Vanita got legally separated from Peter in October 2020, ending their marriage within four months. She cited Peter Paul's addiction to cigarettes and alcohol as the reason behind her decision. Even though she broke up with her third husband Peter Paul, knowing that he is dead, there is a question whether Vanitha Vijayakumar will pay her last respects to Peter Paul's body. Fans expect her to at least offer her condolences on Twitter. Who Is Peter Paul? Peter Paul was a Visual Effects Editor. He has worked in some movies. Vanitha Vijayakumar started a cooking YouTube channel during the lockdown. When he was looking for someone to do the video editing, Peter Paul said he would do it for her. During the Corona period, Peter Paul even stayed at Vanitha's house and did editing work. It was then revealed that Vanitha was in love with Peter Paul. After that, Vanitha decided to marry Peter Paul. In this situation, Vanitha got married to Peter Paul according to the Christian traditions during the Corona lockdown in 2020. At this stage Peter Paul was already married and had a son studying in college and a daughter studying in school. Peter Paul said in an interview that he has decided to divorce her first wife and has already applied for it. But Vanitha Vijayakumar said that she did not know that Peter Paul was married. Later, Vanitha Vijayakumar went on a honeymoon with Peter Paul. Netizens like actress Kasthuri, Lakshmi Ramakrishnan, producer Ravinder Chandrasekhar condemned that it is not right for someone else to take away their husband. Reason For Divorce: This marriage, which was done against many people, did not last even a year. Vanitha took her daughters to Goa with Peter Paul. But there Peter Paul was drinking a lot of alcohol and smoking cigarettes at any time, Vanitha got disgusted. Once in the middle, his health condition also went bad. vanitha said that he was admitted to a hospital in Saligram and she saved his life after spending many lakhs. As Peter Paul was drinking and smoking cigarettes again, Vanitha, who came to Chennai and fought with him, threw him out of the house. She then removed Peter Paul's name from the tattoo. Even though Vanitha suffered severe blows, she quickly overcame all of them and came to a good state. She is busy in her cloth business, reality shows, serials and films. It is said that Peter Paul has been in poor health condition for the past few months. He has now passed away. Many people are mourning the death of Peter Paul. Will Vanitha Pay Last Rites To Peter Paul? A question has arisen whether Vanitha Vijayakumar will pay tribute to Peter Paul as he is her ex-husband. Netizens are also hoping that she will at least condole for his death on social media. Anupamaa Unexpected Twist: With hits like Bidaai and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai already under his belt, Rajan Shahi seems to possess the secret to consistently producing blockbuster hits. His ongoing show, Anupamaa on Star Plus, featuring Rupali Ganguly and Gaurav Khanna, has been a resounding success since its debut. The show boasts a talented cast that includes Sudhanshu Pandey and Madalsa Sharma, and an engaging plot that has captured the attention of viewers, leading it to consistently top the TRP charts. The ongoing separation plot between Anuj and Anupama has added another layer of intrigue to the already captivating family drama. However, fans of MaAn can expect another significant twist in the near future. PAKHI AND CHOTI ANU TEAM UP FOR MAAN REUNION? In the recent episodes of Anupamaa, viewers witnessed Pakhi (Muskan Bamne) heading to Mumbai to try and reunite Anuj and Anupama. It remains to be seen how long it will take Anuj to understand Pakhi's intentions, but she will do her best to handle the situation. Rupali Ganguly's Ex Anupamaa Co-Star CONFIRMS Bagging Role In SRK's Jawan: Playing A Small Role But... Pakhi has come to Mumbai to make Anuj aware of Maaya (Chhavi Pandey) and Barkha's plan, and she also wants to know what he thinks about Anupama, as he isn't expressing his real feelings in front of anyone. EXCLUSIVE: Dill Mill Gayye's Pankit Thakker Slams Priyanka Chopra's Take On Pay Parity: It's Extremely Cheap... Later, Anupama calls Pakhi, who puts her on speakerphone and tells her that Anuj is with her, and she can say whatever she wants. While Anuj couldn't talk to her, Anupama asks Pakhi to not bother Anuj much. Later, he breaks down after seeing his old photos with Anupama. As per the ongoing buzz, Pakhi is likely to team up with Choti Anu in the upcoming episodes and will try to clear misunderstandings between MaAn. However, it is not yet confirmed ANUJ & ANUPAMA TO FINALLY REUNITE AFTER LEAP? But looks like fans have to wait a little longer to witness the much-awaited reunion. We're saying so because there's been reports that the superhit show will soon witness a leap. While there were speculations that the makers might introduce a leap of around five-six years, producer Rajan Shahi later revealed that Anupamaa will see a small time jump. However, it'll result in a huge shake-up. Keep watching this space for more updates! Naagin 6 Update: Amid massive buzz and high expectations, Ekta Kapoor-produced supernatural drama Naagin 6 premiered on Colors TV in February of last year. Starring Tejasswi Prakash, the show has been a consistent performer on the TRP charts ever since. However, after over a year-long run, the popular series was rumoured to go off-air in April. However, the month has almost ended but there's no clarity on the show's last episode date. In the midst of this development, Mahekk Chahal is elated as she recently won an award for her performance in the hit supernatural drama. For the unversed, Mahekk walked away with the Best Actress In A Negative Role for Naagin 6 at the recently-held Indian Telly Awards. After winning the trophy, the actress opened up about how she wasn't sure about doing the show as she isn't much familiar with the Hindi language. Sumbul Touqeer Khan On Current Equation With Fahmaan Khan: Contact Utna Bachta Nahi... MAHEKK CHAHAL ON INTIAL DOUBTS ABOUT NAAGIN 6 Initially, Maheck Chahal had doubts about her ability to portray a naagin character on television when the role was offered to her. Anupamaa TWIST: THIS Character Teams Up With Pakhi Against Maya & Barkha To REUNITE Anuj-Anupama? Talking to ETimes, she stated, "Though I am a Sikh, I have been born and brought up in Norway, so my Hindi was never good. I could not read or write Hindi. When I was confirmed for the role in Naagin 6, a part of me wanted to reconsider because I thought I would not be able to speak Hindi well." MAHEKK CHAHAL ON HER FRIENDS TROLLING HER FOR NAAGIN 6 Mahekk added, "My friends joked saying, 'You don't know how to speak Hindi, and you have decided to play a Naagin!' They never felt that I would be able to pull it off for a year. Now when finally my work has been appreciated and the show has lasted for more than a year, I am having the last laugh! I am glad my hard work has paid off. I worked hard on my diction and even had a tutor training me in Hindi on the set." Well, the actress is indeed doing a great job in Naagin 6. Keep watching this space for more updates! Ram Charan and Akhil Akkineni Photo Credit: Internet Akhil Akkineni's latest spy action thriller Agent, written by Vakkantham Vamsi and helmed by Surender Reddy, hit the screens on April 28, all over the world. The movie was reviewed as an uninteresting, mediocre movie, which has several aspects that went wrong. Coming to Agent's story, Colonel Mahadev alias Devil(Mammootty) is an exceptional RAW agent and is a mentor to Rama Krishna alias Rikki, known as Agent Wild(Akhil Akkineni). Mahadev is also the trainer of former agent God (Dino Morea), who turns against the system and becomes the head of the underworld. He controls every government and political move in India. Knowing that Agent Rikki was trained by Mahadev to bring him down, God lets Rikki take over his kingdom. What happens next is to be seen on the big screen. Akhil Akkineni transformed himself into an agent with a beefed-up physique and body language. He trained hard, spent several years, and worked hard for Agent. However, his efforts didn't pay off. Meanwhile, a piece of news about Akhil's reason for taking up Agent was doing the rounds on the internet. It is reportedly said that it was first Ram Charan, who was offered a script by Surender Reddy, after 'Dhruva', which the actor didn't take an interest in. Later the same script was then offered to Akhil. It was Ram Charan, who spoke to Akhil about doing a film with Surender Reddy. Although there is no substantial evidence about the same, fans of Ram Charan are happy about this information as he escaped a debacle. None of the actors have spoken about this rumour so far. For the unversed, Ram Charan and Akhil Akkineni are very good friends in the industry, and they address each other brother. The duo encourage and acknowledge each other's personal and professional accomplishments. It is also noteworthy that Akhil once got engaged to Shriya Bhupal, who is now married to Ram Charan's wife Upasana's cousin. Controversies Around Him After Jiah Khan's Suicide After the suicide of Jiah Khan, a six-page letter written by Khan was found by Police at the site and later became central to the accusations against Sooraj. Later, police charges were framed against Pancholi in 2013 under Section 306 of the IPC. He was held into prison for around 22 days. On the same year, Jiah's mother had moved the Bombay High Court and sought a CBI probe in the case while alleging that her daughter had been murdered. In 2014, the case was handed over to the CBI. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patagonia Gold Corp. ("Patagonia" or the "Company") (TSXV: PGDC) announces its audited results for the financial year ended December 31, 2022 ("YE 2022"). The audited consolidated financial statements for YE 2022, together with the related management's discussion and analysis, are available on the Company's website and under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Highlights Generated revenue of US$12.3 million in YE 2022. Produced 6,490 gold equivalent ounces (1) and sold 6,782 gold equivalent ounces (1) . and sold 6,782 gold equivalent ounces . Spent US$5.4 million for the exploration of key projects in Argentina. In August 2022, the Company presented the Environmental Impact Study for the development of the Calcatreu project (the "EIA"). In March 2023, the Rio Negro provincial Mining Department provided a favorable opinion on the EIA. The EIA is currently being reviewed by the provincial Environmental Department and it continues to progress within the administrative framework established by the applicable authorities for review and approval of such studies. Completed a 3,102-meter diamond drill program at Tornado/Huracan in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina, which encountered anomalous, precious metal mineralization (2) . . Completed a 728.2-meter diamond drilling program at Cap-Oeste, in the province of Santa Cruz, to obtain samples for metallurgical testing and for mineral resource block model confirmation (2) . . Completed 1,384 meters of RC drilling at the Abril Project, in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina (2), which encountered anomalous, precious metal mineralization. Notes: (1) Consisting of 5,080 gold and 116,286 silver ounces of production and 5,310 gold and 121,184 silver ounces sold, converted to a gold equivalent using a ratio of the average spot market price for the commodities each period. The ratio for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 82.41:1 (2021 - 73.03:1). (2) Please refer to news releases issued on May 18 and May 26, 2022, November 16 and November 29, 2022 and December 22, 2022 (and available on the Company's website and under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com) for additional information on drilling at Tornado/Huracan, Capo-Oeste and Abril, respectively. Qualified Person's Statement Donald J. Birak, an independent, consulting geologist, Registered Member of SME and Fellow of AusIMM and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release. About Patagonia Gold Patagonia Gold Corp. is a South America focused, publicly traded mining company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company seeks to grow shareholder value through exploration and development of gold and silver projects in the Patagonia region of Argentina. The Company is primarily focused on the Calcatreu project in Rio Negro and the development of the Cap-Oeste underground project. Patagonia, indirectly through its subsidiaries or under option agreements, has mineral rights to over 430 properties in several provinces of Argentina and Chile and is one of the largest landholders in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements with respect to, among other things, the review and approval of the EIS, advancement and development of gold and silver projects in the Patagonia region of Argentina, and the anticipated growth in shareholder value. Wherever possible, words such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "expect", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict" or "potential" or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof. Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SPRINGFIELD, Mo., April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Paul Mueller Company (OTC: MUEL) today announced earnings for the quarter ended March 31, 2023. PAUL MUELLER COMPANY THREE-MONTH REPORT Unaudited (In thousands) CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended March 31 March 31 2023 2022 2023 2022 Net Sales $ 56,351 $ 40,775 $ 207,096 $ 180,109 Cost of Sales 39,554 31,861 159,979 136,190 Gross Profit $ 16,797 $ 8,914 $ 47,117 $ 43,919 Selling, General and Administrative Expense 12,587 10,240 37,358 42,816 Operating Income (Loss) $ 4,210 $ (1,326 ) $ 9,759 $ 1,103 Interest Expense (97 ) (388 ) (406 ) (679 ) PPP Loan Forgiveness - - - 1,884 Other Income 720 264 1,571 3,070 Income (Loss) before Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes $ 4,833 $ (1,450 ) $ 10,924 $ 5,378 Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes 1,166 (328 ) 2,526 800 Net Income (Loss) $ 3,667 $ (1,122 ) $ 8,398 $ 4,578 Earnings (Loss) per Common Share -- Basic and Diluted $ 3.38 ($1.03 ) $ 7.74 $ 4.22 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME Three Months Ended March 31 2023 2022 Net Income (Loss) $ 3,667 $ (1,122 ) Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax: Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment 164 (482 ) Change in Pension Liability - - Comprehensive Income (Loss) $ 3,831 $ (1,604 ) CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS March 31 December 31 2023 2022 Cash and Short-Term Investments $ 36,599 $ 38,176 Accounts Receivable 23,199 20,580 Inventories (FIFO) 51,267 48,515 LIFO Reserve (21,506 ) (21,691 ) Inventories (LIFO) 29,761 26,824 Current Net Investments in Sales-Type Leases 27 24 Other Current Assets 4,278 3,156 Current Assets $ 93,864 $ 88,760 Net Property, Plant, and Equipment 41,888 41,511 Right of Use Assets 2,492 2,304 Other Assets 5,468 5,041 Long-Term Net Investments in Sales-Type Leases 355 312 Total Assets $ 144,067 $ 137,928 Accounts Payable $ 11,598 $ 11,802 Current Maturities and Short-Term debt 636 628 Current Lease Liabilities 463 448 Advance Billings 40,200 41,288 Pension Liabilities 11,149 11,558 Other Current Liabilities 23,378 20,062 Current Liabilities $ 87,424 $ 85,786 Long-Term Debt 9,591 9,349 Long-Term Pension Liabilities 236 236 Other Long-Term Liabilities 2,300 1,737 Lease Liabilities 790 762 Total Liabilities $ 100,341 $ 97,870 Shareholders' Investment 43,726 40,058 Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Investment $ 144,067 $ 137,928 SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA March 31 December 31 2023 2022 Book Value per Common Share $ 40.27 $ 36.90 Total Shares Outstanding 1,085,711 1,085,711 Backlog $ 122,818 $ 132,829 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF SHAREHOLDERS' INVESTMENT Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Common Stock Paid-in Surplus Retained Earnings Treasury Stock Total Balance, December 31, 2022 $ 1,508 $ 9,708 $ 75,721 $ (10,787 ) $ (36,092 ) $ 40,058 Add (Deduct): Net Income 3,667 3,667 Other Comprehensive Income, Net of Tax 164 164 Dividends, $.15 per Common Share (163 ) (163 ) Treasury Stock Acquisition - Balance, March 31, 2023 $ 1,508 $ 9,708 $ 79,225 $ (10,787 ) $ (35,928 ) $ 43,726 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 Operating Activities: Net Income (Loss) $ 3,667 $ (1,122 ) Adjustment to Reconcile Net Income to Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities: Pension Contributions (Greater) Less than Expense (409 ) (953 ) Bad Debt Expense (Recovery) 15 (4 ) Depreciation & Amortization 1,560 1,503 Loss (Gain) on Sales of Equipment 9 (1 ) Change in Assets and Liabilities (Inc) Dec in Accts and Notes Receivable (2,634 ) 2,031 (Inc) in Inventories (2,937 ) (5,129 ) (Inc) in Prepayments (1,122 ) (660 ) (Inc) in Net Investment in Sales-type leases (46 ) (28 ) Dec in Other LT Assets 240 13 (Dec) in Accounts Payable (204 ) (152 ) Inc (Dec) in Accrued Income Tax 430 (1 ) Inc in Other Accrued Expenses 3,622 705 (Dec) Inc in Advanced Billings (1,088 ) 8,142 (Dec) Inc in Billings in Excess of Costs and Estimated Earnings (736 ) 377 Inc in Lease Liability for Operating - 90 Inc in Lease Liability for Financing 131 - Principal payments of Lease Liability for Operating (65 ) (73 ) (Dec) in Long Term Liabilities (58 ) (24 ) Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities $ 375 $ 4,714 Investing Activities Intangibles (62 ) - Proceeds from Sales of Equipment 2 1 Additions to Property, Plant, and Equipment (1,589 ) (1,935 ) Net Cash (Required) for Investing Activities $ (1,649 ) $ (1,934 ) Financing Activities Principal payments of Lease Liability for Financing (46 ) (57 ) (Repayment) of Long-Term Debt (158 ) (380 ) Dividends Paid (163 ) (163 ) Treasury Stock Acquisitions - (38 ) Net Cash (Required) for Financing Activities $ (367 ) $ (638 ) Effect of Exchange Rate Changes 64 (910 ) Net (Decrease) Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents $ (1,577 ) $ 1,232 Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year 38,176 11,281 Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Quarter $ 36,599 $ 12,513 PAUL MUELLER COMPANY SUMMARIZED NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (In thousands) A. The chart below depicts the net revenue on a consolidating basis for the three months ended March 31. Three Months Ended March 31 Revenue 2023 2022 Domestic $ 45,585 $ 28,116 Mueller BV $ 11,304 $ 12,980 Eliminations $ (538 ) $ (321 ) Net Revenue $ 56,351 $ 40,775 The chart below depicts the net revenue on a consolidating basis for the twelve months ended March 31. Twelve Months Ended March 31 Revenue 2023 2022 Domestic $ 162,662 $ 131,698 Mueller BV $ 45,680 $ 49,773 Eliminations $ (1,246 ) $ (1,362 ) Net Revenue $ 207,096 $ 180,109 The chart below depicts the net income (loss) on a consolidating basis for the three months ended March 31. Three Months Ended March 31 Net Income 2023 2022 Domestic $ 4,450 $ (885 ) Mueller BV $ (770 ) $ (238 ) Eliminations $ (13 ) $ 1 Net Income (Loss) $ 3,667 $ (1,122 ) The chart below depicts the net income on a consolidating basis for the twelve months ended March 31. Twelve Months Ended March 31 Net Income 2023 2022 Domestic $ 9,852 $ 4,760 Mueller BV $ (1,435 ) $ (209 ) Eliminations $ (19 ) $ 27 Net Income $ 8,398 $ 4,578 B. Key headlines for the quarter: Strong backlog in the U.S. has contributed to strong first quarter results. Mueller B.V. announced organizational changes that should help improve future results. The domestic bank borrowing facility was amended in anticipation of the pension plan terminations announced in the 4th quarter of 2022. C. March 31, 2023 backlog is $122.8 million compared to $130.8 million at March 31, 2022. The majority of this backlog is in the U.S. where the backlog is 115.4 million at March 31, 2023 compared to $118.4 million at March 31, 2022. The $3 million reduction in U.S. backlog is from the BioPharm division working through a large pharmaceutical project with its backlog reduced $20 million year over year. All other business segments are nearly flat or have increased backlog from the previous year. In the Netherlands, the backlog is $8.2 million at March 31, 2023 versus $13.0 million March 31, 2022. Of this decrease, almost $2.5 million is from its German subsidiary, DEG Engineering GmbH (DEG) (see footnote E) and approximately $1.5 million is related to process and beer tank projects. D. Revenue is up from the previous year by $15.6 million and $27.0 million on a three-month and twelve-month basis. Every business segment in the U.S. has an increase led by the pharmaceutical group. In the Netherlands, revenue is down to last year by $1.7 million and $4.1 million on a three-month and twelve-month basis. The shortfall is primarily from milk tanks sold to Great Britain and Ireland and serving beer tanks. The strengthening dollar from 2021 also increases the unfavorable variance. Net Income is up $4.8 million and $3.8 million on a three-month and twelve-month basis. Every business segment in the U.S. is showing an increase led by the pharmaceutical and component groups. In the Netherlands, earnings are down with lower revenue plus the restructure cost discussed in footnote E. We manage our business in the U.S. looking at earnings before tax (EBT) and excluding the effects of LIFO and non-reoccurring events such as the PPP loan forgiveness and profit and loss from Mueller Field Operations which was sold on December 31, 2021. These adjusted earnings are up $4.8 million for the three months. The twelve-month adjusted earnings are up $7.9 million. E. On March 6, 2023, Mueller B.V. management discussed with the works council the shutting down of DEG. A works council is a group of employees who looks after the interest of employees and is required by the Dutch government for any Dutch company with 50 or more employees. The works council consented to the shutdown as well as the BV reorganization discussed below on April 3, 2023. Mueller B.V. management plans to terminate the operations of DEG by the second quarter of 2023. DEG had not been profitable in recent years and had revenues of $2,400,000 and earnings before tax of $14,000 in 2022. On April 13, 2023, Mueller BV management announced to the employees a restructure that will eliminate twelve non-manufacturing positions. Restructuring charges of $588,500 for both DEG and the Mueller BV restructure are in the 1st quarter results. F. The Company has pension plans covering domestic employees represented by a bargaining unit (Contract Plan) and employees not represented by a bargaining unit (Noncontract Plan). The participants discontinued accruing benefits in these plans in 2011. On November 1, 2022, and December 1, 2022, the Company announced that it had initiated a standard plan termination of the Contract Plan and Noncontract Plan, respectively. The Company applied to the Internal Revenue Service for its approval of the terminations on December 15, 2022. As of today, the IRS has not responded. This process takes approximately a year to complete, culminating in the affected participants receiving either a lump sum payment or a monthly annuity payment provided by an insurance company. The underfunded status of the two plans combined as of December 31, 2022, was $11.8 million. These terminations will require approximately this amount of cash from the Company, adjusted for any further changes to the plans' funded status. The terminations will end future requirements for Company contributions to the plans, which have averaged $4.2 million per year in the previous three years. The Company expects to complete the terminations in late 2023 or early 2024, at which time the accumulated actuarial losses will be recognized as a non-cash reduction of pre-tax earnings. The accumulated actuarial loss related to these plans is $44,874,302 as of December 31, 2022. G. On March 10, 2023, the Company amended its domestic bank borrowing facility to extend the agreement until March 31, 2024. All pricing and terms remain the same, except for the changes below. The following will be excluded from the Fixed Charge Coverage calculation: 1. All non-cash settlement charges related to the termination of the pension plans. 2. Cash pension payments that exceed pension expenses and that are related to the termination of the pension plans, not to exceed $25,000,000. H. The pre-tax results for the three months ended March 31, 2023, were favorably affected by $0.2 million decrease in the LIFO reserve. The pre-tax results for the twelve months ended March 31, 2023, were unfavorably affected by $2.6 million increase in the LIFO reserve. The pre-tax results for the three months ended March 31, 2022, were unfavorably affected by $2.1 million increase in the LIFO reserve. The pre-tax results for the twelve months ended March 31, 2022 were unfavorably affected by $5.2 million increase in the LIFO reserve. I. The consolidated financials are affected by the euro to dollar exchange rate when consolidating Mueller B.V., the Dutch subsidiary. The month-end euro to dollar exchange rate was 1.11 for March, 2022; 1.07 for December, 2022 and 1.09 for March, 2023, respectively. This press release contains forward-looking statements that provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions. All statements regarding future performance growth, conditions, or developments are forward-looking statements. Actual future results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the factors described in the Company's Annual Report under "Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements", which is available at paulmueller.com. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update these forward-looking statements to reflect any future events or circumstances. The accounting policies related to this report and additional management discussion and analysis are provided in the 2022 annual report, available at www.paulmueller.com. MASSIVE SHAREHOLDER SUPPORT FOR MANAGEMENT OF AVANGRID'S PARENT COMPANY IBERDROLA IN A RECORD YEAR FOR THE COMPANY The company held its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders at the Torre Iberdrola in Bilbao today, April 28th, 2023. The shareholders of AVANGRID, Inc.'s (NYSE: AGR) parent company Iberdrola have resoundingly approved all resolutions on the agenda at the company's annual shareholders meeting in Bilbao, with an average affirmative vote of more than 98% across all 22 items on the agenda, which covered results, dividends and corporate management; corporate governance and sustainability; remuneration; and the appointment and re-election of directors. The Iberdrola Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, held at the Torre Iberdrola in Bilbao, registered a quorum of 72%. During the meeting, shareholders were informed about the relevant position of the company, which today is the largest European electricity utility and one of the two largest in the world by market capitalization, valued at more than 76 billion. The company has grown from the 20th largest in the world two decades ago. In this time Iberdrola's share price has increased in value from 3.5 euros to 11.8 euros, with an additional 6.5 euros per share distributed in dividends. Galan discussed the highlights of 2022, Iberdrola's record year of investment, financial strength, international expansion and results, as well as social contribution, employment and emissions reduction. During 2022, Iberdrola invested 11 billion to build more clean energy, smarter grids and storage. Net profit reached a record 4.34 billion, and financial solidity was enhanced by strong operating cash flow and FFO Adjusted Net Debt ratios. The company's international footprint contributed to reaching 40,000 MW of installed renewables capacity, with new projects in Asia Pacific, the EU, US and UK, and 1.2 million km of transmission and distribution networks. The year also saw a record of 17.8 billion purchases, supporting suppliers who employ more than 400,000 people across the world. Global Tax contribution reached 7.5 billion in countries where Iberdrola operates, and Iberdrola made 4,700 new hires, making 2022 a record year for job creation and economic activity. Clean energy investments allowed the company to register a record reduction in emissions, to only 59 gCO2/kWh in Europe, of EU average. On top of all this, more than 20 million euros was committed by the company's foundations, to support education, skills, and social initiatives. Speaking at the meeting, Ignacio Galan, said: "The Iberdrola we present here today is a more solid, sustainable and diversified company than ever, allowing the Board of Directors to propose to this General Shareholders' Meeting a record shareholder remuneration, of 0.49 per share, with an increase of more than 10 per cent." Iberdrola is currently accelerating the delivery of its 2023 to 2025 business plan, which will see investments of 47 billion worldwide. Already 60% of planned additional renewables capacity of 12,000 MW is under construction or secured and all of the electricity networks investments are part of frameworks already agreed or in advanced negotiation. The company's asset rotation and partnership targets are also now 100% achieved, improving financial strength and accelerating investments: this includes an agreement to sell 60% of Iberdrola's business in Mexico for $6 billion and scaling up co-investment partnerships with GIC to co-invest in transmission in Brazil, and Norges Bank to develop new renewables. Mr Galan said: "By 2025 we will deliver 12,000 new hires and continue making our workforce a benchmark for equality, diversity and inclusion. Our purchases, that will reach 50 billion euros over the next three years, will create even more employment opportunities at our thousands of suppliers and will generate billions in tax contributions in addition to the more than 20 billion euros we expect to contribute". More information on the Shareholders Meeting can be seen here: https://www.iberdrola.com/corporate-governance/general-shareholders-meeting/documents About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $41 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: networks and renewables. Through its networks business, AVANGRID owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Through its renewables business, AVANGRID owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs more than 7,500 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital in 2021, 2022 and 2023 as one of the JUST 100 companies a ranking of America's best corporate citizens. In 2023, AVANGRID ranked first within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment. The company supports the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World's Most Ethical Companies in 2023 for the fifth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. AVANGRID is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005513/en/ Contacts: MEDIA: Sarah Warren sarah.warren@avangrid.com 585-794-9253 In todays world, the fashion industry is the second biggest polluter of the world. Not only due to the toxic chemical colors which they use, and they easily throw at our rivers to pollute but also the waste and unused/ unsold fabrics are dumped every year for landfill. This is the time to raise a voice against the chemical pollution, water waste, and labor policies concerning our favorite big fashion brands. The fashion industry is estimated to contribute upwards of two per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and is on track to get even worse if there isnt major change. As conscious consumers it is our duty to know where our clothes are coming from, who is making it, and how its impacting on our earth. There are many benefits to embracing slow fashion, reducing your carbon footprint to save our earth, supporting fair trade practices in fashion. By purchasing from slow fashion brands, you can know that your clothing is made ethically and sustainably. Finding value in waste reduces the pressure on our natural resources to produce more while building alternate economies. Kirti Tula, designer and founder of Doodlage says, We have grown to approach sustainability more holistically. Material for each product is chosen consciously. We work with deadstock, defected and post cutting waste remanufacturing with what has already been produced, using recycled material or low impact new age material. We work with NGOs, fair wage factories and for-profit social enterprises for production of our products. The last layer of the product that is packaging is also made with starch or recycled paper. Doodlage was started in 2014 much before sustainable fashion became a buzzword. The idea was to initiate conversations around the impact and importance of sustainable fashion. We worked to create our own sustainable fashion supply chain to create fashion forward products for the price conscious Indian consumer. For Delhi based Indigene by Jaya Bhatt and Ruchi Tripathi, slow fashion means creating a product with nuances and details, quality that will last and a piece of clothing which can be worn over and over through seasons and trends, yet feel comfortable and special with every wear. Says Jaya Bhatt, Slow fashion is important, especially in todays world where a customer is spoilt for choices, there are easy replicas and little or no value for process or how a product was made. Shopping is at a click of the button and returns even faster. Slow fashion makes us realise and analyze the real worth of a product, the time spent behind the making and the people involved in creating it. It deflects us from mindless consumerism and a wasteful attitude towards things. At Indigene they encourage their customers to repeat their outfits as many times and across seasons and occasions, and hence their garments are made in natural fabrics, are easy on the skin and the silhouettes comfortable for an all-day wear. Says Ruchi Tripathi of Indigene says, Reusing our scraps and wastage has always been a part of indigenes existence. Coming from a textile design background, both of us have an extensive knowledge of textiles, their behaviour and treatment. We have been using most of our production scraps, rejected garments, left over fabrics in a planned manner to create the ReLove collection. The ReLove collection at Indigene is slow and ever evolving, where we keep experimenting with several repurposing techniques, such as patchwork, reinforcing, superimposing etc to re-create a new product from the wastes. Sorting different textiles/ colours, sewing them together in different forms or patterns, dyeing over dying as required and finally working on silhouettes relevant to the recreated textile; re-purposing is a long and carefully planned activity. ReLove consists of a range of jackets, overlays and home accent textiles. As mentioned its an open experiment and the range keeps evolving. Most of the big fashion houses throw their cut pieces of fabrics and old fabrics for landfill. This is a big problem for environment. To create more demand, the big companies always keep on producing more and more fabrics, which is causing many problems, like carbon footprints and chemical waste and water waste. Dorji Shantiniketan believes that fabric life is much longer than the companies advertise it, they always want you to throw out the old one and buy new. Designer Saynati Chowdhury of Dorji Shantiniketan says, We dont throw any cut pieces after the dress is ready; rather we keep all the tiny small pieces and use them to make up-cycled, patched clothes, also we reuse the fabric for more than one time to make clothes. If you are buying a dress and get bored with it within a year you can always send it back to us and we will create something new reusing the same fabric. To reduce fashion pollution at Dorji Shantiniketan no toxic chemicals are used, rather all colours are collected from nature, from flowers and plants. Saynati Chowdhury explains, For fixing the colors we use traditional methods and some non toxic salts to fix it like ancient time, whereas most of the fashions brands make color their clothes from toxic chemicals only. The second technique is less water consumption, in general big companies wash their fabric two to three times in the total process, and first they wash the yarns after dyeing with chemical colours, second wash after weaving, third they wash after stitching and packing. Containing more than 50 liters of water wasted due to this cleaning and washing process of each garment. At Dorji Shantiniketan they dont do that. They only wash the fabric once after the weaving; they dont wash after dyeing because there are no toxic chemicals. Also we dont wash after stitching as well. Rather we insist our customers to wash it without toxic soda and other chemical detergent to prevent future water waste and pollution from their side, adds Saynati. Dorji Shantiniketan was started in 2019 with the aim of sustainable and ethical fashion. They use floral and organic colors which they collect from nature. They believe in a fair atmosphere and fair wages policies, so they only weave fabric in handloom, and their artisans dont come to our factory, rather they reach out to them and wish them to work while playing with their kids and eat the food they make at home. This gives them a better life and absolutely no long shift of work. They focus more on handcrafted fashion so all their products are custom made. Saynati further adds, Hand embroidery, batik and other things are all done by human hand. This takes time and we dont promise our customers to deliver them their ordered dress like a pizza, but we make them realize that the dress is made by humans not machines so it takes time and that process is definitely slower than big industrial fashion brands. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Chief Minister meets UK Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee The Chief Minister the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP welcomed the members of the UK Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, which is to conduct an inquiry into the Status of the UKs Overseas Territories in the 21 Century, to No 6 Convent Place. Those present were William Wragg MP (Chair), Rt Hon David Jones MP, John Stevenson MP, Karin Smyth MP, Lloyd-Russell Moyle MP, Gavin Blake (Clerk) and Dr Patrick Thomas. The meeting involved a positive and fruitful discussion in which the Chief Minister put forward the Governments long standing policy to update and modernise the Constitution in order to delist Gibraltar from the United Nations list of Non Self Governing Territories. The Committee, which is also presently conducting an Inquiry on The Scrutiny of International Treaties and other international agreements in the 21st century, later met with the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia on his return from London. Sudans eruption into conflict has left international consumer goods makers racing to shore up supplies of gum arabic, one of the countrys most sought-after products and a key ingredient in everything from fizzy drinks to candy and cosmetics. About 70 per cent of the worlds supply of gum arabic, for which there are few substitutes, comes from the acacia trees in the Sahel region that runs through Africas third-largest country, which is being torn apart by fighting between the army and a paramilitary force. Wary of Sudans persistent insecurity, companies dependent on the product, such as Coca Cola and Pepsico, have long stockpiled supplies, some keeping between three-to-six-months worth to avoid being caught short, exporters and industry sources told Reuters. However, prior conflicts have tended to be focused in far-flung regions such as Darfur. This time, the capital Khartoum has been brought to a standstill in the fighting that broke out on 15 April, paralysing the economy and disrupting basic communications. Depending on how long the conflict continues there may well be ramifications for finished goods on the shelf branded goods made by household names, said Richard Finnegan, a procurement manager at Kerry Group, a supplier of gum arabic to most major food and beverage firms. Finnegan estimated that current stockpiles will run out in five-to-six months, a view echoed by Martijn Bergkamp, a partner at Dutch supplier FOGA Gum who estimated between three-to-six months. Cloetta AB, a Swedish confectioner which makes Lakerol lozenges that use gum arabic, has ample stock of the ingredient, a spokesperson said in an email. Global production of gum arabic is about 120,000 tonnes a year, worth $1.1 billion, according to estimates cited by Kerry Group. Most is found in the gum belt that stretches 500 miles from the East to the West of Africa where the arable land meets the desert, including in Ethiopia, Chad, Somalia and Eritrea. Twelve exporters, suppliers and distributors contacted by Reuters said trade in the gum, which helps bind together food and drink ingredients, has ground to a halt. Right now its impossible to source additional gum arabic from rural parts of Sudan because of the turmoil and road blockages, said Mohamad Alnoor, who runs Gum Arabic USA, which sells the product to consumers as a health supplement. Cant exist without gum arabic Kerry Group and other suppliers, including Swedens Gum Sudan, said communicating with contacts on the ground has been difficult and Port Sudan from where product is shipped has been prioritising civilian evacuations. Our suppliers are struggling to secure necessities because of the conflict, Jinesh Doshi, managing director of Vijay Bros, an importer based in Mumbai, said. Both buyers and sellers are clueless on when things will normalise. Alwaleed Ali, who owns AGP Innovations Co Ltd, a gum arabic exporting business, said his customers are looking for alternative countries to source gum arabic. ALSO READ: Escape from Sudan: How Indian forces, diplomats work 247 to rescue nationals stuck in the conflict-hit African nation He said he sells the gum to Nexira SAS, based in Rouen, France, and Westchester, Illinois-based Ingredion Inc, two major ingredients suppliers to makers of products such as pet food, fizzy drinks and nutrition bars. A spokesperson for Ingredion said in an email, We have proactive measures in place across our business to ensure the continuity of supply for our customers. PepsiCo declined to comment on supply chain and commodity issues, while Coca-Cola did not return a request for comment. For companies like Pepsi and Coke, they cant exist without having gum arabic in their formulations, Dani Haddad, marketing and development director of Agrigum, a global top-ten supplier, said. In their manufacturing process, food and drink companies use a spray-dried version of the gum that is powder-like, industry sources said. While cosmetics and printing manufacturers may be able to use substitutes, there is no alternative to gum arabic in fizzy drinks, where it prevents ingredients from separating. In a sign of its importance to the consumer goods industry, gum arabic has been exempt from US sanctions against Sudan since the 1990s, both because its a critical commodity and for fear of creating a black market. Sudanese nomads tap the pebbly, amber-colored gum from acacia trees, which is then refined and packaged throughout the country. It accounts for the livelihoods of thousands of people and the more expensive variety can cost about $3,000 a tonne, according to Gum Sudan. There is a poorer quality, cheaper gum from outside of Sudan, but the preferred ingredient is only found in acacia trees in Sudan, South Sudan and Chad, Alnoor said. Fawaz Abbaro, the general manager of Savannah Life Company in Khartoum, said he had purchase orders and plans to export 60 to 70 tonnes of gum arabic but doubts hell be able to due to the conflict. Its not stable even to get food or drink. Its not going to be stable for business, Abbaro said. All trading will be jammed for the time being. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. An MP MLA court in Uttar Pradeshs Ghazipur on Saturday convicted jailed mafia Mukhtar Ansari in the case of kidnapping and murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai and sentenced him to 10 years in jail. A fine of Rs 5 lakh was also imposed on the jailed gangster. He was produced virtually before the court today. His brother BSP MP Afzal Ansari received a 4-year jail term. The verdict could lead to Afzal Ansari losing his Lok Sabha membership. According to the Representation of the People Act, any member will be disqualified if convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more. I believe in the judiciary. Rule of Goondas, Mafias have ended (in the state), Alka Rai said, wife of late BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai who was murdered in Ghazipur in 2005. Earlier in January this year, the police registered a murder case against Mukhtar Ansari in connection to the 2001 Usri Chatti gang war incident. A case under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against Ansari at PS Mohammadabad in Ghazipur. Earlier on 18 January, Allahabad High Court dismissed the 15 March order of the Ghazipur MP/MLA Court, which allowed Ansari to be kept in a superior-class jail in Banda. While giving the order, the court had said the order of the special court is without jurisdiction, and gangster, dreaded criminal Bahubali Ansari is not legally entitled to get a superior class in jail. Earlier on 15 December last year, Ansari and his aide Bhim Singh were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Gangster Court in Ghazipur in five cases related to murder and attempt to murder. The cases include the murder of constable Raghuvansh Singh and a murderous assault on an additional SP of Ghazipur among others. On 21 September, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court convicted Mukhtar Ansari and sentenced him for threatening jailer SK Awasthi and pointing a pistol at him. The case dates to 2003 when Lucknow district prison jailer SK Awasthi lodged an FIR saying that he was threatened to order a search of the people who came to meet Ansari in prison. On 23 September, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court sentenced him to five years in a case registered in 1999 under the Gangster Act. The court had also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Mukhtar in this 23-year-old case. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Abdul Rehman was on Saturday convicted by a Delhi court for criminally intimidating and assaulting a government school principal in 2009. Besides Rehman, additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal also convicted his wife Asma in the case, saying the prosecution successfully proved its case, beyond reasonable doubts. The prosecution has successfully proved its case, beyond reasonable doubts, against accused Asma that she caused simple hurt on the person of a public servant in discharge of her duties. The prosecution has further proved beyond reasonable doubts that both the accused persons i.e. Abdul Rehman and Asma, in furtherance of their common intention, criminally intimidated the complainant and assaulted her, while she was holding the office of public servant and was in discharge of her duties as public servant, to deter her from discharging her duties, the judge said. According to the prosecution, the complainant was slapped by Asma on February 4, 2009 while she was working as principal of SKV School, Jafrabad, Delhi. It was further alleged that Abdul Rehman, who represents Seelampur constituency, along with few other persons, barged into the school, and threatened to kill the complainant and also used derogatory words for her. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. India wants to ensure that its relations with all countries advance without seeking exclusivity, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said as he underlined that China falls into a somewhat different category because of the currently abnormal nature of ties which is an outcome of a violation of border management agreements by Beijing. Jaishankar, who arrived in Santo Domingo on his first official visit to the Dominican Republic, also said that India has seen a dramatic expansion in connectivity, contacts, and cooperation across the region. Pakistan, however, remains an exception to this in view of cross-border terrorism, he said on Friday while addressing the diplomatic corps and young minds of the diplomatic school of the Dominican Republic. Whether it is the US, Europe, Russia, or Japan, we are trying to ensure that all these ties advance without seeking exclusivity. China falls into a somewhat different category because of the boundary dispute and the currently abnormal nature of our ties. That is an outcome of a violation of agreements regarding border management by them, Jaishankar said. He said the rise of China and India in a parallel timeframe is also not without its competitive aspects. When other regions bid for Africa, the Pacific or Latin America, much of what is happening can be explained as the emergence of Indias potential global footprint. In many cases, it is the result of autonomous forces such as business or mobility, he said. India has been slamming Chinas deployment of a massive number of troops and its aggressive behaviour along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh in violation of pacts on border management. Earlier this week, India firmly told China that its violation of the border pacts has eroded the entire basis of bilateral ties and that all issues relating to the frontier must be resolved in accordance with the existing agreements. The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area. The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. In his address, Jaishankar went on to explain how India approaches the world and engages Latin America and what should todays India and tomorrows India mean. Indias most pressing priorities are obviously in its neighbourhood. Given its size and economic strength, it is very much for the collective benefit that India takes a generous and non-reciprocal approach to cooperation with smaller neighbours. And thats exactly what we have done in the last decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said. It has seen a dramatic expansion in connectivity, contacts, and cooperation across the region. The exception to this of course, is Pakistan in view of cross-border terrorism. But whether it is the COVID challenge or more recent debt pressures, India has always stepped up for its neighbours, he said, citing the case of Sri Lanka where India extended more than USD 4 billion of economic support during the island nations worst economic crisis in decades. Jaishankar said that India is developing the concept of extended neighbourhoods in all directions. With ASEAN, this has taken the form of what New Delhi calls the Act East Policy that has opened up a pathway to a deeper engagement with the Indo-Pacific that is being pursued, amongst others through a mechanism called the Quad comprising India, Japan, the US and Australia. He pointed out that towards the West, I2U2 (India, Israel, UAE, and USA) grouping. To the South, the outlook that shapes Indias thinking goes by the acronym of Sagar an Indian word for Oceans and to the North, India has been pursuing a strategy of connecting to Central Asia more effectively. For the first time in 2015, Prime Minister Modi articulated a comprehensive view that spanned the entirety of the Indian Ocean and its islands. This subsequently became the building block for the Indo-Pacific vision that emerged thereafter, he said. We are also practising the approach of engaging all major centres of power. Such multi-alignment reflects the reality of multipolarity. Obviously, each engagement has its own particular weight and focus, he added. The external affairs minister said that India has always been a staunch motori of multilateralism. We believe that this is fundamental to the maintenance of global order. Our contributions have been significant over the years, especially in peacekeeping. The challenge, however, is the resistance to reforming multilateralism, particularly the working of the United Nations and its bodies, he said. He said that more countries are going to find arrangements among themselves on pressing issues when they find that the United Nations cannot rise to a challenge. Overall, India is a nation that is deeply committed to promoting collective solutions for global good. Our presidency of the G-20 this year is devoted to focusing on the real challenges to global development and global growth, he added. On Indias engagement with Latin America, he said in the last decade, there had been a conscious deepening of this process. Our trade with Latin America is today approaching a volume of USD 50 billion. Separately, addressing the India-Dominican Republic Business Event here on Friday, Jaishankar said the trade turnover between India and the Dominican Republic has reached almost USD one billion. He said that the two countries concluded talks on a joint economic and trade cooperation (JETCO) mechanism and hoped that it would become a platform for regular meetings, addressing economic and business cooperation opportunities between the two sides. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. WFI Row: Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the head of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), who is being accused of significant sexual harassment by female athletes, said on Saturday that he will step down from his post as demanded by the protesting wrestlers only after proving his innocence. Their (wrestlers) demands are constantly changing. They first asked for my resignation as the federation chief, I said that would mean accepting the charges against me. Resignation is no big deal, but I wont do it as a criminal. I am not a criminal, the WFI chief told the media. Asserting that will cooperate with any inquiry as he has trust in the judiciary and the investigating agencies, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh reiterated that he was innocent. I am happy with the judiciarys decision. The Delhi Police will investigate the allegations, and I am ready to cooperate with them in every possible way. No one is bigger than the judiciary in this country. The order has come to file an FIR (first information report). The government had also said it had no objection to filing an FIR. I am not bigger than the Supreme Court. I welcome the order, Mr Singh told reporters. He also accused the Congress of trying to malign his reputation and claimed that one businessman one family and one akhada (wrestling arena) have hatched a conspiracy against him. I have not yet received the FIR copy. I will speak once Ive received the FIR copy, he said. I have been facing abuses and allegations for months now. This hurts my family and supporters, but I want an impartial enquiry. They instigated people against me for four months and kept bringing new people to make accusations. I have always respected the government, they are the ones jumping the gun. They are saying I should be in jail, he said. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Indian government has roped in IndiGo to further the ongoing repatriation operation from Sudan under Operation Kaveri, the Ministry of External Affairs has announced. Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said in a tweet, Indigo joins #OperationKaveri. 231 Indians in a flight to New Delhi from Jeddah. With this 5th outbound flight, around 1600 reached or airborne for India. Happy journey. Our Mission continues. We have offered our services for charter flights to Jeddah under the Indian Governments Operation Kaveri rescue mission of our citizens from Sudan. We are still awaiting details from the ministry to launch these flights, nothing has been confirmed as of yet, IndiGo Airlines said in a statement. The Indian aircraft carrier had earlier expressed its willingness to be a part of the operation. IndiGo said it remains committed to supporting the Central governments mission to evacuate Indian citizens from Sudan. Muraleedharan informed earlier that as many as 2,100 Indians have arrived in Jeddah, as part of Operation Kaveri. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that INS Sumedha, which is stationed at Port Sudan, has also left for India from the war-torn country with 300 people on board. Earlier, on Friday, the Indian Air Force C-130J evacuated the 10th and 11th batches of 135 passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region. With inputs from agencies The Army apprehended a father-son duo from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district on Saturday. Officials informed that Sardar Abdul Hamid and his son Abbass of Polas village were nabbed by the troops in Gulpur sector shortly after they intruded into this side from across the border. They said the questioning of the duo is in progress and it was not immediately clear whether they crossed the border inadvertently or with some intention. However, no incriminating material was recovered from their possession, they said. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Ending a jam-packed day of campaigning for the BJP in poll-bound Karnataka after back-to-back rallies, prime minister Narendra Modi held a mega roadshow in north Bengaluru on Saturday drawing an enormous response from a massive crowd. Modi, who flew into the city from Kudachi in Belagavi district in northern Karnataka around 5 pm after addressing his third public meeting in the state, rode in a specially designed vehicle. Sporting a saffron cap, Modi was flanked by Bangalore North MP DV Sadananda Gowda and BJP MLC C Narayanaswamy. A large number of people thronged both sides of the road to catch a glimpse of the PM and showered flowers on him. The BJP flags, festoons and posters dotted the road and a group of artists performed Dollu Kunita, a popular drum dance, en route to the roadshow. The 5.3-km long roadshow will pass through various locations in north Bengaluru including Magadi Road, Nice Road Junction to Sumanahalli. Earlier today, police had issued a traffic advisory to people asking them to avoid certain roads from where the primr ministers convoy would pass through. Elaborate security arrangements were made throughout the route from where Modi would take out his roadshow. Modi on Saturday flew in from Delhi and reached Bidar in the morning. He addressed public meetings in Humnabad in Bidar, district headquarter town in Vijayapura and Kudachi in Belagavi district. The PM will stay overnight in Bengaluru and depart from Raj Bhavan on Sunday morning to hold public meetings in the district headquarter town of Kolar, Channapatna in Ramanagara district and Belur in Hassan district. He will also hold a roadshow in Mysuru on Sunday before heading back to Delhi. Karnataka goes to the polls on 10 May and the results will be declared on 13 May. The BJP is trying to retain power in the state and is pitted against its principal rival Congress. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Days after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge compared the Prime Minister with a venomous snake, PM Modi on Saturday said that the party and its leaders have hurled at him different types of abuses 91 times. Accusing the Congress of also abusing the dominant Lingayat community in poll-bound Karnataka, the Prime Minister further said the grand old party had even abused Babasaheb Ambedkar and was engaged in abusing Veer Savarkar. The Congress hates everyone who speaks about the common man, who brings out their corruption, who attacks their politics of selfishness. Congresss hate against such people will become permanent. In this election too, the Congress has again started abusing me, Modi said. The Prime Minister accused Congress and Janata Dal (Secular), which are contesting the Karnataka Assembly elections separately, of harbouring hatred for farmers and said that they created obstructions in the implementation of the central scheme for farmers. Addressing a public rally in Bidar district, he said, Someone has made a list of such abuses against me and it has been sent to me. Till now Congress people have abused me 91 times with different types. Had Congress put effort into good governance and boosting the morale of its workers, instead of wasting time on this dictionary of abuses, Congress would not have been in such a pathetic plight. Making a speech in a campaign rally in poll-bound Karnataka, which goes to polls on May 10, on Thursday Kharge likened Modi to a venomous snake. As a row erupted, he later backtracked stating that his intention was not to hurt anyones feelings and that the statement was not for PM Modi, but for the ideology he represents. Modi said: Insulting those who work for the poor and the country is Congress history. Im not the only one who has been attacked like this. Last election they ran a campaign Chowkidar chor hai, then they said Modi Chor, then they said OBC community are chor, and now just the election season has started in Karnataka they showed the guts of calling my Lingayat brothers and sisters chor. Congress people listen with open ears, whenever you have abused someone they have punished you in such a way that you have not been able to withstand it. This time Karnataka has decided to respond to the abuses, the pain inflicted to their pride, through votes, he said. Noting that abuses are hurled at him by top Congress leaders, Modi said the Congress is such a party that had abused Babasaheb Ambedkar. Babasaheb Ambedkar himself had once said in detail that Congress abused him repeatedly. Congress had called Babasaheb Ambedkar Rakshas, Rashtra Drohi, Dagabaaz Dostyou will be shocked to hear. Even today we see how Congress abuses Veer Savarkar. Congress has abused stalwarts of this country, he said. Looking at this I feel that Congress respects me like they did to Babasaheb Ambedkar, Veer Savarkar, as Congress is abusing me in a similar way. I feel it as a gift to me. Let the Congress abuse me, I will continue to work for the country and its people. With your blessings, all their abuses will get mixed in mud. Congress people understand, as much mud you sling at us, the lotus will bloom, he added. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Union Minister Bhagawanth Khuba among others were present. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Congress would put the poll-bound state of Karnataka into reverse gear by depriving it of the benefits put forth by BJP, the double-engine sarkar. One hand, there is the Congress under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and on the other, is the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. This (Karnataka Assembly) election is an opportunity for you to decide if you want a double engine sarkar led by PM Modi, which will take Karnataka forward, or the Congresss reverse gear sarkar, which will take Karnataka backward, Shah said while addressing a rally in Navalgund Assembly constituency. On Friday, Shah addressed a rally in Shirahatti where he said each vote to the BJP will go to protecting the state from the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI). He said, Each vote counts. So ensure that it goes to the right leadership. When you cast a vote in favour of the lotus (the BJPs symbol), you will not vote to elect an MLA or a minister or Chief Minister. Your vote will further strengthen PM Modis hands in creating a Mahan Karnataka. Your vote will protect Karnataka from the PFI. Further hitting out at the Congress over its national president Mallikarjun Kharges poisonous snake barb at PM Modi, the Union Home Minister said, The whole world admires Modi-ji. But see the level that the Congress and its leadership have stooped to. The remarks made by their leaders about Modi-ji are utterly shameful. Kharge-ji called Modi-ji a venomous snake. Can you vote for such a party? he said. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. William Crisp completes 40 years' service with Gibraltar Port Authority CEO and Captain of the Port, John Ghio, recently took the opportunity to congratulate William (known as Willie) Crisp on reaching the milestone of 40 years service with the Gibraltar Port Authority. Willie joined the Port Department, as it was known at that time, in 1983 as a Seaman/Signalman and was subsequently promoted to the rank of Coxswain. Willie is currently the longest serving member of the Ports launch crew, offering a breadth of knowledge and experience to his colleagues. Minister for the Port, the Hon Vijay Daryanani, commented: It is unusual nowadays to find individuals who have committed their professional careers to one organisation. Over the years Willie has worked at the Port in different roles. I would like to thank him for his loyalty and service to date. The political battle in Karnataka is getting intense as the day of the polls come closer. After Union Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President JP Nadda held roadshows in the southern state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the state today for a mega roadshow in Bengaluru. PM Modi will also address three public meetings during his two-day visit to the poll-bound state. He will be addressing 19 public rallies in different districts besides participating in four roadshows till May 7 as part of the campaign for the elections scheduled to be held on May 10. This is Modis ninth visit to Karnataka since February this year. According to his itinerary, Modi will fly from Delhi on Saturday at 8.20 am by a special aircraft and reach Bidar airport at 10.20 am from where he will take a helicopter to Humnabad in Bidar district to address a public meeting at 11 am. The roadshow in Bengaluru is scheduled at 4:30 pm. This roadshow will be of a number of kilometres in length in which three assembly constituencies of Bangalore North will be covered in nearly 45 minutes, sources had earlier told ANI. On April 30, PM Modi will address public meetings organized in Kolar, Channapatna and Mysore districts. After this, on May 2, PM Narendra Modi will campaign in Chitradurga, Vijayanagar, Sindhanur and Kalaburagi. On May 3, he will campaign for BJP candidates in Moodbidire, Karwar and Kittur, they added. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Congress lacks the ability to understand poverty and is full of negativity. His comments came while he addressed a rally in Karnatakas Bidar ahead of the polls. The Prime Minister also accused the grand old party of harbouring hatred for farmers and said that they created obstructions in the implementation of the central scheme for farmers. He said, Congress will never understand the struggle and pain of the poor. Congress slowed the pace of houses here. They have not seen poverty. Congress is the party which does politics in the name of development and is full of negativity. Congress had only made fake promises to the farmers and people of Karnataka. When we started this scheme (Kisan Samman Nidhi), there was a Congress-JDS government here. But they created obstructions in sending the list of the beneficiary farmers. Can you imagine how much hatred Congress-JDS have for the farmers? The state government did not have to spend any money. We were sending money from Delhi. The problem they had was that the money was going directly into the bank accounts of the farmers, he added. Citing the examples of Congress-ruled states like Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, Modi said that the party has failed to waive off loans for farmers and has therefore not worked up to their promises. The Centre gave Rs 6,000 and the BJP government in the state added Rs 4,000 extra which benefitted nearly 7 lakh farmers. Congress government used to deceive farmers with their false promises of loan waiver before every election. They promised in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, but the farmers there have not received anything in their accounts. They never benefitted by loan waivers. This is the true face of Congress, he said. He also said that the upcoming polls in the southern state will decide Karnatakas position in Indias developmental journey. This election is to make Karnataka the number one state in the country. This election is to decide the role of Karnataka in the making of a developed India. India will be developed when every corner of Karnataka will be developed, he noted. With inputs from agencies The internet is filled with heartwarming images and videos that reaffirm the enduring belief that humanity is still alive. Indian Forest Service officer (IFS), Parveen Kaswan, recently shared such a heart-melting moment on Twitter. The post depicts a man providing medical attention to a deer. The image has gone viral and received much appreciation for the mans efforts. The photograph shows the individual holding an oxygen cylinder and taking care of the deer, which is wearing an oxygen mask to ensure its well-being. Kaswan wrote in the caption, In a world where you can be anything. Be kind to all. Have a look at this wonderful tweet by the bureaucrat here: In a world where you can be anything. Be kind to all. pic.twitter.com/UwZY6cpx9a Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 28, 2023 In a Twitter thread, Kaswan notified that the photo was taken a few days ago and shows their veterinary team. The deer was eventually released back into the wild. This is our vet team. Picture taken few days back. The deer was later released. Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 28, 2023 The post attracted a wide range of comments from the users. An account wondered what was wrong with the animal. What was wrong with this little one? Am (@simply_am_) April 28, 2023 An individual wrote, It is good that you become important, but it is more important that you become good. It is good that you become important, but it is more important that you become good. Khyati Motawar (@KhyatiMotawar) April 28, 2023 People highly appreciated the kind act in the comment section, and thanked the IFS officer for the post. Thanks Parveen. Amazing video you have shared. Big motivation. sampathkumar (@sampathkumar111) April 29, 2023 This is not the first time that Kaswans team has rescued an animal. Kaswan recently notified on his Twitter handle that his team successfully conducted a rescue operation of Panthera pardus, and the animal was safely returned to the wild. The operation was carried out without any harm to the animal or people involved. Back to wild moment. Rescue and release in early morning. Team conducted operation with no injury to animal & people. Today. Panthera pardus. pic.twitter.com/TxWajZnPzP Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 24, 2023 Similarly, last year in February, he had shared on Twitter that his team successfully rescued a stranded Himalayan Black Bear after launching an operation. The rescue work was conducted without any harm to either people or the animal, as per the tweet. He had shared the video of the rescue operation of the stranded creature. How freedom looks like !! A Himalayan Black Bear was stranded. Our teams launched operation since morning. Rescue work was successful without any injury to people or animal. Team work. pic.twitter.com/HdTFl217zI Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) February 28, 2022 He had further said in the Twitter thread that different teams arrived at the site for the purpose of rescuing and managing the crowd. The location was at a considerable distance from the forest, so the animal was rescued. The animal was released back into its natural environment after undergoing a medical examination. Various teams reached location for rescue and also for crowd control. The location was very far from Forest so rescued. After medical checkup the animal was released in its natural habitat. Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) February 28, 2022 The video showed how the Himalayan Black Bear quickly ran towards its home as soon as it was released. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. India on Saturday brought back home the latest batch of 365 people under its mission to evacuate stranded Indians from conflict-hit Sudan. More Indians come back home under #OperationKaveri. 365 passengers have just landed in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted. The return of the fresh batch of Indians came a day after 754 people arrived in India in two batches under the evacuation mission Operation Kaveri. The total number of Indians who were brought back home from Sudan now stands at 1,725, according to official data. The first batch of 360 evacuees returned to New Delhi in a commercial plane on Wednesday. The second batch of 246 Indian evacuees arrived in Mumbai in a C17 Globemaster aircraft of the IAF on Thursday. Evacuation being carried out via Saudi Under Operation Kaveri, India has been taking its citizens in buses from conflict zones of Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are being taken to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah in Indian Air Forces heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navys ships. From Jeddah, the Indians are being brought back home in either commercial flights or IAF aircraft. India has set up separate control rooms in Jeddah, Port Sudan and the India embassy in Khartoum has been coordinating with them besides being in touch with the MEAs headquarters in Delhi. Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the countrys army and paramilitary group RSF, which has reportedly left around 400 people dead. External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on Monday announced the launch of the mission to evacuate Operation Kaveri to bring back the stranded Indians from Sudan. With inputs from PTI Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Since its inception in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modis Mann Ki Baat programme has transformed into an inspirational platform encouraging sustainable progress on priority themes that are core to Indias efforts towards achieving the sustainable development goals, according to a study supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The monthly programme has become a key pillar of the governments citizen-outreach program, the study titled Mann Ki Baat A Decade of Reflection added. The objective of the study, the report said, was to perform a quantitative and qualitative textual analysis of 99 transcripts of the Mann Ki Baat episodes published from 2014-2023 using text-mining tools as well as to identify the most prominently discussed thematic areas in the programme. The Institute for Competitiveness (IFC) is the research partner in the study, while Axis My India is its knowledge partner. The Mann Ki Baats efforts to raise awareness of global and local problems, celebrate grassroots solutions, and encourage citizen activism have contributed to Indias progress towards the SDGs with the programme focussing on five thematic areas cleanliness and sanitation, health, wellness, water conservation, and sustainability the report said. By sharing examples of efforts of common citizens, and by highlighting stories of progress and change, Mann Ki Baat has transformed into an inspirational platform that is encouraging sustainable progress on priority themes that are core to Indias efforts towards achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), the report said. The programme highlights government and citizen action in these priority areas and in turn encourages listeners to establish or participate in change making initiatives in their own communities with the aim to have a lasting and sustainable impact on lives of people and for the country, it said. Mann Ki Baat has catalysed collective action towards achieving SDGs. It has encouraged listeners to participate in societal change making and citizen engagement at the heart of the programme, the report added. The report said celebrating the spirit of Indias change makers and peoples action by speaking directly to ordinary people is at the core of Modis Mann Ki Baat. Themes such as environmental sensitivity, development challenges, water conservation and sustainability help to raise public awareness about these subjects and energise people to experiment with new, innovative, and long-term solutions, for India and the world, it said. The radio programme emphasises the role of start-ups and small businesses in achieving a self-reliant India; encourages people of all ages to take action to promote the social and environmental causes that matter most to them; and spreads the word about government policies, programmes, and initiatives aimed at economic, social, and sustainable development, the report underlined. Just as Mann Ki Baat speaks directly to ordinary people, it celebrates their achievements within and beyond their communities, it added. The report said the programme also connects people to their culture and traditional values. Through Mann ki Baat, our traditional practices such as Yoga, Ayurveda and constant learning are reinforced and these conversations connect us back to our roots, the report said. While the people of India are modern, contemporary, and global in their outlook, the prime ministers regular interaction with them ensures that they never lose touch with the core rich cultural heritage and values, it added. Over 100 crore people have connected to Mann Ki Baat at least once, the report said, adding that the conversational, personal tone and practical subject matter make the prime ministers radio broadcast feel more relevant, contextual and accessible to its audience. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A Pakistani migrant has been arrested by police here for allegedly leading a mob of encroachers that attacked an eviction squad of the Jodhpur Development Authority during a raze drive in the Chokha area. On Saturday, officials informed that Bhagchand Bheel was arrested late on Friday and booked for interfering in the discharge of public function by government officials. Bheel has had previous run-ins with law enforcement officials and was also accused of duping and exploiting Pakistani migrants, allegedly through a nexus with the police and the local land mafia. We are checking their visa status and their role in illegal activities and previous cases against them, said a police official. The Jodhpur Development Authority on Monday conducted an anti-encroachment drive to free government land in Sector 2 and Sector 3 of its residential project in Rajiv Gandhi Colony. During the raze drive, it demolished at least 70 structures, mostly belonging to Hindu migrants from Pakistan. Protesting against the demolition drive, the encroachers allegedly pelted the eviction squad with stones. A bulldozer engaged in the drive was damaged and its driver suffered injuries in the stone pelting. On Thursday, Jodhpur Development Authority Commissioner Navneet Kumar was removed from his post and has been put on Awaiting Posting Order. The victims had claimed that they purchased the plots by paying between Rs 1-2 lakh to people from their community on the assurance that nobody would remove them. Three of the victims later lodged a complaint with the police, accusing Heeralal Bheel and Bhairaram Bheel, both migrants on long-term visas, for allegedly duping them to sell illegal plots that they later learnt belonged to the development authority. Rajiv Gandhi Colony police station SHO Anil Yadav said an investigation is underway. Hindu Singh Sodha, chief of the Seemant Lok Sangthan, which works for migrants from Pakistan, said the organisation has been raising the demand for a fair investigation against this nexus. On a number of occasions, we have pressed for breaking this nexus. This nexus was also behind the mass suicide of 11 migrants on August 9, 2020, in Lodta village, said Sodha. Further, he alleged that many migrants are forced to return to Pakistan after being victimised by this nexus. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Shraddha Walkars father Vikas Walkar on Saturday demanded the case be fast-tracked so that he can perform her last rites. Shraddha was allegedly killed by her live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala last year. This came after a court here adjourned its order on framing of charges against Poonawala till May 9. Speaking to reporters, Vikas said he would go on a hunger strike if the case is not fast-tracked within a month. The court also adjourned till May 9 the hearing on an application by Vikas urging the judge that his daughters remains be handed over to the family for the last rites as required by tradition and culture. I do not think the case is going to conclude soon. We are seeking fast-tracking of proceedings in the case. I have not been able to perform my daughters last rites yet. In May, it will be a year since she died, Vikas said. He said his main priority was to perform the last rites of his daughter and that justice is done. Ill go on a hunger strike if the case is not fast-tracked within a month I want him (Poonawala) to be hanged as soon as possible, he added. Vikas said he will file a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking fast-tracking of the proceedings. Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Pahuja adjourned the order on framing of charges against Poonawala on Saturday, noting that the judge concerned was on leave. Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar had on April 15 reserved the order for Saturday after hearing arguments of prosecution lawyers as well as the accused on framing of charges. Shraddha was allegedly strangled by Poonawala on May 18 last year. He sawed her body into pieces and kept them in a fridge for almost three weeks at his house in south Delhis Mehrauli before scattering them at different places in the capital. Poonawala has been booked by Delhi Police under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) of the Indian Penal Code. On January 24, the police filed a 6,629-page charge sheet in the case. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Uma Krishnaiah, the wife of slain IAS officer G. Krishnaiah, who was lynched by a mob led by former Bihar MP Anand Mohan in 1994, has moved the Supreme Court to challenge his premature release from prison. Mohan was released from Saharsa jail on April 27 morning after Bihar Government amended the rules of the Jail manual, an official notification stated that 27 prisoners who have served 14 years or 20 years in jail had been ordered to be released. Uma Krishnaiah, the wife of G. Krishnaiah, has contended that the sentence of life imprisonment awarded to the gangster-turned-politician meant incarceration for his entire natural course of life and it cannot be mechanically interpreted to last just 14 years. Life imprisonment, when awarded as a substitute for the death penalty, has to be carried out strictly as directed by the court and would be beyond the application of remission, she said in her petition before the Supreme Court. The gangster-turned-politician was earlier on parole of 15 days to attend the engagement ceremony of his MLA son Chetan Anand. He returned to Saharsa jail on April 26 following the end of his parole period. Anand Mohan was convicted in the murder case of Gopalganj District Magistrate G Krishnaiah on December 5, 1994, in Muzaffarpur. Krishnaiah was killed by a mob allegedly provoked by Anand Mohan Singh. He was dragged out of his official car and lynched. Anand Mohan was sentenced to death by a trial court in 2007. A year later, the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Patna High Court. Mohan then challenged the verdict in Supreme Court but no relief has been granted yet and he remained in Saharsa jail since 2007. With inputs from agencies. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Two Indian Air Force (IAF) C 130 J aircraft are in Jeddah to evacuate Indian nationals from Sudan. An IAF C 130 made a daring landing on a semi prepared, unlit airfield at night using night vision goggles (NVG) to evacuate stranded Indians from Wadi Sayyidna in Sudan. Forty-two IAF transport aircraft were deployed in Covid relief operations. On 27 February 2020, 76 Indians and 36 foreign nationals were evacuated from Wuhan (China). The aircraft had also carried medical supplies as a symbol of goodwill to China. The IAF aircraft has landed. Mission completed. On to the next was tweeted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, when an IAFs C-17 Globemaster brought back 58 Indians from Iran on 10 March 2020. Two IAF C-17s land in Turkey with supplies, and Indian Army medical personnel to set up a medical facility after last years earthquake. The role of the IAF has been distinctive in all kinds of operations because of its efficiency to respond fast along with its inherent characteristics of range, mobility and flexibility. IAFs Assets and HADR Response Capabilities Acquisition of Boeing C-17 Globemaster III (77.5-tonne load capacity) and Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules (20 tonne or 74 stretchers) to augment the existing fleet of Ilyushin Il-76 (40 tonne) and An-32 (6.7 tonne) aircraft has given IAF global reach and heavy-lift capability. C 130s FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) systems, night vision capability, and all-weather operations are a big asset. The aircrafts optimised engine power, allows superior short-airfield performance. Boeing C-17 additional roles include medical evacuation and airdrop duties and aircraft has ability to operate from short and rough airstrips. It is ideal for mass casualty evacuation, VIP evacuation, nuclear contingencies etc. among many other roles. The EADS CASA C-295W will carry over 9 tonne. A large fleet of easily deployable Boeing CH-47 Chinook (10.8 tonne), Mi-8/17, and ALH and Chetak/Cheetah helicopters makes India a great regional player for disaster management. IAFs Reconnaissance pods on fighter aircraft are also often used. The primary role of the Indian defence forces is to safeguard the nations sovereignty from external threats, but when called upon, they are equally proficient in performing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. IAF has its own emergency response teams co-located with major transport bases at Hindon, Palam, Bangalore, Guwahati and Chandigarh. It also has Rapid Aero Medical Teams (RAMT) positioned at vantage locations. All IAF bases have coordination with local Indian Army units and the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) battalions, all of which are manned by uniformed para-military personnel. In case of a disaster, rescue teams of NDRF and Indian Army can be dispatched quickly by IAFs heavy-lift aircraft along with the required equipment and relief material. These aircraft can also evacuate people who are in urgent need of medical attention. The accessibility and a swift response through the air makes the IAF best suited to address certain critical situations. Other than countless rescue missions within the country, many nations have benefitted from the HADR and Non Combatant Evacuation (NCE) mission capabilities of the IAF. IAFs Major HADR and NCE Operations The successful evacuation of 111,711 Indian citizens from Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan in 1990 by operating 488 flights over a period of 59 days by Air India and IAF was a world record. Similar missions were carried out from Lebanon in 2006 (Operation Sukoon) and in Libya in 2011. Operation Neer was conducted to help Maldives in September 2014 which suffered a major drinking water crisis. IAF deployed three C-17 and three IL-76 flights to airlift 374 tonnes of drinking water to Male over the next two days. IAF deployed three C-17 aircraft in Operation Rahat when civil war broke out in Yemen in 2015, and ferried back Indian nationals from Djibouti. 2,096 were flown out of the warzone in 11 evacuation flights. During the 2015 Nepal earthquake, IAF and Indian Army made 2223 sorties and rescued 11200 people. IAF was the first to reach the disaster hit Himalayan nation with Quick Response Teams (QRT). The world praised India for its remarkable response and described the countrys disaster management capabilities as sophisticated and advanced. India has come a long way since the Bhopal gas leak disaster of 1984, 1999 Orissa Cyclone, 2001 Bhuj Earthquake, December 2004 Tsunami, and Sikkim earthquake of September 2011, both in capability and response. Indias handling of the devastating Uttarakhand flood and Category 5 super cyclone Phailin in Orissa in 2013 also won international praise. That fact that in the 2013 Uttarakhand floods the IAF evacuated 23,892 people, delivered 798 tonnes of relief material and flew 3,536 missions in 65 days at the cost of losing one helicopter and entire crew on-board drives home the successful capabilities of HADR developed and employed by service. In January 2013, IAF helicopters aided Power Grid Corporation of India repair high tension lines, at about 10,000 feet above sea level, in the heavily snowbound Banihal area of Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2018, IAF used 24 choppers to rescue 1000s from flood-ravaged Kerala, flying 288 sorties under Operation Karuna. IAF had deployed 42 transport aircraft for Covid relief tasks including 12 heavy lift and 30 medium lift aircraft. They were used to bring in relief measures, personnel and material from abroad. They lifted huge empty Oxygen containers to industrial towns for filling and quick turnaround. IAFs other HADR missions include airlifting civilians stuck in heavy snowfall; using helicopters with bambi-bucket to extinguish forest and urban fires; ropeway disaster rescues; and flood rescue and relief. Two Mi-17s and one Chinook helicopter were used to airlift Cheetahs that came from Namibia to Kuno National Park. In 2022, IAF flew 220 sorties in 2022 for meeting casualty evacuation demands of various state authorities. Recovering IAF Airbases during Disaster During the 2001 Bhuj earthquake the runway at Bhuj airbase itself was badly damaged. IAF pilots landed on a partial runway to move critical repair equipment. Airbase was made fully operational in 48 hours and the follow up aerial rescue and relief won national praise. Similarly, during the 2004 Tsunami, at the southernmost airbase of the country at Car Nicobar Islands, IAF lost 116 personnel and families and the bulk of the airbase. The base was quickly recovered with the help of the Indian Navy and made operational. Emergency Management Disaster or Emergency management helps nations reduce vulnerabilities and cope with the aftermath, reducing mortality and economic loss from the disaster. Disaster could be caused by an act of terror, industrial accident, public disorder, natural calamity like earthquake, fire, cyclone etc. Ideally there is a need to anticipate potential risks and plan to reduce probability of occurrence. Often it still will occur and that would require a graded response. Disaster management is all about Readiness, Response, Reduction (Mitigation) and Recovery. The first stage is the incident location and gravity assessment so that action can be directed. An aerial survey is the fastest and best means to achieve this. Aircraft with specialised surveillance cameras, helicopters with observers, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) with special day and night payloads are ideally suited for this. They will be able to instantly communicate the same through data transmission and through radio instructions. Stage II is delivery of initial men and materials for immediate rescue. Heavy equipment from far-flung areas and foreign lands is moved by large transport aircraft to nearest functional airports. Further, air movement could be through heavy/medium lift helicopters. Most critical equipment needed initially is to clear rubble to search for survivors and basic survival necessities like drinking water, food, first aid kits, tent age and blankets, emergency lights, and communication kits, including cell-phone chargers. After the immediate threat to human life has been handled starts the recovery stage. Aerial supplies through helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft drop to contain famine or epidemic is the next stage. Positioning doctors, medicines and food supplies are crucial. The air operations are speedier, allow flexibility, and are more scientifically executed. Disaster Management in India Fifty-nine percent of Indias landmass is prone to earthquakes; 12 percent Indians are vulnerable to drought; 12 percent to floods; and 8 percent to cyclones. The Disaster Management Act of 2005 provides the blueprint for the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and clearly specifies the roles of the Centre, state, and district authorities. On the basis of the act, on 1 June 2016, PM Narendra Modi, launched the Disaster Management Plan of India, which seeks to provide a framework and direction to government agencies. This is the first plan nationally since the enactment of the Disaster Management Act of 2005. The orientation was changed from relief-centric to a holistic approach involving diverse scientific, engineering, social, and financial processes, and encompasses prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, relief, and rehabilitation. Due resource constraints, the state and the district levels invariably have to use military and central help. For earthquakes, tsunami, floods and cyclones, the Home Ministry is the nodal agency. Specific disasters are handled by specialised ministries, for example drought (Agriculture ministry), Nuclear (Atomic Energy), air accident (Civil Aviation), and rail by Railways. NDMA at the centre is chaired by the Prime Minister. Similarly, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) is headed by the Chief Minister. The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) is headed by the District Commissioner who utilises the home guards and emergency fire services to support relief. Concurrently, the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) at New Delhi focuses on human resource development, capacity building, training, research, documentation, and policy advocacy. At present, NDRF has a strength of 12 Battalions with each Battalion consisting of 1149 personnel, comprising 144 specialised teams who have been trained for various types of disasters. Four battalions are trained to handle radiological, nuclear, biological, and chemical disasters. Notwithstanding, the civil administrations ability is inadequate. As a result, they rely on the armed forces for major emergency responses. Military the Ultimate Back Up Officially for disaster response, the military has a secondary role except in the case of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear events. The Administrative Reforms Commission had recommended that the military should gradually be relieved from disaster handling roles. Discipline and efficiency is the first demand in disaster response and relief tasks, which are often dangerous missions, and the military invariably is in a position to bring order in post-disaster operations. The required wherewithal including the command, control and communication, are available with the field formations. Preparing for military operations other than war (MOOTW), of which disaster is the main component is a part of military training. At the national level, the Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff is a part of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NDMA. Challenges Ahead A tendency to over-rely on the military tends to stunt the initiative, responsibility and accountability of the civil officials. Through Operation Sadbhavana in Jammu and Kashmir armed forces were filling the vacuum in delivery and governance. Flouting norms of construction, ignoring drainage and flouting industrial safety norms, often with connivance of officials, are the cause of man-made disasters. Flood and cyclone prone areas are well known. Managing large religious gatherings should have been mastered by now. The civil administration needs to prepare for it. Increasing public awareness is important. Social media can be used for the same. Military leaders and troops need to be trained and updated on the various aspects of disasters. Large numbers of young ex-servicemen are also available for enrolment. Disaster management training should be encouraged in NCC and in colleges and other institutions. Air continues to be the fastest means to assess and deliver relief in any man-made and natural disaster. Modern technologies such as drones and robots should increasingly be used. Regular international exercises and defence cooperation are vital in achieving the desired level of efficiency during real time operations and HADR missions. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) should have IAF officers posted in a special division to ensure smooth conduct of overseas engagement of the IAF, which are increasing every year. Armed forces are proud of the fact that invariably they are the first to enter and the last to leave a disaster site. The writer is Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Mann Ki Baat has been characterised as a platform for the Prime Minister to interact with the common people and discuss various issues of national importance. The program covers a wide range of subjects, including social problems, cultural happenings, and governmental regulations. It is broadcast on All India Radio and has a diverse audience that includes women, young people, and seniors from different backgrounds. Many Indian women have expressed their feelings about the program, saying that it gives them a forum to discuss issues that, in their opinion, the mainstream media frequently overlooked. Additionally, the program has received accolades for its initiatives to increase public awareness of social issues impacting women in India, such as female infanticide, gender discrimination, and violence against women. Moreover, by showcasing the accomplishments of women in a variety of sectors, including science, technology, and sports, Mann Ki Baat has contributed to the empowerment of women in India. Additionally, the program encourages women to take part in a variety of government projects, such as the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao program, which attempts to better the lives of Indian girls. In recent years, the initiative has also been centred on bringing attention to problems and encouraging development in Indias northeast region. Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim are the eight states that makeup Northeast India, an area that is both culturally varied and geographically isolated. The lack of growth in the area is caused by several issues, including connectivity issues, insufficient infrastructure, and geographic isolation. Given these challenges, the Mann Ki Baat radio program has been instrumental in bringing the northeast region of India into the limelight. The programs episodes have discussed several issues relevant to the Northeast region, such as natural disasters, tourism, ecotourism, connectivity, and infrastructure. Additionally, the program has also focused on promoting the folk culture, cuisine, and handicrafts of the Northeastern states. The program has been particularly effective at drawing attention to the Northeasts tourism potential. The Northeast is full of breathtakingly gorgeous scenery, varied and rich cultural traditions, and distinctive handicrafts, the Prime Minister has urged tourists to come. Additionally, the program has emphasised how critical it is to establish a good infrastructure and connectivity to boost tourism and accessibility in the region. Since its launch in 2014, the Mann Ki Baat campaign has had a huge impact on Indian youngsters. Many young people have been motivated to take an active interest in social concerns and develop into more socially responsible individuals by the programs emphasis on the nations development. Following are a few ways that the Mann Ki Baat campaign has impacted Indian youth: 1. Promoting patriotism and national pride among Indian citizens: Promoting patriotism and national pride among Indian citizens is one of the programs key objectives. The youth of India, who are frequently informed that they are the nations future, are receptive to this message. The speeches made by the Prime Minister encourage young people to assume their responsibilities as engaged, responsible, and patriotic citizens. 2. Promoting digital India: The Mann Ki Baat campaign also helped to spread awareness of digital India, which had a big impact on Indian youth. There is a growing interest in technology and innovation among young people since they have access to the internet and digital devices. Young people have been inspired to learn new skills and explore new opportunities by the programs emphasis on the advantages of a digital India. 3. Entrepreneurship promotion: The Mann Ki Baat program has assisted in promoting entrepreneurship among young people. The Prime Minister has underlined the value of independent work and encouraged young people to launch their own businesses. By encouraging entrepreneurship, the program has empowered young people to take control of their lives and make a positive contribution to the economy. 4. Encouraging social responsibilities: The curriculum has also inspired young people to adopt more socially responsible behaviours. Numerous social issues, including sanitisation, education, and healthcare have been handled by the prime minister. These messages have inspired young people to take up causes they care about and make a positive impact on their communities. In conclusion, Mann Ki Baat, as a radio programme, has a significant influence on Indian women as it provides them with a platform to voice their concerns and discuss social issues affecting them. The program has also played a significant role in empowering women in India by highlighting their contributions and encouraging their participation in government initiatives. The program has played a crucial role in bringing the Northeast region of India into the national discourse. The program has been successful in highlighting the challenges faced by the region and the potential it holds for development. Additionally, it has also encouraged tourism, improved infrastructure, and connectivity in the region. Overall, the Mann Ki Baat program has had a positive impact on the youth of India. Its messages of patriotism, digital empowerment, entrepreneurship, and social responsibility have resonated with young people across the country. The author is Executive Director, VART Consulting(P) LTD, Mumbai. Views are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Much is being made by the Indian media of assorted reports, including quasi-official institutional bodies, on the idea that Hinduphobia affects British Hindus negatively. It is being suggested that Hinduphobia is quite widespread in a report on British schools by researcher Charlotte Littlewood of the Henry Jackson Society. It has prompted a degree of the usual unseemly jubilation among Hindu activists that the phenomenon has finally been accorded quasi-official recognition by their social betters and racial superiors. The public discussions on Hinduphobia have also resulted in British Hindu activists trying to define Hinduphobia and hope some sort of unfathomable official action will follow to curb it since the existence of the problem is now supposedly accepted officially by Britain. Unfortunately, there is much more to the whole issue than meets the eye. Hindu activists are also acting in ways that will turn out to be inimical to Hindus and especially India. There is no innocence in politics and cynicism is usually its abiding constant. The whole issue of Hinduphobia in Britain is what should be termed a put up job. To put it bluntly, the British Conservatives have sponsored the angst-ridden debate on Hinduphobia. They have mobilised both research institutions and a thoroughly compromised British Hindu leadership to promote the idea for electoral reasons. The strategy is to capitalise on the real fright many Hindu voters suffered in the aftermath of the recent attacks on their property and temples in Leicester, with some families even beginning to abandon the city. It is hoped fearful Hindus will vote en masse in the impending 2024 general elections for the Conservatives, as their sole potential protectors. Of course, the insinuation is that the Labour Party can do nothing for them because it is a prisoner of a decisive Muslim vote bank. The disciplined Muslim vote bank can indeed dictate outcomes in anything up to eighty parliamentary constituencies, dominated by British-Pakistani dual nationals. The British Indian-origin Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, did prompt surprise by identifying Pakistani men as grooming gang perpetrators of the widespread rape of mainly White adolescents, as well as some others, for more than two decades. It is reported, there were at least fifty thousand White teenage victims of grooming and rape, including some Sikhs and Hindus. For long, the rapists were unfailingly being described as Asian, besmirching the inhabitants of an entire geographical region, to obscure the identity of the rapists. This cowardly obfuscation occurred not so much out of political correctness than fear of lone wolf terrorist attacks by disgruntled Pakistani Muslims. Local Labour Party politicians were deeply implicated in the scandal, with one former Labour Party prime minister suggesting the rape victims had made informed choices about their sexual relationships. At a crucial moment during the prolonged sordid grooming and rape episode, the incumbent Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, the probable Prime Minister in 2024 was the Director of Public Prosecutions, when inaction over the epidemic of rapes is alleged. Significantly, such grooming gang rapes, which were occurring across the length and breadth of the country, have not ceased and it is estimated there are still twenty thousand annual victims. However, there is a larger political context to the issue of Hinduphobia and identification of Pakistani men as the perpetrators of grooming gang rapes. During the 2019 British general elections, the populist dissimulator Boris Johnson made significant inroads into the traditional Labour heartlands of the British Midlands and Northern England. He had successfully used popular opposition in these regions to mass immigration from the European Union as the basis for mobilising voters to support Brexit. But the Conservative Party is now facing an electoral rout in 2024, with a flailing Labour Party still enjoying a 30 per cent lead over it in opinion polls. If the opinion polls are correct and they surely cannot be completely wrong, even with a large margin of polling error, the Conservative Party is facing a wipeout and most of its parliamentary party would be decimated. The reason for the dire situation is due to the Conservative Party members recently choosing Liz Truss as prime minister over Rishi Sunak at the leadership contest. She then proceeded to wreck the British economy comprehensively, which Rishi Sunak had presciently warned would happen if she carried out her proposed economic policies in their debates with each other. But Liz Truss was still chosen instead of the current incumbent, the competent Rishi Sunak, because the party membership preferred a White blonde to a diminutive brown-skinned Indian. In the aftermath of the carnage caused by Liz Truss, the Conservative Party leadership was likely to read the riot act by financiers of the City of London. The financiers told the Conservative Party leadership to ensure the appointment in her place of Rishi Sunak, whom they evidently trust, to salvage the wrecked British economy. The City of London provides 30 per cent of all tax revenues in the UK and has compelling influence over the entire political class, overblown British pretensions of democratic pluralism notwithstanding. The subsequent leadership contest was allegedly differentially manipulated by the party leadership to prevent Rishi Sunaks rivals emerging victorious, much to the chagrin of Conservative Party members, who were not chastened at all by their folly in electing Liz Truss. Given a choice, with old rules still in place for electing leaders, they would have re-appointed Boris Johnson, whatever the long-term consequences of a return to his thoroughly mendacious policies. There is why the Conservative Partys Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, have suddenly highlighted the Pakistani identity of the grooming gang rapists. The Conservative Party, paradoxically led by a Hindu and Buddhist, is trying to retrieve the loss of support among the White working class of the Midlands and the North of England owing to the disastrous economic experiment of Liz Truss. The xenophobia incited by the cynical populist Boris Johnson to win the Brexit vote and emerging victorious in the subsequent parliamentary 2019 is being succeeded by another racially-inspired ploy of identifying men of Pakistani and Muslim religious origin as the grooming gang rapists. Yet, the reasons for officially identifying them as the perpetrators of monstrous crimes is entirely reasonable instead of the antecedent egregious slander of insisting they were all Asian, but the reasons for doing so are cynical and political. The Conservative Party is provoking a White working class backlash by highlighting that little White girls were being raped by brown Muslim men, allegations that once routinely led to lynching in the American Deep South. It is a potent political strategy because the trope will surely arouse primitive emotions among the White working class and the Labour Party, dependent on Muslim votes to survive electorally, is impaled on the horns of an insuperable dilemma. They can neither deny the truth of the allegations of the Pakistani identity of the grooming gang rapists to appease their Muslim constituency or accept it to counter the Conservative Partys attempt to incite the White working class. To be continued This is part one of Gautam Sens series on Politics of Hinduphobia in Britain. The writer taught international political economy for more than two decades at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Imagine if a Norwegian infant four months old and still breast-feeding and her toddler brother were removed by Indian childcare authorities from their parents and permanently placed in an institution. Not because of how they were being raised based on differing perceptions on parenting but because of the mothers mental stability. Would public opinion in Norway be on Indias side? Would Norwegians think the stated reasons justify the solution? Of course not. There would be outrage there that India has summarily taken away two Norwegian kids from their Norwegian parents and placed them in a system where their care would be carried out and supervised solely by Indians. No facts about the suitability of the parents, especially the mother, would be deemed enough to warrant this extreme step by India. And had this fictional incident happened after 2014, there may have been even more criticism! Be that as it may, why should Indias strong reaction to the real-life 2012 incident of two Indian children being taken away by highhanded Norwegian authorities inspiring the movie Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway surprise anyone or elicit a defensive article from that countrys ambassador to India? Would Indias ambassador to Norway dash off a self-righteous riposte in the local media had a Norwegian made a film titled, say, Mrs Johansen vs India? Had India been the culprit in such an egregious incident, the whole of Europe especially the Scandinavian countries that tout their welfare systems as above reproach (contrary to facts) would have joined the chorus of criticism too and demanded a return of the children to their parents. But the robust reaction from India, with the government, the political parties, the people and even the usually contrarian media standing together, got the Norwegians doing a rethink. Indeed, the only aspect of the real case that may have surprised people was the rare political convergence this issue prompted. Lead roles were taken not only by the then foreign minister SM Krishna of the NDA government but also Sushma Swaraj and Brinda Karat, firebrand politicians from totally opposite ideological camps. Unprecedented sustained diplomatic intervention culminated in the incident even featuring in talks at the prime ministerial level. Hence Norway has backtracked on the issue of possible bad parenting by the couple with its implications of cultural condescension and highlights the alternative argument of possible abuse instead. The now-estranged husband of the real Bengali woman on whom the character of Mrs Chatterjee is based, also alludes to her bouts of rage. As he is now a Norwegian citizen and still lives and works there, his sudden epiphany about his wife is questionable. Unlike when he appeared on TV beside his wife a decade ago, now while recounting their joint ordeal to get their children back from the Norwegian foster care system, the husband snidely alludes to her character (or rather, the alleged lack of it) too. And speaking for local authorities, Norways ambassador to India states the system can only intervene when neglect, violence or abuse is confirmed The campaign to deflect and undermine seems coordinated. This strange convergence begs the question of whether the case had more of an impact than Norway would care to admit. India standing together on issues is a formidable prospect indeed. Especially in the eyes of minuscule Scandinavian countries that have gotten used to punching above their weight. Preaching and deciding has been a lucrative career for many Scandinavian diplomats and retired politicians. Having their pre-eminence challenged must be scary. When India stands up for the real Mrs Chatterjee Sagarika Chakraborty other Indians abroad feel empowered. And India has shown an increasing intention to do just that: it is repeatedly stepping in when our nationals and diaspora are in trouble. The West doesnt mind when India launches rescue missions in strife-torn zones elsewhere in the world but backing other troubled Sagarikas in peaceful Western countries has a very different implication. It reveals that they do not practice what they preach. For instance, Norways foster care system which its ambassador here brazenly continues to tomtom has been wilfully ignoring differing cultural norms when deciding to take away children from immigrants to place them in institutions, cutting off ties to their real parents. Norway has been strongly censured on this by the European Court for Human Rights (ECHR). Sagarikas case, shockingly, is not unique. Another high profile case in which Norways childcare authority Barnevernet a word made familiar to Indians by Sagarikas descriptions of her ordeal took away the minor son of a Muslim immigrant is particularly significant as parts of that incident sound eerily similar to Sagarikas epic battle. It highlights how important it was that India stepped in to help Sagarika regain her children before they were irretrievably adopted by some Norwegian couple. Mariya Abdi Ibrahim was 16 when she arrived in Norway with her three-month-old son fleeing Islamic fundamentalists in Somalia. When her son was just 10 months old, he was taken away by Barnevernet citing neglect and abuse. Sounds familiar? He was then adopted by an evangelical Christian Norwegian couple and cut off from Mariya. She fought in vain for over a decade to block this in the courts. That could well have been the fate of Sagarikas children too. Other aspects of Mariyas battle also sound like Sagarikas. When she could not stop them from taking away her infant son, she asked that he be placed with relatives, or another Somali or any Muslim family so that he would be brought up in keeping with his culture and faith, but the court turned her down. In Sagarikas case, Indias strong espousal of her case may have been what led Norway to agree to placing the kids in her brother in laws care in India. Barnevernets trigger-happy attitude had led to an unusually high number of child welfare cases at ECHR. Finally, in 2019 seven years after Sagarikas children returned to family in India a 17-judge ECHR bench decided Norway had not done enough to keep Mariya (now aged 30) and her son together and violated the 1953 European Convention on Human Rights. This resounding judicial slap then led to changes in Norways adoption regulations. Even in the unlikely event of a Mrs Johansen vs India, Norway cannot take a moral high ground. Somalia was not in any position nor inclined, perhaps to help Mariya; India rallied behind Sagarika. Norway backed down on Sagarika in 2012 but stalled Mariya till 2019. In the age of social media, it is impossible to stop the flow of information and hide double standards. No wonder Norway is defensive and European-heavy humanitarian aid circles are nervous. The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hit out at the Congress saying that the partys account has corruption kaal while BJPs account has amrit kaal. Addressing a poll rally in Belagavi, the PM accused Congress of abusing him as he has shut all its sources of corruption. He said that only BJP can provide a stable and strong government in Karnataka. Modi has shut the ways for Congress corruption. Congress means corruption. While Congress account has Corruption Kaal, there is Amrit Kaal in BJPs account. Congress is worried as all its sources (of corruption) have been shut, so they are chanting Modi teri kabar khudegi (Modi your grave will be dug). While Congress is busy digging Modis grave, people are ensuring lotus blooms, he said. The PM also gave a new election slogan Ee baariya nirdhara, Bahumatada BJP Sarkara (This times decision, majority BJP government) for the ruling BJP in Karnataka, ahead of Assembly polls, and expressed confidence about the party coming back to power with a full majority. Modis stress on BJP getting a clear mandate on 10 May Assembly polls is significant, as the party had not got majority both in 2008 and 2018, when it emerged as the single largest party, and had to form government with the backing of MLAs from opposition ranks who switched loyalty to it and independents. He said this was his third rally on the first day of his campaigning in the State after election was declared, and it looks like people of Karnataka have decided to bring in a strong and stable BJP government in Karnataka. Ee baariya nirdhara, Bahumatada BJP Sarkara- can be heard everywhere.Lotus is the sign of Karnatakas progress, only BJP has the roadmap for development, he further added. Karnataka Ministers Govind Karjol and Shashikala Jolle among other leaders were present. Noting that BJP has formed a new team with a mixture of new energy and old experience for Karnatakas progress, Modi said this team will work on preparing a roadmap for Karnataka during the Amrit Kaal. This team needs your blessings.For me Karnataka is a very important state, so I need your blessings, he said. What Karnataka needs is a stable political party in power and a strong government with a full majority, he said, adding that To take Karnataka to a new heights of development, only BJP can provide that stable and strong government. Stating that Congress hates whoever works for Dalits, poor and weaker sections of the society, Modi noted that here in Belagavi, Babasaheb Ambedkar had said as to how Congress was abusing him. Congress is the same, then and now, Modi said, as he once again hit out at the grand old party for abusing him, referring to Congress president M Mallikarjun Kharges venomous snake barb at him. With inputs from PTI Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A group of Afghan women protested in Kabul on Saturday, defying a crackdown on dissent to urge foreign nations not to formally recognize the Taliban government ahead of a United Nations summit next week. Since the Taliban surged back to power in 2021, protesters voicing opposition against creeping curbs on womens rights have been beaten or detained, and security forces have fired in the air to disperse some rallies. But small groups of women have continued to stage sporadic gatherings. On Saturday, around 25 marched through a residential area in the Afghan capital ahead of a summit in Doha that the UN says will discuss a durable way forward for the country. Recognition of Taliban violation of womens rights, the women chanted during the march, which lasted no longer than 10 minutes and passed off without confrontation with security forces. Other chants included Afghan people, hostages of Taliban and We will fight, we will die, we will take our rights. A previous Taliban government that ruled from 1996 to 2001 was only granted formal recognition by three nations Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Diplomats, NGOs and aid agencies are currently deeply divided over the issue. Some believe the international community might cajole the Taliban into reversing curbs on womens rights by dangling the prospect of recognition. Others say even discussing it grants the Taliban some legitimacy at a time when they are squeezing women out of public life. Last week UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said the Doha meeting starting Monday could see envoys discuss baby steps on a path to recognition, albeit with conditions. There are some who believe this can never happen. There are others that say, well, it has to happen, Mohammed said in a talk at Princeton University. The Taliban clearly want recognition and thats the leverage we have.The UN has announced that the de facto authorities of Afghanistan have not been invited to the Doha conference. Recognition is not an issue, a spokesman for the world body said Friday. Protester Shamail Tawana Nasiri, 26, told AFP that any discussion of formal recognition will give the Taliban motivation. For those of us who are oppressed, and our rights taken away, it increases our concerns. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Pakistan Crisis: Days after former Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa admitted that the military he once commanded does not have the resources to fight arch-rivals India, cash-strapped Pakistan urged the United States (US) to resume military financing and sales, which had been suspended by former US President Donald Trump. It is important that the US restores, for Pakistan, Foreign Military Financing and Foreign Military Sales, suspended by the previous administration, Pakistans envoy to US Masood Khan told the media. The US-Pakistan relationship has been mired in a protracted period of uncertainty since the US withdrew from Afghanistan. And now since the US and China are at odds, Pakistans relations with America are strained, which has a negative impact on the nations faltering economy. At the event, Elizabeth Horst, the USs principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, emphasised the need to revive Pakistans faltering economy and urged Islamabad to cooperate with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to do so, according to Dawn. The reforms that Pakistan and the IMF agreed to are not easy. But its crucial that Pakistan take these actions to bring the country back to sound financial footing, avoid falling into further debt, and grow Pakistans economy, she said. Recently, the number of high-level diplomatic meetings and discussions increased, giving Pakistan renewed optimism for improving the tense relations with the US. The half-day symposium at the Wilson Centre in Washington, DC, was concerned with how the US-Pakistan relationship may be developed in the face of numerous difficult situations. In response to a query, Ambassador Khan stated that Pakistan had consulted with the US administration before placing its initial order for Russian oil, according to Dawn. He also discussed the potential contribution Pakistan may make to stabilising Afghanistan. Afghanistans stability is imperative, first and foremost, for its own people who have suffered grievously over the past four decades, Dawn quoted Khan as saying. Noting that the United States and China were both concerned about the growth of terrorism in Afghanistan, he said: Lets work together to eliminate this threat. Today it is a threat for Pakistan and Afghanistan; if unchecked, it will spread to other parts of the region and beyond. (With agency inputs) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. What does it take to feel satisfied? asks former US President Barack Obama in the trailer of the upcoming documentary series Working: What We Do All Day on Netflix. All set to release on 17 May, the Netflix docuseries also features Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran in a prominent role. Glimpses of the trailer revolve around what work means for modern Americans in a time of rapid change. Taking to Twitter, the former president shared the trailer of the docuseries on Thursday (27 April). Im excited to share the trailer for Working. In this series, I talk to American workers across various industries from hospitality and technology to home care to understand their jobs and hopes for the future. I hope youll check it out on Netflix on May 17, he wrote. Obama serves as one of the executive producers beside Michelle Obama, while Caroline Suh served as the director. The docuseries will be packaged in a total of four episodes, each of 45 minutes. About Working What We Do All Day The trailer shows large sections of people in the United States speaking about their day-to-day jobs and the kind of roles that they prefer to do. While the civilians can be seen talking about their work life, Obama can be seen offering a voiceover in several parts of the video. We may not think about it, but were all a part of something larger than any single one of us. And our work is one of the forces that connects us, Obama could be heard saying at the beginning of the video. While mentioning people from three different industries, he asks, What makes a good job good? as he goes on to talk to people about their job and passion. Watch the trailer here: Im excited to share the trailer for Working. In this series, I talk to American workers across various industries from hospitality and technology to home care to understand their jobs and hopes for the future. I hope youll check it out on @Netflix on May 17. pic.twitter.com/GNQPns6Mzf Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 27, 2023 Notably, the trailer also features Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran who can be heard saying, What comes from people should go back to people, multiple times over. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. US President Joe Biden on Friday reduced the prison sentences of 31 people convicted of drug-related crimes, using his powers of the presidency to soften punishment for non-violent offences. All the sentences will now end on June 30, with the remainder of their time to be served as in-home confinement. Biden this week launched his bid for a second term in the 2024 election. The Democratic president faces pressure to show progress on racial and criminal justice issues. The United States has less than 5% of the worlds population but a fifth of its prisoners. A disproportionate share are people of colour, who make up a sizable chunk of Bidens support base in his race for the White House. The announcement came as the White House unveiled a 77-page plan to reduce unnecessary incarcerations, support rehabilitation for imprisoned people and help those getting out of prison re-enter society more successfully. Biden has reduced sentences or outright pardoned more than 100 individuals. Most were drug-related cases. He also pardoned a group of thousands more who had been convicted of simple marijuana possession. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday he was concerned about the future of American democracy, making a veiled jab at former US President Donald Trump during a visit to New York. You guys are the greatest democracy in the world, Trudeau said at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Right now, its not just that its being taken for granted by so many citizens, its actually being devalued, Trudeau said. Canadas Liberal PM did not refer to Trump by name but had harsh criticism for policies and practices closely identified with the former president, from isolationism to stoking voter anger. In 2021, Trudeau blamed Trump as having incited his supporters to wage the violent January 6 attack on the US Capitol. On Friday, he said similar forces were running rampant in Canada and other democracies, with people feeling the system was rigged, and politicians were tapping into that anger and anxiety aimed at government and democratic institutions. Because amplifying anger is a very effective short-term mobilization policy, strategy for politics, Trudeau said. The tougher challenge is to figure out how to roll up your sleeves and solve it. Trudeau praised President Joe Biden, the Democrat politico who beat Trump in 2020 as working to address economic and other factors behind the political unrest that marked his predecessors tenure. Trump, a businessman turned reality television host, left behind a more polarized US when he vacated the White House in January 2021, with the economy badly damaged and political violence on the rise after his false claims the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Abroad, Trump often invoked his America First agenda by dismantling or disrupting multilateral pacts, which alienated allies and spawned distrust in Washingtons promises. 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 a bid to reverse the trend of a declining population, China is considering providing IVF services to single women. One such woman, 33-year-old Chen Luojin, wants to opt for in vitro fertilisation treatment for herself. Seeking the service will be relatively easier for her since Chengdu, the capital of the southwestern Sichuan province has legalised registration of children by unmarried women in February, something China is considering implementing nationwide to address record-low birth rates. The new rules would allow unmarried women to take paid maternity leave and receive child subsidies previously only available to married couples. Crucially, Chen could access in-vitro fertility (IVF) treatment legally in a private clinic. Chen said, Becoming a single parent is not for everyone, but Im happy with the decision. Equally, getting married or not is for each individual to decide. We have liberalised the policies here and I know a lot of single women are doing IVF. Worried about the countrys massive population drop, a phenomenon that has cost its position as the worlds most populous country, political advisors proposed in March that single and unmarried women be allowed to freeze their eggs and obtain IVF treatment, among other services. Chinas leaders have not commented publicly on the recommendations. Liberalising IVF nationwide could unleash more demand for fertility treatment in what is already the worlds biggest market, straining limited fertility services. Some investors in the industry see an opportunity to expand. If China changes their policy to allow single women to have children, this can result in an increase of IVF demand, said Yve Lyppens, director of business development for Asia Pacific at INVO Bioscience, which is awaiting regulatory approval to launch its IVF technology in China after signing a distribution agreement with Guangzhou-based Onesky Holdings last year. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Even if a new corporate tax is being introduced in United Arab Emirates after June 1 this year, NRI businesses in the gulf nation remain optimistic about the growth of business transactions between India and the UAE. NRI and Indian residents doing business in the UAE have also stated that taxation is a major relief to avail the double-taxation avoidance schemes and safeguard the uncertainties of income tax levied in India on their foreign income, according to the experts. Dr Sahitya Chaturvedi, a Chartered Accountant and Convener of Retail Focus group of Indian Business and Professional Council, said: Taxation is an initiative for globalisation of the business from Gulf countries and the UAE has introduced the lowest corporate income tax rate within the GCC region at a standard rate of 9 per cent. The UAE CT regime has been designed to incorporate best practices globally and minimize the compliance burden on businesses, he said. CA Harikishan Rankawat, Chairman of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) Dubai Chapter, said that the decision to provide tax relief to companies with revenue base below or equal to AED 3 million is a welcome relief and reflects the visionary and pro-business leadership of the UAE. As per the new Ministerial Decision No 73, the AED 3 million revenue threshold will apply to tax periods starting on or after 1st June 2023 and will only continue to apply to subsequent tax periods that end before or on 31st December 2026, he said. According to Rankwat, even if a business generating more than AED 375,000 net profit but has revenue below AED 3 million, can seek Small Business Relief and thus get exemption from Corporate Tax. Even though the tax relief is provided to small businesses, but they have to register for UAE Corporate tax and file their Tax Return within 9 months from the end of their accounting period, he said. Giving a textile industry perspective, Chandrashekhar Bhatia of the Global Business Federation said the impact will not be adverse as textile is a big industry and 9 per cent will not be a major burden. Every developing country looking to extend facilities to businesses and people requires taxation. So, this is for the larger good of the business ecosystem and economic development, Bhatia told PTI. Janak Panjuani, the Director of the Puthran Chartered Accountants, said that on management remuneration payable to the board of directors, said a safe harbor provision from transfer pricing perspective could be 10 per cent of net profit as per article 171 of Commercial Company law. On deductibility of interest on lease liability and Depreciation on Right of use assets, he said that interest on lease liability does not satisfy definition of Interest as per Corporate Tax law. Further Article 20(7) states that where there is conflict between Provisions of Corporate tax law and applicable accounting standards the provisions of the Corporate Tax law will prevail. Accordingly, as the things stands, subject to any cabinet decision in this regard it is advisable to disregard accounting as per IFRS 16 and in case of lessors depreciation on leased assets should be allowable as deductions while computing taxable income, Panjuani said. In case of Lessee, it will be leasing rent paid should be allowable as deduction while computing taxable income, he said. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. China Focus: Barbecue hotspot Zibo braces for sizzling influx of tourists Xinhua) 15:12, April 29, 2023 JINAN, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Zibo, famous for its iconic barbecues, has become China's latest tourist hotspot to rein in hotel price hikes and implement tourist-friendly policies to cater to the holiday fervor. The low-profile industrial city in east China's Shandong Province has unexpectedly become one of the most popular tourist attractions in China, with the tourism sector recovering at full tilt in the post-epidemic era. In a letter to tourists, the city's culture and tourism bureau said hotels in Zibo's city proper have been fully booked. It noted that the influx of tourists has exceeded the reception capacity and asked tourists to travel off-peak or consider other cities in Shandong. Zibo's market regulation administration has issued a notice prohibiting hotels in the city from raising room rates by more than 50 percent during the five-day May Day holiday, which begins on Saturday. The move received widespread attention after a tourist from Suzhou said in a viral media report that his hotel fee in Zibo was halved after the hotel heeded the notice on capping price hikes. In another notice, the city government has asked local hotels, restaurants, scenic spots and barbecue stands to maintain business integrity and avoid price gouging. Zibo shot to national fame earlier this year after social media influencers hyped up the unique local barbecue -- grilled meat wrapped in crispy pancakes with shallots. Initially popular among college students due to its unique taste, DIY style and affordability, the dish has now attracted swarms of tourists to the city. Local authorities said hotel bookings for the May Day holiday soared by 800 percent from the pre-pandemic level in 2019. Train tickets from Beijing to Zibo on May 1 were sold out in just one minute. "Some customers arrived in the morning and waited until evening to enjoy a barbecue supper," said Yang Benxin, owner of a local barbecue eatery Muyangcun. According to another barbecue restaurant Kangshan, they have sold more than 10,000 skewers of pork, mutton, chicken wings and vegetables a day during the past few weeks. "We have increased our tables from 60 to 200 to cater to the influx of diners," said Zhu Wenbin, the restaurant's owner. The recent government calls have triggered a second flurry of comments, with many netizens praising the city for showing sober restraint rather than rushing to maximize profits. "I am glad to see that the city is prioritizing enhancing the experience for tourists and improving its image, rather than solely capitalizing on its overnight fame," reads one comment on the popular microblogging site Sina Weibo. Like many other Chinese cities, Zibo has been promoting its local tourism and cuisines, including the barbecue, over the years, but officials said the latest travel frenzy came as a surprise, putting a lot of pressure on the management of the local tourist market. The city has rolled out a series of policies to facilitate visitors, including allowing them to exchange train tickets for free entrance tickets to local scenic spots. Local transport authorities said they deployed extra trains and added 21 bus lines for the transportation of barbecuers. The two local train stations have also increased the number of volunteers to help new arrivals. China saw nearly 1.22 billion domestic tourist trips in the first quarter of 2023, up 46.5 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Both the Spring Festival and the Qingming Festival recorded significant yearly rises in the number of tours. In response, many Chinese tourist cities and provinces, including Beijing, Sichuan and Yunnan, have vowed to safeguard the market rebound and guard against tourist rip-offs and price gouging. (Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun) Damascus, Syria: Israeli airstrikes early on Saturday bombed a location close to the Syrian city of Homs, injuring three civilians, according to state media. A war monitor claimed a Hezbollah ammunition storage was hit. Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian territory over the course of the countrys more than ten-year civil war, mostly focusing on Iranian-backed troops, Lebanese Hezbollah members, and Syrian army locations. While Israel rarely comments on the strikes it carries out on Syria, it has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch-foe Iran to extend its footprint in the war-torn country. At around 00:50 (2150 GMT) the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack with a number of missiles, from the direction of north Lebanon, targeting several positions in the vicinity of the city of Homs, state news agency SANA reported. Three civilians were wounded and a civilian petrol station caught fire and a number of fuel tanks and trucks were burned, it said, adding that Syrian air defences had intercepted some of the missiles. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said Israeli missiles destroyed a munitions depot belonging to Lebanons Hezbollah at the Dabaa military airport in the countryside of Homs province. Without reporting any casualties, it said there were loud explosions as the munitions in the depot blew up, with fires seen burning at the site. On April 2, Israel carried out similar strikes targeting a Hezbollah depot in the Dabaa airport area, the Observatory had said, killing two pro-Iran fighters and wounding five soldiers. On Monday, Israels army shelled a position belonging to a pro-Iran group in southern Syria near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the second such bombardment in days, the Observatory said at the time. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar on Saturday said there is a large presence of Chinese vessels in the Indian Ocean Region and India keeps a very close watch on the developments in the region to protect and preserve its national interests in the maritime domain. Indian Navy is seized of the docking of various PLA Navy ships at ports in Pakistan, and it is keeping a watch on it, he said during an interaction at a conclave here. Asked about the threat aspects, the Navy chief spoke of both conventional and non-conventional threats, besides those emerging from what he described as silent and inclusive paradigm resulting in a web of threats that are emerging. The Indian Navys role is to protect, promote and preserve national interests in the maritime domain, wherever they are, and it asses the threats and challenges. On a daily basis, it is being seen that there is a certain amount of contestation happening at sea. It is well below the threshold of conflict, but possibility of a full-fledged cannot be ruled out, the Navy chief said. On a question on PLA Navy ships docking at ports in Pakistan, he said, these ships are docking at ports in various countries, and not just in Pakistan. As far as their visit to ports in Pakistan are concerned, we are ceased of it, and keep a watch on, he said. Admiral Kumar said the Pakistan Navy is modernising itself at a good pace and seeks to become a 50-platform force in 10-15 years, and they are adding new corvettes and frigates to their fleet. As far as China is concerned, in the last 10 years, a large number of ships and submarines have been Commissioned by it in the last ten years, the third aircraft carrier is under construction, and much larger destroyers they are working on, he said, adding, we feel this will plateau at some time. We are keeping a very close watch in the Indian Ocean Region and effort is to know whose presence is there and what are they up to, monitoring it 247 and we deploy aircraft, UAVs, ships, submarines, etc., the Navy chief said. There is a large presence of Chinese vessels. At any point of time, there are 3-6 Chinese warships in the India Ocean Region, he said, adding some are close to the Gulf of Oman, and some in the eastern part of the IOR, among other places. Chinese research vessels are ever present, numbering from 2-4 and Chinese fishing vessels as well. So, there is a large presence of Chinese vessels in the Indian Ocean Region, and India Navy keeps track of it, the Navy chief said. So, we refine our plans, actions that are required to be taken, and this also feeds into our capability development, the Navy chief said. Later, in response to a query from audience on Chinese research vessels, Admiral Kumar said, these vessels have the ability to track and collect electronic signals. When they operate, close to our areas of national interest, the Indian Navy keeps an eye, and it has its ships which monitor them very, very closely. On a question on whether modernisation and capability development has any link with threat assessment, he said, modernisation is part of the process and not threat-driven. And, a Navy has to be a well-balanced force, so, its not about nuclear submarine vis-a-vis aircraft carrier, as each of the two bring their own capabilities and they are not either/or, Admiral Kumar said. On Atmanirbhar Bharat, he reiterated that the Indian Navy has committed to the national leadership that we (Navy) will be fully Atmanirbhar by 2047. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Helena, Mont.: Montana became one of at least 15 states to ban gender-affirming medical care for young transgender people despite protests from the families of transgender youth that the care is essential. On Friday, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill the battle over which ended with the removal of a transgender lawmaker from the House floor. Debate over Montanas bill drew national attention after Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr told lawmakers they would have blood on their hands if they passed the bill. House Speaker Matt Regier refused to let Zephyr speak on the House floor until she apologised. She has not. On Monday, Zephyr stood defiantly on the House floor with her microphone raised as protesters shouted Let her speak, disrupting House proceedings for at least 30 minutes. Zephyr was then banned from the House and its gallery and voted on bills from a bench in the hallway outside the House on Thursday and Friday. Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Montana have said they would file a court challenge against the ban, which is set to take effect on Oct. 1, starting a five-month clock in which Montana youth can try to find a way to work around the ban or to transition off of hormone treatment. This bill is an overly broad blanket ban that takes decisions that should be made by families and physicians and puts them in the hands of politicians, the Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics has said. Gianforte signaled his willingness to sign the bill on 17 April when he offered some amendments to make it clear that public funds could not be used to pay for hormone blockers, cross-sex hormones or surgical procedures. The bill protects Montana children from permanent, life-altering medical procedures until they are adults, mature enough to make such serious decisions, Gianforte wrote in his letter accompanying the amendments. Debate over the amendments led Zephyr to admonish supporters the following day. Under the law, health professionals who provide care banned by the measure could have their medical licenses suspended for at least a year. They could also be sued in the 25 years following a banned procedure if a patient suffers physical, psychological, emotional or physiological harm. Physicians could not hold malpractice insurance against such lawsuits. The law also prohibits public property and employees from being involved in gender-affirming treatment. During hours of emotional committee hearings, opponents testified that hormone treatments, and in some cases, surgery, are evidence-based care, supported by numerous medical associations and can be life-saving for someone with gender dysphoria the clinically significant distress or impairment caused by feeling that ones gender identity does not match ones biological sex. Parents of transgender children testified that the bill infringed on their parental rights to seek medical care for their children. Opponents also noted that treatments such as puberty-blockers and breast-reduction surgery would still be legal for minors who are not suffering from gender dysphoria, a difference they argue is unconstitutional. In the letter to legislative leaders accompanying his proposed amendments, Gianforte said he met with transgender residents, understands that their struggles are real and said Montanans who struggle with gender identity deserve love, compassion and respect. Thats not what trans Montanans need from you, Zephyr said as the House considered his amendments. We need access to the medical care that saves our lives. Forcing a transgender child to go through puberty is tantamount to torture, Zephyr said. This was the second legislative session in which Sen. John Fuller brought the bill to ban gender-affirming care for transgender children. In 2021, when he was a member of the House, he brought a bill to ban surgical and hormone treatments for transgender children, which was voted down. He brought a second bill to ban surgical treatments which was also rejected. He was successful in 2021 in passing a bill to ban transgender females from participating in girls and womens sports. The part of the bill that applied to colleges was ruled unconstitutional. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Due to internal reasons, including the jolt in the recent by-polls in Nepal, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachandas proposed visit to India has been delayed further. It is unlikely that his first foreign visit will take place before June, according to his top aide. This was for the second time when the Nepal prime ministers scheduled visit to India got postponed due to internal reasons. This would have been his first foreign trip after he assumed charge as Prime Minister for the third time in December last year. Nepal government is preparing to present its annual budget for the coming fiscal year towards May-end and the Prime Ministers visit to India will take place only after that, the top aide close to Prime Minister Prachanda told PTI on Saturday. The proposed visit by the Prime Minister has been further delayed due to internal reasons and it is unlikely that the first foreign visit will take place before June, the aide, who did not want to be quoted, said. Earlier, the government was busy preparing for Prachandas visit to India between May 2nd and the 3rd week. The results of the recently concluded by-elections in Nepal have also compelled the 68-year-old Prime Minister to rethink the visit in order to maintain the political stability in the country. Out of three seats for which the by-elections were held this month, the ruling alliance lost two seats, one in Tanhu 1 and the other in Chitawan 2. Only Upendra Yadav, president of the Janata Samajwadi Party, managed to win in Bara 2 with the backing of the ruling alliance. Rashtriya Swotantra Party (RSP), which has won two seats in the by-election, has made it clear that in the present situation, it will not join the Prachanda-led government and it is reviewing its stance on whether to continue its support to the coalition government from outside or not. Ravi Lamichhane, a TV journalist-turned-politician, won from Chitawan 2 while well-known economist Swornim Wagle won from Tanhu 1. The support from RSP with 21 seats in the House of Representatives will be crucial for the survival of the Prachanda-led government. The victory for the newly formed RSP was a shameful defeat for the larger parties run by senior leaders. In both constituencies, the Nepali Congress had fielded its candidates with the backing of the ruling alliance. The new eight-party Prachanda-led alliance includes the Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN-Unified Socialist, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Janamat Party, Janta Samajwadi Party, Lokatantrik Samajwadi Party, and Rashtriya Janamorcha. Meanwhile, the newly-appointed Foreign Minister N P Saud has said that the government is making major preparations to make Prachandas forthcoming India visit fruitful. He said the Nepal government wanted to make the visit fruitful, he told the state-run daily Gorkhapatra. We are working on a result-oriented schedule and grand preparations are underway so as to fix priorities, he said. Preliminary discussions among different ministries relating to the Prime Ministers visit have been completed, he pointed out. Saud said the first phase of inter-ministerial discussion under his leadership has already concluded as part of the preparations. We will move ahead placing national interest at the focal point with a view to further strengthening our international relations, Saud, who was appointed as the foreign minister in mid-April, said. Nepal has remained stable in the fundamental principles of foreign policy, he pointed out. Nepal has been maintaining close and good relations with both India and China, he said, adding that Our relations with other countries in the world are also cordial. We will always stick to the principles of non-aligned policy and the principle of Panchsheel, he said. In view of the geopolitical situation, the government is effortful to move forward maintaining further balance in our international relations, he pointed out. As Nepal is graduating to the level of developing countries in 2026, there is a need to make internal as well as external preparations for that reason, he said. Prachanda visited India in July last year at the invitation of BJP National President J P Nadda. Prachanda was sworn in as the Prime Minister for the third time on December 26 last year after he dramatically walked out of the pre-poll alliance led by the Nepali Congress and joined hands with opposition leader K P Sharma Oli. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Seoul: In response to a new US-South Korean agreement to step up nuclear deterrence to counter the Norths nuclear threat, the powerful sister of North Koreas leader said her country would make more provocative military displays. She claimed the new US-South Korean pact demonstrates their extreme hostility towards Pyongyang. Additionally, Kim Yo Jong hurled personal jabs at US President Joe Biden, who said on Wednesday following a meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol that any nuclear strike by North Korea against the US or its allies would result in the end of whatever regime took such action. Bidens meeting with Yoon in Washington came amid heightened tensions in the Korean Peninsula as the pace of both the North Korean weapons demonstrations and the combined U.S.-South Korean military exercises have increased in a cycle of tit-for-tat. Since the start of 2022, North Korea has test-fired around 100 missiles, including multiple demonstrations of intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to reach the U.S. mainland and a slew of short-range launches the North described as simulated nuclear strikes on South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is widely expected to up the ante in coming weeks or months as he continues to accelerate a campaign aimed at cementing the Norths status as a nuclear power and eventually negotiating US economic and security concessions from a position of strength. During their summit, Biden and Yoon announced new nuclear deterrence efforts that call for periodically docking US nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea for the first time in decades and bolstering training between the two countries. They also committed to plans for bilateral presidential consultations in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack, the establishment of a nuclear consultative group and improved sharing of information on nuclear and strategic weapons operation plans. In her comments published on state media, Kim Yo Jong said the U.S.-South Korean agreement reflected the allies most hostile and aggressive will of action against the North and will push regional peace and security into more serious danger. Kim, who is one of her brothers top foreign policy officials, said that the summit further strengthened the Norths conviction to enhance its nuclear arms capabilities. She said it would be especially important for the North to perfect the second mission of the nuclear war deterrent, in an apparent reference to the countrys escalatory nuclear doctrine that calls for preemptive nuclear strikes over a broad range of scenarios where it may perceive its leadership as under threat. She lashed out at Biden over his blunt warning that North Korean nuclear aggression would result in the end of its regime, saying he was being too miscalculating and irresponsibly brave. However, she said the North wouldnt simply dismiss his words as a nonsensical remark from the person in his dotage. When we consider that this expression was personally used by the president of the U.S., our most hostile adversary, it is threatening rhetoric for which he should be prepared for far too great an after-storm, she said. The more the enemies are dead set on staging nuclear war exercises, and the more nuclear assets they deploy in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula, the stronger the exercise of our right to self-defense will become in direct proportion to them. North Korea has long described the United States regular military exercises with South Korea as invasion rehearsals, although the allies described those drills as defensive. Many experts say Kim Jong Un likely uses his rivals military drills as a pretext to advance his weapons programs, cement his domestic leadership and be recognized as a legitimate nuclear state to get international sanctions on the North lifted. Kim Yo Jong did not specify the actions the North is planning to take. Her brother said this month that the country has built its first military spy satellite that will be launched at an unspecified date, which will almost certainly be seen by its rivals as a banned test of long-range missile technology. South Korean officials say the North could also be preparing to conduct its first nuclear test since 2017. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A Chinese national who had been arrested in Pakistan over allegations of blasphemy has been released on bail by an anti-terrorism court in Abbottabad. According to Pakistan media reports, the Chinese engineer, who had been detained at the Dasu hydropower project in Kohistan district earlier this month after a crowd accused him of committing blasphemy, was released on bail on the orders of Judge Sajjad Ahmad Jan. According to the orders of the court, the Chinese worker was released from police custody and transferred to a secret location in exchange for Pakistan Rupee (PKR) 200,000 in local bank surety bonds. The Chinese national was not taken to the court during the hearing due to security concerns. The records of the accusers and of the Chinese man were presented by the joint investigation team (JIT) in the court. Naseerudden, Kamila Station House Office, who was among the main complainants in the case, appeared before the court with relevant records. As the incident happened on April 15, the judge stated in his order that workers Gulistan, Shafi, Qadir, and translator Yasir registered the first information report (FIR) in the case after two days on April 17. They narrated the hearsay tale before the JIT but were unable to present witnesses to corroborate their claims or establish charges in their individual statements. The translator (Yasir), who was 35-40 feet away from the Chinese man who was in charge of heavy transports at the Dasu Dam Project at the time of the incident, according to the judges order, assumed that the latter was the one who made the alleged sacrilegious statements. The judge said in the order, Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code [PPC] says whoever by words, either spoken or written or by visible representation or by any imputation or innuendo or insinuation directly or indirectly defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life and shall also be liable to be fined that in light of the available record. He added, The case of accused petitioner not comes within the ambit of the reasonable ground; that the accused petitioner is a foreigner and came here for his services at the Dasu Dam Project in Kohistan that a procession by the people of locality (Upper Kohistan) was the result of misunderstanding as a result of which whereof the local police station in Kohistan concocted this false case against Chinese national while according to available record, no such offence was committed by the accused and hence granted the bail. The FIR in the incident was filed at the Kamila Police Station in Upper Kohistan in accordance with Sections 295-C of the Pakistani Penal Code and Sections 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The release of the Chinese national was a judicial matter and they accepted it wholeheartedly, but Maulana Waliullah Tohidi, a member of the Ulema Jirga established by the local clerics after the incident to oversee the Chinese national blasphemy case, said the translator Yasir who made accusations against the latter should be brought to justice under the appropriate sections of the law as he incited local Kohistanis to take to the streets. We (Kohistanis) are patriotic Pakistani and would never allow anybody within the country or outside to sabotage the Dasu Hydropower Project at any cost, he told the media. (With agency inputs) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Moscow said that Poland impounding a school run by the Russian embassy in Warsaw on Saturday was a blatant violation of international agreements and warned of harsh consequences. We regard this as yet another hostile act by the Polish authorities and a blatant violation of the Vienna Convention of 1961, the Russian foreign ministry said. It goes beyond the framework of civilised interstate communication and will not remain without our harsh reaction and consequences for Polish authorities and Polands interests in Russia, the ministry added. Decades-long spat over spy nest high school building Poland on Saturday said it had seized a high school building near Moscows embassy in Warsaw meant for the children of diplomats, a move the Russian envoy called illegal. The spat over the 1970s multi-storey building, nicknamed the spy nest by Warsaw citizens, has been going on for a year. This building belongs to the Warsaw City Hall, Polish foreign ministry spokesman Lukasz Jasina told AFP, adding that the move followed a bailiffs order. The spokesman for the municipality was unavailable for comment. Poland says there is a huge disparity in the number of diplomatic buildings each had in the other country. This is an illegal act. An intrusion on a diplomatic facility, Moscows envoy, Sergei Andreyev, told the RIA Novosti news agency. Andreyev said this was a violation of Viennas convention of diplomatic relations. Of course, there will be a reaction, Andreyev said, adding that he did not want to give further details and that a decision will be made in Moscow. We consider the school by the embassy to be part of our diplomatic mission, he said, saying teachers and staff lived on the territory of the building. Andreyev said the school will continue to work in a different part of the Russian embassys premises. Our priority is ensuring the safety and the interests of our employees and their families. With inputs from AFP Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The highly capable chatbot developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT, has gained worldwide attention for its remarkable abilities, leading users to hold various experiments with it. Recently, a machine-learning engineer named Santiago Valdarrama successfully integrated ChatGPTs AI into Boston Dynamics robot dog, Spot, resulting in fascinating outcomes. Spot was able to communicate and answer a wide range of questions with the help of ChatGPT. Valdarrama shared a video on Twitter displaying their interaction. The video showed Spot utilising ChatGPT to ask for information and then using Googles text-to-speech AI to articulate the answers. The queries included Spots battery level, mission details, and more. The video was captioned, We integrated with our robots. We had a ton of fun building this. Valdarrama explained in a Twitter thread that every day, these robots carry out automated missions that involve complicated configuration files that are difficult for non-technical individuals to comprehend. Once the missions are complete, the robots collect vast amounts of data, but there is no straightforward method to retrieve specific information on request. These robots run automated missions every day. Each mission uses miles-long, hard-to-understand configuration files. Only technical people can handle them. At the end of each mission, the robots capture a ton of data. There's no simple way to query all of it on demand. Santiago (@svpino) April 25, 2023 He added in another thread that ChatGPT is utilised to help with querying data. The configuration files and mission results are presented to ChatGPT, and questions are asked within that context. When combined with a voice-enabled interface, it provides an effective way to query data. That's where ChatGPT comes in. We show it the configuration files and the mission results. We then ask questions using that context. Put that together with a voice-enabled interface, and we have an awesome way to query our data! Santiago (@svpino) April 25, 2023 The engineer further tweeted that they have developed a system that enables them to obtain real-time answers about previous and upcoming missions from the robots by using ChatGPT. This involves ChatGPT understanding the inquiry, analysing the files, and creating a response. We can now ask the robots about past and future missions and get an answer in real-time. ChatGPT interprets the question, parses the files, and formulates the answer. Massive upgrade!@Levatas team, you guys rock! Stay tuned because more is coming! Santiago (@svpino) April 25, 2023 The tweet received a wide range of remarks in the comment section. Engineer and entrepreneur Louie Bacaj commented that it is quite similar to the Discord bot that they created within the Smallbets.co community. He added that certain commands retrieve data and give more information, while more general questions are directed to OpenAI. He further said that in the initial prompt, one can ask it to not mention OpenAI and it wont. Love this. Very similar to the discord bot we built in the https://t.co/MCw6Ya4vEE community. Certain commands go pull data & provide additional context, other open ended queries go to OpenAi. By the way, in the initial prompt you can tell it to never mention OpenAi & it wont. Louie Bacaj (@LBacaj) April 25, 2023 A user sarcastically wrote that this is how the Terminator movie starts. This is how the Terminator movie starts. K1NGKOIN (@K1NGKOIN) April 25, 2023 Many social media users were quite impressed by the robot dog. This is so cool! Akshay (@akshay_pachaar) April 25, 2023 Another said, Future looks scary. Future looks scary. Daksh (@agyaniManushya) April 25, 2023 The tweet has now gone viral with over 1.1 million views and 1,261 retweets. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Russia on Friday criticised a nuclear deal between the United States and South Korea, pointing out that it would destabilise the region and the wider world, and also warned that it could lead to a potential arms race. The United States on Wednesday promised to give South Korea more insight into its nuclear planning, while Seoul promised not to seek nuclear weapons itself in an agreement both sides said was aimed against North Koreas growing nuclear arsenal. Russia has repeatedly railed against what it sees as the United States growing military presence across Asia. This development is clearly destabilising in nature and will have serious negative consequences for regional security, impacting on global stability, Russias foreign ministry said in a statement. Moscow said the United States and NATOs drive for decisive military superiority would bring nothing but escalating tensions and could provoke an arms race. Washington has accused Moscow of nuclear sabre-rattling over various statements from Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, since the start of the Ukraine war that Russia would be prepared to use nuclear weapons to defend its territorial integrity. At a joint news conference with U.S. President Joe Biden this week, South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol said the agreement was aimed at strengthening South Koreas defences in the face of North Koreas rapidly advancing nuclear weapons program. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. SCO Meeting: Sergei Shoigu, the minister of defence for Russia, accused the US-led alliance of escalating the conflict in Ukraine and attempting to put China in danger by using the Quad and the AUKUS as a weapon. He was addressing in Delhi at a gathering of the defence ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The US, Australia, Japan, and the host nation, India, are all members of the Quad. Gen. Li Shangfu, Chinas Minister of Defence, attended the meeting. Sergei Shoigu claimed that the NATO alliance led by the US is attempting to achieve supremacy in the Asia-Pacific region through alliances such as the QUAD and AUKUS. In a bid to maintain global dominance, the US and its allies have severely eroded the global security architecture, Sergei Shoigu said during his address at the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting. He blamed the US for having unilaterally terminated the US-Soviet anti-ballistic missile treaty. Today, Washington and its enablers are pursuing their strategic agenda of provoking other countries into military confrontation with Russia and China. The conflict in Ukraine is a clear demonstration of this policy. Its real aim is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, threaten China and maintain its monopoly in the world, he said. Arms deliveries to Kiev will only prolong the conflict, affecting the stability of Europe and the world as a whole. The transferred weapons end up on the black market and go further into the hands of terrorist organisations, he added. Russia has been left with no option but to eliminate the threats emanating from Ukraine militarily. Our objectives will be achieved within the special military operation. Sergei Shoigu and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met separately on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting. The ministers expressed satisfaction over the continued trust and mutual respect between the two countries, particularly in defence, and reiterated their commitment towards strengthening the partnership, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. The declaration is important since the US has threatened to slap sanctions on nations doing business with Russia. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Greg Afinogenov in the LRB: In summer 1876, Peter Kropotkin was given a pocket watch by a visiting relative. He was 33 years old, bore one of the Russian Empires oldest princely titles and had been a page de chambre to Tsar Alexander II. He was already famous in Russia for his scientific work on zoology and glaciation. Two years earlier, however, he had been arrested and imprisoned as a member of a revolutionary secret society. The watch was delivered to him in a prison hospital, to which he had been transferred after his health declined in the dungeons of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Concealed in the watch was a coded message detailing his role in an elaborate escape plan involving some two dozen comrades, many operating in disguise. The plan went off without a hitch; minutes after climbing into the waiting carriage, Kropotkin had changed his prison clothes for those of an aristocrat, blending in perfectly with the crowd on Nevsky Prospekt. While the imperial secret police fruitlessly combed the area, Kropotkin went out to dinner at a fashionable restaurant. After a few days lying low in nearby dachas, he was spirited away to Britain. He didnt return to Russia until after the February Revolution of 1917. In exile, Kropotkin drew on both his scientific and political interests to create the theoretical foundations of modern anarchism. His comrades in Russia, who were known as narodniki, or populists, shared many of his views but not all. Inspired by their liberation of Kropotkin and other daring feats, some of them embarked on a campaign of terrorism that culminated in the assassination of Alexander II in 1881. More here. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Friday it was necessary to ensure that Russias invasion of Ukraine does not succeed and that Seoul was considering its options of supplying lethal aid to Kyiv. In a speech at Harvard Universitys Kennedy School on the fifth day of a state visit to mark the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korean alliance, Yoon said the Russian invasion was a violation of international law and the rights of Ukrainians. We should prove that such attempts will never reach success, to block further attempts being made in the future, he said, according to simultaneous translations of his remarks. Yoon was asked about the possibility of South Korea providing lethal aid to Ukraine, and replied: We are closely monitoring the situation thats going on the battlefield in Ukraine and will take proper measures in order to uphold the international norms and international law. Right now we are closely monitoring the situation and we are considering various options, he said. On Wednesday, Yoon met US President Joe Biden at the White House and the United States pledged to give South Korea more insight into its nuclear planning over any conflict with North Korea, amid anxiety over Pyongyangs growing arsenal of missiles and bombs. The two also discussed the situation in Ukraine. Yoon told news agencies in an interview last week before leaving for the United States that Seoul might extend its support for Ukraine beyond humanitarian and economic aid if it comes under a large-scale civilian attack, signalling a shift in his stance against arming Ukraine for the first time. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Santo Domingo: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday said that the trade turnover between India and the Dominican Republic has reached almost $1 billion, adding that a lot of trade is done in pharmaceuticals, marine, gold and paper products. Addressing the India-Dominican Republic Business Event in the Dominican Republic, Jaishankar said, So this is very much, therefore, a diplomatic trip. It is a political trip, but it is, of course, a business trip. Where the Dominican Republic is concerned from a trade we had of $12 million before we established diplomatic relations 20 years ago, it has today reached almost a billion dollars. And a lot of our trade is in pharmaceuticals, in marine products, in two and three-wheelers, in iron and steel, in gold and in paper and paper products. #WATCH | There is a conscious intensification of our relations with Latin AmericaIn many ways, business is leading the way. Our trade with the Dominican Republic has reached almost a billion dollars: EAM Dr S Jaishankar at India-Dominican Republic business event, Santo Domingo pic.twitter.com/dJnL16AQbW ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2023 He also noted that there are a few Indian companies like Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Hetero, caplin point and Flagship Biotech that have already established offices in the Dominican Republic. He also said there are some of Indias big automobile dealers, and two-wheeler dealers like Bajaj, Hero and Royal Enfield have actually local dealers in the Dominican Republic. In fact, as we entered, I was speaking to the head of our business delegation and he told me that he himself, his company, has had 15 years of business here and they have a number of important distributors. Now, we have seen over the years that there have been many more officials and business delegations visiting India to engage with our business, he said at the India-Dominican Republic Business Event. We saw last year a Dominican delegation at the INTEXPO the textile event in Mumbai at the Global Regulators meet, which was organised by our Pharmaceutical Export Council at the India International Garments Fair which was organised by our Apparel Exports Promotion Council and also at the India-Soft Exhibition which is dealing with computer software, he added. On the agreement signed between India and Dominican Republic, the EAM said the two countries concluded talks on a joint economic and trade cooperation JETCO mechanism. He further stated that the agreement is in its final stages of approval and is expected to be finalised soon as he returns to India. He also hoped that JETCO will, in many ways, become a platform for regular meetings, addressing economic and business cooperation opportunities between India and the Dominican Republic. He also touched on his meeting with the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, saying the discussions centred on promoting business between the two countries. Delighted to call on President @luisabinader of Dominican Republic. Conveyed greetings of PM @narendramodi. Value his vision for our bilateral and multilateral partnership. Discussed our increasing political contacts, growing economic & commercial relations, business cooperation, capacity building and people-to-people ties, Jaishankar said in a tweet. On his trip to the Latin America region, Jaishankar said India has an interest in the region. That interest is today expressed in a trade turnover that is approaching USD 50 billion annually in a growing number of investments in different sectors, from energy and agriculture to mining, to projects of various kinds, to IT delivery centres, to pharmaceuticals. So theres a conscious intensification of our relationship with Latin America. And I would say that in many ways, business is leading the way, he added. Earlier, on Friday, Jaishankar arrived in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic for his first official visit to the country. Arrived in Santo Domingo for my first official visit. Thank Vice Minister @josejuliogomezb for a warm welcome. Look forward to my engagements in the Dominican Republic, the EAM tweeted on Friday. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A crime gang boss of Indian-origin is serving an eight-year-10-month prison sentence after admitting to drug smuggling and money laundering charges in a court in the UK. Raj Singh, 45, from Surrey in south-east England ran an organised crime group and regularly worked together with Waqas Iqbal, 41, to buy and sell Class A drugs and firearms, the UKs National Crime Agency (NCA) said. The duo also planned to launder money and send ketamine to Canada. In February, Singh, whose full name is Rajinder Singh Bassi, pleaded guilty to charges of supplying Class A banned substance cocaine, conspiracy to supply Class B banned substance ketamine and money laundering at the Guildford Crown Court. He also admitted to assault in a separate matter, when he was involved in a pub fight in which he kicked a police officers leg as she tried to restrain him. His sentence includes 16 months for causing actual bodily harm to the officer, who required significant rehabilitation on her knee and cannot return to frontline policing due to the injuries. The NCA revealed details of the case this week after Iqbal was sentenced to 12 years in prison at the same court in southern England on Friday after he admitted conspiracy to import Class A drugs, conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon and money laundering. Though Iqbal and Singh operated within the London area they had criminal connections in multiple countries within mainland Europe and further afield, said Dean Wallbank, NCA operations manager. Like other high-end dealers, Iqbal and Singh are toxic and responsible for causing very serious levels of harm to society. They didnt care what bloodshed the guns and drugs led to, just as long as they made money. Protecting the public from the threats of Class A drugs and firearms is a priority for the NCA, he said. The NCA caught the duo after intercepting their messages to buy and supply Class A drugs and guns on the encrypted communications platform EncroChat. They were not known by their real names on EncroChat but by handles, with Singh as Salmonagent and Iqbal as Ghostshooter. The crucial phone evidence also showed the pair conspiring on firearms details. The duo was held as part of the NCA-led Operation Venetic, the UK response to the takedown of EncroChat in 2020 after the messages between Singh and Iqbal revealed how significant their offending was. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A massive fire erupted at an oil depot in Crimea on Saturday after it was hit by two Ukrainian drones, a Russia-appointed local official said. This is the latest in a series of attacks on the annexed peninsula as Russia braces for an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive. Russia annexed Ukraines Crimea peninsula. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, a port city in Crimea, posted videos and photos of the blaze on his Telegram channel. Razvozhayev said the fire at the citys harbor was assigned the highest ranking in terms of how complicated it will be to extinguish. However, he said that the open blaze had been contained. Razvozhayev said the oil depot was attacked by two enemy drones, and four oil tanks burned down. A third drone was shot down from the sky, and one more was deactivated through radio-electronic means, according to Crimeas Moscow-appointed governor, Sergei Aksyonov. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview this week that his country will seek to reclaim the peninsula in the upcoming counteroffensive. Russian president Vladimir Putin traveled to Crimea last month to mark the ninth anniversary of the Black Sea peninsulas annexation from Ukraine. Putins visit took place the day after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader accusing him of war crimes. The attack reported in Sevastopol comes a day after Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine, killing at least 23 people. Almost all of the victims died when two missiles slammed into an apartment building in the city of Uman, located in central Ukraine. Six children were among the dead, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Saturday, adding that 22 of the 23 bodies recovered have been identified. Two women remained missing, Klymenko said. Russian forces launched more drones at Ukraine overnight. Ukraines Air Force Command said two Iranian-made self-exploding Shahed drones were intercepted, and a reconnaissance drone was shot down on Saturday morning. Razvozhayev said the oil depot fire did not cause any casualties and would not hinder fuel supplies in Sevastopol. The city has been subject to regular attack attempts with drones, especially in recent weeks. Earlier this week, Razvozhayev reported that the Russian military destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone that attempted to attack the harbor and another one blew up, shattering windows in several apartment buildings, but not inflicting any other damage. Ukraines military intelligence spokesperson, Andriy Yusov, told the RBC Ukraine news site on Saturday that the oil depot fire was Gods punishment for the murdered civilians in Uman, including five children. He said that more than 10 tanks containing oil products for Russias Black Sea Fleet were destroyed in Sevastopol, but stopped short of acknowledging Ukraines responsibility for a drone attack. The difference between the number of tanks Yusov and Razvozhayev gave could not be immediately reconciled. After previous attacks on Crimea, Kyiv also wouldnt openly claim responsibility, but emphasized that the country had the right to strike any target in response to Russian aggression. Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces shelled the city of Nova Kakhovka, according to Moscow-installed authorities in the Russian-occupied part of southern Ukraines Kherson province. Severe artillery fire cut off power in the city, the officials said. The Ukrainian-controlled part of the province also came under fire on Saturday. Russian shelling in the area of the village of Bilozerka killed one person and wounded another, according to the Kherson prosecutors office. With inputs from AP Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Washington: After four helicopters crashed in a matter of weeks, the chief of staff of the US Army ordered all pilots who are not involved in critical missions grounded until they have completed the necessary training. Three soldiers were killed and a fourth was injured after two AH-64 Apache helicopters collided in Alaska on Thursday. Nine people were killed when two Black Hawk helicopters crashed in Kentucky late last month. General James McConville ordered an aviation stand down following two deadly helicopter mishaps that claimed the lives of 12 soldiers. The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training, the Army said in a statement. During the stand down, the Army will review the risk approval/risk management process, aviation maintenance training program, aircrew training standardisation and management, and supervisory responsibility, the statement said. Active-duty units must complete the 24-hour stand down between 1 and 5 May, and National Guard and Reserve units by 31 May, it added. There have been multiple other crashes of US military aircraft in recent years, including one involving a Black Hawk that killed two Tennessee National Guardsmen during a training flight in Alabama in February. Four US Marines were killed during NATO exercises in Norway last year when their V-22B Osprey aircraft went down, possibly after hitting a mountain, investigators said. And two US Navy pilots were rescued after their T-45C Goshawk jet crashed during a training exercise in a residential neighborhood near Fort Worth, Texas in 2021. The pilots ejected before the plane went down. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The US on Saturday carried out the first-ever evacuation of its citizens from conflict-hit Sudan. Hundreds of Americans fleeing two weeks of deadly fighting in Sudan reached the east African nations port, completing a dangerous land journey under the escort of armed drones. American unmanned aircraft, which have been keeping an eye on overland evacuation routes for days, provided armed overwatch for a bus convoy carrying 200 to 300 Americans over 500 miles or 800 km to Port Sudan, a place of relative safety, US officials said. The US, which had none of its officials on the ground for the evacuation, has been criticized by families of trapped Americans in Sudan for initially ruling out any Washington-run evacuation for those among an estimated 16,000 Americans in Sudan who wish to leave. US special operations troops briefly flew to the capital, Khartoum, on 22 April to airlift out American staffers at the embassy and other American government personnel. More than a dozen other nations have already been carrying out evacuations for their citizens, using a mix of military planes, navy vessels and on the ground personnel. A wide-ranging group of international mediators including African and Arab nations, the United Nations and the United States has only managed to achieve a series of fragile temporary cease-fires that failed to stop clashes but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese to flee to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate thousands of their citizens by land, air and sea. Since the conflict between two rival generals broke out on 15 April, the US has warned its citizens that they needed to find their own way out of the country, though US officials have tried to link up Americans with other nations evacuation efforts. But that changed as US officials exploited a relative lull in the fighting and, from afar, organized their own convoy for Americans, officials said. Without evacuation flights near the capital that other countries have been offering their citizens, many US citizens have been left to make the dangerous overland journey from Khartoum to the countrys main Red Sea port, Port Sudan. One Sudanese-American family that made the trip earlier described passing through numerous checkpoints manned by armed men and passing bodies lying in the street and vehicles of other fleeing families who had been killed along the way. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the convoy carried U.S. citizens, local people employed by the US and citizens of allied countries. We reiterate our warning to Americans not to travel to Sudan, he said. From Port Sudan, away from the fighting, the Americans in the convoy can seek spots on vessels crossing the Red Sea to the Saudi port city of Jeddah. U.S. officials also are working with Saudi Arabia to see if one of the kingdoms naval vessels can carry a larger number of Americans to Jeddah. US consular officials will be waiting for the Americans once they reach the dock in Jeddah, but there are no US personnel in Port Sudan, officials said. Two Americans are confirmed killed in the fighting that erupted on 15 April. One was a US civilian whom officials said was caught in crossfire. The other was an Iowa City, Iowa, doctor, who was stabbed to death in front of his house and family in Khartoum, in the lawless violence that accompanied the fighting. The US airlifted out all its diplomats and military personnel and closed its embassy on 22 April. It left behind several thousand US citizens still in Sudan, many of them dual-nationals. The Biden administration had warned it had no plans to join other countries in organizing evacuation for ordinary US citizens who wanted out, calling it too dangerous. There were no known US government personnel on the ground in Sudan assisting the convoy. With inputs from AP Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. As many as 56 Gujarat residents, evacuated from Sudan under the Centres Operation Kaveri, reached Ahmedabad in the early hours of Friday after landing in Mumbai and thanked the government authorities for bringing them safely from the strife-ridden nation. Of these 56 Gujarat residents who landed at the Mumbai airport, 12 reached Ahmedabad on their own, while 44 were brought to Ahmedabad in two buses deployed by the Gujarat government, said a Gujarat government release. The 56 people were among the 246 Indians evacuated from Sudan and brought to Mumbai by an Indian Air Force (IAF) plane from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on Thursday afternoon. The evacuees were from 18 states, including Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, airport authorities said. The Gujarat returnees, were welcomed by Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi upon their arrival at the Ahmedabad Circuit House on Friday morning. From Ahmedabad, they will be sent to their respective destinations across Gujarat in state transport buses arranged by the government, said the release. A majority of these evacuees hail from Rajkot district, while others belong to Gandhinagar, Anand and Vadodara, it added. Speaking on the occasion, Sanghavi, said the state was constantly coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs to identify and evacuate Gujarat natives stranded in Sudan. Life became very difficult due to in-fighting among the rival forces, which led to a shortage of food, water and electricity. Incidents of theft, murder and loot were also taking place. We thank the Centre as well as the state government for evacuating us safely, said one of the returnees. Under Operation Kaveri, India has been taking its citizens in buses from conflict zones of Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are being taken to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah in IAFs heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navys ships. Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the countrys army and a paramilitary group that has reportedly left around 400 people dead. People who missed out on Rhythm and Vines tickets are reminded not to purchase tickets anywhere other than from the Rhythm and Vines website (which links off to the official ticketing partner). Scammers and scalpers are operating, whereby if they purchase official resale tickets from the Rhythm and Vines website, they are guaranteed that their ticket is valid and not scalped. Resale tickets will become available once the initial festival allocation is sold out. Apple Watch Ultra With microLED Display May Launch in Second Half of 2025 News oi -Kabir Jain Apple is developing a newer Apple Watch Ultra with a microLED display, the company's most expensive, top-of-the-line smartwatch. However, don't get too excited because the Cupertino company may release it in the second half of 2025, according to display analyst Ross Young. Apple Watch Ultra With microLED Has Been Pushed to 2025 There was speculation that the Apple Watch would debut in 2024, but Young claims that the release date has been "pushed out" to 2025 at the earliest. Earlier this year, Young predicted a release date in 2025, but he has since narrowed that window to the second half of this year. The development of a microLED Apple Watch has been confirmed by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who predicted in January that the device could launch by the end of 2024. However, Apple's release window has likely moved. MicroLED Carries Some Advantages Over OLED MicroLED is a display technology that uses tiny, self-emitting pixels. It offers higher brightness, better contrast, and a longer lifespan than OLED displays. MicroLEDs can also be manufactured in smaller sizes, making them ideal for wearable devices like smartwatches. However, they are currently more expensive to produce than OLED displays. Apple Watches currently have OLED displays; switching to a microLED display would give the premium smartwatch some advantages over its competitors, such as the ones mentioned above. According to Gurman's prediction in January, Apple is expected to replace OLED with micro-LED technology in its iPhone, iPad, and Mac units from 2024 onwards. This shift from OLED to micro-LED is expected to happen across the iPhone lineup followed by iPad and Mac units. At the same time, microLED displays are also on Samsung's radar for potential inclusion in upcoming Galaxy series wearables. According to recent reports, Samsung formed a team at the end of the year to work on bringing microLED displays to market in Galaxy smartwatches. The Galaxy smartwatches made by the South Korean electronics giant currently feature OLED displays. Best Mobiles in India Vivo X90 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro, Galaxy S23 Ultra, Xiaomi 13 Pro: Best Flagship Phones 2023 in India Features oi -Carlsen Martin When it comes to flagship smartphones, Indian are spoilt for choices. This year alone, we've already seen flagships from Samsung, iQOO, OnePlus, and Xiaomi. And now, the latest to join the fray are the Vivo X90 and Vivo X90 Pro. And that isn't even considering the top-tier smartphones from Apple and Google towards the back end of last year. So with all those options, which is the best flagship phones for you in 2023; let's find out. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Starting at Rs 1,24,999 The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is arguably the best overall smartphone of 2023, so far. The Galaxy S23 Ultra offers an ultra-premium smartphone experience with its over-the-top spec sheet and super software support to match. With the S23 Ultra, Samsung has delivered on its promise of class-leading visuals, battery life, performance, build quality, and overall smartphone experience. And if that weren't enough, you also get stylus support. And while Samsung may not offer the best camera performance in the segment, but it is the most versatile and the undisputed king of zoom performance. The iPhone 14 Pro isn't just the best smartphone Apple has to offer but is arguably still one of the best phones in India in 2023. The iPhone 14 Pro models were some of the best-selling smartphones of 2022 and with good reason. Despite its size, the iPhone 14 Pro delivers battery life comparable with all the big boys, so one can only imagine how well the Pro Max does. Add to that, the iPhone 14 Pro features a class-leading display, the best build quality, performance, and software support in the segment, and superb battery life. And then there are the cameras, which deliver arguably the best image quality and easily the best video quality of any smartphone so far. Google Pixel 7 Pro | Starting at Rs 79,999 If you are looking for the ultra-premium smartphone experience without the ultra-premium smartphone price, then the Pixel 7 Pro is the way to go. The Pixel 7 Pro's got it all, the top-tier 120Hz QHD+ LTPO AMOLED display, the excellent battery, the tripe-camera setup, the solid build, and superb software experience. The camera performance here easily rivals the iPhone 14 Pro and the Galaxy S23 Ultra, even surpassing them in certain instances, particularly on the photography front. The one drawback to the Pixel 7 Pro is the Tensor G2 chip, which excels at AI performance but tends to heat up pretty quick during gaming and pro-longed camera usage in extremely sunny environments. Vivo X90 Pro | Starting at Rs 84,999 The recently launched Vivo X90 Pro is another excellent option if you are looking for a flagship smartphone under a lakh. Additionally, the lack of a top-tier Snapdragon chip shouldn't be a cause for concern as its MediaTek counterpart doesn't lag far behind. The X90 Pro also has an elegant design, good battery life and extremely fast charging, and a solid build. Moreover, the addition of the V2 imaging chip, ZIESS optics, and the 1-inch camera sensor, all contribute to a superb camera experience. The Vivo X90 Pro is arguably the best phone in the segment for portrait photography. However, the lack of an LTPO OLED screen and a cluttered operating system, don't quite work in Vivo's favour. Xiaomi 13 Pro | Starting at Rs 79,999 The Xiaomi 13 Pro brings the heat when it comes to flagship camera performance. The Xiaomi 13 Pro takes its ques from last year's Xiaomi 12S Ultra, with the 1-inch primary camera sensor. Moreover, the camera system is co-developed with Leica and features a "Floating Telephoto Camera" to achieve a focal range of 10cm to infinity. Apart from the camera system, the Xiaomi 13 Pro has all the makings of a flagship with one of the best displays in the segment, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, and a large battery with both wired and wireless super-fast charging. The Xiaomi 13 Pro easily has some of the best hardware on a smartphone in the segment, although software leaves a little to be desired. The Asus ROG Phone 7 series takes a step back from the traditional flagship formula to deliver a flagship mobile gaming experience. The two ROG phones feature similar specifications and offer the best battery life of any smartphone and gaming-oriented software in the segment. The ROG Phone 7 series uses the same flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC as most phones on our list, but Asus incorporates some of best cooling in the segment to deliver the best sustained performance of any smartphone on this list. However, outside of gaming, the ROG Phone 7 feels more like a flagship killer than a premium smartphone. If you are looking to go the safe route for a flagship phone in 2023, then the Galaxy S23 and S23+ should be your default pick. The two Galaxy S23 phones have all the making of flagship smartphones. Samsung does make a few confessions here to allow the 'Ultra' to stand out, but that in no way takes away from just how good these two smartphones are. They offer just about everything you'd demand from a flagship smartphone in 2023 without the hefty price tag of the Galaxy S23 Ultra. OnePlus 11 5G | Starting at Rs 56,999 OnePlus recently flipped its smartphone strategy at the top-end of the segment, introducing the OnePlus 11 5G as a replacement to the OnePlus 10 Pro and doing away with a 'Pro' model for 2023. And the result is one of the best value flagships of 2023. With the OnePlus 11 5G, the company has introduced an extremely capable smartphone that packs flagship hardware minus the flagship price tag. From the LTPO display and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip to the Hasselblad cameras and superb software support, there is very little to complain about here. Vivo X90 | Starting at Rs 59,999 The vanilla Vivo X90 retains some of the best aspects of the Vivo X90 Pro at a reasonable price. The flagship MediaTek chipset, solid build quality, reliable software support, and vibrant display remain virtually unchanged. The ZEISS cameras and T* lens coating is also retained from the 'Pro' model, which will provide all the advantages of ZEISS optics. However, the phone does lose out on the 1-inch primary camera and 50 MP telephoto shooter. The two non-Pro iPhones offer everything you'd ever need in an iPhone with solid cameras, excellent battery life, vibrant displays, and reliable software. Moreover, the iPhone 14 Plus was crowned battery king in our recent Smartphone Awards. Unlike the iPhone 14 Pro, which goes above and beyond, the vanilla iPhone 14 is just a good phone and a perfect introduction if you are looking tomake the switch. There's no doubt that the iPhone 14 is quite similar to its predecessor on paper, there are a few noteworthy upgrades if you dig deep enough. And all of those come at a marginally higher price. iQOO 11 5G | Starting at Rs 59,990 The iQOO 11 5G was the first Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 smartphone in India. And in our experience is the second-best smartphone for gaming on our list. Apart from the flagship Qualcomm chip, the iQOO 11 5G also has the dedicated V2 chip from the Vivo X90 series, which aids in frame rate interpolation, which boosts frame rates in games. iQOO has also incorporated a top tier 144Hz QHD+ E6 AMOLED display to match the powerful hardware. However, the one area where the iQOO 11 5G struggles is in camera performance and software. Despite respectable camera hardware, the software here still has some catching up to do. Google Pixel 7 | Starting at 58,999 Google nailed all the fundamentals with the Pixel 7 series, including its pricing. And although there are a few noteworthy compromises here, the barebones Pixel experience remains unchanged from the 7 Pro. The lack of the telephoto camera does feel like a letdown, but the Pixel 7 still retains the same main and ultrawide cameras from the 'Pro' model. Additionally, the phone also comes with a solid battery life for a compact phone and an IP rating along with Google's renowned software. Flagship smartphones aren't for you and you prefer foldables, then checkout this list. Best Mobiles in India Poco F5, Poco F5 Pro camera, chipset, display details revealed ahead of May 9 launch News oi -Carlsen Martin The Poco F5 series is making its global debut in less than 10 days. The line-up is expected to consist of the Poco F5 and Poco F5 Pro. Ahead of the launch the brand has confirmed details about the Poco F5 Pro's chipset, cameras, design, and display. The Poco F5 and Poco F5 Pro global launch date is set for May 9 at 05:30 pm (IST). The Poco F5 5G is expected to make its debut in India soon after the global launch, although the Poco F5 Pro is unlikely to make its way to the country. Poco F5 Cameras, Performance Poco India recently teased the Poco F5 would debut as the first smartphone in India to use the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 SoC, which was announced earlier this year. In a recent post, The Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chip is seen in action with an overall AnTuTu score of 969,903 points, which is higher than the Snapdragon 888 and Snapdragon 870 chipsets. Moreover, the phone is also shaped like the Xiaomi 12 Pro Plus with a dual-tone, glossy finish. The Poco F5 5G also has a triple-camera setup on the back with a 64 MP sensor at the helm. Other Poco F5 5G specifications are still under wraps. Poco F5 Pro Design, Display However, the Poco F5 Pro was recently teased to feature a WQHD+ display. However, there is no mention whether the phone will use an OLED or LCD panel, although it will likely be the former as there's no side-mounted fingerprint reader. The Fin King outperforms the predecessors with the might of the new & improved Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2. King for a reason!#POCOF5 global debut on 09.05.2023 @ 5:30PM.#ReturnOfTheKing pic.twitter.com/RP8Haeh87n POCO India (@IndiaPOCO) April 28, 2023 The image also reveals the button placement and frame of the Poco F5 Pro. The brand does appear to be cutting some corners here to make the device more accessible with the plastic frame. Additionally, the power and volume buttons are placed on the right side of the device, while USB Type-C port, SIM card slot, and speaker grille are all located at the bottom. Poco F5 Pro, Poco F5 Pricing Details about the Poco F5 and Poco F5 Pro are still under wraps, although recent leaks have emerged about their pricing. The Poco F5 price in India is tipped to start from under Rs 30,000, similar to last year's Poco F4. The Poco F5 Pro is unlikely to make its debut in India but rumours suggest it will cost anywhere between $500 (roughly Rs 40,900) to $600 (roughly Rs 49,100) in other markets. The Poco F5 is also expected to be rebranded version of the Redmi Note 12 Turbo, which was unveiled in China back in March, while the 'Pro' model could be a rebagged Redmi K60. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications ODNI Releases 10th Annual Intelligence Community Transparency Report FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ODNI News Release No. 8-23 April 28, 2023 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) today released the Annual Statistical Transparency Report (ASTR) Regarding the Intelligence Community's (IC) Use of National Security Surveillance Authorities for Calendar Year 2022. The ASTR provides the public both statistics and contextual information regarding the scope of the government's use of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) authorities, National Security Letters, and other national security authorities. The report also provides insights into the rigorous, multi-layered oversight framework that governs the IC, which is designed to protect the civil liberties and privacy of persons whose information is acquired pursuant to these national security authorities. The release of this report is consistent with the requirement in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, as amended (codified in 50 U.S.C. 1873(b)), and the IC's commitment to the Principles of Intelligence Transparency. This 10th anniversary edition of the ASTR includes a redesigned Executive Summary to enhance readability and public understanding. For example, in response to feedback received on last year's report, FBI's Section 702 U.S. person query statistics are shown in this year's ASTR using a new methodology that more closely aligns with how other agencies count such queries. FBI's data is also presented in a side-by-side format, showing statistics calculated under both the prior and new methodologies to enable meaningful comparison across years. The report also includes additional explanation of how the IC safeguards U.S. and other person information. This report, along with previous ASTRs and additional public information on national security authorities, is available on www.dni.gov, www.intel.gov, and IContheRecord. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China broadens scope of its counter-espionage law amid raids on foreign companies Beijing wants to control the flow of information and contact with foreign companies or individuals By Kai Di for RFA Mandarin 2023.04.28 -- China's ruling Communist Party has granted itself more powers under an amended espionage law, expanding the definition of what constitutes "spying," amid ongoing raids on U.S. consultancy firms in China. The National People's Congress passed amendments to the Counter-Espionage Law on April 26 that broaden the scope of material that can be used to back up allegations of spying. "Documents, data, materials, and items related to national security and the national interest," are now treated as state secrets under the law, state news agency Xinhua reported. The raids come amid growing concern that the amended law will give state security police and other investigators new powers to access corporate facilities and electronic equipment. There's also concern that normal business activities like gathering intelligence on local markets, competitors and partners could be treated as "espionage" amid growing tensions between Beijing, the United States and its allies. The Chinese authorities have typically employed a highly elastic definition of what constitutes a state secret, and national security charges are frequently leveled at journalists, rights lawyers and activists, often based on material they posted online. The newly amended law gives no definition of what constitutes a matter of national security or the national interest, but expands the definition of espionage to cover cyberattacks against government departments or critical information infrastructure, Xinhua said. Under the amendment, authorities may now access data and electronic equipment and issue travel bans to individuals. The move came as police in Shanghai visited U.S. management consultancy Bain & Co.'s office in Shanghai and questioned staff there. "We can confirm that the Chinese authorities have questioned staff in our Shanghai office. We are cooperating as appropriate with the Chinese authorities," Bain & Co. said in a written statement sent to Reuters and the Associated Press on April 26. Meanwhile, The Financial Times reported that police took away computers and phones but did not detain any employees, and that they had made more than one visit to the office. Last month, authorities in Beijing raided the office of U.S. due diligence firm Mintz, detaining five Chinese nationals in the process. Japan seeks clarification Japan said on Wednesday that it had asked Beijing to clarify exactly which activities constitute espionage, and that it was advising its nationals to be alert regarding the revised law. At least 17 Japanese nationals have been detained in China on "spying" allegations since the law first took effect in 2014. An employee of Japanese drugmaker Astellas Pharma was detained in March on suspicion of "spying," prompting a protest from Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi during a visit to Beijing this month. Jeremy Daum, a senior fellow at Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center, told Reuters that the amended law has adopted "an expansive understanding of national security." The EU Chamber of Commerce in China said the investigation of Bain would affect investor confidence in the wake of three years of stringent pandemic restrictions. "At a time when China is proactively trying to restore business confidence to attract foreign investment, the actions taken send a very mixed signal," the chamber said in a statement on Friday. U.S.-based economist Xia Yeliang said Sino-US relations are at their lowest ebb in 50 years. "There is a kind of us-and-them relationship that is emerging out of tense diplomatic relations and [recent] military and strategic confrontation," Xia said. "China uses its wolf-warrior diplomacy to smear the United States and other Western countries." "Foreign companies should be sensitive to this risk and divest if necessary," he said. Rising risk of doing business in China New York-based lawyer Chen Chuangchuang said the risk of doing business in China is likely to keep on rising with the ongoing clampdown on the flow of information in China under supreme leader Xi Jinping. "The Chinese market isn't easy to operate in, and if you can manage to get a foothold and stay there, it suggests that your company doesn't ... care about justice or human rights," Chen said. He said the Chinese authorities already had the ability to surveil and search foreign company executives even before the amendments were passed. "This has been going on for a long time," Chen said. "It's just that foreign companies feel that they used to enjoy special treatment in China, whereas it was just that they didn't dare to go after them before because they wanted good relations with the United States." He said it is likely that consultancy firms and other companies gathering information in China could be deemed too sensitive to be allowed to operate there under the current regime. "It's very simple. Xi Jinping wants to stabilize the country to minimize threats to his [grip on power], so all external contacts must be controlled by the government," he said. "It all depends on whether you benefit the Chinese Communist Party in any way," Chen said. "If you don't, you'll have to leave." Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April 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 New York Guard Completes Ukrainian Troop Training Mission By Eric Durr, New York National Guard April 28, 2023 GRAFENWOEHR, Germany -- New York Army National Guard Soldiers from the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat team oversaw the training of 9,600 Ukrainian troops since taking charge of NATO's Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine in August. The 140 Soldiers, organized as Task Force Orion, were the command and administrative elements for the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine (JTMG-U). Over nine months, Task Force Orion oversaw the U.S.-led training of Armed Forces of Ukraine soldiers on more than 15 systems and equipment. The New Yorkers also helped train more than eight Ukrainian battalion tactical groups in combined arms and joint maneuver, according to Army officials. "The proof and the results are in the bravery and the actions of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters who are accomplishing them on the battlefield," said Col. William Murphy, task force commander. On Aug. 28, Task Force Orion turned over the responsibility for the JTMG-U to a National Guard team from Arkansas during a ceremony in Grafenwoehr. While the 27th is headquartered in Syracuse, it has units across the state and drew Soldiers from all these units for Task Force Orion. Murphy turned over command of the training group to Col. Olen Bridges, commander of the Arkansas Army National Guard's Task Force Bowie. The New York Soldiers will return from Germany to Fort Bliss, Texas, for demobilization and then return home to airports across the state. From April to December 2022, training focused on instructing Ukrainian military personnel to use the U.S. weapons systems and equipment sent to Ukraine. Since January, training has included combined arms maneuver and staff training for Ukrainian battalions, brigades and corps. Task forces assigned to the mission have worked with numerous U.S. military units, as well as allied and partner nations, to ensure the success of U.S.-led Ukrainian training in Germany. "The one common thread that has run through all of this, that has united all of those organizations and linked them together with our Ukrainian counterparts, has been JMTG-U," said Col. Stephen C. Marr, chief of staff of 7th Army Training Command. The 27th Infantry Brigade is the only National Guard brigade to have twice contributed troops to the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine. Soldiers from the New York Army National Guard conducted training for Ukrainian troops, alongside other NATO soldiers, at the Yavoriv base from November 2017 to August 2018. In January, Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited the training site to observe Ukrainian soldiers training on the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Gen. Dan Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, visited the New York National Guard team in March and praised them for their efforts training Ukrainian troops. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. and Nigerian officials join to celebrate $38 million in Kainji Air Force Base improvements By Courtesy April 28, 2023 KAINJI AIR FORCE BASE, Nigeria -- Senior U.S. Department of State and Department of Defense officials joined Nigeria's Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao, represented by Air Vice Marshal Nnamdi Nwokoma Ananaba and other Nigerian partners to celebrate the completion of $38 million of improvements to the air base April 27. The construction of the air base improvements is key to facilitating the operation and maintenance of the A-29 Super Tucano wing, and associated munitions, stationed here. The base improvements were delivered as part of a larger, historic $500 million U.S. foreign military sale to Nigeria, which also included the delivery of 12 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, precision munitions, and world-class training, including in air-to-ground integration to make airstrikes more accurate and thereby mitigate the risk of civilian harm. U.S. Charge d'Affaires for Nigeria David Greene, Director of the U.S. Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate Brig. Gen. Joel Safranek, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North Atlantic Division Commander Col. John Lloyd, and other U.S. officials joined Amao and other Nigerian Air Force partners to celebrate the completion of the final phase of the construction program for A-29 Super Tucano support facilities. "Since my arrival in Nigeria last year, I have closely tracked the progress of the A-29 program and am grateful, today, to celebrate the fruits of U.S.-Nigerian partnership and commitment," stated Charge d'Affaires Greene. "Nigeria's A-29 program is the largest U.S. foreign military sales case to date to a country in Sub-Saharan Africa, an example of Nigeria's leadership in being, as is the Nigerian Air Force's motto, 'willing, able, and ready' to contribute to security and stability at home and around the region." The base improvements were delivered in two main phases, with the first phase completed in summer 2021 to allow for the safe delivery of the first A-29 aircraft, which now play a key role in Nigerian Air Force operations to combat violent extremist organizations, such as ISIS-West Africa and Boko Haram. Crews are now finishing the second and final phase of air base improvement projects, which include improved base security, munitions storage and maintenance, aircraft hangars and aprons, and training facilities to ensure the continued successful operations of the new fighter wing. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District, which is part of the larger U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North Atlantic Division, oversaw the construction of these projects, which are key to facilitating the operation and maintenance of the 12 A-29 Super Tucanos and their accompanying munitions. "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proudly supports our international partners like Nigeria by providing unique engineering expertise to bolster security capabilities, strengthen strategic relationships, and contribute to regional security," Lloyd said. "Here at Kainji Air Base, it has been an absolute privilege to partner with the U.S. Embassy, U.S. Air Force, and the Nigerian Air Force to deliver these support facilities for their new fleet of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft." The U.S. Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate is managing the overall $500 million foreign military sale as part of its larger mission of administering security assistance programs around the world. "Today is a proud occasion, not only for the country of Nigeria and the Nigerian Air Force, but also for the United States of America, the United States Air Force, and the United States Army," said Safranek. "These new capabilities will help address the growing security challenges in the region, and counter the significant impact and threats posed to the people of Nigeria. It proves that together, as Partner Nations, and Military Allied Partners, we can accomplish great things which, in the end, make the country of Nigeria and the world a safer place." This is the largest U.S. foreign military sales case in sub-Saharan Africa and demonstrates the strong partnership between the United States and Nigeria. The United States is committed to assisting Nigeria in its efforts to create a more peaceful, prosperous nation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Army kicks off Exercise Combined Resolve 18 By Sgt. Raekwon Jenkins April 28, 2023 GRAFENWOEHR, Germany -- The U.S. Army, allies and partners, will build interoperability as exercise Combined Resolve 18 kicked off April 21st, in the 7th Army Training Command's Joint Multinational Readiness Center at Hohenfels Training Area, Germany. CBR 18 is a U.S. Army Europe and Africa directed combat training exercise for the U.S. Army's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and 15 multinational allies and partners. The exercise is designed to assess units' abilities to conduct combat operations effectively alongside these other countries and units in a complex multi-domain battlespace. The JMRC, a directorate under 7th Army Training Command, is the U.S. Army's premier combat training center outside the U.S., and hosts the Combined Resolve exercise series twice a year, providing a realistic maneuver training capability in Europe that can be tailored for U.S., allied and partner units. For the Soldiers in the field, it is an opportunity to train in a simulated combat environment and experience realistic scenarios they could face on a modern battlefield. In addition to field training, Soldiers have the opportunity to work in conjunction with the military forces from other nations. Each service member participating has the opportunity to learn and enhance interoperability with allied and partner nations. CBR 18 reinforces the U.S. Army and allies and partners' ability to fight and win on any battlefield. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address CENTCOM Commander Visits Israeli Defense Leaders U.S. Central Command USCENTCOM April 28, 2023 Release Number 20230428-01 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TAMPA, Fla. -- From April 27 to 28, Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, visited Israel to meet with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and leadership from the Israel Defense Forces. During the visit, Kurilla, IDF Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, and senior IDF officers, observed maritime operations with Flotilla 13, Israel's Navy commando unit. Kurilla and Halevi also discussed ongoing security operations, land and maritime border security operations, planned joint training events, and opportunities to significantly increase collaboration and interoperability of U.S. and Israeli military forces. In a private meeting, Gallant and Kurilla spoke of opportunities to strengthen relations between CENTCOM and the IDF to address threats to the region. "As with every visit with the IDF, I was thoroughly impressed with the capability and warfighting readiness I saw here," said Kurilla. "The elite Israeli troops I saw today are representative of the discipline and high-level skill I've observed across the IDF. "Our strategic partnerships within the region - to include our longstanding, unbreakable bond with the Israel Defense Forces - are critical to security and stability. All these trips to the region inform my understanding of the threats and challenges faced by each country and the capabilities available. This visit reinforced the importance of this relationship and the many opportunities ahead of us for the Middle East." -30- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address VNG begins 20th anniversary celebration of partnership with Tajikistan U.S. Central Command April 28, 2023 By Virginia National Guard Public Affairs USCENTCOM RICHMOND, Va. -- The Virginia National Guard began recognizing its 20th year of partnership with the Republic of Tajikistan March 27, 2023, as VNG senior leaders visited with the Tajikistan Ministry of Defense in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. During the visit, the VNG team, led by Brig. Gen. James W. Ring, the VNG Director of the Joint Staff, participated in bilateral talks on military to military engagements. The Ministry of Defense also hosted a 20th anniversary celebration, commemorating two decades of partnership supporting the State Partnership Program. "The Virginia National Guard has enjoyed great camaraderie with military forces of Tajikistan over the two decades of our partnership, and through various military exchanges have helped promote regional and global security and prosperity," said Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia. "We have dramatically increased the pace of our exchanges, and we look forward to further growing the partnership to help build the capability and capacity of the Tajikistan military force." "The Virginia National Guard values the continued partnership with Tajikistan in support of our shared security cooperation objectives," said Ring. "Each partnership exchange between the Virginia National Guard and the Tajikistan military forces supports our nation's mutual interest in peace and regional stability." During the visit to Tajikistan, Tajik leaders expressed their gratitude for the partnership, according to Maj. Isaac Rivera, the State Partnership Program director. "Col. Husein Shokirzoda, Commander of Tajikistan Mobile Forces, was grateful for all the training that the Virginia National Guard has provide to his forces over the past years," said Rivera. The VNG and Tajikistan began their formal partnership in July 2003. The relationship has benefitted from sharing subject matter expertise during over 200 military-to-military engagements that help counter terrorism, deter violent extremism, expand emergency response capabilities, develop professionalism among leaders and staffs and promote shared values in national sovereignty and security. The two organizations have made vital contributions to regional stability and security across Central and South Asia, executing bi-lateral and multi-lateral engagements with international partners; enhancing multinational understanding and shared values of peace, national sovereignty and global security. Most recently, a team of four Tajik officers traveled to Fort Barfoot where they conducted an Officer Professional Development hosted by the Fort Barfoot-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute, focused on weapons qualification. "It went great, we really liked it," said Tajikistan Capt. Jaloliddin Qurbonzoda through a translator. "The instructors are great, we can tell they're very experienced. We really liked shooting the weapons and clearing buildings, it was a lot of fun. Zeroing the weapons was very important and what we were looking for." At the conclusion of the training, Ring presented certificates to the four Tajik officers and their translator, marking their successful completion of the program. "I want to thank each you individually for your service to your country," said Ring. "We recognize that freedom does not come free. It is the direct result of citizens such as you who stand for the freedom of your people. We're glad, as the Virginia National Guard, to be part of that for Tajikistan." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address April 28, 2023 Release Readout of Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment Dr. William LaPlante's Engagements With European Allies and Partners Pentagon spokesperson Jeff Jurgensen provided the following readout: Today, Dr. Bill LaPlante, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, concluded a week of bilateral and multilateral engagements in London and Brussels. This morning he co-chaired an in-person meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group National Armaments Directors at NATO Headquarters. Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense Mr. Volodymyr Havrylov serves as co-chair for this group. Over 40 nations and representatives from the EU and NATO participated, and discussions focused on air defense and sustainment. This is the fourth meeting of the group. Partners and allies remain united in their support for Ukraine. Earlier in the week Dr. LaPlante conducted a series of bilateral and multilateral engagements with partners and allies. He has signed a new Administrative Arrangement between the Department of Defense and the European Defence Agency. This arrangement provides for stronger transatlantic cooperation in defense and confirms the importance of a strong and more capable European defense that is complementary to and interoperable with NATO. He also participated in the NATO Conference of National Armaments Directors meeting. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3378001/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address April 28, 2023 Release DoD Strengthens Supply Chains for Hypersonic and Strategic Systems The Department of Defense's (DoD) Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (OASD(IBP)), through its Office of Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) Directorate, announced it has made three awards to strengthen supply chains for hypersonic and strategic systems. The companies receiving the awards are General Electric (GE), Carbon-Carbon Advanced Technologies (C-CAT), and Northrop Grumman. GE was awarded a $7.96 million contract to engage in a 39-month effort to increase capacity for the production of high- and ultra-high temperature composites (U/HTC), as well as the modernization of capital equipment to support the scale-up of aeroshell production. The work is taking place at the GE Advanced Materials Center in Newark, Delaware. C-CAT was awarded a $7.57 million contract to undertake a 38-month effort to build new production capabilities, expand existing manufacturing spaces, and acquire capital equipment for the manufacture of large complex assemblies made of carbon-carbon (C-C), a class of advanced composite material that is critical for various defense and aerospace applications. This effort will support increased production rates for C-C nose tips and aeroshell assemblies for ongoing DoD-sponsored pilot production programs and is taking place at their Arlington, Texas facility. Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation will expand the domestic capability for producing U/HTC to support multiple components of hypersonic and strategic systems through the procurement of automated preform manufacturing equipment and high temperature furnaces. Through the $9.43 million dollar contract, the work will be conducted at Northrop Grumman's Elkton, Maryland facility and will expand the company's existing production processes to meet DoD performance specifications. "The Department of Defense continues to deliver on the President's strategic objectives of supporting industrial sectors critical to our nation's national security needs and strategic interests," said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. The Biden Administration has identified hypersonics technology as a critical need for ensuring American national security. The Office of Industrial Base Policy - through the MCEIP team, is pleased to act on behalf of the nation to accelerate the advancement of hypersonics technology in the United States." President Biden's Executive Order 14017 recognized the need to support and advance the development of the domestic hypersonics industrial base. MCEIP's Office of Defense Production Act Investments is responsible for making the awards by utilizing financial tools, like purchases and purchase commitments to support the expansion of the hypersonics industrial base. About the Department of Defense's Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy Industrial Base Policy is the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD(A&S)) for developing Department of Defense policies for the maintenance of the United States' defense industrial base (DIB), executing small business programs and policy, and conduction geo-economic analysis and assessments. The office also provides the OUSD(A&S) with recommendations on budget matters related to the DIB, anticipates and closes gaps in manufacturing capabilities for defense systems, and assesses impacts related to mergers, acquisition, and divestitures. IBP monitors and assesses the impact of foreign investments in the United States and executes authorities under sections 2501 and 2505 U.S.C. Title 10. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3377605/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address April 28, 2023 By David Vergun , DOD News DOD Investing in Wearable Technology That Could Rapidly Predict Disease The Defense Innovation Unit, also known as DIU, in partnership with the private sector, has developed a wearable device that was highly successful during the COVID-19 pandemic in identifying infections. The Defense Department is looking to expand its use to other infectious disease detection in service members, which leaders say will aid in readiness, said Jeff Schneider, program manager for the Rapid Assessment of Threat Exposure project, also known as the RATE program. DOD is extending the RATE project, initially started with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in 2020, to new user groups after leading a successful prototype during COVID-19, he said. The DIU's RATE project uses a powerful, predictive artificial intelligence algorithm that was trained using hospital-acquired data from monitored cases of COVID-19, he said. The algorithm leverages biometric data from commercial grade off-the-shelf wearables. The RATE algorithm enabled early detection of infectious diseases up to 48 hours before symptoms appeared. The algorithm, which, in some cases, predicted infections up to six days prior to onset, and included asymptomatic cases, was featured in a 2022 study published by the journal "Nature's Scientific Reports," highlighting the efficacy of the algorithm-powered wearables to aid military readiness, Schneider said. "The DOD invests heavily in maintaining the readiness of its workforce to conduct essential missions. However, the risk of infectious disease, like COVID-19, has long been an unpredictable variable. With RATE, the DOD can use commercial wearables to noninvasively monitor a service member's health and provide early alerts to potential infection before it spreads," Schneider said. He further noted that this funding provides a bridge that allows the department to leverage this emerging technology within a program of record. RATE was one of the first 10 pilot programs funded through the Congressionally established Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies initiative to fill critical capability gaps. With $10 million in additional funds, RATE will build on its 2020-21 success which demonstrated that wearable technology could predict COVID-19 and other infections 2.3 days prior to diagnostic testing. The effort was transitioned in 2022 to DIU to continue the effort after the initial success of the project, he said. With the additional funding, DIU is adding 4,500 more users across the department. One group will be the Air Combat Command's first sergeants. That command's new Diamond Care Initiative Plan is geared toward preserving the health and welfare of its 360 first sergeants, who will be issued wearables to better gauge their overall health and vital signs, said Air Force Maj. Michael Vernale, wing director of Talent Management and Assessments at Fort Meade, Maryland. "First sergeants serve as the belly button to all the organizations in the U.S. Air Force, and this technology can improve their lives and the lives of the airmen they serve," Vernale said. "Technology has finally produced a product that will increase overall health and wellness to a community of first sergeants who many times prioritize their people ahead of their own health," said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Gradel, Air Combat Command. Philips, a technology company, is involved in the algorithm development and has expanded its efforts on a global scale to accelerate commercialization and scaling. "Because our algorithm is device agnostic, we can use biomarker data from any commercial grade, off-the-shelf wearable. We then run those markers against our clinical data sets in the cloud to create a RATE wellness score. The score has proven to be indicative of onset of infections. We can offer it through a licensing model to anyone who wants to add this capability to their device or as a stand-alone service," said Navin Natoewal, head of integrated technology solutions at Philips. "Not only do they get AI that has gone through several years of field testing and a peer-reviewed study, it is a cost-effective way to add the technology, while we continue to expand the data sets and the research working with leading academic institutions." "The plan is for RATE to be device agnostic," added RATE's Schneider, but the current deployment of wearables will include Garmin watches and Oura rings. As the Philips-DIU team continues to prove out the new dataflow, the effort aims to add three additional popular wearable devices. The 11,000 former RATE users will also be able to re-affiliate with the projects if they still have the hardware." The Food and Drug Administration has determined that RATE is classified as a general wellness device. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China expresses strong protest over Philippine vessels' intrusion, says Chinese coast guard's response 'professional', 'restrained' Global Times By Global Times Published: Apr 28, 2023 05:28 PM After two Philippine coast guard vessels intruded into the waters off the Ren'ai Reef without Chinese permission and deliberately made provocative moves, Chinese coast guard vessels safeguarded China's territorial sovereignty and maritime order, in accordance with the law, and took measures to avoid the dangerous approach of the Philippine vessels and avoid a collision, according to a spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mao Ning, the spokesperson, said that the two Philippine vessels barged into the waters off the Ren'ai Reef, a ring reef among China's Nansha Islands on April 23. The Chinese coast guard vessels' response was professional and restrained. The Philippine Coast Guard has said two of its vessels were involved in a "confrontation" with the Chinese navy in the South China Sea and accused the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) of engaging in "dangerous maneuvers," according to media reports on Friday. Mao said it was a premeditated and provocative action for the Philippine vessels to barge into the waters off the Ren'ai Reef with journalists on board. It aimed to deliberately find fault with China and hype a potential incident. China expressed strong dissatisfaction and protest over Philippine's act, and urged the Philippines to respect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea; while at the same time stop actions that could further complicate the situation, according to Mao. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The President in Italy: Lithuania and Italy are allies in strengthening transatlantic defense President of the Republic of Lithuania April 28, 2023 President Gitanas Nauseda is on a working visit to Rome. On Friday, the President met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella to discuss preparations for the NATO Summit in Vilnius, the security of the eastern flank, Russia's war in Ukraine, and bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and Italy. The Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, Antonio Tajani, also attended the meeting. The Lithuanian leader underlined the need to continue a principled stance on Russia's aggression against Ukraine and to consistently support Ukraine in its fight for freedom and territorial integrity. According to the President, the speed and volume of support to Ukraine are crucial factors that will determine the future course of the war. Therefore, we need to mobilize all the necessary resources for supporting Ukraine's struggle against the aggressor. Gitanas Nauseda thanked the President of Italy for his country's contribution to the security of the Baltic region through participation in the Baltic Air Policing mission. The Italian Air Force has already deployed six rotations, with one more scheduled for this coming autumn. According to the President, leaders at the NATO Summit in Vilnius must take decisions to further strengthen the security of the eastern flank by effective deterrence and significant allied presence as well as by reinforcing air and missile defense. "The security situation in Europe dictates the need for us to be united and decisive. This July in Vilnius, we need to take decisions that will further strengthen NATO's deterrence and defense, especially on the eastern flank. We must agree on a minimum threshold of 2 percent of GDP for defense spending and send a clear message to Ukraine that it is part of the transatlantic security architecture," the President said. The Lithuanian and Italian leaders also discussed migration issues. Gitanas Nauseda emphasized that both countries, facing illegal migration challenges, agree on the need to strengthen EU border protection and adopt amendments to EU legal acts for ensuring an effective response to illegal migration and its instrumentalization. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO ambassadors, top military officials visit United Kingdom's Clyde nuclear base NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 28 Apr. 2023 Ambassadors of NATO's North Atlantic Council, military representatives from the NATO Military Committee and other senior military officials on Friday (28 April 2023), visited His Majesty's Naval Base Clyde in Scotland, home to the United Kingdom's independent nuclear deterrent. This was the second visit by the North Atlantic Council to an allied nuclear submarine base this month, following a visit to the French nuclear base of Ile Longue. "The UK is a strong Ally. We are grateful to the United Kingdom for inviting us to tour the facilities at His Majesty's Naval Base Clyde." said Admiral Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee. "At a time of major security challenges, it is important that the Alliance is protected by the full spectrum of capabilities. The UK's nuclear deterrent is a central pillar of NATO's deterrence and defence posture and helps guarantee our security". At the invitation of UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, the ambassadors and senior military officials visited a Vanguard-class strategic nuclear submarine, toured a training facility and were briefed by 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines, an elite force tasked to guard nuclear weapons. They were also briefed by submarine commanders and crews on nuclear deterrence patrols. The Royal Navy has four nuclear deterrent submarines; one is always at sea, working every hour of every day to guarantee UK and Alliance security. NATO's Strategic Concept states that the fundamental purpose of NATO's nuclear capability is to preserve peace, prevent coercion and deter aggression. Allies agree that as long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance. Three NATO Allies - France, the UK and US - have a nuclear deterrent and the strategic nuclear forces of the United Kingdom contribute significantly to the security of the Alliance. The UK's nuclear deterrent has been assigned to the defence of NATO since 1962. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Egypt receives over 16,000 foreigners fleeing Sudan conflict People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:34, April 28, 2023 CAIRO, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. The non-Sudanese foreigners are from 50 countries and six international organizations, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in the statement. "The Egyptian efforts continue around the clock to facilitate the reception of citizens fleeing military clashes in Sudan, work to alleviate their suffering, and provide them with the necessary humanitarian assistance," Abu Zeid said. Egypt has managed to evacuate 2,679 Egyptians from Sudan as of Wednesday, Egyptian official data showed. Since mid-April, Sudan has been mired in military clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces following days of tension between the once-allied leaders of both sides. At least 459 people have been killed and over 4,000 wounded so far in the conflict in Sudan, according to the World Health Organization. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PH gov't steps up efforts to evacuate OFs from Sudan conflict Republic of the Philippines - Department of Foreign Affairs MANILA, 28 April 2023 -- More than 300 Filipinos were safely evacuated from Sudan in the last 12 hours through government efforts led by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Philippine Ambassador to Egypt Ezzedin Tago welcomed 340 Filipinos from Khartoum at the Argeen border this morning after they were cleared by Egyptian authorities for entry. There have been delays in the processing at the Egyptian border due to the influx of evacuees. Eight (8) Filipinos from Khartoum arrived in Greece onboard a Greek military aircraft. Philippine Ambassador Giovanni Palec received the evacuees, who will be repatriated via the next available flight to Manila. There are currently 58 Filipinos in Port Sudan, awaiting the ship that will bring them to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where 16 Filipinos have already been received by the team led by Consul General Edgar Tomas Auxilian. DFA teams in Athens, Jeddah, and at the Egypt-Sudan border have been assisting Filipinos from Khartoum and are making arrangements for their repatriation via the next available flights. Coordination with the governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Greece on the safe passage of Filipino evacuees is continuing through the respective Philippine Embassies. As of writing, the number of Filipinos who have fled Khartoum has reached 496. END NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sudan's army says paramilitary Rapid Support Forces hit Turkish evacuation plane Iran Press TV Friday, 28 April 2023 2:41 PM Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have reportedly opened fire on a Turkish evacuation plane as it was landing at an airport outside Khartoum amid fighting between rivaling groups to seize power despite a truce signed between Sudan's de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF head Hamdan Dagalo. Sudan's regular army announced on Friday that the Turkish plane had come under RSF fire as it was landing at the Wadi Seyidna airport, adding that the Turkish aircraft's fuel system was being repaired after sustaining damage in the attack. RSF has denied the allegations, claiming Sudan's army was "spreading lies" to damage the paramilitary forces' image. "Our forces have remained strictly committed to the humanitarian truce that we agreed upon since midnight, and it is not true that we targeted any aircraft in the sky of Wadi Seyidna in Omdurman," the RSF said in a statement. However, the Turkish government confirmed the attack against its C-130 evacuation plane. Ankara's defense ministry said there had been no injuries reported in the attack. Representatives of the fighting sides in Sudan agreed late on Thursday to prolong the ceasefire by 72 hours to allow for humanitarian access, but fighting flared in parts of the capital Khartoum on Friday, according to eyewitnesses and live video broadcasts. Since the conflict erupted a fortnight ago between the army's commander-in-chief and his former deputy, the recurrent fighting has killed hundreds of people and has forced tens of thousands to flee. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Philippines reports near-collision with Chinese vessels in South China Sea The Chinese vessels carried out 'dangerous maneuvers' near the disputed Ayungin Shoal, says Philippine Coast Guard. By Camille Elemia and Jason Gutierrez fort BenarNews 2023.04.28 -- The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Friday it was involved in a near-collision with Chinese vessels that carried out "dangerous maneuvers" in the South China Sea, the latest in a string of incidents in the disputed waters. On Sunday morning, two China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels intercepted Philippine patrol boats and "exhibited aggressive tactics" near Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, the PCG said in a statement. At one point, CCG 5201 came within 50 yards (46 meters) of a Philippine ship. "This close proximity posed a significant threat to the safety and security of the Philippine vessel and its crew," coast guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarirela said in a statement. "Meanwhile, the CCG vessel 4202 persistently followed BRP Malabrigo at a distance of 700 yards, closely monitoring its movements." The Philippines had deployed two 44-meter vessels - BRP Malapascua and BRP Malabrigo - to carry out a week-long maritime patrol in the West Philippine Sea, part of the contested South China Sea within Manila's exclusive economic zone. A small group of Filipino journalists was also on board. In a separate incident, on April 21, a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy vessel with the bow number 549 crossed paths with Philippine vessels near Pag-asa Island, the PCG said. China has competing claims in the South China Sea with the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam. In 2016, an international tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines and against Beijing's sweeping "nine-dash line," but China has since refused to acknowledge the ruling. The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday called on China to respect the Philippines' rights in the West Philippine Sea. "The China Coast Guard's interference with this routine patrol mission was totally inconsistent with freedom of navigation, and a number of documented incidents also involved highly dangerous maneuvers that were contrary to standard navigational practices," department spokeswoman Maria Teresita Daza said in a statement. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday that the Philippine boats trespassed into waters near Ren'ai Reef, the Chinese name for Ayungin Shoal, and deliberately took "provocative actions," citing the presence of journalists. The Chinese maritime vessels acted in accordance with the law, while taking care to avoid the dangerous approach of the Philippine vessels, Reuters news agency quoted Mao as saying. Daza said routine patrols in Philippine waters could not be premeditated or provocative, and called on Beijing to "refrain from actions that may cause an untoward incident." The recent incidents coincided with the visit of Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang to Manila, where he met his counterpart Enrique Manalo and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. During the meeting, Marcos said the two countries agreed to open more lines of communication to resolve maritime disputes. The near-collision also came as the Philippines conducted its largest-ever "Balikatan" military exercise with the United States. The training culminated in the sinking of a mock enemy ship, a decommissioned World War II-era Philippine vessel, off the coast of Zambales province along the West Philippine Sea on Thursday. Observers have said the military drills underline the strengthening alliance between Manila and Washington amid China's increasingly assertive claims in the South China Sea. 'Ceaseless intimidation' During the recent maritime patrol, the PCG said it identified "over 100 alleged Chinese maritime militia vessels" spread across different shoals and islands, including Sabina Shoal, Pag-asa, and Julian Felipe Reef. Despite numerous radio challenges, these vessels refused to leave. A large gathering of maritime militia vessels - a Beijing-backed armed fishing fleet - was spotted near Julian Felipe Reef. The PCG said it deployed rigid hull inflatable boats to disperse them but none of the vessels "reacted or made any attempts to vacate the area." In February, a CCG vessel directed a military-grade laser light twice at a Philippine ship, causing temporary blindness to the crew at the bridge. Manila filed a diplomatic protest over the incident, with Marcos himself summoning the Chinese envoy. Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the deputy minority floor leader, said the recent events were just the latest in a "continuous, unbroken and apparently unrepentant" string of incidents that China should be made accountable for. She said the foreign office should immediately file a diplomatic protest and the Marcos government immediately condemn China's "ceaseless intimidation" in the strongest possible terms. "The executive should not wait for an even worse incident in order to finally put its foot down and tell Beijing to cease and desist in this kind of aggressive action," she said. She noted, however, the government was correct in seeking cooperation with other countries because "a broader alliance is a better alliance." "Let us urgently work on building this bigger coalition of countries who are against China's misbehavior, who uphold our victory at The Hague, and who want to preserve peace and stability in the region," she said. Marcos is expected to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden next week for a state visit, with regional security top of the agenda. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news organization. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April 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 The Azadi Briefing: Taliban Using War With Islamic State To Burnish Counterterrorism Credentials By Abubakar Siddique 28, 2023 The Key Issue The Taliban has intensified its war with the rival Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) extremist group, killing several senior leaders and commanders in recent months. Among them, according to the United States, was the alleged mastermind of a suicide bombing outside Kabul airport in 2021 that killed some 170 Afghans and 13 American soldiers. The White House on April 26 announced that the alleged mastermind, whose identity has not been revealed, was killed in a recent Taliban operation. But it did not say when or where he was killed. The Taliban has not commented on the reported death of the IS-K member. Why It's Important: The Taliban has waged a brutal war to eliminate IS-K, the biggest threat to its rule in Afghanistan. The Taliban appears to have weakened the group, whose attacks have waned in recent months. But the Taliban also appears to be trying to use its campaign against IS-K to burnish its counterterrorism credentials and boost its legitimacy in the eyes of the international community. Under the U.S.-Taliban deal signed in 2020, the militants pledged to prevent any group from using Afghan soil to attack other countries. The international community, particularly Afghanistan's neighbors, considers IS-K a significant security threat because of the group's global ambitions. What's Next: Despite its efforts to eliminate IS-K, the Taliban is believed to be sheltering members of Al-Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban. That is likely to temper hopes that the Taliban can be a reliable counterterrorism partner. On April 14, the foreign ministers of China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan said the Taliban has links with some extremist groups based in Afghanistan that "pose a serious threat to regional and global security." They include the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, the Baloch Liberation Army, Jundallah, Jaish al-Adl, Jamaat Ansarullah, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. The Week's Best Stories A growing number of teenage Afghan girls, who are banned from attending school, are turning to Taliban-run madrasahs to get an education. The Taliban has allowed girls of all ages to attend Islamic seminaries, which have surged in number since the hard-line Islamist group seized power in 2021. Afghans are defying a ban on using Iranian rials or Pakistani rupees, as their economy struggles following the Taliban takeover. In Zaranj, Nimroz Province, the Iranian rial is the most common currency. Elsewhere in Afghanistan, Pakistani rupees are widely used. What To Keep An Eye On The United Nations will hold a closed-door meeting on May 1-2 that will bring together envoys to Afghanistan from various countries. Ahead of the meeting in Doha, Amina Mohammed, the UN deputy secretary-general, sparked controversy after she said the participants would discuss the possible recognition of the Taliban. Many Afghans vented their anger at Mohammed's comments. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch called for "a firm line that only a reversal of the Taliban's oppressive policies will open the door to further engagement." In an open letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Amnesty International and other rights groups demanded that the world body ensure that Afghan women's "full, equal, and meaningful participation is central to the international community's next steps." Why It's Important: The meeting will be crucial in crafting a united response to the Taliban's repressive policies, including its ban on Afghan women working for the UN and foreign NGOs. It remains unclear if the international community can pressure the Taliban to rescind its restrictions on Afghan women or whether the world body will decide to leave Afghanistan. In a sign that the UN is likely to take a firm stand, the UN Security Council on April 27 unanimously condemned the Taliban's ban on Afghan women working for the world body, calling it "unprecedented in the history of the United Nations." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/azadi-briefing-taliban- islamic-state-counterterrorism-partner/32383706.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Evacuation flights from Khartoum due to end in 24 hours The final UK evacuation flight from Wadi Saeedna airfield near Khartoum in Sudan is due to leave on Saturday (29 April) due to declining demand for seats. 28 April 2023 UK evacuation flights from Wadi Saeedna airfield due to end on Saturday 29 April British nationals and their immediate family who have existing eligibility still wishing to leave should make their way to the airfield near Khartoum by 1200 (midday) Sudan time tomorrow the UK government remains committed to supporting British nationals Following the longest and largest evacuation effort of any Western country, the final UK evacuation flight from Wadi Saeedna airfield near Khartoum is due to leave on Saturday (29 April) due to declining demand for seats. Those still in Sudan who wish to leave, meet the eligibility criteria and judge it safe to travel to the airfield, should be there by 1200 (midday) Sudan time tomorrow to be processed for the last flight. It marks the end of a successful evacuation operation with 1,573 people evacuated so far since flights started on Tuesday 25 April, the vast majority of them British nationals and their eligible dependents. The government has decided to end the flights tomorrow because of a decline in demand, as well as the risk of renewed conflict in Sudan. The UK has set up a limited consular presence at Port Sudan to signpost British nationals to available options for departure. We will also continue to press all diplomatic levers to secure a long term ceasefire and end to the bloodshed in Sudan. Ultimately a stable transition to civilian rule is the best way to protect the security and prosperity of the Sudanese people. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sudan: UNHCR warns forcibly displaced are facing worsening risks in Sudan and region UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 28 April 2023 As hostilities flare in Sudan, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is warning that the conflict is having a devastating impact on the civilian population, including refugees and internally displaced people across the country. Heavy fighting and insecurity has driven tens of thousands to flee in search of safety. Due to the prevailing security situation, UNHCR has been forced to temporarily pause most of its lifesaving activities in Khartoum, the Darfurs and North Kordofan, where it has become too dangerous to operate. The suspension of some humanitarian programmes is likely to exacerbate protection risks faced by those who rely on humanitarian assistance to survive. All offices have managed to remain in touch with some refugee community leaders and refugee committee members, and we are providing those refugees with whom we are in contact with counselling and support to the best that we can. Refugee camps in Gedaref, Kassala, White Nile and Blue Nile, as well as refugee settlements in South and West Kordofan are so far relatively calm with essential services running, including health and water. We have received reports that around 33,000 refugees have fled Khartoum to find safety in the refugee camps in White Nile State, 2,000 to the camps in Gedaref, and 5,000 to Kassala since the crisis started unfolding two weeks ago, once again fleeing for their lives. We are working closely with WFP to see how food that is in-country can be provided, and with other UN agencies, such as UNICEF, and NGOs on how other basic assistance can be provided. It is extremely concerning that assistance that is so desperately needed - especially for the newly displaced - cannot be provided. Innocent civilians, including women and children, will only continue to suffer. Access to and sharing of information with displaced communities continues to be severely hampered in certain locations. Lack of electricity, fuel shortages and poor connectivity is limiting everyone's ability to communicate effectively. UNHCR is particularly concerned about the situation in the Darfur region, where among a myriad of pressing protection issues the humanitarian situation remains extremely dire. A number of sites hosting internally displaced people have been burned to the ground, while civilian houses and humanitarian premises are being hit by bullets. With Darfur one of the regions most affected by violence and high levels of criminality, even prior to the current situation, UNHCR fears that current hostilities may fuel pre-existing ethnic and intercommunal tensions over land and access to resources, and trigger greater displacement. This would have disastrous implications for a region already facing large displacement. UNHCR remains committed to protecting refugees, displaced populations and host communities in Sudan. We continue to do all that we can working with communities and will scale up when it is possible. UNHCR calls on parties to the conflict to cease hostilities immediately to allow humanitarian assistance to reach those who need it most, and to allow people trying to flee the fighting to do so safely. All parties must protect civilians, including refugees and displaced people, as well as the safety of humanitarian staff and civilian infrastructure. We echo the call for all parties to embark on meaningful peace efforts. The situation also remains deeply concerning on Sudan's borders, where UNHCR is working with partners and Governments to deploy where it is possible and safe to do so. Given the speed at which events are moving, as well as the constantly changing situation on the ground, precise numbers of new refugee arrivals are still hard to come by though expected to rise. In Chad, together with the Government we have so far verified 7,500 refugees out of at least 20,000 who have crossed the border in the last week or so. Some 14,000 people have fled to South Sudan, mainly South Sudanese returning. UNHCR is sending additional resources to the border and working with partners to assist them. In Egypt, the Government has reported 16,000 crossings, of which 14,000 are Sudanese. UNHCR is working with the UN, the Government and partners like Sudanese community leaders and the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) to support people fleeing and in need of international protection. A coordinated plan will respond to the needs of those crossing. Lifesaving UN relief is being pre-positioned through the ERC. UNHCR is ready to deploy at the border as soon as the final authorization from the Egyptian authorities is received. Some of the Sudanese families who crossed have approached UNHCR in Cairo for registration. In the Central African Republic and Ethiopia we have noted lower numbers of arrivals but do not yet have exact figures. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Background to a crisis: In Sudan, the stakes are high for the whole of Africa 28 April 2023 - A turbulent transition to civilian rule has been underway in Sudan since the ouster of former President Omar Hassan El-Bashir in April 2019. The civilian-led transitional Government put in place later that year, through a power-sharing agreement between military and civilian leaders, was toppled by a military coup in October 2021. Since then, the country has been without a civilian-led government. A subsequent political process facilitated jointly by the United Nations, the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) resulted in an agreement being signed in December 2022 between the military and some key civilian political stakeholders, jumpstarting efforts aimed at restoring a credible democratic civilian government. At the same time, the country's economy has struggled, and communal clashes and other acts of armed violence increased, with civilians paying a heavy price, with many lives lost and homes destroyed in the Darfur region and the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states. The continued political crisis compounded marginalization and political grievances, as well as unresolved conflicts over land ownership. Complex challenges The challenges facing Sudan are many, including pressing humanitarian and economic needs, ensuring security and justice and respect for human rights, peacemaking, and advancing the democratic transition. Despite this, following the signing of the political framework agreement in December 2022, the political process continued to make progress at the start of the year with efforts focused on resolving outstanding issues that would pave the way for a final political agreement. In March, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sudan, Volker Perthes, reported that Sudanese stakeholders were "closer than they have every been" to a settlement and the return to a civilian government. Fresh clashes derail political talks Those hopes were dashed when fighting erupted on 15 April between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Lieutenant General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, leaving hundreds dead and thousands injured. Even before the current fighting began, humanitarian needs across the Sudan had reached record levels, with 15.8 million people - about a third of the total population - requiring humanitarian assistance this year. The latest violence has led to acute shortages of food, water, medicines and fuel, while the price of essential items, including transport, have skyrocketed. The country also hosts over a million refugees and asylum-seekers, including from South Sudan, Eritrea, Syria, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, Chad and Yemen. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the parties to immediately cease hostilities and allow all civilians to evacuate from areas affected by the fighting. The UN in Sudan The UN has been supporting the Sudanese democratic transition through the efforts of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), a special political mission headed by Special Representative Perthes. While hundreds of UN staff members and their families have been temporarily relocated within Sudan or evacuated outside of Sudan, the Organization has pledged to carry on with its lifesaving work with its personnel, both inside and outside the country, focused on the immediate priorities of a sustained ceasefire with a monitoring mechanism; a return to political negotiations; and the alleviation of human suffering. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address $41.3M BOS Contract Awarded for NS Guantanamo Bay US Navy 28 April 2023 From Jeffrey Hamlin, NAVFAC Public Affairs JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast awarded a $41.3 million fixed-price-award-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, April 27, to Vectrus Systems Corporation for base operations support (BOS) at Naval Station (NS) Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. BOS contracts support the daily operations of military installations. These services are essential to maintaining the readiness and well-being of military and civilian personnel, and their families. "Overall, BOS contracts are critical to the success of military operations, especially in a remote location such as NS Guantanamo Bay," said NAVFAC Southeast Director of Public Works Danny Villafane. "BOS contracts include a wide range of services, such as utility system operations, facilities management and repairs, and transportation." Facilities management is a crucial aspect of BOS. It involves the maintenance and upkeep of the physical infrastructure of the installation. This includes everything from repairing buildings and roads to managing utilities and waste disposal. BOS services to be performed in this contract include family housing, facility management, facility investment, custodial, pest control, integrated solid waste management, swimming pool maintenance, grounds maintenance and landscaping, utilities management, electrical, wastewater, water, and base support vehicles and equipment. This contract was competitively procured by means of the Contract Opportunities SAM.gov website with two proposals received. Work will be performed at NS Guantanamo Bay and is expected to be completed by November 2024. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US-Philippines Conclude Largest-Ever Military Exercise By VOA News April 28, 2023 The U.S. and Philippines Friday concluded nearly three weeks of annual military drills known as Balikatan in the south Pacific Ocean near the island chain nation. In a news release, the U.S. military said nearly 18,000 soldiers from both nations took part in the drills, making them the largest in the 38-year history of the military exercises. Balikatan means "shoulder-to-shoulder" or "sharing the load together," in Philippine Tagalog dialect, a term becoming more appropriate in the past year as relations between the two longtime allies have improved since the election of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. On Wednesday, Marcos watched the exercises in person from an observation tower in the northwestern Philippine coastal town of San Antonio. That day U.S. and Philippines forces, working together, targeted, engaged and sank a decommissioned Philippines battleship. Marcos has sought to improve relations with the United States that soured under his predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte, at least in part because of increased tensions with China regarding the disputed waters in the region. A Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson issued a statement Friday rebuking what she called China's recent "highly dangerous maneuvers" earlier this week against the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in the waters off Ayungin Shoal. The PCG was on a routine maritime patrol. The Ayungin Shoal - also known as the Second Thomas Shoal - is a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands. The coast guard reported that two Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels "intercepted" them in the vicinity of the shoal and exhibited "aggressive tactics," coming within 46 meters of the ship. The Chinese Foreign Ministry insisted the near miss was caused by the PCG, claiming it was the aggressor. Reuters reports China has claimed sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, an area that stretches more than 1,500 kilometers off its mainland and cuts into the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. An international arbitral ruling in 2016 dismissed that line as having no legal basis. Tensions with China were mentioned during the closing ceremonies of the Balikatan exercises Friday. Philippines Armed Forces Chief of Staff Andres Centino noted the "strong results" of the exercises are more significant "given the current security environment and the real threats" that continue to evolve within the region. President Marcos is scheduled to travel to Washington next week for meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden. Their defense alliance is expected to be high on the agenda. Some information in this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence French-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taliban Reject UN Resolution Against Curbs on Afghan Women By Ayaz Gul April 28, 2023 The Taliban said Friday that their decision to bar local women from working for the United Nations was an "internal social matter of Afghanistan" that all countries should respect. The statement came a day after the 15-member U.N. Security Council unanimously passed a resolution condemning the ban and demanding Taliban leaders swiftly end their restrictions on Afghan women's access to education and work. The resolution, co-sponsored by more than 90 countries, expressed "deep concern at the increasing erosion of respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms" of Afghan women and girls by the Taliban. "While taking note of the condemnation of the decision to restrict Afghan women from working with the U.N., we stress that ... this is an internal social matter of Afghanistan that does not impact outside states," the Taliban Foreign Ministry said Friday. "We remain committed to ensuring all rights of Afghan women while emphasizing that diversity must be respected and not politicized," the statement added. It hailed parts of Thursday's U.N. resolution, including "the principle of Afghan-led and Afghan-owned right to self-determination." The Taliban insisted, however, the humanitarian crisis in war-ravaged Afghanistan "is man-made, driven by economic restrictions" on the country. "The path to a post-conflict recovery requires the unconditional removal of U.N., multilateral, and unilateral sanctions and restrictions on the country, in addition to the provision of humanitarian and development assistance to the country," the statement said. Leader rejects easing restrictions The Taliban reclaimed power in August 2021 from the then-internationally backed government in Kabul as the United States and NATO troops withdrew after almost two decades of involvement in the Afghan war. The U.S. and other Western nations froze more than $9 billion in Afghan central bank foreign reserves after the Taliban takeover and imposed financial and banking sector sanctions on the country. Washington has since transferred a portion of the frozen resources held in the U.S. to a trust fund in Switzerland to be used strictly for Afghan relief efforts. Hibatullah Akhundzada, the reclusive Taliban chief, has imposed his strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, to govern strife-torn impoverished Afghanistan. He has issued a series of edicts banning girls' education beyond the sixth grade and barring most Afghan women from public life and work nationwide. Akhundzada has rejected calls for easing restrictions on Afghan women, saying he would not allow foreign interference in his Islamic governance. Last December, the male-only Taliban administration banned female employees of nongovernmental organizations from workplaces and extended it earlier this month to Afghan women working with the U.N. 'Reinvigorate international engagement' The U.N. resolution against Taliban bans on women came as U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres plans to host a closed-door meeting of special envoys on Afghanistan from several countries in Doha, Qatar, on Monday to discuss what should be done in the aftermath of the intensifying Taliban crackdown on women. On Friday, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York that Guterres "has not extended an invitation to the de facto (Taliban) authorities" to attend the two-day meeting in the Gulf state. Dujarric stressed that recognizing the Taliban would not be "an issue on the table." He shared no further details about the event. "As we've said, the purpose of the meeting is to reinvigorate international engagement around common objectives for a durable way forward on Afghanistan. To reach unity or commonality of a message such as human rights particularly on the issue of women and girls; inclusive governance, countering terrorism, drug trafficking," Dujarric said. Thursday's U.N. resolution recognized and stressed the need to address "the dire economic and humanitarian situation" facing Afghanistan, including through efforts to restore the country's banking and financial systems. Afghanistan is the largest humanitarian emergency in the world. U.N. officials estimate 6 million people are one step from famine-like conditions, while more than 28 million more need assistance after years of war and natural disasters. Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Displaced Sudanese Civilians Face Worsening Risks as Conflict Grinds On By Lisa Schlein April 28, 2023 Millions of Sudanese face acute hunger, increased health risks, and death from recoverable injuries because United Nations agencies have been forced to suspend their lifesaving activities in Sudan, where fighting has it made it too dangerous for them to operate. Sudan and its neighbors had suffered decades of deprivation, hardship and conflict. Before fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Response Forces two weeks ago, Sudan already hosted more than 4 million forcibly displaced people. Heavy fighting and insecurity have driven tens of thousands to flee in search of safety and protection, with many people scattered throughout the country and in neighboring states. "It is very, very worrying," said Axel Bisschop, U.N. refugee agency representative in Sudan. "It has already caused a devastating impact on the population, including refugees and all displaced people who already are on the margins of society." Bisschop said some areas are worse off than others and the UNHCR has had to temporarily pause most aid programs in Khartoum, the Darfurs, and North Kordofan because of dangers to its staff. "The biggest challenge we have is Darfur" because it has already faced significant intercommunal conflict and displacement, he said, speaking by phone from Port Sudan. "Now with this added crisis, the situation will be very, very difficult," he said. "We also are concerned that intercommunal violence is going to increase and that we might have some situations, which will repeat in relation to what we had a couple of years ago." That is a reference to tribal clashes that erupted in Sudan's West Darfur in April 2021. The U.N. office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs, OCHA, said that violence killed 56 people, injured scores of others, and sent thousands fleeing for their lives into neighboring Chad. Given the constraints on its ability to assist the many people in desperate need, Bisschop said the UNHCR was working closely with the World Food Program, UNICEF and other U.N. and non-governmental agencies to provide basic aid, especially for the newly displaced. WFP suspends operations While the will is there, the ability to operate under present conditions remains extremely limited. The WFP said security concerns have forced it to temporarily suspend its humanitarian operations in Sudan, where one third of the population around 15 million people face hunger. Before the eruption of violence, the WFP had planned to assist 7.6 million Sudanese this year. But those plans have been shelved because the environment is too insecure. The Sudanese Ministry of Health says 512 people have been killed, a figure U.N. agencies believe is grossly underestimated. The World Health Organization has also verified 25 attacks on health care facilities causing the death of eight people and injuring 18 others. Brenda Kariuki, the WFP senior regional communication officer in Eastern Africa, said humanitarian operations in the country were virtually impossible, given the intensity of the fighting in many parts of the country. "As the fighting rages on in parts of Sudan...at a time when a third of the country is in desperate need of assistance," she said, "we are hearing of acute shortages of food, water, fuel, medicines and access to health care. With this crisis, we are afraid that millions more will plunge into hunger." Thousands flee Thousands of Sudanese and South Sudanese refugees have fled to neighboring countries to escape the escalating violence in Sudan. The United Nations reports some 20,000 people have fled to Chad and at least 4,000 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in five northern states bordering Sudan in hopes of returning to their homes of origin. The WFP said those numbers are expected to increase as the crisis escalates. It warns that the consequences, which will be severe and long term, already are being felt. The agency says that the cost of a food basket already has risen by up to 28 percent across South Sudan's northern border states since the outbreak of fighting and that "this will further push people into hunger and increase needs in South Sudan." Kariuki adds the WFP will be unable to provide aid to needy people inside Sudan while the current situation of insecurity persists. "WFP's staff, offices and vehicles and equipment and food stocks have come in the direct line of fire and looting of our warehouses continues," she said. "To date, we know up to 4,000 metric tons of food meant for vulnerable people has been looted from our warehouses and at least 10 vehicles and six trucks, which transport food, have been stolen." She calls that unacceptable "as it takes away humanitarian aid meant for the most vulnerable Sudanese and refugees who desperately need this lifesaving food." Children deprived of aid Among those who will be deprived of essential aid, she said, are the hundreds of thousands of refugees sheltering in Sudan, schoolchildren who will miss their daily meal, malnourished infants, many at risk of dying without treatment, and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. U.N. agencies are appealing to the warring parties to take immediate steps to stop the fighting and enable humanitarian workers to safely carry out their lifesaving operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India Says Normal China Ties Depend on Resolving Border Dispute By Anjana Pasricha April 28, 2023 India and China disagreed during a meeting of their defense ministers Thursday on the importance of restoring peace along their disputed border to developing bilateral ties. India called such restoration key to developing the ties, while China sees the border situation as largely stable, the respective governments said in statements issued after the meeting. The meeting, between Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu, was held in New Delhi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization defense ministers' meeting Friday. This was the first visit by a Chinese defense minister to India since tensions spiraled after a 2020 border clash that killed 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. The defense ministers' meeting was keenly watched to see if the high-level interaction would help bridge what is called a "trust deficit" between the two countries. An Indian Defense Ministry statement said Singh had "categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquility at the borders." According to the Indian statement, he reiterated that "violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation." The Chinese National Defense Ministry said Li had described the situation along the border as "generally stable." The Chinese statement said "both sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue at an appropriate position in our bilateral relations, and promote the normalization of the border situation as soon as possible." Li said that as major neighboring countries the two sides should view bilateral relations and each other's development from a "comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective and work together to continuously enhance mutual trust between the two militaries." India accuses China of intruding into its side of the disputed border in violation of agreements signed since the 1990s. Beijing denies the accusations and blames New Delhi for the transgressions. Eighteen rounds of negotiations between military commanders of the two countries since the 2020 clash have failed to defuse the tensions, with the latest round of talks ending this week without a breakthrough. New Delhi analysts said restoring ties between the countries will be a long haul. "The shadow of what happened in 2020 is not going away quickly. There has been a collapse of trust and you cannot restore it through negotiations and meetings," Manoj Joshi, distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, said. "Normalcy in ties is not going to happen soon because India is not sure what Beijing is trying to achieve," he said. He pointed to a clash that took place between Indian and Chinese soldiers in December in Arunachal Pradesh, in which New Delhi had accused Chinese troops of trying to encroach the Line of Actual Control - the countries' nearly 3,500-kilometer border in the Himalayan mountains. While both countries have withdrawn soldiers from some of the disputed areas, they still deploy an estimated 60,000 soldiers and advanced weaponry along the frontier. They are also rapidly building infrastructure, including roads and helipads in the mountains. Analysts have warned of the risk of confrontations between soldiers who are often posted within meters of each other. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese visits to Myanmar sow influence, but may hinder interests Observers warn Beijing that there will be no stability as long as the junta is in power. By RFA Burmese 2023.04.28 -- A slew of recent visits by top Chinese officials to Myanmar appears to be part of a bid by Beijing to counter U.S. influence on the nation, but rebel leaders warned that propping up the junta is a miscalculation, as there will be no stability while it remains in power. In the nearly 27 months since the military carried out a coup d'etat, China has been Myanmar's staunchest ally. While most Western nations shunned junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing in the aftermath of the takeover and a violent crackdown on his opponents, Beijing stood by the general in Naypyidaw. While foreign investment has fled the embattled nation, Chinese investors have flocked there. And despite international sanctions leveled at the regime, trade between the two neighbors continues unabated. Support notwithstanding, Chinese officials have made multiple visits to Myanmar since the start of the year in what some analysts say is an influence peddling campaign by Beijing following U.S. President Joe Biden's signing in late December of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which will assist the country's democratic forces. "China has increased its dealings with the military junta," a China affairs expert told Radio Free Asia, speaking on condition of anonymity citing security concerns. "It seems to me that China is worried about the United States' NDAA and Burma Act. That's why it has tried to maintain its influence by having more dealings with the military leaders." Among the provisions in the NDAA are programs designed to support those fighting the better-equipped military for democracy in Myanmar - including the country's shadow National Unity Government, anti-junta People's Defense Force paramilitary group, and various ethnic armies - with technology and non-lethal assistance. Slate of high-profile visits In the latest high profile visit, Peng Xiubin, the director of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China, traveled to Naypyidaw on April 16 and secretly met with former junta leader Than Shwe, who ruled Myanmar from 1992 to 2011, and Thein Sein, the president of the country's quasi-civilian government from 2011 to 2016. Reports circulated that following Peng's visit, Min Aung Hlaing met with the two former leaders to discuss the political situation in Myanmar. Peng's trip followed visits in February and March by Deng Xijun, China's special envoy for Asian Affairs, who met with the junta chief on both occasions. Only two months earlier, the Chinese envoy convened a meeting with several ethnic armies from northern Myanmar across the border in southwestern China's Yunnan province. Thein Tun Oo, the executive director of the Thayninga Institute for Strategic Studies, which is made up of former military officers, described the uptick in meetings between the junta and Chinese officials as a bid by Beijing to "balance U.S. influence" in the region. "The U.S is no longer the only country influencing the world," he said. "Among such changes in world politics, Myanmar and China - which share a very long border - need to cooperate more closely. The bottom line is that China-Myanmar relations will continue to develop based on this." RFA emailed the Chinese Embassy in Yangon to inquire about the frequency of visits by top Chinese government officials to Naypyidaw in recent months and Beijing's position on the political situation in Myanmar, but received no reply. At the Chinese government's regular press briefing held in Beijing on March 17, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin called Myanmar a "good neighbor," adding that Beijing is closely following the situation there and hopes for a resolution through dialogue and consultation among all stakeholders. Interests tied to peace Chinese affairs expert Hla Kyaw Zaw told RFA that China will only be able to realize its interests in Myanmar if the country is at peace. "China can only continue its investments and projects ... if Myanmar is at peace," he said. "The reason why China wants Myanmar to be peaceful is for its own economic interests." Among the China-backed megaprojects in Myanmar are the New Yangon City urban planning project, the Mee Lin Gyaing Energy Project in Ayeyarwady region, the Letpadaung Copper Mine in Sagaing region, and the Kyauk Phyu deep sea port and special economic zone in Rakhine state. According to ISP-Myanmar, an independent research group, there are 35 China-Myanmar economic corridor projects underway in Myanmar that include railways, roads, special economic zones, sea ports and urban planning projects. Than Soe Naing, a political analyst, agreed that Beijing's relations with the junta hinge on the furtherance of its strategic interests. "I see China cooperating with the military junta only to continue to maintain, implement and expand its economic interests in Myanmar, such as the strategic Kyauk Phyu deep sea port project, which is a bid by Beijing to obtain access to the Indian Ocean," he said. Than Soe Naing noted that China is trying to "divide the [ethnic armies] in northern Myanmar from the anti-junta resistance groups ... under the pretext of peacemaking." But he said that China is actually working to exploit Myanmar's internal conflict by attempting to "hold all the keys to the situation." No stability with junta Kyaw Zaw, spokesman for the National Unity Government's presidential office, warned China that there will only be stability in Myanmar if the forces of democracy succeed in their fight against the junta. He said only with stability in Myanmar will China realize its economic goals in the country. "As long as there is a junta, Myanmar will not be at peace," he said. "The junta will only terrorize the country with more violence and continue to torture the people. That's why the country will remain destabilized under [the junta]." A lack of stability in Myanmar will also impact the development, security, and economy of its neighbors, Kyaw Zaw added. According to ISP-Myanmar, the value of foreign investment in Myanmar totaled more than U.S. $4 billion from February 2021 to April 2022, more than two-thirds of which was Chinese. Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April 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 UN expert urges Japan to 'step up pressure' on Myanmar junta 28 April 2023 - Japan must assume a greater leadership role to address the deteriorating crisis in Myanmar and "step up pressure on the country's military junta", a UN-appointed independent rights expert urged on Friday. "The international community's response to the crisis in Myanmar is failing, and that failure has contributed to a lethal downward spiral that is devastating the lives of millions of people," Tom Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, said at the end of a 10-day official visit to Japan. Referring to the worsening situation in the country, he said Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who has led the junta since the February 2021 coup, had responded to widespread opposition to their rule with "barbarism and oppression" against the people of Myanmar. 'Hallmarks of the junta' "Arbitrary detention, torture and systematic attacks on villages have become hallmarks of the junta," he said. "The military is repeatedly attacking civilian populations throughout the country and has quite literally made war on the Myanmar people." Japan's leadership will be "vital" in recalibrating a failing international response to the crisis, he said, calling on Tokyo to work with regional and global allies to weaken the capacity of Myanmar's military junta to attack its citizens. 'This is an emergency' The Special Rapporteur also raised alarms about an impending humanitarian disaster in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. Without immediate additional funding, a decision to cut food rations by an additional 20 per cent will be made in the coming weeks, reducing daily food rations to 27 cents per person. The cuts would also potentially eliminate food rations completely for hundreds of thousands. "This is an emergency," he warned, adding that he had visited Japan based on his belief Tokyo has an "essential" role to play in resolving the crisis. "Further cuts will leave the Rohingya, already victims of genocidal attacks in Myanmar, at risk of starvation and drive thousands into boats and dangerous land routes in utter desperation." Impose sanctions As such, he called on the Government of Japan and all Member States to immediately increase humanitarian contributions, including by redirecting funds from development programmes in Myanmar. He also urged Japan to impose targeted economic sanctions on the Myanmar military and its key sources of funding, just as it is doing in response to the crisis in Ukraine. "Economic sanctions that deprive the junta of the resources required to operate its war-making machinery would weaken the capacity of the junta to attack its people," the Special Rapporteur said. Renounce 'fraudulent' elections In addition, he urged Japan to terminate a Ministry of Defence training programme for military personnel from Myanmar, referencing credible reports linking previous trainees to military units that have committed atrocities against civilians. He also called on the Government of Japan to clearly and consistently renounce the junta's plan to stage fraudulent national elections as a means of legitimizing itself. "It is not possible to hold a genuine election when opposition leaders are arrested, detained, tortured and executed, when key political parties have been dissolved, when it is illegal to criticize the junta, and when journalists are imprisoned for doing their job," he said. The upcoming Group of Seven (G7) Summit of leading economies in Hiroshima presents an opportunity for Japan to shine a light on the situation in Myanmar before the world, he said, urging the Prime Minister to ensure that the crisis is high on the agenda and that a strong, unified message and action emerges. Special Rapporteurs Special Rapporteurs and other rights experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, are mandated to monitor and report on thematic issues or country situations, are not UN staff, and do not receive a salary for their work. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan's Army Chief Visits China to Deepen Ties By Asim Ali Rana April 28, 2023 Pakistan's Chief of the Army, General Asim Munir, is in China on a four-day official visit where he is holding meetings with the leadership of the People's Liberation Army to discuss military cooperation between the two countries. Munir met with Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, where the Chinese official described the relationship between the two countries as consistent. "No matter how the international situation changes, China always gives Pakistan priority in its neighborhood diplomacy," Zhang said, according to China's state news agency Xinhua. Pakistani military to further deepen and expand their pragmatic cooperation and jointly safeguard the common interests of the two countries, as well as regional peace and stability," according to Xinhua. After arriving in China, Munir visited the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army, or PLA, and then had a detailed meeting with the PLA commander. Bilateral security and military cooperation issues were discussed in the meeting, said Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry of the Pakistan Military's Inter Service Public Relations. The military commanders from the two countries reiterated the need to maintain peace and stability in the region and to increase military cooperation, Chaudhry said. The Pakistani army chief will hold several meetings with China's military leadership to enhance the long-standing relationship between the militaries of both countries. Military interests Former Pakistani diplomat Ali Sarwar Naqvi said Munir's visit is key for the militaries of both countries, and there will be discussions regarding the security of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan on various projects, including the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a connectivity infrastructure project that is a part of China's larger Belt and Road Initiative. "Although the army chief is the head of the land forces, he also plays an important role in Pakistan's overall defense affairs, so it is likely he will have discussions on eight submarines for [the] Pakistan Navy, out of which four were to be built in China and four in Pakistan," Naqvi said. "In addition, Pakistan had an agreement to buy 25 J-10 aircrafts, of which only 12 so far have been received by Pakistan. Apart from this, many weapons, including tanks for the Pakistani army, may be discussed," Farhan Bukhari, Pakistan correspondent of Jane's Defense Weekly and Financial Times told VOA. Geopolitical interests Former Pakistani Lt. Gen. Naeem Khalid Lodhi, speaking to VOA Urdu, said this visit is important in terms of getting economic assistance. "Many countries are moving away from America and getting closer to China, so Pakistan also needs to look at it from a long-term benefit perspective rather than short term. America is backing India to challenge China, which is against our interests. Similarly, they don't want [the] Taliban government in Afghanistan. This is also against our interests, so Pakistan needs to make its own decisions, and these issues will be discussed in the visit," Lodhi said. The bilateral meeting comes at a time when relations between China and India are tense, which Bukhari said can benefit Pakistan in its rocky relationship with India. Saudi Arabia to the negotiation table and restoring diplomatic relationship between the two countries. China is a major player in the region and is trying to resolve major issues, and Pakistan can take advantage of its good relations with China," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Navy reconnaissance aircraft transits Taiwan Strait ROC Central News Agency 04/28/2023 08:19 PM Taipei, April 28 (CNA) A U.S. Navy maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft transited the Taiwan Strait on Friday, in the wake of China sending 19 planes into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ). The P-8A Poseidon's flight on Friday "demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," the U.S. 7th Fleet under the U.S. Pacific Command said in a statement. "By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations," it said. "The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows including within the Taiwan Strait." Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed the passage, saying the U.S. aircraft flew northwards in the Taiwan Strait and that it did not see anything out of the ordinary. Earlier in the day, the MND said a total of 38 Chinese military aircraft and six Chinese naval vessels were spotted operating in the vicinity of Taiwan between 6 a.m. Thursday and 6 a.m. Friday. Nineteen of the aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered Taiwan's ADIZ, including a TB-001 unmanned aerial vehicle that almost flew around the island, according to the ministry. U.S. warships have been making routine, almost monthly, passages through the waterway separating Taiwan and China over the past three years as tensions across the strait have escalated, but it is less common for a U.S. warplane to do so. The last time a U.S. warplane, also a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon, flew over the waterway was on Feb. 27, 2023. (By Wu Sheng-hung and Y.F. Low) Enditem/ASG NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese military drone encircles Taiwan: MND ROC Central News Agency 04/28/2023 03:37 PM Taipei, April 28 (CNA) Nineteen Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Thursday and early Friday, including a TB-001 unmanned aerial vehicle that almost flew around the island, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). The TB-001 drone was detected entering the southwestern part of Taiwan's ADIZ, then flew to the southern tip of the ADIZ and then to its southeastern and eastern sections before returning from air space north of Taiwan, the ministry said. Nicknamed the "Twin-Tailed Scorpion," the TB-001 is a medium-altitude, long-range combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufactured by China's Sichuan Tengden Technology. A total of 38 Chinese military aircraft were spotted operating in the vicinity of Taiwan between 6 a.m. Thursday and 6 a.m. Friday by Taiwan's armed forces, which also observed the presence of six Chinese naval vessels, according to MND data released Friday. The ministry said that among the Chinese warplanes, five Sukhoi SU-30 fighter jets and two J-16 jets were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, while eight J-10s, one Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane, and one Y-8 reconnaissance plane flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan's ADIZ. In addition to the TB-001 drone, a BZK-005 unmanned aerial vehicle was spotted flying in the airspace south of Taiwan. The drone entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ, crossed the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines and headed back to China through the southeastern part of the ADIZ. The six Chinese naval vessels were still operating in waters around Taiwan as of Friday morning, the MND said. The ministry said it had scrambled planes to monitor the Chinese aircraft, in addition to issuing radio warnings, mobilizing combat air and naval patrols and deploying defensive missile systems. (By Wu Sheng-hung and Chao Yen-hsiang) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address United Kingdom - Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System-II Media/Public Contact: pm-cpa@state.gov Transmittal No: 23-30 WASHINGTON, April 28, 2023 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the United Kingdom of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System-II for an estimated cost of $31.2 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today. The Government of the United Kingdom has requested to buy up to seven hundred sixty-eight (768) Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System-II (APKWS-II) All Up Round (AURs) (Single Variant). Also included is support equipment; spare and repair parts; publications and technical documentation; transportation; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistical support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The total estimated cost is $31.2 million. This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe. The proposed sale will improve the United Kingdom's capability to meet current and future threats by ensuring its aviation forces' interoperability with United States and other allied forces as well as its ability to contribute to missions of mutual interest. By deploying the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, the United Kingdom would contribute to global readiness and enhance the capability for U.S. forces operating globally alongside them. The United Kingdom will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The principal contractors will be BAE Systems, Nashua, New Hampshire. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale. Implementation of this proposed sale will require multiple trips by approximately five (5) U.S. Government representatives and the assignment of approximately five (5) contractor representatives to the United Kingdom on an intermittent basis for a period of approximately five (5) years to support delivery and integration of items and to provide supply support management, inventory control, and equipment familiarization. There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale. This notice of a potential sale is required by law. The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded. All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov. -30- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Update 155 - IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine International Atomic Energy Agency 36/2023 Vienna, Austria 28 Apr 2023 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts present at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) were again forced to shelter this week after missile attack warnings, with the sound of continued shelling in the distance as military activity continues in the region. In addition, one landmine exploded near the site, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today. The increased military presence and activity in the region again underlines the importance and urgency of agreeing on the protection of the plant, Director General Grossi added. Once again, a team from the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) crossed the front line of the armed conflict. Yesterday, the eighth IAEA team made the crossing to rotate with the previous team. The IAEA has maintained its continued presence at ZNPP for almost eight months to assess the nuclear safety and security situation at ZNPP based on the Seven Indispensable Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Nuclear Security. The IAEA team continues to monitor the complex and challenging staffing situation at the plant. The current plant management has told the team that the total number of staff with Rosatom contracts is now slightly above 3000, with another 1000 in the process of approval. Roughly 1000 staff with Energoatom contracts still work at the plant, and others who remain in Enerhodar are occasionally called to work. The plant management has confirmed that some staff have had their access blocked, claiming it is for "security purposes". The IAEA team will continue its work to get a better understanding of the staffing situation. Director General Grossi has repeatedly expressed deep concern about the extremely difficult situation for ZNPP staff and their families, and the effect it has on nuclear safety and security at the plant. In a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 26 April - the 37th Anniversary of the accident at Chornobyl - Director General Grossi confirmed that the IAEA will deploy a new programme of medical assistance for personnel at all Ukrainian nuclear power plants, which President Zelenskyy welcomed. Separately, the ZNPP continues to rely on the only remaining functioning 750 kilovolt (kV) power line for off-site power. The back-up 330 kV power line that was damaged on 1 March remains disconnected. The ISAMZ team has been informed that the latest plan is for the line to be reconnected today. However, it should be noted that a number of such dates have come and gone in the last nearly two months, further demonstrating the precarious nature of essential off-site power to the site. The ISAMZ team is monitoring the actions taken for restoring other sources of off-site power but has not had access to the nearby Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP). The ZTPP operates its 330 kV open switchyard, through which back-up power has in the past been provided to the ZNPP. During its last visit to the ZTPP open switchyard on 19 December 2022, the ISAMZ Team observed significant damage due to shelling. Since that time, ISAMZ teams have requested to visit the site to assess progress in removing the damaged components and restoring operation of other off-site power lines to ZNPP, as was previously reported by the Russian Federation. Two weeks ago the team was informed that access would be granted in the coming days. It is important that ISAMZ gets the necessary access to the ZTPP open switchyard given the implications on nuclear safety and security at ZNPP. The Team observed, and following questions were subsequently informed, that a large piece of equipment being transported into the turbine hall of Unit 3 was a transformer to replace the damaged "Kakhovka" node in the ZNPP open switchyard. The Kakhovka line is one of the four 750 kV lines that were operational before the military conflict. This line is linked to the currently Russian-controlled electrical grid, to the south of the ZNPP site. In addition, the ISAMZ team reported that on 21 April, reactor Unit 6 at ZNPP reached cold shutdown state. After reaching cold shutdown a test was conducted to assess the integrity of the cladding on the nuclear fuel. The results demonstrated that the fuel cladding was intact. The transition to cold shutdown will enable ZNPP to perform inspections on the primary and secondary cooling circuits and pumps. Unit 5 remains in hot shutdown to provide steam for the site, such as for the treatment of wastewater. The Agency continues to conduct necessary safeguards activities on the site. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address During the NB8 visit in Odesa, Edgars Rinkevics underlines Latvia's unwavering support to Ukraine in the war against Russia Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 28.04.2023 On 28 April 2023, in Odesa, Ukraine, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkevics, together with the Foreign Ministers of the Baltic and Nordic countries (NB8) met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, visited the Odesa Commercial Port and took part in the opening event for the Odesa Reconstruction Forum. In a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Edgars Rinkevics reaffirmed Latvia's unwavering solidarity with Ukraine and its people as they put up resistance against Russian aggression. The officials discussed Ukraine's accomplishments in the process of integration with the EU, current security situation, as well as ensuring Russia's accountability for its aggression against Ukraine. The Foreign Minister said the EU should be ready to open accession talks with Ukraine as early as in 2023. This decision is important both to sustain the motivation of Ukrainian people during Russia's war of aggression, and also as a major incentive for further reforms in the country. The Minister also highlighted the reform process successfully implemented by Ukraine despite difficulties faced under the conditions of Russian invasion. "Ukraine's reforms, even under the current wartime conditions, are very highly rated. The steps taken by Ukraine in the fight against corruption and the strengthening of the judiciary deserve a special mention. Integration with the EU will require great effort and scrupulous work, in which a serious and effective implementation of reforms will be vital." With a view to this year's NATO summit in Vilnius, Edgars Rinkevics expressed strong support from Latvia for Ukraine's aspirations to become a NATO member when that would be possible. Strengthening of the existing NATO-Ukraine practical cooperation is important at this point in time. During a visit to the Odesa Commercial Port, the NB8 Foreign Ministers acquainted themselves with the port's work to ensure the transportation of Ukrainian agricultural products over the Black Sea. We can clearly see, Edgars Rinkevics noted, the security, economic, connectivity and environmental challenges faced by Ukraine in the Black Sea region. Despite obstacles created by Russia, Ukraine's actions and involvement in the facilitation of exports of agricultural produce through the use of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (Grain from Ukraine) and the EU's Solidarity Lanes contribute indispensably to the reduction of the global food crisis, the Foreign Minister said. At the opening of the Odesa Reconstruction Forum, Edgars Rinkevics affirmed that Latvia would continue to provide all forms of support to Ukraine. "Latvia's priority in 2023 is support and reconstruction in Chernihiv Region. It is vital to ensure that Ukraine's EU integration and the reconstruction process go hand in hand in order for the process of rebuilding to facilitate Ukraine's becoming part of the EU", Edgars Rinkevics said. Latvia's support to Ukraine to date exceeds EUR 508 million, which represents 1.24% of GDP. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Political Directors of Baltic, Nordic and US foreign ministries discuss consequences of Russia's war in Ukraine and its impact on the region's security Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 28.04.2023 On 27-28 April 2023, Political Directors from the foreign services of the Baltic States, the Nordic countries and the United States of America gathered in Riga for their e-PINE (Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe) meeting. The Political Directors discussed issues related to Russia's war on Ukraine, challenges posed by the war to the rules-based international order and transatlantic security, preparations for the meeting of NATO Heads of State and Government in Vilnius this coming July, and relations with China. An exchange of views was held on developments in the Eastern Neighbourhood, Central Asia and the Western Balkans, especially in the context of the consequences of the war in Ukraine. The officials also discussed the role of Belarus in Russia's war on Ukraine. Latvia was represented at the meeting by the Under Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Political Director AndAejs ViAumsons. Speaking about the sanction policy, AndAejs ViAumsons highlighted the importance of close coordination to prevent the efforts to circumvent sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus. He reiterated Latvia's position on the need to hold Russia accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, including by setting up a special international tribunal. The participants agreed on the need to continue military and other support to Ukraine. They expressed hope that Sweden would also become a member of NATO before the NATO summit in Vilnius. Background information The e-PINE initiative was launched in 2003 in order to enhance the U.S. cooperation with the Baltic States and the Nordic region. Political Directors from Ministries of Foreign Affairs meet twice a year. The main fields of cooperation in the e-PINE format are security policy, relations with neighbouring countries and the development of economic relations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Death Toll Mounts After Night Of 'Russian Terror,' Zelenskiy Says By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 28, 2023 At least 25 people, including several children, were killed in a wave of Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv, early on April 28, in what President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned as "a night of Russian terror" as heavy fighting continued in the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut. At least 23 people, including four children, were killed by a Russian strike in Uman, a city in central Ukraine's Cherkasy region, when a missile hit a nine-story apartment building, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported. The death toll could go up as search and rescue operations were still ongoing. As many as 109 people are belived to have been residing in the part of the building that was hit. Ihor Taburets, the head of the Cherkasy regional military administration, said two 10-year-olds were among the dead. The Uman city council announced a three-day mourning period, and prosecutors have opened a war-crimes investigation into the strike, authorities said. "Another night of Russian terror. Missiles and UAVs," Zelenskiy wrote on Twitter. "Russian evil can be stopped by weapons -- our defenders are doing it. And it can be stopped by sanctions -- global sanctions must be enhanced." Russia, with the help of third countries, has been evading some of the sanctions, reducing the anticipated impact on its budget and ability to finance the war. In Dnipro, a large city on the Dnieper River in central Ukraine, a woman and a toddler were killed in the Russian attack, despite the Ukrainian air defense managing to shoot down seven missiles, said Serhiy Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk region's military administration. "A private home was destroyed in Dnipro. A 2-year-old girl and a 31-year-old woman were killed. Three people were wounded," Lysak said. The attack also caused extensive damage to the building of a private company where a fire broke out, he said. The Ukrainian air defense shot down most of the missiles that targeted Kyiv, said Serhiy Popko, head of Ukraine's capital military administration. "According to preliminary data, 11 cruise missiles were destroyed in the airspace of Kyiv. In addition, two drones were shot down," Popko added. A power line was cut and civilian infrastructure as damaged as well. A child was injured by falling debris in a settlement in the Kyiv region, local authorities said. Blasts were also reported overnight in Kremenchuk and Poltava in central Ukraine and in Mykolayiv in the south. Ukraine's Air Force Command later reported that the multipronged attack on Ukrainian cities was executed from strategic Tu-195 Russian aircraft coming from the Caspian Sea region. The command said Ukrainian air defense destroyed 21 out of 23 cruise missiles and two drones in central, eastern, and southern Ukraine. In Moscow, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its strategic bombers had targeted Ukrainian Army reserve units with high-precision strikes overnight to prevent them from reaching the front line. "Russia's Air Force carried out a collective missile strike using long-range high-precision weapons overnight targeting temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian army reserve units," ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a news briefing. Since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has denied targeting civilians, despite the abundant evidence to the contrary. Shortly after the air strikes on Kyiv region, the presidents of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Petr Pavel and Zuzana Caputova, arrived in the Ukrainian capital. "Together with [Slovak President] Zuzana Caputova, we see the value of freedom and justice. It is hard to see with your own eyes how Ukrainians are paying the highest price for it. With the blood and lives of their own citizens. In the fight against the aggressor, they defend what we have in common. That is why we will back them," Pavel tweeted from Kyiv. Meanwhile, heavy fighting continued unabated on the Bakhmut-Adviyivka-Maryinka front line in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in its daily update on April 28. During the past 24 hours, Russian forces carried out more than 65 attacks, but all were repelled by Ukrainian defenders, the military said. Bakhmut and Maryinka remain at the epicenter of hostilities, it said. Russia did not made any territorial gains in Bakhmut over the past day, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said on April 27. Russia may have relocated troops toward Bakhmut to help reinforce fighters attacking that city, the institute said in its daily report. Russia has been besieging the city since last summer, making only incremental gains at enormous cost in lives and equipment. Ukraine will attempt to roll back those gains when it launches its long-anticipated counteroffensive later this year. With reporting by AP and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/civilian-deaths-russian- strikes-ukrainian-cities/32383212.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin Targets Political Opponents, Ukrainians In Occupied Territories With New Laws By RFE/RL's Russian Service, Current Time April 28, 2023 Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed bills into law that dramatically increase punishments for citizens opposed to his war in Ukraine and authoritarian rule, his latest move to crush any trace of dissent in the country. Putin on April 28 signed legislation raising the maximum sentence for state treason to life in prison, up from a limit of 20 years, and for sabotage to 20 years from 15. Those convicted of carrying out actions to "destabilize" the country could face up to 20 years, while those found guilty of facilitating terrorism will now serve a minimum of seven years rather than five. Meanwhile, Putin also approved a bill depriving Russians of their citizenship for "discrediting" or spreading "fake" information about the armed forces as well as for actions considered a national security threat. The latter bill only concerns those who applied for and received citizenship, such as Ukrainians and Central Asians, and not those who received citizenship upon birth. At the same time, Putin eased the process for people to receive citizenship, including those who sign contracts to serve at least a year in the armed forces. Putin's signing of the bills comes less than two weeks after one of his fiercest critics, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for treason and other charges in what experts say was a signal to others who might contemplate voicing dissent. Russia filed treason charges against Kara-Murza for an address he made to U.S. officials in March 2022 denouncing the war in Ukraine and calling Putin a war criminal. The number of individuals in Russia charged with treason has dramatically increased this year. Targeting Ukrainians On April 27, Putin signed a decree that allows the deportation of residents of illegally annexed Ukrainian territories who refuse Russian citizenship, prompting accusations of ethnic cleansing and war crimes by Moscow. The decree, published on April 27 on Russia's official Internet portal for legal information, says that Ukrainians living in territories annexed by Russia must either become Russian citizens or officially refuse to do so. According to the decree, those citizens who "declared their desire to retain their existing citizenship or remain stateless" and did not take the oath of a Russian citizen will be considered foreigners" from July 1, 2024. Residents of the annexed territories who are given foreigner or stateless status and threaten Russia's "national security" may be subject to deportation from Russia. Since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it has been accused of deporting Ukrainians from their homeland to parts of the country it controls, or to Russia itself. Evidence of the deportations, especially of children, prompted the International Criminal Court on March 17 issued arrest warrants on war crimes charges for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Moscow's commissioner for children's rights. Hanna Malyar, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, said the move showed Russia is trying to "influence a change in the ethnic composition of the temporarily occupied territory within Ukraine." "In this way, the enemy seeks to destroy Ukrainian statehood and the national self-identity of society in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories," she said on her Telegram channel. Meanwhile. the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on April 27 recognized the deportation and forcible transfers of Ukrainian children to Russian territory as genocide. It also called upon the International Criminal Court to consider the possibility of criminal responsibility for the crime. Under a second decree, signed by Putin on April 28, people who lived in the occupied Ukrainian territories on the day when they were annexed and citizens who previously lived in those territories and moved to Russia but declared their desire to retain their Ukrainian citizenship will also be considered foreigners. The new decree apparently targets critics of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, as well as labor migrants in Russia from former Soviet republics in Central Asia and the South Caucasus who either recently obtained Russian citizenship or are expecting to receive it soon. Many naturalized citizens from former Soviet republics have complained that Russian military conscription officials were forcing them to mobilize for the war in Ukraine. A considerable number of them have either openly refused to serve or have fled Russia for their native countries. "Those who pose a threat to national security, advocate forcible change in the foundations of the constitutional order, finance terrorist and extremist activities, or participate in unauthorized actions" can be deported, the decree says. Putin on September 30 signed documents formalizing Russia's attempt to annex Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya regions, parts of which are occupied by Russian forces. Earlier, Moscow held sham wartime referendums in the four regions that were broadly rejected by the international community. The four regions together with Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, make up around 20 percent of Ukraine, including some of its most industrialized territory. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin- legalizes-deportation-ukraine-territories- russian-citizenship/32383281.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daria Herasymchuk speaks about abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia at UN Security Council's special meeting President of Ukraine 28 April 2023 - 20:40 Daria Herasymchuk, an advisor to the President of Ukraine for Children's Rights and Children's Rehabilitation, informed about the deportation and forced relocation of Ukrainian children by Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion at an Arria-formula meeting of the UN Security Council via video link. "After the beginning of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, no one anywhere can feel safe until the aggressor is defeated. The whole world knows this," Herasymchuk said. According to her, the most terrible part of this war and the biggest proof of the Russian crime of genocide are the ruined lives and destinies of Ukrainian children. "Russians kill, rape, and kidnap our children and show all this as salvation! Even those girls and boys who escaped physical harm from the shelling suffered deep losses. Their homes and families, schools and kindergartens, playgrounds, and stadiums were damaged or destroyed. Their childhood is destroyed. Each of the 7.5 million Ukrainian children who lived in Ukraine before February 24, 2022, suffered from this terrible war," she said. During the online session, the advisor to the President of Ukraine for children's rights and children's rehabilitation told the participants of the event about the terrible situation in which Ukrainian children found themselves due to the fault of the Russian occupiers, about the murders and injuries of children, about the violence against them. Separately, she focused on the abduction of young Ukrainian citizens by invaders, which is part of the crime of genocide against Ukrainians. Herasymchuk informed the meeting participants about the steps Ukraine is taking to stop and prevent gross violations of children's rights during Russia's armed aggression, about cooperation with the International Criminal Court, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, the OSCE human dimension mechanism, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Children and Armed Conflict and the relevant working group of the United Nations in our country. Ukraine has developed a preliminary draft preventive plan to stop and prevent gross violations of children's rights during armed conflict. Herasymchuk showed video testimonies of children who stayed in so-called "health camps." The children talked about how they were treated, about the forced study of the Russian national anthem, and Russian songs, about the punishment for speaking in Ukrainian and about Ukraine, and about the terrible conditions of their stay. The advisor to the President called on the international community to join forces to rescue Ukrainian children abducted by Russia and to develop international mechanisms to ensure the safety of all children in the world: "Let's protect the children of Ukraine together today because tomorrow it could be any child from any country in the world!" NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address With President of China, implementation of Ukrainian Peace Formula, return of deported children from Russia, inadmissibility of supplying weapons to Russia were discussed - President of Ukraine President of Ukraine 28 April 2023 - 19:45 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that during the phone talk with President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping the issues of implementing the Ukrainian Peace Formula, the return of deported Ukrainian children from Russia, the release of prisoners, and ensuring the operation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative were discussed. The Head of State said this during a meeting with media representatives following the negotiations with President of Slovakia Zuzana AaputovA, and President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel in Kyiv. Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is determined to involve as many states as possible in implementing the proposed Peace Formula to put pressure on the aggressor country. "So that as many countries as possible were involved in this formula or in the platform where our formula is discussed, and they could then put pressure on the Russian Federation to restore peace, restore our territorial integrity," the President said. The Head of State said that during the phone talk, the need to restore the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within the borders of 1991 and the importance of observing the UN Charter were discussed. "We talked about all this and heard respect for all these principles. I believe that it is very important," Zelenskyy said. The leaders of Ukraine and China also discussed the return of Ukrainian prisoners and almost 20,000 children deported by the Russian occupiers. "There are moments when we must involve everyone we can, different countries so that they put pressure on the aggressor and terrorist - the Russian Federation, which kidnapped so many of our children," the President said. According to the Head of State, during the phone talk with Xi Jinping, a threat of blocking the Black Sea grain corridor was discussed. "Before the war, we were probably the largest grain exporter to China. And that's why Russia when it blocks it... It seems to me that all interested countries should put pressure on the Russian Federation so that there is no blocking of this corridor," he said. In addition, during the conversation with the President of the People's Republic of China, the President emphasized the inadmissibility of the supply of weapons to the aggressor country by any country in the world. "Ukraine would like all states to understand the risks of supplying any type of weapons to the Russian Federation. I heard a positive answer in this respect," Zelenskyy said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address There can be no defense taboos in security assistance to Ukraine - Volodymyr Zelenskyy after a meeting with leaders of the Czech Republic and Slovakia President of Ukraine 28 April 2023 - 18:58 Today, there cannot be any artificial restrictions on defense assistance to Ukraine, and ambitious decisions that will strengthen the common European security are needed. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the negotiations with President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel and President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana AaputovA in Kyiv. During the meeting with media representatives following the negotiations, the Head of the Ukrainian State said that this day began with another Russian missile attack on Ukrainian cities. Most of the enemy missiles were shot down, but unfortunately hits and casualties are reported. "In the city of Dnipro, two lives were taken by terror, in particular, a very small child died. In the city of Uman, a missile destroyed a residential building, an ordinary high-rise building. At the moment, 17 people are known to have been killed, including three children. And a lot of wounded. Debris analysis continues," he said. A moment of silence was held in memory of those who were killed in missile attacks launched by Russia. Zelenskyy said that during the negotiations with the Presidents of the Czech Republic and Slovakia today, they discussed how to stop the terrorist state and bring all Russian terrorists and murderers to justice. "It is our main task - for everyone in Europe, in the free world. Russia must lose this war, and its leadership must be punished for the crime of aggression and genocide against Ukrainians so that other nations do not have to experience what Russian terror has brought to Ukrainians," the Head of the Ukrainian State said. The President of Ukraine thanked the Slovak and Czech people and their leaders for their help in protecting the freedom and life of Ukrainians. "All the aid provided to Ukraine, every air defense system provided, every military aircraft, every gun, every unit of armored vehicles with which we defend ourselves from Russian aggression are the saved lives of Ukrainian men and women," he said. Zelenskyy briefed his counterparts on the situation at the front and outlined the prospects Ukraine has now. "I believe that one of the main conclusions from our conversation today should be the conclusion that there cannot be any defense taboos in security assistance to Ukraine. Every artificial defense limitation for our country is just another terrorist opportunity for the Russian Federation," the President said. According to the Head of the Ukrainian state, it will be absolutely fair to provide our soldiers with everything necessary to protect life, including long-range weapons, modern aircraft, and a sufficient number of artillery and armored vehicles. During the meeting, the leaders of the three states also discussed the political opportunities created by Ukraine and its partners to speed up the onset of peace. "I informed on our efforts to implement our plan - the Ukrainian Peace Formula. I am grateful to Slovakia and the Czech Republic for their full support of our position regarding a just and sustainable peace for Ukraine. The basis of our position is the restoration of the full force of the UN Charter, all those principles on which peace should be based, above all the principle of respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of nations," Zelenskyy said. The President of Ukraine separately thanked his colleagues from the Czech Republic and Slovakia for supporting the Ukrainian initiative to create a Special Tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Another topic of the negotiations was the need to strengthen the European Union and NATO by joining Ukraine. In particular, the parties discussed preparations for the NATO Summit in Vilnius. "We expect ambitious decisions that will strengthen European security. It is time to remove any uncertainty in Europe about security. And already this year we have to start negotiations on Ukraine's joining the European Union. We are doing everything for this," Zelenskyy said. The Head of the Ukrainian state noted the support of Slovakia and the Czech Republic for the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine. According to him, the relevant principles are recorded in the Joint Declaration signed today. According to him, further support from Slovakia and the Czech Republic for the Ukraine-EU Solidarity Lanes is also fundamentally important. "It is important not only from the point of view of our country but also from the point of view of common European security. At a time when Russia is doing everything to destroy transit and trade routes in Europe, we must jointly defend fundamental European freedoms and treaties," the President of Ukraine is convinced. Zelenskyy expressed hope that together with the European Commission, a solution that will help eliminate all artificial restrictions on the movement of Ukrainian products will be found. "We have an enemy and we have partners. Russia is blocking our export lines and sea routes. Therefore, it cannot be the case that our partners block them on land," he said. In addition, the President noted the readiness of Slovakia and the Czech Republic to work more actively with Ukraine in reconstruction projects, in particular, the decision of the Czech Republic regarding patronage over the restoration of Dnipropetrovsk region. With the President of Slovakia, relevant steps regarding Chernihiv region were discussed. "We are also grateful to the Czech side for the supply of prefabricated bridges for Ukraine's logistical needs. We are grateful to the Slovak side for already initiated housing construction projects for our Ukrainian families. I am sure we will do much more together," Zelenskyy said. For her part, AaputovA said that friendship unites the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and the two countries strive to bring this symbolic message to Ukraine. "We are united not only by a common past but also by a common future," she said. The President of the Slovak Republic spoke about her communication with Ukrainians who suffered or lost relatives due to Russian aggression. As AaputovA said, peace and justice should not only be talked about, but also fought for, and the entire civilized world should understand this. "When it comes to war crimes, it is very important that there is a fair punishment for these crimes. Therefore, I am very glad that the Slovak Republic is one of the first countries to send expert teams to document war crimes. It is necessary so that we can bring the culprits to justice in the future," she said. The President of Slovakia also emphasized the importance of Ukraine gaining full membership in the European Union. For this, important steps must be taken. AaputovA said Slovakia is ready to help this process move as fast as possible. "Ukraine has been fighting Russian aggression for more than 400 days. For 400 days you are under bombardment, you are under shelling, civilian objects and people are destroyed. But you have shown the whole world that you do not give up and work to achieve peace - a just peace. And in achieving this just peace, we must support you," AaputovA said. The President of the Czech Republic also spoke in support of Ukraine's membership in the EU and NATO and noted that our country deserved it with its resilience, courage, resistance, and struggle for freedom. "We are ready to provide assistance within the framework of the partnership based on our experience gained on the way to the EU. I also brought the assurance that our cooperation will continue and deepen. And it will apply not only to military aid but will also have different forms, in particular in the areas of business development. Our private entities are interested in cooperating with Ukraine," Pavel said. He said that the Czech Republic seeks to move from aid to cooperation, and the countries have everything necessary for such cooperation. In particular, there are some projects that can be deployed quickly. "We are ready to offer our support and cooperation in the field of energy, transport infrastructure, and housing. I am extremely glad that we have reached an agreement with Mr. Zelenskyy on these issues. We have reached an understanding that this cooperation should take place, and we will move to implement it quickly," the President of the Czech Republic said. According to him, to deepen cooperation and facilitate the implementation of bilateral cooperation projects, the Czech Republic plans to open a Consulate General in the city of Dnipro. Pavel also assured that the Czech Republic supports the creation of an international tribunal to investigate crimes committed by the aggressor on the territory of Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds phone talk with President of European Council President of Ukraine 28 April 2023 - 18:32 The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had a phone talk with President of the European Council Charles Michel. At the beginning of the talk, the Head of State informed the President of the European Council about the tragic consequences of another missile and drone attack on Ukrainian cities, killing civilians, including children. Zelenskyy thanked Michel for his unwavering support and leadership in strengthening the unity and solidarity of the European Union states with Ukraine. The leaders of Ukraine and the EU discussed in detail the situation around the ban on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products by certain neighboring states. Zelenskyy expressed deep concern about such decisions and emphasized that these steps are a gross violation of the letter and spirit of the Association Agreement and the founding treaties of the EU. "The artificial and illegal restriction of trade with the European Union is hitting Ukraine, resisting Russian aggression, both economically and politically," the Head of State said. "I'm convinced that in the conditions of war with Russia, Ukraine as a candidate country and the European Union must always adhere to the provisions of the Association Agreement and the rules and regulations of the EU Single Market. Therefore, any alternative to the legal approach will not be considered a solution to the problem." Zelenskyy called for finding a balanced solution and resolving the situation in a constructive and partnership manner, taking into account EU legislation, the Association Agreement, and the interests of all parties. "The best solution would be to continue duty-free trade for an unlimited period. Such a decision is beneficial for Ukraine and several neighboring EU member states, which already have significant competitive advantages from the increase in Ukrainian exports, and their population gets access to cheap and high-quality Ukrainian products," the President of Ukraine said. President of the European Council Charles Michel expressed his commitment to solving this unacceptable situation, including through contacts with some EU leaders involved. Zelenskyy and Michel agreed on further contact on these and other issues. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President held meetings with the Presidents of the Czech Republic and Slovakia President of Ukraine 28 April 2023 - 16:04 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held meetings with President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel and President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana AaputovA who are on a visit to our country. During the negotiations with the President of the Czech Republic, the Ukrainian President thanked the Czech government and the entire society for the comprehensive support of Ukraine since the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion. "Thank you for your visit, which began in Bucha and Borodyanka. We highly appreciate the support from your country, your society from the first day of the full-scale invasion," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. For his part, the President of the Czech Republic expressed support for Ukraine and admiration for the resolve and grit of the Ukrainian people fighting for their independence. At a meeting with President of Slovakia Zuzana AaputovA, the Ukrainian Head of State thanked her country for its humanitarian and defense support to Ukraine. "Thank you for the support of Ukrainians who are temporarily in your country, for the support from your society. I also thank you for the powerful support of our army on the battlefield," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He noted the importance of Slovakia's help in the reconstruction of our country. For her part, Zuzana AaputovA emphasized Slovakia's comprehensive support for Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Deputy Head of the Presidential Office informed G7 ambassadors of the draft tax reform President of Ukraine 28 April 2023 - 12:46 Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Rostyslav Shurma started a series of meetings with ambassadors of the G7 countries to inform them of our country's plans to improve the business environment for investors and increase the level of investment attractiveness of Ukraine. One of the measures is tax reform, the draft of which was presented to the ambassadors of the G7 countries. According to Rostyslav Shurma, there are three main reasons why this reform is so necessary for our country. "The first reason is that our country competes for investors with our neighbors: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. Therefore, we have to offer tax conditions no worse than in these countries," explained the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office. Rostyslav Shurma also emphasized that Ukraine has chosen a course of total fight against corruption, and taxes are one of the most problematic areas faced by business in this context. The reform will help fight corruption in the tax area. In addition, Ukraine suffered significant losses during the war and has the right to create special conditions, including tax conditions, to facilitate the recovery process. "We have to offer both local and international investors a set of incentives. And competitive tax rates are one of these incentives," said the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office. Rostyslav Shurma emphasized that the current tax system has a negative impact on every Ukrainian citizen. As an example, he cited the VAT rate on food products, which is one of the highest in Europe. The Deputy Head of the President's Office highlighted four positive examples of tax reforms carried out by Slovakia, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Ireland. In particular, Cyprus and Ireland implemented such reforms after wars or armed conflicts on their territory and managed to overcome the existing problems and achieve economic growth. In Slovakia and Bulgaria, the reforms took place despite the post-Soviet mentality of business in these countries and the reluctance to voluntarily pay taxes. "By reducing taxes, Slovakia and Bulgaria have achieved these goals, significantly increasing budget revenues, and managed to bring business out of the shadows," said Rostyslav Shurma. The Deputy Head of the President's Office is convinced that the reform will increase responsibility for tax evasion and transfer payments for some goods exclusively to the non-cash sphere. Rostyslav Shurma emphasized that negotiations with international partners, including the IMF, will be key to the reform and called on the ambassadors of the G7 countries to join these talks. U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink emphasized the importance of conducting an information campaign explaining the need for business to pay taxes, which should be carried out along with tax reform. She noted that the US has a culture of absolute tax compliance, emphasizing that the tax burden in the United States is lower than in Ukraine. The share of GDP redistribution through the budget in the United States is 25%, while in Ukraine it reaches 40%. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Latest in Ukraine: 'Only With Weapons We Can Stop Terror,' Zelenskyy Says By VOA News April 28, 2023 New Developments: The European Commission said Friday that it had agreed in principle to resume the transit of Ukrainian grain through five European Union countries that had imposed restrictions. NATO allies have delivered almost all promised combat vehicles to Ukraine, including more than 1,550 armored vehicles and 230 tanks. In a meeting with Russian lawmakers, President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow would expand ties with countries in Eurasia, Africa and Latin America to counter what he called the West's "economic aggression." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used his nightly video address Friday to condemn massive Russian airstrikes, the first such large-scale strikes in months. In Uman, a town in central Ukraine, at least 23 civilians were killed in their sleep early Friday morning, officials said. "A missile on Uman, a city that is peaceful, known to the whole world for hosting tens of thousands of Hasidic pilgrims every year. ... Only absolute evil can unleash such terror against Ukraine," Zelenskyy said. "My neighbors are gone. No one is left," Serhii Lubivskyi, 58, who survived inside a flat on the seventh floor, told Reuters. He and his wife escaped to their balcony, where firefighters rescued them. Those killed included three children. An estimated 109 people were living in the part of the building that was hit, and 27 apartments were destroyed by the blast. In Dnipro city in southeast Ukraine, a missile killed a 2-year-old child and a 31-year-old woman, regional Governor Serhiy Lysak said. In a tweet, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also condemned Russia's airstrikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure. "It is just inexcusable that in places like Uman, far from the front line, civilians were killed while sleeping at their homes. This must stop," Matthew Hollingworth, humanitarian coordinator, wrote. "Airstrikes on Ukrainian cities overnight left dozens of civilians killed or injured. It is just inexcusable that in places like Uman, far from the frontline, civilians were killed while sleeping at their homes. This must stop," Matthew Hollingworth, Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. pic.twitter.com/tMnQi9G0c3 OCHA Ukraine (@OCHA_Ukraine) April 28, 2023 Moscow said it was targeting Ukrainian reserve troops and that they were struck successfully, preventing them from reaching the front lines. Russia supplied no evidence to support this, according to Reuters. Zelenskyy reiterated that only heavy, hard-hitting weapons could stop the war and save lives. "Air defense, modern aircraft, artillery, armored vehicles are necessary to provide security to our people who are still, unfortunately, in the occupied territory," he said. "We cannot leave anyone under the power of Russian evil." The latest assessment by the Institute for the Study of War supported Zelenskyy's assertions. "Metering Western support to Ukraine and inadequately resourcing all of the required Ukrainian counteroffensives - not just the next one - will protract Russia's war and increase the associated risks for the U.S.," ISW said. NEW from @nataliabugayova: The debate about the US facing a "long war" in #Ukraine is misframed.Failing to resource all of the required Ukrainian counteroffensives not just the next one will protract #Russia's war & increase the risks for the US. https://t.co/4S4c2AB95H pic.twitter.com/64aLETvxSu ISW (@TheStudyofWar) April 27, 2023 EU grain deal The European Commission said Friday that it had agreed in principle to allow the transit of Ukrainian grain to restart through five European Union countries that had banned imports. Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia had cited concerns that grain from Ukraine that was supposed to be exported to other countries ended up in their local markets, pushing down prices for their farmers. In a tweet, European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis wrote that the EU had reached "an agreement in principle" with the five "to address concerns of both farmers in neighboring EU countries and Ukraine." WE HAVE A DEAL@EU_Commission has reached an agreement in principle with Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania & Slovakia regarding #Ukraine agri-food products.We have acted to address concerns of both farmers in neighbouring EU countries and Ukraine - with @jwojc1/3 pic.twitter.com/qNP93X1Fpd Valdis Dombrovskis (@VDombrovskis) April 28, 2023 The deal also includes a support package worth 100 million euros ($110.25 million) for the support of local markets, Dombrovskis said. Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant Russia may be preparing to connect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, to the power grid of Russian-controlled territory, a U.N. agency said. An International Atomic Energy Agency team of experts monitoring the plant's operations said Friday that Russian forces and the Russian nuclear company Rosatom had ordered the skeleton crew there to link the plant's only working line "to the currently Russian-controlled electrical grid, to the south of the ZNPP site." This line is the only source of external power to the plant, which it needs to keep cooling the fuel in its six reactors, even though they are shut down. Failing to cool that fuel could lead to a potentially catastrophic nuclear meltdown, the IAEA said. In a statement Friday, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reiterated that the "increased military presence and activity in the region" underscored the need to safeguard the plant from continuous shelling and landmine explosions in the area. A Russian mine exploded near the generator room of the fourth power unit at the nuclear plant, Ukraine's state operator Energoatom said Thursday. It also said Russian troops, who last year seized control of Ukraine's largest nuclear complex, told workers that it was "their own mine that detonated," according to Reuters. Airstrikes continue Meanwhile, the threat of Russian airstrikes continued across Ukraine, with officials warning residents to take shelter as soon as they heard sirens. "Do not ignore the alerts," Andriy Yermak, head of Zelenskyy's office, said on the Telegram messaging app hours after deadly Russian missile strikes earlier Friday. The attacks came days after Zelenskyy spoke by phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping about finding a solution to the war. The Chinese leader said China would dispatch a peace envoy to Ukraine. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Latest in Ukraine: Ukraine's Large Counteroffensive Appears To Be Imminent By VOA News April 28, 2023 President Putin threatens to deport those who decline Russian passports in the occupied territories. NATO allies have delivered almost all promised combat vehicles to Ukraine, including more than 1,550 armored vehicles and 230 tanks. In a meeting with Russian lawmakers, Putin said Friday that Moscow would expand ties with countries in Eurasia, Africa and Latin America to counter what he called West's "economic aggression." Ukraine's counterattack against Russia is fast approaching, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleskii Reznikov said Friday. At an online news briefing, Reznikov noted that Ukraine forces are "to a high percentage ready" to launch their campaign and modern weaponry would serve as an "iron fist." Using hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles sent by the West, Kyiv is preparing its counteroffensive aiming at driving Russian forces out of occupied Ukrainian territories. Reznikov made the comments after large-scale Russian airstrikes on cities across Ukraine overnight killed at least 23 civilians while they slept. In the central Ukrainian town of Uman, firefighters battled a raging blaze at a residential apartment building's upper floor that had been struck by a Russian missile. Officials said at least 19 civilians were killed there, including several children. "No one is left," said Serhii Lubivskyi, 58, who survived inside a flat on the seventh floor, rescued by firefighters from the balcony, where he escaped with his wife after the explosion blocked their front door, Reuters reports. In a tweet, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs condemned Russia's airstrikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure. "It is just inexcusable that in places like Uman, far from the front line, civilians were killed while sleeping at their homes. This must stop," Matthew Hollingworth, Humanitarian Coordinator wrote. "Airstrikes on Ukrainian cities overnight left dozens of civilians killed or injured. It is just inexcusable that in places like Uman, far from the frontline, civilians were killed while sleeping at their homes. This must stop," Matthew Hollingworth, Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. pic.twitter.com/tMnQi9G0c3 a OCHA Ukraine (@OCHA_Ukraine) April 28, 2023 A mother and her toddler daughter were killed in the eastern city of Dnipro. No fatalities were reported in Kyiv. Moscow claimed its target was Ukrainian reserve troops that it struck successfully, preventing them from reaching the front lines. Russia supplied no evidence to support this, Reuters reports. After Friday's missile strikes, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted, "The way to peace is to kick Russia out of Ukraine." Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant Russia may be preparing to connect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, to the power grid of Russian-controlled territory. An International Atomic Energy Agency team of experts monitoring the plant's operations said Friday, Russian forces and the Russian nuclear company Rosatom ordered the skeleton crew there to link the plant's only working line "to the currently Russian-controlled electrical grid, to the south of the ZNPP site." This line is the only source of external power to the plant, which it needs to keep cooling the fuel in its six reactors, even though they are shut down. Failing to cool that fuel could lead to a potentially catastrophic nuclear meltdown, the IAEA said. In a statement Friday, IAEA Director General Mariano Grossi assessed that the "increased military presence and activity in the region" underscores the need to safeguard the plant from continuous shelling and landmine explosions in the area. A Russian mine exploded near the generator room of the nuclear plant, Ukraine's state operator Energoatom said Thursday. "According to sources, an explosion happened near the engine room of the fourth [reactor] power unit," Energoatom said in a statement. It also said Russian troops, who last year seized control of Ukraine's largest nuclear complex, told workers that it was "their own mine that detonated," Reuters reports. Meanwhile, the threat of Russian airstrikes continues across Ukraine with officials warning residents to take shelter as soon as they hear the sirens. "Do not ignore the alerts," Andriy Yermak, head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, said on the Telegram messaging app hours after deadly Russian missile strikes earlier Friday. The attacks came just days after Zelenskyy spoke by phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping about finding a solution to the war. The Chinese leader said China would dispatch a peace envoy to Ukraine. Russia and genocide On Thursday, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution recognizing that Russia's deportation of Ukrainian children has evidence of genocide. "This decision," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily address, "will significantly help our global efforts to bring Russia and its officials, including the head of the terrorist state, to justice for genocide and genocidal policies against Ukraine." Also Thursday, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, said he asked Pope Francis, during a private audience, for his help with returning Ukrainian children to Ukraine who have been "detained, arrested, and criminally deported to Russia." The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, for their alleged involvement in the deportation of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Paris, France, April 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BTC BULL, a new and innovative reward token, is soon to be launched on Pinksale. This new token provides investors with exposure to Bitcoin's price movements through buy and sell transactions while mitigating risks and maximizing returns. BTC BULL aims to help investors minimize risks while providing them with an efficient and easy way to invest in Bitcoin. With every transaction of BTC BULL, holders receive a reward in Bitcoin, which is automatically added to their account. The reward amount is calculated based on the value of the transaction and the current Bitcoin price. Investing in BTC BULL is simple and easy. 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Media Contact Company name: BTC BULL Email: info@btcbull.net Website: http://btcbull.net Disclaimer: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Vancouver, April 28, 2023 - MGX Minerals Inc. ("MGX" or the "Company") (CSE:XMG) (FKT:1MG) (OTC:MGXMF) VANCOUVER, The GC occurrence (082LNE024 minfile), is characterized by subvertical pegmatite dykes 3 to 7 metres in width that follows a trend of 062 cutting the well-developed fabric of the host biotite gneiss. It is exposed discontinuously for at least 65 m along strike. The GC pegmatite dyke is approximately 3-7 meter width over 60 meter strike length trending ENE, dip 80 NNW). The main dyke exhibits minor offsets by brittle-ductile structures as well as several narrow additional pegmatite dykes. The GC dyke is characterized by intergrown grey translucent quartz. Trace amounts of rose quartz occurs in pegmatite and older country rock. The rose colour is caused by irradiation induced aluminium (Al) and phosphorous (P) that replaces silicon (Si) in the atom lattice. K-feldspar is off-white to beige, and colourless to pale green silvery muscovite is interspersed with large and clustered black tourmaline. The main showing consists of a medial zone measuring containing up to 5% pink to pale purple lepidolite, up to 2% predominantly pink tourmaline, and traces of cordierite & black tourmaline. The basic mineral assemblages observed in the GC pegmatites are quartz+feldspar+black tourmaline or quartz+feldspar+biotite, with moderately fractionated assemblages including muscovite, rose quartz, garnet, beryl, cordierite, and oxide minerals, and highly fractionated assemblages add phosphate minerals, lepidolite, and multi-colored tourmaline (Addie, 2103). Approximately 100 meters southwest of the main showing, a 3-6 meter wide dyke is traced for 25 meters striking 55 degrees and dips 80 degrees north. This dyke may be an offset of the main showing, and is characterized by megacryst muscovite and adjacent marble layers in micaceous gneiss country rock (with minor tourmaline), whereasthe main showing is dominated by megacryst tourmaline (with minor muscovite & marble layer in micaceous gneiss country rock). Faulting is affected by isoclinal folds trending easterly. Jointing is perpendicular to faulting. The GC showings area is surrounded by several small odd-shaped 'cross fault' ponds with increased jointing. The GC showing has extensive hornblende alteration in the micaceous gneiss country rock. Approximately, 150 meters south of the main showing, a 5-10 meter wide quartzite band forms a resistant ridge trending east. The quartzite band dips 20-27 degrees south. Further south the country rock is micaceous schist and interlayered micaceous gneiss. Garnet alteration occurs in the south portion of the property where the relatively flat lying quartzite unit forms a topographic high (>2,100 m elevation). This area also has occurrences of pods and lenses of heavy limonite, minor pyrrhotite and magnetite. The pyrrhotite and magnetite zones are interpreted as Proterozoic age and are not the same age as the Tertiary pegmatites. The pyrrhotite and magnetite zones may have potential for rare earth element bearing minerals related to nepheline syenite (the Mount Copeland area is known to contain rare earth elements associated with magnetite, limonite and pyrrhotite). Click Image To View Full Size Summer Exploration Mineralized pegmatite was mapped and 5 rock chip samples were analyzed in 2022, and 2 grab samples analyzed in 2023. Five chip samples were shipped to ALS North Vancouver for aqua regia method (ME-MS41). Two hand specimens (grab samples) from the first two rock chip samples were analyzed in 2023 using method ME-MS89L (super trace DL Na2O2 by ICP-MS). Five chip samples were shipped to ALS North Vancouver for aqua regia method (ME-MS41). Analysis results from 4 samples taken from the GC pegmatite (22GC 1-4), and one country rock sample (22GC5) located 30 meters distance from the pegmatite are listed (ALS certificate VA22228222): For quality control purposes, MGX Minerals measured interval length with tape measure, took photos and hand specimen samples taken for each of the 5 rock chip sample sites. ALS Canada Ltd carried out QC/QA standards, blanks and duplicate samples on 7 submitted rock samples listed below. Due to the small sample total, MGX Minerals did not take duplicate samples or insert blanks and standards. Descriptions of 5 rock chip samples taken on the GC showings are listed as follows: ID no Width Li% Cs % Rb% 22GC1 65 cm 0.53 >0.05 0.16 22GC2 65 cm 0.56 >0.05 0.17 22GC3 65 cm 0.44 0.04 0.1 22GC4 150 cm 0.14 0.008 0.036 22GC5 150 cm 0.005 0.001 0.001 Specimen 22GC1 grab 1.01 0.1 0.35 Specimen 22GC2 grab 1.04 0.1 0.27 A description of the 5 rock chip samples taken on the GC showing are listed as follows: ID no width Lithology (host rock) Alteration 22GC1 65 cm feldspar-quartz-bitotie gneiss rose quartz, sericite/muscovite 22GC2 65 cm feldspar-quartz-bitotie gneiss rose quartz, sericite/muscovite 22GC3 65 cm feldspar-quartz-bitotie gneiss rose quartz, sericite/muscovite 22GC4 150 cm feldspar-quartz-bitotie gneiss rose quartz, sericite/muscovite 22GC5 150 cm feldspar-quartz-bitotie gneiss rose quartz, sericite/muscovite sample no minerals easting northing elev m elev ft 22GC1 tourmaline, beryl 402228 5651434 2085 6838.8 22GC2 tourmaline, beryl 402231 5651436 2085 6838.8 22GC3 tourmaline, beryl 402234 5651438 2084 6835.5 22GC4 tourmaline, beryl 402221 5651429 2082 6829 22GC5 pyrrhotite, magnetite 402189 5651439 2077 6812.6 sample no Str strike zone name comments 22GC1 67 84N Main pegmatite showing core zone of 6 meter wide pegmatite 22GC2 Main pegmatite showing core zone of 6 meter wide pegmatite 22GC3 66 85N Main pegmatite showing core zone of 6 meter wide pegmatite 22GC4 66 81N Main pegmatite showing core zone of 7 meter wide pegmatite 22GC5 pyrrhotite zone mineralized country rock, trace REE The geochemical analysis results of the GC pegmatite (high in lithium and cesium), suggests it is an LCT type of pegmatite. Also, there are phosphate minerals (e.g. apatite) and phosphorous bearing rose quartz present in the GC pegmatite (rock samples 22GC1-4). The feldspar- quartz-biotite gneiss country rock (rock sample 22GC5) with minor pyrrhotite and magnetite, contains high phosphorous and higher Ce values in comparison to the pegmatite (rock samples 22GC1-4). Relatively high boron values are noted in the pegmatite and correlates with increased tourmaline. Recommended exploration work includes detailed geological mapping and systematic sampling to further delineate and characterize pegmatite bodies. The pegmatites lack definitive geophysical characteristics. It is recommended that a comprehensive program of prospecting, bedrock mapping, rock/soil geochemical sampling and about 500 meters of core drilling (approximately 4-6 drill holes from 4 sites) core drilling be completed on the property. Silicon Metal MGX has sold its British Columbia Silicon Metal properties to Mt. Wilson Silica Ventures Inc. for $500,000, payable in instalments, pursuant to a purchase and sale agreement dated March 1, 2023. The first instalment of $250,000 has been paid and the property has been transferred. The second instalment will become due and payable when Mt. Wilson Silica Ventures Inc. obtains all permits required for the development, construction and commercial operation of the first mine on the property. The agreement also grants MGX a one-time contractual right of first offer for the purchase at market prices of the lesser of (a) 100,000 tonnes of 99% silica, or (b) 50% of total output production from the property. REN Tantalum-Niobium MGX has sold its REN Tantalum-Niobium project to North American Carbonatite Exploration Pty. Ltd. for $140,000 AUS minus outstanding property payments passed due, pursuant to a purchase and sale agreement dated March 9, 2023. Corporate Update MGX has used the majority of funds from the recent property sales to pay down accounts payable including legal, auditors and accountants for the purpose of returning to trade and as well as property payments and various AP. The major outstanding audit item remains the final signoff on its PurLucid subsidiary which is believed to be near completion. The Company appointed Stephen Saltzman as a director and member of the Audit Committee, effective November 1, 2022. Qualified Person Andris Kikauka (P. Geo.), CEO of MGX Minerals, has prepared, reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release. Mr. Kikauka is a non-independent Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101. About MGX Minerals MGX Minerals is a diversified Canadian resource and technology company with interests in advanced materials, metals and energy technologies. Contact Information: mgxminerals.com Andris Kikauka Chief Executive Officer andris@mgxminerals.com 604 373 8565 Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively, "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward?looking information. Forward-looking information in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to holding the postponed Meeting, and the filing of an amended notice of meeting and record date for the postponed Meeting. Forward-looking information is generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "in the event", "if", "believes", "asserts", "position", "intends", "envisages", "assumes", "recommends", "estimates", "approximate", "projects", "potential", "indicate" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. The Company's forward-looking information are based on the applicable assumptions and factors the Company considers reasonable as of the date hereof, based on the information available to the Company at such time, including without limitation, the ability to host the postponed Meeting at a later date, and the ability to find a suitable location which can accommodate an in-person shareholders' meeting. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various risk factors. These factors include, among others, uncertainties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, and general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets. The reader is referred to the Company's public filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors, and their potential effects, which may be accessed through the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Except as required by securities law, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise. Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. TORONTO, April 29, 2023 - Galantas Gold Corp. (the 'Company') is pleased to announce its audited annual financial results for the year ended December 31, 2022. A copy of the Financial Statements and Management Discussion and Analysis will be sent to shareholders in due course and are available on the Company's website at www.galantas.com/investors. The Annual and Special Meeting of the Company is to be held at 11:00 a.m. (Toronto time) on 27th June 2023 at The Canadian Venture Building, 82 Richmond Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M5C1P1, Canada. Financial Highlights Highlights of the 2022 audited annual results, which are expressed in Canadian Dollars, are summarized below: All figures denominated in Canadian Dollars (CDN$) Year Ended December 31 2022 2021 Revenue $ 0 $ 0 Cost and expenses of operations $ (284,262 ) $ (255,901 ) Loss before the undernoted $ (284,262 ) $ (255,901 ) Depreciation $ (624,620 ) $ (547,991 ) General administrative expenses $ (5,401,289 ) $ (4,332,865 ) Foreign exchange (loss) $ (195,308 ) $ (154,798 ) Impairment of Exploration and Evaluation Assets $ 0 $ 0 (Loss) / Gain on disposal of property, plant and equipment $ (2,910 ) $ 7,124 Impairment $ (10,124,920 ) $ 0 Net Loss for the year $ (16,633,939 ) $ (5,284,431 ) Working Capital Deficit $ (11,027,964 ) $ (1,095,882 ) Cash loss from operating activities before changes in non-cash working capital $ (2,254,291 ) $ (1,678,797 ) Cash at December 31, 2022 $ 1,038,643 $ 1,069,751 Sales revenue for year ended December 31, 2022 amounted to $ Nil as per the year ended December 31, 2021. Provisional concentrate sales totalled US$ 608,000 for 2022 compared to US $ 1,114,000 for the year 2021. However, until the mine commences commercial production, the net proceeds from concentrate sales are being offset against development assets. The Net Loss for the year ended December 31, 2022 amounted to $ 16,633,939 (2021: $5,284,431) and the cash outflow from operating activities before changes in non-cash working capital for the year ended December 31, 2022 amounted to $2,254,291 (2021: $1,678,797). The Company had a cash balance of $ 1,038,643 at December 31, 2022 compared to $ 1,069,751 at December 31, 2021. The working capital deficit at December 31, 2022 amounted to $ 11,027,964 compared to a working capital deficit of $1,095,882 at December 31, 2021. Current liabilities include financing facilities and loans. Negotiations with current finance providers to extend short-term loans have commenced, are progressing positively and the maturity dates for these loans are expected to be extended beyond December 31, 2023 The detailed results and Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) are available on www.sedar.com and www.galantas.com and the highlights in this release should be read in conjunction with the detailed results and MD&A. The MD&A provides an analysis of comparisons with previous periods, trends affecting the business and risk factors. Qualified Person The financial components of this disclosure has been reviewed by Alan Buckley (Chief Financial Officer) and the production and permitting components by Brendan Morris (CEO), and the exploration and geological components by Dr. Sarah Coulter, all qualified persons under the meaning of NI. 43-101. The information is based upon local production and financial data prepared under their supervision. SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws, including revenues and cost estimates, for the Omagh Gold project. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by Galantas in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that Galantas believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause Galantas' actual results, the performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward looking statements or strategy, including: gold price volatility; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries and throughputs; mining operational risk, geological uncertainties; regulatory restrictions, including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability; risks of sovereign involvement; speculative nature of gold exploration; dilution; competition; loss of or availability of key employees; additional funding requirements; uncertainties regarding planning and other permitting issues; and defective title to mineral claims or property. These factors and others that could affect Galantas's forward-looking statements are discussed in greater detail in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Galantas' Management Discussion & Analysis of the financial statements of Galantas and elsewhere in documents filed from time to time with the Canadian provincial securities regulators and other regulatory authorities. These factors should be considered carefully, and persons reviewing this press release should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Galantas has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this press release, except as required by law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Information communicated within this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 which is part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. Upon the publication of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. Enquiries Galantas Gold Corp. Mario Stifano CEO Email: info@galantas.com Website: www.galantas.com Telephone: +44 (0) 2882 241100 Grant Thornton UK LLP (Nomad) George Grainger, Harrison Clarke: Telephone: +44(0)20 7383 5100 S.P Angel Corporate Finance (AIM Broker) David Hignell, Charlie Bouverat (Corporate Finance) Grant Barker (Sales and Broking) Telephone: +44(0)20 3470 0470 Ferrari has "the most powerful engine" in Formula 1. That was the word from Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko following Charles Leclerc's surprise pole position on the high-speed Baku street circuit. "We knew Ferrari would be fast on one lap," the 80-year-old told the Austrian broadcaster ORF in Azerbaijan. "Everything needed to work for us to stay ahead, but we didn't manage the tyre pressure optimally. We lost a lot to Leclerc on the second part of the track." However, Ferrari has often looked competitive in qualifying this year, only to suffer from serious tyre wear on the longer race runs. "We should be in a better position in the race," Marko agrees. "Ferrari can turn up the power for one lap - they have the most powerful engine. I hope they won't be able to do that in the race," he added. "I also expect Alonso to move up in the race. Our opponent for the race is Ferrari or maybe Ferrari. The rest are behind by at least nine tenths of a second per lap." Indeed, while James Allison is now back in Mercedes' technical director chair this weekend at Baku, a major car upgrade for the 'no sidepods' concept is not due until Imola. "We don't have an upgrade here," Mercedes boss Toto Wolff told Servus TV. "In the middle sector, Ferrari is a force. From that point of view, I'm a little worried for Monaco. "We're not taking anything positive from today because we're not where we want to be. We are nine tenths behind pole and five tenths behind the top three," Wolff added. (GMM) Namibia endeavours to be a preferred tourist destination in Africa Graphic Showbiz Showbiz News Apr - 29 - 2023 , 11:32 With recent records showing that tourism has become the world's third-largest export industry, it is little wonder that many African countries including Namibia are taking giant steps to promote and boost their tourism potentials. It is in this regard that players in the Namibian Tourism industry including its Minister of Industrialisation and Trade, Lucia Lipumbu have held a workshop in Ghana to sell their country as a great tourist destination in Africa. Speaking at the workshop held at the +233 Jazz Bar and Grill in Accra recently, Mr Lipumbu touted Namibia as the best option for those looking to explore the continent, citing its developed tourism sector, affordable prices, and treasured and memorable experiences with nature as key factors. Windhoek Christurskirch was built in 1907 by the Germans Namibia, a country in southwest Africa, is distinguished by the Namib Desert along its Atlantic Ocean coast. The country is home to diverse wildlife, including a significant cheetah population. The capital, Windhoek, and coastal town Swakopmund contain German colonial-era buildings such as Windhoek's Christuskirche, built in 1907. In the north, Etosha National Parks salt pan draws game including rhinos and giraffes. One of the best tourist places in Namibia is Sossusvlei, an endless sea of rust-red dunes He mentioned that there were many fascinating tourist sites at Namibia that should encourage African tourists particularly Ghanaians who travel to places such as Dubai to change their choices. Our coming here is to cement ties to promote Namibia as the next tourism destination in Africa and the world. We are aware that Ghanaians are traveling to Dubai, Kenya, etc. but they are missing out on a great secret that is hidden and untapped. That gem is Namibia. For us, tourism is one of the major economic sectors. It is also a sector that is destined to grow. We have more than enough reason to develop new emerging markets through engaging smart partnership joint marketing initiatives, he said. The Chief Executive Officer of the Namibian Tourism Board, Digu Naobeb, explained that Namibia offered many opportunities for tourists to experience traditional lifestyles, untouched landscapes, unique cultures, and diverse wildlife. Additionally, Namibia is renowned for its hospitality, safety, and peaceful political environment, he added. Damaraland is home of desert-adapted elephants, rhino and lions as well as oryx, springbok and hundreds of birds species Dr. Thomas Abanga, who is the CEO of Abanga Farms and Food Systems, stated that there are several business opportunities for visitors to take advantage of during their stay. Abanga Foods is the exclusive importer of Namibian beef to Ghana. Dr Abanga used the chance to explain how trade between African countries was critical in changing the distorted trade relationship among African countries and the rest of the world. New articles 'I cant question God' -grieving Yul Edochie breaks silence on son's death Event centres in sorry state- George Quaye laments Kenyan Instagram influencer dies while allegedly trafficking drugs Looking forward to fruitful visit to Ghana - Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan Opinion Apr - 29 - 2023 , 10:40 Starting next week, I will be visiting Ghana. It is a great pleasure to be able to visit this country, which plays a pivotal role in West Africa. This will be the first visit by a Japanese Prime Minister to Ghana in 17 years. I am very delighted to be able to finally return to Ghana as the Prime Minister of Japan, after overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic. Historic turning point The international community is now at a historic turning point. Russia's aggression against Ukraine has had a major impact on Africa, including a food crisis and soaring fertiliser prices. In addition, cooperation among the international community is even more crucial to effectively address various challenges facing the international community, such as climate change, energy, and opaque and unfair development finance. As both Japan and Ghana currently serve as members of the United Nations Security Council, and as the two countries work together as important partners that share values and principles such as democracy and the rule of law, I look forward to having a frank discussion with President Akufo-Addo. Taking this opportunity, I would like to further deepen the strong economic relationship between Ghana and Japan. First, I would like to further promote business and investment with Ghana, one of the leading economic centres in West Africa. Based on the belief that quality infrastructure development is the foundation for revitalising economic activities, Japan has been supporting infrastructure such as roads to improve Ghana's connectivity to this date. Japan has high hopes for Ghana, which hosts the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), to play a role as a standard-bearer in promoting regional integration and trade facilitation. We are determined to cooperate more closely with Ghana in the future. Dr Noguchi The development of Ghana-Japan relations cannot be discussed without acknowledging the achievements of Dr Hideyo Noguchi. The healthcare sector is an important area for both countries, and we are pleased that Japan is contributing to the health and medical fields in Ghana and the West African region through the establishment of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and technical cooperation through the institute. In particular, the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize, which was established following the Prime Minister Koizumis visit to Ghana in 2006, have recognised individuals who have made outstanding achievements in medical research and medical activities in combating infectious diseases and other illnesses in Africa including Ghana. This prize has contributed to the improvement of health and welfare in Africa as a whole. With a view to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), we will continue to contribute to the improvement in the health sector in Africa and the world. International order In the face of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which shakes the very foundations of the international order, we must once again firmly uphold the international order based on the rule of law and recall that ensuring peace and stability is the cornerstone of growth. As former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, once mentioned, all states had a clear interest, as well as clear responsibility, to uphold international law and maintain international order. Japan has been supporting Africas own efforts to achieve peace and stability, the prerequisite for economic growth, investment and betterment of livelihoods, under the New Approach for Peace and Stability in Africa (NAPSA), which approaches the root causes of impediments to human security as well as peace and stability. During this visit, I would like to reaffirm our close collaboration with Ghana, which is playing a leading role in maintaining peace and stability in the region through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Accra Initiative. Finally, I would like to touch upon the long-standing and friendly bilateral relationship between Ghana and Japan. Ghana stood by Japan when we were in a difficult situation. I will never forget that last year, when former Prime Minister Abe passed away after being shot, three Presidents to date, including President Akufo-Addo, visited our Embassy to sign the book of condolences, while the Ghanaian Parliament organised a memorial service. At the TICAD 8 held in August last year, Japan expressed its firm determination to be a "partner growing together with Africa and to cooperate with Africa to realise a resilient Africa that Africa itself aims to achieve. My visit to Africa will be a strong demonstration of Japans commitment to walk hand in hand with Africa. As the country holding the G7 Presidency, Japan is also committed to carefully listening to the voices of African countries. I am very much looking forward to seeing you all in Ghana! Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida looking forward to fruitful visit to Ghana Graphic.com.gh Opinion Apr - 29 - 2023 , 05:10 Starting next week, I will be visiting Ghana. It is a great pleasure to be able to visit this country, which plays a pivotal role in West Africa. This will be the first visit by a Japanese Prime Minister to Ghana in 17 years. I am very delighted to be able to finally return to Ghana as the Prime Minister of Japan, after overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic. Historic turning point The international community is now at a historic turning point. Russia's aggression against Ukraine has had a major impact on Africa, including a food crisis and soaring fertiliser prices. In addition, cooperation among the international community is even more crucial to effectively address various challenges facing the international community, such as climate change, energy, and opaque and unfair development finance. As both Japan and Ghana currently serve as members of the United Nations Security Council, and as the two countries work together as important partners that share values and principles such as democracy and the rule of law, I look forward to having a frank discussion with President Akufo-Addo. Taking this opportunity, I would like to further deepen the strong economic relationship between Ghana and Japan. First, I would like to further promote business and investment with Ghana, one of the leading economic centres in West Africa. Based on the belief that quality infrastructure development is the foundation for revitalising economic activities, Japan has been supporting infrastructure such as roads to improve Ghana's connectivity to this date. Japan has high hopes for Ghana, which hosts the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), to play a role as a standard-bearer in promoting regional integration and trade facilitation. We are determined to cooperate more closely with Ghana in the future. Dr Noguchi The development of Ghana-Japan relations cannot be discussed without acknowledging the achievements of Dr Hideyo Noguchi. The healthcare sector is an important area for both countries, and we are pleased that Japan is contributing to the health and medical fields in Ghana and the West African region through the establishment of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and technical cooperation through the institute. In particular, the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize, which was established following the Prime Minister Koizumis visit to Ghana in 2006, have recognised individuals who have made outstanding achievements in medical research and medical activities in combating infectious diseases and other illnesses in Africa including Ghana. This prize has contributed to the improvement of health and welfare in Africa as a whole. With a view to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), we will continue to contribute to the improvement in the health sector in Africa and the world. International order In the face of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which shakes the very foundations of the international order, we must once again firmly uphold the international order based on the rule of law and recall that ensuring peace and stability is the cornerstone of growth. As former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, once mentioned, all states had a clear interest, as well as clear responsibility, to uphold international law and maintain international order. Japan has been supporting Africas own efforts to achieve peace and stability, the prerequisite for economic growth, investment and betterment of livelihoods, under the New Approach for Peace and Stability in Africa (NAPSA), which approaches the root causes of impediments to human security as well as peace and stability. During this visit, I would like to reaffirm our close collaboration with Ghana, which is playing a leading role in maintaining peace and stability in the region through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Accra Initiative. Finally, I would like to touch upon the long-standing and friendly bilateral relationship between Ghana and Japan. Ghana stood by Japan when we were in a difficult situation. I will never forget that last year, when former Prime Minister Abe passed away after being shot, three Presidents to date, including President Akufo-Addo, visited our Embassy to sign the book of condolences, while the Ghanaian Parliament organised a memorial service. At the TICAD 8 held in August last year, Japan expressed its firm determination to be a "partner growing together with Africa and to cooperate with Africa to realise a resilient Africa that Africa itself aims to achieve. My visit to Africa will be a strong demonstration of Japans commitment to walk hand in hand with Africa. As the country holding the G7 Presidency, Japan is also committed to carefully listening to the voices of African countries. I am very much looking forward to seeing you all in Ghana! Farmer-led irrigation crucial to food security Agric Minister Juliet Akyaa Safo Apr - 29 - 2023 , 09:04 Farmer-led irrigation development is crucial to sustaining irrigation systems in Africa which is key to stable food production, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has said. He said it was in line with this that the government was constructing dams, particularly in the northern regions to provide all year-round water sources for small-scale irrigation, livestock and domestic uses in smallholder communities. The minister said this in a speech read on his behalf at a two-day African conference on irrigation in Accra. The conference was attended by stakeholders from across the agricultural sector in Africa who discussed and shared experiences on irrigation practices. It was also aimed at creating synergies, accelerating efforts and boosting farmer-led irrigation development (FLID) for increased productivity in Africa. Organised by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), stakeholders explored strategies to address barriers and gaps in the system through new knowledge and investment actions for the next five years. It was on the theme: Sub-Saharan knowledge exchange conference, and jointly sponsored by a USAID-funded innovation lab for small-scale irrigation (ILSSI), CGIAR Initiative on West and Central African Food Systems Transformation, Water and Energy for Food, both CSOs, and the World Bank. Awareness creation Mr Acheampong said his outfit would increase awareness of the role of farmer-led irrigation as it worked to increase support to farmers in the country. We recognise the four pathways to advancing irrigation development in Africa. Within the ministry, the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) oversees all irrigation systems in the country, including small-scale farmer-led irrigation development, he said. Significance The Country Representative of IWMI West Africa, Dr Olufunke Cofie, said FLID was a solution to building climate resilience for smallholder farmers. She said it also transformed food systems, given the various efforts in research implementation and investment across Africa. Dr Cofie said it was, therefore, important to bring stakeholders together to exchange lessons learned among implementers, investors and researchers. We are coming together to share experiences, good practices, findings from research and interventions. To transform the food system we must not neglect this category of farmers who may need improved technology such as solar panels to succeed, she added. Ghana needs hand of God not eloquence, politics Rev. Dr Lawrence Tetteh Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Apr - 29 - 2023 , 09:58 This years National Prayer Rally will take place daily at the Christian Village Miracle Centre in Accra from Monday, May 1 to 31. As a non-denominational prayer rally, it will be held annually to seek the face of God in curbing the rising levels of corruption and other social vices ailing the nation. The month-long event, scheduled from 6a.m. to 8a.m., which runs on the theme: This nonsense must stop, will bring together religious leaders and worshippers to pray against things that seek to undermine the economic, social and political development of the country. Launching this years event, the convenor of the rally and renowned evangelist, Reverend Dr Lawrence Tetteh, said it was important for political leaders to be humble enough to seek God's face and direction, if the country was to overcome its current economic challenges. He, thus, encouraged as many people as possible to participate in the month-long event. Ignoring the God factor That, Rev. Tetteh said, had become paramount because the nation had been divided on partisan lines, with almost everything, including issues of national interests, being politicised. He said these had led to leaders and the rest of the nation unconsciously ignoring the God-factor in its discourse, a factor which was adversely affecting the nations prosperity and national agenda. We need to call on our God as a people to seek His face in a massive united front. A call to prosperity, peace, love, progress and national repentance. As a nation, we need the hand of God today like never before - not eloquence and politics, he said at a press conference last Wednesday. Change of mindsets Rev. Tetteh said the nation had to change its mindset on political, traditional, media, and socio-economic and religious leaderships because the peoples attitude towards building the socio-economic landscape and development had been eroded due to selfish desires and wrong motives. Shamefully, our two main political parties have not helped to promote our national agenda and succession plan for Ghana. It is quite worrying that while the NDC did not continue with NPP-led projects while it was in government, the NPP is also doing the same by abandoning the NDC-led projects, he lamented. Rev. Tetteh appealed to political actors and the nation as a whole to be very circumspect in their verbal attacks on religious leadership which were based on the misdeeds of some errant members of the religious community. I will strongly entreat us all to refrain from engaging in such acts and rather approach religious, political and cultural discussions with decorum and maturity, remember that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom," he added. Continuous prayer Rev. Tetteh also urged the media to dedicate a lot more airtime to discuss issues pertaining to the moral and ethical development of the youth, to empower them with godly values and civic responsibilities for a better country. The convenor said the continuous peace, religious tolerance and brotherly love that the nation enjoyed must not be taken for granted, adding that it was simply by the infinite grace of God that the country had been spared the chaos, famine, war and diseases that was wiping out large numbers of people in other countries. We must continue to pray without ceasing and seek the face of God in all our deliberations. Let us continue to pray for our nation and our leaders to be humble and prayerful as the word of God admonishes, he added. Ghana Water issues early warning on Weija Dam spillage Zadok Kwame Gyesi Apr - 29 - 2023 , 09:24 The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), managers of the Weija Dam, says the company will soon carry out spillage exercise to allow excess water in the dam to out. It has therefore cautioned people living downstream of the dam to be on alert. The company in a release dated Friday, April 28, 2023, said "The level of the Dam as of Friday 28th April, 2023 is 46ft, 1ft below the maximum safe operating level of 47ft. The dam levels are monitored on an hourly basis and the GWCL will not hesitate to open the spill gates, should the level go above 46.5ft, so as not to compromise the integrity of the dam and to avert any disaster." According to the release, communities that are likely to be affected by the exercise include Tetegu, Oblogo, Pambros Salt, Lower McCarthy Hill, Lower Weija, Bojo Beach, Adakope and surrounding communities. Below is the GWCL release WEIJA DAM WATER SPILLAGE EARLY WARNING With the onset of the rains, Management of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) wishes to inform the public, especially citizens living downstream of the Weija Dam, that it will begin spillage of excess water from the dam any time soon. The level of the Dam as of Friday 28th April, 2023 is 46ft, 1ft below the maximum safe operating level of 47ft. The dam levels are monitored on an hourly basis and the GWCL will not hesitate to open the spill gates, should the level go above 46.5ft, so as not to compromise the integrity of the dam and to avert any disaster. The Management of GWCL is by this release sounding a word of caution to inhabitants downstream to evacuate the area to forestall any eventuality. The Municipal Assembly has also been informed to desilt the estuary to enable easy flow of the water into the sea and to clear heaps of refuse along the course of the river. The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), National Security, Chiefs of Weija, Ogblogo, Tetegu, Weija, Gbawe, opinion leaders and all stakeholders including institutions and organizations who have properties downstream have been informed of the development and current situation at the dam. The communities likely to be affected include Tetegu, Oblogo, Pambros Salt, Lower McCarthy Hill, Lower Weija, Bojo Beach, Adakope and surrounding communities. Management of GWCL expects that the public will be supportive in this exercise to avoid a reoccurrence of the disaster that has occurred in the past. International Girls in ICT Day commemorated Juliet Akyaa Safo & Diana Mensah Apr - 29 - 2023 , 09:09 A mentorship programme for girls in Information and Communication Technology has been organised in Accra as part of activities to commemorate this years International Girls in ICT Day, on the theme: Digital skills for life. The programme, which was organised by the Ghana Education Service (GES), was aimed at developing interest of the girls in ICT to explore the world of technology and build careers in that sector. The girls, who included pupils from pre-school, junior and senior high schools were also taken through some Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activities. Relevance The Director of the Science Education Unit at the STEM resource centre at the GES, Olivia Serwaa Opare, said the programme would enable the young girls to build their capacity in ICT and engineering, and also help to bridge the gender gap in what was considered a male-dominated sector. According to her, digital literacy was the way to go and, therefore, called for building the capacity of the young generation in order that they did not lag behind in technology. Its all about digital literacy, and the way the world is moving now if we do not allow our youth to be in the same space like other developing countries, we shall lag behind in technology, she added. The director said similar activities were being organised across the country. Advice The Deputy Director in charge of Management Services at the GES, Stephen Owusu, advised young people to be mindful of what they posted on the internet as it could have dire consequences on their lives in future. He urged them to rather take advantage of the opportunities that ICT offered to improve on themselves. Science is life since it permeates every aspect of life. Science contributes to the economic growth of individuals and the nation, the reason GES is prioritising STEM education, the director said. Mr Owusu further encouraged them to pursue science from the basic to tertiary levels, adding that wherever they find themselves they must make sure they study an element of digital technology. He said they must also be innovative and not be fascinated about what had already been invented and was in the system. STEM The STEM Advisor to the Minister of Education, Prof. Adom-Asamoah, also explained that his outfit was investing in STEM to ensure that young people had the right skills to participate in the digital space. He expressed the hope that the celebration of the .day would help individuals identify solutions to challenges through the application of technology. Time to update workplace law - Government, workers Emelia Ennin Abbey & Doreen Andoh Apr - 29 - 2023 , 10:53 Both the government and workers have acknowledged the need to update the regulation that comprehensively and holistically addresses occupational safety and health to better safeguard the safety and health of workers. This is because though the safety and health of workers is crucial to efficiency, effectiveness and optimises production, oftentimes, employers and employees choose convenience over doing the right thing, which is prioritising health and safety, a less costly price to pay for prevention, and only end up paying a costly price to provide compensation when the unexpected happens. From uncomfortable furniture at offices, poor ventilation and lack of appropriate personal protective equipment for field staff, the safety and wellbeing of workers are often taken for granted and the staff invariably pay a price with their health either on the job or after retirement when they do not have enough resources to manage their situation. While the Trades Union Congress (TUC) is calling on the government to speed up the promulgation of the law, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, has said the government acknowledged the fact that the national policy and legal framework on occupational safety and health required drastic improvement. "Calls for the promulgation of a comprehensive national Occupational Safety and Health Law are not exaggerated. These are genuine concerns that government is acting upon to establish a strong policy and legislative regime, Mr Baffour Awuah said at an event to mark World Health and Safety Day which fell yesterday. 20th anniversary This year's event is the 20th anniversary celebration of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. A day set aside by the trades union movement in 1996 to highlight the vital work carried out by people and dedicated to reducing preventable injuries and harm to workers, the day is commemorated to remind all that every individual has the right to a safe and healthy working environment. It highlights the fact that it is the responsibility of employers, governments and the society as a whole to ensure that this right is upheld. It is also marked to remember the workers who lost their lives in the line of duty and who have sustained various forms of disability at the workplace. The day is further used to advocate better safe working conditions for workers. This year's theme was: A safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental principle and right at work. Situation Although workers have a responsibility towards themselves to ensure that they work safely to protect themselves and their fellow workers from harm, they often overlook this and do very little to push for their right or protect their interest, for fear of losing their jobs. This, according to research, is a source of concern among factory workers and workers within the waste collection industry. Data available from the TUC shows that last year, 1,043 workers were reported to have been involved in work-related accidents at workplaces and out of the number, 37 died, while many other sustained varying degrees of injury, resulting in some forms of disability. Bill The TUC, yesterday, at an event to mark the day, said the enactment of the law would ensure that no one was denied that right. The National Occupational Safety and Health Bill, a comprehensive bill that seeks to promote a safe work environment for all stakeholders, was first introduced to Cabinet in 1989, but it was yet to receive the needed attention to be passed into an Act. It was rejected by the cabinet in its current stage, calling for a review. A Principal Labour Officer, Francis N. Bibuksi, said the bill, when passed into law, would, among other objectives promote the highest standard, the physical, mental and social wellbeing of workers; ensure the adaptation of work to the physiological and psychological needs of persons at work and protect workers against risks and hazards to safety or health arising out of activities of persons at work. On workplace safety, he said people were killed, disabled and injured at their places of work due to industrial accidents. However, he said safety was possible only by knowing those risks and properly guarding ourselves until the risks had been eliminated. Fundamental right A Deputy Secretary of the TUC, Andrews Addo Quaye, said workplace safety and health had been designated a fundament right of workers and it was thus important that it was prioritised. He also called on local union leaders to prioritise safety over compensations when negotiating collective bargaining agreements, particularly, because no amount of compensation packages in such occurrences could bring about restoration. Mr Addo Quaye called on employees to put in place measures that would ensure the safety and health of their employees. He also asked workers not to ignore safety risks and make conscious efforts to be safe. We have an essential responsibility to ensure that people go to work and come home alive, uninjured and healthy. All UN member states are expected to respect, realise and promote the right to safety at workplaces, he said. He indicated that locally, there were a number of concerns regarding workplace safety and health that needed immediate attention and that included improving worker participation in occupational safety and health evaluations and decision-making. He also called for the establishment of systems for reporting and keeping records of work-related accidents at workplaces; the establishment of safety management systems at all workplaces and undertake a worker-centred risk assessment. This will guide our reduction of workplace hazards. The experts indicate that for every 600 near misses, 30 will result in accidents and if care is not taken will further result in 10 serious accidents, then finally one fatality. Factories must improve conditions Mr Baffour-Awuah also at an event to mark the day, charged employers and factory owners to put in place measures to ensure the safety and health of their employees. Across the globe, he stated, workers were exposed to a plethora of risks in the world of work ranging from biological, chemical and physical hazards, to psychosocial and ergonomical hazards. The ILO, Mr Baffour-Awuah said, estimated that millions of workers lost their lives each year due to occupational accidents and diseases, with many more suffering from debilitating work-related injuries and chronic conditions. In a speech read on his behalf by the Director, Finance and Administration of the Ministry, Hamidu Adakurugu, the Labour and Employment Minister said prioritising occupational safety and health was important to curb the increasing incidence of occupational injuries, diseases and casualties. He pointed out that the prevalence of forced labour and hazardous child labour should also be of utmost concern to all. Mental health, violence Mr Baffour-Awuah also expressed concern about mental health, violence and harassment at the workplace which were rapidly gaining momentum in the world of work, thus the need to strengthen the regulations to protect workers in the line of duty. He said in Ghana and many jurisdictions, adequate measures to prevent occupational accidents and diseases were often lacking and as a result, the general safety, health and the minister said workers who found themselves in a workplace situation in which they sensed imminent danger had the right to leave such places without facing the undue consequences as recognised by the international labour organisation (ILO). Workers role The acting Chief Inspector of Factories, George D. Gashon, said safety and health at the workplace was the right of every worker and that employees who worked in unsafe environments must report to the Department of Factory Inspectorate for the necessary action to be taken. He said the National Occupational Safety and Health Authority Bill, which would soon be passed into law, would accelerate efforts to promote workplace health and safety. He said the ILO made it mandatory for all nationals to comply with occupational safety and health standards and urged employees to be safety conscious. "The government is the regulator and it is to ensure everyone in the world of work is protected and the 1992 Constitution guarantees the safety of workers. Employers also have a duty of care and must implement measures for the safety and health of their workers, while employees ensure they take their safety seriously by using safety gear provided to them and complying with safety rules," he said. Alan's Aduru Wo So health walk held in Accra Zadok Kwame Gyesi Politics Apr - 29 - 2023 , 15:13 The Greater Accra version of the 'Aduru Wo So' health walk as part of the flagbearer campaign of former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, was held in Accra on Saturday, April 29, 2023. New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters walked through some streets of Accra chanting the virtues of Mr. Kyerematen amidst singing and dancing. Accompanied by his wife, Patricia, Alan Cash, as he is popularly called, led the 19-kilometre walk from the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to Mantse Agbona in James Town where it ended. Addressing the crowd at Mantse Agbona, Mr. Kyerematen said his "Great Transformational Plan" (GTP) was aimed at the fundamental uplifting in the fortunes of Ghana. "Through re-engineered economic, technological and agricultural paradigms, GTP is aimed at sustained growth and prosperity of the country. "It is aimed at adopting cutting edge technologies in all facets of productivity for maximum output for the good of the people", he added. Mr. Kyerematen said his tours throughout the regions have shown massive support for his candidacy as flagbearer of the NPP as many see him as the surest bet to "break the eight" and win victory for the party in 2024. He commended party members in Greater Accra for their massive turn out and show of support, urging the delegates among them to ensure his victory in the primary since that was the only way the party could retain power. Prominent party members present were, Sly Tetteh, Ayikoi Otoo, Carlos Ahenkora, Adomako Kissi, Pope, Hopeson Adorye and Nana Ohene Ntow. Others were Yaw Buaben Asamoa, Catherine Afeku, Richard Nyamah and many others. State remains committed to battling drug use - Vice President assures public Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Politics Apr - 29 - 2023 , 09:36 Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has given the firm assurance that the government remains committed to protecting the nation from illicit drugs. To achieve that, he said the government would continue to retool all the security agencies, including the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to protect communities, borders and, in particular, the youth who were the most vulnerable, from the use and impact of the trade in the illicit narcotics trafficking. He noted that despite challenges faced by the Commission, the government was committed to ensuring that NACOC's operations and activities became a significant model for achieving its mandate. In view of that, the government is in the process of procuring more K 9 dogs for the Commission to enhance their operations at the Kotoka International Airport and other relevant operational areas to facilitate their surveillance, Dr Bawumia added. NACOC passing-out parade The Vice-President said this yesterday at the graduation and passing-out parade of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) Cadet Course 7, held at the Immigration Service Academy and Training School at Assin Fosu. The graduation class was made of 78 officers who were taken through 14 weeks of mandatory basic narcotics cadet training programme to help boost the institution's manpower capacity in combating the country's illicit drug menace. Among the dignitaries that graced the occasion were the Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery; the Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul; the Director-General of NACOC, Kenneth Adu-Amanfoh, and the Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold. Additionally, some notable individuals from sister security agencies in attendance were the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kwame Asuah Takyi; the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, and the Director-General of Ghana Prisons Service, Isaac Kofi Egyir. Also present were some traditional and religious heads of Assin Fosu. A special parade, mounted by the graduates with support from the continuing officers, was inspected by the Vice-President. It was a colourful and impressive parade as the graduating officers showed their well-rehearsed marching skills. Honours Four cadet officers were honoured for outstanding performances during the training. They were Roland Neequaye as Best in Drills; Mintah Yaw Nyarko as Best Male in Physical Training; Chelsea Bawumia as Best Female in Physical Training and Ivon Walier N. Kuutiero as Best in Academics, and the Overall Best Cadet. International collaboration Dr Bawumia said the world drug problem required international cooperation and collaboration in dealing with the trans-national nature of the problem and the international organised criminal gangs who were involved in the illicit trade. He said the country stood ready to collaborate with all relevant international bodies and organisations in dealing with the world drug problem. In that regard, the Vice-President mentioned that the government was working and collaborating with other countries such as the United States of America, United Kingdom, Germany and other organisations such as United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) and ECOWAS in the area of drug law enforcement, and also supporting the Commission in a variety of ways, such as capacity-building and equipment to improve its operations. Loyalty, integrity Vice-President Dr Bawumia charged the officers to view their duty as a very sensitive institution which required commitment, integrity and loyalty to the country because the people were depending on them to secure the countrys borders. He said their service to the country must be their top priority, adding that it is critical for you to uphold your oaths of allegiance, office and secrecy to help complement the commission's mission and vision, because your graduation from the training school signifies your readiness to serve. I urge you to be resolute and maintain discipline, resilience, and focus on your job description, as well as avoid engaging in activities that will not benefit your professional working life and have the potential to tarnish the image of our dear country, Dr Bawumia emphasised. The Vice-President also urged them to remain professional in their responsibilities and avoid being influenced by unpatriotic individuals acting primarily in their own self-interest to combat illicit drug trafficking and related organised crime. Stellantis N.V. and exploration and development company Alliance Nickel (formerly GME Resources) signed a binding offtake agreement for the supply of 170,000 tons of nickel sulfate and 12,000 tons of cobalt sulfate in total over an initial five-year period. This represents approximately 40% of forecast annual production of the NiWest Nickel-Cobalt Project in Western Australia. Pricing for the nickel and cobalt sulfate is linked to index prices. In addition, Stellantis agreed to purchase 9.2 million (AUD15 million) in new equity in Alliance Nickel, giving it an 11.5% shareholding on completion and rights to nominate one director to the Alliance board. The binding offtake and share purchase agreements solidify the partnership between Stellantis and Alliance Nickel inaugurated in October 2022 with a non-binding memorandum of understanding for the supply of electric-vehicle battery materials. Funds from the equity purchase will be applied to the completion of the NiWest Project Definitive Feasibility Study and engineering design works, expected in the last quarter of 2023. As part of the Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan, Stellantis announced plans of reaching 100% of the passenger car battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales mix in Europe and 50% of passenger car and light-duty truck BEV sales mix in the United States by 2030. Stellantis aims to slash CO 2 in half by 2030, benchmarking 2021 metrics, and achieve carbon net zero by 2038 with single-digit percentage compensation of the remaining emissions. Completion of the binding offtake and share subscription agreements are subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Stellantis is assembling a roster of key partnerships to ensure a stable supply of key materials for its electrified future. In addition to Alliance Nickel, Stellantis has partnerships with McEwen Copper, Terrafame, Vulcan Energy, Element 25 and Controlled Thermal Resources. Alliance Nickels flagship 100%-owned NiWest Nickel Cobalt Project hosts one of the highest-grade undeveloped nickel laterite Mineral Resources in Australia, estimated to contain 85.2 million tonnes averaging 1.03% nickel and 0.06% cobalt. More than 75% of the resource is contained within the Measured and Indicated JORC categories with potential to expand the currently delineated mineralisation with further drilling. The project has access to existing primary mining infrastructure such as an established network of roads, a railway and gas pipeline and is strategically situated adjacent to Glencores Murrin Murrin Operations, Australias largest nickel producer. The company has completed a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) which has confirmed the technical and economic viability of a heap leach and direct solvent extraction operation to manufacture low-cost, high-quality Class 1 nickel and cobalt sulfate for battery manufacturers and automakers in the Electric Vehicle (EV) sector. A Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) is underway and will be completed before the end of 2023. Resources We've seen several renders and live images of the Google Pixel Fold since last year, so we already know what the internet search giant's first foldable smartphone will look like. But today, we got our best look at the Google Pixel Fold since reliable leakster Evan Blass shared a couple of official-looking renders of the smartphone on Twitter, showing it in folded and unfolded form. You can see the images below. Google Pixel Fold These images don't reveal anything new and don't show us the folding screen of the Pixel Fold, but they do corroborate previous design leaks. And since they come from Blass, you can be sure that the Pixel Fold will look like this. It's expected to go official on May 10 at Google I/O 2023 alongside the Pixel 7a and is rumored to cost $1,799. Source 1, Source 2 During an Honor event at its R&D center in Shenzhen, the company's CEO said it has ambitious plans to take on Apple's iOS. He also said that Honor's R&D expenses in 2022 account for 10% of the company's total revenue, which is the main reason for being so optimistic about the future of MagicOS. Zhao Ming, Honor's CEO, pointed out that Apple's smartphones have inferior hardware, outdated design, bad reception and poor battery life compared to many Android smartphones, including the Magci5 series. But people flock to Apple mostly because of iOS and the ecosystem that it provides. And there's no denying that Apple's iOS is fluent, reliable and powerful in its own way, so Honor will try to compete in this regard with its future MagicOS iterations. The firm will also focus more on building a rich ecosystem that could challenge not just Apple but its previous partner Huawei with its HarmonyOS. Source (in Chinese) Haiti - Massacre at Source Matelas : The OPC does not deplore, it accuses The Office for the Protection of Citizens (OPC), a National Institution for the protection and promotion of human rights, accredited (status A) with the UN Human Rights Council, "denounces with the greatest firmness the recent tragic, murderous, criminal, barbaric events with political and economic overtones that occurred in the Source Matelas locality, commune of Cabaret at the northern entrance to the capital. During the week of April 17 to 22, 2023 at least a hundred people were murdered, 29 women and girls were victims of gang rapes and hundreds of houses were burned down https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39405-haiti-flash-intensification-of-armed-attacks-several-hundred-dead-report.html "No cause, no motive, even on the occasion of the most barbaric wars, can justify the apocalyptic scenes in which we live today in our daily life of horrors [...] all these crimes are committed by individuals without state of mind, bandits and notorious criminals known to all, armed by mafia of the political and economic sectors who are waging a dirty war of expansion and protection of territory [...] In the meantime, cases of kidnapping are multiply in the capital as in the provinces." 1,647 criminal acts (homicides, rapes, kidnappings and lynchings) were recorded during the first quarter of 2023 against 692 for the same period in 2022, Maria Isabel Salvador told the UN Security Council https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39397-haiti-un-maria-isabel-salvador-stresses-the-urgency-of-the-deployment-of-a-specialized-international-force.html "When State structures affected by this institutionalized terror display their incapacity, their contempt in the face of violations of all the rights of citizens. The OPC wonders : who is in charge ? The OPC accuses the irresponsibility of those who are paid to administer the State, ensuring the protection of all citizens in the exercise of their full rights to enjoy the goods and services of their country. NO to the transformation of our trails into the highway of Croix, Haiti is a country like the others. Let it stop, let this barbarism stop, let this complicity stop, let all bandits be neutralized and disarmed for the return of tranquility, peace and republican order in our dear Haiti. The OPC, does not lament, it accuses and asks : Who is in charge ?" Find out more about the OPC visit its website : https://www.opchaiti.com See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39397-haiti-un-maria-isabel-salvador-stresses-the-urgency-of-the-deployment-of-a-specialized-international-force.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39386-haiti-flash-the-situation-in-haiti-comparable-to-that-of-countries-at-war-dixit-antonio-guterres.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39226-haiti-flash-more-than-4-kidnappings-on-average-every-day-1st-quarter-of-2023.html Read also about the killings at Source Matelas : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39405-haiti-flash-intensification-of-armed-attacks-several-hundred-dead-report.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39404-haiti-news-zapping.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-39395-icihaiti-source-matelas-massive-displacement-of-the-population.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39366-haiti-news-zapping.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39359-haiti-news-zapping.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - NOTICE : Course of compensation and acceleration of learning for students of 9th A.F The Ministry of National Education informs students in official exam classes of the 9th Fundamental Year (A.F.) and Secondary 4, that compensation and acceleration courses will be launched from Tuesday, May 2nd 2023 in several public schools. It should also be noted that Educational Radio, through the 102.1 FM frequency, will also be used to broadcast online courses. These courses will also be broadcast on other radio and television stations across the country, in addition to the courses of compensation and acceleration of face-to-face learning. In addition, more than 700 teachers and trainees will be mobilized to support students in high schools and basic national schools, candidates for state exams. This is a support envisaged by the Ministry in accordance with its commitments, with a view to filling the gaps accumulated by the pupils, in particular due to school disruptions in difficult areas and thus contributing to their academic success. Reacting to the teachers' strike movement affecting some public schools, Minister Manigat recalled that the teachers' checks for the month of March have all been paid and delivered in the 10 departments https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39356-haiti-education-the-minister-manigat-met-with-about-fifty-unionist-teachers.html . In addition, he stressed that teachers have rights and that students, demanding teachers in the classroom, also have rights that the State has an obligation to enforce. Regarding the demands, he specified that the Ministry primarily addresses demands that can be resolved in the short term evoking a request for a 400% salary increase from certain unions [at least 500% for Action Syndicale of Teachers of Haiti (ASEHA)] . The Minister insists "[...] Less than ten weeks from the closing of classes and the organization of state exams, it is important to provide the necessary support expected by these students who are demanding regular classes, and the support needed to pass their final exams." See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39356-haiti-education-the-minister-manigat-met-with-about-fifty-unionist-teachers.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Mgr. Dumas denounces the attitude of the international Mgr. Pierre Andre Dumas denounced the attitude of the international in the Haitian crisis. The Bishop of Nippes called on the International to take concrete action in Haiti in the face of the deterioration of the situation. The owner of MicroLab released Kidnapped on March 30, 2023 in La Ruelle Berne by armed individuals, Joelle Nazon Cineas, the owner of the MicroLab laboratory and her employee Marie Olive Belfort, were released by their captors this week for ransom. 1st May : Despite the insecurity, fairs are planned Despite the deleterious situation in the country characterized by growing insecurity, several activities are announced in the capital to mark Labor and Agriculture Day (May 1st). Agro-craft and cultural fairs are planned in particular at Carrefour and at the Municipal Palace of Delmas. No handover before 2025 The transfer of power to legitimately elected leaders cannot take place before February 2025, declares former Prime Minister Moise Jean Michel Lapin a.i. (March 2019 - March 2020 under the Moise Presidency) explaining that it takes at least 18 months in normal time for organizing elections. In addition, he describes as "political childishness" the commitment made by the signatories of the agreement of December 21, 2022, relating to the transmission of power to elected officials, in February 2024. Grand-Goave : Goats affected by an unknown disease An "unknown" disease more than twenty goats in the locality of Gravin, in Grand-Goave, reveals Hebert Blaise, an agricultural engineer specializing in animal production. Laboratory analyzes must be carried out to determine what it is exactly. Mirebalais : a robber arrested Actively wanted by the police for his involvement, among other things, in armed attacks, Castro Louissaint (38), was arrested by the police in Mirebalais (Central Dept.) in possession of a 9mm caliber pistol. Castro Louissaint was also an active member of a gang operating at the minibus station providing the Pont-Sonde/Mirebalais route. HL/ HaitiLibre Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up New Ad-free Subscriber Login Email Password Password Username Subscribe to our daily NewsLetter Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password or receive our NewsLetter. Stay logged in Lost password Contact BRCC offers new degree programs, including engineering, AI, entrepreneurship To prepare students for an influx of in-demand jobs available in the region, Blue Ridge Community College is launching eight new programs to help students build skills in engineering, information technology, business, healthcare and education. Students can take classes within these programs beginning with the fall semester in August. The new programs recently received full approval from the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges. This approval comes after a comprehensive feasibility study conducted by Blue Ridge Community College faculty and staff to ensure a robust local demand for program graduates and a promising long-term job outlook. We strive to continuously meet the needs of our local workforce and are excited to add these offerings to our 200-plus existing degrees, diplomas and certificate programs, said Dr. Laura B. Leatherwood, president of Blue Ridge Community College. We have conducted a thorough needs assessment, and these programs will prepare workers for in-demand jobs right here in Henderson and Transylvania Counties. The new majors starting this fall are: Civil Engineering Technology: The Civil Engineering Technology associate degree program prepares graduates with skills needed by technicians to carry out tasks in the construction of transportation systems, residential and commercial buildings, bridges, dams and water treatment. Graduates find jobs with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, general and specialty contractors, commercial and residential developers, consulting engineering companies, municipalities and environmental firms. The Civil Engineering Technology associate degree program prepares graduates with skills needed by technicians to carry out tasks in the construction of transportation systems, residential and commercial buildings, bridges, dams and water treatment. Graduates find jobs with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, general and specialty contractors, commercial and residential developers, consulting engineering companies, municipalities and environmental firms. Environmental Engineering Technology: The Environmental Engineering Technology associate degree program prepares graduates to use mathematical and scientific principles to modify, test and operate equipment and devices used to prevent, control and remedy environmental problems. Graduates will qualify for technician-level jobs with both public and private engineering, construction and testing agencies. The Environmental Engineering Technology associate degree program prepares graduates to use mathematical and scientific principles to modify, test and operate equipment and devices used to prevent, control and remedy environmental problems. Graduates will qualify for technician-level jobs with both public and private engineering, construction and testing agencies. Artificial Intelligence: The Artificial Intelligence (AI) associate degree pathway is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and growth in the rapidly growing AI profession. Emerging technologies such as the internet-of-things, face recognition, voice recognition, big-data analysis and simulation agents rely on AI applications. Occupations currently requesting AI skills include business analyst, data engineer, engineer, software developer, architect, and many more. Blue Ridge Community College is the only community college in Western North Carolina that offers the Artificial Intelligence associate degree program. Students may choose from an in-person or fully online option for the new Artificial Intelligence program. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) associate degree pathway is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and growth in the rapidly growing AI profession. Emerging technologies such as the internet-of-things, face recognition, voice recognition, big-data analysis and simulation agents rely on AI applications. Occupations currently requesting AI skills include business analyst, data engineer, engineer, software developer, architect, and many more. Blue Ridge Community College is the only community college in Western North Carolina that offers the Artificial Intelligence associate degree program. Students may choose from an in-person or fully online option for the new Artificial Intelligence program. Entrepreneurship: The Entrepreneurship associate degree program adds to the Colleges already established certificate program. Entrepreneurship and small business are a rapidly growing part of North Carolina, which CNBC recently named as the best place to do business in America. The Entrepreneurship program will provide students with the necessary tools to achieve their goal of starting and successfully running their own businesses. The program will be available fully online. The Entrepreneurship associate degree program adds to the Colleges already established certificate program. Entrepreneurship and small business are a rapidly growing part of North Carolina, which CNBC recently named as the best place to do business in America. The Entrepreneurship program will provide students with the necessary tools to achieve their goal of starting and successfully running their own businesses. The program will be available fully online. Elementary Education Residency Certificate: The Elementary Education Residency is designed for those who hold a bachelors degree outside of education but would like to become a licensed classroom teacher, and they currently are employed by a local school system. The new certification makes becoming an elementary school teacher easier and more affordable. This program supports the needs of school systems throughout Western North Carolina that need trained teachers licensed to fill open positions as soon as possible. The teaching licensing courses will be offered fully online. The Elementary Education Residency is designed for those who hold a bachelors degree outside of education but would like to become a licensed classroom teacher, and they currently are employed by a local school system. The new certification makes becoming an elementary school teacher easier and more affordable. This program supports the needs of school systems throughout Western North Carolina that need trained teachers licensed to fill open positions as soon as possible. The teaching licensing courses will be offered fully online. Medical Office Administration: The Medical Office Administration associate degree program, the latest addition to the Colleges rapidly growing healthcare training offerings, prepares graduates for employment in medical offices, hospitals, insurance companies, laboratories and other healthcare-related organizations. Graduates will learn administrative and support functions and develop skills needed in medical environments, such as medical terminology, information systems, office management, medical coding, billing and insurance and legal and ethical issues. Other expansions in the colleges healthcare training offerings include Respiratory Therapy and Licensed Practical Nursing. BRCC is a satellite location for Southwestern Community Colleges Respiratory Therapy program. Students may apply to Southwestern and attend classes at Blue Ridges Transylvania County Campus in Brevard. Students will master skills in patient assessment and treatment of cardiopulmonary diseases. These skills include life support, monitoring, drug administration and treatment of patients of all ages in hospitals, clinics, medical practices, nursing homes and home care. Blue Ridge will also launch a one-year Licensed Practical Nursing diploma program in spring of 2024. The Practical Nursing Diploma program addresses a critical need for LPNs to provide acute patient care, especially in long-term care facilities, as well as hospitals and medical practices. Interested students may find information about the colleges new programs and its existing majors at blueridge.edu/programs. The colleges fall semester schedule of classes is listed online at blueridge.edu/course-schedules. The first edition of the prestigious Acko Drive Awards marked the beginning of a new era in automotive awards. The awards were all about rewarding automotive excellence in the country for both the best products and people in this space and truly recognising The One That Matters (TOTM). Held on March 29, 2023 in New Delhi, the awards were also an effort at setting the benchmark when it comes to transparency, credibility and relevance. Each of the nominations across 55 diverse categories were put through several criteria for judging before the winner was selected. The process was stringent with points being awarded by a jury of distinguished people, after which an external adjudicator tallied these marks and provided the final results. The star-studded awards evening was hosted by Acko Drive Editor-in-Chief Siddharth Vinayak Patankar and actor Gul Panag. The winners The Acko Drive Awards attracted all the big names in the auto industry. The stars of the night were Skoda Slavia, which was awarded the 2023 Acko Drive Car Of The Year and the Vida V1 electric scooter bagged the top spot for the 2023 Acko Drive Bike Of The Year award. This is the first time in the history of the automotive industry that an electric scooter has emerged over numerous bikes that featured on the nomination list to win the top prize. There were separate awards for the premium car and bike category. While the TOTMs for overall Premium Bike went to the Ducati DesertX , the Premium Car that outshone the rest was Mercedes-AMG EQS 53. The Suzuki Katana and Audi Q3 won the runners-up spot in these categories. The 2023 Manufacturer of the Year was awarded to Maruti Suzuki in the car category and to Royal Enfield in the bike category. The jury The eminent jury for the maiden edition of the Acko Drive Awards included Gul Panag, Actor, Producer, Dr. V Sumantran, Senior Industry Executive, Siddharth Vinayak Patankar, Chief Creative Officer, Acko Tech and Vice Chairman - World Car Awards, Aaravind KP, Professional Racer, Aditya Patel, Racer and Entrepreneur, Ameya Naik, Executive Editor, Acko Drive, Aishwarya Pissay, Off-Road Motorcycle Racer among others. The response to the awards was so overwhelming that the jury meet had to be spread across two days to do justice to the process of selecting the one most deserving winner in each category, after thorough evaluation. They drove and rode some of the most exciting and innovative vehicles over the course of the two days, where more than 35 cars and 25 two-wheeler models were brought to the Buddh International F1 Circuit and were placed on the track for some real testing by the jury. Each of the products were marked on set parameters. Disclaimer: This article has been produced on behalf of the brand by HT Brand Studio. The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday carried out searches at the three premises of Byju Raveendran, the founder and chief executive officer of Think and Learn Private Ltd' that runs edtech platform under the name of BYJU's. Byju Raveendran of Think and Learn Pvt. Ltd that runs edutech start-up Byjus. (Livemint) The probe agency carried out searches under the provisions of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), having seized various incriminating documents and digital data. According to the probe agency, the company received foreign direct investment (FDI) worth 28,000 crore between 2011 and 2023. It remitted approximately 9,754 crore to various foreign jurisdictions during the same period in the name of overseas direct investment. As per ED, Think & Learn Private Limited had booked around 944 crore in the name of advertisement and marketing expenses including the money remitted to foreign jurisdicition. However, the company did not prepare its financial statements since fiscal year 2020-21 and not got the accounts audited. Hence, the genuineness of the figures provided by the company are being cross examined from the banks, the agency added. The probe against the platform was initiated on the basis of various complaints received from various private persons. During investigation conducted by the ED, several summonses were issued to Byju Raveendran, who always remained evasive and never appeared during the investigation. In response to the searches, a spokesperson of BYJU's legal team stated,"The recent visit by officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Bangalore was related to a routine inquiry under FEMA." We have been completely transparent with the authorities and have provided them with all the information they have requested. We have nothing but the utmost confidence in the integrity of our operations, and we are committed to upholding the highest standards of compliance and ethics. We will continue to work closely with the authorities to ensure that they have all the information they need, and we are confident that this matter will be resolved in a timely and satisfactory manner, the spokesperson added. We want to emphasize that it is business as usual at BYJU'S. We are committed to delivering high-quality educational products and services to our customers across India and the world, the spokesperson added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda on Friday hit out against the Congress party and alleged that during the tenure of Siddaramaiah, the party had sent only 17 names of farmers for 'PM Kisan Samman Nidhi'. BJP National President JP Nadda addresses the public meeting ahead of Karnataka Assembly elections in Chikkamagaluru on Friday.(JP Nadda twitter) Addressing a public meeting, Nadda said, "During Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah's government in the state, we had sought names of farmers for Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi. And, Kumaraswamy sent the names of only 17 farmers. This was their 'brilliant' performance. These Kumaraswamy, Siddaramaiah have no intention of serving people, they just blabber". He further accused the previous Congress government of "stalling" the development projects and welfare schemes in the state. READ | Every vote to BJP will save Karnataka from PFI: Amit Shah The BJP president said that today 4 crore people are receiving free ration in the state under PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana and nine lakh people have been provided with houses under the PM Awas Yojana. "This election is for the future of Karnataka. On the one hand, you have a party which promotes corruption and blocks development. On the other hand, you have BJP which promotes development. If you want double-engine government, then you have to send Bangarappa to the state assembly," Nadda further said. He further hit out at the Congress party over the scrapping of 4 per cent reservation of the Muslim community in the state. READ | Rahul Gandhi promises 1crore to each village panchayat, 5,000 crore for Kalyana Karnataka region "For social welfare, we increased the reservation of SC by 2 per cent, ST by 4 per cent, for Lingayat community by 2 per cent and for Vokkaliga community by 2 per cent. On the other hand, Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar say that they will take away these reservations and give them on a communal basis, which is against the Constitution. I want to ask Congress, whose reservation they want to take back. They only work for dividing people in the name of politics," Nadda added. JP Nadda also said that voting for BJP works with the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas' under the leadership of PM Modi, and aims to empower every section of the society. "Voting for JD(S) means voting for Congress, and voting for Congress means voting for PFI. These parties lend support to the anti-social forces. Only BJP can ensure the safety, security and prosperity of Karnataka. So people should vote judiciously," the BJP president added. On 29th March, the election commission of India announced the schedule for the Karnataka elections. The polls for the 224-seat assembly are slated to take place on 10 May and the counting will take place on 13th May. Karnataka Election 2023 Updates: Leaders from both the BJP and the Congress furthered attacks on one another ahead of the fast approaching assembly elections in the southern state. Fresh controversies erupted after BJP leader BR Patil Yatnal on Friday called former Congress president Sonia Gandhi a "vishkanya" (venomous maiden). This came after a row over Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge's recent poisonous snake remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, the poll-bound state is seeing several campaigns, rallies and roadshows held by prominent ministers including defence minister Rajnath Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. PM Modi also held a roadshow in Bengaluru today. Karnataka is set to vote on May 10 and counting is scheduled for May 13. Follow for the latest updates. The Gwalior bench of Madhya Pradesh high court on Friday directed the states director general of police (DGP) to pay 10 lakh compensation for violating Article 21 (right to personal liberty) of the constitution for wrongful confinement. Madhya Pradesh high court (File Photo) The Gwalior police had falsely booked a youth and kept him in custody for eight months for possession of what the police claimed was party drug MDMA. The youth Mohit Tiwari, along with five others, was arrested on September 6, 2022, under Narcotic-Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and Arms Act after police seized 720 gm of MDMA drug and a country-made pistol from their possession. Also Read: Bihar ex-MLA Jawahar Prasad arrested over Sasaram communal violence case Hearing a bail petition filed by Tiwari on April 28, a single bench of justice Deepak Kumar Agrawal analysed the forensic report of the substance and found that the samples of the material seized by the police were not MDMA but Urea, a chemical fertilizer and granted bail to Tiwari. Right to personal liberty as guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution has been violated because of the wrongful act of police. In this situation, this court is of the considered opinion that a sum of Rs.10 lakh should be given to the applicant as compensation for his wrongful confinement, said the bench. The bench further directed the DGP to pay a sum of 10 lakh to the applicant by way of compensation for his wrongful confinement within two months times and demanded a compliance report to this effect be submitted in the registry. The DGP is free to recover the aforesaid amount from the erring officials. The DGP is also directed to instruct its subordinate officers not to repeat such irregularity in future, the order from the court stated. During the bail hearing, Tiwaris lawyer Sushil Goswami claimed that his client has been falsely implicated in this case, adding that he had been in custody since September last year. His personal liberty as guaranteed by the Constitution has been violated by the wrongful act of the police agency. This is a clear abuse of the law, he added. Also Read: Poacher arrested from Kuno National Park, forest officers say no risk for cheetahs Six, including two females, were arrested by the police from the Morar area on September 6, 2022, claiming that 720 gm of MDMA drugs was recovered from their possession and charged them under Section 50 of the NDPS Act. The bench sought a forensic report of the recovered drugs, however, the report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Bhopal presented in the court, showed that none of the samples collected from the accused showed the presence of MDMA but it was of Urea. The court didnt comment on the merits of the case and released the applicant on bail. The forest officers at Kuno National Park (KNP) arrested a poacher from the core area, 15 km away from the habitat of newly translocated cheetahs, officials said on Saturday. (Representative Photo) A resident of Katela village, Alam Mongia was arrested on April 16, however, the matter came to light on Friday when forest officials raided his village to nab two other accused involved in the killing of wild animals, who are currently absconding. KNP divisional forest officer Prakash Kumar Verma said when Mongia entered the forest on April 16, a patrolling team saw him in the Hatedi core area, 15 km from the enclosure of cheetahs. They rushed to the spot with a team of retired army men recruited for the protection of cheetahs and arrested him, he said. Upon interrogation, Mongia informed that he was there to kill the herbivores, including spotted dear for bushmeat only. A gun was found buried in a riverbed, Verma said. He assured that there was no risk for cheetahs. Also Read: Cheetah from Namibia keeps MP forest staff on toes, travels more than 300km in 43 days According to forest officials, earlier too, they arrested three poachers, all local villagers, for entering the core area and killing herbivores for meat. Mongia confessed that the two other villagers are also involved in killing wild animals for meat, who are currently absconding. Verma informed that there are no organised gangs active in KNP, the poachers are mainly local villagers who kill small herbivores for meat. As of now, there is no risk for cheetahs and leopards in KNP. We are regularly checking the forest to keep an eye on traps, he said. Kuno National Park has 22 cheetahs- three are in the wild while 19 are in enclosures. A day after AAP leader and member of Zila Parishad Makhan Singh Lobana allegedly received a call from Anmol Bishnoi, brother of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, two bike-borne men fired two shots at his house in Ambala City, police said on Friday. AAP leader and member of Zila Parishad Makhan Singh Lobana. However, no injury was reported in the incident that took place during the early hours on Thursday. Lobanas son Arshjot Singh found bullet marks on the glass window of the first floor of the house in the evening. A BJP turncoat, Lobana is accused in several immigration fraud cases in the Ambala region. He was jailed a day before the Zila Parishad chairman election and is currently out on bail. In a CCTV footage, it was seen that two masked men on a bike came towards his residence in Sector 9 when the pillion rider ran towards the gate and fired two shots and fled from there. Also Read: Delhi Court grants 7-day custody of Lawrence Bishnoi to NIA in terror funding case Singh told the police that the firing took place at 6.30 am when they were all sleeping, and he heard a loud sound. I thought that some construction was going on in the neighbourhood and the sound must be related to that, so I ignored it. When I returned from work, I found cracks on the glass and bullet marks, Arshjot said in his statement. He added that around 1 pm on Thursday, his father received a WhatsApp call from some Anmol Bishnoi. On his complaint, a case was registered under Sections 285, 34, 427 and 506 of the IPC at Sector 9 police station against unknown accused. Lobana later told the media, During the ZP elections, one of my associates also received a threatening call and a case was registered, but no satisfactory action was taken. I received the call and when the caller said that he was Anmol Bishnoi, I hung up immediately. He called again, but I didnt answer and hours later the firing took place. DSP Joginder Sharma said, Soon after information, several police teams inspected the spot. Two shots were fired and a case was registered. We are checking CCTV footages and theyll be arrested soon. A civil engineer working with a private construction company in Panchkula has been arrested for theft of 8 lakh. Police recovered 8 lakh cash from the accused. He was produced before a court that sent him to one-day police custody. (iStock) The accused has been identified as Deepak Kumar of Nayagoan. In his complaint, Neeraj of Sector 8, Panchkula, told the police that he owns a construction company. He said on April 18, he kept 8 lakh in his office drawer after withdrawing from the bank. When on April 21 he checked the cash, it was missing after which a complaint of theft was lodged and a case under Sections 454 and 380 of the IPC was registered in police station Sector 7, Panchkula. During investigation, police questioned various employees and then zeroed in on the accused. Police recovered 8 lakh cash from the accused. He was produced before a court that sent him to one-day police custody. As per the police, the accused during preliminary questioning admitted having committed two more thefts. Police said the accused on April 18 had stolen a mobile phone from the civil hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula. On March 24, he had stolen a bag containing 2.50 lakh from the office of a contractor with whom he worked earlier as a manager. Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday said that all major sections of the society, including farmers, labourers, employees, traders, elders, and youth were dissatisfied with the BJP-led Manohar Lal Khattar government. There is almost a year left for the election. But there has been an exodus from the BJP-JJP. Till now, more than 50 leaders have left the ruling alliance and joined the Congress, the leader said. Due to lack of government procurement in the mandis, the farmers mustard was sold way below the MSP. Also, payment of farmers is getting delayed, he added. Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday said more than 50 leaders have left the ruling alliance and joined the Congress. (HT file photo) Vij seeks co-operation from Australia Chandigarh Haryana health minister Anil Vij on Saturday said the state government is exploring the possibility of mutual co-operation with Australian government in health, transport and education sectors. As per a statement, the health minister met Australian minister for city services and transport, Christopher James Steel in Canberra on Friday. The Australian minister expressed his desire to cooperate with Haryana in these sectors. Vij also invited Steel to come to Haryana, which was accepted by him, the statement said. With the arrest of three women, Lalru police claimed to have busted a gang that used to honeytrap people and snatch their valuables and cash. The trio has been identified as Gori, 30, Seema, 40, and Preeti, all residents of Ambala, operating near Chandmari Border in Bir area of Lalru. With the arrest of three women, Lalru police claimed to have busted a gang that used to honeytrap people and snatch their valuables and cash. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) The modus operandi of this gang entailed enticing men into the wild vegetation in Bir area and snatching their valuables. The trio also used to target men stopping to answer the natures call. The matter came to light when Rishav Walia, a resident of Sector-8, Ambala, fell prey to the gang. Walia told the police that on April 27, he was travelling on the Ambala-Chandigarh highway. When he reached near Chandmari border in Bir area, he stopped his scooter to answer the natures call. Rishav said that when he returned, he was shocked to find a trio of women surrounding his two-wheeler. He said the women engaged him in a conversation and snatched 2,000 from this possession. Rishav said the accused then escaped towards Ambala. Soon after receiving information, police registered a case under Section 379-B (snatching) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, said Darpan Ahluwalia, ASP Derabassi. The trio was soon nabbed and the snatched amount was also recovered from their possession. Lalru station house officer Ajitesh Kaushal said while investigating this case, police found that the women were involved in several such incidents. Police claim the gang was behind a series of snatchings but the previous incidents went unreported, possibly due to the fear of social embarrassment. From housekeeping to honeytrap: During the course of investigation, it came to light that the trio was working as housekeepers in an upscale residential society and none of them have a criminal record. While returning home, they would stop at Bir area, where they would entice men and rob them of their cash and valuables. A Kalka resident was duped of 2.08 lakh by online fraudsters on the pretext of activating a credit card. In his complaint, Rakesh Kumar Jain of Kalka told the police that he runs a government ration shop. He said he has an account in the Axis bank, which had issued him a new credit card in March 2023 that was received through a courier. A Kalka resident was duped of 2.08 lakh by online fraudsters on the pretext of activating a credit card. In his complaint, Rakesh Kumar Jain of Kalka told the police that he runs a government ration shop. (HT File) On April 7, at about 7 pm, he got a call from an unidentified person who claimed to be a bank employee and asked him as to why he has not activated his credit card. Jain told him that he already has a credit card and does not want a new one. The caller then told him that he will help close the credit. Jain said the caller told him to open his bank app. After this he was sent a link. As soon as Jain clicked on it, he got message that 28,792 has been debited from his account. Suspecting fraud, Jain closed the card through the app. On April 12, he got a message from bank that he has to pay 2,08,748. It was when he sought details of the transactions that he got to know that on April 7, the fraudster, in two transactions, had withdrawn the money. Acting on his complaint, a case under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at the Kalka police station. A 32-year-old man was found dead in Fatehpur village of Kaithal district, police said on Saturday. The deceased has been identified as Rakesh Kumar. However, family members of the victim have accused a priest of the murder. They told the police that the deceased was a labourer and was found badly injured near a temple. A 32-year-old man was found dead in Fatehpur village of Kaithal district, police said on Saturday. The deceased has been identified as Rakesh Kumar. (Image for representational purpose) He was taken to a hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. As per the police, on the complaint of victims family, a case of murder has been registered against the priest. Karnal mans decomposed body found Decomposed body of a 31-year-old man was found at his residence in RK Puram locality of the Karnal city, police said on Saturday. He was unmarried and was living alone in the house. The incident came to light when his brother came from Faridabad to enquire about his well-being. Ramphal, in-charge of Sector 32-33 police station, said the cause of the death could be ascertained in the autopsy report, but the body seemed 10-12 days old. Two workers crushed to death in Sonepat Two construction workers were crushed to death after a speeding car ran over them near Barwasni village in Sonepats Gohana on Saturday. The victims are Balwinder, 40, and Yashpal, 30, both residents of Karnal. A spokesperson of Sonepat police said the accident took place when they were going to bring grains from a shop. A case of rash driving and causing death due to negligence has been registered against the unidentified car driver, he added. (With inputs from HTC Rohtak) Panjab University (PU) is all set to take action against erring officials posted at Girls Hostel Number 4 after an unidentified person broke into the hostel after 3am on Wednesday and entered a girls room. Panjab University (PU) is all set to take action against erring officials posted at Girls Hostel Number 4 after an unidentified person broke into the hostel after 3am on Wednesday and entered a girls room. (HT File) As per information, a girl student living on the third floor woke up around 3am to find an unidentified person, seemingly in an intoxicated state, in her room. She immediately raised the alarm but the accused managed to flee. The university authorities were informed about the incident on Thursday. Dean students welfare (DSW) Jatinder Grover submitted a report to the vice-chancellor on Friday, while final action is awaited. It has been recommended that three security guards, who were supposed to be on duty along with a lady attendant, are suspended. They were not given any assignment even on Friday. It has also been recommended that an inquiry committee be set up to probe the matter. The senior assistant of the hostel who was on duty has been recommended to be transferred and should also be sent a show-cause notice while the warden must also be asked for an explanation, the report stated. The university is also set to make an SOP for hostels to ensure such incidents dont happen in the future. A first in the history of the varsity DSW Grover said this is for the first time in the history of the university that some unknown person has walked into the girls hostel. We had one incident where a guy had tried to scale the wall of hostel number 5 but was apprehended from the spot. In this incident, the accused had entered the hostel from the main entrance and climbed three floors without being stopped by anyone, which is alarming, he said. He added that a meeting was held on Friday to constitute a SOP for hostels to further avoid such incidents. While the final approval is also awaited, it is recommended that attendants sit at the entrance of the hostel and latch the door after 11:30 pm. Anybody who comes after this will have to make an entry in the register. A flying squad of wardens will also be constituted to visit the hostels at night and check their preparedness. It has also been recommended that two guards be stationed at the entrances of the hostels and CCTV cameras be installed on each floor of the hostel. As per officials, the victim was initially going to make a police complaint on Thursday itself but had later refrained from doing so and the University said a fresh complaint will be submitted on Friday. Speaking on the matter, PU vice-chancellor professor Renu Vig said, I have received the DSWs recommendations and it is under consideration. But action will surely be taken against those found at fault. We have asked attendants to shut the doors of the hostel at night. A case in this regard was registered under Sections 447 (punishment for criminal trespass) and 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Sector 11 police station against an unidentified person, on the complaint of the warden. No arrests have been made so far. A senior police officer, on the condition of anonymity, said the victim refused to lodge a complaint following which case was registered on the basis of the complaint submitted by the warden of the hostel. The victim has almost completed her course from the varsity and will pass out soon and thus she refused to lodge any complaint in the incident, a senior police officer said. Student parties hold protests Various student parties also held protests outside the administration building regarding inaction in this incident. National Students Union of India (NSUI) Chandigarh held a protest in the evening regarding the negligence of the authorities and also sought an explanation from warden of the hostel, Tammanna R Sahrawat. Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad also held a protest earlier, demanding that more security guards be hired by the authorities to prevent such lapses. The crime branch of the Chandigarh Police arrested a Ram Darbar resident, who used to mortgage stolen jewellery with a finance company. The accused has been identified as Ashwani Kumar, alias Kalu, 25, of Phase 1, Ram Darbar, Chandigarh. He was arrested in connection with a theft at a house in the New Indira Colony, Manimajra. The accused already has nine cases of theft registered against him at different police stations of the city. (iStock) As per the police, the accused is a habitual thief. He was arrested from the parking lot near the DT Mall, IT Park, on the tip-off by an informer. Police said that during preliminary questioning the accused told them that after stealing gold and silver ornaments from the New Indira Colony, Manimajra, he mortgaged the gold ornaments with a finance company in Chandigarh and hid the silver ornaments. Police recovered gold jewellery worth 2 lakh from the finance company. The accused already has nine cases of theft registered against him at different police stations of the city. A cashier of State Bank of India at Rohtaks Anwal village was robbed of 25,000 and a gold chain by four armed assailants at gunpoint, police said on Saturday. The police have booked four accused for robbery and are examining the CCTV footage at the bank and other nearby locations. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC) Cashier Vikas Kumar said the incident occurred on Friday when he came out of the bank and opened the window of his car to get his credit card. A man came there and asked my name. His three aides also joined him and robbed me of 25,000 and a gold chain before hitting me on head, the complainant told the Rohtak police. The police have booked four accused for robbery and are examining the CCTV footage at the bank and other nearby locations. Cybercriminal arrested for cheating Kurukshetra ma of 3 lakh Haryana Police have arrested a cybercriminal from Bihar for his alleged links with an accused involved in a fraud of 3 lakh with a resident of Kurukshetra district. Victim Hardeep Singh alleged that the cybercriminals had cheated him by withdrawing 3 lakh from his bank account fraudulently. Acting on his complaint, a case was registered at the states cyber police station in Panchkula. During the investigation, the cyber police arrested the accused. In his interrogation, the police found out that the accused had transferred the money from the victims account fraudulently. The police said that it was also found that the accused had links with a racket involved in cyber fraud and the investigation in the case is underway. (With inputs from HTC Karnal) With just two days left for Shimla Municipal Corporation Elections, allegations and counter-allegations are flying thick and fast, with the top leaders of the ruling Congress and opposition BJP engaged in a verbal duel. PWD minister Vikramaditya Singh during the Shimla MC election campaign at Lower Bazaar ward in Shimla on Saturday. (HT Photo) The Congress is looking to make a comeback in the civic body of the capital town after a gap of 10 years, while the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to retain the municipality it won for the first time in 2017. Leader of the opposition and former chief minister Jairam Thakur on Saturday alleged that there was a growing dissatisfaction among the public towards the state government. In addition to this, there is also unrest within the ruling Congress Party, which can erupt at any time, Jairam said while addressing a press conference. Thakur alleged that the Congress-led state government, which repeatedly lamented about the debt burden on the state, has already taken a loan of 6,000 crore in its four-month tenure. The government will exhaust the limit of raising loans this time, he said. He also took a dig at the Congress party, stating that the government was now in a fix over the 10 guarantees it had promised during the assembly elections and that is why, in the municipal elections, the Congress has refrained from making such promises. He also expressed surprise that the photos of former chief minister late Virbhadra Singh and deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri were missing from the election campaign for the municipal corporation. Thakur said that the 5-year rule of the BJP in the Shimla Municipal Corporation was better than the 25 years of Congress. He said that the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given the status of smart city to Shimla, due to which the city has been rejuvenated. Countless works have been done, including a rope-way project, lift restoration of the ridge, widening of roads, improving the electricity-water system and construction of the park, he said. Thakur said that the governments decision to release the dearness allowance for employees and permission to increase the height of the attic floor was a violation of the code of conduct. He said that the Congress government was making such announcements for electoral gains. He alleged that the chief minister was directly threatening the voters that the development work would come to a standstill if the Congress councillors are not elected. Meanwhile, responding to Thakur, industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said that the Leader of Opposition was deliberately raking up the issues of employees on baseless facts. He said that the Congress government had restored the Old Pension Scheme and is also seeking 8,000 crore of NPS funds pending with the Central government. He warned the BJP leaders about the rhetoric by the BJP leaders about changing the government after the municipal elections in the state, saying that the Congress would complete its five-year term. The BJP may try as hard as it wants to change the government in the state, but that wont happen, he said. Chauhan said that the Congress government has fulfilled three of its 10 assembly poll guarantees, including the OPS and 1,500 monthly allowance to the 2.31 lakh women. He said Rajiv Gandhi Boarding Schools were being set up in every constituency. Questioning Jairam Thakur on the BJP manifesto, he asked why the BJP did not provide 40,000 litres of free water in Shimla when it ruled the Municipal Corporation. Why didnt the BJP reduce the garbage bills? The BJP is making these promises only after it lost the assembly elections, said the minister while questioning the BJP for not conducting the SMC elections on time. He said that BJP does not have a leader in the state. In the Shimla Municipal Corporation election campaign, Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur and Union Minister Anurag Thakur were going door-to-door, but there is no photo of them in the election campaign posters. There is only PM Modis photo, and the BJP is seeking votes in his name, he alleged. Alleging misappropriation of funds in the smart city project, Chauhan said that needs a thorough probe. Replying to a question, the minister said there was only a proposal for temporary recruitment in the Education Department, and it has not been approved. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The tenure of the committee of experts preparing the draft of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for Uttarakhand is likely to be extended by four months, a senior official said. Retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai is heading the Uttarakhand panel for Uniform Civil Code (File Photo) The Uttarakhand government on May 27, 2022, constituted a five-member draft committee headed by Ranjana Desai for preparing a draft for the implementation of UCC in Uttarakhand. The other members of the committee include retired Delhi high court judge Pramod Kohli, social activist Manu Gaur, retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Shatrughan Singh, and Doon University vice-chancellor Surekha Dangwal. In December last year, the tenure of the panel was extended till May 27, 2023. Also Read: PIL on Uniform Civil Code not maintainable: Delhi high court We have written to the state government, seeking a four-month extension to complete the draft work for UCC, said a panel member on the condition of anonymity. The above-mentioned members said they have completed 75% of the draft work for UCC, and their target is to submit it to the government by June end. According to the committee, they received approximately 2.25 lakh suggestions (both offline and online) on various subjects, including marriage, divorce, property rights, succession/inheritance, adoption, maintenance, custody and guardianship. Since its formation, the committee has held 30 meetings across the state, including border areas, taking suggestions from the people. On New Years Eve, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said his government would implement a Uniform Civil Code in the state in 2023. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), during the 2022 state assembly polls, promised implementation of the UCC if they are voted to power. CM Dhami on February 12 last year, during election campaigning, announced that the implementation of UCC will be the first decision the BJP government would take after coming to power. He stated that Article 44 of the Constitution empowers the state governments to implement UCC. This decision has been taken so that there is the same law for everyone here, Dahmi had said. On March 24 this year, in the first cabinet meeting after forming its government in Uttarakhand, the BJP passed a proposal to implement UCC in the state and declared that a committee headed by a retired Supreme Court or high court judge will be formed for preparing its draft. Also Read: BJP trying to disturb communal harmony: Congress on Dhamis land jihad comment UCC essentially refers to a common set of laws governing personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and succession for all citizens of the country. Article 44, which is one of the directive principles of state policy, also advocates a UCC, however, governments since Independence have allowed respective religion-based civil codes. According to Article 44, the State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India. In January this year, the Supreme Court noted that state governments have the power to examine the feasibility of implementing a UCC, underscoring that the Constitution permits not only the Union government but also the states to legislate on subjects such as marriage, divorce and adoption. The details of the 44.78 crore incurred by the Public Works Department (PWD) to renovate Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals official residence may be examined by authorities concerned, said a senior Delhi government official on Friday, asking not to be named. An official said that it will be examined if the expenditure incurred and the renovation undertaken were according to the rules. (File Photo) The official said it will be examined if the expenditure incurred and the renovation undertaken were according to the rules. A Public Works Department official confirmed that the details of the expenditure were sought from them. However, the official did not reveal which agency sought the details. Further action will depend on the findings during the examination of the expenditure, the official said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have been sparring over the renovation of Kejriwals official bungalow after details about the money spent on the refurbishment surfaced. HT reached out to the Delhi government, which did not respond to queries regarding the matter. The Bharatiya Janata Party has alleged that Kejriwal, while saying he is a common man, is living like a king. In turn, the the Aam Aadmi Party has stressed that that the renovation was necessary because the CMs residence was constructed 80 years ago and there had been three recent incidents of roof collapse. Aam Aadmi Party said that, following this, the Public Works Department, responsible for the maintenance of the bungalow, recommended rebuilding it. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said since his party has been demanding a probe into the expenditure. It appears that the money spent was in violation of rules. There are also apparent instances of over-billing in the expenditure. There should be a probe, he said. The AAP has dismissed the allegations. In the wake of reports that 44.78 crore has been spent on renovating the residence of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena has directed chief secretary Naresh Kumar to secure all relevant records, examine the records, and submit a report within 15 days for the perusal of the LG. Delhi chief ministers official bungalow. (File Photo) This has reference to various media reports, published in both electronic and print media, on alleged gross irregularities committed while carrying out the renovation of No.6 Flag Staff House, Civil Lines by PWD. LG, while taking note of media reports and keeping in view the sensitivity of the issue, has desired that all relevant records in this matter be immediately secured and taken into protective custody. Subsequently, after the records are examined, a factual report in the matter be submitted within 15 days for the perusal of the LG, a letter dated April 27 written by the LG office to the chief secretary stated. (HT has seen a copy of the letter). HT reported on Saturday that the details of 44.78 crore spent by the Public Works Department (PWD) on the CM house renovation may be examined by authorities to check if the expenditure was in violation of laid down rules or not. No reaction was available from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on the development despite HT reaching out to them to seek comments. A PWD official confirmed to HT that the details of the expenditure have been sought from them. However, the official did not reveal which agency sought the details. Further action will depend on the findings during the examination of the expenditure, a government official, seeking anonymity, said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the AAP have been sparring over the renovation of Kejriwals official bungalow after details about the money spent on the refurbishment surfaced. The BJP has alleged that Kejriwal, while saying he is a common man, is living like a king. In turn, the Aam Aadmi Party has stressed that that the renovation was necessary because the CMs residence was constructed 80 years ago and there had been three recent incidents of roof collapse. Aam Aadmi Party said that, following this, the Public Works Department, responsible for the maintenance of the bungalow, recommended rebuilding it. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that his party has been demanding a probe into the expenditure. It appears that the money spent was in violation of rules. There are also apparent instances of over-billing in the expenditure. There should be a probe, he said. The AAP has dismissed the allegations. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A youth was allegedly stabbed to death and his four friends injured following a quarrel over a girl in southeast Delhi's Zakir Nagar area, police said on Saturday. Based on the statement of Afzal, a case under relevant sections was registered at Jamia Nagar police station. (File) The police received information regarding the alleged quarrel between two groups of youths at Zakir Nagar on Friday. On reaching the spot, it was found that the injured youths had been admitted to a hospital, they said. Some of the injured, who suffered stab injuries, were admitted to Holy Family Hospital, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Rajesh Deo said. Five youths -- Zakir Nagar residents Mohd Sheyan, Adib, Shyam, Mohd Sehal Zafar and Mohd Afzal -- were found admitted there. Sheyan was declared brought dead, Deo said. The four others were later shifted to AIIMS Trauma Centre, the police said. During the inquiry, the police found that one Bilal, who recently broke up with his girlfriend, thought that she was talking to Adib. As a result, Bilal threatened Adib with dire consequences, Deo said. Around 9 pm on Friday, the pair called a meeting at Street Number 6 of Zakir Nagar to sort out the issue. Bilal came with his friends Shoiab, Tabish, Hamza and Sabir, among others. Tabish allegedly stabbed Sheyan and the four other youths, the police said, adding that the accused fled from the spot. Based on the statement of Afzal, a case under relevant sections was registered at Jamia Nagar police station. CCTV camera footage from the area is being analysed and the police are trying to find a clue about the accused's whereabouts, they added. A Delhi court is likely to pronounce on Saturday its order on framing charges against Aaftab Amin Poonawala, accused of strangling his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and chopping her body into pieces. The Delhi Police filed a 6,629-page charge sheet in the case on January 24. (ANI) The Delhi Police is also scheduled to file tomorrow its reply to an application of Walkar's father before the court, urging it that her remains be handed over to the family for last rites as required by tradition and culture. Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar reserved order on April 15 after hearing arguments on framing of charges from the prosecution lawyers as well as the accused. The probe agency on April 15 had sought time to file its reply to Walkar's father's application. Poonawala has been booked by Delhi Police for offences under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence). The Delhi Police filed a 6,629-page charge sheet in the case on January 24. Walkar was allegedly strangled by Poonawala on May 18 last year, following which he sawed her body into pieces and kept them in a fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in South Delhi's Mehrauli. He scattered them at different places in the national capital to avoid being caught. Gurugram: An assistant sub-inspector of Delhi Police posted at Kapashera police station died after being hit by an unidentified vehicle near Rajeev Chowk on the National Highway (NH-48) on Friday morning, Gurugram police said. Cop dies after speeding vehicle rams his bike on NH-48 Police said the incident took place at about 5am when the ASI was returning to his Sector 10A home on a motorcycle after finishing work. Investigators said a few commuters alerted the police control room after which an emergency response vehicle reached the spot and rushed him to a government hospital in Sector 10A. Police said ASI Naresh Kumar (57), was severely injured and was bleeding profusely and doctors declared him dead at the hospital. A senior police officer said ASI Kumar was in uniform at the time of the accident. The force of the collision was so severe that the victim was flung into a drain several feet away. Prima facie, it seems he was hit by a speeding vehicle from behind. The motorcycle on which Kumar was travelling was also badly damaged, the officer said, adding that he was a few metres away from his home when the accident took place. The officer said Kumar sustained severe injury in his head which resulted in his death. There are no CCTV cameras near the accident spot and investigators are relying on CCTV camera footage from nearby areas for clues, he added. Subhash Boken, public relations officer of Gurugram police, said they are trying to zero-in on the speeding vehicle. On a complaint from Kumars son Rakesh, an FIR was registered under Section 279 (rash driving and riding on public way) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Gurugram Sadar police station on Friday evening, police added. Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee threatened to hold an indefinite sit-in demonstration in Delhi if the Central government refuses to release funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for West Bengal state. Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee (File Photo) I will go to Delhi soon after the Trinamool-e Naba Jowar (new wave at the grass root) the partys latest outreach program comes to an end. If needed, I will sit for an indefinite sit-in demonstration in Delhi after collecting 10 million letters from people across West Bengal, Abhishek said while addressing a rally at Maynaguri in north Bengal on Saturday. The TMC kicked off a two-month-long outreach program ahead of the crucial panchayat election likely to be held in the next few months. Also Read: Must support...: Mamata Banerjee on wrestlers protest, aims jab at BJP Abhishek said that the party has already started its work on a signature campaign to collect 10 million letters from people across the state. If we reach Delhi with 10 million letters (addressed to the prime minister seeking release of central funds) no minister will be able to sit behind closed doors of his chamber without listening to us. I promise that I will get back your rights from Delhi, he said. He added, There are around 20.6 million people in West Bengal whose livelihoods depend on the 100-day work scheme under the MGNREGS. The centre has stopped funds under the MGNREGS. They (centre) are also not releasing funds more than 7000 crores under the (Pradhan Mantri) Gramin Sadak Yojna. Earlier in March, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee held a sit-in demonstration in central Kolkata demanding release of central funds and had even threatened to hold another demonstration outside the residence of prime minister Narendra Modi. The labourers are not getting their wages as the centre has frozen MGNREGS funds. I will stage such sit-in demonstrations 10 million times to get the funds released. If needed Mamata can also stage a sit-in demonstration outside the prime ministers house in Delhi. This much guts I have, she had said. Also Read: Mamata holds protest, seeks release of funds Meanwhile, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has hit back saying that it is just an attempt by the TMC to divert attention from the alleged scams and corruption in the state. The TMC is losing ground. The party is neck-deep in corruption and scams. Now that the elections are coming it is making all kinds of efforts to divert the attention of the people to other issues, said Rahu Sinha, a senior BJP leader. Police on Friday arrested a man from an ashram in Hastinapur for allegedly killing a head constable of Delhi Police, superintendent of police (rural) Kamlesh Thakur confirmed. The accused was identified as Ganeshanand who cheated people by claiming to be a practitioner of black magic, police said. (For representation) The accused was identified as Ganeshanand who cheated people by claiming to be a practitioner of black magic, police said. The SP said head constable Gopichand went missing on March 26. His wife lodged a police complaint on March 27 at Sardhana police station, following which an FIR was registered. Later, police recovered the cops motorcycle from the Ganga near Surjepur village in the Hastinapur area on April 12. The SP added that Gopichand was in touch with Ganeshanand for over a year. Gopichand wanted Ganeshanand to eliminate his wife using black magic. He had even taken a big loan in his wifes name. We are investigating the case to ascertain his motive to eliminate his wife, SP Thakur said. Gopichand left Delhi for his native village on March 26 and was on leave till April 8. The police suspected Ganeshanands role in the constables disappearance from the latters call details, and waited for his return from Chitrakoot. The practitioner had even taken 1.5 from Gopichand on the day of his murder. On March 26, Ganeshanand called Gopichand to his ashram so that he could kill Rekha and also asked the victim to bring 1.5 lakh, the police said. Later, Ganeshanand took Gopichand to Sirjepur village near the Ganga and performed a ritual while the victim lay nearby, the police said. During the ritual, Ganeshanand attacked Gopichand with a sharp weapon and threw his body, mobile phone and motorcycle into the river. Search for Gopichands body was still going on. (With PTI inputs) The sweet promise of Alphonso, or Hapus, is famously known to lift flagging spirits in a sweltering summer. A collective exhilaration felt over the arrival of the first box of mangoes from the orchards of Ratnagiri never gets old, and the mango aficionado does not shy away from paying over 2,000 for a box of 12 when the first stash hits the shops. Devgad, Sindhudurg, India - March 23, 2023: Mango worker segregating mangos as per size in Devgad Amba utpadak sangh, Jamsande, Sindhudurg, India, on Thursday, March 23, 2023. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times) But can you be certain that you are really biting into a Devgad Alphonso? Because just about 500 kilometers from Mumbai, farmers who have toiled hard to bring you the pristine fruit from their farms to your tables are a crestfallen lot as their efforts have been systematically hijacked by producers of lesser breeds and shrewd middlemen who know how to trick the buyer. Over the last five to six years, Indian markets have seen a rash of national and international variants that are passed off as Hapus they arrive from a distant Malawi, in South-east Africa, as well as neighbouring states of Maharashtra. While the average consumer is easily duped, farmers, whose produce is already GI (Geographical Index) tagged, are a frustrated lot. Hapus received the GI tag in 2018. Five years later, it emerges that GI-tagging a product is not a guarantee of authenticity, security and legal protection, as promised. Initially, it boosted the prices of products and lent them some authenticity, which made farmers happy. But it was fleeting. Hapus, known for its rich creamy and non-fibrous texture, is a much sought after produce from across the world. Today, farmers in the Konkan region, where the fruit is primarily grown, are concerned about rampant adulteration. Their investment of time and money in cultivating the high-quality mangoes often comes to naught, affecting their livelihood and reputation. Santosh Kumbhar, 47, a mango farmer from a village in Ratnagiri said, One of the most common forms of adulteration in the Alphonso mango market is the practice of replacing four to five mangos in a crate of dozen with cheaper varieties. This practice not only cheats the consumers but also affects the reputation of Alphonso. The adulterated mangoes are sold at the same price as the genuine ones, causing a loss to the consumers as well as farmer. We have now started selling our mangoes on our own. Kumbhar is not the only one. Yogesh Lele, a mango farmer from Devgad, said, Consumers are unaware of the benefits of GI tag. Since we had a poor yield this year, obtaining even 10 boxes of the produce at the end of April in Devgad was a challenge. Despite this, markets across the country are selling different types of mangoes under the Devgad Alphonso brand at high prices. This can be prevented with government scrutiny. Lele continues cultivating his family orchards that has 1000 Alphonso trees. Kashinath Ghadi, the owner of a small orchard comprising 100 trees at Bapere village near Lanja, said, Despite most processing units selecting Alphonso from my orchard, adulteration occurs during transportation from the farm to the processing unit. As a result, the processing units have often rejected my mangoes. This has hit my income. We hoped we were protected by the GI tag, but that was not the case. I have yet to earn a fixed income since 2018. This year, Ghadi faced monetary losses due to adulteration as one company rejected 25 kgs of the 75 kgs he sent for processing. Approximately 10,000 of mango growers in the region are yet to reap the benefits of GI. Awarded under the Geographical Indications (Registration and Protection) Act 1999, GI, as the World Intellectual Property Organisation defines, is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. Spread over 200 kms in the Konkan belt, Hapus orchards occupy 1.8 lakh hectares of land, measuring up to nearly 6% of the mango region in the country. The reason behind the lapses is the lack of strict enforcement of quality standards, inadequate monitoring and testing facilities. Bagging a GI tag ensures that farmers can directly reach their consumers and vice versa. In short, middlemen and all intervening channels are eliminated. After getting the GI, the central government has allowed Hapus producers in five districts Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Palghar and Thane -- to use a GI tag and an Incredible India sticker. Consumers know the region of origin if these stickers are affixed on the box of mangoes. Though weve got the GI tag, it wasnt being used as it should be. We have now started using a QR code, said Vidyadhar Joshi, 52, a progressive mango farmer from Devgad. Joshi, who owns more than five acres of mango orchards, said scanning the QR code enables the customer to know the farm from where they are buying the mangoes. Aware that there could be a possibility of adulteration when it reaches the retail market, and thereby losing out on customers since the non-GI Hapus mangoes will taste different, Joshi is toying with the idea of fixing QR code stickers on every mango. Seated in his clinic at Malgund, near Ganpatipule in Ratnagiri district, Dr Vivek Bhide, president, Konkan Hapus Mango Growers and Sellers Cooperative Society Limited (KHMGSCSL), Ratnagiri, who spearheaded the process, said, The intervening decade involved numerous legal procedures. No government subsidy was taken to obtain GI. The 55-year-old, who owns mango orchards with 1500 trees in Ratnagiri takes prides in the fact that GI for Hapus was granted not just based on the region where these mangoes are grown. Hapus was given the GI tag for the quality of the fruit as well. This is unlike other products in Maharashtra such as Solapur Chaddar or Nagpur Santra that have been given GI tag solely based on the name of the terrain, said Bhide. In addition to KHMGSCSL, Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Agricultural University (BSKAU), Dapoli, Devgad Taluka Mango Growers Cooperative Societies Limited (DTMGCSL), Jamsande in Sindhudurg district, and Kelshi Area Mango Growers Cooperative Union Limited (KAMGCUL), Dapoli, came together to earn the GI tag for Hapus. Today, these four institutions are custodians of the tag. The GI tag was taken for Hapus in the agricultural category. But a number of products such as juice, pickle, amras, barfi and wine are also manufactured using Hapus, said Ajeet Gogate, president, DTMGCSL, from his Jamsande office. Many well-known companies use the name for their mango products without registering with one of the four GI tag custodians. Gogate has observed another form of adulteration. He said, Pulp and juices are extracted from low-quality mangoes and sold as Alphonso mango products. This practice not only deceives the consumers but also poses a health risk as the by-products may contain harmful chemicals and pesticides. The law mandates that farmers and food processing companies register with one of the four organisations to not only sell or buy the fruit but also be able to manufacture a mango product under the name of Hapus or Alphonso. But due to lack of awareness on GI, it is widely and very easily misused, said Gogate. To curb such sale of goods or food products, a complaint can be lodged with the police or a case can be filed in the courts. Dr Bhide called for a re-think and pooling in a collective effort to garner benefits of GI. He said, The government and allied agriculture institutions need to work together to get results of this initiative. Right now, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Marketing Department, Department of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture and agricultural universities are working in silos. To tackle the issue, the government and other stakeholders need to take corrective and effective measures. This includes strict enforcement of quality standards, establishment of better monitoring and testing facilities, and public awareness campaigns to educate consumers about the risks of consuming adulterated Alphonso mangoes, said Dr Bhide. Gogate called for an authorised committee comprising representatives of each of the four GI tag custodians, local police, representative of APEDA, agricultural university and agricultural department. Only if this happens, will all benefits reach farmers, he said. Sources from the local agriculture office said, The department of Agriculture along with Ministry of Horticulture is trying to channel the effective implications of GI tag with awareness camps. We are also planning to give some time to farmers and manufacturers to register with the custodians. We will then think about the future course of action. With the youth migrating to cities, villagers are facing a major labour crunch. Konkan farmers are hiring labour from Nepal for six months, which adds to the cost of produce. Nepali labourers are paid up to 600 per day for accommodation and transportation. We invite them here every year as they work full-time, said Vidyadhar Pusalkar, 50, a farmer from Malgund, Ratnagiri, who owns more than six acres of mango trees. The new recruits find it hard to climb the tall trees. Hence, Pusalkar, and other farmers like him, have undertaken a five-year programme to reduce the height of the trees from 30-35 feet to seven to eight feet. Due to reduced tree height, spraying fertilizers and harvesting mangoes from the ground is easier. This saves both time and money, said Pusalkar. Strap: 11 people pulled out alive while eight to nine people still buried under debris as rescue operations continue A child is taken for treatment after rescue teams pulled him out of debris by rescue teams after a three-storeyed building collapsed in Bhiwandi on Saturday. (PRAFUL GANGURDE / HT PHOTO) Bhiwandi: Three persons were killed, 11 pulled out alive and about eight to nine people estimated to be still trapped, at the time of going to press, in the debris after a ground plus three storied building collapsed in Bhiwandi on Saturday afternoon. The incident took place in Val village, Bhiwandi taluka, as the building in Vardhaman Compound collapsed at around 12.45 pm. The deceased have been identified as Navnath Sawant, 43, a driver, who had come to a warehouse in the building, Lalita Ravi Mahto, 26, who resided on the second floor along with her husband and two children and the third death was reported late in the evening as five-year-old girl Sona Mukesh Kori was pulled out dead from the debris around 9.30 pm. Lalita was also dead when the rescue workers reached her. Her body was pulled out from the debris six hours after the collapse. Her two children Prince Kumar, 5, and Premraj alias Chiku, 7 were rescued three hours after the incident and both were sent to Indira Gandhi Memorial hospital (IGM) in Bhiwandi. The injured have been identified as Sonali Kamble, Shivkumar Kamble, Mukhtar Mansuri, Chiku Ravi Mahto, Prince Ravi Mahato, Vikas Yadav, Udaybhan Yadav, Anita, Ujjawal Kamble, who have been admitted to IGM hospital. All those admitted are said to have suffered minor injuries and in stable condition. Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF) and Bhiwandi Fire Brigade were on the spot and three bulldozers were pressed into rescue operations. Although a team of TDRF reached the spot immediately after the collapse, another was delayed as it was stuck in a traffic jam at Kalher. Later in the evening, a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) comprising 35 personnel, along with a dog squad, arrived and they also used drone cameras to locate those stuck in the debris. A team of doctors from the IGM, along with three ambulances, reached the spot and Torrent Power officials disconnected electricity supply to the compound as a safety measure. In the 10-year-old building, the ground and the first floor were used by MRK Food PVT Ltd as a warehouse to store packaged food items such as olives, sauces, pickles etc. The second and the third floor each had 13 residential rooms and about three to four families lived there. Most of the rooms were occupied by workers of MRK PVT Ltd and they had left for work when the building collapsed. Shiva Venu, 21, a worker in MRK Pvt Ltd said, I was working in another building, and suddenly we heard a loud noise. My colleagues and I went out to find that building, which had our wareshouse, had collapsed. I rushed to the spot and called my manager and my brother to help in rescuing those trapped under the debris. I pulled out three people, including a child and a woman, in 20 minutes. I suffered leg injuries during the rescue operation. Soon after the collapse, locals rushed to the spot and started helping in whatever way they could till the rescue teams arrived, said residents of the area. Heart-wrenching scenes ensued as the rescue workers toiled to reach the people stuck under the debris. One person trapped under the debris was offered drinking water through a narrow opening even as the rescue team kept consoling him. Anita Kore, 30, who was rescued by the NDRF team, was crying for her child, who was still stuck under the debris. The rescue team consoled her saying that her kid would be rescued too. DCP Navnath Dhavle, Bhiwandi said, We received information about the incident, reached the spot to control the situation, and about 150 police personnel were deployed at the spot. Adhik Patil, tahsildar Bhiwandi, said, Upon getting information about the collapse, we reached the spot accompanied by sub-divisional officer and other staffer. We learnt that the building was built in 2014 and is owned by Indrapal Patil, and the ground plus the first floor had been given to MRK Food Pvt Ltd as its warehouse while the rest of the building is for residential purposes. He added, It comes under Val Gram panchayat, and we are trying to get in contact with MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) officials to find out if the owner had procured appropriate permission from them. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty of negligence and a case will be filed once the Panchnama report is acquired, said Dhavale. Three men have been arrested for allegedly duping unemployed people on the pretext of getting them government jobs. The suspects have duped dozens of people charging at least 1.25 lakh from each, said officials. The suspects have duped dozens of people charging at least 1.25 lakh from each. (Photo for representation) According to the police, the suspects have been identified as Aniket Dutta, 27, a native of West Bengal and currently living in Delhis Nangloi area, Mukul Verma, 30, and Abhishek Sharma, 31, both residents of Ghaziabad. On Friday, we received a complaint from a person alleging that a man impersonating an army officer and another man posing as an undercover Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) agent duped him and his brother-in-law of 3.4 lakh on the pretext of arranging a job for them in the intelligence agency, deputy commissioner of police (city) Nipun Agarwal said, adding that during investigation it was found that the suspects were inspired by the Hindi movie Special 26. The suspects provided the complainant and his brother-in-law a forged appointment letter and sent them for training in Jharkhand. They realised that they were cheated when they reached the training centre, the complainant said. The suspects had duped the victims to a total amount of 3.40 lakh. Teams were formed to investigate the incident. With the help of technical surveillance and manual intelligence, our team managed to arrest Aniket and his accomplices Mukul and Abhishek. Our teams recovered a laptop, three mobile phones and two fake identity cards, Agarwal said. One of the ID cards was of Aniket, who introduced himself as Lt Colonel in R&AW to the victims. He along with his accomplices targeted unemployed people and lured them on pretext of jobs in defence and railways departments and duped money. Mukul used to prepare fake identity cards and joining letters on his laptop. Aniket had prepared an email ID from which mails were sent. Abhishek, who claimed to know high-ranking officials in the defence ministry and railways, used to bring in people who were desperate for a job. He would then introduce them to Aniket. They charged around 1.25 lakh from each person, Agarwal stated. Police added that the suspects took most of the payments in cash . We are checking their bank statements to know more about the number of people duped by them. They have been booked under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for cheating), and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) while other relevant sections are being added to the case, Agarwal said, adding that the suspects were produced before magistrate and sent to judicial custody. The Gautam Budh Nagar police on Friday arrested a suspect who was amongst the most wanted criminals in western Uttar Pradesh, said officials. The suspect, identified as Manoj alias Aase, carried a bounty of 1 lakh on his head, they added. Manoj alias Aase, carried a bounty of 1 lakh on his head. (Photo for representation) According to SM Khan, deputy commissioner of police, Greater Noida, Jeetu alias Jeetendra, one of Aases accomplices, was also arrested. Earlier on Friday, the Kasna police station team, along with a SWAT team, had arrested Azad Singh and Sanjay in a red car on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway along with illicit weapons. During vehicle checking, the suspects were trying to flee but were nabbed after a chase. At the same time, a black Mahindra Thar had fled the spot while firing at police, said Khan. During interrogation, Singh and Sanjay told police that their two accomplices, Manoj and Jeetu, were in the black car, he said. Immediately, local officials were alerted. A team from Beta-2 police station and a SWAT team conducted combing operation after which the black car was stopped during checking at the Sigma, Greater Noida roundabout, said Khan, adding that the suspects tried to flee again and fired at police. A few metres away from the roundabout, the car was surrounded by police. The two suspects tried to leave on foot while firing at the police. During retaliatory firing, Manoj was shot in the leg following which both Jeetu and Manoj were arrested by the police, added Khan. According to the police, Manoj had 19 FIRs lodged against him since 2005 in cases of murder, rioting, attempted murder, rape, criminal intimidation, as well as Gangster Act, among others. Earlier last month, Uttar Pradesh Police had released a list of most wanted criminals. From the list, only Manoj was out of jail, officers said. The police also recovered a country-made pistol with live cartridges from the suspects. The suspect was produced before a magistrate and sent to judicial custody, said the officer. Mizoram police in Serchhip district arrested a jail guard for allegedly shooting a fellow guard dead on Saturday. (Representative Photojai) Serchhip district jail guard Lalrinthanga, 24, a resident of Bawktlang allegedly shot at his colleague with his service gun (SLR), police said, adding the accused has been arrested. Serchhip sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Romalsawma said the victim, Lalhruaitluanga, 34, a resident of Chhingchhip Venglai succumbed to his injury at Serchhip District Hospital. The SDPO said that the two were good friends and suspect that a bullet was loaded in the barrel of his service gun and was accidentally fired when he removed the magazine. Also Read: Tripura: Minor wife found dead, chopped into pieces; husband arrested Lalrinthanga was on duty from midnight to 2am and Lalhruaitluanga was to continue the shift from 2am to 5am at the District jail, said the SDPO, adding that the incident took place when Lalrinthanga went to the barrack, and as he removed the magazine of his gun, a bullet was fired and hit Lalhruaitluanga. As soon as others in the jail learnt of the incident, they immediately took Lalhruaitluanga to Serchhip District Hospital, where he succumbed to his injury, he said. We have arrested Lalrinthanga and have registered a criminal case under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code IPC against him, said Romalsawma. 10:00 | Lima, Apr. 27. The designation was established by Supreme Resolution No. 067-2023-RE, published in the Official Gazette El Peruano on Thursday. Gutierrez Camacho currently serves as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Peru to the Kingdom of Spain. This regulation provides for the granting of corresponding credentials and full powers to serve in the position at said international organization, based in the city of Madrid. The designation was made in accordance with Section 12 of Article 118 of the Political Constitution of Peru, which establishes the power of the Head of State to appoint Ambassadors and Ministers Plenipotentiary, with the approval of the Council of Ministers, responsible for reporting to Congress. LUCKNOW Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust is faced with an unexpected hurdle. While the trust has several sculptors with expertise to carve out idols from rocks out of Karnataka and Rajasthan, it lacks people with expertise to carve out Ram Lallas idol using the rare rocks brought from Nepal. The trust procured two rocks from Nepal, six from Karnataka, and two from Rajasthan for Ram Lallas idol. (HT File) On Saturday, experts and members of the trust concluded a discussion held to finalise the rock to be used for Ram Lallas idol from the available options i.e. rocks from Nepal, Karnataka, and Rajasthan. Nripendra Misra, chairman of Ram Mandir Construction Committee, presided over the two-day meeting that ended on Saturday evening. We have people with expertise to carve out idols from rocks out of Karnataka and Rajasthan. However, no sculptor with experience in carving out idols from Nepalese rocks is available, said Champat Rai, general secretary of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust, on Saturday evening. In the next two-three days, we will finalise which rock to use for Ram Lallas idol, Rai added. To recall, the trust procured two rocks from Nepal, six from Karnataka, and two from Rajasthan for Ram Lallas idol. The best suited rock is to be selected for the idol. On the issue of pran pratishtha of Ram Lallas idol at sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Mandir, Rai said that the trust is planning to organise an event in this regard in December this year but no date has not been finalised as yet, and the timeline could be extended as well. No date has been finalised for pran pratishtha of Ram Lallas idol, said Rai. The general secretary of the trust also pointed out that the first floor of the Ram Mandir is most likely to come up by the coming September-October. He also said that Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES), a Government of India enterprise, has prepared a report on crowd management in Ayodhya that will be implemented by the state government in temple town. Earlier in the day, members of the Trust inspected ongoing Ram Mandir construction work. One against one will be mantra of the proposed larger opposition front being conceptualised by Congress and regional allies to take on the BJP-led NDA in the 2024 parliamentary polls wherein the front will file a joint candidate against the NDA candidate in over 500 parliamentary seats, insiders in the ruling grand alliance (GA) in Bihar said. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar with West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Howrah on April 24. (ANI) The strategy was mentioned by Bihar chief minister and JD(U) strongman Nitish Kumar in his recent interaction with top Congress leaders and regional satraps as part of his efforts to unite anti-BJP forces. People familiar with the matter said several rounds of talks have been held among various regional parties on the structure of the proposed front and key posts for steering the coalition. They said the new coalition would have one convener and one chairperson and, in all likelihood, the convener would be projected as the prime ministerial candidate of the new front, likely to be finalised and announced by June. The chairperson would be more of a symbolic head of the coalition with certain decision-making powers, said a top leader in the GA with knowledge of the talks matter. Also Read| Will be happy to host Opposition meet after Karnataka elections: Nitish He said a similar experiment was done when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was formed in 2004 and also when the Janata Party government was formed in 1977. The new front would come up by June after a round of meeting with top regional parties in mid-May, he said. The ground work for proposed opposition front gained momentum after Bihar CM, along with his deputy Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on April 12 in New Delhi. Rahul Gandhi had called the meeting a historic step to unite the opposition ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls. The meeting came weeks after Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as MP following his conviction in a criminal defamation case by a Surat court on March 23. However, questions remained on how one against one strategy would hold on ground, especially in seat selection, given rivalries between regional parties in states like West Bengal, Kerala, Telangana or in Tamil Nadu. Also Read: Anand Mohan release: New caste equations being tried in Bihar ahead of 2024 polls, say experts Sources said talks are underway to thrash out a sweet deal for as per their strength in respective states. For instance, in Bihar, GA leaders are firm that RJD and JD(U) would take a major share of seats while giving adequate share to allies Congress, Left parties, and HAM(S). In West Bengal, sources said, the Trinamool Congress ( TMC) would have a major share in seat allotment but Left parties and Congress would be given adequate seats as per partys strength in different constituencies. Political observer D M Diwakar, former director of A N Sinha Institute of Social Sciences, said the strategy could work as there is already a realisation among regional parties opposed to BJP that if they do not unite, it would only pave the way for BJP to make a comeback in the next years polls. In many states , regional parties are rivals of Congress or Left. But when it comes to Lok Sabha polls, regional parties do not have much to lose because it does not affect their own state politics. They are open to forging an alliance to defeat a common enemy. Like in West Bengal, TMC might go with the front and accept Left and Congress as allies in Lok Sabha polls. In Bihar, all seven opposition parties are already on a joint platform. So, one against one idea is quite workable, he said. There is now a consensus growing among opposition parties to work on the one against one strategy as propounded by Bihar CM. Nitish ji has the capability to forge a larger opposition front. Congress too is showing keenness to forge a new front, which is surely a good sign to take on BJP-led NDA in 2024 parliamentary polls, said K C Tyagi, former national general secretary of JD(U) and veteran leader. Tyagi, a close aide of Nitish Kumar, said the proposed front is working on fielding joint candidates against NDA in at least 500 seats so that there is a direct fight and less division of opposition votes. National general secretary of RJD, Bhola Yadav said, Things are moving in right direction. CM Kumar has already met several leaders from opposition and would also be meeting a few other leaders in coming weeks, including Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik. Speculations are rife that JD(U) strongman Nitish Kumar might be elevated as a face of the proposed front as its convener or chairperson. The Bihar CM though has ruled out any prime ministerial ambitions. Meanwhile, Bihar BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand said the unity of opposition is like balancing the frogs on weighing scale. There are many faceless support groups working for opposition parties sitting across the border. All the attempts of opposition unity will prove futile and end up as a fiasco, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Bihar police late on Friday arrested a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, Jawahar Prasad, in connection with a case related to communal violence that took place in Sasaram on March 31. Former Sasaram MLA Jawahar Prasad. (File Photo) Sasaram and Bihar Sharif, the district headquarters of Rohtas and Nalanda, respectively, had witnessed violence following a dispute over the Ram Navami processions on March 31 and April 1. Sahabad range DIG Navin Chandra Jha told HT that a Rohtas court had issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Prasad, a five-time MLA from Sasaram assembly constituency since 1990. A police team reached his house and ook him to the nearby police station. His supporters reached the police station and started raising slogans against the police. Three BJP activists-- Shivnath Choudhary, Sonu Sinha (both former BJP town president) and Robin Keshri-- had surrendered before the court on Friday after they were accused of trying to incite unrest using communal overtones. Police said that Shivnath Choudhary is also the president of the Sriram Janmotsav committee while Sonu is general secretary and Robin is a committee member. The Rohtas police have arrested 67 persons and lodged four separate FIRs in connection with the violence. Chief minister Kumar had announced that stern action would be taken against those involved in the latest incidents. Without naming any politician, political party or organisation, he had categorically hinted at the involvement of some people behind communal disturbances reported in Bihar Sharif and Sasaram Earlier, Bajrang Dal convenor of Nalanda district, Kundan Kumar, allegedly involved in communal disturbances in Bihar Sharif town, surrendered before the police after the authorities started property attachment of his house at Ayodhya Nagar under Dipnagar police station. In the violence, two people including a 16-year-old lost their lives in Bihar Sharief and Sasaram towns while 30 persons were injured in brick batting, firing and arson. Internet services were suspended in Nalanda and Rohtas districts till April 8 to maintain law and order. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON PATNA: Amid demands of holding opposition unity talks in Patna, chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said that once the Karnataka assembly polls are over, then the date and venue would be decided. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar interacts with the media in Patna on Saturday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo) We had talks with almost all people but meetings with some leaders are yet to be held. Once talks are held with all and once Karnataka assembly elections get over, the date and venue of opposition unity meeting would be decided, said Kumar on the sidelines of a function in Patna. Many people are of the opinion that the meeting should be held in Patna. This is a good thing. Everything will be decided once talks are complete, he said. West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee had floated the idea of holding the meeting in Patna as the anti-Emergency movement in the 1970s led by socialist leader the late Jayaprakash Narayan began from the state. She had suggested to her Bihar counterpart to host a meeting of all opposition parties in his home state to give shape to a united Opposition against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Kumar, who is spearheading the opposition unity move ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, had already met several political leaders of different parties during the last one month. Recently, he met Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. He also met Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja during his Delhi visit recently. A senior JD-U leader said that the modalities will soon be worked out, as Nitish Kumars initiative for a larger cause had evoked favourable response from most quarters and opposition leaders are eager to take it forward. BJP, on the other hand, is dismissive. Nitish Kumar should first focus on saving Bihar from slipping into Jungle Raj. He is on the last leg of his political journey, and he has nothing to lose. He wanted to be the PM, now he wants to be the kingmaker. Lets see where he ends up, said BJP spokesman and general secretary of the partys OBC Morcha Nikhil Anand. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON PATNA: Renowned economist Arvind Panagariya, a professor at Columbia and Padma Bhushan awardee, has been appointed the chancellor of Nalanda University (NU), said university officials aware of the matter. HT Image The University received communication about Panagariyas appointment as the chancellor from the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India on Friday evening. Earlier, Panagariya was also the vice chairman of the Niti Ayog and chief economist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He also worked with the World Bank, IMF, and UNCTAD in various capacities. He succeeds Dr Vijay P Bhatkar, who was appointed NU chancellor in 2017 and had an extended tenure. The chancellor has a term of three years or till the appointment of a successor. Professor Panagariya is widely regarded as an expert on the Indian economy. Currently, he is a Professor of Economics and Jagdish Bhagwati Professor of Indian Political Economy at Columbia University and is also the director of Deepak and Neera Raj Centre on Indian Economic Policies at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, New York, USA. NU vice-chancellor Professor Sunaina Singh, during whose term the sprawling campus of the university has come up, expressed his gratitude to the President of India and External Affairs Minister for the appointment of Prof Panagariya as the Chancellor of Nalanda University. A young University will benefit immensely from his scholarship, experience, and academic erudition, said Sunaina Singh, who is also having an extended tenure amid speculations that she might get another term. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi The wife of slain IAS officer and Gopalganj District Magistrate G Krishnaiah, who was killed in December 1994, by mob led by former Bihar MP Anand Mohan, has moved the Supreme Court challenging his premature release from jail. Uma Krishnaiah, wife of the slain Gopalganj District Magistrate G Krishnaiah. (ANI) Mohan walked out of prison on April 24 after the Bihar government introduced a minor tweak in the Bihar Prison Manual on April 10 that exempted life convicts involved in murder of a public servant to be eligible for release under the states premature release policy after serving a sentence of 14 years. Uma Krishnaiah, wife of the slain IAS officer, filed the petition on Saturday through advocate Tanya Shree. The decision of the state government has been assailed on the ground that it goes contrary to past decisions of the Supreme Court which lay down that life sentence means the entire life. The state cannot mechanically release any prisoner at their whims and fancies after completion of 14 years, said Tanya Shree while speaking about the petition. She challenged the circular issued by the Bihar Home Department (Prisons) on April 10 amending Rule 481(1)(a) of the Bihar Prison Manual, 2012. This rule, prior to amendment, required life convicts facing punishment for murder of a public servant on duty to be considered for premature release under Section 433A (relating to the states remission policy) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) after completion of 20 years (including remission). The April 10 amendment excluded this category of offence from the requirement of 20 years sentence and placed it under the general rule of 14 years. The petition further stated that the state government order is also contrary to the relevant laws applicable to remission such as conduct of prisoner in jail, past criminal antecedents, have to be examined prior to grant of release. The release has been purely on extraneous considerations. The relevant factors to be examined for premature release have not been considered, the lawyer for the victim said. Mohans name figured in a list of more than 20 prisoners who were ordered to be set free by a notification issued by the states law department earlier this week as they had spent more than 14 years behind bars. PUNE At least 160 workers from Pune and surrounding districts are stranded in Rabak city, which is about 300 km from the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, amid fierce fighting between the army and a rival paramilitary force here. According to the workers who had travelled to Sudan on work visas, and are employed at Kenana Sugar Company, there are around 460 workers from Pune, Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra stranded here. According to the workers who had travelled to Sudan on work visas, and are employed at Kenana Sugar Company, there are around 460 workers from Pune, Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra stranded. (HT PHOTO) Speaking to Hindustan Times, Uttam Narayan Patil, who hails from Kalewadi area in Pimpri-Chinchwad, and has been working in Sudan for the past 29 years, said, since there been no response from company management, they have stopped work. Considering the political situation in Sudan, many people stranded here are scared and surviving under tense situation. We dont know when we will meet our family members. After repeated attempts, company management today (Saturday) called a meeting with workers. Now, we are waiting for a positive outcome. Patil, along with his two brothers including Rajaram Narayan Patilk, 55, Sambhaji Narayan Patil, 52, and his nephew Satish Patil are stranded here. The family members in Kalewadi say they are worried about their kin back in Sudan. The fighting between the rival military groups has left hundreds dead and thousands wounded, and has left the country at risk of humanitarian disaster, as those still trapped in their homes face shortages of food, water, medicine and electricity. Madhukar Gaikwad, 58, from Navi Sangvi in Pune, who is working in Sudan for the last 25 years and is currently the in charge at Kenana Sugar Company, said, As of now we are safe, but considering the situation here in Sudan we dont know what will happen tomorrow. We want to request the government of India to rescue us as soon as possible. Along with Gaikwad, there are many more like Shashikant Tambe from Kothrud, Bhagwan Kulkarni from Shanipar area of Pune city who are stranded in Sudan. Charles Inascio Mendes, 57, a resident of Mumbai, who is working in the sugar factory since the last two years, said, We have been stranded here for several days now and the company management has failed to provide us with any assistance. We have also approached our embassy, but failed to receive help. Mendes said, if we dont get any assistance from the Indian Government soon, we will start walking towards the Sudan port which is 1,100 km from their current location. According to him, thats the only choice left in such a situation. When HT contacted Pune district administration, a senior officer said, there is no message or work assigned to them by the Union Foreign Ministry regarding the same. The Indian embassy in Sudan is aware of the situation and is reportedly working to provide the necessary support to the workers. However, due to the current crisis in the country, it is unclear when the workers will be able to return to India. India has launched Operation Kaveri to bring back its citizens stranded in war-torn Sudan. Last week, the foreign ministry said that India is making every effort to ensure the safety and security of its citizens stranded in Sudan. We are closely monitoring the complex and evolving security situation in Sudan. We are also coordinating closely with various partners for the safe movement of those Indians who are stranded in Sudan and would like to be evacuated, the ministry said in a statement. According to the website of the Indian embassy in Khartoum, there are around 2,800 Indian nationals in Sudan. Along with this, there is also a settled Indian community of around 1,200 people - which has been in the country for nearly 150 years. Advocate Godfrey Pimenta, of Watchdog Foundation, said, It is really unfortunate that such large number of Indians are stuck in various parts of Sudan but the response of the Indian Embassy is slow. The Indian government should ensure all Indians return home safely. Though the Pune Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) is dominated by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swooped in to gain entry and a panel backed by the BJP won 13 of 18 seats in Pune with the help of rebel candidates. While all four NCP candidates emerged victorious in the Baramati APMC polls, officials said. APMCs regulate the wholesale business of agricultural produce in their respective areas of operation The polls in Pune APMC were held on Friday after 20 years (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE) Though the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and BJP did not have official panels, they supported different panels for 18 seats. The polls in Pune APMC were held on Friday after 20 years. The Annasaheb Magar Shetkari Vikas Panel, backed by the BJP, won 13 seats after a close fight with the NCP-supported Annasaheb Magar Co-operation Panel. The the BJP-backed panel won; most members are rebel candidates from the MVA. Recently, NCP had sacked its panel leader Vikas Dangat for taking stand against the party. Dangat said, Voters expressed confidence in us. We will take future decisions by discussing with all the members. As the results of the APMC election are surprising, NCP leaders did not make any official comment. A NCP leader requesting anonymity said, Most candidates who were victorious are our members who rebelled. Hence, the victory is ours only. In Baramati APMC, NCP candidates grabbed all four seats. Talking about the results, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar said farmers and agricultural societies have delivered a good judgement. Its a tradition in Baramati where we get 80 to 85 per cent of votes in every election. Those newly elected (candidates) will work towards the betterment of the market... Under the guidance of Sharad Pawar saheb, we are doing a great job in Baramati. After the market elections, we now have the responsibility to do more work, he said. Of the 18 seats in Akola APMC, the panel supported by NCP won 11 seats, followed by 5 seats bagged by the BJP-backed panel. The one supported by the Uddhav Thackeray group won 2 seats, while the Vanchit-Aghadi panel failed to open its account. (with agency inputs) Pune: Firefighters worked for 45 minutes to bring the flames under control. (HT PHOTO) A fire broke out on the seventh floor of the main building of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) on Saturday evening. The fire department received a distress call at approximately 5:31 pm and rushed to the scene within minutes. The fire is said to have started in a wooden staircase structure on the seventh floor and spread to flag hoisting place and no injuries were reported during the incident. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, but initial reports suggest that an electrical short circuit may have sparked the blaze. Firefighters worked for 45 minutes to bring the flames under control. Thankfully, there were no casualties reported as the building was empty at the time of the incident. However, some wooden structures have been destroyed in the fire. Initially, University staffers used firefighting equipment to extinguish it, but later fire brigade officers took control of the situation. Fire brigade received a call at 5:31 pm, stated Kamlesh Sangale, Aundh Fire Station Duty Officer. A fire tender and a squad of eight firefighters were immediately dispatched to the scene. A fire broke out on the seventh floor, so it took some time to put it out, he added. Sangale went on to say that the actual cause of the incident is unknown and will be discovered after a thorough investigation. Local officials applauded the fire departments prompt response in putting out the fire and preventing it from spreading to other structures. A petrol pump on Senapati Bapat Road in the city has employed 12 disabled people in an effort to promote their integration into mainstream society. There was no formal set-up for training these disabled employees. The retailer, who knows six languages, used to teach them about various works at the petrol pump and to be able to communicate with them, he, along with other staff learnt sign language. Staff at the petrol pump seen interacting with each other in sign language. (Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo) Biswa Bhushan Majhi, retailer, Shell petrol pump on Senapati Bapat Road, said, The journey began in December 2020, when I spoke with two employees with disabilities who were managing the air gauge at the petrol pump. I asked them about their future goals at the station. They stated they also desired to advance within the organisation like other workers. So, I started training them and the experiment was successful. To reduce the communication gap between the customer and the employees, we gave them a badge and a card on which they or the customers can write. After the success of the initiative, we started hiring more such people at our petrol pump and started giving them training about various jobs. Today our petrol pump has 12 disabled employees who can handle works like air gauge, petrol fuelling, oiling, store management and other technical works, said Biswa. Vijay Alagade, a disabled employee who has been working with the petrol pump for more than a year, said, I used to manage the air gauge, but always wanted to do fuelling work. Our company provided us with the appropriate training and now I can also work like other staff here. It always feels good when you are being treated equally at your workplace. Sometimes, we have some difficulties while communicating with people. Especially with the senior citizens who cannot write. Our seniors step in during such a scenario, he said. The petrol pump has also employed three female staff with hearing disabilities who are also unable to speak. Chaguna, a female employee, said, Its my first job, I feel very comfortable working here and I am happy to get this opportunity. Pankaj Gavit, shift manager at the petrol pump, said, I handle the shifts for these special employees. Currently, we follow a schedule in which whenever the new employee comes, starting with the basic work, we ask them to manage the air gauge first. Once they feel that they are ready to learn and take on other responsibilities, we give them step-by-step training at the petrol pump. While they are handling the work, three senior employees stay around at the petrol pump so that, if these employees or any customer face problem, they can ask for help. Training was also given to other employees so that they can communicate with the disabled employees, said Gavit. The Thruway corridor has landed some blockbuster projects over the past several months. Just north of the Batavia exit, Edwards Vacuum is preparing to build a $319 million manufacturing plant. Farther east on the highway, Micron Technology is planning to invest up to $100 billion in a computer chip facility near Syracuse. Those massive projects, along with some others, are drawing attention to the state's main east-west highway as a destination for economic development. And a corporate site selection consultancy's report found that the upstate I-90 corridor, from Buffalo to Albany, stacks up well against its competitors when it comes to the annual cost of operating a manufacturing plant. The Boyd Co. researched 30 high-tech corridors around the country, and explored the cost of operating a hypothetical 350,000-square-foot plant with 550 employees. The I-90 corridor the only New York State area on the list was rated seventh least expensive, at $42.8 million in annual operating costs. It was also the lowest-cost corridor in the Northeast. The cheapest corridor on the list was in Central Texas, at $39.5 million, while the most expensive was in the San Francisco Bay area, at $53.6 million. The study took a wider-lens view of economic development territories, focusing on corridors, instead of specific regions such as Buffalo or Rochester. "In the site selection business today, advanced manufacturing site searches, it's all about identifying corridors," said John Boyd Jr., a partner in the Boyd Co. With corridors, companies maximize their access to workforce, transportation, airports and support services. "Because of all these factors, many site-seeking companies begin their search along a prominent interstate highway or public transit corridor," the study said. Edwards will be positioned to support the Micron plant that will be located just a few hours' drive down the Thruway. And Edwards will build its plant at a Genesee County business site the Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park that can draw workers from both the Buffalo and Rochester regions. In the Boyd study, the corridor that ranked the cheapest for operating a plant SH 130, between Austin and San Antonio is where Samsung opted to build a $17 billion semiconductor plant. STAMP was identified as a contender for that project. In the study, the upstate New York corridor's total annual labor costs were $37.8 million, about 10% higher than the Central Texas corridor's. The study also calculated the New York plant's annual electric power costs at about $587,000, and its natural gas costs at $1.1 million. By comparison, the Central Texas plant's electric costs were pegged at about $496,000, and its natural gas costs at only $490,000. Boyd said both the New York and Texas corridors boast something many other corridors can't: proximity to an international border. "It's a fundamental strength," he said. Boyd said that fits with the push toward "nearshoring," or bringing manufacturing operations closer to home from overseas, amid concerns about supply chain disruptions. Umicore has announced it will invest more than $1 billion in a facility in Kingston, Ontario, to make materials used in electric vehicle batteries. Boyd said New York State companies are well located to support that kind of plant. "It's a day's truck drive," he said. Incentives are no doubt a factor in helping secure big-dollar economic development projects, but ongoing operating costs remain an important consideration in the decisions, Boyd said. And not all suppliers are eligible to capture such big incentives. "Incentives are key, but the true cost of doing business still are a major site selection factor," he said. A historic deal A fifth-generation manufacturer dating to the late 1800s has been sold. Star Headlight and Lantern located in Avon, in Livingston County was bought by Grote Industries. Grote is headquartered in Indiana. "After much consideration and careful evaluation of what is best for Star, we are confident that under the Grote family care and leadership, the Jacobs family legacy of bringing innovative, high-quality products to its customers will continue and prosper," said Christopher Jacobs, Star's owner and CEO. Star was started in 1889 just after President Benjamin Harrison was inaugurated by five founding owners. Four months later, George Washington Jacobs bought out the five investors. Today, the company makes products for the rail, amber light, and emergency lighting markets. Grote has over a century of history on its side, too. The company was founded in 1922. PUNE On April 26, the studys findings were published in medRxiv, a health sciences-related portal. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC) While India has seen an increase in Covid-19 cases in recent months, researchers have discovered that the XBB1.16 Omicron recombinant sub-variant has become the most prevalent SARS-CoV-2 lineage in India. According to a recent study, the clinical features and outcomes of XBB.1.16 infected patients are identical to those of other co-circulating Omicron lineage-infected individuals. The research was carried out in Maharashtra as part of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) sequencing activity to understand the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its epidemiological trends. During the investigation, genome sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 virus were retrieved from the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID) database, which had been deposited from various Indian states and union territories between the 1st of December 2022 and the 8th of April 2023. The sequences were curated, then lineage and phylogenetic analysis were performed, and demographic and clinical data from Maharashtra were acquired over the phone. On April 26, the studys findings were published in medRxiv, a health sciences-related portal. Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, head of the Microbiology dept at BJ Medical College, Dr Rashmita Das and Mansi Rajmane of BJMC, Krishanpal Karmodiya of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Dr Varsha Potdar of National Institute of Virology (NIV) and others comprise the study team. On December 25, 2022, the XBB.1.16 lineage was first found in Indian sequences in a sample taken in Chennai. The XBB.1.16 in India has increased from 9.30% in the fifth week of 2023 to 79.17% in the 13th week of 2023. According to Dr Karyakarte, the state coordinator for genome sequencing, We discovered that the XBB.1.16 sub-variant has become the most prevalent SARS-CoV-2 lineage in the country, and its clinical features and outcomes in infected patients are similar to those infected with other Omicron lineages in circulation in Maharashtra. For demographic data, the patients age, gender, residence, contact number, and date of specimen collection and testing were collected from Maharashtra. The GISAID database yielded a total of 2,944 sequences, of which 2,856 were included in the research after data curation. The XBB.1.16 lineage dominated the sequence samples from India (36.17%), followed by XBB.2.3 (12.11%) and XBB.1.5 (10.36%). The clinical features of these 386 COVID-19 cases, 276 (71.50%) were XBB.1.16 infected patients. Most cases these patients had the symptomatic disease (92%) with mild symptoms, with fever (67%), followed by cough (42%), rhinorrhoea (33.7%), body ache (14.5%) and fatigue (14.1%) being the most common symptoms. Out of 276 cases, comorbidity was reported in 17.7% of cases, of which hypertension was the most common condition reported (47.9%), followed by diabetes mellitus (39.6%) and asthma (12.5%). 693 of the 2,856 patients were from Maharashtra, and 386 agreed to provide their clinical information and were included in the demographic and clinical study. While the majority of XBB.1.16 infected cases were home-isolated, 25.7% required hospitalisation or institutional quarantine, with 33.8% requiring oxygen therapy. Seven (2.5%) of the 276 XBB.1.16 cases died as a result of the disease. The majority of those who died were elderly (60 years and older), had underlying comorbid illnesses, and required supplemental oxygen therapy. The clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients infected with additional co-circulating Omicron variants were comparable to those of XBB.1.16 patients. On Sita Navmi, Kriti Sanon visited Pune's Ram Mandir to seek the blessings of Shri Ram and Maa Sita. The actor was seen praying at the temple and making offerings to the idols at the famous Tulsibaug mandir. On the same day, the makers of Adipurush also released two first looks of Kriti's character Janaki with a new poster. A new motion poster from the film was also released for audiences ahead of its June release. (Also read: Kriti Sanon exudes grace as Janaki in new Adipurush poster, wins the internet) Kriti Sanon stopped by Pune's Ram mandir on Sita Navmi. A fan account shared a photo of the actor's visit to the temple on Twitter and wrote, ".@kritisanon the actress seeks blessings of Shri Ram and Maa Sita at one of the most worshipped Ram Mandir in Tulsibaug, Pune on the occasion of Maa Sita Navmi." Kriti, who is dressed in a peach coloured Indian outfit, is seen praying at the temple. She also places some offerings in front of the idols. Adipurush, which also stars Prabhas, Sunny Singh and Saif Ali Khan, is directed by Om Raut. The film will be released theatrically on June 16, 2023, in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. It will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York On June 13, 2023. On Saturday, a new motion poster of the film featuring Kriti's character was released online. The new looks of Kriti's Janaki show the actor standing on top of a cliff in wait for someone, likely Prabhas' Ram. She is wearing a beige saree with an orange shawl. In another close-up look at her character, Janaki is seen with a single tear falling on her face. The audio of Ram Siya Ram can be heard softly playing in the background. Kriti was last seen with Kartik Aaryan in the film Shehzada this year. She is currently shooting for producer Ekta Kapoor's The Crew with Tabu and Kareena Kapoor. She also has Ganpath - Part 1 lined up for release alongside Tiger Shroff and Amitabh Bachchan. Tiger and Kriti both made their Hindi debuts together with Heropanti in 2014. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Arjun Kapoor shared more pictures of his romantic trip to Europe with girlfriend Malaika Arora. The actor posted several colour and black white photos of the couple's trip to Berlin, Germany earlier this month. They can be seen taking in the sights of the city, posing at several landmarks and going out on dates. Taking each others' photos, they have also added in a selfie or two of themselves in the photo dump from Berlin. Fans took to the comment section of Arjun's post and called them 'love birds'. (Also read: Malaika Arora is happy cooking for Arjun Kapoor: 'He doesnt know how to make chai, why will he cook?') Malaika Arora and Arjun Kapoor had gone on holiday to Europe. On Instagram, Arjun posted, "Berlin with love (red heart emoji) (literally) (winking face emoji)." Malaika Arora replied to his post with red heart and heart eyes emojis. In the first two photos, Arjun and Malaika are seen posing and walking past the graffiti on the streets of Berlin. In the third black and white photo, Malaika is sleeping inside a plane. The fourth photo is a couple selfie inside a restaurant where they are both dressed in black. The fifth photo features Malaika in an all-white ensemble posing by the riverside. There are more pics of Arjun on the Berlin streets, including one funny selfie of Arjun's with a photo of director Steven Spielberg. He also added one more lift selfie in which Malaika is dressed in a blue jumper with black leather pants. Fans dropped fire and red heart emojis for the couple's photos; one fan called them 'love birds'. One Instagram user commented, "you guys look lovely, love and just love for you both !!! @malaikaaroraofficial @arjunkapoor i m simple in awe of you mam i wish i could be as stunning as you by the time i ll be ur age." Another fan added, "You both look beautiful together in love... Keeping going strong with your bond. Blessings for both of you." Arjun's last film was Kuttey, the directorial debut of Aasmaan Bhardwaj. Naseeruddin Shah, Tabu and Konkona Sensharma and Radhika Madan were also part of the ensemble cast. The actor also has the films The Lady Killer and Meri Patni Ka Remake lined up for release this year. Malaika was last seen in the An Action Hero (2022) in a special song appearance. She also had the Disney+ Hotstar reality series Moving in With Malaika on her life premiere last December. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor Shah Rukh Khan sent his fans into a frenzy with his arrival at the Srinagar airport. A video of the same has surfaced online where he is seen getting mobbed by fans. The actor was recently filming in Kashmir for his forthcoming film Dunki, co-starring Taapsee Pannu. Also read: Shah Rukh Khan shoots with Taapsee Pannu in leaked video from Dunki shoot in Kashmir Shah Rukh Khan was filming Dunki in Kashmir. A small video clip of Shah Rukh being pulled and pushed by fans at the airport is out on Twitter. Many are seen trying to record the moment on their mobile phone as the actor's security personnel rescues him from the crowd. On Friday evening, Shah Rukh was seen arriving at Mumbai's Kalina airport after wrapping up the Kashmir shoot. He was in the same outfit as shown in the video from Srinagar airport. He opted for a cool look in black pants, a white tee and a black leather jacket. He also sported some accessories and a pair of black sunglasses. Upon reaching the Mumbai airport terminal, the actor hurried into his vehicle. He did not pose for the paparazzi who waited for him outside the airport gate. Previously, several behind-the-scene pictures and videos of the actor from the Dunki sets in leaked online. He and his team were seen at the popular Sonamarg in Kashmir. The actor also posed with fans in some photos. Sharing a video, a fan account tweeted, "Latest Update: Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal wrap up shoot of Dunki in Sonmarg, Kashmir earlier today." Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, Dunki is the first collaboration between Shah Rukh and the National Film Awards-winning director. The film also features Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal, and it's Shah Rukh's first film with them too. Dunki is scheduled to be released in December. Previously the team had filmed for the movie in London and Saudi Arabia among other locations. It's touted to be a comedy-drama about illegal immigration by Indians. Shah Rukh was last seen in Siddharth Anand's blockbuster film Pathaan, alongside Deepika Padukone and John Abraham. He will be next seen in Atlees upcoming action film Jawan. It also has Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi. The film is billed as an action-thriller and a promo for the same was released last year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif got married on December 9, 2021 in a private but traditional ceremony in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. The couple celebrated their first anniversary with special posts on Instagram as they took off for a short holiday. The actor recently attended the 68th Filmfare Awards held in Mumbai where he spoke about teaching Katrina a few basics in Punjabi. He also shared that he felt like fainting after hearing her say absolutely anything in Punjabi. Fans gushed over their relationship in the comments section. (Also read: Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal pose with fans at Mumbai airport, internet says: 'We missed you so much'. Watch) Vicky Kaushal reveals too much about Katrina Kaif's dancing. Vicky was initially asked about what marriage advice he would give to others. He shared that he had only been married for a year and a half and it was just their beginning. He was still receiving tips from others and it was still time for him to start giving tips to others. He recommended getting married as a tip. The Filmfare Awards were hosted by Salman Khan, Maniesh Paul and Ayushmann Khurrana. Vicky Kaushal danced to the Oscar-winning Telugu song Naatu Naatu on stage and also performed Main Aisa Kyun Hoon from Lakshya and songs from his film Govinda Naam Mera. Later, he spoke about the Punjabi phrases he had taught Katrina Kaif. Speaking with Anushka Dandekar and Karan Wahi on the red carpet, Vicky said that he had taught her the phrases, "Ki haal chaal and haal chaal badhiya ne". He also added, "Thodsi bhi Punjabi aati hai, main faint ho jaata hoon (Whatever little Punjabi she knows, I faint afterwards)." One fan wrote, "He is soooooooooooooooo cute." Another dropped red heart emojis and shared, "He is love." Many others added heart eyes and red heart emojis at the interactions between the couple. The actor was last seen in the Disney+ Hotstar movie Govinda Naam Mera with Kiara Advani and Bhumi Pednekar. He had a special appearance in Anurag Kashyap's Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat earlier this year as the title character. Vicky also has the films Sam Bahadur and untitled projects with Anand Tiwari and Laxman Utekar lined up for release this year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Eva Green has won a case over due payment for the failed movie A Patriot. Londons High Court gave the decision in her favour which would ensure her a $1 million fee for the film. Eva Green(Getty Images) Green had sued the production company White Lantern over unpaid fees. She claimed that under her pay or play contract she was was still owed her fee, which was being held in escrow by her agent, even though the movie had fallen apart. Production on the film was halted in October 2019 due to financial issues for which the makers had even taken a loan. ALSO READ| Bam Margera's shocking arrest - "Jackass" star surrenders after assault case However, White Lantern together with film finance company Sherborne Media Finance, which took over White Lantern once the movie fell apart, had filed a counter-case against her for making "excessive creative and financial demands". But Justice Michael Green, who presided over the case, gave the verdict in Greens favor and dismissed the counter-suit. After winning the case, Green said that the company had tried to suppress her and made false allegations against her. "I am proud that I stood up against their bully-boy tactics," said Green. She also highlighted that the reporting of the case took a toll on her as she found it to be "painful and damaging". Green said that public revelation of her derogatory WhatsApp texts to the film's production staff, was humiliating. Justice Michael ruled that her messages stemmed from "a genuine feeling of concern that any film made under producer Jake Seal's control would be of very low quality". "Ms Green made it clear that she did not want to make the film under Mr Seal's full control; and the defendants were only interested in recovering SMC's loan," said Justice Michael. Green had starred in the James Bond movie "Casino Royale". The Met Gala, the annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute, is back, and this year it celebrates the opening of the Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty exhibit. The gala will take place on May 1, 2023. and this year's theme is centered on the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, who left his mark on the fashion industry as Chanels creative director starting in the 1980s. German designer Karl Lagerfeld joins models, from left, American Cindy Crawford, Canadian Linda Evangelista and Claudia Schiffer of Germany after the presentation of his 1996 spring-summer ready-to-wear fashion collection for Chanel in Paris on Oct. 19, 1995. Lagerfeld died in 2019 after dominating the fashion universe into his 80s.(AP) The Gala, chaired by Michaela Coel, Penelope Cruz, Roger Federer, Dua Lipa, and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, is a night of glamour, fashion, and big names in culture and politics, such as Rihanna, Madonna, and Beyonce, sauntering down the red carpet in their fashionable attire. How to Watch the Met Gala The E! red carpet coverage of the event will begin at 6 pm Eastern time on TV, while NBCs website and app will offer a live stream. Vogue will also have a live stream for the red carpet beginning at 6:30 p.m., shared across its digital platforms, including its website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. For those looking for updates and stories on the event, the Washington Post will have a live blog. Who's Attending? While the guest list for the 2023 Met Gala remains unclear, some stars are expected to appear, including Kim Kardashian, Naomi Campbell, Kendall Jenner, and Gigi Hadid. Celebrities almost always wear custom outfits for the gala, usually created by the designer with whom they are attending. Their ensembles take inspiration from the theme, bringing us such viral moments as Rihanna's enormous yellow dress by Chinese couturier Guo Pei for the Chinese-themed event in 2015. How to Get a Ticket? The Met Gala is an invite-only event, and brands and wealthy people buy all the tables and tickets. Anna Wintour then "matches" celebrities to sit with that brand. The cost for an individual ticket is $50,000, and an entire table costs $300,000. What Happens Inside? The event features a behind-the-scenes peek of the latest exhibit, followed by a dinner, and usually, a performance from a high-profile star. Last year, first lady Jill Biden made an appearance as the special speaker. The Met Gala is a night to celebrate fashion and art while raising funds for a worthy cause. With the Karl Lagerfeld theme, this year's gala promises to be another memorable night in the fashion world. In a recent interview with Access Hollywood, Lisa Vanderpump talked about a variety of topics, including her work with the Vanderpump Dogs Foundation, the drama-filled Vanderpump Rules reunion, and even a possible return to Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I probably should return, she admitted, referring to the possibility of joining the cast once again. Reality TV mogul Lisa Vanderpump is suggesting possibilities to returm in Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Vanderpump, who left the show after the PuppyGate controversy involving her former castmate Dorit Kemsley, admitted that she had spoken to Andy Cohen and was told that the "door's always open" for her return. However, she cited her busy schedule, including opening two new restaurants and running the Vanderpump Dogs Foundation, as reasons why she may not have time to return. But it wasn't just her schedule that was holding her back. Vanderpump revealed that she didn't like many of the cast members and didn't want to get into a "punch-up every night." However, she did say that she had a few friends among the cast, including Garcelle Beauvais and Sutton Stracke. Also read | Vanderpump-Kyle feud casts shadow on Mauricio Umansky and Ken Todd's friendship Fans of the show would love to see Vanderpump return and put Kyle Richards in her place once again, but with Lisa Rinna gone and Denise Richards now on board, it remains to be seen if Vanderpump will make a comeback. Stay tuned for more updates on this scandalous and entertaining story. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a large-scale infrastructure development programme launched by China in 2013. The initiative aims to connect Asia with Europe and Africa, through a network of railways, highways, ports, airports, and other infrastructure projects with the intent to promote trade, investment, and economic growth in participating countries. Hence, this has been described by Chinese officials as a "new model of globalisation" that benefits all parties involved. In this file photo, visitors walk past a wall with a map showing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries, at an exhibition in Beijing, China. The BRI comprises two main components: The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st century Maritime Silk Road. The Silk Road Economic Belt focuses on improving connectivity and cooperation between China and countries in Central Asia, Europe, and West Asia, while the 21st century Maritime Silk Road focuses on strengthening maritime cooperation between China and countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Africa In recent years, the BRI has attracted significant attention and investment intending to promote regional connectivity and integration and support economic growth in participating countries. However, the initiative has also faced several challenges, including concerns about debt sustainability and the impact of China's economic slowdown. The Chinese economy has experienced a slowdown in recent years, with declining growth rates and mounting debt levels, which has raised questions about the sustainability of the BRI, and the ability of China to continue investing in large-scale infrastructure projects. The economic slowdown has led to increased scrutiny of China's overseas investments, including those under the BRI, which has affected the pace of BRI projects. Some projects have been delayed or put on hold, and China has become more cautious about taking on new investments. Critics have raised concerns about not just the financial sustainability of the projects, but also the social and environmental impact of the infrastructure projects. This has made it more difficult for China to gain the support and cooperation of host countries, which is crucial for the success of the BRI. Looking ahead, the impact of China's economic slowdown on the BRI will depend on several factors, including the pace of China's economic recovery, the level of debt sustainability of BRI projects, and the geopolitical context in which the initiative operates. While the BRI may face challenges in the short-term, it is likely to remain a key component of China's long-term economic and foreign policy objectives. One of the most significant criticisms of the BRI is that it is a debt trap, which involves China lending money to developing countries for infrastructure projects that they cannot afford to repay. Critics argue that this leads to countries becoming trapped in a cycle of debt and dependence on China, which can undermine their sovereignty and increase their vulnerability to economic and political pressure from China. There are several examples of countries that have experienced debt issues as a result of BRI projects. Sri Lanka, for example, was unable to repay its debt for the Hambantota Port project and was forced to hand over control of the port to China on a 99-year lease. Djibouti's struggle to repay Chinese loans has also generated criticism on the Chinese model of project financing for creating debt traps for developing countries. Pakistan's debt to China has also been growing, with concerns raised about the financial sustainability of the projects and their impact on Pakistan's economy with China investing billions of dollars in infrastructure projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a key component of the BRI. China has invested heavily in infrastructure projects in Laos, however, the project has been criticised for its high cost and potential impact on the environment, and concerns have been raised about Laos' ability to repay the loans from China. These are just a few of many such cases. However, proponents of the BRI argue that it is not a debt trap and that the initiative provides much-needed investment and infrastructure for developing countries. They argue that the benefits of BRI projects will outweigh the costs in the long term and that China is willing to work with participating countries to ensure that projects are financially sustainable. Debt relief measures have been proposed as a way to alleviate the debt burden of countries participating in the BRI. These measures include debt restructuring, debt forgiveness, and debt-for-equity swaps, among others. The aim is to help countries manage their debt obligations and avoid default, while also supporting the sustainability of the BRI. In 2018, China announced that it would cancel or reduce the debts of some BRI countries, particularly those that are classified as Least Developed Countries. China has also participated in debt relief initiatives such as the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) launched by the G20 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite these measures, concerns about debt sustainability for BRI projects remain. Critics argue that China's measures are insufficient and that more needs to be done to ensure that BRI projects are financially sustainable and do not lead to countries becoming trapped in debt. Looking ahead, the future of the BRI will depend on China's ability to address the challenges and concerns raised by participating countries and to adapt to changing global conditions To ensure the long-term sustainability and success of the BRI, China may need to focus on promoting greater transparency and sustainability in BRI projects and work collaboratively with participating countries to address debt sustainability concerns. Moreover, the emergence of alternative initiatives and partnerships, such as the G20s Infrastructure Initiative, G7s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) and the EU's Global Gateway Plan, could also shape the future of infrastructure development in developing countries. The BRI faces significant challenges, including concerns about debt sustainability and the impact of China's economic slowdown. However, with measures such as debt relief and restructuring options, and a focus on greater transparency and sustainability, the BRI has the potential to continue bringing significant benefits to many countries. The future of the BRI will depend on China's ability to address these challenges, and to work collaboratively with participating countries and other partners to promote sustainable and high-quality infrastructure investments that benefit all parties involved. The article is authored by Ananya Raj Kakoti and Gunwant Singh, scholar, international relations, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Hello, hello, welcome back to the World Weekly. This week we are deconstructing the crisis in Myanmar more than two years after a military coup. A number of events in the recent weeks a meeting of the Track 1.5 Dialogue, the killing of a junta-appointed election official, military airstrikes that killed over 100 people, and former UN chief Ban Ki-moons visit to Naypyidaw have, momentarily, brought wider attention back to the brewing regional crisis. The aftermath of an airstrike in Pazigyi village in Sagaing Region's Kanbalu Township, Myanmar, on April 11, 2023. Witnesses and independent media reports said dozens of villagers in central Myanmar have been killed in an air attack carried out Tuesday by the Southeast Asian country's military government. (Kyunhla Activists Group via AP) Myanmar: The biggest regional concern On February 1, 2021, what was supposed to the first day back for the newly re-elected National League for Democracy (NLD) parliament, the military deposed its leaders and took over the country citing voter fraud a claim denied by the election commission. Myanmar, also called Burma, has seen some level of civil unrest since its independence from the UK in 1948 and the military has never been far from power. The country was ruled by the junta after a coup in 1962 and only regained a sort of semi-democracy starting 2011. In the 2020 elections, the NLD won a landslide victory resulting in humiliating defeat for the Union Solidarity and Development Party, a proxy for the military (It only won 33 seats out of a possible 476). In response, the junta wielded a law enshrined in the 2008 Constitution that allows it to take over in the case of threats to the nation. Though it has repeatedly vowed to hold elections again as soon as this year, its actions belie its intentions. Since 2021, the junta has carried out vindictive, closed-door trials of the leader of the NLD Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been given a jail sentence of 33 years on various charges, including corruption. It has used mass killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, scorched earth tactics, sexual violence, indiscriminate attacks that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, internet blackouts, as well as curbs on humanitarian aid and the media to end all opposition to the coup and bring the country entirely under its control. Failing that, it has carried out wholesale airstrikes against what it says are rebel groups including the one on April 11 in Pazigyi which reports say killed 170 civilians. To say the ground situation in Myanmar is bad would be to put it lightly. Since the coup, at least 3,200 people have been killed and 17,000 detained (These are the cases that could be verified, in reality, it may be more). United Nations special rapporteur Tom Andrews has called the situation horrific. He was giving his report of the countrys situation in late 2022 to the Human Rights Council and added, Many in Myanmar have come to the conclusion that the world has forgotten them, or simply doesnt care. They ask me why (United Nations) Member States refuse to take measures that are both possible and practical, measures that could save untold numbers of lives." Those he spoke to are not wrong. Myanmar has been one of those countries where the West has little incentive to get involved and the response from regional powers has been limited by their own interests, which dont always match those of the Burmese. Immediately after the coup, US, UK, the European Union and Canada condemned the coup, imposed sanctions, and isolated the country on the international stage. In the rest of the world, especially in Asia, the censure was less emphatic with China, India, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries, and Japan, all of whom have direct interests in Myanmar, refraining from being overly critical of the junta to the point of breaking ties. A man celebrates with a relative after being released from Insein Prison in Yangon on April 17, 2023. Myanmar's junta began releasing more than 3,000 prisoners to mark the Buddhist New Year, without specifying whether those jailed in its bloody crackdown on dissent would be freed. (AFP) Geopolitical factors Despite the fact that Myanmar began liberalisation in 1980s, there are few major foreign companies or interests in the country till date. It explains why the Western pressure, motivated largely by economic factors, has been unusually lacking. Plus, Suu Kyi, the champion of democracy, who was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, turned out to be a genocide apologist, turning the West away from her. On the other hand, Russia has shown support for the junta. Meanwhile, for countries in geographical proximity to Myanmar, the ongoing crisis is a huge issue. The first major reason is Chinese expansionism. Beijing is one of Myanmars biggest trade partners: in 2022-23, the two countries saw a trade volume of $8.4 billion and in the last two years alone, China has invested some $113 million in Myanmar. Its biggest economic investment is the China-Myanmar economic corridor, under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which includes rail and road links as well as gas and oil pipelines. Instability is unfavourable for Beijing and it has maintained its ties with the junta in order to protect its economic investments. For countries, like India and Japan, that are opposed to Chinese expansionism, the close ties between the two countries are a matter of concern, and isolating the junta may force it to rely on Beijing even more. The fears are warranted since China has long been suspected for having established a listening post on Myanmars Coco Island, not only offering China access to the Indian Ocean (part of Chinas effort to diversify its access to maritime routes), but also allows it to monitor Indias navy communications, satellite launches and missile tests. About 50 Rohingya, adults and children are stranded on Lampanah beach, in Aceh Besar, Indonesia on 16 February 2023. (AFP) Then theres the problem of refugees. After the military clampdown, Myanmar's opposition formed a shadow government and continues fighting the junta from the peripheries of the country, often alongside pre-existing ethnic armed conflicts, leading a worsening humanitarian crisis that has resulted in the displacement of more than 1.1 million people. Refugees have crossed the border into India, Bangladesh and Thailand. Bangladesh, for instance, is home to the worlds largest refugee camp in Coxs Bazaar, inhabited by at least 800,000 Rohingya Muslims who have been persecuted by the military to the point of genocide (since before 2021). The problem has become so bad that authorities have begun sending the refugees to the remote island of Bhashan Char, despite questions over its liveability. In Thailand, the crisis in Myanmar has been labelled the biggest regional concern. In India, the influx of refugees has engendered resentment amongst residents in the northeastern states, increasing the possibility of violence and crime. There have also been reports of rebels from Myanmar setting up bases in Mizoram to transport arms back to fight the junta. Both Laos and India also have concerns around the uptick of drug activity across their borders, and criminality linked to it. Plus, there are concerns over the re-emergence of anti-India insurgents in the lawless peripheries of Myanmar bordering the northeastern states. The fact that the UN Security Council passed its first resolution on Myanmar after seven decades this December is a huge indication of how under-represented the crisis is on the global stage. The juntas vow to conduct elections this year may seem promising at face-value, but in reality, if they are not free-and-fair, offers only a veneer of legitimacy for military dictatorship. But it does indicate that the junta is susceptible to foreign pressure. It is now up to regional powers to step up, demonstrate global leadership, and push the junta to at least implement Aseans Five Point Census, if not to return to status quo ante. In all this, we can only hope they will think of the Burmese people, besides their own interests. That's all for this week, folx. If you have any suggestions, feedback, or questions, please write to me at sanya.mathur@hindustantimes.com As a member of the Zonta Club of Auburn, I have learned that there is a misconception of what happened to the womens Equal Rights Amendment, which would have been the 28th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment was conceived with good intentions, passed by Congress, ratified by the states and then, due to various levels of opposition, was never added to the Constitution. Below is a brief history of the Equal Rights Amendment. On Sept. 25, 1921, the National Woman's Party announced its plans to campaign for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to guarantee women equal rights with men. The text of the proposed amendment read: Section 1. No political, civil, or legal disabilities or inequalities on account of sex or on account of marriage, unless applying equally to both sexes, shall exist within the United States or any territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof. Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this. In the early history of the Equal Rights Amendment, middle-class women were largely supportive, while those speaking for the working class were often opposed, pointing out that employed women needed special protections regarding working conditions and employment hours. With the rise of the women's movement in the United States during the 1960s, the ERA garnered increasing support and, after being reintroduced by Rep. Martha Griffiths in 1971, it was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Oct. 12, 1971, and by the U.S. Senate on March 22, 1972, thus submitting the ERA to the state legislatures for ratification, as provided by Article V of the U.S. Constitution. Zonta Club of Auburn: The Constitution and women's rights The latest on the Zonta Club of Auburn and its work to empower women through service and advocacy. Between 1972 and 2023 (yes, the ERA is still a work in progress), the amendment has been ratified by the necessary number of states and been subject to lawsuits by various groups. Some states want to reverse their ratifications, and generally the amendment has been the subject of a lot of pro and con conversation and controversy. Some opponents felt that with its passage women would lose certain protections, such as exemption from mandatory military service, financial support from their husbands and, in general, the distinction between men and women would be erased. The irony of this is that Zonta Clubs have been working since 1919 to advocate for and support women and girls worldwide for gender equality, protections from domestic violence, access to education, equal workplace opportunities, etc. The Zonta Add Your Voice" campaign runs from April through May, and we are actively seeking individuals to join us to further the mission and vision of Zonta. Help us build a better world for women and girls locally and internationally. Zonta offers three levels of membership: clubs for adults 18 and older, Z Clubs for high school students, and Golden Z Clubs for college students. The Zonta International Foundation website offers a wealth of information regarding the work we do and the opportunities for the various levels of membership, and how you can make your voice be heard. In addition, the ladies of the Zonta Club of Auburn will be at the annual Lake Avenue garage sale in Auburn on May 6. We will have a variety of items for your shopping pleasure, the chance to win a lottery ticket tree, and the opportunity to find more about the Zonta Club of Auburn. The Zonta Club also wants to thank all those who help to support our events and the work we do in the community. For information regarding the Zonta Club of Auburn, please visit our website at zontadistrict2.org/auburn or email us at auburn@zontadistrict2.org. Zonta Club of Auburn: The Constitution and women's rights The latest on the Zonta Club of Auburn and its work to empower women through service and advocacy. In a historic moment, the 100th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modis monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat will be broadcast live in the United Nations headquarters in New York. The 100th episode of Modis monthly radio address will air at 11 am IST on April 30. Also Read | 100th episode of Mann ki Baat to be livecast at 250 public places in Chandigarh Get ready for a historic moment as the 100th episode of PM Modis "Mann Ki Baat" is set to go live on April 30th in Trusteeship Council Chamber at @UN HQ! the Permanent Mission of India to the UN said in a tweet. The 100th episode of Modis monthly radio address will air at 11 am IST on April 30, which will be 1:30 am Sunday in New York. The live broadcast of the programme in the early hours of Sunday in the UN headquarters will be historic and unprecedented. It will be aired in the UN's Trusteeship Council Chamber. #MannKiBaat has become a monthly national tradition, inspiring millions to participate in Indias developmental journey, the Permanent Mission said. The Consulate General of India in New York, along with community organisations, is also hosting the broadcast of the 100th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' for members of the Indian-American and diaspora community in New Jersey during a special event at 1:30 am Sunday. Don't miss #MannKiBaatAt100 at 0130 hrs EST on April 30th, 2023! Let us celebrate the landmark 100th episode of #MannKiBaat as Honble @PMOIndia connects with Indians, Indian diaspora and listeners across the world, the Consulate said in a tweet. In the Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast hosted by Prime Minister Modi, he addresses the people of the country on different issues. It was first aired on October 3, 2014, and is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month at 11 am on the entire All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) network. The 100th episode of the 30-minute programme will be aired on April 30. At least 22 snakes of different species, and one Chameleon were recovered from a woman passenger's bag at Chennai airport. The passenger had arrived from Malaysia on Friday. A video from the airport showed officials taking out the snake using a long rod while some wriggling out of the crates on the floor. A female passenger, who arrived from Kuala Lumpur, was intercepted at Chennai airport. The woman was arrested by the customs department on her arrival from Kuala Lumpur. "On 28.04.23, a female pax who arrived from Kuala Lumpur by Flight No. AK13 was intercepted by Customs. On examination of her checked-in baggage, 22 Snakes of various species and a Chameleon were found & seized under the Customs Act, 1962 r/w Wildlife Protection act, 1972," tweeted Chennai Customs. Earlier in January, in a similar incident, 45 ball pythons, three marmosets, three-star tortoises and eight corn snakes were recovered by the Customs department of Chennai Airport, the officials said. According to the customs official, 45 ball pythons, three marmosets, three-star tortoises and eight corn snakes were recovered after two unattended bags found near the baggage claim belt of a pax who arrived from Bangkok were examined on January 11. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday announced that Indias first cable-stayed Anji Khad Bridge is now ready for use while posting a timelapse footage of making of the bridge. In 11 months, India's first cable-stayed rail bridge is ready. All 96 cables are set! #AnjiKhadBridge PS: Total length of cable strands 653 km, Vaishnaw tweeted along with the video. Anji Khad bridge, India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, in Reasi district.(PTI) Read | Railways completes installing cables of Indias first cable-stayed bridge in 11 months Reacting to the tweet of railway minister, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the completion of the project, and tweeted: "Excellent". Here's everything you need to know about the Indias first cable-stayed rail bridge connecting J&K: 1.The link will be a breakthrough in connecting Kashmir with the rest of India by train. 2. The look of the bridge will remind Mumbaikars of the Bandra Worli Sea Link, which is among the first cable-stayed bridges in the country. Also read | Guess this station: Railway Minister shares stunning pics of railway line, asks people to name them 3. The project will also comprise the worlds highest railway bridge over the Chenab River. The 1,315-m arch bridge will be taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris and will rise 331 m above the riverbed. 4. The Anji bridge is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Line (USBRL), and is deemed to be one of the most difficult projects undertaken in the Indian subcontinent. 5. The bridge has been designed to withstand storms and strong winds. Given the complex geology of the high-altitude region, constructing the bridge is very challenging. 6. The total cost of the entire rain line is 37,000 crore and the bridge is 400 crore. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Leaning on a wooden chair, Ashok Chandargi crunches numbers. In a photo hanging on the wall, a young Basavaraj Bommai is seen waiting to greet George Fernandez along with Chandargi. The man on the chair was one of the leaders of the Kannada movement that helped change the political landscape of the district, which was once dominated by the Maharashtra Ekikarana Samiti (MES). Karnataka is set to go to election on May 10. But ahead of the upcoming assembly elections on May 10, he is concerned. It is like the water receding before the big waves come. There are always signs, he said. Every year, there will be an official MES candidate and one or more rebel candidates. This year, there arent any (rebels). This is a sign of them consolidating, pointed out Chandargi. Belagavi city is ground zero of the tussle between Kannada outfits and the MES over a border dispute that dates back to 1957 after the reorganisation of states on linguistic lines. Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi, which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency and has a sizeable Marathi-speaking population. It also laid claim to over 800 Marathi-speaking villages, which are currently part of Karnataka. Also Read| Karnataka Polls: Former deputy CM G Parameshwara suffers head injury after stone pelting during rally At the height of the dispute, the MES controlled the politics in the district. In 1957, the party won seven out of the seven seats and the domination continued until the 1990s, when the MES had at least five MLAs from the district. MESs political slide It took a long political campaign by the pro-Kannada organisations to contain MESs political power, Chandargi said. Bangarappa, then CM, decided to break the unity of the MES, which was posing problems to the state government on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute, he said. The Hidkal water supply scheme was launched to help the city tackle a crippling scarcity. This helped S Bangarappa, chief minister between 1990 and 1992, to win over then mayor Sambhajirao Patil of the MES, who eventually became close to him. What kicked off a political change was a decision by an MES mayor Sambaji Patil to invite chief minister Bangarappa to Belagavi in 1990. Until then, everyone chief minister faced black flags, but he received a big welcome from the mayor, Chandargi said. This resulted in the Marathi community announcing a social boycott of Patil, but it kicked off a chain of events. It eventually resulted in six MES councillors along with Patil cross-voting in the municipal election in 1992 that saw Siddangouda Patil as the first Kannada-speaking mayor of the city. The change resulted in several leaders of the MES being poached by the Janata Party and the Congress. In 1999, the MES failed to win a single seat in the local body election, added Chandargi. Marathi vote bank crucial With the border dispute being heard in the Supreme Court, the MES is regrouping. The Supreme Court on April 17 adjourned the hearing on the state of Maharashtras plea in a border row with Karnataka, as justice Aravind Kumar recused himself. Both parties want the Marathi votes because if Muslims join hands with Marathis, the Congress will win, and if they go with the Lingayats, it will help the Bharatiya Janata Party, Chandargi said. Because of this, local leaders are not taking on the MES. He cited Belagavi North constituency as a case in point. When Firoz Sait (of the Congress) came to power, Muslims and Lingayats had voted on one side. For the first time, the BJP has fielded a Lingayat candidate after seven Lingayat organisations pressurised the government. Now the votes are split, Chandargi said. Muslims are rallying behind the Congress candidate, while Lingayats are rallying behind the Lingayat candidate, he added. That means if the MES consolidates, they have a chance. The BJP denying the ticket to a Marathi candidate in the constituency has led to further fears of consolidation of votes. Belagavi North MLA Anil Benake was replaced by Ravi Patil, a Lingayat leader. Benake, who earlier tried to get back the seat, has agreed to support the party candidate, but said it could have an effect on the Marathi votes. Because our candidate ( Ravi Patil) is new, we worry that some Marathi voters may look at the MES as an option. In the last election, they supported the BJP because the candidate was a Marathi, so we are reaching out to them, Benake said. But we are appealing to their Hindu sentiments. In the past, they have joined hands with the BJP because we stand for the cause of Hindutva. Politics to preserve culture For the Marathi community, the election is a means to further their demand for merging with Maharashtra. The Marathi community, which accounted for 51% of the population in the 1961 census, is now reduced to 38%, according to the 2011 census, which means their political influence in the region has reduced. Maloji Ashtekr, once a leader of the Marathi movement and mayor of the corporation between 1985 and 1986, now lives a quiet life in Kangral Galli, a Marathi-populated area in the city. Are we making such an outrageous demand? In order to preserve our culture and language, we want to be integrated into Maharashtra, Ashtekr said. We demand it because we are denied our linguist rights here. Dusting a book taken from a shelf, he said the architect of the India Constitution agreed with this. He quoted from BR Ambedkars Thoughts on Linguistic States, which says that the border decision was unjust. Ashtekr, however, agreed that the newer generation doesnt have the same zeal for the Marathi cause, blaming it on the education system enforced by the Karnataka government. To give you a context, the first Marathi school came up in 1826 in Hubli-Dharwad. In Belgaum, the first Marathi school was established in 1835 and the Kannada school came in 1938. So the education system in both languages existed for several years. However, in 1992, Karnataka made Kannada mandatory, he said. Unlike the generation who went to school before 1992, the generation that came is better integrated into Kannada culture. When your primary education takes place in Kannada, the emotion towards Marathi changes, Ashtekr said. This was one of the reasons why our youngsters moved to the BJP and other parties. MES strategy The Marathi community is more united than ever, claimed MES spokesperson Vikas Kalghatgi. What helped us were some local issues. There were proposals to build a ring road and another project to construct a bypass, which would have affected several Marathi businesses. We were able to able to create a movement around the issues and bring the Marathi votes together, he said. Also, the recent Supreme Court hearing has also revived the energy of our demand for joining Maharashtra. Confirming the fears of Kannada leaders like Chandargi, Kalghatgi said there is an attempt to politically reorganise the MESs strategy. We held several meetings to ensure that no one contests against the MES candidate and split the votes. We are united this time, he said. We have candidates in six constituencies, and in most of the constituencies, we have a large Marathi population. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Welcome to hindustantimes.com updates platform where you can find breaking news from India and across the world. Find fast updates about the latest news as it breaks. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Untouchability in any form is abolished and the imposition of any disability on that account shall be an offence. . . . . There shall be no discrimination against any citizen on grounds of religion, race, caste or sex. HT This Day: April 30, 1947 -- Charter of equality in new constitution These are among the Fundamental Rights which the Constituent Assembly adopted today unanimously, thus proclaiming to the world that the free State it wishes to construct shall be the most democratic. Another proof of this resolve was given in the evenning when the Congress Party at a meeting in the Constitution House resolved to omit various provisos governing the Fundamental Rights relating to the freedom of speech, of association and of the Press. The meeting considered it enough to state that the exercise of various freedoms shall be subject to the requirement of morality and public order. The Assembly dealt with the report of the Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee in a businesslike way and passed five clauses during its four-hour sitting in the day. The discussion was lively and Sardar Patel and Sir Alladi Krishnaswami lyer effectively answered most of the criticism voiced by movers of amendments. In moving consideration of the report, Sardar Patel spoke briefly, thinking that he would answer critics when they moved their amendments. But Pandit H. N. Kunzru surprised the front- benches by claiming the right of general discussion on the model of the Central Legislature. No one objected to this procedure until he began to indulge in detailed criticism. Finding that the Chair and the House were becoming impatient, he concluded after he had spoken for ten minutes. The Communist member, Mr Lahiri, seized the opportunity thus offered and made a frontal attack on the report. He described it as a cooked up affair and as having been drawn up from a constables point of view. The Socialist Mr Ranga now jumped into the fray and hit out by remarking that the report was a valuable document which aimed at protecting the country from totalitarianism whether of the Nazi or Communist type. In a characteristic retort, Sardar Patel said that the report had not been drawn up from the point of view of those who wanted no police, no restrictions and no laws. It was neither cooked nor uncooked. It had not been prepared in a haphazard way but had been got ready by eminent lawyers. The critics felt smothered and the House took up consideration of clauses. The first two clauses giving definitions and assuring that all laws in conflict with the fundamental rights shall stand abrogated were passed without much discussion. Then occurred a battle of legal wits on the definition of citizenship. It started on an innocent-looking question put by Mr B. Das as to whether the definition that every person born in the Union shall be a citizen of the Union was not too liberal to foreigners. The question assumed significance because the President, Dr Rajendra Prasad, declared that it required an answer. Sir Alladi Krishnaswami lyer, who is the brain behind the sub-committees report, gave a lucid exposition of the issues involved. The political argument was provided by Sardar Patel, who said that the world was watching them and they must not bring in racial tinge while they were fighting against racial discrimination in South Africa and elsewhere. The House laughed when he clinched the issue by asking: How many foreign women are coming here to give birth to children to acquire Indian citizenship? The President expressed himself us unconvinced and since some members had suggested postponement of the clause the general sense of the House favoured postponement. The President will form a committee of eminent lawyers to re-examine the definition. When the House debated the clause stating that there shall be no discrimination on grounds of religion, race caste or sex Mr Lahiri (Communist) proposed that there shall be no discrimination on grounds of political creed. Sardar Patel reacted sharply to this plea by remarking: There may be some political creeds which may be highly objectionable and may deserve not discrimination but suppression. The amendment was rejected, not even the mover saying aye. Mr Rohini Kumar Chaudhry suffered a similar rebuff when he suggested that discrimination on grounds of dress should be banned. His grievance was that some European hotels were still not admitting people wearing Indian dress. They are all quitting, said Sardar Patel. Some people are still haunted by ideas of slavery. On July 16, 2001, night, the then Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf left the plush Amarvilas Hotel for Agras Kheria airport in a huff to take a flight to Islamabad as the then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee refused to agree to weaken Islamabads commitment on cross-border terrorism over resolution of the Kashmir issue. The entire Agra summit collapsed and those Pakistani journalists who had been waiting from 2 pm for a positive joint statement were left high and dry after the then Indian Spokesperson Nirupama Rao delivered a one-liner at the Mughal Sheraton hotel at 10 pm. Coined by the then External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, Rao, who later served as Indias Foreign Secretary, cryptically said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step and left the podium. File photo of then Pak Army chief Gen Qamar Jawed Bajwa on LoC in 2018. Rao delivered a repartee after the Pakistani dictator had taken off for his country from Agra airport. Frustrated by the Indian response and fueled by luxury hotels hospitality, the Pakistan journalists accosted Rao, slanged her, and virtually roughed her up for India allowing their President to return empty handed to Pakistan. The expectation bubble that India under Vajpayee would buy the Pakistani line that there all will be hunky dory if the Kashmir issue was resolved in favour of Islamabad had burst. Among those present at Mughal Sheraton was one riled up journalist who has now accused former Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Jawed Bajwa for making a secret deal with India over Kashmir Valley. According to Pakistani newspaper reports on the claims of the journalist, Gen Bajwa met 20-25 journalists at the Army Headquarters in 2021 and told them off-record that Pak Army was not capable of combat against India in view of the condition of certain weapon systems in its inventory. The claim by the journalist was that Bajwa had kept the political leadership then headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan in the dark and that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was supposed to fly to Pakistan to ink the secret deal engineered by Gen Bajwa and Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The off-the-record dialogue at Pak Army Headquarters apparently took place around the time when Indian and Pak Army Director Generals of Military Operations agreed to hold fire along the Line of Control (LoC) and all other sectors with effect from midnight February 24-25, 2021. While the Pakistan Army issued a statement on Friday stating that media discussion regarding Pakistan Armys combat worthiness and the former Army Chiefs views to that end were quoted out of context. The Army then added that it was operationally prepared and in state of utmost combat worthiness. The key points in Armys response were the confirmation of off the record dialogue and the contents of the off the record meeting, --as quoted by the journalist months after Gen Bajwa demitted office and the ouster of Imran Khan--were largely correct. It is obvious from the entire episode that the retired general Bajwa no longer is the flavor of the day in Pakistan and that the real target of this debate is the conduct of the Pakistan Army itself, which is in the crosshairs of politically resurgent PTI chief Imran Khan. Understandably, the Narendra Modi government has not reacted to the secret Kashmir deal media debate with Pakistan itself being at a discount on the Raisina Hill since 2016. For someone who ruled Pakistan for six long years behind the scenes, Gen Bajwa was not a fool to realize that there is nothing called off-the-record with 20-25 journalists. He perhaps was giving a clear message to the public through the media that Pakistan should concentrate on its economic revival and give up its obsession over Kashmir valley as it was bleeding the Islamic Republic dry. The current state of a bankrupt Pakistan accompanying political chaos and terror shows that Gen Bajwa was looking into the future of the Republic and sensitizing the public through a responsible media. The real message of Gen Bajwa was the futility of Pakistan's Kashmir dream and not the combat worthiness of the Pak Army. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Indian Army on Saturday inducted its first batch of Five Women Officers into the Regiment of Artillery in another significant move towards expanding woman's role in the armed forces. These officers will be given the same opportunities and challenges as their male counterparts, as per a statement by the Indian Army. Sources stated that the women officers who joined the Regiment of Artillery are Lt Mehak Saini, Lt Sakshi Dubey, Lt Aditi Yadav and Lt Pious Mudgil. (ANI) The women officers were inducted into the Regiment after successfully completing their training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai. Sources stated that the women officers who joined the Regiment of Artillery are Lt Mehak Saini, Lt Sakshi Dubey, Lt Aditi Yadav and Lt Pious Mudgil. Along with them, 19 male officers have been inducted into the Regiment. In this fighting arm of the Indian army, these young women officers will be posted to all types of artillery units where they will receive adequate training and exposure to handle Rocket, Medium, Field and Surveillance and Target Acquisition (SATA), and equipment in difficult conditions. The Army has revealed that three of the newly commissioned women officers in the Regiment of Artillery will be posted to units deployed along the northern borders with China, while the other two will be posted in "challenging locations" near the frontier with Pakistan. In January, Chief of Army Staff Gen Manoj Pande announced the decision of commissioning women officers into artillery units, the proposal which was later approved by the government. (With ANI, PTI inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed the Kashi Telugu Sangamam being held in Varanasi and said that the event is like "the confluence of Ganga and Godavari rivers". He welcomed the Telugu-speaking people from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to his parliamentary constituency as he addressed the event virtually. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the Kashi Telugu Sangamam virtually. (Twitter ) Here are Prime Minister Narendra Modi's top quotes at Kashi Telugu Sangamam: 1. Azaadi Ka 'Amrit Kaal' is the 'Sangam Kaal' of India's diversities. Kashi and Telugu cultures are immensely connected. We're celebrating this great connection, and the great unity of India. 2. Distances do not matter if the hearts are close to each other. This is the reason that the whole India is connected despite the geographical distances between places. Converge and celebration of Kashi and Telugu cultures is a great example of the same. It strengthens the spirits of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat'. 3. Be it the ways to temples, the cultural centres or any other associated significant place, there has been a great transformation all around. Today, the CNG boats run in river Ganga and very soon will be the facilities of ropeway given to the tourists coming and going from Benaras. 4. The Ganga-Pushkaralu Utsav being held on the ghat of Kashi is like the 'sangam' (confluence) of Ganga and Godavari. This is a festival of 'sangam' of Bharat's ancient civilisation, cultures and traditions. 5. A few months ago, Kashi Tamil Sangamam was also organized here on the land of Kashi. Just a few days back, I had the good fortune to attend the Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam. Billionaire Bill Gates on Saturday took to Twitter to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the milestone 100th episode of Mann ki Baat. Sharing a report by HTs sister publication LiveMint, the billionaire added that the monthly radio programme had led to a positive impact on fields such as sanitation and sustainability. Bill Gates with PM Modi. (File) The Microsoft co-founder wrote, Mann Ki Baat has catalysed community led action on sanitation, health, women's economic empowerment and other issues linked to the Sustainable Development Goals. PM Modi's flagship programme, which went live for the first time on October 3, 2014, will turn 100 on Sunday, April 30. It is set to be aired at 11 am. The radio programme is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month on the All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) network. To mark the historic achievement, the 100th episode will also be aired live at the United Nations headquarters. The Consulate General of India in New York, along with community organisations, is also hosting the address for members of the Indian-American and diaspora community in New Jersey during a special event at 1:30 am Sunday. The milestone event will be broadcast on over 1000 radio stations, including private FM stations, community radios, and various TV channels. The BJP has been preparing for the 'Mann ki Baat@100' celebrations with arrangements at around four lakh places across India for people to tune in to the PM's address. A commemorative stamp and a coin have also been issued to signify the occasion. Party president J P Nadda has been tasked with overseeing the entire operations to make it a grand success. Last week, PM Modi shared his excitement on completing 100 episodes and said he was ''eagerly awaiting'' for the event. (With inputs from PTI) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH Apr 30 3430 N. Fourth St., 3430 N. Fourth St., Flagstaff. 928-526-9578. 10-11 a.m., We invite you to join the family of Peace Lutheran Church (LCMS) on Sunday at 10:00am for in person blended service (Combined Liturgical, hymnal based and Praise Worship) with Holy Communion. Pastor William Weiss Jr. (Pastor Bill) will be presiding. The service will be live streamed on our website (peacelutheranflagstaff.org) and on YouTube. https://go.evvnt.com/1698397-0. LIVING CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH Apr 30 500 W. Riordan Road, 500 W. Riordan Road, Flagstaff. 928-526-8595. 10-11 a.m., We invite all to celebrate with us God's love and presence in our lives and be God's hands in the world. We are intentionally inclusive. We worship through music, teaching, prayer, and the sacraments each Sunday at 10 a.m., at the Campus Ministry Center located on the NAU campus or join us online. Join Rev. Kurt Fangmeier for the Fourth Sunday of Easter! Today is sometimes called Good Shepherd Sunday. Jesus is called the gate of the sheep in todays gospel. The risen Christ opens the way to abundant life. He anoints our heads with oil and guides us beside the still waters of our baptism. Each Sunday he spreads a feast before us amid the worlds violence and war. We go forth to be signs of the resurrection and extend Gods tender care to all creation. We will learn more with our Reading of Acts 2:42-47 (The believers common life) Psalm 23 (The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want) and Reading 1 Peter 2:19-25(Follow the shepherd, even in suffering), together with the Gospel John 10:1-10 (Christ the shepherd). https://go.evvnt.com/1697056-0. BEACON UU SUNDAY SERVICE: "Mostly Motown" with Dr. Andy Hogg Apr 30 Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 510 N. Leroux St., Flagstaff. (928) 779-4492. 10-11 a.m., ALL ARE WELCOME! You BELONG at Beacon. Spiritually open and intentionally inclusive since 1958. The Beacon congregation voted unanimously to endorse the Eighth Principle about challenging racism and other forms of oppression. Dr. Andy Hogg will surround us with Motown music from the 60's and 70's to illustrate Unitarian-Universalist concepts about inclusion and cultural diversity. Come move to the music!. https://go.evvnt.com/1687804-0. Unity of Flagstaff Spiritual Center Apr 30 Unity of Flagstaff Spiritual Center, 1800 S. Milton Road, Flagstaff. 10:30-11:30 a.m., According to Abraham Maslow, humans possess an effective need for a sense of belonging and acceptance among social groups. How does community enhance your Life? Spiritual Journey? Productivity? Do you feel like you belong and if not, why not? How do we show up at work, home and play when we feel like we are a part of something bigger? Join Rev. Penni Honey as we look at the Beauty AND Power of Belonging. Where two or more are gathered 10:30 AM Live or Livestream. Unity of Flagstaff, Where God is too big for Religion. All are Welcome! Celebrating Membership Sunday! Join Us!. https://go.evvnt.com/1705059-0. Flagstaff Federated Community Church: Please join us for in person services Sundays at 10 a.m. We are located at 400 W Aspen Ave. on the corner of Aspen and Sitgreaves in Downtown Flagstaff. All are welcome to our services. For more information about Flagstaff Federated Community Church please call our office at 928-774-7383, Mon Thurs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Church of the Resurrection Sunday Church Services: 740 W. University Heights Drive S., 740 W. University Heights Drive S., Flagstaff. 928-853-8522. 10-11:30 a.m., Church of the Resurrection Presbyterian Church in America (PCA): We invite you to join us for worship at 10 a.m. on Sundays at 740 W. University Heights Drive South. Please feel free to contact us for information on our mid-week gatherings and for more information on our church. You can find us at www.cor-pca.org and www.facebook.com/CORFlagstaff or we can be reached at corflagstaff@gmail.com and (928) 699-2715. Leupp Nazarene Church: The church, near mile post 13 or Navajo Route 15, has been holding services by teleconferences and doing drive-up meetings. For information, call pastor Farrell Begay at 928-853-5321. Teleconference number: 1-7170275-8940 with access code 3204224#. Services are 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays and 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Christian Science Society of Flagstaff: 619 W. Birch Ave. The Christian Science Society of Flagstaff has opened for Sunday services while continuing to have them available via Zoom for online and phone. Wednesday testimony meetings are available only via Zoom. For phone Sunday Services: Dial: 669-900-9128, Meeting ID: 369 812 794#, Passcode: 075454#. For phone Wednesday meetings, dial: 669-900-9128, Meeting ID: 971 672 834#, Passcode: 894826#. The access for Zoom on Sundays is: https://zoom.us/j/369812794. The Zoom access for Wednesdays is: https://zoom.us/j/971672834. The password to use to enter both is CSS. We welcome all to attend our Sunday Services in person, or live by Zoom, at 10:00 oclock, and to attend our Wednesday Testimony meetings live by Zoom, at 5:30 oclock. Our Reading Room will be open on Wednesdays from 4:005:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10-noon. For further information please call 928-526-5982. Priyanka Gandhi extends support to wrestlers, visits Jantar Mantar. Watch Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday expressed solidarity with the Indian wrestlers protesting against Wrestling Federation of Indias (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by meeting them at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Read Here. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra meets the wrestlers protesting against WFI chief & BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at Jantar Mantar, Delhi. (ANI) H1B lottery system has resulted in abuse, fraud: US Immigration Services The computerised drawing of lots devised to select successful H-1B applicants every year has resulted in abuse of the system and a sharp increase in fraudulent efforts, a federal agency said Friday. Read Here. Remembering Irrfan on his death anniversary: Here's why he was one of a kind Irrfan may have left too early but the actor continues to live among his fans through his work, his ideologies and the way he led life. He led by example in various aspects of life. From rejecting major Hollywood projects just because he had said yes to a Hindi film to frowning upon actors being given the status of heroes. Not just in his career, Irrfan was a special soul for his family too. Read Here. Why Sooraj Pancholi acquitted in Jiah Khan suicide case. 'Mother destroyed' Actor Jiah Khan had suicidal tendencies and the prosecution has miserably failed to prove its case that her then boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi had abetted her suicide, Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court judge AS Sayyad said on Friday while acquitting Pancholi. Read Here. 'It's been 13 games since Shaw scored a fifty': Ponting launches no-holds-barred attack on out-of-form DC opener The Delhi Capitals have endured a poor season so far, as they reel at the bottom of the table with only two wins in seven matches. Their batting has been a major concern this year and it doesn't help the side that one of their most explosive batters Prithvi Shaw is going through a horrendous patch. In six matches, Shaw has scored only 47 runs and was dropped from the XI during DC's last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier this week. Read Here. World Dance Day 2023: How dance can help you stay active and healthy as you age Get ready to put on your dancing shoes and shake off your worries, because it's World Dance Day! Today, we celebrate the universal language of movement and the way it brings people together from all corners of the globe. Dance has been a part of human expression for as long as we can remember, from ancient tribal rituals to modern-day performances. It's a universal language that speaks to our souls, expressing emotions and telling stories in ways that words simply cannot. Read Here. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Ghazipur's MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday convicted jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari in a kidnapping and murder case of Bharatiya Janata MLA Krishnanand Rai and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment. The court also imposed a fine of 5 lakh on Ansari. File photo of Mukhtar Ansari(HT_PRINT) The court reserved its verdict on Mukhtar Ansari's elder brother and BSP MP Afzal Ansari, who is an accused in the case. Earlier on Saturday, the window of Rai, who was murdered in Ghazipur in 2005 allegedly by Ansari and Afzal Ansari, said that the rule of mafia has ended in Uttar Pradesh and that she has faith in the judiciary. "I believe in the judiciary. Rule of Goondas, Mafias have ended (in the state)," Alka Rai said. In January, the police had registered a murder case against Mukhtar Ansari in connection to the 2001 'Usri Chatti' gang war incident. A case under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against Ansari at Police Station Mohammadabad in Ghazipur. On January 18, Allahabad high court dismissed the March 15 order of the Ghazipur MP-MLA Court, which allowed Ansari to be kept in a superior-class jail in Banda. In December last year, Ansari and his aide Bhim Singh were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Gangster Court in Ghazipur in five cases related to murder and attempt to murder. The cases include the murder of constable Raghuvansh Singh and a murderous assault on an additional SP of Ghazipur among others. On September 21, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court convicted Ansari and sentenced him for threatening jailer SK Awasthi and pointing a pistol at him. The case dates to 2003 when Lucknow district prison jailer SK Awasthi lodged an FIR saying that he was threatened to order a search of the people who came to meet Ansari in prison. On September 23, the Lucknow bench sentenced him to five years in a case registered in 1999 under the Gangster Act. The court had also imposed a fine of 50,000 on Mukhtar in this 23-year-old case. (With inputs from ANI) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The wife of slain IAS officer G Krishnaiah, who was lynched by a mob led by former Bihar MP Anand Mohan in 1994, has moved the Supreme Court challenging his premature release from prison. Anand Mohan. (HT Photo)(HT_PRINT) Mohan was released from Saharsa jail on Thursday morning following an amendment in Bihar's prison rules. Uma Krishnaiah, the wife of G Krishnaiah, has contended that the sentence of life imprisonment awarded to the gangster-turned- politician meant incarceration for his entire natural course of life and it cannot be mechanically interpreted to last just 14 years. Also read | Murder convict Anand Mohans son wants to meet victims family: If allowed Life imprisonment, when awarded as a substitute for death penalty, has to be carried out strictly as directed by the court and would be beyond application of remission, she said in her petition before the Supreme Court. Mohan's name figured in a list of more than 20 prisoners who were ordered to be set free by a notification issued by the state's law department earlier this week as they had spent more than 14 years behind bars. The remission of his sentence followed an April 10 amendment to the Bihar Prison Manual by the Nitish Kumar government whereby the restriction on early release of those involved in killing of a public servant on duty was done away with. Read: Whats the controversy in this?': Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav on Anand Mohan's release This, the critics of the state government claim, was done to facilitate the release of Mohan, a Rajput strongman, who could add heft to the grand alliance led by Nitish Kumar in its fight against the BJP. Several others, including politicians, benefited from the amendment to the state prison rules. Krishnaiah, who hailed from Telangana, was beaten to death by a mob in 1994 when his vehicle tried to overtake the funeral procession of gangster Chhotan Shukla in Muzaffarpur district. Mohan, then an MLA, was leading the procession. The 12th batch of Indian Air Force C-130J flight with 135 stranded Indians has reached Jeddah from crisis-hit Sudan. Union minister V Muraleedharan at Jeddah with the 12th batch of Indians evacuated from Sudan.(source:Twitter/@MOS_MEA) Till now, 2100 stranded Indians have arrived in Jeddah, under 'Operation Kaveri', Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan informed. "How's the josh? #OperationKaveri 135 more Indian evacuees reached Jeddah by IAF C-130J. With this 12th batch, around 2100 Indians arrived in Jeddah in total. Our efforts will continue," Muraleedharan tweeted. Meanwhile, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that INS Sumedha, which is stationed at Port Sudan, had also left the crisis-hit country with 300 passengers onboard for Jeddah. This is the 13th batch of INS Sumedha with evacuated Indians, heading to Jeddah. Earlier, on Friday, the Indian Air Force C-130J evacuated the 10th and 11th batches of 135 passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region. Earlier, the Sudanese army said it would extend the ceasefire "for an additional 72 hours" following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States in the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday. The RSF also said it approved the extended truce, adding that the proposal came from two diplomatic groupings that include the US, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. Sudan has been on the boil as a result of the ongoing clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. There have been reports of violence and clashes even during the ongoing 72-hour ceasefire. Clashes erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI) In a daring operation, an Indian Air Force's C-130J heavy-lift aircraft rescued 121 people from a small airstrip at Wadi Sayyidna which is about 40 km north of the violence-hit Sudan capital of Khartoum on the intervening night of April 27 and 28. Indian Air Force pilots used night vision goggles (NVGs) to carry out the landing at night.(ANI) The airstrip had a degraded surface with no navigational aid or fuel, and most critically no landing lights which are required to guide an aircraft landing at night. The pilots used night vision goggles (NVGs) to carry out the landing at night. Approaching the airstrip, the aircrew used their Electro-Optical/Infra-Red sensors to ensure that the runway was free from any obstructions and no inimical forces were in the vicinity. Having made sure of the same, the aircrew carried out a tactical approach on Night Vision Goggles, on a practically dark night, the IAF said. Also Read: IndiGo to operate 2 flights to bring back over 450 stranded citizens from Sudan Among those rescued in the operation was a pregnant woman and the people who had no means to reach Port Sudan - the key transit point from where the Indian government is rescuing its citizens using military aircraft and naval ships. Upon landing, the aircraft engines were kept running while eight IAF Garud Commandos secured the passengers and their luggage into the aircraft. As with the landing, the take-off from the unlit runway was also carried out using NVGs. This approximately two-and-a-half-hour operation between Wadi Sayyidna and Jeddah will go down in the annals of IAF history for its sheer audacity and flawless execution - akin to that carried out in Kabul, the IAF added. Notably, the IAF had carried out similar operations to evacuate Indians from Kabul after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021. India launched 'Operation Kaveri' earlier this week to bring back the stranded Indians from Sudan. Sudan has been witnessing fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group that has reportedly left around 400 people dead. 12th batch of 135 passengers leaves Sudan Meanwhile, another batch of the C-130J flight with 135 stranded Indians took off from the crisis-hit country on Friday. This was the 12th batch of stranded citizens heading to Jeddah. "An IAF C-130J takes off from Port Sudan with 135 passengers for Jeddah. This marks the 12th batch of stranded Indians evacuated under #OperationKaveri," ministry of external affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. Along with this development, INS Sumedha, which is stationed at Port Sudan, had also left the crisis-hit country with 300 passengers onboard for Jeddah. As many as 2,400 Indians have evacuated from Sudan, where the country is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. (With inputs from PTI, ANI) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON To further boost the ongoing repatriation efforts under 'Operation Kaveri' of the Union government, Indian carrier IndiGo joined the mission and with 231 stranded Indians took off from Jeddah. Sudan, Apr 28 (ANI): 11th batch of stranded Indians under Operation Kaveri board the IAF C-130J flight as they leave for Jeddah from Port Sudan, on Friday. (ANI Photo)( Arindam Bagchi twitter) "Indigo joins #OperationKaveri. 231 Indians in a flight to New Delhi from Jeddah. With this 5th outbound flight, around 1600 reached or airborne for India. Happy journey. Our Mission continues," Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan tweeted. "We have offered our services for charter flights to Jeddah under the Indian Government's Operation Kaveri rescue mission of our citizens from Sudan. We are still awaiting details from the ministry to launch these flights, nothing has been confirmed as of yet," IndiGo Airlines said in a statement. Airlines had earlier expressed their willingness in participating in the ongoing evacuation of stranded Indians in the strife-torn African country under 'Operation Kaveri'. IndiGo said it remains committed to supporting the Central government's mission to evacuate Indian citizens from Sudan. The airline crew stepped forward to respond to the critical humanitarian need of the hour, enabling the safe return of the stranded citizens back to their families and homes. Earlier, on Friday, Mos MEA V Muraleedharan informed that so far, 2,100 Indians have arrived in Jeddah, as part of 'Operation Kaveri'. Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said INS Sumedha, which is stationed at Port Sudan, had also left the crisis-hit country with 300 passengers onboard, for Jeddah. This is the 13th batch of INS Sumedha with evacuated Indians, heading to Jeddah. Earlier, on Friday, the Indian Air Force C-130J evacuated the 10th and 11th batches of 135 passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region. Earlier, the Sudanese army said it would extend the ceasefire "for an additional 72 hours" following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States in the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday. The RSF also said it approved the extended truce, adding that the proposal came from two diplomatic groupings that include the US, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. Sudan has been on the boil as a result of the ongoing clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. There have been reports of violence and clashes even during the ongoing 72-hour ceasefire. Clashes erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. Patna: A meeting of top leaders from various opposition and regional parties is likely to be scheduled in Patna after the conclusion of May 10 Karnataka assembly elections, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said on Saturday. A meeting of top leaders from various opposition and regional parties is likely to be scheduled in Patna after the conclusion of May 10 Karnataka assembly elections, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said on Saturday (File Photo/Agencies) At the meeting, detailed discussion to chalk out a plan for the opposition unity to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is expected, Kumar told reporters, a day after he called on Rashtria Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, who returned to the state after seven months. We will definitely sit together and discuss the issue pertaining to the formation of an alliance of opposition parties to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, said Kumar, the de facto head of the Janata Dal (United). Currently, some leaders are busy in the assembly poll (Karnataka). Once it is over, we will finalise the venue of our meeting. If Patna is unanimously decided as the next venue of the meeting of opposition leaders, it will be held here, he said, adding: We will be happy to organise this meeting in Patna. The Bihar CMs initiative to get all opposition parties on board to project a unified fight against the ruling BJP in the next years general elections has evoked positive response from several regional satraps. Earlier this month, Kumar met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leader Rahul Gandhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Bannerjee. Earlier, the Bihar chief minister had met Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja, and announced that as part of his outreach, he would meet more leaders. Late on Friday evening, Kumar met Lalu Prasad who had been away for nearly seven months, during which he underwent a kidney transplant in Singapore at the Patna residence of former CM and Prasads wife Rabri Devi, amid speculations that the two veterans of Bihar politics will jointly work to forge a greater opposition alliance. Kumar did not divulge into the details of the meeting between the two leaders that lasted for less than half an hour. Starting the second phase of his campaign in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the attack to the Congress over personal remarks made by the party. Referring to the poisonous snake comment by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Modi said he considered it an honour to be insulted by the Congress. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a roadshow in Bengaluru on Saturday. (PTI) Modi on Saturday flew in from New Delhi and reached Bidar in the morning. He addressed public meetings in Humnabad in Bidar, the district headquarter town in Vijayapura and Kudachi in Belagavi district, before leaving for a rally in Bengaluru. Addressing a public rally in Bidar, he said, Someone has made a list of such abuses against me and it has been sent to me. Till now Congress people have abused me 91 times with different types (of abuses). Had Congress people put efforts in good governance and boosting the morale of its workers, instead of wasting time on this dictionary of abuses, Congress would not have been in such a pathetic plight. Also Read| Will express regret if..: Congress chief on Modi poisonous snake remark Accusing the Congress of also abusing the dominant Lingayat community in poll-bound Karnataka, the Prime Minister said the party had even abused BR Ambedkar and was engaged in abusing VD Savarkar. The Congress hates everyone who speaks about the common man, who brings out their corruption, who attacks their politics of selfishness. Congresss hate against such people will become permanent. In this election too, the Congress once again has started abusing me, Modi said. Im not the only one who has been attacked like this. Last election they ran a campaign Chowkidar chor hai, then they said Modi Chor, then they said OBC community are chor, and now just as the election season has started in Karnataka they showed the guts of calling my Lingayat brothers and sisters chor, he said. Modi will be addressing at least 19 rallies across Karnataka three days before the people vote on May 10. Also Read: Like confluence of Ganga and Godavari: PM Modi addresses Kashi Telugu Sangamam. Top quotes Addressing a rally in Vijayapuara, Modi said the Congress diverted funds for development and ignored the farmers. Congress never worked for the poor and people of Karnataka, they just looted them. Congress diverted the Vikas fund to the middlemen and ignored the plight of the farmers. Women and daughters of the state suffered a lot under the Congress government. But the BJP government empowered them and changed their lives by providing help to them, he said. The BJP government has prioritised every class such as poor, Dalit, destitute, and disabled. In the BJP government, the societys deprived sections have social and economic security. The double-engine government has worked for the food, and shelter of the poor. There are nine lakh such families in Karnataka who got entry into their first pucca house after several generations, Modi added. In his public address in Belagavi, Modi said the marginalised sections of society had to bear losses during the period of Congress. During the corruption period of Congress, there were only scams. Our Dalits, tribals and people of backward society had to bear a huge loss due to this. BJP is sincerely working for the poor, Dalits, backward and Banjara communities. We are working day and night for these sections of the society but Congress never wants your upliftment. Congress is just doing the work of abusing Modi. Congress hates whoever works for Dalits and backward, Modi said. Ending a busy day of electioneering after back-to-back rallies, Modi took part in a mega roadshow in north Bengaluru, drawing a huge crowd. Modi, who flew into the city from Belagavi around 5pm after addressing his third public meeting of the day, rode in a specially designed vehicle. A large number of people thronged both sides of the road to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister and showered flowers on him. BJP flags, festoons and posters dotted the road and a group of artists performed Dollu Kunita, a popular drum dance, en route. The 5.3km roadshow passed through various locations in north Bengaluru including Magadi Road, Nice Road Junction and Sumanahalli. Reacting to the PMs comments, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said he has been playing the victim card in Karnataka as he leaves the dirty tricks to Shah and Yogi to polarise. The PMs first day of campaigning in Karnataka is a story of 3 DEs. 1. Double Engine 2. DEspair 3. DEsperation. His speeches were full of Only Nataka, nothing concrete for people of Karnataka, Ramesh said. Predictably PM Modi has begun his much-delayed Karnataka campaign by playing victim card, pleading for a completely discredited so-called double engine sarkar and abusing Congress. These will be his tired themes no doubt as he leaves the dirty tricks to Shah & Yogi to polarise, the Congress leader said. (With agency inputs) A report on Prime Minister Narendra Modis Mann Ki Baat by the Institute for Competitiveness was released at a media conference event on Friday according to which each episode of the programme inspired viewers to work for societys advancement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Twitter/@mannkibaat) Mann Ki Baat has transformed into an inspirational platform that is encouraging sustainable progress on priority themes that are core to Indias efforts towards achieving the SDGs [sustainable development goals], the report said. The report said that Mann Ki Baat came across as a more relevant, contextual, and approachable programme to listeners because of its conversational, personable tone and useful topic matter. Also Read: Behind the scenes: PM Modis process of recording monthly radio show Mann Ki Baat revealed Additionally, it identified five major themes: sanitation and hygiene, wellness and health, water conservation, and sustainable development. The detailed report is the outcome of a thorough examination of the 99 transcripts of episodes released between 2014 and 2023. The textual analysis of the episodes was carried out by the study team using two unique tools dubbed WordStat and Atlas. The report is a thorough compilation of a decade of reflection on the contribution that PM Modis platform has made to inspire people to take action and bring about societal change. The report was launched on Thursday by Gaurav Dwivedi, CEO of Prasar Bharati; Akash Tripathi, CEO at MyGov; and Dr Amit Kapoor, who is the chairman of IFC in the presence of Dr Mark Esposito, Hult International Business School and Harvard University professor; Hari Menon, who is the country director at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and Dr Michael Green, CEO of the Social Progress Imperative. Mann Ki Baat is unparalleled in its reach. As per a recent study, it has reached over 100 crore listeners at least once. Mann Ki Baat has been translated into 22 Indian languages, 29 dialects, and 11 foreign languages by All India Radio, Gaurav Dwivedi, CEO, Prasar Bharati said at the report launch. In addition to English, the programme is broadcast in 11 foreign languages, including French, Chinese, Indonesian, Tibetan, Burmese, Baluchi, Arabic, Pashtu, Persian, Dari, and Swahili. The programme is currently being aired by over 500 broadcast centres of All India Radio, Dwivedi added. The report further mentioned how the topics from Mann Ki Baat have contributed to new initiatives or movements such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Ayushman Bharat, Covid-19 vaccination, eSanjeevani, Fit India Movement, Jalshakti Abhiyan, Atal Bhujal Yojana, Namami Gange, Digital India and women empowerment. The report said that Mann Ki Baat emphasises the importance of startups and MSMEs in building an independent India while enticing people of all ages to get involved in social and environmental causes. Listeners of the show have participated in local change-making projects in an effort to make a long-lasting and sustainable impact, the report stated. Also Read: PM Modis Mann Ki Baat 100th episode to be broadcast live at UN headquarters Dr Kapoor, who was present at the report launch, said that Mann Ki Baat has encouraged citizens to spread the word about government policies, programmes and initiatives focused on economic, social and sustainable development. It catalysed collective action towards achieving sustainable development goals, which India will achieve at least 140 years in advance compared to the rest of the world, said Dr Kapoor. The number of people tuning into digital and visual mediums is larger than the number of people listening to it on the radio. That is a personal choice. But over 23 crore Indians religiously tune into every episode, while over 100 crore people have connected to Mann Ki Baat at least once, Dwivedi said. As the 100th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat is all set to be broadcast worldwide, the Centre has released a video showing how the radio show is recorded by the Prime Minister. In the video, PM Modi can be seen interacting with a group of technicians before moving to the recording studio. He later addresses the nation without any written script. In the 'Mann Ki Baat' radio broadcast hosted by PM Modi, he addresses the people of the country on different issues. In the 'Mann Ki Baat' radio broadcast hosted by PM Modi, he addresses the people of the country on different issues on the last Sunday of every month at 11am. In a historic moment, the 100th episode will also be aired at the United Nations headquarters. Read | Economic empowerment: Bill Gates lauds PM Modi for 100th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' "Get ready for a historic moment as the 100th episode of PM Modi's "Mann Ki Baat" is set to go live on April 30th in Trusteeship Council Chamber at @UN HQ!" the Permanent Mission of India to the UN said in a tweet. Read | Woman goes into labour at National Conclave: Mann Ki Baat@100 event The Consulate General of India in New York, along with community organisations, is also hosting the broadcast of the 100th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' for members of the Indian-American and diaspora community in New Jersey during a special event at 1:30am Sunday. "Don't miss #MannKiBaatAt100 at 0130 hrs EST on April 30th, 2023! Let us celebrate the landmark 100th episode of #MannKiBaat as Hon'ble @PMOIndia connects with Indians, Indian diaspora and listeners across the world," the Consulate said in a tweet. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dear EarthTalk: Are the famous Joshua trees of the California desert really going extinct? What can we do to preserve them? -- Bill Alexander, Tempe, AZ The Joshua tree is an iconic species of the Mojave Desert that stretches across parts of southeastern California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. Known for its resilience in an unforgiving desert climate, the Joshua tree is unique in its unusual anatomy and adaptable ecology, but its future looks bleak in the face of increasing global warming. Indeed, increasing temperatures and decreasing precipitation thanks to climate change have shifted the suitable habitat for a variety of flora and fauna around the world, including the Joshua tree. Biologists fear that little of the Joshua trees historical range will be suitable for it within a century. By 2100, climate models show that Joshua Tree National Park will lose the majority of its suitable habitat for its namesake species. The increasing severity and frequency of forest fires pose a threat to the future of the trees as well. Because Joshua trees did not evolve with fire, they are not adapted to its effects, making it difficult for the population to bounce back after such a disturbance. As temperatures increase, biologists predict that the suitable range for Joshua trees will move northward. However, this northward range is not guaranteed to be viable, as the Yucca moth that pollinates Joshua trees does not live up there. Given the threat to Joshua trees, several entities have embarked on campaigns to try to save the iconic tree. The National Park Service recently embarked on a campaign to protect the trees remaining habitat in Joshua Tree National Park, Mojave National Preserve and Death Valley National Park. Meanwhile, researchers and conservationists launched the Joshua Tree Genome Project in 2020 to collect and monitor data from both professional and citizen scientists in an effort to map and monitor existing populations. Project organizers hope to use the data to inform conservation planning by identifying Joshua tree populations best situated to benefit from conservation protections. Yet another effort to help Joshua trees comes from the Mojave Desert Land Trust, which recently launched a planting program to restore lost habitat for the trees across the Mojave. Public education about the importance of saving threatened species is also key to saving Joshua trees. To wit, the nonprofit Joshua Tree National Park Association is working to educate the public about the importance of Joshua trees and the threats they face through free educational programs and resources for visitors to Joshua Tree National Park. Yet while Joshua trees were granted temporary protection under the state of Californias endangered species laws, they are as yet unprotected at the federal level. As such, the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity has petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the Joshua tree under the Endangered Species Act. Reacting to politicians joining the ongoing wrestlers' protests at Jantar Mantar in the national capital, wrestler and BJP member Babita Phogat on Saturday said political leaders must not misuse the stage for politics. Wrestler and BJP member Babita Phogat (File Photo) Sportspersons like us, who rose from bottom to top, are capable of fighting our own battles. (Politicians) must not misuse the stage for political purposes. Some leaders are misusing the wrestlers' stage to shine their own political careers. Athletes must remember that we belong to the entire nation, Phogat said in a statement on her Twitter account. Her statement came on a day when Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met the protesting wrestlers, who are being led by Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, and Commonwealth and Asiad winner Vinesh Phogat, Babita's cousin. Later in the day, Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal will meet them at the dharna site. Wrestlers' protest The grapplers have accused Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexually assaulting several female wrestlers, including minors, a charge denied firmly by Singh. In the first round of their protest, in January, they categorically asked political leaders to stay away. The stir was called off after the Union government constituted a panel to look into their allegations. Last Sunday, alleging inaction on the government's part, they returned to Jantar Mantar to resume their agitation. This time, however, they appealed to Khap panchayats, politicians, and fellow sportspersons to join their movement. Subsequently, several politicians, including controversial Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) leader Pappu Yadav, have visited Jantar Mantar in a show of support for the grapplers. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Questioning the presence of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at the wrestlers' protest site at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, BJP's Babita Phogat said the person who accompanied Priyanka Gandhi was his personal secretary Sandeep Singh who is accused of molesting women and insulting a Dalit. "Priyanka Gandhi has reached Jantar Mantar to get justice for women wrestlers with her personal secretary Sandeep Singh to get justice for the women wrestlers, but this person himself is an accused," Babita who earlier condemned the entry of politicians at the protest stage said. Read | 'Cut power, no water at Jantar Mantar': Bajrang Punia targets Delhi Police after FIRs against WFI chief Priyanka Gandhi Vadra meeting the wrestlers at Jantar Mantar is the latest debate of the seven-day long protest. (PTI) Sandeep Singh was booked by the UP police based on a complaint from Archana Gautam, Bigg Boss 16 finalist, who said Sandeep insulted her and used casteist words when Archana wanted to meet Priyanka Gandhi. Sandeep was booked under sections 504, 506 of the Indian Penal Code and under sections 3(1)(d) and 3(1) of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Read | Wrestlers protest, a timeline 'Don't weaken our protest...You too a woman': Vinesh Phogat As Babita Phogat's tweets on Saturday against politicians entering the arena hurt the protest of the wrestlers, Vinesh Phogat took to Twitter and made an earnest request to Babita. "If you can't take a stand for the rights of the wronged wrestlers, then at least don't weaken our struggle. It has taken years for the female wrestlers to speak out against their abusers. You are also a woman. Please try to understand our pain," Vinesh wrote. Read | Wrestlers reach Delhi Police station, receive FIR copy. 10 points Babita Phogat and wrestlers' protest This is the second time that the wrestlers took to the street against the Wrestling Federation of India and its chief Brij Bhushan Singh since the beginning of this year. During January's protest, Babita acted as a mediator between the wrestlers and the government and was included in the government's probe panel to investigate the allegations. Recently however, Babita claimed she could not read the findings of the committee as the report was snatched from her by committee member Radica Sreeman. The protesting wrestlers have lost trust in Babita as they think Babita is more vested with her political career though Babita reiterated that she is with the wrestlers. A protester accused Babita of backstabbing the protest. "She first forced us to sit on dharna, asked us that no political leader should come on the dais. We listened to her every command and asked all the political leaders to not come meet us, but then she (Babita) politicised everything for her personal benefits and backstabbed us and left us here alone," a wrestler said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha after his conviction in the 'Modi surname case' a day earlier on March 23 caused a furore in Congress. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, accused the grand old party of being responsible for the dismissal of the Wayanad Member of Parliament (MP) as it did not file an appeal against his conviction, despite having several distinguished lawyers in the party. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi waves at supporters as he leaves from Surat District Court.(PTI) Congress leader and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is representing Rahul Gandhi before the Gujarat high court bench of Justice Hemant M Prachchhak, has responded to the allegations. Singhvi questioned the "validity" and "fairness" of the Lok Sabha secretariat's decision to dismiss Gandhi after "only 24 hours". "Because you have the power to do something does not mean there are no fetters inbuilt without saying in the power in the manner you exercise it," Singhvi said on Saturday in defence of Rahul Gandhi against the Surat court order of two years in prison, which later resulted his disqualification from Parliament and has made him ineligible to run for office for six years. (ALSO READ: How Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from parliament works) Singhvi continued, I am amused to see on television a lot of unasked advice; if I were there, I would file an appeal in 8 hours, someone said I would file an appeal in 24 hours. There must be supersonic lawyers. But the point is, are we here to do supersonic filing?" "I jump into the Lordship Court and tell him I've translated half of the judgement but this disqualification is going to happen tomorrow, so take my appeal immediately, Singhvi added. Hearing against Surat court order convicting Rahul Gandhi in Modi surname defamation case is underway in Gujarat high court. Rahul Gandhi victim of Congress conspiracy: BJP Ravi Shankar Prasad, the BJP MP and former law minister, had accused the Congress of 'encashing' Gandhi's conviction in Karnataka assembly elections. He questioned why Congress did not use its "famed battery of legal experts." "What else can explain their failure to show the alacrity which was for all to see in Pawan Khera's case?" (ALSO READ: Pawan Khera's arrest, release on interim bail: What happened at Delhi airport?) Union minister Anurag Thakur too asked why no famous Congress lawyer challenged Rahul Gandhi's defamation case sentencing before he was disqualified. You (Rahul Gandhi) have to dig into the matter and find out who formed this well-planned conspiracy to get rid of youThere are a battery of lawyers as members of Congress, isn't there anyone left to give right advice? Thakur said. (ALSO READ: Well-planned conspiracy in Congress: BJP on Rahul Gandhi losing Lok Sabha seat) The ruling party has maintained that Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha is 'natural outcome of law'. An Air India flight, AI346, en route to Singapore was on Saturday diverted to Malaysia due to inclement weather and congestion in Singapore, according to Air India officials. The aircraft reportedly caught fire after the bird hit.(HT_PRINT) The flight which took off from Chennai, has now departed for Singapore as the weather has improved and flights are allowed to operate. Recently, a flydubai flight which caught fire upon takeoff from Kathmandu, landed safely at Dubai International (DXB) Airport. The flight crew followed a standard operating procedure and continued its journey after determining that the engine was within normal operating parameters. The aircraft reportedly caught fire after the bird hit. Fire tenders were scrambled at the airport. Earlier, a Saudia Airlines cargo flight made an emergency landing at Kolkata Airport after its windshield cracked mid-air, airport officials told ANI. The aircraft landed safely at the Kolkata Airport at 12:02 pm. Before the landing, the airport had made all the necessary arrangements. A full emergency was withdrawn after the flight landed, according to airport officials. Actor Jiah Khan had suicidal tendencies and the prosecution has miserably failed to prove its case that her then boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi had abetted her suicide, Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court judge AS Sayyad said on Friday while acquitting Pancholi. Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi leaves from his residence for CBI court for a verdict in the suicide case of actor Jiah Khan in Mumbai on Friday, (PTI) What CBI court judge said and reasons why Sooraj Pancholi was acquitted: > Judge AS Sayyad said the evidence against Sooraj was vague and general and no specific overt act or role can be attributed to him to reflect active abutment. > The judge said Jiah was, in fact, saved by Sooraj during one of earlier suicide attempts. Sayyad noted that Jiah was deeply in love with Sooraj but he wasn't able to dedicate his time to her as he was focused on his acting career. > The judge said that the actress was a victim of her own sentiments. > The court also said Jiah could have walked out of the relationship but she was a victim of her sentiments and could not overcome her emotions, holding that Sooraj cannot be held responsible for this. > "In the instant case it cannot be ignored that the deceased had suicidal tendency. She had on earlier occassion attempted suicide and that time accused had called for doctor. The accused had treated her and had tried to get her out of depression. At the relevant time the accused was pursuing his career in acting and could not devote sufficient time for the deceased. However on the earlier occassion, when she tried to commit suicide, the accused had saved her and helped her to come out of the depression," the judge noted. Mother Rabia Khan was never told > This fact (suicidal tendencies), the judge, said was never told by the actress to her mother Rabia Khan and it was only Sooraj, who informed her about the same. > The court added that there was no material on record to show that Sooraj met or even visited Jiah's house on June 3, 2013, the day when the actor died by suicide. Rabia Khan destroyed entire prosecution case > Sayyad also noted that Rabias evidence handicapped the prosecution's case against Pancholi. Rabia through her evidence tried to show that Jiah never committed suicide and that she was killed by the accused (Pancholi). However, this is not the case of the prosecution, the court said in its order. > When the case of the prosecution was of suicide, Rabia kept claiming that it was murder. By giving such openly contradictory evidence the complainant herself destroyed the case of the prosecution, the judge said. The court also raised doubts about the delay on Rabias part in getting the FIR registered. It also raised doubts on the purported suicide note recovered from Jiah's residence. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In what was a heartwarming moment at the 'National Conclave: Mann Ki Baat@100', which was held recently in the national capital to celebrate the soon-to-be-aired 100 episodes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio address to fellow countrymen, a woman invitee gave birth to a baby boy after going into labour at the event. A woman invitee gave birth to a baby boy after going into labour at the event.(ANI) Also Read | 100th episode of Mann ki Baat to be livecast at 250 public places in Chandigarh Poonam Devi, who was among the 100 special invitees at the event, went into labour and was rushed to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital where she delivered a healthy baby boy. Poonam, whose name came up for special reference during one of PM Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat' episodes, hails from a small village near Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh and is a member of a Self Help Group that creates various products from waste banana stems. The family said it was overjoyed to have welcomed a new member into their family on such a "momentous day". The Self Help Group in Lakhimpur Kheri produces handbags, mats, and other items using fiber from banana stems, a unique initiative that not only provides an additional source of income for women in the village but also contributes to reducing waste and promoting sustainable practices. The initiative has been widely adopted by several Self Help Groups in the area. The day-long 'National Conclave: Mann Ki Baat@100' event was inaugurated by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar. Among the other dignitaries who graced the event were Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah, Railways Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw, and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur. The event involved discussions on various topics such 'Naari Shakti' (women power), people's movements, and India's culture and tradition. The Supreme Court has granted bail to former Jharkhand minister Anosh Ekka in a disproportionate assets case. Former Jharkhand minister Anosh Ekka(PTI ) Ekka had been convicted earlier by a Jharkhand court in the case. A bench consisting of justices V Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal on Friday directed to release Anosh Ekka on bail observing he had already spent 5 years and 6 months in custody in connection with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case and has completed the period of seven years in the CBI case. "In the meantime, since the petitioner has already spent 5 years and 6 months in custody in connection with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case and has completed the period of seven years in the CBI case, the petitioner shall be released on bail in both cases, subject to such terms and conditions as may be imposed by the Trial Court," the top court said. The top court also issued notice to the Centre on his plea challenging the Jharkhand High Court order dated January 20, 2023, upholding his conviction in the disproportionate assets cases being probed by CBI and ED. Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave and advocates Vishal Kumar and Nikhil Jain appeared for Anosh Ekka. Ekka has challenged a Jharkhand High Court order which has dismissed his appeal and upheld the trial court order dated January 20, 2023, convicting him in a disproportionate assets case being probed by CBI and ED. A CBI Special Court in Ranchi on Feb 25, 2020, held petitioner Ekka guilty of offence under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and sentenced the petitioner to undergo Rigorous Imprisonment of seven years and to pay a fine of 50 Lakhs. On March 21, 2020, the trial court in Jharkhand convicted him under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Anosh Ekka then filed an appeal in Jharkhand HC against the trial court order but could not get any relief. In 2008, a vigilance case was registered against Ekka under various provisions of IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act, of 1988. Subsequently, CBI took over the investigation of the case. The charge sheet was filed against him alleging that Anosh Ekka while working as a minister in the then Jharkhand government had assets disproportionate to his known source of income. The Supreme Court on Friday sought the response of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on a plea by civil liberties activist Gautam Navlakha to be shifted under house arrest from his present location at Navi Mumbai to Alibaug. Gautam Navlakha was arrested in April 2020 for his alleged role in instigating the Bhima-Koregaon violence (File Photo) Navlakha is facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for his alleged links with the banned organisation Communist Party of India (Maoist) following the probe into January 18 Bhima Koregaon violence in Maharashtra. A bench of justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna posted the next hearing for May 15. The NIA informed the Court that in five months, since Navlakha was placed under house arrest on November 10, an outstanding amount of 66 lakh was due and payable to the Maharashtra government. Also Read: Elgar Parishad case: Gautam Navlakha moves HC for bail again Additional solicitor general (ASG) SV Raju appearing for NIA said, Initially, he had deposited a sum of 2.4 lakh. But the government has incurred a sum of 66 lakh. He has to clear that first. Hearing the argument, the bench directed Navlakha to deposit a further sum of 8 lakh for his round-the-clock security within two weeks. Senior advocate Nithya Ramakrishnan who appeared for Navlakha disputed the figure claiming that for one month, Navlakha was asked to deposit 2.4 lakh and only five months had lapsed since then. Navlakha was allowed house arrest following medical complications at Taloja jail. The Court directed the petitioner to pay up some amount while directing him to deposit 8 lakh to the concerned authority in Maharashtra police before the next date of hearing. Ramakrishnan moved an application on behalf of Navlakha to be shifted to a new location at Alibaug under house arrest. Navlakha was arrested in April 2020 for his alleged role in instigating the Bhima-Koregaon violence in January 2018. The NIA has accused him of having links with Pakistans ISI and objected to his request for house arrest on several occasions citing security concerns Twitter has locked the account of Asian News International (ANI) for not meeting the minimum age criteria to operate the micro-blogging platform, ANI Editor Smita Prakash informed on Saturday. The Twitter handle of the news agency shows the message This account doesnt exist. Prakash shared the screenshot of a mail sent from Twitter informing that ANI's handle has been locked. (Representational image) Prakash shared the screenshot of a mail sent from Twitter informing that ANI's handle has been locked. The mail reads, In order to create a Twitter account, you must be at least 13 years old. Twitter has determined that you don't meet these age requirements, so your account has been locked and will be removed from Twitter. Minutes after ANI's Twitter account disappeared, Smita Prakash tweeted, So those who follow @ANI bad news, @Twitter has locked out Indias largest news agency which has 7.6 million followers and sent this mail - under 13 years of age! Our gold tick was taken away, substituted with blue tick and now locked out. South Asia's leading multimedia news agency has over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe, according to its website. The Twitter handle of the Indian news media company NDTV also seems to have been locked. NDTV is yet to release a statement on the reason behind the action by the social media company. Several issues related to Twitter have been reported by users since Elon Musk took over the social media company and slashed staff, raising concerns about the viability of the service with fewer engineers. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A day after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal called Congress chief Sonia Gandhi a vishkanya (venomous woman) and an agent of China and Pakistan", Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot said on Saturday that the language being used against Gandhi was unfortunate. Congress leader Sachin Pilot sits on a hunger strike against the alleged corruption during previous BJP government in Rajasthan, at Shaheed Smarak in Jaipur, on Tuesday, (PTI) Pilot said, The kind of language that is being used against the leaders is unfortunate. It is setting a negative example in politics. Sonia Gandhi is a very senior leader and was president of Congress party, using such language for her is highly condemnable. Addressing a public meeting in Koppal in poll-bound Karnataka, on Friday Yatnal said: The entire world appreciates Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The US had not given him a visa once upon a time, but today he has emerged as a world leader who receives a red carpet welcome and rubs shoulders with world leaders. On Thursday, Kharge had triggered a political storm after he likened Modi to a venomous snake. As the BJP accused him of abusing the PM, the Congress leader expressed regret later in the day and said his remark was aimed at the BJPs ideology, and not an individual. Yatnal had also said in his speech, The Congress compares him (Modi) to a cobra and says he is poisonous. Congress leaders are dancing on the orders of Sonia Gandhi and making such comments. Is she a vishkanya? She is an agent for China and Pakistan, who destroyed the country. Yatnal is seeking re-election from Vijayapura during the May 10 assembly elections. He is also among the star campaigners of the BJP. The Congress blamed PM Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai after Karnataka BJP MLA Yatnal called Sonia Gandhi vishkanya. "The kind of things that have been said about Sonia Gandhi ji at the behest of Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah and under the patronage of Bommai, the people of Karnataka and the country will account for it," the Congress said in a statement demanding a public apology to Sonia Gandhi. "BJP is on the verge of destruction in Karnataka. In such a situation, the fury of its leaders is increasing. In this frenzy, BJP leaders are making statements on the behest of Prime Minister Modi," the statement said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Rekha Singh, the widow of one of the 20 braves killed in a skirmish with the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in Galwan Valley in June 2020, was on Saturday commissioned into the Indian Army as a lieutenant and is set to join a unit deployed in eastern Ladakh where India and China have been locked in a standoff for almost three years, officials familiar with the matter said. Woman Cadet Rekha Singh, wife of Late Naik Deepak Singh, was commissioned into Indian Army after completing her training in Chennai (HT Photo) Woman Cadet Rekha Singh, wife of Late Naik (Nursing Assistant) Deepak Singh, #VirChakra (Posthumous) got commissioned into #IndianArmy after completing her training from #OTA #Chennai. Nk Deepak made the supreme sacrifice during the #Galwan Clashes, Indian Army wrote on Twitter. Rekha was married to Naik Deepak Singh of the 16th Battalion of Bihar Regiment who was killed in action in the remote valley while fighting numerically superior Chinese soldiers on June 15, 2020 and was posthumously awarded Vir Chakra for his heroism in November 2021. Vir Chakra is Indias third-highest wartime military honour after Param Vir Chakra (PVC) and Maha Vir Chakra (MVC). Also Read: Indian Army commissions 5 woman officers into Regiment of Artillery The infantry battalions commanding officer, Colonel B Santosh Babu, who was awarded MVC, was among the 20 Indian soldiers killed in the seven-hour deadly conflict near Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan Valley. According to Indias assessment, PLAs casualties were twice as many as Indian Armys though Beijing officially claimed that only four Chinese soldiers were killed. Five female cadets, among the 200-odd cadets who passed out pass out from Chennai-based Officers Training Academy, were also commissioned into the regiment of artillery for the first time, said one of the officials cited above, on the condition of anonymity. Out of the five, three have been posted to units guarding the China border, he said. Lieutenant Mehak Saini was commissioned into a SATA (surveillance and target acquisition) regiment, lieutenant Sakshi Dubey and lieutenant Aditi Yadav into field regiments, lieutenant Pious Mudgil into a medium regiment, and lieutenant Akanksha into a rocket regiment. The women officers commissioned into the regiment of artillery will be provided with the same opportunities and face the same challenges as their male counterparts (19 male officers were also commissioned into artillery), said another official, who also asked not to be named. The women officers are being posted to different artillery units, where they will get training and exposure to handle a raft of weapons and systems in challenging conditions, said the official. A growing number of army wives whose husbands were killed in combat or in the line of duty are choosing to pursue a career in the armed forces to carry forward the legacy of the brave men, soldiering on in the aftermath of upheaval in their lives and inspiring others to follow suit. The army is encouraging women eligible of becoming officers to follow in the footsteps of their late husbands and also providing them guidance to make a fresh start. Also Read: China again seeks to de-link standoff at LAC with bilateral relations The wives of soldiers killed in action are granted exemption from appearing for the Combined Defence Services Examination, conducted by Union Public Service Commission (USPC), to qualify for the Services Selection Board interview. They are also entitled to age relaxation. The commissioning of women into artillery is the latest in a series of steps taken by the armed forces to open more doors for women. Women in uniform are no longer on the fringes but are being assigned central roles on a par with their male counterparts across the three services they are flying fighter planes, serving on board warships, being inducted in the personnel below officer rank (PBOR) cadre, eligible for permanent commission, being assigned command roles, and undergoing training at the National Defence Academy. To be sure, tanks and combat positions in the infantry are restricted zones for women. At the recent National Conclave: Mann Ki Baat@100, a special invitee went into labour and was rushed to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where she gave birth to a baby boy. Poonam Devi was among the 100 special invitees at the event. Poonam Devi was among the 100 special invitees at the event (HT Photo) The event was held in New Delhi to celebrate the soon-to-be-aired 100 episodes of Prime Minister Narendra Modis monthly radio address. A resident of a small village near Lakhimpur Kheri of Uttar Pradesh, Devi has been associated with a self-help group that makes products from waste banana stems. She was one of the many special invitees attending the conclave for their sustainable and exceptional contribution to society. Also Read: 100th episode of Mann ki Baat to be livecast at 250 public places in Chandigarh Talking to HT, Devis family said that they were overjoyed with the news to have the baby born on such a momentous day. It is our privilege that our son was born on such an eventful day. We believe our son is already blessed with immense luck, Devis husband Pramod Kumar told HT. This episode of Mann ki Baat shall always be special and memorable for us, everyone in the family is extremely joyous. Since it was a normal delivery, the mother and the baby are keeping fine, Kumar said. He further expressed his gratitude towards PM Modi, for mentioning Devi and her work in his address. Its a matter of pride of us, said Pramod. The self-help group Devi is associated with produces handbags, mats and other items from banana stems. This innovative initiative helps the women in the community by giving them a second source of income and by promoting sustainable practices and waste reduction. Also Read: Mann Ki Baat 100th episode: Haryana BJP eyes participation of 9 lakh people, 9k locations ready Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the National Conclave on Mann Ki Baat@100 in New Delhi on April 26 during which he described PM Modis monthly radio programme as the beacon of positivity to the nation which touches the heart of every people in the country. Other authorities who attended the event included Union home Minister Amit Shah, Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav and Union minister for information and broadcasting Anurag Thakur. The program also discussed various topics like Nari Shakti (womens power), mass movements and Indias culture and tradition. The Indian government has launched several successful missions in the past, aimed at rescuing and bringing back its citizens stranded in other countries, be it due to natural disasters, conflicts, or other crises. The latest of such efforts is Operation Kaveri which has been launched to evacuate Indians stranded in conflict-hit Sudan. Sudan crisis: Another Operation Kaveri flight with 246 Indians on board evacuated from conflict-ridden Sudan landed, in Mumbai on Thursday.(Twitter/ S Jaishankar) From Operation Raahat in Yemen to Operation Samudra Setu during the Covid-19 pandemic, India has demonstrated its ability to swiftly and efficiently carry out rescue and evacuation operations. Take a closer look at the various missions undertaken by India since 2015 to rescue and bring back its citizens from different parts of the world. Operation Raahat (2015) In response to the crisis in Yemen during the Yemeni Crisis of 2015, the Indian government launched Operation Raahat, which involved the Indian Armed Forces in the evacuation of not only Indian nationals but also foreign nationals stranded in Yemen. The operation successfully evacuated 6,710 individuals, including 4,748 Indians and 1,962 foreign nationals, who were brought back to India with the help of the Indian Armed Forces. Operation Maitri (2015) Operation Maitri (Operation Amity) was launched by the Indian government and armed forces as a rescue and relief operation in Nepal following the devastating earthquake that struck the country in April 2015. With swift response, the operation began on 26 April 2015, involving the participation of ex-servicemen from India's Gurkha Regiments who provided guidance, relief, and rescue efforts. Operation Sankat Mochan (2016) Operation Sankat Mochan, carried out by the Indian Air Force was aimed to evacuate Indian and other foreign nationals from South Sudan amidst the ongoing civil war in 2016. With around 600 Indians stranded in the country, out of which approximately 450 were in Juba and others scattered elsewhere, the mission was a crucial effort to ensure the safe return of the citizens. Operation Samudra Setu (2020) The Indian government launched Operation Samudra Setu on May 5, 2020 as a part of a national effort to repatriate citizens stranded abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic. The operation successfully culminated after bringing 3,992 Indian citizens back to their homeland by sea. The Indian Naval Ships Jalashwa (Landing Platform Dock), Airavat, Shardul, and Magar (Landing Ship Tanks) participated in this operation, which lasted for over 55 days and involved covering more than 23,000 kilometers by sea. Operation Devi Shakti (2021) Operation Devi Shakti (transl. Operation Goddess Shakti) was an operation of the Indian Armed Forces to evacuate Indian citizens and foreign nationals from Afghanistan after the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the fall of Kabul, the capital city, to the Taliban. Operation Ganga (2022) Operation Ganga was an evacuation mission carried out by the Indian government to rescue its citizens stranded in neighboring countries during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The citizens were transported from Romania, Hungary, Poland, Moldova, and Slovakia to India with assistance from these countries. Operation Dost (2023) Operation Dost, which means Operation Friend is a search and rescue operation led by the Indian government to assist Syria and Turkey following the devastating 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake on February 6, 2023, with the epicenter near Gaziantep, Turkey. The Indian Army mobilized its rescue teams along with relief materials worth around 7 crore within just 12 hours after the disaster struck. Operation Kaveri (2023) The Indian government has launched Operation Kaveri to rescue thousands of citizens who are stranded in conflict-hit Sudan. The operation was launched on April 24, 2023, with the aim of ensuring the safe return of Indian citizens. The armed forces are currently in coordination with the government to rigorously evacuate stranded Indians from Sudan. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON An ancient stone with historic Scottish significance has arrived in London, where it is being prepared for the coronation ceremony of King Charles III. The Stone of Scone, also known as the Stone of Destiny, is regarded as a sacred symbol of Scotland's monarchy and nationhood. Seized from the Scots by English King Edward I in 1296, the 152-kilogram (335-pound) oblong slab of red sandstone has played a key role in the coronation of English and British monarchs for centuries. The famed Scottish stone has been used at the coronation ceremonies of English and British monarchs for centuries, resting underneath the seat of the Coronation Chair (left in picture) (The Print Collector/Heritage-Images/picture alliance) It is often incorporated into the Coronation Chair upon which monarchs sit during their coronation, being placed underneath the seat. King Charles's III coronation is due to take place on May 6, 2023. What do we know about the stone's history? The stone's origins are unknown, with stories of its birth and journey to cotland lending themselves to myth. Many say it came from the Middle East and was placed in a monastery in Scotland's medieval town of Scone in the 9th century. For centuries, Scottish kings used it at their inauguration, until English King Edward I seized it in 1296 and ordered it to be built into the Coronation Chair in London. For the next 650 years or so, the famed stone would remain in Westminster Abbey, until Scottish nationalists raided the church to retrieve it. The stone was taken back to London in 1951. It played its usual role at Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 and was only moved to Scotland's crown jewels at Edinburgh Castle in 1996, under the condition that it would be borrowed by London for future coronations. Bidding the Stone of Scone temporary farewell Historic Environment Scotland (HES), the public body responsible for Scotland's historic environment, said it cooperated with police and other agencies on the stone's transfer to London. The HES said the Stone of Scone was taken in a special carrier made largely of Scottish oak. The stone was taken out of the Edinburgh Castle in a ceremonial procession on Thursday, as it made its way to Westminster Abbey. Castle officials held a special ceremony, attended by Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf, to bid the sacred artifact temporary farewell. "It is ... a great responsibility to ensure the safe voyage and return of such an important national symbol, and one which has required the care, skill and expertise of a range of different specialist teams across our organization," said Kathy Richmond, head of collections at HES. Trisha Krishnan is an absolute fashionista. The actors recent release Ponniyin Selvan 2 was theatrically released a day back and since then it has been garnering a lot of praises from audience and critics alike. Mani Ratnams magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan was released in two halves the first part released last year, and the second part released a day back. Trisha played the role of Kundavai, princess of Chola dynasty in the film. The actor is currently busy with the promotions of the film in full swing. From Hyderabad to Kochi to Mumbai, Trisha is traveling throughout the country to promote Ponniyin Selvan. Trisha Krishnans power suit is the perfect blend of sass and grace(Instagram/@trishakrishnan) ALSO READ: Ponniyin Selvan: Aishwarya Rai and others deck up in ethnics Recently Trisha travelled to Mumbai to promote PS2. With the cast of the film, Trisha was spotted ticking off promotional duties in a stunning formal ensemble. Trisha's fashion diaries are a treat for sore eyes, and with every attire, the actor ensures to make fashion lovers scurry to take notes. Trisha, for the Mumbai promotions, picked a formal power suit for the pictures. Playing muse to fashion designer house SVA, Trisha picked the attire from the shelves of the designer house. Trisha looked every bit gorgeous in a black tank top, teamed with a white and red blazer featuring lapel collars and rolled up sleeves. She further teamed her attire with a pair of matching formal trousers. Take a look at her formal ensemble here. Trisha further accessorised her look for the day in a sleek golden neck chain with a minimal pendant, and golden hoop earrings with pearl embedded details. Styled by fashion stylist Eka Lakhani, Trisha wore her tresses open in straight locks with a middle part as she posed for the pictures. Assisted by makeup artist Umesh Pawar, Trisha decked up nude eyeshadow, black eyeliner, black kohl, mascara-laden eyelashes, drawn eyebrows, contoured cheeks and a shade of nude lipstick. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New pilot research has found that a music therapy strategy may help youngsters with severe acquired brain injuries (ABI) meet their walking recovery goals. Music therapy may help children with brain injuries: Study(Pixabay) The first of its kind research project suggests rhythmic auditory stimulation could augment the physiotherapy ordinarily offered to children and young people who sustain a severe acquired brain injury - of whom there are believed to be around 350 each year in the UK. The practice aims to improve walking speed and quality of movement by using rhythms to provide cues for patients' stepping rate. In establishing neurological connections between the auditory prompts and physical movements, the technique has been shown to facilitate smoother and more coordinated walking patterns. ALSO READ: Music enhances medication efficacy: Research states While the potential of rhythmic auditory stimulation has never before been explored in the context of treating children with ABIs, the approach has been found to improve walking speed among people who have suffered a stroke, those living with Parkinson's disease and, more recently, children with cerebral palsy. All participants in the pilot study, published in the International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation and involving a music therapy expert from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), showed improvement as a result of rhythmic auditory stimulation being added to their rehabilitation programme, with the most marked advances evident in walking quality. In light of these findings, the study's authors believe adding the technique to other interventions could help improve the outlook for children with ABIs. Dr Jonathan Pool, Senior Research Fellow at Anglia Ruskin University's Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research and an author of the study, said: "This is the first study to look at rhythmic auditory stimulation for children and young people with acquired brain injury. "As a pilot study, it provides initial evidence of the effect of music on gait rehabilitation for this population and has revealed insights into some of the issues for researchers in this area. While showing variation across participants in the benefits of rhythmic auditory stimulation, the study findings are encouraging and indicate that the detailed assessment of quality of movement should be considered alongside other tests when measuring functional gains in gait rehabilitation. Goa beaches will get trained dogs to spot and rescue people in distress and locate missing children, an official of an agency tasked with lifesaving operations in the coastal state said on Friday. A team of 11 dogs, called the 'paw squad', is being trained for these works, and the initiative is the first of its kind in Asia, the Drishti Marine official said in the presence of state tourism minister Rohan Khaunte. Goa beaches to get trained dogs, two AI-powered systems for safety, rescue operations (Ajay Aggarwal/HT PHOTO) "They are being trained to spot and rescue victims in distress, search and rescue in rocky areas and locate missing children at the beaches. The paw squad is being trained by canine expert Arjun Shawn Moitra and will be deployed first at high-density beaches," the spokesperson said. Hailing the initiative, Khaunte said new technologies and innovations have to deployed routinely for such works. The Drishti Marine spokesperson said it was giving final touches to two Artificial Intelligence platforms, Aurus and Triton, to assist lifesavers at beaches. "Aurus is a self-driving robot and the AI-powered monitoring system, Triton, will augment life-saving capabilities along Goa's beaches. Both systems can monitor the surroundings, assess risks and share real-time information to help on-duty lifesavers respond faster,'' the spokesperson said. "Aurus is currently deployed as a pilot project at Miramar Beach in North Goa for assistance in beach closure, while Triton, still in testing mode, has been deployed at Baina, Velsao, Benaulim, Galgibag beaches in South Goa and Morjim in North Goa," he added. The plan is to roll out 100 Triton units and 10 Aurus units on the beaches of the state in the coming months, Drishti Marine Operations Manager Navin Awasthi said. Its a messy international order. New friendships are being forged. Old rivalries are becoming more entrenched. Fault lines are blurred. Friends dont always agree with each other. Adversaries are dependent on each other. And almost everyone is talking to almost everyone else irrespective of convergences and divergences. PREMIUM Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu, secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Zhang Ming, defence minister Rajnath Singh and Russain defence minister Sergei Shoigu before the start of the SCO meet in New Delhi,(REUTERS) It was this messiness that was on display last week in Delhi. India chaired the meeting of defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a grouping that includes Russia, China, Pakistan and four Central Asian countries. Iran and Belarus participated as observers. Step back a moment to see what happened. The Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, used the platform to launch a tirade against the West in general, and the United States (US) in particular. Besides hurling other allegations, Moscow said it was unhappy that the West was seeking to contain China and blamed the US for the intensification of tensions across the Taiwan Straits and in the South and East China Sea. Russia categorically mentioned Quad and AUKUS (the nuclear submarine pact between Australia, United Kingdom and US) as evidence of Washington creating blocs. And, of course, it blamed the US for the war in Ukraine. Here is the problem. India probably disagrees with all of these positions articulated by Russia. It may need Moscow for its defence needs and it may have used the moment to import cheaper oil from Russia. But serious policymakers in Delhi are aware that Russia invaded Ukraine and Vladimir Putin crossed a line in February 2022. They are acutely conscious that the war has hurt Indian interests, including by pushing Moscow closer to Beijing and slowing down the global economy. And not only is India a key member of Quad, it privately believes that AUKUS is a useful addition to the Indo-Pacific security architecture. Delhis interest lies in the West taking a strong position against China, and if Washington has finally woken up to the threat posed by Beijing, thats seen as the best piece of strategic news in Delhis power corridors. Then turn to Chinese defence minister, Li Shangfu. After his bilateral meeting with Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, the Chinese readout said that Beijing had made it clear that the situation at the border was generally stable. China told India that the two countries should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalised management. The two countries had more common interests than differences and should together contribute to world and regional peace and stability, Beijing insisted. Here is the problem. Over 100,000 Peoples Liberation Army and Indian Army personnel are engaged in a direct face-off at the Line of Actual Control. China violated the core of the 1988 political understanding (let status quo persist at the border, lets work on other issues) and every signed pact since then. It ramped up its presence at the border, intruded into territory that India considers its own, launched aggressive operations, engaged Indian troops in a bloody clash which killed soldiers in Galwan, and hasnt disengaged from key friction points or de-escalated in general. Delhi has consistently told Beijing that until peace and tranquillity is restored at the border, bilateral relations cannot go back to normal. Either China hasnt got the import of the message or believes that India will have to live with a new status quo. India may not be shouting from the rooftops but Beijing is mistaken. There is a strategic consensus that China is the big adversary for the foreseeable future and no government will turn to business as usual even if it is careful about avoiding escalation. And as far as contributing together to regional stability is concerned, the rhetoric conveniently hides the fact that India, rightly, believes, that China is disproportionately contributing to instability. Delhi and Beijing are increasingly at opposing ends of the changed global security landscape. And then there was Pakistan, represented by a special assistant to the Prime Minister, who, among other things, claimed that Pakistan was a peace-loving country. While Rajnath Singh delivered a strong message on need to counter terror and radicalisation, and even spoke of strengthening the defence capacity of SCO member-States for shared security interests, the fact is that these countries neither share security interests in common nor is Pakistan about to take on the Islamist terror machine it has created seriously. So, whats the point of the SCO? Policymakers offer two arguments. The first is that being in the room is better than being outside. And that makes sense. Diplomacy involves engaging with all actors and using all platforms to make ones own position heard. Just because India, as chair, offered a platform for views it doesnt agree with is not a reason to dismiss the forum. But it is a reason to view it with scepticism. The second argument goes back to a myth that has become a sacred belief in Indian foreign policy circles. This goes along the following lines. Delhi has strategic convergence with the West in the maritime domain but when it comes to the Asian continental landmass, the US is relatively absent and India has to do business with other actors. This is partly true, but what it misses is that Indias lack of direct geographical access to Central Asia and Chinas growing influence in the region limits Delhis options. The SCO wont necessarily enable a dramatic expansion of Indias ability to secure its interests in the region. While a similar script will likely play out in the SCO foreign ministers meeting next week, and then the leaders level summit in July, Indias real diplomatic focus is on Quad, the engagement with the US, and the G20 summit, all of which are far more useful exercises. If, in early March, Quad foreign ministers displayed remarkable bonhomie and advanced their common agenda in Delhi, Quad leaders will have their third summit in Australia in May. In late June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to the US for a State visit where both countries will advance cooperation on defence and critical and emerging technologies. And in September, India will host the G20 summit where it can showcase its achievements in digital public infrastructure, push the agenda of reform of multilateral development banks, hope to find ways to enhance climate collaboration, and seek to carve out a consensus on fractured times. Indias leadership of the SCO shows its diplomatic adroitness and ability to engage with actors of different persuasions. But it is doing so while recognising the limits of the grouping, focusing on real partners, and being fully cognisant of the changing security landscape. Separating rhetoric from substance is the best way to understand the messiness of what happened last week. letters@hindustantimes.com Dhirendra Prasad, an Indian-origin former Apple employee, was sentenced to three years in prison on Wednesday and ordered to pay about 157 crore in restitution by a US court for engaging in fraud against the tech company. Ex-Apple employee was convicted for planning to defraud Apple.(Reuters) The ex Apple employee was convicted for conspiring to defraud Apple, Inc., of millions of dollars and for related tax crimes, a statement from US Attorney's Office, Northern District of California said. Prasad will serve three years in prison and must return all of his assets and money earned through cheating Apple. In addition, he must reimburse the tax money he failed to pay. He will be also be closely monitored for three years after his release from prison. What are the charges against Dhirendra Prasad? The criminal activity in this case revolved around Prasad's employment at Apple from December 2008 to December 2018. He spent the most of his time as a "buyer" in Apple's Global Service Supply Chain. Prasad's role as an Apple buyer was to manage the procedure by which Apple purchased parts to make warranty repairs on older devices. According to the US Department of Justice, Prasad took advantage of his position and conspired with two different Apple vendors to defraud Apple by taking kickbacks, stealing parts, inflating invoices, and causing Apple to pay for items and services that were never delivered, resulting in a loss of more than 138 crore. He also participated in two different criminal conspiracies with Apple vendors, evading tax on the proceeds. According to the government's sentencing brief, Prasad was granted extensive freedom to make independent judgements to benefit his employer as a result of his position at Apple. Prasad betrayed this trust and abused his power to enrich himself at the expense of his employer - all while accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary and bonuses from Apple. Prasad is claimed to have designed his criminal schemes to avoid discovery using insider information about the company's fraud-detection systems. Many people take a cab to commute from one place to another as they offer convenience and comfort. However, in a rush to get out of the vehicle, people often forget their belongings. While phones and wallets are common things riders lose, some passengers have left behind bizarre items in cabs, including fake blood and a pregnancy test. Recently, Uber released their seventh edition of The 2023 Lost and Found Index, and it is intriguing to see what people have forgotten in their cabs. Buckle up and get ready to be surprised! Uber released their seventh edition of The 2023 Lost and Found Index. (Representational Image: Unsplash/Paul Hanaoka) Uber, in a blog, revealed that a fog machine, weight loss guide, pregnancy test, and a friends fake tooth are among the most unique items that people left behind in cabs, with Danny DeVito Christmas ornament topping the list. The company even shared the common things people forget in cabs. Clothing takes the top spot on the list, with shawls being the most common item. Clothing, phones, keys and wallets topped the list once again of the most commonly forgotten items, but as always, riders have been leaving their unique (and sometimes quite unusual!) items behind, too. This year, we saw folks forget everything from a Danny DeVito Christmas ornament, to a fog machine, to six cheeses cakes and thats just to name a few, Uber reported in a blog. The company even shared the list of most forgetful cities, and Floridas Jacksonville grabbed the top spot. San Antonio, Texas and Palm Springs, California, also made it to the list, coming in at second and third place, respectively. Interestingly, the ride-hailing app also revealed that the most common day for passengers to forget their belongings was April 5, 2022, with nearly 1,000 lost item reports. Ubers insights reveal that people mostly forget chargers on Mondays and cash on Thursdays. On Tuesdays, keys are the most commonly forgotten item, while wallets are left behind on Wednesdays and watches and jewellery on Fridays. On the other hand, passports and groceries are left behind on weekends. Every year, Uber shares this list to inform its passengers about the in-app options available if they leave something behind during a ride. Have you ever forgotten something behind in cabs? If yes, what was it? SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Internet is filled with stories of people going above and beyond to help animals in need. From rescuing abandoned pets to nursing injured wildlife back to health, the shares are aplenty. In a similar instance, a man provided medical assistance to a deer. A picture featuring his compassionate act was shared by Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Parveen Kaswan online. It has touched the hearts of many, who have praised the man for his kindness and selflessness. Man helping deer breathe. (Twitter/@ParveenKaswan) In a world where you can be anything. Be kind to all, wrote IFS officer Parveen Kaswan while sharing a picture on Twitter. He even gave an update and added, This is our vet team. Picture taken a few days back. The deer was later released. The picture shared by the IFS officer shows a deer wearing an oxygen mask as a man carefully holds an oxygen cylinder near it. It is unclear how the deer ended up needing medical attention, but the mans compassionate act towards the animal has warmed the hearts online. Take a look at the picture below: Since being shared a day ago, the picture has collected over 4.6 lakh views, and the numbers are still increasing. The share has also prompted many to post their thoughts in the comments section. Heres how people reacted to the viral picture: Wonderful work by all forest personnel. Its a real blessing for these voiceless living species. Blessings come in many forms and from all, posted a Twitter user. Another added, The vet must be appreciated for this innovative jugaad of making the O2 mask by the Bisleri bottle top. The fitting is so perfect with the deers mouth. A third enquired, What was wrong with this little one? A fourth wrote, Nice, while a fifth commented, Lovely! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A group of Afghan women protested in Kabul on Saturday, defying a crackdown on dissent to urge foreign nations not to formally recognise the Taliban government ahead of a UN summit next week. A Taliban fighter stands guard as a woman walks past in Kabul, Afghanistan.(AP) Protesters opposing creeping curbs on women's rights have been beaten or detained since the Taliban surged back to power in 2021, and security forces have fired into the air to disperse some rallies. However, small groups of women have continued to stage sporadic gatherings. Around 25 women marched through a residential area in the Afghan capital on Saturday ahead of a summit in Doha that the United Nations says will discuss a "durable way forward" for the country. "Recognition of Taliban -- violation of women's rights," the women chanted during the march, which lasted no longer than 10 minutes and passed without confrontation with security forces. Other chants included "Afghan people, hostages of Taliban" and We will fight, we will die, we will take our rights. No nation has yet acknowledged the government as legitimate since the Taliban returned to power after US forces withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021. A previous Taliban government that ruled from 1996 to 2001 was only granted formal recognition by three nations -- Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Diplomats, NGOs and aid agencies are deeply divided over the issue. Some believe the international community might cajole Taliban authorities into reversing curbs on women's rights by dangling the prospect of recognition. Others say even discussing it grants the Taliban government some legitimacy at a time when they are squeezing women out of public life. UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said last week the Doha meeting starting on Monday could see envoys discuss "baby steps" on a path to recognition, albeit with conditions. "There are some who believe this can never happen. There are others that say, well, it has to happen," Mohammed said in a talk at Princeton University. "The Taliban clearly want recognition... and that's the leverage we have." The United Nations has announced that the "de facto authorities" of Afghanistan have not been invited to the Doha conference. "Recognition is not an issue," a spokesman for the world body said Friday. Protester Shamail Tawana Nasiri, 26, told AFP that any discussion of formal recognition "will give the Taliban motivation". "For those of us who are oppressed, and our rights taken away, it increases our concerns," she said. The United Nations will also provide an update on aid operations, which have been hampered by a Taliban government order barring Afghan women from working for the world body, at Monday's meeting. It has said it faces an "appalling choice" over whether to maintain its huge operation in the country of 38 million people. Five people including an 8-year-old child were killed in a shooting at a home in Cleveland, Texas, ABC News reported on Saturday, citing local police and authorities. The San Jacinto County Sheriff's office told that the suspect was a Mexican man who was intoxicated, armed and on the run. (AP/ Representative image ) The shooting took place late Friday and the police were still looking for the suspect, the report added. Officials from the San Jacinto County Sheriff's office received a call about harassment from Cleveland at around 11:31 p.m. local time but when they reached the scene they found several victims who had been shot, ABC reported. The San Jacinto County Sheriff's office told the broadcaster that the suspect was a Mexican man who was intoxicated, armed and on the run. The Cleveland Police Department did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for a comment. The San Jacinto County Sheriff's office could not immediately be reached for a comment. Police did not disclose the identity of the victims or their possible relationship to the suspect, but said that they were all from Honduras, the ABC report said. The shootings all took place in one home, with four victims declared dead at the scene and the fifth declared dead after being taken to the hospital, the report added. The youngest of those killed was 8 years old with two female victims found on top of two surviving children, the report said, citing authorities. The computerised drawing of lots devised to select successful H-1B applicants every year has resulted in abuse of the system and a sharp increase in fraudulent efforts, a federal agency said Friday. The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.(File Photo) In an unusual statement, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Friday said, based on evidence from the Financial Year 2023 and Financial Year 2024 H-1B cap seasons, it has already undertaken extensive fraud investigations, denied and revoked petitions. USCIS said it is in the process of initiating law enforcement referrals for criminal prosecution. Also Read | Fired H1B staffers need to leave in 60 days? US Immigration Services says this The H-1B programme is an essential part of our nations immigration system and our economy, and the USCIS is committed to implementing the law and helping meet the ever-changing needs of the US labour market, it said. We are working on an upcoming H-1B modernisation rule that will propose, among other improvements, bolstering the H-1B registration process to reduce the possibility of misuse and fraud in the H-1B registration system, it added. Also Read | Grace period for H1B visa holders to be extended amid mass layoffs? USCIS said during the registration period for the FY 2024 H-1B cap, it saw a significant increase in the number of registrations submitted compared to prior years. It said there were 780,884 applications for H-1B visas in this years computer-generated lottery, against 4,83,927 in 2023 and 3,01,447 in 2022 and 2,74,237 in 2021. Generally, it saw an increase in the number of registrations submitted, the number of registrations submitted on behalf of beneficiaries with multiple registrations, and the number of registrations submitted on behalf of unique beneficiaries with only one registration. The number of registrations tied to people who applied more than once rose to 408,891 this year from 165,180 last year and 90,143 the year before, it said. The federal agency warned that if the information provided by an applicant or a company was not correct, it will find the registration to not be properly submitted and the prospective petitioner would not be eligible to file a petition based on that registration. The USCIS may deny a petition, or revoke a petition approval, based on a registration that contained a false attestation and was therefore not properly submitted. Furthermore, USCIS may also refer the individual or entity who submitted a false attestation to appropriate federal law enforcement agencies for investigation and further action, as appropriate, it said. A group of US Tech Workers, who are campaigning against the H-1B visas, said it has spoken about such a fraud for the past several years. The Trump administration had proposed a fix to the H-1B lottery by prioritising selection based on highest wages. You sued the administration so now you have to deal with the fraud that you are complaining about, it said in a statement. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's powerful sister Kim Yo Jong has warned that a US-South Korean agreement aimed at strengthening deterrence against Pyongyang would only lead to "more serious danger," state media reported Saturday. Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (REUTERS) The United States and South Korea vowed Wednesday that North Korea would face a nuclear response and the "end" of the leadership there should it use its own arsenal, as the two countries' presidents met in Washington. In response, Kim Yo Jong said the North was convinced that a nuclear deterrent "should be brought to further perfection." "The more the enemies are dead set on staging nuclear war exercises, and the more nuclear assets they deploy in the vicinity of the Korean peninsula, the stronger the exercise of our right to self-defence will become in direct proportion to them," she said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and US counterpart Joe Biden issued what was titled the Washington Declaration, bolstering the US nuclear umbrella over South Korea, which is increasingly nervous about Pyongyang's aggression. It will involve the "regular deployment of strategic assets" including the first South Korean port visit by a nuclear ballistic submarine in decades, a US official told AFP this week. The agreement, however, would "only result in making peace and security of Northeast Asia and the world be exposed to more serious danger, and it is an act that can thus never be welcome", Kim Yo Jong said. North Korea has defied years of punishing sanctions to continue work on its banned nuclear and missile programmes, and has indicated it will not consider giving up weapons it views as insurance against regime change. Pyongyang conducted a record-breaking string of sanctions-defying launches this year, including test-firing the country's first solid-fuel ballistic missile -- a key technical breakthrough for Kim Jong Un's military. Days ahead of King Charles IIIs coronation ceremony, a royal insider has made explosive claims about the British monarchs marriage with his first wife Princess Diana. The insider has claimed that the messy marriage of the couple was surely affected by infidelity as the world knows but it was Diana who cheated first, the New York Post reported. Britain's Prince Charles with his wife Princess Diana in front of Lodge Canberra, Australia, Nov. 7, 1985.(AP file photo) In an upcoming documentary titled 'King Charles: The Boy Who Walked Alone', several close aides of the royal family, including a former royal protection officer named Allan Peters, shared their perspectives on the monarch's life. Peters, who worked with the royal family for nine years, claimed that the first person who strayed in the marriage was the Princess of Wales. His comments came as part of the documentary set to premiere on May 2. [Charles] didnt, until after he knew she had strayed. Im speaking now about all this because Ive said nothing for 40 years, and Ive just listened to lies, silly stories, and its quite frustrating. There are only a few of us that can say what really happened, he said referring to the media's constant coverage of his alleged infidelity with Queen Consort Camilla. Peters remarks were directed towards Diana's alleged affair that he claimed happened with her bodyguard Barry Mannakee, who died at the age of 39 in a traffic accident in 1987. He claimed that Diana behaved strangely around Mannakee, suggesting she dressed and behaved differently. It was clear that something had gone on, he said. As far as I could ascertain, they were having an affair. Peters also claimed that when he made efforts to have Mannakee transferred, the Princess of Wales was upset about it. [She was] throwing her shoes at the back of my head. She was distraught, and life was quite difficult for everybody, the NYP quoted Peters. He also claimed to have a word about the incident with King Charles when the monarch wondered why the Princess was upset. Peters quoted their conversation saying Charles said, The only thing that seems to be upsetting her is that Barry is leaving He can stay. I felt the need to say, He has to go,' Peters recalled. Even though the couple separated in 1992 and got divorced in 1996, their marriage is still a topic of interest after all these years. Certainly, with Dianas death in 1997 and the bodyguard having passed away, it's impossible to fact check if the allegations are true and need an acknowledgement that they may not necessarily reflect the full picture. However, Peters remained adamant about his observations. Charles never told the truthhe protected his sons from that he remarked. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Russian strikes battered cities across Ukraine on Friday, killing 26 people including five children, as Kyiv said preparations for a counter-offensive against Moscow's forces were nearly complete. Rescuers were using cranes to search for survivors among the remains of the multi-storey housing block in the city of 80,000 inhabitants.(Representational) The deadly new attacks included a strike on a residential block in the historic city of Uman in central Ukraine, where AFP journalists saw rescue workers extracting victims' remains from a destroyed residential building. Also Read: Air raid alerts issued throughout Ukraine, explosions reported The barrage of almost two dozen missiles ended a weeks-long pause following the repeated Russian strikes that had aimed to paralyse Ukraine's energy grid during the winter months. On Friday evening, workers in Uman, the site of an annual Hasidic pilgrimage, pulled the body of another child from under the rubble. Authorities said Russian cruise missiles killed 23 people -- including four children -- in Uman. Earlier in the day, Dmitry, a 33-year-old resident from Lugansk, an eastern city under Russian control, was looking for his children. "I want to see my children, they are under the rubble," he said. Rescuers were using cranes to search for survivors among the remains of the multi-storey housing block in the city of 80,000 inhabitants. "I've seen a lot, but I haven't lost my children before. Now I want to see my children, alive or dead," Dmitry said. Russian missiles also hit the central city of Dnipro, already grief-stricken after a January strike on a tower block that killed more than 40 people. Authorities said the strikes in Dnipro killed a 31-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter while they slept. The young woman's parents were hospitalised. "Neighbours say that it was a quiet and kind family," regional authorities said. Separately, authorities in the southern region of Kherson said on Friday evening that Russian forces shelled the village of Bilozerka, killing a 57-year-old woman and wounding another three people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the latest barrage and vowed a response. "Only absolute evil can unleash such terror against Ukraine," he said in his evening address. His advisor Mykhaylo Podolyak tweeted: "If you don't want THIS spread around the world, then give us weapons. Lots of weapons. And add sanctions." Moscow said it had targeted reserve units of the Ukrainian military and that "all assigned objects were hit". Also Read: Ukraine vows 'iron fist' counterattack after Russian strike kills 23 Moscow-installed officials in eastern Ukraine said Ukrainian shelling had killed nine people, including an eight-year-old girl in the city of Donetsk. There were no reported casualties in Kyiv, which was among the cities targeted Friday. The capital had not been hit by missiles in more than 50 days, although last week it was attacked by 12 Iranian-made drones, eight of which were shot down without causing any casualties. Ukraine said overall it had downed 21 of 23 Russian missiles and two attack drones. The country's air defence system has been bolstered in recent months by the delivery of Western equipment crucial to the country's war effort. The new strikes came as Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said his country's preparations to push back against entrenched Russian positions were almost complete. NATO allies and partners have provided Ukraine with 1,550 armoured vehicles and 230 tanks to form units and help it retake territory from Russian forces, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday. "Equipment has been promised, prepared and partially delivered. In a global sense, we're ready," Reznikov said. Kyiv has said throughout the war launched by Russia in February 2022 that it is intent on repelling Moscow's forces from territory they control in eastern and southern Ukraine. Also Read: Downed 21 Russian missiles, 2 drones overnight, Ukraine says "Preparations are coming to an end," Reznikov added of the planned offensive. "As soon as there is God's will, the weather and the decision of the commanders -- we will do it." But he added that Washington's promised Abrams tanks "will not have time to take part in this counteroffensive". Last month the Pentagon said the Abrams vehicles -- one of the most powerful and sophisticated weapons in the US army -- would arrive in Ukraine in late 2023. Most of the fighting has been focused on the eastern Donbas region, particularly the city of Bakhmut, which has been almost completely destroyed. Several Ukrainian soldiers told AFP that tough clashes in Bakhmut involved not only members of mercenary group Wagner but also Russian special forces. Not far from Bakhmut, Alex, 34, said the situation was difficult. "We lack soldiers, we have many wounded, and also dead," he said. "Sometimes in the trenches, you have to hide behind a corpse. It's the only way to survive." Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said on Friday he had paid a rare visit to the embattled city and vowed Moscow would rebuild it. In need of allies to support its drawn-out war effort, Moscow has cultivated its relationship with China. The leaders of Ukraine and China spoke by telephone this week, with Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly advocating peace talks. Also Read: Moscow deliberately repopulating Ukraine with Russians? Vladimir Putin's plan Xi and Zelensky's discussion on Wednesday was met by Russian accusations that Ukraine was undermining efforts to end the fighting. Zelensky said Friday he had asked Xi to help bring back Ukrainian children deported by Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy carries a pistol and would have fought to the death with his inner circle had the Russians stormed his Kyiv headquarters at the start of the war, he said in an interview shown on Saturday. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping via phone line, in Kyiv, Ukraine.(via REUTERS file) "I know how to shoot. Could you imagine (a headline like) 'The President of Ukraine is taken captive by Russians?' This is a disgrace. I believe this would be a disgrace," he told the 1 1 television channel. In the first days after the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion, Ukrainian officials said Russian intelligence units tried to break into Kyiv but were defeated and failed to reach Bankova Street in the centre, home to the presidential offices. Other Russian units launched an attack on the outskirts of Kyiv, but were unable to advance. Officials also reported several unsuccessful sabotage attempts inside the city. "I think if they had gone inside, into the administration, we would not be here," Zelenskiy said. It was not clear which Russian units he was referring to. "No one would have been taken prisoner because we had a very seriously prepared defence of Bankova Street. We would have been there to the last," he said. Asked whether he carried a pistol and practised using it, he replied that he did, while dismissing a suggestion he might have used it to kill himself rather than be captured. "No, no, no. It's not (to shoot) myself. To shoot back, surely," he said. Another flight carrying 231 Indian passengers evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan reached New Delhi on Saturday. Sudan crisis: Another Operation Kaveri flight with 231 Indians on board evacuated from conflict-ridden Sudan landed, in Mumbai on Thursday.(Twitter/ S Jaishankar) The Indian evacuees shouted slogans like "Bharat Mata ki jai," and "Vande Mataram" and also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for rescuing them from Sudan under Operation Kaveri. Also Read: Sheer audacity: IAF pilots use night vision goggles to land on Sudan airstrip One of the Indian passengers shared the tough humanitarian crisis faced by them in Sudan. "It has become very difficult to stay in Sudan due to ongoing conflict. There is a shortage of food and drinking water, moreover, there are continuous bombings, and rockets are being fired. None of us were coming out of our houses. The food canteen was bombed. It is very difficult to flee also, travelling in the vehicle is also not safe, they can bomb buses too," said an Indian electrician from Buxar, Bihar evacuated from Sudan. He lauded Operation Kaveri and said that his evacuation from Sudan was like "re-birth" as he had lost hope to survive. "If it had not been PM Modi and EAM Jaishankar none of the Indians could have come here alive. From the deep of my heart, I want to thank them. Bharat Mata ki jai, Modiji Zindabad," he added. He also praised the Indian Army which aided their safe transit from Port Sudan to Jeddah. "When I saw them at Port Jeddah, we felt secure and knew that we will reach India alive. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat," he added. Meanwhile, a little girl named Aiysha evacuated from Sudan also shared her experience and thanked the Indian Government. "I feel relaxed. The situation in Sudan was 'boom, boom, boom.' I was scared, and so was my Mom and Dad. Thank You, Indian Government for supporting and helping us" she said. "#OperationKaveri moves further. 231 Indian reach home safely as another flight reaches New Delhi," tweeted Jaishankar. "I have been staying in Sudan for the last 15 years. This is the first time we faced such a dire situation. It was very scary, they launched a rocket at my house. We requested Indian Embassy to evacuate us. They helped us and we went to Port Sudan and Indian Navy carried us safely. Navy officers were very helpful. When we reached Jeddah, we got good air service. Indian Government supported us in the time of the need, we are very happy and thankful to the government," said Mohammed Iqbal Hussain, project engineer in a pharmaceutical company in Sudan. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Garud Commandos carried out a daring, overnight operation to air-lift stranded Indians despite the airstrip in Sudan's Wadi Seidna having no navigational approach, aids or fuel, and landing lights (that are required to guide an aircraft landing at night). On the night of April 27, 28, 2023, the IAF C-130J aircraft rescued 121 personnel from a small airstrip at Wadi Seidna, which is about 40 km North of Khartoum, Sudan, the IAF said in a statement. Hussain said that situation in Sudan is not going to normalize soon. "It will take very long and now Khartoum is finished, they are going back 20 years. They cannot reconstruct like that, bearing heavy losses," he added. "I am feeling very relaxed after coming back to India, was under trauma for the last 14 days and was very scared due to my little girl. Even our houses were not safe, were always in constant fear that bullets can hit us from anywhere, were doubting whether we will be able to meet our family. I would like to thank Government of India from the core of my heart because they supported us in such dire conditions," said another Indian evacuee. On Friday, Mos MEA V Muraleedharan informed that so far, 2,100 Indians have arrived in Jeddah, as part of 'Operation Kaveri'. Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence. Also Read: IndiGo's first Operation Kaveri flight leaves Jeddah with 231 Indians Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. Controversial British-US citizen Andrew Tate has once again made headlines for his offensive remarks on social media. The self-proclaimed misogynist recently posted a thread of tweets on Twitter, urging men to "avoid women who go to festivals". In the series of offensive tweets, Tate claimed that festival-going women were either "on some losers table who's feeding them cocaine" or in a crowd of "sweaty peasants" trying to prove their worthlessness through endless Instagram stories. Andrew Tate leave the Bucharest Tribunal, in Bucharest, Romania, Friday, April 21, 2023.(AP) Tate's thread continued with further misogyny, claiming that women who attend festivals are unworthy of dating men like him, saying, "Imagine being 24 and gorgeous and sweet and nice and finally getting a date with the Top G and he finds out you went to a festival when you were 19 and you get left on read and NEVER RECOVER. AND ARGUE WITH YOUR NEW MEN FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST NOT ME". In another tweet, he stated that women should listen to their men or question their purpose in a relationship altogether. Earlier in the day he had posted a sexist remark on his twitter feed which he thought was a joke. He wrote, If youre not gona listen to your man... what are you with him for? To argue? The controversial figure's social media outbursts have caused outrage in the past, leading to his ban from Twitter in 2017 after posting tweets that trivialised rape. Tate was among the accounts recently reinstated by Twitter CEO Elon Musk, much to the dismay of those who believe his views have no place on the platform. Tate's Twitter thread has sparked fresh controversy, with many calling for the social media giant to ban him once again but he has also garnered a huge following of people supporting his opinions. Tate is already facing far more serious allegations. He was arrested in Romania on 29 December, where he is currently under house arrest while authorities investigate allegations of sexual assault, exploitation, organised crime and human trafficking. Despite denying all allegations, Tate's reputation has taken yet another hit, with many questioning his place in society. The ongoing investigation into Andrew Tate's alleged crimes will no doubt add fuel to the fire of those calling for his ban from social media platforms. While freedom of speech is important, many argue that Tate's offensive comments and alleged actions cross a line, and his continued presence on social media only serves to spread hateful rhetoric. Only time will tell what the outcome of this investigation will be and whether Tate will be held accountable for his actions. The US called on China Saturday to stop its "provocative and unsafe conduct" in the disputed South China Sea, after a Chinese coast guard ship recently cut off a Philippine patrol vessel there, causing a near-collision. This photo taken on April 23, 2023 shows the Philippine coast guard vessel BRP Malapascua (R) manoeuvering as a Chinese coast guard ship cuts its path at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea. (AFP) State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, in a statement two days before President Joe Biden is to host Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House, called images of the incident a reminder of China's "harassment and intimidation" of Philippine vessels in the contested waterway. "We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct," he said, adding that any attack on Philippine armed forces would trigger a US response. The near-miss off the Spratly Islands on Sunday was the latest in a long string of incidents between China and the Philippines in the contested waterway. Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, ignoring an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis. AFP was one of several media outlets that witnessed the incident after journalists were invited to join two Philippine Coast Guard boats on a six-day patrol of the waters, visiting a dozen islands and reefs. The Philippine vessels approached Second Thomas Shoal, known in China as Ren'ai Jiao, in the Spratly archipelago. As one boat, the BRP Malapascua, which was carrying Filipino journalists, neared the shoal, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel more than twice its size sailed into its path. AFP journalists watched the incident from the other Philippine Coast Guard boat, which was less than a kilometer (0.6 miles) away. The Malapascua's commanding officer said the Chinese ship came within 45 meters (50 yards) of his boat and only his quick actions avoided the steel-hulled vessels crashing into each other. The Chinese foreign ministry said Friday that the Philippine boats had "intruded" without China's permission and called it a "premeditated and provocative action." But Manila hit back, saying that "routine patrols in our own waters can be neither premeditated or provocative" and insisting they will continue to conduct the patrols. The near-miss came just a day after Marcos hosted Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang for talks in Manila aimed at defusing tensions in the waterway. Marcos has insisted he will not let China trample on the Philippines' rights in the sea, and has gravitated toward the United States as he seeks to strengthen defense ties. This shift has alarmed China, which has accused Washington of trying to drive a wedge between Beijing and Manila. Marcos has said that with Biden he will discuss the "need to tone down the rhetoric" over the South China Sea, Taiwan and North Korea. The competition between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis is intensifying as the former president is scheduling a return trip to Iowa on the same day that the Florida governor was already going to be in the state that will kick off the Republican contest for the White House. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaking on April 21, 2023, in Oxon Hill, Md., left, and former President Donald Trump speaking on March 4, 2023, at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP) A Trump campaign official said Saturday that the former president plans to be in Iowa on May 13 to headline an organizing rally at a sprawling park in downtown Des Moines. That's when DeSantis was already slated to headline Iowa Rep. Randy Feenstra's annual summer fundraiser in northwest Iowa and speak at a party fundraiser later that evening in Cedar Rapids. The Trump campaign official, who requested anonymity to discuss the trip before it was announced, said the Des Moines organizing rally has been in the planning stage for weeks and is aimed at identifying caucus supporters and volunteers. The move is a sign of the escalating competition between the two men who, at least for now, are leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination. Trump and his allies have become increasingly emboldened in their efforts to attack and marginalize DeSantis, who is expected to announce his White House bid sometime after the Florida Legislature wraps up its work in the coming week. But Trump's trip is also notable for its emphasis on the type of ground-level organizing that is vital in Iowa politics and was often missing during his 2016 campaign, when Texas Sen. Ted Cruz overtook him and won the state's GOP caucuses. Trump has been almost singularly focused on swinging at DeSantis, whom he has attacked for policy positions on entitlement reform, his loyalty to conservative causes, even his character. While DeSantis has largely ignored Trumps jabs, a pro-DeSantis super political action committee, Never Back Down, began to respond in paid ads this month. Meanwhile, the super PAC promoting DeSantis is hiring Iowa staff to begin organizing support for the governor before he enters the race. The stakes for both men are particularly high in Iowa, where the caucuses in February offer opportunities for them to cement their status atop the GOP. A poor performance, however, would give an opening for other Republicans to mount an upstart campaign. Trump's 2016 Iowa campaign was a seat-of-the-pants operation disparately managed by campaign newcomers who, including the candidate, had little idea what the caucuses are. The roughly 1,700 precinct-level Republican political meetings, vestiges of prairie civic life, include a presidential preference question but require in-person participation on a typically frigid winter evening. Eight years ago, Trump's Iowa team had left contact information for roughly 10,000 Iowans interested in supporting him unprocessed before the caucuses, where Trump had led in lead-up polls, but fell short against Cruz's more organized campaign. Armed with not just refined 2016 caucus data but information collected during two national campaigns, Trump's advisers says they are building a data and digital engagement strategy they say would put him in position to win the caucuses. It's an expectation Iowa GOP strategists say is an absolute must for the former president, who carried Iowa comfortably in the 2016 and 2020 general elections. Meantime Never Back Down, run by DeSantis' 2022 Florida re-election campaign senior strategist, Phil Cox, has named Iowa Republican operatives to its roster as it seeks to tap into interested GOP activists as the Iowa 2024 campaign gets underway. Among them are Ryan Koopmans, the former chief of staff to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. The group has been airing TV advertisements in Iowa and other early-voting states, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, for weeks, and plans to launch a new one Monday. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's flattery paid off. Washington Declaration Yoon described as an "unprecedented" commitment by the U.S. was unveiled in the South Korea-U.S. summit meeting on Thursday. Amid growing concerns about national security, Yoon is seeking 'protection' from the United States, but will the recently announced Washington Declaration be able to provide a viable solution? Under the Declaration, a U.S. nuclear-armed submarine will be deployed to South Korea as part of Washington's efforts in enhancing the "regular visibility of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula." A Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) is also established as a "concrete and substantive" move to "operate the new extended deterrence system." Seoul wants reconciliation with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and thus the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. But boosting the U.S. nuclear umbrella, as affirmed in Washington Declaration, may only bring out counterproductive outcomes. Pyongyang's nuclear ambition stems from its security concerns. Feeling insecure, the DPRK resorted to increased missile tests. The more intense Seoul and Washington collaborate in defense, the more anxious Pyongyang will become and thus more reluctant it will make concessions on its weapon tests. As long as the national security threat it faces does not appear, the DPRK will not give up its nuclear ambitions. In these circumstances, a positive response to Pyongyang's security concerns is the right way forward. This requires dialogue and the gradual restoration of mutual trust. Nevertheless, Yoon, by inviting the U.S. military to Northeast Asia, is acting the opposite. The presence of a U.S. nuclear ballistic missile submarine in South Korea will be the first time since the 1980s. This, with no denial, will tremendously raise the anxiety level of the DPRK. While Pyongyang made it clear earlier that it is willing to keep negotiating with relevant parties for a peaceful solution, the NCG mechanism and sending Ohio-class nuclear submarines to the region will only destroy the foundation of mutual trust and ignite a new round of tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Security in Northeast Asia depends on a dialogue between the parties concerned. South Korea can only reap losses from this "unprecedented" commitment by the United States. While bringing U.S. nuclear power into the region will further exacerbate the security dilemma, thus creating new risks for South Korea-included regional countries, the Yoon government has traded the country's autonomy for Washington Declaration. In interactions with Washington, the South Korean government has no say in the decision-making process. This is perilous to the country's long-term interests. The unequal alliance between the U.S. and South Korea means the Yoon government is sacrificing its country's interests for Washington's. While Yoon is desperately courting the U.S. for "protection," the Biden administration has never hesitated in stabbing its allies in the back. As Yoon was earnestly attempting to manifest his loyalty to the U.S. at the cost of provoking China on the Taiwan question, Washington has asked Seoul "not to fill any market gap in China" if chipmaker Micron Technology is banned from selling chips in the Chinese market, according to the Financial Times. Yoon's toadyism toward the U.S. has already caused dissatisfaction among the South Korean public. Members of civic groups rallied against the South Korea-U.S. summit outside the presidential office in Seoul this week as Yoon just embarked on his Washington trip. But despite domestic opposition against his humiliating diplomacy, Yoon is happy to act as a U.S. puppet without realizing it. As a President, Yoon drew "shouts, applause, and fist pumps" from Biden with his surprise rendition of Don McLean's American Pie at the state dinner on Wednesday night, according to media reports. While Yoon was straining every nerve to please the White House after nuclear deterrence talks, South Koreans are left to see their country losing diplomatic autonomy. Yoon's optimism regarding the Washington Declaration as a panacea for the Korean Peninsula issue falls short in reality, prompting the need to search for a more effective solution. (Source: CGTN) On Thursday, the giant panda Ya Ya, who had been living in the US for 20 years, landed in China. Ya Ya's return was highly anticipated and joyful. However, CNN has published an article on Wednesday, entitled, "'Bring Ya Ya home': How a panda in the US turbocharged Chinese nationalist sentiment," using the panda's homecoming trip to create hype. CNN not only misinterpreted Chinese people's attention to Ya Ya as a symbol of Chinese nationalism, but also claimed that the Chinese media uses pandas to fan anti-US sentiment. CNN discusses Chinese people's concerns about giant pandas from the perspective of nationalism. This undoubtedly caters to the politically correct atmosphere in the US, which aims at distorting the image of China, and inciting the unhealthy mood and atmosphere towards China. Xu Liang, an associate professor at the School of International Relations, Beijing International Studies University, noted that CNN's perspective is full of self-abasement and arrogance. It is quite normal for Chinese people to care about the panda, as Ya Ya is like one of us. CNN's reaction is excessive. Putting oneself in another's shoes, would Americans not care about the well-being of American citizens overseas? Moreover, the panda is a national treasure of China. Since the two giant pandas were sent to the National Zoo in the US in 1972, to the return of Ya Ya to China, the giant panda has played a pivotal role as a symbol of friendly exchanges between China and the US. These cute giant pandas, being unique to China, carry a special mission. Lending giant pandas is not just a "diplomacy," nor is it just to bring more tourists to local zoos. The key is to carry the friendly and close cultural exchanges between China and other countries and regions. However, Western media, starting from their own perspective, repeatedly emphasizes the political symbolism of giant pandas in reporting on "panda diplomacy," and even turns it into a weapon to demonize China's image. Such reports are a misinterpretation of "panda diplomacy" and a destruction of friendly exchanges between the Chinese and American people. Xu pointed out that "panda diplomacy" has always been tasked with the mission of peace and friendship, and it itself is borderless and transcends time and space. Because peace and friendship are important connotations of a community with a shared future for mankind. "Panda diplomacy" is essentially to promote friendly exchanges between the Chinese and American people, endowing the national treasure with special diplomatic significance. "Western media's demonization of panda diplomacy is essentially a need to suppress China in recent years, and it is also a typical manifestation of psychological distortion," Xu said. Americans have shown a positive and keen interest in pandas. This can be reflected in many American panda fans' social media accounts. The systematic demonization of non-political Chinese cultural elements such as pandas by the US media is a manifestation of the return of Cold War thinking. This shows that such media have not played a good role in building bridges between two sides, but instead acted as political henchmen. Regardless of yesterday, today, or tomorrow, and no matter where we are in the world, it cannot be denied that pandas have always carried the mission of promoting peace and friendship. And this is precisely what the turbulent world today needs to inject stability and certainty. (Source: Global Times) A Fremont police officer arrested on suspicion of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated in a small Iowa town resigned from the Fremont Police Department on Monday, Nebraska officials confirmed Thursday. According to the Harrison County, Iowa, Sheriffs Office, Fremont police Officer Payton L. Boston, 31, was arrested at 4:40 a.m. April 2 in Missouri Valley, Iowa, on suspicion of OWI. Boston was booked into the Harrison County Jail and later released, sheriffs officials said. If convicted, Boston could face punishment from a judge in Iowa, including possible revocation of his drivers license for up to six months as well as potential fines or installation of an ignition "interlock" device if determined appropriate by the court. Boston was hired at the Fremont Police Department in February 2018 after a three-year career as a corrections officer for the State of Nebraska. He graduated from the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center in 2018. Bostons resignation is the third employee departure from the Fremont Police Department since March 1. Best public high schools in Nebraska Best public high schools in Nebraska #30. Valentine High School #29. Milford High School #28. Crofton High School #27. Gordon-Rushville High School #26. Platteview Senior High School #25. York High School #24. Wood River Rural High School #23. High School at Syracuse #22. Seward High School #21. North Bend Central Junior/Senior High School #20. Pender High School #19. West Holt High School #18. Elmwood-Murdock Junior/Senior High School #17. Chadron Senior High School #16. Bellevue West High School #15. Central High School #14. Diller-Odell Secondary School #13. Bennington Secondary School #12. Millard South High School #11. Lincoln High School #10. Papillion La Vista Senior High School #9. Papillion La Vista South High School #8. Lincoln Southeast High School #7. Westside High School #6. Southwest High School #5. Millard West High School #4. Elkhorn High School #3. Lincoln East High School #2. Elkhorn South High School #1. Millard North High School NRGs coal-fired power plant southwest of Houston may soon have to install new pollution controls or switch to natural gas if a proposed rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency takes effect. The EPA last week proposed a plan that would require certain Texas coal plants built in the late 1970s, including NRGs WA Parish plant in Fort Bend County, to install sulfur pollution controls such as scrubbers. The rule falls under the Clean Air Acts regional haze provision, which is meant to reduce visible haze in national parks and wilderness areas such as Big Bend National Park in Texas. Researchers say the pollutants that cause haze are also harmful to human health. Even if this rule is controlling sulfur pollution for the sake of pristine wilderness, said Daniel Cohan, professor of environmental engineering at Rice University, its really all of us, wherever we live, who are being affected by the sulfur and particle pollution that is resulting from these power plants. The EPA projects the rule would reduce sulfur dioxide emissions from Texas power plants by about half a cut of about 80,000 tons or more per year. RELATED: Coal-fired electricity generation to be slashed by 2026, report finds When sulfur from coal-fired plants is left unscrubbed, Cohan said, it enters the air and turn into sulfate particles, which combine with other chemical particles to make up what is known as particulate matter, the deadliest air pollutant. According to research from Cohan and others at Rice, unscrubbed sulfur from Texas coal plants is contributing to hundreds of deaths a year. Individual states are responsible for creating a plan to comply with the regional haze provision and submit them to the EPA for review. Over the objection of researchers like Cohan and environmental advocates, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved a plan in 2021 that did not include sulfur pollution controls for power plants, saying Texas had other controls in place. The EPA had 18 months to review that plan and either approve it or propose its own rule; it chose the latter and issued its proposal on April 19. A TCEQ spokesperson said the commission was still reviewing the EPA proposal and declined to say if the TCEQ would challenge it. A similar scenario played out in 2016, when the EPA stepped in to require more pollution controls, Cohan said, but before power plants would have been required to start installing scrubbers in the following years, the Trump administration wiped out the plan. The current proposal from the EPA calls out six power plants in Texas, four of which are already scheduled for retirement or to be switched to natural gas in the next five years, or already meet the proposed requirements. That leaves WA Parish and Martin Lake Electrical Station in Rusk County that would need to either install or upgrade scrubbers or convert the plants to natural gas. RELATED: Renewables beat out coal for electricity generation for first time in US Houston-based NRG Energy's WA Parish Plant has four coal-fired units able to generate 2,514 megawatts of power one megawatt can power about 200 Texas homes on a hot summer day, according to the state's grid operator. An NRG spokesperson said the company was still assessing what impacts the rule could have on the units without scrubbers, and plans to respond once the public comment period for the rule begins. We have concerns with modeling used by the EPA in developing the rule, a spokesperson said in an email, noting that the WA Parish units are more than 350 miles away from the nearest federal wilderness area, farther than any other unit in the EPA proposal. Luminant, a subsidiary of Irving-based Vistra Corp, owns the 2,250-megawatt Martin Lake coal plant, which generates enough power for about 450,000 Texas homes during times of peak electricity demand. A Vistra spokesperson said the company was reviewing the proposal and declined to provide additional comment. Once the EPA posts the rule on the federal register, a move that could come any day, the proposal will undergo a 60-day public comment period and could be finalized by the end of the year. If it does go into effect, plants would have three to five years to install the pollution controls. kyra.buckley@houstonchronicle.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate To glean inspiration for her small-batch, eponymous jacket line that launched this year, Austin-based Molly Dery looked to home. She says the far West Texas mountain sunrises and sunsets in El Paso, where Dery grew up, influenced the vibrant landscape hues of Molyan, her new collection of chain-stitched coats. Its a totally different time zone, Dery says, describing the unique juxtaposition of her hometowns desert skies with colorful houses in border city Juarez that informed the geometric patterns on the back of her modern-day chore coats. I wanted to take a playful, contemporary lens on architectural pieces, she says. Dery employs chain stitching, a technical component that can achieve richness in unexpected, unusual color combinations one might spot at dusk. Terra cotta plays against lilac; lime-green contrasts with cerulean. Its almost like an art piece on the back of your jacket, says Dery, a nurse anesthetist who launched Molyan as a creative outlet. Molyan is Derys legal name and the name of her grandmother and grandmothers grandmother. Locating a chain stitcher in Texas proved challenging, says Dery. The technique is more common in the western United States. Marrying electric machinery with the use of a hand crank, chain stitching is a skill Dery describes almost like a lost art. Ultimately, she found a female chain stitcher in Lockhart to finish the 100 percent duct canvas cotton jackets that are first hand-sewn by a woman in San Antonio. Adorned in thick threads sourced from India that are specific to chain stitching, the chore coat meets blazer can be worn with sneakers and cut-offs or, in the evening, with a silk slip dress, Dery says. Design details include a longer hemline in the back, bright stitching at the cuff and, on some styles, a neon stripe that bisects the colorful symmetry. When youre walking down the street you can kind of feel like its a superhero cape, she says. From the front, its subtle, in the back, its really promoting your individuality. On visits home to El Paso to see family, Dery hikes the Franklin Mountains and takes her young daughter to local institutions such as Ardivinos Desert Crossing, a place she says is a magical meeting of the New Mexico, Mexico and Texas borders. Its fascinating, she says about vista views drenched in color at sundown. El Paso is such a big part of who I am. $650 at molyan.com A collection of cushy, curvy pieces from Ligne Roset's Togo collection form an L-shaped sectional in one corner of BeDesign's expanded showroom on West Alabama. Christian Werners Prado couch resides nearby, finished in a crisp white fabric and complemented with bright yellow-gold back pillows. They're just a couple of the 100 or so pieces spread throughout a nearly 2,500-square-foot space newly dedicated to the French furniture manufacturer. A Sarpy County judge has denied Tammi Larsens petition to have her missing son, Ryan, declared legally dead. In her ruling on Thursday, Judge Tricia Freeman said the evidence Tammi Larsen presented, including testimony and media stories, was insufficient to make her case that Ryan was dead. The La Vista boy was 11 when he disappeared. Freeman also noted that Nebraska law requires that people be missing for five years before they can be declared legally dead, unless there sufficient evidence to conclude otherwise. Ryan Larsen went missing on May 17, 2021. He was last seen leaving La Vista West Elementary School. He had multiple conditions that affected his cognitive ability and ability to take care of himself. In February, Tammi Larsen noted to the court that her son had been diagnosed with generalized epilepsy, Tourette syndrome and ADHD and was on the autism spectrum. Tammi Larsen sought to have a petition for her son declared to be legally dead. A death certificate would have allowed the Larsen family to have closure, attorney Sean Conway said. He added they will continue to pursue legal action against Papillion La Vista Community Schools. "While we disagree with the decision of the Sarpy County court, it doesn't change our plan to hold the Papillion La Vista school district accountable for failing to watch out for Ryan Larsen when he was in their custody and control," Conway said. When reached Friday, Annette Eyman, spokeswoman for the Papillion La Vista Community Schools, offered no comment about the ruling. She said the district plans to continue to support the Larsen family and the district's students and staff. "This is a tragic situation," she said. "I can't imagine what the family is going through. We're going to continue to try to support them in any way we can." Getting away with murder: Nebraska cold cases Patricia Webb Tina McMenamin Ali Saleh Al-Saidi Gina Bos Ann Marie Kelley Carl Bittner K.K. Kody Christi Nichols Donald Bennett Ernestine Ruschy Eugene McGuire Jay Durnil Mary Heese Gregory Moore Irvin Settje Jason Remsen Jason Vesper Brian Walker Arthur Morley Jay Blockson Jeanne Kassebaum William, Bernice and Barbara Peak Jeffrey Snoddy Joy Blanchard Demetrius Simpson Julie Derrick Leah Rowlands Letha Harley Mary Cabral Mary Cronin Merlin Mosel Mitchell Simon Patrick Vostades Rebecca Williams Richard Chadek Richard Lessley Robert Beaudoin Robert Heelan Rudolfo Flores Russell McKnight Sandy Green Sarah Neal Tyrone Banister Waddell Robinson Charles Hanks The fifth person to die at the Harris County Jail this year was discovered unresponsive in a booking area bathroom in March, after the jail failed to check on him for 88 minutes, according to a report this month by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. The 41-year-old died by suicide. The commission found the jail was out of compliance for failing to check on the inmate. Texas law requires all jails be inspected after inmate deaths. Fabian Cortez died March 21, roughly four hours after he was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old. Texas jail standards require jail staff to make face-to-face contact with inmates every 60 minutes, meaning Cortez was unobserved for 28 minutes longer than is permissible under state law. MORE: Man, 23, dies after suffering 'medical emergency' at county jail, Sheriff's Office says After another inmate informed staff that Cortez had been in the bathroom for a long time, jail officials found him in a bathroom stall in the second-floor booking area with a drawstring from his jacket wrapped around his neck and lower extremities. Officers began performing CPR, according to the report. Cortez was pronounced dead after he was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center, according to the Texas Attorney Generals custodial death report. Cortez had not yet been booked in the sexual assault case. The Harris County Sheriffs Office did respond on Friday to a request for comment. Last year, 28 people died in Harris County Jail; 22 died in 2021. The Harris County Jail is currently under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation over the recent deaths of two men in custody. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez called on the agency to review the deaths. CHARGES FILED: Former Harris County jailer indicted in 2021 death of inmate Jaquaree Simmons Harris County Jail has previously been found out of compliance for failing to check inmates as required, falling below accepted staffing levels and leaving inmates in holding cells longer than is allowed under state law. On March 8, the jail was found to be out of compliance because those 60 minutes between checks were routinely exceeded by periods from one minute to one hour and 13 minutes. Observation records for areas in which inmates known to be assaultive, potentially suicidal, mentally ill or exhibiting bizarre behavior were exceeded by staff for up to two hours and nine minutes, according to the March 8 inspection. Jail staff are required to make face-to-face contact with those inmates every 30 minutes. On the day of the inspection, the commission found that jail was also understaffed. On the third floor, 13 workers were working the floor instead of the 14 required for the 659 inmates on the floor. On the fourth floor, 13 officers were present instead of 15 to supervise 684 inmates. The inspection also found that inmates did not receive medical services within 48 hours as required. Inmates are not allowed to be kept in holding cells for more than 48 hours. The commission found that inmates were held from 63 to 70 hours. The jail had previously been found to be non-compliant in Dec. 2022 for failing to provide medication to an inmate as directed by a physicians orders; the March 8 inspection found that was a continuing issue. A Houston gang member was sentenced to life in prison this week for fatally shooting a 21-year-old man in 2017 in Humble. Horace Harris, 24, was convicted of murdering Melton McGee on Oct. 23, 2017. Instead standing trial for capital murder, Harris pleaded guilty to murder, meaning he can't appeal the conviction or his life sentence. Harris County District Attorneys Office McGee was sitting inside his SUV at an apartment complex on Atascocita Road in Humble when Harris and two other armed men ambushed him with guns, according to a District Attorney's Office news release. Harris fingerprints and palm prints were later found on the window of McGees door, the release said. Investigators determined Harris was trying to push the window down or hold it down as it was being rolled up. McGee tried to drive away, but one of the men fired a pistol at him, hitting him in the back of the head and killing him. Harris, who is a documented member of the 59 Bounty Hunters, a street gang affiliated with the Bloods, admitted to helping rob McGee and taking items out of the SUV after McGee had been killed, the DA Office's release said. Following an investigation by the Harris County Sheriffs Office, Harris was arrested and charged with capital murder. Because he was convicted of murder, he must serve at least 30 years in prison before he is eligible for parole. This was a premeditated ambush that cost the life of a promising young man, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in the release. Far too often, these kinds of quick-hit armed robberies turn fatal. One man will never come home, and another is going to prison for life. A man has been sentenced to 50 years Wednesday by a Harris County jury after shooting a man in the head. MORE ON LOCAL: Harris County inmate who died by suicide remained unnoticed 88 minutes Dwaine Allen Davis, 32, is convicted of killing Edwin Lavon Alcorn, 28, on April 28, 2021 at a Fuel Depot located at 11575 Bissonnet in west Houston. This was a senseless murder that has absolutely devastated a grieving family, said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg. This man chose to use a gun to settle some minor spat, and now a young girl will grow up without a father and the gunman will spend decades in prison. Authorities said the two men knew each other and were hanging out that night. According to authorities, Davis was dropped off at the gas station by a witness. Davis was seen wearing a dark hoodie and a mask over his nose and mouth. As he started talking to a group of young men who were outside, Alcorn began to approach. After the two exchanged words, Alcorn turned to walk away. Davis shot him in the back of the head, and then shot Alcorn several more times after he fell down. Davis ran away from the scene. MORE ON LOCAL: Houston nurses sentenced to federal prison over Medicare scheme Houston police recovered surveillance footage showing Davis arrive at the store as well as the shooting. Authorities tracked down the vehicle Davis was in and found the witness that dropped him off. The witness provided enough information for Davis to be charged. During the trial, jurors learned it was a months-long investigation and authorities found incriminating evidence against Davis, including jail calls where he implicated himself in the murder. This was a cold-blooded killing that started out as a whodunit, and there was a very thorough investigation that ultimately led to Dwaine Davis, said Assistant District Attorney Dave Brucker. There were a lot of people affected by Edwin Alcorns death, including his young daughter and his parents and siblings. Davis must serve at least half of his sentence before he is eligible for parole. A man has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of his roommate in north Houston. MORE ON LOCAL: 5 found shot 'execution style' in home in San Jacinto County Douglas Jones, 37, is accused of stabbing Lathan Tero, 63, at an apartment complex Friday afternoon at 13875 Ella Blvd. Harris County Precinct 4 deputies found Tero dead from multiple stab wounds. MORE ON LOCAL: 1 injured, 4 arrested after shooting over stolen chickens According to authorities, Jones was living with Tero, and Jones allegedly stabbed him with a knife after the two got into a physical altercation. Jones was arrested at 11:10 p.m. Friday. He was already in jail for allegations of possession of a controlled substance, authorities said. The first two miscarriages were difficult enough for Ellen, a Houston woman in her 40s. The next two, late last year, were harder. In both instances, the excitement of hearing a faint heartbeat during an early checkup turned to dread two weeks later when the pulse had stopped. She turned to Planned Parenthood for access to the two-drug combination of mifepristone and misoprostol, which are commonly used for abortions, to empty her uterus. Now, as Ellen hopes for a fifth pregnancy, she worries that she and other patients will have to resort to more uncomfortable options for miscarriage management if antiabortion groups achieve their goal of pulling mifepristone off the market. I just feel like people dont understand womens health, said Ellen, a health care provider who asked only to be identified by her first name. They dont know the full range of possibilities that could be happening to somebody who might need that medication. TREATMENT DELAYS: Texas' abortion laws led to 3-day delay for Houston womans pregnancy loss treatment, doctor says The Supreme Court last week ordered that mifepristone remain available while litigation challenging the drugs approval plays out in a lower court. The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, a coalition of anti-abortion groups, filed the complaint last year in Texas, arguing the Food and Drug Administration used an improper process when it approved mifepristone in 2000 and did not adequately review its safety in minors. Many of the countrys largest medical associations say evidence overwhelmingly supports its safety, pointing to rigorous studies and more than two decades of use. Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone, allowing the lining of the uterus to break down, while misoprostol causes cervical softening and contractions. Although the two-drug combination has become the most common method of abortion in the U.S., it is also recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as a treatment for early pregnancy loss in the first trimester. Up to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in a miscarriage, most of which occur before 12 weeks. Studies show the two drugs more effectively empty the uterus when used together compared to a misoprostol-only regimen. Additionally, side effects like vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and cramping are more common when taking misoprostol alone, experts say. We have concerns with policymakers potentially taking away any medications that have been deemed helpful to care for patients, said Dr. Kimberly Pilkinton, president of the Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. That is probably, from my perspective, one of the scariest things. You have some of us that have been through over a decade of extra training to take care of people, and then to have policymakers try to take away access to things that we know are effective its kind of dumbfounding. A better option Even in Texas, where medication abortion is banned, a limited number of health care providers can prescribe mifepristone and misoprostol for miscarriage management. The FDA in 2011 imposed restrictions under the Mifepristone REMS Program, requiring that the drug only be dispensed by certified pharmacies or by or under the supervision of certified prescribers. Ellen did the research when her OBGYN offered her the more widely prescribed misoprostol-only regimen. A 2018 randomized controlled trial found 83 percent of patients who took both drugs had successfully expelled all the contents of their uterus, avoiding the need for follow-up care. That number dropped to 67 percent for patients who took a single dose of misoprostol. Up to 40 percent of misoprostol-only patients require a second dose, which prolongs the treatment period, or ultimately require the uterine evacuation procedure they wished to avoid, the study said. Doctors can use different surgical methods to empty the uterus. Some patients may only need gentle suction with a local anesthetic. Others might require a more invasive procedure in which doctors scrape away the contents of the uterus using a metal instrument. The thought of going through a surgical procedure after an unsuccessful round of medication frightened Ellen. She worried that emergency room doctors might think she tried to end the pregnancy on her own. Also, as an older patient who had already been through two miscarriages, she considered rare complications that could arise with multiple surgical procedures in her uterus. A build-up of scar tissue, for example, could lead to future miscarriages or infertility. I want to avoid that at all costs, she thought at the time. For some, expensive hospital stays and the possibility of needing more time off work might influence their decision to seek out mifepristone, said Pilkinton. HOUSTON DOCTORS: Meet the Houston OB-GYNs pushing back against Texas abortion laws Most patients can pass the pregnancy tissue on their own within two weeks of a miscarriage diagnosis, without the need for medication. But every persons experience is different. Some patients who opt to wait might need medication later to speed up the process. While the risks of complications are low for either drug regimen, Dr. Bhavik Kumar, medical director for primary and transgender care at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast in Houston, worries that side effects may cause more alarm in a hostile landscape for pregnant people scrambling to access care. In Texas, patients with nonviable pregnancies have encountered treatment delays at hospitals because of confusion surrounding the states strict abortion laws. In this shifting landscape, having more options available and accessible is more important than ever before, he said. The future of miscarriage treatment The misoprostol-only option will remain available in Texas for miscarriage management if mifepristone is banned. But some patients in Houston still encounter pharmacists who hesitate to dispense misoprostol to treat early pregnancy loss, adding stress to what already is an emotional process, according to two Houston OB-GYNs who were not authorized to speak publicly about abortion laws. One of the physicians said some patients have been forced to travel longer distances to pharmacies that are more familiar with exceptions to the state bans, which allow the use of misoprostol to treat a pregnancy that already has ended. It may take calling the pharmacist and having a conversation about this, and sometimes even escalating to managers to get the care for your patient, the doctor said. As physicians and providers, were absolutely willing to do that for patients. But the more patients that you need to do that for, the more time it takes. And the more time it takes from seeing other patients. Many doctors now clearly document the need for the medication incomplete miscarriage on the prescription. Pilkinton noted that an environment of hypersensitivity and fear creates delays even for hospitals to receive a supply of misoprostol. SUPREME COURT DECISION: Supreme Court lets abortion pill access stand as appeal moves forward Its an open question whether the scrutiny around mifepristone will affect the availability of misoprostol, which was originally approved to treat gastric ulcers and is used off-label for abortions and miscarriages. In its lawsuit, the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine asked a federal court to withdraw both medications for use as FDA-approved chemical abortion drugs. The group argued that the federal agency did not comply with a more than century-old law, now largely unenforced, that prohibited the mailing of obscene materials, including contraception and abortion pills. Alina Salganicoff, the director of womens health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told the Washington Post that its possible antiabortion pill litigation could center around restrictions on the mailing of abortion drugs of any kind. That, to me, is more worrisome than (losing) mifepristone, said Pilkinton, adding that misoprostol also is used to induce labor and treat postpartum hemorrhaging. Ellen just wants to feel like she has all the options in front of her. She remains hopeful she can have a baby, but she also asks herself what she might do if she loses another pregnancy without access to mifepristone. Would she accept the higher chances of experiencing side effects with misoprostol alone? Would she be willing to travel internationally to get mifepristone? Or would she wait weeks for the pregnancy tissue to pass on its own? She doesnt know. It would depend on what kind of hoops I would have to jump through, she said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) The House voted Friday to reinstate tariffs on solar panel imports from several Southeast Asian countries after President Joe Biden paused them in a bid to boost solar installations in the U.S., a key part of his climate agenda. The 221-202 vote sends the measure to the Senate, where lawmakers from both parties have expressed similar concerns about what many call unfair competition from China. Biden has vowed to veto the measure if it reaches his desk. The House vote would overturn Biden's action last year pausing threatened tariffs that had led to delays or cancellations of hundreds of solar projects across the United States. Twelve Democrats joined 209 Republicans to support the override measure. Eight Republicans and 194 Democrats opposed it. Some U.S. manufacturers contend that China has essentially moved operations to four Southeast Asian countries Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia to skirt strict anti-dumping rules that limit imports from China. A Commerce Department inquiry last year found likely trade violations involving Chinese products. Biden halted the tariffs for two years before the Commerce investigation was completed. The White House said Biden's action was necessary to satisfy the demand for reliable and clean energy while providing "certainty for jobs and investments in the solar supply chain and the solar installation market.'' Before Biden acted, the threat of tariffs from the Commerce Department inquiry had led to delays or cancellations of hundreds of solar projects in the U.S. as investors moved to protect themselves against potential penalties as high as $1 billion that could be imposed retroactively. The U.S. industry argues that imports of solar panels are needed as solar installations ramp up to meet increased demand for renewable energy. Solar power is a key part of Bidens goal to achieve 100% clean electricity by 2035. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, said Friday that restoring the tariffs would hold China accountable while protecting U.S. jobs and workers. Tariffs would protect American manufacturers who are facing unfair competition from China, which is subsidizing its panels and selling them at low prices, Smith said. "These trade abuses are well-known to all of us in this chamber,'' said Smith, chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. By shipping its products through Cambodia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, (Chinese officials) have set up a scheme that cheats American workers and consumers,'' Smith said. We know there's wrongdoing going on. We know China is cheating, and that's precisely why members of both parties were stunned and disappointed when the White House made the misguided decision'' to halt the tariffs for two years. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., said the House action would punish U.S. workers and the solar industry "and set us back on our climate goals.'' Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., said the two-year pause was not a perfect solution,'' but offered a short-term bridge" as the U.S. solar industry moves to produce more solar panels at home. The White House said Bidens action boosted an industry crucial to his climate change-fighting goals while not interfering with or shutting down the Commerce investigation. Biden does not intend to extend the tariff suspension when it expires in June 2024, the White House said. Gregory Wetstone, president and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy, said that if enacted, the House proposal and its retroactive tariffs "would have a devastating impact on U.S. solar deployment.'' Many new solar projects have already been delayed due to a global shortage of photovoltaic panels, Wetstone said. The House measure puts tens of thousands of good-paying jobs at risk and could seriously undermine the success of the landmark climate law enacted last year "even as scientists warnings about the impacts of global climate change are increasingly dire,'' he said. The renewable group and others in the industry say they are working to increase U.S. manufacturing of solar modules, cells and other components, but said the industry needs time to scale up. Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, said imposition of retroactive tariffs would result in thousands of American solar projects being delayed or canceled, "leading to bankruptcies, job loss and increased energy costs.'' The Coalition for a Prosperous America, a lobbying group that represents domestic manufacturers, along with farmers, ranchers and labor organizations, applauded the House vote. The facts are clear: Commerce confirmed that China is illegally violating U.S. trade law, and the Biden administrations misguided rule protects them,'' said Michael Stumo, the group's CEO. Congress should never sit idly by and fail to respond to attacks on American industries and workers by any administration regardless of party,'' Stumo said. The tariff suspension is a permanent giveaway to China,'' he said, "not a temporary bridge. A New Haven shoe store Saturday will celebrate the release of Converse's latest skateboard shoe, the AS-1 Pro, one of the few signature skate shoes designed by a woman athlete. Connecticut born, Brooklyn-based skater Alexis Sablone designed the AS-1 Pro with Converse, making her one of the few women skateboarders honored with a signature shoe. The Converse AS-1 Pro is a white-leather sneaker inspired by 80s and '90s skateboard and basketball culture, Sablone told Forbes in April. The sneaker also has green accents on the forefoot and a new feature called "grip control." Ben Curtis / Associated Press Its definitely every skaters dream to have this, Sablone told Forbes. I can count two or three women skaters who have gotten something like this. I didnt even know this was a possibilitythats why visibility is really important. The shoe was unveiled this week during a launch party at New York's Guggenheim Museum. Plush, 96 Orange Street, will celebrate the release on Saturday at 7 p.m. DJ Father Bop will perform at the event. Sablone is one of the world's top-ranked skateboarders. She represented Team USA in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and won three gold, two silver and two bronze medals in the women's street contest over the course of seven X Games. What skateboarding did is really bring me into this world where style was just fashion, it was everything. Skateboarding it all together in a way that really mattered to me for the first time in my life, Sablone said during a video posted to the Converse Instagram page. Sablone also said she hopes the shoes will inspire a new generation of skaters. Im proud to have this shoe and hopeful that this could mean something to someone younger who sees it and says wow, this is a possibility, Sablone told Forbes. The shoes will also be available online and in other select Converse retailers starting on May 2, retailing for $80. WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023 _____ WIND ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Amarillo TX 133 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023 ...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...North winds 30 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph. * WHERE...In Oklahoma, Cimarron County. In Texas, Armstrong, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Hartley, Moore, Oldham, Potter, Randall, and Sherman Counties. * WHEN...Until 7 PM CDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution. Secure outdoor objects. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a * Tornado Warning for... Central Hamilton County in central Texas... Northeastern Mills County in central Texas... Southeastern Comanche County in central Texas... * Until 215 PM CDT. * At 135 PM CDT, a tornado producing storm was located 12 miles south of Gustine, or 17 miles west of Hamilton, moving east at 30 mph. HAZARD...Damaging tornado. SOURCE...Radar confirmed tornado. IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely. * This tornadic storm will be near... Hamilton around 210 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Shive, Energy, Pottsville, Priddy, Gentrys Mill, Whiteway, Aleman, Pecan Wells, Fairy and Indian Gap. To repeat, a tornado is on the ground. TAKE COVER NOW! Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 29, 2023 _____ HIGH WIND WARNING URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 158 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023 ...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT /MIDNIGHT MDT/ SATURDAY... * WHAT...Northeast winds 35 to 45 mph with gusts up to 65 mph are expected. * WHERE...Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains in Texas. * WHEN...Until 1 AM CDT /midnight MDT/ tonight. * IMPACTS...Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows. Use caution if you must drive. ...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING... * WHAT...North winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph are * WHERE...Southeast New Mexico and most of southwest and western Texas. * WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/ this evening. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Blowing dust will lower visibility locally creating difficult travel conditions. Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects. ...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT SATURDAY... * WHAT...North winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph are expected. Locally stronger winds in the higher terrain. * WHERE...Terrell, Central Brewster and Lower Brewster Counties, Chinati and Davis Mountains, and Marfa Plateau and Chisos Basin. * WHEN...From 4 PM this afternoon to 1 AM CDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a * Tornado Warning for... Southern Hamilton County in central Texas... Northwestern Coryell County in central Texas... * Until 245 PM CDT. * At 159 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 10 miles southwest of Hamilton, moving east at 25 mph. HAZARD...Tornado and hail up to two inches in diameter. SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely. * This dangerous storm will be near... Evant around 220 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Purmela, Shive, South Purmela, Whiteway, Aleman and Ireland. TAKE COVER NOW! Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. ...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 215 PM CDT FOR WEST CENTRAL HAMILTON COUNTY... At 200 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 9 miles northwest of Evant, or 11 miles southwest of Hamilton, moving southeast at 25 mph. HAZARD...Tornado and two inch hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely. This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of west central Hamilton County, including the following locations... Aleman and Shive. TAKE COVER NOW! If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter now! Get to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and avoid windows. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather Another group of people pleaded not guilty in federal court earlier this week to accusations of taking part in a massive drug trafficking scheme that spread meth throughout towns and Indian reservations in eastern Montana. From January 2022 through March 2023, according to a statement released Friday by the U.S. Attorneys Office, more than a dozen people conspired to distribute meth in an area spanning Yellowstone, Big Horn and Rosebud counties and into the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations. Money for their network, according to court documents, was drawn in part through wire transfers to and from several states in the U.S. and Mexico. Earlier this month, the Gazette previously reported, local and federal agents made a sweep of arrests across Southeastern Montana. Eleven people were arrested in connection to a 13-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court. The majority of those named in the indictment have since made their initial appearances in court. Most recently, Roderick Plentyhawk, Ranita Roselle Redfield, Carly Joy James, and Frederica Lefthand, pleaded not guilty on April 26, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Along with meth trafficking charges, Plentyhawk, a 39-year-old man from Billings, is also facing counts of illegally possessing firearms. He has been in custody since March, after he allegedly led police on a chase in Billings from a home near North Park that ended downtown. Lefthand, a 52-year-old Lodge Grass woman, is accused of conspiring to launder money in order to fund the meth trafficking ring. Daniel Jiminez-Chavez and Darlon Richard Lefthand, from Lodge Grass and Hardin, respectively, made their initial appearances in court April 26. Both have been charged with conspiracy to possess meth and possessing meth with intent to distribute, court records said. Of the 16 people named in the indictment, 14 have now appeared in court. The two who have yet to enter pleas are Virgilio Arciga-Galva and Juan Ignacio Ortega Almontes, according to court documents. Adrienne Dawn LaForge and Jacklyn Marcel Garcia-Littlebird, both from Lame Deer, also entered not guilty pleas April 26 to counts of meth trafficking. The two have been charged in an accompanying indictment, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI contributed to the investigations that spurred the indictments. In December 2022, officials from the U.S. Attorneys Office and Montana law enforcement agencies touted the dismantling of a massive drug trafficking ring in Butte. Of the 22 convictions that followed the investigation into meth and illicit fentanyl entering Butte via Mexico, Lee Newspapers reported, 15 of those people were from Butte while three were linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. The U.S. Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Administration has named the cartel as one of the most prolific in fueling drug networks in the United States, particularly in regards to illicit fentanyl. In Billings last month, drug task force agents seized thousands of fentanyl pills, along with meth and firearms during searches of short-term rental properties in town. Four people have since been charged in federal court with trafficking drug while staying at the properties. One of the four, Billings man Scott Francis Richardson, pleaded not guilty April 27 to counts of conspiracy to possess and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Subscribers to Register-Star or The Daily Mail are eligible to receive full access to HudsonValley360. If you have an existing print subscription, please make sure your email address on file matches your HudsonValley360 account email. Governor, Climate Chief Announce Creation of Youth Climate Council BOSTON Governor Maura T. Healey and Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer announced the creation of a Youth Climate Council. The council will advise the Governor and the Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience on climate policy and actions to make communities more resilient. Interested high school students in Massachusetts can now apply to be part of the council which will meet regularly with Chief Hoffer. "I am so inspired by the young people who have been leading the charge to advocate for bold, innovative action on climate. We are creating the Youth Climate Council to center their voices, perspectives and ideas in our climate policy and make sure they have a seat at the decision-making table," said Governor Healey. "I'm grateful for Chief Hoffer's leadership and for her commitment to bringing people together to drive the change that we need to create a stronger, healthier and more equitable future for all." Applications are now open for high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors and can be accessed here . The deadline to apply is May 19, 2023. "As Mayor of Salem, I was always impressed with the important work that our Youth Commission did and saw firsthand how their bright ideas translated into positive results for our communities," said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. "I'm excited about the work that Chief Hoffer is doing to bring more young people into state government, and I know this Council will have a significant impact in our efforts to combat the climate crisis." Environmental Defense Fund President Speaking at Williams Commencement Sarah J. Bloomfield WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp will be the principal speaker at Williams College's 234th commencement exercise on Sunday, June 4. The day before, U.S. Holocaust Museum Director Sara Bloomfield will deliver the college's baccalaureate lecture. Krupp and Bloomfield will both receive honorary doctor of laws (LLD) degrees during the commencement ceremony. Fred Krupp is the president of the Environmental Defense Fund, a global nonprofit environmental advocacy group based in New York City. In this role for more than three decades, Krupp is a leading voice on climate change, energy, and sustainability. Under his leadership, EDF has become one of the world's most influential environmental organizations with staff in more than two dozen countries. He successfully advocated for dramatic reductions in the pollution that causes acid rain, focused international attention on the problem of methane emissions from the oil-and-gas industry, elevated the challenges of hydrogen fuel and led EDF's corporate partnerships with FedEx, KKR, McDonald's, Walmart and others. Krupp was named one of America's Best Leaders by U.S. News and World Report and is a recipient of the 2015 William K. Reilly Environmental Leadership Award, among others. He is co-author with Miriam Horn of the New York Times best-seller "Earth: The Sequel The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming." A graduate of Yale University and the University of Michigan Law School, Krupp has taught environmental law at both schools, and received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from Haverford College. He is currently a trustee at Yale. He has served on boards for numerous environmental organizations and on councils advising Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He is also an avid rower and won a gold medal in the 2006 World Rowing Masters Regatta. Sara J. Bloomfield has led the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum for 24 years, working to build a global institution that raises Holocaust awareness, deepens understanding of the lessons of the Holocaust, confronts denial, and advances genocide prevention. She serves on the International Auschwitz Council and is a recipient of the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland and five honorary doctorates. She joined the planning staff of the museum in 1986 when it was still a project in development and served in a variety of roles before becoming director in 1999. Originally from Cleveland, Bloomfield holds a bachelor of arts degree in English literature from Northwestern University, a master's degree in education from John Carroll University, and has studied business administration at the graduate level. Ms. Bloomfield is the 2021 recipient of the Roger E. Joseph Prize, awarded annually for exceptional work in the field of human rights and Jewish survival. iciHaiti - Cruise tourism : Royal Caribbean monitors violence in Haiti "The Miami office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recently seen an increase in the number of American citizens who have been kidnapped while visiting Haiti," said Supervisory Special Agent Liz Santamaria. The FBI office in Miami reports a "marked increase in the number of kidnappings reported to the agency, 300% for the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year." Although the FBI's warning is recent, remember that the US State Department had maintained for the 3rd consecutive year Haiti in maximum alert level 4 : "Do not travel to Haiti" https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38977-haiti-flash-the-usa-maintains-haiti-in-maximum-level-4-alert-do-not-travel-to-haiti.html Following the FBI's warning, "Caribbean International" is strengthening its monitoring of the situation with regard to cruise stops in Labadie, its private port in Haiti, a peninsula far from the violence of Port-au-Prince. "Our security teams continue to monitor the situation in the area and are working closely with authorities to ensure the safety and comfort of our guests and crew, who remain our top priority," a spokesperson for "Royal Caribbean" "We will communicate directly with our customers and let them know if any changes become necessary." IH/ iciHaiti Billings School District 2 contains seven single-member zones that elect elementary/high school trustees who each serve a term of 3 years. Terms of trustees are staggered, and this year only single-member zones 1, 2, and 6 are holding elections. Voters who live in single member zones 3, 4, 5, and 7 will not receive school election ballots this year. Single member zone 4 will hold its next regular trustee election in 2024. Single member zones 3, 5, and 7 will hold their next regular trustee election in 2025. To find out which single member zone in which they live, voters can reference the attached map. In addition to the seven single-member elementary/high school trustees elected by zone, the SD2 high schools receive students from seven additional elementary feeder school districts. Those elementary districts, including Blue Creek, Canyon Creek, Elder Grove, Morin, Elysian, Independent, and Yellowstone Academy, elect two at-large SD2 high school trustees positions, one of which is holding an election this year. The other feeder school high school trustee position will be up for election in 2024. On May 2, Yellowstone County Elections expects to post preliminary results after 8 p.m. on its website at: yellowstonecountymt.gov/elections/results/rindex.asp. All results are unofficial until canvassed. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas recently posted a 3.0% percent increase in personal remittances from Filipinos abroad, reaching $5.93 billion in February 2023 compared with the $5.76 billion recorded in the same month last year. This follows the new record high of $3.49 billion in December 2022, an increase of 5.7% from $3.3 billion in the same month in 2021. This pattern of continued growth in remittances is further proof of the invaluable contribution that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) have on the Philippine economy, according to PERA HUB. Based on 2021 data from the World Bank, personal remittances account for 9.3% of the country's gross domestic product or GDP. The shift in digital plays a big part in our decision to provide OFWs with more options to remit safely and efficiently, said Ian Ocampo, President and CEO of PERA HUB, the retail brand of PETNET. This thrust has also allowed us to prioritize financial inclusion that accommodates the growth in remittances, as well as strengthen our digital network and continue to provide not only remittance but also other relevant financial services in our counters and channels. With 25 years of experience serving Filipinos, PERA HUB has established itself as one of the leaders in the brick and mortar setup with over 180 company-owned branches and more than 3,000 sub-agent locations across the Philippineseach one functioning as a one-stop location for every transaction needs, including remittances. The next logical step according to PERA HUB, is to provide its services digitally. Through the Digital Remittance Platform (DRP), its award-winning innovation, PERA HUB is granting businesses and digital communities access to its global remittance network, retail and over-the-counter partners, major Philippine banks, wallets, and fintech partners. This will empower more financial service providers to extend the secure, efficient and quality services of PERA HUB to more OFWs. Pera Hub partners with RCBC to enable digital remittance transfers to its mobile app, Diskartech To date, PERA HUB has partnered with UnionBank and RCBC and has integrated their remittance API in the UnionBank and Diskartech mobile apps, allowing their customers to receive their remittances in-app. Among its partner remittance service providers are Western Union, Remitly, Instant Cash, Intel Express, Japan Remit, and Sendah Remitwith more on the way. We want to provide financial services to the Filipino, and we've been doing that for 25 years through our counters and network. This time we want to evolve and expand beyond that community that we have today and go to the digital space and enable it for them, said Bryan Makasiar, Senior Assistant Vice President for digital business at PERA HUB. To learn more about the Digital Remittance Platform, visit the website drp.perhub.com.ph and like PERA HUB on Facebook for updates. 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 }} A petition to keep Brixton Academy in operation has gained more than 25,000 signatures. The south London venue, which has been a popular concert location since 1983, has been closed since two people died in a crowd crush in December. Concert-goer Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and security worker Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died outside the scheduled gig of Afrobeats star, Asake. A third person also incurred critical injuries. Since the tragic event, the venue licence has been under police review. In January, it was announced that Brixton Academy would remain closed for at least three months. On 17 April, the Metropolitan Police said it had lost confidence in Academy Music Group, the venues operator, and recommended that Lambeth Council permanently revoke the licence. In response, a petition was started by live music supporter Stuart OBrien to stand up for Brixton Academys survival. I personally have been to hundreds of gigs in my lifetime, many of them here and I have never once felt like safety was an issue! OBrien writes in the description. He adds that the venues closure would also have a devastating effect on the local economy. As of noon on Saturday (29 April), at least 28,400 people have added their names to the campaign. Brixton Academy (Getty) On Twitter, music fans have shared the petition, along with the hashtag #SaveBrixtonAcademy. Brixton Academy is a vital part of the London Music scene, reads one message. It's an act of extreme cultural vandalism to suggest that the venue should close, rather than solving an issue faced by all other music venues. Others have called the venue the heart of Brixton and have noted this as a potential loss to footfall and business in the area. Feels so heavy-handed, and nightlife bearing the brunt again, writes Guy Hornsby, a DJ. A great venue with so much history. Prior to the Met Polices recent recommendation, Lambeth Council held a meeting to discuss the venues licence and called for AMG to provide an amended application. The next council meeting is due to be held on 15 May, where the potential future of Brixton Academy will be under discussion. 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 }} As China tries to slow its demographic decline, policymakers are contemplating giving IVF access to single women and providing them with child subsidies that were previously only available to married couples. In February, officials in the southwestern province of Sichuan lifted a restriction that prevented unmarried women from registering the birth of a child. The Chinese government is now considering rolling out the change across the country in an effort to address the problem of record-low birth rates. Political advisers proposed in March that single and unmarried women should have access to egg-freezing and IVF treatment, among other services. But so far, the government has not commented on the recommendations publicly. Becoming a single parent is not for everyone, but Im happy with the decision, said a 33-year-old single woman identified as Chen. Equally, getting married or not is for each individual to decide. We have liberalised the policies here, and I know a lot of single women are doing IVF, she said. Earlier this year, it was reported that Chinas population had fallen for the first time in more than 60 years. This is expected to herald the start of a long period of decline, despite major efforts from the government to try to encourage more births. If China changes their policy to allow single women to have children, this can result in an increase of IVF demand, Yve Lyppens, director of business development for Asia Pacific at Invo Bioscience was quoted as saying. Invo Bioscience is awaiting regulatory approval to launch its IVF technology in China after signing a distribution agreement with the Guangzhou-based Onesky Holdings last year. However, if there is a sudden increase, China will have an even larger capacity issue. Joy Yang, a 22-year-old international finance major from Hunan province, said she first heard of IVF on television and she wants it to be made available nationwide, in case she does not find a partner but her financial situation allows her to have a child. There are some women who dont want to get married but they still want to have children. I might choose to do IVF, she said. Meanwhile, Indias population is set to increase by nearly 3 million more than Chinas over the next few months, according to demographic data from the UN Population Funds State of World Population report for 2023. It is estimated that the population of India will stand at 1.4286 billion by the middle of the year, while Chinas is predicted to stand at 1.4257 billion. 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 }} After Chinese defence minister, Li Shangfu said that the situation along the border is generally stable, India responded by saying that the ties with China were abnormal. Mr Lis comment tried to downplay New Delhis deep concerns about violations of border agreements. On Friday, Indias external affairs minister S Jaishankar said that Indias ties with China are abnormal due to the violation of border management agreements by Beijing. India wants to ensure that its relations with all countries advance without seeking exclusivity. Whether it is the US, Europe, Russia, or Japan, we are trying to ensure that all these ties advance without seeking exclusivity. Mr Jaishankar said in Santo Domingo on his first official visit. He added: China falls in a somewhat different category because of the boundary dispute and the currently abnormal nature of our ties. That is an outcome of a violation of agreements regarding border management by them. India has seen a dramatic expansion in connectivity, contacts, and cooperation across the region. Pakistan, however, remains an exception to this in view of cross-border terrorism. Last week, Mr Li and Indias Rajnath Singh, the defence ministers of the two countries, met for the first time on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), since a standoff in the northern Himalayas erupted three years ago. General Li urged India to take a long-term view of the situation and de-link border issues with bilateral relations. He said: The two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalised management. Meanwhile, the Indian defence ministry statement said that Mr Singh reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation. There are thousands of stories in a pair of shoes, from their origins to their ultimate decay. For students at Lame Deer High School, shoes have also become artistic muses. The assignment: Deconstruct and rebuild a shoe using new materials and forms. Not just any shoe, but Nikes iconic Air Force 1. Twenty-two pairs of blank new sneakers were donated to the high school through a partnership with Nike, Portland-based fashion designer Palani Bear Ghost, and Nikes N7 Fund, which provides grants to support positive experiences in sport and physical activity for Native youth. I wanted to empower the students while working with them, inspiring them to tap into their imaginations and freedom of expression, said Bear Ghost, an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation whose grandmother was Northern Cheyenne. She is including student designs on fabric as part of an upcoming release through her fashion brand, No End Of Designs. The fashion textiles, finished shoes, block prints, clay designs and other artwork created by students from Lame Deer will be on display as part of Closer Together, a group show opening May 7, at Refuge Gallery in Basin, between Helena and Butte. A music video created by Lame Deer students and Silkroad Ensemble musician Kojiro Umezaki, also titled Closer Together, will make its world premiere at the opening. Susan Wolfe, art educator at Lame Deer Public Schools, said Closer Together has been a collaborative effort and has inspired the students to work together, something shes not seen in the past. It has drawn everyone toward one another, Wolfe said. When they were engaging with one another, it was often behavioral issues, but now they are helping each other. Skylar Moore, a senior at Lame Deer High School, is creating his shoe design from Frooties candy wrappers. It was around Halloween when we came up with the idea, said Moore, who has been working with Natista Clubfoot, a junior. I couldnt really think of anything to do, so I chose candy wrappers. Moore bends over his shoe like a surgeon as he utilizes tools including a precision knife and seam ripper to disassemble and reassemble the shoe. I like it because I got to work on it with my friend, and he was a lot of help, Moore said. Clubfoot chose a traffic cone for his shoe design. I wanted mine to be unique from everyone elses, he said. A traffic cone was the most random object I could think of at the time. Wolfe has been teaching art at Lame Deer High School for 13 years, and she quickly realized how important shoes are to the students, so she developed a brand design course to incorporate into the curriculum. Students mold shoes from clay, use their own footwear in drawing class and construct artful shoe boxes to contain their designs. Shoes have always been a focus of mine because it was a way to relate to the kids, she said. Its such a status symbol. Wolfe said her teaching methods are heavily influenced by the students. I want real situations. We cant afford to waste a minute of their time. If I can find that moment and that skill that they are interested in, I have to run with everything I have to get them there. If they are interested in mixing, they get involved in sound design. If they are interested in shoe design, I have to go straight to the top, and Nike is it. A COLLABORATIVE SOUND The musical portion of Closer Together began with a grant awarded by Silkroad Seeds to Kojiro Umezaki, a member of the Silkroad Ensemble founded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma to create cultural connections through music. Umezaki, a composer who plays a Japanese flute called a shakuhachi, has been working with students in Lame Deer since 2012. Though the COVID-19 pandemic stalled the project, Umezaki and the students began this year to finalize the music track inspired by Korean pop music, aka K-pop. The mastered recording will be released at the gallery show in tandem with a music video directed and filmed by students. I find K-pop to be a very interesting phenomenon, Umezaki said. It has this embrace from all corners of the world. Shandiin Kaline, a senior at Lame Deer High, said she loves K-pop and has been listening to it for several years. It just hits differently, she described. She and fellow students wrote their own song, created bit by bit each time Umezaki visited. The melody originated with a series of Japanese and Chinese characters that students were learning how to paint. Each character represents a phonetic sound, and students chose their placement as Umezaki played the tones until they found a melody that would become the core of Closer Together. The finished track is a culturally rich composition with global musical influences that combines the Northern Cheyenne language and lyrics by the students. The mission of the Silkroad for me is to try to challenge the kinds of boundaries that get created around you, Umezaki said. I think about how boundaries get created and how we can punch holes though those barriers. When it came time to record and mix the final track and film a music video, the students met Umezaki in Los Angeles, with additional funding provided by the University of California, Irvine, where Umezaki teaches. Being there in person is so valuable, Umezaki said. There is nothing that replaces the physical experience of being somewhere and meeting people. Its different to walk into the studio and have an instructor well-versed in the medium and go through the moves physically, feeling physiologically what it takes to engage in this music. In California, students visited a recording studio and took part in the process. They also participated in the creation of a music video that incorporated K-pop dance moves and traditional Northern Cheyenne dance. I realized that not a lot of people know about Native American culture, Kaline said. All they see is what is on TV. When people meet me and I tell them Im Native, some people think we went extinct. It was pretty cool to teach them about Native culture and show them our traditional regalia. Wearing a dress adorned with metal cones that make a bell-like sound when the dancer moves, Kaline shared a dance of the Northern Cheyenne people for the recording and video. The jingle dress is known as the medicine dress, Kaline explained. Its healing, the sound. When there is a whole group of jingle dress dancers dancing together, its like a rainstorm. The sound is very soothing, and it goes really well with music not just powwow but contemporary music in general. Throughout the song, electric guitar creates a wild and invigorating sound, but theres also tragedy in the undertones. One of the students playing guitar on the recording, Kash Spang, died on Dec. 10, 2020. We wanted to include a piece of his guitar playing and engaged his peers and asked their thoughts, Wolfe said. They wanted to include it. For Umezaki, Closer Together captured the essence of many years working with students in Lame Deer and navigating such tragedies. I felt compelled to bring some of that recording into this, he said. We are trying to be better with each other. But there are still some things we need to work through. For Cheyenne Hiwalker, a junior who helped direct the music video, the experience informed her art and helped her heal from another tragedy. She comes from a family of artists and was influenced by her older brother, Jayshawn Medicine Top, who was a talented drawer and made dream catchers. His death in September has been hard for Hiwalker, but she found a way to honor her brother in her art. Art really did help me, she said. When I thought about him, he really brought me a lot of joy, and we used to sit in this field, and I thought of flowers, and it inspired me to put that into the piece. You dont always know what is happening in their lives, Wolfe said. My goal here is to keep a safe space for them to just do their work. Its their piece, however they want to express themselves. I want them to be comfortable. TO THE MOON AND BACK The song Closer Together makes its world debut on May 7, and then its headed to the moon. In collaboration with Montana State Universitys computer science program, the track is one of several recordings hitching a ride to space on the upcoming NASA mission inside MSUs RadPC. No larger than a Rubiks Cube, RadPC is one of 12 radiation-tolerant computer technologies being sent to the moon for testing on the lunar surface as part of NASAs Artemis program. Now we are not talking local/global, but celestial, Umezaki said. That the Northern Cheyenne language is represented, and that the names of the students who recorded that track and the translation in Northern Cheyenne its a beautiful thing. It reinforces the aspiration that all voices have value and should have value across humanity. Wolfe submitted the song after hearing about a call for recordings to accompany the device into space. Its about relationships, she said. This is how we gain trust and get close to the kids, the theme of being closer together repeating itself over and over. This is what it takes to get that deep connection going. Such relationships are instilling confidence in students, one project at a time. I had to put myself out there, Kaline said. A lot of kids here are very antisocial, so we are scared to put ourselves out there, but when its with a group of friends or a group of people, it makes it less scary. Kaline attributes her emerging artistic skills to having confidence in herself and her work. Had it not been for Miss Wolfe, I would probably not be who I am today, she said. When she took us on all these art trips, my confidence began to grow because I got more experiences around people and more experiences around the art world. My time here that involved art will really stick with me. It changed my life. Closer Together is on display at Refuge Gallery, 101 Basin St., from May 7 through June 24. For more information, visit montanaartistrefuge.com. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Police in Vietnams Ho Chi Minh City have arrested 65 people for allegedly smuggling 50kg of drugs, some hidden in toothpaste tubes, into the country. The arrests this week come after four Vietnam Airlines cabin crew were arrested last month with toothpaste tubes in carry-on bags after a flight from Paris to Ho Chi Minh City. Police said that this weeks arrests come after they uncovered another six shipments of narcotics being smuggled into Vietnam via the same route, reported BBC. Local media reports said that the suspects are being investigated for various charges, including buying, selling, transporting and storing narcotics. The suspects allegedly were directed by the same smuggling ring that hired the flight attendants. Authorities said that around half of the 327 toothpaste tubes that flight attendants were transporting last month contained drugs. According to investigators, the attendants were not aware of the contents of the tubes. They are currently out on bail. Investigators released them last month as there was not enough basis to accuse them of drug trafficking, local reports said. Authorities believe that the same drug syndicate often uses Vietnamese nationals studying and living in France to bring drugs into the country. After their arrival at Vietnams airports, the drugs are transported by domestic delivery services to an accomplice in Dong Nai province bordering Saigon. They are then taken to multiple localities for distribution. Despite having some of the strictest drug laws in the world, Vietnam is a major drug-trafficking hub. Conviction for possession or smuggling more than 600g of heroin or more than 2.5kg of methamphetamine in Vietnam may include the death penalty. Production or sale of illegal narcotics above certain quantities is also punishable by death in the country Capital Ho Chi Minh City remains a transit point for smugglers due to its proximity to Cambodia. 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 }} Charles Leclerc will start todays sprint race at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from pole position. A day after he raced to the top spot in qualifying for Sundays main event, Leclerc was fastest again to put his Ferrari at the front for the 17-lap dash in Baku on Saturday evening. Leclerc broke his front wing after thudding into the wall during his final run but the Monegasques first effort in Q3 was fast enough for him to take the spoils. He qualified 0.147 seconds ahead of Sergio Perez with Max Verstappen third. George Russell qualified fourth, two places ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the other Mercedes. Carlos Sainz, who was held up behind team-mate Leclerc following his accident, finished fifth. Lando Norris made it through to Q3 but under the rules he was unable to take part because he did not have a set of new soft tyres available an error by his McLaren team. He will start in 10th place. I tried to push again and I lost it in Turn 5, but it doesnt have any consequence on qualifying, said Leclerc following his accident. But I was very happy with the first lap and now we have to convert that into the race. We will go for it. We need to be realistic and we have been on the back foot in the race behind the Red Bulls so far this year, but hopefully we will have a good surprise. Charles Leclerc grabbed pole for the Saturday sprint race (Getty Images) Ferrari needs to be on top and I will give absolutely everything to win. Formula One bosses have changed the format in Baku by introducing two qualifying sessions. Fridays result decided the order for Sundays Grand Prix, with Saturdays second shorter qualifying session determining the grid for the first of six sprint events this season which takes place at 17:30 local time today (14:30 BST). Earlier, Q1 ended prematurely after Logan Sargeant put his Williams in the wall. The rookie American lost control of his machine at Turn 15 before slamming into the barrier. Sargeant sustained significant damage to the right rear of his Williams in the accident, with his mechanics now facing a race against time to fix his car for the sprint race. Sargeant pointed the finger of blame at Sainz. The Ferrari was in the middle of the road, he yelled over the radio. Alex Albon impressed to qualify seventh for Williams, one place ahead of Aston Martins Fernando Alonso. Points are rewarded for the top eight in the sprint, with the outcome of todays race having no bearing on tomorrows Grand Prix. 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 }} The 2023 Met Gala is fast approaching and perhaps no one is more ready for the annual fashion event than Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. This year, the biggest night in fashion will once again take place on the first Monday in May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The theme of the 2023 Met Gala, titled Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, will honour the legacy of the legendary German designer and Wintours longtime friend. Since 1995, Anna Wintour has carefully presided over the Met Gala and its exclusive guest list. With her signature black sunglasses and perfectly coiffed bob, the British journalist has been a mainstay at the Met Gala, and in the fashion world, for decades. It comes as no surprise that the Vogue editor-in-chief is one of the most prominent figures in fashion, considering she comes from a journalism background and has been working in fashion since she was 15 years old. Her father was a famous newspaper editor Anna Wintour was born on 3 November 1949 to British journalist Charles Wintour and American Eleanor Trego Baker, whose father was a Harvard Law School professor. Her father, Charles, worked as editor-in-chief of the London Evening Standard. One of her four siblings, Patrick, is also a journalist and the diplomatic editor of The Guardian. Wintour studied at the North London Collegiate School, where she rebelled against the schools dress code by taking up the hemlines of her skirts. In the 2009 documentary The September Issue, Wintour said that growing up in London in the 1960s framed her view on fashion and made her fall in love with it at a young age. She got her start in fashion at 15 years old When she was 15, her father helped her land her first job in fashion at the London boutique, Biba the same year that she began to wear her hair in whats now her iconic bob with bangs, according to biographer Jerry Oppenheimer. She left school to begin a teenage training program at Harrods, before becoming an editorial assistant at Harpers Bazaar UK and Harpers & Queen. In 1975, she relocated to New York City where she worked as junior fashion editor at Harpers Bazaar. Wintours big break at Vogue came in 1983 when she landed the role as creative director of the American magazine. In 1985, Wintour replaced Beatrix Miller as editor-in-chief of British Vogue, but leapt back to New York City in 1988 to take over as Vogue editor-in-chief. Her annual clothing budget is reportedly as high as $200,000 The fashion icon is rumoured to be given an exuberant clothing allowance of $200,000 (about 120,000) from Vogues publisher, Conde Nast. The shocking figure was revealed in New York Times T Magazine by an undisclosed source. In addition to her annual allowance, the British editor is reportedly gifted many high-fashion clothes and pieces from designers. Despite having a rumoured clothing budget, Wintours net worth is estimated to be $50m, and her yearly salary is reportedly between $2m and $4m. She has two children In 1984, Wintour married child psychiatrist David Shaffer. The former couple were together for 15 years before they divorced in 1999. Together, they have two children. Her son, Charlie Shaffer, is a doctor and assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Weill Cornell. Her daughter, Bee Carrozzini (nee Shaffer), worked as a producer at Late Night With Seth Meyers from 2014 to 2017. She wears her dark Chanel sunglasses so no one can tell if shes bored While Wintour is known for her signature sunglasses, the dark shades actually serve a purpose. In a 2009 interview with 60 Minutes, the Vogue editor revealed that she often dons her large sunglasses because they allow her to keep her reactions to fashion shows private. Well, theyre seriously useful. I mean, I can sit in a show, and if Im bored out of my mind, nobody will notice. And if Im enjoying it, nobody will notice, Wintour said. So, I think at this point theyve become, you know, really armour. The 2023 Met Gala will take place on Monday 1 May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The theme of this years Met Gala, titled Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, will examine the life of the late designer. The dress code for the annual fundraising event, which raises money for the museums Costume Institute, requires guests to wear clothing in honour of Karl namely looks inspired by his work as creative director at Chanel or Fendi. The Costume Institutes accompanying exhibition will bring around 150 creations from the iconic German designer together to explore [his] stylistic language. Along with Vogues editor-in-chief, there will be four co-chairs of the event: Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, Penelope Cruz, and Roger Federer. Fans can tune in to the Met Gala 2023 red carpet livestream on Monday 1 May at 6.30pm ET on the Vogue website or its social media platforms. 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 }} I used to love watching Succession it was a form of pure escapism. Helicopters. Private jets. Extreme wealth. It felt like another world to me. The family at its centre are the Roys, a dysfunctional media dynasty worth billions of dollars and made up of Machiavellian schemers all clambering over one another to become top dog. I would watch from my living room sofa, as if looking into a different world. Its certainly not something I imagined I could ever relate to. Then everything changed. My day-to-day life turned into a super low-grade version of a Succession episode and now, its proving almost too much to watch. Im the youngest of five step-siblings, and the only child from my mum and dads marriage the love child. My mum died over 20 years ago and Ive always looked after my dad, who is now approaching 91. All of us have discussed moving him out of his big family home and into a ground-floor flat for practical reasons, which would entail selling his home. When my dad decided he actually didnt want to move after all, everything kicked off. My older siblings started to fear that, as Im my dads lasting power of attorney, I could sell my dads house from under his nose if he lost mental capacity. This is despite my holding this position for seven years with no complaints. Our relationship has become fractured as a result, driven by ugly conversations and late-night, cloak-and-dagger meetings. Its just like Succession, only taking place not in a luxurious Upper East Side pad but the rather less fantastical Upper Richmond Road in west London. I feel hurt and alone, estranged from my siblings and in a lot of pain. At one point in recent months I ended up hyperventilating into a paper bag in a minor injuries unit while waiting for an ECG. It wasnt a heart attack; it was stress. Thats why watching Succession has become so triggering for me. I feel overcome with a profound sadness. Im not just bawling my eyes out over the recent, momentous death of family patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox), but as I watch his children squabble and betray one another. Its the little moments: a passive-aggressive face-off between youngest daughter Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Logans estranged wife Marcia (Hiam Abbass), or eldest son Connor (Alan Ruck) claiming his siblings are needy love sponges. I see myself and my siblings in scenes like these the sheer toll of being caught in a familial war zone. The truth is that the amount of cash involved is irrelevant. No matter how much money a family has to their name, once the notion of inheritance comes into play, otherwise loving people can go totally bananas. Im not alone. The more I talked about what was happening to me especially when Id arrive at the school gates all teary-eyed from another bombshell episode in my own life the more horror stories I heard. A solicitor told me that squabbles about wills are so normal, as if theyre as routine as making a cup of tea. Even the vicar at my kids local church school gave me a knowing wink his family had experienced appalling behaviour with regards to a will. So what is it about death that brings out the worst in people? Of course, sometimes it is about the money, says Alison Regan, a partner in the trust and estate litigation team at Russell-Cooke solicitors. But much of the time its also about deep disappointment or hurt about being left out of a will or fear that someone else would take control of money and squirrel it away for themselves. She says that people get frightened and nervous over money and that communication is the key. The main disputes, she says, occur either pre-death (so attorneys and deputies dealing with the finances of someone who has lost capacity), or post-death (meaning challenges to wills and claims for financial provision from an estate). But its never straightforward. My brother destroyed my mother. It tore the family apart. It was pure greed English law allows certain people to make a claim regardless of what a will says, she says. Rightly or wrongly, people sometimes have an expectation of inheritance and are blindsided when they are left out [of the will] for what may well be entirely logical reasons. She adds that disinherited children may feel angry, but often because of feelings of rejection, which tend to explode during mediations. Regan strongly encourages people to, if they can, have those difficult conversations in advance of a death. Sometimes even the most functioning of relationships can break down after someone dies, though. When my father died in 2020, it really brought out some strange behaviour in his girlfriend, recalls Henrietta*, a writer from London. [She] convinced herself that I was in possession of his will and was hiding it from her. She says she was made to feel like she was being greedy and grabby when she was truthfully doing nothing untoward. In fact, the Covid lockdown meant she wasnt even able to get hold of her dads will from the company that was holding it. When I eventually did get sight of the will, it turned out I was the sole beneficiary which only enraged her further. That was the end of our relationship. She couldnt stand me after that. It wasnt a lot of money, but there was no conspiracy as she imagined. I was his only child and he just left what little he had to me. She sighs. It was a shame this drove us apart. For her it was all about recognition, not money. I would have liked to have stayed close to her. Money doesnt destroy families its greed, says Leila*, an architect who lives in west London. When her wealthy father died in Lebanon in 2015, he left his money to her mother. But behind the scenes, her elder brother, who was running the family property business with the blessing of their mother who trusted him, was stealing money and putting properties in his name. When the rest of the family discovered what he was up to, he tried to put his own mother in jail [for] stealing our dads money, Leila says. Then he went after the finances of Leilas husband in the UK, while her mothers assets were all frozen. Sarah Snook, Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin in Succession (HBO) Leila says she and her family experienced a living hell for six years until 2021. With thousands of pounds already spent on lawyer fees to defend themselves, they decided to settle out of court. We got peanuts, but we just needed it to stop, she says. [My brother] destroyed my mother. She couldnt take it anymore. [Today], instead of enjoying life with her grandchildren, shes devastated. It tore the family apart. It was pure greed. When it comes to families and money, nothing surprises me anymore. But as I wait to watch the next episode of Succession, theres a part of me that is relieved its the shows final season. I just hope I can call time on my own family saga soon, too. *Names have been changed Succession airs Sundays on HBO in the US and on Mondays on Sky Atlantic and Now in the UK 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 }} Millions watching the coronation around the world are to be asked to cry out and swear allegiance to the King, with the public given an active role in the ancient ceremony for the first time in history. Charless coronation has been modernised to include the first ever Homage of the People. Lambeth Palace said it was hoped the significant change to the historic service will result in a great cry around the nation and around the world of support for the King from those watching on television, online or gathered in the open air at big screens. It replaces the traditional Homage of Peers in which a long line of hereditary peers knelt and made a pledge to the monarch in person. The liturgy words and actions of the coronation service have been revealed, having been decided upon in close consultation with the King, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the government. The Stone of Destiny is seen during a welcome ceremony ahead of the coronation of Britain's King Charles III (AFP or Licensors) The new Homage of the People was introduced to allow a chorus of millions of voices to be enabled for the first time in history to participate in this solemn and joyful moment, Lambeth Palace said. The Archbishop will call upon all persons of goodwill in The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of the other Realms and the Territories to make their homage, in heart and voice, to their undoubted King, defender of all. The order of service will read: All who so desire, in the Abbey, and elsewhere, say together: All: I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God. It will be followed by the playing of a fanfare. The King and Queen Consort (AP) The Archbishop of Canterbury will then proclaim God Save The King, with all asked to respond: God Save King Charles. Long Live King Charles. May The King live for ever. A spokesman for Lambeth Palace, the Archbishops office, said: The Homage of the People is particularly exciting because thats brand new. Thats something that we can share in because of technological advances, so not just the people in the Abbey, but people who are online, on television, who are listening, and who are gathered in parks, at big screens and churches. Our hope is at that point, when the Archbishop invites people to join in, that people wherever they are, if theyre watching at home on their own, watching the telly, will say it out loud this sense of a great cry around the nation and around the world of support for the King. The words printed in the service are for everyone to share in, the spokesperson said. Before the Homage of the People, the Archbishop of Canterbury will pay homage representing the Church of England, followed by the Prince of Wales performing what is the only Homage of Royal Blood. Just like his grandfather Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh did for his wife Elizabeth II at her coronation, William will kneel before the monarch, place his hands between his fathers and vow to be his liege man of life and limb. He will say: I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God. The symbolic act means the heir to throne, as liege man to the King, has a mutual obligation to the monarch. In the past, other dukes of royal blood would pay homage, but this time, with only William taking part from the royal family, it removes the need for the controversial Dukes of Sussex and York to undertake this role. The removal of the homages of hereditary peers also has the benefit of helping to reduce the length of the service, which is now two hours instead of around three as it was at the late Queens coronation. William has another duty during the service. He will enter the coronation theatre earlier in the ceremony in the investiture segment and help clothe the King in the robe royal, also known as the mantle, ahead of the crowning. William will join Baroness Merron, former Board of Deputies of British Jews chief executive, and help bishops to lift the robe of righteousness on to his father. The robe represents what the King, as sovereign, has been given by God. Close Hugh Grant arrives at High Court ahead of Prince Harrys privacy trial against NGN 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 }} With less than one week until the coronation of King Charles III, millions of people around the world have been invited to participate in the ceremony next Saturday 6 May. Members of the public watching the coronation have been asked to cry out and swear allegiance to the new King, marking the first time they have been given an active role in the ancient ceremony. During the ceremony, the Archbishop will ask all persons of goodwill in The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of the other Realms and the Territories to make their homage, in heart and voice, to their undoubted King, defender of all. As preparations for the coronation continue in full swing, a full list of people taking part in ceremonial roles during the ceremony has also been released. Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussexs father Thomas Markle has given an interview in which he declared he would not be buried by her, and claimed they had not spoken in four years. Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check 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 Health Check email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A new Covid strain behind a surge of infections in India has sparked fears it could also lead to a rise in cases in the UK. Research indicates Arcturus could be one 1.2 times more infectious than the last major sub-variant. Also known as Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, the strain was first identified in January and has been monitored by the World Health Organisation (WHO) since 22 March, which upgraded it to a variant of interest in mid-April. Addressing Arcturuss emergence at a press conference on 29 March, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHOs technical lead for Covid, said: Its been in circulation for a few months. We havent seen a change in severity in individuals or in populations, but thats why we have these systems in place. It has one additional mutation in the spike protein, which, in lab studies, shows increased infectivity as well as potential increased pathogenicity. The sub-variant, one of 600 spawned from Omicron so far but seemingly no more lethal than others, has been detected in 34 countries so far, including Britain and US. In India, the countrys health ministry reported 63,380 active Covid cases on 25 April, part of a steady six-week rise that has prompted compulsory face masks to be introduced in some states, hospitals to carry out mock drills and vaccine production to be ramped up. India was devastated by the Delta wave in 2021 and suffered a total of 4.7m excess deaths, according to WHO estimates. Dr Vipin Vashishtha, a paediatrician and former head of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Immunisation, told The Hindustan Times that Arcturuss symptoms include a high fever, a cough and itchy conjunctivitis or pinkeye. Five deaths and around 135 cases have been detected in the UK so far, according to the UK Health Security Agency, but Professor Paul Hunter of the University of East Anglia has told The Daily Mail it is too soon to say that Britain could face a fresh surge in infections driven by Arcturus. Commuters wear face masks amidst the spike in Covid cases in Chennai, India (EPA) Although in India it has taken off in the past few weeks so far it has not been increasing rapidly globally, Professor Hunter said. I suspect we will see a wave of infections with this variant but I doubt it will cause a big wave probably not even as great as the one we have just had in the UK and so probably not put as great a pressure on health services than recently. The professor was alluding to the Kraken strain of Covid, also known as XBB.1.5, which was the dominant form of the disease in Britain until February. Scientists at the University of Tokyo comparing the Kraken and Arcturus sub-variants have suggested that the newer strain spreads about 1.17 to 1.27 times more efficiently than its relative, warning that it will spread worldwide in the near future aided by the fact that it seems robustly resistant to antibodies lingering in the body from previous Covid infections. In the US, Arcturus is now responsible for 9.6 per cent of American Covid cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO. Virologist Professor Lawrence Young from the University of Warwick told The Independent that the rise of the new variant in India is a sign that were not yet out of the woods. We have to keep an eye on it, he said. When a new variant arises you have to find out if its more infectious, more disease-causing, is it more pathogenic? And whats going to happen in terms of immune protection. These kinds of things highlight the importance of genomic surveillance but a lot of countries including our own have let our guards down a bit and we cant be sure what variants are around and what level of infection theyre causing until we see a significant outbreak. Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check 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 Health Check email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Face masks should be worn again on public transport, experts say, as the Arcturus Covid variant continues to spread. Five people have died from the strain, according to the UK Health Security Agency, while 135 sequences have been detected in the UK so far, and there are believed to be around 104 cases as some people have been sequenced twice. Professor Stephen Griffin, chair of Independent Sage, said that people should go back to testing regularly and wearing face masks to protect from the virus. He told MailOnline: This may seem like a throwback to last year, but the reality is the virus continues to do harm and those least able to cope continue to suffer. In the absence of population-scale mitigations... the focus remains upon individual risk which is, for many, now much lower. If [the] government wont act to enable everyone to live with Covid, vulnerable people will continue to require precautions and, ideally, others will act with an appropriate level of altruism. The new strain, known as XBB.1.16, was first identified in January and emerged from two previous potent strains of Omicron , BA.1 and BA.2. Research indicates Arcturus could be 20 per cent more infectious than the last major sub-variant. Vaccine production was ramped up in India and compulsory face masks have been introduced in some states (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Arcturus has been monitored by the World Health Organisation (WHO) since 22 March, which upgraded it to a variant of interest in mid-April. In the UK, the virus is currently most prevalent in London, the North West and South East, with the median age for cases being 74.54. Dr Vipin Vashishtha, a paediatrician and former head of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Immunisation, told The Hindustan Times that Arcturuss symptoms include a high fever, a cough and itchy conjunctivitis or pinkeye. Vaccine production was ramped up in India and compulsory face masks have been introduced in some states, with hospitals carrying out mock drills after the virus ripped through the country. It is also now on the rise in Australia. In the US, Arcturus is now responsible for 9.6 per cent of American Covid cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO. Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist from the University of Warwick told The Independent that the rise of the new variant in India is a sign that were not yet out of the woods. We have to keep an eye on it, he said. When a new variant arises you have to find out if its more infectious, more disease-causing, is it more pathogenic? And whats going to happen in terms of immune protection. These kinds of things highlight the importance of genomic surveillance but a lot of countries including our own have let our guards down a bit and we cant be sure what variants are around and what level of infection theyre causing until we see a significant outbreak. 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 }} Government guidance on teaching relationships, sex and health education should be changed to be more inclusive for pupils exploring their gender identity, a school leaders union has said. The current Department for Education (DfE) guidance is presenting barriers for schools who want to talk about gender identity with their students, an assistant headteacher suggested. Andrew Moffat, the personal development lead at Excelsior Multi-Academy Trust and assistant head at Green Meadow Primary School in Birmingham, said trans pupils should be treated with respect. Speaking at the annual conference of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) in Telford on Saturday, he said: Let kids be the people they are without shame, judgment or fear. A motion, which called for the union to campaign for the DfE guidance to be reworded to create a more inclusive approach, particularly for pupils exploring their gender identity, was passed by delegates. We should be calling on teachers to treat trans students with respect Andrew Moffat The current DfE guidance for schools, published in September 2020, says: We are aware that topics involving gender and biological sex can be complex and sensitive matters to navigate. You should not reinforce harmful stereotypes, for instance by suggesting that children might be a different gender based on their personality and interests or the clothes they prefer to wear. Ahead of the debate, Mr Moffat told PA news agency that anti-trans groups have been using the DfE guidance to put pressure on schools not to teach about gender identity. He said he has heard from schools where parents have asked to withdraw their children from lessons on the topic after reading the Governments guidance on relationships, sex and health education. During the debate on Saturday, Mr Moffat said it presents barriers to our inclusive work in schools. The DfE guidance adds: While teachers should not suggest to a child that their non-compliance with gender stereotypes means that either their personality or their body is wrong and in need of changing, teachers should always seek to treat individual students with sympathy and support. Mr Moffat said: Is that really how we should be treating our trans pupils with pity and sympathy? We should be calling on teachers to treat trans students with respect. Putting in place a carefully thought out and sequenced LGBT+ curriculum that is age-appropriate and is taught with sensitivity by teachers is of vital importance Clare Rees, an NAHT delegate from London Delegates at the conference also passed a motion which called on the unions executive to lobby and campaign for the teaching of LGBT+ content to be mandatory in the primary and secondary curriculum. Dave Woods, proposer of the motion, said: This will support leaders up and down the country to deliver what is right, to resist localised opposition from small campaign groups and those that seek to sow divisions in our society. The motion said many primary schools are not teaching LGBT+ content due to mixed guidance. Mr Woods added: This discrimination against LGBT people and curriculum is wrong. It is wrong for pupils, it is wrong for their families, it is wrong for the way in which we should be supporting an inclusive society. Clare Rees, a delegate from Greater London, said: We know that young children are exposed to all kinds of information, including social media, at a very young age. So putting in place a carefully thought out and sequenced LGBT+ curriculum that is age-appropriate and is taught with sensitivity by teachers is of vital importance. A DfE spokesperson said: Following reports of inappropriate materials being used to teach relationships and sex education, the Education Secretary has already brought forward an urgent review of the curriculum, which will be informed by an independent panel. Separately, we are working on guidance to support schools in relation to children who are questioning their gender. This guidance will clarify schools legal position and the importance of involving parents when making any decisions relating to their child. 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 inclusion of non-Christian peers and community leaders in the Kings coronation service is aimed at recognising Britains modern society, which has been transformed since the late Queens crowning. Charles has for many years sought to highlight and celebrate the diversity within the UK that has steadily developed during his lifetime. When Queen Elizabeth was hailed monarch during her 1953 coronation, Britain was in the grip of post-war austerity, and would soon see thousands of citizens from the Empire travel to the UK to replenish the workforce, from the NHS to public transport. People from Asia, Africa and the the Caribbean brought their own cultures and religions that have changed the nation. In his first Christmas broadcast as monarch, Charles recognised the work of other faiths during the cost-of-living crisis, saying: Our churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and gurdwaras, have once again united in feeding the hungry, providing love and support throughout the year. For the first time representatives from the nations faith communities will play an active role in the coronation of a monarch. And they will be visible from the initial moments, taking part in a series of processions into Westminster Abbey that will culminate with the entrance of the King and Queen Consort. Among the group will be faith leaders and representatives from the Jewish, Sunni and Shia Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Bahai and Zoroastrian communities. When the regalia is presented to the King, Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish peers will take part, handing over items which do not have Christian meaning or symbolism. Lord Kamall, a British-born Muslim, will present the Armill to the King, and Baroness Gillian Merron, who served as the Board of Deputies of British Jews chief executive for more than six years, will present the robe royal to the monarch. At the end of the coronation, the King will receive a greeting in unison from leaders and representatives from Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Buddhist communities. They will tell the newly crowned King: Your Majesty, as neighbours in faith, we acknowledge the value of public service. We unite with people of all faiths and beliefs in thanksgiving, and in service with you for the common good. Charles will acknowledges the greeting. The group consists of the head of the nations Buddhists, the Most Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala Thera, head monk of the London Buddhist Vihara and Chief Sangha Nayaka of Great Britain. Another is Lord Singh of Wimbledon, a prominent member of the Sikh community, sitting as a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, who has been a frequent contributor to the Thought for the Day segment on BBC Radio 4s Today programme. Radha Mohan das is a Hindu representative based at the Bhaktivedanta Manor Temple, a mock-Tudor Hertfordshire mansion in 78 acres, donated by former Beatle George Harrison whose spiritual journey led him to spend time in India with other Beatles. Muslim Aliya Azam is an Interfaith co-ordinator at the Al-Khoei Foundation which organises a number of events encouraging people of different religions to interact, the most prominent is the Big Iftar which brings people of all faiths and none together during the Islamic month of Ramadan. The final member is Sir Ephraim Mirvis, only the 11th Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth since the office was introduced in 1704. He was installed in September 2013 during a ceremony attended by Charles when he was Prince of Wales, the first time a member of the royal family was present. The King caused controversy in 1994 when he spoke of his desire to become Defender of Faith rather than Defender of the Faith as monarch raising the prospect of a major change in the ancient relationship between the Church of England and the monarchy. Charles later said in 2015 that he believed it was possible to be Defender of the Faith as well as being a protector of faiths, and he was proclaimed Defender of the Faith at his Accession Council in September and will be again during the coronation. In a reception for faith leaders after the Queens death, he described himself as a committed Anglican Christian, saying he would take an oath at his coronation relating to the settlement of the Church of England. But he said he believed the sovereign has a less formally recognised additional duty to protect the diversity of our country, including by protecting the space for faith itself and its practise through the religions, cultures, traditions and beliefs to which our hearts and minds direct us as individuals. North Dakota has become the latest state to ban abortion in most cases again. Gov. Doug Burgum on Monday signed a ban that has narrow exceptions: Abortion is legal in pregnancies caused by rape or incest, but only in the first six weeks of pregnancy. Abortion is allowed later in pregnancy only in specific medical emergencies. The law is intended to replace a previous ban that is not being enforced while a state court weighs its constitutionality. Ten months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and a nationwide right to abortion, actions by lawmakers and in courts and the interplay between them continue to create confusion. Here is a look at what is known and not known about where abortion policy stands in North Dakota and where it falls in the national landscape. What laws are in play in ND? The state adopted a trigger law in 2007 to ban abortion in the event that Roe was overturned. But soon after last years Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health decision did just that, a judge said the blanket abortion ban could not be enforced while courts decided if it complies with the state constitution. In March, the state Supreme Court kept enforcement on hold. That left in place a ban on abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy. But in the sparsely populated state, the impact of any policy change is muted. Until Dobbs, the state had only one abortion clinic. After the ruling, the clinic moved from Fargo to nearby Moorhead, Minnesota. The state averaged about 75 abortions a month in the first half of 2022. But since the only clinic left the state, the state Department of Health says there have been no reportable abortions. Whats next? While the latest bans sponsor and lawyers critical of it say the law is now in effect, the state attorney general was not immediately available to comment on how and when the state would enforce the new law. The director of Red River Womens Clinic, which sued over the previous ban, said lawyers at the Center for Reproductive Rights are assessing the new one and considering whether to challenge it in court, too. The clinic director, Tammi Kromenaker, said in a message to The Associated Press that the new law leads patients to wonder if they are doing something criminal by accessing health care. No patient should be faced with that feeling. Center for Reproductive Rights Director Elisabeth Smith in a statement suggested there could be grounds to challenge the new law. North Dakota lawmakers are attempting to bypass the state constitution and court system with this total ban, Smith said. They are simply trying to repackage a ban that the North Dakota Supreme Court recently said likely violates North Dakotans fundamental rights under the state constitution. How does it compare to other states? Thirteen other states have in place bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy. They are Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Four other states have bans throughout pregnancy where enforcement is blocked by courts. The majority of these bans were adopted in anticipation of Roe being overturned, and most do not have exceptions for rape or incest. Exceptions have been a major point of contention in Indiana and West Virginia laws. They are now being considered in Louisiana and have been added to a new, more restrictive ban in Florida. The idea of trying again after a court blocks enforcement isnt unique to North Dakota. The Republicans who control South Carolinas legislature are at odds about what kind of ban to put in place after the states top court blocked one in January. What action have other legislatures taken? Since Dobbs was adopted, some of the biggest state-level abortion debates have not been about whether to allow abortion, but rather on related policies. In Wyoming, abortion pills were specifically banned in March. This month, Idaho lawmakers made it illegal for an adult to help a minor obtain an abortion without parental consent. The Democratic governor in Kansas has vetoed measures to fund anti-abortion centers and require clinics to tell patients that medication abortion can be reversed with a regimen rejected by major U.S. medical groups. Some Democrat-controlled states, including Colorado, Minnesota and Oregon, are moving in the opposite direction: adopting or considering measures intended to protect people who travel from states where abortion are illegal to obtain one and the doctors and others who help. Do the policy changes create confusion? Theres some evidence that they do. A new report by groups that advocate for access to abortion used researchers posing as patients to ask Oklahoma hospitals about emergency obstetric care policies. The groups Physicians for Human Rights, Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice and the Center for Reproductive Rights said that none of nearly three-dozen hospitals they contacted could outline a clear, consistent policy about the decision-making process for abortions necessary to save the life of the woman. 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 }} Diners at a sushi house in Abbey Road were forced to flee after a gang threatened staff with knives and set fire to the restaurant. Monak, a popular pan-Asian and sushi restaurant in St Johns Wood, was stormed by armed men at around 10.30pm on Friday night. Witnesses told MyLondon the group was wearing masks and balaclavas and used "gasoline" to start a fire as diners fled. Footage circulating on social media shows the restaurant in flames and smoke billowing out of its windows. Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation and said the fire was extinguished with no reports of injuries. In a statement on Instagram, Monak apologised to its customers who had to witness this traumatic event. We wanted to take a moment to address our customers who were present during the fire, it said. We are sorry that you had to witness this traumatic event, but we are grateful for your safety and cooperation during the evacuation. We are determined to rebuild our restaurant and continue to provide the food and experience that we know you love. Thank you for continuing to support us during this difficult time, and we look forward to welcoming you back soon. The statement added: Thanks for our staff and security members who were present during the fire. Your professionalism and determination during this difficult situation were remarkable. We know that this has been a tough time for everyone, but your dedication to our business and community is truly appreciated. We look forward to working with you to rebuild our restaurant and continue to provide memorable experiences for our customers. A spokesman for Met Police said there have been no arrests. The force said: Police were called at around 10.30pm on Friday to reports that a number of males had entered a restaurant in Abbey Road, NW8, threatening staff with knives and starting a fire. The males made off prior to the arrival of police. The fire was extinguished and there were no reported injuries. An investigation is under way to identify and arrest those responsible, led by dedicated detectives from Central West CID. This will include analysis of all available CCTV among other lines of inquiry. There has been no arrest at this stage. 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 are searching for a woman in connection with a sexual assault of a man at Londons Euston Station. A man was travelling on the escalator when a woman tried to link arms with him at around 9pm on Friday 14 April. When he pulled his arm away, she sexually assaulted him. British Transport Police officers would like to speak to the woman in these images in connection with a sexual asuualt at Euston Station (British Transport Police) The woman, who was travelling with a friend, then left the escalator and boarded a tube. British Transport Police officers would like to speak to the woman in these images, as they believe she has information which may assist the investigation. Anyone with information can contact BTP by calling 0800 40 50 40 or texting 61016 with reference 450 of 15 April. Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. 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 Royal College of Nursing has granted exemptions to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) during the bank holiday nursing strike, in an apparent U-turn on its decision to refuse derogations. The world-renowned childrens hospital had expressed serious concerns about patient safety as union members prepare to walk out in a long-running pay dispute with the Government. The RCN, which is holding a strike from 8pm on Sunday until 11.59pm on Monday evening, previously said it will not agree to derogations broad areas of care where unions agree to provide staffing during industrial action. But union leader Pat Cullen said mitigations were granted on Friday following a request from GOSH, saying nurses working at the hospital would never ever leave child patients at risk. There is nothing more important than the safety of our patients and so we have no choice but to declare a business continuity incident Mat Shaw, chief executive of GOSH Ms Cullen said any suggestion that mitigations were not being put in place were factually incorrect. She told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: All of the exemptions that Great Ormond Street requested of the Royal College of Nursing were granted earlier yesterday. The protocol surrounding exemptions requires the RCN to pass its approval on to NHS England, which is then responsible for notifying the individual organisation, Ms Cullen said. She added that any derogations being sought by other organisations would be given very careful consideration to ensure critical areas of care can continue. Mat Shaw, the hospitals chief executive, had said: We respect the right of our staff to take part in lawful industrial action, but after exhausting all options, at the moment we have serious concerns over how we will safely staff our hospital during the strike. There is nothing more important than the safety of our patients and so we have no choice but to declare a business continuity incident. Following the exemptions, Mr Shaw said the hospital was incredibly grateful to the union. But he added that the business continuity incident announced in the wake of the strike would remain in place until GOSH is confident it can safely staff its services. We fully support the right of our staff to strike, and know this decision will not have been taken lightly, he said. There has been a significant impact on all our services across the hospital. We are doing our best to minimise disruption for all of our patients and apologise to those families who have been affected. It is understood the situation is under review and the business continuity incident will be stood down once GOSH is confident it can provide safe staffing levels. Nurses make up a quarter of NHS staff and are the biggest proportion of the health service workforce. As the NHS prepares to cope with the strike, NHS England is urging the public to use the health service wisely. It said emergency and urgent care would remain the priority, with people asked to use other services such as pharmacies and 111 where possible. 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 }} Asylum seekers living at a Merseyside hotel are being subjected to violence and abuse after the site was thrown into the spotlight by a violent protest earlier this year. People living at the Suites Hotel in Knowsley have been targeted in a wave of attacks in which they were punched, chased by mopeds, and verbally abused in the street following an anti-migrant riot on 10 February. Police have recorded 15 crimes against asylum seekers and staff since the disorder broke out, with many residents now too scared to go outside. More than two months on, a victim called Ali* told The Independent: We have no idea what will happen, and when we ask the people in the hotel, they give us no information. They have increased the number of security guards at the hotel, and theyre always guarding the door. We cant even leave to buy groceries. The hotel staff tell us were safe at the hotel, but whatever happens to us outside the hotel is our responsibility and they cannot provide our safety outside. Another asylum seeker living at the Suites Hotel said: We feel a state of despair and panic as a result of the recent events, and the situation is getting worse as we can no longer leave the hotel. In the beginning, it was limited to insults and racist insults, until it came to severe beatings. Home Office contractors have increased security measures and advised residents not to leave the hotel after dark for their own safety following the February protest, which saw a police van set alight and angry crowds throw fireworks and missiles at police. The protest was sparked by unsubstantiated rumours that a man living at the hotel had inappropriately approached a teenage girl, and came weeks after far-right group Britain First filmed the Suites Hotel as part of a pattern of similar stunts. Ali, a 25-year-old Iranian man, told how he was attacked as he made his way to a hospital appointment on 24 February. He said he was approached by a man and a woman who blocked his way and started shouting insults. He added: The man was holding a water bottle and threw it at me. Afterwards, I didnt even go to the hospital and returned to the hotel to report the incident. Ali, who fled Iran late last year after being caught writing anti-regime graffiti during a wave of protests, said he did not know that he was being smuggled to the UK and feared he was going to die crossing the Channel on a small boat in the middle of winter. He said he was given no information on where he was being taken after being rescued at sea and brought ashore, and was initially kept in a London hotel before being moved to Knowsley. Police van set on fire in violent protests outside Knowsley hotel housing asylum seekers They told us to get on the bus. Even though we asked them where they were taking us, they said they didnt know, Ali said. Then we were transferred to the Suites Hotel. He was not aware of any problems before the protest in February, and said everything had felt normal until the violence broke out. Ali heard about the social media video that sparked the demonstration, and does not blame local people, saying: I assume they felt their families were in danger. Im not saying only we are [in the] right and have this right to live a normal, safe life. Theyre also right, and their concerns make sense. Maybe our arrival disrupted their lives. Because we couldnt understand English, we couldnt say anything. Ali said that from that day on, reports have trickled in about people being attacked while away from the hotel, while Home Office contractors have held security briefings and advised residents not to go out after dark. We are always stressed when we have to leave the hotel, he added. When we go out, they threaten us and look at us angrily. We no longer feel safe. Ali has not yet had an asylum interview and has been given no information about the progress of his claim, which is among almost 140,000 in a Home Office backlog. The backlog has been worsened by failing attempts by the department to declare the claims of people who arrived on small boats inadmissible. Alis request to be moved away from the area has been refused by the Home Office, and several asylum seekers are preparing to launch legal action over similar decisions. Last week, the first case heard at the High Court saw judges rule that an Afghan man who had previously survived kidnap and torture must be transferred out of the Suites Hotel for his own safety. The court heard that he had started self-harming during the protest, and was prevented from killing himself by fellow asylum seekers. Following the protest, he was filmed and spat at outside the hotel. A police van was set alight and fireworks were thrown during the protest outside the hotel in Knowsley (PA Wire) The mans lawyers told The Independent that he had been punched in the face by a man on an electric bike while walking back from a corner shop earlier this month. Other similar incidents include a violent attack on 27 February, when two asylum seekers on their way back from a doctors appointment were attacked by up to five men. Volunteers from the Care4Calais charity were told that both men suffered injuries and needed medical treatment. It now arranges taxis for vital appointments. The following day, police were called when another Suites Hotel resident was attacked by two men on electric bikes and armed with batons. Both incidents are being treated as hate crimes. On 15 March, another resident reported that he had been violently attacked by someone on a moped and was chased back to the hotel. Care4Calais has received other reports of verbal abuse, and believes some asylum seekers have not reported incidents to the police because they are too afraid, or believe no action will be taken. The charitys founder, Clare Moseley, said: The one thing that all refugees have in common is that something truly terrible happened to them to bring them to our shores. That further abuse and harassment should occur here is deeply disturbing. Given the shocking scenes at Knowsley in February, it is a scandal that no steps have been taken to relocate this group of refugees. Merseyside Police told The Independent that 15 crimes against residents and staff at the Suites Hotel had been recorded since 10 February. Police in riot gear after a demonstration outside the Suites Hotel in Knowsley on 10 February (PA Wire) Superintendent Karl Baldwin said: These incidents are being robustly investigated, and each is completely inexcusable. For residents and staff connected to the premises to be targeted is wrong. We will continue to work closely with the premises, as well as our partners, residents and communities, to ensure all information is acted upon. Supt Baldwin hit out at the rumour and misinformation stoking local anger, after police said a man arrested over the incident that sparked the protest was not living at the Suites Hotel. A Home Office spokesperson said: The welfare of asylum seekers in our care is of the utmost importance, and we work closely with the police and our contractors to make sure appropriate safety measures are in place. Whenever we seek to use sites for asylum accommodation, we engage with the local police and other stakeholders to ensure the safety of residents and the wider community. We continually review the security at asylum accommodation sites with providers. A spokesperson for contractor Serco said its staff had not imposed a curfew at the Suites Hotel but had issued advice to residents. *name changed to protect anonymity 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 }} An investigation has been launched into the reported discovery of Royal Navy documents marked official sensitive in a Wetherspoons pub toilet. According to reports he files carried detail about HMS Anson the latest of the navys advanced nuclear-powered attack submarines. The files were allegedly left in the Furness Railway pub in Barrow-in-Furness, with a source telling The Sun they were found on the floor of a toilet cubicle on what was quite a lively night. The source said they were discovered alongside a Royal Navy lanyard, adding: Anyone could have found them. The navy said they were generic documents containing no classified information. In a statement, a Royal Navy spokesman: These are generic training documents that carry no classified information. However, we take all security matters extremely seriously and will investigate the circumstances of their discovery. A naval source told the newspaper that the papers were part of a reference manual that is readily available on board. Any personnel working on the vessel would have used the manual, they added. Former submarine captain commander Ryan Ramsey said it appeared that someone had taken the documents from the vessel to study. It is good to see their commitment to training, but the pub is probably the wrong place, he told The Sun. The Furness Railway pub is a 20-minute walk from the BAE Systems shipyard one of the worlds largest builders of complex warships and where HMS Anson was built. The 97m-long (318ft), 7,800 tonnes submarine is the fifth Astute-class attack submarine sailed from BAE Systems. According to the Ministry of Defence, Astute-class submarines are the first nuclear-powered submarines to be designed entirely in a three-dimensional, computer-aided environment and represent the cutting edge of the UKs military capabilities. HMS Anson is capable of circumnavigating the globe without resurfacing, the MoD said able to purify water and air, meaning its range is only limited by the amount of food on board. The vessel is now at His Majestys Naval Base in Clyde, Scotland. 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 health boss has said NHS leaders have never been so worried over staff morale as nurses are set to go on strike again. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, a membership body for organisations that commission and provide services across the NHS, added that workforce concerns go beyond industrial action with serious issues around recruitment. It comes as the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is to hold a strike from 8pm on Sunday until 11.59pm on Monday evening. The RCN previously said it will not agree to derogations, broad areas of care where unions agree to provide staffing during industrial action, meaning nurses in intensive care, A&E and cancer care will be on strike. Mr Taylor told BBC Breakfast: I talk to NHS leaders all the time and I have never known a period when leaders are so worried about staff morale and there is a sense of a loss of hope. We have 120,000-plus of vacancies in the health service. We have been waiting for years for a proper funded workforce plan, so even when these strikes are over, we still have very serious issues of recruitment, retention and of motivation in our health and care system. Health workers across the NHS have gone on strike several times in past months in disputes over pay and conditions. Unions including Unison and the GMB have voted in favour of a Government pay offer to end the strikes, while Unite and the RCN have voted against. Havent we now seen very clearly what happens in the NHS when you dont have nurses. The NHS cant cope without nurses Pat Cullen, RCN general secretary Mr Taylor, who said the strike will leave parts of the NHS under immense strain, added: We are a health service that is always running on hot. If you take capacity out even for a day then it has knock-on effects, but this has been going on six months so those affects have piled up. There are hundreds of thousands of cancelled operations and procedures and that is why it is so vital to have a resolution to this dispute. If this industrial action were to roll on into the summer then it would make it almost impossible for us to meet the targets that we have, in backlog and other areas of patient care. RCN general secretary Pat Cullen defended the strike and said cancelled medical appointments were not just the result of industrial action. She told BBC Breakfast: I hear and listen on a daily basis from our nursing staff that work within Great Ormond Street and many other hospitals, of how they have to deal and manage with those cancellations on a daily basis. They are left to actually have to break that news to patients. I think it is a bit disingenuous to say that those cancellations happen only on a day of strike because actually that is not true. Havent we now seen very clearly what happens in the NHS when you dont have nurses. The NHS cant cope without nurses. She said she hopes healthcare leaders are now signalling to this Government that we need to sort nursing out otherwise patients in this country will not get a better service. NHS England is urging the public to use the health service wisely. It said emergency and urgent care would remain the priority, with people asked to use other services such as pharmacies and 111 where possible. Nurses make up a quarter of NHS staff and are the biggest proportion of the health service workforce. NHS England warned that staffing levels for some areas of the country will be exceptionally low, lower than on previous strike days. It added the number of rescheduled appointments due to strike action is set to hit half a million next week. A High Court judge ruled on Thursday it would be unlawful for the RCN strike to continue into Tuesday as originally planned, meaning it will now end just before midnight on Monday. 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 }} Voters in the UK will be required to present photo identification to prove they are who they say they are when they arrive at polling stations from May 2023, after a change in the law instigated by the UK government. The new stricture came in as part of the Elections Act 2022, first trailed in the Queens Speech of May 2021 and passed by Parliament last April in the interest of improving election security. It will not apply to those voting by post. Members of the public voting in person will be able to present 21 different forms of identification deemed valid but fears have nevertheless been expressed that the change could deter some from casting their ballot and lead to greater disenfranchisement. Research carried out by the Cabinet Office in 2021 found that 9 per cent of the British public do not currently hold any form of photo ID that is both in-date and clearly recognisable. In accordance with the Acts stipulations, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has launched a Voter Authority Certificate as an alternative, a document that individuals can apply for online and which is free but requires that you already be registered to vote and supply a recent digital photo, your date of birth and National Insurance number to claim. Voters can apply for the certificate online here, with the government site also providing information on how to register for it by post. The 21 alternative forms of ID you can present at polling stations from May, which volunteers will be asked to check, are as follows: A driving licence (full or provisional) issued by the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or EEA state. A blue parking badge. An older persons bus pass. A disabled persons bus pass. An Oyster 60+ card. A Freedom Pass. A Scottish National Entitlement Card. A 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card. A Disabled Persons Welsh Concessionary Travel Card. A Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland. A Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Persons SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland. A War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland. A 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland. A Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland. An identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) hologram. A biometric immigration document. A Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card). A national identity card issued by an EEA state. An Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland. An Anonymous Electors Document. Local elections will next take place in England on Thursday 4 May 2023, which you will only be able to take part in if you have one of the above pieces of documentation to hand. The photo ID law will then apply to all UK general elections from October 2023, with the next set to be held no later than 25 January 2025. According to Dr Ben Stanford, a professor of law at Liverpool John Moores University, the introduction of the requirement is massively controversial, with arguments in favour of voter ID generally stressing the improved security and integrity brought by eliminating voter fraud. Those against criticise the true motivations of the changes amidst concerns that the demographics least likely to possess ID are generally not Conservative Party voters. Dr Stanford notes that the exclusion of university ID cards from the list of approved IDs only adds weight to criticisms that the new voter ID requirement is politically-motivated and that the list of acceptable identification has been deliberately limited, ultimately disadvantaging younger people and minorities. He has also warned that the Voter Authority Certificate could prove vulnerable to delays in processing, citing the recent backlog seen in passport application approvals since the pandemic and the squeezed budgets of government departments in response to the present cost of living crisis, which will only place further pressure on the administrative functions of crucial state service providers. Speaking to The Independent, Dr Stanford said that voter ID pilot schemes in 2018 and 2019 had delivered a mixed picture of their likely impact on voter turnout but added that a substantial number of people were turned away for lacking the required ID in both tests. The voter ID requirements being implemented in the UK are certainly more strict than they could and need to be to meet policy objectives, he said. They resemble the strictest laws seen in some states in the US. Preparations to introduce voter ID have undoubtedly been rushed through, with numerous stakeholders expressing concern at the speed of implementation. Other things that could be put in place to mitigate these risks, such as provisional voting where people lacking ID can vote subject to later verification, or vouching for another person, are not being implemented. Dr Stanford continued: I do worry that turnout will substantially decrease in the most socially-deprived areas and especially those where political engagement may be weakest. The change is unprecedented on a national scale meaning that an unprecedented amount of publicity and awareness is needed but currently lacking. In my view, even putting to the side political arguments, the negligible evidence of impersonation at polling stations cannot justify the democratic cost of voter disenfranchisement and the financial cost of implementing voter ID. Passports and driving licences among documentation considered valid for voting from May (Getty) Bob Watt, a retired academic concerned with public law formerly of the Universities of Essex and Buckingham and a visiting fellow of the Bonavero Centre of Human Rights in Oxford, told The Independent that improved election security was a goal worth pursuing: My view is that even the smallest amount of personation is a very serious matter. Even if it does not affect the result. The whole point of an election is that it should be free, fair and secret. To have a relatively simple way of subverting that principle turning up at a polling station now staffed by relatively junior people and claiming to be someone else is destructive of democracy because it lessens peoples faith that their vote should be counted. My view is that we should have automatic electoral registration as soon as you become the age at which you are able to vote you should automatically be on the register. The system being introduced here is being done without proper publicity and without proper funding. All households and every step should be taken to ensure that unhoused people are included should be contacted and individually told that they must have electoral ID. Electoral authorities should be properly funded to issue electoral ID cards. This needs a one year lead-in time. It is too rushed. OpenDemocracy reported in December 2022 that the Electoral Commission had written to ministers warning that it felt their plans for voter IDs were not fully secure, accessible or workable, citing letters obtained by Freedom of Information requests, only for those concerns to be dismissed in response. The Guardian subsequently reported that the development of the central government website via which people are being asked to apply for the Voter Authority Certificate was unlikely to be ready in time for the rollout of a national advertising campaign in January, which has already provoked anger over its 5.6m cost, suggesting concerns about the process are not unfounded. The governments rush to implement voter ID requirements against the advice of all those who have to run the scheme and the Electoral Commission themselves is dangerous and will close down our democracy to many, Labours shadow levelling up minister Alex Norris has warned. His Liberal Democrat counterpart, Helen Morgan, added: Every second that the government delays these applications, another person will lose their chance to vote in May. Every council will have thousands of these applications to process before May, with no guarantee they can process them in time taking critical council resources during a cost of living crisis. The Conservative government have taken away peoples unobstructed right to vote. These delays are nothing short of voter suppression. Responding to their criticism, a government spokesperson said: We cannot be complacent when it comes to ensuring our democracy remains secure. Everyone eligible to vote will have the opportunity to do so and 98 per cent of electors already have an accepted form of identification. Speaking to BBC Radio Norfolk on 12 January, Conservative MP and former Cabinet member Brandon Lewis said it was not unreasonable for the government to ask people to present ID to vote, just as they would if they were going to a Post Office [to] collect a parcel or take a book out from the library, in order to just give that extra bit of protection to our democratic process. His analogy was criticised as disingenuous given the additional obstacles the demand for voter IDs creates. 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 }} Rishi Sunak has hit out at selfish saboteur protesters who slow traffic as part of their demonstrations after the Government announced it would increase police powers to stop the tactic being used. It comes as ministers plan to push through measures that will widen the legal definition of serious disruption to enable officers to stop activists slow walking after similar legislation was rejected by the Lords. Protest groups including Just Stop Oil often use the tactic to block roads in a way that does not involve sitting in the middle of the street to bring traffic to a standstill. Mr Sunak told the Sun on Sunday: The public want us to put a stop to selfish saboteurs disrupting their lives and so do I. Sun on Sunday readers deserve a no-nonsense approach. They deserve to see law-abiding citizens protected against a minority trying to make their lives miserable. The Prime Minister accused Labour of having sided with the disrupters by voting against new powers for police and Sir Softie Keir Starmer of pandering to activist supporters. We will not allow Sir Softie to stitch this up for his activist supporters. We will always put the majority first, he told the paper. The British people have a glorious summer of celebration ahead. Our history, music and sporting prowess will be on display, making us all proud to be British. With our new laws well crack down on the minority for the majority. But opposition parties accused the Prime Minister of hollow promises and and chasing headlines to distract from his failure to tackle crime. Liberal Democrats home affairs spokesman, Alistair Carmichael, said: The Conservative Government are once again seeking to expand police powers when they havent even managed to get the basics of policing right. Rishi Sunak cannot continue to hide behind hollow promises to broaden the polices authority while crime victims are waiting hours for police to turn up and the vast majority of burglaries go unsolved. A Labour spokesperson said: The police have made clear they have long had the powers they need to stop serious disruption. As usual Rishi Sunak is chasing headlines to distract from his failure to solve serious problems on crime and policing. A previous amendment to the Governments Public Order Bill which was backed by Suella Braverman sought to crack down on slow marches by clarifying the definition of serious disruption. But this was rejected in the upper chamber last February with peers voting by 254 to 240 to kill off the legislation. The Bill suffered eight defeats in total, setting the stage for a showdown between the Lords and the Commons known as parliamentary ping-pong where the proposed law passes between the two houses. But because the amendment relating to slow marches was only introduced when the Bill reached the Lords, it could not return to the Commons as it was not in the original legislation passed by MPs. The Home Secretary is now introducing a statutory instrument which is linked to the Bill in order to bring the law on slow walking into force. The Government had expressed disappointment at the rejection but Labour frontbencher Lord Coaker said the measures risked damaging freedoms that we all cherish. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight 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 Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Scottish Secretary Alister Jack is standing guard over the Stone of Destiny in London to make sure nationalists dont steal it again, Tories have been told. The UK Government minister addressed the Scottish Conservatives conference via video, with junior Scotland Office minister John Lamont appearing on stage to explain why his boss could not be there. He told delegates at the conference that Mr Jack had been unavoidably detained in London, standing guard over the Stone of Scone ahead of its central role in the Kings coronation next week. The Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone, was transported from its usual home in Edinburgh Castle to London earlier this week, where it will be used in the coronation of the King next weekend. Alister is primarily making sure that Nationalists don't steal it again Scotland Office minister John Lamont The stone, which weighs 125kg, will be placed in the Coronation Chair for the enthronement, before being returned to Scotland afterwards. Mr Lamont said: Alister is primarily making sure that nationalists dont steal it again. But he is also making absolutely certain that the stone does come back to Scotland. Mr Jack, meanwhile, said he could not be in Glasgow for the Scottish Conservatives conference because he had an important job elsewhere helping to prepare for the coronation of His Majesty the King. In a video address he told the conference: I hope youll agree that as excuses go, that one passes muster. Mr Jack went on to use his speech to attack the SNP, claiming Scotlands ruling party are not a serious party of government, they are simply a campaign organisation for independence. He said the SNP-Green administration at Holyrood isnt just misguided, it is totally incompetent. He said that with nationalists in power it sometimes feels like devolution in general is not easy. Mr Jack added: Its my job to work with these people. And believe me, it is not always easy. Highlighting the fundamental political differences between the two governments, Mr Jack said: We have a UK Government that is committed to devolution, that believes in our system of two governments, and wants to strengthen Scotlands place at the heart of the UK. But he added: We have a nationalist SNP-Green Scottish Government that opposes devolution, wants to end it and tear Scotland out of the UK. All in all, direct UK Government investment in Scotland now stands at 2.3 billion Scottish Secretary Alister Jack He told the conference: Those who would destroy devolution cannot also pose as the defenders of devolution and people in Scotland are seeing straight through it. Most Scots want to see the two governments working together on the issues they really care about, Mr Jack said. But he said the SNP-Green coalitions opposition to, and abuse of, devolution acts like a drag anchor on Scotlands potential. In contrast he claimed the UK Government was delivering for communities on the ground right now, adding that: All in all, direct UK Government investment in Scotland now stands at 2.3 billion. He accused the SNP and Greens of using their position in government not to focus on peoples priorities, but to promote separatism. Mr Jack said: They use their position to manufacture phoney grievances as part of their endless campaign to tear Scotland out of the UK He called Scottish Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Secretary Angus Robertson Air Miles Angus for his trips overseas and claimed he used these visits to promote Scottish independence with foreign governments and dignitaries. It is simply not acceptable for Scottish Government ministers to abuse the support they receive from the Foreign Office during overseas visits, Mr Jack said. The Foreign Office has and always will support the Scottish Government to promote Scotland abroad. But nationalist ministers should not expect the Foreign Office to facilitate high-level meetings overseas so they can undermine UK Government policy and promote their independence campaign. SNP Westminster deputy leader Mhairi Black commented: The Tories have no mandate in Scotland. Instead of lecturing others, Alister Jack should be apologising for his Tory Governments appalling record of trashing the UK economy and making millions of Scots poorer by imposing a devastating hard Brexit and Tory cost-of-living crisis. With Scottish devolution and household incomes under sustained attack from Westminster, the SNP is the only party offering a real alternative to the Tories. Voting SNP is the best way to beat the Tories in Scotland at the next election and the only way to get rid of Westminster Tory governments for good with independence. 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 }} Senior UK Government minister Michael Gove has predicted an SNP rebrand, as the party looks to put independence on the backburner. Speaking at an event at the Scottish Tory conference in Glasgow, the Levelling Up Secretary said the party would likely pitch itself as Scotlands party ahead of the next election, but he told journalists such a move did not scare him. The SNP will change its approach for the moment, he said. They have a base that of course they need to keep riled up and believing that independence was just over the horizon Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove They have a base that of course they need to keep riled up and believing that independence was just over the horizon. But he said the SNP knows support for another vote is not there. They know that theyve over-reached and therefore, I suspect, what they will do is they will rebrand themselves as Scotlands party, fighting for more resources at Westminster and fighting to ensure that they deliver domestically in tune with Scottish values more broadly. Asked after the event if the security of the union being less significant could hurt his party, which pitches itself as the key defender of the UK, at the ballot box, Mr Gove said: No, Im not frightened. I think its a recognition of reality, that the case for independence has been compromised by the failures of the Scottish Government and I think that the majority of people in Scotland want their politicians to concentrate on public service delivery and improving the economy. I think that is a good thing, the more were talking about how we make peoples lives better on a day-to-day basis and the less were rambling about the constitution, the better overall. His comments come after a BBC report, quoting party sources, said the SNP was focusing on increasing support for independence before pushing for another vote. Mr Gove also praised one of the SNPs leading internal critics, MSP Fergus Ewing, and former leadership candidate Kate Forbes. He said he had a soft spot for Mr Ewing, who has been vocal in his opposition of a number of recent Scottish Government policies and particularly critical of the alliance with the Scottish Greens. He praised Ms Forbes for the way she was able to work with the UK Government during her time as finance secretary. He was less kind about the rest of the SNP, as he waded into the turmoil engulfing the party over its finances. The SNPs auditors resigned in October, with the job still vacant six months later, but Mr Gove offered his own assessment of the party, joking: The SNP are having trouble finding auditors to sign off their accounts, so I thought Id save them the trouble. Theyve run out of ideas, theyve got no credibility left a bankrupt party running a broken government. And that audit comes for free. SNP MP David Linden said: The SNP won a mandate for an independence referendum at the Scottish Parliament election, with a record number of votes, and we will continue to press for Scottish democracy to be respected and for people in Scotland to have a choice over our future. At the general election next year, voting SNP is the best way to beat the Tories in Scotland and the only way to get rid of Westminster Tory governments for good with independence. If enough people vote SNP, Scotland could hold the balance of power at Westminster. A strong SNP team of MPs would block the Tories from government and extract the best deal for Scotland. Work will get underway this summer on a new women-centric correctional and rehabilitation facility in North Dakota after state lawmakers approved the bulk of the funding needed to design and build it. The proposed $161.2 million, 260-bed facility is slated to be built near the Heart River Correctional Center in Mandan. Its estimated to take three years to complete. Rep. Jon Nelson, R-Rugby, said approval of the new womens facility came recently during a conference committee. Senators were considering bonding for much of the funding but instead opted for a one-time appropriation of $131.2 million from the Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund, or SIIF, money raised in part through oil and gas extraction and production taxes. We didnt feel that we needed to bond for this. We could pay cash for it and that was the major change, Nelson said. Lawmakers also stated intent to appropriate another $30 million during the next legislative session to complete the facility. Nelson called approval of the new womens prison one of the highlights of the session, which is in its final days. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation will have access to the funds starting July 1. Dave Krabbenhoft, DOCR director, said the womens facility is in the concept phase right now. Excited, anxious, chomping at the bit to get working on this and get an architect and engineer firm hired to start working on the actual design and planning, Krabbenhoft said. Currently, most of the states female inmates are housed at the Dakota Womens Correctional and Rehabilitation Center, located in an old Catholic school in New England, 25 miles south of Dickinson. The old school was not meant to be a permanent facility for female inmates, who have fewer vocational and educational opportunities there than male inmates in the state, and limited access to health care, including OB-GYN services. Gov. Doug Burgum has said the state is at risk for legal action, considering whats offered at the new penitentiary for men in Bismarck and whats available for women in New England. The state had to defend itself in a class-action lawsuit in 2003 claiming unequal treatment of women inmates, until the legal action was dismissed six years later. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening 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 Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Experts with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating rising cases of rare and serious brain abscesses in kids in and around southern Nevada, it was reported. Doctors from other parts of the country say they are also witnessing a rise in cases, according to a report in CNN. In Nevada last year, the number of brain abscesses in kids tripled rising from an average of four to five a year to 18. In my 20 years experience, Ive never seen anything like it, Dr Taryn Bragg, an associate professor at the University of Utah who treated the cases was quoted as saying. The Southern Nevada Health District said in a statement that the median age of patients was 12, and 76 per cent of them were male. A brain abscess is a collection of pus in the brain tissue caused by bacteria or fungal infection that usually develops after surgery, brain infection or trauma, according to Harvard Medical School. The Nevada health district, meanwhile, said that the signs and symptoms of a brain abscess include fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting and seizures. Dr Jessica Penney, the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service officer assigned to the Southern Nevada Health District, investigated the cases and found the 18 infected kids hadnt experienced previous brain surgery or trauma. She reported on the investigation, which ended in 2022. These are healthy children. With no prior significant medical history that would make them more prone there wasnt any known immunosuppression or anything like that, she told CNN. After March of 2022, there was just a huge increase, in brain abscesses, Dr Bragg said. I was seeing large numbers of cases and thats unusual. And the similarities in terms of the presentation of cases was striking. The statement noted that going to the hospital, 14 of the patients required surgery to drain the brain mass, 76 per cent of patients were diagnosed with sinusitis and 26 per cent were diagnosed with mastoiditis. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin 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 US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A family asked their neighbour to stop firing his gun so that their baby could sleep. Minutes later, five people including an eight-year-old boy were dead. Now, more than two days on from the horror mass shooting, their alleged killer is still on the run from law enforcement. The massacre unfolded on Friday night in Cleveland, Texas, when the family asked Francisco Oropesa to stop shooting rounds in his yard because they had children trying to sleep. Mr Oropesa then allegedly entered his neighbours home with an AR-15 style rifle and opened fire on the victims. Five victims Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25,her eight-year-old son Daniel Enrique Laso, Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21, Julisa Molina Rivera, 31, and Josue Jonatan Caceres, 18 were shot dead execution style from the neck up, police said. All five victims were originally from Honduras. Heres everything we know about the shooting: The motive The shooting was reported at around 10.30pm on the 100 block of Walters Road in the Trails End area in the community about 45 miles (72 kilometres) northeast of Houston. Night shift patrol deputies were dispatched to a residence in reference to a harassment complaint. Five dead, including eight-year-old, in Texas shooting Authorities have said that a family member walked up to the fence and requested the gunman stopped shooting rounds in his own backyard. The suspect then allegedly responded that it was his property and the violence unfolded. The neighbours walked over and said Hey man, can you not do that, weve got an infant in here trying to sleep or whatever, Mr Capers said. They went back in their house and then we have a video of him walking up their driveway with his AR-15. On their way there, they received multiple 911 calls of an active shooter incident at the dispatch location. Three children covered in blood were transported to the hospital, where they were determined to be uninjured, while two other witnesses at the scene were evaluated by first responders and released. The SJCSO also said that Mr Oropesa has been known to shoot his 223 out in his front yard, which is evident by the shell casings that are laying in the front yard. The victims Ten people were in the residence at the time of the tragedy. The fatal victims have been identified as Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25, and her eight-year-old son Daniel Enrique Laso, Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21, Julisa Molina Rivera, 31, and Josue Jonatan Caceres, 18, according to 12 News. Velazquezs husband Jefrey Rivera told the Honduran network HCH that his wife died protecting their children. He said she hid in a closet with some of the children in the home. The two other deceased women were found lying on top of two children covered in blood. Police said on Saturday that they died protecting the two minors, who are both believed to have survived. The house where the shooting took place (AP) Recounting the terrifying moments leading up to the massacre, Mr Rivera said that someone in his household asked Mr Oropesa to stop shooting rounds in his yard because they had several children in the home who were trying to sleep. Mr Rivera said that when he saw his very intoxicated neighbour approaching with an AR-15 rifle, he threw a machete at him in an attempt to protect other relatives in the home. I realised he was coming in our direction while armed with a rifle, so I tried to find something to defend myself with and found a machete. Mr Rivera told HCH in Spanish. But by the time I found the machete, shots had already been fired. Mr Oropesa and Mr Rivera then had a brief confrontation, in which the gunman allegedly said, Im going to kill you today. Mr Rivera then reportedly said: Im going to kill you first because youve already killed my family. He said he managed to escape the violence and called authorities. Guzman, meanwhile, was killed when she heroically confronted the gunman at the doorway to her home, according to her grieving husband Wilson Garcia. Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25, and her eight-year-old son Daniel Enrique Laso (Sourced) Mr Garcia spoke at a vigil for his son Daniel on Sunday night where he revealed how his wife Guzman bravely thought she could stop the gunman opening fire. He said he saw the suspect running towards his house while reloading his AR-15-style rifle with ammunition and urged his wife to get inside away from the gunman. But she refused and went to confront Mr Oropesa instead. I told my wife, Get inside. This man has loaded his weapon, said Mr Garcia, according to The Associated Press. My wife told me to go inside because He wont fire at me, Im a woman. Guzman was wrong and she became the first victim shot and killed in the horror attack that has sent shockwaves across the country. Mr Oropesa then went room to room opening fire on the victims, said Mr Garcia. Mr Garcia also revealed that the family had made five separate calls to police in the 10 to 20 minutes between the initial confrontation and the massacre unfolding. During each call, Mr Garcia said police reassured them that help was on its way. But officers had not yet arrived when Mr Garcia said he saw the suspect entering his family home and opening fire. Guzmans cousin told HCH that she had moved to the US eight years ago, while her son had spent five years living in America. The mother of three leaves behind a two-year-old daughter, a six-month-old baby and her husband. Police respond to the scene of a shooting early on Saturday (AP) Her family has created a GoFundMe to raise funds so Guzman and her sons remains can be repatriated. I just spoke with her on the phone yesterday and now theyre sending her back to me in a casket, Guzmans mother Francia Guzman also told HCH through tears. The suspect Mr Oropesa is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who had been deported at least twice before the shooting, according to Univision 45 Houston. He is a married father, whose wife has been speaking to investigators about the shooting. Authorities were forced to admit on Sunday that they released an incorrect photo of Mr Oropesa and had been spelling his name incorrectly as Oropeza. As of Monday morning, the suspect has not been apprehended and it is unclear where in Texas he had been located. "The FBI has brought in investigative resources, tactical and victim services resources to assist in this investigation. We will be here until we are no longer needed to include when the subject is arrested, FBI Special Agent James Smith said. "We're still out there trying to find this individual. We consider him armed and dangerous. And we're not going to stop until we actually arrest him and bring him into custody. But he is out there, and he is a threat to the community." Mr Smith added: "So I don't want anyone to think something different than that. He is a threat to the community, and we need the community's help to hopefully locate him and soon and take him off the streets tonight. "But however, I will say this, we do not ask the community to take the matters into their own hands. Please call 911 if you happen to see this individual out there." Francisco Oropesa, 38 (KHOU11) Mr Oropesa is described as approximately 58 tall, last seen wearing blue jeans with a black shirt and work boots and with short black hair, ABC reported. An arrest warrant has been issued charging him with five counts of murder and burglary. The manhunt Mr Oropesa is considered armed and dangerous, with police admitting on Sunday that they have zero leads as to his whereabouts. Earlier reports by NPR suggested police had located and surrounded the suspect somewhere in the Houston area, but a Saturday night update by the SJCSO stated that Mr Oropesa was still at large. On Sunday night, the FBI said in a statement that Mr Oropesa was considered armed and dangerous and the public is advised not to approach him. Authorities have continued searching in the vicinity of the crime scene. Mr Capers said that authorities had widened the search to as far as 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the scene of the shooting Mr Oropesas cellphone was initially being tracked but it was found abandoned along with some clothing on Saturday. Tracking dogs managed to pick up his scent before losing it in the waterways. Despite the efforts, SJCSO Sheriff Greg Capers said on Sunday that investigators have zero leads and admitted he could be anywhere, A reward of $80,000 is being offered for information leading to his arrest and the reward will be advertised on Spanish-language billboards in the hopes that someone speaks out. Investigators believe he must be in contact with friends. Mr Oropesas wife is said to have been in constant contact with investigators. Greg Abbott slammed for response Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been slammed for his response to the latest incident of gun violence in his state. The Republican governor, who has severely relaxed gun laws in Texas since taking office, failed to address the mass shooting for almost two days. Then, on Sunday, he finally broke his silence, with a statement on social media in which he announced his office was contributing a $50,000 reward to catch the suspect and labelled the victims illegal immigrants. Announcing a $50K reward for a @TxDPS top 10 fugitive who is in the country illegally and killed five illegal immigrants Friday night. I also directed #OperationLoneStar to be on the lookout for the criminal and any attempts to flee the country, he said. The statement sparked an instant backlash with social media users quickly correcting his use of the words illegal immigrants with the term people. Star Trek actor George Takei was among those to slam Mr Abbott, tweeting: This is despicable. I would have thought bringing up the immigration status of the innocent victims of this senseless violence would be beneath even you. But I was wrong. Prior to the statement, Mr Abbott had come under fire for his radio silence on the incident. The political leader, who tweeted a picture of his pet dog along with the caption all smiles for the weekend on Saturday, waited almost two days before commenting on the matter. This is the Governor of Texas tweet AFTER learning that a gunman armed with an assault rifle opened fire on a family in his state, killing five people, including an 8-year-old, Ms Watts tweeted. Brett Cross, who lost his son Uziyah in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde last year, also lashed out at the Republican governor for not making mention of the deadly shooting. Mr Abbotts response is a far cry from the stance of local officials. In Sundays press conference, Sheriff Capers became emotional as he said I dont care if the victims were in Texas legally or illegally. My heart is with this eight-year-old little boy, I dont care if he was here legally, I dont care if he was here illegally, he was in my county, he said. Five people died in my county. And thats where my heart is, in my county protecting my people to the best of my ability. More than 170 mass shooting in the US this year The US is setting a devastating record pace for mass killings in 2023, according to the Associated Press. The violence is sparked by a range of motives: murder-suicides and domestic violence; gang retaliation; school shootings and workplace vendettas. All those listed as mass killings in the report have taken the lives of four or more people since 1 January. Reacting to the deadly violence on Friday night, gun safety advocates slammed lax weapon laws in Texas. Assault rifles were designed to be used by highly trained soldiers in battle, not marketed to violent men to carry out revenge fantasies, gun violence prevention activist and Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts tweeted on Saturday. From Newtown to Nashville, Las Vegas to Uvalde, these weapons of war are chosen and used to inflict as much harm as quickly as possible. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin 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 US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Two Texas women died while protecting children from a gunman who also killed three others, including an eight-year-old child. The violence unfolded on Friday night when neighbours in the city of Cleveland, about an hour away from Houston, asked 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa to stop shooting rounds in his yard because they had sleeping children in the home, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said. Mr Oropesa, who is said to have been intoxicated and armed with an AR-15 style rifle, allegedly stormed inside his neighbours home and fatally shot five people and injured three others. The fatal victims, whose ages ranged from eight to around 40, were originally from Honduras. The gunman, identified as 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza, shot his neighbours with an AR-15 style rifle (KHOU11) Hours later police were reported to have located and surrounded Mr Oropesa. Describing the devastating scene during an early press conference on Saturday, Sheriff Capers told reporters that deputies on the night shift responded to a harassment call that would later unfold in the massacre. Inside a home on the 100 block of Walters Road, officers discovered four bodies with gunshots to the head and no signs of the suspect. Two female victims were found in a bedroom, lying on top of two children who survived the ordeal, Sheriff Capers said. The Honduran ladies that were laying over these children were doing it in such an effort as to protect the child, the sheriff said, per the Washington Post. A fifth victim, an eight-year-old child, died in hospital. The suspect fled the scene before authorities arrived. Five dead, including eight-year-old, in Texas shooting The identities of the victims have not been released pending notification to their family. Authorities have said that a family member walked up to the fence and requested the gunman stopped shooting rounds in his own backyard. The suspect then allegedly responded that it was his property and the violence unfolded. The neighbours walked over and said Hey man, can you not do that, weve got an infant in here trying to sleep or whatever, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said, per the Washington Post. They went back in their house and then we have a video of him walking up their driveway with his AR-15. The house where the massacre took place (AP) Mr Oropesa is described as approximately 58 tall, last seen wearing blue jeans with a black shirt and work boots and with short black hair, ABC reported. The San Jacinto County Sheriffs Office said that Oropesa has been known to shoot his 223 out in his front yard, which is evident by the shell casings that are laying in the front yard. This article was amended on May 2 2023. It originally contained an incorrect spelling of the suspects name, as this was how the FBI initially identified him. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin 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 US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Texas man in the middle of a date fatally shot a fake parking attendant who scammed him of $40 before returning to his dinner, prosecutors say. Erick Aguirre, 29, is said to have told his date that everything was fine after he allegedly killed 46-year-old Elliot Nix in a car park near Houstons Rodeo Goat restaurant. Police say that Mr Aguirre and his date had parked their vehicles near the burger spot and were told by the victim it would cost them $20 each. A probable cause affidavit states that the suspect paid $40 but was later told by restaurant staff that Mr Nix did not work for the parking lot, reported NBC News. After allegedly attacking Mr Nix, the suspect told his date he had just scared the victim. But court records state that instead of taking their table the couple left as Mr Aguirre looked uncomfortable. Police say that the suspects date contacted them several days later after officials released a picture of the couple. Police booking photo of Erick Aguirre (Houston Police) She wanted to do the right thing. She wanted to make sure that she came forward and told the police what she knew, Rick DeToto, the womans attorney told KPRC. A witness later told investigators that he had seen Mr Aguirre go to his car, grab a gun and go after Mr Nix. When the men were out of his view he then heard a gun go off. Aguirre in court (KTRK) Mr Nix died later in hospital. The suspect, who lives near Corpus Christi, Texas, appeared in court on Thursday on murder charges. Close 5 killed, including 8-year-old in San Jacinto County, shooter at large Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin 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 US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The FBI has put out a fresh plea for information in the manhunt for Francisco Oropesa, the man accused of shooting dead five people at his neighbours home in Cleveland, Texas. Mr Oropesa has been on the run for nearly four days since the horror attack Friday night and authorities do not appear to be any closer to finding him. In a new appeal for tips on Tuesday, FBI Houston wrote: No information is too small to report. In total, five victims Sonia Argentina Guzman, Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzman, Diana Velazquez Alvarado, Julisa Molina Rivera, and Jose Jonathan Casarez were killed in the attack which began when the family living next door asked Mr Oropesa if he could stop firing his gun because their baby was trying to sleep. The youngest victim, nine-year-old Daniel, was friends with Mr Oropesas son who is about the same age, according to new reports. Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been forced to walk back his comments calling the victims illegal immigrants. The statement sparked a backlash before Mr Abbotts office acknowledged at least one victim may have been in the United States legally. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening 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 Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Watch live as US president Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, vice president Kamala Harris, and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff attend the 2023 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. The annual black-tie dinner had previously been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 as the Covid-19 pandemic forced large gatherings to be put on hold. The president of the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA), Tamara Keith of NPR, told The Hill that demand to attend this years event is painfully high. Im told that it is a good problem to have, but it still feels like a problem because weve had to turn so many people away, she said. She added that the dinner is completely sold out. Comedian Roy Wood Jr. is this year's featured entertainer. Sign up for our newsletters. 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 banishment of transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr from Montana's House floor has showcased the rising power of hard-line conservatives organized under the banner of the State Freedom Caucus Network who are currently leveraging divisive social issues to gain influence in 11 statehouses. In Montana, they led the charge to enshrine a ban on gender-affirming care for minors that the governor signed Friday. In South Carolina, they slowed the budget process this year with failed amendments to punish universities with diversity programs. And in Wyoming, they tried to make certain library books crimes of obscenity. Across the country with varying levels of success, the groups have followed the playbook of the House Freedom Caucus, an eight-year old alliance of GOP conservatives determined to pull Republicans in the U.S. Congress to the right. After debuting on the second anniversary of the January 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol, the Montana Freedom Caucus 21 members over the past two weeks successfully pushed GOP leaders to punish Zephyr, a Democrat, following her statements and actions in support of the transgender community. The dispute brought Zephyr a national stage from which to advocate for transgender issues. Though she's seized the moment and drawn support from the left, her elevated profile could work to the GOPs advantage as Republicans try to paint Democrats as extremists heading into 2024, said University of Montana political analyst Robert Saldin. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a moderate Democrat and farmer, will be up for reelection in a race considered pivotal for control of the Senate. This is what the Freedom Caucus folks wanted, said Saldin. Now Zephyr is the second most well-known Democrat in Montana. To the extent that shes the face of the party in Montana, thats great for the Freedom Caucus. Zephyr's punishment appears unprecedented in Montana. It comes after the state's political landscape careened sharply Republican over the past 15 years, giving the GOP a two-thirds supermajority in the statehouse. That shift sidelined the thinning ranks of Republican moderates and brought to the fore social issues once on the legislative fringe. They like to call us extremists, but we're seeing the extremists on the left take front and center stage here," said Montana Freedom Caucus chairwoman and state Sen. Theresa Manzella. We're getting behind the right issues, the issues that are dear to our hearts and those of our constituency. The caucus and its members also have repeatedly misgendered Zephyr by using the wrong pronouns to describe her. Manzella indicated that will continue. Montana's Republican House Speaker stopped recognizing Zephyr's requests to speak on April 18 after she told colleagues theyd have blood on their hands if they restricted gender-affirming medical care. Days later, Zephyr was ousted from the floor on a party-line vote for the remainder of the session, accused of egging on boisterous demonstrators in the House gallery who had demanded she be allowed to speak. State Rep. Bob Phalen, a Freedom Caucus member and eastern Montana farmer, said the moves against Zephyr capped a session in which the caucus played a key role passing laws banning gender-affirming care for minors and restricting the dissemination of pornography. The group now includes one-fifth of statehouse Republicans and Phalen said he expects it to grow with the addition of freshman lawmakers whose votes aligned with Freedom Caucus priorities and will thereby earn entry. Phalen, like others in the caucus, described this week's disruption on the House floor as a riot or insurrection employing the same language that's been used for the Jan. 6 siege by supporters of Donald Trump. The State Freedom Caucus Network is the brainchild of Republican strategist Andy Roth and U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, who in the lead-up to the 2020 election devised expanding the House Freedom Caucus model to the states. The network uses House Freedom Caucus members to establish state-level affiliates, with congressmen including Biggs, U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina informally advising lawmakers in their states hoping to create a pipeline of conservative lawmakers to higher office. Each backed Trump's false statements about fraud in the 2020 election. Since its founding, the national network has supported Republican primary candidates with modest funds for attack ads in at least one state, but it's primary function has been to advise lawmakers on policy and strategy, Roth, the network's president, said. The state-level strategy mirrors that of the House Freedom Caucus, which led the GOP rebellion against U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy s bid for Speaker in January, extracting major concessions from leadership and coveted committee assignments. Were trying to expose the hypocrisy that is going on in every state, especially in red states," Roth said. Liberal Republicans are going to the voters and saying, Im conservative. Elect me to the Statehouse, and then getting there and voting exactly opposite. Biggs, the former Freedom Caucus chair who challenged McCarthy, said freedom caucuses create leverage points to try to advance a conservative cause. Leverage is the key, Biggs said. When I have something you want, and you feel like you need to have it, then you cant get it anywhere else. The majority of the 11 states with caucuses are controlled by Republican governors and Legislatures. Roth said that's by design. The national network advises its state members to be loud against Republicans who have compromised on fiscal and cultural conservative principles, Roth said. Freedom caucuses from Idaho to Pennsylvania have focused on abortion, crime and how race, gender and sexuality are navigated in schools and state offices. Theyve also frequently targeted what Roth called corporate welfare including tax incentives designed to lure Hollywood film productions to Wyoming. The group's rise in Montana follows the departure of lawmakers like former state Sen. Duane Ankney, who was among of a group of moderate Republicans that routinely negotiated with Democrats to break budget impasses. With Montana Republicans now in firm grip of power, Ankney said they no longer need Democratic agreement or even to engage public debate. "Theres people up there that have an agenda, and it doesnt have to do with jobs and the economic health and well being of Montana," said Ankney, who served four terms in the state House and Senate before leaving the Legislature in January. ___ Metz reported from Salt Lake City. Associated Press reporters James Pollard in Columbia, South Carolina, and Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, contributed to this story. 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 }} When Oklahomas newly elected Republican head of public schools campaigned for the job last fall, he ran on a platform of fighting woke ideology in public schools, banning certain books from school libraries, empowering parents with school choice and getting rid of radical leftists he claims were indoctrinating children in classrooms across the state. While the political strategy was successful and Ryan Walters won the race for superintendent of public instruction by nearly 15 percentage points, many expected him to pivot toward more substantive education policy: working with lawmakers to improve education outcomes and overseeing the states largest and most-funded agency. Instead, Walters, a former public school teacher from McAlester, has doubled down on his political rhetoric, focusing his energy on culture-war issues like targeting transgender athletes in schools, banning books and fighting what he calls Joe Bidens radical agenda." In doing so, the 37-year-old political newcomer has frustrated even his fellow Republicans in the Legislature, who have publicly voiced concern about whether Walters can effectively improve public education in Oklahoma, which consistently scores below the national average on most standardized testing and where average scores have declined in recent years. State Rep. Mark McBride, a veteran Republican lawmaker who heads a key education budget committee in the House, said he's disappointed Walters has continued to engage in inflammatory commentary and take advice from his campaign consultant instead of working with lawmakers on policy. If he would come over here and talk to us instead of a political hack, I think it would move the state forward and move education forward, said McBride, who said Walters' recent refusal of an invitation to address a committee hearing was the first time in his 11 years in the House that an agency head had done so. Even Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, who said he considers Walters a friend, said he's turned off by Walters' fiery rhetoric. I wish we could get down into the details of trying to deliver on school choice and a real teacher pay raise, Treat said. In an editorial, the state's largest newspaper, The Oklahoman, called on Walters to end the divisive rhetoric or resign from office. Walters is a strong supporter of a voucher-style plan that would allow parents to use taxpayer money to homeschool their children or send them to private schools, even religious ones. The issue is a major one the Republican-controlled Legislature is considering this year amid bipartisan opposition. But several lawmakers working on the proposal say Walters has had little, if any, input. For his part, Walters said he's got great support in the House and Senate and that he's continuing to work with lawmakers to get some kind of voucher proposal, which he calls school choice, to the governor's desk. Im going to continue to fight for that in both the Senate and the House, and were working closely to get this done, he said. He also proposed a new teacher recruitment pilot program that includes a $50,000 sign-on bonus for new teachers in certain instructional areas who spend at least five years in the classroom. While many public school teachers and administrators fiercely oppose the idea of sending public money to private schools, several who spoke to The Associated Press say they're more concerned about Walters' talking points and his threats to punish teachers. I would say fear is the most poignant emotion that is felt, said Jaime Lee, a ninth-grade U.S. government and history teacher in the Tulsa suburb of Bixby. She said many teachers are afraid of violating a state law approved two years ago that prohibits the teaching of certain concepts of race and racism, commonly referred to as an anti-critical race theory law, which Walters vowed to strongly enforce. Critical race theory, a way of thinking about America's history through the lens of racism that is generally taught at the university level, recently morphed across the country from an obscure academic discussion point on the left into a political rallying cry on the right. Its frustrating as a teacher," Lee said. Those fears were heightened earlier this year when Walters threatened to revoke a Norman teacher's teaching certificate because she provided her high school students with a QR code that linked to the Brooklyn Public Library's section of banned books. Walters also has not shied away from his support of private Christian schools. He even encouraged a state board to approve what would be the nation's first religious charter school, despite an explicit prohibition in the state constitution and the state's Republican attorney general's warnings. After a parent and some ministers raised concerns to the board, Walters dismissed them as radical leftists who hate the Catholic church. (Walters) just could not help himself but interject with very inflammatory, partisan language, said Erika Wright, a mother of two children in public school and the leader of the Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition who spoke to the board. I'm a Republican. I'm not a radical leftist. Walters also has faced criticism for his previous work as Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt's secretary of education, when he had oversight of a program to distribute federal coronavirus relief funds intended for education. A scathing federal audit of the program recommended the state return nearly $653,000 it said families had spent on items like Xbox gaming systems, grills and televisions. Some of Walters' other actions have been seen as petty digs toward educators, like when just a month into the job, he removed portraits of members of the Educators Hall of Fame that had been hanging for decades in the Department of Education building. He replaced them with artwork from students. He also faced criticism for a tweet in December that showed his family posing with a white Santa Claus and said: No woke Santa this year :). Many interpreted the message as a thinly veiled racist response to news stories at the time about a Black Oklahoman who dressed as Santa, although Walters rejected any suggestion the tweet was racist. Despite the controversy, Stitt, who is serving his second term as governor, said he continues to have confidence in Walters. I think hes easy to target, maybe, and I think he has some social media stuff," Stitt said. I know his heart, and his heart is to improve education in Oklahoma and to empower parents. ___ Follow Sean Murphy on Twitter: @apseanmurphy 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 }} Montanas Republican governor Greg Gianforte has signed legislation banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth. Civil rights and medical advocates criticised the bill on Friday, saying it flies in the face of accepted medical practices and harms vulnerable young people. Governor Gianforte is an extremist, and the last thing he cares about is the well-being of transgender kids, Human Rights Campaigns state legislative director and senior counsel Cathryn Oakley said in a statement shared with The Independent. The care he and the legislature have forbidden today is age-appropriate, best practice care supported by the entire American medical establishment care that helps children grow into their full potential, she added. This bill prevents certain kids from getting potentially life-saving health care simply because those kids are transgender and thats discrimination. Montana families deserve so much better. The Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics has described the legislation as an overly broad blanket ban that takes decisions that should be made by families and physicians and puts them in the hands of politicians. The law, which prohibits state employees and property from being part of such care, and contains punishments ranging from medical license suspension to stripped legal and insurance protections for providers, takes effect on 1 October. Medical providers reminded Montanans that gender-affirming care remains legal until the bill is implemented. My bottom line to families is that this care remains legal, Dr Kathryn Lowe, a Bozeman paediatrician and member of the Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told the Montana Free Press. To all the families who are panicking, who are moving, who are listing their houses to sell we have great hope that [SB 99] will never take effect. Senator John Fuller, a Republican representing Whitefish, said in a statement he was glad the bill passed and described the legislation as supporting the health and safety of Montanas children. The legislation, Senate Bill 99, has been the subject of impassioned protests at the state capitol. On Wednesday, conservative lawmakers voted to bar Democratic lawmaker Zooey Zephyr, who is transgender, from debating and casting votes in person at the state House of Representatives for the rest of the session after she fiercely criticised the bill and told her colleagues passing it meant they had blood on their hands. Earlier in the week, seven people were arrested by riot police when peaceful protesters in the House gallery chanted in support of Rep Zephyr, who was denied the right to speak in the legislature for days before ultimately being removed. Advocacy groups including Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the ACLU of Montana have said they will challenge SB 99 in court. At least 15 states have now enacted laws or policies banning gender-affirming care for young trans people, and more than a dozen others are considering similar measures. Court injunctions have blocked bans from going into effect in three states. The US Department of Justice has also intervened in legal challenges to gender-affirming care bans in Alabama and Tennessee. The right to consider your health and medically-approved treatment options with your family and doctors is a right that everyone should have, including transgender children, who are especially vulnerable to serious risks of depression, anxiety and suicide, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division said in a statement on 26 April. More than half of all trans youth in the US between the ages of 13 and 17 are at risk of losing access to age-appropriate and medically necessary gender-affirming healthcare in their home state, according to the Human Rights Campaign. The onslaught of legislation and volatile political debate surrounding the bills has also negatively impacted the mental health of an overwhelming majority of young trans and nonbinary people, according to recent polling from The Trevor Project and Morning Consult. A separate survey from The Trevor Project found that 45 per cent of trans and nonbinary youth have seriously considered attempting suicide over the last year. The results of a wide-ranging survey from The Washington Post and KFF found that a vast majority of trans Americans are satisfied with their lives after transitioning. 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 }} Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to soon announce his bid for US president, failed to make a favourable impression on UK power players during an international trade mission this week, according to reports. The governor and his wife, after making stops in Israel, Japan and Korea, finished the trip in London, where he met with senior business figures at an event hosted by Lloyds, the worlds largest insurance marketplace and where attendees told Politico they found the politicians appearance to be lacklustre and even low-wattage. He had been to five different countries in five days and he definitely looked spent, but his message wasnt presidential, one businessperson told Politico. He was horrendous. Ron DeSantis leaves the Foreign Office in London after meeting Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly (AP) The event was attended by more than 50 representatives of UK firms and business lobbying groups, the outlet reported. Another business figure who called the presidents behavior low-wattage said: Nobody in the room was left thinking, this mans going places ... It felt really a bit like we were watching a state-level politician. I wouldnt be surprised if [people in attendance] came out thinking thats not the guy. Mr DeSantis, however, is believed to be launching his campaign to be the guy next month in a bid to defeat former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. A veteran with a conservative track record and a charismatic, former journalist wife, the Florida father-of-three is seen by many within Republican circles as less polarising than the 45th president. Opponents, however, gloated over the muted UK response to DeSantis. The reviews are in from DeSantis trip to Britain and they are absolutely brutal, anti-GOP group MeidasTouch tweeted to its one million followers, quoting the Politico story and its criticisms from one attendee that the governor looked bored and stared at his feet. DeSantis trip abroad was a complete and utter disaster from start to finish, the tweet concluded. It was the second overseas trade mission of his governorship, organized by the states economic-development agency, Enterprise Florida, and his office told the Miami Herald the trip came at no cost to the taxpayer, though his press secretary provided no details. During the governors first trade mission to Israel in 2019, the paper reported, documents showed that a major source of private funds for the governors previous trade mission in Israel came from 12 private donors, including a donor to the governors political action committee, Friends of Ron DeSantis, the paper wrote. It is unclear whether the financial dynamics will be the same for this years trade mission. DeSantis leaves the Lloyds Bank building in London after a meeting with business leaders (REUTERS) The trip began in Japan, where Mr DeSantis and his wife were joined by Florida Secretary of Commerce Laura DiBella and Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd. The governor then travelled to Israel and Korea before ending the trip in the UK. The mission will build on economic relationships Florida has with each country, and the Governor will meet with business executives and government leaders to discuss ways in which Florida can expand economic partnerships, the governors office said in a release announcing the trip on 20 April. While Mr DeSantis may have come in for criticism at the Lloyds event, he also came under fire for another meeting even thanks to a tweet from his own press secretary. Posting a photo of his boss with Kemi Badenoch, the British Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and a rising star on the right of the Conservative Pary Mr Griffin wrote that Mr DeSantis had met the woman who has been branded by British media as the Anti-woke darling of the right. Two great conservative fighters on mission. Another Twitter user took aim at the photo not for its political content but, cheekily, for its aesthetic. THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM WITH MENS PANTS, tweeted menswear writer Derek Guy, @dieworkwear. DeSantis outfit here illustrates one of the most common problems with pants and the one that requires a bit of know-how to fix. So lets talk about it, he wrote, with the accompanying emoji of a spool of thread and a subsequent Twitter thread about how to achieve properly worn trousers. While the British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted a picture of his meeting with Mr DeSantis soon after it happened, as did Ms Badenoch, the Florida governors account did not immediately post any pictures of his trip to the UK, despite several photos of his trip to Israel being visible. However, a picture of Mr DeSantis with Mr Cleverly was eventually posted on Saturday afternoon. The Independent has reached out to the governors office for comment. Remarks by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen on the U.S. China Economic Relationship at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Good morning, everyone. Dean Steinberg, thank you for your kind introduction. And thank you for your service to our country. Im grateful for your contributions not only during your time in government but here at SAIS. Im particularly glad to be at this institution. SAIS has one of the oldest and most extensive China studies programs in the country. In 1979, the United States established full diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China. Just two years after, your university leaders had their own talks with their Chinese counterparts. The goal was to see whether Johns Hopkins and Nanjing University could partner together to educate future leaders. The result: the establishment of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center in 1986 one of the first Western academic programs in modern China. This collaboration has been tested by the realities and complexities of our bilateral relationship. But I believe the students on this campus have served as a reminder of the respect that the American and Chinese people have for each other. And they demonstrate that people around the world can learn from one another if we communicate openly and honestly even and especially when we disagree. Since I began my career, the relationship between the United States and China has undergone a significant evolution. In the 1970s, our relationship was defined by rapprochement and gradual normalization. I watched President Nixon make his famous journey to China in 1972. And I heard our two countries begin to speak to each other again after decades of silence. In the years that followed, I saw China choose to implement market reforms and open itself to the global economy, driving an impressive rise into the second-largest economy in the world. Its development was supported by assistance from the World Bank and other international economic institutions. And the U.S. Congress and successive administrations played a major role in supporting Chinas integration into global markets. But in recent years, Ive also seen Chinas decision to pivot away from market reforms toward a more state-driven approach that has undercut its neighbors and countries across the world. This has come as China is striking a more confrontational posture toward the United States and our allies and partners not only in the Indo-Pacific but also in Europe and other regions. Today, we are at a critical time. The world is confronting the largest land war in Europe since World War II just as it recovers from a once-in-a-century pandemic. Debt challenges are mounting for low- and middle-income countries. Some nations, including our own, have faced pressures on their economic and financial systems. And a U.N. report released last month indicates that the Earth is likely to cross a critical global warming threshold within the next decade if no drastic action is taken. Progress on these issues requires constructive engagement between the worlds two largest economies. Yet our relationship is clearly at a tense moment. So today, I would like to discuss our economic relationship with China. My goal is to be clear and honest: to cut through the noise and speak to this essential relationship based on sober realities. The United States proceeds with confidence in its long-term economic strength. We remain the largest and most dynamic economy in the world. We also remain firm in our conviction to defend our values and national security. Within that context, we seek a constructive and fair economic relationship with China. Both countries need to be able to frankly discuss difficult issues. And we should work together, when possible, for the benefit of our countries and the world. Our economic approach to China has three principal objectives. First, we will secure our national security interests and those of our allies and partners, and we will protect human rights. We will clearly communicate to the PRC our concerns about its behavior. And we will not hesitate to defend our vital interests. Even as our targeted actions may have economic impacts, they are motivated solely by our concerns about our security and values. Our goal is not to use these tools to gain competitive economic advantage. Second, we seek a healthy economic relationship with China: one that fosters growth and innovation in both countries. A growing China that plays by international rules is good for the United States and the world. Both countries can benefit from healthy competition in the economic sphere. But healthy economic competition where both sides benefit is only sustainable if that competition is fair. We will continue to partner with our allies to respond to Chinas unfair economic practices. And we will continue to make critical investments at home while engaging with the world to advance our vision for an open, fair, and rules-based global economic order. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Former New York City Mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani has said he was expecting the firing of Tucker Carlson by Fox News amid an interview littered with disproven claims. Mr Giuliani, speaking on Thursday to Eric Bolling of Newsmax, heavily criticized Fox, which he said he had a long history with. I was expecting it; I was still shocked shocked by it because hes had, like, about a year or two, year and a half of what I would consider historic and inspired journalism, he said of Carlsons work, particularly citing the hosts coverage and controversial pieces regarding January 6. Taking aim at mainstream media, including Fox News, Mr Giuliani said: Everything were going to see now for the next year and a half can all be answered by: they dont want Trump back. Then he praised the proliferation of streaming media platforms, adding: I expect to see Tucker with a bigger audience very, very soon on ... any number of online locations. He said it wasnt even so much that Tucker was that much for Trump, he had to become that way. Really, he was laying out the circumstances that show how incredibly crooked they are. I mean, they manipulated January 6; they were more than willing to create the fiction of an American insurrection in order to get rid of Donald Trump. For that, you should probably be thrown out of the country. He claimed that nobodys dead despite four members of the crowd dying on January 6, one police officer dying the following day from a stroke, and several others dying by suicide in the aftermath and insisted particpants were unarmed despite admissions to the contrary. Theyre talking about an insurrection, except an insurrection without a gun. (One rioter who had been armed with a loaded handgun was sentenced to 87 months in prison while another recently admitted to carrying 25 rounds of ammunition.) While Bolling did not correct the claims, he appeared to try to steer the conversation away from January 6 and back to Fox and Carlson. The Independent has reached out to Bolling for comment and Mr Giuliani could not immediately be reached. 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 }} New pictures have been revealed illustrating the tense atmosphere in the White House during one of the most dramatic special operations of the century the killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The pictures were released through a Freedom of Information Act request from The Washington Post to the Obama Presidential Library. Taken by White House photographers during the administration of President Barack Obama, the photographs exhibit the near-palpable tension among Americas top leaders as they watched remotely while US soldiers located and killed the al-Qaeda terrorist. Staffers working on President Obamas address to the nation (Official White House photo by Pete Souza, courtesy Barack Obama Presidential Library, through Washington Post FOIA) The raid took place nine years and almost eight months after hijacked airplanes struck New York Citys World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people in a terrorist attack that nearly brought the world to a standstill. The Bush administration immediately named Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda, the Islamic terrorist organization he co-founded, as the prime suspects. A $25m reward was offered for information leading to bin Ladens capture or death. It took nearly a decade, however, before the US would hunt down the terrorist and exact justice but operations had been ramping up for months before President Obama gave the final order just days before his killing. According to senior administration officials at the time, the president had begun working with the CIA in September 2010 on a set of assessments that led it to believe that in fact it was possible that Osama bin Laden may be located at a compound in Pakistan. Intelligence became more aggressive and pinpointed, and President Obama, in the middle of March, began chairing a number of National Security Council meetings. On 29 April 2011, he gave the final order ro pursue the operation. Days later, the White House cancelled all public tours on 1 May and, as official photographers documented events, Cabinet members and others began crowding into the Situation Room complex. At 1.22p., CIA Director Leon Panetta gave the order to begin the operation; by around 3.30pm, helicopters carrying US special forces were nearing the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where Bin Laden was believed to be. By 4pm, Obamas national security team soon squeezed into the room with the president, the Post reported on Saturday. White House photographer Pete Souza also was in the room, taking pictures with his butt up against a printer. At 4:05 p.m., Souza took the now iconic photo of Obama and his advisers intensely watching the video feed of the raid. A document on the desk remains blurred in the version released by the Obama Library. The Library withheld 307 photos from the Post, describing their contents as national security classified information. The Obama Presidential Library withheld 307 photos from the FOIA response, describing their contents as national security classified information (Official White House photo by Pete Souza, courtesy Barack Obama Presidential Library, through Washington Post FOIA) Bin Ladens body was buried at sea the same day. Hours after his killing, at 11.35pm, President Obama addressed the nation and the world from the East Room of the White House in a televised speech. Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, he said. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body. He continued: Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals whove worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice. Then-President Obama and Vice President Biden engrossed in briefing materials (Official White House photo by Pete Souza, courtesy Barack Obama Presidential Library, through Washington Post FOIA) We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day. The new images which took more than a year to receive after filing the FOIA request, the Post reported reveal an even more intimate glimpse of a deeply significant day of American history. Mr Souza has spoken with similar gravity about the weight of the job of White House photographer, detailing in a 2020 interview the advice he hoped to give to the next person taking up the mantle. Remember what the number-one function of this job is: Its to document for history, he told Fast Company. Youve got to give access to whats happening for the history books. You can make your own decision on whether you want to make any of those public during the administration, but, for history, we gotta make sure we have those images. 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 officials have claimed a Ukrainian drone strike caused a massive fire to erupt at an oil depot in Crimea, in the latest in a series of attacks on the annexed peninsula as Russia braces for an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, said the oil depot was attacked by two enemy drones and four oil tanks had burned down. A third drone was shot down from the sky, and one more was deactivated through radio-electronic means. He said the fire at the citys harbour had been assigned the highest ranking in terms of how complicated it would be to extinguish. However, he reported that the blaze had been contained. Russia said no one was injured in the fire (AP) Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move that most of the world considered illegal. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview this week that his country will be seeking to reclaim the peninsula in the forthcoming counteroffensive. Mr Razvozhayev said the oil depot fire had not caused any casualties and would not hinder fuel supplies in Sevastopol. Ukraine has said it will be seeking to reclaim Crimea (AP) The city has been subject to frequent attempted attacks by drones. Earlier this week, Mr Razvozhayev claimed a Ukrainian sea drone that was intended to attack the harbour had been destroyed, and that another one had blown up, shattering windows in several apartment buildings. The attack on the oil depot in Sevastopol comes a day after Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine, killing at least 23 people. Almost all of the victims died when two missiles slammed into an apartment building in the city of Uman. Children were among the dead, Ukrainian interior minister Ihor Klymenko said on Saturday, adding that 22 of the 23 bodies recovered had been identified. Two women remained missing, Mr Klymenko said. Ukraines military intelligence spokesperson, Andriy Yusov, told the RBC Ukraine news site on Saturday that the oil depot fire was Gods punishment for the murdered civilians in Uman, including five children. Smoke rises following the alleged drone attack in Sevastopol (Reuters) He said that more than 10 tanks containing oil products for Russias Black Sea fleet had been destroyed in Sevastopol, but stopped short of claiming responsibility for a Ukrainian drone attack. The difference between the number of tanks Mr Yusov and Mr Razvozhayev said were destroyed could not immediately be reconciled. Kyiv has declined to publicly claim responsibility for previous attacks on Crimea, though its officials have emphasised that the country has the right to strike any target in response to Russian aggression. Firefighters deployed to extinguish the blaze at the oil depot in Sevastopol (EPA) Meanwhile, Russian forces launched more drones at Ukraine overnight. Ukraines Air Force Command said two Iranian-made self-exploding Shahed drones were intercepted, and a reconnaissance drone was shot down on Saturday morning. Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces shelled the city of Nova Kakhovka, according to Moscow-installed authorities in the Russian-occupied part of southern Ukraines Kherson province. Severe artillery fire had cut off power in the city, the officials said. The Ukrainian-controlled part of the province also came under fire on Saturday. Russian shelling close to the village of Bilozerka killed one person and wounded another, according to the Kherson prosecutors office. 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 }} Pope Francis has met with refugees who fled from Ukraine during the invasion as part of his three-day trip to Hungary. This morning (29 April), the religious leader attended both the Elizabeth of Hungary Church to meet with less-fortunate people, before heading over to the Protection of the Mother of God church, to meet the Greek Catholic community. Yesterday, Pope Francis met nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, encouraging him to keep an open-mind when it comes to refugees, particularly because of the countrys close borders with Ukraine. This is Pope Franciss first trip since he was hospitalized for bronchitis last month, and hell be leading an open-air mass outside parliament tomorrow. Click here to sign up for our newsletters. Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy has expressed his disappointment that the UK is such a long way from being a generous country amid the ongoing refugee crisis. During an appearance on Radio 4s Any Questions?, Lammy referenced the current situation in Sudan, which has left people fleeing for their lives. Its deeply concerning if youre fleeing Sudan... that we have a Home Secretary who would shout with glee as you are flown to Rwanda, he said. I cant wait until we depart from this hostile environment. Sign up for our newsletters. If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offer support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. The sister of late headteacher, Ruth Perry, has insisted Ofsted inspectors should hand over their badges in a bid to stop the education watchdogs reign of terror, which led to the Reading teacher taking her own life. Professor Julia Walters spoke at the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) annual conference, calling for meaningful action against the system. Sign up for our newsletters. A 13-year-old student is being hailed as a hero after he took charge of a bus when the driver passed out, saving his 66 classmates. Dillon Reeves, who attends Carter Middle School in Michigan, wasted no time grabbing the steering wheel and bringing the vehicle to a stop upon hearing the driver radio officials to say she wasnt feeling well, before losing consciousness. To Dillon, its just another day, Reeves step-mother, Ireta Reeves, posted on social media. He has no idea the amount of people who are so proud of him today. Sign up for our newsletters. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The race for the White House is heating up in the US, and you know what that means: its gradually starting to become the UKs problem, too. The first signs of an approaching US invasion have already landed on our shores, as UK foreign secretary James Cleverly hosted Florida governor Ron DeSantis in London, where they apparently discussed the close and important partnership between the UK and Florida. You know, those close and important ties we famously have with the sunshine state. We send them our most obnoxious Disney adults. They send us an annual hamper full of gator meat (I assume). The visit seems to be an early indicator of DeSantiss presumed run for the Republican nomination, as he jockeys for position with former president Donald Trump. Its not surprising that the governor is starting to make these bigger moves, as in recent months his position as party favourite and presumptive nominee has slipped slightly, as early polling suggests that Americans are ready for a heaping second helping of Donald gumbo. Rishi Sunak will be avoiding DeSantis during his visit, with No 10 saying that it is not standard protocol for a prime minister to meet a governor. Its not too surprising that the government would be wary of making too big a play one way or the other when it comes to cosying up to Republican nominees. Remember in 2016 when nobody took Donald Trumps run for president seriously, and then parliament had a serious debate about whether or not we should ban him from the UK for hate speech? And then about a month later it became really clear that he would probably end up being the Republican nominee, and they had to start forming serious diplomatic ties with a man they spent three hours calling a poisonous buffoon? Truly the year that we took satire out behind the barn and gave it the Old Yeller treatment. Its a good thing the government has learned its lesson since then, since if he hadnt been immediately prefigured by Trump then DeSantis might be considered worthy of similar treatment. The governor has received a torrent of criticism since taking the position, largely due to his attitudes towards the LGBT+ community in Florida, including his support of the dont say gay law banning discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity in schools. That isnt even to mention his disastrous mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has ravaged the state due in part to DeSantiss constant pandering to his anti-science base, including promoting hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin as methods to combat the virus, withholding pay from school board members requiring masks, and offering unvaccinated cops $5,000 to relocate to Florida. Hes also being sued by Disney for allegedly violating the companys constitutional rights after state officials blocked a development deal for a new theme park, which is such a quintessentially American sentence that its making me hungry for apple pie and some of that gator meat. I guess Trump isnt the only Donald that DeSantis has to fear at the moment. With all that to consider, its honestly a wonder that even Cleverly hosted him. Its one thing to host a volatile politician when you know they might be president soon, but doing so when he hasnt even announced his intention to run feels like jumping the gun a little bit. He should change his name to James not-so-Cleverly. Im not going to check, but I think I might be the first person to ever make that joke. With the current state of world politics, the UK already has enough demagogues to cosy up to as part of the normal diplomatic course of operations (with Rishi Sunaks endorsement by far right Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni being the most recent embarrassment). The last thing we need to be doing is hosting somebody who may not even win, and is being taken to court by Mickey Mouse. The UK has already built a reputation for itself as the Florida of Europe. Lets not reinforce that view by buddying up with the ultimate Florida Man. 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 }} Woke capitalism? Bring it on! In fact, we need more of it. But perhaps we should first define woke. This has come to mean anything we dont like. It now encompasses everything from the censorship of books (Im not a fan), to applying trigger warnings to them and to movies (ditto), to doctors treating their patients like adults, which Im fully in support of. No, Im not kidding with that one. A report by a pair of doctors advocating for better communication with patients led them to be branded woke medics. The aspect of wokeness that Im prepared to defend is defined by three letters: ESG that is environment, social and governance. ESG or woke investing can involve screening companies for their behaviour on these three issues, as certain funds do. But it also encompasses big money managers using their voting power to nudge companies into behaving better. That is, apparently, is enough to put them on the right thinking naughty step. Or worse. Writing for Unherd, John Masko branded ESG as nothing less than a threat both to shareholder capitalism and American democracy. Crikey! Thats bad! Now, I want to stress that Im not trying to demonise Masko, much less cancel him. Im sure hes a perfectly nice chap. His piece was simply the first I found giving voice to the fierce backlash that has emerged against ESG; so fierce that Larry Fink, the boss of BlackRock, the worlds biggest investment house, was moved to take shots at the ugly and personal attacks against it (and him) at the World Economic Forum. It might just be me, but Davos, a posh ski resort where the world government of money gathers to pretend to care about stuff, was probably not the best place for him to do that. The best of it is that BlackRock, the particular subject of Maskos ire, isnt even very woke as regards ESG. It is by American standards, sure. But its the UK and Europe that have led the charge. Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), the biggest money manager in Britain, is one of ESGs most prominent exponents. Does this mean the organisation, which manages a number of popular stock index tracker funds, is doing us all down? Sacrificing our returns so its well-paid fund managers can pat themselves on the back and feel good about themselves? Well, no. Lets start with the G, governance, which is probably the easiest to justify paying attention to, at least so far as those subscribing to Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Freidmans oft quoted doctrine that the social responsibility of business is solely to increase profits for shareholders. Well-governed companies, with strong and effective boards capable of properly scrutinising corporate executives, do that best. They deliver for their customers and their shareholders, and they avoid getting into messy scandals. Look back at the corporate failures of the last 20 years. Youll find that governance failures are at the core of a disproportionate number of them. Royal Bank of Scotland, which British taxpayers cost billions, is a classic example. Sure, it obeyed the forms. But its board was weak. Its non-executive directors failed to properly oversee the banks bosses. They swore fealty to an overmighty CEO and the thing would have hit the rocks were it not for a multibillion pound taxpayer bailout. Good governance matters. Here endeth the lesson. The Social part of ESG is that perhaps what most rouses the ire of its critics. But if you look at the regular series of reports on, say, diversity at the top of companies by McKinsey, there is a marked correlation between this and improved corporate performance which has only increased over time. The business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) is stronger than ever, said the famously hard-nosed management consultancy, which is about as far from woolly wokery as its possible to get. Its all about the returns, baby. As for the environmental part of it sigh, do we really need to go there? Do we really need reiterate the devastating impact climate change is going to have on the worlds economy and, thus, investment returns? The ruinous costs of (increasingly common) extreme weather events? The negative effect on employees health? The dangerous consequences of the consequent loss of biodiversity? Investing in a low carbon future will protect corporate profits and shareholders returns. And jobs. Failing to do so will destroy them. And the planet we live on. If the sole social responsibility of a business is to increase profits for its shareholders, then that business had best pay attention to ESG, because its shareholders will otherwise suffer. It is curious to me that capitalisms noisiest defenders struggle with that. Capitalisms biggest fans seem determined to trash the best way to generate capital. Its a funny old world. The rest of us should attention to the likes of LGIM, whose people I have talked to at length. The case they make for ESG, which they expound upon in a report published earlier this week, is quite compelling. And theyll be putting their votes to work with that in mind over the next few months. To the benefit, needless to say, of those who invest with them. Irishman Alan Joyce to step down from top job at Qantas as it appoints first female CEO When SpaceX's rocket Starship blew up shortly after take-off last week, questions rose about safety, intentions, and consequences. While company PR posed the vehicle's "rapid unscheduled disassembly" as immaterial to the technical success of the test launch before it, residents had already expressed their disagreement with the launch and its possible environmental impact. "SpaceX routine operations and testing are already destroying wildlife refuges and sacred lands of the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas and are threatening Rio Grande Valley communities with explosion risks. In addition to these accumulating impacts, the launch of the new massive Starship Super Heavy itself will increase the size and scale of SpaceX's already damaging impacts on nearby communities, wildlife, and the environment. For years, Rio Grande Valley residents have been outspoken about SpaceX cutting off access to the beach from local families, preventing the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe from accessing sacred lands for ceremonies, destroying more than 60 acres of wildlife habitat for threatened and endangered species, and threatening public safety with rocket shrapnel blown into fishing spots and the community." Now that the spaceship blew itself to smithereens, perhaps as a result of Musk's impatience and infantile sense of humor, it seems that the particular details of SpaceX's operation are hidden behind the secured veil of non-disclosure agreements. Maybe Martin Hench from Cory Doctorow's new novel Red Team Blues can help crack the case. As reported by Texas Public Radio, "Texas Public Information Act (TPIA) requests reveal that not only have public entities in Cameron County signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with SpaceX, but those entities have also sought to keep those NDAs private despite ongoing relationships with the company. Two NDAs, one signed by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in April 2020 and another by the Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) in March 2017, were released only after the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in Texas ordered them to become public. The city of Brownsville is currently fighting the release of any SpaceX-related NDAs. Cameron County previously acknowledged the existence of an NDA with SpaceX. However, that NDA was never released and has since disappeared." Maybe the NDA was in the rocket? What is he hiding? Consumers have been warned to be alert after the Central Bank singled out eight firms advertising loans without authority to operate in Ireland. It also told investors to avoid another firm that is fraudulently representing itself as an entity licensed to do investment business in this country. Eleven warning notices were issued by the regulator yesterday, indicating that illegal entities are stepping up their activities here. There are fears these firms are not interested in issuing legitimate loans or investing money on consumers behalf, but are instead intent on defrauding people. Financial adviser John Lowe warned consumers to be alert. When you are dealing with any financial advisory firm, you should get terms of business telling you who they represent and what they charge. If you do not get that, avoid the firm like the plague, he said. Mr Lowe, author of the Money Doctors 2023 personal finance guide, said consumers would have statutory protections only if they dealt with firms regulated by the Central Bank. It is a criminal offence for an unauthorised firm or person to provide financial services in Ireland that would require an authorisation under the relevant legislation, which the Central Bank is the responsible body for enforcing. Eight operations posing as authorised lenders have been named by the Central Bank. These firms are advertising loans in Ireland, but they do not have authorisation from the Central Bank as a retail credit firm, which is the designation used to indicate a licensed lender. They include Ronnie Finance Limited, which the regulator said was operating as a retail credit firm without authorisation. It has cloned the legitimate details of a Central Bank authorised firm and was operating the website, ronniefinance.ltd. Other firms with no authorisation to issue loans include Greenacres Macro Finance, MB Finance Services, Nolly Funding, Greg Refinancing Loan Offer, Asia Loan Company Ltd, Financial Service Offer/Dr James Eric Finance Pvt Ltd and Housing Finance Limited. Starling Car Insurance has been operating as an insurance/reinsurance intermediary in the absence of appropriate authorisations. The Central Bank said Mynet-Coin (UK, Germany) had been operating as an investment firm in the absence of appropriate authorisations. What the regulator said was a fraudulent entity calling itself Legal & General Investment Managers (Europe) Limited and fraudulently representing itself as LGIM Managers (Europe) Limited, which is an entity legitimately authorised by the Central Bank has been claiming to be an investment firm in the absence of authorisation. The regulator said: In this instance, the fraudulent entity cloned a legitimate Central Bank authorised entity in order to deceive consumers. The scam entity reached out to consumers via email seeking to sell fake investments. It is touting what it calls Legal & General Fixed Term Bond Prospectus 2023 and Legal & General Green Future Bond Prospectus 2023. The Central Bank said fraudsters were increasingly using legitimate firms details to add an air of legitimacy to their fraud. This typically involves the firm cold-calling members of the public. The fraudsters will borrow some or all of the legitimate information of an authorised firm. They may quote authorisation numbers and links to seemingly legitimate websites and even provide the real address of an authorised firm. A list of unauthorised firms published to date is available on the Central Banks website. Tech talk: It was not long ago when we were warned that kids glued to videogames would turn into violent, murderous sociopaths. Photo by Ryan J Lane via Getty Getty Images Author Sheila OFlanagan: My grandmother and her life suddenly got into my head Shes made a career out of telling the stories of modern Irish women but after 30 novels, Sheila OFlanagan has written her first piece of historical fiction. Here, she talks about being inspired by her grandmothers life, the next generation of Irish female writers and finding out what men really think about her books... Sheila O'Flanagan's latest book is inspired by her grandmother. Picture: Steve Humphreys Tanya Sweeney Sat 29 Apr 2023 at 03:30 Sarah Gilmartin: #Me Too fatigue? Its been five years. Come back in 500 The Limerick author on cooking, Dominic West and Service, her new novel about consent and inflated egos in the world of upmarket restaurants Author Sarah Gilmartin. Photo by Gerry Mooney Sophie Grenham Sat 29 Apr 2023 at 03:30 #TAGME made from plastic colour samples for various plastic objects theyve used over 2,500 tags, handsewn together. Designers are Eva Donlon, Evie Nugent and Meabh O'Shea of Moate Community School, their teacher is Pamela Keogh. They were inspired by the artist Missoni. Picture: Ken Byrne Red Hot Raven made from plastic bottles, old clothes hangers and recycled cardboard, inspired by the harm done to wildlife and birds by the dumping of plastic into the ocean. Designers are Ella Morley, Elizabeth Burcovski and Sinead ONeil of Ballyhaunis Community School, teacher is Colm Caulfield. 'Creating a makeup brand has always been a dream of mine. To see how far weve managed to take the brand in two years is incredible,' said Kash founder Keilidh Cashell Content creator and makeup artist Keilidh Cashell has said its important not to focus on numbers when trying to grow a social media following. The Monaghan native, who has amassed nearly three million followers on TikTok and nearly 500,000 on Instagram, is best known for her creative makeup tutorials and viral videos. As humans, when it comes to numbers, its our natural instinct to focus on it because what we do with our self-worth based on numbers, which is a very dangerous thing to do, she told the Irish Independent. Focus on your art, if your main aim is to be the best you can possibly be at your craft, the rest will come. If youre focusing on the numbers, youre focusing on the wrong thing. Whats meant for you wont pass you, Im a big believer in that. Cashell (27) launched her own makeup brand Kash beauty in 2020, which recently made its debut in the exclusive Brown Thomas Beauty Hall. It is available in dozens of outlets across Ireland and has a strong international presence through online sales. I think every makeup artist would say theyd love to have their own makeup brand and for me it came very early on in my career, and I know Im really lucky for that, she said. Thats the opportunity that social media has really given me. Its really exciting, I cant believe this is my world sometimes. I really want to make Kash beauty the brand I always dreamed of and make it as accessible as it can be to everyone around the world. Its insane, I would have a following in the UK and America and when I go into the Kash warehouse and I see places all over the world that were shipping to, its just incredible. Thats the goal, I want people to see Kash as a brand that they really trust in and believe in. Cashell has also joined the Junk Kouture judging panel this year, which returns to Dublins 3Arena on May 4. Billed the worlds largest sustainable fashion competition for young people, the Irish final will see 80 design teams, from post-primary schools across the country, battle it out for one of 10 spots to represent Ireland at the next Junk Kouture world final. The final will be broadcast on RTE 2 and the RTE Player at 7pm on May 18. She will join radio DJ Tara Kumar, fashion designer Stephen McLaughlin and music mogul Louis Walsh as they search for the top 10 designs to represent Ireland at the World Final. Cashell previously made her TV debut as a guest judge on RTEs Glow Up Ireland in 2021. The makeup artist said she is so excited to be a judge and will be keeping her eyes peeled for that extra detail that will elevate any look. I actually relate to Junk Kouture am awful lot because its almost like looking around at everyday items and thinking, what inspires me today, she said. I think thats the creative brain, looking at something and seeing something else. Im really just looking for something that is really going to stand out. Im really excited because I know being around so many creative people and seeing all the love and effort that went in, I know after I finish judging Im going to go away so inspired. I think its going to be a really amazing experience. Limited tickets to the Dublin city final are available on Ticketmaster. Invented by two students 20 years ago, this eclectic genre that involves speeding up popular songs from Beethoven to Lady Gaga has experienced a slow-burn rise to the mainstream Its not completely unheard of for a trend in the music industry to take time to ignite, but nobody could have expected the touchpaper on nightcore to burst into flames over 20 years after its Norwegian originators first dabbled in it. But what is nightcore, and why has it suddenly gained a new audience? If you were to hazard a guess, youd probably veer towards it being associated with heavy rock or metal. In fact, nightcore is essentially a subgenre of trance music, with a few not-so-subtle differences: for the most part, songs are sped-up versions of well-known songs (an average of 35pc faster) and are often accompanied by anime artwork. If youve ever accidentally played a 33rpm record on a turntable at 45rpm speed, thatll give you some idea of what to expect: a very fast song with vocals like a cartoon chipmunk that has got into the sugar stash. Nightcores roots can be traced to two students, Thomas S Nilsen (DJ TNT) and Steffen Ojala Sderholm (DJ SOS), from the northern Norwegian city of Alta. Influenced by the high-pitched vocals of songs like The Logical Song by German techno band Scooter, the duo who gave themselves the moniker Nightcore experimented with pitch and tone for a school project in 2001. There were so few of these kinds of artists, they said, we thought that mixing music in our style would be a pleasure for us to listen to. They went on to release five albums but even now, its difficult to track down any of Nightcores back catalogue. Originally distributed amongst family and friends, some of their work would eventually find its way online in the primitive days of filesharing. Nevertheless, they clearly made their mark: by the 2010s, nightcore as a genre was finding its way to larger audiences (including a hugely popular remix of Estonias 2011 Eurovision entry, Rockefeller Street) albeit one that remained online and as a predominantly underground movement. That all changed recently. As with many music trends of the past couple of years (the sea shanty/Wellerman buzz of 2021 was thankfully short-lived), TikTok has proven a significant force in breaking trends, artists or movements in the music biz. When users recreated Jenna Ortegas infamous dance scene from Netflixs Wednesday and set it to a sped-up version of Lady Gagas 2011 song Bloody Mary, it compounded its popularity on the platform. Modern nightcore has strayed somewhat from its original formula and its trance-based roots, but a search of the hashtag #spedupsounds shorthand for the type of sound that nightcore has become synonymous with yields videos with millions of TikTok views. The trend has spread to Spotify, too, where youll find an officially curated Sped Up Songs playlist featuring songs by everyone from SZA to Madonna, to Lana Del Rey and Sam Smith (all Warner Music Group artists) all of them played up to 150pc faster than their normal speed. It may seem strange that these major artists (or their label) arent complaining about their work being significantly altered, claiming piracy violations and immediately issuing takedown notices but with the revenue from millions of monthly streams contributing to their coffers, why would they? A remix is a remix, after all; will we soon be seeing artist-endorsed sped-up versions of songs released in tandem with the original? Stranger things have happened. As it has gained traction over the past year, however, there already seems to be a fork in the nightcore road. This is particularly apparent via that same Spotify playlist; Sped Up Songs, featuring more mainstream-focused tracks that fans are already familiar with, has 1.4 million likes, yet the Spotify-curated This is Nightcore playlist has just 83,000 likes and contains fewer, if any, well-known songs. Youll notice something else about the latter playlist, too; like many of the purists of the genre, it is accompanied by anime artwork, while many YouTube nightcore videos also feature an anime placeholder image instead of a music video. The origin of this pairing has never been fully explained, although there are many theories, including one that points out the simple fact that both nightcore and anime feature high-pitched vocals. Another suggests that the influence of several J-core (Japanese hardcore techno) artists have played a role, or that nightcore has proven popular as a background soundtrack for players of the online game Osu!, which is also heavily associated with anime culture. Despite the division, there is no disputing the fact that there is a nightcore or sped-up version of pretty much any song you can imagine, from (purists, look away now) Beethovens Moonlight Sonata to Bob Dylans The Times They Are A-Changin. Search Nightcore Ireland, meanwhile, and youre faced with a motley assortment of hits: theres a nightcore Irelands Call, a nightcore take on The Wild Rover and even a nightcore version of Irelands latest Eurovision entry, Wild Youths We Are One. TikTok hit: Jenna Ortegas infamous dance scene from Netflixs Wednesday was set to a sped-up version of Lady Gagas 2011 song Bloody Mary. Photo courtesy of Netflix COURTESY OF NETFLIX That same Nightcore Ireland search also throws up another curious result. Many proponents of the genre operate under a pseudonym, and Damo Furlong is no exception. The Kilkenny-based musician is reluctant to share his other name, but he founded the Wexford-based Scauldwave Records and released an album called Nightcore in 2019. Unlike the recent wave of popular songs being sped-up, however, Furlongs tracks were nightcore versions of songs by an act called Whitebois, released on the independent label and now available on Bandcamp. From a purists sense, nightcore derives from classic Eurodance recordings and that genres overlap into hardcore and trance, more traditionally, he explains, but the approach can be used on all kinds of music. Furlong first encountered the genre around 2009, later being introduced to the aforementioned Norwegian duo and particularly their album Caliente. I like how it ends up just being a more intense version of the original work, he says of nightcores appeal. Its not dissimilar to approaches used in old hardcore techno, jungle and gabber where R&B vocals and horror film samples get pitched up and reworked into a track. There is potential for the genre to shift into the mainstream, he says, and in many ways it already has, pointing to the influence hyperpop (a genre closely associated with nightcore) has had on music, via artists like Charli XCX and AG Cook. [But] nightcore that relates more closely to more experimental, harder or niche styles could become more popular, he says, if current trends towards [gaining a] wider understanding of genres like trance, happy hardcore or Eurodance as well as the reference points for those genres increase in public consciousness. There is a niggling sense underneath it all, however, that there is arguably little skill involved in changing the pitch or the speed of a song. Can nightcore proponents really be considered artists? Furlong admits that the genres detractors are correct on that count, at least to some extent. Thats a large part of the appeal, he argues. While there are nightcore releases that pay attention to detail on how songs are selected or sped up to a certain level, its entirely possible to make and release this [type of] music without any evidence of formal skill. But cliched as it might be, I think the Duke Ellington quote, If it sounds good, then its good music, does carry some weight. LATEST | Judge to rule tomorrow on whether to remove herself from Ammi Burkes challenge over unfair dismissal claim Finbar Cafferkey sings at a Shell to Sea rally outside Castlerea Prison for several activists who were imprisoned there A government minister has said Ireland will not take any action against Russian diplomats in this country despite calls for expulsions after what was described as a threatening statement on the death of Irishman Finbar Cafferkey while fighting in Ukraine. Junior minister Kieran ODonnell said that while he agreed with the words of his Fine Gael colleague Charlie Flanagan that the statement warning the Irish Government over supporting Irish people who are fighting for Ukraine was chilling ambassador Yuriy Filatov and other diplomats would not be expelled. The Russian embassy in Irelandhas pointed the finger at the Irish Government and media for the death of Mr Cafferkey, who was killed fighting in Ukraine last week. Mr Cafferkey, a veteran of the Shell to Sea campaign, from Achill Island in Co Mayo, who had fought against Isis in Syria, died fighting against Russian forces near the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which has witnessed some of the heaviest fighting in the Ukraine war in recent months. In a statement on Thursday night, the Russian embassy to Ireland said the Irish Government and media bore responsibility for his death. It said that if remarks made by Tanaiste Micheal Martin meant the Government supported Irish people fighting in Ukraine then Ireland would be the direct participant of the conflict with all the ensuing consequences. "We have noted that on April 28 [the] Tanaiste has expressed his sympathies to the family of Finbar Cafferkey following reports of his death fighting presumably with the Ukrainian military against Russian armed forces. Mr. Martin called him obviously a young man of clear principles, the statement read. Every loss of life is sad and regretful. We do not know who Finbar Cafferkey was, except that for whatever reason he was fighting in a foreign land. We do not know what his principles were. What we do know, though, is that in a very big way it is the Irish Government and media to who bear responsibility for the death of Finbar Cafferkey. It has been the Government and media who have been promoting anti-Russian propaganda, distorting the truth about the conflict in Ukraine, misleading people like Finbar Cafferkey. Now they face the results of their own efforts. The embassy continued: We also do not know if Mr. Martins remarks signify support for the Irish to take part in combat in Ukraine, but we do know that if that is the case, then Ireland would be the direct participant of the conflict with all the ensuing consequences. In response, former justice minister Charlie Flanagan called for the Russian ambassador to Ireland, Yuriy Filatov, to be expelled. "Threatening, intimidating & chilling statement by Russian embassy Dublin. These hostile remarks are unacceptable. Beyond time Ambassador Filatov & his crew were asked to leave our country, the Laois-Offaly Fine Gael TD and chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence wrote on Twitter. Speaking on RTE Radio 1s Saturday With Colm O Mongain, junior minister for local government Kieran ODonnell said however that diplomatic lines must be kept open in order to assist Irish citizens who have made a home in Russia and the surrounding countries. He added that the message has to go out loud and clear that Ireland is a militarily neutral country. We are not politically neutral and we stand firmly behind the Ukranian people, he said. Theyre entitled to defend their borders from the illegal invasion from Russia. We would ask the Russian ambassador and the Russian federation and President Putin to withdraw from Ukraine and go back to the pre-war borders and engage in constructive peace discussions. What the ambassador said was insensitive, more particularly for the family. The statement has been put out by the Department of Foreign Affairs and thats very firmly telling and stating on the record our position. Mr ODonnell added: Russia has carried out an illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine. We have over 70k Ukranian people here who our support is unwavering for them and through our partners in Europe, we stand firmly behind Ukraine. Earlier on Friday, Tanaiste and foreign minister Micheal Martin expressed his sympathies to the family of Mr Cafferkey. Mr Martin said: "My deepest sympathies to the Cafferkey family on the sad passing of Finbar. "He obviously was a young man of clear principles. "Our thoughts and our prayers are with the family today. "I think the family have asked for privacy, I'm not going to comment any further on it at this particular time. I'll allow the family space to grieve what is a very, very sad loss for them." In a statement on Saturday, Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs reiterated the Governments support for Ukraine but said diplomatic ties with Russia would be maintained. "This is in the interests of our own citizens, both in Russia itself and in the five central Asian republics to which Ireland is accredited via our Embassy in Moscow," it added. The Governments position in respect of Russias brutal and illegal aggression against Ukraine is crystal clear, the department said. "Ukraine has a right to defend this attack on its sovereignty and territorial integrity, in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter." Mr Cafferkey, who was in his 40s, had previous combat experience in the Syrian conflict and had been active in the Shell to Sea campaign against the Corrib gas pipeline in his native Mayo. He had travelled to Syria to volunteer with the YPG in their fight against Isis in Rojava. He has been described in online tributes as a "respected activist". A statement on the Shell to Sea group's website said: "We are all heartbroken to hear of the death of our brave friend Finbar, who was guided by the principles of freedom and equality for all. "Heartfelt sympathies to all his family and friends. Rest in peace." He had participated in rallies with the group. Mr Cafferkey's activism on environmental issues, homelessness and migration has also been praised in tributes. Also speaking on RTE on Saturday, People Before Profit TD Brid Smith said she does not believe Mr Cafferkeys death should influence the Irish Governments decision regarding Russia in the future. Deputy Smith, who personally knew the deceased from his campaigning work, said she does not think for one second that he would have been influenced by the political position of the Irish Government. He was a free thinker. I wouldnt agree that we should be encouraging young men and women to go out and fight with those forces. But having said that, I respect his life and his death, she said. Finbar and his family would not like his life and death to be made a political football in this situation. I dont think the Irish Government should use it, and I think the Russian ambassador was way out of order. I believe he owes an apology to the family. Post pandemic, needs of employees have come into sharper focus John Loftus said the support from his boss proved a turning point, and encouraged him to improve his lifestyle. Photo: Gerry Mooney As bad days at the office go, this was one John Loftus would rather forget. But in many ways it changed his life. Kirsty Blake Knox on five news stories you might have missed this week The Little Mermaids live action fish a flop with online observers It was Ariels cute sidekicks that drew the most attention. Remember the cute and cuddly fish Flounder? Or rambunctious crab Sebastian? And of course, there was Scuttle the well-meaning seagull who christened a fork a dinglehopper. Anyway, all those adorable cartoons have been replaced with hyper realistic depictions, and not everyone is happy about it. Online, people asked why Disney had decided to give Flounder some Ozempic the popular weight loss drug. Others suggested he and Sebastian looked as if they were working through deep-seated trauma, were impersonating Steve Buscemi, or had just ingested edible cannabis. I doubt any of those looks are what Disney were going for. Brooklyn Beckham brings heat to the kitchen Self-confessed nutter in the kitchen Brooklyn Beckham has returned with more nuggets of wisdom for foodies. He was making a grilled cheese sandwich with mushrooms, onions and mayonnaise (sacrilege!) . He finished it off by giving it the once-over with a blowtorch that handy kitchen utensil most of us have on standby. The video garnered attention, less for the revolting food, and more because Brooklyn had recorded it while wearing trousers with a hole in the crotch. Online site The Cut asked the important question: how could the marketing team have viewed the video and thought, No notes!? M&S loses its granny pants crown This week theDaily Telegraph announced that Marks and Spencers has officially lost its crown as the home of giant knickers or granny pants. Apparently there has been a boom in the sales of generous drawers. While M&S is still popular with those who favour Bridget Jones style pants big-knicker believers are switching allegiance to a new generation of brands. The paper runs through the reasons why they are increasingly popular; they are sleek or retro, everyday or luxurious and the feminist underwear choice. Oh, and crucially, they are more comfortable than a thong. Company names vetoed by fun police The Sun reported that over 350 saucy business names had been banned in the UK by Companies House officials for being too rude. The bureaucrats were accused in the British press of sucking the fun out of life for vetoing lewd names such as Little Pricks Acupuncture, and decorators Stripped n Well Hung. The real travesty was when a courier service lost the right to use the very relatable title About Effing Time. Robbie Williams says there is no sex after marriage. Photo by Ian West/PA Wire Robbies loving the sofa instead Robbie Williams discussed his sex life or lack thereof this week. Everyone knows there is no sex after marriage, he told the Sun. He said there are times when his wife Ayda turns to him on the sofa, looks at him and utters the erotically charged line We should do sex. And Im sitting there eating a tangerine and just sort of shrug. So, ya know, sometimes we try. Ordinarily you would think this would lead to an almighty row, but last year Ayda said that their sex life was completely dead so clearly they are on the same page. Federal public defenders representing Payton Gendron favor allowing the government to give greater access to evidence collected during the criminal investigation to the families of those he killed and wounded in the May 14 attack at the Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue. Last week, attorneys representing the families told The Buffalo News that their extremely limited access to the evidence has made it difficult for them to prepare lawsuits over the racist massacre that killed 10 people, wounded three people and traumatized a community. Due to a judicial protective order, the civil attorneys say they are only allowed to view the voluminous evidence at a computer terminal at the public defenders' office while in the presence of the office's attorneys. They are barred from copying or recording the material and can't take notes by hand. On Friday, the attorneys for Gendron in his potential death penalty case in federal court filed a motion asking U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder to allow the attorneys for the families to have copies of a large portion of the evidence. That would involve amending the protective order to allow the attorneys representing victims' families access to "non-sensitive discovery material" described as "just the forensic images of Payton Gendrons three digital devices, namely his cellphone, laptop, and desktop computers, as well as any 'social media data' defined to include Payton Gendrons computer files, text messages, emails, and social media accounts, and discovery related to his activities on various social media platforms," the motion filed by MaryBeth Covert, Sonya A. Zoghlin and Anne M. Burger said. "All other discovery would remain fully subject to the current protective order," the three public defenders wrote. The civil attorneys would still be subject to the protective order about releasing the documents to third parties. Gendron's defense attorneys reiterated their client is prepared to plead guilty to federal charges and agree to a sentence of life imprisonment if the federal government decides not to pursue the death penalty against him. "At that point, any concerns regarding the integrity of the governments prosecution would no longer apply," his attorneys said in the motion filed Friday. "Until that time, the constraints on further disclosure mean there is no reason not to at least allow the victims legal teams greater access to the limited discovery required to pursue any additional civil remedies that may arise from the circumstances of this case." Gendron pleaded guilty to all state charges against him and was sentenced in February to spend the rest of his life in state prison without the possibility of parole. At his sentencing, his attorneys in the state case said they would not object to evidence from the case being shared with the victims' families. In court papers, the U.S. Attorney's Office said the protective order "would protect the privacy of 'family members of the deceased, survivors of the attack, and eyewitnesses to the attack,' ensure a fair trial and allow those involved in the federal case to share material with those involved in the state case, which is now over. In court papers, the U.S. Attorney's Office said the material collected is "voluminous" and some of it is "sensitive, graphic and private." Attorneys John V. Elmore and Terrence M. Connors have announced plans for lawsuits that could be filed against gun and body armor manufacturers as well as social media platforms. "We appreciate that his lawyers have filed this motion," said Elmore, who represents three of the families. "It's a common sense motion. Gendron has accepted responsibility and he is never going to see the light of day. But there are other dangerous actors out there that need to be stopped. That's what the lawyers like me and Terry Connors are trying to do." During the weekend of May 14, a series of remembrances are scheduled for the one-year mark that claimed the lives of Celestine Chaney, Roberta A. Drury, Andre Mackniel, Katherine Massey, Margus D. Morrison, Heyward Patterson, Aaron Salter Jr., Geraldine Talley, Ruth Whitfield and Pearl Young. Cian, an engineering student in University College Cork, is believed to have travelled to Ardmore with a group of friends for a swim during a break from his studies. A young student who died in a drowning accident on Friday afternoon has been named locally. Cian Nugent (21) from Old Parish near Dungarvan in County Waterford, was with a number of people who got into difficulty in the sea at Whiting Bay in Ardmore at around 1.30pm on Friday. The 21-year-old was part of a group swimming 150 meters out to sea at Whiting Bay in Ardmore when they got into difficulty. Cian, an engineering student in University College Cork is believed to have travelled to Ardmore with a group of friends for a swim during a break from his studies. Local Councillor in Old Parish, Cllr Seamus ODonnell said that the tight-knit community is in total shock at the tragedy. I extend my sincere sympathy to Cians family. Locals described Cian "as a gentleman who often returned home from college to help out on the family farm at weekends.. A member of the public raised the alarm and Youghal RNLI launched its inshore lifeboat at 1.25pm and the Irish Coast Guard rescue helicopter was dispatched from Waterford. Gardai and emergency services responded, and the Coast Guard rescued three people from the water - the other two left safely. However, one of the men taken from the water, the man in his early 20s was pronounced dead after being brought by air ambulance to Cork University Hospital. The lifeboat began a search for the third swimmer and he was located in the water by Youghal RNLI. In a statement from the RNLI, a spokesperson said: "Youghal RNLI was requested to launch its inshore lifeboat at 1.25pm following a request by the Irish Coast Guard to go to the aid of three swimmers thought to be difficulty 150m from the shore in Whiting Bay near Youghal Harbour. "The alarm was raised by a member of the public. "Two of the swimmers subsequently made it to shore unaided and the lifeboat began a search for the third swimmer. "The Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 117 from Waterford was also tasked along with the Coast Guard shore units from Youghal and Ardmore. "Youghal RNLI located the casualty and brought them onboard the lifeboat. The casualty was then airlifted by helicopter and transferred to Cork University Hospital." "The young man was airlifted to Cork University Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The retiring CEO of the ITAA believes the role of the travel agent isnt going anywhere Can you imagine travelling in a world without your phone, Ryanair or Google? Where you packed travellers cheques, rolls of film and flew on airlines where smoking was permitted and in-flight meals and bags were free? Everything was handwritten, says Pat Dawson, recalling the pre-internet travel industry. The tickets came in a big perforated roll of thousands, and you pulled them off. Forget travel apps or mobile wallets. Piles of paperwork were painstakingly compiled into actual wallets (a fat piece of material) handed to passengers. I called Pat this week because its his last on the job. More than 50 years since he began printing off those tickets, he is retiring as CEO of the Irish Travel Agents Association. His son Paul will continue to run Dawson Travel in Cork. Ive called many times for quotes and insights, but this time asked for his parting thoughts on a career that has spanned a half-century of head-spinning change. A career that began when Concorde was the future of travel, the Twin Towers stood tall in the New York skyline, we wrote postcards to send home and Airbnb or Airbus A380s didnt exist. A Joe Walsh Tours (JWT) catalogue from 1972 His first foray into travel was at Carlow Regional College, where he set up a USIT office issuing J1 visas, Pat says. He went on to join Joe Walsh Tours in the 1970s, rising through the ranks when package holidays were bringing the first affordable sun holidays to the masses (I would call them regular folk who joined the JWT set, he says). He also sold Lourdes pilgrimages. Its a very holy place, but the pilgrims had as good a time as the people in Santa Ponza. When he opened Dawson Travel in 1991, Ryanair had billed itself as Europes first low-cost airline, but with no website and just a handful of planes. He agrees that our era of budget airlines and ancillary charges has since brought travel to the masses, but the from price mindset continues to irritate him. People have a bigger choice, yes. The early first 10 seats are at appealing prices. But if you leave it late, Spain can cost you 500-600. Ryanair's Michael O'Leary in 2002. Photo by Etienne DE MALGLAIVE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images As Pat departs, prices feel higher than ever. In part, he puts that down to Covid, the ramifications of which will surely ripple through travel for years. It was an awful, awful time, he says. Not alone were we losing people, but we were losing companies and jobs. But things would have been far worse without government supports, he adds. The travel industry has to pay respect for those. It may have been the worst, but Covid wasnt the only crisis of Pats career. Foot and mouth, 9/11 and the Icelandic ash cloud, when he had two charters of Munster supporters in France, were just three others. But he is philosophical about that: It could be a banking crisis, diseases, airline chaos, warfare... everything affects travel. Pat with his wife, Cynthia Of course, there were many great moments too. In 2015, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Civil Merit at the behest of His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain, for his work towards strengthening relations between Ireland and Spain, particularly in the area of tourism. Pat wraps up his last weeks work in a world now absorbing AI, but he reckons that travel agents like him will be around for some time to come, be it for corporate or specialist travel, high-budget trips, or simple expertise. I think people want a bit of care. They want a bit of advice... Theres still a cohort that want to be on the phone and talk to human beings. "The industry has certainly changed dramatically, but they will always be there. It would be naive of the Biden camp to simply assume they could beat Donald Trump again. Photo: Charles Krupa / AP AP US president Joe Bidens decision to run again for the White House could not be described as a surprise. He had dropped lots of hints, not least as he left these shores at the end of his very upbeat visit. Sudan is subject to multiple crises and the situation has recently considerably worsened with the outbreak of civil war, which has left hundreds of people dead and many more injured. France, like other partner countries, has called on the parties involved to stop the fighting and to resume a political dialogue in the interest of the people of Sudan. Because of the deteriorating situation, France has joined a co-ordinated effort by European Union member states and partners to ensure an effective evacuation operation of EU and other citizens. Thanks to its military capabilities, France has ensured an air-lift of 538 people, of whom 209 are French nationals and 46 Irish citizens, and citizens of 41 other countries from Africa, North America and Asia. Furthermore, a French navy frigate has also assisted the United Nations in Port Sudan and evacuated by sea 398 people, of which five are French citizens with more than 50 from other countries including the US and Canada. The evacuation is a prime example of the benefits of European co-operation and strategic autonomy. The French army was able to ensure the security of Khartoum Airport so that flights could leave in the safest possible conditions before Germany took over this responsibility a few days later. The operation was led collectively by France, Spain, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, along with other EU member states, and it showed true European co-operation. The excellent work between the French and Irish diplomatic services also helped ensure the swift evacuation of Irish citizens. All of this took place in the context of the ongoing EU co-operation in political and operational areas, and in the framework of the EU strategic compass an ambitious plan of action adopted last year which aims to strengthen EU security and defence policy by 2030. France was in a position to offer its help to partners, thanks to its assets in the region and thanks to the support of the authorities of Djibouti and Saudi Arabia. In another crisis and in another region, it may have been a different EU member state which would have taken the lead in this way. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Irelands membership of the EU. Irish, French, European and non-European leaders have often rightly underlined that Irelands path since its EU accession is a real success story. We all hope the situation can be resolved peacefully, but looking ahead, the EU must continue to work together on the international stage, including in the area of security and defence, for the benefits of its citizens. Vincent Guerend is the French Ambassador to Ireland Twitter spat over toilet designation at this weeks transgender conference in Killarney. Treyvaud tweeted the story in this week's The Kerryman regarding the Killarney Conventions Centre's decision to create gender-neutral bathrooms. Celebrity chef Paul Treyvaud is reporting a rise in business ever since he tweeted that those with a penis are not allowed use the ladies bathroom in his restaurant. The owner of Treyvauds Restaurant in Killarney referred to a story in The Kerryman newspaper regarding the Killarney Convention Centre's decision to change the male and female toilet status to gender neutral. This was done at the request of the European Professional Association for Transgender Health (EPATH) who held its annual conference in Killarney this week. However, the outspoken chef took umbrage with the decision and tweeted a clear directive stating that his restaurants toilets would not be changing the male and female designation under any circumstances. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The tweet has since caused a storm of controversy between those at opposite ends of the gender debate. Treyvaud tweeted a screenshot of The Kerryman article on Wednesday, saying: Call me old fashioned but youre not allowed to use the ladies toilet in our restaurant if you have a penis. The tweet generated thousands of likes and hundreds of comments, for and against his views. One reply accused Treyvaud of being bigoted on transgenderism, while others praised the chef and thanked him for being brave enough to oppose what is a divisive issue in the public domain. On Friday night, Treyvaud again tweeted to say his stance against gender-neutral bathrooms had been good for business: Who knew a tweet about a penis could fill your restaurant!! incredible altogether. 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 One of the many replies encouraged Treyvaud to keep speaking up [as] the world needs more truth, while others promised to visit his business when next in Kerry. Its not the first time Treyvaud has been outspoken on contentious issues. He was the most vocal opponent of certain aspects of social distancing laws during the COVID pandemic when claiming they would impact the hospitality sector. The bid to host the 2023 EPATH Conference in Killarney was secured by Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) and it is the first time a venue in Ireland has hosted it. EPATH was founded a decade ago to combine the knowledge, skills and scholarship in transgender health at a European level. The organisation called Genspect also staged its three-day conference in Killarney to coincide with the EPATH event. Genspect say it is an international organisation providing support for individuals and families impacted by gender distress. Earlier this month Redden and husband Rob Kearney met with US president Joe Biden when he visited Ireland Pharmacist Jess Redden has opened up on her pregnancy with husband Rob Kearney, saying she is happy to be living in a baby bubble since announcing the news earlier this year. Redden was speaking on Instagram while taking part in a Q & A session with followers. She described herself as being grateful and lucky after discovering she was pregnant after being asked if she felt anxious about having a baby. She also joked that fans should ask her again in two months after I have changed my perspective and that she is feeling little kicks. Jess said she feels 'lucky' to be pregnant Earlier this month Redden and Kearney met with US President Joe Biden when he visited Ireland. Kearney has previously met with the President in the US, and is a distant cousin of the so-called leader of the free world. Jess shared the photos with her Instagram followers saying it was a day to remember. Speaking of her pregnancy, she explained: I suppose I havent started to worry too much about whats to come and Im just living in this baby bubble I once thought Id never experience and just so grateful to be here. Im lucky I have so many sisters and friends who can share their stories with me and when the time comes Im sure my body will do everything it needs. When asked by a fan what the best bits of being pregnant were, Redden said she felt empowered and was able to say no and cancel plans. Rylan Clark described being delayed at Euston as chaos and offered anyone that will cuddle him 50 on social media following his trip. (Ian West/PA) Ian West Rylan Clark described being delayed at Euston as chaos and offered anyone that will cuddle him 50 on social media following his trip. The 34-year-old TV personality, who will be among the presenters providing coverage of Eurovision for the BBC in Liverpool, was presenting his Radio 2 show Rylan On Saturday in London ahead of travelling by train. Customers at Euston were also previously warned that some journeys over the bank holiday weekend could be delayed. The station is being closed on Sunday as the engineering works are done by Network Rail, which could cause hours worth of delays as a bus shuttle service is provided to Bedford so passengers can catch London-bound trains into St Pancras railway station. At around 6pm, Clark wrote: All trains suspended at Euston you cannot be serious. This is how I perish. 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 He then provided updates on his social media of fans who screamed Rylan at the top of their voice when they saw him at the station, befriending a person who returned from Japan to take the train to Birmingham and friends that he had made while waiting. Clark, who stepped down from Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two this month, added: The train has been declared Declassified. No drinks. No good. No seats. Nothing matters anymore. A lady has give me a pornstar martini. This could be the end. God speed x. 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 further post to Twitter came at around 9pm in which he said: I will give 50 to anyone that will cuddle me at the end of this experience, preferably throughout the night. Clark also said he hoped Gavin & Stacey actress Sheridan Smith also known for The Royle Family, Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet of Crisps and Jonathan Creek will play him in the TV drama about his journey. At 10.39pm, Clark shared a video saying he had got to his hotel room where the former The X Factor contestant found a karaoke machine along with a card from Eurovision which is being held in Liverpool. Our fashion editor rounds up the latest style news and fashion trends Shes back! After a busy period of mothering three sons under the age of three, designer Emma Manley is releasing her first full collection in years and its a stunner. Back are the metallic leather tops in a thrilling range of colours, including bleached gold, bronze, bubblegum pink, champagne, cobalt, green, lilac and old silver. And Manley has explored new shapes, as seen in a metallic leather hooded jacket and trousers. Between learning the ropes of motherhood, the juggle of keeping your one-woman business alive and thriving, and Covid, its been quite a ride, says Manley, who started her brand 13 years ago. During the pandemic, she worked on one-off Manley Bride orders from hardcore fans. 'Parker' tee and 'Parker' skirt It was only when I had my boys that I could honestly say that my old measure of success was not what I wanted anymore, and so I started implementing changes. I am no less ambitious, I am no less driven, Im just more clear on what success now looks like. Is Manley a success story? Damn right it is! I just needed to reframe how I saw it. Its about balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship perspective and redefining success. 'Stella' bomber in cobalt I think it will be the Parker leather tee (275) in a myriad of transeasonal colours that will set fans hearts beating faster, along with a mini skirt (275) by the same name. A big crowd-pleaser will surely be the oversized Stella longline hooded bomber jacket (450), while a Stella tee features an exaggerated sleeve. The Zoey bomber (350) in wool and cashmere with leather detailing on the shoulders also stands out. Courtney Smith styled the shoot in Dublin. The collection has a two-tone Blair skirt (325) with diagonal pewter and silver leather across the front. Trousers by the same name come in pewter and also in old silver with elasticated waist and leg cuffs (395). 'Stella' bomber in pewter, 'Parker' tee in pewter, and 'Blair' skirt in pewter Manley only uses sustainably produced leather and says, I use every last piece of each skin, no wastage. I outsource my manufacturing to self-employed women (and mothers) in Ireland who are women like me, working from home for a fair wage, and also to a family-run third-generation factory in Italy, which, again, pays a fair wage. Its a brilliant comeback collection. Take a look onmanley.ie. Pack lighter Im a huge fan of Niamh Gillespie and the Tidings brand the Co Louth woman has built up, with gorgeous scarves of all sizes with striking, original prints. For her SS23 Aloha summer silks collection which launches this weekend, Gillespie was inspired by the idea of packing one essential item that can carry you through any trip, Silk/cotton scarf from tidings.ie There are three different styles including new silk/cotton pieces in her bestselling prints like Bloom with Grace and Femme & Fierce in Henri Rousseau-esque shades, and there really is no better response to hot climes than smooth, cooling silk. Gillespies silk/cotton scarves are made in a 73pc cotton/27pc silk blend, measure 100cm x 185cm and cost 219. Her oversized rectangular silks are designed to be multifunctional and transeasonal, and they can be worn as a bandana, a bandeau or a sleek handbag. She also has new statement silk squares and silk twilly designs. tidings.ie French baskets Catherine Moore is a total Francophile and, during her maternity leave in Limerick, she set up her website, thesparkleatelier.net. Moore has been selling French Market Bags and, this week, she launched three new styles, all with leather straps and handwoven from palm-tree leaves. Small and large French Market Bags from The Sparkle Atelier Theres a small and large basket costing 95-139, and my favourite is a third style, with a luxe-look exterior leather flap pocket (139). French Market Bag with leather pocket These prices include complimentary personalisation with initials, and I really like how each basket comes with a zipped enclosure making it less likely to lose things that can be removed easily for washing. thesparkleatelier.net Prints galore The latest chapter in the very popular Orla Kiely X Regatta Great Outdoors collaboration launches next week on May 3. There are three new prints this season. The range includes swimwear with classic V-front (50), a scuba long-sleeve zip-up top (100) with matching towelling dresses (60), flip flops (25), sliders (40), and mini and midi dresses (70-100). A selection of dresses costing 70-80 from the new Orla Kiely X Regatta Great Outdoors collaboration Welly fiends will, I suspect, love the printed high wellies (100) and the ankle-length ones (80) which, in turn, match with waterproof jackets (160). Orla Kiely 'Daisy Black ' pop-up tent, sun dress (70), flip flops, 25, chair, T-shirt (45), sliders, picnic rug (50), and cool bag (60) The same is the case with the Daisy Black print sun dress and, among other things, theres a matching pop-up tent (130) and a camping chair (80). regatta.com Lightning, hail and spot flooding are possible in many parts of the country today Sunny spells are expected to develop throughout the day as cloud and mist lifts in areas, however coastal fog is expected to linger locally. This morning will see some isolated showers in areas, with scattered heavy showers breaking out in the afternoon and evening. Local downpours are expected to bring a chance of isolated lightning, hail and spot flooding. It is expected to be humid with temperatures reaching between 15C and 18C, 19C in some areas. Tonight should be largely dry in the south in earlier hours, while heavier showers continue further north. It is expected to be mainly cloudy, becoming misty with some fog patches throughout the evening and into night, while further showers will spread from the Atlantic during the night. Temperatures will remain moderate overnight, varying between 8C and 11C in light breezes, mostly southwesterly in direction. Sunday is expected to bring similar conditions, with cloud early in the morning and scattered showers, heavy at times on the east coast. Sunny spells will break through cloud during the day, while showers will turn heavier again, possibly thundery later in the day, mainly in the east and north. There will be a risk of spot flooding and hail. Temperatures will be similar to Saturday, reaching between 15C and 18C, cooler along the Atlantic coasts. Showers are expected to die out early Sunday night, becoming mainly dry with some isolated showers in areas. A mix of cloud and clear spells will bring cloudier conditions overnight. Temperatures are expected to range between 7C and 10C. The Bank Holiday Monday is expected to start cloudy with some hazy sunny spells in the afternoon and evening. While they will not be as heavy as the previous day, there will be a few passing showers during the day. Temperatures will range between 15C to 18C. Monday night will be mostly dry and clear with little wind. Some cloud is expected to build through the night along with some pockets of fog. It is expected to be a chillier night with lows between 4C and 7C. A teacher working in the Springville Griffith Institute School District was charged Friday with possessing child pornography. Frank E. Noeson III, 45, of Holland is accused of sending nude images of himself to a 15-year-old girl in New Hampshire whom he was communicating with over Snapchat for more than a year, according to a criminal complaint. He's been placed on administrative leave from work, the school district said in a statement. The district also said it has been informed that the allegations against Noeson do not involve a district student. The victim sent multiple images and videos that constituted child pornography to Noeson, and he sent several nude images of himself to her, the complaint says. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, a forensic review of Noeson's phone revealed multiple sexually explicit conversations between him and the victim on Snapchat, which had been occurring since at least August 2022. "The school district will cooperate with law enforcement regarding its investigation, and will have no further comment at this time regarding this personnel matter," the school district said in the statement on its website. Noeson told the FBI that he believed that the victim was 18 years old. According to the complaint, she said she first told him she was 18, and then later said she was 17. Noeson "stated that he could lose his job for talking to her since she was a minor, but he continued to message her," the complaint states. The victim told the FBI that Noeson told her he was a fifth-grade teacher. He sent the victim a photograph of one of his students and told her it would be attractive if she wore her hair like the student. He also sent at least four images of his face, including one where he was wearing a Buffalo Bills jersey. He also sent a photo of himself, including his face, which appeared to have been taken in his classroom, according to the complaint. The FBI took over the online identity of the teenager in March and executed search warrants for two residences associated with Noeson on April 20, which is when law enforcement seized his phone. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. He is being held pending a detention hearing on Tuesday. Vladimir Putins allies said any arrest would be seen as an act of war. Photo: Sputnik/Alexei Danichev/Pool via Reuters via REUTERS Vladimir Putin has been threatened with arrest in South Africa ahead of a controversial visit expected later this year. The opposition premier of South Africas Western Cape said if the Russian president enters the province, he will be arrested. Alan Winde attacked the ruling African National Congress (ANC) for apparently pushing ahead with plans to welcome Putin, despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) ordering his arrest for the deportation of Ukrainian children. South Africa is due to welcome the leaders of Russia, China and other members of the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) bloc of nations for a summit in August. Mr Winde said pressing ahead with inviting the Russian leader would be unacceptable and deplorable. He said: Putin has consistently and violently eroded the freedoms of the Ukrainian people and those in his own country who dare take a principled stand against his brutal actions. The ICC warrant obliges South Africa to arrest Putin if he visits the country, but the ANC has a long-standing friendship with Moscow. Fikile Mbalula, secretary general of the ANC, said earlier this week that as far as the party was concerned, Putin can come here any time. The country defied an ICC warrant in the past, refusing to arrest former Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2015. Mr Winde said locally funded police in the province, which includes Cape Town, would act if the government did not order national police to act. ANC supporters mocked Mr Winde, of the Democratic Alliance party, for over-reaching his powers and questioned if he had the legal authority or resources to arrest a world leader. Pretoria has not issued a detailed itinerary for the summit, other than to say it will be held in Gauteng province, so it is unclear if attendees will be visiting the Western Cape anyway. Mr Winde said he would have police ready at the airport and would liaise with Interpol and the ICC if necessary, to make the arrest. Putins allies have previously said any attempt to arrest the Russian leader would be considered an act of war. The Kremlin says the ICC arrest warrant for Putins alleged role in the deportation of hundreds of Ukrainian children is a partisan decision. Yet Putins potential presence has created an intense diplomatic quandary for South Africas president. Pretoria has said it refuses to take sides in the Ukraine war and the country has long accused the ICC of double standards. Some of the ANC old guard retain a fondness for Moscow because of Soviet support during their struggle against apartheid. Pretoria is looking for a fudge to avoid a confrontation, diplomatic sources have suggested. Last week, Ukrainian activist Oleksandra Romantsova said it would be better for South Africa if Putin dialled in to the summit. People board an RAF aircraft during the evacuation of British nationals, at Wadi Seidna Air Base in Sudan April 27, 2023. Phot Arron Hoare/UK MOD/Handout via REUTERS via REUTERS Strikes by air, tanks and artillery shook Sudans capital Khartoum and the adjacent city of Bahri yesterday, witnesses said, mocking a 72-hour truce extension announced by the army and a rival paramilitary force. Hundreds have been killed and tens of thousands have fled for their lives in a power struggle between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted on April 15 and disabled an internationally backed transition toward democratic elections. The fighting has also reawakened a two-decade-old conflict in the western Darfur region where scores have died this week. In the Khartoum area, heavy gunfire and detonations rattled residential neighbourhoods. Plumes of smoke rose above Bahri. We hear the sounds of planes and explosions. We dont know when this hell will end, said Bahri resident Mahasin al-Awad (65). Were in a constant state of fear for ourselves and our children. The army has been deploying jets or drones on RSF forces spread out in neighbourhoods across the capital. Many terrified residents are pinned down by urban warfare with little access to food, fuel, water and electricity. At least 512 people have been killed and close to 4,200 wounded, according to the United Nations, which believes the real toll is much higher. The Sudan Doctors Union said at least 387 civilians had been killed. The RSF accused the army of violating a US and Saudi-brokered ceasefire with air strikes on its bases in Omdurman, Khartoums sister city at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers, and Mount Awliya. The army blamed the RSF for violations. The ceasefire is supposed to last until tomorrow at midnight. A Turkish evacuation plane came under fire as it was landing at Wadi Seidna Air Base in Omdurman yesterday but there were no injuries, Turkeys defence ministry said. Sudans army accused the RSF of firing at the plane, damaging its fuel system which was being repaired after the aircraft managed to land safely. The RSF denied that, accusing the army of spreading lies. Lulls in fighting earlier this week allowed some Khartoum residents to leave and foreign evacuations to pick up, but fighting has otherwise rumbled on through announced ceasefires as both sides appear to have shaky control of their troops. The violence has sent tens of thousands of refugees across Sudans borders and threatens to compound instability across a volatile swathe of Africa between the Sahel and the Red Sea. In Darfur, at least 96 people had died since Monday in inter-communal violence rekindled by the army-RSF conflict, UN human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said. Releases and escapes from at least eight jails including five in Khartoum and two in Darfur were adding to the chaos, she added. We are very worried about the prospect of further violence amid a generalised climate of impunity, she said. Relief agencies have been largely unable to distribute food to the needy in Africas third-largest country, where a third of its 46 million people were already reliant on donations. Saudi Arabia said two more evacuation ships had arrived in Jeddah, across the Red Sea from Sudan, yesterday, carrying 252 people from various countries. Dodging the fighting wherever possible, Sudanese civilians have been fleeing Khartoum, one of Africas largest cities which had long been untouched by Sudans string of civil wars. Among Sudans neighbours, Egypt said it had taken in 16,000 people, while 20,000 had entered Chad and the UN refugee agency said more than 14,000 had crossed into South Sudan, which won independence from Khartoum in 2011 after decades of civil war. Enjoy the coronation of King Charles it could be the last one Lacking the mystique of Elizabeth, the new UK monarch is struggling to win the hearts of the public polls show half the population is indifferent to next weeks ceremony, while the royal family face an uncertain future Short reign?: King Charles III and Camilla during a visit to Hamburg, Germany in March. Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images Getty Images Meadhbh McGrath Sat 29 Apr 2023 at 03:30 Eva Green sued White Lantern Film, claiming she was entitled to collect her $1 million fee for the project despite its cancellation. Photo: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire PA James Bond actress Eva Green has claimed bully-boy film executives regarded her behaviour on set as female hysteria after she won a London High Court battle over an unfinished sci-fi film. The Casino Royale star was due to appear in a 4m (4.5m) sci-fi film titled A Patriot, centred around themes of climate change and mass migration, before the project was abandoned in October 2019. She sued White Lantern Film, a Dorset-based film company, claiming she was entitled to collect her $1 million (905,000) fee for the project despite its cancellation. However, White Lantern Film and lender SMC Speciality Finance issued a counter-claim against Ms Green, alleging she undermined the independent films production and renounced the contract. In a judgment yesterday, Mr Justice Michael Green ruled in Ms Greens favour, agreeing that the collapse of the film was a Shakespearean farce. The judge said the 42-year-old was entitled to the full fee and dismissed the counter-claim. In a strongly-worded statement issued after the ruling, Ms Green said I stood my ground, and this time, justice prevailed. In this legal action, I was forced to stand up to a small group of men, funded by deep financial resources, who tried to use me as a scapegoat to cover up their own mistakes. I am proud that I stood up against their bully-boy tactics. They made false allegations about me in public court documents which the judge has now shown are totally incorrect, she said. She said the fallout from the case felt like being set upon by hounds and claimed she was misrepresented, quoted out of context and that her desire to make the best possible film was made to look like female hysteria. During the trial in London earlier this year, the court heard messages in which the actress had described potential crew members as s***ty peasants, the production as a B-s***ty movie and executive producer Jake Seal as pure vomit. In the further messages, Ms Green is also said to have described Mr Seal as a sociopath and a real mad dictator who wants to prove he is right so he could be ready for anything. Max Mallin KC, for White Lantern, said Ms Green had shown a categorical and unequivocal refusal to perform and repeatedly made unreasonable demands. However, Edmund Cullen KC, for Ms Green, said that this case is designed to paint my client as a diva to win headlines, adding it was based on some of the cheapest and nastiest sorts of stereotypes around. During her evidence, Ms Green denied the allegations that she was not prepared to go ahead with the project, saying that she has never broken a contract or even missed one day of shooting, and insisted: I have nothing against peasants, I just didnt want to work with a sub-standard crew. In a 71-page judgment in the stars favour, Mr Justice Green said: Ms Greens claim to the fee succeeds and I will make a declaration to that effect. I reject all the defendants defences to the claim. In particular, I find that Ms Green did not renounce her obligations under the artist agreement; nor did she commit any repudiatory breaches of it. He said that while she may have said some extremely unpleasant things about Mr Seal and his crew at Black Hangar, there was an over-interpretation of private messages in the case. The judge added: There was, indeed, much reference to Ms Greens private messages and both sides were accusing each other of pretending to be in a position to make the film at the end of September 2019. The reality is, however, that neither side was prepared to make the film that the other wanted to make: Ms Green made it clear that she did not want to make the film under Mr Seals full control; and the defendants were only interested in recovering SMCs loan. ( Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2023) BBC chairman Richard Sharp appearing before the Commons DCMS Committee, after the disclosure he helped former prime minister Boris Johnson secure a loan. Photo: House of Commons/PA Wire PA Richard Sharp resigned as BBC chairman yesterday, after being found to have broken the rules by failing to disclose that he played a role in getting Boris Johnson an 800,000 loan guarantee. Adam Heppinstall KCs review found the former Tory donor twice breached the code governing public appointments, risking the perception he was not independent from the then-prime minister. Mr Sharp spared forcing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to decide his fate by announcing he will stand down at the end of June. The barristers review, published yesterday morning, said Mr Sharp risked a perception that he was recommended for the role because he assisted Mr Johnson in a private financial matter ahead of his appointment in 2021. Mr Heppinstall also said there was the risk it would be perceived that he influenced Mr Johnson to recommend him, by notifying the former prime minister of his application before submitting it. Failing to disclose both issues was found to have caused breaches of the governance code for public appointments. In his resignation statement, Mr Sharp insisted that his breach of the rules was inadvertent and not material. Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC, the former Goldman Sachs banker said. I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the corporations good work, were I to remain in post . Mr Sunak defended himself from suggestions he should have sacked Mr Sharp weeks ago, arguing it was right to follow the proper process. Mr Sunak declined to commit to ensuring Mr Sharps replacement is not a political appointment, telling broadcasters on a visit to Scotland he will follow the established procedure. The review was ordered after it emerged Mr Sharp introduced his friend Sam Blyth, a distant cousin of Mr Johnson who wanted to help him with his financial troubles, to cabinet secretary Simon Case ahead of being recommended for the role by the Government. The BBC board said: We accept and understand Richards decision to stand down. BBC director-general Tim Davie thanked Mr Sharp for his service to the BBC and the drive and intellect he brought to his time as chairman. Richard has made a significant contribution to the transformation and success of the BBC, Mr Davie said. The focus for all of us at the BBC is continuing the hard work to ensure we deliver for audiences, both now and in the future. Labours shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said Mr Sharp had caused untold damage to the reputation of the BBC and seriously undermined its independence as a result of the Conservatives sleaze and cronyism. The prime minister should have sacked him weeks ago. Instead, it took this investigation called by Labour to make him resign, she added. In a letter to Mr Sharp, culture secretary Lucy Frazer said that he is held in high regard by the BBC board but added that I understand and respect your decision to stand down. She accepted the decision that he should remain in post until the next board meeting on June 27 when a temporary replacement will be appointed. Mr Heppinstalls report considered how Mr Sharp had told Mr Johnson that he wished to apply for the role ahead of his application in November 2020. It also considered how he met Mr Case the following month regarding the introduction to Mr Blyth, over the then-prime ministers financial affairs. Mr Sharp failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest to the panel which interviewed candidates and advised ministers, Mr Heppinstall ruled. Mr Sharp formally took up the four-year appointment ultimately approved by Mr Johnson in February 2021. The outgoing chairman insisted he made the introduction with the best of intentions to ensure all rules were being followed. He said he believed by reminding Mr Case he was in the running for the job that he had removed any perceived conflict of interest. I understood this recusal to be absolute. This was my error, Mr Sharp said.I would like once again to apologise for that oversight inadvertent though it was and for the distraction these events have caused the BBC. Mr Sharp, then acting as an adviser to the Treasury during the pandemic, sought to argue to Mr Heppinstall that he was duty bound to tell Mr Johnson he was applying for the job. He said Mr Johnson was akin to being his boss and it was right to give the then-PM the opportunity to persuade him to stay in the role. Mr Heppinstall said it would have been appropriate for Mr Sharp to tell the interview panel of the conversation. He was Mr Sharps current boss but he was also the person who would make the final decision on the recommendation for appointment and also a person from whom Mr Sharp would have to maintain independence if so appointed, the barrister wrote. Resident Vladimir Kotenev (66)sits in his house heavily damaged by recent shelling during the Russia-Ukraine conflict in Russian-held Donetsk yesterday. Photo Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters REUTERS Ukraine said yesterday it was nearly ready to launch a huge ground assault to retake occupied land, after Russia hurled missiles at cities as people slept overnight, killing at least 25 civilians in its first large-scale air strikes in nearly two months. The war is coming to a crucial juncture after a months-long Russian winter offensive that gained little ground despite the bloodiest fighting so far. Kyiv is preparing a counteroffensive using hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles sent by the West. It wants to drive Russia out of the nearly one fifth of Ukraine it occupies and claims to have annexed. In the central town of Uman, firefighters battled a blaze at a residential apartment building struck on an upper floor by a Russian missile. Officials said at least 23 civilians were killed there, including four children. Rescue workers clambered through a huge pile of smouldering rubble, carrying a body away on a stretcher. A man wearing a face mask sobbed as he watched, and a woman came to comfort him. No one is left, said Serhii Lubivskyi (58) who survived inside a flat on the seventh floor. He was rescued by firefighters from the balcony where he escaped with his wife after the explosion blocked their front door. Mr Lubivskyi wept as he took a deep drag from a cigarette and looked up at the smouldering gaps in the building where adjacent flats had been blasted away. My neighbours are gone. No one is left, he said. Only the kitchens were left standing. The wave of Russian missile attacks overnight was the first since early March. Russia had launched such attacks almost weekly for most of the winter, but they tapered off as spring arrived, with western countries saying Moscow was running out of missiles. Moscow said the targets of its overnight strikes were locations of Ukrainian reserve troops, which it had struck successfully, preventing them from reaching the front. It supplied no evidence to support this. In the southeastern city of Dnipro, a missile struck a house, killing a two-year-old child and a 31-year-old woman, regional governor Serhiy Lysak said. The capital Kyiv was also rocked by explosions in the early hours, as were the central cities of Kremenchuk and Poltava, and Mykolaiv in the south. Two people were wounded in the town of Ukrayinka just south of Kyiv, officials said. Closer to the front, in Donetsk, an eastern city controlled by Russian proxies since 2014, a Russian-installed official said seven people, including a child, had been killed by Ukrainian shelling that hit a minibus. Reuters was unable to independently verify the number of casualties or who was to blame. Ukrainian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Ukrainian military said it had shot down 21 out of 23 cruise missiles fired by Russia. Moscow says it does not deliberately target civilians. Kyiv says strikes on cities far from the front lines have no military purpose apart from intimidating and harming civilians, a war crime. Along hundreds of kilometres of front, Russia has been fortifying its territory for months in anticipation of Kyivs planned assault, widely expected once warmer weather dries out Ukraines notorious sucking black mud. Ukraine made swift gains in the second half of 2022, but has kept its forces on the defensive for the past five months. Russia, meanwhile, launched a huge winter campaign using hundreds of thousands of freshly called up reservists and convicts recruited as mercenaries. But despite the heaviest ground combat in Europe since World War II, Moscow captured little additional territory, focusing mainly on the small mining city of Bakhmut where Ukrainians have withstood for almost a year. Kyiv and its western backers hope a push by thousands of Ukrainian troops trained at western bases, using hundreds of newly donated tanks and armoured vehicles, will shift the dynamics of the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin was reported yesterday to have signed a decree giving people living in parts of Ukraine under Moscows control a path to Russian citizenship. It means those who decline or who do not legalise their status could be deported. Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February last year, claiming that the Kyiv government posed a threat. Ukraine and its western allies call it an unprovoked war of conquest. Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures at a campaign event in Manchester, New Hampshire. Photo: Reuters/Brian Snyder REUTERS Former US vice president Mike Pence has testified before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by then-president Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, according to sources. Mr Pences appearance before a grand jury in Washington on Thursday scrutinising the president he once loyally served is a milestone in the Justice Departments investigation and likely gives prosecutors a key first-person account about conversations and events in the weeks preceding the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol. It also carries significant political implications, coming as Mr Pence hints at entering the 2024 race and a potential run against Mr Trump. The testimony, confirmed by a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss a secret grand jury matter, came hours after a federal appeals court in a sealed order rejected a bid by Mr Trumps lawyers to block Mr Pences appearance. Mr Pence was subpoenaed to testify earlier this year, but Mr Trumps lawyers objected, citing executive privilege. A judge in March refused to block Mr Pences appearance, though he did side with the former vice presidents constitutional claims that he could not be forced to answer questions about anything related to his role as presiding over the Senates certification of votes on January 6. Well obey the law, well tell the truth, Mr Pence said in an interview with CBS News Face the Nation that aired on Sunday. It was not immediately clear what Mr Pence may have told the grand jury, but he is the most high-profile Mr Trump administration official to be summoned before the panel. Inside the federal building where the grand jury has been meeting, just blocks from the US Capitol, security was high because of Mr Pences appearance with an unusual amount of activity from US Marshals. Mr Pence has spoken extensively about Mr Trumps pressure campaign urging him to reject Democrat Joe Bidens presidential election victory in the days leading up to January 6, including in his book, So Help Me God. Mr Pence, as vice president, had a ceremonial role overseeing Congress counting of the Electoral College vote but did not have the power to affect the results, despite Mr Trumps contention otherwise. Mr Pence, a former Indiana governor and congressman, has said that Mr Trump endangered his family and everyone else who was at the Capitol that day and history will hold him accountable. For four years, we had a close working relationship. It did not end well, Mr Pence wrote, summing up their time in the White House. Mr Trump was speaking in New Hampshire when news broke of Mr Pences grand jury appearance. Asked at a diner if he was concerned about his testimony, Mr Trump responded, No Im not and I dont know anything about it. Lawyers for Mr Pence had raised their own, more narrow challenge to the subpoena. They argued that because Pence was serving in his capacity as president of the Senate as electoral votes were being counted in Congress on January 6, he was protected from being forced to testify about that process under the Constitutions speech or debate clause, which is intended to protect members of Congress from being questioned about official legislative acts. Image: Apple website Shenzhen: Smartphone maker Apple on Friday previewed Apple MixC Shenzhen, the second store in this vibrant city. The new store will serve as an accessible and inclusive space for Apple team members to bring the best of Apple together for the local community. We are very excited to open a beautiful new Apple Store in Shenzhen and deepen our connection with the local community, said Deirdre OBrien, Apples senior vice president of Retail. At Apple, were constantly innovating to deliver the best possible experience for our customers, and our incredible team members in Shenzhen cant wait to welcome them when doors open on Friday. The new store features a Padang Light stone floor and a timber veneer-clad wall sustainably and locally sourced within China that maximizes visibility within the store. Visitors can explore the latest Apple products and accessories, get shopping help from Apple Specialists, choose monthly financing options, and receive personal technical advice and Genius support. Apple MixC Shenzhen also has an Apple Pickup station, which blends together the best of online and in-store shopping experiences for customers in China. The dedicated area makes it easier for customers to order online and collect their devices in-store at a convenient time. Apple MixC Shenzhen will be an exciting space for customers to learn, create, and be inspired. Today at Apple programming will take place in a roundtable setting for a more personalized experience, allowing customers to go further with their passions and the products they love. Programming will feature a powerful curation of Apple-led sessions across photography, videography, art and design, music, and coding. Apple MixC Shenzhen is the 55th Apple Store location in the region, and the fourth store in the Guangdong province of China, adding to a long-standing commitment to local communities. Since Apple Holiday Plaza Shenzhen opened in 2012 the first Apple Store in Shenzhen Apple has welcomed 22 million visitors in Shenzhen. The new store has over 150 highly trained retail team members who collectively speak 10 languages, including Chinese, Cantonese, English, Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and sign language. The store team will welcome its first customers on Friday, April 28, at 10 a.m. local time. Image Credit: The Assam Tribune Mangaldai/Assam: The artwork of Ajit Bania, a young artist from Mangaldai, Assam was featured at a global art exhibition in Italy over a three-day period. Ajit Bania's painting, titled "Old Lady," has been displayed at the esteemed "Fabriano in Acquarello-2023" exhibition, which is the world's most prestigious watercolor art exhibition, reported The Assam Tribune. The event was held at the Sala Borsa auditorium in Bolonga, Italy from April 23 to 25, and Ajit was the sole artist from his state to be chosen to participate. The exhibition attracted artists and experts from 80 different countries, who showcased their paintings, gave demonstrations, and exhibited their artwork. Ajit, who graduated from Guwahati art college in 2014, has already showcased his artwork in various international art platforms such as the "Mostra internazionale d'arte" in Italy, "IWS watercolor competition 2023" in Germany, "Jiwi international watercolor exhibition nights" in Japan in 2021, and the "International landscape watercolor exhibition 2021" in Canada, among others. Talking to The Assam Tribune, Ajit expressed, I am excited as one of my paintings is exhibited in the worlds most prestigious watercolor art festival." "Every artist knows about the importance of getting a chance to participate in an international event held by none other than a country like Italy, known as the heaven of art on the earth. "Every year paintings are selected by the international watercolor society (IWS) from different countries, dividing each country into four separate segments. I was selected by team leader Rajat Shubhra Bandopadhay amongst fifteen artists in India (North)." "As far as my information, I am the only artist from Assam to get this rare opportunity, he stated further. His remarkable artistic creations have earned him international recognition, such as the "Top 100 Artists Award" commemorating the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Communist Party of China, the "Nomination Award IWS Singapore 2021," the "Excellent Award 2021 IWS International Young Artist Watercolor Competition" in Malaysia, an "Appreciation Certificate IWS Iran 2022," and the "Global Top 50 Recognition Awards Global Art Connection Watercolor Exposition" in France and Poland in 2022, among others. YMCA Buffalo Niagara hosts Healthy Kids Day Saturday at its branches and camps. The free event, open to the public, includes games, cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts and other activities to help families develop and maintain healthy routines at home. Activities at participating branches run 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Independent Health Family YMCA at 150 Tech Drive, alongside Erie Community College in Amherst; Ken-Ton Family YMCA at 535 Belmont Ave., Town of Tonawanda; Lockport Family YMCA: 5833 Snyder Drive, Town of Lockport; and William-Emslie Family YMCA at 585 William St. Events run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Southtowns Family YMCA, 1620 Southwestern Blvd., West Seneca. Camp Kenan, at 8571 Lower Lake Road, Barker, and Camp Weona, 4025 Poplar Tree Road, Gainesville, host open houses from 2 to 4 p.m. Visit ymcabn.org/healthy-kids-day to learn more about specific activities at each location. Image: PIB Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh did not shake hands with his Chinese counterpart during his meeting with him recently. In a video posted by ANI news agency, Singh could be seen welcoming the Chinese leader with folded hands. However, he was seen shaking hands with his counterparts from Iran and Tajikistan when he welcomed them for the meeting. Rajnath Singh met State Councillor and Minister of National Defence of China General Li Shangfu in New Delhi on April 27, 2023. "The two Ministers had frank discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations," read an Indian government statement. Singh categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders. He added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments. He reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation. The Chinese Defence Minister is in Delhi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers Meeting on April 28, 2023. Image Credit: Twitter/MEA New Delhi/UNI: India has successfully evacuated 2,400 of its nationals from Sudan, with over 1,600 of them arriving in India, even as more sorties of rescued Indians left Port Sudan for Jeddah under Operation Kaveri. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a tweet said: "#OperationKaveri moves further. "231 Indian reach home safely as another flight reaches New Delhi. Indigo joins #OperationKaveri." Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, who is stationed in Jeddah to monitor the operation, in a tweet said that with the 231 Indians arriving in New Delhi, around 1,600 have reached India so far. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a late night tweet said that nearly 2,400 Indians have been evacuated from strife-torn Sudan so far. Last night, INS Sumedha departed from Port Sudan with 300 passengers onboard for Jeddah. Yesterday, two batches of Indians arrived in India one batch of 362 Indians touched down in Bengaluru, while another C-17 flight carrying 392 passengers reached New Delhi. India on Thursday deployed the third naval ship for the rescue operation, INS Tarkash. When the fighting broke out between rival factions, there were over 3,000 Indian nationals living in Sudan, besides around 1,000 Persons of Indian Origin. Image Credit: Twitter/BJP Humnabad/UNI: Coming down heavily upon AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge's snake barb, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Congress has not even spared abusing legends like BR Ambedkar and Veer Savarkar, but its abuses hurled at him will be reduced to dust with the blessings of the people in this election. "I will work day and night, I will do more work. Friends, with your blessings all the abuses will be reduced to dust. And the Congress people jot it down the more abusses you spew, more the lotus is going to bloom," Modi said in a public rally here. Modi also said "Congress didn't spare even the legends of the country, it abused everyone. Congress insulted Baba Saheb Ambedkar Ji, Savarkar Ji. You will be shocked to know about it. Babasaheb Ambedkar explained this in detail at a public meeting. "The Congress has called him rakshash (demon), rashtra drohi (traitor), and dagabaaz (cheater)." Modi said apart from hurling abuses at OBCs, the Congress has branded Lingayat community as thieves. "In the last elections they (Congress) said 'chowkidar chor hai', later they said 'Modi chor hai', afterwards they said 'OBC chor hai'. During Karnataka elections they are calling Lingayat brothers and sisters as chors (thieves)," he said. However, PM Modi felt honoured of the fact that he has been counted by the Congress among legends of the nation who have been targets of Congress party's abuses. "I am honoured that I have been considered at the same pedestal as these legends. They will keep on abusing me, I will keep on devoting myself in service to the nation," he said. Modi said Congress hates anyone who talks about the common man, who exposes their corruption, who attacks their selfish politics. So far, Congress leaders have abused him 91 times in different ways, Modi said. "Interestingly enough, I have received a list of the abuses, Congress has made against me. It is 91 times they have done so, till date," he said. Had they spent their time on delivering good governance to the people instead of creating this dictionary of abuses, their condition would not have been this pathetic, he added. PM Modi said this election is an election to make Karnataka the No.1 state in the country. He said to ensure the true development in Karnataka, continuation of the double-engine government is a pre-requisite. He also said only a double-engine and double-power government can make Karnataka No.1. "To ensure the true development in Karnataka, continuation of the double-government is a pre-requisite. Only such a double-engine and double-power government can make Karnataka No.1," he said. "You all want a Karnataka where highways and expressways continue to expand, where metro facilities extend to more districts, where modern trains like 'Vande Bharat' run in more numbers, where every farm has modern irrigation systems. There should be facilities," he added. PM Modi said the speed of development that the common man has seen in Karnataka in the last five years does not want to stop, and BJP has taken the initiative to fulfill these dreams of the people in Karnataka. "It's only under the BJP, that Karnataka has attracted record-breaking Foreign Direct Investments," he said. Under the Congress rule, Karnataka used to attract the annual FDI worth around Rs 30,000 crore, whereas under the BJP, this number stands at around Rs 90,000 crore, PM Modi said. During the Congress rule, there were more than 100 such irrigation schemes which were pending for decades. he said. "In the last 9 years, we have completed more than 60 irrigation schemes lying incomplete for decades," he said. "When we started the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, there was a Congress-JDS government in Karnataka. See how much they hate the farmers that they used to create obstacles in sending the list of beneficiary farmers to the central government. Their problem was that there was no cut in the middle, the money was going directly into the farmers' accounts," he said. PM Modi said the promises they made to the farmers of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan have not materialized yet. Congress had left the sugarcane farmers of this area to fend for themselves whereas BJP is solving their problems on priority, he said. Congress and JDS hate farmers, and they never can do anything for farmers' welfare, he added. Owing to the DBT for extending benefits of various schemes, the Congress did not send even the list of the farmers for to the central government because DBT closed their avenues of eating away the money in between the process, Modi said. It's only after the BJP came to power that lakhs of the farmers started getting benefit under PM KIsan Yojana and other associated schemes, he said. During the Congress government, only 400 million liters of ethanol was produced in the country, whereas in our government this production has increased to more than 4000 million liters, Modi said. Sugarcane farmers have benefited a lot from the increase in ethanol blending in petrol, he said. Congress never understood the problems of the poor, they never saw poverty, Modi said, adding that Congress is that party which does politics even in development, creates hurdles. As long as the Congress government was in Karnataka, it slowed down the pace of building houses for the poor, Modi said. After the formation of the double engine government, it was decided that the poor in Karnataka would get pucca houses worth around 9 lakhs, he said. "BJP has built about 30,000 houses in Bidar, that is, we have made 30,000 sisters of Bidar 'Lakhpati Didi'," Modi said. Modi said BJP's development agenda resonates strongly with the people of Karnataka. Vijayapur, Apr 29 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday sounded the bugle of "this time, BJP majority government" to buck the trend of giving split verdict in Karnataka elections. "I know that the people of Karnataka are not going to elect the tired and defeated Congress, they are definitely going to elect the BJP team full of enthusiasm. "Therefore, the same voice is coming from every corner of Karnataka- young or women. Be it Dalit or Adivasi, same slogan, same echo - E baari nirdhara, bahumatada BJP sarkara (This time, BJP majority government)," PM Modi roared, addressing a public rally here. Modi said the Congress has neither a road map nor enthusiasm for bringing development in Karnataka. Taking a dig at Siddaramaiah and HD Kumaraswamy's remarks that it is their last election, PM Modi said, "They are so devoid of energies and enthusiasm that they are asking for the votes in the name of retirement." He said the double-engine BJP government government has provided pucca houses to over 9 lakh families of Karnataka, and most of these families belong to Dalits and tribal communities. "Our government believes in Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas," he added. Modi said it is the BJP government that has given priority to Dalits, oppressed, underprivileged, tribals, women and disabled people. "In the BJP government, today the deprived sections of the society have got social and economic security. I also got the good fortune of giving new life to lakhs of my Banjara friends of Karnataka," he said. Congress never cared for Dalits, and has always disrespected and disregarded them, PM Modi said. "Garibi Hatao was merely a slogan of Congress. The actual benefits of its schemes and programmes were accrued to the mediators, its corrupt leaders and not to the poor," he alleged. The Congress did not take any step to end this loot and did not care about the suffering of the poor, PM Modi said. "If compared with today's situation, it will be known how much money these people used to loot from the poor," he said. Indirectly attacking late Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi, Modi said the PM of Congress used to say that if he sent one rupee, only 15 paise reached people, but in BJP's rule the entire amount gets deposited in the beneficiary's account. Modi said the BJP keeps transparency and poor's welfare at the forefront of its work. He also said that the Congress never understood the problems of the farmers, whereas BJP took care of every facility and inconvenience of the farmer from seed to market. Modi said Karnataka is home to five rivers and still lacked enough irrigation infrastructure and facilities. It is only the double-engine government of BJP that has ensured proper irrigation infrastructure, he said. "We ensured development, financial infusion in irrigation projects and modernisation of these thereby justifying the accountability of the government towards the farmers, for the welfare of farmers," he said. The mothers, sisters and daughters of Karnataka have suffered the most due to the negligence and neglect of the Congress government. Modi said Congress also has never worried about women's safety, health and their employment. "The mothers, sisters and daughters of Karnataka have suffered the most due to the negligence and neglect of the Congress government. Congress never worried about women's safety, health and their employment," he said. "Because of the policies of the BJP government, our mothers and sisters have got a new power. When we opened crores of Jan Dhan accounts, their lives started changing. This has given him new confidence," Modi said. 2023 5 . . pic.twitter.com/AoEaDV9VTs Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2023 Modi said the double-engine government of the BJP is a government which strengthens the ambitions of the people, fulfills the dreams and aspirations of the people and is dedicated to everyone especially the youth. He said BJP's double-engine government is vocal for the local and that is why it keeps on encouraging the weavers and handicrafts men. "BJP's double-engine government is a government that gives strength to aspirations, a government that makes dreams come true. Double-engine government is a government of youth," he said. Image Credit: video grab New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday extended the judicial custody of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia till May 8 in the alleged liquor policy scam case filed against him by the Enforcement Directorate, media reports said. Sisodia was presented before the court after the expiry of his earlier judicial custody. Special Judge MK Nagpal extended his custody until May 8. The extension of the AAP leaders judicial custody comes a day after the court rejected his bail plea on the grounds that evidence "speaks volumes of his involvement in the commission of the offence." The court further said that the possibility of Sisodia influencing prime witnesses of the case could not be overlooked. Earlier, Sisodia's bail plea was rejected by the court on March 31 in the case probed by the CBI. The ED is investigating the money trail in the same case. The probe into the alleged liquor scam started after the Delhi Lieutenant Governor ordered a CBI investigation. After the order, Delhis AAP government reinstated the old liquor policy in the national capital and blamed the LG for revenue loss of crores of rupees that would have come to the exchequer if the new liquor policy was not withdrawn. The CBI is investigating the alleged involvement of a "south lobby" consisting of businessmen and politicians in manipulating the Delhi liquor policy to benefit themselves, with the help of middlemen, traders, and bureaucrats. The former chartered accountant of K Kavitha, who is a leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi and the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, was arrested by the CBI. Kavitha was also interrogated in the matter. New Delhi: Uma Krishnaiah, the wife of slain Gopalganj District Magistrate, G. Krishnaiah, approached the Supreme Court on Saturday challenging the release of former Bihar Member of Parliament (MP), Anand Mohan Singh, who was convicted for the murder that took place in 1994, and was recently released from jail on Bihar Govt's notification. Uma Krishnaiah moved the Supreme Court and filed a petition before it challenging the Bihar government's recent decision to release Anand Mohan. Anand Mohan was convicted of murdering Krishnaiah in 1994 and was released after serving more than 14 years in jail, as the Bihar government recently in a notification ordered his release from jail. Uma Krishnaiah in her petition said that the Bihar government's notification to release Anand Mohan was "not a good decision". "It is submitted that it is a well-settled principle of law that Imprisonment for life means the full natural course of Life and cannot be mechanically interpreted to be 14 years. It means that imprisonment for life lasts until the last breath," Uma's petition said. "That it is settled law that the sentence of imprisonment for life given to a convict as a substitute for the death sentence must be viewed differently and segregated from the ordinary life imprisonment given as the sentence of first choice," the petition filed before the Supreme Court said. Anand Mohan, one of the convicts in the 1994 murder case of then Gopalganj DM G. Krishnaiah, was released from jail on Thursday morning following a change in Bihar prison rules. The former Lok Sabha Parliamentarian, Anand Singh, now 75, was convicted in the 1994 murder of Gopalganj District Magistrate (DM) G Krishnaiah. Anand Singh was released from Saharsa jail, on Thursday morning. Krishanaiah, a 1985 batch IAS officer, was only 37 years old when he was killed in Muzaffarpur, Bihar in 1994, by a mob led by a few politicians, including Anand Singh. Anand Singh was sentenced to death in 2007 by the Patna High Court. The sentence was, however, reduced to rigorous life imprisonment in 2008 by the Supreme Court. In the year 2012, Anand Mohan Singh appealed to the Supreme Court to reduce the sentence, which was rejected by the court. Since then, he is lodged in jail. (With UNI inputs) New Delhi: A sixth flight arrived in India carrying 365 Indians rescued from Sudan, totaling around 1,900 Indians to arrive in India so far. More Indians come back home under #OperationKaveri. 365 passengers have just landed in New Delhi, EAM S Jaishankar in a tweet said. In the morning, over 1,600 Indians arrived in India. India has successfully evacuated over 2,400 of its nationals from Sudan, ferrying them from Port Sudan to Jeddah. Last night, INS Sumedha departed from Port Sudan with 300 passengers onboard for Jeddah. Yesterday, two batches of Indians arrived in India one batch of 362 Indians touched down in Bengaluru, while another C-17 flight carrying 392 passengers reached New Delhi. India on Thursday deployed the third naval ship for the rescue operation, INS Tarkash. When the fighting broke out between rival factions, there were over 3,000 Indian nationals living in Sudan, besides around 1,000 Persons of Indian Origin. (With UNI inputs) Image: UNI Bengaluru: The Election Commission (EC) has directed Manoj Kumar Meena, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka, to monitor and prevent corrupt practices leading up to the state's Assembly elections on May 10. This decision comes after an FIR against BJP candidate V Somanna, who is also a minister in the Karnataka government, for allegedly attempting to bribe a rival candidate to withdraw from the election. In a letter to the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer, the Election Commission (EC) has directed that the FIR filed against state minister and BJP candidate V Somanna for alleged bribery be pursued to a speedy and logical conclusion. The directive follows a complaint filed by the Congress against Somanna for allegedly offering Rs. 50 lahks as a bribe to Janata Dal (Secular)s candidate in Chamarajanagar, Mallikarjuna Swamy, based on an audio clip that went viral. Somanna is contesting the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka from Varuna and Chamarajanagar. According to a source in the EC, the commission had become aware of an audio clip that was being circulated on social media and had requested a report from the District Election Officer (DEO) on the matter, Indian Express reported. The source also said that an FIR had been filed against Somanna under Sections 171 (E) and 171 (F) of the Indian Penal Code, which deal with bribery and undue influence or personation in elections, at the Town police station in Chamarajanagar, it added. Teams set up to monitor media and social media be adequately strengthened and directed to keep a constant vigil and immediately report and take action against any attempt of bribery or intimidation to candidates and voters and other corrupt practices. Similarly, reports on C-VIGIL [ECs complaints app] and other relevant apps be also constantly monitored, the EC said, Indian Express reported. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had highlighted "money power" as one of the challenges faced in conducting the polls in the state while making the announcement of the Karnataka elections on March 29. Image: UNI Srinagar: The army has expressed disbelief over the alleged involvement of some locals from Poonch in aiding terrorists during a recent attack in Jammu and Kashmir. According to a defence spokesperson, the people in the region have always been fighting "shoulder to shoulder with the army irrespective of their caste and religion". The army made the statement a day after a video surfaced where Mukhtar Hussain Shah alleged police harassment and torture during his questioning in connection with a terrorist attack in Poonch last week. The video showed Shah appealing to people to support the army before he died by suicide. "In the recent attack on an army truck, a few names of some in the community have come to the fore, which is unbelievable. Hence, people of this area should keep away from such type of activities in future," the spokesman said. According to the police, six people have been arrested for allegedly aiding terrorists, and over 200 people have been detained in connection with the attack in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir. Five soldiers were killed in the attack carried out by terrorists believed to be from Pakistan who also stole weapons from the soldiers. Mukhtar Hussain Shah, who was one of the locals summoned by the police for questioning allegedly died by suicide in a hospital. Prior to his death, Shah recorded a 10-minute video expressing his distress at being treated as a terrorist sympathizer. He said that his family had always supported India. "It's the same family which is being harassed and tortured," he said in the video. He had urged the locals to support the army in the fight against terrorism. His death has sparked protests in the area. The army released a statement acknowledging the support of the people of Poonch during historic battles fought in 1948, 1962, 1961, and 1999. "Whenever anyone tried to spread unrest in this area, people have fought shoulder to shoulder with the Indian Army," the statement said. The spokesman said Pakistan is against an atmosphere of peace in Jammu and Kashmir, and after the revocation of Article 370 under the Constitution, "Pakistan doesn't want peace and government formation in Jammu and Kashmir". The army said, "After a recent attack by the PAFF (Peoples Anti-Fascist Force) in which five soldiers laid down their lives, all communities in Poonch like Gujjars, Baketwal, Muslims and Hindus showed their anger on the incident and protested against it." UNHCR/Charlotte Hallqvist New York: Civilians in Sudan, including scores of internally displaced people and refugees, are scrambling for safety and suffering the disastrous consequences of the violence there, as many aid operations have been forced to pause, UN humanitarians said on Friday. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said that tens of thousands of refugees from South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea living in the country have fled the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Khartoum area. The newly displaced have found shelter in existing refugee camps further east and south, creating new humanitarian challenges. UNHCR is also particularly concerned about the situation in the Darfur region, where fears are deepening of a revival of ethnic tensions. Darfur alert The agencys representative in Sudan, Axel Bisschop, told reporters in Geneva that Darfur might present the biggest challenge from a humanitarian point of view. Were concerned that the intercommunal violence is going to increase and that we might have some situations which will repeat in relation to what we had a couple of years ago, in a region which has already experienced severe conflict and displacement, he said. UNHCR stressed that Darfur presents a myriad of pressing protection issues, highlighting that a number of sites hosting internally displaced people have been burned to the ground, while civilian houses and humanitarian premises have been hit by bullets. Concerns over the region are shared by the UN rights office (OHCHR), which warned on Friday of a serious risk of violence escalating in West Darfur as the hostilities between the RSF and SAF have triggered intercommunal violence. OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said that in El Geneina, West Darfur, deadly ethnic clashes have been reported and an estimated 96 people have been killed since 24 April. Soundcloud Guterres deeply grateful to governments aiding UN evacuation The UN Secretary-General expressed his gratitude to France and other nations who have helped with the relocation and evacuation of UN staff from Khartoum and elsewhere this week. In a statement issued by his Spokesperson, Antonio Guterres highlighted help from France in safely transporting more than 400 UN personnel and dependents out of Sudan. The French Navy transported more than 350 of our colleagues and their families from Port Sudan to Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday night. On Thursday, more than 70 UN and affiliated personnel, as well as others, were flown on a French Air Force plane from El Fasher, Sudan, to the capital of Chad. We also thank the authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Chad, Kenya and Uganda for facilitating the arrival of our colleagues and their families. The Secretary-General is also very thankful to the many other Member States, including the United States, Jordan, Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada, who have assisted in ensuring the safe transport of UN personnel. Rights abuses rise The overall death toll in the conflict has risen to at least 512, according to the latest figures from the Sudanese Ministry of Health quoted by OHCHR on Friday, with the understanding that this is almost certainly a very conservative estimate. While the fragile ceasefire has led to a decrease in fighting in some areas, allowing some to flee their homes in search of safety, human rights abuses against people on the move - such as extortion - have been rife, Shamdasani said. Growing displacement Bisschop said that Sudan hosts over a million refugees, notably from South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea. UNHCR has received reports of around 33,000 refugees having fled from Khartoum to refugee camps in White Nile State, 2,000 to the camps in Gedaref and 5,000 to Kassala since the start of the crisis two weeks ago. Thousands of people - Sudanese citizens, including many internally displaced people, and refugees living in Sudan - have also fled the country. UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh said that in Chad, UNHCR together with the Government has registered around 5,000 arrivals so far, and that at least 20,000 have crossed. Some 10,000 people have crossed to South Sudan, while in Egypt, Central African Republic and Ethiopia, there have been an unknown number of arrivals, given the speed at which the situation is unfolding and the scale of the country. Lifesaving assistance on pause UNHCR said the security situation has forced it to temporarily pause most of its aid operations in Khartoum, the Darfurs and North Kordofan, where it has become too dangerous to operate. The suspension of some humanitarian programmes is likely to exacerbate protection risks faced by those who rely on humanitarian assistance to survive, UNHCR warned. Bisschop said that UNHCR was working closely with the UN World Food Programme (WFP), to see how the food that is already positioned in the country can be provided. Brenda Kariuki, WFPs Regional Communications Officer for East Africa, said that amid the crisis, millions more across the region could be plunged into hunger. In Sudan, security threats to humanitarian operations, as well as the looting of WFP supplies from warehouses and the theft of vehicles used to transport aid, were depriving the most vulnerable of desperately needed assistance, the UN agency said. Around one-third of the countrys population, or some 15.8 million people, were already in need of aid before the fighting started. The UNs 2023 Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan, for a total of $1.7 billion, remains only 13.5 per cent funded. Fleeing into CAR Briefing correspondents in New York, Deputy UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, said that humanitarians were reporting some 3,000 people have crossed the Sudanese border into northern Central African Republic, CAR, setting up makeshift settlements. Local authorities are exploring the possibility of relocating them in Birao, far from the border region, and more arrivals are expected. With Sudan a major supplier of essential goods to CAR, especially during the rainy season, which runs from now through October, prices are ticking up and some items such as sugar and millet have doubled in price in CAR since the fighting began. Some 120,000 people were already in need of humanitarian assistance in the northern part of the country, highlighting the damaging impact of the fighting spilling across Sudans borders. Healthcare in jeopardy Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Thursday that in Khartoum, more than 60 per cent of health facilities are closed and only 16 per cent are operating as normal. WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told media in Geneva on Friday that WHO has verified 25 attacks on healthcare since the start of the fighting, which killed eight people and injured 18. The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) previously warned that the ongoing violence has disrupted critical, life-saving care for some 50,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Evacuees arrive in Chadian capital from Sudan The first group of evacuees from Sudan to be assisted by the UN migration agency IOM, arrived at NDjamenas Hassan Djamous International Airport in Chad late on Thursday, in two special flights chartered by the Chadian authorities. The group included 116 males and 110 females, 39 of whom were children. IOM helped the Chadian authorities with the registration of the new arrivals, the identification and referral of vulnerable cases, and post-arrival assistance including cash to support onwards transportation to reunite evacuees with their families. We are working around the clock to continue supporting the Government of Chad in this delicate and complex situation, despite massive gaps in much needed funding, says Anne Kathrin Schaefer, IOM Chief of Mission in Chad. These efforts are closely coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chadians Abroad and International Cooperation which heads a Government Crisis Cell, established to coordinate the evacuation operations from Sudan. Our priority is to ensure that all those who have arrived receive adequate support to help them reunite with their families, but also medical assistance, including mental health and psychosocial support, she added. With evictions and housing prices soaring statewide, including in Western New York, local housing advocates expected to see major housing reforms in this years state budget. Instead, the tentative deal that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday night contained virtually none of the policies they had championed and few of the housing measures Hochul herself proposed leaving low- and middle-income Western New Yorkers to face a sometimes dire status quo. No mandates to grow the states housing supply. No additional safeguards for tenants. No rental assistance for homeless New Yorkers or those at risk of eviction. Governor Hochul vowed this year to address the housing crisis hitting everyday New Yorkers, but her budget does not deliver on this promise, the progressive community group PUSH Buffalo said in a statement to The Buffalo News. Shes had opportunity to build critically needed affordable housing and tenant protections, and has failed to do so. Hochul announces 'conceptual' agreement on $229B budget; agreement on bail changes Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a "conceptual" $229 billion state budget agreement on Thursday evening, laying out the broad strokes of deals struck with the Legislature related to public safety, energy and health care. Statewide housing groups pilloried the budget on Friday, calling it a missed opportunity and collective failure. Such disappointments are not new to housing advocates, who have fought for years over issues including eviction protections. Many thought this year might prove different, given Hochuls emphasis on housing in her 2024 legislative agenda. The governor's signature initiative, called the New York Housing Compact, would have added 800,000 new units statewide in the next 10 years by compelling municipalities to meet minimum construction targets and allowing developers to bypass local zoning laws if they fell short. That plan fell to opposition from suburban lawmakers, particularly on Long Island and in Westchester County, where affluent communities have long resisted multifamily and affordable housing development. The final budget also leaves out new protections for New York tenants, including a measure called good cause" eviction, which would have capped rent increases and prevented what housing advocates call arbitrary and retaliatory evictions. Renters in Buffalo have been loud and clear about the housing protections they need to survive, PUSH said in its statement. Under good cause, property owners can only evict tenants who stop paying rent, become a nuisance or otherwise violate the terms of their leases. Landlords can also raise rents if needed to make property improvements. But property owners in Western New York and across the state have argued that the measure unfairly over-regulates their industry and cuts into profits. A recent political mailer from Homeowners for an Affordable New York, a coalition of landlord groups, urged Buffalo residents to call their legislators about the anti-eviction bill, which they said would devastate housing in New York. No Buffalo lawmakers endorsed good cause eviction. Instead, Sens. Tim Kennedy and Sean Ryan, both D-Buffalo, supported a new housing voucher program to help subsidize the rents of New Yorkers who are homeless, facing eviction or otherwise at risk of losing their homes. That program also failed to make the state budget, despite support from both landlord and tenant organizations. Lawmakers did agree to fund $391 million in emergency rental relief for public housing residents, most of which will flow downstate. Regional advocates have been quick to point out that housing affordability has become a crisis in upstate New York, as well. In both Erie and Niagara counties, roughly one of every 12 renting households faced eviction last year, according to a recent analysis from the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. During that same one-year period, median rents in the Buffalo metropolitan area jumped by more than 9%, according to real estate site Zillow. Median home listing prices in Buffalo jumped by more than a quarter in the last five years, to more than $200,000. "Rental costs continue to rise, and people simply can't find available apartments that they can afford," said Sarah Wooton, director of community research at the progressive think tank Partnership for the Public Good. "... We need good cause, we need more housing vouchers, we need more affordable housing units, and we need these life-affirming policies now." The "lack of action on housing" in the state budget is "shocking and hugely concerning," Wooton added. Without action on the state level, Western New Yorkers are unlikely to see immediate solutions, housing advocates said. They have, for instance, lobbied the Buffalo Common Council to adopt a version of good cause for years but judges have struck down similar measures in Albany, Poughkeepsie and Newburgh for infringing on state law. In February, the city convened an Affordable Housing Task Force to research and vet potential policy solutions to its affordable housing crisis. That group is months away from making recommendations. State lawmakers could still advance separate bills on good cause eviction and the housing voucher program before the session ends June 8. In comments Thursday, Hochul also said she planned to take executive action on housing issues in the coming weeks, blaming the Legislature for the budgets dearth of housing policies. I believe major action is required to meet the scale of this crisis, Hochul said. The Legislature saw it differently. They're not ready to commit to the kind of transformative change I proposed. UNICEF/Josh Estey New York: Experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council on Friday called for Singapore to impose an immediate moratorium on capital punishment, denouncing the Governments continued use of the death penalty for drug-related crimes. They strongly condemned the execution this week of Tangaraju s/o Suppiah, who was convicted of conspiring to traffic cannabis from Malaysia to the country in 2013. Fair trial concerns Suppiah, a 46-year-old Tamil from Singapore, was hanged on Tuesday despite claims that he had not been provided with adequate interpretation during police interrogations. The death penalty can only be carried out after a legal process with every possible safeguard that ensures a fair trial, including legal representation at every stage of proceedings and necessary interpretation in all oral proceedings, the experts said. Alarming executions rate They added that the rate of execution notices for drug-related offences in Singapore was highly alarming. Suppiah reportedly was the 12th person to be hanged since March 2022, according to the UN human rights office, OHCHR, which had urged the Government not to go ahead with his execution, citing concerns around due process and respect for fair trial guarantees. The UN experts said States that have not yet abolished the death penalty may only impose capital punishment for the most serious crimes. Under international law, only crimes of extreme gravity involving intentional killing can be considered as most serious. Drug offences clearly do not meet this threshold, they argued. Discrimination against minorities The rights experts also voiced concerns about discriminatory treatment of people from minority groups, such as Mr. Suppiah, as well as reports of reprisals against their lawyers. Suppiah was sentenced under Singaporean law, which makes capital punishment mandatory for certain offences, including drug-related convictions. The experts said the mandatory sentencing law strips judges of discretion to consider individual cases, context and circumstances. We reiterate that the mandatory use of the death penalty constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of life, since it is imposed without taking into account the defendants personal circumstances or circumstances of the particular offence, they said. Image: UNHCR/Charlotte Hallqvist New York: A turbulent transition to civilian rule has been underway in Sudan since the ouster of former President Omar Hassan El-Bashir in April 2019. The civilian-led transitional Government put in place later that year, through a power-sharing agreement between military and civilian leaders, was toppled by a military coup in October 2021. Since then, the country has been without a civilian-led government. A subsequent political process facilitated jointly by the United Nations, the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) resulted in an agreement being signed in December 2022 between the military and some key civilian political stakeholders, jumpstarting efforts aimed at restoring a credible democratic civilian government. At the same time, the countrys economy has struggled, and communal clashes and other acts of armed violence increased, with civilians paying a heavy price, with many lives lost and homes destroyed in the Darfur region and the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states. The continued political crisis compounded marginalization and political grievances, as well as unresolved conflicts over land ownership. Complex challenges The challenges facing Sudan are many, including pressing humanitarian and economic needs, ensuring security and justice and respect for human rights, peacemaking, and advancing the democratic transition. Despite this, following the signing of the political framework agreement in December 2022, the political process continued to make progress at the start of the year with efforts focused on resolving outstanding issues that would pave the way for a final political agreement. Some facts: Sudan has a population of 48 million It is the third largest on the African continent There are 25 UN entities operating in Sudan In March, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Sudan, Volker Perthes, reported that Sudanese stakeholders were closer than they have every been to a settlement and the return to a civilian government. Fresh clashes derail political talks Those hopes were dashed when fighting erupted on 15 April between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Lieutenant General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, leaving hundreds dead and thousands injured. Even before the current fighting began, humanitarian needs across the Sudan had reached record levels, with 15.8 million people about a third of the total population requiring humanitarian assistance this year. The latest violence has led to acute shortages of food, water, medicines and fuel, while the price of essential items, including transport, have skyrocketed. The country also hosts over a million refugees and asylum-seekers, including from South Sudan, Eritrea, Syria, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, Chad and Yemen. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the parties to immediately cease hostilities and allow all civilians to evacuate from areas affected by the fighting. The UN in Sudan The UN has been supporting the Sudanese democratic transition through the efforts of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), a special political mission headed by Special Representative Perthes. While hundreds of UN staff members and their families have been temporarily relocated within Sudan or evacuated outside of Sudan, the Organization has pledged to carry on with its lifesaving work with its personnel, both inside and outside the country, focused on the immediate priorities of a sustained ceasefire with a monitoring mechanism; a return to political negotiations; and the alleviation of human suffering. Image: IOM Haiti New York: Countries in the Americas should suspend forced returns of Haitians on the move and adopt measures to protect them instead, UN-appointed independent human rights experts said on Friday. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) sounded the alarm after 36,000 people of Haitian origin were deported during the first three months of the year, according to figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Some 90 per cent were deported from the Dominican Republic. Violations and abuses against Haitians The experts expressed concern over collective expulsions which did not take into consideration individual circumstances and needs. They also highlighted alleged human rights violations and abuses against Haitians on the move along migration routes, at borders and in detention centres in the Americas region, as a result of strict migration control, the militarization of borders, systematic immigration detention policies and the obstacles to international protection in some countries. Such obstacles exposed these vulnerable migrants to killings, disappearances, acts of sexual and gender-based violence, and trafficking by criminal networks, the Committee warned. Demanding protection for Haitian refugees Caribbean countries, such as the Bahamas as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands, have announced measures against undocumented Haitian migrants. The United States in January also made public new border policies to permit fast-tracked expulsions to Mexico of Haitian migrants and others, crossing the southern border of the US without documentation. Considering the desperate situation in Haiti, which does not currently allow for the safe and dignified return of Haitians to the country, as pointed out by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Committee called for an end to the collective expulsions of Haitians on the move. It also said assessments of each individual case needed to be carried out, to identify protection needs in accordance with international refugee and human rights law, with particular attention to the most vulnerable groups. Combatting racism and xenophobia The independent human rights experts requested States parties in the Americas to investigate all allegations of excessive use of force, cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, and racial profiling against Haitians. They also demanded protection of refugees against other allegations of human rights violations and abuses committed by both State and non-state actors; including at borders, migrant detention centres and along migration routes, to punish those responsible and to provide rehabilitation and reparations to victims or their families. The experts also called for measures to prevent and combat xenophobic and racist violence and incitement to racial hatred against people of Haitian origin, and to publicly condemn racist hate speech, including those uttered by public figures and politicians. Independent human rights experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva. They are mandated to monitor and report on specific thematic issues or country situations. They are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. Image: UNICEF/Patrick Brown New York: Japan must assume a greater leadership role to address the deteriorating crisis in Myanmar and step up pressure on the countrys military junta, a UN-appointed independent rights expert urged on Friday. The international communitys response to the crisis in Myanmar is failing, and that failure has contributed to a lethal downward spiral that is devastating the lives of millions of people, Tom Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, said at the end of a 10-day official visit to Japan. Referring to the worsening situation in the country, he said Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who has led the junta since the February 2021 coup, had responded to widespread opposition to their rule with barbarism and oppression against the people of Myanmar. Hallmarks of the junta Arbitrary detention, torture and systematic attacks on villages have become hallmarks of the junta, he said. The military is repeatedly attacking civilian populations throughout the country and has quite literally made war on the Myanmar people. Japans leadership will be vital in recalibrating a failing international response to the crisis, he said, calling on Tokyo to work with regional and global allies to weaken the capacity of Myanmars military junta to attack its citizens. This is an emergency The Special Rapporteur also raised alarms about an impending humanitarian disaster in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. Without immediate additional funding, a decision to cut food rations by an additional 20 per cent will be made in the coming weeks, reducing daily food rations to 27 cents per person. The cuts would also potentially eliminate food rations completely for hundreds of thousands. This is an emergency, he warned, adding that he had visited Japan based on his belief Tokyo has an essential role to play in resolving the crisis. Further cuts will leave the Rohingya, already victims of genocidal attacks in Myanmar, at risk of starvation and drive thousands into boats and dangerous land routes in utter desperation. Impose sanctions As such, he called on the Government of Japan and all Member States to immediately increase humanitarian contributions, including by redirecting funds from development programmes in Myanmar. He also urged Japan to impose targeted economic sanctions on the Myanmar military and its key sources of funding, just as it is doing in response to the crisis in Ukraine. Economic sanctions that deprive the junta of the resources required to operate its war-making machinery would weaken the capacity of the junta to attack its people, the Special Rapporteur said. Renounce fraudulent elections In addition, he urged Japan to terminate a Ministry of Defence training programme for military personnel from Myanmar, referencing credible reports linking previous trainees to military units that have committed atrocities against civilians. He also called on the Government of Japan to clearly and consistently renounce the juntas plan to stage fraudulent national elections as a means of legitimizing itself. It is not possible to hold a genuine election when opposition leaders are arrested, detained, tortured and executed, when key political parties have been dissolved, when it is illegal to criticize the junta, and when journalists are imprisoned for doing their job, he said. The upcoming Group of Seven (G7) Summit of leading economies in Hiroshima presents an opportunity for Japan to shine a light on the situation in Myanmar before the world, he said, urging the Prime Minister to ensure that the crisis is high on the agenda and that a strong, unified message and action emerges. Special Rapporteurs Special Rapporteurs and other rights experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, are mandated to monitor and report on thematic issues or country situations, are not UN staff, and do not receive a salary for their work. Image: Pixabay Pakistan has urged Washington to restore military financing and sales suspended by the Trump administration as a senior US official acknowledged the importance of this bilateral relationship in a key strategic region, media reports said. It is important that the US restores for Pakistan Foreign Military Financing and Foreign Military Sales, suspended by the previous administration, Masood Khan, Pakistans envoy in Washington, was quoted as saying by Dawn News at a seminar in Washington. US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Elizabeth Horst, however, focused on the need to help rebuild the troubled Pakistani economy and urged Islamabad to work with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to do so. The reforms that Pakistan and the IMF agreed to are not easy, she said. But its crucial that Pakistan take these actions to bring the country back to sound financial footing, avoid falling into further debt, and grow Pakistans economy. Since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the US-Pakistan relationship has been stuck in a prolonged period of uncertainty. Intensified US competition with China has further strained Pakistans relations with the United States, as did the countrys deteriorating economy, reports Dawn News. Image: unsplash A senior police official of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station was killed in a bomb attack in Pakistan's Khuzdar area on Thursday, media reports said. According to the police, a roadside bomb went off when Inspector Sharbat Khans vehicle reached Khuzdar Medical College on the Quetta-Karachi Highway while he was on his way to the police station, reports Dawn News. Khan died on the spot. His vehicle was completely destroyed. According to police, an IED containing about 5kg of explosive substance was used in the blast, reports Dawn News. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident so far. Image: Wikimedia Commons Peshawar: Journalists demonstrated against the failure of police to register an FIR and arrest the suspects involved in alleged kidnapping and torturing of journalist Gohar Wazir over a week ago in Pakistan's Bannu region on Thursday. He filed a written complaint with Bannu City police station after he was set free by the captors and he received medical treatment at a local hospital on April 21. However, the complaint has not been converted into proper FIR so far, reports Dawn News. Gohar Wazir, who is president of National Press Club Bannu and works with a Pashto private television channel, has claimed that he was given electric shocks by his captors during a round 30-hour illegal confinement at an unspecified location. The protesters included local journalists and social media persons, who were holding placards and banners inscribed with different slogans and demands. They passed through different bazaars and said that the culprits should be arrested at the earliest, the news channel reported. Wazir suspects involvement of some militants, believed to be pro-government in the area, in his kidnapping. They were asking me to record a video statement wherein I should be praising them for working for peace and development of the country, he told Dawn. He said when he declined to accept their demand, he was given electric shocks by them and finally when the pain became unbearable he had to record a video of their choice. File image from Taiwan Defence Ministry's official Twitter page (@MoNDefense) Taipei: Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) has claimed it has tracked 12 Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around the country between 6 a.m. on Wednesday (April 26) and 6 am on Thursday (April 27), media reports said. At 9 am on Thursday, the MND said that 12 People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) military aircraft and four People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels had been tracked around Taiwan. Of the detected aircraft, five crossed the median line or entered the southwest section of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), reports Taiwan News. The aircraft tracked in the ADIZ included one Suhkoi Su-30 fighter jet, one Shaanxi Y-8 Reconnaissance (RECCE) tactical reconnaissance plane, one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) plane, one Kamov Ka-28 ASW helicopter, and one Guizhou WZ-7 Soaring Dragon RECCE unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The SU-30 fighter jet crossed the northeast section of the median line. The two Y-8 aircraft entered the southwest sector of the ADIZ just off the southwest edge of the median line. The WZ-7 UAV was detected flying in the far southwest corner of the ADIZ to the northeast of the Dongsha Islands, reports Taiwan News. The KA-28 helicopter was tracked in the southwest section of the ADIZ, just northwest of the Bashi Channel. The MND said it monitored the situation and responded by scrambling combat patrol aircraft, dispatching naval vessels, and deploying land-based air defense missile systems. Image: Pixabay Washington: Cops are looking for a shooter, who allegedly gunned down five Hondurans, including a child aged eight, at a house in Texas in another mass shooting incident in the United States, the local sheriff confirmed on Saturday, media reports said. According to the US media reports, investigators suspect that the shooter had been firing his AR-15 style gun in a nearby yard when the victims requested him to stop as they were trying to put a baby to sleep. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers described that the authorities came across a gory site when they reached the crime spot following a call of harassment by the victims around 11:30pm Friday. The bodies of the victims, aged from eight to 40 years old, were lying on the floor from the front door through the house to an inside bedroom. The bodies of the two women were found lying on top of two children, who survived the massacre. Capers told ABC's Houston station KTRK that the two women were trying to protect the children. Sheriff Capers said that all the victims, including an eight-year-old child, were from Honduras and there were 10 people in the house during the shooting. He added that the authorities believe the gunman is from Mexico and they know his identity. The shooter is believed to have left the county, and residents have been advised to stay indoors until he is caught, reported KTRK. New York is set to become the first state in the nation to prohibit the use of natural gas and other fossil fuels in most new buildings under a tentative state budget agreement expected to be voted on by state lawmakers next week. Beginning Dec. 31, 2025, developers and builders will be required to comply with "zero emission construction" standards for most buildings of seven stories or fewer, said Katy Zielinski, a spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul. By 2028, taller buildings will also need to adopt emission-free technologies, trading fossil fuel appliances such as gas stoves and furnaces for electric or induction cooktops and electric heat pumps. Amid New York climate battle, here's how opposing natural gas, electric grid plans would affect you With only days until the April 1 budget deadline, New York lawmakers are racing to find a compromise on a climate and energy plan. The outcome will fundamentally change the state economy and daily life for millions. Here is how each of the proposals would affect your household. The plan will exempt some types of new buildings, including hospitals, manufacturing facilities and commercial food establishments, and will allow for back-up generators, Zielinski said. It does not include any provisions meant to phase out or replace existing gas appliances, environmental advocates told The Buffalo News, though the exact terms of the deal have not yet been made public. Everyone knows we've seen the effects of climate change the storms, the hurricanes coming to New York, the record snow amounts we're seeing the effects every single day, Hochul said in Thursday remarks. ... Our budget prioritizes nation-leading climate action that meets this moment with ambition and the commitment it demands. Advocates cautioned that theyre still awaiting key details of the budget plan, including more information on a potential poison pill provision that they said would allow local governments to veto the policy. In wide-ranging climate plan, Erie County emphasizes 'practical solutions' The plan encompasses measures from agricultural practices to workforce development, including the appointment of a new chief climate officer for the county and the repositioning of social service agencies to better address climate-related challenges. The tentative budget deal also does not appear to include a measure, championed by climate activists, that would have capped consumer utility costs at 6% of household income and restricted the future expansion of gas utilities. New York's ban still represents the largest victory to date for the 4-year-old national movement to "decarbonize" buildings and a hard-fought triumph for state environmentalists. The measure faced months of fierce opposition from fossil fuel companies, Republican lawmakers and many consumers, who argued that transitioning to all-electric heating systems, in particular, could raise home energy bills and increase the potential harms of lengthy power outages. Will the state climate plan put you at risk during winter storms? Climate groups offer answers For thousands of Western New Yorkers, efforts to avoid a future environmental disaster such as an en masse transition to electric vehicles and heat systems raise a vital regional question: How will these technologies work in winter weather? Environmental advocates have largely dismissed these concerns, asserting that all-electric systems offer greater safety during extreme weather events and lower utility costs in the long run. The provisional budget deal includes more than $400 million in utility relief, Zielinski said, including $200 million allocated to the state EmPower Plus program, which assists low-income residents in weatherizing their homes and upgrading to energy-efficient appliances. Approximately 90 municipalities, including Los Angeles, New York City and Washington, D.C., have also enacted measures to phase out fossil fuels in new construction. Last year, Washington state also prohibited gas heating in new commercial and multifamily buildings through a revision to its statewide building code. Fossil fuel combustion in buildings accounts for around 13% of national greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At the precipice of global climate disaster, its long past time to stop building new buildings that burn fossil fuels for heat and hot water, a coalition of state climate groups said in a statement Friday. Gurugram Police have arrested a man for allegedly killing his wife and chopping her body and discarding them in parts of the city. According to the police, Jitender, a resident of Gandhi Nagar, who was living on rent in Manesar was arrested in connection with the murder of his wife Sonia Sharma. BCCL/FILE Unidentified body found on April 21 Police said that they launched a probe after a half-burnt torso of an unidentified woman was found in a village in Manesar on April 21. Umed Singh a resident of the village had informed the police that he found the mutilated body in a room built on his farm along the road leading from the Pachgaon Chowk to Kasan village. In the next two days, more body parts including both the chopped hands and her head were recovered from the Kherki Daula area. How the suspect was identified The investigation led police to a 34-year-old Jitender, a former navy cook and the woman's husband, who later confessed to killing her over an illicit affair with another woman. Representational Image "During the search of the room where the torso was found, police also found a polythene bag bearing the name of a Vishakhapatnam-based company. On enquiry, the vendor of the company informed us that they supply that type of polythene bag to the Indian Navy," Vijay Pratap Singh, DCP, Crime, said. Accused was a Navy cook Following the lead, police began searching records for missing person reports and found that a man named Jitender had reported his wife, Sonia Sharma, missing on April 21. They found that Jitender, now a suspect, worked as a navy cook and had taken retirement in 2022. "Jitender was seen in CCTV footage carrying a fully-packed trolley bag and backpack on a bike, and returning with a deflated bag. He was apprehended and during interrogation, he confessed to the murder of his wife and was arrested," Singh said. Killed wife to cover up extra-marital affair According to police, Jitender revealed that he had killed his wife, with whom he has an eight-year-old because she had got to know about his extramarital affair. He also revealed that he had secretly married the other woman. Unsplash "The accused's wife came to know about his affair which led to a dispute between them. To get rid of the situation, he decided to kill his wife. The accused first strangled her to death and later chopped her body into multiple pieces and packed them in polythene bags. "He decided to dispose of the body parts in different places in Gurugram so that the body couldn't be identified. He tried to dispose of the torso in a room built in the fields in Kukdola village in the Manesar area on April 21," said Vijay Pratap Singh, DCP (crime). The accused disposed of the other body parts in Manesar's forest area, Kherki-Daula, and the head in a pond near KMP road. For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. The US State Department has approved the transfer of two C-130 transport aircraft to Greece from US military surplus. These are clearly of a much younger generation of aircrafts compared to those currently serving in Greece. No fewer than 16 people were said to have been burnt to death in a road accident that occurred in Odeomu, Osun State, on Friday. A resident of Odeomu, Fatai Lasisi, who was close to the scene of the accident, told The Punch that the two vehicles involved had a collision. Lasisi said a commercial Mazda bus coming from Osogbo had a collision with a private vehicle coming from Ikorodu, Lagos State and heading to Osogbo. According to him, the commerical bus which had a gas cylinder in its trunk, lost control immediately it was hit by the Lexus vehicle, and swerved into a bush where it caught fire. READ ALSO: Road Accident Claims Five Lives In Bayelsa Also while giving account of the accident, Mr. Kareem Isau, ex chairman National Union of Road Transport Workers, Odeomu Branch, said he arrived the scene after the affected bus was already on fire. He said 16 corpses including 5 children were removed from the burnt vehicle, while 3 passengers and the driver of the affected bus, escaped death. Isau said, I arrived the scene of the accident around 7pm on Friday. People I met there told me a Lexus vehicle coming Ibadan end hit a commercial Mazda bus coming from Osogbo going to Ibadan. The bus lost control and entered the bush. Immediately that happened, the bus caught fire because a gas cylinder was kept in the trunk of the vehicle. I saw that gas cylinder when it was brought it. The vehicle was already burning when I arrived the scene around 7pm. I was told the accident occured earlier. The Mazda bus left Aregbesola area in Osogbo going to Ibadan. Four people escaped: the driver of the vehicle, a security agent, a corps member and a lady. One of the four that survived, a lady, told us that the bus with 18-passenger capacity left Aregbesola Area on Friday for Ibadan. She also said some of the passengers were nursing mothers and carried their babies, while some passengers sat on each others lap. When we were removing the corpses from the vehicle, five children were packed together. In all we removed 16 corpses from the vehicle. The Osun Sector Public Education Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Agnes Ogungbemi, while reacting to the incident said official casualty figure was not available yet. She said, No detail for now because we have not been able to ascertain the dead, but the injured have been taken to the hospital. One of the vehicles carried gas, it exploded and cause the fire outbreak. Owing to reports that leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), may likely not zone Senate leadership to the South-East region, United States-based Nigerian-American businessman, David Adodo, cautioned against bypass. According to him, marginalizing the South-East in the zoning of offices could affect some of the gains recorded in the democratic process. The entrepreneur however called on stakeholders, including president-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, not to make the mistake of further marginalizing the Igbos, saying Nigeria stands on a tripod. Adodo maintained that the present political situation in the country requires great caution in the choice of the next Senate President. READ ALSO: Any Muslim Vying For Senate Presidency Doesnt Respect Partys Constitution APC North-West While speaking from his Baltimore base, he said, the tripod of the nation rested on the three major political zones of the country and shouldnt be destroyed now to avoid undue further marginalization of the Igbo who are already agitating for a Nation of their own from Nigeria. In the interest of unity and for purpose of cohesion and to assuage agitation, the Igbos deserves to be allowed to produce the next Senate President. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, a former Governor of Abia State and current Chief Whip of the Senate is the best man for the job because of antecedents and experience, he added. Continuing, Adodo who mobilised support for Tinubu, urged the incoming President to ensure APC does not make mistake of ignoring the Igbos in this National political calculations and permutations. President Muhammadu Buhari has bowed to pressures from various stakeholders across Nigeria as he approved the postponement of the 2023 Population and Housing Census, earlier scheduled for 3-7 May 2023, to a date to be determined by the incoming Administration. Recall that INFORMATION NIGERIA earlier reported that Methodist Church Nigeria, Diocese of Calabar, urged the Federal Government to suspend the national population and housing census pending when security will improve. President Buhari confirmed the approval after meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council and the Chairman of the National Population Commission and his team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday (28 April 2023). The decision to postpone the Census, the meeting reiterated the critical need for the conduct of a Population and Housing Census, 17 years after the last Census, to collect up-to-date data that will drive the developmental goals of the country and improve the living standard of the Nigerian people. The President added that with the completion of the Enumeration Area Demarcation of the country, conduct of first and second pretests, the recruitment and training of adhoc workers, procurement of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and ICT infrastructures, appreciable progress has been made in the implementation of the 2023 Population and Housing Census. READ MORE: Discontinue All Plans To Conduct Census Afenifere Tells FG He also commended the methodology being put in place by the Commission to conduct accurate and reliable Census, especially the massive deployment of technology that is capable of delivering world class Census and laying a sustainable basis for future censuses The President also urged the Commission to continue with preparations for the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census in order to sustain the gains already recorded and provide the basis for the incoming administration to consolidate these achievements. However, the meeting was attended by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami; the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed; the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Mr Clem Agba and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha. Shehu Sani, former senator representing Kaduna Central, has revealed the reason President Muhammadu Buhari approved the postponement of the 2023 Population and Housing Census, scheduled for May 3-7 2023. Information Nigeria had reported that Buhari in a press statement signed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Saturday, officially approved the census postponement. According to Mohammed, Buhari gave the approval after meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council and the chairman of the National Population Commission, Nasir Isa-Kwarra, and his team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday. READ ALSO: Buhari Bows To Pressures, Postpones Census According to the minister, president Buhari approved that a new date would be determined by the incoming administration. But, Sani reacting in a post via Twitter on Saturday said the federal government passed the buck to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, because it could not fund the census, which is estimated to cost about $1.8 billion. He tweeted, The simple fact is that the FG doesnt have $1.8 billion for the Census and now shifted the Wahala to Asiwaju. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has said that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is determined to leave a legacy of quality healthcare through Universal Health Coverage. According to him, this will expand the net for those to be captured under the Health Insurance Program. Mohammed stated this on Saturday at the commissioning of the 80-bed multi-purpose hospital in Oro, Irepodun Local Government Area (LGA) of Kwara State, funded by the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Princess Adejoke Adefulure. Information Nigeria reports that the commissioning is one of the two legs of the 2023 Oro Day Ceremony of the Oro community, currently underway where N500 million Development Fund is being launched. He earlier commissioned a 40-bed multi-purpose hospital in Igbaja in the same local government. The first hospital also funded by SDGs office was commissioned last year in Eiyenkorin, Asa LGA of the State, which was equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. According to the minister, the hospital being commissioned is the third of such facilities to be commissioned by the SDGs office in Kwara State, which aims at reducing maternal death, infant and neonatal deaths. We just commissioned a forty-bed primary health care centre in Igbaja, Kwara State equally constructed and equipped by the SDGs Office. The 80-bed being commissioned is equally equipped to promote the health of mothers and children. It has a Thearter, Incubators, Ventilators, Phototherapy Machines, Patient Monitor, Childrens Beds, Examination beds, 100kva generator, Furnished and lit with solar street lights READ ALSO: Buharis Comment On Relocating To Niger Rep Shows He Was Never Committed To Nigeria MBF This development is in line with PMBs administration commitment to providing health facilities to cater for the needs for Nigerians. I am told that the SDGs Office commissioned over 35 of the 100-bed hospitals spread across the country. It also commissioned 20 80-bed hospitals and numerous primary health centers across the country. Let me commend the SDGs Office for the giant strides it has recorded in the provision of social services across the country particularly in remote places. The PMB administration is determined to leave a legacy of quality health care delivery through the Universal Health Coverage, which expands the net for those to be captured under the Health Insurance Program, Mohammed said Mohammed also said that the Basic Health Care Provision Fund is being operationalised to provide health care to poor and indigent Nigerians, stressing that, We will ensure availability of basic minimum package of health services. This will ensure that at least 100,000,000 Nigerians will have health insurance coverage through public and private sources. According to him, the Federal Government is partnering with the African Export-Import (AFREXIM) Bank to host the regional centre for health excellence in Abuja and that the hospital will be managed by the Kings College Hospital, London. He added that the administrations response to health emergencies has remained unprecedented, particularly how we were able to contain the COVID 19 pandemic in the country. Worthy of note is that under this administration, Nigeria has been certified Wild Polio Free. We thank Mr. President for his numerous support to Kwara State particularly this community. Recall that some weeks ago, we were here to perform the groundbreaking for the construction of a power transmission sub-station. The network of roads constructed in Oro is also a testament of Mr. President footprints in this community. I will urge you to continue to support the government to succeed and also to take advantage of the health facility to promote the health and well-being of mothers and children. The former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has been invited by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for interrogation over an investigation concerning corruption allegations against him. It was gathered that at the time Akpabio headed the ministry, a N40 billion fraud was allegedly perpetrated in the Niger Delta Development Commission. However, there were allegations of over N86 billion contract scams involving the senator-elect and a former Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei, which the EFCC had been investigating. The anti-graft agency had in the past arrested Akpabio over the alleged theft of N108.1 billion of Akwa Ibom funds. READ MORE: Akpabio To Approach Supreme Court Over Appeal Court Judgement The EFCC had earlier invited Akpabio to appear for questioning on March 29 but his lawyer, Umeh Kalu (SAN) in a letter to the anti-graft agency alleged that his client was suffering from pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmia. The invitation was later rescheduled. In a letter dated April 13, 2023, which was received by Akpabios lawyers, the senator-elect was asked to come to EFCC headquarters in Abuja on May 9, 2023. It read, Investigation Activities Re: Senator Godswill Akpabios Appointment Letter Of Invitation was signed by ACE II SM Ala, Head, CMU-1. I refer to your letter number dated March 27, 2023, on the above subject. In view of the above, you are kindly requested to inform your client Senator Godswill Akpabio to personally report for an interview with the undersigned through the Head, CMU-1 team on May 9, 2023, at 5th Floor, EFCC Headquarters Plot 301/302 Institutions and Research District. Jabi, Abuja at 10:00 am. Dr Festus Adetonwa, a public health physician and Chief Executive Officer of Fest-Michelle Consultancy Services, has advised men to examine their partners breasts before sucking them. Dr Adetonwa explained that there could be discharges from the breast like blood which men should always watch out for when engaging in the act. He said this at the grand finale of a three-day Health, Safety, and Environmental Management workshop facilitated by the Industrial Training Fund for The Punch staff members on Friday. READ ALSO: Oral Sex Fuelling Throat Cancer Epidemic Experts Warns Speaking against the backdrop of rising cases of breast cancer and how a woman can be on the lookout for possible symptoms, Adetonwa said most men dont examine their partners breasts before sucking because they mainly engage in sexual acts at night time and may unknowingly take in discharge into their mouth, which could be a sign of breast cancer. He said, The problem is that most men dont suck their partners breast during the day, they suck in the night, so they dont know if the breast is discharging milk or blood. Men need to confirm from the women because some of them have discharge, he added. Speaking further on the prevention of breast cancer, he encouraged women to also engage in prolonged breastfeeding. He said, When they ask you to do exclusive breastfeeding at the hospital, its not because it will help your baby to feed alone but it will also help the woman and protect against breast cancer. The abducted Federal Commissioner of the National Population Commission (NPC) for Bayelsa State, Mrs Gloria Izonfuo, has been released after spending five days in kidnappers den. Recall that Izonfuo was on Sunday evening kidnapped alongside her maid and driver at Ogbakiri junction on the East-West Road. READ ALSO: Gunmen Abduct Bayelsa Population Commissioner, Driver, Demand N500m Ransom Spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, who confirmed her release said, Yes, she was released on Friday along with her driver and maid, and they have been reunited with their families. Iringe-Koko however declined to confirm whether or not any ransom was paid to secure Mrs Izonfuos release, adding, Were still investigating with a view to apprehending the kidnappers. For a young family still new to Buffalo, each day has settled into a quiet routine. The two boys head off to school. Their uncle, Nasim, rises in the morning to prepare for his job at Walmart, then returns to care for a toddler daughter, Parasto, while his wife Shafiqa leaves for English lessons at Erie Community College. They both study a new language while keeping the curious and energetic Parasto occupied. Shafiqa, 28, has a list of English phrases hanging from a kitchen window, so she can work on them while she does the dishes not far from the life goals she taped to a cabinet, as reminder and inspiration. Those dreams all revolve around a call they have anticipated for months one their 14-year-old nephew, Mojtaba, finally received a few weeks ago. He was granted legal asylum, putting him among a tiny handful of new Afghan arrivals in Buffalo to reach that plateau. To Shafiqa and Nasim, Mojtaba's news is a landmark for a couple for whom 2021 equated to a frightening ordeal, touched off when the old government collapsed amid the Taliban's rise to power. Mojtaba's call was also a flash of hope for Julie Kruger and Kelsey Reff, the lawyers providing the family with free representation. According to advocates for refugees, some 600 newcomers from Afghanistan many who directly supported American military personnel, diplomats and aid workers found safety in greater Buffalo after the Taliban took over. But almost none have achieved asylum, which carries life-changing importance. For reasons tied to friends and relatives in Afghanistan, Reff asked that Nasim and Shafiqa's last names be kept out of this piece. They are both of the Hazara, an historically oppressed people in their homeland. Nasim, 31, served with the government and often worked closely with Americans. Shafiqa was an outspoken activist for women's rights and also held a government position. Any of it was enough to put their lives at risk. For young pupils at Buffalo String Works, music as shared language Dim Lam Lun made the decision the first time she touched the keys. She was a teenager in Burma, forced to seek an education far from home amid sweeping reprisals in 1988 that shut down government schools. She enrolled at a seminary school that had a piano, the first one Dim had ever seen. In a place where she They are among about 80,000 Afghan refugees granted humanitarian parole by the Biden administration after Kabul fell, a status that most will lose in early autumn. Jennifer Rizzo-Choi, executive director of the International Institute of Buffalo, said the hope was the "higher obligation" of pure conscience these were people who put themselves in danger, to aid Americans would accelerate the asylum process. Instead, advocates say only a few cases, at most, have reached decisions from federal Citizenship and Immigration Services administrators. Rizzo-Choi calls it a limbo period. Without federal intervention, she said, adult refugees could lose the legal right to work, which is how they care for their families day to day. She described the best potential options as asylum or extending humanitarian parole, while Gretchen Gonzalez, executive director of the Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project, said such alternatives as special immigration visas are limited and would not protect entire families. You cant get a more sympathetic situation than people being forced out of their own country because they put themselves in danger by helping ours, said Gonzalez, whose office provides the largest free immigration counsel for new Americans in the state outside of New York City, which is how Kruger and Reff connected with Nasim and Shafiqa. Gonzalez said her agency has provided dozens of lawyers within a collective legal effort involving many Buffalo organizations with longstanding commitments to immigrants and refugees. They are working cooperatively to make sure anyone in this new Afghan community "who wants a lawyer, has a lawyer," as Rizzo-Choi puts it. Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, said he has written to immigration administrators, urging new focus on the logjam facing this community. He said he witnessed the selfless and courageous aid provided by many Afghans on visits to that nation. Higgins was a House of Representatives co-sponsor of the Afghan Adjustment Act, a bipartisan attempt to ease the route to permanent residency that has not made it out of Congress. This situation where returning to their birthplace could mean death ought to transcend ideological differences, Higgins said, even in a fiercely divided nation. "If someone makes themselves susceptible to persecution on behalf of all of us, then morally we have an extraordinary obligation," he said. Gonzalez, of the Volunteer Lawyers Project, also works closely with Paul Buchanan, a former Erie County Family Judge now representing Abdul Khalid Andish, 26, a young Afghan journalist. Andish made a harrowing escape from Kabul, helped by the international Committee to Protect Journalists a flight to safety that Lucy Westcott, the CPJs emergencies director, mentioned in a digital diary. Andish worked in both television and radio. He wanted to reach the voices of those unheard to officials, he said through an interpreter in a recent interview. He produced stories on opportunities for women and the struggles of the Hazara, work that hardly endeared Andish to the Taliban. He lost both a cousin and a friend, a cameraman, when a suicide bomber attacked a Hazara rally. As Kabul fell, he bid a fast, clandestine farewell to his family, who grieved but were pleased my life would be out of that misery, he said. Sean Kirst: For founder of clinic in South Sudan, rescue in blizzard built on Epiphany Lost in the Christmas weekend blizzard, Fidele Dhan was led to safety by a family who set out looking for him. Some of his rescuers offer this thought as both a fact and a point of wonder: He was saved, without question, because of the three kings. Trapped, Andish took shelter for days in a friend's apartment. He finally reached a hotel protected by the Qatari army. From there, he said, the CPJ helped him escape. I was lucky to get out alive, said Andish, who arrived in Buffalo with a single duffel bag. He lives now in Niagara County, where he works as a truck driver and aspires to be a journalistic "voice for this generation of young Afghans." None of it will happen without asylum a status Buchanan believed Andish would achieve months ago. He said lawyers within the process have told him the delay is based on a lack of enough federal staffing to do fast, safe and thorough security reviews of each applicant. "That's what's holding a lot of people up from establishing their lives," he said. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees that process, wrote in an email that departmental officials remain "committed to supporting Afghan nationals paroled under Operations Allies Welcome, and we continue to explore opportunities to provide avenues for humanitarian relief. Homeland Security, the spokesperson wrote, hopes to "provide guidance" to those refugees "as soon as possible." In Buffalo, that would include Shafiqa and Nasim, parents to young Parasto, who still carry the fear of almost being separated as they left Afghanistan. They have also cared for their nephews, 17-year-old Hamed and his younger brother Mojtaba, since just before their 2021 flight from Kabul. The boys parents were traveling and far from home when the city fell. Nasim and Shafiqa say they were all at high risk because of their heritage, danger compounded by their careers before the Taliban takeover. That led to a desperate choice: Through friends, they found a taxi driver willing to drive through chaotic streets to the airport. Shafiqa was entirely covered in a burka. Taliban soldiers, she said, routinely banged on the windows and asked where they were going. I was terrified to say anything, she said, though whatever faith she had about refuge at the airport quickly dissolved. Every entrance was overrun by frightened people, jammed in shoulder-to-shoulder. Afghan soldiers used rifles or rods to beat back the crowds. The driver managed to reach the far side of the airport, where American soldiers were doing their best to check papers before letting anyone in, a trickle through two gates maybe 500 feet apart. Tear gas hung in the air. There was barely room to move. In their effort to push through, the couple was torn apart, struggling toward separate gates. Nasim, frightened he might never again see his wife or nephews, sought help from a young American soldier, who made a lightning-quick decision: He took Parasto in his arms, held the child high and pushed into the crowd. The soldier was gambling: He figured the one chance they had was that a mother would somehow spot her child, even within madness. It worked. I turned and saw my wife, Nasim said of a moment that will stay with him forever. They were able to climb onto a military transport aircraft, packed with refugees. For 24 hours, as they waited, they had water but no food. When the plane finally touched down in Qatar, hundreds of desperate, hungry travelers burst into applause, and for an instant Nasim wondered: Why applaud being torn away from home? He realized they were cheering because they had saved their lives. From Qatar, they flew to Germany and then to Washington, where the couple faced one last, wrenching hurdle. Immigration officials, checking passports, asked about their bond with their nephews. Because Nasim and Shafiqa were not the actual parents, they were temporarily separated from the boys. The couple was led toward a car and away from their nephews, Shafiqa said, when a woman in an administrative position saw her weeping. "What's wrong?" asked the woman, who reacted with compassion and somehow intervened. We took the kids back, Shafiqa said of her sister's children, and were happy. The family spent several months in Wisconsin before embracing the chance to relocate in Buffalo. Nasim found his job, and Shafiqa this week received long-awaited authorization to work. Every day, she reads that handwritten list of goals dreaming of a career in journalism or public service and her hope intertwines with the gratitude they both express: We are lucky to be here. That defines asylum, though it will not feel real until they get the call. Prophet Bisi Olujobi of Wisdom Church of Christ International in Ketu, Lagos, has shared his vision on happenings that may occur in Nigeria and to some important personalities in the coming months. The general overseer, on Friday, also gave prophecies regarding the Labour Party (LP), governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife, Queen Silekunola Naomi. Other declarations were made about the Peoples Democratic Partys governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu and Leke Adeboye, son of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) leader, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye. He stated: The present Labour Party will go into extinctionin a matter of time. According to him, Sanwo-Olus second term will bring about more improvement, but advised him to be wary of praise mongers. He should not segregate any tribe. Some people would want to mislead him into doing that, especially segregating the Igbos, who didnt vote for him during the election, he added. Commenting on Adeboyes son, Olujobi said he would enter spiritual confusion and needs fervent prayers as there are thick conspiracy against him. READ ALSO: Tinubu May Be Poisoned Before Swearing In, Food Must Only Come From His Wife Prophet Olujobi Warns He furthered that the attacks will manifest in the nearest future and take a new dimension immediately his father passes on. Speaking on Queen Naomi, he said she has no chance with any other man than Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi whom she had a child with; Any step aside this will result in tragedy. Olujobi, however, prophesied Naomi and the traditional ruler will reconcile, while other women with the Ooni will evaporate one after the other. On Ogun politics, he said though Adetutu has a crown on his head, he will not have an upper hand in his legal action to unseat Ogun governor, Dapo Abiodun. Commenting on the Sudan conflict, the prophet stated that the war is targeted at East African countries. He however urged continent leaders to unite and serve with the fear of God. Many blood will still be shared. I see the war lingering for another two years. Uganda, South Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia will be affected, except they pray and work harder, he noted. Internet users have started dragging Judy Austin, the second wife of Yul Educhie as she finally mourns her stepsons death in a latest post on social media. Reacting to the death of Kambi Yul-Edochie, who died on March 30, Judy said God knows the reason for his sudden death. She took to her Instagram page to post a candle while praying that Kambi Yul-Edochie rests in heaven with God. God knows best. Rest in Heaven with God, Great son. Kambi Yul-Edochie, Judy wrote. That, however, seemed not to have gone well with most social media users who called out Judy for her insensitivity towards the family at their grieving moment. Some social media users described her post as unnecessary, and questioned her motive for putting out such. READ MORE: You Made Your Mark, Yul Edochie Pens Tribute To Late Son A few others leapt to her defense, stating there is nothing wrong with her decision to mourn her husbands late child. See reactions: @StarGirl_OO1: Judy Austin sef. I dont know who gives her advice. She just doesnt know when to stop. @TheeBibbs: But what is the color of Judy Austins problem? Such a st!pid woman. Nigerian billionaire and business mogul, Femi Otedola, has divested from indigenous conglomerate, Transcorp Corporation Plc, just weeks after acquiring substantial shareholding. According to a report by Nairametrics, Otedola exited his 6.62 per cent stake in Transcorp after reaching a deal with the chairman of the conglomerate, Tony Elumelu, following negotiations between both parties. READ ALSO: Femi Otedola Has Been Paying For Our Tuition Ikorodu Bois The report said that the negotiations leading to the agreement were swift yet cordial as both parties believed it was in their mutual best interest to go their separate ways. This comes hours after Elumelu and Otedola publicly agreed to work together to promote Transcorps interests. Sources also indicate the attention drawn by the jostle for shareholding was a distraction for the company thus paving the way for a decision to part ways. It was explained that the transaction closed at the prevailing market price of Transcorp Plc as of Thursday. Shares of Transcorp closed at N3.12 per unit on Thursday. The fight for control of Transcorp began when Otedola acquired a 5.52 per cent stake in the conglomerate, making him the second-largest shareholder in the company. With the purchase of additional shares, Otedola upped his stakes to over six per cent. However, in a deft move, Elumelu raised his stake in the company from 2.07 per cent to 25.58 per cent on Thursday through HH Capital Limited, where hes a director, thereby surpassing Otedolas stake. Announcing Otedolas exit on Friday, Transcorp notified the Purchase of Transnational Corporation Plc shares by Mr. Tony Elumelu, CFR through HH Capital Limited. 506,306,387 at various prices; 1,492,750,816 at N3.12; 720,000 at N3.10 and 6,970 at N3.11. The aggregate volume is 1,999,784,173 at various prices. The details of the transaction shows that 506,306,387 was purchased on April 27, 2023 while 1,493,477,786 shares was purchased on April 28, 2023. The Oyo State Police Command has paraded an 18-year-old boy identified as Taofeek Adeagbo, for allegedly killing his father. Taofeeks mother, Rashidat Adeagbo was also paraded for concealing the information of the murderous act. Parading the suspects in Ibadan, on Friday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, said the incident occurred in Tede, Atisbo Local Government Area of the state. READ ALSO: 8-Year-Old Girl Tests Positive For HIV After Her Mothers Boyfriend Allegedly Raped Her In Delta Osifeso said, On Friday, April 21, 2023, at about 8 am, one Adeagbo Taofeek m of Somola area Tede, reported at Tede Divisional Police Headquarters that on the same day at about 06:30 am, his nephew named Adeagbo Ismail m came to inform him that when he woke up around 6 am, he met his father, one Adeagbo Jimoh m lying dead where he was sleeping inside the compound with a serious mark of violence on his forehead. He said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect struck his late father on the head with an iron rod where he was sleeping leading to his death. He confessed further that his mother, one Adeagbo Rashidat was aware that he killed his father and concealed the information. The said Adeagbo Rashidat was also arrested However, in an interview with his mother, Rasheed Adeagbo, said she woke up on the fateful day to see the lifeless body of her husband on the floor. She said, I woke up the children for the early morning Islamic prayer only to see the lifeless body of my husband on the floor. I raised the alarm and people gathered in our compound. Taofeek has gone out to inform the family members of the demise of his father. I have seven children for my late husband even though we normally quarrel, I will never wish him dead. The family members reported the case at the police station. A combined team of the police asked for all the children but I thought Taofeek has not come back but only to discover that he was hiding under the bed. I asked him whether he knows anything about the death of his father and he confessed to the crime. She narrated. At least 13 persons have reportedly escaped death following the collapse of a two-storey building under construction in Calabar, Cross River State. According to Vanguard, the tragic incident occurred at Muri Nta Eke Street off Ikot Eyo on Saturday afternoon as workers were trying to complete the second decking of the building. READ ALSO: Seven-Storey Building Collapses In Lagos Confirming the incident, Cross River State Commissioner for information, Mr Eric Anderson said that 13 workers were at the site before the incident but only 10 were there when it occurred as three took a break. According to him: The people originally working at the site were 13 but three of them took a break before the incident, so only 10 were on the ground when the building collapsed. We can account for the 10 persons but the security guard told us that a boy was seen at the site seconds before the collapse. So we are here with our equipment to make sure we get to the bottom of the rubble, it is obvious that the contractor who happens to be the owner of the structure was also the site engineer and building engineer and all. He is a known person, he owns a hotel( name withheld ) at Nsemo Street in Calabar, I have contacted him severally but he has refused to take his calls. From what we have seen so far at the site of the incident it is obvious he used substandard materials for the project. The mixtures, the blocks, and the iron rod used were all substandard. Im also aware that the Ministry of Urban Planning and Development had written to him four months ago to stop building but he has been evasive, with this his details will definitely be made available to security agencies for due process. We are trying to get to the bottom of the rubble to make sure the boy is found, until then we will remain at site, we are also using this opportunity to let other illegal builders know that its no longer business as usual. We know it takes a rigorous process to get demolition approvals but we will take such stance to the next level and ensure that nothing like this ever happens again in Calabar and Cross River as a whole, Mr Anderson said. Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, on Friday said it has not abandoned the plan to totally remove fuel subsidy in the country by June 2023. The clarification was given in a statement through her special adviser on media and communications, Yunusa Abdullahi. Ahmeds clarification follows viral reports in which she was quoted to have said after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday that the government had shelved earlier plans of petrol subsidy removal in order to consult more widely and allow the incoming government to settle down. However, the Minister on Friday said the government had no plan to suspend the planned petrol subsidy removal and only wants to expand the subsidy removal committee to include teams from the incoming administration and the state governors. READ ALSO: NEC Suspends Removal Of Fuel Subsidy Indefinitely According to her, after deliberations, the NEC categorically stated that the fuel subsidy must be removed because its not sustainable. According to her, We agreed to form an expanded committee that will be looking at the process for the removal of the subsidy, including determining the exact time as well as the measures that need to be taken to provide support to the poor and the vulnerable, Ahmad was quoted by Yunusa Abdullahi, the ministers special adviser on media and communications. There is also the need to agree to alternative measures that will be put in place to ensure that there is sufficient supply of petroleum products in the country. Ahmed submitted that the subsidy removal by June 2023 is still the target as contained in the 2023 fiscal framework and appropriation act as well as the petroleum industry act (PIA). The committee is to work out a road map for the removal of the subsidy. No change in the overall policy direction regarding the petrol subsidy is envisaged by June 2023, the minister added. She listed the membership of the subsidy removal committee as currently comprising the ministry of finance, budget and national planning; ministry of petroleum resources, Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, the downstream and upstream regulators, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the chief economic adviser to the president. An Asset Recharge Center (ARC) charges hand-held devices used in warehouses and other businesses. It was designed and distributed by Philadelphia-based ChargeItSpot. Read more It started with the fight against nomophobia the fear that your phone will run out of power. Now its all about reducing the very large number of workplace communications devices that just disappear. Doug Baldasare, a Villanova native, was at University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School in 2011 when he started ChargeItSpot, using start-up aid provided by the program now known as Venture Lab. The companys goal was to solve the problem of the dreaded dying phone battery. We would build, deploy and manage free and secure to customers these phone-charging lockers in retail stores, so people would spend more time shopping while they waited for their phone and spend more. Advertisement Baldasare contracted a manufacturer to build boxes with eight secure units that would be placed in clients stores where shoppers could charge their phones. By 2020, the company had 150 employees (including 30 in its offices at Center Citys Bourse building) and more than 7,000 of its eight-unit machines in service at Bloomingdales, Gap, UnderArmor, Nordstrom, and, for a time, Target, in 42 states and Canada. The stores figured the extra business from shoppers awaiting a fully charged phone was well worth ChargeItSpots fee. By then, Baldasare and his team had raised $30 million in early-stage funding from Philadelphia-based Robin Hood Ventures, New Jersey-based Soundboard Angel Fund, and local tech millionaires. Philadelphia was a great place to start a business, Baldasare said. Access to talent. Proximity to New York and D.C. and Boston. Strong airline hub. Economical costs. Then the pandemic hit. Most of our clients shut their stores for six to 12 months, and revenue dried up, Baldasare said. We had to build new solutions, relative to the customer. One client had complained that ChargeItSpots consumer-facing solution didnt address a larger problem in the back of the house. Warehouse-dependent retailers, the client said, were buying tens of thousands of phone-like communications devices from Honeywell, Zebra, and other makers. A quarter of the devices vanished in a given year lost or stolen. Another quarter stopped working over any given three-month period due to hardware, software, or WiFi glitches, and were piling up in bins and back shelves, untracked, until they were swept into repair bins for possible fixing. Here was opportunity to apply what Baldasares team had developed on a larger scale. They reviewed how warehouse managers had been trying to cope with handheld devices. They were using pen and paper for checking them in and out, manually, he said. Managers were spending three hours a day unlocking some backroom for employees and swapping out devices. ChargeItSpots solution was to design and contract construction of a larger unit the Asset Recharge Center or ARC with sensors that scan a users badge; on recognition, pop open the door with a users assigned device; and automatically check it out. You cant check out another unit until you return the first, Baldasare said. That brought [device loss] down from 25% to 1%. An early client was Comoto, successor to South Philly-based motorcycle-gear retailer RevZilla, now based in Cherry Hill. Soon ARCs were in use for airline baggage handlers, grocery chains, hospitals, delivery services. In April, Sams Club, the Walmart discounter, ordered 1,202 of the 48-unit ARCs for its stores, doubling prior installations. We are excited to partner with ARC on this technology that ensures all (employees) can quickly and easily access a device, Chad Donath, senior vice president of operations for Sams Club, said in a statement. These lockers allow them to stop worrying about lost or damaged devices and give them more time to focus on taking care of our members, he said, adding the first stores to use ARCs have reported a large decrease in annual devices lost, plus the time saving. The company continues to sell its original product to retailers. Post-COVID, Baldasare expects rapid sales to big companies with lots of devices to track a victory, he says, for Philadelphia innovation. Guillermo Herrera, owner of Woodland Grocery, looks back towards the 2200 block of South 67th Street, where a 16 year-old boy was shot Thursday evening. Read more A 16-year-old boy was in critical condition Friday after police say he was shot multiple times while walking to catch a trolley in Southwest Philadelphia on Thursday evening. Neighbors and loved ones were holding onto hope that the teen, whom police did not identify, would pull through, describing him as a polite young man, dedicated Muslim, and loving older brother. Longtime neighborhood business owner Guillermo Herrera, of Woodland Grocery on the corner of 67th Street and Woodland Avenue, said he had just seen the teen, a frequent customer, 30 minutes before he was shot, when he stopped in to buy a pair of socks. He said he spoke with the boys mother on Friday morning and she told him between sobs that her son had returned home briefly after making the purchase, then left again and was walking to catch a trolley down the street when he was shot. Advertisement Hes a good boy, a nice kid, said Herrera, 51. Hes quiet and respectful. I cant believe this happened. Herrera wasnt in the shop when the shooting occurred, he said he had locked up and headed home at 6:10 p.m., just two minutes before security footage shows the teen was shot. Video of the incident captured by Herreras store and reviewed by The Inquirer showed that the teen was walking alone on the sidewalk along Woodland Avenue when a man stepped out of a black SUV that was double-parked across the street. The man, gun in hand, walked to the teen and shot him multiple times, including in the head, before returning to the car and fleeing north. Video showed the young man collapsed on the ground for five minutes, as no one came to his aid, before police and first responders arrived. He was rushed by medics to Penn Presbyterian Hospital, where he has undergone multiple surgeries and remains in critical condition, said Capt. James Kearney, head of the Philadelphia Police Departments nonfatal shootings unit. Kearney said police recovered six spent shell casings at the scene, and recovered a gun that the teen had been carrying. No arrest has been made, and the motive remains unclear, he said, adding that the teen had never been charged with a crime and there were no incidents in his past to indicate why someone might target him. A friend of the victims family said loved ones were gathered at the hospital Friday, hopeful that he would wake up after surgery. She said the teen, whom The Inquirer is not identifying for privacy reasons, is a sweet boy who loves going to school each day. As of Friday afternoon, Herrera said police had not yet visited the store to review the security video. He and a small group of patrons watched the footage in horror, shocked that violence has struck the neighborhood for the second time in two days on Tuesday night, a tow truck driver was shot multiple times around the corner. Shootings of people under 18 have been on the rise in recent years in Philadelphia. So far this year, 57 children have been shot, eight fatally. Last week alone, five children were shot, including a 16-year-old in West Philadelphia Friday night who remains in critical condition. And earlier this week, a 5-year-old was wounded when police said his father mishandled a gun and it accidentally fired. Longtime Southwest Philadelphia resident Romelle Johnson was eager to learn about the condition of the teen from her block, and wondered how she could support his family. Johnson was not home when the shooting occurred, she said, but part of her wishes that she had been so she could have run to his aid. Even if there was nothing else I could do, I would have gone to him, to hold him and let him know that he is loved, and that God loves him, said Johnson, 69. Johnson, who has lived on the block for more than 20 years, stood on her porch and stared down at the sidewalk, at the faded chalk marks and blood stains. Maybe I need to leave, she said. Its very sad that a city, a state, a country cannot do better than this. But she cant give up yet, she said. An avid reader with thousands of books, Johnson recently rented the twin unit next door to turn into a library so she could share her love of books with her community. And she would go to the market Friday afternoon, she said, for food to cook for the injured teens family. We cannot stop trying. We cannot stop thinking that people cant be helped, that God doesnt love them, she said. I have to stay here until God sends me somewhere else. Police remove the body of a person that was found dead on the porch at 5957 Palmetto St. in Philadelphia's Crescentville section, where a quadruple shooting left three teens dead. Two teens have been arrested. Read more Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with a quadruple shooting that left three teens dead and one hospitalized Friday afternoon in Philadelphias Crescentville section, police said. Police identified the dead Saturday as Malik Ballard, 17, of the citys Frankford section; Khalif Frezghi, 18, of East Mount Airy; and Salaah Fleming, 14, of North Philadelphia. The shooting occurred about 3:30 p.m. Friday on the 5900 block of Palmetto Street, where, police said, Ballard was found shot on the sidewalk, Frezghi on a front porch, and Fleming just inside the front doorway of a home. All were pronounced dead at the scene by medics. A fourth victim, a 16-year-old male who has not been identified, arrived at Jefferson Frankford Hospital with a gunshot wound to the stomach, police said. Advertisement Fleming was an eighth grader at Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School of Philadelphia Inc., said Veronica J. Joyner, the schools founder and chief administrative officer for nearly 25 years. She said the hospitalized teen, whose name she would not disclose, is an 11th grader at the school, located on Broad Street across from the School District of Philadelphias headquarters. Both of the young men are very respectable and theyre good students, Joyner said in an interview Saturday afternoon. The school and the school family is very saddened that this continues to happen to young people. Before Fridays shooting, 57 children under 18 had been shot in Philadelphia so far this year, eight fatally. Fleming had just started at the grade 1-12 school in September and was praised by his teachers as being very mannerable, very quiet and hardworking, Joyner said, calling his death just a travesty. The injured 11th grader, Joyner said, has a smile that would light up the room. She said she was not aware of any conflicts within the school that might have carried over to Palmetto Street and the shooting there Friday afternoon. She said Fleming had not been in school Friday. Ballistic evidence was recovered from Palmetto Street and a gun was found inside the residence, police said. A short time after the shootings, police said Friday night, they found a black Ford Edge believed to have been involved in the shootings. It had crashed on the 500 block of East Wyoming Street. Police took two juveniles into custody and said they believed they had dropped off the injured 16-year-old at the hospital. Police identified them only as 15- and 16-year-old males and said they have been charged with violation of the Uniform Firearms Act and related offenses. At Mathematics, Civics and Sciences, a school of 1,000 students, Flemings classmates and those of the 11th grader reported in critical condition are devastated. Im getting calls from parents, Joyner said. Grief counselors will be available to any students on Monday and eighth graders will be given a break from taking the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment exams that are ongoing to give them some time to grieve, Joyner said. She said the school this year has had to hire four additional grief counselors in addition to the two it had on staff because of the preponderance of gun violence and the impact it is having on students. We have about two typed pages of students that have lost either mother, father, brothers, sisters or other relatives in shootings, said Joyner, who has a social work background and has been working with children for 53 years. The schools now, they have to deal with a lot of things they didnt deal with when I went to school. The weekend before Cinco de Mayo has been unusually quiet for the past three years in South Philly. But this Sunday, the music, the costumes, the crowds, and the celebration are all finally coming back. On April 30, Philadelphias Mexican community will hold its signature Carnaval de Puebla, a celebration of Mexican history and culture filled with dancing, food, and cultural performances. This is the first Carnaval since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of celebrants, or carnavaleros, will first gather at 9 a.m. at 2300 Croskey St. between 22nd and 23rd Streets. Then at 12:30 p.m., a parade will begin, marching north from 22nd Street up to Washington Avenue. It will procede east to Sacks Playground, where the celebration continues with live music and food until 6 p.m. READ MORE: El Carnaval de Puebla, a celebration of Mexican culture, returns to Philly this Sunday Advertisement The history is returning here again, said Edgar Ramirez, one of the events founders and committee members. To him and those coming to South Philly from other cities and states, the Carnaval is more than just a singular day on the calendar. Its a way of living, he said. Its something that you can say is even genetic. David Pina, the president of the event organization, said Phillys Carnaval is the biggest celebration on the East Coast, and that people journey from other cities and states to be there for it, including two performing bands from Mexico. Im very happy to see this event [become] bigger and bigger every year, he said. This last stretch of years without the Carnaval is not the first time that the event was canceled in Philadelphia. The organizers decided not to hold the Carnaval de Puebla in 2017 after a steep increase in raids, deportations, and arrests by immigration officers under the Trump administration. A lot of people [were] very sad, Pina said, noting that people have been checking in with him about this years event. But now that things feel a bit safer, reconnecting with Carnaval and one another is their priority. We feel part of this country, but we dont want to leave our traditions, our culture [behind], he said. While Mexican Carnaval is celebrated slightly differently throughout Mexico and the United States, Phillys version is modeled after the uniquely celebrated carnavales of Huejotzingo and San Mateo Ozolco, two Mexican cities in the state of Puebla. They include a reenactment of the battle in Puebla where the Mexican army ran off invading French forces in 1862, as well as other significant moments from Mexican history, like the countrys first Christian wedding, which took place in the 1500s. Those participating in the reenactments and other events of the day dress up in colorful, ornate costumes and masks that some liken to the Mummers Parade. Im the happiest guy in the world, Pina said about seeing people coming together to celebrate every year. We love this tradition. We love the music, we love our culture. We want to show our children, to [not] forget ... our culture from Mexico, our traditions from there. So when I see a lot of little guys dancing on the parade, wearing costumes wow. Wow. Its amazing. And trust me, sometimes they make me cry. I was reminded recently of Gerald Fords pronouncement after pardoning Richard Nixon: Our long national nightmare is over, as if saying it made it true. If U.S. adults didnt realize it immediately, they soon realized that sweeping such crimes under the rug only makes it easier for such activities to happen again. And they did, as weve seen in the last several years. Nixon and his co-conspirators were never held to account, and the rest of us never were given the satisfaction of bringing them to justice, having them admit their wrongdoing, and be punished for it. Now a settlement has been reached with virtually no admission of guilt by the perpetrators, other than Rupert Murdoch having to dip into his seemingly inexhaustible pile of cash. Admittedly, $787 million is a lot of money, but it means little to a man and the empire he built on lies and sensationalism. This settlement is, in fact, wonderful news for Hannity, Ingraham, and the rest, and for their employer, for whom this is merely an unfortunate, yet prudent, financial decision. While we may applaud the fact that he has been forced to pay damages to the voting machine company he slandered, we cannot un-ring the bell that has sowed skepticism around our voting systems; we are all denied the opportunity to hear the facts of the case, most importantly, to hear Murdoch, Carlson et al. admit their lies in court. The millions of fools who not only believed those lies (some of whom were induced to attack the Capitol two years ago) will continue to believe those same lies in the absence of any real reckoning. Unfortunately, this is the way free market capitalism and the American justice system have come to work hand in hand. This whole affair reminds me of the damage to Americans and to the planet that has been done by cigarette companies and fossil fuel companies, who, like Fox News, continue to profit from polluting the public as they avoid both meaningful penalties and the legal, public censure we all so desperately need for them to receive. John Nelson Kenmore Ellen E. Reilly became the first female chair of the board of trustees at La Salle University in its history. Read more In 2019, a local nonprofit and university-based center released a report on the lack of women on university and hospital boards in the Philadelphia region. Three years later, there has been marked improvement in both female representation, as well as in people of color, which a new report by the Nonprofit Center at La Salle University and the Womens Nonprofit Leadership Initiative examined more fully this time. But the majority of higher education and health-care boards are still chaired by white males and many boards dont reflect the makeup of their staffs, students, patients, and local communities, according to the new report, Closing the Gaps: Gender and Race in Nonprofit Boardrooms. READ MORE: Female board members outnumbered by men at Phillys colleges and hospitals, new study finds Advertisement We urged the eds and meds to narrow the gender gap by setting an initial goal of at least 30% women trustees, Carolyn Adams, co-chair of the initiative and former dean of Temple Universitys College of Liberal Arts, said in a statement. We now call on these institutions to close the gender and racial gaps within the next three years, so they have boards that are representative of the gender and racial diversity of our regions population. We also call on stakeholders to use their collective power and influence to encourage both disclosure of board demographics and intentional action to foster board diversity. The 30% benchmark had a precedent: The Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2017 passed a resolution encouraging for-profit and nonprofit boards to reach a minimum of one-third women by 2020. The groups findings will be presented at Founders Hall at La Salle University at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The report is among the latest to call attention to the need for more gender and racial diversity on boards, the seats of power at local institutions. Only one woman serves as CEO out of 100 of the regions top public companies, according to a report released last week by the Forum of Executive Women, though there was progress in female membership among executives and on boards. READ MORE: Philly eds and meds boards slowly bringing on more women In the latest report, the groups are calling on the education and health-care boards to reach at least 50% female membership and 20% women of color and 20% men of color. The groups looked at 46 universities and hospital boards in the Philadelphia region, with big hitters such as the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, Thomas Jefferson, and Temple. Nearly three-quarters supplied data to the reports authors or confirmed data. For the 13 that did not Arcadia University, Christiana Care, Doylestown Hospital, Haverford College, Inspira Health Network, Main Line Health, Nemours Childrens Health, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Princeton, Redeemer Health, Thomas Jefferson University, Trinity Health, and the University of Delaware researchers used their own data. The findings include: Women account for 38% of seats on higher education boards and 34% of seats on health-care boards, up from 33% and 28% in 2019. Board members of color occupy 24% of seats on college boards and 19% on health-care boards, up from 13% in each category in 2019. Eight colleges and universities that had less than 30% of women on their boards in 2019 now exceed that percentage. They are: Inspira Health Network, Bancroft Neurohealth, Virtua Health, Thomas Jefferson, Redeemer Health, Cooper University Health, Ursinus College, and St. Josephs University. About half of the college and medical boards that were involved in the initial 2019 study increased their percentage of women since 2019. Some of the larger increases were at Inspira Health, which went from 14.3% women in 2019 to 43.8%, Thomas Jefferson, which increased from 17.9% to 34.8%, and Ursinus, which grew from 29.6% to 46.4%. But the report also noted that less than one-quarter of the boards are chaired by women, and only one, Gwynedd Mercy University, has a woman of color. And only two boards are chaired by men of color, one of them at Lincoln, a historically Black university. Three hospital boards those that operate Doylestown Hospital, Shriners Hospital for Children, and Tower Health had no men or women of color as of June 1. Tower has since added one woman of color, Adams said. And seven health-care boards have not even met the minimum goal of 30% of women on their boards. They include: Shriners Childrens Hospital, Capital Health, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, Temple, Grand View Health, and University of Pennsylvania. Ten educational boards failed to meet that threshold. They are: Wilmington University, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Eastern University, Temple, La Salle, Drexel, Villanova, Penn, Widener, and Delaware Valley University. (Three are listed as both health-care and higher education boards.) Kara Wentworth, executive director of La Salles nonprofit center, noted that La Salle for the first time in its history has a female chair of the board of trustees, Ellen E. Reilly, a La Salle graduate who is head of health-care and life sciences at WHOOP, a Boston-based company that monitors fitness through wearable technology. But she wasnt included in La Salles numbers because she didnt get the position until July 1 after the study had closed. In an introduction to the report, Reilly noted that women have held other leadership positions on La Salles board, but acknowledged La Salle and others have more work to do. Equal representation around our leadership tables is essential, she said. We cannot lead, educate, and support an increasingly diverse community without diverse leadership. Wentworth said shes encouraged that nearly three quarters of colleges and health enterprises responded to the groups queries for information. Conversations are happening, she said. The willingness to talk about this and recognizing its importance and being proud about making progress, Im seeing all of that as enormous strides forward. The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of more than 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org. Elizabeth Taylor-Mead, a retired film industry executive and cultural development consultant, fought the Philadelphia Water Department for 19 months over a nearly $3,500 bill. She is seen here at a 2017 event for Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture in Philadelphia. Read more In August 2021, Elizabeth Taylor-Mead checked her bank statement and discovered that a few thousand dollars had been withdrawn by the City of Philadelphia. Her monthly water bill had suddenly jumped from $45 to nearly $3,500. The Philadelphia Water Department was claiming that her one-bedroom home in South Philadelphia, a rental property that supplemented her Social Security income, had somehow been guzzling enough water to fill an entire swimming pool every day, for the previous month. Approximate gallons used per day: 12,745, the bill read. Advertisement The withdrawal was automatic because Taylor-Mead had enrolled in the citys zipcheck payment system. Suddenly, theres no money in my account, she said. The city had it for a water bill. She immediately called her bank to halt the transaction. Her tenants and maintenance worker reported nothing unusual. Is it even possible to use that much water every day? News stories that summer had detailed how thousands of residents had recently received wildly inflated water bills in error, some as high as $15,000. She figured hers must be a mistake, too. Call customer service. Easy fix. Wrong. This, she said in February, has taken years off my life. In March, following a 19-month tug-of-war with city officials, the city finally credited her for most of the disputed amount. The administrative review board that ruled in her favor didnt provide her or the water department with an explanation. Taylor-Mead, who is retired from the film industry, has since moved out of Philadelphia. She loves the citys history, diversity and arts scene, and had done some consulting work with an Arab arts and culture nonprofit. She had planned to stay here after retirement. To be honest, this has totally soured me on Philly, she said. Her billing experience, while an extreme example, is not entirely unique. As the water department continues with upgrading all 485,000 meters in the city with new transmitters the official term is Advanced Metering Infrastructure residents have complained of water shutoffs for failing to comply and excessive bills based on past usage. Residents such as Kamilah Jackson say they have doubts about the accuracy of the water departments calculations. In March 2022, Jackson received a nearly $5,000 water bill, followed by shutoff notices and warnings from the city that a lien would be placed on her home in the citys Graduate Hospital neighborhood. Her bill is usually under $40. It turns out that a contractor for the water department had inadvertently read the wrong meter. Her account was eventually credited for the disputed amount. It was a yearlong saga. It really did impact my life, said Jackson, a child psychiatrist. Nobody believed me. Nobody would listen to me. City officials say such mishaps, and high bills triggered by past underbilling, represent a small fraction of the millions of bills issued each year. Susan Crosby, the citys deputy revenue commissioner in charge of the Water Revenue Bureau, said the vast majority of meter readings are accurate. She urged residents to cooperate with the meter upgrade process, as the new transmitters track water in near real-time and can immediately flag usage spikes and notify residents by email. Theres bound to be some errors, Crosby acknowledged in April. But, she said, We have a wonderful billing, inquiry and dispute process. Its very robust, and its there to protect our customers, so that if they feel that theyve received a bill in error, theres a process they can go through with many different layers to help them get resolution. Kafkaesque experience Taylor-Meads $3,429.01 water bill arrived in her mailbox just as thousands of other Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) customers in South Philadelphia and elsewhere were freaking out about the same thing. Maureen Molinaro, for example, received a $12,000 bill at her Point Breeze home, where she typically pays about $46 a month. A neighbor who usually pays $35 received a bill for nearly $15,000. Its crazy, Molinaro told The Inquirer in early August 2021. READ MORE: A 25,000% increase? Errant water bills shock some Philly residents. The water department attributed those incorrect bills which affected about 17,000 residents in 19 zip codes to an error with data files. Mine was pretty horrific. It was over $13,000, Chelsea Burns, of Point Breeze, said recently. But, Burns said, PWD did a good job identifying the problem and fixing it: They were pretty quick and true to their word. Taylor-Mead had a different experience. Month after month, shed receive auto-generated letters saying that unidentified city officials had been unable to resolve your inquiry, and more time would be required to investigate. Thank you for your patience, they ended. Sincerely, Customer Service Division. Its like the Wizard of Oz, with people behind the curtain, she recalled. Nobody will give you a name or a direct line. Taylor-Mead was eventually told her high bill was not related to the data error. But that figure on the bill about her tenants using more than 12,000 gallons a day? That was wrong. Nonetheless, the city wanted her to pay in full. The bill is correct as issued. Please arrange to satisfy the open balance on the account, wrote a hearing examiner in June 2022, concluding that the bill was the result of actual water used at some point over a 20-month period when PWD was estimating her water usage. The bills likely reverted to estimates because her meter wasnt properly transmitting monthly readings. Taylor-Mead was confused. Its a tiny, 624-square-foot trinity house. When the meter was working properly, the bills had been around $45, which was in line with all the subsequent estimated bills. She lived nearby in Pennsport, kept in touch with her tenants, and had a maintenance worker on call. No one was filling pools or watering lawns. No significant leaks were reported or repaired, she said. And after her meter was upgraded in November 2021, the bills went back to normal. She suspects there was a problem with the old meter, or some type of billing glitch. I think these bureaucracies rely on the fact that if they just gaslight you long enough, at some point you think, The hell with it. and just pay, Taylor-Mead said. But they picked on the wrong little old Sicilian lady. She pressed on into 2023. In February, she flew from Boston to Philadelphia for a hearing before the Tax Review Board. There was no board. It was two officials on a screen. She hadnt been informed the hearing was remote. This is so Philadelphia, she thought. Kevin OBrien, the maintenance worker who attended the hearing to testify that the property did not have any major leaks, described it as the most Kafkaesque experience of my life. She came all the way to Philly to appear in person, but it was by Zoom in a conference room to somewhere else in Philly, he said. The hearing master ruled in Taylor-Meads favor and said her account should be credited for about $3,000. He did not provide a rationale. It sounded as if she had won. But after a month with no word, she reached out to the citys Office of Administrative Review. A staffer wrote back that the case manager responsible for processing her decision letter is no longer with the office and had left all his work unfinished. It would become official within two billing cycles, she was told. The ordeal behind her, Taylor-Mead is in the process of selling the home. Definitely a wild ride, she said. Read the fine print! Department spokesperson Brian Rademaekers said that the department still believes that Taylor-Meads bill was accurate that the water was, in fact, used. A faulty toilet flap or other leak is a common culprit, he said. But Melissa Andre, executive director of the Tax Review Board, said that its hearing officer found Taylor-Meads testimony and evidence credible. Regardless, the epic dispute is a reminder that residents are responsible for notifying the water department if their bills are based on estimates, rather than actual readings. Otherwise, they could face big bills in the future, based on what the department says are months of underestimates. If people have autopay set up, they could potentially be paying estimated bills for months, then have to catch up on that when its corrected, Rademaekers said. Take a look at your bill right now. If you are getting an estimated bill well make an appointment with you and upgrade that meter. Rademaekers said 93% of accounts are currently billed based on actual readings. The meter upgrades, which began in 2019 and are expected to be completed by May 2025, should further reduce the number of estimated bills. As for Jackson, who received a bill of nearly $5,000, Rademaekers said a contractor performing a meter upgrade went to the wrong house and Jacksons meter reading was inadvertently compared with the meter at that address. These types of errors are very rare, Rademaekers said. He said customer surveys have shown that 95% of people are satisfied or very satisfied with the meter upgrades. David Denenberg, a lawyer who represented Jackson in her appeal, said PWD could do a better job explaining the customers responsibility to notify the utility if their meter is not properly transmitting data. Im a lawyer, and I look at it like, Give me a bill and I pay it, Denenberg said. I dont look to see if its actual or estimated. Jackson now has an upgraded meter, and her bills are back to normal, about $40 a month. The experience left her frustrated, though, particularly the threats to put a lien on her home. She never received an apology. I was almost having a heart attack over here, she said. I would like to not have anyone else have to go through this. Staff writer Lizzy McLellan Ravitch contributed to this article. Faculty, graduate students, and other members of the teaching force at Rutgers University are close to finalizing tentative agreements for new contracts. The bargaining teams for the three unions representing 9,000 educators, researchers, and clinicians at the public flagship university voted to recommend contract language that would become tentative agreements if they are approved by the unions executive councils and board. Those groups will vote Sunday, and if accepted, the tentative agreements would go before members for ratification. READ MORE: Rutgers strike is suspended, sending faculty back to work with a framework for new contracts Advertisement It would bring an end to monthslong negotiations that included a one-week strike earlier this month that caused widespread disruption for the 67,000 students spread across three primary campuses in New Brunswick, Camden, and Newark. It was the first strike in the unions history. The unions agreed to return to work with a general framework for contracts. If ratified by the union membership, it would provide substantial salary increases for full-time faculty, graduate assistants, teaching assistants, and others, Rutgers said in a statement. It would also provide new compensation programs for our medical school faculty. READ MORE: Rutgers faculty and grad student unions will go on strike Union officials did not provide any details on the tentative agreement, other than to say it included the framework that the unions and university reached when they held bargaining sessions in the state capitol during the strike, at Gov. Phil Murphys request. According to university administration, that framework includes a 43.8% increase in the per-credit salary rate for part-time lecturers over the four years of the contract and improvements to their job security, and a 27.9% increase in the minimum salary for postdoctoral fellows and associates over the same period. Teaching assistants and graduate assistants will see their 10-month salaries increase to $40,000 over the course of the contract, the university said. Full-time faculty and Educational Opportunity Fund counselors will see salaries increase by at least 14% by July 2025. The contracts are retroactive to July 1, 2022, and will provide retroactive salary payments to the employees. Many of the outstanding issues that remained post-strike concerned the 1,300 members of the BHSNJ union, which represents doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, and biomedical researchers at Rutgers. The potential tentative agreement has resolved outstanding issues and includes more changes that were bargained over the last two weeks, the unions said. During that time, union members held pickets outside the homes of members of the boards of governors and at a board of governors meeting. Dozens of Rutgers resident physicians and fellows also held a demonstration Thursday night in Newark. Two people were struck and killed by an Amtrak train in Chester on Saturday afternoon, a spokesman for the Delaware County Medical Examiners Office said. No further information about the victims was immediately available. A spokesman for Amtrak said the two people had been trespassing on the tracks when they were struck by southbound Train 161, which had originated in New York and was headed to Washington, at 4:29 p.m. No injuries to the trains 368 passengers or crew were reported, Amtrak said in a statement late Saturday night. Travel along Amtraks Northeast Corridor between New York and Washington largely resumed about 6 p.m. with heavy delays. In all, the crash delayed eight other Amtrak trains, the agency said. Advertisement But Train 161 still remained stalled at the site of the crash after 8:30 p.m. Tonia Lee, a wealth management professional from Baltimore, had boarded 161 in Philadelphia, where she had been attending a conference. There were a few bumps and the train continued and then stopped, Lee said of the crash in an email sent from the train. She said she had learned that the train had struck people by doing a Google search. Information from the train crew was sparse, Lee said. Passengers were sitting in the dark with no updates since power was turned off, she said. Im very saddened to hear of the loss of life, Lee said. Train 161 passengers were transferred to another train beginning at 7:45 p.m., Lee said, and the new train departed at 8:30 p.m. Amtrak referred questions about the victims to the Delaware County Medical Examiners Office and local police. Neither had released any additional information by late Saturday night. The Amtrak statement said incidents such as Saturdays serve as critical reminders about the importance of obeying the law and of exercising extreme caution around railroad tracks and crossings, and cited efforts such as working with Operation Lifesaver to emphasize the dangers of being on railroad property or disregarding warnings at rail crossing. In the Democratic primary, The Inquirer recommends Rae Hall for Register of Wills, Michael Untermeyer for sheriff, and John Thomas for city controller. Read more Philadelphias so-called row offices have long been treated as a backwater for Democratic Party apparatchiks. The upshot is a history of waste, inefficiency, and corruption. But voters get the elected officials they deserve. Thats why its important to show up and cast a ballot on May 16. The primary will determine the likely winners in the November election, and the last day to register to vote is May 1. This board has long called for abolishing two of the row offices and making them appointed positions. Until that happens, voters should support candidates who are independent and willing to act in the best interest of all Philadelphians and not just toe the Democratic Party line. For Register of Wills: Rae Hall The roughly 70 employees at the Register of Wills receive wills for probate, collect inheritance taxes, maintain key records, and issue marriage licenses. Rae Hall, who is challenging one-term incumbent Tracey Gordon for the Democratic nomination, is the best choice for voters. Hall knows the office, having previously worked there. She currently works in the Kenney administration and worked for former City Council President Anna Verna. Advertisement Hall has thoughtful plans to modernize the office by implementing new software to cut processing time and digitize records, bringing it (finally) into the 21st century. She says she will establish a strong and transparent hiring practice, ending its reputation as a patronage mill under her predecessors. Her plan to integrate the Register of Wills under the Philadelphia government umbrella, changing its current status as a non-charter city office, would bring more ethical standards and oversight to the office. Change that is sorely needed. In short, Hall would work to divorce the Register of Wills from party politics and add more oversight, making the office more efficient and effective. Over the years, the office and its budget of close to $4 million has often been misused to the point where this board and others have called for its elimination. For decades, Ron Donatucci ran it as a private fief and jobs bank for committee members and ward leaders, all while collecting a $130,000 salary and running his real estate company. Donatucci was defeated in 2020 by Gordon, who herself sent a bad message by hiring former State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, who was convicted of bribery. A former clerk recently filed a lawsuit alleging he was fired for not contributing to the incumbents campaign. Although Gordon did some good outreach using pop culture to explain why people should create wills for themselves the office has a long way to go. The other challenger in the race, John Sabatina, is part of the Democratic Party machine and, if elected, would likely keep the political patronage mill humming along. Rae Hall is the candidate who deserves voter support. For sheriff: Michael Untermeyer The Sheriffs Office is another scandal-plagued operation in desperate need of reform. The best choice to clean up the mess is Michael Untermeyer, a Republican turned Democrat who has run for sheriff, City Council, and district attorney. The Sheriffs Office supports the courts by transporting prisoners, serving writs and warrants, and conducting sheriffs sales of property that have been relinquished due to tax delinquencies or foreclosures. But the office has been plagued with problems for years, prompting this board and other groups to call for it to be abolished as an elected office. Untermeyer is a former prosecutor who has made some unusual decisions such as wearing a GPS tracking device for 30 days to call attention to the need to release nonviolent offenders to home detention during his 2009 run for district attorney. But Untermeyers 15-point plan to clean up the Sheriffs Office and restore transparency and credibility is impressive. For example, he wants to create a new inventory system to keep track of confiscated weapons (preventing them from being illegally resold, as in the past), hire an inspector general, improve accounting and record-keeping, and make it easier for residents to bid on properties being sold. He is also largely self-funding his campaign and promised to implement change in just one term. All of this would be a dramatic improvement for the scandal-ridden office, with its $26 million budget and 400 employees. Perhaps just as important, Untermeyer would unseat current Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, who ran as a reformer but has continued the tradition of abusing the office for personal gain. Shes been accused of retaliation by former staffers, and diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars meant to hire more staff, using it to give herself and others raises. (Records show she tried to double her $136,083 salary.) Meanwhile, her top legal deputy, Tariq El-Shabazz, moonlighted as a defense attorney, representing clients charged with crimes. Bilal spent more than $6,000 in taxpayer money for a holiday party. She also threw a going away party for the previous sheriff as he was going to prison. Philadelphians should be sick and tired of watching public funds being misused by this office. As long as it remains an elected position, voters need to choose the person most likely to right the wrongs of the past. In the Democratic primary, Michael Untermeyer is that candidate. For city controller: John Thomas The controller is the citys fiscal watchdog and chief auditor. Its leader should follow in the footsteps of former Controller (and now mayoral candidate) Rebecca Rhynhart. Rhynhart ran against the Democratic political machine and won. She was an independent controller who exposed waste and inefficiency in city government, the Police Department, and the record spending of the Kenney administration. John Thomas is the best candidate to keep that momentum going. Thomas served as deputy controller for more than a decade, where he gained experience with audits, investigations, and making sure the city got what it paid for. He has a degree in accounting from Temple University and wants to use the office to gather data on the citys biggest challenges crime, schools, and economic growth and propose evidence-based solutions. He would also become the citys first Black elected controller, which is long overdue. Like Rhynhart, he is not deeply entrenched within the political machine. He is running against Christy Brady, who took over for Rhynhart when she resigned to run for mayor. Although Brady has worked at the City Controllers Office for 28 years, she is aligned with former Controller Alan Butkovitz, a Democratic insider, longtime ward leader, and former state representative. Fresh eyes are needed to maintain the offices independence. Thomas other opponent, Alexandra Hunt, lacks the relevant experience needed to oversee the offices $10 million budget. We dont want business as usual in 2024, and neither should Philly voters. There seems to be a funny phenomenon lately in my family where whenever we go on holiday, be it a night away or something longer, one of my kids will feel sick or someone will have a meltdown. Going on holidays or taking any kind of mini-break is supposed to help you reset and relax but it can sometimes feel the opposite. This week I will be sharing with you some of my favourite travel tips whether you are planning a short staycation or a longer trip abroad as well as a delicious recipe for Chewy Granola Bars, the perfect travel snack. Over the last couple of years, I have found a few different elements that have helped us have an overall smoother holiday experience. From my experience, a good thing to get a handle on is figuring out whether your child is suffering from motion-induced travel sickness. Motion-induced sickness happens when there is a major difference between what our eyes are looking at and what our inner ears sense. Typically this happens when you are in a fast-moving vehicle like a car, bus or train where your eyes recognise that you are travelling very quickly, but the inner ear senses that youre sitting down and therefore confusion happens causing motion sickness. Its a good idea to chat to a doctor if there is something you are specifically worried about before a big trip. Every child is different and you know your child best, so having a think about what makes them feel content and happy is worth doing. What will entertain them and what will they need to keep them somewhat relaxed? Here are some of my top tips for travelling with kids: If we are travelling anywhere by car, I always try to map out a couple of places to take a break and let the kids stretch their legs and get some fresh air. Now this rule is generally reserved for car journeys that take over an hour, but it is something that is always better to do than not. If Im travelling in Ireland I look for playgrounds on route, ideally with a nice coffee shop near them. I have learned that a great way to help with motion sickness is to listen to music, or an audiobook instead of using a screen. This is particularly helpful while in a car, rather than on a plane. There are loads of audiobooks and podcasts for kids available. Water bottles at the ready. I try to bring our water bottles with us as I can generally refill these anywhere I go ie. airport, cafe, restaurants. This saves having to buy larger bottles and lugging them around the place with us. Making sure the kids are drinking enough water is also very important as children dont often drink unless physically thirsty dehydration can be a risk when travelling. Having some tasty snacks is also great as my kids tend to be hungrier while travelling! Preparing food before travelling ensures that I will never be caught with a hangry toddler, which if you have kids you know how that can be. I pack lunch and then let them pick a treat en route to wherever we are going. If you are travelling by plane there can often be changes in the pressure in the cabin during takeoff and landing which can often lead to ear pain in young kids. I find that having them blow their nose, or massaging their ears/temples can be a great way to ease this pain. Whatever will work to help them get through that. No matter where you go there should be out-of-hours doctors available. Nothing is more stressful than being away from home and not knowing where you can take your sick child. Ive a fantastic GP who has often chatted to me on the phone when Ive been away with the kids and worried about them. In my little go bag I always keep a few essentials like a thermometer, antihistamines, antibacterial gel or wipes, cough medicine, fever reducer and bandages. These are always handy things to have on you or in the car as you never know when or what you might need. This can also be great if you are travelling somewhere with a different primary language as it can be difficult to find what you are looking for or brands that you are familiar with. Children, travel and life are unpredictable. Taking a little time before you head off on an adventure to be as prepared as possible is really helpful in the long run. Wellness Tip: Keep an eye on your posture throughout the day. If you spend time on a computer make sure you arent slouching over the keyboard! Keeping your shoulders back and your back straight can help alleviate back pain! Fitness Tip: When watching tv at night, instead of lounging on the couch, try to sit or stand and do some stretching! This is a great way to sneak in some extra activity! Chewy Granola Bars recipe by:Derval O'Rourke These are super cost effective and a great thing to have prepared before a travel day! Servings 12 Preparation Time 10 mins Cooking Time 30 mins Total Time 40 mins Course Dessert Ingredients 120g jumbo porridge oats 50g desiccated coconut 50g pecan nuts, roughly chopped 1 tbsp chia seeds 3 tbsp water 3 tbsp honey 2 tbsp coconut oil tsp vanilla extract 1 egg 2 medjool dates, chopped 30g dried mango, chopped Salt Method Line a 33cm x 23cm (13 inch x 9 inch) metal baking tin with parchment paper so that the paper overlaps the sides. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Spread the oats, coconut and pecans on a baking tin and bake for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the chia seeds and water to make a gel and set aside. Melt the honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract in a large pan over a low heat. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Stir the chia gel into the honey mixture, one tablespoon at a time. (Ensure that each spoonful dissolves fully before adding the next.) Add the egg and stir until smooth. Stir in the dates, mango and a pinch of salt and mix well. Tip the toasted porridge mix into the pan and stir until combined. Increase the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Scrape the granola mix into the prepared baking tin and spread out evenly, pressing down with the back of a spoon. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and firm. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 30 minutes. To remove from the tin, take hold of the parchment paper and simply lift out the granola slab. Cut the slab into bars and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Spiritualism. Mediums. Telepathy. Most of us would probably, if asked, place the heyday of such things somewhere in the late 19th or early 20th century. On hearing of an outfit called the premonitions bureau, a place that people seeing into the future could write to and have their visions of disasters and tragedies recorded and logged and tested against events, we might also expect it to come from those times. Instead, the bureau was set up in the late 1960s; and Sam Knight, who has written the story of the whole venture, first saw it mentioned in a book by Arthur C Clarke. My first thought was that it would be a kind of hokey thing, a stunt, Sam recalled when we caught up recently. It didnt take me very long to find out that the two principal people involved, John Barker and Peter Fairley, were serious people. Barker was the deputy superintendent of a large mental hospital who published in The Lancet and the American Medical Journal, a proper doctor and experimental psychiatrist. And Peter Fairley was the science editor of the Evening Standard who presented the moon landings on ITN. They were people who had something to lose by being involved in an experiment like this. I became determined to find out everything I possibly could, but it took a long time because, in lots of ways, its quite a small story, its quite a fragile story. You dont want to make excessive claims about what it achieved. I became very drawn to the character of Barker as the sort of the scientist who goes a bit too far. Its quite a kind of classical figure from literature or from stories. I couldnt quite put it out of my mind. Knight is a staff writer for The New Yorker . Good magazine writing, or longform, or creative non-fiction (or whatever were calling it) is his beat. Hes affable and level-headed, cerebral without being remotely aloof. Im not someone who has premonitions or has had supernatural experiences, he says. I was motivated to write this story as straight as I possibly could, as a piece of history and a piece of journalism, rather than using it in support of some larger argument about how the world works. But having investigated the story and written the book, did his view of how the world works, in fact, change? John Barker felt that a purely physical view of life was far too restricted and would be unlikely to explain everything. It has definitely reinforced the sense that these are common experiences; that experiences of premonitions or impossible coincidences or moments that, for whatever reason, stick out from the ordinary and change peoples lives as a result are common. They exist in almost every family. Strict materialists may see a world in which there are lots of people, banging around in Brownian motion, bumping into each other, having random, rubbishy dreams in our heads and then, Oh, hey, presto!, it all maps out onto reality somehow. And yet thats not how we behave as humans, is it? Were always looking for meaning, were always looking for significance, sometimes to our cost and to our detriment. But this is how we navigate the messy experience of life. Its clear to me that you cant see the future, you cant see things before they happen, but that really doesnt mean a whole lot when youre convinced that you have done. You have inexplicable knowledge of whats about to occur, and thats generally a very uncomfortable feeling. And what do you do with that information? The premonitions bureau was an example of a small group of people in the 1960s who really thought that they were seeing behind the curtain. The Premonitions Bureau by Sam Knight The Premonitions Bureau, now out in paperback, is massively redolent of the era in which the events occurred. John Barker is deeply involved in extraordinary experiments in aversion therapy. He takes up surfing at a time when the sport had barely arrived in Britain. Enoch Powell, of all people, is campaigning for the dismantling of the Victorian asylum system. The percipients of the Aberfan tragedy (movingly recreated in the book), when the collapse of a colliery spoil tip killed 116 children and 28 adults in a Welsh mining village, are dropped by David Frost from his talk show even as they were in the studio waiting to come on. Also in the book is the 1967 Stockport air disaster when 84 died, a fire at John Barkers own hospital when 21 female patients were lost, and the Hither Green rail disaster of 1967 in south-east London in which 48 people died. (One of the 78 injured was a 17-year-old Robin Gibb.) The derailment seemed to have been predicted by two of the bureaus star percepients, who are brought vividly to life by Knight: I see no reason why this gift should be any more frightening than a good head for mathematics, opined one of them, Miss Middleton. But the gift could undoubtedly be a mixed blessing. The bureau, meanwhile, relied on appeals issued in a printed newspaper for information that would be gathered through letters in the post or by means of phone calls to Fleet Street 3000. Down in the basement of the building, the printing presses heaved as the predictions rolled in. I dont think its a coincidence that this happened in the mid-sixties. It was a time of dramatic technological change, social change, and a sense of awful and exciting possibility. I love the idea that Peter Fairley was going from his desk at the Evening Standard, rifling through the latest predictions of the premonitions bureau sent in from the suburbs of England, and then going off to NASA to watch the latest, most wonderful technology in the world. Hes in both of those realms at the same time and they didnt seem contradictory to him. "The other great time of spiritualism and psychical research in the UK was around the time of the First World War, another time of dramatic technological change and social change. I think these things go hand in hand. Its arguable that maybe we are living through something of a similar moment now in terms of technological progress, but also fear and anxiety. John Barker envisaged the premonitions bureau as this great big computer that everyone would pour all their forms into and the computer would be able to search that information for peaks and patterns and points of correlation and then maybe issue a kind of a warning. "It doesnt sound to me very different from a social network and how people turn on their devices and pour all their feelings into it and those things are then trawled over by algorithms. That idea of a computer searching for peaks and patterns in information was etched into my mind as soon as I read it. To get the full measure of his themes, Sam Knight scans backwards and forwards from the sixties, enriching his book even further and also deepening the unease it elicits: from, in 1917, the Bulletin des armees de la Republique asking French soldiers at the front to send in their premonitions for study to resignation syndrome, a form of mental and physical shutdown afflicting children of asylum-seeking families that caused consternation in Sweden in the early 2000s. Sam and I wound up our conversation with musings about the nature of time and how poor and uninteresting are our current notions, compared to those of previous ages. It will be fascinating to see where this talented writers curiosity alights next. One of the privileges I enjoyed during 31 years as political reporter for The Buffalo News was authoring the Sunday Politics column. Before my February retirement, I often dispensed dribs and drabs of political gossip, ventured into analysis and sometimes examined our history. On April 26, 2015, the Politics Column recalled that 150 years ago on the following day April 27, 1865 the funeral train bearing the body of the assassinated Abraham Lincoln paused for a few days in Buffalo before his burial in Springfield, Ill. The column quoted several accounts from 1865, including how former President Millard Fillmore of Buffalo had boarded the train in Batavia. Holding the grand title of chairman of the Citizens Committee on Observance of the Day of Obsequies, Fillmore was among the dignitaries alighting from the train at the old Exchange Street station. Mayor William Fargo headed a funeral delegation that met the train and accompanied the presidents body to St. James Hall at Washington and Eagle streets, where thousands paid their respects at the open casket. Buffalohistoryworks.com quotes the Buffalo Morning Express in a story that captured the sense of utter grief gripping the city: We have hallowed a shrine in our midst forever, the touch of the dead mains bier. The procession of cities and states has swept on to the West, and the funeral dirge which wailed upon us from the ocean a week ago is dying along the lakes. The significance of the anniversary somehow consumed me on that sesquicentennial anniversary. At lunchtime on April 27, 2015, I walked up Washington Street to the spot now occupied by M&T Bank at Washington and Eagle, where the presidents body had reposed. I tried to envision what had happened there. But on that day, Buffalo seemed to have forgotten. Cars whizzed by, downtown workers trekked to lunch and a bustling city went about its business, oblivious. It seemed a shame that no marker commemorated the solemn milestone in our history. Six years later, the Politics Column again recalled Lincolns funeral, following the death a few weeks earlier of former Common Council President George K. Arthur, the noted civil rights leader and 1985 Democratic candidate for mayor. Arthur, along with allies such as attorney Ralph Halpern, had also recognized the need for a marker at the spot. George was instrumental in getting all the applications and getting it going, Halpern told the Politics Column in 2021, noting that though the City of Buffalo had authorized preliminary motions to erect a monument, they were never finalized because of continuing disruption from work at the neighboring AM&As building. Today, on the 158th anniversary of a day when thousands of Buffalonians joined long lines to pay respects to Lincoln, cars still whiz by and pedestrians pass without any thought of what went on at Washington and Eagle. And still, nothing marks the spot. Sure, those in charge of such things would like to do it. But it may take another 158 years before anything gets done. City Hall should immediately act to place a marker at Washington and Eagle. Make it movable if necessary, or require future construction to work around it. Buffalo has waited too long. Washington and Eagle represents an important landmark in the history of our city and nation. After all, it remains sacred ground. They swiped right on a dating app. They met for a stroll. That was during pandemic times, when lockdowns and travel restrictions were the norm. But little did this Dublin couple, Tosin Idowu and Kieron Cullen, imagine that within two years their first short wander along Grafton Street together would really go the distance, gather pace and expand into air miles to 10-plus countries together and their life adventure would attract an audience of 40k TikTok followers (@Kosinfinityandbeyond). Tosin Idowu and Kieron Cullen enjoying their engagement photoshoot We swiped right on the dating app Bumble on October 2020, says Tosin. We spoke for a bit, but I got really busy and didnt respond for a while. When things calmed down, I messaged Kieron asking if he wanted to go for a walk. We met up for some socially distanced walks late Fall and have spoken every single day ever since. Those chats included planning their big day the first of two nuptial celebrations. Kieron Cullen and Tosin Idowu with both sets of parents: Donal and Geraldine Cullen, and Iyabode Idowu and Bode Idowu Tosin, who is Gabonese Nigerian and grew up in Georgia, USA, and Kieron, who moved to Dublin a few years ago from Forfar, Scotland, first exchanged vows in a traditional Nigerian ceremony in the United States in December 2022 and another aisle awaits them for what Tosin describes as their white-dress wedding in June, in Portugal. He found the most beautiful Airbnb and on our last morning, he asked me to dance in our living room. I got a little distracted looking out at the view of the canal and when I turned back around, Kieron was down on one knee. Tosin with members of her 'I do' crew Just over six months later, they were on the other side of the globe, when they were married in the Sosis banquet hall in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 17. It was a cultural wedding and we planned to stick to a lot of the Nigerian traditions, says Tosin. Tosin Idowu and Kieron Cullen on their engagement photoshoot Kierons parents asked me to join their family, and my family gave me away. I had to pick one gift out of the many brought and we had our first dance. There are a lot of traditions that take place in a Yoruba (Nigerian) wedding and we participated in them all. It was a beautiful day. We were the last ones on the dance floor and didnt even want to leave. I didnt get a chance to eat any wedding cake because I was too wrapped up in the moment having fun. I think what made the day so special was having everyone in my family there to celebrate. We dont get to be together a lot because they are all in America. Kierons parents also flew over to be there for the big day and it made it all that much more special. Tosin Idowu and Kieron Cullen: the bride's dress was tailor-made in Lagos The brides dress for her December wedding was tailor-made in Lagos, Nigeria, but she is quick to point out that the groom also had star treatment. Kieron was thrilled to get his hair cut by a barber who usually styles actors and celebrities in studios and film sets. Any time we walked into a room with a mirror in it, Kieron would end up in front of it this went on for days! she says. Tosin Idowu and Kieron Cullen enjoyed Yoruba (Nigerian) wedding traditions Tosin describes the design she will wear for the June event as whimsically romantic: It was bought at Dublin Bridal House and the groom and his party will be getting their suits from Diffneys on Mary Street in Dublin. The brides brother, Taiwo Idowu, will perform the role of celebrant at the Portuguese ceremony, in Quinta Do Torneiro venue in Lisbon. Rather than the traditional bridal or wedding party, adds Tosin, we are doing things a little differently. We have an I do crew, made up of friends and my brothers, Kehinde and Tolu. Tosin Idowu and Kieron Cullen's next wedding will be in Portugal in June The newlyweds will honeymoon in the Maldives and Thailand. I used to live in Thailand and I am so excited to take Kieron there and show him around, adds Tosin. We plan to live in Dublin for a while. We love it here. A man arrested in connection with the shooting of the brother of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch has been released without charge. A file will now be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. The man, aged in his 40s, was arrested on suspicion of the shooting of Eddie Hutch Sr seven years ago. This is the second arrest that has been made in relation to the case. Eddie Hutch Sr was shot and killed on Poplar Row, in Dublin 3, on February 6, 2016. The taxi driver and father-of-five was approached by several gunmen as he pulled up in his taxi outside his home. A silver BMW 3 Series vehicle, which was believed to be the getaway car, was found abandoned a short distance away on St Patricks Parade in Drumcondra. The shooting occurred just three days after the killing of Kinahan cartel gang member David Byrne, at a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel. Gardai believe 58-year-old Eddie Hutch Sr was shot in retaliation for the brutal Regency Hotel murder simply because he was a member of the Hutch family. That Regency killing escalated the Kinahan-Hutch gangland feud, which has claimed a total of 18 lives. More than 190 Irish citizens and their dependents have been successfully evacuated from Sudan, the Tanaiste confirmed on Saturday afternoon. In an update on Twitter, Mr Martin said that the Department of Foreign Affairs was aware that "a number of our citizens also continue to depart by land and sea." He tweeted: "More than 190 Irish citizens and dependents have now been evacuated from Sudan. Grateful for the support of UK, who have operated flights evacuating our citizens to Cyprus in recent days. "We are aware that a number of our citizens also continue to depart by land and sea. Our Embassy in Nairobi remains in close and ongoing contact with any citizens who have requested assistance." Pictured Shaza Dafalla from Sudan at a rally in Dublin to show support for the people of Sudan and their oppostion against the war. Photo: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie Last week, clashes erupted across Sudan amid an apparent power struggle between the two main factions of Sudan's military regime - the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). More than 500 people, including dozens of civilians, have been killed since the fighting began. The Irish citizens evacuated so far have been assisted by the French, Spanish and Swedish governments, amongst others. More evacuations are planned over the coming days. Speaking at an event yesterday in Cork, Mr Martin said the evacuation process is very fluid, due to some people who had not registered, but the majority had. Some have registered when they saw the evacuation happening, others have taken journeys independently. Mr Martin also expressed concern about the challenges and trauma this war would cause and said he hopes the ceasefire will hold. Those evacuated have left Khartoum to go to the likes of Djibouti, Jordan, and Cyprus. Although a ceasefire is currently in place, the fighting which broke out on April 15, has plunged the heavily aid-dependent country in chaos. The Irish Governments position is crystal clear and its support for Ukraine is unwavering, the Department of Foreign Affairs has said. In a statement today, the department said it would be maintaining its current diplomatic relationship with Russia but also hit out at Russian disinformation. It came after a chilling statement from the Russian Embassy in Ireland on Friday evening, which warned Ireland will suffer all consequences if Irish citizens are encouraged to fight in Ukraine. The same will happen if Russia considers Ireland a direct participant in the war between Russia and Ukraine, according to a statement from the embassy posted on social media. This statement appeared to have been prompted by comments made by Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin about the late Finbar Cafferkey. Finbar Cafferkey, who was in his 40s, was killed while battling Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, his family confirmed on Thursday Mr Cafferkey, who was in his 40s, was killed while battling Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, his family confirmed on Thursday. He was a military volunteer with previous combat experience in Syria where he assisted Kurdish militia in their battle against ISIS. He had recently travelled to Ukraine to assist local forces there. Reacting to the news, Mr Martin had said: My deepest sympathies to the Cafferky family on the sad passing of Finbar. He obviously was a young man of clear principles. Our thoughts and our prayers are with the family today. I think the family have asked for privacy, Im not going to comment any further on it at this particular time. Ill allow the family space to grieve what is a very, very sad loss for them. Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin. In a statement on Friday evening, the Russian embassy hit out at the Tanaistes remarks. It said: We have noted that on April 28, (the) Tanaiste expressed his sympathies to the family of Finbar Cafferkey. Mr Martin called him obviously a young man of clear principles. We do not know what his principles were. What we do know, though, is that in a very big way, it is the Irish Government and media who bear responsibility for the death of Finbar Cafferkey. The statement also claimed the Government and media have been misleading people like Finbar Cafferkey. It added: We do not know if Mr Martins remarks signify support for the Irish to take part in combat in Ukraine. But we do know that if that is the case, then Ireland would be the direct participant of the conflict with all the ensuing consequences. Former Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan. File Photo: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie Former Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan had described the statement as threatening, intimidating, and chilling and called for ambassador Yuri Filatov to be expelled. In its statement this afternoon, the Department of Foreign Affairs reiterated its long-standing position that diplomatic ties with Russia would remain in place. This is in the interests of our own citizens, both in Russia itself and in the five central Asian republics to which Ireland is accredited via our Embassy in Moscow," it said. The Governments position in respect of Russias brutal and illegal aggression against Ukraine is crystal clear. Ukraine has a right to defend this attack on its sovereignty and territorial integrity, in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter. Irelands support for Ukraine is unwavering. Russian disinformation will have no impact on this. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has claimed up to 40,000 passengers will be affected by cancellations this bank holiday Monday, as the airline was forced to cancel 220 flights due to French air traffic control strikes. However, Ryanair was unable to provide a "country-specific" list of the flights affected when contacted by the Irish Examiner. In a video posted on the airlines Twitter page, Mr OLeary hit out at the French authorities and urged intervention from the European Commission and its president Ursula von der Leyen. It is not yet clear how many Irish flights may be affected by the cancellations. The Ryanair supremo said that affected customers will have been notified by email and work is ongoing to try accommodate them. The spokesperson for the airline said, "Unfortunately, as we are still working through these, we don't have a country specific list just yet." The industrial action this Monday is the latest in a series of strikes by French air traffic controllers. Mr OLeary said that France is using minimum service legislation to protect local French flights. But all of the cancellations are then being disproportionately passed on to English flights, Irish flights, Italian flights Spanish, German flights. This is unfair, he said. The airline recently launched a petition calling on action at European level to protect such flights from being cancelled and it said there have been more than 620,000 signatures on the petition. Mr OLeary also said that overflights are protected from strikes in the likes of Italy and Greece. It is unfair that flights from the UK to Spain or from Italy to Portugal are being cancelled simply because a bunch of French air traffic control units want to go on strike, he said. We respect their right to strike. But if they want to strike cancel the French flights, protect the overflights. Ryanair has been contacted for comment. The cancellations come as Irelands major airports were geared up for a busy May bank holiday weekend. Cork Airport was geared up for 52,000 passengers this bank holiday weekend, with a new Aer Lingus Regional service to Bristol entering service. The airport has 44 scheduled routes on offer this summer. In Dublin, just 400,000 passengers were expected across the weekend And Shannon Airport expected 45,000 people travelling through the airport this weekend, a 27% increase on pre-pandemic levels. Limerick County Council has not applied for funding to fix a sewage problem in Kilbehenny village, despite national funding from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage being available under a scheme for unsewered villages. Limerick County Councillors told the Irish Examiner that it would be unsustainable for the local authority to put up 15% of the cost of installing a wastewater treatment plant for such a small village. Raw sewage from the majority of houses in the village, which is in the South East of Limerick in the foothills of the Galtee Mountains, flows through a combined wastewater and stormwater pipe system that is at least 100 years old and ends up in the River Funchion, a tributary of the Blackwater. Locals report observing toilet paper and sanitary products in the river, with one commenter saying that when the river is high you cant use the toilet in the local pub. We want a commitment to say, this is what going to happen in Kilbehenny, Maurice Walsh, chairman of a local action group formed to tackle the sewage problem, told a public meeting held in Kilbehenny Community Hall on Friday. This village is dying as a result of no development. You wont get planning in this village to build because the council will tell you theres no sewerage system. But the local authority has not applied for a national fund to build new waste water treatment facilities in unsewered villages, it emerged at the meeting. Independent TD Richard O'Donoghue. Photo: Sam Boal /Rollingnews.ie Independent TD Richard ODonoghue told the meeting that he had spoken to Housing Minister Darragh OBrien, who never heard anything about Kilbehenny, and that Limerick County Council had made no submissions to the scheme, which was first announced in April 2022. Kilbehenny is one of 547 villages in the country that have no wastewater treatment system, a 2021 local authority survey revealed. A national attempt at cleaning up the problem is underway, with national government funding 85% of the cost of new systems. Limerick County Council havent made any submissions for any system in Co Limerick, Mr ODonoghue told the meeting. You have to have the infrastructure to get the schools, to get the houses and the businesses, he said. How can we have that if our own local authority hasnt made a submission? However Cllr Ger Mitchell told the Irish Examiner that it would be unsustainable for Limerick County Council to have to put up 15% of the cost of a new wastewater treatment system for the small village. Theres a really small number of houses and its unsustainable for the local authority to give 15% of the overall when it could be costing millions, Cllr Mitchell said. It will cost too much. Youre talking 100,000 or 200,000. This should be fully funded. Further complications have arisen over whether responsibility lies with the local authority or with Uisce Eireann as the transfer of remaining local authority water staff to the national water body continues under a service level agreement that means all waste water treatment systems fall under the remit of Uisce Eireann. Uisce Eireann sent a letter to local councillor PJ Carey saying that because Kilbeheny didnt have a waste water treatment system in place. As there is no public wastewater infrastructure in Kilbeheny village, Uisce Eireann currently has no remit in the area, the letter said. Aleksandra Kieloch loves her job. She says its all about making people happy. As an aesthetician working at Mariposa beauty clinic in Cork City, Aleksandra will see up to eight clients a day. Her specialty is lip fillers. I love making peoples appearance better, making people feel better and look better, Aleksandra says. Its all about making people happy about how they look. I think if youre happy about yourself, youre happier in life. She sees women ranging in age from their 20s to their 70s, she says: People in their 20s and 30s want nice plumped lips. Between 30 and 40 and into their 50s, they are starting to work more on anti-aging procedures to slow down the aging process. No one wants to look old. The trend towards injectable cosmetic treatments like lip fillers and other dermal fillers used to sculpt cheekbones, jawlines and even the tip of the nose, is booming in Ireland. On Instagram, the #lipfillersireland hashtag displays thousands of before and after images. Once cosmetic surgery was the preserve of the wealthy, but now, for a few hundred euros, anyone can walk into a clinic and have appearance-altering, affordable, non-surgical procedures; Aleksandra says some of her clients will save 50 per week out of their pay packet to put towards their treatments. But alongside the ready accessibility of injectable cosmetics there are also concerns. Anecdotes about young women becoming addicted to fillers, and side-effects such as lip filler migrating are widespread, but seemingly poorly reported. Eight adverse incident reports in five years The HPRA (Health Products Regulatory Authority) has recorded just eight adverse incident reports associated with dermal fillers in Ireland in the past five years. Most fillers are made of hyaluronic acid, a slippery, water-attracting substance derived either from a bacterial fermentation process or from roosters combs. Many also contain the local anaesthetic Lidocaine. But unlike some injectable treatments like Botox, which are considered medicines, dermal fillers are not regulated by the HPRA as medicines: they are regulated as Class III medical devices, the highest-risk class of medical devices. While its mandatory for manufacturers to report incidents with medical devices, for doctors and patients, the HPRA has a voluntary reporting scheme for faulty medical devices in place. Aleksandra Kieloc: My clients know I wont inject them if they come back too soon. I will tell them to wait eight months, and they listen to my advice." The HPRA has no role in regulating the use of fillers, meaning that there are no rules about the facilities or circumstances under which these medical devices are used or administered, a HPRA spokesperson told the Irish Examiner. So Botox can only be injected by a qualified doctor, nurse or dentist, but fillers can be injected by anyone. Many clinics, Mariposa included, offer two-day courses in fillers to beauticians. And thats all it takes to start injecting. The quality control of fillers sold in Ireland relies on the European CE marking scheme. The Conformite Europeenne (CE) certification shows that the product conforms to European safety rules. And at present, not all fillers even have to have a CE mark, only ones with a medical purpose. In June, this rule is set to change and all fillers will have to have a CE mark. This light regulatory landscape means that you or I can go online right now and purchase fillers and syringes from companies based in Dublin. Aleksandra says she is aware that home injecting is now happening a lot. She names the brand of filler that she prefers to work with at Mariposa: It has good texture and doesnt cause allergic reactions, she says. I wouldnt recommend getting cheap fillers. You can see on the internet that there are all these 20 fillers, but Id say the work then will be bad. When it comes to clients that want inadvisable amounts of filler in their lips, Aleksandra says she has a strict policy. If I see that theres too much product already or that the filler has migrated and created this really ducky look, Im not touching them and I just recommend that they get the old fillers out of the face by having them dissolved, she says. My clients know I wont inject them if they come back too soon. I will tell them to wait eight months, and they listen to my advice. Of course, there are people who will go on to different clinics who will still keep doing the procedure, and thats out of my hands. And then they come back and ask about help. Aleksandra, originally from Poland, is a physiotherapist by training and has worked in the aesthetic industry for seven years. Shes been on lots of short training courses in specific filler techniques, and this year shes in her first year of a nursing degree, juggling her studies with her work. But unlike the fillers themselves, the treatments required to dissolve them are medically regulated and can only be administered by a doctor. Aleksandra cant prescribe and use things like Hyalase, an enzyme used to dissolve hyaluronic acid, because its classed as a medicine. Mariposa has a qualified medical doctor on their staff, but anyone taking the DIY approach and injecting fillers at home will have to seek medical help if things go wrong. Lack of regulation crazy Consultant plastic surgeon John Curran, director of aNuMe Aesthetic Clinic in Cork, says the situation where the filler itself is not regulated as a medicine, but all the treatments needed when fillers go wrong are, is something the Irish Association of Plastic Surgeons has been warning about for decades. The Irish Association of Plastic Surgeons have asked successive Ministers for Health for decades why that is and why this is essentially unregulated, John says. You can set up in your kitchen and put an ad on Instagram and away you go. Its crazy. Read More Irish hospitals see surge in complications following cosmetic procedures abroad The people administering filler treatments are not qualified to prescribe the treatments that fix the problem like Hyalase, steroids you might need to use to treat allergic reactions, or antibiotics for the treatment of soft tissue infections. Injectable treatments are not to be taken lightly, and John believes its high time that the Irish regulatory landscape was tightened up. Migrating filler is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to filler complications, he says: Hypersensitivity reactions, Granulomas and poor placement of the filler are the minor things. Some of the severe complications would make your hair go white. Theres a thing called intravascular injection, where its possible to inject the filler into a blood vessel like an artery that delivers oxygenated blood to a specific anatomical location. That vessel that was injected with filler can be blocked off and if its the only blood vessel serving an area, it can lead to the death of the tissue being supplied by the vessel. The classic horror story there is that the retina of the eye is connected via a complicated network of blood vessels to the bridge of the nose and the eyebrow area. There have been documented cases of people going blind. John has treated patients with poor outcomes from injectable cosmetics, including dissolving filler for patients who have had their filler done elsewhere. The current trend for large volumes of lip filler has seen a phenomenon where beauty clinics will post a before and after picture with the volume of filler used in the post: its common to see 1ml or 0.5ml in accompanying social media posts. This is something that makes John uncomfortable. When you talk about volume, I use significantly less than is commonly used in the industry, he says. The idea that theres some sort of cache that comes with the volume youre able to get or able to give, I dont like that approach. Part of the challenge is striking a balance between what I know is safe and what I consider cosmetically acceptable, and what the look is and what Instagram is telling these ladies is appealing. So its a balance between what we know is safe and what they want because its what theyve seen on their reel or on their feed. Its a bit of a minefield. 44 injectable treatments in 8 years: the client Cork beauty writer Mary Jane ORegan, AKA Glamity Jane, says shes not addicted to filler and other injectable cosmetics, but she is a big fan. Now 44, she began getting anti-wrinkle injections (Botox is an example of one proprietary brand name) and filler around eight years ago. In that time, she estimates that shes had around 44 injectable treatments. Shes had around 30 anti-wrinkle injections at four-month intervals, lip fillers 10 times, three non-surgical rhinoplasties where filler is injected into the nose, and one jawline treatment. She says shes never had a bad experience with injectable cosmetics, but has had filler migrate on one occasion. At one point, the filler in my lips migrated, nothing to do with the injector, just to do with the shape of my lips, she says. I had it dissolved and then had them refilled again. Mary-Jane O'Regan: Botox is a prescription medication, but Botox is very temporary. I actually think filler is kind of more dangerous in a way, because there is a bit more going on vascular-wise. I dont agree with non-medics injecting and I dont think beauty therapists should be doing it. Picture: Denis Minihane Being transparent with her online following about the fact that she has had fillers and other injectable treatments is important to Mary Jane partly, she says, because the stigma surrounding cosmetic treatments is unhelpful and can act as a barrier to women seeking proper medical help when things go wrong. Sometimes if they present to an emergency department, they might not say that theyve had a treatment done because there is a massive, massive stigma attached to it, she says. For a long time, nobody would admit to it. And it's a female problem. Percentage-wise, there are far more females getting it done. Im quite vocal on social media about bodily autonomy. From my perspective, I like the effect of having fuller lips. I personally have no lips at all and I love cosmetics and that whole world. Its a very personal thing. If someone wants to do something to their bodies thats not going to harm them and isnt related to body dysmorphia and everything that goes with it, I think go for it. Its seen as insecurity, as weakness, as vanity. But why shouldnt you be vain? As long as what youre doing is safe and isnt impeding your health, what is wrong with vanity? People approach Mary Jane on social media, often through private messages, to ask for advice when they are worried about the after-effects of their cosmetic procedures: shes had people send her pictures. But she always advises them to seek medical advice. As does the HPRA, which told the Irish Examiner in a statement that anyone who has health concerns relating to dermal fillers should contact their GP. Market surveillance A HPRA spokesperson said that the regulatory authority was currently undertaking market surveillance in relation to dermal fillers. In the course of this activity, the HPRA will continue to engage with stakeholders in relation to compliance with the regulatory requirements. Mary Jane agrees with John Curran that the market needs regulation and that the rules around who is able to inject should be looked at. She says shell only trust her face to medically qualified clinic staff. She says: If you have someone who goes off on a two-day course to Manchester and thinks they can inject lip fillers, it needs to be regulated, it really, really does. Botox is a prescription medication, but Botox is very temporary. I actually think filler is kind of more dangerous in a way, because there is a bit more going on vascular-wise. I dont agree with non-medics injecting and I dont think beauty therapists should be doing it. For Mary Jane, treatments like filler are here to stay: she doesnt envisage a time in her life when she stops getting them and believes that in the longer term, their ability to stem the tide of time is only going to improve within her own lifetime. I have absolute faith that progress in the aesthetic world will sort out that problem for me, she says with a laugh. And I wouldnt be beyond doing a surgical facelift or necklift either, if I wanted it. Im not saying I definitely will, but I wouldnt rule it out. Come back to me in 10 years time. I have my eye on a good surgeon. Where were you on February 14, 1981? Were you even alive? How much living have you done since then, from childhood or teenage years into adulthood, or from that station beyond into old age? How many of your loved ones who were around then are now gone? The questions arise in a week when the inquest into the Stardust fire on the above date finally opened. The families of the 48 young people who died began this week to give pen pictures of the deceased. All brought to life the lives that were cruelly cut short in a tragedy that was not of their making. Loved ones rarely get over the death of a young person. They just learn to live with it, carrying it around as they try to get on with life. Usually, however, there is some class of closure in which the bereaved negotiate the various stages of grief, arriving eventually at acceptance. That was not possible for the Stardust families as they had to instead fight for decades to have the truth to be aired. There is every indication that the inquest now underway will at least arrive in the neighbourhood of what actually happened. Their trauma has never been properly processed as a result. Years in which they might have been attempting to get on with living were held in suspension as they fought against the state to recognise that an injustice had been done. As with other cases of injustice that have arisen in recent years, it might well be asked why it had to take so long, why so many people had to be re-traumatised through the failure of the state to revisit a case that was crying out for further examination. The tribunal that found as a fact what occurred sat for its first public session twelve days after the fire. That is a situation that is impossible to envisage happening today in the awful event that something similar were to occur. It concluded in November that year with the ruling that the fire was probably started by arson. The ruling exonerated the owner of the building, Eamon Butterly, from culpability. The tribunal did, however, include scathing criticism of some of the fire safety practices that were deployed by the owner and management of the Stardust building. It also prompted a whole rethink in the area of fire safety and led to the establishment of a new code in buildings for fire safety that persists today. The chair of the inquiry was Judge Ronan Keane, a man who had a reputation for being a diligent and fair jurist. But his conclusion that the fire was probably started deliberately was ill-judged. Apart from anything else, it cast a cloud over the community from which those who attended a disco that night were drawn Culpability, the official report inferred, lay within the community, probably even among the dead. That was considered an insult by the bereaved, a stain that had to be erased. Closure could not be reached until a fuller picture was established. But why did it take half a natural lifespan to rectify it? A review of the tribunal report was finally commissioned by the government in 2008. It concluded that Keane did not reveal any evidence to support its conclusion that the fire was started deliberately and as such the finding was deemed to only be a hypothesis. That was a startling result, but even more startling was that it would be another fifteen years before a way could be found to begin a fresh dig for the truth. Kerry babies This long fingering by the state of an obvious wrong is not unique to the Stardust families. It took 36 years for the state to apologise to Joanna Hayes for her treatment in the course of the Kerry babies case. A tribunal in 1985 ruled that she had choked her baby to stop it crying, despite the inability of the pathologist to determine a cause of death. Joanne Hayes has to wait 35 years for an apology. The chair, Judge Kevin Lynch, rejected claims by the family that the gardai had used harassment and physical intimidation to obtain false confessions through coercion. This is despite the fact that false confessions were obtained from Joanne and her siblings to the effect that they had participated in the violent murder of a baby and disposal of the body. The judges approach was summed up in how he considered whether the gardai, agents of the state, who had obtained the false confessions, were lying. They are not barefaced lies on the part of the gardai (as regrettably is the case with members of the Hayes family) but they are an exaggeration over and above the true position, or a gilding of the lily, or wishful thinking elevated to the status of hard fact. The Hayes family were entirely innocent, their treatment in custody highly suspect, yet this was the conclusion of the judge. Like the Stardust case, it became obvious early on that there was something seriously amiss with the outcome of the inquiry. But once it was done, it was set in stone. And thereafter the state and its agents hid behind the official findings of fact, irrespective of how perverse were the findings. Another case of a lifetime spent trying to right a wrong was that of Martin Conmey. He received a miscarriage of justice certificate in 2016 over a conviction for manslaughter in 1972. He served three years in prison for killing a neighbour, Una Lynksey, whose death was followed by a revenge killing of a friend of Conmeys, Martin Kerrigan, who was also innocent. Again, it was obvious at the time that the basis for the conviction was seriously deficient When the verdict at Conmeys trial was brought in, at 2.35am, one of the lawyers couldnt believe what he was hearing. I am totally disinterested in such a ludicrous verdict, he is recorded as saying in a reaction that you are unlikely to ever hear from a counsel. Conmey had to wait 44 years before his name was cleared. Errors are made in official inquiries, judicial tribunals, or courts, just as is the case in every other walk of life. Findings of fact can be subject to various pressures, mores of the day, unconscious, or even class prejudices. These things happen, nearly always in the absence of malice. But unwinding an injustice can result in a long, torturous process that eats up decades of living, piling on stress, ensuring that victims are not allowed to move past a life-altering event. There needs to be full and proper recognition of how much living it costs victims to get to the point where the state recognises that a terrible injustice occurred. In too many cases wronged citizens or their bereaved loves ones have been ill-served by a system in which the state has to be dragged for decades to a point where it holds up its hands and says sorry. The most dangerous man in America was finally stopped this week, albeit temporarily. Tucker Carlson, the kingmaker of Republican Party politics, the purveyor of the worst kind of fear-mongering bedtime stories for older people about Americas ills, and the man who has been the conduit for white supremacy to become mainstream, was finally canned by Fox News. Oh, come on, I hear you say. Tucker Carlson is no Ted Kaczynski or Eric Rudolph, the domestic terrorists who became infamous as the Unabomber or the Olympic Park Bomber respectively. You could argue he isnt even as bad as the worst kind of media filth such as Alex Jones, the Infowars website founder who claimed the Sandy Hook massacre of schoolchildren in 2012 never happened, tormenting the parents of dead children in the process through repeated harassment. Tucker Carlson is worse, because he has legitimised far-right political positions that only a decade ago belonged in the bowels of neo-Nazi forums. Telling about three million viewers nightly that immigrants make America poorer and dirtier and more divided, espousing the great replacement theory of white nationalist and neo-Nazis that a surreptitious plot is underway to flood white-majority nations with non-white people, was soup of the day on the Tucker Carlson primetime show on Fox News. Thats not to mention describing Iraqis as semi-literate primitive monkeys who could not be civilised, that covid-19 vaccination was a deadly plot against America, and outlining the case why unarmed Black citizens in America killed by police deserved their fate. Tucker Carlson described the Capitol Hill rioters of January 6, 2021, as orderly and meek, not insurrectionists, but merely sightseers. File picture: AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta Even the shocking scenes of January 6, 2021, when insurrectionists stormed Capitol Hill and sent US Congress members fleeing, as they trashed the hallowed buildings to the horror of viewers around the world, were not a big deal to Tucker Carlson, who described the rioters as orderly and meek, not insurrectionists, but merely sightseers. Still dont believe me? This jingoism and far-right rhetoric was not transmitted from an underground radio station to anti-government militia men cosplaying as revolutionaries in Montanas wilderness, but beamed into homes across the American nation every night as Fox News must-watch programming. Even worse is that craven Republican Party leaders, eager for Carlsons approval, repeatedly kissed the ring and bent the knee in sickening fealty to gain his approval. Thou cannot become Republican Party royalty in America without passing through the gates of Tucker Carlson. Even Donald Trump knows he needs Carlson to win the White House again, despite the television host privately caught saying he hates the former president passionately. Rupert Murdoch, Fox News supremo, apparently only had enough when Carlson was caught calling a senior female executive at the network the c-word. Anti-immigrant and anti-Black hysteria wasnt enough, but bad manners and a haughty attitude to management tipped the scales. That tells you all you need to know about the Murdoch media empires values. It came about due to disclosure documents unearthed during Fox Newss recent defamation case taken by Dominion Voting Systems. Before Fox News settled for $787m in the largest publicly known defamation settlement in US history involving a media company, Carlsons text messages to other Fox News hosts showed he didnt believe for a second the so-called Big Lie being pushed by Donald Trump that the 2020 presidential election was rigged in favour of winner Joe Biden. That didnt stop him pushing the lie nightly on his prime-time show, watched by millions of impressionable voters and millions more on online right-wing echo chambers. Who is Tucker Carlson? So, how did Tucker Carlson become the most important person in right-wing politics? Starting as a print journalist, he became known as a genial, almost comedic, right-wing counterbalance to left-wing pundits on CNNs Crossfire programme, with his red bow-tie and wavy hair. Before he became a rock star among the right, he was best known for being filleted by Daily Show host Jon Stewart in 2004, as the comedian blasted Carlson and others for debasing political discourse. The clip has been doing the rounds since his firing. In it he was lampooned and lambasted by Stewart but he was able to quietly rebuild his reputation, honing it over a decade, before taking the coveted slot on Fox News in 2017 when the stations highest-rated star Bill OReilly was exposed for harassing women and subsequently fired. Nobody took Carlson seriously until it was too late, and hate and grievance and resentment about a changing America was allowed to metastasize into the vicious and feral political landscape that exists today. No longer are policy and economic issues the voting issues for hardcore Republicans. Candidates must not only nod to demonising transgender and Black people and immigrants, they must wholly embrace it to even stand a smidgen of a chance of getting elected to higher office. The dark heart of Donald Trump did not create the movement, but his political instincts and compass was spot on when he rode down a gaudy escalator in 2015 to announce he was running for president. We shook our heads in second-hand embarrassment as he ranted about Muslims, Mexicans, and mayhem on American streets, convinced the Old Man Yelling At Cloud schtick was a sure-fire loser against a serious, if seriously flawed, candidate in Hillary Clinton. We are now at the stage where Joe Bidens policies are an afterthought. Instead we are at a stage where mocking dementia and Alzheimers is legitimate political rhetoric, as the presidents age becomes a focus. The Republican Party, known as the Grand Old Party, of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan is long dead. The most Faustian of pacts has been made, the souls have been sold, and American politics is irretrievably broken. Tucker Carlson may be silent for now, but hell be back. The crest of the hate waves that he has ridden are getting bigger and more violent, and he wont give up his place at the top of the tree. Hate and division are just too damn lucrative to do so. Amidst all the bad news about housing the latest figures show that the number of homeless people in Ireland has risen to a new record its very easy to overlook any positive signs of progress. And that is likely to be further emphasised in May when the impact of the end of the evictions moratorium makes itself more visible. CORK Your home for a collection of news, views, sports and business reporting from - and specifically about - the Cork region. Strong reason, therefore, to celebrate any success, into which category we can place the conversion of an unfinished eyesore which had stood empty for 17 years in Carrigtwohill in East Cork into a 95-apartment complex in the largest social housing project delivered by an approved body in Munster this year. News / National by Staff reporter PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa's re-engagement of the United Kingdom ahead of the next elections has been thrown into disarray after British parliamentarians asked the secretary of state to revoke an invitation to the Zimbabwean leader to the coronation of King Charles III in May.On Monday, Mnangagwa took to his Twitter handle to say he was "most excited" to have been invited to the 6 May coronation where he is expected to salvage his re-engagement drive with the UK which slapped Zimbabwe with sanctions over gross human rights abuses.On Sunday, his re-engagement drive also appeared on course after he was visited by the British ambassador to Zimbabwe, Melanie Robinson.Writing on Twitter, Mnangagwa said he had discussed trade, investment, and the special relationship between Zimbabwe and the UK. However, it has since emerged that British parliamentarians want Mnangagwa barred from attending the coronation.Political analyst Vivid Gwede told The NewsHawks that the message behind the letter by the British MPs to bar Mnangagwa from the coronation is that the UK is saying reforms must come first before any re-engagement efforts can meaningfully start."The calls by the British MPs are consistent with what they have been advocating for. Which is re-engagement based on reforms by the Zimbabwean government."Some of the reforms asked for are consistent with what our own constitution requires such as respect for human rights, rule of law and credible, free and fair elections," he said.In a letter signed by Nav Mishra, chairperson of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Zimbabwe (APPG Zimbabwe), and his deputy, Lord Jonathan Oates, and several other House of Commons lawmakers, secretary James Cleverly was asked to withdraw the invitation "in light of the grave political and human rights situation in Zimbabwe."APPG Zimbabwe said that there is widespread violence and human rights abuses, with opposition members being "harassed, beaten, imprisoned and murdered, corruption is rife, extending to the highest levels of government."The APPG said that the ruling party has overrun the country's economy, completely decimated the local currency, dismembered the judiciary, taken over the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and impoverished Zimbabweans.APPG said the coronation invitation will "inevitably be used by President Mnangagwa as tacit acceptance by the UK of publicly evidenced political violence and repression in the run up to the forthcoming election and will be deeply demoralising to ordinary Zimbabweans in their struggle for democracy."We therefore urge the government to withdraw President Mnangagwa's invitation until Job Sikhala MP and other political prisoners are granted their constitutional right to bail and concrete actions are taken to address human rights abuses and guarantee free and fair elections."Zengeza West Citizens' Coalition for Change lawmaker Sikhala, who is facing charges of inciting violence, has spent nearly one year at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.Britain, the United States and other nations imposed targeted sanctions on some Zanu-PF officials over human rights abuses and election rigging. In recent days Micheal Martin has been quoted as saying: The Defence Forces should admit their failures and learn from them. Is our minister for defence already ignoring the collective responsibility that he, as minister, the secretary general and the Defence Forces share? In my letter Government couldn't care less about defence I pointed out squarely where the problems lie in the Defence Forces: the minister and the secretary general, who have statutory responsibility, and those whom they appoint to senior positions of responsibility in the Defence Forces. Has the minister already abdicated his responsibility to his ministerial role and is he laying the blame at the feet of the volunteer soldiers of our country? Let me remind the readers that the Government and individual ministers were loud in their praise of the wonderful Irish peacekeepers in all corners of the globe, as they and Foreign Affairs beat the Irish soldiers drum in their attempt to gain a seat for a year at the UN Security Council in New York. Eaten bread is soon forgotten and I suggest to Mr Martin that he will never ever see or hear quality and successful leaders berating their staff in public. That is called disloyalty and has no place in any organisation. Accepting that there are difficulties, and very serious ones at that, in the Defence Forces, Mr Martins was nothing more that a cheap shot at those whom successive governments have downtrodden through the years. Maybe Mr Martin should consider his position as minister for defence? Ray Cawley Commandant Retd Douglas Cork Housing minister Darragh O'Brien. Open letter to Darragh OBrien Hi Darragh, Hope you are keeping well. Regarding the planned Cost Rental Subvention Scheme and measures to reduce construction costs. Recent press articles mention the lowering of development fees, however, ESB network standard domestic connection charges should also be lowered as fees for one dwelling cost 3,235 and for four 20,880 both figures are plus Vat. Since ESB is state-owned, reducing these fees will have a minimal net cost to the taxpayer, ESB Networks loss is the labour element. Im recommending a 75% reduction on the fees, subject to restrictions. I look forward to hearing from you. Pat Lyons Abbeyfeale Co Limerick TDs without qualms of conscience Regarding the 21 landlord TDs named in the Dail: I see that qualms of conscience havent affected our landlord TDs following the example of their old English predecessors in enabling legislation to evict tenants from their property. In the interests of establishing the truth, maybe we should ask them how many of the other practices and customs that were undertaken by the old landlords are currently being utilised by them, if only to prove the old adage true that you might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. Liam Power Blackrock Dundalk Co. Louth Support women in unplanned pregnancy A serious and wide-ranging debate on abortion is sorely needed in this country. Weve recently seen a deluge of media reports and articles on issues like exclusion zones against pro-life citizens; leaks about the contents of the three-year review report, and criticism of the three-day waiting period for reflection between abortion appointments. But we seem to be ignoring the major issue of the number of abortions which have taken place in the first four years since the law was introduced. The anti-abortion perspective has not been meaningfully heard in this country for several years, with some media outlets taking the unfair view that the 2018 referendum decided finally and forever the long-running debate on abortion in Ireland. But were in a new scenario now. Since the legislation came into effect in January 2019, there were 17,820 abortions up to December 2022. This surely requires a re-examination of Irelands abortion policy, not simply a debate about how to make abortion even more expansive. If the latter course is pursued, then well undoubtedly see the annual abortion rate continue to climb. The abortion rate represents a failure of government policy to provide women in unplanned pregnancies with much-needed supports. We know socio-economic factors are the reason for the majority of abortions, that often women feel they simply cannot afford the costs of raising a child. To reduce the high abortion rate, the government must begin to provide women in unplanned pregnancies with real support, not just during her pregnancy, but throughout the parenting process. One proposal which would help alleviate the costs of expecting a child would be to begin social welfare payments whilst the woman is still pregnant. This would help offset some of the costs associated with a new baby, whilst also reaffirming the reality that an unborn child is a valuable human life. Tony Curran Firhouse Dublin Shameful treatment of Defence Forces What an absolute joke we are as a nation that we have to beg and borrow a transport plane from other countries to transport our troops abroad to evacuate our citizens in warring countries like Sudan. Respective ministers for defence and top civil servants have paid lip service to the concerns and needs of a once proud and highly thought-of Defence Forces with swingeing cuts, poor pay, loss of personnel, and a failure to properly invest in manpower and up-to-date equipment. While the usual suspects talk about Irelands neutrality on the world stage, we are defenceless as a nation if rogue nations like Russia decided to breach our national sovereignty as they have done in Ukraine. We are the soft underbelly of Europe reliant on our old enemy, the UK, to come to our defence if and when needed. Respective governments should be ashamed of their treatment of those who have served, and do serve us, proudly both at home and abroad To see our naval vessels tied up in harbour due to the lack of personnel is shameful and the blame for that goes back to the Government, the minister for defence, and other decision-makers, within the Department of Defence and the Department of Public Expenditure. Shame on those who have decimated and denigrated the serving men and women of our Defence Forces. Christy Galligan Letterkenny Co Donegal A new Irish motto Might we in Ireland, profitably take the three-word motto of certain countries with their cry of Liberte, Egalite, Fraternity, and go instead with Fubar, Snafu, Nepotism with or without the I? Liam Power Dundalk Co Louth Tuckers demise Irony? Tucker Carlsons last Fox News item was about eating bugs and now he has been squashed. Maybe Fox is trying to save money after their recent settlement with a number of other cases still to be resolved. Carlson seemed to be the front person for the stolen election on Fox so he would be first to be shot down although he might not have expected to be shot in the back. Dennis Fitzgerald Melbourne Australia Folly of selling house to pay inheritance tax People who inherit property once should pay no tax, or at least very little tax. Having to sell a house to pay inheritance tax damages communities, as well forcing sellers to be strangers in another locality, but the Government doesnt care about this hardship. Can someone please tell us whats being done with the Local Property Tax paid by neglected country people? Simplistic policies will soon wipe long-standing rural dwellers away from the countryside they love. I dont want the countryside to be filled with blow-ins who dont care about the area. Dr Florence Craven Bracknagh Co. Offaly The 16th of May is a red-letter day for Cork home-owners determined to future-proof their homes with deep retrofit energy improvements in a single bound. Cork company, EnviroBead, trusted for 25 years for their contracting, distribution and installation of premium insulation materials, are officially launching their participation in the One Stop Shop (OSS) energy upgrade service for the Cork area. Taking place at The Clayton Hotel, Silver Springs from 6pm-8pm on the 16th of May, this is an unmissable, highly focused and free event, exploring sustainable energy efficiency improvements for the home, with a stunning reward for early registration. Your free Home Energy Assessment will teach you all you need to know to escape your chilly home and climb up the BER ladder. The first 150 people to register online and then attend the EnviroBead OSS launch can sign up for a complimentary, comprehensive Home Energy Assessment (HEA), to the value of 850 each. Yes, you read that right! The HEA, which is a requirement of the OSS scheme, includes not only the expected BER assessment, but a highly desirable Heat-Pump Technical Assessment, plus detailed, forensic information on the energy performance of the home. Crucially, the HEA sums up its report with an indication of real costings, signalling the way to the most impactful energy improvements for your individual home, many of which are grant aided through the SEAI. Wondering how to escape your chilly home, and climb up the BER ladder? This HEA organised with a skilled technical surveyor by EnviroBead, is the document to point you in the right direction and is yours to keep and use however you see fit either taking up any OSS service or installing single measures which are also supported with individual SEAI grants. Discover comprehensive options to move you forward on your sustainability journey providing multiple routes to that snug BER of B2 or beyond. Going with EnviroBead OSS as the contractor for your home improvements can hugely expedite the grant-aided process, with minimal disruption to your schedule. Together with the promise of a valuable HEA for early registration this is the perfect occasion to find out how you as a homeowner can join Irelands energy revolution in an expertly managed and streamlined process that you can afford. With decades of experience in the energy efficiency industry, and working alongside the SEAI, its little wonder that EnviroBead participated in the original Deep Retrofit Pilot for the National Retrofit Program in 2017, now re-packaged nationwide as the highly consumer-friendly, OSS scheme. With EnviroBead OSS as your contractor, your investment in grant-aided sustainable change can take just a matter of weeks, much of it with minimal disruption to you and your family. The team at EnviroBead are determined to expedite the OSS process for Cork home-owners together with offering guidance on individual grant aided improvements for all their clients. Keeping it local will do just that deliver your sustainable energy project, hassle-free and on-time. Introduced by SEAIs Dr Ciaran Byrne, Director of National Retrofit, together with Stephen Farrell, National Home Retrofit Programme Manager, youll gain insight into what the SEAI can do to elevate your journey to a leaner, greener home. EnviroBead OSS Project Coordinator, Fergal Cantwell, will take you right through the OSS process and reveal how EnviroBead can manage your improvements from grant application, through the contracting of the various skills and trades, to the final commissioning. Heat pumps are now the gold-standard for energy efficiency in new builds, and there'll be plenty of hot tips about them discussed at EnviroBead's One Stop Shop. Energising five-minute talks from EnviroBead contractors include technical, need-to-know guides from assessors Mark Shirley and Eoin McGann from 2EVA, who will demystify the power of that initial HEA. Hugh Foley, Managing Director of RTS Heating & Cooling Services, will explain just why heat pumps are now the gold-standard for energy efficiency in new builds and retrofits all over Ireland. The evening will round-up with a lively Q&A session between speakers and attendees. But thats not all trusted industry partners from the areas of Solar PV, Window & Doors and bold new technologies including Mechanical Ventilation will be present to discuss and demonstrate their products with attendees one-on-one. EnviroBead's upcoming event in the Clayton Hotel will take you through how each and every aspect of your home including windows and doors could be upgraded to save you money and electricity! The launch of the One Stop Shop service for Cork by EnviroBead takes place at the Clayton Hotel, Silver Springs on the night of the 16th of May from 6pm to 8pm. Entry is free. For your chance to claim one of 150 complimentary Home Energy Surveys (HEA) through EnviroBead, worth up to 850 each, ensure you register online at onestopshop@envirobead.com and join us at the launch of EnviroBeads One Stop Shop energy efficiency upgrade service for the Cork area. Gunfire and heavy artillery fire have persisted in parts of Sudans capital Khartoum, residents said. The gunfire rang out despite the extension of a ceasefire between the countrys two top generals whose battle for power has killed hundreds and sent thousands fleeing for their lives. The civilian death toll jumped on Saturday to 411 people, according to the Sudan Doctors Syndicate, which monitors casualties. The fighting has wounded another 2,023 civilians so far, the group added. In the city of Genena, the provincial capital of war-ravaged West Darfur, intensified violence has killed 89 people. Fighters have moved into homes and taken over stores and hospitals as they battle in the streets, the syndicate said. We continue to receive reports of lootings in #Sudan. Our offices in Khartoum, El Geneina and Nyala have all been ransacked. This is unacceptable - and prohibited under international humanitarian law. Attacks on humanitarian assets must stop. Martin Griffiths (@UNReliefChief) April 28, 2023 Khartoum, a city of some five million people, has been transformed into a front line in the grinding conflict between General Abdel Fattah Burhan, the commander of Sudans military, and General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces, which has dashed once-euphoric hopes of Sudans democratic transition. Foreign countries continued to evacuate diplomatic staff and nationals while thousands of Sudanese fled across borders into Chad and Egypt. Up to 20,000 refugees mostly women and children have crossed over the western border to Chad, the United Nations said, a country that has struggled for stability in the aftermath of its own coup two years ago. Those who escape the fighting in Khartoum face more obstacles on their way to safety. The overland journey to Port Sudan, where ships then evacuate people via the Red Sea, has proven long and risky. Hatim el-Madani, a former journalist, said that paramilitary fighters were stopping refugees at roadblocks out of the capital, demanding they hand over their phones and valuables. Theres an outlaw, bandit-like nature to the RSF militia, he said, referring to the Rapid Support Forces. It indicates they dont have a supply line in place and that could get worse in the coming days. British nationals prepare to be evacuated (PO Phot Arron Hoare/Ministry of Defence) Airlifts from the country have also posed challenges, with a Turkish evacuation plane hit by gunfire outside Khartoum on Friday. On Saturday despite a ceasefire extended under heavy international pressure by another 72 hours early Friday clashes continued around the presidential palace, the headquarters of the state broadcaster and a military base in Khartoum, residents said. The battles sent thick columns of black smoke billowing over the city skyline. In a few areas near the capital, including in Omdurman, residents reported that some shops were reopening as the scale of fighting dwindled, with both sides seeking to observe a tenuous ceasefire. But in other areas, residents sheltering at home as explosions thundered around them said fighters were going from house to house, terrifying people and stealing whatever they could find. Now in its third week, the fighting has left swathes of Khartoum without electricity and running water. Those sheltering at home say they are running out of food and basic supplies. Residents on Saturday in the city of Omdurman, west of Khartoum, said they had been waiting three days to get fuel complicating their escape plans. 1573 people have now been evacuated from Sudan on 13 UK flights. British nationals still in Sudan who wish to leave should make their way to the Wadi Saeedna airfield near Khartoum by 1200 Sudan time on Saturday 29 April to be processed for the final UK evacuation flight. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) April 28, 2023 The UN relief co-ordinator, Martin Griffiths, said that UN offices in Khartoum, as well as the cities of Genena and Nyala in Darfur, had all been attacked and looted. This is unacceptable and prohibited under international law, he said. Over the past 15 days of pummelling each other, the generals have each failed to deal a decisive blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africas third largest nation. The military has appeared to have the upper hand in the fighting, with its monopoly on air power, but it has been impossible to confirm its claims of advances. Many hospitals in Khartoum and across the country have closed. Few had hope that the conflict would end anytime soon. Both parties are digging in, said Mr el-Madani, the former journalist. This war could go on for a long time. Pope Francis has met people from both sides of Russias war with Ukraine greeting some of the 2.5 million Ukrainian refugees who have fled across the border to Hungary during a public prayer service, before a private meeting with an envoy of the pro-Kremlin Russian Orthodox Church. Francis maintained the Vaticans tradition of diplomatic neutrality during his second day in Budapest, where he is on a weekend visit to minister to Hungarys Catholic faithful. Starting the day, he thanked Hungarians for welcoming Ukrainian refugees and urged them to help anyone in need. He called for a culture of charity in a country where Prime Minister Viktor Orban justified firm anti-immigration policies with fears that migration threatens Europes Christian culture. I encourage you to speak the language of #charity always. Whenever you strive to bring bread to the hungry, the Lord makes joy blossom and your lives are fragrant with the love you give. #ApostolicJourney #Hungary Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 29, 2023 Speaking in the white-brick St Elizabeths church, named after a princess who renounced her wealth to care for the poor, Francis recalled that the Gospel instructs Christians to show love and compassion to all, especially those experiencing poverty and even those who are not believers. He said: The love that Jesus gives us and commands us to practice can help to uproot the evils of indifference and selfishness from society, from our cities and the places where we live indifference is a plague and to rekindle hope for a new, more just and fraternal world, where all can feel at home. Hungarys nationalist government has implemented firm anti-immigration policies and refused to accept many asylum-seekers trying to enter the country through its southern border, leading to prolonged legal disputes with the European Union. Pope Francis looks at dancers during a meeting with young people at the Laszlo Papp Budapest Sports Arena (AP) The conservative populist leader Mr Orban has said that migration threatens to replace Europes Christian culture. Mr Orban, who has held office since 2010, has hinged multiple election campaigns on the threats he alleges that migrants and refugees pose to Hungarians. While his government has consistently rejected asylum-seekers from the Middle East and Africa, around 2.5 million Ukrainians fleeing war in their country found open doors. Around 35,000 of the refugees remain in Hungary and have registered for temporary protection there, according to the UN. Immediately after greeting and encouraging the refugees, Francis visited the Greek Catholic church next door, which has been providing aid to refugees. Then, he met with the Russian Orthodox Churchs representative in Hungary, Metropolitan Hilarion, who developed close relations with the Vatican during his years as the Russian churchs foreign minister. The Vatican said the 20-minute meeting at the Holy Sees embassy in Budapest was cordial. The Pope is undertaking a three-day visit to Hungary (AP) The Russian churchs strong support for the Kremlins war has rankled the Vatican and prevented a second papal meeting with Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Francis and Kirill had a 2016 encounter in Cuba that marked the first between a pope and the head of the Russian church. They had planned a second one in June, but the meeting has been indefinitely postponed over Kirills support for the war. In a statement, Hilarions office said that he briefed Francis on the social and educational activities of the Russian church in Hungary and its relations with the Catholic Church here. He said that he gave the pope an Italian translation of a six-volume opus on the life of Christ. Francis visit to Hungary, his second in as many years, is bringing him as close as he has come to the front lines of the war. Upon arriving in Budapest on Friday, he denounced the adolescent belligerence that had brought war back to European soil and demanded the EU recover its values of peaceful unity to end it. Pope Francis leaves the Protection of the Mother of God church after a meeting with a Greek Catholic community, in Budapest (AP) At the end of the event, a band of Hungarian Roma musicians serenaded the pontiff, drawing a standing ovation and cheers from the crowd and a thumbs-up from Francis. Francis started his Saturday visiting with children who have visual and physical disabilities. In the afternoon, he had his first big public event in Hungary, a youth rally at the citys sports stadium where he was given a singularly Hungarian gift: A Rubiks Cube, the colourful puzzle invented by Hungarian architect Erno Rubik. In an event staged like a rock concert, Francis jazzed up the crowd riding around in a mini golf cart-like vehicle. And he repeated his frequent appeal to young people to put aside their mobile phones and get back to socialising face-to-face: Please dont virtualize your lives, he said, to laughs. Francis wraps up his visit with an open-air Mass on Sunday and a speech at Pazmany Peter Catholic University in Budapest. Tens of thousands of Israelis have protested judicial overhaul proposals in the 17th weekly rally against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus governing coalition. The demonstrations have been ongoing since the beginning of the year, and organisers plan to continue, despite Mr Netanyahu delaying the changes last month. The leaders of the mass protests want the proposals scrapped altogether. It is the 17th weekly protest against the postponed measures (AP) We are just getting started, read a banner that demonstrators held at the main protest in Tel Aviv, Israels economic hub. Smaller demonstrations were reported in several parts of the country. Spanish Prime Minister and Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez voiced support to the Israeli anti-government protesters in a video message aired on a large screen in Tel Aviv. We as Socialist International have always fought for freedom, equality, justice, and democracy. Yet, as many of you know, these are values that we cannot take for granted, Mr Sanchez said. Protesters argue the proposed changes threaten Israels democratic values, hurting a system of checks and balances and concentrating authority in the hands of Netanyahu and his extremist allies. The Spanish leader addressed the protesters in a recorded message (AP) They also say that the Prime Minister has a conflict of interest in trying to reshape the nations legal system at a time when he is on trial. Such changes would result in weakening the supreme court, giving parliament, which is controlled by Mr Netanyahus allies, authority to overturn its rulings and limiting its ability to review laws. The protest gained support from the militarys elite reserve force, businesses, and large sectors of the Israeli community. But on Thursday, tens of thousands of right-wing Israelis who support the legal changes flocked to Jerusalem to rally for the proposal. Burma Myanmar's Civilian Govt Slams International Inaction The remains of Saung Phway Hospital after being bombed by junta fighter jets in Pekon Township on April 25. / NUG's health ministry The health ministry of the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) says the United Nations and foreign governments have turned a blind eye to violations of the Geneva Conventions and other international laws by Myanmars regime. It said no meaningful action to stop junta violence had been taken by the international community. Last Tuesday junta fighter jets dropped over 10 bombs on a hospital and displacement camp at Saung Phway village in Pekon Township, southern Shan State, according to residents. Five people, including two doctors and a child, were injured. A new mother is in a critical condition with head injuries, said the shadow ministry. The hospital, drugs, vehicles and motorbikes in the compound were destroyed in the airstrike. The hospital was treating residents and displaced people who fled their homes in southern Shan State and neighboring Kayah State. Ko Banyar, spokesman of the Karenni Human Rights Group, said the airstrikes were a war crime. Knowing that it was a hospital and medics are providing treatment, the junta intentionally bombed the hospital, he told The Irrawaddy. On March 24, junta aircraft also bombed the Daw Tama Gyi village hospital in the east of Demoso Township, Kayah State, destroying the hospital and killing a resident, the ministry said. It said intentional attacks on healthcare targets violate the Geneva Conventions, UN Security Council resolutions and other international law. Governments are still ignoring the violence of the military terrorists although we repeatedly ask for action, its statement on Friday said. On April 18, junta planes attacked a Japanese-funded hospital at Magyi Kan village in Myaing Township, Magwe Region. Soldiers dropped by helicopters burned the hospital and detained 19 people, including two medics. Regime forces targeted the main building out of six which held the important devices. They destroyed our X-ray machine. It is a tremendous loss, a Magyi Kan villager recently told The Irrawaddy. On April 5 fighter jets bombed a hospital in Si Thar village in Shwegu Township, Kachin State. By February 28 the junta had conducted at least 188 raids and attacks on hospitals and clinics in Myanmar since the 2021 coup. At least 70 medical staff had been killed and 836 detained by the junta by late February. Junta Watch Junta Watch: EV Complaints Channel Opened Amid Blackouts; China Praised for Non-Interference; and More Children attend the opening ceremony of basic military training for students in Mandalay on April 24. / cincds Blame the EVs, not the power cuts The juntas Consumer Affairs Department has become a laughingstock among Myanmar people after announcing that consumers can file complaints if they are not satisfied with their new electric vehicles (EVs) or chargers. The country has been experiencing widespread and worsening power outages since 2021, and Myanmar people are understandably asking where the electricity to charge EVs will come from. Perhaps a clue can be found in Myanmars commercial capital, where the juntas Yangon Electricity Supply Corporation recently offered to buy excess power from solar panels installed by households and businesses. Desperate to stem the blackouts, the corporation also warned it would take legal action against cottage industries and workshops that operate after 5 pm. Power outages are worse in smaller towns, where people are having to help each other to cook, pump water and charge their phones and lamps. Fortunately, civil society organizations and well-off families are providing some funding to purchase diesel to power generators. Chinas green light for atrocities welcomed In a statement released on Friday, the regimes Foreign Ministry commended China for its achievements in world security through the implementation of the Global Security Initiative (GSI) proposed by President Xi Jinping. The statement welcomed the GSI, saying its commitments, which include respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference, comply with Myanmars foreign policy. The juntas positive reception of the commitments comes as no surprise. After all, the initiative will allow it to continue committing atrocities against civilians with impunity. Historically, Myanmar has pursued an independent and non-aligned foreign policy. But the foreign policy under the current regime can hardly be called a non-aligned approach, given that Myanmar calls Russian President Vladimir Putin a world leader contributing to global peace even after his military invasion of Ukraine. In reality, its a foreign policy that favors the juntas best friends China and Russia. Mobilising students The juntas Air Force, which has killed hundreds of civilians and destroyed numerous houses in its indiscriminate airstrikes, has joined the Navy in providing military training to over 1,300 basic education students across the country since April 24. The training courses led by regional commanders and airbase commanders will continue through the third week of May. Trainees will visit the Russia-assisted nuclear information center in Yangon, tour warships, and fly on Grob-120, Y-12 and H-120 helicopters. Observers say the regime is planning to use young people as an auxiliary force in its multi-front war. Regime high-ups head to Beijing In 2022, Myanmars military regime made only one ministerial-level visit to China a trip by then foreign minister Wunna Maung Lwin. Things have changed dramatically this year, with this week alone bringing separate visits to China by the juntas religious affairs and culture minister, and its agriculture and livestock minister. The juntas minister of electric power, Thaung Han, also flew to Beijing in the third week of March, seeking help amid the energy crisis facing the regime. Agriculture minister Min Naung, meanwhile, was in the Chinese capital chasing the national objective adopted by junta boss Min Aung Hlaing, to ensure food security. The visits reflect improved ties with China, a long-time friend of successive Myanmar junta regimes, after Beijing initially distanced itself from the military following its coup in 2021. Junta chief meets with ex-UN Secretary General in Naypyitaw Ban Ki-moon made a flying visit to Myanmar Sunday and Monday, but failed to meet with jailed former leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Read more here. Saturday, Jan 21st, 2023 (12:01 am) - Score 13,464 Alas, as the editor of ISPreview.co.uk, I dont have a magic wand for making full fibre networks appear outside my door. Just like everybody else, I was forced to wait.. and wait. But the day did finally come and from an operator that, like so many other alternative networks these days, didnt even exist for consumers until a few years ago. Until now, yours truly has been somewhat hobbled by our local choice of broadband infrastructure. Openreach has traditionally covered this area with their Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC / VDSL2) network and, some years ago, I counted myself lucky enough to be able to receive a download speed of 58-65Mbps (variable). Prior to that, we had a c.16Mbps ADSL2+ line. How times change. However, these days I often find myself using a 5G based mobile broadband link via Three UK for big downloads, which easily hits 100Mbps+ most of the time. The catch being that latency is not as dependable as on our fixed line a key consideration for somebody who does occasionally partake in the odd bout of fast-paced multiplayer gaming and the local network does seem to be having various issues of late. In theory, it might have been possible to have a Virgin Media line, but I need a Static IP address (VM Business doesnt have the best history here) and IPv6 for the work I do. Not to mention that their post-contract prices were a fair bit more than what we currently pay, which in a cost-of-living crisis is a tougher sell for my better half, even if the result is a faster speed. The limited choice of router, some concerns with latency on their local Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) network and the need to dig up the driveway were also discouraging factors. Elsewhere, Openreach does have this area on their rollout plan for Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) technology, but all their website is capable of communicating is that this rollout will vaguely occur sometime between now and Dec-2026, which didnt exactly inspire confidence. Not to mention that, until its actually built, you can never be 100% certain that your house would even been covered. An Alternative Solution Arrives.. Slowly Ive started to lose track of how many different ISPs Ive used over the past few decades (hint: its probably a lot more than most people) and in various different locations. But one commonality is that theyve always been based on either Openreach or Virgin Medias national networks. But in a sign of the times and the rapid rise of alternative networks (Summary of UK Full Fibre Builds), this time would different. You see, sometime ago last year CityFibres engineers finally came down our street, using a mix of trenching and pole delivery. Our house has traditionally been served by poles, which are a common sight in this area, so I was more than a little pleased to see the operator erecting a new one on the opposite side of the road from our house (including their own multi-port secondary node at the top). Like many other people in this situation, I crossed my fingers and patiently waited for the service to go live. And I waited. Then I waited some more. Winter ended. Spring came and went. I was stung by a Wasp. Summer passed by, and then Autumn, Winter again, Spring again.. but finally, mercifully, Cityfibre dropped an email to say that our street was finally live. Hurray! The only problem was, none of their ISPs agreed. Were expecting it to be live in the summer, said one. Coming soon, said another.. and another. A few months later, Cityfibre dropped a similar email, but the end result was unchanged. Finally, our preferred choice of provider informed us that they expected Cityfibres network to be live within the next month. However, it is important to point out that ISPs often blame the network operator for delays like this, but that isnt always the full story. In this case, we noted that one of Cityfibres ISPs had actually gone live a few short months before the others, which is of course not something that your chosen ISP will tell you (i.e. they dont want to lose you to a rival on the same network). Whether due to historic exclusivity agreements (e.g. Vodafone) or the ISPs own slow pace in adapting their network to the local infrastructure, it is thus always worth remembering that some ISPs may go live on Cityfibres network sooner than others. Consumers often wont be aware of this, which can result in mixed and conflicting messages. So if you arent as fussy about ISP choice as I was, then keep checking them all! Installation Day So after a long wait, the day finally came. Our chosen ISP furnished us with a timeslot between 8am and 1pm for the CityFibre engineers to turn up and deliver us into the optical fibre age. An age Ive written more than a few column inches about over the years. Suffice to say, the excitement in the house was palpable, at least for me, since my better half is about as interested in the world of telecoms as a pigeon is in nuclear reactor design. NOTE: I naturally offered our visitors a drink and some biscuits, which is always the polite thing to do, even if in the post-covid world its often refused (I personally ensured that the biscuits did not go to waste). The engineers, all clad in Cityfibres bright new branding, arrived just after midday, at which point they proceeded to conduct the installation in stages. The first few stages seemed to occur almost in tandem, with one engineer working to install a weatherproof wall box a few feet up the wall, while another was busy drilling from inside-out through the wall to position a new Optical Network Terminal (ONT Pictured Top). Picture of CityFibres Wallbox Post Install Following that, both engineers focused on running the new optical fibre to a pole (telecoms or telegraph pole, if you prefer) on the opposite side of the road, which involved a very brief disruption to traffic flow before it was raised and clamped overhead to a high point on the house. The pole was a new one and only occupied by Cityfibres kit, while our existing copper line came from a different Openreach pole, positioned on our side of the road. Sadly, I didnt see the fibre splicing take place myself due to other distractions and some fairly unpleasant weather, but it was clearly very quick as is fairly normal these days. After that, the focus turned to ensuring the network was powered and could talk with the new ONT. After about one and a half hours from the start, it was all over and the lights on our ONT lit up green. The engineer then proceeded to test the router, but contrary to what we had been told, they didnt wait to test that the internet connection was fully working before leaving and instead suggested it might take a bit longer. Sadly, the connection still wasnt live the next day, yet a quick email to technical support soon resolved that. The result.. Speedtest Delivers 500Mbps+ (Symmetric) Why didnt we opt for the full 1Gbps, you may ask (this was the original plan)? We took time to assess our real-world usage and the 300-500Mbps bracket seemed like a good fit, for now. Ultimately, we decided that this speed was the best balance of price and performance, since at present not all of the online services and WiFi devices that we use could actually harness the full 1Gbps. On the subject of our home phone service, which might as well not even be connected for all the use it gets, the decision was made to retain our existing FTTC line for redundancy (its nice having this as an option). But at the same time were planning to switch that to a different ISP to save money and will, at roughly the same time, also use the opportunity to move our phone number to a DEDICATED VoIP provider (summary of home VoIP providers). NOTE: Requesting a number port to a dedicated Requesting a number port to a dedicated VoIP provider on a live copper broadband line can cause problems, hence why we waited until FTTP was installed. I should add that our installation was relatively straightforward and simple, partly because thats how Id intended it to be for the engineers. But projects that require more work, such as longer cable runs or digging up driveways, will naturally take longer and some may even attract excess construction charges (ECC). So have a think beforehand and discuss with the ISP if youre unsure. I dont intend to touch on the question of ISP choice today (partly due to an ongoing issue see below and the desire to be treated like any other user), but we did like the fact that they bundled a fairly unrestricted WiFi 6 router. However, like most included routers, its far from being the most advanced or feature-rich of devices. Not that it matters, since its fairly easy to use a third-party router on CityFibres network. Overall, were very happy, and its quite telling that this was all achieved via an alternative network, rather than one of the established incumbents. I now need to do my bit for local awareness by highlighting the new service to our neighbours, even though that might result in a bit more competition for local data capacity. One Final Caveat Sometimes, things go wrong. In our case, CityFibres engineers did cause some accidental damage and water ingress into the property, albeit nothing that hopefully cant be repaired with relative ease (I did a temporary patch myself). But as were still assessing the extent of this, then its a topic Ill probably come back to write about in the future, once weve gone through all the usual motions and seen how the ISP responds to such issues. News / National by Staff reporter ZIMBABWEAN workers are reeling under deteriorating conditions underlined by serious violations of fundamental rights by parastatals, security forces and Chinese companies amid a clear pattern of intimidation, arrests and detentions, the United States embassy says in its 2022 Human Rights Report.The report says workers' rights in Zimbabwe have been on a free-fall, with the government clamping down on public sector unions.While public sector workers are barred from joining trade unions, their associations have been facing attacks by security forces, despite them usually meeting correct procedure.According to the report, strikes were commonly met with police brutality, force, and dismissals."The government enacted punishment and retaliatory action against teachers who participated in continued strikes regarding the right to a living wage."In May, the ministry of Primary and Secondary Education deducted money from the salaries of teachers who participated in a January strike, leaving some with net salaries that were the equivalent of less than one US cent. The ministry of Education suspended more than 1 220 teachers, seized the salaries of 530 teachers, and arrested others," says the report.For instance, in January last year, police arrested 18 teachers and Amalgamated Rural Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) president Obert Masaraure for demonstrating for teacher wages to be fully paid in US dollars.In June and July, after Artuz received the 2022 Frontline Human Rights Award, the authorities arrested Masaraure and Artuz secretary-general Robson Chere on murder charges for a man who died in 2016. A previous investigation reportedly found no foul play, therefore the latest move is viewed as an attempt to silence the union leaders.In June last year, the Zimbabwe Professional Nurses' Union and the Zimbabwe Nurses' Association (Zina) were brutally quashed by police while demonstrating over a devaluation of their earnings in Zimbabwean dollars, and poor working conditions."The government deployed the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to monitor and contain the protests. Media alleged on June 23, ZRP officers wielding batons stormed Bindura General Hospital and indiscriminately attacked healthcare workers participating in the strike."Police and army members are the only legally recognized essential services employees and may not strike, but the law allows the ministry of Public Service and Labour to declare any non-essential service an essential service if a strike is deemed a danger to the population, such as one by healthcare workers," read the report.The report also shows government patronage in trade union activities, which is likely to affect working conditions of affiliate organisations."Police and state intelligence services regularly attended and monitored trade union meetings and other activities. Police or Zanu-PF supporters sometimes prevented unions from holding meetings with their members and carrying out organisational activities."Although the law does not require unions to notify police of public gatherings, police demanded such notification. Parastatal unions were generally perceived as pro-government. The Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions was regarded the largest pro-government trade union and a rival to the ZCTU, which had a history of alignment with opposition parties," read the report.Chinese companies have also been under fire for breaching worker rights.In January, multiple sources alleged Chinese-linked granite mining companies engaged in human rights abuses, poor working conditions, and violence against employees, among them Jinding Mining Company and Shanghai Haoyang Mining Investments.For instance, according to the report, one villager reported witnessing a beating with a steel rod and the breaking of a 17-year-old's arm for arriving late to work at the mine."In May, a publication reported the deaths in 2020 of three miners at Kunyu Mine in Banze were the result of unsafe working conditions. Representatives from the Progressive Mining News NewsHawks Issue 129, 28 April 2023 and Allied Industries Workers Union of Zimbabwe alleged the incident was never investigated due to close ties between PRC [People's Republic of China] enterprises and Zimbabwean authorities."In February, PRC-owned Freestone Mines closed a quarry following a public backlash when investigative journalists documented labour rights abuses and attempts to bypass environmental laws in companies owned by PRC parastatals and private PRC citizens," read the report. News / National by Staff reporter THE family of the slain Citizens' Coalition for Change activist, Moreblessing Ali, has told The NewsHawks that they are still waiting for the release of their incarcerated lawyer, Job Sikhala, to help them locate her dismembered body whose whereabouts are unknown since a controversial burial attempt in December 2022.Washington Ali, brother to the deceased, said they do not know where the body was taken to when some family members attempted to bury Moreblessing at Mabvuku Cemetery in Harare without the consent of her children and the immediate family."We have no idea where the body is. We are waiting for Job to come out and continue to lead the family towards revealing the whole truth. Remember when they took or stole the body from Chitungwiza to where they said it was in Parirenyatwa, my family, our lawyer Job Sikhala and my nephew Silence were denied a chance to see the body; so that's where we will start from," said Ali.Sikhala was arrested at his home in St Mary's on 14 June 2022 after addressing a prayer meeting for Moreblessing Ali in Nyatsime for allegedly inciting violence when he called for justice in her gruesome murder.A month later, he was charged with obstruction of justice for calling out Pius Jamba, who was later arrested by the police as the main suspect, as the man behind Moreblessing's killing.Sikhala was slapped with an additional charge of disorderly conduct earlier this month on an event that purportedly occurred in May 2022.Sikhala also has two other charges that are before the courts, one on incitement of violence ahead of the July 2020 protests and communicating falsehoods.Prospects of Sikhala coming out anytime soon are slim, but the family insists on waiting for a proper burial."Nothing yet; our position is very clear: until Job is out, we are not going to move an inch," said Ali.Moreblessing was abducted from Chibhanguza shops on 25 May 2022 by the main suspect, Jamba.She was missing for a fortnight before being discovered in a disused well at a plot belonging to Jamba's mother in Beatrice.Her son is in hiding after he claimed suspicious men were trailing him. News / National by Staff reporter THE opposition Citizens' Coalition for Change which had promised to roll out names of nominees on 11 April says it is still vetting the nominated candidates and is urging people who are querying the speed of the candidate selection process to be patient and allow the party to complete the exercise.The party's deputy spokesperson Gift Siziba addressed a Press briefing yesterday in Harare and made the clarification after a social media onslaught on the candidate selection process from critics and party sympathisers who felt the exercise was taking too long."Allow us to finish our process and we announce publicly the successful people; we can confirm whether we have areas where we do not have candidates or we have. The residue that we have and the process that was happening over the weekend was the vetting of more than 25 000 people who were nominated for councillor, members of Parliament from across the country. And these are the people who are going to go for caucuses after which we are going to have them being announced as candidates," said Siziba.The candidate selection process is in four parts: nomination which happened on 5 April 2023; candidate acceptance confirmation where nominated candidates where supposed to accept the nomination; candidate vetting, announcement of candidates that would have passed the vetting stage; then move to consensus-building caucuses before the official announcement of victorious candidates.Prominent journalist Hopewell Chin'ono put out a circular reportedly coming from the CCC that was appealing for the finding of candidates in rural constituencies, but the party says these are false allegations."It is absolutely not true, it is absolutely trying to create an impression that the citizens' movement has not spread its tentacles across the country. We are happy with the overwhelming subscription we have even challenged for avoidance of doubt those who say the specific area to say give us just a single ward for avoidance of confusion we give you the number of candidates. You know that there was an example of Chimanimani, we have more than six candidates that were nominated and more than 20 councillors for the few wards that are there who are going to go to the next stage, so we are happy we have candidates all over the country which are being vetted. We are expecting that once the caucuses are over, we announce the candidates and prove beyond any doubt that there are challenges in terms of candidates," said Siziba.Zimbabwe's political landscape has always made it difficult for rural folk to openly declare that they support opposition.In January 2023, elderly people convened a meeting in Murewa and were beaten by suspected Zanu-PF youths and had to be evacuated to Harare for treatment.An arrest was made, but the victims of the violent attack say they were not the actual perpetrators of violence.During the build-up to the 26 March 2022 by-election, a CCC supporter, Mboneni Ncube, died at the hands of Zanu-PF youths who violently disrupted the opposition party's rally.It is against this background that people in rural areas are not confident of openly coming out as opposition activists.To date, only nominations for Harare West which were announced at the initial Press conference have been made public, but everything else is being kept under wraps.The nomination process was hit by confusion and chaos, with some candidates crying foul, but Siziba said those who fail the vetting test would have an opportunity to approach the appeals committee.At the same Press briefing, Siziba responded to the vetting-form clause that spoke of allegiance to God, saying there was nothing amiss about the provision."The rest of the provisions were imported from the existing laws in our country, the constitution, the Electoral Act and other protocol manuals that govern the politics of our country," he said."We have not received any challenges from the particular individuals who have been vetted who know and understand . . . Let me make it very clear for avoidance of doubt and confusion that the misinterpretation of our vetting template to try and make us look like people who do not believe in freedom of conscience is wrong because in our movement we solely believe and protect the freedoms of people and part of those freedoms is religion," said Siziba. News / National by Staff reporter IN terms of the constitution, President Emmerson Mnangagwa must proclaim a date for this year's general elections starting from Thursday next week, the Election Resource Centre (ERC) has said.Zimbabwe last held elections on 31 July 2018 and citizens are anticipating this year's round of polls, but there are fears the ruling Zanu-PF in conjunction with the smaller opposition MDC-Alliance outfit led by Douglas Mwonzora are rooting for a postponement.Mwonzora has already gone to court to seek postponement of the elections, citing irregularities in the delimitation exercise.However, ERC executive director Babra Ontibile Bhebhe told The NewsHawks on Thursday that Mnangagwa is obliged by the Electoral Act to proclaim the election date between 4 May and 26 July."According to section 38 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, a general election (harmonised election) must be held so that polling takes place not more than 30 days before the expiry of the five year period which runs from the date on which the President-elect is sworn in and assumes office. President ED Mnangagwa was sworn in on 26 August 2018. The 30-day period before the expiry of the presidential term runs from 27 July-26 August 2023," she said.She explained that Mnangagwa is mandated to fix the date for the elections after consulting the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission but the proclamation of election day has timelines that are clear at law."According to section 38 of the Electoral Act, the President must fix a date for a general election and elections for councillors, members of Parliament and the President, after consultation with the commission. The proclamation must take into consideration the factor of the Nomination Court which must sit at least 14 and not more than 21 days after the day of publication of the proclamation for the purpose of receiving nominations of candidates for election," she said.Bhebhe added that polling day must be at least 30 and not more than 63 days after the sitting of the nomination court."Taking into account the timelines for the sitting of the nomination court and the possible election dates between 27 July 2023-26 August 2023 the President may only make a proclamation between any of the following dates: 4 May 2023-13 July 2023."While the authority to proclaim an election date is vested in the President of Zimbabwe, the President is guided by aforementioned timelines and must consult the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission before proclaiming," said Bhebhe.Early this week, Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC) spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere dismissed the possibility of the postponement of the elections in a statement."The constitutional requirement that elections be held every five years can't be suspended by political elites who have no support from the citizens and are afraid of electoral loss. Zanu-PF and its proxies are terrified of how much support they have lost and are seeking to use whatever harebrained plan they can think of to try and stop the process."We call upon citizens to continue demanding adherence to the constitution. Elections are like Christmas, you can't postpone them as they will come whether or not you have new clothes."Elections are a constitutional non-negotiable. Citizens must be at the centre of all national processes. We reject the notion of elite pacts or a Government of National Unity or whatever basis put forward. Done properly, elections are a true expression of the will of the people and a total necessity in a democracy," she said.ZESN board chairperson and lawyer Andrew Makoni said: "In terms of section 158 of the constitution, elections must be held not more than 30 days before the expiry of the five year term of office of the president. This means that the elections can be held at least 30 days before the date the president was inaugurated."In terms of section 38 of the Electoral Act, the president shall fix a place or places and day or days , at least 14 and not more than 21 days of publication, on which a nomination court shall sit for purposes of receiving nominations of candidates and a day or days, at least 30 and not more than 63 days after the nomination day or last nomination day, on which a poll shall be takes place."So from the date of nomination to date of election, the election date must be within 63 days, which is just over two months, unless of course section 38 is amended to provide for lessor or longer duration. Therefore, if for instance the date of proclamation of the election is the 31st of May, elections must be held at most by August 2 2023," Makoni said. News / National by Staff reporter AFTER President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed a tribunal last week which he swore in this week to inquire into the question of removal from office of High Court Justice Martin Makonese following allegations of misconduct against him, the judge resigned, inadvertently saving the President the embarrassment.Mnangagwa appointed a three-person tribunal chaired by retired Justice Professor Simbi Veke Mubako. Other members of the tribunal were Dr Gift Manyatera and Ms Sarah Moyo with Justice secretary Virginia Mabhiza being the the secretary of the tribunal.It however emerged that Manyatera had a close working relationship with Makonese between 2005 and 2006 when they worked as lawyers, making him a conflicted member of the panel.Officials in the judicial sector say Manyatera would not have been able to act independently given his close relationship with Makonese.The situation had left Mnangagwa's tribunal compromised and open to possible judicial challenge by lawyers and civil society groups. The Law Society of Zimbabwe was scrutinising the panel, ready to join the fray.Makonese was set to be the latest to face tribunals after Justices Thompson Mabhikwa, Erica Ndewere, Francis Bere and Edith Mushore, who were all fired for misconduct over the last three years.The complaint against Makonese followed an order he issued in a commercial dispute in which he allegedly had a financial interest.He made the order without an application made before him, and without the knowledge of lawyers of the two other parties in the dispute.Makonese handled a dispute over a coal mine in Hwange pitting a company called Philcool Investments, which was the "applicant", and two other companies, Hwange Coal Gasification and Taiyuan Sanxing, which were the "respondents" during the hearing purportedly held on 12 October 2022.He allegedly granted the companies relief they had not sought - including ordering them to abandon pending court applications, which suppliers to use and structuring payment terms to resolve the dispute. Allegations are that no such hearing took place.Representatives of Philcool Investments tried to enforce the order, but failed.Mnangagwa, through Statutory Instrument 54 of 2023, established the tribunal in terms of section 187(1) of the constitution of Zimbabwe which provides that a judge may be removed from office only for inability to perform the functions of his or her office, due to mental or physical incapacity; gross incompetence; or gross misconduct. Section 187(3) of the constitution provides that, "if the Judicial Service Commission advises the President that the question of removing a judge from office ought to be investigated, the President must appoint a tribunal to inquire into the matter".The tribunal was meant to conduct its work over a five-month period and produce a report at the conclusion of its inquiry.Mnangagwa had directed that the tribunal's terms of reference be: "to inquire into the matter of the removal from office of Honourable Justice Martin Makonese; to investigate Honourable Justice Makonese's conduct as alleged in the dossier from the Judicial Service Commission, whether it can be deemed to have been tantamount togross misconduct and gross incompetence and to investigate whether the Honourable Justice Makonese interfered with the course of justice during the course of his duties."The tribunal was meant to investigate whether Makonese presided over matters wherein he had a direct conflict of interest.The tribunal was expected: "to consider all information submitted by the Judicial Service Commission in order to arrive at an appropriate recommendation to the President; to investigate any other matter which the Tribunal may deem appropriate and relevant to the inquiry; to recommend on whether the Honourable Judge, is fit to hold office in light of the foregoing and to report to the President, in writing, the result of the inquiry within a period of five (5) months from the date of swearing in of the Members," Mnangagwa directed. Azerbaijan Urged by France to Reopen Humanitarian Corridor with Armenia. Frances foreign minister, Catherine Colonna, called on Azerbaijan to restore the Lachin corridor and allow unhindered movement between Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. Azerbaijan had recently set up a checkpoint at the entrance to the corridor, which Armenia viewed as a violation of the latest ceasefire. Colonna stated that Armenias territorial integrity should be respected and free movement should be restored. She urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to resume negotiations for a lasting peace, saying that the only solution is through negotiation. Colonna also indicated that France stood ready to support Armenia, together with the European Union, the United States, the OSCE, and the United Nations. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over the Karabakh enclave, with tens of thousands dead. Moscow brokered a ceasefire and posted peacekeepers along the Lachin corridor. The US and the EU have since tried to improve the situation between the two parties. The Ukrainian army has made significant strides this week by advancing across the Dnipro River in the Kherson region and striking Tokmak, a southern Ukrainian town that is occupied by Russia and is a strategic crossroads for a potential counteroffensive in the southeast. As Kiev prepares for a counteroffensive, there have been two recent events in southern Ukraine that have drawn military observers attention and raised questions about whether the much-anticipated Ukrainian counterattack has already begun. Tokmak, which is occupied by the Russians, was hit by Ukrainian shells on April 25th. A day earlier, Ukrainian troops near Kherson successfully crossed the Dnipro River, which is a natural line of defence for the Russian army. Although the two operations occurred 300 kilometers apart, they both suggest Ukrainian military activity in the Crimeadirection, said Sim Tack from Force Analysis, a company specializing in military analysis. The Institute for the Study of War reported that Russian military bloggers on Telegram had confirmed that Ukrainian soldiers had crossed the Dnipro River. The operation occurred near Oleshky, south of Kherson and at the starting point of a direct road towards Crimea, which would be the logical route to reach the peninsula Testing Russian defences appears to be the aim of the two operations observed so far. Jeff Hawn, a Russian military specialist and consultant for New Line Institute, a US geopolitical research center, said the activity could constitute the first phase of the counteroffensive. It is still too early to determine whether Ukrainian forces plan to launch a counteroffensive to advance into the southeastern territory or in the north into Donbas, but the pressure to do so is mounting due to international pressure. The pressure could also impact how operations are planned, and there is also pressure to regain as much ground as possible. Sudans ongoing power struggle results in death of more than 400 civilians. Gunfire and heavy artillery fire continue in various parts of Khartoum, Sudan, despite the cease-fire extension between the countrys top generals. The power struggle between Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, commander of Sudans military, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces, has killed hundreds and caused thousands to flee their homes. The Sudan Doctors Syndicate has reported that 411 civilians have been killed and 2,023 have been injured. In West Darfurs provincial capital, Genena, intensified violence has left 89 dead. The fighting has disrupted hopes for a democratic transition in Sudan following former dictator Omar al-Bashirs ousting after a popular uprising. As foreign countries continue to evacuate their citizens, the UN estimates that over 50,000 refugees mostly women and children have fled to Chad, Egypt, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic, raising fears of instability in the region. Many refugees face risks, as paramilitary fighters stop them at roadblocks outside Khartoum, demand valuables, and raid homes. The conflict has left wide areas of Khartoum without water and electricity, and those sheltering at home are running out of food and supplies. The military and paramilitaries have been accused of human rights abuses, and a unit of Sudans armed forces, the Central Reserve Police, has been sanctioned by the US for grave human rights violations against pro-democracy protesters. Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok warned that a full-blown civil war in Sudan would have disastrous consequences for the world. Reddit 4 Email 262 Shares Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) One of the most visible manifestations of the climate emergency is heat waves. The earths climate is incredibly complex, and climate change can produce freezing bomb cyclones as well as unseasonably sweltering weather. Still, the past ten years are the hottest in recorded history on average, and extra heat is being injected into the climate by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. The worst thing about the heat waves that are exacerbated by the climate emergency and by extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is that we are only at the beginning of the heating of the earth. Things are going to get much, much worse before they get better. Thailand can get hot in April. It normally varies from 85 F. (30 C.) to 99 F. (37 C.). But this April temperatures are reaching 104 (40 C.) in the capital of Bangkok, while in the north the mercury 107 F. is expected. That is not just hot. That is hot . The unusually high temperatures are being caused by a heat dome. But we have learned that some percentage of such unusual heat is attributable to climate change. Scientists have discovered that when high temperatures are combined with very high humidity, that combination will kill you dead. Thailands humidity is typically 64% in April. What struck me was that the governments way of dealing with this problem in Thailand was to order people to stay home. They are in other words encouraged to shelter in place, as we did here during the pandemic. Article continues after bonus IC video Why Asia is suffering from the worst April heatwave in history | DW News So we are only at the beginning of global heating, and were already seeing governments quarantine their citizens. Bangladesh has also seen a torrid April. Dhaka reached over 105 degrees F., the highest recorded temperature in 60 years. The April heat spike endangers the countrys rice crop. Then there are Spain and Portugal, which are seeing the kind of heat this April that typically only comes in deep summer. In Cordoba, it hit 101.8 F. (38.8 C.), a new record for this month. Scientists worry about wildfires, and farmers are afraid for their crops. That is something we may not think about when we hear the phrase global heating. But one of its implications is that global food production could fall substantially. Climate change, which is caused high amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, turbocharges heat waves. For instance the drought and famine in East Africa in recent decades was made 100 times more likely by global heating. Reddit Email 52 Shares By Christopher Tounsel, University of Washington | (The Conversation) The sight of diplomats fleeing Sudan amid chaotic scenes reflects the gravity of the situation, but also the extent of international interest in the strife-torn nation. Days into fighting that has left at least 400 people dead, governments from across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and the Americas evacuated nationals teachers, students and workers, as well as embassy staff from the capital, Khartoum. Of course, expat employees are to be found in all countries. But as a scholar of Sudanese history, it is difficult to ignore the fact that, in the words of one analyst, everyone wants a chunk of Sudan. While a 2019 coup ended the brutal dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir, the years since have not given way to democracy. Rather, it has led to a period in which various overseas governments have sought to capitalize on the transition of power and Sudans strategic importance and mineral wealth. And while a descent into all-out civil war would be devastating for Sudan, it would also create ripples that would be felt throughout the geopolitical world. Where things stand The evacuation of foreign nations followed the eruption of violence between the Sudanese military, led by the countrys leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, generally known by the name Hemedti. The two men jointly ran the government but now find themselves deadlocked in a power struggle. On April 25, 2023, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. brokered a three-day ceasefire. Despite sporadic fighting, that ceasefire was later extended. Efforts of international governments to broker peace may hint not only at a desire to halt the bloodshed, but also a desire to limit the fallout that the situation will have for world politics. Sudans regional, economic and strategic importance Sudan is located at a critical nexus, geographically. It borders Egypt and Libya in North Africa, Ethiopia and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa, the East African nation of South Sudan, and Central Africas Chad and the Central African Republic. Sudan is the site where the White and Blue Nile Rivers merge to form the main Nile and is home to more than 60% of the Nile River Basin. Safe management of the Niles water is crucial for stability of the region. Northern neighbor Egypt is 90% dependent on the river for its water supply, while Ethiopia to the east is looking to double the countrys electricity generation through the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Article continues after bonus IC video Whats happening in Sudan and why? BBC News The project has been a source of contention, though Ethiopia began filling the dam in 2020-2021 without an agreement with Egypt, and last year Egypt protested Ethiopias planned third filling of the dam to the U.N. Security Council. The United Nations has called on the three nations to negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement over the Niles management something that will be difficult should Sudan fall into a prolonged period of instability. Sudan also has a strategic location on the Red Sea, a body of water that approximately 10% of global trade passes through, with the Suez Canal connecting Asian and European markets. And then there are Sudans immense mineral resources. The nation is Africas third-largest producer of gold, has major oil reserves and produces over 80% of the worlds gum arabic a component of food additives, paint and cosmetics. Sudanese gold, Russias war As a result of this strategic and economic importance, Sudan has attracted willing international partners. Gulf oil states Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, for example, saw Bashirs ouster as a chance to stabilize the region and invest in everything from agricultural projects to Red Sea ports. Sudans leaders have seemingly been none too picky about who they partner with. While much of the international community shunned and sanctioned Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Sudan provided Moscow with an economic lifeline through its gold reserves. Russias interest in Sudans gold dates back to 2017, when after a meeting between Bashir and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two countries established the Meroe Gold corporation a subsidiary of the Wagner Group network of mercenaries. Since the 2019 coup, Moscow has increasingly aligned itself with Hemedti, as the RSF leader sought to control more and more of the countrys richest gold mines. In July 2022, Sudanese sources told CNN that at least 16 Russian gold smuggling flights had embarked from Sudan over the previous year and a half. The Wagner Groups involvement in Sudanese gold extraction and its role in supplying fighters in Ukraine have prompted many observers to suggest that Sudanese gold is being used to finance Moscows war. In return, Russia has provided political and military assistance to Sudans paramilitary leadership. According to U.S. officials, the Wagner Group has offered weaponry, including surface-to-air missiles, to the RSF. Hemedti is not alone in currying Russian support. Theodore Murphy, Africa director at the European Council of Foreign Relations, has suggested that the RSF leaders now-rival, Burhan, would also be open to working with Moscow. China a winner in Sudan scramble China also has considerable interests in Sudan as part of its Belt and Road global infrastructure initiative. From 2011 to 2018, Beijing granted Sudan an estimated US$143 million in loans and has invested in projects such as the construction of Sudanese oil pipelines, Nile bridges, textile mills and railway lines. Indeed, China was one of the main investors to Sudan during the rule of Bashir and one of the few countries to supply the regime with weapons. China relies on Africas mineral resources to meet its own expanding industrial needs. China-Sudan mining cooperation dates back to the 1970s, and over 20 Chinese enterprises have operated in Sudanese mining with a total investment of over $100 million. However, this relationship is not entirely one-way. Sudan exported $780 million worth of products to China in 2021 and in the previous quarter-century increased its exports to China at an annual rate of 10.6%. Indeed, China is Sudans second-largest trading partner after the UAE, and the African nations biggest supplier of goods. Although the U.S. revoked long-standing sanctions against Sudan in 2017, allowing for American companies to pursue business interests in Sudan, Washington is still playing catch-up with China. Concerns of contagion The United States strategic interest in the Sudanese crisis can be considered through the lens of its opposition to Russias war in Ukraine and concern over regional contagion that is, the spread of instability. Sudans potential to prop up Moscows war effort would make Western leaders wary of the RSF gaining an upper hand in the current fighting; the paramilitary group could reward Russias friendship with Sudanese gold. But with an apparent willingness of both sides of the current fighting to exploit the countrys gold mines in return for Moscows military assistance, a better outcome for the West and indeed the Sudanese people would be a transition away from military rule altogether. Of perhaps more concern to Washington is the impact of an unstable Sudan on the region. In recent years, the U.S. has benefited from a warming relationship with Sudans leaders, especially through counterterrorism cooperation. The Biden administration will surely be fearful of Sudans instability providing the kind of conditions in which terrorist groups, such as al-Shabaab, may thrive. or that the situation could trigger a refugee crisis on Sudans borders, especially in Ethiopia and South Sudan countries that are already struggling to keep fragile peace deals in place. While the people of Sudan have the most to lose should the current fighting descend into civil war, the geopolitical significance of the country means millions in the surrounding regions and indeed around the world also stand to be impacted. Christopher Tounsel, Associate Professor of History, University of Washington This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Otherwords ) A pair of new investigative reports about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas are a testament to the need for better guard rails against moneyed influence. The first bombshell story from ProPublica highlighted how a billionaire named Harlan Crow befriended Thomas after he became a Supreme Court justice and treated him (and often his wife, Virginia Ginni Thomas) to luxurious vacations almost every year. Thomas didnt disclose those trips. ProPublica followed that up with another story that Crow had actually purchased property from Thomas. Thomas didnt disclose this either. Stranger still, Thomass mother has continued living there while the billionaire has been making expensive renovations. Thomas broke the law by failing to disclose his financial transactions with Crow. Every American should read the ProPublica reports on how one of the nine Supreme Court justices, whose jurisdiction covers the entire nation, appears to be in the pocket of a billionaire. The cozy relationship between Crow and Thomas has borne fruit for wealthy elites: the justice has routinely sided with moneyed interests and their influence on policymaking. Thomas was already under scrutiny for the political and financial activities of his wife. During Barack Obamas presidency, Ginni Thomas founded a Tea Party nonprofit called Liberty Central, a move the New York Times described as the most partisan role ever for a spouse of a justice on the nations highest court. She later became a lobbyist and led a small, secretive organization called Liberty Consulting. In 2011, Politico reported that she touted her experience and connections to help clients with governmental affairs efforts. Ginni Thomas again made headlines last year for having pressured former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to try to overturn the 2020 election results. More recently, the Washington Post published an investigation into anonymous donations totaling $600,000 made to another organization Ginni Thomas leads that stokes the rights vicious culture wars. Although the Thomases offer arguably the most explicit examples of corruptive influence on the Supreme Court, they are not alone. Khalil Bendib | OtherWords.org In December 2022, the New York Times revealed that an innocently named charity called the Supreme Court Historical Society has become a vehicle for those seeking access to nine of the most reclusive and powerful people in the nation. The organization has raised millions of dollars from secret donors, in large part from corporations, special interest groups, or lawyers and firms that argued cases before the court. Justices attend the Supreme Court Historical Societys annual dinner, offering a tantalizing chance for individual attendees to influence them as the leader of an anti-abortion group apparently took advantage of. Its no wonder there is growing public disapproval of a body whose decisions impact nearly every aspect of our lives. Justices have lifetime tenure ostensibly to protect them from partisan pressures. But that only works if there are watertight regulations for preventing corruption and actual consequences for violating them. After Watergate, Congress passed the Ethics in Government Act (EIGA) to ensure that officials like Supreme Court justices were independent of moneyed interests. Thomas appears to have violated the EIGA, but there is no direct mechanism to hold him accountable short of Congress impeaching him a move that has no precedent in the last 200 years. No other democratically run nation on the planet gives its highest court justices lifetime tenure. Now legal experts are recommending term limits. Democratic senators have introduced the TERM Act, which would introduce 18-year terms for Supreme Court justices. A new justice would replace one who was termed out every two years, and presidents would have two opportunities during each four-year tenure to appoint new justices. The U.S. should join the rest of the worlds democratic nations in upholding an impartial judiciary it might even save billionaires like Harlan Crow some money. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - Kutcho Copper Corp. (TSXV: KC) (OTCQX: KCCFF) ("Kutcho Copper" or the "Company") announces that it has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") for gross proceeds of $4,063,050.60. The Company issued 8,001,000 units ("Units") at a price of $0.25 per Unit for gross Unit proceeds of $2,000,250.00 and 6,876,002 units consisting of flow-through units ("FT Units") at a price of $0.30 per FT Unit of the Company for gross FT Unit proceeds of $2,062,800.60. Each Unit will consist of one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one-half transferable common share purchase warrant (each whole, a "Warrant"), exercisable at a price of $0.40 per common share for a period of 24 months from the closing date, subject to accelerated expiry as described herein. Each FT Unit will consist of one flow-through share in the capital of the Company (each, a "FT Share") and one-half transferable Warrant, exercisable at a price of $0.45 per common share for a period of 24 months from the closing date, subject to accelerated expiry as described herein. Each FT Share will be a Common Share that will qualify as a "flow-through share" for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada). Each FT Share will entitle the holder thereof the same rights as holders of Common Shares, as described below. If the closing price of the Company's Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) (or such other principal exchange on which the Common Shares may be traded at such time) is equal to or greater than $0.60 for a period of 10 consecutive trading days, the Company may (but is not required to), at its sole discretion, accelerate the expiry date of Warrants to the date which is 30 days following the date upon which notice of the accelerated expiry date is provided by the Company to the holders of the Warrants (given by way of news release). The Company intends to use the gross proceeds raised from the sale of FT Shares (comprised within the FT Units) for exploration on its Kutcho property in British Columbia that will qualify as "Canadian exploration expense" and "flow-through critical mineral mining expenditure" (both within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) and which will be incurred on or before December 31, 2024, and renounced with an effective date no later than December 31, 2023, to the initial purchasers of FT Shares (comprised within the FT Units). The Company intends to use the net proceeds raised from the sale of Units for general administrative and working capital expenses. All securities issued under the Offering will have a hold period of four months and a day from the date of issuance. The Company paid to eligible finders, cash fees of $242,238.50 and issued 435,820 non-transferable finder warrants exercisable into Common Shares at $0.45 and 420,770 non-transferable finder warrants exercisable into Common Shares at $0.40. The Offering is subject to the Company completing its remaining filing requirements with the TSXV and final approval of the TSXV. About Kutcho Copper Kutcho Copper Corp. is a Canadian resource development company focused on expanding and developing the Kutcho high grade copper-zinc project in northern British Columbia. Committed to social responsibility and the highest environmental standards, the Company recently completed a feasibility study on the Kutcho project and is advancing permitting with the objective of getting to a positive construction decision. Vince Sorace President & CEO, Kutcho Copper Corp. For further information regarding Kutcho Copper Corp., please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit our website at www.kutcho.ca. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "plans", "believes", "estimates", "potential", "indicates", and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Kutcho Copper believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such material risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the timing, results and implications of the planned exploration programs, whether or not new deposits will be identified and, if so, whether such deposits will be permittable and economically feasible, the Company's ability to raise sufficient capital to fund its obligations under its property agreements going forward, to maintain its mineral tenures and concessions in good standing, to explore and develop the Kutcho Project, to repay its debt and for general working capital purposes; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; the inherent hazards associates with mineral exploration and mining operations, future prices of copper and other metals, changes in general economic conditions, accuracy of mineral resource and reserve estimates, the ability of the Company to obtain the necessary permits and consents required to explore, drill and develop the Kutcho project and if obtained, to obtain such permits and consents in a timely fashion relative to the Company's plans and business objectives for the projects; the general ability of the Company to monetize its mineral resources; and changes in environmental and other laws or regulations that could have an impact on the Company's operations, compliance with environmental laws and regulations, aboriginal title claims and rights to consultation and accommodation, dependence on key management personnel and general competition in the mining industry. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, 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. This news release includes historical information that has been reviewed by the Company's geological team and qualified person. The Company's review of the historical records and information reasonably substantiate the validity of the information presented in this news release; however, the Company cannot directly verify the accuracy of the historical data, including the procedures used for sample collection and analysis. There is insufficient exploration on these prospects to define a mineral resource. It is uncertain if after additional exploration a mineral resource will be delineated. Therefore, the Company encourages investors to exercise appropriate caution when evaluating these results. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - Omai Gold Mines Corp. (TSXV: OMG) (OTCQB: OMGGF) ("Omai" or "the Company") is pleased to provide a project update on its Omai gold project in Guyana. Six holes have been completed on exploration targets to date in 2023, totalling 1,364 metres. A work break in March was extended pending the delivery of a new diamond drill that will improve drilling capabilities and productivity. The new drill arrived in mid-April and drilling has recommenced as planned, starting with the Broccoli Hill and Boneyard targets. Drilling at Wenot with the second rig is expected to begin early next week. This follows a detailed review of the Wenot open-pittable resource model, including creation of lens-specific grade x width models which indicate potential for continued strong drill results which could lead to an expansion of the Wenot mineral resource. Approximately 3,600 m remains to be drilled in the current planned program. One rig will be dedicated to testing open-pit extensions to the Wenot Deposit, while the smaller rig will test exploration targets outside of the known deposits. Elaine Ellingham, President and CEO, comments: "The Omai project has repeatedly exceeded our expectations, culminating in the significant NI43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate filed in December. Our current detailed modelling of the Wenot Deposit reinforces the excellent potential to add additional resources that could be pit accessible. With the new indicated resource of 1,907,600 ounces of gold at an average grade of 2.07 g/t and inferred of 1,777,600 ounces of gold at an average grade of 2.10 g/t1, we believe Omai can advance quickly, particularly with the support that the Guyana government has shown for the Omai project." "We have commenced studies that will assist in understanding key aspects of re-developing this brownfields project and would support a future preliminary economic assessment. Historical production results, including metallurgy and mill recoveries, are expected to be reliable indicators for a future mining operation, given that the new resources are extensions of the previously mined deposits. Improvements in logistics, including planned power lines and the paving of the access road to within 10 km of site, will reduce the construction and operating costs of a future mine. With tangible results in hand, the Omai project is well positioned to advance, particularly in the current environment." Q1 Exploration In Q1, three diamond drill holes (ODD23-055, -056 & -057) (figure 1, Table 1) tested a 760m strike length of the Pyramid target. The Pyramid target lies along the eastern projection of the Wenot shear corridor, between 2.5 and 3.5 km east of the Wenot gold deposit. At Pyramid, a distinctive high magnetic signature is elongated east-west along 1 km and is similar to the magnetic signature over the Wenot deposit. The holes at Pyramid confirm the extension of the Wenot shear with widths of at least 114 m (figure 2). The favourable Wenot rock units were intersected, including rhyolite and quartz feldspar porphyry dikes up to 23.2m in width with associated silicification, hematitization and an adjacent proto-mylonite. The shear continues to straddle the major contact between the metasediments and metavolcanics, consistent with Wenot geology. Although hydrothermal alteration and shearing are present, pyrite was minimal and only background gold values were returned in the assays. The high magnetic anomaly coincident with the shear appears to be attributed to a magnetite alteration overprint, similar to that seen in the main Wenot deposit. An unexpected 25.1m wide structure with pervasive hydrothermal phyllic alteration and quartz veining with adjacent brecciation near the top of hole ODD23-056 (figure 2) attests to the favourable structural environment along this eastern extension of the Wenot shear. The three widely-spaced holes do not adequately test this target, that is now known to host quartz feldspar porphyry dikes up to 23.2 m wide with favourable hydrothermally altered structural zones in the vicinity and the same magnetite overprint as at Wenot. Additional drilling may be planned after further review of these new results. With this drilling Omai has now identified the broad Wenot Shear corridor 4.8 km across the Omai property, with historical mining limited to 1.5km of this strike. Broccoli Hill Target (Figure 3 & 4) Hole ODD23-054 is the first of a series of five holes planned to test the large magnetic low anomaly that covers an area of roughly 500m by 500m on the much larger underexplored Broccoli Hill. It was drilled on the southern side of Broccoli Hill, but challenges during drilling led to termination of the hole prior to the planned depth (555.0 m) resulting in an incomplete test of this target. This hole intersected mafic volcanics and tuffaceous sediments with only minor quartz veining before intersecting the underlying diabase sill. Unfortunately, no significant gold mineralization was assayed, however the diabase sill was encountered deeper than expected, and as a result, it suggests even further potential depth extensions of the Wenot open-pit resource. It was also noted that the large Broccoli Hill magnetic low anomaly was not adequately explained by this hole and that the additional planned holes to the north would better test the anomaly. A second hole on Broccoli Hill commenced this week. Hole 23ODD-058 A single hole drilled southwest of the Wenot pit followed up on a nearby 2022 hole (22ODD-037)(figure 1) that encountered rubbly quartz veining and interesting gold grades (0.57g/t Au over 7.9m, including 1.0g/t Au over 3.0m) but with significant core loss. This hole tested a magnetic feature parallel south of the Wenot shear. No significant veining or gold values were encountered. Corporate Update Omai is also pleased to announce that its common shares are now eligible for electronic clearing and settlement in the United States through the Depository Trust Company ("DTC"). DTC eligibility is expected to simplify the process of trading and enhance liquidity of Omai shares in the United States. The Company's shares trade on the OTCQB Venture Market ("OTCQB") under the ticker symbol OMGGF. This electronic method of clearing securities speeds up the receipt of stock and cash, and thus accelerates the settlement process for investors and brokers, enabling the stock to be traded over a much wider selection of brokerage firms by coming into compliance with their requirements. Existing investors benefit from potentially greater liquidity and faster execution speeds. This also opens the door to new investors that may have been previously restricted from purchasing the Company's common shares and simplifies the process of trading them in the United States. The Company also announces that it has granted stock options exercisable into 1,200,000 common shares in the Company to a director and a consultant of the Company. The incentive stock options have an exercise price of $0.08 per share with a five-year term and will vest one-third on the date of grant, and one-third on each of the first and second anniversary of the date of grant. Quality Control Omai maintains an internal QA/QC program to ensure sampling and analysis of all exploration work is conducted in accordance with best practices. Certified reference materials, blanks and duplicates are entered at regular intervals. Samples are sealed in plastic bags. Samples are shipped to ActLabs, a certified laboratory in Georgetown Guyana, respecting the best chain of custody practices. At the laboratory, samples are dried, crushed up to 80% passing 2 mm, riffle split (250 g), and pulverized to 95% passing 105 m, including cleaner sand. Fifty grams of pulverized material is then fire assayed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AA). Initial assays with results above 3.0 ppm gold are re-assayed using a gravimetric finish. Certified reference materials and blanks meet with QA/QC specifications. Qualified Person Elaine Ellingham P.Geo. is a Qualified Person (QP) under National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects" and has approved the technical information contained in this news release. Ms. Ellingham is not considered to be independent for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101. 1 The Company filed an NI43-101 technical report titled "TECHNICAL REPORT AND INITIAL MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE OF THE WENOT GOLD DEPOSIT, OMAI PROPERTY, POTARO MINING DISTRICT NO. 2, GUYANA", prepared by P&E Mining Consultants Inc dated December 2, 2022 on the SEDAR website www.sedar.com. ABOUT OMAI GOLD Omai Gold Mines Corp. holds a 100% interest in the Omai Prospecting License that includes the past producing Omai gold mine in Guyana, and a 100% interest in the adjoining Eastern Flats Mining Permits. The Company announced an updated Mineral Resource Estimate that includes the Wenot shear-hosted gold deposit and the adjacent Gilt Creek intrusion-hosted deposit. The recent NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate1 includes: 1,907,600 ounces of gold (Indicated) at an average grade of 2.07 g/t gold and 1,777,600 ounces of gold (Inferred) at an average grade of 2.10 g/t gold. Once South America's largest producing gold mine, Omai produced over 3.7 million ounces of gold between 1993 and 2005. Mining ceased at a time when the average gold price was less than US$400 per ounce. As a brownfields project, Omai benefits from good access and a wealth of historical data that provides knowledge of the geology, nature of the gold mineralization on the property, as well as metallurgy and historical recoveries. The Company's priorities for 2023 are to drill the key exploration targets that hold potential for significant new discoveries while continuing to expand the Wenot deposit. For further information, please see our website www.omaigoldmines.com or contact: Elaine Ellingham, P.Geo. President & CEO This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Phone: +1 416-473-5351 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the timing of completion of exploration, trenching and drill programs, and the potential for the Omai Gold Project to allow Omai to build significant gold Mineral Resources at attractive grades, and forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals; the price of gold and copper; and the results of current exploration. Further, the Mineral Resource data set out in the Omai Gold news release are estimates, and no assurance can be given that the anticipated tonnages and grades will be achieved or that the indicated level of recovery will be realized. 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. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Figure 1. Location of Q1 Drill Holes (23ODD-054 to -058) Figure 2. Drill Section - Hole 23ODD-056 Pyramid Figure 3. Magnetic Vector Inversion Over Known Gold Deposits Assists in Target Development Figure 4. Broccoli Hill - Compilation with Current & Planned Drill Holes Table 1. Drill hole locations for holes 22ODD-054 to 22ODD-058 News / National by Staff reporter THE regularisation of Epworth settlements after President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week started distributing so-called title deeds has come under the spotlight as it has since emerged that the documents may not have legal standing but were just a vote-buying tactic by the ruling Zanu-PF.265 residents in the sprawling surbub received what the ruling party said were title deeds for their homes, most of which are underdeveloped and built on illegally acquired land in the poor Harare south-east peri-urban settlement.About 11 000 more residents are on line to receiving the controversial title deeds.A title deed is a formal document legally defining how a property is allotted by an authority, owned and transferred by the holder.Legal property analysts told The NewsHawks that Mnangagwa's "title deeds", which are part of his election campaign, are not legally sound and binding.The key stages and procedure on the issuing of title deeds on council land are articulated in Deeds Registries Act Chapter 20:05 (revised edition 1996) and Urban Council Act, section 152.The critical stages that need to be followed in issuing title deeds - which were not followed in the case of the Epworth documents presented to residents by Mnangagwa - include an approved layout plan; approved survey diagrams; proof of payment/purchase price of residential stand and certificate of compliance with development conditions on water, sewer, roads to some stage and superstructure.Before the issuance of a title deed, the responsible local authority, in this case the Epworth Local Board, through legal sections, initiates conveyance registration of the title deeds.At another stage, external lawyers are appointed by the local authority to prepare title deeds and register them at the Deeds Office."In short, no title deeds can be issued at a political gathering without following the appropriate proper legal procedure. The Epworth residents were therefore sold a dummy by Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF whose sole agenda at that event was simply to campaign ahead of the next elections," a legal property analyst said.A land audit report presented to Mnangagwa in 2019 by Justice Tendai Uchena exposed how ruling party elites used land to bait voters and last week's event in Epworth brazenly confirmed the vote-buying tactic.The Epworth event also confirmed long-held views that Zanu-PF's penchant for regularisation of illegal settlements is mostly linked to ruling party-aligned co-operatives in a bid to harvest votes. During the ceremony to hand over the documents to the Epworth residents, Mnangagwa repeatedly reminded the mostly rented crowd that it was a project masterminded by Zanu-PF.Zanu-PF has of late resorted to its traditional vote-buying tactics ahead of the next elections, with the latest move being the pampering of traditional chiefs with all-terrain vehicles in a development that sets on course rigging mechanisms of the next elections.Last month, Mnangagwa handed over new cars to 38 newly installed chiefs during an annual chiefs' conference held in Bulawayo.Critics told The NewsHawks that handing over the cars to chiefs four months before elections was a clear sign of vote buying."It's a case of outright vote buying. The timing of the meeting with the traditional leaders when facing the 2023 election is more telling about the hidden agenda of Zanu-PF. Traditional leaders are being abused by Zanu-PF for political gain. This is prohibited by our constitution but continues with impunity," said, Obert Chinhamo, director of the Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa.Two months ago, Zanu-PF handed over ambulances emblazoned with big portraits of Mnangagwa, saying the vehicles were donated by party supporters. This, again, was seen as vote buying.Zanu-PF officials have also been on the campaign trail, dolling out more goodies and cash ahead of the party's primary elections.There has also been distribution of chickens, fertilisers and drilling of boreholes by Zanu-PF functionaries in further vote-buying tactics.The government has also been distributing inputs and food in rural areas in a partisan manner.The current developments are an attestation of what Mnangagwa in August last year said when he unwittingly admitted that Zanu-PF uses food aid as a political tool to drum up support in rural areas.He made the remarks while addressing congregants at Johane Masowe Vadzidzi VaJesu shrine in Madziva, Mashonaland Central province.Mnangagwa revealed that the ruling party structures would play a leading role in distributing food aid and agricultural inputs as the country heads to the 2023 elections."I have been to many districts in the country and most households are facing hunger. The ruling party is in every village, so people who are starving should forward their names to Zanu-PF village committees so that they can be assisted with food aid. We want everyone to be Zanu-PF," he said."I have been to Mangwe, Plumtree, where we donated solar-powered boreholes and helped people to start horticulture. When you go there and say Mnangagwa is bad, they will beat you up."According to the constitution, central government is mandated to take a leading role in food aid distribution, but Zanu-PF has been using food aid to harvest votes.About 38% of the rural population, which translates to about 3.8 million people, will face hunger this year, according to government statistics.A recent report by the Zimbabwe Civil Society Anti-Corruption Coalition, and other concerned civil society organisations raised grave concerns against acts of vote buying in the country which it described as electoral corruption."Our understanding of electoral corruption is that it is the manipulation, abuse or illegal interference with a conducive electoral environment, legal and policy frameworks, management modalities, voters, processes, the voting, outcomes and other related activities around the electoral cycle by state and non-state actors to give advantages to one political player over others," the report reads."We are concerned that electoral corruption is rampant, appears as if it is normal and that it has flourished with impunity."We are gravely concerned that acts of electoral corruption have deleterious effects on development since it leads to conflicts and controversial electoral outcomes. Apart from destroying economies and societies, it subverts and undermines the principle of free choice, thereby rendering an election open to contestation."In addition, electoral corruption jeopardises the freeness and fairness of elections, triggers physical fights, killings, and human rights abuses as witnessed in Kenya and Zimbabwe. It is also important to note that it leads to apathy triggered by the understanding that participating in elections that are often rigged is useless since that will not bring out changes expected by a voter," reads part of the report. News / National by Staff reporter ZIMBABBWE's lithium is being smuggled at far worse rates than previously estimated, a new report said this week, blaming foreign cartels.In a report titled implications of the lithium mining rush in Zimbabwe: analysis of legal Developments', resources campaigner, Zimbabwe Environmental law association (Zela) said most of the damage had been inflicted due to lithium claims' location near porous borders.Lithium has been Zimbabwe's biggest discovery in the past five years and multinationals have been pouring millions of United States dollars to exploit the resource, a crucial input into the production of electric car batteries in advanced economies.Some reports say up to US$650 million has been injected into Zimbabwe's lithium mining sub-sector in the past two years, as global giants troop to prepare facilities for mining and processing the mineral.Government has also been tightening screws on exports to encourage local beneficiation of lithium.In December, the ministry of mines and mining Development banned the exportation of raw lithium, in line with the beneficiation policy. The ban was effected through Statutory instrument (Si) 213 of 2022 gazette titled Base minerals Export Control (Unbeneficiated lithium Bearing ores) order, 2022.But in its report, Zela said lithium was still illegally finding its way out of Zimbabwe."Most players in the sector sell it unprocessed and as a raw material," Zela said this week."From a marketing and trade perspective, it is alleged that the key players in the trading of unprocessed lithium include the Chinese, Indians, South africans and mozambicans," the report noted."These players are allegedly fuelling the illicit trade and smuggling of lithium, draining the country's fiscal potential from lithium production."The location of some lithium reserves near land borders, in areas such as Mutoko, makes it highly prone to illicit financial flows," part of the report reads.It also revealed that despite the recent legal developments, which resulted in the ban on exports, the country had not yet operationalised its value addition and beneficiation programmes.However, prospect lithium Zimbabwe, the first firm to build a US$275 million processing facility in Zimbabwe, said last week it had begun processing at its Goromonzi operation, and exports had started.Zela said artisanal miners in places like Sandawana in Mberengwa, were using unsafe mining methods, creating a platform for mine accidents."The artisanal miners were not using safe methods of mining and there may be risk of fatal mine accidents. at Sandawana, the miners were only targeting outcrops, which are easy to mine," the report states."Therefore, most of them were employing shallow opencast mining methods to extract the near-surface outcrops. a few were employing shallow unsupported underground mining methods."Miners interviewed by Zela said at one point, a pit collapsed, injuring people.The report said lithium was being sold at between US$100 to US$150 per tonne.It said some foreign buyers were not weighing consignments when paying."This raises a high possibility of miners being short-changed because they lack knowledge of the value of lithium and buyers have bargaining power," reads the report.Zela also stated that although government was pursuing its value addition strategy, capacity for value addition and beneficiation had not been developed. lithium is a critical raw material for battery production. its price has gone up by 1 100% in the past two years alone. according to the report, the global demand for lithium has grown significantly over recent years and is expected to continue increasing.Although the country has been mining lithium since 1950 through Bikita lithium minerals, Zimbabwe in recent years has experienced an increased interest in lithium mining activities. From patient to protagonist: the importance of narrative writing in medicine [PODCAST] Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join us in this episode as we sit down with Najat Fadlallah, a pediatric resident in Lebanon, to discuss the untapped potential of health care data and personal experiences in medical research. Well explore how health care professionals can use their unique access to vulnerable moments in patients lives to improve patient care and outcomes and the importance of artistic and literary reflections of these experiences in addressing the burnout epidemic among medical professionals. Tune in to gain valuable insights and practical tips for making the most of these invaluable resources. Najat Fadlallah is a pediatric resident in Lebanon. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, The hidden gems of health care: Unlocking the potential of narrative medicine. The Podcast by KevinMD is brought to you by the Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience. With so many demands on their time, physicians today report record levels of burnout. Burnout is caused by many factors, one of which is clinical documentation. Studies indicate physicians spend two hours documenting care for every hour spent with patients. At Nuance, we are committed to helping physicians do what you love care for patients and spend less time on clinical documentation. The Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience, or DAX for short, is an AI-powered, ambient clinical intelligence solution that automatically captures patient encounters securely and accurately at the point of care. Physicians who use DAX have reported a 50 percent decrease in documentation time and a 70 percent reduction in feelings of burnout, and 83 percent of patients say their physician is more personable and conversational. Rediscover the joy of medicine with clinical documentation that writes itself, all within the EHR. 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News / National by Staff reporter A FIRM controlled by one of South Africa's richest tycoons suspiciously moved millions of United States dollars to politically connected Zimbabwean companies and powerful individuals, about five years ago, a new report said this week, claiming the funds were illicitly paid.A collection of confidential papers contained in a probe by The Sentry - a US-based investigative and policy organisation that fights multinational predatory networks benefitting from corruption, oppression and kleptocracy - claimed that Zunaid Moti, the founder of African Chrome Fields (ACF), might have moved up to US$130 million into the accounts of 28 companies and four individuals in Zimbabwe from 2017.The Sentry claimed that records of some of the firms that received funds from Moti's Spincash Investments and ACF were now missing from the companies registry in Harare.The Moti Group controls majority shareholding in Zimbabwe-based ACF, which holds swathes of chrome claims in the mineral-rich Midlands province.In July 2018, ACF launched an alumino-thermic plant in Kwekwe to produce up to 12 000 tonnes of low sulphur, high-grade ferrochrome annually, without using electricity.The firm is said to be in the middle of negotiating a venture based on its lithium concession in Zimbabwe with an unnamed Chinese company, which could lead to the setting up of a battery factory at a cost of more than US$1 billion.The group is also involved in platinum mining, real estate and logistics, mainly in South Africa.Moti has since left the group because "his reputation was hindering the fortunes of the company" and was replaced by South Africa's former Treasury director-general, Dondo Mogajane, who is now leading the negotiations around the Zimbabwe lithium battery venture.However, he reportedly plans to maintain his involvement in the running of ACF.However, his presence in Zimbabwe has been shrouded by allegations that he has established strong political links, which have given him leverage to manoeuvre as he pleases.The Sentry, claimed that huge sums of money began moving into the powerful individuals' accounts soon after one of Zimbabwe's richest businesspeople paid millions to snatch up to 30% shareholding in ACF about five years ago.The stake was previously held by a company called Spincash, which is also controlled by Moti. "As Spincash received (the businessman)'s (funds to buy shareholding) in instalments, Spincash and ACF began moving the money over several months," The Sentry claimed in a report obtained by the Zimbabwe Independent this week."Payments were made under loan contracts with two newly formed companies ... both crowned by the Zimbabwean businessman (name supplied)."From November 2017 to September 2018, ACF and Spincash began distributing funds to Zimbabwean companies."As part of the payments by Spincash and ACF, money amounting to US$130,7 million was paid to various entities in 595 transactions.The report claimed that US$1 million was moved into the coffers of one of Zimbabwe's biggest farms.The report, which is titled The Spincash Machine reads:"The Spincash deal was followed by a money-moving operation in which Moti's companies paid US$130 million in 595 instalments to a mix of established firms, companies whose records are missing, and politically linked entities in Zimbabwe," the report said."By 2015, ACF was a well-connected firm. it had formed a joint venture with the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) ... Moti made powerful friends soon after his purchase of 70% of ACF in 2014," The Sentry claimed.This week, Moti said he had no appetite to conduct commercial crimes in Zimbabwe."The report published online by The Sentry, under the headline The Spincash Machine, and used as a reference by various media organisations in South Africa and Zimbabwe, seeks to cast aspersions on my reputation, as well as the reputation of one of my companies, African Chrome Fields, a company registered and trading in Zimbabwe," Moti said."Allegations of possible economic crimes and undue influence are alluded to and the report insinuates that i was somehow involved in the so-called coup in Zimbabwe either indirectly or directly."I would like to take this opportunity to respond to the article and rebut the spurious allegations and negative narrative pushed by The Sentry despite repeated attempts at setting the record straight prior to publication. These attempts were largely ignored or dismissed out of hand."But in its recommendations, The Sentry highlighted that payments made by Spincash and ACF to politically linked Zimbabweans must be investigated."When US$780 000 in cash was stolen from South African president Cyril Ramaphosa's farm, the resulting scandal led to an official inquiry led by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo," Sentry's report reads.The Sentry indicates that Moti's plans for ACF, including exporting raw chrome to neighbouring South Africa and processing the mineral in Zimbabwe, were aided in part by favourable regulatory and taxation decisions by Harare's authorities.The Independent recently reported that a South African executive allegedly stole thousands of sensitive documents at the Moti Group, sparking legal battles for their return in the two countries.Moti said the missing corporate documents, which were allegedly taken by a South African executive known as Clinton van Niekerk, had been sent to The Sentry, various media houses and third parties.Van Niekerk, who was employed by Mazetti Management Services, a subsidiary of the Moti Group, resigned and was arrested at King Shaka international Airport in Durban, South Africa.The documents claimed that van Niekerk was arrested as he tried to leave that country to avoid prosecution, after the disappearance came to light last year, setting into motion the investigation that has seen him being slapped with criminal charges in South Africa and Zimbabwe.Among the "stolen" papers were corporate documents belonging to Moti Group's Zimbabwean interests, according to court papers seen by the Independent.Criminal charges have also been filed against a South African attorney.Following his arrest, van Niekerk's legal representatives launched an urgent application in the Durban High Court to secure his release because he "fears for his life"."These representatives did not attempt to explain why the Australian or london authorities would be interested in alleged crimes committed in South Africa, nor did they explain how the Australian authorities would arrange a visa for the United Kingdom," read part of documents seen by this publication."Van Niekerk was released the next day and is now alleged to be in an unspecified witness protection programme."In an urgent application lodged on February 13 2023 in the Durban High Court, David Willoughby of Mazetti applied to have the order securing van Niekerk's release set aside.Willoughby claimed that van Niekerk broke the confidentiality provisions of his employment contract and "inter alia, the protection of personal information Act, the Cyber Crimes Act and the Criminal procedure Act" in South Africa.Van Niekerk is alleged to have taken some of the documents while in Zimbabwe, where authorities are working with their South Africa counterparts in a cross-border investigation, according to official papers.Moti said: "During February 2023, i received an exhaustive list of questions from The Sentry ... When i read it became clear that these questions relate to the multiple documents included in the theft by van Niekerk. it should be noted that many of the documents stolen by van Niekerk were in Word or Excel format and can, therefore, be easily edited."The Sentry's director of investigations, Charles Carter red flagged the involvement of Zimbabwe's military in the country's lucrative mining sector."The revelations about the role of the military in the mining sector, particularly at a critical time of political transition in Zimbabwe, highlight the need to get the men with guns out of the national economy," he told the Independent this week."Full civilian control of the military requires full financial control, including the elimination of off-budget sources of funding."Efforts to locate van Niekerk were futile as he was said to be witness protection. Across the country, unfilled family medicine residency training spots, when new physicians start the next phase of their education, leads to the continuation of an alarming trend that is aggravating the family doctor shortage in Canada. (CBC - image credit) Some 100 family medicine residency training spots will be unfilled across Canada when new physicians start the next phase of their education in a few months the continuation of an alarming trend that is exacerbating the family doctor shortage in the country and prompting a call to fix what some critics describe as a broken system. "The concern is there ... because it's an opportunity lost, if you will, around bringing a prospective family physician into the profession," said John Gallinger, head of the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). The non-profit organization takes students' top choices of specialties and locations and uses an algorithm to correlate them with the top choices of each residency program at the 17 medical schools across Canada. "I look at the system and I see that the system is able to absorb more family medicine positions, more people matched to it," he said. Matching to a residency spot is important because medical doctors can't become licensed or work without finishing this training. Every year, there are two rounds of matches. In most provinces, other than Quebec, the first round separates Canadian-trained physicians (CMGs) from those who went to medical school internationally (IMGs). In most cases, other than Alberta, the second round allows CMGs and IMGs to compete head-on for the remaining spots. Matching data Data released on Thursday shows 3,422 graduating students and physicians were matched to residency training programs in Canada this year. There were 3,532 positions in the match, which means 96.9 per cent were filled. At the end of the process, 110 spots were unmatched, including 100 in family medicine. The majority of those are in Quebec and Alberta. This year, 2,850 applicants were CMGs. After both rounds, there were 54 unmatched CMGs (1.9 per cent), compared with 35 (1.2 per cent) in 2022. Also this year, 555 IMGs and 17 United States medical graduates (USMGs) were matched to residency positions. The number of IMGs matched in 2023 has increased from the 439 matched in 2022. Story continues Embed: 'Unprecedented' number of unfilled spaces Gallinger said he knows there is confusion, frustration and concern about the number of unfilled spots and the number of unmatched applicants, but "are those applicants interested in those programs? That's where it comes down to," he said. "The basic element of the match process is choice. And applicants can choose to apply and rank whichever programs are of interest. And programs, of course, in turn are able to identify and rank the applicants that they are interested in training," he said. WATCH | Canada to get 3 new medical schools: "Sometimes those two things don't align, where applicants for whatever reason decide they want to focus on a particular discipline or a particular location and that does not line up with where positions are available." There is a post-match process that takes place between programs and applicants connecting outside of CaRMS. Gallinger said it's not widely used, but this year, "I think Alberta has a strong desire to address the issue." The Alberta Medical Association is calling on the provincial government to urgently stabilize family medicine practices, especially in rural areas, to make the specialty more attractive. In a letter to members, association president Dr. Fred Rinaldi decried the "unprecedented" number of unfilled family medicine spaces in Alberta 22 after the second round. She notes that British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have no unfilled family medicine spaces. "People have chosen to go elsewhere. It's a reflection of the political economic climate to provide support for physicians into sustainable practices in Alberta," she said in an interview with CBC News. "The opportunity is to do something now to attract physicians, and those opportunities are not being taken." International medical grads feel shut out At the same time, there are doctors who graduated with their medical degrees who wanted a family medicine position but didn't get one. Dr. Saja Jaberi is an IMG who ranked family medicine at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., as her first choice in the most recent match. She didn't get a spot. It's the fourth year the eighth match in a row. "I'm so emotional right now. And tired, too," she said in text messages on Thursday after receiving the information. Submitted by Saja Jaberi Jaberi personally knows of three other International medical grads who also didn't match. All are doing research in hospitals. One of them moved to a rural community "to get that northern experience, and she got an interview with them and still 'no.' She left her family for an entire year ... in hopes that they would accept her and 'no.'" "What is wrong?" she asked. Jaberi said she isn't sure what she'll do now. Her only option, she said, may be to try in the United States. 'Open market' proposed for residency spots "It becomes a question: Where's the breakdown in the [CaRMS] match?" said Herb Emery, a health economist who heads the Atlantic Institute for Policy Research at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, and was director of public policy research at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy. "When we get into why aren't people matching, we have to sort of figure out. Is it a problem that we have too picky employers or do we have too picky doctors who don't want to go certain places?" Kyle Bakx/CBC Emery suggests having an "open market" for family residency spots, where any qualified person can apply, and the programs can select and compete to fill the positions, rather than relying on CaRMS which he describes as a "cumbersome staged matching process" that is not responsive to changes in the supply of family doctor candidates. Gallinger said that wouldn't solve the issue of "misaligned interest" there still may be locations that go unfilled because applicants don't want to move there, and there are a lot of administrative efficiencies for both applicants and programs. "The system works," Gallinger said, adding that the vast majority of Canadian medical graduates find positions "and that in and of itself is a very healthy indicator." Emery said another solution is moving residency spots from some of the less popular locations to larger centres, where new doctors may have already established a life. Most are in their late 20s by the time they start residency and may have partners who can't move because of their own careers. "Why aren't we moving the residency spaces to places that you could accommodate them?" Emery acknowledged that idea is in opposition to the current trend to move physician training into communities and away from big universities and teaching hospitals, but "the thought that [spaces go] unfilled after two rounds is just disturbing." WATCH | Family doctor residencies sit unfilled: He said he would also like to see medical schools look at the most essential parts of the physician training period and cut down the length of some of the residencies. In the case of family medicine, he said, there was no residency requirement in the 1990s, so doctors could start working right out of medical school. Some provinces have come up with accelerated degrees so that it doesn't take four years to produce a nurse. Given that Canadian taxpayers subsidize so much of a physician's training, Emery said, he's also not adverse to a requirement that they practise in an underserviced area for a period of time after their residency, similar to the military model. "We're never allowed to sort of talk about what's society's interest in how they choose to practise, where they practise and when," he said. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today A mix of clouds and sun with gusty winds. High 66F. Winds NNW at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Clear skies. Low near 35F. NNW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Clear. Windy this evening. Low 38F. NNW winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Clear. Windy this evening. Low 38F. NNW winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. Scott Eisen/Getty Images MANCHESTER, NHFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis had New Hampshire Republicans buzzing ahead of his Granite State debut Friday night, except for one thing. Several attendees told The Daily Beast they worry that DeSantis signing a six-week abortion ban this week could blow the air out of his campaign before it even starts. Others said they hoped to get some facetime with the governorwith tickets running from $150 per person in the main hall to $600 for the VIP roombut werent overly optimistic. For New Hampshire GOP bigwigs dressed for a combination of prom and the opening of a new luxury car dealership, DeSantis reputation preceded him and left them slightly skeptical. (The governor made sure to work the room for at least 45 minutes at the event, personally greeting those in attendance). Its certainly the hottest ticket on the trail, said Chuck McGee, a Concord Republican and the former executive director of the New Hampshire GOP. We wanna actually find out that hes gonna get in the race and if hes gonna be our Trump with a better disposition, added his wife, Carrie McGee, as they headed toward the ballroom at the Double Tree by Hilton in downtown Manchester. But they had some hesitations. I think a six-week ban would be a hard sell here in New Hampshire, said Chuck McGee, who pleaded guilty to a felony charge in 2004 stemming from the 2002 New Hampshire Senate election phone jamming scandal. Carrie McGee credited DeSantis for standing by his position and getting the bill passed in Florida. Cant run away from whats right, she said. Rick Devoid, a Granite State Republican from Boscawen, said a six-week ban would be pushing it among the New Hampshire primary electorate, which unlike most states, also includes independents. The Daily Beast was prohibited from covering DeSantis remarks from inside the hall, after the executive director of the New Hampshire GOP, Elliot Gault, revoked this reporters press credentials. On Thursday, Gault said The Daily Beast was approved to cover the event. Story continues But on Friday, just a few hours after the latest Trump attack ad describing the governor as Pudding Fingersreferring to an anecdote first reported by The Daily Beast when DeSantis shoveled pudding into his mouth with three fingersGault said The Daily Beast would no longer be credentialed for the event. As first reported by The Daily Beast, metal detectors were present at the event, a rarity in New Hampshire Republican politics. Colorado Security, a vendor frequently seen at Trump rallies, was also on hand for the fundraiser. Ahead of the most hotly anticipated New Hampshire debut for Granite State Republicans, there was still plenty of hype in the air for DeSantis. Im hoping he says hes running for president, but that probably wont happen, joked Brad Chandler, a Manchester Republican. The speech had an early hiccup when a pair of women rushed the stage chanting, Jews against DeSantis. Two attendees witnessed the women standing next to their table for about 45 to 60 seconds unnoticed before they burst onto the stage. Another New Hampshire Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid any professional retribution, described the incident as a huge security failure. DeSantis brushed off the kerfuffle as the protesters were dragged off stage. Gotta have a little spice in the speech, right? the governor quipped to a round of applause. DeSantis did not mention abortion or Trump by name in the speech, according to Reuters. For those most excited about a potential DeSantis run, it was starting to feel a bit like Camelot back at the Double Tree bar. Chandler and a group of attendees at the bar said they thought DeSantis could bring a JFK-type image to the national stage and help Republicans win over moderates and independents. Carrie McGee, on the other hand, said the JFK comparison wouldnt exactly be a fit for the modern day GOP. I dont know that JFK is all that memory makes him out to be, she quipped. There were, of course, stalwarts of the New Hampshire primary who understood the traditional Granite State assignment. Im not voting for anybody yet, Im just keeping an eye out, state Sen. Ruth Ward, a Republican from Stoddard whose Swedish family fled from China after the Communist Revolution, told The Daily Beast. Yet for others, the main attraction of the night was a different DeSantis. Id love to see Casey, Erika Salinas, a Florida native coming to the event from Maine, told The Daily Beast. Shes just such an iconic American woman. 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. Distil Plc (LON:DIS Get Rating)s stock price traded up 9.5% on Friday . The company traded as high as GBX 0.58 ($0.01) and last traded at GBX 0.58 ($0.01). 362,960 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 53% from the average session volume of 777,686 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 0.53 ($0.01). Distil Price Performance The company has a quick ratio of 2.74, a current ratio of 4.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The business has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 0.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 0.63. The company has a market capitalization of 3.94 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.50 and a beta of 0.38. About Distil (Get Rating) Distil Plc, together its subsidiaries, engages in the marketing and sale of spirits. The company offers its products under various brands, including RedLeg Spiced Rum, Blackwoods Vintage Gin, Blackwoods Vodka, Blavod Original Black Vodka, TRVE Botanical Spirit, and Diva Vodka. It markets and sells its products in the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Spain, Australia, and Russia. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Distil Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Distil and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Eaton (NYSE:ETN Get Rating) was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday. A number of other brokerages have also commented on ETN. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Eaton from $188.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Eaton from $160.00 to $168.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, January 13th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Eaton from $148.00 to $145.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Eaton from $180.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Eaton from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Eaton presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $172.00. Get Eaton alerts: Eaton Price Performance Eaton stock traded down $0.85 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $167.12. 2,127,215 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,981,582. The companys fifty day moving average is $167.09 and its 200-day moving average is $160.91. The firm has a market cap of $66.60 billion, a PE ratio of 27.17, a PEG ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.12. Eaton has a 52 week low of $122.50 and a 52 week high of $178.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.38. Insider Activity Eaton ( NYSE:ETN Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The industrial products company reported $2.06 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.05 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $5.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.34 billion. Eaton had a net margin of 11.86% and a return on equity of 18.31%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.72 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Eaton will post 8.25 EPS for the current year. In other news, insider Brian S. Brickhouse sold 21,347 shares of Eaton stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.97, for a total transaction of $3,777,778.59. Following the sale, the insider now owns 15,905 shares in the company, valued at $2,814,707.85. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, insider Joao V. Faria sold 2,326 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.23, for a total value of $398,280.98. Following the sale, the insider now owns 77,626 shares in the company, valued at $13,291,899.98. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Brian S. Brickhouse sold 21,347 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $176.97, for a total transaction of $3,777,778.59. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 15,905 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,814,707.85. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 33,377 shares of company stock worth $5,864,193 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.53% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Eaton A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ETN. RB Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Eaton by 3.5% in the first quarter. RB Capital Management LLC now owns 2,759 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $419,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lifted its stake in Eaton by 74.8% in the first quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 101,412 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $15,390,000 after acquiring an additional 43,381 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in Eaton by 0.6% in the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 374,204 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $56,790,000 after acquiring an additional 2,057 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. lifted its stake in Eaton by 9.1% in the first quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 2,682 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $407,000 after acquiring an additional 223 shares during the period. Finally, Ergoteles LLC purchased a new stake in Eaton in the first quarter worth about $1,188,000. 80.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Eaton Company Profile (Get Rating) Eaton Corp. Plc is a power management company, which provides energy-efficient solutions for electrical, hydraulic, and mechanical power. It operates through the following segments: Electrical Americas and Electrical Global, Aerospace, Vehicle, and eMobility. The Electrical Americas and Electrical Global segments engage in sales contracts for electrical components, industrial components, power distribution and assemblies, residential products, single and three phase power quality, wiring devices, circuit protection, utility power distribution, power reliability equipment, and service. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Eaton Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eaton and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kid secret service agents steal the show on Take Your Child to Work Day: So adorable It was Take Your Child to Work Day at the White House on Thursday, and no one was getting past President Joe Bidens new team of kid Secret Service agents. The US president hosted a Q&A on the South Lawn on 27 April, where he answered questions from children on everything from his favourite ice cream flavour to what he eats for breakfast. However, it was the four tiny Secret Service agents decked out in suit jackets, shades, and their very own earpieces that had people all over social media wishing it was Take Your Child to Work Day everyday. secret service kids are the best part of white house bring your kid to work day, tweeted user Brennan Murphy. In a video shared to Twitter, Bidens new Secret Service team can be seen escorting the US president from inside the White House to the South Lawn. I want to thank my Secret Service agents who walked me out here, Biden said into the microphone once he reached the podium. This is the cutest thing EVER, tweeted one person in response. Omg, this is soooo adorable, said another. Their little aviator sunglasses. I am a total sucker for all the bring your kid to work day videos, a third user wrote. secret service kids are the best part of white house bring your kid to work day pic.twitter.com/HuHkwolIV7 Brennan Murphy (@brenonade) April 27, 2023 This is the cutest thing EVER https://t.co/9YrewQhAtU Dany (@XanDany) April 27, 2023 Omg, this is soooo adorable. Their little aviator sun glasses https://t.co/BnE8vk20de Thee over educated, pro-choice Jamie Bowen (@jamiesbowen) April 27, 2023 I am a total sucker for all the bring your kid to work day videos https://t.co/hTYVXfDlHs Elisabeth Buchwald (@BuchElisabeth) April 27, 2023 The Take Your Child to Work Day event at the White House was sponsored by the nonprofit Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. While fielding questions from children, Biden revealed that his favourite colour is blue, he ate a bacon, egg and cheese croissant for breakfast, and that his go-to ice cream flavour is chocolate chip. Story continues As for what he does every day, Biden explained to the youngsters that his schedule changes daily, apart from meetings with his chief of staff and national security team. At one point during the kids briefing, Biden had trouble remembering what was the last country that he visited, noting that hes met with 89 heads of state throughout his presidency. President Joe Biden speaks in a Take Your Child to Work Day welcome on the White House South Lawn on 27 April 2023 (AFP via Getty Images) Im trying to think where the last place I was, its hard to keep track, he told the crowd. It was then that a child in the audience shouted, Ireland!, to which Biden replied: Yeah, youre right, Ireland. Howd you know that? When he was asked what he liked most about being president, Biden said: My favourite part about being president is doing what Im doing now. National Take Your Child to Work Day is observed every year on the fourth Thursday in April. The national holiday serves as an opportunity for parents to expose their children to their workplaces, giving them insight into the daily responsibilities of the adults in their lives. According to the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation, more than 40 million youth and adults in over four million workplaces around the world have taken part in the program since it was founded in 1993. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH Get Rating) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Tuesday. Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare from $307.00 to $282.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 21st. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Molina Healthcare from $400.00 to $375.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 4th. Stephens restated an equal weight rating and issued a $375.00 price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare in a report on Thursday, February 9th. Truist Financial decreased their price target on Molina Healthcare from $400.00 to $380.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 10th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group cut their price objective on Molina Healthcare from $395.00 to $347.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $356.42. Get Molina Healthcare alerts: Molina Healthcare Stock Performance Shares of Molina Healthcare stock opened at $297.89 on Tuesday. The companys 50 day moving average price is $278.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $308.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.98, a P/E/G ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 0.67. Molina Healthcare has a fifty-two week low of $249.78 and a fifty-two week high of $374.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.47 and a quick ratio of 1.47. Insiders Place Their Bets Molina Healthcare ( NYSE:MOH Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The company reported $5.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.13 by $0.68. Molina Healthcare had a return on equity of 37.25% and a net margin of 2.64%. The company had revenue of $8.15 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.31 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.90 EPS. Molina Healthcares revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Molina Healthcare will post 19.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. In other Molina Healthcare news, Director Daniel Cooperman sold 5,000 shares of Molina Healthcare stock in a transaction on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.77, for a total value of $1,383,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 4,944 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,368,350.88. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Molina Healthcare A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Molina Healthcare by 18.4% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,449,375 shares of the companys stock worth $2,151,448,000 after purchasing an additional 1,001,372 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Molina Healthcare during the 4th quarter valued at $214,801,000. Durable Capital Partners LP bought a new position in Molina Healthcare in the 1st quarter worth $214,363,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Molina Healthcare by 151.6% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 893,693 shares of the companys stock valued at $298,128,000 after buying an additional 538,493 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 25.6% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,457,008 shares of the companys stock worth $819,633,000 after acquiring an additional 501,107 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.25% of the companys stock. Molina Healthcare Company Profile (Get Rating) Molina Healthcare, Inc engages in the provision of health care services. It operates through the following segments: Medicaid, Medicare, Marketplace, and Other. The company was founded by C. David Molina in 1980 and is headquartered in Long Beach, CA. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Molina Healthcare Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Molina Healthcare and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. OneMain (NYSE:OMF Get Rating) had its price target decreased by Northland Securities from $50.00 to $48.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. OMF has been the topic of a number of other research reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of OneMain from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of OneMain from $46.00 to $41.00 in a research note on Monday, April 17th. TheStreet raised shares of OneMain from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of OneMain from $48.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Finally, Stephens lifted their target price on shares of OneMain from $44.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, OneMain currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $50.15. Get OneMain alerts: OneMain Trading Down 1.3 % NYSE OMF opened at $38.37 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.23 and a beta of 1.69. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $38.44 and its 200 day simple moving average is $38.01. OneMain has a 1 year low of $28.77 and a 1 year high of $49.67. OneMain Announces Dividend OneMain ( NYSE:OMF Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The financial services provider reported $1.46 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.13). OneMain had a net margin of 17.03% and a return on equity of 26.05%. The company had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $864.65 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.36 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that OneMain will post 6.23 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 5th will be given a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 10.42%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 4th. OneMains dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 64.94%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On OneMain A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its stake in shares of OneMain by 33.6% during the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 321,888 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $11,936,000 after purchasing an additional 80,964 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System raised its holdings in OneMain by 1.5% in the first quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 33,640 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,247,000 after buying an additional 489 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio raised its holdings in shares of OneMain by 13.5% during the first quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 39,629 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,469,000 after purchasing an additional 4,707 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of OneMain by 34.8% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 3,234 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $120,000 after purchasing an additional 835 shares during the last quarter. Finally, D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its position in OneMain by 234.3% during the first quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 30,929 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,140,000 after buying an additional 21,678 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.29% of the companys stock. About OneMain (Get Rating) OneMain Holdings, Inc is a consumer finance company, which provides origination, underwriting, and servicing of personal loans, primarily to non-prime customers. It operates through the Consumer and Insurance segment. The Consumer and Insurance segment offers services to secured and unsecured personal loans, voluntary credit, and non-credit insurance, and related products through its combined branch network, digital platform, and centralized operations. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for OneMain Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for OneMain and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Pinnacle West Capital Co. (NYSE:PNW Get Rating) have received an average recommendation of Hold from the fourteen brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $74.00. A number of research analysts have weighed in on PNW shares. Mizuho decreased their price target on Pinnacle West Capital from $76.00 to $74.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Pinnacle West Capital from $71.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Pinnacle West Capital in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Credit Suisse Group upgraded Pinnacle West Capital from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $77.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 14th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on Pinnacle West Capital from $69.00 to $76.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Get Pinnacle West Capital alerts: Pinnacle West Capital Stock Down 0.4 % NYSE:PNW opened at $78.46 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.99. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $77.58 and a 200 day simple moving average of $74.80. The company has a market cap of $8.89 billion, a PE ratio of 18.37, a PEG ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 0.46. Pinnacle West Capital has a 52-week low of $59.03 and a 52-week high of $81.63. Pinnacle West Capital Dividend Announcement Pinnacle West Capital ( NYSE:PNW Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 27th. The utilities provider reported ($0.21) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.18) by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $638.28 million. Pinnacle West Capital had a net margin of 11.18% and a return on equity of 7.87%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 26.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.24 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Pinnacle West Capital will post 4.04 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Monday, May 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.865 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 28th. This represents a $3.46 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.41%. Pinnacle West Capitals payout ratio is currently 81.03%. Institutional Trading of Pinnacle West Capital Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PNW. Quent Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Pinnacle West Capital by 153.6% during the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 350 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Pinnacle West Capital in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Pinnacle West Capital by 128.3% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 411 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 231 shares in the last quarter. Addison Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Pinnacle West Capital by 223.5% in the 3rd quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 537 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 371 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in Pinnacle West Capital by 284.0% in the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 672 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 497 shares in the last quarter. 85.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Pinnacle West Capital (Get Rating) Pinnacle West Capital Corp. is a holding company, which engages in providing energy and energy-related products. It offers regulated retail and wholesale electricity businesses and related activities, such as electricity generation, transmission and distribution through its subsidiary, Arizona Public Service Co The company was founded on February 20, 1985, and is headquartered in Phoenix, AZ. Featured Stories 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. Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO Get Rating) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday. A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of Rio Tinto Group from GBX 5,800 ($72.44) to GBX 6,200 ($77.43) in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. Berenberg Bank raised shares of Rio Tinto Group from a sell rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 12th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Rio Tinto Group from GBX 5,750 ($71.81) to GBX 5,790 ($72.31) in a report on Monday, January 23rd. CLSA raised shares of Rio Tinto Group from an underperform rating to an outperform rating in a report on Monday, March 13th. Finally, BNP Paribas lowered shares of Rio Tinto Group from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, February 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $5,790.00. Get Rio Tinto Group alerts: Rio Tinto Group Stock Performance Shares of RIO traded up $0.29 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $63.99. The stock had a trading volume of 2,973,862 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,279,870. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.64. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $68.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $68.06. Rio Tinto Group has a fifty-two week low of $50.92 and a fifty-two week high of $80.51. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rio Tinto Group Rio Tinto Group Company Profile A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its stake in Rio Tinto Group by 15.6% in the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 169,344 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $9,324,000 after buying an additional 22,821 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in Rio Tinto Group by 10.9% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 6,952 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $411,000 after purchasing an additional 682 shares in the last quarter. Clarius Group LLC lifted its holdings in Rio Tinto Group by 14.9% in the 4th quarter. Clarius Group LLC now owns 7,116 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $507,000 after purchasing an additional 921 shares in the last quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management lifted its holdings in Rio Tinto Group by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management now owns 38,611 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $2,749,000 after purchasing an additional 1,169 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kathmere Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Rio Tinto Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $205,000. 10.43% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. (Get Rating) Rio Tinto Plc engages in the exploration, mining, and processing of mineral resources. It operates through the following business segments: Iron Ore, Aluminium, Copper and Diamonds, Energy and Minerals, and Other Operations. The Iron Ore segment supplies global seaborne iron ore trade. The Aluminium segment produces bauxite, alumina and primary aluminum. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Rio Tinto Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rio Tinto Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dr. Terry Gaff is a physician in northeast Indiana. Contact him at drgaff@kpcmedia.com or on Facebook. To read past columns and to post comments go to kpcnews.com/columnists/terry_gaff. After the announcement of NewJeans Haerin as the newest global ambassador for Dior, a controversy arose, raising brows against selecting a 16-year-old for a luxury brand. What's the reason? NewJeans Haerin Tapped as Dior Jewelry's Global Ambassador + House Model All NewJeans members are now luxury brands' global ambassadors! On April 27, Korean media outlets announced that NewJeans Haerin, who rose to popularity with hits, "Attention," "Hype Boy" "Ditto" and "OMG" was selected as an ambassador for the French luxury brand, Christian Dior. According to Dior, the 16-year-old idol has been selected as a global ambassador mainly for Dior Jewelry, while she's going to play as the house ambassador for Dior fashion and beauty sectors. This is the first time that a K-pop idol was tapped as a representative for three fields at the same time. As a result, all members of NewJeans will serve as ambassadors for global luxury brands. Earlier, Minji was selected as Chanel's global ambassador for Beauty as well as Watch and Jewelry while Hanni was chosen for Gucci and Giorgio Armani Beauty. Along with them, Danielle became Burberry's and Yves Saint Laurent's Beauty's ambassador, while the youngest Hyein is the ambassador for Louis Vuitton. Too Young? People Criticized Luxury Brands Using Teenagers as Global Ambassadors While various global luxury brands rush to serve Korean idols as ambassadors due to the "Hallyu Wave," internet users raised their brows against using underage members to advertise these brands. Although a lot was delighted by the news, numerous netizens are rather showing a cold response, stating that NewJeans is "still too young." They pointed out that teenagers who are sensitive to trends and sensitive to other people's eyes may overspend to purchase luxury goods. Internet users left comments such as: "If they use a teenage model, kids may want (luxury brand items) more." "Now, (kids will say) 'Mom, buy me Dior and Chanel." "Parents will be bent." "Teenagers and people in their 20s are pretty even in white shirts." "(the models) are still too young." "Her image doesn't seem to fit the image of high-priced luxury brands." Like the relationship between Haerin and Dior, global luxury brands are now offering ambassador positions to the top 10 celebrities. This is due to the prospect that teenagers beyond the 2030 MZ generation will also become luxury consumers. According to a recent report by Bain & Company, a U.S. consulting firm, the consumption power of the "Alpha Generation" (under 13 years old as of 2023) will account for a portion of global high-end fashion brands' sales by 2030. Due to this, internet users are expressing their concerns and doubts. What are your thoughts on this? For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dawson. This will be a good news-bad news situation in B.C. this weekend. The good: Unseasonable warmth settled in across parts of the province will stick around into early next week, thanks to a strong ridge strengthening over the West Coast. Now, the bad news: The quick rise into warm temperatures and high freezing levels have destabilized the regions deep snowpack. This has prompted Avalanche Canada to issue a special public avalanche warning through Monday, May 1, advising that very large avalanches are possible as a result of this dramatic warmup. MUST SEE: What a cold, wet April could mean for B.C.'s wildfire season Daytime highs will climb firmly into the 20s throughout Metro Vancouver this weekend, with even warmer temperatures expected for the Interior. In fact, Lytton, B.C., had the honour of grabbing B.C.'s first 30-degree reading in 2023 on Friday. There will be more chances for the Interior to reach it this weekend. FIRST30BC2 Dangerous avalanche conditions exist for all mountainous regions in Western Canada and the hazard increases with each day of warm air. Regions with persistent or deep persistent slab avalanche problems will be especially problematic, with avalanches potentially involving the full depth of the snowpack. Freezing levels will rise well above 3000 m throughout southern sections of B.C., elevating the threat for avalanches. Avalanche Canada's special public avalanche warning, in effect through Monday, May 1, covers most of British Columbias mountains from Vancouver Island to the Rockies, then extending north toward the Stikine River. As the snowpack warms, choose more conservative terrain for your backcountry adventures. spaw DONT MISS: Atmospheric rivers becoming so intense we need to rank them like hurricanes The greatest risk for significant avalanches exists across the South Coast and the Interior where forecasters expect the most dramatic warming. The effect of the warm temperatures on the existing snowpack structure means that these avalanches will likely be very large and may run to valley bottoms, Avalanche Canada said in its special public avalanche warning. Story continues Anyone venturing into the backcountry through the duration of this warm spell should exercise extreme caution and avoid regions where avalanches are possible. Avalanche Canada recommends limiting activities to simple, low angle terrain, and areas where folks can avoid all overhead avalanche hazards. Thumbnail image courtesy of Getty Images. Stay with The Weather Network for the latest on B.C.s warmup and avalanche risk. WATCH: B.C. fire season is underway, why experts are concerned Click here to view the video 1 of 3 SPD officers involved in Taylor shooting has shot a man before but was cleared of wrongdoing LSUS is offering free cybersecurity camps to high schoolers this summer with a registration deadline of May 30. The attached photo is a marketing shot from the LSUS Cyber Collaboratory. The actual Security Operations Center, opening this summer, will be housed in the Technology Center for security purposes, but the setup will be similar to the one shown in this marketing shot. By Mahamat Ramadane KOUFROUNE CAMP, Chad (Reuters) - As armed militias attacked and pillaged her village near the town of El Geneina in the western Darfur region of Sudan, pregnant 23-year-old Zamzam Adam was stranded, in labour, and alone, as neighbours fled across the border into Chad. The conflict between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has not spared her village Ayatine, in western Darfur region where a two-decade-old conflict and simmering violence has been re-ignited by the fighting. Residents and sources in the western Darfur region have reported looting, ethnic reprisal attacks and clashes between the army and the RSF which evolved from the janjaweed militias. At least 96 people have been killed in Darfur since Monday in inter-communal violence rekindled by the conflict, according to the U.N. human rights office. "In our village, armed people came and burned and looted houses and we were forced to flee," said Adam. As neighbours hurriedly packed up to leave amid detonations and gunfire, Adam found herself alone. Her husband had left for the east of the country in search of work and had not been heard from for a while. Her sister and mother heard from a neighbour that she was about to give birth. They rushed to her rescue. "When we arrived, she had already given birth and the people had left her alone. I cut the child's umbilical cord and we cleaned her up," Adam's sister Souraya Adam, 27, told Reuters. The women bundled the infant and immediately set out for the over 30 km (18 miles) trek across arid scrubland into Chad, where they joined around 20,000 other Sudanese refugees who have fled western Darfur for Chad since the fighting began. "We let her rest for a while, and then we continued on to here," Souraya Adam said, speaking at the Koufroun refugee camp in Chad. Sitting on a mat under a tree, Zamzam Adam cradled and fed her 13-days-old infant who had cried for five days, her sister said. Story continues "Now he is much better, he does not cry like before. I know that the child is sick, and his mother too," Souraya Adam said, adding that her sister had developed rashes. Around them, large crowds of women and children milled around the camp near the Sudanese border, while others rested in makeshift shelters of sticks and rushes tacked with pieces of cloth. The wave of arrivals places an additional burden on Chad's meagre resources, which were already strained by hosting 400,000 refugees who fled earlier conflict in Sudan. (Writing by Bate Felix and Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) New Delhi [India], April 29 (ANI): Delhi Police on Friday apprehended two juveniles accused of killing their 12-year-old classmate who caught them smoking, in the Badarpur police station area of Delhi. The body of the 12-year-old boy was found dumped in a drain near a government school in Badarpur, in the national capital. Also Read | Brazils Lula Recognizes 6 Indigenous Land Reservations. According to Delhi Police, a PCR call was received around 8.20 pm that a body of a school child had been found floating in a drain. Upon receiving word, a team from the Badarpur Police Station reached the spot. Also Read | Wrestlers Protest: Delhi Police Lodges Two FIRs Against WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Coaches in Sexual Harassment of Women Wrestlers. The deceased was identified as a class 8 student of an MCD School. After the body was medically examined, it was found that the child was bludgeoned to death with a blunt object. "Further during the investigation, two juveniles studying in the same class were apprehended. During the investigation, it was revealed that the deceased child saw these two juveniles smoking cigarettes on the school premises and threatened to report it to the school authorities. The accused then lured him to an isolated spot and assaulted him, resulting in him sustaining several head injuries that eventually proved fatal," Rajesh Deo, deputy commissioner of police (DCP)m South East, said. The police added that both juveniles were apprehended and will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board. (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, Apr 29 (PTI) A Delhi court on Saturday convicted AAP MLA Abdul Rehman for criminally intimidating and assaulting a government school principal in 2009. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal also convicted MLA's wife Asma in the case, saying the prosecution successfully proved its case, beyond reasonable doubts. Also Read | Freya: Sculpture of Euthanized Walrus Unveiled in Norway. "The prosecution has successfully proved its case, beyond reasonable doubts, against accused Asma that she caused simple hurt on the person of a public servant in discharge of her duties. "The prosecution has further proved beyond reasonable doubts that both the accused persons i.e. Abdul Rehman and Asma, in furtherance of their common intention, criminally intimidated the complainant and assaulted her, while she was holding the office of public servant and was in discharge of her duties as public servant, to deter her from discharging her duties," the judge said. Also Read | Mann Ki Baat Conclave: Woman Goes Into Labour at the Conclave in Delhi, Delivers Baby Boy in Hospital. According to the prosecution, the complainant was slapped by Asma on February 4, 2009 while she was working as principal of SKV School, Jafrabad, Delhi. It was further alleged that Abdul Rehman, who represents Seelampur constituency, along with few other persons, barged into the school, and threatened to kill the complainant and also used derogatory words for her. (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], April 29 (ANI): A 28-year-old woman was killed and two of her minor children were injured after a fire broke out at their house in Old Chandrawal, Majnu Ka Tila area of Delhi on Saturday afternoon, the police said. The deceased woman has been identified as Arti. Both children have suffered 20 per cent burns, said the police. Also Read | Mumbai Metro Fare Discount: State Government Announces Massive Concession in Fares For Senior Citizens, Divyang Persons and Students from May 1. The children have been admitted to LNJP Hospital for treatment, the police added. According to Delhi Police, "Information was received regarding a fire in a house at Old Chandrawal, Majnu Ka Tilla in police station Civil Lines where a lady was found dead inside the room after the house caught fire. The woman was a housewife. The two minor children aged 12 and 6 have got 20 per cent burns." Also Read | Defamation Case: Gujarat High Court To Resume Hearing Rahul Gandhi's Appeal on May 2. According to the Delhi Fire Service, the information of a fire in the house was received at about 1 pm and immediately three fire tenders rushed to the spot and after about 30 minutes, the fire was totally doused. Crime team inspection and FSL Team inspection have been done. Further proceedings under section 174 CrPC have been initiated. (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, April 29: The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday said it has searched the Bengaluru-located office and residential premises of Edtech major BYJU's CEO Raveendran Byju and seized "incriminating" documents and digital data as part of a foreign exchange violation probe. A total of three premises, two business and one residential, were raided recently under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), it said in a statement. BYJUs Three Offices Raided Over FEMA Violations; ED Claims It Remitted Rs 9754 Crore to Foreign Jurisdictions. The agency said it has seized various incriminating documents and digital data. It said the action was taken on the basis of "various complaints" received by private people and alleged that Raveendran Byju was issued "several" summons but he remained "evasive and never appeared" before the ED. BYJUS Hires Ajay Goel as CFO Amid Myriad of Problems. The searches found that his company, Think & Learn Pvt. Ltd., received foreign direct investment (FDI) to the tune of about Rs 28,000 crore during 2011-2023."The company also remitted about Rs 9,754 crore to various foreign jurisdictions during the same period in the name of overseas direct investment," the agency said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Little Sister's bookstore on Davie Street is celebrating its 40th anniversary. (CBC - image credit) A Vancouver bookstore that has long been a safe haven for the city's LGBTQ community and waged a court battle against the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is celebrating its 40th anniversary. "It's our birthday, you can't miss it," said drag queen Batty Banks Friday at a celebration to mark the 40th anniversary of Little Sister's Book & Art Emporium on Davie Street. Banks says the store, which sells erotic, instructional and self-help books, as well as gifts, clothing and sex toys, has long been a pillar in the LGBTQ community. "They've been here for, hello, 40 years," Banks said. "Serving the community, being a safe space for people to come and ask their questions, learn about themselves, and get a little toy or two, if you're feeling it." Bruce Smyth and Jim Deva opened the store at its original location at Thurlow and Davie Streets in 1983. The store gained national attention for taking the CBSA to court, saying the agency prevented materials it deemed as obscene from being delivered to the store. WATCH | Little Sister's takes CBSA to court: After multiple legal challenges, the case ended up in the the Supreme Court of Canada in 2000, where a judge agreed the CBSA unjustifiably discriminated against Little Sister's. A lawyer with the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, which represented the store, told the CBC in 2019 that the case still resonates. "Little Sister's really represents a fight against government censorship and homophobia," Megan Tweedie said. The court also struck down a provision that left it up to importers to prove the materials were not obscene. Because of the case, the onus is now on customs officials to prove that they are. In a social media post, Vancouver-West End MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert credited the store for "fighting censorship, creating a safe haven, pushing boundaries, supporting authors, and creators, and helping people find the freedom to be all they can." Story continues A nearby plaza in Davie Village is named after Deva, who passed away in 2014. "It's a legacy we hope to keep working on," Don Wilson, the current owner of Little Sister's, said Friday. The anniversary party will continue at Little Sister's on Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. New Delhi, April 29: For the first time, the Indian Army has inducted five women officers into its artillery regiment. The women officers have joined the Regiment of Artillery after successfully completing their training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai on Saturday. Military sources said the women officers who joined the Regiment of Artillery are Lt Mehak Saini, Lt Sakshi Dubey, Lt Aditi Yadav and Lt Pious Mudgil. Geeta Rana, Colonel, Becomes First Woman Officer To Command EME Unit in Ladakh Near China Border. Five Women Army Officers Commissioned Into Artillery Regiments: The First Batch of Women Officers Commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery of the Indian Army. pic.twitter.com/LwWSpN6fz5 Ravinder Singh Robin (@rsrobin1) April 29, 2023 Out of the five women officers, three are posted to units deployed along the borders with China and the other two in "challenging locations" near the frontier with Pakistan, the sources said. The commissioning of women officers into the Regiment of Artillery is a testament to the ongoing transformation in the Indian Army, a source said. Major Abhilasha Barak, Who Became First Woman Officer to Join Army Aviation Corps as Combat Aviator, Has This Message for Women Aspiring to Join Armed Forces. In January, Chief of Army Staff Gen Manoj Pande announced the decision of commissioning women officers into artillery units. The proposal was later approved by the government. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chandigarh, Apr 29 (PTI) Haryana Police arrested a fraudster from Bihar for allegedly duping a man of Rs 3 lakh by posing as his relative from abroad, a police spokesperson said on Saturday. According to the police, Hardeep Singh, a resident of Kurukshetra, received a call from a person posing as his NRI relative who asked him for money citing some emergency. Also Read | Tom Cruise, Winnie the Pooh and Nicole Scherzinger to Have Their Brush with Royalty Again at King Charles III's Coronation. As soon as the victim realised that he had been cheated, he immediately filed a complaint on the cybercrime portal, the spokesperson said. The accused was traced and arrested from Bihar, police said, adding that the investigation revealed that he was part of a larger cyber fraud network. Also Read | Thane: Multi-Storeyed Building Collapses in Bhiwandi, 10 Feared Trapped Under Debris (Watch Video). These fraudsters target such victims by posing as their NRI relatives. They ask them for money saying they are in trouble and need money to get out of the situation, they said. Worried about their relatives, the victims transfer the money to the accounts provided by these fraudsters. This is what happened in Hardeep Singh's case, police said. Cybercrime operates on social engineering. To stop this, there is a need for better cyber training and awareness among the public. The state police is organising cyber awareness programmes in each district, said OP Singh, Additional Director General of Police, State Crime Branch, Haryana. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 29 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that the state is now entirely free of anarchy. Every person is guaranteed security without discrimination, and investors from the country and the world are willing to invest in UP. Addressing a business conference organized in view of the municipal elections in Gorakhpur, CM Yogi said, "Contrarily, UP is now entirely free of this anarchy. Every person is guaranteed security without discrimination, and investors from the country and the world are willing to invest in the state." Also Read | Tom Cruise, Winnie the Pooh and Nicole Scherzinger to Have Their Brush with Royalty Again at King Charles III's Coronation. Talking about the secure environment in the state, Yogi said, "In the past, extortion and the Gunda tax were collected here. Goons, mafia, and people of the ruling party used to encroach upon the properties of the poor and the establishments of the traders." "As a result of the establishment of a secure environment, everyone's perception of Uttar Pradesh has changed', he added. Also Read | Thane: Multi-Storeyed Building Collapses in Bhiwandi, 10 Feared Trapped Under Debris (Watch Video). Stating that security and peace are very important for trade, the Chief Minister said, "The confidence of the people of the country has increased under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the area of trade and industry, numerous reforms have been implemented. Today, the global market is completely open for India. All these have had a positive impact on per capita income and standard of living." The Chief Minister continued by saying that businessmen are eager to support Bharatiya Janata Party on their own during the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections. However, it must also be remembered that the municipal body is the third house and that the importance of its election must not be undermined. "The number of facilities will rise if a strong board is formed in the local bodies. The environment will be made beautiful. If the wrong candidates are chosen, the funds allotted by the central and state governments will be wasted. Triple-engine government is essential with the double-engine government," he added. The Chief Minister stated that the municipal bodies did not previously have as many schemes. A world-class city is being created under the BJP government's smart and safe city initiatives. "The Central Government selected 10 cities of Uttar Pradesh under the Smart City Mission, while seven others, including Gorakhpur, were selected by the State Government under the State Mission. Today, 17 cities are being developed as smart cities in UP," he said. CM also noted that the city had single-lane roads in the past, then double-lane roads, and now a network of four-lane roads is being built. There is a multi-level parking facility. A strong board needs to be elected for the Municipal Corporation in order to expand these facilities. CM Yogi also humorously cautioned the traders against being overconfident and warned them, saying, "Don't make the mistake of going to Nepal on May 4, the border will remain sealed." The Chief Minister encouraged people to vote more and more by stating that elections are a celebration of democracy and that people should experience this celebration firsthand. In elections, each vote has a value. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Agartala, April 29: A man in Tripura's West district allegedly killed his wife and cut her body into two pieces, police said on Saturday. The husband identified as Kayer Miah was arrested on Friday and he has confessed to the crime, the police said. Tajuja Begum, a resident of Aralia was married to Kayer Miah, a day wager around eight months ago, said Bapan Miah, younger brother of Tajuja. Gurugram Horror: Man Murders Wife, Chops Her Body Into Pieces in Manesar; Arrested. On Friday morning, Tajuja's mother came to know that her daughter was missing. After receiving the information, she along with Bapan rushed to Tajuja's house at Muslimpara area and spotted blood stains but found none. As she started crying, local people rushed to the house and informed police about the disappearance of Tajuja. A police team headed by SDPO Asish Dasgupta went there and started searching for Kayer. They caught hold of Kayer at Battala area on Friday. "During interrogation Kayer disclosed that he murdered Tajuja on Thursday night and kept her body parts in two bags in a jungle", said Superintendent of Police of West district, Ramesh Yadav. According to the SP the two bags were recovered from a jungle. The head was kept in a small bag while the body was put in a big size bag. Ghaziabad Horror: Man Murders Wifes Lover, Chops Body Into Eight Parts Across Khoda Colony; Arrested. "The accused was arrested four hours after the crime was reported to the police. We are interrogating the killer to know the motive of the crime. Police are also looking into if any third person is involved in the crime", the SP said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kolkata, Apr 29 (PTI) Noted historian Ranajit Guha has died due to old age-related ailments, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday. Guha, who was 100 years old, died at his residence in Austria on Friday. He left behind his wife Mechthild. Also Read | Mumbai Metro Fare Discount: State Government Announces Massive Concession in Fares For Senior Citizens, Divyang Persons and Students from May 1. Condoling his demise, Banerjee said Guha was instrumental in motivating young historians in pursuing studies on the subaltern society. The CM said Guha had taught in many places across the world and has many disciples and admirers. Also Read | Defamation Case: Gujarat High Court To Resume Hearing Rahul Gandhi's Appeal on May 2. She offered her deepest condolences to his near and dear ones. Born on May 23, 1923 at Barisal in present-day Bangladesh, Guha's family later shifted to Kolkata. He had studied in a school in the city and completed his post-graduation in History from Calcutta University. Guha retired from the Australian National University in 1988 after being previously associated with other renowned institutions. One of his well-known books is 'Elementary Aspects of Peasant Insurgency in Colonial India'. "The world of knowledge suffered a great loss in the death of Ranajit Guha," Banerjee added. Guha had been living abroad for decades. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Guwahati, Apr 29 (PTI) The Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL) and Oil India Limited (OIL) on Saturday signed an agreement for the establishment of a joint venture company to lay, build and operate city natural gas distribution networks in parts of Assam and Tripura. The agreement was signed between the two sides at a ceremony here in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, an official statement said. Also Read | Freya: Sculpture of Euthanized Walrus Unveiled in Norway. The Assam government-owned AGCL will have 51 per cent stake, while the OIL will hold the remaining 49 per cent share in the joint venture company. It will build local natural gas grids and provide piped natural gas to domestic and commercial establishments in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Darrang, Udalguri, Sonitpur and Biswanath Chariali in Assam, and a few districts of Tripura. Also Read | Mann Ki Baat Conclave: Woman Goes Into Labour at the Conclave in Delhi, Delivers Baby Boy in Hospital. The company will also set up numerous compressed natural gas (CNG) stations, the statement said. Speaking at the event, Sarma said the signing of the agreement between AGCL and OIL would provide a major thrust to the ongoing process of industrial development in the state. The JV company, with an authorised share capital of Rs 500 crore and initial paid-up capital of Rs 100 crore, would prove to be a milestone in the strengthening of the state's economy, he added. The chief minister also expressed hope the JV company would help in the state's endeavour to make the transition towards a greener fuel-based economy, in sync with the Northeast Hydrocarbon Vision 2030. He lauded the OIL management for reinvesting a part of its earnings in Assam and other parts of the Northeast through initiatives such as the agreement signed today. (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], April 29 (ANI): The 100th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio address 'Mann Ki Baat' will be broadcast on Sunday with lakhs of people expected to listen to the popular programme in different parts of the world. It will be a historic moment with the 100th episode also to be broadcast live in the United Nations headquarters in New York. The programme, which started on October 3, 2014, has become a key pillar of the government's citizen-outreach programme addressing multiple social groups such as women, youth, farmers and has spurred community action. Also Read | Freya: Sculpture of Euthanized Walrus Unveiled in Norway. Apart from 22 Indian languages and 29 dialects, Mann Ki Baat is broadcast in 11 foreign languages including French, Chinese, Indonesian, Tibetan, Burmese, Baluchi, Arabic, Pashtu, Persian, Dari and Swahili. Mann Ki Baat is being broadcast by more than 500 broadcast centres of All India Radio. Studies have shown that over 100 crore people have connected to Mann Ki Baat at least once, it speaks directly to people, celebrates grassroots-level changemakers and achievements of people and has influenced people towards positive actions. Also Read | Mann Ki Baat Conclave: Woman Goes Into Labour at the Conclave in Delhi, Delivers Baby Boy in Hospital. The BJP has planned massive outreach to make the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat a memorable occasion. Sources said the party is planning to organise facilities in every assembly constituency of the country for people to listen to the programme. The programme will be telecast live by Doordarshan in Raj Bhavans across the country. The Raj Bhavan in Mumbai will host citizens from Maharashtra who have been mentioned by the Prime Minister in previous editions of Mann Ki Baat along with other eminent personalities from the state. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who attended the valedictory session of National Conclave on Mann Ki Baat @100 on Wednesday, said that Mann Ki Baat is a unique experiment that has strengthened the foundation of democracy in the country. The event, which was also attended by Union Minister for Railways Ashwani Vaishnav and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur marked the release of a stamp and coin commemorating 100 episodes of Mann Ki Baat. Shah said that people had almost forgotten All India Radio due to changing times and different mediums of communication, but Prime Minister connected the young generation through Mann Ki Baat and gave a new lease of life to All India Radio. He said that PM Modi took All India Radio to every home and village of the country. He said the programme has provided a platform for the expression of the country's positive energy and creative power. He said PM Modi has brought the mantra of democracy to the grassroots through 99 episodes of Mann Ki Baat. Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday released Coffee Table Book 'My Dear Fellow Citizens...'. The book, brought out by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, presents glimpses of over 100 inspiring stories, mentioned by PM Modi in the radio programme. He also released a book "Collective Spirit, Concrete Action", authored by Shashi Shekhar Vempati, former CEO, Prasar Bharati, which describes the impact of the programme 'Mann Ki Baat' on the nation. Dhankhar, who was speaking at the national conclave 'Mann Ki Baat @ 100' in New Delhi, said the programme reached every nook and corner of the country and is unparalleled in reach and popularity. He also credited the program for giving recognition and brand value to local art and artisans, and for generating a market space for them. The Vice President said that as 'Mann Ki Baat' completes its 100th episode, it will be the foundation to 'India @ 100'. He said that India will be at the top of the world when it will celebrate centenary of Indpendence in 2047. Dhankhar said Mann Ki Baat gave a huge impetus to flagship initiatives of the government such as Swachh Bharat, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and turned them into mass movements. He added that the PM's addresses on the show were a 'beacon of positivity' to the nation during the COVID pandemic. Noting that the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat will be a historic milestone, Dhankhar lauded the programme for serving as an effective platform to popularise and bring to the mainstream the culture and festivals of the northeast and other states. India's Permanent Mission at the United Nations said the 300th episode of Man Ki Baat will go live in Trusteeship Council Chamber at the UN headquarters. "Get ready for a historic moment as the 100th episode of PM Modi's "Mann Ki Baat"[?] is set to go live on April 30th in Trusteeship Council Chamber at @UN HQ! #MannKiBaat has become a monthly national tradition, inspiring millions to participate in 's developmental journey," India's Permanent Mission at the United Nations said in a tweet. Tourism Ministry has decided to celebrate the 100th Episode of 'Mann ki Baat' through its Yuva Tourism Clubs. Tourism has been mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from time to time in the programme. Tourism Ministry proposes to undertake a special initiative of "100 Episodes of Mann ki Baat - 100 days of Action" through the Yuva Tourism Clubs. Culture Ministry has taken up three unique initiatives to mark the completion of the 100th episode of Mann ki Baat. It is celebrating it through state-of-the-art projection mapping shows at 13 iconic locations including ASI monuments located across the country commencing on April 29. The projection on each of the monuments will showcase the history, architectural importance and distinctiveness of the region highlighting the diversity of India on the lines of diverse topics and themes addressed by the Prime Minister in his show Mann Ki Baat. Culture Ministry, in collaboration with NGMA, has curated an immersive experience though an art exhibition called the Jana Shakti, which will be inaugurated on April 30. It will showcase paintings by 12 renowned artists. The third key initiative of the Culture Ministry involves the publication of the Amrit Chitra comics which will highlight the heroic stories of the common people mentioned by the Prime Minister in his Mann Ki Baat. It will present the experiences and the exceptional and good work done by these heroes in a story format. A special study conducted by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) found that 76 per cent of the Indian mediapersons believe that Mann Ki Baat has played a significant role in introducing the "real Bharat" to the countrymen. The programme has initiated a trend where people are now more aware of the things in other parts of the country and they have started appreciating them. Seventy-five per cent of the respondents felt that 'Mann Ki Baat' has emerged as a platform, which introduces grassroots innovators working selflessly to ensure a significant difference in the lives of people living in remote areas of India. Another survey by IIM Rohtak said that Mann Ki Baat has reached 100 crore listeners It said there were 23 crore regular listeners of Mann Ki Baat and 96 per cent of population was aware of the radio programme. The powerful and decisive leadership of PM Modi and emotional connect with audience were cited as reasons for popularity of the programme by the listeners, the survey said. Another research identified cleanliness and sanitation, health, wellness, water conservation, and sustainability as key themes of Mann Ki Baat. It said the programme highlights government and citizen action in these priority areas and in turn, encourages listeners to establish or participate in "changemaking" initiatives in their own communities with the aim to have a lasting and sustainable impact on lives of people and for the country. The report said that Mann Ki Baat speaks directly to people and celebrates their achievements within-- and beyond-- their communities. The programme celebrates grassroots-level changemakers. The 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat will be broadcast on Sunday. The programme started on October 3, 2014, months after Narendra Modi took over the Prime Minister's Office in May. The research report cited instances of people being "moved to action" after listening to Mann Ki Baat programme. The research looked at what makes Mann ki Baat unique. "Real application of nudge theory; over 100 crore people have connected to Mann Ki Baat at least once; conversational, personal tone and practical subject matter make the programme feel more relevant, contextual and accessible to its audience; inclusion of all and encourages citizen action to bring about social and economic change; and it highlights key public-policy interventions related to the themes it covers in the episode," the report said. "The programme addressed multiple social groups-- "women," "youth," and "farmers"-- and emphasized on topics such as "cleanliness," "Yoga," "water," "conservation," "innovation," "technology," and "environment," the report said. According to the report, the ethos of Mann Ki Baat is 5Cs - Citizen Engagement, Catalysing Collective Actions, Cultural Commitment, Connecting with the Wider Masses and Celebrating Changemakers. Mann Ki Baat is broadcast on last Sunday of every month. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Poonch/Jammu, Apr 29 (PTI) A father-son duo from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) were apprehended by the Army near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Saturday, officials said. Sardar Abdul Hamid and his son Abbass of Polas village were nabbed by the troops in Gulpur sector shortly after they intruded into this side from across the border, the officials said. Also Read | Mumbai Metro Fare Discount: State Government Announces Massive Concession in Fares For Senior Citizens, Divyang Persons and Students from May 1. They said the questioning of the duo is in progress and it was not immediately clear whether they crossed the border inadvertently or with some intention. However, no incriminating material was recovered from their possession, they said. Also Read | Defamation Case: Gujarat High Court To Resume Hearing Rahul Gandhi's Appeal on May 2. (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, Apr 29 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to embark on a three-day visit to the Maldives beginning Monday with an aim to bolster bilateral defence and strategic ties, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday. Separately, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari is likely to visit Sri Lanka on Monday. Also Read | Tom Cruise, Winnie the Pooh and Nicole Scherzinger to Have Their Brush with Royalty Again at King Charles III's Coronation. The planned visits by the defence minister and the Chief of Air Staff to the two key maritime neighbours of India come amid China's persistent efforts to expand its influence in the countries of the region. During his trip to the Maldives, Singh is likely to meet Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid and Defence Minister Mariya Didi among others. Also Read | Thane: Multi-Storeyed Building Collapses in Bhiwandi, 10 Feared Trapped Under Debris (Watch Video). The defence minister will leave for the Maldives on Monday and will return on Wednesday, the people said. "The focus of the visit will be further expand bilateral defence cooperation," one of the people said. The Maldives is one of India's key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and the overall bilateral ties including in areas of defence and security have been on an upward trajectory in the last few years. In August last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Solih kick-started the India-funded Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), billed as the largest infrastructure initiative in the island nation. Under the GMCP project, a 6.74-km-long bridge and causeway link will be built to connect the capital city Male with adjoining islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. The Maldives is also one of the biggest beneficiaries of India's Neighbourhood First policy. Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane visited Maldives last month during which he held talks with his Maldivian counterpart Major General Abdulla Shamaal. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari is set to visit Sri Lanka on May 1. (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, April 29: Delhi's Saket Court on Saturday adjourned the order on the framing of charges against Aftab Amin Poonawala accused in the Shraddha murder case till May 9. The court was to pronounce charges against the accused but the concerned judge was on leave today. The Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Pahuja adjourned the matter till May 9 on Saturday. On the last hearing on April 14, the court had reserved an order on charge. Shraddha Walkar Murder Case: Delhi Court Likely To Pass Order on Charges Against Aaftab Amin Poonawala Tomorrow. The court had also sought a reply from Delhi police on an application moved by Shraddha's father Vikas Walkar seeking the release of the bones of the deceased. He said that the bones should be exhibited soon so that he can perform the last rituals of Shraddha within one year of her death. Advocate Akshay Bhandari had argued that the accused can't be charged together for the main offence of murder and of the destruction of evidence. These two charges can be framed in alternate. This fact should be considered while framing of charge. He also argued on the basis of the judgement of the superior court that the accused can't be sentenced for the main offence and offence of destruction of evidence. The accused can't be charged for both offences together as it would prejudice his right, the counsel argued. Advocate Seema Kushwaha had moved an application on behalf of Vikas Walkar, father of Shraddha for releasing the bones of the deceased. He has also sought early exhibit of the bones so that the bones can be released to him to perform the last rites within one year of death. Delhi police will file a reply on the next date. The owner of the property where the offence was committed had also approached the court seeking de-sealing of the said premises. On April 3, the court took on record the copy of the judgement filed by the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad and Madhukar Pandey. Shraddha Walkar Murder Case: I Was Provoked, I Hit Her, Says Aftab Amin Poonawala in Saket Court. SPP Amit Prasad had submitted that there is a clear judgement that the charge under section 201 of IPC can be framed against the person who destroys the evidence to shield the main offender as well against the person who committed the main offence. On the earlier date, the counsel for accused Aftab had argued that the charges of murder and disappearance of evidence can't be framed jointly. These charges can be framed alternatively. Advocate Akshay Bhandari had argued that either I (Aftab) can be charged with murder or for disappearing the evidence. The accused can not be charged for murder and disappearance of evidence under sections 302 and 201 of IPC together, the counsel argued. It can be framed alternatively. He had argued that the accused can be charged with the offence of murder under 302 IPC or he could be framed for the offence of shielding the main offender under section 201 IPC. Advocate Bhandari had argued that merely saying that "I (Aftab) am guilty of murder" is not sufficient. They have statements of eyewitnesses only. The Prosecution has to show the manner in which the crime was committed. SPP Amit Prasad rebutted that the joint charges can be framed under section 201 for disappearing the evidence. He had also submitted that the relied upon a chain of evidence, statement of witnesses, a record of past events and circumstances, forensic evidence, manner of offence etc were submitted before the court. This matter is related to the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his live-in partner Aftab Amin Poonawala on May 18, 2022. Delhi police have concluded its arguements on a charge of murder and the disappearance of evidence against the accused. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ben* couldnt wait to tell his loved ones about his new-found faith. A recent convert to Christianity who discovered the gospel through evangelical websites, Ben was bursting with joy. But when he told his family about his new hope in the gospel, their response was far from celebratory. Instead, Bens family members brutally beat him. For many of us, its hard to imagine such a response to any kind of news, much less an enthusiastic, personal proclamation. But, tragically, Bens experience is not unique. As a member of a Muslim household in Afghanistan, Ben was subjected to ongoing abuse as dictated by Islamic Law. For his family, Bens conversion to Christianity dishonored them and their community. This was an affront so great that had Bens family murdered him, it would have been considered an honor killing. After a particularly violent attack that left Ben unconscious, he woke up in the hospital. Unsure how he got there, Ben knew that this was his opportunity to run for his life. Trusting in Gods sovereignty, he slipped out of his hospital bed and, despite serious injuries, fled to Kabul, the nations capital. A New Home, A New Horror In Kabul, Ben became part of a house church that helped him establish a new life, provided him with Christian community, and supported his growing faith. That is, until the day that Taliban terrorists entered the house church and murdered the pastor, his two children, one of Bens friends, and another Afghan boy before a suicide bomber blew up the compound. This unspeakable tragedy drove Ben to make a decision that many Christians in Afghanistan, widely considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Jesus-followers, have had to makehe went underground. Staying off the radar of public life, Ben found connection and purpose through college studies and online mentorship. Physically, though, he was alone, grieving ongoing losses, and doing all he could to continue trusting God. Little did he know, God was already leading some fellow believers to start a ministry that would eventually transform Bens life. All along, God had been preparing the way for Ben to find safety and a new life. The Escape When the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, the sudden foreign policy shift profoundly impacted all religious minorities. Many Afghan Christians had managed to keep their identity a secret, but Bens faith was known. His family, loyal to their Islamic faith, exposed their son to the Taliban. At that point, Ben knew he was risking his life by staying in the country. Through a series of God-ordained connections and conversations, Ben became acquainted with Shai Fund, a nonprofit organization that assists those living in volatile environments. Shai Fund assigned a team to Ben, moving him from a western Afghan city near the Iranian border. All communication between Shai Fund and Ben was prearranged and encoded to make sure he was interacting with their partners and not a covert member of the Taliban. When it was time for Ben to board a plane for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), he had only minutes to leave his house. He was a high-profile target, so the evacuation plan was exact. Shai Fund mapped out every Taliban checkpoint on the way to Bens flight, and his path to the airport was meticulously choreographed until he was on the airplane to Abu Dhabi, UAE. Once Ben arrived in the UAE, Shai Fund continued working with him to find a permanent home in Canada. He is now living there, meeting with a house church of other Afghan Christians. Even now, Bens whereabouts and real identity cannot be disclosed for fear of those who would kill him for his faith. While the danger remains, Ben continues to pursue opportunities for friendship and a full life. Peace for the Persecuted There are many other stories like Bensstories of suffering abandonment, betrayal, and violence because of ones faith. Shai Fund plays an integral role in bringing these brothers and sisters to safety, and these discreet, complex extractions are only possible with the support of friends like you. Since 2014, Shai Fund has directly assisted over 170,000 people with practical and immediate assistance. They work tirelessly with teams on the ground to assist those most at risk, find long-term solutions, and offer support to those still in Afghanistan. Ben will never forget those days, a time in which he faced life-threatening danger but also found a new beginning in Christ. He can now envision a new life, with a God-given future and hope. Your gift can bring another persecuted person to safety, empowering them to experience peace and possibilitiesjust like Ben. *Bens real name is being withheld for his protection. Birmingham, Apr 29 (AP) Three Alabama residents have been indicted in a federal investigation that found letter carrier illegally sold keys that allowed others to open and pilfer Birmingham-area mailboxes. The indictment filed Thursday in federal court in Birmingham accuses Keaundria Janae Gresham, 30, of Pleasant Grove, a letter carrier at a local post office, of selling two keys for USD 3,000 each to Derrell Allen Matthews, 25, of Birmingham. Also Read | Earthquake in Somalia: Quake of Magnitude 4.7 Strikes Near Caluula. What the US Postal Service calls arrow keys open mail collection boxes. It's illegal for someone who doesn't work for the post office to have them. US Postal Inspector Montaleto Barber said in a sworn statement on April 4 that people who steal mail often then try to illegally cash checks that they find. Also Read | US: New Omicron Subvariant Becomes Second Dominant COVID-19 Strain in United States. Barber said thieves have hit boxes outside multiple post offices, including in Hoover and Birmingham, with postal inspectors tracking down Matthews based on surveillance videos of a car registered to him. When they raised Matthews' house in October, Barber said they found not only an arrow key, but stolen mail, stolen checks and counterfeit checks. Matthews then bought a second arrow key from Gresham after the initial raid, Barber said, and resumed stealing mail. Matthews and Steven Cornelius Hudson Jr., 34, of Bessemer, were arrested April 2 after Barber said he watched them steal mail from boxes outside a Shelby County post office. They had multiple garbage bags of stolen mail in the car when they were arrested. Matthews was initially charged on April 4. He was later released on bail. All three are scheduled to be arraigned on May 11. A federal public defender representing Matthews didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday. No lawyers are listed for Hudson and Gresham. Matthews and Gresham are charged with conspiracy. Matthews is also charged with bribing a public official, illegal possession of US Postal Service keys and possession of stolen mail. Gresham is also charged with accepting a bribe and illegal possession of US Postal Service keys. Hudson is charged with possession of stolen mail. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Philadelphia, Apr 29 (AP) Two teenagers have been charged with firearms and related offenses following the slaying of three people and the wounding of a fourth person at a northeast Philadelphia home, authorities said. Lt. John Stanford told reporters that officers called to the residence in the Lawncrest neighbourhood shortly after 3:30 pm Friday found one person shot on the sidewalk, another on the porch and a third victim inside the home. All three were pronounced dead at the scene. Also Read | Earthquake in Somalia: Quake of Magnitude 4.7 Strikes Near Caluula. Police said another 16-year-old male victim arrived in a car at Jefferson Frankford Hospital. Stanford said at least two people were taken into custody and a gun was recovered from the vehicle. Police said Saturday that 17-year-old Malik Ballard was identified as the youth found slain on the sidewalk, while 18-year-old Khalif Frezghi was found slain on the front porch and 14-year-old Salah Fleming was found just inside the doorway of the residence. Also Read | US: New Omicron Subvariant Becomes Second Dominant COVID-19 Strain in United States. Two youths, ages 15 and 16, were facing firearms offenses and related crimes, and the investigation remains active, police said. WPVI-TV reported that officials from the School District of Philadelphia confirmed that at least two of the deceased victims were students in the school district, one in the eighth grade and the other in the 11th grade. Two weeks ago, more than two dozen shots were fired during a gunbattle outside the Lawncrest Recreation Center, one bullet entering the window of a day care, WPVI-TV reported. Stanford acknowledged frustration at the ongoing violence in the city, but said we can't lose hope, because if we lose hope then everybody in this city will lose hope." (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New York, Apr 29 (PTI) A biography that chronicles the life and career of former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and his first-hand account of some of the contemporary major global challenges during his tenure has been launched here. Shringla, 61, currently the Chief Coordinator of India's G20 Presidency, addressed prominent members of the Indian-American and diaspora community at an event last week that launched his biography Not An Accidental Rise'. Also Read | US Lawmakers Propose Bill To Ban AI-Driven Autonomous Systems From Launching Nuclear Weapons. Former US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster and Consul General of India in New York Randhir Jaiswal were among the special guests at the event hosted by Jaipur Foot USA, a subsidiary of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) and Jaipur Foot USA Chairman Prem Bhandari. Not An Accidental Rise' has been written by Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, Sikkim University, Gangtok Dr Dipmala Roka. In India, it was launched in Darjeeling earlier this month. Also Read | South Korea-US Deterrence Plan Will Result in More Serious Danger, Says Kim Jong-Un's Sister Kim Yo-jong. "This biography of Harsh Vardhan Shringla, one of India's most distinguished diplomats, and a former Foreign Secretary, describes his life and his rise to the highest position in the elite Indian Foreign Service by dint of his perseverance, determination, hard work, skill and ability, it says. His life and work are strongly anchored in his heritage, his culture, and his values. Shringla noted that the readable" book is a well researched and candid account not just of my career, but my entire life so far. Shringla, who was the Foreign Secretary from 2020 to 2022, recalled that he first met Roka when he visited Sikkim in April 2021, just before the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic engulfed the country. At the time, Sikkim University had organised a major event to convey to the young people of the state the message of India's foreign policy, Shringla said. Shringla visited Gangtok for the IVth Global Lecture Series organised by the Department of International Relations, Sikkim University. He said the book also deals with the people-to-people ties between India and the US. The community has been our mainstay and main support. Much of what we have achieved, from the nuclear deal to what we have achieved in the recent past, can be attributed to the wholehearted support from the Indian-American community, Shringla said at the event. In the author's note, Roka writes that she worked closely with Shringla while writing the book, and this gave me insights into the making of India's foreign policy that no amount of academic work could provide. The first-hand account from a senior diplomat who has extensively dealt with some of the contemporary major global challenges was immensely enlightening. The book, punctuated with photographs from Shringla's personal life and diplomatic career, chronicles his early days and the diplomatic journey that began when he joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1984, his tenure as Joint Secretary from 2010 to 2013, postings as India's envoy to Thailand, Bangladesh and Washington as well as his tenure as Foreign Secretary from January 2020 to April 2022. Writing about the challenging time when India and the world were grappling with the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, Roka said the COVID-19 pandemic was a health catastrophe that delivered an enormous shock... Shringla managed the administrative and diplomatic response of the Ministry of External Affairs to this extraordinarily difficult challenge. Shringla ensured that missions abroad extended all possible assistance to the stranded Indians after COVID-19-related restrictions were imposed... In all, Shringla and his team worked successfully on coordinating 9 phases of the Vande Bharat Mission by end-February 2021. In the book, Roka further writes that as someone who has spent a decade of his career on multilateral work at various levels, many of his colleagues point out that Shringla was a rare Foreign Secretary who was comfortable dealing with the multilateral complexities that came his way. In the chapter on Shringla's time in Washington as India's Ambassador, Roka writes The Government's decision to abrogate Article 370 and impose temporary restrictions in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir evoked sharp reactions from an unusual alliance of liberals and Islamic radicals alike - and Pakistan actively - and openly stoke the fires. A major challenge arose in the form of a one-sided and factually unjustified draft resolution floated by an Indian-origin Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal in her quest to garner the support of the left fringe of the Democratic Party. Shringla and his team carried out an intense campaign at Capitol Hill to articulate the factually correct position and to highlight the damage such a resolution could do to the relationship. He met a record 400 Senators and Congressmen and travelled to 22 US states meeting Governors, State Senators and key influencers." "This helped greatly when it came to placing in perspective steps taken by the Government of India to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution and to adopt the Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA), Roka writes (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Beijing [China], April 29 (ANI): Chinese authorities banned most Uyghurs from praying in mosques, and even in their homes, during the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday, in many parts of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, as per the residents and the police, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported. During Eid, which fell on April 20-21 this year, people aged 60 and older were allowed to pray in a local mosque under heavy police surveillance, sources said. Also Read | TikTok Challenge Turns Fatal! Viral Trend on Chinese Video-Sharing App Leaves US Teen Disfigured With 80% Third-Degree Burns. China has since 2017, restricted or banned ethnic customs and religious rituals among the mostly Muslim Uyghurs in what they say is an effort to stamp out "religious extremism." Authorities in Xinjiang during Eid patrolled city streets and searched houses to prevent people from secretly praying inside their homes, according to sources, RFA reported. Also Read | Sonam Kapoor at King Charles III Coronation Concert! Actress to Deliver Spoken Word Piece at the Event in Windsor Castle. An administrative staffer from Yarkowruk town in Akesu Prefecture said one mosque there was open for Eid prayers. "Our police officers went to the mosque to watch the people. I don't know if people needed permission to go to the mosque because I did not go there," the employee said. An officer at the local police station said that only one mosque was open for Eid prayers in Bulung town, Bay county, though only residents over 60 years old were allowed to pray if they wanted. The government issued a notice that people younger than 60 could not pray on the Eid holiday, the officer said. Only a dozen Uyghur elders in Bulung attended Eid prayers in a mosque as three police officers and several auxiliary police staffers observed and wrote down the Uyghurs' names, said the officer from the town's police station, according to RFA. "The mosque was open yesterday, and we went there to surveil people," the police officer said, adding that he told residents under 60 not to go to the mosque. A woman from a residential area in Maralbexi county in Kashgar Prefecture said none of her neighbours or relatives held Eid prayers or celebrations. "The mosque was not open," she told RFA. "My husband is a policeman, and he went to work on Eid. There was no Eid-ul-Fitr prayer here. It was quiet." (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kathmandu [Nepal], April 29 (ANI): The Janakpurdham Cultural Festival was celebrated in Nepal's Janakpur on April 28 by the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC), Embassy of India, Kathmandu together with the Consulate General of India, Birgunj. The Janakpurdham Cultural Festival celebrated the shared cultural heritage of India and Nepal reflected in the common traditions of art, culture and festivals of the two countries. Also Read | TikTok Challenge Turns Fatal! Viral Trend on Chinese Video-Sharing App Leaves US Teen Disfigured With 80% Third-Degree Burns. The cultural festival which was held at Mithila Yatri Niwas, Janakpur, celebrated Maithili Food Festival and Folk Cultural Performances also. The Maithili Food Festival showcased the rich variety of Maithili cuisine through 84 different types of traditional food presentations. A special highlight of the event was local cuisine prepared from Millets to mark the International Year of Millets, according to a press release by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal. Also Read | Sonam Kapoor at King Charles III Coronation Concert! Actress to Deliver Spoken Word Piece at the Event in Windsor Castle. Both events were inaugurated by the Madhya Pradesh governor Hari Shankar Mishra. A Folk Cultural Performance was organized in the evening wherein cultural performances highlighting different Bhajans, Ragas, and Bharatanatyam dance drama recital based on the life of Ram and Sita was put together by the teachers and artists of Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre. Artists of Mithila Natya Kala Parishad (MINAP) performed Maithili Folk songs and dances. The Festival was organized coinciding with Sita Navami and as a part of the ongoing celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The events were graced by participation from Provincial Assembly Members of Madhesh Province, the Chief District Officer of Dhausha District, dignitaries and the media, according to the official press release. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) London, Apr 29 (PTI) An Indian-origin crime gang boss is serving an eight-year-10-month prison sentence after admitting to drug smuggling and money laundering charges in a British court. The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) said its officers proved that Raj Singh, 45, from Surrey in south-east England ran an organised crime group and regularly worked together with Waqas Iqbal, 41, to buy and sell Class A drugs and firearms. Also Read | US: New Omicron Subvariant Becomes Second Dominant COVID-19 Strain in United States. The duo also planned to launder money and send ketamine to Canada. In February, Singh whose full name is Rajinder Singh Bassi pleaded guilty to charges of supplying Class A banned substance cocaine, conspiracy to supply Class B banned substance ketamine and money laundering at the Guildford Crown Court. He also admitted to assault in a separate matter, when he was involved in a pub fight in which he kicked a police officer's leg as she tried to restrain him. Also Read | Ukrainian Drones Hit Crimea Oil Depot, Says Russian Official. His sentence includes 16 months for causing actual bodily harm to the officer, who required significant rehabilitation on her knee and cannot return to frontline policing due to the injuries. The NCA revealed details of the case this week after Iqbal was sentenced to 12 years in prison at the same court in southern England on Friday after he admitted conspiracy to import Class A drugs, conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon and money laundering. Though Iqbal and Singh operated within the London area they had criminal connections in multiple countries within mainland Europe and further afield, said Dean Wallbank, NCA operations manager. Like other high-end dealers, Iqbal and Singh are toxic and responsible for causing very serious levels of harm to society. They didn't care what bloodshed the guns and drugs led to, just as long as they made money. Protecting the public from the threats of Class A drugs and firearms is a priority for the NCA, he said. The NCA caught the duo after intercepting their messages to buy and supply Class A drugs and guns on the encrypted communications platform EncroChat. They were not known by their real names on EncroChat but by handles, with Singh as Salmonagent and Iqbal as Ghostshooter. The crucial phone evidence also showed the pair conspiring on firearms details. The duo was held as part of the NCA-led Operation Venetic, the UK response to the takedown of EncroChat in 2020 after the messages between Singh and Iqbal revealed how significant their offending was. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Minnesota, Apr 30 (AP) A Minnesota woman who admitted to leaving her newborn son to die near the Mississippi River two decades ago has been sentenced to 27 years in prison. Jennifer Matter, of Belvidere Township outside Red Wing, was sentenced on Friday for second-degree murder. She pleaded guilty in January to leaving the baby on the banks of the river in 2003. Also Read | Earthquake in Somalia: Quake of Magnitude 4.7 Strikes Near Caluula. She was not arrested until May 10, 2022, after DNA evidence tied her to the boy, authorities said. Prosecutors have said the DNA evidence also links Matter to a baby girl found dead by the Mississippi in 1999 but she has not been charged in that case. Also Read | US: New Omicron Subvariant Becomes Second Dominant COVID-19 Strain in United States. According to the criminal complaint, Matter said she hoped someone would find the baby boy alive after she left him. Teenagers found the child's body on December 7, 2003, in Frontenac on the shore of Lake Pepin, a body of water on the Mississippi River. (AP) (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, April 29: A total of 365 Indians from strife-torn Sudan on Saturday evening arrived in New Delhi under Operation Kaveri. "More Indians come back home under #OperationKaveri. 365 passengers have just landed in New Delhi," External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar tweeted on Saturday. The flight with 365 Indian nationals on board, earlier on Saturday, departed from Jeddah for New Delhi. "Another flight carrying Indian evacuees departs from Jeddah to New Delhi. 365 passengers onboard this 6th outbound flight are on their way back home," MEA official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. Operation Kaveri: Eighth Batch of Indian Evacuees From Conflict-Hit Sudan Received at Jeddah Airport by MoS V Muraleedharan (See Pics). On Saturday morning, a flight carrying 231 Indian passengers evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan, reached New Delhi. The Indian evacuees shouted slogans like "Bharat Mata ki jai," and "Vande Mataram" and also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for rescuing them from Sudan under Operation Kaveri. Operation Kaveri: Second Batch of 246 Indians Evacuated From Sudan Reach Mumbai (See Pics). Under Operation Kaveri, a total of 1,191 passengers have been evacuated from Sudan of which 117 are currently under quarantine as they are not vaccinated against Yellow Fever. The passengers will be released after seven days if they remain asymptomatic, according to an official press release. The Indian government under Operation Kaveri, is set to evacuate about 3,000 Indian-origin passengers from Sudan. Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence. Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, April 29: A Chinese national, who was arrested on charges of blasphemy, has been released on bail by an Abbodttabad anti-terrorism court, according to Pakistan media reports. A foreign national on the Dasu hydropower project in Kohistan district, who had been detained after a crowd accused him of committing blasphemy earlier this month, was ordered to be released by Judge Sajjad Ahmad Jan, reported The News. Pakistani Man Accuses Soft Drink Company of Blasphemy, Threatens Pepsi To Remove QR Code That Exhibits Prophet Muhammads Name on 7UP Bottle (Watch Video). According to the ATC judge's orders, the Chinese worker was released from police custody and transferred to a secret location in exchange for Pakistan Rupee (PKR) 200,000 in local bank surety bonds, Geo News reported. Uyghurs Genocide: Chinese Trollers Insult Islam, Unleash Blasphemy on Prophet, Says Report. Atif Ali Jadoon, Mohammad Arif Masud, and the deputy public prosecutor were among the suspect's attorneys present in court. They pleaded for their client's innocence, according to Geo News. Due to security concerns, the Chinese national was not shown to the judge during the hearing. The records of the accusers and of the Chinese man were presented by the joint investigation team (JIT) in the court. Naseerudden, Kamila Station House Office, who was among the main complainants in the case, appeared before the court with relevant records. As the incident happened on April 15, the judge stated in his order that workers Gulistan, Shafi, Qadir, and translator Yasir registered the first information report (FIR) in the case after two days on April 17. They narrated the hearsay tale before the JIT but were unable to present witnesses to corroborate their claims or establish charges in their individual statements. The translator (Yasir), who was 35-40 feet away from the Chinese man who was in charge of heavy transports at the Dasu Dam Project at the time of the incident, according to the judge's order, assumed that the latter was the one who made the sacrilegious statements, according to Geo News. The judge said in the order, "Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code [PPC] says whoever by words, either spoken or written or by visible representation or by any imputation or innuendo or insinuation directly or indirectly defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life and shall also be liable to be fined that in light of the available record." He added, "The case of accused petitioner not comes within the ambit of the reasonable ground; that the accused petitioner is a foreigner and came here for his services at the Dasu Dam Project in Kohistan that a procession by the people of locality (Upper Kohistan) was the result of misunderstanding as a result of which whereof the local police station in Kohistan concocted this false case against Chinese national while according to available record, no such offence was committed by the accused and hence granted the bail." The FIR in the incident was filed at the Kamila Police Station in Upper Kohistan in accordance with Sections 295-C of the Pakistani Penal Code and Sections 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The release of the Chinese national was a judicial matter and they accepted it wholeheartedly, but Maulana Waliullah Tohidi, a member of the Ulema Jirga established by the local clerics after the incident to oversee the Chinese national blasphemy case, said the translator Yasir who made false accusations against the latter should be brought to justice under the appropriate sections of the law as he incited local Kohistanis to take to the streets. He said, "We (Kohistanis) are patriotic Pakistani and would never allow anybody within the country or outside to sabotage the Dasu Hydropower Project at any cost," as reported by Geo News. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], April 29 (ANI): Pakistan has become the largest recipient of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-funded programmes/projects in the year 2022, reported Pakistan Today. According to the ADB Annual Report 2022, released on Monday, out of total disbursement of over USD 31.8 billion to 40 countries, Pakistan received loans of USD 5.58 billion. Also Read | Operation Kaveri: Another Flight Carrying 231 Indian Passengers From Conflict-Torn Sudan Reaches New Delhi (Watch Video). Pakistan is in a deep economic crisis and out of the total lending of USD 5.58 billion, Pakistan received concessional funding of USD 2.67 billion from the bank last year. However, these loans have been used by Pakistan to avert default. These loans were conditional on Pakistan obtaining loans from the IMF, which imposed its own conditionalities, reported Pakistan Today. Also Read | Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis Unveils Statue of Maratha Warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Mauritius (See Pics). One issue has been that loans have not been used to finance projects which could raise revenue and pay off the loans; in recent times, debt has been incurred to pay off previous debt. The idea is to keep Pakistan from defaulting, and thus keep open access to foreign money markets. That access is needed to borrow more to meet loan repayments. The report highlighted the region's vulnerability to climate change as Pakistan was also hit by devastating floods that killed more than 1,700 people, directly affected 33 million people, caused damages in billions of dollars, and worsened an already fragile economic situation, reported Geo News. One of the most worrisome aspects of the situation is that nobody seems to have a reliable method of resolving the problem. While embezzlement and corruption played a role, it is clear that one reason for incurring the debt. If multilateral institutions like the IMF and ADB drew back, Pakistan turned to bilateral aid from friendly countries. Now even those countries seem to have grown tired of purring more money into what appears to be a bottomless pit and have tied aid to the IMF giving its loan, reported Pakistan Today. Moreover, Pakistan's Parliament has been so prickly about asserting its supremacy in financial matters, to exercise oversight over all borrowing. Foreign borrowing is treated as a foreign relations issue, and Parliament is patted on the head and told not to bother about it. Even though it will have to shell out vast sums to service that debt, reported Pakistan Today. Meanwhile, political instability and military interference are leading Pakistan nowhere amid ensuing economic chaos. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Virginia requires an innocent person to take multiple steps to clear their record including getting fingerprinted, obtaining certified copies of their arrest report, filing a petition, paying a fee and obtaining legal service on the correction from a commonwealths attorney. On Friday, the Legal Aid Justice Center helped people jump those hurdles with its first-ever expungement clinic. The state has made expungement so much more difficult than it needs to be, former center official Rob Poggenklass told The Daily Progress. Standing beside a table with nine stacks of forms, Poggenklass lamented the paperwork burden as a steady influx of people defied the morning rain to enter the CitySpace meeting space in downtown Charlottesville to gain a measure of freedom. Were having to go through a court process to get rid of records that shouldnt be there in the first place, he said. Now directing an advocacy group called Justice Forward Virginia, Poggenklass has long eyed criminal records as barriers to lifes basics. Everyone needs a place to live, Poggenklass said, and presumably we want everyone to be working. Poggenklass contended that because so many employment and housing applications are prescreened by computers, old arrest records frequently disqualify innocent people. People are screened out before they even have a chance to meet their potential landlord or their potential employer, said Poggenklass. Harold Folley, the senior civil rights organizer at the Legal Aid Justice Center, said that he frequently hears such stories. People call me all the time and say, Hey, I had a charge 15 years ago, Folley told The Daily Progress. People were saying, I cant a job because of my record. One person who did get a job despite a record is Toni McCreash, who works for a state agency. Even though Virginia law means that McCreash cannot erase the two misdemeanor convictions she got for the day she left her kids in the car while she ran into a Walmart to buy fruits and vegetables, she drove drove several hours from Tidewater to attend the clinic in Charlottesville. I hope to observe it so I can take it back to Chesapeake, McCreash told The Daily Progress. Im excited about spreading this to other areas and helping people get their records expunged. In 2025, a new law takes effect that will allow the sealing of many lower-level convictions, some of them automatically. It wasnt clear to organizers whether the new law will be made retroactive, so events such as the one on Friday may become more common. This seems to be a really good and fair process to help people reintegrate into our community, said Charlottesville Commonwealths Attorney Joe Platania. Its an exciting process. Platania also addressed a possible elephant in the room: people who wriggle out of legitimate charges for one reason or another. Theres a process, Platania said, that lets the commonwealths attorney keep legitimate but abandoned or dismissed files alive. On very rare occasions we have done that. But like his Albemarle County counterpart, Jim Hingeley, these prosecutors were present at the clinic to accept legal service and thereby streamline petitions on Friday. And despite the days rain, a steady influx of people entered CitySpace to gain their measure of freedom. A process that would normally take months, weve cut out all that time by bringing everyone together, said Kelly Orians, a University of Virginia professor who directs the schools Decarceration and Community Reentry Clinic. Everyones gladly here today and happy to be working together. Lahore, Apr 29 (PTI) Pakistan police on Saturday booked former Chief Minister of Punjab province and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi on terrorism charges and arrested 25 others for resisting his arrest. An operation was launched by the Lahore police at Friday midnight, in which around 500 policemen and anti-corruption personnel raided Elahi's Lahore residence to arrest him in a corruption case. Also Read | US: New Omicron Subvariant Becomes Second Dominant COVID-19 Strain in United States. The operation ended early on Saturday after continuing for over five hours as police failed to arrest Elahi, who fled the house before the force's arrival. "The police registered a case against Elahi and 50 others under terrorism charges for allegedly attacking them with stones and petrol," Anti-Corruption Establishment spokesperson, Shahida Kamal, told PTI. Also Read | TikTok Challenge Turns Fatal! Viral Trend on Chinese Video-Sharing App Leaves US Teen Disfigured With 80% Third-Degree Burns. "Of them, 25 have been arrested and presented before a court which sent them on physical remand. The raiding team used an armoured vehicle to break open the main gate of the PTI Punjab provincial president's Gulberg area residence and arrested 25 people, mostly his employees, from the house. According to Kamal, raids are underway to arrest Elahi in a corruption case. Elahi's legal team said police raided his house despite them showing his protective bail till May 6 in the case. The ousted prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan strongly condemned the attack on his party's president's house. "Strongly condemn the illegal raid on Pervez Elahi's home with no respect to the women & family members present. We are seeing the dismantling of democracy in Pakistan before our eyes. There is no respect for Constitution, Supreme Court verdicts, or fundamental rights of the ppl - only law of jungle & fascism," Khan said in a series of tweets. "All part of London Plan to demoralise & crush PTI. They attacked my house & now the same is being done to Pervez Elahi by a cabal of crooks & handlers. Never seen such barbarism, even in Musharraf's martial law. Has the State dared to break into the homes of the looters & money laundering Sharif & Zardari families in this manner? Enough is enough," he said. Khan announced providing a roadmap to the nation on how to stand up against the destruction of the Constitution and democracy. Elahi's son and former federal minister Moonis Elahi agreed with Khan saying that the rule of law has ended in Pakistan. His other son Rasikh Elahi moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday against the late-night police action, according to Geo News. The petition termed the late-night raid "illegal and a violation of fundamental rights" and added that the court had granted bail to Elahi in the anti-corruption case till May 6. According to the Dawn newspaper, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry condemned the raid on Elahi's house and said that the party would hold a meeting to decide whether or not to continue the ongoing talks with the government regarding the election date. Pakistan's opposition party and the ruling coalition led by PML-N on Friday failed to make a breakthrough in holding general elections. The second round of talks was held in the backdrop of the controversy with Khan's PTI seeking early polls particularly in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where assemblies were dissolved in January and the government maintaining that elections across the country be held on the same day in October. The two sides exchanged proposals and agreed to meet again on Tuesday to end the political uncertainty plaguing the cash-strapped country. PTI MZ (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jeddah [Saudi Arabia], April 29 (ANI): The sixth Operation Kaveri Flight with 365 Indian nationals on board has departed Jeddah for New Delhi. "Another flight carrying Indian evacuees departs from Jeddah to New Delhi. 365 passengers onboard this 6th outbound flight are on their way back home," MEA official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Saturday. Also Read | TikTok Challenge Turns Fatal! Viral Trend on Chinese Video-Sharing App Leaves US Teen Disfigured With 80% Third-Degree Burns. Earlier on Saturday, a flight carrying 231 Indian passengers evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan, reached New Delhi. The Indian evacuees shouted slogans like "Bharat Mata ki jai," and "Vande Mataram" and also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for rescuing them from Sudan under Operation Kaveri. Also Read | Sonam Kapoor at King Charles III Coronation Concert! Actress to Deliver Spoken Word Piece at the Event in Windsor Castle. One of the Indian passengers shared the tough humanitarian crisis faced by them in Sudan. "It has become very difficult to stay in Sudan due to ongoing conflict. There is a shortage of food and drinking water, moreover, there are continuous bombings, and rockets are being fired. None of us were coming out of our houses. The food canteen was bombed. It is very difficult to flee also, travelling in the vehicle is also not safe, they can bomb buses too," said an Indian electrician from Buxar, Bihar evacuated from Sudan. He lauded Operation Kaveri and said that his evacuation from Sudan was like "re-birth" as he had lost hope to survive. "If it had not been PM Modi and EAM Jaishankar none of the Indians could have come here alive. From the deep of my heart, I want to thank them. Bharat Mata ki jai, Modiji Zindabad," he added. "#OperationKaveri moves further. 231 Indian reach home safely as another flight reaches New Delhi," tweeted Jaishankar. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Garud Commandos carried out a daring, overnight operation to air-lift stranded Indians despite the airstrip in Sudan's Wadi Seidna having no navigational approach, aids or fuel, and landing lights (that are required to guide an aircraft landing at night). On the night of April 27, 28, 2023, the IAF C-130J aircraft rescued 121 personnel from a small airstrip at Wadi Seidna, which is about 40 km North of Khartoum, Sudan, the IAF said in a statement. Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence.Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kyiv sent a formal note regarding what it said were Polish trade restrictions on importing agricultural products. The EU agreed in principle on an arrangement to get some produce out through neighboring countries.Ukraine has protested what it described as "categorically unacceptable" bans against the transit of its agricultural produce through neighboring Poland, as the war continues to challenge produce routes out of the country. Also Read | BYJU's Yet To Submit Financial Results Since FY21, Says ED After Raids. The Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that it sent a formal note to the Polish and European Union representatives in the country a day before regarding the bans. Also Read | Tom Cruise, Winnie the Pooh and Nicole Scherzinger to Have Their Brush with Royalty Again at King Charles III's Coronation. Poland and other Ukrainian neighbors have recently imposed temporary trade barriers on grains and other goods. The bans followed protests by local farming after a drop in the prices of local produce. In the note, the Ukrainian ministry argued that the restrictions fail to comply with the Association Agreement between Kyiv and the EU, as well as the EU Single Market norms. "There are full legal grounds for the immediate resumption of exports of Ukrainian agricultural goods to Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria, as well as the continuation of unhindered exports to other EU member states," it continued. EU announces relief deal 'in principle' Meanwhile on Friday, the EU announced reaching an agreement "in principle" with Ukraine's neighbors Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia regarding the passage of produce. The deal involves the withdrawal of any unilateral measures the five countries have taken against Ukrainian produce, in exchange for a 100m (approximately $111.27) support package for the affected farmers in the countries. The deal also would involve "exceptional safeguard measures" for the transit of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed. "We have acted to address concerns of both farmers in neighbouring EU countries and Ukraine," said European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis on Twitter. Kyiv welcomed the deal, saying it would mostly benefit Middle Eastern and African countries that rely on its food exports. Grain exports are a vital source of revenue for Ukraine, which is among the world's top suppliers. According to the European Commission, Ukraine accounts for 10% of the world wheat market, 15% of the corn market, and 13% of the barley market. With more than 50% of world trade, it is also the main player on the sunflower oil market. The Russian invasion, however, has largely impacted Kyiv's ability to export its produce via the Black Sea, despite the UN-brokered grain deal with Russia. This made the country resort to using its neighbors as outlets for its produce. rmt/wd (AFP, AP, Reuters) (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 29, 2023 06:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Citizens aged above 65 years, divyang' (disabled) persons and students up to Class 12 can avail of a 25 per cent concession in the fares of Mumba Metro Line 2A and 7 from May 1, celebrated as Maharashtra Day, said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday. The Haiti crisis continues, as the gang violence in the country has resulted in the killing of two journalists in the capital, Port-au-Prince, which, according to the U.N., has 60% of its territory now controlled by various gangs. This was revealed by the Committee to Protect Journalists, which stated that the first victim is radio reporter Dumesky Kersaint, who was fatally shot in mid-April. The second journalist killed in the country recently was identified as journalist Ricot Jean, who was found dead on Tuesday. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the killings, with its program director, Carlos Martinez de la Serna, stating, "The security crisis in the country is putting journalists at a constant risk of extreme violence. It is the authorities' responsibility to make sure reporters can do their jobs without fear of violence." The killings were also condemned by the National Association of Haitian Media, which stated that the "climate of tolerated and fueled violence" led to Kersaint's death. The late journalist was an online journalist for Radio Tele INUREP. As for Ricot Jean, he worked for Radio-Tele Evolution Inter. He was reportedly kidnapped last Monday, with his body being discovered the very next daym according to the Associated Press. So far, 21 journalists have been killed in Haiti from 2000 to 2022. Nine of these happened last year, making 2022 the deadliest year for journalists in Haiti. Haiti Police Condemned Recent Killings of Suspected Gang Members As the Haiti crisis continues, gangs are invading the capital from the outside, raping and pillaging the areas they conquer. Gang violence has citizens frustrated, forcing many of them to take up arms and hand out some vigilante justice. One example was the incident that happened earlier this week, where an angry mob beat up and burned to death 13 suspected gang members trying to enter Port-Au-Prince. An earlier incident also had another angry mob burn the bodies of six suspected gang members after they were killed in a shootout with Haitian police. READ NEXT: Haiti Gang Burns Courthouse Now, police have condemned this vigilante violence. According to ABC News, Garry Desrosiers, spokesman for Haiti's National Police, spoke at a news conference and told citizens, "If anyone hears anything, please advise the police," before adding, "Do not take justice into your own hands." He also stated that anti-gang operations will continue and urged citizens to "contact police if they see unusual activity or people they don't recognize in their neighborhoods." The police spokesman also said that "he understands people's anger and frustration over ongoing gang violence" and acknowledged that many of them have been victimized and suffering. U.N. Warned That Gang Violence in Haiti Is Expanding at an Alarming Rate In a new report to the U.N. Security Council, U.N. Warned That Gang Violence in Haiti Is Expanding at an Alarming Rate, stated, "Gang violence is expanding at an alarming rate in areas previously considered relatively safe in Port-au-Prince and outside the capital." She added that lynchings, rooftop snipers, and child murders have since increased as the Haiti crisis drags on. The figures come from the Haitian National Police and the United Nations, and it stated that violent crimes have more than doubled in the first quarter of 2023, with 1,647 incidences, compared to 692 in the same period in 2022. READ MORE: Dominican Republic Deported 1,800 Children to Haiti, Says UNICEF This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Ongoing gang-related violence in Haiti kills at least 70 - Arirang News The reason behind Tucker Carlson's firing from Fox News remains unclear. Thus, different reports of why he was pushed out have popped up. It happened as Fox News prime-time ratings plummeted after the conservative network canceled Carlson's show and replaced it with "Fox News Tonight." According to The Guardian, the reason behind his abrupt firing is still unclear as Fox News has yet to give a reason for the departure. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported that Carlson was fired after executives found vulgar text messages, including one in which the TV host called a top executive of Fox News the C-word. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Times reported that his firing was connected to Abby Grossberg's discrimination lawsuit against him and the network. Grossberg was Carlson's ex-senior booking producer, who said she experienced bullying and was subjected to antisemitic comments. Another report from Vanity Fair noted that Fox Corp. chair Rupert Murdoch was disturbed by Carlson's comments at a recent Heritage Foundation event. Carlson reportedly urged people to find 10 minutes for prayer each day. "That stuff freaks Rupert out. He doesn't like all the spiritual talk," an anonymous source told the outlet. As for reports about Carlson's leaked text messages talking badly about a Fox executive, those close to the fired host are skeptical that this was the main reason for his firing. One of them told The Guardian that Tucker Carlson's firing might be related more to the $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voter Systems. "An elderly Australian man fired his top anchor with no warning because he was so offended by a dirty word? Stupidest explanation ever. Please," said a person close to Carlson. "A big decision requires a powerful motive. Naughty words in text messages don't qualify." READ NEXT: Fox News Has a Secret Dossier on Tucker Carlson If He Decides to Retaliate Against Network 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' Replacement Struggles in Ratings When Tucker Carlson was fired, Fox News replaced his show, "Tucker Carlson Tonight," with "Fox News Tonight," which has a rotating schedule of hosts. It kicked off with substitute host Brian Kilmeade in the 8 p.m. Eastern hour timeslot on Wednesday night, though it did not do as well as its predecessor. Kilmeade only drew 1.33 million viewers when he hosted, down 56% from the 3.05 million viewers that Carlson used to have. According to the Associated Press, he also lost the rating battle to MSNBC's Chris Hayes. This slump in ratings echoed what happened at Fox News back in 2020, right after they called Arizona for President Joe Biden. Many viewers were angered at the network making the correct call that many switched over to rival Newsmax. That led to Fox News spreading lies about the 2020 presidential election, which prompted lawsuits from Dominion and Smartmatic. GOP Establishment Largely Ignored Tucker Carlson Firing Tucker Carlson's firing was largely met with indifference by the Republicans. Even though they think the host's influence is significant on both their base voters and a handful of former President Donald Trump supporters, many of the party's hawkish lawmakers have shrugged at the news as they think that he "never truly resonated in national security and military matters," according to Politico. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said: "You have got to think about the scale - I know he had an audience of three million people. There are 330 million people in the country." He added that Carlson and other TV anchors have bigger sway over what lawmakers "think is wrong versus how they can make things better." READ MORE: Tucker Carlson Exit Leaves Fox News with $500 Million Problem This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Hear What Happened to Fox News' Ratings Without Tucker Carlson - From CNN The sentencing of a Botetourt County man who pepper-sprayed police during the riots at the U.S. Capitol has been delayed. Markus Maly was scheduled to be in Washington D.C.s federal court Friday afternoon. No reason for the continuance was given in a brief court order filed earlier in the day. In December, a jury convicted Maly of eight charges for his role in the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. Evidence showed he was part of a mob that clashed with a line of police officers who were trying to defend the Capitols Lower West Terrace. Maly, 49, doused a Metropolitan Police Department officer with pepper spray during the encounter, the jury was told. In a sentencing memorandum filed last week, prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta to impose a prison term of 15 years and eight months. To date, the longest sentence handed down in the insurrection cases has been 10 years. Chipotle is giving away 2,000 Burrito Care Packages featuring 50 entree codes for healthcare workers in honor of National Nurses Week. The Mexican food chain plans to hand out $1 million in free Chipotle to healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses and dentists. If you are a legal resident of the U.S. aged 18 years or older and are a healthcare professional listed here, fill out this entry form and list the healthcare facility where you work. The entry period for this promotion is valid from now until May 12, 2023. There also is a limit of one entry per person. You can see the terms and conditions on Chipotles promotional website for additional details about the giveaway. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips. Customs and border protection officers seized 72 pounds of marijuana that was in baggage at Philadelphia International Airport that was being loaded onto a flight to Ireland. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the marijuana was stuffed into luggage. A 34-year-old California man was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations and charged with state felony charges of narcotics possession with intent to distribute, the agency said in a news release. The agency said officers were conducting outbound inspections on Monday, April 24, 2023, for the flight headed to Dublin Airport when an x-ray exam revealed anomalies in two suitcases. A CBP narcotics detector dog then alerted to the two suitcases. After the traveler associated with the luggage was identified, customs and border protection said the suitcases were taken to an inspection station. Inside the suitcases, officers discovered numerous black vacuum-sealed packs of marijuana. The marijuana weighed a combined 32.74 kilograms, or 72 pounds, three ounces. It has a street value of about $160,000 in the U.S.; however, high quality U.S. marijuana can fetch prices many times higher throughout other parts of the world. For example, the street price of marijuana in some parts of Ireland fetches about $400 an ounce, or about $460,000 for this load, the agency said. Rene Ortega, acting area port director for CBPs Area Port of Philadelphia, said it is unusual to find travelers that attempt to smuggle bulk amounts of marijuana in passenger baggage to overseas destinations. Bulk marijuana smuggling remains illegal, and Customs and Border Protection officers will continue to deliver consequences when we encounter it. READ MORE: Coma in a bottle: Phila. customs officers seize 6 gallons of liquid ecstasy. Gregory calls it the night he went skydiving without a parachute. Torn from his alcoholic mother, bullied at school and dumped by his girlfriend, the 15-year-old was finally overcome by the trauma he tried so hard to lock away. So he stood on the ledge of a railroad bridge abutment more than 20 feet off the ground that December night in 2021 with only one certainty. He couldnt go on without help. The outgoing North Jersey teen had asked for a therapist, but his dad didnt get him one. He had confided in his mom how desperately empty he felt, but she had little power after losing a custody battle with her ex-husband. And Gregory had told a judge months earlier he wanted to live with his mom since she was now sober, but the request was refused. Half of me was like, Lets go see Jesus, said Gregory, a pseudonym NJ Advance Media is using to protect his privacy. The names of his family members have also been changed. The other half of me was like Lets not yet. Youre only 15. Gregory leapt, but aimed for a sloped, grassy area rather than the rocks directly below. He survived the fall with just scrapes and bruises. Could it have killed me? Absolutely, he said flatly. If I had landed on my head, I would have looked like a watermelon that just got crushed. Everyone knows a kid like Gregory. The high school junior is one of an untold number of teens caught in bitter custody battles, but their experiences have flown under the radar in the larger adolescent mental health discussion. In Gregorys case, he also carries the destabilizing weight of his mothers alcoholism and his younger brothers crippling depression. His parents dysfunctional relationship left him in a perpetual state of limbo, pushing him to the brink of suicide before getting the help he knew he needed. If a child asks for therapy, you give the child therapy, warned Madelyn Simring Milchman, an Upper Montclair psychologist who specializes in child trauma. Gregory, now 17, is sharing his story as part of Portraits of a Crisis, an occasional series by NJ Advance Media shining light on the experiences of teens during an alarming mental health epidemic. The same month Gregory jumped, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy issued a report warning that the coronavirus pandemic had a devastating impact on the mental health of teens, adding to already rising rates of anxiety and depression. The U.S. suicide rate grew by 4% in 2021, including a 7% increase in suicides among people ages 15-24, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. My intended result at the end of the day was trying to get help, Gregory said of the impulsive plunge. So, I mean, it kind of worked. Gregorys dad, Frank, said there were any number of reasons for not getting his son into therapy sooner, but mostly he seemed to be really well-adjusted. The severity of his sons struggles was an eye-opener, he said. Gregory received therapy after his cry for help and no longer thinks of harming himself, he said. But he still wanted to return to New England, where he grew up with his mom Caroline until he was 12. What I wanted for my mental health was going back with my mom. Id say it louder, and louder, and louder, and no one listened, said Gregory, who says he loves both parents equally but has never considered his dads place home. Sometimes I would just stop, because theres no point if no ones listening. His experience also underscores the human toll of a severe judge shortage in New Jersey that allows custody disputes to drag on far longer than they should, leaving children awash in uncertainty and stress. A court-ordered best interest evaluation conducted by a psychologist last summer recommended Gregory and his younger brother Andrew live with their mother as soon as is feasible. Long story short, they totally ignored me, Gregory said of the system. A scarring childhood Gregory considers himself a typical teen. He stands about 6 feet tall. He loves history and thinks he might want to become a teacher. He has a strong jaw, a decent mustache and dark brown hair that hangs to his shoulders, making him look like a movie star when it blows in the wind, he joked. Gregory answers his phone in a deep, adult voice, but his youthfulness is unmistakable when he talks about comic books, how fast he runs and his dating troubles. As the older brother, he feels responsible for Andrew, 15, who has talked about killing himself and indicated in his best interest evaluation that everyone would be better off if he was dead. Gregory has taken on the role of his brothers protector. He has some of the similar issues as me, he said. He doesnt like to talk about it. But Gregory needs to talk. Just knowing someone is listening makes him feel better, he said. There are so many memories he wants to block out and so many feelings he doesnt know how to process that he usually just tries to shove it all down and push forward. In his lowest moments, he would take the key to his dads apartment and press the sharp edges into his flesh. There were days when my entire chest was carved like a tic-tac-toe board, he said. That was the only way that I felt like I could get the pain off. The ripple effects of his parents breakup continue to shape Gregorys life. Frank moved out of the family home in 2008, when Gregory was 2 and Andrew was just 7 months. He moved to New Jersey, but typically visited every other weekend and on holidays, he said. Frank and Caroline officially separated two years later, and their divorce was finalized in 2013. Gregory remembers a childhood with his mother that was sometimes picturesque playing in the yard in their rural community and other times nightmarish. Caroline struggled with the pressure of raising two kids after the divorce. Juggling her young family and a full-time teaching job, she cracked, she said. Youre running as fast as you can, and youre trapped in the house all night because youve got these two little kids, Caroline said. You literally have no life. She doesnt know the exact moment her drinking became problematic. But what started as a few drinks to get out of her own head after the boys went to sleep eventually became an addiction. When Gregory was 6 or 7, he started spending most of his time at his grandmothers house, he said. He loves Caroline he cherishes the moments when she was fun and functional but as he got older, he realized she had a problem. Most of the time, she was drunk, he said. He started hiding Carolines empty liquor bottles under her bed when he was in elementary school so his grandparents wouldnt see them. Gregory is haunted by the night his mom drank so much she couldnt get out of bed and peed on him as he tried to help her up. Paramedics took her away on a stretcher. And he tries not to think about witnessing Carolines arrest after she threw a phone during a dispute with Franks mother. She was subsequently charged with domestic violence. I struggle with it a lot, Gregory said, racing through his words. I dont usually tell people, though, because its like, what are they going to do about it? Carolines drinking cost him life as he knew it at 12. He awoke one morning in 2018 at his grandmothers house and found his father waiting with a temporary restraining order to take the boys to New Jersey. Children raised by a parent struggling with mental health issues, including alcoholism, face a higher risk of developing their own mental health issues, according to Jacquelynn Duron, an associate professor at Rutgers Universitys school of social work. Once a child is old enough to know that their parent is engaged in something thats unacceptable in society, their emotions become increasingly volatile, she said. It can leave them feeling very confused, Duron said. When Frank received custody of the boys, Gregory blamed himself for Carolines drinking. He thought he failed her. I didnt think I was the cause of her drinking, Gregory said. I thought I didnt do enough to stop it. A traumatic move Gregory wasnt ready for life in New Jersey. Not the cramped living space. Or the bullying. He and Andrew squeezed into Franks one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment in a quiet North Jersey commuter town. Frank, a sound engineer who moonlights as a musician, crammed two beds in his room, which the boys have shared for four years. He began sleeping on the couch. I knew literally no one, Gregory said. He became a frequent target of bullies, which he assumes was because he was new. In one particularly cruel incident, he got pantsed while a group of kids took a cellphone video of his humiliation, he said. Gregory suffered intense mood swings as he acclimated to his new home. He would be really, really happy for a few days, followed by deep sadness, he said. Meanwhile, Caroline spiraled after losing custody, crying herself to sleep on the bathroom floor. She resigned from her teaching job and, with the exception of a few phone calls and letters, practically disappeared from her sons lives during their first year in New Jersey, Gregory said. Caroline said Frank kept the boys away. Frank said when they tried to call Caroline, she was in no condition to talk. Like most of his life, Gregory heard his parents tell different versions of the same story. He never knows which to believe. Already scarred by Carolines alcoholism, Gregory confronted losing contact with his mom while living in a new town where he felt unwelcome. Either change would put a strain on a childs mental health, Duron said. Taken together? The trauma was likely incredibly damaging. We are talking about adjustments and transitions, but were also talking about loss and grief that comes with losing everything that someone is used to, she said. Gregory asked both parents for a therapist after the breakup, he said. All he knows is he didnt get help. He was in New Jersey for just a few months when Frank asked if he wanted someone to talk to. The conversation occurred about four years before his alarming jump. But therapy never happened, not until he tried to hurt himself, he said. A child asking for therapy is an unusual request to cry for help, Simring Milchman said. Its a signal that you may not know everything thats going on with this child, and they may not even want to tell you, she said. Gregory talked about therapy with Caroline, Frank said, but not with him after their initial conversations. I acted on what I have in front of me, he said, and I didnt have anything that disturbed me until it was too late. Back in New England, Caroline went to rehab and got sober within a year of losing custody, she said. She started working again as a teacher. And she began a long, tangled legal battle to regain custody that was slowed by the pandemic and New Jerseys understaffed judicial system. Stress and uncertainty Gregory loves his dad. Frank is easy to get along with and a great cook, his older son said. But being away from Caroline made him miserable. During the 2019-20 school year, the judge overseeing the case interviewed Gregory. The eighth grader knew it would break his dads heart if he said he wanted to live with his mom. Hes been doing his best. He loves us, obviously, Gregory said. But at the same time, I was like, This is whats right for me. He nervously told the judge he wanted to live with his mom. Custody disputes are inherently messy. Judges must narrow their focus to determine the best interest of the child, a loaded term based on several factors, according to Randi Mandelbaum, a professor at Rutgers Law School in Newark. A childs preference is a consideration, but so is a parents history of domestic violence as well as the safety of the child, the wishes of other siblings, the continuity of the childs education and the fitness of the parent, Mandelbaum said. Children at the center of a custody fight can feel a whirlwind of emotions, including helplessness, chaos and uncertainty, according to Duron, the Rutgers professor of social work. That instability can just wreak a lot of havoc on childrens sense of safety, of trust, of permanence, she said. In March 2021, the middle of Gregorys freshman year, the judge denied Carolines petition for custody. Andrew wanted to remain in New Jersey, and both boys told the judge they didnt want to be split up, according to Frank. They listened to everything (Gregory) said. One of those things was he didnt want to be separated from (his brother), Frank said. Caroline said Andrew was undecided, but indicated that staying in New Jersey would be less of a hassle. About to turn 15, Gregory felt his life, his mental health and his future were in the hands of a system that ignored him. (Family court decisions and transcripts are not available for public inspection.) His only saving grace was a love interest at school who became his girlfriend and his coping mechanism, he said. Whatever happened in the past or whatever was going on with his parents didnt matter when they were together, he said. I could just be with her, and it would just kind of disappear for me, he said. But Gregory has trust issues and anger problems. He frequently fought with his girlfriend, and the relationship became volatile until they broke up in November 2021. Gregorys suppressed trauma quickly roared to the surface. And his grades tanked, spurring yet another problem. He became so stressed he could barely sleep. At that point, to me, it was like, This is life or death, he said. I do want a therapist, and Id appreciate it pronto. Gregory didnt want to die. But he wanted out of his life. He went to the bridge about a month after the breakup. I was just, like, f it, he said. And I jumped. Hope and fear Therapy was like hitting a reset button. Gregory unloaded everything on his mind and felt his therapist actually listened. She helped me so much, he said. She taught me how to handle my emotions. But Gregory still wanted to return to New England. He and Andrew started spending some weekends and most of the summer with their mother after a judge allowed it, Caroline said. She filed for custody again after Gregorys leap, and the judge ordered a best interest evaluation in June 2022. Gregory appeared to have situational depression, and Andrews state was consistent with major depressive disorder, according to the psychologist. Andrew told the evaluator life sucks and there is nothing good or interesting about me. He was prescribed an antidepressant after a hospital stint last year for suicidal ideation. His school required him to undergo a psychological screening in January, but he doesnt want to talk to a therapist because he doesnt think it will help, according to Caroline. Andrew has described himself as the least enjoyable person on the planet and once told a psychologist, I dont like myself, and most people feel that way, too. He refuses to get a haircut and wears flannel shirts year-round, Caroline said. The expert report noted that the teens seem to have a good relationship with both parents and Andrew would prefer to live with his father to avoid restarting his school and social life. However, the psychologist recommended both children live with their mother at the start of the 2022-23 school year to safeguard Gregorys mental health Andrew would be starting a new high school and needed mental health support regardless of where he lived. To ignore (Gregorys) wishes, under the circumstances, could lead him to feeling more helpless and hopeless, the psychologist wrote in a report reviewed by NJ Advance Media. Then the judge was suddenly reassigned to the backlogged criminal courts just six days before a scheduled trial in September, according to state judiciary records. The new judge delayed the trial to January 2023. New Jerseys shortage of judges reached a crisis level during the pandemic. And the courts are still struggling to keep up, reassigning civil and family court jurists to address a backlog of criminal cases, according to the State Bar Association. Fifty-eight of the 463 trial court seats in New Jersey about 1 in 8 are vacant. Coveted trial dates have become exceedingly difficult to secure, and theres more time than usual between routine hearings. Lawyers have been calling on Gov. Phil Murphys administration to quickly nominate qualified candidates and the state Legislature to quickly confirm them. But another 22 judges are expected to retire by the end of the calendar year, according to the state. Its sickening the families and children that are being harmed because of the staggering judicial vacancy rate, said Jeralyn Lawrence, president of the New Jersey State Bar Association. Last fall, Gregory made the difficult decision to tell his mom it is now too late to live with her. Halfway through his junior year, he didnt want to leave his friends to start over in another new school. It doesnt make sense, he said. Initially, Caroline said she would reluctantly drop the custody petition before the January trial. But Andrews mental health has since deteriorated, and hes twice been suspended from school, she said. Earlier this spring, he was arrested and charged with threatening to kill another student over a comment Andrew made in class, Caroline said. She decided to continue pursuing custody of both boys, though she and Frank agreed to delay the trial while attending mediation sessions and working to stabilize their younger son. Gregory is no longer in therapy and is doing pretty good, he says. But he prefers not to hear about his parents custody dispute, he says as his voice drops. Theres not much I can do about it, Gregory said, and honestly, Ive got enough on my plate right now. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Adam Clark may be reached at aclark@njadvancemedia.com Police were called to the scene of truck that rolled over into a small field on Friday evening outside Freemansburg. One person was transported from the scene by emergency crews, police said. Authorities could not confirm their condition, they said. Police responded around 4:48 p.m. to calls about a truck carrying some sort of flammable liquid, possibly a gas or energy truck, Lehigh County Dispatch confirmed. The truck apparently rolled into a field in the 4000 block of Washington Street in Bethlehem Township, authorities said. Photos from the scene show the truck just past the hilt of a knoll, turned bottom-side-up as emergency crews attempted to clear the scene. Authorities did not say what caused the incident. Calls to the Bethlehem Township police department were not immediately returned on Saturday. The Department of Environmental Protection was notified of the incident, but authorities said they could not immediately confirm the extent of the environmental injuries, if any. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com or glenn_epps_on Twitter. A taxi driver who beat his 11-year-old son 20 times with an umbrella after locking him out of his house in the rain has been given a suspended sentence. In the wake of the assault, the 42-year-old man, who can't be named to protect the identity of the child, told his son not to tell his mother or he would be thrown in the hell fire by God, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on Thursday, April 27. He pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm to the child in his Dublin home on February 16, 2020. A local garda detective told Tessa White BL, defending, that on the day in question, the boy's mother dropped her three children off to the father's house for an access visit. The parents are separated, the court heard. When the woman picked her children up after the visit, her 11-year-old son started crying in the car. The children told their mother that their father had told them they would be thrown in the hell fire by God if they told their mother what had happened. When she told them this would not happen, they told her the boy had been beaten and she went to gardai. When interviewed by specialist gardai, the boy said that upon arriving at his father's house he had asked to go out and play. The father said he could, but warned him he would not be allowed back into the house, the court heard. The child assumed his father was being sarcastic and went outside. After half an hour, he was cold and tried to get back into the house, but the door was locked. He knocked and called for his father, who he could see in the kitchen, but got no response. One of his siblings told him through a window that his father wouldn't let him back into the house. The boy remained outside the house for another hour, at which point he was really wet, cold and stressed, counsel said. He knew he needed shelter so he decided to walk back to his mother's house, which was a 15 minute drive away, the court heard. He had walked a short distance when his father drove up and brought him back to his home. Once in his father's house, the boy was taken into the sitting room where the father closed the curtains and then beat him to his body 20 times with a metal umbrella. During the assault, the man repeatedly said: Will you run away again? while the boy cried and apologised. The boy suffered bruising to his torso and a cut to his knee during the beating, which ended when the umbrella broke. When interviewed by gardai, the man denied ever physically punishing any of his children. He has no previous convictions. A victim impact statement by the boy was handed into court, but not read out at his request. Neither he nor his mother were in court for the sentencing. Ian Woodland BL, defending, said the man has since engaged in parenting and conflict resolution courses. He said the man a taxi driver had worked a night shift prior to the assault and was sleep deprived and stressed. He has not seen his children since the assault and it is unclear if he will regain access at any point, the court heard. This one serious error of judgment has potentially deprived him of ever seeing his family again, defence counsel said. Sentencing the man, Judge Elma Sheahan noted it was a serious breach of trust given the relationship between the man and his son and the disparity in age and size. She said it was clear the boy remained fearful and distressed long after the incident. She took into account a number of mitigating factors, including the fact that the man's guilty plea saved the boy from having to come to court and give evidence. She noted he has no previous convictions, has expressed remorse and has engaged in courses. She handed down a six-month sentence which she suspended in full on a number of conditions, including that the man continue engaging in the conflict resolution course for another six months. Attorney General Jason Miyares hosted the 6th Annual Unsung Heroes Award Ceremony this week recognizing Virginians who provide exemplary service and support to victims of crime in Virginia. Among the honorees was a detective with the Town of Orange Police Department. The Office of the Attorney General established these awards to acknowledge Virginians who dedicate their work to support crime victims with trauma-informed responses in their recovery and healing journey, according to a release. Unsung heroes work tirelessly for others, never seeking the limelight, and, instead, serving as a light to crime victims who are often facing the darkest, most unmooring time in their life, said Miyares. Our unsung heroes wake up every morning, not knowing what horrors or pain the day could bring and go to work because they know that there are victims who need their help. Their resilience and determination to make a difference in a victims world inspires me every day. Orange PD Detective Adrienne Beale is among Miyares Unsung Heroes. She has worked in law enforcement for over 18 years, including 12 in the Town of Orange. Due to limited funding, Beale is the only full-time detective working on sexual assault cases for the police department, according to the release. Due to the heavy caseload, Beale advocated for herself to receive forensic interview training to better serve victims and ensure justice is served. Recognizing how traumatic the entire legal process is for victims, she made an independent effort to reduce how many times a victim has to retell their story to minimize further traumatization, the release stated. Other winners were Jennifer Baron, Master Police Officer Norfolk Police Department; Judy Clark, Outreach Coordinator Abuse Alternatives, Inc.; Kristan Crummett, Victim Witness Coordinator for Waynesboro and Magnolia Rose; Linda Ellis-Williams, Director of Domestic Violence YWCA, Lynchburg; Lorraine Goldberg, Detective Loudoun County Sheriffs Department; Christopher Hudspeth, Master Firefighter/Paramedic Chesapeake Fire Department; Charlene Tammy Jones, Deputy Director Richmond Victim Witness Services; Ashley Manuel, LAP Coordinator The Family Resource Center; and Karen Mortensen, Director New Kent/Charles City Victim Witness Program. 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 car thief who injured a garda when he twice rammed a patrol car to get away from gardai has been sentenced to four years in prison. Trevor Brown (40) reversed the stolen pick-up truck at speed at the parked patrol car, pinning the leg of Garda David Lewis between the vehicles, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. In a letter of apology written to the court, Brown claimed that he was reversing slowly. Judge Patricia Ryan said this was at variance with the evidence. Garda Lewis told Monica Leech BL, prosecuting, that on the afternoon of May 7, 2022, a report was received of the theft of a traffic management vehicle at Faussagh Avenue in Cabra, North Dublin. The jeep had a tracker, and the owners were able to track the Isuzu Jeep to Dubber Cross, St Margaret's in Finglas, near the M5. The owners notified gardai, and Garda Lewis and his colleague Garda Louise Moran travelled to the location in a patrol car and found the stolen jeep parked up with a man in the driver seat. Garda Lewis said he positioned the patrol car to block the car from moving off, and Garda Lewis said he got out to approach the driver. He said the driver, later identified as Brown, reversed the jeep at speed, ramming the passenger side of the patrol car. Garda Lewis told the court that his leg was pinned between the vehicles, and Lewis then reversed a second time, revving the car engine up in first gear in an attempt to escape. The court heard the pickup became stuck in an electricity box which had live wires in it, and gardai pulled Brown from the vehicle and arrested him. Brown resisted arrest and assaulted the two gardai during the arrest. Gda Moran suffered a cut to her hand, while Garda Lewis suffered swelling and bruising to his leg, cuts to his left shin and muscle soreness to one shoulder. Both gardai were certified unfit for duty for some time after the assaults. Brown of Dermot O'Dwyer House, Dublin City Centre, pleaded guilty to creating a serious risk of harm by driving dangerously at Meakstown Cottages, Finglas on May 7, 2022. He also pleaded guilty to two charges of assaulting a police officer and one charge of stealing a car at Fassaugh Ave., Cabra West on May 7, 2022. His 165 previous convictions include 58 for theft, 41 under the Road Traffic Act, eight for criminal damage and two for car theft. Patrick McCarthy, BL, defending, told the court that his client was extremely apologetic and during his garda interview, he asked about the injured gardai and said, I hope everyone is ok. Counsel said Brown had a history of drug addiction, but since going into custody, he has engaged in drug treatment and is doing well. Passing sentence on Friday, April 28, Judge Patricia Ryan said this court has the benefit of a probation report, two victim impact statements, a letter from Browns mother, a governor's report and his list of previous convictions. Judge Ryan said a car was rammed into a patrol car not once but twice, with the two gardai suffering both physical and psychological injuries. The judge said she would consider Browns guilty plea, his time already spent in custody, efforts to rehabilitate and expression of remorse as mitigating factors in this case. Judge Ryan sentenced Brown to two and a half years for the unlawful taking of a car and five years for the assault on a police officer, with the final year suspended under strict conditions. Both sentences will run concurrently and are backdated from when he went into custody on this matter. Public consultation has revealed a public desire for a big increase in deer numbers to be tackled in Laois and across Ireland. That is according to Animal Health & Welfare chair of the ICSA Hugh Farrell who said he welcomed progress being made by the Deer Management Strategy Group in tackling the deer issue following a stakeholder meeting in Portlaoise on Thursday, April 27. Feedback from the Consultation on the Management of Deer in Ireland conducted by the group, and which amassed more than 1,500 responses, confirms there is strong public support for dealing with the explosion in deer numbers. Uncontrolled growth in deer is not good for biodiversity, for road safety, or for farming. In regard to farming the link between deer and the spread of TB has been established; deer are part of the TB infection problem, and this cannot be ignored. However, the establishment of the Deer Management Strategy Group and the work it is undertaking is a signal, that, at last, after years of ICSA lobbying, there is now a government recognition that something must be done. The days of turning a blind eye to uncontrolled expansion of deer and the impact on TB are surely over. It is clear we need better information about how many deer are in the country, but it is beyond question that numbers have exploded. In ICSA we regularly receive complaints from members with land adjacent to forestry that deer are breaking into and eating fields clean of grass. The key now is for the group to devise an action plan and government must step up to the plate to support this with necessary funds and accountability, he said. The Deer Management Strategy Group includes the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, National Parks & Wildlife Service and Coillte. It was re-established in 2023 and is tasked with developing a sustainable deer management strategy for Ireland in consultation with stakeholders. The Department of Agiculture said the purpose of the consultation was to gather views on key issues relating to deer management in Ireland, seeking views on the impact of increasing deer numbers on a variety of issues such as forestry, animal health and welfare, biodiversity, road safety and the welfare of the deer themselves. Views were also sought on potential solutions and barriers / constraints to these solutions. The views of all stakeholders were sought with the aim to creating a sustainable and effective deer management strategy for both the present and future. Consultation began in December 2022 and ended in February 2023. A rematch of the 2022 county final was in store on this beautiful Friday evening in McCann Park. Portarlington had comprehensively defeated their neighbours O'Dempsey's when the sides met back in October for the big one, and they once more triumphed here again. Portarlington, who are now under the guidance of former Galway Senior hurling manager Anthony Cunningham, opened the scoring on their home patch in front of a sizeable crowd. Portarlington 1-14 O'Dempsey's 1-8 Colm Murphy kicked over the first score of the day. O'Dempsey's responded strongly though and rattled off the next three scores, with their main man Mark Barry back available to give them a boost. Lorcan O'Sullivan landed the men in blue and gold's first point before Barry fired over two on the trot. They were both quality scores as well, as he managed to find the target twice under pressure and from tight angles. Portarlington hit back with the next three points of their own though. Ronan Coffey, who put in a top-class display throughout, placed over two nice points from play. Colm Murphy then intercepted an O'Dempsey's kick-out before setting up Daragh Galvin for a score which saw them edge back ahead. Eoin Finlay levelled matters down the other end though, as he spun and curled over from an acute angle. Portarlington had the first real sight of a goal. Dylan Murphy made a driving run from corner-back but his shot was straight at Padraig Bannon in the O'Dempsey's net and was subsequently saved. That was a sign that Portarlington were beginning to turn the screw though. They dominated the second quarter of this match and that was ultimately where this game was won. Ronan Coffey floated over a classy outside-of-the-boot score. Colm Murphy then intercepted another O'Dempsey's kick-out that ended up with him winning a free and placing it over. Portarlington then got their goal after a swift and powerful counter-attacking move. It started with Robbie Pigott turning O'Dempsey's over and ended with Ronan Coffey calmly slotting the ball into the back of the net. Colm Murphy kicked the final score of the first half, as Portarlington enjoyed a comfortable 1-8 to 0-4 cushion at the interval. The county champions picked up where they left off at the start of the second half. Colm Murphy converted a free before they almost got in for goal number two. Portarlington's Jordan Fitzpatrick's hard work and pressing meant that O'Dempsey's were turned over close to their own goal. It looked like Daragh Galvin was going to palm home from close range, but O'Dempsey's corner-back Eimhin O'Neill denied him by clearing the ball off the line. Nevertheless, Portarlington continued to build on their advantage. Colm Murphy converted two more frees either side of a booming long-range score from Robbie Piggott. O'Dempsey's, to their credit, finished the final quarter on top. Mark Barry and Matthew Finlay fired over frees before the two combined for an O'Dempsey's goal. Matthew 'Hatch' Finlay fired a perfectly weighted pass into Barry that caught Portarlington's defence on the back foot. Barry the played a one-two with Eoin Finlay before drilling a low shot into the bottom right corner.Eoin Finlay planted over a fantastic score from distance to leave five points between the teams with ten minutes of normal time remaining. However, Portarlington composed themselves to see out the result. Rioghan Murphy was introduced off the bench and he curled over a fine point shortly after he came on. Coffey then completed his scoring for the night with another excellent outside of the boot score. The result leaves O'Dempsey's rooted to the bottom of ACFL Division 1, while Portarlington jump up to second behind St Joseph's. Changes to the SUSI student grant scheme could benifit up to 50,000 Irish undergraduates a result of the widening of these income limits. That's the view of Laois TD and Minister of State Sean Fleming on the the opening of applications for new student supports. He outlined some changes which he believed cut the cost of attending third-level institutions for students and their families, for the coming academic year. The improvements outlined by the Minister include: A reduction in the contribution fee of 1,500 for families earning between 55,240 to 62,000. A reduction of 500 in the contribution fee for eligible households earning between 62,000 and 100,000. "Up to 50,000 undergraduates could receive support under the Student Grant Scheme for the first time as a result of the widening of these income limits. "We are committed to building a world-class education system and tackling inequality in access to education, based on a persons economic background. "These new changes will allow more students to avail of the grants supports. This will help as part of a reduction of costs for those going to college and follows up to 14% increases in the maintenance grant in January," he said. Minister Fleming said a new higher income limit of 62,000 could see half the student contribution fee paid on behalf of students under this income level. He added that students can now earn up to 6,552, outside of their term time, without affecting their means assessment for the student grant. The Fianna Fail TD encouraged all current undergraduate students, and those planning to go to college in September, to visit www.susi.ie and apply now. Dance for Brigid is a new unique show dedicated to St Brigid and is being run in association with the Kildare County Council and the Brigid 1500 festivities and grants. Kildare Irish Figure Dancers explain; it will be a first of its kind, packed with traditional and specially created dances designed especially for this show and as a tribute to St Brigid. The dancers will be joined by some special guests on Sunday, May 7 The St. Brigids Pipe Band, The Liffey Choir and Mairead Carroll, and they also have a couple of their own dancers performing musical acts too. We are proud to have the St Brigids cross as our logo and extra proud to be from Kildare, the county where there is so much history and connection to St Brigid, says Caroline Morrissey from the Kildare Irish Figure Dancers. It is an honour to represent Kildare around this country and abroad. We are on our first overseas trip to Disneyland Paris in August this year, where the dancers will put on an exhibition on the stage and proudly represent, their county , their country and Kildare Irish figure dancing. The group is an extension of Kildare Irish Figure Dancing Council which is in existence for 75 years. It is a new amalgamation of all the figure dancing classes in Kildare. It was set up in November 2022 by long time member Caroline Morrissey. Caroline has been a member of Droichead Nua Irish figure dancing class for over 40 years now. She was getting concerned about the falling numbers of dancers in all the classes and is passionate about keeping this tradition alive. She says she wanted to give the dancers another element of dancing and provide opportunities and experiences that would keep their interest and give them something fun to look forward to, outside the feis competitions. There are now 47 members in the group, all aged between 13 and 24. These dancers will normally compete against each other throughout the year but come together on Sunday mornings in Newbridge to work together to create and learn new dances and prepare for future exhibitions and events. The first practice was held on Sunday, November 6. Caroline was joined with other dance teachers, Lorraine Deering from the Skerries class, Zoe Cullen from the Brownstown class and Hannah Cusack from Droichead Nua class. These teachers also share Carolines passion for the tradition of Irish Figure dancing, Both Hannah and Zoe still dance with the group and are fantastic role models to all the younger members. All the dancers, who were wearing all black, walked in, some very excited, some nervous, not knowing what to expect, and all keeping to their own little groups and classes. We did some warm up exercises with them as we do at all our classes, and put some music on and asked them to do their 1,2,3, says Caroline. All the teachers looked at each other immediately with big smiles on our faces and said Wow, this is going to be great, we werent wrong, it has been great and continues to be. We have achieved so much already, we have had lots of experiences and have lots more planned for the rest of the year. In fact, we already have bookings for 2024. The dancers are all mixing really well together now in the class and outside. It is wonderful and heart warming to see all the new friendships grow among everyone involved, both dancers and teachers and even parents. Everyone is working really hard on getting this show ready in between our regular feis competitions. Like all of the Irish figure dancing classes affiliated with KIFDC, we are run 100% voluntary. We pride ourselves on our all inclusive, fun and affordable approach to keeping this tradition alive and available to the young people of Kildare and giving them the opportunities to spread their love for Irish figure dancing , where ever it brings us. We have had a big fundraising drive on since the start up and are blown away with the support from people. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped and supported us to date. A special mention to the parents who have all been very supportive and helpful with everything we ask. Caroline says the group would love to have a full house at the show which will take place on Sunday, May 7 in The Osprey Hotel Naas. Doors will open at 5pm and the show will start at 6pm with an estimated finishing time of 8:30pm. There will be a raffle on the night with some great prizes up for grabs. Tickets are now on sale they cost 10 each, if anyone would like to purchase tickets ,please contact Caroline or any other Kildare Irish figure dancer for information. You can check them out on Facebook, and Instagram. The group can also be contacted via email at Kildareirishfiguredancers@gmail.com or you can message or whatsapp Caroline on 086 6067947. Judge Patricia Cronin offered a Mohill bar owner a chance after his licensed premises was charged with selling alcohol after closing time. Adrian McCaffrey, Cornee, Mohill was charged with selling intoxicating liquor after hours at OCallaghans Bar, Mohill on July 11, 2022. Solicitor John McGuinness told the court his client was pleading guilty to the charge, all other charges were withdrawn by the state. The court heard Gardai arrived into OCallaghans Bar at 1.28am on the morning of July 11, 2022. They saw 4-5 fresh drinks on tables and there were 15 patrons present. The licensee Mr McCaffrey said he had been trying to get them to leave. Gardai said the patrons left after Gardai arrived and noted that closing time was 11.30pm that night. Mr McCaffrey had no previous convictions, Mr McGuinness told the court that his client was a recent licence owner who had been hit hard by Covid restrictions. He said patrons had been into watch the All Ireland Semi Final between Dublin and Kerry and did not want to leave. He added this was not a regular practice and asked for leniency. He also offered a donation to charity. Judge Patricia Cronin told Mr McCaffrey to donate 500 to the charity Little Blue Heroes. The funds were handed in and she struck out the summons. Protesters hold a banner which reads "solidarity with asylum seekers" during a demonstration against the French Minister of Interior, Gerald Darmanin's legislative proposal on asylum and immigration, in Rennes, western France, on April 29, 2023. JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP Thousands of people, including many undocumented migrants, marched in Paris and other French towns on Saturday, April 29, protesting against planned changes to the immigration law and evictions from the Indian Ocean island of Mayotte. In the French capital, demonstrators marched behind a banner proclaiming "No to the Darmanin law. Against repression, imprisonment and deportations, for a welcoming migration policy," in a reference to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. The immigration bill, which the government has just postponed until the autumn, "is a racist law, which aims to criminalize foreigners" and lead to "more deportations", said Aboubacar, 31, an undocumented Malian. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes French government tentatively resumes work on paused immigration bill Ajouter a vos selections Ajouter a vos selections Pour ajouter larticle a vos selections identifiez-vous Sinscrire gratuitement Se connecter Vous possedez deja un compte ? "The problem is not immigration, it's exploitation and rogue bosses," added the post office sub-contractor who, with colleagues, has been fighting for 17 months to obtain his official documents to live and work in France. The protesters also took aim at Operation Wuambushi (Take Back) being carried out by the authorities on the French Indian Ocean Island of Mayotte to send back illegal immigrants, most from neighboring Comoros, currently housed in unsanitary shanty towns. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes The French government's deceptive promises behind shantytown evictions in Mayotte Ajouter a vos selections Ajouter a vos selections Pour ajouter larticle a vos selections identifiez-vous Sinscrire gratuitement Se connecter Vous possedez deja un compte ? "The way undocumented Comorans are treated is unworthy of a country like France," said Marie-Christine Vergiat, vice president of the French Human Rights League and a former member of the European parliament. The Darmanin bill and the operation in Mayotte are linked, Said Mhamadi, a Comoran civil leader, said in the southern port city of Marseille, where up to 300 people demonstrated. The controversial bill, entitled "Controlling immigration while improving integration," is aimed, among other things, at providing greater scope for deportation, especially for foreigners who commit crimes. It also stipulates a minimum level of French be required before a multi-year residence permit is granted and allows for mandatory fingerprinting as well as tightening requirements for the renewal of long-term permits. In the northwestern city of Rennes, over 1,500 people took to the streets chanting "down with the police state". Le Monde with AFP The migrant rescue ship Ocean Viking has saved 153 people in distress off Malta, the French charity SOS Mediterranee operating the vessel said on Saturday, April 29. The rescue operations in the central Mediterranean on Friday were coordinated by Italian maritime authorities, it said. The rescues, which followed in quick succession, involved 59 and 65 people traveling on two wooden boats. Later, 29 people were plucked off a fiberglass vessel after another distress signal. The migrants had been at sea for five days, and went without food and water for two days, it said, adding they were severely dehydrated. Another 15 migrants were rescued in the same area on Thursday. Maltese authorities have largely ignored calls for help from migrant rescue vessels and the migrants were instead being transported to the Italian port of Civitavecchia, nearly 1,000 kilometers away, SOS Mediterranee said. The new Italian government, which campaigned on a promise to "stop arrivals", says charity vessels in the area sail under the flags of specific countries namely France and Germany which consequently have a duty to take in some of those rescued. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Italy's hardline stance on immigration has failed Ajouter a vos selections Ajouter a vos selections Pour ajouter larticle a vos selections identifiez-vous Sinscrire gratuitement Se connecter Vous possedez deja un compte ? According to the Italian interior ministry, nearly 90,000 people have arrived by sea so far this year, but only a fraction have been taken in by France and Germany. The migrants rescued by charity vessels make up just 14% of arrivals over the past 12 months, according to Matteo Villa from the Institute for International Political Studies. Le Monde with AFP Thank you for reading! To read this article and more, subscribe now for as little as $1.99. SHE IS pure determined, Ger, husband to Limerick's Mary Walsh Sexton said of his wifes chronic illnesses. Mary from Rockhill, Bruree has been fighting her illnesses for around 15 years and has shocked her family time and time again with her drive to survive but at the end of last year she was told she had Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) which further shocked her family. The only cure is a double lung transplant. A GoFundMe page has launched for a house adaptation and medical expenses. The goal is to raise 30,000. Previously, Mary had been cocooning during the Covid-19 pandemic but despite receiving her vaccinations she still contracted the virus and was soon rushed to hospital. Mary suffered from a connective tissue disease for years before contracting the virus. Following her illness, Mary was put into a medically induced coma shortly after Halloween of 2021. Marys family were called into the ICU in UHL three times as according to Ger it was thought she wouldnt make it through the night. Yet Marys determination and hard-fought drive to live shocked her family and medical staff alike as today, she is alive. The scarring is irreversible, said Ger, who soon may have to leave work to tend full-time to Mary. At the moment shes attending pulmonary physio to help build up her muscles. Its an eight week programme. If shes going to get an operation where two lungs are going to be replaced, her muscles have to be built up, he explained. According to Ger, Mary is a big big big Limerick hurling supporter She got up for the match [at the weekend], he said. Shes seen two All-Irelands come home but shes missed the last two as she was in hospital. I want to thank everyone for their support. Everyone has been incredible, Ger added. You can go to www.gofundme.com to help Mary, Ger and their family with their housing adaptation to help Mary with her illness. IN A CAFE on Bedford Row in Limerick city, bass player and vocalist Barry Murphy discusses the magic of playing in a castle, bravado, and Hermitage Greens next album. The Limerick quintet was recently on tour in Australia. It was a pretty whirlwind trip, says Barry, as he takes a sip from his Americano. We booked it back in 2020 before the pandemic, it was weird that weve had to put it off for three years. It was StPatrick's weekend and a lot of new Irish people were fresh off the boat. The musician finds it harrowing to know so many young people have to move abroad because of the cost of living and housing crisis. It would blow your mind to play a festival in the middle of Melbourne and there's literally 4,000 parish youngsters there. Its a bit harrowing to see all these kids who've realised that there's not much of a future for them in Ireland. This Sunday, Hermitage Green will play at King Johns Castle during the bank holiday weekend. At the castle, weve always had something magic in the air. Weve played over the Riverfest weekend, its such a buzz around the city, he smiles. And according to the vocalist and bass player, the band have a few tricks up their sleeve. Well play some new music, some older songs we haven't done in a while, and different takes on certain songs. Youve got to freshen things up every once in a while, even for ourselves. Before they go on stage, Barrys dad always comes in to give them a little pep talk. Between high-fives, hes always there to let them know whats going on in the crowd. My dad always knows whether we need to go out and blow their heads off for three songs, or have a little chat after one song. It almost feels like were out playing a match, he notes. At the moment, the band is working on a new album, which will be out next year. But fans wont have to wait too long, as a few songs will be out this summer. Were all quite busy trying to take the music in a new direction. Theres a lot of electronic music coming in. We always try to get a little bit upbeat for certain sections of the gig, and the latest album seems to be going in that direction entirely. Its way less acoustic and more dance orientated, I would say with electronic synths, he explains. The inspiration behind one of their next songs? A pair of shoes. A guy I used to know when I was younger had a pair of Nike, he was a bit of an ass***e. With lads at that age, there was a lot of bravado. The song is about how teenage lads behave growing up. I was just looking at my shoes, and next thing, the whole story came out. For Hermitage Green, it all started in The Curragower. Barry recalls: I think it was a Monday, we sat in the back room and just played there in the corner. It didnt take long before they were asked to play every week. The windows used to steam up because of the amount of people that were there, just having the craic. For the lads, its been an unbelievable experience. And even though theyve been at it for a while, they still have those pinch me moments. I think, especially when you play new music, you feel a bit vulnerable. When you play something for the first time and people sing it back to you, that's always a bit of a pinch me moment, he smiles. With their last album, Hi Generation, they proved that the wild years were left behind, as they became parents. Years ago, the dream looked a bit different. The dream for me would be to get straight off-stage into a green room, a bottle of whiskey, and the night would take us wherever it took us. Now, Barry has switched from whiskey to wine. Your kids might be beside a stage, you get in a car, you go back to your hotel with them, and you have a glass of wine after putting them to bed. His children are a big fan of the 'Jenny', a song Hermitage Green released in 2015. Someone played it at school, and they asked to listen to it. Theres nothing worse than being at traffic lights in Limerick playing your own music and someone could pull next to you playing your own song. Id be trying to turn it down, he laughs. In the mornings, Barry can often be found wrestling over which song to play in the car. Between X-rated hip-hop and Disney songs, he admits the latter usually wins, but that theres only so much Disney he can handle Although, there was a time when the bass player used to record himself singing on a magic carpet ride. We used to do school plays and no boys would sing in them. Back then, I don't think it was a very cool thing for a young boy to do. I used to sit at home and record myself singing a magic carpet ride, but I wouldnt do it in front of anyone, he recalls. Looking back, he says: I had to hide the fact that I played piano and that I sang, that was weird. Now to think back, I hope my kids don't ever feel that. As the conversation comes to an end, this reporter wonders who hed like to have dinner with, dead or alive? He says he would have one question to ask Buddha, Jesus and Bob Marley: What is it all about? Thats quite a party! LEADERS from the worlds of science, law, communications and business have been honoured by University of Limerick which has conferred them with honorary doctorates. Pioneer of Irelands public relations and communications sector Terry Prone; solicitor, businessman and tireless civic leader Michael Houlihan and two of ULs founding professors, Professor Roy Hayhurst and Professor Evan Petty (posthumously) were celebrated as four outstanding candidates for University of Limerick honorary doctorates. Speaking at the ceremony, UL President Professor Kerstin Mey said the bestowing of a UL honorary doctorate represents the opportunity to honour those who have inspired, and worked tirelessly to make great contributions in their fields of endeavour. "Today, as a University proudly celebrating 50 years of making a difference, we honour individuals who have made unique and powerful contributions to this University and those who have made outstanding contributions and achievements in society, she said. Terry Prone, Honorary Doctor of Letters Over the course of her career, Terry Prone has been an actor, a writer, a journalist and an advisor to successive governments. She has written 30 books, served on numerous public service boards and now runs her own communications consultancy. Terry Prone had cultivated connections in the media during her teenage years and began a successful freelance career that spanned radio, TV and print. She quickly excelled both as a writer with the Irish Press and as a radio reporter at RTE. She has also written for The Irish Times, the Irish Independent, The Sunday Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian, the Daily Mail and more. During this time, Terry Prone developed a reputation as a top-class author. While the media has been a central tenet of Terry Prones career, her true passion is training. She has spoken about the joy of helping people unlock their potential and firmly believes that clear communication can help change peoples lives. It was these principles that prompted her to move into communications in the 1970s. Along with Bunny Carr and Tom Savage, her late husband, Terry Prone was central to the establishment of Carr Communications, a company that was set up with the bold new idea of offering not only public relations advice to corporate clients but also media training to journalists, broadcasters and politicians. Nearly 50 years later, Terry Prone is now the chairman of the Communications Clinic, a company she founded with Tom Savage in 2008. As one of the pioneers of Irelands PR industry, Terry has adapted with the times; her firm has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world and has offered guidance to a line of government ministers over the years. She worked with Enda Kenny, then Taoiseach, on a crucial state-of-the-nation address he delivered in 2011. Politics can be a difficult business, often laden with spin, but Terry Prone has always brought a deep sense of integrity to her work. For her, the truth is absolute. In her own words, if you get your message right and youre truthful, you can change lives. Evan R. Petty, Honorary Doctor of Science (posthumous) With a distinguished research and academic record combined with much industrial experience, Evan Petty was well prepared for the challenge of designing the first-degree programmes in engineering and applied science at the newly established National Institute of Education in Limerick in the 1970s. In the few months prior to the opening of NIHE, he, together with the small academic and technical team, had the onerous task of establishing and equipping a variety of temporary laboratories in the old stables buildings while chairing the admissions committee, which selected the first 113 students from over 1,000 applicants. The World Bank recognised the potential of the fledgling institute assessed plans Evan had drawn up for some 50 laboratories in the first phase of the proposed 8,000-student campus. After gruelling week-long negotiations, the World Bank team agreed with Evan and his colleagues on a 2.7 million equipment list. At a time when the established universities were starved of funds and the total annual capital expenditure for the Irish university sector was only 2.2 million, the scale of the proposed investment was seen as extraordinary. The excellent work of Evan Petty and his small team ensured that Limerick laboratory facilities were comparable to those in the worlds leading high-tech universities. This, in turn, combined with the talent in advanced materials and manufacturing that Evan succeeded in recruiting, resulted in a most unexpected decision: Analog Devices of Boston decided to select Limerick as the venue for the construction of Irelands first silicon-chip facility. Many of Limericks first graduates were recruited by Analog Devices. Unlike many academics who are committed to research, Evan Petty was also noted for the quality of his teaching and served as the first Director, Quality of Teaching and Learning at University of Limerick. He was an active member of the European Society for Education and Training of Engineers and was elected as its President in 1991. Michael Houlihan, Honorary Doctor of Laws A solicitor, businessman and civic leader, Michael Houlihan has been instrumental in developing both the mid-west region and University of Limerick. He has been a tireless and persuasive voice for progress and has demonstrated vision, imagination and diplomatic dexterity in building partnerships that have stimulated growth across Munster. Whether as the first Clare man to serve as president of the Law Society of Ireland or as the driving force in transforming his small family law firm into a nationally recognised practice with more than 50 staff, Michael has always pushed standards. Through his actions, he has been a powerful flag-bearer for this part of the island and helped redefine the perception of what was possible for a solicitor from outside Dublin. However, Michael Houlihans contribution to this country extends far beyond his own distinguished career. He has always known that the collective is greater than the individual, and he has championed community and civic causes for decades. His legacy lies in the dozens of projects across Limerick and Clare that would not have been possible without his expertise and dedication. Several of these are dotted around the UL campus. Between 2006 and 2014, during his term as chair of the UL Foundation, Michael helped deliver more than a dozen major capital developments, including the Analog Devices Building, the Glucksman Library and the Bernal Institute a world-leading centre of science and engineering launched by then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny in November 2016. Having been a member of the Governing Authority, Finance Committee, Audit Committee, Joint Honorary Doctorate Committee and Nominating Committee, Michael has given years of service to the University. He was an active collaborator with Ed Walsh, Chuck Feeney and the Glucksman family and offered sage and astute counsel to successive administrations as UL grew in size and scale. Roy Hayhurst, Honorary Doctor of Economic Science In deciding to honour founding Professor Roy Hayhurst, University of Limerick pays tribute not only to his exceptional creative leadership of the College of Business but also to all the members of the founding academic community with whom he worked. In efforts to recruit Roy Hayhurst to Limerick, arrangements were made for meetings with senior executives at Shannon Development. These individuals helped convince Roy that there was a rare possibility of combining academic resources with development finance to create a new dynamic. In due course, this vision bore fruit in a range of joint ventures in which Roy played important roles, including the Innovation Centre, the Regional Management Centre and the National Technological Park. Roys new Bachelor of Business Studies differed radically from the conventional Irish B Com, and its graduates were selectively sought after by employers. The programmes academic standing was highlighted by the access links he built in New York with Fordham Universitys MBA programme. At an early stage, the embryonic College of Business led the way in developing post-experience programmes for specialist sectors such as banking and An Garda Siochana. Later, under Roys guidance, a new MBA programme and pioneering programmes in international education were launched. In addition to his service and achievements at Limerick, Roy Hayhurst made a significant contribution to the national education scene. He served as a member of the National Council for Educational Awards and Board of Studies and worked with many institutions in the roles of Course Accreditor and External Examiner. The thousands of graduates who have benefitted from Roy Hayhursts pioneering work have helped transform the Irish economy from inward and protectionist to open and entrepreneurial. A UKRAINIAN mother convicted of drink driving has been disqualified from driving for two years. Kruglia Svitlana, aged 40, of Cahermoyle House, Ardagh pleaded guilty at Newcastle West Court to the offence. Inspector Gearoid Thompson, prosecuting, said Garda Yohan Hunt was on mobile patrol at Churchtown, Newcastle West on January 1, 2023. He had occasion to stop the defendant after the manner of her driving attracted his attention. He formed his opinion that she was under the influence of an intoxicant. She was arrested and conveyed to Rathkeale garda station, said Insp Thompson. The court heard that she gave a breath sample which showed 58mgs of alcohol per 100mls of breath. Michael ODonnell, solicitor for Ms Svitlana, said his client is a young lady. She is a single parent. Her financial circumstances are not great, said Mr ODonnell, who asked that a driving disqualification be adjourned until October 1 so she can make arrangements. Judge Carol Anne Coolican put Ms Svitlana off the road for two years and fined her 500. There was no objection by Insp Thompson to the postponement of the disqualification. Product Terms and Conditions These Terms and Conditions (T&C), as amended from time to time are the complete and exclusive statements of understanding between HT Media Limited (HTML) & the Users and shall enroll for availing the Services on (hereinafter referred to as the BOARD RESULTS https://www.livehindustan.com/career/results/ or https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/board-exams and EDUCATION SERVICES https://www.livehindustan.com/career or https://www.hindustantimes.com/education). All representation or other communications between HTML & the User amounts to acceptance of these terms & conditions. 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We take no responsibility for the content of advertising materials, including any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies included therein. HTML reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to amend or vary any of these Terms & Conditions at any time without prior notice or intimation. The Federal Reserves banking supervisors failed to take forceful action to address growing problems at Silicon Valley Bank before it collapsed last month, the central banks top regulator said, signaling a broad push to toughen rules on the industry. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan while speaking at an event in New Delhi India the third largest ecosystem for startups globally and also hoped the country to become the fourth-largest economy overtaking by next year. India is emerging as the third largest ecosystem for startups globally and over 84,000 startups recognized by the government exist today." Further adding he said, By 2024, we hope to overtake Germany to become the fourth-largest economy in the world." Speaking about the major change undergoing in the global order Chauhan said, The global security environment currently is in a state of flux and the new order is yet to crystallize. Post world War 2, the Trans-Atlantic Anglo-Saxon lands, could not unite around Europe, the way actually the Russian invasion of Ukraine has done. On the other hand, Russia and China are getting closer to Iran actually joining this particular bandwagon." #WATCH | CDS General Anil Chauhan speaks on several policy initiatives that the govt has undertaken to encourage engineers' design, development and manufacture of defence equipment. pic.twitter.com/qcek3S9alr ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2023 "India has close relationship with both the West and as well as the Russians that place us very uniquely in this geopolitical construct. A quick regional scan of Europe and Asia would indicate that nations are bracing for the looming prospects of uncertainty instability and a major change in the global order. This is getting reflected in the policies of most nations as they increased their defence budget, CDS explained further." Regarding the government policies under Make in India initiative, CDS said the government has simplified the industrial licensing system, increased the FDI limit, marked funds for research and development and MSMEs and provided a level playing field for the private companies in defence manufacturing. Today our defence industries are already manufacturing a wide variety of military hardware to meet the requirements of the defence forces, as well as for exports. This has led to an increase in the share of domestic requirements, which has been on the uptrend in 2018. I believe that defence manufacturing is the new sunrise sector that will witness major growth in the future, said CDS further. General Anil Chauhan was appointed as the second Chief of Defence Staff after nine months after the unfortunate death of General Bipin Rawat. Meanwhile, last year, the SBI's Economic Research Department predicted that India would surpass Germany in 2027 and most likely Japan by 2029 at the current rate of growth and become the world's 3rd largest economy--a movement of 7 places upwards since 2014 when India was ranked 10th. As per International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook database, in the next five years, India may become the third biggest economy after the United States and China. (With inputs from ANI) In a daring operation, an Indian Air Force (IAF)'s C-130J aircraft rescued 121 personnel from a small airstrip at Wadi Seidna, which is about 40 km North of Khartoum, violence-hit Sudan , on the intervening night of April 27 and 28. The convoy was led by the Indian Defence Attache who was in continuous touch with IAF authorities all along, till they reached the airstrip at Wadi Seidna, according to the news agency ANI. The airstrip had a degraded surface, with no navigational approach, aids or fuel, and most critical or landing lights (that are required to guide an aircraft landing at night). On approaching the airstrip, the aircrew used their Electro-Optical/Infra-Red sensors to ensure that the runway was free from any obstructions and no inimical forces were in the vicinity. After this, the aircrew carried out a tactical approach on Night Vision Goggles, on a practically dark night. Upon landing, the aircraft engines were kept running while eight IAF Garud Commandos secured the passengers and their luggage into the aircraft. As with the landing, the take-off from the unlit runway was also carried out using NVGs. Approaching the airstrip, the aircrew used their Electro-Optical/Infra-Red sensors to ensure that the runway was free from any obstructions and no inimical forces were in the vicinity. Having made sure of the same, the aircrew carried out a tactical approach on Night Vision pic.twitter.com/KOzQ0TKjxj ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2023 This approximately two-and-a-half-hour operation between Wadi Sayyidna and Jeddah will go down in the annals of IAF history for its sheer audacity and flawless execution - akin to that carried out in Kabul, it said. Among those rescued in the operation was a pregnant woman and the people who had no means to reach Port Sudan, it added. Under Operation Kaveri, another Indian Air Force C-130J flight on Friday took off from conflict-torn Sudan with 135 passengers onboard for Jeddah. "Another IAF C-130J flight takes off from Port Sudan with 135 passengers onboard. This is the 11th batch of stranded Indians heading to Jeddah," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. The IAF C-130J flight on Friday morning evacuated the 10th batch of 135 Indian passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region. Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence. Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (With ANI inputs) Kerrville, TX (78028) Today Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. High 82F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. Low 61F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. To further boost the ongoing repatriation efforts under Operation Kaveri, Indian carrier IndiGo has joined the mission with its first flight with 231 stranded Indians took off from Jeddah. "Indigo joins #OperationKaveri. 231 Indians in a flight to New Delhi from Jeddah. With this 5th outbound flight, around 1600 reached or airborne for India. Happy journey. Our Mission continues," Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan tweeted. Indigo joins #OperationKaveri. 231 Indians in a flight to New Delhi from Jeddah. With this 5th outbound flight, around 1600 reached or airborne for India. Happy journey. Our Mission continues. pic.twitter.com/5JtBR0sHCF V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) April 28, 2023 "We have offered our services for charter flights to Jeddah under the Indian Government's Operation Kaveri rescue mission of our citizens from Sudan. We are still awaiting details from the ministry to launch these flights, nothing has been confirmed as of yet," IndiGo Airlines said in a statement. Earlier it was reported that IndiGo will operate chartered flights under Operation Kaveri to bring back more than 450 Indian citizens evacuated from Sudan. The two flights will opearte from Jeddah to Delhi and Bengaluru to bring back Indians evacuated from Sudan, said media reports. The two flights will operate on April 28 and 30 and A321 aircraft will be used. They will be operated from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to Delhi and Bengaluru Airlines had earlier expressed their willingness in participating in the ongoing evacuation of stranded Indians in the strife-torn African country under 'Operation Kaveri'. IndiGo said it remains committed to supporting the Central government's mission to evacuate Indian citizens from Sudan. The airline crew stepped forward to respond to the critical humanitarian need of the hour, enabling the safe return of the stranded citizens back to their families and homes. Earlier, on Friday, Mos MEA V Muraleedharan informed that so far, 2,100 Indians have arrived in Jeddah, as part of 'Operation Kaveri'. Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said INS Sumedha, which is stationed at Port Sudan, had also left the crisis-hit country with 300 passengers onboard, for Jeddah. This is the 13th batch of INS Sumedha with evacuated Indians, heading to Jeddah. Earlier, on Friday, the Indian Air Force C-130J evacuated the 10th and 11th batches of 135 passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region. Meanwhile, heavy explosions and gunfire rocked Sudan's capital, Khartoum, and its twin city of Omdurman early on Friday, residents said, despite the extension of a fragile truce between the county's two top generals whose power struggle has killed hundreds. After two weeks of fighting that has turned Khartoum into a war zone and thrown Sudan into turmoil, a wide-ranging group of international mediators including African and Arab nations, the United Nations and the United States were intensifying their pressure on the rival generals to enter talks on resolving the crisis. In a sign of the persistent chaos, Turkey said one of its evacuation planes was hit by gunfire outside Khartoum with no casualties on Friday, hours after both sides accepted a 72-hour truce extension. Sudan hosts over 1.3 million refugees, including over 800,000 from South Sudan, according to UN figures. Earlier, the Sudanese army said it would extend the ceasefire "for an additional 72 hours" following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States in the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday. The RSF also said it approved the extended truce, adding that the proposal came from two diplomatic groupings that include the US, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. At least 512 people, including civilians and combatants, have been killed since April 15, with another 4,200 wounded, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry. The Doctors' Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties, has recorded at least 387 civilians killed and 1,928 wounded. The health care system is near collapse with dozens of hospitals out of service. Multiple aid agencies have had to suspend operations and evacuate employees. Sudan has been on the boil as a result of the ongoing clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. There have been reports of violence and clashes even during the ongoing 72-hour ceasefire. Clashes erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (With inputs from ANI) After Delhi Police registered FIRs against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh following allegations of sexual harassment by women wrestlers, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief claimed that he is innocent and ready to face the investigation. I am innocent and ready to face the investigation. I am ready to cooperate with the investigative agency. I have full faith in the judiciary and I respect the order of the Supreme Court," Singh told media persons here. #WATCH | I am innocent and ready to face the investigation. I am ready to cooperate with the investigative agency. I have full faith in the judiciary and I respect the order of Supreme Court: WFI chief & BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on FIRs registered against him following pic.twitter.com/0cbtlQWB0m ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2023 The first FIR is registered under the POCSO Act along with relevant IPC sections. It has been filed based on the allegations of a minor. While "the second FIR is registered for carrying out a comprehensive investigation into the complaints tendered by other complainants under relevant sections pertaining to outraging of modesty," HT quoted DCP Pranav Tayal as saying. Top wrestlers said the protest will continue until Brij Bhushan is put in jail. "We do not trust the Delhi Police. They might file a loose FIR against Brij Bhushan," the wrestlers said on the future course of their action. We have already given enough evidence and if anything else is required, we'll present it to Supreme Court not to the Delhi police. This is not a fight to register an FIR. This is a fight against one person who already has 85 cases against him," Vinesh Phogat said. Since a minor is an alleged victim in the case, the Supreme Court bench said the mino should be provided security but that should not stand in the way of the Commissioner of Police making an independent assessment of the threat perception of the other complainants. The latest development took place six days after the top wrestlers of the country including Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, have been protesting at Jantar Mantar. In January too, the wrestlers first leveled these allegations against Brij Bhushan, who headed the wrestling body since 2012. The sixth Operation Kaveri Flight with 365 Indian nationals on board has departed Jeddah for New Delhi. "Another flight carrying Indian evacuees departs from Jeddah to New Delhi. 365 passengers onboard this 6th outbound flight are on their way back home," MEA official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Saturday. Earlier on Saturday, a flight carrying 231 Indian passengers evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan, reached New Delhi. The Indian evacuees shouted slogans like "Bharat Mata ki jai," and "Vande Mataram" and also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for rescuing them from Sudan under Operation Kaveri. One of the Indian passengers shared the tough humanitarian crisis faced by them in Sudan. "It has become very difficult to stay in Sudan due to ongoing conflict. There is a shortage of food and drinking water, moreover, there are continuous bombings, and rockets are being fired. None of us were coming out of our houses. The food canteen was bombed. It is very difficult to flee also, travelling in the vehicle is also not safe, they can bomb buses too," said an Indian electrician from Buxar, Bihar evacuated from Sudan. He lauded Operation Kaveri and said that his evacuation from Sudan was like "re-birth" as he had lost hope to survive. "If it had not been PM Modi and EAM Jaishankar none of the Indians could have come here alive. From the deep of my heart, I want to thank them. Bharat Mata ki jai, Modiji Zindabad," he added. "#OperationKaveri moves further. 231 Indian reach home safely as another flight reaches New Delhi," tweeted Jaishankar. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Garud Commandos carried out a daring, overnight operation to air-lift stranded Indians despite the airstrip in Sudan's Wadi Seidna having no navigational approach, aids or fuel, and landing lights (that are required to guide an aircraft landing at night). On the night of April 27, 28, 2023, the IAF C-130J aircraft rescued 121 personnel from a small airstrip at Wadi Seidna, which is about 40 km North of Khartoum, Sudan, the IAF said in a statement. Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence.Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI) "Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love (and Banana Pudding)" By Laura Dern and Diane Ladd. Foreword by Reese Witherspoon Grand Central. 256 pp. $30 - - - It's been more than 40 years since "Mommie Dearest" shone a klieg light on the dark side of Hollywood parenting, with Carrie Fisher's "Wishful Drinking" (2008) only slightly softening the glare. Happily, Diane Ladd and Laura Dern have broken ground with "Honey, Baby, Mine," a series of 14 recorded conversations and commentaries that make a brilliant end-run around the one-sidedness of a traditional memoir. The exchanges convey a rich mixture of love, exasperation, nostalgia and resentment that will be familiar to anyone who has ever been a mother or a daughter. At the same time, they offer rare glimpses behind the curtain of two great Hollywood careers, from Diane's landmark work performance in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," to their collaboration on "Rambling Rose," to Laura's recent Oscar for "Marriage Story" and acclaim for "Big Little Lies." The book opens with a foreword by Reese Witherspoon that reminds us that Dern played her mother in the movie "Wild," though since the actresses are only nine years apart in age, they think of themselves more as sisters. (So much so, says Reese, that if there were a way to make it legal, they would.) A few years ago, Diane Ladd was diagnosed with a severe lung condition and given six months to live. The only positive suggestion the doctor offered was a routine of walking. Given her mother's personality, Dern adjusted the directive: "I had to eliminate the prescriptive component and turn it into a creative challenge for my storyteller mom." So she suggested that, during the walks, she'd record Diane's stories for posterity. In the months that followed, their talks went much deeper than either woman expected. There are stories that they remember differently, fights that were never resolved, and generational differences in the way they view things. An example gives the flavor: Laura: Look, Mom, you keep defending working motherhood. I'm not saying it's wrong. Obviously, I'm doing it. Most women have to do it. I'm just saying that it's not always easy. I was talking about my kids' principal giving me a hard time about my parenting, and you immediately jumped in to tell me that I had an awesome childhood and learned so much from all the adventures you gave me. Diane: I'm not defending it! I'm stating a fact! You've learned a lot from the life you've had. You've evolved. Laura: But once again I'm trying to be honest with you about some real pain, and you're coming back at me with, "Sounds like you don't appreciate the amazing life you had!" Imagine how different this would be if presented in a traditional memoir. It also gives Diane many opportunities to reveal that she thinks she knows Laura better than Laura knows herself. For example, Laura asks her mom what her favorite dessert is. "Oh, we have the same favorite there!" Diane says. "Banana pudding." "No," replies Laura, "my favorite is cobbler." Though the pudding recipe is included, along with a couple of others as well as a lovely collection black-and-white snapshots and portraits documenting their intertwined lives on and off the set, one doesn't get the impression that cooking has been a big part of these women's lives. Take the "Southern Japanese Casserole," in which Diane tops tofu, soy sauce and vegetables with low-fat mozzarella. She insists it's Laura's favorite dinner, but Laura has to admit she prefers macaroni and cheese. Diane: Are you sure? Laura: About my own favorite thing? Yes, believe it or not, I am. "Honey, Baby, Mine" may not be a great recipe book, but it is a great Hollywood book; the passages about the acting process are fascinating. In one memorable section Laura pinpoints the moment she fell in love with acting, at age 7. "Marty" (director Martin Scorsese) let her peek through a crack into the set where Diane was shooting the bathroom scene of "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" with Ellen Burstyn, and eavesdrop as he spoke to the actresses about getting the details right - from a character's hairstyle to the way she would react to anger. Even at such a young age, says Laura, she understood that her mother and Burstyn were "these phenomenal actors playing off each other" - and it set the course for her life. Whether it was the walks that did it or not, four years later, Ladd's health is much improved. She was alive and well to record the audio, re-creating her side of the dialogue in her breathy Mississippi drawl, while Laura wheedles, bosses, questions, pleads and does everything but drag her down the street - and we get to eavesdrop as if tiptoeing just a step or two behind. - - - Marion Winik, host of the NPR podcast "The Weekly Reader," is the author of numerous books, including "First Comes Love" and "The Big Book of the Dead." An MS-13 gang member was arrested trying to enter the country illegally. U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that Armando Barahona-Lopez was arrested on Thursday. The 32-year-old man was found to be a Mexican national and MS-13 gang member upon record checks. CBP said that Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Laredo South Station made the arrest. Barahona-Lopez reportedly has a has a previous felony conviction for a drive-by shooting. CBP said the man was deported for the conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude, and he is to be held pending processing for felony re-entry. "U.S. Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community," CBP said in a statement. "Citizens are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the Laredo Sector Border Patrol while remaining anonymous at 1-800-343-1994." Laredo residents should be on the lookout for severe storms, damaging winds and large hail tonight, with the National Weather Service issuing a Severe Weather Threat for Webb County and the surrounding areas. The NWS issued the threat earlier today, noting that severe thunderstorms are likely to hit Laredo from 6 to 10 a.m., though storm activity is still possible outside of the window. According to a map released by the agency, Laredo is on the precipice of an enhanced risk of extreme weather events including winds between 60-75 mph, between one and two inches of large hail and isolated tornadoes. At the moment, however, the city is currently classified in the slight risk category, meaning Laredo should expect isolated to scattered coverage of the weather events. Residents are advised to stay alert of the weather and take shelter if a warning is issued by the weather agency. The strong winds also means a gale warning will also be in effect through the eastern Texas coast, from Saturday from 4 a.m. through 5 p.m. Bays will be choppy to rough and seas up to 11 feet will be possible. The Laredo Fire Department issued their own advisory ahead of the weather threat, asking locals not to travel during the weather event, unless absolutely necessary. Residents found in the middle of a high gust or wind should take cover next to a building or under a shelter, stand clear of roadways or train tracks as gusts may blow you into oncoming traffic, use handrails where available and watch for flying debris. Drivers caught in extreme winds are also asked to slow down and keep both hands on the wheel, watch for objects blowing across roadways and keep a safe distance from cars in adjacent lanes. Drivers in high-profile vehicles such as a trucks, vans and SUVs are asked to take extra caution as those vehicles are more prone to being pushed and/or flipped by high winds. If winds are severe enough to prevent safe driving, motorists are asked to pull over to the shoulder of the road and stop, making sure to park away from trees or other tall objects that could fall onto your vehicle. In the event of a downed power line, locals are asked to call for help by dialing 911. Locals should not to free lines or remove debris by themselves. Residents should also avoid anything that may be touching downed lines. Puddles and wet ground can conduct electricity in some cases. Friday was the last day of work with the City of Laredo for Riazul Mia, as the assistant city manager is retiring after almost three decades of working for the community. A recognition to Mia was given following the announcement of his retirement during a Laredo City Council meeting on April 17. He was also recognized for his time with the city by Rep. Henry Cuellar on April 24 during the announcement of a $2.4 million grant awarded to the city to fight autism. Mia has been working for the city for 27 years. And he spoke with LMT on his final day about what it meant for him to work as the assistant city manager and the utilities director. As an assistant city manager, my job was to mostly help the city manager to fulfill the council's direction, and so I oversee all the operations of the city that include all the new development constructions, all the services we provide like the utilities, solid waste, among others, he said. I dealt with a lot of complains or issues citizens have, and we would try our best to get that done right along with my directors. It was a very fulfilling experience though it's very demanding, but at the end of the day you can do help the community to resolve some of their issues and move the community forward. Mia was the utilities director for five years. Prior to that, he was the director of the Environmental Services Department. In the summer of 2020, Mia was promoted to assistant city manager. Mia said that the transition from being utilities director to assistant city manager did not represent a big change. It was almost the same thing because you have to deal with the citizens, but you also deal with a lot of employee issues. But in the assistant city manager position I dealt with department directors, and if they have issues, I called them, I guide them. But I am not their supervisor, and I make sure all the motions and the council actions were done, he said. So it was not challenging. It was actually rewarding for me because I got to help the citizens with a lot of other issues not just the water and wastewater. Mia said that some of the challenges he faced was not having a stable city manager in the position during his term as assistant city manager, since the city has several city managers in the last four years. That becomes a challenge for everybody because you keep switching the big boss, he said. You know everyone has their own pattern, their own goals when it comes to work and get the job done, so that that was a challenge, Mia said. However, all the city managers supported me, so I was able to do my work. It didn't affect me, but it might affected the morale eventually. Mia added that although the pandemic was also a challenge, he believes that the city did a good job during those difficult times because they never stopped providing services and were always open to the needs of citizens. For Mia, one of his greatest satisfactions working for the city was managing to prevent flooding in the city When I came in, we have a lot of flooding issues every time it rained. The whole city got flooded, and I was able to work with the council and the management, and we literally resolve all the flooding, he said. He also headed several projects to either provide or improve water utilities in rapidly-developing areas of Laredo, such as the South Laredo Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion and the construction of the San Isidro 2.5 MG Elevated Storage Tank. He led efforts for various city-wide projects including the Chacon Creek Restoration Project and the River Vega Master Plan: two projects that protect local natural resources while allowing for better flow and drainage of the watershed system while allowing residents another opportunity to enjoy nature. I was involved with most of these regional parks from North Central Park to Father McNaboe to Independence Hills to Las Misiones, and even at North Central Park. Me and my son we planted a lot of trees, and I can see those trees are big now giving shade, so that is very special for me, he said. Mia was the project manager and contract developer for the public-private partnership that allowed for the construction of a much-needed five lane concrete road to extend Bartlett Avenue. We got to do a lot of projects, road projects. We were moving forward, giving that transportation and giving the quality of life to the citizen, so that's also my satisfaction, Mia said. Mia said that he decided to retire because he felt that it was time to give way to new generations. I am not young. I am 59 years old. I just feel like we have a lot of younger generations, and we need to step aside and give them opportunities, he said. Mia said that in the future he will take some time off, go travel with his wife and later he will be thinking about some offers from the private industry. I'm not completely retiring. I'm going to take some time off and I'll go find something else to do, he said. My wife and I we are going to travel a little bit. I do not want to think about job at this moment, although I have started getting some calls from different people from the private sector. Finally, Mia thanked City Council, management, staff and citizens of the city for all the years they supported him. I worked with multiple city managers and five mayors, and I just want to thank for giving me the opportunity to work with them, Also I thank the citizens and hopefully I was able to make some difference to their lives, Mia said. I spent half of my life here, and I thank them for their hospitality. Because of that, this community is my family. I love the community. My son was born here, and I really appreciate them and thank from the bottom of my heart for giving me the opportunity to serve the community. Riazul Mia grew up in Bangladesh and received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology in 1988. He graduated from Louisiana State University with a Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering in 1996 and obtained a Master of Public Administration from Texas A&M International University in 2003. Furthermore, he completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard Universitys J.F.K. School of Government in 2006. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) The U.S. Army has grounded aviation units for training after 12 soldiers died within the last month in helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky, the military branch announced Friday. The suspension of air operations was effective immediately, with units grounded until they complete the training, said Lt. Col. Terence Kelley, an Army spokesperson. For active-duty units, the training is to take place between May 1 and 5. Army National Guard and Reserve units will have until May 31 to complete the training. The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training, the Army said in a statement. On Thursday, two Army helicopters collided near Healy, Alaska, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth. The aircraft from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks, were returning from training at the time of the crash, according to the Army. The unit is part of the 11th Airborne Division, which is nicknamed the Arctic Angels. Military investigators were making their way to Alaska's interior, with a team from Fort Novosel, Alabama, expected to arrive at the crash site by Saturday, said John Pennell, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Alaska. Little new information about the crash was released Friday. The Army on Thursday said two of the soldiers died at the site and the third on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks. The injured fourth soldier was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition Friday, Pennell said. The names of those who were killed were not immediately released. The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel, Army Chief of Staff James McConville said of the decision to ground flight units for training. The crash is the second accident involving military helicopters in Alaska this year. In February, two soldiers were injured when an Apache helicopter rolled after taking off from Talkeetna. The aircraft was one of four traveling to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage from Fort Wainwright. In March, nine soldiers were killed when two U.S. Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during a routine nighttime training exercise about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The Army said that while Thursday's crash and the one in Kentucky remain under investigation, there is no indication of any pattern between the two mishaps. Healy is home to about 1,000 people roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Denali National Park and Preserve, or about 250 miles (400 kilometers) north of Anchorage. Located on the Parks Highway, the community is a popular place for people to spend the night while visiting Denali Park, which is home to the continents tallest mountain. Healy is also famous for being the town closest to the former bus that had been abandoned in the backcountry and was popularized by the book Into the Wild and the movie of the same name. The bus was removed and taken to Fairbanks in 2020. Twenty-eight-year-old Matthew Shelton was one of 28 Harris County Jail inmates who died amid one of the deadliest years in the jail's history after officials failed to provide him with his insulin medicine. More than a year after their son's death Shelton's family is still seeking answers to questions surrounding the events occurred before a corrections facility employee found him unresponsive and cold in his cell. HCJ officials have stalled releasing information about his death. The criminal case in Shelton's death is closed, according to a recent investigative report by ABC13 reporters Pooja Lodhia and Sarah Rafique. Shelton died of diabetic ketoacidosis on March 27, 2022 while in-custody at Harris County Jail. Five days before his death he'd turned himself in for a DWI charge and brought his diabetic medication to the facility. Shelton's medicine was eventually taken by officers in the intake process, though the jail has since admitted the life-saving medication was never administered. According to Shelton's family attorney, his loved ones haven't received any information regarding his death and want to know what happened to him in those five days under HCJ custody. "We have none of his medical records. We don't have the nurse records. We don't have the clinic records, " John Flood, the family's attorney, told ABC13. "We don't have any of the medication distribution records. We have no photographs, videotapes. We have no statements - none of the investigation that the law requires into an in-custody death." HPD's investigation report obtained by ABC13 included remarks from a responding doctor stating Shelton "looked as if he contacted rigor mortis," had "blue skin" and "demarcations as if he had been laying on himself for hours." HPD documents obtained by ABC 13 also indicate there was a 28-minute gap between when a detention officer initially found Shelton in his cell and the arrival of a second responding guard. Controversies around Harris County Jail and its handling of inmates continue to mount more than a year after Shelton's death. The facility has failed a series of state inspections over eight months for reasons ranging from failing to provide inmates proper hygienic materials to excessive holding times in cells. In February the Texas Commission on Jail Standards issued another report citing facility staff for failing to follow medical orders and failure to treat detainees with medical issues in a timely manner. The commission also stated in their report that jail physicians ordered to have Shelton's medication provided but failed to administer it. No charges have been filed around Shelton's death, but Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said all jail deaths are under independent investigations. "If it was our investigation, then we control, kind of, the cadence of that investigation and different steps that may go on the investigation, but they're being reviewed," Gonzalez told ABC13. Shelton is one of 32 inmates that have died in custody at the county jail in the past two yearsthe worst death record tallied in decades. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched an investigation into two in-custody deaths at the jail. In response to failed inspection, Harris County Commissioners approved a $6.8 million plan last month to improve the substandard conditions at the county jail. A few of the initiatives include hiring more staff, improving coordination with the jail medical services and revising the body camera contract. UPDATE: May 1, 4 p.m. CT A second potential sighting on Monday of Francisco Oropesa has prompted several Conroe ISD schools to secure their campuses, according to the school district. After searching for three days, police have yet to find Oropesa, who is accused of killing his five neighbors, including an 8-year-old boy, near Cleveland, Texas on Friday. In a statement sent out at 2:54 p.m., the district told parents that "all students and staff are within the buildings" and to expect dismissal delays. "Due to continued law enforcement activity in the area, the CCHS dismissal has been delayed further," read the statement obtained by ABC 13 Houston. "We will update you as we know more." The announcement comes as the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office shared that a man matching Oropesa's description was spotted in the area of Crockett Martin and GM 2090 and warned the public to avoid the area. Campuses that have been secured amid the search include Caney Creek High School, Moorhead Junior High, Grangerland Intermediate, Milam Elementary, Hope Elementary and Creighton Elementary. 2:15 p.m. CT A possible Montgomery County sighting of Francisco Oropesa, who remains at large after fatally shooting five people near Cleveland, Texas, turned out to be a false alarm. ABC 13 Houston reported a heavy police presence around Highway 105 East near Security Landfill Road after a man that matched Oropesa's description was spotted by an employee at a nearby landfill. However, after deputies, K-9 units, and air units searched the area and investigated the people found there, the Montgomery County Sheriff's office reported that none were Oropesa. The search for Oropesa is now into its third day. Police are asking anyone who sees Oropesa to call 911. Police have described him to be 5-feet, 8 inches tall, and he weighs about 160 pounds. He also has a distinct tattoo of a woman on his arm. --- End of Update --- Texas officials and law enforcement officers are now offering a reward to anyone with information on the whereabouts of the gunman who killed five people near Cleveland, Texas, Friday night. The suspect, Francisco Oropesa, remains at large as of Sunday afternoon. FBI Houston tweeted that more than 250 officers from over a dozen agencies are searching for him. FBI Special Agent James Smith and San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers are offering a total of $80,000, one tweet said. Gov. Greg Abbott also announced a $50,000 reward for information. "Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of the five victims that were taken in this senseless act of violence," Abbott said in a statement. "I continue working with state and local officials to ensure they have all available resources to respond to this horrific crime. I thank the men and women in law enforcement who are tirelessly working to ensure this criminal is caught and brought to justice." Juan Lozano of the Associated Press reported that police have begun a door-to-door search for Oropesa in the neighborhood where the shooting took place. They used footage taken from a doorbell camera and a Mexican ID card to identify Oropesa, whose name was initially misspelled "Oropeza." Capers said authorities have already interviewed the suspect's wife. Police recovered the rifle that Oropesa allegedly used in the shooting and found other weapons at his house, per Lozano, and local residents have been cooperative. The five victims, who were fatally shot "from the neck up," are believed to be from Honduras, Capers told the AP. U.S. and Honduran authorities are working together to repatriate their bodies. A GoFundMe page has been set up for mother and son, Sonia Guzman Taibot and Daniel Lazo Guzman. --- End of Update --- Updated April 30, 12:30 p.m. CT Law enforcement's manhunt for the suspect involved in Friday's Houston-area shooting continued through Sunday morning, reported Juan Lozano and Paul Weber of the Associated Press. Francisco Oropesa is accused of fatally shooting five of his neighbors, including a 9-year-old boy. Police did manage to recover the AR-15-style rifle that Oropesa allegedly used, but it is not clear if he is carrying another weapon, per the AP report. Investigators also found a phone and clothes while searching the nearby wooded area, but tracking dogs lost the scent. Oropesa has been missing since he fled the scene late Friday night, and San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said, "He could be anywhere now." James Smith, head of the FBI Houston office, told reporters that Oropesa is considered "armed and dangerous," per The Washington Post's Justine McDaniel, Andrea Salcedo, and Mark Berman. "We believe hes on foot but we dont know," Smith said. --- End of Update --- Updated April 29, 7:00 p.m. CT Authorities have broadened their search for the man involved in a fatal shooting near Cleveland, Texas, about 45 miles north of Houston. He remains at large, per an Associated Press news report by Juan Lozano and Paul Weber. Francisco Oropesa is accused of fatally shooting five of his neighbors after they asked him to stop firing his gun in the yard late Friday night. Oropesa then fled the scene, causing a manhunt that's still underway. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers told reporters the search area for Oropesa could now be as large as 10 or 20 miles." Rene Arevalo Sr., another resident of the neighborhood, told AP reporters that he heard gunshots around midnight but that it was nothing new. Its a normal thing people do around here, especially on Fridays after work, Arevalo said. They get home and start drinking in their backyards and shooting out there." The Washington Post's Justine McDaniel, Andrea Salcedo, and Mark Berman reported that police have released the names of the victims: Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 9. Capers told The Washington Post that Oropesa was charged with five counts of murder. San Jacinto County officials are urging people with information to call 936-653-4367. "You can remain anonymous," the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post. "Oropesa is considered armed and dangerous, do not approach or attempt to apprehend. Contact local authorities immediately." --- End of Update --- Updated April 29, 1:00 p.m. CT Authorities identified 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa as the suspect involved in the Cleveland, Texas shooting that killed five people, including one 9-year-old child, Paul J. Weber reported for the Associated Press. As of late Saturday morning, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said officers are still searching for Oropesa, using scent-tracking dogs and an overhead drone. Per Weber, Capers said authorities believe Oropesa was intoxicated at the time of the shooting and that he had fled to a wooded area a few miles away from the scene. Capers added that there were 10 people in the house, but no one else was injured. San Jacinto sheriff's deputies had been to Oropesas home at least once before, Weber wrote. They had spoken with him about "shooting his gun in the yard," but it's not clear if any immediate action was taken then. --- End of Update --- Earlier A gunman is still on the run in Houston after allegedly killing five people, including a 9-year-old child, during a mass shooting at a Cleveland, Texas home on Friday night. Responding to a call about harassment, according to ABC Eyewitness News, authorities arrived to discover several people shot and covered in blood. Four people were announced dead on the scene and one more was later pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital. Investigators told ABC they believed the gunman was firing rounds from an AR-15 while drunk in his yard. When he was confronted and asked to stop shooting because it was late and a baby was trying to sleep, he then turned his gun on his neighbors inside their house. "My understanding is that the victims, they came over to the fence and said 'Hey could [you not do your] shooting out in the yard? We have a young baby thats trying to go to sleep,'" San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers told ABC. "And he had been drinking and he says 'I'll do what I want to in my front yard.'" According to Capers, there were 10 people inside the house, all from Honduras, and two female victims were found laying on top of a pile of young children who they were trying to protect from gunfire. Deputies described the unidentified shooter as a 39-year-old Mexican man standing 5-feet-8 with a goatee and black hair. He was last seen wearing a black shirt and jeans. People in the Cleveland area are being asked to "stay inside" and avoid the crime scene. This story will be updated. Oregon fined the operators of an Albany gas station $412 for missing a deadline to report how much fuel the business pumped in 2021. Borde LLC violated the terms of an air pollution permit when the company didn't turn in an annual report by Feb. 15, 2022, for a Chevron station it operates under an assumed business name. Oregon tracks monthly gasoline throughput and maintenance in the annual report, equating a gas station's usage to estimated air pollution, according to a civil penalty order issued Feb. 23, 2023, by the state Department of Environmental Quality. Operators of the station near the intersection of southeast Main Street and Pacific Boulevard submitted the report a little less than a month later, March 9. Oregon DEQ issued a nearly identical civil order on the same day for the same $412 penalty to a fuel station operator in Hermiston. That business submitted its 2021 report May 26, 2022, after the Feb. 15 deadline. HPD A Corpus Christi-area man has been arrested after allegedly shooting and kiling another man while on a date with a woman at an East Downtown Houston restaurant earlier this month. According to CrimeStoppers and Houston Police, Erick L. Aguirre, 29, shot and killed a man while having dinner with a woman at EaDo burger spot Rodeo Goat on the evening of April 11. Authorities say Aguirre and his date arrived at Rodeo Goat in separate cars and were told by 46-year-old Elliot Nix to pay $20 each for parking outside the restaurant. Aguirre walked to a nearby convenience store to get cash and then paid Nix $40 for both cars, according to officials. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Hundreds of thousands of Australians gathered at dawn services and veterans street marches across the nation on Tuesday to commemorate their war dead on Anzac Day as recent events focused minds on the cost of war and the new threat of Chinas rapid military buildup. Australia and New Zealand commemorate Anzac Day every April 25 the date in 1915 when the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps landed on the beaches of Gallipoli, in northwest Turkey, in an ill-fated campaign that was the soldiers first combat of World War I. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke to more than 30,000 people who gathered at the Australian War Memorial in the national capital Canberra for the first Anzac Day since his government was elected almost a year ago. Gallipoli is just one battle in our history, but in all its stories of valor and resilience, in its simple truth of Australians looking out for each other no matter how bad things got, it has come to stand for something so much bigger in our collective heart, Albanese said. His government chose the eve of Anzac Day to release a review of the nations defense force that warned with Chinas growing military strength and assertiveness, Australias geographic isolation did not provide the protection from global conflict that it once did. The report recommended more Australian defense spending and a rapid embrace of missile technology to strike targets at longer ranges. It described Chinas military buildup as the largest and most ambitious of any country since the end of World War II. Over the weekend, Australians were given a tragic reminder of when Japans land forces reached what is now Australias nearest neighbor, Papua New Guinea, during World War II. With Japanese supply lines stretched, Japan decided to isolate rather than invade Australia. Deep-sea explorers announced Saturday they had found the wreck of the Japanese ship Montevideo Maru that was transporting Allied prisoners of war from Rabaul in the then-Australian territory of New Guinea to China when it was torpedoed off the coast of the Philippines in 1942. The 1,080 killed from 14 nations included 979 Australians, which was Australias largest wartime loss of life at sea. While veterans of the two world wars dominated Anzac Day services and marches for decades, their descendants and unrelated younger generations have taken their place, defying an expectation that the tradition might die with the veterans. Veterans Affairs Minister Keogh, who is representing his government at Gallipoli, said the dawn service there was expected to attract the biggest crowd since the centenary commemorations in 2015. What weve really seen Anzac Day become is not just about one conflict, its now a day where we commemorate not just those that died but all those people that have served in our uniform on our behalf in conflict, Keogh told Australian Broadcasting Corp. In downtown Sydney, Glenda Rixon wore the medals of her late father Henry Harry Rixon, a Korean War infantryman, and was touched that the 70th anniversary of the Korean armistice was noted in Martin Place where dawn services have been held since 1927. Usually they dont say anything -- its like its the forgotten war, Rixon said. Im really proud of my father. He passed away eight years ago. Its a special day. We used to always watch him march, she added. As well as 70 years since Australias involvement in the Korean War ended, this years ceremonies also commemorated 50 years since the last Australian forces withdrew from the Vietnam War. Dawn services and marches were also held across New Zealand, where Anzac Day is considered the most important day of national commemoration as it is in Australia. ___ Find more AP Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexicos president returned to his morning press briefings Friday after recovering from COVID-19, and he came out swinging. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, 69, said he had tested negative after his third bout of the coronavirus. His return came the same day that opposition legislators continued to hold protests in the Senate, after senators from Lopez Obradors Morena party refused yet again to approve appointments to the national information-access agency. The transparency agency has been unable to function for more than a month because of a lack of committee members. Lopez Obrador came out Friday and said the agency should be dissolved to save money. Let the federal comptroller's office, which belongs to another branch of government, the legislative branch, take over this function and let this agency disappear. Enough playing with appearances, Lopez Obrador said. Formally known as The Institute for Information Access and Transparency, or INAI, the government-funded agency is autonomous and decides what information the government must release to the public. Its autonomy is meant to ensure that no branch of government can prevent public access to information. With currently only four committee members there should be seven, but it can function with five the institute cannot make decisions. Legislators from Lopez Obrador's Morena party voted late Thursday against approving the appointment of a fifth committee member, prompting opposition senators to stand in front of the speakers' podium with banners reading INAI Now! and Appointments for the INAI now! A leader of the Morena delegation in the Senate, Cesar Cravioto, was seen slapping and punching opposition lawmakers' hands in a bid to rip the banners away from them. After the scuffle, it was unclear whether the Senate would be able to meet Friday in the Senate chamber. Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. With entire departments, programs and positions being slashed including nearly half of Linn-Benton Community College's faculty of color due to budget cuts, some educators are doubting the future of the institution's reputation as an inclusive place to learn. When you cut 46% of people of color, youre sending the wrong message, said Sisi Virasak, a computer science instructor who has been teaching for 12 years. Virasak is one of several casualties of the colleges budget cuts, which President Lisa Avery attributed to the states disinvestment in community colleges. Both state funding and enrollment have been on a downslide for the past 10 years, which Avery said has forced community colleges to look in the mirror and consider their role going forward. The hard truth is that LBCC cant be everything for everyone, and we need to be strategic about what areas we are cutting, she said. In collaboration with a number of staff, I made these decisions, and I stand by them. The LBCC Faculty Association alleges that the administration violated its full-time contract by not including faculty members in the decision-making process. According to the contract, the association may present alternative solutions to budget shortfalls. The fact that the association was unilaterally informed of cuts a few days prior to their announcement suggests that the administration never intended to take alternative suggestions into serious consideration, Association President Claire Burke said in a statement Friday, April 28. The college is projecting a revenue shortfall of $4 million over the next two years. As a result, LBCC will reduce its budget by $2.5 million in the 2023-24 academic year, and the other $1.5 million in 2024-25. Heres where the cuts are being made and who is affected: Breaking down the numbers The criminal justice and computer science programs, including all degrees and certificates offered with the programs, will be eliminated at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. This gives students one more year to complete their degrees, which computer science instructor Joseph Jess said may be difficult for those who take classes part time. A product of LBCCs computer systems program himself, Jess said he believes 10%, or maybe 30% if hes being optimistic, of current computer science students will remain at the college after the program is slashed. Avery guestimates 50% of computer science students will stay enrolled. Cutting the criminal justice program is forecast to save $160,000, and cutting computer science is forecast to save $612,000. Avery said those numbers were calculated by adding costs and subtracting projected enrollment loss. The gross expenses minus the foregone revenue equal the net savings recognized in the budget. The college is also getting rid of its three full-time librarians, which means there will no longer be an information literacy instruction program, reference service desk or proper book collection management staffed by trained faculty members. Richenda Hawkins, a full-time librarian of 17 years, said it is a violation of her contract to transfer full-time faculty work to others who are not trained or qualified to do so. Without librarians, it simply wont get done, Hawkins said. That work doesnt just go away. Cutting the librarians is expected to save the college $312,000. The number is similar to the raise LBCC management voted to give themselves a 4% increase of $310,780 at a board meeting April 19. Avery said the board approves these types of cost-of-living-adjustment raises for management and other groups every April, and this year was no exception. Additionally, there will be cuts made to the Adult Basic Skills program, which brings adults up to speed in reading, learning English and earning their GED. Cuts to this program is forecast to save the college $500,000 over the next two years. Hawkins, who will be losing her job in June, said making cuts to this program will be devastating to the community. We are abandoning them all because we have decided that we do not value providing adult basic education, Hawkins said to the board during a meeting on April 19. I am ashamed at how they have been treated at this community college, year after year. Additional reductions include the closing of the Sweet Home Center, which will save the college $117,000, and the vacancy of one faculty adviser and elimination of four management positions, saving the college $613,000. In all, these cuts add up to $2.4 million over two years. Losing diversity The cuts include getting rid of 46% of LBCCs faculty members of color. The college faculty is already 90% white. In her initial communication to the faculty regarding the cuts, Avery acknowledged that it was especially difficult to make reductions of diverse employees. Departments were not singled out for reduction based on diversity data, she added, and the colleges equity-focused mission was considered in the budget reduction process. David Becker, computer science department chair, said he found Averys acknowledgement to be condescending, adding that it felt like the first time hed been spoken down to in his 22 years at the college. You're just talking the talk, he said. You're not walking the walk. The computer science department has more faculty members of color than any other program at LBCC. But, Avery said, just as departments or areas with high percentages of diverse faculty would never be singled out for reduction, they also could not be excluded from cuts. The faculty librarians who are being laid off are the only full-time Spanish speakers in the library. The only Spanish speaker left in the library will be a part-time student worker. All remaining library staff will be white. We are not the only place that has Spanish speakers, but were the main place where a Spanish speaker could come and get help, Hawkins said in an interview. Thats a huge problem. Libraries are complicated places, she added, and she often has to help people navigate the librarys services in Spanish. After she and the others are gone, she worries people will not be able to access important services. At the same time, the college is preparing to become what's called Hispanic-Serving Institution. Such a designation, which is only given to colleges where at least 25% of their full-time undergraduate students are Latinx, makes the schools eligible for additional grants. But without a full-time Spanish speaker in the library where people go for help and information Hawkins said none of this makes sense. Tough decisions Part of the reason this years budget is so challenging is because federal funding meant to alleviate impacts from the pandemic is now coming to an end. Those one-time funds, plus the colleges reserves, helped offset shortfalls during the past two years, but they are not part of the ongoing budget. For short-term and one-time costs, using those dollars makes sense to plug holes, but they are not sustainable sources of revenue, Avery said. While were grateful for the emergency relief funds, as they dissipate, were left with significant shortfalls. Avery testified in Salem alongside an LBCC student last week, asking for $855 million for Oregons community colleges, plus a one-time $50 million allocation to help bridge the gap as colleges adjust to the new economic reality. She said she hopes to lower the proposed 6% tuition increase if LBCC receives substantial funding assistance. Avery and other administrators met with leadership from the full-time faculty association and classified association the union representing nonteaching employees before the reductions were announced. She said employees also had an opportunity to submit ideas for possible savings, but that contradicts with the associations stance they were excluded from such decisions. I am ultimately charged with the responsibility of keeping LBCC as a vital community service for generations to come, Avery said, and to be able to serve those future generations, we are going to have to continue to make tough decisions. Community impact These cuts affect more than those being laid off, the computer science department chair said. Students, businesses and neighboring community colleges will feel the impact as well. You're going to do away with the program that has allowed students to get livable wages and be hired without all the debt of college or a four-year institution, Becker said. Most of the computer science graduates already have full-time jobs by the time they graduate, often employed by local tech companies, school districts or the college itself. The classes are completely full, Virasak said, and these programs are now more important than ever given cyberattacks in an increasingly technology-driven society. Im just speechless, she said. This disrupts the workflow, which disrupts all the classes for the students who are trying to figure out where they want to go. Its a mess. Avery said her reduction decisions were based on programs that either had low enrollment or were offered elsewhere. While computer science is offered at other nearby community colleges, and at Oregon State University, Virasak said many of her students chose to attend LBCC because it was a better fit for them. Whats even more important is the work the students do outside the classroom, Virasak said. Cooperative work experience provides students the opportunity to get paid for work while they are earning their degree. She connects with local high school students who are interested in computer science and enrolls them in courses to help them get a head start. The first time I taught a class I saw the light, she said. To see the impact that you have on people in a classroom is very profound. I feel like I have the ability to transform lives and to better someones life. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. Ever since she found out shed be losing her job, Virasak has felt unmotivated to go to work. She said she has lost faith in the leadership. Its hard to do my job, she said. But I am committed to our students, and Im focused on their success and making sure that they graduate. Related stories: All seven inmates passed the final exam and earned the ServeSafe Food Handler certification as well as a certificate of completion by the BCSO. The owners of Cuba Cuba are apparently so proud of their cafe and bar they named it twice. Not far from our state capital, the lively ambiance, colorful setting and authentic cuisine reflect the restaurants pedigree in addition to the name. Consider the expansive list of Cuban rums, the steady beat of salsa music and the vibrant food, and theres no mistaking what makes this a popular Denver dining spot. Reservations are not accepted, so arrive early or expect a wait. Since 2001, this Cubano family-run business has been serving such traditional dishes as ropa vieja, picadillo, lechon and more. Healthy, tasty dining abounds at cafe in Tri-Lakes YMCA in Monument | Dining review Forewarned that portions are large, we skipped appetizers even though the empanadas ($3 each) were tempting. Instead we opted for mojitos while waiting for our entrees. The refreshing beverages packed with mint leaves and lime wedges can be purchased by the pitcher ($45) or glass ($15). The math works out best for the former, but the latter seemed more responsible. Ropa vieja de casa ($24) is served with black beans, rice and tostones (crispy plantains), which I swapped for sweet maduros. Ropa vieja translates to old clothes; thankfully, its slow-cooked shredded beef with tomatoes and peppers. The name comes from the long strands of meat, which are tender and well-seasoned. Mixed with the rice and beans, its evocative of the Caribbean. The naturally sweet, banana-like maduros are caramelized without becoming too saccharine. Garlic, onions and citrus season the slow-cooked pork shoulder, aka lechon asado ($22). It, too, is tender and its flavor is surprisingly subtle. A mound of moro rice (black beans meshed together with white rice) and yuca fritas (fries) complete the dish. Lime wedges are a common garnish and a squeeze or two does help further brighten the food. Upscale Colorado Springs Mexican eatery serves up a creative spin on classics | Dining review Cuban bread is shaped like French baguettes but is soft and fluffy. Cuba Cuba makes its own, so the pan con bistec (steak sandwich) is not to be missed. Thin slices of seared meat, with onions, tomato, lettuce and shoestring potatoes are stuffed between slices of bread for a hearty meal. Chimichurri, a parsley, garlic and olive oil-based condiment, is served on the side, along with mojo fries (thin-cut, garlicky french fries), which are addictive. The latter are also available as an appetizer ($6). The least successful entree was the picadillo a caballo ($23)CQ. This is a combination of ground beef, diced potatoes, olives and peppers in a tomato sauce served over rice. Its topped with an egg and served with maduros. The picadillo was underseasoned. Traditionally, raisins are included, but are missing here. Desserts include tres leches cakes, chocolate quato leches, flan and key lime tart ($7 each). They may be paired with suggested rums ($15 for dessert and rum). Service lacking at restaurant inside Castle Rock hospital | Dining Review Service was attentive. The restaurant is in an old house, so dining areas are scattered throughout. We were in a north-facing dining room with a view of the Denver skyline. The line outside the only restroom was constant. Cuba Cuba has three other Denver locations, with smaller menus, and recently opened a restaurant in Castle Rock. Cuba Cuba Traditional Cuban cuisine. Location: 1173 Delaware St., Denver Contact: 1-303-605-2822; cubacubacafe.com Prices: $3 to $29 Hours: 5 to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 5 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday Details: Credit cards accepted. Alcohol. Wi-Fi. Outdoor dining. Favorite dishes: Lechon asado and maduros. Other: Gluten-free and vegan options available. Real Capital Analytics (RCA) recognized JLL Philippines as the top investment broker in the country for 2022 after it reportedly managed over $96 million in transactions, representing 80 percent of the market in 2022. JLL Philippines head of capital markets Ryan Isip said this is the second time JLL placed first, receiving the same recognition for managing $127 million, about 48 percent of market share in 2020. We are deeply honored to be recognized once again by Real Capital Analytics. Our team remains steadfast in our commitment to raise investment volume in the Philippines, he said. RCA is a solution by MSCI Inc., a global provider of equity, fixed income, real estate indexes, multi-asset portfolio analysis tools, ESG and climate product. It has recorded over $40 trillion of commercial property transactions linked to over 200,000 investor and lender profiles, providing granular data on commercial real estate transactions. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. The first batch of 17 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were evacuated from Sudan arrived in the country on Saturday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. As I welcome the 1st batch of repatriates from Sudan, Im inspired by their fortitude and resilience. Im grateful to our DFA teams, PH agencies and international partners who work nonstop to ensure the safety of our kababayans. Protecting overseas Filipinos is our governments solemn pledge, DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo said in a Twitter post. The evacuees flew out Friday from Athens, Greece and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the DFA said. Eight of the evacuees were hotel workers in Sudan who left the conflict-torn state through a Greek military evacuation flight. HOME AT LAST. After a difficult evacuation journey out of conflict-torn Khartoum in Sudan, the first batch of 17 overseas Filipino workers arrived in Manila Saturday afternoon. Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo welcomed the evacuees at the airport. Twitter account of DFA Secretary Manalo The remaining nine overseas Filipinos, including one infant, fled Khartoum via Port Sudan where they boarded a C130 plane of the Saudi Royal Air Force bound for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the DFA said. ADVERTISEMENT Data from the DFA showed some 610 Filipinos have been evacuated from Khartoum, more than half of which have crossed to the Egyptian border. In a separate statement, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan Ople said some 340 OFWs in war-torn Sudan may be home safe soon. Ople told President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that a DMW team and a contingent from the Philippine embassy in Cairo are currently attending to a large group of OFWs wanting to flee the conflict in Sudan. The embassy and our DMW teams will make sure they will all be treated well onboard buses and in Cairo, Ople said. Ople added that DFA officials and personnel were processing the required clearances and exit visas for the immediate repatriation of the Filipinos from the northeastern African country. Ople earlier flew to Cairo to lead the distribution of welfare assistance to the evacuated OFWs displaced by the fighting in Sudan. Meanwhile, the DFA announced that the OFWs were safely evacuated from Sudan over the last 12 hours through government initiatives. Philippine Ambassador to Egypt Ezzedin Tago welcomed the 340 Filipinos from Khartoum at the Argeen border Saturday morning after they were cleared by Egyptian authorities for entry. There have been delays in the processing at the Egyptian border due to the influx of evacuees. DFA teams in Athens, Jeddah, and at the Egypt-Sudan border have been assisting Filipinos from Khartoum and were making arrangements for their repatriation aboard the next available flights. Coordination with the governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Greece on the safe passage of Filipino evacuees was continuing through the Philippine embassies. On Tuesday, President Marcos said the government was doing the necessary preparations in anticipation of the 72-hour ceasefire declared in Sudan, hoping it could provide an opportunity to bring home Filipinos from the war-torn country. Right now, we are hoping that the 72-hour ceasefire that has been declared will hold and we will we are preparing ourselves, the President said. So were trying were watching this situation very, very closely and to see if theres a window of opportunity na mailabas natin ang mga Philippine nationals natin, he added. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Controversial figure Andrew Tate is currently under house arrest in Romania while authorities investigate serious allegations against him. He has seemingly been using this time to reflect on some life lessons delivered to him and his younger brother Tristan by their father, Emory Tate, who was an American International Chess grandmaster. Andrew, 36, is a self-proclaimed misogynist. People tell him to think of his mother or sister when he says horrible things about women, but the problem is that he doesn't respect them either. Andrew Tate shows off new collection of $12,000 Bugatti scooters Any time he talks about his mother, Andrew is dry and short, but he always speaks of his father with great admiration. "When I was a toddler my dad bumped me at random," Andrew tweeted. "Pushed me over. Nonstop. Eventually, I learned to packpeddle extremely proficiently. So he pushed harder. When I was older he did it to Tristan too. I remember watching. 'Why push us dad?' 'So you learn to get up.'" Despite his father being an alcoholic who often left the family for months at a time, Andrew can't help but turn a story of abuse into a tale of resiliency. Andrew Tate's stories about his dad, real or fake? The two brothers are not on speaking terms with their sister, who reportedly does not agree with their lifestyle, or way of thinking. That mindset, however, was apparently handed down to them by their father, who they're still trying to please nearly 10 years after his death. Andrew's stories about his dad are often about how he taught them to fight back, but they also fit his agenda perfectly, so it's possible he's just making them up as he goes. It's clear Andrew still has issues that stem from how his father treated him, with no love. Emory was a bitter man who went on do to very little with his life after being considered a trailblazer for the Black community in chess. Cambridge city officials suspended a popular concert venue and restaurants liquor license this week following allegations the business did not help a patron who alleged she was drugged at the establishment last year. The Cambridge License Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to suspend The Sinclairs liquor license for a day. Nicole Murati Ferrer, chair of the commission, claimed staff at the concert venue on Sept. 30, 2022 did not call an ambulance or the police to assist the patron, Ilana Katz, who needed help. Tim Xayyaraj, head of security at The Sinclair, testified at an earlier meeting Katz declined the medical assistance he alleged to have offered her, a claim Katz denied. I dont think this is good enough. I also dont believe this to be wholly accurate, Ferrer said about The Sinclairs response at Tuesdays meeting. The rules and regulations require the call for an incapacitated person and someone in need of aid. Based on the patrons testimony, it is clear they needed aid. Xayyaraj also testified at the earlier meeting the commission held on March 21 a friend of Katzs told him she had consumed many shots of liquor, a claim Katz also denied. Ferrer pointed out at Tuesdays meeting even if Katz was not drugged, she still needed help, and The Sinclair did not provide assistance. There is substantial evidence the patron needed aid, was very agitated and alleged to have been drugged, the commission chair noted. Even if they did not believe the person was drugged, it was clear that they needed medical assistance for over-consumption or over-service of alcohol, Ferrer said. Additionally, the commission chair noted, there was conflicting testimony about whether The Sinclair had a policy in place on how to deal with non-consensual drugging cases. Xayyaraj testified he did not call the police and there were no policies in place at The Sinclair as to the type of situation encountered. However, Joshua Bhatti, who oversees staff training at the concert venue, claimed there was an existing policy and it was to call an ambulance, contact the police and have female employees monitor the bathroom regularly. In this case, Bhatti could not say whether the policy was followed, according to the minutes from the March 21 meeting. Katz previously testified after consuming an alcoholic beverage at The Sinclair, she became ill, felt very drunk, collapsed and proceeded to throw up in the bathroom for an hour. She said she was very distressed and informed staff at the concert venue she believed she was drugged. Katz was screaming and could not walk downstairs, according to the minutes from the commissions earlier meeting. Katz stated the Sinclair staff never offered any medical assistance and made Katz leave through an area that was farthest away from the front of the premises even though she wanted to go out through the front area, the minutes stated. Katz stated it was clear she was in great distress. At the time Katz was allegedly drugged in September of last year, allegations of drink spiking across the Boston area were rampant. Meanwhile, there were few to no arrests. Between January and August, the Boston Police Department had received 56 allegations of drink spiking at local bars, restaurants and personal residences, according to data from the agency. The number of arrests during that timeframe: zero. Were not aware that any of these have resulted in an arrest, Sgt. John Boyle, a spokesperson for the department told MassLive last year. A 23-year-old hiker was rescued from Mt. Kilburn in New Hampshire earlier this week after passing out due to a medical emergency, falling from the mountain and waking up to find herself impaled on a stick, according to authorities. Candace Hadwen, a resident of Springfield, Vermont, was trekking Mt. Kilburn in Walpole, New Hampshire around 6:30 p.m. Thursday when she suffered the medical emergency and lost consciousness. When the hiker awoke, she determined she had fallen and impaled herself on a stick, which was causing heavy bleeding, according to a statement from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Conservation officers, police, firefighters and medical first responders responded to the call about the hiker in distress who needed to be rescued. Hadwen was off trail at the time, according to the statement. Fire personnel were immediate in their response, finding the victim and administering life saving measures to stop the bleeding, the statement said. Hadwen was taken from the mountain to a helicopter, which flew her to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire for treatment of her injuries, according to the statement. When people get in trouble with the law, they have a right to due process. Thats the term for a protection at the heart of a free society. If government is to stand in judgment, in a civil or criminal proceeding, the process must be fair to the defendant. Outside of the courts, its a principle taught from preschool on. In a civil society, people are accountable for their actions. And when there could be consequences, those actions must be judged impartially. In a ruling last week, the Supreme Judicial Court documented a massive breakdown in due process that affected tens of thousands of people. The courts 46-page decision reveals, in horrifying detail, that for years a secretive and insular office run by the Massachusetts State Police knowingly hid potentially exculpatory information from defense attorneys and their clients. That evidence: Internal worksheets completed by the office that showed that in hundreds of instances, devices used to test blood-alcohol levels in the drivers had failed certifications. That is not playing fair. Across the state, 27,000 people are now getting notices that they have the right to seek new trials or to withdraw guilty pleas. Whats come to light concerns us all. It reveals a stunning arrogance of power. Beyond the damage to those defendants who number almost as many as all who live in West Springfield this is a body blow to public trust in governments and the courts. The SJC decision said as much. These defendants did not have the benefit of using exculpatory authorization reports, the quality assurance manual, failed certification worksheets, and internal repair records to challenge the validity of the breath test instrument used in their individual cases, the court found. Justices said the office held a cavalier and supercilious attitude toward its discovery obligations (which) led to the repeated concealment of evidence that its testing process was flawed. The extent of the offices missteps? Vast. The broad scope and nature of these violations of court orders undermined the criminal justice system in the Commonwealth, compromised thousands of prosecutions for OUI offenses, and potentially resulted in inaccurate convictions, the court found. Because of that misconduct, defendants who were subject to breath tests between June 1, 2011, and April 18, 2019, can seek to have guilty findings vacated. For the state, it wasnt the first time one of its labs was found to have gone rogue. In 2012, a drug lab chemist, Annie Dookhan, was found to have falsified tests on illicit drugs, in some instances reporting false positive findings that provided inaccurate information to prosecutors and defense counsel. As many as 61,000 cases were affected; Dookhan served three years in prison. Behind all the big numbers are individual defendants. Each of them was deprived of due process. In many cases, they paid high prices for lost livelihoods. Problems with the Office of Alcohol Testing had been ferreted out in earlier litigation and were detailed in a 2017 investigation by the units state police overseers. That year, the office was found to be acting in blatant disregard of court orders. Evidence that could benefit a defendant in an OUI case was intentionally withheld. That probe found the office to be infected by a longstanding and insular institutional culture that was reflexively guarded. Translation? When it came to accountability, the Office of Alcohol Testing had an infuriating none of your business attitude. For nearly a decade, the office failed to play fair with breath tests taken from people believed to have been driving under the influence. The case behind the new SJC decision stems from a 2013 arrest in Beverly at a sobriety checkpoint. The driver told officers shed had three drinks. She failed a field sobriety test and was recorded as having nearly three times the legal limit of alcohol in her bloodstream. Told by her lawyer the breath test results would seal the deal for prosecutors, she admitted to facts sufficient to produce a guilty finding, lost her license for two years and had to attend a 14-day second-offender program. A lower-court judge denied her request to change her plea, in light of problems with the Office of Alcohol Testing. The SJC decision now gives her and thousands of others that right. Theyd gone to court hoping for fairness. They now know a government office engaged in egregious misconduct that denied them due process. The road to trust will be long. The former chief of staff to the mayor of Lawrence was charged by federal authorities with possessing child sexual abuse imagery, prosecutors announced Friday. Jhovanny Martes-Rosario, 48, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on one count of possession and another count of transportation of child sex abuse material, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollinss office. He appeared in federal court in Boston on Friday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley and was released under certain conditions, the statement said. Martes-Rosario, who was the chief of staff under Lawrence Mayor Brian A. DePena, was previously arrested by state authorities in February after police allegedly found dozens of child sex abuse images on his iPad. His arrest followed an investigation that began in December. The Massachusetts State Police Cyber Crime Unit started looking into him after receiving information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about child sex abuse images uploaded from an IP address allegedly associated with Martes-Rosarios home. Authorities said troopers then linked the IP address to Martes-Rosario, went to his home and examined his devices, finding dozens of images of child sex abuse material on his iPad. DePena moved to dismiss Martes-Rosario from his position as Chief Staff, according to a statement provided to MassLive. MassLive reporter Alvin Buyinza contributed to this report. The Springfield school systems Environmental Center threw itself a 50th birthday party Saturday three years late thanks to COVID with an open house at its headquarters building on Porter Lake in Forest Park. Formally known as the Clifford A. Phaneuf Environmental Center at Forest Park, the building is the home of a series of environmental courses for the entire Springfield School Department. With the help of the Springfield Parks Department, what was once a warming shed for ice skaters on Porter Lake was expanded to become the ECOS, or Environmental Center of Springfield, program headquarters. It is not ironic that the Springfield program was started the same year that Earth Day was created. That was the kind of movement of the 70s, ECOS teacher Katie Orellana said. It was all getting back to nature. So, Cliff Phaneuf and Lorraine Knight put together a curriculum and through several different channels were able to get funding. Eventually, it was adopted and became a formal part of the system. Even today, plunking a fourth-grade student down in the wilds of Forest Park and introducing them to nature at its most basic level is a seminal experience for many kids. I liked finding out about what was out here, Blaise Bohaker said. He went through the ECOS program as a sixth grader. Mostly I liked learning about things in nature, like what is poisonous or not, what is good for healing. I liked just getting out in the woods and seeing things. Prompted by the ECOS program, Bohaker has since joined the Boy Scouts to continue his outdoor adventures, and that was the kind of experience that Phaneuf and Knight were aiming for when they started the program in 1970. Called experiential education, students were given the opportunity to get out of the classroom and into a new environment; to get a little dirty and to get close to things they may never had noticed before. Of course, the program also gave teachers the opportunity to introduce potentially real-life skills. One of my favorites was the winter survival, where we had to make a shelter out of old Christmas trees and then we would make a fire and cook hot dogs, Chelsea Parmentier said. Now a teacher herself, Parmentier has put one of her own kids through the program, and her child looked forward to getting to fourth grade just like she did. I remember we looked forward to it every year, and then being upset when we got older and couldnt come anymore, she said. It was about getting out of the classroom and getting into nature. I always loved the hiking and the fishing and the boat races just being outside. Burton D. Freedman was a teacher during those first years of the program. He said most old-line teachers did not understand how the open nature of the curriculum worked to the advantage of the teacher and the kids. At that time some of the teachers would never have done something like this, Freedman said. They had been working in the classroom and were skeptical about this program. One of the issues that came up was, well how were we going to discipline these kids when theyre outside? Of course, the opposite was true. Experiential education was what we were doing; you bring a student out and say, Hey, theres a pond over there. Lets see if we can find a salamander. We didnt have any discipline problems. Constance Falconer has been a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher in the Springfield system, and she said her students are full of anticipation for the upcoming program. We gear up for it and its so exciting because some of them have not had a lot of outdoor time, so this helps them to navigate the outdoor atmosphere and they just love it. Absolutely love it, she said. Falconers brother, James Sullivan, said he too loved the ECOS program because it gave him a deeper appreciation of the outdoors. Just seeing Forest Park is great. You might come here on your own and see it just as it is, like its surface value. But there is so much more to it, he said. You can walk the trails and see the various ecosystems here in the park. If there was one activity that was loved by all students, it was the boat races; build yourself a small model boat out of whatever you can find and put it up against all other students creations. I remember the boat racing we did near the little bridge, said 14-year-old Dario Wilson. I made it out of popsicle sticks and tape and stuff. I used paper for the sails. It was probably the most memorable part of the program. Rylan Murphy said he, too, loved the boat race, mainly because he won. I won the boat race, he laughed. I have a reason to remember, that and the maple syrup. We made maple syrup. Lilliana Santiago won her boat race too, so that was cool. But she said she also walked away from the ECOS program with a deeper appreciation for the outdoors. I learned that there are other things to do besides being in the house on technology, she said. Assistant teacher TSani Bonds said Santiagos comment about technology was particularly relevant to the ECOS program. He said children coming in at this point are really amazed at what they find outdoors. In years past kinds were a little savvier about nature. But not anymore. This generation with more technology, the kids dont have to go outside much. Having this (program) inside the school system helps them actually get out, get a little dirty, get a little messy and actually enjoy nature, compared to maybe 20 years ago when technology wasnt really that advanced. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MANISTEE Investigators with the Mutual UFO Network are asking residents to keep their eyes on the skies and report anything that seems out of the ordinary. Each year, the Mutual UFO Network investigates around 200 reported eyewitness sightings of phenomena over Michigan, according to UFO researcher Bill Konkolesky. Konkolesky, who heads the Mutual UFO Networks Michigan chapter, spoke to a crowd gathered at the Wagoner Community Center Thursday evening. Since 2010, (theres been) over 3,000 sightings reported to us just in Michigan, and we investigate every single one of them, Konkolesky told those in attendance. The Mutual UFO Network is a U.S.-based nonprofit with over 5,000 members across the globe and chapters in more than 40 countries. It was founded in 1969 with the intent to investigate reports of unidentified flying objects. Nationwide, the Mutual UFO Network has investigated around 78,000 alleged UFO sightings in just over the past decade. The vast majority of these reported sightings are caused by known phenomena, according to Konkolesky. Aircraft, drones, sky lanterns, satellites and unusual weather and celestial phenomena are found to be common causes of sightings. On a good year, we can identify up to 95% of what comes in to us. Its either some sort of aircraft, some sort of weather (or) some sort of celestial thing in the sky, he said. The remaining cases with less obvious explanations are what interests UFO researchers like Konkolesky. Our job is to try to identify it as best we can, but if we can identify 95% of what comes in to us, and we get around 200 sightings a year in Michigan, that means every year we get about 10 really good sightings very mysterious stuff from very credible people, he said. Thats (what) keeps us going. Konkolesky highlighted several incidents which drew national attention during his UFOs Over Michigan presentation, hosted by the Manistee County Library. These include the famous Dexter swamp gas case, the Kinross incident, the Wurtsmith Air Force Base incident and a rash of UFO sightings that took place around Grand Rapids in 1994. Cases that have happened in Michigan make (it) one of the biggest states around in terms of UFO history, he said. One thing which separates some of the more famous UFO incidents from other sightings that come into the Mutual UFO Network each day, is the presence of multiple, credible eyewitnesses. Konkolesky urges people to report their sightings to the Mutual UFO Network at mufoncms.com/public_report. UFO investigators like Konkolesky take a neutral approach when investigating reported sightings, he said. Everything that comes in to us, we dont look at it like oh my gosh, its a flying saucer, its from space, or it's some top secret government thing,' he said. If youre going to report something, dont think that our mission is to dismiss it (and) dont think our mission is to validate something that youve seen." There are some things people should keep in mind that will aid investigators, should they encounter an unidentified flying object. One (thing) that eludes a lot of people is when we ask the question, how long did you see it for?,' he said. If its a conventional aircraft, its going to take so long to get from point A to point B. So if you can, be sort of conscious about the amount of time that youre seeing it. Konkolesky also recommends taking note of its size compared to other objects within your field of vision, and its orientation relative to trees, buildings and other landmarks. Reach for that phone and try to take a picture of it thats a big one, he said. Most people dont even think of it (and) if youre with somebody, dont just stare at it yourself, yell at them to take a look at it. If you see it at home, maybe ask your neighbors, did you see anything unusual? For more information on Michigan UFO sightings, visit mimufon.org. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Attempts to ban books from schools in an attractive Connecticut town drew national attention 50 years ago, and the parallels to more recent attempts to ban books are undeniable, according to some local residents. The issue came to national attention in 1972, when the Ridgefield Board of Education voted to remove from classrooms a book critical of Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, called Boss, by Mike Royko. The then-board president, Lodi Kysor, said it was not an exercise in censorship, but other board members had issues with the content. The first time I opened the book I came across a section that said the police had burglarized some establishments belonging to peace groups, Leo F. Carroll told The New York Times. Now tell me, do you think a policeman would do something like that? Well, my conscience is clear I object to any book that doesn't tell the truth. It was and still is called Ridgefields book burning period, though no books were actually burned. When The New York Times wrote about the controversy, the paper called Ridgefield an attractive old Fairfield County town, and said it looks like a picture by Currier and Ives but often behaves like one by Jackson Pollock. Demographic and cultural shifts The move to begin banning books from Ridgefield schools began with concern over sex education and rising taxes, according to Jack Sanders, who worked for the Ridgefield Press for 50 years, much of that time as the papers editor. (The Ridgefield Press is now owned by Hearst Connecticut Media Group.) Sanders covered the book bans consistently over the course of years, and as he wrote in his book Wicked Ridgefield, the brouhaha was partly the result of a demographic shift. The towns population had more than doubled in a decade. More children meant more schools, and more schools brought more taxes needed to build and operate them, he wrote. There was a whole taxpayer-type movement that was very much critical of all aspects of government, except maybe the police and possibly fire departments, he said during a recent interview. When St. Marys School closed in June 1970, many parents who had hoped to give their children a parochial, religious education found themselves enrolling in public school. A group called Concerned Parents of Ridgefield issued the following statement in April of that year: "Concerned Parents will not accept any program in which students are brought together in groups large or small for the purpose of discussing under anyones leadership (adult or student) the problems of sex, dating, growing up, peer group acceptance, being loved and cared for, home and school pressures, smoking, drinking and health. The group later began complaining about books, starting with a book called Playing It Cool. As Sanders wrote, Concerned Parents leader Norman Little said it was full of themes like hate, despair and doubt that were whittling away all those things which we consider good in this country. National newspapers became interested, and journalists, including one Pulitzer Prize-winner, descended on the town. Stories about it appeared coast to coast, from The New York Times to the Los Angeles Times. A political cartoon from the era compared Ridgefields decision to ban Boss to the literal book burnings in 1933 Germany. A letter sent to Kysor from the Authors League of America dated April 13, 1972, called the boards 3 to 2 decision to ban Boss an example of fear of the printed word, intolerance and a shocking disregard for the Constitutional principles of free speech. Additional books were banned from classrooms. Amy Harold was a Ridgefield High School freshman when the controversy hit its peak. She recalled that a book about Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr was also pulled. I was very confused about why they would try to make school worse, instead of better, and why we weren't allowed to think for ourselves, Harold said. But as a freshman in high school, I wasn't well-tuned into even the rest of the student body. A threatened poodle The situation reached its peak in January 1973. Carroll had been a state police officer for 33 years, after which he did a decade-long stint as first selectman, then joined the town school board. After Boss was banned, he began a crusade to ban two more books, Soul on Ice by Eldridge Cleaver and Police, Courts and the Ghetto, by Marjorie Kilbane and Patricia Claire. Cleaver was a Black Panther living as a fugitive in Algeria. The Times described Police, Courts and the Ghetto as a discussion of police relations with black Americans. Both books were part of an elective class for high school seniors taught by social studies teacher Dirk F. Bollenback. Carroll told the Times, I find nothing of redeeming social or educational value in the books. I find nothing in Cleaver's book but a horrible hatred of the white man and the law-abiding Black man. Local teachers threatened to strike over what they saw as a challenge to academic autonomy. Bollenback later said, I remember being called a Communist at one meeting. Elfrieda Travostino, then the president of the Ridgefield Teachers Association, told police she found her standard poodle hanging by the collar from a tree. Though the dog was unharmed, Travostino said someone on the phone threatened that she or her children might be strung from a tree if she continued to fight the book ban. The police investigated but there were no arrests. The ban was ultimately lifted in February 1973 by a 5to4 vote, though some saw the victory as pyrrhic. Immediately after lifting the ban, the board decided by a vote of 5-to-3 to discontinue the classes in which the books were taught. That May, the Connecticut Education Association released a 38-page booklet called Responsible Academic Freedom: Challenge to Ridgefield. That pamphlet said that a climate of public attack against teachers and teaching methods has been allowed to develop in Ridgefield to such an extent that a pall has been cast over the entire educational system. The pamphlet claimed book ban proponents were relatively few in number, but persistent and vociferous in pressing their charges. Defenders and supporters of teachers and programs are greater in number but less persistent, vociferous and organized. 'Rolled eyes' Though Carroll had been vociferously in favor of the book bans, Sanders said he was an incredible, caring person. He loved the police and he thought they did a good job and he just didn't want to see things that criticized policemen. He was also a bit of a prude, but he certainly didn't expect what happened, Sanders said. His philosophy wasn't conservative in the way the other peoples philosophy was that these were sinful and they were going to corrupt morals. The book bans, Sanders said, brought out the worst of the town. There were a lot of nasty people, a lot of nasty things said and a few things done back in the early 70s in Ridgefield that were just shameful, he said. Eventually, the controversy died down. The Board of Education changed hands, as did the job of superintendent. At the time of the book bans, the post had been held by David Weingast, but he left soon after. After he retired they hired an incredible superintendent named Elliot Landon, and between him and the school board that had fairly quickly been elected, a much more liberal school board, probably in reaction to the book burnings, they turned the whole school system around and the teachers and the board got along very nicely, Sanders said. The town, he said, wanted to move on. In the early '70s, the board approved every textbook taught in class. They wanted to see every single textbook that was being proposed to be used in the school system, Sanders said. They were kind of forced into doing this by the parents. But after the book ban controversy, as time went by and the board changed hands, members decided they only wanted a list of textbooks. Then they stopped worrying about it altogether, leaving textbooks to school administration. There was nothing about books for a long time, because of this book burning business, Sanders said. Six years went by. Then, one night during the public comment period of a school board meeting, a parent raised their hand to question the use of a book in the schools. Sanders was there, reporting for the local paper. He wrote in his book Wicked Ridgefield that some members of the board looked aghast. Others rolled their eyes. Sanders laughed when he recalled it during an interview. I can still remember that night very clearly, he said. You could tell instantly that that was going nowhere. Both Sanders and Harold see the book ban controversy in 1970s Ridgefield as similar to many current attempts to ban books, in Connecticut and elsewhere. I dont understand this whole book banning thing, Harold said. Theres a part of the country that doesn't think people can think or doesn't want them to think or doesn't want them to know. Sanders sees it as an eternally recurring issue that rises when cultures change and clash. We've gone through lots of periods like this in this country. The Catholic Church worldwide banned countless books for centuries. Book banning is nothing new, he said. "There's people in power, or people who aren't in power who don't want others reading things that they don't agree with. It's something that's always been around. BRIDGEPORT An initiative that aims to ensure the leadership of local nonprofits is made up of a diverse group of residents who reflect the communities that they serve has been given a financial boost. M&T Bank announced this week that it has provided philanthropic support to the SEAT (Skill, Educate, Act, Transform) Program, a project designed to equip residents from minority communities with the skills and confidence to serve on nonprofit boards. The support, which includes $10,000 in funding and meeting space at the Bridgeport Center, the banks regional headquarters, allowed the program to enroll a new class in its 10-week course, according to Kim Bianca Williams, a training consultant who oversees the program. We are extremely grateful for M&Ts generous support, Williams said. Their contributions to this program will help us to build capacity and continue to train residents to serve and expand BIPOC representation on boards for nonprofit organizations that are doing crucial work in our community. Since launching in 2021, the program has trained a total of 16 residents in Bridgeport and Waterbury during three separate sessions. Seven of those graduates have since been named to the boards of local nonprofits such as KEYS, which offers music lessons to children who cannot afford lessons, and the Center for Family Justice. We found an excellent candidate whose Board SEAT training has enabled her to add value to our board from Day One, Kathy Maiolo, the chairperson of the centers board, said in a statement on the programs website. She has brought enthusiasm, professionalism and perspective to our board of directors. Williams said the program aims to provide participants with a wide range of helpful skills and crucial information about serving on a board, including the ins and outs of nonprofit structures, board governance and how to work alongside an organization's executive staff. I would say approximately 75 percent of our program participants have had no board experience at all, Williams said. So this is a critical opportunity, not only for them to gain a new skill, but be able to better impact the community that they live in. Around 78 percent of nonprofit board members are white, according to a 2021 report from BoardSource, an organization that tracks and analyzes trends in nonprofit board leadership. The study found that just 10 percent of members are Black and five percent are Hispanic. The disparities are even greater among the leadership of nonprofit boards. About 83 percent of board chairs are white, while just 6 percent are Black and 5 percent are Hispanic, according to the BoardSource report. The donation from M&T is the latest in a flurry of racial equity-focused philanthropy from the Buffalo, N.Y.-based company. Last year, after acquiring the Bridgeport-based Peoples United Bank for $8.3 billion, the bank announced the creation of a new fund to support lower-income communities and underrepresented groups. The bank has pledged to use the fund, dubbed the Amplify Fund, to provide $25 million to organizations in Connecticut and across the northeast. A spokesperson for the company, however, said the funding offered to SEAT came from a separate but similar philanthropic initiative. M&T Bank is committed to partnering with communities to understand the challenges they face and their opportunities for growth so we can help every town and city we serve reach its fullest potential, Frank Micalizzi, M&Ts head of Connecticut commercial banking and Bridgeport regional president, said in a statement. DEI is foundational to that work, and we are proud to support the SEAT Program here in Bridgeport. MIDDLETOWN Officials say a threat made to the public schools this month by a local citizen was non-viable and non-current." On April 6, the Middletown Police Department received information "from a community stakeholder that a male in our community was making threats against Middletown Public Schools," Chief Erik Costa said in a news release issued Friday afternoon. The police investigated the matter and determined the man was not a credible threat to the schools at that time, he said. In an effort to ensure the publics safety, Costa added, the individual was issued a risk protection order, which prohibits him from obtaining weapons. "Officers also obtained a search and seizure warrant for his residence for weapons and/or plans that could be used to assault a school. No such items were located," Costa said. Based on the investigation, Costa added, "It was determined that the male suffered from known mental illness and his statements did not rise to the level of a criminal violation. At no time was the male a viable threat to the Middletown Public Schools." The chief said the individual is not being identified due to medical diagnoses and treatment protocols. However, a memo from Middletown Police Capt. David C. Godwin to Middletown Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Vazquez Matos was posted Friday afternoon on social media. The memo identified the suspect by his name, age and hometown, included a photo of the man and a description of his car and provided additional details about the nature of the alleged threats. Costa confirmed the document's legitimacy and described it as an "internal document shared with the (Board of Education) central office." "The document was never placed on our website," he said in an email. "We are unsure of how it got on social media." A joint letter from the school district and police department regarding the threats was issued Friday. "We want the families, employees, and community members of the school district to understand that the individual who has made these threats is being monitored, and certain laws and protections have been enacted to protect all involved and/or named, the statement said. The district has enacted a Board of Education policy that denies the individual long-term access to school property, buildings and its activities, according to the press release. Policy 1260 addresses civility, respectful communications and actions. On Friday, Schools Communications Director Jessie Lavorgna pointed to the passage that pertains to disciplinary consequences. It reads that "parents or other members of the school community found to be in violation of this policy may be directed to leave school property, a school building or any activities sponsored by the school district. "Repeat violations may result in a long-term denial of access to the locations and events named above, she said. "Police are ensuring safety of all schools by maintaining heightened awareness and actively patrolling school property across the district." Learning of threats made against one's school district is understandably upsetting to students, staff, and our families," Lavorgna said. "Each of our schools is equipped with a social worker and additional support staff to help students process their emotions and feel comfortable in their school setting. For staff, we have our free and always available employee assistance program, she added. Community members may report any suspicious activity to police by calling 860-347-6941. DANBURY The possibility that Western Connecticut State University could close this summer as a budget cut was characterized by the president here as a worst-case scenario that will not be reality. But with rumors spreading on WCSUs two Danbury campuses this week that spring 2023 could be the last semester for the struggling 120-year-old institution, students and faculty are concerned, leaders said. With good reason. Anybody is going to be concerned to hear something like that, said Paul Beran, the interim president who was imported from Arkansas in 2022 to rescue the university from the enrollment slide and undisciplined spending that has plunged WCSU into a what a report called a serious financial crisis. We have to move forward and do our jobs to convince the state of the vitality and the importance of this institution. While WCSU and the rest of the state-run universities and community colleges in Connecticut were put on notice this week about the possibility of hundreds of full-time faculty layoffs, several thousand part-time teaching layoffs, significant tuition increases, and the potential for campus closures, the Danbury university was not mentioned by name. But in a closed-door meeting with Connecticut education executives and state-level union leaders, WestConn was mentioned by name as the first institution to close if push comes to shove, said Rotua Lumbantobing, a professor of economics and president of the WCSU chapter of the American Association of University Professors. I was devastated of course even saying that (closing WCSU) is a possibility is egregious, said Lumbantobing, who was not in the room when WCSU was singled out but was told about it by a union leader who was. Where are our priorities? The states response is that Gov. Ned Lamont has increased funding to Connecticuts system of universities and community colleges every year since hes been in office to the point that per-student spending has nearly doubled since 2019 from $7,400 per student to $14,200 per student. [H]is budget proposal for the next biennium increases this funding once again, chief spokesman David Bednarz said on Friday. These funding increases will allow (the state university and community college system) to continue operations at all of its campuses. Lamonts budget czar explained the governors position this week that Simply asking for ever-increasing operating subsidies is not sustainable. Before looking to the taxpayers and students for additional funding, (institutions) must get their costs under control and in line with the current and expected future demand for students, which has decreased by 36 percent in the community colleges and 21 percent at the regional state universities, said Jeffrey Beckham, secretary of the state Office of Policy and Management. The students and taxpayers deserve value for their dollar. The interim WestConn president agreed. I was hired to come in (to) address the organizational and financial problems of the institution and that is what I am doing. We are looking at merging programs, merging departments, cutting down the costs of management, and increasing efficiency in how we do things, Beran said on Friday. What I am sharing with (the state) is all the things we are doing to reorganize and to create long-term saving that doesnt effect the quality of our instruction. 'Economic hole' One year ago, a study found that Western was facing serious financial difficulty and had to reevaluate staffing, structure and programs to curb spending, because the university operated on a structural deficit, and depleted its reserves. Two months after the report was publicized, John Clark, the embattled president, earned a no confidence vote from the faculty and stepped down. On Friday, the president of the state university and college system told Hearst Connecticut Media that it was premature to single out any one institution such as WestConn for closure as the Board of Regents would need to assess the particulars of the budget and determine on a case-by-case basis which institutions and campuses have the resources to sustain these levels of funding and which do not. We have been clear about the potentially disastrous impacts of the proposed budgets on (state) institutions and students, the communities we serve, and the states workforce, said Terrence Cheng, president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system, or CSCU. [W]e remain hopeful that our state partners, at a time of fiscal plenty, will put forward a final budget that keeps pace with the (State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition) wages and benefits that were negotiated by the state on our behalf but havent been fully funded in any of the proposed budgets. The next step is negotiations between CSCU and Lamonts budget staff. At stake in Danbury is a college education for scores of students without the means to attend private colleges, Lumbantobing said. The students are devastated, and the students are worried, said Lumbantobing, who is rallying support to attend two lobbying events in Hartford in May the first on Wednesday to encourage lawmakers to keep Western funded. What are (state leaders) saying about our students and the people who live and work in the western part of Connecticut? Beran agrees. I have done an analysis of the financial impact of Western, which has a $350 million yearly financial positive impact on our community, Beran said. There is a significant impact if you start cutting back on how we do our job. There will be an economic hole if you take away the vitality of the institution. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) At the end of a hearing for a bill that would further expand coverage for gender-affirming medical care, transgender rights advocate Brooke Maylath shifted her focus from the majority-Democratic senators before her to the Republican governor who likely will decide the bills fate. This bipartisan support has been described as The Nevada Way, Maylath said, repeating Gov. Joe Lombardos mantra coined during his January inaugural address. In the speech, Lombardo vowed broadly to push conservative tenets like school choice and bolster criminal penalties while working with the Democratic-controlled Legislature. Four months later, little more is known about how Lombardo will respond to several ambitious policy proposals advancing in the Legislature. He has declined to comment publicly on most bills, setting the stage for last-minute deals and conflicts as the final month of the session nears. The stakes are high in one of the few Legislatures meeting every other year. Nevada lawmakers adjourn in early June, and the final stretch will further define Lombardo the only Republican to unseat a Democratic governor in the 2022 election. As his counterparts in the GOP push anti-transgender rhetoric and vow to curtail transgender healthcare on the campaign trail, Lombardo steered a more moderate path. He stayed away from anti-transgender rhetoric and touted his position as Clark County sheriff to build an ethos among conservatives. The Democratic sponsor of the gender-affirming care bill contends it's worth a shot with Lombardo. If he ultimately approves the bill, Nevada would join some states led by Democrats in carving out safe havens amid a flurry of conservatives moving to ban or limit transgender care. They know that this is not a political stunt, state Sen. Melanie Scheible said. Im not trying to give them a bill to veto just so I can complain about it later. Nevada is one of 10 states with executive and legislative branches split in different parties the lowest number since 1952, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. While the two major parties become more polarized, national party identity has become a stronger driver of voting patterns, said Jesse Richman, an associate professor of political science at Old Dominion University, who researches the topic. State-level parties have less room to differentiate themselves. Single-party control is producing substantial changes on hot-button issues, such as abortion rights, access to gender-affirming care and gun control. Other states with dual-party control have seen gridlock. Democratic Govs. Tony Evers in Wisconsin and Katie Hobbs in Arizona recently set their state's records for vetoes. In North Carolina, Democratic Gov. Roy Coopers influence has appeared to wane after a House member switched parties in April, giving Republicans veto-proof supermajorities in both legislative chambers. In Nevada, a bill is still in play that would establish trust fund investments for the children of families who receive Medicaid, known as baby bonds." Another bill would expand Medicaid or similar programs to undocumented children and pregnant parents. Other measures, including a trio of gun control bills and a measure to criminalize fake electors, have advanced through one chamber. Lombardo declined an interview request from The Associated Press. As hundreds of bills work through the legislative process, our office has chosen to only engage on legislation when we feel necessary, his spokesperson Elizabeth Ray said in an email. As bills are presented to Governor Lombardo in their final form, our office will comment and respond appropriately. Lombardos win over incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak was part of a series of tight, split-ticket races in Nevada's midterms last year that cemented the state as solidly purple. Still, Democrats won a supermajority in the state Assembly and are one seat short of achieving a supermajority in the state Senate. While Lombardo has given few early predictors of his stance on certain bills, he has broken away from the GOP by indicating hed sign a bill to codify his predecessor's executive order to protect out-of-state abortion patients and in-state abortion providers from prosecution and penalties. Its a marked shift from an early campaign promise to repeal the protections, on which he switched course later in the campaign. Overall, he has maintained an anti-abortion stance. The Nevada Republican Party said Chairman Michael McDonald was away on Friday and unavailable to comment on Lombardos position. But it previously chided two GOP senators who voted to advance the measure to the Assembly. Democratic lawmakers advancing bills that have riled conservatives elsewhere said Lombardos office has been open to talking about them. Those conversations will likely narrow down a bill expanding state health programs to undocumented children and pregnant women, said Democratic Sen. Fabian Donate, the bill's sponsor. Lombardo's bills haven't always gotten a warm reception from Democratic leadership, who called his proposals for voter identification and a partial rollback of the state's universal mail-in ballot system a non-starter. But the state Assembly recently advanced one of his bills to strengthen certain disciplinary policies in schools, and an Assembly committee held a long, contentious hearing for his school choice measures. I am imagining that hes going to and we can use Las Vegas parlance here lay that bet on the table, said Sondra Cosgrove, a professor of history at Southern Nevada College and executive director of Vote Nevada, a civics education nonprofit. "And say, OK, this is what I want. If I dont get it, dont expect to get what you want. ___ Associated Press writers Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed reporting. ___ Stern is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow him on Twitter: @gabestern326. Navy investigators are offering a $2,000 reward for information on a December 2022 fire aboard the destroyer USS Carney, a blaze they have deemed likely to have resulted from arson. In a social media post made Thursday evening, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said it is looking "for information leading to the identification of those responsible for starting a fire" aboard the Mayport, Florida-based ship in the early morning hours of Dec. 23. The service had not previously indicated that it considered the blaze intentional. In the days after the fire, there were hints that arson was a possibility when the Navy confirmed to Military.com that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF -- an agency that calls itself the main federal source for fire investigations and expertise -- was helping in the investigation. Read Next: 'I Let Down the Combatant Commander': Marine Leader Regrets His Forces Weren't Available for Recent Crises A Navy spokesman confirmed in December that the Carney suffered a fire at around 3:43 a.m. Dec. 23. The ship's crew, along with Jacksonville Fire and Rescue and a team from the nearby destroyer USS Mason, all responded to the blaze that, according to a Twitter account that specializes in open-source intelligence, was described as a medium-sized class-A fire in one of the ship's compartments. Class-A blazes occur when things like wood, cloth, paper, rubber or plastic catch fire. The Navy said that the fire was quickly extinguished, but six sailors were taken to a nearby hospital for smoke inhalation before being released the same day. Unlike the fire that gutted the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard in 2020, the Carney was not undergoing scheduled maintenance or moored at a shipyard. In the case of the Bonhomme Richard, the Navy ultimately accused a young sailor of starting the inferno that claimed the ship, but the case fizzled at court-martial. The ship has since been decommissioned and sent to be scrapped. -- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin. Related: Navy Calls in ATF Investigators to Probe Blaze Aboard Destroyer Docked in Florida FORT BRAGG, North Carolina -- Members of the U.S. Army's Special Operations Command fired Carl Gustaf recoilless rifles, breached tunnels and operated Switchblade drones that flew with an unsettling whiz over a training area on Thursday. The exercise combined some of the hallmark tactics and weapons that were used during the Global War on Terror with other tools reflecting a seismic shift for the command as it prepares for potential conflict against major military rivals. The training was part of the USASOC's annual capabilities exercise, or CAPEX, and the mission they were gaming out was an insertion into Taiwan to defend against a Chinese invasion. It was the first-ever use of a Taiwan scenario for the exercise, with a concrete mock-up meant to represent that country. So instead of hovering eight thousand miles away in the South China Sea where the island actually is perched, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment's Chinooks landed on Range 68 at Fort Bragg. Read Next: 'I Let Down the Combatant Commander': Marine Leader Regrets His Forces Weren't Available for Recent Crises "The [People's Republic of China], in accordance with our national defense strategy, is our true pacing challenge out there," Lt. Gen. Jonathan P. Braga, commanding general of USASOC, said in a speech ahead of the exercise. "Ultimately, what we are trying to do is prevent World War III," he said. "That's our job." The exercise comes as U.S. defense planners are focusing their attention on deterring China's influence in the Indo-Pacific and around the world, part of escalating hostilities that have made headlines when Chinese spy balloons penetrated U.S. airspace and Chinese drones circled the island of Taiwan, for example. While the "ultimate backstop" remains Americas nuclear capabilities, according to the Pentagon's National Defense Strategy, USASOC leaders view it as their mission to prove that they're also ready for conventional conflict if it arises. The organization pulled no punches in naming China and its military, the People's Liberation Army, or PLA, however as the opposition force during the exercise, an unusually direct move, given the militarys hesitancy to overtly suggest conflict. "I'm going to receive a brief from my boss giving us a task to conduct an operation to counter the PLA on the island of Taiwan," a Green Beret officer announced to a crowd of more than 100 members of the public, most of whom were from nonprofit or charity organizations that support the special operations community, prior to a demonstrated attack. Soldiers who participated in the exercise requested that Military.com not use their names to protect their identities ahead of potential future deployments. Some civilians even got to participate in the exercise, acting as partner forces as the kitted-out Special Forces soldiers walked them through a squad attack, for example, in which troops on foot close in on an enemy. But before they kicked down doors to meet the hypothetical escalatory advances of the ghost People's Liberation Army, the soldiers participating in the exercise described their work as perfecting the fundamentals of warfare. "We have to be a lot more prepared and be better at the basic things," one senior civil affairs noncommissioned officer told Military.com. The soldier also left Ukraine in early 2022 after training Ukrainians. "It's just reinforcing the basics and then putting it in a different perspective, applying it in a different way," they said, specifically referencing how directing displaced people after a crisis has been a staple of their trade since the Global War on Terror, and before. Soldiers demonstrated their language capabilities, though instead of the Pashto and Dari, they employed intermediate to high levels of Mandarin or Russian. In fact, the language school at USASOC broadly no longer teaches those two languages spoken in Afghanistan, instead offering tests to keep soldiers who already know them fresh, according to one of the instructors. Now, it is looking to offer courses in Ukrainian and Japanese. NCOs gestured around miniature prison camps, with primitive bamboo bows and fire starters as they offered instruction on evasion from capture tactics. A black uniform with Cyrillic text sat next to these items to demonstrate what instructors might now wear at the military's Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape, or SERE school. Perhaps the most prevalent theme came from the psychological operations soldiers who preached the information operation game as critical for the Army during a crisis with a near-peer actor. Instead of leaflets and megaphones, they talked of memes and enemy disinformation on a global scale. "The information environment -- it can seem overwhelming at times -- just the sheer size of it, the amount of information going in and out of it," one senior psychological operations NCO said. "What's important, what's just white noise?" he added. "How do you navigate all of that, and create order out of chaos, so that you can gain the informational advantage over an enemy that does not operate with the same restrictions and rules that you're going to have to operate under." A term that came up often was "the gray zone," a euphemism referring to tactics that countries like Russia and China use, for example, working through non-state actors in the cyber realm to carry out state missions. It's a means of flouting international law and creating legal deniability while engaging in low-level war. Braga said that staying competitive without escalating to a crisis or direct conflict is "a nuanced game of shadows in the gray-zone" -- one that requires a balance that USASOC is trying to maintain. That nuance has not come without challenges, however, especially when it comes to shedding or pocketing some of the tactics and mindsets so baked into the organization from its intense time fighting the Global War on Terror, a mission that still is ongoing today, though at a much smaller scale than before the withdrawal from Afghanistan nearly two years ago. "We don't necessarily want to lose it. We need to use the lessons learned from that and tailor it to a different fight against a near-peer competitor in a multi-domain environment, essentially," a Green Beret told Military.com on Thursday. "And it's difficult because fighting a near-peer requires a lot more preparation that's not really the cool stuff that we've been doing for the last 20 years. I'm telling my guys as a company commander to stop going to the shoot houses and do more preparation tasks, which aren't nearly as cool or fun to do," he said. "So there's some growing pains there, but we're getting the formation in the right direction, and I think we're going to be alright when the time comes." -- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence. Related: China Flies 38 Warplanes near Taiwan, 6 Navy Vessels in Area The Angels announced theyve selected the contract of right hander Chris Devenski, and placed left hander Jose Quijada on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation. To make room on the 40-man roster, catcher Logan OHoppe was transferred to the 60-day IL. The 32-year-old Devenski was once a top reliever with the Astros, but has struggled in recent years. His last stint in the big leagues resulted in an 8.59 ERA across 14 2/3 innings between the Diamondbacks and Phillies last year. Thats a far cry from his days with the Astros. Devenski burst onto the scene with Houston, putting up a 2.16 ERA over 108 1/3 innings in his rookie year and finishing fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting. He followed that up with another quality season, posting a 2.68 ERA in 80 2/3 relief innings in 2017 and earning a trip to the All Star game. The wheels began to fall off in 2018 though, and Devenski would work to a 4.88 ERA over the next three seasons before being released by the Astros after the 2020 season. He latched on with the Diamondbacks in 2021 but in sporadic big league stints hasnt come close to replicating his early career form. Hell now get a chance to do just that with the Angels. Quijada had struggled to a 6.00 ERA in nine innings for the Angels this season. The left hander has been a mainstay in the Halos pen over the past few seasons, working to a 4.21 ERA over 66 1/3 innings between 2021-22 with a 12.21 K/9 and a 4.88 BB/9. The Mets placed southpaw Brooks Raley on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 28) due to left elbow inflammation. Left-hander David Peterson was also optioned to Triple-A, creating a second spot on New Yorks active roster. Right-handers John Curtiss and Adam Ottavino will fill that void, with Curtis called up from Triple-A and Ottavino activated from the paternity list. Raley entered todays action tied for the league lead in appearances (14) and holds (eight), and for the most part, the lefty has been quite sharp despite a somewhat misleading 4.76 ERA. Twelve of Raleys 14 outings have been scoreless, except he was tagged for four runs in an inning of work against the Brewers on April, and for two runs in his most recent appearance on Thursday against the Nationals. His 22.4% strikeout rate is also below average, but Raleys 2.0% walk rate is among the leagues best, and he is doing a good job of limiting hard contact. Ottavino has pitched well this season and will likely slide back into his set-up/part-time closer role, with David Robertson still getting the overall bulk of save opportunities. But, losing Raley is certainly a blow to the Mets bullpen, in part because he was also the teams only left-handed reliever. The Mets havent been particularly concerned with bullpen balance in recent times (given that Joely Rodriguez was occasionally the only southpaw in the 2022 relief corps), and chose to just recall Curtiss rather than select a left-hander like T.J. McFarland onto the 40-man roster. Since the Mets optioned Peterson to Triple-A multiple times in 2022, it isnt necessarily a shock that the left-hander is again headed to Syracuse. With Justin Verlander set to be activated from the injured list next week and Max Scherzer returning from suspension, Peterson is the odd man out of the rotation mix after making six starts thus far in the 2023 season. It has been a hard-luck year for Peterson, whose 3.59 ERA is well below his 7.34 ERA. Peterson has above-average strikeout and walk rates, but he has also allowed eight home runs in only 30 2/3 innings of work. (For comparisons sake, Peterson surrendered 11 homers over 105 2/3 frames in 2022.) The southpaw has allowed a lot of hard contact, but even the softer contact has been finding holes, as per his inflated .357 BABIP. Peterson will get a chance to get himself on track at Triple-A, while remaining on tap as the Mets top depth starter. The White Sox have sent right-hander A.J. Alexy outright to Triple-A Charlotte, tweets Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Since thered been no indication that Alexy was designated for assignment, the move frees a spot on the 40-man roster. The roster count now sits at 39. Chicago added Alexy off waivers from the Twins in January. Hed bounced around the league last offseason, going from the Rangers to the Nationals to Minnesota before landing in Chicago. All those transactions were via waivers aside from the move from Washington to Minnesota, which saw the Twins send a minor league pitcher to the Nats in a small trade. Alexy held his roster spot with the Sox into the regular season. He was optioned to Charlotte in Spring Training. The 25-year-old has started four games for the Knights but been hit hard in ten innings. Hes allowed 17 runs, largely thanks to a staggering 18 walks out of 54 batters faced (exactly one third). Alexy has been an inconsistent strike-thrower throughout his career but has never battled his control to this extent. The Pennsylvania native has walked 12.8% of opponents over 406 1/3 career innings in the minor leagues. While Alexy hasnt pitched at the MLB level this season, he got there with Texas between 2021-22. Over 30 innings, he worked to a 6.30 ERA as a swingman. Alexy averaged north of 94 MPH on his fastball but had more walks than strikeouts in that brief look. Hed punched out a decent 23.5% of batters faced with a 5.91 ERA in 96 Triple-A frames last year. Alexy has never previously been outrighted and doesnt have three years of major league service. He therefore wont be able to elect free agency. Hell stick with Charlotte and look to get his strike-throwing back on track to put himself on the radar for an MLB look later this season. Alexy would qualify for minor league free agency at the end of the year if hes not on the 40-man roster by that point. YPSILANTI, MI -- DNA evidence from a 2013 rape of a woman in Ypsilanti has led to charges against two men, one from Flint and the other from Taylor. Douglas Johnson IV, 33, of Flint, and Rapheal Holman, 32, of Taylor, are each charged with four counts of sex assault, including first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Prosecutors with the state Attorney Generals Office said the charges stem from an April 2013 gathering in Ypsilanti. The victim told police at the time that she fell asleep on a couch and awoke in the morning without any pants. She was concerned she had been sexually assaulted so she went to a hospital to be examined and have any evidence preserved by a sexual assault kit . A state project to test old rape kits yielded the DNA link to Johnson and Holman, prosecutors said. The Washtenaw County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative and state Attorney General Dana Nessels office were involved in the case. Ten years after this assault we are still able to bring charges, and I want other survivors out there to see that, Nessel said in a prepared statement. That is possible because of the tremendous work and determination of teams like the Washtenaw SAKI team, whose efforts I am grateful for and applaud. Both Holman and Johnson have been arraigned in 14A District Court in Ann Arbor. ANN ARBOR Nearly 8,000 students packed the field Saturday at Michigan Stadium for their 2023 graduation ceremony, and dozens of them set themselves apart with uniquely-decorated graduation caps. On a breezy, rainy morning, floral arrangements, motivational phrases and pop culture references stood out in the crowd of square caps. By the end of the ceremony, graduates were tossing their mortarboards upwards toward rays of sunshine. Check out some of our favorite caps below or check out the full gallery above. RELATED: University of Michigan celebrates 2023 Spring Commencement Graduates wear decorated caps during the University of Michigans Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 29, 2023.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Graduates wear decorated caps during the University of Michigans Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 29, 2023.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Graduates wear decorated caps during the University of Michigans Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 29, 2023.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Graduates wear decorated caps during the University of Michigans Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 29, 2023.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Graduates wear decorated caps during the University of Michigans Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 29, 2023.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Graduates wear decorated caps during the University of Michigans Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 29, 2023.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Graduates wear decorated caps during the University of Michigans Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 29, 2023.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Graduates wear decorated caps during the University of Michigans Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 29, 2023.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Graduates wear decorated caps during the University of Michigans Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 29, 2023.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Graduates wear decorated caps during the University of Michigans Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 29, 2023.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Graduates wear decorated caps during the University of Michigans Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 29, 2023.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Graduates wear decorated caps during the University of Michigans Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 29, 2023.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Graduates wear decorated caps during the University of Michigans Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 29, 2023.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Graduates wear decorated caps during the University of Michigans Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 29, 2023.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Graduates wear decorated caps during the University of Michigans Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 29, 2023.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com READ MORE: Spin the cube, drink sangria: 5 traditions to try at University of Michigan graduation Striking grad workers get $25K gift from Ann Arbor City Council member Its so cool that we get to do this together: Mom, daughter graduate from GVSU at the same time ANN ARBOR The University of Michigan hosted its Spring 2023 commencement Saturday at Michigan Stadium. About 7,750 students gathered on the field at the Big House to celebrate, with friends and family packing the stands. Honorary degrees were conferred to former president Mary Sue Coleman, playwright Dominique Morisseau and Pulitzer Prize-winning musician Wynton Marsalis. Marsalis, a world-renowned jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader, served as this years commencement speaker and received an honorary Doctor of Music degree. In his speech, he urged students to take ownership of their role in correcting a divisive society. Dont be fooled graduates. You are a bridge in the unrelenting cycle of life. You need a strong constitution and a willingness to invest in your position as emissary of the past to the future and as translator of the future to the past, he said. The deeper the divide, the greater the need. RELATED: See how 2023 University of Michigan grads decorated their caps Marsalis also called on students to cut through the cluttered narratives created by technology and capitalism to envision a better future for the country. This democracy cost a lot of people a lot. It would be a tragedy of historic proportion to squander that inheritance because our young couldnt envision an America better than the mess we made of it for you, he said. University President Santa Ono thanked graduates for taking part in the first class to graduate under his tenure, telling students hed never forget the class of 2023. You are prepared to transform the world, he said. I hope you will leave this exceptional university with a deep sense of ownership, that youre a part of this institution, and not only have you been educated here, but you have educated us. Graduates cheered as each of their respective colleges was acknowledged and their degrees conferred, then sang the universitys alma mater and chanted Hail to the Victors before tossing their caps. READ MORE: Spin the cube, drink sangria: 5 traditions to try at University of Michigan graduation Striking grad workers get $25K gift from Ann Arbor City Council member Its so cool that we get to do this together: Mom, daughter graduate from GVSU at the same time KENTWOOD, MI One person is dead following an early morning shooting at a Kentwood hotel. The shooting took place at 4:46 a.m. Saturday, April 29 at Affordable Suites of America hotel in the 2700 block of E. Beltline Ave. SE, near 28th Street SE and Woodland Mall. According to the Kentwood Police Department, officers arrived on the scene and found a 41-year-old man with a gunshot wound. Police officers and members of the Kentwood Fire Department and LIFE EMS rendered lifesaving attempts, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Its unclear at this time what led to the shooting, but police state there is not threat to the community. One individual has been detained by police regarding the shooting. The shooting remains under investigation by police. Anyone with any information on this incident can call the Kentwood Police Department Detective Bureau at 616-656-6604 or Silent Observer at 616-744-2345. This is the second shooting in Kentwood in under 13 hours, after reports of shots fired around 4:10 p.m. Friday, April 28 on Woodland Creek Drive SE. In the Friday afternoon shooting, a 49-year-old Kentwood man was injured and underwent surgery after witnesses told police that a person was firing into a vehicle. Authorities took a person-of-interest into custody regarding that shooting. More from MLive: Police release video of Jackson County chase that ended with 15-year-olds death Michigans Best Local Eats: Try the eggs Benedict at Cherie Inn, Grand Rapids oldest restaurant West Michigan apple crop largely unscathed after large temperature swings ZEELAND, MI -- Ottawa County health officials say 11 illnesses are linked to a common farm parasite and a Zeeland area educational farm. Marcia Mansaray said cryptosporidium cases have been linked to the Critter Barn in Zeeland Township. She said the farm is working cooperatively with health officials to eliminate the problem. Ottawa County Deputy Health Administrator Marcia Mansaray said one of the 11 cases was deemed a secondary contact case, meaning that person did not visit the farm but contracted the illness though someone that did. No one has been hospitalized. Cryptosporidium are microscopic parasites that sometimes live in the feces of animals, usually animals which have diarrhea. They can be transmitted to humans when the germs get onto someones hands and they then touch their mouths. Mansaray said that the earliest date of someone to visit or work at the Critter Barn and come down with Crypto was March 25. The last date was April 17. Crypto can cause diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting and fever, but some people will have no symptoms at all. The Critter Barn, in a Facebook post, said they contacted the Ottawa County Health Department as soon as they learned that some farm volunteers had contracted crypto. We take the health of our visitors and our animals very seriously. We daily clean, sanitize and disinfect the farm as best we can and have now added hydrogen peroxide to our sanitation regimen, according to the post. At the same time, this is an active working farm and some germs will always be present. As always, preventative measures are the best course of action. Please remember to wash hands and keep childrens fingers out of their mouths, the post said. More from MLive Kentwood man injured after person shoots into vehicle, one in custody Michigan DNR denies expansive Camp Grayling lease proposal Grand Valley State University board approves 4.7% tuition increase GRAND RAPIDS, MI Serving hungry Grand Rapidians since 1924, The Cherie Inn just west of Eastown is the longest-running restaurant in the city. And, according to the owner, it has the best eggs Benedict around. The Cherie Inn, at 969 Cherry St. SE, is a European-style cafe open for breakfast and lunch. Each table is decorated with real flowers and the menu features handmade fare. We make everything from scratch, we even make our hollandaise sauce from scratch, said owner Michael Kulczyk. We have daily specials and we have three specials every weekend. Next year, the restaurant will celebrate its 100th birthday, which Kulczyk plans to celebrate with special features and dishes each month. For now, though, fan favorites like the eggs Benedict and the granola blueberry pancakes hit the spot. Diners can delve into the eggs Benedict world with the classic dish, made with two poached eggs with shaved ham on an English muffin, all covered in hollandaise sauce, for $10. Or, for those who want to branch out a little, try either the crab cake Benedict for $13 or the beef tenderloin Benedict for $16. The beef tenderloin Benedict is made with two poached eggs, four ounces of sliced marinated tenderloin and portobello mushrooms on an English muffin, all covered with hollandaise and scallions. Its the best eggs Benedict in the world, Kulczyk told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. From the homemade granola to Kulczyks grandmothers recipe for the sausage bake scramble, all the dishes at The Cherie Inn are made in-house. Other popular menu items include the Red Flannel Hash and the Idaho omelet. On the sweeter side, try the strawberry cheesecake pancakes for $11 or the cranberry walnut French toast, also $11. The Red Flannel Hash is made with shredded potatoes, parsley, beets, garlic and bacon, topped with two poached eggs, pepper jack cheese and sour cream. The dish is served with toast for $13. For lunch, The Cherie Inn offers a variety of soups, salads and sandwiches. Its got a really good positive vibe, a real neighborhood atmosphere, Kulczyk said of the restaurant. The tables talk to each other, its just friendly. The Cherie Inn is open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and is closed Monday and Tuesday. A full menu is available online at cherieinn.com/menu. Contact the restaurant at 616-458-0588 or cherieinn@gmail.com. More from MLive: Whats that next to the Chick-fil-A in Walker? Construction will be done this summer Grand Rapids Upheaval Festival announces heavy metal lineup Design, restaurant concepts unveiled for 36-room Ada Hotel MONTGOMERY The Organized Community Action Program Inc. serving Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lowndes, and Pike Counties has received a $528,009 grant from Gov. Kay Ivey to assist low-income and elderly Alabama residents with weatherizing their homes to lower energy costs. The grant is one that Ivey has awarded totaling $4.4 million to multiple agencies. The grants support Alabamas Weatherization Assistance Program which provides funds to improve the energy efficiency and safety of qualifying homes. Priority is given to people with disabilities, the elderly and low-income households with children. Many low-income Alabama residents who struggle to pay higher utility bills could save money if their homes were more energy efficient, Ivey said. These important weatherization grants can assist in better protecting their homes from the effects of hot and cold temperatures which too often drive up energy costs. An energy audit is conducted of each home that qualifies for weatherization assistance to determine the most cost-efficient measures. Common improvements include installing extra insulation in the attic, walls, and floor; sealing air leaks around doors and windows; repairs or tune-ups for air conditioning and heating units; and replacing incandescent light bulbs with high-efficiency bulbs. In addition to lowering energy bills, the improvements can reduce the risk of fire and other hazards. Ivey awarded the grants to 13 community agencies across the state that manage the program at the local level and receive applications from individuals who wish to be considered for assistance. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ADECA supports Gov. Ivey in helping Alabamas most-vulnerable residents through the Weatherization Assistance Program, ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. The partnerships with these community agencies ensure that many underserved residents receive help in preparing their homes for the hottest part of the year with improvements that help them now and well into the future. Other recipient agencies and the counties served include: $347,531 to Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission (Autauga, Chilton, Dallas, Elmore, Macon, Perry, Russell and Shelby); $147,911 to Community Action Committee Inc. of Chambers-Tallapoosa-Coosa (Chambers, Coosa and Tallapoosa); $208,606 to Alabama Council on Human Relations Inc. (Lee); $292,024 to Community Action Partnership of Huntsville-Madison and Limestone Counties Inc. (Madison and Limestone); $562,525 to Mobile Community Action Inc. (Choctaw, Mobile and Washington) $183,390 to Montgomery County Commission (Montgomery); $215,590 to Community Action Partnership of North Alabama Inc. (Cullman, Lawrence, Marion, Morgan, Walker and Winston) $816,205 to Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama Inc. (Blount, Cherokee, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Jefferson, Marshall and St. Clair); $199,309 to Community Action Agency of Northwest Alabama Inc. (Colbert, Franklin and Lauderdale); $355,437 to Community Action Agency of South Alabama (Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Marengo, Monroe and Wilcox); $243,355 to Community Action Agency of Talladega, Clay, Randolph, Calhoun and Cleburne (Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph and Talladega); and, $375,035 to Community Service Programs of West Alabama Inc. (Bibb, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Pickens, Sumter and Tuscaloosa). HOLLAND, MI -- A 28-year-old Holland Township man died when his motorcycle collided with a car on a busy Holland area road. The crash happened about 5:50 p.m. Friday, April 28 on Riley Street at 132nd Avenue. Ottawa County sheriffs deputies said the motorcyclist was going east on Riley Street when the driver of a westbound Volkswagen Passat attempted a left turn onto 132nd Avenue. Police said the Passat turned in front of the motorcyclist. The Passat driver, a 68-year-old Holland Township woman, was not injured. A passenger in her vehicle, a 64-year-old man, was taken to a hospital for injuries not considered life-threatening. More from MLive Illnesses from common parasite linked to Zeeland area educational farm Kentwood man injured after person shoots into vehicle, one in custody GRAND RAPIDS, MI It took 16 minutes to read the names and ages of every child, educator and staff member killed in a school shooting since 1999 during a rally against gun violence Saturday, April 29, in downtown Grand Rapids. The rally at Rosa Parks Circle included speeches from former Mayor George Heartwell, Grand Rapids Democrats U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten and state Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, Michigan State University student Charlotte Plotzke and former Grand Rapids City Commissioner, the Rev. Joe Jones of Brown Hutcherson Ministries in Grand Rapids. Since the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999, there have been at least 199 victims of school shootings. According to the Washington Post, another 425 people have been injured in school shootings. Last year, there were 46 school shootings. This year, Michigan is reeling from the Feb. 13 mass shooting at Michigan State Universitys campus that killed Arielle Anderson, 19, Alexandria Verner, 20, and Brian Fraser, 20. Over 100 people gathered Saturday to remember the lives of the three MSU students and other victims of school shootings. Scholten said active shooter drills at school leave her two children trembling. Now their mom is in a position to do something about it, Im going to, said Scholten, who is a member of the House of Representatives Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. Its a uniquely American problem. We hold the common value of freedom and we all want to be free of gun violence. Since the Feb. 13 MSU shooting, Michigan lawmakers have passed multiple gun regulation laws, including requirements for the safe storage of firearms around minors and universal background checks on the sale of all guns. MSU student Charlotte Plotzke recalled how unprepared she felt for the fallout of having to be on campus after the mass shooting. Individuals who read the names of school shooting victims stand on stage with musician Ralston Bowles on Saturday, April 29, 2023, in Grand Rapids. (Audra Gamble | MLive.com) As someone who goes to MSU and saw firsthand how tragic this shooting was, its hard to sum up, Plotzke said Saturday. They didnt prepare me to cope with the panic. They didnt tell me how to process the sounds of sirens passing my apartment after the shooting. All I could think about is my peers hiding, crying. Thats not something I should have to be prepared for. Plotzke called for the banning of all assault weapons at the rally. She said she hopes people remember the three victims of the February MSU mass shooting not just as victims, but as human beings who had bright futures. They dont have the power over their own legacy anymore and that leaves us shattered, Plotzke said. But we can honor their memory. Dozens of Grand Rapids residents and gun violence prevention activists read the names of school shooting victims. Grand Rapids Public Schools Superintendent Leadriane Roby was among those who read names, so was a close friend of one of the MSU shooting victims and a survivor of the Virginia Tech 2007 shooting. Related: Gunman bought ammo hours before MSU mass shooting, motive a mystery The list of names included 13 victims of the Columbine shooting in Colorado, 32 victims of the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, 26 killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, and the four victims of the 2021 Oxford High School shooting in Michigan. We owe our children a life free of violence and fear, said Rev. Joe Jones at the rally. We must as a nation invest intentionally in our children; we owe it to them. They deserve better. We owe them that and so much more. More from MLive: 34 West Michigan superintendents call for change amid spike in youth gun deaths 19 birds, 1 cat abandoned outside Ann Arbor humane society Michigans Best Local Eats: Try the eggs Benedict at Cherie Inn, Grand Rapids oldest restaurant JACKSON COUNTY, MI Victor Taihuttu wanted to bring a different kind of cuisine to Jackson County, so he opened a restaurant that offers hibachi, sushi and Thai food. Taihuttu opened Sakura in November 2022 in the former Northwest Coney Island location after it closed last summer. Related: Sign on the door signals permanent closure of Northwest Coney Island Taihuttu had worked in several restaurants as a chef, but when he and his wife found out they were expecting their now 15-month-old daughter, he said he decided to open his own restaurant so he could focus on being a great dad. Sakura specializes in Japanese and Thai food. The Drunken Noodles, a Thai dish, have become a favorite menu item, he said. The meal comes with noodles, eggs, bell peppers, onions, a sweet brown sauce and a choice of tofu, chicken, beef or shrimp. Everybody that feels adventurous, they will ask, What is it? (Thai Food), and then I would tell them to try the Drunken Noodles, Taihuttu said. Specialty sushi rolls, such as the Yum-Yum Roll, are popular as well, he said. The roll is made with crabmeat, cream cheese, avocado and cucumber and deep fried and topped with spicy crab meat. The Hibachi, known for its big portions, has stayed as a top seller, as it is something most people are familiar with, Taihuttu said. The fried rice dish usually comes with a choice of protein, vegetables and some ramen noodles on the side, he said. That was the concept from the beginning, Taihuttu said. Sometimes they order one food and they split it with somebody else or they take it home for lunch tomorrow. Taihuttu said he loves to host and offer a different style restaurant, and he strives to make it a comfortable atmosphere. Sakura, 6070 Clinton Road, is open 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. More information can be found be found a Sakuras website and Facebook page. MORE JACKSON-AREA LOCAL EATS: Michigans Best Local Eats: The smoked pork chop is a full-plate meal at Kens M60 Grill Michigans Best Local Eats: The Trash Can is a sundae filled with candy at Spads Twisters Michigans Best Local Eats: Smothered in cheese, the OG is a prime rib sandwich to try at Rollin Hoagies Michigans Best Local Eats: Chelsea Cakes is known for a secret-recipe strawberry cake Michigans Best Local Eats: Giant burgers, loaded fries served now at Baby Bear Burgers new location Michigans Best Local Eats: Sticky burgers with a pickle twist await at Greystone Tavern Michigans Best Local Eats: Give the Molcajete Catrina a try at La Catrina Bar and Grill Michigans Best Local Eats: Spring is sweet and spicy at Two Lakes Tavern in the Irish Hills Michigans Best Local Eats: Cakesicles are on the sweet treat menu The Five Forks Michigans Best Local Eats: A Horton ice-cream shop has a double bacon cheeseburger to die for Michigans Best Local Eats: This meal comes in a glass at River Raisin Distillery Michigans Best Local Eats: Giant cinnamon rolls take up an entire plate at Chubbys Cafe Michigans Best Local Eats: Vitos Espressos dine-in spot is open, ready to serve tasty pastries Michigans Best Local Eats: Take a bite of history and tradition at Jackson Coney Island Michigans Best Local Eats: The bourbon caramel latte is a star at Trail Head Coffee Shop Michigans Best Local Eats: Same great crepes can be found at City Crepes new location Michigans Best Local Eats: Ogmas Polish Fried Rice combines hibachi and Polish cuisine CALHOUN COUNTY, MI A 40-year-old Olivet woman was seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash in Calhoun County Friday. The crash took place around 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 28, on Old US-27 N Highway near West Drive Road in Lee Township. The Michigan State Police Marshall Post said a Chevrolet pickup truck was traveling southbound on Old US-27 when the driver lost control and crossed the center lane into the northbound lanes. The truck then rolled down an embankment, where it stopped upright. The 40-year-old Olivet, Mich., woman driving the pickup truck was taken to Sparrow Hospital for serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. Two additional passengers in the truck were not injured. According to the Michigan State Police, none of the three occupants in the truck were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. The crash remains under investigation, but neither drug nor alcohol use are believed to be factors in the crash. The Michigan State Police was assisted at the scene by the Calhoun County Sheriffs Department, Olivet Fire Department and Marshall Township Fire Department. More from MLive: See the 4 proposals on the ballot in Kalamazoo County for May 2 election WMU hopes to sell alcohol at football games this season 19 birds, 1 cat abandoned outside Ann Arbor humane society MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI A bumpy, drab main entry into the city of Roosevelt Park is about to get a major makeover. Glenside Boulevard is getting a redo, which will include a section of divided boulevard fitting for the thoroughfares name. The complete reconstruction of the road and addition of sidewalk, lighting, landscaping and other amenities is scheduled to begin the week of July 10 with completion by Oct. 1, Roosevelt Park City Manager Jared Olson told MLive/The Muskegon Chronicle. The project area stretches from Sherman Boulevard south to Broadway Avenue. It includes a new railroad crossing. This is a transformational entryway project, Olson said. The total cost of the project is $1.35 million with about half paid with grants and outside funding, he said. The citys Public Works Superintendent Ben VanHoeven has been a rock star in identifying various sources of funding for the project, Olson said. The citys downtown development authority is contributing $500,000 and the remaining $90,000 will come from the citys local streets fund comprised primarily of state sales tax revenues, he said. The project precedes plans for a linear park south of the rail line on both sides of Glenside that will be constructed in 2025. It will coincide with significant playground renovations at Wells Park about a block south on Glenside. Features of the road project include: Removal of existing asphalt, replacement of the road base and resurfacing with asphalt. The addition of concrete curb, gutter and storm sewer. The addition of a wide sidewalk, or nonmotorized pathway, along the east side of Glenside funded with $90,000 in American Rescue Plan Act transportation money. The existing sidewalk on the west side will be extended across business driveways to Sherman. A new railroad crossing, funded with a $116,000 Michigan Department of Transportation grant, in partnership with Michigan Shore Railroad. A pedestrian crossing south of the railroad tracks that will feature stamped, decorative concrete and landscaped islands. The road will split into a divided boulevard at the pedestrian crossing and the roadway and crosswalk will be slightly ramped. The idea of the speed table crosswalk is to slow cars in that area. New irrigation to create more pleasing grassy areas on the terraces between the road and sidewalks. 16-foot decorative LED light poles. Some existing utility poles will be removed. A large masonry city entry sign with landscaping. New trees and plantings along the road. More trees will be added in coming years. Benches and bike racks will be added when the linear park is developed in 2025. City officials hope the road makeover will help spur commercial development along that section of Glenside, including an old bottling plant the city owns for which it recently received development proposals, Olson said. The city also would like to see development of a 15-acre former petroleum tank farm on the west side of Glenside, he said. During construction on Glenside, traffic will be detoured on Roosevelt Road, Norton Avenue and McCracken Street. Sherman and Henry Street cannot be used for the detour because of planned road work by the city of Muskegon. This definitely has been on our radar for the better part of the last six or seven years, Olson said. It is a long time coming and were excited to see this start. Also on MLive Voter guide to everything on the May 2 ballot in Muskegon County See whos running for city council in Muskegon, Grand Haven, Norton Shores MSU police plot mass shooters timeline, path that terrible night MUSKEGON, MI -- Hamburger Mikey has been attracting fans of freshly made smash patty burgers, fries and shakes since first opening up shop in 2016. Lovers of all things comfort food are flocking to the burger joint at 1129 3rd St., formerly The Ice Pick, to get a taste of the restaurants award-winning burgers and fries. Owner and namesake of the business Mike Burling opened the burger joint alongside his stepson Tim Taylor and late wife, Mary Jane Burling, to offer a neighborhood burger place to the community. Now, the quaint burger joint has turned into a destination, with people traveling not only for the burgers, shakes, hot dogs and grilled cheese but the fast service, too. For us, the customer service is just as important as the food we serve, Tim Taylor, who now manages the business, told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. Having that relationship with the community is huge. Related: Michigans Best Burger: Hamburger Mikey When it comes to the menu, what keeps customers keepin on is the complete freedom to choose whatever topping at no extra cost, as well as the unique collaborations with local businesses on menu items. Taylor said some of the best-sellers continue to be the Burger of the Month options, including crazy creations like lobster burgers and Dr. Rolfs peach BBQ sauce and pulled pork on a fresh doughnut. All burgers for Burger of the Month come out like a week before, he said. And people will literally line up on the first day, its crazy. The next Burger of the Month is called the Cinco de Mikey. It comes with a handmade taco seasoning bun from Hodgepodge Bake Shop, a smashed patty fried on a flour tortilla with pepper jack cheese and topped with guacamole, Pico de gallo, and crushed Doritos. Customers interested in ordering something simple can also order a build-your-own single patty burger for $6, a double for $8.50 or a triple for $9.50. Taylor touts the business as a place that aims to support the Greater Muskegon area by offering quality food and longstanding community partnerships. Were very busy and very blessed, he said. We have amazing customers, and Ive got an amazing crew that really makes coming to work every day fun. Hamburger Mikey is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Call (231) 724-3008 or visit online to place a carryout order. Would you like MLive to consider featuring your favorite restaurant in Michigans Best Local Eats? Send the details, including business name, address and best menu item, via email to munews@mlive.com. Read more from MLive: Guitar school gets $25K state grant to bolster music education 5 fun things to do in Grand Rapids this weekend (April 28-30) Taste of Muskegon returning to Hackley Park this summer Tanger Outlets new general manager to lead team aiming to increase foot traffic, enhance brand BIRCH RUN, MIIf youre a Ford fanatic or a fan of muscle cars, youll want to mark your calendars and prep for a trip to the Birch Run Premium Outlets. The Mustang Club of Mid-Michigan has announced this years Great Lakes Stampede- the all-Ford & Mustang car show. The Frankenmuth-based club shared that the event will be held Saturday, May 20, at the Birch Run Premium Outlets southeastern parking lot, 12240 S. Beyer Rd. According to a release by the club, the show is open to all Ford brand products and Ford-powered vehicles. That includes Ford-bodied hot rods with Ford power, as well as Ford brand muscle cars and antique Ford cars and trucks. In its 28th rendition, this years car show also coincides with the clubs 30th anniversary and Armed Forces Day- so Navel cadets will be on hand for start-up events and to choose their Cadet Award from the entries. The car show runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with registration from 9-11 a.m. Registration fees are $15 per display vehicle or $20 per judged vehicle with awards granted at 3 p.m. Spectators can enter the event free of charge. Judged classes are offered for all Mustang, Ford, Mercury, Lincoln, Cobra and Shelby (by Ford) products from model years 1903 to 2023. Unique trophies will be awarded for class and best of winners, as well as something new to the show this year: a club-exclusive Award of Excellence Grille Medallion program, according to the release. Attendees that have won three class or best of awards with the same owner and vehicle over a period of up to eight years are eligible to apply for the new award. The release shared that proceeds raised at the event will support The Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund, a Michigan-based charity aimed at helping Michigan veterans and their families with financial support. Past events have seen the club donate roughly $50,000 to charities, with $3,200.00 donated in 2022. According to the release, the Mustang Club of Mid-Michigan was established as a non-profit in 1993 to foster and promote interest in the Ford Brand- specifically, the Ford Mustang. The club covers the mid-Michigan and Thumb areas and is a Mustang Club of America regional affiliate, the release states. To register for the event online, click here. For more information on the Mustang Club of Mid Michigan, visit their website at mustangclubmidmichigan.com or email mustangclubmmi@charter.net More from MLive: Northwood University receives $100K donation for new software lab Bay Countys Bird Lady retires after 40 years Late Tonys restaurant founder, retired Saginaw educator to be honored at autism awareness gala Memorial Cup to be held in a Michigan city for first time in 104-year history Handley Elementary students raise more than $30K during Walk-a-Thon Michigans Best Local Eats: Romas Family Restaurant has a cheesy, savory golden favorite Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy to host medieval-themed Dragons A Faire fundraiser gala On April 6, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Mark Totten, announced former Michigan House Speaker Rick Johnson, 70, and three others are facing federal bribery charges in a scheme where Johnson received more than $110,000 bribes in exchange for favorably reviewing license applications for at least three medical marijuana businesses. Johnson accepted these bribes corruptly, which is to say that he accepted them with the understanding that these bribes were offered to influence him or to reward him for actions that he might take mainly, to help the payers of the bribe obtain licenses, Totten said at the press conference. Three of the four have already pleaded guilty in federal court, and the fourth is scheduled to do so in the coming week. What was the board Johnson chaired? In the years after voters legalized medical marijuana in Michigan in 2008, numerous dispensaries sprung up throughout Michigan, operating in legal limbo the medical law had never mentioned businesses and Michigan courts had ruled them illegal but some cities allowed them to flourish. In 2016, the legislature sought to bring some regulations to the budding, highly lucrative industry, and established the Medical Marijuana Facilities Licensing Act. It allowed dispensaries and other businesses, like processors, to operate with the legal blessing of the state for the first time once they became licensed. Theyd have to apply to become legitimate, and a five-person board would review the applications. Enter former House Speaker Rick Johnson. A Republican who lead the legislatures lower chamber from 2001 until 2005, he became a lobbyist after leaving elected office and had worked on the law. Then-Gov. Rick Snyder appointed Johnson to chair the board. The body had financial disclosure requirements, but Johnson didnt file one until he had been on the board for 116 days. From 2017: Concerns over marijuana licensing board chairs past cloud future Court filings said Johnson provided valuable non-public information about the anticipated rules and operation of the board and assistance with license applications to those who paid Johnson bribes while he served as chair. Johnson has pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe. He could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. As part of his plea agreement, Johnson has agreed to pay $110,200 to the federal government, the total value of the bribes he accepted. The board eventually disbanded in 2019, under an executive order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer when she created what is now called the Cannabis Regulatory Agency. Who else has been implicated? John Dalaly, 70, a businessman from Oakland County who admitted to paying Johnson at least $68,200 worth of cash and other gifts as he sought a marijuana license on behalf of two businesses, one of which, PharmaCo, ultimately became one of the first businesses in the state to have a marijuana license approved. In court, Dalaly said Johnson recommended that we use his wife, Jan Johnson, as a consultant, and proceeded to pay her $4,000 a month. Johnsons wife, according to the plea agreement Johnson signed, will not be prosecuted. Raymond Cassar, Dalalys attorney, claimed Dalaly had no ownership stake in the business and was simply acting as a facilitator for the businesses investors. A Canadian investment company held a two-thirds stake in PharmaCo, according to business filings, and Cassar said the private flights had been to Canada to meet those investors. Related: Read filings describing bribery scheme involving ex-Michigan House speaker Vincent Tyler Brown, 32, and Brian Pierce, 45, are both lobbyists for the marijuana industry. Court filings describe how the two paid Johnson thousands by transferring client payments from companies they controlled and sending the cash to the businesses set up by Johnson, JBJ Ranch, LLC; VM Enterprises, LLC and Common Cents Harvest Farms, LLC. They both were charged with conspiracy to pay a bribe. Pierce was to plead guilty this week but his hearing was rescheduled to Friday. Brown pleaded guilty Friday, April 28, to conspiracy to commit bribery, according to court records. The maximum penalty is not more than 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In a plea agreement, he was said to have caused at least $42,000 in cash payments and other benefits to be given to Johnson, including through Philip Alan Brown Consulting LLC, Michigan Growers Consultants LLC, and Flint River Flats LLC. He did business as Philip Alan Brown Consulting and Michigan Growers Consultants and lobbied on behalf of marijuana businesses seeking licenses, according to the plea agreement. Browns bond, according to court filings, prevents him from participating in any marijuana business before his sentencing. Whats next? The three who have been arraigned so far all still need to be sentenced. They have been released pending sentencing hearings scheduled for September and did not have to pay any bond to walk free. As to the future of the probe, federal officials have been tight-lipped. Totten told reporters Tuesday their work in the case may or may not be ongoing. All four charged have been cooperating with the FBI for some time, and court filings indicate the scope of the investigation stretches beyond the current charges, but it remains unclear if more charges will be brought. Read more on MLive: Banning life without parole for Michigan juveniles fiercely debated at Senate panel Whats in a hate crime? Michigan looks to add sexuality, disabilities to 35-year-old law Michigan has fourth highest rate of incarcerated girls in the country, report shows Michigan Senate passes bill to allow college researchers to unionize GRAND RAPIDS, MI-- It wasnt your average school trip to the museum. Grand Rapids City High School students headed to the Grand Rapids Public Museum on Friday evening, April 28, for prom 2023. Ghanas leading telecommunications company, MTN has given the assurance that it will not stop delivering quality services to its customers in the country. According to Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Selorm Adadevoh, the company remains committed to making more investments despite the prevailing economic challenges. Overall I will like to say again and reassure everyone that our appetite, our commitment to continue to invest in Ghana irrespective of the economic challenges we are having is very high. We see it as part of our role in solving and helping all of us to get through the current stage of economic development that we are in, the MTN Ghana CEO said during the 2023 Media and Stakeholders Forum in Accra on Thursday, April 27. Mr. Adadevoh continued, So you can count on us and you can take my words as sacrosanct that we will continue to be key in this market from an investment standpoint, from a socio-stakeholder management standpoint, an enabler and a contributor towards our economic growth and prosperity. For a company that is keen on achieving the goals set out in its Ambition 2025 Strategic Plan, CEO Selorm Adadevoh disclosed at the forum that his outfit is ahead of schedule as far as its commitment to invest $1 billion to deepen digital and financial inclusion is concerned. He said MTN is not only working on innovations to drive industry-leading connectivity operations but looking at making needed moves to become the lead digital transformation for Africas progress. We want to do more beyond what we are already doing. That is what MTN is doing. We really want to make sure we are doing and not just saying. We want to build a resilient network to improve customer experience, the MTN Ghana CEO stressed. In the past year, MTNs LTE population coverage improved from 90.7% (25.69 million) to 99.3% (increment of 6.6 million). For a telecom company with 2G/3G Population coverage of 99.52% and 4G coverage of 99.3%, MTN has assured that it will be ready to provide 5G services to customers once it becomes available in the country. Despite its beauty and warmth, Vietnam has several issues when it comes to tourism, from price-gouging to poor infrastructure and short-term thinking. Many tourism insiders expect visitor numbers to be muted over the upcoming holiday, which will last five days, the second-longest vacation in the country after Lunar New Year. With high ticket prices, occupancy rates at hotspots such as Da Nang, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc are only around 50-80%. At the same time, there has been an increase in Vietnamese tourists traveling overseas, with Thailand their top destination. Readers say a lack of coordination and poor management is seeing Vietnam's tourism industry lose out to its neighbors. "I travel often, and I've seen many shortcomings in the way we do tourism in Vietnam. For example, seafood at tourist island and beach towns is even more expensive than in Saigon. Night markets sell at exorbitant prices, as if they just need any customer to buy from them just once, unlike markets in Thailand that sell a diversity of products at cheap prices to bring customers back. Domestic flight tickets are more expensive than outbound tickets, while domestic tourism services are not as good. This why my wife and I either stay in the city or travel overseas." Phuoc Long "I traveled Thailand in March from north (Chiang Mai) to south (Bangkok) in two weeks. There were large markets at very cheap prices. They choose to profit from customers buying a large number and from returning customers. I spent a lot of time going to Thai markets and I still could not go to all of them. These markets are crowded with foreign tourists even at noon. Also, the roads are spacious as there's evidently been proper investment in infrastructure and public transport." Nguyen Tuan Anh "Thailand's tourism is 30 years ahead of Vietnam's. Service providers in Thailand know how to make tourists willingly spend money knowing they will get good value. Many Vietnamese businesses have not tried to improve. It's true that Vietnam is gifted with beautiful scenery, but that means nothing if we do not make good use of it to develop tourism. Let's be realistic, many beaches in Vietnam are full of trash and beloved destinations like Da Lat and Sa Pa are no longer pristine. Also, many service providers try to overcharge tourists at any chance they get. With these problems, Vietnam has a very small number of returning tourists." Kien Ngo Trung Dennis Aboagye Miracle, a Presidential staffer, has taken to Twitter to address claims made by Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in his recent 'moment of truth' press conference. In a lengthy tweet on Friday, April 28, Aboagye Miracle urged politicians to make serious conversations less propaganda and more factual. He accused the NDC of always misleading the public with twisted facts, bare-faced lies and propaganda. Aboagye Miracle specifically addressed claims made by Sammy Gyamfi during the NDC's press conference. He argues that Prof. Frimpong Boateng's report on illegal mining in the country cited more NDC members than NPP members. "The National Communications Officer in addressing this, lied and attempted to deceive listeners," he said. Read the post below; Lets make our political conversation less Propaganda and more truth with facts! The NDC wants us to believe everything in the Prof. Frimpong Boatengs Report but same NDC want us to ignore the fact that the Prof. Said in the same write up that, there are far more NDC people engaged in illegal mining than NPP members. in the region. The National Communications Officer in addressing this, lied and attempted to deceive listeners, that there was no such allegation by the Prof anywhere in his report. Of course he was caught ! Again, the National Communications Officer of the NDC who had obviously not read the Vice Presidents Data on Job creation sought to again, deceive the public that, the Vice Presidents Job creation Data referred to Only Controller staff and even sought to create the impression that, all Public sector workers are controller staff. Of Course he was caught! The NDC has a concerted strategy to not really think and come up with any altenative strategy for the Ghanaian people to analyse and decide, but would ride on twisted facts, bare face lies and propaganda to mislead unsuspecting citizens. Our job is to spot the lie, drag them out of the lie hole and make bare the facts. Ours is not to decide for the people, but we believe the people deserve the courtesy of knowing only the facts so they can make informed decisions. Open your eyes, extend ur nose and switch your ears up to smell the next NDC lies and when you do, make sure you expose them with the facts and the facts only. If they try to distract you with insults, finish with the expose before anything else. And Yes, when you meet the NDC ask them to name one social intervention Policy they have ever introduced in this country. They will mention GETFUND, Uniforms and sandals. Wish them well and clap for them. But do advise them to take up some Free SHS to broaden their understanding of what a social intervention policy of a country is and should be. Slowly but steadily we shall Rise Consumers of water within the Northern sector enclave are indebted to the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) of about GH45 million as at March 2023. This according to management is hampering the production of quality services for both domestic and commercial use. It noted that it is not able to get enough funds to procure the necessary materials and equipment to provide quality water to its customers. According to management, the company records ten illegal connection a week. They include domestic, stand pipes especially in the Kumbungu district and other communities, commercial from the Metropolitan, Municipal and district Assemblies(MMDAs), secondary and tertiary institutions, security agencies among others. The Northern Regional Public Relations Officer for GWCL Nii Abbey Nicholas who disclosed this in an interview noted that the company is under pressure to provide quality drinking water but financially constraint. He noted that the debt has contributed to non-accounted of water produced which stood at about 43.30 percent and over 30 percent of the figure is commercial lose from illegal connections. According to him, another challenge is also the extending of pipelines to the some communities without any reference to GWCL and as a result, most of the materials used are inferior which leads to leakages and bursts thereby affecting production and revenue mobilization. "The destruction of pipelines by contractors affect our activities with hostility, threat and resistance from customers to staff, alongside political and traditional interference continue to pose challenges in discharging of duties," he added. He noted that the enforcement team have been embarking on mobilization exercise and demand notices were served to individual or institutions indebted to the company. Those customers who failed to respond to the notices were arraigned before court for prosecution after the demand notification issued to the defaulting customers was the last resort for prosecution. "We are also indebted to our suppliers with an amount of GH40 million including power providers and other companies that supplied the company with resource materials," he said. "If customers are able to pay, we would be able to defray our debts and be able to improve on our services," he stressed. He indicated that the company is currently partnering with the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) in creating Tamale water fund to provide alternative livelihoods for those engaged in illegal activities along the river bank. "With the sand winning issues, we are working closely with the stakeholders to come up with proper guidelines to regulate their activities," he explained. Touching on the Bagre dam issue, he noted that there is going to be dredging at the Nawuni raw water intake point to accumulate more volumes of water for abstraction and treatment purposes during the spillage and the raining season for both commercial and domestic use.. He said management is also planning to engage in some afforestation at the degraded lands along the river banks. "As part of the Tamale-Damongo water expansion project, major rehabilitation exercise would take place at the Dalun treatment plant center and that the first phase being the documentation, designs, pipe lines and the acquisition of land completed left with the second phase being the rehabilitation and the construction to address the perennial water shortages in Tamale, Damongo and Yendi and their neighbouring communities," he said. He appealed to customers to ensure they pay the right amount of water used to enable the company generate enough revenue to expand production. He added that a convenience platform system has been created to enable customers now pay for their bills via the various telcos irrespective of their geographical area as a means of easing the stress customers go through in paying their bills. The Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh affectionately called Napo has reacted to calls for government to shut down the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR). The refinery in recent years has not been running as expected. As a result, the country is not benefiting from TOR as it envisaged. Recently, Energy Ministry Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh disclosed that US$2.5 million worth of crude condensate cannot be accounted for at TOR. With this and other challenges, there are calls for the government to consider privatising TOR or shutting it down. Sharing his view on such calls, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has indicated that shutting down TOR is not the way to go. Indicating that over 600 employees will lose their jobs, the Energy Minister suggested that regardless of the challenges confronting the company, it will be a bad decision to shut down the Refinery. Does that mean that every staff member who works within that process in all areas should be sacked, including management? This did not evaporate in a day; you cant identify which staff caused the loss. Yes, the Tema Oil Refinery has its challenges. But asking us to sack the more than 600, including the management and members of the board, its not the way to go, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh shared in an interview with Asaase Radio. 29.04.2023 LISTEN The Ashanti Regional Health Promotions Officer, Mr Felix Frimpong has lauded Ghana's efforts to eliminating malaria in the country. Mr Frimpong who doubles as Malaria Focal Person in the region, revealed that, Ghana currently has moved from malaria control to elimination. Speaking on the Kumasi based OTEC 102.9 FM's morning show Nyansapo on Thursday, Mr Frimpong noted that, the Ministry of Health through the Ghana Health Service has rolled out several activities to steer the country in the right direction of delivering the zero. According to the Health Promotions Officer, between 2017 to 2022, the country made significant progress in malaria control as cases decreased by 19 per cent from 201 cases per 1,000 of the population at risk to 163 cases, although deaths remained similar at 0.39 per 1000 of the population at risk over the same period. He explained that, one of their objectives is to ensure 100 per cent of the population have adequate knowledge, attitudes, practices and requisite skills for malaria elimination by 2028. Malaria Elimination Ghana currently has moved from malaria control to elimination and according to the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye, several activities had been conducted to steer the country in the right direction of delivering the zero malaria. He said the change in name was to reflect a shift in elimination efforts with a Malaria Elimination Strategic Plan (MESP) 2024-2028 in motion. The objectives of the MESP is to ensure 100 per cent of the population have adequate knowledge, attitudes, practices and requisite skills for malaria elimination by 2028, to ensure 100 per cent of the population use at least, one malaria preventive measure to ensure that 100 per cent of malaria infections are identified by parasitological tests and treatment initiated within 24 hours by 2028 to ensure that 100 per cent of all confirmed malaria cases are appropriately, effectively and completely treated with parasite clearance within 72 hours by 2028 and to strengthen passive and active surveillance and monitoring and evaluation systems by 2028. Also, it is to ensure that 100 per cent of all active infections in very low transmission areas are identified and eliminated through intensified surveillance, targeted vector and environmental management and human parasite reservoir interventions by 2028, to ensure timely and adequate supply of quality-assured malaria commodities to all service delivery points by 2028. Others are to strengthen and maintain capacity for governance and programme management to achieve programmatic objectives at all levels of the healthcare system towards malaria elimination by 2028, as well as to improve mobilisation of resources and efficiently use available resources towards malaria elimination. "Our target is to get 100 per cent of the population use at least, one malaria preventive measure to ensure that 100 per cent of malaria infections are identified by parasitological tests and treatment initiated within 24 hours by 2028 to ensure that 100 per cent of all confirmed malaria cases are appropriately, effectively and completely treated with parasite clearance within 72 hours by 2028 and to strengthen passive and active surveillance and monitoring and evaluation systems by 2028", he told the host Captain Koda. Mr Frimpong however said, irrespective of the success chalk so far, the country still needs to do alot to achieve the total elimination of the parasite. He urged citizens to always listen to their doctors and nurses and most importantly practice at least one malaria elimination skills to help the country achieve its objectives. INTRODUCTION Continuing the commemoration of April 14, 1979, Rice Riot and the April 12, 1980, Coup in Liberia, the following excerpts discuss the coup and its aftermath, dealing with the military, the progressives, and the reactions. The previous excerpts talk about The Rice Riot. The narrative is from the forthcoming book, "Victory Over Difficulties, A True Story ." Though the book is an autobiography of the author, it gives an accurate view and a historical analysis of Liberia since 1822 and before. THE COUP OF APRIL 12, 1980 The advocacy of progressive Liberians at home and abroad motivated non-commissioned soldiers of the military to topple the Tolbert regime on April 12, 1980. The army killed President William Tolbert, most of his cabinet, his son, and his brother and buried them, except the son, in a mass grave like the government did the rice riot victims. The coup leaders spared Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's life and the lives of some native cabinets. The leaders put her on house arrest. They also paraded her in a military vehicle. They made her watch the execution of Tolbert's 13 officials by a firing squad. Perhaps the officials felt surprised and betrayed seeing her while tied to the poles for execution. At their trial, all the officials, except Frank Tolbert, the president's brother who was the Senate pro-tempore, blamed President Tolbert for the wrongs of the government. For instance, Speaker of the House Richard Henries said the president did not listen to good advice, and corruption started from the president. But Frank Tolbert was defiant, cussing the coup makers. He criticized his brother only for being lenient and allowing country people in the government. The president's son, AB, hid in a foreign embassy. However, Justice Minister Chea Cheapo removed him. There is no information on how AB died. In an interview, the Tolbert family alleged that the minister requested a million dollars for Frank's release. The family did not accommodate the request. Tied to the pole, Frank appeared exhausted as he bent his body down before the execution. There are different views or factors regarding the coup cause. One opinion is that Tolbert had embraced Pan-Africanism and non-alignment. In addition to breaking ties with Israel, Liberia's relationship with America declined. Moreover, the Tolbert administration had refused the US Rapid Deployment Force landing at the Robert International Airport in Liberia. The refusal embarrassed the CIA and the Pentagon. Further, the Liberian government wanted to renegotiate the Firestone Plantation contract for a more favorable deal. The American government was unhappy with the move. Consequently, according to the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, for a regime change, the two agencies sought "to give support to Major William Jarbo." He was a Liberian who was "a US trained ranger." However, the 17 non-commissioned soldiers circumvented the plan and staged the coup. Others viewed that the violation of human rights by the Tolbert administration prompted the coup. The soldiers sacrificed their lives to free the progressives whom the government had imprisoned. The soldiers, all natives, were victims of Americo-Liberian rule and oppression. Native people generally suffered from this rule for over 130 years. Liberian historian Dr. Elwood Dunn and others shared this opinion. Another opinion is that Whites engineered the takeover, and they were involved. Mrs. Victoria Tolbert, President Tolbert's wife, indicated that she saw a White hand when her husband died. The coup may have taken place Friday's late-night Liberian time. It was a revolution, a drastic change of the order of things that ended Americo-Liberian/Congo minority rule in Liberia and gave birth to multi-party democracy. We, in America, received the news of the overthrow Saturday morning. Upon hearing the news, some members of the Liberian Community Association in Washington, DC, rushed to the chancery, the office of the Liberian Embassy, to support the coup, yet the office was closed on Saturday. The next day, which was Sunday, we went to the embassy, the Ambassador's residence, and demanded the removal of the Ambassador, Mr. Herbert Brewer. He was calm and was not panicked about our actions. He maintained that he was still the Ambassador until he heard otherwise from the authority in Liberia. He added that, as Liberians, the embassy was our property, and we could stay as long as we wanted. But he was the Ambassador. The Ambassador also indicated some contradictions in our behaviors. He stated some of us used the embassy phone to make private long-distance calls. He said. "Who do you think will pay for the calls? Is it, not the government? Here you chose not to use your home phone but the embassy's. Here you say you are happy with the change of government and are against corruption. Is not your act a corruption?' Ambassador Brewer's statement was embarrassing. Even though I wanted his removal, I respected his stance and honesty. Blamoh Seekie, then president of the association, grouped us into several daily units to mind the embassy. We heard unofficially that the foreign ministry had authorized Tambakai Jangaba, a ULAA leader, to temporarily head the embassy. But that authority was never confirmed. Brewer remained Ambassador for over six months, and the late Professor Joseph Guinnu replaced him. The overthrow united MOJA and PAL. They collaborated on some progressive activities before the coup but operated under different ideologies. MOJA had Marxist tendencies, while PAL was confrontational and for social change. The military government appointed the progressives at home ministers and inducted them into the military as majors. Togba-Nah Tipoteh became Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs; H. Boima Fahnbelleh, Jr. became Minister of Education; Gabriel Matthews, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Oscar Quiah, Minister of Local Government; Chea Cheapo, Minister of Justice; George Boley, Minister of Presidential Affairs; Samuel Jackson, Deputy Minister of Commerce; and Dew Mayson, Chairman of National Investment Commission. ULAA sent key members to Liberia for the new government. Master Sergeant Samuel K. Doe, a Krahn, who led the coup, became head of state and chairman of the People Redemption Council (PRC), the governing body of the junta. Bai Gbala, President of ULAA, headed the group to Liberia. Members included Tambakai Jangaba. Gbala was considered one of the well-educated Krahns, and Doe seemingly heard of him before the overthrow. The members received positions in the government as advisors to the PRC. Gbala, in particular, also served as an advisor to Doe. Jangaba, besides his leadership ability, was one of the best Liberian writers and organizers in the Diaspora. His writing and organizational skills transformed the PRC's communication with the civilian cabinet. They helped provide the PRC with an intellectual base. Gbala exercised tremendous influence in Liberia. Foreign supporters of the masonic craft approached him for the military regime not to abolish the society. As shown, the craft has historically been a base of the settler elites' political power. He had two telephones in his office. I was informed that some former officials sought his assistance. Meanwhile, the position of the ULAA group created jealousy and envy. The progressives at home felt they were on the ground and suffered harassment and imprisonment from the Tolbert regime. They maintained that as ministers of the state, they should advise the PRC. They felt disappointed that the newcomers from abroad were counseling the PRC and having more influence. In September 1980, I left my job with Fannie Mae in the Office of Corporate Planning for a consulting assignment in Liberia. After completing my work, I met with some members of the military, mainly Doe, General Thomas Quiwonkpa, and some progressives, including Tipoteh, Charles Taylor, and Dew Mayson. As discussed in Chapter 13, Taylor, chairman of the board of ULAA, was already in Liberia when the coup occurred. He was in Liberia as a guest of the Tolbert government. Tolbert had invited him and other ULAA officials to come to Liberia to see the conditions in the country. I met Taylor at the Executive Mansion. He came from seeing Doe. He told me that the ULAA members in America were mad at him for not returning to the organization after the end of the trip. He also invited me for dinner at his house, but I was due to depart for the US and could not attend. Also, during my visit, I accidentally met Mrs. Sirleaf. She was now released from detention and worked for the PRC government as an advisor. Later, the regime appointed her as head of the Liberian Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI). While I was walking with Tipoteh one morning on Broad Street, she and some government officials came down the street from a meeting at the Ministry of Finance. She held a conversation with Tipoteh while I looked on. I decided to pay back what she did when she ignored my presence during her meeting with Dew in Washington, DC. When she and Tipoteh had finished talking, I asked him in her presence. "Who is she"? Tipoteh looked surprised at my question but responded. "Ellen Sirleaf." She interrupted. "Nyanfore, you mean you do not know me. If you do not know me, I do not know you too". Tipoteh stepped in and told us to stop. Tipoteh was surprised because he knew I knew or should have known her. I knew Madam Sirleaf very well, as indicated in chapter 13. I could have overlooked her behavior in DC, but I decided to give her a dose of her own medicine. Later, I felt terrible about my action. But Ellen respects people who are not sycophants but brave and act like her. Let me return to my visit to Liberia. I observed a problem with the progressives. The MOJA and the PAL groups were quietly competing against each other. Before the coup, MOJA saw PAL as adventurers from America. At the same time, PAL considered MOJA a mere intellectual group that was non-active regarding the Liberian issue. Through its leader Togba-Nah Tipoteh, MOJA called a press conference criticizing PAL's plan to stage a protest against the Tolbert administration's intention to increase the price of rice. While MOJA and PAL progressively collaborated in some functions, the ideological conflict between the two groups continued during the overthrow. Perhaps MOJA's reaction to the planned protest was that PAL made the announcement at a MOJA event without informing MOJA. However, these groups viewed the ULAA elements as "Johnnies Just Come." They complained about the appointment of ULAA members as advisors to the PRC. However, the military talked of the Tolbert government's evils and the Liberian masses' suffering but had no plan or blueprint for where it wanted to take the country. Doe was energetic and talked militantly, yet was vulnerable. The animosity between the progressives at home and those from abroad was apparent. Jangaba told me his frustration. "When I came home, the comrades here made me feel like I was not a Liberian. Some asked me when I was going back." "They appear to forget or did not consider our advocacy in the US for the struggle in Liberia. They feel they were the only ones who fought for the cause." Jangaba was disappointed. His view was accurate. I felt the same when I visited. Jangaba later became a senator for Cape Mount County and Senate pro-tempore during Doe's administration. In my discussion with the group at home during my visit, it appeared that they wanted those progressives from the Diaspora to have stayed abroad and promoted and defended the revolution internationally. But this was challenging. Liberians from abroad felt it was their right to return home to actively participate in the new government. MOJA and PAL suspended their advocacy to focus on the running of the state. But a few months after the overthrow, the MOJA PAL conflict resurfaced. The groups were competing for influence and power within the new government. First, while the PAL group nominated many of its comrades for positions in the Liberian Foreign Service, MOJA did little for its members. Instead, MOJA advised them to first take the civil service test and forward the results for action for appointment consideration. The Foreign Service operates under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which Gabriel Matthews, the leader of PAL, headed. Members nominated for high ambassadorial posts included Wesley Johnson and D. Kahn Carlor. Many MOJA comrades were disappointed for not getting employment. They felt that MOJA was moderate for job placements, unlike PAL. Matthews reached out to other Liberians who were not PAL members. According to his private secretary, Charles Wilson, he wanted me to work for the foreign ministry. Matthews knew that I had studied Foreign Service. Here the foreign minister was somewhat practicable and essentially political, providing and rewarding fellow comrades with government job opportunities. Meanwhile, MOJA was careful, proceeding with civil service regulations for the employment of its members. However, the wrong side of Matthews' approach was that he gave jobs regardless of qualifications. Nevertheless, both groups began recruiting new members and undermining each other. Critics accused the MOJA group of recruiting its youths to send to Ethiopia for educational training through the Ministry of Education under Minister Henry Fahnbulleh, a MOJA official. It was alleged that the recruits were to undertake training in guerrilla warfare. Some observers pointed figures at PAL for formulating the accusation. The PRC government, fearful of the presumed consequence, stopped the recruitment. MOJA had fewer comrades in the PRC regime. I visited Tipoteh's office, and he showed me a list of vacant positions in his ministry. I asked him why he would not consider qualified progressives for the posts. His answer did not satisfy me. He seems to prefer retaining the old True Whip Party partisans. The only progressive I saw working in his office was his Special Assistant Dusty Wolokollie, who later became assistant minister for administration. I also noticed that the MOJA leadership highly regarded those with Ph.D. There was an effort to reach out to them. As a comrade, Tipoteh visited me in Washington, DC, while planning minister. During the visit, he called Dr. Elwood Dunn repeatedly. I asked him why you are running after Elwood. "We have to reach out to them." He answered. Dunn is a liberal and intellectual but not a progressive, in my view. As the minister of presidential affairs of Tolbert's administration, he ran the communication arm of the president excellently. He exhibited high professionalism in handling the letters between Tolbert and Matthews during the event before the April 1979 Rice Riot. As I indicated before, PAL was planning a public demonstration against the government's proposed increase in rice price. Elwood did not inject himself into the communications. For example, he would reply to Matthews as below: The president wants me to inform you that there are better ideas than insisting on a demonstration. The president thinks you should reconsider your intention and engage in a fruitful dialogue to resolve the rice matter. The president views a street protest could be dangerous. This writing or political communication method removes the writer from the opinion. The writer becomes a mere messenger. It was a good idea for Tipoteh to reach out to Elwood but not to overdo it. Tipoteh was doing the calling. It could make him vulnerable. During my visit to Liberia, my effort to meet with the Head of State, Doe, was difficult and frustrating. Before my trip to Liberia, a group I chaired in DC to support and defend the revolution asked me to see Doe and tell him our concerns. A primary matter was the government retaining the Ambassador in Washington, DC. After my assignment, I tried to see Doe independently by arranging appointments at the executive mansion. Boy, I encountered so many difficulties and runarounds. Some government officials tried to block me from seeing Doe. They feared I would ask for a job and be appointed to an important position if I saw him. The fear was justifiable because many Liberians in the Diaspora rushed home for jobs just after the coup. As stated, many were appointed to key positions, creating a power struggle between the progressive groups. With the help of Dew and General Thomas Quiwonpka, I got an audience with Doe. The meeting was at Doe's private residence at the executive mansion. He was having a meeting with his father in a room. So I waited in the seating area. Soldiers guarded the area. I watched the news with them on TV. Before delivering the message to Doe when he entered, I clarified that I was not there to seek a job or position with the government. Doe jet when I made the remark. He had not heard such a bold statement from a Liberian visiting. I said it before George Boley, then minister of state for presidential affairs. I wanted him to listen to it because he was under the impression that I was seeking a job. He was one of the individuals making it difficult for me to see Doe. I read the message in the presence of Vice-Chair Thomas Wey Seh, Justice Minister Chea Cheapo, Minister Boley, Johnnie Kapor, Assistant Minister of State and Presidential Affairs. Wey Seh was a principal participant in the coup and second in command in the PRC. After the reading, Wey Seh jumped from his seat, happily greeted me, and shook my hand. He agreed with our concern calling for the replacement of the Ambassador. Doe responded that he would see about that. My presentation ended. Doe then told me how the military staged the coup and his role. His speech was down to earth and showed care and concern for the Liberian masses. He indicated that he ordered, and his men executed the plan for the overthrow. Weh Sey brought up the subject of frequent auto accidents occurring with some members of the PRC. Two members had just died or had a near-fatal accident a few months after the coup. He sounded serious and suggested that the council should do something. "We should stop driving the civilian cars. We should use the army jeeps. I think they are more comfortable, and civilians would not run into us as happened with the accidents,." He added. "Doe, you should consider not driving the Honda Civic. It is too small, and a civilian driver could hit you." "I will hit the person back," Doe replied arrogantly. "No, you cannot do that. You are the head of state," Chea Cheapo interrupted. He added, "A country leader cannot do such a thing." (Laughter) Weh Sey turned to me. "Youngman, you're from America. Can the Liberian Ambassador to America walk into the office of the US Vice President just like that, without prior notice"? The question put me in the politics on the ground. I answered, "No." I stated that usually, by protocol, the Ambassador would go through his host country's foreign ministry or department of state for an audience with the vice president. Or if the two officials are friends, their respective staff can arrange the meeting. However, the state department would be in the know. "I see," Weh Sey acknowledged. The vice chair appeared quite annoyed, complaining about the disrespect to his office by what he called the unannounced visits of the American Ambassador. But Liberia is considered American Stepchild, and things may go by the US wishes. Doe spoke on American-Liberian affairs. "Those people do not care about us. They are just for their selves. Look how long we have been their friends, over 130 years; Liberia is still underdeveloped. They help Israel far more than they assist us. The only thing we have is the American dollars, which they control," he said. Wey Sey nodded his head in agreement. I got concerned about Doe's view. To me, he was getting radical at an early stage. I said to myself. "Doe needs to tone down his US stance, particularly as a new third-world leader and considering America's stronghold on Liberia. Security in Liberia was fragile then; the progressives were relatively divided. Further, the US presidential election was a few months away. Ronald Reagan, a conservative and Republican, was running against incumbent President Jimmy Carter, a moderate Democrat. Reagan portrayed Carter as a weak leader who did not take a tougher position on Iran and the Soviet Union. Indeed, during Carter's presidency, Iran took American diplomats hostage in Tehran. US public opinion polls showed Reagan was leading. Reagan would not tolerate a radical third-world leader like Kaddaffi if Reagan became president. These factors crossed my mind during the conversation. But I was not there to counsel on foreign policy. My meeting with Doe lasted about two hours. I left him talking with his other officials while Minister Kpor walked me down the stairs and said. "Mr. Nyanfore, you could not have it better than that; despite the hard time you encountered, you saw the head of state in his private quarter with the vice chair and the justice minister. You made your position clear and delivered the message well." He momentarily touched my shoulder as we walked down the stairs. Nyundweh Morkonmana was waiting for me; we left the mansion ground. I returned to America shortly after to complete my thesis for my graduate education in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of the District of Columbia. Let me also add that after my presentation to Doe, I asked him for a favor; that to kindly look into the matter regarding a friend named Momo Roger. Momo was in prison with other True Whip Party officials jailed immediately after the coup. During that time in Liberia, family members and friends of the jailed officials were appealing to the PRC members and civilian officials to release the prisoners. Reportedly, it was stated that some family members offered money for the release. Momo came from a poor background. He had no one to seek his interest, as I observed. Upon receipt of his master's degree, he returned to Liberia and became assistant minister for information. As his friend, his situation concerned me. However, I wanted to avoid getting involved with politics. So when planning to meet with Doe, I asked my aunt, with whom I was residing, for advice. She told me to speak diplomatically on Momo's behalf. "You would feel guilty later if you did not. Even if you unsuccessfully tried, your friend would appreciate your effort. Also, you would feel good inside", she added. When I told Doe about Momo, Chea Cheapo quickly commented that, though Momo was new in the government, "he was not quiet. He was doing some unnecessary things affecting the progressives. Doe asked me. "Is he Congo or native?" "Native," I answered and added. "He is Vai." "But how come he has Congo's name? He asked while grinning. Doe said they would look into Momo's case. I noticed Minister Kpor was writing when I was answering. I felt good, just as my aunt had said. In a few months, the government freed Momo. He later received a scholarship to do his doctorate in the US. Momo informed me in America that George Boley, who later became minister of education, told him I spoke to Doe concerning him. Unfortunately, my friendship with Momo ended by his choice: I was calling him, and he was not. I wondered why. I asked a psychology expert about the possible reasons. She said that Momo may have blamed those whose advocacy brought the coup that made him lose his government post and imprisoned him. "He may have suffered a lot in jail," she stated. "Yes, I participated in the struggle and supported the coup; however, I spoke for him." I pointed out. "It did not matter. He grouped you all in one boat", the expert further replied. Upon attaining his Ph.D., Momo returned to Liberia. He became an official of the Sirleaf administration in the office of presidential affairs. We never spoke since he returned to Liberia. Momo and I became friends in 1969 in New York. He was doing his undergraduate in journalism. He introduced me to the late Tarty Teh, who, too, became my friend. Tarty was a natural-born writer and one of the most critics of President Ellen Johnson even before her presidency. Additionally, regarding my trip to Liberia, Doe appeared relaxed, comfortable, and friendly in our meeting, as I stated. He asked me about my educational background and how long I had been in America. When I answered him, he said, smiling, "My man, 30 years is too long; you need to come home." I was puzzled by Doe's continual look at my shoes as I spoke. I was somewhat uncomfortable. But my shoes were new and well-polished. In diplomacy school, we were taught that one strategy to make an opponent uncomfortable was to look at their shoes at a meeting. The person would be uneasy and wonder what happened to the shoes. As humans, we do not usually look down when standing and sitting. The person facing us has the power to look at our feet. Again, my shoes were fine. But why was he looking? When I narrated the story to Veronica, his oldest daughter, she laughed, commenting, "Daddy may have liked your shoes; he liked fine clothing." She might be correct. Doe was a good dresser in civilian clothing. According to a source, he admired Emmanuel Shaw's dress style. "That boy can dress," he was quoted saying. Emmanuel Shaw dressed impressively as a young man, even when he worked for Steve Tolbert after college. Raised by a single mother, he was a bright student at St. John mission school in Liberia. He once represented Liberia at an international youth conference. During the Tubman era in the 1960s, Liberians admired his fashionable Afro hair-do. He was considered Liberian Clarence Williams III, an American movie actor with an Afro. Like Shaw, Doe wore an Afro. George Boley may have brought Shaw and others, including Willie Givens, to the mansion to work for Doe. The president appointed Shaw as minister of finance. He was an ally of Charles Taylor, and The Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) listed him for economic crime. Shaw's father was said to have been a Nigerian. Shaw's mother operated a small business while residing down Lynch Street with Shaw and his younger siblings, Oswald and Aleatha. Doe's comfort with me was also due to my name, Samuel K. Nyanfore. It was similar to his, Samuel K. Doe. When I first attempted to schedule a meeting with him, Mr. Samson, an assistant minister at the executive mansion, told me, "You and the head of state have the same name." Even when General Quiwonpka visited the US initially as a government official, he asked Tarty Teh, the Liberian Information officer in DC, about me. The general did not know my name but described me, saying, "The man has the same name as Doe." B.M.W. Nagba, who was present, said, "That is Nyanfore, Samuel K. Nyanfore." Quiwonpka said, "Yes, that's him." I could have kept the name to capitalize on it. But as I stated earlier, I changed it to my traditional African given name. While the US government favored the coup, some institutions condemned the takeover. For instance, the Washington Post and the Evening Star in DC negatively criticized the overthrow. Concerned Liberians in the Diaspora had to defend the coup. I responded to the Post and the Star. They published my reply. I showed Doe my reply to the paper and pictures of the demonstrations in the US against the Tolbert administration. Upon seeing and positively commenting, he passed them on to the ministers present. The response and the photos added to the comfort. Before I met with Doe, the American company I consulted in Liberia met with Liberian business owners at the Ministry of Commerce. The company wanted to provide opportunities for Liberians to purchase American goods cheaper. The firm also desired to give Liberian businesses an advantage over foreign small businesses in Liberia. Many Liberian business owners attended. Samuel Jackson, Deputy Minister, chaired the meeting. After the event, Janice Williams, a company partner, commented on the picture of former Minister of Commerce John Sherman hanging on the wall. The photo was one of the pictures of previous ministers on the wall. She said that Sherman was a good-looking man. A ministry staff replied that the minister was late and Sherman was among the officials executed during the coup. Janice was saddened. Within a week, one of the meeting attendants invited Janice, Wendell Robertson, and me to his house for dinner. After eating, Janice talked about John and asked the host why John was executed. The host, an African-American who apparently had naturalized in Liberia, said though sad that John died, John was corrupt. He narrated that when he came to Liberia newly, he approached John to join him in a business to manufacture and sell wheelbarrows. John declined but would assist in processing the business documents in Liberia. For that help, he requested a considerable sum of money, though the business had yet to start. "I told him no, I could not afford that kind of money," the host added, "but John suggested I give him a postdated check." "Are you serious?" I told John. "He was damn serious and insisted. So later, I wrote him the check. But he pressured me daily to put money in the account to cash the check. When I finally did, and he cashed the check that same day, he called me for a deal that would give me a government contract. I would give him another check. I refused. As I learned, I was not the only businessman he was dealing with. He was doing business with Liberian and foreign businessmen", the host ended. The host further told us that John was so corrupt and greedy to the extent that John bravely took the postdated check. "In America, you know, the authority would bury the official alive if he does that. The official would be foolish," the host said while his Liberian wife sat. Janice and Wendell were stunned when they heard the story. I was embarrassed as a Liberian to hear that a fellow Liberian was that corrupt. On our way back to the hotel, Janice could not get over what she had disappointedly heard about John. John Sherman was an intelligent student at CWA and was an upper schoolmate. John may have been the oldest child of his parents. He was serious, quiet, and responsible. His younger brother, Frederick, was of my age and my friend. The children lived with their mother on Benson Street, Monrovia. John was a shining star in the Tolbert administration as the commerce minister. He held press conferences and was quoted in the papers as a committed, caring, and honest public official. After the meeting with the commerce ministry, we met with the General Service Agency (GSA), which Charles Taylor headed then. He was unavailable, so we met with his Deputy, Blamo Nelson. The company wanted to sell goods to the agency for distribution within the government. Upon the company presentation and Nelson's perusal of the company capability statement, Nelson stated that he did not know the firm. Nevertheless, he knew me, my ability, and my personality. Because of that, he would give the company a contract to buy goods for the government. He repeated his statement. I was proud when he said that. Another partner, Wendell, said, "Sam, Mr. Nelson spoke greatly about you. You are really an asset." Wendell was my classmate at Georgetown University. He later became a lawyer. Janice was also a lawyer. Blamo did not call me for a kickback, favor, or a friendly talk during and after my visit to Liberia. He served as a senator for Grand Kru County during Sirleaf's administration. After the Senate, Sirleaf appointed him the Minister of Internal Affairs. I respect him highly. Morkonmana became assistant minister of labor during the PRC rule. He also served as the Liberian House of Representatives speaker in Charles Taylor's administration. Now, let me return to events after my trip to Liberia. Several years later, Quiwonkpa came to Washington, DC, and offered me the Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs position to replace Dr. Byron Tarr, who had succeeded Tipoteh. Upon my return to the US, I worked as a contractor with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in its Office of Economic Affairs. Interestingly, Quiwonkpa made the offer after knowing my background briefly and encouraged me to return home. I did not respond immediately to the offer, even though it was real. My action of hesitating and not jumping on the offer right away was one of my best decisions. After a few months, Quiwonkpa and President Doe fell out. Quiwonkpa was no longer commander-general. He and his family went into exile in the US. He died in the first invasion of Liberia. I was surprised when I later learned that Quiwonkpa married a close relative. His wife, Tarloh Munah Quiwonkpa, is the daughter of my aunty, the late Mary Nyanfore Wilson. She raised Tarloh Barnes as a child in Maryland County. She was her second mother. In my telephone conversations with Quiwonkpa, we did not know this connection. Doe was a quick learner, according to George Boley. Doe dropped out of high school before becoming head of state. Sawyer and others taught him at the Marcus Garvey night school in Monrovia in high school. He returned to school when he was head of state. Some of his classmates commented that Doe was an A student, taking leadership in class discussions. He wrote his senior thesis on Liberia-US relations. Before and during the 1980s, former CIA agents spoke out on US covert activities in the third world. After my Liberian trip, I attended an ex-CIA high official lecture at George Washington University in Washington, DC. On the question about the Liberian coup, he stated that the US had no involvement in the event based on his intelligence. He wondered, however, how the non-commissioned officers could undertake such a difficult and well-planned act. The former agent's answer did not imply that America could not have had information about the overthrow. The US may have decided not to intervene. From Doe's narrative of the coup in the presence of Weh Seh at my meeting, along with the agent's reply and other information, the view suggesting a direct US connection seems untrue. Also, Doe's report confirmed that he did not actively participate in the takeover. As he said, he was the group leader and gave the order. Remember that Doe was negative with the US, so Weh Seh's complaint was. However, Niels Hahns' article on American covert and overt operations in Liberia states that the US Embassy in Monrovia helped form the PRC government. Also, the United States placed its advisors in primary ministries immediately after the coup. Doe was said to have admired a US military officer called Colonel Gosney and advised that the Liberian military take orders from him. Accordingly, besides recognizing the takeover, the US provided military and economic support to the regime. America increased aid to Liberia from $20 million in 1979 to $500 million in 1985. The amount was the highest given to any other country in Sub-Sahara Africa. Moreover, Herman Cohen, US Assistant Secretary of State, said the money was intended not to help the Liberian people but for other purposes, such as transforming Doe from a country boy to a "civilize Doe." The article concludes that the US played a very light role in the PRC's takeover. The late Dr. Amos Sawyer, a MOJA founding member, viewed the rice protest and the coup as unnecessary. Other progressives shared this opinion, particularly regarding the coup. For example, Counselor Tiawon Gongloe, a former MOJA member, stated that the takeover brought sadness, and disappointment, depriving the progressives of taking power from the True Whip Party (TWP). He said that before the coup, President Tolbert had planned not to run for re-election in 1983. Accordingly, the plan would have given the progressives a political opportunity to power. Contrary, this view is a mere wishful thought. Considering the Liberian state prior, whether Tolbert retired or not, the party would have prevented MOJA or PAL from taking office. Doing so would have been suicidal, for TWP's power rested with government control. The organization would replace Tolbert with another member, perhaps a younger partisan. TWP had already started recruiting young and moderate members, chiefly from the indigenous section, into the party's hierarchy. Moreover, Shad Tubman and AB Tolbert, sons of President Tubman and William Tolbert, respectively, were considering becoming presidents. The elections of 1951 and 1955 should remind Gongloe and others of the party's resistance to political change or multi-party democracy. They should also remember what happened in 1978: Amos Sawyer ran that year as an independent candidate for the mayor of Monrovia against TWP's candidate Chu Chu Horton. Sawyer's candidacy scared the True Whig Party government and united the progressives and the Monrovian downtrodden masses. It also galvanized the youth and sent a shocking wave to the political establishment. Fearing defeat, the party government required voters to have a private property to qualify to vote, though the requirement was unconstitutional. When the voters protested, the government canceled the election. Thus, in other words, if the government could not permit a democratic change at the mayoral level, how could it allow a national regime change? Consequently, only radical means would have removed the government. Some critics of the progressive movement charge that it failed to advance a leadership structure and a way forward despite its advocacy. While evidence supports this criticism, the progressives operated under challenging conditions. They sacrificed their youthful years for change. Before the 1970s, the True Whip Party government operated at will without regard to justice since 1878. It stopped other political parties in Liberia and made Liberia a one-party state. Further, educated Liberians dared to question the government. They became lackeys. Thus without the progressives' effort and the military's role, the regime would have probably still ruled Liberia, and the country would have remained a one-party state. Today, Liberians enjoy the multi-party democracy the progressives and the military created. The progressives had done their share. The young Liberian generation needs to carry the torch with commitment and justice to the finish line. NOTE: "Victory Over Difficulties" is an inspiring story of an African who overcame discrimination, prejudice, failures, and disappointments in the United States. God blessed and opened doors for him. Also, he discovered his true birth and identity as a prince. "Victory Over Difficulties" teaches the importance of prayer, trust in God, maintaining your principle, honesty, integrity, and never giving up despite obstacles. The book will be published soon. If interested in getting a copy, please email [email protected] or contact https://www.facebook.com/dagbayonoh.nyanfore. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) is projecting that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will kick the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) out of power after the 2024 general elections. This is contained in a report issued by the EIU on Friday, April 28. According to the report, economic hardships and the fallout from debt restructuring will compel Ghanaians to vote for change. The next parliamentary and presidential elections are due in 2024. Under constitutionally mandated term limits, the incumbent president, Nana Akufo-Addo, cannot run for a third term, and he has pledged to comply. In early January the trade and industry minister, Alan Kyerematen, resigned and announced his bid to become the NPPs presidential candidate. We expect the contests to secure the presidential candidacies of both the NPP and the NDC to be highly competitive, with several high-profile figures expected to contend. A former president, John Mahama, launched his campaign to secure the NDC presidential candidacy in March. However, the NDC could also choose to revitalise its prospects with a fresh candidate, such as Kwabena Duffuor, a former finance minister, who has also declared his intention to secure the party candidacy. Our baseline forecast is that economic hardships, the fallout from debt restructuring, and poor governance will create an anti-incumbency wave and push the electorate to seek change. The NDC, therefore, stands a strong chance of winning the 2024 presidential poll and securing a legislative majority, parts of the report from the Economist Intelligence Unit read. Despite the projection, political analysts insist that the opposition party has a lot of work to do to secure victory in the next general elections. The Kumasi Diocese of the Methodist Church has appealed to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to boldly tell Ghanaians his stand on the LGBTQIA+. The Right Reverened Stephen Kwaku Owusu, the Diocesan Bishop, who made the call, said Ghana was not ready to accept any practice that was against the Christian, Muslim and the Ghanaian traditional values. It, was therefore, important for the President as the leader of the country, to tell everybody and the whole world the effective position of the country on the issue which had generated wider debate and occupied larger space in the socio-political and religious discourse of Ghana. Rt. Rev. Owusu made the call at the opening of the 62nd Annual Synod of the Kumasi Diocese of the Methodist Church held at the Mount Zion Society at Ahinsan, in the Asokwa Municipality. The theme for the Synod was: Discipleship: Living the Transformed life in Jesus Christ, Romans 12:2. The Synod provided the platform for the Methodist churches to take stock on stewardship and seek for the growth of the church. The bishop stated that during the previous year's Synod, he re-echoed the sentiments already expressed by the church in support of the promotion of proper human sexual rights and the Ghanaian family values Bill 2021. He said this Bill was to truncate the socio-moral canker of LGBTQIA+. Rt Rev. Owusu pointed out that the late former President, John Evans Atta Mills, openly declared his stand on this LGBTQIA+ and so the sitting President must also come out to tell Ghanaians his stand on it. He commended Parliament and stakeholders who had strived to introduce the Bill against the LBGBTQIA+ and further called on all Ghanaians to say 'NO' to this ungodliness to avoid the wrath of God on the nation. Additionally, the Bishop called on the Electoral Commission (EC), to make sure that the 2024 elections were conducted in a free and fair manner. He again, urged politicians to conduct their campaigns in utmost decorum devoid of acrimony and insults as well as insinuations. They must let their messages be policy centred and issues driven. Rt Rev. Owusu also called on media to refrain from using intemperate words in their reportage to avoid inflaming passions that could polarize the political climate. On the issue of illegal mining activities, the Diocesan Bishop said that drastic action must be taken by the government to stop it. Rt Rev. Owusu said Ghanaians needed to commit themselves as a nation to fight illegal mining by allowing the laws of the country to work to bring perpetrators to book. Our water bodies must be protected to save our lives and that of the next generation, he declared. GNA John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) deserves a hundred percent endorsement from the delegates who will be casting their votes on May 13th, 2023, to elect for the party a Superstar Flagbearer. We are all of the knowledge that Mr Mahama is the one who has the magic wand to win victory for the party in the next general elections, as his track record as a former President of the Republic is crystal clear. The delegates must do the party the singular honour of lending Mr Mahama their full support to send a message to the amateurish ruling government that Ghanaians, at present, have more hope and belief in Mr Mahama than any other person because he has shown enough competence, statesmanship, tolerance, and generosity towards the Ghanaian people to lead us anew as our President. We, in the NDC, especially the delegates, must believe in our own seed so that others will not discourage us from sowing it. The rich pool of experience, wealth of knowledge, and wisdom Mr Mahama has gained throughout his political life would be brought to bear to rescue this country from the hands of cross-border liars and self-absorbed, incompetent megalomaniacs. The whole of this present government reeks of duplicity and, consequently, the quagmire of financial indebtedness. We should all be rooting for Mr Mahama because he has distinguished himself and shown exemplary leadership, one of progress and development. Over these few months, he has made enormous efforts to reach out to almost every constituency in the country and engage NDC members and other patriotic citizens of this good country about his message for the 2024 general elections. His ideas bespeak a great message for our collective progress, and we need a responsible leader like him to inspire the youth into greatness. He was a modest President and let almost all, if not all, the tenets of democracy function under his reign. Its for this reason and many others that I believe in him. He is a cultured and exceptional leader who barely bears grudges against his detractors and is almost always focused on national issues that impact the lives of the people. It will be a national betrayal not to bring him back to power if we take into account his contributions to our countrys advancement in the past years. I urge everyone who candidly wishes for the growth of this country to consider giving Mr Mahama a second chance to relieve us from this long suffering of untold hardship this government has parcelled out to us. The economy has dwindled because not a thing is functioning in almost all its sectors, and that can be blamed on bad governance, excessive corruption, nepotism, cronyism, and deception. Mr Mahama for 2024 is inalienable. May he emerge as the next President and put our country back on the path of growth and prosperity. By Waterz Yidana President Akufo-Addo's cousin Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has dragged former Environment, Science, Technology and Innovations Minister, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng to an Accra High Court for defamation. A writ of summons issued by Mr Otchere-Darko sighted by DGN Online stated that, Prof Frimpong-Boateng has used words that are defamatory and libelous against him. He is, therefore, demanding GH10 million in general damages including aggravated and/or exemplary damages for defamation for libel uttered by Prof Frimpong-Boateng. Additionally, he is again demanding an apology and a retraction from the renowned heart surgeon. He is further seeking a perpetual injunction, restraining the defendant whether by his servants, agents or assigns from repeating similar or other defamatory words against him. This followed the content of a report in relation to activities embarked on by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) which was authored by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng. After serving as the Committee's Chairman, Prof Frimpong-Boateng on Friday, March 19, 2021 authored the report to the Chief of Staff after months of the dissolution of the Committee. Prof Frimpong-Boateng cited Mr Otchere-Darko for calling him once to defend a mining firm Heritage Imperial owned by one Donald Entsuah. What saddened me most was when Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko called to defend a company that was actively destroying the environment, especially the forests and River Offin in the Apaprama and Kobro Forests, Prof Frimpong-Boateng stated. But Gabby explained that he was only working as a legal representative of the firm. After listening to the words of Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, the cardio surgeon hit back, I became sad for Ghana. I wondered what happened to us to get to this state, where a person who is supposed to be a lawyer to a mining company exhibited such industrial-scale ignorance about mining laws and regulations. It is as a result of this allegations among others that Mr. Otchere-Darko has instituted a suit against Prof. Frimpong-Boateng. The Vice President of Ghana, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was the Special Guest of Honour at the passing out ceremony for the Narcotics Control Commission's (NACOC) Cadet Intake 7 held at the Ghana Immigration Training School, Assin Foso. Delivering a speech at the ceremony, the Vice President admonished the new recruits to be patriotic and work hard in the discharge of their duties. I advised the new recruits to adhere to the principles of hard work, patriotism, and integrity in the execution of their duties, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia shared. The Vice President used the opportunity to note that government has created many opportunities for the recruitment of personnel into the security services. He explained that when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) assumed office in 2017 the Immigration Service had a total staff of 2,850 officers but through the efforts of government, the number has increased to over 14,000. Today, six years later, the number has increased to 14,300 as we have increased training, accommodation, and other facilities. By contrast, in the 8 years before we came into office the number of people recruited into the Immigration service was less than 500 in total, Dr. Bawumia argued. Policy, politics and progressive commentary A plan to convert unused units at the Las Vegas City Jail into psychiatric beds for incarcerated people has been pushed back at least 18 months, according to the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH). The city is even less optimistic, saying it cant provide a timeline until agreements are made with DPBH. Meanwhile, DPBH says its still waiting for actions from the city. Forensic psychiatric beds aim to provide mental health care in a correctional setting and reduce the risk of recidivism in the least restrictive manner, stabilizing a person who is waiting for their case to be adjudicated or an assessment for competency to stand trial. Currently, 102 people in custody are waiting for forensic beds in Clark County, housed in jails, according to DPBH. The renovated units at the jail would add 44 beds and accompanying staff, using $55.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. With this delay are we housing these patients/inmates that need to have these forensic beds in jails? Republican State Sen. Robin Titus asked DPBH at a legislative Health and Human Services Joint Subcommittee meeting earlier this week. Lisa Sherych, an administrator for DPBH, answered that the individuals are in jail waiting for services from DPBH, but that the jails do have some mental health services available. In his 2023 State of the State Address, Gov. Joe Lombardo described the need for additional forensic mental services as critical, and noted his budget included funds for the Las Vegas Jail conversions as well as upgrades to the Rawson-Neal facility in Las Vegas and the creation of an additional new facility in Southern Nevada. The delay in getting people into forensic psychiatric care can exacerbate mental health conditions. Being in a confined setting like that, a lot of times it exacerbates peoples symptoms, Sheldon Jacobs, a family therapist in Southern Nevada and vice president of (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) NAMI-Southern Nevada, said in an interview. Jacobs said the NAMIs policy stance is to divert as many away from the criminal justice system with community-based competency restoration and getting mental health care before their mental illness exacerbates. Nevada continues to rank at the bottom of all states in access to care and high prevalence of mental illness, has limited access to community-based outpatient services, and about one-third the national average of psychologists with wait times varying from two months to two years. People with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violent crimes than perpetrators yet are more likely to be arrested, charged, and incarcerated for a longer time in jail compared to the general population. While Nevada is one of 16 states that have community-based competency restoration services, where individuals with low-level misdemeanors can get assessed for competency outside of the jails, its competency restoration system, as in much of the nation, is still overwhelmed and faces significant backlogs. The average wait time for inpatient competency restoration is 142 days. People who have a mental health condition have to have their competency restored in a timely fashion. Obviously, theres the constitutional part of it, but at the end of the day, we [NAMI] believe in minimizing the justice systems response to people with mental health conditions while also ensuring that it actually preserves health, well-being, and dignity. Thats the bottom line, Jacobs said. During this weeks legislative meeting, Democratic Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager voiced concerns that the wait times for beds could be putting the state at risk of getting involved in litigation on the state side of not being able to provide these services. Once the agreement is finalized In October 2022, state officials told the legislative Interim Finance Committee (IFC) that the Las Vegas City Jail was to be partially renovated into forensic beds and ready to be used by July 2023. But, according to a DPBH document from the committee hearing this week, the earliest the renovations would be completed is by December 2024, and that date could only be met if lease negotiations and the citys necessary renovations prior to commencement of the divisions construction project are done timely. I remember talking about it in front of IFC and obviously being supportive of it then, and I thought the impetus of it then was the fact we werent servicing folks in a timely manner and didnt have bed space, Yeager said at this weeks hearing, adding he was disappointed to hear that there are delays, but I understand that is the reality of the world we live in. DPBH had frequent meetings with the City of Las Vegas before and after the approval of the ARPA funds in October 2022, but the DPBH said the city cited multiple reasons for delays, including holidays and annual leave in November and December when key personnel from the City of Las Vegas were not available to confirm a lease agreement, according to DPBH document provided to the Human Services Joint Subcommittee. The DPBH document also stated that the units the City of Las Vegas had initially proposed for the beds would not meet the divisions standards without significant construction and that DPBH advised the city it wanted to proceed with different units. In March, the City of Las Vegas said it was unable to move populations out of the agreed upon units last fall as planned, further delaying the renovation process, according to DPBH. The City of Las Vegas told the Current in an email the agreement between the State and the city of Las Vegas is still being worked on and has not been finalized. Once the agreement is finalized then there would be a timeline for the project. Earlier this year, DPBH said it is continuing to recruit staff for the Las Vegas facilitys forensic units and hired seven contract staff, including four administrative assistants, two social workers, and one psychiatric nurse. Warplanes on bombing raids drew heavy anti-aircraft fire over Khartoum on Saturday as fierce fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitaries entered a third week, violating a renewed truce. More than 500 people have been killed since battles erupted on April 15 between the forces of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his number two Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). "There is no right to go on fighting for power when the country is falling apart," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Al Arabiya television. Burhan and Daglo have agreed to multiple truces since the war began, but none has effectively taken hold as the number of dead civilians continues to rise, thousands flee the country and those without the means to escape face an increasing struggle to survive. The latest three-day ceasefire is due to expire at midnight Sunday (2200 GMT). It was agreed Thursday after mediation led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the United Nations. Dozens more have died over the past week since the United States announced that the warring sides had agreed to an initial truce, on April 24. "We woke up once again to the sound of fighter jets and anti-aircraft weapons blasting all over our neighbourhood," a witness in southern Khartoum told AFP. Fighters of the Rapid Support Forces are seen on a street in Khartoum's East Nile district. By - (Rapid Support Forces (RSF)/AFP/File) Another witness said fighting had continued since the early morning, especially around the state broadcaster's headquarters in the capital's twin city of Omdurman. Residents across Khartoum -- home to five million people -- have largely sheltered at home despite supplies of food and water dwindling to dangerously low levels, and a lack of electricity. Some managed to sneak out only during brief lulls in fighting to buy desperately needed supplies. Trading blame As battles raged on the ground, the two rival generals -- who seized power in a 2021 coup -- took aim at each other in the media, with Burhan branding the RSF a militia that aims "to destroy Sudan", in an interview with US-based TV channel Alhurra. People fleeing war-torn Sudan queue to board a boat from Port Sudan on April 28, 2023. By - (AFP) Daglo denounced the army chief in an interview with the BBC, saying he was "not trustworthy" and a "traitor". Guterres threw his support behind African-led mediation efforts. "My appeal is for everything to be done to support an African-led initiative for peace in Sudan," he told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya. The violence has so far killed at least 512 people and wounded 4,193, according to the health ministry, but the death toll is feared to be much higher. About 75,000 have been displaced by the fighting in Khartoum and the states of Blue Nile, North Kordofan, as well as the western region of Darfur, the UN said. Relatives welcome Palestinian evacuees from Sudan upon arrival to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. By SAID KHATIB (AFP) Tens of thousands of Sudanese have fled into neighbouring countries including Egypt, Ethiopia, Chad and South Sudan, while foreign countries have carried out mass evacuations of their nationals. On Saturday a ferry with around 1,900 evacuees arrived at King Faisal Naval base in Jeddah after crossing the Red Sea from Port Sudan, in the latest sea evacuation to the kingdom. Britain said it would end its evacuation flights on Saturday, after airlifting more than 1,500 people this week. The UN said Friday its last international staff had been evacuated from Darfur. The World Food Programme has said the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where 15 million people -- one-third of the population -- already need aid to stave off famine. About 70 percent of hospitals in areas near the fighting have been rendered out of service and many have been shelled, said the doctors' union. 'Alarming' conditions in Darfur In West Darfur state, at least 96 people were reported to have been killed in the city of El Geneina this week, the UN said. Map showing number of people killed in fighting and strikes in Sudan between April 15 and 21, according to data from NGO Acled, mostly from the military or the paramilitary group. By Sophie RAMIS, Nalini LEPETIT-CHELLA, Laurence SAUBADU (AFP) "What's happening in Darfur is terrible, the society is falling apart, we see tribes that now try to arm themselves," said Guterres. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said there were reports of widespread looting, destruction, and burning of property, including at camps for displaced people. Sylvain Perron, MSF's deputy operations manager for Sudan, said the fighting has forced the agency to stop almost all its activities in West Darfur. "We are incredibly worried about the impact this violence is having on people who have already lived through waves of violence in the previous years." Darfur is still reeling from a war that began in 2003 when then hardline president Omar al-Bashir unleashed the Janjaweed militia, mainly recruited from Arab pastoralist tribes, to crush ethnic minority rebels. The scorched-earth campaign left at least 300,000 people dead and close to 2.5 million displaced, according to UN figures, and saw Bashir charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by the International Criminal Court. The Janjaweed later evolved into the RSF, which was formally created in 2013. Burhan and Daglo's coup in 2021 derailed Sudan's transition to democracy established after Bashir was ousted following mass protests in 2019. But the two generals later fell out, most recently over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army. New York, April 28, 2023Nigerian authorities should revise recent statements falsely characterizing CPJs research on the press freedom situation in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Thursday, April 27, the state-run News Agency of Nigeria reported that Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami described CPJs research in a meeting the previous day as finding Nigeria as the only African country that has been in full compliance in terms of the protection of the rights of the journalists. That report quoted Malami as saying that no journalists had been killed in the country arising from infractions, relating thereto. CPJ research has for years documented a steady stream of attacks, prosecutions, and harassment of journalists in Nigeria, including for publishing alleged false news. CPJ research shows at least 24 journalists have been killed in Nigeria since 1992. At least 12 of these journalists are confirmed to have been killed in connection with their work. CPJs research on press freedom in Nigeria, showing years of attacks on members of the pressincluding killingsstrongly contradicts comments by Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami about the press freedom situation in the country, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator. Malamis misrepresentation of CPJ research is particularly alarming and tragically ironic given how frequently Nigerian journalists are accused and prosecuted for distributing alleged falsehoods. Malami gave his remarks at a briefing to promote the Nigerian governments human rights agenda, which was chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari. In January, Ministry of Justice spokesperson Umaru Gwandu similarly mischaracterized CPJs research at an event on the safety of journalists during elections. Earlier, in 2020, Malami mischaracterized the fact that Nigeria was not included in CPJs annual Impunity Index as an achievement by Nigerian authorities. However, Nigeria was no longer included in the 2020 index because it tracked only killings from the previous 10 years, and therefore no longer included a killing from 2009. Nigerian authorities have not achieved full accountability for any journalist deaths that CPJ has documented. Malami repeated that claim in 2022, according to local media reports. When CPJ contacted Malami for comment via messaging app, he asked to see CPJs evidence on journalists killings. When CPJ sent him records of journalists slain in Nigeria, he said he would review them and then said, Our conclusion is based on your reports as released. You may wish to refer to your previous releases establishing same position. CPJ also called Gwandu for comment but he did not answer. Contacted via messaging app, Presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu asked if CPJ had found the Nigerian government responsible for the killings of journalists. CPJ sent findings in its database showing that since 1992 government officials are suspected of involvement in the killings of at least four journalists: Okezie Amaruben in 1998, Fidelis Ikwuebe in 1999, Precious Owolabi in 2019, and Onifade Emmanuel Pelumi in 2020. In response, Shehu said, I work as spokesman to the President and that Malami could speak for himself. 29.04.2023 LISTEN Homage to Ghanas national personality in the person of my maternal grandpa Nana Kwesi Ansu (I'm seen behind him in the attached photo as a CHILD KING). My maternal grandfather Kwesi Ansu was a traditional ruler cum politician. He was the Mansenhene or Wamfiehene (chief of Mansen people of Wamfie), Krontihene (Second-In-Command) and Head of King Makers in Dormaa-Gyaman Kingdom. He was responsible for me being the former CHILD KING that is now chief target of political persecution of his family by his political enemies. At age 1 with birth name Nana Kofi Ansu-Gyeabour grandpa Nana Kwasi Ansu made me Mansen people of Wamfie first King of Dormaa-Gyaman Kingdom and owner of his wealth which the Nkrumah hijacked Rawlings Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) military government of Ghana confiscated and use some to form Wamfie Rural Bank. Grandpa Kwesi Ansu helped Nkrumah financially to win his first election in 1951. Nkrumahs electoral victory in 1951 politically catapulted and self-marketed him nationwide enabling him and his party to easily win subsequently held elections in the country. It made the colonial govt also to give him his first govt post as Leader of Government Business later to be changed to Prime Minister. My maternal grandfather was a nationalist leader initiating the "Matemeho" (I have broken away) Campaign in 1952 against Nkrumah and his party, the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) after Nkrumah displayed ingratitude, insubordination and poor governance skills in settling a traditional tax dispute that emerged between him and his cousin the then Dormaa-Gyaman King by name Osagyefo Nana Agyeman Badu I who was nicknamed Nkrumah's de-facto Vice President. Baffuor Osei-Akoto later persuaded him to join his newly formed party, the National Liberation Movement (NLM), and pursue his grievances within such a political organization. NLM and later United Party (UP) are known as parties of traditional rulers or authorities. It was my maternal grandfather who introduced the idea for formation of UP after Nkrumah tried to abolish NLM with the "Avoidance of Discrimination Law" in 1957. A year after, Nkrumah in the company of police personnel, national security operatives and mob groups from Dormaa-Gyaman Kingdom personally physically assaulted him, dethroned him, imprisoned him and persecuted him from 1958 until 1966 when Nkrumah was overthrown. My maternal grandfather is technically the leader of the anti-Nkrumah Movement and founder of UP Political Tradition in Ghana. He together with Ghana Founder J. B. Danquah are two of Nkrumah and his followers arch enemies but especially him. He was a leading figure in the two main opposition parties of NLM and UP working with Ashanti King Prempeh II, Ghana Founder J. B. Danquah, Ghana Prime Minister Busia, NLM founder and Chief Linguist of Ashanti King by name Baffour Osei- Akoto whose son is Ghanas current Minister of Agriculture in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) govt. Other members of his team included his personal lawyer Victor Owusu who is nicknamed Ghana's "Near President" or "The President That Never Was". Victor Owusu was also leader of the opposition in Parliament during Ghana's Third Republic. Victor Owusu is known as godfather of the ruling NPP. NPP emanates from the UP as well as NLM and Danquahs United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) which is Ghanas first formed political party. Victor Owusu originates from my father's hometown of Ashanti-Agona. My father by name GODWIN Kwame Osei-Tutu who is partly Ashanti and Ewe belongs to the royal family of Ashanti-Agona via the father Nana Kwame Osei-Tutu who was a former classmate of President Kufuor of NPP at Prempeh College in Kumasi and also member of NLM and UP. The father of my paternal grandfather Nana Kwame Osei-Tutu emanates from Ashanti royal family at Manhyia Palace in Kumasi but because of the sociologically matrilineal nature of Ashanti and the Akan tribal groupings in general, we do not relate to that side but only to Ashanti-Agona. General Afrifa that co-led the overthrow of Nkrumah in 1966 and later became Ghana's military Head of State also worked with my maternal grandfather Nana Kwesi Ansu in NLM and UP. Afrifa originates from Ashanti-Mampong which is a town close by Ashanti-Agona. Since UP was amalgamation of parties, my maternal grandfather worked with two traditional rulers cum politicians whose party known as Northern Peoples Party (NPP) was integral to UP formation. And these national personalities were Dombo and Mumuni Bawumia (father of Ghanas current Vice President in the ruling NPP govt). However, Mumuni Bawumia later cross carpeted to join Nkrumahs CPP govt and after to National Democratic Congress (NDC) which is known as the party formed by Ghanas military and their regime of Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) led by Rawlings. My maternal grandfather Kwesi Ansus father was a royal of Dormaa-Gyaman Kingdom and brother to both the King and the Queen. His mother was the queen mother of Mansen people of Wamfie. The royal family of Dormaa-Gyaman Kingdom come from the royal family of Akwemu Kingdom which is the first Empire in Ghana whiles the royal family of Mansen people of Wamfie also come from the royal family of Denkyira which is the first Kingdom in Ghana. As by Akan matrilineal inheritance tradition, my grandfather was enthroned as Chief of Wamfie with a dual role as Krontihene of Dormaa-Gyaman Kingdom around somewhere in 1930s. The Krontihene is the second in command and leader of the King Makers who has the final say as who becomes the next King. The son of his aunty the queen mother of Dormaa-Gyaman kingdom was Agyeman Badu I whom my grandfather later chose to become King of Dormaa-Gyaman kingdom in 1951. Before then, my grandfather himself served as Acting King of Dormaa-Gyaman Kingdom in 1949 after his uncle the King had been destooled. My grandfather was very affluent and one of the richest people if not the richest in pre and post-independence Ghana. He was rich before ascending to the throne of Wamfie. His business dealings with mainly British citizens included trading in gold, cocoa, stool lands, real estate and transportation. He was noted at that time as the man who measures pounds sterling with cocoa sags. He operated mainly in the Wam region which comprised territories of present day Dormaa-Gyaman Kindom, Wamfie and Berekum. Before ascending to the throne, my grandfathers business took him to Berekum where he became the first person to use a car at that place. He was nicknamed at Berekum as Berekum Broni meaning Berekum Whiteman. It was in Berekum that he married his first wife from the Berekum royal family that led to the birth of many children including my mother by name Afia Ansu. This my maternal grandmother had her residence near the Berekum chiefs palace where I used to stay as well until I left in 1981 to my fathers place at age 3 after the passing of my grandfather. Since Wamfie and Berekum shares borders and with popularity of my grandfather in Berekum, it made the people to believe false rumours after my grandfather became Wamfie chief that he was using his money to try and annex Berekum to Wamfie and make himself chief there too. The rumours started at a time he had conflict with his cross cousin the Dormaa-Gyaman King Osagyefo Nana Agyeman Badu II and was annexing nearby towns to form a paramount traditional state in order to secede from Dormaa-Gyaman Kingdom. The Wam region is part of a broader geographical area of upper Western Ghana known as Brong-Ahafo region sharing boundary with republic of Cote DIvoire. In the wake of conflicts that emerged within the Ashanti confederacy headed by the Ashanti King, my grandfather began initiating moves to lead the Brong-Ahafo area to secede from the confederacy. A move he later abandoned when Nkrumah came to the picture and he team up with the Ashanti King to defeat Nkrumah. In 1947, Ghana Founder J. B. Danquah employed Nkrumah as General Secretary of Ghanas first political party that he had formed. Nkrumah took advantage of this offer and began travelling sometimes trekking to the hinterlands of Ghana without the knowledge of J. B. Danquah and other executive members of UGCC to market himself and persuade rich traditional rulers notably my grandfather to support him with money to enable him help grant independence for Ghana with a promise of adopting the governance style of the British crown system after independence. With this Nkrumah pledged to return governmental power to traditional rulers as he will make them control the state whiles he leads the elected government in a bicephalous political governance system. But it was all deception. A trait later to be seen in all his followers and their regimes. After Nkrumah broke ranks with UGCC and formed his own party, the CPP in 1949, my grandfather who was very generous with his money (a trait I inherited), funded his new party and this helped Nkrumah to win his first ever election in 1951 as I have already made mention of. To reiterate, Nkrumahs electoral victory in 1951 made the colonial government to appoint him as Leader of Government Business, a post later to be changed to Prime Minister. By: Kennedy Osei-Tutu a.k.a Kofi Ken-Nedy Osei-Tutu(nickname: Kofi Rawlings) 29.04.2023 LISTEN Defense cooperation between India and Bangladesh has made significant progress in the last few years. It is depicted in the exchange of visits between the leaders of the two countries, as well as the conduct of training programs, joint exercises, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR). India has always cherished its close ties with Bangladesh and at the same time works to strengthen its ties while contributing to Bangladesh's development agenda. Bangladesh is an important partner under India's flagship 'Neighbourhood First' policy. Cooperation between the two countries is extensive in all areas including trade and commerce, power and energy, transport and connectivity, science and technology, defense and security, maritime affairs, climate change and sustainable development. Bangladesh is also showing interest in exporting military hardware from India. With India opening a $500 million credit line for defense procurement, Bangladesh aims to buy military equipment such as specialized vehicles, Tejas light combat aircraft and Dhruv light helicopters from Tata and Mahindra. Both countries are seeking India's assistance to Bangladesh in maintaining Russian-origin equipment such as Mi-17-IV helicopters, Antonov An-32 transport aircraft and MiG-29 fighter jets. While Bangladesh already buys protective gear like bulletproof jackets and helmets, both countries now aim to increase defense trade for big-ticket items. Bangladesh is India's closest neighbor and a strong component of the "Indian Neighborhood Policy". It is also a significant ally of India. In 2017, the Bangladesh government under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina signed two defense agreements. Military forces of both countries will undertake joint exercises and training. In addition, the Indian Armed Forces will provide specialist training and logistical support. Counter-terrorism is a common area for cooperation between the two. It is essential to suppress/contain the nexus of insurgents and drug lords in India's Northeast region. Close to the northeast and bordering Bangladesh. The Government of Bangladesh has pledged to ensure that "no neighboring country can use Bangladeshi soil for terrorist activities) Both countries maintain zero tolerance towards terrorism, extremism and organized crime. Bangladesh Army Chief General S.M. Shafiuddin Ahmed, who was recently on a three-day visit to India, met Army Chief General Manoj Pandey and discussed counter-terrorism cooperation and overall bilateral cooperation. Bangladesh Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed held a meeting with Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pandey in New Delhi on Thursday. A statement was released by the Ministry of Defense of India. According to the statement, the visiting Bangladesh army chief was given a guard of honor at the South Block lawn. Army Chief Shafiuddin Ahmed also met India's Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal AP Singh, Defense Secretary and Foreign Secretary. After the meeting in India, the Department of Defense Production (DDP) and the Army Design Bureau also briefed the Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh about the Indian domestic defense equipment production eco-system. An 'Implementation Arrangement' was also signed between the Center for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK), India and the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operations Training (BIPSOT) for cooperation in UN peacekeeping operations and training between the armies of the two countries during the visit of the Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed laid wreath at Indian Air Force War Memorial. Apart from this, more active participation of India and Bangladesh in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force was also discussed. General Shafiuddin Ahmed will meet the reviewing officer of the passing out parade at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai on Saturday. There, he will visit the Officers Training Academy Museum and interact with the cadets of the passing out course, the notification also said. It is to be noted that earlier on Thursday Bangladesh Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed went to India on a three-day visit. India and Bangladesh military relations are very strong. Besides, the two army chiefs also discussed various issues related to interoperability, training and enhancing and strengthening overall bilateral cooperation as part of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. During General Ahmed's visit, he also met senior military and civilian leadership of India where he discussed ways to enhance Indo-Bangladesh defense ties. After meeting General Manoj Pandey, General Ahmed later met General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defense Staff, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R. Hari Kumar met Air Marshal AP Singh, Air Chief, Defense Secretary and Foreign Secretary. The Ministry of Defense said that he was also briefed on the Indian indigenous defense equipment manufacturing eco-system by the Department of Defense Production (DDP) and the Army Design Bureau. India and Bangladesh share a historical legacy of cooperation and support during the 1971 Liberation War. Active participation on the defense side includes at the level of service chiefs. The Bangladesh army chief began his visit on Thursday by paying tribute to the fallen heroes of the Indian Armed Forces by laying wreaths at the National War Memorial. The visiting General was accorded a guard of honor at the South Block Lawn and later met Army Chief General Manoj Pandey. During the visit, he held meetings with senior Indian military and civilian leadership where both sides discussed ways to enhance India-Bangladesh defense ties. The army chief's visit, most importantly, comes at a time when the Bangladesh government has recently formally set out the 'Indo-Pacific Outlook' and Myanmar, Bangladesh are trying to resolve the Rohingya crisis with Chinese mediation. The visit is apparently part of the "outstanding" bilateral defense relationship between Bangladesh and India. The Chief of Army Staff's visit could strengthen relations between the two armies at the bilateral level and act as a catalyst for improved coordination and cooperation between the two countries on various strategic issues. India-Bangladesh relations will reach a new level. Bangladesh can gain confidence from the Indian government as India is an active member of the Indo-Pacific Alliance. Bangladesh, on the other hand, can counter China's predicament intelligently as it aims to engage structurally rather than militarily. Defense and security are important components of India-Bangladesh bilateral relations and the armed forces of the two countries cooperate and coordinate with each other at various levels. India can assist Bangladesh in achieving its visionary military plan, Forces Goal 2030. It can help strengthen bilateral relations and reflect improved bilateral understanding. This visit is very important for Bangladesh and India in the region. In terms of defence, relations between India and Bangladesh go back to 1971, when the Indian Army fought Bangladeshi freedom fighters in that year's liberation war. Over time, the defense ties were eroded. But since this government came to power, there has been significant progress in defense cooperation between India and Bangladesh in the last few years. The visit of the Bangladesh Army Chief could strengthen the relationship between the two armies at the bilateral level and act as a catalyst for improved coordination and cooperation between the two countries on various strategic issues. Bangladesh is an important ally of India in South Asia. The two countries work together on issues such as climate change, counter-terrorism and regional security. The visit could strengthen bilateral defense ties. Defense cooperation between countries can strengthen bilateral relations. Both India and Bangladesh are essential to the region. Despite some bilateral issues, both countries are eager to strengthen their bilateral relations, which can be evident through this visit. It can help strengthen bilateral relations and reflect better bilateral understanding. This visit is very important for Bangladesh and India in the region. Bangladesh and India must work together as reliable partners to resolve certain partnership issues. India and Bangladesh have strengthened their defense ties through this visit. Bangladesh Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed and India's new Army Chief General Manoj Pandey spoke via video chat early last year in a bid to improve bilateral defense cooperation. The two army commanders are also believed to have discussed how the geopolitical landscape is changing and how it will affect regional security. Defense and security relations between India and Bangladesh have improved in recent years. The 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's independence was in 2021. Both India and Bangladesh have highly trained, experienced militaries and work together to keep the eastern region peaceful. For a long time, Bangladesh was reluctant to address India's security concerns, primary among which was the presence of many insurgent groups in its northeastern region who enjoyed safe haven in Bangladesh and operated across the border. India also believed that militant outfits with roots in or links to Pakistan were using Bangladesh as a transit point. India has repeatedly urged Bangladesh to take action against such groups, only to deny their existence. When Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to power in 2009, she vowed to crack down on groups active in Bangladesh that were against India's interests. Bangladesh has taken steps to help arrest top rebel leaders, including Arvind Rajkhwa, chairman of the United Liberation Front of Assam, and Ranjan Daimari of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland. Such a move proved to be a turning point for bilateral relations. Currently, India and Bangladesh have a warm relationship and are cooperating in various economic, social, scientific and technological fields. In 2014, the two countries settled their maritime boundary dispute and the following year they settled their dispute over land. Defense ties have grown manifold since Bangladesh Army Chief General Moin Ahmed's visit to India in 2008. The heads of their armed forces now visit each other regularly; The presidents of both the countries, who are the commanders of their armed forces, also exchanged visits. Former President of India Pranab Mukherjee visited Bangladesh in March 2013 while his Bangladeshi counterpart Abdul Hamid visited India in December 2014. Ongoing discussions between the top leadership of the armed forces have helped to remove previous misconceptions on both sides and are contributing to mutual understanding by exchanging each other's views. The defense services of both countries are now also participating in joint exercises, medical assistance and training programmes. India must take advantage of its cultural ties with Bangladesh and work to invite more officers and personnel for training. Although currently, there are several travel exchanges among the staff, more steps can be taken to strengthen engagement, such as increasing the amount of stipend or providing special allowances to Bangladeshi officers attending courses in India to encourage their visits. Annual consultation should be done to promote the principles of Army, Navy and Air Force Chiefs. Finally, industry-to-industry discussions should be encouraged to facilitate trade relations in defence. Building trust between Bangladesh Army and Indian Army The views and perspectives of the defense forces in this context, the Bangladesh Army are considered a defining factor in Indo-Bangladesh relations. After all, Indian and Bangladeshi armies fought the liberation war jointly. For security analysts in Bangladesh, the increase in defense cooperation with India indicates the Bangladesh Army's interest in developing defense ties with India. A section of security analysts in Bangladesh observed that the importance of maintaining good relations with India is now widely understood. This is not to say that years of mistrust and apprehension can be completely banished, especially within the military. Although India was skeptical about signing an MoU instead of a treaty, analysts say a comprehensive defense agreement may not gain acceptance easily but the MoU will create an opportunity to expand defense cooperation in the future. Drivers of cooperation Since the MOUs are protected by confidentiality clauses, very little information is available in the public domain, making it difficult to conduct a highly detailed analysis for this brief. A number of MoUs have been signed between the two countries keeping in mind the past, present and future to the benefit of both. Moreover, the MoU on 'Future Cooperation Framework' implies that these discussions are being undertaken with a long-term perspective (Annex II contains a summary, based on open source information on future cooperation frameworks. ). India and Bangladesh share a border of more than 4000 km. They share history, culture and language, all of which add to the relationship. Both countries understand that events in one country have ramifications across borders. So, the solution lies in cooperation, not conflict. The issue of militancy is a phenomenon. Despite the punitive measures taken by the Bangladesh government, militancy has become an issue largely due to the cross-border networks of radical groups that threaten the security of both the country and the region as a whole. The need for increased security and defense cooperation is driven by this convergence of interests. Countering Terrorism Counter-terrorism cooperation is an important aspect of the defense relationship between India and Bangladesh, as both countries have been victims of terrorism and face increasing security threats. To effectively counter these threats, there is a need for greater coordination between the armed forces of the two countries, inter-agency coordination and cooperation, joint training and exercises, greater interaction and understanding. A peaceful Bay of Bengal Peace and tranquility in the Bay of Bengal is an important aspect of this cooperation and both countries have important roles to play. After demarcating maritime borders with India and Myanmar, Bangladesh acquires a large swath of land in the Gulf and has a major stake in maintaining law and order in the region. No major incidents of piracy have been recorded in the Gulf region (as in Somalia), except for a few cases of petty robbery. However, the region is vulnerable to organized crime such as human trafficking, and arms and drug smuggling. Cooperation and coordination between navies and coast guards in the region will help address such challenges. In this regard, the cooperation agreement between the coast guard forces of the two countries has taken a step forward. Another significant outcome of such cooperation would be the safety and security of maritime trade. The Gulf is a major trade route for coastal countries, especially for Bangladesh, as it provides exclusive access to the sea and most of its trade is through maritime routes. Search and rescue operations would also stand to benefit from such cooperation, since the Gulf is vulnerable to natural disasters: fishing boats often go missing on the high seas or drift away due to technical faults in their vessels. These MoUs will strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the field of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). Frequent cyclones in the Gulf are a constant challenge, demanding advanced HADR skills. Interaction between countries provides opportunities to learn from each other's experiences while ensuring smooth and effective coordination in times of need. Prosperity Both India and Bangladesh are working to ensure their growth and prosperity. They are one of the fastest growing economies in the world today. India ranks among the top 10 economies globally, while Bangladesh ranks in the league of emerging economies, after the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). Bangladesh has maintained a growth rate above six percent for more than a decade. Both countries strive to improve their economies, and peaceful and friendly relations with their neighbors are crucial to achieving this goal. Defense diplomacy and trade are a major aspect of this relationship. India's US$500-million credit for procurement of defense equipment, particularly communications and coast guard patrol boats, came into focus. While the strategic objectives are obvious, there are other considerations. Bangladeshi companies can tap into the supply chain network of major equipment manufacturers. Bangladesh can be a big market for India for its defense products. Due to the 'Make in India' initiative, many multinational companies are setting up their assembly and manufacturing units in India and can become a major supplier of arms. It would be convenient for Bangladesh to procure arms from its immediate neighbours. This puts the country in a good negotiating position, allowing it to negotiate on issues such as technology transfer. Ultimately, this could help Bangladesh evolve from a buyer to a producer of high-end technology products. The China Factor Any discussion of India-Bangladesh defense cooperation is incomplete without considering the Chinese factor. China is Bangladesh's strategic partner and its largest arms supplier. Indian security analysts, however, have been eyeing the relationship for a long time. Security observers in Bangladesh say the issue is more economic than strategic. The government has adopted an Armed Forces Vision 2030. Bangladesh is also buying large quantities of weapons. It is working to transform its navy into a three-dimensional force. Therefore, submarines are considered a necessity. Defense analysts, however, take a different view as they believe that Bangladesh faces little threat from other countries. Jubeda Chowdhury is a freelance columnist, researcher. 29.04.2023 LISTEN The originator of the political expression fear delegates, the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie aka Sir John has made airwaves after his Covid-related death on 01. July 2020. Following his death, it was revealed in his signed will that some parcel of land in the protected Achimota Forest should be appropriated to some of his relatives. As he was the CEO of the Forestry Commission, the late Sir John was supposed to ensure the protection and proper management of our natural resources in Protected Areas (PAs) including Forest Reserves as well as Ramsar Sites in the country. I was struggling to understand why a Forest Reserve with its huge ecological benefits should be subjected to such an unprecedented land-grabbing and given out for galamsey concessions. The BOMBSHELL GALAMSEY REPORT authored by Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng again mentioned the name of the late Sir John who was overly generous in dishing out Forest Reserves (47 of them) for galamsey prospecting and mining concessions. To my knowledge, this is the first of its kind to be reported and the indiscriminate destruction of many Forest Reserves in Ghana in search of gold with no regard to floral and faunal species, their natural habitats as well as provision of other ecosystem services. It is a double standard of the highest proportion! How can the Ghana government be promoting regreening of the country but deliberately devastating our natural vegetation with rich biodiversity via galamsey operations in the face of global climate change? Indeed, it will take several years to be able to restore our natural environment including water bodies. What has happened to our Forest Reserves can be best described as environmental terrorism. An independent bi-partisan Parliamentary Committee should urgently investigate those who are highly complicit in the BOMBSHELL GALAMSEY REPORT authored by the good old Prof. Frimpong-Boateng and leaked by Kevin Taylor. It is indeed unfortunate that the late Sir John is dead and gone but his name is still alive for the wrong reasons such as galamsey and land-grabbing issues in PAs. Views expressed by Dr. John-Baptist Naah. A concerned Citizen but not a Spectator. This week on The Sound Kitchen you'll hear the answer to the question about the alleged French bank dividend arbitrage trading scheme. There's the Listeners Corner with Michael Fitzpatrick and Music from Erwan with Erwan Rome. All that, and the new quiz question, too, so click on the Play button above and enjoy! Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll hear the winner's names announced and the week's quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you've grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, On This Day, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music so be sure and listen every week. Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your musical requests, so get them in! Send your musical requests to [email protected] Tell us why you like the piece of music, too it makes it more interesting for us all! Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts! In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts which will leave you hungry for more. There's Paris Perspective, Spotlight on France, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We have an award-winning bilingual series an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. And there is the excellent International Report, too. As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our staff of journalists. You never know what we'll surprise you with! To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you'll see Podcasts at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone. To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is Headline News) until you see Podcasts, and choose your show. Teachers, take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is [email protected] If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St Edward's University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that's how I worked on my French, reading books which were meant for young readers and I guarantee you, it's a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald's free books, click here. Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni ([email protected]) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me ([email protected]) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload! And don't forget, there is a Facebook page just for you, the independent RFI English Clubs. Only members of RFI English Clubs can belong to this group page, so when you apply to join, be sure you include the name of your RFI Club and your membership number. Everyone can look at it, but only members of the group can post on it. If you haven't yet asked to join the group, and you are a member of an independent, officially recognized RFI English club, go to the Facebook link above, and fill out the questionnaire !!!!! (if you do not answer the questions, I click decline). There's a Facebook page for members of the general RFI Listeners Club too. Just click on the link and fill out the questionnaire, and you can connect with your fellow Club members around the world. Be sure you include your RFI Listeners Club membership number (most of them begin with an A, followed by a number) in the questionnaire, or I will have to click Decline, which I don't like to do! This week's quiz: On 1 April, I asked you a question about our article Prosecutors raid French banks in multi-billion-euro tax fraud investigation. Earlier that week, five French banks were raided by investigators from the financial prosecution office, looking for evidence of an alleged dividend arbitrage trading scheme that allowed investors to avoid paying billions in taxes. The French banks are accused of facilitating the scheme and taking commissions on the illegal trades. Our beloved France is not the only European country to have allegedly participated in such a scheme you were to re-read our article and send in the answer to this question: how much has the dividend arbitrage trading scheme been estimated to have cost a dozen other European countries in taxes? The answer is, to quote our article: Similar investigations have been conducted in Germany and other European countries, with the fraud estimated to have cost a dozen countries 140 billion euros in lost tax revenue over 20 years. In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Kashif Khalil from Faisalabad, Pakistan: W hat is your dream job?" The winners are: Razia Khalid, who's a member of the RFI Seven Stars Radio Listeners Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan. Razia is also the winner of this week's bonus question: W hat is your dream job?" Congratulations Razia! The other winners this week are Rasheed Naz, the p resident of the Naz Radio France and Internet Fan Club in Faisal Abad, Pakistan, and Hasina Zaman Hasi, who's a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Rounding out the list are RFI Listeners Club member Tasneem Saleh from Nilphamari, Bangladesh, and RFI English listener Sima Paul from West Bengal, India. Congratulations winners! Here's the music you heard on this week's programme: Moonlight in Vermont by Karl Suessdorf and John Blackburn, performed by the Ahmad Jamal Trio; Sabre Dance from the Gayane Suite No. 3 by Aram Khachaturian, performed by the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Simon Rattle; The Flight of the Bumblebee by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; The Cakewalk from Children's Corner by Claude Debussy performed by the composer; When Irish Eyes are Smiling by Ernest Ball, Chauncey Olcott, and George Graff, Jr., sung by John McCormack, and Poinciana by Nat Simon and Buddy Bernier, arranged by Ahmed Jamal, and performed by Ahmad Jamal and his ensemble. Do you have a musical request? Send it to [email protected] This week's question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you've listened to the show, re-read our article Expansion of North Sea wind farms tops the agenda at Ostend energy summit to help you with the answer. You have until 5 June to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 10 June podcast. When you enter, be sure you send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number. Send your answers to: [email protected] or Susan Owensby RFI The Sound Kitchen 80, rue Camille Desmoulins 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux France or By text You can also send your quiz answers to The Sound Kitchen mobile phone. Dial your country's international access code, or + , then 33 6 31 12 96 82. Don't forget to include your mailing address in your text and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number. To find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize, click here. To find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club, click here. Heavy explosions and gunfire rocked Sudan's capital, Khartoum, and its twin city of Omdurman, residents said, despite the extension of a fragile truce between the county's two top generals whose power struggle has left hundreds dead. Sudanese medics say 74 were killed during two days of fighting in the West Darfur capital Al-Junaynah. After two weeks of skirmishes that have turned Khartoum into a war zone and thrown Sudan into turmoil, a group of international mediators, including African and Arab nations, the United Nations and the United States were intensifying their pressure on the rival generals to enter talks on resolving the crisis. So far, however, they have managed to achieve only a series of temporary cease-fires that have failed to stop clashes but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese to flee to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate thousands of their citizens by land, air and sea. In a sign of the persistent chaos, Turkey said one of its evacuation planes was hit by gunfire outside Khartoum on Friday hours after both sides accepted a 72-hour truce extension. There were no casualties. Fierce clashes with frequent explosions and gunfire continued Friday in Khartoum's upscale neighborhood of Kafouri, where the military's warplanes bombed its rivals, the Rapid Support Forces, residents said. Clashes were also reported around the military's headquarters, the Republican Palace and the area close to the Khartoum international airport. All these areas have been flashpoints since the war between the military and the RSF erupted on 15 April. Explosions also rang out across the river in Omdurman. Doctors in the Sudanese capital said the RSF has been abducting medical personnel to treat its wounded fighters a sign the paramilitary was struggling to get medical support. One doctor forwarded to The Associated Press a voice note shared on a chat group for Sudanese healthcare workers, warning them not to wear medical uniforms or hand over identification listing a profession if fighters stop them on the street. Nada Fadul, a Sudanese-American infectious disease physician at the University of Nebraska who is working with community health leaders in Sudan, said she knows of five doctors taken by the RSF from Khartoum streets since the start of the fighting. One abducted doctor said he was forcibly taken to an unknown location in Khartoum earlier this week. There, he saw dozens of wounded fighters, a stockpile of medical supplies and two other kidnapped doctors working. He spent three days treating fighters with gunshot wounds, burns and other injuries before he and the others were released on Wednesday night, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity for his safety. The Turkish Defence Ministry said light weapons were fired at a C-130 aircraft heading to Wadi Sayidna airbase on Khartoum's northern outskirts to evacuate Turkish civilians. The plane landed safely, the ministry said in a tweet, and no personnel were injured. The Sudanese military blamed the RSF, which denied firing on the plane. Over the past 14 days of pummeling each other, the military led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and the RSF led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have each failed to deal a decisive blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africa's third largest nation. Still, world powers have struggled to get them to silence the weapons even for nominal truces. A bloc of east African nations has put forward a initiative for the two sides to hold talks, and a gamut of mediators are promoting the plan, including the African Union, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the United Nations. Burhan on Friday ruled out negotiations with Dagalo, accusing him of orchestrating a rebellion against the state, a day after the military expressed openness to the talks under the initiative. "Dagalo wants to rule Sudan, seize its resources and magnify his wealth, Burhan said in an interview with US-funded Alhurra TV, denying that he wants power for himself. Both Burhan and Dagalo have been involved in crushing pro-democracy activists and together they pushed out civilians from an interim government in a coup in 2021. The former allies fell out in recent months in disputes over an internationally brokered deal meant to pave the way back to a civilian government, including over the issue of incorporating the RSF into the military. The rivals' battles in the streets with artillery barrages, airstrikes and gun fights have wreaked misery on millions of Sudanese caught between them. Many have left Khartoum to the northern borders with Egypt, or to the city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea. Around 40,000 South Sudanese, Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees who had been living in the capital have fled Khartoum since fighting erupted, the UN's refugee agency said Friday. Many are now sheltering in refugee camps in White Nile, al-Qadarif and Kassala provinces, said Fathi Kasina, a UNHCR spokesman. Sudan hosts more than 1.3 million refugees, including more than 800,000 from South Sudan, according to UN figures. Those who remain in Khartoum have been living in rapidly deteriorating conditions, mostly trapped inside their homes for days. Food, water and other services have become scarce, and electricity is cut off across much of Khartoum and other cities. Fighters roam the streets in the capital and other cities, looting and destroying homes, shops, businesses and open-air markets. At least 512 people, including civilians and combatants, have been killed since 15 April, with another 4,200 wounded, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry. The Doctors' Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties, has recorded at least 387 civilians killed and 1,928 wounded. The health care system is near collapse with dozens of hospitals out of service. Multiple aid agencies have had to suspend operations and evacuate employees. The French military evacuated dozens of employees with the UN and other international aid agencies on Thursday night from al-Fasher, a city in Sudan's western Darfur region, to Chad's capital, N'Djamena, according to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. The evacuation came a day after armed fighters rampaged through the city, battling each other, killing dozens and looting shops and homes. (Agencies) For the first time since 2018, China is increasing its Antarctic footprint. A Washington-based think tank says Beijing has resumed construction of its fifth station at the South Pole, worrying western governments. According to the report "Frozen Frontiers China's great power ambitions in the polar regions," published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) China has undertaken ambitious expeditions and developed world-class facilities that serve to advance China's broader strategic and military interests. China calls itself a near-Arctic state and wants to become a polar powerhouse by 2030. According to the CSIS report, climate change is opening up hitherto frozen waterways, which may serve the interests of Beijing's trillion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and thus expand Beijing's influence in the world at large. Officially China's presence at the north- and south poles is purely scientific. " China, like other countries, is studying the climate in particular and using the Arctic as a key area to understand climate better," Brian Hart, one of the co-authors of the CSIS report, told RFI. On top of that, he says, "Chinese strategists see a silver lining there: as the climate shifts, new pathways within the Arctic for commercial shipping can potentially be opened up," substantially reducing transportation costs for goods from China to Europe. White paper China's State Council issued a white paper on its Arctic Policy on 26 January 2018, which states as goals to understand, protect, develop and participate in the governance of the Arctic, so as to safeguard the common interests of all countries and the international community . China pledges commitment to the existing framework of international law including the UN Charter, UNCLOS, treaties on climate change and the environment. China has two observation stations in the Arctic, the Yellow River Station on Norway's Svalbard archipelago and the China-Iceland Joint Arctic Science Observatory (Ciao) located near the Islandic town of Akureyri. According to the CSIS report, a third facility planned for Sweden has been put on hold because of suspected ties with China's army. The Yellow River station, a two-storey building in Ny-Alesund, Spitsergen (Svalbard) opened in 2004, ostensibly to monitor the aurora borealis (northern lights) phenomenon. It was China's first arctic scientific research station. Spitsbergen, a Norwegian territory strategically located between Russia and the North Pole. Halldor Johannsson, vice-chair of the observatory, says that China basically paid for all of it. Johannsson rejects concerns about China using the facility for non-scientific purposes like monitoring Nato airspace. Construction of what has since become the Ciao station started in 2016 and followed an agreement between the Polar Re search Institute of China (Pric) and Iceland's Aurora Observatory, a non-profit foundation. Ciao formally opened 18 October 2018, its importance highlighted by a visit of the Chinese ambassador to Iceland in June 2022. Concerns over military intelligence gathering But the National Strategy for the Artic Region issued by the US White House in October 2022 warned that China seeks to increase its influence in the Arctic through an expanded slate of economic, diplomatic, scientific, and military activities, adding that Beijing used these scientific engagements to conduct dual-use research with intelligence or military applications in the Arctic. A report by the Rand Corporation (China's Strategy and Activities in the Arctic) found that Chinese investments and presence in the North American sections of the Arctic remain fairly limited, mainly because of US, Danish, and Canadian efforts to block or otherwise restrict Chinese investments in industries identified as being critical to national and Nato security interests. Cooperation with Sweden stopped when Stockholm put a halt to Chinese involvement in the Esrange Space Center, near Kiruna, over concerns about possible military intelligence gathering and surveillance. China had used the base for its first overseas satellite ground station in 2016. The CSIS report lists five instances of Arctic states blocking cooperation with China over safety concerns. As a result of this, says the CSIS report, China is increasing its investments in Russia as it looks to Moscow as its strategic partner in the Arctic, which fits in a general Beijing inclination to link up with Russia, more dependent on China since it was hit by western sanctions after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Antarctic action In the South Pole region too, CSIS notices increased Chinese activity. Currently, a handful of countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Argentina, Chile, the UK and France claim slices of the Antarctic region. In 1983, China signed the 1961 Antarctic Treaty. which allows Beijing to conduct "substantial research activity there." Currently, 44 countries have acceded the treaty. In recent years, China has become increasingly interested in the potential resources Antarctica may hold, including minerals and oil, establishing four research stations, while a fifth is about to be finalised. Hart, the CSIS researcher, points out that " there was a bit of a delay and a pause in construction of China's fifth Antarctic station. But we were able to show with satellite imagery that the construction on that has picked back up. "A lot of the assets that will be at this new station and that already exist at China's other stations can be leveraged for military purposes." In 2021, France, which claims a slice of the Antarctic pizza, issued its official report on polar strategy Balancing the extremes warning that t he claims (in Antarctica) made by China presenting itself as a near- Arctic nation and linking up with Russia, could also call into question the uniqueness of the Antarctic Treaty. Reason to worry? "T he key there is that other countries that have questions need to make sure that we keep our eyes on China and push for maximum transparency," says Hart. Even if the ice disappears from the poles, and the Antarctic becomes habitable, the Antarctic Treaty System is "specifically designed to make Antarctica a space that is void of geopolitical competition and disputes over territory," says Hart, while it "explicitly outlaws military activity. "The goal there is to make Antarctica a place that is broadly neutral territory ... and I hope that's the way that it remains indefinitely." The Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has inspected the progress of work on the construction of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Junior High School (JHS) in Kumasi. The project which is currently ongoing at the Asem Junior High School is the first model STEM JHS being funded by the Arab Development Bank. The Government in collaboration with its development partners is building similar schools which will be equipped with physics, biology and chemistry laboratories at Bantama, Juaben, Onwe and Ejisu, all in the Ashanti Region. The expectation is that the model STEM JHS concept would transform basic education by equipping pupils with 21st century skills required for the manpower needs of the of the country. The Minister who was on a four-day working visit to the Ashanti Region, expressed satisfaction about the progress of work and charged the contractors to deliver within scheduled time. He said it was important to complete the project on time because it would be opened for admission during the next academic year. The Presidents vision to accelerate development through education is being driven by STEM and Technical and Vocational Education, which is being vigorously pursued by the government, he indicated. Prior to the inspection of the project site, the Minister paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II after which he visited some selected schools in the Metropolis. Among the schools visited were Wesley College of Education, Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School, Kumasi Girls Senior High School, and Kumasi High School. GNA Mr Liam Byrne, the Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Inclusive Growth, has congratulated Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin for his lead role in setting up the Parliamentary Network on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Africa. I am proud of your role in the current difficult situation of a hung Parliament in Ghana, and your efforts at maximizing the power and authority of parliament, he said. Mr Byrne, a member of the British Parliament and member of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was impressed with the patronage and interest in the network that Mr Bagbin had been able to generate among MPs on the continent and the strides that the network had made so far in countries where they had been set up. He was speaking at a meeting with Ghanas Parliamentary Delegation to Westminster in London led by Mr Bagbin, a statement issued by the Public Affairs Directorate of Parliament said on Saturday. Mr Byrne was at the meeting with Dame Caroline Dinenage (DBE MP), former Minister of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The meeting focused on ministerial obligations and parliamentary scrutiny. He commended Mr Bagbin for being able to manage the conflicts in the legislature as well as his endeavours at promoting collaboration and consensus building. One of the best ways for Parliament to hold ministers accountable was through the Ministers' Question Time on the floor of the House, he noted. Mr Bryan, therefore, described the concept of Urgent Questions as one of the most innovative interventions in Parliamentary democracy in the last decade. The British MP advised ministers of state, who inevitably would have to respond to questions from Members of Parliament, to develop the capacity to anticipate when they could be invited to the House to respond to questions from MPs and pre-empt those with statements on the vexed issues, which provided some steer on how they were being managed. Dame Caroline Dinenage, former Minister of State at the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said the conundrum of MPs juggling two roles (that is the addition of ministerial appointment to the job of the MP) was real. Success, in this case, depends largely on one's ability to assemble a strong team for the constituency work and an equally strong team for the ministerial job, she said. Mr Bagbin, on his part, said the dual role of MPs who were also ministers, was a challenging one. Developing policies and other instruments for parliament to approve and then sitting in as an MP to scrutinise to approve it, and then exercise oversight responsibility for how it is implemented could be puzzling, he said. However, the role of MPs as leaders was also to provide hope and optimism for the majority of the population, Speaker Bagbin said. "Consequently, MPS must not be seen complaining about situations in which they find themselves, or else it will generate despondency among the populace, even though current uncertainties within the political domain have had adverse effects on the work of the MP. Mr Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah, the Clerk to Parliament; Mr Ebenezer Djietror, the Assistant Clerk; Mr Magnus Kofi Amoatey, Legal Counsel to the Speaker; Mr Gayheart Mensah, the Director of the Speaker's Communication Team, and Mr Charles Dery Tenzagh, the Deputy Director of Parliamentary Relations were members of Speaker Bagbin's team to the Westminster meeting. GNA National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (L) receives Yamadu Ramon Antonio Orsi Martinez, Governor of Uruguays Canelones province. (Photo: VNA) The governor briefed the NA leader on the provinces international cooperation potential and expressed his wish to further strengthen cooperation with Vietnams localities and the country as a whole. Hue stressed that beside the bilateral relations in various fields, the ties between the two countries localities form one of the factors to further deepen the cooperation between the two countries, affirming that Vietnam is ready to open its door to welcome Uruguays localities, including Canelones. He asked the governor to create favourable conditions for businesses of the two sides to exchange information and strengthen mutual understanding, and expressed his hope that the province and its businesses will help accelerate the negotiations and signing of a free trade agreement between Vietnam and MERCOSUR. The governor said his province advocates to broaden international cooperation to attract foreign investment and hopes Vietnamese firms to invest in the locality, and affirmed to create every favourable conditions for them. At the reception, he handed to Hue the letter of intent on cooperation between his province and Vietnam. Hue invited the governor to visit Vietnam. On the occasion, Hue toured a number of production establishments and industrial zones in the province. This is the last activity in the official visit to Uruguay by NA Chairman Hue./. As a supposedly, and teased, arm-chair journalist, residing in the United Kingdom but abreast with the socio-politico-economic developments in Ghana, I have this sad news to break to you. It is neither about the death of anyone, nor any major national catastrophe calling for wailing and gnashing of teeth, but about how resolutely determined the NDC delegates have decided to go to their NDC primaries polls on 13 May 2023, to elect the classical sufferer of the dead goat syndrome, former President John Dramani Mahama, as their flag bearer-cum-presidential-candidate for election 2024. How selfish, naive and short-sighted could they be? Are they not the type of Ghanaians exhibiting that character for which former President John Dramani Mahama mocks all Ghanaians for having a short memory? How soon have they forgotten all the hardships he put us through when he was the number one elected official in Ghana, if I should borrow the words of the investigating judge into the Airbus scandal? Why did he publicly assert to suffer from the dead goat syndrome hence did not care a hoot about the cries of Ghanaians and their pleas to him to do something to alleviate the economic hardships they were going through in the clear absence of any worldwide economic crisis or pandemic? He went further to slap Ghanaians across the face by relishing dancing to the lyrics of Daddy Lumbas Yen ntie Obiaa. He used to enjoy this song with his buddy, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the proverbial birds of the same feathers flocking together. Former President John Dramani Mahama has not been saying anything tangible about what he will do for Ghana to better the living conditions of Ghanaians as a policy and or, programme, if he were elected president at election 2024. All that one hears from him is his destructive criticisms of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his NPP government, blaming them for all the obvious economic hardships Ghana is sailing through, pinning them on their head for their alleged mismanagement of the economy and the nation. This is complete balderdash, for it is immensely a worldwide phenomenon, a culmination of the deadly coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and the ravaging Russia-Ukraine war. NDC flag bearer candidate John Dramani Mahama keeps joking when he mounts campaign platforms. He promises little money to many Ghanaians to set up little chicken coops, buy a few chicken layers, rear them for the production of eggs for sale to raise little income for themselves, sell them for additional money when they outlive their egg-laying life. Look at the policy or programme he intends implementing, although the issue with his guinea fowls flying into Burkina Faso to return to Ghana no more is too fresh in the minds of all discerning Ghanaians. This man who has claimed on a public platform to personally enjoy telling a bit of truth and many lies here and there as long as they will turn the hearts of Ghanaians towards him to vote for him, why should the delegates prefer him to a much wiser, honest, dynamic and dedicated candidate in the person of Dr Kwabena Duffour? Anyway, we shall strategize to quench the evil taste of the NDC delegates come the general elections of 2024 in which case, team Kennedy Agyapong (Hon)/Dr Alhaji Mahammudu Bawumia on the NPP ticket will give Mahama the never-forgetting shock of his life. Ghana is not ready for the revisitation of dumsor, presidential-callousness, bloating of cost of government contracts, empowerment of criminals and you just name it, they will be the order of the day under John Dramani Mahamas presidency. The NDC delegates are strongly advised to go to polls with their heads but not their hearts or legs. Once bitten, twice shy, a firm message to the NDC delegates. Dr Kwabena Duffour must be guided by sensibility and the adages, When the going gets tough, the tough get going and Its not over, until its over Rockson Adofo Saturday, 29 April 2023 29.04.2023 LISTEN Fellow Citizen, the documenting of national issues and educating the public on authentic facts on national issues for national development as the fixing the Ghana Agenda continued unabated since these facts beside for the ongoing national development will also be very beneficial to future generations for them to appreciate what happened/relevant issues in the political (governmental) life of the Country in the past. So as a seasoned senior citizen, I deemed it as a national and godly duty to bring to the appreciation of the citizenry of Ghana on some of the constitutional intentions of some Constitutional issues on the front burner which are among other public concerns may call for the amendments of the 1992 Constitution and for that reason the citizenry will be called upon to exercise their franchise in referenda to amend entrenched clauses as catalogued at Article 290 of the 1992 Constitution. Folks, It must be noted that entrenchment guarantees constitutionalism, since an entrenched clause is politically difficult to amend, consequently, a binding effect on future incarnation (generations).This is necessary based on both the history of the Country and the rich experiences of the framers of the Constitution. Hence, the amendment of the entrenched clause was made to demand or to ensure critical thinking on constitutional issues. Unfortunately, the debates on the national/Constitutional issues are based on mainly flimsy emotions of the populace thus lacked substance or not very fruitful may be due to lack of proper research for the constitutional intentions and or not much related to the history of the Country. Hence, this submission is an attempt to help fill the gap. Fellow Citizen, some persons have been saying that due to the allegation by some persons with legal mind that most of the framers of the 1992 Constitution in 1992 were veranda boys and girls or Middle School Leavers and it was made to satisfy the then Chairman of the PNDC (Flt Lt JJ Rawlings) the debates on Constitutional issues should be left to people with legal mind and astute academicians in political science, economy and related subjects to lead in the debate and come out with the best option. The assertion that some of the framers of the Constitution were mostly middle school leavers demo that despite the affected person present day paper qualifications, they lacked the understanding that a Constitution is just a document with the supreme laws of the Nation that tells how a government is structured, that is with rules that determine the powers and duties of the three arms of Government namely the Judiciary, the Executive and Parliament, the terms of representation and guarantees certain rights. These are documented in higher laws, which are harder to change that is they cannot be unilaterally changed by ordinary Act of Parliament but give room for the amendment of the Constitution when necessary. The 1992 Constitution like any other constitution globally is exactly that. So, the woefully failed to understand that the 1992 Constitution is actually based on our past history hence was based on the democratic principles set up by the previous Constitution of 1957, 1969 and 1979 and some issues in the era of PNDC like Decentralization and Local Government. A check of the 1979 Constitution by them will have silenced them because it will have revealed that the 1992 Constitution differs slightly from the 1979 Constitution by the Ombudsman which metamorphosed into CHRAJ, Local Government and Administration changed to Decentralization and Local Government(District or Local Councils or Local Authority became District Assemblies) . Also in the 1992 Constitution, it is permissible for the President to nominate members of Parliament as Ministers. , Lastly, the exclusion of the Vice President from the membership of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and the deletion of National Service in the 1992 Constitution otherwise both have the same provisions including the indemnity clause to protect members of previous military regimes of NLC, NRC, SMC and AFRC. The only aspect that was done by Parliament in 1996 and not the framers to please the then President Rawlings was the amendment of some provisions of the Constitution (Amendment) Act 1996 (Act 257) on the Police Council (Article 201), Armed Forces Council (Article 211) and Prison Service (Article 206) in 1996 to strip off the Vice President as the Chairman of these Governing Councils granted by the framers of the Constitution to the Vice President. This was done by a seemingly one party rule in 1996, one party rule because of no opposition party in Parliament because the NPP boycotted the 1992 election, so no Minority Party in Parliament. Persons with the mindset that the 1992 Constitution was framed by veranda boys and girls or persons with no University degree in law failed to understand that the persons with Middle School Leaving Certificates/O and A levels or below University Degree Holders were better managers of the nation. Example, the late General Acheampong did a better job than the Dr Busia Regime and all the Regimes in the Fourth Republic though with a Certificate in Commerce background he understood the importance of production in the economy of a Country especially the importance of the Agric Sector as engine for economy growth, for food security, as import substitution measure and the catalyst for both the industrial and service sectors in a developing economy. Consequently, the late General Acheampong transformed and modernized the Agric Sector by among others, with the establishment of a lot of irrigation infrastructures almost nationwide, road infrastructure (including feeder roads), mechanization of farming hence he established Farmers Service Company with tractors, power tillers, Combined Harvesters for hiring to farmers etc to support the Operation Feed Yourself, and to ensure huge production of raw material for Operations Feed Your Industries. In his policy of gaining the Commanding Heights of the economy by Ghanaians (local content or participation in the high level economy activities) the late General Acheampong nationalized the Mining Sector and Ghana Italian Petroleum Company as GHAIP (now TOR) which was 100% owned by ENI was nationalized with 100% ownership by the State by the late General Acheampong in 1977. The economy was managed without the General borrowing even a dollar but he was able to put up a lot of infrastructures including the SSNIT Flats nationwide, other Estate houses (low cost houses) a lot of Irrigation systems. So the Middle School, O and A level , Post Sec and Training College leavers who took part in the making of the Constitution of the nation were not very much corrupt and could be said to be more knowledgeable or with better common sense than the later generations ,who are nation looters by using the pen to steal . Unfortunately, some of the latter day Constitutional experts either tainted with party politics colors or incompetent, hence they have been polluting the minds of the general public, hence the electorate who would one day be called upon to vote for or against the amendment of entrenched constitutional provisions as catalogued at Article 290 of the 1992 Constitution. Hence, as a Student of political science/Government as well as a champion of the 1992 Constitution, I deemed it very important to support you and the future generations with some of the facts especially the Constitutional intentions of the framers of the 1992 Constitution and some lessons or inspirations from the framers of the Constitution of USA and past Presidents of USA. This task is going to be done in series depending on the contentious matter of public interest/in the public domain. Hence, I will start in this submission with the Office of the Vice President. The Office of the Vice President is a provided at section (1) of Article 60 of the 1992 Constitution with two set of functions. Namely Functions to be assigned him by the President and secondly Functions assigned him under the Constitution as the Chairman of the governing Council of the Ghana Police, the Prison Service, and the Armed Forces but these positions were stripped off in the amendment of the Constitution in 1996, as a result of misunderstanding between the President and the VP in 1996. Fortunately, subsequent VPs were assigned as the Chairman for these three Councils. section (2) of Article 60 of the 1992 Constitution says a candidate for the office of the Vice President shall be designated by the candidate for the Office of the President before the election, hence the Constitutional intention is that the VP to be also duly elected with the President as at Section 4 of Article 60 of the 1992 Constitution and Article 62 of the 1992 Constitution spells out the qualification of the VP and section( 8) of Article 60 also required the VP to act anytime the President unable to perform his function for the President travels out of Ghana until he can perform or return to post Section (7) of Article 60 of the 1992 Constitution powers the VP to assume as President. The VP becomes the President with Executive power to be conferred on him when the President resigns, dies, or is removed from office at section 8 of Article 60 of the 1992 Constitution to perform as President for the unexpired term of the Office of the President. Some local Constitutional experts who are either tainted with political colors or incompetent otherwise confuse think that the Vice President also shares executive power with the President or the Vice President is granted delegated executive powers like Ministers and DCEs by the Constitution. It must be emphasized and emphases is hereby made that unlike Subordinate Officers to the President like the Minister of States and DCEs who are wielded with delegated executive powers conferred on them at Section (3) of Article 58 of the 1992 Constitution, the Vice President who is also as a Subordinate Officer to the President, has zero executive powers. Hence the Constitutional intention is to make the VP of Ghana and in Some Countries including the USA as spare tires in the vehicle of Office of Government Machinery. So those Constitutional experts or the novices insulting Dr Bawumia and demanding that he should resign with the President for alleged mismanagement by President Nana Addo for the Speaker to act as President as dictated by the Constitution or VP Dr Bawumia should resign for the bad state of the economy or for not employing his economy competency in the Administration of President Nana Addo need to revise their notes on Political Science/Constitution and they will be informed he cannot make the Finance Minister who actually is a budget or borrow and spend or allocate Minister per the Constitutional intention for the establishment of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) at Article 86 and 87 of the 1992 Constitution , you may call it the Economy Management Team or Economy Planning Ministry in disguise for coming out with economy production plans among others .So the Economy wing of the hitherto Ministry Finance and Economy Planning was ceded to the NDPC The Constitutional intention for the Office of the VP is to make the Vice President as the alter ego of the President (like a shadow President with no executive powers). Unfortunately, the political history of the Fourth Republic tells of the sidelining of the VPs. The sidelining of the VP is not and can never be a constitutional infraction. But Records will tell that one VP was beaten by a President at a meeting and the Constitution was amended in 1996 and stripped off his Constitutional function. Also one VP attempted to resign, furthermore views of VPs on the economy were/are not taken, one VP was ordered to return Accra with the Presidential jet (plane) and one VP was rushed in an early stage of a regime to UK by the Chief of Staff for medical treatment. It may be deduced that one VP was sidelined with the appointment of a Minister for Planning at the Office of the President one VP was sidelined with the appointment of a Principal Economy Adviser to the President and lastly one VP was sidelined with the appointment of a Senior Minister tantamount to a Prime Minister. So, His Excellency VP Dr Bawumia like any cabinet Minister can only make his view at the sitting of the Cabinet. So, His Excellency VP Dr Bawumia and his unconstitutional or conventional Economy Management Team are just a Tea party. Thus, VP Dr Bawumia has no teeth to bite against any Minister of State or even a DCE. The Minister of Finances direct line Manager or reporting Line is direct to the President or the Senior Minister if appointed. In Ghana most Ministers especially Minister of Finance (Budget Minister) operate according to their whims and caprices. , His Excellency VP Dr Bawumia points on the Economy is not binding on the Finance Minister. The position of the VP, has even been made very serious since no paper qualification as one of the requirements to be VP even for the President, hence Madam Akua Donkor can be the President or VP of Ghana. This is not so in the 1979 Constitution of Ghana by the Mensah Commission, which made the VP as the Chairman of NDPC, see this at Article 73 of the 1979 Constitution. Because of this situation, of no paper qualification also as requirement for post of the VP, it right to say that the Constitutional intention by the framers of the 1992 Constitution when the excluded or removed the Vice President as the a Chairman of the NDPC (Economy Planning Wing) is to allow any Citizen of Ghana by birth, not below 40 years, qualified to be Member of Parliament can be President or MP So any Ghanaian including any Ghanaian fool by the constitutional requirements can be a President but a Ghanaian without the necessary paper qualification cannot be a Teacher. so the insult against the sitting VP against his economy competency must be stopped. This should be so when we are clear in our mind that the Minister for Finance by the allegation by the Minority Party was driven by greed for commissions on loans etc procured for the Country. A critical study of the matter may reveal that our Political Leaders both past and present or the Citizens share the blame with the Budget Minister or revenue generation including Borrowing and allocate Minister (Minister of Finance) that is the real Constitutional intention when the Ministry of Economy was ceded to the NDPC and which due to our gross negligence (buffoonery) especially NDC1 and the subsequent regimes we failed r refused to make the NDPC effective Economy planning unit or viable unit otherwise by a Referendum amend it and coupled it with the Ministry of Finance to make both as Ministry of Finance and Economy Planning. So, for the failure to make Economy Planning to ensure effective production to ensure the Agric Sector which lacked behind the Service Sector and Industrial Sector since 1993, takes its lead as the engine for economy growth. Hence the competency of His Excellency President Nana Addo is questionable because the Buck Stop at the President. VP Dr Bawumia and other members of the Cabinet or the NPP Party in general, they only share any mess in the current Administration and though this could make the NDC or any potential Political Party as a better Alternative if well organized to win the 2024 Election but this does not rule out a competent candidate emerging out from the NPP to win the election, so 2024 election is going to be full of actions. 29.04.2023 LISTEN Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpe, the incumbent Member of Parliament for Keta Constituency and a candidate for the upcoming Parliamentary primaries has said a victory for him would bring continuity of development and progress to the area. Mr Gakpe stated that his proven development records in the areas of education, job creation, infrastructural development, health and others would be an attestation for the delegates to offer him another four-year term. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency on his developmental achievements during his first term, he outlined several projects and programmes such as the construction of a four-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities at Anlo Afiadenyigba E.P Basic school, renovation of a six-unit classroom block at Anyako. As part of my effort to improve quality education in my constituency, l donated tables and chairs to schools to help speed up teaching and learning, he added. On Health, Mr Gakpe stated that he had initiated free eye screening for over 5,000 residents in his constituency, where over 1,000 beneficiaries with mild blindness benefited from free eye surgery to regain their sight. Health is one of my priorities, I supported my people to go through numerous tests for diabetes, hypertension, malaria, and others with 40 children going through medical surgeries of hernia and others. Mr Gakpe also disclosed to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that he enrolled over 1,000 youth in various apprenticeship fields, such as tailoring, hairdressing, carpentry, and others aimed at mitigating youth unemployment in the area. On Security, Mr Gakpe said a total of 800 LED street lights were also donated to communities within the constituency with the hope of extending electricity to areas which were yet to benefit from the rural electrification projects. Touching on Agriculture, he said a tractor was ploughng farmlands for free for farmers around Lawoshime, Wenyagor, Hatorgodo, and the surrounding communities. He appealed to the delegates to vote massively for number one on the ballot paper during the parliamentary primaries for him to retain his seat in Parliament for more development. Mr Gakpe is in the race with Dr Emmanuel Kojo Jones-Mensa, Madam Enyonam Apetorgbor,Dr Senanu Kwasi Djokoto and Mr Paul Mensah Voegborlo. The NDC has set Saturday May 13 for its nationwide Parliamentary and Presidential primaries. GNA 29.04.2023 LISTEN The Rt Rev Emmanuel Kwesi Ansah, a Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, has encouraged societies under the diocese to put in place pragmatic social intervention initiatives for positive impact on the vulnerable in the church. He said, the welfare and financial well-being of members in these perilous times must be tackled holistically to give Christ-like hope to the believer and the new convert. This would be against the creeping, 'No contribution no chop welfare systems' gradually gaining roots in the body of Christ, the cleric said. Bishop Ansah, who oversees the Sekondi Diocese said: We need to support our members particularly the poor. I wonder why we should spend over GHC10, 000 on a funeral of a member who may only need a few cedis to turn things around. Our current welfare schemes must be revisited and paupers and those requiring help properly counselled and supported in line with the mandate to do good to the brethren in the household of faith. The Bishop made the call at the 62nd Annual Synod of the Sekondi Diocese on the theme: Discipleship: Living a Transformed Life in Jesus. He said: When a poor person dies of hunger, it has happened because God did not take care of him or her, because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she neededand that is why we need to do away with the 'no contribution no chop' syndrome in the church. He said Christians also needed to move from sentimental Sunday worship to living the true Christian lives to ensure that the church did not lose touch with the generality of people in years to come. We are reminded of our roles as salt in societywe should not make our religion a sentimental Sunday affair or else we will have our churches empty, the bishop said The bishop said the lukewarm and ineffective attitude must thus be removed from the mist of Christians through repentance and self-examination. The bishop, reported of Comprehensive Leadership Training for schools to develop all round personnel who would contribute positively to the development of Society. He said the church would continue to support schools with intentional chaplaincy services to shape the moral lives of the Ghanaian child. The bishop thus called on all societies to support education delivery as well as the Methodist Education Week celebration aimed at enhancing the image of Methodist schools. The diocese, though it had fair share of the economic crunch in 2022, managed to stock its William De-Graft Retreat Centre with 250 chairs, tables, fridges, television to make waiting on the Lord a great moment of spiritual revival and renewal. The registration of the Centre was also on course, he added. He reported that the Methodist Development Fund was also doing well with no circuit owing while a Wesleyan Cooperative Union to help create financial empowerment among members had been instituted. The bishop added that the Methodist Club 120 had been revived under the tagline, The Methodist Macedonia Mission Club to raise resources for special projects in the church. The diocese, he said, would embark on outreaches, crusades and revivals in line with the vision of revival, transformation and church growth. Bishop Ansah encouraged the church to prioritize true worship, service to God and Humanity we should aim at positively changing our attitude to bring about transformation wherever we find ourselves. Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the Western Regional Minister urged Christians to be true ambassadors in changing the current falling standards in values, morality and ethics in society. The Regional Minister said some people had begun questioning the basis of Christianity, which must be a matter of great concern to the body of Christ to begin to live the transformed life as real testimony. He prayed that the providence of God Almighty would sustain the church in the years ahead. GNA The Governing Council of the Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU) has appointed Professor Kwaku Adutwum Ayim Boakye as the new Vice Chancellor of the University, effective Tuesday, May 16, 2023. The appointment was announced at the Council's meeting held on Friday, April 28. He takes over from Prof Johnson Danso Owusu-Sekyere, whose term of office ends on Monday, May 15. Prof Boakye is a Professor of Tourism and Hospitality Management at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), where he currently serves as the Dean for International Relations. He holds a PhD (2008) in Tourism from the University of Cape Coast and a Postgraduate Diploma in Hospitality Operations (2004) from the Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA. Previously, he had served as the Head, Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, and Vice Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, both in the UCC. He brings to the position more than 20 years of experience as a lecturer, scholar, administrator and entrepreneur. Prof Boakye has played key roles on a number of projects/committees for the Government and other international organisations on tourism and hospitality development. He has also worked internationally, including being a visiting Senior Fulbright Research Scholar in the United States of America. He has undertaken several working visits to universities in United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Botswana and Nigeria as a visiting professor, conference speaker or trainer. Prof Boakye has been an external examiner for numerous universities in Ghana, Africa and Europe and is a reviewer for various Scopus-indexed academic journals in tourism. He has, so far, supervised more than 35 postgraduate students (PhD and M.Phil) successfully. He is a Christian and married with two children. GNA American Tower (NYSE:AMT Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $9.53-9.76 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $9.87. The company issued revenue guidance of $10.67-10.85 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $11.06 billion. American Tower Trading Down 0.6 % NYSE:AMT traded down $1.25 on Friday, reaching $204.39. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,075,032 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,018,090. American Tower has a 1-year low of $178.17 and a 1-year high of $282.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.83, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market cap of $95.17 billion, a PE ratio of 53.55, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.57. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $201.49 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $208.85. Get American Tower alerts: American Tower (NYSE:AMT Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.28 by ($1.56). American Tower had a net margin of 12.85% and a return on equity of 11.65%. The business had revenue of $2.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.74 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.55 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that American Tower will post 9.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. American Tower Dividend Announcement Analysts Set New Price Targets The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 14th will be paid a $1.56 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 13th. This represents a $6.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.05%. American Towers payout ratio is 162.50%. Several research analysts have recently weighed in on AMT shares. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on American Tower from $224.00 to $215.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on American Tower from $254.00 to $245.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. Credit Suisse Group reduced their price objective on American Tower from $251.00 to $244.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 24th. Moffett Nathanson raised American Tower from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $244.00 to $234.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 30th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on American Tower from $240.00 to $230.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, American Tower currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $257.88. Insider Buying and Selling at American Tower In other news, Director Samme L. Thompson sold 1,739 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $218.59, for a total transaction of $380,128.01. Following the transaction, the director now owns 22,099 shares in the company, valued at $4,830,620.41. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.24% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Tower A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AMT. BCK Partners Inc. bought a new position in shares of American Tower during the first quarter worth approximately $2,892,000. Fairfield Bush & CO. raised its holdings in American Tower by 138.9% in the 1st quarter. Fairfield Bush & CO. now owns 2,829 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $711,000 after acquiring an additional 1,645 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its holdings in American Tower by 5.7% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 14,413 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $3,621,000 after acquiring an additional 771 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in American Tower by 33.5% in the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,015 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $757,000 after acquiring an additional 756 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P raised its holdings in American Tower by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 152,723 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $38,367,000 after acquiring an additional 2,071 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.65% of the companys stock. About American Tower (Get Rating) American Tower Corp. provides real estate investment services, and owns, operates, and develops multi-tenant real estate properties. It offers leasing of space on communications sites to wireless service providers, radio and television broadcast companies. It operates through the following segments: U.S. See Also Receive News & Ratings for American Tower Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Tower and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Heritage Wealth Advisors cut its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Get Rating) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 774,387 shares of the companys stock after selling 8,660 shares during the period. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF comprises about 17.2% of Heritage Wealth Advisors portfolio, making the stock its largest position. Heritage Wealth Advisors owned approximately 0.10% of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF worth $297,527,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 16.3% during the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 33,947,472 shares of the companys stock worth $12,175,261,000 after acquiring an additional 4,746,312 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 16.2% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 8,832,996 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,167,954,000 after acquiring an additional 1,229,595 shares during the period. First Command Advisory Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 49.0% during the 4th quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 7,813,912 shares of the companys stock worth $3,004,012,000 after buying an additional 2,568,971 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 5,339,573 shares of the companys stock worth $1,915,075,000 after buying an additional 142,535 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 10.9% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,435,129 shares of the companys stock worth $1,382,536,000 after buying an additional 338,628 shares during the period. Get iShares Core S&P 500 ETF alerts: iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Price Performance iShares Core S&P 500 ETF stock traded up $2.22 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $416.45. The companys stock had a trading volume of 641,983 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,204,396. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has a 1-year low of $349.53 and a 1-year high of $434.03. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $404.17 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $396.68. The company has a market cap of $313.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.43 and a beta of 1.00. About iShares Core S&P 500 ETF iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IVV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AEON Financial Service Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:AEOJF Get Rating) saw a large decrease in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 517,700 shares, a decrease of 48.5% from the March 31st total of 1,004,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently days. AEON Financial Service Stock Performance Shares of AEOJF stock opened at $9.58 on Friday. AEON Financial Service has a 52-week low of $9.29 and a 52-week high of $9.58. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $9.58 and a 200-day moving average of $9.58. Get AEON Financial Service alerts: About AEON Financial Service (Get Rating) Further Reading AEON Financial Service Co, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides various financial services in Japan. The company operates through five segments: Retail, Solutions, China Area, Mekong Area, and Malay Area. It engages in processing, banking, short-term insurance, bank agency, ATM, credit guarantee, acquiring, Internet, housing and other loans, property leases, installment sales, life and non-life insurance agency, life insurance sales, loan purchases, credit card purchase contracts, collection and payment agency, guarantee, credit card, and electronic money businesses, as well as bank and business management activities. Receive News & Ratings for AEON Financial Service Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AEON Financial Service and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AGF Management Limited (OTCMKTS:AGFMF Get Rating) saw a significant decline in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 261,000 shares, a decline of 22.3% from the March 31st total of 335,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 870.0 days. AGF Management Stock Performance AGFMF opened at $5.61 on Friday. AGF Management has a 1-year low of $4.23 and a 1-year high of $6.97. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $6.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $5.57. Get AGF Management alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on AGF Management from C$9.50 to C$8.50 in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on AGF Management from C$9.50 to C$9.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 23rd. Desjardins boosted their price objective on AGF Management from C$10.00 to C$10.50 in a research report on Friday, March 17th. Scotiabank reduced their price objective on AGF Management from C$9.50 to C$9.25 in a research report on Thursday, March 23rd. Finally, CIBC boosted their price objective on AGF Management from C$9.00 to C$9.50 in a research report on Monday, March 20th. About AGF Management AGF Management Ltd. is a diversified global asset management firm. It offers investment solutions to a wide range of clients, from individual investors and financial advisors to institutions, including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, and foundations. The firm provides investment management with operations and investments in North America, Europe, and Asia. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for AGF Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AGF Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (NYSE:AQN Get Rating) Stock analysts at Raymond James raised their Q2 2023 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Algonquin Power & Utilities in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, April 26th. Raymond James analyst D. Quezada now expects that the utilities provider will post earnings per share of $0.15 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.12. Raymond James currently has a Outperform rating and a $10.00 target price on the stock. The consensus estimate for Algonquin Power & Utilities current full-year earnings is $0.58 per share. Raymond James also issued estimates for Algonquin Power & Utilities Q4 2023 earnings at $0.14 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $0.58 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $0.61 EPS. Get Algonquin Power & Utilities alerts: A number of other research firms also recently commented on AQN. Desjardins downgraded Algonquin Power & Utilities from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Friday, January 13th. Credit Suisse Group reduced their price objective on Algonquin Power & Utilities from $11.00 to $10.50 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 13th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on Algonquin Power & Utilities from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Bank of America cut Algonquin Power & Utilities from a buy rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $9.00 to $8.50 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Algonquin Power & Utilities from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and set a $9.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $10.03. Algonquin Power & Utilities Stock Performance Shares of Algonquin Power & Utilities stock opened at $8.52 on Thursday. Algonquin Power & Utilities has a one year low of $6.41 and a one year high of $14.88. The company has a market cap of $5.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -26.63, a PEG ratio of 4.74 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.71. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $8.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $8.10. Algonquin Power & Utilities (NYSE:AQN Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 17th. The utilities provider reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $748.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $703.54 million. Algonquin Power & Utilities had a positive return on equity of 7.01% and a negative net margin of 7.64%. The businesss revenue was up 26.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.21 earnings per share. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in Algonquin Power & Utilities by 0.3% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 720,888 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $11,188,000 after buying an additional 1,979 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Algonquin Power & Utilities by 31.1% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 42,274 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $656,000 after purchasing an additional 10,029 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC acquired a new stake in Algonquin Power & Utilities during the 1st quarter valued at $250,000. Natixis Advisors L.P. increased its stake in shares of Algonquin Power & Utilities by 39.8% in the first quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 19,708 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $306,000 after acquiring an additional 5,608 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in shares of Algonquin Power & Utilities by 57,813.0% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 422,186 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $6,552,000 after acquiring an additional 421,457 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 41.26% of the companys stock. Algonquin Power & Utilities Cuts Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 31st were paid a dividend of $0.1085 per share. This represents a $0.43 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. Algonquin Power & Utilitiess dividend payout ratio is presently -134.38%. About Algonquin Power & Utilities (Get Rating) Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. is an investment holding company, which engages in energy generation and water distribution facilities. It operates through the following business segments: Regulated Services Group, Renewable Energy Group, and Corporate. The Regulated Services Group segment owns and operates a portfolio of electric, natural gas, water distribution, and wastewater collection utility systems and transmission. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Algonquin Power & Utilities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Algonquin Power & Utilities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 29. EU Ambassador to Azerbaijan Peter Michalko has shared a publication in connection with the mine explosion in Azerbaijans Tartar district, which killed 3 civilians, Trend reports via the official's Facebook page. With a deep sorrow we learned about a tragic loss of three lives after an explosion of a landmine yesterday in Tartar. I express my sincere condolences to the families of the victims. The European Union will continue our resolute support to Azerbaijan in its de-mining efforts, he wrote. On April 28, an anti-tank mine exploded in Tapgaragoyunlu village of Azerbaijan's Tartar district, as a result, 3 civilians were killed. Employees of RPS Energy Ltd. company Nadir Yusifov, Sakhavat Gozalov, and Farid Sadiyev were killed in the blast. DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE Get Rating) has received an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the eleven ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $129.67. Several equities analysts recently issued reports on DTE shares. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of DTE Energy from $123.00 to $124.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of DTE Energy from $138.00 to $133.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of DTE Energy from $120.00 to $126.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Guggenheim dropped their price objective on shares of DTE Energy from $131.00 to $127.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. Finally, TheStreet upgraded shares of DTE Energy from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a report on Friday, January 13th. Get DTE Energy alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Signaturefd LLC grew its position in shares of DTE Energy by 21.0% during the 1st quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,655 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $291,000 after acquiring an additional 460 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in DTE Energy in the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. State of Michigan Retirement System boosted its holdings in DTE Energy by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 53,177 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $5,825,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Strategic Investment Advisors MI boosted its holdings in DTE Energy by 5.0% in the 1st quarter. Strategic Investment Advisors MI now owns 10,591 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,160,000 after purchasing an additional 509 shares during the period. Finally, BerganKDV Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of DTE Energy by 462.0% during the 1st quarter. BerganKDV Wealth Management LLC now owns 281 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 231 shares during the last quarter. 74.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. DTE Energy Stock Performance NYSE DTE opened at $112.41 on Monday. The firms fifty day moving average price is $110.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $112.82. The stock has a market cap of $23.17 billion, a PE ratio of 20.36, a PEG ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.59. DTE Energy has a fifty-two week low of $100.64 and a fifty-two week high of $136.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.81. DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.38 by ($0.05). DTE Energy had a return on equity of 12.99% and a net margin of 5.63%. The company had revenue of $3.78 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.79 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.31 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that DTE Energy will post 6.18 EPS for the current fiscal year. DTE Energy Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 20th were given a dividend of $0.9525 per share. This is an increase from DTE Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. This represents a $3.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.39%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 17th. DTE Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 69.02%. About DTE Energy (Get Rating) DTE Energy Co operates as a diversified energy company, which engages in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services. It operates through the following segments: Electric, Gas, DTE Vantage, Energy Trading, and Corporate and Other. The Electric segment consists of generation, purchase, distribution, and sale of electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in southeastern Michigan. See Also Receive News & Ratings for DTE Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for DTE Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com lowered shares of Avista (NYSE:AVA Get Rating) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report released on Tuesday. Several other brokerages have also issued reports on AVA. Mizuho lowered Avista from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and lowered their price target for the company from $45.00 to $38.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. TheStreet upgraded Avista from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Get Avista alerts: Avista Trading Down 1.2 % Avista stock opened at $44.07 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.75. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $42.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $41.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.15 billion, a PE ratio of 20.79, a PEG ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.51. Avista has a 52 week low of $35.72 and a 52 week high of $45.28. Avista Increases Dividend Avista ( NYSE:AVA Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 22nd. The utilities provider reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.33. The business had revenue of $496.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $371.59 million. Avista had a return on equity of 6.87% and a net margin of 9.14%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 18.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.71 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Avista will post 2.32 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 17th were issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.18%. This is an increase from Avistas previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 16th. Avistas payout ratio is presently 86.79%. Insider Buying and Selling at Avista In other Avista news, VP Bryan Alden Cox sold 2,542 shares of Avista stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.30, for a total transaction of $104,984.60. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,698 shares of the companys stock, valued at $194,027.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Avista A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AVA. Delta Asset Management LLC TN acquired a new position in shares of Avista in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its position in shares of Avista by 377.0% in the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 830 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 656 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its position in shares of Avista by 146.4% in the 1st quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 1,104 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 656 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Avista by 178.0% in the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 1,540 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $69,000 after buying an additional 986 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Belpointe Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Avista in the 4th quarter valued at $73,000. 82.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Avista (Get Rating) Avista Corp. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of electric and natural gas utility business. It operates through the Avista Utilities, and Alaska Electric Light and Power Company (AEL&P) segments. The Avista Utilities segment includes electric distribution and transmission, and natural gas distribution services in parts of eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and Northeastern and Southwestern Oregon. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Avista Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Avista and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bank of Queensland Limited (OTCMKTS:BKQNY Get Rating) saw a large decrease in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 900 shares, a decrease of 40.0% from the March 31st total of 1,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 9.0 days. Bank of Queensland Price Performance Shares of Bank of Queensland stock remained flat at $8.35 during trading on Friday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $8.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.39. Bank of Queensland has a 12-month low of $8.29 and a 12-month high of $10.84. Get Bank of Queensland alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of Bank of Queensland from a neutral rating to an underweight rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. About Bank of Queensland Bank of Queensland Ltd. engages in the provision of financial services to the community. It operates through the following segments: Retail Banking, BOQ Business, and Other. The Retail Banking segment offers retail banking solutions to customers managed through its owner managed and corporate branch network, ME Bank and Virgin Money distribution channels, and third-party intermediaries. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Bank of Queensland Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of Queensland and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. William Blair started coverage on shares of BellRing Brands (NYSE:BRBR Get Rating) in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. The firm issued an outperform rating on the stock. Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on BRBR. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of BellRing Brands from $34.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of BellRing Brands in a report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $39.00 target price on the stock. Barclays upped their target price on shares of BellRing Brands from $33.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, April 14th. Stephens upped their target price on shares of BellRing Brands from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC upped their target price on shares of BellRing Brands from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $38.25. Get BellRing Brands alerts: BellRing Brands Price Performance NYSE:BRBR opened at $35.99 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $4.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.44, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.87. BellRing Brands has a one year low of $20.20 and a one year high of $36.87. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $32.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $28.12. Hedge Funds Weigh In On BellRing Brands BellRing Brands ( NYSE:BRBR Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 6th. The company reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.27 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $362.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $342.98 million. BellRing Brands had a net margin of 8.29% and a negative return on equity of 36.56%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 18.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.25 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that BellRing Brands will post 1.23 EPS for the current year. Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BRBR. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in shares of BellRing Brands by 328.4% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 12,967,658 shares of the companys stock valued at $299,293,000 after buying an additional 9,940,436 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in BellRing Brands by 183.4% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,814,461 shares of the companys stock valued at $249,598,000 after purchasing an additional 6,997,877 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in BellRing Brands by 332.1% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,676,863 shares of the companys stock valued at $84,862,000 after purchasing an additional 2,826,014 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in BellRing Brands by 1,640.7% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,725,639 shares of the companys stock valued at $62,909,000 after purchasing an additional 2,569,055 shares during the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its holdings in BellRing Brands by 11,443.3% during the 1st quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 2,384,380 shares of the companys stock valued at $55,031,000 after purchasing an additional 2,363,724 shares during the last quarter. 92.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. BellRing Brands Company Profile (Get Rating) BellRing Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides various nutrition products in the United States and internationally. It offers ready-to-drink (RTD) protein shakes, other RTD beverages, powders, nutrition bars, and other products primarily under the Premier Protein and Dymatize brands. The company sells its products through club, food, drug, mass, eCommerce, specialty, and convenience channels. See Also Receive News & Ratings for BellRing Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BellRing Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI Get Rating) (TSE:CNR) had its price target hoisted by Barclays from $126.00 to $130.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports. A number of other brokerages also recently commented on CNI. Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$159.00 to C$170.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 24th. Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Desjardins upgraded shares of Canadian National Railway from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. CIBC reduced their price objective on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$181.00 to C$175.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group reduced their price objective on shares of Canadian National Railway from $133.00 to $128.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $143.50. Get Canadian National Railway alerts: Canadian National Railway Price Performance Canadian National Railway stock opened at $119.27 on Tuesday. Canadian National Railway has a 52-week low of $103.79 and a 52-week high of $129.89. The companys 50 day moving average is $117.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $119.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market cap of $79.35 billion, a PE ratio of 19.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.90. Canadian National Railway Cuts Dividend Canadian National Railway ( NYSE:CNI Get Rating ) (TSE:CNR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 24th. The transportation company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.56 by ($0.01). Canadian National Railway had a net margin of 30.61% and a return on equity of 25.00%. The firm had revenue of $3.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.33 billion. On average, research analysts expect that Canadian National Railway will post 5.78 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 9th will be given a dividend of $0.5835 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 8th. This represents a $2.33 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.96%. Canadian National Railways dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.98%. Institutional Trading of Canadian National Railway Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BCK Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Canadian National Railway in the first quarter worth $2,575,000. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in shares of Canadian National Railway by 26.2% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 931,027 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $124,888,000 after acquiring an additional 193,116 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Canadian National Railway by 3.1% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 762,341 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $102,260,000 after buying an additional 22,984 shares in the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its stake in Canadian National Railway by 1.4% during the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 60,441 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $8,107,000 after buying an additional 807 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its stake in shares of Canadian National Railway by 18.9% in the 1st quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 33,602 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $4,511,000 after purchasing an additional 5,349 shares in the last quarter. 86.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Canadian National Railway (Get Rating) Canadian National Railway Co engages in rail and related transportation business. Its services include rail, intermodal, trucking, supply chain services, business development and maps and network. Its offers their services in automotive, coal, fertilizer, food and beverages, forest products, dimensional loads, grain, metals and minerals and petroleum and chemicals industries. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Canadian National Railway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian National Railway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canadian Natural Resources Limited (TSE:CNQ Get Rating) (NYSE:CNQ) Analysts at Stifel Firstegy decreased their Q1 2023 earnings per share estimates for shares of Canadian Natural Resources in a research report issued on Monday, April 24th. Stifel Firstegy analyst M. Dunn now forecasts that the company will earn $1.61 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.80. Stifel Firstegy has a Buy rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Canadian Natural Resources current full-year earnings is $8.41 per share. Stifel Firstegy also issued estimates for Canadian Natural Resources FY2024 earnings at $7.24 EPS. Get Canadian Natural Resources alerts: Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Stifel Nicolaus set a C$97.00 target price on Canadian Natural Resources and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, January 13th. National Bankshares increased their price target on shares of Canadian Natural Resources from C$100.00 to C$110.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. ATB Capital dropped their price target on Canadian Natural Resources from C$94.00 to C$90.00 in a report on Monday, April 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Canadian Natural Resources from C$92.00 to C$94.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Finally, National Bank Financial raised their target price on shares of Canadian Natural Resources from C$100.00 to C$110.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Canadian Natural Resources currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$92.47. Canadian Natural Resources Stock Performance Shares of Canadian Natural Resources stock opened at C$82.56 on Thursday. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is C$77.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$77.68. Canadian Natural Resources has a 12 month low of C$58.75 and a 12 month high of C$87.92. The company has a market capitalization of C$90.82 billion, a PE ratio of 8.67, a PEG ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 2.01. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 34.01. Canadian Natural Resources (TSE:CNQ Get Rating) (NYSE:CNQ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The company reported C$1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C$2.21 by C($0.25). The company had revenue of C$9.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$9.46 billion. Canadian Natural Resources had a return on equity of 29.12% and a net margin of 25.86%. Insider Activity at Canadian Natural Resources In other Canadian Natural Resources news, Senior Officer Calvin John Bast sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$80.90, for a total value of C$404,500.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 40,387 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately C$3,267,308.30. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 15,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,208,385. Insiders own 2.22% of the companys stock. Canadian Natural Resources Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 5th. Investors of record on Friday, March 17th were issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 16th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.36%. This is a positive change from Canadian Natural Resourcess previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. Canadian Natural Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.82%. Canadian Natural Resources Company Profile (Get Rating) Canadian Natural Resources Limited acquires, explores for, develops, produces, markets, and sells crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). The company offers synthetic crude oil (SCO), light and medium crude oil, bitumen (thermal oil), primary heavy crude oil, and Pelican Lake heavy crude oil. See Also 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. China Vanke Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:CHVKF Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,246,400 shares, an increase of 174.9% from the March 31st total of 453,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1,246.4 days. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of China Vanke from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Get China Vanke alerts: China Vanke Price Performance China Vanke stock remained flat at $1.62 during mid-day trading on Friday. China Vanke has a one year low of $1.62 and a one year high of $2.09. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $1.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $1.92. About China Vanke China Vanke Co, Ltd. engages in the development and sale of properties. It operates through the Property Development and Property Management segments. The Property Development segment refers to the sale and development of residential properties. The Property Management segment offers management and other related services to purchasers and tenants of the companys developed residential properties and shopping arcades as well as those developed by external property developers. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for China Vanke Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Vanke and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cloudflare (NYSE:NET Get Rating) had its target price lowered by JMP Securities from $90.00 to $60.00 in a report issued on Friday morning, The Fly reports. Several other research analysts have also recently commented on NET. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Cloudflare from $55.00 to $75.00 in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Mizuho raised their price objective on Cloudflare from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Loop Capital assumed coverage on Cloudflare in a research report on Monday, February 6th. They issued a hold rating and a $52.00 price objective for the company. William Blair reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of Cloudflare in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Cloudflare from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $61.88. Get Cloudflare alerts: Cloudflare Stock Down 21.0 % Shares of NYSE NET opened at $47.05 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $59.18 and a 200 day moving average price of $52.92. Cloudflare has a 52 week low of $37.37 and a 52 week high of $97.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.30, a current ratio of 4.74 and a quick ratio of 4.74. Insiders Place Their Bets Cloudflare ( NYSE:NET Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported ($0.09) EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of ($0.09). Cloudflare had a negative return on equity of 25.65% and a negative net margin of 18.05%. The firm had revenue of $274.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $274.29 million. Equities analysts forecast that Cloudflare will post -0.31 earnings per share for the current year. In other Cloudflare news, General Counsel Douglas James Kramer sold 3,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, April 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.61, for a total transaction of $181,830.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel now owns 54,960 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,331,125.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, General Counsel Douglas James Kramer sold 3,000 shares of Cloudflare stock in a transaction on Monday, April 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.61, for a total value of $181,830.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel now owns 54,960 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,331,125.60. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Matthew Prince sold 52,384 shares of Cloudflare stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.55, for a total value of $3,695,691.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 416,007 shares of company stock worth $25,494,548 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 15.99% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cloudflare Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Blair William & Co. IL increased its stake in shares of Cloudflare by 27.4% in the 3rd quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 53,591 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,964,000 after purchasing an additional 11,524 shares during the last quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance grew its position in Cloudflare by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 13,682 shares of the companys stock worth $757,000 after acquiring an additional 696 shares during the last quarter. Ellevest Inc. grew its position in Cloudflare by 461.3% during the 3rd quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 2,032 shares of the companys stock worth $112,000 after acquiring an additional 1,670 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. grew its position in Cloudflare by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 1,482,780 shares of the companys stock worth $82,013,000 after acquiring an additional 10,202 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Asset Management One Co. Ltd. grew its position in Cloudflare by 33.7% during the 3rd quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 143,832 shares of the companys stock worth $7,955,000 after acquiring an additional 36,284 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.97% of the companys stock. Cloudflare Company Profile (Get Rating) CloudFlare, Inc operates as a cloud services provider that delivers a range of services to businesses worldwide. The company offers an integrated cloud-based security solution to secure a range of combination of platforms, including public cloud, private cloud, on-premise, software-as-a-service applications, and IoT devices. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Cloudflare Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cloudflare and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Command Security Co. (NYSEAMERICAN:MOC Get Rating) shot up 1.1% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $2.85 and last traded at $2.85. 51,100 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 474% from the average session volume of 8,909 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.82. Command Security Trading Up 1.1 % About Command Security (Get Rating) Command Security Corporation provides uniformed security officers and aviation security services in the United States. It operates through Security and Aviation Safeguards divisions. The Security division offers armed and unarmed uniformed security personnel for access control, loss prevention, mobile patrols, traffic control, security console/system operators, and fire safety directors, as well as personnel for reception, concierge, and front desk/doorman operations. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Command Security Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Command Security and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Great-West Lifeco (OTCMKTS:GWLIF Get Rating) and Old Mutual (OTCMKTS:ODMUF Get Rating) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, risk, dividends and valuation. Dividends Great-West Lifeco pays an annual dividend of $1.23 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.3%. Old Mutual pays an annual dividend of $0.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 14.7%. Great-West Lifeco pays out 47.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Old Mutual pays out 76.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Get Great-West Lifeco alerts: Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Great-West Lifeco and Old Mutual, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Great-West Lifeco 0 1 1 0 2.50 Old Mutual 0 2 0 0 2.00 Valuation and Earnings Great-West Lifeco currently has a consensus target price of $35.78, indicating a potential upside of 25.45%. Given Great-West Lifecos stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Great-West Lifeco is more favorable than Old Mutual. This table compares Great-West Lifeco and Old Mutuals revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Great-West Lifeco N/A N/A N/A $2.60 10.95 Old Mutual N/A N/A N/A $0.11 5.17 Old Mutual is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Great-West Lifeco, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Profitability This table compares Great-West Lifeco and Old Mutuals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Great-West Lifeco N/A N/A N/A Old Mutual N/A N/A N/A Insider and Institutional Ownership 11.8% of Great-West Lifeco shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 28.5% of Old Mutual shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Summary Great-West Lifeco beats Old Mutual on 6 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Great-West Lifeco (Get Rating) Great-West Lifeco, Inc. is a financial services holding company, which engages in the provision of life insurance, health insurance, retirement services, investment management and reinsurance services. It operates through the following segments: Canada, United States, Europe, and Lifeco Corporate. The Canada segment provides individual & group life insurance through the Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life. The United States segment offers asset management and financial services through the Great-West Financial, Putnam and insurance businesses in the branches of Great-West Life and Canada Life located in the U.S. The Europe segment consists of insurance, annuities and reinsurance business units. The Lifeco Corporate segment includes operating results for activities of Lifeco that are not associated with the major business units of the firm. The company was founded on November 8, 1979 and is headquartered in Winnipeg, Canada. About Old Mutual (Get Rating) Old Mutual Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides financial services primarily in South Africa and rest of Africa. The company operates through Mass and Foundation Cluster, Personal Finance and Wealth Management, Old Mutual Investments, Old Mutual Corporate, Old Mutual Insure, and Rest of Africa segments. It offers risk products, including group risk and funeral covers; long-term savings; lending products comprising micro-lending; and transactional products. It also provides financial advice, investment, and income products, as well as asset management services. In addition, the company offers investments, annuities, and consulting services to employee-sponsored retirement and benefit funds; and health, property, and casualty insurance products. It serves low-income and lower-middle income markets; high income and high net worth individuals; and employee-sponsored retirement and benefit funds. The company was founded in 1845 and is based in Cape Town, South Africa. Receive News & Ratings for Great-West Lifeco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Great-West Lifeco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 29. UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva expressed condolences over the death of three people in a mine explosion in the country's Tartar district, Trend reports citing the official's tweet. "I am deeply saddened by the news of mine explosion in Tartar that resulted in tragic loss of 3 lives. My thoughts are with their families & loved ones. UN in Azerbaijan remains committed to support Azerbaijan's mine action efforts to prevent such incidents in the future," she said. On April 28, as a result of the explosion of a mine in Tartar, Nadir Yusifov (born in 1982), Sahavat Gozalov (born in 1981) and Farid Sadiyev (born in 1996), who collaborated with the RPS Energy Ltd company, which supplies independent oil and gas evaluations, seismic offshore operations, and offshore exploration, were killed. Since the signing of the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020 by Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia on the transfer of detainees and up to today, a total of 298 people, including military personnel and civilians, have become victims of mines as a result of the explosion of mines laid by the Armenian armed forces, 54 of them were killed, 244 people were injured of varying severity. Compass Financial Group INC SD bought a new stake in shares of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 3,674 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $234,000. Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of KO. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 363,258,425 shares of the companys stock worth $20,349,737,000 after buying an additional 3,864,004 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in Coca-Cola by 1.7% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 301,952,085 shares of the companys stock worth $16,915,357,000 after acquiring an additional 4,994,047 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in Coca-Cola by 0.5% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 171,570,198 shares of the companys stock worth $9,685,693,000 after purchasing an additional 885,816 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Coca-Cola by 2.6% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 51,570,921 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,197,397,000 after purchasing an additional 1,301,902 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 41,213,079 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,308,758,000 after purchasing an additional 462,803 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.74% of the companys stock. Get Coca-Cola alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades KO has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $71.00 to $74.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. Royal Bank of Canada set a $69.00 price target on shares of Coca-Cola in a report on Tuesday, February 14th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Coca-Cola from $68.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. StockNews.com raised Coca-Cola from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Saturday, April 15th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on Coca-Cola from $72.00 to $73.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Coca-Cola has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $67.80. Insider Activity at Coca-Cola Coca-Cola Stock Up 0.7 % In other news, CEO James Quincey sold 34,875 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.32, for a total value of $2,103,660.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 351,737 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $21,216,775.84. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . In other news, CEO James Quincey sold 34,875 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.32, for a total transaction of $2,103,660.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 351,737 shares of the companys stock, valued at $21,216,775.84. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, SVP Nancy Quan sold 74,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.71, for a total value of $4,344,540.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 219,790 shares in the company, valued at $12,903,870.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold 155,296 shares of company stock valued at $9,256,671 over the last three months. 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Shares of NYSE:KO opened at $64.15 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $61.45 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $61.11. The company has a market cap of $277.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.14, a PEG ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The Coca-Cola Company has a one year low of $54.01 and a one year high of $66.38. Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 24th. The company reported $0.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.78 billion. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 42.96% and a net margin of 22.69%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.64 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.6 EPS for the current fiscal year. Coca-Cola Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, June 16th will be given a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.87%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 15th. Coca-Colas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 80.70%. Coca-Cola Company Profile (Get Rating) The Coca-Cola Co engages in the manufacturing and marketing of non-alcoholic beverages. It operates through the following segments: Europe, Middle East and Africa, Latin America, North America, Asia Pacific, Global Ventures, and Bottling Investments. The company was founded by Asa Griggs Candler on May 8, 1886 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Coca-Cola Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Coca-Cola and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Thunder Mountain Gold (OTCMKTS:THMG Get Rating) is one of 102 publicly-traded companies in the Metal mining industry, but how does it contrast to its rivals? We will compare Thunder Mountain Gold to similar companies based on the strength of its valuation, institutional ownership, dividends, profitability, risk, earnings and analyst recommendations. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Thunder Mountain Gold and its rivals top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Get Thunder Mountain Gold alerts: Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Thunder Mountain Gold $300,000.00 -$1.25 million -4.50 Thunder Mountain Gold Competitors $8.23 billion $2.21 billion -3.60 Thunder Mountain Golds rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Thunder Mountain Gold. Thunder Mountain Gold is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Institutional & Insider Ownership Analyst Ratings 0.0% of Thunder Mountain Gold shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 21.9% of shares of all Metal mining companies are held by institutional investors. 29.5% of Thunder Mountain Gold shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 11.9% of shares of all Metal mining companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. This is a summary of recent ratings for Thunder Mountain Gold and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Thunder Mountain Gold 0 0 0 0 N/A Thunder Mountain Gold Competitors 920 2152 2767 94 2.34 As a group, Metal mining companies have a potential upside of 31.92%. Given Thunder Mountain Golds rivals higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Thunder Mountain Gold has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals. Risk & Volatility Thunder Mountain Gold has a beta of 0.89, indicating that its share price is 11% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Thunder Mountain Golds rivals have a beta of 1.28, indicating that their average share price is 28% more volatile than the S&P 500. Profitability This table compares Thunder Mountain Gold and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Thunder Mountain Gold -415.33% -185.48% -59.67% Thunder Mountain Gold Competitors -412.87% -3.28% -3.49% Summary Thunder Mountain Gold rivals beat Thunder Mountain Gold on 9 of the 10 factors compared. About Thunder Mountain Gold (Get Rating) Thunder Mountain Gold, Inc. operates as a mineral exploration company, which engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of premier precious and base metal properties. Its projects include South Mountain located southwest of Boise, Idaho and Trout Creek located in Nevada. The company was founded on November 9, 1935 and is headquartered in Boise, ID. Receive News & Ratings for Thunder Mountain Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Thunder Mountain Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com lowered shares of Douglas Dynamics (NYSE:PLOW Get Rating) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Tuesday. A number of other research firms have also weighed in on PLOW. DA Davidson cut their target price on shares of Douglas Dynamics from $46.00 to $40.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on Douglas Dynamics from $48.00 to $46.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Get Douglas Dynamics alerts: Douglas Dynamics Stock Down 0.6 % Shares of PLOW stock opened at $29.31 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $32.59 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $35.54. Douglas Dynamics has a 12 month low of $27.76 and a 12 month high of $41.40. The company has a current ratio of 2.52, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The stock has a market cap of $670.82 million, a P/E ratio of 18.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.00. Douglas Dynamics Increases Dividend Douglas Dynamics ( NYSE:PLOW Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 20th. The auto parts company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.56 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $159.81 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $164.30 million. Douglas Dynamics had a net margin of 6.27% and a return on equity of 19.05%. On average, research analysts expect that Douglas Dynamics will post 1.58 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 17th were paid a $0.295 dividend. This represents a $1.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.03%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 16th. This is a positive change from Douglas Dynamicss previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Douglas Dynamicss payout ratio is 72.84%. Insider Transactions at Douglas Dynamics In related news, CEO Robert L. Mccormick sold 10,341 shares of Douglas Dynamics stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.61, for a total transaction of $378,584.01. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 55,106 shares in the company, valued at $2,017,430.66. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Douglas Dynamics news, CEO Robert L. Mccormick sold 10,341 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.61, for a total value of $378,584.01. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 55,106 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,017,430.66. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Sarah C. Lauber sold 3,757 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.66, for a total transaction of $137,731.62. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 32,202 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,180,525.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 14,416 shares of company stock valued at $528,098 in the last quarter. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Douglas Dynamics Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can acquired a new stake in Douglas Dynamics in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in Douglas Dynamics in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in Douglas Dynamics by 366.7% in the third quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 1,372 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,078 shares during the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Douglas Dynamics in the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in Douglas Dynamics during the 2nd quarter worth $46,000. 91.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Douglas Dynamics Company Profile (Get Rating) Douglas Dynamics, Inc engages in the manufacture of commercial work truck attachments and equipment. It operates through the following segments: Work Truck Attachments and Work Truck Solutions. The Work Truck Attachments segments include manufactured snow and ice control attachments sold under FISHER, HENDERSON, SNOWEX and WESTERN brands. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Douglas Dynamics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Douglas Dynamics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:DNA Get Rating) by 137.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 33,220 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 19,207 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc.s holdings in Ginkgo Bioworks were worth $56,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new position in shares of Ginkgo Bioworks during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Lake Street Financial LLC purchased a new position in Ginkgo Bioworks during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Ginkgo Bioworks during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Claraphi Advisory Network LLC purchased a new position in Ginkgo Bioworks during the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. purchased a new position in Ginkgo Bioworks during the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.83% of the companys stock. Get Ginkgo Bioworks alerts: Ginkgo Bioworks Trading Up 3.4 % NYSE:DNA traded up $0.04 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $1.22. The stock had a trading volume of 12,491,079 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,097,480. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $1.33 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1.79. Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. has a 52 week low of $1.16 and a 52 week high of $4.91. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Ginkgo Bioworks ( NYSE:DNA Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 1st. The company reported ($0.04) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.30) by $0.26. Ginkgo Bioworks had a negative net margin of 440.63% and a negative return on equity of 92.27%. The firm had revenue of $98.29 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $84.41 million. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current year. A number of equities analysts have weighed in on DNA shares. BTIG Research cut their price target on shares of Ginkgo Bioworks from $4.00 to $3.00 in a research note on Sunday, March 5th. Raymond James decreased their price objective on shares of Ginkgo Bioworks from $6.00 to $5.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ginkgo Bioworks presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $4.39. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, insider Reshma P. Shetty sold 192,560 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.92, for a total value of $369,715.20. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 14,701,260 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,226,419.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, insider Reshma P. Shetty sold 192,560 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.92, for a total value of $369,715.20. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 14,701,260 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,226,419.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Reshma P. Shetty sold 37,650 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.20, for a total transaction of $45,180.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 13,654,654 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,385,584.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 1,245,640 shares of company stock worth $2,135,666. 17.47% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. About Ginkgo Bioworks (Get Rating) Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops platform for cell programming. Its platform is used to program cells to enable biological production of products, such as novel therapeutics, food ingredients, and chemicals derived from petroleum. The company serves various end markets, including specialty chemicals, agriculture, food, consumer products, and pharmaceuticals. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DNA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:DNA Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Ginkgo Bioworks Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ginkgo Bioworks and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hollencrest Capital Management cut its position in iShares MSCI Germany ETF (NYSEARCA:EWG Get Rating) by 87.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 31,265 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 222,535 shares during the period. Hollencrest Capital Managements holdings in iShares MSCI Germany ETF were worth $773,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Evergreen Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Germany ETF by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 34,271 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $677,000 after buying an additional 570 shares during the period. WestEnd Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Germany ETF by 50.5% in the 3rd quarter. WestEnd Advisors LLC now owns 1,774 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 595 shares during the period. Gilbert & Cook Inc. boosted its stake in iShares MSCI Germany ETF by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. now owns 25,786 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $554,000 after purchasing an additional 648 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in iShares MSCI Germany ETF by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 20,178 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $573,000 after purchasing an additional 733 shares during the last quarter. Finally, H&H Retirement Design & Management INC boosted its stake in iShares MSCI Germany ETF by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. H&H Retirement Design & Management INC now owns 44,344 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,232,000 after purchasing an additional 781 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI Germany ETF alerts: iShares MSCI Germany ETF Stock Up 0.4 % EWG stock traded up $0.12 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $29.41. 1,466,118 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,858,545. The stock has a market cap of $1.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.82 and a beta of 1.07. iShares MSCI Germany ETF has a fifty-two week low of $19.35 and a fifty-two week high of $29.45. The firms 50 day moving average price is $28.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $26.13. About iShares MSCI Germany ETF iShares MSCI Germany ETF, formerly iShares MSCI Germany Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the German market, as measured by the MSCI Germany Index (the Index). Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EWG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI Germany ETF (NYSEARCA:EWG Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Germany ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Germany ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (NYSEARCA:EFA Get Rating) by 326.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 231,406 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after buying an additional 177,185 shares during the quarter. IFP Advisors Incs holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF were worth $12,442,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Board of Trustees of The Leland Stanford Junior University raised its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 55.4% during the 3rd quarter. Board of Trustees of The Leland Stanford Junior University now owns 8,785,451 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $492,073,000 after purchasing an additional 3,132,027 shares during the period. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its position in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 6,542.8% in the 3rd quarter. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,804,140 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $735,000 after acquiring an additional 2,761,927 shares during the period. WCM Investment Management LLC increased its position in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 431.8% in the 4th quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 2,884,902 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $189,365,000 after acquiring an additional 2,342,388 shares during the period. Toronto Dominion Bank increased its position in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 2,717.6% in the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 2,358,345 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $132,064,000 after acquiring an additional 2,274,645 shares during the period. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 361.6% in the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,214,925 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $124,058,000 after acquiring an additional 1,735,125 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.78% of the companys stock. Get iShares MSCI EAFE ETF alerts: iShares MSCI EAFE ETF Stock Down 0.0 % EFA traded down $0.03 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $73.62. The companys stock had a trading volume of 16,936,838 shares, compared to its average volume of 14,087,088. iShares MSCI EAFE ETF has a fifty-two week low of $54.61 and a fifty-two week high of $73.85. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $70.81 and a 200 day simple moving average of $67.59. iShares MSCI EAFE ETF Profile iShares MSCI EAFE ETF, formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Funds investment objective is to seek investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of its underlying index, MSCI EAFE Index (the Index). The Index has been developed by MSCI Inc as an equity benchmark for its international stock performance. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EFA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (NYSEARCA:EFA Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. IFP Advisors Inc lowered its holdings in shares of iShares National Muni Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:MUB Get Rating) by 23.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 153,325 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 46,411 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc owned approximately 0.05% of iShares National Muni Bond ETF worth $16,699,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MUB. Cadent Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of iShares National Muni Bond ETF by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Cadent Capital Advisors LLC now owns 13,309 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,404,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. raised its holdings in shares of iShares National Muni Bond ETF by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. now owns 2,209 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $233,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Vista Investment Management raised its holdings in shares of iShares National Muni Bond ETF by 4.5% in the 1st quarter. Vista Investment Management now owns 2,282 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $250,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of iShares National Muni Bond ETF by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC now owns 7,011 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $719,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Maryland Capital Management raised its holdings in shares of iShares National Muni Bond ETF by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Maryland Capital Management now owns 9,947 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,020,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares National Muni Bond ETF alerts: iShares National Muni Bond ETF Trading Up 0.4 % Shares of NYSEARCA MUB traded up $0.48 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $107.29. 1,909,203 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,766,794. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $106.80 and a 200-day moving average price of $105.93. iShares National Muni Bond ETF has a 12 month low of $101.35 and a 12 month high of $108.82. About iShares National Muni Bond ETF iShares National AMT-Free Muni Bond ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index (the Index). Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MUB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares National Muni Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:MUB Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares National Muni Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares National Muni Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Societe Generale upgraded shares of Koninklijke Philips (NYSE:PHG Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Tuesday, The Fly reports. Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on PHG. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Koninklijke Philips from 19.00 ($21.11) to 18.50 ($20.56) and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on shares of Koninklijke Philips in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. They issued a market perform rating on the stock. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Koninklijke Philips in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. UBS Group lowered shares of Koninklijke Philips from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Koninklijke Philips from 17.00 ($18.89) to 16.00 ($17.78) and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $16.79. Get Koninklijke Philips alerts: Koninklijke Philips Trading Down 0.3 % NYSE PHG opened at $21.12 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 1.29. The firm has a market cap of $18.78 billion, a PE ratio of -8.64 and a beta of 0.90. Koninklijke Philips has a one year low of $11.75 and a one year high of $26.76. The firms fifty day moving average is $17.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $15.90. Koninklijke Philips Cuts Dividend Koninklijke Philips ( NYSE:PHG Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 30th. The technology company reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.36. The firm had revenue of $5.54 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.91 billion. Koninklijke Philips had a negative net margin of 11.63% and a positive return on equity of 6.29%. Analysts expect that Koninklijke Philips will post 1.1 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently announced an annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 12th will be issued a $0.9387 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th. Koninklijke Philipss payout ratio is -31.84%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Koninklijke Philips A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PHG. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI lifted its position in Koninklijke Philips by 26.7% during the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 8,687,852 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $130,231,000 after purchasing an additional 1,832,561 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Koninklijke Philips by 16.7% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 8,245,236 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $251,727,000 after purchasing an additional 1,178,744 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in Koninklijke Philips by 59.6% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 4,430,980 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $135,277,000 after purchasing an additional 1,655,150 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in Koninklijke Philips by 9.9% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 3,351,702 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $50,242,000 after purchasing an additional 302,633 shares during the period. Finally, Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC lifted its position in Koninklijke Philips by 31.3% during the 4th quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC now owns 3,224,514 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $48,336,000 after purchasing an additional 768,123 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 10.17% of the companys stock. Koninklijke Philips Company Profile (Get Rating) Koninklijke Philips NV is a technology company, which engages in the healthcare, lighting, and consumer well-being markets. It operates through the following segments: Diagnosis and Treatment businesses; Connected Care businesses; Personal Health businesses; and Other. The Diagnosis and Treatment businesses segment consists systems, smart devices, software and services, powered by AI-enabled informatics-that support precision diagnoses and minimally invasive procedures in therapeutic areas such as cardiology, peripheral vascular, neurology, surgery, and oncology. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Koninklijke Philips Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Koninklijke Philips and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of B&G Foods, Inc. (NYSE:BGS Get Rating) by 130.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 27,429 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 15,528 shares during the quarter. Lebenthal Global Advisors LLCs holdings in B&G Foods were worth $306,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of B&G Foods by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 8,543,629 shares of the companys stock worth $140,884,000 after purchasing an additional 453,830 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of B&G Foods by 8.5% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,743,964 shares of the companys stock valued at $90,719,000 after purchasing an additional 293,363 shares in the last quarter. Smith Graham & Co. Investment Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of B&G Foods by 70.0% during the 4th quarter. Smith Graham & Co. Investment Advisors LP now owns 576,841 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,432,000 after purchasing an additional 237,474 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in shares of B&G Foods by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 11,268,543 shares of the companys stock valued at $185,818,000 after purchasing an additional 145,921 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its stake in shares of B&G Foods by 974.3% during the 3rd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 137,212 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,263,000 after purchasing an additional 124,440 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 63.71% of the companys stock. Get B&G Foods alerts: B&G Foods Trading Up 1.8 % NYSE:BGS opened at $16.04 on Friday. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $14.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $14.03. B&G Foods, Inc. has a one year low of $10.91 and a one year high of $28.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.70, a current ratio of 3.75 and a quick ratio of 1.08. B&G Foods Dividend Announcement B&G Foods ( NYSE:BGS Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 28th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.23 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $623.23 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $583.86 million. B&G Foods had a negative net margin of 0.53% and a positive return on equity of 8.97%. The businesss revenue was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.39 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that B&G Foods, Inc. will post 1.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st will be paid a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.74%. B&G Foodss dividend payout ratio is presently -506.67%. Insider Transactions at B&G Foods In other news, CFO Bruce C. Wacha sold 12,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.81, for a total value of $185,125.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 46,491 shares in the company, valued at $688,531.71. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 2.80% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on BGS shares. TheStreet raised shares of B&G Foods from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research note on Friday, March 24th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of B&G Foods in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, B&G Foods presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $15.70. B&G Foods Company Profile (Get Rating) B&G Foods, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the manufacture, sale, and distribution of shelf-stable frozen food, and household products in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Its products include frozen and canned vegetables, hot cereals, fruit spreads, canned meats and beans, bagel chips, spices, seasonings, hot sauces, and wine vinegar. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BGS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for B&G Foods, Inc. (NYSE:BGS Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for B&G Foods Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for B&G Foods and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lennox International (NYSE:LII Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $14.25-15.25 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.87. The company issued revenue guidance of $4.72-4.91 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $4.73 billion. Lennox International also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $14.25-$15.25 EPS. Lennox International Stock Up 0.6 % LII stock traded up $1.71 during trading on Friday, hitting $281.91. 382,921 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 317,514. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.17, a PEG ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.92. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $251.06 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $249.67. Lennox International has a 1 year low of $182.85 and a 1 year high of $284.95. Get Lennox International alerts: Lennox International (NYSE:LII Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The construction company reported $2.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.42 by $0.41. The company had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. Lennox International had a net margin of 10.53% and a negative return on equity of 152.66%. Lennox Internationals revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.36 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Lennox International will post 14.87 EPS for the current fiscal year. Lennox International Announces Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 31st were issued a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. Lennox Internationals dividend payout ratio is currently 30.53%. Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Lennox International from $279.00 to $272.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Lennox International in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of Lennox International in a report on Monday, March 27th. They issued a market perform rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Lennox International from $300.00 to $283.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Lennox International from $272.00 to $300.00 in a report on Friday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $261.58. Insider Transactions at Lennox International In other Lennox International news, EVP Daniel M. Sessa sold 2,052 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.80, for a total value of $504,381.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 44,256 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,878,124.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.80% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Lennox International by 40.8% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 659 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $157,000 after acquiring an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Lennox International by 35.2% in the 3rd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 2,353 shares of the construction companys stock worth $524,000 after buying an additional 612 shares during the last quarter. Allstate Investment Management Co. bought a new position in shares of Lennox International in the 4th quarter worth about $710,000. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its position in shares of Lennox International by 662.1% in the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 4,085 shares of the construction companys stock worth $844,000 after buying an additional 3,549 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec lifted its position in shares of Lennox International by 376.1% in the 4th quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 4,304 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,030,000 after buying an additional 3,400 shares during the last quarter. 68.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Lennox International (Get Rating) Lennox International, Inc engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of products for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration. It operates through the following business segments: Residential Heating & Cooling, Commercial Heating & Cooling, and Refrigeration. The Residential Heating & Cooling segment manufactures and markets furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, packaged heating and cooling systems, equipment, and accessories. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Lennox International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lennox International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ISTANBUL, Turkiye, April 29. Turkiyes defense industry is recognized by the whole world today, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in his speech at the TEKNOFEST Aerospace and Technology Festival in Istanbul. The most developed, the most modern, the most advanced defense industry strengthens both Turkiye and us. This will ensure the security of Turkiye for many years to come, the head of state emphasized. NS Solutions Co. (OTCMKTS:NSSXF Get Rating) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 35,300 shares, a decline of 18.9% from the March 31st total of 43,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently days. NS Solutions Price Performance Shares of NS Solutions stock remained flat at $28.21 during trading on Friday. NS Solutions has a 1 year low of $24.85 and a 1 year high of $28.21. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $28.21 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.21. Get NS Solutions alerts: NS Solutions Company Profile (Get Rating) Further Reading NS Solutions Corporation provides information technology solutions in Japan and internationally. The company offers business and information system consultation services; and plans, designs, develops, implements, operates, and maintains information systems. It also develops, manufactures, and sells software and hardware; and provides outsourcing services using information technology. Receive News & Ratings for NS Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NS Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nuveen Global High Income Fund (NYSE:JGH Get Rating) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 21,600 shares, an increase of 402.3% from the March 31st total of 4,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 47,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.5 days. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nuveen Global High Income Fund A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JGH. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Nuveen Global High Income Fund during the 1st quarter valued at $159,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC raised its stake in Nuveen Global High Income Fund by 11.2% during the 1st quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 326,893 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,655,000 after buying an additional 32,927 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in Nuveen Global High Income Fund by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 33,932 shares of the companys stock valued at $483,000 after buying an additional 1,047 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG raised its stake in Nuveen Global High Income Fund by 7.7% during the 2nd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 46,786 shares of the companys stock valued at $542,000 after buying an additional 3,332 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Koshinski Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Nuveen Global High Income Fund during the 3rd quarter valued at $898,000. Get Nuveen Global High Income Fund alerts: Nuveen Global High Income Fund Price Performance NYSE JGH traded up $0.05 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $11.08. The stock had a trading volume of 46,691 shares, compared to its average volume of 50,130. Nuveen Global High Income Fund has a 1 year low of $10.44 and a 1 year high of $13.54. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $11.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.49. Nuveen Global High Income Fund Announces Dividend About Nuveen Global High Income Fund The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th will be issued a $0.1035 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 11.21%. (Get Rating) Nuveen Global High Income Fund is a closed-end investment fund. Its objective is to provide a high level of current income. The company uses a global high-income strategy, which blends high-yield bonds and other income producing securities from around the world, and across the capital structure and credit spectrum. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Nuveen Global High Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nuveen Global High Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Primavera Capital Acquisition Co. (NYSE:PV Get Rating) reached a new 52-week low on Friday . The stock traded as low as $4.90 and last traded at $5.11, with a volume of 252822 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.16. Primavera Capital Acquisition Stock Performance The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $5.86 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $7.52. The company has a market cap of $274.66 million, a P/E ratio of 15.48 and a beta of 0.01. Get Primavera Capital Acquisition alerts: Institutional Trading of Primavera Capital Acquisition Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PV. Basso Capital Management L.P. purchased a new position in shares of Primavera Capital Acquisition during the 1st quarter valued at about $121,000. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Primavera Capital Acquisition during the 3rd quarter valued at about $132,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Primavera Capital Acquisition during the 1st quarter valued at about $185,000. Ergoteles LLC purchased a new position in shares of Primavera Capital Acquisition during the 3rd quarter valued at about $262,000. Finally, Boothbay Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Primavera Capital Acquisition during the 3rd quarter valued at about $296,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 49.98% of the companys stock. Primavera Capital Acquisition Company Profile Primavera Capital Acquisition Corporation does not have significant operations. It intends to effect a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or other similar business combination with one or more businesses in consumer companies China. The company was incorporated in 2020 and is based in Central, Hong Kong. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Primavera Capital Acquisition Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Primavera Capital Acquisition and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TransAlta Renewables Inc. (TSE:RNW Get Rating) Raymond James lifted their Q1 2023 EPS estimates for shares of TransAlta Renewables in a report issued on Wednesday, April 26th. Raymond James analyst D. Quezada now expects that the company will post earnings of $0.12 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $0.11. The consensus estimate for TransAlta Renewables current full-year earnings is $0.81 per share. Raymond James also issued estimates for TransAlta Renewables FY2024 earnings at $0.53 EPS. Get TransAlta Renewables alerts: Several other analysts also recently commented on RNW. TD Securities cut their target price on TransAlta Renewables from C$12.50 to C$12.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 24th. CIBC dropped their price target on TransAlta Renewables from C$13.50 to C$13.00 in a research note on Friday, February 24th. National Bankshares raised their price target on TransAlta Renewables from C$12.75 to C$13.25 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, CSFB raised their target price on TransAlta Renewables from C$14.00 to C$14.50 in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. 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.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of C$15.14. TransAlta Renewables Trading Up 0.5 % TransAlta Renewables Announces Dividend TSE:RNW opened at C$12.65 on Thursday. TransAlta Renewables has a one year low of C$10.63 and a one year high of C$18.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 43.77, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The companys 50-day simple moving average is C$12.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$12.62. The firm has a market capitalization of C$3.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.18, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.76. The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 31st will be given a $0.0783 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.43%. TransAlta Renewabless dividend payout ratio is currently 335.71%. TransAlta Renewables Company Profile (Get Rating) TransAlta Renewables Inc develops, owns, and operates renewable power generation facilities. The company operates through Canadian Wind, Canadian Hydro, Canadian Gas, US Wind and Solar, US Gas, and Australian Gas segments. As of February 24, 2022, it owned and operated 26 wind facilities, 13 hydroelectric facilities, 8 natural gas generation facilities, 2 solar facilities, 1 natural gas pipeline, and 1 battery storage project comprising 2,968 megawatts of net generating capacity located in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, the States of Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, North Carolina, and the State of Western Australia. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for TransAlta Renewables Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TransAlta Renewables and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Raymond James (NYSE:RJF Get Rating) saw a significant drop in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,740,000 shares, a drop of 19.8% from the March 31st total of 5,910,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,510,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.1 days. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Raymond James news, insider Jodi Perry sold 6,343 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.30, for a total transaction of $712,318.90. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 7,150 shares of the companys stock, valued at $802,945. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 9.46% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Get Raymond James alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in RJF. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Raymond James by 80.5% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,629,875 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $618,780,000 after acquiring an additional 2,510,966 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Raymond James during the 4th quarter worth $206,765,000. First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in Raymond James by 552.2% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,952,711 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $208,652,000 after acquiring an additional 1,653,311 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in Raymond James by 18.2% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 5,428,007 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $579,984,000 after acquiring an additional 837,121 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in Raymond James by 35.1% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 2,278,272 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $243,433,000 after acquiring an additional 591,327 shares in the last quarter. 74.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Raymond James Stock Up 1.3 % Raymond James stock traded up $1.14 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $90.53. 3,132,396 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,440,099. Raymond James has a 1 year low of $84.86 and a 1 year high of $126.00. The firm has a market cap of $19.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.93 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $96.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $107.04. Raymond James (NYSE:RJF Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The financial services provider reported $2.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.17 by ($0.14). Raymond James had a return on equity of 18.62% and a net margin of 14.01%. The firm had revenue of $2.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.89 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.55 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Raymond James will post 9.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Raymond James Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 31st. Raymond Jamess dividend payout ratio is currently 22.13%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades RJF has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Raymond James in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Raymond James from $127.00 to $125.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on shares of Raymond James from $120.00 to $126.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 12th. Credit Suisse Group cut their target price on shares of Raymond James from $119.00 to $116.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of Raymond James from $148.00 to $125.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 4th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $119.43. Raymond James Company Profile (Get Rating) Raymond James Financial, Inc, a financial holding company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the underwriting, distribution, trading, and brokerage of equity and debt securities, and the sale of mutual funds and other investment products in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Private Client Group, Capital Markets, Asset Management, RJ Bank, and Other segments. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Raymond James Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Raymond James and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings Company Limited (OTCMKTS:SNYYF Get Rating) saw a large decline in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,395,900 shares, a decline of 26.4% from the March 31st total of 1,896,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2,791.8 days. Sany Heavy Equipment International Stock Performance Shares of SNYYF remained flat at $1.25 during trading hours on Friday. The firms 50 day moving average price is $1.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $1.01. Sany Heavy Equipment International has a fifty-two week low of $0.84 and a fifty-two week high of $1.27. Get Sany Heavy Equipment International alerts: Sany Heavy Equipment International Company Profile (Get Rating) Featured Articles Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings Co, Ltd. is an investment company, which engages in the manufacturing and sale of mining equipment, logistics equipment, robotic and smart mined products and spare parts, and the provision of related services in Mainland China. It operates through the Mining Equipment and Logistics Equipment segments. Receive News & Ratings for Sany Heavy Equipment International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sany Heavy Equipment International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SFL Co. Ltd. (NYSE:SFL Get Rating) saw unusually-high trading volume on Thursday . Approximately 1,738,727 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 106% from the previous sessions volume of 843,009 shares.The stock last traded at $8.97 and had previously closed at $8.89. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth SFL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. B. Riley boosted their price target on shares of SFL from $11.50 to $12.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. DNB Markets downgraded shares of SFL from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of SFL in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Get SFL alerts: SFL Stock Performance The firms 50 day moving average is $9.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.26 billion, a PE ratio of 5.72 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.28. SFL Increases Dividend SFL ( NYSE:SFL Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The shipping company reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.28 by ($0.01). SFL had a return on equity of 14.48% and a net margin of 30.25%. The business had revenue of $197.82 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $163.86 million. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were issued a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 10.56%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. This is a boost from SFLs previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. SFLs payout ratio is 60.38%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its holdings in SFL by 125.3% during the 1st quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 2,854 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 1,587 shares in the last quarter. Gradient Investments LLC grew its holdings in SFL by 14,365.4% during the 4th quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 3,761 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 3,735 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors grew its holdings in SFL by 58.5% during the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 4,256 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 1,570 shares in the last quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC acquired a new position in SFL during the 4th quarter worth approximately $79,000. Finally, EMC Capital Management acquired a new position in SFL during the 4th quarter worth approximately $82,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 31.18% of the companys stock. About SFL (Get Rating) SFL Corp. Ltd. engages in the ownership and operation of vessels and offshore related assets. It is also involved in the charter, purchase, and sale of assets. The firm operates through subsidiaries located in Bermuda, Cyprus, Malta, Liberia, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the Marshall Islands. The company was founded on October 10, 2003 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Read More Receive News & Ratings for SFL Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SFL and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shawcor (TSE:SCL Get Rating) had its price objective upped by BMO Capital Markets from C$13.00 to C$14.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. TD Securities reduced their target price on Shawcor from C$14.50 to C$12.50 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 10th. National Bank Financial restated an outperform overweight rating on shares of Shawcor in a research note on Friday, February 10th. ATB Capital upgraded Shawcor from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, March 10th. National Bankshares cut their price target on Shawcor from C$18.00 to C$17.50 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Finally, Cormark raised their price target on Shawcor from C$18.50 to C$21.75 in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$16.18. Get Shawcor alerts: Shawcor Stock Performance SCL stock opened at C$12.20 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 38.63. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is C$12.57 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$12.42. Shawcor has a twelve month low of C$4.44 and a twelve month high of C$14.91. The firm has a market cap of C$856.44 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -28.37, a PEG ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 2.36. About Shawcor Shawcor Ltd. operates as a material sciences company that serves the infrastructure, energy, and transportation markets worldwide. It operates through three segments: Composite Systems, Automotive and Industrial, and Pipeline and Pipe Services. The Composite Systems segment manufactures flexible composite and high density polyethylene pipes that are used for oil and gas gathering, water disposal, carbon dioxide injection pipelines, and other applications; fiberglass reinforced plastic underground storage tanks for the retail fuel, water and wastewater, and oil and gas markets; and tubular management services to the Western Canadian onshore oilfield market, including inventory management systems, mobile inspection, in-plant inspection and the refurbishment and rethreading of drill pipe, production tubing and casing, and tubular products. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Shawcor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Shawcor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shell Asset Management Co. decreased its holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM Get Rating) by 24.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 148,838 shares of the companys stock after selling 48,706 shares during the quarter. Shell Asset Management Co.s holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland were worth $13,820,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 29.4% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,524,033 shares of the companys stock valued at $524,856,000 after purchasing an additional 1,483,115 shares in the last quarter. Edmp Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 8,814.6% in the 4th quarter. Edmp Inc. now owns 560,907 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,041,000 after purchasing an additional 554,615 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 62,966,053 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,065,619,000 after purchasing an additional 522,009 shares in the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 38.7% in the 3rd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 1,555,762 shares of the companys stock valued at $125,162,000 after purchasing an additional 434,131 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 44,149,903 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,551,860,000 after purchasing an additional 385,172 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.23% of the companys stock. Get Archer-Daniels-Midland alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland in a report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued an outperform rating and a $100.00 price target for the company. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $98.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $105.00 to $99.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $114.00 to $116.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $94.00 to $85.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $100.78. Archer-Daniels-Midland Trading Up 0.1 % Shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland stock traded up $0.07 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $78.08. 3,474,652 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,434,483. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company has a twelve month low of $70.02 and a twelve month high of $98.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $79.34 and a 200 day simple moving average of $86.26. The company has a current ratio of 1.51, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE:ADM Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.71 by $0.38. The business had revenue of $24.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.09 billion. Archer-Daniels-Midland had a net margin of 4.36% and a return on equity of 18.39%. The companys revenue was up 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.90 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Archer-Daniels-Midland Company will post 6.78 EPS for the current year. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company Profile (Get Rating) Archer-Daniels-Midland Co engages in the production of oilseeds, corn, wheat, cocoa, and other agricultural commodities. It operates through the following segments: Ag Services and Oilseeds, Carbohydrate Solutions, Nutrition, and Other. The Ag Services and Oilseeds segment includes activities related to the origination, merchandising, transportation, and storage of agricultural raw materials, and the crushing and further processing of oilseeds such as soybeans and soft seeds cottonseed, sunflower seed, canola, rapeseed, and flaxseed into vegetable oils and protein meals. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Archer-Daniels-Midland Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Archer-Daniels-Midland and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China Eastern Airlines Co. Limited (OTCMKTS:CHEAF Get Rating) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,912,000 shares, a decrease of 26.4% from the March 31st total of 3,956,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently days. China Eastern Airlines Stock Performance Shares of OTCMKTS:CHEAF remained flat at $0.39 during trading on Friday. China Eastern Airlines has a 1 year low of $0.39 and a 1 year high of $0.39. Get China Eastern Airlines alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, HSBC upgraded China Eastern Airlines from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 3rd. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for China Eastern Airlines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Eastern Airlines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hong Kong: Treasury chief to depart for Korea Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui will depart for Incheon, Korea, on May 1 for the 56th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Mr Hui will meet ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa and the organisation's senior personnel on the sidelines of the meeting. Moreover, the treasury chief will have bilateral meetings with the top management of the central bank, the financial supervisory authority and an influential business association of Korea. He will also have exchange sessions with representatives from local banking and fintech industries. Mr Hui will return to Hong Kong on May 4. During his absence, Under Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Joseph Chan will be Acting Secretary. This story has been published on: 2023-04-29. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 29. From the very first to the last minutes of the Second Karabakh War, my dear brother President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was with us, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in his speech at the TEKNOFEST Aerospace and Technology Festival in Istanbul. Stating that President Erdogan's statements and messages expressed unequivocal support for Azerbaijan, the President of Azerbaijan said: He stated that Azerbaijan was not alone, that Turkiye was with Azerbaijan, and this gave us additional strength and morale. Corporate Office Properties Trust (NYSE:OFC Get Rating) saw a large decline in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,840,000 shares, a decline of 16.7% from the March 31st total of 3,410,000 shares. Approximately 2.5% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 757,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.7 days. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts have recently commented on OFC shares. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Corporate Office Properties Trust in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Corporate Office Properties Trust from $31.00 to $26.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. Get Corporate Office Properties Trust alerts: Corporate Office Properties Trust Price Performance Shares of Corporate Office Properties Trust stock traded up $0.67 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $22.89. 1,464,748 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 729,991. The stock has a market cap of $2.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.96 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 1.68. The firms fifty day moving average price is $23.75 and its 200-day moving average price is $25.48. Corporate Office Properties Trust has a 12 month low of $21.59 and a 12 month high of $28.69. Corporate Office Properties Trust Increases Dividend Institutional Investors Weigh In On Corporate Office Properties Trust The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 17th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.285 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. This is a positive change from Corporate Office Properties Trusts previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. This represents a $1.14 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.98%. Corporate Office Properties Trusts payout ratio is 74.51%. Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in shares of Corporate Office Properties Trust by 5.9% during the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 41,616 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $987,000 after purchasing an additional 2,332 shares during the last quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH grew its holdings in Corporate Office Properties Trust by 5.0% during the 1st quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 1,071,921 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $25,415,000 after acquiring an additional 51,305 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System grew its holdings in Corporate Office Properties Trust by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 32,575 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $772,000 after acquiring an additional 852 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in Corporate Office Properties Trust by 373.4% during the 1st quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 594,775 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $14,102,000 after acquiring an additional 469,143 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D grew its holdings in Corporate Office Properties Trust by 9.3% during the 1st quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 294,042 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $6,972,000 after acquiring an additional 25,000 shares during the last quarter. Corporate Office Properties Trust Company Profile (Get Rating) Corporate Office Properties Trust, Inc is a real estate investment trust. It acquires, develops, manages, sells, and leases out office properties and data centers. The firm operates through the following segments: Defense/Information Technology Locations, Regional Office, Wholesale Data Center, and Other. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Corporate Office Properties Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Corporate Office Properties Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Skechers U.S.A. (NYSE:SKX Get Rating) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $3.00-$3.20 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $2.99. The company issued revenue guidance of $7.90 billion-$8.10 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $8.00 billion. Skechers U.S.A. also updated its FY23 guidance to $3.00-3.20 EPS. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Skechers U.S.A. from $46.00 to $48.00 in a research report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Skechers U.S.A. from $56.00 to $57.00 in a report on Friday. Wedbush boosted their price target on Skechers U.S.A. from $54.00 to $58.00 in a report on Friday. Argus upgraded Skechers U.S.A. from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $50.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, January 6th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on Skechers U.S.A. from $69.00 to $60.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Skechers U.S.A. currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $57.50. Get Skechers U.S.A. alerts: Skechers U.S.A. Trading Up 6.7 % SKX traded up $3.32 during trading on Friday, hitting $53.19. The companys stock had a trading volume of 5,622,796 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,817,067. Skechers U.S.A. has a twelve month low of $31.28 and a twelve month high of $53.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 2.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $46.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $42.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.35 and a beta of 1.32. Insider Buying and Selling at Skechers U.S.A. Skechers U.S.A. ( NYSE:SKX Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The textile maker reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.38 by $0.10. Skechers U.S.A. had a return on equity of 9.94% and a net margin of 5.01%. The firm had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.77 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.43 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 13.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Skechers U.S.A. will post 2.93 EPS for the current year. In other Skechers U.S.A. news, CFO John M. Vandemore sold 13,255 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.16, for a total value of $598,595.80. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 95,956 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,333,372.96. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, CFO John M. Vandemore sold 13,255 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.16, for a total transaction of $598,595.80. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 95,956 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,333,372.96. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO David Weinberg sold 12,604 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.16, for a total value of $569,196.64. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 99,419 shares in the company, valued at $4,489,762.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 78,305 shares of company stock valued at $3,548,625. 24.44% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Skechers U.S.A. A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SKX. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Skechers U.S.A. by 10.8% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 16,901 shares of the textile makers stock worth $689,000 after purchasing an additional 1,654 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE raised its position in Skechers U.S.A. by 71.1% in the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,416 shares of the textile makers stock valued at $98,000 after buying an additional 1,004 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in Skechers U.S.A. by 11.5% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 6,413 shares of the textile makers stock valued at $260,000 after buying an additional 663 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in Skechers U.S.A. by 8.6% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 12,534 shares of the textile makers stock valued at $519,000 after buying an additional 990 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in Skechers U.S.A. by 34.4% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 87,839 shares of the textile makers stock valued at $3,580,000 after buying an additional 22,464 shares during the last quarter. 93.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Skechers U.S.A. Company Profile (Get Rating) Skechers U.SA, Inc engages in designing, development, and marketing of lifestyle footwear for men, women, and children of all ages. It operates through the Wholesale and Direct-to-Consumer segment. The Wholesale segment includes department stores, family shoe stores, specialty running, and sporting goods retailers. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Skechers U.S.A. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Skechers U.S.A. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Skechers U.S.A. (NYSE:SKX Get Rating) updated its second quarter 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $0.40-$0.50 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $0.74. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.85 billion-$1.90 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.98 billion. Skechers U.S.A. also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $3.00-$3.20 EPS. Skechers U.S.A. Stock Up 6.7 % Shares of SKX traded up $3.32 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $53.19. The companys stock had a trading volume of 5,623,092 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,757,403. Skechers U.S.A. has a 1 year low of $31.28 and a 1 year high of $53.39. The company has a market cap of $8.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.35 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 2.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The business has a fifty day moving average of $46.28 and a 200 day moving average of $43.11. Get Skechers U.S.A. alerts: Skechers U.S.A. (NYSE:SKX Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The textile maker reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.38 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.77 billion. Skechers U.S.A. had a return on equity of 10.91% and a net margin of 5.41%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 13.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.43 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Skechers U.S.A. will post 2.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Insiders Place Their Bets SKX has been the topic of several analyst reports. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Skechers U.S.A. from $69.00 to $60.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Argus upgraded shares of Skechers U.S.A. from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $50.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 6th. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Skechers U.S.A. from $47.00 to $52.00 in a report on Friday. Wedbush raised their price target on shares of Skechers U.S.A. from $54.00 to $58.00 in a report on Friday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Skechers U.S.A. from $56.00 to $57.00 in a research note on Friday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $57.50. In other Skechers U.S.A. news, President Michael Greenberg sold 15,756 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.16, for a total value of $711,540.96. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 387,030 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $17,478,274.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, President Michael Greenberg sold 15,756 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.16, for a total value of $711,540.96. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 387,030 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,478,274.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Mark A. Nason sold 14,270 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.03, for a total value of $656,848.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 22,096 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,017,078.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 78,305 shares of company stock valued at $3,548,625 over the last ninety days. 24.44% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Skechers U.S.A. A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in Skechers U.S.A. by 0.9% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 35,699 shares of the textile makers stock valued at $1,132,000 after acquiring an additional 312 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its holdings in shares of Skechers U.S.A. by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 67,138 shares of the textile makers stock worth $2,130,000 after buying an additional 529 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Skechers U.S.A. by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 211,587 shares of the textile makers stock worth $8,876,000 after buying an additional 571 shares in the last quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Skechers U.S.A. by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 24,106 shares of the textile makers stock worth $1,011,000 after buying an additional 606 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in Skechers U.S.A. by 88.9% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,360 shares of the textile makers stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 640 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.29% of the companys stock. About Skechers U.S.A. (Get Rating) Skechers U.SA, Inc engages in designing, development, and marketing of lifestyle footwear for men, women, and children of all ages. It operates through the Wholesale and Direct-to-Consumer segment. The Wholesale segment includes department stores, family shoe stores, specialty running, and sporting goods retailers. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Skechers U.S.A. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Skechers U.S.A. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Snap (NYSE:SNAP Get Rating) had its target price cut by Barclays from $15.00 to $11.00 in a research report report published on Friday morning, The Fly reports. SNAP has been the subject of several other reports. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Snap from $10.00 to $8.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price objective on shares of Snap from $12.00 to $11.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Susquehanna upped their price target on shares of Snap from $8.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. UBS Group cut shares of Snap from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $10.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, Credit Suisse Group reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $13.00 price target on shares of Snap in a research report on Thursday, March 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirty have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $11.69. Get Snap alerts: Snap Price Performance Snap stock opened at $8.71 on Friday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $10.60 and its 200-day moving average price is $10.18. Snap has a twelve month low of $7.33 and a twelve month high of $30.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 4.32 and a current ratio of 4.32. Insider Transactions at Snap Snap ( NYSE:SNAP Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 31st. The company reported ($0.08) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.10) by $0.02. Snap had a negative net margin of 30.89% and a negative return on equity of 32.66%. The firm had revenue of $1.30 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.30 billion. Analysts predict that Snap will post -0.73 earnings per share for the current year. In other Snap news, CAO Rebecca Morrow sold 5,617 shares of Snap stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.69, for a total transaction of $60,045.73. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 252,497 shares in the company, valued at $2,699,192.93. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, CAO Rebecca Morrow sold 5,617 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.69, for a total value of $60,045.73. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 252,497 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,699,192.93. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, General Counsel Michael J. Osullivan sold 13,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.15, for a total transaction of $131,950.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now directly owns 491,330 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,986,999.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 1,258,323 shares of company stock valued at $13,735,115. Corporate insiders own 22.68% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Snap A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Snap by 21.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 90,476,082 shares of the companys stock valued at $888,475,000 after buying an additional 16,046,220 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its stake in Snap by 55.7% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 21,895,177 shares of the companys stock valued at $215,011,000 after buying an additional 7,831,100 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its stake in Snap by 15.4% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 18,618,123 shares of the companys stock valued at $166,632,000 after buying an additional 2,478,397 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Snap by 95.8% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 17,811,242 shares of the companys stock valued at $641,028,000 after buying an additional 8,712,380 shares during the period. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in Snap by 25.0% in the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 10,774,200 shares of the companys stock valued at $96,429,000 after buying an additional 2,153,896 shares during the period. 43.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Snap (Get Rating) Snap, Inc operates as a camera company. Its flagship product, Snapchat, is a camera application that helps people communicate visually with friends and family through short videos and images called Snaps. The firms primary source of revenue is advertising. Snap was founded by Frank Reginald Brown IV, Evan Thomas Spiegel, and Robert C. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Snap Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Snap and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Southern (NYSE:SO Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $3.55-$3.65 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $3.61. Southern also updated its Q2 guidance to $0.75 EPS. Southern Stock Up 0.1 % NYSE SO traded up $0.04 during trading on Friday, reaching $73.55. 4,598,670 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,230,972. Southern has a fifty-two week low of $58.85 and a fifty-two week high of $80.57. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $68.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $67.83. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $80.28 billion, a PE ratio of 22.42, a P/E/G ratio of 5.03 and a beta of 0.51. Get Southern alerts: Southern (NYSE:SO Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.08. Southern had a return on equity of 11.73% and a net margin of 12.40%. The company had revenue of $6.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.14 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.97 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Southern will post 3.61 EPS for the current year. Southern Increases Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th will be paid a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.81%. This is an increase from Southerns previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th. Southerns dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 82.93%. Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Credit Suisse Group lifted their price objective on Southern from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on Southern from $79.00 to $78.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. VNET Group reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of Southern in a research note on Friday. Mizuho raised Southern from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the company from $72.00 to $77.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Southern from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Southern presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $73.14. Insider Transactions at Southern In related news, EVP Christopher Cummiskey sold 1,282 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.60, for a total transaction of $85,381.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 27,512 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,832,299.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Southern news, EVP Christopher Cummiskey sold 1,282 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.60, for a total value of $85,381.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 27,512 shares in the company, valued at $1,832,299.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.89, for a total value of $359,450.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 146,284 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,516,356.76. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 7,134 shares of company stock valued at $502,179 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.28% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southern A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Southern in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Compass Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Southern during the 4th quarter worth $54,000. Achmea Investment Management B.V. bought a new position in Southern during the 1st quarter worth $68,000. Certified Advisory Corp bought a new position in shares of Southern in the 1st quarter worth about $73,000. Finally, Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. bought a new position in shares of Southern in the 4th quarter worth about $77,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.78% of the companys stock. About Southern (Get Rating) The Southern Co is a holding company, which engages in the generation and sale of electricity. It operates through the following segments: Traditional Electric Operating Companies, Southern Power and Southern Company Gas. The Traditional Electric Operating Companies segment refers to vertically integrated utilities that own generation, transmission and distribution facilities, and supplies electric services in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi. Further Reading 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. Stellar AfricaGold Inc. (OTCMKTS:STLXF Get Rating) was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 14,300 shares, a decline of 15.9% from the March 31st total of 17,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 20.4 days. Stellar AfricaGold Price Performance Shares of STLXF stock remained flat at $0.04 during trading on Friday. Stellar AfricaGold has a 52 week low of $0.02 and a 52 week high of $0.06. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $0.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $0.03. Get Stellar AfricaGold alerts: Stellar AfricaGold Company Profile (Get Rating) Recommended Stories Stellar AfricaGold, Inc engages in the business of acquiring, exploring, and evaluating natural resource properties. It operates through Canada and Western Africa geographical segment. The company was founded on July 23, 1987 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. 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. Tenet Healthcare (NYSE:THC Get Rating) had its target price boosted by Stephens from $64.00 to $77.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. THC has been the subject of several other research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of Tenet Healthcare from $48.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, February 10th. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Tenet Healthcare from $74.00 to $84.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Tenet Healthcare from $59.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Tenet Healthcare from $73.00 to $84.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on shares of Tenet Healthcare in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. They set an overweight rating and a $73.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $75.59. Get Tenet Healthcare alerts: Tenet Healthcare Stock Up 1.9 % THC stock opened at $73.32 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.79, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.25. Tenet Healthcare has a 52-week low of $36.69 and a 52-week high of $76.37. The company has a 50-day moving average of $60.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of $52.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 2.17. Insider Activity at Tenet Healthcare Tenet Healthcare ( NYSE:THC Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $1.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.16 by $0.26. Tenet Healthcare had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 28.65%. The company had revenue of $5.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.93 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Tenet Healthcare will post 5.53 EPS for the current year. In related news, Director Tammy Romo sold 7,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.95, for a total value of $426,650.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 57,598 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,510,598.10. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Thomas W. Arnst sold 825 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.00, for a total value of $50,325.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 22,778 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,389,458. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Tammy Romo sold 7,000 shares of Tenet Healthcare stock in a transaction on Friday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.95, for a total transaction of $426,650.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 57,598 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,510,598.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of Tenet Healthcare Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can acquired a new stake in Tenet Healthcare during the 3rd quarter worth $3,585,000. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Tenet Healthcare by 343.6% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 361,810 shares of the companys stock worth $18,662,000 after purchasing an additional 280,250 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas boosted its position in shares of Tenet Healthcare by 147.2% during the third quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 40,953 shares of the companys stock worth $2,112,000 after purchasing an additional 24,383 shares in the last quarter. ETF Managers Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Tenet Healthcare during the third quarter worth $340,000. Finally, Pura Vida Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Tenet Healthcare during the third quarter worth $5,158,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.14% of the companys stock. Tenet Healthcare Company Profile (Get Rating) Tenet Healthcare Corp. engages in the provision of healthcare services. It operates through the following segments: Hospital Operations and Other, Ambulatory Care, and Conifer. The Hospital Operations and Other segment is composed of acute care hospitals, ancillary outpatient facilities, urgent care centers, micro hospitals and physician practices. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Tenet Healthcare Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tenet Healthcare and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. increased its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS Get Rating) by 2.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 22,005 shares of the transportation companys stock after buying an additional 581 shares during the period. United Parcel Service accounts for about 1.4% of Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd.s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd.s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $3,825,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tsfg LLC grew its holdings in United Parcel Service by 49.8% during the 4th quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 665 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $116,000 after acquiring an additional 221 shares in the last quarter. Fortem Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in United Parcel Service by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Fortem Financial Group LLC now owns 5,828 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $941,000 after acquiring an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 15,176 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $2,638,000 after buying an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zhang Financial LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 7.6% in the 4th quarter. Zhang Financial LLC now owns 2,202 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $383,000 after buying an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. 58.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get United Parcel Service alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other United Parcel Service news, insider Laura J. Lane sold 14,617 shares of United Parcel Service stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.16, for a total transaction of $2,604,164.72. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, CFO Brian Newman sold 19,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.46, for a total value of $3,466,740.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 11,677 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,130,585.42. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Laura J. Lane sold 14,617 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.16, for a total transaction of $2,604,164.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 54,341 shares of company stock valued at $9,848,061 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.12% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades United Parcel Service Trading Up 1.4 % A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Raymond James lowered their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $207.00 to $205.00 in a report on Wednesday. Wolfe Research raised shares of United Parcel Service from an underperform rating to a market perform rating in a report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a $181.00 price target on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Tuesday, January 31st. Credit Suisse Group set a $203.00 price target on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Thursday, March 23rd. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $196.00 to $198.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $193.58. UPS stock traded up $2.56 during trading on Friday, reaching $180.32. 1,197,087 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,185,722. The company has a current ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $186.54 and a 200-day moving average price of $180.25. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1 year low of $154.87 and a 1 year high of $209.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $154.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.09. United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The transportation company reported $2.20 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.01. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 10.90% and a return on equity of 57.68%. The company had revenue of $22.93 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.98 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.05 earnings per share. United Parcel Services quarterly revenue was down 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 11.05 earnings per share for the current year. United Parcel Service announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 31st that allows the company to buyback $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the transportation company to purchase up to 3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally an indication that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued. United Parcel Service Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 21st were paid a dividend of $1.62 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 17th. This is an increase from United Parcel Services previous quarterly dividend of $1.52. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.59%. United Parcel Services payout ratio is 52.43%. United Parcel Service Profile (Get Rating) United Parcel Service, Inc is a package delivery company, which engages in the provision of global supply chain management solutions. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Domestic Package, International Package, and Supply Chain Solutions. The U.S. Domestic Package segment includes time-definite delivery of letters, documents, and packages. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UPS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for United Parcel Service Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for United Parcel Service and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Taylor Wimpey plc (LON:TW Get Rating) have been assigned an average recommendation of Hold from the eight research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 130.20 ($1.63). Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Liberum Capital reissued a hold rating and set a GBX 125 ($1.56) target price on shares of Taylor Wimpey in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Berenberg Bank restated a hold rating and set a GBX 111 ($1.39) price objective on shares of Taylor Wimpey in a research note on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Taylor Wimpey to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Taylor Wimpey from GBX 120 ($1.50) to GBX 130 ($1.62) and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Taylor Wimpey to an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 31st. Get Taylor Wimpey alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other Taylor Wimpey news, insider Chris Carney sold 73,817 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 118 ($1.47), for a total transaction of 87,104.06 ($108,784.89). 0.97% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Taylor Wimpey Trading Up 1.9 % Taylor Wimpey Increases Dividend LON TW opened at GBX 128.20 ($1.60) on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.57, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 4.71. The company has a market capitalization of 4.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 698.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.99 and a beta of 1.79. The companys 50-day simple moving average is GBX 118.85 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 109.57. Taylor Wimpey has a one year low of GBX 80.64 ($1.01) and a one year high of GBX 133.65 ($1.67). The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 30th will be paid a GBX 4.78 ($0.06) dividend. This is a boost from Taylor Wimpeys previous dividend of $4.62. This represents a dividend yield of 4.04%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. Taylor Wimpeys payout ratio is currently 5,000.00%. Taylor Wimpey Company Profile (Get Rating) Taylor Wimpey plc operates a residential developer in the United Kingdom and Spain. It builds and delivers various homes and communities, including apartments to six-bedroom houses. Taylor Wimpey plc was founded in 1880 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. Moors & Cabot Inc. lifted its position in The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD Get Rating) (TSE:TD) by 1.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 29,608 shares of the banks stock after buying an additional 477 shares during the quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc.s holdings in Toronto-Dominion Bank were worth $2,270,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new stake in Toronto-Dominion Bank in the first quarter worth approximately $26,000. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 6.3% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 914,064 shares of the banks stock worth $72,595,000 after purchasing an additional 54,121 shares during the period. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank in the first quarter valued at approximately $200,000. Raymond James Trust N.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 9,868 shares of the banks stock worth $784,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the period. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers grew its stake in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 21.8% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 12,022 shares of the banks stock valued at $955,000 after buying an additional 2,154 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 49.22% of the companys stock. Get Toronto-Dominion Bank alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms have weighed in on TD. Desjardins boosted their target price on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$105.00 to C$106.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 7th. CIBC upgraded Toronto-Dominion Bank from a neutral rating to a sector outperform rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. StockNews.com began coverage on Toronto-Dominion Bank in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating for the company. Finally, Scotiabank upgraded shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Toronto-Dominion Bank has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $100.57. Toronto-Dominion Bank Stock Performance TD opened at $60.63 on Friday. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $61.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is $64.22. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The stock has a market cap of $110.96 billion, a PE ratio of 9.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.88. The Toronto-Dominion Bank has a 1 year low of $55.43 and a 1 year high of $77.15. Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD Get Rating) (TSE:TD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The bank reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $9.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.97 billion. Toronto-Dominion Bank had a net margin of 18.23% and a return on equity of 16.02%. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Toronto-Dominion Bank will post 6.57 EPS for the current year. Toronto-Dominion Bank Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.721 per share. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.76%. This is an increase from Toronto-Dominion Banks previous quarterly dividend of $0.71. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 5th. Toronto-Dominion Banks payout ratio is presently 44.87%. About Toronto-Dominion Bank (Get Rating) The Toronto-Dominion Bank engages in the provision of financial products and services. It operates through the following segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The Canadian Retail segment offers various financial products and services, as well as telephone, Internet, and mobile banking services. Read More 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 Get Rating) (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. TransAlta Co. (NYSE:TAC Get Rating) (TSE:TA) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, April 27th, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be given a dividend of 0.041 per share by the utilities provider on Saturday, July 1st. This represents a $0.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 31st. TransAlta has raised its dividend payment by an average of 21.0% annually over the last three years. TransAlta has a dividend payout ratio of 114.3% indicating that the company cannot currently cover its dividend with earnings alone and is relying on its balance sheet to cover its dividend payments. Equities analysts expect TransAlta to earn $0.47 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.16 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 34.0%. Get TransAlta alerts: TransAlta Trading Up 1.1 % NYSE TAC opened at $8.92 on Friday. TransAlta has a 12 month low of $7.55 and a 12 month high of $11.85. The company has a 50-day moving average of $8.53 and a 200-day moving average of $8.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.32, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 1.23. The company has a market cap of $2.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 446.00 and a beta of 1.06. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades TransAlta ( NYSE:TAC Get Rating ) (TSE:TA) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The utilities provider reported ($0.45) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.51 by ($0.96). The business had revenue of $629.08 million for the quarter. TransAlta had a return on equity of 0.08% and a net margin of 1.19%. As a group, equities analysts predict that TransAlta will post 0.72 earnings per share for the current year. Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Credit Suisse Group upgraded TransAlta from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of TransAlta from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Finally, National Bank Financial upgraded shares of TransAlta from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $16.10. Hedge Funds Weigh In On TransAlta A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in TransAlta by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 43,966,549 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $455,494,000 after acquiring an additional 812,221 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in TransAlta by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,954,446 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $70,238,000 after acquiring an additional 201,919 shares in the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its stake in TransAlta by 21.9% during the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 5,411,232 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $48,319,000 after acquiring an additional 971,592 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of TransAlta by 17.6% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,670,341 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $27,667,000 after buying an additional 399,141 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in TransAlta by 274.0% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 2,425,621 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $21,737,000 after purchasing an additional 1,777,039 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.37% of the companys stock. About TransAlta (Get Rating) TransAlta Corp. engages in the generation and distribution of electricity through wind, hydro, gas and coal power plants. It operates through the following business segments: Hydro, Wind and Solar, Gas, Energy Transition, Energy Marketing, and Corporate. The Hydro, Wind and Solar, Gas and Energy Transition business segments are responsible for operating and maintaining the companys electrical generation facilities in Canada, Australia, and the US. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for TransAlta Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TransAlta and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Treasure Coast Financial Planning reduced its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials ETF (NYSEARCA:RYF Get Rating) by 35.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 28,403 shares of the companys stock after selling 15,693 shares during the period. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials ETF comprises about 1.2% of Treasure Coast Financial Plannings investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Treasure Coast Financial Plannings holdings in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials ETF were worth $1,602,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. UBS Group AG lifted its holdings in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials ETF by 105.8% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 254,308 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,025,000 after purchasing an additional 130,761 shares during the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its holdings in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials ETF by 281.7% during the 4th quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 83,793 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,727,000 after purchasing an additional 61,840 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials ETF by 153.4% in the third quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 101,579 shares of the companys stock worth $5,203,000 after acquiring an additional 61,500 shares during the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. raised its stake in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials ETF by 47.6% in the first quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 80,968 shares of the companys stock worth $5,157,000 after acquiring an additional 26,120 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials ETF by 238.6% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 24,413 shares of the companys stock worth $1,555,000 after buying an additional 17,204 shares during the last quarter. Get Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials ETF alerts: Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials ETF Trading Up 1.4 % Shares of RYF traded up $0.70 on Friday, reaching $51.07. 47,442 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 47,982. The stock has a market capitalization of $334.00 million, a P/E ratio of 10.81 and a beta of 1.07. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $52.63 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $55.95. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials ETF has a 12 month low of $47.29 and a 12 month high of $62.37. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials ETF Company Profile The Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials ETF (RYF) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the S&P 500 Equal Weighted \u002F Financials index. The fund tracks an equal-weighted index of financial stocks pulled from the S&P 500. RYF was launched on Nov 1, 2006 and is managed by Invesco. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RYF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials ETF (NYSEARCA:RYF Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials 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 Financials ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM Get Rating) Investment analysts at KeyCorp issued their Q1 2023 EPS estimates for Waste Management in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, April 25th. KeyCorp analyst S. Eastman anticipates that the business services provider will earn $1.26 per share for the quarter. The consensus estimate for Waste Managements current full-year earnings is $6.00 per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Waste Managements Q2 2023 earnings at $1.48 EPS, Q3 2023 earnings at $1.68 EPS, Q4 2023 earnings at $1.59 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $6.01 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $6.64 EPS. Get Waste Management alerts: Waste Management (NYSE:WM Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The business services provider reported $1.31 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.29 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $4.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.86 billion. Waste Management had a net margin of 11.33% and a return on equity of 32.98%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.29 EPS. Waste Management Stock Up 2.7 % A number of other brokerages also recently commented on WM. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Waste Management from $183.00 to $180.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Waste Management from $158.00 to $167.00 in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Raymond James lowered their price objective on Waste Management from $167.00 to $166.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Waste Management from $179.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, UBS Group downgraded Waste Management from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $190.00 to $165.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $175.17. Shares of NYSE WM opened at $166.05 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12. The company has a 50-day moving average of $157.33 and a 200 day moving average of $157.86. Waste Management has a 12-month low of $138.89 and a 12-month high of $175.98. The stock has a market cap of $67.54 billion, a PE ratio of 29.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.73. Waste Management Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.70 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. This is an increase from Waste Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.69%. Waste Managements dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 51.95%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CFO Devina A. Rankin sold 6,800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $1,054,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 57,517 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,915,135. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Waste Management news, CFO Devina A. Rankin sold 200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $31,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 64,317 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,969,135. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Devina A. Rankin sold 6,800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $1,054,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 57,517 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,915,135. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 30,743 shares of company stock valued at $4,762,320 over the last three months. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of Waste Management A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Waste Management by 534.5% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 3,344 shares of the business services providers stock worth $530,000 after acquiring an additional 2,817 shares in the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL grew its holdings in Waste Management by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 53,067 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $8,411,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in Waste Management by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 358,624 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $56,842,000 after purchasing an additional 2,309 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd grew its holdings in Waste Management by 83.8% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 680 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $108,000 after purchasing an additional 310 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Waste Management by 44.8% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 33,030 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $5,234,000 after purchasing an additional 10,212 shares in the last quarter. 78.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Waste Management (Get Rating) Waste Management, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of waste management environmental services. It operates through the following segments: East Tier, West Tier, and Other. The East Tier segment consists of Eastern U.S., the Great Lakes Region, and Canada. The West Tier segment includes the upper Midwest region and British Columbia, Canada. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Waste Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Waste Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Xinyi Solar Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:XNYIF Get Rating) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,431,500 shares, an increase of 73.6% from the March 31st total of 2,552,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 19,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 223.8 days. Xinyi Solar Stock Performance XNYIF opened at $1.12 on Friday. Xinyi Solar has a twelve month low of $0.94 and a twelve month high of $1.86. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $1.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $1.13. Get Xinyi Solar alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Xinyi Solar from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. About Xinyi Solar Xinyi Solar Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, produces and sells solar glass products in the People's Republic of China, rest of Asia, North America, Europe, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Sales of Solar Glass and Solar Farm Business. The company offers photovoltaic power station, ultraclear patterned glasses, back glasses, and AR photovoltaic glasses. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Xinyi Solar Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Xinyi Solar and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Centre on Saturday rued that animal husbandry departments in state governments are not fully utilising central funds for development of this sector and urged them to spend money to implement projects. Addressing an event to mark the 'World Veterinary Day', Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala stressed on registration of birth and death of livestock for having a real time data. The 'World Veterinary Day' honours the veterinary profession every year on the last Saturday of April. Rupla said the government conducts 'Livestock Census' regularly, but there is no provision currently for registration of birth and death similar to human beings. "This is a shortcoming in the animal sector," he said, and stressed on addressing this gap. There should be some scientific way to count birth-death in livestock sector as real time data will benefit all stakeholder and help achieve higher growth, the minister said. Livestock Census covers all domesticated animals and its headcounts for total 16 species of animals including cattle and buffalo. As per the census 2019, the total livestock population stood at 536.76 million in the country. Speaking at the event, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Sanjeev Kumar Balyan highlighted that the budget allocation of this ministry has increased in the last few years. An outlay of Rs 12,500 crore has been announced for tackling foot and mouth disease and brucellosis, he added. "We (Centre) do not spend money. States do it. We provide funds to states for undertaking projects in this sector. Vaccination process is under the Centre and 100 per cent funded by the central government," Balyan said. "It's very unfortunate that in the last 2 years, animal husbandry departments in the states/UTs have not been able to utilise central funds. Every year, we have to surrender funds allocated under the central budget," Balyan said. The ministers and bureaucrats in state governments should see how to enhance the spending capacity for effective implementation of the programmes, Balyan said. Even in the last financial year, he said, the budget amount was not fully utilised. "States are not able to utilise funds despite repeated request," Balyan said. He lamented the inferiority complex among bureaucrats and ministers in state governments, who have been given charge of the animal husbandry department and attributed it as the reason for lack of enthusiasm to spend central funds. The minister said he is proud of being veterinary doctor and there should not be any inferiority complex. On sidelines of the event, Balyan said there is no dearth of fund and states should spend money for the growth of this important sector. Earlier, Rupala highlighted the importance of animal husbandry in India and said this profession must have started before farming activities. He noted that India is the largest milk producer in the world and the value of milk output is pegged at around Rs 9-9.5 lakh crore annually, higher than the values of wheat and rice combined. Talking about the challenges, Rupala said average productivity is still less and said efforts should be made to enhance it. He said new technologies like artificial insemination, IVF, semen sorting, embryo transfer and cloning of animals are being adopted in this sector but there is a need to scale up. Rupala said the Centre has sanctioned Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs), which will prove to be effective in successful use of these technologies. MVUs provide diagnosis treatment, vaccination, artificial insemination, minor surgical interventions, audio-visual aids and extension services to farmers/animal owners at their doorstep in far-flung area. The minister spoke about the huge business potential in this sector. He said pet care and animal feed businesses are growing at a fast pace. Rupala said the government is also working towards modernising fish markets and give experience to customers like shopping malls. Indian oil companies are yet to receive dividends worth $300 million to $400 million from Russia since the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022, a senior petroleum ministry official said. Indian companies including ONGC, Oil India, BPCL and Indian Oil have stakes in Russian oil and gas projects for which they have not received dividends due to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow. The government is negotiating a way to resolve the issue, the official said. The issue in payments of dividend to Indian companies arises due to the unavailability of banking channels after Russia was removed from the SWIFT global payment system by the US. Since the US and the EU has imposed sanctions on Moscow, Russia has become the one of the largest crude oil suppliers to India. The share of Russian crude in Indias oil import has risen from 0.2 percent in January 2022 to over 30 percent in March 2023. This comes as Russia is diverting the supply of its crude oil to Asian countries, especially India and China, and providing it at a discounted price. For the month of March, Russia was the top supplier of crude oil to India providing 1.64 million barrels per day (bpd), surpassing traditional suppliers such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *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 On April 27, 2023, the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police arrested Dharmesh Jain and Rajiv Jain, directors of Nirmal Lifestyle and prominent real estate developers based in the Mulund area of Mumbai. They have been held for failure in handing over possession to 34 homebuyers who had booked apartments in projects of Nirmal Lifestyle since 2011. However, this does not end here. The developer has allegedly defaulted on bank loans and premiums to be paid to BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation for real estate projects up to Rs 100 crore and also has insolvency proceedings ongoing at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Why did the Mumbai Police arrest the two Nirmal Lifestyle directors? According to Mumbai Police officials, the arrests have been made on the basis of the complaint received from 34 homebuyers in real estate projects named Olympia, Panorama and Spirit, etc. The homebuyers had made bookings since 2011 but neither got the possession nor the project came into existence. The police added that both Dharmesh and Rajeev Jain in connection to First Information Report filed in April 2022. Post the arrest, they were produced in the local court and remanded to police custody till May 3. How many homebuyers are stuck? According to Mumbai Police officials, the number of homebuyers who have not got possession of their apartments after booking them is more than 34. "We are investigating at least three complaints filed against the Jains, and will take further action accordingly," a police official said. A senior BJP leader from Mumbai who did not wish to be named said, "Roughly around at least 1,500 homebuyers are yet to get possession in different projects of the real estate firm. The developer must have collected Rs 300 crore to Rs 400 crore from these homebuyers. While a couple of stuck projects have been taken over and are being completed by other developers, there are close to a dozen projects that are still stuck and homebuyers are left in a lurch." What do homebuyers say about the arrests? According to homebuyers, their purpose is to not get the developers arrested and keep them in jail but they want the authorities to help or assist them to get possession of their dream homes. Pankaj Thadani, 35, booked a two-BHK apartment in 2011 in Nirmal Zircon for Rs 58 lakh, "Our purpose is not solved by the arrest, we are fighting for possession of dream homes that we booked and paid the developer for from our hard-earned money. We hope that not just arrest, the authorities also help the homebuyers in getting possession. We are not wanting or holding the developers to ransom but want them to just deliver the promises they made in our agreements." How much bank loans have the developers defaulted on? Not only homebuyers, but the real estate firm has also defaulted on loans from the Bank of Baroda (BoB), which earlier this year sealed one of the iconic assets owned by the Jains. BoBs stressed asset recovery branch took part-possession of one of the famous malls, Nirmal Lifestyle Mall, in the Mulund area on January 24. This followed the failure on the part of the Mall to repay a loan amount of Rs 161 crore. The bank had first issued a demand notice to Nirmal Mall and its Managing Director Dharmesh Jain to repay the amount within 60 days on December 6, 2019. The part-possession was carried out under the Sarfaesi (Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest) Act, 2002. Earlier, the creditors had also approached the NCLT against the firm, and the Jains have been settling the outstanding with the non-banking financial institutions. Are any of the Jains projects under insolvency proceedings? The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA), on April 26, published a list of 308 real estate projects undergoing insolvency proceedings at the NCLT in Maharashtra, of which 233 projects are in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Out of the 308 projects undergoing insolvency proceedings, around 30 projects are of Jains that were registered under the company named Nirmal Lifestyle Kalyan Private Limited. Which projects has Nirmal Developers built? Nirmal Developers is a prominent real estate developer from Mulund. The firm constructed several residential buildings and Nirmal Lifestyle Mall in Mulund, one of the few iconic malls that came up in Mumbai around 2005. However, soon the firm came into trouble owing to financial constraints. The firm has several projects around the MMR and possession to homebuyers is allegedly delayed. What went wrong? The stuck projects of Nirmal Lifestyle are mainly from the pre-Real Estate Regulatory Act period. Moneycontrol had published a series on India's most delayed realty projects, wherein Nirmal Lifestyle projects launched between 2005 and 2013 were featured. Around 800 homebuyers had made the bookings but are yet to get possession of their dream homes. A prominent developer of Mumbai close to the Jains not wishing to be named said, "Nirmal Lifestyle holds land banks in several localities of Mumbai, and the developer for quite a few years is trying to sort out the problems by leveraging on the land bank. However, the Jains are stuck because they are not able to monetise the land bank due to several hurdles." The BJP leader quoted above said, "The firm in the early days seems to have invested all the receivables from homebuyers in projects launched in Mulund and Kalyan in purchasing land parcels, but soon it turned out that the projects from which money was used for asset creation could not be constructed and delivered, and hence the problems now." Meanwhile, an email query sent to Nirmal Lifestyle did not elicit any response. However, in several interactions with Moneycontrol in the past, the developer had admitted to delay in possession and said they were trying to solve the problems of the homebuyers. India's scooter market will most likely transform into an all-electric one in the next two years, and in order to make that a reality, there has to be the right products at the right cost structures along with supply chain availability, said Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal. Today, Ola Electric is India's No. 1 EV company by revenue, bigger than even four-wheeler EV companies, says Aggarwal, who spoke with CNBC-TV18 on April 28 and discussed the electric vehicle (EV) scenario of India with a focus on Ola. From a cab-hailing service to a stalwart with 3 profitable businesses, Aggarwal says that Olas journey has been different from its startup peers. Today, Ola has three companies in the group. Ola Rideshare is the largest B2C in India that is very profitable. We are one of the few B2C companies to be profitable at scale in India. About four or five years ago, we started focusing on profits. As our business model is profitable, we were able to survive the COVID period. Then about three-and-a-half years ago, I started Ola Electric, he said. Interestingly, despite being in the market since January 2022, Ola's Electric vehicle (EV) sales have led the business segment to become India's No. 1 EV company by revenue, bigger than even four-wheeler EV companies, said Aggarwal, who started Ola Electric with the aim that all of Olas automobiles will be electric in four years. Also read: Purchase incentive scheme to promote electric vehicles, FAME, nowhere close to sales target To be different from peers in the EV segment, Aggarwal said that Ola designed a different, three-pronged business model, which includes two-wheelers, cars, and its own fundamental cell technology, which Aggarwal claims that no other OEM in India is currently building. We started off with the two-wheelers, a scooter market. It was clear that the first product, which will get mass adoption, is the scooter because of the urban nature of the product. But eventually, the grand vision says to make all mobility electric. And that's how the last one-and-a-half years played out. We're only in scooters and planning to launch a few more scooter products over the next two quarters, said Aggarwal. Ola is targeting to build a complete scooter portfolio for target customers ranging from premium to mid to mass, by August 15, 2023. Aggarwal expects this to be a forerunner to making the entire countrys two-wheelers electric. Though he admits this sounds aggressive, he emphasises that Ola is striving to convert all of Indias two-wheelers to electric by the end of 2025, with the help of technological innovations backed by its prowess in cell technology. We haven't done a JV for technology with anybody; we built our own technology, he said. Speaking about the developments of Olas cell business, Aggarwal said that the cell factory is under construction and will be ready by the end of this year, with an expected scale of 100gWh (which is as big as the worlds largest cell factory the LG cell factory in Poland). Commenting on its IPO plans, Aggarwal says that delaying the Ola IPO was not an issue as all three of its businesses are profitable. However, the company plans to get its ride-sharing business listed sometime next year. Mining mogul Anil Agarwal has said his Vedanta group has ample cash flow to service all its debt repayment obligations and that it aims to become a net zero debt company in 2-3 years. Agarwal said questions over Vedantas debt servicing ability are absolutely irrelevant as the group will make USD 9 billion of profits next year on revenue of USD 30 billion, which would be sufficient to meet all obligations. The comments by the former scrap metal trader turned industrialist come at a time when scrutiny of highly leveraged Indian conglomerates grows following a US short seller attack on the Adani group. We have the lowest debt in the world for a group of our size, Agarwal, founder, and chairman of Vedanta Resources, told PTI in an interview here. And the debt is a result of investing billions of dollars across businesses, he said. Total debt in the company is USD 13 billion. And we have a profit this year of USD 7 billion. Next year our revenue would be USD 30 billion and we will have USD 9 billion profit across the group. The cash flows are more than sufficient to meet debt servicing obligations. We are very comfortable, he said. We have never defaulted to make any payment. We always have a plan to make the payments. Earlier this week, Vedanta Resources Ltd, the parent company of Mumbai-listed mining giant Vedanta Ltd, said it has paid all its maturing loans and bonds due in this month to reduce its gross debt by a further USD 1 billion. Vedanta has now reduced debt by a total of USD 3 billion since it announced in February 2022 its intention to accelerate deleveraging. It had announced plans to reduce debt by USD 4 billion within 3 years, of which it has achieved 75 per cent of the committed reduction in 14 months. Agarwal said it is absolutely irrelevant to talk about the debt payment capability of the group. The group, whose business spans from zinc to silver, iron ore to aluminum and oil and gas, borrows the bare minimum, and we have enough cash flow to service that debt, he said. He went on to state that the group would be a net zero debt company in 2-3 years time. At the moment the plan is that in 2-3 years we will be a net zero debt company, he said hastening to add that the group may have to borrow in pursuit of its aggressive expansion plans. Diversified natural resources conglomerate plans building capacities in zinc, oil and gas, and aluminum businesses as it believes supply will remain a challenge in the commodities space in the medium term. The group, which has already invested USD 35 billion in the country so far, plans to become a USD 100-billion company by 2030. Vedanta is also foraying into the manufacturing of semiconductor and display fabs and signed an initial pact with Apple supplier Foxconn to set up a manufacturing facility in Gujarat. India is 100 per cent import-dependent for fabs and semiconductors with domestic consumption expected to cross USD 80 billion by 2026 and touch USD 110 billion by 2030. Yes 100 per cent within a maximum of 2-3 years time, we will be zero debt company. But we have to do a lot in India. We have to create semiconductors (factory), we have to create display glass (factory), we have to expand our copper (business), we have to expand our aluminum (business), we have to expand oil and gas (operations), this is important. At that point, we might have to take debt (but) we have no plan (as of now), he said. S&P Ratings on April 3 stated that Vedanta will likely have enough liquidity until December. US short-seller Hindenburg Researchs damning report on billionaire tycoon Gautam Adanis infrastructure conglomerate this year triggered a stock market routing that had erased about USD 145 billion in his groups market value at its lowest point. Adani group has denied all allegations by Hindenburg and is plotting a comeback strategy. Agarwal dismissed concerns about paying upcoming liabilities, stressing his commodities businesses were generating enough cash to service debt. Global executives from Citroen to including global brand CEO Thierry Koskas visited New Delhi recently to launch the French marques all-new C3 Aircross SUV in the subcontinent. Citroen, acknowledged for historical innovations since the 1960s that include the hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension, has been one of the last major foreign entrants in the Indian market but its keen focus on SUVs indicates it is taking aim at the sweet spot of a fast-growing market. Koskas told Moneycontrol exclusively that the company is evaluating the possibility of bringing in ethanol-compatible 'flex-fuel' engines; will double its number of dealerships; and could introduce a sedan here in the near future. Edited excerpts from the interaction: How has the ride here been so far and do you plan to expand your dealer network? India is becoming one of the biggest markets in the world. We launched, as you know, the C3 here, of which 9,000 vehicles have been sold since sales began (in July 2022), in line with our expectations. We want to have steady growth, ensure the profitability of the business of all the older dealers. And obviously, with the addition of one more vehicle and addition of many new dealers, we expect to see the volumes to grow We mean to double and then later triple the number of dealers and to have up to 100 before the end of the year (next calendar 2024). Will you launch a sub-4-metre compact car that is high on localization any time soon? At the moment, we have the C3 which is obviously a sub-4-metre hatch and the C3 Aircross which is above 4 metres, 4.3 metres. (But it plays at the top of the segment) Yeah, okay. But what we do not envisage is to enter into the below-4-metre SUV segment because what we want to do is to have a very roomy car, as you know, we will be able to offer a five-plus-two version on this car with seven seats. So no, no plan to enter into a sub-4-metre SUV. What about sedans? I cannot comment on that. But as you know, there will be, you know, we have a strategy with the 3 vehicles. So C3 is the first one, C3 Aircross is the second one. And the third one, I let you make a forecast on that, but that will be launched next year. But obviously, we will not make any specific announcement on that now. Part of the trick in cracking India is getting the culture right. Do you see that happening? Obviously, we can still improve things, but we are already doing that. So let me give you some concrete proof. Number one, the cars have been engineered, designed and obviously produced in India. So it's not like you take a European car and you try to introduce it in India. Also, all the marketing communication, and all the product features and so on, this is something that is not at all comparable with what you would have in Europe. Even today, we are launching the C3 Aircross in India and in Latin America, but the version that you have in Latin America is different. So I would say we have already Indianised, if I may say, a lot of our operations. You can say that we can always do better, and we can always do more, but I think that we have already been on that. I absolutely agree with the fact that you cannot succeed in India if you are not a purely India-based operation. Localisation and scale are the keys to getting the price right for the Indian market. How are you placed on both those factors? We are now at more than 90 percent localisation, which is absolutely, absolutely mandatory because we know how competitive the production is in India, so we want to localise at almost 100 percent. Maybe that will be complicated, to reach 100 percent. But we need to be as close as possible to 100 percent. Is India just another flag on the globe for you or is it a key focus market? It's absolutely a priority, not only for Citroen, but also for Stellantis (the Italian-American parent company that was formed by the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group in 2021) as a whole. Simply for two reasons. Number one, because it's one of the biggest markets in the world. I mean, if you say 3.5 million cars a year, it may soon be 5 million. That's the forecast. So you can imagine that with 5 million, there is only probably China or North America that are bigger. And that's it. So there is a huge interest for us to be present in India. Also, from an industrial point of view, that can be also an export base for components or for us, some carswe already export C3 in Asia and Africa countries. I'm glad that the Citroen brand was chosen to be the main brand to lead this. Being present in the Indian market, it's very challenging, but the opportunity is at the level of the challenge because if we succeed in India, it could be a great opportunity for the group. What is the plan on electric vehicles (EVs) here? We know that EVs will arrive at very different speeds according to the region. In Europe, by 2030 we are going full EV. North America is another one where probably half of the cars we sell by 2030 will be EV. I have the feeling that in India it could arrive quickly and probably more quickly than what we think because electric vehicles fit quite well. The usage that we have of cars, urban, suburban usage can go quickly. So if you look at the Indian market, the number of ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles will grow simply because the market will grow, but the share of electric vehicles will grow as quickly. And the strategy that we adopted for C3 is I think a smart one, which is to electrify an existing platform, because this is what enables you to have the quickest time to market, and we were very quick to be in six months between ICE and EV. This is what we managed to do. By the way, the strategy was the same as the strategy we adopted in Europe when starting EVs, we electrified existing cars. Now we are also developing a purely dedicated electric platform. I will not say that by switching to EV we lose all our advantages or whatever because the knowledge we accumulated on making cars, building platforms and so on, can also be used to make electric platforms. So that's the strategy. There's some talk about you bringing in cars with "flex-fuel" engines that are also compatible with ethanol-blended fuel. We are in markets in Latin America because this is where ethanol (vehicles running on ethanol-blended fuel) is mostly developed. By the way, we see a positive impact on the environment as well. So the cars that we are making over there are ethanol-compatible, and in other regions, we'll have to see. I don't know if there will be a new opportunity but we have the technology. We could bring it in if there is a market for it. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 29. I am very grateful to my brother Ilham for the houses we laid the foundations of in Kahramanmaras a little while ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech at the TEKNOFEST Aerospace and Technology Festival in Istanbul. Extending his appreciation to Azerbaijan for its support in eliminating the consequences of the earthquake in Turkiye, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: The state and people of Azerbaijan have shown the true meaning of friendship and brotherhood during this period. The state of Azerbaijan will build a town consisting of a thousand houses, schools, mosques and other infrastructure facilities in Kahramanmaras province, where the earthquake occurred. This residential complex is to be built and put into use within a year. This Earth Day (April 22, 2023), Rajasthan gained three new conservation reserves - Sorsan in Baran, Hamirgarh in Bhilwara and Khichan in Jodhpur. The grasslands in Sorsan have been the preferred habitat of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard, while Khichan is a winter home of the migratory demoiselle crane. Both areas, and their avian residents, have been facing several threats for years now, and wildlife activists and conservationists have been demanding that they be protected. The latest additions take the number of conservation reserves in the state to 26, and in the country to about 110. Also read: Earth Day 2023: Why summer air pollution is the new normal in India It also isnt the first such effort. Over the years, some amazing conservation projects have been initiated to preserve wildlife and have seen significant success in terms of recovery and increasing populations. Here are 10 remarkable ones: 1. Project Tiger Its a project that has put India on the global map in terms of species conservation. Kicked off in 1973, it was initiated with the focus to save the tiger, which was facing extinction at the time. Over the years, under the project, protections to the big cat have been strengthened, forests where they reside have been preserved and even expanded, locals have been sensitized towards them, and poaching and illegal trade of the species and their body parts have been banned. Today, the country is home to over 70 percent of the global wild tiger population and their numbers stand at 3,167. 2. Project Elephant In 1992, the government of India introduced Project Elephant with the goals to safeguard elephants, their habitat and migration routes, address problems of animal-human conflict, and ensure elephant welfare in captivity. It continues to be carried out in major elephant free range states. Thirty-one elephant reserves have also been established in the country to ensure the long-term survival of the endangered mammal. Today, more than 60 percent of wild Asian elephants can be found in India, with the 2017 census recording their population as 29,964. 3. Barasingha, Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh Once on the brink of extinction, the hard ground swamp deer (barasingha) has seen a revival at this famous tiger reserve. Rampant hunting, habitat loss and diseases had taken a toll on their numbers, which reduced to 66 in 1967. To help their population rebound, a host of conservation practices, including habitat improvement and captive breeding, began at the park. Now, it is estimated that over 1,000 barasingha roam free at Kanha. To further safeguard the species, 19 barasingha were also released into Bandhavgarh in March this year. 4. Indian bison, Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh The gaur (Indian bison) had disappeared from these forests in 1995. The species was reintroduced in 2011, after the Central government granted permission for translocation of bison from Kanha to Bandhavgarh. In January 2011, 19 bison were brought here. The reintroduced gaurs were monitored via ground tracking and satellite GPS fixes. Today, a stable population of the gaur resides within the park. 5. One-horned rhino, Kaziranga National Park, Assam As per the WWF, the recovery of the greater one-horned rhino is among the greatest conservation success stories in Asia. Kaziranga has played a major role in its comeback. Poaching, habitat loss and annual floods had decimated the rhino numbers in the state. To counter it, in 2019, the Special Rhino Protection Force was constituted to stem poaching at Kaziranga National Park. Rhino habitats have also been restored and a census is carried out every three years to keep track of their numbers. It has shown results. The 2022 census shows their numbers have increased to 2,613 in the park, and the year also saw no poaching incident in the state of Assam. Its steady population has prompted the IUCN to, over time, downgrade its status from endangered to vulnerable. 6. Olive ridley turtle, Rushikulya, Odisha They are the most abundant of all sea turtles in the world. Their numbers, however, are on the decline and they are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. One reason is that very few of their nesting sites remain in the world. Its what makes Odishas efforts towards their conservation critical. Three of the worlds six known major mass nesting beaches are here - at Gahirmatha, Devi River mouth and Rushikulya. To protect the species, a fishing ban is enforced for seven months in the sea corridor they use so that they don't get entangled in fishing nets or come under the propellers of trawlers. Human activity on the beaches where they nest is also restricted. It has helped. About 6.37 lakh olive ridley turtles have arrived for mass nesting at Rushikulya coast just this year, setting a new record for the beach in the Ganjam district. 7. Amur falcons, Manipur and Nagaland The start of the winter season brings the Amur falcon from Mongolia to northeast India in large numbers. The falcons travel 20,000-30,000 kms every year, making them the worlds longest travelling migratory birds. Despite being protected under both the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the Convention of Migratory Species, the Amur falcon used to be poached for consumption and trade every year. To counter it, penalties such as three years of imprisonment and steep fines have now been imposed for hunting, killing or selling the bird. A satellite tagging project developed by the Wildlife Institute of India and the Manipur forest department was also initiated in 2013 to further boost conservation efforts. It has resulted in Amur falcons returning Manipur and Nagaland, which have once again become safe bases for them. 8. Sarus crane, east Uttar Pradesh In 2013, a survey by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) showed there were about 700 sarus cranes in 10 districts of east Uttar Pradesh. Their population was dwindling due to electrocution by power supply lines, attacks by free ranging dogs, and food poisoning due to the consumption of pesticides that farmers used on their farms and neighbouring wetlands. Local communities, the Uttar Pradesh forest department and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra slowly banded together to improve their habitat, provide protections to wetlands and their nests, and shift to organic farming to save the state bird. Today, these districts alone are home to more than 2,500 birds, while their numbers have risen to 19,180 in the state, as per the 2022 census. 9. Lion, Gir National Park, Gujarat In 1913, their numbers had dropped to a mere 20. Hunting and encroachment led to their population shrinking. While efforts to save the lion started before Independence, it was in 1965 that the Indian Forest Service stepped in and set up a wildlife conservation programme. It made Gir a wildlife sanctuary. The participation of locals and the elaborate rescue operation by the forest department has meant that today, the Asiatic lion not only survives but thrives in the wild. As per the last census in 2020, 674 big cats now roam free in the park, making this conservation programme a roaring success. 10. Gharial, Gandak river, Bihar The fish-eating gharial was close to extinction in the Gandak, which is a transnational river between India and Nepal and a tributary of the Ganga. Sand bank erosion and hunting had depleted their numbers. It took the joint efforts of the local fishing community, conservation experts and administration to reverse the trend and save the critically endangered species. In 2014, the WTI and Bihar Forest Department jointly started the gharial reinforcement project in the Gandak. Captive born and reared gharials were released into the river. Nests were also protected with the help of locals. As a result, three surveys conducted between 2017 and 2018, show around 211 gharials of different age-groups being present in the river as compared to merely 15 recorded in 2010. The Supreme Court is, at present, hearing petitions by queer people demanding marriage equality. It makes for a triggering or interesting conversation depending on where youre on the sexuality spectrum. Its disappointing to put it mildly to watch and listen to the so-called learned and educated attorneys, against the motion, putting forth ignorance and insensitivity in their argument on the matters related to the lives of queer people. The Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, leading the pack, has already made a series of uninformed comments. Among his many eyeroll-worthy statements is a question he asked: what the + stands for in LGBTQIA+? His malformed understanding of the matter, arguing on how there exists only a biological man and biological woman, invited an explanation by the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, who said to him, theres no absolute concept of man or woman. Mr Mehta also said in the apex court that there are two different schools of thought when it comes to sexual orientation. Per him, it can be both innate and acquired. A basic homework would have armed the Solicitor General with information to argue well. To those sharing his world view, concepts of living a fulfilling life seem to be built on the erasure of queer people and their lived experiences. The ongoing Lesbian Visibility Week is, perhaps, a good opportunity to visibilise such experiences by celebrating five recently published books that spotlights stories of queer women: After Sappho (Picador, an imprint of Pan Macmillan) by Selby Wynn Schwartz Longlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize, After Sappho is a unique, experimentative work that draws from the life-experiences of queer-feminist icons. The vignettes that propel the story forward are full of anecdotes of love affairs, oppressive laws that governed womens bodies, and how lesbians back in the day lived, loved, and lost. A true representative of the kind of tale our generation needs rights now to heal and to feel belonged, After Sappho is an incredible feat that readers will remember and treasure for a long time. Footprints of a Queer History: Life-Stories from Gujarat (Yoda Press) by Maya Sharma Maya Sharma is a name that one can register immediately if one hears Gujarat and queerness in the same breath. She has been someone who has forever believed in spotlighting untold lesbian experiences from the underprivileged parts of the country when it was not even mainstream to do so. Footprints of a Queer History is a natural outcome of the decades of documentation of stories of lesbians and trans men. At once exhilarating and rewarding, the book underlines whats ailing society: the mindset that compels a group of people to think that they can and should control the right of the others to their own bodies and sexuality. Happy Endings (HarperCollins Publishers) by Minita Sanghvi Sanghvi has written an immensely entertaining book that pries open the hypocrisy of the Indian families and the movie industry that lead to the separation and reunion of a lesbian couple in this story. Written in an everyday language, she tries to make conversations regarding queerness accessible to the average reader a praiseworthy feat by all means. Additionally, the book premonitions marriage equality in India. Itd be interesting to see it materialise in the real world. Homeless: Growing Up Lesbian and Dyslexic in India (Yoda Press x Simon & Schuster) by K Vaishali Vaishalis memoir is unlike any piece of personal writing in the sense that it challenges the very mechanics of how such a narrative should be told, what should form the core of it, what should be avoided, and what can be carefully slipped in without making too much of it. It remains honest in its endeavour of documenting ones experiences as a lesbian and a dyslexic person throughout and constantly wrestles with the idea of home, making for an insightful read. Nightcrawling (Bloomsbury) by Leila Mottley Mottleys debut novel was also longlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize. Its an enthralling book that tells the story of a Black woman whos trying to hold pieces of herself and her family together in a structure thats designed to disintegrate them. Nightcrawlings principal arc is, however, based on the 2015 cover-up by the Oakland Police Department of the sexual exploitation of a young woman. What Mottley does in this work, using Kiara, the protagonist who walks the streets of Oakland at night when life leaves no choice for her to do anything, is that it creates an experience thats unforgettable and haunting by outlining her hunger, vulnerabilities, desires, and dreams. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday hinted that a meeting of opposition leaders may take place in Patna after the crucial Karnataka assembly polls were over as many would be busy electioneering there. The JD (U) supremo said issues related to forging opposition unity could be expected to be thrashed out at this meeting. "We will definitely sit together and discuss the issue pertaining to the formation of an alliance of opposition parties to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "Currently, some leaders are busy in the assembly poll (Karnataka). Once it is over, we will finalize the venue of our meeting. If Patna is unanimously decided as the next venue of the meeting of opposition leaders, it will be held here ," Kumar said. "We will be happy to organize this meeting in Patna," he added. It may be recalled that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after meeting Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, in Kolkata on April 24, had requested her counterpart to organise a meeting of all non-BJP parties in Patna to discuss opposition unity before the coming Lok Sabha elections. "I have made just one request to Nitish Kumar. Jayaprakash ji's movement started from Bihar. If we have an all-party meeting in Bihar, we can then decide where we have to go next," Banerjee had said after the meeting with Kumar in Kolkata. Kumar, acknowledging this friendly demand by Banerjee said "UnhoneMamta Banerjeeto Bola Hin Tha Patna mein meeting ke liye ( Mamata Banerjee had sought the meeting in Patna)." "We are making efforts to unite more and more parties in the country against the BJP-led central government. I recently met several opposition leaders. Now I will talk to other non BJP parties My aim is to unite opposition parties before the general elections," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka on April 29 and April 30 where he will address six public meetings and hold two roadshows. According to his itinerary, Modi will fly from Delhi on Saturday morning by a special aircraft to Bidar airport from where he will take a helicopter to Humnabad in Bidar district to address a public meeting at 11 am. After the meeting, he will fly to Vijayapura where he will address a public gathering at 1 pm. He would then fly to Kudachi in Belagavi district where he will address people at about 2.45 pm. Later, Modi would fly to Bengaluru in the evening to hold a road show in Bengaluru North. After staying in Bengaluru, he would then depart from Raj Bhavan on Sunday morning to fly to Kolar where he will address a public meeting at 11.30 am. From Kolar, the Prime Minister would then fly to Channapatna in Ramanagara district to address a public meeting at 1.30 pm. Modi would then go to the temple town of Belur in Hassan district where he will address people at 3.45 pm. The Prime Minister's next destination will be Mysuru the same evening, where he will hold a roadshow. After the event, he would fly from Mysuru to Delhi by the special aircraft. This is Modi's ninth visit to poll-bound Karnataka this year since February where Assembly elections to 224 seats are due on May 10. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *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 A former U.S. national security adviser called for deeper interaction between his country and Taiwan during a visit Saturday to the self-ruled island, which has seen increasing military threats from China. John Bolton, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2024, said at a pro-Taiwan independence event in Taipei that national security teams from both sides must develop contingency plans on how to respond to actions Beijing might take, warning it would be too late once an attack occurs. And we have to tell China and Russia what the consequences are if they take actions against Taiwan. Not just in the immediate response, but over the longer term, to basically excommunicate China from the international economic system if it did take military actions against Taiwan or attempt to throw a blockade around it," Bolton said. Bolton, former President Donald Trump's hawkish national security adviser, started his week-long trip to Taiwan on Wednesday. The visit reflects the importance of the island's democracy as an issue in the U.S. presidential election next year amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing. Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with the Communist Party in control of the mainland. The island has never been part of the Peoples Republic of China, but Beijing says it must unite with the mainland, by force if necessary. The U.S. remains Taiwans closest military and political ally, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between them. U.S. law requires Washington to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern, though it remains ambiguous over whether American forces would be dispatched to help defend the island. Bolton said the backlog of U.S. military sales to Taiwan is estimated to be $19 billion and it needs to be resolved. Part of that is a U.S. problem. Our defense industrial base is not as strong as it used to be. We need to improve that for global reasons, but particularly for Taiwan, he said. On Friday, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry said Chinas military flew 38 fighter jets and other warplanes near Taiwan. That was the biggest such flight display since the large military exercise in which it simulated sealing off the island after the sensitive April 5 meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. China opposes any exchanges at the official level between Taiwan and other governments. Later Friday, China's People's Liberation Army also issued a protest over the flight of a United States Navy P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft through the Taiwan Strait, calling it a provocation that the U.S. openly hyped up." But the U.S. 7th Fleet said Thursday's flight was in accordance with international law and demonstrates the United States commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Bolton is scheduled to join a banquet on Monday organized by the Formosan Association for Public Affairs, a pro-independence organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. Tsai will also attend the event. Sultan Al-Neyadi who hails from the United Arab Emirates has become the first Arab astronaut to walk in space as part of a space mission named 'Expedition 69'. The astronaut ventured out from the International Space Station (ISS) and completed his spacewalk. The spacewalk lasted 7.01 hours in the vacuum of space on the starboard side of the ISS' truss structure, accomplishing two key objectives. Prior to embarking on their spacewalk, Al-Neyadi and Bowen underwent a two-hour oxygen purge to eliminate nitrogen from their bodies. It took both Al-Neyadi and Bowen an additional hour to put on their spacesuits and safety gear before entering the airlock to gradually reduce the pressure to a safe level for opening the exterior hatch. Prior to the spacewalk, a thorough set of checks were conducted to ensure the safety of the astronauts. During their high-altitude walk outside the ISS, Al-Neyadi and Bowen had to contend with two major challenges: radiation and extreme temperatures. The surrounding environment in space can reach scorching temperatures of up to 120 degrees Celsius in the sunlight and drop as low as -150 degrees Celsius when the sun is out of sight. While the spacesuit is geared to handle all this, careful management of the suit during the mission was also a task at hand. Salem Humaid Al-Marri, Director General, Mohammed Bin Rashed Space Centre, commented on the spacewalk and talked about UAE's contribution to the global space community. "Sultan Al-Neyadi's spacewalk has generated an unprecedented level of excitement and interest within the public, underscoring the immense significance of this mission. This milestone achievement will play a critical role in restoring the International Space Station to its full operational capability, cementing the UAE's position as a leading contributor to the global space community," Al-Marri said. Al-Neyadi will soon be completing two months in space after launching from Cape Canaveral in Florida with his Crew-6 team members on March 2. The UAE Astronaut Programme is one of the projects managed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre under the UAE's National Space Programme and funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, which aims to support research and development in the ICT sector in the UAE and promote the country's integration on the global stage. (With inputs from PTI) Poonam Devi, a member of a self-help group in Uttar Pradesh who was rushed to a hospital after she went into labour pain while attending the Mann Ki Baat @100 Conclave here, gave birth to a baby boy. The 24-year-old woman had travelled to the national capital from Samaisa village near Lakhimpur Kheri as a special invitee as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mentioned her achievements in creating additional sources of income for women in one of the episodes of Mann Ki Baat, his monthly radio programme. On Wednesday afternoon, Poonam went into labour at Vigyan Bhawan and had to be rushed to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where she delivered a healthy baby boy. ''It was a normal delivery. The baby was born at 6:42 pm. It was an emotional moment for us to have our baby born in Delhi. We have decided to name him Aditya,'' said Poonam's husband Pramod Kumar. Kumar said that he was against the idea of travelling to the national capital for the conclave given his wife's advanced stage of pregnancy. ''But she was insistent on attending the conclave as it recognised and celebrated her work in the self-help group in the village,'' he said. Kumar, who is a farmer, has since returned to his village with his wife and the newborn. Poonam heads the Maa Saraswati Prerna Gram Sangathan, a self-help group in Samaisa village in Lakhimpur Kheri. The self-help group produces handbags, mats, and other items using fibre from banana stems, an initiative that provides an additional source of income for women in the village and also contributes to reducing waste. Poonam was among the 100 invitees whose names had been mentioned by the prime minister in his Mann Ki Baat episodes for their exceptional contribution to society. The day-long conclave was organized to celebrate the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat which is scheduled to be aired on Sunday. The conclave was inaugurated by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Railways Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw, and Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur were among those who addressed the conclave. A 47-year-old Indian-origin former CEO of a Silicon Valley technology company pleaded guilty to securities fraud for overstating revenue to investors, according to the Attorney's Office in the US state of California. Manish Lachwani, the former CEO and founder of a tech start-up, HeadSpin, pleaded guilty in San Francisco federal court on Thursday to two counts of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud charges for his scheme to dupe potential investors into supporting his company, according to a press release by the US Attorney's Office. Lachwani was arrested in August 2021 and charged with defrauding investors to the tune of $80 million by overstating the start-up's revenue and other key financial metrics. He founded HeadSpin in 2015 and served as its Chief Executive Officer until May 2020. The company provided clients with software tools and access to devices to test mobile applications, the press release said. Between April 2017 and April 2020, HeadSpin raised more than USD 100 million from investors over multiple rounds of fundraising, leading to a valuation of approximately $1.1 billion. According to his plea agreement, Lachwani admitted that he disseminated false and overstated revenue metrics to potential investors to lure investments into his company. Lachwani acknowledged that while the company was raising money, he provided prospective investors with information about the company's business, customers, revenue, and finances, the press release said. He also admitted to providing the investors with overstated revenue and inflated annual recurring revenue numbers, which are significant to investors and their decisions on whether to invest in the start-up. According to the press release, both the wire and securities fraud charges carry maximum penalties of 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000 and $5 million, respectively. In addition, as part of the sentence, Lachwani may be ordered to pay additional fines and to serve an additional term of supervised release after any prison sentence. Lachwani is currently released on bond, the press release said. US District Judge Breyer has scheduled Lachwani's sentencing hearing for September 27 2023, it added. Before he co-founded Headspin, Lachwani made a name for himself when he developed the first operating system for Amazon's tablet, the Kindle. He went on to help create Appurify, a mobile testing platform that Google bought in 2014, cbslocal.com reported. At a time when everything is awesome and epic, the word nice has fallen out of favour. It's been replaced by outstanding, excellent, wonderful and other such tiresome superlatives. For years, many have warned against the use of the word. Nice is simply too vanilla, they say. You should be more specific, they caution. It's just a filler, they emphasize. The etymology of the word would seem to bear them out. It comes from the Old French word nice which was derived from the Latin word nescius, which meant foolish" or ignorant. Over time, the word went through remarkable shifts in meaning. It could refer to being fussy, pleasant, and even fastidious (as in, a nice distinction). During the 18th century, the word acquired its current meaning of being decent or satisfactory. Thats the sense in which its largely been used ever since. Writers, especially, have been advised against using the adjective because it can be generic and vague. After all, a nice chair is certainly less descriptive than a leather-backed wooden chair. Jane Austen famously mocked the word in Northanger Abbey, during a scene in which when the naive Catherine Morland is told: and this is a very nice day, and we are taking a very nice walk, and you are two very nice young ladies. Oh, it is a very nice word, indeed! It does for everything. Yet, Austen used it at other times when the tonality was appropriate. For example, in Pride and Prejudice, we read: Mrs. Philips protested that they would have a nice comfortable noisy game of lottery tickets, and a little bit of hot supper afterwards. Shes not the only one. Almost all spiders are rather nice-looking, writes E.B. White in Charlottes Web. A short story by Scott Fitzgerald describes a residence as really the nicest smaller house in town. And Oscar Wilde, no less, has Lord Henry Wotton compliment Dorian Grey on his nice curly hair. Clearly, even writers known for their prose style use the word when necessary, whether sincerely or ironically. What it boils down to is that nice should be used when apt, as is the case with all other words. Theres no need to shun it altogether. That wouldnt be nice. So much for writers. Many others feel that nice can sound insincere and fake when used colloquially. Best to avoid it, they assert. What this point of view misses is that the word is often a necessary lubricant for social interactions. Nice to meet you, nice weather, a nice meal, and other such expressions are perfectly acceptable ways to be pleasant without spending time on specifying exactly what you find nice. After all, if you pass by an acquaintance on a morning walk, the last thing he expects to hear is: the weather is crisp, with a hint of the approaching freshness of spring. Such language is best left to those who write about wine. With the ubiquitous have a nice day, theres definitely a case to be made for that phrases overuse. Even so, those who replace it with have an excellent day and the like are best kept at a distance. Speaking of overuse, there certainly are limits to how much we should rely on nice. When its slapped on to every interaction or description, it loses its impact again, something you can say about almost every other word. Its a matter of judgement: there are times that call for being more specific. Come to think of it, one reason that the word is not in favour could well be societys insistence on the hustle. You can see this clearly in the expression, nice guys finish last and its ally, the stern and commanding no more Mr Nice Guy. From shock rocker Alice Cooper to family therapist Dr Robert Glover, many have touted the virtues of getting ahead by getting in touch with your alpha side. Of course, niceness shouldnt be a way to please all the people all the time. Theres merit in examining such an attitude when standing up for yourself, challenging the status quo, or dealing with bullies and other oppressors. Having said that, a lack of emphasis on being nice is what led thinkers like Hobbes to conclude that the condition of man is a condition of war against everyone. The word nice, then, privileges cooperation over competition. It acknowledges that were all in it together for the long run. It doesnt stand out: it blends in without being overly meek and self-sacrificing. Lets not shy away from using the word - and lets live up to its meaning. A recent conversation in a WhatApp group of close college friendsI am the only Bengali thereled me back to Feluda. Quite coincidentally, we were chatting about the iconic private detective created by Satyajit Ray on April 23, the 31st anniversary of Rays death. And May 2 is his 102nd birth anniversary. Feluda is possibly Indias most famous fictional sleuth. Every Bengali knows about him and the English translations of the stories are quite popular. Ray also made two Feluda filmsSonar Kella (The Golden Fortress) and Joi Baba Felunath (The Elephant God). Sonar Kella, often overlooked in weighty essays on Ray because it is a childrens film, is almost a miraculously perfect work of art. I know people who can neither understand a word of Bangla nor are avid cinema fans, but have watched it many times. So I borrowed the two volumes of Complete Feluda from my daughter. and started re-reading the stories. For the next four days, that is about all I did from morning till late night. The adventures of Pradosh Chandra Mitter, pet name Felu, are narrated by his teenage cousin Tapesh/ Topshe. In most of the novel-length stories, they are joined by Lalmohan Ganguly, bestselling author of outrageous action thrillers under the pen name Jatayu. The tales have three unique characteristics, one of them due to compulsion and the others by design. Ray was writing for adolescents, so he did not have the freedoms that all great mystery writers enjoyed. To write a whodunit while keeping in mind a young readership is not an easy task, because the stories have to be kept clean, he explained. No illicit love, no crime passionel, and only a modicum of violence. But he manoeuvred masterfully within this limited perimeter and no adult reader has ever cared about the absences. To make the stories connect with the audience, Ray identified two common Bengali traitsa passion for travel and a thirst for knowledge. Feluda travels a lotDarjeeling, Gangtok, Lucknow, Jaisalmer, Varanasi, Shimla, Kedarnathand Topshe provides vivid but precise descriptionsthe terrain, the spots to visit, the people, the history. So the stories give the reader much more than a standard whodunit. They evoke curiosity and trigger our visual imagination. Through Feluda and Topshe, we get a virtual tour of these faraway places which we may never be able to physically visit. Ask any tour guide in Jaisalmerhe will freely admit that Sonar Kella put what was a sleepy hamlet till the early 1970s on the global tourism map. The thirst for knowledge. Many of the novels begin with Feluda and Topshe just hanging around, waiting for the next case to present itself and Feluda talking about what he is currently reading. So the reader gets to know interesting stuffthe geometry of the universe, the theory that the pyramids in Egypt were built by extra-terrestrial beings, the weird similarities between the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. Even after the detective work has begun in full earnest, bits of trivia keep popping uplike, who was it that discovered that the fingerprints of every human being are unique, or little-known facts about various well-known landmarks. Again, the reader gets more than he had paid for and the chance to impress his friends with his newfound erudition. One hardly needs to be a Bengali to enjoy all this. The stories follow the British detective fiction tradition. Feluda, like his creator, is a great admirer of Sherlock Holmes and sees the brain as Mans most powerful weapon. Like Holmes, when figuring out a case, he often shuts himself off from the world for long periods. Holmes smoked a pipe and had a cocaine habit, at least for some time. Feluda smokes Charminar, a harsh unfiltered cigarette, to stimulate his brain cells. And like the resident of 221B Baker Street, he is often openly condescending towards his accomplices. Rays cinema is deeply rooted in a moral attitude, though when asked about it by his biographer Andrew Robinson, he said: I dont like to be too articulate about it because its all there in the films. One has to see the films and read them... I think its the business of the critic to form his own conclusions. I dont want to add footnotes to it. Im very unwilling to do that. The same is true for the Feluda stories. Holmes and Hercule Poirot solve cases. Feluda too does that, but his prime commitment is to a simple code of justice. He often refuses a fee because he sees his work as the duty of any good man. When faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, he mutters through clenched teeth that the wicked must be caught and punished. He is a hero in the classical sense, much more than his illustrious fictional predecessors. Though he sees nothing wrong with doing something illegal if it serves his greater purpose. Reading the stories again after three decades and with much wider exposure to the best detective fiction in the world, I found the plots quite satisfying. Of course, a few of them have gaping loopholes, but there are many with startling denouements. Some readers may even want to go back and re-read to check the clues that Ray/ Topshe had dropped casually on the way. For, as in all good detective stories, there are no details here that are not part of a complex jigsaw, whether it is a mans poor handwriting or the way a name is spelt. Agatha Christie would have thoroughly approved. There is an extra layer to the stories because everything is seen through the eyes of a teenager. Topshe is reasonably bright, very brave, and hero-worships Feluda. Yet it needs a lot of writing craft to maintain that tone of voice consistently in a narrativea voice that is entirely without artifice and still full of wonder about the world and all its inhabitants. Only a jaded adult would perhaps be able to fully appreciate what Ray achieved. It is quite a feat since its essence is an innocence and optimism that must also stay inconspicuous. But then, children have had a much more prominent role in Rays work than that of any other great film director. In many of his films, beginning right from the Apu TrilogyApu himself and later his son Kajalto his last film Agantuk (The Stranger), children have been the touchstone to discover all that is good about the world. There is more to this. When asked how he always managed to get such perfect performances out of all his child actors, he replied that this was because he never looked down on their knowledge and understanding of life. He spoke to them just as he would to any adult actor, and they always got it, he said. Finally, it is that profound sensibility that shines through all the Feluda stories, even as murders and other heinous crimes pile up, and makes them as enjoyable for any adult reader as for any 12-year-old. I cannot think of any other detective series which achieves this with such ease and grace, while serving up intricate puzzles to rack our brains over. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 29. On April 29, 2023, representatives of civil society and human rights organizations of Azerbaijan held a press conference in connection with the ongoing mine terror of Armenia against Azerbaijan and appealed to the international community, Trend reports. Declaring the press conference open, the chairman of the International Cooperation Center Azay Guliyev expressed deep concern over the death of three civilians in the Terter district on April 28, 2023 as a result of a mine explosion, expressed deep condolences to their families and loved ones. Azay Guliyev noted that the number of victims of Armenian mine terror is steadily growing, and after the 44-day Patriotic War, 301 people became victims of mines, of which 57 people died. "The main reason for the explosion of a mine in Terter is that Armenia does not provide accurate maps of minefields to Azerbaijan, does not comply with international conventions, as well as paragraph 6 of the tripartite agreement, grossly violates its obligations. Since August 2022, Armenia has transferred to Karabakh, using the Lachin road, more than 2,700 anti-personnel mines produced by it in 2021, that is, after the end of the war, and installed them on our territories. Its goal is to prevent the large-scale reconstruction and construction work carried out in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur in the post-conflict period, the civilian population working in these territories, as well as the return of internally displaced persons and their peaceful life on their lands," he said. He noted that the international community and leading states continue to turn a blind eye to Armenia's flagrant violation of international obligations, including its policy of targeted mine placement and, in particular, war crimes against the Azerbaijani civilian population. In order to build a more systematic, consistent and effective way of building further activities, the participants of the event decided to create a working group of 15 people. German ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann has criticised a cartoon that describes the existing railways system in India. The cartoon, which has been published on Der Spiegel, shows an overcrowded Indian train with passengers sitting on top of it holding the tricolour which is overtaking a modern Chinese bullet train running parallel to the train with two drivers inside. "In my personal opinion, the cartoon was neither funny nor appropriate. I would like to invite this cartoonist to come on a metro ride with me to Delhi. I think many metros in Germany are not as good as Delhi Metro and same for the train system. He should inquire a little more about India and know how state-of-the-art their railway system is," he told ANI. Also read: How German magazine's cartoon on India is actually a tribute to the country's uniqueness Union Minister for Minister of State in Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrashekhar responded to the tweet, suggesting that India as an economy had it in them to overtake Germany in a few years. Dear Cartoonist at @derspiegel Notwithstanding ur attmpt at mocking India, its not smart to bet against India under PM @narendramodi jiIn a few years Indias economy will be bigger than germany's#NewIndiapic.twitter.com/Evzooqfc2J Rajeev Chandrasekhar(@Rajeev_GoI) April 23, 2023 Also read: China's infringements along India's border violation of international order: German envoy USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *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 Imagine a situation when you experience constant buzzing in your ear and predictably go to a hospital to find out more and realise that there are spiders inside the ear!. Something on those lines happened to a woman in China, who visited a hospital complaining of pain in her ear and a constant buzzing sound. At first, the doctors at the Huidong County Peoples Hospital tried to identify if the woman tinnitus and conducted an endoscopy. But they found a false eardrum which was a web created by the spider. The arachnid rushed out and tried to attack the endoscopic tube. The doctors at the hospital were able to remove the spider safely. To the relief of everyone, the spider was non-poisonous and the woman had suffered minor damage to the ear canal. "The web made by this spider is very similar to the eardrum. When the ear endoscope first entered, nothing abnormal was found. But when you look closely, there seems to be something moving underneath. I pushed aside the spider web, it was about to flee, but it was finally taken out smoothly," Han Xinglong, the physician of the Department of Otolaryngology, told local media. The hospital issued a warning to individuals from removing foreign objects from their bodies on their own, which could cause injuries. The hospital also urged the public to take professional help under such as scenario. Also read: Viral video: Spider crawls out of woman's ear A disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops from eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) looks remote after a meeting on Thursday between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu. Singh candidly told Li that the entire basis of bilateral relations has eroded because of Chinas violation of existing agreements. The meeting of the two defence ministers took place in the background of a military stand-off between the two sides from May 2020, after Chinese soldiers unilaterally tried to violate the agreed status quo at the LAC, the informal border between the two sides. At their first meeting on Thursday, Singh decided to give a frank assessment of the prevailing situation at the border and how it has impacted Sino-Indian relations. Singh told Li that normal relations between the two countries cannot be expected unless the situation at the border also becomes normal. Li responded by saying that as major neighbours and important developing countries, China and India far have more common interests than differences. The Indian defence minister categorically conveyed to the visiting Chinese leader that development of relations between India and China is premised on the prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders. Li said that currently the situation on the China-India border was generally stable and the two sides have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels. He added that the two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalised management. According to the readout from the Indian side, Singh pointed out that disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation. The two ministers met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers meeting in New Delhi on April 27. This was Lis maiden trip to India. He was also the first Chinese defence minister to visit the country after the Galwan Valley clash at the border, between Indian and Chinese soldiers in May 2020, that left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead (the Indians feel the number of Chinese casualties was much higher than officially disclosed). India and China have both made a heavy deployment of troops along their border in eastern Ladakh since the military stand-off three years back. Singh also refused to discuss a new proposal on border management that Li carried. He said fresh proposals between the two sides were meaningless unless existing agreements were restored and honoured. Despite four rounds of disengagement from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A), and Hot Springs (PP-15), the Indian and Chinese armies each still have more than 50,000 troops and advanced weaponry deployed in the Ladakh theatre. The Indian and Chinese armies have held several rounds of talks, but problems at Depsang in the Daulat Beg Oldi sector, and at Charding Nullah Junction in Demchok sector, are still unresolved. Li felt the two sides should view bilateral relations and each other's development from a comprehensive, long-term, and strategic perspective, and jointly contribute wisdom and strength to world and regional peace and stability. The Chinese Defence Minister expressed hope that the two sides will work together to enhance mutual trust between the two militaries and contribute to the development of bilateral relations. A plain-speaking, tough line from Singh was expected after senior military officials of India and China failed to reach a breakthrough during their recent talks. On Sunday, ahead of the defence ministers meeting, senior Indian and Chinese military officials held another round of talks to defuse the situation in eastern Ladakh. There were reports that the Indian side pressed strongly for the disengagement of troops at Depsang and Charding Nullah Junction. Though the talks that began in the morning went on until late night, it failed to produce any positive outcome. This was certainly disappointing to the Indians on the eve of the meeting of the two defence ministers. Before Li, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang had visited India earlier this year for the G-20 foreign ministers' meeting. But soon after his visit, China decided to rename multiple places in Arunachal Pradesh to assert its claims to the region, which it claims as part of south Tibet. In December last year, troops from the two sides clashed in the Tawang region of Arunachal. At their meeting Singh and Li have agreed to maintain stability at the border. The Chinese defence minister is likely to share his assessment of the Indian mood and its approach to the prevailing situation at the LAC to the Chinese leadership on his return. But as the heavy deployment of troops continues without any sign of disengagement, the tension at the LAC is likely to prevail. The conflict between Sudan's army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has triggered a rush to extract foreign diplomats and citizens. Several countries have evacuated nationals by air, while some have gone via Port Sudan on the Red Sea, about 800 km (500 miles) by road from Khartoum. This is the status of some countries' efforts: EGYPT Egypt has evacuated a total of 6,399 Egyptians, 1,072 of whom were evacuated on Friday. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday some 16,000 people had crossed from Sudan to Egypt, including 14,000 Sudanese citizens. GERMANY As of Tuesday morning, a German evacuation mission had brought a total of 500 people from more than 30 countries to safety, including Belgian, British, Dutch, Jordanian and U.S. citizens as well as Germans. Berlin said its flights would end on Tuesday. FRANCE The French government said on Thursday that it had so far evacuated a total of 936 people from Sudan. The foreign ministry said those evacuated included not only French nationals but also Britons, Americans, Canadians, Ethiopians, Dutch, Italians and Swedes. The United Nations secretary-general thanked France for its "vital assistance" in transporting 400 UN personnel and their dependents out of Sudan. The French Navy carried 350 from Port Sudan to Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night, while more than 70 were flown aboard a French Air Force transport plane to N'Djamena in Chad from El Fasher in Sudan on Thursday. ITALY Italian military planes flying from Djibouti evacuated 83 Italians and 13 others, including children and the Italian ambassador. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said some Italian NGO workers and missionaries had decided to stay in Sudan, while 19 others had been taken to Egypt. BRITAIN Britain said it had begun a "large-scale" evacuation of its nationals on Tuesday, with priority given to families with children, the elderly and the infirm. It had evacuated 897 people on eight UK flights as of 1500 GMT on Thursday with more flights to come. The government estimated there were about 4,000 Britons in Sudan. It evacuated its diplomats and their families on Saturday. Cyprus said it had activated a humanitarian rescue mechanism at Britain's request to let third countries use it for reception and repatriation of foreign citizens evacuated from Sudan. Cyprus is home to two large British military bases. NETHERLANDS About 100 Dutch nationals have been evacuated from Sudan since Sunday, Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said. Half left on four Dutch evacuation flights to Jordan, which also carried about 70 people from 14 other countries. The Netherlands aims to evacuate a total of around 150 Dutch nationals and has supplied two military planes to the international effort, which are also available for other nationalities. UNITED STATES U.S. forces evacuated American and some foreign diplomats on April 22. Washington said on Monday that several dozen Americans were travelling overland in a U.N.-led convoy to Port Sudan, and that dozens more had expressed an interest in leaving. It said it was positioning naval assets to assist evacuations if necessary. RUSSIA Russia has not yet announced any evacuation of its embassy or its nationals from Khartoum. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russians in Sudan were in close contact with Moscow. JAPAN All Japanese people who wished to leave have been evacuated, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. SWITZERLAND Switzerland has shut its embassy and evacuated all Swiss staff and their families. CHINA China said most Chinese nationals have been safely evacuated in groups to neighbouring countries. The defence ministry deployed naval ships to pick up and evacuate citizens on Wednesday. The foreign ministry said between Tuesday and Thursday, nearly 800 people were transferred by sea and more than 300 travelled to neighbouring countries by land. There have been no casualty reports so far, the ministry said. The Chinese consulate-general in Jeddah issued a notice on Wednesday advising citizens who planned to evacuate to Saudi Arabia to enter through the Jeddah Islamic Port. INDIA More than 1,200 Indians evacuated from Sudan had arrived in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia as of Thursday, and would soon be repatriated to India, the country's junior foreign minister V. Muraleedharan said. INDONESIA Out of 900 Indonesians who have been evacuated from Sudan, nearly 400 arrived back in Indonesia on Friday morning, the foreign ministry said. CANADA Canada conducted its first evacuation operation in Sudan on Thursday, airlifting over 100 people, including Canadians and other nationals, on two flights from the war-torn North African country, senior government officials said. Canada would deploy about 200 troops to coordinate evacuations from war-torn Sudan, Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand said on Wednesday. About 180 Canadians had already been evacuated with the help of other countries. There are about 1,800 Canadians in Sudan, out of which about 700 have requested assistance from the foreign ministry, according to the Canadian government. UKRAINE Ukraine said it had rescued 87 of its citizens most of them pilots, aircraft technicians and their families among a total of 138 civilians, who also included citizens of Georgia and Peru. KENYA Kenya's foreign affairs ministry said on Thursday the government had evacuated 342 people who arrived in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia from Port Sudan. SOUTH AFRICA South Africa said it expected the last 12 of its nationals known to be in Sudan to have left on Tuesday. IRAN Iran's foreign minister said on Saturday 65 Iranian citizens had left from Port Sudan, through Jeddah, to Iran. France and India are preparing for a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Paris after President Emmanuel Macron invited him to be the guest of honor at Frances National Day parade on July 14, officials familiar with the matter said. The invitation reflects booming business and military bilateral ties as well as Indias strategic importance as the worlds most populated country and the current leader of the Group of 20 nations, according to the officials who are not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Attending Bastille Day, named after the fall of a fortress that symbolized the French revolution of 1789, is a rare privilege for Frances closest allies. The celebration in Paris typically includes a military parade on the Champs Elysees avenue and air force jets flying over the capital. Previous foreign guests include former US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Macron is expected to visit India in September. The French presidency and Indias ministry of external affairs both declined to comment. Macron has sought to deepen political and business ties with developing countries in a bid to cast Europe as a stronger partner than China. France is preparing a global summit in June to propose a more effective and fairer cooperation between rich and developing nations. The French leader has also tried to build a global coalition to hold Russia accountable for its invasion of Ukraine. On a recent visit to China, Macron said Beijing can play a major role in Ukraine while adding that he opposes decoupling with the worlds second-biggest economy, distancing himself from the USs hawkish stance. Differences But Frances outreach to China clashes with Indias tense relations with Beijing. A border dispute between the two Asian giants has occasionally led to deadly skirmishes. India and the US, along with Japan and Australia, are members of the so called Quad grouping seen as a counter to Chinas growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. Beijing has criticized the group as a clique that could stoke a new Cold War. Macron and Modi also disagree on the war in Ukraine. India has rejected Western pressure to condemn Russias invasion of its neighbor and has kept close ties with Moscow. Flying High | French aircraft sales to India bolster bilateral trade ties Differences between Paris and New Delhi wont prevent deepening ties, officials said. India has already purchased 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. French-owned shipbuilder Naval Group has helped build six submarines in India through a transfer of technology and the company could be eyeing more such deals, people said. Total goods trade between France and India approached $15.8 billion in 2022, a 6% increase from the previous year. Top French exports to India include aircraft, telecommunications equipment and turbojets. In February, Air India Ltd. agreed to purchase 250 commercial airplanes from Airbus S BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 29. Azerbaijan's defense ministry has refuted the information spread by Armenia. "We categorically refute the information of the Armenian Ministry of Defense about the wounding of an Armenian serviceman in the direction of the settlement of Dyg on April 29 at around 18:05, allegedly as a result of fire opened by the Azerbaijani side," said the ministry. April 29, 2023 The Last Hurrah ZubuBrothers has a piece that reports about a talk given by the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces General Rajmund Andrzejczak: Andrzejczak said that the situation doesnt look good for Kiev at all when considering the economic dynamics of this conflict, with him drawing particular attention to finance, infrastructure issues, social issues, technology, and food production, et al. From this vantage point, he predicts that Russia can continue conducting its special operation for 1-2 more years before it begins to feel any structural pressure to curtail its activities. By contrast, Kiev is burning through tens of billions of dollars worth of aid, yet it still remains very far away from achieving its maximum objectives. Andrzejczak candidly said that Polands Western partners arent properly assessing the challenges that stand in the way of Ukraines victory, including those connected to the race of logistics/war of attrition that the NATO chief declared in mid-February. Another serious problems concerns refugees unwillingness to return to their homeland anytime soon. ... As Andrzejczak himself admitted, We just dont have ammunition. The industry is not ready not only to send equipment to Ukraine, but also to replenish our stocks, which are melting. Considering that Poland is Ukraines third most important patron behind the Anglo-American Axis, this strongly suggests that all other NATO members are struggling just as much as it is to keep up the pace, scale, and scope of support, if not more since many are a lot smaller and thus less capable of contributing in this respect. Accordingly, this observation means that Kievs upcoming counteroffensive will likely be its last hurrah prior to resuming peace talks with Russia since the West wont be able to keep up its assistance for much longer. Andrzejczak seems keenly aware of this politically inconvenient fact, hence why he wants his side to give its proxies as much as possible until the end of that operation in the hopes that they can then be in a comparatively more advantageous position by the time these talks recommence. I agree with the General's analysis. bigger Bakhmut/Aryomovsk is to 90% under Russian control and the rest will be captured during the next few days. Ukrainian losses in the city must have been huge. The Ukrainian troops who try to escape from the city immediately come under artillery fire. The latest daily Russian clobber report counts 575 'enemy losses' in Bakhmut over the last 24 hours for a total of 815 along the whole frontline. This is the largest number reported over the last two months. Holding onto the city at all cost was in my view the wrong decision. A more mobile defense would have cost more land but also would have had much fewer losses than occurred in those static positions under strong artillery fire. As Ukraine is geographically big but has relative few mobilizable soldiers it would have been better to trade land its for time and not its soldiers. The defense of the lowland city cost the Ukrainian army dearly as it eroded its material and human reserves. Those will be missing to patch the holes in the front line when that long announced 'last hurrah' counteroffensive fails to make any serious gains. Posted by b on April 29, 2023 at 16:37 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 29. Images Azerbaijan's Tartar district, where 3 people were killed by a mine explosion, has been released, Trend reports. On April 28, as a result of the explosion of a mine in the Tartar, Nadir Yusifov (born in 1982), Sahavat Gozalov (born in 1981) and Farid Sadiyev (born in 1996), who collaborated with the RPS Energy Ltd company, which supplies independent oil and gas evaluations, seismic offshore operations, and offshore exploration, were killed. Since the signing of the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020 by Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia on the transfer of detainees and up to today, a total of 298 people, including military personnel and civilians, have become victims of mines as a result of the explosion of mines laid by the Armenian armed forces, 54 of them were killed, 244 people were injured of varying severity. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate It is not a great weather day, but it is a great day for the Permian Basin. That is how state Rep. Tom Craddick started his conversation inside a packed Rea-Greathouse Recital Hall at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center while gusts topped out at 48 mph Friday. The Midland Republican worked with Dade Phelan, speaker of the Texas House, state Rep. Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa), hospital leaders in both Midland and Odessa, foundation leaders in the area and other state leaders to develop an idea that would become the Permian Basin Behavorial Health Center. On Friday, community leaders, health care officials and elected leaders from Midland-Odessa joined Texas Facilities Commission officials to break ground on the facility that promises to change the treatment of mental health care in the region. Background The Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center received $40 million in funding in October 2021 from the State of Texas. The balance of the funds needed to complete the facility is being raised within the community. The 100-bed facility, which is currently in design, will be located between Midland and Odessa, on 54 acres donated by Diamondback Energy adjacent to the University of Texas Permian Basins Midland campus. The current estimate of the total project cost has increased to $120 million, according to an update earlier this spring provided by Craddicks Office. To date, the states $40 million appropriation has been supplemented by $45.3 million in contributions and confirmed pledges, leaving a balance of about $35 million to be raised locally. While fundraising efforts are still underway, indications are that sufficient local philanthropic support will be available to fully fund the project. A different center Craddick made it a point to mention how the Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center is a game-changer, because while its construction will fall under the capable hands of the Texas Facilities Commission, it will be turned over as a private facility under the direction of health care leaders in Midland and Odessa. A landmark project started something that is unbelievable, said Craddick, who has seen it all having served in the Texas House since 1969. People are looking at us as the model. Craddick said lawmakers around Texas and beyond have asked him about how Midland-Odessa was able to put a project like this together. He said more facilities will be needed to handle the 500,000 Texans that live with severe mental illness. In March Craddicks office said there is a new funding request for a 100-bed expansion and annual operating cost support from the State of Texas. A long time coming Former Midland Health CEO Russell Meyers is transitioning into a developmental role with the Midland Memorial Foundation. One area of focus is completion of the Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center. He told those in attendance Friday that the packed house speaks to importance of the ground-breaking and building of the center. He recalled conversations that included Midland Memorial Foundation and Meadows Foundation officials eight years ago. He also thanked philanthropic leaders like the Scharbauer Foundation, FMH Foundation, Beal Foundation, Permian Strategic Partnership and Diamondback Energy for stepping up with resources to make the Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center a reality. There is more work to do on that front, he added. He said the facility will be helped by Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center mental health experts already in Midland and officials from PermiaCare. This thing is going to happen, and it will be transformative to this region, Meyers said. There are reports US President Joe Biden may stop off in Papua New Guinea to meet with Pacific leaders as he travels from Japan to Australia next month, though the White House has not responded to Reuters requests for comment on the plans. Costa Rica has emerged as a leading destination for nearshore software outsourcing in recent years. With a highly educated workforce, a stable political climate, and a business-friendly environment, Costa Rica has become an attractive option for companies looking to outsource their software development needs. Here are five of the top key advantages of nearshore software outsourcing in Costa Rica: 5 Reasons Costa Rica Is Perfect For Software Outsourcing 1. Proximity And Time Zone Costa Rica is located just a few hours away from the United States, making it easy for companies to communicate with their outsourcing partners in real-time. Additionally, Costa Rica operates in the Central Time Zone, which is just one hour behind the Eastern Time Zone in large countries like the US, Canada, and Mexico. This makes it easy for companies to coordinate with their outsourcing partners during regular business hours. 2. Highly Educated Workforce Costa Rica has a strong focus on education, with a literacy rate of nearly 98%. Additionally, the country has a number of world-class universities, producing a large pool of highly skilled professionals in various fields, including software development. 3. Stable Political And Economic Climate Costa Rica has a stable political environment and a growing economy. The country has a long history of political stability and has been ranked as one of the most politically stable countries in Latin America. 4. Business-Friendly Environment Costa Rica has implemented a number of measures to attract foreign investment, including tax incentives, streamlined bureaucracy, and a favorable regulatory environment. This has made it easy for companies to do business in the country and has contributed to its growing reputation as a hub for nearshore software outsourcing. 5. Cultural Fit Costa Rica has a culture that is similar to that of the US and Europe, which makes it easy for companies to work with outsourcing partners in the country. Additionally, most Costa Ricans speak English fluently, which eliminates the language barrier that can be a challenge when outsourcing to other countries. Costa Rican Conclusion SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, April 29. Azerbaijani eco-activists have planted trees in the temporarily suspended peaceful protest area on Lachin-Khankendi road, Trend reports from the scene. The eco-activists are cleaning up the area. The peaceful protest of the eco-activists was temporarily suspended on April 28, 2023, at 18:00 (GMT+4). Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Shusha district Aydin Karimov met with a group of eco-activists of the 138-day peaceful protest organized on the Lachin-Khankendi road on April 28. During the meeting, Aydin Karimov proposed stopping the peaceful protest, as a border checkpoint was installed by the units of the State Border Service on the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, on the border with Armenia, at the starting point of the Lachin-Khankendi road on April 23. Following the discussions, the representatives of the non-governmental organizations, eco-activists and young volunteers adopted a statement, saying they temporarily suspend the peaceful protest on April 28, 2023 from 18:00 pm. We declare that our requirements to the command of the peacekeeping contingent to stop the illegal exploitation of mineral deposits in the territories of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed, and to ensure the environmental monitoring and other consequences remain in force, and if these requirements are not fulfilled, we will resume the peaceful protest, the statement emphasized. Although some groups have resumed meetings, others schedules may have changed because of pandemic restrictions. It is recommended you contact the group in advance to verify details. Any changes in meeting schedules can be emailed to JJCsocial@myjournalcourier.com. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS 217-370-4002 Jacksonville locations: First Baptist Church, 1701 Mound Ave. Wheelchair-accessible. Club HOW, 638 S. Church St. Monday Closed discussion, 7:30 a.m. at Club HOW. Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW. Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church. Bowen Group. Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. Tuesday Open discussion, noon at Club HOW. Womens open meeting, 5:30 p.m., First Christian Churchs Fireside Room. VIRGINIA: Closed discussion, 7 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, Main and Washington streets. ROODHOUSE: Closed discussion, 12-step/12 traditions, 8 p.m. at Grace Center, 114 W. Palm St. Wednesday Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW. Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. Thursday Closed discussion, 7:30 a.m. at Club HOW. Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW. Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. Newcomers Group. Friday Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW. TGIF Group. Closed discussion, 5:15 p.m., Big Book Study at Club HOW. VIRGINIA: Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at United Methodist Church, 401 E. Broadway Ave. Saturday Open speaker, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. Open meeting, noon at Club HOW. Sunday Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. 12 & 12 Group. Closed discussion, 10 a.m. at Club HOW. (Second Sunday is open) SPRINGFIELD: AA for Women, 10 a.m. at Discovery Club, 313 W. Cook St. AL-ANON Meetings are nonsmoking and open to anyone. The only requirement is that there be a problem of alcohol with a loved one or friend. 217-248-6434. Wednesday Al-Anon, 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Centenary United Methodist Church, 331 E. State St. (use Morgan Street entrance). NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS All meetings are nonsmoking. Not affiliated with any religious organization. Jacksonville location: Christ Lutheran Church for the Deaf, 104 Finley St. (enter through back door). 217-883-1975. Monday Open discussion group, 7 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church for the Deaf. Wednesday Open discussion group, 8 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church for the Deaf. Friday Open discussion group, 7:30 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church for the Deaf. OTHER MEETINGS Monday Addicts Victorious, 7-8 p.m. at Faith Tabernacle, 571 Sandusky St. Use side entrance to church hall. PITTSFIELD: Addicts Victorious, 7-8 p.m. in the basement of Subway in Pittsfield. 1-800-323-1388. Tuesday Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary, 7 a.m. Holiday Inn Express meeting room, South Jacksonville. 217-243-6895. Dementia Caregiver support group, 2-3 p.m., free virtual event. Call 800-272-3900 to register, which is required. Hosted by the Springfield office of the Alzheimers Association Illinois. American Legion Post 279, 7 p.m. at 903 W. Superior Ave. Wednesday Breastfeeding support group, 6 p.m., Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, Meeting Room 2. ROODHOUSE: Women with Hearts of Love (WWHOL), 6-7 p.m. at House of Restoration, 208 W. Franklin St. 217-602-1670. Thursday Jacksonville Area Chess Club, 6-9 p.m. at Jacksonville Public Library. 217-370-0882. Jacksonville Kiwanis Club, noon at Hamiltons. WHITE HALL: Addicts Victorious, teens 5:30-6:30 p.m.; adults 7-8 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of New Life Church, 626 Curtis St. Friday Jacksonville Rotary Club, noon at Hamiltons. PITTSFIELD: Addicts Victorious, 6 p.m. at Assembly of God, 575 Piper St. 800-323-1388. Saturday Jacksonville Amateur Radio Societys Net, 9 p.m. Transmitted on K9JX repeater. K9JX.com. Legislation proposed in the state Senate would ease remote voting for people who are visually impaired, but some advocates say it is redundant. Senate Bill 282 would provide a remote-accessible vote-by-mail system. If passed, the bill would allow voters with a "print disability" such as blindness, low vision or learning/physical disabilities to mark, verify and return a mail voting ballot electronically. The bill was filed by Feb. 2 by Sen. Julie A. Morrison, D-Deerfield, and has been referred to assignments twice, the last time March 31. At the federal level, the Help Americans Vote Act has mandated since 2002 that all polling places for federal elections have at least one accessible voting booth. Some, such as disability advocate Dan Thompson of Jacksonville, say that provision makes the proposal unnecessary. Thompson, a former assistive technology teacher at the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired, said it was "way easy" for blind voters to cast their ballots with available technology and that he's never had a problem when voting at the Morgan County Courthouse. Accessible voting machines read each selection for low-vision users, then print out a completed ballot to present to an election worker, he said. Thompson has never voted with a mail-in ballot, but he said he would need someone to read each item on the ballot for him if he did. Thompson said the presence of accessible machines at voting locations meant that the bill was not needed for blind voters. "We can do all our voting by ourselves," he said, "providing that the people at the site are trained on the machine." Journal-Courier A missing wheel wasn't enough to keep a driver from leaving the scene of an accident, but the trip was short-lived with police saying he got stuck in a ditch about a mile away. The driver was going north when his truck hit a vehicle parked in the 700 block of South Diamond Street near West Chambers Avenue about 11:59 p.m. Friday, according to a police report. Qualified police officer candidates top the most-wanted lists for leaders of virtually every law enforcement agency in west-central Illinois. "We are constantly recruiting," said Beardstown Police Chief Martin Coad, who recently returned from a career fair at Western Illinois University in Macomb where new graduates were seeking jobs in law enforcement. WIU is noted for its School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration. "We go through the normal procedure of advertising on social media, in newspapers and wherever we can get the word out. I also attend career fairs like the one at Western Illinois," Coad said. "The problem is, I was not the only one there. There were 85 departments there, some from as far away as Richardson, Texas. They are all trying to grab the few people who were there." Coad is not alone in his quest for officers. "It's harder for us to find people who are qualified and ready to be police officers. It shows up in all kinds of police departments, not just ours," Winchester Mayor Rex McIntire said. "We are always looking for officers. Every town in west-central Illinois is looking for officers." Job postings for police officers are scattered on social media, in newspapers, on billboards and any other way chiefs of police can figure out how to reach a sometimes elusive audience. The salary ranges are different because larger departments are able to offer higher starting salaries and that can make it harder for smaller departments looking for full-time officers. "A plus for us has been being able to offer higher salaries and incentives. But the market for quality recruits is highly competitive," Jacksonville Police Chief Adam Mefford said. "The city has made it more attractive to come here. We used to have to a residency requirement to live in Morgan County, but now you can live anywhere." But one size doesn't fit all and the needs of the village of Chapin differ greatly from the needs of the city of Jacksonville. "We are in a unique situation. There is not enough money in the budget to have regular police coverage for the village. It has challenges making sure it meets the day-to-day requirements for public safety coverage," Chapin Police Chief Steve Helmich said. "When you have to prioritize limited funds, then roads, water, sewer and fire win out. You can go without a local police department in Chapin and rely on the sheriff. But you can't go without a fire department. There are certain life services you need to fund. It's like a family sitting around the table budgeting and deciding what they can afford," Helmich said. "We dont have a staffing target. We have a cap of eight officers, and we have five. We are not understaffed with five because there is not an expectation of daily coverage," Helmich said. Mefford said his department is technically at its full strength of 41 officers. However, two are in police academy, two are going next month, and another is on maternity leave. And the officers coming back from academy must field train with another officer for at least 20 weeks before they can patrol solo. "Once we put someone on the payroll, it is 34 weeks before they can go on solo patrol. If you have someone leave, it takes 34 weeks to replace that person," Mefford said. "We try to maneuver labor to avoid overtime and hire backs, so specialty positions take a hit. We have staffing for two drug agents but have one now because the other is covering shifts. We have three detectives, but only have two because one is covering shifts. So, we are down two investigators," Mefford said. "We try to make the most of the staffing we have available, but sometimes we have to pay the overtime. But when you work 12-hour shifts and all weekend, it's tough. People value their time off. Getting the rest and time off is more important to them than extra pay," Mefford said. Jacksonville currently has openings advertised and has power testing dates set for 8 a.m. May 6 and June 3 with written tests scheduled June 24 for those who pass the power tests, which are physical tests. Mefford said if someone fails the first power test, they can retake it, but must pass the power test to take the written test. McIntire said Winchester recently lost one officer who moved to be with his girlfriend who accepted another job, and the city has struggled to find a replacement. "We recently had a person apply who went to training but couldn't pass the physical part of training. It's sad when people who want to do the job can't find a way through the training," McIntire said. Beardstown is in a difficult situation because they have an authorized force of 12 officers but have only five people on the force. So recruiting is one of Coad's top priorities. "The union contract says we need two officers per shift, but we can only do one. We need to get back to having two of our people out each shift," Coad said. "We have a mutual aid agreement with the Cass County Sheriff's Department to cover so our guys are not always working by themselves. There is available overtime," Coad said, "but we're looking for as many full-time officers as we can get. We have a few holes to fill." Coad praised the city council and mayor because they raised starting pay and now offer a sign-on bonus, which he said gets more people looking at Beardstown's openings. The situation is different in Roodhouse where the department is at full strength. However, Police Chief Kyle Robison said that is something that can change at any time. "I see other agencies getting more competitive in their search for qualified, quality officers," Robison said. Still, Robison always has his eye out for qualified candidates. "Anyone with a heartbeat can be a police officer, but not everyone deserves to be a police officer. I think that mentality should be the same for anyone. Teacher, nurse, and anyone out there doing a particular job that requires them to do good things," Robison said. "We make the mistake of putting on our best front to new recruits. Meaning, we only show how prideful the job can be. The fun parts of the job. Most of the time we forget to tell someone how tough the job can be," Robison said. "The common answer as to why people want to get into law enforcement is, 'I want to help people.' I had no idea what that actually meant when I entered the profession. An officer today needs to understand that when you enter this profession, you are second. Your life is second. If you are not ready both mentally and physically then you are not helping your community," Robison said. Helmich said his officers are part time and each has a full-time job, so there is not a single member of the force who needs a second job. "They do it because they want to volunteer, be a part of the community and give back to the community by providing a service to the community. On the flip side, they don't need the job, so there is no amount of money the village could offer them to work a bunch of hours," Helmich said. "Most work eight to 20 hours a month. That's the time they can spare to help." Not everyone is cut out to be a police officer. "The vast majority of society is qualified to work at Home Depot. The vast majority of society is not qualified to work as a police officer. So, the demands and parameters we set are different. If they can only one work one day a month, it's one more day of coverage we can offer. It's the way it is," Helmich said. In Jacksonville, Mefford said the number of applicants has dropped around 65% over the past 10 years. And where they used to offer testing every two years, they now test annually. He said the applicant list from 2022 is already exhausted. "That's why we are doing the testing again. Normally, we would do it in 2024," Mefford said. Coad said he senses more people are beginning to pursue careers in law enforcement after interest slumped because of negative publicity involving police departments. "I think we are seeing more interest in law enforcement, but we are not seeing the increase in applicants yet. The shift forward has not caught up to the shift backward that has occurred over the past 10 years," Mefford said. "Part-time policing used to be a stepping stone to getting full-time work as an officer. You would get people willing to work a lot. It was a value to them and to the municipality. It doesn't work that way anymore. The need is so great that someone fresh out of the academy can get full-time work," Helmich said. "Regardless of if you want to work at this agency or another agency, I want you to know this is the greatest career on planet Earth. If you're not ready to be a leader, a professional, or willing to sacrifice everything that you have, then this career is not for you," Robison said. "If we have to entice you to become a professional, then we will work shorthanded until we find the right people to serve the community," Robison said. OSKALOOSA, Kan. (AP) A Kansas man who spent 16 years in prison for a rape and murder he didn't commit will receive $7.5 million from the county where he was arrested and convicted of the crime. Jefferson County commissioners approved the settlement last week with Floyd Bledsoe, who was released from prison in 2015 after DNA evidence showed he could not have been the killer of 14-year-old Camille Arfmann in Oskaloosa. Bledsoe will receive $1.5 million initially, with the rest to be paid over the next 10 years, The Kansas City Star reported. Bledsoe, who is now 46, was 23 when he was convicted in 2000 of killing the girl. He was arrested even though his brother, Tom, confessed to the killing in 1999, turned himself in and led authorities to the girl's body. According to a lawsuit Floyd Bledsoe filed in 2016, Jefferson County authorities persuaded Tom Bledsoe to recant his confession and framed his brother by hiding evidence of his innocence. In 2015, DNA testing revealed Tom Bledsoe was the likely source of sperm found in the victim. Tom Bledsoe died by suicide that year after writing a note again confessing to killing Arfmann. The charges against Floyd Bledsoe were dismissed and he was freed from prison that year. One of Bledsoes attorneys, Russell Ainsworth of Loevy & Loevy in Chicago, said Jefferson County was facing up to $40 million in liability if the case went to trial. Jefferson County Commissioner Richard Malm said the county's annual budget is about $20 million and the commission would have had to propose a bond if Bledsoe had not agreed to have the payment spread over 10 years. In 2019, the state agreed to pay Bledsoe $1.03 million under a mistaken conviction law. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 29. Azerbaijani air vehicles involved in the "Anatolian Eagle - 2023" International Exercises have performed their first flights, the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan told Trend. According to the ministry, first, the pilots were instructed on safety rules and other issues during exercises. Then, the aircraft crews performed flights for familiarization with the training area, study of routes and evaluation of imaginary targets. During the flight, the interoperability between the planes and the communication link were also inspected," the ministry added. The opening ceremony of the "Anatolian Eagle - 2023" International Flight-Tactical Exercises was held on April 27 at the airbase in Turkish Konya city. The international exercises being held with the participation of representatives of Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Pakistan, the UAE and UK, will continue until May 23. San Andreas, CA With shortages in the healthcare fields, get all the insights on how to get a state job by attending a job career fair next week. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is holding the event in Sacramento on Wednesday, May 3rd. The How to Get a State Job event is being put on by the departments recruitment unit at its Food and Drug Branch-IETU building located at 1500 Capitol Avenue, between 15th and 16th streets, just off Highway 80. Health officials note that there are plenty of healthcare jobs open throughout the state and right here in the Mother Lode. There will be a presentation at noon and then attendees will get a chance to speak with representatives from CDPH, learn how to apply, and hear more about the career opportunities across various occupational areas, including Administration, Finance, & Operations, Medical Professions (Nurses & Physicians), Administration of Public Health Programs, Scientific Fields, and Information Technology/Data Analytics. The event is free and open to the public, but a photo ID is required for entry. Georgias Kemp veers from Trump, but state GOP not moving on View Photo BUFORD, Ga. (AP) A slate of Georgia Republicans led by Gov. Brian Kemp handily won reelection last year over far-right primary opponents endorsed by Donald Trump and backed by the state party chairperson, showing the limits of the former president and his 2020 election lies in the critical swing state. Despite those stinging primary losses, the state GOP is showing little interest in moving on from Trump. Last weekend, Republicans in Georgias 1st Congressional District, which includes Savannah, elected as their chair Kandiss Taylor, a Kemp gubernatorial challenger who ran on a Jesus Guns Babies platform and denies the legitimacy of her primary defeat. In metro Atlantas 6th Congressional District, Republican activists considered a resolution rejecting the results of the 2020 election and declaring Democrat Joe Biden the acting president. In many ways, the Georgia Republican Party is a train that has left Crazytown, and the governor is trying to present a scenario and lead and demonstrate that thats not the path to success, said John Watson, a former state Republican Party chair aligned with Kemp. Kemp and a handful of other elected Republicans said this week that they wont attend the states GOP convention in June, when the new leader of the state party will be chosen, citing unhappiness with current party leaders. Georgia is one of a number of states where far-right Republicans aligned with Trump are joining the ranks of party leadership, giving them increasing influence over the partys direction. But mounting electoral losses, including in last years midterms, raise questions about whether the state parties are growing out of step with the voters theyre supposed to represent. Republican delegates in Michigan earlier this year elected Kristina Karamo as state party chair, elevating an election conspiracist who was defeated in November in her secretary of state race. In Kansas, Mike Brown, a conspiracy theorist who lost his primary bid for secretary of state, was named chair of the state party. And in Idaho, Dorothy Moon, an election denier and former state representative, became state GOP chair last year shortly after her unsuccessful primary run for secretary of state. In addition to concerns about the partys direction, Georgia Republican incumbents are still mad at outgoing party Chair David Shafer, who promoted a Trump-aligned ticket of primary challengers against them in last years primaries. Those state officials, including Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr, not only won their primaries but also went on to beat their Democratic rivals by convincing margins. I am going to stand up with those that believe in electing and supporting Republicans, but I dont think its right when you have a party that went after an entire statewide ticket and undermined our ability to get elected, Carr said Wednesday after a bill-signing in Buford. Carr and others voice hope that one of the three candidates running to replace Shafer as party chair will patch things up. Chairman since 2019, Shafer is stepping down while a target of investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis into attempts to overturn Bidens Democratic victory in Georgia in 2020. Shafer said he isnt seeking reelection because he wants to refocus on his family. Republicans have also lost three races for U.S. Senate since January 2021 under Shafer. Democratic Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, representing a once reliably Republican state, provide the margin of Senate control for their party. Kemp has been trying to promote a Trump-divergent vision for Republicans since shortly after the 2020 election, when he defied the then-presidents demands to help overturn Trumps narrow loss in the state. His impressive win over Democrat Stacey Abrams last year stoked presidential speculation, but Kemp has said hes not going to seek the White House in 2024. He has, however, been angling for national influence through the Republican Governors Association and could be setting up a 2026 Senate run against Ossoff. If you look in the rearview mirror too long while youre driving, youre going to look up, and youre going to be running into somebody, and thats not going to be good, Kemp told CNN in mid-April, shortly after delivering the same message at the Republican National Committee donors retreat in Nashville. But its not Kemp who elects the leader of the state party its activists. And that setup has caused conflict before. Kemp got booed at the 2021 state party convention, and some members tried to censure Republican Gov. Nathan Deal, Kemps predecessor. Deal skipped the two conventions in his second term. The people show up at party events are not representative of Georgias Republican primary electorate, said Brian Robinson, a political consultant who was Deals chief spokesperson. They are, by and large, much further to the right, much more ideologically driven. The discord is also raising questions about whether control of the party apparatus matters anymore. In Georgia, voters dont register by party and can participate in whatever primary they like. Unlike in some states, Georgia party leaders cant kick candidates off the primary ballot for disloyalty. And a recent Georgia law allows Kemp and some other state officials to raise unlimited sums of money and coordinate with campaigns, which used to be key party functions. Kemp kept his political operation running after his reelection and loaned its get-out-the-vote effort to the unsuccessful Senate runoff campaign of Herschel Walker, while forming a federal political action committee that lets the governor influence races for Congress and president. I dont have a rift with the state GOP, Kemp told reporters Tuesday in Atlanta. You know, I just think that to win, we have to have a robust ground operation. The state GOP was not doing that. And so we did that ourselves. The three candidates running to lead the state party acknowledge that a new chair needs to focus on rebuilding an organization that has shrunk to two employees, increase fundraising and do more to train party activists how to win votes. Shafer is backing Josh McKoon, a former state senator who is now a lawyer for the state technical college system. McKoon acknowledges a need for unity, saying that a focus on ousting Biden in 2024 should help. Theres been a lot of infighting, not just within the primary, but between Republicans, between party officials and elected officials, McKoon said. Weve got to lay that aside. But Watson said that may be hard to achieve if activists arent ready to change. If the party and the party organization continues to focus on conspiracy, backward looking, fringe ideas, fringe policies, then again it will have completed its path to irrelevance, Watson said. By JEFF AMY Associated Press US conducts 1st evacuation of its citizens from Sudan war View Photo WASHINGTON (AP) Hundreds of Americans fleeing two weeks of deadly fighting in Sudan reached the east African nations port Saturday in the first U.S.-run evacuation, completing a dangerous land journey under escort of armed drones. American unmanned aircraft, which have been keeping an eye on overland evacuation routes for days, provided armed overwatch for a bus convoy carrying 200 to 300 Americans over 500 miles, or 800 kilometers, to Port Sudan, a place of relative safety, U.S. officials said. The U.S., which had none of its officials on the ground for the evacuation, has been criticized by families of trapped Americans in Sudan for initially ruling out any U.S.-run evacuation for Americans who wanted out, calling it too dangerous. U.S. special operations troops briefly flew to the capital, Khartoum, on April 22 to airlift out American staffers at the embassy and other American government personnel. Several thousand U.S. citizens were left behind, many of them dual-nationals. More than a dozen other nations had already been carrying out evacuations for their citizens, using a mix of military planes, navy vessels and on the ground personnel. A wide-ranging group of international mediators including African and Arab nations, the United Nations and the United States has only managed to achieve a series of fragile temporary cease-fires that failed to stop clashes but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese to flee to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate thousands of their citizens by land, air and sea. Since the conflict between two rival generals broke out April 15, the U.S. has warned its citizens that they needed to find their own way out of the country, though U.S. officials have tried to link up Americans with other nations evacuation efforts. But that changed as U.S. officials exploited a relative lull in the fighting and, from afar, organized their own convoy for Americans, officials said. Without the evacuation flights near the capital that other countries have been offering their citizens, many U.S. citizens have been left to make the dangerous overland journey from Khartoum to the countrys main Red Sea port, Port Sudan. One Sudanese-American family that made the trip earlier described passing through numerous checkpoints manned by armed men and passing bodies lying in the street and vehicles of other fleeing families who had been killed along the way. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the convoy carried U.S. citizens, local people employed by the U.S. and citizens of allied countries. We reiterate our warning to Americans not to travel to Sudan, he said. From Port Sudan, away from the fighting, the Americans in the convoy can seek spots on vessels crossing the Red Sea to the Saudi port city of Jeddah. U.S. officials also are working with Saudi Arabia to see if one of the kingdoms naval vessels can carry a larger number of Americans to Jeddah. U.S. consular officials will be waiting for the Americans once they reach the dock in Jeddah, but there are no U.S. personnel in Port Sudan, officials said. Two Americans are confirmed killed in the fighting that erupted April 15. One was a U.S. civilian whom officials said was caught in crossfire. The other was an Iowa City, Iowa, doctor, who was stabbed to death in front of his house and family in Khartoum, in the lawless violence that has accompanied the fighting. In all, the fighting in the east African country has killed more than 500 people. By ZEKE MILLER, COLLEEN LONG, MATTHEW LEE and ELLEN KNICKMEYER Associated Press A convicted murderer is refusing to sign a waiver the district attorney says it needs to release the remains of an 8-year-old East Texas boy. Without the waiver, the family of Chad Choice cannot hold a funeral, although the boy was killed more than a decade ago. Patrick Horn's attorney has made repeated efforts over the past month to get the man now serving a life federal prison sentence in Georgia for unrelated crimes to sign the waiver. But those efforts have been ignored, and state District Judge Diane DeVasto could use videoconferencing equipment installed this week to ask Horn if he objects to the release of his victim's remains. Chad was shot in 1991, and buried in a shallow grave behind a house where Horn's family lived. Horn then tormented the Choice family for years, sending ransom notes and placing Chad's skull on the doorstep of the Choice's home on the fourth anniversary of the boy's disappearance. The boy's fate wasn't revealed until 1996 while Horn was in Smith County Jail serving time for other crimes. The waiver is necessary because the body parts were found five years after the boy's death, and those remains were crucial evidence used to convict Horn. A jury sentenced him to death for Chad's murder. Horn had signed a waiver, indicating he did not object to the release of Chad Choice's bones. But the document was lost somewhere between his attorney's office and the judge's office. In what initially appeared to be a formality, DeVasto announced in a December hearing that she would order the release of 30 exhibits, including Chad's skull and other bones, to his family for burial after Horn signs another waiver. Horn's appellate lawyer, Toby Wilkinson of Greenville, sent Horn the document via Federal Express and expected it back in a day with a signature. But a month has gone by, and Horn has not answered several letters from his attorney and messages to him through officials at the Atlanta federal prison, court officials said. Assistant District Attorney Ed Marty said if the remains are granted without the waiver, they may have to be exhumed sometime in the future. Marty said Thursday he fears Horn, deemed a psychopath and sociopath by experts, realized the importance of the waiver after the first one was lost and is using it as a control factor. "The last thing this family needs, or the district attorney's office needs, is to have him interfere with the release of those remains," Marty told the Tyler Morning Telegraph in Friday's editions. "We have found ourselves in a very, very strange position where the sociopath basically has all the cards." Karen Choice has declined to make any public comments until after she buries her youngest child. Information from: Tyler Morning Telegraph RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) A Southern California man accused of killing three teenage boys by intentionally ramming their car after they played a doorbell-ringing prank on him was found guilty Friday of murder. Anurag Chandra was convicted in a Riverside County courtroom of three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. The murder of these young men was a horrendous and senseless tragedy for our community. I thank the jury for their verdict. This is an important step toward justice, county District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in a statement. Chandras attorney, David Wohl, did not immediately return a request for comment Friday. The victims, who were all 16 years old, were among six teens inside a Toyota Prius on Jan. 19, 2020 when Chandra intentionally rammed their vehicle off the road and fled, prosecutors said. The Prius' driver lost control and the sedan slammed into a tree in Temescal Valley, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The friends had dared one boy to either jump into a pool at night or play ding dong ditch. Chandra, who didn't know the teens, testified at trial that one of the boys rang his doorbell and exposed his buttocks before running away, according to The Riverside Press-Enterprise. Chandra testified that he followed because he feared for his family's safety and wanted to express his anger. He said he was "extremely, extremely mad from the prank. Chandra also testified that he drank 12 beers in the hours before the crash, the newspaper reported. He said he did not plan to crash into the Prius and testified that he did not stop after rear-ending the sedan because he did not realize anyone had been injured even though he admitted under cross-examination that he had been driving 99 mph (159 kph) before the collision. The crash killed Daniel Hawkins of Corona; Drake Ruiz of Corona; and Jacob Ivascu of Riverside, according to the Riverside County coroners office. Sergio Campusano was the Prius' 18-year-old driver at the time. He and then-13-year-olds Joshua Hawkins and Joshua Ivascu survived the crash. They testified at the trial and were in the courtroom when the verdict was read. Chandra already was facing criminal charges in connection with alleged domestic violence in 2020 when the killings occurred. Lawmakers in the U.S. Senate are considering a bill that would stop hidden fees for concert and sporting event tickets. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) introduced the bipartisan legislation on April 26 to allow buyers full price transparency when purchasing tickets. The "TICKET Act" would require all event ticket sellers to display the total ticket priceincluding all required feesin any advertisement or marketing materials. It would also disclose to customers if a ticket being offered for sale is a so-called speculative ticket, meaning it is not within the sellers possession. Sports fans and concert-goers alike have experienced the frustration of expecting to pay the listed price for a ticket only to be hit with a slew of hidden fees at checkout," Cruz said. "These unadvertised fees are a nuisance and deter consumers from following through with a purchase." Studies from the New York Attorney Generals Office and the Government Accountability Office show that fees can contribute anywhere from 21% to as much as 58% of the total cost of tickets. "The TICKET Act brings transparency to the whole ticketing industry, which is dominated by a few large players that can capitalize on these hidden fees," he added. "Im proud to introduce with Senator Cantwell this bipartisan, pro-consumer legislation to bring transparency to millions of American fans looking to attend their favorite events. Sand cat: the amazing animal that doesnt need to drink water ZME Science Father of hundreds gets sperm donation ban from Dutch court Reuters Is There a Wrong Way to Take a Midday Nap? MedPage Today Climate/Environment #COVID-19 Were letting you know that several people who attended the [Epidemic Intelligence Service] Conference have tested positive for COVID-19, a CDC branch chief wrote in an email to staff on Friday.https://t.co/5OzTB7bmgE Soo Youn (@lalasoo) April 28, 2023 Thread. In August 2022 we learned: COVID-19 may be linked to a rise in bacterial brain infections in children. Doctors at Helen DeVos Childrens Hospital of Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Mich., saw a worrisome 236% rise in these infections & wondered why. https://t.co/3ull9SOePs Laura Miers (@LauraMiers) April 28, 2023 Fatal fungus outbreak worries Nevada lawmakers, more help wanted Las Vegas Review Journal. Separate from above. Old Blighty All state schools in England may shut in unprecedented coordinated strikes The Guardian The Lucky Country SE Asia schools Australia in art of strategic equilibrium Asia Times India India accuses China of violating border agreements AP The Koreas There Is No Case for South Korean Nuclear Weapons Eunomia. The deck: The U.S. would also be a poor ally if it allowed one of its principal Asian allies to make a serious error like this. China? New Not-So-Cold War U.S. Wires Ukraine With Radiation Sensors to Detect Nuclear Blasts New York Times. The deck: The federal National Nuclear Security Administration is setting up an advanced network that can verify an attackers identity. *** *** India is on track to become Europes largest supplier of refined fuels this month while simultaneously buying record amounts of Russian crude, according to data from analytics firm Kpler https://t.co/6EaSP9Bt9N Bloomberg Energy (@BloombergNRG) April 28, 2023 Is Serbia a pro-Putin outpost? Unherd Soviet Operational Art: Troubled Beginnings Big Serge Thought Turkeys pro-Kurdish party backs Erdogans rival for president Al Jazeera South of the Border US sanctions Mexican resort timeshare fraud linked to cartel AP Syraqistan B-a-a-a-a-d Banks Biden Administration 2024 Democrats en deshabille American Liberalism Is Exhausted Jacobin The Supremes Healthcare Police State Watch Resisting AFRICOM and beyond MR Online AI? Abortion Imperial Collapse Watch Industry Out of Phase With Supercomputers IEEE (ctlieee). The deck: Chip-industry changes threaten U.S. supercomputing. Supply Chain Threat to freighters as parts shortages hobble airlines, manufacturers and MRO The Loadstar Class Warfare Tech Washington passes law requiring consent before companies collect health data The Verge The Bezzle Antidote du jour (via): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. 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. Colin Bruce Anthes Welcome back to theAnalysis for part two of our conversation with Dr. Michael Hudson on The Collapse of Antiquity. Michael Hudson I think the character of early Christianity is what is in the Lords Prayer. Forgive them their debts as we forgive the debtors. Christianity, especially Roman Christianity, made a travesty of this. They used the word sins. Forgive us our sins as we forget the sins of the debtors. What they meant was every kind of sin except economic. Colin Bruce Anthes A reminder, if you havent done so already, to like, subscribe, and ring that bell for notifications so you dont miss our material. I want to do a little bit of name-dropping here. Its a surprisingly fun book to read because of how culturally rich it is and how many of these references to philosophers, playwrights, and reformers get thrown in there. People who are familiar with the plays of William Shakespeare might know Coriolanus, but theres a very different take on him here as someone who was being protested by the poor indebted and basically joined the enemies of Rome, the Volscians, and attacked Rome because of his class alliance. It was not to his people; it was a class alliance. Michael Hudson The same thing happened in Greece under Alcibiades, who ended up as an opponent of Athens. Colin Bruce Anthes Then we get to Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar, youve mentioned already, was a mild reformer. I think there was a concern that he was, at the risk of drawing too many contemporary comparisons, a bit like maybe an FDR [Franklin D. Roosevelt] figure who started out as a mildly reformist elite and became more of a reformer as time went on. There was that kind of fear about Julius Caesar as someone who was really alleviating things for the wealthy but that he might become more sympathetic to the plight of the masses. Something I didnt know that was in this book was that Brutus was a money lender charging 48% interest. Michael Hudson Yes. Let me talk about Caesar first. He was very brilliant as a political manoeuvrer as well as as a General. He borrowed a lot of money to run for office and paid the money. He was able to play the political game as a very, very intelligent manoeuvrer. What people were really frightened about with Caesar was that he was independent, and they didnt want independent people. Just like in American democracy, the last thing you want is a president whos independent and whos a leader. You want a president whos working for his campaign contributors. Well, thats what most of the heads of Rome usually were. They were leaders of the oligarchy, and that was the job of the Senate. But here was Caesar being independent and trying to retain solvency for the economy as a whole. They didnt want an independent head of Rome any more than you would have modern democracies wanting an independent president. Caesar was accused of kingship. What did the kings do? The kings cancelled the debts and redistributed the land; that was the invective that was used against Caesar. For Brutus, that brings us back to Cicero. Cicero was appointed the local head of Sicilia, which controlled Cyprus at the time. One day, people came to him from Rome and said, Since youre the ruler here, weve lent some money. The local Sicilians have borrowed money at 42%. Cicero said, But the legal rate of interest is only 12%. Im supposed to be the governor here, and Im supposed to represent the rule of law. Thats what all my rhetoric is all about. They said, Well, heres the document. What are you going to do? Then Cicero found out that the so-called debt collectors were really working for Brutus, and it was Brutus who had made the loan at 42%. When his collectors asked for armed guards to go and kill everybody who wouldnt pay the debt, grab all their land, and enslave their families, Cicero said, he felt very bad about that. He wrote to his friends, But what else could I do? So, so much for Cicero. Colin Bruce Anthes So much for Cicero. You write that this was maybe the last chance for there to have actually been reform that could have gotten Rome back on the right course. The assassination of Julius Caesar was nothing particularly new. In fact, these assassinations had accelerated since Tiberius in 133 BC. Correct? Michael Hudson Then in the whole 80s, you had the wealthiest Roman Generals opposed to a very popular military General who had the troop support. Each General began to put up lists of all the followers of their opponents who had to be assassinated. If you assassinated them, you got to grab all their property, or at least you got a portion of the property that they had after youd killed them. So basically, if people wanted property, you would go and add the name of somebody whose property you wanted to the list of supporting the opponent of the General. You had a vicious civil war between Marius, who was the popular General at the time, and Crassus and others who were supporting the opposite end. Colin Bruce Anthes Right. I guess this starts to move us into, and youve mentioned it already, Jesus and Jesuss references to the Jubilee year. Can you talk a little bit about what this movement was and what the practices of early Christianity were, including their practices regarding usury? Michael Hudson Well, when Jesus gave his first big sermon reported in Luke, he unrolled the scroll of Isaiah to the point where Isaiah was calling for the year of the Lord, meaning the Jubilee year. Jesus said that was what his destiny was, what he had come to proclaim. There was apparently wide support among the Jewish population advocating the restoration of the Jubilee year against the Rabbinical school that opposed it and represented it. Luke said that the Pharisees loved money, and their leading Rabbis had their debtors sign documents. They would borrow money and waive their rights under the Jubilee year. Thats what Jesus wanted to change. So after Jesus gave his sermon, a lot of the population got very upset because they didnt think it was fair to cancel the debts. The leading Jewish leaders went to the Roman pro-consul and said, Well, we cant put him to death, but you can because hes seeking kingship. They knew the magic word of invective that the Romans didnt like kingship. It was the Romans who agreed to put Jesus to death. The movement was way beyond Christianity. It was beyond Jesus. We know from the scrolls, the Dead Sea Scrolls that Ive described in the preceding volume of the trilogy Im working on On the History of Debt. I cite the scrolls that were sort of [inaudible 00:08:23] of all of the debt cancellation advocacy of the Bible. Well, what developed by about the fourth century was something that occurred not only in Rome but all the way to Persia. Throughout the whole ancient world, there was a revulsion at the decadence of extreme wealth in the face of extreme poverty and bondage that had developed. This decadence, especially the women who were the wives of the leading aristocrats, became Christians. Finally, you had Constantine, who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. Well, theres obviously one problem. What do you do if youre making Christianity the official religion? The origins of Christianity were centered on the Jubilee. You cancel the debts, you liberate the debt bondage, you restore the lands to them, redistribute the land, make people independent, and you protect the poor instead of enslaving them. Well, you had to change the whole character of this. I think the character of early Christianity is what is in the Lords Prayer. Forgive them their debts as we forgive the debtors. Christianity, especially Roman Christianity, made a travesty of this. They used the word sins. Forgive us our sins as we forget the sins of the debtors. What they meant was every kind of sin except economic sin, except the sin of creditors. Under St. Augustine, it was largely sexual. All of a sudden, the focus of Augustinian Christianity became sexual egotism, not the wealth addiction of the creditors. After all, if the leaders of the Christian Church, the archbishops and the bishops, were all going to be taken from the wealthy families, youd hardly have them criticize their own wealth. You stripped away from Roman Christianity the economic and social context that had guided early Christianity. The great aim of Christianity was its anti-Semitism. The last thing it wanted was Jewish Christians because they knew the original Christianity and because that evolved out of Judaism as a whole. You had the first great excuse for expelling not only the Jews but reformers, which was done by probably the most evil saint in Christianity although its hard to say whos the most Cyril of Alexandria. Alexandria had a very large Jewish population, and Cyril organized big pogroms to kill the Jews and, in fact, anybody who could read the book. The one thing that the Roman Christians hated was people who could read. If you could read, youd read the Bible. If you read the Bible, youd know that there was a clash. So I think the most famous person that Cyril killed was Hypatia, a woman who was a mathematician. Colin Bruce Anthes One of the philosophers at the time, right? Michael Hudson Yes. He sent his thugs, Peter the Hammer, down to the seashore, where they grabbed her, grabbed seashells and scraped all of the skin off her body so thered be no memory. That was the Christian way of killing. First, Cyril had a consul at Ephesus calling on the Roman military to kill all of his opponents. You had Christianity hijacked by Cyril. The wealthiest part of the Roman Empire by this time, the fourth and fifth centuries, was North Africa Egypt and Hippo. The old Carthaginian area was the breadbasket of the Roman Empire; thats where the grain was made. The Christians there opposed the creditors. They opposed the Romans. They said, No, what the Romans are doing is not Christianity. Rome wanted them to turn over all of their sacred books so that they could be destroyed. You cant have Christianity, as the medieval Christians realized, if people can read the Bible. If they read the Bible, they see that Christianity, under Roman Christianity, fights against everything that the Bible is all about. The North African Christians, many of them refused to turn over the sacred books, and they were killed. Finally, Augustine came to power, and he sponsored the pro-Romans. There was a civil war that went on decade after decade, preventing the local Roman landowners from indebting the population, from enserfing them. Augustine called on the Romans to take away their churches and to give him their churches. So essentially, Augustine expropriated the Christian churches and made them his own deviant Christianity I hate to even call it Christianity, its really Augustinianism in a wave of violence. Peter Brown, whos the main writer and historian of this period, rightly states that Augustine is the true founder of the Inquisition ever since the Roman Church became the Church of the Inquisition. Thats what I talk about in the third volume of my trilogy, where I pick up matters with the Crusades. So what Rome bequeathed to the West was not only creditor-oriented law but a creditor-oriented Christianity. This is what you have in American Evangelism today. King Jesus will make you rich. Essentially, that became Christianity as it evolved in the West. Finally, in the 11th century Roman Christianity, there were five churches that survived the decline of the Roman Empire: Antioch, Jerusalem, and Byzantium became the key. What survived the Roman Empire was the Byzantine Empire and its church, which was Orthodox Christianity. Orthodox Christianity maintained many of the qualities of original Christianity, including debt cancellations when there was a crop failure through freezing or a frost that killed the crops and caused a loss of land and indebtedness. You had Constantinople as the main bishopric, with Antioch and Jerusalem. Rome became a backwater until you had the Norman Invasion of Europe Rome made deals with William the Conqueror in England and, before that, the Norman Conqueror of Sicily. If you conquer the land, we will bless you if you agree that you are the feudal serf of the Pope. The kings of England, the kings of Sicily and southern Italy pledged fealty to the Pope, who organized armies to have new crusades with new inquisitions under the Dominicans against Christians who didnt agree with Roman leadership, whether it was the French Cathars or ultimately the Crusades that looted Constantinople and destroyed its ability to resist what became the Ottoman takeover at the time. So essentially, you had this split at the time, and most people look at Western civilization as the continuity of Rome without realizing how the Empire itself, under Augustine, made yet another break from the Near East that continued to be the wealthy, solvent part of the Empire in Constantinople and the Near East. Colin Bruce Anthes You say that by the time we get into the fourth century or fifth century AD, we get the vandals coming in and taking Hippo. You say that by that time, the economic devolution that had happened was such that there was practically no resistance. The fact that they had wiped out their opponents and instituted such a rentier state meant Michael Hudson Its not simply that there was no resistance, that people went over to the side of the vandals. You had a lot of churchmen saying, Why is it that the Roman Christians are going over to the side of the vandals? Its because they have more freedom. Theyre the Democrats. Theyre overthrowing feudalism; thats why theyre going over to them. There was an admiration of the vandals coming in the Germanic tribes because they were the progressives, and of course, the people went over to their side. You couldnt have had just a few vandals taking over the vast armies of North Africa and the rest of Europe if the people werent supporting them. Colin Bruce Anthes Right. I want to bring this into the contemporary moment, and weve already been, of course, connecting the dots throughout this conversation. You say there is a disturbing trend among contemporary classicists to sidestep the history that we have been going through today and that theyre really following the lead of neoclassical economists. Do you want to comment on that? Michael Hudson Well, heres the problem. Most historians dont study economics. What they do study is the kind of economics that youre taught in universities, and thats neoliberal economics. Neoliberal economics doesnt study history because if it studied history, it would know that societies polarize as a result of debt. Theyd know what I describe in The Collapse of Antiquity. Theyd realize that instead of there being automatic stabilizers that dont require kingship, automatic stabilizers mean the free market, the market of wealthy individuals and that the market will always provide an optimum solution. You dont need any regulator of the market. Any regulation of the market is bad. Well, in all earlier civilizations, from the first time we could pick up written records in the Bronze Age, there was always a public override to the market. The role of kings, churches, and the whole ideology that people were taught in their religion and their politics was you have to shape the market in a way that would promote overall economic growth. The primary way in which you have to shape the market is to prevent the debt overhead from leading to a transfer of labor and property from debtors to creditors. You have to keep the economy free enough so that citizens can serve in the army and perform public work. You dont let a creditor class evolve. Today thats called socialism. Biden will call it autocracy. Well, its not autocracy. Thats the irony. Greece, Rome, and medieval Europe have not done a good job in preventing oligarchy from developing as a financial oligarchy and as a land lordship oligarchy, with the financiers turning public utilities into private monopolies to get monopoly rent along with interest and land rent. Well, thats the dynamic that occurs. Not only has economic history been taken out of the curriculum, but most classical historians begin the history of civilization with Greece and Rome as if it began without this mixed economy, without the 3,000 years of the Bronze Age and late Neolithic takeoff that I describe in the first volume And Forgive Them Their Debts. Colin Bruce Anthes Is it safe to say that we have adopted the model of a failed state, a failed state model, as our economic model? Michael Hudson Yes, youve put it quite succinctly. Colin Bruce Anthes When we look at the practices of debt forgiveness and when we look at how people had understood these principles before and applied them very productively, is there any reason other than sheer political power and campaign contributions? Is there any reason we couldnt take up that subject successfully today and reinstate citizenship, equality, a greater sense of equality, at least, and a productive economy again today? Michael Hudson Well, in order to do that, youd have to have a definition of what is the alternative. Neoclassical economics says there is no alternative. Margaret Thatcher and Ayn Rand are the economic models of today. If you believe theres no alternative, then youre not going to take steps to create a more balanced economy. In that sense, you could say that the fight between North America and the NATO countries against the remaining 85% of the worlds population is a fight between an oligarchic society and a mixed economy wanting to use governments to shape markets in order to promote general prosperity and liberty for the population as a whole. Colin Bruce Anthes You use the term in your book, you call that democratic liberty as opposed to oligarchic liberty. Michael Hudson Thats right. Except, the meaning of democracy seems to only be successful when you have a state strong enough to prevent a financial oligarchy from destroying democratic principles. Colin Bruce Anthes Well, youve certainly given us a lot to think about in this conversation. I also really encourage people to pick up this book and read it. As I say, it is an authoritative account, but it also is a great joy to read because it is so culturally rich. People who have an interest in history, who have an interest in drama or an interest in philosophy are all going to find that this is a really invigorating book to read. So, Michael Hudson, thank you so much for being here. This was a pleasure. Thank you. Michael Hudson Well, thank you for reading the book and understanding it so well and bringing it out in this discussion. Colin Bruce Anthes If you enjoyed that content, consider going to our website and hitting the donate button so we can produce more like it. Thank you so much for watching. Take care. (Natural News) That interview says it all, doesnt it? (Article by Matt Taibbi republished from Racket.news) Not long ago I was writing in defense of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. When she first entered Congress as an inner-city twenty something whod knocked off longtime insider Joe Crowley with a Sandersian policy profile, her own partys establishment ridiculed her as a lefty Trump. Nancy Pelosi scoffed that her win just meant voters made a choice in one district, so lets not get carried away. Ben Ritz, director of the Progressive Policy Institute, an offshoot of the old Democratic Leadership Council, groused, Oh, please, she just promised everyone a bunch of free stuff. This was before AOC decided to be the next Pelosi, instead of the next Sanders. The above sit-down on MSNBC shows the transformation. Having shed the mantle of an outsider who shook the old guard with online savvy, she appeared in soft light for a softball interview, by a literal Biden official (Inside With Jen Psaki is as close as you can get to a formal dissolution of the line between White House and media). In it, she seemed to argue for the outlaw of Fox News. We have very real issues with what is permissible on air, she said, adding people like Tucker Carlson are very clearly guilty of incitement to violence, a problem in light of federal regulation in terms of whats allowed on air and what isnt. I was attracted to liberalism as a young person precisely because it didnt want to ban things. Every liberal morality play in the seventies, eighties and nineties featured a finger-wagging moralist who couldnt stomach an obscene joke (Jerry Falwell, over a Hustler parody), obscene art (Cincinnatis Contemporary Arts Center, over Robert Mapplethorpes photos), objectionable music (Tipper Gore, in the now-seems-tame record-labeling furor), or unpredictable humor (NBC, in its attempts to put Richard Pryor on tape delay for Saturday Night Live). Pryors favored writer Paul Mooney objected so much to all the hoops they had to jump through to be allowed on air, he ended up writing a parody job interview skit that sent SNLs ratings soaring, though ironically it would probably never air today: Hollywood made self-congratulating feature films about nearly every one of those speech clashes, from The People vs. Larry Flynt to Dirty Pictures (starring James Woods, about the Cincinnati episode!) to Parental Advisory. The movie Field of Dreams features Ray Kinsellas wife Annie telling off IRATE MOTHER in a school library debate about banning writer Terrence Mann, with Annie saying after: Fascist. Id like to ease her pain! (The actual book Shoeless Joe featured J.D. Salinger, one of Americas most-censored authors). From To Kill a Mockingbird to Dead Man Walking liberalism celebrated the belief that truth, tolerance, and forgiveness are the way to reach closed minds. I mentioned this before, but Rob Reiners The American President a naked hagiography of Clintonian politics came to a climax with President Andrew Shepherd defending his flag-burning girlfriends honor, saying: You want free speech? Lets see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, whos standing center stage and advocating, at the top of his lungs, that which you would spend a lifetime opposing That scene, which sounds like it should apply to any Democrat thinking about someone like Carlson, would become ironic later. Back to AOC and Fox: like so many other things in America, the marketplace of ideas is no longer a market. Voices with organic appeal are artificially restricted. Watching approved news these days is like watching scab baseball: you know most of the players the crowds really want to see arent even in the dugout. By no means is this phenomenon confined to the right. Read more at: Racket.news (Natural News) A survey that was recently carried out by Rasmussen Reports revealed that most Americans are concerned that their government is spying on them. While this may not be very surprising given the governments behavior in recent years, one interesting finding was that some groups of Americans were more worried about their own government spying on them than foreign spies. In a national poll of likely American voters, 74 percent of respondents said they were either very or somewhat concerned that their government is spying on them. When broken down by party, 89 percent of Republicans felt this way, while 66 percent of Democrats expressed concern about it. While 70 percent of likely Republican voters describe themselves as being very concerned about their governments spying activities, just 67 percent of people in this group said they were very concerned about spying on the part of foreign governments. Meanwhile, just a quarter of the population said they were either not at all concerned or not very concerned about any potential government spying. Overall, however, there is not a big difference in the way that Americans feel about spying activity on the part of their government versus that of foreign governments. In fact, 82 percent of Americans said they were concerned about foreign government spying on them overall, which is just 8 percent more than those who said they were worried about their own government doing so. Meanwhile, 17 percent of the population said that they were either not at all concerned or not very concerned about being spied on by foreign governments. When it comes to national security, 45 percent of the respondents said they trust Republicans more when it comes to these issues, while just 41 percent identified Democrats as the most trustworthy party in this regard. However, people tended to vote down party lines on this issue, with 85 percent of Republicans trusting the Republican party more on national security and 79 percent of democrats saying they trust Democrats with these matters. The poll involved 911 likely American voters and was conducted from April 17 to 19. Americans have a largely negative view of Americas present and future state The results of the survey are not surprising, and they appear to be part of a broader overall negative sentiment toward the U.S. in recent times. A new poll from Pew Research Center carried out from March 27 to April 2 shows that Americans largely have a negative view of the current state of the U.S., with an overwhelming majority reporting being dissatisfied with national conditions and the economy, in addition to having a very dim view of the future. Nearly six out of ten Americans said that life for individuals like them right now is worse than it was 50 years ago, while only 23 percent believe life is better today. Moreover, the share of Americans who said that life is worse today than in the past rose 15 percentage points since summer 2021, while the share of those who think its better dropped by a similar amount. Just under 20 percent said they were satisfied with how things are going in the U.S. right now, while 80 percent report being dissatisfied. When asked to look ahead to 2050, sizeable proportions of Americans had a very negative view. For example, 66 percent said the American economy will be weaker, 81 percent said the gap between the rich and poor would grow, 77 percent feel the country will be even more politically divided than it is now, and 71 percent believe that America will be less important on the world stage. Sources for this article include: RasmussenReports.com TheNationalPulse.com PewResearch.org (Natural News) While Democrats and their left-wing cheerleaders in the mainstream media shrieked for four years that Donald Trump was a traitor and an asset to Russia, in fact, its Joe Bidens loyalties that should be questioned as well as most of those in his party when it comes to their China catering. The Biden administration is quietly helping American universities that host Chinas Confucius Institute on their campuses circumvent a ban on receiving federal funds, the Washington Free Beacon reported this week. In late March, the Defense Department declared that it would issue waivers permitting schools to establish chapters of the Confucius Institute, a Chinese Communist Party-supported program that Beijing exploits to advance its influence and pilfer intellectual property from American universities. The departments waiver program was established as a reaction to the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which prohibits American colleges and universities from receiving federal funding if they maintain Confucius Institute chapters. According to lawmakers, the Defense Departments actions are in defiance of federal law, the outlet noted further. And never mind that the Chinese government shouldnt have institutes or anything else established on American college campuses (because you know Beijing will never allow an American equivalent on Chinese campuses). The Chinese Communist Party is subverting U.S. institutions and Joe Biden is sabotaging legislation to stop them, Rep. Jim Banks (R., Ind.), a member of the House Select Committee on China, told the Washington Free Beacon. The GOP lawmaker noted further that the Biden regime has essentially greenlit Chinas espionage and malign influence operations on college campuses. This workaround has emerged amidst concerns from the intelligence community that American colleges have become soft targets for Chinese espionage. Since 2008, China has established over 100 Confucius Institutes in the United States, investing over $158 million in them. The FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies have repeatedly cautioned that these institutes are ultimately subservient to the Chinese government and pose a significant espionage threat, the report said. Despite these warnings, American schools have been hesitant to sever ties with their Confucius Institutes, fearing that they may miss out on the $426 million China has contributed to American higher education since 2011. This funding supports a range of research projects, with a substantial portion also coming in the form of gifts to various schools, the outlet added. While Confucius Institutes are claimed to be designed to foster cultural exchange and language learning, lawmakers argue that they instead limit a schools autonomy by censuring political debate and preventing discussions on certain topics, such as Taiwan and Tibet. These Chinese Communist Party (CCP) outposts also have contracts with U.S. universities [that] forbid activities that violate Chinese law and require the contract remain confidential, limiting effective oversight. The bipartisan funding prohibition in the NDAA, scheduled to be implemented on October 1, was intended to compel American universities to terminate their ties with Confucius Institutes in order to retain their lucrative Pentagon contracts. However, the waiver program provides them with a way out and coincides with parallel efforts by higher education lobbyists to influence the Biden administration into easing reporting requirements on foreign donations, including those from China, the Free Beacon reported further. To be granted a waiver, schools merely have to submit a letter to the Pentagon affirming that their Confucius Institutes promote academic freedom and openness. The schools are also granted flexibility to self-report to the Defense Department on any modifications that may be made to the institutes connection with these CCP outposts, the outlet said. In short, Bidens Defense Department no doubt with his approval is moving to circumvent established law for a country that it should be preparing to defeat on future battlefields, not assisting with the propagandizing of American students. Biden and his Marxists have been the worst traitors of America since Benedict Arnold. Sources include: FreeBeacon.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) China has begun its largest-ever period of expansion of its nuclear arsenal, as it looks for ways to modernize its atomic deterrents to prevent future conflicts with the United States. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in Sweden, Chinas current stockpile of nuclear weapons is estimated to be around 350 nuclear warheads. While this is relatively small compared to the nuclear arsenals of Russia and the United States 5,977 and 5,428 estimated warheads, respectively this is still large enough to make Chinas arsenal the third-largest nuclear weapons stockpile in the world. (Related: China may have already deployed unstoppable hypersonic missiles capable of targeting American bases in the Pacific.) To make matters worse, Chinas nuclear arsenal is growing fast and the Department of Defense estimates that the communist nation could more than quadruple the size of its arsenal to have over 1,500 warheads by 2035. China is undertaking the most significant expansion and modernization of its nuclear forces in the countrys history, said David Logan, an assistant professor at the Naval War College in Rhode Island. The Pentagon noted in its analysis that this involves not only ramping up the production of existing kinds of warheads, but also upgrading the Peoples Liberation Armys Chinas armed forces ability to deliver them with what is known as the nuclear triad: missiles, aircraft and submarines. The Pentagon said China is rapidly building launch facilities for its intercontinental ballistic missile fleet, with more than 300 silos already being built. U.S. nuclear strategy has long focused on deterring Russia. Once China completes its rapid buildup, Eric Heginbothman, principal research scientist for the MIT Center for International Studies, noted that this will be the first time in history that the major nuclear powers of the world will need to consider not just one potential nuclear competitor. This massive change will have major implications for nuclear planning and stability everywhere. The changes that are taking place or underway are very significant [and] will turn China from a state that has a nuclear retaliatory capability to one that is the worlds just major nuclear powers, said Heginbotham. US urged to modernize and expand its own nuclear arsenal China has not shown any interest in engaging in arms control talks with the U.S. or any other actor in the international community. With any diplomatic means of controlling the expansion of Chinas nuclear arsenal dead in the water, experts and analysts in the U.S. are now presenting a variety of proposals for the country to respond, all of which revolve around the U.S. modernizing and potentially expanding its own nuclear arsenal to cope with the increased threat. This new problem compels a broad rethinking of the assumptions of U.S. nuclear policy and of the deterrence practices of the United States, wrote researchers from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), a federally funded research and development center. Some of the proposals, which the research center noted have widespread bipartisan support, have already been implemented. These include programs to modernize the nations nuclear triad by certifying the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter to be a dual-capable aircraft meaning it can carry conventional and nuclear weapons by 2024. The Pentagon is also making sure to field a significant number of the still-in-development B-21 Raider stealth strategic bombers, all of which will be able to carry nuclear warheads. Finally, the Pentagon is also working to replace its aging stockpile of Minutemen III intercontinental ballistic missiles with the new LGM-35 Sentinel missiles. But the LLNLs proposal suggests additional steps, including massively increasing the number of U.S. nuclear forces to strengthen the countrys deterrent capabilities and, in case of an attack, boost Americas chances of surviving such a deadly nuclear strike. The researchers have also proposed other programs that the administration of President Joe Biden has already shut down, such as fielding a flotilla of attack submarines with sea-launched nuclear missiles and exploring a smaller, mobile variant of the Sentinel missiles in case of direct strikes against missile silos. Learn more about the expansion of nuclear arsenals around the world at NuclearWeapons.news. Watch this episode of the Health Ranger Report as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, interviews former United Nations nuclear weapons inspector Scott Ritter about Russias advanced and unstoppable nuclear arsenal. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Russian, Chinese nuclear arsenals have been upgraded in race to dominance over outdated US ICBMs. STRATCOM report reveals China has a larger nuclear ICBM arsenal than the US. FEMA map shows areas most at risk of being targeted by nuclear warheads in a war. Threat of EMP attack on US detailed in 2013 a decade before Chinese spy balloons that could deliver EMP weapon spotted over US. Chinese spy balloon that flew over Montana could be used to carry EMP or nuclear weapons. Sources include: YourNews.com ICANW.org AirAndSpaceForces.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Just because covid is over, thankfully, does not mean that the fallout from the health care systems egregious medical abuses will go unchecked or unpunished. Reports are flooding in about the horrors that took place at hospitals all across the country, many of which abused patients and committed systemic medical murder in the name of saving lives and stopping the spread. Lawsuits are being filed left and right against hospitals that allegedly murdered peoples loved ones by putting them on remdesivir or a ventilator after using fraudulent PCR tests to proclaim a positive covid diagnosis. Rather than treat patients with nutrition, and perhaps safe and effective drugs like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, most medical institutions in America followed the script like they were ordered to do and in exchange, they raked in the dough for compliance. (Related: Remember when Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Florida was caught trying to murder patients in order to boost its covid death numbers in exchange for cash?) The official American hospital covid protocol was a MURDER regimen American Thinkers Stella Paul wrote a piece highlighting some of the stories of people whose loved ones lost their lives at the hands of medical terrorists who isolated patients from their families while killing them with the official covid death protocol. The ritual progresses in predictable stages: first, the patient is isolated from family, who are unable to advocate for their loved one or monitor whats happening, Paul explains. Next, the patient is diagnosed with Covid-19 or Covid pneumonia, even if they came to the hospital because of a broken arm. Then, theyre bullied into getting remdesivir, a highly toxic drug which killed 53 percent of Ebola patients who had the misfortune to take it. Next They are placed on a BiPap machine at a high rate, making it difficult for them to breathe. Their hands are often tied down so they cant take the BiPap machine off their face.' This progression towards induced death was the norm at American hospitals, which murdered countless patients via the covid protocol. And it gets even worse, as Paul explains. As the patients writhe in agony, psychiatrists are brought in to diagnose them with agitation and sedate them, she says. Now, shot up with remdesivir, sedated with drugs that make it tough to breathe against the BiPap ventilator, and strapped down in restraints, the victims are denied food and sometimes even water. Should they try to summon help, they may find the hospital played a vicious trick on them, placing their phone and call button for the nurse out of reach. In the final stages, they are intubated and slowly die alone, left to rot into a skeletal corpse with bed sores. Is this America? As usual, and with most things in the United States, the impetus behind this mass murder machine was none other than money. Doctors and nurses who pledged to do no harm during their medical school days were lured with dollar signs into betraying their oath and murdering people for profit. It turns out that the federal government incentivized this mass murder by sending taxpayer dollars to hospitals every time they killed another patient with covid. The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) explains it like this: Our formerly trusted medical community of hospitals and hospital-employed medical staff have effectively become bounty hunters for your life. None of this would have been possible without the passage of the CARES Act, which was passed in 2020 under Donald Trump, apportioning $2 trillion in stimulus money to pay off hospitals to commit mass genocide. It provided gigantic bonuses to hospitals to institute federal protocols on Covid, ensuring that Covid would be massively diagnosed and treated with deadly combinations of remdesivir, ventilators, and other lethal methods, Paul writes. Covid was a psychological operation designed to tyrannize and depopulate. To learn more, visit Genocide.news. Sources for this article include: AmericanThinker.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) The Sackler family that owns Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of the synthetic opioid OxyContin, reportedly gave $19 million to an advisory board that helped shape Washingtons response to the opioid crisis. Michael Nevdarakis, senior reporter for the Defender, expounded on this in an April 25 article. He cited a report by the New York Times that named several members of the Sackler family as donors to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM). Dr. Raymond Sackler and his wife Beverly, both deceased, were named as contributors alongside their namesake Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation. Raymonds late brother Arthur and his still-living wife Jillian were also named as donors. Together, the Sacklers donated about $19 million to NASEM since 2000. A report by NASEM treasurer for the year 2021 disclosed that the said funds were invested and had grown to more than $31 million. Until recently, however, the donations appeared to remain under the radar for both NASEM members and the general public. The Gray Lady reported that the Sackler donations became an internal issue for the advisory group in 2019, when members of the governing council were briefed about the money. NASEMs governing council was reportedly outraged, and it quietly removed the Sackler name from conferences and awards the family had sponsored following internal meetings. The Times wrote that NASEM continued to accept funds from some members of the Sackler family, including those involved with Purdue Pharma even as the opioid crisis continued and its impacts on American society became increasingly apparent. It added that NASEM has kept quiet and largely avoided such scrutiny, continuing to advise the federal government on matters related to opioids. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that more than 564,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2020. The public health agency also added that the opioid epidemic costs the U.S. economy approximately $78.5 billion every year. Sackler family donations to institutions draw scrutiny Nevdarakis wrote that donations given by the Sacklers to other institutions drew scrutiny and prompted action in some cases. In one instance, Tufts University in Massachusetts released a review of possible conflicts of interest pertaining to pain research funded by Purdue Pharma. The 2019 review was made public as part of a broader relationship with the drug manufacturer, which included Purdue executives delivering lectures to university students. The Times also mentioned that aside from Tufts, other institutions such as Brown University in Rhode Island have redirected financial donations received from the family behind Purdue Pharma. It added that the Sacklers money given to these institutions is now being used to address the prevention or treatment of addiction. Meanwhile, an article published in the British Medical Journal said NASEM has not disclosed that one of its presidents and members of a panel it convened to advise on prescribing opioids had recent links to the drug industry. The Times also pointed out that NASEM has not yet done a public review to determine if donations from the Sackler family played a role in the release of a 2011 report on opioids. Despite the report being now largely discredited, federal public health agencies still use it as the basis for opioid policy decisions. The said report alleged that approximately 100 million Americans suffered from chronic pain, an estimate the Times said was highly inflated. It also argued that regulatory, legal, educational and cultural barriers inhibit the medically appropriate use of opioid analgesics. (Related: Purdue Pharma and other pharmaceutical firms built opioid market on deception and lies.) Ultimately, the only thing the 2011 report influenced was aggressive opioid sales campaigns for drug firms and the approval of at least one highly potent opioid by the Food and Drug Administration. A 2014 investigation done by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and MedPage Today found that within three years of working on the report, nine of the 19 people on the panel that produced it had financial connections to opioid manufacturers. Opioids.news has more stories about the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma. Watch this short documentary about the Sackler family responsible for the opioid crisis. This video is from the TruthBeTold channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Corrupt DOJ prevented the federal government from prosecuting opioid pharma executives. Federal judge overturns $4.5 billion opioid settlement between Purdue Pharma, Sackler family. Trump administration to cut deal with Purdue Pharma shielding Sackler family from criminal liability over opioid crisis. Sources include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org Brighteon.com (Natural News) The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the public that there could be a huge biological risk after Sudanese rebel fighters took control of a bio lab in the nations capital city Khartoum. According to the WHO, the rebels have occupied a national public laboratory that holds samples of diseases, including polio, measles and cholera. That is extremely, extremely dangerous because we have polio isolates in the lab. We have measles isolates in the lab. We have cholera isolates in the lab, WHO representative in Sudan Dr. Nima Saeed Abid told a United Nations (UN) briefing in Geneva via video call. There is a huge biological risk associated with the occupation of the central public health lab in Khartoum by one of the fighting parties. He added that the main concern is that the lab technicians no longer have access to the lab to safely contain the biological material and substances available. In addition to chemical hazards, bio-risk hazards are also very high due to lack of functioning generators, Abid said. During a recent Fox News segment on the matter, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the WHO has failed to safely secure high-security labs around the globe. Fighting between rebel forces and the Sudanese military has been taking place since April 15. The said biolab takeover came as officials warned that more refugees could flee Sudan despite the U.S.-brokered 72-hour ceasefire between rival forces. Al Jazeera reported that the fighting has plunged Sudan into chaos, pushing the already heavily aid-dependent African nation to the brink of collapse. Dozens of hospitals have shuttered in the Sudan capital and elsewhere across the country due to the fighting and dwindling medical and fuel supplies, according to the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate. The UN health agency also said it had confirmed 14 attacks on healthcare during the fighting, killing eight and injuring two, and it warned that depleting stocks of blood bags risk spoiling due to lack of power. Sudans Federal Ministry of Health has put the number of deaths so far at 459, with a further 4,072 wounded. If the violence does not stop, there is a danger that the health system will collapse, the UN agency warned Friday, April 28. (Related: South Sudan confirms new outbreak of vaccine-related polio.) Khartoum faces dwindling supplies amid the chaos A witness told CNN that shops were running out of food completely and several food factories in the state had been looted. As for the water supplies, we dont have water for 11 days straight. We only get water from a well nearby. So, you have to go all the way to the well with barrels or stuff if you have a car. If not, you have to take something small to get enough water for you, the witness said. Fifty-one-year-old Saif Mohamed Othman, a freelancer who resides in Shambat, North Bahri, also noted that food stocks running out in stores is made worse by the complete burning of the central market, which supplies large parts of Bahri with vegetables, meat and other food. He added that residents are also struggling financially because state employees had not received their wages before the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of last week, and the banks ATMs have stopped functioning. Othman told CNN there are patrols in place to protect the neighborhood from the widespread looting and robbing that large areas in Khartoum have been exposed to due to the lack of security and police presence. Due to the recent events, Sudanese people are now attempting to escape the capital. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said thousands had already fled the violence and that it was bracing for up to 270,000 people to flee Sudan into neighboring Chad and South Sudan. Laura Lo Castro, the agencys representative in Chad, said some 20,000 refugees had arrived at the Egypt border since the fighting began 10 days ago. Visit BiologicalWarfare.com for more stories about possible biological attacks. Watch the video below that talks about how the biolab takeover in Sudan could be intentional. This video is from the Evolutionary Energy Arts channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: As shock and awe of war wears off, U.S. quietly resumes biolabs program in Ukraine. BIOWEAPONS CRIMINAL: Anthony Fauci bought off top-level scientists to cover up lab origins of covid-19. Russia exposes Ukrainian biolab operator Metabiota and its connections to the Pentagon, Hunter Biden, EcoHealth Alliance, and the WEF. Sources include: InfoWars.com AlJazeera.com Edition.CNN.com CBSNews.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) A trans activist known as Tara Jay has sparked outrage and concern after posting a TikTok video in which he urged fellow trans activists and supporters to arm themselves and take action against those who wished to bar them from using facilities according to their gender preference. Jays video quickly gained attention before being deleted due to overwhelming responses. His remarks included a direct challenge to anyone attempting to prevent him from using womens bathrooms, saying: It will be the last mistake you ever make. (Related: Child rapist and murderer lauded as feminist and advocate for LGBTQ Rights.) The activists call to arms and brazen threats drew overwhelming attention, highlighting growing concern about the escalating violence by some trans activists against opposing views and dissenting voices. But despite the seriousness of the issue, only a few media outlets reported on the explicit call to arms. The Daily Mail was among the few publications that covered the story, highlighting the removal of Jays videos due to its graphic nature and mockery. The lack of extensive coverage about these incidents raises questions about potential biases in media reporting. Many argue that if the situation involved a conservative activist issuing similar threats, it would likely dominate headlines and fuel public outrage. In response to the controversy, a fact-checking website published a rebuttal titled No evidence of growing trend of trans radicalization or terrorism, experts say. The article sought to address claims of radicalization, but failed to acknowledge the incident involving Jay or its implications. Critics of the article argue that comprehensive reporting and unbiased analysis are crucial when discussing such complex and sensitive issues. They emphasize the need to examine incidents objectively to better understand the impact of violence within any community. CBS News bans staffers from using transgender when reporting about trans shooter Mainstream media outlets dont want to put transgenders in a bad light For example, top executives at CBS News have banned staffers from using the word transgender when reporting about the trans shooter who killed three children and three adults at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. The shooters gender identity has not been confirmed by CBS News, the networks executives insisted in a memo obtained by the New York Post. As such, we should avoid any mention of it as it has no known relevance to the crime. Should that change, we can and will revisit. The network issued the order despite the fact that the police already established that the shooter, Audrey Hale, was a transgender and cited her being such as a key point in the case. The authorities determined that the attack might be connected to the Trans Day of Vengeance protest, which had been planned by a group of transgender activists. The shooting incident and the threatening video posted by Jay have reignited the debate over transgender policies, specifically the bathroom policy that has been the center of legal battles and cultural clashes in recent years. Supporters argue that transgender individuals should be able to use facilities that align with their gender identity, citing inclusivity and non-discrimination as key principles. On the other hand, opponents raise concerns about the potential risks to privacy, safety and the well-being of women and children. Visit LeftCult.com for more stories like this. Watch the video below to know about the transgender shooter that murdered six individuals at a Christian elementary school. This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Pennsylvania drag queen, LGBTQ rights champion charged with 25 counts of child pornography. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson refuses to back down, says LGBTQ filth doesnt belong in schools. Now the Cult of LGBTQ is pushing to normalize incest. Meanwhile, this is what LGBTQ organizations are doing to society. Florida school board votes against recognizing October as LGBTQ History Month. Sources include: Lifesitenews.com NYPost.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) The United States rapid switch to relying solely on renewable energy sources like wind and solar power requires far too much land, compared to keeping the countrys energy systems as they are. Maxine Joselow, a climate-focused staff writer for the Washington Post, warned that the decision to focus more on land-intensive renewables like solar, wind and hydro means difficult decisions about land use need to be made because this will have a profound impact on the nation. Large-scale wind and solar farms require at least 10 times as much land per unit as coal- and natural gas-fired power plants, including the land used to produce and transport the fossil fuels, research shows, noted Joselow. (Related: There is no climate emergency: Around 1,500 scientists and professionals oppose net-zero CO2 policy.) But only a fraction of all land is suitable for development. One site might have the wrong slope for solar panels, while another area might be home to an endangered species that development could doom, she added. Hundreds of millions of acres needed to handle Bidens green energy expansion plans In practical terms, to fulfill President Joe Bidens goal of having an emission-free electricity grid by 2035, the U.S. needs to increase its carbon-free energy production capacity by at least 150 percent. According to an estimate by Princeton University, building 10 percent more wind, solar and hydropower generation per year until 2030 will require a chunk of land equal to the state of South Dakota. Today, only 81 million of the countrys 2.43 billion acres of land is used to power the countrys economy. The total footprint used up to generate hydro, nuclear, solar and wind energy is 16.13 million acres of land. Meanwhile, land currently used for fossil fuels oil and gas drilling and fracking-sand mining sites, petroleum and gas pipeline easements, coal mining, transport and waste storage operations and fossil fuel power plants use up just 8.55 million acres of land. Slightly more than half of what the U.S. currently uses for hydro, wind and solar generation, despite producing so much more energy for the country. Even if taking into account all of the land used for power lines to transmit the energy generated by fossil fuels across the country 4.8 million acres it still doesnt use up the same amount According to Princetons analysis of various pathways for Biden to achieve his goal of having a carbon-free American economy by 2050 and how much land it would take, the most land-intensive plan eliminates all fossil fuels and nuclear plants. Wind and solar would provide 98 percent of all electric power by 2050, with additional energy needs to be met by a mix of batteries, hydropower and combustion turbines that burn carbon-free synthetic fuels and hydrogen. For this plan to make every single home, building, factory, electric vehicle and more in America run on clean energy, the U.S. energy footprint would need to quadruple in size, and wind farms alone would occupy land areas equivalent to Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma combined. This is equivalent to an additional 250 million acres of wind farms, 17 million more acres of solar farms and 15 million acres of offshore wind farms. Is there even enough uninhabited land to build 250 million acres of new wind farms? asked Dave Merrill, writing for Bloomberg. In Princetons most optimistic estimates in the highest renewables scenario, 11 percent of electric power could come from offshore wind farms and another three percent of power could come from rooftop solar panels. This still leaves around 84 to 86 percent of energy generation left to massive wind and solar farms. Learn more about the governments forced transition to green energy at GreenTyranny.news. Watch this clip from InfoWars as host Owen Shroyer discusses why green energy policies will never work. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Wind turbine blades could account for more than 43 million tons of waste each year by 2050. Top power grid operator warns: More blackouts and energy shortages due to forced retirement of fossil fuel plants. Solar and wind cant replace fossil fuel, points out economist Peter Hartley. Shifting to green energy is currently impossible due to global shortage of batteries and minerals needed for energy storage. Wind and solar cannot replace oil: What we need is for the government to stop suppressing free energy. Sources include: ClimateDepot.com MSN.com Bloomberg.com Brighteon.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 29. Azerbaijan and Turkiye have signed the Protocol on amendments to the Preferential Trade Agreement, Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov wrote on Twitter, Trend reports. "We signed the Protocol On amendments to the Preferential Trade Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Turkiye. The implementation of the document will give a further impetus for increasing the trade turnover with the brotherly country," the minister noted. Texas cattle deaths involving suspected cases of mutilations linked to unexplained phenomena have been reported in recent days, sparking a fuel that adds to decades-long of related incidents occurring in different parts of the United States. One of the latest string of incidents involved the deaths of six cows with their tongues removed but with no indication of blood spill. Initial investigations into the incident spanning to different Texas counties reportedly suggest there were no physical evidence available yet that would make foul play or human-related killings to be the cause of animal deaths. In the context of such recurring incidents, various theories have emerged blaming natural predators, human hunters, or even activities that are extraterrestrial by nature. Texas Cattle Deaths Texas cattle deaths were reported in the Brazos, Madison, and Robertson counties, according to a video report by FOX 26 Houston on Tuesday, April 26. The media outlet's reporter Matthew Seedorff spoke with some residents of the said counties, with some showing concern of the bizarre Texas cattle mutilations. The mystery even deepens as the carcasses found in the field are untouched by scavengers or any other animals for a prolonged period after the cows' estimated death date. Despite the available evidence, local authorities are still uncertain on the exact cause or trigger of the Texas cattle mutilations reported earlier this week. There was no evidence of 'grass disturbance or struggle', blood spill, and evident tracks, according to Brian Moss, from the AAAC wildlife removal, during a video report by local television station KPRC2 based in Houston, Texas. Furthermore, no scavenger birds or predators would eat the remains of the animals for several weeks after their death, Moss adds. Also Read: Over 20 Million Farm Animals in US Die Before Reaching Slaughterhouse Due to Horrific Conditions The Mutilation Mystery As mentioned earlier, similar incidents have been reported in the U.S. even several decades before the renewed cattle mutilations of April 2023. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), reports of scattered animal or cattle mutilations during the mid-1970s in American West and Midwest regions of the U.S. caused a great concern for many people. Due to the ambiguity of the incidents, the FBI attempted to intervene in the investigation of the mysterious cattle deaths. However, the bureau was unable to complete such task, mainly due to lack of jurisdiction (except when the mutilations occurred on native American Indian lands). Despite the limitation, the FBI was still able to produce a report which can found until today from its archive records entitled 'The Mutilation Mystery' published in 1976 which said; in the past three years, there were over 1,500 cattle in 22 states that have been killed or mutilated. The FBI report emphasized that the animals' blood was drained and selected organs were taken from them, attributing suspects ranging from cultists to government researchers. Media reports at that time also said the incidents were linked to UFOs, also known as unidentified flying objects. Related Article: Kansas Heat Wave Kills Around 10,000 Fat Cattle as Temperatures Reach over 100 Degrees Fahrenheit BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 29. Integration of Azerbaijani resources into the supply chain as soon as possible is in the interest of Hungary, Tamas Torma, Ambassador of Hungary in Baku, said in an exclusive interview with Trend. He was talking about the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding for encouraging cooperation among Bulgartransgaz (Bulgaria), Transgaz (Romania), FGSZ (Hungary), Eustream (Slovakia) and the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) signed in Sofia on April 25. "In order to well understand the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Sofia, I have to emphasize that the current geopolitical crisis has highlighted the fragility of European energy security. Europe is facing major challenges due to the war in Ukraine in the field of energy supply. At one point, the price of natural gas rose tenfold and it was a major challenge to fill reservoirs before the heating season and experts warn that it might be difficult to prepare for the next winter. The amount of Russian natural gas available on the European market will be 60 billion cubic metres lower than last year. Global demand has grown significantly due to the reopening of Chinas economy which can also make it difficult for Europe to access natural gas on international markets, and at the same time sufficient LNG capacities are yet to be built to make up for the lost gas quantity," he said. On the other hand, Torma pointed out that more than 10 percent of the world's natural gas reserves are in the wider region of Azerbaijan. "Diversification in the short to medium term is best achieved by increasing the amount of gas produced in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan is ready to double its supplies to Europe. Therefore, the importance of Azerbaijan to Europe has increased. The increased volume of natural gas production in Azerbaijan can play an important role for the energy security of Hungary and Central Europe as well. Integration of Azerbaijani resources into the supply chain as soon as possible is in the interest of Hungary. At the Sofia Conference entitled "Energy for a Green Future", Peter Szijjarto, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, together with the representatives of Bulgaria, Romania, Slovak Republic, Azerbaijan Republic signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the aim of enhancing and developing cooperation between the Republic of Bulgaria, Romania, Slovak Republic, and last but not least the Republic of Azerbaijan and of Hungary in order to increase the security of supply and the diversification of supply sources and routes to Europe using their existing transport infrastructure," the envoy added. The Memorandum of Understanding sets out directions of cooperation between SOCAR and four distribution system operators for the supply of additional gas from Azerbaijan to Europe. The additional gas will be supplied through the upgraded transmission network systems of Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia called the "Solidarity Ring". Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Air India chief Campbell Wilson on Friday said 90% of the airlines cabin crew and a majority of pilots have accepted the new compensation package offered by the airline. However, pilots from the two unions who had rejected the airlines new pay structure said a majority of pilots have not accepted the revised terms. In his weekly message to Air India employees, Campbell said the airline is making investments in workplace technology and training as well as in new and improved employee benefits. On the latter front, I am pleased to report that 90% of cabin crew and a majority of pilots have received and accepted the new compensation package offered last week, which will be back-dated to 1 April 2023, Campbell added. On April 17, Tata Group-run Air India rolled out a revamped compensation structure for its pilots and cabin crew, which has since been rejected by the two unions -- Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and Indian Pilots Guild (IPG). A senior pilot at Air India told this newspaper that a large number of pilots are yet to accept the new offer as they feel that the management would hear their grievances. We have stated it clearly what is wrong with the policy. The management, especially the HR department, should make changes in the regressive contract sheet, he said while requesting anonymity. The two unions had earlier urged their members not to sign on the document, saying that the terms and conditions were being imposed on them. They have also called the new contract illegal and unethical, and had warned that any coercive steps will lead to industrial unrest. More than 1,500 pilots of Air India have written to Ratan Tata, the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons alleging that they are not being treated with respect and dignity by the HR department of the airline. The airline, which currently has more than 1,800 pilots, has placed orders for 470 aircraft with Boeing and Airbus, including for wide-body planes. NEW DELHI: Air India chief Campbell Wilson on Friday said 90% of the airlines cabin crew and a majority of pilots have accepted the new compensation package offered by the airline. However, pilots from the two unions who had rejected the airlines new pay structure said a majority of pilots have not accepted the revised terms. In his weekly message to Air India employees, Campbell said the airline is making investments in workplace technology and training as well as in new and improved employee benefits. On the latter front, I am pleased to report that 90% of cabin crew and a majority of pilots have received and accepted the new compensation package offered last week, which will be back-dated to 1 April 2023, Campbell added. On April 17, Tata Group-run Air India rolled out a revamped compensation structure for its pilots and cabin crew, which has since been rejected by the two unions -- Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and Indian Pilots Guild (IPG).googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A senior pilot at Air India told this newspaper that a large number of pilots are yet to accept the new offer as they feel that the management would hear their grievances. We have stated it clearly what is wrong with the policy. The management, especially the HR department, should make changes in the regressive contract sheet, he said while requesting anonymity. The two unions had earlier urged their members not to sign on the document, saying that the terms and conditions were being imposed on them. They have also called the new contract illegal and unethical, and had warned that any coercive steps will lead to industrial unrest. More than 1,500 pilots of Air India have written to Ratan Tata, the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons alleging that they are not being treated with respect and dignity by the HR department of the airline. The airline, which currently has more than 1,800 pilots, has placed orders for 470 aircraft with Boeing and Airbus, including for wide-body planes. Uma Kannan By Express News Service BENGALURU: The countrys top five IT services companies Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech and Tech Mahindra together have added only 83,906 employees in FY23, a decline of 69%, compared to 2,73,377 employees onboarded in FY22. These companies have not set any hiring target for FY24 and for the past two quarters Q3 and Q4 IT companies net addition has been reducing, owing to macroeconomic challenges and a slowdown in client spending. Of all the companies, the countrys largest IT services firm TCS recruited only 22,600 employees in FY23, a steep decline of 78%, compared to 1,03, 546 in the year-ago period. Tech Mahindra, which announced its Q4 results on Thursday, added only 1,227 employees in the last fiscal compared to 30,119 in FY22. Experts said during the pandemic, all IT companies overestimated their demand and since the attrition rate was going up, they over-hired in FY22. They said the IT sector was not immune to the economic slowdown and had to adjust its hiring plans accordingly. Despite anticipating high demand, the sector didnt experience the expected growth, which led them to reduce hiring until they can make optimal use of their current overhired resources. The conservative hiring approach may continue for another two quarters. Though it is uncertain when IT companies will resume hiring more actively, recovery is possible later in FY24, as the economy stabilizes and companies regain their confidence, said Aditya Narayan Mishra, MD and CEO of CIEL HR Services. The consistent dip in employee net addition in Q3 and Q4 in Indian IT companies can be attributed to several factors, such as the impact of the global economic slowdown, mass layoffs in the West, and the increasing adoption of automation and artificial intelligence in the industry. These factors have led to a decrease in demand for IT talent and a focus on cost-cutting measures, said A R Ramesh, Director - Managed Services & Professional Staffing, Adecco India. During Q4 earnings call, TCS chief human resources officer Milind Lakkad said that they had a net addition of 22,600 employees for the full year, resulting in a closing headcount of 614,795. These numbers mask the full extent to which we had ramped up our talent acquisition during the year to cope up with the unprecedented churn in the first half of the year. We onboarded over 44,000 freshers, and our highest-ever number of experienced professionals during the year, he added. Experts also said that the IT industry will witness muted hiring sentiment in the coming quarters. TCS adds only 22,600 employees in FY23 Of all the companies, the countrys largest IT services firm TCS recruited only 22,600 employees in FY23, a steep decline of 78%, compared to 1,03, 546 in the year-ago period. Tech Mahindra, which announced its Q4 results on Thursday, added only 1,227 employees in the last fiscal compared to 30,119 in FY22 BENGALURU: The countrys top five IT services companies Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech and Tech Mahindra together have added only 83,906 employees in FY23, a decline of 69%, compared to 2,73,377 employees onboarded in FY22. These companies have not set any hiring target for FY24 and for the past two quarters Q3 and Q4 IT companies net addition has been reducing, owing to macroeconomic challenges and a slowdown in client spending. Of all the companies, the countrys largest IT services firm TCS recruited only 22,600 employees in FY23, a steep decline of 78%, compared to 1,03, 546 in the year-ago period. Tech Mahindra, which announced its Q4 results on Thursday, added only 1,227 employees in the last fiscal compared to 30,119 in FY22. Experts said during the pandemic, all IT companies overestimated their demand and since the attrition rate was going up, they over-hired in FY22.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); They said the IT sector was not immune to the economic slowdown and had to adjust its hiring plans accordingly. Despite anticipating high demand, the sector didnt experience the expected growth, which led them to reduce hiring until they can make optimal use of their current overhired resources. The conservative hiring approach may continue for another two quarters. Though it is uncertain when IT companies will resume hiring more actively, recovery is possible later in FY24, as the economy stabilizes and companies regain their confidence, said Aditya Narayan Mishra, MD and CEO of CIEL HR Services. The consistent dip in employee net addition in Q3 and Q4 in Indian IT companies can be attributed to several factors, such as the impact of the global economic slowdown, mass layoffs in the West, and the increasing adoption of automation and artificial intelligence in the industry. These factors have led to a decrease in demand for IT talent and a focus on cost-cutting measures, said A R Ramesh, Director - Managed Services & Professional Staffing, Adecco India. During Q4 earnings call, TCS chief human resources officer Milind Lakkad said that they had a net addition of 22,600 employees for the full year, resulting in a closing headcount of 614,795. These numbers mask the full extent to which we had ramped up our talent acquisition during the year to cope up with the unprecedented churn in the first half of the year. We onboarded over 44,000 freshers, and our highest-ever number of experienced professionals during the year, he added. Experts also said that the IT industry will witness muted hiring sentiment in the coming quarters. TCS adds only 22,600 employees in FY23 Of all the companies, the countrys largest IT services firm TCS recruited only 22,600 employees in FY23, a steep decline of 78%, compared to 1,03, 546 in the year-ago period. Tech Mahindra, which announced its Q4 results on Thursday, added only 1,227 employees in the last fiscal compared to 30,119 in FY22 S Lalitha By Express News Service BENGALURU: It was a mighty sigh of relief for 362 flyers on board the Saudi Airlines FE 3624 when it touched down at the Kempegowda International Airport around 4.30 pm on Friday. Having lived in fear for their lives in Sudan, they had managed to reach Jeddah on a ship or special Indian Air Force flight before getting on board the repatriation flight to Bengaluru. The passengers included two infants, 12 children and 107 women. Of the 362 flyers, 114 were from Karnataka. A majority of them were from Shivamogga (50), while others were from Mysuru (45), Bengaluru (9), Kalaburagi (4) and two each from Udupi and Ramanagara and one each from Hassan and Davanagere. The 45-year-old Nithin Manoj Amanni from Mangaluru was glad that he made it alive from Khartoum Bahari. He worked as a production manager at Tiga Plastic Factory for the last 22 years. He had to travel nearly 40 hours, covering the distance by road and flight. Some of the evacuees, who landed at the Kempegowda International Airport, will be shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Health Sciences for a six-day quarantine, on Friday | s lalitha My factory was shut down suddenly. Thankfully, my family left for Mangaluru last year. I was without water and power in my house for four days. My car was stolen. Bullets came darting into my house. One night, I managed to walk to my friends house and seven families mobilised money to hire a bus to Port Sudan. At many places, fighters of the two factions stopped us, but somehow we managed to reach the port. The Indian Embassy offered us food and other necessities. An armed force flight flew 130 of us to Jeddah and in half an hour, we got this flight. Some of my colleagues had to take a ship from the port to Jeddah which took nearly 12 hours. Manoj later boarded a flight to Mangaluru. Muhammed Irshad Maniyar, his wife Gulnar and their children -- four-year-old Safwan and eight-year-old Hanna -- were stuck inside their house for over a week. He and two of his colleagues from Bengalurus Finonyx Software Systems were in Sudan to provide IT support to Balad Bank in Khartoum. My family was sitting inside the house unable to step out for 10 days. When my kids kept asking about the blasts, I told them Diwali was being celebrated outside. It was a horrible experience, Maniyar said. Among the passengers evacuated, 34 were from Tamil Nadu, 33 were from Andhra Pradesh, 32 were from Kerala, 22 were from Telangana, 30 were from Maharashtra, four from Bihar and the rest were from other states. The state government had arranged five KSRTC buses to ferry the evacuees to their hometowns. Manoj Rajan, Commissioner of Disaster Management and Nodal Officer from Karnataka said that 40 flyers from other states had not carried the mandatory yellow fever vaccination certificate. They have all been sent to a six-day quarantine at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Health Sciences. Some of them have either lost the certificates or left them behind. The certificates are being tracked using passports and other documents and they will be allowed to leave as soon as we get the certificates. The others have to complete the quarantine period, he added. BENGALURU: It was a mighty sigh of relief for 362 flyers on board the Saudi Airlines FE 3624 when it touched down at the Kempegowda International Airport around 4.30 pm on Friday. Having lived in fear for their lives in Sudan, they had managed to reach Jeddah on a ship or special Indian Air Force flight before getting on board the repatriation flight to Bengaluru. The passengers included two infants, 12 children and 107 women. Of the 362 flyers, 114 were from Karnataka. A majority of them were from Shivamogga (50), while others were from Mysuru (45), Bengaluru (9), Kalaburagi (4) and two each from Udupi and Ramanagara and one each from Hassan and Davanagere. The 45-year-old Nithin Manoj Amanni from Mangaluru was glad that he made it alive from Khartoum Bahari. He worked as a production manager at Tiga Plastic Factory for the last 22 years. He had to travel nearly 40 hours, covering the distance by road and flight. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Some of the evacuees, who landed at the Kempegowda International Airport, will be shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Health Sciences for a six-day quarantine, on Friday | s lalitha My factory was shut down suddenly. Thankfully, my family left for Mangaluru last year. I was without water and power in my house for four days. My car was stolen. Bullets came darting into my house. One night, I managed to walk to my friends house and seven families mobilised money to hire a bus to Port Sudan. At many places, fighters of the two factions stopped us, but somehow we managed to reach the port. The Indian Embassy offered us food and other necessities. An armed force flight flew 130 of us to Jeddah and in half an hour, we got this flight. Some of my colleagues had to take a ship from the port to Jeddah which took nearly 12 hours. Manoj later boarded a flight to Mangaluru. Muhammed Irshad Maniyar, his wife Gulnar and their children -- four-year-old Safwan and eight-year-old Hanna -- were stuck inside their house for over a week. He and two of his colleagues from Bengalurus Finonyx Software Systems were in Sudan to provide IT support to Balad Bank in Khartoum. My family was sitting inside the house unable to step out for 10 days. When my kids kept asking about the blasts, I told them Diwali was being celebrated outside. It was a horrible experience, Maniyar said. Among the passengers evacuated, 34 were from Tamil Nadu, 33 were from Andhra Pradesh, 32 were from Kerala, 22 were from Telangana, 30 were from Maharashtra, four from Bihar and the rest were from other states. The state government had arranged five KSRTC buses to ferry the evacuees to their hometowns. Manoj Rajan, Commissioner of Disaster Management and Nodal Officer from Karnataka said that 40 flyers from other states had not carried the mandatory yellow fever vaccination certificate. They have all been sent to a six-day quarantine at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Health Sciences. Some of them have either lost the certificates or left them behind. The certificates are being tracked using passports and other documents and they will be allowed to leave as soon as we get the certificates. The others have to complete the quarantine period, he added. By Express News Service BENGALURU: A strange requirement for those looking for houses on rent in the city has gained momentum on social media. The requirement by this landlord is only those scoring 90 per cent and above marks in exams will be given accommodation. A tweet by Shubh(@kadaipaneeeer) reads, Marks dont decide your future, but they definitely decide whether you get a flat in Bengaluru or not. He told The New Indian Express that his cousin, who was shifting from Canada to Bengaluru for work, was looking for an apartment. The screenshots of the Whatsapp conversations with a broker stated that the house owner demanded photocopies of their Aadhaar and PAN cards, Twitter/LinkedIn profile, company joining certificate along with academic certificates and later rejected his cousins profile because he scored below 90 per cent marks in Class 12 examination. The post gained a million views in less than 24 hours with many reactions from netizens. @chiragkap replied saying, Real. My landlord strictly told me ki agar CGPA 8.5 se neeche gaya toh samaan pack kar lena. For bachelor, renting an apartment in Bengaluru is a mission impossible, Chirag told TNIE. He had to show his CV and LinkedIn profile to the owner to convince him. He is a final-year B Com student residing in Peenya. Another user tweeted, Padhai likhai karo, tabhi ghar bana paoge. Papa was right. People are often seen holding placards in public places looking for a roommate to fund high security deposits or sharing bizarre requirements of house owners. "Marks don't decide your future, but it definitely decides whether you get a flat in banglore or not" pic.twitter.com/L0a9Sjms6d Shubh (@kadaipaneeeer) April 27, 2023 Lakshmi Narayan, a broker, said, The requirement of renting an apartment to a person with 90 per cent and above marks in academics is unfair. According to him, demanding academic certificates is a new requirement in the city. Landlords usually refrain from renting their houses to bachelors to avoid complaints of playing loud music or late-night parties from their neighbours, Narayan said. The general complaint is that bachelors do not maintain the house well and often create a nuisance. BENGALURU: A strange requirement for those looking for houses on rent in the city has gained momentum on social media. The requirement by this landlord is only those scoring 90 per cent and above marks in exams will be given accommodation. A tweet by Shubh(@kadaipaneeeer) reads, Marks dont decide your future, but they definitely decide whether you get a flat in Bengaluru or not. He told The New Indian Express that his cousin, who was shifting from Canada to Bengaluru for work, was looking for an apartment. The screenshots of the Whatsapp conversations with a broker stated that the house owner demanded photocopies of their Aadhaar and PAN cards, Twitter/LinkedIn profile, company joining certificate along with academic certificates and later rejected his cousins profile because he scored below 90 per cent marks in Class 12 examination.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The post gained a million views in less than 24 hours with many reactions from netizens. @chiragkap replied saying, Real. My landlord strictly told me ki agar CGPA 8.5 se neeche gaya toh samaan pack kar lena. For bachelor, renting an apartment in Bengaluru is a mission impossible, Chirag told TNIE. He had to show his CV and LinkedIn profile to the owner to convince him. He is a final-year B Com student residing in Peenya. Another user tweeted, Padhai likhai karo, tabhi ghar bana paoge. Papa was right. People are often seen holding placards in public places looking for a roommate to fund high security deposits or sharing bizarre requirements of house owners. "Marks don't decide your future, but it definitely decides whether you get a flat in banglore or not" pic.twitter.com/L0a9Sjms6d Shubh (@kadaipaneeeer) April 27, 2023 Lakshmi Narayan, a broker, said, The requirement of renting an apartment to a person with 90 per cent and above marks in academics is unfair. According to him, demanding academic certificates is a new requirement in the city. Landlords usually refrain from renting their houses to bachelors to avoid complaints of playing loud music or late-night parties from their neighbours, Narayan said. The general complaint is that bachelors do not maintain the house well and often create a nuisance. Asish Mehta By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: Several Indians heaved a sigh of relief on being brought back to the country from crisis-hit Sudan. Among them are six Odisha natives who reached the state on Friday. Kedar Kumar Nayak (42) of Haram village at Tirtol in Jagatsinghpur district recounted the horror of being caught in the war zone. He was robbed of USD 150 by armed miscreants in the country where factions continue to battle over towns and cities. Nayak, who joined an Indian company, Omega Steel, in 2019 as a mechanical supervisor, said the situation worsened from April 15, and in the next five days fighters could be seen looting businesses and homes. Our company is located in Sobha area, around 30 km from Sudans capital Khartoum. Armed fighters started looting businesses and homes from April 20. A group of fighters armed with guns and knives targeted the accommodation provided to us by the company and threatened a native of Uttar Pradesh at gunpoint, Nayak told The New Indian Express. The fighters then went on a looting spree and took away mobile phones and luggage of many Indian employees working with the firm. They took away my luggage and I was left with only a handbag consisting of two pairs of clothes, he said. The robbers could not get hold of his mobile phone as he had managed to conceal it. Nayak undertook a 12-hour long journey till Port Sudan in a bus arranged by his company. As part of Indias Operation Kaveri, Nayak along with many other Indians were evacuated from the crisis-hit nation on INS Sumedha and they managed to safely reach Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The evacuees then boarded a special flight to New Delhi. Amar Kumar Bala (28), a native of Bhadrak, who had been working as a computer numeric controlled operator in Khartoum for the last two years had similar experience. He said Indians still stuck in Sudan are apprehensive due to robberies by armed miscreants. Apart from no electricity supply and limited rations, the Indians are living in a state of panic, he said. They thanked the Centre for evacuating them from Sudan and the state government for arranging their stay at Odisha Bhawan in New Delhi on Thursday night and providing them air tickets to Bhubaneswar. The returnees are two each from Jagatsinghpur and Balasore districts and one each from Bhadrak and Ganjam. Sources said another 30 Odisha natives reached New Delhi from Sudan on Friday evening. BHUBANESWAR: Several Indians heaved a sigh of relief on being brought back to the country from crisis-hit Sudan. Among them are six Odisha natives who reached the state on Friday. Kedar Kumar Nayak (42) of Haram village at Tirtol in Jagatsinghpur district recounted the horror of being caught in the war zone. He was robbed of USD 150 by armed miscreants in the country where factions continue to battle over towns and cities. Nayak, who joined an Indian company, Omega Steel, in 2019 as a mechanical supervisor, said the situation worsened from April 15, and in the next five days fighters could be seen looting businesses and homes. Our company is located in Sobha area, around 30 km from Sudans capital Khartoum. Armed fighters started looting businesses and homes from April 20. A group of fighters armed with guns and knives targeted the accommodation provided to us by the company and threatened a native of Uttar Pradesh at gunpoint, Nayak told The New Indian Express.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The fighters then went on a looting spree and took away mobile phones and luggage of many Indian employees working with the firm. They took away my luggage and I was left with only a handbag consisting of two pairs of clothes, he said. The robbers could not get hold of his mobile phone as he had managed to conceal it. Nayak undertook a 12-hour long journey till Port Sudan in a bus arranged by his company. As part of Indias Operation Kaveri, Nayak along with many other Indians were evacuated from the crisis-hit nation on INS Sumedha and they managed to safely reach Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The evacuees then boarded a special flight to New Delhi. Amar Kumar Bala (28), a native of Bhadrak, who had been working as a computer numeric controlled operator in Khartoum for the last two years had similar experience. He said Indians still stuck in Sudan are apprehensive due to robberies by armed miscreants. Apart from no electricity supply and limited rations, the Indians are living in a state of panic, he said. They thanked the Centre for evacuating them from Sudan and the state government for arranging their stay at Odisha Bhawan in New Delhi on Thursday night and providing them air tickets to Bhubaneswar. The returnees are two each from Jagatsinghpur and Balasore districts and one each from Bhadrak and Ganjam. Sources said another 30 Odisha natives reached New Delhi from Sudan on Friday evening. R Sivakumar By Express News Service CHENNAI: A divorced woman's mother is entitled to the accrued arrears of her daughter's alimony, Madras High Court ruled. The recent Madras High Court ruling came on a petition filed by a man contending that his mother-in-law is not entitled to claim the arrears of alimony running to Rs 6.37 lakh which he owed to the woman he divorced. The court held that the mother is entitled to the alimony due for the daughter, till the time of the latter's death, as per the provisions of the Hindu Succession Act. The case relates to one Saraswathi. She was married to the petitioner, Annadurai in 1991. Later they got separated. Annadurai filed a divorce petition in Cheyyur Sub-court and got a divorce decree by an order on January 20, 2005. Saraswathi filed a petition seeking maintenance from her husband before the judicial magistrate court in Madurantagam which ordered to pay her Rs 7,500 per month. In 2021, Saraswathi filed a petition seeking arrears of Rs. 6.37 lakh. In the meantime, she passed away on June 5, 2021. Subsequently, her mother Jaya filed a petition to implead her in the case and permit her to recover the arrears of maintenance. The judicial magistrate's order was in her favour since she is the legal heir of deceased Saraswathi who had no children. Challenging this order, Annadurai approached the Madras High Court contending that his mother-in-law was not entitled to claim the arrears of maintenance amount, for which, only the divorced wife is the rightful person. In his order, Justice V Sivagnanam said, In view of section 15 (1) (c) of the Hindu Succession Act, the mother is entitled to the property of her daughter. In this case, the arrears of maintenance accrued till the death of her daughter Saraswathi. Sivagnanam held, In so far as the arrears of maintenance, which have accrued, it would be in the nature of the property which is heritable but a right to future maintenance amount is, however, not transferable or heritable by virtue of section 6 (dd) of the Transfer of Property Act. When the spouses have ceased to be husband and wife due to the dissolution of the marriage, the proprietary right of them gets affected. According to section 15 of the Hindu Succession Act, the property of female Hindu shall go to firstly the sons and daughters and then to the husband; however, when they do not remain husband and wife, the mutual rights of inheritance of each others property on the death got extinguished, the judge explained quoting certain orders of the Supreme Court and other courts. Holding that there is no infirmity in the order passed by the judicial magistrate, the judge said there is no reason to interfere with the impugned order and no merit in the criminal revision petition of Annadurai. CHENNAI: A divorced woman's mother is entitled to the accrued arrears of her daughter's alimony, Madras High Court ruled. The recent Madras High Court ruling came on a petition filed by a man contending that his mother-in-law is not entitled to claim the arrears of alimony running to Rs 6.37 lakh which he owed to the woman he divorced. The court held that the mother is entitled to the alimony due for the daughter, till the time of the latter's death, as per the provisions of the Hindu Succession Act.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The case relates to one Saraswathi. She was married to the petitioner, Annadurai in 1991. Later they got separated. Annadurai filed a divorce petition in Cheyyur Sub-court and got a divorce decree by an order on January 20, 2005. Saraswathi filed a petition seeking maintenance from her husband before the judicial magistrate court in Madurantagam which ordered to pay her Rs 7,500 per month. In 2021, Saraswathi filed a petition seeking arrears of Rs. 6.37 lakh. In the meantime, she passed away on June 5, 2021. Subsequently, her mother Jaya filed a petition to implead her in the case and permit her to recover the arrears of maintenance. The judicial magistrate's order was in her favour since she is the legal heir of deceased Saraswathi who had no children. Challenging this order, Annadurai approached the Madras High Court contending that his mother-in-law was not entitled to claim the arrears of maintenance amount, for which, only the divorced wife is the rightful person. In his order, Justice V Sivagnanam said, In view of section 15 (1) (c) of the Hindu Succession Act, the mother is entitled to the property of her daughter. In this case, the arrears of maintenance accrued till the death of her daughter Saraswathi. Sivagnanam held, In so far as the arrears of maintenance, which have accrued, it would be in the nature of the property which is heritable but a right to future maintenance amount is, however, not transferable or heritable by virtue of section 6 (dd) of the Transfer of Property Act. When the spouses have ceased to be husband and wife due to the dissolution of the marriage, the proprietary right of them gets affected. According to section 15 of the Hindu Succession Act, the property of female Hindu shall go to firstly the sons and daughters and then to the husband; however, when they do not remain husband and wife, the mutual rights of inheritance of each others property on the death got extinguished, the judge explained quoting certain orders of the Supreme Court and other courts. Holding that there is no infirmity in the order passed by the judicial magistrate, the judge said there is no reason to interfere with the impugned order and no merit in the criminal revision petition of Annadurai. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 29. The EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson will host the EU-Azerbaijan Energy Dialogue in Brussels May 2, Trend reports citing the European Commission. Reportedly, the event will be attended by Azerbaijans Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov. They will take stock of the cooperation in energy between the EU and Azerbaijan and discuss how to take it forward. In particular, the EU and Azerbaijan will exchange on the gas supply situation, including the measures put in place by the EU over the past year to diversify energy supplies and end Russian fossil fuel imports in the EU. They will discuss the expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor in supporting the EU's efforts and additional viable routes of supplying Caspian gas to the EU. In a Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Partnership in the Field of Energy signed last year, the two partners committed to double the capacity of the pipeline to deliver at least 20 billion cubic meters of gas to the EU annually by 2027, reads a message on the Commissions website. They will also discuss how to take forward their cooperation on the clean energy transition, including policies on renewable energy, energy efficiency and methane emissions. Representatives of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will also participate in the Energy Dialogue in Brussels to provide an overview of the financial instruments available to support the development of clean energy in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan exports gas to Europe via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, the final leg of the Southern Gas Corridor. The initial capacity of TAP is 10 billion cubic meters expandable to 20 billion cubic meters per year. TAP has delivered a total of 22 billion cubic meters since the start of commercial operation. Azerbaijan and EU have agreed to boost gas supplies via the Southern Gas Corridor from 10 billion cubic meters to 20 billion cubic meters by 2027. Azerbaijan plans to export a total of 24 billion cubic meters of gas, of which around 12 billion cubic meters will account for Europe. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Jitha Karthikeyan By Express News Service CHENNAI: Dreams are age-bound and childhood claims the most colourful of them all. What is the universe in a childs imagination but one vast expanse of land and water, fields and hills and lots of human beings, animals and birds? Flights of fancy across mighty oceans, majestic mountains and even the night sky to catch the moon are all possible. Passports and visas are non-existent. If only adults could dream thus of a world not defined by boundaries and flags. Art, it is said, has no borders. Artists respond with equal passion to a crisis anywhere in the world. The mind of an artist can never anchor prejudices; instead, art is a tool to heal those biases. With all that said, this very unbiased art needs platforms to exhibit and often, sadly, falls victim to the same boundaries it tried to erase in its quest for the oneness of humanity. The cross-border movement of art and artists is a nightmare indeed. If the countries involved have hostile political relations, then one may as well forget the idea. India and Pakistan are fine examples. With deteriorating relations, the exchange of artists and artworks across borders has become nothing short of a logistical hell. Despite innumerable hurdles, there was a fair amount of contemporary art trade happening between the countries earlier. In recent times though, efforts to showcase Pakistani artists in India and vice versa have become less feasible. Visa applications are cumbersome processes and are most often denied. Shipping the works is a hugely difficult exercise. Most galleries in India that plan shows with Pakistani artists are advised to cancel them. This edition of the Kochi Biennale had no Pakistani artists. The visa restrictions and the strict rules that follow in case a visa is miraculously granted by any luck would deter any artist and the organiser as well. This isnt so with only India and Pakistan, but with every cultural exchange that happens between countries whose borders reek of tensions. Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei, one of the most famous contemporary artists living today, whose strong works that exposed human rights violations in his country made him an enemy of the Chinese government, was denied a six-month visa to the UK on the grounds of a flimsy misinterpretation of definitions in the visa application form. Similarly, an award-winning Iranian illustrator was refused entry into the UK to attend an event. No matter what fair world an artwork envisions, there certainly seems to be a lot of unfairness thriving on territorial fences. Cross-border collaborations can happen only in neutral territories. As far as India and Pakistan are concerned, Dubai serves as a conduit and many Pakistani artworks reach Indian collectors through Dubai. International art fairs like Art Dubai are the only venues where galleries can showcase works of countries with strained relations under one roof. In the deeply polarised society that we live in today, cross-cultural exchanges are extremely important to combat all the hate rhetoric that we are subjected to every day. It is time to remove those barbed wires and allow art to build bridges of understanding. CHENNAI: Dreams are age-bound and childhood claims the most colourful of them all. What is the universe in a childs imagination but one vast expanse of land and water, fields and hills and lots of human beings, animals and birds? Flights of fancy across mighty oceans, majestic mountains and even the night sky to catch the moon are all possible. Passports and visas are non-existent. If only adults could dream thus of a world not defined by boundaries and flags. Art, it is said, has no borders. Artists respond with equal passion to a crisis anywhere in the world. The mind of an artist can never anchor prejudices; instead, art is a tool to heal those biases. With all that said, this very unbiased art needs platforms to exhibit and often, sadly, falls victim to the same boundaries it tried to erase in its quest for the oneness of humanity. The cross-border movement of art and artists is a nightmare indeed. If the countries involved have hostile political relations, then one may as well forget the idea. India and Pakistan are fine examples. With deteriorating relations, the exchange of artists and artworks across borders has become nothing short of a logistical hell. Despite innumerable hurdles, there was a fair amount of contemporary art trade happening between the countries earlier. In recent times though, efforts to showcase Pakistani artists in India and vice versa have become less feasible. Visa applications are cumbersome processes and are most often denied. Shipping the works is a hugely difficult exercise. Most galleries in India that plan shows with Pakistani artists are advised to cancel them. This edition of the Kochi Biennale had no Pakistani artists. The visa restrictions and the strict rules that follow in case a visa is miraculously granted by any luck would deter any artist and the organiser as well.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); This isnt so with only India and Pakistan, but with every cultural exchange that happens between countries whose borders reek of tensions. Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei, one of the most famous contemporary artists living today, whose strong works that exposed human rights violations in his country made him an enemy of the Chinese government, was denied a six-month visa to the UK on the grounds of a flimsy misinterpretation of definitions in the visa application form. Similarly, an award-winning Iranian illustrator was refused entry into the UK to attend an event. No matter what fair world an artwork envisions, there certainly seems to be a lot of unfairness thriving on territorial fences. Cross-border collaborations can happen only in neutral territories. As far as India and Pakistan are concerned, Dubai serves as a conduit and many Pakistani artworks reach Indian collectors through Dubai. International art fairs like Art Dubai are the only venues where galleries can showcase works of countries with strained relations under one roof. In the deeply polarised society that we live in today, cross-cultural exchanges are extremely important to combat all the hate rhetoric that we are subjected to every day. It is time to remove those barbed wires and allow art to build bridges of understanding. Amit Mukherjee By Express News Service NEW DELHI: A CBI team of officials was at the residence of Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satyapal Malik, at RK Puram in New Delhi for over five hours to record his statement on the agencys queries in the allegations of two graft charges in a group medical insurance scheme of J&K administration, registered by the agency in April 2022, based on bribery allegations levelled by him. The CBI officials reached Maliks residence post-noon to seek his responses on a set of queries and clarification the agency had in connection with the two graft cases amounting to Rs 300 crore registered in April 2022. The queries were based on a disclosure made by the former J&K governor at a public rally in Rajasthan in 2021. The team left Maliks residence around 6.15 pm. This is the second time CBI is recording Maliks statement in connection with the two bribery cases registered in J&K, based on his complaint that he was approached by private parties to get two files cleared for which he was offered an alleged bribe of Rs 300 crore. The incident happened between August 23, 2018, and October 30, 2019, when Malik was the governor of the erstwhile state. He had appeared before the CBI to depose for the first time in the matter immediately after his tenure as J&K Governor. The files pertained to the awarding of a contract for a group medical insurance scheme for government employees and civil work worth Rs 2,200 crore related to the Kiru hydroelectric power project in the now union territory. Following allegations of irregularities in the award of contract for the Jammu and Kashmir Employees Health Care Insurance Scheme which involved releasing Rs 60 crore in 2017-18, Malik at the capacity of J&K Governor cancelled the contract in October 2018. The allegation mainly pertained to the process adopted and rates fixed under the scheme. READ MORE: CBI summons, a message to Satya Pal and all those speaking truth to remain silent: Congress Country run by dangerous people, 2024 is the last chance to get rid of BJP: Satya Pal NEW DELHI: A CBI team of officials was at the residence of Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satyapal Malik, at RK Puram in New Delhi for over five hours to record his statement on the agencys queries in the allegations of two graft charges in a group medical insurance scheme of J&K administration, registered by the agency in April 2022, based on bribery allegations levelled by him. The CBI officials reached Maliks residence post-noon to seek his responses on a set of queries and clarification the agency had in connection with the two graft cases amounting to Rs 300 crore registered in April 2022. The queries were based on a disclosure made by the former J&K governor at a public rally in Rajasthan in 2021. The team left Maliks residence around 6.15 pm. This is the second time CBI is recording Maliks statement in connection with the two bribery cases registered in J&K, based on his complaint that he was approached by private parties to get two files cleared for which he was offered an alleged bribe of Rs 300 crore.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The incident happened between August 23, 2018, and October 30, 2019, when Malik was the governor of the erstwhile state. He had appeared before the CBI to depose for the first time in the matter immediately after his tenure as J&K Governor. The files pertained to the awarding of a contract for a group medical insurance scheme for government employees and civil work worth Rs 2,200 crore related to the Kiru hydroelectric power project in the now union territory. Following allegations of irregularities in the award of contract for the Jammu and Kashmir Employees Health Care Insurance Scheme which involved releasing Rs 60 crore in 2017-18, Malik at the capacity of J&K Governor cancelled the contract in October 2018. The allegation mainly pertained to the process adopted and rates fixed under the scheme. READ MORE: CBI summons, a message to Satya Pal and all those speaking truth to remain silent: Congress Country run by dangerous people, 2024 is the last chance to get rid of BJP: Satya Pal Jitha Karthikeyan By Express News Service Dreams are age-bound and childhood claims the most colourful of them all. What is the universe in a childs imagination but one vast expanse of land and water, fields, hills, and lots of human beings, animals, and birds? Flights of fancy across mighty oceans, majestic mountains, and even the night sky to catch the moon are all possible. Passports and visas are non-existent. If only adults could dream thusof a world not defined by boundaries and flags. Art, it is said, has no borders. Artists respond with equal passion to a crisis anywhere in the world. The mind of an artist can never anchor prejudices; instead, art is a tool to heal those biases. With all that said, this very unbiased art needs platforms to exhibit and often, sadly, falls victim to the same boundaries it tried to erase in its quest for the oneness of humanity. The cross-border movement of art and artists is a nightmare indeed. If the countries involved have hostile political relations, then one may as well forget the idea. India and Pakistan are fine examples. With deteriorating relations, the exchange of artists and artworks across borders has become nothing short of a logistical hell. Despite innumerable hurdles, there was a fair amount of contemporary art trade happening between the countries earlier. In recent times though, efforts to showcase Pakistani artists in India and vice versa have become less feasible. Visa applications are cumbersome processes and are most often denied. Shipping the works is a hugely difficult exercise. Most galleries in India that plan shows with Pakistani artists are advised to cancel them. This edition of the Kochi Biennale had no Pakistani artists. The visa restrictions and the strict rules that follow in case a visa is miraculously granted by any luck would deter any artist and the organiser as well. This isnt so with only India and Pakistan, but with every cultural exchange that happens between countries whose borders reek of tensions. Chinese artist Ai Weiweione of the most famous contemporary artists living todaywhose strong works that exposed human rights violations in his country made him an enemy of the Chinese government, was denied a six-month visa to the UK on the grounds of a flimsy misinterpretation of definitions in the visa application form. Similarly, an award-winning Iranian illustrator was refused entry into the UK to attend an event. No matter what fair world an artwork envisions, there certainly seems to be a lot of unfairness thriving on territorial fences. Cross-border collaborations can happen only in neutral territories. As far as India and Pakistan are concerned, Dubai serves as a conduit and many Pakistani artworks reach Indian collectors through Dubai. International art fairs like Art Dubai are the only venues where galleries can showcase works of countries with strained relations under one roof. In the deeply polarised society that we live in today, cross-cultural exchanges are extremely important to combat all the hate rhetoric that we are subjected to every day. It is time to remove those barbed wires and allow art to build bridges of understanding. Dreams are age-bound and childhood claims the most colourful of them all. What is the universe in a childs imagination but one vast expanse of land and water, fields, hills, and lots of human beings, animals, and birds? Flights of fancy across mighty oceans, majestic mountains, and even the night sky to catch the moon are all possible. Passports and visas are non-existent. If only adults could dream thusof a world not defined by boundaries and flags. Art, it is said, has no borders. Artists respond with equal passion to a crisis anywhere in the world. The mind of an artist can never anchor prejudices; instead, art is a tool to heal those biases. With all that said, this very unbiased art needs platforms to exhibit and often, sadly, falls victim to the same boundaries it tried to erase in its quest for the oneness of humanity. The cross-border movement of art and artists is a nightmare indeed. If the countries involved have hostile political relations, then one may as well forget the idea. India and Pakistan are fine examples. With deteriorating relations, the exchange of artists and artworks across borders has become nothing short of a logistical hell. Despite innumerable hurdles, there was a fair amount of contemporary art trade happening between the countries earlier. In recent times though, efforts to showcase Pakistani artists in India and vice versa have become less feasible. Visa applications are cumbersome processes and are most often denied. Shipping the works is a hugely difficult exercise. Most galleries in India that plan shows with Pakistani artists are advised to cancel them. This edition of the Kochi Biennale had no Pakistani artists. The visa restrictions and the strict rules that follow in case a visa is miraculously granted by any luck would deter any artist and the organiser as well. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); This isnt so with only India and Pakistan, but with every cultural exchange that happens between countries whose borders reek of tensions. Chinese artist Ai Weiweione of the most famous contemporary artists living todaywhose strong works that exposed human rights violations in his country made him an enemy of the Chinese government, was denied a six-month visa to the UK on the grounds of a flimsy misinterpretation of definitions in the visa application form. Similarly, an award-winning Iranian illustrator was refused entry into the UK to attend an event. No matter what fair world an artwork envisions, there certainly seems to be a lot of unfairness thriving on territorial fences. Cross-border collaborations can happen only in neutral territories. As far as India and Pakistan are concerned, Dubai serves as a conduit and many Pakistani artworks reach Indian collectors through Dubai. International art fairs like Art Dubai are the only venues where galleries can showcase works of countries with strained relations under one roof. In the deeply polarised society that we live in today, cross-cultural exchanges are extremely important to combat all the hate rhetoric that we are subjected to every day. It is time to remove those barbed wires and allow art to build bridges of understanding. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: A watchman was pushed to death from the third floor of a guest house by a drunk dancer in Srinagar Colony. The accused was apprehended and taken into custody by the police on the same day. According to police, the victim has been identified as 52-year-old watchman Yadagiri working at Raghava Guest House in Srinagar Colony whereas the accused has been identified as 29-year-old Manikonda from Chennai. He along with a group of 16 members used to work together as a dance crew for movies and had come to the city and rented the guest house. The accused, Manikonda, was drinking on Thursday night and had started creating a nuisance. Following this, the watchman, who received a couple of complaints about the noise, asked Manikonda to lower his voice. This led to a duel and Manikonda pushed Yadgiri from the fourth floor of the guest house, killing him on the spot. Initially, it was rumoured that it was four drunk dancers who got into a scuffle and were involved in pushing the watchman to death. However, the police later clarified that there is only one accused involved in pushing Yadgiri. HYDERABAD: A watchman was pushed to death from the third floor of a guest house by a drunk dancer in Srinagar Colony. The accused was apprehended and taken into custody by the police on the same day. According to police, the victim has been identified as 52-year-old watchman Yadagiri working at Raghava Guest House in Srinagar Colony whereas the accused has been identified as 29-year-old Manikonda from Chennai. He along with a group of 16 members used to work together as a dance crew for movies and had come to the city and rented the guest house. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The accused, Manikonda, was drinking on Thursday night and had started creating a nuisance. Following this, the watchman, who received a couple of complaints about the noise, asked Manikonda to lower his voice. This led to a duel and Manikonda pushed Yadgiri from the fourth floor of the guest house, killing him on the spot. Initially, it was rumoured that it was four drunk dancers who got into a scuffle and were involved in pushing the watchman to death. However, the police later clarified that there is only one accused involved in pushing Yadgiri. Mahima Anna Jacob By Express News Service KOCHI: After a month of travelling through six countries, Balram Menon is back in Kochi. The food blogger journeyed through South America and visited places that seem straight from the novels of Gabriel Garcia Marquezs truely magical. I went to South America a few years ago. However, this time I visited new places Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. And what made me go back to that land again and again is the nature and culture. Everywhere its full of life with a different kind of energy, a different scenery, unlike say Europe where the landscapes are pretty much similar, he says. As the journey to South America is long, Balram decided to start from France. For three days he explored what he firmly believes to be the City of Lights. One can go around the city, anywhere, on a bus. Who doesnt want a view of the sparkling, lit-up Eiffel Tower while biting into a hot crepe? he asks. Carnival To the carnival and the Amazonia From France, he headed straight to Brazil. It has everything, he says, from skyscrapers, festivities and nature. I eyed Brazil for the Carnival that falls before Lent. The streets will be full of colour, music and life. Also, theres a saying, and I truly believe in it, You havent seen the world, if you didnt see the Brazil Carnival, says Balram. There are two types of carnivals, the official one and block parties. The latter happens mainly in Rio. Its the samba schools that put in their year-long effort to showcase their best passistas (the samba walk during the carnival with fast-paced rhythmic movements ), colour floats, and more. Brazil is a heaven for food in the continent. The main highlight is the drink made out of Acai berries, fruits of the Amazon. Tapioca is another delicacy in Brazil. Also known as cassava, it is eaten as fries, farofa, Pirao, and more, he says. He also tried the traditional Latin American dish, Empanada and feijoada (black bean stew made with meat, garlic, and tomatoes). The cuisine mainly contains fruits and meat. Canned juices are seldom found. Also, the cuisine is apt for the Malayali palate, says Balram. On a chopper ride, he watched Rio in all its glory, the 80-plus beaches such as Copacabana and Ipanema are a sight to behold. So was the statue of Christ the Redeemer. Escadaria Selaron, popularly known as the Selaron steps paved with over 2,000 tiles collected from around 60 countries a masterpiece made by Chilean-born artist, Jorge Selaron. Beyond Machu Picchu The next stop, Peru. Peru is beyond Machu Picchu. The place also has Rainbow Mountain and Huacachina the only natural oasis in South America. Then there are adventure activities like rides through sand dunes, says Balram. Machu Picchu, one of the seven wonders of the world, a symbol of the Incan Empire, has more than 150 structures and over 100 separate flights of stairs truly an archaeological gem. I went to Machu Picchu on one of the luxury trains called the Hiram Bingham train from Cusco, says Balram. When it comes to food, Peru is known for its Ceviche raw fish with chilli, pepper, salt, lime, and onion. It is a tasty, tangy ride. I visited a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, a small eight-seater space, which was featured on the Netflix series Street Food: Latin America for an authentic ceviche. If altitude sickness worries you while travelling through dramatic Andean summits, worry not, theres tea made of pure coca leaf. And coca leaves are legal in Peru, he quips. Hartal and salt flat La Pass, one of the capitals of Bolivia, is the highest capital city in the world. Due to high altitude, transportation is mostly done on cable cars. In Bolivia, protests are quite common. Witnessing a hartal in a foreign land took me back to Kerala, quips Balram. Bolivias Salar de Uyuni (salt flat) is the result of a prehistoric lake going dry. The landscape with just white salt spread miles and miles, is wrth seeing, claims Balram. Salars mirror-like effect is something everyone has to experience. Its seen mostly during the rain season (February-April), he adds. Bolivia has a rich street food culture. Of the lot, Salsipapa piqued his interest. Its a combination of beef, banana and potato. The tender beef slices in the delicacy were scrumptious, also, banana is one of the important elements in Bolivian cuisine, says Balram. All for Neapolitan pizza After a grand South American tour, he reached Rome in Italy. Italy was not in my itinerary, I travelled there just to have the authentic Neapolitan Margherita and Marinara pizza, he explains. While taking a bite from the authentic pizza straight from its home, he immediately remembered the famous line from the movie Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts. Im having a relationship with this Pizza. Thats exactly what it felt like. The Lantica Pizzeria De Michelle demands a waiting time of three hours. But it was worth it. The use of natural ingredients and leavening the pizza dough makes a huge difference, says Balram. The dessert Rum Baba in Naples is another must-try, he says. KOCHI: After a month of travelling through six countries, Balram Menon is back in Kochi. The food blogger journeyed through South America and visited places that seem straight from the novels of Gabriel Garcia Marquezs truely magical. I went to South America a few years ago. However, this time I visited new places Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. And what made me go back to that land again and again is the nature and culture. Everywhere its full of life with a different kind of energy, a different scenery, unlike say Europe where the landscapes are pretty much similar, he says. As the journey to South America is long, Balram decided to start from France. For three days he explored what he firmly believes to be the City of Lights. One can go around the city, anywhere, on a bus. Who doesnt want a view of the sparkling, lit-up Eiffel Tower while biting into a hot crepe? he asks.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); CarnivalTo the carnival and the Amazonia From France, he headed straight to Brazil. It has everything, he says, from skyscrapers, festivities and nature. I eyed Brazil for the Carnival that falls before Lent. The streets will be full of colour, music and life. Also, theres a saying, and I truly believe in it, You havent seen the world, if you didnt see the Brazil Carnival, says Balram. There are two types of carnivals, the official one and block parties. The latter happens mainly in Rio. Its the samba schools that put in their year-long effort to showcase their best passistas (the samba walk during the carnival with fast-paced rhythmic movements ), colour floats, and more. Brazil is a heaven for food in the continent. The main highlight is the drink made out of Acai berries, fruits of the Amazon. Tapioca is another delicacy in Brazil. Also known as cassava, it is eaten as fries, farofa, Pirao, and more, he says. He also tried the traditional Latin American dish, Empanada and feijoada (black bean stew made with meat, garlic, and tomatoes). The cuisine mainly contains fruits and meat. Canned juices are seldom found. Also, the cuisine is apt for the Malayali palate, says Balram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Balram Menon (@balme24) On a chopper ride, he watched Rio in all its glory, the 80-plus beaches such as Copacabana and Ipanema are a sight to behold. So was the statue of Christ the Redeemer. Escadaria Selaron, popularly known as the Selaron steps paved with over 2,000 tiles collected from around 60 countries a masterpiece made by Chilean-born artist, Jorge Selaron. Beyond Machu Picchu The next stop, Peru. Peru is beyond Machu Picchu. The place also has Rainbow Mountain and Huacachina the only natural oasis in South America. Then there are adventure activities like rides through sand dunes, says Balram. Machu Picchu, one of the seven wonders of the world, a symbol of the Incan Empire, has more than 150 structures and over 100 separate flights of stairs truly an archaeological gem. I went to Machu Picchu on one of the luxury trains called the Hiram Bingham train from Cusco, says Balram. When it comes to food, Peru is known for its Ceviche raw fish with chilli, pepper, salt, lime, and onion. It is a tasty, tangy ride. I visited a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, a small eight-seater space, which was featured on the Netflix series Street Food: Latin America for an authentic ceviche. If altitude sickness worries you while travelling through dramatic Andean summits, worry not, theres tea made of pure coca leaf. And coca leaves are legal in Peru, he quips. Hartal and salt flat La Pass, one of the capitals of Bolivia, is the highest capital city in the world. Due to high altitude, transportation is mostly done on cable cars. In Bolivia, protests are quite common. Witnessing a hartal in a foreign land took me back to Kerala, quips Balram. Bolivias Salar de Uyuni (salt flat) is the result of a prehistoric lake going dry. The landscape with just white salt spread miles and miles, is wrth seeing, claims Balram. Salars mirror-like effect is something everyone has to experience. Its seen mostly during the rain season (February-April), he adds. Bolivia has a rich street food culture. Of the lot, Salsipapa piqued his interest. Its a combination of beef, banana and potato. The tender beef slices in the delicacy were scrumptious, also, banana is one of the important elements in Bolivian cuisine, says Balram. All for Neapolitan pizza After a grand South American tour, he reached Rome in Italy. Italy was not in my itinerary, I travelled there just to have the authentic Neapolitan Margherita and Marinara pizza, he explains. While taking a bite from the authentic pizza straight from its home, he immediately remembered the famous line from the movie Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts. Im having a relationship with this Pizza. Thats exactly what it felt like. The Lantica Pizzeria De Michelle demands a waiting time of three hours. But it was worth it. The use of natural ingredients and leavening the pizza dough makes a huge difference, says Balram. The dessert Rum Baba in Naples is another must-try, he says. Abhilasha Cherukuri By Express News Service Ramakrishna alias Ricky (Akhil Akkineni), much like Karthi in last years Sardar has zero qualms about his family treating him like a slacker up to no good. He never provides an explanation, content with his family living in oblivion about his true aspirations. With a cheeky grin slapped across his face, he roams around town gathering intel on suspicious people in the hopes of being noticed by the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), where he aspires to work someday. He even audaciously attends government job exams writing on the margins of his OMR sheets that he wants a job at the RAW while declaring as a matter of fact that he is not interested in a desk job. After getting rejected thrice, he takes matters into his own hands to get his dream job one more time. While Telugu cinema is always game for fusing real-life details of a star into the fictitious character he is essaying, the unintentional parallels displayed in Akhil seeking a coveted break in the industry after a string of unsuccessful films, against Rickys sincere but less-than-legal attempts to get into this countrys elite intelligence force is not lost on me. It is a little hard to explain the rest of Agents plot coherently, considering it flits from one point to another like a tiresome, fidgety teenager. There is a mismatch so severe in the films tone, Agent feels like the body of a run-of-the-mill Hollywood spy actioner is possessed with the spirit of a politically incorrect Telugu masala film, the kind Surender Reddy and his writer Vakkantham Vamsi thrive in. Look at Rickys relationship with Vidya (Sakshi Vaidya), for instance. There is love at first sight on the part of the former, followed by what sounds like situations in theory, only to have that inconsequential subplot (which is only rivalled by three out-of-place romantic numbers) get hijacked by our hero winning the heroines heart by threatening her harasser. Much like John Abrahams Jim in Pathaan, you get a villain with a grudge in Agent (Dino Morea), a man who considers terrorism based on religious fundamentalism as passe. Ideologues are mere pawns for The God (Dino Morea) and his organisation The Syndicate, a secret, Illuminati-like oligopoly that control everything from government to media and beyond. Contrast this with the way Syndicate is used in Pushpa: The Rise. Any newfangled term in a film, irrespective of its specific connotations, is only as effective as the rest of its story. The writing of Agent, especially in its second half focuses on the unholy trinity of its three central characters God, Devil and Ricky. It is interesting to note that the films stern do-gooder is called The Devil, while the films antagonist is The God here. We also get the backstory of Ricky and The Devil (Mammootty), which is pitted against the backstory of The Devil and The God. Ricky keeps shuttling from The Devil and The God, to confusing effect. While there is some noteworthy commentary on the difference between a good student/ agent versus a bad one, all these nuanced, interpersonal dynamics never get woven into the story as they prominently should. We instead get a film with buzzwords like floating banks and sleeper cells, like empty shells on a scorched battlefield. Cinematographer Rasool Ellore lights the film with style and aplomb, trying to make up for the films lacklustre story with the brightest of explosions. Just as Agent manages to end on a sincere note on how heroes never die, on par with the films last act, we are also handed a post-credits sequence where the makers practically mock the films viewer by going, You really thought we would kill the hero, did you? You fool. Akhil hams his way through Agent, with the audience never quite being able to believe the elevations he receives throughout the film. Mammootty, while handsome and formidable, is saddled with a pithy, place card role. The film continues its streak of jarring, half-hearted executions with the way it recreates New Delhis RAW office in Hyderabads Raidurgam, which would have at least worked if they did not display a birds eye B-roll of the same Raidurg area when they wanted to establish the story in Hyderabad. There is a throwaway line comparing logic with magic somewhere in Agent, and the film falls short on both counts, leaving its viewer with a tedious and unmemorable experience. MOVIE: AGENT CAST: Akhil Akkineni, Mammootty, Dino Morea, Sakshi Vaidya DIRECTOR: Surender Reddy Ramakrishna alias Ricky (Akhil Akkineni), much like Karthi in last years Sardar has zero qualms about his family treating him like a slacker up to no good. He never provides an explanation, content with his family living in oblivion about his true aspirations. With a cheeky grin slapped across his face, he roams around town gathering intel on suspicious people in the hopes of being noticed by the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), where he aspires to work someday. He even audaciously attends government job exams writing on the margins of his OMR sheets that he wants a job at the RAW while declaring as a matter of fact that he is not interested in a desk job. After getting rejected thrice, he takes matters into his own hands to get his dream job one more time. While Telugu cinema is always game for fusing real-life details of a star into the fictitious character he is essaying, the unintentional parallels displayed in Akhil seeking a coveted break in the industry after a string of unsuccessful films, against Rickys sincere but less-than-legal attempts to get into this countrys elite intelligence force is not lost on me. It is a little hard to explain the rest of Agents plot coherently, considering it flits from one point to another like a tiresome, fidgety teenager.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); There is a mismatch so severe in the films tone, Agent feels like the body of a run-of-the-mill Hollywood spy actioner is possessed with the spirit of a politically incorrect Telugu masala film, the kind Surender Reddy and his writer Vakkantham Vamsi thrive in. Look at Rickys relationship with Vidya (Sakshi Vaidya), for instance. There is love at first sight on the part of the former, followed by what sounds like situations in theory, only to have that inconsequential subplot (which is only rivalled by three out-of-place romantic numbers) get hijacked by our hero winning the heroines heart by threatening her harasser. Much like John Abrahams Jim in Pathaan, you get a villain with a grudge in Agent (Dino Morea), a man who considers terrorism based on religious fundamentalism as passe. Ideologues are mere pawns for The God (Dino Morea) and his organisation The Syndicate, a secret, Illuminati-like oligopoly that control everything from government to media and beyond. Contrast this with the way Syndicate is used in Pushpa: The Rise. Any newfangled term in a film, irrespective of its specific connotations, is only as effective as the rest of its story. The writing of Agent, especially in its second half focuses on the unholy trinity of its three central characters God, Devil and Ricky. It is interesting to note that the films stern do-gooder is called The Devil, while the films antagonist is The God here. We also get the backstory of Ricky and The Devil (Mammootty), which is pitted against the backstory of The Devil and The God. Ricky keeps shuttling from The Devil and The God, to confusing effect. While there is some noteworthy commentary on the difference between a good student/ agent versus a bad one, all these nuanced, interpersonal dynamics never get woven into the story as they prominently should. We instead get a film with buzzwords like floating banks and sleeper cells, like empty shells on a scorched battlefield. Cinematographer Rasool Ellore lights the film with style and aplomb, trying to make up for the films lacklustre story with the brightest of explosions. Just as Agent manages to end on a sincere note on how heroes never die, on par with the films last act, we are also handed a post-credits sequence where the makers practically mock the films viewer by going, You really thought we would kill the hero, did you? You fool. Akhil hams his way through Agent, with the audience never quite being able to believe the elevations he receives throughout the film. Mammootty, while handsome and formidable, is saddled with a pithy, place card role. The film continues its streak of jarring, half-hearted executions with the way it recreates New Delhis RAW office in Hyderabads Raidurgam, which would have at least worked if they did not display a birds eye B-roll of the same Raidurg area when they wanted to establish the story in Hyderabad. There is a throwaway line comparing logic with magic somewhere in Agent, and the film falls short on both counts, leaving its viewer with a tedious and unmemorable experience. MOVIE: AGENT CAST: Akhil Akkineni, Mammootty, Dino Morea, Sakshi Vaidya DIRECTOR: Surender Reddy Prashanth Vallavan By Express News Service Perhaps, one of the most interesting things about Sisu is that the film is built on the foundations of a single word and the philosophy it espouses. Sisu is a Finnish word that is supposedly untranslatable. The closest English translations are grit, tenacity or willpower. It is the reserve potential, a mental and physical capacity, that one draws upon when faced with overwhelming odds. The fact that the film stays focused on displaying Sisu might be its greatest strength as well as its weakness. As the film begins, we are taken back to the tail end of the Second World War. The Axis Powers are facing crushing blows from all fronts. The end of the war is nigh but like the old adage that goes, A wounded snake is more dangerous than a healthy one, the Nazi forces on their way out of Finland, unleash the most destruction on their way out. A company of Nazi soldiers on their way back to Germany come across an old gold miner, who is journeying back home after unearthing a big deposit of gold. What happens later is two hours of intense, unbridled carnage. Jorma Tommila, who plays the gold miner/former commander Aatami, delivers an intense performance that accentuates the narrative flow as much as the screenplay does. sisu The film has the DNA of a spaghetti western: a man-of-few-words protagonist, the lawlessness of a country ravaged by war, a cache of gold fueling the central conflict, characters trudging through a dry and arid landscape, plenty of guns, blood, and gore. Like how the Italians brought grey characters and a grimy world to the pristine Western of the 40s and 50s, the Finns add their own flavour to the genre. The action in Sisu, while gripping, is not reliant on speed and momentum, and sequences with stretched-out, jittery turbulence. Instead, we get moments of silent rumination with our protagonist. The quieter moments are so heavily felt that when the violence begins, it is felt with a ruthless, sudden jolt. While pensive moments are not a novel addition to a Western, these moments in Sisu are there for their own sake and not always to add character moments and exposition. However, the film does have expositions that drag down the quality of the experience. Using bad guys to recite the rich legacy of the hero has been an overused narrative tool forever. It was mildly amusing when it made a comeback with the earlier John Wick films but it has enjoyed its comeback long enough. The sincerity in storytelling is sacrificed for attempts at supposed goosebump-inducing moments like when the Nazi soldiers drop their guns and run away after witnessing the ruthlessness of Aatami or when soldiers start questioning if the Finnish commando is actually immortal. The film could have also benefited from keeping Aatamis past shrouded in mystery. The way in which his past as a legendary Finnish commander is peppered throughout the film, delivered through fear-laced lines from Nazi soldiers, is heavily reminiscent of John Wick and its predecessors. However, the film does redeem itself with focused storytelling, inventive action set pieces, and pushing the limits of violence without making us feel too uncomfortable. Despite the multiple shortcomings, the film manages to keep us entertained because its central philosophy echoes the primordial makeup of every story. Our stories have always talked about the insurmountable force of sheer will, that untapped potential that all of our heroes tap into to overcome evil greater than themselves. With exorbitant amounts of glorious violence, Sisu does a competent job of capturing this human spirit in a quintessentially cinematic format. Director: Jalmari Helander Cast: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Mimosa Willamo Perhaps, one of the most interesting things about Sisu is that the film is built on the foundations of a single word and the philosophy it espouses. Sisu is a Finnish word that is supposedly untranslatable. The closest English translations are grit, tenacity or willpower. It is the reserve potential, a mental and physical capacity, that one draws upon when faced with overwhelming odds. The fact that the film stays focused on displaying Sisu might be its greatest strength as well as its weakness. As the film begins, we are taken back to the tail end of the Second World War. The Axis Powers are facing crushing blows from all fronts. The end of the war is nigh but like the old adage that goes, A wounded snake is more dangerous than a healthy one, the Nazi forces on their way out of Finland, unleash the most destruction on their way out. A company of Nazi soldiers on their way back to Germany come across an old gold miner, who is journeying back home after unearthing a big deposit of gold. What happens later is two hours of intense, unbridled carnage. Jorma Tommila, who plays the gold miner/former commander Aatami, delivers an intense performance that accentuates the narrative flow as much as the screenplay does. sisu The film has the DNA of a spaghetti western: a man-of-few-words protagonist, the lawlessness of a country ravaged by war, a cache of gold fueling the central conflict, characters trudging through a dry and arid landscape, plenty of guns, blood, and gore. Like how the Italians brought grey characters and a grimy world to the pristine Western of the 40s and 50s, the Finns add their own flavour to the genre. The action in Sisu, while gripping, is not reliant on speed and momentum, and sequences with stretched-out, jittery turbulence. Instead, we get moments of silent rumination with our protagonist. The quieter moments are so heavily felt that when the violence begins, it is felt with a ruthless, sudden jolt.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); While pensive moments are not a novel addition to a Western, these moments in Sisu are there for their own sake and not always to add character moments and exposition. However, the film does have expositions that drag down the quality of the experience. Using bad guys to recite the rich legacy of the hero has been an overused narrative tool forever. It was mildly amusing when it made a comeback with the earlier John Wick films but it has enjoyed its comeback long enough. The sincerity in storytelling is sacrificed for attempts at supposed goosebump-inducing moments like when the Nazi soldiers drop their guns and run away after witnessing the ruthlessness of Aatami or when soldiers start questioning if the Finnish commando is actually immortal. The film could have also benefited from keeping Aatamis past shrouded in mystery. The way in which his past as a legendary Finnish commander is peppered throughout the film, delivered through fear-laced lines from Nazi soldiers, is heavily reminiscent of John Wick and its predecessors. However, the film does redeem itself with focused storytelling, inventive action set pieces, and pushing the limits of violence without making us feel too uncomfortable. Despite the multiple shortcomings, the film manages to keep us entertained because its central philosophy echoes the primordial makeup of every story. Our stories have always talked about the insurmountable force of sheer will, that untapped potential that all of our heroes tap into to overcome evil greater than themselves. With exorbitant amounts of glorious violence, Sisu does a competent job of capturing this human spirit in a quintessentially cinematic format. Director: Jalmari Helander Cast: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Mimosa Willamo Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, 66, the six-time MP, has a penchant for hogging the limelight, often for the wrong reasons. Be it the confession on camera that he shot the killer of his friend, or slapping a wrestler on dias over a minor issue -- he has cultivated his image of a strongman. He now faces multiple charges as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) by ace wrestlers of the country. Singh has been heading WFI for over 12 years and is the vice-president of the United World Wrestling-Asia, there are many layers to the persona of the ruling party MP who represents the Kaiserganj constituency in Lok Sabha. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh likes to be called shaktishali (strongman) and being a wrestling buff, he has spent much of his youth in the akhadas (arenas) of Ayodhya. He has been a BJP MP for five terms and once as the SP candidate in 2009. Singh has represented Gonda and Balrampur in the past. Singh belongs to Gonda and has been vocal about his Hindutva credentials. He has been deeply associated with RSS and VHP during the temple movement in 1989. He proclaims to be a Kar Sevak, who was in Ayodhya when Babri Masjid was razed on December 6, 1992, and was among LK Advani, MM Joshi, Uma Bharti, Kalyan Singh to be named as accused in the demolition case. At the same time, he was also accused of helping Dawood Ibrahim gang members, including Subhash Thakur, Jayendra Thakur and Paresh Desai, who were accused of killing Arun Gawli accomplice. Brij Bhushan was booked under TADA on allegations of his links with the D-Company. However, later, he was absolved in the Babri demolition and TADA cases. Once a history sheeter, he now has four criminal cases of attempt to murder, rioting, and dacoity against him and does not figure on the list of gangsters anymore in UP. Singh now lords over at least 50 educational institutions in the Devi Patan range, including Bahraich, Gonda, Balrampur, Ayodhya and Shravasti districts, which are believed to be another source of his strength in UP. He enjoys a lot of goodwill and exercises influence. At least one lakh students study pharmacy, law, agriculture and other courses in institutes patronized by him. According to a UP BJP leader, every year on Singhs birthday (January 8), students are shortlisted via a talent search to be rewarded with Scooties, motorcycles and cash. Singh also waives the fee of thousands of students every year, the leader said. However, he has started handing over his political legacy to the next generation. His younger son Prateek Bhushan is second term MLA from Gonda while his elder one Karan is an office-bearer in WFI. His wife Ketki Devi Singh is the president of Gonda Zila Panchayat. He contested and won his first Lok Sabha election in 1991. He was re-elected in 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019. LUCKNOW: Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, 66, the six-time MP, has a penchant for hogging the limelight, often for the wrong reasons. Be it the confession on camera that he shot the killer of his friend, or slapping a wrestler on dias over a minor issue -- he has cultivated his image of a strongman. He now faces multiple charges as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) by ace wrestlers of the country. Singh has been heading WFI for over 12 years and is the vice-president of the United World Wrestling-Asia, there are many layers to the persona of the ruling party MP who represents the Kaiserganj constituency in Lok Sabha. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh likes to be called shaktishali (strongman) and being a wrestling buff, he has spent much of his youth in the akhadas (arenas) of Ayodhya. He has been a BJP MP for five terms and once as the SP candidate in 2009. Singh has represented Gonda and Balrampur in the past. Singh belongs to Gonda and has been vocal about his Hindutva credentials. He has been deeply associated with RSS and VHP during the temple movement in 1989. He proclaims to be a Kar Sevak, who was in Ayodhya when Babri Masjid was razed on December 6, 1992, and was among LK Advani, MM Joshi, Uma Bharti, Kalyan Singh to be named as accused in the demolition case. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); At the same time, he was also accused of helping Dawood Ibrahim gang members, including Subhash Thakur, Jayendra Thakur and Paresh Desai, who were accused of killing Arun Gawli accomplice. Brij Bhushan was booked under TADA on allegations of his links with the D-Company. However, later, he was absolved in the Babri demolition and TADA cases. Once a history sheeter, he now has four criminal cases of attempt to murder, rioting, and dacoity against him and does not figure on the list of gangsters anymore in UP. Singh now lords over at least 50 educational institutions in the Devi Patan range, including Bahraich, Gonda, Balrampur, Ayodhya and Shravasti districts, which are believed to be another source of his strength in UP. He enjoys a lot of goodwill and exercises influence. At least one lakh students study pharmacy, law, agriculture and other courses in institutes patronized by him. According to a UP BJP leader, every year on Singhs birthday (January 8), students are shortlisted via a talent search to be rewarded with Scooties, motorcycles and cash. Singh also waives the fee of thousands of students every year, the leader said. However, he has started handing over his political legacy to the next generation. His younger son Prateek Bhushan is second term MLA from Gonda while his elder one Karan is an office-bearer in WFI. His wife Ketki Devi Singh is the president of Gonda Zila Panchayat. He contested and won his first Lok Sabha election in 1991. He was re-elected in 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019. Yeshi Seli By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Indias most pressing priorities are in its neighbourhood. However, Pakistan due to its support for cross-border terrorism is the odd one out among the country's neighbours, says External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. India has a generous and non-reciprocal approach to smaller neighbours. This in our region has come to be known as the neighbourhood first policy. This has seen an increase in cooperation and connectivity in the region. The only exception is Pakistan due to its encouragement of cross border terrorism, said Jaishankar in his first visit to the Dominican Republic. It may be recalled that a few days back while addressing the media in Panama, Jaishankar had made a similar statement. This comes ahead of the SCO Foreign Ministers meet that will be held in Goa on May 4-5 which will be attended in person by Pakistans foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto. ALSO READ | Operation Kaveri: India evacuates French embassy staffer from Sudan besides its own citizens Meanwhile, he also said that relations with China are abnormal. Because of the boundary dispute, the nature of our ties with China are abnormal. That is an outcome of violation of agreements regarding border management by them. The rise of China and India in a parallel timeframe is also not without its competitive aspects, Jaishankar added. Chinas Foreign Minister Qin Gang too is expected to attend the upcoming SCO meet in Goa. Meanwhile, Jaishankar, along with the Vice President of the Dominican Republic, inaugurated the Indian embassy in the country. Our political relations are exceptionally cordial and we coordinate closely in the multilateral arena. We are confident that the presence of our resident mission will mark a new phase of cooperation and help strengthen our ties in the bilateral, regional and global domains, Jaishankar said. NEW DELHI: Indias most pressing priorities are in its neighbourhood. However, Pakistan due to its support for cross-border terrorism is the odd one out among the country's neighbours, says External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. India has a generous and non-reciprocal approach to smaller neighbours. This in our region has come to be known as the neighbourhood first policy. This has seen an increase in cooperation and connectivity in the region. The only exception is Pakistan due to its encouragement of cross border terrorism, said Jaishankar in his first visit to the Dominican Republic. It may be recalled that a few days back while addressing the media in Panama, Jaishankar had made a similar statement.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); This comes ahead of the SCO Foreign Ministers meet that will be held in Goa on May 4-5 which will be attended in person by Pakistans foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto. ALSO READ | Operation Kaveri: India evacuates French embassy staffer from Sudan besides its own citizens Meanwhile, he also said that relations with China are abnormal. Because of the boundary dispute, the nature of our ties with China are abnormal. That is an outcome of violation of agreements regarding border management by them. The rise of China and India in a parallel timeframe is also not without its competitive aspects, Jaishankar added. Chinas Foreign Minister Qin Gang too is expected to attend the upcoming SCO meet in Goa. Meanwhile, Jaishankar, along with the Vice President of the Dominican Republic, inaugurated the Indian embassy in the country. Our political relations are exceptionally cordial and we coordinate closely in the multilateral arena. We are confident that the presence of our resident mission will mark a new phase of cooperation and help strengthen our ties in the bilateral, regional and global domains, Jaishankar said. Shruti Kakkar By Express News Service NEW DELHI: India's top court on Friday directed all states and union territories to take suo motu action against hate speech irrespective of registration of a complaint and without discrimination on grounds of religion. A bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna termed hate speeches a "serious offence capable of affecting the secular fabric of the country." The bench extended to all states its order dated October 21, 2022, by which it had directed police chiefs of Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh to take suo motu action against hate speeches made by people from any religion without waiting for a formal complaint to all states/UTs. The court while dealing with pleas seeking to regulate hate speech also warned officers that hesitation to act would be viewed as contempt of court. "We are very clear, our order was irrespective of religion. We only had public good in mind when we passed the order for suo motu action against hate speech. We are only on the rule of law... Preventive measures have not been adequately explored against hate speech," Justice Joseph said. Action must be taken "irrespective of the religion that the maker of the speech or the person who commit such act belongs to, so that the secular character of Bharat as is envisaged by the Preamble, is preserved and protected," the benchs order read. When Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said the SC cannot go on entertaining intervention applications and substitute the powers of the magistrate, the bench said it was doing so against hate speech in the larger public good and to ensure the establishment of the rule of law. "We have laid down a broad framework and now it is up to the authorities to act upon it. We cannot monitor each and every incident," Justice Nagarathna agreed. On Friday, the bench said, "The judges are apolitical and not concerned with Party A or Party B and the only thing they have in mind is the Constitution of India". It said the court has been entertaining petitions against hate speeches in different parts of the country for the "larger public good" and to ensure the establishment of the "rule of law." The top court's order came on a plea filed by journalist Shaheen Abdullah, who had initially sought direction against Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to register cases against those delivering hate speeches. Abdullah had again moved an application seeking implementation of the apex court's October 21, 2022 order across states and union territories. NEW DELHI: India's top court on Friday directed all states and union territories to take suo motu action against hate speech irrespective of registration of a complaint and without discrimination on grounds of religion. A bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna termed hate speeches a "serious offence capable of affecting the secular fabric of the country." The bench extended to all states its order dated October 21, 2022, by which it had directed police chiefs of Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh to take suo motu action against hate speeches made by people from any religion without waiting for a formal complaint to all states/UTs.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The court while dealing with pleas seeking to regulate hate speech also warned officers that hesitation to act would be viewed as contempt of court. "We are very clear, our order was irrespective of religion. We only had public good in mind when we passed the order for suo motu action against hate speech. We are only on the rule of law... Preventive measures have not been adequately explored against hate speech," Justice Joseph said. Action must be taken "irrespective of the religion that the maker of the speech or the person who commit such act belongs to, so that the secular character of Bharat as is envisaged by the Preamble, is preserved and protected," the benchs order read. When Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said the SC cannot go on entertaining intervention applications and substitute the powers of the magistrate, the bench said it was doing so against hate speech in the larger public good and to ensure the establishment of the rule of law. "We have laid down a broad framework and now it is up to the authorities to act upon it. We cannot monitor each and every incident," Justice Nagarathna agreed. On Friday, the bench said, "The judges are apolitical and not concerned with Party A or Party B and the only thing they have in mind is the Constitution of India". It said the court has been entertaining petitions against hate speeches in different parts of the country for the "larger public good" and to ensure the establishment of the "rule of law." The top court's order came on a plea filed by journalist Shaheen Abdullah, who had initially sought direction against Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to register cases against those delivering hate speeches. Abdullah had again moved an application seeking implementation of the apex court's October 21, 2022 order across states and union territories. Shruti Kakkar By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday, in a suo motu sitting, stayed the order passed by Calcutta High Court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay directing the secretary general in the apex court to provide him by midnight the transcription of the interview which was placed before a Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud-led bench. Justice Gangopadhyay was asked to reassign the West Bengal school jobs scam case to another judge after examining a report on his interview with a news channel on the matter. Justice Gangopadhyay had passed the impugned order hours after the SC directed the acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta HC to reassign the case pertaining to the school job-for-bribe scandal from the bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay to another judge. A bench of justices AS Bopanna and Hima Kohli said the order that was passed by the HC judge was not proper. The bench also directed the Secretary General of the court to communicate the stay order to the Calcutta HC Registrar General. For the sake of transparency, I direct the Secretary General of the Honble Supreme Court of India to produce before me the report and the official translation of the interview given by me in media and the affidavit of the Registrar General of this Court in original, forthwith by 12 midnight today. This is required for the sake of transparency. I will be waiting in my chamber till midnight to get the two sets in original placed before the honourable judges of the Supreme Court, Justice Gangopadhyay said in a suo motu matter. A bench of CJI DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha had passed the said order pursuant to perusing the authenticated transcripts of the comments made by Calcutta HC judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay about the proceedings in the West Bengal school job for a bribe. We direct the acting chief justice of Calcutta HC to reassign the pending proceedings in the case to some other judge of the HC, the order had said. The order was passed in a plea by TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee against the Calcutta HCs order directing to take Kuntal Ghosh, a suspended TMC leader in custody and asking CBI and ED to question TMC general secretary Banerjee in the scam case. Direction based on judges news channel Interview The Supreme Court passed the direction based on its analysis of the transcription of the interview pertaining to the West Bengal school jobs scam case which Justice Gangopadhyay had granted to a Bengali news channel in September last year NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday, in a suo motu sitting, stayed the order passed by Calcutta High Court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay directing the secretary general in the apex court to provide him by midnight the transcription of the interview which was placed before a Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud-led bench. Justice Gangopadhyay was asked to reassign the West Bengal school jobs scam case to another judge after examining a report on his interview with a news channel on the matter. Justice Gangopadhyay had passed the impugned order hours after the SC directed the acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta HC to reassign the case pertaining to the school job-for-bribe scandal from the bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay to another judge. A bench of justices AS Bopanna and Hima Kohli said the order that was passed by the HC judge was not proper.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The bench also directed the Secretary General of the court to communicate the stay order to the Calcutta HC Registrar General. For the sake of transparency, I direct the Secretary General of the Honble Supreme Court of India to produce before me the report and the official translation of the interview given by me in media and the affidavit of the Registrar General of this Court in original, forthwith by 12 midnight today. This is required for the sake of transparency. I will be waiting in my chamber till midnight to get the two sets in original placed before the honourable judges of the Supreme Court, Justice Gangopadhyay said in a suo motu matter. A bench of CJI DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha had passed the said order pursuant to perusing the authenticated transcripts of the comments made by Calcutta HC judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay about the proceedings in the West Bengal school job for a bribe. We direct the acting chief justice of Calcutta HC to reassign the pending proceedings in the case to some other judge of the HC, the order had said. The order was passed in a plea by TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee against the Calcutta HCs order directing to take Kuntal Ghosh, a suspended TMC leader in custody and asking CBI and ED to question TMC general secretary Banerjee in the scam case. Direction based on judges news channel Interview The Supreme Court passed the direction based on its analysis of the transcription of the interview pertaining to the West Bengal school jobs scam case which Justice Gangopadhyay had granted to a Bengali news channel in September last year Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: The Ghazipur MP/MLA court on Saturday convicted Afzaal Ansari and his younger brother Mukhtar Ansari in two separate cases. The court handed out 10-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakh to Mukhtar. Afzaal was sentenced to four years in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh. According to a senior police officer, a case under the Gangsters Act was registered against Mukhtar after the sensational killing of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005. A similar case was also registered against Afzaal for his alleged involvement in the BJP MLA's murder. Both cases were registered in the Mohammadabad police station of Ghazipur district. Afzaal Ansari, currently the BSP MP representing the Ghazipur constituency, stands to lose his lower house membership following his conviction and sentencing by the court under the provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act. According to a Supreme Court order of 2013, the membership of an MP/MLA is annulled if the person is convicted and sentenced to two years or more. ALSO READ | Mukhtar Ansari: Crime lord whose grandfathers were a Congress President and a war hero Mukhtar, a five-time MLA, is already lodged in Banda jail. He has allegedly over 60 criminal cases against him. During the hearing on Saturday, Mukhtar Ansari appeared before the court through video conference. Afzaal was present in person, said government counsel, Ghazipur, Neeraj Srivastava. Immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict, Afzaal was taken into custody and was sent to Ghazipur jail in compliance with the court order. However, his lawyers said that they would file an appeal in the higher court to challenge the MP/MLA court order. This is the first case in which Afzaal Ansari has been convicted. He has seven criminal cases registered against him. However, it was Mukhtar Ansaris fourth conviction in different cases since September 2022. On September 21, last year, the Allahabad High Court sentenced Mukhtar Ansari to seven years imprisonment in a 2003 case of assaulting a jailer in Lucknow. A day later, the High Court, in another case dating back to 1999, sentenced him to five years imprisonment. On December 15, last year, Ghazipur MP/MLA court convicted Mukhtar Ansari under Uttar Pradesh Gangster Act and sentenced him to 10 years in jail along with his accomplice Bheem Singh in connection with another case under Gangster Act dating back to 1999. Mukhtars wife Afshan, is absconding and carries a reward of Rs 50,000. She faces seven cases. Their elder son and SBSP MLA Abbas Ansari has eight cases while another son Umar Ansari has five cases registered against him. Krishnanad Rai, the then BJP MLA from Mohammadabad, was gunned down in Ghazipur in 2005 allegedly by Mukhtar Ansari and his accomplices who had fired "over 400 bullets" on the lawmaker in an ambush on his convoy. While reacting to the conviction of Ansari brothers, Alka Rai, widow of Krishnanand Rai said, "I believe in the judiciary. Rule of Goondas, Mafias has ended (in the state)." Welcoming the judgement, Piyush Rai, son of Krishnanand Rai, said that conviction of Mukhtar reaffirmed his faith in the Indian judicial system. He said they were disillusioned by the acquittal of Mukhtar Ansari in his fathers murder case of 2005 by CBI court but now the conviction had reaffirmed the faith in the judiciary. The Krishnanand Rai murder case is in Delhi High Court after Ansari was acquitted by a CBI court in Delhi as key witnesses turned either hostile or were eliminated by the gangster. LUCKNOW: The Ghazipur MP/MLA court on Saturday convicted Afzaal Ansari and his younger brother Mukhtar Ansari in two separate cases. The court handed out 10-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakh to Mukhtar. Afzaal was sentenced to four years in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh. According to a senior police officer, a case under the Gangsters Act was registered against Mukhtar after the sensational killing of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005. A similar case was also registered against Afzaal for his alleged involvement in the BJP MLA's murder. Both cases were registered in the Mohammadabad police station of Ghazipur district.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Afzaal Ansari, currently the BSP MP representing the Ghazipur constituency, stands to lose his lower house membership following his conviction and sentencing by the court under the provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act. According to a Supreme Court order of 2013, the membership of an MP/MLA is annulled if the person is convicted and sentenced to two years or more. ALSO READ | Mukhtar Ansari: Crime lord whose grandfathers were a Congress President and a war hero Mukhtar, a five-time MLA, is already lodged in Banda jail. He has allegedly over 60 criminal cases against him. During the hearing on Saturday, Mukhtar Ansari appeared before the court through video conference. Afzaal was present in person, said government counsel, Ghazipur, Neeraj Srivastava. Immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict, Afzaal was taken into custody and was sent to Ghazipur jail in compliance with the court order. However, his lawyers said that they would file an appeal in the higher court to challenge the MP/MLA court order. This is the first case in which Afzaal Ansari has been convicted. He has seven criminal cases registered against him. However, it was Mukhtar Ansaris fourth conviction in different cases since September 2022. On September 21, last year, the Allahabad High Court sentenced Mukhtar Ansari to seven years imprisonment in a 2003 case of assaulting a jailer in Lucknow. A day later, the High Court, in another case dating back to 1999, sentenced him to five years imprisonment. On December 15, last year, Ghazipur MP/MLA court convicted Mukhtar Ansari under Uttar Pradesh Gangster Act and sentenced him to 10 years in jail along with his accomplice Bheem Singh in connection with another case under Gangster Act dating back to 1999. Mukhtars wife Afshan, is absconding and carries a reward of Rs 50,000. She faces seven cases. Their elder son and SBSP MLA Abbas Ansari has eight cases while another son Umar Ansari has five cases registered against him. Krishnanad Rai, the then BJP MLA from Mohammadabad, was gunned down in Ghazipur in 2005 allegedly by Mukhtar Ansari and his accomplices who had fired "over 400 bullets" on the lawmaker in an ambush on his convoy. While reacting to the conviction of Ansari brothers, Alka Rai, widow of Krishnanand Rai said, "I believe in the judiciary. Rule of Goondas, Mafias has ended (in the state)." Welcoming the judgement, Piyush Rai, son of Krishnanand Rai, said that conviction of Mukhtar reaffirmed his faith in the Indian judicial system. He said they were disillusioned by the acquittal of Mukhtar Ansari in his fathers murder case of 2005 by CBI court but now the conviction had reaffirmed the faith in the judiciary. The Krishnanand Rai murder case is in Delhi High Court after Ansari was acquitted by a CBI court in Delhi as key witnesses turned either hostile or were eliminated by the gangster. Balbir Punj By The recent gunning down of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in police custody by three assailants, and the resulting myriad reactions of various sections of society have highlighted the multiple fault lines running through the Indian public life. The sordid murder script, which played live on Indian TV channels, was the culmination of an over four-decade-long crime-infested life. It encapsulated the distorted nature of Indian political discourse, the failure of its justice dispensation system, the collapse of Uttar Pradeshs law and order, and the imperfections of Indias electoral process. Atiqs life and death are archetypal to Indias dysfunctional criminal justice system. The law couldnt punish or protect him. Ironically, he lived by crime and was killed by criminals while in police custody. Law had no relevance in his life or death, though he had the moniker of a lawmaker. Born on August 10, 1962, to Haji Feroz Ahmed, a tonga walla, Atiq entered the world of crime, at 17, in 1979, when he stabbed a local rival Mohammed Gulam in full public view, and the first murder case against him was registered. Till 2004, he had accumulated 159 criminal charges in 36 separate cases, according to the affidavit he submitted along with his nomination for Parliamentary elections. But he was convicted for the first time only earlier this year43 years after his crimes blazed a trail. For decades, Atiq continued his killing spree, extortion business, kidnappings and land grabbing unchecked, while the spineless system allowed itself to be co-opted by him. His wealth is estimated at over 11,000 crore. While browbeating the police and political system, he also managed the revenue authorities through his favourite tools of intimidation and inducements. No serious questions were ever asked about his expanding financial empire till recently. The upswing in Atiqs crime graph and growing financial clout were matched by his burgeoning stature in politics. In 1989, Atiq won his first election to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly from Allahabad West as an independent. He repeated the feat from the same constituency in 1991 and 1993. Ignoring his criminal antecedents, political parties vied with each other to win him over to their side because the electorate seemed to endorse Atiqs brand of politics. His muscle power, gangster image, criminal exploits, traction within the Muslim community with communal undertones, and expanding business empire were seen not as liabilities but valuable political assetsbringing to the fore the dark underbelly of the Indian electoral system. Atiq won in 1996 on the Samajwadi party ticket and in 2002 on the Apna Dal ticket to the state Assembly. In 2003, he rejoined SP and got elected to Lok Sabha from Phulpura constituency that sent Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to Parliament in 1952, 1957 and 1962. Following his election to the Lok Sabha, Atiq vacated the Allahabad West Assembly seat and fielded his brother Ashraf (also his crime partner) in the ensuing bypoll. Ashraf lost to BSPs Raju Pal. The defeat was too much of an insult for the Ahmed brothers to stomach. Three months later, on January 25, 2005, Raju Pal was shot dead publicly by eight assassins, including Ashraf, who was later arrested. It became difficult for the Ahmed brothers and an acquiescing administration to bury the case because the prime witness, Umesh Pal, refused to retract his statement. He was abducted at gunpoint on February 28, 2006, and was threatened to keep quiet. In June 2007, after BSP replaced SP in Lucknow, an emboldened Umesh Pal lodged an FIR against Atiq and others. On March 28, 202317 years after the dastardly crimea UP court sentenced Atiq to life imprisonment in the kidnapping and torturing case. This was Atiqs first conviction ever. Dont miss the irony. The UP police, which failed to protect Atiq and Ashraf while they were in its custody, couldnt save Umesh, who was under its protection. On February 24, 202332 days before Atiqs first-ever conviction, Umesh was shot dead, along with his police bodyguards, outside his house by a slew of gunmen that included Atiqs youngest son Asad, who was subsequently killed in a police encounter. The UP police failed to save either the don duo or their victim. The dastardly murder of Atiq-Ashraf in police custody cant be seen in isolation. It is part of an ongoing evisceration of the system that started long back. When Atiq launched himself as a criminal in his teens, the system didnt react. Gradually he was co-opted by a complicit state. He quickly outgrew the system, and eventually, he became the system. The worst the law could do to Atiq was to put him behind bars. In his case, it was no punishment. Jail was just another working station for him. He ran his crime empire from the safe confines of prison, ordering murders and issuing extortion threats. The footprint of his terror machine was vast, extending from media to politics to the judiciary. In one case, as many as 10 judges refused to hear his bail application. The eleventh judge, who finally did, released Atiq on bail. Atiq was beyond law and any punishment the state could inflict on him. In a given context, he was the law. The rule of law implies the state has the capacity to enforce the law evenly, and it alone has the power to punish. A heavily compromised and emasculated State had long surrendered these privileges to the dreaded don. The way Atiq lived and how he and his brother met a fiery end underline the collapse of Indias institutional framework. Some of the outrage following the double murder is understandable. Most of it, however, is motivated by political considerations, a ploy to polarise Muslim votes rather than any genuine concern for the rule of law. This exposes yet another fault linewhy an entire community of over 200 million is sought to be identified with a mafia don by those who claim to be pursuing a secular brand of polity? In both life and death, Atiq has left behind a smouldering slew of issues that India can no longer afford to sweep under the carpet. (Views are personal) Balbir Punj Former Member of Parliament and a columnist (punjbalbir@gmail.com) The recent gunning down of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in police custody by three assailants, and the resulting myriad reactions of various sections of society have highlighted the multiple fault lines running through the Indian public life. The sordid murder script, which played live on Indian TV channels, was the culmination of an over four-decade-long crime-infested life. It encapsulated the distorted nature of Indian political discourse, the failure of its justice dispensation system, the collapse of Uttar Pradeshs law and order, and the imperfections of Indias electoral process. Atiqs life and death are archetypal to Indias dysfunctional criminal justice system. The law couldnt punish or protect him. Ironically, he lived by crime and was killed by criminals while in police custody. Law had no relevance in his life or death, though he had the moniker of a lawmaker.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Born on August 10, 1962, to Haji Feroz Ahmed, a tonga walla, Atiq entered the world of crime, at 17, in 1979, when he stabbed a local rival Mohammed Gulam in full public view, and the first murder case against him was registered. Till 2004, he had accumulated 159 criminal charges in 36 separate cases, according to the affidavit he submitted along with his nomination for Parliamentary elections. But he was convicted for the first time only earlier this year43 years after his crimes blazed a trail. For decades, Atiq continued his killing spree, extortion business, kidnappings and land grabbing unchecked, while the spineless system allowed itself to be co-opted by him. His wealth is estimated at over 11,000 crore. While browbeating the police and political system, he also managed the revenue authorities through his favourite tools of intimidation and inducements. No serious questions were ever asked about his expanding financial empire till recently. The upswing in Atiqs crime graph and growing financial clout were matched by his burgeoning stature in politics. In 1989, Atiq won his first election to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly from Allahabad West as an independent. He repeated the feat from the same constituency in 1991 and 1993. Ignoring his criminal antecedents, political parties vied with each other to win him over to their side because the electorate seemed to endorse Atiqs brand of politics. His muscle power, gangster image, criminal exploits, traction within the Muslim community with communal undertones, and expanding business empire were seen not as liabilities but valuable political assetsbringing to the fore the dark underbelly of the Indian electoral system. Atiq won in 1996 on the Samajwadi party ticket and in 2002 on the Apna Dal ticket to the state Assembly. In 2003, he rejoined SP and got elected to Lok Sabha from Phulpura constituency that sent Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to Parliament in 1952, 1957 and 1962. Following his election to the Lok Sabha, Atiq vacated the Allahabad West Assembly seat and fielded his brother Ashraf (also his crime partner) in the ensuing bypoll. Ashraf lost to BSPs Raju Pal. The defeat was too much of an insult for the Ahmed brothers to stomach. Three months later, on January 25, 2005, Raju Pal was shot dead publicly by eight assassins, including Ashraf, who was later arrested. It became difficult for the Ahmed brothers and an acquiescing administration to bury the case because the prime witness, Umesh Pal, refused to retract his statement. He was abducted at gunpoint on February 28, 2006, and was threatened to keep quiet. In June 2007, after BSP replaced SP in Lucknow, an emboldened Umesh Pal lodged an FIR against Atiq and others. On March 28, 202317 years after the dastardly crimea UP court sentenced Atiq to life imprisonment in the kidnapping and torturing case. This was Atiqs first conviction ever. Dont miss the irony. The UP police, which failed to protect Atiq and Ashraf while they were in its custody, couldnt save Umesh, who was under its protection. On February 24, 202332 days before Atiqs first-ever conviction, Umesh was shot dead, along with his police bodyguards, outside his house by a slew of gunmen that included Atiqs youngest son Asad, who was subsequently killed in a police encounter. The UP police failed to save either the don duo or their victim. The dastardly murder of Atiq-Ashraf in police custody cant be seen in isolation. It is part of an ongoing evisceration of the system that started long back. When Atiq launched himself as a criminal in his teens, the system didnt react. Gradually he was co-opted by a complicit state. He quickly outgrew the system, and eventually, he became the system. The worst the law could do to Atiq was to put him behind bars. In his case, it was no punishment. Jail was just another working station for him. He ran his crime empire from the safe confines of prison, ordering murders and issuing extortion threats. The footprint of his terror machine was vast, extending from media to politics to the judiciary. In one case, as many as 10 judges refused to hear his bail application. The eleventh judge, who finally did, released Atiq on bail. Atiq was beyond law and any punishment the state could inflict on him. In a given context, he was the law. The rule of law implies the state has the capacity to enforce the law evenly, and it alone has the power to punish. A heavily compromised and emasculated State had long surrendered these privileges to the dreaded don. The way Atiq lived and how he and his brother met a fiery end underline the collapse of Indias institutional framework. Some of the outrage following the double murder is understandable. Most of it, however, is motivated by political considerations, a ploy to polarise Muslim votes rather than any genuine concern for the rule of law. This exposes yet another fault linewhy an entire community of over 200 million is sought to be identified with a mafia don by those who claim to be pursuing a secular brand of polity? In both life and death, Atiq has left behind a smouldering slew of issues that India can no longer afford to sweep under the carpet. (Views are personal) Balbir Punj Former Member of Parliament and a columnist (punjbalbir@gmail.com) Kajal Basu By On April 24, 2023, an extraordinary thing happened. For the first time in Indias post-Independence history, the Central government sent out an advisory to all television news channels and community radio stations to broadcast a politicians address to the general public. It is not a diktat to popularise a policy. It is a diktat to spread, through official, governmental means, the personal word of a political leaderIndias leading politician, a divisively authoritarian figure. The advisory, as everyone in the news and information-dissemination business knows, is mandatory. Even though it is not a notified circular, it is no less an official imperative for that. The programme in question is Prime Minister Narendra Modis 100th tranche of Mann Ki Baat, his monthly monologue, a pastiche of feel-good sage advice aired every last Sunday of a month to the nation. The first episode was aired on October 3, 2014, barely four months after he won the general election; the 100th is due on Sunday, April 30, 2023and the dispensation has decided to make a self-promotional festival of it. Modi elocutes in Hindi, and this is translated into many languages, but, pointedly, not into English. This historic event, however, as the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting calls it, will be broadcast worldwide via communitarian video and invited gatherings at high commissions and consulates. Mann Ki Baat is de rigueur on All India Radio, the worlds largest radio network with 262 stations, more than 375 private and community stations, 34 channels of the Doordarshan network, and 333 permitted private satellite TV channels. It is translated into 52 languages, including 11 foreign languages (and dialects and topolects seemingly drawn out of a hat and chosen with no particular regard to their volume of listenership). The diktat, camouflaged as an advisory, has gone out to all of them. And it is a do-or-else situation. For instance, the Community Radio Station cell of the MIB issued instructions asking for proof of the broadcast having taken place in the shape and form of a photo of the community listening to the broadcast as a memoir to be sent to the ministry. Community Radio Stations are advised to send, a one-minute audio clip of the broadcast consisting of 25 seconds of the initial portion broadcast and 25 seconds of last portion of broadcast appending the name of the Community Radio Station, immediately after completion of the broadcast. The audio clip may be sent through link which shall be shared shortly. This demand for proof of work is unprecedented. What is striking about this is not so much a free-to-choose advisory but the explicit strong-arming. I do not recall the previous carrier of the national flag, the control-freak Indira Gandhi, ordering the broadcast media to carry her speeches even during the Emergency, not even when free news was being blacked out every day in the newspapers. Nor was this the case during the years of her son Rajiv Gandhi, who made a habit, camouflaged in disarming charm, of trying hard to micromanage the New Delhi media. Not that this is the first time that government diktat has been imposed on the media: the Indian media has a history of ministerial tinpots and other politicians making rules out of their whims and whimsies. Two latter-day examples should suffice. In June 2014, a month after it took power, the Modi government issued a diktat to all ministries and bureaucrats to open social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, with orders to update them at least once a week by August. This command followed upon guidelines laid by the previous UPA government in 2012, when only the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) and the external affairs ministry had accounts. The UPA being more freewheeling, the other ministries ignored these guidelines. When the Modi government issued the advisory, everyone scrambled. In late 2022, the MIB issued an advisory to Central government ministries, state governments and Union Territories that are distributing broadcasting content to withdraw from distribution activities before December 31, 2023. This is bound to strain already-taut Centre-state relations. Nearly every state government has formal and informal channels to slip its content into telecasts: for instance, the Tamil Nadu government owns and operates a cable-distribution company and an educational channel; and the Andhra Pradesh government runs a triple-pronged fibre-optics service that delivers television, internet, and telephony. These will be undone, but the Centre will, cleverly, retain its hold on Prasar Bharati, the state-owned public broadcaster headquartered in New Delhi. For many reasons, the governments latest advisory makes little sense. For one, although a survey by IIM Rohtak found that more than 100 crore people had listened to Mann Ki Baat at least once and 23 crore were regular listeners, the respected Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) published a study called Media in India: Access, Practices, Concerns and Effects, in which a four-page sectionPMs Mann Ki Baat: A Reality Checkfound that most Indian citizens werent interested. [Even] in the Hindi-speaking States, popularity/listenership of PMMKB is rather low. (...) [E]ven households that have a high media presence (TV, internet, stereo, etc), two-fifths had not heard Mann Ki Baat in the last one year and three in every ten had heard it once or twice. Among BJP supporters, 51% have not listened to Modis radio homily; 68% of Congress supporters, 67% of Others and the politically unattached have not heard a single episode. In all, 63.25% of those polled have no interest in Modis excursus. The only assured listeners are 9% of households with high media presence, 4% with moderate media presence, and 2% with low media presence. Which brings us to the crux of this exercise. What purpose, except that of domineering and peremptory self-promotion by employing instruments governmental and private alike? Kajal Basu Veteran journalist (kajalrbasu@gmail.com) On April 24, 2023, an extraordinary thing happened. For the first time in Indias post-Independence history, the Central government sent out an advisory to all television news channels and community radio stations to broadcast a politicians address to the general public. It is not a diktat to popularise a policy. It is a diktat to spread, through official, governmental means, the personal word of a political leaderIndias leading politician, a divisively authoritarian figure. The advisory, as everyone in the news and information-dissemination business knows, is mandatory. Even though it is not a notified circular, it is no less an official imperative for that. The programme in question is Prime Minister Narendra Modis 100th tranche of Mann Ki Baat, his monthly monologue, a pastiche of feel-good sage advice aired every last Sunday of a month to the nation. The first episode was aired on October 3, 2014, barely four months after he won the general election; the 100th is due on Sunday, April 30, 2023and the dispensation has decided to make a self-promotional festival of it. Modi elocutes in Hindi, and this is translated into many languages, but, pointedly, not into English. This historic event, however, as the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting calls it, will be broadcast worldwide via communitarian video and invited gatherings at high commissions and consulates. Mann Ki Baat is de rigueur on All India Radio, the worlds largest radio network with 262 stations, more than 375 private and community stations, 34 channels of the Doordarshan network, and 333 permitted private satellite TV channels. It is translated into 52 languages, including 11 foreign languages (and dialects and topolects seemingly drawn out of a hat and chosen with no particular regard to their volume of listenership). The diktat, camouflaged as an advisory, has gone out to all of them.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); And it is a do-or-else situation. For instance, the Community Radio Station cell of the MIB issued instructions asking for proof of the broadcast having taken place in the shape and form of a photo of the community listening to the broadcast as a memoir to be sent to the ministry. Community Radio Stations are advised to send, a one-minute audio clip of the broadcast consisting of 25 seconds of the initial portion broadcast and 25 seconds of last portion of broadcast appending the name of the Community Radio Station, immediately after completion of the broadcast. The audio clip may be sent through link which shall be shared shortly. This demand for proof of work is unprecedented. What is striking about this is not so much a free-to-choose advisory but the explicit strong-arming. I do not recall the previous carrier of the national flag, the control-freak Indira Gandhi, ordering the broadcast media to carry her speeches even during the Emergency, not even when free news was being blacked out every day in the newspapers. Nor was this the case during the years of her son Rajiv Gandhi, who made a habit, camouflaged in disarming charm, of trying hard to micromanage the New Delhi media. Not that this is the first time that government diktat has been imposed on the media: the Indian media has a history of ministerial tinpots and other politicians making rules out of their whims and whimsies. Two latter-day examples should suffice. In June 2014, a month after it took power, the Modi government issued a diktat to all ministries and bureaucrats to open social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, with orders to update them at least once a week by August. This command followed upon guidelines laid by the previous UPA government in 2012, when only the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) and the external affairs ministry had accounts. The UPA being more freewheeling, the other ministries ignored these guidelines. When the Modi government issued the advisory, everyone scrambled. In late 2022, the MIB issued an advisory to Central government ministries, state governments and Union Territories that are distributing broadcasting content to withdraw from distribution activities before December 31, 2023. This is bound to strain already-taut Centre-state relations. Nearly every state government has formal and informal channels to slip its content into telecasts: for instance, the Tamil Nadu government owns and operates a cable-distribution company and an educational channel; and the Andhra Pradesh government runs a triple-pronged fibre-optics service that delivers television, internet, and telephony. These will be undone, but the Centre will, cleverly, retain its hold on Prasar Bharati, the state-owned public broadcaster headquartered in New Delhi. For many reasons, the governments latest advisory makes little sense. For one, although a survey by IIM Rohtak found that more than 100 crore people had listened to Mann Ki Baat at least once and 23 crore were regular listeners, the respected Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) published a study called Media in India: Access, Practices, Concerns and Effects, in which a four-page sectionPMs Mann Ki Baat: A Reality Checkfound that most Indian citizens werent interested. [Even] in the Hindi-speaking States, popularity/listenership of PMMKB is rather low. (...) [E]ven households that have a high media presence (TV, internet, stereo, etc), two-fifths had not heard Mann Ki Baat in the last one year and three in every ten had heard it once or twice. Among BJP supporters, 51% have not listened to Modis radio homily; 68% of Congress supporters, 67% of Others and the politically unattached have not heard a single episode. In all, 63.25% of those polled have no interest in Modis excursus. The only assured listeners are 9% of households with high media presence, 4% with moderate media presence, and 2% with low media presence. Which brings us to the crux of this exercise. What purpose, except that of domineering and peremptory self-promotion by employing instruments governmental and private alike? Kajal Basu Veteran journalist (kajalrbasu@gmail.com) By Express News Service VISAKHAPATNAM: City police have confirmed that Swetha, the pregnant woman whose body was found on the YMCA Beach, had died by suicide. Speaking to reporters on Friday, police commissioner CM Trivikram Varma said an investigation was taken up to unravel the mystery behind the death of the 24-year-old woman. Elaborating, he said Swethas father-in-law Sankara Rao had lodged a missing complaint with the New Port police on Tuesday. After the womans body was found at the beach, police registered a case of suspicious death. As per the investigation, it was found to be a case of suicide. Further, the post-mortem revealed that there were no marks of external or internal injuries on her body. A suicide note left was found and Swethas mother confirmed that it was written by her daughter, the officer said and added that they will, however, send the suicide note to a forensic lab for further probe. Stating that they earlier had doubts about how the body and Swethas footwear were just 150 metres apart on the beach, Varma explained that they investigated into the matter with the help of the National Institute of Oceanography. On studying the wave movement on a particular day, we learnt there were only low tides and no rip currents, he said. A native of Srikakulam district, Swetha married Gurumilla Manikanta, a software engineer. She was with her husband and in-laws at Nudupur in Gajuwaka. On Tuesday, Swetha and her mother-in-law had an argument, when Manikanta was in Hyderabad for work. Following this, she left the house. Explaining the reasons behind Swetha taking the extreme step, police explained that her mother Rama had given 90 cents land to her during the marriage. Manikanta had been pressurising her to transfer the land to him. VISAKHAPATNAM: City police have confirmed that Swetha, the pregnant woman whose body was found on the YMCA Beach, had died by suicide. Speaking to reporters on Friday, police commissioner CM Trivikram Varma said an investigation was taken up to unravel the mystery behind the death of the 24-year-old woman. Elaborating, he said Swethas father-in-law Sankara Rao had lodged a missing complaint with the New Port police on Tuesday. After the womans body was found at the beach, police registered a case of suspicious death. As per the investigation, it was found to be a case of suicide. Further, the post-mortem revealed that there were no marks of external or internal injuries on her body. A suicide note left was found and Swethas mother confirmed that it was written by her daughter, the officer said and added that they will, however, send the suicide note to a forensic lab for further probe. Stating that they earlier had doubts about how the body and Swethas footwear were just 150 metres apart on the beach, Varma explained that they investigated into the matter with the help of the National Institute of Oceanography. On studying the wave movement on a particular day, we learnt there were only low tides and no rip currents, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A native of Srikakulam district, Swetha married Gurumilla Manikanta, a software engineer. She was with her husband and in-laws at Nudupur in Gajuwaka. On Tuesday, Swetha and her mother-in-law had an argument, when Manikanta was in Hyderabad for work. Following this, she left the house. Explaining the reasons behind Swetha taking the extreme step, police explained that her mother Rama had given 90 cents land to her during the marriage. Manikanta had been pressurising her to transfer the land to him. By Express News Service VISAKHAPATNAM: Social Welfare Minister Merugu Nagarjuna on Friday alleged that TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu betrayed Dalits in the State. Speaking to media persons, he challenged Naidu for a debate on the economic uplift of Dalits. Citing that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had spent Rs 53,000 crore for the welfare of Dalits, he asked Naidu to reveal what he had done for their uplift during the previous TDP regime. He reminded the reported comments of Naidu and his son Lokesh against Dalits. Not even a single scheme or work was taken up for the development of Dalits when Naidu was the CM. In the name of Dalits, TDP workers resorted to looting public money, he observed. The popularity of Jagan among BCs, SCs, STs and minorities is steadily increasing. During Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam and Jagananne Maa Bhavishyathu programmes, people are expressing happiness over the implementation of a plethora of welfare schemes. The YSRC government is committed to the welfare of the poor and downtrodden people, he said. Accusing Naidu and Lokesh of resorting to cheap criticism of the YSRC government, Nagarjuna said Dalits are ready to teach Naidu a befitting lesson for his anti-Dalit stand. Meanwhile, YSRC MLC Dokka Manikya Vara Prasad said Naidu totally failed in ensuring the welfare of Dalits during the previous TDP regime. We are ready to explain the difference between the previous TDP regime and the present YSRC government in implementing schemes for the welfare of Dalits. Jagan has initiated several measures for the social, economic and political empowerment of Dalits, he averred. VISAKHAPATNAM: Social Welfare Minister Merugu Nagarjuna on Friday alleged that TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu betrayed Dalits in the State. Speaking to media persons, he challenged Naidu for a debate on the economic uplift of Dalits. Citing that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had spent Rs 53,000 crore for the welfare of Dalits, he asked Naidu to reveal what he had done for their uplift during the previous TDP regime. He reminded the reported comments of Naidu and his son Lokesh against Dalits. Not even a single scheme or work was taken up for the development of Dalits when Naidu was the CM. In the name of Dalits, TDP workers resorted to looting public money, he observed. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The popularity of Jagan among BCs, SCs, STs and minorities is steadily increasing. During Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam and Jagananne Maa Bhavishyathu programmes, people are expressing happiness over the implementation of a plethora of welfare schemes. The YSRC government is committed to the welfare of the poor and downtrodden people, he said. Accusing Naidu and Lokesh of resorting to cheap criticism of the YSRC government, Nagarjuna said Dalits are ready to teach Naidu a befitting lesson for his anti-Dalit stand. Meanwhile, YSRC MLC Dokka Manikya Vara Prasad said Naidu totally failed in ensuring the welfare of Dalits during the previous TDP regime. We are ready to explain the difference between the previous TDP regime and the present YSRC government in implementing schemes for the welfare of Dalits. Jagan has initiated several measures for the social, economic and political empowerment of Dalits, he averred. By Express News Service In the run-up to the May 10 Assembly polls, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah said that once the party comes to power, they will increase the overall reservation to 75 per cent to provide adequate quota to all deserving communities. Why not increase the reservation to 75 per cent? All categories got reservations, including the economically weaker sections, then why do we need more for the general category, asked the former chief minister during an interaction with TNSE editors and staff. Excerpts: There are only a few days left for the polls. How does the situation look on the ground? The situation is in favour of Congress. That is because there is a strong anti-incumbency against the BJP government due to corruption, price rise and unemployment. They could not solve the problems of farmers, women and labourers. Thats why the people of Karnataka are against the BJP government. I have been in politics for the past 40 years and I can understand the pulse of the people. Now, they want to change the government. Wherever we go, people tell us that Congress will come to power this time. Congress has announced several schemes, but BJP claims it is impossible to implement them due to the size of the budget... We have announced the Congress Guarantee scheme only after estimating the budget it requires. They may require around Rs 50,000 crore, while the size of the budget is Rs 3.10 lakh crore, which may go up to Rs. 3.30 lakh crore. We have promised to implement our manifesto announcements within five years and Congress guarantees within one year of coming to power. When the repayment of principal and interest is Rs 56,000 crore, cant we provide Rs 50,000 crore for these schemes? Do you feel BJP fielding minister V Somanna against you in Varuna will make your victory difficult? It doesnt matter who is the candidate against me as we have to face BJP and fight against the ideologies of BJP and RSS. In Varuna, I won with a 28,000 lead in 2008 and 31,000 in 2013. My son won with a 58,000 lead in 2018. This time too, I will win by a big margin. You claim there is a tacit understanding between BJP and JDS to defeat you... Why is JDS fielding Bharati Shankar, an ex-MLA from a reserved seat, in Varuna, which is a general seat? The intention is to divide the Scheduled cast votes. Even in 2018, BJP fielded a weak candidate against me in the Chamundeshwari constituency and he got hardly 3,000 votes. But the entire BJP votes got transferred to JDS. Thats why I said there is an understanding between BJP and JDS. Dont you think there are enemies against you within your party? I dont have any enemies at my party. They all are my comrades. Do you think Lingayats are in favour of Congress, considering the current scenario? Congress is a secular party voted by all communities and it is the only party that respects all communities. Your take on the possibility of AICC president Mallikrajun Kharge becoming the CM? Kharge made it very clear that he is not an aspirant. We are working to bring the party to power under a collective leadership and the newly elected MLAs will choose their leader. BJP has fielded new faces in many constituencies. Do you think this will help them overcome anti-incumbency? I dont think it will help BJP. In some constituencies they may have changed sitting MLAs, but there is strong anti-incumbency against BJP and its government in Karnataka. Whoever is changed, they cannot erase the misrule of the government and its corruption. If Congress comes to power, what stand will the party take on the alleged 40 per cent commission? We will constitute a special commission and direct them to probe all these charges. What is your prediction for the three parties? According to me, Congress will win 130 to 150 seats, JDS may win 20 to 25 seats and BJP may get 55 to 60 seats. Is Operation Kamala, a real concern? If we get 115 or 120 seats, they will try. But here, that question does not arise as we will get a minimum of 130 seats. It is Yediyurappa who initiated this Operation Kamala. Before that, there was no such practice in Karnataka. In the name of power and money, they may try it, but they cannot get the entire Congress. Even if they form such a government, do you think that government will survive? Will internal reservation given by BJP cause problems to Congress? Even we wanted to give an internal reservation. But Bhovi, Korcha and other communities opposed it. So far, the Justice AJ Sadashiva commission report has not been placed on the floor of the Assembly. No discussion took place on the report. We have to take all stakeholders into confidence. But the BJP government has done so in a hurry. Reservation is now at 56 per cent, as the reservation for SC and ST communities has been enhanced. The 17 per cent proposed internal reservation has been divided -- 6 per cent for SC-Left, 5.5 per cent for SC-Right, 4.5 per cent for Touchables and 1 per cent for others. But the 17 per cent increased quota is not valid yet. Also, how can one remove the 4 per cent quota given to Muslims and put them in the Economically Weaker Section? Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution say that socially and educationally backward should be given reservation. Muslims are socially and educationally backwards. But now reservation has been given to those who are socially forward (Brahmins). First, there is a need for an amendment to the Constitution. Is there any order by the court to abolish the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims? Vokkaligas had sought 12 per cent reservation based on their population and Lingayats wanted to be in the 2A category. But the government after leaving this, scrapped the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims. Does it mean, if your party comes to power, you will change the reservation policy? At present, we have 56 per cent reservations with the EWS quota, it will be 66 per cent. Why not increase it to 75 per cent? All categories got reservation, including the economically weaker sections, then why do we need more for the general category? In Tamil Nadu, they made it 69 per cent. They have added it to the 9th Schedule. Dont you think merit will suffer if we increase it to 75 per cent? How will it suffer? If a 10 per cent EWS quota is given to merit people, will others not suffer? Let us give reservations based on population. For those who are economically, socially and educationally backward, we will give reservations to them. But this has to be passed in Parliament? Yes, we will bring pressure to pass it in Parliament. If our government comes to power, we will pass it. Can Siddaramiah sacrifice his CM post to Kharge if the Dalit CM issue arises? If you ask me the same question in any form, my answer will be the same. We go by a democratic process as far as leadership is concerned. MLAs have to select their CM. Is it possible to defeat Modi in 2024? Why not? If all the opposition parties with a common agenda come together, it is possible to defeat BJP and Modi. BJP has not secured 60 or 70 per cent votes. They also have less than 50 per cent votes. This is your last election. If Congress comes to power and if you become CM how are you going to contribute to the state this time? I can tell you only after Congress comes to power and not before that. Modi, Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath will be campaigning extensively in the state Why did it not make a difference in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh? Why not in West Bengal? In a few places (Gujarat and UP), it might have happened given the existing political situation. The state issues get discussed in the Assembly polls, not national issues. The national issues are secondary. The coastal region is getting more communalised what are the challenges to tackling it? BJP has been trying to communalise society to polarise votes. Mangaluru and Udupi are being used as a laboratory of RSS. In spite of it, we won seven seats out of eight in the past (2013), including three out of five in Udupi. Last time, we won only one and they had seven. This time, there will be a change as the people are fed up with communal politics. The BJP state president suggested to his workers recently that they should not campaign on development but on love jihad. Will people accept them? Are hijab and halal issues that need to be raised? You (BJP) do not harm communal harmony by inciting people against each other and by breaking the hearts on communal issues. We are not against any language or religion or culture. Everyone has a right to practice any religion as ours is a plural state that is not restricted to one. As per our Constitution, we have accepted the plural state so that all can live in harmony. Will you reverse the anti-conversion and cow slaughter laws? There is scope for conversion as per Article 21 of the Constitution as there is a liberty to follow any religion. Citizens have the right to convert, but it should not happen by force. The anti-conversion law that they (BJP government) effected is a violation of Article 21. BJP has given 68 seats to Lingayats, though the community expected 65 tickets. But Congress has given fewer tickets to community representatives. What is your take? Congress is different from BJP. We have given 51 seats compared to last times 47. We have followed social justice. We have given 14 seats to Kurubas, and they have given seven. They have not given a single seat to Muslims. Can we call it a secular party? In Mysuru, Kodagu, Hassan and Chamarajanagar, BJP too has not given more seats to Lingayats. Wherever Veerashaiva-Lingayats can win, we have given them tickets. We have given 15 tickets to minorities and two to Christians. You had attacked Laxman Savadi for allegedly watching a porn video in the Assembly. Now, he has joined Congress. Has he become Mr clean? Has Congress become a washing machine? For that mistake, he has undergone a punishment. There is no greater punishment than repentance that he has expressed. BJP accuses Congress of Muslim appeasement? I will not do any appeasement politics. I love people from all castes and creeds. What is Muslim appeasement? Can speaking in their favour and advocating for their security, and justice be called appeasement? Will it become appeasement if we give programmes for their uplift? Doesnt the community have many poor people? If one goes through the Sachar Committee report, one will come to know about their status as to what extent they have been backward in academics and employment, and how many are wealthy. What would be your diet in this poll season? What about your morning walks? Right now, I have stopped eating non-vegetarian food and I depend on vegetarian food and eggs until the polls are over. Again I will start eating non-vegetarian food since I am a born non-vegetarian. I stopped it because oily and spicy food may create health issues during my travels. Now, no time for morning walks. In the run-up to the May 10 Assembly polls, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah said that once the party comes to power, they will increase the overall reservation to 75 per cent to provide adequate quota to all deserving communities. Why not increase the reservation to 75 per cent? All categories got reservations, including the economically weaker sections, then why do we need more for the general category, asked the former chief minister during an interaction with TNSE editors and staff. Excerpts: There are only a few days left for the polls. How does the situation look on the ground? The situation is in favour of Congress. That is because there is a strong anti-incumbency against the BJP government due to corruption, price rise and unemployment. They could not solve the problems of farmers, women and labourers. Thats why the people of Karnataka are against the BJP government. I have been in politics for the past 40 years and I can understand the pulse of the people. Now, they want to change the government. Wherever we go, people tell us that Congress will come to power this time. Congress has announced several schemes, but BJP claims it is impossible to implement them due to the size of the budget... We have announced the Congress Guarantee scheme only after estimating the budget it requires. They may require around Rs 50,000 crore, while the size of the budget is Rs 3.10 lakh crore, which may go up to Rs. 3.30 lakh crore. We have promised to implement our manifesto announcements within five years and Congress guarantees within one year of coming to power. When the repayment of principal and interest is Rs 56,000 crore, cant we provide Rs 50,000 crore for these schemes? googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Do you feel BJP fielding minister V Somanna against you in Varuna will make your victory difficult? It doesnt matter who is the candidate against me as we have to face BJP and fight against the ideologies of BJP and RSS. In Varuna, I won with a 28,000 lead in 2008 and 31,000 in 2013. My son won with a 58,000 lead in 2018. This time too, I will win by a big margin. You claim there is a tacit understanding between BJP and JDS to defeat you... Why is JDS fielding Bharati Shankar, an ex-MLA from a reserved seat, in Varuna, which is a general seat? The intention is to divide the Scheduled cast votes. Even in 2018, BJP fielded a weak candidate against me in the Chamundeshwari constituency and he got hardly 3,000 votes. But the entire BJP votes got transferred to JDS. Thats why I said there is an understanding between BJP and JDS. Dont you think there are enemies against you within your party? I dont have any enemies at my party. They all are my comrades. Do you think Lingayats are in favour of Congress, considering the current scenario? Congress is a secular party voted by all communities and it is the only party that respects all communities. Your take on the possibility of AICC president Mallikrajun Kharge becoming the CM? Kharge made it very clear that he is not an aspirant. We are working to bring the party to power under a collective leadership and the newly elected MLAs will choose their leader. BJP has fielded new faces in many constituencies. Do you think this will help them overcome anti-incumbency? I dont think it will help BJP. In some constituencies they may have changed sitting MLAs, but there is strong anti-incumbency against BJP and its government in Karnataka. Whoever is changed, they cannot erase the misrule of the government and its corruption. If Congress comes to power, what stand will the party take on the alleged 40 per cent commission? We will constitute a special commission and direct them to probe all these charges. What is your prediction for the three parties? According to me, Congress will win 130 to 150 seats, JDS may win 20 to 25 seats and BJP may get 55 to 60 seats. Is Operation Kamala, a real concern? If we get 115 or 120 seats, they will try. But here, that question does not arise as we will get a minimum of 130 seats. It is Yediyurappa who initiated this Operation Kamala. Before that, there was no such practice in Karnataka. In the name of power and money, they may try it, but they cannot get the entire Congress. Even if they form such a government, do you think that government will survive? Will internal reservation given by BJP cause problems to Congress? Even we wanted to give an internal reservation. But Bhovi, Korcha and other communities opposed it. So far, the Justice AJ Sadashiva commission report has not been placed on the floor of the Assembly. No discussion took place on the report. We have to take all stakeholders into confidence. But the BJP government has done so in a hurry. Reservation is now at 56 per cent, as the reservation for SC and ST communities has been enhanced. The 17 per cent proposed internal reservation has been divided -- 6 per cent for SC-Left, 5.5 per cent for SC-Right, 4.5 per cent for Touchables and 1 per cent for others. But the 17 per cent increased quota is not valid yet. Also, how can one remove the 4 per cent quota given to Muslims and put them in the Economically Weaker Section? Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution say that socially and educationally backward should be given reservation. Muslims are socially and educationally backwards. But now reservation has been given to those who are socially forward (Brahmins). First, there is a need for an amendment to the Constitution. Is there any order by the court to abolish the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims? Vokkaligas had sought 12 per cent reservation based on their population and Lingayats wanted to be in the 2A category. But the government after leaving this, scrapped the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims. Does it mean, if your party comes to power, you will change the reservation policy? At present, we have 56 per cent reservations with the EWS quota, it will be 66 per cent. Why not increase it to 75 per cent? All categories got reservation, including the economically weaker sections, then why do we need more for the general category? In Tamil Nadu, they made it 69 per cent. They have added it to the 9th Schedule. Dont you think merit will suffer if we increase it to 75 per cent? How will it suffer? If a 10 per cent EWS quota is given to merit people, will others not suffer? Let us give reservations based on population. For those who are economically, socially and educationally backward, we will give reservations to them. But this has to be passed in Parliament? Yes, we will bring pressure to pass it in Parliament. If our government comes to power, we will pass it. Can Siddaramiah sacrifice his CM post to Kharge if the Dalit CM issue arises? If you ask me the same question in any form, my answer will be the same. We go by a democratic process as far as leadership is concerned. MLAs have to select their CM. Is it possible to defeat Modi in 2024? Why not? If all the opposition parties with a common agenda come together, it is possible to defeat BJP and Modi. BJP has not secured 60 or 70 per cent votes. They also have less than 50 per cent votes. This is your last election. If Congress comes to power and if you become CM how are you going to contribute to the state this time? I can tell you only after Congress comes to power and not before that. Modi, Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath will be campaigning extensively in the state Why did it not make a difference in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh? Why not in West Bengal? In a few places (Gujarat and UP), it might have happened given the existing political situation. The state issues get discussed in the Assembly polls, not national issues. The national issues are secondary. The coastal region is getting more communalised what are the challenges to tackling it? BJP has been trying to communalise society to polarise votes. Mangaluru and Udupi are being used as a laboratory of RSS. In spite of it, we won seven seats out of eight in the past (2013), including three out of five in Udupi. Last time, we won only one and they had seven. This time, there will be a change as the people are fed up with communal politics. The BJP state president suggested to his workers recently that they should not campaign on development but on love jihad. Will people accept them? Are hijab and halal issues that need to be raised? You (BJP) do not harm communal harmony by inciting people against each other and by breaking the hearts on communal issues. We are not against any language or religion or culture. Everyone has a right to practice any religion as ours is a plural state that is not restricted to one. As per our Constitution, we have accepted the plural state so that all can live in harmony. Will you reverse the anti-conversion and cow slaughter laws? There is scope for conversion as per Article 21 of the Constitution as there is a liberty to follow any religion. Citizens have the right to convert, but it should not happen by force. The anti-conversion law that they (BJP government) effected is a violation of Article 21. BJP has given 68 seats to Lingayats, though the community expected 65 tickets. But Congress has given fewer tickets to community representatives. What is your take? Congress is different from BJP. We have given 51 seats compared to last times 47. We have followed social justice. We have given 14 seats to Kurubas, and they have given seven. They have not given a single seat to Muslims. Can we call it a secular party? In Mysuru, Kodagu, Hassan and Chamarajanagar, BJP too has not given more seats to Lingayats. Wherever Veerashaiva-Lingayats can win, we have given them tickets. We have given 15 tickets to minorities and two to Christians. You had attacked Laxman Savadi for allegedly watching a porn video in the Assembly. Now, he has joined Congress. Has he become Mr clean? Has Congress become a washing machine? For that mistake, he has undergone a punishment. There is no greater punishment than repentance that he has expressed. BJP accuses Congress of Muslim appeasement? I will not do any appeasement politics. I love people from all castes and creeds. What is Muslim appeasement? Can speaking in their favour and advocating for their security, and justice be called appeasement? Will it become appeasement if we give programmes for their uplift? Doesnt the community have many poor people? If one goes through the Sachar Committee report, one will come to know about their status as to what extent they have been backward in academics and employment, and how many are wealthy. What would be your diet in this poll season? What about your morning walks? Right now, I have stopped eating non-vegetarian food and I depend on vegetarian food and eggs until the polls are over. Again I will start eating non-vegetarian food since I am a born non-vegetarian. I stopped it because oily and spicy food may create health issues during my travels. Now, no time for morning walks. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/BENGALURU: As many as 40 Indians, including Keralites who arrived in Bengaluru from war-torn Sudan, have found themselves in a precarious situation as they were sent into quarantine, as they did not have the mandatory yellow fever vaccination certificate with them. Manoj Rajan, Commissioner (Disaster Management) and Nodal Officer of Karnataka said that 40 flyers from different states did not have the mandatory yellow fever vaccination certificate. All of them have been sent to a six-day quarantine at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Health Sciences. Some of them have either lost the certificates or left them behind. The certificates are being tracked using passports and other documents and they will be allowed to leave as soon as we get the certificates. The others have to complete the quarantine period, he added. Meanwhile, the state health department said it has not issued any order setting conditions for evacuees to return to their home state. ALSO READ| Sudan evacuation: Fled with just a set of clothes and passport, wails woman from Tamil Nadu We are ready to reach out to the authorities concerned to help the affected people, said a health department officer. One-time vaccination for yellow fever is mandatory for all those coming from African countries. It depends on the travel route they take - the countries en route, said the office of Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan. Of the 52 Keralites who reached Bengaluru from Sudan, six reached Thiruvananthapuram by air on Friday night, said Norka officials. Ten others were sent to Kozhikode by a special vehicle. Of the remaining, 17 will reach Kochi airport on Saturday at 1.20 pm, said a statement from Norka. READ MORE: Operation Kaveri: India evacuates French embassy staffer from Sudan besides its own citizens Sudan clashes: At least 74 people killed in two days of fighting in West Darfur state capital THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/BENGALURU: As many as 40 Indians, including Keralites who arrived in Bengaluru from war-torn Sudan, have found themselves in a precarious situation as they were sent into quarantine, as they did not have the mandatory yellow fever vaccination certificate with them. Manoj Rajan, Commissioner (Disaster Management) and Nodal Officer of Karnataka said that 40 flyers from different states did not have the mandatory yellow fever vaccination certificate. All of them have been sent to a six-day quarantine at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Health Sciences. Some of them have either lost the certificates or left them behind. The certificates are being tracked using passports and other documents and they will be allowed to leave as soon as we get the certificates. The others have to complete the quarantine period, he added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Meanwhile, the state health department said it has not issued any order setting conditions for evacuees to return to their home state. ALSO READ| Sudan evacuation: Fled with just a set of clothes and passport, wails woman from Tamil Nadu We are ready to reach out to the authorities concerned to help the affected people, said a health department officer. One-time vaccination for yellow fever is mandatory for all those coming from African countries. It depends on the travel route they take - the countries en route, said the office of Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan. Of the 52 Keralites who reached Bengaluru from Sudan, six reached Thiruvananthapuram by air on Friday night, said Norka officials. Ten others were sent to Kozhikode by a special vehicle. Of the remaining, 17 will reach Kochi airport on Saturday at 1.20 pm, said a statement from Norka. READ MORE: Operation Kaveri: India evacuates French embassy staffer from Sudan besides its own citizens Sudan clashes: At least 74 people killed in two days of fighting in West Darfur state capital By PTI BENGALURU: The outcome of the coming Assembly elections in Karnataka will herald a beginning and open the door for the Congress in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, says the party's State unit chief D K Shivakumar. In an interview with PTI, he sounded upbeat about the party's prospects in the May ten polls to the 224-member Assembly, saying it would win 141 seats. The ruling BJP was deploying its entire central leadership for campaigning in the State out of fear of losing the May 10 polls, he said and asserted the 'Modi factor' will not work in the southern State, where people are purely focused on local and developmental issues. Shivakumar said there is no tussle between him and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah over the Chief Minister's post, and that the only aim now was to defeat the BJP at the hustings and ensure that the Congress comes to power. In the event of the party winning, the high command, "on its own electoral process," will take a call on the CM, he said. Siddaramaiah had also made a similar statement last week in an interview with PTI. The 60-year-old Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President (KPCC) said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman are "disturbed" by the poll "guarantees" announced by his party as "they could not deliver what they promised." ALSO READ | No Modi factor, expect Muslims to back Congress, says Siddaramaiah Following are the excerpts from the interview... Whether the Assembly polls are only on local issues or there is also going to be a Modi versus Rahul contest? DKS: No, it is in no way connected to Modi or any other national leaders, it is connected to the administration of Karnataka, how the Karnataka government has failed, and what the Congress party can do. This is a very peace-loving state, people of Karnataka are highly mature. Karnataka is the gateway for the economic development of this country. They (BJP) are raising emotional issues, we want to concentrate on development issues. Price rise is affecting every common man, we want to help them out. For three-and-half years there was BJP's "double engine" government, which has completely failed. There was Global Investors' Meet, and the government claimed there were investment proposals worth Rs 10 lakh crore, but in places where BJP is strong like Malnad or the coastal region, not even a single investor has gone to create jobs; unemployment is high. Karnataka is also the knowledge capital and after unwarranted emotive issues such as hijab and halal played out, I think people are afraid. Such things are creating problems for the development of the state. On the importance of Karnataka election outcome for the revival of the Congress party nationally DKS: Definitely it will open the doors, it is the beginning. It will be the beginning for unity at the national level and for the Congress party for 2024. Karnataka people will give a message to the country. Earlier also at the time of Devraj Urs (former CM), when the Janata Party was in power at the national level, Karnataka had opened the door for Congress, now again, Karnataka will play its role. ALSO READ | Aim for 150 seats or else BJP will 'steal' next govt, Rahul tells Congress On Congress' prospects in the polls DKS: I still stand by number 141, on the basis of surveys, my big political experience --as I have been in the Assembly for the last 35 years, I have contested eight elections, lost one, won in seven-- I know political arithmetic and social engineering. We will get through with a big number. On the 'tussle' between him and Siddaramaiah for the CM's post DKS: Where is the tussle? you show me one example, one incident, one small difference in anything. I haven't cried like (BJP leader B S) Yediyurappa did for the post. We have stood united we have worked unitedly, we are fighting unitedly. Our main aim is to see to it that BJP is defeated and the Congress party comes to power. On whether this is the best chance for him to become the CM since he is the KPCC President. DKS: It is not me, which is the issue today, it is the Congress party. The Congress party has to come to power. The Chief Minister will be decided after the election by the Congress party's high command on its own electoral process. ALSO READ | Nothing can stop BJP from getting a clear majority: BS Yediyurappa On PM Narendra Modi criticising the Congress on its poll guarantees, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman saying it will require Rs one lakh crore for their implementation every year. DKS: Prime Minister and Finance Minister are very much disturbed because they could not deliver what they promised. You take their earlier manifesto, they had promised ten hours of power, why didn't they give it? They had promised a loan waiver of Rs 1 lakh to the farmers, they had promised 2 crore jobs, they had promised to double the (farm) income, but they could not do it. Congress guarantees are not like that. We stand by whatever we promise, we are in the land of Basavanna (12th-century social reformer). We will deliver whatever we have said. On the entire BJP leadership being deployed in Karnataka for campaigning DKS: They are in fear, they have lost their face. Under them, Karnataka has become the corruption capital of the country. 'PayCM', 'PayMinister', every post or position in Karnataka is up for sale. Media has come out with a rate card, like a hotel menu card, regarding the money to be paid for appointments to various government posts like- ACP, Circle Inspector, Tahsildar among others. Everything is for sale, that is the state of affairs. On the impact of "Modi factor and Modi magic" in this election DKS: Nothing will work, no central leader's magic will work. Only if you have filled the stomach (of the people), if you have given good governance, people will think about you, nothing else will work. In Tamil Nadu or Kerala or West Bengal, where did it (Modi factor) work? It did not work, the same thing will happen here too. READ MORE: Lingayats hold key to electoral outcome in poll-bound Karnataka Can BJP or some smaller outfits make a mark in Mandya? Exodus of Lingayat leaders may jeopardise BJP's prospects in Kittur Karnataka BENGALURU: The outcome of the coming Assembly elections in Karnataka will herald a beginning and open the door for the Congress in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, says the party's State unit chief D K Shivakumar. In an interview with PTI, he sounded upbeat about the party's prospects in the May ten polls to the 224-member Assembly, saying it would win 141 seats. The ruling BJP was deploying its entire central leadership for campaigning in the State out of fear of losing the May 10 polls, he said and asserted the 'Modi factor' will not work in the southern State, where people are purely focused on local and developmental issues.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Shivakumar said there is no tussle between him and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah over the Chief Minister's post, and that the only aim now was to defeat the BJP at the hustings and ensure that the Congress comes to power. In the event of the party winning, the high command, "on its own electoral process," will take a call on the CM, he said. Siddaramaiah had also made a similar statement last week in an interview with PTI. The 60-year-old Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President (KPCC) said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman are "disturbed" by the poll "guarantees" announced by his party as "they could not deliver what they promised." ALSO READ | No Modi factor, expect Muslims to back Congress, says Siddaramaiah Following are the excerpts from the interview... Whether the Assembly polls are only on local issues or there is also going to be a Modi versus Rahul contest? DKS: No, it is in no way connected to Modi or any other national leaders, it is connected to the administration of Karnataka, how the Karnataka government has failed, and what the Congress party can do. This is a very peace-loving state, people of Karnataka are highly mature. Karnataka is the gateway for the economic development of this country. They (BJP) are raising emotional issues, we want to concentrate on development issues. Price rise is affecting every common man, we want to help them out. For three-and-half years there was BJP's "double engine" government, which has completely failed. There was Global Investors' Meet, and the government claimed there were investment proposals worth Rs 10 lakh crore, but in places where BJP is strong like Malnad or the coastal region, not even a single investor has gone to create jobs; unemployment is high. Karnataka is also the knowledge capital and after unwarranted emotive issues such as hijab and halal played out, I think people are afraid. Such things are creating problems for the development of the state. On the importance of Karnataka election outcome for the revival of the Congress party nationally DKS: Definitely it will open the doors, it is the beginning. It will be the beginning for unity at the national level and for the Congress party for 2024. Karnataka people will give a message to the country. Earlier also at the time of Devraj Urs (former CM), when the Janata Party was in power at the national level, Karnataka had opened the door for Congress, now again, Karnataka will play its role. ALSO READ | Aim for 150 seats or else BJP will 'steal' next govt, Rahul tells Congress On Congress' prospects in the polls DKS: I still stand by number 141, on the basis of surveys, my big political experience --as I have been in the Assembly for the last 35 years, I have contested eight elections, lost one, won in seven-- I know political arithmetic and social engineering. We will get through with a big number. On the 'tussle' between him and Siddaramaiah for the CM's post DKS: Where is the tussle? you show me one example, one incident, one small difference in anything. I haven't cried like (BJP leader B S) Yediyurappa did for the post. We have stood united we have worked unitedly, we are fighting unitedly. Our main aim is to see to it that BJP is defeated and the Congress party comes to power. On whether this is the best chance for him to become the CM since he is the KPCC President. DKS: It is not me, which is the issue today, it is the Congress party. The Congress party has to come to power. The Chief Minister will be decided after the election by the Congress party's high command on its own electoral process. ALSO READ | Nothing can stop BJP from getting a clear majority: BS Yediyurappa On PM Narendra Modi criticising the Congress on its poll guarantees, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman saying it will require Rs one lakh crore for their implementation every year. DKS: Prime Minister and Finance Minister are very much disturbed because they could not deliver what they promised. You take their earlier manifesto, they had promised ten hours of power, why didn't they give it? They had promised a loan waiver of Rs 1 lakh to the farmers, they had promised 2 crore jobs, they had promised to double the (farm) income, but they could not do it. Congress guarantees are not like that. We stand by whatever we promise, we are in the land of Basavanna (12th-century social reformer). We will deliver whatever we have said. On the entire BJP leadership being deployed in Karnataka for campaigning DKS: They are in fear, they have lost their face. Under them, Karnataka has become the corruption capital of the country. 'PayCM', 'PayMinister', every post or position in Karnataka is up for sale. Media has come out with a rate card, like a hotel menu card, regarding the money to be paid for appointments to various government posts like- ACP, Circle Inspector, Tahsildar among others. Everything is for sale, that is the state of affairs. On the impact of "Modi factor and Modi magic" in this election DKS: Nothing will work, no central leader's magic will work. Only if you have filled the stomach (of the people), if you have given good governance, people will think about you, nothing else will work. In Tamil Nadu or Kerala or West Bengal, where did it (Modi factor) work? It did not work, the same thing will happen here too. READ MORE: Lingayats hold key to electoral outcome in poll-bound Karnataka Can BJP or some smaller outfits make a mark in Mandya? Exodus of Lingayat leaders may jeopardise BJP's prospects in Kittur Karnataka Ronnie Kuriakose By Express News Service KOCHI: Atop the Sea Museum in Les Sables d'Olonne (LSO), a coastal town in France, the Indian flag joined two others, signifying the conclusion of the Golden Globe Race (GGR), the toughest yacht race in the world. Former Indian naval officer Abhilash Tomy had successfully navigated his Rustler 36 masthead sloop, Bayanat, on a solo, non-stop, unassisted voyage around the world and had finished second, creating history. The 44-year-old is the first Indian and Asian to participate in and finish the nearly 250-day-long race, which saw him navigate unpredictable weather, treacherous seas, and immense isolation. He touched base at LSO around 7 am (10.30 am IST), where a crowd of people awaited him. Among them was Kirsten Neuschafer, who emerged as the race winner when her boat Minnehaha docked at around 2 am on April 28. The South African is the first woman sailor to complete a solo, non-stop voyage around the world. Both Abhilash and Kirsten were neck-and-neck for the majority of the race. While Kirstens experience as a professional sailor gave her the edge, Abhilashs determination and a pinch of jugaad saw him keeping close pace with her Minnehaha. According to Don McIntyre, the race founder and chairman, Bayanat is the most repaired boat in the race. When malfunctions and damages forced other participants to retire from the race, Abhilashs resourcefulness saw him plough ahead. "There have been numerous instances in the race where he demonstrated just how good a sailor he is. Abhilash always has a plan, said Sandra Shipp, his team manager. On one occasion, he chopped up his boats toilet door to rebuild the damaged wind vane. Though the other entrants are all fantastic sailors, not many were able to tackle the problems with such great ease as Abhilash has, said Vice Admiral I C Rao (Retd), a Navy veteran. As equally radiant as his resolve was Abhilashs propensity for humour. On the lack of a proper toilet door out at sea, he tweeted: "I need a toilet door. Not used to such lack of privacy. This and his enduring humility had won him admiration from all around the world. "Abhilash is known for that. His one-liners are famous," recounts Commander (Retd) Vijay K Vadhera, the former skipper of INSV Samudra, which completed the Indian Navy's maiden round-the-world voyage in 1989. Abhilash wont be very disheartened by the position. If his tweets are anything to go by, the 44-year-old is at peace on the sea. He grew up around sailing clubs and the backwaters. For him, there is a natural inclination towards the sea, said Lt Commander V C Tomy (retd), Abhilashs father, whose only advice to his son before the start of the race was: dont look at the position, just finish it. The race is the culmination of a long-harboured desire, said Ramesh Menon, whos known Abhilash for years. And Abhilash is one hell of a mariner, he added. Though Simon Curwen docked his boat, Clara, at LSO at 5 pm on April 27, way ahead of Kirsten, the long stopover he made for repairs meant that he was part of GGRs Chichester class, robbing him of a place on the podium. Michael Guggenberger is likely to finish third. However, with over nautical miles separating his boat, Nuri, and LSO, the Austrian is expected to dock only by May 14. Unlike other sailing competitions, GGR does not permit the use of modern navigational instruments. Only what was available to Sir Robin Knox-Johnston in the inaugural race of 1968. So, no GPS, electric autopilot, chart plotters, or electronic compasses. Instead, the sailors must rely on celestial navigation, the sextant, and the barometer to guide them. Thats perhaps the defining feature of GGR: to man the entire boat single-handedly with limited technological assistance, Vice Admiral Rao pointed out. According to Don, this retro-sailing experience is in homage to the Golden Age of sailing, when the marriage of traditional seamanship and the sailors ingenuity and passion decided the outcome of races. Abhilashs victory assumes significance given how five years ago when participating in the 2018 edition of the race, he had a near-death experience. Abhilash's rescue was one of the most dramatic moments in the race's history, highlighting the dangers and challenges sailors face in this iconic event. With titanium rods in his spine and five vertebrae fused into one, Abhilash had to learn to walk again following the incident. Yet despite seemingly unsurmountable obstacles, his eyes were always set on the far horizon. He longed to race, said Urmimala, Abhilashs wife. Commander H S Rawat, the last commanding officer of INS Vikrant, who had followed the 2018 race closely, calls Abhilash's return to sail and eventual victory "a miracle" and adds that Urmimala's (Abhilash's wife) courage and sacrifice is equally admirable. "Hats off to her for being an absolute champion of Abhilash," Rawat said. Adm R Hari Kumar #CNS and all personnel of #IndianNavy congratulate Cdr Abhilash Tomy, KC, NM (retd) on making #India proud, finishing 2nd in the @ggr2022, the world's most gruelling ocean sailing race using tools & aids replicating the limitations of the first race in 1968. pic.twitter.com/LH2sqee84c While Abhilash endured the elements at sea, Urmimala steered a different ship - of family and commitment. It was not an easy decision to let her husband race again. "We arrived at it over time. I realised that it was his eagerness to race again that eased the mental trauma of 2018," Urmimala says. In the latest edition of the race, Urmimala is Abhilashs loudest cheerleader. At LSO, when Don and his team sailed to meet Abhilashs Bayanat at sea, the former naval officer said: The world is indeed very small. It was just yesterday I left. But so much has changed. With both Abhilash and Kirsten on the podium, GGR 2022 is a watershed moment in the world of sailing, the beginning of a new epoch. It has flayed the long-held notion that the sea and sailing are a white mans bastion. When asked if he would race again, the former naval officer, in the quintessential Abhilash way, replied: Yes, definitely. For 2026. Perhaps an online version. KOCHI: Atop the Sea Museum in Les Sables d'Olonne (LSO), a coastal town in France, the Indian flag joined two others, signifying the conclusion of the Golden Globe Race (GGR), the toughest yacht race in the world. Former Indian naval officer Abhilash Tomy had successfully navigated his Rustler 36 masthead sloop, Bayanat, on a solo, non-stop, unassisted voyage around the world and had finished second, creating history. The 44-year-old is the first Indian and Asian to participate in and finish the nearly 250-day-long race, which saw him navigate unpredictable weather, treacherous seas, and immense isolation.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He touched base at LSO around 7 am (10.30 am IST), where a crowd of people awaited him. Among them was Kirsten Neuschafer, who emerged as the race winner when her boat Minnehaha docked at around 2 am on April 28. The South African is the first woman sailor to complete a solo, non-stop voyage around the world. Both Abhilash and Kirsten were neck-and-neck for the majority of the race. While Kirstens experience as a professional sailor gave her the edge, Abhilashs determination and a pinch of jugaad saw him keeping close pace with her Minnehaha. According to Don McIntyre, the race founder and chairman, Bayanat is the most repaired boat in the race. When malfunctions and damages forced other participants to retire from the race, Abhilashs resourcefulness saw him plough ahead. "There have been numerous instances in the race where he demonstrated just how good a sailor he is. Abhilash always has a plan, said Sandra Shipp, his team manager. On one occasion, he chopped up his boats toilet door to rebuild the damaged wind vane. Though the other entrants are all fantastic sailors, not many were able to tackle the problems with such great ease as Abhilash has, said Vice Admiral I C Rao (Retd), a Navy veteran. As equally radiant as his resolve was Abhilashs propensity for humour. On the lack of a proper toilet door out at sea, he tweeted: "I need a toilet door. Not used to such lack of privacy. This and his enduring humility had won him admiration from all around the world. "Abhilash is known for that. His one-liners are famous," recounts Commander (Retd) Vijay K Vadhera, the former skipper of INSV Samudra, which completed the Indian Navy's maiden round-the-world voyage in 1989. Abhilash wont be very disheartened by the position. If his tweets are anything to go by, the 44-year-old is at peace on the sea. He grew up around sailing clubs and the backwaters. For him, there is a natural inclination towards the sea, said Lt Commander V C Tomy (retd), Abhilashs father, whose only advice to his son before the start of the race was: dont look at the position, just finish it. The race is the culmination of a long-harboured desire, said Ramesh Menon, whos known Abhilash for years. And Abhilash is one hell of a mariner, he added. Though Simon Curwen docked his boat, Clara, at LSO at 5 pm on April 27, way ahead of Kirsten, the long stopover he made for repairs meant that he was part of GGRs Chichester class, robbing him of a place on the podium. Michael Guggenberger is likely to finish third. However, with over nautical miles separating his boat, Nuri, and LSO, the Austrian is expected to dock only by May 14. Unlike other sailing competitions, GGR does not permit the use of modern navigational instruments. Only what was available to Sir Robin Knox-Johnston in the inaugural race of 1968. So, no GPS, electric autopilot, chart plotters, or electronic compasses. Instead, the sailors must rely on celestial navigation, the sextant, and the barometer to guide them. Thats perhaps the defining feature of GGR: to man the entire boat single-handedly with limited technological assistance, Vice Admiral Rao pointed out. According to Don, this retro-sailing experience is in homage to the Golden Age of sailing, when the marriage of traditional seamanship and the sailors ingenuity and passion decided the outcome of races. Abhilashs victory assumes significance given how five years ago when participating in the 2018 edition of the race, he had a near-death experience. Abhilash's rescue was one of the most dramatic moments in the race's history, highlighting the dangers and challenges sailors face in this iconic event. With titanium rods in his spine and five vertebrae fused into one, Abhilash had to learn to walk again following the incident. Yet despite seemingly unsurmountable obstacles, his eyes were always set on the far horizon. He longed to race, said Urmimala, Abhilashs wife. Commander H S Rawat, the last commanding officer of INS Vikrant, who had followed the 2018 race closely, calls Abhilash's return to sail and eventual victory "a miracle" and adds that Urmimala's (Abhilash's wife) courage and sacrifice is equally admirable. "Hats off to her for being an absolute champion of Abhilash," Rawat said. Adm R Hari Kumar #CNS and all personnel of #IndianNavy congratulate Cdr Abhilash Tomy, KC, NM (retd) on making #India proud, finishing 2nd in the @ggr2022, the world's most gruelling ocean sailing race using tools & aids replicating the limitations of the first race in 1968. pic.twitter.com/LH2sqee84c SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) April 29, 2023 While Abhilash endured the elements at sea, Urmimala steered a different ship - of family and commitment. It was not an easy decision to let her husband race again. "We arrived at it over time. I realised that it was his eagerness to race again that eased the mental trauma of 2018," Urmimala says. In the latest edition of the race, Urmimala is Abhilashs loudest cheerleader. At LSO, when Don and his team sailed to meet Abhilashs Bayanat at sea, the former naval officer said: The world is indeed very small. It was just yesterday I left. But so much has changed. With both Abhilash and Kirsten on the podium, GGR 2022 is a watershed moment in the world of sailing, the beginning of a new epoch. It has flayed the long-held notion that the sea and sailing are a white mans bastion. When asked if he would race again, the former naval officer, in the quintessential Abhilash way, replied: Yes, definitely. For 2026. Perhaps an online version. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 29. More than 611,000 citizens of Uzbekistan voted early in the referendum on amendments to the Constitution, Trend reports from the event. Over 452,000 of them voted in the country, and more than 159,000 people abroad. A total of 10,758 polling stations have been established for voting, 55 of which are located in 39 foreign countries. In general, about 20 million citizens of Uzbekistan are expected to participate in the referendum. Early voting took place from April 19 to April 26. Today, a "day of silence" was declared throughout the country. The referendum will take place on Sunday, April 30. Amendments to the Constitution strengthen the functions of the parliament to appoint the heads of supervisory and law enforcement agencies, and part of the president's powers are transferred to the highest legislative body. Besides, the presidential term is proposed to be increased from five to seven years. Judges of the Constitutional Court are proposed to be elected for a ten-year term. The Constitutional Court elects for a five-year term from among its members the Chairman of the Constitutional Court and his deputy. A large package of amendments to the Constitution is aimed at further liberalization of the country's economy. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: Daily Covid-19 cases breached the 500 mark for the third time in one week in Odisha. The state recorded 516 infections in the last 24 hours pushing the active tally past 3,500. Sources said the infection is spreading fast in remote and interior areas of the state with people ignoring precautionary measures. The state had recorded 542 infections on April 26 and 502 on April 23. The fresh cases spread across 26 districts were detected from 7,426 samples. While around 18 per cent of the infected people belonged to the 0-18 years age group, nearly 400 are local contacts. Health department sources said seven districts - Sundargarh, Cuttack, Nabarangpur, Sambalpur, Mayurbhanj and Nuapada accounted for 75 per cent of the caseload. The districts also have the maximum active cases. The test positivity rate (TPR), however, dropped to 6.9 per cent from 7.15 per cent after testing was stepped up from 5,000 samples a day to over 7,000. One more patient died in the disease taking the death toll to five this month. The patient, a 75-year-old man from Khurda was suffering from post-tubercular obstructive airway diseases and coronary artery disease. hypertension had died during treatment. Director of public health Dr Niranjan Mishra said cases are rising as districts have stepped up testing. We are monitoring the situation. The deaths are now limited to comorbid people, he added. BHUBANESWAR: Daily Covid-19 cases breached the 500 mark for the third time in one week in Odisha. The state recorded 516 infections in the last 24 hours pushing the active tally past 3,500. Sources said the infection is spreading fast in remote and interior areas of the state with people ignoring precautionary measures. The state had recorded 542 infections on April 26 and 502 on April 23. The fresh cases spread across 26 districts were detected from 7,426 samples. While around 18 per cent of the infected people belonged to the 0-18 years age group, nearly 400 are local contacts. Health department sources said seven districts - Sundargarh, Cuttack, Nabarangpur, Sambalpur, Mayurbhanj and Nuapada accounted for 75 per cent of the caseload. The districts also have the maximum active cases. The test positivity rate (TPR), however, dropped to 6.9 per cent from 7.15 per cent after testing was stepped up from 5,000 samples a day to over 7,000.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); One more patient died in the disease taking the death toll to five this month. The patient, a 75-year-old man from Khurda was suffering from post-tubercular obstructive airway diseases and coronary artery disease. hypertension had died during treatment. Director of public health Dr Niranjan Mishra said cases are rising as districts have stepped up testing. We are monitoring the situation. The deaths are now limited to comorbid people, he added. By Associated Press CAIRO: Gunfire and heavy artillery fire persisted Saturday in parts of Sudans capital Khartoum, residents said, despite the extension of a cease-fire between the countrys two top generals, whose battle for power has killed hundreds and sent thousands fleeing for their lives. The civilian death toll jumped Saturday to 411 people, according to the Sudan Doctors Syndicate, which monitors casualties. The fighting has wounded another 2,023 civilians so far, the group added. In the city of Genena, the provincial capital of war-ravaged West Darfur, intensified violence has killed 89 people. Fighters have moved into homes and taken over stores and hospitals as they battle in the densely populated streets, the syndicate said. Khartoum, a city of some 5 million people, has been transformed into a front line in the grinding conflict between Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the commander of Sudans military, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces, which has dashed once-euphoric hopes of Sudans democratic transition. Foreign countries continued to evacuate diplomatic staff and nationals while thousands of Sudanese fled across borders. Britain said it was ending its evacuation flights Saturday after demand for spots on the planes had declined. Over 50,000 refugees mostly women and children have crossed over the western border to Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, the United Nations said, raising fears of wider instability. Ethnic fighting and turmoil has scarred South Sudan and the Central African Republic while Chads own democratic transition has stalled after a coup. Those who escape Khartoum face more obstacles on their way to safety. The overland journey to Port Sudan, where ships then evacuate people via the Red Sea, has proven long and risky. Hatim el-Madani, a former journalist, said that paramilitary fighters were refugees at roadblocks out of the capital, demanding they hand over their phones and valuables. stopping. ALSO READ | Andhra Pradesh: Its quite horrible in Sudan, says returnee Theres an outlaw, bandit-like nature to the RSF militia, he said, referring to the Rapid Support Forces. It indicates they dont have a supply line in place and that could get worse in the coming days. Airlifts from the country have also posed challenges, with a Turkish evacuation plane hit by gunfire outside Khartoum on Friday. On Saturday despite a cease-fire extended under heavy international pressure by 72 hours early Friday clashes continued around the presidential palace, headquarters of the state broadcaster, and a military base in Khartoum, residents said. The battles sent thick columns of black smoke billowing over the city skyline. In a few areas near the capital, including in Omdurman, residents reported that some shops were reopening as the scale of fighting dwindled amid the tenuous cease-fire. But in other areas, residents sheltering at home as explosions thundered around them said fighters were going from house to house, terrifying people and stealing whatever they could find. Now in its third week, the fighting has left swaths of Khartoum without electricity and running water. The Sudanese Health Ministry put the latest overall death toll at 528, with 4,500 wounded. Those sheltering at home say theyre running out of food and basic supplies. Residents on Saturday in the city of Omdurman, west of Khartoum, said theyd been waiting three days to get fuel complicating their escape plans. The U.N. relief coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said that U.N. offices in Khartoum, as well as the cities of Genena and Nyala in Darfur had been attacked and looted. This is unacceptable and prohibited under international law, he said. Genenas main hospital was also leveled in the fighting, said Sudans health ministry. ALSO READ | As battle for Sudan continues, civilian deaths top 400 Over the past 15 days of pummeling each other, the generals have each failed to deal a decisive blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africas third largest nation. The military has appeared to have the upper hand in the fighting, with its monopoly on air power, but it has been impossible to confirm its claims of advances. Soon, the Sudanese state with its well-grounded institutions will rise as victorious, and attempts to hijack our country will be aborted forever, the Sudanese military said Saturday. Both sides in the conflict have a long history of human rights abuses. The RSF was born out of the Janjaweed militias, which were accused of widespread atrocities when the government deployed them to put down a rebellion in Sudans western Darfur region in the early 2000s. A unit of Sudans armed forces, known as the Central Reserve Police, have also been sanctioned by the U.S. for grave human rights violations against Sudans pro-democracy protesters. Accusations of rape, torture and other abuses against demonstrators carried out by the unit first surfaced in 2021, after Burhan and Dagalo joined forces in a military coup that ousted a civilian government. The Sudanese Interior Ministry confirmed the deployment of the widely criticized Central Reserve Police in Khartoum on Saturday, posting photos of the fighters riding with heavy machine guns mounted on pickup trucks. Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was ousted in the 2021 coup, appealed to the international community from a conference in Nairobi, Kenya, to push for an immediate halt to the conflict. He warned that a full-blown civil war in the strategically located country would have consequences not just in Sudan but for the world. God forbid if Sudan is to reach a proper civil war ... it is a huge country and very diverse ... it would be a nightmare for the world, he said. But the generals have so far rejected attempts at a compromise, and regional mediators have been unable to travel to Khartoum because of the chaotic fighting. Still, African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki said he would help initiate a Sudanese-led political process and try to send peacekeepers to the country. Im ready myself to go there, even by road, Faki said. We ask the two generals to create the conditions for us to go to Khartoum. CAIRO: Gunfire and heavy artillery fire persisted Saturday in parts of Sudans capital Khartoum, residents said, despite the extension of a cease-fire between the countrys two top generals, whose battle for power has killed hundreds and sent thousands fleeing for their lives. The civilian death toll jumped Saturday to 411 people, according to the Sudan Doctors Syndicate, which monitors casualties. The fighting has wounded another 2,023 civilians so far, the group added. In the city of Genena, the provincial capital of war-ravaged West Darfur, intensified violence has killed 89 people. Fighters have moved into homes and taken over stores and hospitals as they battle in the densely populated streets, the syndicate said. Khartoum, a city of some 5 million people, has been transformed into a front line in the grinding conflict between Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the commander of Sudans military, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces, which has dashed once-euphoric hopes of Sudans democratic transition.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Foreign countries continued to evacuate diplomatic staff and nationals while thousands of Sudanese fled across borders. Britain said it was ending its evacuation flights Saturday after demand for spots on the planes had declined. Over 50,000 refugees mostly women and children have crossed over the western border to Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, the United Nations said, raising fears of wider instability. Ethnic fighting and turmoil has scarred South Sudan and the Central African Republic while Chads own democratic transition has stalled after a coup. Those who escape Khartoum face more obstacles on their way to safety. The overland journey to Port Sudan, where ships then evacuate people via the Red Sea, has proven long and risky. Hatim el-Madani, a former journalist, said that paramilitary fighters were refugees at roadblocks out of the capital, demanding they hand over their phones and valuables. stopping. ALSO READ | Andhra Pradesh: Its quite horrible in Sudan, says returnee Theres an outlaw, bandit-like nature to the RSF militia, he said, referring to the Rapid Support Forces. It indicates they dont have a supply line in place and that could get worse in the coming days. Airlifts from the country have also posed challenges, with a Turkish evacuation plane hit by gunfire outside Khartoum on Friday. On Saturday despite a cease-fire extended under heavy international pressure by 72 hours early Friday clashes continued around the presidential palace, headquarters of the state broadcaster, and a military base in Khartoum, residents said. The battles sent thick columns of black smoke billowing over the city skyline. In a few areas near the capital, including in Omdurman, residents reported that some shops were reopening as the scale of fighting dwindled amid the tenuous cease-fire. But in other areas, residents sheltering at home as explosions thundered around them said fighters were going from house to house, terrifying people and stealing whatever they could find. Now in its third week, the fighting has left swaths of Khartoum without electricity and running water. The Sudanese Health Ministry put the latest overall death toll at 528, with 4,500 wounded. Those sheltering at home say theyre running out of food and basic supplies. Residents on Saturday in the city of Omdurman, west of Khartoum, said theyd been waiting three days to get fuel complicating their escape plans. The U.N. relief coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said that U.N. offices in Khartoum, as well as the cities of Genena and Nyala in Darfur had been attacked and looted. This is unacceptable and prohibited under international law, he said. Genenas main hospital was also leveled in the fighting, said Sudans health ministry. ALSO READ | As battle for Sudan continues, civilian deaths top 400 Over the past 15 days of pummeling each other, the generals have each failed to deal a decisive blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africas third largest nation. The military has appeared to have the upper hand in the fighting, with its monopoly on air power, but it has been impossible to confirm its claims of advances. Soon, the Sudanese state with its well-grounded institutions will rise as victorious, and attempts to hijack our country will be aborted forever, the Sudanese military said Saturday. Both sides in the conflict have a long history of human rights abuses. The RSF was born out of the Janjaweed militias, which were accused of widespread atrocities when the government deployed them to put down a rebellion in Sudans western Darfur region in the early 2000s. A unit of Sudans armed forces, known as the Central Reserve Police, have also been sanctioned by the U.S. for grave human rights violations against Sudans pro-democracy protesters. Accusations of rape, torture and other abuses against demonstrators carried out by the unit first surfaced in 2021, after Burhan and Dagalo joined forces in a military coup that ousted a civilian government. The Sudanese Interior Ministry confirmed the deployment of the widely criticized Central Reserve Police in Khartoum on Saturday, posting photos of the fighters riding with heavy machine guns mounted on pickup trucks. Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was ousted in the 2021 coup, appealed to the international community from a conference in Nairobi, Kenya, to push for an immediate halt to the conflict. He warned that a full-blown civil war in the strategically located country would have consequences not just in Sudan but for the world. God forbid if Sudan is to reach a proper civil war ... it is a huge country and very diverse ... it would be a nightmare for the world, he said. But the generals have so far rejected attempts at a compromise, and regional mediators have been unable to travel to Khartoum because of the chaotic fighting. Still, African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki said he would help initiate a Sudanese-led political process and try to send peacekeepers to the country. Im ready myself to go there, even by road, Faki said. We ask the two generals to create the conditions for us to go to Khartoum. By AFP WARSAW: Poland on Saturday said it had seized a high school building near Moscow's embassy in Warsaw meant for the children of diplomats, a move the Russian envoy called "illegal". The spat over the 1970s multi-storey building, nicknamed the "spy nest" by Warsaw citizens, has been going on for a year. "This building belongs to the Warsaw City Hall," Polish foreign ministry spokesman Lukasz Jasina told AFP, adding that the move followed a bailiff's order. The spokesman for the municipality was unavailable for comment. Poland says there is a huge disparity in the number of diplomatic buildings each had in the other country. "This is an illegal act. An intrusion on a diplomatic facility," Moscow's envoy, Sergei Andreyev, told the RIA Novosti news agency. Andreyev said this was a "violation of Vienna's convention of diplomatic relations." "Of course, there will be a reaction," Andreyev said, adding that he did not want to give further details and that a decision will be made in Moscow. "We consider the school by the embassy to be part of our diplomatic mission," he said, saying teachers and staff lived on the territory of the building. Andreyev said the school will continue to work in a different part of the Russian embassy's premises. "Our priority is ensuring the safety and the interests of our employees and their families." WARSAW: Poland on Saturday said it had seized a high school building near Moscow's embassy in Warsaw meant for the children of diplomats, a move the Russian envoy called "illegal". The spat over the 1970s multi-storey building, nicknamed the "spy nest" by Warsaw citizens, has been going on for a year. "This building belongs to the Warsaw City Hall," Polish foreign ministry spokesman Lukasz Jasina told AFP, adding that the move followed a bailiff's order.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The spokesman for the municipality was unavailable for comment. Poland says there is a huge disparity in the number of diplomatic buildings each had in the other country. "This is an illegal act. An intrusion on a diplomatic facility," Moscow's envoy, Sergei Andreyev, told the RIA Novosti news agency. Andreyev said this was a "violation of Vienna's convention of diplomatic relations." "Of course, there will be a reaction," Andreyev said, adding that he did not want to give further details and that a decision will be made in Moscow. "We consider the school by the embassy to be part of our diplomatic mission," he said, saying teachers and staff lived on the territory of the building. Andreyev said the school will continue to work in a different part of the Russian embassy's premises. "Our priority is ensuring the safety and the interests of our employees and their families." By PTI UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council has unanimously condemned the decision by the Taliban to ban Afghan women from working for the United Nations in Afghanistan, calling on the de facto authorities to "swiftly reverse" policies and practices that restrict women and girls from exercising their human rights. The 15-nation Council, under the current Presidency of Russia, unanimously passed the resolution on Thursday that "condemns the decision by the Taliban to ban Afghan women from working for the United Nations in Afghanistan, which undermines human rights and humanitarian principles." The resolution also calls for the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women and girls in Afghanistan. It also calls upon the Taliban to "swiftly reverse the policies and practices that restrict the enjoyment by women and girls of their human rights and fundamental freedoms including related to their access to education, employment, freedom of movement, and womens full, equal and meaningful participation in public life." It urges all States and organisations to use their influence, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations, to promote an urgent reversal of these policies and practices. UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council has unanimously condemned the decision by the Taliban to ban Afghan women from working for the United Nations in Afghanistan, calling on the de facto authorities to "swiftly reverse" policies and practices that restrict women and girls from exercising their human rights. The 15-nation Council, under the current Presidency of Russia, unanimously passed the resolution on Thursday that "condemns the decision by the Taliban to ban Afghan women from working for the United Nations in Afghanistan, which undermines human rights and humanitarian principles." The resolution also calls for the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women and girls in Afghanistan.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); It also calls upon the Taliban to "swiftly reverse the policies and practices that restrict the enjoyment by women and girls of their human rights and fundamental freedoms including related to their access to education, employment, freedom of movement, and womens full, equal and meaningful participation in public life." It urges all States and organisations to use their influence, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations, to promote an urgent reversal of these policies and practices. Manoj Bajpayee shares rare family pic with wife Shabana, daughter Ava Nayla Mumbai, April 28: Actor Manoj Bajpayee is a private person. He rarely shares glimpses of his personal life on social media. Interestingly, he recently treated fans to a fam-jam picture featuring his wife Shabana and daughter Ava Nayla. Manoj Bajpayee shares rare family pic with wife Shabana, daughter Ava Nayla In the Instagram image, Manoj is seen donning a white kurta set, while Shabana Raza is looking beautiful in traditional attire. Their daughter Ava looked adorable in a pastel green ethnic outfit.The image shows the trio smiling for the camera."Fam," he captioned the post, adding an evil eye emoji.Manoj's picture with wife and daughter garnered several likes and comments."Lovely," actor Gajraj Rao commented."Beautiful," filmmaker Shekhar Kapur wrote.Manoj married Shabana in 2006. Shabana was also an actor. She had acted in films like Kareeb and Fiza.Meanwhile, on the work front, Manoj will be seen in a courtroom drama 'Bandaa' on ZEE5. The actor plays the role of a lawyer in the movie who is obliged to bring the truth in front of the judge no matter hard are the conditions. The release date for the movie is yet to be revealed.Speaking about the film, Manoj Bajpayee earlier said, "When Vinod Bhanushali and Suparn S Varma told me about the story, I was fascinated and immediately agreed to be a part of this beautiful script. The courtroom drama will enthral and intrigue the audience that Apoorv Karki will create, and we are excited as we start shooting today. I am sure this film is something people will remember for a really long time."He will also be seen in the third part of the superhit web series 'Family Man'.ANI28 April 2023 Shared Recently! G20 leaders looking forward to holding meeting in Srinagar on May 22 New Delhi, April 28: Former State Representative and Senate candidate for 2024, Bob Lancia has released a video message expressing his excitement at being invited to the G20 conference to be held in Srinagar on May 22. G20 leaders looking forward to holding meeting in Srinagar on May 22 "The state of Jammu and Kashmir in India has always held a special place in my heart. And I've been closely following developments in the region. And I was delighted to hear the news that Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir and Jammu, will be hosting a G20 Conference," he said in his video message."It is an exciting prospect that I'm eagerly anticipating the speech of Prime Minister Modi. I believe this event will be a milestone in the history of the region and will pave the way for lasting peace and prosperity. And it's heartening to see the international community recognizing the potential of Jammu and Kashmir and the efforts of the Indian government to develop the region," he added."I hope that the conference will be an opportunity for all stakeholders to come together and discuss ways to promote economic growth and development, create employment opportunities and enhance the standard of living for the people in the region," Lancia said, weighing in on the possible outcomes of the G20 conference."In conclusion, I'm confident that the G20 Conference in Srinagar will be a success and a turning point in the history and development of Jammu and Kashmir. Let us all look forward to a brighter future for the region and its people," he signed off saying.He also tweeted saying that there is an "Exciting event coming up in India next month"."Having the Prime Minister there will be the highlight!" he tweeted."The 3rd G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting will be held in Srinagar, India (Jammu and Kashmir) from May 22nd-24th. It will be the first such gathering of international leaders in the region. Prime Minister Modi is working hard to drive peace, global tourism and progress to the state," he posted further.The stage is being prepared for the first-of its-kind international event -- G20 tourism working group meeting under India's presidency in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, on May 24-26. The projects prioritised for the major event are in their finishing stages.For the first time since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A, the Union Territory will be hosting an international event in which delegates from G20 member-states, guest countries and several international organisations will participate.ANI28 April 2023 Shared Recently! MP: Govt employee organises bhandara of 3,700 kg khichdi post retirement in Bhopal, aims for Guinness World Record Bhopal, April 28: A retired government employee organised a Bhandara (religious feast) of 3,700 kg Khichdi after his retirement at a Sai Baba temple situated in Awadhpuri locality in the state capital Bhopal on Thursday evening. MP: Govt employee organises bhandara of 3,700 kg khichdi post retirement in Bhopal, aims for Guinness World Record The employee, Ramesh Kumar Mahajan retired on April 24 after 37 years of service at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Bhopal.On the occasion, over 15,000 have eaten the Khichdi in the feast. The Khichidi was prepared in an iron pot weighing two tonnes. It took around 6 hours to get cooked. The ingredients used in the making of Khichdi include 380 Kg of vegetable, 350 kg rice and 60 kg pulses.Now, the organiser will present their claim for Guinness World Records about preparing highest amount of Khichdi at a time. The videography of preparation of Khichdi, its measurement and its distribution among the devotees, has b captured for the procedure of Guinness World Records.The recordings and documents related to it, will be sent for the Guinness World Records.Mahajan said that he retired from the post of Technician Grade-1 on April 24 after 37 years of service in BHEL. He took a pledge to make 3700 kg of Khichdi which was done on April 27.About Rs 5 lakh was spent in the preparation of Khichdi, he added.Mahajan's wife Ujjwala Mahajan said, "He (Ramesh Mahajan) actively takes part in the work of religion and I also always help him. Now that he has retired, we will devote our full time to the temple."On the other hand, the people visiting the temple were also seen full of enthusiasm. They are also appreciating the program.ANI28 April 2023 Shared Recently! TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 29. Uzbekistans Development Strategy Center organized a number of events for public awareness of amendments to the countrys Constitution, Trend reports from the scene. During a briefing, representatives of the center said that this work was carried out in effective interaction with the general population, public representatives, parliament, government and other state bodies, as well civil society institutions. In particular, special collections in Uzbek language were prepared and published with a circulation of 21,000, as well as translated into English and Russian. These collections were brought to the international community through MPs, state bodies, local governments, civil society institutions, as well as representative offices of foreign and international organizations in Uzbekistan and embassies. The center also held a number of presentations, round tables, briefings, interviews and meetings on the content of constitutional reforms with the participation of representatives, political circles of Germany, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Turkiye, and China. Meetings were organized between US and UK MPs, think tanks and leading media. Moreover, in order to get acquainted with the essence of constitutional reforms, delegations of a number of international organizations, in particular members of the European Parliament, and members of the delegation of the European Parliament for relations with the countries of Central Asia, visited Uzbekistan. More than 611,000 citizens of Uzbekistan voted early in the referendum on amendments to the Constitution. Over 452,000 of them voted in the country, and more than 159,000 people abroad. A total of 10,758 polling stations have been established for voting, 55 of which are located in 39 foreign countries. In general, about 20 million citizens of Uzbekistan are expected to participate in the referendum. The referendum will take place on April 30. As Operation Kaveri progresses, another C-17 flight carrying 392 passengers reaches Delhi from Jeddah New Delhi, April 28: Another flight carrying 392 passengers evacuated from battle-torn Sudan landed today in Delhi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said. As Operation Kaveri progresses, another C-17 flight carrying 392 passengers reaches Delhi from Jeddah Taking to his Twitter handle, the EAM wrote, "#OperationKaveri update. Another C-17 flight carrying 392 passengers reaches New Delhi."The Indian Air Force C17 Globemaster took off from Jeddah airport earlier today(local time) under MoS Muraleedharan, who saw them off at Jeddah."Glad to see happy and energetic faces of 392 of our nationals returning to Delhi from Jeddah on IAF C17 Globemaster after evacuation from Sudan. Saw them off at the aircraft. They will be with their beloved ones in India soon," the MoS tweeted.Meanwhile, another batch of 362 Indian evacuees from Sudan took a flight for Bengaluru from Jeddah on Friday (today), in the presence of Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan under ongoing Operation Kaveri."Bon voyage! Delighted to see off 362 Indians evacuated from Sudan on a flight bound for Bengaluru from Jeddah. Good number of these are from Hakki Pikki tribe," tweeted Muraleedharan.Updating about the same, Jaishankar tweeted today, "India welcomes back 362 Indians as another #OperationKaveri flight touches down in Bengaluru."Earlier, the tenth batch of 326 Indian evacuees from Sudan reached Jeddah by INS Tarkash.IAF C-130J flight evacuated the 10th batch of 135 Indian passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region."#OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah," tweeted the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi.This comes after the army said it would extend the ceasefire "for an additional 72 hours" following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States in the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (2200 GMT) on Thursday.The RSF also said it approved the extended truce, adding that the proposal came from two diplomatic groupings the US, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.On Thursday, warplanes patrolled over the capital's northern suburbs as fighters on the ground exchanged artillery and heavy machine-gun fire.The previous ceasefire has not stopped the fighting but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese, as well as, foreign nationals to leave for safer areas.ANI29 April 2023 Shared Recently! G20 leaders looking forward to holding meeting in Srinagar on May 22 New Delhi, April 28: A former member of the US House of Representatives from Rhode Island who is running for the Senate next year, Bob Lancia has released a video message expressing his excitement at being invited to the G20 conference to be held in Srinagar on May 22. G20 leaders looking forward to holding meeting in Srinagar on May 22 "The state of Jammu and Kashmir in India has always held a special place in my heart. And I've been closely following developments in the region. And I was delighted to hear the news that Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir and Jammu, will be hosting a G20 Conference," he said in his video message."It is an exciting prospect that I'm eagerly anticipating the speech of Prime Minister Modi. I believe this event will be a milestone in the history of the region and will pave the way for lasting peace and prosperity. And it's heartening to see the international community recognizing the potential of Jammu and Kashmir and the efforts of the Indian government to develop the region," he added."I hope that the conference will be an opportunity for all stakeholders to come together and discuss ways to promote economic growth and development, create employment opportunities and enhance the standard of living for the people in the region," Lancia said, weighing in on the possible outcomes of the G20 conference."In conclusion, I'm confident that the G20 Conference in Srinagar will be a success and a turning point in the history and development of Jammu and Kashmir. Let us all look forward to a brighter future for the region and its people," he signed off saying.He also tweeted saying that there is an "Exciting event coming up in India next month"."Having the Prime Minister there will be the highlight!" he tweeted."The 3rd G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting will be held in Srinagar, India (Jammu and Kashmir) from May 22nd-24th. It will be the first such gathering of international leaders in the region. Prime Minister Modi is working hard to drive peace, global tourism and progress to the state," he posted further.The stage is being prepared for the first-of its-kind international event -- G20 tourism working group meeting under India's presidency in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, on May 24-26. The projects prioritised for the major event are in their finishing stages.For the first time since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A, the Union Territory will be hosting an international event in which delegates from G20 member-states, guest countries and several international organisations will participate.ANI29 April 2023 Shared Recently! Sikkim to host C20 Summit on April 29-30 in Gangtok Gangtok (Sikkim), April 27: Sikkim is all set to host the Civil 20 (C20) India 2023 in the State capital on April 29 and 30. Civil 20 is a working group on sustainable and resilient communities - Climate, Environment and Net Zero targets. Sikkim to host C20 Summit on April 29-30 in Gangtok The event is anticipated to gather 200 attendees from 22 nations along with many more attendees from around the world joining the conclave via online mode. The inaugural ceremony on April 29 will be graced by Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay as the chief guest, along with Land Revenue Minister Kunga Nima Lepcha, Ambassador, Uganda, AmbJoyce Kikafunda, C20 Principal Coordinator, Amb. Vijay Nambiar, who will also address the gathering. President, Amrita University and Troika Member, C20, Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri, will be presenting the felicitations.The valedictory event on April 30 will be addressed by the Governor of Sikkim Lakshman Prasad Acharya. The event will also be graced by the Ambassador of Gambia to India, Amb. Mustafa Jawara, as the guest of honour, and Minister For Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Power, Agriculture, Science and Technology, Government of Manipur Thongam Biswajit Singh.The conclave is being organized by Amrita University (Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham), Kerala in collaboration with the Government of Sikkim. The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) and the Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department are representing the State government as co-organisers for the conclave.C20 India Working Group Coordinator and Provost, Amrita University, Dr Maneesha Sudheer and Sikkim Land Revenue and Disaster Management department secretary Anil Raj Rai in a press conference at Gangtok on Thursday, said, "C20 India 2023 is one of the official Engagement Groups of the G20 that provides a platform for civil society organizations (CSO) around the world to voice the people's aspirations to the world leaders at the G20's 2023 Summit in India".The C20 India 2023 Working Group on Sustainable and Resilient Communities - Climate, Environment and Net Zero Targets is one of the 14 Working Groups that have been formed under C20 India 2023. The C20 conclave is a major event under India's G20 Presidency that aims to bring out extensive dialogue and engagement with Civil Society Organizations, policymakers, representatives from government and non-governmental agencies, and academicians from around the world to understand existing global policies related to the sustainability and resilient communities and to further identify gaps and come up with innovative solutions which will then be presented to the G20 nations at the summit in September 2023.Dr Sudheer expressed delight over the conference being held in Sikkim. She stated, "A state which is truly an example of sustainability and resilience, with the SSDMA on landslide early warning system since 2013. The conclave will provide an opportunity for people to see how Sikkim has adopted best practices and taken proactive steps to bring in climate resilience and disaster risk reduction".The conclave will provide an opportunity for the CSOs from all over the world to come to Sikkim and deliberate on the thematic areas of Climate Resilience and Social Justice, Environment Sustainability, Net-Zero Emission Management and Compassion Driven Approaches. The policy deliberations among a multitude of stakeholders will bring out the recommendations to be provided to the G20 leadership team, added the Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham representative."The conclave would bring out dialogues and deliberations to bring out the voice of CSOs to G20 leadership to address the pressing challenges of the day and urged for support from multi-stakeholders to pave the way to develop scalable models that can be adapted to multiple countries", said Sudheer.Sikkim Land Revenue Secretary Anil Raj Rai in his address, extended gratitude to Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay and the State government for hosting the C20 conclave in the State and thanked the Amrita University for choosing the State capital Gangtok for the event. The conclave will open an opportunity for the State to showcase its sustainable and resilient practices on the G20 map.He further informed that the C20 conclave in the State capital would also feature training sessions on Sustainable Development and Climate Resilience and Energy Sustainability and Net Zero Targets, parallel to the plenary sessions at Chintan Bhawan, which will be largely participated by teachers and students from various schools and colleges at NB Bhandari Degree College, Tadong and Janta Bhawan, DPH.The event intends to give stakeholders from all over the world a forum to collaborate and exchange ideas, as well as to give academics, professionals, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) a way to participate in the G20 policy discussions. Other notable dignitaries from the G20 nations will also attend the event. International and local speakers from the government and civic society will also be present.ANI29 April 2023 Shared Recently! Operation Kaveri: 8th batch of Indian evacuees received in Jeddah Jeddah, April 28: Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan received the eighth batch of 121 Indians at the Jeddah airport evacuated from the conflict-hit Sudan. This batch also included the family members of the Indian Embassy officials, MoS wrote on Twitter. 'Operation Kaveri': 8th batch of Indian evacuees received in Jeddah "A daring rescue! 8th batch of 121 Indians arrived at Jeddah by IAF C 130 J from Wadi Seidna, Sudan. This evacuation was more complex as the location is in vicinity of Khartoum. Family members of our Embassy Officials were also part of this group. Warm welcome. #OperationKaveri," Muraleedharan tweeted.Calling it a daring and complex rescue, Muraleedharan informed that evacuees of this batch were located in the vicinity of the Sudanese Capital Khartoum, from where the violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces erupted.Earlier, on Thursday, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan received rescued Indians from Port Sudan at Jeddah under 'Operation Kaveri'.A total of 135 passengers were onboard the IAF C-130J aircraft that landed in Jeddah from Port Sudan."Delighted to receive 7th batch of stranded Indians at Jeddah from Port Sudan, 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J aircraft," MoS Muraleedharan tweeted.Informing of the evacuation of the stranded Indian nationals from Port Sudan, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Thursday saying the Indians left for Jeddah on a flight."7th batch of stranded Indians departs from Port Sudan. 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight leave for Jeddah under #OperationKaveri," Bagchi tweeted.Continuing with the rapid mobilisation of naval and air assets for a quick and safe evacuation of Indian nationals from Sudan, INS Teg on Anti Piracy patrol was diverted to Port Sudan, to help with the evacuation process. INS Teg is the fourth Talwar-class frigate constructed for the Indian Navy.Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence.Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country.ANI29 April 2023 Shared Recently! Expected such mortality rates: South Africa Govt on cheetah deaths at Kuno National Park New Delhi, April 28: The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) South Africa on Thursday said the deaths of two cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park are within expected mortality rates for a project of this nature. Expected such mortality rates: South Africa Govt on cheetah deaths at Kuno National Park In a statement issued by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) South Africa said, "The cheetah joined eight of the mammals relocated to India's Kuno National Park from Namibia in September 2022. The two cheetah deaths (one from Namibia and one from South Africa) observed to date are within expected mortality rates for a project of this nature."The cheetahs were relocated to Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh as part of an initiative to expand the cheetah meta-population and to reintroduce cheetahs to a former range state.The statement further said, "Large carnivore reintroductions are extremely complex and inherently risky operations. This is a critical phase of the project, with cheetahs being released into larger environments where there is increasingly less control over their day-to-day wellbeing."According to the statement, the risks for injury and mortality will be increasing, and these risks are factored into the reintroduction plan."The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) awaits a diagnosis (an autopsy) for the death of the cheetah, but there is no indication that it is any form of infectious disease or that there is a similar threat to any of the other cheetahs", the government of South Africa said in a statement.The statement further added, "All the South African cheetahs are in larger enclosures and are closely monitored twice daily. As they are wild cheetahs, their behaviour, movements, and body condition must be evaluated from a distance, limiting the ability of teams on the ground to gain precise knowledge of their health status.""The remaining eleven South African cheetahs will be released into free-ranging conditions over the next two months. Kuno is an unfenced protected area that supports a high density of competing predators including leopards, wolves, sloth bears, and striped hyenas. It is anticipated that, as observed with cheetah reintroductions in Africa, a few of the founder population may be lost within the first-year post-release", the statement said.The statement added, "Many of the released cheetahs will escape the boundaries of Kuno National Park and may have to go through short-term stress during the recapture process. Once the cheetahs have established home ranges, the situation will stabilise."Reportedly, Uday, a six-year-old cheetah who was brought to India from South Africa, died on April 23.Earlier on March 27, five-year-old Sasha, one of the eight cheetahs brought to India from Namibia, succumbed to kidney failure after she was diagnosed with a kidney infection in January.Earlier this year, the governments of South Africa and India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation on the Re-introduction of Cheetah to India.The MoU facilitates cooperation between the two countries to establish a viable and secure cheetah population in India; promotes conservation and ensures that expertise is shared and exchanged, and capacity is built, to promote cheetah conservation. This includes human-wildlife conflict resolution, capture and translocation of wildlife and community participation in conservation in the two countries.ANI29 April 2023 Shared Recently! OpenAI restores access to ChatGPT in Italy after ban San Francisco, April 29: OpenAI has restored access to the ChatGPT service in Italy, after the country banned the AI chatbot in response to an order from the local data protection authority over user data concerns. OpenAI restores access to ChatGPT in Italy after ban Microsoft-backed OpenAI had "addressed or clarified" the issues raised by the Italian Data Protection Authority (or GPDP) in late March, reports The Verge."ChatGPT is available again to our users in Italy. We are excited to welcome them back, and we remain dedicated to protecting their privacy," the company said in a statement.EU users can submit a new form to remove personal data under Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). A new tool will also verify users' ages upon signup in Italy.Earlier this month, OpenAI blocked access to its AI chatbot ChatGPT in Italy."We regret to inform you that we have disabled ChatGPT for users in Italy at the request of the Italian Garante," OpenAI had said in a letter.In the order, the Italian regulator Garante said it's concerned that the ChatGPT maker is breaching the EU GDPR, claiming that OpenAI has unlawfully processed the data of Italian citizens."There is no way ChatGPT can continue to process data in breach of privacy laws. The Italian SA has imposed an immediate temporary limitation on the processing of Italian users' data by OpenAI, the US-based company developing and managing the platform. An inquiry into the facts of the case was initiated as well," the regulator noted.Moreover, the company also said to refund the amount to all users in Italy who purchased a ChatGPT Plus subscription in March.OpenAI, late last month admitted that some users' payment information may have been exposed when it took ChatGPT offline owing to a bug.The company took ChatGPT offline due to a bug in an open-source library which allowed some users to see titles from another active user's chat history, according to OpenAI.IANS29 April 2023 Shared Recently! Top Coast Guard officer reviews preparedness in North West Region Gandhinagar, April 28: Additional Director General K.R. Suresh, Coast Guard Commander (Western Seaboard), who is on a three-day visit to the Coast Guard Region (North West), on Friday reviewed the operational preparedness and readiness of the region towards its mandated Coast Guard charter, and the progress of various infrastructure projects. Top Coast Guard officer reviews preparedness in North West Region ADG Suresh, who arrived here on April 27, called on Gujarat Governor Acharya Devrat on the same day.ADG Suresh and his wife Jayanthi Suresh, President of the Coast Guard Wives Welfare Association (Western Seaboard), will also visit forward formations at Mundra, Vadinar, Veraval, and Pipavav and interact with ICG officers, personnel, and their families.Upon arrival, the ADG was received by Inspector General A.K. Harbola, Commander Coast Guard Region (North West) and his wife Kavita Harbola, President of the Coast Guard Wives Welfare Association (North West Region).The Flag Officer is responsible for overseeing the Indian Coast Guard along the entire Western Seaboard from Gujarat to Kerala, including Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands.The visit is an opportunity for the CGC (WS) to assess the overall operational preparedness and readiness of the Coast Guard Region (North West) and ensure it is equipped to carry out its mandated duties effectively, a statement said.IANS29 April 2023 Shared Recently! With his core groups firm support, Trump holds Republican Party hostage New York, April 29: I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, Donald Trump boasted during his successful 2016 campaign president. With his core group's firm support, Trump holds Republican Party hostage That claim may not hold for all who voted for him that year because many defected in 2020 -- and in the 2022 midterms from his proteges -- but it is true of his core base of his supporters.Unshaken by the two impeachments, the criminal and civil cases against him and his mercurial temperament the 51 per cent of the Republican Party who make his base hold the party hostage.For them, Trump is their champion hounded by the elite.With Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the only one in the Republican roster of his challengers or likely challengers to break into double digits in the RealClear Politics (RCP) aggregation of polls, getting only 23 per cent Trump appears to have the first step of the presidential race -- getting the party nomination -- race locked up.And if a challenger is able to win the party nomination against all odds, Trump is not above running as a third party candidate or an independent and dooming the Republican Party.In 1992, a conservative businessman, Ross Perot, ran as an independent drawing 18.9 per cent of the politically conservative votes that could have gone to sitting president George Bush, the senior, leading to his defeat to Bill Clinton.In the RCP polls aggregation, Trump and President Joe are running neck and neck in the 43 per cent range.And this is where the challenge of increasing their lead lies for both, septuagenarian Trump with an unfavourability rating of 55 per cent and octogenarian Biden with 52.6 per cent.Contrary to common perceptions that voters abandoned Trump wholesale, he actually increased his votes by over 11 million, from 62.98 million in 2016 to 74.22 million in 2020 but with bigger mobilisation, Biden outdid him by getting 81.28 million votes.The big divide in US politics is between the college-educated elite and the rest, with some racial variations, even which is shrinking among some.Both groups spew contempt at each other from their positions of being high up in an intellectual nirvana or a down-to-earth daily grind.Even if it is ultimately manifested in economic status, their differences are based on social issues and their insecurities.Of Biden's voters, 61 per cent were college graduates, while Trump received only 37 per cent from this group, according to the think tank Pew Research.The core Trump supporters, known derisively as the "MAGA Crowd" for their display of red "Make America Great Again" hats and signs, long for a return to a past when well-paying manufacturing jobs hadn't moved to China and elsewhere, illegal immigration wasn't as rampant, and identity politics were so overwhelming.Fueling their angst is the dominant, elite section of the Democratic Party that sets the social agenda.According to data cited by the Manhattan Institute, the Democratic Party's majority is made of 27.3 per cent college-educated Whites and 32.8 per cent non-Whites who are not college graduates.Issues like allowing males who claim to be transgender females to use girls' bathrooms in schools or compete in girls' sports teams, schools excluding parents on their children's transition, teaching about transsexuality to primary school children or allowing sex change treatment for minors are red flags for them -- as well as others, which Republicans hope to capitalise on.And then there are other education issues like the teaching of history and civics that presents the US as a totally racist nation, and introducing concepts of race equity into maths and science lessons.There is also a distrust of government among the core Trump supporters, which works against their own interest as when they oppose Obamacare, the affordable -- and compulsory -- health insurance programme, or attempts to rebalance the tax system.Add to this mix the distrust of the mainstream media, and there emerges a ready set of followers who believe that Trump was cheated out of an election victory in 2020 and is now hounded to prevent a return in 2024.Even though the majority of Trump's supporters are White, worryingly for the Democrats, he has made headway among Latinos.Between 2016 and 2020, Trump increased his support among Latino voters by about 10 per cent to 28 per cent, according to Pew.A steady, key group for Trump are White Evangelical Protestant Christians -- a euphemism for fundamentalists -- who in many cases fit seamlessly with the "MAGA crowd".Despite his moral flaws, Pew reported that 84 per cent of them supported him in 2020; this was solely based on his social agenda, especially on abortion.The outcome of the 2024 election will be decided by which party mobilises more effectively and if the Democrats can keep the 15.85 million more voters they rallied in 2020 than in 2016.Many of them were suburban voters, especially women, and young people.One social issue that seemed to have worked for Democrats in some key state-wide races in 2016 is the issue of abortion, where Trump and his core are staunchly against it, while Democrats support abortion rights.In the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling overturning an earlier decision and making the legalisation of abortion a state matter and it is now banned in 14 states dominated by Republicans but according to a poll by Pew Research last year, 61 per centof Americans are against a ban on abortions, while only 37 per cent want a ban.Besides the antics of Trump in claiming he won in 2020, his supporters' attack on Congress on January 2021, the legal entanglements and his unhinged rhetoric, the abortion issue creates unease for many Republicans who fear it could turn off moderates, both within the party and among independents.Many of Trump's hand-picked proxies lost the 2022 midterm elections costing Republicans the control of the Senate.Several Republican billionaire mega-donors have said that they would not finance Trump's campaign.DeSantis, the leading challenger for the Republican nomination but who has not announced his run, is ideologically close to Trump but without his baggage and a strong showing in the 2022 election.Yet, his ideology may turn off some moderates.Nikki Haley, the first Indian American to serve on the US cabinet and former South Carolina governor, and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who have announced their candidacy, have taken a moderate stance on social issues and suggested limited restrictions on abortion.But they are in the low single digits in party polls.The Democrat's preferred Republican candidate is Trump, whom they vehemently hate but think he would be the easiest for Biden to defeat.Given the low ratings for Biden, his age and his stumbles a less encumbered Republican could be a stronger challenger.The pro-Democrat media is waging a campaign against DeSantis stop his ascent.Ultimately, it may come down to what is colloquially called a "clothespin election" A the imagery of voters in the primaries and in the general election putting a clothespin on their nose to keep out the stench as they vote for a candidate they find odious, but think is lesser of the two evils or because of party loyalty.(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)IANS29 April 2023 Shared Recently! Conditions that aided Talibans return predated both Trump and Biden Washington, April 29: The US' Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has recently obtained a substantial number of new documents from a confidential source containing detailed allegations relating to funds that were transferred out of the war-torn nation before the collapse of the Ashraf Ghani government. Conditions that aided Taliban's return predated both Trump and Biden This investigation is in its preliminary stages, but the documents indicate that tens of millions of dollars in cash and gold bullion may have been illicitly spirited out of the country through Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and other neighbouring countries.There are allegations that these transfers were orchestrated by or on behalf of influential people, including then-current or former members of the Afghan government, John F. Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, said in a recent testimony before the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the US House of Representatives.While the former Donald Trump administration's decision to sign the Doha Agreement and the Joe Biden administration's decision to follow through with the withdrawal were immediate factors precipitating the collapse of the Ghani-led Afghan government and its security forces, those decisions had antecedents that stretched to the beginning of the mission in 2001, he said.SIGAR is working to to identify former Afghan government officials, politically connected individuals, and others involved in suspicious transactions, and identify high value real estate purchased by such individuals in the US or abroad for potential connection to flight of capital and potential seizure.This data may also indicate Afghan financial institutions and other entities which may have been involved in the diversion of funds.In another initiative, SIGAR is working with a contractor to obtain open-source intelligence from countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Turkey which was previously unavailable to it. That information will be compared to the wire transfer data obtained above to identify individuals, entities, and shell corporations used by former Afghan government officials or politically connected individuals which may have benefited from the theft of funds or flight of capital from Afghanistan.As a result of extensive investigation and working with other law enforcement agencies, SIGAR has nominated a prominent Afghan former official for sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.The subject has an extensive history of involvement in government contract fraud and has a suspected business relationship with a sanctioned high-level Russian official.SIGAR said conditions that aided Taliban's return to power were decades in the making.Many of the underlying problems that contributed to the Afghan government's ultimate demise had been present for years, and long predated the administrations of both Presidents Trump and Biden.The report said the strategy to achieve US objectives in Afghanistan kept changing, the US government consistently underestimated the time required to rebuild Afghanistan and created unrealistic timelines that prioritised spending quickly. The resulting influx of money increased corruption and reduced the effectiveness of programmes.Many of the institutions and infrastructure projects the US built were not sustainable. Civilian and military personnel policies and practices were counterproductive, thwarting the overall effort.Persistent insecurity severely undermined efforts. The US government did not understand the Afghan context and failed to tailor its efforts accordingly. US agencies rarely conducted sufficient monitoring and evaluation to understand the impact of their efforts.The Afghan government's high level of centralisation and endemic corruption undermined Its legitimacy, the report said."These factors, some of which dated to the very beginning of the US reconstruction effort - and none of which were overcome despite ample warning by SIGAR and others -- created the conditions by which more recent precipitating factors acted as accelerants that ultimately led to the collapse of Afghanistan's civilian government and its military forces. But make no mistake, the tragic events of August 2021 have their roots in decisions that were made by policymakers, diplomats, aid officials, and military leaders decades earlier," SIGAR said.The collapse of the Afghan government still, to the surprise of many, took less than 4 months. SIGAR identified five shorter-term factors contributing to it.A history of US vacillation on the issue of withdrawal led Afghan government officials to believe that the US was not serious about leaving. Despite many official pronouncements throughout the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations about the US desire to exit Afghanistan, contradictory messaging by US officials failed to convey the seriousness of US intentions.The Afghan government was fundamentally unprepared to manage the fight against the Taliban as the US military and its contractors withdrew. "The (Afghan) government seems to have been caught in a surreal bubble," the Afghanistan Analysts Network reported on the day of the collapse. "While the Taliban were advancing, senior government officials were still releasing statements about donor-driven ceremonies and meetings."Both governments share the blame, SIGAR said. Afghan government officials often focused on personal gain at the country's expense; it was a country with more takers than leaders. For 20 years, the Afghan government seldom exhibited an ability to prepare for anything of consequence to begin with-not elections, not social services, and not the rule of law.For its part, the US lacked a long-term, consistent strategy, as well as the doctrines, policies, and resources needed to create another nation's army almost from scratch. The US' persistent desire to get out of Afghanistan resulted in the US military working to create the appearance of success by performing the tasks it was supposed to be training the Afghan military to do.The White House recently released a after-action review of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and reached the conclusion that any problems were the fault of the Trump administration, Defense One reported.When President Trump took office, there were 10,000 troops in Afghanistan. Trump "emboldened" the Taliban by meeting with them at Camp David and entering into an agreement to pull troops out and free more than 5,000 Taliban fighters from prison, which put Biden in an impossible position. Biden's choices were "severely constrained by conditions created by his predecessor", it reads.IANS29 April 2023 Shared Recently! Indian Coast Guard conducts special community interaction with fishermen at Mori Bandar Okha, April 29: The Indian Coast Guard hosted a special Community Interaction Program (CIP) at Mori Bandar, Okha. Indian Coast Guard conducts special community interaction with fishermen at Mori Bandar The event took place on Friday and it brought together members of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Wildlife Trust of India, fisheries department, owners and local fishermen.The primary objective of the CIP was to raise awareness among the fishing community about the importance of not operating fishing boats across the International Maritime Border and avoiding fishing in No Fishing Zones.Additionally, the program aimed to inform participants about safety measures and the protection of life and property at sea.During the event, attendees were educated on the significance of carrying life-saving appliances and equipment, practicing sustainable fishing, preventing marine litter, applying basic first-aid techniques, understanding survival methods, and utilizing technology for marine safety.An IMD representative informed the fishing community about the upcoming monsoon season and various indicators of cyclonic weather.The gathering also covered the benefits of millets for local residents.The Centre and the Indian Coast Guard's initiatives for the safety and security of fishermen were discussed, emphasizing the integration of the fishing community into the coastal security architecture.IANS29 April 2023 Shared Recently! KHIVA, Uzbekistan, April 29. Referendum on the Constitution of Uzbekistan, which will be held on April 30, is a huge event for our country, the head of the polling station No. 58 of the Khorezm region Rasul Ragimov told Azerbaijani reporters, Trend reports from the scene. "Today we have a day of silence, and tomorrow all citizens of Uzbekistan who have the right to vote will come to express their opinion. Our polling station No. 58 is located in Khiva city of Khorezm region," Ragimov said. "Tomorrow, according to the voting lists, 1,541 people will come to our polling station to vote, 31 of them will vote remotely, and seven people will vote for the first time. Voting will take place from 8:00 to 20:00 (GMT+5). I wish all voters to express their opinion in the upcoming election," he added. More than 611,000 citizens of Uzbekistan voted early in the referendum on amendments to the Constitution Over 452,000 of them voted in the country, and more than 159,000 people abroad. A total of 10,758 polling stations have been created for voting, 55 of which are located in 39 foreign countries. In general, about 20 million citizens of Uzbekistan are expected to participate in the referendum. Early voting took place from April 19 to April 26. Chinese combat drone encircles Taiwan for first time Taipei, April 28: Between 6 a.m. on Thursday (April 27) and 6 a.m. on Friday (April 28), Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) monitored 38 Chinese military aircraft, six naval vessels, and one military aircraft that was circumnavigating Taiwan for the first time, reported Taiwan news. Chinese combat drone encircles Taiwan for first time The Ministry of National Defence of Taiwan said that 38 People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) military aircraft and six People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels had been tracked around Taiwan.'Twin-Tailed Scorpion' reconnaissance and strike UAV flew counterclockwise around Taiwan in ADIZCiting the MND, Taiwan news reported that 19 of the identified aircraft entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in the southwest, southeast, or northeast at 9 a.m. on Friday.The aircraft reportedly tracked in the ADIZ included five Suhkoi Su-30 fighter jets, eight Chengdu J-10 fighter jets, two Shenyang J-16 fighter jets, one TB-001 reconnaissance (RECCE) and strike UAV, one Harbin BZK-005 RECCE drone, one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane, and one Shaanxi Y-8 RECCE plane, according to Taiwan news.Fighter jets flew over either the line's southwest or middle edge. The two Y-8 aircraft flew in the ADIZ's southwest corner.Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 12 Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around the country.Just off the southwest side of the median line, the two Y-8 aircraft landed in the southwest corner of the ADIZ.ANI30 April 2023 Shared Recently! Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. Iranian foreign minister said Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to open embassies and consulate generals in the two countries in the coming days, Trend reports citing IRNA. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks at a press conference in the Lebanese capital of Beirut upon finishing his visit to the country. He noted that the issue was agreed upon in his last phone call with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on April 20, and before this, the two ministers had also invited each other for official visits. Amir-Abdollahian said the Iran-Saudi Arabia deal to normalize ties is in the interest of the two countries as well as the entire region, from which Lebanon will also benefit. Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a deal in March to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions in the two countries within two months. On April 6, the two countries announced the resumption of diplomatic relations with immediate effect. To celebrate World Glaucoma Week 2023, which takes place in the second week of March every year and falls on March 12-18, 2023, the Excellence Center for Glaucoma, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, and Thai Glaucoma Society encourages all of us to realize the significance of glaucoma as it is the world's number 1 cause of irreversible blindness. In Thailand, over 2 million people are affected by glaucoma. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Visanee Tantisevi from the Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital "glaucoma is a danger that usually includes no early symptoms. However, if patients are vigilant in checking their eye health and regularly see their ophthalmologist to have a check-up and receive treatment in its early stage, loss of sight from glaucoma can be prevented." Glaucoma is an eye condition where the optic nerve and the surrounding fibers become damaged, followed by optic atrophy, leading to blurred vision and blindness if left untreated. While a common risk factor is high pressure in the eye, some patients whose eye pressure is low can also have glaucoma, which may be caused by other factors. Most cases of glaucoma do not have any symptoms and may be detected during a routine check-up or by accident. Patients who get tested when they already have symptoms, especially loss of sight, tend to have an advanced stage of glaucoma." Assoc. Prof. Dr. Visanee Tantisevi from the Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University Assoc. Prof. Dr. Visanee spoke of the risk group of glaucoma that, "People who are at risk of glaucoma are those over 40 years old, have abnormally high eye pressure, have direct relatives with glaucoma, have extreme myopia or presbyopia, including people who have been in accidents involving the eye and those who usually use steroids, especially eyedrops. People in this risk group, no matter how old, should see an ophthalmologist for a routine check-up at least once a year in order to detect the condition early or in its early stage. The sooner glaucoma is detected, the better their chances are for quick treatment. The purpose is to slow down or stop the progression of the disease, preventing it from reaching a dangerous phase that can cause blindness." "There are many ways to treat and control glaucoma, namely pressure-reducing eyedrops, laser treatment, surgery, etc. Currently, the medical world still does not accept food supplements, herbs, or hard eye massages as treatments for glaucoma due to a lack of substantial empirical evidence in support of the efficiency of such treatments. Therefore, strict caution and discretion are needed in caring for your eyes. If you suspect that you might be at risk of glaucoma, consulting an ophthalmologist is an ideal option." Assoc. Prof. Dr. Visanee added that, "Before COVID-19, the Glaucoma Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, offered free glaucoma screening service to the public, especially the risk group, to raise awareness in eye health and increase access to eye check-up. Interested individuals can find news and information on King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital's website and Facebook page." Anyone who wishes to check for and treat glaucoma can contact a hospital near you or the Ophthalmology OPD, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, on Monday Friday, from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. For more information, please call +66 2256-4000. What? Even in the best of times, loneliness can contribute to psychological issues -; depression, anxiety -; and physical health problems whose effects on mortality rank with smoking 10-plus cigarettes a day. In the worst, like the onset of the isolating COVID-19 pandemic, that loneliness and its downstream effects can extract an even greater toll. Multiple factors have been proposed to help buffer against the potential damage dealt by loneliness. Among them is social connectedness: a person's sense of belonging and closeness both to their interpersonal network and society at large. Another, called interpersonal emotion regulation, describes how often and how effectively a person uses their social connections to help maintain or improve their emotional state. So what? Nebraska's Maital Neta and doctoral alumnus Nick Harp wondered how those two factors, separately or combined, might have influenced the magnitude of loneliness and its effects early in COVID-19. So the duo conducted a study involving 565 participants across three timepoints: spring 2020, fall 2020 and spring 2021. The participants took surveys that assessed their loneliness, social connectedness and interpersonal emotion regulation, with the latter asking about their sharing of positive and negative feelings. To gauge whether loneliness actually corresponded with negativity, the researchers also had participants look at ambiguous faces, scenes and words, then make snap judgments about whether the stimuli were positive or negative. (Neta's earlier work helped establish the method as a valid, more objective means of gauging people's social-emotional outlooks.) As expected, participants expressing greater feelings of loneliness tended to interpret the ambiguous stimuli more negatively, hinting that negativity could be facilitating the poor psychological and physical outcomes attributed to loneliness. The link between loneliness and negativity was somewhat weaker among those who reported average to high social connectedness in general. But it dwindled even further among participants who said they regularly shared positive (but not negative) emotional experiences with friends and family -; to the point that loneliness did not correlate with negative interpretations at all, even in the earliest stage of the pandemic. Now what? Future research could help confirm whether loneliness was actually driving the increase in negativity -; and positive sharing driving the decrease -; that Neta and Harp observed in their study. If so, interventions that encourage sharing of positive emotional experiences might prove more effective than conventional approaches when it comes to curbing the downsides of loneliness, the researchers said. Surgeons in Zambia completed the countrys first total aortic arch replacement guided by a team from University of Michigan Health. The six-person surgical team traveled from Ann Arbor to Africa in late February to co-lead this case and several others at National Heart Hospital, a government-established, 120-bed facility in Lusaka, Zambia. The historic procedure to replace the ascending aorta and aortic arch of a 72-year-old patient took place on March 2. The patients echocardiogram revealed a potentially fatal aortic dissection that reached eight centimeters in diameter and extended into both his carotid arteries. The surgery, which lasted six hours, was uneventful with no complications. It was a tremendous privilege to work with the providers at National Heart Hospital, as well as our experienced team from U-M, to perform this historic case in Zambia. Gorav Ailawadi, M.D., director of the U-M Health Frankel Cardiovascular Center and Helen F. and Marvin M. Kirsh Professor and chair of cardiac surgery at U-M Medical School Zambia, a country of around 20 million people, has fewer than 10 cardiac specialists in both the government and private sector. Cardiovascular disease is the nations second leading cause of death. The National Heart Hospital began conducting cardiac surgeries in September 2021. The U-M Health team worked the recent cases with Chileshe Mutema, M.D., chief of cardiothoracic surgery at National Heart Hospital. In the past, Mutema says, expatriate cardiac surgeons were hired periodically to fly in for procedures, yet less than 1% of patients who needed cardiac surgery saw benefits. Performing this case with U-M showed us what is possible and that the capacity to do complex cases comes with a knowledgeable, experienced and well-organized team with each team member doing their best, Mutema said. This was significant because we aspire for such a time when we can have such surgeries on our own, as long as we grow step by step consistently. It was a historical moment to perform surgeries and learn from Dr. Ailawadi and his team. And I believe, with the help of U-M, we can attain that level sooner. The surgical team faced several challenges while operating in Zambia. Beyond the fact that no provider had repaired an aortic arch, supplies were limited in all cases. When performing operations in Ann Arbor, surgical teams employ a method called hypothermic circulatory arrest, or HCA; this temporarily cools the body and suspends blood flow while preserving brain function and preventing stroke. For the aortic arch replacement at National Heart Hospital, surgeons had no access to a multi-branch graft that allows them to employ circulatory arrest only once during a procedure. Instead, they had to tailor a straight tube graft that forced surgeons to subject the patient to two episodes of hypothermic arrest. The team also devised a way to maintain some blood flow in the brain through a blood vessel. In another case, a double valve replacement in a 49-year-old agriculture supervisor who could no longer work due to his symptoms, they ran out of tubing kits used to deliver medications and nutrients that keep the heart from beating during surgery. This time, the surgical team applied fibrillatory arrest, a challenging method to open the heart while it is still beating, to perform a mitral valve replacement. They also repaired the patients tricuspid valve for which they needed to fashion a tricuspid ring out of a piece of felt. While we were there, each member of our team played an important role and we all worked together seamlessly to ensure that the surgeries were performed safely and efficiently, said Thuy Le, PA-C, advance practice provider manager of the U-M Health Frankel CVC Cardiac Surgery Operating Room. With the understanding of anatomy and surgical techniques, our team was able to think critically and collaborate with our colleagues to find creative solutions when unexpected issues arose. The success of the cases is very encouraging for the NHH, Mutema says, especially being a young program. Its humbling to see patients going back to normal life when not long ago it was a death sentence, he said. The patients are very grateful for adding more years to their lives and accessing costly life changing surgery from home in Zambia. We hope to have regular perioperative clinical meetings, collaborative capacity building and more camps so that U-M can help us develop a quality, sustainable cardiac surgery program in Zambia and the region. This was an uplifting experience for the U-M team to share knowledge and techniques that can help the local team save the lives of Zambian patients for years to come, Ailawadi adds. We hope to continue to help patients across the world by teaching local teams to perform these life-saving operations with the highest level of safety. The U-M Health team in Zambia included Thuy Le, PA-C, Chris Douglas, C.C.P., Lauren Richey, M.D., Hillary Poulos, R.N., Sydney OShaughnessy, C.C.P. The International Federation on Ageing (IFA) is proud to release findings from a recent study entitled Driving the Agenda of Pneumococcal Pneumonia Vaccination in At-risk Populations in Community and Long-term Care. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the brutal nature and impact of respiratory infections on people of all ages and particularly amongst those at-risk of serious complications, such as older adults in long-term care (LTC) settings. Though several respiratory infections and other vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) can be prevented, or their severe symptoms reduced through receiving vaccines, current vaccination uptake rates for pneumococcal disease among older adults in LTC are below national targets. This study conducted by the IFA looked at the status of existing public health policies and campaigns on pneumococcal disease in Canadian LTC settings and investigated the policy gaps that have resulted in poor vaccine uptake. One of the main findings from this study is that within LTC settings in Canada, vaccination policies for pneumococcal disease are inconsistent, absent, or vague across all provinces and territories and that even when they are available, they are not always accessible. This study also finds that public health communication on pneumococcal vaccination of older adults in LTC settings is ineffective, as evident in the lack of awareness from long-term care providers and associations, older adults, and the public. Recommendations from this study call for a more comprehensive set of policies that prevent older people in these settings from becoming susceptible to VPDs like pneumococcal disease. The following recommendations have been developed with the intention of incorporating intersecting disciplines and sectors to collaborate on and influence upstream policy actions. The first set of recommendations call on the Government of Canada (Public Health Agency of Canada) to: consider residents in LTC settings as a special population group of older adults, to include a recommendation in the overarching federal immunization strategy based on advice and direction from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), and to lead a dialogue with provinces and territories on pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine recommendations for residents in LTC settings. The second set of recommendations call on community and LTC providers to: improve awareness of the value of pneumococcal vaccination as part of the health and wellbeing of residents in LTC settings, review and where appropriate revise policies that reflect the position of the associations of LTC providers on routine immunization, and help influence and shape policy (local, provincial, territorial and federal levels) on routine immunization including against pneumococcal disease as a mechanism to protect the right to health of residents of LTC settings. The findings and recommendations in this report not only help address existing gaps for pneumococcal vaccination policy but also inform the much-needed development of effective vaccination policies for long-term care settings. Mitali Mistry, Policy and Project Coordinator, IFA The report on the Driving the Agenda of Pneumococcal Pneumonia Vaccination in At-risk Populations in Community and Long-term Care study is now available on IFAs Vaccines4Life website: https://www.vaccines4life.com/adult-pneumonia-vaccination-in-ltc-settings-in-canada/ Male embarrassment over the thought of giving a semen sample at a clinic can delay couples getting the fertility support they need. To overcome this issue, fertility clinic Bourn Hall is offering a service where a sample produced at home is collected for rapid analysis, and the results explained one-to-one by a specialist fertility consultant. Bourn Hall consultant Mr Oliver Wiseman is one of the few urologists who specialize in male fertility and says that he would always recommend that both partners are tested; even if the female knows she has a fertility issue it doesnt mean that there may not also be a male factor. Fifty percent of infertility has a male factor and testing is non-invasive, he explains. As sperm is made continuously, its quality can be improved with lifestyle changes. In some other patients, the presence of dilated veins can affect sperm manufacture, and these can be treated. So, there are a number of options available that may improve the chances of natural conception or successful treatment. Speed is important for semen analysis, so Bourn Hall has its own embryology laboratory where sperm are examined immediately for quality, quantity, and mobility. Although very discreet, the thought of physically going into the clinic can be off-putting to many men and the clinic is keen to offer alternatives. Bourn Hall has partnered with MOJO to offer a revolutionary at-home semen analysis service, where men produce a sample in the privacy of their home and the samples are then collected for analysis. The semen analysis is performed by an AI powered microscope and results are discussed with a Bourn Hall fertility specialist during a medical consultation. Mr Wiseman continues: It can be devastating for a man to be told he has a poor semen analysis and we would always prefer to give the results personally, so there is an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the options going forward. There are many options for treatment so a low or poor sperm result is the starting point of a journey, not the end point. The new at-home testing service which also includes options for female tests has been established to provide patients with more choice and flexibility. In response to the Covid pandemic, Bourn Hall changed the way that it provided treatment and many of the innovations it introduced have been popular with patients trying to juggle treatment and work and have not impacted success rates. Patients value being able to talk to someone who understands their fertility journey and can give them advice about improving their fertility as well as the treatment options. By offering this service, we are combining all the benefits of choosing the worlds first IVF clinic with the convenience of home testing. Dr Thanos Papathanasiou, CEO and Medical Director, Bourn Hall The collection and semen analysis are provided by MOJO, and consultancy by Bourn Hall. Commercial trials for psychedelics-assisted medical treatments will now have access to state-of-the-art brain scanning technology thanks to a new all-London partnership announced today (25th April). MYndspans co-founder Caitlin Baltzer, having her brain scanned using magnetoencephalogy (MEG) technology at MYndspans Birmingham site. Image Credit: Myndspan Clerkenwell Health, who opened Europes first commercial psychedelic clinical trials facility in London last Autumn, have partnered with MYndspan, brain wellness and analytics technology pioneers, to give medical researchers direct access to MYndspans magnetoencephalography (MEG) brain scanning technology. This is thought to be the first time that commercial MEG scanners have been made available for use in commercial clinical trials to support pharmaceutical development. MYndspans technology will provide unprecedented levels of accuracy in monitoring a participants brain activity and function (both before and after taking psychedelic drugs) as part of trials run at Clerkenwell Healths central London facility. Placing London at the heart of medical psychedelics innovation Psychedelics work by altering neural networks in our brains the first of its kind partnership will help understand this link definitively, and provide insights into the complex ways in which psychedelic treatments affect the brain. Globally there 81 upcoming clinical trial completions in 2023, of which 46 are commercially sponsored or affiliated. This new partnership will provide Clerkenwell Healths clients with valuable new information for understanding the mechanisms of action of the drugs they are developing, and their effectiveness. This will be crucial in furthering the understanding of the role of psychedelics in tackling a range of complex mental health and neurological conditions like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for the pharmaceutical companies running clinical trials from Clerkenwells facility. The partnership firmly places London at the heart of Europes nascent medical psychedelics sector, and Clerkenwells establishment of their European-leading commercial facility in the capital. Were on a mission to transform treatment for mental health conditions, and our world-first partnership with MYndspan is another critical step toward delivering on that mission. This collaboration in the heart of London provides our clients with both a sophisticated facility in which to test their drugs effectiveness, alongside world-class technology that allows for real-time assessment of how these drugs combined with therapy can treat mental health conditions plaguing millions of people worldwide. Tom McDonald, Chief Executive at Clerkenwell Health Caitlin Baltzer, Cofounder and COO at MYndspan, said: With our quick and accurate scanning technology, we are demystifying brain health. Our data helps people understand how treatments, such as psychedelics, affect their brain activity and underlying neural circuitry, which is critical to understanding and treating brain and mental health conditions. Were delighted to partner with an organization aligned with us on revolutionizing the treatment of brain and mental health. London is fast becoming a world-class hub for neuroscience and Europes medical psychedelics sector were excited to be part of it, and look forward to future discoveries and collaborations! The news of the partnership follows the first clinical trials at Clerkenwells London facility being given the green light by the MHRA, and having kicked off in 2023. Clerkenwell has signed agreements with Canadian and US-based drug developers such as Mindset Pharma and PharmAla Biotech, to test treatments that could treat a range of complex mental health conditions, including social anxiety in those affected by autism spectrum disorder, nicotine addiction and major depressive disorders. An NHS search tool aimed at helping people find local sexual health services attracts a third more visits following a bank holiday, latest figures show. Image Credit: NHS Analysis carried out by NHS England, which runs the NHS website, found page visits to the tool increased to an average of 7,414 in the 24 hours following the summer bank holiday weekends in May, June and August last year equivalent to one visit every 12 seconds. This is compared to a daily average of 5,387 visits to the Find a sexual health clinic search tool for 2022, which is an increase of 38%. The tool invites visitors to search for a sexual health clinic in their area by entering their town, city or postcode. The search directs people to a list of local clinics with links they can click on for more information including opening times, contact details and what services they provide. Last years May Day bank holiday saw 6,840 visits to the search tool on Tuesday 3 May 2022. The extended Jubilee bank holiday weekend, which gave people time off on the Thursday and Friday, also saw a hike in page visits to 7,628 on Monday 6 June 2022. There was also a peak following the August bank holiday weekend with 7,774 visits on Tuesday 30 August 2022. Our Find a sexual health clinic page is designed to help people search for the most appropriate service to meet their health needs, within their local area. The NHS website is available every day of the year for anyone who needs it and provides information and advice in easy-to-understand language on a wide range of conditions, making it accessible for all and easy for people to receive health advice and support from a trustworthy source. Robert Cleary, Content director for NHS Website, NHS England Information on accessing sexual health services and information about contraception and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), planning a pregnancy, abortion, sexual problems and sexual assault is also available on the NHS website via the Guide to sexual health services page. The NHS website is the UK's biggest health website with an estimated 2.6 million visits a day in 2022 from people seeking information and advice. It includes over 4,000 pages and provides information about 990 medical conditions as well other health services including applying for a free UK Global Health Insurance Card for healthcare cover abroad, finding a GP, and a pregnancy due date calculator. The most popular page on the NHS website in 2022 was the COVID-19 vaccination booking page, with 60 million visits. A flight, belonging to Sri Lankas Fitsair, carrying 143 passengers from Chennai to Colombo was on Friday diverted to the countrys southern provinces Mattala airport due to inclement weather, aviation officials said. Also Read: Congressional Investigators Blame Airline for Most Flight Cancellations: Report The flight was scheduled to land at the Colombo international airport at 4 pm when the area was experiencing heavy rainfall along with thunder and lightning. However, the flight was diverted to Mattala airport. The duty manager at the Mattala airport said that the flight will return to Colombo when the weather conditions return to normal. Read all the Latest Auto News here In 1925, a handsome male sled dog named Balto led a 13-dog team that braved blizzard conditions during the grueling final 53-mile (85-km) leg of a 674-mile (1,088-km) dogsled relay, bringing lifesaving medicine to the Alaskan city of Nome during a diphtheria outbreak. Balto was feted as a hero, the subject of books and movies, and the dogs taxidermy mount still stands on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. But that was not the end of Baltos magnificent deeds. Scientists have extracted DNA from a piece of Baltos underbelly skin from the well-preserved museum mount and sequenced the dogs genome as part of an ambitious comparative mammalian genomic research project called Zoonomia. Baltos genome, the scientists found, possessed certain gene variants that may have helped the dog thrive in the extreme Alaskan environment and endure what is now called the Serum Run. Balto, belonging to a population of working sled dogs in Alaska, also was found to have possessed greater genetic diversity and genetic health than modern canine breeds. Balto personifies the strength of the bond between human and dog, and what that bond is capable of," said Katie Moon, a postdoctoral paleogenomics researcher at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and co-lead author of the study published in the journal Science. Dogs not only offer comfort, support and friendship to humans, but many are actively bred or trained to provide vital services. That bond between human and dog remains strong, 100 years after Baltos job was done," Moon added. As diphtheria - a serious and sometimes fatal bacterial infection - spread among Nomes people, its port was icebound, meaning antitoxin would have to be delivered overland. Sled dogs were the only viable option. Balto was among about 150 dogs in a relay lasting 127 hours through temperatures of minus-50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-45 degrees Celsius). The researchers examined Baltos genome as part of a dataset of 682 genomes from modern dogs and wolves and a larger assemblage of 240 mammalian genomes, including humans. Baltos genome showed lower rates of inbreeding and a lower burden of rare and potentially damaging genetic variation than almost all modern breed dogs. Balto was found to share ancestry with modern Siberian huskies and Alaskan sled dogs as well as Greenland sled dogs, Vietnamese village dogs and Tibetan mastiffs, with no discernible wolf ancestry. Born in 1919, Balto was part of a population of sled dogs imported from Siberia, dubbed Siberian huskies - though the study showed that these dogs differed substantially from modern Siberian huskies. Balto had a body built for strength and not speed, disappointing the breeder, who had the dog neutered. Baltos life after the Serum Run was a complicated one involving human exploitation and later salvation. Balto toured the United States for two years on the vaudeville circuit, then ended up on display with other dogs from the sled team in a Los Angeles dime museum - a low-brow exhibition - and was mistreated. A visiting Cleveland businessman saw Baltos plight and arranged to buy the dogs for $1,500. The money subsequently was raised by the local community in Cleveland. In 1927, Balto and canine cohorts Alaska Slim, Billy, Fox, Old Moctoc, Sye and Tillie were feted in Cleveland with a downtown parade, then spent the remainder of their lives cared for at the local Brookside Zoo. After Balto died of natural causes in 1933, the dogs mount was placed at the museum. His story really highlights how working dogs become functionally heroes," said study co-lead author Kathleen Morrill, a senior scientist in genome analysis at biotech company Colossal Biosciences. These specialized dogs dont know that what they do has such gravity in peoples lives, but their genetic adaptations set them up to be the best animals for the job." Read all the Latest Buzz News here Do we know the story of Priya, an Indian woman who has spent the last four years living in Dubai in a Honda City with her dogs? Well, we always plan where we will be in the next 5 years, our goals and how to achieve them. But do we know what may happen the next moment? This lady, who was earning millions until a few years ago, is living her life in a Honda City. Priya has spent almost 40 years residing in Dubai. Her parents had a successful company, and they lived a lavish life. But her father unexpectedly passed away one day and since then her mother began to remain unwell. The whole procedure cost a lot of money. Priya tried to handle something but there was a lot of loss in the business and the situation went from bad to worse. Priyas mother also passed away a few years ago. After that, everything got ruined. The situation got to a point where Priya was not even left with her house. She even did housekeeping duties. However, she had kept the Honda City car that was linked to her mothers memories. Her mother reportedly spent her final few days in the same vehicle, according to news sources. Meanwhile, her visa expired and due to legal restrictions, Priya was unable to leave the country. The debts and the penalty for residing illegally in Dubai for four years came to Rs 26 lakh. Amidst these circumstances, she was living in the car for four years and was waiting for help. Finally, theres a ray of hope in her life. After watching the video posted on social media, Jasbir Bassi, a businesswoman from Punjab who serves as the MD of the Car Fare Group in Dubai, came to know about Priyas predicament via Biju, who works there. Priya was invited to the companys office by Jasbir Bassi after she learned more about her situation. There, she gave Priya a cheque for the whole amount of her debts. Priya then thanked Jasbir for her assistance and expressed her gratitude. Jasbir not only promised Priya financial support but also a position within her company. Priya holds three bachelors degrees. She was also offered a car from Car Fare, but she turned it down. Read all the Latest Buzz News here Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi made the remarks in a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Abdul Latif Rashid in Tehran on Saturday, Trend reports citing IRNA. Raisi said he and Rashid had a good meeting earlier in the day where they discussed various issues of bilateral relations. Describing Baghdad-Tehran ties as strategic, the Iranian president said that the level of trade and economic exchanges between the two countries stands at more than $10 billion, adding that the figure can rise further in the future. He added that Iran and Iraq cooperate on many issues, including infrastructure projects, water, electricity, gas, and energy in a way that could respond to both nations demands, he added. He further pointed to a security agreement signed last year between the two neighboring countries and noted that the deal is still valid and can help establish security in the region. Irans interactions with Iraq and other regional states are based on mutual interests but the United States merely thinks of its own interests, Raisi noted, expressing hope that his Iraqi counterparts visit to Tehran would be a turning point in bilateral ties between the two countries. The placement of a mermaid statue in the fishing village of Pugalia in southern Italy has sparked controversy due to its provocative nature. Created by students from the Luigi Rosso art school in Monopoli, the statue was positioned in a square named after the renowned scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini. Even though the artwork is yet to be officially inaugurated, photos of it during installation have been widely shared on social media, drawing criticism and ridicule. Italian actress Tiziana Schiavarelli voiced her concerns on Instagram after a friend in Monopoli expressed doubts about the appropriateness of the statue. In an Instagram post, Tiziana Schiavarelli wrote in Italian, At first glance, it doesnt seem to represent the image of the famous scientist Rather, it seems like a mermaid with two silicone breasts to report to the surgeon and above all an enormous ass never seen on a mermaid. At least not on the ones I know. The actress further clarified that she did not intend to offend the creators of the artwork or the Monopoli municipal administration. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tiziana Schiavarelli (@tizianaschiavarelli) As reported by The Guardian, the headteacher of Luigi Rosso art school, Adolfo Marciano, came to the defence of the controversial mermaid statue created by his students. He believes the statue is a tribute to the great majority of women who are curvy." He also revealed that the mayor of Monopoli had commissioned his students to create multiple statues for the town, including one that was to be inspired by the theme of the sea. According to Marciano, the idea for the mermaid statue came from the students themselves. After the council approved the model, the students proceeded with the final sculpture, which was then placed in the square. He viewed the artwork as a representation of reality, particularly of the female body. Adolfo Marciano also commented on the unrealistic portrayal of women in the media, and how the mermaid represents a more realistic depiction of the female body. He stated that it would have been inappropriate if they had created a statue of an extremely skinny woman, as it would not have been a reflection of reality. According to Beppe, a resident of Monopoli, the mermaid sculpture has sparked much discussion in recent days, with some people finding it too provocative." He expressed disappointment at the criticism, stating that the art students deserve to be praised instead of criticised. On Monday, a statue created by the same students to honour the victims of workplace accidents will be revealed. Read all the Latest Buzz News here An Arkansas woman has been arrested for allegedly assaulting three Transportation Security Administration agents at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after a dispute over apple juice, authorities said Wednesday. TSA officials said Makiah Coleman, 19, allegedly attacked the officers as she was going through airport security just before 6 am Tuesday. Court documents showed Coleman became upset because TSA officers took away her apple juice while she was going through security because large amounts of liquids arent allowed. Coleman reportedly was ranting as she tried to retrieve the juice from a disposal bin but was pushed away by a TSA agent. Documents said Coleman then scuffled with other officers allegedly biting one agent, punching and elbowing another in the head, and grabbing the ponytail of a third. Phoenix police were called to the scene and took Coleman into custody. They said Coleman, of Little Rock, now faces several misdemeanor assault charges, one count of criminal damage and a low-level felony count of aggravated assault and was being held on a US$4,500 ($7,320) bond. It was not immediately known Wednesday if Coleman had a lawyer who could speak on her behalf. TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers called it an unprovoked and brazen physical attack and said the incident caused the closure of the checkpoint, forcing about 450 travelers to go to another checkpoint for their security screening. Two agents were taken to a hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries before being released, according to TSA officials. They said any threat, verbal abuse or physical violence toward TSA employees could result in criminal penalties and fines of up to nearly $22,775. In June 2019, a 19-year-old Texas man was arrested at Sky Harbor after he reportedly attacked five TSA agents and attempted to rush through a security checkpoint. One transportation security officer was taken to a hospital and four were taken to urgent care clinics in that incident. The man was arrested on charges of criminal trespassing, resisting arrest and five counts of misdemeanor assault. Read all the Latest Buzz News here A colony of spiders was discovered in a womans ear after she walked into a hospital in China, complaining of pain and a constant buzzing sound. Initially, the doctors at the Huidong County Peoples Hospital tried to check if the woman had tinnitus and performed an endoscopy. However, they found a false eardrum that was actually a web created by the spider. The arachnid rushed out and tried to attack the endoscopic tube. Doctors were able to take out the spider safely. To everyones relief, the spider was not poisonous, and the woman had endured only minor damage to her ear canal. The incident took place in Chinas Sichuan province on April 20. The web made by this spider is very similar to the eardrum. When the ear endoscope first entered, nothing abnormal was found. But when you look closely, there seems to be something moving underneath. I pushed aside the spider web, it was about to flee, but it was finally taken out smoothly, Han Xinglong, the physician of the Department of Otolaryngology, told local media. The hospital also warned individuals against removing foreign objects from their bodies by themselves as it could cause injuries. The hospital urged people to seek professional help in such situations. The doctors also advised people to ensure proper hygiene and check the breeding ground of spiders. This is not the first time such a shocking incident has taken place. Previously, a clip of a spider crawling out of a womans ear had grabbed attention online. The arachnid easily moved out of the ear as light was focused on it. The clip left social media users disgusted. Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by UNILAD (@unilad) Back in 2012, a woman, identified as Mrs Lee, had checked into a hospital in China after being bothered by an itchy year. It was later revealed that a spider had been living in her ear canal. As reported by the Huffington Post, the spider may have crawled into Lees ear while she was asleep in her home, which was being renovated. Doctors had to fill the womans ear with saline, to see if the spider would come out on its own. Luckily, their plan worked. Read all the Latest Buzz News here The Central government has sanctioned 11 new nursing colleges for Tamil Nadu and they would be established at an outlay of Rs 10 crore each, State Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Friday. These colleges, offering 100 undergraduate seats, would be built next to the state-run medical colleges, he said. Despite the state already having six nursing colleges, there have always been pleas to start additional colleges. During my meeting with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya two months ago, I requested for according sanction for 30 new nursing colleges in the state, owing to the huge demand for them. Eleven new nursing colleges were sanctioned for Tamil Nadu on Thursday evening, Subramanian told reporters here. He said several legislators had demanded that a nursing college be set up in their respective Assembly constituencies or in their districts. The sites for the colleges would be decided in consultation with Chief Minister M K Stalin, Subramanian said. During a review meeting with senior health officials earlier in the day, he directed them to ensure sufficient stock of Anti-Snake Venom (ASV) injections, Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and loading dose first aid tablets to reduce viscosity of blood, decrease severity of heart attack and save lives, at all the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Health Sub Centres (HSCs) spread across Tamil Nadu. So, people in need of these drugs need not rush to the metros even for the initial treatment, he said. Read all the Latest Education News here The National Testing Agency will release the exam city slip tomorrow, April 30, 2023 for the Common University Cum Entrance Test - UG. Candidates who have registered themselves for the entrance examination can download the city slip from the portal, cuet.samarth.ac.in. The information bulletin of the National Testing Agency mentions that city slip will be released tomorrow for the registered candidates. While the CUET- UG 2023 admit cards are expected to be out in the second week of May 2023. Its important for the student to know that city slip is not an admit card. City slip will inform the candidate about their examination centre on the date of the entrance examination. While it is the admit card that will allow students to enter the examination venue. The admit card will include the following details- name, roll number, exam date, exam time, date of birth, instructions etc. It is advised to the students to take a print out for their admit cards when released. No student will be allowed to take the test without showing the hardcopy of their admit card. The University Grant Commission in collaboration with National Testing Agency will commence CUET- UG 2023 examination from May 21, 2023 to May 31, 2023. The online examination will be held in 13 languages - Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Odia, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. The CUET- UG will include objective type with Multiple Choice Questions. The question paper will have three sections - language, domain subject (based on Class 12 syllabus) and general test. The general test includes general knowledge, current affairs, and quantitative reasoning to name a few. The testing agency conducts CUET every year across the country to take admissions for Undergraduate Programmes via CBT mode for all the Central and participating Universities. As reported by media reports, close to 16 lakh students have registered for the CUET UG Exam. UGC chairman, Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar tweeted that the commission has observed a 41 percent increase in the total number of candidates who registered for the Common University Cum Entrance Test. It is advised to students to keep checking the official portal of University Grant Commission and National Testing agency for further updates. Read all the Latest Education News here The University of Hyderabad has released a notice inviting eligible candidates to apply for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes for the academic year 2023-24. Candidates can apply for the PhD courses by visiting the official website of UoH at acad.uohyd.ac.in. The registration process will open on Monday, May 1, and will conclude on Thursday, May 25. Registered candidates will be able to download their hall tickets from June 10 onwards. The entrance exam for admission to PhD programmes will be conducted on June 17 and June 18. Candidates applying for the PhD courses will have to appear for an All India Common Entrance Test that will be hosted by the University of Hyderabad. Those who have appeared for the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) exam are also eligible to apply. For further details including courses offered, eligibility criteria, prescribed fee, reservation policy and the Prospectus 2023-24, please refer to the website http://acad.uohyd.ac.in or http://www.uohyd.ac.in, reads the official notice. UoH PhD Registration: How to Apply Step 1: Go to the official website of University of Hyderabad at uohyd.ac.in. Step 2: Candidates need to register themselves first. Step 3: After logging in, proceed with the PhD application form. Step 4: Upload all the required documents in the prescribed format. Step 5: Make the necessary payment. Step 6: Check the form and submit it as instructed. Step 7: Save and download the confirmation page. Step 8: Print a hard copy of the form. While filling up the University of Hyderabad PhD 2023 form, candidates will have to upload a set of scanned documents which includes signature and photograph of the candidate, educational certificates, a valid NET JRF certificate, and caste certificate (if required). General category candidates need to pay Rs 600 as application fee. Those who fall under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) need to pay Rs 550. Applicants from the Other Backward Classes-Non-Creamy Layer category will have to pay Rs 400 and SC/ST/PWD (PH) category candidates need to pay Rs 275. It is to be noted that the fee once paid will not be refunded. The PhD form number and payment transaction number or order number needs to be carefully noted by the applicant for future reference. Also, without the form number the PhD application will not be considered by the university. Read all the Latest Education News here Nine students in Andhra Pradesh have ended their lives. It is suspected that the students have taken the step after failing to clear intermediate examinations. The results of intermediate first year and second year (Class 11 and 12) were declared on Wednesday. Nine students have died by suicide in separate incidents since Thursday. Two other students attempted suicide. B. Tarun (17) died by suicide in Srikakulam district. The student of intermediate first year hailing from Dandu Gopalapuram village of the district was disheartened over failure in most of the papers. A 16-year-old girl died by suicide at a residence at Trinadhapuram under Malkapuram police station limits of Visakhapatnam district. A. Akhilasree was upset after failing in some subjects of intermediate first year. B. Jagadeesh (18) ended his life at his residence at Kancharapalem locality in Visakhapatnam. He had failed in one of the subjects in intermediate second year. Depressed over failure in one subject in intermediate first year examination, Anusha (17) died by suicide in Chittoor district. Babu (17), also of Chittor district, died by suicide after failing to clear intermediate second year. T. Kiran (17) died by suicide at his residence in Anakapalli as he was depressed over securing low marks in intermediate first year. The pass percentage for first year was 61 and second year was 72. Over 10 lakh students had appeared in the examination held in March-April. Police and psychologists have appealed to students to desist from taking the extreme step as they have entire life ahead of them and they can turn failure into a success Disclaimer: This news piece may be triggering. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata) Read all the Latest Education News here Can Prime Minister Narendra Modi again swing a state election the Bharatiya Janata Partys way in what seems a tight contest so far in Karnataka? The Congress, with the poisonous snake" comment, has certainly given some timely ammunition to Modi as the PM starts a whirlwind political campaign in the southern state on Saturday. The Prime Ministers electioneering will see nearly 20 rallies and roadshows till May 7. And he will spend this entire weekend in Karnataka doing six rallies and two big roadshows in Bengaluru and Mysore. His campaign is expected to be pitched on four major issues. Plan of traction The first is a strong attack on the Congress for calling him a poisonous snake" and slogans like Modi teri kabr khudegi". The second pitch is expected to be slamming the Congress model of election freebies" and its unfulfilled poll promises" in other states. The third likely to be highlighting the appeasement policy" of the Congress in not acting against the Popular Front of India (PFI) for all these years, and for backing the 4% Muslim reservation in the state that deprives" Lingayats and Vokkaligas of extra reservation. The fourth pitch of the PM could be imploring voters to believe in his model of governance and vote for double-engine development" that brings infrastructure and funding as well as a host of welfare schemes for the people. In doing so, the BJP hopes to pitch the election more on national issues rather than hyper-local issues and cash in on Modis popularity which saw the party win challenging states like Uttarakhand and Tripura for the second time in a row, defeating history. The Congress, however, feels Karnataka is different as a southern state and believes people have already made up their minds to vote out the BJP given the weak governance" of chief minister BS Bommai and the partys tallest state face BS Yediyurappa bowing out of politics. Will Kharges comment backfire? The Congress feels that Mallikarjun Kharges comment, calling PM Modi a poisonous snake, will not affect its chances as the Karnataka election is pitched on the issue of local-level corruption and the four guarantees promised by the Congress to voters in the form of poll sops like Rs 1,500 per month to each woman and Rs 3,000 per month to every graduate. However, there seems to be some uneasiness over the comment in state Congress circles which explains why Kharge immediately offered his special regret. PM Modi, however, is not likely to let off the Congress on this and is expected to project this as an example of the constant hatred of the Gandhi family and Congress for him, citing earlier remarks like Maut ka saudagar", Neech aadmi", and Modi teri kabr khudegi". The BJP feels such personal attacks on Modi always boomerang on the Congress and this may happen in Karnataka too. Union home minister Amit Shah in his rallies on Friday attacked the Congress on the poisonous snake" remark of Kharge. Read all the Latest Politics News here Read more After the meeting in Humnabad, PM flew to Vijayapura where he addressed a public gathering. He would later fly to Kudachi in Belagavi district where he will address people at about 2.45 pm. Later, Modi would fly to Bengaluru in the evening to hold a road show in Bengaluru North. On day two of his visit, after staying in Bengaluru, he would then depart from Raj Bhavan on Sunday morning to fly to Kolar where he will address a public meeting at 11.30 am. From Kolar, the Prime Minister would then fly to Channapatna in Ramanagara district to address a public meeting at 1.30 pm. Modi would then go to the temple town of Belur in Hassan district where he will address people at 3.45 pm. The Prime Ministers next destination will be Mysuru the same evening, where he will hold a roadshow. After the event, he would fly from Mysuru to Delhi by a special aircraft. This is Modis ninth visit to poll-bound Karnataka this year since February where Assembly elections to 224 seats are due on May 10. Politics in Karnataka With polling around the corner, the political heat is increasing in Karnataka where elections to the 224-member assembly are due on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13. During an interaction with the media in poll-bound Karnataka, BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal Thursday night called Sonia Gandhi a Vishkanya, apparently responding to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharges comparison of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a poisonous snake. Though Karge apologised for his remark after backlash from Congress, the grand old party has hit out at the BJP over its leaders statement and demanded his expulsion from the party and asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved of such name-calling. The party also asked Prime Minister Modi to apologise to Sonia Gandhi, the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party. With the election campaign in Karnataka witnessing a bitter war of words between the BJP and the Congress, both parties rushed to the Election Commission Friday seeking a ban on electioneering by top leaders of the other side. While the BJP sought an FIR and a bar on campaigning by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress demanded restrictions on Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Congress is accusing Shah and Yogi of flaring communal passions and creating disharmony in the poll-bound state with their statements against minorities. When is 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections Results date? The Votes of Karnataka will be counted and results will be declared on May 13, 2023. How Many Seats are there in Karnataka Assembly and How Many Needed for Majority? There are total of 224 seats in the Karnataka Assembly and a party needs 113 seats for a majority. Who Won 2018 Karnataka Elections? The 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections were held on 12 May 2018. In the 2018 Karnataka Election Results, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 104 seats but failed to cross the majority 112 mark in 224 member assembly constituency, Congress grabbed the second position winning 78 seats and JDS being third with 38 seats. Both Congress and JD(S) have decided to come together to form a coalition government. Read all the Latest Politics News here After addressing back-to-back public rallies as a star campaigner for the ruling BJP in poll-bound Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a massive roadshow in Bengaluru amid Modi Modi" slogans by an enthusiastic crowd who had thronged both sides of the 5.3-kilometer-long road to welcome him with a shower of flower petals. Wearing a saffron cap and standing on a specially designed open vehicle, PM Modi waved at the people who were beaming with joy after catching a glimpse. He flew into the city from Kudachi in Belagavi district in northern Karnataka around 5 pm this evening for the roadshow. He was received by Bangalore North MP DV Sadananda Gowda and BJP MLC C Narayanaswamy. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves at the crowd, people shower flower petals on him as he holds a roadshow in Bengaluru. #KarnatakaElections2023 pic.twitter.com/UsUriaazAJ ANI Digital (@ani_digital) April 29, 2023 The BJP flags, festoons, and posters dotted the road and a group of artists performed Dollu Kunita, a popular drum dance, en route to the roadshow. The roadshow passed through various locations in north Bengaluru including Magadi Road, Nice Road Junction to Sumanahalli. Security was beefed up and tight arrangements were made on the route. Police had issued a traffic advisory to people asking them to avoid certain roads from where PM Modis convoy would pass through. PM Modis Karnataka schedule Modi on Saturday flew in from Delhi and reached Bidar in the morning. He addressed public meetings in Humnabad in Bidar, district headquarter town in Vijayapura and Kudachi in Belagavi district. The Prime Minister will stay overnight in Bengaluru on Saturday and depart from Raj Bhavan on Sunday morning to hold public meetings in the district headquarter town of Kolar, Channapatna in Ramanagara district and Belur in Hassan district. He will also hold a roadshow in Mysuru on Sunday before heading back to Delhi. Single-phase voting in Karnataka will take place on May 10 and the results will be announced on May 13. (with inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest Politics News here Georgias European Union integration and Frances support in this regard were discussed on Friday in a meeting between Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili and Catherine Colonna, the French Foreign Minister, Trend reports with reference to Agenda. Zourabichvili highlighted that the French FMs visit was very important for Georgia especially at this stage, in the process of implementation of the EU recommendations for granting the country the membership candidate status, the Presidential Administration said. Georgia cannot accept a second refusal regarding the candidate status [from the EU], it will be hard to understand [for Georgians] and counterproductive message [from Europe], she added. Colonna said It is pleasing to see EU flags in the streets of Georgias capital Tbilisi and to know that Georgian citizens' majority are profoundly pro-European. "Georgia's European dream must become a reality, she stressed, confirming her unwavering support for the country's European integration, as well as its territorial integrity and sovereignty. The security of the Black Sea region and Georgias important role in developing new transit and energy connections were also discussed by the officials. Within the framework of her visit to Georgia, the French FM earlier on Friday laid a wreath at the Tbilisi memorial for those fallen for Georgias independence. Marathi actress Monalisa Bagal-starrer Ravrambha is all set to release on May 1. With just a day left for the films release, she is busy with the promotion of the film. She recently attended the music launch event of the film and gave a byte to News 18 Lokmat. Monalisa got emotional remembering her parents, Minakshi Bagal and Rajesh Bagal. The actress couldnt hold back her tears and said that she has stayed away from her parents for a long time due to the shooting. She added that she has tried her best to make her parents proud of her work in the film and continued stating that her parents also felt happy to see Ashwini Bagal (Monalisas sister) playing a role in Ravrambha. Monalisa also shared how it was her dream to act in a film based on the theme of history. She remembered being extremely happy after her wish came true. According to Monalisa, it is one of the biggest moments of her life to essay a lead role in a historical film. She also credited the stylists and designers of Ravrambha for coming up with beautiful outfits for her. Meanwhile, the music of Ravrambha has received immense appreciation from the audience. The title song Mazya Davnila, Raav Rambha has received more than 1.87 lakh views. Anandi Joshi and Harshavardhan Wavare provided their voice to the song. Amitraj has composed music to the lyrics penned by Guru Thakur. Social media users loved the number and one of them commented that Monalisa is looking beautiful in her character. Directed by Anup Ashok Jagdale, Ravrambha narrates the story of Ravrambha Nimbalkar who was a warrior who dreamt of achieving Swaraj along with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Om Bhutkar will be seen playing the male lead in the film. Actor Shantanu Moghe will play the character of Shivaji Maharaj and actors Ashok Samarth, Mir Sarwar and others will also essay key roles in Ravrambha. Read all the Latest Bollywood News and Regional Cinema News here Malayalam actor Nivin Pauly has received accolades from fans for outstanding performances in films like Da Thadiya, 1983 and others. He is now gearing up for his upcoming film Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai with director Ram. The Tamil-Malayalam bilingual is nearing its release and dubbing work is almost completed, as per reports. Nivin has shared a glimpse of the dubbing work on Facebook. Fans were surprised that the actor, despite having Malayalam origins, spoke fluently in Tamil. Actors Anjali and Soori were also seen in Nivins video and they have completed their dubbing as well for the film. Sooris followers were also left in awe of his expressions. A fan commented that it is difficult to hold on to your character like Soori. Others commented with fire and heart emoticons showing their love for the film. The video has garnered 22,000 views. Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malais storyline revolves around the life of a fisherman. It is Nivins third Tamil film after Neram and Richie. Produced by Suresh Kamatchi under V House Productions, the film has Yuvan Shankar Rajas music. The title announcement video of Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai was unveiled by V House Productions around six months back. The video featured characters as animated figures and hinted at a love story between Nivin and Anjalis characters. The video was loved by the audience and received over 12 lakh views. Viewers liked how director Ram presented the idea of his film in a unique manner for the audience. One of the users commented that the films storyline feels like a combination of the K.G.F franchise and the film Kattradhu Thamizh. Nivin was last seen in Thuramukham, directed by Rajeev Ravi. This film is based on protests that were organised against the Chappa system that was practised in Cochin harbour during the 1950s. Thuramukham received mixed reviews from the audience. The audience opined that it could have been a great film if the director would have focused on the editing. According to the viewers, the film looked disjointed and all over the place. Read all the Latest Bollywood News and Regional Cinema News here Tamil actress Vanitha Vijaykumars ex-husband and visual effects director Peter Paul passed away at a hospital in Chennai on April 29. According to reports, he was admitted to the hospital a few days ago after he suffered a heart attack. While the exact reason for his demise is still unknown, condolences and tributes have started to pour in from all quarters. Vanitha has also paid tribute to her ex-husband through an Instagram post. The actress shared a picture with the text that revealed her mothers teachings. Penning down an emotional note, Vanitha hoped that Peter Paul had found peace after battling the demons". This is not all. Vanitha also mentioned a trauma that Peter went through. In an emotional note Vanitha wrote, My mom once taught me, God, help those who help themselves. Its definitely a lesson everyone should learn. When at a crossroads, people make their own choices of path. I am sure you found peace after battling the demons you were facing and the trauma you went through. As sad as I feel about your parting from the world, I know you are definitely in a better place, and you finally found your peace. Be happy wherever you are. Several users appreciated that Vanitha paid tribute to her ex-husband. A user commented, So kind of you to post this. Former Bigg Boss Tamil contestant Vanitha tied the knot with Peter Paul on June 27, 2020, in Chennai, in a Christian wedding. The two first met after Vanitha approached Peter to narrate a script and eventually both fell in love. However, their marriage created a huge stir, as it was Vanithas third marriage and the Chadralekha actress was Peters second wife. Their marriage became a big controversy and made headlines that time. This is reportedly because Peters first wife Elizabeth Helen had lodged a police complaint, claiming that he wasnt divorced and Vanitha and Peters marriage stands null and void. But, Vanithas marriage with Peter didnt last long, and reportedly, because of a disagreement between the two, Peter divorced Vanitha and they parted ways. Read all the Latest Bollywood News and Regional Cinema News here Tamil actress Kanaka has not acted in any film for quite a long time. There was a time when she was quite popular for her acting prowess but now there has been no news about her for a long time. Recently, there were some reports regarding her which shocked her fans. According to the reports, many valuables in her house got burnt due to a fire. Kanakas house is located in the RK Puram area in Chennai. According to a report in The New Indian Express, her house is in a dilapidated condition for a long time now. The main gate of the house seemed like it has not been painted for years. The report further described that the call bell of her home was not working and some cars were parked nearby which didnt seem properly washed. The door was closed and there was no watchman as well. As of now, no concrete details are available about what happened to Kanaka. She last appeared before the media in 2013 to quash the rumours of her death. It was reported that the actress was undergoing treatment at Palliative Care Hospital in Alappuzha, Kerala. The reports stated that the actress died after she failed to receive the correct treatment for her disease. Kanaka had to call a press conference at her residence to clarify rumours about her death. The actress, back then, told news agency IANS that she is very much alive. Kanaka added that she didnt have cancer as claimed by some reports. Kanaka had said that she last visited Kerala in 1992 when she was shooting for a Malayalam film. Kanaka last essayed a cameo role in Suriya- Jyothika starrer Sillunu Oru Kadhal. Directed by Obeli N Krishna, the film narrated the story of a happily married man who faces an emotional conflict. Read all the Latest Bollywood News and Regional Cinema News here There was a long list of cases in which mafia brothers Atiq Ahmed and Khalid Azeem aka Ashraf were involved but of the over 100 cases, the one which ultimately proved to be detrimental to their political career was the Madarsa Kand. Though the UP Police failed to establish the involvement of the brothers in this 2007 case, people say their complicity was an unsaid truth known to all and finally put a full stop to their 44-year-long political career that eventually ended on April 15 after the duo was killed in police custody by three assailants. On the outskirts of Prayagraj, on Kareli road in Mehmoodabad locality, lies a desolate structure Madarsa Jamiyat-us-Swalihat Al Islamiya (Balika). This structure, which was home to more than 50 girls including orphans, has been a witness to the infamous Madarsa Kand which is still fresh in the memories of the residents of Prayagraj. The infamous episode Of the many versions of the story, the UP Polices take is that the incident was reported on January 17, 2007, when three armed assailants barged into the Madarsa and forced the management to open the door. The girls who belonged to far-flung areas stayed in the Madarsa. The three assailants barged in and threatened the guard, forcing him to open the door. They were using abusive language against the girls and also tried to drag them, read the information given by the guard to the management on the basis on which an FIR was lodged. The guard had also mentioned that the men tried to grab and hurt the girls (noch gasoot karne ka prayas kiya). However, another version of the Madarsa Kand that is quite popular among the locals and the old journalists who covered the incident, states that after the miscreants barged into the Madarsa on the directions of Atiqs brother Ashraf, they picked up two girls, raped them brutally and then dumped them back at the Madarsa the next morning. Ashraf reportedly made frequent visits to the Madarsa where he molested the girls at will. The January 2007 episode, however, was brought to light because of the condition of the two minors which had to be eventually reported to the police and authorities. An FIR was lodged and more than a dozen girls were mentioned but Ashrafs name was kept out of the report at the behest of the then chief minister who visited the city at the same time to take a holy dip in Sangam during the ongoing Ardh Kumbh, Anupam Mishra, a senior journalist who covered the incident, told News18. Mishra said innocents such as the local tailors and rickshaw-pullers were implicated in the case. Soon, the girls and witnesses vanished and all the accused were exonerated by the court. On March 8, 2009, two years after the sensational incident, the five men named as accused by UP Police were released from jail after a local court found no evidence against them, said senior police officials. MA Khan, vice-president of the Lucknow Mahanagar BJP Alpsankhyak Morcha, who also hails from Prayagraj, said: Police came under attack for their dubious role in the issue. They arrested five men all people of modest means who earned their living by working as tailors and accused them of gang rape. In their statements, the men said they were not involved in the crime but the police pressed ahead with their prosecution. Lambu alias Sheruddin, Munna Ekhlakh, Naushad Ahmad, Sheebu and Mohammad Bade the accused in the Madarsa Kand heaved a sigh of relief when Additional Sessions Judge Brijesh Kumar Mishra acquitted them. In his order, the judge observed that there are contradictions among the eyewitnesses and witnesses regarding the timing of incident, identification of accused and other circumstantial evidence. The court cannot deny the incident, but the accused do not appear to be the culprits, he said while referring to the order. The episode, however, turned the predominant OBC Ansari community against Atiq Ahmed as nearly all the girls in the Madarsa came from this section. Neither Atiq nor Ashraf ever won any election after this episode. Atiq tried his luck from Shravasti and Kanpur but was defeated every time. The weakening political clout paved the way for the don to be challenged. So the case was actually the beginning of the end, senior journalist Mishra added. Atiq Ahmed remained a five-time MLA and one-time MP, whereas his brother remained an MLA after winning a by-election in 2005 from the Allahabad West seat. Atiq was an MLA from 1989 to 2004 but none from his family managed to win after the 2007 incident. In the 2007 state assembly elections, Pooja Pal, a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate from Allahabad West assembly seat, won the elections by securing 56,198 votes whereas Ashraf, a candidate from Samajwadi Party (SP), secured 45,876 votes. In the 2012 state assembly elections, Pal won again by securing 71,114 votes whereas Atiq Ahmed, who fought elections on Apna Dals ticket, lost after securing 63,229 votes. Read all the Latest India News here The Gujarat High Court has started hearing Congress leader Rahul Gandhis appeal, in which he challenges the decision of the Surat sessions court to deny a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case related to his comment about the Modi surname." As per the cause list, Gandhis appeal will be heard by Justice Hemant Prachchhak. Earlier on April 26, when Gandhis lawyer P S Champaneri mentioned the case before Justice Gita Gopi, she recused herself from the hearing by saying Not before me." The development came a day after Gandhi moved the HC. A metropolitan magistrates court in Surat on March 23 sentenced the former Congress president to two years in jail after convicting him under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 (criminal defamation) in a 2019 case filed by Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) Gujarat MLA Purnesh Modi. Following the verdict, Gandhi, elected to the Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala in 2019, was disqualified as a Member of Parliament (MP) under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act. Gandhi challenged the order in a sessions court in Surat along with an application seeking a stay to the conviction. While granting him bail, the court on April 20 refused to stay the conviction. Purnesh Modi filed a criminal defamation case against Gandhi over his `How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname? remark made during an election rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019. A stay to the conviction could pave the way for Gandhis reinstatement as a Member of Parliament. Read all the Latest India News here In a first, the Indian Army has inducted five women officers into its artillery regiment, which is a major combat support arm. Five Women Officers joined the Regiment of Artillery after the successful completion of training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, on April 29 this year. The Women Officers (WOs) being commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery are being provided exactly the same opportunities and challenges as their male counterparts (19 male officers have also been commissioned into the Artillery). These young women officers are being posted to all types of artillery units, where they will get adequate training and exposure to handle Rocket, Medium, Field and Surveillance & Target Acquisition (SATA) and equipment in challenging conditions. Of the five women officers, three are posted to units deployed along Northern borders and the other two in challenging locations in the Western Theatre. Lt Mehak Saini is commissioned into a SATA Regiment, Lt Sakshi Dubey and Lt Aditi Yadav into Field Regiments, Lt Pious Mudgil commissioned into a Medium Regiment and Lt Akanksha commissioned into a Rocket Regiment. The culmination of the passing out parade was the moment of commissioning when the young women cadets took the oath of allegiance to the Constitution and received their rank insignia, signifying their entry into the Regiment of Artillery. The ceremony was attended by senior military officials including Lt Gen Adosh Kumar, Colonel Commandant and Director General of Artillery (Designate), other dignitaries and proud family members of the newly commissioned officers. The commissioning of women officers into the Regiment of Artillery is a testament to the ongoing transformation in the Indian Army when, in January this year, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande announced the decision of commissioning women officers into Artillery which was later approved by the government. This significant event marked a major milestone in the journey of women officers in the Indian Army, who have been breaking barriers to serve their country with valour and distinction. Read all the Latest India News here MAHARASHTRA LOTTERY RESULTS 29.04.2023: The Maharashtra State Lottery Department is scheduled to conduct a lucky draw for its weekly lotteries on Saturday, April 29. These include four lotteries namely Sahyadri Prabhalaxmi, Ganeshlaxmi Samrudhi, Gajlaxmi Shani, and Maharashtralaxmi. The winning numbers for these lotteries are announced at different intervals of time. The department will reveal the results of the draw on its official website, which can be accessed at https://lottery.maharashtra.gov.in/index.html. Check the list of winning numbers for April 29 given below: ALSO READ: Kerala Lottery Karunya KR-599 Result For 29.04.2023 at 3 PM; First Prize Rs 80 Lakh! GANESHLAXMI SAMRIDDHI WEEKLY LOTTERY RESULT GAJLAXMI SHANI WEEKLY LOTTERY RESULT MAHARASHTRA LOTTERY 29 APRIL, 2023 LUCKY DRAW Sahyadri Prabhalaxmi Weekly Lottery: Results at 5:15 PM Ganeshlaxmi Samrudhi Weekly Lottery: Results at 5:00 PM Gajlaxmi Shani Weekly Lottery: Results at 4:45 PM Maharashtralaxmi Weekly Lottery: Results at 4:15 PM How to Check Maharashtra State Lottery Results? Follow the below-mentioned steps to view the results of any Maharashtra State Lottery draw that took place on April 29: STEP 1: Visit the official website of the Maharashtra State Lottery at https://lottery.maharashtra.gov.in/index.html. STEP 2: Navigate through the websites menu bar to locate the Lottery Result link. STEP 3: Upon clicking the link, a blue-colored page labeled Lottery Result List" will appear. Select this page. STEP 4: You will be directed to a new page that shows all the results of previous lottery draws conducted by the authorities. Enter the specific date, month, and year of the lottery draw you wish to view. STEP 5: The results will be presented in PDF format. Click on the PDF file to download it. Read all the Latest India News here Prime Minister Narendra Modis Mann Ki Baat will complete 100 episodes on April 30, but before that visuals giving a sneak peek into the whole process of recording the radio show surfaced online on Saturday. As the prime minister recorded the 100th episode of his popular monthly radio show, the central government for the first time released visuals of how it takes place. The visuals showed Prime Minister Modi recording Mann Ki Baat and the entire set-up of the radio programme, which has kept the country enthralled since October 2014. Taking place on the last Sunday of every month, the show is broadcast on the All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) network. In a video clip, the PM is seen entering the studio, where he first interacts with the staff who handle the recording equipment, and he is then seen walking into a chamber with a simple set up of a table, chair and a microphone with the Tricolour in the background. Ahead of the 100th episode, a report on the significance of the radio show was released on Friday, which stated that Mann Ki Baat has encouraged sustainable growth as well as citizen participation in changemaking initiatives since its inception. The study has been supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. According to the study, titled Mann Ki Baat A decade of reflection, since the inception of the radio broadcast in 2014, it has become a key pillar of the central governments citizen-outreach programme. The study performed a quantitative and qualitative textual analysis of 99 transcripts of the episodes published from 2014-2023. In a historic moment, the 100th episode will also be broadcast live at the headquarters of the United Nations. Get ready for a historic moment as the 100th episode of PM Modis Mann Ki Baat" is set to go live on April 30th in Trusteeship Council Chamber at @UN HQ! the Permanent Mission of India to the UN said in a tweet. Get ready for a historic moment as the 100th episode of PM Modi's "Mann Ki Baat" is set to go live on April 30th in Trusteeship Council Chamber at @UN HQ! #MannKiBaat has become a monthly national tradition, inspiring millions to participate in s developmental journey pic.twitter.com/6ji4t1flmu India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) April 28, 2023 The Consulate General of India in New York, along with community organisations, is also hosting the broadcast of the 100th episode for members of the Indian-American and diaspora community in New Jersey during a special event at 1.30 am on Sunday. The BJP, too, is going all out to make the 100 th episode a mass outreach programme. It has targeted four lakh venues for people to listen to the 30-minute broadcast, which will air at 11 am IST on April 30. The party has made arrangements at 100 venues on average in every assembly constituency across the country, with national president JP Nadda overseeing the entire exercise. (With PTI inputs) Read all the Latest India News here From a live broadcast at the United Nations headquarters in New York to special screenings across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modis 100th episode of Mann ki Baat" radio broadcast on Sunday is going to be historic. The ministries of the Central government and the state units of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have planned several programmes to mark the historic feat. The Ministry of Finance announced that it will release a commemorative coin of Rs 100 denomination on the 100th episode of Maan Ki Baat". In the 30-minute Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, PM Modi addresses the people of the country on different issues. The radio programme was first aired on October 3, 2014, and is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month at 11 am on the All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) network. The programme is streamed on various online platforms and news channels as well. Mann Ki Baat 100th Episode to Be Broadcast Live in UN Headquarters In a historic moment, the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat will be broadcast live at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The 100th episode of Modis monthly radio address will air at 11 am IST on April 30, which will be 1:30 am Sunday in New York. The live broadcast of the programme in the early hours of Sunday in the UN headquarters will be historic and unprecedented. It will be aired in the UNs Trusteeship Council Chamber. Tourism Ministry Plans 100 Days of Action to Mark 100th Episode of Mann Ki Baat From a pan-India design challenge for entrepreneurs to develop substitutes for single-use plastic items to the visit of youths to lighthouses, the Union Tourism Ministry has planned 100 days of action" through the Yuva Tourism Clubs to mark the 100th episode of Mann ki Baat". The ministry will celebrate the 100th episode through its Yuva Tourism Clubs, officials said on Saturday. The ministry has constituted 30,000 Yuva Tourism Clubs till date, it said, adding that it proposes to increase the number to 50,000 in the 100 days starting May 1. BJP Targets 4 Lakh Venues for People to Listen to 100th Episode of Mann Ki Baat The BJP is going all out to make the 100th episode of PM Modis Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast an unprecedented" mass outreach programme and will make arrangements at 100 venues on average in every assembly constituency across the country for people to listen to it. The BJP said it will make arrangements at around four lakh places across the country for people to hear Modis address, with party president J P Nadda overseeing the entire exercise to make it a historic" success. In order to make the broadcast of the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat historic and to give it a comprehensive format, the Bharatiya Janata Party has released a detailed programme under which unprecedented arrangements are being made for its telecast at about 4 lakh booth level centres across the country," BJP national general secretary Dushyant Gautam said. The UP unit of the BJP has made elaborate arrangements for Mann ki Baat" telecast at 55,000 centres at the booth level. The episode will be aired at more than 100 places in every assembly constituency of the state, in presence of local MPs, MLAs and other elected public representatives and senior party functionaries. The Odisha BJP has made arrangements for the broadcast the 100th episode in 2000 booths across the state. The BJP government in Uttarakhand are making arrangements in schools, degree colleges, polytechnics, Industrial Training Institutes and gram sabhas so that people gather there in large numbers and listen to the 100th episode of Mann ki Baat". Mann Ki Baat Catalyzed Community-led Action on Sanitation, Health: Bill Gates Congratulating PM Modi on the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat, Microsoft Co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates said the programme has catalyzed community-led action on sanitation, health, womens economic empowerment and other issues linked to the Sustainable Development Goals. Mann ki Baat has catalyzed community led action on sanitation, health, womens economic empowerment and other issues linked to the Sustainable Development Goals. Congratulations @narendramodi on the 100th episode. https://t.co/yg1Di2srjE Bill Gates (@BillGates) April 29, 2023 Mann Ki Baat Encouraging Sustainable Growth, Citizens Participation in Change Making Initiatives: Study The Mann-Ki-Baat radio programme has transformed into an inspirational platform encouraging sustainable progress on priority themes that are core to Indias efforts towards achieving sustainable development goals, according to a study supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Since its inception in 2014, the monthly radio broadcast has become a key pillar of the governments citizen-outreach program, the study titled Mann KI BaatA Decade of Reflection added. The objective of the study, the report said, was to perform a quantitative and qualitative textual analysis of 99 transcripts of the Mann Ki Baat episodes published from 2014-2023 using text-mining tools as well as to identify the most prominently discussed thematic areas in the programme. (Photo: News18)The Institute for Competitiveness (IFC) is the research partner in the study, while Axis My India is its knowledge partner. The Mann Ki Baats efforts to raise awareness of global and local problems, celebrate grassroots solutions, and encourage citizen activism have contributed to Indias progress towards the SDGs with the programme focussing on five thematic areas cleanliness and sanitation, health, wellness, water conservation, and sustainability the report said. PMs Mann Ki Baat Has 23 Crore Regular Listeners: Survey Nearly 23 crore people tune in to Prime Minister Narendra Modis Mann ki Baat programme on the last Sunday of every month with 65 per cent listeners preferring to hear the talk in Hindi, according to a survey conducted by the Indian Institute of Management-Rohtak. The survey also found that the Mann ki Baat programme, the 100th edition of which will be broadcast this coming Sunday, is heard more on television channels followed by mobile phones, with radio listeners accounting for 17.6 per cent of the total listenership. It found that more than 100 crore people have listened to the programme at least once, while around 41 crore were occasional listeners. As many as 44.7 per cent of the total listeners hear the programme on television sets, while 37.6 per cent tune in on mobile phones," Dheeraj P Sharma, Director of IIM-Rohtak, told reporters here on Monday. (With PTI inputs) Read all the Latest India News here The US Department of State has approved a potential sale to Great Britain of up to 768 Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System-IIs (APKWS II) for an estimated cost of $31.2 million, the Pentagon said in a press-release on Friday, Trend reports citing TASS. According to the Department of Defense, "The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the United Kingdom of up to 768 Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System-IIs for an estimated cost of $31.2 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today." The sale would also include support equipment, spare and repair parts, technical documentation, transportation, technical and logistical support vehicles. Implementation of the potential sale will require multiple trips by five US officials and the assignment of "approximately five contractor representatives to the United Kingdom on an intermittent basis for a period of approximately five years to support delivery and integration of items and to provide supply support management, inventory control, and equipment familiarization," the press release reads. "The proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally," the US defense agency said. Rekha Singh, wife of Galwan Valley clash hero late Naik Deepak Singh, is among the first batch of five women officers to be inducted into the artillery regiment of the Indian Army. Lt Singh got commissioned into Army after successfully completing their training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai on Saturday. Her late husband, Naik Deepak, Vir Chakra (Posthumous), made the supreme sacrifice during the Galwan Valley clash. Lt Singh said she decided to join Army after her husband passed away. Today my training has been completed and I have become a lieutenant. I am feeling very proud and I would like to advise all the women candidates out there to believe in themselves and do whatever they want to do without thinking about what others will say," she told news agency ANI. After my husband passed away I decided to join Indian Army and started preparing for it. Today my training has been completed and I have become a lieutenant. I am feeling very proud and I would like to advise all the women candidates out there to believe in themselves and do pic.twitter.com/nn0dzQShMP ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2023 Other women officers who joined the Regiment of Artillery are Lt Mehak Saini, Lt Sakshi Dubey, Lt Aditi Yadav and Lt Pious Mudgil, according to Military sources. Out of the five women officers, three are posted to units deployed along the borders with China and the other two in challenging locations" near the frontier with Pakistan, the sources said. The commissioning of women officers into the Regiment of Artillery is a testament to the ongoing transformation in the Indian Army, a source said. In January, Chief of Army Staff Gen Manoj Pande announced the decision of commissioning women officers into artillery units. The proposal was later approved by the government. (With PTI Inputs) Read all the Latest India News here Maximum City Mumbai is always reshaping and aiding its development is the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is not only constructing a web of metro rails in the city but also connecting Mumbai with Navi Mumbai via the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL). The 22-kilometer-long engineering marvel will significantly reduce the travel time between the mainland and the island city to just 20-25 minutes. Mumbai is transforming and not just upgrading. We have completed 90 per cent work of MTHL and we are hopeful that by the year-end, we will open it to the public. This will be one of the most iconic projects in Asia as the sea bridge is 22 kilometers long, said SVR Srinivas, commissioner of MMRDA, which is the head agency for the project. According to Srinivas, MTHL is not just another sea link that will reduce the distance between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai but it will also get more land to Mumbai city. Mumbai is an island city known for South-North commute and transportation. But with MTHL, East-West connectivity will improve which will help get labour and raw material from Navi Mumbai to Mumbai city quickly and save overall cost." The main concern for the authorities was traffic in Mumbai city, especially in south Mumbai in the peak morning and evening hours. However, Srinivas is of the opinion that daily, 70,000-75,000 vehicles may add to the traffic coming to south Mumbai from Navi Mumbai. To tackle this, we are joining MTHL with the freeway, the eastern expressway and further to the western suburbs. In the coming few years, the Bandra end of the Worli Sea Link will be connected to MTHL which will reduce traffic congestion, he said. He added: This will have a huge impact on the economic growth of Mumbai city. Due to this bridge, the entire south Mumbai will get transformed in the coming days. The push which the redevelopment projects of south Mumbai require will get a boost with this bridge coming up in the vicinity. Constructing this huge bridge was not an easy task for MMRDA. When Covid-19 hit, the shortage of labourers was also a major roadblock along with the challenge of training them to deal with new technology in a short time span. We had experienced that labourers were falling sick due to the sea climate. The Mumbai Monsoon was another challenge we faced while working on the project. The site where MTHL was planned to be constructed earlier was opposed by local fishermen. Several environmentalists had also raised concerns about the migration of Serbian flamingos. However, these issues were resolved by MMRDA on priority. These kind of huge projects create a lot of turbulence but we have used technology that reduces this turbulence. It is called reverse circulation drilling technology which minimises noise substantially and doesnt bother the migration of flamingos. We also dropped the idea of a cable bridge as it would have obstructed the path of these birds. To settle the issues of fishermen, MMRDA till date has spent more than Rs 117 crore as compensation, said Srinivas. For the construction of the MTHL bridge, a new technology called Orthotropic Steel Deck has been used which enables a distance up to three times longer than the norm between two piers and is used in stretches that are navigational channels for large ships. MMRDA has not yet revealed the toll it will be charging for vehicles to use this bridge. Read all the Latest India News here New Delhi: Under Operation Kaveri, 117 of 1,191 Indians rescued from strife-torn Sudan are currently being quarantined free of charge as they were not vaccinated against yellow fever, the Union health ministry said on Saturday. The Ministry of Health is working in close collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs under Operation Kaveri. The Government of India is evacuating about 3,000 passengers of Indian origin from Sudan. Necessary quarantine facilities are being arranged at transit junctures in mission mode for the incoming passengers, the ministry said. A total of 1,191 passengers have arrived so far, of which 117 passengers are currently quarantined because they were not vaccinated against yellow fever. All passengers will be released after seven days if they remain asymptomatic," it said. These passengers are provided rent-free accommodation with free food facility in the quarantine centres managed by airport health officers (APHOs) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at various hospitals across states as well as central government hospitals like Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. Arrangements have also been made at RHTC, Najafgarh (100 beds); NITR, Mehrauli (40 beds) and Lady Hardinge Medical College (60 beds), it said. The first batch of passengers arrived in Delhi with 360 passengers, none of whom required quarantine followed by the second flight which arrived in Mumbai with 240 passengers on April 26, of which 14 were quarantined," the ministry said Two people were released after validation of their vaccination certificates, it said. The remaining 12 will complete their quarantine period till Saturday evening (as they were in transit for four days at Jeddah). The third flight arrived in Bengaluru on Friday with 360 passengers, of which 47 passengers were initially quarantined. Three of them were released on Saturday after the verification of vaccination, the ministry stated. The verification of five more passengers is in process. The fourth flight arrived in Delhi Friday evening with 231 passengers of which 61 were quarantined (one was later released). Thirty-five passengers are at Delhi APHO and 26 passengers at Safdarjung Hospital, the ministry said. The fifth flight is expected to arrive in Delhi Saturday night with 367 passengers and an additional flight with 320 passengers is expected to arrive Sunday morning at 10:30 am in Bengaluru. The number of those quarantined will be dynamic as it is dependent on the verification status of passengers passport number(s)," the ministry added. Operation Kaveri was launched on April 24 to evacuate the Indian citizens stranded in Sudan. A team of officials, including from the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Air Force, and the Indian embassy in Sudan, have been appointed to ensure that the proper process of evacuation gets followed. During the evacuation, Indians will be transferred from Sudan to the capital city of Khartoum where they will be flown back to India. Read all the Latest India News here Without any navigational aid, fuel, or landing lights, a C-130J heavy-lift aircraft of the Indian Air Force, in a daring operation, rescued 121 people, from a small airstrip at Wadi Sayyidna which is about 40 km north of the violence-hit Sudanese capital city of Khartoum under operation Kaveri. Those rescued in the operation- carried out on the intervening night of April 27 and 28- include a pregnant woman and others who had no means to reach Port Sudan, the key transit point from where India is rescuing its citizens using military aircraft and naval ships. As per IAF officials, the airstrip in question had a degraded surface with no navigational aid or fuel, and most critically no landing lights which are required to guide an aircraft landing at night, said one of the officials. Knowing that the airstrip had no facilities to facilitate the rescue mission, the aircrew used their Electro-Optical and Infra-Red sensors to ensure that the runway was free from any obstructions and that no inimical forces were in the vicinity. Having made sure of the same, the aircrew carried out a tactical approach using night vision goggles on a practically dark night," said one official. Upon landing, the aircraft engines were kept running while eight IAF Garud Commandos secured the passengers and their luggage into the aircraft. As with the landing, the take off from the unlit runway was also carried out using night vision goggles," he said. This approximately two-and-a-half hour operation between Wadi Sayyidna and Jeddah will go down in the annals of IAF history for its sheer audacity and flawless execution akin to that carried out in Kabul," the IAF official said. As per Defence sources, the mission was carried out by Group Captain Ravi Nanda of the Indian Air Force. Nanda was awarded a gallantry medal for rescuing Indians from Afghanistan in August 2021 as part of Operation Devi Shakti. The IAF aircraft fly with a team of Garud Special Forces on all such missions," sources said. India launched Operation Kaveri earlier this week to bring back the stranded Indians from Sudan. Sudan has been witnessing fighting between the countrys army and a paramilitary group that has reportedly left around 400 people dead. The Indian Air Force had carried out similar operations to evacuate Indians from Kabul after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021. (With PTI Inputs) Read all the Latest India News here Amid an ongoing row on Arvind Kejriwals house renovations, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Saturday sought a detailed factual report on the recent renovations conducted at the Chief Ministers residence. Delhi L-G takes note of media reports (on alleged gross irregularities committed during the renovation of CMs residence) and keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter, directed the Chief Secretary to immediately secure and take all records relating to the matter into protective custody. Subsequently, after examination of records, a factual report on the matter be submitted within 15 days, a statement from LGs office read. Delhi LG takes note of media reports (on alleged gross irregularities committed during renovation of CM's residence) and keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter, directed the Chief Secretary to immediately secure and take all records relating to the matter into protective ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2023 The order comes after several media reports claimed that AAPs supremo Kejriwal spent nearly Rs 45 crore on the beautification" of the Chief Ministers residence. The reports on the expenditure triggered massive criticism from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress and raised eyebrows in terms of money spent on the project. While Congress leader Ajay Maken raised questions about Kejriwals right to remain in his position. Maken on Tuesday alleged that Kejriwal spent public funds on his luxurious bungalow, including on extravagant items like Dior polish, Vietnam marble, expensive curtains, and high-end carpets BJP on the other hand alleged that such a big sum was a pointer to the ideological renovation" of the AAP founder, who claimed to promote honesty and simplicity when he entered politics. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra slammed the Aam Aadmi Party leader as a Maharaj" and said even kings will bow to Kejriwal for his choice of superior" products in the residence and his lust for luxury and comfort". Read all the Latest India News here As many as 22 snakes and a chameleon were found in a passengers briefcase at the Chennai airport. The female passenger, who arrived from Kuala Lumpur, was intercepted by Chennai Airport Customs on Friday. On examination of her checked-in baggage, 22 snakes of various species and a Chameleon were found and seized under the Customs Act, 1962 and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The woman has been arrested and the forest officials have been informed. Tamil Nadu Forest Dept Steps Up Vigil The Tamil Nadu forest department has stepped up vigil on exotic species being smuggled into the state and then transported to other states and even foreign destinations. The amended Wildlife (Protection) Act will come into effect from April 1, 2023, and under this owning exotic species, including birds, animals, and rodents will be a punishable offence. There have been several cases of smuggled exotic species being caught at the Chennai international airport. Sources in the Tamil Nadu forest department told IANS that once the exotic species are smuggled into the country, these species which are priced much higher in grey market, are smuggled into other destinations of South India. In some cases, the species are transported to Northern Indian states like Delhi, Jaipur, and Lucknow. The existing Wildlife (Protection) Act does not have provisions to punish those who illegally import and own exotic species. Those who smuggle the exotic species into India go scot-free and the consignment is repatriated back to the country of origin on the same flight. Forest department sources told IANS that those who trade in exotic pets are now using their farmlands to rear these animals instead of smuggling them into the country. This helps them to reduce the cost and risk and the business is flourishing in all South Indian states and some cities like Jaipur, Lucknow, and New Delhi. (With IANS inputs) Read all the Latest India News here HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DANCE DAY 2023 WISHES, IMAGES, SMS, QUOTES, STATUS, MESSAGES: April 29 is celebrated every year as International Dance Day to recognize the diversity of hundreds of dance forms worldwide. In 1982, the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute in partnership with the performing arts of UNESCO initiated this day to celebrate not only the various dance forms but also the artists who bring them to life. This day holds immense significance as it encourages dance, which is not just an art but also a powerful medium of expression, emotion, love, and laughter, and provides various health benefits. Additionally, April 29 marks a double celebration as it is also the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, the creator of the modern ballet dance form. Lets take a look at some of the quotes and wishes to celebrate this special day. International Dance Day 2023: Quotes 1. Dance is the hidden language of the soul. Martha Graham 2. Dance for yourself. If someone understands, well. If not, no matter. - Louis Horst 3. Dancers dont need wings to fly." Unknown ALSO READ: International Dance Day 2023: Date, Theme, History, and Significance 4. Dancers arent made of their technique, but their passion. Agnes de Mille 5. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs. - Charles Baudelaire ALSO READ: International Dance Day 2023: Madhuri Dixit, Hrithik Roshan And Other Dancing Sensations In Bollywood 6. Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world. Voltaire 7. Dancing is creating a sculpture that is visible only for a moment. Erol Ozan 8. Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music. George Carlin International Dance Day 2023: Wishes 1. When you dance, you can enjoy the luxury of being you. Happy International Dance Day! 2. The only way to make sense of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. - Happy International Dance Day! 3. Learn the craft of knowing how to open your heart and turn on your creativity. Theres a light inside of you. Happy International Dance Day! 4. Dance is the way to express your emotions and feelings and dance is also the way to enjoy your body. Wishing you a very Happy International Dance Day! 5. Dance, when youre broken open. Dance, if youve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when youre perfectly free. - Happy International Dance Day! 6. On the occasion of International Dance Day, my wish for you is that you always dance to the tunes you love and live life on your own terms. 7. There are only two kinds of people in this world- those who can dance and those who cannot. Happy International Dance Day to all of you. 8. The dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional merit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs. Happy International Dance Day! 9. Dance is like breathing, it is like catharsis Enjoy it to the fullest and let your feelings flow We wish you a happy move on International Dance Day! Read all the Latest Lifestyle News here Alia Bhatt who was spotted at the airport looked comfortably chic while being papped by the media ahead of her trip to the much-awaited MET Gala 2023. All set to make her debut at the extravagant red carpet gala at the Metropolitan Museum in New York on May 1, 2023 (May 2, 4:00 am IST), Alia will adorn an ensemble designed by globally acclaimed fashion designer Prabal Gurung. Alia looked fresh like a daisy when the paparazzi spotted her at the airport. The paps even congratulated the actor on winning the Best Actress Award for Gangubai Kathiawadi at the Filmfare Awards 2023. Dressed in a casual look, Alia sported an Adidas x Gucci GG Trefoil wool bomber jacket which costs 4500 dollars, which is approximately 3,67,854.75 in Indian rupees. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) The bomber which is part of the second chapter in the Adidas and Gucci collection features the iconic three white stripes and the GG monogram. Inspired by the 80s and 90s, emblematic Houses motifs mix with those of the historic sportswear brand Adidas resulting in a series of hybrid looks This multi-coloured bomber is crafted in GG Trefoil wool jacquard and has contrast zipper details. The colour blocking in purple, pink and blue stands out and makes this jacket one of a kind. Alia paired the oversized bomber with a white camisole and a pair of light blue classic baggy jeans. She completed the look with a pair of white sneakers. With her hair tied in a messy braid, Alias airport look is simple but is definitely a showstopper in its own unique way. Alias style has always been an extension of her charming personality. Be it casual looks or glamorous red carpet styles, every ensemble she carries celebrates her. Alia is one star who knows what works for the camera and she doesnt shy away from experimenting with her ensembles. From sustainable sarees to corset sheer gowns, theres no look that Alia cant carry with panache. As she gears up to be part of MET Gala 2023, where she will be promoting her upcoming Hollywood film, Heart of Stone, we just have to wait and watch to see Alias magic unfurl on the red carpet. Read all the Latest Lifestyle News here Earlier this week on Friday, a special CBI court acquitted actor Sooraj Pancholi, who was accused of abetting the suicide of his then-girlfriend and actor Jiah Khan, citing paucity of evidence. On June 3, 2013, Jiah was found dead at her Juhu home in Mumbai. She was 25. Based on a letter seized a week later, purportedly written by her, Mumbai Police had booked Sooraj under section 306 (abetment to suicide) and arrested him. He was later released on bail. After the acquittal, Sooraj Pancholi had told a portal that he will be visiting Siddhivanayak temple to seek blessings from Lord Ganesha. Now News18 has accessed a video that shows Sooraj from inside the temples premises. The clip shows Sooraj Pancholi standing in front of the Ganesha idol with folded hands as the priest drapes him with a blanket. The actor also bowed his head to mark his respect and devotion. Later, the priest was seen applying teeka on Sooraj Pancholis forehand. Check out the exclusive video here: In a different video that was captured by the paparazzi, Sooraj Pancholi was seen arriving the temple in his car amid police security. It also showed him leaving the premises but not before interacting with some people there and posing for the camera. He also carried some temple souvenirs in his hands. The actor, who was cleared of the abetment of suicide charges on Friday by a special CBI court, said that the verdict took 10 painful years and sleepless nights. Sooraj added that he hopes no one else goes through something like this, while wondering who will give me these 10 years of my life back to me. The Verdict has taken 10 long painful years and sleepless nights, But today I have not only won this case against me but I have also won my dignity and confidence back, it took a lot of courage to face the world with such heinous allegations, I hope and pray to God that nobody goes through what I have gone through at such a young age, I dont know who will give me these 10 years of my life back to me, but I am glad that this has finally come to an end not only for me but specially for my family. There is nothing bigger than peace in this world, he said. Bollywood actress Jiah Khan was found dead at her Juhu home on June 3, 2013. A six-page suicide note purportedly penned by her was recovered. The letter narrated her intimate relationship, physical abuse, and mental and physical torture allegedly at the hands of Sooraj which let her to take the decision. It was stated that she was cheated on and abused by him and that he had even raped her, following which she had to undergo an abortion. He was even arrested but was later released on bail. Following his bail, Jiahs mother moved to the Bombay High Court and sought a transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The central investigating agency then filed a charge-sheet in December 2015 in which they charged Sooraj with abetment of suicide under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code. DISCLAIMER: This news piece may be triggering. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata). Read all the Latest Movies News and Entertainment News here Let us begin with a caveat: Islamic terrorism and fundamentalism is in no hurry to disappear. According to the website thereligionofpeace.com which tracks reported cases of Islamist terrorism, 741 people died in 145 attacks across the world during Ramzan (March 23 to April 23) this year in the name of Islam. From Al Shabaab deadly Bar Sangunni strike in Somalia that killed 32 to five Indian soldiers killed in Poonch, and from 52 of a farming community massacred in Nigeria to 60 butchered in Burkina Faso, jihadists made the Holy month awash with blood. A mob in Indonesia reportedly beat up two women and threw them into the sea for eating in a cafe instead of observing the Ramzan fast. While in Indias Gujarat, young Muslim woman Shaista was allegedly killed by five of her family members for falling in love with a Hindu man. So, let us not fool ourselves. It will take very long for the corpse train to stop. But brakes have been applied, and even if it takes a long time, the beast will weaken and hopefully stop some day. Here are seven jolts radical Islam has been dealt with lately. None of them are superficial. All of them contain the power to change. 1. No new ideas to offer Any attempt at innovation, interpretation and integration come at a high price in Islam. The decree that the Quran is not to be challenged continues to stymie new ideas. Muslims who deviated famously paid with blood. Salman Rushdie lived under threat for decades and was finally stabbed because his Satanic Verses seemed to mock Mohammad. Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz was stabbed because his book, The Children of Gabalawi, offended Egypts highest Islamic authority, Al Azhar. Arab scholar Suliman Bashear was thrown from a second-story window by his students at the University of Nablus in the West Bank after he suggested that Islam developed as a religion slowly rather than emanating fully from the mouth of the Prophet. Degreed to live forever in 7th century wisdom, Islam fails to come up with ideas on issues concerning newer generations like climate change, womens development, LGBTQ+, cryptocurrency, virtual dating, artificial intelligence and atheism without twisting itself up in an inarticulate rage. 2. Internet and ex-Muslims In the past, even the harshest and most problematic tenets of Islam used to be passed down by parents and grandparents who tempered those down with their common sense and compassion. Internet has cut out that benign intermediary. It brings the verses raw to its audience. It has also amplified the dissent of those like Taslima Nasreen, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Dina Nayeri, Tarek Fatah and others. Their work would have gone quietly and prematurely to the grave perhaps along with their authors if there were no internet. This has also spawned movements like Ex-Muslims and Awesome Without Allah, a silent but rapidly spreading body blow to the Ummah. 3. Oil economy waning Perhaps the biggest and most profound long-term threat to radical Islam is the bleak future of oil and rise of renewable/green energy. Since 2010, the stock value of the four largest oil firms has plummeted by more than half. In 2020, there were write-downs of $145 billion of oil reserves and related assets. Oil money from West Asia has powered Islamic fundamentalism for very long. With that economy shrinking, radical Islam will have to find an alternative goldmine. And that wont be easy. 4. Al Qaeda to ISIS as adverts Another massive fallout of the Internet era has been the streaming of brutalities by Islamists worldwide. Al Qaeda crashing skyscrapers full of innocents or ISIS beheading citizens in orange jumpsuits have left a couple of generations of young, sensitive and rational Muslims deeply disturbed. For centuries, Islamist genocides have entered the pages of history as mere numbers. For the first time, humanity could witness first-hand what the burning alive in an iron cage of 19 Yazidi girls who refused to be sex slaves of ISIS looks like. Add to that the utterances of maulanas from Pakistan to Libya about 72 hoors, stoning of women in Afghanistan, persecution of homosexualsall on camera. It has been the most terrible advertisement of the faith, which the Left, liberals and overground Islamists have failed to whitewash. 5. MBS, MBZ and Abraham accords Another massive development, closely linked to the sliding of the oil economy, has been the visionary leadership of Saudi and UAE crown princes Mohammed bin Salman and Mohammed bin Zayed. Both are young and envision a vibrant and open West Asia which could be the Europe of the future. They may be driven by the looming compulsion to open up their economy, and consequently, society, to the world to come and do business. They may not always act on consensus. But they are using their political systems to bring unsought of change to the region, starting with good relations with Israel and women empowerment. If they have their way, the Islamic world could look very different. 6. Iranian women protests The revolutionary protests in Iran triggered by the killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini by the moral police could be the beginning of the end of radical Islams bottomless tyranny against women. Since the beginning of the uprising, more than 500 have been killed. Of them 60-70 are women. But the fire of revolt rages on, spreading into popular literature, cinema, video reels and music. Iran could become the template of womens revolt across the Islamic world. 7. Free-fall of Pakistan, rise of India Finally, the meltdown of Pakistans economy and polity and the rapid rise of India into one of the major world powers is a huge setback for radical Islam, at least in the Indian subcontinent. Pakistan was carved out of India in 1947 as a theocratic State as Islams rejection to coexist with the Hindu majority. An overwhelming number of Muslims even though many stayed back in India to not lose property had voted for the creation of Pakistan. Islamists in India and Bangladesh kept looking up to Pakistan as a promised land. But the spectacular crumbling of the Pakistani economy, food riots, humiliating conditions for an IMF bailout, and being reduced to a vassal state of China has completely discredited the Pakistan model. All these sobering factors combine to create conditions for introspection. The message is loud and clear: change or face an existential challenge. Islamists may argue that their faith has overcome such adversities and remained unchanged, but they would underestimate the potent mix that technology combined with the human need for happiness and progress can create. Abhijit Majumder is a senior journalist. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest Opinions here Toulouse lifted their first major trophy by thrashing Nantes in the French Cup final. Philippe Montanier's side led 2-0 within 10 minutes through a Logan Costa double and 4-0 after 31 minutes after two goals by Thijs Dallinga. Ludovic Blas pulled one back for holders Nantes, who are in Ligue 1 relegation trouble. But Toulouse, who were promoted last season, got a fifth thanks to Zakaria Aboukhlal's long-range strike. It was the biggest French Cup final victory since 1970 when Saint-Etienne beat Nantes 5-0 - the year Toulouse were formed. A team called Toulouse FC won the 1957 French Cup, but they disappeared 10 years later in a merger with Paris side Red Star and are considered a different club. A sensational video of a retired doctor being mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs at the Aligarh Muslim University campus has gone viral. It merely captures the teeth of the iceberg. Dr Safdar Ali is not the first victim of canine predation. No Indian town from Pathankot to Port Blair and Chandigarh to Coimbatore appears immune from stray dog menace. Gujarat High Court Acting Chief Justice AJ Desai, while hearing a PIL recently, admitted it was getting tough for many citizens to go on morning walks because of stray dogs. On April 8, 58-year man Thakarashi Limbasiya was severely wounded in Rajkot, Gujarat, necessitating surgery. The Rajkot Municipal Corporation, which prides itself on successful sterilization of stray dogs, claimed only 2% of the population became victim of dog bite every year, which was normal. This, in the context of Rajkot, meant 9,900 victims of dog bites in 2022-23. Such a standard of normalcy is sure to fail in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu where a survey recently found that the population of stray dogs has increased sharply from 46,292 in 2018 to 1,11,074 in 2022. The widening scope of man-dog conflict means cruelty is not one-sided. On April 3, six stray dogs were found dead in Labour Colony under Chandrashekhpur Police station in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. They had allegedly been poisoned by the locals who were fed up with the dog menace and were devoid of the finer sensibilities of animal lovers. Man-dog conflict burdens not only the healthcare system but also law enforcement agencies. In August 2022, Anuja Raman Chouhan, an animal lover in Bengaluru, lodged a complaint in Devenhalli Airport Police station alleging that out of 10 dogs she regularly fed for the past 18 months, two were poisoned and the rest eight were missing. The police are duty-bound to investigate such cases as under Section 11 (l) of Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act, 1960 mutilation and killing of any animal (including stray dogs) by using strychnine injection in the heart or any other unnecessary cruel manner is a penal offence to be punished by monetary fine, or imprisonment as the case might be. The state, however, reserves to itself the right to kill stray dogs, if the necessity arises. Destruction of stray dogs in lethal chambers or by other methods that involve minimum suffering is allowed under Section 3 (b) of the said statute. What constitutes minimum suffering might be subject to dispute. Authorities have to resort to drastic measures as it was recently done in Begusarai district in Bihar to tackle a scourge of man-eating dogs. Begusarai district administration and Forest and Environment Department in Patna collaborated in the operation in January. A team of sharp shooters that arrived from Patna gunned down 30 ferocious stray dogs over two days. In Ara, less than 200 km from Begusarai, peoples anger got the better of Municipal Corporations action. A dog that had bitten more than 100 people was lynched by an irate mob, shortly before the municipal corporation team arrived to capture it. Dogs, according to a popular myth, do not harm infants. This view was recently rehashed by journalist and animal welfare activist Hiranmay Karlekar in his column in The Pioneer (Why do Street dogs bite? March 11, 2023). If only Hiranmay Karlekar, instead of quoting newspapers reports from 1996 and 2007, searched through Google News, he would have revised his views. There have been several cases of attacks on babies and infants by packs of stray dogs across India. In Moradabad, a western Uttar Pradesh town notorious for canine terror, a one-and-a-half-year-old baby had to be referred to Delhi for treatment after she was grievously injured by a pack of stray dogs. In a similar incident in January 2022, a pack of stray dogs had dragged and mauled a four-year-old girl in Bhopal, an incident captured on CCTV. A one-year-old baby boy in Noida Sector 100 died on October 18, 2022 after he was hospitalised after being mauled by a dog that had wandered into their apartment complex. Panipat and Kurukshetra in Haryana have been witness to great battles in history. They are now stained by the blood of infants drawn by stray dogs. In June 2022, a new-born child was picked up from Panipat hospital by a pack of stray dogs before being chewed to death. On the same day, a pack of stray dogs mauled to death a 10-year old boy in Charanthal village in Kurukshetra. Down south, in Hyderabad, a four-year-old child was mauled to death in Hyderabad a couple of months ago. More recently, a five-year-old child Bhanot Bharat was torn to death in stray dog attack in Khammam district of Telangana. Meanwhile in February, a stray dog picked up and killed an infant sleeping next to his mother in a hospital in Sirohi district in Rajasthan. A poor family, living in hutments near Vasant Kunj, lost its two children Anand (7) and Aditya (5) in two separate incidents of stray dog attacks in a span of mere two days. Following these incidents, MCD Commissioner received summons from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. More recently, a six-year-old was dragged by a pack of stray dogs in Nagpur, but saved by timely intervention of his mother, as revealed in a shocking video that has surfaced. Thus, the assertion that dogs are protectors of infants is not necessarily true, but rather patently false in many cases. Should animal rights activism be founded on such unsubstantiated theories? Strangely, no centralized data on dog bite is maintained in India, despite it being the biggest contributor of rabies infection. The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), under its Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), maintains consolidated figures of animal bites. Perusal of a reply given by Purushottam Rupala, the Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, in Rajya Sabha on March 24, 2023 (Unstarred Question 2822) shows that the annual animal bite figures are so fluctuating between 2019 and 2022 that they appear result of statistical manipulation than normal declining trend. In a country where both human and dog populations are on the rise, and actual rabies deaths have declined only marginally in three decades, a decline in animal bites from 72.77 lakh in 2019 to 14.50 lakh appears rather unconvincing. In 1979, the Janata Party government had adopted a new strategy to vaccinate dogs with canine anti-rabies vaccine. However, given the vast size of the country, disconnect between the agencies, and usual official corruption, its performance has been dissatisfactory. In 1987, rabies was not known in Andaman & Nicobar. Today, however, Port Blair has become a haven of stray dogs threatening both local residents and tourists alike. Decline in rabies deaths could be attributed to more improved treatment of patients and availability of anti-rabies serum. The rabies control efforts in India gained momentum during the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012) when the government approved a Pilot Project for the Control of Human Rabies. The World Health Organization envisages reducing rabies deaths to zero by 2030. Prodded by global consensus, India has adopted National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination from India by 2030. According to the Action Plan document, globally there are 59,000 human deaths annually due to dog-mediated rabies, and India contributes to one-third of total global burden due to rabies and two-third of rabies burden in the South East Asia region as per WHO-APCRI Survey in 2004. While this implies that India has no independent enumeration of dog-mediated rabies deaths in the country, like no reliable data on dog bite itself, the nation is still far from achieving zero-rabies deaths by 2030. Hope the authorities will not resort to statistical jugglery to achieve that end. If one third of global rabies deaths are in India, home to one-sixth of mankind, it implies rabies is punching above its weight in this part of the world. Dog bite, whether or not the creature is rabid, is traumatic. Prophylactic doses have to be administered regardless of the transmission status. The probability of dog bite could not be reduced without controlling the stray canine population. Its onus is on the local bodies like municipalities/panchayat apparatus, which can involve NGOs if necessary. No NGO, however, can indulge in unauthorized vaccination/sterilization of dogs. On March 10, 2023, the Union government notified the new Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023. Needless to say, these rules are aimed at dogs, which apart from a peripheral mention of cat is the only animal targeted. The rules envisage the formation of a Central Animal Birth Control Monitoring and Coordination Committee for Dog Population Management and Rabies Eradication. There will be similar committees at the levels of the state/UTs. The responsibility of vaccination and sterilization of stray dogs belongs to the local authorities. The only facility that the citizens will get is an Animal Helpline, on which complaints about dog bites/rabid dogs could be lodged. This is not an insignificant facility. Recently, when my brother-in-law suffered a stray dog bite for the second time within a year, in a relatively developed township of Bengal, we could not locate where to lodge a complaint about the apparently rabid dog. The Chandernagore Municipal Corporation said their dog-catching squad has been shut down (despite increase in canine population), whereas the Wildlife Department of West Bengal replied that dogs do not come under the ambit of their operation. However, even under these new rules, it might be difficult to identify sterilized dogs. Dogs could be given identification collar only in the sterilization centre, and later on only a V-shaped mark is permitted on their right ear. No branding on the body is allowed. Things, thus, might fall between the two stools. Even now there is a mismatch between local authorities claim of sterilization and actual instances when it comes to numbers. How can a local resident know which dog has been sterilized, and which one is not? Achieving a dog-mediated eabies-free India might be a tall order. The writer is author of the book The Microphone Men: How Orators Created a Modern India (2019) and an independent researcher based in New Delhi. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication. Read all the Latest Opinions here Residents of Sangiote village in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district did not celebrate Eid. The village was the destination of the army truck of 49 Rashtriya Rifles, which was ambushed on April 20, leaving five soldiers dead and one critically injured. Four of these soldiers were from Punjab and one from Odisha. The vehicle was carrying fruits and other items from the Bhimber Gali Camp for an iftar gathering meant to be held in Sangiote later that evening. According to reports, invitations had gone out to several people in the village for the event at 1900 hours, and arrangements were being taken care of by the 49 Rashtriya Rifles (RR). Unfortunately, a shadow group of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Peoples Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) that carried out this deadly attack during the holy period, had other plans. The terrorists took advantage of the terrain, treacherous stretch of road and bad weather and, as per reports, used Chinese-origin steel core ammunition that created a terrible incendiary fallout leading to the death of these brave hearts. The PAFF emerged after the abrogation of Article 370 and they are now threatening to carry out attacks at the G20 venues in Srinagar and Leh. It is believed that seven to eight terrorists were involved in this attack. This little-known group has been morphed from JeM and is a ploy to avoid sanctions under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Massive search and combing operations are ongoing in Bhata Dhurian-Tota Gali and neighbouring areas to hunt down the terrorists involved in the attack. Bhata Dhurian is a notorious infiltration route for terrorists from across the Line of Control (LoC) because of its topography, dense forest cover and natural caves. Special Forces and National Security Guard are also engaged in the operation in the dense forest areas. It is being said that drones, sniffer dogs and metal detectors are also being used. On April 26, a man was detained by the Security Forces who admitted that he sheltered the terrorists for two months and provided them support. The Northern Army Commander, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, while taking stock of the ongoing operation, during a visit to Poonch and Rajouri has asked the troops to be relentless in their pursuit. The terrorists reportedly hid themselves in a culvert on this road stretch before attacking the vehicle. Over 50 bullet marks have been found on the vehicle that shows the intensity of the firing. During the search operation, troops came across a few natural cave hideouts in the area, which could possibly have been used by the terrorists in the past, they said, adding the troops are also looking for any improvised explosive devices (IEDs) terrorists may have planted in the densely forested areas, especially in deep gorges and caves. Significance of The Attack The attack has significance in the context of the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting to be held in J&K next month. The ambush also took place soon after the announcement that Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto will attend the Goa meeting of the Foreign Ministers Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The aim naturally being to derail these events. In the past also, any positive movement in India-Pakistan relations has invited a terrorist response. Clearly, the perpetrators of the attack and their handlers from across the border must be hoping to throw a spoke into Indias plan of hosting these meetings and thereby deny India a larger global role. However, such cowardly actions need not deter the nation as we cannot afford to let terror groups hold us hostage. A terror incident also restores the image of J&K as a conflict zone. That, in turn, might lend Pakistan some badly needed credibility on its Kashmir narrative. There are updates already about the fact that these terrorists had local support and had been in the area for some time spreads a false narrative that the locals resent the Indian Army. The region where this gruesome incident took place was relatively freer of insurgency ever since the intensive operations launched in 2003 by Romeo Force. It came into the spotlight of terrorist groups after the revocation of Article 370 as they seek to regain a foothold in the valley by trying to lure forces attention towards the Jammu region. Hence the targeted killings of seven civilians took place in Rajouri in January this year. There is no doubt that Pakistan is sliding into an abyss. There is a looming political and economic crisis. The armed secessionist movement in Baluchistan has become active again. The Afghan Taliban keeps violating the Durand Line. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has virtual autonomy in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province. With life returning to normal in J&K, Pakistan saw itself pushed into a corner, hence attacks like this helped shift the focus elsewhere. It saw a window of opportunity to carry out such an attack as it perceives risks of retaliation are low as India is presently focussed on hosting major diplomatic events. The Pakistani leadership must bear in mind that cross-border terrorism is the single most important issue that needs to be tackled for the normalisation of bilateral ties. Incidents like these merely widen the trust deficit. Unfortunately, incidents like this reinforce the fact that their willingness to prosecute a proxy war has not abated. Need To Draw Relevant Lessons Of course, there are lessons to be learnt and these are at all levels, from tactical drills to the operational and strategic levels. Fingers, unfortunately, are being pointed at the Army with Amarjit Singh Dulat, former head of RAW, stating that the army has clearly dropped its guard. While there is no doubt that a single vehicle, moving at 1500 hours without adequate protection and area sanitation in the form of road opening, does throw up certain questions regarding complacency that may have set in. The truth is that an Army operating in a risk-prone and challenging operational environment can, at best, minimise mistakes, but these cannot be completely eliminated. The strength and professionalism of the Armed Forces lie in learning lessons from these mistakes and not repeating them. Apart from planned retaliatory measures for dominating the escalatory ladder, the concentration is now on apprehending and eliminating those involved in the attack. The essence initially lies in quickly detecting threats and neutralising them by means available at the formation level. Thereafter, the Army will no doubt carry out detailed inquiries, analyse the incidents and draw relevant lessons from them and enforce remedial measures. Intelligence is another area which needs to be looked into. The responsibility of which is not only the domain and charter of the Army but also of the state and central police agencies operating in the region. The Larger Military Strategy of Our Adversary These killings reinforce the larger military strategy of our adversary who has repeatedly demonstrated that it is unwilling to abandon targeted violence in achieving its objectives, their words and deeds had parted ways long before. The timing of this has been chosen to coincide with the important diplomatic events being hosted as the terrorists and their handlers feel we will not be able to respond reflexively. Immediate inaction may tear at our conscience but we retain the right to respond. The place, timing and manner of response is, of course, best left to those in authority and uniform. To quote Leonard Cohen: I dont believe that this world can afford pacifism. I think pacifism delights the hearts of killers. Fortunately, the response to Pulwama has demonstrated that we are now willing to use hard power. While writing on this incident, Lieutenant General Ata Hasnain has talked about Indias strategic confidence and its ability to handle sensitive and tricky foreign policy and security challenges but has also cautioned that the old threats that seemed to have been neutralised are back. Low-Intensity Conflict has the ability to linger on, it just doesnt disappear but it must not allow it to bounce back. While there is no doubt that the steps taken with regard to the abrogation of Article 370 were long overdue and in the right direction, unfortunately, the public and media perceptions seemed to indicate that terror had been contained by this move and normalcy restored. Whereas the threat from Pakistan, in spite of its numerous and widening fault lines, has not vapourised. Pakistan, of course, has seen the growing hostility between India and China as an opportunity. The conflict on the LAC, particularly after Galwan in 2020, forced a shift in Indias focus towards its Northern borders and consequent rebalancing of formations and resources thereby reducing the conventional threat towards Pakistan and diluting the counter-insurgency grid South of the Pir Panjals. This has been beneficial to Pakistan and is an issue that needs to be addressed by a balanced deployment. Indias Security Challenges The security challenges faced by India are hybrid, conducted in many battle spaces by multiple means, including without any direct attribution and any overt physical military application of combat power. A collusive hybrid threat from both China and Pakistan remains a security challenge. To counter this, we need strong deterrence and a quid pro quo capability. Much of strategic thinking has been dominated by the need for deterrence and our ability to win a conventional war with our Western adversary. However, todays reality is that direct high-intensity conflicts may not be fought as per the previous template. The focus, though shifting to multi-domain operations, will be on non-contact warfare, including terror incidents, cyber-attacks, and economic, legal and proxy wars. Collusivity also manifests itself in many forms, it can be direct or indirect, visible or invisible. Troops can fight alongside, or support can be rendered by other means from supplying arms and ammunition, intelligence inputs to satellite imageries and of course, support in international forums. The continuing Chinese standoff on our Northern borders which compelled us to recalibrate our posture by diverting troops and resources from South of the Pir Panjals can also be considered a form of collusivity. The major players will prefer to be invisible, and it is in this grey zone that we are likely to see greater collusion. The anti-India collusive hybrid threat dilemma will get compounded in the times to come and this is what we need to be prepared to counter. (The author is an Army veteran. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication) Read all the Latest Opinions here A BJP-backed panel on Saturday won 13 of 18 seats in the Pune Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) elections, while all four NCP candidates emerged victorious in the Baramati APMC polls, officials said. APMCs regulate the wholesale business of agricultural produce in their respective areas of operation. The polls in Pune APMC were held on Friday after 20 years. The Annasaheb Magar Shetkari Vikas Panel, backed by the BJP, won 13 seats after a close fight with the NCP-supported Annasaheb Magar Co-operation Panel, they said. In Baramati APMC, NCP candidates grabbed all four seats. Talking about the results, senior NCP leader and Baramati MLA Ajit Pawar said farmers and agricultural societies have delivered a good judgement. Its a tradition in Baramati where we get 80 to 85 per cent of votes in every election. Those newly elected (candidates) will work towards the betterment of the market Under the guidance of Sharad Pawar, we are doing a great job in Baramati. After the market elections, we now have the responsibility to do more work, he said. Of the 18 seats in Akola APMC in the Vidarbha region, the panel supported by NCP won 11 seats, followed by 5 seats bagged by the BJP-backed panel. The one supported by the Uddhav Thackeray group won 2 seats, while the Vanchit-Aghadi panel failed to open its account. In Gondia APMC, the panel led by sitting MLA Vinod Agrawal emerged victorious. In Tirora, candidates supported by BJP won 10 out of 18 seats. In Arjuni Morgaon, BJP-supported Shetkari Vikas Panel and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)-backed Krushi Vikas Parivartan Panel won nine seats each. In Amgaon, BJP NCP led Amgaon Vikas Panel has won 14 seats, officials said. In Gondia APMC, MLA Agrawal and Congress leader Ashok Gupta had joined hands to form the Parivartan panel against the Kisan Sahkar panel led by former MLA Gopaldas Agrawal and NCP leader Rajendra Jain. The Parivartan Panel wrested power by winning 14 of the total 18 seats to gain an absolute majority. "This is a mandate against corruption and ten-year misrule of APMC office-bearers," Agrawal said. Read all the Latest Politics News here Twitter Inc CEO Elon Musk said on Friday that the social media platform will take a 10% cut on content subscriptions after the first year, as the company looks to monetize content on the website in a bid to diversify its revenue sources. Earlier this month, billionaire owner Musk said users of the social media platform will be able to offer their followers subscriptions to content, including long-form text and hours-long video. He had also said that the company will not take a cut for the first 12 months on content subscriptions. Musk has been bringing in changes at Twitter to boost revenue after the platform saw advertising income drop last year in the run up to his $44 billion acquisition that closed in October. He added that the companys cut from subscriptions on iOS and Android platforms will drop to 15% in the second year from 30% in the first. Read all the Latest Tech News here Jonathan Meijer, a prolific sperm donor who fathered at least 550 children in the Netherlands and other countries, has been permanently banned from donating sperm by a Dutch court, according to multiple news media outlets. The decision came after the mother of a child conceived with the donors sperm and a foundation representing other parents brought an injunction against the 41-year-old Dutchman. The Hague District Court, which did not reveal the donors full name due to Dutch privacy laws, found that he provided sperm to Dutch fertility clinics, a clinic in Denmark, and to other people he connected with through advertisements and online forums. Although the court didnt reveal his name, The New York Times (NYT) identified the man as Jonathan Jacob Meijer. Man Who Fathered Hundreds Barred From Donating Sperm. Dutch court rules that man who fathered at least 550 children in the past 16 years had lied to prospective mothers and fertility clinics, by @clairemoses https://t.co/GVt78yNs8t via @nytimes #bioethics #IVF Andre Picard (@picardonhealth) April 28, 2023 Meijer faced legal action from the Dutch Donor Child Foundation, an organization advocating for the rights of children born through sperm donation, as well as a mother who had a child with his donated sperm, according to NYT. As a result, the court issued its ruling, permanently prohibiting Meijer from donating sperm again. In a court hearing, the donors lawyer claimed that his client wanted to help parents who could not conceive. However, the judge who heard the civil case said that the donor deliberately lied" to prospective parents about his donation history to persuade them to choose him as a donor. Under Dutch law, sperm donors are allowed to produce a maximum of 25 children with 12 mothers. However, the court found that the donor misled prospective parents about his donation history, and as a result, many families are now part of a huge kinship network with hundreds of half-siblings. This story is reminiscent of the 2012 Bollywood film Vicky Donor," which explores the life of a sperm donor in India. While the film is a work of fiction, it sheds light on the importance of transparency and ethics in sperm donation. Read all the Latest News here A heated argument between a judge and lawyer over usage of Hindi in court proceedings has been gaining massive traction on social media. The judge in question instantly rejects a lawyers petition owing to a language barrier. The lawyer argues to bring in a translator and his fierce will to stand on his grounds has impressed social media users. Do you think I will understand? the judge asks in the viral video. When the lawyer continues his argument in Hindi, the judge interrupts, Sir, again you are submitting in Hindi. I am not able to understand. The lawyer explains how the language barrier is the root cause of the entire problem. He highlights the fact of being asked to submit a petition in a language he doesnt understand. The judge declares, I have rejected your petition. However, the lawyer reminds him the petition should only be rejected after listening to the case. He points out the entire bench is in the favour of Hindi, moreover, even the judges at the Patna High Court are ready to listen. The law practitioner also makes his point of bringing in a translator noting the presence of the translation department since before Indias independence. A snippet of the court proceeding has been circulating on Twitter. Take a look at it here: The viral argument has left the internet divided. While many have praised the lawyers courage, a few also brought up the debate of the imposition of Hindi. A user commented, We need such upright and courageous people everywhere who can bravely stand against tyranny. we need such upright and courageous people everywhere who can bravely stand against tyranny VC (@VedangChauhan) April 26, 2023 Another wrote, Hats off to him, very patiently argued and put his argument. But I think Judge would be biased when giving his judgment. Hats off to him, very patiently argued and put his argument. But I think Judge would be biased when giving his judgement Jai Mahaakaal (@JaiMahakaal__) April 26, 2023 One more said, This is serious nothing to be taken lightly. Hindi is our government language. One must respect it This is serious..nothing to be taken lightly..hindi is our government language..one must respect it D. K (@budakoti007) April 26, 2023 Meanwhile, a user who appears to have more knowledge about the Indian judicial system, highlighted that the argument before Supreme Court and High Court has to be made in English. However, he did agree that the lawyer was justified in asking to bring in a translator. According to Article 348(1)(a) all proceedings before the Supreme Court and the High Court shall be in English However, his argument on bringing the translator is on point. Kumar (@Raj_R10) April 26, 2023 The clip has amassed over eight lakh views on Twitter. Read all the Latest News here In a historic moment, the 100th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modis monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat will be broadcast live at the United Nations headquarters here. Get ready for a historic moment as the 100th episode of PM Modis "Mann Ki Baat" is set to go live on April 30th in the Trusteeship Council Chamber at @UN HQ! the Permanent Mission of India to the UN said in a tweet. The 100th episode of Modis monthly radio address will air at 11 am IST on April 30, which will be 1:30 am Sunday in New York. The live broadcast of the programme in the early hours of Sunday in the UN headquarters will be historic and unprecedented. It will be aired in the UN's Trusteeship Council Chamber. #MannKiBaat has become a monthly national tradition, inspiring millions to participate in Indias developmental journey, the Permanent Mission said. As #MannKiBaat goes global with a live broadcast at UN Headquarters, let's take a moment to appreciate the impact it has had in promoting inclusivity and public participation, the Mission said in another tweet, accompanied by a special video on the radio programme. The Consulate General of India in New York, along with community organisation Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-NE and others, is also organising the broadcast of the 100th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' for members of the Indian-American and diaspora community in New Jersey during a special event at 1:30 am Sunday. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who was on an official visit to Guyana, Panama, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, is expected to attend the community event. Don't miss #MannKiBaatAt100 at 0130 hrs EST on April 30th, 2023! Let us celebrate the landmark 100th episode of #MannKiBaat as Honble @PMOIndia connects with Indians, Indian diaspora and listeners across the world, the Consulate said in a tweet. Join us and countless others in India & across the world for the landmark 100th episode of #MannKiBaat. Watch and listen at 0130 hrs EST on April 30th, 2023, the Consulate said. In the Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast hosted by Prime Minister Modi, he addresses the people of the country on different issues. It was first aired on October 3, 2014, and is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month at 11 am on the All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) network. The 100th episode of the 30-minute programme will be aired on April 30. Read all the Latest News here Canada and the United States have agreed to trace guns that are intercepted at the border, a move meant to enhance efforts to stop the smuggling of handguns to the north from the worlds biggest private firearm market, officials from both countries said on Friday. Canadas Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said they signed four agreements in Ottawa aimed at addressing cross-border crime, including one featuring increased tracing of firearms. Canada and the United States have agreed to strengthen the bilateral cooperation to reduce gun violence," Mendicino said. It means making even more progress on the tracing of illegal guns so that we can hold those criminals and organized criminal networks to account." Canadas Border Services Agency (CBSA) will cooperate with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to trace guns seized at the border to see who purchased them and whether they were previously used in crimes. Last year, some 1,101 firearms were seized at the border, a government source not authorized to speak on the record said. Thats broadly in line with 2021, when 1,110 were confiscated, according to CBSA figures. The United States traces guns by requiring firearm dealers to record the serial numbers of the guns they sell and who purchased them. Tracing provides key intelligence to the ATF, which can then investigate and prosecute buyers of firearms that are subsequently sold illegally or smuggled. Data and information sharing are powerful tools in the fight against gun violence," said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, who was also present. Previously, gun tracing in Canada has been inconsistent. Canada traced only 6-10% of guns involved in crimes, according to 2019 data from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), a federal agency. Ontario, Canadas most populous province, traces nearly all the handguns involved in crimes, and in 2021 more than 80% of those that were able to be traced were found to have come from the United States. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government introduced new legislation last year to address gun violence, including a freeze on handgun sales and a ban on sales of large-capacity magazines. Mendicino, Mayorkas, Garland and Canadas Justice Minister David Lametti met on Friday as part of the so-called Cross Border Crime Forum. They also agreed to further coordinate on issues such as human smuggling, money laundering, the use of cryptocurrency to fund illegal activities, and so-called ghost guns often made with 3D printers. Garland also said they also discussed how to address the crisis in Haiti, and Mayorkas said he is working with Canada to find legal pathways for people fleeing violence in Haiti. It is vital that individuals seek legal pathways and do not take to the seas," Mayorkas said, where we see too much loss of life." Read all the Latest News here A huge fire erupted in Moscow-annexed Crimea after a suspected drone attack hit an oil depot on Saturday, as fighting intensified on the southern Ukrainian front and shelling deprived Russian border villages of power. The attacks came one day after Kyiv said preparations for a long-awaited counteroffensive were nearly complete, having vowed to expel Russian forces from territory they seized in the east and south following their 2022 invasion. On Friday, a Russian strike on a bloc of flats in the central Ukrainian city of Uman killed 23 people, including a baby boy. On Saturday, officials in Moscow-controlled Crimea, towns under Russian occupation in southern Ukraine and a governor of a border region reported attacks. Fears of Ukrainian reprisals more than a year into Moscows offensive have grown in Russia, where a range of cities have cancelled traditional May 9 celebrations to mark Soviet victory over the Nazis at the end of World War II in 1945. In Sevastopol, home to Russias Black Sea Fleet, clouds of smoke rose high into the sky as a fuel reserved burned. The port city has been hit by a series of drone attacks since Moscows invasion of Ukraine began more than a year ago. - Gods punishment - Russian-installed authorities said the fire was caused by a suspected drone but sought to downplay the incident, amid rising security fears on the peninsula. The Kremlin said nothing about the attack. It came less than 24 hours after Russia struck a typical Soviet-era housing bloc in the historic city of Uman, killing more than two dozen of its residents. Kyiv on Saturday identified five children killed in the attack as an 18-month-old boy, three girls aged eight, 11 and 14, and a 16-year-old boy. One woman is considered missing. The search continues," Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. Ukraine did not claim the Crimea attack, but military intelligence implied it was revenge for Uman. Andriy Yusov, from the defence ministrys intelligence unit, said it was Gods punishment, in particularly for the civilians killed in Uman." He warned people in Crimea to avoid being near military facilities and facilities providing the aggressors army in the near future." - Intense shelling - On the Russian-annexed peninsula, the governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, urged Crimeans to remain calm" and said nobody was hurt." He estimated the fire was around 1,000 square metres" (10,764 square feet). Razvozhayev insisted that the peninsulas reserves were not impacted and that authorities had enough fuel for all civilian needs. Earlier this week, Moscow said it had repelled a drone strike on Crimea annexed by Russia in 2014 and used as a launchpad for its invasion. In southern Ukraine, Russian occupation authorities said a key city they control Novaya Kakhovka had come under intense shelling" and had been cut off from power. The city fell to Russian forces on the first day of their invasion on February 24, 2022. It lies in the part of the Kherson region that Moscow still controls, having withdrawn from the eponymous regional capital last November. Russian forces urged people in the city to keep calm" and said that work to restore power will start after the shelling ends." - Russian border villages shelled - The shelling of Novaya Kakhovka came a day after Russian shelling killed a 57-year-old woman in a southern Ukrainian village, with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky vowing a response. Inside Russia, security fears have grown amid talk of a Ukrainian counteroffensive. The governor of the border Belgorod region that has also been hit by a series of attacks throughout the war said Saturday that five frontier villages were without power after Ukrainian shelling. The power lines are damaged," Gladkov said, adding that there were no victims. He said an uninhabited house had been hit and promised to restore power quickly. Elsewhere, Russia accused Poland with whom it has historically poor relations of a blatant violation" of international norms after Warsaw impounded a school run by the Russian embassy in the Polish capital. Moscow called the move an illegal act" and promised harsh" consequences against Warsaw. Read all the Latest News here Police were searching Saturday for a gunman believed to have shot and killed five Hondurans after they asked him to stop late-night target practice that was keeping their baby awake, the local sheriff said Saturday, in the latest mass shooting to hit the United States. An eight-year-old child was among the victims when the apparently drunken gunman stormed into the crowded house and opened fire, reportedly infuriated by the request to stop firing his semi-automatic weapon in his own yard. Sheriff Greg Capers of San Jacinto County, which is north of Houston, described a horrifying scene when authorities went to the residence after receiving a call about harassment" around 11:30pm Friday. The victims, aged from eight to 40 years old, were strewn from the front door through the house to an inside bedroom, where two of them both women were found lying on top of two traumatized children who survived the massacre. In my opinion, they were actually trying to take care of the babies and keep them babies alive," Capers told ABCs Houston station KTRK. All the victims had been shot from the neck up, almost execution style, basically in the head," he added. Deputies found several others in critical condition from multiple gunshot wounds," the sheriffs office said in a Facebook post. Three were hospitalized. The suspect had been drinking, and he says, Ill do what I want to in my front yard,'" the sheriff told KTRK. All the victims were from Honduras," Capers told reporters, adding that 10 people had been in the house at the time. The Honduran foreign minister, Enrique Reina, called on Twitter for the gunman to face the full weight of the law." He said officials would follow the case closely. Texas authorities said an arrest warrant had been issued for Francisco Oropeza, a 39-year-old Mexican national, charging him with five counts of murder. Weve got his Mexican consulate card," Capers said, adding that a security system at the victims house captured him coming up to the front door with a weapon." The shooter is believed to have left the county, but nearby residents were urged to stay home, the sheriffs office said on its Facebook page. The Texas killings appeared to be the latest in a series of shootings spawned by normally banal interactions: a man mistakenly knocking on the wrong door, a cheerleader accidentally stepping into the wrong car, someone mistakenly driving into the wrong driveway, a ball rolling into a neighbors yard. There have been more than 170 mass shootings defined as four or more people wounded or killed so far this year in the US, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The United States, with more firearms than inhabitants, has the highest rate of gun deaths of any developed country 49,000 in 2021, up from 45,000 the year before. Read all the Latest News here Togg aims to deliver more than 1,000 vehicles in May, says Gurcan Karakash, the CEO of Turkiyes first indigenous electric car maker, Trend reports citing Daily News. We will deliver more cars in June, Karakash told private broadcaster Bloomberg HT, adding that a total of 28,000 will be delivered by the end of the year. Togg will have around 650 charging stations, each installed 25 kilometers apart, by the end of 2023, he also said. Pre-orders for the TOGG T10X were taken online on March 16-27, and some 177,000 vehicles were sold online. The first buyers of Toggs EV model T10 were selected through a digital draw. Togg offers three models of T10X vehicles, with a price of 953,000 Turkish Liras, 1.06 million liras and 1.22 million liras. Togg initially planned to start deliveries in mid-April. We needed to carry out some improvement work, more related to the software side, Karakash said earlier this week, explaining why deliveries were scheduled for a later date. I do not really see this as a delay. We will start deliveries at the end of April, he said. The competition in Turkiyes EV market is heating up. U.S. carmaker Tesla launched pre-sales of its Model Y vehicles in the Turkish market earlier this month. Tesla is also offering three models to local consumers, with prices ranging between 1.56 million liras, 1.63 million liras and 1.8 million liras. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday announced that the government has evacuated nearly 2400 Indians from strife-torn Sudan, through its Operation Kaveri. The most recent evacuation was carried out by INS Sumedha, which departed from Port Sudan with 300 passengers on board destined for Jeddah, making it the 13th batch of Indians to be safely evacuated. Nearly 2400 Indians evacuated! INS Sumedha departs from Port Sudan with 300 passengers onboard for Jeddah. 13th batch of Indians evacuated under #OperationKaveri," tweeted Arindam Bagchi, Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Nearly 2400 Indians evacuated!INS Sumedha departs from Port Sudan with 300 passengers onboard for Jeddah. 13th batch of Indians evacuated under #OperationKaveri. pic.twitter.com/mnOa5Y5bFV Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) April 28, 2023 A few hours prior to this, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan welcomed 135 Indian evacuees in Jeddah. While welcoming the 12th batch of Indian evacuees, the minister said Our efforts will continue. Hows the josh? #OperationKaveri. 135 more Indian evacuees reached Jeddah by IAF C-130J. With this 12th batch, around 2100 Indians arrived in Jeddah in total. Our efforts will continue, he tweeted. Hows the josh? #OperationKaveri135 more Indian evacuees reached Jeddah by IAF C-130J. With this 12th batch, around 2100 Indians arrived in Jeddah in total. Our efforts will continue. pic.twitter.com/zviHg0HJyz V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) April 28, 2023 On Friday, a C-17 heavy-lift aircraft of the Indian Air Force brought back home 392 people as part of the governments mission to evacuate stranded Indians from strife-torn Sudan. It was the third batch of Indians to be brought back home from the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah where India has set up a transit camp for the evacuees. The total number of Indians who were brought back home now stands at 998, according to official data, news agency PTI reported. Under Operation Kaveri, India has been taking its citizens in buses from conflict zones of Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are being taken to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah in Indian Air Forces heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navys ships. From Jeddah, the Indians are being brought back home in either commercial flights or IAF aircraft. India has set up separate control rooms in Jeddah, Port Sudan and the India embassy in Khartoum has been coordinating with them besides being in touch with the MEAs headquarters in Delhi. Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the countrys army and a paramilitary group that has reportedly left around 400 people dead. (With PTI inputs) Read all the Latest India News here The search for Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez continues in the Texas town of Everman one month after the authorities issued an Amber alert. Everman police officials believe the 6-year-old boy could be dead but investigators are looking for his remains. Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez is one of the ten children of mother Cindy Rodriguez-Singh and stepfather Arshdeep Singh. Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez has been reported missing since March 25 but he was not seen since last fall. Cindy Rodriguez-Singh and stepfather Arshdeep Singh on March 22 with six of Cindys children left for India. Arshdeep Singh, according to a report by Texas-based news outlet Fort-Worth Star Telegram, is now wanted by police because he allegedly stole $10,000 in cash from his workplace to fund his trip to India. Here is all you need to know about the Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez case: Cindy Rodriguez-Singh did not care for the wellbeing of her child Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez saying that he was possessed by a demon and wanted to harm her newborn twin daughters. However, a parent that took Noel in under foster care said Noel, who was born physically and developmentally disabled, was a caring, fun and lovable child. According to reports, Noel was missing since October 2022 shortly after Cindy gave birth to her twin daughters. Cindy, according to reports, did feed Noel or give him anything to drink because she didnt want to change his diapers and abused the 6-year-old, according to Fort-Worth Star Telegram. Arshdeep Singh from Punjab and Cindy married in the year 2020. When the 35-year-old moved to the US from India remains unclear. He worked at AGHA Enterprises and used to deliver parcels. Arshdeep is being accused of stealing money from the business and then falsifying records to cover his tracks. He worked at AGHA Enterprises for more than two years and was a trusted employee, according to Fort-Worth Star Telegram. His employer, Mohammed Khan, while speaking to the Fort-Worth Star Telegram, said Arshdeep was hired two years ago to manage purchasing merchandise for stores and help with banking. Arshdeep stole $10,000 from AGHA Enterprises before fleeing the US and deposited $8,000 in his personal bank account. Security camera footage from his bank shows him making the deposit. Arshdeep Singh used his credit card to purchase the tickets, the police said. Arshdeep faces charges of endangerment or abandonment of a child along with his wife Cindy and following the discovery of the theft, he also faces charges of second-degree felony theft. Police have searched more than 500 acres to find evidence leading to Noels body. The police are presuming he is dead and earlier tore up the concrete at the place where Cindy and Arshdeep were living to find out if Noel was buried below the concrete, according to Fort-Worth Star Telegram. Arshdeep and Cindy were living in someone elses home for the last two years but Cindy has been living there for the past decade. The home that they were living in belonged to an elderly man living in Everman named Charles Parsons. Parsons was also in a state of shock and said Arshdeep seemed like a person who cared for his children. The case came into the fore after cops in Texas Everman conducted a welfare check at the familys home in March after Child Protective Services received a tip that Noel was missing and said the family lived in squalor, according to Fort-Worth Star Telegram. Cindy started living in Parsons home because the elderly man asked her to live there after he found her sleeping in her car with her children about 10 years ago. Cindy has 10 children in total and three children live with her mother. She lost custody of some of her children and was put on probation after an incident in which she was drunk and driving a vehicle with her children inside. The FBI is working with authorities in India in a bid to extradite the couple back to the US. Read all the Latest News here The powerful sister of North Koreas leader says her country would stage more provocative displays of its military might in response to a new US-South Korean agreement to intensify nuclear deterrence to counter the Norths nuclear threat, which she insists shows their extreme" hostility toward Pyongyang. Kim Yo Jong also lobbed personal insults toward US President Joe Biden, who after a summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday stated that any North Korean nuclear attack on the US or its allies would result in the end of whatever regime" took such action. Bidens meeting with Yoon in Washington came amid heightened tensions in the Korean Peninsula as the pace of both the North Korean weapons demonstrations and the combined US-South Korean military exercises have increased in a cycle of tit-for-tat. Since the start of 2022, North Korea has test-fired around 100 missiles, including multiple demonstrations of intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to reach the US mainland and a slew of short-range launches the North described as simulated nuclear strikes on South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is widely expected to up the ante in coming weeks or months as he continues to accelerate a campaign aimed at cementing the Norths status as a nuclear power and eventually negotiating US economic and security concessions from a position of strength. During their summit, Biden and Yoon announced new nuclear deterrence efforts that call for periodically docking US nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea for the first time in decades and bolstering training between the two countries. They also committed to plans for bilateral presidential consultations in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack, the establishment of a nuclear consultative group and improved sharing of information on nuclear and strategic weapons operation plans. In her comments published on state media, Kim Yo Jong said the US-South Korean agreement reflected the allies most hostile and aggressive will of action" against the North and will push regional peace and security into more serious danger." Kim, who is one of her brothers top foreign policy officials, said the summit further strengthened the Norths conviction to enhance its nuclear arms capabilities. She said it would be especially important for the North to perfect the second mission of the nuclear war deterrent," in an apparent reference to the countrys escalatory nuclear doctrine that calls for preemptive nuclear strikes over a broad range of scenarios where it may perceive its leadership as under threat. She lashed out at Biden over his blunt warning that North Korean nuclear aggression would result in the end of its regime, calling him senile and too miscalculating and irresponsibly brave." However, she said the North wouldnt simply dismiss his words as a nonsensical remark from the person in his dotage." When we consider that this expression was personally used by the president of the US, our most hostile adversary, it is threatening rhetoric for which he should be prepared for far too great an after-storm," she said. The more the enemies are dead set on staging nuclear war exercises, and the more nuclear assets they deploy in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula, the stronger the exercise of our right to self-defense will become in direct proportion to them." She called Yoon a fool" over his efforts to strengthen South Koreas defense in conjunction with its alliance with the United States and bolster the Souths own conventional missile capabilities, saying he was putting his absolute trust in the US despite getting only nominal" promises in return. The pipe dream of the US and (South) Korea will henceforth be faced with the entity of more powerful strength," she said. South Koreas Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, described her comments as absurd" and insisted that they convey the Norths nervousness and frustration" over the allies efforts to strengthen nuclear deterrence. Kim Yo Jongs comments toward Biden were reminiscent of when her brother called former US President Donald Trump a mentally deranged US dotard" while they exchanged verbal threats during a North Korean testing spree in 2017 that included flight tests of ICBMs and the Norths sixth nuclear test. Kim Jong Un later shifted toward diplomacy and held his first summit with Trump in Singapore in June 2018, where they issued aspirational goals for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. But their diplomacy never recovered from the collapse of their second summit in February 2019 in Vietnam, where the Americans rejected North Korean demands for major sanctions relief in exchange for a limited surrender of their nuclear capabilities. Kim Yo Jong did not specify the actions the North is planning to take in response to the outcome of the US-South Korea summit. Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the North will likely dial up military exercises involving its purported nuclear-capable missiles to demonstrate pre-emptive strike capabilities. The North may also stage tests of submarine-launched ballistic missile systems in response to the US plans to send nuclear-armed submarines to the South, he said. Kim Jong Un said this month that the country has built its first military spy satellite, which will be launched at an unspecified date. The launch would almost certainly be seen by its rivals as a banned test of long-range missile technology. In March, he called for his nuclear scientists to increase production of weapons-grade material to make bombs to put on his increasing range of nuclear-capable missiles, as the North unveiled what appeared to be a new warhead possibly designed to fit on a variety of delivery systems. That raised questions on whether the North was moving closer to its next nuclear test, which US and South Korean officials have been predicting for months. North Korea has long described the United States regular military exercises with South Korea as invasion rehearsals, although the allies described those drills as defensive. Many experts say Kim likely uses his rivals military drills as a pretext to advance his weapons programs and solidify his domestic leadership amid economic troubles. Facing growing North Korean threats, Yoon has been seeking stronger reassurances from the United States that it would swiftly and decisively use its nuclear weapons if the South comes under a North Korean nuclear attack. His government has also been expanding military training with the US, which included the allies biggest field exercises in years last month and separate drills involving a US aircraft carrier battle group and advanced warplanes, including nuclear-capable B-52 bombers and F-35 fighter jets. Read all the Latest News here South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Friday it was necessary to ensure Russias invasion of Ukraine does not succeed and that Seoul was considering its options when it came to lethal aid to Kyiv. In a speech at Harvard Universitys Kennedy School on the fifth day of a state visit to mark the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korean alliance, Yoon said the Russian invasion was a violation of international law and the rights of Ukrainians. We should prove that such attempts will never reach success, to block further attempts being made in the future," he said, according to simultaneous translations of his remarks. Yoon was asked about the possibility of South Korea providing lethal aid to Ukraine, and replied: We are closely monitoring the situation thats going on the battlefield in Ukraine and will take proper measures in order to uphold the international norms and international law. Right now we are closely monitoring the situation and we are considering various options." On Wednesday, Yoon met U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House and the United States pledged to give South Korea more insight into its nuclear planning over any conflict with North Korea, amid anxiety over Pyongyangs growing arsenal of missiles and bombs. The two also discussed the situation in Ukraine. Yoon told Reuters in an interview last week before leaving for the United States that Seoul might extend its support for Ukraine beyond humanitarian and economic aid if it comes under a large-scale civilian attack, signaling a shift in his stance against arming Ukraine for the first time. Answering another question, Yoon rejected the notion that the Washington Declaration he agreed with Biden meant they were accepting North Korea as a nuclear-armed state, adding that he was against treating North Koreas possession of the weapons as a disarmament issue. If we were to accept nuclear weapons by North Korea, South Korea may have to possess nuclear weapons and this would lead to a situation of disarmament. This is not something that we want to see happen," he said. Yoon said the Washington Declaration required Seoul to keep respecting the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and not acquire its own nuclear weapons. He said there were opinions in South Korean society that said Seoul should acquire nuclear weapons and had the technological capabilities for this, but it was complex equation about politics and economics too. We would need to give up many of the values that weve been upholding if we decide to develop our weapons," he said. Those opinions saying that we need to have our own nuclear arsenal are not considering all these things." Read all the Latest News here The Royal Navy will launch a probe to investigate how official documents of one of its 1.3bn hunter killer submarines were found in the toilet of a pub in Wetherspoons, the Sun and the Press Associated said in a report. The files carrying details about HMS Anson were left in the Furness Railway pub in Barrow, Cumbria. The report said the documents marked official sensitive showed the inner workings of the nuclear-powered submarine. Submariners would use the information in these documents to learn how to isolate and depressurise elements of its system, the PA Media report said. These are generic training documents that carry no classified information. However, we take all security matters extremely seriously and will investigate the circumstances of their discovery, a Royal Navy spokesman told PA Media Media. The Sun in its report said that the pub was packed with patrons when the papers were found on the floor of the cubicle. The pub is not very far away from the BAE systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness where the submarine was being constructed. The submarine is the fifth of new Astute-class attack submarines scheduled to join the Royal Navy fleet. These submarines can fire tomahawk missiles and the Royal Navy says these are the UKs largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines. HMS Anson is 1.3bn of both naval stealth and striking power able to gather vital intelligence, protect other Royal Navy vessels from threats above and below the waves and destroy enemy military infrastructure with pinpoint accuracy, the Royal Navys website says. People familiar with the developments told PA Media that these documents help submariners and contractors to understand how systems interact but do not reveal how they work. They said that these files only consisted of designs of systems onboard but did not reveal how they work. Another person familiar with the developments told the Sun that it was a matter of luck that any Russian spy did not find them pointing out that detail on HMS Ansons hydraulics, which control torpedo hatches, steering and buoyancy, were in the dossier. Official sensitive documents in the UK are categorised one level below Secret. Read all the Latest News here The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) told the nations top court that it is yet to receive any funds against the PKR21 billion required to conduct elections to the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, news agency Dawn said in a report. The election body submitted a report to the Supreme Court where it pointed to the unavailability of funds for the elections. The Pakistan Supreme Court directed the government to release PKR 21 billion to hold elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. The ECP also told the court earlier this month that it is not possible for them to hold staggered elections as it would lead to more expenses and said that it was better to hold the entire exercise on a single day. The ECP also pointed out that the depleted security apparatus would need to be informed weeks before it starts preparing for the elections. The commission argued that staggering of the polls also increased the risk of poll violence because the losing party in one constituency could create ruckus in another constituency where polling is yet to take place in order to reduce the chances of a possible loss. They also feared that there would be cases of election rigging and the staggering of elections gives miscreants more chances to plan and commit attacks than the one-day limited window of opportunity. They also said that the members of the law enforcement and police are currently engaged in intelligence-based operations in Punjab. If they are appointed to the polls, it would compromise electoral activities as terrorists would use this as an opportunity to commit acts of terrorism. The ECP also emphasised that the polarisation and the lack of consensus among parties to tone down the rhetoric is important because electoral violence can happen due to political polarisation and increase risk to safety of people during polls, the Dawn said in its report. The ECP drafted a similar report earlier and the Supreme Court bench, including Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, said it was impermissible to attempt to reopen issues and questions that already stand finally decided and maintained that May 14 should be the date for holding elections. Read all the Latest News here US President Joe Biden is mulling visiting Finland in July, NBC reported on Friday, Trend reports citing TASS. A potential visit to coincide with NATOs July summit in Lithuania has been discussed for several months, but no final decision has yet been made, US officials told the TV channel. Any visit to the Nordic country, which became the blocs 31st member in early April, would be for a summit of multiple nations, not for a bilateral meeting, an official said. The National Security Council at the White House declined to comment to NBC. NATO is scheduled to convene a summit in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, on July 11-12. UPDATE Apr 29, 2023 7:00 AM CDT A California influencer who accused a Latino couple of trying to kidnap her young kids in a Michael's craft store in Petaluma in December 2020 was found guilty this week of falsely reporting a crime. Per a release cited by CBS San Francisco, Katie Sorensen, 31, was convicted Wednesday on the misdemeanor charge, with the jury deliberating for about a day before rendering their verdict. Sorensen was immediately remanded into custody, with her bail set at $100,000. Sadie Vega-Martinez, who was accused along with her husband, Eddie, says she's "happy" with the verdict. "After [Sorensen] avoided accountability for years, and then hearing she was found guilty and walked out in handcuffs ... yes, justice was served," Vega-Martinez tells Elle. A sentencing date hasn't yet been set. Sorensen faces a max of six months in jail. May 2, 2021 7:15 AM CDT The tables have turned on a California "influencer mom" who recounted a terrifying brush with a kidnapping in a craft store to her Instagram following last year. Per BuzzFeed News, Katie Sorensen faces misdemeanor charges of lying to police over a purported incident at a Michael's in Petaluma in which she claimed a couple followed her around the craft store while talking about her children before one of them lunged for her stroller. Videos of her recounting the attempt went viral days later, but a Petaluma PD report showed investigators were not able to corroborate Sorensen's version of events and her viral video was soon deleted. Instead, police were able to find alleged attempted kidnappers Sadie Vega-Martinez and Eddie Martinez, who basically had no idea what they were talking about. Whereas Sorensen claimed the couple described her kids to a third party on the phone, the Latino grandparents were probably just talking about their own grandkids. The couple, who fully cooperated with police and were charged with no crime, say Sorensen racially profiled them that day last December. They told the Petaluma Argus-Courier the charges are a "step toward justice." Per the Daily Beast, each misdemeanor carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison. (Read more racial profiling stories.) Jada Pinkett Smith, executive producer and narrator of the new Netflix drama-documentary series Queen Cleopatra, says it was "really important for me" to highlight "stories about Black queens," per the Guardian. The series premiering May 10 certainly portrays the last pharoah of Egypt as Black, with mixed-race actor Adele James in the title role, per the Los Angeles Times. And it is exactly that that has some Egyptian experts fuming. Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt's Supreme Antiquities Council, says the depiction is "a falsification of Egyptian history," per the Guardian, while Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, the former minister of state for antiquities affairs, says "Cleopatra was Greek, meaning that she was light-skinned, not Black," per the Times. In other words, Netflix's depiction is "completely fake." Born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 69 BCE, Cleopatra descended from a Macedonian Greek royal dynasty on the side of her father, Ptolemy XII. Little is known about the ethnic origin of her mother. As WION notes, Egypt was "a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities" at the time. According to series director Tina Gharavi, Cleopatra's Macedonian Greek family "had been in Egypt for 300 years" by the time of her birth, "making the chance of her being white somewhat unlikely." Indeed, historians believe "it is more likely that Cleopatra looked like Adele than Elizabeth Taylor ever did," she writes at Variety. As Time points out, "many experts say there is no evidence" of Cleopatra having Black ancestors. "She could have been Greek, Macedonian, Egyptian, and Roman all at the same time," Rebecca Futo Kennedy, an associate professor of classics at Denison University, tells the outlet. Cleopatra scholar Dr. Sally-Ann Ashton, who worked on the project, says the pharoah's ethnicity "is not the focus," though "we did intentionally decide to depict her of mixed ethnicity to reflect theories about Cleopatra's possible Egyptian ancestry and the multicultural nature of ancient Egypt," per the Guardian. As Gharavi sees it, "I have asked Egyptians to see themselves as Africans, and they are furious at me for that." (Read more Cleopatra stories.) The US Army has grounded aviation units for training after 12 soldiers died within the last month in helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky, the military branch announced Friday. The suspension of air operations was effective immediately, with units grounded until they complete the training, said Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Terence Kelley. For active-duty units, the training is to take place between May 1 and 5. Army National Guard and Reserve units will have until May 31 to complete the training. "The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training," the Army said in a statement. On Thursday, two Army helicopters collided near Healy, Alaska, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth. The aircraft from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, in Fairbanks, were returning from training at the time of the crash, according to the Army. The unit is part of the 11th Airborne Division, which is nicknamed the "Arctic Angels." Military investigators were making their way to Alaska's interior, with a team from Fort Novosel, Alabama, expected to arrive at the crash site by Saturday, said US Army Alaska spokesperson John Pennell. Little new information about the crash was released Friday. The Army on Thursday said two of the soldiers died at the site and the third on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks. The injured fourth soldier was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition Friday, Pennell said. The names of those killed weren't immediately released. The crash is the second accident involving military helicopters in Alaska this year. In February, two soldiers were injured when an Apache helicopter rolled after taking off from Talkeetna. The aircraft was one of four traveling to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage from Fort Wainwright. In March, nine soldiers were killed when two US Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during a routine nighttime training exercise about 30 miles northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The Army said that while Thursday's crash and the one in Kentucky remain under investigation, "there is no indication of any pattern between the two mishaps." "The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand-down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel," Army Chief of Staff James McConville said of the decision to ground flight units for training. (Read more US Army stories.) A Democratic state congresswoman in Arizona delivered a rather odd apology this week, after what she says was meant to be a "peaceful, playful protest" in support of the separation of church and state. Per the Arizona Republic, Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton told reporters on Wednesday that she was sitting in the lounge for House members at the state Capitol in Phoenix a few weeks ago when she noticed a Bible in the room. Irked to see it there, as the Capitol is a "government building," Stahl Hamilton decided to pull what she calls a "simple little prank": She slipped the Good Book under the cushions of a lounge sofa. A couple of days later, when another Bible popped up in the lounge, Stahl Hamilton hid that one, too. More Bibles kept appearing to replace the missing ones, and Stahl Hamiltonan ordained Presbyterian minister who also holds a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminarycontinued to disappear them, placing them in "various locations," per the Hill, including putting one in the lounge fridge. "To my brain, it just felt like [it was] a game ... a peaceful, playful protest," she said Wednesday, per the Republic. "I have long been frustrated by the blurred lines between separation of church and state." Meanwhile, GOP House Speaker Ben Toma was stumped over the mystery of the vanished Biblesuntil a hidden camera he ordered placed into the lounge "busted Biblegate wide open," per KPNX. The culprit was soon sussed out, drawing ire from her GOP colleagues. "It's kind of offensive to people who believe in and cherish the Bible," Speaker Pro Tempore Travis Grantham says, per the Republic. "I feel like a disappointed dad." Stahl Hamilton, who's long been a critic of Bibles or other religious texts seeping into the political arena, issued her mea culpa on the House floor Wednesday. "I acknowledge that a conversation about the separation of church and state should have began with a conversation. And for that, I apologize," she noted, per the Hill, adding, "I hold Scripture very dear to my heart." Dem lawmakers, meanwhile, are irked over the hidden camera. "Are the cameras now in the bathrooms?" says Democratic House Leader Andres Cano, per KPNX. "Is my office bugged with audio at this very moment?" It's not clear if Stahl Hamilton will face any disciplinary measures. (Read more strange stuff stories.) The Federal Aviation Administration rejected the recommendation of engineers to immediately ground Boeing's 737 Max after two fatal crashes, preferring to wait for more data, a new inspector general's report says. It was March 13, 2019, three days after the second crash, before the airliner was grounded, CNN reports. Agency engineers in Seattle thought they saw similarities in the crashes and told FAA officials at headquarters that 737 Max flights should be halted during the investigation. "Instead, they waited for more detailed data to arrive," the report by the Transportation Department's inspector general said. It was released Friday. One engineer's initial estimate was that the chance of another crash involving a 737 Max exceeded FAA risk guidelines by 13 times, per the AP. The analysis "suggested that there was a 25% chance of an accident in 60 days" if no changes were made to the planes, an FAA official said. But the report said, "this document was not completed and did not go through managerial review due to lack of detailed flight data"; it did acknowledge there was data that suggested the crashes were not related. Other nations were quicker to ground the planes. The report made recommendations for improving risk assessments, among other issues, per Reuters, which the FAA said it endorsed. (Read more Federal Aviation Administration stories.) A massive fire erupted at an oil depot in Crimea after it was hit by two of Ukraine's drones, a Russia-appointed official there reported Saturday, the latest in a series of attacks on the annexed peninsula as Russia braces for an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, a port city in Crimea, posted videos and photos of the blaze on his Telegram channel. Razvozhayev said the fire at the city's harbor was assigned the highest ranking in terms of how complicated it will be to extinguish. However, he reported that the open blaze had been contained, per the AP. Razvozhayev said the oil depot was attacked by "two enemy drones," and that four oil tanks had burned down. A third drone was shot down from the sky, and one more was deactivated through radio-electronic means, according to Crimea's Moscow-appointed governor, Sergey Aksyonov. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move that most of the world considered illegal. The attack reported in Sevastopol comes a day after Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine, killing at least 23 people. Almost all of the victims died when two missiles slammed into an apartment building in the city of Uman, located in central Ukraine. Six children were among the dead, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Saturday, adding that 22 of the 23 bodies recovered have been identified. Two women remain missing, Klymenko said. Russian forces launched more drones at Ukraine overnight. Ukraine's Air Force Command said two Iranian-made self-exploding Shahed drones were intercepted, and a reconnaissance drone was shot down on Saturday morning. Razvozhayev said the oil depot fire didn't cause any casualties and wouldn't hinder fuel supplies in Sevastopol. The city has been subject to regular attack attempts with drones, especially in recent weeks. Earlier this week, Razvozhayev reported that the Russian military destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone that attempted to attack the harbor and another one blew up, shattering windows in several apartment buildings, but not inflicting any other damage. Ukraine's military intelligence spokesperson, Andriy Yusov, told the RBC Ukraine news site on Saturday that the oil depot fire was "God's punishment" for "the murdered civilians in Uman, including five children." He said that more than 10 tanks containing oil products for Russia's Black Sea Fleet were destroyed in Sevastopol, but he stopped short of acknowledging Ukraine's responsibility for a drone attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview this week that his country will seeking to reclaim the peninsula in the upcoming counteroffensive. Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Crimea last month to mark the ninth anniversary of the Black Sea peninsula's annexation from Ukraine. His visit took place the day after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader accusing him of war crimes. (Read more Crimea stories.) Pope Francis plunged into both sides of Russia's war against Ukraine on Saturday, greeting some of the 2.5 million Ukrainian refugees who fled across the border to Hungary during a public prayer service and then meeting privately with an envoy of the Russian Orthodox Church that has strongly supported the war. Francis maintained the Vatican's tradition of diplomatic neutrality during his second day in Budapest, where he's on a weekend visit to minister to Hungary's Catholics. Starting the day, he thanked Hungarians for welcoming the refugees and urged them to help anyone in need. He called for a culture of charity in a country where the prime minister has justified firm anti-immigration policies with fears that migration threatens Europe's Christian culture, the AP reports. Speaking in the white-brick St. Elizabeth's church, named for a princess who renounced her wealth to care for the poor, Francis recalled that the Gospel instructs Christians to show love and compassion to all, especially those experiencing poverty and including nonbelievers. "The love that Jesus gives us and commands us to practice can help to uproot the evils of indifference and selfishness from society, from our cities and the places where we liveindifference is a plagueand to rekindle hope for a new, more just and fraternal world, where all can feel at home," he said. Hungary's nationalist government has implemented anti-immigration policies and refused to accept many asylum-seekers trying to cross its southern border, leading to prolonged legal disputes with the European Union. Immediately after greeting and encouraging the refugees, Francis visited the Greek Catholic church next door, which has been providing aid to refugees. He then met with the Russian Orthodox Churchs representative in Hungary, Metropolitan Hilarion. The Vatican said the 20-minute meeting at the Holy See's embassy in Budapest was cordial. The Russian church's strong support for the Kremlin's war has rankled the Vatican and prevented a second papal meeting with Patriarch Kirill. The meeting was planned for June but indefinitely postponed over Kirill's support for the war. (Read more Pope Francis stories.) The United Nations food relief agency has suspended aid deliveries to Ethiopias northern Tigray region amid an internal investigation into the theft of food meant for hungry people, according to four humanitarian workers. Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Overcast with rain showers at times. Low near 30F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Overcast with rain showers at times. Low near 30F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Egypt and Turkey have agreed on a timeframe for upgrading diplomatic relations, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Thursday during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara. During the press conference, which followed a closed-door meeting between the two sides, Shoukry said that he discussed with Cavusoglu bilateral relations and ways to overcome any obstacles that prevent their development. For his part, Cavusoglu said that talks with Egypt have achieved substantial progress on the issue of appointing ambassadors. The Turkish top diplomat said that a timetable for mutual ambassadorial appointments with Egypt will be announced soon. Shoukry noted that the accelerating development of Egyptian-Turkish relations reflects the existence of a political will to improve relations between Egypt and Turkey in all fields. He added that a summit that brings together both presidents will be held in the near future and that preparations for that summit were afoot. Shoukrys visit to Ankara on Thursday comes in the wake of both Cavusoglu's visit to Cairo in March and Shoukrys earlier visit to Turkey in February in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake. "The purpose of the visit is to continue the discussions that were initiated in Cairo to normalise relations," Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ahmed Abu-Zeid said in a statement on Wednesday. The aim is to establish "a clear roadmap for appointing ambassadors between the two countries, and to set a timeline for this matter," Abu-Zeid later added in a short interview with the Emirati TV Al-Mashhad. Earlier this week, during an interview with private broadcaster A Haber, FM Cavusoglu discussed the recent steps taken to normalise ties with Egypt after both countries broke off diplomatic relations a decade ago. It is time to take concrete steps. During Shoukrys visit, we can take steps to appoint ambassadors, the Turkish FM said. Cavusoglu had described his meeting with FM Shoukry in Cairo in late March as extremely positive. In late February, Shoukry visited Turkey where he met FM Cavusoglu to extend condolences and offer Cairos support following the devastating earthquake. Economic relations Cavusoglu expressed the Turkish governments desire to develop its joint relations, especially in the field of economy, with Egypt. He stated that the Egyptian-Turkish relations in the field of energy were growing rapidly. In mid-February, in a first such meeting in a decade amid recent thawing in relations between Cairo and Ankara, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met with a delegation of 14 representatives of Turkish companies who are either operating in Egypt or planning to start new investments in the country. PM Madbouly said at the time that the message of the meeting is clear and important because it is a step towards stressing the importance of trade and economic relations between Egypt and Turkey. According to recent figures provided by the Commercial Counsellor of the Turkish Embassy in Cairo Atilla Yenigun, 200 Turkish companies are currently operating in Egypt with an investment volume of EGP 2 billion. Cavusoglu said that the Turkish government will encourage Turkish companies, especially tourism companies, to invest in Egypt and to increase the number of Turkish tourists who visit Egypt. Cavusoglu stated that his government aimed to increase the trade exchange between the two countries to $15 billion. According to data published by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) in March, the bilateral trade volume between Egypt and Turkey increased by 14 per cent, hitting $7.7 billion in 2022, compared to $6.7 billion a year earlier. The Turkish FM also revealed that he has asked Egypt to allow Turkish Anadolu News Agency to work again in Egypt after closing down its Cairo office in August 2013. The cooperation between Egypt and Turkey is in the interest of both countries and the region as a whole, Cavusoglu stated. Agreement on regional issues FM Shoukry stated that the talks with his Turkish counterpart involved the latest regional and international developments, particularly the situation in Palestine, Libya and Syria. We appreciate the role of Egypt in the region especially in the Palestinian issue, FM Mevlut Cavusoglu said, highlighting that Turkey and Egypt shared the same views on Palestine. Shoukry said that he discussed with Cavusoglu cooperating and working on the Palestinian issue under the umbrella of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). He also reiterated Egypts call for respecting the freedom of worship and the status quo of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem. Shoukry added that the Palestinian authority should be allowed to do its job. Speaking of Libya, the Turkish foreign minister revealed that Egypt and Turkey have a keen interest in protecting the unity and sovereignty of Libya. He noted that both countries had had doubts before about each others intentions regarding Libya. But after our dialogue, we found out that we want the same goals, Cavusoglu said. He further revealed that Turkey was ready to train the units of the unified Libyan armed forces. Yet this will happen after the elections are held, the Turkish foreign minister said. For his part, FM Shourky said that he agreed with his Turkish counterpart on the importance of holding elections in Libya. Shoukry also said that he reviewed with Cavusoglu the recent developments in Syria, especially following his meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal El-Mekdad in Cairo and his call with UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen. The Egyptian Foreign Minister said that both Egypt and Turkey agree on ensuring the unity of Syrian territories and the exit of all foreign forces. They also agree on the importance of fighting terrorism there. Shoukry also asserted the importance of reaching a comprehensive political settlement under Syrian ownership, in line with Security Council resolution No. 2254 which involves all political partners in Syria and allows the return of the Syrian refugees to their homes. The Turkish Foreign Minister said that it was important to Turkey, as a neighbor of Syria, to protect the integrity of its territories more than others. Counter-terrorism efforts means ending divisions in Syria and preventing terrorism from spreading to Turkey, he added. Search Keywords: Short link: Agencies | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Kingdom of Bahrain will mark the International Workers' Day (Labour Day) on May 1, under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The Bahrain Free Labor Unions Federation (Al Hurr) and the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) will hold two ceremonies respectively on April 30 and May1. HM the King deputized the Minister of Labour Jameel bin Muhammed Ali Humaidan to attended both ceremonies and honour a batch of outstanding workers, who were nominated by Al Hurr and the GFBTU, in recognition of their devotion in different sectors. The minister hailed the royal patronage which, he said, represents a tribute to Bahrain in different sectors and in recognition of the values of work and in different development tracks. In a statement on this occasion, Humaidan praised HM the Kings care for the industrious workforce, which represents the real wealth for the development and prosperity of the Kingdom of Bahrain. He highlighted Bahrains tangible strides in providing a safety net for workers and safeguarding their rights through advanced national legislations that comply with the International labour standards. Bahrain applies laws that contribute to promoting a safe work environment that reduces the risks of accidents and occupational diseases to ensure the safety of workers, in addition to adopting best practices aimed at sustaining the stability and growth of the labor market through continuous encouragement of tripartite social dialogue between production parties, he said. These strides, he said, have turned Bahrain into one of the most competitive countries in the field of attracting entrepreneurs, noting the Kingdoms work environment and commitment to furthering labor gains. The minister congratulated all workers in Bahrain on the occasion of International Workers Day, stressing the government's appreciation for the workforce in various productive sectors and its continuous contributions to the comprehensive development process. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) A dozen senators are making a bipartisan appeal to President Joe Biden to reinvigorate the power of U.S. authorities to seize Iranian oil assets under an enforcement program they say has been allowed to languish. Despite existing sanctions, Iranian oil exports jumped 35% last year and proceeds are being used to sponsor attacks on U.S. citizens and service members as well as allies, the senators said in a letter to the president. Brinkmanship at sea was on display Thursday when masked Iranian navy commandos seized a U.S.-bound oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, one of several vessels it has taken as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West. Without providing evidence, Tehran said the tanker had run into an Iranian vessel. Specifically, the senators, led by Republican Joni Ernst of Iowa and Democrat Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut both from the Armed Services Committee complain that the Homeland Security Department's security investigations office has been constrained in seizure operations by lack of money. Since the enforcement program started in 2019, the office has seized nearly $228 million in Iranian crude and fuel oil linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., the senators said in the letter sent this past week. But they said the office has not recently been given money that is available under the Treasury Forfeiture Fund to conduct seizures of Iranian oil. It is unacceptable that a U.S. government program, which makes the United States and its allies safer, provides funds to remediate the victims of terrorism, and generates income for the United States in a cost-effective manner, has been allowed to languish, the letter says. The push is coming from a diverse group of senators, among them Republicans Ted Cruz of Texas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Ron Wyden of Oregon. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Warren Buffett famously said of investing: risk comes from not knowing what youre doing. For many individuals that observation is intuitive, resulting in hiring a financial adviser. No financial adviser can eliminate inherent unknowns in financial markets. However, a sound financial adviser can and should help investors identify their objectives and risk tolerances, and then design an investment strategy to fit those parameters. Did you lose money in the stock market because of market conditions or because of a financial advisers bad conduct? Problems arise when investment advisers take actions contrary to an investors personal objectives. That may include misrepresenting the risk of a particular investment, placing trades without authorization, engaging in overactive trading (churning), failing to execute a sell order, abusing margin to place trades, failing to disclose fees or, in the most extreme cases, forging documents and misusing or stealing funds from the investors account. Of course, losing money on an investment is not actionable on its own, but dishonest or negligent conduct by an investment adviser may provide a means to recover losses caused by the misconduct. Certain financial advisers are fiduciaries, meaning they have a legal obligation to place client interests ahead of their own self-interest. A fiduciary is required to exercise the utmost good faith and fair dealing, including duties of care and loyalty. The special relationship between investment adviser and client is often expressly spelled out in the written agreements. In the absence of express language, however, the law may imply a fiduciary relationship where the investor is unable to fully protect his or her interests because of the control the adviser exerts over his or her property and because the unprotected investor has placed trust and confidence in the adviser. Some financial advisers, such as brokers, may not owe their clients a formal fiduciary duty, but should nonetheless be driven by professional ethics to address a clients investing objectives. These professionals are bound to make investments suitable for the client. Factors that determine suitability include the investors risk tolerance (from conservative to aggressive), age, present income and net worth. Many times, the most challenging issue in any dispute between investment adviser and client is proving that the claimed loss was caused by the bad conduct of the adviser. While that connection is obvious when the loss results from the theft of assets, it may be far less clear when the claim is that investment advice or trades were not suitable. Market conditions or other factors may have contributed to the loss. Investors can attempt to overcome this hurdle by offering expert testimony to explain the complexities of a transaction and establish the causal connection between the bad conduct and the loss. For investors with claims against a broker or brokerage firm, the legal proceeding will likely be governed under the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. FINRA provides that disputes must be resolved in arbitration when the parties have signed an enforceable written agreement to arbitrate, the broker or financial adviser is a FINRA member, and the legal claim involves the brokers securities business. FINRA has a detailed set of procedural rules for navigating that process. Connecticut also provides remedies through the Department of Banking and under the Connecticut Uniform Securities Act, which provides investors a private right of legal action when damages are suffered due to deceptive sales practices of someone who offers or sells securities. CUSA affords the defrauded investor the right to recover the amount paid for the security, plus interest and attorneys fees. When a relationship with an investment adviser has gone awry, Buffetts advice is equally applicable get help from someone with knowledge of how to navigate the complicated maze of public and private remedies. While everyone has at one time or another suffered the slings and arrows of volatile markets, there is no reason to suffer from damage inflicted by the bad conduct of an investment adviser. The US Navy DDG(X) program wants next-generation guided-missile destroyers (DDGs) to replace the Navys Ticonderoga (CG-47) class Aegis cruisers and older Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class Aegis destroyers. The US Navy plans to start buying the first DDG(X) in FY2032. The Navys proposed FY2024 budget requests $187.4 million in research and development funding for the program. The CBO (Congressional Budget Office) is currently projecting each DDGX Destroyer will cost $3.4 billion each. The first Arleigh Burke Destroyer in 1989 cost $1.1 billion. Historically, US military systems end up costing much more than the projections ten years prior to the first acquisition. The Navy has indicated that the initial [DDG(X)] design prescribes a displacement of 13,500 tons. This would be about 39% greater than the 9,700-ton Flight III DDG-51 design. The US Navy wants a future 350-ship fleet and DDGX would eventually be 50-100 ships of that Navy. The 350-ship fleet may or may not include a large number of large robotic ships. The robotic ships will be built but the ship count might be just the regularly manned ships. One hundred DDGX in 2040 at $3.4 billion a piece is $340 billion. If prices end up being double then it would be $680 billion for $6.8 billion each. The Navy has just completed about 12 months of design of the DDGX. The ship will be bigger and have larger missile launchers. They want to have higher-power lasers and long-range strike hypersonic weapons. It will have more sensor, bigger sensors and more electrical capacity. One of those sensors is the SPY-6 radar, built by Raytheon. It is currently being integrated on Navy ships. The powerful sensor will inevitably be improved upon, but may require more power by the 2030s. Directed energy weapons are currently too expensive to deploy into current ships and the program is delayed. The Navy has now received six high-energy lasers with integrated optical-dazzler and surveillance, or HELIOS, systems from its maker Lockheed Martin. The US Navy remains committed to getting high-energy lasers into ships for the 2030s. The notional design is for the DDGX destroyer to have two 600-kilowatt lasers. The US Navy is spending over $26 billion on research and development out of an overall $255 billion budget in 2024. The budget increases by 5-10% in an average year. The new Standard Missile-6, or SM-6, which can do anti-air defense, ballistic missile defense and anti-surface warfare, is being integrated onto Navy ships now. The Navy is currently developing the Conventional Prompt Strike weapon, which would travel at speeds higher than Mach 5 and be maneuverable. The Navy wants the new hypersonic weapon to be ready by 2028, a few years before the DDG(X) is ready. The three Zumwalt-class destroyers and Virginia-class submarines are the first destinations for any new hypersonic technology. Science and technology (S&T) research is vital to provide for future technologies that support innovative capabilities in shipbuilding, aviation, weapons, and expeditionary equipment. Beyond the S&T phase, research and development (R&D) is fundamental to major acquisition programs such as the Columbia class ballistic submarine program, which recapitalizes our strategic nuclear deterrent. Other major areas of R&D effort include investments in future aircraft carrier, surface, submarine, and logistics vessels; unmanned systems; electromagnetic warfare; and cyberspace warfare. The FY 2024 RDT&E, N budget provides investment in the development of Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) to deliver a hypersonic offensive strike weapon. The budget also accelerates development of the Navy Laser Family of Systems (NLFoS) to provide Navy ships with laser weapons in the protection against near-term threats. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CORDOVA, New Mexico (AP) Ever since missionaries started building churches out of mud 400 years ago in what was the isolated frontier of the Spanish empire, tiny mountain communities like Cordova relied on their own resources to keep the faith going. Thousands of miles from religious and lay seats of power, everything from priests to sculptors to paint pigments was hard to come by. Villagers instituted lay church caretakers called mayordomos, and filled chapels with elaborate altarpieces made of local wood and varnished with pine sap. Today, threatened by depopulation, dwindling congregations and fading traditions, some of their descendants are fighting to save these historic adobe structures from literally crumbling back to the earth they were built with. Our ancestors put blood and sweat in this place for us to have Jesus present. This is the root of my faith, said Angelo Sandoval on a chilly spring day inside the 1830s church of St. Anthony, where he serves as mayordomo in his native Cordova. Were not just a church, were not just a religion we have roots. From the local dirt theyre made of to the generations of family memories they hold, these churches anchor a uniquely New Mexican way of life for their communities, many of which no longer have schools or stores, and struggle with chronic poverty and addiction. An estimated 500 Catholic mission churches remain in northern New Mexico, where the Rocky Mountains taper off into desert mesas to the west and endless plains to the east. Its becoming increasingly difficult to find the necessary investment hundreds of thousands of dollars, plus specialized conservation skills and families willing to serve as mayordomos to preserve them, especially since most are used for only a few services each year. Its truly a labor of love, said the Rev. Rob Yaksich, pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows in Las Vegas, New Mexico, which oversees 23 rural churches, most in adobe, spread over a large territory. When the faithful generation is gone, are they going to be a museum or serve their purpose? This old, deep-rooted Spanish Catholicism is experiencing serious disruption. Fidel Trujillo is mayordomo of the pink-stuccoed San Jose church in the hamlet of Ledoux where he grew up. With his wife and other family members, he keeps it spotless even though only two Masses per year are celebrated here regularly. Our antepasados (ancestors) did a tremendous job in handing over the faith, and its our job now, Trujillo said in the characteristic mix of Spanish and English that many speak in this region. While hes also active in the main parish in the nearby town of Mora, he brings his children, 6 and 4, as often as he can to San Jose. This serves as a retreat and grounding for us, he added. I much prefer coming to these capillas (chapels). Its a compass that guides where your heart really belongs. Each mission church is devoted to a particular saint, for whom the community develops special veneration. When New Mexicos largest wildfire last spring charred forests close to the San Jose church, and Trujillo was displaced for a month, he took the statue of St. Joseph with him. In the small town of Bernalillo, Catholic faithful have kept a vow to St. Lawrence for more than 300 years that includes one family each year setting up an altar with his image in their home and making it available 24/7 to anyone who wants to pray. They have knocked at my door at 2 a.m. and Ive let them in, said mayordoma Barbara Finley. Her home is near the historic adobe Santuario de San Lorenzo, which the community fought to keep even though a larger church was built next door. Four hundred years ago, life was very difficult in this part of the world, the remote inland frontier of the Spanish empire, explained Felix Lopez, a master santero the artists who sculpt, paint and conserve saint figures in New Mexicos unique devotional style, born of historical isolation. People needed these santos. They were a source of comfort and refuge. In intervening centuries, most were stolen, sold or damaged, according to Bernadette Lucero, director, curator and archivist for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, which has inventories of its hundreds of churches since the 1600s. But how much these expressive sculptures and paintings still matter to local communities is evident where they survive in original form, as they do at the mission churches in Cordova, Truchas and Las Trampas on the mountain road from Santa Fe to Taos. Saints are the spiritual go-to; they can be highly powerful, said Victor Goler, a master santero who just completed conserving the altarpieces, or reredos, in Las Trampas mid-18th century church. Its important for the community to have a connection. Their feeling is a lot deeper and thats what keeps it going. On a recent Sunday at Truchas 1760s Holy Rosary church, Lopez pointed out the rich decorative details that centuries of smoke and grime had hidden until he meticulously removed them with the absorbent inside of sourdough bread. Im a devout Catholic, and I do this as meditation, as a form of prayer, said Lopez, whos been a santero for five decades and whose family hails from this village perched on a ridge at 7,000 feet (2,100 meters). A few miles down the valley in Cordova, Jerry Sandoval another santero and the mayordomos uncle says a prayer to each saint before starting to sculpt their image out of pine, cottonwood or aspen. He then paints them with natural pigments purple is made of crushed bugs, for example and varnishes them with the sap of pinon, the stocky pine tree that dots the countryside. He also helped conserve the colorful, centuries-old reredos at the local church, where many children come back for traditional Christmas and Easter prayers giving both Sandovals hope that the younger generations will learn to be attached to their church. They see all this, Jerry Sandoval said in front of the richly decorated altarpieces from St. Anthony church. Lots of people call it tradition, but we call it faith. For the Rev. Sebastian Lee, who as administrator of the popular Santuario de Chimayo complex a few miles away also oversees these mission churches, fostering local attachment is a daunting challenge as congregations shrink even faster since the COVID-19 pandemic. I want missions to be where people can taste culture and religiosity. Theyre very healing, youre soaked with peoples faith, Lee said as pilgrims filed past his tiny adobe-walled office into the main sanctuary at Chimayo. I wonder how to help them, because sooner or later one mission is not going to have enough people. The archdioceses Catholic Foundation provides small grants, and several organizations have been founded to help conservation efforts. Frank Graziano hopes his non-profit Nuevo Mexico Profundo, which supported the Cordova conservation, can obtain the necessary permit from the archdiocese to restore the 1840s church of San Geronimo. Deep cracks break apart its adobe walls and bug nests buzz in a gaping hole by one of the windows. The surrounding village, in a wide valley in the shadow of Hermit Peak, is almost entirely depopulated, making it unlikely that the community will step in for the necessary upkeep. Exposed to rain and snow, adobe needs a fresh replastering of dirt, sand and straw every couple of years lest it dissolve. That makes local buy-in and some kind of ongoing activity, even just funerals, fundamental to long-term preservation, said Jake Barrow, program director at Cornerstones, which has worked on more than 300 churches and other structures. When volunteers started fundraising for the mission in Truchas, the community suspected it would be turned into an art gallery, said mayordoma Aggie Vigil. They came around when she shared the dream to make the old adobe church, then unstable and infested with gophers, viable for Mass again. But with fewer priests and fewer faithful, taking some rural missions off the churchs roster might be inevitable, said the Rev. Andy Pavlak, who serves on the archdioceses commission for preservation of historic churches. We have two choices: Either return to the community, or back to the earth they came from. We cant save them all, said Pavlak, who for nearly a decade ministered to 10 churches in Socorro County, the oldest from 1615. The adobe is made from the earth. Adam and Eve were made from the earth. Were all going to the earth. How do we do it with dignity? Running his hand over the smooth adobe walls he restored at the 1880s Santo Nino de Atocha chapel in Monte Aplanado, a hamlet nestled in a high mountain valley, Leo Paul Pacheco argued that the answer might hinge on the faith of lay people like him. He and his son belong to one of the many brotherhoods, known as penitentes for their devotion to penance and prayer for souls in purgatory, that historians credit with fulfilling the churchs role of religious and social work when frontier dangers kept priests away. The brothers still help set a model as their county struggles with unemployment and the drug crisis, Pacheco said. We lift our community in prayer. What we do is to highlight and share aspects of community that bring bonds. Longer term, it will be up to future generations to leverage their faith to save these historic churches. They still have access to the same dirt, Pacheco said as the adobe walls sand particles and straw sparkled in the sun. They will provide. 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. Russia's defense minister hosted his counterparts from Iran, Syria and Turkey on Tuesday for talks that were part of the Kremlin's efforts to help broker a rapprochement between the Turkish and Syrian governments. The Russian Defense Ministry said the talks focused on practical steps to strengthen security in the Syrian Arab Republic and to normalize Syrian-Turkish relations. Moscow has waged a military campaign in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to allow Syrian President Bashar Assads government to reclaim control over most of the country. Turkey has backed armed opposition to Assad throughout the 12-year Syrian civil war. While the bulk of Russia's armed forces have been busy fighting in Ukraine, Moscow has maintained its military presence in Syria and has also made persistent efforts to help Assad rebuild fractured ties with Turkey and other countries in the region following the civil war that has killed nearly 500,000 people and displaced half of the countrys prewar population. In December, Moscow hosted a surprise meeting of the Turkish and Syrian defense ministers, the first such encounter since Syrias uprising-turned-civil-war began in 2011. And earlier this month, senior diplomats from Russia, Turkey, Syria and Iran met in Moscow for two days of talks intended to set the stage for a meeting of the four countries' foreign ministers. The efforts toward a Turkish-Syrian reconciliation come as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is under intense pressure at home to send Syrian refugees back amid a steep economic downturn and an increasing anti-refugee sentiment. He faces presidential and parliamentary elections in May. The Russian Defense Ministry said in its readout of Tuesdays talks that the parties "reaffirmed their adherence to the preservation of Syrias territorial integrity and the need to step up efforts to allow a speedy return of Syrian refugees. The Turkish Defense Ministry issued a similarly worded statement, noting that the four ministers discussed the issue of strengthening security in Syria, the concrete steps that can be taken to normalize ties between Turkey and Syria, the fight against terrorist and extremist groups on the Syrian territory and efforts for the return of Syrian refugees. The statement said the sides also emphasized the importance of the continuation of the four-party meetings to ensure and maintain stability in Syria and the region as a whole. On Tuesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also hosted Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and his counterparts from Syria and Iran for separate bilateral talks. Turkey has de facto control over large swathes of northwestern Syria, and Assad's government has described the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syrian territory as a prerequisite for a normalization of ties. Syrias Defense Ministry said that Tuesdays talks in Moscow focused on the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria as well as the reopening of the M4 highway. The west-east highway cuts through government-controlled coastal regions and passes through the rebel-held northwest all the way to Kurdish-controlled areas in the northeast. Russian and Turkish troops have conducted joint patrols over the past years on the highway, which links the Mediterranean with the Iraqi border, but repeated protests in rebel-held areas have prevented the return of traffic to normal. The vital highway has been partially closed since 2012. The decision to reopen it was part of a truce reached in March 2020 between Russia and Turkey that ended a monthslong Russian-backed government offensive on the rebel-held northeast. But even as Turkey has supported Syrian opposition fighters in the north, Ankara and Damascus are equally dismayed over the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in Syrias northeast. Turkey-backed opposition fighters have clashed with the SDF in the past, accusing them of being an arm of Turkeys outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. The PKK has for decades waged an insurgency within Turkey. Assads government has cast the SDF as a secessionist force that has been pilfering the countrys wealth while controlling Syrias major oil fields. The Russian Defense Ministry noted that during Tuesday's talks special attention was given to countering terror threats and fighting all groups of extremists on Syrian territory. Search Keywords: Short link: This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BOISE, Idaho (AP) Prosecutors say the mother charged in a triple murder case took part in a complex conspiracy that included unusual spiritual beliefs and efforts to kill those who stood in the way of her goals. Here, a look at the defendants and some of the witnesses in the trial of Lori Vallow Daybell: THE DEFENDANT: Lori Vallow Daybell, 49, is a beautician by trade, a mother of three, and a wife five times over. Shes pleaded not guilty to murder, conspiracy and grand theft charges in the deaths of her two youngest kids and her new husbands previous wife. Vallow Daybells first marriage, to a high school sweetheart when she was just 19, ended quickly. She married again in her early 20s, and had a son named Colby before divorcing. In 2001, Vallow Daybell married again, this time to a man named Joseph Ryan. The couple had a baby girl named Tylee in 2002, but divorced just a few years later. Ryan later died in his home of a suspected heart attack. Charles Vallow, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, entered the picture several months later. Vallow Daybell joined the LDS church and the pair married in 2006. They later adopted Joshua Jaxon JJ Vallow. But by 2019, that marriage had also soured. Charles Vallow filed for divorce, contending in court papers that Vallow Daybell also believed herself to be a deity tasked with helping to usher in the Biblical apocalypse. The two were estranged but still married when Vallow Daybells brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed Charles Vallow outside his Phoenix suburban home. Cox told police the shooting was in self defense, and was never charged in the case. Shortly after Charles death, Vallow Daybell moved to eastern Idaho with JJ, Tylee and her brother Cox. Chad Daybell became her fifth husband on November 5, 2019 roughly two weeks after his previous wife Tammy Daybell died under suspicious circumstances. Meanwhile, JJ and Tylee were missing. They were last seen in September, and they were declared missing in November after extended family urged police to investigate. Their bodies were found the following year buried in Chad Daybells yard. CHAD DAYBELL: Daybell, 54, was also a member of the LDS church and a self-published author who wrote doomsday-focused fiction loosely based on church teachings. He married Tammy Daybell in 1990, and they had five kids. Prosecutors say he met Vallow Daybell at a conference in Utah in 2018. The two purportedly felt an instant connection and claimed they had been married to each other in a past life, according to police records. Friends of the couple told investigators that the pair shared the same unusual beliefs, including that they could tell if someone had been taken over by an evil spirit. Chad and Lori led a group of friends in trying to cast out the supposed evil spirits by praying and doing energy work, prosecutors said. Friends told police that in some cases they determined a person had become a zombie, fully controlled by the evil spirit. Vallow Daybell claimed the only way to get rid of a zombie was to destroy the persons body, prosecutors say, and one friend told police she heard Vallow Daybell call the children zombies before they disappeared. Tammy Daybell was initially described as having died in her sleep of natural causes. But an autopsy showed she was asphyxiated to death, Prosecutor Lindsey Blake told jurors earlier this month. Chad Daybell is also charged in the triple murder case. Like Vallow Daybell, he has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. He is expected to stand trial several months from now. COLBY RYAN: Ryan, 27, is Vallow Daybells only living child. Though he was born of Vallow Daybells second marriage, when his mother remarried Colby took Joe Ryans last name. Colby Ryan, who testified that he had a happy childhood, started crying on the stand when prosecutors showed him photos of Tylee and JJ, and talked about how Tylee was receiving social security benefits because her biological father Joe Ryan died in 2018. Sometimes she would send money to Colby Ryan through a phone app, and sometimes his mom would put money into Tylees account to send to him, he said. After Ryan moved out of the family home, he continued to exchange texts with Tylee. But shortly after what would have been Tylees 17th birthday in September of 2019, the tone and syntax of those texts changed. Tylee had last been seen alive a few weeks earlier, but at the time Ryan didnt know she was missing. The occasional money transfers continued too, though through a different phone app under his mothers name, he said. After his siblings bodies were found, Ryan confronted his mother in an emotional recorded phone call that was played for jurors. The call starts with Ryan asking Vallow Daybell if she thought she could keep hiding from him. Im not hiding, why would you think Im hiding? she responds. Probably because you murdered my siblings! Maybe you should understand, Ryan continued, before his mother interrupted: I didnt. Im sorry you feel that way, she said. KAY WOODCOCK: Woodcock is JJs grandmother, and she convinced Idaho police to check up on JJ after her normally regular phone calls and visits with the boy dried up. That welfare check in November of 2019 revealed that both kids were missing. JJs father, Charles Vallow, is actually Woodcocks brother: He adopted JJ as a baby because JJs biological parents including Woodcocks son were unable to care for the child. Woodcock was the first witness in the trial. She told jurors that JJ was born with some disabilities and was diagnosed with autism. After Charles died, Woodcock feared Vallow Daybell no longer wanted the boy. She was also worried that JJ may had witnessed his fathers death. We were so worried about JJ, and did he see what happened to his dad, Woodcock told jurors. SAMANTHA GWILLIAM: Gwilliam is Tammy Daybells sister the only two girls in a family of five kids. As adults, they talked nearly every day, Gwilliam told the jury, and Tammy seemed healthy and was training to run a race just two weeks before her death. Tammy's funeral happened so quickly just three days after her death that some family members couldn't attend, Gwilliam said. She was devastated when she learned Chad Daybell remarried just a couple of weeks after Tammy died, she said, but he told her that he and his new wife connected because they were both grieving over deceased spouses. Chad Daybell said his new wife's name was Lori Ryan, and that her previous husband had died of a heart attack. He also said they were both empty nesters, with no young kids at home, Gwilliam told the jury. Gwilliam later found out Lori was also associated with the last name Vallow and did an internet search. That's when she realized Charles Vallow had been shot to death. An online comment under Vallow's obituary also mentioned two kids and that was the first time Gwilliam heard anything about Lori's son and daughter, she told the jury. Eventually the last conversation I had with Chad was in December, of 2019, Gwilliam told the jury. It was just to ask him to stop lying about what was going on. Madison Police Department / Contributed Photo MADISON A 46-year-old Branford man who allegedly robbed a local watch store at gunpoint before fleeing the business in a stolen vehicle on Friday has been arrested, police say. Joseph Abbate, of Branford, was arrested around 2 a.m. Saturday in connection to the incident and charged with several offenses, Madison police said. Abbate is being held on a $500,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in New Haven Superior Court on May 1. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MILFORD For the past 12 years, Ben Blake has been living the dream. First elected mayor in 2011, the longtime Milford resident took the reins of a city that several generations of his family have called home. Now he leaves behind a legacy of financial stability and consistent economic growth. "This is the best job on Earth, said Blake in the mayors office at City Hall Thursday, one of his last days in the citys top job. Transition is healthy, and I never intended to do this job forever, Blake said. I always wanted to get back to law. But I admit this has been the professional opportunity of a lifetime to be mayor of my own hometown. Blake was confirmed by Connecticuts General Assembly to serve as administrative law judge for Connecticuts Workers Compensation Commission and plans to take that oath of office on Monday. When that happens, he will officially step down as Milfords mayor, with Richard Smith, the citys police commission chair, taking the reins for the rest of the current term, which ends in November. The Board of Aldermen approved the appointment of Smith at a special meeting Thursday. This job offers something new every hour of every day, Blake said. No two days are alike. While most will remember Blakes run of reducing the mill rate for seven consecutive years, he said the real joys of the job came from interacting with the community at the countless community activities. He admits his weekends were regularly booked with such events as fireworks, Pirate Days, concerts and charity runs. There are also those times when you get to aid individuals, said Blake, referring specifically to a fire scene Tuesday at a Grant Street home. Its about helping people. Like (Tuesday), I was at the Grant Street fire until like 10 oclock helping make sure a displaced woman had somewhere to go that night that she understood the city was there for her, Blake said. That is what this job is all about. Blake has also shepherded a major hike in business growth over his tenure, one he says saw some 400 to 600 businesses opening in the city annually. For that, Blake credits stability in leadership and tax rates, creating an inviting environment for investment. Businesses know this is a good place to invest, he said. Taxes are stable, and as more businesses come in, it allows us to keep those taxes stable. A driving force in creating a welcoming community, according to Blake, is the 2,000 employees that make up the city government, from those in City Hall to police and fire to park and recreation to sanitation, and everyone in between. We have a great team, Blake said. They all have so much compassion for others. I see it in each department. Its not just a job, its a passion. They put their heart and soul into this to make sure that Milford is successful and continues to thrive. Blake was practicing law in an office on the Milford Green for seven years when he was first elected mayor, at the age of 33. He already had political experience, serving eight years on the Board of Aldermen, including terms as minority leader and as chairman. When he walked in the door, he faced a tough road in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. Storm Irene had just decimated our shore, Blake recalled. We had to reconstruct the public infrastructure along our coastline, which as he frequently says is the longest coastline in the state. Then 14 months later, Superstorm Sandy pushed into the state, crushing the coastline again and leaving homes destroyed in Milford. Milford is blessed with a beautiful shoreline, but it is also a vulnerability, Blake said. We got whacked, but folks reached out from across the country. It was incredible having so many people from all over coming together for us. Blake said these events shake people, but also brought people together. As mayor, watching that, was incredible. I understood I had a job to do, to make sure lives were restored, houses repaired. But at the same time I appreciated how everybody responded to that situation. We continue to rebuild. Blake said these two events as well as the pandemic defined much of his 12 years. That and the investment in recreational space for the community. He specifically cited what he calls the Eisenhower Park corridor, lined with pickle ball courts, playing fields, dog parks and a splash pad. He mentioned the refurbishment of the Solomon Woods hiking trails. "We have had another three dozen pocket parks upgraded over the past 12 years, Blake said. All this work was done for everyone, young and old. These things will be felt for years to come. Now Blake turns to a new role, that of administrative law judge for Connecticuts Workers Compensation Commission. But Milford still holds his heart. This has been such a great opportunity, Blake added, Its something that Ive worked very hard at, and it is a city that I will continue to advocate for and on behalf of. A Connecticut law requires every police officer and patrol car to be equipped with body and dashboard cameras, but there is no mechanism to enforce the mandate and no one is keeping track of which agencies are not in compliance, officials say. You would have to contact the individual agencies, Amie Ledoux, administrative assistant at the Police Officer Standards and Training Council, said when asked if there is a list of departments not in compliance. The Connecticut Police Chiefs Association had a similar response: We dont keep track of that here. Part of the Police Accountability Act passed in 2020, the law required the cameras by July 1, 2022. But Marc Pelka, undersecretary of Criminal Justice Policy and Planning at the Office of Policy and Management, said no agency is assigned by statute to monitor the state's more than 100 police departments for compliance. One way to get a sense of which departments are making an effort to comply is to review the states list of municipalities that have received funding for cameras. However, the fact a municipality received a grant doesnt mean it is fully complying with the law. Even those that received partial reimbursement for body-worn cameras may not be in full compliance, Pelka said, because theres no way to know if the officers are wearing them. And the town may not have cameras in its police cars. Westport, for example, just finished installing a dashboard camera system that syncs with its body-worn devices earlier this year, but missed the states July 1 deadline. Weve had body-worn (cameras) for several years. We just completed the installation and rollout of body-worn and dash cam, Westport Lt. Eric Woods said. As for state officials, They put the mandates out there and dont tell you how you were going to do it," Woods said. Westport police started looking for dashboard cameras once they learned of the new law, joining dozens of other departments talking to a limited number of vendors, Woods said. Although two years sounds like a long time, he said it's also a long process. Its very time-consuming, even getting the process going. We had to move to a whole new body-cam system, dash cam system. The storage of this stuff is insane, Woods said. Supply chain problems also slowed the process. What is mandated by the state and what is reality dont always jibe, Woods said. Finally, he said, the cameras are a huge expense. Westport, which is paying about $700,000 the first five years for both types of cameras and storage, plans to apply for a grant to reimburse at least part of the cost. More than 70 miles northeast of Westport, Vernons police cars lack cameras, putting it in violation of the law. Dashboard cameras are on order, Chief John Kelley said and the department is also replacing its body-worn cameras. Kelley said he didnt think the process of putting together a request for proposals for the cameras would take as long as it did. The towns submission deadline was Nov. 30 and has chosen a $710,783 bid from Axon Enterprise Inc. for new body-worn and dash cams. Kelley's lieutenant indicated that money, or a lack of it, also delayed the purchase. The town of Vernon's Police Department has been doing its due diligence to acquire dashboard cameras for its cruisers," Lt. Robert Marra said in a statement. In addition to equipment purchases, the town also had to address financing this unfunded mandate. Mayor Dan Champagne, a Republican who is a former state senator and ex-Vernon police sergeant, voted against the Police Accountability Act. Through a spokesperson, Champagne said his opposition to the law has nothing to do with the delay in purchasing dashboard cameras. The department has had body-worn cameras since 2015, but the body-cam contractor Vernon used does not offer dash cams, said David Owens, the towns communications specialist. That necessitated starting over because the department wanted an integrated body cam/dash cam system because that is in the best interest of the community and is an industry best practice. The department spent a significant amount of time evaluating these camera systems, Owens said, and then had to identify funds to pay for this unfunded state mandate. The town could not go to bid in good faith without having the funds available to cover the cost of this equipment. Like Westport, Vernon is looking to apply for partial reimbursement. However, Vernon is only eligible for a 30 percent reimbursement for first-time camera purchases. Municipalities that are considered distressed qualify for a 50 percent reimbursement. The failure to equip Vernon patrol vehicles with dash cams came to light after a fatal high-speed collision involving a town police SUV and a Nissan Sentra on April 2. Ironically, the Nissan did have a dashboard camera, but investigators found that it contained no video images or usable files, according to the warrant for the arrest of its driver, Phillip Vargas. Investigators concluded Vargas was under the influence of alcohol and THC when he turned into the path of the Vernon police SUV, which was speeding down Hartford Turnpike lights and sirens on at more than 85 mph to help a fellow officer at a violent scene where he thought a gun had been fired, the warrant stated. Vargas front-seat passenger and fiancee, Bianca Colon Hernandez, died in the crash. A teacher at Springfield Preparatory Charter School in Massachusetts, Colon Hernandez grew up in Bridgeport. Many police departments have dashboard cameras in addition to body cameras, and some have had them for years. When I was hired in 2007, we had in-car cameras that had VHS tapes, South Windsor Police Sgt. Mark Cleverdon said. Meriden did, too. We had VHS tapes in the trunks of the cruisers, Sgt. Michael Boothroyd said. Passing on state grants Of the 94 local police departments in Connecticut, 14 are not on the list of municipalities that have received funding for body-worn and/or dashboard cameras. Hearst Connecticut Media Group contacted those departments, and each said they have both body and dashboard cameras that were funded through local budgets, federal grants, private donations or other sources. Cleverdon said South Windsor is not on the list of grant recipients because it didnt ask for money. He said the town paid for body-worn and dash cams long before the state accountability bill passed. Meriden didnt want to depend on the state to contribute to the cameras because of the requirements that would have come with the grant money, Boothroyd said. Windsor Locks funded its cameras through its budget for the same reason, Lt. Paul Cherniack said. At the time of the government grant, there were a lot of stipulations and variables that had not yet been worked out, so we were able to do it ourselves and move forward with a system that meets our needs, Cherniack said. We received our cameras last year, about April or May, he said. Both cruiser and body cams are in place." Windsor Locks leases its cameras, so they are constantly being upgraded with the latest, greatest technologies as they evolve, Cherniack said. The New Britain Police Department came up with a combination of local, state and federal funding sources to pay for its cameras, according to Rachel Zaniewski, spokesperson for Mayor Erin Stewart. Some money came from the U.S. Department of Justice, and some came from state Asset Forfeiture funds, which are proceeds of illegal drug sales. New Britain has had body-worn cameras since 2021 and dashboard cameras years earlier, Zaniewski said. One police department benefited from used cameras. Matt Carl, interim deputy chief of the East Windsor Police Department, said his agency received donated body-worn cameras from Branford about four years ago. The town has had dashboard cameras since 2013 or 2014, he said. We were one of the early ones," he said. Our whole department has been on both body and car since 2020, Carl said. 'Dont know how we worked without them' Carl said cameras are valuable tools that capture officers doing their jobs properly more often than they catch them making mistakes. Its used as a training aid for how to handle something differently, Carl said. If someone has an unfounded complaint against an officer, police can show the person footage of the interaction, he said. Were able to sit down with the folks, Carl said, "and say, Heres the video. Our officers wouldnt work without them now, he said. It is overwhelmingly supported by the officers. Basically, theyre like, I dont know how we worked without them. Even though the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association doesnt track which departments are complying with the camera requirement, the organization has embraced the law requiring the use of body-worn and cruiser cameras in Connecticut, said Neil Dryfe, the group's president who is also chief of the Cheshire Police Department. Video footage has helped show the public the outstanding work the men and women of Connecticut law enforcement perform, sometimes in situations where their lives or the lives of ordinary citizens are in danger, said Dryfe, who added that he is not aware of any departments that lack body-worn cameras. Stamford Assistant Police Chief Richard Conklin said videos provide helpful evidence, especially at chaotic scenes. You have it on film and often from different angles. Once you get back to headquarters, you can have different views, and it makes wonderful evidence. Theres less to debate. Mike Lawlor, associate professor of criminal justice at the University of New Haven and former advisor on crime for former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's administration, said videos have become so commonplace that juries expect them during trials. At this point, if you dont have video, I think people are going to wonder, said Lawlor, who also was a prosecutor. Its almost like DNA evidence: If you dont have it, its a flaw in the case. As far as using them to monitor police officers, he agrees cameras help them more than they hurt. The vast majority of the times, those videos help solve cases, help prove cases and exonerate them when police are accused of wrongdoing, Lawlor said. The vast majority of the time, it puts to rest conspiracy theories. And when police lie or abuse their authority, that is often on camera, too. Lawlor cited the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols in Memphis earlier this year as two examples. In the Memphis case, Lawlor said, videos from body and street cameras revealed how the entire situation unfolded. You found out ... they completely lied about what happened," he said. Staff writer Ken Dixon contributed to this story. Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media A former Pratt & Whitney executive and several other aerospace officials were found not guilty on Friday of conspiring to limit workers' mobility and career prospects, court documents show. U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden issued the acquittal in the case against former Pratt & Whitney director Mahesh Patel and five executives of outsourcing engineering suppliers who were accused of conspiring to allocate workers by agreeing not to hire or seek employees from each other's companies. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW HAVEN The park at Long Wharf, New Haven's front lawn to many visitors, soon will change in a big way thanks to a $12.1 million state grant local officials hope eventually will be part of a total $25 million upgrade. New Haven and state officials are pretty excited about it. "This is a really big deal ... for many reasons," Mayor Justin Elicker said, standing inside the still-new Canal Dock Boathouse at Long Wharf to celebrate receipt of the grant, which opens the door to a host of improvements. He was flanked by Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, state Sen. President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven, state Rep. Roland Lemar, D-New Haven, and several key city officials, including Hill/City Point Alder Carmen Rodriguez, D-6, City Engineer Giovanni Zinn and City Plan Executive Director Laura Brown. "Our parks are some of our most cherished resources," he said. "This is a showcase for New Haven. Hundreds of thousands of people drive by every day and see our shoreline," Elicker said. When the work is finished, "people won't drive by and see something nice. They're going to drive by and see something incredible." Then they're going to want to go into New Haven, he said. Bysiewicz said the city had a total of $175 million to invest from the Community Investment Fund, of which the Long Wharf project was part of the first $99 million announced. But it had $1 billion in requests, she said. "I think one of the reasons why this project got through the process is because it hits so many" of the touchstones the state looked at, including the fact that it's adjacent to the proposed 500 new apartments that the Fusco Corp. plans to build at Long Wharf, it will encourage walkability and tourism and connect city neighborhoods to New Haven's waterfront. It also will connect families with an area that will be full of food trucks, farmers markets and other attractions, Bywiewicz said, "so I'm just delighted to be standing here" to celebrate it. The project also was funded "because of its investment in resiliency and sustainability," Bysiewicz said. "We just can't wait to be here and see the progress" as it unfolds, she said. "It is truly and exciting day," said Zinn. The "signature part of this is getting rid of Long Wharf Drive," he said. It will be replaced by a 20-foot-wide promenade along the water, with a large lawn, a marketplace, and a better, more dedicated area for the food trucks that have made Long Wharf such a popular spot in recent years, he said. Instead of Long Wharf Drive as a through street, the area will have a "woonerf," or "living street," a Dutch-style slow-moving drive that will mix traffic from motor vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles, Zinn said. "We're really, really excited about this project," said Brown. "This is a major project and its necessary in the city of New Haven," said Looney, calling Long Wharf Park "a gem. "That's why I was pleased to support this," he said. Lemar called the project "a remarkable example of what this fund can do." Rodriguez thanked the other officials there, saying, "It was a mind blowing experience ... to see what this waterfront is going to look like." The rebuilt park will include public site furniture, a playground, outdoor fitness equipment, upgraded walkways, bike path, lighting and a food truck pavilion. It will preserve and enhance the existing war memorials. The park will dovetail with the city's broader Long Wharf Responsible Growth Plan and a host of infrastructure improvements. Among the things coming are a mixed-used, 500-unit residential complex at 501-585 Long Wharf Drive; a $25 million FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant to build a "living shoreline" and stormwater tunnel; a $160 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project to build a floodwall and pump station, and a $63 million Army Corps New Haven Harbor Deepening Project. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Maryann Newsom Collette has never been able to visit her mothers grave. Now, she will finally make the trip to the Philadelphia siteand she plans to bring the ashes of her sister, Patricia Meleady Newsom, who went missing in the 1970s. For more than four decades, Patricia Newsom was buried in an unmarked grave in Hamdens State Street Cemetery, the unnamed victim of an unsolved homicide in East Haven. Collette, who searched for her sister for 47 years, had no way of knowing she was there. That changed earlier this month, when the East Haven Police Department got a call from Identifinders, a company that used DNA to determine the agencys Jane Doe was, in fact, Newsom. Im going back to (my mothers) grave, and Im bringing her girl to her, Collette said. That is everything. Tell me thats not beautiful. Collette did not get much time with her sister. Eight years younger than her sister, Collette would have been just nine or 10 when Newsom died. But she remembers how Newsom loved to sing. Simon & Garfunkel was a favorite when Collette hears The Sound of Silence, she thinks of her sister. The two would sing together, and they would pray together, Collette said. Newsom also was a jokester. The family had a laugh box a device that plays recorded laughter and is used to prank people that Newsom would hide beneath Collettes mattress and pillow, Collette recalled. A few years before her death, Newsom was sent to boarding school in the Monticello, N.Y., area, Collette said. Police believe she ran away from the school with a friend, intending to hitchhike to Maine. Collette said her family did not discuss her sisters disappearance. By the time Collette was a teenager, she began asking questions about what happened to Trisha, she said, but there was no one to answer them. The girls mother died in 1968, and their father died in 1980, according to Collette. (Newsom) was never reported missing, she said. I guess dad just thought she ran away and shed get in touch. As the years went by, Collette did everything she could to find Newsom. She looked through old cold case files, suffering through gruesome photographs. When the internet came around, her sisters name was the first phrase she plugged into the search bar. She often felt alone in her search, as if she was the only person left who remembered Newsom. What Collette, who lives in Blountville, Tenn., did not realize was that there was a whole other community looking that community, located in and around East Haven, just did not know whom it was looking for. I have been banging my head against brick walls for a very long, long time, said Collette, who began searching for her missing sister as a teenager. Little did I know New Haven was on the other side of one of those jackhammers. Three generations Joseph E. Izzo was a young detective sergeant with the East Haven Police Department on Aug. 16, 1975, when he responded to a report of something washing out beneath Interstate 95. In a culvert behind what was then Bradlees department store on Frontage Road, Izzo and other officers found a decomposed body wrapped in a tarp like a mummy, Izzo said. I still feel so terrible for that kid, he said. Authorities lifted her fingerprints, took down her dental records and had an anthropologist put together a sketch of Jane Does face, according to Izzo. We took all of that information and her blood type and we put it out to every single state in the country, he said. We put her teeth out to the American Dental Association. We submitted her fingerprints to the FBI. Everything we did came back negative, and we were absolutely stymied, and it was very frustrating for us, Izzo said. While left the department in 1984, he said, but he never forgot about the case. Every police officer has a case that sticks with him forever, and this was one that always stuck with me, he said. In the 1990s, Detective Bruce Scobie got his crack at it. As he worked through the file, the department got calls from across the country with a possible match for the victim, he remembered. We did visit people who we thought might be related to Jane Doe, Scobie said. But each lead was ruled out. The dental records wouldnt match, or the timeframe wouldnt match, or somebody was reported missing and we would find out that they were found, Scobie said. That whole time, the composite sketch of Newsoms face kept its place on the bulletin board in the detective bureau, he said. Technology catches up The case dogged investigators, who passed stories about it down to future generations. Thats how Capt. Joseph Murgo first learned about it when he was a rookie in the early 2000s. When youre new to the agency you pair up with an experienced officer and they show you the ropes, they bring you around town, and you learn the job through their experiences, and every new officer especially back then was paired up with somebody who had something to do with that case, Murgo said. He became interested in the mystery, but because it was so high profile, Murgo did not think he would ever get the chance to work on it. Years later, in 2020, he and a colleague, David Emerman, were promoted to captain. The new rank allowed us to focus on, you know, some of the things that really interested us, and at the top of our list try to identify our Jane Doe, Murgo said. By then, DNA technology had advanced by leaps and bounds. Police saw it as their best way of finding her name. Yet they struggled to get a full profile. All East Haven had in evidence was a pubic bone, which is known to be a poor source of DNA. Last year, that conundrum led investigators to their next challenge: exhuming Jane Doe's body for better samples. While they knew she was buried in State Street Cemetery, her grave was unmarked and its exact location unknown; the cemetery is abandoned and unowned, and investigators found little in the way of burial records. They got help from an unlikely pair: former New Haven police Sgt. Tony Griego and his friend, Amy White, a nurse with an interest in cold cases. They had been independently investigating the Jane Doe case together since 2016. Using social media, Griego tracked down the cemeterys caretaker, who last spring worked with police locate the grave. Unfortunately, authorities disinterred the wrong casket during their first attempt. Within a few weeks, they used ground-penetrating radar to find the correct spot, which Murgo said was about 12 feet from the location they originally identified. They took the samples they needed and submitted them for testing. Then they waited. The relief its just unbelievable At first, Murgo missed the call. On April 10, a staff member from Identifinders left him a voicemail saying she had some good news to deliver. My heart dropped, naturally, Murgo said. When I called her back, she told me that Jane Doe had been identified, and told me her name was Patricia Newsom. Newsom had a sister. With help from the Sullivan County Sheriffs Office in Tennessee, Murgo got Collette on the phone and told her the news, he said. Its hard to explain, Murgo said when asked how it felt to make that call. I was in Chief (Ed) Lennons office. Every one of us around the table had tears in their eyes. Collette was stunned. I cried, she said. I dont think you know how heavy something is until you put it down. Just the relief its just unbelievable. To learn there had been a whole apparatus in another part of the country working on Newsoms case amazed Colette from the generations of detectives and news reporters who followed the mystery to citizens like Griego and White. If New Haven hadnt taken care of her the way they did, I wouldnt be able to bring her back home, Collette said. For Collette, that news overshadowed her sisters terrible death. Whatever led up to that one brief moment in time of my sister being left that way, that was one moment in time. And there have been decades and decades and decades of love shown to this girl that desperately did need it, she said. She was a lovely human being. She really was, and she would be really happy, I know, to know how well-loved she was. Even if she wasnt well-loved in life, she surely was in death. Newsoms burial site is no longer unmarked. Griego placed a sign on the fence near her grave, stenciled with the date she was found: 8-16-1975. When police announced her identity, he added a note: She now has her name, Patricia M. Newsom 4-17-2023. White strung some flowers beneath it. Sometime in the coming months, Newsom will leave State Street Cemetery. Police have applied to exhume her body one more time, and Collette plans to have her cremated. She will then keep the urn in Tennessee for a time, she said, because, quite frankly, weve been apart too long. When shes ready, Collette will spread the ashes in Philadelphia, where her mother and grandparents are buried. Newsom will finally be home. Anyone with information on the life or death of Patricia Newsom can contact Capt. Joseph Murgo at jmurgo@easthavenpolice.com. Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media NEW HAVEN Officials are investigating an odor that was reported at a Lamberton Street home Friday night. According to Dan Coughlin, assistant chief of the New Haven Fire Department, crews were called to the home around 5:30 p.m. Friday after someone complained of an unknown smell. Coughlin said the department's hazardous materials team entered the building and got "unusual readings" from gas meters, prompting the chief in charge at the scene to request firefighters get out of the home, Coughlin said. GROTON A 30-year-old Mystic woman was killed and two others, including a child, were seriously injured Friday evening in a crash on Route 184, according to local police. Krystal L. Linski, of Mystic, died in the crash, Capt. Greg McCarthy of the Groton Police Department said Saturday morning. Emergency dispatchers received several 911 calls around 6:25 p.m. Friday reporting a two-car crash on Route 184, also known as the Gold Star Highway, between Buddington Road and Gungywamp Road, according to McCarthy. Responding officers found a Ford Explorer and a Chevrolet Silverado on the grass north of the roadway, McCarthy said. Emergency medical services personnel were called to provide medical care to the occupants of both cars, according to McCarthy. Medics determined the driver and sole occupant of the Ford Explorer, later identified as Linski, was not conscious and pronounced her dead at the scene, McCarthy said. The driver of the Chevrolet Silverado, a 37-year-old Ledyard woman, and her passenger, her 9-year-old daughter, suffered serious injuries, according to McCarthy. They were transported to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London for treatment, McCarthy said. As of 11:30 a.m. Saturday, McCarthy said, the daughter was listed in critical condition while her mother was recovering from serious injuries. Preliminary investigation found the Ford Explorer was traveling eastbound on Route 184 when the SUV veered off the road, striking a metal guardrail to the right, according to McCarthy. Traveling back onto the state highway, the car migrated across the eastbound lane and into the westbound lane, where it collided with the Chevrolet Silverado, McCarthy said. Both cars sustained heavy front-end damage, he said. Members of the Southeastern Connecticut Regional Traffic Unit are assisting with the investigation, McCarthy said. The team of crash reconstructionists consists of Groton, Stonington and Ledyard police officers. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington was called, McCarthy said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 New Haven Police Department/Contributed Show More Show Less 2 of 3 New Haven Police Department/Contributed Show More Show Less 3 of 3 NEW HAVEN Local police say they have arrested a suspect in the homicide of a 39-year-old East Hartford man found close to death at a Forbes Avenue car dealership Thursday morning. Charles V. Brown Jr., 47, of Clinton, was charged with murder, criminal possession of a firearm and carrying a pistol without a permit, said Capt. Rose Dell, public information officer for the New Haven Police Department. Brown was held on $2 million bond, Dell said. Egypts Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that the Egyptian Diplomatic mission has been relocated in Sudans Khartoum . Due to escalating threats and security risks in the Sudanese capital as a result of the ongoing armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, the diplomatic, consular and technical offices of the Egyptian embassy were relocated on 26 April, according to the Foreign Ministrys Spokesperson Ahmed Abu- Zeid, The relocation aims to facilitate the implementation of the national plan to evacuate Egyptians in Sudan and ensure their safety in light of the circumstances, Abu-Zeid added. On Monday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced that Mohamad El-Gharawi, an assistant administrative attache at the Egyptian embassy in Khartoum, was killed while heading to the embassy headquarters to follow up on the evacuation of Egyptians in Sudan. According to the latest numbers released by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry Wednesday evening, 1,140 Egyptian citizens were evacuated on 26 April. These included the evacuation of 443 Egyptians by land and 697 by air. Egypt operated seven flights as part of the ongoing airlift operation to transport Egyptian nationals from Sudan. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the Egyptian consulates in both Wadi Halfa and Port Sudan will continue evacuation efforts of Egyptian citizens, noting that 2,679 Egyptian citizens have been evacuated from Sudan so far. Search Keywords: Short link: Welland is short 17 doctors, says Niagara Region Public Healths Jill Croteau. The physician recruitment and retention specialist said based on a doctor having 1,380 patients, the city should have at least 40 physicians. There are now 23 taking care of some 29,069 residents out of a population of 55,750, she said during an update for councillors on recruitment measures Tuesday night. With the physicians we have in Niagara, only 67 per cent of the population is enrolled. She said there are 255 family physicians in the region, with 232 enrolling patients under the Ministry of Health and Long Term Cares billing model, which outlines policy and procedures as they relate to health-care providers and various ministry-insured services. Those doctors cover 322,000 people in the region, which had a population of more than 477,000 as of 2021. For a population of 477,000, we should have 346 family doctors based on an average practice size of 1,380. Were short 91 doctors. Croteau said 19 physicians came to Niagara in 2022, but 19 left family practices and there are few accepting new patients. Over half of the physicians who left their practice in 2022 closed their doors without a successor. We lose between six and seven per cent of our physician workforce each year due to retirement or relocation. Council heard 16 per cent of the 255 physicians working in Niagara are 65 or older, as well. Looking into 2023, Croteau said outreach will be expanded to U.S., U.K., Ireland and across Canada as the supply of doctors in the province isnt enough. She recently spent time in Ireland talking with medical students there about Niagara. Croteau said municipalities are encouraged to work with the physician recruitment program to develop recruitment and retention policies and clinic capacity in their respective communities through economic development. Ward 6 Coun. Jamie Lee asked what the city needed to do to attract more physicians to Welland to fill the gap and how long that would take. The city would need to offer recruitment packages similar to other municipalities in the province, said Croteau. Other areas are offering $150,000 or more. As for how long it would take to attract 20 new physicians to the city, Croteau said that was difficult to answer because there are multiple components in the process. Ward 5 Coun. Claudette Richard said three generations of her family just lost their doctor to retirement. Its a scary feeling not having a family doctor. When a new doctor opens up, there are lineups out the door, she said. Croteau said Welland has success in retaining physicians that train with the McMaster Family Health Team on Prince Charles Drive North. The team with which she works is affiliated with McMaster Universitys Michael DeGroote School of Medicine, a designated teaching facility that welcomes medical students, nursing students and resident physicians, among others. The city helps finance the program. Ward 5 Graham Speck said while there is no guarantee physicians will stay in Welland, the hope is they will. After Croteaus presentation, economic development manager Lina DeChellis said city staff will come back with recommendations on how the city can move forward in attracting doctors. SHARE: Viking Expeditions 202-metre-long Viking Octantis polar class cruise ship quietly slipped into Port Colborne Saturday morning as it kicked off the 2023 passenger ship season on the Great Lakes. Unlike Fridays passage of the 116-year-old passenger vessel, SS Keewatin, there were no crowds along the Welland Canal in the lakeside city to greet the cruise ship bound for Milwaukee, Wisc. The 378-passenger ship Viking Octantis, built last year, stopped at Wharf 16 on the east wall of the canal at the Snider Dock, from which passengers disembarked to board buses for tours to Niagara Falls. The Octantiss arrival marked the first of 80 stops by six cruise lines in Port Colborne from May to October. Thats 14 more stops than last years 66. Cruise lines making the way between ports across the Great Lakes this year include American Queen Voyages, with its vessels Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager; Pearl Seas Cruises Pearl Mist; PLANTOURS Cruises Hamburg (the former C. Columbus); Vantage Travels Ocean Explorer; PONANT Cruises Le Dumont-DUrville and Le Bellot; and Viking Expeditions Viking Octantis and its sister ship, also built last year, Viking Polaris. A cruise ship schedule, with date, arrival or departure time changes possible, is listed on the City of Port Colbornes website at www.portcolborne.ca/en/shared-content/cruise-ship-schedule.aspx. Theres a full schedule on Niagaras South Coast website at niagarasouthcoast.com/cruiseships. Read more about: SHARE: Project Share is discussing possibly opening satellite locations to meet the growing demand for services in Niagara Falls. Were looking at different ways to meet the need and we always are looking at wanting to make sure our services are client-centric and are accessible to everyone, said Pam Sharp, executive director of the Stanley Avenue food bank. Our numbers have grown so significantly that we are looking at our physical building capacity to serve the volume of people that are relying on us right now. Satellite locations has been something that our board has discussed as possible solutions to that, but were not ready to kind of roll out any plays yet were still in the very kind of preliminary research phase. She said Project Share saw 922 new people visit it in March, part of 4,289 unique individuals last month. I remember a time when that used to be our total served throughout a whole year, not just in one month, so its certainly not going in the right direction, said Sharp. Were going to rely on community support more than ever, but as were serving such a high number, these are the conversations were having around whats the best way to serve that volume of people, because the need in our community has certainly changed and so we cant necessarily meet it the same way we always have been. Niagara Falls regional Coun. Joyce Morocco and city Coun. Ruth-Ann Nieuwesteeg held a town-hall style session for constituents in the Chippawa area Tuesday to hear from residents about their concerns and issues. Morocco said one of the topics discussed was a possible satellite facility for Project Share. Its really difficult for a lot of the residents to get the bus service and how long it takes (to get to the Stanley Avenue site, near Thorold Stone Road), she said. Nieuwesteeg said Project Share was one of the major reasons the two of them decided to host the pop-up constituent session. When we were campaigning (during the October municipal election), we heard how people from (Chippawa) have to go into the city and transportation isnt always that accessible for them, so we started to look and said how can we bring Project Share to Chippawa? Sharp said transportation is a barrier for a lot of people who live on a low income. When you rely on public transit, its certain times that you have to be at the bus stop, and sometimes it might mean more than one bus route, depending on where youre going throughout your day, she said. Certainly, that can pose a challenge. We did deliver some of our Christmas program baskets through Sacred Heart (Catholic Church) to Chippawa residents, so that helped to make the Christmas program a little bit more accessible to the families that reside in that community. I know that with only one grocery store in that area, it depends how far people are from that and access to food and food thats affordable, things like that are always things that we have to be looking at. Sharp said Project Share does a client survey annually to identify needs that are not being met. It has been something thats been on our radar for a little while and Coun. Nieuwesteeg and Coun. Morocco did bring that to our attention !ts certainly not going in the right direction, says Pam Sharp that they heard this when they were campaigning in the fall, so its been something that were having a little bit more in depth conversations on, but nothing that were ready to roll out just yet. SHARE: MONTREAL - A caribou herd in Charlevoix, Que., could be heading toward a baby boom this year, providing a rare bit of good news for the provinces decimated population. Caroline Hins, a biologist with the provinces Wildlife Department, confirmed all 12 of the herds breeding-age females are believed to be pregnant, after tests that showed high progesterone levels. Its very good news, she said in an interview Friday. She said that if all the pregnancies are carried to term and the calves survive and theres no guarantee of that the herd northeast of Quebec City will have doubled in size in a year and a half. The Quebec government captured the herd, then numbered at 16, and placed it in an enclosure in February 2022 as part of a controversial plan to prevent isolated herds from dying out. Five healthy calves were born last year, out of eight presumed pregnancies. The government has argued that enclosing caribou represents their best chance of survival, offering protection from predation and ensuring they have access to food, water and veterinary care. But environmentalists have criticized the government for putting the animals behind fences rather than protecting and restoring their old-growth forest habitat and presenting a long-promised master plan to rebuild the species. The government has described the fencing approach as temporary, and Hins says the birth of new caribou raises hopes that the herd will one day be able to be released back into the wild. However, she could not give a timeline for when that could happen. She said a lot of work still needs to be done, with habitat protection and restoration at the top of the list. Details of that habitat restoration will come in the provinces caribou action plan, which is now expected to be released in June after years of delay. Among other things, the plan needs to prevent logging in some areas, control predators and close down logging roads to restore habitat, Hins said. In the meantime, theres a risk that the animals will get used to being fed, and that the calves wont develop proper survival instincts. She said the workers who deal with the caribou try to minimize contact with them during feeding, so they dont become too used to humans. She said keepers will gradually take away the grain the animals are given before an eventual release, so theyre better prepared to eat what they find in the wild. She said experts are also looking at ways to rehabituate the animals to predation but would not elaborate on how that could be accomplished. In the meantime, she said the Charlevoix herd is relatively healthy, with a good mix of animals of different ages. An eventual liberation will also depend on the herds ability to continue growing, she said. She said caribou normally give birth in May or June, so there are still a few weeks to go until the new calves arrive. Hins said its not yet confirmed whether any caribou are pregnant in the other enclosed herd in Val dOr in northwestern Quebec, which had just six or seven animals at last count. Six females have also been captured and put in maternity pens in Gaspesie, in eastern Quebec. They will be released at the end of the summer once the calves are a few months old and better able to survive, the government said in a news release. The total population of woodland caribou in Quebec was estimated at between 5,000 and 10,000 in the 2005 to 2016 period. However, recent aerial surveys have suggested most herds have continued to decline due to habitat destruction, industrial activity and an increase in predators that use logging roads to reach their prey. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2023. Read more about: SHARE: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Time to say goodbye. Seven lions, a bear, a camel and even a porcupine left Puerto Ricos lone zoo Friday to head to a new home in Colorado. A U.S.-based animal rescue group started transferring the animals under a plan to find better places for the animals than the zoo, where various species have died. Zoo employees and workers with the Wild Animal Sanctuary organization prepared the big cats and the other animals for the long journey. Activists have long held the U.S. territorys government responsible for the deaths and ill health of animals reported for more than a decade at the zoo in the western town of Mayaguez. Wild Animal Sanctuary is overseeing the removal of the animals and other creatures at the zoo. They will be transferred initially to a refuge in Colorado until a permanent home is found for them. Some of the smaller specimens like reptiles and some monkeys were already transferred, but the bigger mammals like the lions, the bear and the camel required special measures for traveling. A government-appointed committee said that in the past decade two pumas died at the zoo. It also raised concerns about an underweight chimpanzee as well as a rhinoceros named Felipe that was limping and said there was a lack of shelter for animals. In January, an American black bear named Nina who had stopped eating died from a heart attack at more than 20 years old. Black bears can live up to 35 years in captivity. In March, federal authorities said they were dropping all investigations into the zoo after reaching an agreement with local officials to transfer the animals to sanctuaries on the U.S. mainland. The announcement angered many activists. The zoo opened originally in 1954, but it has been closed since hurricanes Irma and Maria battered Puerto Rico in September 2017. SHARE: OTTAWA Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged Canadas critical minerals to drive the clean energy revolution will be more expensive but said democracies should commit to trading with like-minded countries that share their values not with countries like China that use slave labour. Speaking in New York to the Council on Foreign Relations, Trudeau said modern trade agreements dont need to single out or punish bad actors like China but should enshrine environmental and labour standards that would exclude authoritarian regimes, such as Beijings Communist rulers as acceptable partners. Trudeau said the pandemic demonstrated that resilience, redundancy and reliability in our supply chains, particularly for something that is going to be so core to our future, is going to be really important. And if were being honest, said Trudeau, lithium produced in Canada is going to be more expensive because we don't use slave labour. Trudeau insisted Canada can compete with countries like China, which he had earlier called an increasingly disruptive global power. He acknowledged that China made very strategic choices over the past decades that resulted in all the lithium in the world used in all of our cellphones, all our electric vehicles, comes through China, not necessarily mined in China, but processed in China. Still, he pointed to the decision by German automaking giant Volkswagen to chose Canada over other North American jurisdictions he said were prepared to spend a lot more money for its giant new electric vehicle battery plant. Trudeau argued VW made the decision not only because his government promised up to $13 billion in tax credits and subsidies, but because of Canadas education, health care, child care and immigration programs. He said VW and other companies like Stellantis and Rio Tinto are drawn by Canadas commitment to work in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, paying fair living wages and expecting security and safety standards. In his prepared remarks, Trudeau used the term forced labour, saying globalized trade brought prosperity to many Western democracies at a price to populations in countries that were the source of low-priced goods and cheap labour. International Labour Organization conventions identify forced labour as a violation of human rights, saying it is sometimes called modern slavery. Canada and the U.S. have condemned the Chinese governments use of forced labour camps in Chinas northwest province of Xinjiang, where the mainly Muslim Uyghur population has faced repressive surveillance, mass arbitrary detention, torture and mistreatment, forced labour, and mass transfers of forced labourers from Xinjiang to provinces across China. Former Canadian ambassador Guy Saint-Jacques said Trudeaus use of the word slave labour is appropriate. China has a history of using detainees to work in factories with no remuneration and with quotas to meet. Yet even as he touted Canada as a reliable stable supplier, Trudeau shrugged off this weeks shutdown of Canadas only rare earth mineral processing facility, Vital Metals in Saskatchewan, where the prime minister himself had visited just months ago, saying there will be bumps in the road like Vital Metals. The Liberal government also clearly signalled this week that it is carefully watching an unsolicited takeover bid of Vancouver-based Teck Resources, Canadas largest diversified mining company in which China Investment Corp. holds about 10 per cent of class B voting shares, by Swiss commodities giant Glencore Plc. The Opposition Conservatives want Ottawa to block any such takeover, using foreign investment review powers that protect assets key to Canadas national security. Questioned by Richard Haas, a former U.S. diplomat and head of the Council on Foreign Relations, Trudeau insisted that ignoring China is not an option for anyone. But being strategic and thoughtful and firm and clear on how we engage with it is the path forward for all of us. Asked if his willingness to challenge China extends to Canada being prepared to oppose any Chinese government aggression against Taiwan, a democratic self-governing island that China regards as a province, Trudeau was guarded in his response. He said while there is no change in Canadas one China policy, We will continue to stand for the principles of the rules-based order in international law. Under fire this week in the Commons by Conservatives for swanning around with global elites in New York amid a public sector strike, Trudeau later told reporters he came to participate in significant conversations about economic growth and security but did not point to any specific conversation that necessitated his trip. Tonda MacCharles is Ottawa Bureau Chief and a senior reporter covering federal politics. Follow her on Twitter: @tondamacc Read more about: SHARE: Millions of Turkish citizens living abroad began voting Thursday in national elections that will decide whether President Recep Tayyip Erdogan can govern Turkey for another term. The overseas balloting began amid concerns over Erdogans health, after he was forced to cancel election rallies on Wednesday and Thursday. However, he was scheduled to attend a ceremony Thursday via video link to mark the inauguration of Turkeys first nuclear power plant. Among the biggest contingent of overseas voters are 1.5 million Turks in Germany, who can cast their ballots in presidential and parliamentary elections at 16 polling sites across the country until May 9. Voting in Turkey itself doesn't take place until May 14. During the previous election five years ago, a significant majority of Turkish voters in Germany backed Erdogan. It is unclear whether the 69-year-old will receive the same level of backing from them this year. Opinion polls in Turkey showing a slight lead for Erdogan's main challenger, center-left opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who is backed by the cross-party Nation Alliance. Germany's Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir, who has family roots in Turkey, told the RND media group that a victory for Kilicdaroglu would pave the way for a return to democracy in Turkey. Search Keywords: Short link: Evacuation flights to bring Canadians home from Sudan have ended, the federal government said Saturday evening, amid escalating violence and deteriorating safety conditions. Ottawa said Canadians that are wishing to leave Sudan by road should consider leaving via Port Sudan, where commercial options may be available. It is advising people to avoid travelling to the Wadi Seidna Airfield due to the deteriorating security situation. Earlier Saturday, federal Defence Minister Anita Anand had said that efforts to bring Canadians home from Sudan would continue as long as possible. She had said at least one evacuation flight was planned by the Canadian military on Saturday. It would be the fifth to leave the Sudanese capital of Khartoum since Thursday. About 221 people were on board two aircraft that departed on Friday, including 68 Canadians and six permanent residents, Anand said. Approximately 375 Canadians known to be in the country have left on Canadian-led flights or on those operated by allies, she added. We are going to continue flights as long as possible, but I will say that the situation is dynamic, Anand had told reporters at a Saturday morning news conference. We are examining all options. Those options, she had said, involve exploring evacuation efforts by land or sea. Two navy vessels bound for the Indo-Pacific region have instead been redirected to remain near the city of Port Sudan in case they can be of future use in getting Canadians home, Anand had said. She had declined to comment on other options, but said steps taken by other allied countries may guide Canadas efforts. The United States did execute a convoy yesterday, and that is the kind of initiative that we are tracking, she had said, stressing for the second day in a row that the window for air evacuations was closing. Sudans capital of Khartoum, a city of some five million people, has been transformed into a front line in the grinding conflict between Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the commander of Sudans military, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. The two weeks of bloodshed and strife between the two sides has dashed once-euphoric hopes of Sudans transition to a democracy. Canadas evacuation efforts ramped up later than some allied countries. Britain said it was ending its evacuation flights Saturday after demand for spots on the planes had declined. Officials there say more than 1,500 people have been flown out of the country so far. Azza Ahmed was among those Sudanese-Canadians who made it home, though she gives Ottawa little credit for her safe escape. A family visit to Khartoum expected to last until May 8 was cut short when violence erupted, prompting Ahmed and her family members to register their presence in the country with Global Affairs Canada. She said she received a call from Canadian officials at 1 a.m. last Monday informing her a German-run flight could accommodate her and her Canadian relatives in nine hours if they could make it in time to Khartoums airport 25 kilometres away. After siphoning all her familys gas into a single car, Ahmed said what should have been a half-hour drive to the airport took two hours. Despite driving her family through Khartoums back roads, her cousins car was nonetheless stopped by members of the Rapid Support Forces. Ahmeds cousins were let go after getting out of their car, emptying their pockets and explaining all their passengers were women trying to get to safety. Once at the airport, she and 40 other Sudanese-Canadians departed Sudan for Jordan before being flown to Germany. There, Ahmed and her family booked a commercial flight home to Toronto where they arrived on Wednesday. Ahmeds cousins had no choice but to stay behind. The Kuwaitis, the Indians, the French and South Korea they were able to get their citizens out safely so many days before the Canadian Embassy even contacted us. I was surprised that we were one of the last countries to be evacuated, said Ahmed. (Canada) was able to get their diplomats out within days. But no one seemed to care about us. Anand had said earlier Saturday that she has confidence military members can work effectively with Canadas allies to get other expatriates to safety. About 1,800 Canadians notified Global Affairs that they were in Sudan. The department has previously said about 400 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their families have asked for consular assistance, but only a fraction of them want help leaving the country. About 300 Canadians have already been flown to safe third countries amid a significant uptick in violence in Sudan over the past two weeks, officials said on Friday. Others have left on their own, making the journey to neighbouring countries by car or bus. On Saturday despite a ceasefire extended under heavy international pressure residents said clashes continued around the presidential palace, the headquarters of the state broadcaster and a military base in Khartoum. The battles sent thick columns of black smoke billowing over the city skyline. Anand said Canada welcomed the ceasefire and redoubled her calls for a peaceful end to the ongoing violence. The Sudanese Doctors Syndicate estimates the fighting has killed more than 400 civilians and injured over 2,000 since it erupted on April 15. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2023. With files from The Associated Press This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship. SHARE: Actor Kunle Remi has addressed his snub at the nominations of the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, AMVCA 2023. Anikulapo, Kunle Afolayans 2022 movie, received the highest number of nominations at the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. Even though the movie was nominated in 15 categories with 16 nominations, Anikulapos lead actor, Kunle Remi, didnt get one nomination. The Anikulapo star, speaking on his exclusion from the AMVCA 2023 nomination list during an interview on the popular TV programme Your View, brags that the snub did not in any way diminish him, his stylishness, fame or energy. Asked about his opinion about the nomination, he said: Nomination, well, I fell into the category of non-nominated artistes. It doesnt reduce my value, fame and energy. Kunle Remi further revealed he is unshaken by the snub because his role as Saro was not taken because of an award but rather because of a challenge. It was rumoured that Remis snub was a result of an interview he granted in which he alleged that a senior colleague tried to lure him into homosexuality. Governor of Cross River State, Prof Ben Ayade is reported to be keeping quiet over the burial of former Senate President, Senator Joseph Wayas. The first son of the late Senate President, Joe Wayas jr said he has since proposed May 13, 2023 to the governor as burial date for the ex-lawmaker. The governor was expected to have confirmed suitability of the date or otherwise but it appears the governor has been too engaged to remember. This situation has kept the Wayas family and his immediate community in suspense, even as the remains of the late former Senate President remain in a London morgue for over 16 months. In an interaction with Joe Wayas jr, he said they were still waiting on Governor Ayade to react to their proposal. It would be recalled that Cross River State senators in the National Assembly called on the federal government to take up the burial plans of late Wayas and also see to his burial before the end of April, 2023. So far, this has not been regarded. The delay is said to have become an embarrassment to the state and country. Early in April 2023, serving Senators Gershom Bassey, Sandy Onor and Jarigbe Agom, all from Cross River State, have advocated that the federal government take up the funeral immediately. Late Joseph Wayas led the Senate from 1979 to 1983. President of Basang Development Association (BDA), Anyawho Sylvanus, said his people, both at home and in diaspora do appreciate the call by Cross River Senators for federal government intervention in the burial of their son. The Bassang community has alao requested that a national library be built in Wayas compound and the College of Education campus in Bebi community be renamed Wayas University of Agriculture. They have also called for the establishment of an educational foundation in his name. Mason Greenwood has admitted to his friends that he will never play for Manchester United again, the UK Sun reports. Rape and assault charges against Greenwood were dropped in February. But the United have since begun their internal investigation, stalling the players return to the pitch. The 21-year-old forward was expected to join up with Erik ten Hags squad after the charges were dropped and he has become frustrated at the lack of progress. For now, Greenwood has not been allowed to return to training with the Red Devils, despite still earning 70,000 per week. His current contract at Old Trafford will expire in the summer of 2025. Activist lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome has said the self-determination struggle of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, is constitutional. Ozekhome said Kanus self-determination campaign was backed by Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights, as well as Article 3 and 4 of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People of 2007. Speaking during the Handshake Across The Niger 2 in Enugu State on Friday, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria stressed that Kanus agitation was not illegal. He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to order Kanus immediate release. According to Ozekhome: For the information of those harbouring the thought that it was an illegality or unconstitutionality, his self-determination agitation, is in line with the Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948); African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights, Article 3&4 of United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People (2007), among others. Nigeria is a signatory to all these statues. Please sir, on my bended knees, you can order the release of Nnamdi Kanu today. You can do it through the Attorney General of the Federation, who has the power to discontinue the case. Jim Iyke, the filmmaker, says he yelled at Ini Edo, the film star, for not acting right on a set. Iyke, who is currently filming a movie titled Rent A Room, shared footage of himself on his Instagram page. In the video, he explained that he was dissatisfied with Inis performance. Iyke apologised to the actress who, according to him, broke down in tears after he yelled at her. The actor described the 41-year-old actress as someone who is so soft but likes to act tough. Listen I was doing my thing, directing this scene and one of my favorite people in the whole world wasnt acting right, Iyke said. I had to yell at her, curse her out. I told her shes a superstar in the world but I am her big brother. You cant f*ck with me. So I finished my film, I finished the scene and the scene is beautiful. Come here, Ini. Im sorry, babe. Its Ini. I yelled at her. She was crying like five minutes ago. This girl is so soft you guys have no idea. She was crying her eyes out. I just came outside. Im sorry, babe. You know I love you but when Im in my mode. In the video, Ini Edo could be seen trying to stop Iyke from disclosing that she cried on set. Barely 30 days before May 29 inauguration, President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has picked Lieutenant Colonel Nurudeen Alowonle Yusuf as his Aide-de-Camp designate. Jamiu Julius Adebayo, a supporter of Tinubu, disclosed this on Friday on his Twitter handle. According to him, Yusuf would resume the position as Tinubus ADC on Monday, May 1, except for a last-minute twist. Yusuf, Prince from Kwara state, had served in Aso Rock during former President Goodluck Jonathans administration with vast qualifications and experience. He would play the role of Yusuf Dodo, a lieutenant colonel, the Aide-de-camp (ADC) to President Muhammadu Buhari. His duties include assisting in liaison with essential guests on behalf of the president. President Muhammadu Buhari says peace and stability are central to the vision of Nigeria in Africa. In a statement, Garba Shehu, presidential spokesperson, said Buhari spoke after receiving a message from President Ibrahim Ghali of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) on Friday. The message was delivered by Mohammed Saleh, a special envoy from the Republic. Buhari added that peace and stability are essential to security and prosperity in the continent. He said Nigerias size and resources have imposed a stabilizing role on it and in the West African sub-region and the African continent as a whole. Buhari thanked the Sahrawi Republic president for the message he sent and gave an assurance that he would study its content and brief Bola Tinubu, Nigerias president-elect, on their concerns. The president also urged Saleh to make efforts to brief the incoming president as well. Saleh, who is the minister of diplomatic affairs, spoke about the role Buhari, as a head of state in 1983, played as the first African leader to recognise the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. He said Buharis role paved the way for the Republic to be recognised by the African Union. History will not forget your important role in leading the fight for African freedom using money, arms, and diplomacy in the African Union and the United Nations to secure independence for South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia for, without this, these nations would not have been free, Saleh said. Saleh expressed hope that the incoming administration will maintain the same interest in the independence struggle. He urged Buhari to continue to maintain relevance in the affairs of the SADR and that of the entire continent. A former lawmaker, Shehu Sani, has revealed why the Federal Government postponed the 2023 national census. The social critic claimed that the federal government passed the buck to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, because it could not fund the census, which is estimated to cost about $1.8 billion. Sani gave the hint on Saturday via a post on his verified Twitter handle. Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the postponement of the 2023 Population and Housing Census. The decision followed a meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council and the National Population Commission on Friday night. Buhari said a new date would be determined by the incoming administration. However, Sani said the federal government doesnt have the money to fund the census. He wrote, The simple fact is that the FG doesnt have $1.8 billion for the Census and now shifted the Wahala to Asiwaju. The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened to embark on strike if the federal government fails to meet its demands within two weeks. NARD issued the ultimatum at the end of its national executive council (NEC) meeting on Saturday at Abeokuta, Ogun state capital. NEC resolved to issue the Government a two-week ultimatum beginning today, 29th April 2023, to resolve all these demands, following the expiration of which on the 13th May 2023, we may not be able to guarantee industrial harmony in the sector nationwide, the communique reads. The national executive council of the association said the federal government has refused to negotiate with the association or take tangible steps on the upward review of the consolidated medical salary structure (CONMESS). The association accused the federal government of refusing to pay the salary arrears of 2014, 2015 and 2016 to resident doctors. The resident doctors also condemned the bill seeking to mandate medical and dental practitioners to practice for five years before relocating abroad. NEC observed that despite several engagements by NARD with the government on the need to upwardly review the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) which was last reviewed over ten years ago, Government has neither called NARD to the negotiation table nor taken any tangible step in addressing the issue, the communique reads. This is against the background of the dwindling economic situation in the country, the serial abysmal decline in the value of the naira, the imminent removal of fuel subsidy, and the consequent damaging effect on the cost of living in the country. NEC recalled that there have been previous ultimatums issued to the government by NARD on account of this problem of the review of the CONMESS salary structure. NEC also reiterated that the previous collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on CONMESS stated clearly that the salary structure would be due for review after five years, but this has not been done since the implementation in 2014, though the approval was given in 2009. NEC demands an immediate increment in the CONMESS salary structure to the tune of 200% of the current gross salary of doctors in addition to the new allowances included in the letter written by NARD to the honourable minister of health on the 7th of July 2022 for the review of CONMESS. NEC demands immediate massive recruitment of clinical staff in the hospitals and complete abolishment of bureaucratic limitations to the immediate replacement of doctors who leave the system. NEC demands immediate infrastructural development in our various hospitals without further delay and insists on at least 15% budgetary allocation to health subsequently. NEC resolved to issue the government a two-week ultimatum beginning today, 29th April 2023, to resolve all these demands, following the expiration of which on the 13th May 2023, we may not be able to guarantee industrial harmony in the sector nationwide. Irans top diplomat visited Lebanons border with Israel on Friday where he expressed support for the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group in its struggle against their common enemy: Israel. Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian began his visit to Lebanon on Wednesday, meeting top officials and expressing Tehrans readiness to help build power stations in an effort to try to end the Mediterranean countrys prevailing electricity crisis. Lebanon is in the throes of the worst economic crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the small nations ruling class. The crisis erupted in October 2019 and has plunged three-quarters of Lebanons 6 million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees, into poverty. Earlier this month, Israel launched rare strikes into southern Lebanon, blaming Palestinian groups after rockets were fired from there at Israel. The attacks were triggered by a surge of Israeli violence against Palestinians during Ramadan after a series of Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque. We are here today ... to declare again with a loud voice that we support the resistance in Lebanon against the Zionist entity, Amirabdollahian told a gathering that included several Hezbollah legislators in the border village of Maroun al-Ras. Amirabdollahian's visit to Lebanon is the first since Iran and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement in China last month to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions. Later Friday, the Iranian diplomat held a news conference at the Iranian Embassy. He said the Riyadh-Tehran agreement will have positive effects in the region in general. The two countries will reopen embassies in Tehran and Riyadh within a few days," he said, adding that he invited his Saudi counterpart to visit Iran and that the invitation was welcomed. In neighbouring Syria, a pro-government newspaper reported that Irans President Ebrahim Raisi will begin a two-day visit to Damascus next Wednesday, the first by an Iranian president to the Syrian capital since 2010. Iran has also been a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad since the uprising that turned into war began in Syria in March 2011. The pro-government Al-Watan said Raisi would meet with Assad to boost strategic cooperation between the two allies. Several agreements and memorandums of understanding would also be signed during the visit. Asked about Raisi's upcoming visit to Damascus, the Iranian minister only said that "a program and a plan for the visit in the near future" had been prepared, without offering a specific date. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: A 36-year-old convicted felon admitted he used Snapchat to distribute child pornography. William Roman, of Egg Harbor Township, is expected to receive a 12-year stint in state prison at his scheduled Aug. 7 sentencing, the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office said. Roman pleaded guilty the week to two counts of endangering the welfare of children by possessing and distributing child sexual assault material, officials said. He pleaded guilty to possessing child pornonraphy/child endangerment in 2017 and was sentenced to a year in county jail, online records show. Investigators began again looking into Romans online activities last year after getting a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Prosecutors said they learned that Roman was using SnacChat in hopes of building his collection of child sexual abuse material. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. A 25-year-old man who spent two weeks as a wanted fugitive in Mexico avoiding charges in the drug-induced death of two teenagers will be detained pending trial, state officials announced Friday. Elias A. Santiago-Vera, of Egg Harbor Township, was charged with two counts of strict liability for a drug-induced death and related drug offenses on March 15 before subsequently fleeing to Mexico, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. Santiago-Vera remained a fugitive until surrendering to Texas authorities on March 31, Platkin said. He was extradited to New Jersey last week and, following a hearing on Thursday before Atlantic County Superior Superior Court Judge Todd Miller, ordered detained pending trial. A man who pleaded guilty to fatally shooting a 64-year-old Pemberton Township resident three years ago outside of the victims home after a dispute over money was sentenced Friday to 20 years in state prison, authorities said. Tristan Majeed, 53, of Medford Township, was sentenced by Burlington County Superior Court Judge Mark P. Tarantino in the shooting death of Kenneth Ryan on Jan. 20, 2020, according to a statement from the Burlington County Prosecutors Office. Majeed, who pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter in the first degree, must serve 17 years of the term before becoming eligible for parole. It seemed like any other Saturday night in 1984 to then-14-year-old Julie Macho. She arrived at her familys East Windsor home, saw her 19-year-old sister Donnas car parked outside and went to the basement to hang out with her older sibling. They watched scary movies for hours until 2 a.m., when Julie went upstairs to bed on Cherry Brook Lane. I had a great three hours of being her sister, now-married Julie Burger told NJ Advance Media this week. I just wish I had stayed with her. It was the last time anyone from Donna Machos family saw her alive. Their mother, Betty, and step-father, Garland, were asleep upstairs. Burger said she never heard any commotion coming from the basement apartment. To this day, Burger doesnt know what happened that night, only that a decades-long nightmare began the following morning - on Feb. 26, 1984 - when they realized Macho was gone and something was wrong. The unknown is so destructive, Burger said, reflecting on a crime that not only took her sister, but contributed to the deaths of her mother, step-father and older sister Toni. It destroyed my family, the searching, the looking, the wondering. I lost my family and I lost my future. Investigators soon found Machos blood-stained car about a mile away, but 11 tortured years passed before her skeletal remains were discovered in April 1995, wrapped in a carpet in a wooded area near a Cranbury farm, not far from where the car was recovered. We hired private investigators, trackers, psychics, Burger said of the familys effort to find the killer. We spent all the money we had. We still thought that somehow, maybe she was still alive. Maybe she was just hurt, or somebody was holding her. Burger, who has since moved to Texas, has never spoken publicly about the tragedy that took her sister and ravaged her family - until this week. From left, Julie, Donna and their mother, Betty Macho in an undated family photo.Photo provided by Julie Burger New Jersey authorities announced Wednesday they had finally identified her killer after nearly 40 years of mystery. Advanced DNA analysis of semen found in Donna Machos basement was matched to Nathaniel Harvey, a convicted killer who had spent time on New Jerseys death row and died in prison three years ago. Burger got a call months ago informing her of the DNA match. Matthew Norton, an investigator with the Mercer County Prosecutors Office, told her Harvey had been confirmed as her sisters killer. She said it brought her some measure of closure to erase the uncertainty after all these years, but anger soon followed. I was relieved it was going to be closed, but so mad, Burger said. Mad I didnt stay and help her fight, mad he could invade our home so easily. Mad he was not in jail. Mad he was dead! He never had to pay for this. Harvey had been locked up since 1985 - a year after Machos killing - when he was charged with the rape and murder of a 37-year-old Plainsboro woman, Irene Schnaps. Over the years, Harvey had been questioned numerous times by police investigating the Macho murder. But there were other suspects as well, and Harveys DNA tests in the 1980s and 90s had proven inconclusive. Harveys attorney, Eric Kleiner, has long held that his client didnt kill anyone, and Harvey was still fighting his conviction in the Schnaps killing when he died in prison in November of 2020. Harvey stood trial in 1986 and was convicted of rape and murder in the Schnaps case. On appeal, Harvey claimed he was never given his Miranda rights when questioned by police, and the New Jersey Supreme Court overturned the conviction. Nathaniel Harvey died in a state prison last month at the age of 70. He was awaiting his third trial in the killing of a woman in 1985. Harvey maintained his innocence for more than three decades. (Star-Ledger file photo) In 1994, Harvey stood trial again and was convicted, then sentenced to death. New Jersey abolished the death penalty in 2007 and he appealed once again. The case eventually went to the state Supreme Court, which ordered new DNA testing, and in 2015 Harvey won the right to a third trial on the Schnaps murder. He was 70 and awaiting that trial when he died. Kleiner said this week he couldnt comment because he hadnt seen the DNA test results. Burger, however, said she is relieved that her sisters killer has finally been named. Harvey was living in East Windsor at the time that Macho disappeared. Authorities said he had worked at the farm where Machos body was found. When all is said and done, his DNA is there, she said, adding she knew Harvey had long been on a short list of suspects. Then I cant see how it could be anyone else who did it. If the DNA is in our house, then he did it. Still questions remain about that fateful night. Was he in the house the whole time? When did he get in? I just dont know, she said. What haunts her most, she said, is her belief that she could have stopped the killer. Burger said her sister was supposed to work at a law firm the Sunday she disappeared, so it wasnt surprising when she wasnt around the house in the day. But when she didnt come home for dinner, her mother grew worried and went downstairs to check the apartment. Burger said there were things were strewn about Donnas normally tidy apartment, clear signs there had been a struggle. When her mother found a pile of blood-stained clothes, she called police. Burger said the trauma took an immediate toll on the family. Her stepfather died six months after Donna disappeared. She moved to Texas with her mother, in 1987, but their storage unit was promptly burglarized, and all their possessions, including the family photos, mementos, and 16 boxes of files regarding the investigation, were stolen. Her mother died in 1990, and her older sister, Toni, died a few years later. They died before Donnas body was discovered. Theres something worse than death, and thats a missing child, Burger said. When you have missing child, theres no moving on. Burger said she promised her mother on her deathbed that she would stay on the case, and in the later 1990s, she reached out to Harveys attorney hoping to talk to the man. I said, let me talk to him, but he wouldnt let me do that, she said. In Texas, Burger said she gradually rebuilt her life, got married and raised three kids, while always hoping for a break in the case. Now 54 years old, shes a grandmother, and an elected official who serves on council in the town of New Fairview, where she lives. Burger said she periodically would check in with law enforcement in New Jersey to see if there were any new developments in the case. Shes also kept in touch with people in East Windsor through the Hightstown High Memorial page on Facebook to keep the investigation alive. Im glad the case is closed, and it was him, she said. But I feel he got away with it. With the investigation over, Burger was finally able to obtain her sisters remains. She was now able to give her sister a proper burial in the family niche. She recalled the moment when her husband picked up the remains, and while leaving the funeral home, a ladybug flew on this arm. They took pictures and posted them online. I felt like that was Donna reaching out to us, she said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Richard Cowen may be reached at rcowen@njadvancemedia.com. The state Attorney Generals Office has identified 26-year-old Luke Mendez as the man who was shot dead by police responding to a 911 call in the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge on April 24. Old Bridge police were responding to a 911 call regarding a dispute at approximately 3:09 p.m. on Woodland Avenue when Officer Christopher Hammel fired his service weapon, the Attorney General announced in a press released Friday. Mendez was wounded and transported to Old Bridge Medical Center. He was pronounced deceased at 4:47 p.m., authorities said. Dozens of protesters gathered Saturday inside the South Orange train station to demand answers about the status of a teacher who allegedly held Daylan Wilkins, an autistic, non-verbal Black toddler, upside-down by his ankles as he dangled in the air last month. The incident allegedly occurred minutes before the 2:30 p.m. dismissal on March 27 in a pre-kindergarten classroom at Montrose Early Childhood Center in South Orange. On the day of the incident, the class had merged with another and there was an aide and other teachers present, according to witnesses. The teacher accused of holding the boy by his ankles was suspended on March 28, when one of the teachers present for the alleged assault informed principal Bonita Samuels. The Wilkins family was not notified of the incident when they arrived to pick-up the toddler that day, according to reports. Instead, the family was told about what happened more than 48 hours after the alleged incident took place. The family said they still have not heard additional information from the administration in over a month, despite making multiple requests for updates about the teacher involved and any additional discipline handed down. The name of the teacher involved in the incident also has not been released by the district. In a previous statement, South Orange and Maplewood superintendent Ronald Taylor said the district is cooperating with the appropriate authorities, but the district would not comment further due to confidentiality concerns. Taylor and Samuels were not able to be reached for comment when contacted recently by NJ Advance Media. During the rally Saturday, community leaders, educators and a host of supporters expressed anger and frustration over the situation, chanting Justice for Daylan! and We demand transparency! Devena Wilkins, Daylans mother, stood to the right of protestors, her face visibly anguished, as Daylan sat on his grandfathers lap during the rally. Cheryl Bellamy, a South Orange native, says what happened to Daylan broke her heart. I have autistic children in my church, Bellamy said. Ive watched them grow into wonderful young men. So to know this is happening in my own backyard, Im heartbroken. Others also are demanding answers from the school and district. Felisha George, a community organizer in South Orange, is set on getting to the bottom of the situation. The list of demands are simple, George said in front of the protestors. We want Daylan to be placed in another school, full transparency about the policy when it comes to a child being harmed and the name of the teacher to be released. This type of thing has become a pattern of this school district having issues with teachers and students of color, said TJ. Whitaker, a teacher at nearby Columbia High School. There was a lawsuit filed regarding a teacher in the district [Nicole Dufault] for assaulting some of her students years back. Family members say they are taking it one day at a time. This has been the hardest thing weve had to deal with, said Candie Wilkins, grandmother of Daylan. At the most recent board of education meeting, we received no answers to whats the status of the investigation. The board members just looked at us with blank stares and shook their heads. South Orange Village Chief of Police, Ernesto Morillo, also released a statement about the incident, calling the allegations particularly troubling where a child may have been the victim of physical abuse. No parent should ever feel that their child is anything but safe when left in the care of faculty at any school. That being said, it is also important that everyone receives due process when accused of any act, especially one that may be deemed criminal, the statement continued. The family of the alleged victim and the public can feel confident that a thorough and complete investigation is being conducted. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Deion Johnson may be reached at djohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Instagram at @DeionRJohnson or Twitter @DeionRJohhnson Can Americans still have a sensible and friendly political discussion across the partisan divide? The answer is yes, and we prove it every week. Julie Roginsky, a Democrat, and Mike DuHaime, a Republican, are consultants who have worked on opposite teams for their entire careers yet have remained friends throughout. Here, they discuss the weeks events with editorial page editor Tom Moran. Q. President Biden would be 86 years old at the end of a second term. Should that disqualify him? Would he win in a walk if he were 30 years younger? Mike: Age shouldnt disqualify him, but he isnt shielded from questions as to how his age may impact the job he does. He wouldnt win if he was 30 years younger because he had not been VP under President Obama yet, nor would he have been able to run against President Trump, the two most important ingredients of his eventual success. Julie: Name a more effective president in our lifetime than Joe Biden. In a hyper-partisan environment, he has managed to enact monumental legislation that increases affordability, reduces the cost of prescription drugs, protects women in the workplace and finally addresses climate change. As long as he keeps it up, age should not be a factor. Unemployment fell to 3.5% under the Biden administration. Not sure if this number includes Tucker Carlson or not. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@PascrellforNJ) April 28, 2023 Q. Should Biden win at this age, there is a real possibility that Vice President Kamala Harris might have to take over. Is she a liability? Is this going to be an election where the VP actually matters? Mike: Vice President Harris ran a terrible race four years ago and often sounds high when shes speaking, but I actually think shes an asset to the ticket now. Given how the issue matrix has revolved over the last six years, having a woman of color as your most important ally, is really good for an old white guy. The White House has figured out how to utilize her better over the last year or so (abortion) than they did in the first 18 months (immigration). Julie: Donald Trump is an out of shape rage-aholic who thinks McDonalds is haute cuisine. I suspect his heart is a ticking time bomb. And his vice president was religious zealot Mike Pence, who refuses to be in rooms with women without a third party present. Yet their line of succession did not get the same scrutiny because, of course, every vice president before this one was a white man. Hi Trump voters, The Trump campaign hired two companies to investigate voter fraud. Both said the election was not stolen. Trump knew, but he lied to you about it over and over again. But youll still vote for him. Because you are in a cult. https://t.co/12JlnosmLb Jon Cryer (@MrJonCryer) April 28, 2023 Q. The state issued subpoenas to several organizations with connections to George Norcross, the South Jersey Democratic boss, regarding tax breaks in Camden. Will that weaken Democrats in this years legislative elections? How about Steve Sweeneys ambitions to run for governor? Mike: I thought those fights were over. Maybe not. No matter the twists and turns over the decades, George Norcross and his allies have maintained tremendous influence in this state. I dont see it changing any time soon absent some new revelation here. Julie: Ive been around New Jersey politics for nearly thirty years and if I had a dollar for every time someone has predicted the imminent demise of George Norcross, I would be sipping Mai Tais on my own private island by now. Camden and others hit with subpoenas in what appears to be part of a new #NJ corruption investigation into development and tax incentives. https://t.co/9acuDB64sY Ted Sherman (@TedShermanSL) April 26, 2023 Q. All three New Jersey Republicans in Congress voted with Speaker Kevin McCarthy Wednesday in the standoff over the debt ceiling, supporting a bill that would require deep spending cuts, and reverse much of the climate change measures signed into law last year. Any political impact, particularly for Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in his swing district? Mike: There will be no negative impact for Kean. On an issue like the debt ceiling, those who voted for him will expect that he would support the party position. Bucking the party may happen, but not on the debt ceiling, where he will be rewarded for taking the fiscally conservative position. Julie: Rep. Kean could have teamed up with moderate Republicans in New York, Pennsylvania and California to tell McCarthy that he was not going to hold the full faith and credit of the United States hostage to the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene. Instead, he caved to MAGA extremists. Tanking the economy is not fiscally responsible and its not a winning message going into 2024. Midwest Republicans hold out to protect ethanol tax breaks. Yet we don't see NJ/NY Republicans hold out to protect infrastructure $ and the Gateway project from McCarthy's huge cuts. Are they that committed to dismantling government or just scared to stand up for their states? https://t.co/BqD1ooekSm Tom Malinowski (@Malinowski) April 25, 2023 Q. Local officials, especially Republicans, often express full-throated hatred of the Supreme Courts Mt. Laurel decisions, which require them to make room for affordable housing. But a report from the Fair Share Housing indicates its working producing affordable homes for 50,000 people since 2015. Is that going to change any minds? Mike: Probably not. Julie: We live in a NIMBY world, so I doubt it will change anyones mind who wasnt already concerned about the plight of those less fortunate than they. Grateful to @karen_yi for her story on our report and this mornings press conference. There is still plenty of work to do, but were proud of the progress NJ has made since 2015. https://t.co/33TQ5hc8u0 Fair Share Housing Center (@FairShareNJ) April 26, 2023 Q. Finally, Tucker Carlson got the boot at Fox News. Does that matter? Or is this like arresting a Mexican drug kingpin, knowing that someone else just as bad will pop up to fill the vacuum? Mike: I think it will matter. Tucker took Fox to a different level, both in viewership and negativity, giving credence and publicity to divisive issues like the Great Replacement Theory. While sometimes subtle, his rhetorical questions and choice of language moved Fox to a more divisive position than ever on race, class, gender identify, LGBTQ issues, partisanship, gun issues, and more. So many lies, so little time. In memoriam of Tucker Carlson & Fox News, 2009-2023. pic.twitter.com/7CCXFCVbRt The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) April 24, 2023 Mike: There was never an issue where there was honest disagreement, instead there was always a villain out to destroy America. While clever, history will judge him as one of the most divisive figures of our time. He used his platform to encourage folks to see the worst in people who are different. Perhaps theres no advertising money in empathy, but he chose a path of sowing fear and hate, destructive to the country and a disservice to viewers. And he knew better about January 6th but chose to mislead his viewers instead, costing Fox hundreds of millions of dollars. Holy crap! This is claims of election fraud & election stolen on direct trial. If these claims could be defendedthey would have been. $800 million is a lot of admittance. Time to put this issuethese claims..and all who perpetuate them behind us. https://t.co/OUHBDjiXZj Declan O'Scanlon (@declanoscanlon) April 19, 2023 Julie: But he did not get fired for those incendiary views, because other purveyors of the Big Lie and divisiveness are still anchors in good standing. According to multiple reports, Tucker was ousted by Rupert Murdoch because he called women the c-word and Murdoch understood that this was problematic if not because he objects to the term, because he understands that having someone like that around will ultimately harm him. Julie: So heres a New Jersey connection: As someone who worked for both Rupert Murdoch and Phil Murphy, I find this all instructive. Only Murdoch is smart enough to fire men for being rabid misogynists. By contrast, our allegedly progressive governor fires women who complain about being called the c-word and obviously believes that treating women poorly is not a problem, no matter how many women come forward to complain. As for Tucker, I spent an awful lot of time with him when I was at Fox. Some of his views are genuine especially the race-based part. Some of them were completely contrived, like a crack dealer who is too smart to get high on his own supply. Countering Putin disinformation stans (while having men talk over me) since before it was trendy. https://t.co/o3Na88gStj Julie Roginsky (@julieroginsky) April 25, 2023 Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. They Fired Tucker Carlson pic.twitter.com/c8JD7gOYUr Brent Terhune in Erie, PA April 29th (@BrentTerhune) April 24, 2023 Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. A note to readers: Mike and Julie are deeply engaged in politics and commercial advocacy in New Jersey, so both have connections to many players discussed in this column. DuHaime, the founder of MAD Global, was chief advisor to former Gov. Chris Christie, and has worked for Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and President George W. Bush. Roginsky, a principal of Comprehensive Communications Group, has served as senior advisor to campaigns of Cory Booker, Frank Lautenberg, and Phil Murphy. We will disclose specific connections only when readers might otherwise be misled. While Saturday wont be nearly as rainy as Friday was or Sunday will be in New Jersey, its still going to be a damp, dreary day, forecasters say. The National Weather Service says intermittent showers will persist through much of the day mixed in with periods of cloudy, drier weather and afternoon highs only reaching the mid to upper 50s. South Jersey could hit 60. All in all it will be a rather gloomy day, the National Weather Service said in its morning forecast discussion. Winds of 10 to 15 mph that might gust as high as 25 mph this morning will diminish this afternoon. As of 6:30 a.m. Saturday, much of North Jersey had received a about an inch of rain in the previous 24 hours, the National Weather Service said.National Weather Service A flood warning is in effect until 10 a.m. for coastal areas of Monmouth and Ocean counties, the weather service said. Roads flooded earlier in Surf City, Pine Beach, Ocean Gate and Beachwood as 2 to 3 inches have fallen since Friday. By the end of the weekend, 4 inches or more of rain is likely in coastal areas and parts of South Jersey. As of about 5 a.m. Saturday, Millville had picked up about 3.5 inches of rain since Friday, the most in the state. There were widespread totals of 2 inches of more across Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester Monmouth and Ocean counties Friday into Saturday. AccuWeather.com has a similar call for Saturday not a washout, but far from a pleasant day. It says spotty rain and drizzle might linger along the Interstate 95 corridor following Fridays heavy rain. Temperatures Saturday night into Sunday wont fall too much as overnight lows in the 50s are expected. Sunday is forecast to be the wetter of the two weekends days and include multiple rounds of rain that will drop another 1 to 1.5 inches across the bulk of the state. AcuWeather.com is calling for another rainy day in New Jersey on Saturday, April 29, 2023.AccuWeather.com Light rain should overspread the state from southwest to northeast through the morning with heavier rain pushing in by late afternoon and early evening, the weather service said. Gusty winds are likely and thunderstorms cant be ruled out. Forecasters are also concerned about possible flooding in urban and low-lying areas. Highs on Sunday will be in the low to mid 60s. Well dry out Monday with temps again making it into the 60s. Current weather radar Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. WATERTOWN Nerves frayed, questions arose, dishes rattled, some pets skedaddled and rumblings echoed in Northern New York with the two recent earthquakes emanating from the Adams Center area or, as one Times reader suggested, from Adams EpiCenter. There were several aftershocks reported, the most recent late Monday morning; a small rumble coming in at 1.8 on the Richter magnitude scale, devised in 1935 by American seismologist Charles F. Richter. That made a total of 10 aftershocks since the original one that registered 3.6 and raised questions Sunday afternoon. Quakes in the 2.5 to 3 magnitude range usually are the smallest felt by people. In terms of being notable in the world of earthquakes, only Sundays 3.6 quake was of official significance. The U.S. Geological Survey says significant events relating to quakes are determined by a combination of magnitude, the number of Did You Feel It? responses and pager alert levels. Sundays 3.6 quake was the only significant quake worldwide for April 23, according to the USGS. The National Earthquake Information Center, part of the USGS, locates about 20,000 earthquakes around the globe each year, or approximately 55 per day. An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a fault. Tectonic plates are always slowly moving, but can get stuck at their edges due to friction. When the stress on the edge overcomes the friction, an earthquake occurs that releases energy in waves that travel through the Earths crust and cause the shaking that we feel. In the north country, such science has been of no great shakes for most residents. But that changed on April 14 when a 2.6-magnitude quake, centered a mile west of Adams Center, was reported by the U.S. Geological Survey. Sundays 3.6 quake, also centered in Adams Center, has been followed by nearly a dozen smaller quakes, also centered near Adams Center, mostly too small to feel. Its all taking place in an area where there had been very limited earthquake activity. So whats going on? Theres a bit of an increase in seismicity along what seismologists call the St. Lawrence seismic zone, said Geoffrey A. Abers, chair of Earth and atmospheric sciences at Cornell University, Ithaca. The zone, he said, roughly follows the St. Lawrence Seaway. These are earthquakes that are normally magnitude 2 or 3, or even smaller, Mr. Abers said. This one, (Sundays) at 3.6, was just big enough that people could feel it. And also hear it. People reported that Sundays quake resembled the echoes of a sonic boom or a rumbling train passing by their homes. That is rather unusual, said Mr. Abers, a geophysicist who uses the tools of earthquake seismology to understand the forces, material cycles and deep structure of the Earth. Its been documented in a few places, Mr. Abers said. The frequencies of the seismic signals get high enough through this kind of rock that its in the range that people can hear. Its not as common as in California where the rocks are absorbing a lot more of the high frequency signals. The ground shakes a lot but it takes more to get into the audible range. Its interesting, but theres certainly been past examples of people hearing earthquakes. Two days after Sundays significant quake in Adams Center, there was an odd coincidence. On Tuesday morning, 197 miles east of Adams Center, and nearly in an exact parallel line from the Adams Center epicenter, there was a 2.9 quake in New Hampshire centered in Center Sandwich at 9:49 a.m. No damage was reported, according to WMUR-9. But Mr. Abers doesnt think there are greater forces at work in those two quakes. I think thats just coincidental, he said. There are quakes of this size that happen in the U.S. and eastern Canada a few times a year. There was also a quake Feb. 6, centered near Buffalo, that shook Western New York. That one registered a 3.8 magnitude. Very generally, there seems to be a belt of seismicity along the St. Lawrence Seaway and the first couple of Great Lakes, Mr. Abers said. Its not very strong, but every now and then theres like a 5.1 in the Massena/Plattsburgh area. A 1944, a 5.8 earthquake centered near Massena is one of the strongest quakes in recorded state history, according to the National Earthquake Information Center, Golden, Colorado. According to Cornell University, New Yorks biggest earthquakes have occurred in the Adirondack Mountains: In 1983, an event that measured 5.1 occurred near the town of Newcomb, and in 2002 a 5.3 event occurred in Ausable Forks. The rocks underneath all of us in upstate New York are very old and theyve had a long and complex history, Mr. Abers said. So, theres a lot of faults down there and a lot we at least dont know about. As you get up close to the border in the St. Lawrence, you can start to see granites, but everywhere south of there, you see flat-lying sedimentary rocks. Common sedimentary rocks include sandstone, limestone and shale. These are all 400-million-year-old rocks, but underneath them, there are much older rocks that have faults in them and its very hard to learn about them because they dont move very much, Mr. Abers said. They just sat there for most of the last billion years. But every now and then, he added, stresses slowly build up over geologic time and every now and then, one of them goes. A LOT OF QUESTIONS Its not known if the recent quakes in Adams Center are indicative of more to come. Earthquakes cannot be predicted. We dont have a good physical mechanism that would say, Oh, this happened, and expect more big ones, Mr. Abers said. We also dont really understand whats driving these quakes. Theres still a lot of questions. The February earthquake in Turkey and Syria that has caused a humanitarian disaster originated from a known active seismic zone, Mr. Abers said. Doctors grapple with destruction CHICAGO Just hours after he learned about the devastating Feb. 6 earthquake in Turkey and We dont have anything like that on that scale in the eastern U.S., Mr. Abers said. California yes. Thats a different story. To measure earthquakes, the USGS oversees a series of seismographs across the U.S. They try to record every earthquake bigger than about a magnitude of 2, Mr. Abers said. In Watertown, youre close enough to Canada where the Canadian national network provides a lot of information about earthquakes on the U.S. side. And then theres the Northeast Regional Network operated by a consortium of universities and coordinated by Columbia University in the past. They all coordinate and share data. Mr. Abers estimated that there are probably a couple of dozen seismographs for the networks within 100 or 200 miles of Watertown. Some of them might be on a school campus and some are in more remote places, he said. The sensors themselves vary in size and shape but theyre usually like a small cylinder thats buried in the ground so they detect really small ground motions. According to USGS, the largest recorded earthquake in the United States was a magnitude 9.2 that struck Prince William Sound, Alaska, on Good Friday, March 28, 1964. The largest recorded earthquake in the world was a magnitude 9.5 in Chile on May 22, 1960. QUAKES IN NNY Northern New York has a notable history of earthquakes, although nothing on the magnitude of major humanitarian disasters such as the Feb. 6 one that hit southeast Turkey and the northwest region of Syria, killing more than 50,000 and affecting 18 million others. However, if more people were around here in 1663, a quake that shook the East likely would have been a major disaster. We can thank the late Lt. Col. Albert M. Skinner of Watertown for our regions early earthquake history. In 1944, following a big earthquake that hit Northern New York, Lt. Col. Skinner, a student of weather conditions in this area, wrote an article in the Watertown Daily Times about the north country and its quake history. At the time, he was working for the Office of Civilian Defense in Washington, D.C. He noted that seismological investigations were assigned to the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, the first scientific agency of the U.S. government, in 1925. His local survey was assembled by widely scattered information regarding earthquakes in the publication Earthquake History of the United States, published in 1938. Among the major NNY earthquakes Lt. Col. Skinner documented: - Feb. 5, 1663: A quake with the epicenter near Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, was probably felt in all of eastern Canada and northeastern U.S. Its intensity was probably 10 at its epicenter, Lt. Col. Skinner wrote. It occurred so early in colonial history that accounts are far from definite. Many of them are quite lurid and tell of mountains being thrown down and of great forests sliding into the St. Lawrence. To measure earthquakes before the 1930s, the events were given a number based on damage and where people felt tremors. - March 12, 1853: A shock of intensity 7 occurred in the northern part of New York state. - Dec. 18, 1867: A shock lasting 25 seconds was felt in Vermont, Canada and NNY. In Ogdensburg, it woke people up. - Oct. 20, 1870: A shock of 8 or 9, centering in Canada, was most strongly felt along the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Quebec. - Dec. 25, 1903: A quake with an intensity of 5 centered in Madrid affected 1,500 square miles. - April 28, 1913: A 7-8 intensity shock, centered near Potsdam, was felt over an area of 3,000 square miles. - May 22, 1917: A shock covered 15,000 square miles in the St. Lawrence River Valley. - March 18, 1928: A shock centered in Saranac Lake was felt at Malone. Sounded like artillery fire. Dishes fell from shelves. March 10, 1937: A shock of 4-5, centered in the Canton area. From the Times files, the following are highlights of reports from more recent earthquakes, most from the Massena area: Sept. 5, 1944: At 12:39 a.m. Labor Day, severe shock shakes Earth in Massena; measures 6.0 on Richter scale; causes structural damage in excess of $1 million; 2,800 chimneys broken or toppled; called strongest quake in state history at the time by Carl Stover, National Earthquake Information Center, Golden, Colorado, in 1981. In Watertown, the effects of the earthquake inspired wonderment and fear in residents who were awakened by the sway of their beds. Rattling windows and dishes were widespread, the Times reported. - Aug. 6 and 7, 1950: At 8 p.m. and midnight, two quakes; plates fastening WMSA radio tower to ground loosened; no major structural damage elsewhere, although 332-foot tower swayed violently during tremors. - Sept. 29, 1961: At 2:40 a.m. Rooseveltown customs collector claims house shaken; no confirmation from seismological equipment in Montreal. - March 30, 1964: At 4:10 a.m., series of three quakes awakens Massena; third shock most severe; houses shook for several seconds; no confirmation from seismological equipment. - Oct. 9, 1969: At 8:08 p.m., measured 4.0 on Richter scale; Massena-Cornwall area; household windows rattled; slightly shook tower at Ottawa International Airport. - April 20, 1961: At 8 a.m., brief, sharp tremor rumbled Robert Moses Power Dam but caused no structural damage. - Oct. 25, 1951: Village of Massena residents awakened by rumbling noises from two quakes; Fordham University seismologist William Lynch says no quake measured by equipment. - July 4 weekend, 1981: Several tremors felt throughout St. Lawrence and Franklin counties; most severe reached 3.0 on Richter scale; no structural damage. - March 2, 1982: It was a tremor that at first, only one person seemed to notice. Claims by Michael Becker of Alexandria Bay that he had been awakened by a small quake were at first refuted but later supported by seismology experts. - Oct. 7, 1983, a strong tremor measuring 5.2 with its epicenter about 9 miles north of Blue Mountain Lake shakes the north country. - Oct. 11, 1983: A 4.2 quake centered near Ottawa was felt in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties. At the time, Frank A. Revetta, geology professor at SUNY Potsdam, told the Associated Press: Why this is acting up right now, I dont know. Its very odd. Earthquakes, he said, werent nearly so well understood as those in California, where faults surface and are easily mapped. - Aug. 9, 1988, a quake centered 6 miles north of Massena rumbles at 3.4 on the scale. - Nov. 25, 1988, an earthquake rumbled through the Adirondacks and the St. Lawrence River valley. It lasted more than two minutes and measured 6 on the Richter scale. Its epicenter was in Quebecs Charlevoix region, about 95 miles north of Quebec City. - Oct. 19, 1990, a moderate earthquake centered about 70 miles north of Ottawa rattled dishes and windows throughout St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, but didnt affect most of Jefferson County. - April 17, 1992, the epicenters of two earthquakes that shook part of the north country were in the middle of the St. Lawrence River. Quakes occurred at 9:38 p.m. and 10:11 p.m. about 25 kilometers apart in the St. Lawrence River between Massena and Cornwall, Ontario. The first registered 2.4 on the Richter scale and the second quake registered 2.5. - Nov. 16, 1993, an earthquake registering 4.1 on the Richter scale shook the Montreal area before dawn and was felt as far away as Vermont and Northern New York. No injuries were reported. The quakes epicenter was 15 miles south-southeast of Montreal. - Jan. 18, 1994, a quake at 1:45 a.m. and registered 3.0 on the Richter scale. It woke several people up in Malone, Chateaugay and Burke in Franklin County. It was pinpointed directly below Chateaugay, a small village 15 miles east of Malone. March 2, 1995, an earthquake rumbled through a remote region of the Adirondack Mountains near Tupper Lake. It registered about 3 on the Richter scale and the focal point of the temblor was 15 miles north of Tupper Lake and 20 miles northwest of Saranac Lake. - March 14, 1996, an earthquake that rumbled through a remote area of Quebec was felt in the north country. The quake took place at 5:42 a.m. and registered 4.5 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was in a remote area about 55 miles northwest of Montreal. - July 31, 1997, a quake centered near Glenfield and Greig in Lewis County registers between 3.0 and 3.4 in magnitude on the Richter scale. - July 10, 1997, an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.9 was felt in Massena. The epicenter was six miles west of Cornwall, Ontario, just across the St. Lawrence River from Massena. No damage was reported. - June 9, 1998, a small earthquake centered near the Canadian border rattled parts of Northern New York. There were no reports of significant damage or injuries. The epicenter was near Malone. The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 3.4, Canadian officials said. A quake of magnitude 3.5 can cause slight damage. - April 20, 2000, a minor earthquake hit parts of eastern New York from the Adirondacks to the Mohawk Valley. The tremor was recorded at about 4:45 a.m., with the epicenter in the town of Newcomb in Essex County, about 95 miles north of Albany. The National Earthquake Information Center says the quake registered 3.7. -Nov. 6, 2012: A temblor measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale occurred 31 miles east of Ottawa along the Ottawa River just after 4 a.m. Its effects were felt as far away as Potsdam and Massena. - Jan. 16, 2013: A 2.4-magnitude temblor strikes at 8:46 a.m. Wednesday, centered 11 miles northeast of Saranac Lake. - Nov. 28, 2015: A magnitude 3.3 quake centered near Rooseveltown was felt through most of St. Lawrence County and in large portions of Ontario and Quebec, Canada. - March 21, 2018: A magnitude of 2.7 quake occurred at a depth of 3.11 miles, about 15.5 miles outside Malone. - Jan. 13, 2020: A magnitude 3.28 quake, centered in Ormstown, Quebec, was felt around Northern New York. - July 15, 2021: A quake centered roughly 5 miles northwest of the village of Massena near the western tip of Croil Island on the St. Lawrence River was felt around St. Lawrence County and southern Ontario. - July 29, 2022: A magnitude 2.5 quake centered in St. Regis Falls felt as far away as Saranac Lake. - Feb. 20, 2023: A 2.1-magnitude quake centered near the intersection of Route 37 and Haverstock Road in Massena. - Mid-to-late-April, 2023: The tremors of Adams Center. US President Joe Biden will meet 18 leaders from the South Pacific when he visits Papua New Guinea in May, a top regional diplomat said Saturday, as the US and China vie for influence in the region. After the end of World War II, the South Pacific was seen as a relative diplomatic backwater, but it is increasingly the arena for powers to compete for commercial, political and military influence. Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko said Biden would attend bilateral talks with his hosts and is "also having a meeting with the 18 Pacific Island leaders" from the Pacific Island Forum -- a regional bloc of mostly small states that are scattered across the vast swathe of ocean. The prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand will be among those attending. Biden is set to become the first sitting US president in at least a century to visit Papua New Guinea when he touches down on May 22. He is also scheduled to attend a G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan and a summit of the Quad -- Australia, India, Japan and the United States -- in Sydney. US special envoy Joseph Yun this week said that the United States was playing "catch-up" after years of relative neglect that saw China's influence soar across the South Pacific. China recently signed a secretive security pact with Solomon Islands that could allow Chinese troops to be deployed or based there. In March, a state-backed Chinese company won a contract to develop the international port in the capital Honiara, a major victory in Beijing's quest to gain a strategic toe-hold in the South Pacific. The region could prove vital in any possible military conflagration over Taiwan. "We need to accelerate our catch-up," Yun told the Hudson Institute. "Any high level engagement is welcome," he said, speaking before Biden's Pacific meeting was confirmed. "Let's face it, it is strategic competition between China and us," Yun said. Biden's trip may also put the finishing touches on a US-Papua New Guinea Defence Cooperation Agreement that would allow more joint training and the development of security infrastructure. Washington is working to establish a joint naval facility at Lombrum on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island. Construction started in mid-2020, according to Australia's Department of Defence, which is also taking part in the initiative. Four Guardian-class patrol boats are eventually expected to be based at the facility. Search Keywords: Short link: But the change brings a major shift for how Jazz Fest vendors operate, replacing the mostly hand-to-hand cash transactions at these booths with a new interface for customers. Initially on Friday, the shift seemed to be working smoothly. With a tap of a chip card against the digital reader, transactions were completed in a few seconds. But by midday, as more people arrived, lines for most food booths were stretching deep, in some cases impeding the flow of foot traffic around the vending areas. Some queues started turning back on themselves to snake against the walkways, making the end of the line hard to discern for would-be customers walking up. "I've been festing for 35 years, and this is the first time I left the fest hungry," New Orleans native Jay Duke said. "I just couldn't invest 30 minutes in each line." Osteria Lupo pastry chef Sara Martin has a new calling. Besides making a killer saffron pavlova, she is officially a pizza goddess. The team that opened the Spanish gem Costera on Prytania Street in 2019 has upped the ante with the opening of Osteria Lupo nearby in Uptown. The casually chic restaurant on Magazine Street has been busy since it opened April 5. Martin was charged with getting the pizza dough right for the rotating menu of pizze, which is plural to represent the many flavors that have inspired pizza devotion for centuries. There are two pizzas offered on the compact menu currently, a diavola and one topped with 24-month-aged prosciutto from San Daniele. For spice lovers, the diavola is the ticket. Blessed by cloudless blue skies and relatively mild temperatures, the 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival got off to a fast, sunny start Friday. Long lines at the ticket and security booths tapered off by early afternoon, with little or no wait at the metal detectors at 1:30 p.m. Around the same time, open space abounded in the standing-only area in front of the main Festival Stage, where Lizzo would close out the day. The chair-and-tarp section of the stage's field was filling up, but there was still room near the racetrack. Early in her headlining set, on the 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival's opening Friday, Lizzo confessed to being a bit hungover. The previous day, she celebrated her 35th birthday. Dont nobody make you sleazy like the Big Easy! she proclaimed. If Lizzo wasnt 100%, she didnt show it. At the end of a warm, relentlessly sunny day, she commanded the main Festival Stage in denim bell-bottoms. She, her band and her eight Big Girls -- dancers clad in short-shorts and T-shirts emblazoned with You Are Special in bubbly pink letters -- were determined to engage the big crowd, and succeeded. Ahmad Tea, the most famous tea brand in Egypt and the world, held a ceremony to celebrate its 30th anniversary of being present in the Egyptian market. The event was attended by a host of public figures and celebrities. Ahmad Tea is a British company that produces different types of tea in more than 80 countries across the world. Ahmed Sharara, the company's CEO in Egypt, said that the celebration of the 30th anniversary reflects the company's great interest in the Egyptian market. Ahmad Tea places the Egyptian market and the Egyptian consumer at the top of its interests, Sharara added. The company started its work in Egypt 30 years ago has since grown within the Egyptian market, Sharara pointed out. He thanked the Egyptian consumer for their confidence in Ahmad Tea. The company is pressing ahead with its plans to provide the best types of tea to the Egyptian consumer to suit different tastes and ages, he noted. Ahmad Tea products are available in all supermarkets across Egypt, Sharara further added. Ahmad Tea has plans to expand further into the Egyptian market, Sharara clarified. "The company is always keen to maintain its highest standards to be the quality leader in the Egyptian market," he pointed out. Short link: Judge Greg Guidry speaks during a Senate committee hearing for district court nominees on Feb. 13, 2019. Guidry donated tens of thousands of dollars to New Orleans Roman Catholic archdiocese and consistently ruled in favor of the church amid a contentious bankruptcy involving almost 500 clergy sex abuse victims, The Associated Press found, in an apparent conflict that could throw the case into disarray. A private security guard at Mandina's restaurant returned fire when two people gunned down an employee and inadvertently wounded a diner at the Mid-City New Orleans restaurant, interim Police Superintendent Michelle Woodfork said Saturday. Although investigators have not publicly described a motive, Woodfork said the employee was the killers' intended victim. The wounded customer, she said, "had no direct relation to those who committed this crime." The diner, a 54-year-old woman from Chicago, was in town for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Woodfork said, and was inside Mandina's "to celebrate the birthday of a friend," when the shooting occurred. The New Orleans Police Department's lack of any policies to guide the mayor's executive protection team threatens the mayor's safety, wastes limited police resources and hinders accountability, according to a public letter released this week by the city's Office of Inspector General. The 11-page letter said that as part of a probe of the NOPD's executive protection detail, the inspector general requested the team's policy, operating procedures and threat assessments and that the NOPD said it couldn't furnish any documents. Based on the responses, Inspector General Ed Michel determined that the unit "does not have policies in place to regulate and guide its operations." FILE - Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts arrives before President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol, Feb. 7, 2023, in Washington. Roberts has declined a request from the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify at a hearing on ethical standards at the court, instead providing the panel with a statement of ethics reaffirmed by the court's justices. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool) The department's Sameh Shoukry met with the family of Mohamad El-Gharawi, the assistant administrative attache at the Egyptian embassy in Khartoum, who tragically passed away this week, the ministry reported on Saturday. The meeting was a poignant moment of solidarity and support as the family and Shoukry joined in honouring and remembering the life and service of the late El-Gharawi. The minister expressed the government's deepest condolences and pledged to provide all necessary resources to support the family during this trying time. His loss sent shockwaves through the diplomatic community, and his contributions to the Egyptian embassy in Khartoum will be missed. The assistant administrative attache at the Egyptian embassy in Khartoum was killed on Monday on his way from his residence to the embassy headquarters to follow up on evacuation procedures for Egyptians in Sudan, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry stated that the Egyptian diplomatic mission in Sudan would continue to securely evacuate its nationals from Sudan and facilitate their return to Egypt. At the beginning of the current conflict, at least 10,000 Egyptians, including 5,000 students, were in Sudan. Since the outbreak of the conflict, the Egyptian embassy in Khartoum has been working around the clock to secure the safety of all Egyptians in the country and the safe departure of those who wish to return home. Search Keywords: Short link: Fighting in Sudan has prompted a wave of people to seek sanctuary in neighbouring countries. According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, "hundreds of thousands" are expected to flee the country. Around 14,000 people, the majority South Sudanese citizens, have already arrived in South Sudan, a UN spokesperson told AFP on Saturday. "The ongoing fighting in Sudan is expected to trigger further displacement both within and outside the country. We're scaling up to assist people seeking safety," the UN refugee agency UNHCR tweeted. Here is an overview of the situation: Refugees, IDPs within Sudan Sudan hosted 1.13 million refugees before the conflict started, one of the largest refugee populations in Africa. Of those, 800,000 are South Sudanese, with Eritreans the second-largest group, numbering 126,000. There are also 58,000 Ethiopians, mainly hosted in two eastern camps. Axel Bisschop, the UNHCR's representative in Sudan, said Friday that up to 30,000 people, mainly South Sudanese refugees, had moved south from Khartoum to White Nile State, closer to their own border. Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees are also moving closer to their own borders, he added. Sudan counts around 3.7 million internally displaced persons, mostly in the volatile western Darfur region. The UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Tuesday that "at least 75,000 people have been internally displaced in Sudan by the crisis". It said that in the South Darfur region, up to 37,000 people are thought to have been displaced across Nyala town. Fleeing abroad Sudan shares a border, in order of length, with South Sudan, Chad, the Central African Republic, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Libya. UNHCR is planning for three scenarios: Sudanese refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries; refugees hosted by Sudan returning home and refugees hosted by Sudan moving to other neighbouring countries. "So far, the most significant cross-border movements in the region have been Sudanese fleeing to Chad and South Sudanese refugees returning to South Sudan," the agency said. Chad UNHCR spokesman Matt Saltmarsh said at least 20,000 people had crossed into Chad, of which around 5,000 have been formally registered so far. The aid agency CARE International cited border area community leaders as saying more than 42,000 people had crossed. UNHCR is expecting the number to rise to up to 100,000 people "in the worst-case scenario". Many had fled to villages only five kilometres (three miles) from Sudan, "and more are expected to arrive in the coming days," the agency said. The IOM's Chad mission chief Anne Kathrin Schaefer said: "The majority of those arriving are in dire need of basic humanitarian aid, namely food, water and adequate shelter." The looming rainy season will make it harder to reach the border area with aid. More than 400,000 Sudanese refugees are already hosted across 13 camps and among local communities in eastern Chad. Egypt More than 14,000 Sudanese refugees have crossed the border, the Egyptian foreign ministry said Thursday, plus a further 2,000 nationals of 50 other countries. Refugees making it to Cairo reported leaving with few belongings, food, water or cash on the treacherous journeys, having paid small fortunes for scarce bus tickets out of the war zone amid crippling fuel shortages. UNHCR said it was working with the four-million-strong Sudanese community in Egypt to get a better sense of the new arrivals and to identify support needs. South Sudan At least 14,000 people had crossed the border to South Sudan, UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo told AFP on Saturday. Marie-Helene Verney, UNHCR's representative in South Sudan, said Tuesday "the most likely scenario is 125,000 returns of South Sudanese refugees into South Sudan, and 45,000 refugees." Ethiopia More than 3,500 people arrived in Ethiopia between April 21 and 25, Eric Mazango, the IOM's spokesman in the country, told AFP on Thursday. Citizens of more than 35 countries have entered Ethiopia, with Turks accounting for more than 40 percent, followed by Ethiopians at 14 percent. Central African Republic On Monday, UN peacekeepers said a group of 500 mostly women and children had crossed the border, with local authorities saying they needed food, water and shelter. By Friday, total arrivals had increased to 1,300, according to UNHCR. Libya and Eritrea The Libyan authorities have noted no significant increase of entries from Sudan. UNHCR had no information on movement into Eritrea. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt is following up on an investigation into the killing of Egyptian pharmacist Mohamed Faisal at work on Thursday in Saudi Arabias Al-Amwah in the province of Asir. Egypt is following up on an investigation into the killing of Egyptian pharmacist Mohamed Faisal at work on Thursday in Saudi Arabias Al-Amwah in the province of Asir. A consular delegate will attend the investigations alongside Saudi authorities, Minister of Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs Soha Gendy said in a statement on Friday. The delegate will be responsible for watching surveillance footage, listening to witnesses and continuing investigations to identify the perpetrator, Gendy said. Faisals body will be brought to Egypt once approved by the investigation authorities, the minister said. Gendy expressed confidence in the legal measures taken by the investigation authorities in the kingdom. Pharmacists and social media users expressed grief over the death of Faisal, 43, who leaves behind an eight-year-old child. Egyptian media quoted Faisals family as saying he was killed by gunfire. Ahmed Zalouk, the head of the Egyptian Pharmacists Syndicate in the Beheira governorate, said contact has been made with investigative authorities to repatriate the body of the deceased and take legal measures to bring justice to the victim. We have full confidence in the justice of the investigations in [Saudi Arabia], Zalouk said in a Facebook post, saying the syndicates board will be convening continuously until the investigations end. The head of the Cairo Pharmacy Syndicate, Mohamed El-Sheikh, said there have been good indicators after Saudi authorities viewed surveillance footage and collected fingerprints at the scene. Saudi Arabia is home to Egypts largest expat community and hosts over two million Egyptian workers. Search Keywords: Short link: Gov. Eric Holcomb felt no need to wait for the sun to come up Friday to celebrate the accomplishments of the 2023 Indiana General Assembly. Speaking to reporters at 3:15 a.m. Indianapolis time, shortly after the Legislature adjourned for the year, the Republican chief executive proclaimed the state budget and other new laws enacted during the four-month session to have a "generational impact" on Hoosiers. "This is a great day for Indiana. But most importantly, it's what we do with it. It's a heck of an opportunity," he said. "For this administration, it's all about implementation now. We have the resources to address long, lingering issues, be it health, be it economic development in a new world that we find ourselves in. We are properly equipped in resources to get the job done." Holcomb specifically touted the new resources approved for mental health services in Senate Enrolled Act 1, public health and prevention programs in Senate Enrolled Act 4, and in House Enrolled Act 1001 the elimination of student textbook fees, pay raises for state police officers, new business attraction incentives, record education funding, expanded workforce development programs and renewed quality-of-life initiatives. The governor also pointed to budget allocations for a new Westville Correctional Center in LaPorte County, a new state park inn near South Bend, a new state archives building in Indianapolis, and the consolidation of Indiana's schools for deaf and blind students in the capital city as outstanding investments in the future. "We're in a state in a perpetual forward motion in the state of Indiana, and we didn't get here by accident. We got here through discipline and focus and minding the business of the state on behalf of taxpayers." Holding up a copy of his pre-session agenda, Holcomb said every single item on the list was checked off in one form or another, and even if some of his proposals weren't funded at the levels he sought, his team still has a great opportunity to get things going. "I'm proud of what was accomplished this legislative session, and through collaboration and hard work we will be able to make transformational investments that will better the lives of Hoosiers and build a better today and stronger tomorrow," he said. The governor did acknowledge one failing: He was unable to persuade the Republican-controlled General Assembly to advance Senate Bill 322 designating the breaded pork tenderloin as the official sandwich of Indiana. "I'm going to put that aside. I've got executive orders. We'll deal with that later," Holcomb quipped. As for the more serious business of deciding to approve or reject legislation heading to his desk over the next couple weeks, Holcomb pledged to carefully review the language of each proposal to decide whether to sign it into law or issue a rare veto. "I like to read every bill, as does my staff. There are some bills that I'm paying close attention to and I'll come to a final conclusion before the time expires." This was Holcomb's final budget session as governor. The term limits imposed by the Indiana Constitution bar him from running next year for a third consecutive term as the state's chief executive. Meet the 2023 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville State Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores HAMMOND In May 2021, local leaders gathered in the parking lot of the Hammond Sportsplex to announce plans for a $45 million destination YMCA. "A lot of things changed after that," Crossroads YMCA CEO Jay Buckmaster said. The cost and scope of the project has expanded, but the YMCA moved forward Friday with an official groundbreaking. Thank you for believing in our city, were not going to let you down," Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. told the YMCA. It was initially a $45 million, 100,000-square-foot facility. Now the destination YMCA is estimated to cost $70 million and will take up more than 120,000 square feet. Once complete, it will be one of the biggest Y's in the country and, McDermott jokingly noted, it will be larger than the Crown Point YMCA. The two-story facility will include a warm-water family pool, a six-lane lap pool, an indoor track, gyms and studios for youth sports, spaces for group exercise classes, a wellness center for cardio and strength training, a juice bar and a community meeting room with a teaching kitchen. The facility is expected to be complete at the end of 2024. The city is contributing $10 million to the project, and the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation has committed $35 million. Buckmaster said Crossroads has fundraised about $5 million and is looking to raise $5million to $7 million more. Anyone interested in partnering with the Y can learn more at crymca.org/hammonddestinationymca. Great things are happening in Hammond, said Bill Hannah, executive director of the White Foundation. Were just glad to be a part of it." Phase two of the destination YMCA will consist of an outdoor waterpark. The Y also completed a $10 million expansion at its Hammond site, 7322 Southeastern Ave. Before the renovation, Buckmaster said the Hammond Y had about 5,000 members and now it has close to 17,000. The new Y will be about three times larger and is expected to serve 50,000 members. The destination Y, at the former Woodmar Mall site, will be next to the $20 million Hammond Sportsplex, which generated $1.3 million in concession sales last year, and across the street from the packaging manufacturer Huhtamaki Inc., which is in the midst of a $100 million expansion. The destination YMCA will bring about 200 jobs. Hammond is alive and well right now and our business community is thriving," McDermott said. Hammond Common Councilman Barry Tyler Jr. represents the 3rd District, which encompasses the Y property. He said the project "checks all the boxes": The YMCA will help spur economic development, help residents maintain their physical and mental wellness, and give children a safe space to recreate. The Crossroads YMCA is one of the fastest-growing Y programs in the country, said Mark Bates, chairman of the Crossroads YMCA board of directors. Crossroads has grown from serving about 25,000 members in 2017 to more than 100,000. Bates said the Dean and Barbara White Southlake Y in Crown Point has an average daily attendance of more than 10,000 people. Information about joining the YMCA is available at crymca.org; Crossroads also has an income-based scholarship program. "We'll be back here soon to dedicate this thing," Buckmaster said after city and YMCA officials shoveled sand into the air as part of the ceremonial groundbreaking. PHOTOS: Groundbreaking for destination YMCA in Hammond Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking Crossroads YMCA Hammond Destination groundbreaking VALPARAISO The Porter County Election Board voted Thursday against approving a a last-minute change to a polling site at Flint Lake Elementary School. A Valparaiso Community Schools official reached out to the elections staff shortly before Thursdays meeting to ask for the polling place to be shifted from the school gym to the media center. The school district apparently was responding to public concerns about voters having access to their children, said Becky Rauch, assistant director of the Elections & Registration Office. The media center can be locked separately. And four days before the election they decided this, Director Sundae Schoon said. The election day deliveries have already been set, including door numbers and where in the building to take ballots and other election necessities, Rauch said. Rauch expressed concerns about complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act if the media center were used. The staff hasnt had time to check out the location to make sure its accessible, she said. We understand school safety as well, Schoon said. She wondered whether a school resource officer could provide extra security at the gym that day. Election Board member Jeff Chidester wondered whether an extra sheriffs deputy could be hired that day for additional security. County Clerk Jessica Bailey said having those officers present might be perceived as intimidating voters. I hope to God the parents of those Flint Lake kids know we care about those kids as much as they do, Chidester said. Duneland School Corp. students have an e-learning day Tuesday, but Valparaiso students do not. Thats why I encouraged them to do e-learning, Chidester said. I dont know how we condone the change, board Chairman Paul Rausch said. Were definitely interested in finding an alternative for the general election. The board also heard an appeal of a ruling that Porter Town Council candidate Jack Jent pay a $250 fine for a campaign sign violation and let the March 31 ruling stand. Jent said he returned from vacation just before the hearing on the sign complaint and didnt have adequate notice. The contentious candidate wouldnt say whether his signs were in violation, but he did say some had stickers on them afterward that said the signs were paid for by his campaign committee. That disclosure is required by state law. The board plans to meet at noon May 12 to certify the election results and hold its regular meeting afterward. This steep ascent was fueled by what the British food writer Gurdeep Loyal, author of Mother Tongue: Flavours of a Second Generation, calls a revival of Raj nostalgia that set in with Margaret Thatchers tenure as prime minister. Coronation chicken wants to evoke the peacocks and rubies, the grandeur and spice of regal Indian dynasties, without actually delivering any strong flavors, Mr. Loyal said. Yet hes a fan. His version, which uses a complex Punjabi masala with black and green cardamom, ajwain, fennel and tamarind, alludes to the beloved 1980s version of his childhood while celebrating Mr. Loyals identity as a second-generation British Indian. Im un-diluting its Indianness, he said. Still, the 1980s version is delightful, and a snap to make. ALBANY, N.Y. It was just four years ago that New Yorks Democratic lawmakers celebrated a new law that eliminated bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies and, at the time, seemingly added a measure of new justice to a system long faulted for pre-emptively punishing the poor. On Thursday night, however, after months of grueling negotiations, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the state would scale back those changes for the third time after a sharp rebuke from New Yorks voters and residents over a rise in crime. It was very clear that changes need to be made, the governor said. The precise details are unknown the law is still being drafted as part of the state budget that is expected to be ratified next week but Ms. Hochul said that she and the Legislature intend to eliminate a provision that requires judges to prescribe the least restrictive means to ensure defendants return to court. While judges will remain unable to set bail for a vast majority of misdemeanor and nonviolent charges, such a change could nonetheless have a dramatic impact, giving judges greater discretion to hold defendants particularly repeat or serious offenders before their trials. ALBANY, N.Y. It was around dinner time on Thursday, with many New York State lawmakers already heading home to their districts, when Gov. Kathy Hochul dropped a budget bombshell: Roughly four weeks past the deadline, she and legislative leaders had reached a tentative deal. She hastily convened a news conference in the Capitols ornate Red Room to announce the handshake agreement, but there were no hands to shake. Neither the leader of the Assembly nor the Senate was present, leaving Ms. Hochul to make a solitary victory lap around a $229 billion budget that, if passed by the Legislature next week, will be one month overdue. But the governor had no grand policy program to trumpet. She backed off from her pledge to construct 800,000 new homes, a potential centerpiece of her first term. She abandoned her push to ban menthol and other flavored cigarettes. The resulting agreement burnished the governors reputation as a centrist Democrat, with some of her key priorities tough-on-crime changes to the states bail law, money set aside into reserves, and no new taxes or higher levies on the superrich in line with more conservative themes. In the wake of a deadly collapse of a parking garage in Lower Manhattan last week, New York City officials found structural problems at four other garages so dangerous they ordered the buildings at least partially vacated. At those four garages two in Manhattan and two in Brooklyn the citys Buildings Department found that the structures had deteriorated to the point where they were now posing an immediate threat to public safety, said Andrew Rudansky, a spokesman for the department. The discoveries, he said, came during inspections of garages conducted after the April 18 collapse of a garage on Ann Street in the Financial District in Manhattan that left its manager dead in the rubble and five others injured. Engineers found that a two-story garage at 2781 Stillwell Avenue in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn was in severe disrepair, Mr. Rudansky said. The department issued a full vacate order for the entire building and ordered its owners to close for business and immediately retain a professional engineer to compile a structural report, he said. Eric Kim has a strategy for how he approaches restaurants: Live life on the edge of the menu. Take a flier on the oatmeal cream pie at a crab shack, the vegan risotto at a steakhouse, the quesadillas at an underground Champagne bar. Just because a restaurant is known for one thing doesnt mean you cant order something else. If it looks good to you, get it. Often youll be rewarded for your transgression. Sometimes the oddity on a menu might be the chefs passion project, which is reason enough to order it. Newcomers to the New Orleans favorite Peche Seafood Grill might not know that the restaurant goes heavy on the vegetables, but you have to know to order them. When Mr. Kim visited the city for a friends wedding in January, his eyes gravitated toward the citrus-glazed turnips. They seemed so unassuming, maybe even out of place, on the otherwise flashy menu of raw-bar staples like oysters varying in plumpness and brininess; a nutty, almost creamy royal red Gulf shrimp dish that stains your fingers with a crab roe sauce; and the beloved steak tartare with smoked-oyster aioli on toast, which landed on nearly every table in the dining room. Who knew that the star of his seafood lunch would be a side dish of turnips? Written and narrated by Elisabeth Egan Egypts Minister of Social Solidarity, Nevine El-Qabbaj, ordered on Saturday the disbursement of monthly aid worth EGP 1,000 to 70 families of fishermen suspended in Saudi Arabia for allegedly trespassing on territorial fishing waters. The 70 suspended fishermen include 66 from the Dakahlia Governorate, three from the Suez Governorate and a fisherman from Port Said. In its statement, the Ministry called upon all workers in the informal sector to adhere to official work regulations and procedures documented by the competent authorities in their respective fields. This is essential to avoid the risk of stoppages and legal accountability, which could lead to economic hardships and social and material challenges for their families, the ministry emphasised. On Tuesday, the Secretary-General of the Fishermen's Syndicate, Ahmed El-Maghreby, stated that 70 Egyptian fishermen were detained in Saudi Arabia after boarding two fishing boats in the Red Sea. The fishermen were on a trip two days before Eid El-Fitr but were arrested for allegedly entering Saudi waters without a permit, El-Maghreby told the Cairo24 news website. Search Keywords: Short link: MINNEAPOLIS Minnesota lawmakers on Friday voted to legalize recreational use of marijuana, the latest in a string of policy moves to the left after Democrats took full control of the Statehouse after nine years of divided government. Despite having only a one-seat majority in Minnesotas Senate, Democrats have moved swiftly to push through a pile of liberal legislation that made this years lawmaking session among the most productive and polarizing in recent history. Minnesota legislators have codified abortion rights, funded school meals for all children, set a goal to transition entirely to clean energy by 2040 and allowed unauthorized immigrants to get drivers licenses. Lawmakers expanded voting rights by allowing an estimated 55,000 felons the ability to cast ballots and by automatically registering people to vote when they get a drivers license or sign up for government programs. As they investigate former President Donald J. Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election, federal prosecutors have also been drilling down on whether Mr. Trump and a range of political aides knew that he had lost the race but still raised money off claims that they were fighting widespread fraud in the vote results, according to three people familiar with the matter. Led by the special counsel Jack Smith, prosecutors are trying to determine whether Mr. Trump and his aides violated federal wire fraud statutes as they raised as much as $250 million through a political action committee by saying they needed the money to fight to reverse election fraud even though they had been told repeatedly that there was no evidence to back up those fraud claims. The prosecutors are looking at the inner workings of the committee, Save America PAC, and at the Trump campaigns efforts to prove its baseless case that Mr. Trump had been cheated out of victory. In the past several months, prosecutors have issued multiple batches of subpoenas in a wide-ranging effort to understand Save America, which was set up shortly after the election as Mr. Trumps main fund-raising entity. An initial round of subpoenas, which started going out before Mr. Trump declared his candidacy in the 2024 race and Mr. Smith was appointed by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in November, focused on various Republican officials and vendors that had received payments from Save America. Jancee Dunn is out this week. Im Catherine Pearson, a reporter on the Well desk, filling in today. For someone whos led a charmed life, my 8-year-old can hold a serious grudge. Out of the blue, he recently brought up that bad pencil thing that happened. It took me a while to divine that he was talking about the classmate who nabbed one of his writing utensils nearly two years ago. I thought about my sons inability to let go of The Great Pencil Incident of First Grade when I learned recently about new research that suggests forgiveness improves mental well-being and offers a road map for getting there. In the study, which was presented last week at an interdisciplinary conference on forgiveness at Harvard and is currently under review for publication, researchers randomly assigned 4,598 participants from five countries into groups. One set received a forgiveness workbook with exercises they completed on their own. (An example: Write the story of a specific hurt you want to forgive. Then write it again as more of an observer, without emphasizing how bad the wrongdoer was or how you felt victimized. Look for at least three differences between the two versions.) Those in the control group waited for two weeks before receiving the workbook. When the two weeks were up, researchers found that those participants whod completed the workbook felt more forgiving than those in the control group and had reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. These findings jibe with other studies on forgiveness, which have found it can be a boon to mental health, helping to do things like lower stress and improve sleep. Several other studies have arrived at conclusions similar to those of the Mayo Clinic study. A smaller survey by the corporate health benefits provider Carrot Fertility found that roughly 20 percent of women took time off from work because of menopause. Researchers at the University of Southampton in England analyzed data from a longitudinal study of over 3,000 women and found that those who reported at least one disruptive menopausal symptom at the age of 50 were 43 percent more likely to have left their jobs by the age of 55. The findings underscore the physical, economic and social challenges women face as they age, enduring sometimes debilitating physical changes while navigating the discomfort of discussing menopause with younger or male colleagues, said Dr. Ekta Kapoor, a co-author of the study and an endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The topic of menopause is taboo in general but even more so at the workplace, she said. Ive heard from women that they dont want to come across as a complainer at work or theyll bring up menopause and people will roll their eyes. This, Dr. Kapoor added, can exacerbate the psychological challenges. The economic loss calculated by the Mayo Clinic study is likely an underestimate, Dr. Kapoor said, because the women surveyed have access to health insurance and potential treatments for their symptoms, which is not the case for many Americans. The findings affirm what patients tell me, said Dr. Makeba Williams, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. (Dr. Williams was not involved with the research.) One of her patients, for example, is a university professor who was so troubled by the brain fog she had during the transition to menopause that she decided to stop teaching advanced level courses, Dr. Williams said. Her symptoms had gotten so bad, she could not find the next word when lecturing. That story can come in many different versions. Women see in their day-to-day lives that their productivity is impacted. But most Americans dont have the ability to choose to cut back on work the way some women in the study did, Dr. Williams said. Many women dont have the privilege of saying Im just not going to teach this course because maybe if you dont show up, you will not have a job, and that has economic and personal financial impact too. More than two decades ago, the Smithsonians National Portrait Gallery acquired a 19th-century album filled with nearly 2,000 silhouette portraits, including those of two former presidents. Before displaying the cut-paper portraits, made by a traveling artist named William Bache, the museum needed to create a new, sturdier binding for the book. Thats when curators spotted an unusual red residue on the pages, and decided to test the book to make sure it was safe to handle. They found that each of the albums fragile pages was laced with arsenic. The album sat in a box until earlier this year, when curators used a grant from the Getty Foundation to digitize it. The museum put the collection online last month, allowing anyone to virtually thumb through the images and learn more about Baches life and work through an interactive timeline. Robyn Asleson, the museums curator of prints and drawings, said that researchers had identified a little over 1,000 of the 1,800 portraits. By digitizing the album and making it available online, she said, she hoped it will eventually be possible to identify every portrait in the collection. What happened to Jane Larkin, a young suburban mother who vanished in 1975? Her haunting absence forms the center of William Landays ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME (Bantam, 320 pp., $28.99), a gripping if occasionally uneven psychological excavation of a familys past. Suspicion falls immediately on Janes husband, Dan, a sharp-elbowed lawyer prone to spouting such unpleasant opinions as I think all married men are a little unhappy, secretly, at least the ones who marry young. The detective assigned to the case, Tom Glover, doesnt buy Dans protestations of innocence: There was something about Larkins performance wooden, self-conscious, calculating, meticulous that ignited Glovers suspicion, Landay writes. That, and the fact that his mistress soon moves into the family home. Delving into the emotional fallout of this damaged family, the book shifts back and forth in time and perspective and is partly narrated in the present by Philip Solomon, a novelist friend of one of Jane and Dans children. Another section appears to be narrated by Jane herself. With Dan descending into the fog of Alzheimers, theres a sense of urgency. The book lags in the middle and, distractingly, switches to a no-quotation-mark style about halfway through. But wait until you get to the last section, a masterly piece of writing told from Dans increasingly muddled point of view. Will we ever find out the truth? I turn 43 in May. In recent years, Ive taken over managing my mothers finances, which will all go to me when she passes. My father has split his assets evenly between me and my half sister. Designating their heirs was easy and conventional: Leave everything to the kids. A perpetually single, childless woman like me? Convention offers no road map. My half sister is 20 years older than me, so I effectively grew up an only child. My Iranian mother has five sisters, but they and my cousins live in Tehran. My American father isnt close with his siblings, so I rarely saw his side of the family. But Ive built meaningful friendships throughout my life, and my friends are not just my chosen family. They are aside from my mother, 79, father, 87, and stepfather, 77 my only family. For years, Ive envisioned leaving all of my assets to my friends. And yet, I have so many people to consider, and who wants to think about mortality anyway? Making a will that honored my love for them felt overwhelmingly complicated, especially when intestate succession laws, which govern inheritance if a person dies without a will, stop at relatives by blood, adoption or marriage. No statute considers a nonrelative. Equine art lives in many airports: Seattle and San Francisco have bronze horses shaped like driftwood, Central Illinois has wire horses suspended from the ceiling, Tucson has a winged horse and Barcelona has a burly horse. None of them have a horse like Blucifer. Rearing 32 feet tall in a median outside Denver International Airport, the cobalt-colored, demon-eyed, vein-streaked steed has terrified travelers and mobilized conspiracy theorists since it arrived 15 years ago. First, though, it killed its creator. The artist Luis Jimenez designed the statue, officially known as Mustang, to make reference to Mexican murals and the energy of the Southwest, with glowing red eyes meant as a homage to his fathers neon workshop. The horse came to stand for something darker: In 2006, as Mr. Jimenez was finishing the 9,000-pound cast-fiberglass sculpture, a piece came loose and fatally severed an artery in his leg. A giant, murderous stallion makes sense as a mascot for an airport with notoriety to spare, where a nearby art installation can be misconstrued as a portrayal of the Covid-19 virus and a rumor that a humanoid reptilian race lives under the facility can surface on the popular sitcom Abbott Elementary. The actor Macaulay Culkin, famous for navigating the horror of Manhattan during holiday season, tweeted that the Denver Airport is the scariest place Ive ever been in my life. Since Mr. Trump was indicted, his poll numbers have risen. Criminal investigations against him, in Georgia and Washington, as well as Ms. Carrolls trial and a civil fraud lawsuit brought by the New York attorney generals office, have done little to hamper him with his supporters. The poll he mentioned Thursday predicted that he would receive 62 percent of the vote in the Republican primary. His closest opponent, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who has not yet declared that he is running, was polling at 16 percent. But the investigations could cause Mr. Trump real harm. If he is convicted in Manhattan, where he pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records, he could face up to four years in prison. Criminal charges in Georgia and Washington could come with steeper punishments. And the New York attorney generals lawsuit against him which accused him of deceiving lenders and insurers by fraudulently overvaluing his assets could exact a heavy financial toll. No matter the outcome, any direct connection between Mr. Trumps legal fate in the rape case and his political fortunes is tenuous. But Ms. Carrolls lawyers have reshaped a political bombshell from 2016 into a potent legal weapon: They plan to use the Access Hollywood tape on which Mr. Trump boasts about grabbing women by the genitals as the basis for a compelling story about a self-styled playboy man-about-town whose modus operandi was assaulting women. Mr. Trump said on the tape that when youre a star, they let you do it. When the comments became public during the 2016 election, Mr. Trump characterized them as locker room banter and after his victory, they became an example of his apparent immunity to scandal. In the courtroom, which Mr. Trump has avoided, Ms. Carrolls team argued that his words were not to be dismissed, even years after they became public. Last week, Said bin Brahim bin Umran Bakush was released from detention at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and returned to Algeria, his home country. Suspected of being a low-level fighter for Al Qaeda, at age 52 he was in his 21st year of detention in the prison, had no charges filed against him and stopped speaking to lawyers about five years ago. Mr. Bakushs release leaves 30 men, of the 780 held there over the years since 2002, still imprisoned at the U.S. naval base whose name has become synonymous with American shame. President Biden said at the outset of his administration that he would seek to have the detention center closed, and he directed the Defense Department to study how best to do so. But at the rate these cases are moving, resolving them could take several more years. Mr. Biden wisely avoided the kind of highly public pledges to close down the prison that President Barack Obama made and could not keep. But to achieve the goal of finally ending the extrajudicial detention of prisoners at Guantanamo and its disgraceful violations of fundamental human rights and abandonment of the right to due process requires more of Mr. Biden. Clearing out the remaining prisoners requires cutting through a tangle of laws, policies, procedures and bureaucratic secrecy. These are not simple tasks, but they are well within the power of the White House to accomplish if the process is given a far higher priority. Mr. Biden can use his authority to order the Departments of Defense, Justice and State, the intelligence agencies and other agencies involved to coordinate their efforts and direct their resources to make it happen, as quickly as possible. The moral imperative and the ethical case for doing so have only gotten stronger with time. As long as there are people held in detention at Guantanamo, Americas condemnations of brutal detention centers in China and Syria will ring hollow. And there is a particular cruelty inflicted by time. On April 21, a senior official of the International Committee of the Red Cross issued a rare public call for the U.S. military to provide better care for the prisoners, because they are experiencing the symptoms of accelerated aging worsened by the cumulative effect of their experiences and years spent in detention. A court in Russia convicted a woman from a Siberian city over social media posts condemning the war in Ukraine and punished her Friday with a steep fine even though both she and the prosecution asked for a prison sentence. Marina Novikova, a 65-year-old lawyer, was found guilty of spreading false information about the Russian army, which was made a criminal offense after President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine more than 14 months ago. Novikova's posts on the messaging app Telegram decried the invasion and criticized the Russian government. The court in Seversk, Novikova's hometown, imposed a fine of 1 million rubles (over $12,400), the Russian human rights and legal aid group OVD-Info quoted her husband, Alexandr Gavrik, as saying. Prosecutors had requested a three-year prison sentence. Novikova herself pleaded with the court to send her to prison rather than the alternative: a fine of at least 700,000 rubles ($8,700) that the law allowed. She said she didn't have the money to pay a fine of that size. I am prepared to pay the price for the right to remain a human ... because I understand that there will be no acquittal, Novikova was quoted by Russian media as saying in court. An average salary in Siberia's Tomsk province, where Seversk is located, is 56,000 rubles, or just under $700, according to official government statistics. OVD-Info, which monitors protests and tracks arrests, said the case against Novikova was among the first ones launched under the new law that prohibited spreading false information about the Russian military. But the number of such prosecutions has mushroomed as part of the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent since the start of invasion of Ukraine. The sweeping campaign of repression has been unparalleled since the Soviet era. It has effectively criminalized independent reporting on the conflict and any criticism of the war, with the authorities targeting not only prominent opposition figures who eventually received draconian prison terms but but people not known for anti-government activity. A court in Moscow convicted a former police officer Monday of publicly spreading false information about the countrys military for criticizing the war in Ukraine to his friends over the phone. Semiel Vedel was sentenced to seven years in prison. Authorities argued his phone conversations qualified as public because his phone was wiretapped in connection to another criminal case, and there was a third person listening in. Last month, a Russian court convicted a single father over social media posts critical of the war and sentenced him to two years in prison. His 13-year-old daughter, who drew an antiwar sketch at school, was sent to an orphanage. A recent report by the Russian Supreme Court said that in 2022, courts ordered citizens to pay fines for discrediting the military 4,439 times, the equivalent of about $1.8 million, according to independent Russian news site Mediazona. Search Keywords: Short link: On Tuesday, I wrote about the Republican effort to limit the reach and scope of initiatives and referendums as another instance of the partys war on majority rule. One thing I wanted to include, but couldnt quite integrate into the structure of the column, was a point about the recent use of legislative expulsion to punish Democratic lawmakers who dissent from or challenge Republican majorities. We saw this in Tennessee, obviously, where Republicans expelled two Democratic members Representatives Justin Jones of Nashville and Justin J. Pearson of Memphis for loudly supporting a youth protest for gun control from the statehouse floor using a bullhorn. We saw another example this week, in Montana, after State Representative Zooey Zephyr, a transgender woman, spoke out against a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for minors. Calling her comments (If you vote yes on this bill and yes on these amendments, I hope the next time theres an invocation, when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands.) disrespectful and inappropriate, Montana Republicans have barred Zephyr from attending or speaking during the House session for the rest of the legislative term, which ends next week. In Nebraska, a Democratic lawmaker is being investigated by an ethics panel for a conflict of interest regarding her filibuster of another bill to ban gender-affirming health care for minors. The conflict? She has a transgender child. I think theres a pretty reasonable chance they picked up an infected raccoon dog, but that doesnt prove that was the origin, said Frederic Bushman, a microbiologist at the University of Pennsylvania who specializes in analyzing samples like those taken from the Wuhan market, but who was not involved in any of the market studies. I dont think the Bloom paper changes my thinking that much. Chinese researchers wrote about the market data last year and then made the genetic sequences available this year, allowing a team of international scientists to study them. That team wrote in a report last month that based on the data, they could not conclusively identify an animal that had passed the virus to people. But they said the data confirmed that animals believed to be susceptible to the virus, like raccoon dogs and masked palm civets, a small Asian mammal implicated in the SARS outbreak two decades ago, were being sold at the market in late 2019. Many of the earliest Covid-19 patients also worked or shopped at the market. Because the market was one of only four places in Wuhan reported to be selling live animals of the sort that could plausibly spread the virus, the scientists said it was unlikely that so many early patients were linked to the market purely by chance. They said the genetic data also built on other evidence, including that two early lineages of the virus had been at the market. This weeks study took a different approach to analyzing the gene sequences. Dr. Bloom investigated whether the amount of genetic material from the virus correlated with the amount of genetic material from susceptible animal species in the samples. If one species at the market was overwhelmingly responsible for shedding the virus, he said in an interview, he would have expected to see a clear link between the amount of genetic material from the virus and the amount from that species. In January 2020, one of the boys in the car had been dared to prank a home, the district attorneys office said, and the six teenagers drove to Mr. Chandras in Corona, about 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles. The boy rang the doorbell and returned to the Prius they were riding in, and the group drove off. Mr. Chandra then chased after them in his own vehicle, prosecutors said, and rammed into the back of the Prius, causing it to veer off the road and into a tree. He fled after the crash, the California Highway Patrol said, and was arrested after witnesses followed him to a home and alerted the authorities. Three boys, Daniel Hawkins, Jacob Ivascu and Drake Ruiz, were killed, the authorities said. The driver, Sergio Campusano, then 18, and two other boys, Joshua Hawkins, then 13, and Joshua Ivascu, then 14, were injured. During the trial, Mr. Chandra testified that he had been afraid for his familys safety that night when he saw a person with a hooded sweatshirt outside his home, and that he chased down the other car to verbally express his anger, The Press-Enterprise reported. He also testified that he had drunk 12 bottles of beer on the night of the crash, the newspaper reported. Alex Ivascu, the father of Jacob, who was killed in the crash, and Joshua, who survived it, said in an email on Saturday that he was angry listening to Mr. Chandra spewing lies but that the most difficult part of the trial was watching his son take the stand to recall that evening. Why It Matters: Clyburn and Old Guard Still Rule A longtime organizer in Palmetto State politics, Ms. Spain was widely considered the front-runner in the race, a usually sleepy contest that saw more candidates run than it has in more than 25 years. Her biggest competitor, Brandon Upson, the state Black caucus chair, painted her as an establishment candidate whose connections to the old guard would stymie the partys progress in an all-important election year. Democrats who supported Mr. Upson were seeking to overhaul a state party they felt had long been dominated by Mr. Clyburn who helped President Biden win the state primary in 2020 ahead of South Carolinas debut as the partys first presidential primary state in 2024 and in the wake of a down cycle in the 2022 midterm elections. Still, it was Ms. Spains connections, paired with her campaign strategy characterized by social media blasts and regular visits to county party meetings and cattle calls that ultimately delivered her the victory. She won with the support of nearly 700 of the partys roughly 1,000 state delegates in a standing vote. Before delegates for Mr. Upson could stand up to vote for him, he conceded to Ms. Spain in a short speech calling for party unity. Whats Next: Primary Prep and Party Repair As the next chair, Ms. Spain will be responsible for preparing the state party for its moment in prime time: voting first in the 2024 Democratic presidential primary election. She will also have to rebuild a party in turmoil. Democrats lost several safe State House and Senate seats and had low voter turnout during the 2022 midterms, a year that was otherwise considered positive for the party nationally. Ms. Spains leadership will offer Palmetto State Democrats a chance to make up those losses and get ready for the national stage. In a news conference after her victory, Ms. Spain offered a message to the South Carolina voters waiting for more meaningful change from the Democratic Party. Wait no longer, she said, vowing to focus on year-round voter engagement efforts. We know who our voters are. Were going back after them and were going to turn them out, plus more. After a cease-fire faltered in Sudans capital, two weeks of fighting between the countrys army and a paramilitary group have reignited violence in Darfur, a region scarred by two decades of genocidal conflict that left as many as 300,000 people dead. A cease-fire scheduled to end on Sunday night fell apart on Saturday as the capital Khartoum came under artillery fire and airstrikes. But attention has now focused on the Darfur region, where a security vacuum has emerged that diplomats and other observers fear may lead to civil war. Armed groups in Darfur have looted health care facilities and burned households, while marketplaces have gone up in flames. Civilians there have begun arming themselves against marauding militias and against the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group fighting the Sudanese Army. The tensions and the fighting were facing, they could lead to a civil war, said Ahmed Gouja, a human rights monitor based in Nyala, Darfurs largest city. During the Great Passage tests, Mr. Hayman said, all of the data was regularly sent to the fisheries department as well as to academic researchers. He acknowledged that there could sometimes be visibility problems at the Minas Passage because the turbulent water could overwhelm fish sensors and fish tracking cameras. But he added that part of the purpose for testing there was to refine and improve marine life monitoring systems. According to Mr. Hayman, there has never been a recorded incident of fish or marine mammals being harmed by the companys systems in Canada or Europe. Sustainable Marines research to date, Mr. Hayman said, suggests that the water flow around the turbines directs fish away from the underwater blades. The company is making one last attempt, through local members of Parliament, to reach an agreement with the D.F.O. for the project. So far, Mr. Hayman said, the project has cost about 60 million Canadian dollars, with about half that money coming from governments. Its absolute economic vandalism, the fact that some quite low-level fish and fish habitat protection program can shut down something like this, Mr. Hayman said. Theres a glimmer of hope for us that hopefully someone in a jurisdiction where this can be done will want to pick this. To be honest, theyll get a bargain. Because theyll get something thats 85 percent of the way there thats largely funded by other governments. KYIV, Ukraine A drone attack on a fuel depot in the city of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea set off an enormous fire early Saturday, a Russian official said, in the latest assault on a peninsula key to Moscows war effort. A thick cloud of black smoke darkened the skies above the port city, which is home to the Russian Navys Black Sea Fleet. The Crimean Peninsula, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 and has been heavily fortified in the years since, is critically important to Moscows control over occupied territories in southern and eastern Ukraine. It has increasingly become a target of attacks, though Ukraine typically maintains a policy of strategic ambiguity about strikes there. The Kremlin-appointed local governor, Mikhail Razvozhaev, urged local residents to remain calm as teams of firefighters battled a blaze that he said was caused by enemy drones. Ukrainian officials did not claim responsibility for Saturdays blaze. In a thicket of trees between two vast farm fields, a plywood trapdoor built into the forest floor opened to reveal stairs leading underground. Inside was a subterranean bunker, cut into the black earth, where Ukrainian troops from a mortar unit awaited coordinates for their next target. The men squeezed past one another down a shoulder-width dirt corridor lit with LED strips, staring at tablet computers showing a live drone feed of the terrain outside. Blast waves from artillery shells and rockets shook the bunker, and a radio crackled with a warning of incoming Russian helicopters. But the soldiers were focused on their screens, specifically on a line of Russian troops and heavy equipment dug in a short distance away and marked with red plus signs. That would be their target. The guys dug all this by hand, and they want to fight, they want to shoot, said the unit commander, a 32-year-old with a braided ponytail who uses the call sign Shuler. We just want to kick them off our land, thats it. Every year, a new crop of innocents arrive in the marketplace for an undergraduate degree. Very quickly, they get an education in some unwritten rules. Families often dont pay the listed rate. Schools offer website calculators that estimate what families may have to pay, but they make no guarantees. Aid seekers cant get a real price quote until theyve applied and been accepted. And if a student is considering a school like Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y., something strange could happen when the student both seeks the estimated cost and gets the real one after being accepted: The college will quote the prices from five competitors, even though the student didnt ask for them. Those quotes may all be higher than Manhattanvilles, too. These estimates come with a big disclaimer: They may be wrong. As you can imagine, some of these other schools are not thrilled with this state of affairs. So why would an institution that offers instruction in mathematics and economics put out suspect figures? Hundreds of Kremlin-loyal bikers under the banner of the Night Wolves motorcycle club took to the streets of Moscow Saturday for a "patriotic" rally across Europe. The motorcade headed by club founder and leader Alexandre Zaldastanov, known as "The Surgeon", aims to complete the rally in Berlin by May 9. Several participants at the rally waved Russian and Soviet flags. Some had the letter "Z" fixed to their bikes -- a symbol of the "Russia's special military operation" in Ukraine launched in February 2022. Dubbed "the roads of victory", the rally adopted the traditional slogan of the Russian offensive in Ukraine: "We do not let down our own". According to organisers, the motorcade plans reach by May 1 the city of Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad, the site of a bloody battle between Soviet and German Nazis troops that marked a turning point in WWII toward victory for the Soviet Union and its allies. The bikers will continue their journey to the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, the scene of heavy fighting, where they will distribute humanitarian aid to civilians and Russian soldiers. "The inhabitants of Donbass and us, we are the same people," 34-year-old Artiom told AFP before embarking on the race. Zaldastanov, who has described himself as a "friend" of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is under Western sanctions for his support for the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 and the Russian offensive in Ukraine. In May 2015, he was banned from entering Poland, where he wanted to organise "a motorcycle victory rally" across Europe. The ban had provoked the ire of Russian diplomacy. Search Keywords: Short link: OPINION: Pak army in a pessimistic state Feature lekhaka-R C Ganjoo The Pakistan Army is caught between a rock and a hard place when the country's governance is in crisis and the economy is shrinking. Without mincing words, Pakistan's former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has warned that if the political and economic troubles continue an unconstitutional action by the Army could be inevitable. Abbasi criticised the Imran Khan government's failure and also the current PDM government's miserable performance that led to a failure of the constitutional, political, judicial and military establishment. Today, the Pakistan Supreme Court's rulings have thrust Pakistan into the middle of the ongoing political crisis. Since last year, Pakistan's political parties have been squabbling over the holding of elections. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been pushing for elections to the National Assembly to be advanced and for the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial Assembly elections to be held before general elections. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government prefers the elections to be held at the same time. Elections to the National Assembly are due later this year. Pakistan is totally in a mess when the situation has reached a point of no return where the government has revolted against the Supreme Court orders over the elections. The State Bank of Pakistan has refused to obey the Chief Justice's order to allocate funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) without the parliament's approval. The Defence Ministry has made it clear that it cannot allocate security arrangements as they are engaged with military operations across the country. Meanwhile, the government has refused to enter into negotiations with PTI leadership under pressure from the Supreme Court. On the other hand, the Pakistan Army is trying to restore its image which has been spoiled by former Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. In a TV interview in 2021, he reportedly told two senior journalists Hamid Mir and Naseem Zehra that Pakistan lacked the ammunition and economic strength to fight against India. "This was the same lecture that he gave in front of 20-25 journalists once at General Headquarters too that Pakistan Army tanks were not capable of running and there was no diesel for the movement of troops," the journalist alleged. OPINION: Pak women in distress Diverting the nation's attention from the crisis, as usual, the military establishment has been taking a strong position against India through statements. Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director-General (DG) of Pakistan Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), told the media if the "Indian propaganda against Pakistan" continues and a situation of confrontation arises, then "we can take this battle to the enemy's territory as well if required." Against the backdrop of lifting its dented image, Pakistan has not been free of homegrown terrorism. Its Western borders have always been volatile including Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Terrorist attacks on security forces have not decreased. On April 25 as many as 15 people including eight policemen were killed and over 53 people including 3 civilians injured in a suspected suicide attack at a Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police station in Swat's Kabal. DG-ISPR Chaudhry said that on April 25, 2023, the Pakistan Army along with civil and military intelligence agencies conducted over 70 Intelligence Based Operations (IBOs) on average across the country to stem out the recent wave of terrorism and resurgence. He said the security forces have so far conducted about 8,269 IBOs since 2023 and apprehended 1,378 terrorists and killed 157 among them during the anti-terrorism operations. During the anti-terrorism operations since January 2023, 137 officers and soldiers were killed and 117 got injured. He added that for the past many months, the terrorist's activities were underway to destabilise peace in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. However, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch separatist organisations have been found behind the attacks. He admitted that the Peshawar attack was done by Jamaat ul Ahrar and the attackers were from Afghanistan. He added that the Peshawar attack facilitator was arrested who had trained the suicide attackers and received a sum of Rs7.5 million for facilitation and execution of the attack. In Swat, the people have started feeling suffocated, first by the Taliban and later by the security forces. Since the Taliban returned to Afghanistan and took the reins of Kabul, the residents of Swat have been gripped by fears and suspicions. Obviously, the Pakistani Taliban or TTP, which oppresses the people of Swat, are considered the "brothers" of the Afghan Taliban. Pakistan's establishment negotiated with the TTP, when former ISI chief General Faiz was leading these negotiations, his one foot was in Kabul and the other in Peshawar. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and tribal elders were also involved in these talks. Then, all of a sudden, negotiations with the Pakistani Taliban failed. Acceleration in Taliban attacks, explosions, and terrorist attacks killed security and police personnel and many civilians. Now the operation against the Taliban is going on based on "intelligence". In this situation, the residents of Swat are in a state of shock. They fear if there will be hostile military operations, they might be forced to leave the valley. Meanwhile, Awami National Party (ANP) provincial chief Aimal Wali Khan on April 20, filed a writ petition in the Peshawar High Court demanding a judicial commission against former prime minister Imran Khan, former Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed and others to probe as to how militants resettled and regrouped in the province in the last few years. INDIA PAKISTAN Tank strength 4614 2824 Fighter aircraft 564 357 Special Missions Rank 71 24 Helicopters 805 307 Fleet Strength of Navy 295 114 Aircaraft carriers 01 00 Submarines 17 09 Naval Destroyers 10 02 (R C Ganjoo is a senior journalist and columnist having more than 30 years experience of covering issues concerning national security, particularly Kashmir. He has worked with several prominent media groups and his articles have been published in many national and international publications.) Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. Here is why Pakistan squirming over India hosting G20 Summit India oi-Vicky Nanjappa There has been a sustained attempt by forces from outside to disrupt peace in India as the country holds the G20 Summit. An Intelligence Bureau official tells OneIndia that more such attempts would be made to incite violence in India and this is being done with a clear intention of putting India in poor light as world leaders visit the nation for the summit. Take for instance the Poonch attack. It was a well orchestrated attack ahead of the meet. Countries such as Pakistan want the attention diverted from the fact that India is hosting such an important summit. Pak fears surgical strike by India: Ex-envoy after Poonch terror attack Another official says that India should at this time be on the highest state of alert as more such attacks would be planned. An Intelligence report said that the moment India indicated that events would be held in Srinagar, the attacks were planned. The report also said that the Poonch attack was carried out with an intention of trying to force India into cancelling these events. The Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Tayiba which are Pakistan's proxies have been told to ramp up operations ion Jammu And Kashmir, the report also noted. Not just Kashmir, but the focus of Pakistan has also been on Punjab, where it tried to rake up the Khalistan issue. The sequence of events that led to the dropping of Amritpal Singh into Punjab were clearly that Pakistan was trying to orchestrate trouble. Fortunately, the issue has died down for now with the arrest of Singh. Even the naxalite attack at Dantewada in Chhattisgarh was timed in such a way that it shows the security forces in poor light. While this attack may not be linked the ones in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, it still was an attempt to show the country in poor light. While the G20 Summit is one part of it, the other issue is that Pakistan is facing one of its worst crisis in recent times. The floods, the fall of the economy and the increasing Chinese debt are all issues that it would want diverted. Hence striking in India is something that Pakistan would look to do more often in a bid to divert attention from its own problems. Probe agencies ascertain original source of bullets used in Poonch attack Furthermore the Afghanistan issue is also something that has not gone exactly right for Pakistan. The revolt by Imran Khan against the army is also another hot topic in Pakistan. These incidents that Pakistan is orchestrating in India all have the blessings of the Pakistan Army, the source cited above said. A counter-terror expert said that India will not be deterred by such incidents. The agencies will need to watch out for such sporadic attacks as Pakistan will not relent. However this would not deter India from going ahead with its plans. As the old saying among the security agencies goes, 'the agencies have to get it right all the time, but the terrorists need to get it right just once.' Cong, its leaders hurled abuses at me 91 times, says PM in poll-bound Karnataka, pitches for majority for BJP India pti-PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday tore into the Congress party, saying it has hurled abuses at him 91 times for what he insisted was due to its "sources" of corruption being shut by him and said all such criticism would lead to the people giving the BJP another mandate in the poll-bound Karnataka. On a busy day of electioneering that saw the PM address back-to-back rallies and take out a mega roadshow ahead of the May 10 assembly polls in the state, he also strongly pitched for majority for the BJP, which despite emerging as the single largest party in 2008 and 2018, could not form a government on its own, but did so with the backing of MLAs from opposition ranks who switched loyalty to it, besides Independents. On his first visit to the State for campaigning after elections were declared on March 29, he gave a new slogan 'Ee baariya nirdhara, Bahumatada BJP Sarkara' (This time's decision; majority BJP government), stressing on the party coming back to power with a full majority. Targeting Congress over its president M Mallikarjun Kharge's 'venomous snake' barb at him, Modi said the party and its leaders have hurled at him different types of abuses 91 times till now. He also accused the grand old party of abusing the dominant Lingayat community in the state and said Congress had not spared even B R Ambedkar and its leaders were engaged in abusing Veer Savarkar. People will respond to their abuses with votes, he said. The Congress hates everyone who speaks about the common man, who brings out their corruption, who attacks their politics of selfishness. "Congress' hate against such people will become permanent. In this election too, the Congress once again has started abusing me." Addressing a public rally at Humnabad in Bidar district, he said, "Someone has made a list of such abuses against me and it has been sent to me. Till now, Congress people have abused me 91 times with different types. Had Congress people put efforts in good governance and boosting the morale of its workers, instead of wasting time on this dictionary of abuses, it would not have been in such a pathetic plight." Congress was abusing him, as he has shut all its sources of corruption. "Modi has shut the ways for Congress' corruption. Congress means corruption. While Congress' account has 'Corruption Kaal', there is 'Amrit Kaal' (golden period) in BJP's account. Congress is worried as all its sources (of corruption) have been shut, so they are chanting 'Modi teri kabar khudegi (Modi, your grave will be dug). While Congress is busy digging Modi's grave, people are ensuring lotus blooms," he said. Making a speech in a campaign rally in Karnataka on Thursday, Kharge likened Modi to a venomous snake. As a row erupted, he later backtracked stating that his intention was not to hurt anyone's feelings and the "statement was not for PM Modi, but for the ideology he represents." Modi said: "Insulting those who work for the poor and the country is Congress' history". "I'm not the only one who has been attacked like this. Last election, they ran a campaign 'Chowkidar chor hai' (Watchman is a thief), then they said 'Modi Chor', then they said 'OBC community is chor', and now as the election season has started in Karnataka they showed the guts of calling my Lingayat brothers and sisters chor." "Congress people, listen, whenever you have abused someone they have punished you in such a way that you have not been able to withstand it. This time, Karnataka has decided to respond to the abuses, the pain inflicted to their pride, through votes," he said. He said Congress is a party that had abused Ambedkar too. "Babasaheb Ambedkar himself had once said in detail that Congress abused him repeatedly. Congress had called Babasaheb Ambedkar 'Rakshas', 'Rashtra Drohi', 'Dagabaaz Dost'...you will be shocked to hear. Even today, we see how Congress abuses Veer Savarkar. Congress has abused stalwarts of this country," he said. "Looking at this, I feel that Congress respects me like they did to Babasaheb Ambedkar, Veer Savarkar, as Congress is abusing me in a similar way. I feel it as a gift to me. Let the Congress abuse me, I will continue to work for the country and its people. With your (people) blessings, all their abuses will get mixed in mud. Congress people understand, as much mud you sling at us, the lotus (BJP symbol) will bloom," he added. Later, speaking at a rally in Kudachi in Belagavi district, the Prime Minister expressed confidence about the party coming back to power with a full majority. He said this was his third rally on the first day of his campaigning in the State after the election was declared, and it looks like people of Karnataka have decided to bring in a strong and stable BJP government in the state. "Ee baariya nirdhara, Bahumatada BJP Sarkara- can be heard everywhere... Lotus is the sign of Karnataka's progress, only BJP has the roadmap for development," he further said. At Humnabad, Modi while stressing on the need for majority pointed out Karnataka has faced the consequences of unstable and coalition governments. "The focus of an unstable government would not be on serving people," he said. Reminding former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy as the head of Congress-JD(S) coalition government had admitted he was functioning at the "mercy of Congress", he said, "that fear of saving the seat or power, won't allow them to do anything for you." Earlier addressing a rally in the district headquarters town of Vijayapura, the Prime Minister took a swipe at former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah saying the Congress leader was seeking votes in the name of his retirement from active politics. He said the people of Karnataka will not choose a "tired and defeated" Congress but a BJP teeming with enthusiasm. Modi's jibe was aimed at 75-year-old Siddaramaiah who recently announced that this will be his last election and he would not contest polls anymore. Congress will come to power in Karnataka: Priyank Kharge India pti-PTI Exuding confidence that the Congress is going to form the next government in Karnataka, which is going to polls on May 10, Chittapur MLA and former minister Priyank Kharge says the aim is to bring back the glory of the state with respect to investments and generating employment opportunities. According to him, the people of Karnataka have already evaluated the performance of the ruling BJP government. ''Contractors association, a lot of BJP MLAs and Ministers themselves have evaluated it. This (BJP government in Karnataka) is called a '40 per cent commission' by them and not by the Congress. Religious heads have given performance report card. And the Congress is just merely echoing the sentiments of the people,'' Priyank Kharge said. ''The Congress will come to power. AICC President (Mallikarjun Kharge) and our leader Rahul Gandhi have very clearly told us that we need to get 150 seats. And we will get 150 seats,'' Priyank Kharge told PTI in response to a question on the Congress' prospects in the ensuing polls. Karnataka polls: Shivaraj Kumar to campaign for Congress Asked how important the Assembly elections were ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Priyank Kharge said Karnataka is a very important state not only for the Congress but for the country as well. ''We are the economic powerhouse as well. One of the few states that contributes maximum to the Central government and we cannot allow the system to rot over here. It will have a great impact not only for Karnataka but also for the nation itself. We cannot have a UP (Uttar Pradesh) model. The Karnataka model is the best model available,'' he asserted. ''It is very very important --preservation of the Constitution, we are not ready to be the laboratory of Hindutva, which is a regressive ideology. We want to get that glory of Karnataka back with respect to investments, generating employment opportunities. We are known as a progressive state and the idea is to remain a progressive state,'' he added. Asked if the forthcoming Assembly polls were also a prestige battle for the grand old party with his father M Mallikarjun Kharge, who hails from Kalaburagi district, at its helm as the national President, Priyank Kharge noted: ''I don't think this is a battle of prestige. It is a battle to save the idea of India. This is the battle to save the Constitution and this is a battle to save Karnataka from complete deterioration.'' According to him, it is not a question of a battle between Modi (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) and Mallikarjun Kharge. It is a battle between two ideologies- the ideology that can destroy India and the ideology that can build India-, he said. Priyank Kharge, who is seeking a third consecutive term from Chittapur is banking on the development works carried out by him in the constituency to win the elections even as he sharply targeted his opponent BJP's Manikanth Rathod, accusing the saffron party of insulting the people of Chittapur by nominating a ''history-sheeter.'' DMK demands apology after Karnataka BJP leader, Eshwarappa stops Tamil anthem ''I am confident that the work I have done in (Chittapur segment) has been appreciated by the people. We stand for the development of the constituency. I am sure that they will elect me because the BJP candidate (contesting in Chittapur) has 40 cases against him. And that is the candidate the BJP thinks is the best possible choice for the people of Chittapur. They have insulted the people (of Chittapur) by nominating such a candidate. We have always done only development politics and not divisive politics,'' he added. On the BJP targeting the Congress over dynasty politics, Priyank Kharge hit back at BJP and said ''We are ready to debate. Let us talk about it,'' as he sought to know whether the BJP was ready for it. Conviction rate in election-related offences high in Karnataka, says top EC official India oi-PTI The Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka Manoj Kumar Meena has said that there were over 50 per cent convictions in the cases related to the model code of conduct (MCC) violations in the state. He said the Election Commission (EC) closely follows the MCC violation cases, which made this happen. ''Karnataka is one the states where the highest convictions have happened. Last time, 2,000-odd cases were booked. All were charge-sheeted, all were tried and I think more than 50 per cent conviction we have done in Karnataka,'' Meena told PTI in an interview. According to an EC official, these convictions pertain to the elections that have taken place from 2013 to 2019. Explaining further, Meena said, ''Decisions have happened in all the cases but in more than 50 per cent cases, the convictions were in our favour. It is a big number. I don't know about other states but it is very rare that in election-related cases convictions are happening.'' Congress will come to power in Karnataka: Priyank Kharge Stating that Karnataka has done better, compared to other states, the CEO said the EC and his office follow the cases very closely. Giving details about the high conviction rate, Meena said the cases are booked meticulously, and people are imparted training on their handling. ''We train our people. The static squad teams and the flying squad teams have got magisterial powers. They have power to search and seize. We have told them how to search and how to seize, how to book a case, how to present before the court and how to take court's permission,'' the CEO said. Noting that huge cash, precious metals and freebies have been seized in the state ''like never before'' during the ongoing Karnataka Assembly election process, Meena said the exercise started well in advance, almost four months prior to the election dates being announced, in the form of coordination with various agencies. According to him, a Standard Operating Procedure was finalised due to which the infrastructure was already in place when the elections were declared. The officers on election duty started the vigilance activities almost immediately after the commission's visit to the state, the CEO said. Since, everything was in place, the official machinery was able to do it in a more professional way and caught a huge amount of cash, gold, liquor and freebies. ''We are vigilant. Next 14 days will be very crucial for us. We are checking at our borders 100 per cent but we are keeping a watch on the internal movement. We are gathering intelligence at the local level also,'' Meena said. He also said the commission is seeking and getting public support through its mobile application 'cVIGIL' where anyone can take a picture or share any information about any election-related malpractice. According to the data shared by Meena's office, as on Thursday, seizures totalled Rs 292.06 crore since the model code of conduct came into effect on March 29, including Rs 102.9 crore cash, liquor worth Rs 68.69 crore and 149.31 kg gold worth Rs 76 crore. Speaking about hate speech, Meena said the commission is watching any such development closely and has booked five such cases. ''We are watching television, social media and even the newspapers also. We have a dedicated team at each level - at district as well as our level,'' the CEO explained. Karnataka polls: Shivaraj Kumar to campaign for Congress ''We have a dedicated control room for watching the media 24x7. It is not so that after 9 pm we will not watch. We will watch full and give alerts. It is done at the level of the ECI (Election Commission of India) also,'' he added. On the issue of tackling urban apathy during voting, he said various measures have been taken such as identifying the pockets where the voting percentage is low, holding meetings with the residents there and creating awareness among them. The Commission also relaunched 'Chunavana' mobile application, which will give details about the name, polling station, how to reach there and how many people are standing in the queue, Meena said. ''Every 15 minutes, the data will be updated in Chunavana app. So if you know your booth, if you enter your booth number and Assembly constituency in the application, it will tell you how many people are standing in the queue,'' he explained. Due to the initiatives to encourage people to exercise their franchise, almost 16 lakh new voters have been added after January 5, it was stated. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, April 29, 2023, 11:22 [IST] Operation Kaveri: Among those rescued from Sudan, one is aged 102 IAF pilot lands in Sudan using nightvision glasses to rescue Indians India oi-Vicky Nanjappa In a daring operation, an Indian Air Force's C-130J heavy-lift aircraft rescued 121 people from a small strip at Wadi Sayyidna, about 40 kilometre north of the violence hit Sudan capital, Khartoum. The airstrip had a degraded surface and no navigational aid or fuel. Most critically it had no landing lights, which is required to guinean aircraft landing at night. The pilot used night vision goggle to carry out the landing at night. Approaching the airstrip, the aircrew used their Electro-Optical/Infra-Red sensors to ensure that the runway was free from any obstructions and no inimical forces were in the vicinity. Having made sure of the same, the aircrew carried out a tactical approach on Night Vision Goggles, on a practically dark night," the Indian Air Force said. A pregnant woman and people who had no means to reach Port Sudan were among those rescued. Operation Kaveri: 362 Indian evacuees from Sudan lands in Bengaluru "Upon landing, the aircraft engines were kept running while eight IAF Garud Commandos secured the passengers and their luggage into the aircraft. As with the landing, the take-off from the unlit runway was also carried out using NVGs. This approximately two-and-a-half-hour operation between Wadi Sayyidna and Jeddah will go down in the annals of IAF history for its sheer audacity and flawless execution - akin to that carried out in Kabul," the Indian Air Force also added. The IAF had notably carried out a similar operation to evacuate Indians from Kabul following the takeover by the Taliban. Earlier this week, India launched 'Operation Kaveri' to bring back stranded Indians from Sudan. The country has been witnessing fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group, which has left around 400 people dead. Another C-130J flight with 135 Indians took off from Sudan, which has plunged into a crisis. Operation 'Kaveri': 10th batch of 135 Indians departs from war-torn Sudan External affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted, " an IAF C-130J takes off from Port Sudan with 135 passengers for Jeddah. This marks the 12th batch of stranded Indians evacuated under #OperationKaveri." The INS Sumedha which was stationed at Port Sudan has also left the country with 300 passengers. As many as 2,400 Indians have been evacuated from Sudan amid the bloodshed and intense fighting that is taking place. Three civilians were wounded when Israeli air strikes targeted a site near the Syrian city of Homs early Saturday, state media reported. "At around 00:50 (2150 GMT)... the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack with a number of missiles, from the direction of north Lebanon, targeting several positions in the vicinity of the city of Homs," state news agency SANA reported. "Three civilians were wounded and a civilian petrol station caught fire and a number of fuel tanks and trucks were burned," it said, adding that Syrian air defences had intercepted some of the missiles. During more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its territory. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said "Israeli missiles destroyed a munitions depot belonging to Lebanon's Hezbollah at the Dabaa military airport" in the countryside of Homs province. Without reporting any casualties, it said there were "loud explosions as the munitions in the depot blew up, with fires seen burning at the site". On April 2, Israel carried out similar strikes targeting a also depot in the Dabaa airport area, the Observatory had said, killing two pro-Iran fighters and wounding five soldiers. On Monday, Israel's army shelled a position in southern Syria near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the second such bombardment in days, the Observatory said at the time. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: Game on: How are the bookies betting ahead of the Karnataka elections India oi-Vicky Nanjappa With the elections nearing the betting market too has been on overdrive mode. In the 2018 elections, the betting market or the 'satta bazaar' had predicted that there would be a hung house. The bookies had said that the BJP which had won just 40 seats in 2013 would end up doubling its share and to a large extent they were right as Karnataka threw up a hung house. In Karnataka there are 224 seats up for grabs and to form a government a party needs 113 seats. The illegal betting market has very often been spot on and had even in 2017 predicted that the BJP's seats would fall in Gujarat. However the predictions in the 2018 Karnataka elections were right to a certain extent when the bookies said that the verdict would be hung. While the 'satta bazaar' predicted a hung assembly, it however said that the JD(S) would win 20 seats and go with the BJP and form the government. That however did not take place and it was the JD(S) and Congress which formed the government, before it toppled and the BJP took over. Win necessary to make Karnataka number 1 state in India: PM Modi in Bidar The betting pattern in Karnataka this time has however been different. The betting market continues to predict a hung assembly in the state. The bets are on whether the BJP would get 110 seats or not. The other popular bet is if the Congress will cross 100 seats in the state. In case of the BJP, the bookies are asking if the Janata Dal (S) would get 30 seats or more. Furthermore, there are also bets on if JD(S) supremo, H D Kumaraswamy would end up playing kingmaker or not. Interestingly, the most valued bet is on the Aam Aadmi Party. The bet is on whether the AAP would end up with 1-5 seats. There is even a bet if the AAP would win one seat or not. The police say that there are some pockets in the city where the betting is high and heavy. They say that they are keeping a close watch on these areas. The practise if illegal and action would be taken on them, the police also said. Why the campaign in Karnataka has become a free-for-all Betting is not just restricted to Bengaluru city alone. The villages of the state too are betting on the Karnataka Assembly elections. Recently a farmer from Varuna said that he would bet his two acre land if Siddaramaiah does not win the elections. While in Bengaluru the dealing is in cash, in the villages, people are betting on their houses, live stock to predict who would win the elections. However, not always does this 'satta bazaar' goes right. In the 2018 elections, it had predicted 8- seats for the BJP and 85 for the Congress. The BJP however ended up with 104 seats and the Congress, 80. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, April 29, 2023, 12:16 [IST] He must make his statements within limits: Gujarat HC in Rahul Gandhi defamation case India oi-Madhuri Adnal The Gujarat High Court on Saturday said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is an elected representative of the people and must, therefore, be cautious while making statements, as reported by Bar and Bench. Photo Credit: Justice Hemant Prachchhak of the high court asked senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Rahul Gandhi, to file a reply by 2nd May on plea seeking stay on Surat Sessions Court's decision of convicting Rahul Gandhi in 'Modi surname' defamation case. The Next hearing is on Tuesday, 2nd May. Both sides will present their final arguments on the day. The Gujarat High Court began hearing today Rahul Gandhi's appeal challenging the order of the Surat sessions court declining a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case. Justice Hemant Prachchhak of the high court took up the criminal revision application filed by Gandhi challenging the April 20 order of the sessions court. If the high court allows his plea, it could pave the way for Gandhi's reinstatement as a Member of Parliament. Earlier on April 26, when Gandhi's lawyer P S Champaneri mentioned the case before Justice Gita Gopi, she recused herself from the hearing by saying "Not before me." The development came a day after Gandhi moved the HC. A metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat on March 23 sentenced the former Congress president to two years in jail after convicting him under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 (criminal defamation) in a 2019 case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Gujarat MLA Purnesh Modi. Following the verdict, Gandhi, elected to the Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala in 2019, was disqualified as a Member of Parliament (MP) under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act. Gandhi challenged the order in a sessions court in Surat along with an application seeking a stay to the conviction. While granting him bail, the court on April 20 refused to stay the conviction. 'GST implemented only to help rich...': Rahul Gandhi in Karnataka Purnesh Modi filed a criminal defamation case against Gandhi over his How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?' remark made during an election rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019. A stay to the conviction could pave the way for Gandhi's reinstatement as a Member of Parliament. Karnataka polls: Cong promises to ban Bajrang Dal if comes to power Congress in Karnataka calls its manifesto, peaceful garden of all communities Kannada film star Shivarajkumar's wife Geetha joins Congress India oi-PTI Karnataka film star Shivarajkumar's wife Geetha Shivarajkumar on Friday joined the Congress, quitting the JD(S). She is the daughter-in-law of Kannada thespian late Dr Rajkumar and daughter of former Chief Minister late S Bangarappa. She was inducted into the party in the presence of state president D K Shivakumar, AICC spokesperson Gourav Vallabh, and her younger brother Madhu Bangarappa- who is Congress candidate from Soraba, among others. Geetha's other brother and former Minister Kumar Bangarappa is in the BJP and is that party's candidate from Soraba. Karnataka polls: Shivaraj Kumar to campaign for Congress "I'm very happy to be doing this. Congress is a historic party, one that made my father the Chief Minister," Geetha said. She further said she would campaign for Shivakumar in the Kanakapura segment and for her brother Madhu in Soraba, and other places wherever the party instructs. Geetha had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Shivamogga as the JD(S) candidate. Both Geetha and Shivakumar indicated that Shivarajkumar too will campaign for Congress in the coming days, ahead of Assembly polls. "I'm welcoming her to the party wholeheartedly....after consistent efforts to make Geetha join the party, she is part of Congress today," Shivakumar said, recalling his close association with her father Bangarappa. Conviction rate in election-related offences high in Karnataka, says top EC official Former JD(S) Minister B B Ningaiah too joined the party today. Ningaiah was initially given a ticket by JD(S) from Mudigere Assembly segment, but he was later replaced by that party after sitting MLA M P Kumaraswamy joined it on being denied ticket by the BJP. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, April 29, 2023, 11:29 [IST] Naxal attack: Intel was general in nature, may have not been actionable Why do naxalites up their offensive during the summers Assessing the Chhattisgarh attack and the four motives of the naxalites Naxals used foxhole mechanism due to which IED in Dantewada couldnt be detected India oi-Vicky Nanjappa The probe into the Dantewada naxal attack that took place two days back has revealed that the 50 kilogram Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was planted two months back under the road. Further it has been learnt that the IED had not been detected during the defining exercise that was carried out on the same route. Ten police personnel and a driver were killed in the explosion that took place on April 26. It is the biggest attack by the naxalites in the last two years. With these revelations, it is now to be seen whether the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) was followed or not. The very fact that the police personnel were travelling in a rented mini van raised questions if the protocols were followed. Naxal attack: Intel was general in nature, may have not been actionable According to Bastar Inspector-General of Police, P Sundarraj, the IED weighing around 50 kg could not be detected as it was planted too deep. The explosive device was so powerful that it blew a deep crater. The police are still probing how the bomb had gone undetected. "On investigation it had been found that the IED had been planted two months back. This was ascertained as the grass had grown on the soil surrounding the wire, which was extended from the IED and connected with the trigger," the IG said giving out details of the probe. The IG also said that prima facie it appears as through the naxalites had planted the IED by tunnelling. Intel failure, lack of protocol may have led to Dantewada Naxal strike Taking refuge in the dense forest, they buried the wire in the ground 2-3 inches deep and extended it to 150 meters. Such tunnelling is known as foxhole mechanism, which does not get detected in the de-mining process, the IG said. He further added that the probe will pull up more information in the near future. A case has been registered under the Arms Act and UAPA against Darbha division committee cadres Jagdeesh Lakkhe, Line, Some and Mahesh, he added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, April 29, 2023, 16:28 [IST] Operation Kaveri: 117 out of 1,191 passengers evacuated from Sudan put under quarantine India oi-Prakash KL A total 1,191 Indian nationals have arrived in India from trouble-hit Sudan since the Centre launched 'Operation Kaveri' on April 24. Out of 1,191 Indian nationals, 117 passengers have been put on quarantine as they were not vaccinated against Yellow Fever. All passengers will be released after seven days if they remain asymptomatic, a statement from the Ministry of Health said on Saturday. The passengers have been provided rent-free accommodation with free food facility in quarantine centers managed by Airport Health Officers (APHO)s, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at various hospitals across states holding a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as well as central government hospitals in Delhi such as Safdarjung Hospital. Arrangements have also been made at RHTC, Najafgarh (100 beds); NITR, Mehrauli (40 beds) and Lady Hardinge Medical College (60 beds), the press release stated. "The first batch of passengers arrived in Delhi with 360 passengers, none of whom required quarantine followed by second flight which arrived in Mumbai with 240 passengers on 26 April of which 14 were quarantined. Two were released after the validation of their vaccination certificates. The remaining 12 will complete their quarantine period till today evening (as they were in transit for 4 days at Jeddah). The third flight arrived in Bengaluru afternoon yesterday with 360 passengers of which 47 passengers were initially quarantined. 3 were released today after verification of vaccination. The verification of five more passengers is in process. The fourth flight containing passengers arrived in Delhi yesterday evening with 231 passengers of which 61 were quarantined (one was later released). 35 passengers are at Delhi APHO and 26 passengers are at Safdarjung Hospital. The fifth flight is expected to arrive in Delhi tonight with 367 passengers and an additional flight with 320 passengers is expected to arrive tomorrow morning at 10:30 am in Bengaluru," the statement added. Sudan is witnessing a deadly fighting between Sudan's army and a paramilitary group, which broke out earlier this month, and left around 416 people dead and at least 3,551 injured. Sudan's military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo were together till recently, brought down Omar al-Bashir's government in 2019 by orchestrating a military coup in October 2021 resulting in the suspension of the constitution. However, differences between the two Generals cropped up during negotiations to integrate the RSF into the country's military as part of plans to restore civilian rule. 'Operation Kaveri' is a rescue operation launched by the Indian government to evacuate Indian citizens who are stranded in Sudan. A team of officials including the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Air Force, and the Indian embassy in Sudan has been appointed by the Indians to ensure the proper process of evacuation gets followed. During the evacuation, Indians will be transferred from Sudan to the capital city of Khartoum where they will be flown back to India. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, April 29, 2023, 23:03 [IST] Congress locked up Lord Rama, now it wants to lock up those who worship Hanuman: PM Modi Karnataka election 2023: Which way will the Lingayat vote swing? Find out in this survey Karnataka Elections 2023: Who should be the next CM? PM in Bengaluru today: Roads to avoid India oi-Vicky Nanjappa The police have issued an advisory to avoid certain roads in the event of Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Bengaluru on Saturday. The Prime Minister's roadshow will commence at the NICE Road junction, Magadi Road and traverse 5.3 kilometres before it ends at Sumanahalli. Photo Credit: The police have said that the roads to avoid would be, Old Airport Road, Cubbon Road, Ambedkar Road, Devanga Road, Cambridge Layout Road, Lalbagh West Gate Road, K R Circle, R V College Road and Lalbagh Main Road. Security: There are around 3,000 police personnel who have been deployed for the roadshow. The security arrangements are being monitored by five DCPs along with 20 ACPs, 64 inspectors, 2,800 constables and 10 battalions each from the KSRP and CAR. During the roadshow the public has been asked not to stand on terraces of houses, apartments, commercial buildings or any other high-rises, the police have said. Karnataka: In two days, PM Modi to address 6 public meetings, hold 2 roadshows 5-hour closure: The PM's proposed visit to Channapatna has prompted the police to close the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway stretch between Maddur and Channapatna for five hours from 11 am on Sunday. The police have said that the commuters should take the Bidadi-HarohalliMalavalli road to reach Mysuru. Similarly commuters from Mysuru can travel till Maddur outskirts and take the Kunigal-Nelamangala and reach the city. Routes to take: The police said that those heading from the city towards Magadi should take a left at the Magadi Road-Chord Road Circle and then move towards Mysuru Road to reach Kengeri and head towards Kommaghatta, Hemmigepura and Tavarekere. Those who are moving from Nayandahalli to Tumakuru Road should take the KengeriRamohalli (through RR College) Chandrappa CircleTavarekere Magadi Road and Tumakuru Road. Mallikarjun Kharge calls PM Modi 'poisonous snake' Commuters coming from Magadi Road towards the city should take a right at Tavarekere Junction and then move along Hemmigepura, Kommaghatta and Kengeri. Those who are heading from Magadi Road towards Tumakuru should take a left at the Tavarekere Junction and then head towards Sondekoppa, reach Nelamangala before they can proceed. Congress locked up Lord Rama, now it wants to lock up those who worship Hanuman: PM Modi PM Modi slams Congress, says its history is about 'appeasing terror and terrorists' PM Modi holds roadshow in Bengaluru | watch India oi-Prakash KL Ending a busy day of electioneering for the BJP in poll-bound Karnataka after back-to-back rallies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in a mega roadshow in north Bengaluru on Saturday drawing an enormous response from a huge crowd. Modi, who flew into the city from Kudachi in Belagavi district in northern Karnataka around 5 pm after addressing his third public meeting in the state, rode in a specially designed vehicle. Sporting a saffron cap, PM Modi was flanked by Bangalore North MP DV Sadananda Gowda and BJP MLC C Narayanaswamy. A large number of people thronged both sides of the road to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister and showered flowers on him. The BJP flags, festoons and posters dotted the road and a group of artists performed 'Dollu Kunita', a popular drum dance, enroute to the roadshow. The 5.3-kilometre-long roadshow will pass through various locations in north Bengaluru including Magadi Road, Nice Road Junction to Sumanahalli. Traffic snarls were witnessed due to the roadshow. Police had issued traffic advisory to people asking them to avoid certain roads from where the Prime Minister's convoy would pass through. How 'Mann ki Baat introduced real Bharat to the countrymen Elaborate security arrangements were made throughout the route from where Modi would take out his roadshow. Modi on Saturday flew in from Delhi and reached Bidar in the morning. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves at the crowd, people shower flower petals on him as he holds a roadshow in Bengaluru. #KarnatakaElections2023 pic.twitter.com/UsUriaazAJ ANI Digital (@ani_digital) April 29, 2023 He addressed public meetings in Humnabad in Bidar, district headquarter town in Vijayapura and Kudachi in Belagavi district. The Prime Minister will stay overnight in Bengaluru on Saturday and depart from Raj Bhavan on Sunday morning to hold public meetings in the district headquarter town of Kolar, Channapatna in Ramanagara district and Belur in Hassan district. He will also hold a roadshow in Mysuru on Sunday before heading back to Delhi. Karnataka goes to the polls on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13. RSS files FIR against media houses for claiming Sangh will have second HQ in Ayodhya SC grants interim bail to Pawan Khera, issues notice for clubbing of all FIRs against him to one jurisdiction As pro-Khalistanis in Punjab ran amok with guns, swords, here is why cops stayed quiet Ready to face probe, says WFI chief Brij Bhushan after FIRs against him India oi-Madhuri Adnal Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Saturday said that he was innocent and ready to face a probe amid protests by wrestlers over sexual harassment allegations against him. Speaking to reporters, he said, "I am innocent and ready to face the investigation. I am ready to cooperate with the investigative agency. I have full faith in the judiciary and I respect the order of the SC." Photo Credit: ''Resignation is not a big deal but I am not a criminal. If I resign, it will mean that I have accepted their (wrestlers') allegations. My tenure is almost over. Govt has formed a 3-member committee and elections will be held in 45 days & my term will end after the elections,'' Singh told reporters. Healso said,''Every day they (wrestlers) are coming with their new demands. They demanded FIR, FIR was registered and now they are saying that I should be sent to jail and resign from all posts. I am MP because of people of my constituency and not becasue of Vinesh Phogat. Only one family and Akhara (are protesting) & 90% players of Haryana are with me.'' ''They (wrestlers) did not complain to any police station, sports ministry or federation for 12 years. Before their protest, they used to praise me, invite me to their weddings and take photographs with me, seek my blessings. Now the matter is with the Supreme Court and Delhi Police and I will accept their decision,'' he further said. Top wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik, who have been leading the renewed protests against WFI, asserted that they will not leave the place until a case is lodged in the matter. Priyanka Gandhi meets protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, asks cops to 'show FIR copy' Frustrated with the three-month wait, the peeved wrestlers returned to Jantar Mantar to resume their agitation on April 23 and also approached the Supreme Court, demanding the arrest of the WFI boss. Earlier in the day, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed solidarity with protesting wrestlers after meeting them at Jantar Mantar and accused the government of 'protecting' WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment levelled by women grapplers. The Congress general secretary also called for the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief's ouster from the post so that he is unable to ''exert pressure'' on the wrestlers and hamper their careers. With the chorus of support for the protesting wrestlers growing, the Delhi Police on Friday filed two FIRs against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on allegations of sexual harassment levelled by seven women wrestlers. The First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed hours after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Delhi Police, told a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha that a case will be registered on Friday. While one FIR relates to allegations of a minor wrestler and was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the other was related to outraging modesty. After Mehta's submission, the country's top wrestlers, who have been on a sit-in at Jantar Mantar in Delhi since Sunday demanding action against Singh, rejoiced ''the first step towards victory'' but said they will continue their agitation. They demanded that the BJP MP be removed from all the positions he holds. Singh has completed 12 years as the WFI chief and is ineligible to contest for another term. (with PTI inputs) UP cops double reward on arrest of Ashraf's brother-in-law Saddam India oi-Madhuri Adnal Uttar Pradesh police on Saturday doubled the reward to Rs.1 lakh from Rs 50,000 on arrest of Saddam, brother-in-law of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed's brother Ashraf, as reported by news agency ANI. He is wanted in a case registered at Bithri Chainpur police station. It is to be noted that Saddam is a brother-in-law of Ashraf Ahmed, reported news agency PTI. On April 15, Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead from point-blank range in Prayagraj while they were being taken for a medical check-up in Prayagraj area. The duo were buried at a graveyard in Prayagraj's Kasari Masari village. According to reports, Saddam, Atiq's brother Ashraf Ahmed's brother-in-law, has reportedly fled to Dubai from a Bengal airport amidst the intense police crackdown. It is being reported that Saddam used to facilitate meeting of certain people with Ashraf in the jail where he was lodged in. The police suspect that Saddam was involved in various criminal activities along with Atiq and his brother Ashraf. SC seeks status report from UP Govt on steps taken after killing of Atiq Ahmed On April 17, the police had announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 for anyone providing information leading to the arrest of Saddam, who is the brother-in-law of Ashraf. Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Bareilly zone, P C Meena on Friday announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on Saddam's head, said Circle Officer (City-3) Ashish Pratap Singh. Umesh Pal, the key witness in the murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal, and his police security guards Sandeep Nishad and Raghvendra Singh were shot dead on February 24 outside his home in Prayagraj's Dhoomanganj. Following the murder, an FIR was filed at Bithri Chainpur police station here against Saddam, Ashraf, his henchman Lalla Gaddi, Bareilly district prison warden Shivhari Awasthi, canteen director Dayaram alias Nanhe, jail officers and employees on charges of conspiracy, extortion and giving protection to criminals, among others. Nine accused, including Lalla Gaddi, were sent to jail on the grounds that they used to work for Saddam. It was through Saddam and Lalla Gaddi that the accused met Ashraf illegally in Bareilly district jail on February 12, according to police. Later in March, six district jail personnel, including the jailor and deputy jailor, were suspended for facilitating illegal meetings of visitors with Ashraf in prison. It must be noted that the police are continuing their crackdown on Atiq's associates, and the recent developments have added to their difficulties. The Uttar Pradesh police are determined to bring all those involved in criminal activities to justice and restore law and order in the state. The situation remains tense, and the police are leaving no stone unturned to apprehend those involved in criminal activities. Congress locked up Lord Rama, now it wants to lock up those who worship Hanuman: PM Modi Win necessary to make Karnataka number 1 state in India: PM Modi in Bidar India oi-Madhuri Adnal Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed a public meeting at Humnabad in Bidar District as he began his two-day visit to the poll-bound state. This is PM Modi's ninth visit to Karnataka this year since February. Photo Credit: Addressing a public rally, PM Modi said,''I received Bidar's blessing earlier also. This election is not just for winning, it is an election to make Karnataka the number 1 state in the country. The state can only develop when its all parts are developed. This election will decide the role of the state and to make it number 1, double engine govt is very important for the state.'' ''Foreign investment has increased thrice in the state under the BJP regime compared to the Congress regime. There is double development with double speed in the state. Karnataka is ready for the BJP govt again. Congress had only made fake promises to the farmers and people of Karnataka. Farmers of the state have received no benefits under the Congress govt,'' he said. PM in Bengaluru today: Roads to avoid Accusing the Congress of also abusing the dominant Lingayat community in poll-bound Karnataka, the Prime Minister further said the grand old party had even abused Babasaheb Ambedkar and were engaged in abusing Veer Savarkar. Hitting out at the Congress, PM Modi said, people will respond to its abuses with votes, and as much mud they sling at BJP, the lotus will bloom. "The Congress hates everyone who speaks about the common man, who brings out their corruption, who attacks their politics of selfishness. Congress's hate against such people will become permanent. In this election too, the Congress once again has started abusing me," PM Modi said. The Karnataka assembly election for 224 seats will be held on May 10 and the counting of votes will be done on May 13. So many migrants risking the dangerous sea crossing from Tunisia to Europe have drowned that morgues and hospitals in the key launchpad city of Sfax are full, officials said Friday. "On Tuesday, we had more than 200 bodies, well beyond the capacity of the hospital, which creates a health problem," said Faouzi Masmoudi, justice official in the port city where the central morgue for an area of around a million people is sited. "There is a problem with large numbers of corpses arriving on the shore. We don't know who they are or what shipwreck they came from -- and the number is increasing." Tunisia, whose coastline is less than 150 kilometres (90 miles) from the Italian island of Lampedusa, has long been a favoured stepping stone for migrants attempting the perilous sea journey from North Africa to Europe. Masmoudi said there are funerals "almost every day to reduce the pressure on hospitals". On April 20, at least 30 people were buried. Days later, many more bodies were recovered at sea. DNA swabs are taken from each body before burial to help their possible identification by relatives, he said. According to Romdhane Ben Amor of the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), more than 220 dead and missing have been recorded this year to April 24, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa. More than three-quarters of migrants leaving Tunisia do so from the coast between Sfax and Mahdia, some 90 kilometres (55 miles) north, he added. The number of departures of migrants has intensified after President Kais Saied made a fiery speech on February 21 claiming that illegal immigration was a demographic threat to Tunisia. While many of the migrants come from further south in Africa, Tunisia is also in the grip of a worsening economic crisis that has pushed many of its citizens to take desperate measures in search of better lives abroad. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: Cash-strapped Pakistan requests US to restore military funding International oi-Vicky Nanjappa Pakistan which has been cash-strapped for long has urged the United States to restore military funding and sales. The same was earlier suspended by former US President Donald Trump. "It is important that the US restores, for Pakistan, Foreign Military Financing and Foreign Military Sales, suspended by the previous administration," Pakistan's envoy to US Masood Khan said while addressing a seminar. Pakistan's relations with the US have been stuck in uncertainty. With the US and China tensions growing, Pakistan finds itself in a tough spot. US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Elizabeth Horst who was also part of the event focused on the need to help rebuild the Pakistan economy. She urged Islamabad to work with the International Monetary Fund, a report by the Dawn said. The reforms that Pakistan and the IMF have agreed to are not easy. But it is crucial that Pakistan take these actions to bring the country back to sound financial footing, avoid falling into further debt, and grow Pakistan's economy, she also said. Concerned China speaks bluntly with Pakistan on security of its projects The recent increase in high-level diplomatic engagements and dialogues have given Pakistan a ray of hope again with regard to repairing strained ties with the US. The conference held at the Wilson Centre in Washington focused on how the US-Pakistan relationship can be crafted against the backdrop of several challenging developments. Ambassador Khan while responding to a question said that Pakistan placed its first order for Russian oil and did so in consultation with the US government. He also spoke about Pakistan's role in bringing stability in Afghanistan. "Afghanistan's stability is imperative, first and foremost, for its own people who have suffered grievously over the past four decades," Khan said according to the Dawn report. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, April 29, 2023, 9:02 [IST] Alt News Co-Founder busts viral image, questions source International oi-Prakash KL There were reports that parents of deceased females were forced to put padlocks on the graves of their daughters in order to prevent their corpses from getting raped in Pakistan. However, Alt New Co-founder has now claimed that Indian media reported the news without verifying the authenticity of the content. Photo Credit: Several media outlets had carried the report citing a tweet from an ex-Muslim atheist activist and the author of the book "The Curse of God, why I left Islam" Harris Sultan. "Pakistan has created such a horny, sexually frustrated society that people are now putting padlocks on the graves of their daughters to prevent them from getting raped. When you link the burqa with rape, it follows you to the grave," he had tweeted. However, it looks like it is an unverified claim as there is no authentic report published in Pakistan media on the issue. News agencies and News portals have reported that Pakistani parents are locking graves of their daughters to avoid rape. Thse articles are based on a tweet by an Ex Muslim atheist Harris Sultan, An author of a book 'The curse of God, Why I left Islam'. pic.twitter.com/hx7w9J19rK Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) April 30, 2023 Fact checker Mohammed Zubair has posted a series of tweets questioning the authenticity of the claims. "Did News Agencies & News Channels try to find if this 'News' was reported by local channels, Any authentic source? Where exactly is the incident from, Did they speak to the parents? No. Their articles was based on a tweet by Harris Sultan who had tweeted on Wednesday, April 26th," he wrote. In the follow-up post he highlighted that he did search in Urdu to check the veracity of the claims and did not find mention of rape in any of the Facebook posts. "With keyword search in Urdu, I found a few more Facebook posts from Tuesday 25th April. None of them had mentioned about the rape. The narrative of 'rape' started much later," he added. The fact checker also spoke to the person who shared the picture on the social media platform. "I spoke to one of the guy who shared the image. Here's what he had to say. Trying to find who clicked the image or shared it first, will update the thread when I have more info. Why are Indian News Agencies & Outlets sharing unverified claims just because it's viral on twitter," he tweeted. Based on these tweets, it becomes clear that the claims have not been verified. More than 130 Australians remained trapped in Sudan on Saturday afternoon, as the Australian government cautioned people had just hours left to flee the fighting. Melbourne's Sudanese community has gathered to call for peace and humanitarian support, as the situation in the country deteriorates. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday in reaction to Russia's strike on Uman that "only absolute evil can commit.. Upworthy 28 Apr 2023 2008-2023 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said Russia needs to desperately provide his troops with ammunition. Meanwhile, Ukraine urged more German military aid. DW has more. Ukraine's ambassador has urged Germany to send more powerful weapons to support Kyiv's counteroffensive plans. Meanwhile, the death toll from Russian strikes on several cities has risen to at least 25. DW has the latest. King Charles has described his time at Timbertop in 1966 as "by far the best part" of his education. British nationals seeking to flee Sudan have only until midday local time if they want to be evacuated from the war-torn country as.. Sky News 29 Apr 2023 Warplanes on bombing raids drew heavy anti-aircraft fire over Khartoum on Saturday as fierce fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitaries entered a third week, despite a renewed truce. Sudan has plunged into chaos and lawlessness since the fighting erupted on April 15 between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his number two Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Burhan and Daglo have agreed to multiple truces since the start of the conflict, but none has effectively taken hold, with each side blaming the other for breaching them. The latest three-day ceasefire was agreed Thursday after mediation led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the United Nations aimed at securing a more lasting truce. "We woke up once again to the sound of fighter jets and anti-aircraft weapons blasting all over our neighbourhood," a witness in southern Khartoum told AFP. Another witness said fighting had been ongoing since the early morning, especially around the state broadcaster's headquarters in the capital's twin city of Omdurman. Residents across Khartoum -- home to five million people -- have largely sheltered at home despite supplies of food and water dwindling to dangerously low levels, and a lack of electricity. Some managed to sneak out only during brief lulls in fighting to buy desperately needed supplies. Trading blame As battles raged on the ground, the two rival generals took aim at each other in the media, with Burhan branding the RSF a militia that aims "to destroy Sudan", in an interview with US-based TV channel Alhurra. He also claimed "mercenaries" were pouring over the border from Chad, Central African Republic and Niger to exploit the chaos. Daglo denounced the army chief in an interview with the BBC, saying he was "not trustworthy" and a "traitor". The clashes have so far killed at least 512 people and wounded 4,193, according to the health ministry, with the death toll feared to be much higher. Some 75,000 have been internally displaced by the fighting in Khartoum and the states of Blue Nile, North Kordofan, as well as the restive western region of Darfur, the UN said. Tens of thousands of Sudanese have fled into neighbouring countries including Egypt, Ethiopia, Chad and South Sudan, while foreign countries have carried out mass evacuations of their nationals. The United Nations said on Friday that its last international staff had been evacuated from Darfur. The World Food Programme has said the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where 15 million people -- one-third of the population -- already need aid to stave off famine. "Alarming" conditions in Darfur In West Darfur state, at least 96 people were reported to have been killed in the city of Geneina since Monday, according to UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani. The UN described the situation in Darfur as "alarming" while Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said there were reports of widespread looting, destruction, and burning of property, including at camps for displaced people. "The current fighting has forced us to stop almost all of our activities in West Darfur," said Sylvain Perron, MSF's deputy operations manager for Sudan. "We are incredibly worried about the impact this violence is having on people who have already lived through waves of violence in the previous years." Darfur is still reeling from its devastating 2003 war, when then hardline president Omar al-Bashir unleashed the Janjaweed militia, mainly recruited from Arab pastoralist tribes, to crush ethnic minority rebels. The notorious Janjaweed -- accused by rights groups of committing atrocities in Darfur -- later evolved into the RSF, which was formally created in 2013. The scorched-earth campaign left at least 300,000 people dead and close to 2.5 million displaced, according to UN figures, and saw Bashir charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by the International Criminal Court. Burhan and Daglo -- commonly known as Hemeti -- seized power in a 2021 coup that derailed Sudan's transition to democracy, established after Bashir was ousted following mass protests in 2019. But the two generals later fell out, most recently over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army. Search Keywords: Short link: Kim Jong-un's sister warns that the recent US-South Korean deal could lead to "more serious danger" as the US agrees to deploy.. HNGN 29 Apr 2023 Upworthy 01 May 2023 Authorities are still searching for a man accused of fatally shooting five of his neighbors, including an 8-year-old child, in.. The Turkish leader holds a rally in the opposition stronghold of Izmir after having been taken ill last week. More than 30 House Republicans signed onto a letter authored by Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, condemning the Biden administration's new proposed rule promoting electric vehicles. The prime minister of Kazakhstan will arrive in Tehran on Wednesday to hold meetings with Iranian officials about the bilateral ties, particularly the trade and economic cooperation. The Iranian president's deputy chief of staff for political affairs, Mohammad Jamshidi, announced on Tuesday that the Prime Minister of the... The acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Matthew Hollingworth, has condemned a wave of deadly strikes that hit several cities early on Friday, reportedly the most intense aerial bombardment in weeks. Dozens of civilians across the country were killed and injured, and homes and other vital infrastructure,... Rumble 29 Apr 2023 The Crimea Oil Reservoir was hit by a drone, after which a massive fire erupted, a Russian Official posted at the site claimed... British nationals seeking to flee Sudan have only until midday local time if they want to be evacuated from the war-torn country as NHS doctors without UK passports were told they can now catch final rescue flights. Rumble 31 Mar 2023 For more information completely predicated upon Evolution and TRUTH Like this video and follow for more content so YOU and.. A huge fire broke out on Saturday at a fuel depot in Sevastopol, the main port in Moscow-annexed Crimea, with authorities saying it was the result of a drone attack. Sevastopol is home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet and has been hit by a series of drone attacks since the Kremlin's Ukraine offensive launched last year. "A fuel reserve is on fire in the Kazachya Bay district" of the city, the Moscow-installed governor of the peninsula Mikhail Razvozhayev said on Telegram in the early hours of Saturday. "According to preliminary information, it was caused by a drone strike." He said the fire's size was "around 1,000 square metres" and published images of huge clouds of smoke rising into the air. Razvozhayev called on Crimeans to "remain calm" and in a later post said "nobody was hurt." He said authorities had "the situation under control" and said there was no threat to civilian infrastructure. Earlier this week, Russia said it had "repelled" a drone attack on the port. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Search Keywords: Short link: Abuja: A Nigerian court has acquitted the sailors in Norwegian vessel MT Heroic Idun, who were jailed for crude oil piracy on Saturday, reported Manorama News. The vessel had 26 sailors including 16 Indians. Among the 16, three were Malayalis. The other sailors were from Sri Lanka, Poland and Philippines. They were detained in August last year by navy personnel of West African nation of Guinea, suspecting their involvement in crude oil piracy. The sailors sent their last messages to their families in November, 2022. The sailors were detained by the Guinean Navy at the behest of Nigeria. V Vijith from Kollam, the brother of Vismaya who died by suicide following dowry harassment at Sasthamkotta last June, was among the sailors. The other Malayalis were Sanu Jose and Milton Deoth from Kochi. The ship, owned by Norway's OSM Maritime Group, reached Nigeria's AKPO Terminal on August 8 to fill crude oil. The ship anchored on the international maritime boundary of Nigeria after they were informed of some delay due to technical issues. When they noticed an approaching boat, they moved toward the international maritime channel. However, the Guinea Navy detained the ship and the crew the next day, suspecting that the vessel had arrived to steal oil. The sailors were taken into custody and interrogated as per the instruction of the Nigerian navy. Oil piracy is rampant in the Gulf of Guinea. Cairo: Gunfire and heavy artillery fire persisted Saturday in parts of Sudan's capital Khartoum, residents said, despite the extension of a cease-fire between the country's two top generals, whose battle for power has killed hundreds and sent thousands fleeing for their lives. The civilian death toll jumped Saturday to 411 people, according to the Sudan Doctors' Syndicate, which monitors casualties. The fighting has wounded another 2,023 civilians so far, the group added. In the city of Genena, the provincial capital of war-ravaged West Darfur, intensified violence has killed 89 people. Fighters have moved into homes and taken over stores and hospitals as they battle in the densely populated streets, the syndicate said. Khartoum, a city of some 5 million people, has been transformed into a front line in the grinding conflict between Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the commander of Sudan's military, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces, which has dashed once-euphoric hopes of Sudan's democratic transition. Foreign countries continued to evacuate diplomatic staff and nationals while thousands of Sudanese fled across borders. Britain said it was ending its evacuation flights Saturday after demand for spots on the planes had declined. Over 50,000 refugees mostly women and children have crossed over the western border to Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, the United Nations said, raising fears of wider instability. Ethnic fighting and turmoil have scarred South Sudan and the Central African Republic while Chad's own democratic transition has stalled after a coup. Those who escape Khartoum face more obstacles on their way to safety. The overland journey to Port Sudan, where ships then evacuate people via the Red Sea, has proven long and risky. Hatim el-Madani, a former journalist, said that paramilitary fighters were refugees at roadblocks out of the capital, demanding they hand over their phones and valuables. stopping There's an outlaw, bandit-like nature to the RSF militia, he said, referring to the Rapid Support Forces. It indicates they don't have a supply line in place and that could get worse in the coming days. Airlifts from the country have also posed challenges, with a Turkish evacuation plane hit by gunfire outside Khartoum on Friday. A drone view shows smoke rising over the Khartoum North Light Industrial Area, in Bahri, Sudan. Photo: Reuters On Saturday, despite a cease-fire extended under heavy international pressure by 72 hours early Friday, clashes continued around the presidential palace, headquarters of the state broadcaster and a military base in Khartoum, residents said. The battles sent thick columns of black smoke billowing over the city skyline. In a few areas near the capital, including in Omdurman, residents reported that some shops were reopening as the scale of fighting dwindled amid the tenuous cease-fire. But in other areas, residents sheltering at home as explosions thundered around them said fighters were going from house to house, terrifying people and stealing whatever they could find. Now in its third week, the fighting has left swaths of Khartoum without electricity and running water. The Sudanese Health Ministry put the latest overall death toll at 528, with 4,500 wounded. Those sheltering at home say they're running out of food and basic supplies. Residents on Saturday in the city of Omdurman, west of Khartoum, said they'd been waiting three days to get fuel complicating their escape plans. The UN relief coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said that UN offices in Khartoum, as well as the cities of Genena and Nyala in Darfur, had been attacked and looted. This is unacceptable and prohibited under international law, he said. Genena's main hospital was also levelled in the fighting, said Sudan's health ministry. Smoke rises over buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan April 17, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo Over the past 15 days of pummelling each other, the generals have each failed to deal a decisive blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africa's third-largest nation. The military has appeared to have the upper hand in the fighting, with its monopoly on air power, but it has been impossible to confirm its claims of advances. "Soon, the Sudanese state with its well-grounded institutions will rise as victorious, and attempts to hijack our country will be aborted forever, the Sudanese military said Saturday. Both sides in the conflict have a long history of human rights abuses. The RSF was born out of the Janjaweed militias, which were accused of widespread atrocities when the government deployed them to put down a rebellion in Sudan's western Darfur region in the early 2000s. Smoke billows above residential buildings in Khartoum on April 16, 2023, as fighting in Sudan raged for a second day in battles between rival generals. Photo: AFP A unit of Sudan's armed forces, known as the Central Reserve Police, has also been sanctioned by the US for grave human rights violations against Sudan's pro-democracy protesters. Accusations of rape, torture and other abuses against demonstrators carried out by the unit first surfaced in 2021, after Burhan and Dagalo joined forces in a military coup that ousted a civilian government. The Sudanese Interior Ministry confirmed the deployment of the widely criticised Central Reserve Police in Khartoum on Saturday, posting photos of the fighters riding with heavy machine guns mounted on pickup trucks. Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was ousted in the 2021 coup, appealed to the international community from a conference in Nairobi, Kenya, to push for an immediate halt to the conflict. He warned that a full-blown civil war in the strategically located country would have consequences not just in Sudan but for the world. God forbid if Sudan is to reach a proper civil war ... it is a huge country and very diverse ... it would be a nightmare for the world, he said. The friction was brought to a head by an internationally-backed plan to launch a new transition with civilian parties. Photo: Reuters/Abdullah Abdel Moneim But the generals have so far rejected attempts at a compromise, and regional mediators have been unable to travel to Khartoum because of the chaotic fighting. Still, African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki said he would help initiate a Sudanese-led political process and try to send peacekeepers to the country. I'm ready myself to go there, even by road," Faki said. We ask the two generals to create the conditions for us to go to Khartoum. Lory Caldwell was watching TV with her daughter in their Northwest District home in Portland around 11:20 p.m. Friday night when they heard a series of loud bangs outside their window. We must have heard five to six gunshots, Caldwell said. We could hear the woman screaming. Caldwell called police, and officers arrived within minutes. She then called her husband, Stephen Caldwell, to warn him about the incident. He was returning from a business trip in Texas. Sure enough, I came off the freeway and arrived at the same time as the swarm of police, he said. Caldwell said he could see the car where a man and woman had been shot. He noticed the man was slumped over the steering wheel, he said. He watched as police and medical personnel attempted to resuscitate the man, but he died at the scene. The woman was transported to a nearby hospital with injuries that were not life threatening, police said in a statement Saturday. Officers responded to the shooting at Northwest 17th Avenue and Irving Street at 11:23 p.m. They found the man and woman shot, and administered first aid until paramedics arrived. The suspect had fled before officers arrived. Lory Caldwell said she did not see anyone leave the scene. Investigators ask anyone with information on the shooting to contact Detective Erik Kammerer (Erik.Kammerer@police.portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-0762) or Detective Mike Schmerber (Michael.Schmerber@police.portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-0991) and reference case number 23-110484. Austin De Dios; adedios@oregonian.com; @austindedios; 503-319-9744 Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe A man died and a woman was injured in a shooting in Portlands Northwest District neighborhood Friday night. At 11:23 p.m. Friday, police officers responded to Northwest 17th Avenue and Irving Street after a report of a shooting. They found a man and woman who were both injured. The mans injuries appeared to be life threatening and officers provided first aid until paramedics arrived and continued care, but he died at the scene. The woman was taken to a hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life threatening. There were no suspects in the area when police arrived and homicide detectives are investigating the shooting. Police ask anyone with information to contact Detective Erik Kammerer (Erik.Kammerer@police.portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-0762) or Detective Mike Schmerber (Michael.Schmerber@police.portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-0991) and reference case number 23-110484. The Oregonian/OregonLive Federal authorities have offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to penalties for the Columbia River boat operator who was captured on video driving through sea lions near Hayden Island earlier this month. NOAAs Office of Law Enforcement says it will pay for information that leads to a civil penalty or criminal conviction. California sea lions are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits harassing the animals. A bystander captured a video of the boater appearing to target groups of resting sea lions on April 3, just off Hayden Island. Authorities described the vessel as an approximately 19- to 20-foot aluminum Hewescraft Pro-V Sea Runner with a dark blue stripe. It has a soft top with an aluminum Barewest Fish & Wake Tower and a Yamaha outboard motor. Authorities asked anyone with information about the boaters identity or who recognizes the boat to contact agents at 360-310-0259 or the 24/7 hotline at 800-853-1964. The incident was an extreme example of the animosity between recreational fishing and sea lions, who are drawn by fish populations. As sea lion populations have rebounded, salmon numbers in the Pacific Northwest have spiraled downward. People who are actively fishing can dissuade sea lions and seals only with approved, nonlethal methods. Gov. Tina Kotek addressed questions swirling around Secretary of State Shemia Fagan and her consulting work for a cannabis company at a press conference in Portland Saturday, and said, Im very dismayed. But she stopped short of calling for Fagan to resign, as Republican leaders in Oregon did Friday. I think its premature for me to comment on that, Kotek said. Both she and Fagan are Democrats. News broke Thursday that Fagan took on a side job in February as a paid consultant for an affiliate of the troubled La Mota cannabis dispensary chain, Willamette Week reported. The next day her office released an audit of Oregons cannabis regulatory system. Fagan recused herself from the audit in February, but it was largely completed by that point. And she has declined to release any details about her contract with the cannabis company. In a statement Friday evening, Kotek said, Its critical that Oregonians trust their government. She asked the Oregon Government Ethics Commission to investigate the situation and asked the Oregon Department of Justice to examine the audit of the OLCC from Fagans office. Saturday, Kotek said that she spoke with Fagan on Friday. I let her know that I was concerned, Kotek said, and Oregonians deserve to know the details. She did not ask to see a copy of Fagans contract with the outside group, saying I dont think Im the one to investigate that. Fagan has declined to answer questions from The Oregonian/OregonLive but issued a statement late Friday saying she was contracted by the Oregon-based cannabis company to review the landscape for expanding their operations outside of Oregon. She wrote the nature of the contract and the work does not create a conflict of interest under Oregon law or ethics rules. However, as soon as I contemplated the contract and learned that recusal was an option (it is not for legislators), I recused myself from my only work as a public official that touches the cannabis industry, the OLCC audit. Asked whether the secretary of state should be allowed to recuse herself from a public responsibility for private gain, Kotek answered indirectly. At the end of the day, its always safest to have a strong firewall between the work thats in your office and what you do personally, Kotek said. For me, look, I dont have outside employment. I only have one job, so I cant speak to what anyone else does. Beth Slovic; bslovic@oregonian.com; 503-221-8551 Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe On the campaign trail in 2020, Democratic secretary of state candidate Shemia Fagan promised voters she would bring a focus on integrity and accountability to the job. Since taking office, Fagan has talked about building trust with Oregonians: she launched a monthly newsletter with that title in March and testified to the Senate Committee on Rules that as the states top elections official she was well aware that trust is the very foundation of our democracy. Yet for 24 hours after news broke Thursday that Fagan landed a paid contract consulting for an affiliate of an embattled cannabis company, the secretary of state repeatedly refused to answer basic questions about her side job working for La Mota, a politically connected Oregon-based business. Fagan did not return a phone call from The Oregonian/OregonLive on Thursday, skipped a Friday morning press conference about an audit of state marijuana regulations released by her office and declined to come to the door of her Happy Valley home early Friday afternoon. As Fagan stood inside, an unidentified man came to the door and said the secretary of state was unavailable. But around 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Fagan issued a statement through her office saying she was contracted by the Oregon-based cannabis company to review the landscape for expanding their operations outside of Oregon. She wrote the nature of the contract and the work does not create a conflict of interest under Oregon law or ethics rules. However, as soon as I contemplated the contract and learned that recusal was an option (it is not for legislators), I recused myself from my only work as a public official that touches the cannabis industry, the OLCC audit. Fagans staff told reporters that she recused herself in February from any involvement with the audit of the states cannabis regulatory system, which urged state leaders to loosen regulations to help the pot industry. They said Fagan had recused herself from the audit in February once she contemplated a private consulting contract with a cannabis company before the contract started. But by the time Fagan walled herself off from involvement with the audit, it was effectively complete. Audit records revealed that Fagan was heavily involved early on, urging auditors to get input from dispensary chain La Motas co-owner Rosa Cazares, now one of Fagans employers. Ben Morris, a spokesperson for Fagan, said Friday that the secretary of state recused herself before her contract with La Mota dispensary chain Veriede Holding LLC started. In a statement Friday evening, Gov. Tina Kotek, a Democrat, said, Its critical that Oregonians trust their government. That is why I am urging the Oregon Government Ethics Commission to immediately investigate this situation. Additionally, I am requesting that the Oregon Department of Justice examine the Secretary of States recently released audit of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) and its cannabis program. Fagan responded, writing, I welcome Governor Koteks request to DOJ to review the audit because it will simply highlight the professional work of Oregons auditors. I am relieved that the Governor has asked DOJ and the Government Ethics Commission to engage in fact finding because the facts will restore trust in our audits division and in me as your Secretary of State. It remained unclear Friday afternoon how Fagan, a former state legislator and lawyer who is no longer an active member of the state bar, lined up the gig consulting for the La Mota affiliate, a job she started in February, according to Morris. Also unanswered: what exactly the day-to-day work of the consulting job entails. Fagan, who hasnt been available to the media since Tuesday, before the news of her consulting contract broke, left it to staffers in the Secretary of States Office to field reporters questions Friday. The secretary has been fully transparent about her public work and has shared all the information in her contract that is relevant to her status as a public official, contended Morris, while refusing to respond to a request from The Oregonian/OregonLive for a copy of Fagans consulting contract. She has also disclosed that all her work on the contract is outside of Oregon. Beyond confirming that Fagan is not consulting as a lawyer, Morris said he did not know what Fagan does under her consulting contract with Veriede Holding. Fagans official secretary of state social media accounts did not acknowledge the questions swirling around her work for La Motas owners on Friday. Instead, the secretary of states account tweeted about the state tree, the Douglas fir, because it was Arbor Day and highlighted state lawmakers recognition of the ceremonial kid governor last week. Morris said Fagan worked regular business hours Friday, engaging in executive work time, speaking with a middle school class in Gladstone, meeting with Legislators virtually and meeting with agency staff. Meanwhile, bad news continued to pile up for Fagan on Friday. The Oregon Government Ethics Commission received an ethics complaint regarding Fagans consulting work with the La Mota affiliate, an official with the commission confirmed. The commission is investigating the complaint, but isnt providing any details of the complaint because it is in the commissions 60-day preliminary review period, an official said. Shemia Fagan's 2020 secretary of state campaign website focused on integrity and accountability. Willamette Week, which has been reporting for weeks on La Mota owners Rosa Cazares and Aaron Mitchells political connections and extensive problems ranging from unpaid state cannabis and federal income taxes to workplace complaints and unpaid bills, was the first to report on Thursday that Fagan had secured a paid consulting contract with Veriede Holding. La Mota has been trying to expand in New Mexico and Michigan, The Oregonian/OregonLive found. New Mexico legalized recreational marijuana in June 2021 and the first licensed sales began in April 2022. Aaron Mitchell registered La Mota New Mexico LLC with that state in June 2022 and received a license for three retail stores the following month in the towns of Clovis, Estancia and Raton. None of those retail outlets appear to be operational. The company also has a marijuana manufacturing license pending before the Cannabis Control Division for a facility in Albuquerque. Veriede Holding, the company that Fagan has a consulting contract with, is not registered in New Mexico. Michigan voters approved an initiative to legalize recreational use of marijuana in 2018 and state licensed sales began in December 2019. La Mota Michigan registered in September 2020, with Rosa Cazares as manager. But Michigans Marijuana Regulatory Agency denied an application for a license in April 2022 because the company failed to provide information about the sources and total amount of financing and did not reply to requests for information from the agency. Deputy Politics Editor Jamie Goldberg and reporter Ted Sickinger contributed to this report. Hillary Borrud; hborrud@oregonian.com Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe MOUNT PLEASANT Sarah R. Opperman, chair of Isabella Bank Corporation, announced that Jae A. Evans will retire as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 2024. The board of directors elected Bank President Jerome Schwind to serve as new President and CEO of Isabella Bank Corporation and CEO of Isabella Bank, effective January 2024. Chief Financial Officer Neil M. McDonnell will replace Schwind as the Bank President at that time. Evans has been CEO since January 2014. He will continue to leverage his 47 years of banking experience as a member of both the corporate and bank Boards of Directors. During his tenure as CEO, Evans has led the corporation to record earnings and assets, an expanded geographic footprint and new, state-of-the-art online banking services. Jae has been a strong, effective leader, Opperman said. We are thankful for his steady leadership, especially during the last several years of volatility in the economy and our industry. Isabella Bank has remained strong and grown through it all. The bank has a robust succession planning process, investing in the development of leaders and employees throughout the organization. Opperman said the board conducted a thorough review of the executive team and is confident in its leadership and experience. Jerome has been with Isabella Bank 24 years, and we are confident in his ability to guide our strategic direction as a preeminent, independent community bank, Opperman said. Likewise, Neils 30 years of banking experience and impressive leadership skills are widely respected. Evans has been with Isabella Bank for 15 years, guiding the corporation beyond $2 billion in assets, up from $1.5 billion when he took the reins as CEO. Deposits climbed from $1.04 billion to $1.74 billion and loans rose from $808 million to $1.26 billion. Earnings per share went from $0.38 to $2.95. Evans started as President of the Banks Greenville Division and then served as Chief Operations Officer before becoming CEO. While retiring was not an easy decision, he said Schwind, McDonnell and the full Isabella Bank team will do well in furthering the Banks 120-year history. Our success is a reflection of our customers, shareholders, the communities we serve and each of our nearly 400 employees who deliver quality service and customer support every day, Evans said. Schwind has been President of Isabella Bank since 2015, previously serving as its Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, and Mecosta Division President. He has played an instrumental role in technology advancements and geographic expansion, which are key elements of the banks strategic plan. He also maintains a deep understanding of the seven counties served by the Banks 30 branches. Schwind also is board chair of the Michigan Bankers Association. McDonnell has been CFO since joining Isabella Bank in 2018 and has led a number of initiatives that have driven the Banks strategic plan and improved key metrics, including shareholder value. They include the companys stock buyback program, reducing high-cost borrowings, and raising capital without issuing additional shares. He also leads Isabella Wealth, the Banks investment and trust management business, which has grown more than 15% since 2020. McDonnell has more than 30 years of banking experience and previously held executive roles at large international banks, local community banks and de novo banks in the eastern U.S. Isabella Bank has locations throughout seven Mid-Michigan counties: Clare, Gratiot, Isabella, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm and Saginaw. GREEN TOWNSHIP: At 5:39 a.m. April 18, deputies responded to a rollover crash on northbound U.S. 131 near 22 Mile Road. EMS transported the driver to Corewell Health Big Rapids Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. WHEATLAND TOWNSHIP: A traffic stop at 11:27 p.m. April 19 near 9 Mile Road and 20th Avenue resulted in a warrant arrest of the driver. Driver was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail. MARTINY TOWNSHIP: Deputies responded to a domestic complaint at 8:47 p.m. April 24. They arrested a male subject for allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Subject was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail. AETNA TOWNSHIP: An investigation of a child abuse complaint resulted in the arrest of a male subject for child abuse at 8:45 a.m. April 26. Subject was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail. AETNA TOWNSHIP: A traffic stop at 11:18 p.m. April 26 near 3 Mile Road and 190th Avenue resulted in the arrest of the driver for two arrest warrants. Driver was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail. AETNA TOWNSHIP: At 12:17 p.m. April 27, deputies executed an arrest warrant at a resident, resulting in the arrest of two male subjects. on two male subjects Both were lodged at the Mecosta County Jail. COLFAX TOWNSHIP: At 4 p.m. April 27, deputies arrested a female on three warrants. She was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail. Deputies with the Mecosta County Sheriffs Office responded to the calls April 18-27. This is part of a report submitted by the Mecosta County Sheriffs Office and compiled by associate editor Julie Norwood. All calls may not be reported. MANISTEE COUNTY The Manistee County Council on Aging is set to host a number of events and other activities aimed at keeping older residents healthy, happy and active. Here is a list of what is planned for the week of May 1 and beyond. Congregate meals The congregate meal site at the Wagoner Community Center is serving lunch Monday through Friday at noon. Remember to call and reserve your lunch by noon the day before. Senior nutrition menu Monday: Stuffed green peppers,stewed tomatoes, wax beans, fruit cocktail, roll Tuesday: Country fried steak, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, cinnamon apple slices (no meal served at Manistee congregate site) Wednesday: Sloppy Joe on a a bun, baked beans, California blend vegetable, banana Thursday: Beef & noodles, lima bean, cook's choice vegetable, mandarin oranges, roll Friday: Wet burrito, refried beans, fiesta corn, applesauce, cinnamon churro Menus are subject to change. See More Collapse The congregate meal site in Wellston serves lunches on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Onekama meal site at the Farr Center is currently closed. The Marilla meal site serves lunches Wednesday at noon, and the Pleasant Valley Community Center in Arcadia serves meals Tuesdays and Fridays at 12:30 p.m. The meal site in Maple Grove Township serves meals Thursdays at noon. Keep in mind that the menu is subject to change, as certain food shortages can affect the kitchen. Food bank The senior center food bank takes place on the third Friday of the month from 9-11 a.m. People from Manistee County who are 60 years of age and older are eligible to participate. If you are picking up for another senior, be sure you have a proxy note, along with their name, address, birthdate and household information. Monetary and non-perishable food item donations are always appreciated. Next food bank is May 19 from 9-11 a.m. at 260 St. Mary's Parkway in Manistee. Emergency food assistance If you are a Manistee County senior and are in need of emergency food assistance, call the senior center at 231-723-6477 and speak to a staff member. The senior center has an emergency food pantry that is used to help prevent food insecurity in the senior population during these times. Senior reimbursement program The Manistee County Council on Aging has a program designed to help seniors remain independent, by reimbursing qualifying expenses. If you are an older adult from Manistee County, you could receive reimbursement for payments you have made for house cleaning, yard work, snow removal services. For current clients in the Senior Reimbursement Program, take note, all receipts must be current, no more than 30 days old. Income requirements apply. New clients must fill out a registration form. Mail all receipts to 260 St. Mary's Parkway, Manistee MI 49660. Call the senior center at 231-723-6477 ext. 214, for more information. Once a senior has moved out of their home, they are no longer qualified for the reimbursement program. Exercise opportunities Sit and Get Fit, Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Wagoner Community Center, Monday and Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at the Farr Center in Onekama. Tai Chi Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 a.m. Indoor walking group, during business hours, Monday through Friday. Chair yoga Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. and Pound Fitness class is Thursday at 3:45 p.m. All classes are free to all seniors, and donations accepted for those under 60. Dementia support group The dementia support group will meet the second Thursday of the month. The group is a supportive, friendly gathering for caregivers, family members or anyone interested in learning more about and supporting senior dementia community. The next meeting will be May 11 at 3 p.m. Contact Jacki Krolczyk at 231-883-1341 for more information. Parkinson's support group The Parkinson's support group meets at 11 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month. The next support group meeting will be on May 18 at the Wagoner Community Center. Please call Marcia Holbrook 614-937-4442 for more information. Upcoming events May 1 9 a.m. Tai chi 10:15 a.m. You Gotta Have Art Reflexology by appt Chair massage by appt. May 2 Election day, all activities cancelled May 3 9 a.m. Tai chi 10:30 a.m. TOPS 11 a.m. Produce bingo 1 p.m. Sign language 3 p.m. Zumba gold May 4 10 a.m. Cribbage 11 a.m. Nutritional bingo, Maple Grove Community Center 1 p.m. Chess 4 p.m. Pound fit class May 5 9 a.m. Tai chi 12 p.m. Piano with Suzanne 1 p.m. Euchre This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) A former U.S. national security adviser called for deeper interaction between his country and Taiwan during a visit Saturday to the self-ruled island, which has seen increasing military threats from China. John Bolton, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2024, said at a pro-Taiwan independence event in Taipei that national security teams from both sides must develop contingency plans on how to respond to actions Beijing might take, warning it would be too late once an attack occurs. And we have to tell China and Russia what the consequences are if they take actions against Taiwan. Not just in the immediate response, but over the longer term, to basically excommunicate China from the international economic system if it did take military actions against Taiwan or attempt to throw a blockade around it," Bolton said. Bolton, former President Donald Trump's hawkish national security adviser, started his week-long trip to Taiwan on Wednesday. The visit reflects the importance of the island's democracy as an issue in the U.S. presidential election next year amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing. Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with the Communist Party in control of the mainland. The island has never been part of the Peoples Republic of China, but Beijing says it must unite with the mainland, by force if necessary. The U.S. remains Taiwans closest military and political ally, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between them. U.S. law requires Washington to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern, though it remains ambiguous over whether American forces would be dispatched to help defend the island. Bolton said the backlog of U.S. military sales to Taiwan is estimated to be $19 billion and it needs to be resolved. Part of that is a U.S. problem. Our defense industrial base is not as strong as it used to be. We need to improve that for global reasons, but particularly for Taiwan, he said. On Friday, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry said Chinas military flew 38 fighter jets and other warplanes near Taiwan. That was the biggest such flight display since the large military exercise in which it simulated sealing off the island after the sensitive April 5 meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. China opposes any exchanges at the official level between Taiwan and other governments. Later Friday, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army also issued a protest over the flight of a United States Navy P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft through the Taiwan Strait, calling it a provocation that the U.S. openly hyped up." But the U.S. 7th Fleet said Thursdays flight was in accordance with international law and demonstrates the United States commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Bolton is scheduled to join a banquet on Monday organized by the Formosan Association for Public Affairs, a pro-independence organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. Tsai will also attend the event. ____ Find more of APs Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific DEAR ABBY: In many ways, I am blessed. I have an amazing family, a great husband and a well-paying job that I enjoy. My only problem is, I hate myself. I hide my pain with humor (Im pretty funny). I have some childhood sexual abuse trauma and have had a lot of counseling. Im hesitant to blame my current issues on something that happened so long ago, but why cant I get my life together? Im so happy now, so why is this dragging me down? I combat my inner pain, stress and hate by eating. I cannot stop. I have gained so much weight it is hard to do normal activities. I am tired, disgusted and ashamed of being so out of control. None of my clothes fit. Every social situation is unbelievably overwhelming. I have tried diet after diet. Some work, but nothing sticks long term. I have removed all the mirrors in my house so I wont have to look at myself. My family and friends are amazing, loving and supportive. My world would be nothing without them. How can I mentally wire my jaw shut so I dont shove every piece of food I see down my gullet? EXPLODING IN WASHINGTON DEAR EXPLODING: You are far from the only person who has used food to mask emotional pain. There is truth in the saying, Its not what youre eating, but whats eating you that may be the problem. Two trusted organizations may be able to help you conquer this. The first is the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (rainn.org). RAINN has been mentioned in my column many times. When you contact this group, it could connect you with counseling tailored to survivors of sexual abuse and help you to deal with any lingering issues from your childhood trauma. The second organization is Overeaters Anonymous (oa.org). OA is a support group for people who cant control their eating, based on the principles of AA. When you make contact, you will find them to be sympathetic and supportive there is no judging, weighing or shaming. It may give you the moral and emotional support you need to regain control. Im rooting for you. DEAR ABBY: A lonely friend who lives several hours away wants to visit me for a few days. He keeps bringing up the subject of visiting while I try to steer the conversation in another direction. My wife isnt keen on the idea of someone shes not familiar with staying with us. I dont consider us close friends, and I have never invited him to stay. I prefer he not visit, mainly due to my wifes concerns. Is there a way to get him to stop asking without losing his friendship? I suppose I could live without the friendship, but I dont want to hurt him. FLUMMOXED IN FLORIDA DEAR FLUMMOXED: Tell this pushy individual you and your wife cannot accommodate a houseguest. Whatever the reason may be, its the truth. Keep repeating it as often as necessary. DEAR ABBY: My daughter and her fiance are intelligent, successful professionals in their early 30s. Her fiance just informed her he was a sperm donor for a friend and his wife a few years ago, resulting in two biological children with one more on the way. He never mentioned this to my daughter before. She suspected that something wasnt right because he would hide his phone (he keeps the childrens pictures on it), and she finally confronted him last week. He bonded with the children during the first year of their lives with frequent visits, then tapered off because the friends had become uncomfortable with his being around (the children both closely resemble him). Her fiance says he hasnt seen the children since my daughter began dating him two years ago. He says he tried to put the situation behind him, but confessed that he misses them and didnt realize he would feel this way at the time he donated. Neither he nor the childrens parents have legal documents in place, and they skipped getting professional advice, believing it would all be fine because they are good friends. My daughter says she could have accepted that he was a donor and has children, but she is very upset that he hid it from her all this time. They are still engaged, but she has put the wedding plans on hold until they can get through this. They are now talking about counseling. She says her world has been turned upside down. My heart is hurting for her, and we are supportive of any decision she makes. Your opinion is very appreciated. SUPPORTIVE IN THE EAST DEAR SUPPORTIVE: Your daughter is a smart woman to want counseling before she makes any visits to the altar. The man shes engaged to kept her in the dark for two years! I cant help but wonder what else he may be hiding. It may take time for her to trust him again if ever. P.S. Her fiance and those friends should have consulted an attorney about his role as a sperm donor while it was still in the planning stages, if only to avoid any confusion in the future. Its not too late to do that now, and I strongly recommend it. DEAR ABBY: As a baby boomer, I have filled out a DNR (do not resuscitate) order. I have been wondering, if something were to happen in public, how would first responders know? Strokes run in my family. How does a person make certain that this information is available? Its on file with my doctor, but hes not always available. PLANNER IN CALIFORNIA DEAR PLANNER: Emergency first responders are trained to look for certain information when they arrive. You should have In Case of Emergency numbers (I.C.E.) in your cellphone as well as in your wallet. There are also medical I.D. bracelets and necklaces available. Because of your family history, you may want to talk with your doctor about getting one. Ahram Online explains which official documents Sudanese citizens need if they want to enter Egypt, as they flee fighting between rival branches of their countrys armed forces. As of Thursday, over 14,000 Sudanese have entered Egypt through the Qustul and Arqeen border crossings, according to Egypts Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, thousands more are still waiting to enter. Egypt has already eased requirements for Sudanese and other nationalities wishing to enter through these crossing points, including: Women, children and men above the age of 50 may enter without a prior visa, but must still have a valid passport and vaccination card. Men between the age of 16 to 49 are required to have a valid passport and visa in addition to a vaccination card. Egypts embassy in Khartoum, its consulate in Port Sudan and its consulate office in Wadi Halfa near the Arqeen crossing are responsible for issuing visas. From its side, the Sudanese government is also working to ease the crossing process, taking into consideration that many of those fleeing the fighting may have done so without passports or with ones that are expired, according to the Sudanese Consul in Aswan Ambassador Abdel-Kader Abdel-Allah. For instance, children who do not have yet a passport are allowed to be added to at least one of their parents as long as they have a national ID number in Sudan. Also, expired passports may be renewed with an official Sudanese stamp for another six months. The Sudanese government is still waiting for the Egyptian government to approve these changes, according to media statements on Thursday. Huge crowds had gathered at border crossings between the two countries following the spread of rumours online that Egypt was allowing the entry of men ages 16-49 years old without a visa. At Arqeen, buses stood for over 48 hours waiting to make the crossing, according to Abdel-Allah. The Sudanese diplomat pleaded in a video interview with the official news agency SUNA that Sudanese citizens without passports should head to safe Sudanese states instead of the border crossings because they make it harder for Sudanese and non-Sudanese citizens who have passports and have to wait for long hours. Search Keywords: Short link: Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - A total of 473 illegal migrants of different nationalities on board a boat heading to the northern shore of the Mediterranean were rescued by the Libyan coast guard, the General Directorate of Coastal Security, Western Branch, announced here Saturday Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday bestowed national orders on 32 South African nationals as well as foreigners for contributing towards the advancement of democracy and making a significant impact on improving other people's lives Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - Tunisia and the European Union have agreed to promote the voluntary return of sub-Saharan migrants to their countries of origin, said an official statement BLOOMINGTON Around 70 people gathered Saturday morning in Miller Park to support survivors of sexual assault as part of the YWCA's Final Steps Awareness Walk. It was brisk and overcast as the diverse group of participants stepped off on the mile-long walk in solidarity with sexual assault survivors. College students, retirees, families and even police officers started the journey near the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial at Miller Park's northeast end. Althea Bellamy of Bloomington said seeing the community support survivors made her feel proud. "The average survivor feels alone, lost and sometimes stuck," Bellamy said. "And to know that other people care and see the (community) represent and support, it'll help others want to be free." Joy Ziegenfelder, 19, an Illinois State University student from Gainesville, Florida, also attended Saturday's walk. "(I feel) kind of, like, emotional," Ziegenfelder said, "to think about this more than I think I usually would. It's very powerful." Making voices heard The walk was the culmination of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, in which YWCA's Stepping Stones program worked to raise awareness about sexual assault survivors and educate the community about resources available to help. Jen Golliday, director of Stepping Stones in Bloomington, said, "We offer support services for survivors of sexual violence and their significant others." That support comes in many forms a 24/7 hotline, counseling, support groups but is available confidentially and at no cost, Golliday said. Nastasha Powers of Stepping Stones in Bloomington organized the Final Steps walk. She said she was glad with the turnout. "I think the success is just helping us raise awareness," Powers said. "The success is understanding that, if someone comes into contact with someone who discloses being a survivor of sexual violence, they can give them resources." Stepping Stones stationed tables along the path that served to educate walkers about local and national resources available, but also had opportunities for people to show their support in creative ways. One table was dedicated to The Clothesline Project, a "visual display bearing witness to violence against individuals," according to the YWCA's website. The Clothesline Project began in Massachusetts at the turn of the century and is a way for survivors to anonymously share their experiences by writing it on a T-shirt, which is then hung on display. Powers said, "It is the voice and the illustration of survivors of sexual violence. It is their depiction of their story on a piece of clothing." Powers said the project allows "survivors' voices to be heard through the clothesline." Encouraging messages Cynthia Ashbrook organized another table welcoming supporters to write a "love letter" to a survivor. Ashbrook said she was filling in for her daughter, who actually began the project. "My daughter was assaulted in 2015," Ashbrook said, "and she didn't know what to do with it. She was lost, confused, didn't want to tell anybody." Ashbrook said her daughter went on a retreat, Resilient Voices, through a North Carolina nonprofit that hosts weekend retreats for sexual assault survivors to "find support and healing among each other," according to its website. Ashbrook said her daughter was scared the first time she went to the retreat. "She was late the first time she came," Ashbrook said. "She wanted to hide." After coming home, Ashbrook said her daughter wanted to engage the community to create artwork supporting survivors. She said the art is "in celebration of survivors of sexual assault." Ashbrook said her daughter is compiling the artwork and letters into books and will take them to a Resilient Voices retreat in September. Kaitlyn Donovan, 20, is a student at ISU from South Lyon, Michigan. Donovan, Ziegfelder and fellow student Leah Davis, 19, of Manchester, Missouri, decorated stones and clothespins with words of encouragement for survivors. Donovan said the walk, and events like it, show survivors "that they're not alone. They really are supported by the people that have gathered here today." 'Breathtaking' presence Powers said the turnout, and its diversity, was successful, but a certain group made her especially happy. She said uniformed officers from both the Normal and Bloomington police departments walked with the participants. Powers had one word to describe it: "breathtaking." Officers walked with participants to the various tables, but spent a considerable amount of time at The Clothesline Project, taking in survivors' stories. "We understand that, when it comes to sexual violence, not everybody is comfortable enough to report to the police," Powers said. Bellamy said she is a survivor of abuse decades in the past. She said, at the time, when she called police for help, they refused to do anything. "They told me they couldn't help me unless I had bruises on me," Bellamy said, "unless I can show them something physically to be able to certify the abuse." By participating in the walk, Powers said, "It's showing that the police want something to be done when it comes to something that's so prevalent but not always addressed." Bellamy said, "To see the police here is a major plus." Freedom, rebirth Bellamy described trauma and abuse as a form of captivity. "It's a bondage when you get caught in a situation like that," she said. "And you feel so lost and so alone and hurt, devastated." About the walk, though, she said, "I think it's great. I think it's fantastic that the community is coming together." Luis Jimenez lives in Decatur. He drove to Miller Park today just for the walk, he said. Jimenez said he was abused as 5 years old and never got the support he needed. He said his journey to healing hasn't been easy, but he has something on his right arm to help: a tattoo. It's a phoenix, the mythical creature known for being reborn in fire, more beautiful than before. CONTACT STEPPING STONES If you or someone you know needs assistance relating to sexual assault, the Stepping Stones hotline can be reached at 309-556-7000. It is available 24/7, every day of the year. For more information on resources available, contact the YWCA at 309-662-0461 or info@ywcamclean.org, or go to ywcamclean.org. 2023 Blessing of the Bikes in Bloomington BLOOMINGTON The man shot by a Bloomington police officer on March 30 is now facing charges connected with the incident, according to court documents that also contain previously unreleased details about how the night unfolded. Alex L. Nunn, 29, was arrested Friday and charged with one count of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, a Class 2 felony; two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, a Class 3 felony; three counts of aggravated assault of a peace officer, a Class 4 felony; and one count of reckless discharge of a firearm, a Class 4 felony. Police confirmed the day after the incident that at least one officer had shot the man now identified as Nunn, described at the time as an armed man. Illinois State Police conducted an investigation, as is standard for officer-involved shootings, and turned its findings over to the office of McLean County State's Attorney Erika Reynolds. On April 12, Reynolds said she had determined the officers were "completely justified" in their use of force. Further, she said police provided aid that helped save the man's life after he was struck by one bullet and incapacitated. Reynolds said at the time that her office was still evaluating whether charges would be brought against the man, whom she also did not identify at the time. Both the Bloomington Police Department and Illinois State Police have denied The Pantagraph's requests under the Freedom of Information Act for body camera footage from the incident, citing an ongoing investigation. Police previously said officers were dispatched at 9:23 p.m. to a report of an armed subject at an address in the 900 block of Turnberry Drive, which is just off of Cottage Avenue near Hovey Avenue. While officers were en route, the call was updated to say shots had been fired outside a building at the complex. The court documents made available on Saturday provide more detail about what reportedly led up to the call and what happened after police arrived. Police said witnesses told them Nunn was present with others in an apartment in the complex when he produced a .380-caliber pistol and was asked to leave. He went outside with another individual and fired the gun into the air, the documents said. The complex is located in "a crowded residential area, and the discharge of the firearm in that manner endangered all of the people in that residential area," police wrote in the arrest statement. After police were called to the scene, three responding officers confronted Nunn in the hallway of the building. There, officers saw him grab a firearm from his waistband and point it at them, according to the statement. At this point, the officers exited the building. One fired his gun at Nunn, who remained in the hallway and in possession of his firearm, according to the police account. Police "gave repeated verbal commands to the defendant to drop the gun, but the defendant refused to do so," according to the documents, which continue with an apparent typo: "The defendant still had the gun in his hand above his hand." A sergeant with the Bloomington Police Department said police would not immediately clarify what wording was intended, but a statement would be released on Monday. Reynolds, reached by phone on Saturday, said the statement was read in court as: The defendant still had the gun in his hand above his head. The statement continued: "The defendant began to lower the firearm again, and an officer discharged his duty weapon, which incapacitated the defendant." The officers then entered the building and took Nunn outside, provided first aid and got him to paramedics, who took him to a hospital for treatment, according to the statement. In the hallway, they reported finding a .380-caliber handgun, which had a magazine loaded with 9 mm ammunition. This was the first officer-involved shooting for the Bloomington Police Department since 2013. The arrest report identifies the involved officers only by their initials, and it was not clear which officer or officers fired a weapon during the incident. Bloomington Police Chief Janal Simington previously said the officers were placed on administrative leave during the investigation. He also praised their actions in a statement April 12: "The officers responsibly carried out their duty to resolve the issue with bravery and concern for the lives of others. ... Our mission is public safety, and gun crimes such as these are a high priority, which our officers are highly committed to appropriately address." Nunn remains in custody of the McLean County Jail. His bond was set at $500,000 with 10% to apply, meaning he would have to pay $50,000 plus court fees to be released. His next court date is set for 9 a.m. May 19. READ THE REPORT Photos: Police respond to Turnberry Drive shooting Heavy explosions and gunfire rocked Sudans capital, Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman early Friday, residents said, despite the extension of a fragile truce between the countys two top generals whose power struggle has killed hundreds. Turkey also said one of its evacuation aircrafts was hit Friday by gunfire outside Khartoum with no causalities. The escalation came hours after both sides accepted a 72-hour extension of the truce, apparently to allow foreign governments complete the evacuation of their citizens from the chaos-stricken African nation. Multiple short truces have not stopped the fighting, but they created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese to flee to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate thousands of their citizens by land, air and sea. Residents reported fierce clashes in Khartoums upscale neighborhood of Kafouri, where the military earlier had used warplanes to bomb its rivals, the Rapid Support Forces, in the area. Clashes were also reported around the militarys headquarters, the Republican Palace and the area close to the Khartoum international airport. All these areas are flashpoints since the war between the military and the RSF erupted on April 15. Heavy explosions and constant gunfire are heard across Kafouri streets, said Abdalla, a Kafouri resident who asked to be identified only by his first name for his safety. In Omdurman, across the Nile from Khartoum, a protest group reported constant explosions in the district of Karari early Friday. It called residents in the area to remain vigilant. The RSF has claimed that the armys aircraft bombed its positions in Omdurman and Jabal Awliya, south of Khartoum. The military, meanwhile, accused the paramilitary force of beginning the attack. It was not possible to verify either claim. The Turkish Defense Ministry said light weapons were fired at a C-130 aircraft heading to Wadi Sayidna airbase, about 22 kilometers (14 miles) north of Khartoum, to evacuate Turkish civilians. The plane landed safely, the ministry said in a tweet, and no personnel were injured. The Sudanese military blamed the RSF for firing at the Turkish aircraft, a claim the paramilitary force denied. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the French military evacuated dozens of employees with the U.N. and other international aid agencies Thursday night from al-Fasher, a city in Sudans western Darfur region, to Chads capital, NDjamena, according to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric. U.N. envoy Volker Perthes remained in Sudan along with a small U.N. team, according to the U.N. mission in the African country. The power struggle between the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the RSF, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has dealt a harsh blow to Sudans hopes for a democratic transition. The rival generals came to power after a pro-democracy uprising led to the ouster of the former strongman Omar al-Bashir in April 2019. In 2021, the generals joined forces to seize power in a coup that ousted a western-backed join military-civilian administration. The fighting has further plunged the country, especially its capital, into chaos, with tens of thousands seeking safety elsewhere. Many headed to the northern borders with Egypt, or to the city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea. Those who remain in the capital have been living in rapidly deteriorating conditions, mostly trapped inside their homes for days amid the clashes. Food, water and other services have become scarce, and electricity is cut off across much of Khartoum and other cities. The health care system is near to collapse with dozens of hospitals became out of service because of attacks, lack of staff or power. Multiple aid agencies have had to suspend operations and evacuated most if its employees out of the country. At least 512 people, including civilians and combatants, have been killed in Sudan since April 15, with another 4,200 wounded, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry. The Doctors Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties, has recorded at least 303 civilians killed and 1,848 wounded. The fighting also resulted in widespread looting and destruction in the capital and elsewhere across the county. Major open-air markets, businesses and houses were stormed and looted by groups of armed men, with many blamed elements of the RSF. The Umma Party, the largest political entity in Sudan, meanwhile said in a statement that RSF elements stormed the house of the party's leader, Mubarak al-Fadel in Amarat, one of Khartoums most prestigious neighborhoods. The party said al-Fadel and his family were not at home when the storming took place on April 21, the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. The party said the paramilitary force damaged the house and looted the familys gold before leaving the second day. There was no comment from the RSF, but the paramilitary force has repeatedly sought to distance itself from looting and robbery, saying they were armed men disguised in RSF uniforms. In the Darfur city of Genena, the situation remained volatile Friday, a day after armed fighters rampaged through the city, battling each other, killing dozens and looting shops and homes. The fighting stopped but the situation is shaky, said Dr. Salah Tour, a board member of the Doctors Syndicate in the West Darfur province, of which Genena is the capital. He said residents took advantage of the relative clam Friday morning and began collecting dead bodies from the streets for burial and assessing destructions and damage at their properties. The Sudanese Red Crescent also helped in collecting the bodies, he said. Fighters in RSF uniforms attacked several neighborhoods across Genena on Thursday, driving many families from their homes. The violence spiraled as tribal fighters joining the fray in the city of around half a million people near the border with Chad. Tour said the city suffers from extremely dire shortage of food, water, and other services amid a dayslong power outage. Health care workers were also struggling to reopen hospitals to treat wounded people, he said. Search Keywords: Short link: BLOOMINGTON Bloomington School District 87 announced Friday that Messina Lambert will be the new principal for Bloomington Junior High School. Lambert, current principal at Irving Elementary School, has been an educator for over two decades, according to a news release, and attended District 87 schools herself before earning various teaching degrees from Illinois State University. District 87 Superintendent David Mouser said in the release that Lambert joins an "outstanding team of teachers and administrators at BJHS." Lambert's appointment will go before the District 87 Board of Education for approval in May. In the release, Lambert said she is "excited to meet and get to know staff, students and families at BJHS." MetalCow Robotics prep for championship in Houston BLOOMINGTON Twin City Cruisers will return for their 31st year from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at the Towanda Plaza Shopping Center, 1210 Towanda Ave., Bloomington. The monthly event celebrates classic and modified vehicles in Central Illinois, including muscle cars, hotrods, custom cars and more. Admission is free to all attendees and participants. All vehicle types are welcome and swap spaces will be available. Additional cruise nights will be May 13, '49 and older night; June 10, '50s night; July 8, '60s night; Aug. 5, '70s night; Sept. 9, '80s night; and Oct. 14, '90s and newer, plus a trunk-or-treat. All events are weather permitting. Awards will be given for the top three "theme" vehicles. There also will be a 50/50 raffle. There will be music by JD's DJ's and ice cream from Gramma Nana's. No alcohol, burnouts or loud music allowed. For more information, visit twincitycruisers.com or contact 309-824-5594. Hundreds fill up on Kiwanis pancake breakfast in Bloomington 022623-blm-loc-1pancakeday.JPG 022623-blm-loc-2pancakeday.JPG 022623-blm-loc-3pancakeday.JPG 022623-blm-loc-4pancakeday.JPG CHICAGO A memorial honoring Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till, will be unveiled Saturday outside the suburban Chicago high school she attended as a young woman, long before she became a critical player in the Civil Rights Movement. Emmett Till's 1955 lynching in Mississippi and his mother's insistence on an open-casket funeral for the 14-year-old served as a catalyst for civil rights. Till-Mobley was a civil rights activist for the rest of her life. The memorial opening to the public Saturday outside Argo Community High School in Summit includes a bronze statue of Till-Mobley with hands spread wide and standing behind a podium, which bears bronze reliefs of her son, the Mississippi barn where he was killed and the Chicago funeral home where thousands of mourners gathered. No one has been held accountable for the teenager's kidnapping and murder; the white woman who accused him of whistling at and accosting her died this week at the age of 88. Till-Mobley died in 2003 in Chicago and was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously in December along with her son. Argo Community High School and the Argo Higher Education Fountain raised money toward the project and an annual scholarship for a graduate demonstrating a commitment to social justice. Photos: Pritzker sworn in for second term The National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago released results of a survey last month. They asked people about their attitudes toward a number of things, including family, religion, money, patriotism and hard work. One response in particular stood out: Only 27% of the respondents said community involvement was very important to them, down from 62% in 2019. The report is consistent with many other troubling findings about changes in American society. Surveys on volunteerism indicate that about a quarter of Americans volunteer formally each year, and about half informally help out neighbors. The highest rates of formal volunteering are in Utah and Wyoming, while informal volunteering is highest in Nebraska and Montana, where nearly 70% of the population regularly help out their neighbors. Yet the supply of volunteers is aging, and organizations that rely on volunteers are struggling to keep up with the increased demand. A recent study of 1,200 nonprofits reported that in 2022 twice as many had trouble finding enough volunteers compared to 2019. Moreover, most of the widely known service clubs such as Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, Civitan and Optimist have been in gradual decline since their peak in the 1950s and 1960s. Organizations including Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, which prepare youth for community participation later in life, also have been declining since their peak in the 1970s. If volunteering was just a matter of finding enough people to help out in communities, that would be one thing. But an even greater consequence of the decline in volunteers is the overall effect on participants physical and emotional health. Why are volunteerism rates uneven? Florida, Wyoming explain The share of Americans who volunteer their time to help charities build houses, serve food, do environmental cleanup, and much else has been on the decline nationwide. Our nation is experiencing what many experts term an epidemic of loneliness, isolation and depression. One in five millennials report having no friends and no acquaintances. We have organizations in every community dying for lack of members, and homes are full of people sitting alone every evening wondering how their lives became so small. A wide circle of acquaintances provides a wealth of possibilities for nurturing friendships. And we know from research that those who have several friends are much less likely to feel lonely or to suffer from poor health. In fact, 86% of Americans who have six or more friends say they are satisfied or very satisfied with their personal health. Friendship takes time for relationships to mature, and the best way to nurture relationships is by participating in shared activities. I was attending a meeting of my local Rotary club recently. They needed volunteers and would be passing a signup sheet around to the tables. I looked at all the people in the room. How many of these club members had I volunteered with over the years? There was Ray sitting at a table up front. One weekend when I was still new to the club we found ourselves painting a building owned by a local nonprofit. He told me all about his children. Mark was talking to Julie at the table next to mine. Each winter just before Christmas I visit with them as we pick up fruit baskets to deliver around town. Jerry was at a table near the back. I recall the bitterly cold January day when we were helping put away the holiday light display at Riverside Park. I am still grateful to him for giving me a package of hand warmers. Looking around the room some more, I saw Trent and Amy and Jennifer. We have all served on various committees together, and I realized I know something about each of them due to conversations while working on projects together. Trent loves to fish. Amy had knee surgery a couple of years ago. Jennifer loves cats. I kept looking about the room, trying to get a handle on the number of people with whom I had worked on some project or other, but I soon gave up. At every table there were several people, and the sight of each brought up distinct and pleasant memories. We tend to think of service to others as a sacrifice. And it can be. Yet serving also satisfies a deep-seated human need for belonging for being loved, respected and useful. Twenty years ago, someone was thoughtful enough to invite me to come to a Rotary meeting and consider joining. I thought I was signing up to help others, but what I have been given is so much greater than anything I may have contributed. I believe the solution to many of todays most pressing social concerns is right in front of us. It consists in encouraging people to join with a small group of friends who are interested in making their community better. It does not require a huge investment of tax dollars nor reform of our political system. It requires no protests, or debates or campaigns. All it requires, said Martin Luther King, Jr., is a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. Imagine how many people might be saved from a life of loneliness and quiet desperation by a simple invitation and a willingness to say yes. The departure from television of one of its most popular faces is reflected in the divisive nature among those concerned with the presence of Tucker Carlson. Carlson, whose final appearance on Fox News was on April 21, parted ways with the network in the aftermath of Fox's settlement in the defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems. Dominion Voting Systems sued over segments promoting bogus claims that election fraud cheated then-President Donald Trump of victory in the 2020 presidential election. We take no delight in any person losing their job. But we take issue when those who have the public trust actively lie to that public, whether it be a small-town weekly newspaper or the most popular news host on cable TV. An additional issue with Carlson and those like him (regardless of political leaning) who couch their rights to say anything without proof. They're not journalists, they claim. They're entertainers. commentators, anything that allows them to spew their views without consequence. One of their trademark views? To frame a contentious, controversial or even outright incorrect viewpoint, then respond to criticism by saying, "I'm just asking the question." The difference between backstage and the screen at Fox News has been clear in the aftermath of the 2020 election. Onscreen, raising fear has been the model, convincing the viewer that someone somewhere has it out for the American way of life. Backstage, they worry about their audience size and how many eyeballs they're losing to other outlets. The Los Angeles Times confirmed that the decision to oust Carlson came directly from Fox Corp Chair Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch, the Times says, was weary of Carlson's conspiracy theories about the January 6, 2021, riots at the Capitol. Carlson's firing has some overlap with the dismissal of CNN's Don Lemon. Specifically, both routinely disseminated ideologically strident opinions. But Lemon was never redressed as completely as Carlson was when a judge dismissed a defamation case against Carlson in 2020. The judge wrote: "Fox persuasively argues, that given Mr. Carlson's reputation, any reasonable viewer 'arrive[s] with an appropriate amount of skepticism' about the statement he makes." The "'general tenor' of the show should then inform a viewer that [Carlson] is not 'stating actual facts' about the topics he discusses and is instead engaging in 'exaggeration' and 'non-literal commentary.' " Seldom does a legal body defend speech within a news program by essentially saying, "Who would believe this person's nonsense?" Carlson acolytes claim the man's position was sacrificed as a punishment for his truth-telling. But which position was truth-telling? The on-air one who embraced far-right talking points or the private one texting and emailing colleagues acknowledging on-air lies and trashing co-workers? An additional problem is how Carlson's behavior dirties all journalists. Just as a bad salesman, police officer or employee reflects negatively on their professions and businesses, bad behavior on the part of television talking heads reflects on all who gather and disseminate news. We certainly haven't seen the last of Tucker Carlson. Running for public office can't be far from his mind. Hopefully, any electorate will remember what's transpired in the last three years. And remember, Carlson has now been fired from CNN. MSNBC, PBS and Fox News. There aren't that many places left to go. Photo: (Photo : ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / Getty Images) The Republican-controlled legislatures of South Carolina and Nebraska faced setbacks in their efforts to ban abortion, as two proposed bills failed to pass. These conservative states have been advocating for stricter abortion laws, but the outcome has been a victory for supporters of abortion rights, who can continue to access the procedure without significant restrictions. Abortion Ban Fails in South Carolina and Nebraska Women's reproductive freedom in South Carolina and Nebraska will be continuously upheld. According to ABC News, on Thursday, two bills seeking to impose severe restrictions on abortion in South Carolina and Nebraska failed to pass, marking victories for supporters of abortion rights. The proposed legislation in South Carolina sought to ban most abortions in the state and had already been passed by the House, but it failed to clear the Senate with a narrow vote of 22-21. The bill would have made abortions illegal except in cases of rape, incest, or if the life of the mother was at risk. The failure of the bill means that abortions remain legal in the state until 22 weeks of pregnancy. Interestingly, the senators who played a key role in blocking the bill were all women, including three Republicans. While some of them identified as "pro-life," they argued that the proposed legislation lacked empathy and did not reflect the reality of women's lives. State Senator Penry Gustafson, for instance, expressed her support for the pro-life cause but noted that the drafted bill lacks graciousness and empathy. Similarly, Republican Senator Sandy Senn criticized the legislation, comparing it to the dystopian book "The Handmaid's Tale," and stated that abortion laws had always been about control. In Nebraska, as reported by Axios, a bill seeking to ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy was also rejected, falling one vote short of the required 33 votes to break a filibuster. Governor Jim Pillen, a Republican who had supported the bill, expressed profound disappointment at the outcome and criticized the senators who failed to vote on the issue. The failure of the Nebraska bill means that abortions remain legal in the state until 22 weeks of pregnancy. The outcome of both bills represents a significant victory for advocates of abortion rights, who have been fighting against a wave of restrictive abortion laws passed in recent years. The Supreme Court's decision last year to uphold a restrictive abortion law in Texas has emboldened conservative lawmakers in several states to push for similar legislation, but Thursday's results show that there is still strong opposition to such measures. Read Also: Paris Hilton, Lawmakers Unveil "Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act" To End Troubled Teen Industry Abuses Reproductive Freedom Prevails According to The New York Times, as abortion access becomes increasingly restricted in neighboring southern states, South Carolina has seen a rise in the number of women traveling there to obtain abortions. The proposed ban in South Carolina would have prohibited abortion at all stages of pregnancy, except in cases of rape and incest before 12 weeks. This ban would have placed South Carolina among a growing list of Republican-led states that have implemented strict abortion laws, with 14 states having already enacted near-total bans on abortions. While Georgia and Florida have also implemented strict abortion laws, with a ban after six weeks of pregnancy, Florida's law is currently on hold pending a legal challenge. While South Carolina's and Nebraska's recent failed attempts to pass restrictive abortion laws are certainly encouraging news for abortion rights advocates, the fight for reproductive justice is far from over. It remains to be seen how these ongoing battles will play out in the months and years to come. Related Article: US Government Partners With NEH To Document Histories of Indigenous Students at Boarding Schools Photo: (Photo : Robyn Beck/ Getty Images) Choosing the right high school for your child can be daunting for some parents and overwhelming for some children. It is an important decision that can shape their academic and personal development. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming for parents to decide which school is the best fit for their child. To make this decision easier, parents should consider several key factors when evaluating high schools. In this article, we will explore these key considerations to help parents and guardians choose the right high school for their children. Key Considerations in Choosing the Right High School Education Programs Available According to U.S. News, one of the most important factors to consider when choosing the right high school for your child is the academic program offerings. Look for a school that offers a rigorous academic curriculum that challenges your child to grow academically. Consider whether the school offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses, International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, or other advanced academic programs that can prepare your child for college-level coursework. Make sure to research the faculty and staff credentials as well to ensure that your child will receive quality instruction from experienced teachers. Diversity Diversity is an important consideration when choosing the right high school for your child. A diverse student body can provide valuable exposure to different cultures, beliefs, and perspectives that can broaden your child's understanding of the world. Look for a school that values diversity and has a diverse student body. You can ask about the school's demographic breakdown and look for programs or clubs that promote diversity and inclusion. Number of Students per Class The average class size is another important consideration when choosing the right high school for your child. Smaller class sizes can provide more personalized attention and support from teachers, which can help your child excel academically. Look for a school that has a low student-to-teacher ratio and prioritizes small class sizes. School Safety Safety and security are crucial considerations when choosing the right high school for your child. Look for a school that has robust safety and security measures in place to protect students from harm. You can ask about the school's policies on bullying, violence, and substance abuse, and research their track record on safety incidents. Additionally, look for a school that has a strong sense of community and fosters a safe and inclusive environment. Student Organizations and Extracurricular Activities According to Friends' Central School, extracurricular activities and clubs are an essential component of the high school experience. Look for a school that offers a wide range of extracurricular activities and clubs that align with your child's interests and passions. These activities can help your child develop new skills, make friends, and cultivate their talents outside of the classroom. Financial Costs for the School Year The cost of attending high school is another important consideration for parents. Private schools tend to be more expensive than public schools, but they may offer smaller class sizes, more extracurricular activities, and other benefits that can justify the additional cost. Determine your budget and consider the financial aid and scholarship opportunities that the school offers to help offset the cost of attendance. Read Also: 10 Funniest Baby Shower Games Ever University or College Admission Placement According to the International College Counselors, college placement is another key consideration when choosing the right high school for your child. Look for a school that has a track record of successfully placing students in top colleges and universities. You can research the school's college acceptance rates and the types of colleges and universities that their graduates attend. Additionally, look for a school that offers college preparatory programs and resources to help your child succeed academically and prepare for the college application process. Ask What the Student Prefers Lastly, the most important consideration when choosing the right high school for your child is what they want. Consider their academic and personal goals, interests, and preferences when evaluating different schools. Involve your child in the decision-making process and visit potential schools together to get a sense of the campus culture and community. It's important to remember that every child is unique, and what works for one child may not work for another. As you evaluate different high schools, keep your child's individual needs and goals in mind. Be bold and ask questions and do your research. Reach out to the school administration, current students, and parents to get a sense of the school's culture, values, and academic rigor. Visit the school in person if possible to get a firsthand look at the facilities, classrooms, and campus environment. Whether your child is interested in pursuing a career in STEM, the arts, or the humanities, there's a high school out there that can help them achieve their goals and dreams. Related Article: Public School or Private School: Which One to Choose? Photo: (Photo : Pixabay from Peels) In the world of skincare, melanin levels play a huge role. The makeup industry often focuses on Caucasian skin types that are low in melanin. As a result, people with darker skin tones, such as African Americans, South Asians, and people from the Middle East, often have trouble finding proper makeup and skincare advice online. This is an important topic, as several surveys have revealed that people of color find themselves left out due to their skin color. According to a study by McKinsey, African Americans are three times more likely to be left unsatisfied with the offerings that the makeup industry has for them. Thus, it becomes crucial that there are not only more products for people of color but also clear and easy-to-access information about how to take care of their skin better. With that said, let us look at some of the most essential tips those with melanin-rich skin can use in their routines. The Importance of Moisturization One of the characteristics that people with melanin-rich skin tend to have is a skin texture prone to dryness. In order to reduce flakiness, itchiness, and the likelihood of wrinkles, it becomes important to keep the skin moisturized. There has also been some research, such as the paper "Moisturizing Different Racial Skin Types" by Derrick C. Wan et al., that indicates that people with dark skin tend to lose moisture faster than others. Depending on your skin type, you might need to moisturize every day, and it is best to use a moisturizer that comes with humectants. Proper hydrating products can be one of the most important additions to your skincare arsenal. It is also important to use not just one moisturizer but multiple products that include moisturizing characteristics. Hydrating properties aren't just found in dedicated moisturizers. You can also find them in other products, such as balms and primers. This is why many of the best makeup-removing balm options typically include hydrating benefits, which you should be on the lookout for. Typically, regular moisturizers have a thick and heavy consistency, and depending on your skin tone, it may be necessary to try out lighter consistencies as well. It is not uncommon for a lot of people to layer their moisturizers for more effective hydration. When looking for a moisturizer, it is a good idea to stick with brands that are known to be safe. The last thing you want is to try an unknown brand that ends up affecting your skin in some way. Brands like Eadem are often thought to be safe due to their track records of being reliable. In a recent interview with Coveteur, founders Marie Amouzame and Alice Glover spoke about how one of the priorities when launching Eadem was to be a clean beauty brand that would be "a safe alternative for skin of color." Developments like these in the makeup industry are most exciting and welcome. Good Quality Foundation Goes a Long Way Perhaps the biggest challenge that people of color have when it comes to their makeup routine is finding the right foundation. To be more specific, finding a foundation with the right skin tone. Often, foundation tones are too light for people of color, and it becomes a headache to try and find one that works. As you might be aware, foundation can also be great for your skin due to the nourishing properties that some of them have. They may include antioxidants, sun protection factor (SPF), anti-inflammatory, and skin soothing properties. Foundation is a catch-all solution and can also be a great option for concealing blemishes and freckles if you so choose. A lot of people assume that people of color are unable to get freckles due to the association of freckles with fair skin. It is true that Caucasians are more prone to freckles due to a variation that involves the MC1R gene. With that said, black people with freckles do exist, and that shouldn't surprise you. Freckles are basically clusters of cells that produce melanin. They appear when the skin is exposed to UV rays. If you are a person of color and are noticing freckles, it may be a good idea to start using good sunscreen to protect from the harmful effects of UV rays that can cause cancer. A high-quality foundation can go a long way in giving you an even skin tone and conceal not just freckles but other minor blemishes as well. This is particularly relevant for people of color as melanin-rich skin tends to increase the likelihood of hyperpigmentation which results in an uneven skin tone. Some people may want to address this, and foundation with good coverage can help with not just masking darker spots but also acne scars and rosacea, which can be tricky to handle otherwise. Conclusion Taking care of your skin should always be a priority, and for people of color, this becomes even more relevant due to the Caucasian emphasis that the makeup industry is known for. Knowing how to care for melanin-rich skin, the importance of skin hydration, and finding a foundation that works for you are some of the daily challenges that people of color face. Thankfully, there are a number of great products out there on the market that focuses on helping those with darker skin tones and providing them with great skin care applications. As always, if you are trying something new in terms of your makeup routine, it is best to do your research and be aware of any potential allergies or reactions you may have to new products. Photo: (Photo : Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Montana bans gender-affirming care despite the personal plea. In a move that has sparked controversy, Montana's Republican governor has signed legislation banning or limiting gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, making it the most recent state to do so. Despite the impassioned pleas of families of transgender youth, who insist that such care is vital, Montana now joins at least 15 other states with similar laws. Montana Bans Gender-Affirming Care According to ABC, the passing of legislation in Montana restricting gender-affirming care for minors has caused a stir in the community and among LGBTQ rights advocates. The new law prohibits healthcare providers from offering gender-affirming medical procedures, puberty blockers, including hormone therapy, and surgeries, to individuals under 18 years old. This bill is similar to laws already passed in at least 14 other states in the United States. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed the bill into law, citing concerns over the impact that these medical procedures could have on minors. In his letter to the legislators, the governor acknowledged the need for love, compassion, and respect towards transgender Montanans but maintained that minors should not be allowed to make such serious decisions without parental consent and appropriate medical guidance. Advocates for transgender rights and healthcare professionals argue that gender-affirming medical care is essential for the well-being of transgender youth and should be available to them without restriction. They assert that such laws undermine the rights of young people to make decisions about their own bodies and can have long-term consequences for their physical and mental health. Furthermore, in Montana, as reported by CNN, the personal plea from David Gianforte, the son of the governor, highlights the deepening divisions over transgender issues in the state. David, a nonbinary individual, requested a meeting with his father to discuss the implications of the bill and ask him to veto it. Although David's appeal was unsuccessful, it brought attention to the fact that transgender individuals and their families are directly affected by these laws, and their voices must be heard in the ongoing debates over transgender rights. Read Also: DOJ Joins Lawsuit Against Tennessee for Targeting Transgender Minors with Discriminatory Law Montana Bans Rep. Zooey Zephyr The controversy surrounding Montana's bill to ban or restrict gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors drew national attention after Democratic Representative Zephyr voiced her opposition to the legislation. Republicans punished her for her comments, calling her words personally offensive and banning her from speaking on the House floor until she apologized. However, Zephyr has not apologized for her remarks and has continued to speak out against the bill. She called the bill unconstitutional and cruel, and promised trans youth that they would win in the end. With that, protesters interrupted House proceedings for 30 minutes while Zephyr stood defiantly on the House floor with her microphone raised. As a result, she was banned from the House and its gallery and had to vote on bills from a bench outside the House on Thursday and Friday. According to the Associated Press, Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the ACLU of Montana have announced their intention to challenge the ban in court. If the ban takes effect on October 1, transgender youth in Montana will have five months to find a way to work around the ban or to transition off hormone treatment. The passage of this bill reflects the growing divide across the US regarding transgender rights, with some states moving towards greater protections and inclusion and others enacting more restrictive laws. Related Article: Abortion Bans Fail to Advance in South Carolina, Nebraska: Granting Reproductive Freedom Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry affirmed that Egypt does not believe in the presence of any military solution to the crisis in Sudan in a phone call on Thursday with UKs Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly. During the phone call, Shoukry and Cleverly agreed to cooperate to preserve Sudanese state institutions and to support international efforts to extend the truce and foster dialogue between belligerents in Sudan, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Cleverly expressed his appreciation for Egypts help in evacuating British citizens from Sudan, saying he looks forward to Egypt continuing this effort to evacuate the remaining number. In addition to evacuating more than 5,300 of its own citizens from Sudan, Egypt has also taken in over 16,000 foreign nationals, including 14,000 Sudanese citizens and 2,000 nationals from 50 states and six international organisations, as of Thursday, the foreign ministry said. The exodus from Sudan over the past week comes after clashes erupted in mid-April between the Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that have killed more than 400 people and injured thousands others. The conflicting parties agreed Thursday night to extend the ceasefire for another three days, though heavy clashes continued to rock the capital, Khartoum, on Friday morning. Egypts foreign ministry has called on its citizens in Sudan to head to the Egyptian Consulate General in Port Sudan, or the Arqeen or Qustul border crossings. In a statement Friday, the ministry said that its consular sector's operations room continues to receive phone calls from the citizens at home and abroad around the clock on the following numbers: 01281943533 - 01283176900 - 01281943599 - 01283176913 - 01283176857 - 01283176881 - 01283176903 - 01283176894 - 01281943990 - 01283176866. Egypt, Sudans northern neighbour, has been pushing for an end to hostilities in the country and has been calling for both conflicting sides to resort to negotiations to stop the bloodshed. Shoukry has also stressed the need to refrain from any foreign interference in the Sudanese crisis in phone calls with his counterparts worldwide. Search Keywords: Short link: Photo: (Photo : NATALIE BEHRING /Getty Images) The legal battle between Planned Parenthood and women's rights advocates to halt the abortion clinic ban in Utah continues. Starting May 3, abortion access will be severely restricted in Utah due to a new law that requires the procedure to be performed exclusively in hospitals. Though abortion is legal in the state for up to 18 weeks, the new legislation has been challenged by the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah. During a court hearing on Friday, the organization argued that the ban on abortion clinics would render abortion access virtually non-existent if implemented next week as scheduled. Attorneys representing both the state of Utah and abortion providers presented their arguments before state court judge Andrew Stone. Planned Parenthood has requested that the law be delayed, and Judge Stone stated that he would rule on the motion next week after carefully reviewing each side's briefs. He explained that making a hasty decision would be unfair to either party. Utah Awaits Decision on Possible Abortion Clinic Ban The Associated Press reported that the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah argues that the ban on abortion clinics is a thinly veiled attempt by Utah to limit access to abortion further. The organization claims this move is part of a broader strategy to restrict access while legal challenges to a 2020 trigger law make their way through the court system. However, Utah officials rebuffed these arguments, claiming that the new regulations are necessary to promote high public health and safety standards. They argue that enacting such laws is in the public's best interest, even if it reduces the overall number of providers. The state's lawyers pointed out that courts have yet to determine whether Utah's Constitution guarantees the right to an abortion. They claim that overturning a law passed and signed by elected officials without a clear constitutional basis would be inappropriate. The Planned Parenthood Association of Utah has expressed concerns that continuing to provide abortions after May 3 could lead to criminal charges against their clinicians. Read Also: Michigan Student Hailed as Hero for Stopping Out-of-Control School Bus After Driver Passed Out Utah's Trigger Laws on Abortion According to The Guardian, banning abortion clinics in Utah could result in hospitals being the only option for abortions, which may not offer low-cost outpatient abortions or the abortion pill. This ban, known as HB 467, was passed in March and threatened to shut down all four of Utah's abortion clinics. In an effort to contest the law, the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah and the ACLU of Utah have filed a motion for a temporary injunction. As per Fox13, in Utah, licensed clinics currently perform approximately 95% of the state's abortion procedures. It is uncertain how hospitals will react to the new law, as they generally do not provide elective abortions. Jill Vicory, the spokesperson for the Utah Hospital Association, stated that each hospital system operating in the state would need to decide how to handle HB 467 for their respective facilities. In addition to fighting against the clinic ban, PPAU and the ACLU of Utah are also battling the state's trigger law, which is an abortion ban that was enacted prior to the Roe v. Wade decision. However, a district court judge has granted a preliminary injunction against the trigger ban, preserving the right to an abortion up to 18 weeks of gestation. The Utah Supreme Court has yet to review and make a ruling on this injunction. The passing of HB 467 in Utah and the potential closing of all four of the state's abortion clinics are concerning issues for the reproductive rights of women. With hospitals being the only option for abortions, low-income individuals may face significant barriers to accessing the care they need. The ongoing legal battles, including the challenge against the trigger law, highlight the importance of fighting for reproductive rights and access to safe and affordable healthcare. Related Article: Montana Governor Rejects Son's Plea for LGBTQ Rights, Signs Bill Banning Gender-Affirming Care for Minors Photo: (Photo : PHILIPPE MERLE / Getty Images) Reports have surfaced indicating that the number of brain abscess cases in kids in Nevada and other states has spiked dramatically. Health officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are currently investigating a group of exceptional and severe brain abscesses among children in the vicinity of Las Vegas, Nevada. Medical experts from other areas have also reported a potential upsurge in such cases. Although brain abscesses are not deemed reportable illnesses, meaning physicians are not obligated to notify public health authorities when such cases arise, public health officials typically become aware of them only when healthcare providers observe an increase in cases and seek help. Rising Cases of Rare Brain Abscesses in Kids According to CNN, the statistics in 2022, the number of cases increased three-fold, rising from an average of four to five cases per year to 18 cases. Dr. Taryn Bragg, an associate professor at the University of Utah and the only pediatric neurosurgeon in Nevada, treated all the cases and has expressed her concern over the sudden surge in the number of cases. She observed that almost all the affected children initially experienced common childhood complaints, such as earaches or sinus infections, accompanied by headaches and fevers. However, within a week, it became clear that something more severe was happening. Dr. Bragg's expertise and experience in treating brain abscesses in children made her the first to notice the pattern and alert local public health officials. She expressed her surprise at the sudden and unusual increase in the number of cases after March 2022. The increased brain abscess cases in children in Nevada have raised concerns among healthcare professionals nationwide. It has prompted medical experts from other regions to report a potential upsurge in similar cases, which suggests that the problem may not be confined to Nevada. The disease detectives from the CDC have now launched an investigation into this rare and severe brain infection among children in and around Las Vegas. This investigation aims to identify the causes of the outbreak, determine the scope of the problem, and prevent the disease's spread. Read Also: Michigan Student Hailed as Hero for Stopping Out-of-Control School Bus After Driver Passed Out Brain Abscesses According to Boston Children's Hospital, brain abscesses are serious infections that can develop in the brain and lead to problems with brain and spinal cord function. They can occur in children of all ages but tend to be more common in young school-aged children. Boys are twice as likely to be affected as girls. These abscesses can result from various viruses or infections, and their symptoms may include headaches, fever, and neurological symptoms such as difficulty moving or communicating. Brain abscesses can be detected through various tests, such as X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans. Depending on the severity of the abscess, treatment options may include medication, surgical intervention, or a combination of both. As reported by NBC, the Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to an increase in brain abscess cases. Furthermore, Dr. Samir Shah, vice chair of clinical affairs and education at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, notes that respiratory viruses such as sinus infections have become more common as pandemic restrictions have been lifted. These infections can increase the risk of developing brain abscesses in children. Dr. Michael Rodgers, a pediatric neurosurgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, explains that sinus infections that go undiagnosed for extended periods can eventually penetrate the bone and reach the brain, causing an abscess. Dr. Jessica Penney, a CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service officer, investigated a cluster of brain abscess cases in Southern Nevada and presented her findings at the CDC's annual Epidemic Intelligence Service conference. The investigation involved analyzing various factors such as travel history, underlying health conditions, and common activities or exposures, but they couldn't find any links to the cases. This highlights the complexity of diagnosing and treating brain abscesses and underscores the importance of timely detection and treatment to prevent long-term neurological consequences. Related Article: Montana Governor Rejects Son's Plea for LGBTQ Rights, Signs Bill Banning Gender-Affirming Care for Minors Photo: (Photo : YUICHI YAMAZAKI / Getty Images) A sperm donor who fathered more than 550 children is now banned from donating. A Dutch court issued a ruling on Friday, April 28, to prohibit a man from donating his sperm. The man has already fathered over 550 children in several countries, including the Netherlands, and has deceived potential parents about the number of offspring he helped to conceive. Although this was not the first time he was banned, in 2017, he was forbidden from donating his sperm to fertility clinics in the Netherlands due to having fathered over 100 children. However, he continued to donate sperm. Sperm Donor Who Fathered 550 Children Is Now Banned The court's decision to grant the injunction sought by the mother and the foundation representing other parents was based on the grounds that the number of children fathered by the donor was too high. It was argued that this could lead to potential health risks and negative effects on the well-being of the donor children. Moreover, the court noted that the donor's misleading behavior towards prospective parents was a violation of their rights to make informed decisions about their family planning. According to the BBC, despite the first ban, he continued to donate his sperm through online forums and overseas channels. The legal battle initiated by the foundation advocating for the rights of donor children and the mother of one of the children allegedly fathered by the man reflects the growing demand for greater transparency and ethical standards in the field of assisted reproductive technology. The court's ruling serves as a warning to other donors who may be engaging in similar practices and highlights the need for stricter regulations to ensure the safety and well-being of donor-conceived children and their families. The court's decision to impose a fine of 100,000 euros per case if the donor breaches the ban underscores the seriousness of the issue and the importance of enforcing ethical standards in the fertility industry. Read Also: American Samoa Issues Public Health Emergency Due To Measles Outbreak in Children, Prompting School Closures Putting an End To Mass Sperm Donorship NBC reported that during the court hearing, the lawyer representing the donor argued that his client's intention was to assist parents who faced difficulty conceiving. However, the judge presiding over the case noted that the donor had deliberately misled prospective parents regarding the number of offspring he had fathered to increase his chances of being selected as a donor. The court emphasized that the large kinship network resulting from the donor's actions could have significant negative psychological and social consequences for the children involved. The judge, therefore, ruled that it was in the best interests of the donor children and their families to prevent the expansion of this network any further. The case centered around a clash of fundamental rights, with the privacy rights of the parents and donor children and the donor's privacy rights on the other. The court ultimately found that the interests of the donor children and their parents should take precedence. The ruling has been widely praised as a warning to other mass donors and a call for stricter regulation of the fertility industry. As per USA TODAY, the mother who initiated the case, known only as Eva, expressed hope that the ruling would lead to a ban on mass donation in other countries and urged greater protection for children in such situations. Related Article: Melatonin Gummies Put Children at Risk: A New Harvard Study Reveals Alarming Findings Apple's A-Chip mastermind Gerard Williams III had left Apple in March 2019 to start a new company called NUVIA. In December 2019 we reported that Apple had Sued Williams for Breach of Contract relating to an IP Agreement to not Compete with Apple in August 2019." "Apple said in its complaint in state court in San Jose that criticism of the company in text messages by Williams signaled he was encouraging Apple co-workers to depart the company and join Nuvia. Apple also said that Williams 'planned and developed' Nuvia while still employed at Apple and used his knowledge during his tenure of almost a decade at the iPhone maker to develop technologies that would later be used at Nuvia. We're learning today that Apple Inc. has dropped its lawsuit against the former chip executive. Apples request to dismiss the case was filed this week in state court in San Jose, California. The filing doesnt explain why the suit was dropped. Williams had failed to persuade a judge to dismiss Apples complaint accusing him of using company resources to create an idea for Nuvia in violation of a contract. Source. In January 2021 Patently Apple posted a report regarding Qualcomm having acquired NUVIA for $1.4 billion with plans to put the firms technology into future smartphones, PCs infotainment systems and driver-assistance systems among other applications. Qualcomm branded the chip NUVIA's team is working on as Oryon. While Qualcomm's CEO Cristiano Amon jumped the gun by initially stating that their new chip designed to challenge Apple's M1 processor would debut at the end of 2022. Many were hoping that Oryon would at least debut in PCs by the end of 2023, but that's not likely to happen. Qualcomm's CEO is on record stating that there could be some news about their ARM-based CPU for PC's in H2-2023 but that actual systems wouldn't be seen until CES2024. Actual delivery dates for these new PC systems is of course unknown at this time. Qualcomm's CEO told Joanna Stern in an interview that we should think of their next-gen chip as an Apple compete for the Microsoft ecosystem. In 2022 Apple's iPhone 13 was the number one smartphone in China and to start the year off, Apple's iPhone 14 was the number one smartphone in China for Q1 2023. It's enough to drive China's smartphone OEMs crazy. In early April Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple's competitors are doubling down on the Foldable Smartphone form factor to Challenge Apple's Dominance in the Premium Space." The report also touched on OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi formed an alliance to make it easier on smartphone users in China to transfer data between smartphone brands in an effort to challenge the iPhone's popularity in their country. When China's smartphone brand 'Honor' released their foldable smartphone, the presentation went out of it's way to compare its specification with Samsung's Z Fold and Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max on battery life, on wireless connectivity, on design and so forth. Then at a recent press conference, Honor Shenzhen R&D Lab opened to the public for the first time. Honor's CEO Zhao Ming spoke with the media on tech research and development. Honor's CEO took no time in targeting Apple in his commentary: "When it comes to Apple, everyone says that Apples hardware is not well equipped, the wireless communication is poor, and the battery life is poor. This is recognized by everyone. You can see that the signal of the standard version is poor, the battery life is poor, and the black border on the screen is larger than ours. But the reason why it is so expensive is that Apple has iOS and ecology, it seems that their iOS can cover up all the issues of the Apple iPhone. Further, Ming pointed out that the company was focused on their fight with Apple's iOS with their vastly improved MagicOS 7.0. He claimed that their next steps are will be to create an experience comparable to or even better than iOS for the Chinese market. Honor wants to catch up with or surpass Apple in terms of OS fluency and ecology. The company is also aiming to build its own core capabilities. Zhao Ming believes that after the release of the Honor Magic 5 series, there is no rival in terms of communication, screen, eye protection, and comprehensive experience of the flagship phone. MagicOS 7.1 offers a range of features and customization options, including a custom always-on display, a built-in screen recorder, and a range of themes and wallpapers. The system also promises better performance, smoother animations, and longer battery life. The software design of the MagicOS 7.1 is almost unrecognizable from Android 13. Though keep in mind that MagicOS is simply a skin on top of Android. The key features for 7.1 will include: A Brand new user interface Built-in tools to help users multitask and use multiple apps at the same time AI-inspired enhancements on camera, GPU, and smoother system output MagicRing for multi-device collaboration Stylus support with the HONOR Magic Pen HONOR Computer Manager to control multiple devices with one set of mouse and keyboard HONOR Health app to custom workout plans with personal routines and provide 300+ system workout and health suggestions according to Smart Workout Scenarios At present, Oppo is China's leading smartphone brand followed by Vivo. Honor is China third largest brand that was 6.3% behind Apple in Q1 2023, according to Counterpoint. Honor's CEO admitted that Apple's ecosystem that includes iOS, watchOS and iPadOS is what keeps Apple number one in China, yet is under some illusion that a new skin on Android will be some kind of breakthrough for them. Perhaps for casual users Honor's MagicOS could be enough to assist them in their quest in taking on iOS, but it's a longshot to be sure. On the global stage, Honor was nowhere to be seen in Q1 2023. Will Honor be able to win over a noticeable number of iPhone fans in China anytime soon? I rather doubt it. While it was interesting to listen to Honor's CEO express his company's daydreams at recent events, for now, that's all they are. Though to their credit, they did get one thing right. It will take a "MagicOS" to take on Apple's deep iOS and ecosystem in China. Just not theirs. Vodafone Egypt and Telecom Egypt (WE) have started offering free phone calls and SMS to Sudan for three days and one week respectively amid the deadly clashes that have wracked the neighbouring country since mid-April. WE said in a Facebook statement that it would allow free landline calls to Sudan for a week starting Friday so that people can check on their families and beloved ones. Meanwhile, Vodafone Egypt started offering free calls and SMS to and from Sudan for three days starting Thursday, said the company. This comes as Egypt has stepped up its evacuation of thousands of its citizens from Sudan amid the ongoing clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that have killed more than 400 people and injured thousands others. Over the past week, Egypt has evacuated more than 5,300 of its own citizens from Sudan out of 10,000 citizens, half of which are students, according to the Egyptian governments figures. Egypt has also taken in over 16,000 foreign nationals, including 14,000 Sudanese citizens and 2,000 nationals from 50 states and six international organisations, as of Thursday, the foreign ministry said. Egypts Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on its citizens in Sudan to head to the Egyptian Consulate General in Port Sudan, or the Arqeen or Qustul border crossings. In a statement Friday, the ministry said that its consular sector's operations room continues to receive phone calls from the citizens at home and abroad around the clock on the following numbers: 01281943533 - 01283176900 - 01281943599 - 01283176913 - 01283176857 - 01283176881 - 01283176903 - 01283176894 - 01281943990 - 01283176866. Search Keywords: Short link: The first edition of LAINE Foundations Start-up Workshop was organised under the theme: Understanding the Core Strategic Choices Facing Start-ups in Ghana. The event sponsored by LAINE HR, Innovate Workspaces, and LADL Patisserie, was held on Friday, 21st April 2023 at Innovate Workspaces, Adabraka. Delivering the welcome address, Mr. James Laar, the Managing Director of LAINE HR said: Starting a business is no easy task. It takes hard work, dedication, and a clear understanding of the strategic choices that must be made to succeed. And for start-ups in Ghana, these choices are especially critical, as the landscape can be challenging to navigate. This workshop is aimed at helping entrepreneurs understand these strategic choices and equipping them with the tools they need to make informed decisions for their businesses. He also entreated attendees to take advantage of the event to meet new people, exchange ideas, and build a support network. In her keynote address, Ms. Anne Ethel Komlaga, Executive Director, Enterprise Bureau shared some statistics on the contributions of start-ups to Ghanas economy. She said, SMEs also make up 70-90% of African Economies; contribute 70% of its GDP; supply about 80% of its Jobs; cater to the lower end of the majority of its population, hold the potential for poverty reduction and development of African economies, and achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). She also urged Start-up Founders to research local markets and customer needs, utilize the right technology, network, and build relationships in order to grow their businesses. Delivering the second keynote address, Mr. Reginald Sakitey, Internal Auditor of LAINE HR shared with participants the importance of taxation and financial management for start-ups. On financial management, he advised employees to not run out of money, and to do this, they [entrepreneurs] need to prepare a budget, complete with projected inflows and pay-outs, and stick to it. Speaking on taxation, he advised entrepreneurs to have a compliance mentality, avoid penalties and avoid closure. Attendees took advantage of the Q & A session to ask very relevant questions and solicit advice from the speakers on some problems their start-ups were facing. Answering a question on accessing governmental funds, Mr. Sakitey advised entrepreneurs to exercise patience during fund application processes and endeavour to make regular follow-ups during the process. L'AINE Foundation is a registered not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation which supports entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs in the Ghanaian urban and local communities. The Foundation believes entrepreneurship is a powerful force for change in the developing world. This change will help reduce poverty, create jobs, and foster sustainable development in our local communities. The next power-packed edition of LAINE Foundations start-up workshop will be held during the second quarter of 2023. Visit www.lainefoundation.org learn more about LAINE Foundation and follow them across social media platforms to get updates. 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 Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng aka Asabee has called on Ghanaians, particularly traditional authorities, to assist his ministry in resolving the countrys mounting chieftaincy issues. According to him, chieftaincy issues are serious business, and therefore, he needs prayers and spiritual protection to serve as a minister. Speaking at a maiden meeting with members of the Central Regional House of Chiefs (CRHC), Mr. Boateng said spiritual support and prayers from chiefs could assist him deal with the numerous chieftaincy problems. The minister revealed that chieftaincy disputes accounted for roughly 70% of the countrys national security issues, adding that if there are areas of contention, development will stall, while the nation would spend more to try to separate the warring factions, sometimes even families. It is something that concerns me, and I intend to work very hard to reduce the chieftaincy issue significantly, he noted. The minister stated that, while he lacks the power to eliminate chieftaincy issues, he has the humility to go and talk to those involved. He used the occasion to urge chiefs to preserve their dignity by avoiding actions that could cause dissension in their communities while upholding law and order. He announced a master plan by his government to reduce the number of chieftaincy disputes that have plagued the nation to a bare minimum. On behalf of the chiefs, President of the Central Regional House Chiefs and Paramount Chief of Breman Traditional Area, Odeefo Amoakwa Buadu VIII, congratulated Mr. Asamoah Boateng on his new appointment. He said Nananom have confidence in Asamoah Boateng to improve the chieftaincy institution, adding, We are already aware of the effort you are making to find lasting solutions to protracted chieftaincy disputes within the country. 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 The government is expected to raise US$ 6.3 billion (about GH82 billion) by 2030 from the domestic financial market to implement its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) on climate change. The funds will be used to support the implementation of the revised 34 mitigation and adaptation mechanisms submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The government also intends to raise US$ 3.7 billion and US$ 1.7 billion from the commercial market and corporate social responsibility. It will commit US$ 1.4 billion of the national budget to domestic financing needs. This was disclosed at a stakeholders engagement on the Prospects of Climate Finance in Ghana Under the Current Fiscal Crisis. Vice Dean, Office of Research, Innovation and Consultancy, University of Mines and Technology, Dr. Frank Boateng said apart from the oil and gas investment of US$ 14.2 billion, climate financing inflows to Ghana from 2011 to 2019 were US$ 1.3 billion. Grants and loans constituted about 91.1 percent of the total climate finance inflows over the period. The private sector and private foundations contributed 1.43 percent, indicating a low domestic contribution to climate financing inflows. He pointed out that escalating public debt, low government revenue mobilization, and changing donor priorities have rendered national budget support, grants, and loans the least reliable alternatives in the long run he stated. Dr. Boateng recalled that in 2019, the government established the SDG Delivery and Green Funds to raise capital to support the NDCs implementation. The government expects the private sector to contribute about US$ 100 million to the SDG Delivery Fund and US$ 200 million to the Green Fund. This will complement state-side efforts to address the financing gap. Apart from the threats of the climate crisis (drought, food insecurity, and energy insecurity), Ghana can potentially miss SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 12 (Climate Action) if the country fails to raise the requisite investment from now to 2030 he added. 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 Rival factions of Sudan's military agreed to renew a three-day ceasefire, shortly before it was due to expire. The extension - for another 72 hours - follows intensive diplomatic efforts by neighbouring countries, as well as the US, UK and UN. But there are continuing reports of heavy fighting in the capital Khartoum. The previous truce allowed thousands of people to attempt to flee to safety, while dozens of countries have tried to evacuate their citizens. Almost two weeks of fighting between the army and a rival paramilitary group have left hundreds dead. The ceasefire had been expected to end at midnight local time (22:00 GMT on Thursday). Early on Thursday evening the Sudanese regular army agreed to an extension, and its rival the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) followed suit hours later. South Sudan has offered to host peace talks, and the army has agreed to send representatives to the talks. Despite the bitter past and years of conflict that led to South Sudan's separation from Sudan in 2011, the two nations now enjoy cordial relations. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was "very actively working" to extend the truce, adding that while imperfect it had reduced violence. But White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre later said the situation could worsen at any moment. On Friday, a Turkish military plane on an evacuation mission was shot at as it was landing at an airport outside Khartoum. No-one was injured and the RSF denied accusations by the army that it was involved. Meanwhile the RSF and eyewitnesses said the army had been pounding its positions in Khartoum. The foreign minister in the former civilian government, Maryam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, told the BBC from her home in Khartoum that despite the ceasefire, civilians were still living in fear. "What they call a truce has nothing to do with what is happening," she told BBC Radio Four's World Tonight programme. "The bombardment by the aeroplanes is taking place almost all day and night." Fighting has also been reported in the western Darfur region and other provinces. At least 512 people have been killed in the fighting and almost 4,200 injured, although the real number of deaths could be much higher. The World Health Organization said it expected there to be "many more" deaths due to outbreaks of disease and a lack of services. Health officials say most hospitals in conflict areas are not functioning, and more than 60% of health facilities in Khartoum are inactive. David Miliband, the head of the International Rescue Committee and former British foreign secretary, said the international community was in danger of neglecting the wider crisis in Sudan in the rush to evacuate foreign nationals. "The fact that for the last 10 days pretty much all the media coverage and the vast bulk of political attention has been on getting out thousands of people and not on the need to tend to millions of people really sticks in the gullet," he told the BBC. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Turkish evacuation plane coming into land at an airbase outside Sudan's capital, Khartoum, has been fired at, Turkey's defence ministry confirms. No one was injured and it landed safely at Wadi Seidna, where it was being checked. Sudan's army blamed paramilitary fighters for firing at the aircraft and damaging its fuel system. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) denied the allegation, saying it was committed to the extended humanitarian truce. The rival military factions agreed to an extension of their ceasefire at midnight local time (22:00 GMT on Thursday) for a further three days. It has had only a limited effect, with army jets continuing to pound RSF positions in Khartoum during the night. The previous truce allowed thousands of people to attempt to flee to safety, while dozens of countries organised evacuations. Turkey's defence minister said efforts would continue to rescue Turkish citizen from Wadi Seidna and the city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast. Since the clashes began 14 days ago, hundreds of people have been killed and tens of thousands forced from their homes. The fighting is devastating the capital and its surroundings - which until recently had a population of around 10 million - leaving people without supplies of food, water and fuel. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Overlord of Ashanti Kingdom, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II will on Saturday, May 6, 2023 join world leaders to attend the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty The Queen Consort in London, United Kingdom. Otumfuo Osei Tutu and his wife, Lady Julia, have been invited to the event that will take place at Westminster Abbey for what is expected to be a feast of pageantry marking the first coronation in over 70 years. "Before the Coronation, Otumfuo Asantehene and Lady Julia will be received by King Charles in private audience at Buckingham Palace on May 4, 2023. They will also attend the King's official reception for overseas guests on May 5, 2023," a statement issued by Otumfuo's Chief of Staff, Kofi Badu said. Read full statement below: Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dennis Miracles Aboagye has slammed former Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng for accusing the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah of sabotaging his efforts against galamsey. Professor Frimpong-Boateng, who is also a former Minister for Environment and Technology, accused the Information Minister of orchestrating a plot to bring him down while he was working to fight against the illegal mining menace. Mr. Oppong Nkrumah, in reply, has denied all the claims and expressed disappointment in Professor Frimpong-Boateng, saying "over the years, I had nothing but great admiration for Prof Boatengs public spirited works and as an inspirational citizen. I feel gravely offended over the false claims he has made and the hurtful conclusions he has sought to exact about me precisely because of the great esteem in which I have held him. I trust that in the coming months and years he will reflect deeply upon his own actions and comments which have led to his challenges. He should kindly leave me out of his personal fights". "I am utterly disappointed but I forgive him," he added. Discussing the matter during Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Dennis Miracles corroborated the Information Minister's denial of any wrongdoing purported by Professor Frimpong-Boateng. He stated emphatically that "if you want MPs actively involved in the fight of galamsey in his area, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah is among them". The Director of Local Government Services at the Office of the President noted that the claims made by Professor Frimpong-Boateng against the Mr. Oppong Nkrumah are not just untrue but also something he (Frimpong-Boateng) isn't saying he personally knows or experienced but rather basing the claims on hearsay. He wondered why Professor Frimpong-Boateng would level such serious allegations against the Information Minister just because he received information from someone who claims to have also been told on phone by another person that Mr. Oppong Nkrumah had mobilized media persons to smear his (Frimpong-Boateng) reputation. "How do you even pick a pen and a paper and try to impugn Kojo?...How do you come and try to even create an impression that Kojo Oppong Nkrumah was trying to sabotage your work...?", he fumed. 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 It seemed like any other Saturday night in 1984 to then-14-year-old Julie Macho. She arrived at her familys East Windsor, New Jersey, home, saw her 19-year-old sister Donnas car parked outside and went to the basement to hang out with her older sibling. They watched scary movies for hours until 2 a.m., when Julie went upstairs to bed on Cherry Brook Lane. I had a great three hours of being her sister, now-married Julie Burger told NJ Advance Media. I just wish I had stayed with her. It was the last time anyone from Donna Machos family saw her alive. Their mother, Betty, and stepfather, Garland, were asleep upstairs. Burger said she never heard any commotion coming from the basement apartment. To this day, Burger doesnt know what happened that night, only that a decades-long nightmare began the following morning - on Feb. 26, 1984 - when they realized Macho was gone and something was wrong. The unknown is so destructive, Burger said, reflecting on a crime that not only took her sister, but contributed to the deaths of her mother, stepfather and older sister Toni. It destroyed my family, the searching, the looking, the wondering. I lost my family and I lost my future. Investigators soon found Machos blood-stained car about a mile away, but 11 tortured years passed before her skeletal remains were discovered in April 1995, wrapped in a carpet in a wooded area near a Cranbury farm, not far from where the car was recovered. We hired private investigators, trackers, psychics, Burger said of the familys effort to find the killer. We spent all the money we had. We still thought that somehow, maybe she was still alive. Maybe she was just hurt, or somebody was holding her. Burger, who has since moved to Texas, has never before spoken publicly about the tragedy that took her sister and ravaged her family. From left, Julie, Donna and their mother, Betty Macho in an undated family photo.Photo provided by Julie Burger New Jersey authorities announced Wednesday they had identified her killer after nearly 40 years of mystery. Advanced DNA analysis of semen found in Donna Machos basement was matched to Nathaniel Harvey, a convicted killer who had spent time on New Jerseys death row and died in prison three years ago. Burger got a call months ago informing her of the DNA match. Matthew Norton, an investigator with the Mercer County prosecutors office, told her Harvey had been confirmed as her sisters killer. She said it brought her some measure of closure to erase the uncertainty after all these years, but anger soon followed. I was relieved it was going to be closed, but so mad, Burger said. Mad I didnt stay and help her fight, mad he could invade our home so easily. Mad he was not in jail. Mad he was dead! He never had to pay for this. Harvey had been locked up since 1985, a year after Machos killing, when he was charged with the rape and murder of a 37-year-old Plainsboro woman, Irene Schnaps. Over the years, Harvey had been questioned numerous times by police investigating the Macho murder. But there were other suspects as well, and Harveys DNA tests in the 1980s and 90s had proven inconclusive. Harveys attorney, Eric Kleiner, has long held that his client didnt kill anyone, and Harvey was still fighting his conviction in the Schnaps killing when he died in prison in November of 2020. Harvey stood trial in 1986 and was convicted of rape and murder in the Schnaps case. On appeal, Harvey claimed he was never given his Miranda rights when questioned by police, and the New Jersey Supreme Court overturned the conviction. Nathaniel Harvey died in a state prison last month at the age of 70. He was awaiting his third trial in the killing of a woman in 1985. Harvey maintained his innocence for more than three decades. (Star-Ledger file photo) In 1994, Harvey stood trial again and was convicted, then sentenced to death. New Jersey abolished the death penalty in 2007 and he appealed once again. The case eventually went to the state Supreme Court, which ordered new DNA testing, and in 2015 Harvey won the right to a third trial on the Schnaps murder. He was 70 and awaiting that trial when he died. Kleiner said this week he couldnt comment because he hadnt seen the DNA test results. Burger, however, said she is relieved that her sisters killer has been named. Harvey was living in East Windsor at the time that Macho disappeared. Authorities said he had worked at the farm where Machos body was found. When all is said and done, his DNA is there, she said, adding she knew Harvey had long been on a short list of suspects. Then I cant see how it could be anyone else who did it. If the DNA is in our house, then he did it. Still questions remain about that fateful night. Was he in the house the whole time? When did he get in? I just dont know, she said. What haunts her most, she said, is her belief that she could have stopped the killer. Burger said her sister was supposed to work at a law firm the Sunday she disappeared, so it wasnt surprising when she wasnt around the house in the day. But when she didnt come home for dinner, her mother grew worried and went downstairs to check the apartment. Burger said there were things were strewn about Donnas normally tidy apartment, clear signs there had been a struggle. When her mother found a pile of blood-stained clothes, she called police. Burger said the trauma took an immediate toll on the family. Her stepfather died six months after Donna disappeared. Burger moved to Texas with her mother in 1987, but their storage unit was burglarized, and all their possessions, including family photos, mementos and 16 boxes of files regarding the investigation, were stolen. Her mother died in 1990, and her older sister, Toni, died a few years later. They died before Donnas body was discovered. Theres something worse than death, and thats a missing child, Burger said. When you have missing child, theres no moving on. Burger said she promised her mother on her deathbed that she would stay on the case, and in the later 1990s, she reached out to Harveys attorney hoping to talk to the man. I said, let me talk to him, but he wouldnt let me do that, she said. In Texas, Burger said she gradually rebuilt her life, got married and raised three kids, while always hoping for a break in the case. Now 54 years old, shes a grandmother, and an elected official who serves on council in the town of New Fair View, where she lives. Burger said she periodically would check in with law enforcement in New Jersey to see if there were any new developments in the case. Shes also kept in touch with people in East Windsor through the Hightstown High Memorial page on Facebook to keep the investigation alive. Im glad the case is closed, and it was him, she said. But I feel he got away with it. With the investigation over, Burger was finally able to obtain her sisters remains. She was now able to give her sister a proper burial in the family niche. She recalled the moment when her husband picked up the remains, and while leaving the funeral home, a ladybug flew on this arm. They took pictures and posted them online. I felt like that was Donna reaching out to us, she said. Richard Cowen may be reached at rcowen@njadvancemedia.com. More: Justice for central Pa. woman beheaded in Phoenix as zombie hunter killer found guilty 30 years later PHILADELPHIA (AP) Three people were killed and another injured in a shooting in a Philadelphia residential neighborhood Friday, authorities said. It wasnt immediately known what spurred the shooting, which was reported around 3:35 p.m., or how many shooters may have been involved. Responding officers found one victim on the front porch of a house and another just inside the home, while the third victim was on the sidewalk, authorities said. All three were pronounced dead at the scene, and their names have not been released. The wounded victim was taken to a hospital by an unknown person, authorities said, and was listed in critical condition. Their name and further details on their injuries were not disclosed. Police found a gun at the scene but did not say if it was used in the shooting. Authorities said they were looking for those responsible for the shooting, but did not provide further details. No arrests have been made. READ MORE: 5-year-old child, more than 20 animals removed from unsafe Pa. house: reports Egypt has ramped up the preparedness of hospitals in its southern governorates to provide medical support to Egyptians, Sudanese and other foreign nationals fleeing Sudan. The move comes as Egypt has been evacuating its citizens from Sudan amid the ongoing clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces that have resulted in the deaths of over 400 people and injured thousands others. Egypt's Ministry of Health announced on Friday that medical teams have been deployed to air, land and sea crossings to test arrivals from Sudan for infectious diseases. Each entrant is handed a health monitoring card that includes their residence in Egypt and a telephone number to follow up on their health condition for two weeks from arrival. The ministry has established a database to track all patients arriving from Sudan and has raised surveillance in quarantine clinics at all land, sea, and air ports nationwide. The ministry has also increased the number of medical staff and is providing additional medicines and medical supplies at these crossings. The ministry has stationed five ambulances with self-sterilisation systems at each of the Aqeen and Qustul crossings between Egypt and Sudan. Additionally, the ministry has increased the number of mobile clinics at the crossings from five to 10. The ministry has also sent additional doctors of all specialties to the hospitals in Aswan and neighbouring governorates. According to Amr Qandil, deputy minister of health and population for preventive medicine, a total of 35 patients among the arrivals from Sudan have been transferred to hospitals. Two of them are in the intensive care units, while the other 24 have already left the hospitals after their health conditions improved. The ministry announced that it has vaccinated 487 children under 15 years of age against polio and 197 children under six years of age against measles, mumps and rubella. The number of preventive medicine teams in Aswan and border areas has doubled, Qandil said, adding that the ministry has taken strict measures to minimise rodents and other disease vectors. Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on its citizens in Sudan to head to the Egyptian Consulate General in Port Sudan, or the Arqeen or Qustul border crossings. The ministry has set up an operations room that continues to receive phone calls from citizens at home and abroad around the clock. As of Thursday, Egypt has taken in over 16,000 foreign nationals, including 14,000 Sudanese citizens and 2,000 nationals from 50 states and six international organisations. Search Keywords: Short link: WILLIAMSPORT -- Homicide and other charges have been withdrawn against a woman accused of luring a Philadelphia man to a location in Williamsport where he was fatally shot in 2020. The need to conduct a further investigation in light of new information is the reason Lycoming County First Assistant District Attorney Martin Wade gave for withdrawing the charges against Shakya Aiyona El, 21, of Williamsport on Friday. No one has been charged in the shooting of Amir Nobles, 27, but a suspect has been identified, he said. The further investigation by city police is expected to result in charges being filed against that individual and refiled against El, he said. El had been held without bail on charges of homicide, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, aggravated assault, and criminal use of a communications device. She was accused of luring Nobles to the 300 block of Bridge Street where he was ambushed, and conspiring with individuals who orchestrated and carried out the shooting. Cell phone records showed they had exchanged 46 messages between 1:10 and 3:21 a.m. on April 6, 2020, a police affidavit states. City police were dispatched at 3:23 a.m. and found Nobles shot in the head in the drivers side front seat of an SUV that had come to rest against a structure. The investigation revealed Nobles was an associate of the 16th Street and Tasker Street gang while El was affiliated with the 234 gang, both in Philadelphia, police said. Nobles was a suspect in a homicide and other shootings in Philadelphia, police had said in 2020. It was determined two weapons of different calibers were involved in the Bridge Street shooting, police said. Multiple bullet strikes were observed on the SUV and expelled bullets and casings were found in the passenger area, a search warrant affidavit states. Nobles had no known ties to Williamsport other than dealing drugs, police said at the time of the shooting. El, who had been arraigned on Feb. 28, was taken into custody in Lancaster where she had pleaded guilty earlier in the day to possession of a small amount of marijuana. SUNBURY -- A state Superior Court panel has affirmed the conviction and sentence of a former state prison guard found to have raped and kidnapped women in three counties between 2012 and 2017. The panel Friday concluded issues raised on appeal by John E. Kurtz, 47, of Shamokin, lacked merit and found his 2021 sentence of 59 to 280 years was not excessive. Kurtz was found guilty on 43 counts in a trial that consolidated cases from Northumberland, Columbia, and Montour counties, also. The court panel rejected errors he claimed the trial court made that included the admission of evidence obtained by invalid search warrants and not severing the three cases. Kurtz claimed his sentence was excessive because the judge failed to take into account several mitigating factors including his untreated psycho-sexual paraphilic disorder, lack of a prior criminal record, and his prior military service. He argued the sentence resulted in a larger punishment than imposed in homicide cases, it was essentially a life sentence without parole and as such violated the prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. In rejecting that argument, the panel found Kurtz had not shown an inference his sentence was grossly disproportionate to the crimes of which he was convicted. It pointed out he was charged with offenses related to five attempted or completed rapes and kidnappings over five years in which late at night he entered a residence, surprised his victims, and gagged and bound them. Kurtz was found guilty of raping and kidnapping or attempting to rape and kidnap five women along with counts that included aggravated and simple assault, burglary, unlawful restraint and false imprisonment. Victims testified during the eight-day trial about their ordeals of being bound, kidnapped, and raped. Jurors were shown a video of a state police interview during which Kurtz admitted to the rapes and said he searched for rape fantasies on the Internet. Kurtz, who police called a serial rapist, was arrested on Dec. 17, 2017, when he arrived for work at the state prison in Coal Twp. and has been in jail since. RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) A Southern California man accused of killing three teenage boys by intentionally ramming their car after they played a doorbell-ringing prank on him was found guilty Friday of murder. Anurag Chandra was convicted in a Riverside County courtroom of three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. The murder of these young men was a horrendous and senseless tragedy for our community. I thank the jury for their verdict. This is an important step toward justice, county District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in a statement. Chandras attorney, David Wohl, did not immediately return a request for comment Friday. The victims, who were all 16 years old, were among six teens inside a Toyota Prius on Jan. 19, 2020, when Chandra intentionally rammed their vehicle off the road and fled, prosecutors said. The Prius driver lost control and the sedan slammed into a tree in Temescal Valley, about 60 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The friends had dared one boy to either jump into a pool at night or play ding dong ditch. Chandra, who didnt know the teens, testified at trial that one of the boys rang his doorbell and exposed his buttocks before running away, according to The Riverside Press-Enterprise. Chandra testified that he followed because he feared for his familys safety and wanted to express his anger. He said he was extremely, extremely mad from the prank. Chandra also testified that he drank 12 beers in the hours before the crash, the newspaper reported. He said he did not plan to crash into the Prius and testified that he did not stop after rear-ending the sedan because he did not realize anyone had been injured even though he admitted under cross-examination that he had been driving 99 mph before the crash. The crash killed Daniel Hawkins of Corona; Drake Ruiz of Corona; and Jacob Ivascu of Riverside, according to the Riverside County coroners office. Sergio Campusano was the Prius 18-year-old driver at the time. He and then-13-year-olds Joshua Hawkins and Joshua Ivascu survived the crash. They testified at the trial and were in the courtroom when the verdict was read. Chandra already was facing criminal charges in connection with domestic violence allegations in 2020 when the killings occurred. More: New details emerge on crash that killed central Pa. high school football player Man who mocked, punched person with cerebral palsy dies in crash while being chased by police Acclaimed author David Sedaris will give an in-person reading and sign copies of his new book, Happy Go-Lucky, at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg this summer. The event will take place at 7 p.m. June 7. Tickets are $21 and can be purchased online. Only standing room tickets are currently available. Every ticket includes a signed paperback copy of Happy Go-Lucky. Additional copies of his books will be available for purchase. Sedaris will deliver a presentation, answer questions from the audience, and sign copies of his books afterward. Video and photos are not allowed. A regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine, Sedaris has won the Thurber Prize for American Humor, the Jonathan Swift International Literature Prize for Satire and Humor, and the Terry Southern Prize for Humor. His previous books include Me Talk Pretty One Day and Lets Explore Diabetes With Owls. READ MORE: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead to speak in Harrisburg By KEVIN McGILL, The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) He is a senior at 16. His grade point average is 4.98. Even before graduating from high school, he has earned 27 college credits and, perhaps the most impressive numbers of all, he has scholarship offers from around 130 colleges and universities that, as of Thursday, totaled more than $9 million. Dennis Maliq Barnes achievements at the International High School of New Orleans are a source of pride for school administrators who are looking into whether Barnes has set a record for scholarship offers. But it wasnt a record he was looking for as he piled up around 200 applications to colleges around the nation. It was about making sure he had plenty of options. I just kept going forward, kept applying, kept applying to different schools that I thought would even remotely interest me, he said in an interview occasionally interrupted by the rumble of streetcars rolling by outside as he sat in the urban charter schools computer room. His plan is to major in computer science as an undergraduate. But he also said he has done work as an intern at the Louisiana State Bar Association the offices are a short walk from the high school campus and that has him thinking about law school. He credits a strong Christian religious faith as part of his success. He also gives a lot of credit to Denise James, the schools college admissions counselor. James and Head of School Adierah Berger both describe Barnes as a leader and an example to other students including the schools English language learners. Denise James, high school college counselor for Dennis Maliq Barnes, waits with Clark Castle, a communications consultant. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)AP Hes a great translator, James says of Barnes, who is fluent in Spanish. They do not have to ask him. If he sees that they need assistance, he will offer assistance and just take over. Barnes, born and raised in New Orleans, hasnt determined how far from home his college journey will take him. If, after weighing his offers, he finds that something close to home will fit his needs, he will stay in the area. But Barnes is intrigued by the idea of going farther away. I would love to see something new, he said. More: Hero student takes control of school bus after driver faints By AMY BETH HANSON, Associated Press HELENA, Mont. (AP) Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill Friday to ban gender-affirming medical care for young transgender people the battle over which ended with the removal of a transgender lawmaker from the House floor. Montana is one of at least 15 states with laws to ban such care despite protests from the families of transgender youth that the care is essential. Debate over Montanas bill drew national attention after Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr told lawmakers they would have blood on their hands if they passed the bill. House Speaker Matt Regier refused to let Zephyr speak on the House floor until she apologized. She has not. On Monday, Zephyr stood defiantly on the House floor with her microphone raised as protesters shouted Let her speak, disrupting House proceedings for at least 30 minutes. Zephyr was then banned from the House and its gallery and voted on bills from a bench in the hallway outside the House on Thursday and Friday. Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Montana have said they would file a court challenge against the ban, which is set to take effect on Oct. 1, starting a five-month clock in which Montana youth can try to find a way to work around the ban or to transition off of hormone treatment. This bill is an overly broad blanket ban that takes decisions that should be made by families and physicians and puts them in the hands of politicians, the Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics has said. Gianforte signaled his willingness to sign the bill on April 17 when he offered some amendments to make it clear that public funds could not be used to pay for hormone blockers, cross-sex hormones or surgical procedures. The bill protects Montana children from permanent, life-altering medical procedures until they are adults, mature enough to make such serious decisions, Gianforte wrote in his letter accompanying the amendments. Debate over the amendments led Zephyr to admonish supporters the following day. Under the law, health professionals who provide care banned by the measure could have their medical licenses suspended for at least a year. They could also be sued in the 25 years following a banned procedure if a patient suffers physical, psychological, emotional or physiological harm. Physicians could not hold malpractice insurance against such lawsuits. The law also prohibits public property and employees from being involved in gender-affirming treatment. During hours of emotional committee hearings, opponents testified that hormone treatments, and in some cases, surgery, are evidence-based care, supported by numerous medical associations and can be life-saving for someone with gender dysphoria the clinically significant distress or impairment caused by feeling that ones gender identity does not match ones biological sex. Parents of transgender children testified that the bill infringed on their parental rights to seek medical care for their children. Opponents also noted that treatments such as puberty blockers and breast reduction surgery would still be legal for minors who are not suffering from gender dysphoria, a difference they argue is unconstitutional. In the letter to legislative leaders accompanying his proposed amendments, Gianforte said he met with transgender residents, understands that their struggles are real and said Montanans who struggle with gender identity deserve love, compassion and respect. Thats not what trans Montanans need from you, Zephyr said as the House considered his amendments. We need access to the medical care that saves our lives. Forcing a transgender child to go through puberty is tantamount to torture, Zephyr said. This was the second legislative session in which Sen. John Fuller brought the bill to ban gender-affirming care for transgender children. In 2021, when he was a member of the House, he brought a bill to ban surgical and hormone treatments for transgender children, which was voted down. He brought a second bill to ban surgical treatments which was also rejected. He was successful in 2021 in passing a bill to ban transgender females from participating in girls and womens sports. The part of the bill that applied to colleges was ruled unconstitutional. A Lancaster County man has been charged with eight felonies related to child pornography. Joshua Lapp, 28, of West Earl Township, had child pornography-related videos and images on laptops, desktop computers, and cellphones that detectives seized from a home on Meadow View Drive, according to West Earl Township Police. District Judge Jonathan Heisse arraigned Lapp on charges of manufacturing child pornography, possession of child pornography, unlawful contact with a minor, criminal use of a communication facility and corruption of minors. Heisse set bail to $25,000, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 8. READ MORE: Central Pa. police looking for Sunday homicide suspect Vehicle crashes kill fewer motorists, but pedestrian deaths remain high in Pa. Charges withdrawn against Pa. woman accused of luring victim to site of fatal shooting York City Police are looking for a 20-year-old thought to have been involved in a Sunday shooting. Detectives have a warrant for 20-year-old Kamron Dowsey for killing Olajuwan Brabham. Officers arrived at the 400 block of Salem Ave. on Sunday to find Brabham suffering from multiple gunshot injuries. Brabham later died in an area hospital. Anyone with information on the homicide or Dowseys location should call York City Police Department at (717) 849-2204, or can submit an anonymous tip at their Crimewatch page. READ MORE: Pa. man sentenced for threatening President Biden, congressman, federal judge Felony charges dismissed against man whose pranks endangered others at Pa. hospital Pa. city is removed from distressed municipality status after 30 years We know that Mike Pence believes in keeping his word. When it comes to upholding his oath of office, the former Vice President has already demonstrated that he is capable of honor even in the most difficult circumstances. During the mayhem of the January 6 Capitol riots, he was the target of the unruly mob a mob that was incited by his own boss the former President of the United States. In the searing videos released by the January 6 Congressional Committee, we saw rabid MAGA rioters storming the Capitol with a clear mission of finding Mike Pence so they could drag him out to their home-made gallows and hang him. One clip showed Pence and his family one or two steps ahead of the mob as they were escorted to the safety of the Capitol basement. In one of the most dramatic moments of the January 6 saga, Pence refused to get into his Secret Service driven limousine because he had work to do. Pence stood his ground so that he could return to the floor of the U.S. Senate to certify the election of the new President of the United States. It was his duty. It was a responsibility that he had sworn to fulfill when he took the oath of office to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States. On that day, Mike Pence was a national hero. Two years later, as the wheels of justice grind on following the insurrection, Mike Pence is again under oath. Once again, he sustained withering attacks from the ex-President and his minions who urged and threatened him not to testify before the grand jury convened by the Department of Justice. Pence was hesitant at first but found himself in a Washington court room under subpoena to share what he knew about January 6. Reports are that Pence spent over five hours in his first session with the grand jury. That is plenty of time to pry some facts out of the man who had the second mostdirect knowledge of what emanated from the Oval Office that day. After all, we already know that the former President was less than subtle in browbeating his Vice President that fateful morning. Ivanka Trump herself has testified that her father yelled loudly at Pence to insist that he disrupt the certification process. Youll go down as a wimp, the president told the vice president. Now, the former Vice President could share details about what he knew about the plan. Note that Pence has already opined on that scheme in remarks at the Gridiron Club: President Trump was wrong. I had no right to overturn the electionhis reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable. In addition, Pence may have had first-hand knowledge about the plot to substitute fake electors in key states and could shed light on the role that the ex-president and his advisors played in that scheme. He could also share what other legal and illegal actions the ex-president took to hold onto power. What does he know about the calls to elected officials in states like Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania? Did he hear the president and his chief of staff demand that election officials simply find some votes so that he could ignore the will of the 81 million people who cast a solid majority vote for Joe Biden? Grand jury proceedings occur behind closed doors and it is unlikely that we will hear the specifics of Mike Pences testimony anytime soon. It is also true that he is now a rival of Donald Trumps for the Republican nomination in 2024. We do not know how this will color his comments in private or public. Pence can determine the entire demeanor of the presidential race based on his testimony. He can choose to be truthful and let the justice system run its course, or he can obfuscate and hide behind legal maneuverings to avoid a confrontation with the bully who continues to whipsaw the Republican party. What we all hope for is the same patriotic spirit that allowed Pence to stand up to an autocrat who was spinning out of control two years ago. If Mike Pence tells us the truth, he will be able to fill in some important blanks for us. We know that Pence understands the concept of duty and honor. He needs to demonstrate those traits again. Mark S. Singel is a former Democratic Governor and Acting Governor of Pennsylvania. It was definitely eye opening, said Newport sophomore Naia Caudle, a student participating in the Perry County High School Citizens Police Academy. You only see so much through the news and the TV, but this is a first-hand experience to be able to see what they do and hear it from (the troopers) what they actually do. The Citizens Police Academy is an annual program hosted by the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop H of Newport, which gives Perry County high school students the opportunity to interact with law enforcement, with the goal of broadening their potential career horizons to include jobs in law enforcement. The program began Feb. 22, with graduation on April 19. Citizens Police Academy is a free, eight-week interactive program where students get the opportunity to learn about the Pennsylvania State Police, reads a flyer that was posted in high schools. Participants will study with troopers in various roles within the department, such as canine handlers, criminal investigators, crash reconstruction specialists, forensic scientists, intelligence analysts and more. All of the county schools are invited to have students attend, said Karen Smith, career coordinator for Newport High School. This year, we have students from Greenwood, West Perry and Newport. The students are given permission by parents, and school districts are completely supportive of the program. The purpose from the school district side is to engage students in a meaningful career experience that really gives a deep dive into law enforcement careers, specifically Pennsylvania State troopers and all of the amazing careers associated in the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association. Its just not troopers, its everything from accounting to human services, clerical staff, crime scene investigation, auto collision investigation. POLICE ACADEMY Troopers and students participating in the Perry County High School Citizens Police Academy are in front of a Pennsylvania State Police cruiser at the Newport barracks. They are (from left, back row) Trooper Alex Ebbert, Naia Caudle, Katlynn Leber, Damon Wright, Brooke Arnold, Ryan Bange, Tyreece Harrison, and Lt. Kenneth Tallman. Taking a knee in the front row are Cassandra Kauffman, Breaze Myers and Karen Smith. (Paul E. Wyatt photo) Smith pointed out that Perry County heavily relies upon state troopers, with the only municipal police department in the county being in Marysville. She believes it is important to familiarize students with troopers, while showing them there are opportunities to serve locally as a law enforcement officer. Each of the eight sessions ran from 8:30 to 11 a.m. and was aimed at showing students different components and fields within the law enforcement field. Students were recruited from between 10th and 12th grades, and teachers were supportive of the program, allowing students to miss classes while they participated. From the perspective of the PSP, the program is geared toward drawing in local youth to become future troopers. Station commander for Troop H, Newport, Lt. Kenneth Tallman said, We have a lot of turnover at the barracks, and my hope is that a couple of these kids want to become troopers and someday work out of the Newport station and to have that local tie to the community. We get candidates from the academy, and they come here for two years, and then they want to go back to their home stations. So, we get them for two years, and then we get a bunch of new troopers. Itd be nice to create some stability within our ranks at the local level here at Newport. Tallman emphasized that the program also worked to provide students with more options in law enforcement than being a uniformed police officer. Our department offers so many opportunities, and thats what some of the presentations have involved. Weve had intel analysts; people from the lab talk to them about career opportunities. At graduation, we have a lot of local presenters from the community, such as the sheriffs office, DAs office, Perry County Probation and Parole, and the 911 center. Not everyone wants to be a uniformed police officer or trooper, but they can contribute to the criminal justice system or to law enforcement in a support capacity. The program was facilitated by Newport School District and was well received by students. I want to thank Karen Smith and the Newport School District for hosting this, allowing me the opportunity to engage these students, Tallman said. Its been wonderful. Its a great group of young kids. Theyve all been engaged. I havent seen one kid sleeping. The Citizens Police Academy is planned to run again next spring, and the students who participated this year encourage their classmates to participate. I would say just consider it, because there are so many career options and you get to experience what the police do, said Katelynn Leber, a junior from West Perry. Even if youre not going to do it, you can still understand what the police do and that theyre humans too, and theyre just trying to do their job. I think people should do this because its a great way to get career options and see it from a completely different perspective, said Ryan Bange, a Newport sophomore. I think it was really interesting getting to see all the different things that they use and do because I didnt know most of it. It was really cool. Students of Bishop McDevitt High School celebrated their senior prom Friday, April 28, 2023, at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel. NEW SUBSCRIBER BENEFIT: This prom season, PennLive is offering a special perk exclusively for subscribers: Login, click on the photo gallery to see if we photographed your favorite prom-goer, and choose Get Photo to download free print-quality images. Plus, get 50% off the purchase of prom-related keepsakes. Hillary Clinton speaks at the Clinton Global Initiative, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, in New York. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, the first woman to run as a major party candidate for United States president, will headline the Liberal Party of Canada's national convention on May 5. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Julia Nikhinson Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) watch a performance as they picket outside Place du Portage in Gatineau, Que., as workers from Canada's largest federal public-service union remain on strike across the country, on Friday, April 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang Press Release April 28, 2023 Villar vows to continue her support to Pinoy farmers Since our farmers still face challenges that need government intervention to move forward, Sen. Cynthia Villar noted that all her legislations were geared to improve their earnings and standard of living. "That is why I made it my goal to uplift the lives of Filipino farmers in every legislations I write," said the chairperson of the Senate committee on food and agriculture. Villar was the Guest Speaker during the 29th Hog Convention and Trade Exhibits with the theme: "The Future of Pork Production: Efficient. Productive. Sustainable." The event held at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City was sponsored by the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. and the Pork Producers Federation of the Phils. Inc. In her speech, Villar related that during the previous years, she had written bills which were passed into law. She said they are now benefiting the farmers. She related that among her priority legislations this 19th Congress is the "Livestock, Poultry and Dairy Development and Competitiveness Act of 2022. "To provide additional support to the livestock, poultry and dairy industry, I am also prioritizing the passage of the "Yellow Corn Industry Development Act of 2022," also said Villar. Both of these bills, she said, are already in the final stages of the Technical Working Group by her committee. This year's Hog Convention aims to show the different facets of the pork industry from introducing the basics of pork production to those interested in the industry to providing new insights and best practices that old-timers may not be aware of. "This three-day event features trade exhibits showcasing the latest in veterinary products, innovative equipment and hog-related services as well as seminars on a variety of topics that can help pork producers elevate their productivity and boost their bottom line," further stated the senator. According to the senator, the hog industry is one of the sectors that was greatly affected by the pandemic. She said this was on top of the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) that crippled many of our hog raisers. "But the industry had remained resilient amid the challenges and bounced back. We slowly recovered in 2022 until we entered 2023," she said. In 2022, pork inputs has increased to 400,000 MT compared to USDA's official data 375,000 MT following the issuance of EO No. 171, Series of 2022. Sen.Villar said that the industry will be better unless ASF recurrence will not be stopped. Villar, tiniyak ang patuloy na suporta sa Pinoy farmers Dahil sa hinaharap na maraming hamon na kailangan ng 'government intervention,' sinabi ni Sen. Cynthia Villar na layunin ng kanyang mga legislation na madagdagan ang kita at maiangat ang buhay ng mga magsasaka. "That is why I made it my goal to uplift the lives of Filipino farmers in every legislation I write," ayon sa chairperson ng Senate committee on food and agriculture. Guest Speaker si Villar sa 29th Hog Convention and Trade Exhibits na may temang: "The Future of Pork Production: Efficient. Productive. Sustainable." Idinaos ang event sa SMX Convention Center, Pasay City. at itinaguyod ng National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. at Pork Producers Federation of the Phils. Inc. Sa kanyang pananalita, sinabi ni Villar na inakda niya noong mga nakaraang taon ang bills na naisabatas na at pinakikinabangan ngayon ng mga magsasaka. Kabilang sa kanyang priority legislations ng 19th Congress ang Livestock, Poultry and Dairy Development and Competitiveness Act of 2022. "To provide additional support to the livestock, poultry and dairy industry, I am also prioritizing the passage of the "Yellow Corn Industry Development Act of 2022," sabi pa ni Villar. Ang bills na ito ay pareho nang nasa final stages ng Technical Working Group ng kanyang komite. Layunin ng Hog Convention sa taong ito ang ipakita ang iba't-ibang mukha ng pork industry simula sa pork production hanggang sa pagbibigay ng bagong kaalaman at best practices. "This three-day event features trade exhibits showcasing the latest in veterinary products, innovative equipment and hog-related services as well as seminars on a variety of topics that can help pork producers elevate their productivity and boost their bottomline," sabi pa ng senador. Ipinahayag din niya na ang hog industry ang isa sa mga sektor na higit na apektado ng pandemya. Bukod pa rito ang pagkalat ng African Swine Fever (ASF) na lumumpo sa maraming hog raisers. "But the industry had remained resilient amid the challenges and bounced back. We slowly recovered in 2022 until we entered 2023," sabi ni Villar. Noong 2022, tumaas ang pork inputs sa 400,000 MT kumpara sa USDA official data na 375,000 MT kasi of ng paglabas ng EO No. 171, Series of 2022. Umaasa si Villar na magiging mabuti ang industriya sa sandaling mahinto ang ASF. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Saturday that Egypts economy is doing well amid the global crises and is capable of fulfilling its financial obligations. The state did not and will not fail to fulfil its obligations. We know our obligations and how to pay them, Madbouly stressed in a press conference after touring several industrial projects in the 10th of Ramadan and New Obour cities. There is full coordination and commitment by the state to pay its obligations, Madbouly said, affirming that Egypt has already paid all its previous dues. Over the past months, the government has been keen to reassure its population amid the global crisis that raised speculations about the countrys ability to withstand the economic pressures and pay its financial obligations amid a shortage in foreign currency. Egypt is stepping up efforts to fulfil its commitments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after it obtained the first $347 million tranche of a new $3 billion loan from the Fund in December. The programmes first review, which sets the stage for Egypt to receive the second tranche, was scheduled on 15 March. However, the review was postponed because the Egyptian side has yet to meet some of the obligations agreed upon. Boosting exports During his tour, Madbouly said the state has prioritised boosting exports and encouraging investment as part of the countrys national security. Starting in July, the system of supporting Egyptian exports will be fully automated, Madbouly announced during the press conference, saving exporters time. He added that exporters will receive their dues in a maximum of three months so that they can benefit from these resources during the same fiscal year. Madbouly also shed light on the export-rebates programme that aims to boost exports, saying it will extend for three years from the start of FY2023/2024 in July. In the first year of the programme, the state will support exports by EGP 30 billion, up from EGP 8 billion in the current fiscal year, despite the global crisis, Madbouly said. The cabinet has also approved the sixth phase of the cash repayment initiative to support exporters with a value of EGP 10 billion for the shipments released by the investors until 31 December last year, Madbouly added. Also, the state has issued 13 golden licenses for investors to encourage private investments and is about to finish examining 45 other requests for the license, Madbouly said. The golden license, issued by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi last year, grants investors approval to buy/rent land and operate projects without having to secure prior permission from multiple government bodies. Madbouly stressed that the Egyptian state relies on the private sector to lead the economy. Reducing unemployment He also spoke about the states infrastructure projects that aim to secure millions of job opportunities for the youth and reduce unemployment, adding that the unemployment rate in Egypt stands at 7.2 percent. The state has been significantly involved in investments and projects to curb unemployment, which amounted to 13 percent in 2013 and could have reached 20 percent today if the state had not intervened. Supporting farmers The premier also shed light on the states efforts to back the agricultural sector and farmers, including by upping the price of local procurement in the 2023 harvest season to EGP 1,500 per ardeb of wheat, up from EGP 1,000 last year. The state has allocated EGP 45 billion to buy wheat from farmers, Madbouly said. Since the Ukraine crisis broke out in February 2022, Egypt has raised the local price several times to encourage farmers to supply wheat to the government in order to meet the citizens demand for bread. Egypt, the worlds top wheat importer, has also been diversifying its wheat import sources since the war broke out, as the country used to rely on both Ukraine and Russia for 80 percent of its wheat imports. Despite the crisis, the cabinet repeatedly stressed that it would continue subsidising the bread for citizens, a position Madbouly reaffirmed during todays press conference. Over decades, the state has continued to provide subsidised bread to citizens for five piastres despite the hike in wheat prices. Egypt consumes 270 million bread loaves on a daily basis and almost 100 billion loaves annually, according to official remarks last year. Search Keywords: Short link: A Small Fire Breaks Out at Horseshoe Las Vegas, Home of World Series of Poker (WSOP) April 29, 2023 Chad Holloway Executive Editor U.S. There was quite the scene at Horseshoe Las Vegas on Friday night as a "small" fire broke out at the home of the World Series of Poker (WSOP). According to local news reports, a fire broke out on the 19th floor of the Horseshoe Las Vegas hotel that caused part of the Las Vegas Strip to shut down as firefighters contained the blaze. In fact, it was reported that 20 fire vehicles and engines, as well as 76 fire personnel, responded to the scene. "Sprinklers were activated which kept the fire contained to a small area, and crews extinguished the remainder of the burning material," Clark County Fire Deputy Chief Billy Samuels stated in a news release. Horseshoe Las Vegas Opens Newly Renovated Poker Room While some people requested medical attention at the scene, no serious injuries were reported, and thankfully no one needed to go to the hospital. "The cause of the fire is under investigation, and no dollar loss amount has been determined," Samuels added. It was a scary situation, however, as the property has experienced a major fire disaster in the past. Back in 1980, when the venue was MGM Grand, it was the site of the deadliest fire in Las Vegas history as 85 victims lost their lives. Mattress Mack, Doyle Brunson, Jack Binion Speak at Horseshoe Las Vegas Grand Opening *Images from KTNV. It Wasn't Hellmuth Back in 2021, 16-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth was at a WSOP final table when he lost a big hand and had a patented meltdown when he controversially said, I think Im gonna burn this f***ing place down if I dont win this f***ing tournament. So, is it possible the Poker Brat actually followed through? The answer is unequivocally no as he was at Hustler Casino Live (HCL) in California losing two buy-ins, while the fire took place at Horseshoe Las Vegas, not the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino where Hellmuth previously made his threat. Still, probably best not to say such things in the future. Sharelines On Friday night, there was a fire at the Horseshoe Las Vegas, home to the World Series of Poker. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Republican strategist Rina Shah said that Ron DeSantis has shown that he knows how to start a fight but not finish it, and we are watching the beginning of the end of his 2024 hopes. Video: Shah said on MSNBC when asked about Disney suing DeSantis: Well, I think with this really revealed is that Ron Desantis knows how to start a fight, but he doesnt know how to finish that fight. And that is the real coreof the matter here is that it Republicans getting very excited, and these are the financier type that were saying Ron is our guy. But what we are slowly seeing now is that he is revealing himself. Weve heard whispers about him in Washington about his short time as a congressman that hes a largely insecure person, who doesnt seem to have any real legislative priorities. Hes had that naked ambition, obviously for the presidency, for which he hasnt even announced the primary. So, what I see here is the beginning of the end for Ron Desantis, and Im just not sure where this is going to take us. Except for leaving him in a spot where hes really not the person who can take Donald Trump, has been talked about widely. And in essence, leading a lot of sure Republicans Im sorry, After Trumpers who are pretty sure that Ron is our guy as a Republican, its leading them to wonder, is this our guy anymore? DeSantiss own donors are calling for a shift in his campaign and a change in strategy because they view what the Florida governor is currently doing as not working. Then there was Britain, where DeSantis got terrible reviews during his meeting with business leaders in London. DeSantis was described to Politico as He had been to five different countries in five days and he definitely looked spent, but his message wasnt presidential. He was horrendous. Who can forget the DeSantis yelp during his overseas trip? NOT. READY. FOR. PRIME. TIME. Desantis melts down today outside the protective bubble of his carefully controlled, scripted FL events. pic.twitter.com/wV4t760Y1d Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 27, 2023 The Never Back Down super PAC that is backing DeSantis released a virtual campaign launch ad that was more Orwellian than motivational: DeSantis doesnt interact with human beings well. The video is an example of his need for distance from people. DeSantis doesnt engage on a personal level. He seems to view the role of voter as one of passive following. The ad ends with people deciding to follow their new leader by putting a DeSantis sign in their front yard and replacing their Trump bumper stick with DeSantis. The video isnt inspirational. It is Fahrenheit 451 level creepy. Ron DeSantis is showing that he is not ready to sit at the adult table in the 2024 presidential election. DeSantis doesnt think that he needs to change his strategy. The Florida governor is probably going to get rolled by Trump. It appears that DeSantis has a presidential campaign that is managing to fail before it starts. Egypt's Minister of International Cooperation, Rania El-Mashat, announced on Saturday that Egypt will host the annual joint meetings of Arab financial institutions next year. "The government is keen on providing a suitable environment for holding these meetings based on the experience of organising international conferences, including Egypt's hosting and presidency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh," El-Mashat stated. "The annual meetings of the joint Arab financial institutions represent an important platform for consultation, exchanging views and experiences, evaluating achievements and enhancing their role in laying the foundations for Arab economic integration and joint action," the minister added. She also pointed out that these meetings act as a driving force in advancing the Arab financial institutions' mission to support sustainable development efforts in Arab countries. Egypt made one of the highest contributions to the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, valued at 183.2 million Kuwaiti dinars. Egypt also contributed US$20 million to the special account for financing small and medium-sized private sector projects in Arab countries and 1.9 million Kuwaiti dinars to the Arab Investment Guarantee Corporation. Search Keywords: Short link: A city official has filed a lawsuit accusing an Aiken County resident of defaming him. Aiken Attorney John Harte filed a lawsuit on behalf of Aiken Economic Development Director Tim O'Briant against Don Moniak and Eureka Research LLC in the Aiken County Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday. O'Briant is a former Aiken Standard editor who became the city's communications manager in 2017. He was later promoted to economic development director. Eureka Research LLC is a South Carolina limited liability company formed Aug. 17, 2022. Moniak is the company's registered agent at an address north of Interstate 20 in Aiken County. O'Briant declined to comment on the lawsuit in a statement sent to the Aiken Standard on Thursday morning. In the statement, he added it was important to note he was pursuing the lawsuit as a private citizen and not in his role as a public employee. Moniak said he had not been served with a copy of the lawsuit and, therefore, had no comment on it. In the complaint, O'Briant accuses Moniak, individually and as an agent of Eureka Research, of slander per se and slander per quod. He said Moniak has engaged in a pattern of harassment and making numerous attempts to publicly damage and harass him without just cause. O'Briant added the pattern of conduct is evidence of actual malice and reckless disregard for the truth. O'Briant specifically cites two examples: an interaction that occurred during and after the April 10 city council meeting and a Feb. 17 email sent to officers and employees of the city. Moniak stated O'Briant had committed a form of identity theft at the end of the April 10 meeting. His statement followed an interaction between them during the meeting and comments made by City Council member Andrea Gregory following that interaction. During the meeting, O'Briant sat directly in front of the media table in the Aiken City Council chambers and Moniak, as is his custom, sat a few rows further toward the Aiken City Council dais, providing an Aiken Standard reporter of a first-hand view of their interaction. Moniak, who spoke during the public comment period, got up from his seat and moved toward the back of the room as the City Council discussed and ultimately continued consideration of an ordinance dissolving the Aiken Municipal Development Commission. As he returned to his seat, Moniak began shouting to the council during the council discussion. O'Briant told him to "Shush" and that the time for public input had ended. Moniak responded that no one cared what O'Briant thought anyway. Before the council adjourned, Gregory addressed Moniak's comments to O'Briant. "I can't sit here and allow people to backtalk aggressively to our staff," Gregory said. "We listen. We take all points. We may not always agree but I'm not going to sit here and not point out that I'm not going to allow anyone to disrespect our staff." Though the time for public input had ended, Moniak asked when the city's staff had been disrespected and Gregory responded that Moniak's comments to O'Briant were inappropriate and she would not allow comments like that to occur in the chamber. Moniak turned to O'Briant and offered an apology. The council then adjourned and O'Briant approached Moniak after the meeting ended. The two may have spoken for a few seconds before Moniak began speaking loudly to O'Briant. "No, I don't want to talk to you," Moniak said according to audio captured by the YouTube recording of the meeting. Moniak said O'Briant had filled out a Freedom of Information Act request form using his personal information. After Moniak left, O'Briant said Moniak had contacted him for information. He said it is his custom to fill out a Freedom of Information Act request form when people request information from him to allow the city and the requestor to track their request. "I'm glad you just admitted that," Moniak continued. "That's identity theft, Tim." O'Briant then walked away from Moniak toward the council dais and the room where the council holds executive sessions. Moniak followed but stopped at the dais and told the council O'Briant had admitted to filling out the Freedom of Information Act request form for him and that he expected O'Briant to face disciplinary action. Moniak continued to speak to the council until he was approached by Sgt. Joe O'Connor and another police officer and repeatedly asked to leave the chamber. The other officer told Moniak he could express his concerns with O'Briant's behavior at the April 24 city council meeting. Moniak did not attend the April 24 meeting. O'Briant also accused Moniak of publishing, with actual malice or reckless disregard for the truth, false and defamatory statements in a Feb. 17, 2023 email to "various officers and employees of the city of Aiken." O'Briant said Moniak's email accused him of being a liar "I have accurately documented Mr. Tim O'Briant's lies." and altering Freedom of Information Act requests: "I have ample documentation that Mr. O'Briant has altered FOIA requests." O'Briant said Moniak's statements are slanderous per quod and slanderous per se because the statements individually and together state O'Briant committed the crime of misconduct in office. "All of the statements made by the defendant Moniak were and are false and, upon information and belief, were known by the defendant Moniak to be false or were made by the defendant Moniak with actual malice or with reckless disregard for the truth," O'Briant said in the suit. He adds he has suffered embarrassment, humiliation, mental distress and emotional distress because of Moniak's statements. "The defamation has and will cause difficulties for the Plaintiff in his work and in his dealings with the members of [city] council and other city officials," O'Briant continued in the suit. "The defamation affects the Plaintiffs professional standing and limits and has damaged his future ability to earn and increase his earnings in the future." O'Briant then said he's entitled to a judgment against Moniak and Eureka Research for actual and punitive damages in such an amount found by the court and jury. Its an overstatement to say, as a lot of people have, that the S.C. Legislature was able to pass a long-threatened school voucher bill Thursday because of the terrible disservice too many of our public schools did to students and parents by keeping their doors locked for so long during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, there is nothing our schools and teachers could have done short of going along with the craziness to retain what support they might have had of parents who were enraged by the idea that they couldnt send their unmasked children to school to infect other peoples children. And we cant ignore the role played by the continuing devolution of our Legislature which was aided in part by the mask wars into competing enclaves of radicals on the right and radicals on the left, who were elected from districts that had been gerrymandered ever-more expertly to ensure that winners would be chosen not in the general election but in the race-to-the-extremes Republican and Democratic primaries. But the fact is that a lot of parents who traditionally have supported or at least tolerated our public schools were simply worn down by having to become teachers and upend their professional lives to take care of the kids for more than the few weeks the schools should have been closed to in-person attendance. Its something my colleagues and I warned about repeatedly along with the disservice too many school districts were doing to the students themselves by insisting that they continue for months and months in online classrooms that dont work well for most kids even when they have teachers who are trained to teach that way. And while, again, that wasnt the only factor behind the Legislatures passage of S.39, it certainly was the rhetorical basis that responsible legislators embraced to justify their support of the Mark Sanford vision of throwing our tax dollars at unaccountable private schools. The sad irony is that after resisting the intensifying drumbeat for two decades, mainstream Republicans in the House and Senate embraced vouchers at precisely the moment the evidence was so quickly mounting that they don't work. Ive argued for years that the greatest damage voucher programs do isnt to drain money directly from our public schools but to drain our public schools of the smartest kids and the most engaged parents, and in so doing erode public support of the whole concept of public education. Just as creating a gambling enterprise gave legislators the excuse that they dont need to invest in education since weve got the Education Lottery, creating a voucher program will give them a similar out: They dont need to provide a decent education to all kids if those kids have the option of going elsewhere to find that education. But Columbias State newspaper reports that standardized test results from voucher programs have taken such a nosedive in recent years that supporters nationally have started replacing their save kids from failing schools argument with an argument that test scores dont really matter. Really. S.C. Rep. Neal Collins, an Easley Republican who has proposed several bills that would actually improve our schools, skipped over parts of his list for time Wednesday as he told his colleagues about the results of programs that voucher proponents have held up as models for our state: In Milwaukee, between 1991 and 2015, 41 percent of the 247 schools that participated failed. In Louisiana, those who received vouchers had a .4 standard deviation lower than public school students. You may not be good in math, but thats catastrophically bad. Thats worse than what they had during COVID loss and also when they had Hurricane Katrina. A study on Indiana's voucher system found that voucher students experienced an average achievement loss of 0.15 standard deviations in math during their first year of attending a private school. So why, he asked go down this road that has been tried for 30 plus years without any amazing results anywhere? Read Rep. Collins critique of the voucher bill and his recommendations for real improvement here. Its too late to stop our state from paying parents to abandon our public schools. But its not too late for our schools to learn from their costly refusal to let kids back in the classrooms quickly enough. Its not too late for them to make changes on their own and back state policy changes that will reduce the political support for expansions beyond the ones already in the legislation. Its not too late for legislators who oppose vouchers and legislators who arent sold on them but dont consider it safe to vote against them to finally make those policy changes. The Republicans who pushed through the voucher legislation have been right about a lot of problems in our schools, many of which could be addressed by changing state laws that make it too hard to reward the best teachers and get rid of those who shouldnt be teachers and intervening more aggressively when school districts focus more on fancy new programs and school board members' selfish priorities than solid teaching. But public education insiders have fought any reforms much the same way too many of them fought timely school reopenings and thus gave voucher backers an excuse to do nothing to fix the schools they own and instead fund schools they wont even try to hold accountable. If public school supporters dont change, then this relatively small voucher bill is only going to keep expanding, until the caps are removed entirely and voucher supporters can wash their hands of the whole public education experiment. Click here for more opinion content from The Post and Courier. MOUNT PLEASANT A major annual sailboat regatta held this month drew mariners from across the world who put their skills to the test in Charleston Harbor. Despite fewer team attendance numbers at the 27th annual Charleston Race Week, organizers are already looking ahead to 2024. Longtime event director Randy Draftz said participation was off about 20 percent from last year, partly because of the lingering after-effects of Covid-19. We just haven't come back from the pandemic, Draftz said. We were on track to hit 300 boats in 2020 or 2021, but we just haven't been able to get back on track." The regatta, which was held April 20-23, remains the largest in the country for keelboats. The 2019 version drew upwards of 260 boats. More than 230 across 20 classes were registered this year, but no-shows brought the fleet of competing vessels to 188, according to officials. Race Week also attracted roughly 1,500 racers and 300 volunteers from across the world to the Charleston area for the four-day competition. The biggest event, held on the Yorktown aircraft carrier at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, accommodated about 3,500 people. Draftz said the number of spectators was more difficult to quantify, with so many potential vantage points in Charleston and Mount Pleasant, but he added that the racing drew crowds to the waterfront. One of the biggest challenges the regatta faces in growing its numbers is the rising travel costs for competitors and others. No shows aren't entirely unusual, but Draftz said rising hospitality and boat-related expenses likely pushed the number higher this year. Were hearing from teams that the logistics have just gotten expensive over the years, Draftz said. We have to rely on local marinas and country clubs to launch and dock participating boats, which can add up to tens of thousands of dollars for our teams. For some, that can be a deciding factor. Draftz worries the rising costs could keep smaller teams from participating and that his organization is working on solutions, such as using public launching sites, in the future. One thing I worry about is that we're losing the guy that wants to bring his boat from Lake Lanier, he said, referring to a north Georgia reservoir. What happens over time is then we just become this elite smaller regatta. Were looking at how we can do better next year and continue to grow our participation. The Yorktown was the new home to the Regatta Village and is likely to host next years regatta, according to organizers. Race Week events had previously been based at Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, also at Patriots Point, in years past. Draftz said that the carrier was a unique waterfront venue for teams and visitors alike. We have found a great partnership with Patriots Point, and I think weve found a new home, Draftz said. Likewise, officials at the state-owned tourist attraction have expressed interest in keeping the Yorktown as a key venue for the event. Draftz said the economic impact of Race Week extends past the four-day window of competitive tacking and jibing. Many sailors tend to stay longer to rest their sea legs and explore the area, he said. A lot of these racers bring their families and make a vacation out of the visit, Draftz said. Especially those that make the international trips to compete. MOUNT PLEASANT Every artifact within the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum has a story to tell. As some of the display aircraft undergo extensive restoration, some of that history is brought to life by the veterans who once flew them. Patriots Point executive director Allison Hunt was reminded of that this month, when she had a chance encounter with a husband and wife who were visiting from Texas. He was once an F-14 pilot, so I said Come on, theres something youve got to see as I guided them to the flight deck, Hunt said. The F-14 Tomcat aboard the Yorktown carrier at the state-owned visitor attraction is one of the planes undergoing Operation Restoration, a joint effort between the USS Yorktown Foundation and the museum to restore aging and weather-worn warplanes. Its only half-painted right now, but he couldnt believe how it looked like brand new, Hunt said of the former fighter pilot. He took pictures beside it. It meant so much to him, and it was a reminder of how the work we do matters to our veterans and visitors. Operation Restoration, which was spearheaded by the foundation a few years ago, aims to eventually restore all 28 aircraft at the Mount Pleasant museum. The 12 planes on the Yorktown's flight deck are to be restored first within the next few years, with each partner responsible for half of the fleet. The foundation is raising funds for the projects, with the primary goal to raise $300,000 for the first batch of aircraft. It's has about $60,000 to go to meet its goal. An F/A-18A Hornet on the Yorktown was refurbished in time for the carriers 80th anniversary celebration earlier this month. The new paint scheme, a bright navy blue and golden yellow, honors the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. The jet never actually took off from or landed on the Yorktown, but the strike fighter served different roles since entering service in 1983. In Hunt's previous role as the executive director of the foundation, she led the discussions to advocate for the restoration efforts. The military aircraft on display vary from World War II-era to present day. When our visitors see these restored aircraft on the Yorktown, it brings that history to life, Hunt said. This is what these aircraft looked like in their top condition. By restoring them, we restore the experience that sailors once had. Chauncey Clark, the chairman of the foundation, said that the effort was overdue given the salt water and other elements the planes are exposed to. He said that aircraft with faded and chipped-paint, rust, flat tires or missing pieces did not pay proper homage to their crews. When visitors or veterans see these planes, we want them to have a sense of pride. We want our veterans to be able to show them off to their families, telling stories of what it was like, Clark said. Both Hunt and Clark point to the recent F-18 restoration with a sense of pride and joy. Most of the historic aircraft on the flight deck don't have flashy paint schemes, in keeping with how they looked during their military service. The foundation thought a pop of color that can be seen from the Ravenel Bridge would become a point of interest. If you look at it today compared to what it was a month ago, it looks brand new, Clark said. Ponsford, a historical restoration firm based in Georgia, was hired to work on each aircraft. The company has handled projects across the country in aviation and other areas, such as restoring the granite inscriptions at John F. Kennedy's tomb and cleaning the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, 19th century antiquities and items from the Titanic, among others. The company's website summarizes its work as conservators with a mission to "serve as protectors, guardians and custodians of fine art and antiques." Operation Restoration is one of the largest fundraising campaigns for the foundation to date. The work doesnt stop once the planes are restored. Clark said that fundraising will continue to help maintain the restored aircraft. Last year the foundation funded the SH-3G Sea King Helicopter restoration and Patriots Point funded the E-1B Tracer. This year the foundation is restoring the F/A-18A and F-14 Tomcat, and Patriots Point is funding the S-3B Viking, which should be completed in mid-May. The three-year program is about at the midway point and ahead of schedule. Hunt said the restoration process has been a unique experience for visitors, especially during the museums typical spring break spike in attendance. They got to see and experience the process firsthand, which will be special once they come back and see the finished product, she said. Youre seeing The Post and Courier's weekly real estate newsletter. Receive all the latest transactions and top development, building, and home and commercial sales news to your inbox each Saturday here. 7-story King Street building will have 148 units A planned 148-unit, upscale senior living facility in downtown Charleston moved closer to construction with the recent opening of a sales office. The 3,700-square-foot sales gallery for The Peninsula of Charleston, an age-restricted facility, can be found at 573 King St. The Peninsula will be a seven-story building at 609 King St. at the terminus of Columbus Street. The sales office will provide space to host community events and meetings with prospective families and others to learn more about The Peninsula. The sales team is now accepting $10,000 refundable deposits to reserve and purchase a residence in the new structure. Information on floorplans, pricing, input on amenities, financing, health and other subjects comes with a deposit. The project is co-owned and operated by North Carolina-based Liberty Senior Living and Courier Square LLC, the parent company of Evening Post Industries, a separate entity from Evening Post Publishing, the parent company of The Post and Courier. Dubbed an ownership-model, life-plan community, The Peninsula is expected to break ground in 2024 and be completed in 2026. The project, with residences from 700 square feet to 3,500 square feet, will feature upscale amenities, concierge services and healthcare for residents at least 62 years old. Want to receive this newsletter in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up for free. The 176-unit East Cooper multifamily complex not far from the base of the Ravenel Bridge has been in the works since 2018. Pre-leasing could start soon. Sign up for our real estate newsletter! Get the best of the Post and Courier's Real Estate news, handpicked and delivered to your inbox each Saturday. Email Sign Up! By the numbers 145: Address on King Street in Charleston for new retail shop slated to open later this year. 2: Number of bicycle shops remaining in the Charleston area for a longtime two-wheel company after it closed one of its stores recently in Mount Pleasant. 1,300: Square footage of new coffee shop that recently opened in downtown Charleston. This week in real estate + Flag flap: A Mount Pleasant neighborhood bars man from flying Ukrainian flag. + Last chapter: A discount bookstore in North Charleston is in its last days after the tenants cited a rent increase as the reason for closing. + Opening soon: A new restaurant and market will make its official debut May 2 in North Charleston. + Now serving: A former restaurant space in North Charleston has been converted into a new dining spot, and a recently built structure in Moncks Corner is now open near a rapidly developing, once-rural intersection. Mexican eatery La Hacienda in West Ashley is slated to be replaced by a car wash chain under plans presented to the city of Charleston. Did a friend forward you this email? Subscribe here. Craving more? Check out all of the Post and Courier's newsletters here. COLUMBIA Weeks before nine teens and young adults were shot in Meadowlake Park early April 29, Brandy Olivis had scheduled a 5K walk later the same day to raise awareness about gun violence at the northeast Columbia recreation spot. Olvis, who founded a nonprofit called For Ryans Sake after her son Ryan Rowe was shot and killed a year ago, went ahead with the event at the park just hours after victims were taken to hospitals and police officers finished their investigation. It's even more reason for us to come out and bring attention to the type of situation that happens in our communities, Olvis said. It just goes to show how much work we need to do. The Columbia park mass shooting was South Carolina's largest in almost a year. A Memorial Day shooting on the East Side of Charleston left nine people wounded by gunfire and led to injuries of three law enforcement officers, according to the Gun Violence Archive. In addition to the nine gunshot victims, two others were injured at Meadowlake Park, according to the Richland County Sheriff's Department. One victim suffered a hand injury and another was struck by a vehicle. Multiple people were hospitalized, but information about their condition has not been released. Officials have not released information about a possible motive for the shooting but said that the gathering, which was not a park-sponsored event, involved students from high schools across the area. The victims' ages range from 16 to 20 years old. Three students from Keenan High School, located 2 miles north of the park, were hospitalized with gunshot wounds, Richland One district spokeswoman Karen York said. A fourth student from C.A. Johnson High School also was hospitalized after being stuck by a car. No word on their condition was released. Keenan High held its prom on April 28. The district plans to have additional security at Keenan and Johnson high schools starting May 1. Richland County deputies first received a call about a large gathering of teens and young adults at Meadowlake Park off Wilson Boulevard around 1:20 a.m. April 29, the department said. When they arrived at the county park, only a few people remained, including a female victim who had been hit by a vehicle leaving the scene. Around the same time, deputies tried to stop a car leaving the scene without its headlights on. After a pursuit, deputies arrested the car's driver and passenger, both men from Columbia, according to the department statement. A 19-year-old, Miquise Fulwiley, was charged with failure to stop for blue lights, simple possession of marijuana, and unlawful carry of a pistol, and an 18-year old, TyQuan Kelly, was charged with simple possession of marijuana and unlawful carry of a pistol. Investigators are working to determine if a recovered gun was involved in the park shooting. Fulwiley was released from custody without having to post bail April 29, according to online records. Kelly remained at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia after he received bonds totaling $10,615 for his charges. Kelly was already out on $2,500 bail tied to separate drug possession and weapons charges in a March 1 arrest, according to online court records. A motion hearing on those charges was held April 21. By early afternoon April 29, there was little sign that there had been any disturbance at the park. The main activity was Olvis packing up after her gun-awareness event. We need relationships with these children, said Olvis, who works with other Columbia nonprofits to provide long term mentorship to teenagers. The mass shooting was the fifth in South Carolina this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. In all of 2022, South Carolina had 20 mass shootings where at least four people are killed or wounded. The state's last mass shooting took place three weeks ago when five people were shot during a school "senior skip day" under a pier on the beach on Isle of Palms near Charleston. Two months ago, five people died including three children in a domestic-violence shooting in Sumter. This was Columbia's first mass shooting in more than a year. Nine shoppers were wounded and another six injured in the panic to escape during a 2022 Easter weekend gun fight inside Columbiana Centre, the region's busiest mall. T. Michael Boddie and Andy Shain contributed to this report. James London looked over a text message from Mark Marhefka of Abundant Seafood detailing the day's offerings. Amberjack and vermillion snapper, available by the pound, were among the handful of options on a list that was twice as long this time last year. Not every Charleston chef receives a special morning message from a James Beard Foundation-recognized commercial fisherman, but Marhefka knows the chef and owner of Chubby Fish will purchase just about anything he is selling. London's confidence in the sustainable practices used by Marhefka has him prominently featuring Abundant Seafood at his 1,250-square-foot downtown Charleston restaurant, which spawns a line of eager diners outside 252 Coming St. at 5 p.m. on the five nights it is open each week. London and a group of likeminded restaurant chefs have a philosophy when it comes to preparing and serving fish: Source locally, when possible, and serve underutilized species that rarely appear on plates and menus. This ethos does not extend to all Charleston area restaurants, but several local chefs are buying into the importance of serving sustainably sourced seafood. Chris John and Shaun Brian started CudaCo. in 2020 on James Island. Their business features fish like sea trout and sand tilefish, a slender species with a crab-like texture when cooked. At their Folly Road retail market and counter-serve eatery, they sell to home cooks and chefs, with the goal of creating as little waste as possible. That means cooking with the whole fish. At Chubby Fish, London is constantly breaking down whole fish plucked from the abyss, be it gray tilefish, black sea bass, wreckfish or black fin tuna. Like diners across the city, London enjoys the taste of grouper, snapper and flounder, all of which will make appearances on his menu. But underutilized species are the main event in his restaurant. This could become more common, partially out of necessity. Increased federal regulation has made it more difficult for commercial fishermen to make a living reeling in fish popular in restaurants, like Atlantic halibut, gag grouper and red snapper, leading people like Marhefka to adapt. London and other chefs are helping their cause, which in turn benefits species with dwindling populations. I think the nuts and bolts of it are that we make smart decisions now so that in the future we can still be eating wild-caught seafood, London said. The big thing is that it's taking pressure off the fish that are overfished. Across the globe, 3 billion people out of some 8 billion total rely on seafood as a main source of nutrition, and the absence of some species could disrupt food chains and entire ecosystems. Experts are concerned about the future of many in-demand species, with some questioning whether eating seafood will be a sustainable food source in the future. As the documentary "Seaspiracy" on Netflix and other streaming shows spread panic that our oceans will be empty by 2048, some scientists have started to search for alternatives like lab-grown seafood. All this raises a pressing question: What will it take to keep the commercial fishing industry afloat while ensuring the future of marine wildlife? Treading water Commercial fishermen like Marhefka, who operates out of Mount Pleasant's Shem Creek, could keep wild-caught seafood on our plates. Marhefka has made it his lifes mission to take from the ocean responsibly, committing to the principle that fish are a shared resource. By building a business based on this philosophy with his wife Kerry by his side, Marhefka hopes to play a small part in maintaining Southern fish populations. His work isn't easy. After firing up his commercial fishing fleet, the veteran angler floats away from the shore. He and his crew soon are surrounded by nothing but open ocean. The engine groans like an old window air conditioner passed down from one homeowner to the next, the one constant on a trip full of uncertainty. A sunny, 80 degree forecast with little wind should bring a heavy haul back to shore. But that's not always how idyllic days pan out. Marhefka will sometimes patiently wait for the fish to come, only to return home days later wondering what could have been. His strong stomach allows him to manage the boat's constant motion. Falling down is a regular occurrence, Marhefka tells his fellow fishermen, but it's key to make sure the tumble occurs on the boat and not overboard. Though his wife doesn't join him on offshore trips, Kerry Marhefka is well-versed in her husband's work. In fact, she has a rare perspective on sustainable fishing practices. As a biologist and member of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, she understands the science behind managing the Southeast regions fisheries. As the co-owner of Abundant Seafood, with locations in Mount Pleasant and North Charleston, she knows how difficult it is to run a sustainable seafood operation. The Marhefkas met decades ago at a conference to establish marine protected areas, which restrict fishing in an effort to sustain sensitive species. Kerry, then a budding biologist, was impressed by the commercial fisherman who arrived with charts marking popular fishing spots that should be protected. This was in 1998. Nine years later, President George W. Bush made the controversial decision to insert language into the ocean-governing Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. First passed in 1976 as the primary federal law outlining marine fisheries management in U.S. waters, Bush's update ordered catch limits be placed on every managed fishery by the end of 2011. His goal was to end overfishing, which occurs when the harvest exceeds the number of fish that can be "continuously caught" under average environmental conditions. Twelve years later, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is still trying to solve the ongoing problem of evaluating the status of federally regulated fish stocks. There are 460. State waters State regulations are driven by the South Carolina Legislature, and many of the laws governing near-shore fisheries can be found in the South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 50 Fish, Game and Watercraft, DNR Director of the Office of Fisheries Management Ben Dyar said. DNR is in charge of managing the harvest of fish that fall in its jurisdiction, meaning the state agency does not establish policies like catch limits. In determining how best to manage harvest, Dyar said they pay close attention to other factors that might be out of their control, including water quality, ecological impacts and market prices, which can impact levels of harvest pressure. DNR manages the states fourth largest, and one of its most sustainable, fisheries: oysters. But when it comes to most restaurant-popular finfish, DNR works alongside the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, as many will travel between state and federal waters. The reality is that most of the locally caught seafood that ends up in the Souths restaurants and grocery stores falls in federal waters. South Carolina waters, from the shore to 12 miles out, are governed by the state Department of Natural Resources. The majority of restaurant-popular fish, however, swim in federal waters, which extend out to 100 miles offshore. The region managed by the South Atlantic council is home to 64 federally regulated fish stocks. One of eight nationwide fishery management groups, the Charleston-based organization covers the waters off eastern Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. It has 13 voting council members, with the Palmetto State represented by Kerry Marhefka, Gary Borland and Mel Bell of DNR. The snapper-grouper fishery, comprised of 55 species, is the largest within the council's jurisdiction. Gag grouper has charcoal-kissed spots that become wavy lines as it grows, with its size often reaching more than 3 feet and 50 pounds. It is the most widely distributed grouper in the region, with adults swimming from North Carolina to Brazil. The fish is at the mercy of its habitat as it grows and reproduces slowly over its 26-year lifespan. When blackened in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, grouper develops a dark, spiced crust that pairs with the sweet firm flesh that lies beneath. Whether enjoying at home or a restaurant, the fish is one of 18 grouper species managed by the council. More often than not, black, red or gag is the grouper species being served at Charleston restaurants that source locally. Feeding the demand for gag grouper's taste, texture and oil content, fishermen for years caught it and other fish in the snapper-grouper fishery faster than the stocks could replenish, scientists at the University of Miami reported in a 2022 study. More than 85 percent of the grouper and snapper studied were found to be overfished. Scientists determined this was a direct result of an increasing demand for seafood. We all realize that were going to have to find a better way to make decisions for these species, Kerry Marhefka said. They really need close regulation and they really need to be assessed often. I worry about the pressure thats being put on them. That burden also is being felt by commercial fishermen. Reeling in anglers Chris Conklin owns Seven Seas Seafood, a Murrells Inlet business his family purchased in 1997. The market offers fish sourced locally and from afar. A former South Atlantic council member, Conklin also owns six commercial fishing fleets that help bolster his market's supply. The second-generation fisherman has been on the water since he was 15, a time when Murrells Inlet in coastal Georgetown County housed about 40 commercial fishing boats. Now, there are just four. Conklin owns three of those. Commercial fishermen like the captains of Conklins fleet are faced with all sorts of intrusive regulations, he said, such as bringing observers from NOAA on offshore trips. Logging of expenses, all the way down to the bait used to catch fish, and detailed tracking of inventory are other tedious daily tasks. The waters are much murkier when it comes to regulating the recreational anglers that fill the majority of fleets traversing the coastline, multiple sources said. What recreational anglers catch is mainly monitored through surveys rather than the hard data mandated for the commercial sector. A report issued in October by the U.S. Government Accountability Office shows how this impacts fishery management. Annually from 2011 to 2020, NOAA conducted an average of 173 stock assessments, which report and analyze the status of a fishery's population. An average of 41 federally managed stocks were determined to be overfished during that time. NOAA's Southeast Region, which spans the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic and Caribbean marine ecosystems, averaged 19 overfished stocks the highest among five regions stretching from Alaska to New England, according to the agency report. That data, however, does not account for a whopping 90 percent of the regions stocks per year, due in part to the expanse of recreational fleets in the Southeast Region. South Carolina issued 228,909 recreational saltwater licenses last year, though more than 400,000 people had legal access to recreational privileges due in part to honorary and lifetime licenses that never expire, DNR reported. Meanwhile, the number of commercial licenses issued in South Carolina in 2022 dropped to 1,261, the second lowest total since 2007. As GPS systems and high-powered boats proliferate, Conklin and others in the commercial sector are calling for increased management of recreational fleets. Were monitored very closely. The recreational fisheries arent managed that way, Conklin said. When you have a whole entire army versus one platoon, the armys going to win every time in terms of catching more fish. Recreational fishermen who operate charter boats also are focused on preserving local fisheries, John Smith of Exclusive Fishing Charters told The Post and Courier. Without a plethora of fish swimming off the South Carolina coast, Smith and charter captains who take groups and families on offshore trips would not have jobs. Jason Richards is the captain of the Teaser2, one of three charter boats operated by Wahoo Fishing Charters. A fisherman with more than 30 years of experience, Richards said it makes sense to ensure local fisheries are long-lasting for the environment, charter fishermen like him and individual anglers, as well as for the commercial captains who sell their catch to restaurants and wholesalers. His 43-foot boat stays active, making an estimated 150 to 200 trips per year, typically with eight to 14 people on board. On trips that mostly range from 12 to 25 miles offshore, Richards helps groups catch grunts, grouper, black seabass and triggerfish, among other species. Abiding by the regulations is a priority but not a concern, given the size of the boat and nature of his business. Whether it's captains of charter trips or individuals who catch fish for personal consumption, recreational fishermen are monitored in two different ways, said Andy Strelcheck, administrator of NOAA's Southeast Region. Private anglers submit details of their catch through dockside and mail-based surveys, while charter vessels report such in weekly logbooks. The charter boat requirement was part of NOAA's expansion of the headboat survey program in 2021. Each week, Richards submits an online report to DNR and the South Atlantic council. He details the type and amount of each species caught. Both agencies assume recreational fishermen are being truthful and abiding by size limits. NOAA's Marine Recreational Information Program, a state-regional-federal partnership, attempts to improve surveys measuring the number of saltwater trips recreational fishermen take and the number of fish they catch. Priorities over the last five years included producing more precise and timely catch estimates. Sometimes setting catch limits isn't enough to save the fish. Seafood Watch Seafood Watch rates fisheries using the traffic light system: green means best choice, yellow signifies a good alternative and red should be avoided. Fish are graded using four criteria: impact on the fishermen, impact on other species, management of those impacts and the measures implemented by regulatory agencies. With ratings for 2,500 species around the globe, approximately 200 of which swim in waters near the United States, individual consumers and even professional chefs can use Seafood Watch's website as a resource. Red snapper from the Western Central Atlantic Ocean, for instance, is red-rated, but vermilion snapper from that same ocean region is considered a good alternative chefs can incorporate in their menus. Fishing seasons vary by species. But even when snapper and grouper are off limits, from Jan. 1 through much of the spring, those fish are often reeled in accidentely. That means minimizing the number of discarded fish, meaning those that are caught unintentionally and released, is important. For evidence, look at red snapper, a species in which overfishing is primarily driven by high numbers of fish caught and released by recreational anglers that do not survive, according to the South Atlantic council. Richards is well-versed in the proper catch-and-release of unintentionally caught fish. Once fish are pulled from the water, their air bladder blows up, and they cannot expel air fast enough to survive long. Richards keeps a venting tool on board at all times, allowing him to pop the protruding bladder with a small needle, which doesn't harm the fish and keeps it from floating on the surface, where it is in danger of sharks. Requirements, including the use of specified hooks and descending devices when targeting snapper-grouper species, have been implemented by the South Atlantic council to decrease the number of discarded fish that don't survive. Climate questions Leslie Gibbs captains a boat that supplies fish to Cherry Point Seafood Co., a family-owned Wadmalaw Island purveyor. Gibbs has been fishing his entire life; first with a recreational license and now as captain of a commercial fleet. He has stopped targeting snapper and grouper in favor of albacore tuna and swordfish, cooler water fish that in recent years have been migrating South. Chasing these fish takes him on weekslong trips hundreds of miles off the coast. Dolphinfish, also known as mahi-mahi or dorado, is another species targeted by Gibbs. The highly migratory fish moves up and down the Eastern Seaboard more and more as the climate changes. Cutting carbon emissions and curbing meat consumption were among the trends expected to impact the restaurant sector in 2023 as measures to limit that change. For coastal communities, the seafood industry is right at the center of that conversation. Climate change is stressing a volatile commercial fishing industry that is already feeling the burn of rising costs and the loss of about 20 percent of licensed commercial fishermen in the past five years. Gibbs and other commercial fishermen are contending with the climate-caused reduction of fish stocks in 103 of 226 marine regions worldwide studied by the University of British Columbia, the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions and University of Bern. By projecting the impact global temperature increases had and will have on the amount of fish in a given area from 1950 to 2100, the group concluded that impacted regions will struggle to rebuild their numbers under projected global warming levels. Warmer waters are altering the environment faster than species can adapt, experts say. As migrating fish struggle to find food and fend off predators in a new habitat, climate change is altering water pH levels and decimating coral reefs, which provide shelter and spawning grounds to a wide range of ocean life. All of this decreases the survival rate of juveniles, hurting future generations. As fish move, management jurisdictions must adapt based on where the fish are spending their time and where theyre caught, creating further complications when assessing stocks. Solutions to these problems remain unclear. An uncertain future To the west of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico, Sean Heverin projects he will pull in 1.3 million to 1.5 million pounds of seafood from its snapper-grouper fishery this year. Shortly after starting his career, Heverin was reeling in six-digit profits as an owner-operator of a commercial vessel that docked near Jacksonville, Fla., which falls in the same council jurisdiction as South Carolina. He eventually decided the Gulf would be more lucrative given looser regulation there of the snapper-grouper fishery. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council sets per-season quota limits, with fishermen earning the right to catch that amount through lease or ownership. In the South Atlantic, commercial fishermen also face trip limits, meaning they must dock and unload their fish before making another long trip offshore. A handful of the South Atlantic council's commercially regulated grouper species, for instance, have weighted trip limits of just 200 pounds. Others, like Nassau grouper, cannot be caught at all. Conklin, the Murrells Inlet commercial fishermen, said it is incredibly difficult to make a living going after snapper and grouper, leading him and others to diversify their catch. To make due, Conklin's captains are reeling in black sea bass and vermillion snapper, once regarded as trash fish. Sustainability experts argue this is the exact reason for the regulations. But it has been hard for Conklin and other commercial fishermen to make ends meet. At his retail market, Conklin supplements what his boats catch with crab, scallops and other species from partner purveyors, along with prepared foods and pantry items. As he struggles to staff his boats, the full-circle retail operation is the only way to keep his business open. The industry veteran often ponders what will happen to the commercial fishing business in the future. All the guys who used to do it for a living moved on to something else, Conklin said. Theres nobody coming up in the ranks saying, Hey, I want to be a commercial fisherman. With commercial fishermen dwindling on the Eastern Seaboard, there could be an opportunity in the Carolinas for those who are willing to adapt to different fisheries. For commercial captains who spend more nights on unsteady boats than in their own homes, it's more complicated than that. WASHINGTON, D.C. Diners know it as Atlantic blue crab. Scientists know it by a far better name: Callinectes sapidus, which in Latin means "beautiful savory swimmer." Mary J. Rathburn, a legendary curator at the Smithsonian Institution, described and named over 998 crab species during her career, only that one time did she dole out a scientific name that described an animal's taste. Such is the blue crab's hold on the American palate. Should you walk from Rathburn's former museum office in Washington, D.C., to the nearest grocery store, you can indeed buy blue crab, but only one kind: Louisiana-caught blue crab. How did Louisiana corner this market? And could other crabbing states, like South Carolina, follow? In Louisiana, a crabber named Gary Bauer had visions of a more sustainable seafood product. The Bayou fishing community was willing to experiment and tighten belts. Also helpful: trap rodeos. In 2012, Bauer helped Louisiana secure America's only sustainability certification for blue crabs. And that's really paid off for Louisiana and Bauer's company, Pontchartrain Blue Crab Inc., the state's largest crab processor and supplier. Pontchatrain crabmeat fills the seafood sections of Washington, DC because Louisiana crab is the only crab that consistently meets the ambitious sustainability standards set by both Whole Foods and Walmart. Whole Foods is seemingly everywhere in downtown Washington, catering to a growing market of eco-minded shoppers. Walmart also has a growing presence in the city limits. Any wild-caught fishery that supplies Whole Foods must maintain a certification from the Marine Stewardship Council, the world's leading seafood eco-label, or have a moderate to high rating from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's SeaFood Watch program. And Walmart sources about 75 percent of its wild-caught seafood from fisheries that carry the popular eco-label, according to the Ocean Disclosure Project. For growing in a green way, the Louisiana seafood company was recently awarded a U.S. Ocean Champion Award. Louisiana has a blue crab task force, a group of politically appointed advisers. Bauer used to be on the task force and helped morph it into a group that makes sure the sustainability certification is maintained. Sometimes that means rallying support for new crab management approaches. Louisiana first experimented with short-term closure in 2017. This came after a 2015 stock assessment indicated that "there was overfishing occurring," according to Peyton Cagle, crustacean program manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The first experimental closure lasted a month and had New Orleans restaurants scaling back the crab options on their menus. All traps were pulled from Louisiana's water. Fishing stopped and crab processing houses turned the lights off. Cagle said it was a rough time: "Crabbers came back and said, 'Look, that hurt us bad.' " With feedback from the blue crab task force, the short-term closures were tweaked and then tweaked again. In total, Louisiana's Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved three subsequent short-term closures in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Some were full closures, some only partial. The shutdowns gave fledgling crabs a respite. By 2020, the fishery was well on its way to recovery. There hasn't been an "as needed" closure since. "(Certification) is a way to judge the fishery as a whole and, in a way, it benefits the fishermen because it allows (Gary Bauer) to buy more crab," Cagle said of the owner of Pontchartrain Blue Crab, whose distribution grew to thousands of stores nationwide after gaining certification. Cagle argued that the fishery isn't necessarily better managed because of its certification, but rather the eco-label simply recognizes the smart management Louisiana has been doing for decades. The fishery has made great strides starting in 2004 in removing derelict crab pots, also called "ghost traps," years before certification. In 2018, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced that it had removed over 38,000 derelict traps. When left in the water, these old traps drift about, incidentally catching over 40 different non-commercial species, including diamondback terrapin turtles, at alarming rates. Ghost traps have become a silent killer in America's estuaries. Notably, Louisiana's recent management actions enacting "as needed" short-term closures and actively removing derelict pots are among the nine management recommendations that S.C. lawmakers are currently considering for South Carolina's own fishery. In January, lawmakers expressed new intentions to halt the decline of crab in the Palmetto state. But, across the South, the increasing risk that crab pots pose to terrapin turtles remains a divisive issue. Despite Louisiana's certification from the Marine Stewardship Council, Seafood Watch tells consumers to "avoid" blue crabs from Louisiana and South Carolina specifically because of turtle bycatch. Seafood Watch is not a certification program, but it is American's oldest and most influential independent seafood rating system. Housed within the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the program uses science-based assessments to rate the environmental impact of different fisheries for consumers. A spokesman for SeaFood Watch told The Post and Courier that "Louisiana and South Carolina have yet to require the use of bycatch reduction devices which are known to reduce the impact of pots or traps on terrapins. Louisiana has implemented some derelict gear removal programs to reduce the risk of ghost gear, but it is uncertain how effective this has been." Any gear changes, like adding bycatch reduction devices, would be voluntary and have to be approved by Louisiana's Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, a group of governor-appointed stakeholders. Currently, there is no such requirement for maintaining Louisiana's eco-label certification. "(Certification) is also a voluntary program, so it's up to the fishery to determine if it is the right fit for them," Erin Murray told The Post and Courier. Murray is a fisheries outreach manager for the Marine Stewardship Council and engages with dozens of U.S. fisheries that now participate in the program. Louisiana is the first and only blue crab fishery that sought certification. Murray isn't sure why. She said that the majority of the U.S. blue crab market is actually imported crab from Southeast Asia. There's mounting evidence that certification can directly lead to market growth. Prestige Oysters Texas, according to Murray, saw increased distribution of its oyster products after obtaining a sustainable seafood certification in 2019. "We do hold that certification near and dear," said Taylor Bean, an operations manager at Prestige Oysters. He said that the blue check eco-label carries multiple benefits, including being a source of pride for him and others who work at the oyster house. Once a fishery is certified, it's on the hook to do right by fish and crustaceans. If a fishery does not uphold its own sustainability goals, it can lose its certification status. Sometimes that means grocers pull the product from shelves. Such was the fate for Maine lobster last year when Whole Foods removed it completely from its stores. That decision came after both SeaFood Watch changed its rating for Maine-caught lobster to "red" and the Marine Stewardship Council suspended its certification. Both groups cited concerns for whales. Months prior, a U.S. federal court determined that critically endangered whales were being threatened by lobster fishing activities in the Pine Tree State. Cagle is optimistic that Louisiana's certified fishery won't follow that path. The state's derelict trap removal program has puled tens of thousands of pots, lessening impact on species of concern, like turtles. Trap removal has gelled with Bayou culture. Trap "rodeo" events encourage residents to help the removal effort, build community and celebrate a hard day's work with picnic-style dinners. All of these efforts have kept the Louisiana blue crab fishery in good standing, helping it maintain it's eco-label certification since 2011. Still, the Marine Stewardship Council's eco-label is not without its critics. Jennifer Jacquet is one of them. As a former associate professor at New York University and incoming professor at the University of Miami, Jacquet has published studies examining the eco-label's claims that they apply a rigorous review to all fisheries applying for certification and re-certification. She also has researched their public image calling attention to their marketing materials that heavily focus on images of small-scale fishermen when, in fact, the majority of their clients are large, sometimes industrial, operations, like swordfish long-lining boats in the Pacific Ocean. The Marine Stewardship Council's eco-label "is good for getting access to those high-end markets," Jacquet said. "It does not mean the fishery is sustainably managed." She and other fisheries experts, as well as a handful of major marine conservation organizations, say that there has been watering down of the eco-label's sustainability standards. "I would say that trust among scholars is at an all-time low," she said. For years, there have been grumblings that the bar for sustainable seafood labeling is set too low. In 2017, Jacquet joined a group of food retailers, activists and members of the British parliament that began a public campaign to call attention to weakness in the eco-labeling organization's process, and that certification doesn't equate to public notions of low-impact, environmental practices. Last year, two major green groups The Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund also joined the outcry, writing a publicly shared letter to the council calling out "significant weaknesses" in the group's new sustainability standards. It's quite possible that Louisiana crabbers are not having a lighter environmental footprint in the Bayou's blue waters because of this certification status. One thing is for sure: Louisiana collects and discloses a lot of information about its own crabs and what type of crabbers are catching them. They have to. It's part of the certification program's yearly audit, as well a mandatory re-certification process done by a third party every five years. Louisiana is consistently taking stock of its crab populations, exploring new management practices with rich amounts of data, and putting all that information out for the public and others to hold them accountable. In return, all Louisiana crab products get a recognizable blue check mark whether on a Walmart shelf in Washington, D.C., or a Whole Foods shelf in Charleston. "These are very much active commitments," said Murray. She slowly enunciated the word "active," emphasizing it at every opportunity. In South Carolina, things are less active. In January, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources published the first comprehensive status report for blue crab populations that's been done in years. DNR has a very active blue crab monitoring program, but it takes both time and resources to analyze, interpret and present that data. In 2021, Sen. Chip Campsen met a commercial crabber at a duck hunt at Santee Coastal Reserve. The Charleston Republican asked the young crabber, David Richardson, whether there was a problem with South Carolina's crab population "and he just went on and on and on about the problem," recalled Campsen. A few months later, Campsen put a proviso in the state budget that directed funds to DNR in order to produce the status report, which was submitted to the state Legislature on Jan. 10. That report came back with grim news about the fishery, which nets $6 million annually. Under lax regulations and increasing climate stress, blue crab landings have declined for decades, reaching a 50-year low in 2021. But the report also contained solutions. DNR made nine recommendations for improving South Carolina's crab fishery, including practices that are identical to those that Louisiana has implemented under its certification status: removing derelict traps annually, experimenting with short-term closures as needed, and enforcing that all traps have effective "escape rings," which decrease the accidental catch of juvenile crabs. Seafood Watch recommends that South Carolina go further to support crabbers and local marine life. The group applauded DNR's "novel approach" to testing bycatch reduction devices within the fishery. A 2018 study by DNR showed that widening crab trap openings to 6.4 cm in height and 7.3 cm in width was 30 percent more effective at excluding diamondback terrapins while still retained 99 percent of legal-sized crabs. Lawmakers should act on this state-funded research as another "possible solution," a Seafood Watch spokesman told The Post and Courier. "Blue crabs clearly are in trouble," Campsen said after a March 1 meeting of the S.C. Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee where he discussed the report. "We have an unlimited, unregulated fishery. We all know that we have to do something about that." America has long been obsessed with these beautiful swimmers. As obsession is replaced by concern, more states, like South Carolina, will inevitably try new paths. Louisiana's decadelong journey selling "sustainable" crab well beyond its state borders, while simultaneously preventing crab decline, holds more than a few lessons. Want to find a unique vacation rental in South Carolina? Look no further. There are several different properties throughout the state that will give you a special experience, all with the same goal: helping you rest and relax. Here are just five of the many you can find in South Carolina. The Majestic Treehouse Designed and built by Seth Bolt from the band NEEDTOBREATHE and his father in 2015, this treehouse in Walhalla is a luxurious and romantic retreat. Tori Bolt, Seths wife and co-founder of Bolt Farm Treehouse, said something that makes the Walhalla treehouse special is that it was built with love from the ground up; the two met while Seth was building it. Us meeting informed the level of luxury he ended up building into it, because a treehouse can vary from a fort in the backyard to a palace, Tori Bolt said. He said, I want this treehouse to be worthy of my wedding day, and (it was). We got married and honeymooned there. Bolt actually also once rented out treehouses on Wadmalaw Island until residents fought back against the AirBnb destination, which they said disrupted their nature-focused island. Now locals will have to travel out of town to experience the unique treehouse stay, and Walhalla was where it all began. Tori Bolt said the treehouse gave them an undistracted space to dream and connect, which made the couple want to share that with as many people as possible. Complete with a queen-sized hanging bed, suspension bridge, two-tiered deck, fire pit and two stories of antique windows composing a window wall, Tori Bolt said staying at the treehouse is an excellent opportunity to slow down and connect with nature. The treehouse is listed at $426 a night and can house two guests. G.O.A.T. Geodome If youre looking to go ziplining, feed animals and relax in a hot tub all in the same place, this geodome in Salem is the vacation rental for you. Property manager Jessica Hammond said the geodome is meant to be more of a glamping experience a chance to enjoy the outdoors but also have the luxury of indoor plumbing and a kitchenette, complete with a refrigerator and wood-burning stove. The addition of a zipline and the chance to feed animals like goats, alpacas and donkeys was part of Hammonds effort to make their location in Salem more appealing. Its a lot of fun for everyone, Hammond said. Its appealed to families; a lot of smaller families come, with one or two children. They love that. She added that there are plenty of opportunities to hike, and the geodome is close to lakes, such as Lake Jocassee, for those who like scenic lake views. Guests who stayed at the property wrote that this was a bucket list stay and a great location for chasing waterfalls. While the geodome does have an HVAC unit, Hammond warns that its not insulated, so the temperature control isnt perfect. The geodome is listed at $160 a night and can house up to four guests. Historic Log Cabin This cabin along the Toogoodoo River in Hollywood is the perfect place to be if youre looking for peace, quiet and beautiful views. This spot is very nature-oriented; there are hiking trails and beaches close by, and hosts recommend visitors bring a kayak. The log cabin dates back to the early 1800s. It used to be in the low mountains near Spartanburg County but was disassembled and reconstructed on the current site. The reconstruction included some additions: a kitchen, bathroom and front porch. Guests who stayed at the property wrote that the cabin had a charming and rustic vibe. One guest wrote that he was amazed to see dolphins first thing in the morning and throughout the day. The cabin is listed at $250 a night and can house up to five guests. Tropical Tiny House If youve ever been curious about tiny homes, take a chance on La Casita Bonita, or the pretty little house in Fountain Inn. The tiny houses design is inspired by Miami and Mexico, with Spanish tiles in the art studio and kitchen backsplash, as well as light-pink walls to pair with the cacti and desert plants inside. Everything in the house is hand-painted, according to property owner Elise Garcia. This location combines a creative getaway with a nature retreat. A guest wrote in her review that she was able to watch a family of deer from outside the kitchen window. If youre a fan of natural light, then this may be the vacation rental for you; with big kitchen windows and five skylights, theres no need to turn on any lights throughout the day. Guests who have stayed at the tiny home wrote that the property is whimsical and comfortable. One wrote that the charm the house had was unmatched, and several added after their stay that they would be sure to return. This tiny home is listed at $119 per night and can house up to four guests. Waterfall Getaway Close your eyes and imagine a house where you can see a beautiful waterfall from almost every room you walk into. Open your eyes. You dont need to imagine this, when you could stay at this cliffside home in Westminster. This is very much a nature-oriented spot. In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, there are over 90 acres of land to roam about and several paths for long walks. A stream feeds into Lake Hartwell, and dont forget about the main attraction: the waterfall, Longnose Falls. Guests have written that theyre able to see the waterfall from almost every room of the house, purposefully designed by architect James Fox. One guest wrote that the waterfall was so mesmerizing, she watched it for hours. Guests who have stayed at this property have described it as enchanting and mystical. The experience of staying both in terms admiring the architecture of the house and the nature surrounding it has been likened to living in a piece of art. For a truly peaceful getaway and a connection with nature, be sure to make your way over to this cliffside house. This getaway is listed at $424 a night and can house up to four guests. A 31-year-old Florence man received a four-year sentence after pleading guilty to wire fraud for his role in a scheme to defraud a chain of home improvement stores. Evidence presented in federal court in Charleston showed Caleb Hood used fake identities to steal merchandise from the stores throughout South Carolina. Hood would steal the merchandise at one store and take it to another store to return it. Hood would claim he didn't have a receipt and the store would issue credit in the form of a merchandise card. The funds on those cards were not legitimate because Hood had never purchased the products. U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel sentenced Hood to 48 months in federal prison. A three-year term of court-ordered supervision will follow his release. There is no parole in the federal system. Hood also was ordered to pay $202,659 in restitution to the home improvement chain. Hood used this scheme from April 2019 to March 2, 2022, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. "Caleb Hood used fake identities to steal over $200,000 from a chain of home improvement stores over a period of several years," U.S. Attorney Adair Borough said. "We appreciate the work of the Secret Service and Charleston Police Department in uncovering this scheme and helping to protect our local businesses from financial crimes." The Secret Service and Charleston Police Department are committed to investigating fraudulent activity that hurts local businesses and the nation's economy, said Ben Stafford, Charleston's Secret Service resident agent. "We are thankful for the tireless efforts of our partners in the U.S. Attorney's Office as they worked to see that justice was served in this case," he said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower prosecuted the case. Ukraine's Eurovision act Tvorchi were due to perform at Kyiv's main rail station Friday when an air raid siren forced them down into the cellar, hours after massive shelling. The group will represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool next month, after the UK agreed to host the event instead of 2022 winner Ukraine because of the war. "It is what it is," said Andriy Hutsuliak, the electronic music group's 27-year-old producer, after the sirens sounded. "We believe in our air-defence forces." "We always have to come down and try to be safe," said the electronic group's 25-year-old vocalist, a Nigerian-Ukrainian who performs as Jeffery Kenny. His full name is Jimoh Augustus Kehinde. The band members wore matching dark glasses and blue suits with sparkly ornaments in the shape of wheat sheaves. Hutsuliak had his nails painted scarlet. As it turned out, the all-clear sounded in time for the duo to give an unannounced performance for surprised passengers in the entrance hall of the vast Stalin-era station, which is decked out with chandeliers and mosaics. Frontman Kenny changed into a gold shirt and trousers, as Hutsuliak jabbed at a synthesiser wearing one black glove. Pink and blue lights flashed as the beats reverberated. Their concert was to promote a drive to buy incubators for premature babies, run by United 24, a online donation platform supported by President Volodymyr Zelensky. But the focus was on the forthcoming Eurovision contest. - 'Heart of Steel' - Tvorchi's song "Heart of Steel" "symbolises strength, it symbolises courage," said Kenny. The duo talked of their pride in representing Ukraine. "We feel honoured and excited to perform in Liverpool, so we just can't wait to show all that we've prepared," Hutsuliak told AFP. While Kenny declined to give details of their stage show, he promised: "We're definitely preparing something nice. "We hope it will impress everyone, because we're working a lot on it. And we just hope, you know, things go smoothly. "We'll add some elements from the ones we had in the national selection and make it better in Liverpool," Hutsuliak added. Kenny said they had received "a warm welcome" at concerts for fans with other contestants. And Hutsuliak stressed they did not want "to be pitied" by those voting. In the end, they acknowledged, the need to win the war overshadowed everything. "For us it's most important to win the fight and to have peace in the country," said Hutsuliak. But if they won this year's Eurovision and the situation became safe enough for next year's contest to be held in Ukraine, "we will appreciate that and we'll be happy. That'd be great". Search Keywords: Short link: You might have already heard about the one time the role of lawyer-legislators was addressed directly during Wednesdays extraordinary S.C. Supreme Court hearing over the secret judicial order that had released convicted murderer Jeroid Price from prison 16 years early. Associate Justice George James asked Attorney General Alan Wilson if the fact that Mr. Prices defense attorney is a lawyer-legislator was relevant to any legal or procedural defects that you have argued because it seems to me that that has been a driving factor in forums other than the one here today. When Mr. Wilson said it was not but noted that the secrecy of this whole thing makes people look at this with great skepticism, the justice continued: But the lawyer-legislator angle you agree is wholly irrelevant? In this court, Mr. Wilson responded quite deliberately, its all about the law. All about the law, Justice George repeated. Just want to be clear on that. But less than 10 minutes later, House Democratic Leader Todd Rutherford demonstrated the subtle way he and other attorneys can remind judges that they are members of the body that determines who is and isnt a judge. When Associate Justice John Few quizzed Mr. Rutherford on his argument that a state law that requires murderers to serve at least 30 years in prison was trumped by the law Circuit Judge Casey Manning used to slash Mr. Prices sentence by nearly half, Rep. Rutherford referred repeatedly to why we wrote the law one way instead of another. In a display that we'd love to be able to believe would occur in a lower-profile hearing that wasn't livestreamed, Justice Few interrupted to say: Youre not we here; youre they. After a split second, he smiled, and Mr. Rutherford immediately apologized. But even his apologetic explanation that Ive been there so long hammered home the point. Certainly Mr. Rutherford isnt the only lawyer-legislator who makes a living trying to influence the judges he helps elect. And this case is an imperfect illustration of the problem, since the bigger question is not whether Mr. Rutherford improperly influenced a retiring judge but whether he influenced the solicitor, over whom the Legislature has no direct control. And since a split court sided against him and ordered Mr. Price re-arrested. Certainly too Justice James and Mr. Wilson were right to say Mr. Rutherford's role as a lawyer-legislator is not relevant to the Supreme Court's decision in State v. Price. Indeed, how our judges are selected is not the business of the court. But it is the business of the Legislature. And if only because what lawyer-legislators do in court is rarely on such public display, the extraordinary feat Mr. Rutherford managed to pull off for his client has turned him into a poster child for efforts underway to overhaul that process. The case for reform is not complicated: The Legislature elects our judges, and some lawyers in the Legislature represent clients in cases involving those judges. Mr. Rutherford is one of six who play an outsized role, as members of the 10-person Judicial Merit Selection Commission that decides in closed-door meetings which candidates are even allowed to run for a judgeship and which incumbents may seek reelection. We believe there are good arguments for and against allowing lawyers to vote in judicial elections. We believe there are no legitimate reasons to allow them to serve on the selection commission, because it is not possible for even the most honest and ethical judges to erase from their minds the fact that Mr. Rutherford and those five other lawyer-legislators have unilateral power to end their careers. Of course, as long as the Legislature elects our judges, we dont believe that any legislators should serve on the commission. Legislators shouldn't even appoint commission members. They should be appointed by the governor, or else the governor should appoint the judges. But however it is accomplished, the first step to restoring public confidence in our judiciary is removing Mr. Rutherford and his five fellow lawyer-legislators from the selection panel. Click here for more opinion content from The Post and Courier. Ours has been a rural nation for most of its nearly 250 years, and while a far smaller percentage of us now actively work on farms or ranches, these agricultural operations remain critically important, not only to our historical identity but also because they provide our food, contribute to Read moreEditorial: SC farms are disappearing. The Legislature should try to slow that. FLORENCE Elections expert Lulu Friesdat called for changes to South Carolinas election system at a TEDx event in Florence, hoping to boost voters' confidence. Friesdat spoke to a handful of Florence County residents at the TEDxEvansStreet event on April 27. Polarity was the theme of the event, held in person for the first time since 2020 and featuring nine speakers some from Florence and others from as far away as California. Friesdat, a documentary filmmaker and journalist, is a co-founder of SMARTelections, an organization that promotes policies it believes will create secure, fair, accessible, well-administered and publicly verifiable elections. In an interview after her talk, Friesdat listed a number of concerns she said should be taken seriously: scattered mistakes made by certain types of voting machines, voter suppression, attempts by foreign actors to change vote counts and gerrymandering. Friesdats goal in speaking at the Florence TEDx event, she said, was to break out of partisan positions on voting and engage with legitimate problems she sees in the U.S. electoral system. Both ends of the political spectrum have valid concerns, though there also are plenty of unfounded claims. People feel the government isn't working and in many cases I think we as individuals see the government not working for us, and it's very frustrating. It's very discouraging, Friesdat said. But we want to ask people to lean into the idea of participation, lean into the idea of neutral, lean into the idea of, you as an individual can make a difference. Friesdat specifically advocated for the use of hand-marked ballots in South Carolina, which she said are more secure and transparent. Before the 2020 election, the state replaced its voting machines with a new system in which voters input their choices on a computer and the computer prints a ballot with the choices selected and a barcode for the voting machines to scan. But Friesdat argued voters can't tell if the barcode accurately reflects their vote. And while their choices are recorded on the ballot, most voters dont check to ensure that they are right, she said. At the same time, Friesdat said she's not advocating for the abolition of all voting machines, acknowledging that some people especially those with disabilities require them to vote. We would love to see South Carolina develop that option where you have both available, because you have a better chance of catching problems with the computers if some people are marking their ballots by hand, and especially if most people are marking their ballots by hand. Then you really have a chance to audit the election more accurately, she said. More broadly, Friesdat said voters should embrace nonpartisan election observation and reduce partisanship in elections. One of SMARTelections goals is to develop groups of people who are dedicated to nonpartisan observation of elections. The organization plans to instruct observers on how to observe without partisanship, without hostility, and with diligent attention to the election that fosters a fair process, Friesdat said. South Carolina is definitely one that we're interested in working in, so we hope that when we launch that, there will be people here who are interested in joining that process, she said. While Friesdat said U.S. elections have serious problems, she acknowledged that there are many unfounded concerns as well. She encouraged voters to look for information from different sources and recommended they do their own research, looking for sources with verified credentials or an academic background in elections. It's very hard to get to fair elections when people are really digging in and surrounded by media and narratives and family and community that are reinforcing hatred and animosity, she said. When we lean into the partisanship and that type of extreme behavior, it really becomes almost impossible to get to fair elections, because everybody's really digging into their side. COLUMBIA South Carolina's Democrats hoped that the election of a longtime party organizer as their new state party chair April 29 would bring a measure of unity and fresh direction to the party after a hard-fought race that once again put their divides on display. Christale Spain, who ran the state party as executive director from 2016 to 2017 and secured the powerful endorsement of U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., won the support of a majority of delegates. I'm a unifier, Spain said after her victory. "I look forward to working with my opponents. I look forward to working with the people who didn't vote for me." Spain becomes the first Black woman to lead the party. Top of mind as Spain, 46, begins her tenure as chair will be holding the state's 2024 first-in-the-nation primary and keeping the Palmetto State's place in 2028. "This is a test run and we know it," she said. Spain said repeatedly during the campaign that the primary will bring in the attention and resources to revitalize the party. Spain beat out two challengers Brandon Upson, the chair of the state partys Black Caucus who cast himself as an outsider willing to shake up the party, and Katherine Fleming Bruce, a party activist from Columbia. The standing vote was conducted in alphabetical order with Fleming Bruce receiving 30 vote from the approximately 1,300 delegates in attendance. After Spain netted 686 votes, Upson stepped to the podium and conceded the race to Spain in an emotional speech. "We are at a crossroads where we must come together as a party," he said. "I didn't run for the sake of me. I ran for the sake of us." Incumbent party Chairman Trav Robertson announced he would not seek reelection in late February. Robertson, who led the party since 2017, had come under fire from some Democrats over the partys outreach to Black voters. Many delegates said the campaign for chair was the most intense in recent memory. All three candidates crisscrossed the state attending dozens of events, sent out mailers, printed yard signs and bombarded delegates with calls, emails and texts. Upson, 37, even went door to door lobbying delegates and paid to drive in supporters from far-flung corners of the state and put them up in Columbia hotels. But Spain, who also ran a vigorous campaign, racked up endorsements from the partys most powerful voices. Along with Clyburn, Jaime Harrison, the chair of the Democratic National Committee and a former state chair, former Gov. Jim Hodges and Robertson threw their weight behind her candidacy. The states DNC members and more than a dozen county chairs also backed her. Clyburn wielded his considerable influence at the convention, giving a rousing nominating speech for Spain emphasizing her experience. "Christale Spain has dedicated her life and energies to electing Democrats, and she has been successful, and she deserves your votes," Clyburn told a packed exhibition hall at the state fairgrounds. Many in the party, even Spain's supporters, expected a closer result, but delegates and elected officials on the convention floor, pointed to Clyburn's endorsement as the decisive factor. State Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, one of Upson's most prominent supporters, said that she believed that Spain may have won without her heavy-weight endorsements, but Clyburn's endorsement was "without question" the clincher. I knew that Brandon going against the establishment and all of the status quo Democrats, he was fighting an uphill battle," she said. Others attributed the easy victory to Spain's personal connections built during more than a decade on the inside of state politics. "I know Christale's values," said Clay Middleton, a DNC member who is running for mayor of Charleston. "She's been preparing for this for a long time." Colleen Condon, a long-time Charleston Democratic politico, was elected second-in-command of the state party. South Carolina Democrats have suffered a string of defeats in recent years, losing the 2022 gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races by wide margins and dropping eight seats state House of Representatives and three in the state Senate since 2020. The repeated defeats have prompted angst and recriminations in party that were again on full display during the party chair campaign. Upson attempted to paint Spain as an establishment pick who would repeat the same failed strategies of her predecessors. while Spains camp criticized Upson as inexperienced and knocked work he did for a Republican who flipped a Charleston County Council seat in 2022. But calls for unity were the order of the day. Now Spain's challenge, Democrats agree, is making sure that unity will hold. All eyes are on how the outcome of next months crucial elections in Turkey could reshape the regional order. Turks will vote next month in presidential and legislative elections that could mark a crucial moment for the countrys troubled national politics and its aspiring regional clout. The twin elections slated for 14 May could determine the fate of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) which has been in power for more than two decades. Erdogan and his party are facing a stiff challenge from six opposition parties that have joined forces for presidential and parliamentary posts amid mounting discontent with the countrys political stalemate, its economic management, and the response to the destructive earthquakes in the region in February that left 50,000 people dead. Each of Turkeys neighbours has a stake in the result of the elections, with each hoping that they will bring in a new era of less problematic and more predictable Turkish regional policies. Since Erdogan came to power in 2003, initially as prime minister and then as president since 2014, Turkey has become a more active player in the regional arena, intervening decisively in a series of crises. The countrys involvement in various regional conflicts and Erdogans abrasive manner have increased antipathy to it in many parts of the Middle East as well as the oppositions disenchantment. Foreign policy issues, such as Ankaras outlook on the West and its neighbourhood relationships, are expected to bear significantly on the outcome of the elections, with the opposition hoping that they will pivot Turkish foreign policy to be more domestically driven. Turkeys opposition headed by Kemal Klcdaroglu, leader of Republican Peoples Party (CHP) and the opposition coalitions presidential candidate, seeks to exploit problems the AKP government faces, especially the economic crisis and its failure to respond to the earthquake appropriately, in order to remove Erdogan from power. The oppositions priority is domestic: to reverse both Erdogans authoritarian rule and his unorthodox economic policies. Erdogans critics blame him for seeking to shape Turkeys political system in his own image and trying to build a modern Ottoman Sultanate with him at its helm. The opposition also accuses Erdogan of adopting economic policies that have driven millions to the brink of financial ruin. Millions of others have been left homeless in the 11 Turkish provinces affected by the February earthquakes. Under Turkish law, any presidential candidate who can secure more than half the vote is the outright winner. The race goes to a run-off two weeks later if no candidate fails to snatch victory in the first round. If Erdogan is unseated in the elections, the foreign policy challenges faced by the Turkish opposition would be enormous. His assertive foreign policy was aimed at rebranding Turkey as a regional power and any new leader and his government would need to work out a new foreign policy. The opposition coalition would also face a suite of challenges on the global and regional stages, from fragile relations with NATO and the European Union to restoring confidence with neighbouring countries. Though Turkey is a NATO member and has built a close partnership and deepening trade relations with the EU, Erdogan has drawn the ire of his Western allies over the countrys relations with Russia and other issues. The opposition will have to solve differences with the West over a host of issues including the Russian war in Ukraine and the future of Turkey in the Western alliance. When it comes to Turkeys immediate neighbourhood, the most pressing issues will be for the opposition to address the root causes of the countrys troubled relations with its surroundings after years of sharpening geopolitical tensions. Erdogans increasing regional ambitions, including his intervention in several conflicts, his willingness to launch military operations in Iraq, Libya, and Syria, and his pressing of territorial claims in the Mediterranean, have isolated Turkey and cast uncertainty on its ties with its neighbours. In recent years, Erdogan has sought to remake his foreign policy, including by seeking a rapprochement with major regional powers such as Egypt, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. He is also seeking a reconciliation with the Syrian regime of Bashar Al-Assad as part of his bid to reset neighbourhood ties. Yet, the gap between Turkey and other countries goes beyond Erdogans supposedly friendly gestures. Instead, it is the product of deep mistrust and the frustration of Erdogans ambitions to play a leadership role in the region. Returning to the zero problems with the neighbours policy advocated by former Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu will be critical in restoring confidence in Turkeys relations with the rest of the region. With many of Erdogans assertive policies leading to the countrys taking sides in the internal political divisions of neighbouring countries, a government led by the opposition will need to attend to a number of related issues, notably ending Turkeys partisan interventions and its military presence abroad. Under Erdogan and the AKP, Turkey ramped up its interventions in both Iraq and Syria in order to face alleged threats to its security by Kurdish rebels and their allies in the two countries. Turkey has expanded its military presence in northern Iraq by building dozens of bases and outposts and conducting routine aerial operations and ground incursions allegedly against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) inside the Iraqi Kurdish enclave. Another stumbling block in Turkeys relations with Iraq is the water shortage in the Euphrates-Tigris Basin caused by huge upstream projects that Iraq fears threaten livelihoods downstream. The scope of the Turkish involvement in Syria has broadened since the 2011 uprising in the country beyond simply addressing Ankaras worries about the ensuing Civil War. The Turkish intervention, which started politically, later evolved into military assistance for the Syrian opposition forces and morphed into the occupation of large chunks of Syrian territory. One of the impacts of Erdogans policy in Syria is the presence of millions of Syrian refugees in Turkey who are now part of the elections debate. Many Turkish opposition parties that are campaigning on an anti-migrant platform want to send these refugees back home. In both countries, the conflict reflects the assumptions underpinning the long-standing Kurdish question in Turkey. Turkish strategists fear the Kurds could use the chaos gripping the two countries to establish an independent state in Iraq and Syria that could accelerate the PKK-led secessionist movement in the Kurdish areas in Turkey. The issue weighs heavily ahead of the elections, especially with some 15 million Kurds in Turkey whose constituencies will have a determining impact on the outcome of the voting. The countrys electoral map indicates that the outcome may hinge on the Kurds. A recent poll suggested that the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), whose base is mostly Kurdish, is expected to take at least 10 per cent of the vote, which could make it a kingmaker after the elections. The HDP is fielding its parliamentary candidates under the banner of its sister the Green Left Party in order to sidestep a potential ban at the Turkish Constitutional Court over allegations that it supports the PKK. The party has not formally joined the six-party coalition backing Klcdaroglu for the presidency. Instead, its voters, who will likely play an even a bigger role in the presidential poll, are backing the HDP-Green Left Party contender. The opposition alliance is thus expected to face a fundamental challenge in addressing Turkish state policy with regard to using the existence of the PKK as a pretext for both the repression of the Kurdish community and its neighbourhood strategy. Any future opposition-led government in Turkey will also need to reassess the countrys involvement in Libya, where Turkish military personnel and affiliated foreign fighters have been sent to promote Turkish interests in the southern Mediterranean region. The opposition will need to provide an alternative Turkish strategy in Libya aimed at ending its military involvement in the beleaguered country and reassuring Libyas neighbours of its peaceful intentions. Turkeys sweeping claims of exclusive economic zones in the Eastern Mediterranean have also antagonised competing claimants and increased regional tensions. Many other countries are entangled in a string of disputes in an area that has seen increasing gas discoveries. The Turkish opposition parties have made it clear that they do not support Erdogans one-sided maritime deals, and they are reportedly working out alternative plans to secure Turkeys interests in the regional gas market. Turkey is important to the region as much as its neighbours are important to the countrys economic and political well-being and security. Relations between the Turks and Arabs, as well as other Middle Eastern minorities, go back centuries, but views vary on their experience under the Ottoman rule that lasted four centuries. More recently, Erdogans growing regional ambitions have led to strained diplomatic relations, fuelling anti-Turkish sentiments and compelling several Arab nations to adopt a cautious approach to Turkey. The next government in Turkey needs to tackle these and other challenges in order to craft a more effective way to address the concerns of its neighbours and pave the way for more equitable regional cooperation. * A version of this article appears in print in the 27 April, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-29 02:01:49 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 976 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 RADNOR, PA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP ( www.ktmc.com) informs investors that securities class action complaints have been filed against Credit Suisse Group AG ("Credit Suisse") (NYSE:CS). The complaints charge Credit Suisse with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the company's business, operations, and prospects. As a result of Credit Suisse's materially misleading statements and omissions to the public, Credit Suisse's investors have suffered significant losses.CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR CREDIT SUISSE LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/credit-suisse-group-ag?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=cs&mktm=r CANNOT VIEW THIS VIDEO? PLEASE CLICK HERELEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: MAY 8, 2023CLASS PERIOD: FEBRUARY 18, 2021 THROUGH MARCH 20, 2023CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS:Jonathan Naji, Esq. at (484) 270-1453 or via email at info@ ktmc.com Kessler Topaz is one of the world's foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent.CREDIT SUISSE'S ALLEGED MISCONDUCTIn October 2022, Credit Suisse began experiencing a sharp increase in customer outflows, or withdrawals of client funds, after a series of quarterly losses and risk and compliance failures significantly decreased the company's American Depositary Share ("ADS") price.On March 10, 2022, Credit Suisse filed with the SEC its 2021 annual report on a Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021. The 2021 annual report failed to identify any material weaknesses with Credit Suisse's internal controls.On December 1, 2022, Credit Suisse's Chairman, Axel P. Lehmann ("Lehmann") stated in an interview with Financial Times that customer outflows had not only "completely flattened out," but had, in fact, "partially reversed." The following day, in an interview with Bloomberg Television, Lehmann reiterated his previous statements, reassuring investors that as of November 11, 2022, customer outflows had "basically stopped." Following Lehmann's statements, Credit Suisse's ADS price rose $0.29 per ADS, or 9.36%, to close at $3.38 per ADS on December 2, 2022.Then on February 9, 2023, Credit Suisse issued a press release announcing its 2022 financial results. The press release revealed that, contrary to Lehmann's prior statements, large customer outflows had continued through year-end 2022. Specifically, the press release reported customer outflows of 110.5 billion Swiss francs in the final three months of 2022, a figure which far exceeded market expectations. Following this news, Credit Suisse's ADS price fell $0.56 per ADS, or 15.64%, to close at $3.02 per ADS on February 9, 2023.On February 21, 2023, Reuters reported that the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority was reviewing Lehmann's previous comments regarding customer outflows. Following this news, Credit Suisse's ADS price fell another $0.10 per ADS, or 3.31%, to close at $2.92 per ADS on February 21, 2023.Then on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, Credit Suisse issued its annual 2022 report and revealed that it had identified "certain material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting" for the years 2021 and 2022. Additionally, on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, the chairman of Credit Suisse's largest shareholder, Saudi National Bank, which holds 9.88% of Credit Suisse, announced that it won't provide further financial support to Credit Suisse and that it would not buy more shares on regulatory grounds.Following this news, the price of Credit Suisse ADSs fell 13.94% to close at $2.16 per ADS on March 15, 2023.Finally, on March 20, 2023, Credit Suisse issued an announcement on Form 6-K of its merger agreement with Union Bank of Switzerland and that Union Bank of Switzerland would be the surviving entity upon closing of the merger transaction.Following this news, the price of Credit Suisse ADSs fell 52.99% to close at $0.9450 per ADS on March 20, 2023.WHAT CAN I DO?Credit Suisse investors may, no later than May 8, 2023, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class, through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPor other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages Credit Suisse investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. The first class action complaint against Credit Suisse, Calhoun v. Credit Suisse Group AG, et al. Case No. 23-cv-01297, is filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey before the Honorable Karen McGlashan Williams.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASEWHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF?A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLPKessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaints were not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com CONTACT:Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPJonathan Naji, Esq.280 King of Prussia RoadRadnor, PA 19087(484) 270-1453info@ ktmc.com %0 PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-29 10:06:37 Press Information Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private Limited +91 7580990088 email www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com Published by Parmeet Singh 7580990088 e-mail https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/ # 1118 Words +91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088 Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting recently released their most comprehensive study on the global enzyme markers market. This research report provides a detailed overview of the market's drivers and restraints, as well as a thorough analysis of the current trends that are likely to shape its future. To create this in-depth report, the team of analysts used both primary and secondary research methods. The report offers an unbiased perspective on the enzyme markers industry, allowing clients to make well-informed business decisions. The report reveals key insights about the global enzyme markers industry, such as the market's size and potential for growth. It also examines the impact of technological advancements, regulatory changes, and consumer behaviors on the market's performance. Analysts also take a closer look at the market's competitive landscape, highlighting the strategies used by leading players to gain a competitive edge. Additionally, the report outlines potential threats and opportunities that may arise in the near future.Overall, this comprehensive report offers an invaluable resource for those looking to better understand the global enzyme markers market. With the help of the study's data-driven insights, clients can gain a better understanding of the current market dynamics, allowing them to make informed business decisions.Request a Sample of this Report at: https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Enzyme-Markers-Market/request-for-sample-report The global enzyme markers market was in a state of flux, and the future direction was uncertain. To gain clarity, a comprehensive research study was conducted to analyze the market using Porter's five forces analysis and SWOT analysis. By combining these two methods of analysis, the research could gain a clear perspective of the global enzyme markers market's expected direction.The SWOT analysis focused on identifying the market's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It was a useful tool in determining the potential of the market to succeed and develop, as well as its potential vulnerabilities. The Porter's five forces analysis, on the other hand, provided a detailed look into the competitive landscape, examining the level of competition, the bargaining power of customers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of new entrants, and the threat of substitute products.The research report delved into the trends that were shaping the market, as well as consumer behavior patterns. It was found that the competition among the existing players in the market was intense, and new entrants posed a major threat. The bargaining power of customers was also strong, and suppliers had to come up with innovative products to keep their customers satisfied. Additionally, the threat of substitute products was also present, and companies had to be prepared to face this competition.Overall, the research study provided a comprehensive understanding of the global enzyme markers market's expected direction. By combining Porter's five forces analysis and SWOT analysis, the research was able to gain a clear picture of the market's future. The report gave readers a better understanding of the trends and consumer behavior patterns that would shape the market's evolution.Highlights of Global Enzyme Markers Market ReportThe global enzyme markers market report is a comprehensive overview of the current state of the industry and provides an in-depth analysis of its future trends and developments.The report details the market size, growth rate, industry trends, and other noteworthy information. It also highlights key products and services that are driving the growth of the market, as well as their respective market shares.One of the most important aspects of the global enzyme markers market report is the analysis of the competitive landscape. The report details the competitive positioning of the leading players in the market and the various strategies they are using to stay ahead of their rivals.The report also examines the recent technological developments that are disrupting the industry and the effect they will have on the market in the long term. It also covers the impact of government regulations and policies on the industry and provides an insight into the future trends in the industry.The global enzyme markers market report provides an insightful look at the current state of the industry and a comprehensive overview of its future prospects. It is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to gain an understanding of the market and its potential.Scope of the ReportEnzyme Markers Market SegmentsThe market by product type is segmented into 5-nucleotidase, acetate dehydrogenase, neutral alpha-glucosidase, catalase, n-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase.The market by application is segmented into diagnostic tests, drug development, clinical trails.Regions Covered in the Global Enzyme Markers Market:North America (the United States and Canada)Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Rest of Europe)Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Korea, Australia, and Rest of Asia Pacific)The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, South Africa and Rest of the Middle East & Africa)Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Rest of Latin America)The enzyme markers market has been under intense scrutiny over the past few years, and the latest report released by the market research division provides a comprehensive overview of the leading players in the industry. The report contains a detailed chapter on company profiles which provides an overview of the strategic objectives of the leading players, their primary products and services, and an in-depth analysis of their strategic initiatives.The report reveals that the leading players in the enzyme markers market are taking aggressive steps to strengthen their position in the industry. Many of the organizations have embarked on R&D activities to stay ahead of the competition and remain competitive. Their strategic initiatives have also been designed to capitalize on the technological advances in the industry.The report also provides an overview of the financial outlooks of the leading players in the industry. An overall analysis of the organizations' financial statuses reveals the current trends in the market. This allows readers to gain a better understanding of the potential of the enzyme markers market and its expected trajectory.It is clear that the enzyme markers market is a highly competitive industry and the leading players have to continuously innovate to keep up with the competition. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the industry and its key players and provides readers with an understanding of the industry's current and future prospects. This research aims to provide readers with an informed assessment of the anticipated trajectory of the enzyme markers market.The following Companies as the Key Players in the Global Enzyme Markers Market Research Report:AB Enzymes, Abcam, Agilent Technologies Inc., Amano Enzyme Inc, Amway, Asahi Kasei Corporation, BASF, Danaher (Cytiva), DuPont Danisco, Genzyme Corporation, Merck, Novozymes, Nutritech, Promega Corporation, Sanofi, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.Contact UsDhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private LimitedContact No: +91 7580990088Email Id: sales@ dhirtekbusinessresearch.com PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-29 10:31:50 Press Information Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private Limited +91 7580990088 email www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com Published by Parmeet Singh 7580990088 e-mail https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/ # 1123 Words +91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088 Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting recently released their most comprehensive study on the global rapid hepatitis testing market. This research report provides a detailed overview of the market's drivers and restraints, as well as a thorough analysis of the current trends that are likely to shape its future. To create this in-depth report, the team of analysts used both primary and secondary research methods. The report offers an unbiased perspective on the rapid hepatitis testing industry, allowing clients to make well-informed business decisions. The report reveals key insights about the global rapid hepatitis testing industry, such as the market's size and potential for growth. It also examines the impact of technological advancements, regulatory changes, and consumer behaviors on the market's performance. Analysts also take a closer look at the market's competitive landscape, highlighting the strategies used by leading players to gain a competitive edge. Additionally, the report outlines potential threats and opportunities that may arise in the near future.Overall, this comprehensive report offers an invaluable resource for those looking to better understand the global rapid hepatitis testing market. With the help of the study's data-driven insights, clients can gain a better understanding of the current market dynamics, allowing them to make informed business decisions.Request a Sample of this Report at: https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Rapid-Hepatitis-Testing-Market/request-for-sample-report The global rapid hepatitis testing market was in a state of flux, and the future direction was uncertain. To gain clarity, a comprehensive research study was conducted to analyze the market using Porter's five forces analysis and SWOT analysis. By combining these two methods of analysis, the research could gain a clear perspective of the global rapid hepatitis testing market's expected direction.The SWOT analysis focused on identifying the market's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It was a useful tool in determining the potential of the market to succeed and develop, as well as its potential vulnerabilities. The Porter's five forces analysis, on the other hand, provided a detailed look into the competitive landscape, examining the level of competition, the bargaining power of customers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of new entrants, and the threat of substitute products.The research report delved into the trends that were shaping the market, as well as consumer behavior patterns. It was found that the competition among the existing players in the market was intense, and new entrants posed a major threat. The bargaining power of customers was also strong, and suppliers had to come up with innovative products to keep their customers satisfied. Additionally, the threat of substitute products was also present, and companies had to be prepared to face this competition.Overall, the research study provided a comprehensive understanding of the global rapid hepatitis testing market's expected direction. By combining Porter's five forces analysis and SWOT analysis, the research was able to gain a clear picture of the market's future. The report gave readers a better understanding of the trends and consumer behavior patterns that would shape the market's evolution.Highlights of Global Rapid Hepatitis Testing Market ReportThe global rapid hepatitis testing market report is a comprehensive overview of the current state of the industry and provides an in-depth analysis of its future trends and developments.The report details the market size, growth rate, industry trends, and other noteworthy information. It also highlights key products and services that are driving the growth of the market, as well as their respective market shares.One of the most important aspects of the global rapid hepatitis testing market report is the analysis of the competitive landscape. The report details the competitive positioning of the leading players in the market and the various strategies they are using to stay ahead of their rivals.The report also examines the recent technological developments that are disrupting the industry and the effect they will have on the market in the long term. It also covers the impact of government regulations and policies on the industry and provides an insight into the future trends in the industry.The global rapid hepatitis testing market report provides an insightful look at the current state of the industry and a comprehensive overview of its future prospects. It is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to gain an understanding of the market and its potential.Scope of the ReportRapid Hepatitis Testing Market SegmentsThe market by product type is segmented into serologic antibody assays, molecular hcv rna tests.The market by application is segmented into hospital, clinic, others.Regions Covered in the Global Rapid Hepatitis Testing Market:North America (the United States and Canada)Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Rest of Europe)Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Korea, Australia, and Rest of Asia Pacific)The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, South Africa and Rest of the Middle East & Africa)Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Rest of Latin America)The rapid hepatitis testing market has been under intense scrutiny over the past few years, and the latest report released by the market research division provides a comprehensive overview of the leading players in the industry. The report contains a detailed chapter on company profiles which provides an overview of the strategic objectives of the leading players, their primary products and services, and an in-depth analysis of their strategic initiatives.The report reveals that the leading players in the rapid hepatitis testing market are taking aggressive steps to strengthen their position in the industry. Many of the organizations have embarked on R&D activities to stay ahead of the competition and remain competitive. Their strategic initiatives have also been designed to capitalize on the technological advances in the industry.The report also provides an overview of the financial outlooks of the leading players in the industry. An overall analysis of the organizations' financial statuses reveals the current trends in the market. This allows readers to gain a better understanding of the potential of the rapid hepatitis testing market and its expected trajectory.It is clear that the rapid hepatitis testing market is a highly competitive industry and the leading players have to continuously innovate to keep up with the competition. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the industry and its key players and provides readers with an understanding of the industry's current and future prospects. This research aims to provide readers with an informed assessment of the anticipated trajectory of the rapid hepatitis testing market.The following Companies as the Key Players in the Global Rapid Hepatitis Testing Market Research Report:Abbott Laboratories, Bayer AG, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., BioGenex, Biochrome Scientific, CTK Biotech, Inc., Danaher, Grifols, QIAGEN, Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.Contact UsDhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private LimitedContact No: +91 7580990088Email Id: sales@ dhirtekbusinessresearch.com Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The governors of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and Oyo State, Seyi Makinde on Friday paid a visit to the President-elect Bola Tinubu, at the Defence House, Abuja. Messrs Wike and Makinde, who are members of the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), met with the president-elect alongside other governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The APC governors are Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa and Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State. Briefing journalists after the meeting, Mr Makinde said elections are over, and the country must move toward governance. We are here to let him know that elections are over this is governance and we will do our best to give him support, Mr Makinde said. Mr Wike also expressed support for the incoming Tinubu administration and expressed optimism that he (Tinubu) will turn the country around. Just like my friend (Mr Makinde) said, a winner has emerged and therefore it is alright to give necessary support in the interest of Nigeria. I have the confidence that he has what it takes to turn Nigeria around, he said. Messrs Wike and Makinde are members of the G5 governors, which include Samuel Ortom of Benue, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia States, all members of the PDP. They worked against their partys presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and supported Mr Tinubu of the APC in the 25 February election. Mr Tinubu won the presidential election in Oyo State, and pulled a surprise result in Rivers State, by defeating Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Atiku. However, PREMIUM TIMES had reviewed the results posted on the IREV portal by INEC and discovered that Mr Obi, not Mr Tinubu, actually won the election in Rivers State and should have been declared the winner in the state. However, that may not have changed the final outcome of the election. Meanwhile, Mr Tinubu is expected to be in Rivers on 3 May to commission some projects constructed by the Rivers State Government. Messrs Obi and Atiku, as well as their parties, are still challenging the result of the presidential election at the election court. The election court and the Supreme Court are, however, not expected to rule before Mr Tinubu is sworn in as president on 29 May. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigerias size and resources have imposed on her a stabilising role in the West African subregion and the African continent as a whole. Speaking after receiving a message from President Ibrahim Ghali of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, SADR from a Special Envoy at the State House Friday, Mr Buhari said peace and stability are central to the vision of Nigeria in Africa, adding that these were essential to security and prosperity in the continent. He thanked the president of the Sahrawi Republic for the message he sent and gave an assurance that he will study its content and brief the in-coming president, Bola Tinubu, on their concerns, urging the special envoy to make the effort to brief the in-coming president as well. The Special Envoy, Mohammed Saleh, who is a former minister of foreign affairs, now minister of diplomatic affairs, recalled the role of Mr Buhari, in 1983 as military head of state, as being the first African leader to recognise the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, paving the way thereby, for its recognition by the Organisation of African Unity, now African Union. History will not forget your important role in leading the fight for African freedom using money, arms and diplomacy in the African Union and the United Nations to secure independence for South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia for, without this, these nations would not have been free, the envoy said. Mr Saleh expressed the sadness of his country in Mr Buhari leaving office and expressed the hope that the Tinubu government will maintain the same interest in the independence struggle. He urged the president to continue to maintain relevance in the affairs of the SADR and that of the entire continent. Mr Buhari accepted the request of the president of the Sahrawi Republic to participate in the inaugural events ushering in the new Nigerian president in May. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Solomon Arase, has pledged to end the feud existing between the commission and the Nigeria Police Force. A statement by the Head of Press and Public Relations of PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, on Friday in Abuja, said Mr Arase gave the assurance when he hosted some members of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). He described the existing rift between the two organisations as embarrassing, saying it was fuelled largely because of misconceptions and suspicion. Mr Arase said it was in the greater interest of the country for the two organisations to work in harmony and a more transparent, responsible and responsive manner. My appointment as the chairman of the commission came at a critical time in our national life, when the Commission and the Nigeria Police Force have engaged in a seemingly intractable disputations. This rift over roles and powers has regrettably compounded and degenerated into series of litigations. In the raging disconcertment and belligerency, it is the Nigerian people that suffer as neither PSC nor Nigieria Police can function effectively without the support and cooperation of each other, he said. Mr Arase, therefore, said he would continue to take conscious steps to bring about the required peace, cordiality and harmony between the two critical institutions of government. I set out with a vision and mission to de-escalate and contain the raging conflict, douse the disquiet and restore peace, understanding and cooperation between the two institutions, he added. According to him, this is necessary in order to actualize the countrys Security Sector Reform. The PSC chairman said synergy between the two organisations would also ensure greater results and success in their operations. Mr Arase said so far, peace was being restored and trust being built between PSC and the Nigeria Police, adding that all the knotty issues would soon be amicably resolved. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The police in Anambra State, south-east Nigeria, have made fresh accusations against Nnamdi Emeh, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) arrested for allegedly committing various offences in the state. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Echeng Echeng, disclosed this on Friday during a press conference in Awka, the state capital. Background PREMIUM TIMES reported that the police in the state had, in February, declared Mr Emeh wanted for unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering. The 26-year-old corps member, who was undergoing his mandatory national service at the state police command, was also accused of fraud, impersonation and defamation of character. The police did not provide details of when and how the corps member allegedly committed the offences. Tochukwu Ikenga, the spokesperson of the police in the state, only said the corps member was positively identified/mentioned in an ongoing investigation by the police in Anambra State. Mr Emeh was later arrested in Benin Republic, a French-speaking West African country, on 3 March. The arrest of the corps member followed a joint operation by police operatives from Benin Republic and Nigeria. His arrest after being declared wanted by the police came days after three high-ranking police officers serving in Anambra State were indicted for various criminal activities in the state. A Nigerian news blog, Gistlover, had published a report accusing the officers of engaging in illegal arrest, torture, extortion and extra-judicial killings of their victims. The blog, which reportedly gathered the information from Mr Emeh, claimed that the officers illegally arrested their victims, labelled them as unknown gunmen and then torture them to accept the labelling before killing them and taking possession of their vehicles and other valuables. The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali (IGP) would later order an investigation into the weighty allegations against the officers. Fresh accusations Mr Echeng, during the Friday press conference, confirmed that Mr Emeh was still in police custody. In what appeared to be fresh accusations, the police commissioner said the corps member also hacked into a bank account of a man and transferred millions of naira to his (Emeh) different bank accounts. Nnamdi (Emeh) also hacked into one of Mr Chibuike Martins Ekwuemes (bank) accounts and fraudulently transferred a total of N47 million to his 14 different (bank) accounts, he said. The police did not provide details about who Mr Ekwueme is and whether he is an officer. The case is already before the Federal High Court, Mr Echeng added, without giving details. Group demands his release Meanwhile, the Civil Society Coalition Against Impunity had, in April, demanded the release of Mr Emeh. The coalition, which comprises about 29 civil society organisations, asked the police authorities to immediately release the corps member or charge him to court, if he was found guilty of any crime. The group had claimed that Mr Emeh, an information technology consultant to the police in the state, was arrested in Benin Republic because he acted as a whistle blower who revealed details of the offences allegedly committed by the three high-ranking officers accused of extortion and extra-judicial killings in the state. It urged the police authorities to stop the alleged intimidation, harassment and attacks against Mr Emeh, his family and friends. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Church of the Virgin Mary, the Archangel Michael, Martyr Abu Sefein and St. Karas in Assiuts Dairut city in Upper Egypt burned down early on Saturday in a massive fire caused by a gas leak. No casualties have been reported, and no damage was caused to the houses or schools around the church, the Sanabu and Dairut Diocese said in a statement. The fire broke out at around 4am due to a gas leak from a butane cylinder used in preparing the sacrament, the diocese said. The church, which was made of of wood, and all its annexes was entirely destroyed in the fire. Civil protection units, ambulances, and security authorities were immediately dispatched to the scene and the fire was brought under control, the diocese said. The diocese also praised the efforts made by the citizens and neighbors of the church to put out the fire. Egypt saw 51,963 incidents of fire in 2021, down by 0.8 percent from the previous year, causing the death of 252 and the injury of 824 others, according to data released by the official statistical agency CAPMAS. Search Keywords: Short link: Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Patience Omoike-Mark, counsel to former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, on Thursday stated that a Federal High Court (FHC) sitting in Lagos did not order the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to file fresh charges against him and others. Ms Omoike-Mark said that Justice Daniel Osiagor, instead, declared that the suit no longer had life before the court following a Lagos Division of the Court of Appeals judgment quashing the case. The lawyer, who gave the clarification in a statement she signed on Thursday in Abuja, also made available to reporters a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the ruling delivered by the judge to that effect. Media reports had claimed that a FHC in Lagos had ordered that exhibits and documents in a suit marked: FHC/L/251C/16, filed by the EFCC against former Minister of State for Finance, Nenandi Usman, Mr Fani-Kayode and others be released back to the commission to enable it file fresh charges against the defendants in the Abuja division of the court. But reacting, Ms Omoike-Mark refuted the media reports, saying that the court only directed that documents and exhibits filed in the course of the trial be returned to parties in the case. We refer to case number FHC/L/251C/16, FRN vs NENADI ESTHER USMAN & 3 ORS. The matter, wherein we represent the 2nd defendant (Fani-Kayode), came up on the 25th of April, 2023. The court was informed of the judgment of the Court of Appeal quashing the charge in the Federal High Court, Lagos over lack of jurisdiction. And after counsel applied for their documents in the matter, the court, in abiding by the decision of the Court of Appeal, ordered that documents belonging to parties in the suit be released to them. What this implied is that all parties, including Chief Fani-Kayode, should have access to their documents. The court struck out the suit from its own docket since it no longer has jurisdiction to hear it, she said. The lawyer said that the clarification became necessary to let the Nigerian public know the truth. As at today, there is no case in respect of these charges in the court against our client and after seven years of prosecution. We are not only grateful to the courts for administering justice in a fair and just manner, but we are also overjoyed at the fact that what can only be described as yet another seven-year ordeal has been brought to an end. Despite their loss at the Court of Appeal last week and the decision of the Court of Appeal Judges to quash all the charges, if the EFCC deems it fit to go to an Abuja court after seven years of unsuccessfully prosecuting the same matter in Lagos, that is their prerogative. Whatever they choose to do, as at now, the matter is completely dead. They have lost the case; the charges have been quashed and the matter has been thrown out, she said. She said that the team had applied for the CTC of the Appeal Court judgement and that this would be made available to the public as soon as it is received. Meanwhile, a CTC of Justice Osiagors ruling marked: FHC/L/251C/16 delivered on Tuesday but made available to reporters by the lawyer on Thursday reads in part: The court, having noted that the Court of Appeal has announced the death of this case in this jurisdiction. It is hereby ordered that all exhibits or documents of the parties be returned to them. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Court of Appeal in Lagos had, on April 20, quashed charges of misappropriation of N4.6 billion and money laundering brought against Mrs Usman, alongside Mr Fani-Kayode, a former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Yusuf Danjuma, and a company, Jointrust Dimensions Nigeria Ltd. The decision followed an appeal filed by Mrs Usman against the lower court on jurisdictional grounds.(NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Yusuf Gagdi, an aspirant for the position of the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, on Friday, met with members-elect on the platform of the Labour Party in Abuja in the quest to actualise his ambition. The meeting held in the Maitama District of the Federal Capital, was at the instance of Mr Gagdi. The details of decisions reached at the meeting were not however not disclosed to journalists. It could not ascertain if the LP lawmakers-elect pledged support for the aspirant. LP has the third highest number of members-elect of the House. The party has 36 seats, trailing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which have 177 and 116 respectively. PREMIUM TIMES had reported that Mr Gagdi met with the Abia State governor-elect of the Labour Party, Alex Otti, as he targets the 36 members-elect of the party. Mr Gagdi, a member of the APC represents Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke Federal Constituency of Plateau State. He is the Chairman of the House Committee on Navy. Before his election to the House of Representatives, he had served as the deputy speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly. He is one of the 10 aspirants that have declared interest in the speakership battle. Other aspirants include Deputy Speaker Idris Wase (APC, Plateau), Ben Kalu (APC, Abia), Muktar Betara (APC, Borno), Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), Tunji Olawuyi (APC, Kwara) and Abubakar Makki (APC, Jigawa). Others are Tajudeen Abbas (APC, Kaduna), Aminu Jaji (APC, Zamfara), and Miriam Onuoha (APC, Imo). Although the ruling party has yet to decide on the zoning of the offices, the APC Governors have recommended the zoning of the Speaker to either North-west or North-central. The inauguration of the 10th House is scheduled for 13 June. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, who has often criticised President Muhammadu Buhari, has commended the president for postponing the 2023 census. Mr Ortom expressed gratitude to Mr Buhari for listening to the voice of reason by directing the postponement of the census. A statement issued on Saturday by Lai Mohammed, Nigerias minister of Information and Culture, said the president postponed the exercise after meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council and the Chairman of the National Population Commission at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday. The governor had, in a statement by his media adviser, Terver Akase, on 13 April, called for postponement of the population and housing census until adequate security was guaranteed in the country. Mr Ortom explained that conducting the census would amount to injustice and deprivation of millions of Nigerians who have been displaced from their ancestral homes by terrorists. In Benue alone, the governor said two million people who have been displaced and are living in Internally Displaced Peoples (IDP) camps. I want to say that the federal government should suspend the issue of census because it looks like the proposed census is coming with an agenda. It should be suspended until they (government) are able to restore security and all our IDPs go back to their ancestral lands to give all of them opportunities to be counted in the homes of birth. Because I understand from the National Population Commission that those to be counted must be counted in their localities Mr Ortom said. Wellbeing of Nigerians paramount With the postponement of the census, Mr Ortom urged the federal government to ensure Nigerians whose communities have been taken over by bandits and armed herders regain their lands and return home. He reiterated his commitment to the rule of law, justice, fairness and equity. He added that lives and wellbeing of Nigerians must trump other considerations for the country to realise its aspirations for greatness. This newspaper on Saturday reported Mr Buharis postponement of the census. The exercise was earlier scheduled for 3-7 May. However, with the postponement a new date to be determined by the incoming administration would be announced. Nigeria last had its census in 2006. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala Usman, has given reasons why she refused to give her principal, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, a birthday gift. This action, she earlier stated, was one of the reasons why he removed her. Speaking at her book launch titled Stepping on Toesmy odyssey at the Nigerian Ports Authority on Saturday she explained that the notion is a bad work culture in both public and private organisations. She explained: Referencing the issue of the birthday present, the publishers and editors advised me to remove it. Why I insisted on putting it is because it was not like a side conversation he had. People went to him to plead on my behalf that why are you doing this to Hadiza? Its like you want to destroy her. He then responded to say she hasnt done anything for me. There is a culture we have imbibed in public service when it is the MD or CEOs everyone does a card as big and this gigantic cake appears. It has become like a culture that if you dont come and celebrate your boss, you are that bad person and not loyal. Unconsciously, people in public office start being entitled to that and think it is right to buy a birthday present. Meanwhile I am not your friend. Why should I buy you a birthday present? This is something we have found ourselves inthe bad work culture over the years. According to her, she feels the Minister perceived it as wrong due to the culture and from an honest and innocent perspective from where he has been groomed over the years to think it is right. Responding to reports that the Minister would write a book on her, she said: I am happy and I look forward to his book. He has an interesting career. He has been a Speaker for 8 years and Governor for 8 years, DG presidential campaign twice, Presidential aspirant. So he has a lot to share with all of us and it will make a very interesting read because there are critical things we will learn from it. Nigeria Ports Authority is one of the 13 agencies under the ministry of transportation. I dont want to think he will belittle his whole career and limit it to a Hadiza book. There is so much he has to share with us. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The police in Plateau said the tanker explosion that occurred at Bauchi Road junction in Jos North Local Government Area claimed the lives of 13 persons and destroyed 28 shops. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Alfred Alabo, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Jos. Mr Alabo said the tanker crashed Thursday due to break failure and also destroyed eight other vehicles, six tricycles and two motorcycles. The ten persons who sustained various degrees of injuries during the incident are currently receiving treatment at various hospitals. Bodies of the deceased have also been buried according to Islamic rights, he said. READ ALSO: Reinstated Plateau Speaker presides over plenary Mr Alabo said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Bartholomew Onyeka, visited the scene of the incident. He regretted the action of some youth in the area who burnt down the official vehicle of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). The PPRO added that the commissioner advised residents of the state to be law abiding at all times. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Although the first batch of Nigerian evacuees from Sudan are yet to arrive in their home country, the second phase of evacuation will commence Saturday, officials have announced. Nigeria commenced the first phase of the evacuation of its citizens from troubled Sudan on Wednesday with the hiring of 40 buses. Thirteen of the buses conveyed the first batch of the evacuees to Egypt from where they were supposed to be airlifted to Nigeria and were expected to arrive yesterday. However, the arrival of the first batch of evacuees has been delayed due to logistics and diplomatic issues at the Egyptian border, the head of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said Thursday. While the government is trying to resolve the challenges in Egypt, it is set to commence the second phase of the evacuation, the Nigerian embassy in Sudan has announced. The embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Sudan wishes to inform all Nigerian citizens who wish to be evacuated from the crisis in Sudan, that the embassy will commence the second phase of evacuation to Egypt for onward airlift to Nigeria, tomorrow 29th April, 2023, the embassy announced in a memo. The embassy instructed interested persons to converge at Al-Razi University and the International University of Africa, Madani Street on Saturday morning. Individuals are required to come with one bag only, the embassy added. The first batch of 1,600 people was scheduled to arrive in Abuja on Friday but will no longer arrive due to logistics and diplomatic issues. Officially, there are about 5,500 Nigerian students who are expected to arrive from Sudan in the evacuation that commenced on Wednesday. According to NEMA, 13 buses conveyed the first batch of the evacuees from Khartoum in Sudan to Aswan, Egypt from where they were to be airlifted to Nigeria. PREMIUM TIMES reported how some Nigerian students studying in Sudan appealed to the Nigerian government for help. Since the fighting erupted two weeks ago between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), over 500 people have been killed and almost 4,100 injured. Several countries including the UK, Chad, the US, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and France amongst others have commenced the evacuation of their citizens from Sudan. Four attempts at a ceasefire failed last week. However, the US was able to broker a partial ceasefire that has now been extended by the fighting parties even as fighting continues. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The chairperson, Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Lauretta Onochie, has declared as illegal, null and void, a $15 billion railway line agreement signed between the commission and a United States-based company. Information from the commission website indicates that its managing director, Samuel Ogbuku, on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Atlantic Global Resources Inc, to build a railway network to connect the nine states in the region. The two parties, the commission said, signed the agreement at a ceremony which was part of a one-day Public Private Partnership (PPP) Summit organised by the commission in Lagos. Thisday newspaper reported that the event was attended by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Umana, former Governor of Edo State and Senator-elect, Adams Oshiomhole, and other leaders from the South-south. But reacting to the MOU, Mrs Onochie in a statement on Friday described the agreement as dubious and illegal, claiming that it was done without the knowledge of the commissions board. According to her, the Act establishing the interventionist agency, empowers the chairperson of the board to sign MoUs on behalf the agency. The US Company, Atlanta Global Resources Inc., has no expertise nor experience in any form of construction, let alone Railway construction. This company is a Management and Export Consulting Firm without known notable Directors. Thus, the signing of an MOU to the tune of $15 billion with such an organisation is not only suspect but dubious, she said. Mrs Onochie wondered why the commission should embark on such a project after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had in 2021 awarded a $11.7 railway contract that would connect states in the region from Lagos. It is shocking that after the FEC, the highest ruling body in the country, had done this, that anyone would be signing an MOU on behalf of the NDDC and the Federal Government of Nigeria for the same project in 2023 without due process nor approval by the FEC in the twilight of President Muhammadu Buhari administration. The same clumsy, shady and hazy transactions of the past in NDDC, that had bedeviled and stultified identifiable progress in the past, was rested with the Forensic Audit and the inauguration of a new board, with the sanitisation of the commission as its mantra. However, old habits die hard. And some individuals (within and without the Commission) still retain the retrogressive mindset that has held the Commission down for the past 22 years. We cannot remain in the old dubious path, Mrs Onochie said. READ ALSO: Reps ask NDDC to halt release of N15 billion to federal govt She said the present Board of the commission is committed to transparency, justice and ready to midwife other policies and programmes that would improve the lives of the people of the region. NDDC reacts The NDDC management in its reaction said it signed MoU for a preliminary process for a railway network and not award of contract. In a statement on Friday by it director of corporate communications, Ibitoye Abosede, did not reference the statement made by the chairperson of the commission board, Mrs Onochie, but said the MoU it signed may have been misconstrued by some persons to mean Engineering, Procurement, Construction, EPC, contract. What we signed on 25 April is simply the opening phase that will determine how far we will go, but definitely showcases how interested the international partners are in tapping into the Niger Delta region. This means that we are looking at a bright and prosperous Niger Delta from the prism of the PPP, Mr Abosede said, adding that the model is to provide alternative sources of funding for key projects and programmes. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. A House of Representatives Speaker aspirant, Tajudeen Abbas, has described speculations that he is a stooge to the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, as baseless and unfounded. He said those spreading the rumour were ignorant of his antecedent and being mischievous. Mr Abbas (APC, Kaduna) said this in Abuja when he inaugurated his campaign coordinators from old and new members-elect cutting across all political parties in the country. Those alleging that I will be stooge or rubber stamp of the outgoing Speaker, Gbajabiamila, and President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu, are either ignorant of my antecedent or they are being mischievous, he said. He said separation of power, did not mean being confrontational, adding that as the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, I will not compromise the independence of legislature. Mr Abbas also said he would not succumb to being teleguided, but promised to cooperate with the executive in national 8nterest. He pledged to ensure a robust legislation and inclusiveness under his leadership, if given the mandate. I will not be teleguided by anybody when I become the Speaker, but I will cooperate but not compromise the independence and integrity of the legislature, said the aspirant. Mr Abbas, incumbent Chairman House Committee on Land Transport, representing Zaria Federal constituency of Kaduna State, said he promised to carry everyone along irrespective of differences in religion, tribe and political affiliations. Besides, the lawmaker, who is from the North-west, promised to respect the zoning formula of the party, but said it must be done on the basis of equity and fairness. As you are aware, our President-elect is from the South West, Vice-President-elect from the North East and National Chairman of our party, APC, is from the North Central, so the North West should get the Speaker, Mr Abbas explained. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the coordinators of his campaign group, named Unity Group for TJ Abbas for Speaker, consist of returning and new members from APC, PDP, NNPP, LP and APGA. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Senators- elect from the North-central have said the least position worthy of the zone was that of the deputy president of the Senate. Senator-elect for Nasarawa West Senatorial District, Ahmed Wadada (SDP-Nasarawa), made the declaration on behalf of the North-central Senators-elect caucus at a news conference in Abuja on Friday. Mr Wadada said the least position the zone would go for was the position of the deputy senate president. He said: We as a caucus met and first welcome the President -elect from his trip and asked that fairness takes place in the distribution of leadership to all the geo-political zones. Of course we are aware that there are agitations from various geo- political zones on the positions of Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Having been aware of these agitations of course, it should be called to mind that the South-west and the North-east have produced the president and vice president respectfully. The north-central as a result of that is of the stand and position that the least position we will go for is the deputy senate president and this is not just coming today. The North-central caucus has been consistent from the commencement of the politics that will lead to the emergence of the leadership of the National Assembly. That has always been our position that we are for the deputy senate president position and that is what we stand for. We shall work in harmony, mutually and cordiality with all other geo- political zones for the good of Nigeria but not to be compromised for any reason whatsoever. He also disclosed that the caucus was projecting Sani Musa (APC-Niger) for the position of deputy resident of the 10th Senate. We made it clear at our maiden meeting to give the position to the chairman of this caucus, Sen. Sani Musa. We all agreed among us that whatever comes to North-central goes to Sen. Sani Musa because we are a united family. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the caucus comprised members of different political parties from Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Niger and Kwara states. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. the sidelined Royal Houses of the Atiba Dynasty, namely, Adelabu, Adesiyan, Adediran, Tella Agbojulogun, Adesokan Baba Idode, Adesetan, Tella Okitipapa, Olanite, Abidekun, are considering this as an historical moment to seek justice for our exclusion from the throne of our progenitor, Alaafin Atobatele Atiba we are confident that the law will eventually be on our side, our prayers remain that the Oyo Mesi will see the wisdom in doing right by us, and His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde will ultimately be the arbiter of justice towards a new dawn in Oyo Kingdom. It is no longer news that the throne of the Alaafin of Oyo has remained vacant in the past one year, since of our late father, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, and that the Oyo Mesi, transited through the loft to the realm of our ancestors in April 2022, after over 51 years on the throne. His was a long and peaceful reign, largely devoid of rancour, and one in which Oyo grew from strength to strength which is what our homeland deserves into the future, as the efforts persist towards the enthronement of a new Alaafin. While I and many of the sidelined princes, of the Atiba Ruling House, commend the efforts of the Oyo Mesi, as remarkably led by the Bashorun of Oyo, Baba Yusuf Akinade, who has been supported by his distinguished fellow chiefs, the Baba Iyaji, Samu, Agbaakin, Akiniku and Lagunna, we have continued to urge them to remain guided by unadulterated historical facts, tradition and wisdom as they go on with the process of choosing a new Alaafin. It is also quite heart-warming that our very distinguished political leader in Oyo State, His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde, has come out to say during the recent swearing in of Justice Iyabo Yerima as the substantive Chief Judge of Oyo State that he will superintend over nothing short of a very fair and just process in the selection of a new Alaafin of Oyo. He had further noted that the delay witnessed so far has been due to the need of his government to do right by all the involved stakeholders and claimants to the throne, so that the Alaafin who emerges would be one who enjoys popular affirmation and support, without any subsequent acrimony and litigation that can promote instability in Oyo. The context for the making of this declaration was quite instructive. It was about strengthening the temple of justice. As such, this declaration by His Excellency, Governor Makinde, has put paid to the mischievous attempt of some prince, who is also an aspirant to the Oyo throne, to short-circuit the selection process, by sponsoring disinformation in the public, by claiming he had been endorsed as the next Alaafin or is now the Alaafin-elect. This was a rather unfortunate exhibition of desperation and a subversive inclination by one seeking to destabilise the due process of selecting the Alaafin. But thankfully, this has been clearly rebutted by the Oyo State government, properly making this to be of no consequence. At this junction, it bears reiterating some of the historical facts around the selection of a new Alaafin, which should guide the Oyo Mesi in completing the sacred task they have embarked upon in the past several months. These are facts that have also been painstakingly outlined by our venerated matriarch, Alhaja Sidikatu Adebowale Ejide Olona. Contrary to the wrong and misleading notion circulated in the public for years now, there are not two, but only ONE ruling house in Oyo and this is the Atiba Ruling House or Atiba Dynasty. There have been the grossly ignorant attributions that there are two ruling houses in Oyo the Alowolodu and the Agunloye ruling houses of which the Alaafin is selected in rotation among these houses. Nothing could be further from the truth than this. The historically correct version is that Alaafin Atiba, as the forerunner of what later became his dynasty, had eleven sons, including: (1.) Adelu Agunloye (who was the first in line to the Atiba throne), and whose lineage has produced four kings, namely: (i.) Adelu; (ii.) Lawani Agogo Ija; (iii.) Shiyanbola Ladigbolu; and (iv.) Bello Gbadegeshin. From the foregoing outline, it is quite disturbing and should be a subject of concern that out of the 11 sons that survived Atiba, Alaafins have only been selected from the lineages of the first and the fourth sons Agunloye and Alowolodu. These two have alternately sat on the throne for approximately 150 years, and hence considered it as given that the throne would ONLY rotate between them. What about the other nine legitimate sons of Atiba? Have they been dispossessed of their natural rights? The second eldest son of Atiba was Agboin Adelabu, while the third was Adesiyan. The fourth son of Alaafin Atiba was Adeyemi Alowolodu, whose lineage has so far produced three kings, namely: (i.) Adeyemi Alowolodu I; (ii.) Adeniran Adeyemi II; and (iii.) Lamidi Adeyemi, the most recent Alaafin. The other sons of Atiba were Adesiyan, Adediran, Tella Agbojulogun, Adesokan Baba Idode, Adesetan, Tella Okitipapa, Olanite, and Abidekun. This chronology that has been well documented in Samuel Johnsons The History of the Yorubas from the Earliest times to the Beginning of the British Protectorate (1921). From the foregoing outline, it is quite disturbing and should be a subject of concern that out of the 11 sons that survived Atiba, Alaafins have only been selected from the lineages of the first and the fourth sons Agunloye and Alowolodu. These two have alternately sat on the throne for approximately 150 years, and hence considered it as given that the throne would ONLY rotate between them. What about the other nine legitimate sons of Atiba? Have they been dispossessed of their natural rights? If allowed, once again, to participate in this round of selection of the Alaafin, it will be the Agunloyes fifth time on the throne and the Alowolodus fourth time! What about the other Atiba Nine?! As such, if the laws of natural justice are to be followed, the proper hierarchical line of sons should be retored and made inviolable, and hence the descendants of Agboin Adelabu should definitely be the next to produce the newer Alaafin to rule Oyo Kingdom. My great grandfather, Prince Adelabu was the second son of Alaafin Atiba through his queen, Ayaba Opabiyi. Prince Adelabu was also the grandson of Oja, who was the Baale of Ago. Oja hosted Atiba and allowed him to settle in Ago and establish what is known as Oyo today. Adelabu subsequently returned to Oyo and his compound was named Ile Baba Ibadan. Adelabu (Baba Ibadan) inherited vast pieces of land from his father, including the Baba Ibadan Village in Oyo Ironically, the lineage of this same Adelabu, second in line to the throne of Alaafin of Oyo, (whose maternal family established the Atiba family in Oyo) has been deprived the right to the throne for almost 150 years! In addition, he gave his beloved daughter, Opabiyi in marriage to Atiba. This union produced two male and two female offspring. The first male offspring was Adelabu, the second was Ala (killed by Adewusi, the younger brother of Adelu Agunloye). Alaafin Atiba sentenced Adewusi to death for killing Ala. This harsh punishment started the hatred for Adelabu and his mother. It got so bad that Adelabu was not safe walking around Oyo town and he had to flee Oyo to Ibadan for his own safety. Right from the start and prior to the killing of Ala by Adewusi, Adelabu was privileged because of the Oja-Opabiyi-Atiba relationship. He was indeed the golden prince with the silver spoon in his mouth! Opabiyis family basically facilitated the establishment of Oyo for Atiba. By virtue of this, Alaafin Atiba had a soft spot for Opabiyi and her children. Adelabu subsequently returned to Oyo and his compound was named Ile Baba Ibadan. Adelabu (Baba Ibadan) inherited vast pieces of land from his father, including the Baba Ibadan Village in Oyo. Ironically, the lineage of this same Adelabu, second in line to the throne of Alaafin of Oyo, (whose maternal family established the Atiba family in Oyo) has been deprived the right to the throne for almost 150 years! Hence, the sidelined Royal Houses of the Atiba Dynasty, namely, Adelabu, Adesiyan, Adediran, Tella Agbojulogun, Adesokan Baba Idode, Adesetan, Tella Okitipapa, Olanite, Abidekun, are considering this as an historical moment to seek justice for our exclusion from the throne of our progenitor, Alaafin Atobatele Atiba. While we are currently in court seeking justice, equity, fairness and our entitlement to the Oyo throne of Alaafin of Oyo, and we are confident that the law will eventually be on our side, our prayers remain that the Oyo Mesi will see the wisdom in doing right by us, and His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde will ultimately be the arbiter of justice towards a new dawn in Oyo Kingdom. Isiaka Aderemi Adelabu is a prince of the Adelabu Ruling House of the Atiba Dynasty in Oyo Kingdom. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Lagoon Hospital, a top private tertiary care and healthcare service provider in Nigeria, has announced that Olugbenga Agboola OON, the CEO and co-founder of Flutterwave, and Fola Laoye have been appointed as directors. The acquisition of Lagoon Hospital by Iwosan Investments Limited in 2021 was facilitated by a pool of investments from diverse indigenous and foreign investors. The hospital expressed its delight about Mr. Agboolas appointment via its official Twitter page. The event also marked the launch of a multi-specialist facility and a cardiology and cardiac health management center in Lagos. According to a statement released by Lagoon Hospital, the newly launched facility is designed for individuals seeking high-quality medical care from renowned clinical and surgical super-specialists. The facility will provide quicker access to interventional cardiology, interventional radiology, and laparoscopic services with optimal outcomes for Nigerians and the international community. Lagoon Hospital emphasized that Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals Victoria Island is meticulously designed to provide wholesome and advanced medical care, delivered by renowned Clinical and Surgical Super-Specialists. The announcement of the centers launch is particularly timely, given the need for improved specialist services in the Nigerian health sector. During the occasion, Olugbenga Agboola OON and other directors were received by the Managing Director of Iwosan Hospitals Victoria Island, Dr. Ayobami Kuyoro, and Dr. Idowu Adebiyi, Group Head of Operations at Iwosan Investments. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Ado Aleru, a notorious terrorist operating around Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara and around the boundary with Katsina, has released 74 out of the 91 abductees he kidnapped from Wanzamai community after 22 days in captivity. They were released Friday evening after the payment of ransom. PREMIUM TIMES exclusively gathered from a top local source, who took part in the the negotiations that two men were, however, killed by the terrorists when they attempted to run away from the camp. The source, who is a local leader asked not to be named for security reasons, said contrary to original reports that 85 people were kidnapped, 91 people were actually abducted. Weve secured 74 people now, he said over the phone Saturday morning. Weve 15 people with the bandits now and were still talking with them while two of our people have been killed a week ago, he said. The released abductees have been taken to hospitals in Tsafe and Wanzamai for medical attention because they looked pale, he added. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the residents were abducted by terrorists from their farms on 7 April. The negotiations The source said immediately the residents were abducted, leaders of the community swung into action and contacted some terrorists around before it dawned on them that their people were abducted by Mr Aleru. When he finally called, he made several demands including accusing us of helping the military to kill his boys, he said. According to the source, the terrorists complained bitterly over the presence of soldiers around the community where they operate. He said two days before the abduction, four of Mr Alerus fighters were gunned down by soldiers and the motorcycles they were traveling on confiscated. When some of his boys said we must influence government to withdraw the soldiers team leader, we tried to explain to him that we couldnt do that. Some of the terrorists were not serious about the soldiers being withdrawn but some were, so we first tried to convince them that it was out of our hands. Even our village head spoke to the military commander in the state when he came to sympathize with us, but we didnt ask them to withdraw the soldiers because theyre doing their best, he said. He said Mr Aleru asked them to go and bring whatever they had and when they taxed people to contribute N30,000 per abductee and also got assistance from individuals, they raised N3 million . When we took the N3 million, he said he would keep it with him for the motorcycles that the soldiers took away and for his loss of four fighters. He asked us to go and settle his boys. In our presence, he called some of the boys that are holding the captives and told them to collect something from us. We went back and sold our property. Some of us sold their farmlands and houses to realize another N3 million for the boys. We took it there and they asked us to go back home. Yesterday (Friday) they called us to come and pick our people but when we went to the main road, we saw 74 instead of 91. They said they killed two people and are holding 15 because some of the bandits are insisting the money given to them was not shared equally, he said. If were lucky, he will ask his boys to release the remaining 15 people but if were not, he may still ask us to gather another money for them, he said. When reminded that the police authorities in the state claimed only nine people were abducted, he said they had left the police to God. Even me, Ive six nephews and a niece among those abducted, so how could they said it was only nine people that were abducted? Mohammed Shehu, the police spokesperson in Zamfara State, didnt respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the release of the abductees. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. A group, Conference of Civil Society Of Nigeria (CCSN), has denied the allegation that Ben Kalu, one of the aspirants for the speakership position, betrayed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) during the last election. The National Coordinator of the group, Archie Isong, who denied the allegation in a statement on Friday, said there is a deliberate attempt by some persons to sponsor media attacks against the speakership aspirant. Mr Isong stated that those accusing the lawmaker of betrayal have no evidence to back the claim. If he were to have played Judas as alleged by his traducers, how is it that he is standing while others capitulated at the polls? We acknowledge that talk is cheap and parrots like to chatter to be noticed. If not, how can one explain without any empirical evidence the allegation that Hon Kalu sold the party out, Mr Isong said. Mr Kalu, who represents Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, is the only APC member of the House of Representatives from the state. Background The Coalition of Northern Patriotic Front, South-west Professionals and Coalition of Arewa Youth Groups had accused the Abia lawmaker of working against the APC during the last general election. The coalition, in a statement on Friday, said those who sold out the APC in the South-east are also seeking to benefit from the party. Kalu is not running because he is Igbo Mr Isong, while speaking on Mr Kalus aspiration, said the Abia lawmaker is not in the speakership race because of his ethnicity but based on competence. He noted that Mr Kalu, who is the spokesperson of the House, survived as the last man standing in Abia State based on his loyalty to the party. Hon. Kalu is not running on the basis of being Igbo, rather he is running because he is a prepared, ready-to-go nationalist who believes in the agenda of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubus administration. Of a truth, Hon. Kalus political odyssey as the last man standing in Abia APC out of 8 Federal Constituencies is a weighty testament of his acceptability, dedication, commitment and unalloyed loyalty to the APC. It is also on record that he was undeterred and campaigned vigorously for the APC and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as presidential candidate in Abia State. They say pictures do not lie and this is a fact as Hon. Kalu could be seen in several pictures and videos as one of the leaders that received the APC Presidential Candidate to Abia State, while some of the leaders who want to lead the 10th National Assembly publicly supported other political parties, Mr Isong said. Mr Isong further stated that the media campaign against Mr Kalu is similar to the experience of the president-elect and current Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila. The president-elect at the moment was scandalised. Does it mean that those scandals were true? They were not true and he won his election and will be sworn in as the president of this country. RT Hon Femi Gbajabiamila that is being celebrated today for his efficiency, for his credibility, for capacity was also scandalised during his campaign, he stated. Mr Kalu is in the speakership race alongside nine other lawmakers. They include Deputy Speaker Idris Wase (APC, Plateau), Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), Muktar Betara (APC, Borno), Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), Tunji Olawuyi (APC, Kwara) and Abubakar Makki (APC, Jigawa). Others iare Tajudeen Abbas (APC, Kaduna), Aminu Jaji (APC, Zamfara), and Miriam Onuoha (APC, Imo). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Travelers will be able to submit their customs declaration form in a mobile app instead of filling out a paper form when they arrive at Incheon International Airport Terminal 2. They can install the app on their phone starting from next week, the Kora Customs Service said Wednesday. Users will be fast-tracked without having to stand in long lines at peak times. NEW YORK, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A Bible lecture given on April 22 was well attended by about 1,000 people, including around 500 pastors. Titled, 'The Testimony on the Fulfilled Reality of Revelation,' the event featured New Heaven New Earth Church of Jesus Chairman Lee Man-hee as the main speaker. Additional participants listened to the seminar online, with live streaming views of the event reaching about 50,000. A Bible lecture given on April 22 was well attended by about 1,000 people, including around 500 pastors. Tweet this Chairman Lee Man-hee delivers the Word to pastors in Seoul during a seminar for pastors on April 22. (PRNewsfoto/Shincheonji Church of Jesus) During the event, content regarding the Book of Revelation was testified, providing a detailed explanation of the prophecies within each chapter and their fulfilled realities. "In Rev 22:8, John is the person who saw the entire book of Revelation. It says in Rev 22:16 that this person who saw everything will be sent to the churches to testify to everything that he saw and heard," Chairman Lee said. "We must follow this word. Shouldn't we be obedient to Jesus' word? Let us all perceive this word of eternal life in God's book, become God's people in God's kingdom, and give glory and thanks to God." Chairman Lee spoke for about an hour and a half without a break, going back and forth freely from Rev 1 to 22. The attendees followed along and took notes, focusing on the lecture with serious facial expressions. "I received much grace because he testified according to the Bible," said a retired pastor from the Full Gospel Church. "I was moved because he explained in detail the whole Bible without leaving anything out." Chairman Lee, who hosted the lecture on April 22 at the Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul, South Korea, plans to hold seminars in other cities, including Busan, through May 6. All events will be broadcast live on the official YouTube channel of Shincheonji Church of Jesus. As of March 2023, MOUs have been signed with a total of 5,300 pastors who have agreed to work together with New Heaven New Earth Church of Jesus, including 230 pastors in South Korea. To date, there are now 280 churches in 15 countries overseas that have changed their signboards from their original church names to New Heaven New Earth Church of Jesus. For more information, please contact us at [email protected]. SOURCE Shincheonji Church of Jesus DUBLIN, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Automotive Camera Market by Application (ACC, BSD, LDW, FCW, AFL, IPA, Driver Monitoring System & Night Vision), View (Front, Rear, Surround), Technology, Level of Autonomy, ICE-Electric & Hybrid Vehicle, Application & Region - Global Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The automotive camera market is projected to grow from USD 8.0 billion in 2023 to USD 13.9 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 11.7%. Camera systems and technologies are being deployed in an ever-increasing range of applications in the vehicle to control the vehicle and augment the driving experience. Recent developments in camera technology are allowing automotive manufacturers to reimagine and redesign the vehicle silhouette through the replacement of some traditional features, for example, manufacturers are coming up with mirrorless vehicles. Owing to government regulations for adopting safety features play a significant role in driving the ADAS market which in turn fuels the automotive camera market growth. For instance, the European Commission (EC) published 11 new safety features to be mandated for new cars. The list includes several existing ADAS functions, specifically autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, intelligent speed assistance system, and a reversing camera/rear detection system. Hence, the rise in the trend of integrating additional safety features in modern vehicles is primarily driving the growth of the automotive camera market in recent years. National Agency for Automotive Safety & Victims Aid (NASVA) Japan established partnerships and collaborations with the government and industries to encourage the advancement of ADAS Features in new vehicles. Currently, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Lane Departure Warning are some features which become commercialized in Japan which will further drive the automotive camera market in this country. The rising penetration of ADAS features in automotive vehicles is expected to transform the overall automotive sector. It reduces driving complexity with features such as a park assist system, adaptive cruise control, etc. Further, government mandates related to some safety features in countries like U.S., Japan, China, and European countries will create lucrative opportunities for the growth of the automotive camera market. The automotive camera would provide optimum results and cost against advanced sensors like LiDAR and RADAR. Due to this, automotive cameras are anticipated to grow in line with the improving adoption of ADAS solution features in the global market. The front-view camera segment is projected to dominate the market. A front-view camera will lead the market over the forecast period. Most ADAS applications work based on front-view cameras such as adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, lane assist & lane departure warning, and traffic sign recognition. According to this analysis, Asia Pacific is the prominent region that is contributing to the segmental growth of front-view cameras. This growth is attributed to the offering of these front-view cameras by key OEMs like Mazda, Lexus, Mahindra & Mahindra, Honda, etc. in their variants which will further shape the market in the forecast period. This front camera aims to cover the wide range of the vehicle's front area, enhance the active safety features, and play an important role in driver assistance functions. The ADAS application using front view cameras plays a vital role for automakers in complying with New Car Assessment Program standards which are influential in reducing accidents. OEMs in developing countries such as China and India have started offering ACC features in mid-variants and are expected to remain in focus as a strong selling point. This will boost the demand for front-view cameras in the years to come globally. The Level 2 & 3 Vehicles are expected to be the largest market for cameras. Level 1 vehicles hold the largest market presently, whereas Level 2 & 3 vehicles are projected to dominate the automotive camera market in coming years. The dominance of Level 1 vehicles is mainly due to the higher production of vehicles in China, India, Japan, and South Korea, with the first level of autonomy. OEMs from this region usually provide ADAS features like ACC, LDW, FCW, and backup cameras for reverse parking. This allows OEMs to distinguish themselves with minimal additional cost and the inclusion of an advanced feature to influence consumer buying decisions. Alternatively, Level 2 & 3 vehicles are the largest in value owing to multiple cameras combined with other sensors such as RADAR and LIDAR. These are installed for more advanced features such as adaptive cruise control, lane centering, traffic sign recognition, blind spot detection, driver monitoring systems, etc. Companies such as Mazda (Japan), Honda (Japan), Nissan (Japan), Toyota (Japan), Stellantis (Netherlands), Renault (France), BMW (Germany), Mercedes-Benz (Germany), and Ford (US), among others, have launched models with level 2 automation in recent years. For instance, Audi (Germany), launched its new Q8 with level 2 automation in 2023. Similarly, in 2023, Volvo (Sweden) launched its Polestar 3 EV, which also comes with level 3 automation. Furthermore, Ford's F-150 pickup launched in 2022 also comes with level 2 automation. Market Dynamics Drivers Government Initiatives for Vehicle Safety Features in Developed and Emerging Economies Increasing Penetration of Camera-Based Convenience Features in Luxury Vehicles Generating Positive Impact on Fully Autonomous Vehicles Restraints Lack of Supportive Infrastructure for Automotive Camera-Based Adas Applications in Emerging Economies Opportunities Rising Demand for Electric Vehicles Challenges Limitations in Real-Time Image Processing in Surround-View Systems Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 5 Market Overview 6 Automotive Camera Market, by Technology 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Digital 6.2.1 Increased Adoption of Digital Cameras in Several Applications to Drive Market 6.3 Infrared 6.3.1 Deployment of Night Vision Systems in High-End Cars to Boost Demand 6.4 Thermal 6.4.1 Clear Object Detection Features of Thermal Cameras to Increase Their Demand 7 Automotive Camera Market, by Ice Application 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) 7.2.1 Investments by Oems to Boost Market 7.3 Adaptive Cruise Control + Forward Collision Warning (Acc+Fcw) 7.3.1 Improvement in Rating Systems to Enhance Features 7.4 Adaptive Cruise Control + Forward Collision Warning + Traffic Sign Recognition (Acc+Fcw+Tsr) 7.4.1 Good Road Infrastructure to Contribute to Growth of Segment 7.5 Blind Spot Detection (BSD) 7.5.1 Mandates to Reduce Blind Spots in Commercial Vehicles in the EU to Support Market 7.6 Blind Spot Detection + Lane Keep Assist + Lane Departure Warning (Bsd+Lka+Ldw) 7.6.1 Plan to Make Ldw Mandatory in Developed Economies to Influence Market Positively 7.7 Adaptive Lighting Systems (Als) 7.7.1 Europe and North America to Lead Market 7.8 Intelligent Park Assist (Ipa) 7.8.1 Developments by Oems to Upgrade Features to Help in Market Growth 7.9 Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) 7.9.1 Car Assessment Programs in Europe to Play a Positive Role in Market Growth 7.10 Night Vision Systems (Nvs) 7.10.1 Development of Advanced Hazard Detection Systems to Generate Positive Impact on Market 7.11 Park Assist (Pa) 7.11.1 Mandates Supporting Camera Functions in Europe and Bric to Favor Market Growth 8 Automotive Camera Market, by Vehicle Type 8.1 Introduction 8.1.1 Industry Insights 8.2 Passenger Cars 8.2.1 Growing Preference for Advanced Safety Features to Fuel Camera Installation in Passenger Cars 8.3 Light Commercial Vehicles 8.3.1 High Adoption of Dash Cameras in Light Commercial Vehicles to Propel Segment 8.4 Heavy Commercial Vehicles 8.4.1 Demand for Driver Monitoring Systems and Collision Warning Systems to Boost Market 9 Automotive Camera Market, by View Type 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Front View 9.2.1 Wide-Scale Application of Front View Cameras to Raise Demand 9.3 Rear View 9.3.1 Government Mandates for Park Assistance to Create Further Demand for Rear-View Cameras 9.4 Surround View 9.4.1 Bird Eye View of Surround View Cameras to Generate Growth Opportunities 10 Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Camera Market, by Ev Type 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Battery Electric Vehicles (Bevs) 10.2.1 Increasing Adoption of Battery Electric Vehicles to Drive Market 10.3 Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) 10.3.1 Introduction to Park Assist and Other Adas Features to Boost Market 10.4 Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) 10.4.1 Integration of Adas Features to Propel Market 11 Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Camera Market, by Application 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) 11.2.1 Advanced Versions to Offer Better Safety Features 11.3 Adaptive Cruise Control + Forward Collision Warning (Acc+Fcw) 11.3.1 to Help Improve Fuel Efficiency by Reducing Unnecessary Acceleration and Braking 11.4 Adaptive Cruise Control + Forward Collision Warning + Traffic Sign Recognition (Acc+Fcw+Tsr) 11.4.1 Ability to Prompt in Case of Immediate Approach to Traffic Signal to Stop and Prevent Collision to Drive Demand 11.5 Blind Spot Detection (BSD) 11.5.1 Important Adas Feature to Help Pedestrians and Cyclists to be Aware of Evs on Roads 11.6 Blind Spot Detection + Lane Keep Assist + Lane Departure Warning (Bsd+Lka+Ldw) 11.6.1 to Attract a Wide Range of Consumers 11.7 Adaptive Lighting Systems (Als) 11.7.1 Automatic Adjustment of Headlight Intensity Offered by Adaptive Front Lighting to Drive Demand 11.8 Intelligent Park Assist (Ipa) 11.8.1 to Reduce Risk of Accidents while Parking in Crowded or Tight Areas 11.9 Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) 11.9.1 Ability to Alert Drivers to Potential Risks to Drive Market 11.10 Night Vision Systems (Nvs) 11.10.1 Use of Infrared Imaging Technology to Boost Demand for this Technology 11.11 Park Assist (Pa) 11.11.1 Demand for Safety Features while Reversing Vehicles to Propel Market in this Segment 12 Automotive Camera Market, by Level of Autonomy 12.1 Introduction 12.2 L1 12.2.1 1-2 Adas Functions with Reverse Parking Camera to Flourish Market Growth 12.3 L2 & L3 12.3.1 Stiff Competition to Expand Market Share for this Segment 12.4 L4/L5 12.4.1 Technological Developments in Fully Autonomous Vehicles to Push Demand 13 Automotive Camera Market, by Region 14 Analyst's Recommendations 15 Competitive Landscape 16 Company Profiles 17 Appendix Companies Mentioned Ambarella Aptiv Automated Engineering Inc (Aei) Brigade Electronics Continental Ag Denso Faurecia Ficosa Gentex Corporation H.P.B. Optoelectronics Co. Ltd. Hitachi Astemo, Ltd. Hyundai Mobis Kyocera Corporation Magna International, Inc. Mcnex Co Mobileye Omnivision Robert Bosch Samsung Samvardhana Motherson Stonkam Co. Ltd. Teledyne Flir LLC Valeo Veoneer Zf Friedrichshafen Ag For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qlywdc 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: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets BEIJING, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A total of 9 international expert committee members for the Inaugural Orchid Awards exchanged ideas on the Global Civilization Initiative at the inaugural Orchid Awards final selection meeting in Beijing on Thursday. They proposed that a strong relationship between countries depends on the mutual understanding and closeness between their peoples, which in turn depends on the blending of their cultures. International expert committee members for the Inaugural Orchid Awards share dialogue on Global Civilization Initiative They believed different civilizations may have varying interpretations of values and beliefs, but the desire for a better life is universal among people from all nations. By actively embracing the Global Initiative for Civilization, identifying common ground between different cultures and fostering mutual understanding, can solid foundation be established to build a community with a shared destiny for humanity. The awards were initiated by China International Communications Group (CICG) and are aimed at promoting exchanges and interactions between China and the world, as well as fostering mutual understanding among nations. Du Zhanyuan, president of China International Communications Group (CICG), said, "The initial intention of CICG initiating the establishment of the Orchid Awards fully aligns with the connotations of the Global Civilization Initiative, which is an important practice to promote the prosperity of the world civilization and the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind." James Heimowitz, president at China Institute based in the US and an international expert member for the awards, said, "Globalization has made our connections even closer, forming a common global village and community. I hope everyone can become a friendship ambassador and interact with people from other countries and promote friendship as much as possible." Zhou Shuchun, former chief editor of China Daily, said, "We need to connect the Global Civilization Initiative with the judgment of the world's century-old changes, the promotion of the common values of all humanities, and the concept of promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind." Wang Huiyao, founder and president of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), said, "The best way to address misunderstandings and conflicts between the East and the West is through cultural exchanges, promoting civilizational exchanges and mutual learn-ing." Wang said the awards will play a positive role in echoing the Global Civilization Initiative and promoting civilizational exchanges and mutual learning. The Final Selection Committee of the Orchid Awards also released the logo of the Orchid Awards designed by the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Inspired by the Chinese painting Lancao (Orchid Grass) by Qi Baishi, the logo takes the shape of an open hand that represents creation. It also looks like a capering dove, which is the symbol of peace. The logo shows the infinite charm, innovative spirit and confidence inherent in the Chinese culture, as well as the blossoming and combination of the flowers of world culture, art and civilization. Inaugural Orchid Awards collected submissions from more than 300 individuals and organizations, including those from the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, Australia and South Africa. The international expert committee members for the Inaugural Orchid Awards participated "Exploring China Beijing Central Axis" activity from the 25th to the 26th, visiting landmarks along the central axis such as the Forbidden City, the Bell and Drum Tower, and Jingshan to experience and understand Chinese history and culture. SOURCE China International Communications Group (CICG) RADNOR, Pa., April 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) informs investors that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed against Norfolk Southern Corporation ("Norfolk Southern") (NYSE: NSC). The action charges Norfolk Southern with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the company's business, operations, and prospects. As a result of Norfolk Southern's materially misleading statements and omissions to the public, Norfolk Southern's investors have suffered significant losses. CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR NORFOLK SOUTHERN LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/norfolk-southern-corporation?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=nsc&mktm=r TO VIEW OUR VIDEO, PLEASE CLICK HERE LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: MAY 15, 2023 CLASS PERIOD: OCTOBER 28, 2020 THROUGH MARCH 3, 2023 CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS: Jonathan Naji, Esq. at (484) 270-1453 or via email at [email protected] Kessler Topaz is one of the world's foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent. NORFOLK SOUTHERN'S ALLEGED MISCONDUCT For several years leading up to the beginning of the Class Period, Norfolk Southern took a number of measures which put profits and executive compensation over safety. For example, in October 2018, Norfolk Southern adopted "Precision Scheduled Railroading" or "PSR" which was purportedly aimed at producing better service at a lower cost. In actuality, the company sought to increase revenues by cutting operating costs including reducing staff, running fewer, heavier, faster trains and optimizing the company's networks in order to increase efficiency. Norfolk Southern also began tying executive compensation to achieving PSR goals. For example, in 2021, multiple Norfolk Southern executives received millions of dollars in cash bonuses for reducing costs by achieving "record performance for train length and weight." Industry critics have warned that this type of compensation system incentivizes executives to cut costs at the expense of safety and also leads to longer and more dangerous trains which "have greater damage done, greater, larger pileups, fires and so on." At the same time, Norfolk Southern and its lobbyists played a key role in defeating an Obama-era safety rule that was used following a number of oil train accidents, including the "ECP Brake Rule" which was ultimately repealed in 2018. On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern Railway Company general merchandise freight train derailed 38 railcars in East Palestine, Ohio, leaving behind what the Associated Press called "a mangled and charred mass of boxcars and flames." The derailed equipment included 11 tank cars carrying hazardous materials that subsequently ignited, fueling fires that damaged an additional 12 non-derailed railcars. On February 6, 2023, responders engaged in a controlled detonation and burn of the vinyl chloride, spewing massive volumes of chemicals into the vicinity. The chemicals released from the derailment entered the air and water of the surrounding residential areas, the closest of which were only 1,000 feet from the site of the accident. Following this news, the price of Norfolk Southern stock fell on February 6, 2023 down $5.66 per share from its closing price on Friday, February 3, 2023. Then, on February 8, 2023, after lifting a previously issued evacuation order, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine stated that Norfolk Southern was "the one[] who created the problem. It's their liability. They're the ones who ought to pay for it." Following their return, numerous residents reported hazardous air quality and other health and environmental concerns. Following this news, the price of Norfolk Southern stock fell on February 9, 2023, closing at $238.98 per share down $7.64 per share from its closing price of $246.62 per share on February 8, 2023. Thereafter, Norfolk Southern's stock price continued to drop in response to several other reports and public officials who spoke out about Norfolk Southern's liability for all of the harm and damage it had caused. On March 4, 2023, another Norfolk Southern freight train derailed near Springfield, Ohio. Two days later, on March 6, 2023, Norfolk Southern announced a 6-part plan to improve operational safety. Following this news, the price of Norfolk Southern stock fell again on March 6 and March 7, 2023, closing at $215.18 per share down $13.21 per share from its closing price of $228.39 on Friday, March 3, 2023. WHAT CAN I DO? Norfolk Southern investors may, no later than May 15, 2023, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class, through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages Norfolk Southern investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. The class action complaint against Norfolk Southern, captioned Bucks County Employees Retirement System v. Norfolk Southern Corporation, et al. and docketed under 23-cv-0982, is filed in the United States District Court for Southern District of Ohio (Eastern Division) before the Honorable Michael H. Watson. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE WHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF? A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com. CONTACT: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP Jonathan Naji, Esq. 280 King of Prussia Road Radnor, PA 19087 (484) 270-1453 [email protected] SOURCE Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP BALTIMORE, April 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Urological Association (AUA) today announced that Pfizer Oncology is the recipient of the 2023 Health Science Award for its outstanding support of the educational, scientific and research goals of the AUA and the Urology Care Foundation in urologic cancer. We are proud to recognize Pfizer Oncology as the recipient of the 2023 Health Science Award, said Edward M. Messing, MD, FACS, president of the AUA. "We are proud to recognize Pfizer Oncology as the recipient of the 2023 Health Science Award," said Edward M. Messing, MD, FACS, president of the AUA. "Pfizer Oncology has become an instrumental partner with the AUA to support urologists seeking healthcare information to inform patient care." The Health Science Award is presented annually to a company for its outstanding help in promoting the educational, scientific and research goals of the AUA. The presentation of this honor was held in conjunction with the 2023 AUA Annual Meeting in Chicago, Ill., on Saturday, April 29, 2023. About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 24,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy. Media Contact: Corey Del Bianco, Corporate Communications and Media Relations Manager 410-689-4033, [email protected] SOURCE American Urological Association ORLANDO, Fla., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a historic move for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in Florida, the newly formed Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAAJA) has announced, with the participation of many Floridian Chinese organizations, including UCA, the national coalition, a state-wide rally to be held at 11 am EST on April 29, 2023 in Gainesville, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Tallahassee, and Tampa to protest the Senate Bill 264 and House Bill 1355. These bills not only harm the AAPI communities but also threaten American values of inclusiveness, respect, and equal protection under the law. FAAJA logo Owning a home or starting a business is a tradition deeply valued by all Americans. Strong family ties, entrepreneurship, and a sense of community are all part of the American fabric. SB 264 and HB 1355 threaten to undermine these values for countless individuals and families in Florida. These bills do not distinguish between foreign nationals and immigrants from their home country government, which is very dangerous. This lack of distinction opens the door for discrimination and legitimizes anti-Asian hate against any person who looks or seems Asian. Furthermore, the bills hold Floridian real property sellers and buyers criminally liable for violations and allow for forfeiture of private property ownership by the government. All this potentially brings unnecessary burden, cost, and criminal liability to every homeowner in Florida and threatens their fundamental property rights. It is not just a threat to Asian Americans but to all Americans who believe in fairness and equal treatment. What happens in Florida will have a chilling effect across the nation. If these bills pass, it may motivate other states to adopt similarly discriminatory legislation, which would impact even millions more Asian American families. "This is an unprecedented action for those of us in Florida's AAPI community. These bills will offend and harm nearly one million Asian American voters in the state. National security is of paramount importance and we support common sense measures, but we feel we must take a strong and very public stand against the overreach in HB1355 Section 7," said Echo King, one of the founders of FAAJA. "As currently written, these bills target Asian and other immigrants, including those from China, by preventing us from home ownership and contributing to Florida's economy through investment in our communities. We urge our legislators to oppose these bills and to move this state forward, not backward." The fate of our nation's core values is at stake. FAAJA cordially invites all concerned citizens to join the rallies this Saturday and become a member of FAAJA to defend American values that we hold dear. For those unable to attend, please follow the rallies on social media using the hashtag #[RallyAgainstHB1355]. For more information about the rallies and how to get involved, please visit us at https://www.faaja.org/ or contact Jin at [email protected]. About FAAJA The Florida Asian American Justice Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights and interests of the AAPI community in Florida, particularly in the fight against any form of discrimination and hatred. The organization seeks to promote social justice and equality and strengthen the economic, cultural, and political development of the AAPI community. Rally Locations Gainesville NW 13th St & W University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601 Chenglong Li, 614-316-6673 Jacksonville Memorial Park, 1620 Riverside Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32204 Wei Zhou, 513-923-7894 Miami Torch of Friendship, 301 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33126 Hongwei Shang, 305-457-6267 Orlando City Commons, 400 S. Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32801 Echo King, 407-921-1193 Tallahassee 400 S Monroe St, Tallahassee, FL 32399 Zhen Tong, 574-855-7369 Tampa MacDill Park on the Riverwalk, 100 N Ashley Dr., Tampa, FL 33602 Echo King, 407-921-1193 SOURCE United Chinese Americans (UCA); Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAAJA) HOUSTON, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Talen Energy Corporation ("TEC") announced today that Talen Energy Supply, LLC ("TES" or the "Company"), a direct wholly owned subsidiary of TEC, has priced an offering of $1.2 billion in the aggregate principal amount of its 8.625% senior secured notes due 2030 (the "Notes"), pursuant to the Joint Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization of Talen Energy Supply, LLC and its Affiliated Debtors (the "Plan"). The Company increased the aggregate principal amount of the Notes offered from the previously announced $825 million to $1.2 billion, and as a result of the increase of the total aggregate principal amount of the Notes, decreased (i) the aggregate principal amount of Exit Term B Loans to $580 million, from $825 million and (ii) the amount of additional equity capital of TEC raised in the backstopped equity rights offering to $1.4 billion, from $1.55 million. The offering is expected to close on May 12, 2023, subject to customary closing conditions. The gross proceeds of the Notes initially will be deposited and held in an escrow account (the "Escrow Account") until such amounts are released following the satisfaction of certain escrow conditions, including relating to the effective date of the Plan and the emergence of TEC and TES from bankruptcy (the date upon which all such conditions are satisfied, the "Completion Date"). If the escrow conditions are not satisfied or waived on or prior to the escrow outside date, the Notes will be subject to a special mandatory redemption at a redemption price equal to 100% of the gross proceeds of the Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. Concurrently with the Completion Date, the escrow funds will be released and the Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Notes, together with the anticipated proceeds from (i) the concurrently marketed new senior loan facilities (the "Exit Facilities") and (ii) the rights offering of TEC common stock, to fund the distributions provided for under the Plan, including the repayment of claims under the Company's Super Priority Senior Secured Debtor-In-Possession Credit Facility and the Company's existing first lien indebtedness, and to pay certain fees, commissions and expenses relating to the foregoing and the Company's emergence from bankruptcy and for general corporate purposes, which may include repayment of additional indebtedness. Prior to the Completion Date, the Notes will be senior secured obligations of the Company secured only by a first priority security interest in the Escrow Account and all amounts on deposit therein, and the Notes will not be guaranteed. From and after the Completion Date, the Notes will be guaranteed on a senior secured basis by the subsidiaries of the Company that also guarantee the obligations of the Company under the Exit Facilities and secured on a pari passu basis with the same security that will secure the Exit Facilities. The Notes and related guarantees are being offered only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and to non-U.S. Persons in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes and the related guarantees have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws. As a result, they may not be offered or sold in the United States or to any U.S. persons except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, nor shall there be any sale of the Notes 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. The offering of Note is being made only by means of a confidential offering circular. Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements about our intention to conduct an offering of the Notes and our emergence from the Chapter 11 process, which statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this communication, or incorporated by reference into this communication, are forward-looking statements. Throughout this communication, we have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by using words such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecasts," "goal," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "seek," "should," "will," or other forms of these words or similar words or expressions or the negative thereof, although not all forward-looking statements contain these terms. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions concerning, among other things, our ability to consummate the offering of the Notes on the terms described, if at all, the Chapter 11 process and our emergence therefrom, capital expenditures, earnings, litigation, regulatory matters, hedging, liquidity and capital resources and accounting matters. Forward-looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our future business, financial condition, results of operations or performance to differ materially from our historical results or those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement contained in this communication. All of our forward-looking statements include assumptions underlying or relating to such statements that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that we are currently expecting, and are subject to numerous factors that present considerable risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation: our ability to emerge from bankruptcy pursuant to the Plan, our ability to complete the offering of the Notes and other transactions contemplated by the Plan and other agreements in connection with our Chapter 11 process, and the possibility that we may be unable to satisfy the conditions to the closing of the offering of the Notes or emergence from bankruptcy; our ability to implement the use of proceeds as currently expected, and our ability to achieve the anticipated benefits of such use of proceeds; restrictions under the Plan and Chapter 11 process; and other risks relating to the consummation of the full transactions contemplated by the Plan, including the offering of the Notes, including the risk that any or all of such transactions that have not yet been consummated will not be consummated within the expected time period or at all. We caution that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. You should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether written or oral, that may be as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About TEC TEC is one of the largest competitive power generation and infrastructure companies in North America. TEC, through its subsidiary, TES, owns and/or controls approximately 12,400 megawatts of generating capacity in wholesale U.S. power markets, principally in the Mid-Atlantic, Texas, and Montana. Additionally, through its Cumulus subsidiaries, TEC is developing a large-scale portfolio of renewable energy, battery storage, and digital infrastructure assets across TES' expansive footprint. Investor Contact [email protected] Media Contact Taryne Williams Director Corporate Communications 610-601-0327 [email protected] SOURCE Talen Energy Corp. "For the time being (the draft constitution) is primarily a Greenlandic issue. It will only concern Denmark when Greenland has discussed it and depending on what the politicians decide," Ulrik Pram Gad, a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies and an expert on Danish-Greenlandic relations, told AFP. It also made no reference to the monarchy, leaving unresolved the question of whether the queen or king of Denmark would remain head of state. The text, still in the draft stage, did not come down firmly on several key issues, local media reported, including Greenlandic passport access and the administration of justice, areas still managed by mainland Denmark. Developed in secrecy over four years, the 49-paragraph document written in Greenlandic was presented by a constitutional commission to the territory's parliament, the Inatsisartut, where it will now be discussed. Greenland's lawmakers on Friday got their first look at a draft constitution that the autonomous territory could rely on if it comes to negotiating independence from Denmark. Greenland has been autonomous since 1979. The world's largest island, located in the Arctic some 2,500 kilometers from Denmark, has its own flag, language, culture and institutions, but still relies heavily on a Danish grant, which makes up a quarter of its GDP and more than half of its public budget. Mainland Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, with its roughly 55,000 inhabitants, form the Kingdom of Denmark. Since the 2009 Self-Government Act, only currency, the justice system and foreign and security affairs fall under Denmark's authority. The act also included a provision that if Greenland's people decide in favor of independence, negotiations are to commence between Nuuk and Copenhagen. The resulting agreement, reached with the consent of the Danish and Greenlandic parliaments, would then have to be approved via a referendum in Greenland. "There won't be a revolution tomorrow, but the text will enlighten the debate," Pram Gad said, adding that it still "shows that Greenland wants to move to a new, looser stage" in its relationship with Denmark. It remains to be seen whether politicians and the public agree with the project and whether Greenland's leaders "will dare to set the ball rolling," he said. For Social Democrat Aki-Matilda Hoegh-Dam, who holds one of the seats reserved for Greenland in the Danish parliament, the text represents a step toward the creation of a sovereign Greenlandic state. "We will have a more in-depth discussion on exactly how this will happen" covering matters including citizenship and voting rights, she said during a recent press briefing. When it comes to future relations with Denmark, a potential free association agreement, which has been mulled in the past, is mentioned in an annex to the draft constitution. "We want to create a common solution that is beneficial for both countries," stressed Hoegh-Dam, who envisions negotiations on the island's sovereignty starting within a decade. The territory's geostrategic location and massive mineral reserves have raised international interest in recent years, as evidenced by former U.S. President Donald Trump's swiftly rebuffed offer to buy it in 2019. Tehran, April 29 : Iran's permanent ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, said the "illegal" presence of foreign military forces, including those of the US, in Syria constitutes a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter, and is the main source of insecurity in the Arab state. Iravani made the remarks in an address to a United Nations Security Council meeting on Syria on Thursday local time, official news agency IRNA reported on Friday. He called for the immediate and complete withdrawal of the "unlawful" forces from Syria, which is essential to creating a conducive environment for resolving the crisis and restoring peace and stability in the region, Xinhua news agency reported. Iravani slammed the continued imposition of unilateral sanctions as a major obstacle to improving the humanitarian and economic situation in Syria, adding such "illegal" measures have had destructive impacts on the Syrian people's economy and living standards. The recent deadly earthquakes in Syria have made it even more critical to lift the "unjust" sanctions, the envoy asserted. He said Iran welcomes the improvement of Syria's diplomatic relations in the region and the world, particularly with other Arab states, to guarantee the Syrian nation's security, stability and welfare. Khost : , April 29 (IANS) Afghan Police have busted an eight-member gang of robbers and thieves in the eastern Khost province, state media reported. The arrested gang members were involved in criminal activities, including armed robbery, kidnapping, theft and creating law and order problems in Khost province and its vicinity, the state-run Bakhtar news agency report said on Friday. All the arrested men have been referred to concerned bodies for further interrogation, Xinhua news agency reported. In similar operations, police captured more than a dozen criminals in the capital Kabul a couple of weeks ago. The Afghan caretaker government has vowed to crack down on criminal elements in the war-ravaged country. Hanoi, April 29 : School violence and bullying have emerged as a prevalent problem in Vietnam as teachers report increased levels of aggression and disobedience in the classroom, state media reported. Nearly 1,600 violent incidents, mainly fights, are reported to occur in school premises or outside school gates each year, and one out of 11,000 students is expelled annually for getting involved in fights, according to the Ministry of Education and Training as quoted by the Vietnam News report on Friday. Recent data by the Ministry of Public Security showed that more than 1,000 teenagers commit crimes monthly, and nearly 75 per cent of violent cases are linked to students, Xinhua news agency reported. Le Thi Thanh Thuy, deputy head of the Faculty of Social Work under the Vietnam Youth Academy, associated the puberty stage with higher rates of violent behaviour. Teens deal with a lot of stress and anger, which manifests in violence when they go through puberty, the expert said. The problem is also connected to parental pressure, said Nguyen Tung Lam, vice-president of the Vietnam Psycho-Pedagogical Association, adding that parental pressure could make children act out violence, disrespect, lack of love and compassion, and even insensitivity. Schools should have accessible reporting systems for early intervention and counsellors available to provide immediate support for students who are threatened or have experienced abuse, said Thanh Thuy. Lawmakers should step up efforts to ensure students' safety at school by pushing through laws on school violence prevention and control, said Dinh Cong Sy, deputy chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Education. Vienna, April 29 : The IAEA has sounded the alarm over "increased military presence and activity" near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on Friday in a statement that the situation at the Zaporizhzhia plant "underlines the importance and urgency of agreeing on the protection of the plant". In recent months, Grossi has been consulting with Ukraine and Russia on creating a safety zone at the Zaporizhzhia plant, Xinhua news agency reported. The IAEA Director General added that the IAEA experts had completed a rotation at the Zaporizhzhia plant on Thursday to continue the agency's assessment of the facility's security situation. New Delhi, April 29 : "For a long time, I wanted to work on manual scavenging by doing a project that engages in a direct conversation with the system, precisely why I chose 'Swachh Bharat' to speak my mind and present ideas on multiple levels. It was natural that Gandhi and Ambedkar 'intervened' considering their stress on the need to ensure dignity for them (manual scavengers)," artist Riyas Komu tells IANS. To mark the completion of 100th episode of Prime Minister Modi's 'Mann ki Baat' to be aired on April 30, the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with NGMA has curated an immersive experience through an art exhibition titled 'Jana Shakti' which will be inaugurated on April 30. Also invoking the memory of Dandi March, Kabir, Guru Nanak and Narayana Guru, Komu has also produced an extra work of Gandhi's spectacles in gold considering the metal carries memories and travels generations. "I see Gandhi's ideas having those qualities as well," he adds. Other artists whose work will be on display include Atul Dodiya, G.R. Iranna, Ashim Purkayastha, Vibha Galhotra, Manu Parekh, Thukral and Tagra, Paresh Maiti, Pratul Das, Jagannath Panda, and Manjunath Kamath. Kiran Nadar, Chairperson of Kiran Nadar Museum of Art is the adviser to the project. Komu, for whom the Indian constitution has been a constant source of inspiration, stresses that it is to do with his obsession with democracy in the true sense and fascination for Ambedkar. "The multi-talented Ambedkar spoke consistently of the upliftment of the poor. I started looking at the Constitution more deeply when there was all this talk of altering it. It has always been part of our struggle on how to go forward with the multi-diverse community. It is not about the sheer legalities in the Constitution but has more to do with the art which talks about its evolution. I can walk through history owing to that. And when you do that, so many different images and the history of the different beliefs that India has been through come alive. One of the images that fascinate me is of Gandhi standing between Hindus and Muslims talking about peace -- and it gives us a narrative of history in India," says Komu. When Komu took admission in JJ School of Art, his father, who left the Communist Party of India after it split, told him that this could be his way of serving people. Stressing that everything he has done in his life, he has taken it as a responsibility, intervening and changing the way how art is perceived, the artist adds, "It is also a political act as you are promoting the concept of diversity and living together. My parents' work has greatly impacted my life and the way I view things. I was the ninth child and saw the struggles of the family -- living with limited resources. But the kind of ethics that were inculcated were important." The artist, whose work was also part of 'The Final Speech', curated by Wendy Amanda Coutinho at Gallerie Splash (Gurgaon) recently believes art is an effective tool to mirror contemporary socio-political realities of the times. Responding to major events, including the 1992 Mumbai violence, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, and the 9/11 tragedy, Komu says he has always wanted his work to be sensitive and ensures that it celebrates the idea of diversity and multiculturalism. Co-founder of the Koch-Muziris Biennale and an advocate for more cultural spaces in the country, the artist notices a transition as international-level museums are being set up and co-related exercises conducted. Admitting that the existing museums need more funding, cutting-edge curators, and more interactive programming, he feels a sense of optimism while adding that things are looking up. "Cultural communities are slowly engaging and growing, and artists are challenging themselves. We need to come together and have a global understanding -- of course, the private sector can play a crucial role as they are more involved and willing to challenge more things. So we need to work along with them." Talking about 'Sea: A Boiling Vessel' curated by him in Kochi, which brings together 20 artists, academics, and performers, the artist says Kochi as a shore represents the idea of coming together -- of knowledge, beauty and art. "I was very fascinated by this and looking at the exchange of ideas, the religions in Kerala, the various traditions that flourished, and the idea of democracy -- these are all fascinating attributes, thus my private initiative to really engage with the local community. Even the Biennale became a part of the people and they celebrated it as it engaged in the current discourse and took into account Kerala's history and culture." The artist feels it is interesting to observe at the sea in terms of migration. While the first chapter of the project looks at the different ideas and the Indian Ocean as a place of different thoughts, Komu then started working on Kerala's art history, the history of the location and found one of the oldest Jewish houses, and converted it into a gallery. Involving poets, photographers, and a stamp collector, there was also a special programme on lullabies. "And a very interesting intervention through albums of Malayalis. Every house there has a history of the Middle East. We are also looking at the origin narratives of Kerala's cultural history." Adding that it is more of a research project and not just an art exhibition, he concludes, "The idea is to make knowledge, art, and people come together and cultivate a culture to go into museums and galleries and look at art from a different angle. We are actually putting together the last 10 years of learning and see what we can do as a cultural body and re-calibrate that." (Sukant Deepak can be reached at sukant.d@ians.in) Addis Ababa, April 29 : The Trilateral Mechanism on Sudan, which brings together the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the UN, have called for the full implementation of the ceasefire in Sudan. Members of the Trilateral Mechanism made the call in a joint statement along with the Quad on Sudan that brings together Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the US, according to a joint statement issued on Friday. "Members of the Trilateral Mechanism and the Quad welcome the announcement by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to extend the current ceasefire for an additional 72 hours and call for its full implementation," the statement said. They also welcomed the readiness of the two Sudanese warring factions to engage in dialogue toward establishing a more durable cessation of hostilities and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access, Xinhua news agency reported. This initial phase of diplomacy to establish a process to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities and humanitarian arrangements will contribute to action on the development of a de-escalation plan as outlined in the April 20 African Union release, the statement says. Since mid-April, Sudan has been mired in military clashes between the Sudanese Army and the RSF following days of tension between the once-allied leaders of both sides. The country has been suffering a political crisis since the Sudanese army commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency in October 2021 and dissolved the Sovereign Council as well as the government. United Nations, April 29 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have discussed the Black Sea grain export deal over the phone. "They exchanged views on how to guarantee the improvement, expansion and extension of the Black Sea Initiative," said a readout issued by the UN chief's press office on Friday. The two also talked about the improvement of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between Russia and the Secretariat of the UN on promoting Russian food products and fertilisers to the world markets, the readout said. In July 2022, Russia and Ukraine separately signed a document in Istanbul with Turkey and the UN on grain and fertiliser exports from Ukraine and Russia to ensure supplies to global markets amid the Ukraine crisis, Xinhua news agency reported. The initial 120-day agreement was extended by another 120 days in November 2022 and again on March 18. Circumstances are not yet in favour of extending the Black Sea grain export deal, the Kremlin said on Tuesday after Guterres sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, outlining a proposed way forward aimed at the improvement, extension and expansion of the deal. During their phone call, Guterres and Erdogan also discussed the situation in Syria and Sudan, according to the UN readout. Seoul, April 29 : Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, on Saturday slammed the new South Korea-US agreement bolstering Washington's nuclear deterrence efforts against Pyongyang, saying the plan will only result in "more serious danger". In North Korea's first response to the Washington Declaration adopted during South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit to the US, Kim Yo-jong said that the agreement reflects "the most hostile and aggressive will of action" against the North that will "only result in making peace and security of Northeast Asia and the world be exposed to more serious danger", according to Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Her remarks came three days after Yoon and US President Joe Biden agreed to significantly strengthen Washington's nuclear commitment to South Korea in the new agreement and promised to take "swift, overwhelming, and decisive" action in the event of North Korea's nuclear attack. Under the Washington Declaration, Yoon and Biden agreed to strengthen the US extended deterrence commitment to South Korea through the establishment of a Nuclear Consultative Group and more frequent deployments of American strategic assets to Seoul. Kim Yo-jong warned that the change in security environment will only push the North to take "more decisive action". "The more the enemies are dead set on staging nuclear war exercises, and the more nuclear assets they deploy in the vicinity of the Korean peninsula, the stronger the exercise of our right to self-defence will become in direct proportion to them," she was quoted saying by the KCNA. She also lashed out at Biden's warning that any nuclear attack against the US or its allies will result in the end of its regime. Saying thathe was "too miscalculating and irresponsibly brave, Kim Yo-jong painted the warning as "nonsensical remark from the person in his dotage who is not at all capable of taking the responsibility for security and the future of the US, an old man with no future, as it is too much for him to serve out two-year remainder of his office term". She also took a swipe at Yoon, calling him a "fool" who has "put the security into crisis with his incompetence". Meanwhile, Seoul's Unification Ministry condemned Kim Yo-jong's remarks and warned that North Korea would face "even stronger and overwhelming" response if it continues to follow the "wrong path". Khartoum, April 29 : Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, leader of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Force's (RSF) -- one of the two warring factions in the violence-hit African nation, said that there won't be any talks until the fighting ends. Speaking to the BBC on Friday night, Dagalo, popularly known as Hemedti, alleged that RSF fighters were being "relentlessly" bombed since a three-day truce had been extended on Thursday midnight. The initial 72-hour ceasefire was brokered by the US on Monday and the extension of the truce came after intensive diplomatic efforts by neighbouring countries, as well as Washington, the UK and UN. "We don't want to destroy Sudan," Dagalo told the BBC and blamed Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chief of the Sudanese Armed (SAF) -- the second warring faction -- for the violence. Gen Burhan has tentatively agreed to face-to-face talks in South Sudan. The RSF chief further said that he was open to talks but the condition was that the ceasefire should hold: "Cease hostilities. After that we can have negotiations." Dagalo said he had no personal problem with Gen Burhan, but regarded him as a traitor for bringing into government those loyal to former President Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted together by the SAF and RSF in 2019 after mass street protests. "Unfortunately Burhan is being led by the radical Islamic front leaders," he told the BBC. In 2021, he and Gen Burhan overturned an agreement to share power with civilians, taking full control in a coup. The two military leaders fell out this year over the proposed return to civilian rule, in particular about the timeframe of incorporating Dagalo's 100,000-strong RSF inclusion into the army. "I am looking forward to having the civilian government today -- before tomorrow, a fully civilian government. This is my principle," he told the BBC. He also said that RSF fighters were not the enemies of the military soldiers, explaining they were battling to protect the country from "the relics of the government of the past 30 years". "We won't fight you. Please go back to your army divisions and we won't fight you." Since the violence first erupted on April 15, 512 people have been killed and 4,193 other injured, according to Sudan's Health Ministry. The UN however, estimates that the death toll could be much higher. As well as the thousands of foreigners who have been evacuated, tens of thousands of Sudanese have crossed into neighbouring countries, including Chad, Egypt and South Sudan. Besides capital Khartoum, the violence has also spread to other areas in Sudan like Darfur, particularly in the city of El Geneina, where the RSF and militias linked to the group are reported to have looted and torched markets, aid warehouses and banks. In Khartoum, millions remain trapped amid shortages of food, water and fuel. Johannesburg, April 29 : Two Indian-origin South Africans have been honoured with the 2023 National Orders for contributing towards the advancement of democracy and making significant impact on improving the lives of people in the country. Late anti-apartheid veteran Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim and scientist Aboubaker Ebrahim Dangor were presented the award by President Cyril Ramaphosa at an event in Pretoria on Friday. The annual National Orders are the highest awards that South Africa bestows on its citizens and eminent foreign nationals. Ebrahim posthumously received The Order of Luthuli, which recognises South African citizens who have contributed to the struggle for democracy, nation-building, building democracy and human rights, justice and peace as well as for the resolution of conflict. The Order was bestowed in Gold for "Ebrahim's lifelong commitment to the liberation of all South Africans. He lived by the courage of his conviction and became a formidable opponent to the repressive apartheid government", a statement from the President's office said. A member of the African National Congress (ANC), Ebrahim had spent over 15 years in the Robben Island prison along with Nelson Mandela and Ahmed Kathrada for taking a position against the apartheid government. Also known as "Ebie", he was also the former deputy minister of international relations, and passed away after a long illness in December 2021. He joined the liberation struggle at the age of 13 after his father was arrested twice for defying laws that restricted the movement of Indians in South Africa, and often said how he had been inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha. His autobiography, "Beyond Fear - Reflections of a Freedom Fighter", was released by his wife Shannon. Dangor was awarded The Order of Mapungubwe in Bronze "for his admirable and distinguished contribution to the field of science through his groundbreaking research in physics", the citation read. The Order of Mapungubwe recognises South Africans who have accomplished excellence and exceptional achievement to the benefit of South Africa and beyond. Based in the UK, Dangor could not return to South Africa permanently because the white minority apartheid government denied entry to his wife from Bermuda, who was of Black descent. "Those who are receiving National Orders embody the founding values of the South African Republic; namely the achievement of equality, the advancement of human rights and freedoms, and perhaps most importantly of all, human dignity," Ramaphosa said at the presentation of the 2023 National Orders. The National Orders also recognise the contributions made by individuals towards building a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa as envisaged in our Constitution. This year's recipients included eminent scholars, liberation fighters and activists who risked arrest, banishment, exile and even death to amplify the voice of the oppressed South African people on the world stage in the dark days of apartheid. Taiwan's Defense Ministry said Friday 38 Chinese fighter jets and one TB-001 drone aircraft have circled the island. Nineteen of the aircraft flew across the midline that separates the island of Taiwan from mainland China, according to the ministry. The TB-001 is one of China's largest drones. The display of China's aircraft might be one of the largest it has mounted. Patna, April 29 : Under fire over the release of Anand Mohan Singh, who was serving a life sentence in the murder an IAS officer, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar claimed that the decision was based on the Centre's 'Model Prison Manual 2016'. The Chief Minister made the statement during an event here on Friday evening. While referring to a book he carried with him, he said: "This is a book on model prison manual 2016. Please go through it and tell me whether any provision says that if an IAS officer gets killed, the convict would have to stay in jail for his entire life?" "There was no such law in any state of the country. Hence, we have removed it in Bihar. He (Anand Mohan) was serving a jail term for more than 15 years. In depth discussions preceded the decision. Since 2017, 22 meetings of remission (Parihar) have taken place in Bihar and 696 prisoners released. A number of inmates were released on my recommendation on Republic Day, Independence Day and birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi," he added. He further asked if there is any difference of law required for common people and a government official? Though 27 inmates have been released, why is it that only one person's release is being opposed? Asked about allegations of BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, Kumar, while showing a photograph of Anand Mohan and Sushil Kumar Modi, said, "Look at this photo and analyse it. Modi met Anand Mohan this February and batted for his release. But when we released him, he objected to it. I don't understand what has changed in the last two months that he is objecting now," Kumar said. On the TADA inmates, Nitish Kumar said: "We cannot consider the demand of any political party. All these things would take place as per law." He also said that the state has released lesser numbers of prisoners compared to other states. Bengaluru, April 29 : As Karnataka is inching closer towards the May 10 Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are all set to hold mega roadshows and address rallies on Saturday. As part of his two-day visit to the state, Modi will first tour Humnabad of Bidar district, and then head to Vijayapur after which he will reach Belagavi later in the afternoon. He will reach Bengaluru by the evening and take part in the mega roadshow from NICE Road to Sumanahalli Junction. The Prime Minister will spend the night at the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru. On Sunday, he is slated to address a huge public rally in Kolar and also visit Channapatna, where former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is contesting from and holding a mega public meeting. Modi will later reach the historical Beluru town in Hassan district, the stronghold of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda's family. In the evening, he will be in Mysuru and hold a mega road show from Vidyapeetha circle to Bannimantap. The state's ruling BJP government is relying heavily on Modi's visit and is planning to rope in some 2 lakh people for each public rally. In the north, his visit is expected to counter rebellion and keep the Lingayat vote bank intact for the party. In the south, the BJP wants to consolidate its position and break the stronghold of the JD (S) and Congress in the districts of Kolar, Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapur. Also on Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will also take up high-voltage campaigning in Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. He will hold a roadshow in Madikeri city and ampaign with BJP workers in Udupi and Kapu. Shah is expected to attend another roadshow in Byndoor constituency and address a mega public rally in Mangaluru in the evening. Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi will arrive in Dharwad and hold a roadshow in Kundagol. She will address a huge public rally in Navalgund near Dharwad and also take part in a public meeting at Dandeli in Haliyal, Uttara Kannada district. San Francisco, April 29 : Dhirendra Prasad, a former Apple employee who was charged with defrauding tech giant Apple and related tax crimes, has been sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay more than $19 million. He was charged in March 2022 for stealing around $17 million from the iPhone maker through mail and wire fraud schemes. Prasad, 55, from Mountain House in San Joaquin County, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the US on November 2, 2022. The remaining counts were dismissed at sentencing, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement. The criminal conduct centred around Prasad's employment at Apple from December 2008 through December 2018. For most of that time, he was a "buyer" in Apple's Global Service Supply Chain. It was Prasad's job as an Apple buyer to facilitate the process through which Apple bought parts to perform warranty repairs on older devices. According to the Justice Department, Prasad exploited his position and conspired with two separate Apple vendors to defraud the iPhone maker by taking kickbacks, stealing parts, inflating invoices, and causing the tech giant to pay for items and services it never received -- resulting in a loss to Apple of more than $17,000,000. In addition to engaging in two separate criminal conspiracies with Apple vendors, Prasad also acknowledged that he evaded tax on the proceeds of his schemes. By virtue of his position at Apple, "Prasad was given substantial discretion to make autonomous decisions to benefit his employer". He abused his power to enrich himself at his employer's expense -- all while accepting hundreds-of-thousands of dollars worth of compensation from Apple in the form of salary and bonuses. "Additionally, Prasad used his insider information regarding the company's fraud-detection techniques to design his criminal schemes to avoid detection," said the DOJ. Washington, April 29 : The new Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 is spreading fast in the US, becoming the second dominant Covid-19 strain in the country, according to the latest data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The subvariant, referred to as "arcturus", has accounted for about 12 per cent of new weekly Covid-19 cases reported in the country, up from 7.4 per cent the week prior, Xinhua news agency quoted the CDC data published on Friday as saying. Experts warned the percentage is expected to increase in the coming weeks, possibly become the next dominant coronavirus strain in the country. The highly transmissible Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 remains the dominant strain in the US and accounted for about 68.8 per cent of new Covid-19 cases this week, the CDC data revealed. The World Health Organization is monitoring XBB.1.16, which is contributing to the ongoing resurgence of Covid-19 in India. The US continues to remain the worst hit country in the world with the highest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths. As of Saturday morning, the country's overall caseload and death toll stood at 106,627,427 and 1,159,824, respectively. New York, April 29 : A conference to track the Covid-19 progress in the US by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), last week, has left many attendees infected with the disease, according to a media report. The CDC's annual Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Conference was held between April 24-27 in Atlanta. The conference for the disease detectives deployed to identify and fight outbreaks in the country, was open to the common public and, as per officials, drew about 2,000 people. "We're letting you know that several people who attended the (Epidemic Intelligence Service) Conference have tested positive for Covid-19," a CDC branch chief wrote in an email to staff on Friday and obtained by The Washington Post. It added that at least one person at the division's recruiting event had tested positive. This comes even as the US is seeing a fresh surge in Covid cases. Data from the CDC shows Omicron sub variant XBB.1.16 was responsible for nearly 12 per cent of new Covid cases this week. Last week, 7 per cent new infections were reported due to the subvariant and nearly 5 per cent the week before that. While the CDC was "aware" of several confirmed cases that could be connected to the conference, it said they "should not be referred to as an 'outbreak'," an agency official told The Post. "These cases are reflective of general spread in the community. It's not news that public health employees can get Covid-19," CDC's Kristen Nordlund wrote in an email. The potential cases were also announced in the closing session of the conference, he said. Further, the conference leaders cancelled an in-person training, emailed all officers with current CDC guidance and offered to extend the hotel stays of sick attendees who needed to be isolated, the report said. While the risks of Covid have declined in the US, due to vaccines and prior infections, the virus remains the leading cause of death in the country. Meanwhile, the Joe Biden administration aims to formally end the three-year-old public health emergency for the virus on May 11. New Delhi, April 29 : Delhi Police on Saturday said that a copy of one of the two FIRs lodged against outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who is accused of sexual harassment, has been handed over to the top grapplers who are protesting at the Jantar Mantar here. On Friday evening, the police have registered the FIRs against the WFI president in response to the allegations made by the women wrestlers. However, the copy of the other FIR registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has not been given to the wrestlers as it will be given only to the victim's family, the police added. The wrestlers, led by Vinesh Phogat, had reached the Connaught Place police station on Saturday morning. On Friday, Delhi Police had informed the Supreme Court that they will register an FIR and in the evening, two FIRs allegedly were finally registered against the outgoing WFI chief in connection with the sexual harassment allegations made by women wrestlers. Some of India's top wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, along with Asian and Commonwealth Games medallist Phogat are protesting at the Jantar Mantar, seeking action against Singh for alleged sexual harassment of women grapplers. Regarding the FIRs, Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, Pranav Tayal had said: "The first one pertains to allegations levelled by a minor victim which is registered under the POCSO Act along with relevant IPC sections concerning outraging of modesty. "The second FIR is registered for carrying out comprehensive investigations into the complaints tendered by other, adult complainants under relevant sections pertaining to outraging of modesty etc." Investigation into both the FIRs is being taken up in right earnest, the DCP had added. New Delhi, April 29: China plans another monumental corridor project under the Belt and Road Initiative - The China-Pakistan railway. The gigantic enterprise will cost a whopping $58 billion. The railway will join Kashgar in China's tense Xinjiang region to Gwadar in conflict-prone Balochistan on the Arabian Sea. State-owned China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group Company conducted the survey for the nearly 3,000 km rail link that aims to reduce Beijing's dependence on traditional Western-dominated trade routes. The South China Morning Post (SCMP) says that the rail project will reshape not only trade but geopolitics as well. SCMP reports that the study on the proposed China-Pakistan rail project was first published by a Chinese-language journal, Railway Transport and Economy this month. The study becomes public at a time when Pakistan's Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Asim Munir is on a four-day visit to China. China, which has ratcheted up tensions with Taiwan in the East China Sea (ECS) and with many South-East Asian nations in the South China Sea (SCS) fears that the traditional shipping lanes from the Pacific Ocean through the Indian Ocean can be blocked by regional or global powers in case of conflict. The communist country has been investing in alternate routes through its BRI and CPEC projects to ensure security for energy supplies from the Gulf and reduce transit time for its exports to Europe. Beijing had long back detected the "Malacca Dilemma" - a likely bottleneck in the strait of Malacca through which most of its oil and hydrocarbon supply travels. China is already deeply invested in the $62 China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that seeks to link up two "iron-brothers" through highways, power projects, pipelines, economic zones and the construction of the multi-purpose Gwadar port. The project initiated in 2015 has seen poor financial and security commitment by Pakistan owing to which Chinese companies have often stopped work. CPEC is facing big troubles with the Baloch and Sindhi insurgent groups attacking Chinese nationals and project sites. The Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) militants, who have become ultra-active in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region too, have attacked Chinese workers at the Dasu hydro-power project. Impoverished, and often exploited, local Pakistani communities have opposed China as they look upon it as a colonial power. Despite the setbacks in Pakistan, it is surprising that Beijing has proposed yet another major infrastructure project. Through this rail project, China seeks to reach Iran and Turkey and eventually Europe in a bid to export its products through non-Western traditional routes. It has already acquired sizeable stakes in many European ports. The proposed project will, however, pass through at least three disputed regions - Xinjiang, which has the Muslim Uyghurs in an uprising; Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) that has tense border with India; as well as Balochistan where a 75-year old independence movement has transitioned into a raging conflict. The railway researchers have noted that "the China-Pakistan relationship was complex, with both countries having different priorities and interests". The researchers also observed that the Kashgar-Gwadar rail project would have to pass through difficult terrain and volatile regions. It is not the first time that the Chinese have proposed grandiose projects whose success rate has been patchy. The Thailand to China rail link via Laos is yet to make concrete progress. No doubt the Tibetan railway worked out as China did not face any Tibetan insurgency during its construction. But with the proposed railway passing through hostile territory, the chances of success of such a risky undertaking are indeed remote. Despite the bravado, China knows that not all is hunky-dory either with its expensive BRI projects or with all-weather friend Pakistan. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative April 29 : Sony Pictures drops the final trailer for Love Again, ahead of its release in May. The film is helmed by Jim Strouse. The film is based on a book, which is about the story and a woman who finds love over text messages. A young woman tries to ease the pain of her fiance's death by sending romantic texts to his old cell phone number, and forms a connection with the man the number has been reassigned to. This romcom stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, Russell Tovey, Celia Imrie, Lydia West, Omid Djalili, and Celine Dion. Dealing with the loss of her fiance, Mira Ray sends a series of romantic texts to his old cell phone number, not realizing the number was reassigned to Rob Burns new work phone. Fall in Love Again with a rom-com made for the big screen! Watch the final trailer now. In one week, @LoveAgainMovie starring @PriyankaChopra and @SamHeughan, with 5 new songs from @CelineDion is exclusively in movie theaters. Get tickets: https://t.co/eAEey56Bpp pic.twitter.com/bYrjKx4VYM Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) April 28, 2023 A journalist, Rob is captivated by the honesty in the beautifully confessional texts. When hes assigned to write a profile of megastar Celine Dion, he enlists her help in figuring out how to meet Mira in person and win her heart. Produced by Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, and Esther Hornstein. Sony will release Love Again in theatres from 12th May 2023. Bidar : , April 29 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday alleged that the Congress has "abused" the architect of the Indian Constitution and dared to brand Lingayat community as "thieves". Addressing a huge public rally at Humnabad in Bidar, PM Modi stated that the top Congress leaders have always bad-mouthed great personalities. "You will be shocked to know about it. Babasaheb Ambedkar explained everything in detail at a public meeting. The Congress has called him "raakshas" (demon), "rashtra drohi" (traitor to nation), 'dagabaaz' (cheater)," he asserted. The Prime Minister further said that Congress has always abused Ambedkar and humiliated him time and again. Whoever is poor and working for the nation will be insulted by the Congress. "In the last elections they said 'chowkidar chor hai', later they said 'Modi chor hai', afterwards they said 'OBC chor hai'. During Karnataka elections they are calling Lingayat brothers and sisters as chors (thieves)," he stated. "Whoever you have humiliated have given befitting answers and Congress was nowhere to be seen. Great personalities are victims of the Congress. They targetted Ambedkar, Veer Savarkar and by targeting me, they have brought me in their league. You (Congress) be busy with hurling abuses, I will focus on rendering services to people," PM Modi stated. He made a pledge to Karnataka voters that he will depute the whole of New Delhi for its welfare and make it number one state in the country. "I want a majority government here. I repeat the full majority. A double engine government is needed for development, infrastructure, FDI. Karnataka should not become the ATM of Congress. It should become the country's growth engine," he underlined. Chennai, April 29 : Three FIDE rated senior players, who were "illegally barred" from playing in the Tirunelveli District Selection tournament recently have decided to haul the All India Chess Federation (AICF) to the Competition Commission of India (CCI). "We had made a complaint to CCI. The CCI in turn asked us to make the complaint in a specified format. We are now preparing our complaint in the format as required by CCI," Merryston David Scanny told IANS. Interestingly, their case got beefed up with the response of the official who had barred the three from playing the tournament even after paying the necessary fee. The three players - M Karunakaran (68 years), V Palanikumar (58) and Scanny (48 years) - were not allowed to play in the Tirunelveli District Selection tournament at the last minute on April 9. According to B Paulkumar, Secretary, Tirunelveli District Chess Development Association (TDCDA), the three had played in private tournaments held in Tenkasi district. The three players lodged a police complaint against Paulkumar for his "illegal act" and also with the AICF and CCI. On its part, the AICF forwarded the complaint to Tamil Nadu State Chess Association (TNSCA) which in turn had forwarded to Paulkumar, TDCDA asking for his comments. Only after a reminder by TNSCA, Paulkumar in his response told the former: "I have understood that the three mentioned players have been participating in the Tenkasi district tournaments, even after it was bifurcated as a separate district. I explained the police officials the same and informed them that they were not allowed to play in this tournament for two reasons - i) as they are not registered players of the Tirunelveli District Chess Development Association and ii) they have been playing regularly in the Tenkasi district tournaments, even after knowing/understanding that it is a separate district." Scanny, Karunakaran and Palanikumar had told IANS that they had played private tournaments held in Tenkasi and not in any District Selection tournaments. When IANS had contacted TDCDA Secretary Paulkumar earlier he said: "The three players have been playing in tournaments held in Tenkasi. So how can they be considered as Tirunelveli District players?" Asked if they had played in any Tenkasi District selection tournament or if there is any rule whereby chess players are not allowed to play in private tournaments, Paulkumar had disconnected the call. Interestingly, Paulkumar's response has strengthened the three players' case against AICF as a couple of years back the CCI had held that restricting and banning chess players from playing in private tournaments is unfair trade practice and illegal. The CCI had also ordered AICF to pay a penalty. The Indian chess body later amended its regulations to be in line with CCI's order. However, it has gone on appeal against the CCI's order. Chess players had told IANS that AICF has not publicised the CCI's orders and as a result players at the district levels are subjected to such atrocities by the district chess officials. Be that as it may, this is not the first time that Paulkumar had barred chess players. In 2019, Paulkumar had barred then 11-year-old Karthik Rahul from playing in a tournament midway on the grounds that he had played in a private tournament. The act was in clear violation of the CCI orders and AICF rules. The TNSCA Secretary Stephen Balasamy P had then told IANS: "There is no differentiation between recognised and unrecognised tournaments. Players are free to take part in any chess tournament." However, the TNSCA did not take any action against him. Balasamy was not available for comments when IANS had contacted for his comments on Paulkumar's reply to the complaint made by the three senior players. Similarly, AICF's Interim Secretary Vipnesh Bhardwaj too was not available for comments when contacted by IANS. The AICF has cancelled recognitions to several state chess associations and has allowed ad hoc organisations to manage affairs and the same should be done with regard to TNSCA for turning a blind eye on the anti-player actions of the district associations, was also one of the views expressed by players. (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in) At rival Mode Tour, sales of premium package tours limited to 25 people have grown from three percent of total sales before the pandemic to 15 percent now despite costing 20 percent more than normal. Air ticket prices have surged around 20 percent compared to pre-pandemic times, but Korea's biggest travel agency Hana Tour saw 258,000 in the first quarter of this year alone, already surpassing last year's total of 226,000. More and more Koreans are tightening their purse strings at home to save money for travel abroad. One 30-year-old office worker from Bucheon west of Seoul went to Japan for five days late last month and spent more than W1 million (US$1=W1,338). At home he usually spends W600,000 a month, so he shelled out almost twice his monthly budget. "I'm very frugal and usually eat alone in diners, but I wanted to live it up on my holiday, staying in a hotel in the city and eating in fine restaurants," he said. And a 28-year-old Seoul resident said, "I went to Europe for 11 days last month and spent W150,000 to tour a winery and ate in Michelin-rated restaurants." Others cut back on eating out most of the week but set aside one night to splurge. A 27-year-ol from Seongnam south of Seoul said, "I cut down on drinking from two nights a week to one, but when I do go out, I enjoy expensive liquor for W20,000 a bottle instead of soju." And a 29-year-old office worker from Hanam, Gyeonggi Province said, "I saved almost W400,000 last month on soju and beer and other expenses and used the money to buy a bottle of premium whiskey." Bidar : , April 29 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said for the continuity of the developmental projects and unhindered economic growth of the state, the people should again vote for BJP and ensure a double engine government. The elections are not about forming a government in the state but about making Karnataka the number one state in the country, he added. Addressing a huge public rally in Humnabad of Bidar, PM Modi maintained that if India has to emerge as a developed country, there must be a developed Karnataka. The people of the state have suffered enough due to coalition governments. The focus of the coalition government won't be on the people. When the JD(S)-Congress coalition was there, JD(S)'s loyalty was towards the Congress and not the people. The development has to reach every corner of the state. "People of Karnataka don't want to step backwards from their dreams. They want to be with BJP as they want the construction of highways, metro lines, more Vande Bharat trains to run in the state and facilities to every corner of the land. They have seen the speed of development under the BJP rule and want to be with it," he said. To become a number one state, a double engine government is very important. The double power of central and state BJP governments is very much required. BJP attracted Rs 90,000 crore FDI every year which is three times more against Congress's Rs 30,000 crore FDI, he said. In the absence of a double-engine government, women have realised the difficulties of water scarcity. The pending water projects for decades have been implemented. The Congress-JD(S) government here did not send the list of farmers for the transfer of allowances. It was because they did not have any chance to eat the money as it was transferred directly to the accounts of farmers, he stated. PM Modi urged the people not to believe in Congress as they have not fulfilled any promises in Rajasthan and Chattisgarh. "If at all the money has been transferred, it is done only to Congress party workers," he claimed. Congress divides societies on caste, religion and creed. It practices appeasement. Shah Rashi Ahmad Khadri of Bidar has been given Padma award by the BJP. Congress only turned blind eye and gave him sorrow. "Gorata, the place where farmers rebelled and fought for India was made a victim of appeasement by the Congress party. The party did not bother to recognize it for the fear of vote bank. The memorial was covered with dust. Now, Shahid Smarak is being built and the Indian flag is installed," he said. Islamabad, April 29 : The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has struck down the Malir Expressway in Pakistan from its list of priorities, backing out from financing the project, the media reported on Saturday. In a letter to Advocate Abira Ashfaq, the lender's Accountability Mechanism office said that the "Malir Expressway Project is no longer an ADB-assisted project" following complaints from indigenous farmers who cited environmental damages and the threat of displacement, The News reported Saturday. The development came as a victory for the farmers after they lost a petition against the project in the Sindh Environmental Protection Tribunal on April 15. The tribunal had disposed of the plea challenging the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval accorded to the Malir Expressway project by the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa). It allowed the project but ordered the government to set up a committee to ensure that no environmental damage took place due to the project. Indigenous farmers of Malir had lodged a complaint before the ADB against the project on September 22, 2022, with the help of Abira, following which the lender held an online meeting with the lawyer and others in October, The News reported. In the same month, an ADB team from the Philippines along with its resident team of Pakistan visited Karachi and met Abira, Advocate Zubair Abro, who was fighting the case against the expressway in the tribunal, researcher Sadya Siddiqi and local resident Salman Baloch. In November, the ADB, as part of their accountability mechanism, further listened to Abira and the farmer's complaints. Patna, April 29 : Former BJP MLA Jawahar Prasad has surrendered before a district court in Bihar's Sasaram in connection with communal violence during Ram Navami celebrations on March 31. A Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) was issued against Prasad for his alleged connection in the violence. Prasad, who was absconding since then, finally surrendered before district court on Friday evening. Confirming the development, spokesperson for Rohtas police said that an FIR was registered against Prasad in the town police station of Sasaram. "Following his surrender, we have arrested him and the process is to send him to judicial custody," he said. Besides Prasad, another accused named Mohamad Shahnawaz Alam alias Lakhani also surrendered before court on Friday evening. The official further said they have arrested 63 accused in connection with the violence. "The district police has obtained NBW against 38 accused who were involved in communal violence and we are also going to start the process of property attachment against 12 persons as well," he said. Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said that whoever is the culprit, he/she will be punished. "The state police are taking action against the accused. We are not directing them for action. I want to tell them that whoever is the accused, the state police will take strong action," he said. "Our government would neither frame nor save anyone. Police are looking after everything and taking action on the wrongdoings. Everyone knows I do not interfere in the work of the police," the chief minister said. The communal violence erupted in Sasaram and Nalanda during Ram Navami celebrations, just before the rally of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Following the incidents, the BJP blamed the Nitish Kumar government for failing to control law and order in the state. Damascus, April 29 : Syrian air defences intercepted a fresh Israeli missile attack in the central province of Homs on Saturday, the state media said in a report. The air defences were responding to hostile targets in the skies of Homs, said the report, without giving out further details. Three civilians were injured in the attack, Xinhua news agency quoted the Syrian Defence Ministry as saying. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the missile destroyed a weapon depot for the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group in the Daba'a air base in Homs. Los Angeles, April 29 : Hollywood star Chris Pratt is "proud" to be the first person to drop an F-bomb in a Marvel movie. The actor, 43, attended the world premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in Los Angeles Thursday, where he spoke with Variety about using the expletive in its entirety for the first time ever within the superhero franchise, reports People. "Yes, I do drop the first F-bomb. Take that Samuel L. Jackson!" Pratt said, referencing how fellow Marvel costar Jackson, 74, is known for using the F-word in his movie career. As Pratt's co-star Elizabeth Debicki asked if the curse word was in the script, the actor replied: "No, it was not. It was not scripted." "Everyone's been trying to improv F-bombs for 10 different years ... and finally one made it in," Pratt continued. "Usually when you start dropping F-bombs in like an improv scenario, it's really your indication to the filmmaker that you'd like to move on a" and they actually put it into the film, so that's pretty good. I'm really proud. I did it!" Pratt echoed similar sentiments about using the curse word while making a guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Thursday. After host Jimmy Kimmel pointed out Pratt's usage of the word, he then referenced Jackson as well, joking, "How did Sam Jackson not get that honour?" "He must be Nick Furious right now," Kimmel, 55, continued, using a play on Jackson's Marvel character's name, Nick Fury. "He's Nick Furious," Pratt responded, laughing in agreement. "I think everybody's tried [to use the F-word before], you know?" The Motion Picture Association film rating system allows for one F-word in order to remain PG-13 instead of R. GOTG Vol. 3 is rated PG-13 for "intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references and thematic elements." Pratt noted: "Everyone's always lobbying, like, throwing it out in improv, trying to get it in there. For years I've tried, it's not the first time I tried to get (a curse) in a movie, and they edited it together, and it was a funny beat, so they kept it," he continued. As Kimmel asked the star if those working behind the scenes on the film were aware they were "getting into different territory," Pratt claimed that President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige went to Guardians director James Gunn "and said, 'Listen, you don't wanna be the guy who is known for having the first F-word in your movie.'" He added: "And James was like, 'Yes I do! That's exactly [what I want]. Don't you know me?' And so they kept it in." Pratt chatted with PEOPLE on the Guardians red carpet Thursday, where he admitted he is trying to reach superhero status in real life with his son Jack, whom he shares with ex-wife Anna Faris. "No, not yet. Not yet. I'm hoping after tonight he'll finally think I'm cool," Pratt said, responding to whether he's achieved cool points as a dad for reprising his lead role as Star-Lord. "Actually, he's here with me tonight. He's one of my dates tonight," added Pratt, who also brought his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger along for the event at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The actor went on to talk about parenthood themes in the Guardians' third installment, which writer/director Gunn, 56, has teased will be the last for the core cast. "The relationship between a parent and a child is definitely explored in this film, and there's no stronger bond than between a parent and a child," Pratt said. "And, yeah, certainly I can draw on my own experience as a parent when it comes to drawing and finding ways to be emotional and to push emotion." Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is in theatres May 5. Chennai, April 29 : Deputy Superintendent of Police, Thoothukudi (Rural), Suresh, was appointed as the investigating officer in the murder case of Village Administrative Officer (VAO), Murappanadu, Lourdu Francis, on Saturday. Francis was hacked to death allegedly by sand mafia inside his office last Tuesday. The case triggered a major uproar in Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced a solatium of Rs 1 crore to the family of the deceased VAO, and a government job for one of his family members. DSP Suresh was appointed as the inquiry officer by the Inspector General of Police, South Zone, Tamil Nadu, Asra Garg. The main accused in the case, Ramasubbu alias Ramasubramanian and his accomplice, Marimuthu have already been arrested. Preliminary investigation by the local police has revealed that Ramasubbu, a sand smuggler was angry at the VAO Lourde Francis as he had lodged a case against him (Ramasubbu) with the Murappandu police. Heavy police security has been deployed at Murappandu, Vallanadu, Kaliavoor, Akaram and other areas of Thoothukudi. It may be noted that Thoothukudi district is one of the hot spots of Tamil Nadu and the police are constantly keeping vigil following clashes between sand mafia. Caste fights are also rampant in the area. There are allegations that the murdered VAO, Francis had asked his superiors for a transfer to the Thoothukudi collectorate as he was wary of the threat to his life. However, he was not given a posting and instead was made to continue in the office, resulting in his tragic killing. April 29 : The cute innocent girl who played the role of Pooja from the superhit film 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Malvika Raaj made her debut with action packed thriller Squad, and now forays into music video space with Pyaar Mein song. The song is titled Pyaar Mein, crooned by Stebin Ben, the music is recreated by Bharat Goel and its written by Javed Akhtar. The song is a recreated version of Pyar Mein Hota Hai from Papa Kehte Hai movie. Sharing the song on her social media profile, Malvika Raaj captioned her post, Turning back times to the old-school love days with #PyaarMein Song out now. Tune in to feel the magic of love. #tseries @tseries.official #BhushanKumar @stebinben @rajeshroshan24 @jaduakhtar @bharatgoelmusic @donati_media The song is directed by Donati Media, and choregraphed by Shubham, tells a story of a humble boy, Stein Ben, starting his shop and falling in love with girl of his dreams, only to find a trouble making father, who doesnt approve of anything. T-Series also shared the same, it said, Fill your hearts with some old-school love! #PyaarMein song is out now! Tune in now: #tseries #BhushanKumar @stebinbenmusic @raajmalvika #RajeshRoshan @Javedakhtarjadu @bharatgoelmusic @DonatiMedia Though the video is shot modestly, set against rural background, it is adorable to see Malvika and Stein sparking a romance the old way, and nostalgia of Papa Kehte Hai movie, which had an outstanding music album. Chennai, April 29 : Fishermen in the state have upped their ante against the state and central governments not intervening in releasing their boats seized by the Sri Lankan navy. The fishermen have stated that since 2018, 109 fishing boats were impounded by the Sri Lankan authorities along with the fishermen on various charges including that they have crossed International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). The fishermen were arrested and jailed and their boats, fishing nets and their catch were seized. While the arrested fishermen were released after 15 days of judicial custody, the boats, nets and catch were never returned. The fishermen under the network of 'Anaithu Meenavar Kootamaippu' (All Fishermen Union Federation) held a one-day protest and called upon the state and central governments to immediately intervene and to provide compensation for them as they were not in a position to go to sea for fishing. This is due to the fact that the boats are impounded in Sri Lanka. The fishermen association leaders have met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, and appraised him to intervene with the Union government for the release of these boats. The leaders have also sought an appointment with the External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar to seek his intervention with the Sri Lankan government on a government-to-government interaction. The fishermen are also worried as many have had no jobs for the past several months as they don't have boats to move to the deep sea for fishing. The families are expecting immediate intervention from the state and central governments to release their boats. New Delhi, April 29 : The Supreme Court has come to the rescue of a specially-abled lawyer and judicial services aspirant who was denied by the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission to use a scribe for the judicial services examination scheduled on April 30. The petitioner, Dhananjay Kumar suffers from "writer's cramp (task specific dystonia i.e., unable to write)" and is undergoing treatment at the Department of Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi. Kumar, as an aspirant for judicial services, filled the form for Uttarakhand Judicial Services Examination which is conducted by the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission. The examination is scheduled on April 30. A bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice P.S. Narasimha said: "Bearing in mind the principles which have been laid down in the decision of this court in Vikash Kumar Vs Union Public Service Commission & Ors , we issue an ad interim direction to the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission which is in-charge of conducting the examination to ensure that a scribe is provided to the petitioner for the ensuing examination". The bench said, "This shall be without prejudice to the rights and conditions of the parties and subject to such further orders as may be passed by this court. Issue notice returnable on 12 May 2023. Liberty to serve the Standing Counsel for the State of Uttarakhand". The petition was mentioned in the morning before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India D. Y. Chandrachud on April 28, for urgent hearing. The top court listed the matter for hearing the same day. Advocate Namit Saxena, representing Kumar, submitted a representation for the facility of a scribe to enable him to appear in the examination, however the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission through an email dated April 26, 2023 rejected the said request made by him. After hearing Saxena, the top court issued notice in the matter and as an interim direction directed the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission to provide the petitioner with the facility of a scribe for the upcoming examination. Kumar's plea said: "The Petitioner is constrained to move this Hon'ble Court by way of the present writ petition on account of unfair, unreasonable and arbitrary decision of the respondents wherein and whereby the respondents denied the representation of the petitioner requesting a scribe to attempt and write the Uttarakhand Judicial Service Civil judge (Preliminary) Examination - 2023, which is directly violative of Articles 14, 19(1)(g) and 21 of the Indian Constitution and against the basis of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act". The plea said. "That the entire career of the petitioner has been jeopardised by the decision of the respondent and his performance will be compromised in the Uttarakhand Judicial Service Civil judge (Preliminary) Examination a" 2023, which is to be held on 30.04.2023, thereby directly snatching away his fundamental rights as guaranteed under the Indian Constitution". Los Angeles, April 29 : Actress Zoe Saldana is done playing Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter for a cover story on filmmaker James Gunn and the development of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie series, Saldana, reaffirmed that she will no longer play the character after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 releases on May 5, reports People. "I don't think this is the end for the Guardians," the actress said, noting that she originally only expected to portray Gamora for the property's original 2014 movie. "It is the end for me, for Gamora." The article covers how Saldana and co-stars Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan and Dave Bautista and more actors supported director Gunn, 56, during his months-long estrangement from Marvel after he was fired from future Guardians movies in 2018. He was later reinstated in 2019. In the piece, Saldana, who reportedly visited Gunn at his home in the wake of his firing, said she gave a speech thanking the Guardians crew on her last day of filming for the new movie. "I thanked James for just his time and his patience and his guidance and his friendship," she told the outlet. 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' releases May 5. by Amin Amirul, Saydia Gulrukh, Mushrefa Mishu, Kristina Strachov Looking back on a corporate crime in Bangladesh that cost over 1,000 lives The Rana Plaza textile factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed on 24 April 2013, burying some 5,000 people underneath. The day before, cracks had been discovered in the walls of the factory building and the collapse of the eight-storey building was already imminent. Textile workers raised their concerns, but were refused by the factory owner and threatened with pay cuts and dismissal if they did not show up to work. Due to the lack of safety precautions and due diligence, around 1,070 people died the following day and around 2,000 were injured. The event sparked waves of horror and indignation throughout the world as many people became aware of the inhumane working conditions under which our textiles are mass-produced. These conditions include starvation wages that cannot cover workers basic necessities, even when working overtime on a daily basis, as well as dangerous working environments. The defined minimum monthly wage is 8,000 Bangladeshi taka, the equivalent of about 68 euro. According to the Global Living Wage Coalition, a living wage would be significantly higher, around 201 euro. Women, who have to struggle daily to provide for their children, are particularly at risk. The situation is compounded by the fact that the illiteracy rate in Bangladesh is 46.9 percent creating fertile ground for exploitation. Employees are often unable to understand their work contracts nor their pay slips. Many factory owners exploit this vulnerability, while foreign brands exert additional pressure throughout aggressive price negotiations, short delivery times, and last-minute order changes. Moreover, the exploitation is facilitated by the strong politicization of the garment industry, partly due to the close cooperation between factory owners and political functionaries in Bangladesh. As ready-made garments are the countrys main source of income, accounting for 83.4 percent of total exports and about 26 percent of the countrys legally employed workers nationwide, the industry gives garment factory owners additional decision-making power. Violent clashes between police and striking factory workers, activists, and trade unionists occur regularly. On the tenth anniversary of the tragic disaster, Kristina Strachov from the Rosa Luxemburg Foundations South Asia office spoke to activists and trade unionists to learn about how the rights of garment workers have changed over the past decade, and what unresolved issues still need to be tackled by the international community. What was the reaction to the Rana Plaza disaster by the Bangladeshi government and the garment industry? Saydia Gulrukh (SG): It was extremely difficult to respond to an event of loss of this magnitude. Everyone struggled except for the factory owners, the government, and global brands. Their response was rather business-as-usual. The Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association and cabinet members perceived the event as damaging the image of a thriving export-earning sector in the country and quickly shifted to damage control to remedy their hurt image. To evade criminal liability, global brands more readily entertained the demand for compensation. In less than three weeks after the collapse, long before the Rana Plaza Arrangement and the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund was established, PRIMARK injected money to steer the situation in their favour. Some of us thought the overwhelming discussion on financial compensation was an attempt to put a price tag on a poor apparel workers dead body. The process of financial aid I refuse to call it compensation has made it difficult for the global public to raise concern about the question of corporate criminal liability and has acted as absolution for multinational corporations. Before Rana Plaza, there were only 100 active unions in the entire garment sector nationwide, but now we have almost 1,100. How has the social rights situation for garment workers changed in the past ten years? SG: Workers continue to join the factory with the knowledge that death at workplace is always a possibility. If you go to a workers home, you will see a laminated copy of their factory ID on the wall. Now they know that, in the event of their death, this ID is crucial for their familys survival and will help them to claim financial compensation. The fire and building safety issues that were earlier just a box to tick off on a compliance checklist are now a real concern. Neither the factory management nor the global brands can treat it as a mere procedural matter, and have to invest in this kind of safety. However, the exclusive focus on fire safety and structural integrity of a building has not only invisibilized the issue of corporate criminal liability, but also deprioritized the overall question of fair labour practice and instrumentalized the class question. During the pandemic, for example, everyone but garment workers health safety was considered. COVID-19 restrictions were not applicable in the apparel factories. The way workers lives are treated as expendable and disposable is a class concern that needs to be acknowledged. Workers are still working extremely long hours for poverty wages. Mushrefa Mishu (MM): In my opinion, working conditions in the garment factories have not improved in the last ten years. A significant number of workers, especially female workers, still live in slums in very unhygienic environments. According to the International Labour Organization, garment workers in Bangladesh receive the lowest wages in the world. They are not aware about their rights. They are not class conscious nor gender conscious. Therefore, it is our task as a trade union to inform them about their rights as human beings and as workers. Above all, in the last ten years, the victims of Rana Plaza have still not received any real compensation. The brands have given them a pittance, but the five factory owners these murderers have still not been punished for their crimes. Amin Amirul (AA): As NGWF, we are committed to safe workplaces for garment workers in Bangladesh, and there are improvements especially in terms of safety and health at work. In addition, the union registration of workers has changed. In the last ten years, the number of unions has increased thanks to local campaigns and pressure from the international community. Before Rana Plaza, there were only 100 active unions in the entire garment sector nationwide, but now we have almost 1,100 registered unions. As a union member, garment workers are part of something bigger, and the growing number of unions is crucial to ending the worst abuses and injustices that they face collectively. We need somesupport from the international community. We need to address the new challenges like the due diligence law, climate change, and automation in the garment industry. How is the garment industry changing and what effects does this have on female workers? MM: Currently, garment manufacturers have incorporated automation into factory production systems. This is a new phenomenon, and the garment industry is now demanding a better-trained workforce. As a result, a significant number of workers, especially women, have been fired from the factories. A few years ago, the percentage of women workers in garment factories was 8085 percent now, the scenario has changed and decreased to around 5560 percent. In simple terms, we must continue to mobilize across countries for a global coalition that advocates for an International Corporate Crime Tribunal. What kind of international efforts do you think could improve the working conditions of garment workers? MM: As the garment industries of Bangladesh are 100-percent export-oriented, international efforts are important to improve working conditions. The Clean Clothes Champaign has played a good role in uniting American and European buyers to reinforce the buildings of garment factories, but strengthening factory buildings is not enough to improve working conditions. Buyers and the international community should ask garment factory owners about workers wages, freedom of expression, registration of government opponents unions, clean washrooms, safe food, and clean drinking water in the factories. They should ask the garment factory owners about forced overtime until midnight, torture and harassment, illegal dismissals, and a lack of compensation. SG: Since much of my focus is on raising the issue of corporate criminal liability, I have been advocating for a global alliance to eliminate corporate crime and abuse. To improve labour standards in the global value chain, we have to demand a mechanism to seek justice for rampant corporate crime and abuse, be it in the case of death or everyday economic and social exploitation. In simple terms, we must continue to mobilize across countries for a global coalition that advocates for an International Corporate Crime Tribunal. AA: One useful tool are due diligence laws that set out requirements for international companies to ensure compliance with human rights standards along the entire supply chain. I think this law has already come into force in Germany, and the European Union is in the process of implementing it. However, none of the European countries have entered into discussions with us to understand our concerns and the needs of the Global South. The law claims that it not only applies to workers in their home country, but to the entire supply chain like in Bangladesh. Implementing the law in their home countries is not very difficult, but covering the whole supply chain is. From the side of the local trade unions, we are of course happy to participate in the implementation and monitoring system. Hence, I ask the EU and other countries to discuss these issues with the trade unions. The international community must also raise their voices and put pressure on the Bangladeshi government to make this our own law. For these issues, we need some sort of support from the international community. We need to address the new challenges like the due diligence law, climate change, and automation in the garment industry. (Authors: Kristina Strachov interned at the Rosa Luxemburg Foundations South Asia Office while completing a Masters degree in Human Rights Studies. Saydia Gulrukh is a journalist, researcher, and feminist blogger. She has been involved in the labour movement in Bangladesh for the past two decades. Mushrefa Mishu is the president of the Garment Workers Unity Forum (GWUF) founded in 1995. Amin Amirul is president of the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) ) The above article from Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung is reproduced here in public interest and is for educational use In 1995, after Gianni Versace released his spring collection, Vogue decreed the definitive end of the grunge aesthetic. The body is back and luxury is back, the magazine pontificated, describing with admiration the floral corsets and cinched-waist suit jackets that the designer sent down the runway. Almost 30 years later, his sister, Donatella, has returned to that collection, but she doesnt need someone else to announce the changing cycles. Streetwear is over. That is not fashion. We need something elevated and powerful, she says, laying on the white sofa in her office in Versaces Milan headquarters. Donatella, who is fine-tuning the details on the new collection, is dressed in the imposing way that she describes: a purple zebra-patterned tunic, matching vinyl pants and sky-high heels. Curiously, two hours later, she will sheath herself in black jeans and a jersey to attend the runway presentation of her friend Kim Jones, creative director of Fendi, perhaps hoping not to steal the show. Oversized white shirt, jeans, gloves and earrings, all from Versace's fall/winter 2023 collection. Carlos Garcia For the first time in years, Donatella swapped Milan Fashion Week for Los Angeles, specifically the Pacific Design Center in Hollywood, to show her fall collection there three days before the Oscars ceremony. It all started there. I perfectly remember the moment when Gianni told me: We have to dress the stars because they will then trust us. There was no one doing it, just him. At that moment, in the late eighties, only Versace (and perhaps Armani) dared to lower their fashion from the pedestal of millionaire and feignedly discreet clients to get involved with show business and export an exuberant and unprejudiced He saw the strategy clearly, he told me: We have to be smart, reach the favorite actors of the moment. I wanted to go back to that time of change, above the show itself, and for that I thought I had to go back to Los Angeles, he comments. I love Milan, but if I could live anywhere else it would be Los Angeles. The way of thinking there suits me more Much more liberal. Shortly after this interview, Donatella was traveling to the city to announce the creation of a scholarship dedicated to LGTBIQ+ students. Short printed pink dress with a bodice, sandals and earrings, all from the Versace autumn/winter 2023 collection presented in Los Angeles. Carlos Garcia Much has changed about celebrity culture since that foundational moment. The red carpet is still the most visible form of publicity for us, but now, with digital, we dont see famous people in the same way, like people far away from us. Celebrity matters more than ever, but in a different way, Donatella says. Luckily, society has also changed. Theres still a long road ahead of us, but I think were in a good situation for women. For me, right now, I am interested in dressing women with strong characters. I dont care what their bodies are like. We are finally celebrating it without being afraid of showing it, she adds. Currently, Im attracted to people who take charge of their own lives, who are intelligent, who are concerned about the personal and the professional. She has confessed that she experienced impostor syndrome when she took the lead of Versace after her brothers murder. It is not haute couture, the shapes are more relaxed, but I wanted to return to fashion, to the real one, to the one that is made in the atelier, explains Donatella Versace. In the photograph, aviator-style sunglasses with double Medusa, and a 'biker' jacket from the Versace Icons collection. Carlos Garcia Twenty-five years later, she has learned that what she saw as a weakness was really a strength. Ive realized that being a woman is the way to understand what women need when getting dressed. Because Im also indecisive, because Im a woman, so I try to make sure clothing makes me feel powerful and protects me from insecurities. Donatella approaches a moodboard with clips from the 1995 collection, Prince dressed in a gold mesh top, Madonna and an Avedon campaign from that same year that features Nadja Aueermann and Kristen McMenamy in two opulent black dresses that Versace has reinvented this season. I have this photo memorized. It was the moment that Gianni gave the brand a turn towards tailoring, making it more sophisticated and artisanal. I wanted to return to that. There are also fabric samples, 3D-stamped silk, crochet and brocade fabrics. There is no polyester here. We have the workshop downstairs, and we have invented everything here artisanally. Its not haute couture, the shapes are more relaxed, but I wanted to return to fashion, to real fashion, made in the workshop. And to theatricality. If one thing defines Donatella, it is drama and spectacle. Among the many celebrities she has dressed in the last 20 years, she remembers fondly the cape that the rapper Lil Nas X wore for the Met Gala. Although without a doubt, my favorite moment was the one with Lady Gaga on a white horse. It was 2013, and the artist performed at the American Music Awards with a long, smooth mane, dramatic makeup and a lavender-colored silk dress. She was dressed by Donatella Versace. Versace bodice dress and pumps. The dresses, characterized by their structural and folded bodices, fluted necklines and sophisticated rounded shoulders, are a true nod to the collections that Atelier Versace launched in the 1990s. Carlos Garcia Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition New Delhi, April 29 : The wife of IAS officer G. Krishnaiah, who was lynched in 1994 by a mob led by former Bihar MP Anand Mohan Singh, has moved the Supreme Court against the latter's premature release from prison. The plea filed by Uma Krishnaiah, the wife of G. Krishnaiah, contended that life imprisonment awarded as a substitute for death penalty has to be carried out strictly as directed by the court, and it would be beyond application of remission. The plea submitted that life imprisonment handed down to the gangster-turned-politician meant incarceration for his entire natural course of life. Anand Mohan was released from the Saharsa jail on Thursday morning following an amendment in Bihar's prison rules. Under fire over the release of Anand Mohan, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had claimed during an event on Friday evening that the decision was based on the Centre's 'Model Prison Manual 2016'. While referring to a book he carried with him, Nitish Kumar said: "This is a book on Model Prison Manual 2016. Please go through it and tell me whether any provision says that if an IAS officer gets killed, the convict will have to stay in jail for his entire life?" "There is no such law in any state of the country. Hence, we have removed it in Bihar. He (Anand Mohan) was serving a jail term for more than 15 years. In depth discussions preceded the decision. Since 2017, 22 meetings of remission ('parihar') have taken place in Bihar and 696 prisoners have been released. A number of inmates were released on my recommendation on Republic Day, Independence Day and birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi," he added. He also asked if there is any difference in law required for common people and a government official. "Though 27 inmates have been released, why is it that only one person's release is being opposed," he asked. In 1994, Krishnaiah, then District Magistrate of Gopalganj, who hailed from Telangana, was beaten to death by a mob when his vehicle tried to overtake the funeral procession of gangster Chhotan Shukla. The mob was reportedly intigated by Anand Mohan. Los Angeles, April 29 : 'True Detective' creator Nic Pizzolatto has signed on to write Marvel Studios' 'Blade' movie, reuniting with Mahershala Ali, who starred in the third season of his crime series. 'Blade' boasts Oscar winner Ali as the title vampire slayer, with Aaron Pierre, Delroy Lindo and Mia Goth among the starry cast. Pre-production on the film is underway, with Pizzolatto taking on writing duties, working from a draft of the script by Emmy nominee Michael Starrbury, which has been said to be 'darker than most MCU movies', reports 'Variety'. Directed by Yann Demange, who helmed 'White Boy Rick' and the pilot for 'Lovecraft Country', the film is expected to begin filming in late May in Atlanta. The 'Blade' reboot was first announced at Comic-Con in 2019, when Marvel Studio chief Kevin Feige surprised Hall H by announcing Ali would take up the mantle of the infamous daywalker after Wesley Snipes played the Marvel Comics character in three films between 1998 and 2006. 'Blade' is currently slated to hit theaters on September 6, 2024, as the final film in Phase Five of the MCU. Pizzolatto and Ali's cinematic chemistry has already been proven, with their collaboration on the third season of "True Detective" resulting in a Primetime Emmy nomination for the actor's performance as Wayne Hays, a troubled Arkansas cop. Pizzolatto, an award-winning novelist and short-story writer, is best known for creating the critically acclaimed HBO anthology drama series, which launched in 2014, starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. A fourth season, subtitled "Night Country" and starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, will debut later this year. The writer is also developing a reboot of "The Magnificent Seven" for Amazon. Pizzolatto is represented by WME and Anonymous Content. Patiala, April 29 : Describing the financial indebtedness of educational institutions as a social scourge, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said educational institutions will not face any dearth of funds so that none is deprived of the opportunity to get quality education. Addressing teachers and students of the university on the occasion of the 62nd foundation day of Punjabi University here, the Chief Minister said it is the primary duty of the government to provide educational opportunities and it is a matter of great pride and satisfaction for him that his government is doing this work efficiently. Mann said the government is constantly striving to raise the standard of education by providing maximum support to educational institutions. While congratulating on the foundation day of the university, which made an important contribution in promoting Punjab and Punjabi, the Chief Minister said: "This university is the pride of Punjab and Punjabi mother tongue." He said this premier education institute is also called the 'Heart of Malwa'. "I had guaranteed to free this university from debt burden to restore the pride and pristine glory of this reputed university imparting higher education in northern India and no stone will be left unturned for this noble cause." The Chief Minister said on the occasion of the foundation day he was delighted to share that in this year's budget, the government has earmarked a grant of Rs 30 crore to the university every month. "I sincerely hope that this university will achieve great success in the field of higher education after came out from financial constraints," he added. Kolkata, April 29 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned Abdul Latif, a close confidant of Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal, for questioning in connection with the alleged multi-crore cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal. Latif, who is currently out on interim bail, has been asked to be present at the office of CBI's Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) in Kolkata on Tuesday (May 2), sources said. It is learnt that Latif has been summoned for questioning regarding his alleged connection with a cattle-trading hub at Illambazar in Birbhum district, which is perceived to be the epicentre of the cattle smuggling case. Latif has been named in the CBI charge sheet in this connection. Officially, Latif has multiple business interests including marble showroom, poultry farm, car showroom, petrol pump and hotel business, among others. Soon after the CBI took over the investigation, Latif had gone absconding. Earlier this week, he surrendered before a special CBI court in Asansol, where the matter relating to the alleged cattle-smuggling scam is being heard, and secured an interim bail till May 6. Recently, Latif's name had also surfaced in the killing of coal trader and BJP leader Raju Jha, who was shot dead in East Burdwan district on April 1. Jha was travelling along with his associate Brotin Bandopadhyay in a Toyota SUV registered in Latif's name. Kolkata, April 29 : Trinamool Congress legislator Jiban Krishna Saha, who was recently arrested by the CBI in connection with the alleged multi-crore recruitment scam in West Bengal, has now been reported to be drawing double salary -- both as an MLA and as a teacher in a state-run school. The authorities of Debagram High School in Birbhum district, where Saha was a teacher, has reported to the state school education department that despite not attending his teaching duty for a single day since he became an MLA in 2021, Saha had been drawing his salary on a regular basis. The school authorities have also recommended that the credit of his salary to his bank account should be stopped immediately. Sources in the school education department said that the school authorities have sent the recommendations to the office of the district inspector of schools of Birbhum and the papers will be sent to the state education directorate by next week, which again will forward its recommendations to the education department. The CBI had arrested Saha from his residence on April 17, and he is currently under its custody. Saha is the third Trinamool legislator to be arrested by the central agencies, the previous two being former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and ex-President of West Bengal Board of Primary Education, Manik Bhattacharya. Chandigarh, April 29 : To provide relief to the parents, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said the government will implement a policy to prevent private schools from selling books to students arbitrarily. He said the new policy will fix the rates of the books, besides specifying the quality of the books. The Chief Minister announced this while hearing grievances at the meeting of the District Public Relations and Grievance Redressal Committee in Faridabad. A total of 14 complaints related to various departments were placed in the meeting, out of which 12 complaints were disposed of. On a complaint regarding private schools charging higher rates of books from the parents, the Chief Minister while talking to Secondary Education Director Anshaj Singh directed to formulate a policy to prevent the financial loss of the parents. Also, orders were issued by the Chief Minister to charge fees according to the prescribed slab by the private schools. Redressing another complaint, the Chief Minister directed the officers concerned to settle the disputes regarding the size of the plots allotted earlier under the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) with immediate effect. Talking to the HSVP Chief Administrator, over the phone, he directed that a policy should be formulated to re-allot the plots of the right size according to the demand of the plot holders, whose plots are less than or more than 20 per cent in size. All such plot holders of the state will get relief, he added. Madrid : , April 29 (IANS) World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the Round of 16 at the Madrid Open after defeating Colombia's Camila Osorio 6-4, 7-5, here on Saturday. A champion in 2019, Sabalenka will face either Magda Linette or Mirra Andreeva for a spot in the quarterfinals. "I'm happy with the win. She's a great player and she fought for every point. It was a really great match," said Sabalenka. Coming off a strong 6-4, 6-3 win over Sorana Cirstea in her opening round, Sabalenka held off a spirited challenge from Osorio. Now ranked No.115 and coming off a one-month injury break, Osorio made good on her main-draw wild card to advance to the third round of Madrid for the first time. Sabalenka's power game ultimately proved too tough to solve for Osorio. After falling behind an early break at 3-1, Osorio gamely battled her way back into the match. She fended off two break points to close the gap to 3-2 and then, with the Spanish crowd behind her, the 22-year-old broke Sabalenka to level the first set. Sabalenka quickly settled herself after her error-prone stretch. She broke Osorio for a second time to lead 5-4 and held her nerve in a deuce game to serve out the opening set. With a set in the pocket, the reigning Australian Open champion clinically moved through the early stages of the second set. After Sabalenka built a double-break lead at 4-1, Osorio took a medical timeout to assess her left hip and leg. On the resumption, Osorio broke Sabalenka for the first time in the set and closed the deficit to 4-3. Osorio continued her march towards a comeback, breaking Sabalenka again as she served for the match at 5-4. "That's something that I expected, especially against players like her. She can return, she can play long rallies, and she can come back to the match. I just kept telling myself I have to keep going for my shots and I just have to make her move because she's not going to move all day long. Once I will get this approach shot and I will be able to finish the point," said Sabalenka. "So I was just telling myself to keep going for my shots and don't start panicking," she added. That would be as far as Osorio's comeback would go. Smartly opting to keep the points shorter, Sabalenka pounded her way to a fifth and final break of Osorio's serve to earn a second opportunity to serve out the win. This time she did not falter. Sabalenka coolly served out the win to seal the match after nearly two hours. New Delhi, April 29 : A 37-year-old lab assistant at a private school in Yamuna Vihar, northeast Delhi, has been arrested for allegedly molesting an 11-year-old Class 6 student, an official said on Saturday. The incident was reported on Friday by the victim herself. According to police, the Class 6 student on Friday told police that the accused had molested her in the school. Following this, Rajeev, who is a resident of Ghaziabad's Loni, was arrested on the same day. He had been working in the school for the past five years. "A case has been registered against him under relevant sections of the IPC and POCSO Act at Bhajanpura police station," said a senior police official. Kolkata, April 29 : After his 'mysterious' trip to New Delhi on April 17, veteran Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy, who is officially still a BJP legislator as per the records of the West Bengal Assembly, returned to Kolkata on Saturday and claimed to be with the saffron camp. However, when mediapersons asked if his intention to meet the top BJP leadership in the national capital was successful, Roy remained quite vague. "No one avoided me. I could meet all I intended to," Roy said. However, during his 12-day stay in Delhi, not a single information came about Roy meeting even medium-level BJP leaders there. He was also vague about his son and former Trinamool legislator Subhrangshu Roy filing a missing diary soon after his trip to Delhi on April 17. "Probably, there was a misunderstanding with my son. I will speak to him after I return home," Roy said. Roy, however, denied his son's allegation that he was mentally unfit. "I am perfectly all right and do not have any problem," Roy said. Soon after his trip to Delhi, Subhrangshu Roy had claimed that although he would not say his father is lunatic, but surely, he was not in the right frame of mind. Once the most trusted lieutenant of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and also the national general secretary of the Trinamool, Roy joined the BJP in 2017. He became the national vice-president of the saffron party and successfully contested the 2021 Assembly elections from Krishnanagar (North) in Nadia district. His son too joined the BJP and unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections in 2021. However, on June 11, 2021, Roy rejoined Trinamool along with his son, though he officially continued to be a BJP legislator, as per Assembly records. Kolkata, April 29 : The judge of a special CBI court here on Saturday set a 21-day deadline for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to show the progress it made in its probe into the alleged multi-crore recruitment scam in West Bengal. The judge was especially critical of the CBI for not arresting the government employees named as beneficiaries in the alleged recruitment scam yet. "Barring two cases, the progress of the probe in the other related cases is extremely demoralising. Is this a civil matter? How long will you be able to keep the accused behind bars in the name of investigation process? Take some concrete steps," the judge told the CBI counsel. When the CBI counsel said that there is evidence of involvement of government officials in the alleged scan, the judge asked why the central agency is yet to question them after taking them into custody. "You are yet to reveal who received money from the accused persons such as Kuntal Ghosh and Tapas Mondal. A scam of such a nature could not have been possible without the involvement of government officials. Please complete the circle. Show your progress in the investigation in the next 21 days," the judge told the CBI counsel. Eva Green departs the Rolls Building, where she is suing production company White Lantern Films, over payment for a shuttered British film project. Eva Green was awarded $1 million Friday by a British court in a sensational dispute over the collapse of a film project she feared was destined to become a B movie that could ruin her career. The film in question was a sci-fi thriller but the case played out in court like a melodrama. The producers of A Patriot portrayed the French actor as a diva. She had called one of the executive producers a devious sociopath and pure vomit and said the production manager was a moron. A High Court judge cut through the vitriol that he said threatened to complicate the case and deemed it relatively straightforward, awarding Green the fee she had been promised for the production that folded in 2019. Green, 42, who played Vesper Lynd in the 2006 version of the James Bond thriller Casino Royale, said her professional reputation had been upheld after she stood up to a small group of rich men who employed bully-boy tactics to use her as a scapegoat for their own failures. Her lengthy statement, however, exposed her fragility in the face of criticism and the hurt she felt from what she claimed was misreporting in the press that has been more painful than I can say. There are few things the media enjoys more than tearing a woman to pieces, Green said. It felt like being set upon by hounds; I found myself misrepresented, quoted out of context and my desire to make the best possible film was made to look like female hysteria. It was cruel and it was untrue. Justice Michael Green dismissed a countersuit brought by England-based film production company White Lantern Film that had said the actor made excessive creative and financial demands and torpedoed the production. The judge said Green hadnt renounced or breached her obligations and was entitled to her 810,000-pound fee. White Lantern Film said Greens claim of gender-based bullying was completely unwarranted. Eva Green filed a lawsuit to be paid $1 million for a film which was not made and for which she did not provide any acting services, it said in a statement with fellow litigant SMC Specialty Finance. The firms said they were carefully considering our options as to potential next steps, including appeal. Green said she fell in love with the script for A Patriot and its environmental message, but became increasingly concerned as corners were cut and production was moved from Ireland to England. When an actor has appeared in a B movie, they are labeled as a B actor, you never get offered quality work ever again, she testified. During the trial, the court was told that Green used an expletive when describing potential crew members as peasants. She had said executive producer Jake Seal was evil a devious sociopath and a madman, and dubbed production manager Terry Bird a moron. She downplayed her biting words as her Frenchness, which the judge dismissed as inadequate and not credible. While Justice Green found in favor of Eva Green, he gave poor reviews to both sides in his 71-page ruling. For such a perfectionist in her art, she was surprisingly under-prepared for her evidence, he wrote, calling the actor in some senses a frustrating and unsatisfactory witness. The judge said that the unpleasant things that Green said about Seal were out of a genuine concern that the film wouldnt do the script justice, and he didnt altogether disagree with her criticism. I have to say that, having heard him give evidence, I can see how it might be possible to take an instant dislike to him, the judge wrote. He was at times patronizing, sarcastic and denigrating. I found him to have an innate aggression and can understand why Ms. Green and others might have been displeased to be told that they had to make the film under his full control. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Bengaluru, April 29 : Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday held a meeting with former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar -- who has switched to the grand old party from the BJP, and other senior party leaders at Dharwad in Karnataka. The meeting, held at a hotel, was also attended by prominent leaders of the Lingayat community. During the meeting, Priyanka Gandhi gave a call to ensure Shettar's victory. He will contest the May 10 Assembly election from Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency. Notably, Union Home Minister and former BJP president Amit Shah has recently held a series of meetings. The saffron party has deputed its veteran member and former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa to ensure Shettar's defeat on his home turf "to send a strong message to the defectors". A source said that Congress has organised the meeting as the BJP is "trying to draw in Congress leaders to its fold in Dharwad and Hubballi". Thousands of people participated in the roadshow of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra later in Kundagol. Addressing the crowd, she said "if the Congress is voted to power, the life of people would reform". "During the regime of BJP, the woes of people were only aggravated," she said. "The party has given guarantee cards to every house in Karnataka. We have assured that women heads of families would get Rs 2,000. The schemes such as Anna Bhagya and Ksheera Bhagya would be implemented. Women will get free travel facilities. We will fulfill all assurances," she said. The vote should be given to the future of the state. The price rise has affected people. This election will shape the future of young children, she said. Priyanka Gandhi would address public meetings in Khanapur on Sunday. She is also scheduled to hold a public meeting at Jamakhandi in Bagalkot district as well as in north Karnataka. Chennai, April 29 : AIADMK general secretary and Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) on Saturday criticised the M.K. Stalin-led government over the installation of an automatic liquor vending machine at a shopping mall here. "The automatic liquor vending machines will corrupt the youngsters of the state," he said after the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) introduced one such machine at a mall. Tasmac has announced that more liquor vending machines would be installed in the days to come. "The DMK government in the last two years, instead of working for the welfare of the people, has been working to spoil the future of the youth of the state. I have pointed out several times in the forum and through the media that murder, robbery and violence are increasing due to the ruling party," he said in a tweet. He further said, "While there is a growing voice that liquor should not be sold to those below 21 years of age at Tasmace retail outlets, it is strongly condemnable that the DMK has started selling liquor through automated vending machines." The former Chief Minister said that an automatic vending machine was introduced in Chennai on Friday, and more than 800 machines are to be installed across the state. "It has caused great shock among the public," he said. The AIADMK leader said that the DMK government and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin were involved in such activities with only the consideration of revenue and without any consideration of the people. The AIADMK leader called upon the Tamil Nadu government to immediately withdraw the plan to sell liquor through automatic vending machines. Shimla, April 29 : The use of technology in the judicial system can ensure transparency, productivity and efficiency, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu said on Saturday while addressing nearly 160 judges of various courts, comprising the Supreme Court. Inaugurating the North Zone-II Regional Conference on 'Contemporary Judicial Development and Strengthening Justice through Law and Technology' here, he highlighted the importance of technology in making the lives of the common people easier in every field, including the judiciary. The Chief Minister emphasised the need to view technology as an ally in bringing about change and strengthening the judicial system. "With the inclusion of modern technology, the functioning of the judiciary has accelerated, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, virtual hearings had proved a boon for all, which saved both money and time of the people," said the Chief Minister. He said a reliable and speedy judicial system is essential for a healthy and self-confident society, as well as for the development of the country, and when justice is seen being served, the faith of the common person in the constitutional institutions gets strengthened and continuous improvement of law and order becomes possible. The delay in justice is one of the biggest challenges being faced by the country and the judiciary is seriously working to solve this problem, said the Chief Minister. The alternative dispute redressal option is a means of resolving disputes and preparing legal education in line with technology should be an important goal for all those associated with this profession, he said. Sukhu hoped that the conference would go a long way in deriving new ideas and pave the way for legal reforms in the country, thereby providing justice to the people of the country at the earliest. The Constitution unites us all as "We the People", with its aims and objectives forming the fundamental features of the democracy. "It is the foundation of our democracy, and it is supported by three pillars. These pillars must operate within their own domains which would ultimately bring prosperity, transparency and harmony in the society," he added. Sukhu said he himself was a law student and has a keen interest in the subject. He stated "our state has contributed four judges to the Supreme Court. which is a matter of great pride for all of us". Earlier, acting Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, welcomed the guests and said the judiciary being an important pillar of the state plays a vital role in shaping and interpreting the Constitution. He said the conference is focused on deliberations on the development of technology, including artificial intelligence, crypto-currency, information and communication technology in courts. National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, Director Justice A.P. Sahi, judges of Supreme Court, Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Aniruddha Bose also spoke on the occasion, while Justice Vivek Singh Thakur presented the vote of thanks. The two-day conference is being attended by approximately 160 Judges of the Supreme Court, High Courts and subordinate courts of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. It was organised by the Himachal Pradesh High Court in collaboration with the National Judicial Academy of Bhopal. OIL signs pact with AGCL to supply piped natural for cooking, running vehicles in Assam, Tripura Image Source: IANS News OIL signs pact with AGCL to supply piped natural for cooking, running vehicles in Assam, Tripura Image Source: IANS News OIL signs pact with AGCL to supply piped natural for cooking, running vehicles in Assam, Tripura Image Source: IANS News OIL signs pact with AGCL to supply piped natural for cooking, running vehicles in Assam, Tripura Image Source: IANS News Guwahati, April 29 : The Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL) and Central government-owned Oil India Limited (OIL) on Saturday signed an agreement to establish a Joint-Venture Private Limited Company (JVPLC) to lay, build and operate city natural gas distribution networks in parts of Assam and Tripura. In the JVPLC, the Assam government-owned AGCL will have 51 per cent equity with OIL retaining the remaining 49 per cent share. It would focus on building local natural gas grids and providing piped natural gas to domestic and commercial establishments for cooking purposes in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Darrang, Udalguri, Sonitpur and Biswanath Chariali, and a few districts of Tripura for the time being. According to the agreement, signed at a ceremony held at Janata Bhawan in Dispur, the JV company would also set-up numerous Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations to provide gas to CNG-operated vehicles. Speaking at the event, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma exuded confidence that the signing of the agreement between AGCL and OIL would provide a major thrust to the ongoing process of industrial development in the state. The new JV company, with an authorised share capital of Rs 500 crore and initial paid-up capital of Rs 100 crore, would prove to be a milestone in the strengthening of the state's economy in days to come, he said. The Assam Chief Minister further expressed hope that the JV company would aid in the state's endeavour to make a transition towards a greener fuel-based economy, in sync with the government's Northeast Hydrocarbon Vision-2030. Highlighting the contribution of the OIL to the economic growth of Assam for the past many decades, the Chief Minister lauded the OIL management for reinvesting a part of its earnings in Assam and other parts of the northeast through initiatives such as the agreement signed on Saturday. Sarma also praised OIL for its foray into novel energy territories such as solar energy production, among others. Assam Industries Minister Bimal Bora, Public Health Engineering Departmental Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, Chairman of AGCL Bolin Chetia, Chairman and Managing Director of OIL Ranjit Rath, among others were present at the agreement signing ceremony. Jammu, April 29 : Two Pakistani nationals were apprehended along the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K's Poonch district on Saturday. "Two intruders, Abdul Hamid and his son Abbas, from Polas village in the Pakistan occupied part of J&K were apprehended in Gulpur sector along the LoC in Poonch after they crossed over to the Indian side. Their questioning is going on to find out whether they strayed into the Indian side inadvertently, or had crossed over intentionally," officials said. Agartala, April 29 : Tripura government has set up a Special Task Force (STF) to deal with organised criminal groups, crime syndicates, and extortion gangs in the state, Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Saturday. Saha, who also holds the home portfolio, said in his social media posts that the STF headed by the Superintendent of Police (Economic Offences) will have statewide jurisdiction. "The STF has been formed with the objective of taking focused action against organised criminal groups, criminal syndicates, extortion gangs and similar such crimes," the Chief Minister said. On Wednesday, Saha had held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi wherein they discussed various affairs of Tripura. A source close to the Chief Minister said that Shah asked Saha to take strict action against drugs menace and organised crimes in the state. Earlier this week, the Tripura government had set up the first ever Crime Branch Police Station (CBPS) in the state to investigate cases on economic offences, serious crimes, and narcotics-related offences. The CBPS has jurisdiction all over the state. After getting approval from the competent authority, the CBPS will conduct inquiries into economic offences, serious crimes and offences under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Bengaluru, April 29 : Hitting out at the Congress and its leaders for criticising the BJP in Karnataka over the reservation issue, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said the people will teach a lesson to the grand old party in the May 10 Assembly elections. "The Congress leaders say those who avail of the reservation facilities are beggars. Are the SC, ST, OBC, and Lingayats beggars? The people will teach a lesson to the Congress," Bommai said at a rally. Speaking at a roadshow while campaigning for BJP candidate M.S. Somalingappa in Siraguppa on Saturday, Bommai said Somalingappa has developed the constituency, adding he also wished to develop his constituency on the lines of Siraguppa. "Among the development works included a college and Kanaka Bhavana. All this happened due to the BJP government. As many as 54 lakh farmers have benefited from the Kisan Sanman scheme, thanks to the double-engine government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Around 1.5 crore people have got the Ayushman card, 13 lakh houses have been constructed and 40 lakh houses have got drinking water connections," Bommai said. "After I became the Chief Minister, the 'Vidyanidhi' scheme was implemented to help the children of farmers, fishermen, and agricultural laborers. For youth and women, the government implemented Swami Vivekananda Yuva Shakti and Stree Samarthya schemes, respectively. In the name of social justice, the Congress party would keep the Dalits in the wells, get them voted for the Congress in the election, and again keep them in the same place. "I took a bold step to hike the quota for SC/ST thanks to the inspiration from Buddha, Basavanna, Valmiki, Kanakadasa, and our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Let the Congress stop us if they have the guts," he added. Patna, April 29 : Patna Police have cracked the gruesome murder of a two-and-a-half-month-old girl, who was found dead inside a plastic container of ghee on April 26, by arresting her father on Saturday. The accused, Bharat Yadav, has confessed to his crime during interrogation by the police. The police said that Yadav ran a small tea stall in Kajipur under the Kadam Kuan police station. Her daughter had a hole in her heart. Yadav had sold all his valuables, including gold ornaments of his wife, for his daughter's treatment, but her health condition did not improve. "On April 26, he decided to kill his daughter. The accused's daughter and his monor son were sleeping on the bed when his wife went to the washroom for a bath. Yadav saw the opportunity and strangled his daughter to death. He then put the body of the infant in a plastic container and fled from the spot," said an official spokesperson of Patna Police. "When his wife Kajal Devi came out of the washroom, she found her daughter missing. She raised an alarm and contacted her neighbours. She also called her husband and told him to come home immediately. The accused behaved as if he did not know anything. He also started searching for his daughter. Kajal then forced her husband to contact the local police. When the police searched the house, they found the body of the infant inside a container," the spokesperson said. "The police suspected the hand of some family member behind the incuident. Yadav and his wife were called to the police station for questioning on Friday. After the day-long interrogation, the police sent Kajal home, but detained Yadav. The accused later broke down and revealed how he murdered his daughter. "Yadav had planned to dispose of the body without his wife knowing anything about it, but her insistence to call the police ruined his plans," he said. Mumbai, April 29 : In a shocking incident, a 30-year-old woman was shot dead by a neighbour after a heated quarrel among two women, a police officer said here late on Saturday. The victim has been identified as Farzana Irfan Sheikh (30), and the incident took place in the Indira Nagar Mandal area in Mankhurd suburb, confirmed DCP Hemraj Rajput. The matter came to light after a caller tipped off the PCR at around 7.15 p.m. about a gunfire in the area, following which a team from the Mankhurd police station reached the spot. However, the area was almost deserted as the scared locals had scurried to hide in their homes. The police found the victim's body lying there in a pool of blood with a bullet injury on her chest. Farzana's father, Mohammed Choudhary, who also reached the spot, later lodged a police complaint. An official said that a huge fight broke out between the women of two neighbouring families for some unknown reasons. The husband and son of one of them whipped out a pistol and allegedly fired at Farzana before fleeing from the spot. The police said that they have sent out teams to nab the absconding duo. Tehran, April 30 : Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will pay a visit to Syria, a senior Iranian official confirmed. During Raisi's visit to Syria, the Iran-led Resistance Front's victory against the US in West Asia following a "tense period of geopolitical change" will be celebrated, tweeted Mohammad Jamshidi, deputy chief of staff for political affairs to the Iranian President, on Saturday. According to an earlier report from the Syrian newspaper Al-Watan, the Iranian President will pay a two-day visit to Damascus on Wednesday. It is the first official visit to Syria by an Iranian President since 2010, Xinhua news agency reported. Raisi is expected to hold talks with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad on ways to strengthen bilateral strategic cooperation, particularly in the field of economy. 'Death of Hypatia', by Alexis Clerc, from the late 19th century. Bridgeman Images (AGE FOTOSTOCK) Sometimes death is a symbol that survives the test of time. Hundreds of years after her assassination at the behest of Bishop Cyril, Hypatia a Renaissance-style intellectual who defended the separation of church and state lives on, associated with the struggle for freedom. Voltaire, Edward Gibbon and Bertrand Russell all mentioned Hypatia in their work. Documentaries and films, such as Agora, by Alejandro Amenabar, have been made about her life. In his hugely popular television series Cosmos, Carl Sagan described Hypatias death like this: In the year 415, on her way to work she was set upon by a fanatical mob of Cyrils parishioners. They dragged her from her chariot, tore off her clothes, and, armed with abalone shells, flayed her flesh from her bones. Her remains were burned, her works obliterated, her name forgotten. The years go by, but the memory of the Alexandrian woman returns again and again. She is a kind of ancient pop star who adapts to each era and survives the passage of the centuries. Currently underway is Hypatia I, a two-week mission led by Catalan scientists at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, where they have tested, among other things, a communications protocol with Earth. Every March 15, Hypatia Day is celebrated to promote female scientific research. The rapper Gata Cattana who sang that I dont wear perfumes by Nina Ricci, Im more into books by Silvia Federici named Hypatia as one of the many daughters of Eve looking for a light. And many more continue to remember her: at the end of 2022, the novel Hypatia, by Charles Kingsley (Legare Street Press), was republished. Is there anyone today who, like Hypatia, is willing to die to defend their ideas? Philosophers live on the edge of the abyss, because most people look for answers in religion, not philosophy, essayist Costica Bradatan, author of the book Dying for Ideas: The Dangerous Lives of the Philosophers, reflects. For the Romanian author, the Alexandrian thinker had a near-religious dedication to philosophy. Her assassination like the death of Socrates represents the birth and consolidation of philosophy, a kind of foundation based on sacrificial acts. They are violent deaths of a public nature, which have a certain connection with the idea of martyrs, he said in a telephone conversation. Bradatan describes death as a metaphysical scandal. He includes in his book a reflection by Pasolini, who describes death as the editor that gives our life meaning. If this is so, the death of Hypatia Neoplatonic philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, and teacher, who later became a symbol of the Enlightenment, Romanticism, Protestantism, scientism and feminism represents the struggle of reason against fanaticism, a combat for which she gave his life. A free thinker Hypatia knew that her open philosophical position, in the face of the growing Christian influence, could be a danger. She was very aware of the possibility of murder, but she was also very brave. She was capable of doing whatever was necessary in the name of her principles, says Silvia Ronchey, one of the leading experts on the Alexandrian thinker. For this Italian researcher, Hypatias was not a religious death, but a political one. She died for freedom of thought, for standing up to fundamentalism. It was her moderate position that got her assassinated. Its instigator was Bishop Cyril. Although Catholic historiography claims Hypatia died in a street riot, Ronchey contradicts that account: It was not a matter of pagans against Christians. Hypatia had many Christian students and was not a pagan radical, she explains. But Hypatia defended the separation of powers between church and state, while the bishop wanted to concentrate all political power. After Hypatias death, intellectuals and philosophers fled in the city to Athens in search of safety. Beyond the historical context, the confrontation between doubt and dogma, between open-mindedness and fanaticism, is an archetypal drama. It continues to be an eternal conflict, which has not yet ended, for which many risk their lives, as we can see in Ukraine or what happens with women in Iran, the expert says. For this reason, Hipatia is a very contemporary figure, a kind of champion for people who suffer all kinds of injustices. A public threat? Clelia Martinez Maza, professor of Ancient History at the University of Malaga, highlights Hypatias leading role in the intellectual and political scene of the moment, a role then forbidden to women, including those of the elite or the aristocracy. Her life and his behavior was something very strange, observed with suspicion, as if it were a public threat, explains Martinez, emphasizing that at that time women did not have any kind of independence. There could be women who were more educated than others, but their fate was to take good care of the home, the children and the husband. Hypatia was a woman who spoke and gave her opinion in a world of men. She was also an excellent teacher, publicly recognized despite living in a patriarchal structure, but structures that allow a certain freedom of action are one thing, and challenging them is another, Martinez says. Hypatia was also an important intermediary figure between Jews, Christians and pagans. She embodied the spirit of consensus. It is clear that Hypatia lived in a particularly eventful era, during the decline of the Roman Empire and its internal struggles. At the time, Alexandria was the great Mediterranean metropolis, a place of pilgrimage for philosophers and thinkers of the world. The polis resembled the Athens of the fifth century B.C., where politicians visited influential philosophers to receive advice on matters of state. But starting from the year 400 A.C., Alexandria became an increasingly divided place. The new order ordered for pagan temples to be converted into churches or destroyed. These tensions were exemplified in the relationship between the pagan prefect Orestes and the Christian archbishop Cyril. While the former remained faithful to his paganism and cultivated a close relationship with Hypatia, Cyril wanted to erase all shadows of paganism from the city. He blamed the philosopher for the prefects refusal to submit to the true faith. It was in that volatile context that Hypatia was murdered. In dogmatic times, she was a dangerous enemy. But, paradoxically, she ended up winning: her trail of freedom is still alive. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Maidan Shar : , April 30 (IANS) Three children were killed and two others injured as a mortar mine, left over from past wars, went off in Afghanistan's eastern Wardak province, said a statement of provincial government released here. A group of children was playing with the toy-like device in Sayedabad district on Friday when it suddenly exploded, killing three children on the spot and injuring two others, one in critical condition, the statement added on Saturday. A similar blast killed three children in Afghanistan's eastern Logar province last week, Xinhua news agency reported. Afghanistan reportedly is one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world as dozens of people, mostly children, are killed and maimed every month due to blasts of unexploded devices left over from the past four decades of wars and civil conflicts. Dar Es Salaam, April 30 : Tanzanian health authorities have said that an 18-month-old child has died of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in the northwestern region of Kagera. The death of the child brought to six the number of patients killed by the disease since its outbreak in the region on March 21, 2023. It was announced in a statement by Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu when she released an update on the disease. The Minister said the child belonged to a woman who had been diagnosed with the disease and was undergoing treatment in an isolation centre, Xinhua news agency reported. Mwalimu added that since the disease outbreak on March 21, nine cases have been reported, of which three patients recovered and six, including the child and a health worker, died. She said 211 of the 212 people who were put under isolation were released after being monitored for 21 days and found not to be affected by the disease. She added that the government was observing guidelines by the WHO on monitoring epidemics, including the MVD. She said the government will announce total control of the disease after 42 days since the last suspected patient tested negative as per WHO guidelines, adding that the date will be May 31, 2023. Mwalimu thanked people who were involved in controlling the MVD outbreak, including health workers, case management teams, contact tracing teams, and dignified burial teams. She urged health workers across the East African nation to observe infection prevention and control guidelines. Tehran, April 30 : Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said the expansion of cooperation between Iran and Iraq and the implementation of previously signed bilateral agreements serve the common interests of both sides, according to state media. He made the remarks in a meeting with visiting Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, also attended by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, in Tehran, said official news agency IRNA on Saturday. The top leader stressed that Iraq's progress and prosperity are very important to Iran, adding that Iran will stand by Iraq and wish to see it make further progress, Xinhua news agency reported. He added that the "unity" between the two countries cannot be affected by external political factors, calling for joint efforts to protect and further the bilateral ties. The Iraqi President, for his part, said the relations between Tehran and Baghdad are continuous and strong and the bilateral cooperations are carried out in diversified dimensions and different sectors. Earlier in the day, Raisi said at a joint press conference that Tehran and Baghdad are determined to further develop the bilateral relations after meeting with Iraqi high-ranking delegations led by Rashid. The Iranian President said relations between Tehran and Baghdad are "strategic," noting that the two countries can further increase their current more than $10 billion dollar annual trade volume. He confirmed that the bilateral cooperation in sectors of infrastructure, water, electricity, gas, and energy will be strengthened. Raisi slammed that the presence of foreign troops, particularly Americans in Iraq, only compromises regional security, adding the US seeks solely its own interests. The Iranian President expressed hope that Rashid's visit would be a turning point in efforts to further develop bilateral ties. For his part, the Iraqi President called for greater cooperation with Iran in the field of fighting narcotics trade. Rashid also congratulated Iran on the rapprochement between Tehran and Riyadh, noting that the step will contribute to improving regional security. A home inspection is one of the most important steps in the home buying process, said Adam Bakonis, Mercury Insurance product manager for homeowners. It helps protect the buyer from purchasing a home with undisclosed problems and then being saddled with costly repairs. When many buyers purchased homes during the height of the pandemic homebuying frenzy, they may have skipped adding a home inspection in an effort to win bidding wars. While this may have worked out for some, others were hit with hidden problems and expenses that would have been discovered through a proper home inspection. A thorough inspection can reveal hidden issues with a property, allowing you to make an informed decision about whether to proceed with the purchase or negotiate repairs. A home inspection is one of the most important steps in the home buying process, said Adam Bakonis, Mercury Insurance product manager for homeowners. It helps protect the buyer from purchasing a home with undisclosed problems and then being saddled with costly repairs. Licensed home inspectors can help identify potential problems. For example, a home inspector may be able to identify whether a roof requires repair or replacement. They may also find evidence of structural damage from water leaks or rain water drainage issues or evidence of land movement that could indicate a property's foundation lacks stability. Ive inspected and repaired thousands of buildings that had damages due to earthquakes, landslides, poor engineering designs, and collapse issues from construction defects, said Kyle Tourje, Structural Assessor for Alpha Structural. The most obvious signs of structural or foundation damage is visible cracking in walls, ceilings or floors. Any sort of gaps or cracks on the outside of the house that catches the eye should also be noted. If someone who isnt a trained expert can spot an uneven floor or substantial sloping, thats a bad sign. Researching and creating a home inspection checklist before contacting an inspector will give you a general idea of what to look for. It can help identify significant issues and areas of concern in the house, which you can then discuss with the assessor. This can prepare you for any surprises that may arise and make you more informed about the condition of the home you are considering. Inspect the roof: Find out how old the roof is and ask questions about any damage or discoloration you see from ground level. Check to see if any nearby trees make contact with the roof as branches can cause damage to roofing tiles and falling leaves can easily clog gutters or impede the natural flow of water down the roof. Look for water damage: Water can rot wood, damage foundations and cause mold to grow. Look to see if anything would cause rainwater to flow onto or under the house. Rain gutters should be clean and direct water away from the property. Water stains on ceilings, walls or floors could indicate a roof or pipe leak. Check for leaks or water stains inside sink cabinets and make sure they drain properly. Bubbling paint on a window frame could be evidence of water intrusion and a poor seal. Foundation: Problems with the foundation could prove costly. Watch out for big cracks in the ground, raised foundation or large cracks along the wall. Pay attention to any trees growing close to the house since roots underground can cause damage that you can't easily see. Smart technology: Confirm that any smart home devices left behind by the previous owner including thermostats, security measures and voice-activated systems can be easily cleared and reset for your needs. Note the age of the home: Older houses can be charming, but you might need to upgrade certain features. Original plumbing may need replacement and older windows may not be energy efficient. Wiring that has not been modernized could pose a fire hazard and may not be able to accommodate the multiple appliances and systems used in many homes today. Tips for home inspection day Bakonis offers some tips to get the most out of your home inspection: Be there. You don't have to go to the inspection, but it is highly advised that you do so you can see any potential problems for yourself. Be prepared. Bring an inspection checklist and jot down questions to ask the inspector. Check for disclosures. Review any seller disclosures you received before inspection day. Be sure to ask your inspector to look at those areas and verify repairs. Let the inspector work. While you may have concerns, avoid unnecessary interruptions during the inspection process. Make sure there's time to ask questions. Set aside some time with your assessor after their initial inspection to go over any questions you may have. The home inspection process is a crucial step for both buyers and sellers. It provides buyers with peace of mind, knowing that their investment is sound and free of any major issues. For sellers, it can help prevent a deal falling through by being proactive and identifying problems that may require repair. About Mercury Insurance Mercury Insurance (NYSE: MCY) is a multiple-line insurance carrier predominantly offering personal auto, homeowners and renters insurance through a network of independent agents in Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia, as well as auto insurance in Florida. Mercury writes other lines of insurance in various states, including commercial, business owners and business auto, landlord, home-sharing, ride-hailing and mechanical protection insurance. Since 1962, Mercury has provided customers with tremendous value for their insurance dollar by pairing ultracompetitive rates with excellent customer service. Mercury has earned "A" ratings from A.M. Best and Fitch, as well as "Best Auto Insurance Company" designations from Forbes and Insure.com. For more information visit http://www.MercuryInsurance.com or follow the company on Twitter or Facebook. ### Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP expanded its Corporate Practice with the addition of Matthew S. Davis as of counsel in its Charlotte office. Davis joins from Barings LLC, a global investment management firm, where he served as a director and assistant general counsel. Davis practice at Greenberg Traurig will focus primarily on advising public and privately held companies on mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions, along with providing advice and guidance on general corporate matters, leveraging the experience he gained during his time at Barings working directly with business principals on a variety of complex matters. Coming from an in-house role, Matthew understands the needs of our clients from their point of view and can offer a holistic approach to provide them with the highest level of service, said Brian J. Bailey, managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurigs Charlotte office. Our corporate capabilities will be enhanced by Matthews experience, particularly his ability to coordinate among inside and outside counsel and investment team members. Davis also has broad experience both in-house and in private practice assisting private equity clients and their portfolio companies in various matters related to acquisitions, divestitures, organizational structure and governance, and commercial contracts. I am excited to return to private practice at Greenberg Traurig and look forward to the opportunity to utilize the firms global reach and vast resources to grow my practice across clients and industries, Davis said. Greenberg Traurig has a reputation for providing exceptional, client-focused legal services and that tradition is one I will be proud to continue. Davis received his J.D. from The University of Chicago Law School and his B.A. in political science from Clemson University. He is admitted to practice in North Carolina and Illinois. Prior to practicing law, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps and received a Purple Heart for his service in Operation Iraqi Freedom II. About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2650 attorneys in 45 locations in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm is a 2022 BTI Highly Recommended Law Firm for superior client service and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law Global 100 and NLJ 250. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab. The firm is recognized for powering its U.S. offices with 100% renewable energy as certified by the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e Energy program and is a member of the U.S. EPAs Green Power Partnership Program. The firm is known for its philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com. Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Summit Medical Staffing LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. The San Francisco employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action complaint alleging that Summit Medical Staffing LLC violated the California Labor Code. The Summit Medical Staffing LLC class action lawsuit, Case No. 23CV001149, is currently pending in the Monterey County Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here. According to the lawsuit filed, Summit Medical Staffing LLC allegedly (a) failed to pay minimum wages, (b) failed to pay overtime wages, (c) failed to provide legally required meal and rest periods, (d) failed to provide accurate itemized wage statements, (e) failed to reimburse employees for required expenses, (f) failed to pay sick pay wages, and (g) failed to provide wages when due, all in violation of the applicable Labor Code sections listed in California Labor Code Sections 201-204, 226, 226.7, 233, 246, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 2802, and the applicable Wage Order(s), and thereby gives rise to civil penalties as a result of such alleged conduct. Additionally, Summit Medical Staffing LLC allegedly failed to reimburse employees for required business expenses. California Labor Code 2802 expressly states that "an employer shall indemnify his or her employee for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties..." During employment, Plaintiff and other California Class Members were allegedly required to use their personal cellular phones as a result of and in furtherance of their job duties. For more information about the class action lawsuit against Summit Medical Staffing LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is an employment law firm with offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside and Chicago that dedicates its practice to helping employees, investors and consumers fight back against unfair business practices, including violations of the California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you need help in collecting unpaid overtime wages, unpaid commissions, being wrongfully terminated from work, and other employment law claims, contact one of their attorneys today. ***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT*** The North Valley has thousands of dual-home residents who leave the state for the warmer months, some leaving behind full pantries and many who spring clean before the summer, which is why we wanted to capitalize on this opportunity to provide a win-win solution. Foothills Food Bank and Resource Center invites the community to participate in their Purge Your Pantry'' food drive by donating their pantry items before leaving Phoenix for the summer, or simply spring cleaning. The goal is to collect 35,000 pounds of food and hygiene products in celebration of the Foothills Food Banks 35th anniversary. The Board of Directors aims to achieve this goal within the month of May, breaking all single-event collection records. The food bank encourages people to donate any unopened food that is not past its expiration date, along with any cleaning supplies or personal hygiene items. Collection bins and trucks will be placed throughout the community from May 8-19. Were excited to announce a stretch goal that will keep our shelves stocked through the summer, said Leigh Zydonik, Executive Director of Foothills Food Bank and Resource Center. The North Valley has thousands of dual-home residents who leave the state for the warmer months, some leaving behind full pantries and many who spring clean before the summer, which is why we wanted to capitalize on this opportunity to provide a win-win solution. The food drive aims to raise awareness within the food banks service area, considered a food desert. To make the donation process convenient for the community, collection vans will be stationed at various locations in the community, including Anthem Community Council -3701 W Anthem Way, Anthem -Monday, May 8, Noon-2pm -Thursday, May 11, Noon-2pm -Tuesday, May 16, Noon-2pm Foothills Food Bank Warehouse -6038 E. Hidden Valley Drive, Cave Creek -Monday-Friday, May 8-12 & May 15-19 8am-2pm and -Thursdays May 11 & 18, 5:30pm 7pm Foothills Food Bank Pantry -34550 Black Canyon Hwy, Black Canyon City -Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday May 9-11 -Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday May 26-28 -11am 1pm Community Partners will host donation bins at -USPS Cave Creek, 38400 N School House Rd, Cave Creek -Tech4Life, 748 Easy St Suite #10, Carefree -Horny Toad Restaurant, 6738 E Cave Creek Rd, Cave Creek -Desert Foothills Library, 38443 N School House Rd, Cave Creek -Farmers Insurance (Stephanie Schaffroth), 34225 N 27th Dr STE 112, Carefree Hwy & 27th Drive (May 3-May 10). All collection locations, dates and times can be found on the Foothills Food Bank website for easy reference. Individuals who cant physically donate food can join their virtual food drive and shop their grocery list online, at http://www.foothillsfoodbank.com/events. The Foothills Food Bank recently announced plans to break ground this summer on a $6.5 million campus to serve more neighbors within the service area. The food bank has met half their financial goal, purely from the generosity of the community. This food drive is the beginning of their efforts to spread the word of the food banks mission and future plans to better serve the needs of the community. About Foothills Food Bank Founded in 1988, the Foothills Food Bank and Resource Center provides food for neighbors experiencing food insecurity as well as resources and guidance to obtain services available in North Maricopa and Southern Yavapai counties. The food bank and warehouse is located at 6038 E. Hidden Valley Drive and can be reached at 480.488.1145. Pantries are also available in Black Canyon City and New River, with mobile markets within the service area. For more information, visit FoothillsFoodBank.com Michelle Obama and Kate Capshaw, Steven Spielbergs wife, joined Bruce Springsteen on stage to provide backup vocals for the hit Glory Days as the 73-year-old rock legend performed before an Olympic Stadium packed with close to 56,000 adoring fans on Friday night. Obama, who also played a headless tambourine, and Capshaw sang alongside Patti Scialfa, a member of the E Street Band and married to Springsteen. The concert is part of a new world tour six years after The Boss held his last concert of The River Tour in Australia. Springsteen did not stray from the script that his devoted fans had been expecting, including his jeans, black shirt and wristbands. He greeted the crowd with a Hello Barcelona, hello Catalunya! and launched into No Surrender. Springsteen, who had not played in the Catalan capital since 2016, gave fans nearly three hours of music that included his classic hits. Bruce Springsteen concert in Barcelona on March 28. Albert Garcia On the huge stage, which featured three screens, the rocker and his E Street Band broke loose with an impressive version of Kittys Back, a prelude to Nightshift and Human Touch. Springsteens tenacity remains the same. At the age of 73, despite a voice that sounds a bit eroded, he is like a rock proudly withstanding the crashing sea waves, showing off its marks as a sign of a life fully lived. Only he can manage the feat of getting an upscale restaurant to open up for him at midnight, like he did the other day with his friends, yet still look like an ordinary guy, like one of us. Spectators crowded the Olympic Stadium of Montjuic as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed on Friday, April 28, 2023, at in Barcelona, Spain. Emilio Morenatti (APN) It was a triumphant concert, one more for the Boss, who gave the crowd generational hymns such as Born in the USA, Wrecking Ball, Bobby Jean, The Rising, Badlands, Born To Run, Dancing In The Dark, Born In The USA and, of course, Glory Days. The concert ended with Ill See You In My Dreams. When Ian Fleming wrote his first story about a womanizing, highly skilled British secret agent in 1952, he wanted the most boring name (his own words) he could find. He looked around and remembered a book he had used to identify the birds that flew over his mansion in Jamaica: Birds of the West Indies, by ornithologist James Bond. Without consulting the investigator, he gave his name to his agent 007 and forever changed his life; his, and that of his thousands of namesakes, to which the documentary The Other Fellow (2022) is dedicated. In it, director Matthew Bauer follows for 10 years some of those real James Bonds, men who live as best as they can under the shadow of a sexist, petulant and adventurous legacy. The Other Fellow, available on the streaming platform Filmin, was filmed between the releases of Skyfall (2012) and No Time to Die (2021). According to official figures, there are 75,249 people in the United States with the surname Bond, and the most common first name among them is James (2.89%, or 2,242 James Bonds). Bauer contacted hundreds of them. What in the 1970s and 1980s was little more than an opportunity for an innocent quip, today, in the digital age, can sometimes be hell on Earth; even more so when a new film comes out. Then it becomes a form of torture. Four of the real James Bonds that appear in the documentary. From left, a politician from the Caribbean, a British elite soldier, a New York theater director and a man from Indiana who spent 60 days in jail because the police didnt believe his name was really James Bond. Bauer selected some of the most striking stories that he came across. As the documentary goes on, one can see some of its protagonists gradually disappear, while new cases appear over time, like that of the black James Bond, inmate 280938 of the state of Indiana. That Bonds case is paradigmatic: at a police checkpoint, an African-American telling a police officer that his name was James Bond got him 60 days of jail time, regardless of the fact that it was, indeed, his name. Some time later he was accused of murder (he was later exonerated) in his city, South Bend, Indiana, a town of just over 100,000 inhabitants where, as unlikely as it may seem, another James Bond lived, this one white, whose business almost went belly up when the television news reported without a picture of the defendant that a James Bond from Indiana was incarcerated for murder. New York theater director James Bond making an ad for an online casino. Being a James Bond carries a stigma of alcoholism, womanizing and untrustworthiness. Just the opposite of theater director James Bond, from New York. On one hand, he claims that every time The New York Times reviews a premiere of his, it gets buried under the avalanche of news stories that use the tag that refers to the spy that Ian Fleming created. On the other hand, this Bond (one of nine registered in New York), a gay man who defines himself as disgusted by the secret agent phenomenon, takes advantage of the coincidence, making a profit by appearing in advertisements for online casinos from the American East Coast because he can legally say My name is Bond, James Bond without paying any royalties. The Other Fellow also includes a former James Bond who changed his name to escape cyberbullying, an elite British soldier who ended up in the army after choosing a career path that befitted his name, a corrupt politician from Guyana, a lawyer from Philadelphia, an oil extracting family from Texas with four generations of James Bonds among its members... and two fascinating cases of people who are actually called James Bond because they wanted to. The first one is Gunnar Schafer, now officially James Bond. In his hometown of Nybro, in southern Sweden, Schafer established the James Bond Museum, with all kinds of vehicles and paraphernalia from the 007 films. His exuberant collection stems from a childhood absence: his father, who managed to escape the Nazis during World War II, mysteriously disappeared in 1959, when Schafer was two years old. Some time later, in 1964, that boy saw Goldfinger and found paternal echoes in the figure of the secret agent. Schafer-Bond decided to become the alter ego of the spy and invests the money he makes from his tire business in 007 memorabilia; he only drinks martinis and Bollinger champagne. A fictional recreation of the conversation between ornithologist James Bond and writer Ian Fleming, who stole the formers name. The second case is that of a woman, a victim of marital violence who for years fled from her abuser with her son throughout the United Kingdom. The only way she managed to get away from him was after renaming her boy James Bond, thus becoming Mrs. Bond. No one would imagine such a move, using a famous name as a disguise. A smoke screen worthy of the secret agent. Bauer also presents a fictional recreation of the story of the James Bond that started it all: the ornithologist, who one fine day discovered on television how he had unwittingly influenced Fleming. First he got furious, but over time they made peace and even became friends. That Bond did forgive Fleming. Mainstream publishings LGBTQ content today resembles the transgressive indie fare of a decade ago. Poet Ocean Vuongs queer coming-of-age novel, the 2019 Penguin Press release On Earth Were Briefly Gorgeous, is a book club staple. Last year, MCD x FSG Originals resurrected Imogen Binnies out-of-print Nevada, a 2013 novel of transgender searchers; and Detransition, Baby (One World) by Torrey Peters, a novel about trans- and cisgender relationships and parenthood, received a PEN/Hemingway Award. Even as the big houses lend more support to books by queer and trans authors and with LGBTQ themes, indie publishers, with a track record of being out and proud, continue to lead the charge. PW spoke with editors and others in the independent publishing scene about new queer-centric imprints, international perspectives on queer identities, and the quest for previously unheard voices and unexpected stories. Making an impression Grove Atlantic announced an imprint to be led by Bad Feminist author Roxane Gay, who identifies as queer, in 2021; Gay says its a lucky coincidence that three of her first five acquisitions have distinct LGBTQ themes. The inaugural title from Roxane Gay Books, And Then He Sang a Lullaby (June), arrived unagented from Nigerian activist Ani Kayode Somtochukwu and centers on the relationship between a closeted track star and an openly gay student. Kayodes book exemplifies what I want for the imprint, Gay says. I want to take chances and encourage and engage with writers no matter where they are. The imprints second release, Lush Lives (Aug.), by art historian J. Vanessa Lyon, is a queer romance between an ambitious appraiser and an artist who inherits a historic Harlem brownstone, set in the cutthroat 1980s art world. I wanted to see how the main characters would let down their guard enough to make a connection, says Gay, who believes publishers have begun to address history and imbalances [in queer representation]. Im hopeful it will be sustained and not just for the sake of appearances. Mariko Tamaki, another author turned editor, likewise advances LGBTQ voices at her Abrams ComicArts imprint, Surely Books, which released its first graphic novel in 2021. Tamaki, who with her cousin Jillian Tamaki created Skim, This One Summer, and the forthcoming Roaming (Drawn & Quarterly, Sept.), says she is seeking queer titles that are creator focusedstories that comics creators desperately want to tell, and projects we fall in love with. Shes also looking to upend the various notions about what kinds of books equal LGBTQIA books. Recent releases range from a fictive biography of Patricia Highsmith (Flung Out of Space) to Frankenstein horror (M Is for Monster). This month brings Grand Slam Romance, Book 1, a dramedy by married author-illustrated team Ollie Hicks and Emma Oosterhous. This frothy tale of an irresistible softball player whose presence is kryptonite to opponents will be followed by a curveball into Revolutionary War history, Washingtons Gay General (Aug.) by Josh Trujillo and illustrator Levi Hastings. Resetting the margins At the nonprofit Feminist Press, executive director Margot Atwell welcomesand tries to stay a step ahead ofthe mainstreams embrace of LGBTQ literature. Atwell sees opportunity in boosting authors of hyper-specific identities. Even though mainstream publishers are publishing more work by Black, Indigenous, and other people of color and queer and trans voices, she says, folks with intersecting marginalized identities are still considered too niche. Its hard to fit them into a clean box. She looks for ways to flip the idea of niche. Specificity and authenticity are so important, and folks will take a chance on something outside of what they might normally read. As such, Feminist Press focuses on voice-driven narrative and bringing global work to the U.S. market. These include the collection Happy Stories, Mostly by Indonesian author Norman Erikson Pasaribu (trans. by Tiffany Tsao, June); biracial, nonbinary Gen Z activist Travis Alabanzas manifesto None of the Above (Oct.); and Wild Geese (Sept.), the debut novel by trans Irish writer Soula Emmanuel. Queer feminist perspectives prevail at newer, smaller presses too. BLF Press, founded in 2014, amplifies queer BIPOC women, says publisher Stephanie Andrea Allen, because regardless of what the publishing landscape looks like, very few publishers are celebrating Black queer writing. BLFs publications include the 2016 Black lesbian fiction collection Lez Talk, which Allen coedited with Lauren Cherelle. This fall, she and Cherelle will publish Black Joy Unbound (Sept.), a multi-genre anthology of queer Black authors writing about joy in times of strife. Queering the story For Catapult editor Alicia Kroell, hybrid forms and international perspectives make LGBTQ books especially exciting. A traditional narrative might not be the best way to tell experiences, they say. I like seeing how authors play with form, genre, and storytelling, especially on our fiction side and our globally focused list. Catapults forthcoming titles include Jennifer Neals debut novel, Notes on Her Color (May), which Kroell calls a classic story of passing, but using magical realism to actualize it for the character, in this instance a Black, Indigenous woman who literally changes her skin color. Amelia Possanzas Lesbian Love Story: A Memoir in Archives (May), which PWs starred review called an outstanding work of literary scholarship that also delivers a vulnerable, intimate portrait of its author, considers how to find queer community by researching people weve missed in the past. Kroell is wrapping up edits on a 2024 title, Musih Tedje Xavieres These Letters End in Tears, a novel that reckons with anti-gay laws in Cameroon. Intersectionality drives acquisitions at Red Hen Press, where a substantial LGBTQ list is complemented by the presss annual Quill Prose Award for fiction and nonfiction by queer authors. (Quill winners receive $1,000 and a book contract.) Artem Mozgovoys Spring in Siberia, a 2023 release that PWs review called superb, centers on the relationship between two boysone the child of KGB agentsin 1985 Siberia. Alyssa Graybeals Floppy (May) chronicles the authors diagnosis with a genetic connective tissue disorder that affects her mobility. Were looking at queerness and ethnicity, as well as looking for the intersections with disability and neurodivergence, says Red Hen deputy director Tobi Harper. Brian Lam, publisher of Vancouver, B.C.s Arsenal Pulp Press, likewise thinks in terms of multifaceted identities. In the early days, it was butch, femme, and those kinds of sexual identity parameters, he says. The last few years have opened the door wide open for trans and Indigiqueer material, including Oji-Cree/nehiyaw two-spirit author Joshua Whiteheads 2018 debut novel, Jonny Appleseed, and the 2020 anthology Love After the End, which Whitehead edited, as well as the speculative Magodiz (2022) by Gabe Calderon, who describes themselves as a white settler with Mikmaq/Anishinabe ancestry, about two-spirit people restoring a damaged world. The audiences for queer titles have changed, Lam says. Theres a willingness among readers of all persuasions and identities to be reading books that have universal themes but just happen to be queer. In When My Ghost Sings (Sept.), Tara Sidhoo Fraser examines how, after suffering memory loss from a stroke at age 31, she rediscovered a specifically queer sense of self. In Transland (Oct.), memoirist Mx. Sly navigates kink and fetish culture from a nonbinary perspective. Edgy titles like these are where independent presses still can find a foothold on the market, Lam says, especially as queer writing becomes more normalized among the multinationals. Arsenal Pulp recently returned to print Casey Pletts 2014 debut, A Safe Girl to Love, originally published by the now-defunct Topside Press. Trans writers have always been part of our program, Lam says, and the quality of the work were seeing has been extraordinary. Its a subject area where there werent a lot of precedents until recently. Plett, meanwhile, has taken on a role as publisher at LittlePuss Press, in collaboration with editor Cat Fitzpatrick, author of 2022s The Call-Out. Its fair to say its a pandemic baby, Plett says of LittlePuss, launched in winter 20202021. Plett and Fitzpatrick started LittlePuss after Topside folded, stranding their trans-centered SFF anthology Meanwhile, Elsewhere. It won an ALA Stonewall Award, Fitzpatrick says, and within less than a year the book was no longer available. We started out by republishing it, and because it already existed [in a formatted, edited copy], the ramping up was easier. LittlePusss second title, Faltas, an epistolary collection by Argentine American activist Cecilia Gentili, won the 2023 Stonewall Award for nonfiction. (We have two books and they both won the big gay award! Fitzpatrick says.) LittlePuss seeks to elevate queer and trans authors, though Plett and Fitzgerald welcome submissions from writers of all identities. Talking gender, genre, and Gen Z While LGBTQ voices and stories span categories, genre titles comprise a significant share of the market. Whether in romances, mysteries, thrillers, or sci-fi, queer authors and characters attract diverse audiences with inclusive scenarios. Sourcebooks publishes queer voices across all its imprints, which include Bloom Books, Poisoned Pen Press, and Sourcebooks Casablanca. Senior editor Mary Altman strives to bring LGBTQ authors and stories on board. In years past, readers interested in LGBTQ fiction could draw upon a rich history of romance titles in indie publishing and smaller digi-first publishing, but not a lot had made their way through to traditional publishing, Altman says. Now we have the doors kicked wide open. A few years ago, Altman reached out to rom-com author Alexis Hall. Id been dying to work with him ever since he published Glitterland, she recalls, and they connected at the perfect time, as romance tipped formats from being predominantly mass market to being strongly trade paper. Altman acquired Halls 2020 screwball comedy Boyfriend Material, swiftly followed by Husband Material and the forthcoming Father Material; another novel in the London Calling universe, 10 Things That Never Happened, pubs in October. Altman expects New Adult (Aug.) by Timothy Janovsky to appeal to the same young, queer rom-com crowd as Hall. Speaking in broad generalities, our Gen-Z readers dont necessarily self-identify as romance readers; they read across shelves, she says. Theres a willingness to let genres bleed together in ways that 10 or 15 years ago they wouldnt have, finding young characters who are discovering the intersecting layers of their identities. At Kensington Publishing, another indie with a longtime LGBTQ commitment, we launched what was called our gay and lesbian fiction program at the turn of the millennium, in the summer of 1999, says senior communications manager Michelle Addo. This year will be one of our biggest in queer fiction. On the docket: Robyn Gigls Remain Silent (May), the authors third legal thriller starring Erin McCabe, who like Gigl, is a transgender attorney. (See Trans Formative Literature, for interviews with Gigl and other trans novelists.) Kensington also publishes quozyqueer-cozymysteries including CJ Connors Board to Death (Aug.), about a Salt Lake City game store where danger is afoot, and Frank Anthony Politos Rehearsed to Death (May), a mystery about a gay Detroit couple, their home renovation show, and community theater hijinks. Kensingtons fiction list is built on escapist feel-good fiction, and sharing diverse voices has been a key component from the early days, says publisher Jackie Dinas. We want queer characters and voices in all categoriessuspense, romance, cozy mystery, thriller. Theres a real hunger in the marketplace for happy fiction that shows queer people in every corner of our country. At fiction publisher Bold Strokes Books, editorial consultant Ruth Sternglantz views LGBTQ publishing as a changing landscape. Tropes that were fresh a decade ago are now stale, and not just because of the market, but because of how queer life has changed. Founded in 2004 by Len Barot, who writes lesbian romance under the pen name Radclyffe, Bold Strokes emphasizes own voices stories, Sternglantz says. Were looking for contemporary queer stories, evidence of a spark, and craft competence. Shes looking forward to A Calculated Risk (Oct.), a crime thriller by U.K. paramedic Cari Hunter; An Independent Woman (Sept.), a polyamorous, nonbinary romance by Kit Meredith; and Aurora Reys Roux for Two (May), a transgender foodie romp. Sternglantz finds that authors themselves are reinventing what theyre writing, with daring representations of gender and sexuality. Catherine Lundoff thinks along similar lines. She founded Queen of Swords Press in 2017 and is down for fantasy and lesbian swashbuckling, even though, she says, when I open for submissions, I dont get as many babes-with-blades stories as Id like. She takes chances on unusual work like New Zealand author A.J. Fitzwaters The Adventures of Cinrak the Dapper, about a lesbian capybara (Lundoff calls Cinrak our best all-ages title, very trans affirming, with a nice environmental message and animals solving problems). This year, Queen of Swords is releasing new editions of Melissa Scott and Amy Griswolds fantasy-mystery duology, originally published by Lethe Press in 2013 and 2014: the Lambda-winning Death by Silver (out now) and its sequel, A Death at the Dionysus Club (Dec.). Were here, at last Android Press stands at a crossroads of queer voices, SFF, and horror, with a forthcoming list that represents queer writing from the African continent. Among its offerings are Nigerian author Dare Segun Falowos Caged Ocean Dub: Glints and Stories (June), which PWs review called a transporting debut collection, and South African author Xan Van Rooyens cyberpunk-aetherpunk novel Silver Helix (Sept.). As a trans person, I want to tell stories that highlight queerness and transness, says Justine Norton-Kertson, who founded the press in 2021 with the goal of expressing radical hope in solarpunk and cyberpunk titles. Queer folks have lived as a marginalized population for so long that our whole lives have been speculative, dreaming about how things could be different. In Hamilton, Ont., three-year-old Stelliform Press likewise publishes speculative fiction, with a focus on climate and on historically marginalized identities. Stelliform publisher and editor-in-chief Selena Middleton explains that queer voices are part of our mission to amplify the voices of people who are not part of a dominant culture, and to imagine how different intersectionalities are impacted by climate pressures. She leans toward community-oriented stories, avoiding despair: Our stories respond to climate in a way that is generative rather than nihilistic. Forthcoming Stelliform titles include E.G. Condes Sordidez (Aug.), set in Puerto Rico and the Yucatan, and the eco-horror novella Green Fuse Burning (Oct.) by Mikmaw author Tiffany Morris. That search for community, found family, and future potential resonates with LGBTQ-focused indie publishers, who dont shy away from anthologies that unite authors around identity. Neon Hemlocks annual Were Here volume of queer speculative short fiction echoes the were here, were queer Pride shout; the next volume, edited by Naomi Kanakia and Charles Payseur, pubs in September. Global voices shine at the four-year-old publisher, among them Indo-Caribbean author Premee Mohamed, whose And What Can We Offer You Tonight won the 2022 Nebula and World Fantasy Award for Best Novella, and Afrofuturist visionary Shingai Njeri Kagunda, whose novel & This Is How to Stay Alive concerns Kenyan identity and time travel. Neon Hemlock publisher dave ring says the press, which launched in 2019, focuses on acquiring boundary-breaking queer novellas that might be difficult to find a home for at mainstream presses while creating space for nuanced writing, queer and otherwise, that tells underheard stories. As with others PW spoke with, ring emphasizes the importance of acknowledging characteristics beyond gender and sexuality. People move through the world based on not only their queerness but with all aspects of their identity, ring says. Part of the role of small presses is pushing back against the idea of monolithic identities and showing the breadth of what these experiences can look like. Read more from our LGBTQ Voices in Publishing: Trans Formative Literature: LGBTQ Voices in Publishing Transgender authors bring fresh perspectives to fiction. Reel Visibility: PW talks with Trevell Anderson In 'We See Each Other' (Andscape, May), journalist Trevell Anderson shines a critical spotlight on representations of trans people in movies and on TV. Chuck Tingle Goes Mainstream...ish The prolific pseudonymous author of queer erotica discusses his first traditionally published novel, 'Camp Damascus,' and insists that his persona isn't just a bit. We're Here, We Read: LGBTQ Voices in Publishing Forthcoming books for adults highlight an array of queer experiences through memoir, history, and fiction that conveys larger truths. 10 Essential LGBTQ Memoirs Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Hull, author of 'Through the Groves,' reflects on the 10 LGBTQ memoirs that shaped her. 10 Essential LGBTQ Novels C.E. McGill, author of 'Our Hideous Progeny,' highlights 10 impactful queer novels. 20 Essential Queer Comics from the Past Five Years MariNaomi, whose 'I Thought You Loved Me' is out in May, suggests 20 recent graphic works with LGBTQ themes. Let the Right Ones In: LGBTQ Voices in Publishing Queer heroes battle demons and save the day in new middle grade and YA books. Pride and Joy: LGBTQ Voices in Publishing Picture books, middle grade and YA fiction, and graphic novels aim to entertain while encouraging children and teens to embrace their identities. Lambda Literary Enters a New Chapter The 35-year-old organization is amping up its advocacy on behalf of LGBTQ writers. The Book Business Needs to Be a Better LGBTQ Ally Collective Book Studio founder and publisher Angela Engel urges the book community to stand firm against homophobia and transphobia. Hip hop legend Chuck Ds collection of illustrated journals, Stewdio: The Naphic Grovel Artrilogy of Chuck D (Enemy, June), documents life in America from the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic to the early days of the Biden administration. Public Enemy has never shied away from controversy, but these are vulnerable and honest accounts of troubled times. How do you feel about putting them out there? You have to remember that Public Enemy is a group, and this is just me. Im doing this for myself. And you have to do things for yourself. Know thyself and be who you are. Does that mean we get the real Chuck D? Oh, no one gets the real Chuck D. This is just a character, part of who I am. No one gets all of Chuck D. How did you choose between creating portraits to represent important moments versus comic strips or multiple panels? I call it courtroom speed. You know back in the day they would have the courtroom artists drawing really fast and then shoot it off. So when something would happen in the news, I would draw really fastdraw at courtroom speedand then upload it really quick. I dont think I had a plan other than I wanted to represent a moment or a topic of discussion. Someones face, their portrait, can be a universally understood point of reference. Plus the eye is easily drawn to portraits. Theres a recognition factor with them. And my goal is not to get them 100% accurate either, kind of like Al Hirschfeld, the Line King. You mention that back in the 1970s, you didnt like Jean-Michel Basquiats expressionism. But now hes an influence on the neo-expressionist art in Stewdio. How did expressionism become integral to your drawings? To me, expressionism rages against the machine that powers those styles that are always striving for perfection. With the Keith Harings and Basquiats of the 80s, I saw flaws in their art, and now I see the mistakes of the artist as the pulses and signatures of their work. What is the significance of calling the trilogy naphic grovels? They arent really graphic novels, so Ive got to be contrary in my description. Ive written many songs and, being a wordsmith, it behooves me to sometimes flip it. Is there anyone youve read or have your eye on whos doing exciting contemporary graphic work? Check out [creative agency] mADurgency, which I created for artists and designers. And you should definitely look into Chino XL, D.M.C. from Run-DMC, Chali 2na from Jurassic 5, Schoolly D, and Murs. "I have only the vaguest understanding of what TikTok is, said Ann Patchett, owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville. So she still doesnt quite grasp how savvily Sarah Arnold, Parnassuss marketing manager, has leveraged the platform to promote the bookstoreor what a microcelebrity Patchett herself has become on the app. When Arnold took over the @parnassusbooksnashville TikTok account in January 2022, she was excited to have a new tool for connecting with readers. One of the best parts of working at an independent bookstore is getting that face-to-face interaction with customers and talking books with them, she said. TikTok quickly became a way we could take those interactions and recommendations online and get them to more readers. Arnold credits a former coworker with starting the account in October 2021, just as the power of BookTok, the literary corner of the app, was becoming apparent. But since taking the helm, she has implemented her own vision for the account that has clearly resonated with TikTok users: as of this writing, @parnassusbooksnashville has more than 37,000 followers. (For reference, New York Citys renowned indie bookstore the Strand has 3,100 followers.) Part of the accounts appeal can be attributed to its recurring video series. Arnold does a program called Rapid Recs, where a bookseller pulls a slip of paper with the name of a genre written on it out of a Parnassus-branded mug and then has to recommend a book in that genre on the spot. Arnold recently invited Dana Schwartz, a visiting author, to participate in the series, and says shed love to have more authors get in on the fun. The account also posts a New to You video every Friday, in which Patchett or a Parnassus bookseller recommends a backlist favorite. Other videos happen when inspiration strikes, Arnold said, mentioning a recent one that showed a day in the life of writer Maggie Smith. Its fun to capture the behind the scenes. After much trial and error, and more than 260 videos, shes learned that sometimes the simplest ideas are the most successful. But the videos starring Patchett, who is also a popular novelist, draw most viewers to the Parnassus account. Clips of Patchett sharing her reading recommendations are pretty much an instant hit, Arnold said. Patchett only started appearing on Parnassuss social media after the pandemic began, but she quickly proved to be a natural. Now shes a fixture of the TikTok account, where she offers her recommendations for all kinds of literature, such as her favorite works of Irish fiction, favorite books about pirates, and favorite novels by Edwidge Danticat and John le Carre. One video of her recommending books by brothers Geoffrey and Tobias Wolff has garnered more than 346,000 views. Whats funny is that Ann doesnt have a social media presence of her own, nor does she have any interest in starting one, Arnold said. She doesnt even have a phone! Much of Patchetts popularity can be explained by her authenticityher approach to content creation is guided by her genuine interests. I usually go through my bookshelves at home and find something I love, Patchett said. Sometimes its connected to a book thats about to come outfor example, Andre Dubus IIIs upcoming Such Kindness made me want to talk about my favorite Andre Dubus III book, Townie. It also has to do with whats in stock at Ingram. Its very common that I have a great idea for a backlist videosay, Ruth Reichls memoirs, starting with Tender at the Bone, such a wonderful bookonly to be told its out of print. Despite her lack of familiarity with social media, Patchett is happy to support Arnolds vision for the stores TikTok presence. Im good at reading; Im good at talking about books, she said. If Sarah tells me well sell more books, and bring more attention to overlooked books, because I talk about them while she makes a video, Im all for it. Parnassus isnt the only store to carve out a niche on TikTok, of course. More and more booksellers are getting in on the app; Arnold particularly admires the TikTok accounts run by booksellers at Chapters Books and Gifts in Seward, Nebraska; The Dog Eared Book in Palmyra, N.Y.; Little District Books in Washington, D.C.; and Novel Neighbor in St. Louis. Combined, the four stores have more than 290,000 followers. Arnold couldnt say for sure if Parnassuss popularity on TikTok has directly translated into sales for the store, but she feels that BookTok has generally been a boon. The books that blow up on TikTok sell in a big way here at Parnassus, she said, citing titles by such BookTok favorites as Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and TJ Klune. I think BookTok has played a significant role in getting folks who havent stepped through our doors before to not only come see us but get excited about coming to a bookstore. Ultimately, Arnold sees TikTok as an ideal marketing tool for bookselling. TikTok is fantastic for doing what booksellers already do all day long: talk about books, she says. You can organically build an audience of fellow book lovers by talking about the books and authors you care about, and in the process youll be getting your stores name out there. The coming months see a welcome influx of trans voices to the fiction shelves, and authors are quick to point out that those voices arent speaking in unison. There are as many trans experiences as there are trans people, says Robyn Gigl, author of Remain Silent (Kensington, May). Were human beings like anyone else, with all the same vulnerabilities and hopes. Real-life trans issues are woven into my stories, but theyre just part of the characters world like the rest of the plot. Forthcoming novels by transgender authors bring new viewpoints to a variety of genres, from a tender coming-of-age tale to surrealist horror and beyond. Reality bites In Remain Silent, Gigls third legal thriller starring transgender lawyer Erin McCabe, the criminal defense attorney is caught between two cases that intersect with gender identity: in one, a client is charged with abducting her transgender daughter, and in the other, McCabe herself is the prime suspect in the murder of a financial advisor whod revealed his gender identity to her. There are aspects of trans characters lives that present unique legal issues in the real world, Gigl says. When I transpose them into a fictional setting, its scary not just because the characters are stuck in situations they have to get out of, but because its based on things in real life. OKPsyche (Small Beer, Sept.), Anya Johanna DeNiros follow-up to what PWs review called the surreal and lyrical 2020 novella City of a Thousand Feelings, looks at the sometimes harrowing reality of being a transgender person in a modern social setting. In a surrealistic narrative centered on an unnamed protagonist, aspects of many trans peoples lived experiencesgender dysphoria, the collapse of familial relations, societal alienationmanifest as magical hallucinations that alter reality. Surrealism is a way to leapfrog over a cisgender audiences expectations of narrative based around trans pain, DeNiro says. When very strange things pop up, in many ways, its no stranger than lots of things that happened during my transition. I wanted to talk about very mundane momentsa character appraising her wig or being hyperfixated on how shes perceived by other peoplethrough a surrealistic lens. The intersection of the political landscape and the psychological is very rich territory. Its complicated As more trans characters claim the spotlight, theyre also finding the latitude to be as emotionally complex as their cisgender fictional counterparts. In Eliot Duncans debut novel, Ponyboy (Norton, June), a transmasculine writer struggles with addiction, codependence, and alienation while negotiating a dysfunctional love triangle with Baby, a lesbian painter, and Toni, a childhood friend. As Ponyboys mental health crumbles and his substance use problems become impossible to ignore, his relationships follow suit: he reaches for connection even as he tears down his support network and self-destructs. The story is about the ways in which the process of discovering ones true self can lead to the fissures and ruptures between people and relationships, Duncan says. Being complicated and messed-up is part of the human experience, and it feels important to create characters who are reflective of my own lived experience. The relationships and problems that Ponyboy has are interesting, but theyre not necessarily interesting because hes trans. Its not a spectacleaddiction recovery, for example, is a complicated and monotonous process for anyone, regardless of gender. Bad things can happen, and it doesnt make you a bad person. Alison Rumfitt debuted in 2022 with Tell Me Im Worthless, a triumph of transgressive queer horror, per PWs starred review. Her follow-up, Brainwyrms (Nightfire, Oct.), wraps the political and the personal in a body horror package. When trans protagonist Frankies workplace is bombed by a transphobic terrorist and an exploitative media circus ensues, she turns to a variety of coping mechanisms, including substance use and anonymous sex. Things get even worse when she begins what Rumfitt calls a completely destructive relationship with the enigmatic Vanya, which allows her to explore a uniquely terrible version of herself. Im interested in toxic dynamics between my characters, Rumfitt says. Frankie is a nasty person, but shes also the audiences POV character for the majority of the novel, and readers can experience her perspective without necessarily being expected to condone or identify with it. It was great to write a character who surprised me with worse and worse things as the story progressed. Brainwyrms builds on the sharp political subtext of Tell Me Im Worthless, placing the story into darker and pulpier territory and making its themes more explicit. I enjoy hitting people in the head with a sledgehammer, to some extent, Rumfitt adds. Its fun, from a novel-writing perspective, to be crushingly on-the-nose sometimes. From a certain point of view Nicola Dinans Bellies (Hanover Square, Aug.) follows Tom and Ming, who become college sweethearts after attending drag night at university and forming an instant bond. When the two move to London after graduation, Ming declares her intention to begin gender transition, introducing a new dynamic as they navigate post-college life as individuals and as a couple. Dinan switches narrative points of view between Tom and Ming, giving the reader a multifaceted perspective on Mings transition process. I wanted to write the story of someones transition through the lens of relationships, Dinan says. What does it mean to be on the outside of someone elses change? So much about how we present ourselves, and how we think of ourselves as people, has an inherent relation to gender. It felt necessary to offer both Toms and Mings perspectives and craft two voices that sound distinct and have different mindsets, even though they share so much between them. Dinan, like other authors interviewed for this piece, believes in the importance of multiple perspectives in telling a fuller and more nuanced story. It would have been more difficult to write the book from only one point of view, because I never would have gotten the full story that way. Return to main feature. MariNaomi is an Eisner Awardnominated and SPACE Awardwinning cartoonist and the founder and administrator of the Cartoonists of Color, Queer Cartoonists, and Disabled Cartoonists databases. Their graphic novel Losing the Girl was among those banned in the Katy, Tex., school district in 2022. In May, Fieldmouse Press will publish their ninth book, the graphic memoir I Thought You Loved Me. These books contain a variety of subjects, themes, moods, and styles, all queer books by queer authors. Ive mixed it up in order to give an idea of how diverse queer comics can be, through my particular lensmy tastes skew toward mature personal narratives and indie artwork. It is in no way a complete list, just a taste. 1. 1001 Black Men by Ajuan Mance (Stacked Deck) Mances book is a love letter to the Black men she deems as often overlooked by traditional media. Sometimes stories or poems accompany the portraits, sometimes the images speak for themselves. 2. Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden (First Second) This dreamlike graphic novel, set in a magical version of West Texas, captures the budding friendship of a baby queer and an older lesbian. It shows us an emotional mentorship rarely seen, but one that is quite common among folks who are accustomed to seeking out chosen family. 3. Be Gay, Do Comics, edited by Matt Bors (IDW) These comics originally appeared on the website The Nib and range from personal to historical, with an emphasis on narratives about feeling like the odd person out. The contributors are a veritable whos who of contemporary cartoonists. 4. Blackward by Lawrence Lindell (Drawn & Quarterly) Lindells story, about a ragtag group of friends trying to build community, is due out in September. Its charming, joyful, and best of all, entertaining. 5. Fungirl by Elizabeth Pich (Silver Sprocket) Fungirl is a walking idyour lovable, horrible, gross, sexy, charming ex who you cant seem to get rid of. One of the most funbooks Ive come across in some time. 6. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe (Oni) Kobabes memoir about eir journey to define eir own gender is the most banned book of recent years. Enough said. 7. Im a Wild Seed by Sharon Lee De La Cruz (Street Noise) In this memoir, the author comes to terms with her sexuality with little fanfare. Despite its brevity, De La Cruz packs in a lot of informationfrom an explainer on intersectional feminism to the reasons why protecting Black trans lives is essential to preserving the safety of all marginalized groups. 8. Klaus Nomi: A Graphic Biography and Collaborative Anthology by Liz Yerby et al. (Sound Grounds Wreckin Crew) New wave icon Klaus Nomi had an influential career that was cut short when he was one of the first celebrities to die of AIDS. Yerby collaborates with some phenomenal up-and-coming artists to create this stunning biography. 9. Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki, illus. by Rosemary Valero-OConnell (First Second) This beautiful YA graphic novel is a story about being strung along romantically and the friendships that can suffer because of it. The characters are relatably flawed. 10. The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen (Random House Graphic) This tale of a Vietnamese American boys coming-out is told masterfully through gorgeously rendered fables. I make everyone read this book. 11. Marry Me a Little by Rob Kirby (Graphic Mundi) Comics legend Kirby investigates his lifelong apathy toward marriage (all while he plans for his own wedding) and delves into the history of same-sex marriage in America. 12. Men I Trust by Tommi Parrish (Fantagraphics) This is about the complicated friendship between a struggling poet and her adoring fan. Each page is a masterpiece. 13. Messy Roots by Laura Gao (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray) Gao, originally from Wuhan, China, writes about growing up in the U.S. as a queer woman and the unpleasant attitude they experienced from white Americans as the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded. 14. Our Wretched Town Hall by Eric Kostiuk Williams (Retrofit Comics) Williamss comics feel like being slapped gently awake by the most luminous of drag queens. This collection does not disappoint. 15. The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel (Mariner) Bechdel documents her lifelong pursuit of physical endurance in order to bring the reader into her hyper-cerebral worldview. This is the masterpiece she came up with using her MacArthur granta worthy expenditure. 16. Smahtguy by Eric Orner (Metropolitan) A graphic biography about the notorious congressman Barney Frank and his tormented, colorful path to unwittingly becoming a politician. Orner tells the story with frankness, wit, and compassion. 17. Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, illus. by Lisa Sterle (Greenwillow) In this YA graphic novel, a group of high school it-girls bring the new girl into their werewolf pack, wherein they troll full-moon parties eating sex pests. I laughed, I cried, I laughed again. 18. Stone Fruit by Lee Lai (Fantagraphics) A trans womans complicated relationshipswith herself, her family, and her girlfriendare rendered in linework so beautiful I had difficulty looking away. Lees exploration of boundaries really stuck with me. 19. The Third Person by Emma Grove (Drawn & Quarterly) Grove details her meetings with her therapists as she sought out gender-affirming surgery, and the bumps in the road she was unprepared for. This nearly 900-page memoir is a riveting mystery that, despite its heft, goes by super quickly. 20. To Whoever Even Listen by Michiko Wild, with Lulu and Michiyo Gargiulo (self-published) Wild teams up with their mother and aunt and draws on old letters and medical records to tell the story of their grandmother, Michiyo. Michiyos mental illness ties their lives together and paints a picture of generational trauma and displacement, as well as warmth, love, and patience. Its a truly stellar debut. Return to main feature. The Prince and the Coyote David Bowles, illus. by Amanda Mijangos. Levine Querido, Sept. Ages 12 and up Pura Belpre honoree Bowles tells the story of Acolmiztli, the 16-year-old crown prince of Tetzcoco, who in 1418 Mexico goes on the run after his father dies in a power struggle. In the wild, he is helped by a coyote and takes on a new nameNezahualcoyotl, or fasting coyote. Through a blend of prose and poetry, incorporating black-and-white illustrations by Mijangos and queer love stories, Bowles explores Nezahualcoyotls quest to survive, find himself, and establish the Aztec Empire. Halle Berry, who stars in an upcoming Netflix sci-fi movie, The Mothership, made history without expecting to at all. When she arrived on March 24, 2002 at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, the actress didnt hold out much hope of taking home an Oscar. Back in those days, if you didnt win the [Golden] Globe, you really didnt get the Academy Award [...] So Id pretty much resigned myself to believing, Its great to be here, but Im not going to win. she recalled last year in an interview with The New York Times. But when she stepped onto the red carpet she certainly attracted a lot of attention: all eyes and cameras were on her and her dress, with its lining-free embroidered tulle body and bulky taffeta skirt. The Elie Saab dress instantly became part of Hollywood history when Berry, who was 35 years old at the time, won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Monsters Ball, becoming the first and only Black actress to win the award in the 94-year history of the Academy. This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll. Its for the women that stand beside me, Jada Pinkett, Angela Bassett, Vivica Fox. And its for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened, said an emotional Berry, whose fellow nominees were Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge), Judie Dench (Iris), Renee Zellweger (Bridget Joness Diary) and Sissy Spacek (In the Bedroom). Year after year, the dress Berry wore in that historic moment has reappeared on lists of the most remembered Oscars dresses. It even has its own entry in Wikipedia; it is listed under the category of Outstanding red carpet styles, which also includes the green Versace dress that Jennifer Lopez wore to the Grammys in 2000 and the strapless dress with a pink feather skirt, also by Versace, that Penelope Cruz wore to the 2007 Oscars. But how did the style come to be? The dress was not custom-designed for Berry, unlike many of the dresses that the most important guests wear to such events. Nor was it a style fresh off the catwalk at a time when it was common to see many of the designs from Januarys Paris couture on the red carpet during the film awards season shortly thereafter. Berrys dress was part of the Versace fall-winter 2002 collection that Lebanese designer Saab had presented over half a year earlier, on July 12, 2001, during the French capitals fashion week. On the left, the model who wore the dress at the Elie Saab fashion show held in July 2001 in Paris, and on the right, Halle Berry during her Oscar speech. Nowadays, many stars wear garments from previous seasons on the red carpet, but it was not common to do so in the 2000s. The dress was chosen by Phillip Bloch, the actresss stylist (who has worked with other celebrities including Lindsay Lohan, River Phoenix, Salma Hayek, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Melania Trump). At first, he selected it for another client to wear at the Emmys, but in the end he decided that it had to be a cover look. And Berry was on a lot of them after taking home her award at the 74th Oscars. I looked at it again and thought, This is a winners dress, this is an Oscar dress, so it really was a matter of waiting for the right occasion, the stylist explained in a 2002 interview with Canadas The Globe and Mail. In the article, Bloch said that although the actress immediately fell in love with the design, getting her to wear it to the gala wasnt easy. The reason? The dress Saab had designed for the runway revealed too much to be worn to the televised Oscar ceremony. Today, see-through garments are commonplace at galas and red carpets, but the designers runway offering barely covered one of the breasts. Just two years later, Janet Jacksons career was scandalized when she showed a nipple during her performance with Justin Timberlake at the 2004 Super Bowl. Bloch and Berry sensed that showing too much in that dress could cause problems, so they asked Saab for alterations. But because the couturier was in Paris, Hollywood seamstress Madeleine Aikenberg was the one who made the embroidery on the chest larger. She placed the sheets strategically to both reveal and conceal, and both she and Bloch eliminated the original dresss back zipper. A detail of the embroidery that covered the zipper tracks that were originally on the back of the dress. I feel that this dress, in terms of its style, symbolizes what the American woman is about, and in particular what the African-American woman is about comfortable and yet couture, simple but also ornate. It had flowers from nature and a couture skirt that was frivolous. The dress wasnt startling, but it was unforgettable, the designer told The Globe and Mail. Indeed, Saab has acknowledged that it was the garment that gave his career a definitive boost. Halle Berry made the name Elie Saab more popular She managed to really put the name Elie Saab on the international market. [That time] was a better time for cinema in general. [Halle Berry] was the first woman of colour [to receive the Oscar award for Best Actress] It was elegant and daring and chic. I think this moment was a very exceptional moment for cinema, he explained in an interview with Vogue Australia in 2019. Saab began his career by opening a store in Beirut in 1982 at the age of 18; when the 2002 Oscars took place, he was 37 years old. Until that moment, the Lebanese creators most famous client had been Queen Rania of Jordan. After the 2002 Academy Awards, his designs began to creep into international events, and he was invited to join the French Chamber Syndicale de la Haute Couture. The unforgettable dress that Saab designed in 2001 is now a museum piece. Coinciding with the most recent Oscars ceremony on March 13, the actress shared a snapshot of her big night with her Instagram followers. In the post, she commented that in 2021, the garment had become part of the collection of the Academy Museum in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. Berry emphasized the historical significance of the dress: Not only will this historic @eliesaabworld gown remain in the expert care of the museums curators and conservators, but it will also be accessible to generations of people for whom the dress also holds meaning and forever be a reminder that all things are possible. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The Pardee RAND Graduate School (PardeeRAND.edu) is home to the only Ph.D. and M.Phil. programs offered at an independent public policy research organizationthe RAND Corporation. The list of criticisms of the new Veterans Affairs (VA) electronic health record system, Oracle Cerner, is long. Thousands of doctors' orders went missing, putting patient safety at risk. Its downtime has been high compared to the old system, though it has improved. The new system is expensive: $16 billion so far, up from the $10 billion originally estimated. And, so far, it has been rolled out at just five of the VA's 171 sites. One of the problems is that the old record system, VistA, has its own lengthy list of reasons why it cannot continue to serve as the main software for VA hospitals. VistA was coded in Mumps, a computer language so old that few programmers are available to work on it. This old system is also not cloud-based, and cloud-based systems are now standard. And each VA location has customized VistA for its own particular needs, which means that each system is, in its way, unique, and interoperability is not at all simple. Even those who still love VistA concede that sticking with the old software is not a long-term solution. And even in the short term, VistA is expensive to maintain, costing $900 million for this purpose just last year. So VA has been sinking money into two different electronic health record systems, each one broken in its own way. As of last Friday, VA has called for a complete reset of the modernization program and a halt to any further Oracle Cerner rollouts. How did this implementation go so wrong? And what should be done now? VA has been sinking money into two different electronic health record systems, each one broken in its own way. Share on Twitter Electronic health record (EHR) implementations often take a long time and go over budget. And while the VA implementation of its new EHR software has been challenging for a number of reasons, all of these reasons could be, and indeed were, anticipated. VA is unique in its geographical breadthmost EHR rollouts occur in a single health care system that is physically situated in one state, not across 50. Most EHRs, including the new Oracle Cerner system, are designed around billing, which is not a focus for providers in VA hospitals. The VA patient population is also different than the general public, with different frequencies of disease (more PTSD and missing limbs; less pregnancy and pediatric care), and it requires management of referrals and care outside the VA system. At the same time, Cerner has already been implemented at numerous hospital systems relatively smoothly; VA's ride didn't have to be so bumpy. The cost or slowness of the software at VA might have been tolerable if medication orders and referrals at the few hospitals that were using Cerner hadn't disappeared into an unknown queue. Six catastrophic events due to the EHR led to four deaths at VA hospitals. In one survey, 69 percent of users said that the old system, VistA, enables quality care; only 4 percent said that of the new Cerner system. The VA inspector general issued a series of reports with stark titles such as Care Coordination Deficiencies After the New Electronic Health Record Go-Live at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Washington ( PDF ). Just this month, the system in Spokane went down again, and medical staff resorted to pen-and-paper recordkeeping. It is hard to pinpoint what has gone wrong, but a recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that VA did not fully implement any of the eight leading practices for change management, particularly around workforce training, as the administration worked to implement the new software. There were no user satisfaction targets to meet, nor independent assessments to deploy. VA, in other words, couldn't easily identify problems because it wasn't looking for those problems, let alone tracking whether or not they were resolved. VistA is beloved by VA medical staff; downtime is almost nonexistent, and patient safety outcomes are significantly betterall of which led members of Congress to propose legislation that would pull the plug on Oracle Cerner, or, short of that, negotiate a new contract. Cerner works well at other hospitals; in fact, in a survey from this year on best software suite, it came in second place among all EHRs for large organizations. Clearly, this is not simply a Cerner problem. Increased oversight of the implementation process of Cerner at different VAs might help. Another possibility is for VistA to be rebuilt as a modern EHR, which has been suggested for years. In 2017, an article in Politico noted that even the men and women who built and patched and rejuvenated VistA over the years have given up on it. But if it could be maintained for at least the next 10 years, might it be more efficient to pay for its upkeep during that time? Decisions about the next stepsfix Cerner, rewrite VistA, or something elseare still to come. Share on Twitter As of April 21, the decision has been made to step back and reassess, as part of a reset. There has been a realization that things cannot go on the way they have been, but the path forward remains unclear. For now, those using VistA will continue to do so, and improvements will be made at the five Cerner sites. Decisions about the next stepsfix Cerner, rewrite VistA, or something elseare still to come. At this critical juncture, all involved need to not only fix the details but also consider the bigger picture: Is the VA ready for standardization across all its hospitals? Can Cerner be adapted to the VA culture? Can VA culture adapt to accept Cerner? Can patient safety issues be solved before any more implementations take place? Hopefully, everyone involved can work together to make sure the answers to all these questions are: Yes. Dr. Shira H. Fischer is a physician policy researcher at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation. This commentary originally appeared on The Hill on April 28, 2023. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis. Property details: Please Read Everything Before Bidding.You Are Bidding on CASH PRICE FOR DEED + LOW BUYER's Premium SERIOUS BIDDERS ONLY Popular area with large SEV and future growth! HUGE Potential Returns for the Buy and Hold investor as this lot already has brand new homes and roads going in as this auction is live! Great opportunity for low capital investment. Large size lot on a main road in the new development! LOW BUYERS PREMIUM ONLY $395.00 + THE WINNING BID!! SEE DETAILS BELOW County: St Clair County Pa... Price: $ 105 Seller State of Residence: Florida Type: Homesite, Lot Property Address: St Clair Rd Zip/Postal Code: 48074 Zoning: Mixed City: Marysville State/Province: Michigan Location: 480**, Smiths Creek, Michigan You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Michigan Mystic River, Shutter Island and Gone Baby Gone author Dennis Lehane's latest Boston crime drama, Small Mercies, focuses on a woman with nothing to lose who stands up to the Irish mobsters running her neighborhood. ADVERTISEMENT Set in 1974 South Boston, the novel follows White, working-class and cash-strapped widow Mary Pat Fennessey, whose 17-year-old daughter Jules fails to come home on the same night a Black teenager is struck and killed by a subway train under mysterious circumstances. Desperate to find her only surviving child -- she earlier lost a son to heroin -- Mary Pat tries to abide by the neighborhood code, which dictates she not involve the police in Jules' disappearance. The local crime boss and his minions not only fail to help bring Jules home, but they also threaten to kill Mary Pat if she doesn't drop the matter, which is drawing unwanted attention to their nefarious businesses. "Mary Pat, right from the beginning, her hands are tied," the 57-year-old author told UPI in a recent phone interview. "When you take someone like that and you give them nothing left to lose, then you have a very dangerous opponent on your hands -- which is what I wanted." The smart, hot-tempered and relentless character is inspired by the "bruisers" Lehane encountered in his younger years. "I knew a lot of these women and, as time went on, I started to see the sadness," he said. "They were products of abusive fathers, abusive husbands and they produced tough, abused kids. That's what I wanted to write about." FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! 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! Hardship and disappointment Mary Pat is written as a fierce, but damaged, woman who grew up in the low-income housing projects and knew mostly hardship and disappointment. All she wants is a better life for Jules. "God help you if you get on the wrong side of her. At the same time, she is a woman who has been victimized her entire life, but then has the sin of victimization on her, as well. She passes along the same sins of racism and reductive thinking to her children," Lehane said of Mary Pat. Although the book deals with difficult topics, the author's choice to wrap his story with a scene that features two characters of different races sitting down and sharing a drink while mourning their respective losses as the world around them burns is a salute to decency and a ray of light for readers. "Calliope represents hope. Bobby represents hope. Ken Fen crossed the bridge and got out [of the neighborhood]," Lehane said. "The enemy in a lot of my books is tribalism, and I understand how tribalism starts. I understand why it's sometimes necessary at the beginning, but once it becomes institutionalized, it's always a bad thing." Small Mercies is partly Lehane's attempt to make sense of a disturbing scene he saw when he and his father were in the family car and took a wrong turn into violent protests against the busing policy. Meaning of effigy "That's when I learned what 'effigy' meant and to see these figures hung on poles and lit on fire was just medieval," Lehane said. "We were seeing things on the national news, we were seeing graffiti that was 'KKK,' 'Kill all the N-words.' This was common in my neighborhood and other working-class neighborhoods throughout the city and that's a lot to take in when you are nine years old." The author recalled how his first conscious social and political thought was that it is in the best interest of the ruling class to keep the working class fighting among itself. "I still feel that's the playbook. There was also this thing of, how do you reconcile good decent people who you know with what this brought out in them -- the level of vitriol, the level of racism?" he said. Some of the characters in his new book, like people he knew in real life, viewed the busing policy as a rights issue. "It was, 'How could the wealthy decision-makers, living in their all-White suburbs make a decision that affects the lower-class neighborhoods without a vote?' There were people who felt that way. My father was one of those people. There were those decent people, but then there were people who were virulently racist," he said. "None of them were racist against you," Lehane added. "The same people patting you on the head and saying, 'Hey, little kid, how are you doing?' were throwing rocks at buses filled with Black school children." Long-lasting acrimony That boycott and the acrimony surrounding it lasted 15 years. "Southie won't go. They raised a generation of kids who didn't go to school, so guess where they ended up? On the streets, on heroin and they ended up working for the Bulger gang and Winter Hill and their lives were not happy. That was a whole generation that got wiped out," the author said. Even though his books frequently explore important social themes, Lehane said he doesn't want to tell readers what they should learn or take away from them. "I don't do 'eat your vegetables' fiction. If I want anything from my work, it's for people to recognize humanity in all of its incredible stupidity and paradoxes and heroism and darkness and pettiness," he said. "It's all part of the exact same package and the color of your skin is completely irrelevant to any of it." Lehane said he didn't take lightly the decision to include racially charged language in Small Mercies. Authentic portrait Although some literature is being retroactively censored or banned altogether, he wanted to paint an authentic portrait of a time, place and people. "You shouldn't be able to hide from this. If you are scrubbing Agatha Christie, I find that offensive," Lehan said. "If she was racist about something, let her be racist about something." "It's endless. Roald Dahl, we're going to re-do Roald Dahl? When do we go after Hemingway? When do we start going after Flaubert?" he added. "If you want to annotate, put little asterisks in the text, I'll support that." However, Lehane is adamant that when language is used in historical context, it provides opportunities for contemporary discussion and understanding, and he doesn't believe there is any place in the United States for banning books. "This is Taliban philosophy. This is Taliban culturalism," Lehane said. "Banning books is un-American on every level." A federal judge on Friday rejected a motion from Google to toss out the governments antirust case against it. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled the lawsuit alleging Google wields monopolistic power in the world of online advertising can proceed in its entirety. Her ruling is the second setback for Google at the federal court in Alexandria. Google had earlier tried to get the case consolidated with a similar lawsuit thats been ongoing for several years in New York. But Brinkema ruled last month that the case can proceed in the Alexandria courthouse, which is known as the Rocket Docket for its reputation of adjudicating disputes swiftly. The lawsuit alleges that Google holds a virtual monopoly in online advertising that works to the detriment of consumers. The complaint alleged that Google corrupted legitimate competition in the ad tech industry by engaging in a systematic campaign to seize control of the wide swath of high-tech tools used by publishers, advertisers, and brokers, to facilitate digital advertising. Google argued that the case should be tossed out, in part because the government defines Googles alleged monopoly too narrowly. Googles lawyers contend the lawsuit does not account for advertisers ability, for example, to advertise on huge social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok that run their own advertising platforms independent of Google. In court papers, Google made an analogy to an unsuccessful antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, a concert promoter that owns and operates a large number of outdoor amphitheaters. The lawsuit alleged Live Nation held a monopoly on amphitheaters, but a judge ruled that the plaintiffs failed to prove a monopoly in part because they did not take into account reasonable alternatives to amphitheater venues, like indoor concert halls and arenas. Brinkema said the question of how to define the market in which Google allegedly holds a monopoly will be a key issue in the case, But she said at this preliminary stage, the governments allegations are plausible enough for the case to move forward. The governments burden of proof, though, will increase at trial. After the hearing, Google issued a statement from Dan Taylor, its vice president of global ads, saying the lawsuit ignores the reality of todays dynamic digital advertising space, where we compete against hundreds of companies like Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok. The statement said the lawsuit would slow innovation, raise advertising fees, and make it harder for thousands of small businesses and publishers to grow. A number of states, including Virginia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Tennessee, have joined in the case as plaintiffs against Google. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Porterville, CA (93257) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning will give way to cloudy skies and rain during the afternoon. High near 65F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Chance of a shower or two during the evening, followed by partly cloudy skies overnight. Low 44F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. Through playing in six bands, touring Europe with R.E.M. and recently releasing his debut album, Phillip Brantley is a prime example of what the Classic Citys bountiful musical roots have to offer a musician. But the former Modern Skirts guitarist has made a name for himself in Athens outside of just music, as the owner of the locally-focused meme account @PhilThrottle. Damage from new shenanigans can be contained if regulators move quickly when something does not smell right, counsels Debashis Basu. IMAGE: Sam Bankman-Fried, who founded and led FTX until a liquidity crunch forced the cryptocurrency exchange to declare bankruptcy, is escorted out of the magistrate court building after his arrest in Nassau, Bahamas, December 13, 2022. Photograph: Dante Carrer/Reuters The spectacular bonfire of FTX, a crypto exchange, has kept us enthralled. FTX, which was valued at $32 billion a few months ago and funded by the finest names of the global financial markets such as Sequoia, Temasek, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, SoftBank Group Corp, and hedge funds Third Point and Tiger Global, suddenly declared bankruptcy on November 11. Since then, bizarre stories of worthless tokens shown as assets, the sudden withdrawal of billions of dollars of cash before bankruptcy, the fake altruistic halo of the frizzy-haired boy-wonder founder Sam Bankman-Fried, known as SBF, and complete lack of controls, checks, and balances at FTX have stunned the world. What are the lessons from this saga of gigantic fraud? FTX could not have grown to this size and flamed out had two of the most important players in the system -- institutional investors and regulators -- not drifted from first principles. What are these first principles? First principles of investing As Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Zweig writes: 'SBF may be at the centre of what went wrong, but he didn't act alone. 'Behind him lies a vast ecosystem of fantasy and fakery. It's called the investing business.' In the case of FTX, the finest investors failed to do due diligence on the operation that FTX was running. John Ray III, who has been appointed CEO of FTX by the debtors after it filed for bankruptcy, scathingly says: 'I have over 40 years of legal and restructuring experience. I have been the chief restructuring officer or CEO in several of the largest corporate failures in history. I have supervised situations involving allegations of criminal activity and malfeasance ... 'Never in my career have I seen such a complete failure of corporate controls and such a complete absence of trustworthy financial information as occurred here. From compromised systems integrity and faulty regulatory oversight abroad, to the concentration of control in the hands of a very small group of inexperienced, unsophisticated and potentially compromised individuals, this situation is unprecedented.' This ought to have been obvious to investors. IMAGE: Sam Bankman-Fried is escorted out of the magistrate court building after his arrest in Nassau, Bahamas, December 13, 2022. Photograph: Dante Carrer/Reuters There were plenty of red flags. FTX's board had only three directors earlier this year: SBF, an FTX employee, and an Antigua lawyer who specialises in gaming. During a Zoom interview to raise money from Sequoia Capital, SBF was surreptitiously playing a videogame, which was a bragging point in profile on him, commissioned by Sequoia. The audit firm of FTX.com and similar exchanges in non-US jurisdictions was Prager Metis, whose Web site claims it is the 'first-ever CPA (certified public accountant) firm to officially open its Metaverse headquarters in the metaverse platform Decentraland'. SBF controlled Alameda Research LLC, which was a 'crypto hedge fund' applying strategies such as arbitrage, market making, yield farming, and trading volatility. It also offered over-the-counter trading services, and made other debt and equity investments. SBF owned 90 per cent and Gary Wang (10 per cent) in the company. Alameda prepared consolidated financial statements on a quarterly basis but it appears that none of these financial statements has been audited. The September 30, 2022, balance sheet shows $13.46 billion in total assets, which were mostly in useless tokens issued by FTX. Indeed, it seems insane that any seasoned investor would bother to take a second look at the crypto or crypto-related business in any form. Cryptos are speculative products that cannot be valued because these are not backed by anything. Successful investors like Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger of Berkshire Hathaway have consistently warned of the dangers of cryptos. Munger has likened cryptos to 'venereal disease' and said anyone who sells them is either 'delusional or evil'. Perhaps SBF knew this. In several interviews, he did not even bother to counter suggestions that the whole crypto business was a giant Ponzi scheme and that many crypto currencies would eventually be worthless. Clearly many first principles of investing were violated here. First principles of regulations Providing an effective regulatory environment for exchanges is not hard if the first principles are followed. These involve segregating or preventing comingling of customer assets; a fail-safe clearing and settlement system, and a trade guarantee fund. Regulators also subject exchanges to regular inspection. It is inconceivable that exchanges would be allowed to issue their own securities that are backed by nothing and also invest in other worthless cryptos. This is exactly what crypto exchanges like FTX and Binance are allowed to do. On top of this, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission licensed FTX to launch a crypto exchange and all related speculative products like futures, options, and swap contracts on digital assets and other commodities to both US and non-US persons. Strangely, US laws allow this kind of shaky business to accept money from customers and permits lenders to loan them money. US regulatory gaps also allowed FTX to grow enormously in the US as an offshore exchange (a large part of FTX is regulated in the Bahamas). While it is true that every new development cannot be anticipated by regulatory foresight, damage from new shenanigans can be contained if regulators follow the first principles of moving quickly when something does not smell right and are made accountable when they ignore the red flag in plain sight. FTX is part of a long line of crypto bankruptcies such as Celsius, Three Arrows (a hedge fund), and Luna, but regulators refused to be alerted. Even the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme would have been detected far earlier if the Securities and Exchange Commission had acted on letters from a whistle-blower. In short, both investors are regulators are guilty of deviating from first principles and that allowed such a gigantic fraud to be perpetrated. Debashis Basu is the editor of moneylife.in. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com The RBI refuses to classify cryptocurrency as an asset since it doesn't have future cash flow and its value is always fluctuating because of speculation. There is also no consumer protection, observes Tamal Bandyopadhyay, and hence the e-Rupee trial run. On November 1, India joined the league of 50 countries that are in an advanced stage of exploring digital currency -- either in the process of developing it or ready to launch pilot projects or have already launched it. The Reserve Bank of India kicked off the first pilot project of the central bank digital currency (CBDC), or e-rupee, for the wholesale segment with secondary market trades in government bonds. On Day 1, nine banks were involved in buying and selling bonds worth Rs 275 crore (Rs 2.75 billion) in the secondary market using CBDC. The overall trading volume was Rs 20,865 crore (Rs 208.65 billion) on that day. Indeed, a miniscule portion of the trade was carried in digital currency, but it's just the beginning. The RBI is ready to follow it up with a pilot for retail customers this month itself. Going by the American think0tank in international affairs, Atlantic Council's CBDC tracker, at least 105 countries, representing over 95 per cent of global GDP, are at the moment exploring CBDC. Just about two-and-a-half years ago, in May 2020 (around the time the Covid pandemic hit the world), only 35 nations were into it. Jamaica is the latest country to launch a CBDC -- the JAM-DEX. With it, at least 10 countries have fully launched a digital currency and China's pilot project is expected to expand in 2023. China has claimed success with its first pilot project of digital yuan currency. In early May 2021, around 181,000 consumers were given 55 yuan free in digital wallets to spend at the Double Five shopping festival in Suzhou city near Shanghai in eastern China. Since then, it has been ramping up the pilot projects, particularly for retail payments. Among the G7 economies, the US and UK are the laggards even as 19 of the G20 countries are exploring a CBDC. Of the 19, 16 including South Korea, Japan and Russia have made significant progress over the past six months. The list includes India. At least two internal committees of the Indian central bank have worked on CBDCs and a concept note has recently been released. The CBDC in India will be used both for retail as well as wholesale payments. The use of CBDCs for wholesale payments is easier as all interbank transactions are already digital and there is no use of cash. Only when an individual uses CBDCs for buying sundry stuff, the purpose of supplementing cash will be achieved. Like credit card, Internet banking and wallets, the CBDCs will be part of the payments system -- just another way of paying for goods and services through a wallet. There are many such wallets operating in the Indian financial system. The CBDC will be one of them with a difference -- it will be issued by the nations central bank, and distributed and managed by commercial banks. The RBI is likely to follow a centrally controlled database as distributed ledger technology may not be able to handle the scale of the Indian population. Will CBDC usher in a cashless system? That's unlikely even in the distant future. In fact, no nation in the world at this point is cashless. Although it was the first country in Europe to issue banknotes, Sweden is the most cashless society in the world today -- more than 98 per cent of its citizens own a debit/credit card. Some studies suggest that physical cash could be eradicated from its economy by 2024. According to a World Bank report, 98 per cent of the citizens of Norway use debit/credit cards, giving tough competition to Sweden to become the first cashless country in Europe. Among others, 91 per cent of the population of Holland has embraced digital payments and debit cards; and Finland, which has a population of around 5.5 million, is predicted to become completely cashless by 2030. It is just behind Ireland in terms of frequency of use of cards. China, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands and Canada are also en route to a cashless economy. South Korea is currently more cashless than China, the biggest e-commerce market in the world, but it's a much smaller country. One of the benefits for the central bank will be the decline in the cost of printing money, distribution and mopping up soiled notes. How significant is that? Let's take a look at how much the RBI spends on printing money. According to data The Hindu BusinessLine sourced through Right to Information from the Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Ltd, an RBI subsidiary that prints currency, the selling price for Rs 10 denomination notes was Rs 960 for 1,000 pieces in FY2022, making the cost of one Rs 10 note 96 paise. The cost per piece of Rs 20 note was just 1 paisa lower, 95 paise. For a Rs 50 currency note, the cost was Rs 1.13; for a Rs 100 note, Rs 1.77; Rs 200 note Rs 2.37; and Rs 500 note Rs 2.29. In FY2022, the price of Rs 50 saw a rise of 23 per cent over FY2021 (from 92 paise to Rs 1.13), while that of a Rs 20 note was just 1 paisa. There was no increase in the cost of printing Rs 500 notes during this period. Overall, the RBI spent Rs 4,984.8 crore (Rs 49.848 billion) for printing currency notes in FY2022 -- 24 per cent more than it did in FY2021 (Rs 4,012.09 crore/Rs 40.12 billion) -- even though the supply of notes was lower. Incidentally, the central bank had spent Rs 7,965 crore (Rs 79.65 billion) to print new currency notes in FY2017 (the year of demonetisation) -- 133 per cent higher than the Rs 3,421 crore (Rs 34.21 billion) spent in the previous year. Till last year, the RBI was following the July-June financial year for accounting purposes. One of the factors that has led the RBI to push for CBDC is its allergy to cryptocurrencies. There are many reasons behind that. For instance, they can't be slotted. They are neither a commodity nor a currency, nor part of the payments system. Since they are not issued by central banks, such currencies do not have sovereign backing. Moreover, as the transactions are anonymous, cryptocurrencies cannot be subjected to public scrutiny. This has serious implications for KYC norms and is fraught with risks of money laundering and terror financing. The RBI refuses to classify a cryptocurrency as an asset since it doesnt have future cash flow and its value is always fluctuating because of speculation. There is also no consumer protection. The CBDC will also pare the cost of remittances as cross-border transactions will turn cheaper. Going by a World Bank report, India was the largest recipient of remittances in 2021. As of June 2022, there were nine cross-border wholesale CBDC pilot projects and three for retail transactions. A recent Reuters report talks about China's push for digital yuan in the world's largest cross-border CBDC pilot. A six-week test between August 15 and September 23 is part of mBridge -- a project that pilots cross-border payments in digital currencies issued by the central banks of China, Hong Kong, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. As geopolitical tensions rise, efforts for globalisation of CBDC take centre stage. But the Atlantic Council warns that the financial system may face a significant interoperability problem in the near future and calls for international standard setting to tackle the proliferation of different CBDC models. Tamal Bandyopadhyay, a consulting editor with Business Standard, is an author and senior adviser to Jana Small Finance Bank Ltd. Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday said it has searched the Bengaluru-located office and residential premises of Edtech major BYJU's and its CEO and co-founder Raveendran Byju and seized 'incriminating' documents and digital data as part of a foreign exchange violation probe. IMAGE: BYJU's CEO and co-founder Raveendran Byju. Photograph: ANI A total of three premises, two business and one residential, including that of the registered company -- Think & Learn Pvt Ltd -- were raided under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), it said. The federal financial investigation agency said in a statement it has seized various 'incriminating documents and digital data'. A spokesperson for BJYU's legal team said the ED action was a 'routine inquiry' and the company has been 'completely transparent with the authorities and have provided them with all the information they have requested'. The ED alleged the company (Think & Learn Pvt Ltd) has not prepared its financial statements since 2020-21 fiscal and has not got the accounts audited, which is mandatory. Hence, the genuineness of the figures provided by the company are being cross-examined from the banks, it said. It said the action was taken on the basis of 'various complaints' received by private people and alleged Raveendran Byju was issued 'several' summons but he remained 'evasive and never appeared' before the ED. The searches found that the company received foreign direct investment (FDI) to the tune of Rs 28,000 crore during 2011-2023. 'The company also remitted about Rs 9,754 crore to various foreign jurisdictions during the same period in the name of overseas direct investment,' the agency said. 'The company has booked around Rs 944 crore in the name of advertisement and marketing expenses including the amount remitted to foreign jurisdiction.' The spokesperson for BJYU's added: 'We have nothing but the utmost confidence in the integrity of our operations, and we are committed to upholding the highest standards of compliance and ethics. We will continue to work closely with the authorities to ensure that they have all the information they need, and we are confident that this matter will be resolved in a timely and satisfactory manner.' The company said it wants to 'emphasise that it is business as usual at BYJU'S'. 'We are committed to delivering high-quality educational products and services to our customers across India and the world. We remain focused on our mission to transform the way students learn and prepare for their future,' it added. The Bengaluru-based company, co-founded by Raveendran Byju and his wife Divya Gokulnath, provides early learning, middle school education and test preparation. It was valued at $22 billion in a funding round in March 2022. In October, it announced it will retrench 2,500 employees and hire 10,000 teachers over six months to rationalise cost. Byju's showed a loss of Rs 4,588 crore for 2020-21, 19 times more than that of Rs 231.69 crore in 2019-20. Revenues during the financial year 2020-21 dropped to Rs 2,428 crore from Rs 2,511 crore in FY20. The company is yet to release a financial performance report for FY22. Woman cadet Rekha Singh, wife of late Naik Deepak Singh who made the supreme sacrifice during the Galwan clashes and was awarded Vir Chakra posthumously, was commissioned into the Indian Army on Saturday following completion of her training from the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai. IMAGE: Cadet Rekha Singh commissioned after the passing out ceremony of Short Service Commissioned officers at OTA, Chennai. Photograph: Courtesy @adgpi/Twitter She was among the cadets who completed their training and a spectacular parade reviewed by Chief of Army Staff, Bangladesh Army, S M Shafiuddin Ahmed marked the passing out ceremony of Short Service Commissioned officers at OTA on April 29. The Army tweeted: 'Woman Cadet Rekha Singh, wife of Late Naik(Nursing Assistant) Deepak Singh, #VirChakra(Posthumous) got commissioned into #IndianArmy after completing her training from #OTA #Chennai. Nk Deepak made the supreme sacrifice during the #Galwan Clashes.' The face-off between the Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley occurred in 2020. For the first time, five women cadets got commissioned into the Artillery Regiment and in all, 186 cadets, including five gentlemen cadets and 24 women cadets from Bhutan completed their training at OTA, a defence release in Chennai said. 'The immaculate drill of officer cadets marching to enthralling martial tunes left the audience spellbound. It was a proud moment for the officer cadets and their parents, as also the instructors and administrative staff of OTA Chennai, who over the last one year of integrated training have seen the transformation of these proud men and women into future leaders of the Indian Army.' As many as 121 gentlemen cadets and 36 women cadets got commissioned into various arms and services of the Indian Army. 'A new beginning commenced, when for the first time, five women cadets got commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery.' Bangladesh Army General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed, who is the reviewing officer, complimented the officer cadets and OTA staff on achieving excellent all-round standards. He exhorted the cadets to always adhere to the core military values of 'selfless service to the nation' and strive for excellence in all their endeavours. The situation in violence-hit Churachandpur in Manipur remained 'grim', with unidentified miscreants setting fire to forest department building, even as night curfew was imposed in the district from Saturday, officials said. IMAGE: A protesting mob had attacked Sadbhavna Mandap in New Lamka in Churachandpur district of Manipur, where Chief Minister N Biren Singh was scheduled to address a public meeting on Thursday. Photograph: ANI on Twitter A group of people torched the office building of the Range Forest Officer in Tuibong area around midnight, and several fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames, they said. Public property worth lakhs were reportedly destroyed and official documents burnt in the blaze, a police officer said. Local tribals have been agitating for the last few months against a drive to evict villagers from reserve forest areas. Night curfew has been imposed in the district from 5 pm to 5 am from Saturday until further orders, according to an official notification. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC and suspension of mobile internet services will also continue in the district, the officials said. "The situation is still grim. Security has been bolstered at all major junctions and large localities of the town to prevent any untoward incident," the police officer said. Fresh clashes had erupted between demonstrators and police personnel in Churachandpur town on Friday night, with the security forces using batons, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the mob. Locals claimed that some people were killed and many injured in the police action, hours after a bandh called by Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) concluded at 4 pm. However, there was no official confirmation on casualties or injuries to people. The eight-hour shutdown, called to protest against the eviction of Kuki villagers from protected forests, paralysed normal life in the tribal-dominated southern Manipur district. Earlier on Friday, clashes broke out between protestors and police at Sadbhavna Mandap in New Lamka in Churachandpur district, the venue where Chief Minister N Biren Singh was scheduled to address a public meeting, police said. Singh, however, deferred the visit following protests and the call for bandh. Large scale protests and vandalism really started on Thursday when a protesting mob had attacked the venue of the chief minister's planned function and set fire to about 100 chairs and other equipment. Ending a busy day of electioneering for the Bharatiya Janata Party in poll-bound Karnataka after back-to-back rallies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in a mega roadshow in north Bengaluru on Saturday drawing an enormous response from a huge crowd. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves at crowd during a roadshow in support of BJP candidates for upcoming assembly polls, in Bengaluru, on Saturday, April 29, 2023. All photographs: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo Modi, who flew into Bengaluru from Kudachi in Belagavi district in northern Karnataka around 5 pm after addressing his third public meeting in the state, rode in a specially designed vehicle. Sporting a saffron cap, Modi was flanked by Bangalore North MP D V Sadananda Gowda and BJP MLC C Narayanaswamy. A large number of people thronged both sides of the road to catch a glimpse of the prime minister and showered flowers on him. The BJP flags, festoons and posters dotted the road and a group of artists performed 'Dollu Kunita', a popular drum dance, en route to the roadshow. The 5.3-kilometre long roadshow will pass through various locations in north Bengaluru including Magadi Road, Nice Road Junction to Sumanahalli. Traffic snarls were witnessed due to the roadshow. Police had issued traffic advisory to people asking them to avoid certain roads from where the prime minister's convoy would pass through. Elaborate security arrangements were made throughout the route from where Modi would take out his roadshow. Modi on Saturday flew in from Delhi and reached Bidar in the morning. He addressed public meetings in Humnabad in Bidar, district headquarter town in Vijayapura and Kudachi in Belagavi district. The prime minister will stay overnight in Bengaluru on Saturday and depart from Raj Bhavan on Sunday morning to hold public meetings in the district headquarter town of Kolar, Channapatna in Ramanagara district and Belur in Hassan district. He will also hold a roadshow in Mysuru on Sunday before heading back to Delhi. Karnataka goes to the polls on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday hinted that a meeting of opposition leaders may take place in Patna after the crucial Karnataka assembly polls were over as many would be busy electioneering there. IMAGE: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav as they arrive to address a joint press conference, at SP party office, in Lucknow on April 24, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo The Janata Dal-United supremo said issues related to forging opposition unity could be expected to be discussed at length at this meeting. "We will definitely sit together and discuss the issue pertaining to the formation of an alliance of opposition parties to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "Currently, some leaders are busy in the assembly poll (Karnataka). Once it is over, we will finalize the venue of our meeting. If Patna is unanimously decided as the next venue of the meeting of opposition leaders, it will be held here," Kumar said. "We will be happy to organize this meeting in Patna," he added. It may be recalled that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after meeting Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, in Kolkata on April 24, had requested her counterpart to organise a meeting of all non-BJP parties in Patna to discuss opposition unity before the coming Lok Sabha elections. "I have made just one request to Nitish Kumar. Jayaprakash ji's movement started from Bihar. If we have an all-party meeting in Bihar, we can then decide where we have to go next," Banerjee had said after the meeting with Kumar in Kolkata. Kumar, acknowledging this friendly demand by his Trinamool Congress counterpart said, "Unhone--Mamta Banerjee--to bola hi tha Patna mein meeting ke liye ( Mamata Banerjee had sought the meeting in Patna)." "We are making efforts to unite more and more parties in the country against the BJP-led central government. I recently met several opposition leaders. Now I will talk to other non BJP parties ... My aim is to unite opposition parties before the general elections," he said. After meeting Mamta, Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi had met Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on the same day and discussed the formation of an alliance of opposition parties. TMC and SP which earlier wanted to keep both Congress and BJP at equi-distance seem to have changed their stance and conveyed as much after the separate meetings the two parties leaders had with Kumar. Prior to this Kumar and his deputy Yadav had also met Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on April 12. Besides, Kumar met Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, who had conceded that it was 'extremely necessary' that the entire opposition and the country came together and change the government at the Centre. Kumar, on several occasions in the past, had appealed to all opposition parties, including the Congress, to join hands to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 'A united front' would be able to reduce the BJP to less than 100 seats , Kumar had said while speaking at the 11th general convention of the Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) Liberation or CPI-ML, which has extended outside support to the Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan government, in February in Patna. He had also reiterated that he does not have any ambitions to become the prime minister, or was a contender for the post. Meanwhile, Kumar also met Lalu Prasad on Friday, as the Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo landed in his hometown after seven months, amid speculations that the two leaders will jointly work towards forging a country-wide opposition unity to take on the BJP. Prasad had been away for close to seven months, during which he underwent a kidney transplant in Singapore. Known as 'bada bhai-chhota bhai' (big brother-little brother) in the political lexicon of Bihar, the RJD chief and the JD-U supreme leader have been close associates since the JP Movement' of the 1970s when both were student leaders. Like most people in Hong Kong, taxi driver Leung Tat-chong says it feels like the city is recovering after years of protests, crackdowns and pandemic restrictions, while it also has changed forever. Hes earning almost as much as he did before the pandemic. But, Leung said, the city has been divided since the 2019 protests, in which hundreds of thousands of people marched, and many battled police, in opposition to a government they saw as a proxy for Beijing. For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the city welcomed more than 2 million visitors in the month of March. Crowds of art collectors and dealers spilled across two floors of a convention center at the Art Basel Hong Kong fair in late March. Excited chatter returned to a dim sum shop at the high-speed rail terminus. Yet Leung sometimes doesnt turn on the radio in his cab because the news or a public affairs program could get his customers cursing. A supporter of the government, he watches what he says in front of friends to avoid starting fights. Living in Hong Kong today means juggling contradictory feelings. In 20 interviews, many said that when they focus on business indicators and everyday life, they see a recovery gathering pace after years of travel restrictions. But when it comes to anything political, the openness and freedoms that were once hallmarks of the Chinese-ruled former British colony seem permanently gone. Following the 2019 protests, Beijing declared patriots must run Hong Kong, increasing its loyalists control over elections and imposing a National Security Law that criminalized many forms of dissent. The government of Hong Kong used that law to arrest former opposition lawmakers and activists who participated in an unofficial primary election. Hong Kongs government says things are back to normal, a message delivered in a tourism-promotion campaign it calls Hello Hong Kong. Economic indicators seem to support that message: retails sales are up, the countrys GDP is growing and unemployment is a low 3.1%. In the first quarter of the year, the city received 4.41 million visitors, about 12 times more than the previous quarter, and about 30% of pre-pandemic levels. Mak Kwai-pui, co-founder of dim sum chain Tim Ho Wan, said his business is reaping some of the benefits. Foreign tourists are filling his restaurants, something he had not seen in three years, helping drive revenue to more than 80% of pre-pandemic levels. Its really coming back. Its true, he said. Anne Kerr, the chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, said more U.K. firms are inquiring about setting up shop in Hong Kong. A survey by The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong in the first two months of 2023 showed its members are cautiously optimistic about business. Among those with headquarters in Hong Kong, 61% planned to remain for the next three years, up from 48% last year. But 9% plan to move, compared to 5% last year. Local artist Wong Ka-ying said cultural life is recovering, too. At Art Basel, she saw a rise in emerging artists, independent art spaces and cultural activities, offering her more exposure and opportunities. But, she said, even at the glamorous art fair, she felt the chill of the National Security Law. The art felt tamer than in past years and overtly political art was rare. At the Chinese University of Hong Kong where she teaches, she advises her students to plan their work cautiously. Maybe it looks the same on the surface. But when you look with a magnifying glass, youll see the essence isnt the same, the 32-year-old said. When Cyrus Chan decided to organize a protest against a proposal on land reclamation and building waste-processing facilities in March, the changes were not subtle. Hong Kong used to have a vibrant tradition of street politics, from massive marches to local issues. But Cyrus Chan, one of the march organizers, said police told organizers that they could have just 100 people. Participants were warned against wearing all black, as many protesters did during the 2019 protests. They also discussed their slogans with police in advance. Even with official approval, it was a nerve-wracking experience, Chan said. For a week before the march, he checked news reports, online forums and social media hourly to see if anything had changed. On the day, attendees were required to wear numbered badges around their necks and had to walk within a moving cordoned-off zone. After the protest, Chan said he still could not let his guard down. On April 2, security minister Chris Tang said some people who likened the numbered tags to dog leashes or the armbands Nazis forced upon Jews were stirring hatred against the government a red flag to many activists under the sedition law. Chan had previously made the Nazi analogy on a radio show. Those who say the city will go back to the old days ... are lying. Everyone knows its impossible, Chan said. Weeks later, a former leader of a now-disbanded pro-democracy union withdrew his plan to hold a Labor Day march, his co-applicant said Wednesday. The National Security Law prevented disclosure of further details, he told the applicant. Leung, the taxi driver, agreed that a part of Hong Kong will never come back. But life must go on. As an ordinary person, I cant do anything about politics, he said. I will just keep living my simple and unadorned life. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition In a 'historic moment', the 100th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' will be broadcast live at the United Nations headquarters in New York. 'Get ready for a historic moment as the 100th episode of PM Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat' is set to go live on April 30th in the Trusteeship Council Chamber at @UN HQ!' the Permanent Mission of India to the UN said in a tweet. The 100th episode of Modi's monthly radio address will air at 11 am IST on April 30, which will be 1:30 am Sunday in New York. The live broadcast of the programme in the early hours of Sunday in the UN headquarters will be historic and unprecedented. It will be aired in the UN's Trusteeship Council Chamber. '#MannKiBaat has become a monthly national tradition, inspiring millions to participate in India's developmental journey,' the Permanent Mission said. 'As #MannKiBaat goes global with a live broadcast at UN Headquarters, let's take a moment to appreciate the impact it has had in promoting inclusivity and public participation,' the Mission said in another tweet, accompanied by a special video on the radio programme. The Consulate General of India in New York, along with community organisation Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-NE and others, is also organising the broadcast of the 100th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' for members of the Indian-American and diaspora community in New Jersey during a special event at 1.30 am Sunday. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who was on an official visit to Guyana, Panama, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, is expected to attend the community event. 'Don't miss #MannKiBaatAt100 at 0130 hrs EST on April 30th, 2023! Let us celebrate the landmark 100th episode of #MannKiBaat as Hon'ble @PMOIndia connects with Indians, Indian diaspora and listeners across the world,' the Consulate said in a tweet. 'Join us and countless others in India & across the world for the landmark 100th episode of #MannKiBaat. Watch and listen at 0130 hrs EST on April 30th, 2023,' the Consulate said. In the 'Mann Ki Baat' radio broadcast hosted by Prime Minister Modi, he addresses the people of the country on different issues. It was first aired on October 3, 2014, and is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month at 11 am on the All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) network. The 100th episode of the 30-minute programme will be aired on April 30. Retired from the Indian Navy, his passage in the Golden Globe Race wasn't easy. Although he kept himself in the basket of race leaders, the position revealed little of what he was actually enduring. Shyam Menon captures the drama of Abhilash Tomy's incredible solo voyage across the world. IMAGE: Abhilash Tomy crossed the finish line at 0446 UTC, his second time solo non stop around the world. All photographs: Kind courtesy ggr2022/twitter Over four-and-a-half years after a storm in the Indian Ocean left him badly injured, Abhilash Tomy has finished second in the 2022 Golden Globe Race (GGR). According to the event's live tracker and Facebook page, he crossed the finish line at Les Sables-d'Olonne in France after completing the race's mandated solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the planet, at 04:46 hours Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) on Saturday, April 29, 2023. The race was won by Kirsten Neuschafer of South Africa. She reached Les Sables-d'Olonne at 19:44 UTC on April 27, 2023. The 2022 GGR had got underway on September 4, 2022. As of late April, of the 16 sailors who commenced the race, only three were left in the main race category. Two stood pushed to the Chichester Class. The rest had retired. This included two major accidents -- a case of a boat sinking in the Indian Ocean in November 2022 and another of a boat rolled and dismasted in the southern Atlantic Ocean in April 2023. The first among the 2022 GGR participants to reach Les Sables-d'Olonne after a full circumnavigation done, was Simon Curwen of England. He had led the race by a considerable margin for much of the voyage before the need to repair his boat forced him to deviate to coastal Chile, relegating him to the Chichester Class (sailing with one stopover) of the race. With that he stopped being one of the contenders for a podium finish in the main GGR, which requires solo, non-stop sailing. However, Simon caught up with the competitors who had gone past him during that halt in Chile, overtook them and finished ahead of all in the early afternoon (10:38 UTC) of April 27, 2023. IMAGE: Kirsten Neuschafer became the first woman to win a round the world race. By evening the same day, the winner of the 2022 GGR, Kirsten Neuschafer of South Africa, reached Les Sables-d'Olonne becoming in the process, the first woman to win a round-the-world race by the three great capes across the solo/crewed and solo/non-stop categories. She is also the first South African sailor to win such an event. Her voyage as part of the 2022 GGR was remarkable not just for the quality of sailing she showed but also the rescue of fellow GGR participant, Tapio Lehtinen. The rescue happened in November 2022. Lehtinen's boat suddenly sank in the Indian Ocean forcing him to transfer to a lifeboat. Neuschafer was awarded the Rod Stephen Seamanship Trophy by the Cruising Club of America for the rescue. The intervention, also fetched her time-credit in the race, as compensation. Two things set the GGR apart from other races involving circumnavigation of the planet. Given it has the flavour of a retro-sailing event, some aspects of the technology permitted for the race have been pegged back to what prevailed a few decades ago. Second, a non-stop voyage around the planet takes a massive toll on both sailor and boat. This is where Abhilash's story becomes special. In 2013 he had become the first Indian to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation in a sailboat (INSV Mhadei) as part of the Indian Navy's Sagar Parikrama project, conceived and overseen by the late Vice Admiral Manohar Awati. A few years later, in 2018, he had participated in that year's GGR only to end up with serious injury to self and his boat (Thuriya) dismasted, following a severe storm in the southern Indian Ocean. But he fought his way out from that reversal of fortune; he underwent surgery and rehabilitation and eventually got back to flying and sailing, the activities that defined him as a naval aviator and one of the all-time greats of Indian sailing. He then signed up for the 2022 edition of the GGR and returned to the race with the Bayanat; the boat was named after his main sponsor for the voyage, a company from the United Arab Emirates specialising in AI-powered geospatial intelligence. IMAGE: The Golden Globe Race 2022. Now retired from the Indian Navy, Abhilash's passage in the 2022 GGR wasn't easy. Although he kept himself in the basket of race leaders, the position probably revealed little of what he was actually enduring. He knew the sea, the challenges pertaining to weather and maintaining the boat. But in 2022, there was a new ingredient in the mix -- his mind still living the memories of the September 2018 accident. It was clear to those tracking the 2022 race and reviewing videos posted from the periodic rendezvous with sailors at check points that Abhilash was battling anxiety in the portion of the GGR leading to the southern Indian Ocean, where in 2018, he had been battered by a storm. This was vindicated by his admission (in communications with the race organisers) of a peace finally found after he got past the site of the 2018 accident. Thereafter, it was a different Abhilash. His worries from that point on, seemed mostly about addressing the needs of his boat which kept developing a litany of complaints. But he responded creatively and found solutions for the problems without resorting to a stopover for repairs. He improvised with what he had aboard. This approach kept him alive in the main, competitive segment of the race featuring solo, non-stop circumnavigation. Amidst this struggle, he coped with his old injuries acting up as a consequence of long hours of work, steering and maintaining the boat. What reached Les Sables-d'Olonnes on April 29, should therefore be a package of Abhilash and Bayanat that captures single handed sailing over an extended period of time. Saturday was the 236th day since commencement of the race. IMAGE: Abhilash Tomy during the GGR 2022 race. A summary of the race would be incomplete without a picture of the finish. A circumnavigation is a hell of a lot of distance covered, long enough for people to be separated by vast margins at sea. Yet by the time, Abhilash and Kirsten Neuschafer entered the Atlantic for the second time in their long voyage (this time on the way back to Les Sables-d'Olonne), it was clear that a tight finish was on the cards. Around the equator, the distance between the two had reduced considerably. At times, they seemed almost parallel to each other on the race's live tracker. Eventually, Kirsten finished first, Abhilash placed second. For most observers, given a whole planet circumnavigated, both represent endurance sailing at its best. Finally, like some who watched the David Lean classic Lawrence of Arabia finding the desert the film's real hero, the actual hero of GGR is the sea -- its known tendencies and its unpredictability. None -- not even the world's best sailors -- are spared. Nothing captured the sea's effect on a race and those tracking it, as well as this comment posted on GGR's Facebook page after the world was informed of Kirsten Neuschafer being seven nautical miles from finish and without wind to push her on: 'All of us on the YouTube live chat are pointing hairdryers, leaf blowers out windows and waving towels and beach blankets towards coastal France!' By afternoon, April 28, the situation must have felt similar for Abhilash and his fans too. He was expected at Les Sables-d'Olonne that day but thanks to prevailing weather conditions, the ETA (Expected Time of Arrival) stood revised to late morning April 29. Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai. Feature Presentation: Mahipal Soni/Rediff.com Pope Francis on Friday blasted the adolescent belligerence that brought war back to Europe and said the continent must recover its founding spirit of peaceful unity to confront Russias war in Ukraine. Francis outlined his vision for the future of Europe as he began a three-day visit to Hungary. In a carefully calibrated speech, he demanded that the European Union approve safe and legal ways for migrants to enter and for the Hungarian government not to hold Europe hostage to populist demands. Francis didnt mince words when he addressed President Katalin Novak and Hungarys populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, whose lukewarm support for Ukraine has rankled other EU countries. The pontiff recalled the lofty ideals behind the blocs founding and lamented that rising nationalism and adolescent belligerence had replaced them. We seem to be witnessing the sorry sunset of that choral dream of peace, as the solists of war now take over, Francis said. At this historical juncture, Europe is crucial. It is called to take up its proper role, which is to unite those far apart, to welcome those other peoples and refuse to consider anyone an eternal enemy. Hungarian officials said the popes visit, his second to Budapest in as many years, was designed primarily to let him minister to the countrys Catholic community. But with the war in neighboring Ukraine and Orban butting heads with other EU nations over rule of law issues and LGBTQ+ rights, Francis words and deeds in the heart of Europe carried strong political undertones. He has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution to the war and expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people, although his trip to Hungary brought Francis the nearest hes gotten to the front line of the fighting. The pope plans to meet Saturday with some of the 35,000 Ukrainian refugees who remain in Hungary. Nearly 2.5 million refugees entered the country early on in Russias invasion of Ukraine. Orban has called for a cease-fire. But the nationalist prime minister has refused to supply Kyiv with weapons and threatened to veto EU sanctions against Moscow while maintaining Hungarys strong dependence on Russian energy. His government also said it would not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an international arrest warrant on war crimes charges, if he came to Hungary. While sharing his hopes for Europe, Francis appeared to call out the countrys growing isolation. I think of a Europe that is not hostage to its parts, neither falling prey to self-referential forms of populism nor resorting to a fluid, if not vapid, supra-nationalism that loses sight of the life of its peoples, the pope said. Novak, for her part, praised Francis as a man of peace and asked him to confer with Kyiv and Moscow, to Washington, Brussels, Budapest and to anyone without whom there can be no peace. Here, in Budapest, we ask you to act personally for a just peace as soon as possible! Francis has expressed appreciation for Hungarys recent welcome of Ukrainian refugees, but his views on the moral imperative to welcome all people fleeing conflict, poverty and climate change contrast with Orbans hard line on migration. In 2015-2016, Hungary built a razor wire fence on the border with Serbia to stop people from entering . Francis said time was up for Europes excuses and delay in responding to the hundreds of thousands of migrants who risk their lives trying to reach the continent each year. He called for the EU to agree on secure and legal corridors that would provide a safer route. Europe must come up with shared mechanisms to confront an epochal challenge that cannot be faced by pushing back, but must be welcomed to prepare a future that, unless it is shared, will not exist, the pope said. The 86-year-old pontiff, who walks with difficulty because of bad knee ligaments, is testing his frail health with his latest trip. He spent four days in the hospital last month with bronchitis. Hungarian officials had hoped Francis would travel around the country, but the Vatican opted to keep him in Budapest, where he spent seven hours in 2021 to close out a church congress. The visit comes as the European Unions legislature continues to put pressure on Hungary to counter what EU lawmakers consider a deterioration in the rule of law and democratic principles, including media freedom and LGBTQ+ rights. The four biggest groups in the European Parliament have called on the blocs executive commission to withhold pandemic recovery funds for Hungary until liberal democracy principles are met. Francis didnt wade in directly to the dispute, but he quoted the Hungarian Constitution and the founder of the Hungarian state, St. Stephen, in calling for the country to remain open toward others, another apparent reference to Orbans nativist rhetoric. On LGBTQ+ rights, the pope and the Hungarian governments policies were not totally at odds. Catholic doctrine forbids gay marriage, though Francis has backed legal protections for people in same-sex unions. He also has long ministered to gay and transgender Catholics while condemning gender ideology as an alleged form of the Wests ideological colonization of the developing world. Hungary outlaws same-sex marriage, and the government has prohibited same-sex couples from adopting children. The government has also outlawed the depiction of homosexuality or divergent gender identities to minors in media content. Francis repeated his condemnation of gender ideology Friday along with what he described as the so-called right to abortion. He praised Hungary for promoting family values. How much better it would be to build a Europe centered on the human person and on its peoples, with effective polices for natality and the family policies that are pursued attentively in this country, he said. Francis arrival was met with a quiet welcome, with small groups of people cheering his motorcade as it entered the city center. Zoltan Gozner, a religious education teacher from Esztergom, north of Budapest, took his class to a place on the motorcades route so students could see it. Hungary is still a Christian country, and we are a guardian of this faith, he said. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition RIDGEFIELD A war-torn Ukrainian city that has lost over half of its population since the Russian invasion last year will be receiving supplies donated by Ridgefield residents as part of a sister city initiative. Ridgefield will be helping the eastern Ukrainian city of Druzhkivka, which is 10 miles from the war zone. "They were decimated by the shelling," Ridgefield resident Ross Voytovych said, with the city's population dropping from about 65,000 residents to about 32,000 since Russia invaded in February 2022. "The infrastructure is down. Only the necessary services are working, such as military administration. It's pretty much ground zero," said Voytovych, whose family lives in Ukraine and who visited the country last summer. "The artillery can go as far as 100 miles, and them being 10 miles away is pretty much nothing." The sister city program is set up by Ukraine Aid International, a U.S. registered nonprofit with on-the-ground operations in the battle-scarred nation. The Ridgefield Board of Selectmen unanimously approved the sister city set-up at its last meeting, and the town will begin sending the donated supplies directly to Druzkivha through a network of volunteers. The partnership "provides an opportunity to make more people in the town of Ridgefield understand (Druzhkivka's) needs," First Selectman Rudy Marconi said. The arrangement does not involve financial support to the city, Marconi said. Generating support The sister city program takes "a last mile type of initiative," Voytovych said, delivering donated items "close to the line of fighting, where the war is." The first Connecticut town to join the initiative was Westport, which was paired with the Ukrainian city of Lyman in January. Westport collected $250,000 to $300,000 in its first two to three weeks of fundraising, Voytovych said. Easton and Stamford have also formed sister city relationships with cities in Ukraine. Voytovych is active with Ridgefield Responds, a nonprofit organization founded in 2005 that's also engaged in efforts to help the people of Ukraine. "Ridgefield Responds was sending money to support projects in Ukraine. Like MoveUkraine (a nonprofit that helps Ukraine), we sent close to $50,000 to rebuild an old dormitory for internally displaced people," he said. The idea behind the sister city initiative, however, is to organize efforts to meet the needs of a specific city, rather than sending help for general distribution. Ukraine Aid International "has all the arrangements to accept delivery to unload an]d bring (the items) right to the city for the people there to use," said Marconi, who has spoken on the phone with Druzhkivka Mayor Serhiy Boyevskyy. A list of several dozen items needed in Druzhkivka includes a tractor, sledgehammers, lanterns, generators and sleeping bags. Druzhkivka "needs our help rebuilding the infrastructure and everything, so people can come back safely," Voytovych said. A complete of donations needed for Druzhkivka will be posted soon on the Ridgefield Responds Facebook page. The return of the giant panda Ya Ya to China has become the latest symbol of the fragile relations between the two major world powers. Ya Ya arrived in Shanghai on Thursday afternoon after leaving the Memphis Zoo (Tennessee), where she had lived for the past two decades with her partner Le Le, who died in February. The animals departure marks the end of a 20-year loan deal and coincides with a period in which mistrust between Beijing and Washington is at an all-time high. Rumors and accusations of animal abuse had intensified in recent months, at a time when each gesture is analyzed down to the last detail by both sides. Ya Ya has been received in China as a star; the state media have provided extensive coverage of the event and the internet is abuzz with messages of welcome and celebration. Since the death of Le Le on February 1 two days before the Pentagon detected a Chinese balloon over US soil that it accused of espionage, Chinese social media had been rife with debate about the treatment the pandas were receiving in Memphis. Videos showing Ya Ya looking very skinny and with bald spots in her faded fur went viral while a completely different image came from Russia: the chubby Ru Yi and Ding Ding, the pandas that live in the Moscow zoo, were featured in the Chinese media doing somersaults and eating happily in the Moscow facility. Its the clear difference between how a good and an evil stepmother treats you, wrote a user of the social network Weibo. In April, the panda Lin Hui died in Thailand, a death that went virtually unnoticed in Chinese forums. In 2021, the US group In Defense of Animals accused the Memphis Zoo of failing to properly care for the panda couple, alleging that they were suffering from physical, mental and emotional deprivation. Zoo managers have always denied these claims and said that Ya Ya suffers from a chronic skin and coat problem inherent to her immune system and affected by hormonal changes. Zoo director Matt Thompson went so far as to say that Le Le and Ya Ya were two of the most pampered animals on the planet. Despite the fact that these rumors were also silenced by the Chinese authorities, comments still abound on Weibo criticizing the suffering that this national treasure has suffered far from the beloved homeland. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured that the pandas have been properly cared for and were very loved by the Americans. The giant panda has played a pivotal role as a symbol of friendly exchanges between China and the United States. These cute giant pandas, unique in China, have a special mission, reads an editorial published Thursday in the government-run Global Times newspaper. Soon after, its controversial former director, Hu Xijing, speculated on his personal blog that with the return of Ya Ya, the curtain is lowered on what China-US relations were 20 years ago. The worst is the US political elite, which has broken the friendship and basic trust and has generated a spiral of mutual suspicion, causing both peoples to question everything, Hu lashed out. How China has changed in 20 years Ya Ya (Beijing, 2000) and Le Le (Shanghai, 1998-2023) arrived in Memphis in 2003 as part of a conservation and research project between the Chinese Association of Zoos and the United States. The context in which that loan occurred was very different from the current one. China had entered the World Trade Organization (WTO) just two years earlier with the approval of the United States, which hoped that, as that emerging giant developed, it would end up becoming a liberal democracy with a market economy similar to those of the West. Chinas entry into the WTO changed the multilateral trade system and led hundreds of foreign companies to set up shop on its territory. Much has happened since then, from US criticism of alleged abuses by the Chinese government against ethnic minorities in Tibet and Xinjiang, to the repression following pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, to the trade war. And suspicion reaches a climax when it comes to Taiwan, the democratically self-governing island that Washington supplies with weapons but which China considers an inalienable part of its territory. Meanwhile, mistrust continues regarding the neutrality that Beijing claims to maintain in the war in Ukraine. Xi Jinping, who has not condemned the invasion, spoke last Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the first time since the start of the war. In the year and two months of war, however, the Chinese leader has not hidden the good harmony he maintains with his dear friend Vladimir Putin. Panda diplomacy What is known as panda diplomacy began before the establishment of the Peoples Republic, which occurred in 1949. Eight years earlier, in 1941, the then Republic of China gave the United States a pair of these bears in gratitude for their help during the Japanese invasion. These precious gifts were limited to allied countries once the Communist Party took power, but since the 1970s, when Beijing began to connect with the world, the black and white animals have become goodwill ambassadors destined for to strengthen relations with the West. The United States received a pair of pandas after the historic meeting between Richard Nixon and Mao Zedong in the Chinese capital in 1972, which started the thaw between Washington and Beijing. The pandas are considered a kind of award with which China shows its friendship to those nations with which it has a good bilateral relationship. However, since 1984, it has only rented them out and for large sums of money. The contracts are usually for around 10 years and are estimated to be around a million dollars. To this amount must be added the high cost of maintaining very delicate animals, which feed mainly on fresh bamboo shoots. According to data from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), there are 1,864 pandas in the wild and 50 in captivity in 26 zoos in 21 countries. Jammu, Apr 29 (PTI) More than a week after terrorists strafed one of its trucks in an ambush in Poonch and killed five soldiers, Indian Army on Saturday asked people to immediately report any suspicious movement to the security forces and stay away from engaging in terror activities. It said it found it "unbelievable" to see the names that have come up in investigation associated with the April 20 attack. The army said Pakistan does not want peace in Jammu & Kashmir and will always be on the lookout for disturbing it, be it through communal disturbances or by supplying drugs and intoxicants to corrupt the youth. "The Central govt and the army have been working together for the development of the area and people of this region so that they could be part of the mainstream of the country. Keeping this in mind, people of all the communities should walk shoulder to shoulder with the army," it said in a statement here. "Hence, the people of this area should keep away from such type of incident and activities in future, if someone is roaming suspected in the region, then the people of this area should immediately inform and assist the army and foil the major incident like Poonch," the army said, adding that people were equally responsible for the maintenance of peace in the region. The army statement came a day after Director General of Police Dilbag Singh claimed they had uncovered the Poonch terror plot with the arrest of six locals for sheltering the terrorists before they carried out the attack, for which they used explosives and weapons delivered to them from Pakistan through drones. "The Poonch region of Jammu and Kashmir has always witnessed heroic and historical events and battles fought by them in 1948, 1962, 1971 and 1999. Whenever, anyone has tried to spread unrest in this area the people have fought shoulder to shoulder with the Indian Army irrespective of their caste, creed, gender and religion," the army said. Pakistan neither wants peace nor a stable government in Jammu and Kashmir, even more since the abolition of Article 370 in 2019, it said. "Pakistan is trying to attract the poor and working people to terrorist activities with money However, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have understood the mentality of Pakistan and opposed the terrorist attacks in J&K," the army said. Poonch residents on Tuesday carried out a candle march to commemorate the dead soldiers and condemn the terror attack. "The people of J&K should try to motivate their children and family and keep them updated with the old history of this region," the army said. PTI TAS TAS VN VN Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to embark on a three-day visit to the Maldives beginning Monday with an aim to bolster bilateral defence and strategic ties, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday. Separately, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari is likely to visit Sri Lanka on Monday. The planned visits by the defence minister and the Chief of Air Staff to the two key maritime neighbours of India come amid China's persistent efforts to expand its influence in the countries of the region. During his trip to the Maldives, Singh is likely to meet Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid and Defence Minister Mariya Didi among others. The defence minister will leave for the Maldives on Monday and will return on Wednesday, the people said. "The focus of the visit will be further expand bilateral defence cooperation," one of the people said. The Maldives is one of India's key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and the overall bilateral ties including in areas of defence and security have been on an upward trajectory in the last few years. In August last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Solih kick-started the India-funded Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), billed as the largest infrastructure initiative in the island nation. Under the GMCP project, a 6.74-km-long bridge and causeway link will be built to connect the capital city Male with adjoining islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. The Maldives is also one of the biggest beneficiaries of India's Neighbourhood First policy. Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane visited Maldives last month during which he held talks with his Maldivian counterpart Major General Abdulla Shamaal. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari is set to visit Sri Lanka on May 1. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has stated that India wants to ensure that its relations with all nations develop without pursuing exclusivity. He also emphasised that China falls into a somewhat different category due to the current "abnormal" nature of ties as a result of Beijing's violation of border management agreements. While delivering a lecture in a diplomatic school, Jaishankar stated, Whether it is the United States, Europe, Russia or Japan we are trying to ensure that all these ties advance without seeking exclusivity. China falls in a somewhat different category because of the boundary dispute and the currently abnormal nature of our ties. That is an outcome of violation of agreement regarding border management by them. EAM Jaishankar further said that the rise of China in a parallel time frame is also not without its competitive aspects. The Union Minister further stated that when India looks at other regions be it Africa, the Pacific or Latin America, much of what is happening can be explained as the emergence of India's emerging Global footprint. External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar inaugurated the Indian Embassy in the Dominican Republic on Friday (local time) in the presence of the Dominican Republic's Vice President, Raquel Pena. This is his first official state visit to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as India expands its reach in Latin America and the Caribbean. Privileged to join Vice President of Dominican Republic @RaquelPenaVice in inaugurating the Embassy of India in the Dominican Republic. Our political relations are exceptionally cordial and we coordinate closely in the multilateral arena. Confident that presence of our pic.twitter.com/2H4PzSsdi2 Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 29, 2023 In his lecture to diplomatic corps and students of diplomatic school in the Dominican Republic, Dr. S Jaishankar highlighted three aspects: How does India approach the world and secure its growing global interest; How is India engaging Latin America; What should India - today's and tomorrow's - mean to you (Dominican Republic). After his lecture, Dr. S Jaishankar also tweeted about it and stated, Happy to speak to diplomatic corps and young minds of the diplomatic school of @MIREXRD , Dominican Republic. Offered my thoughts on How does India approach the world? How is India engaging Latin America? What should India todays and tomorrows - mean to them? Watch my speech to know the answers: , Happy to speak to diplomatic corps and young minds of the diplomatic school of @MIREXRD , Dominican Republic. Offered my thoughts on 1How does India approach the world? 2How is India engaging Latin America? 3 What should India todays and tomorrows - mean to them? pic.twitter.com/3YIiDSvVdy Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 29, 2023 Jaishankar also gave them an explanation of India's Neighbourhood First Policy, which emphasises cordial ties with its South Asian neighbours, as he stated, "Like any other country, India's most pressing priorities are in its neighbourhood. Given its size and economic strength, it is very much for the collective benefit that India takes generous and non-reciprocal approach to cooperation with smaller neighbours." He further stated, "This what we have done in the last decade under the leadership of PM Modi and Neighbourhood First Policy. It has seen a dramatic expansion in connectivity, contact and cooperation across the region. The exception to this is, of course, Pakistan in view of the cross-border terrorism it supports." "Whether it is the COVID challenge or more recent debt pressure, India has always stepped up for its neighbours." Jaishankar, in his lecture, explained India's global ties in all directions. He said, "Beyond South Asia, India is developing a concept of extended neighbourhoods, in all directions. With ASEAN, this has taken the form of what we call the Act East Policy that has opened up a pathway to a deeper engagement with the Indo-Pacific that is being pursued amongst others through a mechanism, called the Quad, he added. "Towards the West, there has been a perceptible intensification with India's relationship with the Gulf and with the Middle East. One reflection of that, is a new grouping called I-2U-2, comprising India, Israel, UAE, USA." The External Affairs Minister also said, "To the South, the outlook that shapes India's thinking goes by the acronym of Sagar, an Indian word for oceans. First time in 2015, PM Modi articulated a comprehensive view that spans the entirety of Indian oceans and its islands. These subsequently became the building block for the Indo-Pacific vision that merged thereafter." Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is currently on a visit to Mauritius, met the island nation's Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and President Prithvirajsing Roopun, and held with them "positive discussions" on making the Maharashtra-Mauritius bond stronger. Fadnavis, who met these leaders on Friday, said the Economic Development Board Mauritius (EDB) and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), and added that the move would pave the way for a stronger connect and bring ease of doing business between Mauritius and Maharashtra. The deputy chief minister also inaugurated a 12-feet statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Moka in the island nation on Friday evening, where he announced Rs 8 crore to the Mauritius Marathi Mandali Federation for the expansion of Maharashtra Bhawan there, and scholarships to 10 students. Fadnavis promised to set up a separate cell to ensure that Marathi-speaking people in Mauritius can remain in constant touch with the native place of their forefathers. In a tweet, he said, "Called on Honble Prime Minister of Mauritius Shri Pravind Kumar Jugnauth ji, a great leader who has played a very important role in preserving and strengthening the India-Mauritius bond since many years. Had very positive discussions on taking Maharashtra-Mauritius connect to an even more advanced stage." On his meeting with Mauritius President Prithvirajsing Roopun, Fadnavis said, "It was very insightful to hear him based on his vast knowledge and experience in varied sectors. He too guided us on ways to take forward the Maharashtra and Mauritius bond!" The deputy chief minister also met several other leaders of that country. "We had detailed discussions on various sectors and way forward on Maharashtra-Mauritius collaboration," he said on Twitter. Apart from them, he also interacted with and addressed eminent people in the business sector and captains of the industry at the Mauritius-Maharashtra Business Forum. Talking about the unveiling of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Mauritius, he said, "It was one of the greatest moments of my life! Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharajs statue got installed 5000 kms away from His homeland...Just imagine the gravity of unparalleled greatness and our great King!" A man with past history of poaching has been nabbed from the core area of Madhya Pradeshs Kuno National Park (KNP), which is home to cheetahs brought from Namibia and South Africa, an official said on Saturday. A gun has been recovered from the man, Alam Mongia. He had hidden the firearm by burying it in a riverbed in the area, said Divisional Forest Officer PK Verma. Mongia, in his 40s, lives in the vicinity of the national park and is the fourth poacher to be nabbed from the protected forest since cheetahs were brought into it to revive the species in the country, said the official. According to the official, Mongia was rounded up in the core area of KNP on April 16 but they kept his detention under wraps to track down two of his associates, who are still at large. All the four poachers arrested since the launch of the cheetah project were not involved in killing carnivores. They set up snares to hunt herbivores for bushmeat, Verma said. Mongia has poached animals in the past, Verma said. We grilled him. He has no connection with any big poachers gang, the DFO said. In December 2022, the carcass of a big cat was found hanging from a tree in a clutch-wire trap near MPs Panna Tiger Reserve, with officials suspecting poachers role in the animals death. The Kuno park has been under the spotlight ever since Prime Minister released the first batch of eight cheetahs brought from Namibia into quarantine enclosures there on September 17 last year. Of them, a female cheetah died due to a kidney ailment later. The second lot of 12 cheetahs imported from South Africa was released on February 18. Of them, a male cheetah succumbed to cardiopulmonary problems. The big cats have been brought to Kuno under an ambitious inter-continental translocation programme to revive their population in India. The countrys last cheetah died in Koriya district of present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947 and the species was declared extinct in 1952. A new payment system for Russians visiting Turkey is in the works, according to Turkish news outlet Hurriyet. Named Rebit Kart, the new system will allow Russian tourists "to easily use" cards via a mobile application, as per sources in the administration of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The new system comes as a much-needed alternative after banks in Turkey suspended Mir, a Russian card payment system, at the behest of Erdogan. The suspension was prompted by the United States revealing that it intends to sanction those who support Moscow's expansion of its payment system across the globe. Mir, which was launched in 2014 by the Central Bank of Russia as a substitute for Visa and Mastercard, was rapidly adopted by nations like Turkey, Belarus, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam, and Tajikistan. In August last year, five banks in Turkey began accepting the payment network to make it easier for Russian tourists to pay for their purchases. US threatens to sanction financial institutions for using Mir However, the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) later declared that it will be imposing sanctions on any financial body outside Russia that uses Mir and in turn, facilitates Russias efforts to evade sanctions. This led to Turkish banks suspending the payment system, as banks of Kazakhstan and Vietnam followed suit. Russias ambassador Aleksey Yerkhov said earlier in February that the work [on an alternative to Mir] is underway but its too early to announce results." He added that further progress and assessment will be made during the peak tourist season. Before that, Alexey Yegarmin, the head of the Russian-Turkish Business Council, hinted that the creation of a new payment network was underway. On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone conversation with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss several pressing issues. According to a statement from the Turkish Communications Directorate, Erdogan emphasised the importance of extending the cross-border aid mechanism to Syria in July. The leaders also addressed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, as well as recent developments in Syria and Sudan, as per a report from TRT World. During his phone call with UN Secretary-General (UNSC) Antonio Guterres, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his country's willingness to serve as a mediator and facilitate peace talks between the parties involved in the conflict in Sudan. Erdogan stressed Turkey's ability to establish dialogue with both sides and work alongside the UN to help resolve their differences. Black Sea grain deal was also discussed In addition to discussing geopolitical issues, Erdogan and Guterres addressed economic matters with Erdogan underlining the importance of continuing the Black Sea grain deal. He further noted that Turkey is prepared to participate in a working group with an inter-institutional delegation, provided that an agreement is reached regarding the ammonia pipeline. Ankara has good relations with Russia and is also a member of NATO, which gives it leverage. A look at UN's version of the talks The UN said that United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held discussions regarding the expansion and extension of the Black Sea grain deal, as well as the export of Russian food products and fertilisers. The UN confirmed that the two leaders exchanged views on how to ensure the continuation of these trade arrangements. Notably, Russia has reportedly requested that any obstacles to the export of its fertilizer be removed before agreeing to another extension of the grain deal, which was originally signed in Istanbul last July between Turkey, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine. The agreement is set to expire on May 18th. As of now, it isn't clear if the Black Sea grain deal will be extended. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan have participated in the TEKNOFEST Aerospace and Technology Festival in Istanbul. President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva arrived at the venue of the festival by the Togg car, which is another sign of Turkiye`s technological development. The festival participants lining up along the road greeted the presidents and first ladies with flowers and prolonged applause. Then, a photo was taken. First, Prime Minister of Libya Abdul Hamid Dbeibah addressed the event. Then, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made a speech. Speech by President Ilham Aliyev - Dear Mr. President, my dear brother Recep Tayyip Erdogan, dear Mrs. Emine Erdogan, dear friends. I am very happy to be visiting your brotherly country again. I have brought you the sincere greetings on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan. A year ago, the TEKNOFEST Festival was held in Baku, and we participated in TEKNOFEST together with my dear brother. Today I am here. This once again shows that Turkiye and Azerbaijan are always together. Turkiye and Azerbaijan are friendly and brotherly countries. At the same time, Turkiye and Azerbaijan officially became allies after the signing of the Shusha Declaration two years ago. The signing of that historic Declaration in Shusha, the crown jewel of Karabakh, has a special significance. Shusha is a dear city for the Azerbaijani people and a dear city of the entire Turkic world. As a result of the liberation of Shusha from occupation, Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity. Turkiye, its President and the brotherly Turkish people were always by our side. From the very first to the last minutes of the Second Karabakh War, my dear brother President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was with us. His statements and messages expressed unequivocal support for Azerbaijan. He said that Azerbaijan was not alone, that Turkiye was with Azerbaijan, and this gave us additional strength and boosted our morale. Turkiye has covered a long and glorious road in the last 20 years. Under the leadership of the Honorable President, Turkiye has become a voice in the world and a guarantor of peace, stability and security in our region. Turkiye has played a great role in the unification of the great Turkic world. At the Summit of Turkic states held in Ankara last month, all Turkic states expressed their support, their respect and our common solidarity with my dear brother. The Turkic world has great geography, great potential, great natural resources, and great military power. Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made historic contributions to the unification of the Turkic world. Today, Turkiye is the trade, energy, transport and political center of Eurasia. The importance and the role of Turkiye are growing day by day. Turkiyes strong industry strengthens both Turkiye itself and its allies. The Turkish army is among the leading armies in the world today. Turkiyes defense industry is recognized by the whole world today. The most developed, the most modern, the most advanced defense industry strengthens both Turkiye and us. This will ensure the security of Turkiye for many years to come. While participating in TEKNOFEST today, I would like to emphasize the contributions of our dear brother Selcuk Bayraktar, the founder of TEKNOFEST. Selcuk bey has visited Azerbaijan many times, including the liberated lands, Shusha. During his last visit, on April 3, when he was in Azerbaijan, we talked about future cooperation and agreed on the establishment of the Bayraktar center in Azerbaijan. Inshallah, the Bayraktar center will be established in Azerbaijan in the near future, and there will be training, maintenance and production there. While in Baku, Mr. Selcuk presented us with a model of Kizilelma as a gift. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our brothers on Kizilelma, and I do hope that Kizilelma will be in the skies of Azerbaijan in the near future. Kizilelma in the air, Altay and Togg on the ground, Anatolia at sea this is today's Turkiye. In a few days, the Azerbaijani people will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev, the founder of the modern Azerbaijan state. Heydar Aliyev said that Turkiye and Azerbaijan are one nation in two states. Today we are proving that. The souls of all our fathers and forefathers are happy because Turkiye and Azerbaijan are together. As my father said, One nation in two states, and I want to add to that like One fist! I am visiting the brotherly country for the third time this year. I was here in February, then I was here in March, and I am here again today. My dear brother, you have the floor. We are waiting for you, all the people of Azerbaijan are waiting for you, kissing you, hugging you, conveying their respect and love to you. Turkiye-Azerbaijan union is eternal! x x x Following the speech of the Azerbaijani leader, President Ilham Aliyev and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan laid the foundation stone in an online format for the residential complex consisting of a thousand houses, a school, a mosque and other infrastructure facilities to be built by the Azerbaijani government in Kahramanmaras province where the earthquake occurred. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked President Ilham Aliyev for the houses foundations of which were laid in Kahramanmaras. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev with a commemorative banknote made to mark the 100th anniversary of great son of the Turkic world, Great Leader Heydar Aliyev. The Turkish President then made his speech. The speeches were followed by a ceremony to award the winners of a competition held as part of the TEKNOFEST. They posed for photographs together with the competition winners. They also watched manoeuvres of Kizilelma unmanned aircraft in the sky. Board Chairman of Baykar company Selcuk Bayraktar presented keepsakes to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of Libya Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan. x x x Organized for 6 years and gaining an international dimension in its fifth year, the 2023 edition of TEKNOFEST kicked off on April 27 for a technology-developing Turkiye, with the vision of the National Technology Initiative. Co-organized by the Turkish Technology Team Foundation and the Ministry of Industry and Technology in partnership with about 120 stakeholders, including ministries, public and private sector institutions, academic institutions, and media companies that play a critical role in the national technology ecosystem of the fraternal country, the festival will run until May 1. TEKNOFEST, which continues to grow and gain strength every year; millions of technology enthusiasts are expected to visit for 5 days, full of technology, science, aviation-flight shows, exhibitions, summits, workshops, technology competitions, award ceremonies, stage shows and events. TEKNOFEST is an excellent platform where young people's dreams are transformed into projects and projects become initiatives. Having been held at Istanbul Airport for the first time in 2018, TEKNOFEST has become the worlds second largest festival in terms of the number of daily visitors with 550,000 participants and has achieved to be the worlds third largest festival in terms of overall attendees. If the first edition of TEKNOFEST organized in 2018 brought together 4333 teams and 20,000 participants, this year more than 1 million competitors and more than 333,000 teams are competing in 41 different competitions and 102 subcategories. On 2629 May 2022, TEKNOFEST was held in Azerbaijan for the first time outside Turkiye. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan, first ladies Mehriban Aliyeva and Emine Erdogan, as well as the Nobel Prize Laureate Aziz Sancar attended the opening ceremony of the TEKNOFEST Azerbaijan Aerospace and Technology Festival, which was held for the first time in Baku. Some 300,000 visitors attended TEKNOFEST Azerbaijan. The festival included three international events and eight technology competitions. Opinion articles written in the style of their author. These texts are to be based on verified facts and must be respectful towards people, even though their actions may be criticized. All opinion articles written by individuals from outside the staff of EL PAIS shall feature, along with the authors name (regardless of their greater or lesser renown), a footer stating their office, academic title, political affiliation (if any) and main occupation, or the occupation related to the topic being assessed When prehistoric humans would put out their campfires at night, they were alone with the stars. There was something magical about the way the sky would appear unchanged when chaos prevailed on Earth. On top of that magic, those who gazed at the stars also observed their patterns, just as Ptolemy did many centuries before Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler became fascinated with them. With progress, astrology was gradually replaced by astronomy - at the beginning they were the same thing. In ancient cultures, astrology also served the political power, which sought to control it, as, at the time, predicting the fall of a tyrant was tantamount to instigating his toppling. The legendary science communicator Carl Sagan provided a marvelous explanation in his Cosmos series, which aired in 1980. And, like any good advocate of rationalism, he took the opportunity to ridicule horoscopes. He picks up several newspapers and reads out the fortunes for one sign: Libra. They are all so vague that they could apply to anyone; all so different from each other that they cannot respond to any rationale. (I personally knew of a publication where the page editors, an old trade, amused themselves by interchanging the paragraphs of each star sign, and no one ever noticed). There is also a modern and compelling version of Cosmos, presented by Neil deGrasse Tyson. The original, consisting of 13 one-hour episodes, has aged remarkably well. Sagan threw in some updates at the end of the episodes in 1989 with the latest findings. But it didnt require too much correction. The series was made at a time when the fascination with the space race was on the wane, hampered by budget cuts during the oil crisis. Sagan bemoaned the fact that space research was being cut back while military spending was on the increase. Nonetheless, significant steps had been taken towards the comprehension of the near and distant stars, thanks to the probes. Back then, photos of Mars landscapes were beginning to emerge, albeit not in high definition. Sagan, a physicist and astrophysicist, showed us the universe with his charisma, and the aid of rustic visual effects (cutting edge for the time), historical dramatizations and the beautiful music of Vangelis. He delivered clear answers and also posed great questions. Is there life out there, could it be another nature? The big question of whether life is an exceptional or abundant phenomenon is still unresolved four decades later. He favored the second idea - that there was probably life in millions of places. And the chances of contacting other advanced civilizations were slimmer, but he did not lose hope and encouraged us to try to do so. He believed that an encounter of this kind would lift us out of terrestrial provincialism. He also ridicules the UFO phenomenon - very popular at that time - which he believes to be akin to religion and superstition. Incidentally, Sagan made use of his knowledge of other planets to talk about Earth. Venus, a greenhouse inferno, is the perfect, and horrifying, example of what could happen if we continue to destroy the environment of our own planet. Sagan warned that the devastation of vegetation and pollution caused by humans could render Earth uninhabitable. Earth does not need to become like Venus to turn into a barren and lifeless environment., he assured. At that time there was certainly less of a scientific consensus on the effects of climate change, but he was convinced of it. Some people even question it today, when we have reached 38 degrees Celsius in April and it has not rained for 135 days. The esteemed scientist confessed his obsession with the self-destructive capacities of our species, from ecological destruction to the nuclear threat, which was commonplace during the Cold War years and has now resurfaced. Half a century after the last time a human set foot on the Moon, 43 years after the first Cosmos program, 27 years after Sagans passing, the space shuttle that was supposed to take us back to the Moon and later to Mars exploded at liftoff. The company (Elon Musks) behind the venture believes it is an achievement that it did not explode earlier. If Sagan is still relevant today, perhaps we have not advanced as much as we think we have. We might still be insignificant in the universe. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Just months after sitting on the chair of the most powerful person in Latin Americas biggest country, Brazil, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva [Lula] chose to stir a controversy no one saw coming. The president was on the second leg of his Europe tour in Spain when he made a speech and turned all eyes and ears toward him in the global arena. During the speech, Lula stated that the UN created the State of Israel in 1948, but did not say the same in relation to the Palestinians, as per the Cradle. The Brazilian president said, "The UN was so strong that, in 1948, it managed to create the State of Israel. In 2023, it fails to create a Palestinian state." This statement of his drew criticism from the Jewish community in Brazil. Jewish Community in Brazil The first Jews came to Brazil around the middle of the 15th century; currently, there are about 91,000 Jews living there, making it the tenth-largest Jewish community in the world. Despite making up only about 0.5 percent of the Brazilian population, the Jewish community is very involved in many different facets of Brazilian society, as per the Jewish virtual library. [Image Credi: AP] 'UN created the State of Israel in 1948': Brazil President Lula StandWithUs Brasil reacted to Lulas words with a statement, as reported by an Israeli local media outlet. It reads, "Contrary to what the President of the Republic, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said, Israel was not created by the United Nations." Further, it said, "In 1947, what the UN Partition advocated was the creation of two countries, one for Jews and the other for Arabs. The Jews accepted; the Arabs did not. The State of Israel was founded after a war waged by the armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq against the Jews. Past tussles with Jews The statement Lula made is not the first time he has disagreed with the Jewish state. Brazil's decision to permit two Iranian warships to dock at its port in Rio de Janeiro drew criticism from Israel in March. In December 2010, just before the end of his last term, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva formally recognised the State of Palestine. Controversies during Europe Tour This is not the only squabble Lula has caused during his Europe visit that was intended to encourage new investments between the EU and Brazil, as per Before Madrid, when the Brazilian president was in Lisbon where he met with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, his remarks on the Russia-Ukraine war drew huge controversy. [Image Credi: AP] After Lula reiterated his desire to put an end to the conflict and promote communication between Russia and Ukraine during his visit to Portugal this week, the war in Ukraine dominated the conversation. Lula caused a stir when he said that both Russia and Ukraine made the decision to go to war and claimed that the US and Europe were arming the conflict. The US and other Western nations, including Spain, who think that any peace negotiations with Russia must be preceded by the complete withdrawal of all of its soldiers from Ukrainian land, criticised his stance. Washington said that Lula was "parroting" Chinese and Russian propaganda. Later, in Portugal, the Brazilian president clarified his position and said: "This war shouldn't have started, Russia shouldn't have invaded but it did. The fact is that it happened. So instead of choosing sides I want to choose a third way, the construction of peace", as reported by Euronews. A dozen senators are making a bipartisan appeal to President Joe Biden to reinvigorate the power of US authorities to seize Iranian oil assets under an enforcement program they say has been allowed to languish. Despite existing sanctions, Iranian oil exports jumped 35 per cent last year and proceeds are being used to sponsor attacks on US citizens and service members as well as allies, the senators said in a letter to the president. Specifically, the senators, led by Republican Joni Ernst of Iowa and Democrat Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut both from the Armed Services Committee complain that the Homeland Security Department's security investigations office has been constrained in seizure operations by lack of money. Since the enforcement program started in 2019, the office has seized nearly USD 228 million in Iranian crude and fuel oil linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, designated as a terrorist organization by the US, the senators said in the letter sent this past week. But they said the office has not recently been given money that is available under the Treasury Forfeiture Fund to conduct seizures of Iranian oil. It is unacceptable that a US government program, which makes the United States and its allies safer, provides funds to remediate the victims of terrorism, and generates income for the United States in a cost-effective manner, has been allowed to languish, the letter says. The push is coming from a diverse group of senators, among them Republicans Ted Cruz of Texas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Ron Wyden of Oregon. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Beyond refusing to invite the junta to its meetings, ASEAN has done little except let down the people of Myanmar. ASEAN Secretary General and Foreign Ministers, except Myanmar prepare to pose for a group photo during the 32nd ASEAN Coordinating Council meeting in Jakarta on Feb. 3, 2023. Two years ago this week, ASEAN negotiated a five-point consensus with the Burmese military that had seized power in a February 2021 coup and arrested many leaders of Myanmars elected government. The consensus was a roadmap for ending violence and starting a political dialogue, but the generals never intended to abide by it. The consensus called for an immediate end to violence; a dialogue among all parties; the appointment of a special envoy from the regional bloc; the provision of humanitarian assistance by the Southeast Asian bloc; and a visit to Myanmar by the special envoy to meet with all parties. The Burmese junta has since steadfastly ignored the consensus and waged a multi-front war against Myanmars civilian population. The toll has been horrific more than 4,000 people have been killed while the regime has arrested more than 17,000 and more than 150 people have been tortured to death or died in government custody. ASEAN continues in vain to use the five-point consensus as the basis for all talks. Other than refusing to give the junta a seat at its meetings, ASEAN has done little else except let down the people of Myanmar. In this handout photo released by Myanmar Military, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, right, receives Wang Ning, Secretary of CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee of China in Nay Pyi Taw, April 4, 2023. Credit: Myanmar Military handout photo via AFP In March, Thailand did an end run around ASEAN when it held a Track 1.5 dialogue with a handful of like-minded member states and the junta. Those in attendance included the authoritarian states of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam along with China, India, Bangladesh and Japan. Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore refused to attend and seemed genuinely angry at Thailand for having direct talks with the junta and denying Indonesia its prerogative as ASEANs 2023 chairman. Unbowed and unapologetic, Thailand argued that it was a Track 1.5 dialogue meaning that government officials were present but not necessarily acting in their official capacity, along with a few non-governmental experts. But few bought that fig leaf interpretation, noting that Wunna Maung Lwin, the juntas foreign minister, was clearly there in his official capacity, exactly as Bangkok had wanted. This week, India hosted the second Track 1.5 dialogue with Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh, Vietnam and China. Indonesia attended as an observer in its capacity as chairman of the regional bloc. The Thais were smart to let the Indians take over to deflect criticism that Thailand was trying to do an end run around ASEAN. Instead, the April 25 meeting could be billed as a gathering of neighboring countries who were directly impacted by the quagmire as well as other states searching for a solution. Craving legitimacy Yet it was another opportunity to give the junta the international legitimacy it so desperately craves. It follows another failed attempt at diplomacy by former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. Thailand sent its own foreign minister and special representative for Myanmar to meet with Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw. All of these serve to normalize ties with a regime that should be ostracized by the international community. Moreover, its hard to take seriously the idea that the neighboring countries are not in the juntas corner. India, is much less a champion of democracy under the increasingly illiberal government of Narendra Modi, whose control over the eastern portion of the nation is tenuous. India also fears a failing junta being even more dependent on China the last thing that New Delhi wants is a greater Chinese presence on another part of its border. Bangladesh is hoping to exchange normalized ties for the return of thousands of Rohingya to their homes in Myanmars Rakhine state. Thailand, meanwhile, sees itself as a political model for the junta to hold elections and maintain power. Not hedging bets China is no longer hedging its bets and has doubled down on the junta to protect its economic interests, pipelines and Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects. Lately, China has been applying pressure on Ethnic Resistance Organizations that are actively supporting the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) or quietly arming its Peoples Defense Forces over fears they might be tilting the balance away from Naypyidaw. As it increases air attacks, Myanmars Air Force has violated the airspace of Thailand, Bangladesh and India. None have lodged diplomatic complaints, a clear signal to the NUG. Reuters reported that a topic of discussion at the Indian 1.5 talks was the possible inclusion of the opposition government. That seems far-fetched as the junta has steadfastly refused to talk with its NUG leaders, officially labeling them terrorists. It seems far more likely that this was an attempt to dampen the international criticism of holding such a meeting. While the junta is bogged down in a multi-front war that it cant win, it does have a theory of victory. The military has increased attacks on civilians to terrorize them into submission. There have been more beheadings and mutilations, rape, and the razing of homes. And they have stepped up their air assaults. The military has given itself the means to do so, with a 50% increase in its budget for 2023. The junta has stepped up attempts to deprive the NUG of funding, including a recent threat of even incarcerating children for having a game on their phones whose proceeds go to support the NUG. The military, having recently disqualified a number of political parties for not registering under the new election law or having communications with terrorist organizations, continues to make plans for elections. More than 1,200 members of the overthrown National League for Democracy party are in jail, while the military has seized properties of more than 600 NLD members. Finally, the junta seeks to peel away ERO support from the NUG either by offering side deals, allowing China to pressure them or simply letting the traditional mistrust with the NUG manifest. Junta members believe that time is on their side and they can slog it out. Any international legitimacy conferred on them only helps achieve this goal. Zachary Abuza is a professor at the National War College in Washington and an adjunct at Georgetown University. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Defense, the National War College, Georgetown University or RFA. Observers warn Beijing that there will be no stability as long as the junta is in power. A slew of recent visits by top Chinese officials to Myanmar appears to be part of a bid by Beijing to counter U.S. influence on the nation, but rebel leaders warned that propping up the junta is a miscalculation, as there will be no stability while it remains in power. In the nearly 27 months since the military carried out a coup detat, China has been Myanmars staunchest ally. While most Western nations shunned junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing in the aftermath of the takeover and a violent crackdown on his opponents, Beijing stood by the general in Naypyidaw. While foreign investment has fled the embattled nation, Chinese investors have flocked there. And despite international sanctions leveled at the regime, trade between the two neighbors continues unabated. Support notwithstanding, Chinese officials have made multiple visits to Myanmar since the start of the year in what some analysts say is an influence peddling campaign by Beijing following U.S. President Joe Bidens signing in late December of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which will assist the countrys democratic forces. China has increased its dealings with the military junta, a China affairs expert told Radio Free Asia, speaking on condition of anonymity citing security concerns. It seems to me that China is worried about the United States NDAA and Burma Act. Thats why it has tried to maintain its influence by having more dealings with the military leaders. Among the provisions in the NDAA are programs designed to support those fighting the better-equipped military for democracy in Myanmar including the countrys shadow National Unity Government, anti-junta Peoples Defense Force paramilitary group, and various ethnic armies with technology and non-lethal assistance. Slate of high-profile visits In the latest high profile visit, Peng Xiubin, the director of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China, traveled to Naypyidaw on April 16 and secretly met with former junta leader Than Shwe, who ruled Myanmar from 1992 to 2011, and Thein Sein, the president of the countrys quasi-civilian government from 2011 to 2016. Reports circulated that following Pengs visit, Min Aung Hlaing met with the two former leaders to discuss the political situation in Myanmar. Pengs trip followed visits in February and March by Deng Xijun, Chinas special envoy for Asian Affairs, who met with the junta chief on both occasions. Only two months earlier, the Chinese envoy convened a meeting with several ethnic armies from northern Myanmar across the border in southwestern Chinas Yunnan province. In this photo combo, from left: former General Than Shwe, former President Thein Sein, and current Myanmar junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing. Credit: AFP Thein Tun Oo, the executive director of the Thayninga Institute for Strategic Studies, which is made up of former military officers, described the uptick in meetings between the junta and Chinese officials as a bid by Beijing to balance U.S. influence in the region. The U.S is no longer the only country influencing the world, he said. Among such changes in world politics, Myanmar and China which share a very long border need to cooperate more closely. The bottom line is that China-Myanmar relations will continue to develop based on this. RFA emailed the Chinese Embassy in Yangon to inquire about the frequency of visits by top Chinese government officials to Naypyidaw in recent months and Beijings position on the political situation in Myanmar, but received no reply. At the Chinese government's regular press briefing held in Beijing on March 17, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin called Myanmar a good neighbor, adding that Beijing is closely following the situation there and hopes for a resolution through dialogue and consultation among all stakeholders. Interests tied to peace Chinese affairs expert Hla Kyaw Zaw told RFA that China will only be able to realize its interests in Myanmar if the country is at peace. China can only continue its investments and projects if Myanmar is at peace, he said. The reason why China wants Myanmar to be peaceful is for its own economic interests. Among the China-backed megaprojects in Myanmar are the New Yangon City urban planning project, the Mee Lin Gyaing Energy Project in Ayeyarwady region, the Letpadaung Copper Mine in Sagaing region, and the Kyauk Phyu deep sea port and special economic zone in Rakhine state. According to ISP-Myanmar, an independent research group, there are 35 China-Myanmar economic corridor projects underway in Myanmar that include railways, roads, special economic zones, sea ports and urban planning projects. Than Soe Naing, a political analyst, agreed that Beijing's relations with the junta hinge on the furtherance of its strategic interests. I see China cooperating with the military junta only to continue to maintain, implement and expand its economic interests in Myanmar, such as the strategic Kyauk Phyu deep sea port project, which is a bid by Beijing to obtain access to the Indian Ocean, he said. In this handout photo Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, center is welcomed at Myanmar's Nyaung-U Airport to attend a foreign ministers' meeting of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism on July 2, 2022 Credit: Myanmar Military/AFP Than Soe Naing noted that China is trying to divide the [ethnic armies] in northern Myanmar from the anti-junta resistance groups under the pretext of peacemaking. But he said that China is actually working to exploit Myanmar's internal conflict by attempting to hold all the keys to the situation. No stability with junta Kyaw Zaw, spokesman for the National Unity Government's presidential office, warned China that there will only be stability in Myanmar if the forces of democracy succeed in their fight against the junta. He said only with stability in Myanmar will China realize its economic goals in the country. As long as there is a junta, Myanmar will not be at peace, he said. The junta will only terrorize the country with more violence and continue to torture the people. Thats why the country will remain destabilized under [the junta]. A lack of stability in Myanmar will also impact the development, security, and economy of its neighbors, Kyaw Zaw added. According to ISP-Myanmar, the value of foreign investment in Myanmar totaled more than U.S. $4 billion from February 2021 to April 2022, more than two-thirds of which was Chinese. Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Welcome back to the China In Eurasia briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking Chinas resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. To subscribe, click here. Im RFE/RL correspondent Reid Standish and heres what Im following right now. Beijing, Moscow, And Leaked Documents Along with my colleagues at Systema, RFE/RL's Russian investigative unit, we obtained never before reported documents and recordings from closed-door meetings in 2017 and 2019 between Chinese and Russian officials where they share methods and tactics for monitoring dissent and controlling the Internet. Finding Perspective: China and Russias growing ties are no secret, but the documents provide a unique window into the practical level of cooperation under way between China and Russia when it comes to monitoring and restricting their respective Internets. Among some of the key findings, Russian officials are seen asking for advice and practical know-how from their Chinese counterparts on a range of topics, including disrupting circumvention tools like VPNs and Tor, cracking encrypted Internet traffic, and seeking tips from China's experience in regulating messaging platforms. LISTEN: Beijing and Moscows deepening ties are no secret, but what do recently leaked Pentagon documents tell us about where their burgeoning military partnership is headed? Dennis Wilder, former Asia adviser to U.S. President George W. Bush, joins host Reid Standish. In another instance, in July 2017, Aleksandr Zharov, who served as the head of Roskomnadzor until 2020, asks a Chinese delegation to help arrange a visit for Russian specialists to China, where they could study the operations of the Golden Shield Project -- the all-encompassing Internet censorship and surveillance system that helps make up what is colloquially known as Chinas Great Firewall. In turn, Chinese officials sought Russian expertise on regulating media and dealing with popular dissent, including monitoring protests led by opposition figure Aleksei Navalny. In another 2019 exchange, officials from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) also made requests to Roskomnadzor to block a variety of China-related links to news articles and interviews that they had deemed to be of a dangerous nature and harmful to the public interest. Why It Matters: Beijing and Moscow have been deepening their ties for the past decade and controlling the flow of information online has been a focal point of that cooperation since Chinese leader Xi Jinpings first trip to Russia as leader in 2013. The documents shed new light on a pivotal time inside Russia and point to how Russia has sought to emulate China in exerting control over its people in the social media age. For years, the Russian government has been putting in place new measures to smother freedom of speech online, but many have stumbled in practice. But in 2019, those efforts reached a zenith when a controversial sovereign Internet law went into force that allowed Moscow to tighten control over the countrys Internet by routing web traffic through state-controlled infrastructure and creating a national system of domain names. While many of Russia's measures are still a far cry from those inside China, they have continued to be more technologically advanced and restrictive, a process that has accelerated since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Expert Corner: Who Speaks For Europe? Readers asked: French President Emmanuel Macron got into hot water over his comments about Taiwan. Weve also recently seen various other -- sometimes contradictory -- comments coming from European Union and European officials. Why does this seem to happen when it comes to China? To find out more, I asked Rikard Jozwiak, RFE/RLs Europe editor: It happens because there really isnt a coherent policy toward China. It is sometimes a rival, notably when it comes to geopolitics, and sometimes a partner in areas such as climate change mitigation. And then, of course, there is economic dependence on Beijing that leads to some EU member states not wanting to be too harsh on China. EU foreign policy is made up via the lowest common denominator as all the 27 EU capitals need to green-light any move. For China, this means that you have a mishmash of interests, ideas, and fears that makes outsiders unsure about what Europes China policy really is. I also think that the EU has failed to formulate a coherent Taiwan policy and this adds to the mixed messages coming out from Europe. Macron said that Europe should not get caught up in a conflict over the island, but have he and fellow European leaders drawn up any plans on what Brussels will do if China were to attack? Its still unclear what Europes red lines would be and how it would react. Do you have a question about Chinas growing footprint in Eurasia? Send it to me at StandishR@rferl.org or reply directly to this e-mail and Ill get it answered by leading experts and policymakers. Three More Stories From Eurasia 1. The Pentagon Leaks China approved the provision of lethal aid to Russia for its war in Ukraine but wanted any shipments to remain a secret, according to leaked U.S. government documents. What You Need To Know: The recently leaked trove of classified Pentagon documents that contain assessments and reports from Americas intelligence agencies shows that Beijing had approved the incremental provision of weapons to Moscow, which it would disguise as civilian items. That comes from a February 23 top-secret intelligence summary that The Washington Post reported was gathered by U.S. agents eavesdropping on discussions by Russias secret service. The Russians said Chinas central military commission wanted the shipments to remain secret. Among other revelations, a separate file in the trove of leaked documents said Beijing would consider a significant Ukrainian strike with American or NATO weapons on Russian territory as an escalation of the conflict that would merit sending arms to Russia. The timing is notable. A public U.S.-led campaign over a potential Chinese arms transfer accelerated in late February, and shortly after that document circulated within the U.S. government NBC News reported that the U.S. information about the plan to obtain lethal aid from China was gleaned from Russian officials. Whats less clear is if the transfers are taking place or if the public pressure on China has worked. Reports based on trade data show private sales of small-scale weapons from China to Russia, and senior Ukrainian officials have said their forces are finding a growing number of components from China in Russian weapons on the battlefield. Whether Chinese covert efforts are under way or not, defense cooperation between China and Russia is set to grow. A large portion of the Chinese delegation for Xis Moscow summit in March were defense officials, and Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu was in Russia on April 16 to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. 2. Lula's 'Peace Club' Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrapped up a state visit to China, where he sought to position himself as a peace broker in the ongoing war in Ukraine while attempting to elevate Brazil's global status and boost economic ties with Beijing. The Details: As I reported here, a key piece of Lula's outreach is courting political backing for his proposal that Brazil and other developing countries, including China, form a peace club to broker a deal to end the war in Ukraine. Analysts, however, remain skeptical about the chances of Lula's peace proposal, which is unlikely to gain support from Kyiv and its backers given China's close ties with Russia and past comments from the Brazilian leader that Ukraine should cede Crimea -- which was forcibly annexed by Moscow in 2014 -- as a means to reach a deal. Beyond the diplomacy push from Lula, the visit allowed him to shore up Brazils economic and political ties with China, as he left Beijing with a slew of new agreements. But as Carlos Solar, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told me, Lula is still hedging his bets, having already made a trip to Washington to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden and made moves to position Brazil to be a regional power in Latin America. [Lula] needs this frenzy of deals in China and talks with Xi in part to show his public that he's still an influential guy around the world, Solar said. But when you look more closely, you can see that he is putting his eggs in different baskets. 3. Frustrated By The Taliban, Interested In Afghanistan Frustrated by the Talibans reluctance to take action against an array of militants, including a strengthening Islamic State group, Afghanistan's neighbors have resolved to come up with a joint strategy to counter security threats emanating from the country. What It Means: Top diplomats from Russia, China, Iran, and Pakistan attended an April 13 conference that focused on ensuring regional security in light of the situation in Afghanistan. Russia and China are among the few countries that have kept their diplomatic missions in Kabul since the Taliban retook power, but lingering frustrations with the group as a partner have been boiling up. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it was ready to work more closely with Afghanistans neighbors and the international community, and Beijing also expressed hope that the Taliban would continue working actively to meet Afghans' interests and the international communitys expectations for an open and inclusive political structure. China has a growing interest in the countrys resources -- having secured rights for mining and oil and gas exploration -- but security concerns have kept those projects mostly on paper for the time being. Still, the cash-strapped Taliban is hoping that it can draw in more Chinese interest, recently floating progress on a potential $10 billion investment from the China Petroleum Economics and Information Research Center (CPEIC) in Afghanistans lithium deposits. Few details beyond a Taliban press release were offered, but even if something is inked, realizing the project -- and others with China -- is still a distant prospect due to the countrys tough security situation. Across The Supercontinent A New Case In Pakistan: A Chinese man has been arrested in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province after an angry mob accused him of blasphemy and tried to enter a camp near the construction site of the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan, which involves both Chinese and Pakistani workers. Police filed a blasphemy charge against the Chinese man, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal reported. Internal Review: Hikvisions human rights investigator admits the company's Chinese police contracts in Xinjiang explicitly target Uyghurs as a group. The Chinese surveillance giant has repeatedly denied reports that the company is complicit in human rights abuses targeting Uyghurs, but documents obtained by technology trade publication IPVM show otherwise. Brussels To Beijing: The EU lodged a protest with China after police detained veteran rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his activist wife, Xu Yan, ahead of an April 13 meeting with its diplomats in China, Radio Free Asia reports. Macron In China: Looking to catch up on Macrons trip to China earlier this month? Listen to the last episode of Talking China In Eurasia, where guest Rikard Jozwiak explained why the French president thinks he can split China and Russia and where he fits among Europes large groups of actors looking to engage and pressure Beijing. One Thing To Watch Chinas economic growth is exceeding expectations. GDP grew 4.5 percent year on year in the first quarter. Strong growth in exports and infrastructure investment, as well as a rebound in retail consumption and property prices, are said to be driving the recovery. That momentum looks set to continue, but economists have warned that consumption and the property sector might struggle to maintain strong growth, while exports could be threatened by weaker demand in developed economies. Thats all from me for now. Dont forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have. Until next time, Reid Standish If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every other Wednesday. ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Actions carried out by Kyrgyz and Tajik forces during a four-day conflict along the Central Asian countries contested border that left more than 100 civilians and soldiers dead in September included serious violations of the laws of war by both sides, Human Rights Watch said. The report, released on May 2, is the first by a major rights watchdog since the most lethal incident yet in a conflict that has its roots in border disagreements originating from when both countries were part of the Soviet Union. HRW said many of the actions by the countries likely amount to war crimes, in what was at the time the second large-scale conflict between the two neighbors in 18 months. Incidents highlighted in the report included attacks on civilian vehicles and ambulances, the indiscriminate use of explosives, extrajudicial killings by military forces, and arson attacks on homes and civilian infrastructure. In a series of recommendations, the group called on both governments to hold perpetrators to account for serious violations of international humanitarian law and train their armed forces personnel on the application of international humanitarian law in conflict situations. The group also said that any agreement reached in ongoing border demarcation talks should acknowledge the rights of local populations to education, adequate housing, and water in the fertile but densely populated and water-stressed region. HRWs 89-page report drew on 86 interviews, including 69 with eyewitnesses, victims, or relatives of victims; 10 days of onsite investigations in October and November 2022; a review of medical records and other documents; an analysis of satellite imagery; the verification of 12 videos showing attacks and their aftermath; and 3D modeling to analyze the impact of a laser-guided bomb attack and attacks on medical vehicles. The focus of the report was the conflicts impact on civilians rather than military personnel. HRW documented 37 civilian deaths, five of them children, and injuries to 36 others on both sides. But considering media reports and official victim lists, the full number could reach 51 civilians killed and 121 injured, HRW said, not including casualties among military personnel. WATCH: There are burned-out shops, destroyed homes, and many stories of death and destruction on both sides of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border following clashes between the two countries that have claimed around 100 lives. (Published on September 19, 2022) Well over 100,000 people were displaced in Kyrgyzstan during the conflict. Tajikistan has not released a figure for the number of people displaced in the conflict. Prior to April 2021, when dozens died in brutal clashes, conflicts tended not to spread or to result in full-scale military mobilizations along the frontier. The report does not draw a conclusion as to who started the September conflict. Speaking at the UN General Assembly just days after the conflict, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said that Tajikistan attacked Kyrgyzstan. The Tajik Foreign Ministry accused Kyrgyzstan of "an attack on the territory of Tajikistan along the entire line of the border with Kyrgyzstan." In an interview with RFE/RL ahead of the reports release, HRWs Senior Crisis and Conflict Researcher Jean-Baptiste Gallopin said that international humanitarian law applies equally to all parties of a conflict. Whether an army is attacking or defending, it has the same duty not to violate the laws of war, Gallopin said. "That means in particular the principle of distinction between military and civilian targets and the principle of proportionality in the use of force." HRW said that the third day of the conflict -- September 16 -- was particularly packed with violations. At around 5 p.m. that day, the evidence indicated that Kyrgyz forces used a Bayraktar TB-2 drone to deliver a laser-guided bomb near Tajik forces minutes after they arrived in the central square in Ovchi Kalacha, a Tajik town on the border, HRW wrote. The explosive hit at a time when local civilians were gathering next to a mosque after a funeral, killing 10 and wounding 13 others, HRW said, describing the strike as a disproportionate and apparently indiscriminate attack. WATCH: Fresh clashes erupted at the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on September 16, with both sides accusing each other of using heavy weaponry in fighting that has killed at least three people and wounded dozens over three days. (Published on September 16, 2022) On the same day, Tajik soldiers repeatedly fired on cars carrying Kyrgyz civilians fleeing the fighting, the report stated. One Kyrgyz woman interviewed said that her family crawled out of their car to avoid being killed in it if it exploded after Tajik soldiers shot at them, injuring her husband and son. The family lay still for some time, but Tajik soldiers opened fire again when they moved, she said. The report also said Kyrgyz combatants likely fired at ambulances, which enjoy special protection under humanitarian law. One attack on two "clearly marked" ambulances and a private car carrying civilians on a bridge near the Tajik village of Chorbog in Tajikistan left 10 people dead, including four children and two medical workers. HRW used 3D modeling to reconstruct the attack and judged that the fire had come from the Kyrgyz village of Dostuk, some 110 meters away. The group noted that to intentionally direct attacks against [the ambulances] when they are clearly marked is recognized as a war crime in an international armed conflict, under the statute of the International Criminal Court. HRWs report documented that Tajik forces occupied Kyrgyz villages during the conflict, leaving several virtually destroyed. On September 16, Tajik forces overran Kyrgyz forces and, accompanied by Tajik-speaking people in civilian clothes, entered Kyrgyz villages on the border. During this brief occupation, Tajik forces killed at least six civilian men, including three while they were apparently fleeing, and two in apparent extrajudicial executions, HRW said. The brief seizure saw wide-scale looting by Tajiks in plainclothes under the watch of Tajik forces, with hundreds of homes as well as kindergartens, schools, medical facilities, and administrative buildings burned in an apparent attempt to clear the area of its population, the group added. Human Rights Watch issued a separate recommendation to Tajikistan to investigate these events. Almost half of the 970-kilometer Kyrgyz-Tajik border has yet to be demarcated, and Kyrgyz President Japarov said on April 17 that progress on border demarcation had slowed, and blamed Tajikistans commitment to a map from 1924 as the reason for the lack of progress. In the past year, I said that we will finish everything by May, because the parties were agreed and work was moving quickly. Unfortunately, nothing has been completed yet, he said. Tajikistan has not commented on the progress of the talks. HRWs Gallopin said that Tajiks and Kyrgyz living at the border were weary and hungry for peace after having their lives turned upside down by conflicts in successive years. Our interviews with people on both sides of the border showed that local populations are tired of these terrifying conflicts and are really yearning for peace, Gallopin told RFE/RL. ATYRAU, Kazakhstan -- When Yermukhan Aiypqaliev left his native Kazakhstan for Syria in 2014, he was a healthy 29-year-old man, dreaming "to live in a just society" that he thought he saw on Islamic State (IS) propaganda videos. Fast-forward nine years and Aiypqaliev -- paralyzed from the waist down by shrapnel in Syria, and claiming to be disillusioned with the extremist group -- is seeking an early release from a Kazakh prison on compassionate grounds. The Kazakh authorities, however, have rejected Aiypqaliev's appeals, saying there are "no extenuating circumstances" in the former militant's case to qualify him for parole. The court says Aiypqaliev has failed to cooperate with government efforts to combat terrorism. Wheelchair-bound Aiypqaliev and his wife, Ulmeken, were among some 800 Kazakh citizens the government in Astana repatriated from Syria and Iraq after the IS collapsed. About 50 of the returnees were jailed in Kazakhstan on terrorism-related offenses. Others who were cleared by the security services were allowed to return to their native cities and communities and try to rebuild their lives. Aiypqaliev was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2019 for "joining a terrorist group" and "undertaking terrorism and extremism training." According to his wife, Aiypqaliev "regretted" his decision to go to Syria immediately after they arrived in IS-controlled territory. "We were deceived by the Islamic State propaganda videos," Ulmeken told RFE/RL. "We didn't go to Syria to fight, we went there to start a new life under Shari'a laws. We made a mistake, but we realized it too late." Ulmeken claims her husband and several of his friends wanted to escape IS and go back home. But they were too afraid after IS beheaded one of the Kazakh fighters when he revealed his plans to leave, Ulmeken says. Aiypqaliev attended training sessions by IS on how to use arms and was given a weapon, Ulmeken recalls. Aiypqaliev fought with the IS for three years until shrapnel from an air strike struck his spine, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down in 2017. The couple returned to Kazakhstan in 2019 on a flight arranged by the government as part of special repatriation operation called Zhusan. Give Me A Death Sentence Aiypqaliev attended his trial at the time in an Astana court via video link from a hospital, with 13 other co-defendants -- former IS militants aged between 25 and 50 -- taking part in person. The men were all found guilty of terrorism-related offenses and given prison terms ranging from eight to 14 years. Speaking from the prison hospital, Aiypqaliev pleaded with the court to give him "the death sentence." "I am already punished by God," he said. "I am like a living corpse. Only my head and heart work." The following year, Aiypqaliev was transferred to a prison compound in his home city of Atyrau in an oil-rich region in western Kazakhstan. Ulmeken says her husband depends on the help of a 22-year-old fellow inmate who feeds him and changes his clothes and adult diapers. "But it's not enough," Ulmeken said. "He needs comprehensive care." A medical team that assessed Aiypqaliev's health concluded that his condition was not on the list of ailments approved by the Health Ministry for early release. Contrary to the family's claim, the doctors said that Aiypqaliev's general condition hadn't deteriorated since his imprisonment. Aiypqaliev is serving his sentence in a medical unit of the prison "under the supervision of health workers," Qairat Shonaev, acting head of the Atyrau Penitentiary Department, told RFE/RL. Aiypqaliev applied for parole twice, in August and December 2022, but his petition was rejected both times by a court. A copy of the court ruling seen by RFE/RL says Aiypqaliev "has been imprisoned for committing terrorist offenses. He also failed to contribute to the prevention, exposure, or investigation of terrorist crimes, or the exposure of members of terrorist or extremist groups." "In such cases, the petition of the convict is subject to rejection," the August 10 court ruling said. Kazakhstan's National Security Committee said in July 2018 that more than 800 Kazakh nationals -- including many women and children -- had left for Syria and Iraq since 2013 to join IS. Some were killed in fighting and air strikes and others returned home on their own before the Zhusan operations began. Dozens of children were also born to Kazakhs in the conflict zone. The Kazakh government has pledged to repatriate all its citizens from Syria and Iraq and help them rehabilitate and reintegrate back to society. Most Kazakhs support their government's stance on repatriation. But some treat the former militants and their wives with caution and question whether they have genuinely abandoned the ideology that drove them to join IS in the first place. Written by Farangis Najibullah based on reporting by Ainur Saparova of RFE/RL's Kazakh Service Theres no worse feeling than losing something, especially if the item is valuable. Tracking devices offer a solution for those who have the ability to lose the remote control in the crevices of the sofa. They are easy to use: once the object they are attached to is lost, the owner searches for them via the mobile application. The devices use wireless signals, and once they are within range of the telephone, they can play a sound and their location appears on a map. But what happens when a tracker is used to locate people? Apple reached the tracker market later than other companies. Manufacturers including Chipolo and Tile had been selling the devices since 2013. But as it tends to do, the company popularized the existing technology. It presented its AirTags in April 2021, and though the tech giant has not shared specific sales data the devices are encompassed by the successful category of wearables the small devices quickly became popular among iPhone users. The Cupertino corporation fine-tuned the technology, allowing users to locate devices with a precision of a few centimeters. But with the success of the AirTag, another unexpected controversy arose: some began using them for other purposes. When people are tracked The devices are tiny tablets that can be easily hidden almost anywhere. The idea is that they can be stored in backpacks, or even wallets, noticeable only once activated. But their small size can easily turn them into a tool for tracking people. That happened to a 24-year-old Californian who, when she arrived at a friends house, received a strange alert on her iPhone: An AirTag has been detected near you. The young woman found that the device had been following her for hours, making her movements visible on the Find My iPhone app. She discovered the AirTag tucked behind her cars license plate, and she filmed a TikTok that immediately went viral. The question was inevitable: with such a popular device, how many people are being watched without their consent? Safety measures implemented by Apple Apple didnt take long to respond to the incident and update the software accordingly. Now, users receive an alert whenever an unknown tracker is detected around them. The manufacturer warns that security forces can request a trackers history if it is used fraudulently. Should we, then, be concerned about the possibility of being tracked with one of these devices? From my perspective, no, says Federico Vadillo, a security expert at Akamai. Many technologies can be used for dubious ends, and there has been a lot of concern about AirTags. But these devices now have multiple security measures to avoid inappropriate uses. The California company has even released an application so Android users can also detect AirTags around them. How to protect yourself from unwanted tracking Despite Apples security measures, no one is completely protected from unwanted following. How can you protect yourself against it? The company has completely automatized the process, so the user only needs to pay attention to their notifications. If we are Apple users, a message will appear indicating that we have an object that permits tracking by another person, says Rafael Lopez of Perception Point. If we are Android users, we should download the app Tracker Detect. For those who want to make sure theyre not being followed, or who suspect they may be, the following steps are recommended: Make sure your phones operating system is up to date. This protects users from new threats or security breaches. Manufacturers are constantly working on safeguarding operating systems against possible security threats. Whenever a new version is available, it is important to install it. Pay attention to tracking notifications. In the case of AirTags and similar devices, the system will give an alert about an unknown tracker. In the case of AirTags, the notification is automatic. Tile has released an update that allows anyone who suspects that they are being followed to detect trackers around them. For non-Apple devices, it is important to respond proactively. Check your belongings. In the case of the iPhone, the system will alert about unauthorized tracking, but additional measures include checking pockets, bags and other objects if you suspect that you are being followed. Inform the authorities. If you discover a foreign tracking device in your belongings, it is always worth reporting it to the police. The systems can reveal their owners location. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition More than three decades ago, Thomas Johnson demonstrated that modifying a single gene called age-1 increased the lifespan of C. elegans worms by up to 60%. Despite the enormous evolutionary distance that separates us from these creatures, useful mechanisms for survival jump from branch to branch of the tree of life theyre conserved in the genomes of many species, including humans. What works on a worm or a mouse or even on a species of yeast need not work on us as well. But the results stemming from manipulating the life expectancy of these remote relatives encourages the search for genetic modifications. Three years ago, a group of researchers from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) found an essential mechanism in the aging process of a unicellular fungus that has been with us since the beginning of civilization. The species of yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae with which bread, beer and wine is made follows one of two directions on its way to death. Half of its cells age when their DNA loses stability; the other half, with the deterioration of the mitochondria, a structure that provides energy to the cell. The same UCSD researchers led by Nan Hao have now published an article in the academic journal Science. They explain how they have created a kind of switch that by manipulating two regulators of gene activity reverses cell aging. From DNA to mitochondria decay, a brewer uses a mechanism to keep yeast cells in balance. In a way similar to that of a thermostat where when a higher temperature is reached the refrigerator amps up and when a lower temperature is reached, a heating system kicks in synthetic biology is being applied to introduce a similar system. With what is known as a genetic oscillator, cells change the way they age when they have gone too far in one of two directions. With this game of balances, the scientists have prolonged the existence of the yeast by up to 80% a new world record in biology. The researchers suggest that this type of oscillator could also serve to slow down the path to death that begins every time a cell appears within the human body. The authors intend to identify the regulatory genetic circuits [beneath] aging in various types of human cells and apply this engineering strategy to modify them and slow down their aging, explains Nan Hao, lead author of the study and co-director of the Institute of Synthetic Biology at UCSD. If it works, well try to do the same thing in cells inside living animals, like mice, he adds. Hao acknowledges that genetic engineering requires more time in human cells and the circuits that regulate genes are often more complicated. Well need more time and resources to test these ideas and strategies, but I dont think theres anything fundamental that prevents us from doing it, he concludes. Carlos Lopez Otin a researcher at the University of Oviedo (Spain) and an expert in aging recognizes the value of the study by these researchers who, like others before them, have used simple models to try to understand the colossal and fascinating complexity of life. It may seem strange that, from a single-celled organism, we can learn lessons about the effect of time on our bodies made up of many trillions of cells. But we shouldnt forget a legendary line from the great Jacques Monod (Nobel Laureate in Medicine) for discovering the first keys to gene regulation in bacteria: What is valid for a bacterium is also valid for an elephant. [That being said], its extrapolation to human cells and our daily lives still seems far away. This could contribute to improving our health something that seems to be a more sensible and affordable goal than aspiring to improbable dreams of immortality Carlos Lopez Otin, University of Oviedo Unicellular organisms [like the yeast used in this experiment] are naturally selfish: their main objective is to divide. The dream of a bacterium or a yeast is to create others just like them, Lopez Otin explains. This cellular selfishness is a purpose that our altruistic and supportive cells reject and only adopt it if by accumulating molecular damage they transform and become tumorous. For this reason, in humans, its not enough to prevent cells from aging at all costs and to extend longevity. The price of these strategies so publicized and longed for by some can be the development of serious pathologies, including malignant tumors, capable of reducing human longevity considerably, Lopez Otin cautions. For the scientist, the question that arises from these results is: if evolution could have created an oscillator similar to the one created by these authors by modifying only two genes, why hasnt this happened since the appearance of life more than 3.5 billion years ago? In order to understand the reason for this gap while also understanding the costs of extending longevity Lopez Otin proposes carrying out an experiment in which yeasts carrying the modified genes are allowed to compete with the corresponding normal yeasts to analyze if any of the [modified] strains [influence the untouched ones] over time under different conditions. In addition, he proposes creating other types of oscillators, not to unnecessarily extend longevity, but in an effort to maintain homeostasis our essential internal balance. This could contribute to improving our health something that seems to be a more sensible and affordable goal than aspiring to improbable dreams of immortality, he concludes. For Jordi Garcia Ojalvo a researcher at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona and a collaborator of Michael Elowitz, creator of the first synthetic genetic oscillator he believes that beyond the applications that the results of this study may have [many years from now], the interesting thing is that it shows how synthetic biology can be used to understand how organisms work and how they age. It helps us push the limits of that knowledge. Aging in human cells or in a whole organism is very complicated. But all cells on Earth have 20 amino acids and the same four nucleic acids, he adds. What we learn from these cells may be useful to search for applications. A Texas man went next door with a rifle and began shooting his neighbors, killing an 8-year-old and four others inside the house, after the family asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep, authorities said Saturday. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers told reporters at the scene that authorities were still searching for 39-year-old Francisco Oropeza following the overnight shooting in the town of Cleveland, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Houston. He said Oropeza used an AR-style rifle in the shooting. Everyone that was shot was shot from the neck up, almost execution-style, Capers said during an earlier news conference at the scene. Capers said there were 10 people in the house and that no one else was injured. He said two of the victims, all believed to be from Honduras, were found laying over two children inside. The Honduran ladies that were laying over these children were doing it in such an effort as to protect the child, according to Capers, who said a total of three blood-covered children were found in the home but were determined to be uninjured after being taken to a hospital. Capers said two other people were examined at the scene and released. The confrontation followed family members walking up to the fence and asking the suspect to stop shooting rounds, Capers said. The suspect responded by telling them that it was his property, according to Capers, and that one person in the house got a video of the suspect walking up to the front door with the rifle. Three of the victims were women and one was a man. Their names were not released. Capers said the victims were between the ages of 8 and about 40 years old. Authorities have previously been to the suspects home, according to Capers. Deputies have come over and spoke with him about him shooting his gun in the yard, he said. Capers said some of those in the house had just moved from Houston earlier in the week, but he did not know whether they were planning to stay there. The U.S. is on a record pace for mass killings this year, with at least 18 shootings since Jan. 1 that left four or more people dead. The violence is sparked by a range of motives: murder-suicides and domestic violence; gang retaliation; school shootings and workplace vendettas. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Shraddha Walkar Murder Case The hearing of the Shraddha Walkar murder case in Delhi's Saket court New Delhi: The hearing of the Shraddha Walkar murder case in Delhi's Saket court has been adjourned till May 9. Charges were to be filed against Aftab Poonawalla in this case on Saturday, but it was postponed as the judge was on leave. Now on May 9, the judge will determine the charges. On April 14, the court had reserved orders on the charges. The Delhi Police had to file a reply on Shraddha's father Vikas's request to hand over the dead body of the daughter. Vikas appeals to the court and asks that Shraddha's body be handed over to him, so that he can perform the last rites of his daughter. To this, Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad had said that the Delhi Police would file a reply to Shraddha's father's application 'on the next date of hearing'. Advertisement Notably, Vikas had said that Shraddha's last rites will not be done until she gets justice. He had said in March 2023 that my daughter's murder would complete one year in May but I have not yet cremated her. I will perform Shraddha's last rites only after Aftab gets the death sentence. Vikas had told that his daughter's body parts will be handed over to him after the case is over, but when the trial will end and when will I be able to perform the last rites of my daughter, it is still a question. On the other hand, the house in Delhi where Shraddha was murdered. The owner of that house had asked the court to remove the seal on the house. The court had asked the lawyer to file an application in this regard. Australian PM Anthony Albanese Measures also include investing in digital health to improve health outcomes CANBERRA: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia has announced to help carry out a 'massive reform' of the country's health system. Following a meeting with state and territory leaders on Friday, Albanese unveiled a AUD 2.2 billion (US$1.4 billion) package to reform Medicare, the country's universal health care scheme, according to a report. Measures also include investing in digital health to improve health outcomes. Albanese said that health will be a priority for his government in 2023. He said that this package of measures will address immediate challenges in primary care, relieve pressure on the hospital system, and lay the foundation for long-term Medicare reform. Advertisement A report published on Friday by the Australian Medical Association (AMA), the top doctors' body, found the performance of Australia's public hospitals is at its 'lowest level in a decade'. AMA President Steve Robson said it is encouraging that governments across the country are making health a priority. Toyota Daihatsus Crash Test Scandal: A Breach of Trust in the Auto Industry The Dark Side of Car Manufacturing A recent whistle-blower report revealed that Daihatsu, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota, rigged side-collision tests of a few vehicles. Since the crash tests, Daihatsu sold 88,123 units of said vehicles as of March 2023. Toyota sold 76,289 of the 88,123 affected vehicles in the form of Yaris Ativ/Vios. Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda apologised and called it an unacceptable breach of customer trust. Apart from Yaris Ativ, this breach of trust affected 11,834 units of Perodua Axia, manufactured by Daihatsu-Perodua partnership, in Thailand and Malaysia. Toyota Agya and a model in development are affected too, but sales havent commenced as of March 2023. The 76,000+ affected Toyota Yaris Ativ are marketed/sold in Thailand, Mexico, and GCC member countries like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. 4 Cars Affected Toyota Yaris Ativ/Vios, Perodua Axia, Toyota Agya, A new model A part of the door on test vehicles was rigged. Reportedly, a notch was installed in test vehicle doors, which isnt part of regular production. This modification reportedly reduces possibilities of door interior trim deforming into sharp objects when side airbags are deployed, causing injuries to occupants. The end goal for the notch modified test cars was to minimise impact on safety ratings. As of now, both Toyota and Daihatsu are unaware of how widespread this knowledge was. Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda said both Toyota and Daihatsu are investigating how this happened. Investigation into this breach of customer trust will take time. Toyoda promised both companies will work sincerely to prevent recurrence of something similar. Since the whistleblower report, Daihatsu has stopped production of Toyota Yaris Ativ and Perodua Axia. Daihatsu has ceased production of affected models. The company will re-test said vehicles for side collision. This time, in the presence of certification authorities and a thorough inspection. Production and shipment will only resume when the cars meet regulations for side impact performance. The companies advised owners of said 88,123 vehicles not to take any action for continued use. Can Toyota Daihatsu Bounce Back After Rigging Side-Collision Tests? Akio Toyoda, Toyota Chairman of the Board said, Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.s wrongdoing is a matter that concerns safety, which is the most important aspect of vehicles. We consider this an absolutely unacceptable act that betrays the trust of our customers. We would like to sincerely apologize to our customers around the world and all related parties for the inconvenience and concern this has caused. Since this problem occurred with a Toyota brand passenger car, we believe that the problem is not limited to Daihatsu. We will begin by conducting a detailed investigation and thoroughly collecting facts to understand the situation, determine the true cause, and work diligently to prevent a recurrence. We will also inform the public in a timely manner regarding the facts we learn through our investigations. Source By Donican Lam, KYODO NEWS - Apr 29, 2023 - 22:58 | All, Japan, World, G7 Ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations agreed Saturday on five principles for developing agile forms of governance for emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, in light of the rapid spread of AI chatbot use worldwide. The digital and technology ministers, who began a two-day meeting in the Gunma Prefecture city of Takasaki, northwest of Tokyo, also agreed on the urgent need to promote debate on standards for the responsible use of AI. The five principles of the rule of law, due process, democracy, respect for human rights and harnessing opportunities for innovation will be included in a joint communique to be released at the end of the meeting, which comes ahead of a G-7 summit next month in Hiroshima. "While advancement of AI technologies can make business of the government and the private sector more efficient and more productive, it could create unexpected challenges to democracy," Japan's Digital Minister Taro Kono said at the opening session. The fast-moving pace of AI development has highlighted the need for international standards to govern the technology, with many countries stepping up regulations on the use of OpenAI's ChatGPT over privacy concerns. But Japan's emphasis on generative AI's potential utility means the government has so far taken a more cautious stance toward regulation than Europe and the United States. Last month, Italy imposed a temporary ban on the use of ChatGPT, citing concerns over unauthorized collection of personal data, but authorities have since lifted the ban. In addition to opposing uses that would undermine democratic values, the G-7 ministers are aiming to adopt an action plan to promote the responsible use of AI, calling for broad stakeholder participation in developing international standards. Digital ministers are additionally aiming to establish an international framework for Data Free Flow with Trust, a concept proposed by Japan at the World Economic Forum annual summit in 2019 to facilitate economic growth on a global scale through free data flows across borders with trusted, interoperable governance. While Japan has already signed bilateral agreements in digital trade with the European Union, United States and Britain, the DFFT framework seeks to take this to the multilateral level. At the conclusion of the meeting, the ministers are also expected to adopt a separate action plan for internet governance, addressing issues such as fake news and other forms of disinformation seen, for example, during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "The unjustified war of aggression by Russia in Ukraine has resulted in both online and offline attacks on digital infrastructure, reminding us once again of the importance of resilient digital infrastructure and a free and open internet," Japan's Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Takeaki Matsumoto said. The ministers also discussed constructing secure network infrastructure to support emerging and developing countries and promoting collaboration to improve the connectivity of undersea cables. On the fringes of the meeting, Matsumoto and Germany's Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, Volker Wissing, signed a memorandum of cooperation detailing their plans to continue working together in information and communication technology policy, including digital infrastructure beyond 5G. The two countries have been conducting high-level dialogue in the digital arena since 2016 with the aim of stimulating innovation in the economy and promoting a secure framework for global digital governance. The G-7 groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union. Japan holds the rotating G-7 presidency for the first time since 2016. This year's meeting is jointly chaired by Kono, Matsumoto, and Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura. Ministers from India and Indonesia, this year's respective hosts of meetings of the Group of 20 major economies and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as Ukraine, have been invited to the meeting. Related coverage: Digital experts discuss responsible governance ahead of G-7 meeting G-7 leaders set to lay flowers at cenotaph for Hiroshima A-bomb victims G-7 farm ministers condemn Russia for war's impact on food security Framing is underway on what will be the front face of the soon-to-open Windmill Food Hall in the former Pea Soup Andersens and TGI Fridays restaurant in Carlsbad. Opening a food hall in one of the countys most-iconic structures, the former Pea Soup Andersens windmill building in Carlsbad, has brought its founder a windfall of publicity. But Carlsbad resident James Markham never figured on the challenges hed face creating the ambitious Windmill Food Hall project inside a 36-year-old, wood-frame structure that has not worn well with age. As Markhams construction crew worked on the long-delayed, 12,000-square-foot project this past summer, they uncovered a massive amount of wood rot, water damage, creaking timbers and a leaky roof in the old-fashioned, Danish-style structure. Advertisement Fortunately, the buildings longtime owner is sparing no expense in repairing and replacing everything necessary to restore the project to its former glory in time for the food halls newly revised opening in early December. Since the 1980s, the 44,000-square-foot, two-story windmill building at 890 Palomar Airport Road has been owned by Carlsbad Properties Inc., a corporation of the Southwest Carpenters Pension Trust. For most of the past two decades, its downstairs restaurant space was occupied by a TGI Fridays restaurant. It wasnt until after the restaurant closed in March 2016 that officials with Southwest Carpenters inspected the property and realized its state of disrepair. The mass appeal of a food hall project and Markhams contagious enthusiasm for reinvigorating the building became the catalyst for a complete restoration of the property, said Jenny Gage, spokeswoman for Washington Capital Management Inc., the investment advisor for Southwest Carpenters. Its exciting, Gage said Friday. The building itself is so iconic in Carlsbad and the city is very supportive of what were trying to do. The ownership intends to hold this asset long term and see it back in its glory again. Construction on the new front patio of the Windmill Food Hall in Carlsbad exposed water damage at the base of the support beams for the 36-year-old buildings windmill tower. (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune) The windmill-topped building was constructed in 1982 as the southernmost location of Pea Soup Andersens, a cafe/hotel company founded in Buellton in 1924 by Denmark-born restaurateur Anton Andersen. The property includes the windmill building, a 150-room hotel and a food mart/gas station. Gage said it was either built by or acquired by Southwest Carpenters in the 1980s. The Pea Soup Andersens hotel/restaurant closed in 1988. In the 1990s, the hotel was leased by Holiday Inn. Its now run by RAR Hospitality as the Carlsbad By the Sea Hotel. The windmill buildings second floor was used for decades as a wedding and banquet hall, but its been shuttered for many years except for a small room the hotel uses for breakfast service. Gage said that the restoration this fall will include a renovation of the upstairs hall so that it, too, can resume operation. Theres even the hope that the windmills long-broken fan blades will one day spin again, but Gage said it may not be feasible. The extent of the structures wood damage can be seen in a walk around the buildings exterior. Telephone pole-size wood columns that hold up the windmill towers balcony are eaten through with water damage to the point some of their bases dont even touch the ground anymore. This decrepit fence and support structure for gas and water lines will soon be replaced by the owner of Carlsbads iconic windmill building. (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune) Behind a tumbledown wood fence, a wood trellis structure that supports the gas and water lines feeding the hall and hotel are also on the verge of collapse. Markham said all of this wood will be replaced or reinforced by Southwest Carpenters at a cost of well over $100,000. Inside the building, the food hall is nearing completion. In a walk-through Thursday, Markham showed how all of the interiors 11 food vendor stations are now framed, drywalled, wired and plumbed for move-in. The halls 52-seat indoor/outdoor bar is framed and plumbed as well. Leases are signed for all but one of the tenant booths plus a restaurant in the base of the windmill tower. The Windmill Food Hall is the largest individual construction project ever undertaken by Markham, a serial restaurant entrepreneur whose credits include the national chains Pieology, Project Pie and Mod Pizza and the local breakfast/bar spot Crackheads. Markham has long been praised by magazines like Entrepreneur, Restaurant Hospitality and Business News Daily for his innovative, ahead-of-the-curve thinking. One of the trend curves hes been watching for the past few years is the proliferation of food halls. A food hall eliminates the veto vote, he said, referring to families arguing over where to eat. Not only does it touch everyones palate, it can also act as an incubator for new restaurant startups. You can go to any city and some of the best food is found in farmers markets and food halls where these hard-working people are doing it because they love their food and believe in it. James Markham plans to open his Windmill Food Hall in Carlsbads iconic windmill building in early December. (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune) For research, Markham visited food halls in seven states and found a favorite in Napa Valleys Oxbow Public Market. He likes its approachability, sunny open-air look and all-ages appeal. These will be the hallmarks of Windmill Food Hall, along with a nightlife scene for adults that will include late-night bar hours and special events like movie screenings. Windmill Food Hall will have a vintage look with black-and-white checkered subway tile flooring, custom leather stools, banquettes and wingback chairs and roll-up garage door-style windows. Markham is hiring several local mural and graffiti artists to create indoor and outdoor art that will change every few months. There will be old-school Skee-ball, shuffleboard and video games, a quieter book-lined library seating area for adults and, possibly, a play area for children. With his wife and children, Markham taste-tested and hand-picked all the vendors who will occupy the halls indoor booths. They include Bing Haus rolled ice cream; Bread and Cheese grilled sandwiches; Cross Street Chicken & Beer; Lobster West; Taco Lady; Thai-Style Chicken; Notorious Burgers; a Korean hot pot spot; and a Belgian waffle and fries shop. In one booth, Markham will open the first location of his Jarfood concept, where savory foods will be cooked in sous-vide water baths and served hot. Hes also planning to open a second location of Crackheads, which is a combination breakfast sandwich and coffee eatery by day and cocktail bar by night. The original Crackheads operates from two container buildings on a corner lot in Carlsbad Village. Hes also considering opening his latest take on quick-service pizza. Markham believes the build-and-bake pizza shops that he pioneered in the early 2000s are now yesterdays news. Hed like to open an old-school New York-style slice shop where diners can add extra gourmet toppings like burrata cheese. Gage said many investors approached Southwest Carpenters in recent years to lease the restaurant space, but no one but Markham came forward with a creative, tourism-friendly idea that will invigorate the entire property, including the hotel, and benefit the community at large. Its cool and exciting, she said. Hes got a lot of ideas. pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com Prison and probation officials have begun collecting DNA samples from people convicted of federal crimes, renewing a national debate over whether the gathering of DNA evidence infringes on privacy rights. In San Diego, federal authorities have accused a bank robber of violating the terms of his release by refusing to submit his DNA. Its the first such prosecution in San Diego County and one of only a few in the nation. All 50 states have laws allowing DNA to be collected from sex crime offenders, and some states collect samples from other criminals. But federal authorities only began collecting DNA from federal offenders in the past year. Advertisement Law enforcement agencies say the effort is long overdue and offers one of the best forensic tools since fingerprinting. Some states are considering collecting DNA from suspects before trial, arguing that the samples can both nab criminals and exonerate the innocent. But defense attorneys are challenging the governments right to collect DNA from federal offenders, especially from convicted felons such as San Diego bank robber John Reynard, who pleaded guilty in 1998, two years before the federal law authorizing DNA collection was enacted. His attorneys have offered several arguments against the law, including saying it violates the Constitutions protection against unreasonable search and seizure. In Reynards case, they argue, Congress did not clearly state that the law should apply to offenders who were convicted before the law existed. As a result, punishing Reynard would be unconstitutional, the attorneys say. The controversy is fueled by examples of how DNA can help law enforcement do its job. In late June, DNA tests linked one man to the murders of three Baton Rouge, La., women, prompting authorities to examine the unsolved slayings of 37 women over the past decade. But theyve been hampered in their search for the man, because Louisiana was one of the last states to create a DNA database and is still scrambling to set up a statewide system. DNA has also freed innocent people. This month, a Detroit man sentenced to life in prison for rape and murder became the 110th convicted person to be exonerated using DNA evidence. Its probably one of the most significant law enforcement breakthroughs in the last century, said William Gore, the special agent in charge of San Diegos FBI office. The San Diego federal defenders who are challenging the law say they fear it will be applied too broadly. Anytime you begin to infringe on the legal rights of one group of people it becomes a little simpler to infringe on the rights of us all, said Mario Conte, who heads the federal defenders office. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Rehe said the federal law could not be used to collect DNA from someone who isnt a criminal. This is not aimed at the average citizen on the street, he said. Rehe said the database is set up to prevent abuse. Anyone who uses the information for unauthorized purposes faces a $100,000 fine. Also, the database uses specific DNA genetic markers known as junk sites, which offer identifying characteristics without revealing detailed personal information, such as a predisposition to certain diseases. Taking DNA from convicted criminals is less invasive than other requirements imposed on them, Rehe said. Once youre convicted, courts have held that you have a severely reduced expectation of privacy, he said. The DNA test is limited to a single pinprick. Its not like a urine test once a month. Defense attorneys counter that judges require offenders to submit to urine tests because of an addiction to drugs, while the DNA test is ordered only because someone has been convicted of a certain crime. So far, courts across the nation have upheld the legality of databases run by the states. This month, Attorney General Bill Lockyer gave Californias Department of Corrections the go-ahead to begin taking DNA samples from inmates after the state Supreme Court declined to take up the controversy. Authorities have waited years for permission to collect DNA from federal offenders. The FBIs DNA database, created in 1994, contains DNA gathered from crime scenes, from missing persons investigations, from unidentified human remains, and from felons convicted in state courts. But a legislative loophole prevented the agency from collecting DNA from federal offenders until Congress passed the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000. The law requires murderers, rapists and other sex offenders in the federal system to submit to DNA blood tests. Other crimes listed include federal kidnapping, bank robbery, incest, arson and certain crimes committed on military and Native American property. Some attorneys say the definition could even be stretched to include some violent drug offenses. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that 7,500 federal felons would have to submit DNA samples at the time the law was passed. Each year, more than 2,000 felons were expected to qualify. The actual number may be higher. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, which oversees the U.S. Probation Office, estimated this year that 6,000 of the more than 100,000 offenders in the federal probation system have committed crimes that require DNA collection. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons, which started collecting DNA in prisons a year ago, is believed to have more offenders who qualify. Officials in Oregon and other states say theyre already sending blood tests to the FBI. One federal court district in New York hired a probation officer who was a former phlebotomist and is now in charge of taking blood samples in the office. Other districts are hiring outside contractors to collect the samples. The FBI also requires that offenders fingerprints be taken when their blood is drawn. But a few offenders are refusing to comply. One such dispute is already before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California and eight other Western states, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. The case involves an Oregon woman who refused to allow her DNA to be collected after she served time for being a getaway driver in a bank robbery. This week, San Diego federal Judge Irma Gonzalez rejected the constitutional arguments against DNA collection and allowed the government to pursue its case against Reynard, who has been working in San Diego since his release in 1998. If he is found guilty of violating the terms of his release, Reynard could be sent back to prison for several months. So far, prosecutors havent charged him with a separate misdemeanor that carries penalties of up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Benjamin Coleman, one of the attorneys who argued on Reynards behalf, said if a federal court narrows the law, lawyers could use the ruling to attack state DNA laws. But other attorneys said its unlikely that the law will be struck down, especially since the 9th Circuit has already upheld Oregons collection of DNA from sex offenders and murderers. In that case, however, one 9th Circuit judge dissented, partly on constitutional grounds. This is not going to be the last word on the issue, Rehe said. KYODO NEWS - Apr 29, 2023 - 12:27 | All, Japan, World A charter flight carrying 48 Japanese nationals and their family members who were evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan landed in Tokyo on Saturday morning. The flight departed on Friday from a Japan Self-Defense Forces base in Djibouti, a small African nation near Sudan, according to the Foreign Ministry. One of the passengers, Naoyuki Kawahara, head of nonprofit organization Rocinantes that has been involved in providing medical support in Sudan, thanked those who assisted. "Various people made efforts (to evacuate us). I am filled with gratitude," he told reporters at Haneda airport, while noting that he hopes to resume his group's activities once the security situation is brought under control. As of Friday, 65 Japanese nationals and their family members of other nationalities have fled the northeast African nation for other countries since the conflict broke out. Some have returned to Japan by private means, the ministry said. Most passengers on the flight that landed at Haneda airport are those who fled initially overland from the increasingly dangerous Sudanese capital Khartoum. Upon reaching Port Sudan in the country's northeast, an SDF aircraft took them to Djibouti on Monday. Some of the 65 also escaped over a land border to neighboring Ethiopia. Kawahara recalled that the overland journey by car took more than 30 hours. "It seemed endless. Small children were also traveling and I was determined to protect their lives," he said. Following the flight's departure, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada ordered SDF personnel dispatched to Sudan to return to Japan as their mission was complete. Sudan has been plunged into chaos since fighting broke out in mid-April between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the country's armed forces. Authorities in the country say more than 500 people have died in the fighting. A U.S.-brokered 72-hour ceasefire initially went into effect from midnight Monday, with both sides announcing its extension for a further three days into Sunday. Despite the declarations, however, there have been reports of fighting in Khartoum. Other countries, such as Germany, France and South Korea, have also evacuated their citizens from Sudan. The U.S. government has evacuated American staff at the embassy in Khartoum, while assisting its citizens who are seeking to depart. KYODO NEWS - Apr 29, 2023 - 16:13 | All, Japan Just 0.8 percent, or 15, of the 1,836 companies listed on the top-tier Prime Market on the Tokyo bourse were headed by women as of the end of January, according to credit research firm Teikoku Databank Ltd., reflecting the struggle among major businesses to embrace diversity in management. The small number of women in positions with representative rights at top-tier firms compares unfavorably with a record high 8.2 percent of approximately 1.19 million businesses in Japan reporting they had a female president in 2022, the research found. Japan is "extremely slow compared with other countries," in promoting women to prominent positions, Shintaro Yamaguchi, a professor specializing in labor economics at the University of Tokyo, told Kyodo News. The findings match those released by British magazine The Economist in March, which ranked Japan second-from-last among developed nations regarding the role and influence of women in the workforce. Among the 15 female presidents leading a Prime-listed company as of the end of January were Nobuko Nakajima of food manufacturer Imuraya Group Co., who became chairman in April, Takako Suzuki of chemical manufacturer S.T. Corp., and Takayo Hasegawa of power cable maker SWCC Corp., previously known as SWCC Showa Holdings Co. Just 51 women, or 1.3 percent, held representative-level positions in the total 3,801 listed companies including the lower-tier Standard and Growth markets, which cover midsized and up-and-coming firms, respectively. A total 22 were in Standard-listed firms, with 14 in Growth. From February 2023 onward, at least four women were promoted, or were expected to be promoted, to leadership positions at Prime Market-listed firms from February 2023 onward, Kyodo News found. Shigeko Okazaki became president of bottle labeling machine maker Fuji Seal International Inc. on March 1, while Yuko Seimei will assume the role of president for financial services firm Monex Group Inc. in June. "Companies that don't have diverse decision-makers will not be able to innovate or meet the various demands of their customers," Yamaguchi said. As of April, there were a total 3,811 firms listed on the Prime, Standard and Growth markets. Your native language could impact your musical ability. A global study that compared the melodic and rhythmic abilities of almost half a million people speaking 54 different languages found that tonal speakers are better able to discern between subtly different melodies, while non-tonal speakers are better able to tell whether a rhythm is beating in time with the music. The researchers report April 26 in the journal Current Biology that these advantages -- in melodic perception for tonal speakers and rhythm perception for non-tonal speakers -- were equivalent to about half the boost that you would have from taking music lessons. "We grow up speaking and hearing one or more languages, and we think that experience not only tunes our mind into hearing the sounds of those languages but might also influence how we perceive musical sounds like melodies and rhythms," says Courtney Hilton, a cognitive scientist at the University of Auckland and Yale University and one of the paper's first authors. While non-tonal languages like English might use pitch to inflect emotion or to signify a question, raising or lowering the pitch of a syllable never changes the meaning of a word. In contrast, tonal languages like Mandarin use sound patterns to distinguish syllables and words. "This property requires pitch sensitivity in both speakers and listeners, lest one scold () one's mother () instead of one's horse ()," says Jingxuan Liu, a native Mandarin speaker and the study's other first author, who started working on the project as an undergraduate student at Duke University. The team conducted a web-based citizen science experiment to test whether speaking a tonal versus non-tonal language impacts people's musical ability. They recruited almost half a million participants from 203 countries and native speakers of 54 different languages, including 19 geographically dispersed tonal languages such as Burmese, Punjabi, and Igbo. Participants were given three different musical tasks that tested their ability to discern subtle differences in melody (is this melody the same as the others?), rhythm (is the drum beating in time with the song?), and fine-grained pitch perception (is the vocalist singing in tune?). Depending on how well they performed, the participants were given increasingly difficult tests, where the differences in melody were more subtle, the mismatched rhythms were almost on beat, and the mis-tuned vocals were closer to being in tune. Overall, the researchers found that the type of language spoken impacted melodic and rhythmic ability but did not affect people's capacity to tell whether someone was singing in tune or not. "Native speakers across our 19 tonal languages were better on average at discriminating between melodies than speakers of non-tonal languages, and similarly, all 19 were worse at doing the beat-based task.," says Liu. That tonal speakers have a slight rhythmic disadvantage was a surprise, but the authors think that it's probably due to a trade-off in attention to different kinds of acoustic features. "It's potentially the case that tonal speakers pay less attention to rhythm and more to pitch, because pitch patterns are more important to communication when you speak a tonal language," says Hilton. This question of whether tonal speakers might have an edge when it comes to musicality has been previously explored, but previous studies were unable to separate linguistic influences from other cultural influences. "Prior studies mostly just compared speakers of one language to another, usually English versus Mandarin or Cantonese," says Liu. "English and Chinese speakers also differ in their cultural background, and possibly their music exposure and training in school, so it's very difficult to rule out those cultural factors if you're just comparing those two groups." "We still find this effect even with a wide range of different languages and with speakers who vary a lot in their culture and background, which really supports the idea that the difference in musical processing in tonal language speakers is driven by their common tonal language experience rather than cultural differences," says Liu. "Music has a lot of universal features across different cultures, but this paper shows that those universals can underlie inter-individual and cross-cultural variability," says senior author and cognitive scientist Samuel Mehr of the University of Auckland and Yale University. Speaking a given type of language is no substitute for music lessons, however. "Tonal language speakers had a boost in their abilities proportional to about half the boost that you would have on average if you had music lessons," says Hilton, "but non-tonal language speakers were better at rhythm, and both melody and rhythm are important parts of music." There was variation in musical processing and ability between the different tonal languages and between the different non-tonal languages, but the authors say that more study would be needed to dig into these smaller-scale patterns. Likewise, more research would be needed to understand the mechanisms and developmental pathways behind these differences. "One huge challenge for understanding how humans process the world is breaking down big topics like music or language into their components like pitch or beat or melody," says senior author Elika Bergelson, a professor of psychology and neuroscientist at Duke University. "A second challenge is sampling large enough samples of participants that are diverse enough in their experiences to actually be able to draw confident conclusions. This work takes an important step in both of these directions." When two black holes merge, they emit gravitational waves that race through space and time at the speed of light. When these reach Earth, large detectors in the United States (LIGO), Italy (Virgo) and Japan (KAGRA) can detect the signals. By comparing against theoretical predictions, scientists can then determine the black holes' properties: masses, spins, orientation, position in the sky and distance from Earth. A team of researchers from the Empirical Inference Department at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) in Tubingen and the Department of Astrophysical and Cosmological Relativity at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute/AEI) in Potsdam has now developed a self-checking deep learning system that very accurately extracts information from gravitational-wave data. In the process, the system checks its own predictions about the parameters of merging black holes -- a deep neural network with a safety net. A set of 42 detected gravitational waves from merging black holes were successfully analyzed by the algorithm: When cross-checked against computationally expensive standard algorithms, the results were indistinguishable. The study was published on April 26, 2023 in the journal Physical Review Letters. DINGO: a deep neural network for gravitational-wave analysis The researchers have developed a deep neural network called DINGO (Deep INference for Gravitational-wave Observations) to analyze the data. DINGO has been trained to extract -- or infer -- the gravitational-wave source parameters from the detector data. There was a press release on this in December 2021. The network learned to interpret real (observed) gravitational-wave data after training with many millions of simulated signals in different configurations. Trust, but verify However, at first glance, it is not possible to tell whether the deep neural network is reading the information correctly. Indeed, one disadvantage of common deep learning systems is that their results sound plausible even when they are wrong. That's why the researchers at MPI-IS and AEI have added a control feature to the algorithm. Maximilian Dax, doctoral student in the Department of Empirical Inference at MPI-IS and first author of the publication explains: "We have developed a network with a safety net. First, the algorithm calculates the properties of the black holes from the measured gravitational-wave signal. Based on these calculated parameters, a gravitational wave is modeled, and then compared to the originally observed signal. The deep neural network can thus cross-check its own results and correct them in case of doubt." The algorithm controls itself, making it much more reliable than previous machine learning methods. But not only that. "We were surprised to discover that the algorithm is often able to identify anomalous events, namely real data inconsistent with our theoretical models. This information can be used to quickly 'flag' data for additional investigation," says Stephen Green, co-lead author, and former Senior Scientist at the AEI (now at the University of Nottingham). "We can guarantee the accuracy of our machine learning method -- which almost never happens in the field of deep learning. It therefore becomes compelling for the scientific community to use the algorithm to analyze gravitational-wave data," says Alessandra Buonanno, author and director of the Department Astrophysical and Cosmological Relativity at the AEI. Scientists from around the world are studying gravitational waves in large collaborations, such as the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), in which more than 1,500 researchers are organized. Bernhard Scholkopf, who is a Director at MPI-IS, adds: "Today, DINGO analyzes gravitational-wave data -- but such a self-controlling and self-correcting method is also interesting for other scientific applications where it is crucial to be able to corroborate the correctness of 'black-box' neural network methods." More than 3 million square kilometers of the Asian elephant's historic habitat range has been lost in just three centuries, a new report from an international scientific team led by a University of California San Diego researcher reveals. This dramatic decline may underlie present-day conflicts between elephants and people, the authors argue. Developing new insights from a unique data set that models land-use change over 13 centuries, a research team led by new UC San Diego faculty member Shermin de Silva found that habitats suitable for Asian elephants have been cut by nearly two-thirds within the past 300 years. The largest living land animal in Asia, endangered Asian elephants inhabited grasslands and rainforest ecosystems that once spanned the breadth of the continent. Analyzing land-use data from the years 850 to 2015, the researchers describe in the journal Scientific Reports a troubling situation in which they estimate that more than 64% of historic suitable elephant habitat across Asia has been lost. While elephant habitats remained relatively stable prior to the 1700s, colonial-era land-use practices in Asia, including timber extraction, farming and agriculture, cut the average habitat patch size more than 80%, from 99,000 to 16,000 square kilometers. The study also suggests that the remaining elephant populations today may not have adequate habitat areas. While 100% of the area within 100 kilometers of the current elephant range was considered suitable habitat in 1700, the proportion has since declined to less than 50% by 2015. This sets up a high potential for conflicts with people living in those areas as elephant populations alter their behavior and adjust to more human-dominated spaces. "In the 1600s and 1700s there is evidence of a dramatic change in land use, not just in Asia, but globally," said de Silva, an assistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences' Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, and founder of the nonprofit Trunks & Leaves. "Around the world we see a really dramatic transformation that has consequences that persist even to this day." Also contributing to the study were researchers from across the globe, including Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Frankfurt Zoological Society, Vietnam National University of Forestry, Wild Earth Allies, Zoological Society of London and Colby College. "This study has important implications for our understanding of the history of elephant landscapes in Asia and it lays the groundwork for better understanding and modeling the potential future of elephant landscapes as well," said Philip Nyhus, Professor of Environmental Studies at Colby College and one of the study co-authors. In addition to Nyhus, three Colby undergraduate students contributed to the study. "This was a collaborative and multi-institutional effort," added Nyhus, "and I was proud that Colby students contributed significantly to the models and analyses used in the study." Beyond the immediate impact on Asian elephants, the study offers the results as a mechanism to assess land-use practices and much-needed conservation strategies for all of the area's inhabitants. "We're using elephants as indicators to look at the impact of land-use change on these diverse ecosystems over a longer time scale," said de Silva. Human impacts leading to reductions in the habitat ranges of several land-based mammal species have been well documented in the recent past. Climate change is also thought to have accelerated this decline over the past century. But assessing the impact of such changes on wildlife over the long-term has been difficult to study due to the lack of historical records. The newly published findings were based on information from the Land-Use Harmonization (LUH) data set, produced by researchers at the University of Maryland. The data set provides historical reconstructions of various types of land uses -- including forests, crops, pastures and other types -- that reach back to the ninth century. "We used present-day locations where we know there are elephants, together with the corresponding environmental features based on the LUH data sets, to infer where similar habitats existed in the past," said de Silva. "In order for us to build a more just and sustainable society, we have to understand the history of how we got here. This study is one step toward that understanding." The research team notes that the historical range of elephants is likely to have extended well beyond protected areas, which are of insufficient size to support elephant populations in Asia. They included lands under traditional systems of management that were altered within the past three centuries. The loss of these traditional practices, the authors suggest, may be a major reason behind the loss of habitat. Much more work, the authors argue, is needed to understand possible changes facing these habitats in the future. Considering the people -- along with wildlife -- at the frontiers of elephant-human conflict zones, the researchers caution that attempts at habitat restoration need to be guided under a reckoning of social and environmental justice for historically marginalized communities. "Exploring the relationship between past land management practices and the distributions of elephant ecosystems would be a useful direction for future studies from the perspectives of both ecological and social policy," they note in the report. The full author list of the study includes: Shermin de Silva, Tiffany Wu, Philip Nyhus, Ashley Weaver, Alison Thieme, Josiah Johnson, Jamie Wadey, Alexander Mossbrucker, Thinh Vu, Thy Neang, Becky Shu Chen, Melissa Songer and Peter Leimgruber. KYODO NEWS - Apr 29, 2023 - 04:28 | All, Japan, World Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering visiting South Korea in early May to meet with President Yoon Suk Yeol so the countries can further improve ties to address North Korea's ballistic missile program, sources involved in bilateral relations said Friday. If realized, Kishida's trip to South Korea would be the first by a Japanese premier in five years. Both governments are working on a plan for Kishida to visit on May 7 and 8, the sources said, an apparent bid to promote better relations ahead of the May 19-21 Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima. Kishida and Yoon agreed to improve Tokyo-Seoul relations, which soured in recent years to the worst level in decades, and visit each other's countries more often during their talks in March in Tokyo. Japan and South Korea have long been at odds over issues related to Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula before and during World War II, such as wartime labor for Japanese companies. Kishida has invited Yoon to the summit of the G-7 industrialized nations and the leaders plan to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the gathering in the western Japan city. The governments of Japan, South Korea and the United States are also arranging a trilateral meeting between Kishida, Yoon and President Joe Biden on the G-7 fringes. Yoon and Biden agreed to enhance Washington's extended deterrence involving nuclear capabilities against North Korea during their talks in Washington earlier this week. The last visit to South Korea by a Japanese premier was in February 2018, when then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Bilateral ties hit their lowest point in decades after South Korea's Supreme Court in 2018 ordered two Japanese firms to compensate Korean plaintiffs for alleged forced labor during Japan's colonial rule of the peninsula. Yoon took office in May 2022, succeeding President Moon Jae In. After Seoul proposed in January this year that a foundation backed by the South Korean government pay the money to plaintiffs, Kishida and Yoon confirmed the scheme during their meeting in Tokyo in March. North Korea has test-launched missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, on nine occasions this year, in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Fears have also been growing that Pyongyang may carry out its seventh nuclear test in the near future. On the economic front, Japan said Friday it will put South Korea back on the list of preferred trade partners after a similar move by Seoul for Tokyo's trade status. Japan revoked South Korea's preferential status in August 2019 and Seoul did likewise the following month. Marin City native Bettie Hodges has spent a half a century battling for equal access to education, decent housing and employment opportunities for low-income African Americans in one of Californias wealthiest counties. In 1979, she founded the Marin City Community Development Corporation, which for years built low-income housing in a neighborhood that has by far the highest percentage of African Americans in the county. She was part of a group that sued the county twice to force integration of the school district. She runs the Hannah Project, an education nonprofit. We have been fighting for years in this community to be respected by the county, to have a place where Black people could simply live, she said. Given her long track record of community involvement, Hodges says she and her neighbors were shocked when they learned last year that a 74-unit apartment complex proposed for the heart of Marin City had been administratively approved in late 2020 by county officials without any public hearings or notice to the community. Amy Osborne/Special to The Chronicle The development at 825 Drake Ave. was approved under SB35, which allows builders to increase density and height, as well as bypass local planning approval process, in exchange for including more affordable units. While the law is seen as a tool to take power away from NIMBY obstructionists who oppose multifamily development, Marin City residents point to the fact that their community of 3,000 is, in stark contrast to most of the county, made up mostly of low-income multifamily developments. The 1-acre site at 825 Drake Ave. is a skinny strip of land that overlooks Richardson Bay, where Hodges father like thousands of workers who migrated from the South toiled in the shipyards during World War II. In those years, racist covenants prevented African American families from leasing or buying property in most of Marin County, leaving Marin City as the only option for households looking to live close to the Marinship, where 93 cargo ships and oil tankers were built between 1942 and 1945. The Drake Avenue site is across the street from George Rocky Graham Park, a popular playground, and backs up to Village Oduduwa, a low-income senior complex. The project would be built with modular units, which will be produced at a factory in Idaho and then trucked to the site. Residents say the building would create traffic hazards at the playground and block the air and light of the seniors above. They also say the new development will be unaffordable to locals and doesnt have nearly enough parking just 24 spots for the 74 apartments. We worked hard to have that housing built we thought it was important to have a place for our seniors, Hodges said. Now to have this big ugly building blocking their light We feel like it will disrupt the quality of life of our community in a major way. Amy Osborne/Special to The Chronicle While already controversial, backlash to the Drake Avenue project exploded a few weeks ago when an article appeared in the weekly Pacific Sun newspaper in which one of the developers called residents of the historically Black Marin City communists who just want free handouts. In the interview, Alexis Gevorgian of AMG & Associates the company that is working on the development with the Pacific Companies blamed project opposition on 30 people who want to screw it up for 150 to 200 people. Those 30 people, they dont care. Its all about them. Give me more. Give me more vouchers. Lower our rent, he was quoted as saying. Im just a builder coming into a hornets nest. All I want to do is build. You dont like it, dont live there. The comments were condemned by Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters, who represents the southern portion of Marin County. She called the statements egregious and said they show an utter disregard for the African American community in Marin City. Caleb Roope, CEO of the Pacific Companies, said Gevorgian is no longer working on the project. Amy Osborne/Special to The Chronicle The comments were inappropriate and I know Alexis regrets making them, said Roope. It makes a tough situation certainly worse. I am having to deal with the fallout and the hurt feelings, which are justified. Roope said he is working on a redesign of the project that would add more parking: My goal is to get to a one-to-one parking-to-unit ratio. While the project is a 100% below market rate development, Marin City residents say even the subsidized rents are far more than locals can afford. The income limits that define rents are based on the area median incomes of the county, rather than Marin City. Thus, rents at 825 Drake would be set at 80% of area median income, which would mean that a single person with an income of $116,000 could qualify. That is about three times the median income in Marin City. Already, the Marin City Housing Authority agreed to provide 25 Section 8 vouchers for the Drake Avenue building, which would bring down rents substantially in one-third of the units. Roope said he is exploring ways to bring rents down further. Amy Osborne/Special to The Chronicle The debate around the project comes at a time when the California Department of Housing and Community Development, empowered by laws like SB35, is putting pressure on local jurisdictions to produce more housing or risk losing state funding. Like cities and counties across California, Marin is scrambling to finalize its housing element, the state-mandated plan requiring the county to plan for 3,569 units over the next eight years. Of those units, 1,734 must be designated as affordable to lower-income households. While the current draft of Marins housing element includes four Marin City projects totaling 286 units, the county is focused on spurring residential building in parts of the county that dont have much higher density housing now, according to Sarah Jones, director of development for the Marin County Community Development Agency. Three of the four Marin City projects were proposed several years ago, before the housing element process started. And the 286 units is about 100 fewer homes than is planned for Strawberry, an affluent, unincorporated town next to Tiburon that is home to a 127-acre former seminary that a group has been trying to redevelop with housing. Were eager to see more housing thats affordable for Marins workforce throughout the county, especially in our high resource neighborhoods, Jones said. Moulton-Peters said the current project shows a lack of understanding and complete disregard for this historic African American community. I do not think this is what the creators of SB35 had in mind, she said. We need truly affordable units, and we need a smaller project, with less units on this site. Amy Osborne/Special to The Chronicle As an unincorporated part of the county, Marin City residents have long complained that their voices are ignored, according to resident Marilyn Mackel, a retired attorney. There is a plantation mentality, said Mackel. Lets call it what it is. Its making decisions that affect peoples lives without including them. With 825 Drake, those feelings have intensified. I think people were offended that we didnt know about a project of this size and scale, that we didnt hear about it from the county until they had approved it, said Mackel. If those developers had come and talked to the community at least you would have had the respect of communication. We might still have a fight, but at least talk to people. While its hardly surprising that Marin County neighbors would band together to block development from Belvedere to Strawberry to Lucas Valley, affluent Marin residents have a long history of torpedoing housing proposals the debate over 825 Drake is unique, Hodges said. I would dare anybody to call me a NIMBY, she said. I have street cred for all the projects I have supported, all the meetings where I have spoken in support of affordable housing. Hodges and other opponents are petitioning both county and state officials to reconsider funding for the project. Meanwhile, Roope said the easiest thing to do would be to abandon the project and return the tax credit money that has already been awarded to the development. But he is not ready to give up. My job is to talk to the neighbors and mitigate as many of their concerns as possible, he said. Transgender women have a small but meaningful risk of prostate cancer, but traditional screening tools may not work well for them, especially if theyre taking estrogen for gender-affirming care, according to a national study led by UCSF researchers. The research, published Saturday in the journal JAMA, is the first in the U.S. to look at prostate cancer in transgender women. It underscores the need to improve overall health care for transgender people, who are underrepresented in medical research and who experience worse outcomes than cisgender patients for all kinds of health issues. Theres a misperception, both by patients and clinicians, that because these are women they identify as women, they look like women you dont necessarily think you should check for prostate cancer, said Dr. Stephen Freedland, a urologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and an author of the paper. The study was a collaboration between UCSF and Cedars-Sinai, using records from Veterans Affairs. For prostate cancer, simply demonstrating that transgender women who were born with male sex organs are at risk was an important first step in improving care, researchers said. But much more work needs to be done to determine how best to identify cases, and what role gender-affirming care, in particular, estrogen use, may play in diagnosis and treatment. Were still very much at the beginning of how best to care for this population and its a population that will probably increase, in terms of the number of people openly identifying as transgender, said Dr. Farnoosh Nik-Ahd, a UCSF urologist and lead author of the paper. Our interest was prostate cancer, but we hope to expand this and look at other health outcomes, Nik-Ahd said, noting in particular the importance of screening for cancers of other birth sex organs like the uterus and ovaries in trans men. Transgender people generally have poorer health outcomes due to a variety of factors, often tied to stigma and marginalization that can affect access to care and cause a cascade of mental and physical health problems. Though awareness of the unique needs of transgender people has improved along with increased visibility in recent years, they remain a highly vulnerable population, a situation potentially made worse with anti-trans legislation being pushed across the United States that could further limit health care access. Transgender people, who are thought to make up less than 1% of the population, have mostly been left out of large studies of all kinds of health issues. When the UCSF team decided to look at prostate cancer in transgender women, the first problem they ran into was finding patients. Generally, transgender isnt noted in patients medical records, so scientists had to look for secondary clues like estrogen prescriptions or a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. The researchers used a national registry of adults in the Veterans Affairs Health System out of Durham, N.C., to search all prostate cancer cases from 2000 to 2022. They eventually identified 155 cases in transgender women over that time period. The scientists calculated a rate of 14 cases per year among the roughly 10,000 transgender women believed to be in the VA, which is less than half the rate for cisgender men in the VA. Of those 155 transgender patients, most had never used estrogen, and 39 had either used it in the past or were currently taking it. Estrogen is important because its commonly used in gender-affirming care, and its known to have a dampening effect on prostate cancer. The hormone, then, may decrease the risk of prostate cancer for transgender women, but it can also complicate screening and diagnosis. Prostate cancer screening is already an imprecise tool. The prostate-specific antigen test, which monitors levels of a protein excreted in the prostate, can lead to false positive results that may trigger unnecessarily aggressive care, especially for a cancer thats usually slow-moving and may never need treatment. For trans women, estrogen use could cause overall lower levels of PSA, making the screening tool even less effective and potentially increasing the risk of false negatives. Its possible doctors will need to adjust how they apply PSA results for trans women on estrogen, the study authors said. There were also signs in the study results that trans women who have taken estrogen can develop more advanced prostate cancer than cisgender men by the time it is identified, suggesting diagnosis delays for the women, though more research is needed to better understand whats happening. This is a formative study in reshaping how we think about prostate cancer, said Dr. Maddie Deutsch, medical director of the UCSF Gender Affirming Health Program, who was not involved in the study. It certainly highlights that a PSA is not as reliable in trans women taking hormones as in cis men. It also reminds us that trans women still have prostates and are still at risk of prostate cancer. In fact, many trans women may not even realize they have a prostate, especially if theyve had gender-affirming surgery, doctors said. And their clinicians might not think of them as being at risk of prostate cancer either. The women need to be educated, and the clinicians need to be educated, too, Cedars-Sinais Freedland said. Gov. Gavin Newsom had a lot of fun in April. He spent much of the month cavorting on the national stage, first touring the Deep South to promote himself and his new political action committee, the Campaign for Democracy. After taking a vacation week to unwind in the Caribbean, Newsom briefly returned to California, where he made headline-grabbing announcements about stockpiling abortion medication and deploying the California Highway Patrol and National Guard to help San Francisco address its fentanyl epidemic, before visiting the flooded San Joaquin Valley. He then left again Thursday, headed to Washington, D.C., to fundraise for President Bidens re-election campaign. When the Editorial Board endorsed Newsoms re-election last year, we argued that Californias problems are far too urgent to indulge our executive office being used as a campaign commercial. We meant it. Newsom needs to get back to work in California and focus on nitty-gritty policy details as much as flashy headlines. Newsoms attention is especially urgent given that some ambitious housing bills appear to be on fragile footing. This week, state lawmakers tabled a proposal to require local governments to prioritize building homes in urban areas over less-developed regions at risk of fires and floods. Two of the years highest-profile housing bills, both authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, cleared a key committee but getting them to Newsoms desk will be a battle. One proposal, known as YIGBY, or Yes In Gods Back Yard, would make it easier for religious institutions and nonprofit colleges to build affordable housing on their property. The other would improve and make permanent a previous Wiener bill that streamlines the project approval process in cities that arent meeting state-mandated housing production targets. But the fight over the bills labor standards has been so intense that state Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Merced, compared it in a Wednesday hearing to a gang fight on the street. Both bills need to pass for California to meet its ambitious goal of accommodating 2.5 million new homes by 2030. Newsom should signal as much to lawmakers by throwing his weight behind the proposals. Newsom also needs to take stronger action when it comes to reforming the California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA, which is often weaponized to delay or deny developments for reasons that have little or nothing to do with the environment. He took a step in the right direction Wednesday when he asked the California Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling blocking UC Berkeley from building housing for more than 1,100 students and 125 low-income or homeless people in Peoples Park the result of a CEQA lawsuit arguing the university failed to adequately consider the potential noise impacts of loud student parties, among other things. But California will never build housing at the necessary scale and speed if it continues with such a piecemeal approach. Its incumbent on Newsom to develop a robust package of bills to overhaul CEQA and steer it through the Legislature so Californias landmark environmental law can no longer be used to block infill projects in urban, transit-rich neighborhoods. Similarly, Californias housing goals will remain a pie-in-the-sky dream if the Newsom administration doesnt more aggressively enforce state law. Long after most local governments were supposed to submit housing elements to the state outlining their development plans for the next eight years, more than 50% still dont have an approved blueprint. Thats unacceptable. And while the Newsom administration was quick to sue the Republican-led Orange County city of Huntington Beach for its flagrant violation of state housing laws, comparatively lackluster oversight in some wealthy Democratic strongholds is emboldening cities to attempt to water down their state-mandated plans. This month, Santa Monica took the astonishing step of asking the state Department of Housing and Community Development to allow it to amend its approved plan to significantly upzone sections of key commercial districts. The city argued, absurdly, that doing so would help it achieve fair housing by increasing entrepreneurship opportunities and allowing local residents to participate in the local economy. Fair housing, however, didnt seem to be top of mind for the Santa Monica Planning Commission when it met in December to discuss the proposed amendment. When you get that much new development in places that are where our community gathers now, it disrupts it. It wont be a nice place to live, said Commissioner Nina Fresco. Clearly, NIMBY cities arent taking prolonged self-promotional spring breaks. Californias governor doesnt have that luxury, either. The state is reviewing Santa Monicas request and is laser-focused on ensuring all cities and counties comply with state housing laws, Megan Kirkeby, deputy director of housing policy development, said in a statement. When Newsoms housing department takes action, its effective: Under state pressure, San Francisco recently approved three controversial projects, including the infamous Nordstrom valet parking lot. But the state needs to be systemically vigilant to ensure cities actually build the housing they promised to build. For example, Mayor London Breed recently introduced legislation to help San Francisco implement its plan to build 82,000 homes in the next eight years. But housing advocates caution that the Board of Supervisors is unlikely to approve her proposals unless the state signals its support and warns the supes of the consequences of failing to green-light those bills. Such warnings, of course, are only meaningful if local governments understand that the state is serious about enforcing housing laws regardless of a communitys location, political affiliation or wealth. A governor who is present, engaged and consistently demonstrates that hes prepared to do battle for the remainder of his term is crucial to sending such a signal. A San Francisco woman whose cat died painfully in a euthanasia she allegedly had been assured would be pain-free can sue the veterinarian for her own emotional distress and for fraud, a state appeals court ruled Friday. The decision by the First District Court of Appeal is apparently the first in California to allow a pet owner to seek damages after learning of her pets suffering during euthanasia. If upheld, it will set a precedent for future cases. A fraud suit can be based on intentional misrepresentations made to induce a pet owner to consent to an unnecessary, unjustified, and painful procedure, Justice Ioana Petrou wrote in the 3-0 ruling, reinstating a suit that a judge had dismissed. And if Ryan Berry can prove that the veterinarian intentionally lied or misled her about the procedure he was about to perform, Petrou said, she can sue him for the anguish she suffered once she learned that she had allowed her cat to suffer an unnecessary and extremely painful death. In this case, Berry is not seeking damages for emotional distress, but wants punitive damages for conduct she considers deliberate and wrongful, said her attorney, James Kraus, who was then also her partner and co-owner of the cat. The ruling would allow punitive damages if Berry can show intentional conduct in disregard of humanity, but would let others in similar circumstances seek compensation for their own pain and suffering. Vets have a hard job, Kraus said, since their patients dont speak any language a human understands. But this is somebody who intentionally wanted to separate us from our cat and do something horrific to the cat. He said Berry now has an amazing cat that she adopted from a shelter about a year later. Lawyers for the veterinarian and for an animal-rights group that filed arguments supporting Berry were not immediately available for comment. The court said Berry and Kraus contacted a veterinary service in April 2019 when the cat, Kitty, was clearly dying, though not in pain. They were told that Berry could hold Kitty while the veterinarian injected an initial sedative, that Berry could then say goodbye to her pet, and that the cat would then receive a second dose and die without pain. But the veterinarian, Jeffrey Frazier, asked Berry to move away, tried to inject the cat and then told her he could not insert a catheter into any of the pets limbs. Berry said she then suggested an overdose of a previously prescribed oral medication, which would result in a painless death, but that Frazier replied it would take too long. Then, according to her lawsuit, the veterinarian said he would use a heart stick, sending fluid directly into the cats heart. Berry said he assured her and Kraus that the procedure was quick and that the pet will never know whats happening and wont feel a thing. She then left and did not see the injection. But later, Berry said, she learned that such procedures, known as intracardiac injections, were extremely painful, in the words of a 2006 California law. That law prohibits intracardiac euthanasia of a conscious animal unless the animal is heavily sedated or anesthetized in a humane manner, or comatose, or unless, in light of all the relevant circumstances, the procedure is justifiable. In dismissing the suit, Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman likened the case to a suit for medical malpractice and said Kitty, not Berry, had been Fraziers patient. But the appeals court said she was entitled to sue for alleged intentionally false statements that caused her to consent to the procedure and deprived her of rights to her pet, legally considered personal property. Such outrageous conduct, Petrou said, could also justify a suit for emotional distress. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Cliff House in 2023 continues to make headlines whether its the demise of the restaurant during the pandemic, or speculation about a rebirth that could add a unique new chapter to the 160-year-old landmark. But the current drama surrounding the third Cliff House pales in comparison to the short-lived second, known for both its mammoth size and spectacular demise in 1907. For a decade at the turn of the century before the current Cliff House rose on its bluff a mighty Victorian mansion overlooking the Pacific was the premiere landmark of San Francisco, preceding the Golden Gate Bridge as the bold architectural marvel that welcomed newcomers to the city. It has no press agent and seems to need none, The Chronicle wrote in 1907. Romance has associated with its name, and in the East it had wider fame than the more substantial hotels of the city. The Cliff Houses origin story goes back further. When the first Cliff House was built in 1863, it was a one-story isolated outpost that might take half a days journey over sand dunes to reach. The restaurant and roadhouse was a tourist destination from the beginning. Former Civil War general J.G.Foster was its permanent resident, and once complained about 170 visitors from Massachusetts who ordered 200 waters and three lemonades during their visit. Hell, Foster told The Chronicle, two miners and their girls spend more money for one dinner than the entire state of Massachusetts does in an entire day. The Chronicle Much of that building came to an abrupt end in 1887, when the schooner Parallel, filled with 10 tons of explosive powder, hit the rocks underneath the back porch. The blast, which was felt 100 miles inland, took off the entire north wing of the roadhouse, The Chronicle reported. The Cliff House was rebuilt and expanded, then seven years later burned to the ground. Few lessons were learned in the years that followed. The new owner, San Francisco Mayor Adolph Sutro, decided on an even bigger (and more flammable) wooden structure: a seven-story Victorian manse that seemed about two sizes too big for the rocky outcropping it clung to like a condors nest built on top of a volleyball. The restaurant and hotel looked like a giant dollhouse hanging over the cliff, and polarized locals, who thought it was either the gaudiest or grandest thing they had seen. Every room, it seemed, had long vertical windows, filling the western end with sun. The higher the Cliff House rose, the more gratuitously ornate it became. The top floor seemed to have steeples stacked on top of steeples. At the time of its 1896 opening, the 10-story Chronicle building at 690 Market Street was the tallest building in San Francisco at 218 feet. With the towering top floor included, the Cliff House was just 17 feet shorter. More than 20,000 guests arrived for the official opening of the new Cliff House, which was also the debut of Sutros electric rail line to the western shores. Most of the coverage was about the trains, which cost a nickel, making the Outside Lands much more accessible to working-class San Franciscans. At no point in Sutros history did the politician and businessman enjoy more popularity. Twenty thousand people went over the new electric line, and fully half of them shook hands with Mayor Sutro until his thumbs swelled, The Chronicle reported. Sutro hailed the beauty of the Cliff House, which had quietly been in business for months. But most of his speech was an us-versus-them rally cry against Southern Pacific and the countrys railroad barons. The American Republic is being transformed into an oligarchy of capitalists. Villainy and dishonesty are prevalent in high circles, Sutro said. Monstrous corporations are the bane of the people. Railroads are grinding the substance out of our farmers and workingmen. The Chronicle The Cliff House and Sutro Baths were a popular draw for a decade. Citizens were no doubt relieved on April 21, 1906, when The Chronicle reported that the historic Cliff House, despite its apparently dangerous position, was virtually unharmed by the earthquake. There was less than $500 in damage, and the structure was briefly opened to homeless San Franciscans. But that would be one of its final uses. On the afternoon of Sept. 7, 1907, a mysterious fire broke out in the basement while the building was in the middle of a $50,000 restoration, and the structure was quickly consumed in flames. The Chronicle The Cliff House is burned, The Chronicles story began. Its ending was as spectacular as its history is romantic. Luckily there was almost no one inside. Lifeboats aligned outside the back patio for any hotel guests who needed to jump in the ocean, but no one emerged. The only major injury was proprietor J.M. Wilkins, who ran to safety with his beard and hair singed, and minor injuries to his hands and lungs. Hundreds of San Franciscans arrived to watch along the nearby shore, where burned remains of the impressive structure washed up on the sand some collected as souvenirs. A seething pillar of fire reaching for hundreds of feet from the high cliff, like a giant beacon fire on the headland, The Chronicle reported the next day. On the rock in front of the cliff the seals raised their heads and barked at the flames, but their barking had as much effect as the efforts of fire engines on the landward side of the blaze. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle Sutro had died in 1898. The sea lions left from their perch on the rocks, and reportedly didnt return for two years. By that time a new considerably more modest Cliff House was built in its current location. It was closed twice for long stretches during Prohibition, then reopened in 1937 by George Whitney. With Playland-at-the-Beach hitting its stride, the Cliff House became more of an upscale dining destination. After Playland was demolished in the 1970s, the National Park Service took over the building with the Hountalas family running it as a tourist favorite and the site of countless special brunches and dinners. It closed in December 2020, and the sign was removed. Now we wait for the next era for the Cliff House, as the most exciting chapter becomes a little more lost in time. The last weekend of April is set to put on a preview of the month to come. Most of the fog will be driven by a hefty stream of cool, moist air thats poised to spill on the coast Saturday and Sunday. Some of the spillover will be absorbed into the drier layers of air hovering over the Bay Area, but its looking like there should be enough saturated air in place for the fog bank to expand into some of the bayside and delta. The tricky fog forecast The fog bank off the coast has been struggling to find its footing ever since it started reappearing back in early April. Thats largely because of sea-surface temperatures that have just recently started to reach the mid-50s, which is typically the temperature needed for the air off the coast to saturate. Satellite imagery taken during the tail-end of this weeks heat wave on Friday proved to be a good indicator that the fog bank is now healthy enough to maintain itself for longer stretches of time. Baron/Lynx The latest runs on the American and European weather models suggest a return of fog to the coastline Saturday morning, with its greatest extent reaching Sutro Tower, the Marin Headlands including Mount Tam and most of Highway 1 between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Whether or not the fog manages to breach San Francisco Bay during this first round of foggy conditions is still up in the air. Chances of fog spreading into San Francisco Bay increase substantially late Saturday night after 11 p.m. Sundays shaping up to be a cold, breezy day for much of the coastline thanks to northwest winds from the center of a low-pressure system. Its winds are set to arrive after 11 p.m., streaming moisture into all corners of the Bay Area. If nighttime temperatures over land are able to stay in the 50s, theyll end up very close to sea-surface temperatures. And like steam in a bathroom, this process would lead to an instant saturation of the air. For now, its looking like the timing of the greatest extent of the fog will happen between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Sunday, leading to a fog bank that will easily spill into most of San Francisco and eventually into most of the shoreline, bays, and delta regions. Residents in San Jose, who were just experiencing daytime highs in the 90s earlier this week could be waking up on Sunday morning to something that feels closer to cloud cover that feels closer to what Ocean Beach and most of San Francisco has been experiencing over the past couple of mornings. All in all, this weekend is shaping up to be on the cooler and foggier side just in time for the shrouded return of May Gray. Saturday breakdown San Francisco: Cool air is slated to rush into the city over the course of the day as the weather pattern goes through a bit of a whiplash. Expect 15 to 20 mph gusts along the west side and Presidio Saturday afternoon, keeping daytime temperatures in the lower 60s. Residents east of Sutro Tower can look forward to slightly warmer weather thanks to the natural shielding from Twin Peaks, Diamond Heights and Mount Davidson, with highs reaching the mid-60s. Moist air returns to Ocean Beach and the Golden Gate Bridge after 4 p.m., helping raise some fog right along the immediate shoreline. Depending on how quickly a low-pressure system carves out a path for the fog, most of the city could get shrouded by fog as early as 11 p.m., though a few weather models keep the bulk of the fog out of the city until 3 a.m. on Sunday. Pacific Coast and Peninsula: The cooling trend continues Saturday across the Peninsula as winds gradually increase over the course of the day. Weather models expect gusts up to 20 mph along Highway 1 between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay by Saturday afternoon, leading to fog running up to the shoreline. Cool air will rush into the San Bruno Gap and eventually down I-280 and the 101 corridor, keeping daytime highs in the upper 50s by the Pacific Coast, lower 60s in Daly City, Millbrae and San Mateo and mid-60s as you head down toward Redwood City and Menlo Park. Patches of fog are forecast to begin rolling onto the coast overnight, with the thickest layers of fog reaching the San Bruno Gap after 2 a.m. on Sunday. North Bay: Residents in the Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Napa valleys are in for another warm day as daytime highs gradually reach the upper 70s, with a few lower 80s possible in the vineyards and the summits of the Mayacamas Mountains. This will be in contrast to the cooler air thats slated for the bayside and delta, where residents in Sausalito, Tiburon and Vallejo can expect daytime temperatures to only reach the mid to upper 60s. This rush of cool air will be powered by gusts to 25 mph by the water, which are likely to help feed some of the fog off the coast into San Pablo Bay tonight and into Sunday morning. East Bay: Saturdays delta breeze is set to finally carve out a path for cooler air to filter into the San Ramon and Livermore valleys. Look for a 5 to 7-degree cooldown across Walnut Creek, Dublin and Pleasanton as daytime temperatures only get to the lower 80s. This rush of cooler air will be more pronounced on the bayside, where residents in Richmond, Alameda and Hayward can expect 20 mph gusts off San Francisco Bay and daytime highs in the mid to upper 70s. Look for upper 70s to lower 80s along the Oakland and Berkeley hills, though most of the hillsides are set to fall to the lower 70s by the evening as the bay breeze spreads east of the Caldecott Tunnel. South Bay and Santa Cruz: After scorching hot temperatures earlier in the week, residents in San Jose and most of the Santa Clara Valley can look forward to a cooler Saturday, with partly cloudy skies and daytime highs in the mid to upper 70s. This cooldown will coincide with the gradual return of the breeze off San Francisco Bay, which will help raise some spotty fog around Berryessa and Milpitas later tonight and into Sunday morning. The cool down will make it to the Santa Cruz Mountains Saturday, as light winds off Monterey Bay rush north of Pasatiempo and into Felton, Scotts Valley and Ben Lomond. Look for daytime highs in the lower 70s, with pockets of upper 60s closer to the foothills immediately north of Santa Cruz. The rest of Monterey Bay can look forward to comfortable temperatures in the mid to upper 60s, with residents in Capitola, Aptos and Soquel likely to experience a few rounds of fog both on Saturday morning and then again early Sunday morning. Reach Gerry Diaz: gerry.diaz@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @geravitywave Its a blustery, clear day on Trinidad Head, a coastal headland some 300 miles north of San Francisco. Im alone on the 1.3-mile trail that circumnavigates the rocky outcropping, and Ive wandered down one of its many spur trails to where the bramble recedes and the views of the coastline and its striking islets stretch for miles. As I scan the turbulent seas, I notice a puff of water shoot into the air, just before the droplets scatter on the wind. Holy st! I say to no one, because that just might have been the spout from a gray whale. Spring is, after all, when these underwater giants make their northern migration from Mexico to Alaska. Ive been doing this hike about once a month for the past three years, but Ive never spotted a whale from the path. And a whale would be pretty extra here if you ask me. This trail already has absolutely everything else going for it. Ashley Harrell/SFGATE Ashley Harrell/SFGATE Ashley Harrell/SFGATE Ashley Harrell/SFGATE Trinidad Head offers 360-degree views of the ocean, Trinidad Harbor and the village of Trinidad. (Ashley Harrell/SFGATE) Trinidad Head offers 360-degree views of the ocean, Trinidad Harbor and the village of Trinidad. (Ashley Harrell/SFGATE) Not only does it feature some of the most eye-popping views in all of California, but its also very accessible and easy. Standout features include meandering pathways beneath windblown evergreens and through flower-studded scrub and 360-degree views of a coastline dotted with sea stacks eroded by a crashing sea. All of this was protected in 2000 as part of the California Coastal National Monument (President Obama designated Trinidad Head part of the monument in 2017). When friends fly up from the Bay Area to visit me in Humboldt County, my first question is always whether we should drop their luggage at my house before or after we go to Trinidad Head. Whenever it happens, the Trinidad excursion typically begins with an approach up Scenic Drive, and what an understatement that name turns out to be. This two-lane coastal road winds along dramatic coves, towering sea caves, vibrant tide pools and little-visited beaches before it enters the wind-whipped, cheerful village of Trinidad. The historic town is mostly a smattering of upscale, midcentury homes perched on a bluff. There are a couple of delicious local seafood spots, including a smokehouse famous for wild salmon, and an 1873 church nearly as old as the town itself. Just west of the town, I park in Trinidad State Beach, where a pre-hike on the vanilla-colored, boulder-strewn shoreline is always in order. Then I climb the staircase at the southern end of the parking lot and traverse a narrow strip of land on the way to the trailhead. To the north are views of the rugged coastline, and to the east, I can see tranquil Trinidad Harbor. Ashley Harrell/SFGATE At the start, signs pay respects to the headlands original inhabitants, the Yurok people of Tsurai village, whose land was stolen by the Spanish in the late 1700s. Villagers called the headland Tsurewa, and the trail is named Tsurai Trail in their honor and managed by the city of Trinidad in consultation with local Native American representatives. From here, the trail goes counterclockwise around the head, beginning on a paved service road with a somewhat steep incline that soon transforms into a dirt path through the forest. I love ambling beneath tunnels of foliage and peering into what appear to be hobbit holes along the path before it levels out and arrives at a series of lookouts over the sea. The vistas include some incredibly scenic rocky islets, such as Flatiron Rock, where large colonies of seabirds live and poop (hence the white rocks). Seals also haul up on these islets to warm themselves and can be heard barking and fighting even from the top of the headland. There are quite a few spur trails, all leading to lookouts where the bramble has parted. I never wander into the brush, as there's quite a bit of poison oak in there. But with each visit, I try to split off in a new direction to explore the headland. More than once, Ive stumbled on a local bagpiper called Howdy Emerson, whose soulful melodies intertwine with the sound of air horns from the Trinidad Head lighthouse. On the first Saturday of each month, the Bureau of Land Management opens the gates for visitors to tour the 1871 structure, said to have once been inundated by the largest wave to ever hit the California coast. Most days, of course, its the little things that make Trinidad Head a delight. Finding a solitary bench with a killer view at the end of a spur trail. Spotting a tiny hummingbird hovering over the ferns. Observing the intricate, exposed root systems of the trees along the trail. Bob Wick via BLM on Flickr CC 2.0 On this visit, what I thought might be a gray whale instead turned out to be the ocean splashing against a small, hidden sea stack. As I watched the waves crash against it like some salty metronome, I swear time might have actually stopped. Then I continued around the loop, and historic Trinidad became visible again to the east. I was right back at the start and seriously considered doing it again. The Trinidad Head hike can be reached from the trailhead at Trinidad State Beach at 4150 Patrick's Point Drive in Trinidad, California, and is just over 1 mile round trip. HARTFORD A Hartford mental health clinician was ordered to pay the state $140,000 in restitution after pleading guilty Thursday to health insurance fraud, officials with the state Division of Criminal Justice said. Alicia Thompkins, 42, of Hartford, was accused of submitting claims to the state-run Medicaid program for behavioral health services that she didn't provide, according to a DCJ news release. Benihana, Chick-fil-A, and more restaurants are set to debut new locations at Bridgepointe Shopping Center in San Mateo. Bridgepointe Shopping Center, at 2280 Bridgepointe Parkway, announced in a press release Thursday that it anticipates opening a new outpost of the popular spicy chicken sandwich chain, in addition to California Fish Grill, Lazy Dog and Benihana. We look forward to opening Benihana San Mateo in the spring of 2024 to join our other four Bay area restaurants on Post Street in San Francisco, Concord, Burlingame and Cupertino, Benihana told SFGATE via email. According to the Daily Journal, the upcoming Benihana restaurant is slated for a former Red Robin and will take up 7,100 square feet. Chick-Fil-A will open a new store at 4,500 square feet. SFGATE also reached out to Chick-fil-A for more information on the upcoming Bridgepointe Shopping Center location, but did not receive a response as of press time. The Peninsula retail center is also slated to gain Nordstrom Rack, which is expected to open sometime in 2024. Bridgepointe Shopping Center has also signed leases for major retail chains The Container Store, Five Below, Ross, Ulta and Shane Company. Courtesy of CBRE Bridgepointe Shopping Center is one of the premier power centers in the Bay Area, said Matt Kircher, executive vice president at CBRE, the commercial real estate company that operates Bridgepointe Shopping Center. Its proximity to major highways and large daytime population attracted high-quality, well-known tenants making it the largest open-air center for 15 miles in each direction. Matt Rourke/AP PHILADELPHIA (AP) Two teenagers have been charged with firearms and related offenses following the slaying of three people and the wounding of a fourth person at a northeast Philadelphia home, authorities said. Lt. John Stanford told reporters that officers called to the residence in the Lawncrest neighborhood shortly after 3:30 p.m. Friday found one person shot on the sidewalk, another on the porch and a third victim inside the home. All three were pronounced dead at the scene. Artificial intelligence (AI) research will play a key role in harnessing global opportunities and creating practical, tangible solutions for increasing AI adoption as well as generating economic and social value, said Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and President-Designate of COP28. AI adoption across industries will help meet the nations goals in advancing technology and diversifying its economy. Projections show AI solutions are on course to contribute an estimated $13 trillion to the global GDP by 2030, optimizing the industries of tomorrow, and dramatically improving the lives of billions of people in the process, he stated. "We stand on the brink of a technological revolution and MBZUAI is providing a world-leading pipeline of AI specialists, and an ecosystem nurturing industrial collaboration to support the UAE's innovation trajectory," noted Dr Al Jaber. He was speaking after his visit to Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) where he met G42 CEO Peng Xiaoand Professor Eric Xing, President and University Professor of MBZUAI, along with other leading researchers from MBZUAI and the Inception Institute of Artificial Intelligence (IIAI). MBZUAI is among 12 UAE-based universities and higher education institutions to join the Universities Climate Network (UCN). The taskforce enables collaboration to advance ambitious climate action nationally and internationally to accelerate positive change for a low-carbon, resilient world. He discussed with them key research projects that will deliver on UAE national priorities including sustainable environment and infrastructure; world-class healthcare and education systems; and exploring large language models, particularly in Arabic. Dr Al Jaber also met MBZUAI faculty focusing on the institutions three core pillars of climate, health, and education, where he reviewed research on energy efficient language models and machine learning systems, maximizing solar energy outputs, and real-time autonomous malaria diagnosis and assessment. Dr Al Jaber was also given a demonstration of environmentally friendly chatbot Vicuna a global collaboration between researchers at MBZUAI, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford, and UC San Diego. Peng Xiao said: "The UAEs unwavering commitment to advancing artificial intelligence and digital transformation is evident in a thriving academic institution like MBZUAI. In the three years since its establishment, MBZUAI has attracted world-renowned researchers from the most prestigious educational institutions globally." "This concentration of talent has catalyzed a massive wave of growth in the local AI ecosystem and has helped the UAE build a strong platform for AI development to foster an environment conducive to driving meaningful and sustained innovation, with far-reaching impact across various industries worldwide," he added. It is estimated that AI could be used to help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 5.3 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent gases (CO2e) if applied globally, playing a major role in limiting global temperature increases to 1.5C. Emphasizing the role of AI in climate-based solutions, Dr Al Jaber said: "AI will contribute to the UAEs net zero strategic initiative by 2050 and help unlock advances in climate progress." "Technologies being developed today have the potential to increase energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and ensure that economic growth and climate progress go hand-in-hand while advances in technologies like artificial intelligence, analytics and robotics will enable us to better decarbonize high emitting sectors, and measure and reduce energy consumption and emissions," he added.-TradeArabia News Service KYODO NEWS - Apr 29, 2023 - 17:09 | All, Japan American physician Anthony Fauci, who served as COVID-19 adviser to two U.S. administrations, is among the foreigners recognized in this year's spring decorations for their notable contributions to Japan, the government said Saturday. Fauci, 82, who was director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 1984 to 2022, will receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star for his work during the pandemic and his contribution to promoting medical cooperation and the strengthening of relations with Japan. Fauci, who served under former U.S. President Donald Trump and his successor Joe Biden, said it was "truly a great honor" to receive such recognition, adding that throughout his career he has had the "pleasure to collaborate with so many outstanding Japanese scientists." The coronavirus pandemic came toward the end of Fauci's tenure. As partisan conflicts over vaccination and mask-wearing raged in the United States, Fauci received death threats, but he continued to provide information based on science, saying "the best way to counter misinformation is to flood the system with correct information." He also praised Japan for its handling of the pandemic, saying, "There were many things that Japan did successfully to dampen the effect of the pandemic. We in the United States can learn from Japan and vice versa." A total of 103 foreigners, representing 50 countries and regions, will receive spring decorations this year, with 24 of them women. Former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and the U.S. Space Force's first Chief of Space Operations Gen. John Raymond will receive the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, the highest honor awarded this year. Raymond participated in the Operation Tomodachi rescue and relief efforts jointly conducted by the U.S. military and Japan's Self-Defense Forces following the massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 that devastated the country's northeast. "I'm extremely honored," the 60-year-old said, "I have worked very closely with the (Japanese Air Self-Defense Force) over the years." Regarding his role as the first U.S. space operations chief, Raymond said that "space has become a warfighting domain, just like air, land and sea." "Clearly the domain has become more contested...China and Russia are both developing capabilities to deny us our access to space," he said. "We want to make sure that space is peaceful and available to all to use." A total of 4,009 individuals will receive spring decorations this year, with women accounting for 417, or 10.4 percent, and 1,892, or 47.2 percent, from the private sector. Among Japanese recipients, Takuya Okada, 97, honorary chairman and adviser of supermarket giant Aeon Co., will also receive the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. Former justices Masayuki Ikegami and Katsuyuki Kizawa, both 71, former Nomura Securities Co. President Nobuyuki Koga, 72, and former Tokyo Gas Co. President Michiaki Hirose, 72, will also receive the decoration. Japanese actor Morio Kazama, 74, will receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette. Physical anthropologist Mariko Hasegawa, 70, is among the recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon. Shigeru Iwasaki, 70, a former chief of the Defense Ministry's Joint Staff, and Takayasu Okushima, 84, a former president of Waseda University, will receive the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure. Some of the decorations will be conferred by Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on May 9 at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. NEW ORLEANS (AP) Judge in Roman Catholic bankruptcy case recuses after AP shows he donated tens of thousands to archdiocese. NEW CASTLE, Ind. (AP) A female mental health counselor and a male inmate have been stabbed by another inmate during an attack at a private prison in eastern Indiana, authorities said. The counselor was conducting a group session around 9:40 a.m. Friday with eight male inmates at the New Castle Correctional Facility when one of the inmates began stabbing her neck and throat area with a pointed metal object, state police said. A Stratford doctor was sentenced Thursday to serve four years in prison for health care fraud. Ananthakumar Thillainathan, a doctor and the owner and president of MDCareNow LLC, received almost $840,000 from the state Medicaid program for psychotherapy services, which he knew patients didn't receive from his employees. He also paid a third-party company to recruit more than 1,000 Medicaid patients, which was in violation of his state provider agreement, and received more than $1 million from Medicaid for services provided to those patients, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said in a news release. Last November, Thillainathan pleaded guilty to health care fraud and kickbacks involving federal health care programs. In Bridgeport federal court Thursday, U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill ordered Thillainathan to serve three years of supervised release after his prison sentence. He was also ordered to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution, $500,000 of which is due within 60 days, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Thillainathan, who is a citizen of Sri Lanka and a lawful, permanent citizen of the United States, faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term, the U.S. Attorney's office said. While he was released on bond and awaiting sentencing, he surrendered his state Controlled Substance Certificate of Registration. However, despite not holding a valid license, Thillainathan continued to write prescriptions, the U.S. Attorney's office said. He wrote at least 34 prescription for controlled substances, including 14 for Oxycodone, the office said. His bond was revoked and he has been detained since Jan. 13, the U.S. Attorney's office said. The U.S. Attorney's office said MDCareNow, a medical practice that has offices in Stratford and Milford, was a participating provider enrolled as both an internal medicine group and as a behavioral health clinician group in the Connecticut Medicaid program. Between June 2019 and May 2022, Thillainathan submitted, or caused to be submitted, $839,724 in false psychotherapy service claims to the state Medicaid program. "Thillainathan knew that the billed psychotherapy Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, which identify the nature and complexity of the services provided, were not supported by medical records provided by his employees, and that the services were not provided," according to the U.S. Attorney's office. An investigation found that Thillainathan submitted fraudulent claims that falsely represented his employees had rendered 60-minute psychotherapy sessions, the U.S. Attorney's office said. Instead, his employees "only had very brief conversations with patients, had only left a voicemail for patients, or had no contact with patients at all," the U.S. Attorney's office said. In addition to these false claims, Thillainathan also paid a third-party recruiting company for each Connecticut Medicaid patient the company recruited and provided transportation to MDCareNow for medical services, which is in violation of his Connecticut Medical Assistance Program provider agreement, the U.S. Attorney's office said. Thillainathan paid the patient recruiting company about $100 per patient for an initial visit to his business and about $40 per patient for any subsequent visit. From November 2019 to May 2021, Thillainathan paid the company for recruiting 1,018 patients, in which his business received $1,071,328 in reimbursements from Connecticut Medicaid, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. WATKINSVILLE, Ga. (AP) Family members said that a Michigan couple who died in a Georgia plane crash on Wednesday were seasoned pilots who lived life to the fullest. Robert Denton, 76, and Sandra Denton, 75, of Williamsburg, Michigan, were identified Friday as the people who died when their single-engine Cessna 177B crashed in a field Wednesday near Watkinsville. The Oconee County Sheriff's Office said Friday that the couple also had a home in The Villages, Florida. They were flying from Leesburg, Florida, to Winder, Georgia, crashing in a field owned by the University of Georgia about 15 miles (25 kilometers) short of their destination. While taken from us far too soon, we find comfort knowing they were together and doing what they loved, flying, the family said Friday in a statement released by the Oconee sheriff. Robert and Sandra lived life to the fullest and were two of the most thoughtful and loving people you could know. The Federal Aviation Administration reported Thursday that the plane crashed under unknown circumstances. Oconee County Sheriff James Hale told the Athens Banner-Herald that the plane was destroyed upon impact with the ground. Hale said the damage was so extensive that those at the scene were unable to determine immediately the type of craft that crashed. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are continuing to investigate. The sheriff's office asked anyone who finds debris that may have come from the plane to report it. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MILFORD Richard Smith, the citys police commission chairman, will officially assume the city's top job Monday. The Board of Aldermen, at a special meeting Thursday, voted to approve Smith who had been nominated by the Democratic Town Committee weeks ago to replace outgoing Mayor Ben Blake, who has served in the role for the past 12 years. Blake announced in February he was stepping down after being nominated to serve as administrative law judge for Connecticuts Workers Compensation Commission. Although this may not be politically popular to say, the relationship with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, I want to make that a lot better, said Smith, a Democrat. I have the utmost respect for our members on the Republican side and I want to be able to work closely with them. Smith told aldermen Thursday that wants to bring a culture change to Milford City Hall and improve relationships with department leaders. Its not about strategy or tactics, or campaign issues," Smith said. "Its about doing whats best for the city of Milford. In a meeting last month, Milfords Democratic Town Committee voted to select Smith over Kerri Rowland, the Democratic Registrar of Voters and a Parks, Beach and Recreation Commission member. Rowland has since launched a mayoral campaign to succeed Blake, saying she supports a push to restore $1.8 million that the finance board cut from a school budget proposal. Smith, after his appointment, said he supports restoring some of the money to the schools, but wants to find out where aldermen stand on the proposal. The Board of Aldermen plans to vote on the budget next month. I havent really asked them because that would be premature," Smith said. "Ill seek out negotiation points." Blake, who was confirmed by Connecticuts General Assembly to serve as administrative law judge for Connecticuts Workers Compensation Commission, plans to take an oath of office on May 1. When that happens, he will officially step down as Milfords mayor having served 12 years in the role. Smith will then take over the mayor job for the rest of his predecessor's term, which ends in November. This has been such a great opportunity, and its something that Ive worked very hard at, and it is a city that I will continue to advocate for and on behalf of, Blake told aldermen ahead of Thursdays roll call vote, which resulted in 11 votes in favor and two abstentions. After an initial voice vote, Alderwoman Michelle Parente, a Democrat, argued aldermen should not have voted on the appointment until after Blakes formal resignation, pointing to a provision of Milfords city charter requiring aldermen to fill any vacancy in an elective office. City Attorney Jonathan Berchem responded that aldermen had voted to fill an anticipated vacancy. Parente was joined by Alderman Matt Arciuolo II, also a Democrat, in abstaining during the second, roll call vote. AP BUFFALO, Mo. (AP) A Missouri man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for his role in the death of a woman who authorities said was kept in a cage and dismembered. James Phelps, 60, entered an Alford plea Friday to first-degree murder, kidnapping and abandonment of a corpse in the death of 33-year-old Cassie Rainwater, The Springfield News-Leader reported. Under an Alford plea, Phelps does not admit guilt but acknowledges enough evidence exists to convict him. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW YORK (AP) After the deadly collapse of a parking structure in lower Manhattan, New York City building officials swept through dozens of parking garages and ordered four of them to immediately shutter because of structural defects that deteriorated to the point where they were now posing an immediate threat to public safety. Two of the parking garages have apartments above them a 25-story high-rise in downtown Manhattan and an eight-story building in Chinatown but officials said the residential areas appear to be in no danger. City officials directed the owners of the parking facilities to make immediate repairs to corroded concrete and other damage. Inspections were launched soon after a three-story stand-alone parking structure, about a century old, imploded into shards of concrete and twisted metal on April 18, crushing to death its manager. This work was done in the interest of public safety, and out of an abundance of caution, said Department of Buildings spokesperson Andrew Rudansky. During our sweep of 78 parking structures, we found four locations where structural concerns necessitated areas of the buildings to be immediately vacated," he said. The city last year began mandating that parking structures be inspected by owners at least once every six years. The first wave of garages, located from the southern tip of Manhattan to the lower Central Park area, have until the end of the year to complete initial inspections. The structure that collapsed earlier this month had not yet completed its required inspection, city officials said. Why it collapsed is still under investigation but the building had been previously cited for various structural defects, including signs of corrosion in concrete called "spalling." Two decades ago, city inspectors cited the property owner for failing to properly maintain the building, finding at the time that there were cracks and defects in the concrete. A more recent inspection in fall 2013 showed no further structural issues, building officials said. The garage, a few blocks from City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge, caved in just as the first trickles of patrons were beginning to return to the garage after work. The collapse shook nearby buildings and terrified people who described the sound of the falling structure as a massive explosion and compared the experience to a violent earthquake. Enterprise Ann Parking, which operated the garage on Ann Street, said it was cooperating with authorities on the probe. Inspectors have since visited 17 parking garages managed by the same company, as well as 61 additional buildings with parking garages that had open structural citations. They found four properties with structural damage in the parking garages where the damage was so bad, the city issued vacate orders to at least parts of the structures. Underneath the 25-story building in lower Manhattan, inspectors found concrete slabs extensively corroded, with spalled concrete on the underside of two-floor slab ceilings. As a result, more than half of the garage is now off-limits and its operators ordered to provide protected pathways in those places. But engineers found no need to vacate any residential areas of the building. Similarly, building officials said residents could stay put in a Chinatown apartment building despite finding numerous severely deteriorated and rusted steel beams, with excessive cracked and spalling concrete piers." A two-story parking structure in Brooklyn was in such disrepair, the city said, that it ordered the shuttering of the entire structure. Another two-story structure in the borough was partially closed because of extensively corroded beams and deteriorated vehicle ramps. The four buildings can't reopen until repairs are made and pass inspection. Because inspections of parking garages continue, officials said there could be more enforcement action to come. Meanwhile, crews continue clearing debris from the fallen structure. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had opened an investigation into the collapse. An initial investigation by the building department noted that all three floors of the garage partially or completely collapsed. The garages rear wall partially collapsed, and the front facade bulged. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LeRoy Lee Carhart, who emerged from a two-decade career as an Air Force surgeon to become one of the best-known late-term abortion providers in the United States, has died. He was 81. Carhart died Friday, according to Clinics for Abortions & Reproductive Excellence in Bellevue, Nebraska, where he was the medical director. His cause of death was not released by the clinic. Carhart began focusing on abortions after retiring from the Air Force in 1985. He was one of only a handful of late-term abortion providers in the U.S. and was among the most vocal. Lee had a very simple belief that patients know what is best for their life plan and was there to support them, the clinic's statement said. His lifelong commitment to serving patients seeking abortion services will be continued by his staff and doctors at both Maryland and Nebraska CARE locations. He founded his first clinic specializing in abortion in 1992 with a mission to provide abortion care in a compassionate, comfortable and personal environment, according to the statement. Carhart had specialized in vasectomies previously and said he wanted to offer women reproductive freedom. He defended the procedure as a way for women to control their fertility. Carhart drew attention for twice taking his fight for abortion rights to the U.S. Supreme Court, after the May 2009 killing of friend and colleague Dr. George Tiller and when he expanded his practice outside of Nebraska after a 2010 state law limited it there. "We have to keep talking about abortion until it doesn't remain a four-letter word," Carhart said in a 2006 interview with The Associated Press. Opponents considered him a poster boy for a procedure they call partial-birth abortion to describe what is medically called intact dilation and extraction. His Nebraska clinic, his house and those of his employees were picketed by abortion opponents, as was the equestrian center he owned and his daughter, Janine, ran. In 1991, his rural home was burned in a fire he believed was started by an abortion foe. The family dog and cat were killed, as were 17 horses trapped in a barn. "It's worth it to me," he told The Associated Press in 2006. "You have to fight for what you believe in." Carhart was born in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1941 and earned his medical degree from Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia, now Drexel University College of Medicine, in 1973. He received his medical training while he was in the Air Force and retired as a lieutenant colonel. He and his wife, Mary, ran the Nebraska clinic. Carhart once said he was able to champion abortion rights because he didnt have to rely on his medical practice to pay his bills; the military pension he received provided him enough income to support his family. Carhart assisted at Tillers Wichita, Kansas, clinic from 1998 until 2009 and was considered likely to take it over after Tiller was gunned down at his church by an abortion foe. Carhart later said he didn't because Tillers family was resistant. Carhart opened clinics in other states after Nebraska targeted him with a 2010 groundbreaking law banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy based on the disputed notion that fetuses can feel pain at that time. Previous restrictions in Nebraska and elsewhere were based on a fetus' ability to survive outside the womb, or viability. He also took his fight on so-called partial-birth abortion bans all the way to the nations highest court. The Supreme Court ruled for Carhart in 2000 in striking down a Nebraska law because it lacked an exception to preserve a woman's health and encompassed a more common abortion method. He lost a later legal challenge to the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. In 2007, the high court upheld the federal ban on the procedure, which generally was used to end pregnancies in the second and third trimesters. Carhart said then that the ruling "opened the door to an all-out assault" on the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned that landmark ruling last year, stripping away constitutional protections for abortion. His Nebraska clinic posted on Facebook after the ruling that they were devastated, heartbroken and angry but remained committed to providing abortion care as long as it remained legal to do so. A vote to ban abortion in Nebraska at about the sixth week of pregnancy failed Friday, keeping the procedure legal there through 20 weeks of pregnancy. ___ Former Associated Press writer Timberly Ross contributed to this report. TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) Tunisias coast guard says it has recovered around 210 bodies of migrants under two weeks that have washed up on the North African countrys central coastline amid an ongoing increase in migration. Preliminary examinations of the bodies indicated that the migrants were from sub-Saharan Africa, according to the National Guards Houssemeddine Jebabli. The number of bodies recovered was announced Friday. Of the 210 dead migrants found over 10 days starting on April 18, about 70 of those were recovered from the beaches of eastern Sfax, the neighboring Kerkennah islands and Mahdia, according to prosecutor Faouzi Masmoudi, who oversees migration issues. These three areas are starting points for most attempts to migrate to the Italian coast, including onward to the remote island of Lampedusa, he added. The increasing number of dead migrants has overwhelmed the Habib Bourguiba hospital morgue in Sfax, the capacity of which is 30 to 40 bodies. To ease the pressure on hospitals, local authorities are working to speed up the burial of the victims after carrying out DNA tests and possible identification by relatives, Masmoudi said. Romdhane Ben Amor, spokesperson for the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), an nongovernmental organization specializing in migration issues, said that local authorities had last year committed themselves to setting up a special cemetery for migrants, on the grounds that they are not Muslims. But Amor said that this is still not ready, leading to the difficulties in finding burial places. Following a visit earlier this week by European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, the Tunisian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that Tunisia and the European Union agreed to promote the voluntary return of sub-Saharan migrants to their countries of origin. During her stay, the EU official met with Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar, Interior Minister Kamel Feki and Social Affairs Minister Malek Ezzahi. Migration to Europe has been on an upward climb, peaking in 2022 to 189,620, according to the International Organization for Migration. Thats the most since 2016, when close to 400,000 left their homelands, and one year after more than 1 million people, mostly Syrians fleeing war, sought refuge in 2015. For many sub-Saharan Africans, who dont need a visa to travel to Tunisia, the North African country serves as a stepping stone to Europe, while others come from Libya, which shares a border with Tunisia. ___ Follow APs coverage of migration issues at https://apnews.com/hub/migration This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) We thought we could die. The Russian invasion had just begun when Nancy Pelosi made a surprise visit to Ukraine, the House speaker then the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to lead a congressional delegation to Kyiv. Pelosi and the lawmakers were ushered under the cloak of secrecy into the capital city, an undisclosed passage that even to this day she will not divulge. It was very, it was dangerous, Pelosi told The Associated Press before Sundays one-year anniversary of that trip. We never feared about it, but we thought we could die because were visiting a serious, serious war zone, Pelosi said. We had great protection, but nonetheless, a war theater of war. Pelosi's visit was as unusual as it was historic, opening a fresh diplomatic channel between the U.S. and Ukraine that has only deepened with the prolonged war. In the year since, a long list of congressional leaders, senators and chairs of powerful committees, both Democrats and Republicans, followed her lead, punctuated by President Joe Biden's own visit this year. The steady stream of arrivals in Kyiv has served to amplify a political and military partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine for the world to see, one that will be tested anew when Congress is again expected this year to help fund the war to defeat Russia. We must win. We must bring this to a positive conclusion for the people of Ukraine and for our country, Pelosi said. There is a fight in the world now between democracy and autocracy, its manifestation at the time is in Ukraine. With a new Republican majority in the House whose Trump-aligned members have balked at overseas investments, Pelosi, a Democrat, remains confident the Congress will continue backing Ukraine as part of a broader U.S. commitment to democracy abroad in the face of authoritarian aggression. Support for Ukraine has been bipartisan and bicameral, in both houses of Congress by both parties, and the American people support democracy in Ukraine, Pelosi told AP. I believe that we will continue to support as long as we need to support democracy ... as long as it takes to win." Now the speaker emerita, an honorary title bestowed by Democrats, Pelosi is circumspect about her role as a U.S. emissary abroad. Having visited 87 countries during her time in office, many as the trailblazing first woman to be the House speaker, she set a new standard for pointing the gavel outward as she focused attention on the world beyond U.S. shores. In her office tucked away at the Capitol, Pelosi shared many of the honors and mementos she has received from abroad, including the honorary passport she was given on her trip to Ukraine, among her final stops as speaker. Its a signature political style, building on Pelosis decades of work on the House Intelligence Committee, but one that a new generation of House leaders may or may not chose to emulate. The new Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library this month, the Republican leaders first foray as leader into foreign affairs. Democrat Hakeem Jeffries took his own first trip abroad as House minority leader, leading congressional delegations last week to Ghana and Israel. Pelosi said its up to the new leaders what they will do on the global stage. Other speakers have understood our national security we take an oath to protect and defend and so we have to reach out with our values and our strength to make sure that happens, she said. I just want to say that this, for me, was the most logical thing to do, Pelosi said. When Pelosi arrived in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stood outside to meet the U.S. officials, a photo that ricocheted around the world as a show of support for the young democracy fighting Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion. The courage of the president in greeting us on the street rather than us just meeting him in his office was yet again another symbol of the courage of the people of Ukraine, she said. Pelosi told Zelenskyy in a video released at the time your fight is a fight for everyone. A year on, with no end to the war in sight, Pelosi said: I would have hoped that it would have been over by now. Pelosis travel abroad has not been without political challenges, and controversy. During the Trump era she acted as an alternative emissary overseas, reassuring allies that the U.S. remained a partner despite the Republican presidents America First neo-isolationist approach to foreign policy. Last year, in one of her final trips as speaker, Pelosi touched down with a delegation in Taipei, crowds lining the streets to cheer her arrival, a visit with the Taiwanese president that drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing, which counts the island as its own. Cowardly, she said about the military exercises China launched in the aftermath of her trip. Pelosi offered rare praise for McCarthys own meeting with Tsai, particularly its bipartisan nature and the choice of venue, the historic Reagan library. That was really quite a message and quite an optic to be there. And so I salute what he did, she said. In one of her closing acts as House speaker in December, Pelosi hosted Zelenskyy for a joint address to Congress. The visit evoked the one made by Winston Churchill, the prime minister of Britain, at Christmastime in 1941 to speak to Congress in the Senate chamber of a long and hard war during World War II. Zelenskyy presented to Congress a Ukrainian flag signed by front-line troops that Pelosi said will eventually be displayed at the U.S. Capitol. The world has changed much since Pelosi joined Congress one of her first trips abroad was in 1991, when she dared to unfurl a pro-democracy banner in Beijings Tiananmen Square shortly after the student demonstrations that ended in a massacre. After the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, its again Russia and China that remain front of her mind. The role of Putin in terms of Russia that is a bigger threat than it was when I came to Congress, she said. A decade after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, she said, Putin went up. Thats where the fight for democracy is taking place, she said. And, she said, despite the work she and others in Congress have done to point out the concerns over Chinas military and economic rise, and its human rights record, that has only gotten worse. Often mentioned as someone who could become an actual ambassador there have been musings that Biden could nominate her to Rome or beyond Pelosi said she is focused on her two-year term in office, no longer the House speaker but the representative from San Francisco. Right now my plan is to serve my constituents, Pelosi said. I like having 750,000 bosses, rather than one. KYODO NEWS - Apr 29, 2023 - 20:53 | All, Japan, G7 The number of cyberattacks against companies and government offices has been increasing in Japan since March, ahead of a Group of Seven summit the country is set to host in May, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday. Troubles caused by DDoS attacks, which attempt to disrupt the online traffic of a server or network by overwhelming it with data, were mostly fixed quickly, the sources said. "There is a possibility that (Japan) is being targeted as the host of the G-7 summit, and we have warned relevant organizations to stay alert," an official at the National center of Incident readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity said. Tsunehiko Suzuki, a professor of information engineering at Chukyo University, said the attacks may have come as part of preparations for launching a full-scale attack. The series of attacks began around March 14 and are still ongoing, he said. The summit will be held in Hiroshima between May 19 and 21, bringing together the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union. West Japan Railway Co. was attacked between April 20 and 21, while Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. was similarly affected on April 22, with their websites briefly becoming inaccessible. Some local governments, including Osaka, Aichi and Kumamoto prefectures, also came under attack. In Nara, prefectural and municipal officials suffered a delay in email servers and could not access the internet following an attack on Wednesday. Some websites of central government offices, including one for the Cabinet Office's public relations, were also affected. It is believed that the same hacker group carried out the attacks due to the similarity of methods employed in the incidents, the sources said. Related coverage: G-7 ministers meet with AI risks, digital infrastructure in focus SEOUL, South Korea (AP) The powerful sister of North Koreas leader says her country would stage more provocative displays of its military might in response to a new U.S.-South Korean agreement to intensify nuclear deterrence to counter the Norths nuclear threat, which she insists shows their extreme hostility toward Pyongyang. Kim Yo Jong also lobbed personal insults toward U.S. President Joe Biden, who after a summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday stated that any North Korean nuclear attack on the U.S. or its allies would result in the end of whatever regime took such action. Bidens meeting with Yoon in Washington came amid heightened tensions in the Korean Peninsula as the pace of both the North Korean weapons demonstrations and the combined U.S.-South Korean military exercises have increased in a cycle of tit-for-tat. Since the start of 2022, North Korea has test-fired around 100 missiles, including multiple demonstrations of intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to reach the U.S. mainland and a slew of short-range launches the North described as simulated nuclear strikes on South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is widely expected to up the ante in coming weeks or months as he continues to accelerate a campaign aimed at cementing the Norths status as a nuclear power and eventually negotiating U.S. economic and security concessions from a position of strength. During their summit, Biden and Yoon announced new nuclear deterrence efforts that call for periodically docking U.S. nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea for the first time in decades and bolstering training between the two countries. They also committed to plans for bilateral presidential consultations in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack, the establishment of a nuclear consultative group and improved sharing of information on nuclear and strategic weapons operation plans. In her comments published on state media, Kim Yo Jong said the U.S.-South Korean agreement reflected the allies most hostile and aggressive will of action against the North and will push regional peace and security into more serious danger. Kim, who is one of her brothers top foreign policy officials, said the summit further strengthened the Norths conviction to enhance its nuclear arms capabilities. She said it would be especially important for the North to perfect the second mission of the nuclear war deterrent, in an apparent reference to the countrys escalatory nuclear doctrine that calls for preemptive nuclear strikes over a broad range of scenarios where it may perceive its leadership as under threat. She lashed out at Biden over his blunt warning that North Korean nuclear aggression would result in the end of its regime, calling him senile and too miscalculating and irresponsibly brave. However, she said the North wouldnt simply dismiss his words as a nonsensical remark from the person in his dotage. When we consider that this expression was personally used by the president of the U.S., our most hostile adversary, it is threatening rhetoric for which he should be prepared for far too great an after-storm, she said. The more the enemies are dead set on staging nuclear war exercises, and the more nuclear assets they deploy in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula, the stronger the exercise of our right to self-defense will become in direct proportion to them. She called Yoon a fool over his efforts to strengthen South Koreas defense in conjunction with its alliance with the United States and bolster the Souths own conventional missile capabilities, saying he was putting his absolute trust in the U.S. despite getting only nominal promises in return. The pipe dream of the U.S. and (South) Korea will henceforth be faced with the entity of more powerful strength, she said. South Koreas Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, described her comments as absurd and insisted that they convey the Norths nervousness and frustration over the allies efforts to strengthen nuclear deterrence. Kim Yo Jongs comments toward Biden were reminiscent of when her brother called former U.S. President Donald Trump a mentally deranged U.S. dotard while they exchanged verbal threats during a North Korean testing spree in 2017 that included flight tests of ICBMs and the Norths sixth nuclear test. Kim Jong Un later shifted toward diplomacy and held his first summit with Trump in Singapore in June 2018, where they issued aspirational goals for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. But their diplomacy never recovered from the collapse of their second summit in February 2019 in Vietnam, where the Americans rejected North Korean demands for major sanctions relief in exchange for a limited surrender of their nuclear capabilities. Kim Yo Jong did not specify the actions the North is planning to take in response to the outcome of the U.S.-South Korea summit. Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the North will likely dial up military exercises involving its purported nuclear-capable missiles to demonstrate pre-emptive strike capabilities. The North may also stage tests of submarine-launched ballistic missile systems in response to the U.S. plans to send nuclear-armed submarines to the South, he said. Kim Jong Un said this month that the country has built its first military spy satellite, which will be launched at an unspecified date. The launch would almost certainly be seen by its rivals as a banned test of long-range missile technology. In March, he called for his nuclear scientists to increase production of weapons-grade material to make bombs to put on his increasing range of nuclear-capable missiles, as the North unveiled what appeared to be a new warhead possibly designed to fit on a variety of delivery systems. That raised questions on whether the North was moving closer to its next nuclear test, which U.S. and South Korean officials have been predicting for months. North Korea has long described the United States regular military exercises with South Korea as invasion rehearsals, although the allies described those drills as defensive. Many experts say Kim likely uses his rivals military drills as a pretext to advance his weapons programs and solidify his domestic leadership amid economic troubles. Facing growing North Korean threats, Yoon has been seeking stronger reassurances from the United States that it would swiftly and decisively use its nuclear weapons if the South comes under a North Korean nuclear attack. His government has also been expanding military training with the U.S., which included the allies biggest field exercises in years last month and separate drills involving a U.S. aircraft carrier battle group and advanced warplanes, including nuclear-capable B-52 bombers and F-35 fighter jets. WARSAW, Poland (AP) Acting on a Polish court verdict, Warsaw authorities Saturday took over a school building that was serving children of Russian diplomats and the military, drawing an angry reaction from Moscow. Polands Foreign Ministry said it had asked Warsaw authorities to claim the property which, Poland says, should have been returned by Russia years ago. The bailiff's execution is ... in total agreement with the Foreign Ministry and based on a court order that gave the Polish state full ownership rights to the building which the Russian Embassy has had in its possession illegally for many years, Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Lukasz Jasina said. Police and a court official came to the building, which is far away from the Russian Embassy and isn't part of diplomatic premises. They gave the Russian side until Saturday evening to hand the building over, which took place. However, Russias Foreign Ministry said Polish authorities invaded the school, saying it is at the Russian Embassy, called it a blatant violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. Such an impudent move by Warsaw, which goes beyond the framework of civilized interstate communication, will not remain without our harsh reaction and consequences for the Polish authorities and Polands interests in Russia, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Warsaw authorities said the building will be made available to the Warsaw school system, which is short of premises. Ever since breaking away from Moscows communist-era dominance, Poland has been seeking to claim back a number of properties used by Russia. TALLINN, Estonia (AP) A court in Russia convicted a woman from a Siberian city over social media posts condemning the war in Ukraine and punished her Friday with a steep fine even though both she and the prosecution asked for a prison sentence. Marina Novikova, a 65-year-old lawyer, was found guilty of spreading false information about the Russian army, which was made a criminal offense after President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine more than 14 months ago. Novikova's posts on the messaging app Telegram decried the invasion and criticized the Russian government. The court in Seversk, Novikova's hometown, imposed a fine of 1 million rubles (over $12,400), the Russian human rights and legal aid group OVD-Info quoted her husband, Alexandr Gavrik, as saying. Prosecutors had requested a three-year prison sentence. Novikova herself pleaded with the court to send her to prison rather than the alternative: a fine of at least 700,000 rubles ($8,700) that the law allowed. She said she didn't have the money to pay a fine of that size. I am prepared to pay the price for the right to remain a human ... because I understand that there will be no acquittal, Novikova was quoted by Russian media as saying in court. An average salary in Siberia's Tomsk province, where Seversk is located, is 56,000 rubles, or just under $700, according to official government statistics. OVD-Info, which monitors protests and tracks arrests, said the case against Novikova was among the first ones launched under the new law that prohibited spreading false information about the Russian military. But the number of such prosecutions has mushroomed as part of the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent since the start of invasion of Ukraine. The sweeping campaign of repression has been unparalleled since the Soviet era. It has effectively criminalized independent reporting on the conflict and any criticism of the war, with the authorities targeting not only prominent opposition figures who eventually received draconian prison terms but but people not known for anti-government activity. A court in Moscow convicted a former police officer Monday of publicly spreading false information about the countrys military for criticizing the war in Ukraine to his friends over the phone. Semiel Vedel was sentenced to seven years in prison. Authorities argued his phone conversations qualified as public because his phone was wiretapped in connection to another criminal case, and there was a third person listening in. Last month, a Russian court convicted a single father over social media posts critical of the war and sentenced him to two years in prison. His 13-year-old daughter, who drew an antiwar sketch at school, was sent to an orphanage. A recent report by the Russian Supreme Court said that in 2022, courts ordered citizens to pay fines for discrediting the military 4,439 times, the equivalent of about $1.8 million, according to independent Russian news site Mediazona. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Canada and the United States agreed Friday to share more information about the smuggling of guns and drugs across their shared border, and pledged to review recent incidents of migrants dying along the border. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Ottawa signed four new or updated agreements with Washington that allow the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canada Border Services Agency to exchange more data with their U.S. counterparts. Officials gave few details as to what had materially changed as a result of Fridays agreements. But Mendicino said the agreements will allow Canada to go after ghost guns in particular, referring to untracked, privately manufactured firearms used by gangs. The announcement was made during the Cross Border Crime Forum, which was attended by Mendicino, Canadian Justice Minister David Lametti, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. The agreements are aimed at helping stem the flow of opioids such as fentanyl. Garland said authorities will track the ingredients used to create the deadly drug and the flow of its components from China. It means more joint investigations into gun smuggling and trafficking, Mendicino said at a news conference. Mayorkas said, ``Its all about meeting the moment, meeting the changes that occur and addressing them in real time sharing actionable, relevant information in real time. A joint statment said law enforcement on both sides of the border would be trained to have a shared understanding of both nations' privacy laws. The four leaders also pledged to review recent incidents of migrants dying along the border, pledging to hold people smugglers accountable and crack down on irregular migration using sensors, personnel and timely information. The four Connecticut State Universities deserve the funding they need to support the current and future generations of Connecticut business and community leaders. Avoiding budget cuts for these institutions will ensure that the students we teach find success not only in their studies, but in their lives in Connecticut after graduation. Clear and consistent support while they attend college now will help to ensure that these students most of whom grew up in Connecticut see the benefits of contributing to the states future. I teach courses in English literature, composition, and the freshman college experience at Southern Connecticut State University. In my five years teaching here, I have had a front-row seat to the energy, ingenuity and determination of our students, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. At the same time, though, I have witnessed how these students lives are scrambled by difficult economic safety conditions in the wake of the ongoing pandemic. Many of them care for parents and children of their own while also holding down one or more jobs and attending school full-time. Their dedication to their education, and to improving their community, is second to none. They often leap at the opportunities that many of our classes provide to get engaged with local nonprofits and outreach beyond the campus limits. They are excited to help identify ways to improve and contribute to communities across Connecticut. Chances are you have heard of dialysis before from a friend or family member. What you may not have heard of is who provides the dialysis care. The answer will depend on what state you are in and what the statutes and regulations are. Dialysis is a lifesaving treatment needed when the kidneys are unable to clean blood effectively. To perform this treatment, dialysis patients require a way to access their bloodstream. There are three ways to do this: a catheter, fistula or graft. The most common dialysis catheter is an artificial tube that is generally placed with the tip leading into the heart. This is considered a high-risk direct access to the bloodstream. A fistula or graft surgically combines an artery or vein to form a large vessel that requires needles to access the bloodstream. Whichever type the person has carries risks of complications and needs to be used as a means of direct access to the bloodstream at each treatment. This is considered their lifeline. If the patients lifeline is not functioning properly or showing signs of infection, this can be life threatening. In Connecticut, is the catheter, fistula or graft being assessed by a licensed nurse or physician at each treatment? Not anymore. Connecticut statutes are shockingly silent on the care of these patients lifelines. CT Statute 19-13-D55A states unlicensed staff can collect patient care data and initiate treatment. This has opened the door for dialysis clinics to permit unlicensed staff without nursing or medical background to perform the lifeline assessment at each treatment to determine whether it is safe for use, instead of a licensed nurse or physician, by placing it under the patient care data category. In Connecticut, unlicensed technicians administer some medications such as heparin, lidocaine and saline during treatments and initiate dialysis using these high-risk catheters. While technicians are integral to the dialysis operation, assessments and catheter management are outside of their scope of practice. In 2021, the American Nephrology Nurses Association called for action after reviewing each states legislative language pertaining to dialysis care due to the increasing responsibilities of unlicensed assistive personnel in the dialysis unit. Our sister state New York restricted catheter access and lifeline assessment to licensed nurses. Connecticut did not. To be clear, Connecticut does not require a licensed health care provider to determine whether any of these lifelines are safe for use before each treatment while unlicensed staff access the bloodstream and start dialysis treatments. Bloodstream infections are one of the leading causes of death in the dialysis patient. The National Health Safety Network requests data from all outpatient clinics in the U.S. regarding dialysis bloodstream infections. Per the latest NHSN reporting data in 2020, 110 out of 301 (or 1/3 of outpatient clinics) in New York were higher than the national blood stream infection rate, whereas, 23 out of 51 (or almost half of outpatient clinics) in Connecticut were higher than the national blood stream infection rate. These patients deserve to be adequately monitored and cared for. Why is our state not protecting these dialysis patients? The Department of Public Health needs to address this loophole for the safety of our dialysis patients by amending CT 19-13-D55A to restrict use of dialysis catheters to licensed nurses and add language requiring the assessment of these patients lifelines pre and post treatments. Find your state representative by going to https://www.cga.ct.gov/ and let them know how they can protect our friends and family members on dialysis in the state of Connecticut by amending CT 19-13-D55A. Christine Daniels is a graduate student in the University of Connecticuts nursing program. The California Highway Patrol and the California National Guard will begin assisting the San Francisco Police Department in efforts to combat the city's fentanyl crisis Monday, but that doesn't mean that soldiers will soon be patrolling city streets. During a Friday news conference, officials offered a picture of what residents can expect to see from the joint partnership between city and state law enforcement agencies first announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom a week ago. Troopers with the California Highway Patrol will roam key high-crime areas including the Tenderloin alongside city police, while the state's National Guard will mostly provide support in the background. The California National Guards presence in this is not going to be boots on the ground in San Francisco, Major General Matt Beevers said during Fridays press conference. The support that were going to provide, really, consists of very talented and dedicated soldiers and airmen that do essentially criminal analyst work. The joint partnership among the San Francisco Police Department, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office and the two state law enforcement agencies was arranged by Newsom at the behest of San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who toured the Tenderloin with the governor and state Attorney General Rob Bonta earlier this month. Breed requested the joint partnership to help tamp down on open-air drug dealing and fentanyl overdoses in certain parts of the city. Beevers said the state's National Guard is committing 14 criminal analysts to the operation, with a specific focus on disrupting drug rings and stymieing the flow of illegal drugs into San Francisco. CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said at the news conference that he would not disclose the number of uniformed troopers being assigned to the operation but noted that the agency's local division includes 75 officers with nine more expected to be added in June, following graduation and said every trooper assigned to the operation would be a volunteer from that division. Duryee said that, in addition to patrolling city streets, his agency will be assisting local police by providing specialized training in detecting and deterring drug crimes and will use existing agency resources to help the San Francisco Police Department build legal cases against offenders. The office of San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins will also receive assistance from the state Department of Justice in prosecuting the complex and multijurisdictional cases that are expected as a result of the operation. In a statement, Newsom said overdose deaths jumped by 40% between January and March of this year, and he cited a study that found San Francisco had the second-highest rate of fentanyl-related deaths among large U.S. cities in 2020. During Friday's news conference, Breed said that Monday marks the beginning of a turning point in San Francisco's national reputation as a crime-riddled city. Its time for us to write our own narrative about what San Francisco is, because we live it and breathe it every single day, she said. The message from the Reno Fire Department is clear: Stay away from the Truckee River. Unexpected late-winter and early-spring storms were good news for California drought recovery and avid skiers, who will have a few extra weeks of fresh powder. But now, as temperatures rise after the largest snowpack on record, The Big Melt has arrived. Friday, the National Weather Service in Reno issued a special weather statement, reporting up to 20 degrees above-average for late April, alongside a flood watch warning. Truckee River levels are supposed to reach as high as 9 feet, a forecaster at the National Weather Service told SFGATE. But height isnt the only reason to avoid interacting with the river. Its also running at high speeds and cold temperatures. Its not just the big melt and the higher flows. Its also the fact that with the high snow melt, the river is going to be much colder, which then zaps somebodys energy if theyre struggling within the water, Steve Siebert, the Reno Fire Department battalion chief, told SFGATE. Its going to be an extended river rescue season, for lack of a better term. The fire department has a special Water Entry Team (WET) on call trained to enter the water at pre-identified entry points to pull civilians out. The unit expects water rescues will double this season compared with years passed. Theres going to be a lot of debris in [the water], and those are the things that get people in addition to the absolute cold temperatures, Siebert said. At 40 degrees, possibly lower, its going to make self-rescue very difficult to impossible. Eric Risberg/AP Politicians trolling each other for attention during big games is nothing new. But if the Kings manage to survive Game 6 on Friday night in San Francisco, their aggrieved fan base will have another line to feed their victimhood complex. San Francisco Mayor London Breed, sporting a Warriors jumpsuit, appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area's pregame show and had a quip for everyone's favorite Central Valley city. By Rinto Abe, KYODO NEWS - Apr 29, 2023 - 15:00 | All, Japan, Feature Rampant Yezo deer have been causing major problems in Hokkaido, with the animals eating farmers' crops and causing traffic accidents following years of unchecked population growth and a lack of local government assistance, according to experts and local community members. Protection policies for the animals, indigenous to Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, and a decrease in the number of deer hunters have contributed to a population explosion, having previously been in danger of extinction during the Meiji era (1868-1912). Sharp increases in the deer population during the 1990s prompted the Hokkaido prefectural government to begin strengthening efforts to cull them since around fiscal 2010. But problems emerged over the illegal dumping of the slaughtered animals' unwanted carcasses and organs. The hunters responsible for shooting them complain about a lack of government assistance. The Yezo deer population peaked at an estimated 770,000 in fiscal 2011 and had been on a downward trend, but it has since rebounded and has grown in recent years. Damage caused by wildlife to the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries in Hokkaido totaled 5.45 billion yen ($40.40 million) in fiscal 2021, with deer accounting for more than 80 percent of the total, causing 4.48 billion yen worth of destruction. Over 70 percent of the damage caused by deer in Japan's agricultural industry occurs in Hokkaido. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the prefectures with the largest amount of deer-related destruction outside of Hokkaido are, in order, Iwate, Hyogo and Nagano prefectures. Even Iwate, however, saw approximately 210 million yen in damage, less than one-twentieth of the amount of Hokkaido. In 2022, the number of traffic accidents involving deer in Hokkaido reached a record of 4,475. "In recent years, the number of deer in Greater Sapporo has also increased, in addition to the eastern part of Hokkaido," said Hiromasa Igota, associate professor of game animal management science at Rakuno Gakuen University in Ebetsu, Hokkaido. Sapporo is the capital of the island prefecture. The erection of fences to prevent deer from entering agricultural fields to feed, alongside hunting to curtail their numbers, are the only measures available for mitigating damage to farm products and preventing traffic accidents, Igota said. The hunting of Yezo deer is permitted during designated periods in certain locations. Additionally, "licensed hunters" can be commissioned by local governments, which compensates them for their services. A prefectural government official said Hokkaido has "produced some good results," with about 110,000 deer killed by licensed hunters in fiscal 2021 to address the excess numbers. But a large amount of dumping occurs. In April 2022, 36 deer carcasses were found left, together with their internal organs, in the city of Furano. In May of the same year, more than 100 were found in the town of Akkeshi. Authorities believe that in all of the cases, the deer were hunted elsewhere and dumped in the locations after being slaughtered. Hunters are required to bury or take the butchered remains of the animals with them, as carcass dumping is prohibited by law. There is a risk of luring brown bears to national forests where much of the illegal dumping occurs. Although the prefectural police often conduct investigations to find the culprits, they are often unable to determine who carried out the activities, since the deer are killed and slaughtered deep in the woods. Kazushige Misaka, 65, who has hunted deer in the town of Ikeda for 35 years and heads the local branch of a hunters' association in Hokkaido, said, "Support from the prefectural government is inadequate, even though they keep asking us to hunt." After removing usable parts of the animal, such as the meat and its horns, processing the rest of its remains at prefectural facilities, such as in Sapporo, can cost about 5,000 yen per 15 kilograms. An average 100-kg deer will produce around 60 kg of remains, costing roughly 20,000 yen for processing. The prefectural government set up four free-of-charge deer processing stations on a trial basis in 2011. Although they saw more than 200 people using their services while open, they were shut down after one year. "The stations were originally funded by a government grant. In our current financial situation, it is difficult for us to continue operating them," said the prefectural official. But Misaka is hopeful the situation will improve with additional government support. "Illegal dumping will likely decrease if low-cost disposal areas become more easily available," he said. Storm Prediction Ctr, Norman, OK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 180 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 923 PM CDT FRI APR 28 2023 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 180 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS TX . TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE AUSTIN COLORADO WALLER BEE BROOKS DUVAL GOLIAD JIM HOGG JIM WELLS LA SALLE LIVE OAK MCMULLEN STARR VICTORIA WEBB ZAPATA ARANSAS BRAZORIA CALHOUN FORT BEND GALVESTON HARRIS JACKSON KLEBERG MATAGORDA NUECES REFUGIO SAN PATRICIO WHARTON The National Weather Service in Brownsville has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Zapata County in Deep South Texas... * Until 1030 PM CDT. * At 923 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 10 miles south of El Cenizo, or 10 miles north of San Ygnacio, moving southeast at 35 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... San Ygnacio, Bustamante, Zapata County Airport and Escobas. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. ...FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 8 AM CDT SATURDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures as low as 33 will result in frost formation. * WHERE...Bailey, Castro, and Parmer Counties. * WHEN...From 2 AM to 8 AM CDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered. Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of south central Marion and north central Harrison Counties through 1000 PM CDT... At 924 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Woodlawn, or 8 miles northwest of Marshall, moving east at 20 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and half inch hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Marshall, Jefferson, Woodlawn and Nesbitt. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. LAT...LON 3258 9450 3275 9451 3283 9425 3256 9424 TIME...MOT...LOC 0224Z 265DEG 19KT 3265 9442 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southeastern Maverick County in south central Texas... Southwestern Dimmit County in south central Texas... * Until 715 PM CDT. * At 622 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Chupadera Ranch Airport, or 21 miles south of Carrizo Springs, moving east at 20 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of southeastern Maverick and southwestern Dimmit Counties. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. The National Weather Service in League City has issued a East central Burleson County in southeastern Texas... Grimes County in southeastern Texas... Brazos County in southeastern Texas... Northeastern Washington County in southeastern Texas... Northwestern Montgomery County in southeastern Texas... Western Madison County in southeastern Texas... Northeastern Waller County in southeastern Texas... Southwestern Walker County in southeastern Texas... * Until 700 PM CDT. * At 622 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Bedias to near Anderson to near Navasota, moving southeast at 50 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... College Station, eastern Bryan, southwestern Huntsville, Navasota, Madisonville, Montgomery, Bedias, Kurten, Wixon Valley, Millican, Anderson, Todd Mission, Kyle Field, Huntsville State Park, Normangee, Iola, Dobbin, North Zulch, Plantersville and Roans Prairie. Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Northeastern Caldwell County in south central Texas... Southeastern Travis County in south central Texas... Bastrop County in south central Texas... Lee County in south central Texas... Fayette County in south central Texas... * At 624 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway to near Rosanky, moving east at 35 mph. Elgin, Bastrop, Giddings, La Grange, Smithville, Schulenburg, Flatonia, Lexington, Shelby, Mustang Ridge, Fayetteville, Dime Box, Round Top, Fedor, Camp Swift, Circle D-KC Estates, Cedar Creek, Rosanky, Paige and Muldoon. Large hail, damaging winds, and continuous cloud to ground lightning are occurring with these storms. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern Dimmit County through 715 PM CDT... At 626 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Big Wells, moving east at 20 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and nickel size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Big Wells, Brundage, Chaparral Wildlife Management Area and Las Vegas. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for south central Texas. LAT...LON 2851 9973 2864 9967 2863 9939 2832 9940 TIME...MOT...LOC 2326Z 289DEG 19KT 2854 9962 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... South central Guadalupe County in south central Texas... Northeastern Karnes County in south central Texas... Southwestern Gonzales County in south central Texas... Central Wilson County in south central Texas... * Until 815 PM CDT. * At 722 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Stockdale, moving southeast at 35 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Floresville, Poth, Stockdale, Kosciusko, Nixon, Smiley, Pandora, Gillett, Cestohowa, Sutherland Springs, Sample, Paweleville, Ecleto, Pana Maria and Helena. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. TX . TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE ARANSAS BRAZORIA CALHOUN FORT BEND GALVESTON HARRIS HOUSTON JACKSON KLEBERG MATAGORDA MONTGOMERY NUECES REFUGIO SAN JACINTO SAN PATRICIO TRINITY WALKER WHARTON ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of Lavaca County through 815 PM CDT... At 723 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Moulton, moving southeast at 35 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Yoakum, Hallettsville, Shiner, Moulton, Ezzell, Sublime, Komensky, Worthing, Henkhaus, Koerth, Moravia, Breslau, Mont, Sweet Home, Witting, Vsetin, Mount Olive, Vienna, Wied and Hope. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for south central Texas. LAT...LON 2917 9704 2938 9724 2950 9720 2958 9721 2961 9717 2963 9710 2963 9687 2961 9684 2958 9683 2958 9679 2942 9664 TIME...MOT...LOC 0023Z 319DEG 29KT 2962 9707 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH The National Weather Service in League City has issued a Colorado County in southeastern Texas... Austin County in southeastern Texas... Southeastern Burleson County in southeastern Texas... Southwestern Grimes County in southeastern Texas... Southeastern Brazos County in southeastern Texas... Washington County in southeastern Texas... Central Waller County in southeastern Texas... * At 724 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Millican to 8 miles southeast of Brenham to near Industry to near Schulenburg, moving southeast at 35 mph. Brenham, Navasota, Sealy, Hempstead, Prairie View, Bellville, Columbus, Eagle Lake, Washington, Shelby, Weimar, Pine Island, San Felipe, Industry, Millican, Monaville, Independence, New Ulm, Cat Spring and Sheridan. Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN BASTROP AND SOUTHEASTERN LEE COUNTIES IS CANCELLED... The severe thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR FAYETTE COUNTY... At 725 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Fayetteville, or 11 miles north of Columbus, moving east at 40 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. La Grange, Schulenburg, Flatonia, Fayetteville, Round Top, Muldoon, Carmine, Swiss Alp, Dubina, Rutersville, Warrenton, Engle, Waldeck, Ammannsville, Mullins Prairie, Freyburg, High Hill, Elm Grove, O'Quinn and Floy. Continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern Wood, northwestern Upshur and southwestern Camp Counties through 815 PM CDT... At 726 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Pleasant Grove, or 7 miles south of Winnsboro, moving east at 25 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and half inch hail. Winnsboro, Leesburg, Scroggins, Newsome, Perryville and Grice. LAT...LON 3296 9517 3297 9518 3297 9517 3299 9501 3278 9495 3278 9524 3296 9531 TIME...MOT...LOC 0026Z 264DEG 21KT 3285 9532 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 857 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR CENTRAL DEWITT AND LAVACA COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 900 PM CDT... The storms which prompted the warning have moved out of the area. Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire. However heavy rain is still possible with these thunderstorms. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for south central Texas. The National Weather Service in League City has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Jackson County in south central Texas... * Until 915 PM CDT. * At 857 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Ganado to near Inez, moving southeast at 40 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Edna, Ganado, La Ward, Lolita, Cordele, Morales, Vanderbilt and Lake Texana Dam. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern La Salle and northern Webb Counties through 930 PM CDT... At 900 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7 miles southwest of Artesia Wells, or 10 miles north of Encinal, moving southeast at 35 mph. HAZARD...Penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Fort Ewell Site and Chaparral Wildlife Management Area. This includes Interstate 35 between mile markers 41 and 55. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for LAT...LON 2817 9948 2820 9945 2820 9940 2826 9940 2830 9936 2816 9900 2805 9910 2804 9931 TIME...MOT...LOC 0200Z 308DEG 29KT 2820 9936 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 702 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 715 PM CDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN FREESTONE AND NORTH CENTRAL LEON COUNTIES... At 702 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Buffalo, or 11 miles southeast of Teague, moving east at 40 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Emergency management. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include... Buffalo, Lanely, Donie and Dew. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central Texas. TX . TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE FREESTONE LEON LIMESTONE ROBERTSON ATASCOSA BASTROP BEXAR CALDWELL DEWITT FAYETTE GONZALES GUADALUPE KARNES LAVACA LEE WILSON ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern McCurtain and northeastern Red River Counties through 730 PM CDT... At 703 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 10 miles southwest of Idabel, or 14 miles north of Clarksville, moving northeast at 35 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and half inch hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Idabel, Silver City, Albion and Bryarly. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. LAT...LON 3369 9500 3385 9509 3399 9475 3379 9465 TIME...MOT...LOC 0003Z 244DEG 32KT 3381 9497 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH ...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of northeastern McMullen, northwestern Live Oak and northwestern Bee Counties through 730 PM CDT... At 704 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from 13 miles southwest of Poth to near Crowther to near Tilden. Movement was east at 45 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch hail. Three Rivers, Choke Canyon, Tilden, Calliham, Nell, Cross, Crowther, Pawnee, Simmons, Esseville, Whitsett and Ray Point. This includes the following highways... Interstate 37 between mile markers 69 and 83. US Highway 281 between mile markers 618 and 622. These storms may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for south central Texas. LAT...LON 2869 9801 2871 9793 2862 9794 2840 9825 2847 9870 2860 9869 2864 9866 2864 9834 2861 9833 2879 9810 TIME...MOT...LOC 0004Z 263DEG 40KT 2897 9826 2858 9832 2846 9849 MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather BELGRADE, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic made a public appearance in the east of the country on Friday, refuting claims he had been urgently admitted to hospital due to an unnamed illness. Vucic visited the Zajecar district and made a speech in the tourist resort of Sokobanja, just hours after the media had reported that he had been hospitalized. The president said that Serbia will provide more tourist vouchers to keep as many people as possible in the country, especially during the summer months. Earlier on Friday, Vucic told the Russian news agency Sputnik he is fine. "I'm going on a tour of Serbia today from noon," said Vucic. Allegations about Vucic's urgent hospital admittance had derived solely from posts Thursday on social media, which were republished by local media as unverified rumors. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The bad news: Theres no new episode of Saturday Night Live tonight. The good news: The show returns May 6 with one helluva host. Former SNL cast member Pete Davidson is set to host Saturday Night Live during the first episode of May. The born-and-raised Staten Islander was on SNL for eight years he joined in 2014 at the ripe age of 20 before tapping out at the end of last season. He was best known for his Weekend Update appearances alongside fellow Staten Islander Colin Jost, and his reoccurring character, Chad. Davidson will be joined by musical guest Lil Uzi Vert. *** SUBSCRIBE TO PEACOCK *** The timing of Davidsons hosting gig makes sense: The actors new Peacock show, Bupkis, is set to premiere on May 4. The semi-autobiographical show was spotted filming across Staten Island and other parts of New York City in 2022. In October, production took over Marina Cafe in Great Kills, and in November, Davidson and a filming crew were spotted at Laceys Bridge Tavern in Elm Park. SNL kicked off its 48th season on Oct. 1 with actor Miles Teller pulling hosting duties and Kendrick Lamar rocking out as musical guest. On Oct. 8, Brendan Gleeson hosted the show with musical guest Willow. Megan Thee Stallion was tabbed as host and musical guest on Oct. 15. Musician Jack Harlow also pulled double duty on Oct. 29 during the shows venerable Halloween episode. On Nov. 5, actress/comedian Amy Schumer hosted for the third time, while Steve Lacy made his musical guest debut. Comedian Dave Chappelle was welcomed back to Studio 8H for his third hosting gig on Nov. 12. He was joined by hip-hop group Black Star. On Dec. 3, actress Keke Palmer made her SNL debut alongside musical guest SZA. On Dec. 10, SNL greats Steve Martin and Martin Short hosted while Brandi Carlile returned as musical guest. Dec. 17 marked the final episode of 2022. It featured actor Austin Butler as host and Lizzo as musical guest. To audiences surprise, 11-year cast member Cecily Strong announced the episode would be her final, and that she was stepping away from the show. The first episode of 2023 featured Aubrey Plaza with musical guest Sam Smith on Jan. 21. Actor Michael B. Jordan hosted on Jan. 28 with musical guest Lil Baby. On Feb. 4, Pedro Pascal hosted with Coldplay as musical guest. Actor Woody Harrelson hosted the Feb. 25 episode with Jack White as musical guest. The first show of March featured Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, with music support from Kelsea Ballerini on March 4. Next up was Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega making her Saturday Night Live debut on March 11. She was joined by musical guest The 1975. Abbott Elementary actress Quinta Brunson made her SNL debut on April 1. Joining the Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award winner was rapper Lil Yachty. On April 8, SNL legend Molly Shannon returned to her old stomping grounds alongside musical guest The Jonas Brothers. On April 15, the final show of April, actress Ana De Armas made her hosting debut, while Karol G took on musical guest duties. If youre a cord-cutter or dont have cable, you can live stream SNL on Fubo TV or Peacock, NBCs streaming service. Both offer free trials. BTW: If you didnt know, Staten Islander Colin Jost is the longtime co-anchor of Weekend Update. Jost has been on the desk since 2014, and with the show since 2005. Fellow Staten Islander Pete Davidson left the show this past May following eight seasons. MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Pete Davidson wont joke about famous ex-girlfriend Kim Kardashian while hosting Saturday Night Live, reports say Pete Davidsons Los Angeles crash: Criminal charges possible, says report Pete Davidson debuts new Bupkis trailer; one guest star is a real Terrifier Miranda Lambert posts vacation photos from trip with former NYPD husband to Savannah Miranda Lambert fans go wild for former NYPD husbands shirtless workout video SNL mocks NYCs new rat czar by making joke about Staten Island Pete Davidson reduces sale price for Staten Island condo by $200K; see inside Hes very genuine, very humble: Pete Davidson meets Staten Islanders behind box-office smash Terrifier 2 How Terrifier 2, filmed on Staten Island, slashed its way to box-office millions Here are the guest stars set to appear on Pete Davidsons new Peacock show Bupkis Martha Stewart hangs out with cute couple Pete Davidson and Chase Sui Wonders over Easter weekend Pete Davidsons alleged stalker deemed unfit for trial Pete Davidson doesnt believe dating 12 people in 10 years is that crazy in new podcast interview SNL takes hit at Staten Island sewer rescue after Colin Jost gets pranked on April Fools Day Pete Davidsons new Peacock show Bupkis gets premiere date; see first look here Bebe Rexha announces release date for new album; Best Fn Night Of My Life tour set for this summer Firefighter-turned-Impractical Jokers star Brian Quinn continues to honor his roots by helping FDNY charity Impractical Jokers star Brian Quinn talks filming on Staten Island, celebrity guest hes still not over It was great: Staten Islander makes appearance in Trump skit on Saturday Night Live Country star Miranda Lambert to her former NYPD hubby Brendan McLoughlin: Ill be lovin you. Everyday. Three U.S. soldiers died and another was injured when two Apache helicopters collided Thursday as they were flying back from a military training flight in Alaska, U.S. Army officials have announced. According to a release from the U.S. Armys 11th Airborne Division, two of the soldiers died at the scene and a third died while being transported to a local hospital. The crash occurred near Healy, Alaska, which is about 100 miles south of Fort Wainwright, where the soldiers were based. The soldiers were operating two AH-64 Apache helicopters. This is an incredible loss for these soldiers families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division, Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in the release. Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends and loved ones, and we are making the full resources of the Army available to support them. The lone surviving soldier is in stable condition at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, Army officials said. The crash will be investigated by an Army Combat Readiness Center team, the release said. My heart breaks for the family of the three soldiers who were killed,' Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy wrote in a tweet Friday. We pray for the injured soldier to be treated and return home safely. Alaska, join me in sending thoughts and prayers to the U.S. Army soldiers involved in the fatal helicopter collision. My heart breaks for the family of the 3 soldiers who were killed. We pray for the injured soldier to be treated and return home safely. https://t.co/tyOq9YJNhm Governor Mike Dunleavy (@GovDunleavy) April 28, 2023 The names of the deceased are being withheld until their families have been notified, the release said. A railroad conductor in New York sprinted to scoop up a 3-year-old boy who had wandered dangerously close to the electrified third rail, officials said this week. Engineer William Kennedy, who was operating a southbound train April 6, was the first to spot the boy on Metro-North Railroad tracks near Tarrytown, north of New York City, and sent out an emergency radio message, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said in a news release. Theres a little kid north of you guys, someone can be heard saying in a video released by the MTA, addressing the crew of an approaching northbound train. In this image taken from video, a railroad conductor stands with a 3-year-old boy who had wandered onto the Metro-North Railroad tracks, April 6, 2023, in Tarrytown, N.Y. The child was later reunited with his mother and sister. The mother says her son has autism and is nonverbal. (Metropolitan Transportation Authority via AP)AP The video shows the northbound train proceeding slowly until the crew can spot the child. Assistant conductor Marcus Higgins jumps down from the train, grabs the boy from a cover on top of the third rail and carries him to safety. Meanwhile, the MTA said, two additional railroad employees on their way to help spotted the childs sobbing mother and sister on a street corner. The family was reunited at the Tarrytown station. The video shows the mother hugging her child. Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi said the boys grateful mother told the railroad workers that her son is autistic and non-verbal. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Speeding through a work zone on a New York State highway is going to cost you, but exactly how much depends on if youve received prior infractions. On Monday, April 17, New York launched its Automated Work Zone Speed Monitoring Pilot Program in an effort to cut down on the number of injuries and deaths caused by speeding motorists. This new pilot program will be instrumental in encouraging safe driving habits in highway work zones and protecting the lives of those who help maintain a safe and reliable highway system, said Gov. Kathy Hochul. The cameras use radar technology to detect, photograph and ticket vehicles traveling more than 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit in highway work zones, similarly to New York Citys school zone speed camera program. So how much will a work zone speed camera ticket cost you? Fines will start at $50 for a drivers first violation, increasing to $75 for the second violation and to $100 for the third and all subsequent violations within 18 months of the first violation. Though the cameras were activated on Monday, April 17, they are only issuing warnings during their first 30 days of operation. Once those 30 days have passed, the cameras will begin issuing monetary fines on Wednesday, May 17. There are a total of 30 cameras that will be positioned in active highway work zones throughout New York, 10 of which will be placed along the New York State Thruway. The pilot program is slated to run for five years, at which point legislators will review the cameras efficacy in reducing speeding, crashes, injuries and deaths before deciding whether to make the program permanent. As required by state law, 60% of the fine revenue generated by the speed cameras will be allocated to work zone safety improvement projects. From 2010 through 2016, there were 3,450 accidents in highway work zones in New York, resulting in 50 deaths and over 1,100 injuries to workers and drivers, according to state data. MORE SPEED CAMERA CONTENT NYC speed cameras: How has monthly ticketing rate changed since 24/7 expansion? Placement of NYC speed cameras: New bill would drastically reduce their distance from schools How has 24/7 expansion of speed cameras impacted number of tickets issued on Staten Island? Speed cameras on Verrazzano? Staten Island lawmakers unanimously oppose state proposal. Staten Island speed cameras issued $15M+ in fines in 2022. We break down the top 20. Visiting the top 5 ticketing speed cameras on Staten Island: How drivers are getting snagged Now 24/7, NYC speed camera tickets explode with $16M spike in fines during first weeks City relocates Staten Island speed camera that issued only 3 tickets in 5 months NYC speed cameras: Cars registered outside the city account for over 40% of violations, DOT says The need for speed cameras: Podcast discusses 24/7 cameras passing in NYC Get ready for a significant increase in your gas and electric bill: National Grid, which serves 1.9 million customers in New York City and Long Island, is planning to hike its residential rates by about 17%, AM New York has reported. The company filed its proposed rate increases on April 28. The New York State Public Service Commission must approve any spike before it can go into effect. If approved by the commission, the new rates, which will increase by 17.2% for residents in New York City and 16.3% for those living on Long Island, would kick in on April 1, 2024. According to AM New York, the new rates would equate to a $30.95 per month increase for New York City (Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island) customers who use about 100 therms of natural gas a month. National Grid told the publication that the rate hikes are needed so the company can afford to meet federal and state climate requirements, cover higher property taxes and fund system upgrades. The company also said that the funds will cover investments that will help reduce emissions and strengthen the safety and reliability of service. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- For the price of a few candy bars, you can win $2,500 a week for life, with a guaranteed minimum $2.5 million payout. The New York Lottery has numerous $5 scratch-off games with top-prizes ranging from $250,000 to $2.5 million. Here are the $5 scratch-off games with top-prize tickets still in circulation as of Friday, April 28, according to New York Lottery data: $2,500 A WEEK FOR LIFE Top prize: $2,500 a week for life (guaranteed $2.5 million minimum payout) Top prizes remaining: 1 $1 MILLION TOP PRIZE There are currently eight top-prize $5 scratch-off tickets worth $1 million. They include: $1M GOLDEN FORTUNE Top prizes remaining: 2 $1M LUCKY DOG Top prizes remaining: 1 $1M PREMIERE Top prizes remaining: 1 BIG BUCKS Top prizes remaining: 1 CASH X20 Top prizes remaining: 2 HGTVS MY LOTTERY DREAM HOUSE Top prizes remaining: 3 HIT IT BIG Top prizes remaining: 2 MULTIPLIER MONEY Top prizes remaining: 2 $500K TOP PRIZE There are currently five top-prize $5 scratch-off tickets worth $500,000. They include: BREAK THE BANK Top prizes remaining: 3 CASH TO GO Top prizes remaining: 1 HOLIDAY FUN! Top prizes remaining: 1 LOOSE CHANGE MULTIPLIER Top prizes remaining: 1 POWER SPOT Top prizes remaining: 1 OTHER TOP PRIZES WORTH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS Here are the other $5 scratch-off games also with top prize tickets still in circulation: EXTREME 8S Top prize: $888,888 Top prizes remaining: 2 DOUBLE BONUS 7S Top prize: $777,777 Top prizes remaining: 1 BINGO X20 Top prize: $300,000 Top prizes remaining: 2 DOUBLE TRIPLE CASH WORD Top prize: $300,000 Top prizes remaining: 10 FAST $250 Top prize: $250 Top prizes remaining: 2 MORE INFORMATION For more information about the New York Lotterys scratch-off games visit https://nylottery.ny.gov/scratch-off-games. The New York Lottery continues to be touted as North Americas largest and most profitable lottery, contributing $3.6 billion during fiscal year 2021-2022 to support education in New York State. New York Lottery revenue is distributed to local school districts by the same statutory formula used to distribute other state aid to education. It takes into account both a school districts size and its income level; larger, lower-income school districts receive proportionately larger shares of lottery school funding. New Yorkers struggling with a gambling addiction, or who know someone who is, can find help by calling the States toll-free, confidential HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (467369). MORE NY LOTTERY COVERAGE New change to NY Lottery Mega Millions ticket policy coming next month NY Lottery: How you can win $5K with a losing lottery ticket New York Lottery: These scratch-off games boast highest prizes, weekly payments for life These Staten Island stores have sold the most winning NY lottery tickets NY Lottery: 8 co-workers win $1M in Powerball, split prize FOLLOW GIAVANNI ALVES ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. Are you a rich driver? Get ready to pay the price for it. Democratic Brooklyn City Councilman Justin Brannan has a new idea to pick money out of the pockets of drivers: he wants the fine you pay for a parking ticket to be based on how much money you make. Brannans legislation, which has been introduced in the City Council, doesnt lay out what exact infractions would be covered under this means-based, sliding scale ticket system, according to the Daily News. But Brannon said that double-parking should be among the first violations explored as part of a pilot program called for by his legislation. Why should the guy who double parked his 1988 Toyota pay the same as the guy with the 2024 Bentley? Brannan told the Daily News. Because they broke the same law, councilman. They took up the same illegal space. They caused the same inconvenience to others. They showed the same disdain for the law. Brannan said this sliding-scale fine system would deliver equity. Thats a prime knee-jerk buzzword for Dems these days. Everything they do is about social justice and equity for the downtrodden. So who can argue? I can. Its on the face of it unfair for some people to be charged more than others for breaking the same law. Equity means being fair and impartial, not having a separate penalty system based on wealth or any other measure. If youre really interested in discouraging bad or illegal behavior, like double-parking, then increase the penalties for all offenders and strictly enforce them on all offenders. The Independent Budget Office said that New York City is missing out on more than $1 billion in uncollected parking fines since 2017, according to WABC-7 News. How about we attack that massive enforcement problem? If some people know that theyll be paying less to break the law, that will only encourage them to break the law. After all, theyll get a discount and some rich driver can make up the difference for city coffers. And who, exactly, are the rich? To someone who lives in Mariners Harbor, I might appear rich. To me, the folks who live on Todt Hill might be the rich. And those Todt Hill folks might have their own ideas about who is truly wealthy. Its a moving target no matter how you look at it. And how would we vet somebodys income under this plan? How would we know how much somebody truly makes so we can fine them accordingly? Brannan said that its 2023, and they have the technology where they could pull it up right away pull up your tax receipt online and the fine will be calculated according to your income, according to WPIX-11 News. Really? Every NYPD traffic cop would be given access to my tax returns? Thanks, Big Brother. But even so, not everybody files taxes. Not everybody files truthful taxes. And people work off the books. People have side hustles that generate money in addition to their stated income. People make cash tips in addition to their paid salaries. Hiding income is as much Americas pastime as any sport is. You cant base a penalty system on it. And its actually the rich who have the means to better hide their income. And how will we know that the driver of that double-parked Bentley is actually the owner of the vehicle? Who should pay the fine, the driver of the vehicle or the owner? It doesnt matter. As long as we can have a class-warfare rant against the rich, were OK. MORE OPINION FROM TOM WROBLESKI Moving of Staten Island speed camera shows that we dont need speed cameras in NYC | Opinion Still NYCs most notorious speed camera | Opinion How NYC rigs speed camera system to rip off drivers | Opinion San Mateo, CA (94402) Today Light rain this morning. Then remaining cloudy. Thunder possible. High 58F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Rain showers early becoming a steady light rain overnight. Thunder possible. Low 51F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. MOSCOW, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The recent nuclear agreement reached by the United States and South Korea will have a negative effect on regional security and undermine global stability, said the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday. "We took note of reports on an agreement that was reached between the United States and the ROK (the Republic of Korea) on joint planning with regard to the use of nuclear weapons," said the ministry's spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, in a statement. "This development is clearly destabilizing... and will have serious negative consequences for regional security and will impact global stability," said the statement. According to the statement, by committing to policies of "extended nuclear deterrence," the United States and its allies are duplicating schemes that Washington has been practicing for decades following the Cold War, and still practices with its NATO allies. It added that such practices will ultimately undermine international security, lead to a further escalation of tensions, spur security crises, and provoke an arms race. "We call on the U.S. and its allies...to refrain from steps that lead to the weakening of the overall level of security for all states," said the statement. The United States and South Korea jointly issued the Washington Declaration on April 26 as one of the outcomes of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's visit to the United States. According to reports, the declaration says that the United States will upgrade the extended deterrence it provides to South Korea, including enhanced consultation over a nuclear crisis, increased military exercises and training activities, table-top simulation, the establishment of a new Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), and a further expansion of the U.S. regular visibility of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula. Melbourne art identity William Mora, a gallerist, art dealer and son of acclaimed artist Mirka Mora, has died aged 69. Moras wife, Anna Mortley, confirmed he died at home in Richmond on Friday afternoon, surrounded by family, after a battle with lung cancer. Melbourne art collector William Mora in 2021. Credit: Paul Jeffers He ran William Mora Galleries, in Richmond, which housed his late mothers acclaimed works and other modern art from emerging and established artists. His mother, Mirka, was a French-born Australian bohemian icon whose distinctive art and colourful mosaics helped transform Melbourne into a city with a flourishing contemporary art scene alongside the likes of Sidney Nolan and Charles Blackman. Moras father Georges was an influential art dealer. NSW is pushing forward with plans for the states pharmacies to prescribe medications, amid ongoing tensions between the nations doctors and pharmacists. More than 1000 pharmacies have signed up to the NSW trial, which is being led by the University of Newcastle and NSW Health, and will see patients able to get prescriptions for certain medications from a pharmacist. NSW Health Minister Ryan Park has supported the pharmacy prescribing trial since being in opposition. Credit: James Brickwood But while the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has been campaigning against pharmacy prescribing, the president of its NSW branch said he would not be opposing the trial and hopes it will provide robust data about such schemes. The initiative was announced by the Perrottet government but has been supported by Health Minister Ryan Park since he was in opposition due to the potential for it to relieve pressure on GP wait times. Three men have been arrested and charged with kidnapping over the alleged abduction of a Chinese man who was then tortured for three days at a Caversham property, near Midland, last week. Police say the mans family were contacted by the kidnappers who demanded money for his release. The man was rescued on Tuesday by police who raided the Caversham property, arresting the men and then taking the Chinese national to hospital for treatment of his injuries. Police believe the man was lured to Australia under false pretences, arriving in Perth via Melbourne from China on Sunday where he met with a 29-year-old man regarding a business deal. On arrival in Perth they were conveyed by an associate of the 29-year-old man to a residence in Caversham, where a third man was waiting, police said. More than a dozen families competed for a run-of-the-mill Normanhurst house at auction on Saturday, pushing the sale price to $2.3 million. The four-bedroom house at 42 Hinemoa Avenue was one of few homes for sale in the suburb reflecting the scarcity of listings which is helping to drive modest price growth. It was one of 446 Sydney homes scheduled for auction on Saturday. By evening, Domain Group recorded a preliminary auction clearance rate of 68.3% per cent from 303 reported results, while 57 auctions were withdrawn. Withdrawn auctions are counted as unsold properties when calculating the clearance rate. It comes after Sydneys steepest market downturn on record was brought to an end last quarter, when the median house price lifted 1.3 per cent, according to Domains latest House Price Report. Originally built in the 1930s, the home had been recently renovated and has a new-look kitchen and bathrooms, formal living and dining areas, a study, home theatre and swimming pool. Loading The property last sold for $7.6 million in 2015, records show. In Ascot Vale, a five-bedroom family home at 33 Bank Street sold for $2.35 million, after three local bidders competed for the keys. Nelson Alexander Flemingtons Jayson Watts said each lived within a 750-metre radius of the property. The winning bid was made by an upsizing family, drawn to the propertys size. It was a five-bedroom home with three living zones, which is rare in this area, he said. Confidence was returning to the market, Watts said, with more buyers out and about at auctions. More first home buyer activity was also being spurred by soaring rents, he said, as those able to pull a deposit together would find it cheaper to pay a mortgage than pay rent. Rents have gone to a level Ive never seen in 22 years of being in real estate, Watts said. A lot of people are going into the sales market if they can. Elsewhere, a first home buyer couple bought a quirky two-bedroom house in Northcote for $1.08 million on Saturday, negotiating the deal shortly after the property passed in at auction. They were the only bidders on the two-bedroom house at 102 Arthurton Road, but still had to increase their own bid by $80,000 to secure the keys. In Northcote, where the median dropped 5.9 per cent over the past year to $1.6 million, first home buyers Danica Sladic and John Loncarevic were nervous about making an offer, but kicked off the auction with a $1 million bid. But they were the only party to raise their hands, with the rest of the small crowd remaining silent when Love & Co sales agent and auctioneer Eric Brown called for a $10,000 rise. After taking a half-time-break to check with the vendor, Brown returned unsuccessfully to ask for further bids on the home, which had a $1 million to $1.1 million guide, before it was passed in. John Loncarevic and Danica Sladic were delighted to snap up their first home. Credit: Luis Ascui However, the property sold just minutes later to Sladic and Loncarevic, who had only inspected the property once previously. They said they quickly fell in love with the quirks of the home, which included a wood-fired oven in a second kitchen, a painting of the last supper on the wall, and an indoor/outdoor space with a pool table. We went to 19 other inspections and didnt feel anything, Sladic said. Here I finally felt the thing everyone talks about, like the punch in the chest. Everyone says when you know, you know, and so we knew. The Northcote home sold for $1.08 million post-auction. Credit: Luis Ascui Brown said post-auction that all the buyer interest had been within the price range, so it was pleasing to get close to the top-end of the guide. In Balwyn North, two neighbouring semi-detached homes were sold together for $3,495,000. London: King Charles III will be anointed behind a specially commissioned screen that will give him more privacy than his predecessors during the most sacred part of next weekends Coronation service. The crowning of a sovereign is one of the most ancient ceremonies, deeply religious and steeped in pageantry. Detail of the anointing screen, which will be used in the coronation of King Charles III and has been handmade by the Royal School of Needlework. Credit: Getty Images Buckingham Palace has announced the King and his wife, Camilla, the Queen Consort, will be surrounded on three sides by an embroidered anointing screen, held by poles hewn from an ancient windblown Windsor oak and mounted with eagles cast in bronze and gilded in gold leaf. It was built by a team of more than 150 people. Several key elements of next weekends coronation were revealed on Friday, UK time, including the addition of Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Dame Joan Collins to a special concert at Windsor on Sunday. BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- A symposium was held in Beijing on Friday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Wang-Koo Talks, a historic meeting that marked a major step forward for cross-Strait relations. In April 1993, Wang Daohan, then head of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), and Koo Chen-fu, then chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), held a meeting in Singapore on the political basis that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait adhere to the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle. The talks marked the first high-level meeting between authorized non-governmental organizations from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. The 1992 Consensus is the political foundation for the development of cross-Strait relations and the anchor for peace and stability across the Strait, Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at the symposium. Song said history has repeatedly proved that cross-Strait relations can be improved when the two sides adhere to the 1992 Consensus and support the one-China principle, which will benefit Taiwan compatriots. But the denial of the 1992 Consensus and deviation from the one-China principle would lead to tension and turbulence in cross-Strait relations, damaging the interests of Taiwan compatriots, Song said. Noting that peace and development serve the shared interests of compatriots on both sides, Song urged efforts to uphold the 1992 Consensus, oppose "Taiwan independence," and promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and the integrated development across the Strait. The Wang-Koo Talks established a precedent for institutionalized consultations between the ARATS and the SEF, setting a good example of equal consultations on the basis of the one-China principle, according to ARATS President Zhang Zhijun. "The experience and lessons drawn from the negotiations and interactions over the past 30 years have made us more aware of the significance of safeguarding the political foundation of the 1992 Consensus," Zhang said. Other symposium participants, including representatives of those who took part in the Wang-Koo Talks, said the talks boosted the enthusiasm for exchange and cooperation across the Strait. They said the talks demonstrated the political wisdom of replacing confrontation with dialogue, of resolving differences through communication, and of promoting cooperation through consultation, adding that people from both sides of the Strait should adhere to the 1992 Consensus and promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. The symposium was hosted by the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and the ARATS. Enhanced color view of Pluto using images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) and color data from the spacecraft's Ralph Instrument. Pluto is the largest known dwarf planet in the solar system and used to be considered the ninth and most distant planet from the sun. The strange world is located in the Kuiper Belt , a zone beyond the orbit of Neptune brimming with hundreds of thousands of rocky, icy bodies each larger than 62 miles (100 kilometers) across as well as 1 trillion or more comets . Pluto stopped being a planet in 2006 when it was reclassified as a dwarf planet, a demotion that attracted controversy and stirred debate in the scientific community and among the general public. Related: Why isn't Pluto a planet anymore? American astronomer Percival Lowell first suggested that Pluto existed in 1905 when he observed strange deviations in the orbits of Neptune and Uranus. Lowell thought there must be another whose gravity is tugging on these ice giants, causing discrepancies in their orbits. Lowell proceeded to predict the mystery planet's location in 1915 but died 15 years before its discovery. Pluto was eventually discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory, based on predictions by Lowell and other astronomers. Pluto got its name from 11-year-old Venetia Burney of Oxford, England, who suggested to her grandfather that the new world get its name from the Roman god of the underworld. Her grandfather then passed the name on to Lowell Observatory. The name also honors Percival Lowell, whose initials are the first two letters of Pluto. Pluto FAQs answered by an expert We asked Emily Safron, an astronomy instructor at Case Western Reserve University, who received her Ph.D. in physics from Louisiana State University under Dr. Tabetha Boyajian, a few frequently asked questions about Pluto. Emily Safron Astronomy Instructor Emily Safron is an astronomy instructor at Case Western Reserve University. Why is Pluto no longer considered a planet? For a long time, we thought Pluto was unique in the Kuiper Belt. But as astronomers discovered more and more about the Kuiper Belt (and the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter), we learned that there are lots of objects like Pluto. More like Pluto, in some ways, than Pluto is like the other planets. Finding all these new objects, it became necessary for astronomers to get more specific about what we mean by the word "planet," and figure out which category Pluto fit into. The three rules astronomers of the International Astronomical Union came up with to define a planet are: The object must orbit the sun; the object must be massive enough to be roughly spherical; and the object must have cleared its orbit of any objects of comparable mass to its own (that is, it must be gravitationally dominant in its orbit). Pluto satisfies the first two of these criteria, but not the third. Even one of its own moons, Charon, is about half of Pluto's size. So, rather than being the runt of the planet group, Pluto is now the "king" of the dwarf planet group! What is Pluto made of? Astronomers believe that Pluto probably has a rocky core. Outside of that, but still deep in the interior, there's likely an ocean of water, covered by another layer of frozen water ice. The surface crust is a layer of various ices, mostly nitrogen ice, with giant mountains of water ice, and traces of methane and carbon monoxide ices. Does Pluto have an atmosphere? Yes. Much like its crust, Pluto's atmosphere is composed of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide. There are also haze particles in Pluto's atmosphere, which scatter blue light. These particles start out high in Pluto's atmosphere as ionized methane and nitrogen. As the ions interact with each other, they combine into more complex molecules, and start to collect an outer shell of volatile ices. As the haze particles get more massive, they start to fall through the atmosphere, collecting more ice. This "snow" falls to Pluto's surface a reddish gray. What does Pluto look like? Since Pluto is so far from Earth, little was known about the dwarf planet's size or surface conditions until 2015, when NASA's New Horizons space probe made a close flyby of Pluto. New Horizons showed that Pluto has a diameter of 1,473 miles (2,370 km), less than one-fifth the diameter of Earth, and only about two-thirds as wide as Earth's moon. Observations of Pluto's surface by the New Horizons spacecraft revealed a variety of surface features, including mountains that reach as high as 11,000 feet (3,500 meters), comparable to the Rocky Mountains on Earth. While methane and nitrogen ice cover much of the surface of Pluto, these materials are not strong enough to support such enormous peaks, so scientists suspect that the mountains are formed on a bedrock of water ice. The surface of Pluto as seen from NASA's New Horizons during its July 2015 flyby. (Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute) (opens in new tab) Pluto's surface is also covered in an abundance of methane ice, but New Horizons scientists have observed significant differences in the way the ice reflects light across the dwarf planet's surface. The dwarf planet also possesses ice ridge terrain that appears to look like a snakeskin; astronomers spotted similar features to Earth's penitentes, or erosion-formed features on mountainous terrain. The Pluto features are much larger; they are estimated at 1,650 feet (500 m) tall, while the Earth features are only a few meters in size. Another distinct feature on Pluto's surface is a large heart-shaped region known unofficially as Tombaugh Regio (after Clyde Tombaugh; regio is Latin for region). The left side of the region (an area that takes on the shape of an ice cream cone) is covered in carbon monoxide ice. Other variations in the composition of surface materials have been identified within the "heart" of Pluto. In the center-left of Tombaugh Regio is a very smooth region unofficially known by the New Horizons team as "Sputnik Planum," after Earth's first artificial satellite, Sputnik. This region of Pluto's surface lacks craters caused by meteorite impacts, suggesting that the area is, on a geologic timescale, very young no more than 100 million years old. It's possible that this region is still being shaped and changed by geologic processes. These icy plains also display dark streaks that are a few miles long and aligned in the same direction. It's possible the lines are created by harsh winds blowing across the dwarf planet's surface. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has also revealed evidence that Pluto's crust could contain complex organic molecules. Related: Photos of Pluto and its moons Pluto's surface is one of the coldest places in the solar system. Temperatures here can drop to around minus 375 to minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 226 to minus 240 degrees Celsius). When compared with past images, pictures of Pluto taken by the Hubble Space Telescope revealed that the dwarf planet had apparently grown redder over time, apparently due to seasonal changes. Pluto may have (or may have had) a subsurface ocean, although the evidence is still out on that finding. If the subsurface ocean existed, it could have greatly affected Pluto's history. For example, scientists found that the zone of Sputnik Planitia redirected Pluto's orientation due to the amount of ice in the area, which was so heavy it affected Pluto overall; New Horizons estimated the ice is roughly 6 miles (10 km thick). A subsurface ocean is the best explanation for the evidence, the researchers added, although looking at less likely scenarios, a thicker ice layer or movements in the rock may be responsible for the movement. If Pluto did have a liquid ocean, and enough energy, some scientists think Pluto could harbor life. What is Pluto made of? Some of Pluto's parameters, according to NASA (opens in new tab): Atmospheric composition: Methane, nitrogen. Observations by New Horizons show that Pluto's atmosphere extends as far as 1,000 miles (1,600 km) above the surface of the dwarf planet. Magnetic field: It remains unknown whether Pluto has a magnetic field, but the dwarf planet's small size and slow rotation suggest it has little to no such field. Chemical composition: Pluto probably consists of a mixture of 70 percent rock and 30 percent water ice. Internal structure: The dwarf planet probably has a rocky core surrounded by a mantle of water ice, with more exotic ices such as methane, carbon monoxide and nitrogen ice coating the surface. Infographic highlighting the surface, mantle and core properties of Pluto. (Image credit: Future/Wikimedia Commons) (opens in new tab) Pluto's orbital characteristics Pluto's highly elliptical orbit can take it more than 49 times as far out from the sun as Earth. Since the dwarf planet's orbit is so eccentric, or far from circular, Pluto's distance from the sun can vary considerably. The dwarf planet actually gets closer to the sun than Neptune is for 20 years out of Pluto's 248-Earth-years-long orbit, providing astronomers a rare chance to study this small, cold, distant world. Pluto's orbit: Quick facts Pluto's rotation is retrograde compared to the solar systems' other worlds; it spins backward, from east to west. Average distance from the sun: 3,670,050,000 miles (5,906,380,000 km) 39.482 times that of Earth Perihelion (closest approach to the sun): 2,755,773,000 miles (4,434,987,000 km) 30.151 times that of Earth Aphelion (farthest distance from the sun): 4,538,698,000 miles (7,304,326,000 km) 48.023 times that of Earth As a result of that orbit, after 20 years as the eighth planet (in order going out from the sun), in 1999, Pluto crossed Neptune's orbit to become the farthest planet from the sun (until it was demoted to the status of dwarf planet). When Pluto is closer to the sun, its surface ices thaw and temporarily form a thin atmosphere, consisting mostly of nitrogen, with some methane. Pluto's low gravity, which is a little more than one-twentieth that of Earth's, causes this atmosphere to extend much higher in altitude than Earth's. When traveling farther away from the sun, most of Pluto's atmosphere is thought to freeze and all but disappear. Still, in the time that it does have an atmosphere, Pluto can apparently experience strong winds. The atmosphere also has brightness variations that could be explained by gravity waves, or air flowing over mountains. While Pluto's atmosphere is too thin to allow liquids to flow today, they may have streamed along the surface in the ancient past. New Horizons imaged a frozen lake in Tombaugh Regio that appeared to have ancient channels nearby. At some point in the ancient past, the planet could have had an atmosphere roughly 40 times thicker than on Mars. Artist's impression of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft. (Image credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI) (opens in new tab) In 2016, scientists announced that they might have spotted clouds in Pluto's atmosphere using New Horizons data. Investigators saw seven bright features that are near the terminator (the boundary between daylight and darkness), which is commonly where clouds form. The features are all low in altitude and roughly about the same size, indicating that these are separate features. The composition of these clouds, if they are indeed clouds, would likely be acetylene, ethane and hydrogen cyanide. Does Pluto have any moons? Pluto has five moons: Charon, Styx, Nix, Kerberos and Hydra, with Charon being the closest to Pluto and Hydra the most distant. In 1978, astronomers discovered that Pluto had a very large moon nearly half the dwarf planet's own size. This moon was dubbed Charon, after the mythological demon who ferried souls to the underworld in Greek mythology. Because Charon and Pluto are so similar in size, their orbit is unlike that of most planets and their moons. Both Pluto and Charon orbit a point in space that lies between them, similar to the orbits of binary star systems, For this reason, scientists refer to Pluto and Charon as a double dwarf planet, double planet or binary system. A composite of enhanced color images of Charon (upper left) and Pluto (lower right), taken by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft on its 2015 flyby. (Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute) (opens in new tab) Pluto and Charon are just 12,200 miles (19,640 km) apart, less than the distance by flight between London and Sydney. Charon's orbit around Pluto takes 6.4 Earth-days, and one Pluto rotation a Pluto-day also takes 6.4 Earth-days. This is because Charon hovers over the same spot on Pluto's surface, and the same side of Charon always faces Pluto, a phenomenon known as tidal locking. While Pluto has a reddish tint, Charon appears more grayish. In its early days, the moon may have contained a subsurface ocean, though the satellite probably can't support one today. Compared with most of the solar system's planets and moons, the Pluto-Charon system is tipped on its side in relation to the sun. Observations of Charon by New Horizons have revealed the presence of canyons on the moon's surface. The deepest of those canyons plunges downward for 6 miles (9.7 km). A long swatch of cliffs and troughs stretches for 600 miles (970 km) across the middle of the satellite. A section of the moon's surface near one pole is covered in a much darker material than the rest of the planet. Similar to regions of Pluto, much of Charon's surface is free of craters suggesting the surface is quite young and geologically active. Scientists saw evidence of landslides on its surface, the first time such features have been spotted in the Kuiper Belt. The moon may have also possessed its own version of plate tectonics, which cause geologic change on Earth. In 2005, scientists photographed Pluto with the Hubble Space Telescope in preparation for the New Horizons mission and discovered two other tiny moons of Pluto, now dubbed Nix and Hydra. These satellites are two and three times farther away from Pluto than Charon. Based on measurements by New Horizons, Nix is estimated to be 26 miles (42 km) long and 20 miles (32 km) wide, while Hydra is estimated at 34 miles (55 km) long and 70 miles (113 km) wide. It is likely that Hydra's surface is coated primarily in water ice. Scientists using Hubble discovered a fourth moon, Kerberos, in 2011. This moon has a doubled-lobed shape and the larger lobe is around 5 miles (8 km) across and the smaller lobe is around 3 miles (5 km) across. On July 11, 2012, a fifth moon, Styx, was discovered (with an estimated width of 6 miles or 10 km), further fueling the debate about Pluto's status as a planet. The leading hypothesis for the formation of Pluto and Charon is that a nascent Pluto was struck with a glancing blow by another Pluto-size object. Most of the combined matter became Pluto, while the rest spun off to become Charon, this idea suggests. The other four moons may have formed from the same collision that created Charon. Missions to Pluto NASA's New Horizons mission is the first probe to study Pluto, its moons and other worlds within the Kuiper Belt up close. It was launched on January 2006, and successfully made its closest approach to Pluto on July 14, 2015. The New Horizons probe carries some of the ashes of Pluto's discoverer, Clyde Tombaugh. The limited knowledge of the Pluto system created unprecedented dangers for the New Horizons probe. Prior to the mission's launch, scientists knew of the existence of only three moons around Pluto. The discovery of Kerberos and Styx during the spacecraft's journey fueled the idea that more satellites could orbit the dwarf planet, unseen from Earth. Collisions with unseen moons, or even small bits of debris, could have seriously damaged the spacecraft. But the New Horizons design team equipped the space probe with tools to protect it during its journey. In October 2021, New Horizons made history when it returned the first close-up images of Pluto and it's moons. The the first close-up image of Pluto and one of it's moons. Pluto is surrounded by sunlight reflected from Charon. (Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Southwest Research Institute/NOIRLab) (opens in new tab) Additional resources Explore Pluto in more detail with NASA's 10 cool things we learned about Pluto article (opens in new tab). Read more about Pluto and the developing landscape (opens in new tab) of our Solar System with the International Astronomical Union. Discover the six things dwarf planets have taught us about the solar system with the American Geophysical Union's science news magazine Eos (opens in new tab). Bibliography International Astronomical Union. IAU. Retrieved July 28, 2022, from https://www.iau.org/public/themes/pluto/ NASA. (2021, August 5). Pluto. NASA. Retrieved July 28, 2022, from https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/dwarf-planets/pluto/overview/ Talbert, T. (Ed.). (2020, July 14). 10 cool things we learned about pluto. NASA. Retrieved July 28, 2022, from https://www.nasa.gov/feature/five-years-after-new-horizons-historic-flyby-here-are-10-cool-things-we-learned-about-plut-0 Wendel, J. A. (2016, August 17). Six things dwarf planets have taught us about the solar system. Eos. Retrieved July 28, 2022, from https://eos.org/articles/six-things-dwarf-planets-have-taught-us-about-the-solar-system This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) A Southern California man accused of killing three teenage boys by intentionally ramming their car after they played a doorbell-ringing prank on him was found guilty Friday of murder. Anurag Chandra was convicted in a Riverside County courtroom of three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. The murder of these young men was a horrendous and senseless tragedy for our community. I thank the jury for their verdict. This is an important step toward justice, county District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in a statement. Chandras attorney, David Wohl, did not immediately return a request for comment Friday. The victims, who were all 16 years old, were among six teens inside a Toyota Prius on Jan. 19, 2020 when Chandra intentionally rammed their vehicle off the road and fled, prosecutors said. The Prius' driver lost control and the sedan slammed into a tree in Temescal Valley, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The friends had dared one boy to either jump into a pool at night or play ding dong ditch. Chandra, who didn't know the teens, testified at trial that one of the boys rang his doorbell and exposed his buttocks before running away, according to The Riverside Press-Enterprise. Chandra testified that he followed because he feared for his family's safety and wanted to express his anger. He said he was "extremely, extremely mad from the prank. Chandra also testified that he drank 12 beers in the hours before the crash, the newspaper reported. He said he did not plan to crash into the Prius and testified that he did not stop after rear-ending the sedan because he did not realize anyone had been injured even though he admitted under cross-examination that he had been driving 99 mph (159 kph) before the collision. The crash killed Daniel Hawkins of Corona; Drake Ruiz of Corona; and Jacob Ivascu of Riverside, according to the Riverside County coroners office. Sergio Campusano was the Prius' 18-year-old driver at the time. He and then-13-year-olds Joshua Hawkins and Joshua Ivascu survived the crash. They testified at the trial and were in the courtroom when the verdict was read. Chandra already was facing criminal charges in connection with alleged domestic violence in 2020 when the killings occurred. After dipping during the COVID-19 pandemic, homelessness among Connecticut students is rising again, data shows. According to figures reported to the federal government, Connecticut school districts record 3,979 students experiencing homelessness during the 2021-22 school year, up from 3,310 the year before. Data from the State Department of Education, meanwhile, showed 2,409 students experiencing homelessness as of Oct. 1, 2022, a figure certain to rise by the end of the year. State data shows that student homelessness is largely concentrated in cities with Waterbury, New Haven, New London, Bridgeport and Hartford reporting particularly high totals but that numerous suburban and rural districts record meaningful numbers as well. In total, 31 different school districts reported 20 or more students experiencing homelessness at some point during the 2021-22 school year, including at least one in each of the state's eight counties. (The federal government defines homeless students as those who "lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence," including those in shelters as well as those staying temporarily with friends or relatives.) "We see it all over the place," said Amber Freeman, of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness. "In some cities or some regions they will say, 'We don't have homelessness here,' but everyone does." Though homelessness statistics are often imprecise or incomplete, the trends in state data align with what advocates, experts and school district officials have seen first-hand over the past year or two: more students lack reliable shelter. "We are seeing more and more of it," said John Lawlor, who directs the homeless youth program at The Connection, a Middletown-based nonprofit. "And I don't think it's going away too soon." Here are some factors that might explain why that is. Rising housing costs Maybe nothing has driven Connecticut's increase in homelessness more than a persistent rise in rental prices. According to data from Apartment List, rents in Connecticut have risen 18 percent since the start of 2021, stretching household budgets across the state. For some families, a spike in rent might meant down-sizing apartments or cutting back on luxuries. But for those already struggling, it can mean eviction and homelessness. "We're seeing more people come into our system because of the rising housing [costs]," Freeman said. "We're seeing more people at risk of being evicted, and we're seeing more people that have actually been evicted, and they can't find a new unit because they simply can't afford it." Stacey Violante Cote, who leads youth homelessness initiatives at the Hartford-based Center for Children's Advocacy, noted that rising rental costs can be particularly difficult for young adults, including those still in high school, seeking to support themselves. "They cannot afford a place to live," she said. "We have young people we're working with now who just cannot afford housing," As long as rent prices continue rising, Violante Cote said, homelessness will likely continue to worsen. "If we don't fix the affordable housing issue, I don't see how this is going to improve," she said. Lack of housing stock Part of why Connecticut has high rental prices is a lack of housing stock. Connecticut has, by at least one estimate, the lowest vacancy rate of any state in the country, meaning housing is difficult to come by for people at all income levels but particularly for those with limited means. Danny Diaz, coordinator of parent engagement for the New Haven school district, encounters this problem frequently there. "There is a very low percentage of available housing in New Haven," he said. "All the housing that is being built in downtown New Haven, these families cannot afford." In addition to driving a family or individual to homelessness, lack of housing stock can trap people already experiencing homelessness, leaving few options even for those with some financial means. "Those that are already experiencing homelessness, they may have a housing voucher or a subsidy or financial assistance, but they can't find a unit," said Freeman, from the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness. "Or they can't find a landlord that's willing to rent to them." End of pandemic-era relief programs For several years, these effects were mitigated somewhat by various federal programs aimed at helping vulnerable people through the COVID-19 pandemic. As these initiatives have ended one by one, some families and children have fallen back into poverty or homelessness. The expanded child tax credit, which reduced child poverty to record lows, expired last year. So did enhanced unemployment benefits. Temporary SNAP benefits lasted until this past February before ending as well. "We're looking at eviction rates because families can't afford to pay for their housing without those subsidies," Violante Cote said. "We definitely see that." Freeman said advocates relied on numerous pandemic-era programs to keep people housed or help them if they became homeless. "It was easier to connect someone to that financial assistance to help with preventative work or to help move them into an apartment or connect them to a subsidy," she said. "Now that that money has kind of dried up, we are back to pre-pandemic days." Shynea Paris, district liaison to the homeless for the Waterbury school district, specifically cited a state-run, federally funded program called UniteCT, which provided $400 million in rental assistance during the pandemic. "There's been an increase [in homelessness], especially after COVID, after that UniteCT funding has pretty much stopped," Paris said. "There have been a lot of evictions." Mental health and substance abuse issues In Connecticut and elsewhere, the pandemic led to a well-documented increase in both mental health and substance abuse issues for people of all ages. And while not everyone experiencing homelessness struggles with mental health or substance abuse, those factors can contribute in some cases. "Especially since the time of COVID, we've seen increased mental health [challenges], increased substance abuse," Freeman said. "That has been a driving force for people entering homelessness." Tim Maguire, chief operating officer at the New Haven-based nonprofit Youth Continuum, said programs there have seen a rise in homeless people with significant mental health challenges. "We're definitely seeing an uptick, most times with some pretty active mental health concerns, especially in our shelter," he said. "Our clients have often cycled from our bed to a hospital bed and back." Lawlor, who works with 18-24 year-olds experiencing homelessness, said he had noticed rising mental health needs even before COVID but that the pandemic had exacerbated the crisis. "So many of the youth who come into our program likely fit some kind of diagnostic criteria for a mental health disorder," he said. "It's a pretty strong driver." Data collection To Diaz, from the New Haven school district, the current high reported numbers of students experiencing homelessness aren't necessarily a sign that homelessness is rising after a COVID-era dip. Instead, he says, they may be a sign that districts are again able to record incidents of homelessness they missed during the pandemic. Often, Diaz said, school systems only know that students are homeless because they're required to transport them to school. During the pandemic, when class was often remote, districts likely missed students in their official counts. "During COVID, because kids were staying home or at hotels, they were not in need of transportation," Diaz said. "As a result, many parents didn't report that they were at a hotel or that they were living with other families, so the trend during COVID went down completely." Now that districts are again able to record more accurate data, Diaz said, the numbers have increased. In New Haven, they've nearly returned to the unprecedented numbers they reached when the city saw an influx of Puerto Rican students in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017. In the end, Diaz said, the high levels of student homelessness likely owe to a variety of factors, beyond any single explanation. "There's been almost a perfect storm," he said. LAS VEGAS (AP) State emergency managers are projecting clean-up and repair costs of at least $10.6 million following severe winter storms that affected rural parts of Nevada in March. Nevada Division on Emergency Management spokeswoman Gail Powell said Friday the amount is expected to increase as state, tribal and local entities complete assessments and apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance. The cost estimate came after President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration authorizing FEMA cost-sharing funds for damage from flooding, landslides and mudslides from March 8 to March 19 in Douglas, Eureka, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral and Storey counties. All but four of Nevada's 17 counties and Yomba Shoshone tribal lands were included in an emergency declaration initially enacted March 9 by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo following a series of wet winter storms that swept off the Pacific Ocean, dumping extraordinary amounts of snow in the Sierra Nevada and rain on rangelands. U.S. 95, a key highway between Las Vegas and Reno, was closed for several days due to a rock fall near Walker Lake in Mineral County. Eric Holt, emergency services director in Lincoln County, said it will cost several million dollars just in his eastern Nevada county to repair roads, a washed-out spillway at the Echo Canyon dam and other infrastructure. He pointed to a 75% cost share from FEMA and said there was no way Lincoln County would have been able to cover repair costs itself. The declaration from the president, a Democrat, said federal funds also will be available for hazard mitigation measures statewide. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate As transgender people have increasingly gained acceptance and visibility, conservative lawmakers have zeroed in on restricting their rights: keeping transgender children off girls sports teams and out of certain bathrooms, and blocking them from receiving gender-affirming medical care. In response, a growing number of Democratic-controlled states have moved to protect such rights, especially access to gender-affirming care. In developments this week, one governor is telling lawmakers they'll have to return for a special session if they fail to pass some restrictions, two others signed protections into law and a transgender lawmaker was barred from a Statehouse floor amid a standoff with colleagues. THE BIG PICTURE The push by conservatives has mushroomed over the last few years and become, alongside abortion, a major theme running through legislative sessions across the country in 2023. Six states have laws or policies in effect barring minors from receiving puberty blockers or hormone therapy. Similar provisions have been adopted but paused by courts in three more. They've been signed into law but haven't yet taken effect in at least eight more. ___ THE CENTER OF DEBATE In Missouri, the gender-affirming care battle is playing out in the Legislature and in court. Earlier this month Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey used an emergency rule to impose restrictions on both children and adults before they can receive such care. Just before it was to take effect this week, a judge halted enforcement until at least Monday and said she could push the date back further while legal challenges are considered. Gov. Make Parson, also a Republican, said he would call a special legislative session if lawmakers fail to pass bills that would restrict transgender rights by May 12. The GOP-controlled Legislature is on board but not in agreement over exceptions such as whether treatment for people already receiving puberty blockers or hormones would be allowed to continue. ___ BANNED FROM THE HOUSE FLOOR Montana House Republicans barred a Democratic transgender colleague from the floor of the chamber for the rest of the legislative session as punishment. Zooey Zephyr had told Republicans there would be blood on your hands an expression frequently used in politics if they approved a ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The bill passed, though it has not yet been signed into law. Zephyr's situation, which echoed the ouster of two Tennessee lawmakers from that state's Legislature for a protest over gun policy this year, has turned her into a political cause for liberals nationwide. She spent the first day of her exile this week battling to use a bench in a Statehouse hallway. Also in Montana, Gov. Greg Gianforte signed legislation Friday banning gender-affirming care for minors. The measure establishes penalties for health professionals who provide such care and allows for lawsuits if a patient suffers harm. Physicians could not hold malpractice insurance against such claims. The law also prohibits public employees and property from being involved in gender-affirming treatment. During hours of emotional hearings, opponents testified that hormone treatments and in some cases surgery are supported by numerous medical associations and can be life-saving for someone with gender dysphoria, the clinically significant distress or impairment caused by feeling that ones gender identity does not match ones biological sex. Gianforte said the bill protects Montana children from permanent, life-altering medical procedures until they are adults, mature enough to make such serious decisions. ___ THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WEIGHS IN The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday filed a lawsuit challenging Tennessee's law, scheduled to take effect July 1, banning transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care. The federal government said no person should be denied access to necessary medical care just because of their transgender status. Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke sent a letter last month to all state attorneys general warning them that federal law protects transgender youth against discrimination. ___ ACCESS PROTECTED Governors' signatures in Minnesota and Washington on Thursday made them the latest of at least nine states with laws protecting access to gender-affirming care. Vermont lawmakers passed bills with similar provisions this week, though they haven't been signed. The measures aim to shield patients, health care providers and other actors from punishment or investigations into whether they violated gender-affirming care and abortion bans in states that have them. So far, officials have not been trying to reach across state lines to enforce bans. ___ DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS IN KANSAS The Republican-controlled legislature in Kansas fell one vote short this week of overriding Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a ban on gender-affirming care for minors. But lawmakers overrode other vetoes of restrictions on rights for transgender people. One blocks them from using restrooms that correspond with their gender identities at schools, prisons, domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers. At least eight other states have bathroom restrictions, but most of them apply only at schools. ___ ROLING BACK A LIBERAL CITY'S BOYCOTT San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to repeal a measure barring city staffers from making business trips to states with restrictions on abortion, voting and LGBTQ+ rights. The 2016 policy also blocked the city government from doing business with companies headquartered in those states. Officials said it was doing more harm than good. Instead of exerting pressure on those states, it was raising costs for San Francisco. A final vote is expected on Tuesday. California is considering a repeal a similar measure at the state level. ___ RESTRICTING DRAG SHOWS In tandem with the push to restrict transgender rights, conservatives in several states have also lately targeted drag shows as part of what critics say is a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Alabama became the latest to do so after legislation was filed Thursday that would add a provision to the state's anti-obscenity laws. The bill by Republican Rep. Arnold Mooney would prohibit male or female impersonators, commonly known as drag queens or drag kings, from performing in K-12 public schools, libraries and other public places where minors are present. The measure is pending before the House State Government Committee. Tennessee was the first state to place strict limits on drag shows. But last month a federal judge there temporarily blocked that measure after a group filed a lawsuit claiming it violates the First Amendment. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HELENA, Mont. (AP) Montana became the latest state to ban or restrict gender-affirming medical care for transgender kids Friday when its Republican governor signed legislation that exiled transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr told fellow lawmakers would leave blood on their hands. Montana is one of at least 15 states with laws to ban such care despite protests from the families of transgender youth that the care is essential. Debate over Montanas bill drew national attention after Republicans punished Zephyr for her remarks, saying her words were personally offensive. House Speaker Matt Regier refused to let Zephyr speak on the House floor until she apologized. She has not. Zephyr decried the bill's signing, saying it is unconscionable to deprive Montanans of the care that we need." I know that this is an unconstitutional bill. It is as cruel as it is unconstitutional. And it will go down in the courts, Zephyr said. To trans youth she added: Theres an understandable inclination towards despair in these moments, but know that we are going to win and until then, lean on community, because we will have one anothers backs. On Monday, Zephyr had stood defiantly on the House floor with her microphone raised as protesters shouted Let her speak, disrupting House proceedings for at least 30 minutes. Zephyr was then banned from the House and its gallery and voted on bills from a bench in the hallway outside the House on Thursday and Friday. Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Montana have said they would file a court challenge against the ban, which is set to take effect on Oct. 1, starting a five-month clock in which Montana youth can try to find a way to work around the ban or to transition off of hormone treatment. This bill is an overly broad blanket ban that takes decisions that should be made by families and physicians and puts them in the hands of politicians, the Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics has said. Gov. Greg Gianforte signaled his willingness to sign the bill on April 17 when he offered some amendments to make it clear that public funds could not be used to pay for hormone blockers, cross-sex hormones or surgical procedures. The bill protects Montana children from permanent, life-altering medical procedures until they are adults, mature enough to make such serious decisions, Gianforte wrote in his letter accompanying the amendments. Debate over the amendments led Zephyr to admonish supporters the following day. House Majority Leader Sue Vinton said Zephyr's language was entirely inappropriate, disrespectful and uncalled for. The Montana Freedom Caucus deliberately misgendered Zephyr, using male pronouns in a letter saying she should be censured. After Monday's protest, the caucus said she should be further disciplined. Under the new law, health professionals who provide care banned by the measure could have their medical licenses suspended for at least a year. They could also be sued in the 25 years following a banned procedure if a patient suffers physical, psychological, emotional or physiological harm. Physicians could not hold malpractice insurance against such lawsuits. The law also prohibits public property and employees from being involved in gender-affirming treatment. During hours of emotional committee hearings, opponents testified that hormone treatments, and in some cases, surgery, are evidence-based care, supported by numerous medical associations and can be life-saving for someone with gender dysphoria the clinically significant distress or impairment caused by feeling that ones gender identity does not match ones biological sex. Parents of transgender children testified that the bill infringed on their parental rights to seek medical care for their children. Opponents also noted that treatments such as puberty-blockers and breast-reduction surgery would still be legal for minors who are not suffering from gender dysphoria, a difference they argue is unconstitutional. In the letter to legislative leaders accompanying his proposed amendments, Gianforte said he met with transgender residents, understands that their struggles are real and said Montanans who struggle with gender identity deserve love, compassion and respect. Thats not what trans Montanans need from you, Zephyr said as the House considered his amendments. We need access to the medical care that saves our lives. This was the second legislative session in which Sen. John Fuller brought the bill to ban gender-affirming care for transgender children. In 2021, when he was a member of the House, he brought a bill to ban surgical and hormone treatments for transgender children, which was voted down. He brought a second bill to ban surgical treatments which was also rejected. He was successful in 2021 in passing a bill to ban transgender females from participating in girls and womens sports. The part of the bill that applied to colleges was ruled unconstitutional. BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Two Chinese business groups have provided the Japanese government with their comments on its proposed revision of export control measures for semiconductor equipment, calling on Japan to consider its proposal carefully. The comments, jointly made by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the China Chamber of International Commerce, urge the Japanese government to seriously listen to the voices of reason and make decisions in the interests of the semiconductor industry in both countries. The proposed revision of the export control measures under Japan's Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law is too broad in scope and unclear and opaque in provisions, with many items to be regulated going far beyond the scope of conventional control, said a spokesperson with the CCPIT. A lot of civilian items are included, and some should not be controlled as explicitly provided in the Wassenaar Arrangement. Such control measures have gone far beyond the scope made by international norms and other countries, the spokesperson said. It is worth noting that Japan's proposed measures are aimed at semiconductor manufacturing equipment that cannot be diverted to military use. The final use of semiconductor products produced by Japan is generally for consumer electronics, which has nothing to do with military use. Although Japan says that the proposed measure is not aimed at specific countries, it will adopt case-by-case licensing procedures and methods for China and many other countries outside the 42 countries or regions it describes as friendly. This practice, in essence, sets up obstacles for and takes discriminatory measures against China and many other countries, which is a suspected violation of WTO obligations, such as the principle of most-favored-nation treatment and the principle of quantitative restriction, the spokesperson said. The two business groups also challenged the legislative process of the proposed revision and the wording of some provisions, as the Japanese government has obviously ignored the opinions of relevant enterprises and made it difficult for companies to comply with the regulations. Once put into effect, the proposed control measures will have a major adverse impact on Sino-Japanese economic and trade cooperation, as well as scientific and technological exchanges in the semiconductor field, hurting not only market players of both countries but also global supply chains, and strangling the sector's overall competitiveness and development potential, the spokesperson said. OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Canada's government made a new contract offer to the country's biggest public workers union Friday as thousands of federal employees remained on strike for a 10th day. The office of Treasury Board President Mona Fortier called it a ``comprehensive offer but provided no details. The Public Service Alliance of Canada, which had said Wednesday that negotiations were stalemated, confirmed receiving the offer, but did not comment on what it contained. ``We hope to continue bargaining this weekend in order to reach a fair deal, the union said in a statement. The government previously had offered to increase pay by 9% over three years. The union initially asked for 13.5% raises over the same time frame. Other issues described by the government as sticking points earlier this week include the flexibility to work remotely, a reduction in the governments use of outside contractors and the implementation of seniority rules in the event of layoffs. More than 100,000 members of the union went on strike April 19 after the union and government failed to reach agreement on replacing contracts that expired in 2021. The contracts affect 155,000 federal workers in total, but the government deemed about 46,000 of them to be essential workers and they are not taking part in the strike. As the strike continues, Canadians are facing a wide range of federal service disruptions, including an inability to process immigration and passport applications. RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) Internet providers and wireless carriers in Brazil stopped blocking Telegram on Saturday after a federal judge partially revised a ruling suspending the social media app over its failure to surrender data on neo-Nazi activity. However, the judge kept in place a daily fine of $1 million reais (about $200,000) for Telegrams refusal to provide the data, according to a press statement provided by the federal court that issued the ruling. Complete suspension is not reasonable, given the broad impact throughout the national territory on the freedom of communication of thousands of people who are absolutely strangers to the facts under investigation, judge Flavio Lucas was quoted as saying in the statement. Telegram had been temporarily suspended pursuant to a police inquiry into school shootings in November, when a former student armed with a semiautomatic pistol and wearing a bulletproof vest fatally shot three people and wounded 13 after barging into two schools in the small town of Aracruz in Espirito Santo state. The 16-year-old is believed to have been a member of extremist channels on Telegram, where tutorials on murder and the manufacture of bombs were disseminated, the court's statement said. Federal police ordered Telegram to provide details on names, tax identity numbers, profile photos, bank information and registered credit cards of channel members and later disputed Telegram's claim that it could not comply because the channel had been suspended, the court statement said. Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov said in a statement Thursday that the company was appealing the Brazil-wide ban ordered the previous day, claiming compliance was technologically impossible and arguing that it is Telegram's mission is to protect privacy and free speech. The company says in an online FAQ that it has never shared data on users with any government. It's unclear how much of the requested data Telegram is able to provide. Only a phone number is required to create a Telegram account and a pseudonyms are routinely used. Further, beginning in December, Telegram offered the option of creating accounts with anonymous numbers. The court statement noted Telegrams past clashes with the judiciary in Brazil. Last year, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered a nationwide shutdown of Telegram, arguing it hadnt cooperated with authorities. It lasted two days and was lifted after Durov blamed his company's initial lack of response on a communications snafu. Technology companies need to understand that cyberspace cannot be a free territory, a different world with its own rules created and managed by the agents who commercially exploit it, Lucas, the judge in the current case, said in Saturday's statement. Brazil has been grappling with a wave of school attacks. There have been almost two dozen attacks or violent episodes in schools since 2000, half of them in the last 12 months, including the killing of four children at a day care center April 5. Brazils federal government has strived to stamp out school violence with a particular focus on the influence of social media. The goal is to prevent further incidents, particularly holding platforms responsible for failing to remove content that allegedly incites violence. Regulation of social media platforms was a recurring theme earlier this month when President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met with his Cabinet ministers, Supreme Court justices, governors and mayors. Telegram has been blocked in the past by other governments, including Iran, China and Russia. Durov, an ethnic Russian whose company is based in the United Arab Emirates, has managed to coexist with the Kremlin despite its crackdown on speech and Western media following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last year. So-called patriotic hackers loyal to the Kremlin use the app to organize cyberattacks on Ukrainian and NATO targets. The other side uses it to fight back. Security researchers and intelligence agencies regularly track certain Telegram groups, focusing on ransomware gangs and other cybercriminals, disinformation purveyors, terror groups and others inciting violence. ___ AP Technology Writer Frank Bajak in Boston contributed to this report. D etectives uncovered a stash of cocaine and guns after a police raid on a south London flat. Officers executed a search warrant at property in Laleham Road, Catford on Friday. Met Police said they found a quantity of what is thought to be cocaine at the property and arrested a man for conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Intelligence gathered from the search led detectives to arrest a second man in Wanstead who was found in possession of knives. Officers linked the addresses to two storage units in Forest Hill and Norbury where they found two lethal firearms and ammunition. The second man was arrested for firearms offences and both suspects remain in custody. Detective Inspector Lewis Sanderson from the Mets Specialist Crime said: These arrests demonstrate our commitment to bearing down on those who deal in weapons and drugs, and ensuring they are stopped in their tracks. Two lethal firearms have been removed from the streets, potentially saving someone from serious harm. I would urge anyone with information about those who hold weapons to have the confidence to speak to us. You information will be treated in the strictest confidence. If you dont feel comfortable speaking to police, then you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously. A knife-wielding gang set fire to a Sushi restaurant in a terrifying raid in Abbey Road. The attack saw a number of masked men storm Monak a pan-Asian sushi house which promises a luxury dining experience at 10.30pm on Friday. They threatened staff with blades before using gasoline to torch the restaurant as terrified diners fled, according to My London. A neighbour ran out after hearing the fire bombing. She told the Standard: Qe heard the explosion and came out to see the fire and the fire engines and police everywhere. Surprisingly enough, I didnt hear any smoke or fire alarms and also there were no sprinklers. I must admit to being worried about my flat, though when I went out to see what was going on, I was obviously more worried as to whether anyone was hurt. One witness told the Standard: I saw something thrown and then the fire escalated. The fire brigade came followed by the helicopters. My mum was speaking to a boy who was chased by the guys who threw the thing inside. Another neighbour told the Standard: There was a fire inside the restaurant. Then the fire engines turned up, they are still here. Footage posted to social media showed flames and smoke billowing out of the high-class eatery yards from the zebra crossing made famous by The Beatles. The restaurant released a statement on Instagram promising to rebuild after the devastating fire. They wrote: We are devastated to announce that our restaurant has been affected by a fire. We are grateful for the efforts of the firefighters and the community for their support. We are working hard to get back on our feet and look forward to welcoming you back as soon as possible. In the meantime, thank you for continuing to support us and following our rebuilding journey. Supplied The statement added: We wanted to take a moment to address our customers who were present during the fire. We are sorry that you had to witness this traumatic event, but we are grateful for your safety and cooperation during the evacuation. We are determined to rebuild our restaurant and continue to provide the food and experience that we know you love. Thank you for continuing to support us during this difficult time, and we look forward to welcoming you back soon. Thanks for our staff and security members who were present during the fire. Your professionalism and determination during this difficult situation were remarkable. We know that this has been a tough time for everyone, but your dedication to our business and community is truly appreciated. We look forward to working with you to rebuild our restaurant and continue to provide memorable experiences for our customers. Once again, thank you for your support and commitment. Supplied A Met spokesman confirmed there had been no arrests. He added: Police were called to reports that a number of males had entered a restaurant threatening staff with knives and starting a fire. The males made off prior to the arrival of police. The fire was extinguished and there were no reported injuries. An investigation is under way to identify and arrest those responsible, led by dedicated detectives from Central West CID. This will include analysis of all available CCTV among other lines of inquiry. Anyone with information is asked to call 101, ref 7931/18apr, or to remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers. A teenage boy has been rushed to hospital after he was knifed repeatedly close to Wembley Central Station. The 18-year-old was found by officers called to reports of a stabbing in Montrose Crescent at 7.45pm on Saturday. A Met spokesman said: Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service. An 18-year-old man was taken to hospital with stab wounds. We await an update on his condition. There have been no arrests and enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call 101 quoting CAD 7062/29Apr. To remain anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. A masked man who has claimed to have ripped down the Mayor of Londons Ulez cameras has said his group will not stop until they have all been destroyed. Drivers will be asked to pay 12.50-a-day to travel in Greater London from August 29, if their vehicle doesnt meet certain environmental standards causing some activists to take matters into their own hands. The balaclava-clad vandal, a father in his mid-40s, said he was part of a group called Blade Runners and told MailOnline he dismantled 34 himself. We are going to take down every single one no matter what, he told MailOnline. In terms of damage its way more than what [Sadiq Khan and Transport for London] have stated. Its at least a couple of hundred. Snipping, damaging with hammers, painting, disabling on a circuit level and removing. They are unbolted and they are snipped. The tools they use to install them are the ones we use to remove it. We dont want this. Its a way to try to... restrict our movements. F*** them. It will not happen because we havent done anything to deserve it. The Met said it does not believe it has investigated damage to Ulez cameras. A spokesperson told LBC: Obviously theres potential for the potential offences to be investigated as, for instance, criminal damage or theft. The Mayors office said it has recorded 43 cases of vandalism or theft of Ulez cameras to March 21. A spokesperson for Mr Khan said: It is deeply disappointing to see opposition to a policy being used as an excuse for criminal damage. This petty vandalism of Londons essential transport infrastructure is completely unacceptable. They added: People are of course entitled to show their opposition to policies peacefully and lawfully. But causing criminal damage is never acceptable. It came after Sutton Council urged its residents to sign a petition calling on the mayor to think again about widening the ultra-low emission zone on August 29. Dozens of anti-Ulez protesters attended a council meeting on Monday leading to rowdy scenes as some Ulez supporters were shouted down. It came as the boroughs two Tory MPs, Minister for London Paul Scully and Elliot Colburn, revealed they were exploring whether the Government had the power to block the mayors plans. This is despite Transport Secretary Mark Harper telling Parliament last week that Mr Khan was legally entitled to install Ulez enforcement cameras and warning signs in the outer boroughs, regardless of local opposition. T he Government has agreed to include NHS doctors without UK passports on the last flights out of Sudan, amid criticism over the scope of its eligibility criteria for evacuation. Ministers answered calls to widen the remit, which had been limited to British nationals and their immediate family, after a significant decline in the number of UK citizens coming forward. The decision was announced with hours to go until the final flight takes off from the Wadi Saeedna airfield near Khartoum at 6pm UK time. Some 1,888 people on 21 flights have been evacuated from Sudan the vast majority of them British nationals and their dependents, the Government said. The Foreign, Common and Development Office said shortly after 9pm UK time that the final flight was yet to leave the airfield near Khartoum, despite it being previously scheduled for 6pm. The Government-mandated deadline to reach the site in order to be processed for the last flight passed at 12pm local time, after it confirmed it was winding down its rescue operation amid a faltering ceasefire. Fighting has broken out again in Khartoum despite the extension of an armistice between the countrys two warring generals having been brokered in the early hours of Friday. The Government has said it will continue to advocate for an end to the conflict alongside its international allies. A spokesman said: We have made the decision to extend the evacuation criteria to include eligible non-British nationals in Sudan who are working as clinicians within the NHS and their dependents who have leave to enter the UK. We are able to offer this increased eligibility thanks to the efforts of the staff and military who have delivered this evacuation, the largest of any western country. We continue to work intensively, alongside international partners, to maintain the ceasefire and bring an end to fighting, the single most important thing we can do to ensure the safety of British nationals and others in Sudan. It comes after concerns were raised that the Governments previous approach to evacuation could see families split up or some members left behind. Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy had urged the Government not to turn away British residents without passports, including NHS doctors trapped in the conflict zone. Criticism has also been levelled at the pace of the British evacuation and the decision not to offer escorts to people travelling to the airfield. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden chaired a Cobra meeting on Saturday to discuss the security situation in Sudan in advance of the final flight taking off. Mr Dowden denied the Government will effectively abandon those who have been unable to make the potentially dangerous journey to the site with its decision to cease flights. He told the BBC: We are in touch with and engaging rapidly with the Sudanese Doctors Association to see what further support we can provide for them. An update on the number of evacuations is expected later on Saturday. R epresentatives from the nations faith communities will play an active role in the coronation of a monarch for the first time in history, Lambeth Palace has announced. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who will anoint and crown Charles during his coronation, described the service as foremost an act of Christian worship but said new elements reflected the diversity of our contemporary society. New ground has been broken in other areas, from the inclusion of female Bishops the first time, to the use of Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic languages and the opportunity for those watching around the globe to join in and pay homage to the King. When Charles is crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey, leaders from Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Buddhist groups will deliver a greeting to the King in unison, which he will acknowledge. They are the Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, leader of the nations Buddhists the Most Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, prominent Sikh broadcaster Lord Singh of Wimbledon, Hindu representative Radha Mohan das and Muslim Aliya Azam, an Interfaith co-ordinator with the Al-Khoei Foundation. And when the Regalia is presented to the King; Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish peers will take part, handing over items which do not have Christian meaning or symbolism. The move reflects Charles deep held belief in promoting unity between different faiths through championing interfaith dialogue and celebrating the major religions practised in the UK. Speaking seven days before Charles crowning, the Archbishop who will deliver a sermon during the service, said: The Coronation is first and foremost an act of Christian worship. The signs, symbols and language we use remind us that our God is the Servant King. By his anointing in this service, His Majesty King Charles III is set apart to fulfil his vocation of service and duty to us all. This is the character of kingship today. In this weighty responsibility, the King will be supported by the loyal service of his wife, Queen Camilla. I am delighted that the service will recognise and celebrate tradition, speaking to the great history of our nation, our customs, and those who came before us. At the same time, the service contains new elements that reflect the diversity of our contemporary society. It is my prayer that all who share in this service, whether they are of faith or no faith, will find ancient wisdom and new hope that brings inspiration and joy. Archbishop Welby followed the longstanding tradition of commissioning new coronation liturgy the prayers and actions of the coronation service which has the theme Called to Serve. The senior cleric chaired an advisory group of theology, constitutional history and inter-faith relationships experts to draft the service, produced in close consultation with the King and the Government. Another first will see a homage of the people replace the homage of peers, with an estimated global television audience of tens of millions invited to make their own homage by sharing in the same words. A Lambeth Palace spokesperson said they hoped there would be a great cry around the nation and around the world in support for the King. Before the King takes the oath, making a succession of promises including to maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law, the Archbishop will deliver a preface to Charless declaration another first. The senior cleric will tell the congregation that the Church of England, which is headed by the King, will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely echoing the words of the late Queen and Charles. During the ceremony, Charles will be declared Defender of the Faith by Archbishop Welby, after once speaking of his desire to become Defender of Faith. Camilla will also be crowned during the service that will see the King and his wife receive communion wine and bread but, when she is anointed, the Queen Consort will not be shielded by a canopy like her predecessor, the Queen Mother, during George VIs 1937 Coronation. Charles will embody the Called to Serve theme when, in another new element, he is greeted by 14-year-old Samuel Strachan, the longest-serving chorister of the choir of the Chapel Royal, St Jamess Palace. The chorister, who attends the City of London School, will welcome the monarch in the name of the King of Kings a reference to Jesus Christ and Charles will reply: In his name, and after his example, I come not to be served, but to serve. Another unique moment in the history of coronations will see the King pray aloud in the Abbey, reading words written for the occasion that reflect the duty and privilege of the sovereign to serve all communities. TEHRAN, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Intelligence Ministry said Friday its probes found no actual poisoning in the mass reports of students being poisoned at schools across the country. The ministry said in a statement published on its website that no toxic substance was found disseminated at schools after months of investigations into the incidents, during which suspects were either questioned or arrested and transferred to judicial authorities. It added that the probes found no criminal groups were behind the poisoning cases, but dubious networks on social media which spread rumors to fuel fears and dissatisfaction among students' parents. The ministry noted these networks are either being or will be sued, claiming Iran's enemy has played an evident and undeniable role in provoking turmoil. During the past months, hundreds of students at dozens of schools across Iran were referred to medical centers with symptoms similar to those of poisoning. Most of the students said they had smelled either an unpleasant or a weird odor before the emergence of the symptoms. The first case was reported in Qom province on Nov. 30, according to reports by Iranian media. Most of the students were, however, soon released from the hospital after receiving treatment, according to the official news agency IRNA. T he inclusion of non-Christian peers and community leaders in the Kings coronation service is aimed at recognising Britains modern society, which has been transformed since the late Queens crowning. Charles has for many years sought to highlight and celebrate the diversity within the UK that has steadily developed during his lifetime. When Queen Elizabeth was hailed monarch during her 1953 coronation, Britain was in the grip of post-war austerity, and would soon see thousands of citizens from the Empire travel to the UK to replenish the workforce, from the NHS to public transport. People from Asia, Africa and the the Caribbean brought their own cultures and religions that have changed the nation. In his first Christmas broadcast as monarch, Charles recognised the work of other faiths during the cost-of-living crisis, saying: Our churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and gurdwaras, have once again united in feeding the hungry, providing love and support throughout the year. For the first time representatives from the nations faith communities will play an active role in the coronation of a monarch. And they will be visible from the initial moments, taking part in a series of processions into Westminster Abbey that will culminate with the entrance of the King and Queen Consort. Among the group will be faith leaders and representatives from the Jewish, Sunni and Shia Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Bahai and Zoroastrian communities. When the regalia is presented to the King, Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish peers will take part, handing over items which do not have Christian meaning or symbolism. Lord Kamall, a British-born Muslim, will present the Armill to the King, and Baroness Gillian Merron, who served as the Board of Deputies of British Jews chief executive for more than six years, will present the robe royal to the monarch. At the end of the coronation, the King will receive a greeting in unison from leaders and representatives from Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Buddhist communities. They will tell the newly crowned King: Your Majesty, as neighbours in faith, we acknowledge the value of public service. We unite with people of all faiths and beliefs in thanksgiving, and in service with you for the common good. Charles will acknowledges the greeting. The group consists of the head of the nations Buddhists, the Most Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala Thera, head monk of the London Buddhist Vihara and Chief Sangha Nayaka of Great Britain. Another is Lord Singh of Wimbledon, a prominent member of the Sikh community, sitting as a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, who has been a frequent contributor to the Thought for the Day segment on BBC Radio 4s Today programme. Radha Mohan das is a Hindu representative based at the Bhaktivedanta Manor Temple, a mock-Tudor Hertfordshire mansion in 78 acres, donated by former Beatle George Harrison whose spiritual journey led him to spend time in India with other Beatles. Muslim Aliya Azam is an Interfaith co-ordinator at the Al-Khoei Foundation which organises a number of events encouraging people of different religions to interact, the most prominent is the Big Iftar which brings people of all faiths and none together during the Islamic month of Ramadan. The final member is Sir Ephraim Mirvis, only the 11th Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth since the office was introduced in 1704. He was installed in September 2013 during a ceremony attended by Charles when he was Prince of Wales, the first time a member of the royal family was present. The King caused controversy in 1994 when he spoke of his desire to become Defender of Faith rather than Defender of the Faith as monarch raising the prospect of a major change in the ancient relationship between the Church of England and the monarchy. Charles later said in 2015 that he believed it was possible to be Defender of the Faith as well as being a protector of faiths, and he was proclaimed Defender of the Faith at his Accession Council in September and will be again during the coronation. In a reception for faith leaders after the Queens death, he described himself as a committed Anglican Christian, saying he would take an oath at his coronation relating to the settlement of the Church of England. But he said he believed the sovereign has a less formally recognised additional duty to protect the diversity of our country, including by protecting the space for faith itself and its practise through the religions, cultures, traditions and beliefs to which our hearts and minds direct us as individuals. T he Dean of Westminster paid tribute to England and Scotlands deep friendship at a service to mark the arrival of the Stone of Destiny ahead of the coronation. The stone, also known as the Stone of Scone, was transported from its usual home in Edinburgh Castle to London earlier this week, where it will be used in the coronation of the King next weekend. Weighing 125kg, it will be placed in the Coronation Chair for the enthronement, before being returned to Scotland afterwards. Addressing the congregation at a service to mark the stones arrival at Westminster Abbey, Dean of Westminster Dr David Hoyle said: Today we meet in deep friendship and respect, confident in our different histories, here to acknowledge what unites us. We have a common calling under God which summons citizens of all kingdoms to find a home in the Kingdom of Christ, for he is our peace. We meet to pray for their majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla, for the royal family, and for Gods blessing on all those who now work so hard on the preparations for the coronation. We will pray for the Government and people of Scotland and for our sisters and brothers in the churches of Scotland. With nations and with the Commonwealth we look to the coronation where, in worship and music, we will find a common voice and express a common hope. Prayers were said by the Reverend Mark Birch and the abbeys Sub-Dean Reverend David Stanton. The Robin Chapel Choir, from Edinburgh, sang hymns as well as the national anthem. Joseph Morrow, the Lord Lyon of Scotland, said that the stone had returned to Westminster Abbey for the coronation as an act of unity and a symbol of friendship. He said: This is the Stone of Destiny, often called the Stone of Scone, an ancient symbol of sovereignty that has been brought to sanctify the inauguration of monarchs from time immemorial and in our recorded history from as early as the accession of Malcolm III of Scotland in 1058. The Stone was taken from its place in the Abbey of Scone to this Abbey Church in 1296 by command of King Edward I in an act of enmity. It was returned to Scotland in 1996 by command of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in an act of amity. Now comes again to this place by command of King Charles III as an act of unity and a symbol of friendship. It is committed to your care and safekeeping until its return to Scotland after His Majestys Coronation. Professor David Fergusson, the Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland, said that the stone had changed from being a spoil of war to a symbol of unity. A lump of sandstone that has been bashed about a bit is hardly an object of aesthetic beauty, he said. Yet its history ensures a kind of veneration and even calls for our celebration today. Once a spoil of war, the Stone of Destiny has become a focus of unity. A source of division, it returns today in an act of friendship. Soon to be displayed in Perth near its place of origin, it features again at the centre of our nations history. Though ancient quarrels can be recalled, we do so as we celebrate what we hold together in trust and in concord. Speaking to the PA news agency after the service, Dr Hoyle said it was extraordinary to see the stone back in the abbey. I was looking forward to it coming back, he said. It really moving to have it in the abbey. Its extraordinary to see the stone. When you have the chair and youve got this space underneath it, youre very conscious of an absence, because you keep looking at the place where its going to be. N HS doctors in Sudan without British passports have been told they can catch evacuation flights out of the country in a dramatic U-turn. The UK Government had initially rejected calls to airlift NHS workers who do not possess a British passport due to constraints on the overall capacity of the flights amid a ceasefire which was due to last only 72 hours. There were also concerns about the Sudanese armed forces refusing to grant safe passage to people with non-Sudanese passports, and about setting a precedent whereby the UK commits to evacuate large numbers of people in comparable future crises around the world. However, Ministers have now expanded the criteria so that all residents of Britain who do not hold a passport can now board an evacuation flight on Saturday, the BBC reports. Oliver Dowden, the Deputy Prime Minister, said the UK military and civil servants had carried out the longest and largest evacuation of any Western country with more than 1,500 people flown out of Sudan. Any remaining British nationals wishing to be evacuated should travel to the Wadi Saeedna airstrip near Khartoum by 11am BST today, he said last night. Mr Dowden said: What we are saying now is that people should expect within the next 24 hours, so by six oclock UK time tomorrow, for us to cease those flights. There remains another 24 hours for people to make their way to the airport to ensure that they can take advantage of this. He said there had been a significant decline in the British nationals coming forward, adding: Every single British national coming forward, and their dependants, has been put on a plane. A ceasefire extended on Thursday is due to expire tomorrow night, which could make it impossible to continue the evacuation if violence reignites. Ministers faced criticism over their original decision against allowing people who live in the UK but do not hold a British passport to take the flights operated by the UK military, leaving people including NHS doctors stranded in war-torn Sudan. One of those doctors, Dr Abdulrahman Babiker, had travelled to the country to celebrate Eid. Prior to the U-turn, Dr Babiker, who works at Manchester Royal Infirmary, had been blocked from boarding a flight as the Foreign Office had initially prioritised British nationals as opposed to those holding UK work permits. A massive fire erupted at an oil reservoir in Crimea after it was allegedly hit by a drone, Russian officials claimed. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of the Black Sea peninsulas port city of Sevastopol, posted videos and photos of the blaze on his Telegram channel on Saturday of the fire. Razvozhayev did not say whether the drone he cited as causing the fire was Ukrainian. The fire was later put out and no-one was hurt, Russian officials said. Sevastopol, on the Crimean peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has come under repeated air attacks since Russias full-fledged invasion of its neighbour in February 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his country is seeking to reclaim the peninsula during Russias current full-scale invasion. The incident comes a day after Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine, killing at least 23 people. Smoke and flame rise from a burning fuel tank in Sevastopol / AP Almost all of the victims died when two missiles slammed into an apartment building. Three children were among the dead. Razvozhayev said the oil reservoir fire did not cause any casualties and would not hinder fuel supplies in Sevastopol. The city has been subject to regular attack attempts with drones, especially in recent weeks. Earlier this week, Razvozhayev reported that the Russian military destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone that attempted to attack the harbor and another one blew up, shattering windows in several apartment buildings. Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on the oil reservoir fire. After previous attacks on Crimea, Kyiv usually stopped short of openly claiming responsibility but emphasised that the country had the right to strike any target in response to Russian aggression. A US teacher who lost her job for sharing photographs of Michelangelos David has travelled to Florence to admire the statue. Hope Carrasquilla was forced to resign as principal of Tallahassee Classical School in Florida after parents objected that they had not been informed that images of the naked figure would be shown to their 11 and 12-year-old children. One parent called the work pornographic. Mistaking art for pornography is simply ridiculous, Dario Nardella, the mayor of Florence, said at the time. former Dean of the Tallahassee Classical School, FL, Hope Carrasquilla, right, posing with Cecilie Hollberg, director of Florence's Galleria dell'Accademia museum in front of Michelangelo Buonarroti's colossal marble statue 'David' / AP I will personally invite the teacher to Florence to give her an award on behalf of the city. Art is civilisation and those who teach it deserve respect. Ms Carrasquilla and her family went to see the famous artwork on Friday at Florences Accademia Galleria. She said she was impressed by the gallery, adding: I think its beautiful. It looks like a church. The thing that impresses me the most is that this whole gallery was built for him. There is nothing wrong with the human body in and of itself, she continued. Michelangelo would have done him wrong to sculpt him in any other way. I think its wonderful. Cecilie Hollberg, director of the Accademia Gallery, said hosting Ms Carrasquilla was an immense pleasure. I am happy to be able to welcome her and introduce her to the beauties of our museum, besides showing her the David, a sculpture that, I repeat as I have said, has nothing to do with pornography, Ms Hollberg said in a written statement. Its a masterpiece, it represents a religious symbol of purity and innocence, the victory of good over evil. Tallahassee Classical School is affiliated with Hillsdale College, a private conservative Christian institution in Michigan. It aims to train the minds and improve the hearts of young people through a content-rich classical education. The art lesson featuring David also included nudity in Michelangelos fresco The Creation of Adam from the Sistine Chapel ceiling and Botticellis Birth of Venus. T he Russian missile strike that struck Ukraine on Friday was part of a possible attempt to intercept Ukrainian reserve units and military supplies that were recently given to the country, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Saturday. In its intelligence update, the MoD said Moscow launched the first major wave of cruise missile strikes against Ukraine since early March 2023. The bombardment killed at least 25 people and was a departure from Russias use of long-range strikes that targeted energy infrastructure over winter, the MoD said. The MoD added: There is a realistic possibility that Russia was attempting to intercept Ukrainian reserve units and military supplies recently provided to Ukraine. Russia operates an inefficient targeting process and prioritises perceived military necessity over preventing collateral damage, including civilian deaths. At least three children were among the among 25 people killed by Russian missile strikes on residential blocks in central Ukraine. Most of the 23 cruise missiles and two drones fired at the capital Kyiv and other cities early yesterday were intercepted, officials said. But one strike breached defences in the central city of Uman, hitting a nine-storey residential block and killing at least 20 people including two ten-year-olds. A two-year-old and her 31-year-old mother were also killed by a missile in the city of Dnipro, according to the local mayor. Rescuers were last night desperately searching through rubble for signs of survivors. The attacks included the first against Kyiv in nearly two months, but no targets were hit in the capital. Explosions were also reported in Kremenchuk in central Ukraine. The missiles are believed to have come from aircraft operating in the Caspian Sea region. The strike has achieved its goal. All the designated facilities have been hit, said defence ministry spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov. But Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called the attacks evil and said they showed further international action needed to be taken against Russia. He tweeted: Evil can be stopped by weapons - our defenders are doing it. And it can be stopped by sanctions - global sanctions must be enhanced. BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Daren Tang on Friday in Beijing. Qin said that China is accelerating its transformation from a big country to a strong one with regard to intellectual property rights (IPR). China firmly supports the WIPO in playing a leading and coordinating role in global IPR governance, he added. China stands ready to deepen high-level practical cooperation with the WIPO, promote the establishment of universally beneficial, inclusive, balanced and effective international IPR rules, safeguard the legitimate right of all countries to development, and make the fruits of scientific and technological innovation accessible, shared and used by more countries and peoples, Qin said. Tang commended the historic achievements China has made in intellectual property. The WIPO is ready to work with China to promote the sustained and healthy development of global IPR governance, he said. SEOUL, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A senior official of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has hit out at the Washington Declaration issued by the United States and South Korea after a summit between leaders of the two countries, state news agency KCNA reported Saturday. Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, denounced the declaration as "a typical product of extreme anti-DPRK hostile policy reflecting the most hostile and aggressive will of action," and said "it will only result in making the peace and security of Northeast Asia and the world be exposed to more serious danger," according to the KCNA. "The more the enemies are dead set on staging nuclear war exercises, and the more nuclear assets they deploy in the vicinity of the Korean peninsula, the stronger the exercise of our right to self-defense will become in direct proportion to them," the statement concluded. The United States and South Korea jointly issued the Washington Declaration on April 26 as one of the outcomes of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's visit to the United States. According to reports, the declaration says that the United States will upgrade the extended deterrence it provides to South Korea, including enhanced consultation over a nuclear crisis, increased military exercises and training activities, table-top simulation, the establishment of a new Nuclear Consultative Group, and a further expansion of the U.S. regular visibility of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula. Prior to the Confederation of Canada in 1867, there were no set laws governing pharmacists or their practices. As such, a pharmacist could have been anyone who chose to call themselves one someone who had only trained as an apprentice chemist, had undergone training in another country, was a learned doctor or had no training at all. While the medical board of Upper Canada had implemented legislation in the late 1700s and early 1800s with regards to the practice of medicine, very little of it had to do with pharmacy itself. In addition to the lack of legal definition, there was also often conflict over power and jurisdiction between those who called themselves pharmacists and the doctors, as both offered the service of mixing and dispensing medicine. While the Poison Act of 1859 was the first piece of legislation that brought the requirement of pharmacists to obtain a certificate from physicians prior to selling drugs, it still failed to clarify who was legally sanctioned to dispense them. The Pharmacy Act of Ontario, which was passed in 1871, made Ontario the first province to have laws regarding the rights of pharmacists, mandating standardized requirements for education and licensing for anyone who wished to assume the title of chemist and druggist. A year later, the Ontario College of Pharmacy was officially formed. Joseph Dilworth, born in 1842 in England, was part of the Toronto Chemists and Druggists Association, a group that formed in 1867, partially in response to the act of 1859 and their dissatisfaction with the amount of power it gave to the doctor over the pharmacist. Coming to Canada as a young man, Dilworth settled and lived in Toronto for more than 50 years, managing a drug store on King Street for close to 30 of them. One of the original 18 members that formed the associations core, Dilworth and others set about to prepare legislation seeking regulation of their practice under a board of pharmacists who would also be responsible for examination and licensing. This would eventually pass it as the Pharmacy Act. After years of successfully managing his drug store in Toronto, he moved into Welland in about 1900, opening his first pharmacy, Dilworth Drug Co., in the Rose Block that stood on the corner of West Main and Niagara (which was then known as North Main) streets, on the east portion of the ground floor where Bogners Photography was located. Not long after, he opened a second store at 139 East Main St. By 1907, his stores boasted four telephones and free delivery to all parts of the city, and according to the advertisement in a souvenir edition of The Welland Telegraph, the stores claimed to be well stocked with the purest of drugs, standard medicines, toilet articles, requisites for bath and toilet, surgical and physicians supplies, and sick room necessities. The entirety of the eastern store was done in mahogany finish, and featured an ice-cream parlour, the Wilhelmina Dutch Room, with seating for 100 persons. Dilworth managed his businesses in Welland for almost eight years. In 1908, Albert Douglass, another pharmacist who operated in Welland from circa 1887 and returned to the city after leaving for Buffalo in 1898, came back to Welland and took over Dilworths old store at West Main and Niagara. Until it was remodelled in 1966, the building continued to bear the Dilworth name inscribed in the entranceway. Known by then as Spence & Haist Prescription Pharmacy Ltd., it closed sometime shortly before 2010, gaining the distinction of being one of the longest and oldest continuous drug store operations and commercial enterprises in Welland. Information is courtesy of Welland Museum, Welland Public Library archives and Emily McMorriss Pharmacy chapter in the Introduction to the Health Workforce in Canada. SHARE: JOIN THE CONVERSATION Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free) Sign In Register KITCHENER Smart cameras are being deployed to record bartenders pouring drinks, and software that uses artificial intelligence analyzes the video to ensure the drinks are paid for. We have custom, proprietary software, said Tyrone Moodley, a co-founder of the Kitchener-based startup Bevcounter. The software uses artificial intelligence to automatically scrutinize the actions of bartenders. Bevcounter provides the service for $29 a month. We look at the body, we look at the hands, we look at the glass, said Moodley. Every time we count a drink, we take a video and push that up to the cloud for further analysis, and we provide analytics to the owner. The startup was co-founded about 18 months ago by Moodley, his brother Daelon Moodley and Aqib Mumtaz, who has a PhD in artificial intelligence from the University of Bergen in Norway. The idea for the startup came out of a visit Tyrone made to Scottsdale, Ariz., where his brother worked as a bartender. Tyrone wanted to know why his brother was not managing the place, and Daelon told him bartenders make more money than bar managers a lot more. They do that by providing some free drinks to regular customers who are big tippers, said Tyrone. The brothers talked about it. Most bars already have cameras deployed at the bar, but it takes many hours to go through the video to try and catch someone giving away free drinks. Software enhanced with artificial intelligence and connected to the cameras could monitor the bartenders instead of managers, Tyrone said. That doesnt exist, said Daelon. What if we build it? said Tyrone. Well, if we build this, it could be a really revolutionary product because it would reduce the amount of fraud and inventory shrinkage, said Daelon. The brothers recruited Mumtaz, and within six months had an early version of Bevcounter. They signed up clients to deploy and test the technology Bevcounters software can be easily deployed into most in-bar cameras. One of the first was Abe Erb at 151 Charles St. W. in Kitchener. Another was a large hotel in Vancouver with nine bars. And what happened was the bartenders were colluding; they were basically defrauding the hotel, said Moodley. Experienced bartenders showed new hires how to provide free drinks to some customers and get large tips in return. The only way the owners could figure out they were losing money was manually counting every drink poured on the cameras, and comparing that data to point-of-sales data, said Moodley. It cost hundreds of dollars a day to pay someone to watch the videos, so thefts could go undetected for years. When owners at the testing sites saw what Bevcounter could do, they were impressed. They love the product and they signed up immediately, said Tyrone. The seed-stage startup is looking for investors and preparing to rapidly expand sales. Brock Boehler, one of three owners of Abe Erb in Kitchener, said the popular bar/restaurant in the Tannery deployed Bevcounter about eight months ago. It is an effective and unobtrusive way to prevent theft, he said. I think it is a great idea, and I think there is a lot of opportunity, said Boehler. This is a problem in the industry that needs to be addressed. SHARE: This past Monday marked the 10th anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which claimed the lives of more than 1,130 people. Some 2,500 others were injured in the disaster. At least 29 global brands were found to be associated with the garment factories in the Rana Plaza building, including Benetton (Italy), The Childrens Place (U.S.), Mango (Spain), and Canadas Joe Fresh. Following the tragedy, a global movement emerged to improve standards in the fashion industry and respect the human rights of garment workers in Bangladesh and elsewhere. As a result of these efforts, two accords were introduced; the Bangladesh Accord (which addressed building and fire safety in Bangladesh), and its successor, the International Accord for Health and Safety. The latter is the gold standard in the fashion industry. Its a legally binding agreement between 190 garment brands and global trade unions with a mission to ensure safe workplaces in the textile and garment industry. The agreement promotes worker safety through independent inspections, remediation and training programs and recognizes the rights of workers to organize, refuse unsafe work and raise health and safety concerns, according to its website. In a perfect world, all companies would have signed the accord. But the reality is that the fashion industry is extremely competitive, and international brands that seek the cheapest suppliers are reluctant to sign a legally binding agreement that could result in higher production costs. Since its introduction, only 200 brands and organizations worldwide have signed it. Disappointingly, Canadian companies are completely absent from the list of signatories save one Loblaw whose Joe Fresh clothing tags were found amidst the Rana Plaza rubble. Loblaw changed course, committed to better standards, and even became an advocate for the accord. Some Canadian companies, such as Canadian Tire and Hudson Bay, which participated in a temporary five-year alliance to improve worker safety in Bangladesh following the disaster, chose not to sign the international accord. Others, including Gildan, Lululemon and MEC, have signed the Transparency Pledge an initiative to disclose detailed information about factories, number of employees, types of products, etc., as a mechanism for better monitoring employment standards in the garment and footwear industry. While important, those actions are not enough for Caren Weisbart, senior program officer at the Maquila Solidarity Network a labour and womens rights organization that advocates for improved wages and working conditions for employees. Rana Plaza is a perfect example of why voluntary mechanisms dont work. There were a ton of them beforehand, but this huge collapse still happened, and people died, she said. A voluntary mechanism is safer for companies, she said. Its really window-dressing. Firms say, Look, were committed to building and fire safety, but were not willing to sign anything thats legally binding. Minimal participation in the international accord means countries like Canada need to pass laws that guarantee that companies under their jurisdictions protect the workers in their global supply chains. These so-called due diligence laws were already introduced in a few countries, including France, Norway and Germany. Canada hasnt introduced such a law yet. One proposal under consideration is Bill S-211, yet some experts believe its insufficient since it is only a reporting bill. A stronger proposal, Bill C-262, sponsored by the NDPs Peter Julian, doesnt seem to have enough support in Parliament. Weisbart highlights that Bill C-262 wont force companies to join the international accord. But by not joining it, companies will demonstrate that even though theyve known about the lack of safety of buildings in the factories that they source from, and even though theyve known that the accord specifically addresses that, they chose not to join this life-saving program. In such a case, a complaint could be filed against them. An example of how such a complaint would look can be found in Germany, where a due diligence law the German Supply Chain Act came into force in January 2023. Earlier this week, garment workers in the Bangladeshi factories of three companies Tom Tailor, Amazon and Ikea filed the first complaint with the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control, arguing that the factories have not been adequately monitored, endangering workplace safety for employees. The German law carries potential sanctions including fines against enterprises who fail to comply with their legal obligations. This is exactly the path that Canada should pursue. Ten years after Rana Plaza, Canadian companies continue to violate the rights of workers in their global supply chains. Its disappointing (if not embarrassing) that only one Canadian company has signed the International Accord for Health and Safety. Beyond the fact that signing the accord is the right thing to do ethically, adopting it also has a business case. It has been shown time and again that when employees are treated better, earn fair wages and feel safe in the workplace, companies do better. And if businesses dont get it, a new due diligence law like the one introduced in Germany will help them make the right choice. Amir Barnea is an associate professor of finance at HEC Montreal and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @abarnea1 SHARE: This excerpt is adapted from Waiting to Inhale: Cannabis Legalization and the Fight for Racial Justice. It was 2015 and Justin Trudeau had just been elected. Canadas new prime minister was pledging to make good on a 2014 promise that came out of the blue and stunned his principal secretary, who was at the other end of the country at a Nova Scotia dinner while Trudeau was in British Columbia beginning the quest to legalize adult-use cannabis in Canada. This was a time for a self-described progressive government to break new ground in social justice and use legalization to begin to correct past wrongs. It began that way, or rather, couched in those terms. It ended much differently. Canadas cannabis legalization has been a success on many levels. A Deloitte study estimated the legal industry had generated $11 billion (Canadian) in its first three years, added $43.5 billion to Canadas gross domestic product, and created 98,000 jobs. It also said the industry needed greater diversity. At its heart, we believe that Canadian legalization was a squandered opportunity. A potential arc toward social justice became instead a functional, anodyne piece of legislation that missed a chance to expunge records rooted in past racism, provide a new social equity framework, and give back to communities that had been disproportionately harmed by a War on Drugs in which Canada had been an enthusiastic participant. It meant that the moment when adult-use cannabis was legalized in Canada and a year later, when a companion bill offering an inadequate pardon process became law, Canada had fallen behind U.S. states that had tied legalization to efforts to make good on promises to reverse racial injustice during the War on Drugs. The original Trudeau cannabis promise may have caught many off guard and was initially dismissed by many as the musings of a rookie, third-party leader with little prospect of immediate electoral success. But it should not have been seen as something so stunning. It was also not particularly brave. Like the U.S., public support for legalized cannabis had been on an upward trajectory in Canada for years. The only votes Trudeau was likely to lose with this initiative were those never headed his way anyway. Trudeaus move was merely the next logical step after many tentative decriminalization or legalization moves in Canada. The years of Prohibition were rooted in racism predominantly anti-Asian racism but an early progressive commission report led by Justice Gerald Le Dain did not study potential cannabis legalization through any racism prism. The commission was established by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau largely because of an explosion of cannabis use and drug experimentation among Canadas youth in 1969. In its 1972 final report, the Le Dain Commission recommended the legalization of simple cannabis possession and cultivation for personal use. It recommended that people addicted to drugs be afforded greater opportunities for treatment rather than be dealt with by the heavy hand of the justice system. Le Dain had two allies to create the majority opinion of the five-member commission, but one of the remaining two felt it did not go far enough. Marie-Andree Bertrand, a Quebec feminist (and perhaps not coincidentally, a Berkeley grad), recommended the government take over distribution as it had for alcohol, a view that was, in some provinces, 46 years ahead of its time. But the country was not ready for Le Dain. His report came under heavy criticism in media of all partisan stripes and from the health authorities of the day, including the Canadian Medical Association. Given the danger that the report would be too hot for his government to handle, Pierre Trudeau ignored it and quietly kicked it to the curb. In a determination that would become a recurring trend, it was decided that there were no votes in moving forward with any of Le Dains recommendations. Over the ensuing years, tepid moves to decriminalize died with government mandates, then came to a crashing halt during the years of Stephen Harpers Conservative government. But by 2012, with the federal Liberals still stumbling in the opposition wilderness, the party voted by an overwhelming 77 per cent to call on future Liberal governments to legalize, regulate and tax cannabis production, distribution and use. It also called for amnesty for Canadians with past possession convictions. Justin Trudeau was listening. A year later, he was chosen party leader in a landslide, and a few months later, he and his wife, Sophie Gregoire, embarked on a trip through Western Canada. At a town hall-style picnic in Kelowna, B.C., Trudeau, then the third-party leader, announced he was going to legalize cannabis when elected never mind that he wasnt seen, at least in the eyes of the countrys punditocracy, as a likely prime minister in the short term. He did it completely on his own, his former principal secretary Gerald Butts recalled. There was no grand political strategy to it. That was him making up his mind. Trudeau had told Butts about his late brother Michel being busted for cannabis possession after smashing up his car on a trip home to Ontario from the West Coast. Police had found a couple of joints in the wreckage. The family used its name, and the connections only a former prime minister could boast, to make Michels problems disappear. It was a story Trudeau would repeat publicly. Trudeau said that had his brother been an Indigenous kid, he would have been in jail, and he was right. It sounded like he was building the foundation for a legalized cannabis regime rooted in social justice, and a progressive Canadian government under Trudeau would undo much of the damage to Black and Indigenous Canadians from the War on Drugs. But as legalized cannabis loomed, a cabinet trio of Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, Health Minister Jane Philpott and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould proved an impenetrable threesome when it came to using cannabis legalization as a springboard to greater social and cultural reforms. Bill Blair, the former Toronto police chief, was thrown into the mix as the law-and-order guy selling the legislation to the provinces and Canadians at large. Why would the government gradually go from social justice rhetoric to its mantra of protecting children and busting the illegal market? Why would it not go further? Surely the nations first Indigenous justice minister would be aware of the injustice done to Indigenous youth for years during this War on Drugs. Wouldnt she be advocating for putting cannabis revenues toward improving the life of Indigenous kids in urban settings or pushing for guaranteed access to positions of power in the legal market for Indigenous entrepreneurs? Philpott worked assiduously to provide clean drinking water to Indigenous communities, but she did not push to right the criminal injustice perpetrated on Indigenous people convicted of cannabis possession. Blair knew the damage done to Black people in Toronto by cannabis busts better than anyone. Those of us advocating for expungement did get quick pushback, but part of that was simply that records were not as accessible as fully digitized U.S. jurisdictions where you could let an algorithm loose on them. In Canada, convictions under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act do not specify cannabis, and there are no codes specifically for cannabis, so records would have to be accessed one by one. It was going to be very intensive work to go through all these records and identify the cannabis convictions and downgrade or clear them, but it was very labour-intensive to create these records in the first place. People had to be arrested, they had to be charged, and they had to be convicted. We poured massive resources into the criminalization that harms these people and harms our society, and think it is reasonable that we pour resources into clearing those records for them. In June 2019, the government passed legislation expediting record suspensions for Canadians with cannabis possession convictions. The onus was on the person seeking the suspension; it was an exercise in bureaucratic frustration and applied only to those with a possession conviction and no other offence. Some estimates suggest there are up to 500,000 Canadians with cannabis possession convictions, but as of October 2021, two years after the program was introduced, only 484 pot pardons had been granted. It took three more years for the government, responding to NDP pressure, to introduce and pass legislation that aims to sequester cannabis (and other drug possession) convictions by 2024, meaning they will not appear on criminal record checks. It still falls short of expungement. Canadas Cannabis Act is now under mandated review. There may be government willingness to move on our three goals of cannabis justice: inclusion of those hurt by the War on Drugs, particularly underrepresented racial groups, in the employment and economic opportunities in the legal industry; full amnesty for those with cannabis convictions; and reinvestment of cannabis taxes into equity programs. Adapted from Waiting to Inhale: Cannabis Legalization and the Fight for Racial Justice (MIT Press, April 2023). SHARE: Enormous pressure caused by staff shortages, has caused a rural Ontario hospital to close its emergency room permanently and it is the latest example of the deepening human resource crisis in health care, nursing advocates say. The Minden emergency department of Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) will be closed on June 1, and emergency services will be consolidated at Haliburton Hospital, 25 minutes away from the Minden location, also operated by the HHHS. The decision was directly related to staffing shortages, said Carolyn Plummer, president and CEO of HHHS. We would not have made it through another summer under these circumstances, and we had to act to ensure we could continue delivering emergency services, she told the Star in an email. The dire need for nurses and physicians existed before and was exacerbated by the pandemic, Plummer said, but it turned into a near-constant crisis in the last 18 months, causing enormous pressure, on the existing staff. Nursing advocates say the closure in Minden is symptomatic of a larger issue. Unfortunately we are not surprised as we have alerted employers and government of the deepening crisis in nursing, said Doris Grinspun CEO of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO). RNAO has been warning the province for well over a decade that we have a looming registered nurse crisis due to the governments inadequate funding. The pandemic, exacerbated it into a full-blown crisis due to workload exhaustion. Our government knows emergency rooms have faced capacity pressures year after year. We know the status quo is not working and more needs to be done, said Hannah Jensen, a spokesperson for the Ontario Minister of Health, to the Star in an email. That is why earlier this year we launched Your Health, a plan that gives Ontarians more options for convenient care to avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency room and eases the pressures our hospitals have been facing, she said. While the province acknowledges the problem, the provinces measures dont do enough to fix it. This is yet another example of the consequences of failing to fix the strain our hospital system is experiencing, said Ontario Nurses Association (ONA) interim provincial president Bernie Robinson, in a recent statement. The closure of the Minden site is a preview of additional permanent ER closures in the future, Robinson said. According to the RNAO, 24,000 more registered nurses are needed in Ontario, just to close the registered nurse-per-population gap between Ontario and the rest of Canada. There are 10,195 registered nurse vacancies in Ontario, up from 9,050 last quarter. A Star analysis found that hospital emergency departments across Ontario were forced to close 158 times in the past year, resulting in some 4,430 hours the equivalent of 184 days when the urgent care needs of many communities could not be met locally. In many cases, like in Minden, the closure of emergency rooms or the increase in wait times, is not caused by lack of funds. This is not about funding or money. It is a result of global staffing shortages and the incredible pressures that has created for our staff and physician teams, said Plummer. A March poll commissioned by the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) revealed that four out of 10 nurses are now considering leaving their job, mostly due to high workloads and poor staffing levels. More than 75 per cent of nurses report workplaces that are regularly overcapacity, according to the poll. Statistics Canada estimated in 2021 that 32,295 registered nurse positions were vacant. After years of wage suppression and disrespect, tangible evidence is needed that their work-lives must improve in order to retain them, Robinson said. Ontario offers bonuses of $10,000 to nurses in return for a commitment to practise in high need health-care facilities for a year; and incentives of $25,000 for out-of-province nurses to relocate and work in general practice for one year; as well as up to $75,000 for ICU or critical care nurses who commit to two years. But experts say nurses are more concerned about the working conditions at their destination. Building up primary care and home care could relieve some of the pressure on hospitals, as well as implementing more tangible solutions for nurses, said RNOAs Grinspun. Bonuses are not conducive to retention, and retention is a must, she said. (We need) Safe workloads that enable nurses to deliver excellence in practice; competitive compensation; health work environments; career advancement; and respect for diversity, Grinspun said. We need this now. Residents of Minden, Ontario gathered at Queens Park on Thursday protesting the decision and submitted a petition with over 5,000 signatures, urging the provincial government to delay the closure for at least one year. Losing this emergency department in the midst of cottage country will affect the community beyond the anticipated health consequences, according to Minden Hills Mayor Bob Carter. We will have an increased demand for our paramedic services and ambulances. This demand will need to be paid for by the county. On top of that, if the paramedics are busy due to their increased workload, the responsibility for answering medical calls will need to be answered by our volunteer fire departments. NDP health critic France Gelinas said she was saddened but not surprised, to hear the news. The Ford Conservative government is focused on opening private for-profit surgical clinics owned by investors and corporations. That an ER in a rural hospital that supports thousands of people and sees a tripling of its population over the summer months has no choice but to close does not even hit their radar, she told the Star in an interview. With files from Steve McKinley and Kenyon Wallace SHARE: Hotel owners can now make significant cost savings of up to 33% while capitalising on the worlds most respected hotel management companies, says Cristal Group as it launches white-label hospitality solutions in MEA and Asia. Cristal Group, a world-class hospitality consultancy, technical services, asset management and brand management firm, has partnered with brands within the Hilton, Accor Hotels, IHG, Marriott, and Wyndham Worldwide portfolios. The new direction promises unrivalled choice for local hotel owners and investors, allowing them to franchise world-renowned hotel brands for new and existing developments. All operations are then expertly managed by the Cristal Group drastically cutting costs while leveraging the worldwide respect and recognition of these distinguished global brands. Building on its success in the hospitality industry in Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and Kurdistan, the Cristal Group brings its lean and mean business management to the day-to-day operations of these hotel partnerships, maintaining the highest design, construction, and operating standards at a fraction of the cost commanded by the larger chains in a traditional franchise model. Kamal Fakhoury, Chief Executive Officer of the Cristal Group said: We are thrilled to be at the vanguard of this incredible opportunity, bringing together the worlds most respected hotel brands with our operational acumen and local expertise. White-label partnerships allow us to remain flexible and agile in terms of construction, procurement, and staffing, which translates to significant cost savings for investors. Our laser-sharp value engineering can reduce expenses across all facets of hotel management, from design and build to ongoing operational expenditures, which are often one-third less than the major hotel brands. Continuing to build on the success of its existing hotel portfolio, the move into white-label franchising will cement the Cristal Groups goal of being a premier business and leisure hotel operator in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. In 2022, the four operational hotels in Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Erbil recorded an outstanding annual turnover of over $15 million. The groups flagship property, Cristal Hotel Abu Dhabi, has maintained an impressive occupancy rate of 93% or higher since opening in 2009, achieving this enviable benchmark even at the height of the pandemic. A tailored approach In launching this revolutionary white-label consultancy in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, the Cristal Group has recognised a gap in the market for tailored hospitality solutions that offer real, measurable savings for investors, while allowing them to leverage the established brand recognition of the worlds most respected hotel chains. With our years of experience in the region, we recognise that the local market is maturing, noted Fakhoury. In the US, over 90% of properties are franchised, and the majority are operated under third-party organisations. In the UAE, almost 90% are managed directly, but owners are starting to realise they can make substantial savings by working with third-party operators like the Cristal Group. What we bring to the table is an outstanding opportunity for investors to work directly under our established brands or align with an international brand at a fraction of the regular operating costs, said Fakhoury. We tailor our approach to each owner and project to ensure the highest returns, while maintaining our remarkable operational standards across the board. TradeArabia News Service BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- It is a falsehood to assert that "Tibet is forced to use the standard Chinese language," and the plot to slander China by distorting facts and fabricating the lie is doomed to fail, a Chinese Tibetologist said. According to Liang Junyan, a researcher with the China Tibetology Research Center, the use of the standard spoken and written Chinese language by China's 56 ethnic groups is not only a responsibility and obligation outlined by the Constitution and laws but also a concrete manifestation of the people's love for their motherland. It is also a necessary path to promote ethnic equality, unity and shared prosperity and development, Liang wrote in an article recently published in the Global Times. It is stipulated by law that the right of ethnic minorities to learn and use their own ethnic languages and scripts must be fully respected and protected, the Tibetologist said, adding that in ethnic autonomous regions and areas where ethnic minorities live in compact communities, both the standard Chinese language and the local ethnic minority languages can be used. Liang said that the Tibetan language is widely used in areas such as legal services, healthcare, postal services, communication, transportation, finance and technology. The region now has 16 periodicals and 12 newspapers in the Tibetan language and has published more than 40 million copies of 7,185 Tibetan-language books. The Tibetologist emphasized that enhancing proficiency in the standard Chinese language is essential for the development of various initiatives in Tibet, which, in turn, will empower Tibetan individuals by providing them with greater employment and income prospects. "By fabricating the lie and opposing the use of the standard Chinese language with the inheritance of Tibetan language, the Dalai clique and some Western governments intend to make Tibet return to a society under theocratic feudal serfdom," Liang wrote. Contrary to what our teachers and parents may have told us in the 90s, Jerry Springer did not ruin TV. He wasnt one of the Apocalypses Four Horsemen, and he didnt usher in the downfall of society as we knew it. Instead, in the wake of his death this week, we can admit that Jerry Springer was the future: a magnet for controversy and a cultural lightning rod, and, perhaps most accurately, the godfather of reality television as we now know it. At the height of his talk show, Springers name was synonymous with trash TV. And to the objective viewer, this description might make sense. Episodes such as You Slept With My Stripper Sister! and I Married a Horse, pandered to audiences eager to slow down and stare at cultural car crashes. Fights often broke out between guests, audience members and, occasionally, both, and the judge-and-jury dynamic between viewers and show participants gifted anyone watching with a power with which they could decide whether somebody deserved approval or condemnation. Springer capitalized on our insatiable need to weigh in on other peoples business while simultaneously providing a platform for anyone hungry for their 15 minutes. Anyone who engaged with The Jerry Springer Show was arguably complicit: everybody involved simply performed the roles they thought they deserved. Which might sound like its giving Springer more credit than is earned, but from 1991 to 2018, his series laid the foundation for the way we watch television now. Its easy to forget (between spoofing himself in Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me and the way persons of authority tended to dismiss the show entirely) that among episodes like Pornographic Clowns, the host wasnt entirely entrenched in content fit for grocery store tabloids. As the son of Jewish-German refugees who escaped the Nazis, his show was also used as a vessel for racial discourse (of the most heightened magnitude), in which he confronted an antisemitic priest (1995) and saw his TV audience descend on a pack of KKK members. It wasnt Oprah or Donahue, but it was still something. And most importantly, it got everybody talking. Whether this is a good thing or not depends on the subject. For every real conversation about racism, incidences of transphobia, homophobia, fatphobia and sexism (to name a few) thrived on The Jerry Springer Show. Guests may have been happy to put themselves in the hot seat, but those who strayed from accepted social norms drew the ire from audiences happy to judge anything they didnt identify with. At times, this was understandable, but it was also conflicting: Springer himself obviously welcomed the outrageousness of his guests and the response from those watching, yet by offering a platform to parties willing to hurt other people in the name of attention cultivated a climate in which that was not just acceptable, but encouraged. Sound familiar? Outside the spectrum of television, Springers courtship with controversy has influenced the current approach to culture and politics. Social media especially Twitter has promoted us from our passive roles to key players, giving audiences not only the chance to respond through judgment or approval, but to mount our own stages and to share our own stories. What weve deemed to be the modern culture wars are simply glorified episodes of Springer: public opinions are met with fury (or overwhelming approval) from a particular base, and the cycle begins again. But like The Jerry Springer Show itself, this formulaic approach to big conversations tends to be overshadowed by mess. In the same way Springer instigated discussion about important social issues only to have them largely overshadowed by his legacy of sensational, tabloid-centric show titles, reactionary responses on social media (and our tendency to react to those) eclipse matters of life and death. What somebody tweets can certainly carry weight, but by focusing on the microcosm of one persons public display, were distracted from the systemic circumstances feeding it. We read the episode title and react instead of looking into where it came from. The same can be said for the way we consume television. While franchises like Housewives or series like Vanderpump Rules or Love Island offer a different structure than a traditional talk show, they still provide a gateway for our voyeuristic values. As a culture, we crave drama and we tend to prefer that it isnt our own. We lose ourselves in the messiness of strangers relationships and the willingness of cast members (or guests) to display their worst, most egregious selves so we can play up our own morality. Ironically, its an escape from our real lives in which were continually plagued with the type of drama we cant control. Like Springer, we can dip into a reality in which the stakes are far lower: we have nothing to do with what were watching, but our heightened emotions are given an outlet. We can slow down and watch before speeding back into our regular lives. Of course, where reality TV now is a polished, highly edited counterpart to the trenches of talk show television, Springer dared America to lift the curtain to reveal what human beings can be capable of and it was usually bleak. Sensationalism for the sake of sensationalism created a reactive, chaotic environment in which the threat of violence or outbursts could arise at any minute. The bleakness was less the subject matter, and more the possibility of what it could be met with: would somebodys relationship be responded to with violence? Or would an ethos built on negating human rights be met with cheers? Yet over 30 years since the premiere of Springer, producers have learned to parlay grim reality into shiny, polished packages, transforming bad behaviour into watchable season arcs and cast member catchphrases. There will never be another show like The Jerry Springer Show, and thats probably a good thing. But it isnt fair to condemn or belittle Springers contributions to pop culture or culture entirely since few of us are immune to television shows about normal people doing things we would not. One persons trash TV is anothers appointment viewing. And credit must be paid: The Jerry Springer Show cultivated a climate in which we not only welcomed strangers into our homes, but involved ourselves in their chaos. We may hate those strangers and never want to see them again, but Jerry Springers legacy has ensured that there will always be more to take their place. Anne T. Donahue is a freelance culture writer from Cambridge, Ontario, and the author of Nobody Cares: Essays. SHARE: CAIRO (AP) Gunfire and heavy artillery fire persisted Saturday in parts of Sudans capital Khartoum, residents said, despite the extension of a cease-fire between the countrys two top generals, whose battle for power has killed hundreds and sent thousands fleeing for their lives. With ordinary Sudanese caught in the crossfire, the civilian death toll jumped Saturday to 411 people, according to the Sudan Doctors Syndicate, which monitors casualties. In some areas in and around the capital, residents reported that shops were reopening and normalcy gradually returning as the scale of fighting dwindled after the shaky truce. But in other areas, terrified residents reported explosions thundering around them and fighters ransacking houses. Now in its third week, the fighting has wounded 2,023 civilians, the syndicate added, although the true toll is expected to be much higher. The Sudanese Health Ministry put the overall death toll, including fighters, at 528, with 4,500 wounded. In the city of Genena, the provincial capital of war-ravaged West Darfur, intensified violence has killed 89 people, the Doctors Syndicate said. Khartoum, a city of some 5 million people, has been transformed into a front line in the grinding conflict between Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the commander of Sudans military, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. The outbreak of violence has dashed once-euphoric hopes for a democratic transition in Sudan after a popular uprising helped oust former dictator Omar al-Bashir. Foreign countries continued to evacuate their citizens while hundreds of thousands of Sudanese fled across borders. The first convoy organized by the United States to evacuate hundreds of American citizens from the conflict reached the coastal city of Port Sudan Saturday after a dangerous overland journey escorted by armed drones. Britain meanwhile was ending its evacuation flights Saturday, after demand for spots on the planes declined. The United Arab Emirates announced Saturday it had started evacuating its own citizens along with nationals of 16 other countries. Over 50,000 Sudanese refugees mostly women and children have crossed over to Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, the United Nations said, raising fears of regional instability. Ethnic fighting and turmoil has scarred South Sudan and the Central African Republic for years while a 2021 coup has derailed Chad's own democratic transition. Those who escape the fighting in Khartoum face more dangers on their way to safety. The route to Port Sudan, where ships evacuate people via the Red Sea, has proven long, exhausting and risky. Hatim el-Madani, a former journalist, said that paramilitary fighters were stopping refugees at roadblocks outside Khartoum, demanding they hand over their phones and valuables. Theres an outlaw, bandit-like nature to the RSF, he said, referring to Dagalos Rapid Support Forces. They dont have a supply line in place. That could get worse in the coming days. Airlifts from the country amid the chaotic fighting also posed challenges, with a Turkish evacuation plane even hit by gunfire outside Khartoum on Friday. On Saturday despite a cease-fire extended under heavy international pressure early Friday clashes continued around the presidential palace, headquarters of the state broadcaster and a military base in Khartoum, residents said. The battles sent thick columns of black smoke billowing over the city skyline. But in other areas, residents reported signs that the cease-fire had taken hold. We are not hearing the bombs as we did before, so were hoping that this means they will go back to a political process, said Osman Mirgany, a columnist and editor of the daily al-Tayar, who assessed it was safe enough on Friday to return home to Khartoum after seeking refuge in a far-flung village. But Khartoum residents are forced to live side by side with armed fighters. Many RSF militants have moved into civilian homes and taken over stores and hospitals in the capital. The paramilitary group even transformed Mirganys newsroom into a makeshift base, he said. Residents also must cope without sufficient electricity and running water, among other basic supplies. For the past 14 days weve suffered from a lack of everything, Mirgany said. Residents in the city of Omdurman, west of Khartoum, have been waiting at least three days to get fuel complicating their escape plans. The U.N. relief coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said that U.N. offices in Khartoum, as well as the cities of Genena and Nyala in Darfur had been attacked and looted. Genenas main hospital was also leveled in the fighting, Sudans health ministry said. This is unacceptable and prohibited under international law, Griffiths said. Over the past 15 days, the generals have failed to deal a decisive blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africas third largest nation. The military has appeared to have the upper hand in the fighting, with its monopoly on air power, but it has been impossible to confirm its claims of advances. Soon, the Sudanese state with its well-grounded institutions will rise as victorious, and attempts to hijack our country will be aborted forever, the Sudanese military said Saturday. Both sides in the conflict have a long history of human rights abuses. The RSF was born out of the Janjaweed militias, which were accused of widespread atrocities when the government deployed them to put down a rebellion in Sudans western Darfur region in the early 2000s. A unit of Sudans armed forces, known as the Central Reserve Police, have been sanctioned by the United Staets for grave human rights violations against Sudans pro-democracy protesters. Accusations of rape, torture and other abuses against demonstrators carried out by the unit first surfaced in 2021, after Burhan and Dagalo joined forces in a military coup that ousted a civilian government. The Sudanese Interior Ministry confirmed the deployment of the Central Reserve Police in Khartoum on Saturday, posting photos of the fighters riding with heavy machine guns mounted on pickup trucks. Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was ousted in the 2021 coup, appealed to the international community from a conference in Nairobi, Kenya, to push for an immediate halt to the conflict. He warned that a full-blown civil war in the strategically located country would have consequences not just for Sudan but for the world. God forbid if Sudan is to reach a proper civil war ... it is a huge country and very diverse ... it would be a nightmare for the world, he said. But the generals have so far publicly dismissed attempts to reach a compromise. Regional mediators have been unable to travel to Khartoum because of the fighting. African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki said he would nonetheless try to send peacekeepers to the country. Im ready to go there myself, even by road, Faki said. We ask the two generals to create the conditions for us to go to Khartoum. ___ DeBre reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Evelyne Musambi from Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report. Read more about: SHARE: ISTANBUL (AP) Turkeys first astronaut will travel to the International Space Station by the end of the year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday after an illness forced him to cancel several days of appearances. Air force pilot Alper Gezeravci, 43, was selected to be the first Turkish citizen in space. His backup is Tuva Cihangir Atasever, 30, an aviation systems engineer at Turkish defense contractor Roketsan. Erdogan made the announcement at the Teknofest aviation and space fair in Istanbul, the presidents first public appearance since falling ill during a TV interview on Tuesday. He appeared alongside Azerbaijans president, Ilham Aliyev, and Libyas interim prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. Our friend, who will go on Turkeys first manned space mission, will stay on the International Space Station for 14 days, Erdogan said. Our astronaut will perform 13 different experiments prepared by our countrys esteemed universities and research institutions during this mission. Erdogan described Gezeravci as a heroic Turkish pilot who has achieved significant success in our Air Force Command. The Turkish Space Agency website describes Gezeravci as a 21-year air force veteran and F-16 pilot who attended the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology. Wearing a red flight jacket, Erdogan appeared in robust health as he addressed crowds at the festival. Turkeys presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 14, and opinion polls show Erdogan in potentially his toughest race since he came to power two decades ago. Turkey is dealing with a prolonged economic downturn, and the government received criticism after a February earthquake killed more than 50,000 in the country. Experts blamed the high death toll in part on shoddy construction and law enforcement of building codes. While campaigning for reelection, Erdogan has unveiled a number of prestigious projects, such as Turkeys first nuclear power plant and the delivery of natural gas from Black Sea reserves. SHARE: CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) At the end of a hearing for a bill that would further expand coverage for gender-affirming medical care, transgender rights advocate Brooke Maylath shifted her focus from the majority-Democratic senators before her to the Republican governor who likely will decide the bills fate. This bipartisan support has been described as The Nevada Way, Maylath said, repeating Gov. Joe Lombardos mantra coined during his January inaugural address. In the speech, Lombardo vowed broadly to push conservative tenets like school choice and bolster criminal penalties while working with the Democratic-controlled Legislature. Four months later, little more is known about how Lombardo will respond to several ambitious policy proposals advancing in the Legislature. He has declined to comment publicly on most bills, setting the stage for last-minute deals and conflicts as the final month of the session nears. The stakes are high in one of the few Legislatures meeting every other year. Nevada lawmakers adjourn in early June, and the final stretch will further define Lombardo the only Republican to unseat a Democratic governor in the 2022 election. As his counterparts in the GOP push anti-transgender rhetoric and vow to curtail transgender healthcare on the campaign trail, Lombardo steered a more moderate path. He stayed away from anti-transgender rhetoric and touted his position as Clark County sheriff to build an ethos among conservatives. The Democratic sponsor of the gender-affirming care bill contends its worth a shot with Lombardo. If he ultimately approves the bill, Nevada would join some states led by Democrats in carving out safe havens amid a flurry of conservatives moving to ban or limit transgender care. They know that this is not a political stunt, state Sen. Melanie Scheible said. Im not trying to give them a bill to veto just so I can complain about it later. Nevada is one of 10 states with executive and legislative branches split in different parties the lowest number since 1952, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. While the two major parties become more polarized, national party identity has become a stronger driver of voting patterns, said Jesse Richman, an associate professor of political science at Old Dominion University, who researches the topic. State-level parties have less room to differentiate themselves. Single-party control is producing substantial changes on hot-button issues, such as abortion rights, access to gender-affirming care and gun control. Other states with dual-party control have seen gridlock. Democratic Govs. Tony Evers in Wisconsin and Katie Hobbs in Arizona recently set their states records for vetoes. In North Carolina, Democratic Gov. Roy Coopers influence has appeared to wane after a House member switched parties in April, giving Republicans veto-proof supermajorities in both legislative chambers. In Nevada, a bill is still in play that would establish trust fund investments for the children of families who receive Medicaid, known as baby bonds. Another bill would expand Medicaid or similar programs to undocumented children and pregnant parents. Other measures, including a trio of gun control bills and a measure to criminalize fake electors, have advanced through one chamber. Lombardo declined an interview request from The Associated Press. As hundreds of bills work through the legislative process, our office has chosen to only engage on legislation when we feel necessary, his spokesperson Elizabeth Ray said in an email. As bills are presented to Governor Lombardo in their final form, our office will comment and respond appropriately. Lombardos win over incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak was part of a series of tight, split-ticket races in Nevadas midterms last year that cemented the state as solidly purple. Still, Democrats won a supermajority in the state Assembly and are one seat short of achieving a supermajority in the state Senate. While Lombardo has given few early predictors of his stance on certain bills, he has broken away from the GOP by indicating hed sign a bill to codify his predecessors executive order to protect out-of-state abortion patients and in-state abortion providers from prosecution and penalties. Its a marked shift from an early campaign promise to repeal the protections, on which he switched course later in the campaign. Overall, he has maintained an anti-abortion stance. The Nevada Republican Party said Chairman Michael McDonald was away on Friday and unavailable to comment on Lombardos position. But it previously chided two GOP senators who voted to advance the measure to the Assembly. Democratic lawmakers advancing bills that have riled conservatives elsewhere said Lombardos office has been open to talking about them. Those conversations will likely narrow down a bill expanding state health programs to undocumented children and pregnant women, said Democratic Sen. Fabian Donate, the bills sponsor. Lombardos bills havent always gotten a warm reception from Democratic leadership, who called his proposals for voter identification and a partial rollback of the states universal mail-in ballot system a non-starter. But the state Assembly recently advanced one of his bills to strengthen certain disciplinary policies in schools, and an Assembly committee held a long, contentious hearing for his school choice measures. I am imagining that hes going to and we can use Las Vegas parlance here lay that bet on the table, said Sondra Cosgrove, a professor of history at Southern Nevada College and executive director of Vote Nevada, a civics education nonprofit. And say, OK, this is what I want. If I dont get it, dont expect to get what you want. ___ Associated Press writers Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed reporting. ___ Stern is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow him on Twitter: @gabestern326. SHARE: VANCOUVER - Ssonia Ong had no idea that a 25-second video she posted miming to music the story of her college love, her wedding, then her four children would go viral on TikTok. Three years later, with 9.2 million followers, Ong isnt sure what she would do without it. She is one of several Canadian influencers on the video-hosting service who depend on the app who are voicing their concerns about a growing call worldwide to ban TikTok over the possibility its Chinese owner may allow sensitive user data to be handed over to Chinas government. Lawmakers from Canada, the United States, Europe, India, New Zealand and others have banned the app from government devices, despite assurances from the short-form video apps owner, ByteDance, that the information would not be used by the Chinese government or promote pro-Beijing propaganda. Ong, who lives in Vancouver, said in an interview she understands that data security and safety concerns are important, but she would be very disappointed if the platform were to be completely banned because its reach is unparalleled, setting it apart from similar platforms. Most certainly, those are very concerning for those of us who rely on TikTok. There are so many small businesses that thrive there and survive on there, said Ong. While Ong wouldnt give an exact figure, she said her annual income is in the middle six figures by partnering with different brands. I have a manager who helps me negotiate the contracts and were careful at this point about who we work with. It needs to feel authentic to my brand, said Ong, adding that most brands she has collaborated with are baby products and snacks. Tina Nguyen, an Ontario-based mural artist and TikTok creator, said the fear of a ban coming down is not only going to affect her professionally but also on a personal level. We have grown so much because of TikTok, said Nguyen. So, I dont want to lose that. As an owner of XXL & CO Ltd., a clothing brand that sells handcrafted scrunchies and accessories, Nguyen has more than 474,900 followers on her channel, where she documents the behind-the-scenes process of how to make her products. With help from TikTok, Nguyen said her business revenues hit seven figures within two years, and her working space also expanded from her 37-square-metre apartment to a 371-square-metre warehouse. We have a great community there supporting us. I wouldnt want to lose that community who actually cares about our well-being and want to help us. Darcy Michael, a standup comedian and actor based in B.C., said he cant yell at TikTok for privacy concerns while other social media platforms are doing the same thing, selling the same data for profits. If governments are going to ban one social media app on their phones, then they would be silly not to ban them all because they are all in the same business. They are all collecting data, said Michael, who runs a TikTok channel with his partner, Jeremy Baer, that has 3.5 million followers. As a comedian, Michael said he spent 15 years trying to find his audiences in Canada. Although he had some mediocre successes, it wasnt until he started posting his standup routine on TikTok during the pandemic that he became successful. And I was like I finally found my audiences. It changed our lives. It felt reassuring that I hadnt wasted my life, said Michael, laughing. Michael, Ong and Nguyen were among eight creators who had a chance to meet with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew earlier this month in Vancouver to talk about the effect the app has had on their lives and communities. Brett Caraway, a professor of media economics at the University of Toronto, said safety concerns about TikTok stem from its parent company being headquartered in China, which is subject to Chinese jurisdiction. Its true that the Chinese government could compel ByteDance to turn over data about their users and that could be someone living in the United States, said Caraway. But he said much of the current emphasis on TikTok is because there has been an escalation in tensions between countries like the United States, Canada and China. Switching away from TikTok as a content creator would come with added costs that could be quite high, said Caraway. If youre a content creator and you have millions of followers and theyre all on TikTok and thats your source of income, your switching costs are quite high because if you try and migrate to another platform, there is no guarantee that all of your followers are coming with you, said Caraway. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2023. This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship. Read more about: SHARE: OTTAWA - Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, the first woman to run as a major party candidate for United States president, will headline the Liberal Party of Canadas national convention on May 5. Clinton will join Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland for a fireside-style chat onstage on the second day of the three-day event in Ottawa. Clinton rose to national prominence first during the presidential terms of her husband, Bill Clinton, in the 1990s, before her launching her own political career as a senator from New York. She was the 67th secretary of state during the first term of president Barack Obama before securing the Democratic nomination for the 2016 presidential election, which she lost to Donald Trump. In 2021, Clinton endorsed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals, calling him her friend and wishing our progressive Canadian neighbours the best just three days before the vote. Trudeau will speak at the convention May 4 but is expected to miss much of the event to travel to London for the coronation of King Charles on May 6. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2023. Read more about: SHARE: If you believe in the vital role of unions, as I do, its been hard to watch the decline and fall of two titanic labour leaders accused of improprieties. Both were larger than life characters who looked and acted like they came straight from central casting in a bygone era: Egotistical. Quotable. Irascible. Gruff. Impolite. Impolitic. Warren Smokey Thomas ran Ontarios most important public sector union with an erratically firm hand a hand now alleged to have been lining his own pocket, according to a lawsuit launched this year by the OPSEU movement he once led. Jerry Dias ran Canadas biggest private sector union with a smoother hand a hand that was also caught in the cookie jar as he consummated kickbacks from suppliers, according to an investigation last year by the colleagues he left behind at Unifor. The two labour giants had little time for each other, let alone Doug Ford. Yet in their final months in power they made an unprecedented joint appearance where the premier announced a long-overdue increase to the minimum wage that hed frozen so cynically for the previous 36 months. The old Ford had previously baited them both as bosses, despite their democratic credentials as duly elected labour leaders. At a late-2021 photo-op, a more circumspect premier dutifully paid his respects to the unionists as he announced higher pay for the working poor But soon after that fateful photo-op for a hard-won pay hike, these two lifelong labour leaders faced intense fire. The downfall of Dias came unexpectedly when he was denounced for alleged kickbacks and obstruction of a probe into his conduct. A third-party investigation accused Dias, who retired suddenly last year, of getting $50,000 from a COVID-19 rapid test supplier, with Unifor referring the details to police. The controversies faced by OPSEUs Thomas were hardly his first. Id written several columns since 2016 documenting allegations of mismanagement and mistreatment of internal critics and his unions own unionized office employees. His Ontario Public Service Employees Union had taken to litigating instead of negotiating with those who dared to challenge him. Hed lawyer up and deploy publicists to take on and take down his internal and external critics. Seven years ago I wrote about how five senior executives working for Smokey served a notice of libel against leaders of OPSEU locals for daring to raise questions about the workplace culture at headquarters (as president, Thomas was barred by union rules from joining). One of those named in that 2016 libel notice: JP Hornick, a labour studies professor and chair of an OPSEU unit representing about 12,000 members from colleges across the province. We need to set a gold standard in terms of workplace relations, Hornick told me at the time. All these years later, the roles have been reversed and the shoe is on the other foot. More precisely, Hornick now walks in the OPSEU presidents shoes, elected to succeed Thomas after his 2022 retirement. In January she announced a $6-million lawsuit against her predecessor and other retired or departed OPSEU managers. They are accused of improperly siphoning off funds from a union strike fund without explanation or documentation, and receiving improper additional compensation. The allegations are detailed in a statement of claim filed in Ontarios Superior Court following a forensic audit ordered by the union. The allegations have not been proven in court. Thomas counters that the union he headed for nearly 15 years is now mounting a vendetta and culminates a long campaign by Mr. Thomas political rivals to demean, politically destroy, and cause irreparable emotional and reputational harm to him and his associates. It has no basis in reality, and is entirely manufactured, according to his statement of defence. He has filed $5.5-million counterclaim, while the others accused of wrongdoing have also denied all allegations in court filings. Last month, OPSEUs new leadership launched a new $24 million lawsuit against three former senior employees and at least 15 individuals or businesses accused of bogus schemes for unfinished work and kickbacks amid undisclosed ties. Thomas is not named in that legal action, and the allegations in this statement of claim have not been proven in court. Whatever the outcome, it is a depressing coda to a dispiriting era at OPSEU. While the allegations of irregularities on the financial side remain before the courts, the history of abysmal labour relations within OPSEU are a matter of public record. While still in power, Thomas approved the hiring of a self-described management-side lawyer, Matthew R. Vella, to investigate members of its own staff union ahead of hearings at the Ontario Labour Relations Board for unfair labour practices. As I noted in a previous column, the website for Vellas firm cited union avoidance at the top of his list of qualifications. OPSEU is now under new management with Hornick, trying hard to regain its footing. Unifor is also under new leadership, with Lana Payne taking over from Dias as the private sector union tries to regain its stride (disclosure: Toronto Star journalists are members). It is a historic changing of the guard. Even if these two storied unions have yet to fully turn the page. SHARE: A hint of a triumphal smirk crept across Justin Trudeaus face as he launched a partisan salvo at his fiercest rival. Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada no relation to the Progressive Conservatives of Ontario, sorry, that was a joke, you can chuckle came out and said that this project was a waste of money, Trudeau said April 21 as he touted massive federal and provincial subsidies for the Volkswagen gigafactory near London, Ont. Just steps away, Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford chortled at the prime ministers quip, and returned the favour when he took the stage at the St. Thomas railway museum, noting who cares about the political stripes, this is about people. But the cosy encounter did expose the schism between the federal and provincial Conservatives thats been exacerbated by Poilievres election last year. Its the realist versus the idealist; the pragmatist versus the ideologue. Pierres never been in business, he has no experience negotiating a deal so he doesnt understand that this is the way it works, noted one provincial Tory, who like some others interviewed for this story, spoke confidentially in order to discuss internal deliberations. The premier, a successful businessman who every day calls and texts dozens of people from all walks of life, has privately wondered why Poilievre is so right wing and uncompromising on issues ranging from the pandemic response to economic development. Right wing, federal Conservatives scoff, or an actual conservative? Poilievre is beloved Among the reasons Poilievre is so beloved by so many within the federal party is that hes seen as true to their roots; he comes directly from the Reform/Alliance wing of the party. Both before, during and after his successful run for leadership, hes focused on the need to shrink governments involvement in peoples lives, and indeed shrink the size of government overall. His current theme is around the need to remove so-called gatekeepers, who he argues stand in the way of economic prosperity for citizens. Though socially progressive on matters such as same-sex marriage and abortion rights, he infuriated some centrist Tories during the leadership race for accusing rival Jean Charest a former federal Progressive Conservative leader of being a Liberal. Some federal Conservatives say while Ford may lead a conservative party, they view him as a political opportunist content to bask in the celebrity aura of the Trudeau Liberals without caring about the foundational political principles of their ideology. Poilievre, they argue, would never do as Ford has done boost program spending and run up massive budget deficits that eclipse those under his Liberal predecessor. I long for the fiscal restraint of Kathleen Wynne, joked one top federal Conservative official, referring to the premier Ford defeated in 2018. Despite such barbs, in some ways, the two parties have never been more closely tied. Poilievres chief of staff, Ian Todd, his deputy chief, John Sinclair, his director of media relations, Sebastian Skamski, and his most trusted adviser, Jenni Byrne, are all former Ford staffers. Mike Crase, the executive director of the federal Tories, held that same post for the provincial party and was a key player in the premiers re-election last June. Michael Wilson, the federal partys lawyer, was chief of staff to Caroline Mulroney when she was attorney general. VW deal questioned When the Volkswagen deal was first announced, Poilievre drew the ire of his provincial counterparts by immediately questioning it on social media. When the subsidies as much as $13.2 billion in federal support plus at least $500 million in provincial funding were revealed in St. Thomas, he fired off a letter to the Parliamentary Budget Officer demanding a detailed analysis. But the fiscal argument runs up against a political one: the project will bring thousands of jobs to a province where the Conservatives have to make gains come the next election. Theres some overlap between LPC and PC voters that Poilievre needs to get in order to get the same number of seats (Conservative leader Stephen) Harper got in 2011 in Ontario, said Abacus Data CEO David Coletto. Those seats were instrumental in Harper winning his only majority. Poilievre has only tentatively put some ideas on the table for what a Conservative government under his watch would look like, seemingly following advice from Harper: focus on attacking the government, not on what you would do differently. It also gives him more wiggle room than Ford has as a governing premier. That Tories are in opposition federally but governing in Ontario also presents a conundrum. There is a big difference between the mentality of government and the mentality of opposition, said longtime Conservative operative Melanie Paradis, who has worked with both the provincial and federal parties. One places a priority on governing for the people and the other on proving their conservative bona fides. Trudeau exploits the divide Trudeau, no slouch when it comes to political opportunism, was happy to exploit the divide at the announcement broadcast live on cable news channels. The prime minister who showily introduced local Conservative MP Karen Vecchio and then shamed Poilievre for deriding the VW deal nodded toward Ford. I want to recognize again the partnership of Premier Ford. By working together we can deliver big things, said Trudeau, adding, Karen, you have your work cut out for you to convince Poilievre to support such initiatives. Ironically, the federal Liberals had successfully used Ford, who was unpopular at the time, as a foil to win the 2019 election. Even so, the premier was personally offended when then-Conservative leader Andrew Scheer campaigned just 250 metres from his Etobicoke home with then-Alberta premier Jason Kenney. Not only was Ford not invited to the event, his name was never mentioned from the podium. Scheer subsequently led the party to defeat, and then quit as leader. Less than a year later at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that forged the close alliance between the Ford Tories and the Trudeau Liberals the premier revelled in making federal Conservatives heads explode. Ford-Freeland love-in The prime minister had just elevated Chrystia Freeland to finance minister, a move Ford strongly endorsed. I absolutely love Chrystia Freeland. Shes amazing. Ill have her back, Ill help her any way we can, the premier said in August 2020 of his closest friend in Trudeaus cabinet. The alliance between a Tory premier and a Liberal prime minister does spark some internal tensions at Queens Park. In a PC caucus meeting earlier this year, several MPPs, who are also a federal Conservative supporters, wondered aloud why the Ontario Tories are so closely aligning themselves with Trudeaus Liberals. People dont care about political stripes, MPPs were told by members of Fords inner circle as they were presented with detailed polling research outlining how Ontarians want different levels of government to work together. They want us working with the federal government and with municipalities to get things done for them and their communities, the Tories were assured by the premiers brain trust. Ford draws complaints Several Ontario Conservative MPs told the Star they get along quite well with their provincial counterparts at the riding level both levels share donors and campaign teams. But they complain that Fords posturing undermines their efforts to present a truly conservative vision of government to Canadians and they argue thats something that predates Poilievre. Among other things they point to the premiers public statement that he stood shoulder to shoulder with Trudeaus decision to invoke the Emergencies Act to end the so-called Freedom Convoy protest last year in Ottawa. That was at a time when the federal Tories were speaking out against the use of the law and expressing support for the protesters demands to end vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions. Ford imposed some of the longest pandemic lockdowns in Canada and required all PC MPPs and candidates to get vaccinated. Marion Isabeau-Ringuette, who was the well-regarded director of communications to Fords then-solicitor general Sylvia Jones, lost her job after it emerged she had donated $100 to the convoy protesters. She now works as a press secretary for Poilievre. Pandemic problems Pandemic management was a sore spot between the two parties Ford ejected two MPPs from his caucus for questioning his governments restrictions while then-federal Conservative leader Erin OToole struggled to wrangle the disparate views in his party. That speaks to a reason the two parties sometimes seem to work at cross-purposes: Ford only governs Ontario Progressive Conservatives while the federal leader has to herd a much larger and more unwieldy group of people. A national caucus brings much more diversity of perspective, and those blocks have a lot more weight, said Paradis. Fords Tories are content to bask in their June campaign slogan: get it done. For Poilievre, its about figuring out how to do that. Robert Benzie is the Stars Queens Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie Read more about: SHARE: Prime minister Nicolae Ciuca welcomes the provisional agreement reached by the European Commission with the five states, Romania included, affected by the grain situation in Ukraine, which provides for a new support package worth 100 million euros for the affected farmers. Ciuca emphasised that Romania's approach to having a strictly European position was "correct and balanced".The Romanian premier also said that the agreement concluded on Friday evening establishes the withdrawal of unilateral measures taken by some European states and allows the ban on the import of four Ukrainian agricultural products: wheat, corn, rape and sunflower seeds, Agerpres informs.At the same time, the premier said, the Commission has also provided for an accelerated procedure for investigating the impact on the market, which will allow restrictive measures to be taken for other products as of June 5. A pusher vessel under the Czech flag sank, on Saturday, in the southeastern maritime port of Constanta, after colliding with a convoy of barges that was maneuvering, the five crew members being out of any danger, the Romanian Naval Authority (ANR) informed, through a press release. The navigation accident took place on Saturday morning, at 5:35 a.m., in the Terminal Barje 5 berth of the Constanta maritime port, Agerpres informs."A pusher vessel under the flag of the Czech Republic collided with a convoy that was maneuvering. As a result of the impact, the Czech ship suffered a water hole on the port side. Three pushers were sent to assist and they operated with 4 pumps to evacuate the water, but despite the efforts at 7:10 a.m. the damaged thruster sank. The 5 crew members were saved and are out of any danger," the statement read.According to the source, there are no traces of pollution, but as a safety measure an anti-pollution dam has been placed and the area will also be marked. At the same time, an advisory was issued to sailors regarding the danger of navigation in the area.The Constanta Port Authority opened an investigation file to establish the causes of the accident. UNITED NATIONS, April 28 (Xinhua) -- With humanitarian aid deliveries wherever possible in Sudan during a spotty truce, authorities across the globe welcomed the ceasefire extension, a UN spokesman said on Friday. In a joint statement, members of the Trilateral Mechanism -- the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the United Nations -- and the Quad countries welcomed the announcement by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to extend the ceasefire for an additional 72 hours, and called for its full implementation, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Dujarric said members of the Trilateral Mechanism and the Quad countries, which are Britain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, also welcomed the two sides' expressed readiness to engage in dialogue toward establishing a more durable cessation of hostilities and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access. On the humanitarian front, the United Nations and its partners continue to deliver whenever and wherever feasible, particularly in the areas of health and nutrition, he said. The World Health Organization said it has stocks of essential medicines, blood bags, supplies for surgery and trauma care waiting to be delivered as soon as access is safe. An additional shipment of medical supplies is scheduled to arrive in Port Sudan on the Red Sea. "Partners continue to support the operations of 65 health facilities in five states throughout Sudan, providing staffing support, medical consumables, supplies and pharmaceuticals," said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The UN Population Fund said that local organizations and networks are providing support to people facing gender-based violence. The response is now focused mainly on remote service provision, and some counselors are offering voluntary support to undertake remote psychosocial services. OCHA said its partners kept health and nutrition programs running in Blue Nile state. Refugee camps in Gedaref, Kassala, White Nile and Blue Nile, and refugee settlements in South and West Kordofan, are receiving essential services, including health and water. "In Gedaref, our partners are providing life-saving services to refugees and host communities," the humanitarian office said. However, the situation is particularly alarming in El-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state. The office said there are continuing reports of the killing of civilians, including medical personnel. The UN Refugee Agency warned that the conflict is devastatingly impacting the civilian population, including refugees and internally displaced people across the country. The agency said it works with partners and governments to deploy supplies wherever safe. OCHA said its partners report some 3,000 people crossed the Sudanese border into the Central African Republic (CAR) and are living in spontaneous settlements. Local authorities are exploring possibly relocating them to Birao, far from the border region. More refugees are expected, further disrupting traffic along the border. The office said Sudan is a significant supplier of essential commodities to the CAR. That commerce will be tested with the rainy season just beginning and running through October. "Some 120,000 people were already in need of humanitarian assistance in the northern part of the CAR," and the most pressing needs include emergency shelter, food and clean water, said OCHA. Dujarric, the UN spokesman, expressed gratitude to the French government for taking more than 400 UN personnel and their dependents out of Sudan, and appreciation for other countries assisting in ensuring the safe transport of UN personnel. Dujarric said the United Nations remains present in Sudan, with a hub with the leadership of the UN mission operating out of Port Sudan to remain with the people of Sudan. Six foreign citizens were pre-arrested after being caught red-handed while selling drugs at a festival taking place in southeastern seaside resort of Mamaia, according to a press release sent by DIICOT (Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism) on Saturday. According to the source, the prosecutors of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism - the Constanta Territorial Service ordered the detention of six defendants, foreign citizens, investigated under the aspect of committing high-risk and high-risk international drug trafficking crimes, drug trafficking of risk and high risk and illegal possession of dangerous drugs for own consumption, Agerpres informs.Also, the defendants promoted the sale of drugs through messaging applications, stating the prices for each type of drug."Four house search warrants were implemented, and 300 ecstasy tablets, 70 2 CB ("pink cocaine") tablets and quantities of 100 grams of cocaine, 50 grams of ketamine, 10 grams of of hashish and 10 doses of methamphetamine. During the same day, 28.04.2023, the judge of rights and freedoms of the Constanta Court ordered the 30-day arrest of the defendants," the DIICOT statement reads.The judicial activities were carried out together with the police officers from the Constanta Organized Crime Brigade. The action benefited from the specialized support of the Special Operations Directorate of the Romanian Police and the support of the General Inspectorate of the Border Police. Kelemen Hunor was validated, on Saturday, as president of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) for the fourth term, within the 16th Congress of the Union, which took place in western Timisoara. Of the 835 delegates present, 653 delegates voted for the re-election of Kelemen Hunor as president, seven votes were invalid and the rest did not vote. In the programme which he won the new mandate with, Kelemen Hunor commented that our social, political and economic environment is constantly changing, and the Hungarians in Transylvania must find a way in this changing world and where there is no way already, they have to build one themselves, to be successful as individuals, as a community, as Hungarians here, on their native land. "We have always said that we want to prosper in our native land as a Hungarian community, preserving and re-creating our identity with its elements, but it is not enough. (...) We must make this country a place worth living in. Besides the institutional framework, to preserve identity and safety from a legal point of view, we must improve the conditions regarding the quality of life, public services, we must form the country so that Hungarians stay here, and this depends above all on us. Everyone is needed," said the UDMR leader. Kelemen Hunor argued that such conditions must be created that ensure jobs and a decent income, care for those in need, but also safety for the young generations in a good country, where the roots are, and the branches are heading towards the future. For the UDMR, according to its political leader, above all is the fact that the Union does not represent abstract values and interests, but it is an organizing force of the community, which sees the individual in the community, but never sees the individual detached from the community, but as an integral part of it. He emphasized the importance of winning the 2024 elections, which comes with a unique and real stake, with a great opportunity. "For us, for the Union, the most important thing is the representation of our community, the support of the Hungarians in Romania, the prosperity of our community. Everything else follows. We are able to apply these, if we are where the decisions are made. But this requires receiving again support from community. In the short term, this means that we want to continue the work we started. (...) I am committed to putting my experience and knowledge accumulated over the last 26 years and especially the last 12 years in the service of this community. For this, I ask for your support at today's congress," Kelemen Hunor concluded.AGERPRES The chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (co-ruling UDMR) Kelemen Hunor, declared on Saturday, on the second day of the works of the 16th Congress of the Union, that one of the "backlogs" of the Hungarian community is that the adoption of the Law on the Status of Minorities was not successful, but for that he also blame the war in Ukraine. In his speech in which he presented the political report of the chairman of the UDMR, for the last four years, Kelemen Hunor said that the governmental activity of the Union was a "success" and that two-thirds of the Hungarians in Romania believe this."I believe that one of the failures of the governing Coalition was the fact that we did not use the opportunity offered by the constitutional majority. It is rare that a government has a two-thirds majority with which it could amend the Constitution or initiate this. We missed this chance, but I have to admit that even the war that broke out in our neighborhood didn't really help us," the UDMR leader stresses.He also pointed out that in the last four years the UDMR also addressed "specific problems of the Hungarian community, which for a long time were locked in drawers by successive governments"."Our towns can officially use their own flags and coats of arms, but unfortunately this has led to many attacks, which we cannot avoid at the moment. We cannot avoid the fact that all sorts of reckless people bring us to court, nor the fact that some judges decide as they please, according to their own values and which in some cases do not do justice. When many years ago the former mayor of Cluj, Gheorghe Funar, said about the Hungarian language that it is the language of horses, our complaint was rejected by a judge on the grounds that there was no discrimination, because the horse is a cute animal. So we have also met with such motivations, justifications, we are angry, we must clarify by legislative changes interpretable articles regarding the use of community symbols and the mother tongue. We must make sure that the judges will not have the opportunity to interpret the law according to their own pleasure," said the UDMR leader. The love of country and courage of the war veterans have made Romania an independent, sovereign country, that enjoys its today's territorial integrity, is the conclusion that emerges from the messages sent by the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis and by the Romanian premier Nicolae Ciuca, on Saturday, when the country celebrates the War Veterans Day. "Today, we celebrate the war veterans, heroes of the Romanian nation who fought and sacrificed themselves in the two world conflagrations for national ideals. Love of the country, belonging to the nation and courage guided the deeds of arms of the war veterans on the battlefield. And thanks to them Romania is today a sovereign and independent, unitary and indivisible state. The loyalty, devotion and last measure of sacrifice from Marasti, Marasesti and Oituz, Orba de Mures and Carei endures over decades in the memory of the Romanian people and continues to inspire the young generations through the power of the example it represents," the president's message reads, Agerpres informs.The president thanks the veterans for the deeds of arms under the national flag and wishes them good health."The heroism, strength and devotion that guided your actions on the battlefield remain fundamental landmarks for the Army and for the Romanian people. You represent a true symbol of the honour and dignity specific to our nation. For all of this, you have our full gratitude and appreciation,", the president's message concludes."Romania is honouring today the war veterans to whom it owes its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, dedicating to them a day to remember their heroism and to express the gratitude that is due to them forever. If we live in a country that belongs to us fully and whose destiny we can decide by ourselves, it is because we had not only the dream of a Romanian destiny in history, but also brave Romanians who defended this dream with weapons in hand in the War of Independence of 1877 and in the two world wars from the last century," premier Nicolae Ciuca said in his message.The prime minister emphasized that Romania's last living war veterans deserve the warm appreciation of the present generations because they represent the glorious history of our country."I was honored to join, the other day, the Recognition Of War Veterans campaign, initiated by the Ministry of National Defense in 2021. I supported this project both as minister of Defense and as prime minister, out of the conviction that it is an act of national conscience, above all, to honour these people whose bravery supported Romania in times of crisis for the whole world, which we hope will never be repeated. I invite you, dear Romanians, to show to the last surviving Romanian combatants from the Second World War that we respect them, that they are in our best thoughts, that we wish them health, long life and descendants who will be proud to be children and grandchildren of veterans!", Ciuca said. An ordinary day at the Kenai Cinema in Alaska was disrupted by a popcorn eating moose, a plane departing from Columbus, Ohio caught fire in the air, and more popular videos from the past week you may have missed. As far as things for bald eagle Murphy and bald eaglet 23-126 go, life in their private enclosure at World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park is pretty boring. They eat chopped fish, venison and rat. The eaglet walks on its fuzzy hocks, not able to fly yet. Murphy, a 31-year-old permanent resident who broke a leg and then a wing years ago, cannot fly. His job now is to teach the eaglet how to be an eagle, and the eaglets job is to grow up and imprint on its adoptive eagle dad. So its a very good thing theyre oblivious to the worldwide media attention to their story. CBS Sunday Morning did a segment on them, and media sources from Australia to Denmark to Canada have checked in. Theyre blissfully unaware of the countless questions on social media, the sales of T-shirts with their cartoon likenesses of them, the totes of Amazon packages that arrive daily from new fans eagerly fulfilling the sanctuarys wish list for unglamorous wishes like paper towels and power drills. People really need a story like this, more than ever, said World Bird Sanctuary executive director Roger Holloway. I think thats a big part of that. The story began back in early March, when Murphy, who came to the sanctuary in the early 1990s as a fledgling, began incubating a rock. Thats right, a rock. He was using his natural hormonal instincts, so the behavior wasnt unheard of, but got enough attention at his then-public enclosure that workers put up a sign. Murphy is not sick, hurt or otherwise in distress, the sign read in part. He has built a nest on the ground, and is very carefully incubating a rock! We wish him the best of luck! A photo of Murphy and his sign went viral on social media, and Murphymania began. losing it pic.twitter.com/yYEgMFMRSy brooke foster, 2023 edition (@lonesometoast) March 25, 2023 Meanwhile, life was just beginning for eaglet 23-126. The eaglet was only 1 or 2 weeks old and living in the wild when its nest in Modoc, Illinois, just across the river from Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, was blown down during high winds. A sibling didnt survive, and the eaglet arrived April 1, a little bruised and battered. As staffers tended to the eaglet, they had to be careful it didnt imprint on them. They stuck a plush eagle in with the eaglet, and as with any nestling, they wore camo gear if they had to tend to it. (They do not know the eaglet's gender yet.) Nobody could talk as they worked, and forest and waterfall sounds played on a noise machine. And, as is rehabilitation tradition, they avoided naming the baby, though followers on social media quickly gave the eaglet the nickname Rocky. The public very much wanted to know if Murphy could adopt the baby. But staff didnt think he could. He didnt have the experience, and they didnt think Murphy could feed it regularly enough. Meanwhile, Murphy started aggressively protecting his rock, which the sanctuary called RockBaby on social media, in the enclosure he shared with his four roommates. Even though Murphy cant fly, he chased them away to protect RockBaby. So workers moved him and RockBaby to their own enclosure behind the scenes. Staffers wondered again: Could Murphy bond with the eaglet? A couple of days after they moved Murphy and RockBaby out, they decided to see. They placed 23-126 inside a small cage, affectionately known as Baby Jail, placed the cage with the eaglet next to Murphy, and removed RockBaby. They waited. And thousands of new followers on social media waited, too. We will not be able to give you constant photo updates since we dont want to disturb the process at all, sanctuary staff wrote on Facebook. Keep your talons crossed! Things started going well. The baby wolfed down food, and Murphy began protecting the area. Within a few days, staffers let the eaglet out of Baby Jail. Murphy eventually approached the baby with curiosity. And when staff checked back, a fish that had been left in the enclosure was missing. Murphy had fed the baby. ITS HAPPENING!!!! the sanctuary wrote on Facebook. As the days went by, the baby ate more. And people donated more about $30,000 worth so far, said Holloway. The T-shirt sales and Amazon deliveries ramped up. On April 16, heavy storms and a tornado touched down nearby. After the storm blew over, staffers found 23-126 in his enclosure, soaked, hypothermic, in shock and breathing heavily. Staff whisked the eaglet off to their hospital, where they set up an emergency generator to warm the bird and get it oxygen, and by morning, the eaglet had recovered. They reunited 23-126 with Murphy. As the appetite for more Murphy and eaglet news grew, the sanctuary struggled to balance its ability to film or take pictures with bothering the eagles, not to mention caring for its 180 or so other charges. It usually has about 50 falcons, eagles, owls and other birds on display, mostly in enclosures the public can see along wooded paths. Some become permanent residents if they cannot live in the wild, but the goal is to help and release others. Its as hands-off as possible and as quick as possible, said Kira Klebe, the hospitals manager, on caring for the eagle pair. She and four other hospital staffers are the only ones to care for them. As cute as we all think they are, we do all of the cooing over the photos weve taken. We dont even talk near that enclosure, so they cannot hear human voices and get used to it as part of their day. Visitors who show up expecting to see Murphy and the eaglet are sometimes disappointed to learn they cant the pair is in an enclosure deep in the woods. And questions on social media keep coming. Klebe writes many of the social media posts and tries to answer as many questions as she can. She doesnt think shes had a full day off work since the eaglet arrived. Its been really crazy, but its been really exciting for all of us, she said. Its always fun for us when the public gets this interested. We care all about all our of patients this much, so if the public cares about some of our patients as much, its kind of an exciting time. Its hard for (the public) to understand what it means to have an eagle in human care, said Holloway. We try to answer those as best we can. Even if sometimes theyre negative, or people say, You can tell he doesnt like living there because of the look on his face. Well, thats the permanent look on his face. Resting Eagle Face aside, Murphy and bald eaglet 23-126 are doing just fine with each other. And the staff is thinking toward the future. Klebe is building a shadowbox for the RockBaby and footprints from Murphy and the eaglet, which the sanctuary may auction off. The baby will have to learn how to fly inside a larger enclosure. And Holloway thinks Fathers Day will be a wonderfully appropriate time to release 23-126 into the wild, if the eaglet is ready. Murphy came here from an Oklahoma facility in the early 1990s, at a time when bald eagles were endangered. His leg was broken and had to be surgically fixed. And when staff took Murphy to be released, he broke his wing. So Murphy came to live his days at the World Bird Sanctuary, an ambassador for his species. Now here he is, the surrogate dad, and he can tell the chick, Go do what I was unable to do, said Holloway. Thats the ultimate happy ending. Photos: Murphy the bald eagle brings donations, visitors to World Bird Sanctuary MAPLEWOOD St. Louis County homicide detectives are investigating the death of a man shot aboard a MetroLink train here Saturday morning. Officers assigned to MetroLink learned of the shooting on a train that had just stopped at the Maplewood station around 10 a.m. and found a man who had been shot. He was taken to a hospital for treatment, where he later died. Police say their initial investigation indicates the suspect and the victim had a brief argument on the train before the shooting. A suspect, another adult male, has been arrested. Police have not named either man. The shooting and subsequent investigation halted trains in the area for roughly two hours Saturday. Passengers were transported via bus shuttles, causing delays of up to an hour. The shooting marked the fourth security-related incident involving MetroLink to hit the news in recent weeks. On April 13, two passengers got into a fight that led to gunfire on a train in the Metro East packed with Cardinals fans coming home from that nights game. No one was hit, but the Post-Dispatch reported that children were crying and families were shaken by the incident. On April 18, police arrested a man following reports he was trying to rape women at two MetroLink stops downtown. And the next day, St. Clair County authorities arrested a 17-year-old girl suspected of stabbing a man arguing with her boyfriend on a train in Washington Park. In a statement Saturday, Bi-State Development security director Kevin Scott said his organization is steadfastly committed to improving safety and security on the MetroLink system it runs. He said St. Louis County police officers assigned to MetroLink were on another area of the train when the Saturday shooting happened and immediately arrested the suspect when the train reached the station, which he said no doubt prevented further injuries from occurring on the train or platform. He noted ongoing efforts to install new security gates and fencing at stations across the region, and make better use of video surveillance to detect criminal activity. But Scott also cast the problems as part of a broader issue. We cannot prevent the crime occurring in the region from spilling over on our transit system, Scott said. We can promise that rigorous collaboration with our police partners is a high priority and that we will always provide a professional response. We remain committed to our fundamental security approach partnerships, infrastructure investments, and a gated platform access system. JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Bearing 678 evacuees from Sudan across the Red Sea, two silver-grey Chinese navy vessels, with Chinese national flags fluttering and their pennants waving, slowly entered the port of Jeddah in western Saudi Arabia at around 10:00 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) on a sunny Thursday. On the dock, the welcoming crowd unfurled a huge Chinese national flag and red banners that read "Motherland Compatriots, Welcome to the Harbor." After the guided-missile destroyer Nanning and comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu berthed at the port, the evacuees, including 668 Chinese citizens and 10 foreign nationals, filed out of the cabins and down the gangway to the accompaniment of "My Motherland" and other beautiful Chinese songs. They soon found themselves warmly received by a group of Chinese diplomats and Chinese-funded companies, as well as officials from the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the Saudi Navy, and the Saudi Coast Guard. "The strong motherland is our strong backing!" Chen Lihui, an employee of the Blue Sky Hotel in Sudan, repeated in an interview with Xinhua after getting off one of the vessels. "Thank you, my country! I felt so proud of my motherland when I first saw our navy vessels coming," Xiao Yongjian, a man from central China's Hubei Province doing business in Sudan, told Xinhua, bubbling with excitement. Fifteen-year-old Xu Yiman, who has a Sudanese father and a Chinese mother, is a high school freshman living in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum before the evacuation. Fascinated by the Chinese vessels, she said cheerfully that she had been taken good care of by the crew onboard. "Our motherland is our harbor," said Wang Bingbing, a staff member of the China Harbor in Sudan, who, together with his colleagues, provided volunteer services for evacuees in the conflict-ravaged country. Ding Jiaxing, a crew member of Weishanhu, said he felt a deep sense of pride and responsibility as a Chinese sailor to help both his compatriots and foreign nationals evacuate from Sudan, which has seen deadly armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces since mid-April. Thursday's overseas evacuation mission is the third of its kind the Chinese navy carried out in recent years, following previous two operations in Libya and Yemen in 2011 and 2015, respectively. Yin Lijun, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Saudi Arabia, told Xinhua at the port of Jeddah that the latest operation in Sudan demonstrates again the people-centered philosophy of the Communist Party of China. "We are determined to face difficulties and dangers and do our best to safeguard Chinese citizens' safety, rights, and interests overseas," he said. You are forgiven if you dont know much about Quemoy and Matsu. They were a musical group, an Asian version of Simon and Garfunkel. They were popular in 1960. Im kidding. Quemoy and Matsu were and are islands off the coast of China. They were a big issue in the presidential election of 1960. Should we be willing to go to war if China, a country we did not officially recognize, were to invade the islands? Richard Nixon said yes. John Kennedy said maybe. I do not know if Quemoy and Matsu had much to do with Kennedys victory. In Chicago, we took a certain pride in believing that Kennedy was pushed over the top by Mayor Richard J. Daley. We called him Da Mare. Looking back 63 years, you might conclude that Quemoy and Matsu were a strange sort of issue. So much was about to happen in the ensuing decade the 60s were coming! and the candidates were arguing about those islands. Really? If we make it another 63 years, I bet people will think the same thing about our politics. The glaciers are melting and the oceans are rising, authoritarianism is on the march there is even a ground war in Europe artificial intelligence is looming and driverless cars are around the corner. Yet the issue of the day is transgender people. I mean, do you even know any? Perhaps that will seem a foolish question in 63 years. Maybe by then everybody will know transgender people. Or maybe not. In 1960, I was in grade school. I attended a large public school in Chicago. There were no gay kids. Then I went to a large public high school. No gay kids there, either. All right. There probably were. There were about 4,000 kids in my high school so the odds are overwhelming that some of those kids were gay. But nobody was public about it, and if I knew any gay kids, they didnt trust me enough to tell me. So I had heard of the existence of gay people, but that was it. I had not heard of transgenders or nonbinaries or ever considered the issue of pronouns. My world was uncomplicated. At the University of Illinois, I met a few gays. They were excellent company. Their banter was like something I had never heard. Very quick, very witty. One of them, Gary Gardner, went on to become a legendary professor at UCLA. He taught theater there for 40 years and was voted the universitys No. 1 instructor eight straight years. In class, he was known to suddenly start singing show tunes. I learned that from his obit. I never visited him. I wish I had. After I flunked out of the University of Illinois, I was drafted into the Marine Corps. Like high school, no gays. Seriously, no gays. In later, more enlightened/complicated times, I have asked friends: Do you think we might have had any gays in our unit? Of course not, is the general response. Or, just you. By the time I got to Arizona, gays were an accepted part of society. Sen. Barry Goldwater said he thought gays should be able to serve in the military. His words carried weight. Of course, even Goldwater wasnt enlightened enough to advocate for gay marriage. By the way, had that been a question in that famous first televised debate in 1960 Lets forget about Quemoy and Matsu for a minute. What do you think of gay marriage? the candidates would have been stunned. I am not sure they would have known what gay meant. But marriage? Between homosexuals? Polite society would have been scandalized. Society evolves. Gay marriage became a reality, and life went on as normal. Most conservative opponents have quit talking about it. Evolution continued. Transgender people appeared on the savannah. I am being facetious. I am sure transgender people have been around forever, but those of us in the mainstream, unless we stumbled across Gore Vidals Myra Breckinridge, were unaware of their existence. I interviewed Shauna Godfrey in 2003. She was in the St. Louis County jail awaiting transfer to the Department of Corrections to serve a two-year sentence for possession of marijuana. (Wow.) She was 22 years old. Her face was smooth and I saw no evidence of facial hair. She was 5-foot-7 and slender. She was on hormone pills in preparation for eventual surgery, which would, of course, have to be put off during her incarceration. The Department of Corrections was terrified of her. The director, George Lombardi, was a very decent man, compassionate and understanding. By law, he knew that Shauna, who had been born a male, would have to go to a mens prison. But Lombardi knew that wouldnt work. Shaunas parents were loving and supportive. Her mother patiently explained to me, Shauna is a pre-op transgendered female, which means her gender is female. However, she was born with a male body. When she entered puberty is about the time she realized she was stuck in the wrong body. Not knowing about SRS (sex reassignment surgery) and feeling like a freak of nature, she escaped into the drug scene. Shauna told me she was being kept in isolation at the jail and was being treated well, but that some inmates yelled at her and predicted life would be difficult in prison. Theyll be fighting over you, honey. That sort of thing, she said. Like all DOC inmates, she was first sent to a diagnostic center, but because she would be eligible for parole in a few months, the decision was made to send her back to the county jail. She was released on parole, and a year later, she died by suicide. Even with a supportive family, life overcame her. In 2006, I wrote about Beverly. She was 53. She had started life as Gary. I interviewed her because she was being evicted from her apartment in south St. Louis County. She had allegedly threatened another tenant after an argument. Beverly stood a little over 6 feet and weighed 367 pounds. She had a deep voice. She was unshaven and had painted her toes nails pink on the day I visited. I look like a hybrid today, she told me. She explained that she was a woman trapped in a mans body. She said she was also a lesbian. I asked her if women found her appealing. She shrugged and said, No, but they didnt find me appealing as a man, either. She said her confusion about gender identify had led to many problems, including a misdiagnosis of schizophrenia and a 16-month stay at St. Louis State Hospital on Arsenal Street. I lost track of Beverly and do not remember her last name. And remember, just 63 years ago, transgender was not a big political issue. Now, of course, its the hottest thing in the cultural wars. Even though most of us dont even know any. At least we think we dont. What will people make of all this in 63 years? ST. CLAIR COUNTY An East St. Louis man was arrested on a MetroLink train platform in St. Clair County on Friday, two weeks after police say he fired a gunshot on a train crowded with Cardinals fans. John F. Goliday, 57, was held in jail Saturday on $100,000 bail. He is charged with being a felon in possession of a handgun. St. Clair County sheriff's Master Sgt. Adam Quirin said in an interview that Goliday was arrested when a deputy assigned to the MetroLink detail spotted Goliday on a train platform. No one was injured April 13 when the shot was fired on the eastbound MetroLink train in St. Clair County. The gun went off between the East Riverfront station, near the Casino Queen, and the Fifth and Missouri station in East St. Louis, where the train stopped and the man with the gun ran off. Kids were crying, and families were shaken by the disturbance and the shooting just before 9 p.m. that night. Police said Goliday apparently confronted an unruly man on the train, ordering him to sit down and be quiet. The two men got into a scuffle, and the unruly man was pistol-whipped and bleeding, police said. After police released a surveillance image of the man with the gun, Quirin said investigators received tips identifying the man as Goliday. Investigators had sought additional charges such as assault and child endangerment, but the felon in possession of a firearm is the lone charge that was filed Thursday. Goliday pleaded guilty of a 2008 robbery in St. Louis and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, according to Missouri online court records. He also was convicted in Illinois around 2000 of aggravated battery with a firearm and was sentenced to five years in prison. ST. LOUIS More than a hundred people marched downtown to the Gateway Arch grounds on Saturday morning calling for an end to abortion. The demonstration brought together Catholic and Lutheran leaders as well as activists working to organize students and dissuade pregnant women from terminating their pregnancies. Participants carried signs reading Abortion abolitionist; I am the Post-Roe generation; and I demand protection at conception. The annual event marked a bit of a victory lap for the movement. The past year has seen the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that established a federal constitutional right to abortion, kicking off a race to impose restrictions in Republican-led states. More than a dozen, including Missouri, have banned the procedure outright. Others have made access much more difficult. And in recent weeks, a lawsuit out of Texas briefly threatened the future availability of pills that enable about half of the abortions conducted every year. But Brian Westbrook, the executive director for Coalition Life, which helps organize the march and places volunteers outside of abortion clinics in Illinois to encourage women to continue their pregnancies, said the movement cant rest. Abortion rights supporters are taking steps to put a plan rolling back Missouris restrictions on the ballot in 2024; a similar campaign torpedoed a ban in Kansas last year. Across the river in Illinois, Democratic lawmakers are considering new restrictions on faith-based centers that encourage women to carry pregnancies to term and offer assistance. We want to say very clearly that were not done, Westbrook said. A handful of abortion rights supporters accompanied the marchers on their mile-long journey down Market Street to the Arch grounds, voicing their opposition. The very first words of the First Amendment couldnt be more clear: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Government must butt out of religion entirely, in other words. Yet conservative politicians across the nation continue trying to use the power of government to impose their particular religious views and practices on the population at large. The latest pillar in this theocracy project comes from (wait for it) Texas. The Republican-controlled state Senate this month passed legislation to require not allow, require prominent display of the Ten Commandments in every classroom of every public school. That would presumably include the First Commandment: Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Which means the state of Texas would be telling school kids not merely to refrain from killing or stealing, but also that they cant worship any deity other than the Judeo-Christian one. What are Hindu and Wicca kids supposed to do with that? Do Buddha and Ganesh get equal time? More to the point: If some Texas citizens want to teach their kids to worship Apollo, Zeus or Spiderman, who the hell is their state government to even have an opinion on the matter? Even as Texas is legislating how public school kids must worship, its Republican leaders, like those in Missouri and other red states around America, are pressing ahead with a parents bill of rights that would (wait for it again) ensure that peoples kids arent being ideologically indoctrinated in the classroom. Sit with that for a moment. In Missouri, the states strict new abortion ban is currently being challenged in court by opponents who allege it is the state imposing religious doctrine on the public. And what proof do they have? Oh, just the phrase Almighty God is the author of life in the section that specifies the intent of the law. Seriously, what were they thinking when they wrote that particular piece of scripture into state legislation? Never mind that the authors elected representatives in a secular state government are telling any taxpaying Missouri citizens who dont happen to share that explicitly religious view to go flagellate themselves. Theyve also made it more difficult to defend their law (thank heavens). How does a lawyer look a judge in the eye and say: No, your honor, this law isnt about the government imposing religious doctrine on anyone after the Almighty God bit? What they were thinking, Id guess, is that theyre so unassailably right in their religious conviction (the very definition of faith) that even paying lip service to the constitutional imperative of separation of church and state would be some form of blasphemy. They really, truly do not accept that government isnt supposed to be in the business of proselytizing. The church is supposed to direct the government, as that noted biblical and constitutional scholar, Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, put it last year: Im tired of this separation of church and state junk. Boebert is so shall we say, divinely touched that it almost feels unfair to cite her as an example of how dangerously open to out-and-out theocracy the GOP has become. But the grownups in the party are doing it too. The First Amendment, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott declared recently, was written to protect the church from the state, not the state from the church. Really? And how well has that line of thinking worked out for Afghans under Taliban rule? Like the gun extremists who ignore the well-regulated militia part of the Second Amendment, Scott and others who ignore the First Amendments first phrase no law respecting (as in, regarding) religion are substituting what they want it to say for what it actually says. Gun culture wallows in the myth that the Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms with no caveats, which it plainly doesnt. And the First Amendments restraint on government prohibiting the free exercise of religion explicitly bars government from promoting religion either. The Framers intent was clearly to create what Thomas Jefferson himself called a wall of separation between the church and state. This isnt just about abortion rights. The current Republican presidential frontrunner won the office in 2016 with a campaign calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States, then as president instituted a version of that blunt statement of official religious bigotry. The Anti-Defamation League reports more antisemitic incidents in 2022 than any year in the more than four decades it has tracked such incidents. In a pair of rulings last year, the Supreme Courts emboldened conservative bloc chipped at longstanding constitutional prohibitions on public school teachers pressuring kids to pray and on tax dollars funding religious schools. This junk (to borrow from Pastor Boebert) isnt just unconstitutional its unAmerican. And its time that those who presume to call themselves patriots started saying that. Kevin McDermott is a Post-Dispatch columnist and Editorial Board member. On Twitter: @kevinmcdermott. Email: kmcdermott@post-dispatch.com St. Louis County Executive Sam Page and his appointed county counselor are demanding permanent, unchecked authority to hire outside legal representation to do the counselors job. This is a supremely bad, undemocratic and ridiculously expensive idea. The authority was approved on an emergency basis during the pandemic, when the county faced multiple lawsuits related to mask mandates and social distancing. That was somewhat understandable. But those days are over. The council must return to its previous oversight role, impose checks on the executive branchs spending authority and insist that the counselors office justify its expenditures before hiring outside counsel. This is how democracy is supposed to work. Page vetoed a council bill to restore its approval authority, arguing last Friday that the bill does not allow the counselor to act with maximum efficiency and does not serve the best interest of the county. His veto ignored the pre-pandemic authority of the council to perform its required checks and balances on spending by the executive branch. But since handing back that authority would mean ceding the power he gained during the pandemic, Page is fighting it. The county counselor is appointed by the county executive and typically prioritizes the executives political objectives when his agenda conflicts with the councils. That dynamic often irked Page when he was chairman of the council and was working to thwart then-County Executive Steve Stengers corrupt and illegal usurpation of power. Now that Page is in control, he seems to have forgotten why the councils authority is necessary to check the power of the executive branch and impose spending discipline, including on the county counselors office. The pandemic created all kinds of extraordinary circumstances that called for extraordinary measures. The state attorney generals office was bearing down hard on the county for its efforts to halt the spread of the coronavirus and save lives. Private businesses were suing over their ability to keep their doors open as the county imposed social-distancing requirements. So it was understandable when then-County Counselor Beth Orwick asked the County Council to approve temporary spending authority so she could hire outside legal help at a cost not to exceed $400 an hour. Orwick is now Pages chief of staff. Her replacement, Dana Redwing, wants that spending authority to be made permanent. Pages veto helps at least extend it, but the council is trying to wrestle it back to the way it used to be. That means sustaining the votes necessary to override Pages veto. The council was expected to take up the measure on Tuesday, but that didnt happen. It must. No county department deserves to have the kind of open-ended spending authority that Page and Redwing are demanding. Its up to the council to exercise its own powers and hold the executive in check. Ron DeSantis has messed with the wrong mouse. Disneys announcement that it is suing the Florida governor for his bizarre harassment campaign against the company over policy criticism touches on several important issues freedom of speech, abuse of official power, free-market independence all of which should helpfully spotlight just how unfit for the presidency the Florida governor has shown himself to be. The feud started last year when Disney Worlds corporate owners, pressured by its enormous workforce of young people, publicly criticized the dont say gay law that DeSantis signed prohibiting classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity. Whatever you think of that law and many think its the worst kind of pandering to the extreme right as DeSantis mulls a possible presidential run in this country, such criticism is permitted. Unless, it seems, youre Floridas largest employer. That DeSantis would choose that particular target to vilify and undermine is confirmation that he cares more about stoking the culture-war fires for his own political gain than he does the economy of the state he governs. Throughout the months-long blood feud that followed, DeSantis has acted with personal vindictiveness and abuse of official authority reminiscent of no one more than former President Donald Trump. Perhaps DeSantis thinks imitating Trumps antics is the way to appeal to his base in the coming presidential race. And perhaps it is. But anyone outside the dark MAGA realm should recognize this kind of bullying when they see it. DeSantis punishment crusade has included trying to yank away the unusual authority Disney has over the infrastructure in and around the fabled theme parks that make up Disney World deals that were cut decades ago with state leaders eager for the economic benefits that Disney would bring, and supported since by generations of political leaders in both parties. Such arrangements certainly arent beyond review and debate, but DeSantis claim that he was just suddenly determined to level the field for other businesses, unrelated to his lambasting of Disney as a woke corporation in his fundraising appeals, shows hes especially shameless. Again, shades of Trump. When Disney outmaneuvered and humiliated DeSantis regarding its infrastructure control, he furiously speculated that maybe he would site a prison next to Disney World another petty, personalized threat against his states largest employer and taxpayer. Other threats have included suggesting a new regimen of ride-safety inspections that only Disney, not its Florida competitors, would face. How subtle. True justice would be for Disney to pick up stakes and move out of Florida, leaving DeSantis twisting in the wind of a self-sabotaged state economy. Since that wont realistically happen, Disneys lawsuit is the next best remedy. Heres hoping the mouse bites hard. Starving the IRS isnt small government, its just inefficient To conservative, small-government ideologues, increasing the Internal Revenue Service budget is a very bad idea. They see a fat agency reaching into our pocketbooks and personal lives. I see things differently: an agency thats understaffed and using 30-year-old technology. I received my 2022 tax refund about two weeks ago but I am still waiting for a larger 2021 refund. The government website shows my return was received and processed many months ago. Ive called the IRS and spent hours on hold, only to be told they are working on it and that I should check the Where Is My Refund website. Apparently I am waiting for a manual review since I had submitted an amended return for that tax year. I know I am not alone in this predicament. I am fortunately not living paycheck to paycheck but Im still not happy about the long wait. The IRS budget needs to be increased so American taxpayers get the timely service we deserve. Klaus Illian Manchester St. Louis-area highway litter problem is out of control It is impossible to drive through Metro-East into St. Louis or St. Louis County without noticing the amount of disgusting litter along the interstate highways, especially during the cold months when it is less hidden by vegetation. My previous experience with a similar situation was on the back roads of Appalachia over 50 years ago only to notice in later years a remarkable turn-around in most places, putting the roads here to shame. The Adopt-A-Highway program has been reasonably effective for rural secondary highways, but it could not be expected to keep up with the excessive amount of litter on the interstates close to St. Louis, where it might also be unsafe for volunteers. The excessive amount of litter along the Illinois interstates adjacent to St. Louis makes one suspect that most of it might be blowing from refuse trucks headed for the east-side landfills. Since it is reasonable to assume that the waste companies are not going to bend over backward to solve the problem, perhaps consideration should be given to a litter abatement fee on each load, collected by the landfill to be used for either handling the problem itself, or hiring contractors or individuals to do it. As for the non-interstate metro-east highways that have yet to be adopted, what about employing needy folks to work under the supervision of the highway department? That might include those on either side of the river. Jerry Young Collinsville, Ill. Academia doesnt indoctrinate people; it helps them succeed Regarding George Wills op-ed As enrollment plummets, academia gets schooled about where it went wrong (April 21): Im convinced that Republicans prefer to keep the populace as uneducated as possible. That way they wont question Fox News. Will accuses academia of indoctrination. Actually, the opposite is true: Educated people think for themselves. That is why they dont watch right-wing propaganda. He is right in his assertion that many holding degrees wind up working in warehouses, crushed with student debt. But he fails to recognize that educated people are more innovative, have greater clarity of thought and are more likely to be promoted. We have to compete with the rest of the world now. Does Will think the Germans, Japanese and Chinese are skimping on their peoples education? Matt Johnson Bridgeton Transgender backlash is part of a long history of societal bigotry The brouhaha over Bud Light including a transgender social influencer in its marketing campaign reminds me of what I experienced in 1963 in my suburban Atlanta high school. I overheard some students appalled that Blacks were appearing in commercials on television. In the ensuing decades, interracial couples appeared in TV commercials, and then same-sex couples. And now we see large women modeling in commercials for bras and panties. Groups that were once invisible are now seen in our media. There will always be a backlash by some as we come to accept the reality of who we are as a nation. But all these marginalized people have a right to be seen and to see themselves reflected in the media. Dean L. Rosen St. Louis County Calling a fertilized egg a human doesnt make that a fact Regarding the letter to the editor Like it or not, fertilized eggs are by definition unborn humans (April 15): The writer contends that since a fetus is result of the conjunction of a human sperm and ovum, it qualifies as an unborn human being with all the rights that pertain to living, breathing humans. Consider also that an acorn is an oak tree in the same sense that a fetus is a human. Taking an acorn from my yard is of no importance; taking an oak tree is. Applying a common label to proto-humans and to fully developed persons and declaring equivalence is a semantic sleight of hand. Thomas W. Allen Chesterfield Read letters online at STLToday.com WINNIPEG, Manitoba--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Farmers Edge Inc. (Farmers Edge or the Company) (TSX: FDGE) announced today that the Companys first quarter 2023 financial results will be released after market close on Thursday, May 11, 2023. At that time, the financial results and related materials will be posted on the Farmers Edge Investor Relations website at https://farmersedge.ca/investor-relations/reports-and-filings/. Farmers Edge will hold a live audio webcast at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, May 15, 2023, to discuss the Companys financial results and business highlights. All interested parties are invited to listen to the live audio webcast at https://www.gowebcasting.com/12522. Following the event, a replay of the webcast will be available on the Farmers Edge Investor Relations website. Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders The Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders of the Company will be held in a virtual-only format on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Further information and materials related to the Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders will be posted on the Farmers Edge Investor Relations website at https://farmersedge.ca/investor-relations/shareholder-information/. About Farmers Edge Farmers Edge is a global leader in digital agriculture, revolutionizing the industry with a broad portfolio of proprietary technological innovations, spanning hardware, software, and services. Powered by a unique combination of connected field sensors, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and agronomic expertise, the Companys digital platform turns data into actions and intelligent insights, delivering value to all stakeholders of the agricultural ecosystem. Farmers Edge disruptive technologies accelerate digital adoption on the farm and beyond, protecting our global resources and ensuring sustainable food production for a rapidly growing population. For more information on Farmers Edge, please visit www.farmersedge.ca. Additional information relating to the Company, including all public filings, is available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005557/en/ Farmers Edge Inc. 204.452.3131 [email protected] FarmersEdge.ca @Farmers_Edge Source: Farmers Edge Inc. SESs second-generation medium earth orbit system is just one launch away from providing global connectivity services backed by industry-best service level agreements CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Two additional O3b mPOWER satellites were successfully launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States, at 6:12 pm local time, SES announced today. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005618/en/ SESs Third and Fourth O3b mPOWER Satellites Successfully Launched The second pair of O3b mPOWER satellites will join the first two satellites launched in December 2022, which have arrived at their target medium earth orbit (MEO) and are currently undergoing in-orbit check out. The O3b mPOWER system will offer high-performance network services delivering industry-best throughput, predictable low latency, and ultra-reliable service availability. Comprising an initial constellation of 11 high-throughput satellites built by Boeing, the O3b mPOWER ecosystem is easily scalable and requires just six MEO satellites to provide high performance connectivity services around the globe. Additionally, SES is working closely with some of the best ground system partners in the world to virtualise and standardise a variety of platforms on the O3b mPOWER network to serve mobility, telecom, government, and enterprise customers more efficiently and effectively. Today we are closer to delivering our promise of a new era of connectivity. Our team has been working with more than 30 technology partners to prepare the O3b mPOWER space and ground segments to offer the differentiated and high-perfomance services that our customers need to run their operations, said Steve Collar, CEO of SES. We have already rolled out and tested O3b mPOWER terminals over the existing O3b constellation, and are delighted to hear positive customer feedback about their increased reliability and performance, as well as the ease of self-installation, activation, and maintenance. Its been an incredible journey with an exceptional and dedicated team at the Boeing satellite factory, and an invaluable partnership with SES, said Michelle Parker, vice president of Space Mission Systems at Boeing Defense, Space & Security. As we near completion on the remaining satellites, were excited to showcase on-orbit how our fully flexible 702X payload architecture allows operators to adapt to changing business needs and reallocate resources instantly. Customers leveraging SESs second-generation MEO system are set to transform their operations and benefit from terabit-level scale; the highest, most flexible, guaranteed throughput; roundtrip latency of less than 150 milliseconds, and unmatched service availability. O3b mPOWER commercial service is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2023. Key customers who have signed up for the next-gen system include Microsoft, Princess Cruises, Marlink, Jio Platforms, Orange, Claro Brasil, Vodafone Cook Islands, the Government of Luxembourg (subject to parliamentary approval) and the newly-announced CNT Ecuador. For more information on how O3b mPOWER can bring a new level of performance to satellite-enabled communications, visit the newsroom. Follow us on: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram Read our Blogs > Visit the Media Gallery > About SES SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the worlds only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the worlds leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SESs video network carries about 8,000 channels and has an unparalleled reach of 369 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005618/en/ For further information please contact: Suzanne Ong SES, External Communications Tel. +352 710 725 500 [email protected] Source: SES Boulder, Colorado and Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 29, 2023) - Intellabridge Technology Corporation (CSE: KASH) (OTCQB: KASHF) (FSE: KASH) (the "Company", "Intellabridge" or "Kash Corp."), a financial impact technology company, is pleased to announce a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, which will allow Intellabridge's customers to plant a tree every time they go shopping and pay with their Karma Card. "It's so exciting when we have a partner that not only wants to plant trees, but also invites their community to participate in helping make this world a better place," said Katie Loos, President of the Arbor Day Foundation. "The support from Intellabridge gives us a boost in the meaningful work we're doing to restore forestland of need. By providing an engaging opportunity for customers to also act as environmental stewards, this partnership truly embodies our core mission of planting, nurturing, and celebrating trees." With this partnership, customer donations will initially support the planting of trees throughout central Georgia, where the Arbor Day Foundation has identified forestland of greatest need. A diverse blend of native tree species will be planted across multiple tracts of private land, which will help restore the natural landscape and provide a variety of environmental benefits like improved air quality, soil and water conservation, and increased habitat for endangered wildlife species. "We are particularly excited about this partnership because Karma Card donations are structured around the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals," explains Intellabridge CEO John Eagleton. "Partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation for tree planting allows Karma Card customers to address the goals of climate action and life on land with a focus on planting trees in forests of greatest need across America. The first 5,000 customer transactions will go towards supporting reforestation in Georgia with the planting of native loblolly, slash, and longleaf pine, providing fire tolerance as well as habitat for endangered and threatened wildlife including the red-cockaded woodpecker and gopher tortoise." About the Arbor Day Foundation Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation is the world's largest membership nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees. With a focus in communities and forests of greatest need, the Foundation alongside its more than 1 million members, supporters and valued partners has helped to plant nearly 500 million trees in more than 50 countries. Guided by its mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees, the Arbor Day Foundation is committed to unlocking the power of trees to help solve critical issues facing people and the planet. Learn more about the impact of the Arbor Day Foundation at arborday.org. About Intellabridge Technology Corporation Intellabridge Technology Corporation (CSE: KASH) (OTCQB: KASHF) (FSE: KASH) is a fintech company in the business of impact finance with a mission to make every transaction have a positive impact on the world through cashback solutions and automated customizable donations to charitable organizations based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Intellabridge's Karma impact finance product, is a web and mobile application providing customers with cashback debit cards, virtual cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay as well as self-custody financial services, and automated donation systems. For more information on Intellabridge, visit www.intellabridge.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD of DIRECTORS INTELLABRIDGE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION "Maria Eagleton" Maria Eagleton, COO To contact Intellabridge: Website: intellabridge.com Phone: +1-303-800-5333 Email: [email protected] The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). The use of any of the words "will", "plan", "on track", "possible", "anticipated" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164239 A Chinese navy soldier escorting a child evacuated from Sudan by Chinese navy vessels arrives at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah on April 27, 2023. Two Chinese navy vessels have successfully evacuated a first batch of 678 people from Sudan, who arrived at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah at around 3 p.m. Thursday Beijing time, according to an official statement. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou) JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Bearing 678 evacuees from Sudan across the Red Sea, two silver-grey Chinese navy vessels, with Chinese national flags fluttering and their pennants waving, slowly entered the port of Jeddah in western Saudi Arabia at around 10:00 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) on a sunny Thursday. On the dock, the welcoming crowd unfurled a huge Chinese national flag and red banners that read "Motherland Compatriots, Welcome to the Harbor." After the guided-missile destroyer Nanning and comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu berthed at the port, the evacuees, including 668 Chinese citizens and 10 foreign nationals, filed out of the cabins and down the gangway to the accompaniment of "My Motherland" and other beautiful Chinese songs. They soon found themselves warmly received by a group of Chinese diplomats and Chinese-funded companies, as well as officials from the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the Saudi Navy, and the Saudi Coast Guard. "The strong motherland is our strong backing!" Chen Lihui, an employee of the Blue Sky Hotel in Sudan, repeated in an interview with Xinhua after getting off one of the vessels. "Thank you, my country! I felt so proud of my motherland when I first saw our navy vessels coming," Xiao Yongjian, a man from central China's Hubei Province doing business in Sudan, told Xinhua, bubbling with excitement. Fifteen-year-old Xu Yiman, who has a Sudanese father and a Chinese mother, is a high school freshman living in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum before the evacuation. Fascinated by the Chinese vessels, she said cheerfully that she had been taken good care of by the crew onboard. "Our motherland is our harbor," said Wang Bingbing, a staff member of the China Harbor in Sudan, who, together with his colleagues, provided volunteer services for evacuees in the conflict-ravaged country. Ding Jiaxing, a crew member of Weishanhu, said he felt a deep sense of pride and responsibility as a Chinese sailor to help both his compatriots and foreign nationals evacuate from Sudan, which has seen deadly armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces since mid-April. Thursday's overseas evacuation mission is the third of its kind the Chinese navy carried out in recent years, following previous two operations in Libya and Yemen in 2011 and 2015, respectively. Yin Lijun, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Saudi Arabia, told Xinhua at the port of Jeddah that the latest operation in Sudan demonstrates again the people-centered philosophy of the Communist Party of China. "We are determined to face difficulties and dangers and do our best to safeguard Chinese citizens' safety, rights, and interests overseas," he said. BALTIMORE , April 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Urological Association (AUA) today announced that Pfizer Oncology is the recipient of the 2023 Health Science Award for its outstanding support of the educational, scientific and research goals of the AUA and the Urology Care Foundation in urologic cancer. "We are proud to recognize Pfizer Oncology as the recipient of the 2023 Health Science Award," said Edward M. Messing , MD, FACS, president of the AUA. "Pfizer Oncology has become an instrumental partner with the AUA to support urologists seeking healthcare information to inform patient care." The Health Science Award is presented annually to a company for its outstanding help in promoting the educational, scientific and research goals of the AUA. The presentation of this honor was held in conjunction with the 2023 AUA Annual Meeting in Chicago, Ill. , on Saturday, April 29, 2023 . About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland , the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 24,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy. Media Contact: Corey Del Bianco , Corporate Communications and Media Relations Manager 410-689-4033, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pfizer-receives-aua-health-science-award-301811542.html SOURCE American Urological Association U.S. President Joe Biden answers a question about the Republican position on the U.S. debt limit as he walks away from the podium at the conclusion of a joint news conference with South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol in the Rose Garden of the White House By Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden made his pitch for re-election on Friday night to a small group that may prove essential to his candidacy: the wealthy. Biden, who launched his bid for the 2024 presidential election in a video posted online on Tuesday, gathered fewer than 200 of the top donors and volunteer fundraisers from his last bid for office at the five-star Salamander hotel in Washington. They dined under blue stage lighting with rising political stars in the Democratic Party who have opted to support Biden, 80, rather than running against him, including Governors Gavin Newsom of California and Phil Murphy of New Jersey. Biden may need to raise and spend more than $1 billion to run a competitive campaign in 2024, allies believe. "We couldn't have done it without you, and I think it sounds like you're ready to do it again," said Biden, who has used his presidential bully pulpit to call for higher taxes on the wealthy and increased corporate regulation. "I'm here tonight to ask for your help to help me finish the job. Folks, here's the bottom line: it's very simple. We need you. Our democracy needs you because this is about our freedoms." Among those attending the event were former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, who spent $300 million on his own presidential campaign in 2020 before shifting his millions in donations to Biden and other Democrats, and former Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, the sole fundraiser among Biden's initial, seven campaign co-chairs. A small group of reporters were allowed to observe a portion of the event before being ushered out. Biden made no mention of Republican frontrunner and former President Donald Trump or any other potential Republican rivals in his remarks, even though Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis featured in his campaign launch video. A Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday showed that a majority of registered voters do not want either Biden or Trump, 76, to run again. Top volunteer fundraisers generally give money to a campaign themselves but are also expected to tap their networks of wealthy potential donors, host events that can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to attend and even meet certain fundraising targets set by the campaign. That money complements millions in individual, small-dollar donations of as little as $1 that roll in through the campaign website and other sources. The event on Friday capped a fairly low-key first week of campaign events for the Biden campaign, which has included a video to prospective volunteers and a television advertisement being run political battleground states. Instead, Biden has mostly filled his days with traditional Oval Office duties, including hosting South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol for a state visit. On Saturday, Biden is due to deliver light-hearted remarks at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by William Mallard) By Farah Master and Xiaoyu Yin HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) - As China tries to slow its demographic decline, women like Chen Luojin could be part of the solution. The divorced 33-year-old lives in Chengdu, capital of the southwestern Sichuan province, which legalised registration of children by unmarried women in February, something China is considering implementing nationwide to address record low birth rates. The changes mean unmarried women can take paid maternity leave and receive child subsidies previously only available to married couples. Crucially, Chen could access in-vitro fertility (IVF) treatment legally in a private clinic. She is now 10 weeks pregnant. "Becoming a single parent is not for everyone, but I'm happy with the decision," said Chen, who works in logistics. "Equally, getting married or not is for each individual to decide. We have liberalised the policies here and I know a lot of single women are doing IVF." Concerned about China's first population drop in six decades and its rapid ageing, the government's political advisers proposed in March that single and unmarried women should have access to egg freezing and IVF treatment, among other services. China's leaders have not commented publicly on the recommendations. Liberalising IVF nationwide could unleash more demand for fertility treatment in what is already the world's biggest market, straining limited fertility services. Some investors in the industry see an opportunity to expand. "If China changes their policy to allow single women to have children, this can result in an increase of IVF demand," said Yve Lyppens, director of business development for Asia Pacific at INVO Bioscience, which is awaiting regulatory approval to launch its IVF technology in China after signing a distribution agreement with Guangzhou-based Onesky Holdings last year. "However, if there is a sudden increase, China will have an even larger capacity issue." China's National Health Commission (NHC) did not respond to a request for comment about liberalising IVF access, though it has previously acknowledged that many young women are delaying plans to marry and have children, noting that high costs of education and child-rearing have contributed to declining marriage rates. The NHC's Sichuan branch did not address questions from Reuters about whether it would offer IVF treatment to all women in public hospitals. When it announced the changes in February, Sichuan's NHC said they aimed to "promote long-term and balanced population development." Shanghai and the southern Guangdong province have also permitted unmarried women to register their children but IVF services for single women remain banned. HUGE UNMET NEED Lyppens said most IVF clinics in China operated at full capacity before the COVID-19 pandemic, and are likely to be in a similar situation again soon as the country has lifted virus-related curbs. There are no estimates for how many patients want but cannot access treatment, but some women benefiting from it say they spend hours waiting for their turn. "The queues in the hospital are very long," said 34-year-old Xiangyu, a married woman undergoing IVF in Chongqing, some 300 kilometres (186 miles) east of Chengdu. She spoke on the condition of partial anonymity for privacy reasons. Chinese hospitals and clinics, both public and private, provide about 1 million rounds of IVF treatment - or cycles - annually, compared with 1.5 million in the rest of the world, according to academic journals and industry experts. The price for a cycle - which involves medication for ovarian stimulation, egg collection, insemination in a laboratory and embryo transfer - is regulated in China. It ranges between $3,500 and $4,500, about a quarter of U.S. prices. China has 539 public and private IVF facilities, and the NHC has said it aims to set up one facility for every 2.3 million people by 2025, which would take the total above 600. China's IVF market, including treatment, drugs and equipment, is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 14.5% in coming years, nearly doubling to 85.4 billion yuan ($12.4 billion) in 2025 from 49.7 billion yuan, research house Leadleo estimated in a report last year. Vivian Zhang, managing director of Merck China, which provides fertility products and services for IVF clinics in the country, said cities in the less-affluent inland provinces are quickly developing fertility centres similar to those in Beijing and Shanghai. "There is a huge unmet medical need for Chinese patients," said Zhang, adding she was "very optimistic" about the IVF market in China. Gender power imbalances, the stigma in Chinese society that single pregnant women face, and the lack of social surveys make it difficult to quantify total demand and how much it would grow should the reforms be introduced in the near future, industry experts say. But proxies exist. Camila Caso, director of platform at Recharge Capital, which invests in fertility clinics and technology, said 500,000 IVF cycles are provided to Chinese women annually in clinics in other countries - a third of all cycles outside China. Many Chinese women prefer clinics abroad if they are single, or if they want to do various genetic tests or choose the sex of the child, Caso said. A three-decade-old Chinese law designed to address a gender imbalance bars parents from learning the sex of a fetus. The country implemented a rigid one-child policy from 1980 until 2015 - the root of many of its demographic challenges that have allowed India to become the world's most populous nation. The limit has since been raised to three children. Caso said her fund was currently rolling out two clinics in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur and aims to have around 15 in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore in the next three to four years. The fund is not investing in China because of uncertainty over IVF incentives, she said, adding that Recharge could capture Chinese demand via the Southeast Asian market. Lu Weiying, a Chinese political adviser and chief expert at the Reproductive Medical Center of Women and Children in China's southern Hainan province, said she submitted a proposal to the country's leaders in March to give single women access to egg freezing, a procedure more and more people were seeking. "People in China are marrying and having children much later than previously, which has led to an increase in infertility, miscarriage and increased risk of fetal abnormalities," she said. MORE CHOICES FOR WOMEN In the United States, the average success rate of an IVF cycle is 52%, the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology says. In China, the rate is a little over 30%, due in part to high levels of stress among women and a rising average age for having children, said Lin Haiwei, director of Beijing Perfect Family Hospital, which specialises in fertility treatments. Overseas experts say the quality of some IVF laboratories in China is also lower. Improving access to fertility services won't fix China's demographic problem on its own, with factors from low incomes to expensive education, a feeble social safety net and high gender inequality needing more attention, according to population experts. But it can still make an impact. Lin estimates that already around 300,000 babies are born in China via IVF annually - some 3% of newborns. "I believe a related policy will come out in the near future that can satisfy many people's desire to have a child," Lin said. While more Chinese women have postponed or given up on having babies in recent years, many still want to become mothers. Joy Yang, a 22-year-old international finance major from Hunan province, said she first heard of IVF on television and she wants it liberalised nationwide, in case she does not find a partner but her financial situation allows her to have a child. "There are some women who don't want to get married but they still want to have children. I might choose to do IVF," said Yang. ($1 = 6.8894 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Additional reporting by Tingshu Wang and the Beijing newsroom; writing by Farah Master; editing by Marius Zaharia and David Crawshaw) HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban and U.S. officials met on Friday in Havana to discuss anti-terrorism measures, Cuba's interior ministry said, broaching a particularly thorny subject between the two long-time rivals in the latest in a series of bilateral talks. Terrorism is a contentious issue as Cuba is on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a matter the two sides agreed to continue discussing, however the talks this week were mainly "technical". The meetings, which included the U.S. State Department, Justice Department and Homeland Security and their Cuban counterparts, addressed the hijacking of aircraft and maritime vessels and the use of digital networks for violent purposes. "The realization of this exchange is an expression of the commitment of the Cuban government in the fight against (terrorism)," the interior ministry statement said. Former U.S. President Donald Trump placed Cuba on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation that Cuba's government has rejected. The list imposes strict sanctions on the communist-run island, complicating financial transactions and contributing, Cuba says, to a severe economic crisis that has led to shortages of fuel, food and medicine and a record-breaking exodus of migrants north to the United States. The interior ministry statement said Cuba had expressed its opposition to the designation in this week's meetings, which began Thursday, but said both parties agreed to continue the talks going forward. The U.S. State Department did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The Biden administration has said it is reviewing Cuba's status on the terrorism list but has yet to make any changes. (Reporting by Dave Sherwood in Havana; Editing by Sonali Paul) MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Saturday announced the government would invest 1.3 billion euros ($1.43 billion) in vocational training. The measure will be approved at next week's cabinet meeting and will create 45,000 bilingual vocational training places, 824 new training centres and more than 1,500 classrooms for applied technology and entrepreneurship. "It is the biggest commitment to vocational training that any government has ever made," Sanchez said during a Socialist Party event in Pamplona. "We are creating more and better jobs... and the best tool is to bet on quality vocational training, like the most advanced countries in Europe," he said. The new investment joins the 6.6 billion the government has already invested, Sanchez said. One of the main aims of the new investment, he said, was to help reduce youth unemployment. Young Spaniards have already been improvements in the jobs market since a 2021 labour law brought in by Sanchez's left-wing government. ($1 = 0.9074 euros) (Reporting by Jessica Jones; Editing by Alex Richardson) CAIRO (Reuters) - Syrian air defenses intercepted an Israel rocket attack in the vicinity of the city of Homs in the early hours of Saturday and shot down some of them, state media said, citing a military source. The attack resulted in three civilian injuries as well as material damages, it added. Israel has for years been carrying out attacks against what it has described as Iran-linked targets in Syria, where Tehran's influence has grown since it began supporting President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war that started in 2011. (Reporting By Muhammad Al Gebaly and Laila Bassam, Writing by Moaz Abd-Alaziz, Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler) A load of corn is poured into a truck, at a grain storage facility in the village of Bilohiria, Khmelnytskyi region, Ukraine April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine had protested to key allies the European Union and Poland over restrictions on its grain supplies on Friday, before the European Commisssion announced later in the day that a deal had been reached in principle to resolve the matter. Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Saturday it had sent notes to the Polish Embassy and EU representative office in Kyiv on Friday expressing dissapointment with the situation and saying restrictions on its grain exports via the European trade bloc were "categorically unacceptable". The European Commission said on Friday afternoon it had reached a deal in principle to allow the transit of Ukrainian grain to resume through five EU countries that had imposed restrictions. Foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said on Saturday in response to a question from Reuters that the notes had been sent before the Commmission's announcement. Asked if the announcement had changed the ministry's position, he said: "There must be (unhindered) export for all Ukrainian goods". "There are full legal grounds for the immediate resumption of exports of Ukrainian agricultural goods to Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria, as well as the continuation of unhindered exports to other EU member states," the ministry said in an emailed statement on Saturday. In imposing restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports, those five countries have cited concerns that grain from Ukraine meant to be exported to other countries have ended up in their local markets, pushing down prices for local farmers. A Polish foreign ministry spokesman said he had not yet seen the note. A Polish government spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment. (Reporting by Max HunderAdditional reporting by Alan CharlishEditing by Alexandra Hudson and Frances Kerry) (Tribune News Service) New York Army National Guard soldiers from the Syracuse-based 27th Infantry Brigade Combat team are on their way home after overseeing the training of 9,600 Ukrainian troops. The 140 soldiers, organized as Task Force Orion for the brigade's nickname of Orion, the hunter served as the command and administrative elements for the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine, known as the JTMG-U for short, since taking charge of the NATO's Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine in August of 2022. According to a news release, over the course of nine months, Task Force Orion oversaw the U.S.-led training of Armed Forces of Ukraine soldiers on more than 15 different systems and equipment. The New Yorkers also assisted in the training of more than eight Ukrainian battalion tactical groups in combined arms and joint maneuver, according to Army officials. "The proof and the results are in the bravery and the actions of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters who are accomplishing them on the battlefield," said Col. William Murphy, the task force commander. On Friday, Task Force Orion turned over the responsibility for the JTMG-U to a National Guard team from Arkansas during a ceremony in Grafenwoehr, Germany. While the 27th is headquartered in Syracuse it has units across the state and drew soldiers from all these units for Task Force Orion. Murphy turned over command of the training group to Col. Olen Bridges, commander of the Arkansas Army National Guard's Task Force Bowie, during the ceremony. The New York soldiers will return from Germany to Fort Bliss, Texas for demobilization and then will return home to airports across the state in May. The training group was originally operating at Ukraine's training center near Yavoriv, Ukraine. In February 2022, just prior to the Russian invasion, the American trainers from the Florida Army National Guard, were relocated to the Grafenwoehr base. From April to December 2022, training focused on instructing Ukrainian military personnel on how to use the American weapons systems and equipment sent to Ukraine. Since January, training has included combined arms maneuver and staff training for Ukrainian battalions, brigades, and corps. Task forces assigned to the mission have worked with numerous U.S. military units, as well as Allied and partner nations to ensure the success of U.S.-led Ukrainian training in Germany. "The one common thread that has run through all of this, that has united all of those organizations and linked them together with our Ukrainian counterparts, has been JMTG-U," said Col. Stephen C. Marr, chief of staff of 7th Army Training Command. The 27th Infantry Brigade is the only brigade to have contributed troops to the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine twice. Soldiers from the New York Army National Guard conducted training for Ukrainian troops, alongside other NATO soldiers, at the Yavoriv base from November 2017 to August 2018. (c)2023 The Citizen, Auburn, N.Y. Visit The Citizen, Auburn, N.Y. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. CAIRO Gunfire and heavy artillery fire persisted Saturday in parts of Sudan's capital Khartoum, residents said, despite the extension of a cease-fire between the country's two top generals, whose battle for power has killed hundreds and sent thousands fleeing for their lives. With ordinary Sudanese caught in the crossfire, the civilian death toll jumped Saturday to 411 people, according to the Sudan Doctors' Syndicate, which monitors casualties. In some areas in and around the capital, residents reported that shops were reopening and normalcy gradually returning as the scale of fighting dwindled after the shaky truce. But in other areas, terrified residents reported explosions thundering around them and fighters ransacking houses. Now in its third week, the fighting has wounded 2,023 civilians, the syndicate added, although the true toll is expected to be much higher. The Sudanese Health Ministry put the overall death toll, including fighters, at 528, with 4,500 wounded. In the city of Genena, the provincial capital of war-ravaged West Darfur, intensified violence has killed 89 people, the Doctors' Syndicate said. Khartoum, a city of some 5 million people, has been transformed into a front line in the grinding conflict between Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the commander of Sudan's military, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. The outbreak of violence has dashed once-euphoric hopes for a democratic transition in Sudan after a popular uprising helped oust former dictator Omar al-Bashir. Foreign countries continued to evacuate their citizens while hundreds of thousands of Sudanese fled across borders. The first convoy organized by the United States to evacuate hundreds of American citizens from the conflict reached the coastal city of Port Sudan Saturday after a dangerous overland journey escorted by armed drones. Britain meanwhile was ending its evacuation flights Saturday, after demand for spots on the planes declined. The United Arab Emirates announced Saturday it had started evacuating its own citizens along with nationals of 16 other countries. Over 50,000 Sudanese refugees mostly women and children have crossed over to Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, the United Nations said, raising fears of regional instability. Ethnic fighting and turmoil has scarred South Sudan and the Central African Republic for years while a 2021 coup has derailed Chad's own democratic transition. Those who escape the fighting in Khartoum face more dangers on their way to safety. The route to Port Sudan, where ships evacuate people via the Red Sea, has proven long, exhausting and risky. Hatim el-Madani, a former journalist, said that paramilitary fighters were stopping refugees at roadblocks outside Khartoum, demanding they hand over their phones and valuables. "There's an outlaw, bandit-like nature to the RSF," he said, referring to Dagalo's Rapid Support Forces. "They don't have a supply line in place. That could get worse in the coming days." Airlifts from the country amid the chaotic fighting also posed challenges, with a Turkish evacuation plane even hit by gunfire outside Khartoum on Friday. On Saturday despite a cease-fire extended under heavy international pressure early Friday clashes continued around the presidential palace, headquarters of the state broadcaster and a military base in Khartoum, residents said. The battles sent thick columns of black smoke billowing over the city skyline. But in other areas, residents reported signs that the cease-fire had taken hold. "We are not hearing the bombs as we did before, so we're hoping that this means they will go back to a political process," said Osman Mirgany, a columnist and editor of the daily al-Tayar, who assessed it was safe enough on Friday to return home to Khartoum after seeking refuge in a far-flung village. But Khartoum residents are forced to live side by side with armed fighters. Many RSF militants have moved into civilian homes and taken over stores and hospitals in the capital. The paramilitary group even transformed Mirgany's newsroom into a makeshift base, he said. Residents also must cope without sufficient electricity and running water, among other basic supplies. "For the past 14 days we've suffered from a lack of everything," Mirgany said. Residents in the city of Omdurman, west of Khartoum, have been waiting at least three days to get fuel complicating their escape plans. The U.N. relief coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said that U.N. offices in Khartoum, as well as the cities of Genena and Nyala in Darfur had been attacked and looted. Genena's main hospital was also leveled in the fighting, Sudan's health ministry said. "This is unacceptable and prohibited under international law," Griffiths said. Over the past 15 days, the generals have failed to deal a decisive blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africa's third largest nation. The military has appeared to have the upper hand in the fighting, with its monopoly on air power, but it has been impossible to confirm its claims of advances. "Soon, the Sudanese state with its well-grounded institutions will rise as victorious, and attempts to hijack our country will be aborted forever," the Sudanese military said Saturday. Both sides in the conflict have a long history of human rights abuses. The RSF was born out of the Janjaweed militias, which were accused of widespread atrocities when the government deployed them to put down a rebellion in Sudan's western Darfur region in the early 2000s. A unit of Sudan's armed forces, known as the Central Reserve Police, have been sanctioned by the United Staets for grave human rights violations against Sudan's pro-democracy protesters. Accusations of rape, torture and other abuses against demonstrators carried out by the unit first surfaced in 2021, after Burhan and Dagalo joined forces in a military coup that ousted a civilian government. The Sudanese Interior Ministry confirmed the deployment of the Central Reserve Police in Khartoum on Saturday, posting photos of the fighters riding with heavy machine guns mounted on pickup trucks. Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was ousted in the 2021 coup, appealed to the international community from a conference in Nairobi, Kenya, to push for an immediate halt to the conflict. He warned that a full-blown civil war in the strategically located country would have consequences not just for Sudan but for the world. "God forbid if Sudan is to reach a proper civil war ... it is a huge country and very diverse ... it would be a nightmare for the world," he said. But the generals have so far publicly dismissed attempts to reach a compromise. Regional mediators have been unable to travel to Khartoum because of the fighting. African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki said he would nonetheless try to send peacekeepers to the country. "I'm ready to go there myself, even by road," Faki said. "We ask the two generals to create the conditions for us to go to Khartoum." DeBre reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Evelyne Musambi from Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report. SHIJIAZHUANG, April 28 (Xinhua) -- A freight train left Langfang City in north China's Hebei Province on Friday morning, bound for Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, marking the opening of a new China-Europe freight train route. The train will complete a journey of approximately 6,000 kilometers, leaving China via the Horgos Pass in Xinjiang, passing through Kazakhstan and finally arriving at its destination 15 days after its departure. The train is carrying more than 1,400 tonnes of goods, with a total value of over 14.5 million yuan (about 2.09 million U.S. dollars). The cargo includes cotton goods and furniture hardware. Langfang's imports and exports continued to grow this year. The total volume of the city's foreign trade from January to March was 11.83 billion U.S. dollars, up 23.5 percent year on year. Zhang Chao, deputy director of the Langfang Municipal Development and Reform Commission, said the launch of the new China-Europe freight train route will effectively reduce transportation times and costs of goods between Langfang and Central Asia, smoothen enterprises' industrial and supply chains, and provide a strong guarantee for local international logistics channels and export-oriented economic development. WASHINGTON Hundreds of Americans fleeing two weeks of deadly fighting in Sudan reached the east African nation's port Saturday in the first U.S.-run evacuation, completing a dangerous land journey under escort of armed drones. American unmanned aircraft, which have been keeping an eye on overland evacuation routes for days, provided armed overwatch for a bus convoy carrying 200 to 300 Americans over 500 miles or 800 kilometers to Port Sudan, a place of relative safety, U.S. officials said. The U.S., which had none of its officials on the ground for the evacuation, has been criticized by families of trapped Americans in Sudan for initially ruling out any U.S.-run evacuation for those among an estimated 16,000 Americans in Sudan who wish to leave. U.S. special operations troops briefly flew to the capital, Khartoum, April 22 to airlift out American staffers at the embassy and other American government personnel. More than a dozen other nations have already been carrying out evacuations for their citizens, using a mix of military planes, navy vessels and on the ground personnel. A wide-ranging group of international mediators including African and Arab nations, the United Nations and the United States has only managed to achieve a series of fragile temporary cease-fires that failed to stop clashes but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese to flee to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate thousands of their citizens by land, air and sea. Since the conflict between two rival generals broke out April 15, the U.S. has warned its citizens that they needed to find their own way out of the country, though U.S. officials have tried to link up Americans with other nations' evacuation efforts. But that changed as U.S. officials exploited a relative lull in the fighting and, from afar, organized their own convoy for Americans, officials said. Without the evacuation flights near the capital that other countries have been offering their citizens, many U.S. citizens have been left to make the dangerous overland journey from Khartoum to the country's main Red Sea port, Port Sudan. One Sudanese-American family that made the trip earlier described passing through numerous checkpoints manned by armed men and passing bodies lying in the street and vehicles of other fleeing families who had been killed along the way. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the convoy carried U.S. citizens, local people employed by the U.S. and citizens of allied countries. "We reiterate our warning to Americans not to travel to Sudan," he said. From Port Sudan, away from the fighting, the Americans in the convoy can seek spots on vessels crossing the Red Sea to the Saudi port city of Jeddah. U.S. officials also are working with Saudi Arabia to see if one of the kingdom's naval vessels can carry a larger number of Americans to Jeddah. U.S. consular officials will be waiting for the Americans once they reach the dock in Jeddah, but there are no U.S. personnel in Port Sudan, officials said. Two Americans are confirmed killed in the fighting that erupted April 15. One was a U.S. civilian whom officials said was caught in crossfire. The other was an Iowa City, Iowa, doctor, who was stabbed to death in front of his house and family in Khartoum, in the lawless violence that has accompanied the fighting. In all, the fighting in the east African country has killed more than 500 people,. The U.S. airlifted out all its diplomats and military personnel and closed its embassy April 22. It left behind several thousand U.S. citizens still in Sudan, many of them dual-nationals. The Biden administration had warned it had no plans to join other countries in organizing evacuation for ordinary U.S. citizens who wanted out, calling it too dangerous. There were no known U.S. government personnel on the ground in Sudan assisting the convoy. TOKYO Japan adopted a new five-year ocean policy on Friday that calls for stronger maritime security, including bolstering its coast guard's capability and cooperation with the military as China grows increasingly assertive in regional seas. The new Basic Plan on Ocean Policy adopted by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet also says Japan must accelerate the development of autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated robots to strengthen its surveillance capability. It cited a list of threats: Chinese coast guard ships' repeated intrusions into Japanese territorial waters, growing unauthorized maritime activity by "foreign survey boats" inside Japan's exclusive economic zone, increasing joint military exercises by China and Russia, and North Korea's repeated missile launches. "The situation in the ocean around Japan is increasingly tense," Kishida said at a policy meeting Friday. "It's time for us to unite our wisdom among the industry, academia and government for ocean policy reform or ocean transformation." He also noted the need to better use maritime resources to achieve carbon neutrality. The new ocean policy is in line with Japan's new national security strategy that Kishida's government adopted in December in a major break from the self-defense-only principle that the country has maintained under its postwar pacifist constitution. The new strategy provides for the strengthening of Japan's military power with a strike capability and double its defense budget within five years. The strategy also calls for closer cooperation between the military and the coast guard in any emergency over Taiwan or other possible conflicts. Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao urged Japan on Friday to stay away from the Taiwan issue, saying it is China's core national interest and "a red line that should not be crossed." He blamed rising tensions around Taiwan on "foreign forces that are colluding with Taiwanese independence forces" and said their ultimate goal is to split self-governed Taiwan, which Beijing claims, from China. A change in the status quo would cause a "catastrophic outcome," he said at a news conference. If Japan takes sides with independence forces, it would lead the Japanese people "into the fire," he said. The ocean plan also says the capability of Japan's coast guard, which has been on the front line of border disputes, needs to be improved. The coast guard frequently confronts Chinese coast guard vessels approaching Japanese-controlled disputed islands in the East China Sea, North Korean poachers and suspected spy boats, and Russian coast guard vessels near disputed northern islands. Japan's coast guard is used for civilian policing at sea and not military combat, and the new plans calling for closer cooperation with the Self Defense Force have raised concerns about its role and safety in a possible conflict. The ocean plan also says Japan needs to be more aggressive about undersea surveys and using undersea resources for energy, calling for greater use of the exclusive economic zone outside of territorial waters to build offshore wind-power generators. Japan has repeatedly protested over Chinese research ships entering Japanese waters or the exclusive economic zone just outside it for apparent surveys of undersea deposits and other marine resources. SEOUL, South Korea The powerful sister of North Korea's leader says her country would stage more provocative displays of its military might in response to a new U.S.-South Korean agreement to intensify nuclear deterrence to counter the North's nuclear threat, which she insists shows their "extreme" hostility toward Pyongyang. Kim Yo Jong also lobbed personal insults toward U.S. President Joe Biden, who after a summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday stated that any North Korean nuclear attack on the U.S. or its allies would "result in the end of whatever regime" took such action. Biden's meeting with Yoon in Washington came amid heightened tensions in the Korean Peninsula as the pace of both the North Korean weapons demonstrations and the combined U.S.-South Korean military exercises have increased in a cycle of tit-for-tat. Since the start of 2022, North Korea has test-fired around 100 missiles, including multiple demonstrations of intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to reach the U.S. mainland and a slew of short-range launches the North described as simulated nuclear strikes on South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is widely expected to up the ante in coming weeks or months as he continues to accelerate a campaign aimed at cementing the North's status as a nuclear power and eventually negotiating U.S. economic and security concessions from a position of strength. During their summit, Biden and Yoon announced new nuclear deterrence efforts that call for periodically docking U.S. nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea for the first time in decades and bolstering training between the two countries. They also committed to plans for bilateral presidential consultations in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack, the establishment of a nuclear consultative group and improved sharing of information on nuclear and strategic weapons operation plans. In her comments published on state media, Kim Yo Jong said the U.S.-South Korean agreement reflected the allies' "most hostile and aggressive will of action" against the North and will push regional peace and security into "more serious danger." Kim, who is one of her brother's top foreign policy officials, said the summit further strengthened the North's conviction to enhance its nuclear arms capabilities. She said it would be especially important for the North to perfect the "second mission of the nuclear war deterrent," in an apparent reference to the country's escalatory nuclear doctrine that calls for preemptive nuclear strikes over a broad range of scenarios where it may perceive its leadership as under threat. She lashed out at Biden over his blunt warning that North Korean nuclear aggression would result in the end of its regime, calling him senile and "too miscalculating and irresponsibly brave." However, she said the North wouldn't simply dismiss his words as a "nonsensical remark from the person in his dotage." "When we consider that this expression was personally used by the president of the U.S., our most hostile adversary, it is threatening rhetoric for which he should be prepared for far too great an after-storm," she said. "The more the enemies are dead set on staging nuclear war exercises, and the more nuclear assets they deploy in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula, the stronger the exercise of our right to self-defense will become in direct proportion to them." North Korea has long described the United States' regular military exercises with South Korea as invasion rehearsals, although the allies described those drills as defensive. Many experts say Kim Jong Un likely uses his rivals' military drills as a pretext to advance his weapons programs and solidify his domestic leadership amid economic troubles. Facing growing North Korean threats, Yoon has been seeking stronger reassurances from the United States that it would swiftly and decisively use its nuclear weapons if the South comes under a North Korean nuclear attack. His government has also been expanding military training with the U.S., which included the allies' biggest field exercises in years last month and separate drills involving a U.S. aircraft carrier battle group and advanced warplanes, including nuclear-capable B-52 bombers and F-35 fighter jets. Kim Yo Jong did not specify the actions the North is planning to take in response to the outcome of the U.S.-South Korea summit. Her brother said this month that the country has built its first military spy satellite that will be launched at an unspecified date, which will almost certainly be seen by its rivals as a banned test of long-range missile technology. In March, he called for his nuclear scientists to increase production of weapons-grade material to make bombs to put on his increasing range of nuclear-capable missiles, as the North unveiled what appeared to be a new warhead possibly designed to fit on a variety of delivery systems. Nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have derailed since 2019 over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling U.S.-led sanctions against the North and the North's steps to wind down its nuclear weapons program. BEIRUT Suspected Israeli airstrikes targeted the Syrian province of Homs early Saturday, state media reported. Syria's state news agency, SANA, citing military officials, said that three civilians were wounded in the strike and that a civilian fuel station caught fire and a number of fuel tankers and trucks were burned. It reported that Syrian air defenses responded to Israeli missiles in the sky over Homs and shot down some of them. The pro-government Sham FM radio said fires broke out south of the city of Homs as a result of the strikes and "successive explosions sounded from the area. The Britain-based opposition war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Israeli missiles had destroyed an ammunition depot belonging to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah at a military airport in the countryside of Homs. The observatory said it was the second time Israel targeted the site in a month. On April 2, state media reported Israeli airstrikes hit several sites in Homs, wounding five soldiers. The observatory said two Hezbollah members were killed by the earlier attrack. There was no immediate statement from Israeli authorities on the strikes, Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment next door, has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in government-controlled parts of neighboring Syria in recent years, but rarely acknowledges them. Earlier this year, suspected Israeli strikes in Syria intensified, culminating in an exchange on the border April 8, when the Israeli military said its forces attacked targets in Syria after six rockets were launched from southern Syria toward the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. On Monday, Syrian pro-government media said Israel shelled targets in southern Syria near the Golan Heights, causing unspecified material damage. The Armys highest-ranking officer on Friday ordered a service-wide aviation stand down following a pair of helicopter crashes over the past month that took the lives of 12 soldiers. The order by Army Chief of Staff James McConville grounds all Army aviators until they complete required training, the service said in a news release Friday. Aviators participating in critical missions, however, will continue flying during the stand down, the Army said. Active-duty units are required to complete the 24-hour stand down between Monday and Friday, according to the release. Army National Guard and Reserve will have until May 31 to coincide with their training schedules, the Army said. The stand down was ordered in the aftermath of a crash Thursday near the town of Healy, Alaska. Three soldiers were killed and another injured when two AH-64 Apache helicopters collided in midair and crashed while returning from a training mission. The victims of the crash were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher Robert Eramo, 39, of Oneonta, N.Y.; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle McKenna, 28, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Warrant Officer 1 Stewart Duane Wayment, 32, of North Logan, Utah. The crashs cause is being investigated. On March 29, two Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a training flight near Fort Campbell, Ky., that took the lives of nine soldiers. The 101st Airborne Division aircraft collided in midair during a nighttime flight and went down in a field in Kentucky, Army investigators said in a preliminary report. The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel, McConville said in the news release. McConville is a senior Army aviator and is qualified to pilot numerous aircraft. During this stand down, we will focus on safety and training protocols to ensure our pilots and crews have the knowledge, training and awareness to safely complete their assigned mission, he said. The Army will review its risk approval and risk management processes as part of the stand down. It will also reevaluate the Armys aviation maintenance training program, aircrew training standards and management and supervisory responsibilities, the Army said. Army aviation units will resume normal operations following the stand down, after any corrective actions are taken on issues identified in safety or training, the release said. WASHINGTON House lawmakers pressed Navy and Marine Corps officials on Friday to make quality-of-life improvements for sailors and Marines, from mental health care to gender parity to child care. Members of the House Armed Services Committee said they continue to hear from service members who complain of long waitlists for child care, poor living conditions, sexism and insufficient access to suicide prevention services. Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., said troops in her district are contending with a military child care waitlist that has ballooned to 4,000 children. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a Marine Corps veteran, said the services are also failing to properly advertise a new 988 suicide prevention hotline. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said he constantly hears about junior sailors struggling with subpar housing. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., admonished Navy and Marine Corps leaders for failing to properly address the hazing, harassment and sexual assault of women in naval aviation. She focused on Naval Air Station Pensacola, where she said men make sexual jokes and pull down womens flight suit zippers and male instructors forcibly kiss female trainees. The part that makes me see red and the part that truly speaks of the dearth of leadership in the Department of Navy and in our Marine Corps is when these women step forward to report these things, they're shut down, said Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot. Is this the price that women are expected to pay to serve our nation? Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, who appeared before the committee to defend the services fiscal 2024 budget, said both services need far more women in their ranks. He disputed they would face a hostile environment in the military, however. Im looking for tough women to join the Navy and the Marine Corps and inspiring them in ways that proves to them that despite what Ms. Sherrill said, actually that there is hope for women, that they will be able to advance to the highest ranks in both the Marine Corps and the Navy, he said. Navy and Marine Corps officials did acknowledge persistent problems with providing troops and their families with access to child care and mental health services, describing them as among the top quality-of-life issues plaguing the services. Gen. David Berger, commandant of the Marine Corps, said the average wait time for child care is an unacceptable 100 days. Much of the delay is due to the slow pace of hiring child care providers and competition with private child care centers that might offer more competitive wages, he said. We have got to cut down the application time, Berger said. We have brought up the pay now to be corresponding with outside the gate but the wait time is a real challenge. Adm. Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations, said child care provider staffing is at about 80% and the waitlist for child care across the Navy has decreased from 8,000 last year to 5,500 this year. Still, the service is sometimes offering providers wages that are $5 above the market median and recruiting from colleges to help alleviate a surge of demand for child care in the summer, he said. Efforts are also continuing to a mitigate a similar shortage of mental health care providers, service officials told lawmakers. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Va., said she heard mental health professionals aboard the USS George Washington are overwhelmed with the needs of sailors. The aircraft carrier, which has been docked for repairs since 2017, has become known in recent years for a spate of suicides among its crew members. Unfortunately, these sailors are not alone and several sailors assigned to other ships undergoing refueling and complex overhaul at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center in Norfolk have died by suicide within the past five years, McClellan said. I know for many of our sailors this seems like an unrelenting tragedy. Del Toro said the Defense Department is aggressively recruiting mental health professionals from the private sector but he believes the solution is for the Navy to grow our own mental health staff by training corpsmen to become mental health technicians. We need to actually train far many more corpsman and we're moving in that direction, it may take a year or two to get the number of mental health technicians that we need, he said. But it's tough to compete with the private sector they're also extremely short-handed. In the meantime, the Navy is placing more chaplains on ships to offer sailors guidance and trying to minimize time spent aboard docked ships, Del Toro said. A government watchdog report last year found morale dropped among crew members who lived on ships undergoing maintenance. Gilday said the services are doing their best to get sailors into barracks despite constraints in the law that do not allow junior service members on sea duty to receive a basic housing allowance, which forces them to stay on docked ships. Some of those restrictions are being waived, Gilday said, and the Navy is working with landlords to offer below market rents on apartments. He implored Congress to approve the Navy and Marine Corps request for a significant bump in construction and restoration spending and said service members should be a top priority for lawmakers as they craft the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, an annual bill that lays out Pentagon priorities. I ask for your help now to invest in their quality of life, Gilday said. Weve got to invest in where they live, where they work, where they eat, where they work out, all of that. Theyve earned it. We have to deliver. House lawmakers will address these issues in more depth on a new quality-of-life subcommittee, led by Bacon, that will launch in June. (Tribune News Service) Las Vegas resident Dave Crete attended a reunion in 2016 with eight of his fellow veterans who had served in the 1980s at what was then known as the Nevada Test Site, when they noticed many of them had similar health problems. Six of them had fatty tumors called lipomas on their bodies, and Crete himself had to get a lump the size of a grapefruit removed from his back about 10 years ago. Many also have pulmonary issues or some type of cancer. When they worked at the Nevada Test and Training Range, which covers 2.9 million acres of land, they say they were exposed to chemicals like plutonium, although they hadnt known at the time. About 40 years later, the veterans hope to be compensated for their medical bills. None of them have been able to get anything, and theyre all sick, Crete said. And so I finally just decided enough was enough. New legislation Crete pushed Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., to introduce federal legislation that seeks to compensate veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals. The bill is still being drafted, but Amodei expects bipartisan support when it comes to the House floor. If these are veterans, or federal employees or contractors that were exposed to something where they should be compensated, Amodei said. He said he doesnt think it will be a geographical or a partisan issue. The legislation would fill in the holes that an executive order signed by President Bill Clinton in 2000. His executive order compensated civilians and Department of Energy employees who worked on the countrys nuclear weapons, but not military Department of Defense active duty members or contractors, Amodei said. Were military. We signed up, we took an oath, Crete said. But were not a lesser person than somebody who worked for the Department of Energy. Amodei did not have a specific cost estimate for his legislation, as it would depend on each individual claim filed by the veterans, but it could add up to millions, Amodei said. He does not expect much pushback with the legislation, since the harmful effects were already proven for the civilians and Department of Energy employees. If youve got a history of paying claims to people who were serving at the same location, then its not even like (what) Agent Orange for Vietnam vets was like (in which) we got to prove something for the whole class, Amodei said. Top secret Crete worries there could be some pushback. He served in the Air Forces 4461st Security Police Squadron from 1983 to 1989 at the Tonopah Test Range, a part of the Nevada Test and Training Range and is located about 160 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Tonopah Test Range was also the site for military air-drops and cratering tests with conventional explosives that was part of a program called Plowshare, which investigated nonmilitary uses of nuclear explosions, according to an environmental assessment from 1975. Crete provided operational security for the countrys top-secret F-117A stealth aircraft at the Tonopah Test Range, which the government did not even acknowledge existed until 1988, Crete said. Officially, he and his squadron were not there, Crete said. It was highly classified, so compensating the veterans for their medical bills would require acknowledging they were there in the first place, Crete said. When veterans try to file a claim through Veterans Affairs, they get denied because they cannot prove they were exposed to radiation, Crete said. Their records for that period of time are data masked, or obscured, he said. The U.S. government finally admitted Tonopah Test Range was used to test ballistic and non-nuclear features of atomic testing, which caused radiological and chemical contamination of soils, according to a fact sheet from the Department of Energy. Dust storms were common in the spring and strong dust devils rose up during the summer, according to the environmental assessment from 1975. The biggest thing is, it was the dust. We would breathe it in, said Crete, who said he has lung issues and easily gets bronchitis. In 1957 and 1963, explosive testing was conducted near or on the base, depending on what version of maps one is looking at, Crete said. Plutonium was dispersed and radioactivity was detected in the Nevada Test and Training Range, according to the U.S. Department of Energys publication U.S. Nuclear Tests July 1945 through September 1992. In 1963, a series called the Roller Coaster tests were carried out to study the spread of plutonium from the non-nuclear detonation of nuclear weapons, according to the environmental assessment. Plutonium releases what is known as alpha particles, which are easily blocked from the skin. But breathing it in, in even small amounts, can cause adverse health effects, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration. Radiation signs were put up as well as a fence in areas of high concentration to contain the debris, but Crete said that fence is barbed wire. The 1975 environmental assessment from the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration which had merged in 1977 with the Federal Energy Administration explored the idea of decommissioning the Tonopah Test Range, but found it would be against the nations interest. These costs and these benefits imply that as long as the nation chooses to maintain an up-to-date nuclear weapon stockpile, some facility such as the Tonopah Test Range must continue to exist, the administration wrote. We were never told We were never told that we were being exposed to anything, said Randall Groves, a 60-year-old Dallas resident who had also worked at the Nevada Test Site. As a 29 year old, he did not think about stuff like that, he said. You assume the government did their due diligence to keep everybody safe. In his early 30s, Groves was diagnosed with skin cancer, and on multiple occasions has had to get fatty tumors removed. I feel betrayed by my government, he said. They made a promise. For 23 years weve been denied anything that the civilians were already given. Groves and Crete connected with others who worked on the Nevada Test and Training Range through a Facebook group, which is made up of about 300 people. Crete does not know how many veterans that he worked with in the 1980s have died. He started a memorial page on Facebook for families to list their deceased loved ones, and so far there are 100, Crete said. He also started a non-profit organization called The Invisible Enemy that advocates for veterans and their families that have been exposed to radiation and other toxins. Theres so many people weve lost, Groves said. Its shocking. 2023 Las Vegas Review-Journal. Visit reviewjournal.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (Tribune News Service) USS Oklahoma survivor George Coburn died April 19 in Oceanside, Calif., at the age of 103, the National Park Service at Pearl Harbor National Memorial announced Wednesday in a news release. Coburn was born in Mankato, Minn., on Oct. 26, 1919, but his family moved to San Diego shortly after he was born and he grew up in Southern California. He enlisted in the Navy in 1938 and was eventually assigned to the USS Oklahoma. He was on board, completing an inspection of the ship on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, when the Japanese navy launched its surprise attack. As he and his shipmates began climbing the floors of the vessel to the main deck, several torpedoes hit the ship. The men became trapped under a sealed hatch as the ship quickly listed 45 degrees to its port side. The blasts ruptured onboard oil tanks, and sailors found themselves slipping in oil that pooled on the floor. The lights were out, and Coburn could hear water pouring into the ship as sailors on a damaged ladder frantically tried to open the hatch to the deck above. They eventually got it open, and as the ship capsized, Coburn and fellow sailors managed to escape through a side porthole that by then was overhead. They were lucky because 429 of their shipmates remained trapped inside and died in the ship. Coburn continued to serve throughout the Pacific campaign during World War II. He served aboard the heavy cruiser USS Louisville and took part in several major battles in the Pacific theater. He received the Purple Heart after a kamikaze attack on the Louisville left him with shrapnel wounds during the Battle of Okinawa. He left the Navy in May 1946. After his military service he continued working for the Navy as a contractor and electrician. He and his wife, Jenny, settled in San Diego, where they raised their two children. After retiring, Coburn and his wife relocated to Vista, Calif. His wife died in 2005. In a 2020 interview with the San-Diego Union Tribune, as COVID-19 led to lockdowns that shut down Pearl Harbor commemoration events, Coburn said he didn't need commemoration events to remember the Oklahoma. "Some of that stuff is indelible in my memory," Coburn told the newspaper. "You don't forget something like that." In the same article, Marie Coburn, one of Coburn's two children, said that despite his traumatic experiences he didn't discriminate against Japanese people like some other veterans of the Pacific theater. She said that was important to her because one of her best friends since age 7 is Japanese American. "He looked at his military service as a job he did with honor, and he didn't let that poison him or make him bitter," she told the San-Diego Union Tribune. "I'm so grateful for his strength of character to say, 'I was doing my job. So were they.' He didn't hold antagonism. He gave me the freedom to forge one of the best friendships of my life." (c)2023 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Visit The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Former Punjab chief minister and PTI President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi's son on Saturday moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the late-night raid at his father's Lahore residence. PTI President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and 18 others have been booked in a case of pelting stones at and violence on the police during a raid of the anti-corruption department on his residence late on Friday night. The case has been registered at Lahores Ghalib Market police station under 13 provisions, including terrorism and murder. On Friday night, police and an anti-corruption team carried out an unsuccessful raid at Elahis residence to arrest him at around 11pm. The Zahoor Palace was searched three to four times, but the PTI official could not be found. Police say the case has been registered on the application of anti-corruption CO. It claimed that an anti-corruption team raided Parvez Elahis residence to arrest him when 40 to 50 people present inside the house pelted them with stones. Petrol was also hurled at the team with the intention to cause arson, the FIR claims. However, Elahi escaped from the spot, but the alleged miscreants who offered resisted during the raid were arrested, the FIR stated. Meanwhile, Elahis son, Raasikh, challenged the police and anti-corruptions operation in the Lahore High Court. The Punjab government, anti-corruption department, and police have been made parties in the petition. Parvez Elahis protective bail was approved by the Lahore High Court, but despite that the operation was carried, and the family harassed. The petition sought that the court order Zahoor Elahi Road be cleared, and the police withdraw its force. The court should also order the police against arresting Parvez Elahi until his protective bail expires, the plea added. Earlier, the former chief minister of Punjab had decided to move the Lahore High Court against the raid at this residence last night. He asked his legal team to prepare a constitutional petition in this regard. Elahi had asked the team to nominate the caretaker Punjab chief minister, the anti-corruption department, police, and others in the case. Despite court orders, the police carried out the illegal operation, lawyer Amir Saeed Rawn said. The lawyer said the petition will be filed before the high court today. Strongly condemning the raid, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said the presence of women in the house was not respected. We are witnessing democracy being crumbled before our eyes. There is no respect left for the Constitution, court orders or the fundamental rights of the people, Imran Khan tweeted. The PTI chief called it a part of the alleged London plan to eliminate the PTI, adding fascism ruled the roost everywhere. Detailed verdict on Elahis protective bail plea The Lahore High Court on Saturday morning issued a detailed verdict on the protective bail of Parvez Elahi in the anti-corruption case registered in Gujranwala. Irrespective of the merits of the case, the applicant was granted protective bail till May 6, the verdict said. The petitioner deposited Rs50,000 to the deputy registrar and can refer to the forum concerned by May 6. This order of the court will expire by 12:30pm on May 6, the verdict said. Police and an anti-corruption team raided the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf President and former chief minister Parvez Elahi, located at Zahoor Elahi Road in Lahore. Elahis lawyer and family did not allow the team to enter the house. Upon this, the police tried to scale the walls of the house when they were pelted with stones and petrol from inside. The raiding ended the search operation that lasted for six and a half hours. Police personnel in plainclothes were also present along with the raiding party in and around Zahoor Elahi Road. The police broke down the main gate of the house with an armored personnel carrier. The anti-corruption team, headed by SP Amara Shirazi, and a heavy contingent of police searched Zahoor Palace repeatedly to arrest Parvez Elahi, but he could not be found. Police detained 27 people who pelted them with stones from inside the house during the search. Anti-Corruption Director General Sohail Zafar Chatta claimed Elahi was present inside the house, but his family was not cooperating. During the operation, Rasikh Elahis house was also searched. However, the police did not get permission to search Wajahat Hussains house. A large number of senior lawyers were also present outside the residence, including Lahore Bar Association and Lahore High Court Bar presidents. As soon as the anti-corruption and police teams left the Zahoor Palace, repair work on the main gate of the residence had started. A special Anti-Corruption Court of Lahore announced its reserved verdict on former Punjab chief minister Elahis bail plea in a billion-rupee bribery and corruption case on Friday. Anti-Corruption Court Judge Ali Raza extended the bail till May 6. The anti-corruption court reserved its decision on Elahis bail application as he appeared in court over expiry of his interim bail. The court had granted interim bail to Parvez Elahi till today. DAMASCUS, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Syrian air defenses intercepted a fresh Israeli missile attack in the central province of Homs in the early hours of Saturday, state news agency SANA reported. The air defenses were responding to hostile targets in the skies of Homs, said the report, spelling out no further details. Three civilians were injured in the attack, according to the Syrian Defense Ministry. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the missile destroyed a weapon depot for the Lebanese Hezbollah group in the Daba'a air base in Homs. Three civilians were wounded when Israeli air strikes targeted a site near the Syrian city of Homs early Saturday, state media reported, with a war monitor saying a Hezbollah munitions depot was hit. During more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions. While Israel rarely comments on the strikes it carries out on Syria, it has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch-foe Iran to extend its footprint in the war-torn country. At around 00:50 (2150 GMT)... the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack with a number of missiles, from the direction of north Lebanon, targeting several positions in the vicinity of the city of Homs, according to international media reports. Three civilians were wounded and a civilian petrol station caught fire and a number of fuel tanks and trucks were burned, it said, adding that Syrian air defences had intercepted some of the missiles. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said Israeli missiles destroyed a munitions depot belonging to Lebanons Hezbollah at the Dabaa military airport in the countryside of Homs province. Without reporting any casualties, it said there were loud explosions as the munitions in the depot blew up, with fires seen burning at the site. On April 2, Israel carried out similar strikes targeting a Hezbollah depot in the Dabaa airport area, the Observatory had said, killing two pro-Iran fighters and wounding five soldiers. On Monday, Israels army shelled a position belonging to a pro-Iran group in southern Syria near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the second such bombardment in days, the Observatory said at the time. Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir has stressed that first and foremost is loyalty to the state of Pakistan and commitment to the Constitutional role assigned to the armed forces. He further said the people of Pakistan were central to the unity of the state. The COAS was addressing the PMA Kakuls passing out parade on Saturday as the chief guest. To us, nothing is more sacred than the safety and security of our people, and no duty is more binding than the defense of our motherland. Go out now, and deliver to the expectations of your nation, Gen Munir said at the event. The army imbibes on the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah signifying no distinction of caste, color, creed, gender or geography, the COAS said, adding: Our efforts for peace should never be taken as a sign of weakness. We have the will, capability and capacity to protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity, and we are well aware of the ways and means to do it. I assure the people of Pakistan that we will never hesitate in rendering any and every sacrifice necessary for the defence of our sacred motherland, he insisted. Gen Munir further said the armed forces personnel do not get fascinated with the numbers/resources of their adversaries, adding the forces stood firm with their strong will and determination. He also referred to Surah-e-Baqarah, the rough translation of which comes to: How many times it happened that a smaller force vanquished a bigger force by the Will of Allah. Gen Munir said significant effort is being made by the nations adversaries to affect state and societal cohesion through multiple efforts. There is absolutely no space for spoilers of our hard-earned peace, he remarked. He further stressed that there was a dire need to identify the exposed and hidden enemies. Our enemies are hell-bent upon driving a wedge between its people and armed forces, the COAS added. He also maintained that stability, security, and peace in Afghanistan remained fundamental to Pakistans security. We will continue to provide political, moral and diplomatic support to our Kashmiri brothers, he added. The incident allegedly happened at a public location in Finglas on January 30 last year A 21-YEAR-OLD Dublin man has been accused of participating in an attack on a teenager who was bundled into a car boot and set on by masked men armed with weapons, including a knife and a hammer. Eric ODriscoll, whose address cannot be publicised due to a court order, was refused bail after he was charged with violent disorder. It follows a 15-month investigation by the incident room at Finglas Garda station. The incident allegedly happened at a public location in Finglas on January 30 last year. Mr ODriscoll, from Finglas, was charged and brought to appear before Judge Marie Quirke at Dublin District Court on Saturday. Detective Garda Siobhan Tolan objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the offence and fears of possible witness intimidation fears. The offence carries a possible ten-year sentence and a possible fine. She told the court that it was alleged at about 9.30 pm on January 30 last year a 16-year-old boy was set upon by five males. A contested bail hearing was told the boy was attacked, and a hammer, wrench and knife were used as weapons. The court heard the group dressed in black wore ski masks, hats and gloves. The court heard the boy was bundled into the boot of a 05-reg Saab car other people intervened and fought to pull him from the boot. Judge Quirke heard the teen was attacked again and badly injured, requiring hospitalisation. However, the youth did not engage with the investigation apart from providing a DNA sample. Gardai obtained CCTV footage, and DNA samples were taken from the clothing recovered. It was alleged the Saab was bought in south Dublin hours before the incident and abandoned later. The detective agreed with defence counsel Kevin McCrave that the accused had no prior convictions. She accepted the witnesses were not present for the bail hearing but did not agree to the counsels suggestion that his client be released with strict bail conditions. The court heard that the accused had been injured two weeks ago in a motorcycle accident resulting in being hospitalised for a week and requiring skin grafts. The defence said Mr ODriscoll was not fully mobile. Judge Quirke said the accused had the presumption of innocence and held there was no witness intimidation evidence. However, she refused bail. The court granted legal aid to Mr ODriscoll after noting he was unemployed. The accused, yet to plead, did not address the court. He was remanded in custody and will face his next hearing on May 4 at Cloverhill District Court via video link. The California native tried to board a flight to Dublin with 32.74kg of weed in his luggage. The discovery was made at Philadelphia airport. Photo Credit: US Customs & Border Protection The marijuana was discovered in suitcases. Photo Credit: US Customs & Border Protection Marijuana seized at the Philadelphia airport. Photo Credit: US Customs & Border Protection An American passenger has been arrested after he tried to board a flight to Ireland with more than 400,000 of marijuana stuffed in his suitcases. Bryan Nelson Gonzalez Rodriguez, 34, of Monterey Park, California was arrested at Philadelphia International Airport on Friday as he tried to board a flight to Dublin with 32.74kg of weed in his luggage. He now faces state felony charges of narcotics possession with intent to distribute. A spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection said he was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents after customs officers found the drugs when they searched his suitcases. CBP officers conducted outbound inspections on the flight destined to Dublin Airport when an x-ray exam revealed anomalies in two suitcases. A CBP narcotics detector dog then alerted to the two suitcases. The marijuana was discovered in suitcases. Photo Credit: US Customs & Border Protection Customers officers then identified Rodriguez at the departure gate and took him and the suitcases to an inspection stand for examination. Inside the suitcases, officers discovered numerous black vacuum-sealed packs of marijuana. The marijuana weighed a combined 32.74 kilograms, or 72 pounds, three ounces. "It has a street value of about $160,000 in the U.S.; however, high quality U.S. marijuana can fetch prices many times higher throughout other parts of the world. For example, the street price of marijuana in some parts of Ireland fetches about $400 an ounce, or about $460,000 for this load. Rodriguez was detained and later charged in connection with the drugs. Rene Ortega Acting Area Port Director for CBPs Area Port of Philadelphia said customs officers were surprised to find such a large haul just stuffed into a passengers suitcase. It is unusual to encounter travellers today who attempt to smuggle bulk amounts of marijuana in passenger baggage to overseas destinations. "Bulk marijuana smuggling remains illegal, and Customs and Border Protection officers will continue to deliver consequences when we encounter it. The discovery was made at Philadelphia airport. Photo Credit: US Customs & Border Protection Cannabis has been legalised in 22 states in the US and is decriminalised in nine more states. It has been decriminalised in Philadelphia but has not been legalised there. In Ireland, a Citizens Assembly has begun looking into possible legislative, policy and operational changes to drug policy here. The assembly, which held its first meeting this month, is made of 99 members of the public and is chaired by HSE CEO Paul Reid. A Dublin man accused of producing a knife during the course of robbing a shop assistant of a CCTV system has been sent for jury trial. Stephen Gallagher (39) was served with the book of evidence when he appeared on bail before Blanchardstown District Court. The accused, with an address at St Ronans Park in Clondalkin, is charged with robbery at B&Q, Liffey Valley Retail Park in Clondalkin on November 8, 2017. It is alleged that Mr Gallagher robbed a named man of a CCTV system, to the value of 580. He is further charged with producing a knife during the course of a dispute at the same time and place. A State solicitor said the book of evidence was ready and had been served on the accused, who goes forward to the present sittings of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Gerard Jones gave Mr Gallagher the formal alibi caution, telling him he had 14 days to bring to the attention of the State anyone he proposed calling as a witness in his defence. The court heard Mr Gallagher was not working, and the judge assigned a defence solicitor and one junior counsel on free legal aid. Mr Gallagher was interviewed by gardai in relation to the allegations, and Judge Jones further ordered that a video copy of that interview be handed over to his legal team. Mr Gallagher has not yet indicated how he intends pleading to the charges. He was remanded on his own bail to appear before a court in the Criminal Courts of Justice next month. Two men can be seen spray-painting the walls and pillar of her home with words Aontu IRA out and UDA. Sharon Loughran an Aontu is candidate for the upcoming local government election in Newry, Mourne and Down Aontu candidate Sharon Loughran has been able to hand PSNI CCTV footage of the attackers This is the moment brave knuckle-dragging UDA men sprayed sectarian graffiti on the walls of the home of an election candidate this week. Sharon Loughran told theSunday Worldher home security CCTV had captured the thugs in the act just after 4am on Monday and the footage had been sent to the PSNI. Two men waited until the middle of the night and can be seen spray-painting the walls and pillar of her home in Newry with words Aontu IRA out and UDA. She says they can even be seen on the CCTV footage taking a photograph of their handiwork as if they had completed their task with a sense of pride. The experienced paediatric nurse lives in Newry and her alleged crime which has attracted the attention of a hate mob is the fact shes decided to stand in the upcoming election to fight for better hospital services for all the community. Her chosen party is Aontu and those behind the sectarian attack seem to be under the mistaken illusion they are connected to the IRA. Shes hoping to be selected to represent the community in the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area when voting takes place on May 18. Last night Sharon told the Sunday World: Theres not a mission Ill be withdrawing from the election because of this, not a chance. I will not be intimidated, I will not be moved in my fight for Daisy Hill Hospital. Of course it was a shock, but it just makes me more determined to stand. CCTV footage of the attackers The attack is one of several reported this week by election candidates, some of whom were actually physically assaulted. With three weeks still to go to polling, there are almost certainly more similar incidents likely to take place in an election being held with the backdrop of a missing Stormont Assembly. For Sharon Loughran, a first-time election candidate, the attack on her home was perhaps all the more shocking. Im not a seasoned politician so for this to happen to me is quite a shock, she told us. I was away last weekend when it happened and didnt know anything about it until I got a call from my neighbour who said, Have you seen your wall, Sharon? and when I said I hadnt they sent me a photo. I just couldnt believe it. It took a minute for it to sink in. Where I live is a very mixed area as far as I know. "Ive never really considered the religious make-up of the area. I get on well with everyone and I know everyone because Im a nurse in A&E for the last ten years. I dont know why this happened but Id like to meet the people who did it to ask what they were thinking. Sharon says she got upset talking to the police about what happened and described it as terrible when she got home and watched the culprits on her CCTV. Thugs sprayed sectarian graffiti onto walls at Sharon Loughran's home The first thing that upset me was thinking, these people know where I live and it just seemed so personal. Sharon says while the CCTV footage is grainy, she has sent it to the PSNI to see what they can make of it. Im really passionate about Daisy Hill Hospital, she says. I worked as a nurse back in the 80s and 90s but left nursing to join a pharmaceutical company as I couldnt afford a mortgage. Paediatric nursing has always been my passion and I came back to it ten years ago and was shocked to see how badly the NHS had been run down. I was shocked at what I was seeing with the waste of money and the mismanagement. People will tell you I have my strong opinions about the NHS and I decided Id like to stand in the election with that as my major issue. I have no idea why anyone in Newry would find that offensive. Her party leader Peadar Toibin said the attack made no sense. Sharon added: This attack on my home is also incredibly wrong as it tries to link Aontu with a prescribed organisation. Aontu is four years old. We didnt exist during the Troubles. Most of our members were never members of any other political party and are new to political activism. Indeed, since our formation we have reached out and met with many within the Protestant and unionist community. Other election candidates have suffered threats and intimidation this week. Alliance councillor Michael Long was subjected to abuse and an assault by two men who approached him while out canvassing for the party in the Carncaver Road area of Belfast last Saturday. He said the men shouted I know who you are at him before proceeding to accuse him of being republican scum who was not wanted in loyalist areas and blocking his path. Sharon Loughran an Aontu is candidate for the upcoming local government election in Newry, Mourne and Down The PSNI has since said it is treating the incident as a hate crime. People Before Profit have also said their candidate for the Court DEA Cailin McCaffrey was approached by masked men as her and fellow members erected posters on Friday. Election posters and ladders were snatched during the incident, with verbal and physical threats made. The Alliance Party in other parts of Belfast have claimed their election posters have also been removed. A huge part of the inner city is an open drugs market councillor Open drug dealing was taking place at lunchtime in Dublin's north inner city Parts of north inner city Dublin have become an open drugs market, with dealing taking place in broad daylight under the noses of gardai, it has been claimed. In scenes witnessed by our reporterthis week, a number of drug deals took place at lunchtime in a flats complex off Gardiner Street as children played nearby. In the space of about 15 minutes, six individuals entered and exited a known drug den. One parked his bike outside, while the rest came on foot a few minutes apart. One man, visibly agitated, walked up and down Sean McDermott Street on the phone before entering and exiting the building. Another man entered, taking what appeared to be money out of his pocket and exited less than a minute later. Meanwhile, children played in the playground next door. After about 15 minutes two men in black puffer coats stood outside the upstairs flat where the men had been entering and proceeded to wave at this journalist. Inner city councillor Christy Burke said the problem of open drug-dealing has been going on in the flat complex for years, under the noses of An Garda Siochana. It has become a free for all. There is serious stuff going on there. There is activity going on there morning, noon and night. They [drug-dealers] stand on the balcony tooled up with sewer rods and hammers and hatchets in the event of anybody moving in on them. Its serious stuff. Local councillor Christy Burke said the issue has been going on for years The problem with parts of the city is that the unacceptable has become acceptable. Its nearly a forgotten land. A huge part of the inner city is an open drugs market, he added. The council has previously blocked off the back gate to the flat complex to reduce access, however, pedestrians can easily walk in though the open gate on the other side of the building. A garda spokesman said: An Garda Siochana in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) are committed to keeping people safe in their community and, as part of Operation Tara, established a dedicated drugs unit in each Garda Division, including Store Street. As part of a number of policing operations, Gardai in the DMR North Central carry out proactive patrols in the Dublin 1 area on a daily basis. An Garda Siochana is committed to working with local communities and wider society to eliminate instances of anti-social behaviour and related crime in support of community safety. In October 2021, Operation Citizen commenced in Dublin city centre and was initiated to reassure the citizens, visitors and the business community that it is a safe place in which to visit, socialise, conduct business and enjoy its amenities. UNITED NATIONS, April 28 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the Black Sea grain export deal over the phone on Friday. "They exchanged views on how to guarantee the improvement, expansion and extension of the Black Sea Initiative," said a readout issued by the UN chief's press office. The two also talked about the improvement of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between Russia and the Secretariat of the United Nations on promoting Russian food products and fertilizers to the world markets, the readout said. In July 2022, Russia and Ukraine separately signed a document in Istanbul with Turkiye and the United Nations on grain and fertilizer exports from Ukraine and Russia to ensure supplies to global markets amid the Ukraine crisis. The initial 120-day agreement was extended by another 120 days in November 2022 and again on March 18. Circumstances are not yet in favor of extending the Black Sea grain export deal, the Kremlin said Tuesday after Guterres sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, outlining a proposed way forward aimed at the improvement, extension and expansion of the deal. During their phone call, Guterres and Erdogan also discussed the situation in Syria and Sudan, according to the UN readout. Officers from the gardais Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau carried out the raid in Barry Fowlers cell last Friday Gardai raided the prison cell of one of the countrys most notorious druglords as part of an investigation into his role in a major seizure that occurred in south west Dublin last November. Officers from the gardais Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) carried out the raid of Barry Fowlers cell under warrant on Friday of last week. Fowler who is linked to the Kinahan cartel is suspected of still controlling major drug trafficking operations from behind bars despite him currently serving a six year jail sentence after he pleaded guilty last July to being in possession of 134,000 worth of cannabis on May 24, 2021. Fowler (38) of Millbrook Lawns, Tallaght, was not arrested by detectives in the jail operation which has been described as an attempt at further intelligence gathering by gardai on the drug dealer according to sources. No contraband was discovered but sources said documentation was seized from Fowlers cell by the garda detectives. Senior sources say that Fowler is suspected of directing around three other criminals from prison in relation to a wide array of serious criminal activity. He is one of a number of jailed gangsters linked to the Kinahan cartel who are suspected of continuing to be involved in drug dealing on the outside despite being in jail serving significant sentences. Follow up searches of Fowlers Mountjoy cell by prison officers this week after last Fridays garda raid also failed to yield anything of significance according to jail insiders. Fowler is one of the countrys most notorious gangsters and he was previously convicted of being in possession of drugs and a submachine gun and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. He finished this sentence shortly before the 2021 bust occurred and he has close links to the Kinahan-aligned Paul Rice gang in Tallaght. He also received a three-year sentence for dangerous driving causing the death of a teenager in 2005. At his latest court appearance in July of last year, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that during a garda surveillance operation, Fowler was seen taking keys from a car before gardai approached him and was seen attempting to discard the keys before being arrested. Gardai searched the car and found 134,000 worth of cannabis in a bag. The court heard Fowler said during a garda interview he was under threat by gangs, but a detective told the court he did not believe the accused in this regard. Fowlers then partner Lorna Palmer (36) spent four months in jail before being given temporary release last August after being caught with almost 100,000 of crime cash when he was previously locked up for the drugs and firearms conviction back in April, 2017. Last July, the couple lost more than 500,000 in cash and property. Judge Alex Owens said in the High Court that Barry Fowler and his partner Lorna Palmer had been living high on the hog of criminal enterprise. As a result of the case taken by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), Palmer lost the battle to keep the house described as her last refuge. The judge ruled that a property in Co Wexford which is in Palmers name was bought with the proceeds of crime, while Fowler dropped his opposition to have 99,000 in cash seized by CAB. Judge Owens said the pair were awash with cash and the evidence in court involved vast sums of money. He described Fowler as a man of means with no means and that there was quite the degree of a luxury lifestyle. Fowlers close links to the leader of the Byrne Organised Crime Gang also emerged in court, which heard he had been seen driving a vehicle used by Liam Byrne which was later seized by CAB in a separate case. Meanwhile drug squad gardai in Finglas have been involved in a prolonged investigation into the activities of two notorious brothers from the west Dublin suburb who are also suspected of controlling a separate drug dealing network from behind bars. The Finglas brothers aged in their 30s and 20s are serving lengthy jail sentences for their role in a Kinahan cartel murder plot which happened at the height of their feud with the Hutch mob. A recent seizure of over 400,000 worth of drugs during a number of searches in west Dublin has been linked to the jailed brothers drug trafficking network from behind bars. Exact details of this cannot be outlined here for legal reasons as two men have been charged in relation to the seizures. Eamonn Deegan served six months in custody for harassing an autism campaigner A vile internet troll and far right agitator, who served six months in custody for harassing an autism campaigner, boasted I am white power in his first internet appearance online since his release from prison. Deegan (55) an address at Springfield Court, Celbridge, Co Kildare, posted the message online on April together with an up to date image of himself sporting a beard. In another message he wrote on April 4th he wrote Fourteen Words a reference to two slogans written by the leader of a now defunct white separatist terrorist organisation which styled itself The Order. Deegan was jailed for eight months in October after he was convicted of harassing Fiona OLeary, a mother of five children, four of whom have autism. The harassment took place between June 3 and June 7, 2019. Deegan began the abuse with silent phone calls in the middle of the night before then sending direct messages through the Messenger app. In the messages the first batch of which Ms OLeary did not respond to he called her f***ing vile and said: Uou are a big bag of suicide waiting to happen. He said Ms OLeary was f***ed up and referring to one of her sons, who is also autistic, said: Would you not focus on that f*** up you raised?. In another message he said: You are not autistic. Bitch, Im talking to you. In another he said: There is no such thing as autism, you are just a bad mother. Again, referring to Ms OLearys son he said: I am willing to experiment on him. In another he said: I want to experiment on your child, I am a Mensa level polymath. Details of Deegans previous convictions were also given at the hearing. His convictions include five for misuse of drugs, one for the sale and supply of drugs, and six for possession of knives. Jailing Deegan, Judge James McNulty said Deegans fondness for knives and his history of drug use would give the injured party genuine cause for concern, he said. Deegan subsequently appealed the severity of the sentence and was released on bail but breached the terms of his bail last August by abusing another woman whose child had recently taken her own life. At an appeal hearing in October, Judge Helen Boyle affirmed the 10-month prison sentence before suspending the last two months. Deegan was also bound to the peace for a period of two years and barred from having any contact with Ms OLeary or her family for a period of five years. He was also barred from setting up anonymous online accounts and from coming within 200 meters of Ms. OLeary. Contacted yesterday, Ms OLeary said she had not been informed in advance of Deegans release from prison. Im sickened, she said. I was told I would be told in advance of him getting out. The brewery currently has planning permission for a visitor centre, opening the possibility for McGregor to open a brand home at the Dublin site MMA fighter Conor McGregor has agreed to buy the Porterhouse Brewery in Dublin, where one of his companies currently brews his Forged Irish Stout brand, it's understood. According to sources, staff at the Porterhouse were told about the deal last week, which is subject to completing all legal requirements. The deal agreed between Porterhouse and McGregor for the brewery does not include any of its bars. Independent.ie understands that the Porterhouse craft beer brand will continue to be brewed at the facility under contract. The brewery currently has planning permission for a visitor centre, opening the possibility for McGregor to open a brand home at the Dublin site. Forged Irish Stout was first brewed in late 2020 and for the last number of years has been available exclusively in McGregors The Black Forge pub in Crumlin, Co Dublin. An online store for the Forged brand has also appeared in recent months. According to an announcement from UK-based press relations agency Radioactive, McGregor has scaled production through the purchase of his own brewery. The announcement by Radioactive said McGregor is set to take on the stout category on both sides of the Irish Sea. He is planning a major launch for later this year in the UK, Ireland and North America. It added that the Forged Irish Stout would be available in British supermarket ASDA across the UK in June. Cousins Liam LaHart and the late Oliver Hughes founded the Porterhouse Brewing Company in 1989, when they bought the first of their pubs on Bray seafront. In 1996, the pair opened Dublins first brewpub, bringing on Peter Mosley as the head-brewer. Four years later, Porterhouse moved to a new sixty-barrel brewery in Blanchardstown, Co Dublin. The company opened its current brewery in early 2018 in response to demand for its Porterhouse craft beer brand. The 120-barrel brewing facility is just off the Ballyboggan road in Glasnevin, Dublin 11. The Forged Irish Stout brand has been brewed by Porterhouse under contract. The move into the world of stout, which is dominated by Guinness, is not the first time McGregor has attempted to disrupt the alcohol sector. In September 2018, McGregors Eire Born Spirits launched Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey. The brand claimed to have sold 200,000 cases in its first six months on the market. In 2021, McGregor sold a majority stake in Proper No. Twelve Irish whiskey to Proximo Spirits in a deal reportedly worth up to $600m. Proximo, which also owns Jose Cuervo tequila and Bushmills whiskey, already had a 49pc stake in Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey. At the time of writing, a representative for Forged Irish Stout had not responded to a request for comment. Porterhouse declined to comment. That was how my grandfather found out I was gay, and he threw me out of the house Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn has spoken of how he witnessed the murder of a policeman in a Belfast city centre bar. RUC Constable Darren Bradshaw was gunned down by the INLA in 1997 during a night out in the Parliament Bar which at the time was Northern Irelands only gay venue. Recalling the killing 6ft 10in actor and DJ Nairn, who played Hodor in the hit TV series, told the BBC how he saw the badly disguised gunman who had a weirdly drawn on beard. He said: We hadnt been there long, wed probably had our first drink. We were sat down just having a bit of a laugh. Me and my friends were just like look at the state of him (gunman). He was nervous-looking, he was definitely looking for someone. The killer, who is a seasoned INLA hitman from the Ardoyne area, approached Constable Bradshaw who was standing at the bar. He shot him three times in the back from close range. Darren Bradshaw Nairn (47) added: (There was) a very loud bang, bang, bang. The music carried on for a second before it came down. I remember a girl stood at the bar covered in blood. I made eye contact with him, I think we all made eye contact with him as he was coming out. It happened so fast. It was just like stunned silence, just like a bomb had gone off. The murder of Constable Bradshaw features in a new BBC podcast called Blood on the Dancefloor. It examines the effect it had on Belfasts gay community and how being witnesses to a paramilitary killing forced many LGBTQ+ folk into revealing their sexuality to their relatives. I went home and my mum knew I was gay and that was fine, my mums always been amazing, Kristian Nairn tells the podcast. I told my grandfather Id been in a shooting and he was like Im glad youre okay and all that. But he was quite a gossipy man in his time and he was around telling his old farmer friends. One of them had obviously been watching the news and he was like that was a gay bar. And that was how my grandfather found out I was gay, and he threw me out of the house. The Lisburn man remembers the old Parliament Bar on Dunbar Street as being an amazing place in the late 1990s. He said: There was nowhere else like it. We were there every Saturday, at one stage every night of the week. These are people whove been repressed their entire lives. All of a sudden you have a safe space where everyones into the same stuff, its a laugh and youve got a bit of alcohol there. It was immensely important, I think its laid the grounds for whats come since. No one has ever been charged in connection with Constable Bradshaws murder. At a 1998 inquest it was revealed that colleagues of the police officer had warned him of the dangers of regularly visiting the bar. At least one gay INLA member drank there and is believed to have singled him out for murder. At the time of the killing Constable Bradshaw was suspended from the RUC and which meant he was without his personal protection weapon. The Blood on the Dance Floor podcast is available on BBC Sounds. The Simon Community has said the Government must do more to tackle the ever-worsening crisis, as 3,472 children are now living in emergency accommodation. Social Democrats Housing spokesperson Cian OCallaghan says the Government must reinstate the no-fault evictions ban. Photo: Collins Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien has admitted the homelessness situation is challenging for the Government. Photo: Damien Eagers The latest homeless figure is up from 11,742 to 11,988 since February Nearly 12,000 people in Ireland were homeless last month the highest number ever recorded the latest report has shown. The Simon Community has said the Government must do more to tackle the ever-worsening crisis, as 3,472 children are now living in emergency accommodation. Last months homeless total of 11,988 is up from 11,742 in February, and 2,163 more than at the same time in 2022. Close to 100 more children have entered homelessness in the past month, Simons figures show. The latest figures, another record high, are deeply upsetting, said Wayne Stanley, executive director of the Simon Communities of Ireland. The moratorium on evictions slowed entries into homelessness during the winter months, so we know this shocking number of 11,988 men, women and children in homeless emergency accommodation may have been even higher had the moratorium not been in place. The Government has clearly made the decision that they are not returning to an eviction ban. That decision means they have, now more than ever, a duty to ensure there are the required safety nets and solutions in place. Effective actions to begin turning the tide on homelessness have to be the priority. We know there is potential in the Tenant In-Situ scheme as a prevention measure and a commitment to see it ramped up. In addition, we need to see more homes secured and allocated to those experiencing the trauma of homelessness. We know that some of this work is taking place and that is welcome, but government action on homelessness has to be judged on results, and these figures are evidence that not enough is being done. David Carroll, the chief executive of Depaul, said we cant afford to underplay the human misery attached to this crisis and added that many people are living in trepidation of whats to come. There is a significant rise in referrals of single men who are working who have been asked to leave their property due to the landlord selling up and the lack of housing options available and affordable housing options for single people, he said. The latest figures show 1,639 families, 5,823 single adults, 3,472 children and 1,456 young adults aged between 18 and 24 were homeless and living in emergency accommodation. Housing charity Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan called the numbers disgraceful and asked: How can this be allowed? He said Focus Ireland is receiving calls and emails every day from people who are facing no-fault eviction and homelessness. Mr Dennigan added: They are terrified, and I really do not think the Government has spoken to people in this situation, because if they had they would not have lifted the eviction ban. One retired civil servant contacted us for help as she is facing eviction and terrified. We are working to support her, and she is just one of the many people contacting us. How can this be allowed to happen in our society? It is disgraceful. Sadly, we will see more of it. Dublin Simon said it is now seeing increased activity in its homelessness prevention services and experiencing a rise in enquiries from concerned tenants at risk of losing their homes. Tommy Hawkes favourite song by the controversial band was the Broad Black Brimmer of the IRA The Wolfe Tones - Feile...The Wolfe Tones perform at Feile in the Falls Park, west Belfast on August 11th 2019 ( Photo by Kevin Scott ) A notorious UVF man was a secret fan of the controversial rebel band The Wolfe Tones, the Sunday World can reveal. And we have also learned deceased Belfast loyalist Tommy Hawkes favourite song was the Broad Black Brimmer of the IRA! The bizarre disclosure was made public when his son Thomas Hawkes Jnr posted details of his fathers unusual musical tastes on Facebook to mark the anniversary of his death. Displaying the lyrics of the IRA ballad, Hawkes Jnr wrote: It pains me to listen to this crap, but this is for you aul timer... mite as well p*ss me off 1 last time with your crap music. One loyalist who was in prison with the late UVF man said: I know it sounds crazy, but quite a few loyalists like Irish rebel music. Tommy Hawkes wasnt the only one. Newtownabbey bricklayer Thomas Charles Hawksy Hawkes catapulted himself to infamy in loyalist circles when in June 2009 he attempted to pull off a bizarre death pact with a fellow loyalist. After an all-day booze binge, 59-year-old Hawkes headed to the Royal Victoria Infirmary on the Falls Road to visit his friend King Billy Cousins, who was in a coma after suffering a stroke. A month before, 66-year-old Cousins was in the process of stealing electricity from the mains supply powering his home in the Mount Vernon area of north Belfast when he accidentally touched a live wire. A huge surge of electricity raced through his body, causing him to go blind and sending him into a deep coma. Hawkes arrived at the hospital well after the permitted visiting time, but persuaded a senior nurse to allow him access to his close friend. With Cousins lying motionless, Hawkes pulled a curtain around his bed before holding his hand over his friends mouth. With his other hand, he held Cousins nose, preventing air from entering his lungs. It was only the actions of quick-thinking staff which saved Cousins life. They managed to pull Hawkes away and demanded to know what he was doing. I cant let him live like this, he told a nurse. With the police on their way to the hospital, the nurse who had allowed Hawkes access to the ward overheard him on the phone to Cousins son: Youre not going to like what I tried to do so. "You would hit me a dig on the gub, he said. When the police arrived, Hawkes made a full confession, telling officers he had just tried to kill his friend. And he demonstrated his actions of a few minutes earlier. Later in police interviews, Hawkes told officers that he and Cousins had entered into a pact many years before, with one agreeing to kill the other should either of them become ill without any prospect of cure. A defence lawyer told the court that Hawkes actions were akin to an assisted suicide. UVF killer Tommy Hawkes was a huge fan of Irish rebel band the Wolfe Tones. But Hawkes, from Rosslea Way in Rathcoole, was found guilty of attempted murder by Judge Tom Burgess and he was jailed for three years. The judge added that Hawkes compassion for his friend was misplaced. close After his release, Tommy Hawkes died at home in 2015, age 65. And following a funeral service at Iniscarn Park in Rathcoole, he was buried in Carnmoney Cemetery, where his close friend Billy Cousins had also been laid to rest nine years before. Billy Cousins and Tommy Hawkes were bricklayers by trade, working together building the Belfast Metropolitan Tabernacle on Belfasts Shore Road. They became friendly with Pastor John McConnell, who had built up the church from nothing. Pastor McConnell persuaded the UVF men to join his church. But soon afterwards, they noticed the huge amounts of cash the church received in donations at each service. Cousins and Hawkes hatched a plot to steal the money seconds after it arrived at Pastor McConnells nearby home. Unknown to the UVF pair, two RUC detectives got to hear about the robbery plot and they tipped off the Pastor. During his sermon with Hawkes and Cousins sitting in the seats in front of him Pastor McConnell told his flock about the intended robbery. The UVF men never showed the faces in the church again. But a brief look at government files this week revealed both men were committed to a life of robbery, drunken violence and sectarian murder. In 1986, Tommy Hawkes and another man were convicted of stealing 365 from a woman at Greencastle Post Office. And five years before Billy Cousins was sent down for four years, when he was convicted of the attempted murder of an RUC Reservist and possession of a stolen pistol with intent. In 1993, he was jailed for his part in a 250,000 deception of a County Antrim farmer, who was threatened with the UVF. We have also learned, according to sources, both Cousins and Hawkes were suspected of joint involvement in a number of savage sectarian murders and they narrowly missed appearing before a Diplock Court as a result. A Garda spokesperson said that around 1.30pm a report was received: that a number of individuals had gotten into difficulty while swimming. A man in his 20s has died after a drowning accident, which saw several people in difficulty in the water. The young man was swimming in Whiting Bay, Ardmore, Co Waterford, this afternoon along with several others. He was airlifted to Cork University Hospital (CUH) but was pronounced dead. A Garda spokesperson said that around 1.30pm a report was received: that a number of individuals had gotten into difficulty while swimming. The spokespersons added: The Coast Guard removed three people from the water. One of these individuals, a man aged in his early 20s, was taken by air ambulance to Cork University Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. No other injuries have been reported at this time. A file will be prepared for the coroner. Gardai and emergency services responded to the incident and Irish Coast Guard rescue helicopter 117 was dispatched from Waterford. Ardmore and Youghal coastguard units, along with Youghal RNLI also participated in the operation. Mother is left frustrated at coroners verdict on sons death A Dublin mother has said she is frustrated at the outcome of the inquest into her teenage sons sudden death five years ago. Sean Hughes (15), of Cardiff Castle Road, Finglas, died at Childrens Health Ireland at Temple Street on January 12, 2018 just hours after collapsing at his home from a cardiac arrest. Post-mortem results showed the up-and-coming young rapper known as Lil Red died from sepsis which had resulted from a combination of influenza B and a bacterial infection known as staphylococcus aureus. An inquest into his death earlier this month heard claims that the infection that killed him was present during a GP visit two days before he died. Dr Katrina McCrory Several medical witnesses agreed with the familys solicitor, Damien Tansey, that he was beyond repair after suffering the cardiac arrest. Mr Tansey claimed it defied logic that the fatal infection was not present hen Sean was seen by his GP around 36 hours earlier. But in her evidence, Dr Katrina McCrory of Finglas Family Practice said there was nothing that led her to believe Seans case was a medical emergency. There was nothing at the time that made me think it was pneumonia or a bacterial infection, said Dr McCrory. If so, the doctor said she would have advised him to attend a hospital emergency department because it could be a life-threatening condition. In her evidence, Dr McCrory said that there was nothing to indicate that Seans life may be under threat at the time as he seemed calm, while his chest was clear upon examination. Dr McCrory added that she didnt believe the boy needed antibiotics but prescribed a low dose because of a certain expectation in the community that patients would be given a prescription by a doctor. She accepted that his breathing at 20 breaths per minute was at the outer limit of a normal rate. However, Dr McCrory said she did not accept Mr Tanseys suggestion that whatever caused the teens death would have been present when she examined him. This came as a shocking blow to Seans family, who described Dr McCrorys claims as frustrating in an interview after the inquest. It wasnt nice to hear. Its like my word against the GPs and vice versa, his mother Karen Phoenix told theSunday World. I didnt go into this lightly at all. Im not a medical professional and I couldnt make a diagnosis. I put my trust in her to look after my child and if she thought he was okay, then I was okay with that. Seans mother said in the inquest that Dr McCrory contacted her after Seans death and admitted making a poor judgment in not recommending that the teenager should have gone to hospital. The GP disputed using such words. The bereaved mother told the inquest how her son became unwell with flu-like symptoms on January 8, 2018 and was brought to see Dr McCrory two days later. I could hear his chest and he said his chest was very sore. There was a crackling in his chest and he was coughing a bit. He wasnt talking that much because every time he spoke, he coughed, she told the Sunday World. The mother added that she has lots of questions since the inquest. A consultant paediatrician, Siobhan Neville, who cared for Sean at Temple Street, said the exact cause of his cardiac arrest was unclear but his prognosis from it was catastrophic because of profound brain damage. Dr Neville said it was impossible to say if the cardiac arrest was due to septic shock. Consultant paediatrician, Jacqueline McBrien, said influenza B was a well-documented but rare cause of death, while staphylococcus aureus was a common bug, though not usually invasive. Dr McBrien said it was impossible to say when Sean had become infected with sepsis. Coroner Clare Keane returned a narrative verdict based on the evidence which she said contained conflicts she could not resolve. Requests from the Sunday World to speak to Dr McCrory at her GP practice were not returned at the time of going to print. Michael OLeary apologised to passengers affected by the cancelations and hit out at French authorities Ryanair has said it has been forced to cancel 220 flights on Bank Holiday Monday because of air traffic control strikes in France. The airlines chief executive Michael OLeary apologised to 40,000 passengers affected by the cancelations and hit out at French authorities and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen over the disruption. In a video posted on social media, he claimed flights using French airspace without departing from or arriving in France were being importunately affected by the strike action. French workers have been holding regular strikes this year in protest at plans by French President Emmanuel Macron to raise the countrys retirement age from 62 to 64. France is using minimum service legislation to protect its local French flights, but all the cancellations are then being disproportionately being passed on to English flights, Irish flights, Italian flights, Spanish flights [and] German flights. This is unfair, Mr OLeary said. Mondays strike will be the 51st day of action by French air traffic controllers (ATC). Ryanair has previously accused Ms Von Der Leyen and the European Commission of sitting on their hands over the issue. The airline said more than 620,000 people had signed its petition calling on Ms Von Der Leyen to take action and protect passengers. When there are ATC strikes in Italy, they protect overflights, Mr OLeary said. In Greece they protect overflights. France must be required by the EU commission to protect overflights. It is unfair that flights from the UK to Spain or from Italy to Portugal are being cancelled simply because a bunch of French air traffic control units want to go on strike. We respect their right to strike, but if they want to strike cancel the French flights, protect the overflights. He said passengers on affected routes have been contacted via email and work is ongoing to accommodate them. To those 40,000 passengers whose flights will be cancelled on Monday, we apologise sincerely, Mr OLeary added. It is not yet clear which flight the airline intends to cancel, or what proportion of them will depart from or arrive in Irish airports. TEHRAN, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Saturday Iran had evacuated 65 nationals from Sudan with the help of Saudi Arabia. In a statement posted on the website of the Iranian foreign ministry, Kanaani said the Iranian evacuees were transferred safely from Khartoum to Port Sudan and then to the Saudi port city of Jeddah. While praising the Saudi government for its "effective cooperation" and the Sudanese government for its assistance during the evacuation, Kanaani said necessary arrangements had been made to transfer the evacuees from Saudi Arabia to Iran. A growing number of countries have evacuated citizens from Sudan since fierce clashes broke out between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in mid-April. At least 459 people have been killed and more than 4,000 wounded so far in the fighting in Sudan, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced, according to estimates by the World Health Organization and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a deal in March to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions in the two countries within two months. On April 6, the two countries announced the resumption of diplomatic relations with immediate effect. But thats what I tell him too, its disgusting behaviour what hes at. Singer Niall Horan says that close pal and actor Jamie Dornan is too good looking with his impressive genetics. The ex-One Direction frontman was speaking on 98FMs Big Breakfast with Brendan and Rebecca, when he was asked to share what annoys him about Jamie. Hes too handsome, thats the first one, hes too good looking, the Mullingar man replied. Niall explained some insights he has about the lifestyle of the Co Down heart-throb. The man eats what he wants, drinks what he wants, I dont know where his genetics are from? He does whatever he wants, he goes to the gym three or four times a week like every other person, and he just happens to be ripped to shreds and I hate him, Niall joked. But thats what I tell him too, its disgusting behaviour what hes at. Golf pals Jamies most recent show The Tourist has gone into production on Season 2 in Dublin with Dornan reprising his role as an amnesia-afflicted car crash victim struggling to piece together his past. The Tourist became one of the U.K.s most-watched dramas last year and was sold across the world, including to South Korea and Scandinavia. Jamies acting success has meant he has been able to recently acquire a new home in Portugal. Back in February, Dornan reportedly forked out 1.1 million for the stylish villa in the south of the country. The actor caused speculation he had relocated abroad after he was spotted buying some fruit and vegetables in a small village near the coast. Public property records reportedly revealed that Jamie and his wife Amelia Warner splashed out on a six-bed former guesthouse. The couple purchased the property, which comes with its own private swimming pool, at a public notary in Lisbon. The house was formerly a luxury country hotel owned by a Spanish woman who described the property as one of Portugal's best-kept secrets. Stock image It comes after Jamie and Amelia reportedly sold their eight-bedroom pad in the Cotswolds for 5.7m last year, leaving fans wondering where they were moving to at the time. It is not yet known if the couple plan to use their new pad as their full-time residence with their three daughters. Jamie has previously opened up about his love for his children and said that his favourite sound in the world is his kids laughing together. However, the 40-year-old admitted that this is a rarity. The collective of all my children laughing at the same time, thats a rarity, he explained. All you want is your kids to get on with each other and not pull each others hair out and scream at each other and say hurtful things to each other, which they spend a lot of their time doing. So when they are all laughing together, that is the best thing, he added. Residents of one of New Zealand's fastest growing regions are paying anti-competitive prices for power, adding pressure to people struggling with bills in the cost of living crisis, say poverty and consumer advocates. Tauranga residents are paying 14.6 per cent more for electricity than average Kiwi consumers based on a typical household using 8000kWh/year, according to a recent quarterly survey of domestic electricity prices published by the government. The scenario is being caused to a lack of competition as customers stick to the one provider that ensures they get a yearly lines trust rebate, giving no reason for that company to lower prices to compete, say advocates. The figures do not surprise Kerry Lee Gibson, who was shocked to get bills upwards of $400 a month from Trustpower (now Mercury) when she moved into a newly built home in Tauranga with her partner and baby. We couldnt understand how our bills had skyrocketed. Trustpower says there was nothing they could do and that it must be our usage. So we did an experiment cutting out baths, heat, washing dishes by hand instead of the dishwasher, turning off towel rails, not using the dryer and washing clothes cold. That month of suffering only made $20 difference. Kerry Lee Gibson was shocked that her young familys power bills were higher than $600 a month. Photo: Supplied. The family changed providers to Powershop, returned to a normal way of living with usage and now bills average $170 a month. Child Poverty Action Group spokesperson for the Western Bay of Plenty, David Riley, says the price difference was significant and disturbing given Tauranga has fair lines charges, is relatively close to the national grid, has a large population and hydro-generation close to the city. Tauranga is the most expensive city in New Zealand for electricity energy, and we rank alongside Westport, Greymouth and Kerikeri as the most expensive regions in New Zealand. This situation has persisted for as long as the survey has been published since 2004. Energy retailers powering Tauranga charge more than in other cities, says Riley. I have recently recalculated the individual power retailer pricing for Tauranga, Auckland, Hamilton and Whakatane using the same criteria as MBIE use (8000 kWh not fixed term etc). All the main five retailers still charge more in Tauranga with the excess local charges between $113 and $466 for the standard 8000 kWh household (4.2 per cent to 17 per cent) not just Trustpower, which is at 17 per cent. Since 2013 the Western Bay has frequently been the most expensive region in New Zealand, he says. We should be paying less than the New Zealand average not more. We are for example paying 15.6 per cent more than Whakatane residents. The Child Poverty Action Group believes the current system is especially unfair to new residents, young people and families starting out. Worryingly, children are over-represented in households experiencing energy hardship. Larger families and those living in poorer quality housing will be spending even more to stay warm and dry. Consumer NZ spokesperson and Powerswitch manager, Paul Fuge, agreed with the concerns raised, saying the TECT rebate deterred competition in the Bay of Plenty electricity market. We do have concerns with how TECT is distributing its annual dividend to consumers. Other electricity trusts distribute benefits to all electricity consumers within the areas they serve. TECT is unique in that its annual dividend only goes to Trustpower customers in Tauranga who have been with Trustpower since at least the 28th of January 2021." You can expect to be paying more than $200 per year in electricity costs just to run it and that is assuming the fridge is in good working order, Paul Fuge says. Photo: Supplied. Existing beneficiaries of TECT who move to a different location or switch electricity provider give up their annual dividend. This raises competition issues as it discourages TECT beneficiaries from switching to providers that offer lower electricity prices. Making the dividend conditional on being a customer of a particular retailer is adversely impacting electricity retail competition in Tauranga. This is evidenced by the higher-than-average unit price of electricity, and low switching rates in Tauranga. Mercury general manager, Craig Neustroski, says the company was conscious of cost pressures households were facing. We have limited average total bill increases to between 3 per cent and 5 per cent this year and are absorbing our cost increases which are over and above this. We also encourage any of our customers who are struggling with their bills to contact us. The Commerce Commission had considered the impact of the TECT distribution most recently in 2021 as part of Mercurys clearance application to purchase Trustpowers retail business, he says. Mercury general manager Craig Neustroski. Photo: Supplied. We aim to price to a consistent set of principles nationwide, and we do not factor in any local Trust distributions into our pricing as we have no influence over that distribution. There were multiple factors determining electricity pricing, which varied from location to location, he says. These included cost of generation, distribution, metering and service elements. - Annemarie Quill/Stuff. More reliable, efficient, and safer train services are coming for Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa commuters as the Government invests in a fleet of 18 new trains, Minister of Finance Grant Robertson and Minister of Transport Michael Wood have announced. The fleet of new trains is expected to increase capacity by approximately 1.5 million trips, results in time savings of up to 15 minutes on the Manawatu line, reduce over half a million tonnes of emissions, and build resilience into the network. We said that infrastructure will be a key focus in this years Budget and this announcement is a critical example of that. It builds on previous Budgets where this government has made a long term commitment to improving rail services for New Zealanders, says Robertson. This initiative to co-fund a fleet of 18 four-car trains and upgrade rail tracks will strengthen public transport links for those traveling or working in and out of Wellington from Manawatu or the Wairarapa. It will also support growth along these rail corridors as well as boost productivity for the regions and the country as a whole. The new trains will operate using a combination of electricity wires, batteries and fuel, lowering our carbon emissions and making New Zealand less reliant on volatile international energy markets, says Robertson. Many commuters are familiar with the disruptions associated with the current fleet, so this news will be a game charger for these communities. Providing viable and attractive public transport alternatives is a critical to busting congestion throughout the Lower North Island, says Michael Wood. The Government is upgrading New Zealands transport system to make it safer, greener, and more efficient for now and future generations to come. Rail is a key component of the system and is well suited for efficiently moving large volumes of commuters over long distances. These trains will replace the current fleet, which is from the 1970s and at the end of its useful life. The new fleet will support the introduction of express services which will attract additional commuters," says Wood. The regional Wairarapa and Kapiti Coast rail services are a critical part of the broader regional transport network. The new trains will improve the overall resilience of the network and support economic development along the corridors by catering for future growth and will provide a more viable alternative to the susceptible road network. Despite challenges with the current service frequency, reliability and punctuality, which are a result of the aging fleet; both lines will have exceeded capacity by 2030. This indicates a indicates significant untapped demand for these services. In the interim, the Government has invested in refurbishing carriages for the Capital Connection and improvements to the rail lines. Associated network improvements will improve corridor capacity and resilience for both passenger and freight services, and stations will be revitalized to meet modern accessibility and amenity standards. Since 2017, the Government has invested $8.6 billion to build a resilient and reliable network after decades of neglect and decline. This investment has gone into the bread and butter work of replacing tracks, installing new culverts and bridges, and upgrading turnouts, all of which are needed for a safe and effective network, says Wood. The Lower North Island Rail Improvement Project is a partnership between the Crown, Waka Kotahi, the Greater Wellington Regional Council and the Horizons Regional Council. The level of funding remains confidential for now due to commercial considerations. New Zealands remotest outpost is now just a video call away with Antarctica New Zealand installing Starlink at Scott Base to improve connectivity. The aim is to give scientists access to modern digital software tools while they are working at the Ross Island research station, some 3800km from New Zealand. The increased capacity and speed of the connection means the experience should be similar to working from home. Antarctica New Zealands chief scientific advisor Dr Jordy Hendrikx says the Starlink trial is a significant step up in communications capability for scientists that work from the base, opening up access to data, large files, organisational communication and collaboration tools, as well as WiFi and mobile phones. Itll be a different world," says Jordy. This could be a new era of real-time collaboration for Scott Base, with new levels of interaction for inter-disciplinary teams and analysts, both in New Zealand and around the world,. While most people think that a good connection means being able to stream a movie, scientists think about whether they can move data quickly and regularly. Until now, connections at Scott Base have been limited, theyve been slow, this is one way to open up the throttle. It could create new opportunities to increase the frequency and access to remote data collection, rather than being limited to annual data collection and in-person downloads. Itll be nice to be able to stream a movie too, though who would want to when the beauty of Antarctica is outside? But the data, thats a really exciting possibility. Starlink kit on its perch at Scott Base. Photo: Ed Anscombe. Research teams will be briefed on the systems performance ahead of their 2023/24 deployment, and its performance will be reviewed at the end of each research season. Starlink was installed in March, and Antarctica New Zealands IT and engineering teams have since been working to understand how it best works in Antarctica, and how to set it up so that it provides the best view of the satellites that pass overhead. The crew of 17 overwintering at Scott Base are making the most of an improved connection with the world. A big plus is video calls with family back at home, and being able to take care of life admin from phones and laptops. Winter Base leader Greg Kukutai says it brings a welcome sense of normality to working in such a remote location, boosting morale and reducing isolation. It also meant the vagaries of screen culture had arrived and, within a couple of weeks, the team had voted to make mealtimes a phone-free zone. Everyone eats together at Scott Base and its an incredibly important time to share information and check in with each other, which doesnt happen to the same extent if people are glued to their phones. Choosing to not have phones at the table was a no-brainer. Antarctica New Zealands Chief Digital Officer, Crispin Deans, says communications at Scott Base previously relied on geo-stationary satellites in high orbits, which restricted the speed of critical network connections and limited the ability to operate in a modern web-based environment. Starlink will supplement those existing systems, providing resilience for off-continent communications. It has the potential to improve the connection speed at Scott Base by about a factor of ten, which will make it easier for people to do their jobs. As always, Antarctica presents its own challenges there are currently only a small number of Starlink satellites in the skies around the base. Were monitoring the reliability of the service in the Ross Sea region, and expect improvement but not perfection. Scott Bases first data connection to the outside world came in 1992 when Telecom NZ, in partnership with then Antarctic division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), completed the installation of a satellite earth station at nearby Arrival Heights. Before that, it was high frequency radio and letters. Until now, movies were watched on DVDs. Telecommunications at Scott Base through the ages from Antarctica New Zealands photo library: Installing a satellite dish Sending morse code communications, 1967/68 Telegram communications, 1973 Communications 1977/78 Post office communications ADDIS ABABA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Trilateral Mechanism on Sudan, which brings together the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the United Nations, on Friday called for the full implementation of the ceasefire in Sudan. Members of the Trilateral Mechanism made the call in a joint statement along with the Quad on Sudan that brings together Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States, according to a joint statement issued Friday. "Members of the Trilateral Mechanism and the Quad welcome the announcement by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to extend the current ceasefire for an additional 72 hours and call for its full implementation," the statement reads. They also welcomed the readiness of the two Sudanese warring factions to engage in dialogue toward establishing a more durable cessation of hostilities and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access. This initial phase of diplomacy to establish a process to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities and humanitarian arrangements will contribute to action on the development of a de-escalation plan as outlined in the April 20 African Union communique, the statement says. Since mid-April, Sudan has been mired in military clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF following days of tension between the once-allied leaders of both sides. The country has been suffering a political crisis since the Sudanese army commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency in October 2021 and dissolved the sovereign council as well as the government. 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. Last year, Jerry Jones got defensive over the Dallas Cowboys first round selection of Tyler Smith to the point that he revealed some of the teams draft board to the Dallas media. This year, the Cowboys owner was asked if the team considered a tight end at No. 26. Dallas had been linked to Dalton Kincaid, the player the Buffalo Bills selected after leapfrogging Dallas. Jones avoided giving a straight answer and said that he got in trouble for revealing too much last season. That is tactical with tomorrow ahead of us and the next day ahead of us, so I want to watch what we say here, Jones said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Last year I showed you the damn draft board. I barely got back in the building by training camp. I was barred from the building. So much for that. So, I am not going to give you the draft board this time. If the team truly coveted defensive tackle Mazi Smith over Kincaid and the rest of the class, Jones didnt have to reveal his board. He simply could have said no. Jones may not have admitted that Kincaid was the Cowboys target in the first round, but he also avoided answering the question altogether. The good news for Jones and the Cowboys is that there are still plenty of good tight ends remaining in the draft. Even if it isnt the one you may have coveted. READ MORE NFL Draft 2023: Round 2 mock draft sees Buffalo Bills land LB Drew Sanders Media reactions to Bills selecting TE Dalton Kincaid: That dude has SPECIAL receiving skills Buffalo Bills receive mostly high marks for drafting explosive weapon Dalton Kincaid (Media grades) 5 thoughts and a grade on Buffalo Bills drafting Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid Dawson Knox posts reaction to team drafting tight end in first round of NFL Draft Bills GM explains why he traded up for TE Dalton Kincaid; hints WR wasnt a priority Skip Bayless devastated over Bills leapfrogging Dallas Cowboys for Dalton Kincaid Who is Dalton Kincaid? Bills got a guy in the Travis Kelce mold (5 things to know) Talk about the Bills Be sure to check out and subscribe to SHOUT! The Buffalo Football Podcast with beat writers Matt Parrino and Ryan Talbot. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to get weekly updates about Bills news in your inbox. Check out the links below. Newsletter | YouTube | APPLE | SPOTIFY | FACEBOOK | TWITTER Parish, N.Y. An SUV crashed into an apartment Friday evening in the village of Parish, Oswego County, troopers said. Robert Escalera, 62, of Mexico, was driving the Mazda CX-5 around 6:50 p.m. on Main Street when it crossed over onto the opposite lane and began driving on the sidewalk and down through Canfield Park, said Trooper Jack Keller, a state police spokesperson. The SUV went through a state Department of Transportation hazard sign before striking the multi-family house, Keller said. Escalera was taken to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse with non-life-threatening injuries, Keller said. No one was inside the apartment during the crash, he said. Troopers are continuing to investigate the crash. Staff writer Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? Reach him: Email | Twitter or at 315-690-6950. NY Cannabis Insider is hosting a full-day conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Albany on May 18. Buy tickets here. This week from NY Cannabis Insider, writers published stories covering different evolving aspects and profiles in the cannabis industry. In a NYs women in cannabis segment, we featured Alana Hans-Cohen. Hans-Cohen, who is a professor at Medgar Evers College CUNY and an attorney at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, shared how important it is to support women in the space and what she believes to be the main barriers to entry. Kavita Pawria-Sanchez, the CEO of CannaBronx and a civil rights attorney, wrote a column urging the New York State legislature and governor to help cannabis social equity operators succeed in the industry. Pawria-Sanchez argues that this can be done through providing these operators with funds, as detailed in the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA). 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: A People to know in NY cannabis segment featured Christian Mollica, the managing partner and chief revenue officer for Naturae. Mollica discussed the developing and highly competitive cannabis market and the lack of a seed-to-sale tracking system, in addition to ongoing lawsuits, as big challenges in the industry. Scott Mazza, co-founder and COO of Buffalos Vitality CBD, wrote about the findings of two recent cannabis studies. The results showed that CBD has the potential to reduce opioid cravings and can improve the effectiveness of the opioid antidote, naloxone. However, these results should be taken with a grain of salt, as CBD products are often under-regulated. Sean Teehan dove into the upcoming June 1st deadline that will see New York State cannabis growers and processors licenses expire. This would prevent cultivators from selling their products to dispensaries, which is causing a bit of panic among operators as the date approaches. Sean also got sales data from Union Square Travel Agency, New Yorks second dispensary, showing which products and product types have been the most popular at the NYC location. Seans third story this week (he was busy) covered a move by Bristol Extracts based in Canandaigua to capture a rising market segment: seniors. Bristols CEO, Eric Blazak, spoke about how the company recently launched Senior Moments, a line of edibles geared towards senior citizens. Suehiko Ono, a New York licensed attorney and the co-founder of EOS Farms, wrote a guest column on how to save New York cannabis farms, which he argues can be done through a low-cost cultivation network. One example of this is a Cannabis Farmers Guild, which would work with farmers and consumers alike. In a new Ask Me Anything, Jeffrey Hoffman interviewed Anne Forkutza of Dutchie about the tech platforms entrance into New Yorks cannabis market, and posed questions about data-sharing, the use of credit cards in the ecosystem, and in-store vs. home delivery stats. Lastly, guest columnist Colin Decker of Sensei Growth Consulting wrote about the Office of Cannabis Managements Cannabis Compliance Training & Mentorship Program (CCTM), and addressed the unanswered questions within the states program. The program doesnt say what CCTM members will receive at the end of their 10-week experience, Decker writes. More to come next week! Syracuse, N.Y. -- Two people were killed early this morning on the New York State Thruway when their car went off the road and hit a guide rail, state police said. The crash happened about 1:50 a.m. The vehicle was traveling westbound near mile marker 335, between exits 42 (Geneva) and 43 (Manchester). Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, troopers said. Two other people in the vehicle appeared to be unhurt but were taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation, police said. Police did not release names of any of the victims. The investigation is continuing. YANGON, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Anti-narcotics police have seized 1,975 kg of caffeine in an operation in Myanmar's eastern Shan State, the Central Committee on Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) reported on Saturday. Acting on a tipoff, the police on Friday searched a vehicle in the state's Mong Ping township on Friday and seized the caffeine worth about 158 million kyats (around 76,250 U.S. dollars), the CCDAC said. Three suspects were arrested in the case, and a further investigation was underway, it said. After announcing that the company had become a flexible fly workplace, existing employees of Lyft were ordered a Return-to-Office Policy by its new CEO David Risher. Starting this fall, employees will now be required to come back to the office at least three days a week. Implementing Return-to-Office Policy Lyft has asked its employees to return to the office this coming fall. According to a report from The New York Times, this is one of the major changes of newly appointed Chief Executive Officer David Risher in his new management at the struggling company since starting this month. In an interview, Risher argued that things move faster when employees work in the office, as remote work in the tech industry has come at a cost, eventually leading to isolation and eroding culture. "There's a real feeling of satisfaction that comes from working together at a whiteboard on a problem," the CEO added. Starting May 1, Risher will now require its employees to come on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and be recommended to come on Tuesdays. He added that he sees this moment as an opportunity for a "cultural reset" in the company's operations with his new management. Also read: Lyft Lays Off 26% of its Workforce in a New Restructuring Plan This comes after when Lyft announced it was "now a fully flexible workplace" just a year ago. Reuters reported that Lyft also decided to sublease parts of its office spaces in San Francisco, New York, Nashville, and Seattle after more employees opted to work from home last year. President of Business Affairs Kristin Sverchek stated that employees can choose whether to live and work as they can work at the office, from home, or hybrid set-up. Other Major Changes Aside from this policy, CEO Risher also implemented a new restructuring plan under his new management, implementing layoffs to 26% of its workforce. This will affect a total of 1,072 employees. Lyft argues that this decision will help the company to improve its operations for its drivers and passengers. This round of layoffs will cost the company $41 million up to $47 million in severance and benefits expenses in the year's second quarter. Risher clarified that its drivers would not be affected as they are considered independent contractors. In a previous report last March, Lyft also considered removing its shared rides offering to shift its focus on the company's operations, including the Wait & See feature that allows users to pay a lower fare when they wait for their driver for a long time. Risher believes removing this feature is the perfect timing, launching it in 2014 as a response to its competitor's Uber Pool. Related Article: Lyft Plans to Drop Shared Rides Offering to Focus on Operations Under New CEO 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NIO is promoting its unique approach to recharging electric vehicle batteries after its success. Owners will have "recharged" EVs in five minutes by swapping depleted batteries for new ones rather than plugging in and waiting to fill up. NIO's Unique Approach for Depleted Batteries The China-based automaker and pioneer in the industry NIO revealed an increase in demand for its battery swap stations. PCMag reported that this would make the time spent charging more similar to refilling a gas engine vehicle as it only takes minutes, compared to the 20-60 minutes drivers spend charging. This approach was called by NIO "Battery-as-a-Service" or BaaS. "BaaS uncouples the cost, maintenance, and upgradability of batteries from the vehicle cost, making EV ownership more appealing," the company stated. The company stated that their battery swap stations enable vehicles to park automatically into the station and switch for a fresh, fully-charged unit in under five minutes. While some were critical and skeptical of this approach, including Tesla, dubbed it "riddled with problems and not suitable for widescale use," Nio saw a hit in battery swapping stations with its customers. NIO's 60% of its customers have opted for battery swapping at one of 1,383 Power Snap Stations in China and some in Europe. The company's third-generation stations are capable of 408 swaps per day. Achieving Milestones with Power Swap Stations As per the company's press release, users achieved the 10 billion kilometers or 6.2 billion miles distance landmark in just 1,762 days since its launch. This was only taken less than 28 months, with only 150 Power Swap Stations. NIO also achieved its 20 millionth swap, completed at the NIO Power Swap Station at Wuchang Service Center in Hangzhou, China. Also read: Chinese Carmaker to Launch Flagship NIO ET7 Sedan in 2022 with 33 Sensors, Advanced Autonomous Driving These achievements confirm the company's commitment to investing in this unique approach. NIO plans to add 1,000 more Power Swap Stations in Chine and up to 70 more in Europe by the end of the year. Chief Executive Officer William Li stated that they consider this a proud moment that confirms the company as a trusted and proven solution for their customers. "Our compelling range of power solutions, such as our battery swap stations, offers the freedom to travel freely, knowing a robust power solution is never far away," Li added. Maintaining its peak is very important. That's why Li is aiming for the company to become one of the top five automakers in the world by 2030 as they push their offerings outside Europe and China. To celebrate this achievement, the NIO community hosts a number of #10Bkm events at NIO Houses and Service Centers. This includes celebrations in Norway, where users participated in a drive and family gatherings in a forest in Oslo. Some brought cakes and offered prized to users who had traveled the furthest distances in the first two weeks of May. Related Article: Ample Branches out to New York, Japan for its EV Battery Swapping Stations That Are Fully Autonomous 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Bluesky via App Store Screenshot) BlueSky is seeing prominence in its operations now, and this is because of the new experience it brings, as well as it is the one that resembles Twitter but is not rid of what Elon Musk has imposed throughout the past six months. There are renowned names from Twitter who have already made their way at BlueSky, including the likes of Dril, AOC, and more. This new migration to the Jack Dorsey co-founded company is a massive problem for Twitter, as more and more users are dropping out of the platform, including massive entities like news agencies and more. BlueSky is Seeing More Users, Celebrities, and Personalities on Twitter In recent months, there has been a significant increase in the number of users joining the new social media platform, BlueSky. This platform has been gaining popularity, as reported by Bloomberg, as more users look for alternatives to Twitter, which has been plagued by controversy and boycotts in the past. Last Wednesday and Thursday was significant time for BlueSky, as it saw the biggest user spike since it opened its beta. One of the most notable users to join BlueSky is the popular comedian Dril, who has a massive following on Twitter. Dril has been a vocal critic of Twitter in the past and has been looking for an alternative platform where he can share his content without fear of censorship or backlash. Another high-profile user to join BlueSky is New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. AOC has been a vocal critic of Twitter in the past, with several run-ins with Musk during his early days on Twitter concerning verification. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is another prominent user joining the platform. Read Also: New York City's Transit Agency Stops Twitter Alerts Citing Unreliability Despite its Prominence Now, BlueSky is Still in Beta Testing According to Ars Technica, there is still a concern for BlueSky's platform as it has no way to verify the identity or legitimacy of an account as of now, as it is still in beta. It already serves as a significant rival to Twitter, and in a previous blog post, CEO Jay Graber said that BlueSky's design is how the short-word social media "could have been built," using independent servers instead of company servers. BlueSky vs. Twitter: Battle of the Short Word Social Media BlueSky is still in its beta form, but it has been gaining popularity as more users look for alternatives to Twitter. The platform is based on blockchain technology and is designed to be decentralized, which means that a single entity or corporation does not control it. Being a decentralized platform makes BlueSky an attractive alternative to Twitter, which has been criticized in the past for its centralized operations and lax approach to user privacy and security. The rise of BlueSky is a significant development in the world of social media, with the new platform gaining popularity as more users look for alternatives to Twitter, which issues have plagued in the past. More users will try to join BlueSky, but it is currently limited to invites in its beta form, and interested users may have to wait to get the same Twitter experience but with a different operation. Related Article: Will BlueSky Replace Twitter? Here's How It Works, Features, Limitations, Other Details 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal speaks at a ceremony for the handover of the Civil Service Hospital upgraded and reconstructed with Chinese aid and for the 60th anniversary of China dispatching its first medical aid team abroad in Kathmandu, Nepal, April 28, 2023. Dahal on Friday voiced his appreciation of China's support in the health sector, including "life-saving" vaccines, "critical" medical equipment and other medical supplies provided in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Hari Maharjan/Xinhua) KATHMANDU, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Friday voiced his appreciation of China's support in the health sector, including "life-saving" vaccines, "critical" medical equipment and other medical supplies provided in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We will always remember this generosity and genuine solidarity from a close neighbor and friend -- China," said Dahal. "Thanks to the support of China and other development partners, we have been able to overcome the difficulties of the pandemic and, most of all, the post-pandemic recovery has remained our sole priority now." The premier attended a ceremony held in Kathmandu for the handover of the Civil Service Hospital upgraded and reconstructed with Chinese aid and for the 60th anniversary of China dispatching its first medical aid team abroad. "Continued support of China to Nepal's development endeavors has been the hallmark of our friendly and good neighborly relations," Dahal told some 300 participants at the ceremony. The Civil Service Hospital was constructed in September 2008 as part of China-aid projects. A new surgical building was built along with upgrading and renovating the existing buildings under the China-aid upgrade project started in September 2018 by China's Guangzhou Construction Engineering Co., Ltd. "I believe that this hospital also stands as a symbol of deep and close Nepal-China economic cooperation that our two countries have been enjoying for decades," Dahal said. The premier also spoke of China's continuous support to B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital for its upgrade and expansion of services. Since 1999, 14 Chinese medical teams have been sent to the cancer hospital in Bharatpur in central-southern Nepal, built with a grant from the Chinese government in December 1998. Dahal presented a medal of national health champions and a letter of appreciation to each of the 17 members of the 14th Chinese medical team for their hard work in Nepal. "As a close neighbor, good friend and trusted partner, Nepal wishes to build a deeper level of economic engagement and partnership with China," the premier said. Addressing the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song noted that China has now embarked on a new journey to build itself into a modern socialist country in all respects, and Nepal is also on the path to graduating from the least developed countries and achieving UN 2030 sustainable development goals. "We have every reason to expect, as fellow travelers on the journey of development, our bilateral relations and practical cooperation will bring more concrete benefits to the two peoples," Chen said. To mark the occasion when China sent its first medical aid team abroad six decades ago, Dahal and other guests launched a week-long voluntary health campaign, during which the Chinese medical team shall conduct free medical check-ups in the Kathmandu district. "I am sure this medical aid over six decades has served the needy and underprivileged people, people in natural disasters and calamities all around the world beyond the boundary of a single nation," Bijay Raj Neupane, chairman of B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, said at the ceremony. Since the first Chinese medical team arrived in Algeria in 1963, China has dispatched around 30,000 medical personnel to 76 countries and regions across five continents, providing 290 million diagnoses and treatments for local people, according to the National Health Commission of China. As the global airport industry works its ways to become carbon net-zero by 2050 through enhancing infrastructure, technology-based operational efficiencies, robust controls and benchmarked excellence, this year's Airport Show, will put sharp focus on sustainability and innovation. The key aviation sector boasts more than 40,000 ICAO-coded airports with revenues ballooning to over $173 billion, said the event organisers Reed Exhibitions Middle East. Together in Innovating Future Sustainable Airports will be the theme of the worlds largest annual airport industry B2B platform, which runs from May 9 to 11. The 22nd edition of the Airport Show will connect over 200-plus aviation brands and 100-plus buyers from over 30 airports and aviation authorities from 20 countries. Also taking place on its sidelines will be key industry-specific exhibitions and conferences such as Sustainable Apron, Innovation Trail and Sustainability Trail. As the expanded, evolved version of the e-Apron at 2022 edition, the Sustainable Apron, in continued partnership with dnata, will feature ground handling equipment and services that enable airports in their sustainability goals. Innovation Trail will be a bespoke customer experience which includes an impressive line-up of breakthrough innovations from leading airport suppliers in more than 20 countries, it stated. Sustainability Trail will have a strong focus on products and services that enable regional airports to shape their roadmaps to sustainability this year, according to Reed Exhibitions. Over its three-day run at the Dubai World Trade Centre, it will highlight ways sustainable aviation can contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Airports Council Internationals Sustainability Strategy through improved service quality, widening infrastructure development, and ensuring safe and efficient operations by all the stakeholders. It will see over 4,500 visitors, with the exhibitors coming from Belgium, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK and US, said the organiser. May Ismail, Event Manager at Reed Exhibitions Middle East, said: "Environmental impacts and energy efficiency in the medium-and-long term are among the key areas of concern and focus by airports in operating their facilities and services. It includes energy consumption in the heating, lighting and cooling of a terminal and for powering systems that support the daily operations of an airport, including passenger services, ground vehicles and airside services." The products that will be considered in this trial are those supporting airports in reducing CO2 emissions and promoting operational efficiencies at airports, he noted. SITA, the worlds leading specialist in air transport communications and IT, has found that by 2024-end, 62% of airports will have policies or frameworks in place that includes environmental impacts and lifecycle management controls. The airports are focusing on the environmental impacts of the technology and plans to implement newer solutions to drive greater efficiencies and support their de-carbonization efforts. Raed Younes, UAE & Regional Business Development, dnata, said: "As a part of Emirates Group, we provide ground handling, cargo, travel, flight catering and retail services in 38 countries across six continents. In 2022, dnata successfully launched an e-Apron at the Airport Show 2022 with the support of the event organiser, RX Global." "At its 2023 edition, the Sustainable Apron will be even bigger and better, featuring advanced ground support equipment (GSE) and the latest technologies that significantly enhance environmental efficiency at airports,' he stated. Siemens Logistics CEO Michael Schneider said: "For us, the key to sustainability lies in life-time considerations for equipment paired with automation, and digitalization." "Take, for example, Baggage 360, our digital solution which considerably increases the efficiency of existing operations and eco-systems. It provides airports / customers with forecasting and optimization functions allowing them to plan operations well in advance. This saves resources and with that environmental footprint and costs," he stated. Benjamin Violet, Regional Sales Manager for Middle East and Africa at ITW GSE, said: "The aviation industrys sharp environmental focus needs equipment with lower energy consumption. In fact, the Middle East major airports have led the way in switching off the APU by equipping their infrastructure with line powered GPUs and PCAs." "Now the focus is to move away from diesel equipment and replace with battery powered eGSE. At ITW GSE, we have played a key part of this transition supplying the zero emission battery driven 7400 eGPU since 2018. Some of the infrastructure challenges we see is the need for more charging points and grid power," explained Violet. He pointed out that its newly launched EcoGate will amongst other things help with the eGSE's charging situation in the airport. "EcoGate helps airports optimize their operations by connecting gate equipment into a unified and intelligent system, such as GPUs, PCAs, charging stations, and even aircraft detection systems," he added. Jurek Grzeszek, Director of Sales and Services at TLD MEAI, an Alvest Group company specializing in designing and manufacturing GSE at its nine factories across the world, said sustainability was not only an environmental and social responsibility but also enhanced long-term profitability and brand reputation and encourages innovation. "Today several airports are pursuing transition in a fast-paced mode but infrastructural changes take time. The available technology is compatible with the current needs. TLD continues to innovate with Electric Drivelines allowing GSE to adapt to airport infrastructure," he added. Erik Velderman, CEO, TKH Airport Solutions, said the company has been seeing a growing interest from the Middle East region for sustainable innovations. In the airfield ground lighting business, innovations like smart airfield lighting, individual lamp control and implementation of Floating Follow-the-Greens technologies have become hot topics. TKHs CEDD airfield ground lighting technology is gaining traction in the region the technologies have been providing the tools for airports to become more efficient airside, reduce operations cost and increase revenue by through efficient slot sales, he added.-TradeArabia News Service CANBERRA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Australian physicists have used nanoparticles to get a closer look at items thousands of times thinner than a human hair. In a new study, scientists from the Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Adelaide revealed how they are using nanoparticles to peel back the curtain into the world of super small objects. The technology, which requires only one nanoparticle, increases the frequency of light that cameras see by seven-fold. Anastasiia Zalogina, the lead author of the study, said the technology could offer major gains for the medical industry by helping scientists better understand certain diseases and health conditions. It can be implemented into microscopes to help scientists view super small objects at a resolution 10 times higher than possible with conventional microscopes, enabling the study of individual viruses and the inner structures of cells. While existing technology to view nanoscale objects such as electron microscopes are expensive and can damage samples, ANU's light-based approach is affordable, safe and effective, according to researchers. Co-author Sergey Kruk said it could also prove useful in the semiconductor industry as a quality control measure. The European Space Agency'smission to Jupiter's icy moons is off to a bumpy start. Europe launched the Juice probe two weeks ago, only to discover a critical radar antenna stuck in its jambs. Attempting a Solution: Firing the Spacecraft's Engine in the Hopes of Dislodging the Pin According to the story by Phys.org, the agency suspects a small pin may be jutting from the antenna and plans to fire the spacecraft's engine in the hopes of dislodging it. After discovering a jammed critical antenna, The European Space Agency faces an unexpected challenge on its Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) mission. The antenna, a 52-foot (16-meter) radar device, was deployed after liftoff two weeks ago but failed to extend to its full capacity. After assessing the issue, engineers determined that a tiny pin may be stuck in the mechanism, likely a remnant from the production process, preventing it from completing its deployment. The Juice mission is highly important for the space agency, with a $1.8 billion price-tag and ambitious goals to study the three moons surrounding Jupiter and search for potential signs of life. Using Gravity-Assist Flybys to Overcome the Antenna Jam The radar antenna is essential to penetrate beneath the icy crust of the planets and access the subterranean oceans beneath. The current jam is an obstacle in accomplishing this as the antenna allows for gathering images and data over a much larger area. Flight controllers based in Germany plan to use the spacecraft's engine to attempt to shake the pin out of the antenna and unjam the device. The ESA reports that it would continue the deployment of the Juice RIME antenna. Failing this, they have plenty of time to solve the problem before Juice reaches the Jupiter system in 2031, with the spacecraft having been set on a roundabout pathway using gravity-assist flybys. Besides the antenna, the remainder of the craft has been successfully readied. Its 35-foot (10.6-meter) boom for measuring Jupiter's magnetic field has been successfully unfolded alongside its solar panels and radio antenna. Read Also: Starry Pair: NASA's Hubble Captures Stunning Portrait of Spiral Galaxies Resembling Milky Way A Journey to Jupiter: The Complexities of Space Exploration The Juice mission is also equipped with an array of scientific instruments, ranging from particle and plasma analyzers to cameras and a powerful imaging spectrometer, all of which should be operational once the antenna is sorted. For now, the European Space Agency continues to monitor the progress of the Juice mission and hopes for a successful outcome to the dilemma posed by the jammed critical antenna. Another article by Space reported that there was a glitch in Juice. This incident only cements the complexity and difficulty of space exploration. Where Juice is concerned, the mission is only two weeks into a nine-year journey -- and already, there is an issue. Space exploration is a long, arduous journey, and incidents like this point to how complex (and sometimes fragile) their operations must be. Still, the European Space Agency appears confident in its plan to resolve the situation. If their efforts are successful, Juice will be on its way to Jupiter, and in the future, we may gain a greater understanding of our universe. Related Article: Voyager 2's Science Mission Extended to 2026 Thanks to Backup Power Reservoir: NASA 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Honor's MagicOS will become a better smartphone operating system than Apple's iOS. This is what Honor CEO Zhao Ming promised to its consumers during the previous Honor event, which was held at the tech firm's R&D center in Shenzhen, China. During the event, Ming said that their company's overall expenses in 2022 were only 10% of the total revenue they gained. Because of this achievement, Ming was quite optimistic about the smartphone company's future. Due to this, he claimed that their MagicOS would be a better smartphone operating system. But how will they achieve this? Honor MagicOS Will Be Better Than iOS According to GSM Arena's latest report, Zhao Ming said that Apple's iPhone models have lots of flaws. Also Read: LAVA Blaze 1X 5G Rumored Specs Revealed: 5000 mAh Battery, 15W Fast Charging, and More These include inferior hardware, bad reception, poor battery life, and outdated design. He added that numerous Android handsets are better than iPhones. But despite these problems, iPhones are still considered to be the top choice of smartphone consumers. Why? Because customers want to take advantage of Apple's iOS and the smartphone ecosystem it provides. "But the reason why it is so expensive is that Apple has iOS and ecology, it seems that an iOS can cover up all the issues of Apple," said Ming. Because of this, Honor's CEO wants to further improve their smartphone operating system on the basis of MagicOS 7.0. How Will MagicOS Become Better Than iOS? Zhao Ming said that Honor wants to catch up or even surpass the iPhone maker when it comes to OS ecology and fluency. GizChina reported that the Chinese smartphone maker plans to do this by working on the MagicOS' own core capabilities. Ming explained that this would be seen in their upcoming Honor Magic 5 series. He claimed that this new smartphone would have no rivals in terms of screen, eye protection, communication, and comprehensive experience. If you want to learn more about the plans of Ming for Honor MagicOS, you can click here. In other news, Qualcomm introduced its Snapdragon gaming update, which can help reduce smartphone battery drain. We also covered the rumored iPhone restriction system, which Apple is allegedly developing. For more news updates about phone operating systems, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Tecno Camon 20 Premier 5G Specs Revealed: 108MP Camera, 6-Inch AMOLED Display, and More 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. How did an official document detailing a billion-pound submarine to end up at a busy pub's toilet? The Guardian reports that The UK Royal Navy has recently launched an investigation after documents about the HMS Anson, a 1.3 billion "hunter-killer" submarine found in the toilets of a pub in the UK. The files, marked as "official sensitive," contain information about the internal workings of the nuclear-powered submarine, including details about how to isolate and depressurize elements of its system. Although a Royal Navy spokesperson said these are generic training documents without classified information, they take all security matters seriously. They will investigate the circumstances of their discovery. The United Kingdom's 'Most Capable' Attack Submarine According to the armed force's official website, the 7,800-ton HMS Anson is the fifth of the Royal Navy's new Astute-class attack submarines to enter service. The submarines can fire Tomahawk missiles and are regarded as the "most capable attack submarine ever built for the Royal Navy." The Guardian noted in their report that the Furness Railway bar, where the documents were found, is near a BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, where the submarine was previously photographed. Reports also tell us that the pub is located just a five-minute walk from where workers build the Astute class hunter-killer subs, including the HMS Anson. What's in the documents? According to The Sun, the documents discovered in the pub contained critical details about the HMS Anson's hydraulics, which control torpedo hatches, steering, and buoyancy. It was found in the pub with a Royal Navy lanyard from the new 1.3 billion vessel. A source said the pub was packed when the papers were found on Saturday night. They said, "It was lucky a Russian spy didn't find them." Read Also: Chinese Military Think Tank Urges Swift Laser Weapons Development to Match US Anti-Drone Tech According to government guidance, "sensitive" material should only be shared with those with a "genuine need to know" and might have serious implications if lost, stolen, or publicized. Despite being one level below Secret, the documents are still sensitive and should only be shared with those with clearance. The Sun also quotes former sub-captain Commander Ryan Ramsay, saying that the documents were part of a reference manual that is readily available on board. Anyone who had worked on the submarine would have used the manual. "It is good to see their commitment to training, but the pub is probably the wrong place," he said. According to the Navy, the submarine manufacturing industry provides thousands of job opportunities in the United Kingdom. BAE Systems' submarine programs employ roughly 10,000 people, with thousands more working in the supply chain. Case with Official Documents Found in Public This is not the first time that a sensitive document has been found by civilians in public. BBC reported in 2021 that classified Ministry of Defence documents containing sensitive information about the British military and HMS Defender had been discovered at a bus stop in Kent. The documents included one set detailing the potential Russian reaction to the ship's passage through Ukrainian waters off the coast of Crimea. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: National Submarine Day: A Commemoration of the First Modern Sub of the US Navy 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. China's new algorithm-based technology was able to evade the U.S. government's sophisticated hypersonic missile interception systems. This was revealed by the computer simulations of PLA (People's Liberation Army) researchers. Zhang Xuesong, from China's Strategic Support Force Information Engineering University, led PLA researchers in developing the new algorithm. South China Morning Post reported that this innovation could allow the Chinese military to obtain information from U.S. defense systems. China's Algorithm-Based Tech Could Evade US Hypersonic Defenses! According to Interesting Engineering's latest report, the new algorithm-based tech of China can analyze the trajectory of hypersonic weapons. Also Read: New Chinese Supersonic Spy Drone Allegedly Being Developed; Here's How Fast This UAV Is This capability could help China's hypersonic missiles to evade any missile defense system. Their computer simulations showed that the new technology is efficient; with Mach 8 missile strikes avoiding hypersonic detection. A Chinese expert explained that the hypersonic missiles of China use heat detectors to identify their targets. However, these heat sensors have limited perspective when it comes to tracking and intercepting missiles. "You might have an idea, but you can't be sure exactly where it is," said an anonymous Chinese space scientist who is familiar with the new tech. What is This Algorithm-Based Tech? Zhang and his team said that their new algorithm-based technology is based on the old MMAE (multi-model adaptive estimation). MMAE is a statistical procedure that enables control system engineers to create predictions when observations are inadequate. Other Chinese researchers said that it would be better if artificial intelligence were used. However, Zhang argued that MMAE only needs minor adjustments to work. He added that their new algorithm-based tech could identify enemy intercepting missiles, as well as their secret design parameters, just 10 minutes after being launched. Aside from China, other countries are also doubling their efforts to improve their defenses. Recently, North Korea introduced its new nuclear-capable underwater drone, which could create a radioactive tsunami. Meanwhile, U.S. Air Force's new MUTANT missile, which can bend its nose, was unveiled. For more news updates about defenses, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Chinese Military-funded Researchers Develop AI Warship Electrical Layout in Record Time 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. VIENNA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday sounded the alarm over "increased military presence and activity" near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in a statement that the situation at the Zaporizhzhia plant "underlines the importance and urgency of agreeing on the protection of the plant." In recent months, Grossi has been consulting with Ukraine and Russia on creating a safety zone at the Zaporizhzhia plant. The IAEA director general said that the IAEA experts had completed a rotation at the Zaporizhzhia plant on Thursday to continue the agency's assessment of the facility's security situation. [On the occasion of the coronation of Charles III] Discover the unpublished story dedicated to William the Conqueror, told by Virginie Girod. William the Conqueror was the natural son of Robert the Magnificent, Duke of Normandy, and Arlette, daughter of a tanner. His illegitimate birth, in 1027 in Falaise in Normandy, earned him the nickname of William the Bastard. In 1035, when he was only 8 years old, he succeeded his father, who died on his return from his pilgrimage to Jerusalem. A period of unrest and conspiracies weakened the Duchy of Normandy, but the young duke managed to impose his power. In 1064 in England, King Edward was heirless. Very attached to Normandy where he found refuge for 30 years, he naturally turned to William to plan his succession to the throne. But William is not the only one to covet the crown of England. Virginie Girod tells you the story of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England, who is also a distant ancestor of Charles III. Beirut: The second hearing between a European legal delegation and Marianne Hoayek, the assistant to the governor of the central bank of Lebanon, was concluded on Friday. In connection with a money laundering investigation involving the European bank accounts of the governor Riad Salameh and his brother Raja Salameh, Hoayek is being questioned as a suspect. The assistant to Marwan Kheireddine, the head of Al-Mawarid Bank, Madeleine Shaheen was also questioned by the EU judicial delegation. An investigator from Luxembourg as well as a public prosecutor from Munich are part of the delegation, which is headed by a French judge named Aude Buresi. Also Read: Iran's oil cargo on a tanker is seized by the US amid tensions with Tehran "The delegation asked Hoayek about a hundred questions, and she answered all of them," a legal source told Arab News. Hoayek, who didn't have a lawyer present, was questioned about her involvement in the financial management of the Banque du Liban as well as her role as Salameh's executive adviser since April 2020. Both of the two sessions were attended by Judge Helena Iskandar, head of the Cases Authority at the Ministry of Justice, who is defending the Lebanese state in its claim against Salameh, as well as Charbel Abu Samra, the first investigating judge in Beirut who is in charge of carrying out European authorizations. Also Read: Tunisia rescues 41 migrants who have drowned as the death toll rises Kheireddine has been under interrogation by Judge Buresi in France for several weeks now regarding allegations of "associating with a criminal gang with the aim of embezzling public funds, breach of trust, and corruption of a public official." The European delegation informed the Lebanese judiciary that Kheireddine, who had just returned to Beirut, was required to abide by rules prohibiting him from entering his bank, Al-Mawarid Bank, or speaking with Riad Salameh, Raja Salameh, Nadi Salameh (the son of Riad Salameh), Hoayek, Marwan Khoury, Nabil Aoun, and Antoine Salameh. Information about Kheireddine's alleged assistance with money laundering operations was disclosed by the French prosecution. Kheireddine allegedly used financial accounts to help Riad Salameh, his brother, son, and those close to him. According to the judicial source, "Lebanon is not required to implement any control over Kheireddine on Lebanese soil." Judge Ghassan Oueidat, the public prosecutor, is anticipated to make a formal request to the French judicial system for a copy of the Kheireddine investigation. Samir Gholam from Gholam & Co. Auditing and Walid Nakfour from Ernst & Young are scheduled to testify before the European judicial delegation on Tuesday, assuming Raja Salameh and Raja Abu Asali, the former director of organisation and development at BDL, are questioned on Wednesday. Also Read: Afghanistan thanks Saudi Arabia for its assistance in evacuating the Sudan Raja Salameh missed his scheduled hearing sessions last Tuesday and Wednesday because of a medical excuse provided by his attorney. The financial auditor at Deloitte, Nada Makhlouf, will be questioned by the European judicial delegation on Thursday. Since the 1990s, the aforementioned financial auditors have been examining BDL accounts. The European delegation will question interim Finance Minister Youssef Khalil on Friday. A judicial source claims that although the foreign judicial delegation is not authorised to file charges against the subjects of the interrogation while they are in Lebanon, they are free to do so once they have returned to their home nation. On May 16, Riad Salameh is anticipated to be questioned by Judge Buresi in Paris. It is unknown if the governor appears before the French judicial system. In parallel with investigations in other European nations and Switzerland, the French financial investigation into Riad Salameh's wealth got underway in July 2021. Following an investigation into Salameh, his two brothers, and those close to him on allegations of money laundering and embezzlement of public funds in Lebanon totaling more than $330 million and 5 million, respectively, between 2002 and 2021, France, Germany, and Luxembourg froze 120 million ($132 million) in Lebanese assets. Mumbai: Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra unveiled a statue of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Mauritius on Saturday, April 29. It was his first visit to Mauritius. In a meeting hosted by the Mauritius India Business Community, Fadnavis also got to know representatives of Mauritius-based businesses. "India lives in the states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji always says. He continuously pushes for more communication between governments and other nations. He thinks that these relationships will be more beneficial, and I believe that is what has brought me here. In this professional setting, we are discussing not only our past interactions but also our shared future, according to Fadnavis. "We are aware that India is holding the G20 presidency under PM Modi's direction, and that the G20's symbol and motto are 'one earth, one family, one destiny'... And I can see how these ideals are put into practise when I visit Mauritius because, when I connect with the locals, I feel like I've come home, according to Fadnavis. He expressed his admiration for Mauritius' development and the infrastructure it had built. He will also attend an event with Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth to sign agreements in the tourism Industry. Fadnavis and Jugnauth attended a cultural event hosted by the Maharashtrian community in Mauritius. The Deputy Chief Minister will meet with representatives of the Maharashtrian community and the President of Mauritius on Sunday, April 30. PM Modi calls for women to enroll for Mahila Samman Saving Certificate PM to conduct roadshow, Goes on public meetings in Karnataka Debunking the PR Campaign Of King Leopoldo II The Reputation Management of King Leopold II and how it distorted the truth about his actions in Africa. The Reputation Management of King Leopold II distorted the truth about his actions in Africa. While he presented himself as a philanthropist and abolitionist, his true intentions were to rape, pillage and profit from the Congo Free State. He established organizations such as the International African Association to create a facade of scientific research and anti-slavery campaigns, while in reality, he forced the Congolese people into labor and subjected them to torture, mutilation, and death. The efforts of his reputation management team, particularly from 1885 - 1908, to maintain a positive image of King Leopold II have perpetuated the erasure of the atrocities committed against the Congolese people. False reputation management involves intentionally manipulating information or presenting a false image to improve its public perception, this is exactly the technique King Leopold II employed. The Berlin Conference legitimized King Leopold II's control over the Congo Free State. King Leopold II's rule over the Congo Free State began in 1885 when he established it as his personal property and private slave colony at the Berlin Conference. The Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 was a meeting of European colonial powers held in Berlin, Germany. The main goal of the conference was to divide Africa among European powers and to establish rules for the colonization of Africa to prevent conflicts between European nations. King Leopold II of Belgium played a significant role in the conference as he had already established the Congo Free State in Central Africa, which he personally owned and ruled as a private venture. During the conference, King Leopold II lobbied for recognition of his personal ownership of the Congo Free State as a legitimate state, separate from Belgium. The other European powers agreed to recognize the Congo Free State as a sovereign state. King Leopold II was crowned King of Belgium by Belgians and simultaneously declared himself King of the African Congo Free State. King Leopold II's real name was Leopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor. He was born on April 9, 1835, in Brussels, Belgium. Leopold II of Belgium was the second king of the Belgians. Leopold II inherited the throne of Belgium in 1865 following the death of his father, King Leopold I. But, before his involvement in the Congo Free State, King Leopold II of Belgium earned his money through his family's banking and railroad investments. The family's wealth allowed him to pursue his personal ambitions, including his desire to acquire a personal colony and to profit from the natural resources and the African workforce of the Congo region. King Leopold II ruled over Belgium and the Congo Free State at the same time. His free reign over the Congo Free state lasted from 1885 until 1908. Using Public relations and crisis management to create a false King of the Congo Free State. King Leopold II used his position of power to pursue his personal ambitions in Africa, including his desire to establish a colony for Belgium and to profit from the natural resources of the Congo region. To achieve his goals, he created charities and anti-slavery campaigns, presenting himself as a humanitarian and anti-slavery advocate.However, the reality was far different. King Leopold II could commit atrocities and crimes in Africa that would be unthinkable in Belgium and still maintain his status as king. In 1876, King Leopold II founded the International African Association, which what is a group of expert public relations specialist give them the task to promote scientific research, exploration, and anti-slavery efforts in Africa. However through public relations King Leopold II was able to present a facade of philanthropy and progress to the international community, shielding himself and his actions from criticism. Leopold's public relations team used a variety of tactics to shape his public image. They published articles and books that highlighted Leopold's supposed efforts to bring civilization to Africa, portraying him as a benevolent ruler who was working to uplift the Congolese people. They also worked to suppress negative stories about Leopold's regime, using their influence to prevent journalists from reporting on the abuses that were taking place in the Congo. One of the most significant ways that public relations played a role in shaping King Leopold II image was through the organization of the 1897 Brussels International Exposition and Worlds Fair. The 1897 Brussels International Exposition was a world's fair held in Brussels, Belgium from May 10 to November 8, 1897. It was held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Belgian independence and to showcase Belgium's industrial and cultural progress. For the 7 million visitors the highlight of the fair was the Congolese Village, an exhibition that showcased the Congo African culture and village daily life. The village was designed to promote King Leopold II image as a philanthropist. The Congolese Village was staffed by around 260 native Congolese people who had been trafficked to Brussels to serve as human exhibits put on display for the amusement of the fairgoers. The human exhibit was a public relations stunt designed to showcase the achievements of King Leopold II regime in the Congo. The organizers of the exhibit worked hard to carefully control the narrative around the Congo, ensuring that visitors left with a positive impression of King Leopold II. In addition to these public displays, Leopold's public relations team also worked to cultivate relationships with prominent individuals and organizations in Europe and the United States. They used their connections to sway public opinion in Leopold's favor, and they were successful in convincing many people that Leopold was a philanthropist who was working to bring civilization to Africa. Another key factor that allowed King Leopold II to present himself as a philanthropist was the lack of information about the conditions in the Congo Free State which was located in central Africa. At the time known as the heart of Africa, not many white people penetrated this area so it was still largely unknown. Therefore he was able to control the flow of information and censor critical reports, while promoting a positive image of his private African colony. However, in 1904, a British diplomat named Roger Casement was sent to investigate allegations of human rights abuses in the Congo Free State. His report detailed the widespread use of forced labor, violence, and exploitation in the colony and brought international attention to the atrocities committed by Leopold's administration. Following the publication of Casement's report and other accounts of the brutal conditions in the Congo, there was increasing international pressure on Leopold to relinquish his personal control over the colony. King Leopold II's supposed philanthropic organizations, such as the International African Association, were nothing more than a cover for his insatiable greed and lust for power. He used his personal fortune and solicited funds from others to finance the establishment of the Congo Free State, which he ruled with an iron fist. It is important to note King Leopold II's Congo Free State was a personal possession of the king, not a colony of Belgium. However Belgium was complicit in promoting the idea that the Congo free state was a philanthropic enterprise of King Leopold II displaying his Congolese Village front and center at the 1897 Brussels International Exposition and Worlds Fair. The life of King Leopold II exposes hidden agendas of truth versus reality in the media. The life of King Leopold II of Belgium is a cautionary lesson about the dangers of unchecked power, a top-notch fake reputation management team and the corrupting influence of wealth. Leopold inherited his wealth and power, and used it to pursue his personal gratifications and ambitions, including being a dictator and slave owner in Africa. He established philanthropic organizations and presented himself as a champion of anti-slavery efforts, but in reality,despite his reputation management team he ruled the Congo Free State as a brutal dictator, committing atrocities against the Congolese people in his quest for profit and power. The legacy of King Leopold II serves as a reminder of the dangers of allowing individuals to amass unchecked power and the importance of transparency, accountability, and oversight in any system of government or leadership. The transparency of colonial figures is crucial because it can shape the way history is perceived and understood. Reputation management that seeks to whitewash or downplay the atrocities committed by colonial figures, such as King Leopold II, perpetuates a false narrative that obscures the harm caused by these individuals and their actions. Accurately portraying the actions and impact of colonial figures, including their role in atrocities and exploitation, is essential for creating a more just and equitable future. King Leopold II was not brought up on charges by the International Criminal Court (ICC) because the ICC did not exist during his lifetime. The ICC was established in 2002 and has jurisdiction over crimes committed after July 1, 2002. King Leopold II died in 1909, long before the establishment of the ICC. Did you know? King Leopold II named the Congo Free State after the Congo River, which flows through the territory. The Congo River was named by the Portuguese explorer Diego Cao in the late 15th century. He called it the Rio Zaire, which means river that swallows all rivers in the Kikongo language spoken by locals along the river. The name Congo eventually came to be used to refer to the entire region around the river. Thank you for reading, Debunking the PR Campaign That Tried to Hide King Leopold II Genocidal Reign in Africa. Air-freight logistics provider Austrans has secured a new $55-million facility at Saltas Nexus Altona industrial estate, in a deal that should dramatically reduce the number of trucks on the roads of the inner-west. The 20,692 square metre site is adjacent to the proposed Altona inland port a rail terminal that will eventually connect to the Port of Melbourne, 15 kilometres away. Saltas Nexus Altona industrial estate. Colliers agents Nick Saunders and Hugh Gilbert negotiated a 15-year lease on the property, which is expected to be ready next month. Saunders said, when completed, said the new Altona inland port would deliver significant cost savings and efficiencies in transferring containers to and from the Port of Melbourne. Australias migration system is broken. It is a truth universally acknowledged by government, business, unions and academics. The system has inadequately addressed Australias skills needs while exposing migrants to wage theft and mistreatment. A significant government-commissioned report published this week offers a bold plan that just might fix the broken system, if the government implements it. Over the past 25 years, Australia has declined from an exemplary nation of immigrants, where workers from abroad were treated equally to Australian citizens, to a guest worker state where migrant workers are at significant risk of mistreatment and marginalisation. Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The recommendations outlined in the Review of the Migration System, chaired by Martin Parkinson and released by Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil, promise to return Australia to its once world-leading model of equality and inclusion for migrants. Its the guiltiest of television pleasures: watching celebrities squirm, retch and screech as they attempt to chomp away on bugs and animal body parts or get terrorised in suffocating encounters with rats, snakes and cockroaches. And yes, Im embarrassed to admit, Im hooked. But thats only half the attraction of celebrity humiliation television, a sub-genre of reality television that includes shows like Im A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!, Celebrity Big Brother, SAS Australia, Celebrity Apprentice, and to a lesser extent, Dancing with the Stars. Kerri-Anne Kennerley on Im a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. Credit: Theres also the allure of unscripted encounters between the celebs the uglier, the better, especially for television ratings. 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 This story is part of the April 30 edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories . Thinking about creating an Instagram account for your pet cat, dog, gerbil or other? Since the likes of online sensations Grumpy Cat and Doug the Pug showed pet owners it was entirely possible to earn a five- or in some cases six-figure income from taking photos of your four-legged friends daily antics, the pet influencer space has been growing steadily. Sarah Ezzat of Power Pets, an agency which manages up to 40 of Australias most in-demand animals, says pet brands in particular are leaning towards furred and feathered influencers to market their products on social media, rather than human influencers who happen to have pets. Content is key; an engaged audience is what makes a pet influencer successful, Ezzat explains. It is important for accounts to connect with their followers through interactive stories and captions, as well as creating a community within the pet-owner space. Brands like to know their campaigns are reaching the right target market for their products, so audience demographics, engagement rate and past campaign analytics are key factors. For many owners of petfluencers today, however, landing a book deal or a high-profile collaboration isnt about making money. Instead, its about having fun or using their platform to highlight causes close to their heart. Here, three owners of pet influencers share their stories. The greatest highlights have been the friends and connections weve made Melissa Pietrobuono (and partner Rian Crandon) started an Instagram account for their cat, Nathan, in 2017. The account, @nathan_thebeachcat, has 593,000 followers, with the couple donating a portion of proceeds to animal welfare charities. Nathan drying off in the sun after having a swim. Advertisement I didnt know anything about petfluencers when we adopted Nathan from the RSPCA in 2017; we certainly didnt have plans to put her in the public eye. It was only after a colleague watched a video of Nathan swimming at the beach that she suggested I create an Instagram account for her. I thought it sounded like a bit of fun, but soon after I began posting videos of Nathan swimming, [animal-focused website] The Dodo did a story on us and Nathans followers jumped from 3000 to 100,000 within a fortnight. Thats when everything changed. Brands soon began contacting us for partnerships and sponsored posts an overwhelming situation when youre new to the industry. Representation through Power Pets followed and it managed all the collaborations and deals. Over the years weve worked with the Purina and Your Majesty cat food brands, among others. For those who can devote time to their pets online adventures, theres money to be made and I know some who have been able to leave their jobs to concentrate solely on this. Figures vary, but its not unusual for brands to pay petfluencers between $700 and $2500 for a reel and a couple of stories. Theres a misconception this can be easy money. But to do it well you need to spend a lot of time getting the right content, editing content and engaging with followers. You also need to put the health and happiness of your pet first. Loading At the start, Rian and I were posting every day and spending an hour or two getting everything just right, but we never filmed Nathan or Winnie [a second cat who joined the family in 2018] for longer than five minutes or pushed them into anything they didnt want to do. And its never been about the money for us; were RSPCA ambassadors and use the platform to raise money for animal welfare charities, particularly smaller ones. Advertisement Rian and I lead hectic lives [Melissa is a student and part-time nurse, Rian is a doctor], so it can be challenging to find enough time to give the feed and website [nathanthebeachcat.com.au] the time we would like. I dont think we could walk away, though; the cats have the loveliest followers who care deeply about them and weve made great friends through the experience. Theres good money to be made but for me its about sharing my love for my pet Setting up an Instagram account for her miniature pony, Apollo, was a bit of fun for wildlife educator Adele Bender. The account, @apollominihorse, has 1400 followers and Apollo is one of the countrys first equine influencers. Apollo is captured being his authentic self chewing grass, eating fruit and walking around. Credit:@apollominihorse/Instagram Apollo came into my life in 2018 after I decided I wanted a miniature pony and found Apollo on Gumtree. It wasnt completely random: Id grown up riding horses and at the time I was a zookeeper at Australia Zoo. Our property was too small for the horse Id been dreaming about but I knew a miniature pony would be perfect. I started an Instagram account for Apollo right away. There was no great motivation behind it. I knew he was cute and had a fun personality hell often open up the sliding door and walk straight into our house plus theres something unusual about taking your miniature pony for a walk. I posted fun videos of Apollo chewing my husbands beard, walking down the street and wearing scrunchies in his hair. People loved the videos as much as I did, and before long Power Pets contacted me about representation. Advertisement I posted fun videos of Apollo chewing my husbands beard, walking down the street and wearing scrunchies in his hair. Brands then started reaching out for collaborations and soon Apollo began creating content for Shark vacuum cleaners and Aussie Grazers. Once, for a Toyota promotion, Apollo walked up a ramp onto the back of a ute and I posted a photo, mentioning that the ute has a lot of horsepower! I noticed, too, that when I purchased products and posted about them, the companies would then send me their products. If you devote yourself to this industry, theres good money to be made. But with my wildlife education business being the core of my focus, its never been about that for me. We tend to get sent a lot of products, though toys, hay bales, enrichment items, discount codes and combined they do make a difference to your bottom line. Loading Obviously there are many advantages to having a pet become an influencer, but the biggest challenge for owners is the constant pressure to keep creating content and posting. I dont post anywhere near as much as I should. But I also make sure that when I do, Im capturing Apollo being his authentic self chewing grass, eating fruit and walking around. Followers dont really like to see animals being staged or being forced to do tricks. Thats my advice: keep your content natural and dont take this too seriously. It is all just a bit of fun and an opportunity to show off your much-adored pet. Advertisement Pikelets social media presence is the reason my animal rescue organisation exists Calley Gibson, founder and director of Life of Pikelet, created an Instagram account for her dog as a way to advocate for rescue animals. The account, @lifeofpikelet, has 152,000 followers. Pikelets owner says, There is some negativity about pets on Instagram but provided you use the platform... for the right reasons, it can enable you to do a world of good. Credit:@lifeofpikelet/Instagram I was knee-deep in animal welfare volunteer work and fostering puppies when Pikelet scampered into my world in 2013. I received a call to take on a dog with rickets who was due to be euthanised. I was only meant to foster him until we found his forever home, but I fell in love with his personality and decided to keep him. People had only just started creating social media accounts for pets when Pikelet joined my family and I noticed none of them featured rescue dogs. With my commercial photography and advertising background, I was taking all these amazing shots, so I thought, Why not start an account advocating for rescue dogs to show people they can be just as great as pedigrees? Loading The feed grew quickly as followers delighted in Pikelets adventures, as well as the journeys of rescue animals we took in for short periods until they could be adopted; I had so many animal welfare groups approaching me that I ended up fostering 34. Advertisement With King Charles coronation about to dominate the air waves, what do Australians make of the Artist Formerly Known as Prince? My friends, still fuming from Jenny Hockings revelations in the so-called Palace letters, which detail the extent of royal involvement in Gough Whitlams sacking, definitely feel its time Australia came in from the reign. But what of young Australians? Our nation is one of the most multicultural on Earth a human minestrone so its hard to imagine that a castle-encrusted monarch 17,000 kilometres away will have any resonance. Talk to most Aussie kids about the King and they think youre referring to Baz Luhrmanns Elvis. Kathy Lette and King Charles have crossed paths many times over the years. Here they are catching up at the British Museum in 2015 in London. Credit: GETTY IMAGES But there is one aspect of Charles philosophy that will chime with both Boomers and Zoomers his passion for the environment. Now, normally you have to perform open-heart surgery to know whats going on inside an upper-class Englishman. But Charles has always been forthright about his environmental concerns. His campaigning took courage, too, in the face of much mockery and criticism. I hope his new role as King allows him to keep advocating for our planet. After the Queens death, the outpouring of sympathy from the public clearly touched and, at times, overwhelmed him. There has been much speculation about the new King reconfiguring his image, finally showing the real Charles. But to his many friends hes always been kind and compassionate, and its the public who have misread him for all these years. We hear about hot flushes being the thing menopausal women get, but really that was a small part of it, says Binks who, at 49, is right in the middle of the perimenopausal window before periods finally cease. The mental health symptoms, melancholy ... really resonated with me. Her research echoes comments from 700 Australian working women surveyed by the consultancy Circle In, which found four out of five respondents had been affected at work by symptoms of menopause, but 70 per cent do not feel comfortable talking to their manager about it. Co-founder Jodi Geddes said that despite Naomi Watts, Michelle Obama, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh and former Countess of Wessex, talking about it, there is still a baffling taboo about menopause with resources and support a scarcity for both employees and managers. There is a culture of ignorance and isolation around menopause in the workplace and as something that impacts workforce participation this needs to change. Nearly half of Circle Ins respondents said they considered retiring or taking a break from work due to severe menopause symptoms. This fits with Binks survey, in which some said they were having to make the difficult decision to transition away from leadership roles. On Wednesday, the Mayo Clinic reported that the US economy was losing $26 billion a year due to menopause symptoms, which it said was an opportunity to make the workplace environment more supportive for women going through this universal life stage. Actor Naomi Watts has started a beauty and wellness brand whose products are for menopausal women,. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Stripes/Amyris In Australia, five unions and the workplace law firm Maurice Blackburn are campaigning for menopause leave in enterprise agreements. Symptoms cost women $17 billion in lost earnings and super, according to the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees. Some private sector workplaces, including drinks manufacturer Diageo, have introduced trained menopause support advocates and given employees access to counselling and apps designed to aid the transition. Others, including Future Super, underwear maker Modibodi, Sustainability Victoria and the Victorian Womens Trust have introduced paid menstrual and menopause leave. Associate Professor Elizabeth Hill, deputy director of the Gender Equality in Working Life Research Initiative, said a massive global conversation had started about menopause and work because evidence shows it is impacting the labour market. If you get a lot of hot flushes, one an hour or every half hour, you go, Actually, it feels like Im being incinerated. Dr Janette Wright Menopausal workers are reducing their hours, leaving management roles and moving to lower-paid roles, or retiring early, as a result of symptoms or lack of support provided in the workplace, Hill said. Here, we see the intersection of ageism and sexism. Hill hopes to study and measure the impact of menopause and menstrual leave policies. Binks and other advocates argue menopause is a workplace wellbeing issue. If more is not done to help women to stay at work, the retirement age gap of 7.4 years between men and women will remain, womens prospects for longer-term economic security will not improve and workplaces will lose valuable talent, they say. Royal Melbourne Hospital anaesthetist Dr Janette Wright, 50, would like to see personalised support. She went into menopause early due to aggressive treatment for breast cancer, at age 44, having not been informed about the potential symptoms. Dr Janette Wright went into menopause early due to cancer treatment and says individualised supports would help women with strong symptoms. Credit: Wayne Taylor It [menopause symptoms] never really resonated with me as a major issue. But especially if you get a lot of hot flushes, one an hour or every half hour, you go, Actually, it feels like Im being incinerated, she said. Im a consultant, in that middle-management period of my life where you do want to step up: and were in a time when we want women to step up, and we want to achieve parity and equity. Meanwhile, youve got these physiological symptoms that muck up your sleep patterns and can make you a little bit angry. Loading Wright, who runs individualised, post-maternity leave programs, says customised menopause support would help women keep working to their potential. English research showed that 45 per cent working women dealing with menopausal symptoms say it causes them to consider retiring early or taking work breaks. Binks will run three menopause events at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists 2023 scientific meeting in May. On a drizzling afternoon in Sydney, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Premier Chris Minns, King Cross identity John Ibrahim and a convicted drug smuggler Simon Main were among the guests at the hotly anticipated wedding of radio broadcaster Kyle Sandilands. The nuptials between Sandilands, 51, and his former assistant Tegan Kynaston, 35, were held at Swifts mansion in Darling Point and livestreamed on Instagram by the radio hosts Kiis FM. It was thus that the fans learned the ceremony would be delayed by 10 minutes because Sandilands radio co-host, Jackie O Henderson had been held up in traffic. (She arrived with her daughter Kitty in complementary floral gowns.) Anthony Albanese with Kyle Sandilands at the Sandilands wedding in Darling Point. Credit: Twitter Albanese, who was snapped by Sandilands manager with the bridegroom in a picture shared on Twitter, was forced to deny in the morning that he would be DJing at the wedding, and both politicians arrived covertly, though the army of waiting photographers snapped Minns leaving soon after the vows. The Yes campaign to enshrine an Indigenous Voice within Australias constitution is ahead in every state and territory, the most comprehensive poll conducted on the proposal has revealed, placing it on course to deliver the first referendum to pass in four decades. The first dedicated state-by-state poll on the Voice to parliament has recorded the Yes vote on 51 per cent across the nation, while 34 per cent said they would vote No and 15 per cent were undecided. It would also reach the critical benchmark of support in a majority of states, while the Yes side was ahead in Queensland and Western Australia but fell short of 50 per cent support. Leading campaigner for the referendum Megan Davis says the results show Australians are ready to accept the Voice. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The YouGov poll of 15,060 Australians was commissioned by the group behind the Uluru Statement from the Heart and is the largest poll conducted on the upcoming referendum. Senior state Coalition MPs will push for a free vote on the Indigenous Voice to parliament, putting them at odds with their federal counterparts who will campaign against constitutional change. The decision whether to bind Coalition MPs to a formal position will be put to shadow cabinet at a meeting on Monday, according to two senior Coalition sources who spoke to The Sunday Age on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters. The Victorian parliamentary Liberal Party hasnt reached a formal position on the Voice to parliament, but leader John Pesutto has so far refused to back federal leader Peter Duttons opposition to a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous Voice. Calls are growing within the Victorian Liberal Party to allow MPs to have a free vote on a constitutionally enshrined Voice Credit: Darrian Traynor Three state Liberal frontbenchers James Newbury, Jess Wilson and Evan Mulholland told The Sunday Age that they will lobby for MPs to be given the choice to vote or campaign Yes or No, rather than being forced into a party position. OZAMA: External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar has said as he highlighted that China falls into a somewhat different category due to the presently "abnormal" nature of ties which is an outcome of a violation of border management agreements by Beijing. On his first official visit to the country, Jaishankar arrived in Santo Domingo. He said, "India has seen a dramatic expansion in connectivity, contacts, and cooperation across the region. In light of cross-border terrorism, Pakistan continues to be an exception to this. This was expressed by Jaishankar on Friday while he was speaking to the Dominican Republic's diplomatic school's students and members of the diplomatic corps in Santo Domingo, Ozama. We are working to make sure that all of these links strengthen without aiming for exclusivity, whether they are with the US, Europe, Russia, or Japan. China falls into a slightly distinct category as a result of the boundary issue and the abnormality of our existing relationship. That is the result of them breaking agreements regarding border management, he said. The emergence of China and India at the same time is not without its competitive components, he said. The rise of India's potential global footprint can be used to explain much of what is happening in other regions that are bidding for Africa, the Pacific, or Latin America. He said, "it is frequently the outcome of independent forces like business or movement. India has been harshly criticising China for violating border management agreements by stationing a sizable army and acting aggressively near the Line of Actual Control in the eastern Ladakh area. This week, India made it clear to China that breaking the border agreements has "eroded" the foundation of their bilateral relations and that any disputes over the border must be settled in accordance with the existing agreements. Following a bloody altercation near Pangong Lake on May 5, 2020, the eastern Ladakh border standoff broke out. Following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, which was the most significant military conflict between the two sides in decades, relations between the two nations took a sharp turn for the worse. Jaishankar continued in his speech by discussing how India contacts Latin America, how it views the world, and what today's and tomorrow's India should imply. "India's neighbours are obviously where its top priorities are. Given its size and economic power, India's generosity and non-reciprocal approach to cooperation with its smaller neighbours is very much for the benefit of all parties involved. And that's exactly what Prime Minister Narendra Modi and I have accomplished over the past ten years," he said. "Across the region, connection, relationships, and cooperation have dramatically increased. Pakistan is obviously the exception given cross-border terrorism. However, India has always stood up for its neighbours, whether it be during the COVID challenge or more recent debt pressures, the speaker said, citing the example of Sri Lanka, where India provided more than USD 4 billion in economic assistance during the island nation's worst economic crisis in decades. Jaishankar said that India is attempting to build the idea of extended neighborhoods in order to increase its influence in all directions. India has adopted a strategy known as "the Act East Policy" with ASEAN in an effort to forge a closer relationship with the Indo-Pacific region. India is working with nations like Japan, the US, and Australia to accomplish this goal through a system known as the Quad. He emphasised the I2U2 (India, Israel, UAE, and USA) grouping's attitude towards the West. To the south, India's view is known by the term Sagar, which is an Indian word for oceans, and to the north, India has been pursuing a strategy to more efficiently connect to Central Asia. "In 2015, Prime Minister Modi offered a broad perspective covering the entire Indian Ocean and its islands for the first time. This later served as the foundation for the emerging Indo-Pacific vision, he said. We are also practising the strategy of interacting with all significant centres of power. Such multi-alignment accurately depicts the multipolar world. Each engagement obviously has a different weight and has a different focus, he continued. The minister of external affairs claimed that India has consistently been a steadfast supporter of multilateralism. "This, in our opinion, is essential to the upkeep of world order. Over the years, we have made a lot of contributions, particularly to peacekeeping. The difficulty, he continued, is finding ways to change multilateralism, notably the way the UN and its agencies operate. He predicted that when more nations see the UN is unable to address urgent concerns, they will come to agreements among themselves. Overall, India is a country that is strongly committed to advancing group solutions for the benefit of the world. Our G-20 leadership this year is committed to concentrating on the real obstacles to global growth and development, he stressed. In the past ten years, he said, there has been a deliberate development of India's relationship with Latin America. Today, "our trade with Latin America is approaching a volume of USD 50 billion." He also said in his remarks at the India-Dominican Republic Business Event held here on Friday that the two countries' trade turnover has surpassed USD $1 billion. Jaishankar further noted that negotiations on a JETCO mechanism between India and the concerned country were successful. He hopes that this mechanism will provide a venue for ongoing meetings to discuss potential for economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries. EAM Jaishankar discusses Sudan crisis with Egyptian Foreign Minister EAM Jaishankar to visit North, South America to strengthen bilateral ties Russia and India are in talks for a free trade pact. London: Australias partner in the $368 billion AUKUS defence deal has been left red-faced after official documents about one of its Astute-class submarines were found in the toilets of a local pub. Files carrying details about HMS Anson were left in the Furness Railway in Cumbria, alongside a Royal Navy lanyard, and showed the inner workings of the nuclear-powered submarine and were used by submariners learning how to isolate and depressurise elements of its system. HMS Anson, Britains newest Astute-class submarine, at her commissioning ceremony in Barrow. Credit: Latika Bourke The pub is a short distance from a BAE systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, where Australian submariners will undergo training as part of the agreement with Britain and the United States over the cutting-edge nuclear submarines. The Royal Navy has played down part of the report carried in Britains The Sun newspaper, which said the files, marked official sensitive, were discovered on the floor of a cubicle. With Joe Biden confirming that he is seeking a second term as US president and Donald Trumps main Republican competitor, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, struggling to build support at a national level, it appears a repeat of the 2020 US presidential contest is the most likely scenario. For many Americans, it seems beggars cant be choosers. A recent poll found that 60 per cent believe Trump should stay out of the race, while 70 per cent think Biden should also step aside. There are sound arguments for both candidates to forgo another run. US President Joe Biden launches his campaign for re-election in 2024 on YouTube. Credit: While there is little evidence that Bidens age is currently impeding his ability to carry out his presidential duties, a second term would break his own record as the oldest person to be sworn in as president aged 78. If he were to secure another four years, Biden would be well into his 80s by the time he handed over the nuclear codes. When you cast your mind back to the previous two Democrat presidents, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, not to mention John F. Kennedy, they all took office in their mid-40s. Youth may not be the defining measure of political acumen, but its surely legitimate to ask whether Bidens advancing years would hamper his ability to campaign and continue carrying out his presidential duties. It also begs the question why there is such a dearth of new leadership talent within the Democrat party, allowing Biden to seek a second term uncontested. BHUBANESWAR: Six people from Odisha have thanked god, Operation Kaveri, and the Indian government after reaching safely here from conflict-torn Sudan. The returnees, who are from the districts of Khurda, Balasore, Bhadrak, and Jagatsinghpur, told the reporters their terrifying tales as they touched down at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here on Friday. They claimed that the paramilitary soldiers took all of their food, cash, and mobile phones at gunpoint while also taking all of their belongings. They were evacuated on a ship operated by the Indian Navy to Saudi Arabia with assistance from the Indian Embassy, and from there they were flown back to India. According to Pabitra Mohan Pradhan, a returnee from the Ganjam district, they arrived in Bhubaneswar after arriving in Delhi with the assistance of the Odisha government. Pradhan claimed that he was residing in the heavily bombed and shot-up region of the war-torn Khartoum. "The assault started on April 15." Our stay there lasted until April 24. We would have perished if we had remained there for one or two more days, he claimed. Another returnee, Amar Kumar Bal, stated, "The paramilitary troops damaged our Indian canteen in our workplace and stole all of my savings and mobile phone. Around our company, there were explosions all over the place. For nine days, we were unable to sleep due to our extreme fear. Since 2017, I have been residing there. There have previously been conflicts between the army and a paramilitary organisation. But they weren't as bad as the current one," he said. Another returnee, Basant Kumar Mishra, described his terrifying experience, saying that he and the other workers from his company were plundered under threat of violence. "We spent around nine hours being held at gunpoint. Our possessions were all stolen. We might be able to contact the Indian Embassy in Sudan and perhaps spare our lives, Mishra said. Operation Kaveri: 600 Indian nationals arrived in India, More info inside Operation Kaveri: India evacuates 278 people from conflict-hit Sudan Batavia, NY (14020) Today Cloudy with a few showers. High near 45F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Light rain...mixing with snow overnight. Low 36F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 80%. Batavia, NY (14020) Today Cloudy with showers. High 44F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Occasional rain with some snow mixing in overnight. Low around 35F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 80%. European Commission and five EU countries agree on Ukrainian food imports 28 April, 11:57 PM Grain harvest in Kyiv region, August 2022 (Photo:REUTERS/Viacheslav Musiienko/File Photo) The European Commission has reached an agreement with Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia to resolve the crisis of Ukrainian agricultural imports driving down domestic prices, European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said in a Twitter post on April 28. The agreement comes after two weeks of negotiations, following Poland and nearby countries introducing bans on imports of Ukrainian grain, sunflower oil, and other food products. "We have acted to address concerns of both farmers in neighboring EU countries and Ukraine," said Dombrovskis. Under the agreement, EU members will forego unilateral restrictions on Ukrainian imports, while Brussels allocates EUR 100 million ($110 million) to compensate farmers who are hurting from the decrease in domestic prices. Video of day Furthermore, the commission will introduce exceptional safeguard measures for imports of wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seed. All parties have pledged to work to ensure Kyiv can still export its grain via the so-called solidarity lanes to other countries, as the Russian navy prevents Ukraines Black Sea ports from handling the usual volume of exports. Starting on April 15, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria began imposing temporary bans on these products coming from Ukraine. The import bans were due to the shipping of Ukrainian produce through Poland to third countries causing imbalances in domestic agricultural markets and lowering prices for local farmers On April 18, the Ukrainian and Polish governments agreed to restore the transit of Ukrainian grains. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Batavia, NY (14020) Today Overcast with rain showers at times. High 43F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Evening light rain followed by a mix of rain and snow overnight. Low 36F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 80%. Denmark to allocate EUR 1 billion for Ukraines reconstruction 29 April, 12:13 PM Consequences of the Russian attack on Mykolaiv (Photo:State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS) A new program for the reconstruction of Ukraine in 2023 was announced by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen at a joint briefing with colleagues from Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, and Finland in the Ukrainian Black Sea coastal city of Odesa on April 28. The main goal of the program is to restore Ukraine. The restoration of Mykolaiv will be a significant focus of this program, the minister said, referring to Odesas neighboring regional center to the east. He said Denmark would not stop supporting Ukraine, and he condemned the recent shelling of Mykolaiv. Video of day Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmarks defense minister, added that Denmark supports Ukraines fight for freedom together with the rest of the free world. That is why we will continue to support Ukrainians with military equipment, financing, and training to support their struggle against Russia, Poulsen said. On the night of April 27, the Russian army attacked Mykolaiv with four missiles. The Ukrainian militarys South Operational Command stated that the missiles had been guided along a complex trajectory that made it difficult for them to be intercepted. One civilian was killed, and 23 were injured in the Russian missile attack. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News 2nd Mississippi Jail Escapee Found; Arrested in Texas This image provided by the Hinds County Sheriff's Office shows Jerry Raynes, who was apprehended in Spring Valley, Texas days after he and three other inmates escaped Saturday night from the Raymond Detention Center near Jackson, Mississippi's capital. (Hinds County Sheriff's Office via AP) JACKSON, Miss.A man who escaped from a Mississippi jail last weekend and fled to Texas after allegedly stealing a public works vehicle has been arrested in Houston, authorities announced Thursday. Jerry Raynes was apprehended days after he and three other inmates escaped Saturday night from the Raymond Detention Center near Jackson, Mississippis capital, Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said. Raynes is the second escaped prisoner to be found in a multi-agency hunt. Dylan Arrington died after barricading himself in a central Mississippi home and setting it on fire during an armed standoff with deputies Wednesday. He is suspected of killing a man and stealing his pickup truck after the escape. This image provided by the Hinds County Sheriffs Office shows Jerry Raynes, who was apprehended in Spring Valley, Texas days after he and three other inmates escaped Saturday night from the Raymond Detention Center near Jackson, Mississippis capital. (Hinds County Sheriffs Office via AP) The other two, Casey Grayson and Corey Harrison, are still on the loose, and authorities had no updates Thursday on their possible whereabouts. The U.S. Marshals Service, Harris County Sheriffs Office and Spring Valley Police Department assisted with Raynes capture. He will be held before facing extradition back to Mississippi, Jones said Thursday. Raynes had been incarcerated for auto theft and burglary. Investigators said Raynes fled to Texas after stealing a Hinds County Public Works vehicle, which was found Sunday under a freeway overpass near Houston. It was unknown whether Raynes traveled alone. Before his arrest, he was spotted on surveillance video at a Hedwig Village service station around 11 a.m. Sunday. Raynes was taken into custody at a Houston hospital before he could be discharged after seeking treatment for an unspecified medical condition, according to the U.S. Marshalls Service. With the relentless efforts of the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Fugitive Task Force and their partners one escapee from Mississippi was arrested, T. Michael OConnor, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Texas, said in a news release. Additionally, we would like to recognize the Houston media who covered the story. Due to their coverage, we received a credible tip as to the location of the escapee. The four men are believed to have escaped from the Raymond Detention Center through breaches in a cell and the roof. Jones said the men might have camped out on the roof before fleeing and going their separate ways. Rolls of razor wire line the top of the security fencing at the Raymond Detention Center in Raymond, Miss., on Aug. 1, 2022. (Rogelio V. Solis/AP Photo) Raynes had previously escaped from custody, breaking out of a work center attached to the Raymond Detention Center in 2021 and fleeing in a stolen pickup, according to WAPT-TV. In July, U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves ordered a rare takeover of the Raymond jail after he said deficiencies in supervision and staffing led to a stunning array of assaults, as well as deaths. But before the appointed receiver was scheduled to assume control over the jail Jan. 1, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the lower courts order until it ruled on the countys motion for reconsideration. The problems at the Raymond facility date back years. The U.S. Justice Department sued Hinds County in 2016 after finding unconstitutional conditions at the jail, including violence among detainees and by staff against detainees. It also found problems with the treatment of juveniles and suicidal detainees. And, it said, there were cell doors that would not lock. The four escapees had been in custody for various felony charges, most involving theft. The man Arrington is suspected of killing was Anthony Watts, a 61-year-old church pastor who was shot and killed Monday around 7 p.m. on Interstate 55 in Jackson after he pulled over to help a man who matched Arringtons description. That man shot Watts several times and then stole his Red Dodge Ram, police said. Watts died at the scene. Arrington later broke into a home in Conway, Mississippi, where he shot a deputy, set the residence on fire and died. By Michael Goldberg Adnan Syed Asks Court to Reconsider Its Decision to Reinstate His Murder Conviction Adnan Syed gets emotional as he speaks to reporters outside the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal building after a hearing in Annapolis, Md., on Feb. 2, 2023. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/The Baltimore Sun via AP) BALTIMOREAttorneys for Adnan Syed filed a motion Wednesday asking a Maryland appellate court to reconsider its recent decision to reinstate his decadesold murder conviction and life sentence, a ruling that upheld arguments from the victims family claiming a lower court violated their rights. Syed, whose protracted legal odyssey gained international attention from the hit podcast Serial, regained his freedom last year after Baltimore prosecutors moved to vacate his conviction, saying they reviewed the case and found alternative suspects and unreliable evidence used at trial. But the victims family said they received insufficient notice to attend the September vacatur hearing in person, which violated their right to be treated with dignity and respect, and the Maryland Appellate Court last month agreed. In a 21 decision that was stayed for 60 days, the judges reinstated Syeds conviction and ordered a redo of the hearing in question. Wednesdays motion asks the judges to reconsider the ruling, which prompted celebration within the crime victims rights movement and criticism from criminal justice reform advocates who warned of a potential chilling effect on existing efforts to fight wrongful convictions and excessive sentences. Syeds attorneys claim the appellate judges broke from the courts own precedent by failing to require the victims family to prove the outcome of the September hearing would have been different if they had received more notice and attended in person. The motion also questions whether the court intends to award crime victims and their representatives special treatment not even available to criminal defendants. Syed was 17 when his high school ex-girlfriend and classmate, Hae Min Lee, was found strangled to death and buried in a makeshift grave in 1999. He was arrested weeks later and ultimately convicted of murder. He received life in prison, plus 30 years. Despite the ongoing litigation, Syed remains free for the time being. His many supporters have expressed alarm at the possibility he could be taken back into custody, depending on how the case plays out. Maryland law says victims should receive prior notice of conviction vacatur hearings, and that right was violated in the case of Lees brother, the appellate court ruled last month. Young Lee was notified on a Friday afternoon that the hearing would take place the following Monday, which didnt give him enough time to make travel arrangements from his home in California. However, he attended the hearing via video conference and spoke during the proceeding about how the case has impacted his family. Syeds attorneys have argued Lees ability to participate remotely satisfied the crime victims rights requirements. In the motion for reconsideration, they also argue Lee should have to prove that his in-person attendance would have changed the hearings outcome; otherwise, the lower courts error should be considered harmless. They quoted an earlier ruling by the Appellate Court of Maryland that says it is the policy of this Court not to reverse for harmless error. David Sanford, an attorney for the Lee family, said he believes the judges will not waver in their commitment to victims rights. The Maryland Constitution and the collective wisdom of the Maryland State Legislature recognize victims rights as being an essential part of the legal fabric of Maryland, he said in a statement Wednesday. We have confidence that the Appellate Court will uphold those rights again. While the appellate judges found Lees rights were violated because of the timeline, they also found he had no explicit right to be heard during the hearing. His attorneys had requested the opportunity to present evidence and interrogate witnesses, which the judges said would result in a huge shift in practice. In a dissenting opinion that largely refuted findings of the two majority judges, Judge Stuart Berger said Maryland legislators should develop more specific victims rights requirementsincluding how much notice they should receive for conviction vacatur hearingsinstead of leaving it to the courts to interpret a patchwork of existing statutes that dont directly address the issue. By Lea Skene Army Grounds All Non-Critical Aircraft Following Deadly Helicopter Crash The U.S. Army has ordered an aviation stand-down following the latest in a series of deadly helicopter crashes that, since March, have killed 12 soldiers. Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville ordered a 24-hour stand down for all aerial operations except critical missions, according to an Army statement released on April 29. The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training, the statement reads. The order calls for all active-duty units to be subjected to the 24-hour stand down at some point next week, while the Army National Guard and Reserve units will have until May 31 to carry it out. A maintenance worker walks past an AH-64 Apache helicopter in Kearns, Utah, on March 4, 2020. (George Frey/Getty Images) Important Step McConville, himself an aviator, said the move is key to ensuring the safety of service members. The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel, McConville said in his order. During this stand down, we will focus on safety and training protocols to ensure our pilots and crews have the knowledge, training and awareness to safely complete their assigned mission, he added. The Army will review risk management processes during the stand down, as well as its aviation maintenance training program, and aircrew training standardization and management. The flight-mission briefing process will also be assessed, which will include a focus on crew selection, flight planning, and risk mitigation, among other components. The move follows an incident on Thursday in which two AH-64 Apache helicopters crashed near Healy, Alaska, killing three soldiers. The latest crash followed a March 29 collision between two HH-60 Blackhawk helicopters near Fort Cambell, Kentucky, killing all nine soldiers onboard. While both incidents remain under investigation, there is no indication of any pattern between the two mishaps, the Army said in Fridays statement. We are deeply saddened by those we have lost, McConville said. It is their loss that makes it all the more important we review our safety procedures and training protocols, and ensure we are training and operating at the highest levels of safety and proficiency. Thursdays incident is the third involving military helicopters in the last three months. Deadly Crashes Three soldiers were killed and one was injured when two AH-64 Apache helicopters crashed on Thursday near Healy, which is around 250 miles north of Anchorage. The soldiers were from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, and they were returning from a training mission when the collision occurred. The helicopters were returning from a training mission when they collided in flight, the Army said in a statement. Two soldiers died at the crash site, while the third died on the way to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. The injured soldier is receiving treatment at the same hospital. Nine soldiers were killed on March 29 when two U.S. Army HH-60 Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during a routine training mission in Kentucky. The helicopters were from the 101st Airborne Division, the Armys only air assault division. I would like to express our deepest sympathies to the families of our fallen soldiers, Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) deputy commander, told reporters at the time. The crash took place about 25 miles northwest of Fort Campbell, a military base on the border between Kentucky and Tennessee. We are blessed to live in the freest country in the history of planet Earth, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said during a March 30 news conference. But we must remember that that freedom relies on those who are willing to serve, some of which pay the ultimate price. In February, an Apache helicopter rolled after takeoff from Talkeetna, Alaska, injuring two soldiers. The aircraft was one of four traveling to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage from Fort Wainwright. The pilot and co-pilot were taken to receive medical attention and were later discharged. The helicopter was traveling with three others from the 25th Attack Battalion stationed at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, as part of a training exercise. Caden Pearson contributed to this report. Asias Aluminum Tycoon Collapses After Three Decades (L-R) China's Liaoning province Deputy Governor Liu Guoqiang, China Zhongwang Holdings Chairman Liu Zhongtian, and Hong Kong Stock Exchange Chairman Ronald Arculli toast just after trading started at the stock exchange in Hong Kong on May 8, 2009. (Mike Clarke/AFP via Getty Images) China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd., founded by Liu Zhongtian, was forced to delist from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on April 13. Liu was a 14-year-old school dropout from rural China who borrowed 200 yuan (approx. $29) to start a business and eventually became known as Asias aluminum tycoon. He was the wealthiest man in Northeast China at one time. Liu experienced all the ups and downs of the ever-changing Chinese Communist Party (CCP) during his career trajectory over the past three decades. In the early 1980s, when Chinas planned economy reached a dead end, the CCP started reforms toward a market economy by implementing a dual-track price system. Many businessmen who knew how to work with officials could buy goods at a fixed low price and sell them at the market price, which resulted in Chinas oligarchy getting rich overnight. However, Chinas economy became chaotic, and that era was marked by collusion between government officials and business sectors. Lius Early Success In the late 1980s, Liu turned to industrial business. In 1989, he founded a chemical plant in Liaoyang City, Liaoning Province, at the age of 25. In 1993, he founded a Sino-Hong Kong joint venture company, Liaoning Zhongwang, specializing in producing aluminum profiles for construction, with a Hong Kong investor as a shell company that he owned 100 percent. At that time, the joint venture enjoyed additional tax benefits, facilitating the future listing of Zhongwang Holdings on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In 1994, Zhongwangs aluminum profiles for construction were officially launched in the market. Relying on the rapid expansion of Chinas real estate industry, Lius aluminum profile business grew rapidly, and the companys production capacity increased from zero to more than 100,000 tons in just three years. Liu was now a successful entrepreneur. In 2001, Liu turned down U.S.-based aluminum company Alcoa Inc.s acquisition plan for Zhongwang Holdings. He started to introduce industrial aluminum extrusion products to the market. By 2008, Zhongwangs production capacity exceeded 530,000 tons, ranking third in the world and first in Asia. It partnered with many major international automobile manufacturers and is a major supplier of aluminum extrusion materials for the entire body of high-speed railroad rolling stock in China. Its products were widely used in construction, transportation, machinery and equipment, and power engineering. In May 2009, China Zhongwang Holdings Limited was successfully listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, marking the largest IPO in the global capital market since the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States, raising a total of $1.3 billion. As a result, Lius net worth soared to 24 billion yuan (about $3.5 billion) at that time, becoming Chinas richest man. China Zhongwangs Downturn While Liu was seeking to list his company publicly, he also joined the elite political club of the CCP, serving as a deputy to the CCP National Peoples Congress for ten consecutive years from March 2003 to March 2013. That was the highest honor the CCP gives to private entrepreneurs. Liu has entered the financial sector mainly through his shareholdings since 2011. As of 2018, he controlled nine financial institutions directly or indirectly through his other companies, including banks, insurance companies, and financial leasing companies. Liu then financed his businesses through these financial institutions. However, in 2013, Lius career started to take a downturn, and since then, he has failed to enter the National Peoples Congress, where the CCP political elites gather. In March 2013, CCP leader Xi Jinping took over the entire Communist Party, the Chinese government, and the military. The previous Hu Jintao regime ended along with the influence of former leader Jiang Zemin. The political and business sectors entered a turbulent period of struggles between the old and new factions within the CCP. Under Xi, the era of collusion between the regime and the business sector ended, and the business sector became more involved in a political purge that affected many business tycoons. After Zhongwang was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Liu set his eyes on the international market. At that time, the Chinese regime promoted the going global strategy for domestic enterprises and provided policy support and tax incentives. Since 2009, the industrial aluminum produced by Zhongwang, with the help of government subsidies, started a worldwide price war and rapidly expanded its market share. In the second half of 2010, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) launched an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation of imported aluminum. In March of the following year, the DOC imposed high anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs on aluminum profiles from China, with the anti-subsidy rate against Zhongwang reaching 374.15 percent. Since then, the total export volume of aluminum from China has dropped significantly. Faced with the sudden change, Liu made a decision that led his company into legal jeopardy in the United States. Liu first established an aluminum processing plant in Mexico to avoid high tariffs imposed by the United States and then shipped industrial aluminum to Mexico from China. It was manufactured into aluminum pallets and sent to a warehouse in California to be reworked into saleable industrial aluminum. In September 2016, the Wall Street Journal reported that an Alcoa executive hired a pilot to take aerial photos deep in the Mexican desert and shockingly discovered about 1 million tons of aluminum neatly arranged in a factory surrounded by barbed wire. The aluminum was worth about $2 billion, or about 6 percent of the worlds total, enough to produce 2.2 million Ford F-150 pickups or 77 billion beer cans. After several years of investigations, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted Liu in May 2019, alleging that he and his partners provided funds to shell companies to purchase aluminum from China Zhongwang and then sold it to U.S. buyers, concealing the origin of the goods during the transaction, and thereby avoiding U.S. tariffs for ten years. In April 2022, the U.S. District Court issued a ruling ordering companies associated with Liu to pay $1.83 billion in fines for their fraudulent activities and sentenced Liu to five years of probation. When the DOC launched an anti-dumping investigation into imported aluminum, China Zhongwang was already in a financial crisis, with its stocks plummeting. The company was later ordered to suspend its trading in August 2021 due to its failure to disclose profit reports for the first half of 2021. On April 13 this year, China Zhongwang was forced to delist from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Ukraine sends notes to Poland and EU decrying restrictions on Ukrainian food imports 29 April, 01:14 PM Ukrainian grain (Photo:REUTERS/Igor Tkachenko/File Photo) Ukraines Foreign Ministry sent notes to the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ukraine and the EU representation in Ukraine on April 28 decrying the categorical unacceptability of the situation regarding trade restrictions on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko wrote on Facebook on April 29 that such restrictions on Ukrainian imports, whatever their justification, do not comply with the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU and the principles and norms of the EU Single Market. Nikolenko said there were all legal grounds for the immediate resumption of exports of Ukrainian agricultural goods to Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria, as well as the continued unrestricted exports to other EU member states and the transit of all Ukrainian products within and outside the EU. Video of day The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called on its partners to find a balanced solution based on EU legislation, the Association Agreement, and in the spirit of solidarity. Only this way, can we successfully resist the Russian full-scale aggressive war against Ukraine and strengthen the EU Single Market, of which Ukraine will become a participant, Ukrainian diplomats said. The Vice-President of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, announced on the evening of April 28 that the European Commission had reached an agreement with five European countries on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products. The agreement was concluded with Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. Im pleased to announce that we have reached a political decision on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products into the EU. We have agreed with Ukraine and five neighboring EU member states on how to settle the situation, he said. According to the agreements: countries will abandon unilateral restrictions on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products; the EU will allocate EUR 100 million to support affected farmers in those countries; protection measures will be implemented for the four most sensitive products: corn, wheat, sunflower seeds, and rapeseed; countries will work to ensure exports to other countries. Earlier, European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski announced that the EC was nearing a good deal that would temporarily ban the import of such products as corn, wheat, rapeseed, sunflower and oil in five countries. On April 15, Poland banned the import of grain from Ukraine. Polish farmers had been protesting for several months against the transportation of Ukrainian agricultural products through Poland to third countries. They claimed that a significant portion of Ukrainian grain does not transit further and stays in Poland, destabilizing Polish markets and lowering prices for Polish farmers products. Later, Hungary and Slovakia also announced a temporary ban on the import of grain and oil crops, as well as some other agricultural products from Ukraine. On April 19, Bulgaria joined them, allowing only transit. A representative of the European Commission for Agriculture and Trade, Miriam Garcia Ferrer, stated that the EU opposes such a ban. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Australian Housing Stamp Duty Discourages People From Relocating A woman walks past a real estate agent's window advertising houses for sale and auction in Melbourne, Australia on May 1, 2019. (William West/Getty Images) Victorias largest source of tax revenue is inefficient, constrains property investment and will need replacing with support from the federal government, an inquiry has been told. The Legislative Councils Economy and Infrastructure Committee is examining land transfer duty fees, known as stamp duty, which is tax paid by a purchaser on a property. Victorian Treasury and Finance secretary David Martine said stamp duty brought in $10.4 billion (US$6.9 billion), slightly more than one-third of Victorias state tax revenue for the 2021/22 financial year. But the tax ultimately constrained individual and investor decisions. It may discourage individuals from relocating for opportunities such as a new job, or moving to a property better suited to their needs, Martine told the inquiry. Business owners may choose to continue normal operations instead of relocating to expand or take advantage of opportunities in growth areas. Estimates ranked stamp duty as one of the least efficient taxes in Australia, Martine said, with a higher value of welfare loss to the economy for each dollar of revenue raised when compared with other taxes. The key in this is it needs to be replaced with something, and it needs to be replaced with something pretty big, Martine said. I dont think personally this this can be delivered without some support and leadership at the Commonwealth level. The only example of a state or territory transitioning away from property transfer duties is the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), which is gradually reducing duties while increasing rates. In January, the former Liberal New South Wales (NSW) government gave its residents the option to pay either stamp duty in one hit or an annualised land tax. Southern metropolitan Liberal MP David Davis said the ACT transition articulated his fear that Victorians could end up paying both a stamp duty alongside whatever replaced it. People (in Canberra) are very agitated about the fact they thought stamp duty was going but now they have land tax and stamp duty, Davis said. The other risk is a mendicant government might simply keep both taxes. Martine said the Victorian government had not announced plans to introduce a land tax, and the ACTs 20-year transition plan had not changed. By definition, if youre slowly bringing down stamp duty and replacing it with an increase in rates then you will have a period over that 20 years that you do have both. If youre replacing a $100,000 (US$66,200) lump sum payment with something thats averaging a much smaller amount spread over the lifetime of that property, then you can immediately take a budget hit. Biden Commutes Sentences of 31 Individuals With Nonviolent Drug Offenses President Joe Biden speaks at the Take Your Child to Work Day event at the White House in Washington on April 27, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) The White House announced on Friday that President Joe Biden will grant clemency to 31 individuals who were convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. The offenses committed by these individuals include possession and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, and cocaine, as well as conspiracy to distribute these drugs and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The White House said the move is part of the Biden administrations plan to help incarcerated individuals successfully reintegrate into society, which includes reducing barriers to voting and more. These individuals, who have been successfully serving sentences on home confinement, have demonstrated a commitment to rehabilitation, including by securing employment and advancing their education, the White House said. While commutations dont eliminate convictions, the White House said that many of the recipients would have received lower sentences if they were convicted today due to criminal justice reforms, including the First Step Act. This act was passed by Congress and signed into law by former President Donald Trump in 2018. The clemency recipients will be under home confinement until the commutations go into effect on June 30, after which they will be on supervised release. According to Susan Rice, Bidens chief domestic policy adviser who will step down in May, the clemencies disclosed on Friday are part of a larger initiative focused on prisoner reentry and rehabilitation. Rice told reporters that sentences should reflect the seriousness of the crime and provide a chance at meaningful rehabilitation and reentry to society. Leaders on both sides of the aisle have recognized that these steps are not just the right thing to do, she said. Theyre the smart thing to do to make our communities safer and stronger, to empower people, communities, our economy, and our nation as a whole. Rehabilitation Plan The clemency is part of the Biden administrations broader plan to improve rehabilitation in jails and prisons, support successful reentry, and strengthen public safety by releasing an Alternatives, Rehabilitation, and Reentry Strategic Plan. The plan includes more than 100 policy actions to improve the criminal justice system, such as expanding access to health care, secure housing, educational opportunities, and job opportunities while also reducing barriers to voting. The White House claimed that most people in jail are eligible to vote and noted the Department of Justice released a guide in May 2022 about state voting rules that apply after criminal convictions that will provide guidance on state-specific voter rights for incarcerated persons and promote strategies to reduce barriers for eligible voters. The broader plan also includes provisions to expand access to health care, including mental health and addiction treatment, for individuals involved in the criminal justice system. It also includes measures to increase funding for affordable housing programs and to provide support for individuals returning to their communities after incarceration to help prevent recidivism. Expanding access to educational opportunities is also part of the plan, including college education for incarcerated individuals and increasing funding for job training and workforce development programs. By providing individuals with the education and skills they need to secure good-paying jobs, the plan aims to reduce the likelihood of involvement in criminal activity, according to the White House. Last year, Biden said he would pardon all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession and called on governors to do the same with state offenses. There are thousands of people who were previously convicted of simple possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result. My pardon will remove this burden, Biden said in a statement on Oct. 6, 2022. The Biden administration said at the time there were over 6,500 people with federal convictions from 1992 to 2021 and thousands of others with convictions under D.C. law. A growing number of states have decriminalized marijuana possession and other marijuana-related offenses in recent years, and federal officials rarely bring federal charges against people who are violating federal law. California Adopts Rules to Cut Train Emissions, First in US California adopted new rules on April 27 to reduce emissions created by locomotives, becoming the first state to do so in the United States. Locomotives are a key part of Californias transportation network, and its time that they are part of the solution to tackle pollution and clean our air, California Air Resources Board (CARB) Chair Liane Randolph said in a release. Under the new rules passed by the board, train operators will now be required to fund a spending account to offset emissions. Companies will then be able to use the funds to operate cleaner train technologies in the state. Trains will also only be allowed to idle for 30 minutes starting in 2024. All locomotive operators will also be required to submit annual emissions reports to the state starting next year. Beginning Jan. 1, 2047, all locomotives operating in California and rail equipment will be required to be zero-emission. Historic railroad operators that meet specific requirements may receive state permission to be exempt from the rules. Empty boxes lay scattered near the railroad tracks after ongoing train robberies in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 14, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Officials of Union Pacific, the largest railroad operator in North America, said California is not ready for the new rules. The company operates commuter trains and freight trains on over 3,300 miles of track in California. Union Pacific is deeply disappointed in the California Air Resources Boards decision to impose burdensome regulations on the railroad industry which fail to take into consideration that the technology and infrastructure needed for success do not exist, spokesman Mike Jaixen told The Epoch Times in an email. We are committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and are making significant strides in addressing criteria pollutants. The company has spent more than $1.4 billion on transportation infrastructure projects in the state since 2018. It is also investing $1 billion to modernize locomotives and testing biofuel blends to lower carbon and criteria pollutant emissions, according to Jaixen. We are dedicated to ongoing collaboration to find balanced solutions, he said. Californians for Electric Rail, an advocacy group promoting electric railroads, was positive about the adoption, according to its Twitter page. According to CARBs estimates, emissions from one train are worse than 400 heavy-duty trucks. A CARB analysis estimates the state will see $32 billion in health savings by preventing 3,200 premature deaths and 1,500 emergency room visits and hospitalizations if California trains are switched to electric or zero-emission systems. Cancer risk is also expected to be reduced by 90 percent. However, these numbers are subject to uncertainty, according to the report. New Truck Rules The board also approved the countrys most aggressive policy on April 27 to phase out the sales of medium and heavy-duty combustion trucks by 2036. The Advanced Clean Fleets rule will pave the way for all fleets in the state to be zero-emission by 2045. The rule mandates drayage trucks, or big rigs, to be zero-emission by 2035, garbage trucks and local buses by 2039, and all other vehicles by 2035. Several industry organizations, truck drivers, and residents are concerned about the speedy transition, including groups that use the busy Los Angeles and Long Beach ports to pick up overseas goods and deliver them across the country. American Trucking Associations argued that zero-emission models are more costly and can move fewer goods. Today, an unelected Board in California voted to force trucking companies to buy zero-emission trucks, the associations President Chris Spear said in a statement. What [the companies] have learned so far is [zero-emission trucks] are significantly more expensive, charging and refueling infrastructure is nonexistent, and [they] are not necessarily a one-for-one replacementmeaning more trucks will be needed on California roads to move the same amount of freight. Trucks wait for shipping containers at the Port of Long Beach, Calif., on July 13, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) These new rules add to Gov. Gavin Newsoms aggressive plan to transition the state away from fossil fuels and into renewable energy. Newsom, a Democrat, has pushed for accelerated climate measures and a transition to zero-emission transportation in recent years. He signed an executive order in 2020 (pdf) calling for new heavy-duty vehicles sold in California to be zero-emission by 2045. The governors executive order also aims for all new passenger cars and trucks sold in California to meet the same standard by 2035, which was already approved by CARB last year, making California one of the first in the world to impose such a restriction. California Bill Targets Faith-Based Foster Parents Over Gender-Affirming Care, Opponents Say Opponents of a bill that would require all foster parents in California to affirm the chosen gender identities of children in their care have called the proposed legislation an attack on constitutionally protected religious freedom and parental rights. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who introduced the proposed legislation, Senate Bill (SB) 407, told the Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing on April 25 it is intended to strengthen protections for vulnerable LGBT foster youth to ensure theyre placed in safe homes. Wiener claims the bill is needed because the states Foster Youth Bill of Rights passed in 2019 doesnt go far enough to protect these children. We need to make sure affirmatively that these families are going to be supportive and not hostile to these children, he said. The bill would require foster parents to demonstrate the capacity to meet the needs of a child, regardless of the childs sexual orientation or gender identity. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) speaks in support of Senate Bill 407 at a hearing in Sacramento on April 25, 2023. (Screenshot via California State Senate) Under SB 407, potential foster parents would also be assessed for their ability to care for and supervise children and youth of all sexual orientations and gender identities. About 30 percent of foster youth in the state identify as LGBTQ, according to several studies, Wieners office said in a press release. Citing the Trevor Project, a national LGBTQ advocacy group, Wiener said teens who received parental support regarding gender identity were 93 percent less likely to attempt suicide than youth who did not perceive parents as supportive. According to the Trevor Projects 2020 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, LGBTQ youth who reported having been in foster care had three times greater odds of reporting a past-year suicide attempt compared to those who had not. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB 407 with an 8-2 vote. It is the second committee to pass the bill, which now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee. On April 14, the Senate Human Services Committee passed the bill with a 3-0 vote. Opposition Greg Burt, representing the California Family Council and the Pacific Justice Institute, opposed the bill, noting there is already a severe shortage of foster homes available in the state, with an 8 percent decrease in 2020, according to a report from the news outlet The Imprint. The bill targets religious people who are known to be the most likely to become foster parents because of their religious convictions to do so, Burt told the committee. How many families of faith are you going to lose if this bill passes? he asked the committee. A great majority of these people of faith hold traditional views on gender identity and human sexuality. Burt cited the U.S. Supreme Court case, Masterpiece Cake Shop v. Colorado, which found the government cannot act in a way that passes judgment or presupposes the illegitimacy of religious beliefs and practices. The high court said the government fails to act neutrally when it proceeds in a manner intolerant of religious beliefs or restricts practices because of the religious nature, he told the committee. This is not a law neutral to religion, he said. It forces resource families to choose between providing care for the weaker members of the community and maintaining fidelity to their faith. Erin Friday speaks against Senate Bill 407 at a hearing in Sacramento on April 25, 2023. (Screenshot via California State Senate) Erin Friday, an attorney and the western U.S. regional co-leader of Our Duty, an international group that opposes transgender ideology and gender transitions of minor children and adults under 25 years old, also testified against the bill. The bill would force foster parents to support the social gender transitions of children in their care, she said, and social transitioning, such as using a childs self-chosen names and preferred pronouns, is the precursor to a medical pathway that leads to the irreversible puberty blockers, sterilizing cross-sex hormones and mutilating surgeries, which have been rejected in England, Finland, and Sweden for minors. She noted there are more than 60,000 children in foster care in California, more than half of them in Los Angeles County, according to the Childrens Law Center of California. Every day, nearly 100 children are placed in foster care across the state. Support Craig Pulsipher, the legislative director of Equality California, dismissed criticisms of the bill. Claims that this bill would shut out a class of families from the foster care system based on their religious beliefs are patently untrue, he said. The bill simply ensures that all resource families are willing and able to uphold the rights of foster youth in their care. Tyler Rinde, the deputy director of child welfare policy at the California Alliance of Child and Family Services, told the committee SB 407 would strengthen the existing approval process for foster parents and help to prevent discrimination. To become a resource parent, theres a set of criteria that one must meet, and if the prospective caregiver cannot meet these, they should not be approved, he said. We often dont know which youth are gay or non-binary or which children will come out. State Sen. Angelique Ashby (D-Sacramento) speaks in support of Senate Bill 407 at a hearing in Sacramento on April 25, 2023. (Screenshot via California State Senate) State Sen. Angelique Ashby (D-Sacramento), who said she has worked at group homes in the foster care system, supported the bill, claiming that all it does is say to foster parents that if youre going to adopt a child, no matter how old they are, that you accept the fact that they may or may not be something other than what you thought they were the day that you brought them into your home. Every child needs to know theyre loved unconditionally no matter what sexual or gender identity they choose, she said. People can have whatever view they want, whatever religious perspective they want, Wiener said. They dont have a right to harm the children that theyre raising. They dont have a right to try to convert a kid and engage in psychological torture. Several groups, including TransFamily Support Services, TransYouth Liberation, the National Association of Social WorkersCalifornia Chapter, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, support the bill, while the California Catholic Policy, Our Duty, the California Family Council, and the Pacific Justice Institute oppose it. Related Legislation Meanwhile, Ashby introduced SB 824, which would expand the authority of the California Department of Social Services to waive restrictions for the placement of children with extended family members and friends with criminal records. The committee passed her bill 11-0 the same day. Earlier in the 14-hour day of testimony on more than two dozen bills, Wiener supported SB 345, introduced by state Sen. Nancy Skinner. The bill would shelter those who provide or seek reproductive health care services or gender-affirming health care from prosecution. Wiener, an LGBT activist, took the opportunity to blast millions of Americans for their widespread criticism of Anheuser Busch over partnering with Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender activist, who posted an ad for Bud Light on Instagram. Wiener called the public backlash disgusting. A six pack of Bud Light sits on a shelf for sale at a convenience store in New York City on July 26, 2018. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Whats happening in this country is terrifying, he said. California should have no part of it, and so Im happy to support this bill. Friday, who opposed SB 345, told The Epoch Times after the meeting that Mulvaney is insulting because he mocks women. This man is a caricature of women, she said. The only important things to him are how he looks, his hair, his lipstick and makeup, and thats an affront to every woman. SB 345 would also state that interference with the right to reproductive health care services and gender-affirming health care services is against the public policy of California. Friday, a self-described Democrat, said the Democratic lawmakers want to eliminate any liability for doctors who perform this type of mutilation. Combining gender-affirmation with abortion is political maneuver to tie transgender laws to those that are more popular, she said. Theyre tying it together with abortion because they know that is an issue heavily supported by Democrats, even though Democrats are opposed to gender-affirmative care, she said. Another law introduced by Wiener, SB 107, made California a trans sanctuary state and was enacted in January. SB 107 shelters gender-affirming parents of transgender children who flee other states that have banned medical interventionssuch as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgerieson minors. The new law protects such parents from being arrested and extradited to those states for child abuse. Last year, AB 2466, introduced by Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes (D-Corona) and signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, prohibited agencies from declining to place a child with a foster family because of a resource parents actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. In 2019, Newsom signed AB 175, introduced by Assemblyman Mike Gipson (D-Carson), which expanded the foster youth bill of rights to state foster parents must refer to children in their care by the childs preferred name and pronouns, and maintain the privacy of the childs sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression. CDC Eases COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Foreign Travelers A single dose of the most widely utilized COVID-19 vaccines is sufficient for international travelers to meet the requirements to enter the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in an update. Foreign travelers who receive a single dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines meet the requirements, according to the CDC. Because some traveler vaccine records might not specify whether recent Moderna or Pfizer doses received were bivalent, CDC will consider anybody with a record of a single dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine issued on or after August 16, 2022, to meet the requirements of the Amended Order to board a plane to the United States, the CDC website reads. The bivalent vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer were first introduced in the United States as boosters in the fall of 2022. Theyre now available as a one-dose primary series for most Americans, replacing the old vaccines. The CDC does recommend that some people get an updated shot as a booster even if they already received one, despite fleeting protection against hospitalization and poor shielding against infection. The United States has required noncitizen nonimmigrants to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination since 2021, under a proclamation issued by President Joe Biden. Exceptions are given for certain reasons. No religious exceptions are accepted. The vaccination requirements state that a traveler arriving by air must be fully vaccinated, defined as two weeks after receiving a dose of an accepted single-dose vaccine or the second dose of an accepted two-dose series. The CDC previously required two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines to meet the requirements. A single dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines is now acceptable, alongside a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, available in the United States and elsewhere, or a single dose of the Convidecia vaccine, which isnt available in the United States. Two-dose vaccines include Novavaxs vaccine, available in the United States; AstraZenecas vaccine, available in Europe and some other countries; and Sinopharm, a Chinese vaccine. People who received a two-dose series of the old Moderna or Pfizer vaccines can still travel to the United States. To present proof of vaccination, a person must show a digital or paper record such as a vaccination certificate from the European Union. The United States is one of a small number of nations that still require proof of vaccination to enter the country. Its not clear whether the foreigner vaccination requirements will remain in place beyond May 11, when the U.S. public health emergency over COVID-19 is set to expire. The COVID-19 national emergency was already rescinded after Biden signed legislation that was approved by Congress. Challenge to Australian Federal Police Raid Over Chinese Pilot Training Fails The Australian Federal Police logo in Canberra, Australia, on June 6, 2019. (Getty Images) A former fighter pilot suspected of helping train Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) pilots has failed in a court challenge to the validity of an Australian Federal Police (AFP) raid on his home. The AFP executed a search warrant and seized items from the home of Keith Hartley, chief operating officer of the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA), in November 2022. The warrant said Hartley was suspected of breaking commonwealth law by organising and facilitating training to PLA pilots in regard to military aircraft platforms and military doctrine, tactics and strategy. Hartley sought a Federal Court order quashing the warrant, declaring it invalid and restraining the AFP from using any material seized. Hartley has denied any criminal offence, and his lawyers argued in court that the warrant was ambiguous and misstated the alleged offence. But in a judgment delivered in Sydney on April 28, Justice Wendy Abraham said Hartley had not established the warrant was invalid. The sole ground of the invalidity claim was the allegation that the warrant did not sufficiently state an offence. It states conduct capable of constituting an offence, and it does so with a reasonable degree of precision, Abraham said, in dismissing his application. Hartleys South Australian address was redacted from the judgment. The judgment was delivered hours after the family of another ex-fighter pilot Daniel Duggan, who is facing extradition over accusations he trained Chinese military pilots, protested outside the United States embassy in Canberra. Chinese Ambassador to France Makes Comments on CCPs Aims to Reshuffle World Order Despite spin control, Chinese ambassador conveyed the CCP position accurately: Miles Yu Miles Yu, former senior China policy adviser to former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in Annapolis, Md. (Tal Atzmon/The Epoch Times) After Chinese ambassador to France Lu Shayes remark that post-USSR republics dont have an effective status in international law sparked outrage across the European continent, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning rejected Lus comments, saying they did not represent Chinas official position. In an interview with the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times, Miles Yu, a senior fellow with the Hudson Institute, commented that Lus comments on April 21 were no accident, but betrayed Chinas internal desire to reorganize the world order. Maos response, he said, was simply deceptive. CCPs Desire to Lead Reorganization According to Yu, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) views the West as dominating and adversarial to communist regimes such as China. Late leader Deng Xiaopings foreign policy of hide your strength; bide your time aimed to prepare fully before taking action, to prevent the enemy from changing its mind, Yu said. However, its ultimate goal was to change the international structure. Under current leader Xi Jinping, Chinas strategic goals have been more overt, said Yu. Xis intent has been clear: to overthrow the world order [that has existed] since the establishment of international law after World War II. The Chinese ambassadors words simply reflect the CCPs mentality. When Lu said the countries of the former USSR dont have an effective status in international law because there was no international agreement to materialize their status as sovereign countries, he meant that international law was defined by capitalists, and was thus not fair, Yu said. The words are an indication that China wants to restructure the world order, or as Xi calls it, the global governance system, and he believes China should take a lead role in that, Yu continued. As early as 2015, Xi stressed to the members of the CCP politburo the urgency of strengthening Chinas leading role in global governance and the reform of that system. That priority has been reiterated on multiple occasions: at press conferences by Beijing spokespersons, at the United Nations, and when Xi visited Russia recently. As Xi bid farewell to Putin following a state dinner at the Kremlin on March 22, Xi told Putin, Right now there are changes the likes of which we havent seen for 100 yearsand we are the ones driving these changes together. Putin responded: I agree. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Chinese leader Xi Jinping enter a hall during a meeting at the Kremlin on March 21, 2023. (Alexey Maishev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) Deception as Usual As for spokesperson Maos statement that China respects the sovereign status of the former Soviet countries, Yu called the claim typical CCP foreign policy, saying one thing, while doing another. Its deceptive as usual. If China indeed respects the former Soviet republics as sovereign countries, it should condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, Yu said. Haizhong Ning and Luo Ya contributed to this report. Cory Morgan: Why Is the Media Not Calling Out Blatant Scapegoating by Politicians? Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier participate in a discussion with students at the University of Ottawa on April 24, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang) Commentary The COVID-19 pandemic was the most divisive world event in generations. Differing views over government actions such as lockdowns and vaccine mandates split families, friends, and social groups. Protests erupted across the nation and the truckers Freedom Convoy made Canadian history as a government in panic invoked the Emergencies Act in response to the demonstration. Canada should be in a period of healing right now from both the physiological damage caused by the pandemic, and the social damage caused by the governments response to it. Instead of aiding social recovery and reunifying Canadians, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is insistent on reopening the wounds as he continues a campaign of division and vitriolic attacks against people who choose not to take the COVID-19 jab. Playing games of societal divide and conquer has proven to be an effective political tactic for authoritarian governments for centuries. Picking a minority group to scapegoat and blame national ills upon often consolidates majority support for the state and can distract the population from misdeeds committed by the authorities. This political tactic turns a group of citizens into social pariahs, however, and has led to some of the worst atrocities in history against minorities. It is a lazy, dangerous, and immoral way for a government to maintain popular support. Legacy media has allowed Trudeau to get away with it and its keeping the country hopelessly split on an issue that should be in its collective rear-view mirror by now. Currently, the number of people who have taken one or more COVID-19 vaccinations in Canada sits at 83.4 percent. After years of coercion and social isolation, over five million Canadians still refuse to submit to the jab. Its clear this sizeable minority isnt going to embrace the vaccine under any circumstances. Adding further pressure upon them is pointless. Belittling and insulting them is just petty, punitive, and destructive. Inclusive nations are supposed to support minorities, are they not? As recently as April 24, Trudeau went on a rambling and insulting tirade comparing vaccine-hesitant people to flat-earthers when speaking to a group at University of Ottawa. It was an off-topic tangent inserted into the presentation without reason. All it accomplished was to reignite the hostility between people obsessed with vaccines and those who obstinately wont take them. What was the point in going out of his way to taunt millions of Canadians like that? Its as if Trudeau had recently added a new term into his lexicon of insults for the unvaccinated and wanted to ensure he got maximum use out of it. He also labelled vaccine-hesitant Canadians as flat-earthers when speaking at a fire service training centre in March. The Rouleau report controversially concluded the use of the Emergencies Act against protesters was justified. That said, the report did also condemn some of the actions of the government during the unrest over the pandemic mandates and restrictions. The report was critical of Trudeaus provocative statements and said the comments served to energize the protesters, hardening their resolve and further embittering them toward government authorities. Some legacy media members finally questioned Trudeau on his disparaging statements once the Rouleau report was released. Trudeau said he regretted calling protesters a fringe minority but he was hardly contrite. He said he wished he had phrased it differently. How so? As flat-earthers perhaps? Trudeaus recent statements indicate he hasnt learned a thing and he still holds people with differing views on vaccine mandates in utter contempt. Legacy media and other people in positions of influence should have called out Trudeau as soon as he began on his dehumanizing campaign against the unvaccinated. The dangers of letting a political leader socially segregate and demonize a minority within a nation should have been recognized and called out immediately. Trudeaus language used against anti-mandate protesters was beyond the pale yet he got a pass on it. Its of little wonder he still uses it. Even before the truckers convoy set off for Ottawa, Trudeau was pouring gasoline on the fire with his statements. Calling the vaccine-hesitant a fringe minority was almost polite compared to when he called them racist and misogynistic extremists in an interview in December 2021. Trudeau literally said do we tolerate these people? during that rant. When a prime minister is implying a nation should stop tolerating a minority, alarm bells should be ringing. The silence from legacy media outlets at the time was deafening. As the Freedom Convoy began to ramp up, so did Trudeaus intolerant and divisive rhetoric. He said people in opposition to mandates held unacceptable views. When a political leader takes it upon himself to determine which views the populace may or may not have, the nation should be wary. Again, Trudeau was given a pass on his inflammatory language when he should have been taken to task. Some voices tried to speak up as Trudeaus vitriolic language continued to incense Canadians. Liberal MP Joel Lightbound held a press conference during the protests asking his own government to tone down the division on the issue. His pleas were ignored and Lightbound has been buried deep in the Liberal party backbenches for his insolence, as was Liberal MP Yves Robillard who dared to raise similar concerns. Former Liberal finance minister Bill Morneau said in January that Trudeau shouldnt have used vaccine mandates as a political wedge issue in the 2021 election. Speaking up on the issue well over a year after it happened and when no longer within the government has limited impact, however. There is likely nothing that Justin Trudeau could have said during the convoy protests that would have brought them to a quick end. Its clear, though, that he could have eased the situation just by toning down his belligerent language directed at the protesters and their supporters. Some convoy leaders said they would have been willing to leave if the government would respectfully register their message. Many of the protesters just wanted to be heard, then to go home. Trudeaus personal contempt for the protesters wouldnt allow him to even listen to them, much less let them register a message. He continued to antagonize them until the situation became totally untenable. The prime minister galvanized the protesters. The only question now is whether or not that was the intent. The protests are done as is the inquiry into the use of the Emergencies Act. Now is the time to look back and recognize mistakes that were made. We should be examining what inspired thousands of Canadians supported by millions more to cross the country and protest in Ottawa during the coldest days of the year in hopes of avoiding such a situation again. Instead, we have a prime minister insistent upon maintaining division among Canadians and inflaming it whenever possible. Whether this is a political tactic designed to distract Canadians from budding scandals such as the Chinese Communist Party election interference, or Trudeau cant contain the loathing he has for the unvaccinated, it is dangerous and intolerable behaviour from a prime minister. The best time for the media to call out the prime minister for his provocative language was in 2021. The next best time is right now. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. 76 Percent of COVID-19 Deaths Reported in Hong Kong Were Vaccinated According to the latest government data, out of the 1,669 deaths from the CCP virus (COVID) in Hong Kong between Jan. 1 to Mar. 31, 2023, 33 were vaccinated within 14 days before their passing. Notably, all 33 individuals received vaccine doses between Jan. 1 and Jan. 29. Profile picture. (Sung Pi-Lung/The Epoch Times) According to the latest government data, three-quarters of the 1,669 deaths from COVID-19 in Hong Kong between Jan. 1 and March 31, 1,269 were vaccinated. Thirty-three had been vaccinated within 14 days before passing. The total COVID-19 deaths recorded in January was 1,526, and 143 between Jan 30 and March 31. The Hong Kong government removed the vaccine mandate requirement on Dec. 29, 2022, and removed all COVID-19 restrictions on Jan. 30. A breakdown shows that in January, there were 361 (24 percent) cases that were un-vaccinated, 76 (five percent) received one shot, 151 (ten percent) received two shots, 770 (50 percent) received three shots, and 168 (11 percent) received four shots. That is, of the 1,526 deaths, in January, 361 (24 percent) people were unvaccinated, and 1,165 (76 percent) were vaccinated with between one and four shots. Between Jan. 30 and March 31, of the 143 COVID-19-related deaths, 39 (27 percent) were unvaccinated, eight (six percent) had received one shot, 21 (15 percent) had received two shots, 59 (41 percent) had received three shots, and 16 (11 percent) had received four shots. According to CivicSight, in April 2023, a public member submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Department of Health (DOH), seeking information about COVID-related deaths and the vaccination status of those who had passed away between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2023. As per the governments response, out of the total cases reported, 400 people (24 percent) were not vaccinated. In addition, 84 (5 percent) had received one vaccine dose, 172 (10 percent) had taken two doses, 829 (50 percent) had taken three, and 184 (11 percent) had taken four. The graph provides COVID-19-related deaths and the vaccination status of those who passed away between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2023. (The Epoch Times) Among the fatalities reported between Jan. 1 and Jan. 29, 33 individuals received the COVID-19 vaccine within 14 days of passing. Among these individuals, seven had received a single dose, five had received two doses, five had received three doses, and 16 had received four doses of the vaccine. The graph provides the fatalities of individuals, who received the COVID-19 vaccine within 14 days of passing, reported between Jan. 1 and Jan. 29, 2023. (The Epoch Times) 120 Deaths Reported, Vaccinated Within 14 Days of Death The DOH data shows that since the vaccination program started on Feb. 26, 2021, up until Feb. 28, 2023, approximately 20.7 million doses of the COVID vaccine had been administered. During this timeframe, the DOH has received reports of adverse events following immunization (AEFI), resulting in 120 deaths. The deceased individuals were 79 males and 41 females, aged 34 to 101 years old, and had received the vaccine within 14 days before death. Of these cases, 78 individuals had received the Sinovac vaccine, while 42 had received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. However, the Department of Health (DOH) pointed out that the expert committee has thoroughly reviewed the information regarding the patients medical condition and history, relevant clinical data, vaccine-related information, and autopsy findings. In addition, they considered the World Health Organizations (WHO) algorithm for causality assessment. Currently, the COVID-19 vaccination has not been causally linked to any cases. The Expert Committee has summarized the causality assessment of 119 deaths, 117 were deemed inconsistent (no causality), and two were inconclusive (causality could not be established) with the vaccination. As for the remaining case, the Committee has tentatively concluded that there is no causal relationship with the vaccination. However, the final determination can only be made after analyzing the autopsy report. Hong Kongs Indemnity Fund for COVID-19 Vaccines (AEFI Fund) Issued Compensation for 2 Fatal Cases In 2021, the government allocated HK$1 billion (US$127 million) to establish an Indemnity Fund for COVID-19 Vaccines (AEFI Fund) (AEFI Fund) for serious adverse events following immunization (AEFI), including deaths and serious injuries, following vaccination with the COVID vaccine to provide immediate financial assistance to eligible persons who can provide relevant evidence. Although the Hong Kong governments statement so far is that there are still no deaths related to the COVID-19 vaccinations, as of Feb. 28, 2023, the AEFI fund has granted HK$2 million (US$255,000) to each of the two death cases. Two cases included a 66-year-old woman who passed away in May 2022 due to myocarditis and received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine 16 days before her death and a 74-year-old man who died the same day after receiving his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and was also awarded $2 million (US$255,000). The Co-Convenor of the Expert Committee on Clinical Events Following COVID-19 Immunization, Hong Kong, Ivan HUNG Fan Ngai, explained the case of a 66-year-old woman. He stated that the woman had no underlying chronic illness and, during the autopsy, was discovered to have a small virus known as B19 (Parvovirus B19), unrelated to COVID-19 and can cause acute myocarditis. However, as the small virus may have been present in the womans system for some time, it cannot be conclusively attributed as the cause of myocarditis. The committee suggested that the vaccine was likely injected directly into the vein, causing the vaccine antigen to reach the heart and resulting in vaccine-induced myocarditis. Another case of a 74-year-old man passed away on the same day as receiving his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in November 2021. An autopsy on the deceased revealed that the cause of death appears to have been a rapid onset, severe allergic reaction, and ischemic heart disease. The post-vaccination observation period showed no signs of sickness, and resuscitation did not indicate any symptoms of a severe allergic reaction. The autopsy report stated that the ischemic heart disease was severe and significantly contributed to the mans death. However, the Expert Committee noted that a causal relationship between the vaccine and death could not be established. Slightly Over 10 Percent of the HK$1 Billion Fund Has Been Dispersed as Compensation As of Feb. 28, the AEFI Fund, as outlined in the governments Overview of the AEFI Fund, has received 1,296 applications and processed 1,215 cases. According to government experts, 889 assessments have been completed, with 505 indicating a potential causal relationship with immunization or being uncertain. The remaining 384 assessments were categorized as not related to vaccination or unclassifiable. The Fund has approved 456 cases of injury resulting from rapid-onset severe allergic reactions, hospitalization, Bells Palsy facial paralysis, myocarditis/pericarditis, erythema multiforme, and other related conditions. The total amount granted for these cases is HK$100.02 million (US$12,700). In addition, of the 98 deaths, 74 were considered not related to vaccination or unclassifiable, 12 were rejected for reasons including AEFI not being reported to the DOH by healthcare practitioners and failure to provide relevant supporting documents, ten are still being processed, and two were approved. A cumulative total of HK$4 million (US$510,000) was approved for two fatal cases. The total amount of the AEFI Fund issued for fatalities and injuries to the end of February 2023 was $100.05 million (US$12,700), just over ten percent of the $1 billion (US$127 million) allocated at its inception. Government Plans to Cease the AEFI Fund On April 20, the government registered three vaccines under the Hong Kong Government COVID-19 Vaccination Programme as Hong Kong pharmaceutical products. These include the Comirnaty ancestral strain vaccine, the Comirnaty bivalent vaccine, and the CoronaVac vaccine. The government plans to cease the AEFI Fund and cancel the emergency use regime. The timeline for the closure of the Fund will be determined based on the progress of COVID-19 vaccine registration and the available safety data on the COVID-19 vaccines. Crimea Oil Depot Burns; Ukrainian Drone Attack Suspected Smoke and flames rise from a burning fuel tank in Sevastopol, Crimea, in this handout photo taken from video released by the Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev on April 29, 2023. (Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev telegram channel via AP) An oil storage facility in Crimea erupted in a massive blaze on April 29 after a suspected Ukrainian drone attack, according to the Russia-installed governor of the Black Sea peninsulas port city of Sevastopol. Ukraine hasnt claimed responsibility. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-appointed governor of Sevastopol, posted videos and photos of the blaze on his Telegram channel. According to preliminary information, the fire was caused by a UAV hit, he wrote. Photos posted on social media showed intense fire burning and thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Sevastopol, a key naval base that houses Russias Black Sea Fleet, has been hit by a series of drone attacks since the Kremlin began the invasion of Ukraine last year. While Ukraine didnt claim responsibility for the drone strike, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his countrys forces intend to reclaim Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. The fire was reportedly caused by a Ukrainian UAV strike in the early hours today, Alex Kokcharov, a London-based country risk analyst at S&P Global, wrote on Twitter. It Will Take Time to Contain Razvozhayev said in a follow-up message that there were no injuries and that firefighters were on the scene working to contain the blaze. Since the volume of fuel is large, it will take time to contain the fire, he said. In a subsequent message posted at about noon local time, he said that the fire had basically been contained and that firefighters were continuing to douse the site with water. Razvozhayev said last week that Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone that attempted to attack the harbor and that another one blew up, shattering windows in several apartment buildings. Sergei Aksyonov, a Russian politician serving as the head of Crimea, said that local air defenses had neutralized three drones in the skies above the peninsula. In parallel with this mornings drone attack on Sevastopol, air defense forces shot down one UAV in the skies over the Republic of Crimea and suppressed another one by electronic warfare. There were no casualties or damage. I ask everyone to stay calm, Aksyonov wrote on his Telegram channel. After previous attacks on Crimea, Kyiv has stopped short of openly claiming responsibility but emphasized that the country had the right to strike any target in response to Russian aggression. Crimea Is Ukraine Earlier in April, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that his country wont budge from its demand that Russia withdraw its forces from all of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea. We are united by U.N. charter principles and the shared conviction that Crimea is Ukraine and it will return under Ukraines control, Kuleba said, speaking by video link to a gathering in the Romanian capital, Bucharest. Every time you hear anyone from any corner of the world saying that Crimea is somehow special and should not be returned to Ukraine, as any other part of our territory, you have to know one thing: Ukraine categorically disagrees with these statements, he said at the Black Sea Security Conference. The Kremlin has demanded that Kyiv acknowledge Russias sovereignty over Crimea and recognize Septembers annexation of the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine has rejected those demands and has said it wont hold talks with Russia until Moscows troops pull back from all occupied territories. Amid the latest drone strike against Crimea, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman and former president Dmitry Medvedev called for a maximum military defeat of Ukrainian forces. The Russian politician commented, in particular, on Kyivs statements about the need for new arms deliveries and the intention to take back Crimea. What is it? The contradictory gloom of the drug-permeated conscience? Delirium of uncertainty? Pressure on its patrons? General persisting paranoia? No doubt, all this together, he wrote on his Telegram channel on April 29. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev speaks to the Russian media near Moscow on March 23, 2023. (Ekaterina Shtukina/Sputnik Pool Photo via AP) The response, according to Medvedev, must be the mass destruction of the personnel and military equipment involved by the Neo-Nazi regime in the counteroffensive, with a maximum military defeat inflicted on Ukrainian troops. The Kremlin has repeatedly referred to Kyivs political leadership as Neo-Nazis and has said the purpose of its so-called special military operation in Ukraine is to de-militarize and de-Nazify the country. A full rout of the enemy and the final deposition of the Neo-Nazi Kyiv regime with its full de-militarization on entire Ukrainian territory, Medvedev said. He also said that unless Russia defeats Ukrainian forces resoundingly, the war would drag on for a long time. Medvedev, a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has made hawkish comments about the RussiaUkraine conflict in the past, including issuing repeated warnings that Moscow is prepared to use nuclear weapons if its territorial integrity is threatened. Meanwhile, the head of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, said in mid-April that Ukraine would test and use any non-banned weapons to liberate its territory, including Crimea. Western allies have provided Kyiv with key military support, including battle tanks and armored vehicles, but theyve stopped short of providing heavier weapons such as long-range missiles and F-16 fighter jets that Ukraine has been asking for. It's tempting to open a puzzle and dump out the pieces on your kitchen or dining room table. But don't. You'll probably need to use your kitchen table before the puzzle is finished, for one thing. And while a dining room table might work, you first need to assess the size of the puzzle compared to your table. You want plenty of room for the puzzle to fit, plus extra space beyond the border for the pieces. Extra space also helps prevent puzzle pieces from being knocked to the floor while you're working on it, or even passing by. Experts recommend placing the puzzle on a piece of vinyl not directly on your table top so you can move the pieces around more easily. Alfonso Alvarez-Ossorio, president of the World Jigsaw Puzzle Federation, also favors a white surface, which distributes the light better. "Set up the puzzle in an area of your home where there's natural light, which helps prevent reflections," he adds. Advertisement Finally, don't dump out the puzzle pieces onto your carefully chosen surface. If you do, you'll likely end up with a shower of puzzle dust in addition to the pieces. Instead, remove the pieces by hand, then shake the dust into the garbage. Films that expose CCP's suppression of Hong Kong-student protesters Were it not for Kate Adie and her colleague at the BBC, we would have far less footage of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. They made five copies of their eye-witness recordings, four of which were intercepted by customs. Had the fifth copy also been confiscated, it would have been much easier for the Chinese Communist Party to deny their crimes. The advent of handheld devices and cloud storage made it harder for the Party to censor information regarding the 2019 and 2020 Hong Kong protests against the Mainland extradition law and for universal democratic reforms. There is a wealth of primary sources recorded by journalists and filmmakers embedded within the protests, documenting events as they happened. That was especially true of two of the most controversial incidents of the protests: the Hong Kong polices violent siege of Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the occupation of the Legislative Council (LegCo) chamber by student protesters. A group of Hong Kong citizen journalists (simply credited as the anonymous Hong Kong Documentary Filmmakers collective for their protection) documented both in the companion films Inside the Red Brick Wall and the shorter Taking Back the Legislature, which both premiere exclusively on OVID.tv. With no opening or closing credits to identify contributors, it is impossible for the audience (hopefully including the CCP and its puppet Hong Kong government) to know who contributed to either film. However, both documentaries are almost identical stylistically. Employing long-takes with minimal edits and no voiceover commentary, they simply recorded history as it unfolded. The Hong Kong polices violent siege of Hong Kong Polytechnic University is shown in the documentary Inside the Red Brick Wall. (IDFA) Graffiti Warning By virtue of its longer length and the more dire circumstances for protesters involved, Inside the Red Brick Wall is the more important and compelling film. It also starts with an eerie warning for viewers by focusing on some English graffiti that reads: Dear World, CCP will infiltrate your government, Chinese enterprises $ interferes your political stance, Chi Na will harvest your home like Xinjiang. BE AWARE or BE NEXT. Police had trapped a large contingent of protesters inside the brick-walled campus, preventing their exit and demanding their unconditional surrender. Several reform-minded LegCo members, like Ted Hui, are seen trying to mediate, but it is the cops who deliberately drown out his microphone by blaring loud music whenever he tries to speak. At one point, a group of secondary school principals, including LegCo member Ip Kin-yuen, also tried to broker the surrender of their former students, but they could only offer safe passage out of the besieged campus, with arrest and imprisonment likely to follow. However, there was also a very real concern that those who would be arrested during the expected police assault, without public documentation, might disappear forever. Inside the Red Brick Wall captures police conduct that would be considered unprofessional and excessively violent in any reasonable jurisdiction. The HK police are caught on tape (or digital media) referring to protesters as cockroaches, and promising a second Tiananmen Square. Frankly, the evidence presented should be sufficient to designate the Hong Kong police as a terrorist organization. Police Brutality Taking Back the Legislature also opens with a close-up on a telling protest sign that urges: Fight against colonization, defend Hong Kong autonomy. It reminds us Hong Kong has never received its due rights from the United Nations as a former colony. In fact, it has essentially reverted to a colony of the Peoples Republic of China. Although the chronicle of the protesters occupying LegCo is a shorter film, a mere 45 minutes versus the 90-minute feature-length of Red Brick Wall, it is a more frustrating viewing experience, because it shows how the movements deliberately leaderless, hyper-democratic ethos sometimes led to confusion and indecision, and encouraged spontaneous lone-wolf actions. The occupation of the Legislative Council (LegCo) chamber by student protesters is shown in Taking Back the Legislature. (IDFA) Yet it also captures their spirit of solidarity, as when the chamber occupiers started chanting leave together. While police brutality is not as prominent in Legislature, it is still undeniably obvious when the embedded cameras retreat back out to the surrounding plaza. The CCP surely regrets the existence of films like Inside the Red Brick Wall and Taking back the Legislature, as well as other Hong Kong documentaries, like Kiwi Chows notable Revolution in Our Times. What they document, cannot be denied. Eventually, human rights tribunals will be able to review their footage to pass judgment on the violence unleashed against the protesters but, sadly, that probably will not happen anytime soon. Taking Back the Legislature captures the students spirit of solidarity, as when the chamber occupiers started chanting leave together. (IDFA) Frankly, Red Brick Wall is a horrifying but necessary viewing experience, whereas Legislature offers object lessons for future Hong Kong revolutionaries. Above all, they guarantee the CCP will never be able to whitewash the 20192020 protests out of the worlds historical memory. Highly recommended for their visceral, unvarnished, and truthful reporting, Inside the Red Brick Wall and Taking back the Legislature make their subscription streaming debuts May 1 on OVID.tv. Inside the Red Brick Wall and Taking Back the Legislature Documentaries MPAA Rating: Not Rated Release Date: May 1, 2023 Rating: 4 and 3.5 stars out of 5, respectively Elon Musk Blasts Child Sex Changes, Calls Term Cisgender a Slur Elon Musk attends The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on May 2, 2022. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue) Since his takeover of Twitter, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has been outspoken in his disapproval of gender-transitioning minors on several occasions. In a post on Twitter this week, Musk cited a study conducted in Sweden that found individuals with transsexualism after undergoing sex changes have considerably higher risks for suicidal behavior. Comprehensive study in Sweden shows *increased* suicide! Death for sex-reassigned persons was higher than for controls of same birth sex, particularly death from suicide. They also had increased risk for suicide attempts and psychiatric inpatient care. https://t.co/hIakkEJvJb Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 25, 2023 The Swedish study says sex-reassigned transsexual persons of both genders had approximately a three times higher risk of all-cause mortality than controls,' Musk said. If we take as given that the other study 23X suicide rate is correct, then doing surgery or chemical sterilization on minors gain nothing in reduced mortality, he continued. My position is simply that we should wait until an individual is mature enough to make their own decisions before other adults make permanent serious physical changes to them. Musk then doubled down the argument often cited in media and among trans activists that increased suicide rates among transgender youth is a reason to affirm such an ideology. The counter to my position would be that if we dont make the changes when theyre a minor, they may never reach adulthood due to suicide, Musk said. However, that counterargument does not hold water if mortality is essentially unchanged, which it is. The Tesla CEO then added: [By the way], I regard cisgender as a slur. Study Details The Swedish study, published by the National Institutes of Health, concluded that individuals with transsexualism after sex reassignment have an increased risk of mortality, self-harm, and psychiatric morbidity. Persons with transsexualism, after sex reassignment, have considerably higher risks for mortality, suicidal behavior, and psychiatric morbidity than the general population, the report states. Our findings suggest that sex reassignment, although alleviating gender dysphoria, may not suffice as treatment for transsexualism, and should inspire improved psychiatric and somatic care after sex reassignment for this patient group. However, it has to be noted that the study Musk cited was published in 2011. The reports objective was to estimate the mortality, morbidity, and criminal rate after surgical sex reassignment of transsexual persons of 324 sex-reassigned persons in Sweden for 30 years. Each of these participants was matched with 10 population controls matched by birth year and birth sex or reassigned (final) sex. Other studies, meanwhile, have shown that the vast majority of children who experience gender identity issues and dysphoria simply grow out of it, given time. As previously reported by The Epoch Times, two separate studies found that 88 percent of boys and girls (2 to 12 years of age) who experienced gender dysphoriawho did not undergo transitioningreported when they were adolescents and young adults that it was no longer an issue and they accepted their biological gender. In this weeks social media discussion, Musk echoed similar sentiments, posting on Twitter: Every child goes through an identity crisis, but leaping to a permanent solution that sterilizes them for life before they could possibly consent for themselves is wrong. Plain and simple. Most Permissive Country A report published by the Williams Insitute in 2022 estimated that 3 percent of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 identify themselves as transgender, a 100 percent increase over the number in the organizations 2017 report. Dr. Michelle Cretella, an expert in adolescent sexuality, believes the rate is significantly higher than the Williams Institute report estimates. A rise this dramatic is most certainly due to indoctrination, she told The Epoch Times in April. Meanwhile, the United States is the most permissive country for legal and medical gender transition of children, according to a report released in January by Do No Harm, a group that seeks to insulate the health care profession from radical, diverse, and discriminatory ideology. The report compared the United States with 11 Northern and Western European countries on metrics including legal requirements to change gender, provisions for medical transition, the minimum age for puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, and the number of youth gender clinics. Speaking Up Musk has a child himself that identifies as transgender. The SpaceX founder has been outspoken in his disapproval of gender-transitioning minors in the past. His open critiques, meanwhile, have also met with backlash from those who feel children are capable of making such decisions for themselves. Taking notice of some Twitter users critiques of Musks latest April 25 tweets, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) stepped in to voice her support. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., on March 3, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Passing my bill Protect Childrens Innocence Act makes it a felony to perform sex reassignment surgeries on kids under 18, Greene commented on Musks post. Republicans must pass it. While speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in March, the congresswoman vowed to reintroduce the bill now that Republicans control the House. It couldnt pass last Congress because, like I said, Nancy Pelosi was the Speaker of the House, and she doesnt believe in gender at all, Greene said. But we have a new Speaker in our Republican majority in the House of Representatives, and Im going to be introducing my bill that will make it a felony to perform anything to do with gender-affirming care on children. This isnt just a right-wing extremist idea, everyone, that we should protect children from making a horrible mistake, because many of these kids do realize its a mistake and they hate what theyve done to themselves, she added. There [are] independents, Democrats, Republicans all over America that agree that we need to let kids be kids. Samantha Flom contributed to this report. From NTD News FBI Warrantless Searches of Americans Dropped 96 Percent in 2022 Based on a recent government report, under the controversial Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Security Act (FISA), there has been a steep decline in the FBIs warrantless searches of U.S. citizens. According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligences (ODNI) Annual Statistical Transparency Report (pdf) released on April 28, the FBI conducted warrantless searches related to U.S. residents 119,383 times between December 2021 and November 2022, which is a 95.97 percent decline from its 2.96 million searches during the same period a year back. The current numbers are also lower than the 852,894 searches the FBI did between December 2019 and November 2020. However, the number of Section 702 targets has risen over the past year. In 2020, the FBI had 202,723 Section 702 targets, which rose to 232,432 in 2021 and 246,073 in 2022. Under standard surveillance laws and Title I of FISA, law enforcement and intelligence are required to secure a warrant to surveil American citizens. However, Section 702 of FISA allows for collecting information on American citizens within the country when they communicate with a foreign target. Agencies like the FBI can then query the collected communications. Section 702 thereby allows government agencies to collect messages of foreigners from U.S. firms like Google and AT&T, even if the foreigners are talking with Americanswithout a warrant. The FBI has been criticized for misusing these powers and surveilling American citizens, including members of Congress. In an April 28 statement, House Intelligence Chair Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) admitted that Section 702 is an irreplaceable national security tool that allows American intelligence to collect information from foreign persons located outside the United States. Still, they warned that such powers should not come at the cost of citizens privacy. Section 702 has identified threats to U.S. troops and disrupted planned terrorist attacks at home and abroad, prevented components needed to build weapons of mass destruction from reaching foreign actors, and contributed to successful efforts against fentanyl production and processing equipment in Mexico. However, we must protect the American peoples privacy and civil liberties. That is why the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence supports reforming our foreign surveillance tools and increasing transparency and accountability while maintaining the critical effectiveness of FISA Section 702. Collecting Personal Information Amid the criticism against the FISA program, intelligence officials have suggested that the FBI has taken various steps to crack down on Section 702 data collection abusive instances. The FBI recently made its internal guidelines for conducting U.S. person queries open to the public. The FBI details various changes related to Section 702 data collection in the report. In 2021, the agency implemented a rule that FBI users must opt-in on its systems if they are seeking to query against Section 702-acquired data rather than having such queries run by default. In March 2022, the agency also implemented new enhanced approval requirements for certain sensitive queries, such as those involving domestic public officials or members of the news media, the report said. However, critics are still wary of allowing the FBI to have the power to collect the personal information of Americans. The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence launched a bipartisan working group to conduct a comprehensive review of FISA and confront any inappropriate actions the FBI took. We need to pass substantive and meaningful reforms to help deter abusive behavior by the FBI in the FISA process. Without additional safeguards, a clean reauthorization of 702 is a non-starter, the statement from Turner and LaHood said. FISA, authorized by Congress in 2008, is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2023. The Biden administration has urged Congress to renew the program. FDA Reports Shortage of Version of Penicillin Used as Standard Syphilis Treatment Shortage comes amid increase in strep throat and syphilis in United States A sign for the Food And Drug Administration is seen outside of the headquarters in White Oak, Md., on July 20, 2020. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported a shortage of the injectable version of penicillin, citing increased demand for the antibiotic. In a notice on April 26, the agency said there are shortages of Pfizers Bicillin L-A in both regular and pediatric versions. It said the shortage may persist until around the last quarter of the year. Bicillin L-A is Pfizers brand name for penicillin G benzathine, which is administered by injection intramuscularly. Pfizer is the sole supplier of penicillin G benzathine in the United States. Penicillin G benzathine is the standard treatment for syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. The drug is also used to treat strep throat, although there are also other alternatives to treat the condition. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has noted there are high numbers of strep throat cases in the country. Read More Antibiotic Shortage Amidst the Rise of Invasive Strep A Possible Reasons Behind Increase in Demand The FDA believes the demand increase for this drug is related to increased cases of strep throat and syphilis in the United States. The FDA recognizes the potential impact that increased demand of certain products may have on health care providers and patients, the agency said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times. While the agency does not manufacturer drugs and cannot require a pharmaceutical company to make a drug, make more of a drug, or change the distribution of a drug, the public should rest assured the FDA is working closely with numerous manufacturers and others in the supply chain to understand, mitigate and prevent or reduce the impact of intermittent or increased demand of certain products. Pfizer told NBC News that due to a shortage of amoxicillin, a widely-used antibiotic, doctors were prompted to prescribe penicillin instead. The company added that a rise in syphilis cases probably further increased the demand. CDC Points to Alternative The CDC said in mid-April that some STD programs are currently unable to procure enough penicillin G benzathine, which it called the first-line recommended treatment for syphilis. It added that the manufacturerPfizeranticipates the issue will be resolved in the next two months. An alternative syphilis treatment for non-pregnant people who has a penicillin allergy is oral doxycycline 100mg twice a day for two weeks for early syphilis or for four weeks for late, latent, or syphilis of an unknown duration, the CDC said. Otherwise, penicillin G benzathine is the only recommended treatment for pregnant people infected or exposed to syphilis, and the STD programs should [p]rioritize the use of Bicillin L-A to treat pregnant people and babies with congenital syphilis. The World Health Organization (WHO) said benzathine penicillin G is the only WHO-recommended treatment for pregnant women with syphilis because it is the only known drug that can cross the placenta barrier and treat the unborn baby in the womb. There were 2,855 congenital syphilis cases in 2021, up from 2,157 in 2020. There were at least 220 stillbirths due to syphilis in 2021, up from 149 in 2020or by 47 percent. Separately, Bicillin C-R, a combination of penicillin G benzathine and penicillin G procainealso manufactured by Pfizerhas been reported as being in short supply by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. This form of penicillin, which is also injected intramuscularly, does not cross the placental barrier, and is not as long-acting as penicillin G benzathine alone, and as such, is not recommended to be used to treat syphilis. It can, however, be used to treat other infections, including streptococcal Group A infections. Federal Court Rejects Googles Motion to Dismiss Antitrust Lawsuit A Virginia district court on April 28 rejected Googles request to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) about the companys advertising business. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, accuses Google of monopolizing key digital advertising technologies, known as the ad tech stack, in violation of antitrust laws. These technologies are crucial for website publishers to sell ads and for advertisers to reach potential customers. Eric Mahr, Googles lawyer, argued that the governments claim of Google being a monopoly was not justified as the companys ad business does not meet the 70 percent market share benchmark. He also cited other social media platforms such as Facebook and Tiktok as viable options for advertisers. In court documents, Google drew a comparison to an unsuccessful antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, a concert promoter that was accused of holding a monopoly on outdoor amphitheaters. The lawsuit was dismissed because the plaintiffs did not consider alternative options such as indoor concert halls and arenas. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema highlighted that the key issue in the case will be how to define the market in which Google is accused of having a monopoly. However, she deemed the governments claims plausible enough to continue with the case, even though the governments burden of proof will increase during the trial. Following the hearing, Dan Taylor, Googles vice president of Global Ads, issued a statement criticizing the lawsuit for overlooking the competitive nature of the digital advertising space, where Google competes with hundreds of companies such as Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and TikTok. Taylor said the lawsuit would impede innovation, increase advertising costs, and pose challenges for small businesses and publishers. This marks Googles second loss in the Alexandria federal court. Earlier, Google had tried to consolidate the case with a related lawsuit in New York, which had been ongoing for years. However, Brinkema rejected Googles request and ordered the case to be heard in the Alexandria courthouse. Lawsuit Nine states, including Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Washington, and West Virginia, joined eight others as plaintiffs in the antitrust lawsuit against Google earlier this month. According to the lawsuit, Google leveraged its position to force more website publishers to use its tools and solidify its dominance. It is alleged that the company accomplished this through the acquisition of ad tech competitors, compelling more publishers and advertisers to use its products, and impeding the use of rival products. Google, which has refuted the allegations, maintains that it faces rigorous competition in the digital advertising technology markets and that its services have benefited both consumers and publishers. The antitrust lawsuit alleges that ad tech tools now have the capability to instantly match publishers with advertisers as soon as an internet user accesses a webpage with ad space for sale. This involves utilizing an automated advertising exchange that conducts a high-speed auction aimed at identifying the most suitable match between a publisher who offers internet ad space and the advertisers who intend to purchase it. However, the lawsuit contends that Googles alleged anti-competitive practices have disrupted the ad tech industry. One industry behemoth, Google, has corrupted legitimate competition in the ad tech industry by engaging in a systematic campaign to seize control of the wide swath of high-tech tools used by publishers, advertisers, and brokers, to facilitate digital advertising, the lawsuit claims (pdf). In a court filing, Google argued that the DOJs lawsuit failed to consider the competition from other significant players in the online advertising sector and did not satisfy the legal prerequisites to assert that Google has a monopoly. The company further contended that the DOJs case is founded on the presumption that Googles business decisions in the last 15 years were part of a plan to gain control and eradicate competition without taking into account the diverse competitive pressures and consumer interests that influence the dynamic digital marketplace. Success in the digital advertising marketplace depends on placing advertisements on the most relevant publisher webpages or mobile applications in ways that most appeal to viewers. So in developing its ad tech tools, Google considers the interests of advertisers, publishers, and internet users, the company argued in its motion to dismiss the case (pdf). Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Illinois Assault Weapons Ban Rifles are offered for sale at Freddie Bear Sports on April 8, 2021 in Tinley Park, Illinois.(Scott Olson/Getty Images) A judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois has temporarily blocked the state from enforcing its ban on so-called assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Judge Stephen P. McGlynn ruled that the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA) would cause irreparable harm to the plaintiffs while providing no reasonable legal remedy. Plaintiffs have satisfied their burden for a preliminary injunction. They have shown irreparable harm with no adequate remedy at law, a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits, that the public interest is in favor of the relief, and the balance of harm weighs in their favor, McGlynn wrote. In his ruling, McGlynn pointed out that the injunction was only temporary as the court considers the lawsuit. We plan to file an appeal and remain committed to defending the constitutionality of the Protect Illinois Communities Act, Jamey Dunn-Thomason, press secretary for Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, told The Epoch Times in an email after the decision. The case, Harrel v. Raoul, was filed by the Second Amendment Foundation, the Illinois State Rifle Association, Firearms Policy Coalition, Marengo Guns, the C4 Gun Store, and Dane Harrel. Gun rights advocates hailed the decision as a victory while acknowledging that their fight is not over. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks in Chicago on Aug. 4, 2021. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) While this may only be the end of Round One, Second Amendment Foundation founder Alan M. Gottlieb wrote in a press release, its certainly a good start in putting an end to a law we are convinced is entirely unconstitutional. The Protect Illinois Communities Act was sponsored by state Rep. Bob Morgan (D-58th District) and was signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in January 2023. The law bans so-called assault weapons and magazines with more than 10 rounds of ammunition. The bill would also establish an anti-gun trafficking strike force in the Illinois state police and allow those who currently own banned weapons to keep them if they register them with the state and pay a fee. The law increases the age to obtain a Firearm Owner Identification card to 21. Before the law, people younger than 21 could receive a card if a parent or guardian signed for them. The law makes exceptions for persons under 21 serving in the U.S. military or Illinois National Guard. It would also permit guardian-supervised hunting or shooting sports. It has been tied up in the courts since Pritzker signed it. There is no question that Plaintiffs are harmed by PICA, McGlynn wrote in his 29-page ruling, and will continue to be harmed if this Court denies the motion for preliminary injunction. A constitutional right is at stake. Some Plaintiffs cannot purchase their firearm of choice, nor can they exercise their right to self-defense in the manner they choose. The States limitations bind them. Film Screening of Medical Genocide Shocks Audience at University of Delaware Delaware talk-show host Rick Jensen, right, moderates a panel discussion at the Trabant Theater, University of Delaware, on April 26, 2023. The four panelists, from left, are Dr. Alex Chen, International Liaison Officer of the Taiwan Association for International Care of Organ Transplantation; Dr. Jessica Russo from Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting; Kui Huang, a survivor of religious persecution in China; and Alex Luchansky from Greater Philadelphia Falun Dafa Association. (Nancy Wang/The Epoch Times) NEWARK, Del.The public film screening of a documentary in this city has raised awareness about forced organ harvesting in China, with audience members saying they were shocked to learn about such abuses. The University of Delawares Rotaract Club hosted the screening of Medical Genocide at Trabant Theater on campus on April 26. The documentary exposes the Chinese communist regimes practice of forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience. From around the globe, people in need of organ transplants have been flying to China for transplant operations, not realizing that prisoners of conscience are being murdered for the organs used. The event was co-sponsored by the Rotary Club of Community Action Against Human Trafficking and the Rotary Satellite Club to Stop Forced Organ Harvesting. A panel discussion was held after the screening. Audience Response Nearly 50 students and others saw the film and listened to the panelists. Some shared their feelings after the event, often expressing their willingness to do more to help stop this atrocity. I thought it was important to host the event here on campus, said Chandana Elavarthi, a senior undergrad at the University of Delaware (UD) and medical diagnostics major who is with the Rotaract Club at the University of Delaware. I feel one of the most appalling things is. Were always taught about medical ethics and being very aware of how youre treating your patients. So it was scarring to see a lot of these doctors who are knowingly doing these, like murders in China, she said. Monica Elavarthi, in her second year of getting her MBA, said she had been unaware of the scale of the abuse. I was very surprised to see just the sheer number of the forced organ transplant thats happening, she said. Im glad that we were able to host this event. Im hoping that were going to be able to host more events in the future to bring awareness to that too horrible crime. A senior English and linguistics major, Emily Lewie, said what has been occurring in China with forced organ harvesting is terrible. I had no idea that anything of that scale was going on anywhere in the world. And I was just shocked to hear that kind of thing happening. It was just awful, she said. Lewie added that she could help create awareness about organ harvesting in China through her writing. The Rotaract Club at the University of Delaware hosted a film screening of the documentary Medical Genocide at Trabant Theater on campus on April 26, 2023. Three club members from left: Monica Elavarthi, Chandana Elavarthi, and Emily Lewie. (Nancy Wang/The Epoch Times) Davern Whitehurst, a sophomore landscape architecture major, signed the petition to Stop Forced Organ Harvesting after the event. Whitehurst said the event was very informational while adding he wasnt aware of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, who were the main victims of forced organ harvesting in China. I feel like it should be taught more like in classes, Whitehurst said. I actually want to talk about this in my next assignment. Davern Whitehurst, a sophomore landscape architecture major, attended the film screening of the documentary Medical Genocide at the University of Delaware on April 26, 2023. (Nancy Wang/The Epoch Times) Besides students, attendees from different backgrounds were shocked as well. An anesthesiologist from South Jersey, Dr. Lawrence Simons, told The Epoch Times more needs to be done to create awareness about the issue. The horrors are just unimaginable, unexplainable. As the speakers rightly said, awareness is key, Simons said. Weve got to spread the word of whats going on. Its been too long, he said. Just terrible. Being an anesthesiologist and knowing that a lot of these organ donations are happening with little or no anesthesia, just the horrors are unimaginable, Simons said. First of all, it shouldnt be forced. And second of all, minimal or no anesthesia, its just torture beyond balance. Dr. Lawrence Simons attended the film screening of the documentary Medical Genocide at the University of Delaware on April 26, 2023. (Nancy Wang/The Epoch Times) In response to the reports that many hospitals in the United States have been training Chinese surgeons in organ transplantation, Simons said: It goes against the American ethical Hippocratic Oath. These practices must be stopped, he said. Business owner Zachary Bagdon told The Epoch Times he was moved by what he learned. I didnt realize the scale of the problem I also didnt realize how bad it is and how American companies and European companies are so intertwined in this trade, he said. And its basically being sanctioned by every government in business globally. Its very disturbing to hear how many American companies and European companies are directly involved in this. Business owner Zachary Bagdon attended the film screening of the documentary Medical Genocide at the University of Delaware on April 26, 2023. (Nancy Wang/The Epoch Times) Action Needed The documentary highlighted that Chinas transplant industry profits from people around the globe who travel to China for on-demand transplants. Those who attended the event say Americans can take action to raise awareness on this issue and help stop the abuse. Award-winning talk show host Rick Jensen moderated the panel discussion after the films screening. I think what we need to doand Ive tried to do this on a small level as one personwe need to boycott China and stop buying from China as much as possible, but its very difficult to do, Jensen told The Epoch Times after the event. So it is important, I believe, for the politicians to have these resolutions that make it public. Rick Jensen, award-winning radio talk show host, moderated the panel discussion at the film screening of the documentary Medical Genocide at the University of Delaware on April 26, 2023. (Nancy Wang/The Epoch Times) Jensen feels the urgency to stop the horrific human rights abuse in communist China. How much longer is it going to take for the rest of our country to realize this is whats happening? he asked. Imagine your mom, your dad, your sister, your brother, being grabbed by the police, put into a slave labor camp, and given health checks until they decideOkay, now were going to kill that person because we have somebody whos willing to pay for that liver.' Lynn Mey, a retired global operation manager, said the United States can take action to address the issue. I really believe that there are actions that the U.S. can take, that then can make a difference, Mey said. And its going to be multifaceted. I think there should be no reason why we cant pursue angles, such as with legislation that was discussed, but also through insurance companies and through awareness of different companies that are benefiting and supporting this atrocity against humanity. Lynn Mey, retired global operation manager, attended the film screening of the documentary Medical Genocide at the University of Delaware on April 26, 2023. (Nancy Wang/The Epoch Times) Shirley Hu, main event coordinator and an honorary member of the Rotary Satellite Club of Ending Forced Organ Harvesting, responded to a question during the panel, where she shared about legislative action being taken in Texas. In 2019, I was honored to present the Medical Genocide film at my Rotary club in Texas, and both my district Senator and Rep. came to attend. Both of them decided to issue a resolution to condemn the CCPs horrific crime of forced organ harvesting, she said. In 2021, the resolution SCR3 was passed unanimously from both Senate and House. In April this year, a bill (SB1040) was introduced and passed in the Senate to stop the reimbursement of the medical insurance thats associated with forced organ harvesting. The companion House bill (HB2045) just had the hearing Monday and will be voted next week. This is a bill; it is binding. They set a good example for us. The audience gave her a big applause. Mey said she was excited to hear what Texas was able to do. I think that opens up the opportunity that why cant other states follow, and the country follows as well, to help provide humanitarian support and stop this atrocity, she said. Global Response One of the four panelists, Dr. Jessica Russo, a member of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH.org), explained to the audience the history and current status of forced organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). For roughly two decades, the Chinese regime has been forcibly extracting organs from living prisoners of conscience, mainly Falun Gong practitioners, to sell for profit. This has been corroborated by expert witness testimony and independent panels. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual meditation practice based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. The CCP has run a brutal persecution campaign against practitioners since 1999. Millions of adherents have been detained, and an unknown number have died from slave labor, torture, and other abuses. At least seven governments worldwide have responded to organ harvesting in China by passing legislation to restrict illicit organ tourism, as well as resolutions condemning the atrocities, including Israel, Spain, Italy, Taiwan, Norway, Belgium, and Canada. Last month, the U.S. House overwhelmingly passed a bill (H.R. 1154) to punish communist China for forced organ harvesting. It would sanction anyone involved in the act and requires annual government reporting on such activities taking place in foreign countries. Its the first non-symbolic bill passed in the United States that counters the atrocity. Nancy Wang contributed to this report. U.S. drug regulators are warning people against using eye drops that have amniotic fluid, as no such products are approved for usage in the United States. Some companies are promoting and selling amniotic fluid eyedrops anyways, claiming they help treat, mitigate, or cure issues such as dry eye disease. There are currently no FDA-approved amniotic fluid eyedrops to treat, mitigate or cure eye diseases or conditions, and in order for a health care practitioner to offer these products to patients, there must be an investigational new drug application (IND) in effect, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in an April alert. In addition, as these products are not FDA-approved, the agency does not have information about their manufacture, and there are no assurances that the products are safe and effective for any disease or condition, the agency said. The promotion and distribution of the products have been raising potential significant safety concerns, according to the FDA. Regulators have been trying to crack down on companies selling the eyedrops without FDA clearance. In late 2022, they sent letters to M2 Biologics LLC and Regener-Eyes LLC, two manufacturers that have been promoting unapproved products as able to treat dry eye disease. However, the products the companies sell are still available to order on various websites on the internet. The companies did not respond to requests for comment. People who are considering using amniotic fluid eyedrops should take steps to verify whether the products have been cleared by the FDA, the agency recommends. Ask if the FDA has reviewed the treatment. You also can ask for the FDA-issued Investigational New Drug Application (IND) number and the chance to review the FDA communication stating that the IND is in effect, the agency stated. Ask for this information before getting treatment and follow up with your personal health care provider to confirm this information. Amniotic fluid is the substance that surrounds the embryo and fetus during pregnancy. The fluid could potentially help heal eye problems, researchers have said. But a clinical trial examining amniotic fluid eye drops concluded the drops did not improve healing or reduce pain. Paul Knoepfler, a professor at the University of California Davis, told MedPage Today that the products could contain substances that could harm the eyes. The drops likely contain hundreds of different fetal proteins and other substances, which dont necessary just do helpful things, so there are definite risks, he said. For example, I could imagine a risk of abnormal blood vessel or other undesired tissue growth in the eye after using such drops due to growth factors in the drops. Health care providers are being told to report adverse events related to the use of amniotic fluid eyedrops, as well as any other products regulated by the FDA, to an FDA adverse event reporting system called MedWatch. Consumers can also lodge reports with the system. After a 5G base station was installed within 60 meters of her second-floor apartment, a middle-aged, otherwise healthy, Swedish woman developed debilitating symptoms corresponding with radiofrequency/microwave syndrome, researchers at the Environment and Cancer Research Foundation (ECRF) in Sweden reported last month. This was the third such case documented by the researchers. According to their case study, published in Annals of Clinical and Medical Case Reports, fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology is being rolled out worldwide, despite no previous research on possible negative effects on human health and the environment. As a result, exposure to pulse-modulated microwave radiation has increased dramatically on a worldwide basis. Microwave radiation is frequencies in the range of 300 megahertz to 300 gigahertz within the radiofrequency (RF) spectrum. In city environments, frequencies used for 5G are currently in the 3.5 GHz band. Studies on possible health effects from exposure to 5G frequencies were all but nonexistent until recently. In a study published in October 2022, animals were exposed to the 5G frequency of 3.5 GHz for two hours a day, five days a week, for one month. The exposure caused oxidative stress and an increase of degenerated neurons in the hippocampus region of the brain, in addition to decreased irisin levels, a hormone positively correlated with weight loss and healthy cognitive function. In the case study, the woman quickly developed a large array of debilitating symptoms after the installation. These symptoms included headache; dizziness and balance problems; cognitive dysfunction, including memory loss, confusion, and loss of focus; extreme fatigue; anxiety; cough; nose bleeding; and disorders of urinary function and the skin, including spontaneous bruising and skin eruptions. The 5G antenna was installed on the roof of a three-floor adjacent building and projected toward her apartment on the second floor. There was previously a 4G base station antenna at the same spot, but it was only after it was replaced by the 5G antenna that the woman quickly developed severe symptoms of microwave syndrome. The 4G antenna was removed shortly after the 5G deployment. The woman reported that when she relocated to another apartment not near a 5G base station, her symptoms all quickly resolved, only to return within 24 hours of her return to her own apartment. The womans dog also showed signs of ill health after the 5G installation. Reportedly, the dog contracted diarrhea soon after the 5G antenna was installed. This disappeared during the retreat to the other apartment with no 5G but returned when they moved back to her own apartment. Also, the dog was reluctant to reenter the apartment after being taken out for a walk. The researchers point out that 5G emits high repetitive pulses of microwave radiation with radiation spikes that are exponentially greater than those of previous generations, including 4G. The researchers measured microwatts per square meter within one foot of the womans living room window over the course of one minute and found significant spikes. High radiation was also found in the bathroom, highest in the bathtub, which was closest to the window. Considerably lower RF radiation was measured in the bedroom, which wasnt directly in the line of transmission from the base station. Despite maxing out the commercial meter (Safe and Sound, Pro II) used by the researchers, the level of exposure was non-thermal and well below the guidelines recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). A History of Exposure Disorders RF sickness or illness resulting from microwave exposure was first reported in the 1960s and 1970s in East European countries. People most commonly suffered symptoms relating to neural, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems disruption. International investigations of exposed workers, including U.S. military personnel, showed that microwave exposure at non-thermal levels caused symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, headache, sleep disorders, anxiety, and problems with attention and memory. A review of multiple human and animal studies also concluded that a surprisingly wide variety of neurological and physiological reactions are to be expected because of exposure to non-thermal levels of RF/microwave radiation. The condition has been variously termed radiofrequency sickness syndrome or microwave syndrome. The non-thermal effectseffects unrelated to a buildup of heatdepend primarily on the modulation and/or pulsation of the signal as well as on the peak and average intensity. The Problem With Current RF Safety Standards There are significant problems with how health effects from RF radiation are weighed, according to James Lin, a professor emeritus in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of IllinoisChicago. In an article published in Environmental Research in April, Lin details how safety limits for exposure to RF radiation applied by most countries around the world are still based on acute heat or thermal effects that appear within a short time from exposure, thus failing to assess other effects of long-term exposure. The guidelines for reference values based on heating are set by the ICNIRP, a self-appointed private organization based in Germany. The ICNIRP has positioned itself with industry support to be the dominant international authority in evaluating scientific evidence of negative health effects from RF radiation. Their guidelines are based on evaluations that have rejected all scientific evidence on non-thermal effects, despite growing evidence of a range of harmful effects well below the ICNIRP levels. That unscientific evaluation is in the interest of industry thereby facilitating the deployment of 5G and the wireless society, the researchers at ECRF wrote. In his recent Environmental Research article, Lin, a former long-time member of ICNIRP, concluded: There are substantial abnormalities in these putative health safety protection guidelines and standards. Some of the safety limits are irrelevant, debatable, and absent of scientific justification from the standpoint of safety and public health protection. In 2019, 258 electromagnetic field (EMF) scientists from 58 countries appealed to the United Nations to impose a moratorium on the rollout of 5G until health effects could be properly assessed. In the appeal, the scientists said: Wireless communication technologies are rapidly becoming an integral part of every economic sector. But there is a rapidly growing body of scientific evidence of harm to people, plants, animals, and microbes caused by exposure to these technologies. It is our opinion that adverse health consequences of chronic and involuntary exposure of people to non-ionizing EMF sources are being ignored by national and international health organizations despite our repeated inquiries as well as inquiries made by many other concerned scientists, medical doctors, and advocates. This constitutes a clear violation of human rights, as defined by the United Nations. Hillary Clinton to Attend Upcoming Liberal Party Convention Former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton speaks at the annual convention of the American Federation of Teachers at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., on July 13, 2018. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) Hillary Clinton will be attending the Liberal Partys 2023 national convention and will be joining Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland in a keynote discussion. Freeland announced on Twitter that the former first lady of the United States and the countrys 67th secretary of state is slated to attend the event on May 5, the second day of the three-day Liberal Party convention set to take place in Ottawa. Next Friday at our @liberal_party Convention, Ill be sitting down for a conversation with Secretary @HillaryClinton. I hope youll join us! Find out how, here: https://t.co/arLv5qYWBw pic.twitter.com/wpoMRhc1I9 Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) April 29, 2023 During Canadas 2021 federal election, Clinton voiced support for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling him a friend in a Twitter post, while wishing him and our progressive Canadian neighbors the best three days ahead of the election. Trudeau will speak at the convention on May 4 but is expected to miss out on much of the event to travel to London for the coronation of King Charles on May 6. The Canadian Press contributed to this report. Description "Calling all brides-to-be and their I-Do-Crew! Join us for an exclusive Bridesmaids Trunk Show featuring designer Bari Jay at our Bridesmaid Showroom in Massapequa. Be the first to preview their new Fall collection before any other salon and discover the latest trends in bridesmaid fashion. With a wide range of colors and styles, you're sure to find the perfect dresses to complement your wedding vision. Don't miss this exclusive event!" Japan Scraps COVID Border Measures as Golden Week Holiday Rush Begins The country also will downgrade legal status of COVID-19 to that of a seasonal flu People queue to buy tickets into the city after their arrival at the international terminal of Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Oct.11, 2022. (Richard A. Brooks/AFP via Getty Images) Japan lifted its COVID-19 border measures on April 29, allowing all arrivals to enter the country without showing proof of vaccination or negative test results, as the countrys Golden Week holiday began. Golden Week is one of Japans busiest travel times. Four national holidays fall within the period from April 29 to May 5, and Japan is anticipating an influx of tourists. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Japan no longer requires visitors to submit vaccination records or negative COVID-19 test results within 72 hours of their departure. Japan also scrapped its random testing requirement for visitors from China, which was put in place earlier this year after a surge of COVID-19 cases in China, when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) abruptly lifted its zero-COVID measures. The ministry stated that the random testing requirement will be replaced by testing on arrival for those who show symptoms, which is the same measure applied to all other travelers. Local media stated that the government initially planned to scrap the border controls on May 8, the same day that COVID-19s status will be downgraded but later decided to bring the plan forward because of Golden Week. Japan ended its mask-wearing rules in March. Japan Formally Downgrading COVID-19 Status COVID-19 is currently classified as a special category thats equivalent to or stricter than Class 2 disease in Japan, which is subject to strict measures such as restrictions on the movement of infected individuals and their close contacts. The Health Ministry stated on April 27 that COVID-19s status would be downgraded to a Class 5 disease on May 8. That will result in the disease being treated similarly to seasonal flu, and quarantine rules will be eliminated. Special measures that the government has been taking in response to the novel coronavirus will end on May 7, Health Minister Katsunobu Kato told reporters, according to Kyodo News. The expert panel approved the decision to downgrade COVID-19, citing the preparedness of the countrys health care system for a resurgence. They said Japan has about 8,400 medical institutions that can accommodate up to 58,000 COVID-19 patients. Ninth Wave of COVID-19 Infectious disease experts had earlier warned that Japan could face a ninth wave of COVID-19 infections thats larger than the eighth wave, Kyodo News reported. At an advisory panel meeting on April 19, Kato said there was an increase in the number of cases linked to the XBB.1.5 Omicron coronavirus subvariant. Japans Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare Katsunobu Kato wears a face mask while speaking during a budget committee meeting at the lower house of Parliament in Tokyo on April 28, 2020. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images) There is a possibility that infections will spread toward this summer, Kato said. Japan reported 13,094 new cases on April 26. The expert panel warned that Japans mortality rate could be higher than other nations because of its aging population and advised the government to adopt measures to control the spread of the virus. We need to continue to take measures for the elderly, who are at high risk of dying [from the virus] and those with underlying diseases, they said. XBB is a recombinant of two subvariants that descended from the Omicron BA.2 subvariant. This means that genetic data from two versions of the virus that descended from BA.2 that had infected a person at the same time, combined during the viral replication process to form the new XBB subvariant. Japanese researchers said in a paper posted to the preprint server bioRxiv on Dec. 27, 2022, that their findings suggest that XBB is the first documented SARS-CoV-2 variant increasing its fitness through recombination rather than single mutations. The researchers also said their results suggest that XBB is highly transmissible and highly resistant to the immunity that was induced by people having had breakthrough infections of the previous Omicron subvariants. Naveen Athrappully and Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report. Today, I sit down with the president of The Heritage Foundation, Kevin Roberts, to discuss Heritages comprehensive strategy to win the new Cold War with the Chinese Communist Party, how Heritage has changed since Robertss arrival, the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, and Tucker Carlsons last speech as a Fox host at Heritages 50th Anniversary Celebration. The deep state, the administrative state more broadly, is the rotten fruit of our individual members of Congress not having the courage to pass bills or kill bills on behalf of self-governance, says Roberts. This is precisely why Heritagealong with 54 other conservative organizations, 400 policy scholarshas been working so intently on Project 2025, the aim of which is to take the biggest dagger ever and place it firmly in the center of the heart of the deep state. FULL TRANSCRIPT Jan Jekielek: Kevin Roberts, such a pleasure to have you back on American Thought Leaders. Kevin Roberts: It is always great to be with you, Jan. Mr. Jekielek: First of all, congratulations on this huge event that you just organized celebrating Heritages 50th anniversary. Your keynote was Tucker Carlson, his last appearance before he left Fox suddenly. This was something none of us were expecting. Did you get any hints about this? Mr. Roberts: No, I had no firsthand knowledge about that. I even made a joke about Tucker coming back to Heritage if his then current gig went south and that was completely in jest. But what I do know about Tucker is hes one of the visionaries of our movement. We look forward to him landing on his feet, which Im sure he will. Mr. Jekielek: But what do you think happened? Mr. Roberts: Fox was too focused on being the big corporate media giant and has lost touch with the everyday American. Heritage will always be on Fox if were invited to talk about the everyday American. We consider them friends, but Tuckers an even closer friend. Hes bigger than Fox and the future of America really goes through Tuckers mind, if you will. Mr. Jekielek: This has been the number one rated show on television for quite some time and by quite a margin. You wonder what could possibly be the rationale in this situation, but we are in unprecedented times in the media. I felt like this is something we could actually discuss, because thats very relevant to what Heritage is doing. Mr. Roberts: If I may, and I know you well enough personally and know Epoch Times well enough to know that you love the truth. We live in a time when the larger an organization gets, the larger a corporation gets, even if its a friendly one like our friends at Fox, they become less enamored with telling the truth when it hurts. What so many Americans and so many people around the world love about Tucker and love about Epoch Times, is that you tell the truth. And dare I say, thats also what they love about the Heritage Foundation. Its our job at Heritage. Its my job in particular at Heritage to always sustain friendships with people who tell the truth, even when it hurts, because we have a country to save. Mr. Jekielek: Are you ever worried about the fact that Heritage is kind of big when it comes to think tanks? It may be the largest one. Im not sure, but I would guess it would be up there. Mr. Roberts: Yes, sure. Sometimes when people use the derogatory phrase Conservative, Inc, sometimes when theyre thinking about Heritage. You know that Im going to take the elephant in the room and put it on the table, and so Im aware of that. But if you step inside Heritage, as you have done a few times, you know that because were supported by hundreds of thousands of regular Americans each year, as opposed to five or 10 white knights inside the imperial city of DC. Our DNA is to fight for everyday Americans. Its something we have to be aware of, but part of our culture internally at Heritage is to be aware of that and to check whatever impulse that may come from, like going to the cocktail parties that so many establishment people like to do. Its just not our jam, its not mine, and thats one of the ways that we keep it real. Mr. Jekielek: Since were talking about this, with systemic problems in many, many areas in our society, when things get very big, when the scale becomes very large, they start to take on a life of their own. They start acting to self-perpetuate. Mr. Roberts: Self-perpetuation is the unhealthy symptom of bureaucracy. Any business and any organization is prone to that if it gets large enough. I see this most often in second or third generation family businesses, which were probably started with 100 bucks or 1,000 bucks that someone saved on the side and they put all their chips on the table. By the second or third generation, because of the success of that entrepreneur, his or her children and grandchildren havent really shared in that sacrifice. Having started a K-12 school, being the second president of a small college, and running two nonprofit policy groups, the key is to always have each generation of colleagues participate and sacrificeto know what it means, in our case at Heritage, to fight for the everyday American. When you start seeing an organization not take risks, thats a key sign. To me, its a red flag that theyve become part of the problem. Theyre more focused on self-perpetuation. Mr. Jekielek: Under your tenure, it seems like Heritage has started taking a lot more risks, and that seems very deliberate on your part. Mr. Roberts: Its very intentional every day. Mr. Jekielek: What risk did you take that paid off the best, up to this point? Mr. Roberts: A lot come to mind. My colleagues deserve all the credit for that, because theyre the ones in the trenches taking the risks. Theyre the ones getting belligerent emails from the establishment in DC about why they are taking these risks. But the one thats paid off so much is our China paper. For the better part of a year weve been focused on making sure that the policy prescriptions coming out of Heritage relative to the Chinese Communist Party are vigorous, and that they understand and explain the stakes for free people around the world. I will say, and no hubris when I say this, Im so proud of my colleagues at Heritage. Jan, this is almost literally true, almost every policy person at Heritage, a couple hundred people, had a hand in that China paperour domestic policy folks, our economists, our education scholars, and our foreign policy colleagues, particularly those who know about East Asia. The CCP has infiltrated nearly every country in the world. This had to be a whole-of-Heritage approach to a whole-of-government problem. Its already paying off because you see a shift in the rhetoric. In Congress, hopefully soon well see a shift in some of the legislative priorities that are coming out. Lets hope that on January 20th, 2025, we replace the very CCP-friendly President of the United States with a man or a woman who knows what time it is, and that its time to confront them, to defeat them, and to eliminate them. Mr. Jekielek: This is the Winning the New Cold War, paper. This is a very, very impressive piece of work. Recently, as I interviewed one of your fellows, Michael Pillsbury, I learned that you were looking at past proposed bills in many cases that were offered. This is thinking that has already been done. This isnt something that youve rehashed from scratch. A great many of these bills were actually very smart about what they were trying to accomplish, they just never made it. In one case, a bill got passed by the House, passed by the Senate, and then disappeared when the NDAA [National Defense Authorization Act] was passed in the end. That was astounding to me. Mr. Roberts: It is, and that example is but one of several dozen. What were trying to do with this paper is survey the legislation, in the case of that particular law that has been passed. But also in addition to that, we want to propose new legislation that can piggyback on those good ideas. But more than anything else we want to provide an honest, objective assessment of the policy landscape; that is, the problem side of policy, as well as on the solution side of policy. What were hoping to do with this paper is to build a foundation on which subsequent analyses by Heritage, and by a growing number of friends in the movement will be able to assess what we must do to confront the CCP. Were more than cautiously optimistic that we have made some progress here. Were really confident that we have helped to change the debate. Mr. Jekielek: Ill mention one piece, which is very risky in this town. You are advocating for stopping all CCP-lobbying dollars in this town, and theres a lot of people that like those dollars. Mr. Roberts: Its outrageous to me, Jan, that there would be any American citizen within blocks of where you and I are sitting having this conversation who would take $1 from a CCP-interest. In other words, it would seem to me that someone would love this country so much, and understand the evil that the CCP represents and advocates around the planet, that they wouldnt do that. If it takes legislation to correct that, then Heritage is very happy to lead the way. Were not going to stop working on that issue until there is a bill that bans lobbyists in this town from representing the Chinese Communist Party. Mr. Jekielek: What are the one or two most important recommendations in that paper? I know that youve looked at this closely. Mr. Roberts: There are several dozen recommendations. I would encourage people watching or listening to this to track it down. I say that as the President of Heritage, not just because its a Heritage paper, but as someone who loves this country, who wants every person on the planet to flourish, and knows that the CCP is standing in the way. This paper is the blueprint for how to fix it. Having said that, at the top of the list is recognizing that there shouldnt be CCP investment in the American military industry. We live at a time when we have supply chain issues, accentuated by overspending on the heroic Ukrainians. But the other problem is that we have American investment in China. We have to be careful, those of us who like a market economy, of banning American investment elsewhere. What we also need to be doing is reinstilling in the CEOs and corporate boards of American businesses a desire not to invest in CCP-owned interests in China and elsewhere. Which leads me to the final point in terms of recommendations, because this goes beyond just the CCP. We need to be reshoring or friendshoring jobs that are in China. Americans should be benefiting by any additional military production that were going to be engaged in order to defend Taiwan, who we will defend. There are a lot of recommendations in that paper. The ones that Ive mentioned are focused on the defense posture that the United States must have toward the CCP. But Ill also say we have to be really cognizant of the influence the CCP has in education, with the formerly named Confucius Institutes that have already been renamed something else. We should not be allowing the CCP to infiltrate our major research universities. Mr. Jekielek: This bill that passed the House, passed the Senate, then disappeared from the NDAA was a bill that dealt with not buying drones from China. You would think, Wow, that would be crazy. Mr. Roberts: It should be common sense. Mr. Jekielek: Right. But to your other point about reshoring and friendshoring, there just arent a lot of other options. This is what I have heard from the industry. Lets say you want to buy drones. Where do you get them? Its a very serious situation in many areas. Mr. Roberts: Thats true. There arent a lot of options for drones, and yet thats a result of our own choices. That is to say its one thing for Heritage and some friends to push good bills through Congress. Its one thing for a majority of members of the House and Senate to vote for that and for the President to sign it, thats one thing. But its a much more important matter and a greater obligation for individual Americans, especially those who have capital to invest, to stop being so significantly worried about a few pennies of difference in investment. That is, its more important to have an American-made drone or a drone made in a country thats a real ally of ours, than it is to save a few dollars on a drone made in China. This is the kind of thing that must change in the United States. In other words, were not going to defeat the CCP simply by passing legislation. We need American entrepreneurs to worry about the United States first, American workers first, and the future of American freedom first, before they worry about, as they would tell you and me, their bottom line. Mr. Jekielek: There is this idea that a strong America provides a higher level of security than a weaker America. Nobody would argue that America is not weaker now than it was 10 years ago. That creates a lot of instability, not just here, but also internationally. Mr. Roberts: Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in the late 1980s, with each passing five years, or each passing decade, we have gotten weaker. Of course, we had the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, but actually those were a sign of weakness. They were the sign of a country that was decaying from within, and that was losing its own moral authority, not just abroad, but also domestically. This is why at Heritage, we believe when were talking about the CCP and the threat that it poses, we arent just talking about a military posture, but were also talking about an economic and social posture. The United States is weaker, best as I can tell, in every way. The weakest that its become is not just with its own politics, but with our own society and culture, where you cant love what you dont know. Given how poorly we teach American history and civics, we have a full generation, if not more, of Americans who dont appreciate what it is about America that causes most people in the world to see us as the North Star. Mr. Jekielek: I want to ask you something, because Heritage is obviously considered a conservative think tank. Mr. Roberts: I hope so. Mr. Jekielek: A lot of people have been discussing, and I like to ask this question of my guests, with these conventional Left and Right measures people will say, What does that even mean? In the speech that Tucker Carlson gave, he talked about agreeing with people that he wouldnt have imagined being on the same side with five years ago before COVID. Theres a few alternative spectrums which have been proposed. One is a cognitive liberty spectrum; people that believe that you should be able to believe what you want to believe, versus people who believe you should believe something very specific and that everyone should believe that way. Thats one. Another one is the people who have some sense of the transcendent, versus people who are purely transactional. Its a very different mentality. It strikes me that is what Heritage is doing, and I havent seen the entirety, because you do a lot. Mr. Roberts: Its hard to keep up with everything we do. Mr. Jekielek: A lot. Im amazed you even know all of it. Mr. Roberts: You just assume that I do. Mr. Jekielek: Is it really just for conservatives? When I look at this China plan, this is not just for conservatives. This is just basic common sense. Mr. Roberts: Yes, great question. Of course, this China plan, we would hope it would be adopted, endorsed, and advocated for by every American. In fact, I grew up at a time in the United States when Left-of-center folks and politicians would have endorsed this China plan that Heritage put out. We operate that way. We talk to Democrat offices in the House and Senate whose members would be real important advocates for this. To your larger point about conservatism, I will say conservatism has always been about the transcendent. What Heritage is trying to do with the China paper, but even more broadly, is to say were just getting back to our roots as conservatives. Weve always been focused on the permanent things, as we like to say, in the American and Anglo tradition. The free market is part of that, and the economy obviously is part of that, and those are healthy symptoms of a very healthy society. Conservatives like Edmund Burke, Russell Kirk, or T.S. Eliot have always been focused on the permanent things. Heritage is trying to remind people that the reason you want to endorse the China paper, and the reason you want to pass those bills isnt just to defeat the CCP. It isnt just to say that conservatives in America have to win, but its for every American and every human being on earth to live a good life. Thats what conservatives care about the most. Mr. Jekielek: Interesting. Thats definitely not the common rhetoric. Mr. Roberts: No, especially in DC, because we have so many people who are former conservatives. Theyre no longer conservatives. They actually reject the transcendent, and they reject the permanent things. What do they do? Theyre only focused on the free market as if thats the totality of American conservative thinking. Mr. Jekielek: Fascinating. I was speaking with Mark Tapscott, one of our congressional correspondents. He actually worked at Heritage for six years under Ed Feulner. He said, After Ed Feulner left Heritage, there was this perceived lack of direction, or maybe people were wondering what was going to happen. It certainly seems to me that today Heritage has a very clear direction in many areas, especially looking at this 2025 transition plan that you can barely lift, nevermind read. It seems to me like youre very clear on what youre doing at this point. How much did your joining Heritage play a role in that? Mr. Roberts: Its a fair question. Im not only grateful to but friends with all of my predecessors, and so people know I am building on the foundations that they laid. If Ive brought anything to Heritage, it is a clear direction. That comes not from some wisdom that I uniquely possess, but something that tens of millions of Americans possess. You pretty much have to be a product of outside the beltway in order to possess this, and its called common sense. Common sense tells someone that theres something broken about America. Common sense will then tell someone that a great venerable institution like Heritage, which has had many great leaders and many great scholars, has material resources. But even more important than the material resources, it has soft power. It has convening power, and it has influence. Lets use all of those things for the sake of saving America. I actually believe we have a very finite amount of time to change course in this country. Im optimistic were going to do it, but I also dont believe that we have the luxury of a few decades to do it. Thats why if people observing Heritage the last couple of years in my leadership have a sense that were in a hurry, that were urgent, its because we are, every single day. The first thing I said to my colleagues when I was announced as president of Heritage was, Were going to be on offense, every hour and every day for the American people. Im so proud of them because we havent stopped yet. Mr. Jekielek: You came from the Texas Public Policy Foundation. I found the Texas Public Policy Foundation to be one of the most active groups that I have come across, and impactful in terms of crafting state policy. How much did your tenure there impact what youre doing now? Mr. Roberts: Greatly. When I got to Texas Public Policy Foundation, it already had the reputation of being a do tank before being a think tank. That reality plus my experience in running an institution of higher education, starting my own school, and having an entrepreneurial background in the education world has created, at least from my perspective, a need for every nonprofit leader in the policy space to be worried about more than just writing white papers. The papers are important. Weve spent some time talking about the China paper. The reason theyre important is because theyre the foundation on which the rest of our work rests. But the distinguishing thing about Heritage is the same distinguishing characteristic about Texas Public Policy Foundation, and that is that every word we write in one of those papers is oriented around policy change. Unfortunately, inside Washington DC, that action is really uncommon. What were hoping for at Heritage is not just for ourselves to be successful with our own policy prescriptions, but to inspire some of the other policy organizations headquartered in DC on the political Right to do the same. Mr. Jekielek: The biggest complaints I hear about what goes on in that building behind you is a lot of inaction, and a lot of avoidance of responsibility. Maybe if I do something, someone might not like it, so its just better not to do anything. Ive actually heard that from so many people over the years. Its unbelievable. There is also this whole question of whether Congress has ceded a lot of its authority to the agencies. Some years ago you would say the word deep state and everyone would laugh, What are you talking about? Now everyone says, Theres something very deep in this state. I dont know if theyre thinking in those words exactly, but you know what Im saying. Mr. Roberts: I do. There are two things. The first is there is a lot of risk aversion inside the United States Capitol. If Alexis de Tocqueville were here almost 200 years after he visited the United States, he wouldnt be surprised. Because he observed that politicians, republics, democracies, and constitutional monarchies always suffered from a certain amount of political cowardice. It was incumbent upon the people, their constituents, to buck them up and help them grow a spine. The result of that, to your point about the deep state, point number two, is that the deep state, and the administrative state more broadly is the rotten fruit of our individual members of Congress, and our two senators from each of our respective states not having the courage to pass bills or kill bills on behalf of self-governance. This is precisely why Heritage, along with 54 other conservative organizations and 400 policy scholars, has been working so intently on Project 2025, the aim of which is to take the biggest dagger ever and place it firmly in the center of the heart of the deep state. When we do that, not if, but when we do that, not only will we see the demise of the deep state, but well also see members of Congress be inspired to do their jobs. Mr. Jekielek: What do you think right now? Because Ive heard, Congress is now taking its oversight more seriously. There is a subcommittee on the weaponization of the federal government. There are multiple committees focused on China. At the same time, there are compelling opinions saying, These guys look like they might just be spinning their wheels. Is there really anything happening? What do you think? Mr. Roberts: It took a while for them, the House members of Congress, to get all of their staff together. It took a little bit longer than it should have. But as we sit here, I can report that theyre largely staffed up and theyve always had the intention of doing their business. It goes back to the point that I made about Heritage always being in a hurry and understanding the urgency of the moment. Its also why a year ago Heritage started our Oversight Project, which is designed to provide the ammunition and to some extent the personnel that those committees you mentioned need in order to do their jobs. Im really happy as we sit in the middle of spring in 2023 that theres finally some momentum there. Its really important as we move forward that those committees focus on the right topics of investigation and pair those with good legislation, for example, debt ceiling and border security legislation. In other words, it cant just be about the investigations. Theres some injustice that needs to be addressed. Obviously, Heritage is investing in that, but we also know from the time we spend outside DC, which is most of the hours in my week, that people are looking for an aspirational vision for the future. Weve got to pair the redressing of grievances with what were going to do when were fully in power in a couple of years. Mr. Jekielek: Its redressing grievances, but also having accountability for things which have gone egregiously wrong. The Twitter Files certainly exposed a lot of that, alongside multiple lawsuits. Discovery in those lawsuits has shown activity that shouldnt be happening, whether legal or not. Mr. Roberts: Thats right. Heritage fully accepts all of that. My concern is that we get so focused on our side on the investigations, members of Congress sometimes forget to connect that investigation with how it affects the self-governance of the everyday American. The media does a really good job of driving the wedge between those two things. Its more of a messaging criticism about American political conservatives, which is that it isnt enough just to do the investigations. You have to constantly explain why youre doing the investigations. It isnt just about the people who are involved in them, per se. Its about all of us. Theres a two-tiered system of justice, not just for President Trump, but for all of us. Ask Mark Houck, the pro-life activist in Pennsylvania. This is what Heritage brings to the table. On one hand, we bring the ammunition to conduct the investigations. On the other hand, we bring the messaging that helps remind Americans why they need to care. Mr. Jekielek: It really does seem that if you have certain political viewpoints, you can get away with a lot that you wouldnt have been able to get away with in the past. Whereas if you have other political viewpoints, you feel the full weight of the law, even when its unreasonable for that to be the case. There are these FBI SWAT teams being used for situations where its just preposterous. Mr. Roberts: Its true. And as we sit here, do you think that theres much of a chance that any of the political allies of President Biden will have to deal with the 87,000 new IRS agents? Of course not. But those of us at Heritage, people in Right-of-center media outlets, common sense media outlets that are not mouthpieces for the regime, we have to be worried. Thats unconscionable in modern America. All of us at Heritage wake up every day fighting that, and looking forward to the day when we can finally fix it. Mr. Jekielek: Please describe to me the regime that you just mentioned, what is that? Mr. Roberts: There are two elements of it. The figureheads of the regime are Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, but the regime is a long-running project of the political Left. It really started or was amplified in the late 60s and early 70s in the anti-Vietnam War protest of the academic Left. The short version of the story is that those people have been in political power for the last couple of decades. Theyre members of the House, members of the Senate, and staff in the executive branch of the United States. The reason I insist on calling it a regime is because these people dont believe in small R republican principles. They dont believe that there is a common good to which they owe a moral obligation, as many Republicans and Democrat leaders leading up to this point have. Heritage insists on calling it a regime, because theyre not focused on self-governance, and they hate what the everyday American stands for. We could sit here and go through the litany of pejorative ways that Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden and Barack Obama have described people like me, gun owners, and people who go to church, something as radical as that. They hate us and we need to be careful not to hate them. Those of us, given our particular faith traditions, shouldnt be filled with hatred. But we do need to be filled with a zeal in the public square to confront them, to defeat them and to make sure that theyre never in power again. Mr. Jekielek: Theres so many areas in American life where things seem to be going wrong. Examples would be all these new rules around how elections are run across many different states that have created a foundationally different way than the whole electoral process is even understood. Thats one. Similarly, another area is the border. There have been an unbelievable number of people that have crossed the border into America. In some cases there are even laws on the books to have them voting in American elections. Weve touched on China, weve touched on a bit on oversight. Those are two big elephants in the room. If these things arent somehow dealt with, how can all of these other areas be achieved? Mr. Roberts: The answer to your question is they cant be. This is why Heritage has worked so diligently on improving election integrity. There is a lot of progress to report. You can look at our election integrity scorecard and see those states that have, from objective analysis, legitimately done a very good job of addressing certain problems, and we rate them more highly than others. On elections, the flip side is that places like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and Arizona, just to name a few, will continue to have problems. The short version is that when we get into the 2024 election cycle, Americans can be a little more optimistic about the integrity of elections. But we are far from securing all of those problems. On the border, however, there is no progress to report. You know me well. Im an optimist. I try to see the silver lining in every problem. Theres no silver lining in this. It is awful. It is one of the worst examples of policy failure by any American president ever. The reason its that profound is because its intentional. It is intentional by the President of the United States and his seemingly incompetent Secretary of Homeland Security, who actually isnt that incompetent. Hes actually very capable at implementing what hes doing to have two-and-a-half million illegal aliens in this country. It undermines the rule of law. It has probably permanently changed what had been very peaceful, Anglo and Mexican-American counties and communities across the border of Texas and Arizona and New Mexico. Further still, as our Heritage research has proven, those illegal aliens have arrived in every congressional district in this country. Every county in the United States of America is a border county, which isnt a comment about people who might come here legally. We love immigrants at Heritage. Its a comment that when you allow millions of people to cross illegally, not only are you endangering public safety, youre endangering the rule of law and the very ideals of America. Until and unless we fix that problem, as we were beginning to do in the former administration, Americas future is in danger. Mr. Jekielek: I keep thinking about whats been dubbed by some the disinformation industrial complex. Mr. Roberts: I love that. Mr. Jekielek: Which has grown up over the last seven-odd years to the point where there are people studying in universities to become experts at this thing. Theres this moment in our society where some of us believe that speech should be curtailed, and believe that certain beliefs should be amplified massively. This is going back to the cognitive liberty spectrum, where certain correct beliefs are acceptable, and others need to be hidden and unavailable for people to even know about. There is a whole mechanism of manufacturing perceived consensus in society. I call it the megaphone. Its a very powerful mechanism. There are multiple organizations involved, and the media are just part of it. There is a portion of our population thats incredibly susceptible to it, not bad or morally questionable people, they are just easy to influence. First of all, do you agree? If you do, how can we have some kind of unity in a society where this megaphone is always creating incredible strife? Mr. Roberts: I not only agree, Jan, if I have your permission, Im going to use your phrase, manufacturing perceived consensus, because that is so true. That largely happens with our legacy media outlets, which are primarily based in New York City and in Washington. The solution to that is for people to spend more time with regular folks outside those cities, but also inside those cities. There are a lot of regular folks in Washington and New York City. That is to say, watch Epoch Times, and read the Epoch Times newspaper. But after that, be very selective with the national news that youre consuming. Take whatever time youre saving by no longer consuming that news and spend it with everyday people. Why? As my staff at Heritage know, when Im outside DC, which is most of the time, whether Im at home in Virginia or traveling on behalf of Heritage, I always stop in a McDonalds. Ill always stop in a convenience store. I dont care about the neighborhood. I dont care if I look like a middle-aged bald white guy. Those are my fellow Americans. You can be engaged in a conversation. My wife would say that she learns more about politics by being in the produce aisle at the local grocery store than she does reading most outlets. Of course, shes a huge fan of the Epoch Times. But the point is, we should not give those people who use a megaphone to get us to stop thinking about self-governance and the power it has. The only way to do that is to be a lot more intentional with the news that we consume, and to be really focused on spending greater time in community. That still begs the question, then how do you establish unity? For more than 200 years, thats how Americans consumed their news and there was a certain unity about that. Why? Because its just scientifically, biologically obvious that humans have many things in common and one of the things that were hardwired to do, especially in American history, is to love our country. The reason that we want to do that is because we love our neighbor. Isnt it interesting that these people who are manufacturing perceived consensus emphasize what divides us, and what causes us to be suspicious of our neighbor? Thats not what it means to be an American. Stop consuming news that says those things. Mr. Jekielek: This ideology that has become dominant in just about every institution in the country, we could call it woke or critical social justice, is something that Heritage is looking at very deliberately. What is your work around this? Mr. Roberts: What my policy scholar colleagues at Heritage do well, regardless of the policy arena, but particularly in this case with confronting critical theory, is to go to the root cause of the problem. We can talk about critical race theory. My good friend Mike Gonzalez is perhaps the leading critic of that. But the reason Mike is persuasive about that isnt just about critical race theory per se, but because he goes to the origins of the ideology, which is critical theory. This is something that as a young history graduate student, I had to learn. It surprises some people to know that the president of the Heritage Foundation is well-schooled in critical theory. Its what I had to do to get through some liberal graduate departments in history, and it didnt affect me. The root of critical theory is anti-human. It is Marxist in its origin. I dont mean that to be name-calling. When we use the word Marxist, we conservatives need to actually know what were saying. To be Marxist is to reduce people to their immutable characteristics; their skin color, and where they live in a certain part of the country or the world. Therefore, critical theory doesnt understand someones soul, it has no place. If someone happens to be agnostic or even atheist, it doesnt understand the role of nature. Theres nothing about these theories that would signify that people can ever live harmoniously in a community with people who dont look like them Mr. Jekielek: Or are in the same class, thats the one you mentioned. Mr. Roberts: Or the same class, thats exactly right. Mr. Jekielek: Right. Because thats the original way we think about Marxism. Mr. Roberts: There has to be complete unanimity; socioeconomically, ethnically, and culturally. I would also say religiously, but theres no room in Marxism for religion. Mr. Jekielek: Its uniformity across a kind of atheism. Mr. Roberts: To come full circle in our conversation, theres nothing transcendent. When theres nothing transcendent for a human person, thats an awful quality of life, which is why all of the advocates of critical theory I know are miserable people. Mr. Jekielek: In the coming years, you have a plan that you have enacted pretty quickly and deliberately, and have seen some fruits of that labor already. What are your most important directions right now? Which ones are you focusing on? Mr. Roberts: Within Project 2025? Mr. Jekielek: Within the overall direction of Heritage. But obviously, thats a very significant part of what youre doing. Mr. Roberts: My follow-up question tells you what the first one is, which is Project 2025. Because I look forward to the day when on January 20th, 2025, whoever the next president is, whoever he or she is, Im pretty optimistic that theyll be more conservative than our current president. We wish him a long and healthy retirement as ex-president. When he or she takes the oath of office they will know that the full weight of the entire political right in America is behind him or her. We will have the policy ideas and the policy solutions, and by that I mean the bills that he or she needs to push through Congress with their allies. We will have the executive orders to implement, and the rules, going back to the administrative state conversation we were having, that they must implement to undo the excesses of the radical Left. But most importantly, they also know that there are several thousand Americans who have come to DC to tithe two, four, six or lets hope eight years or more to restore self-governance to the American people. Thats what I spend the plurality of my time on. The second thing, and its very related to that, Jan, and I have to some extent helped Heritage reorient itself to be more active at the state level, is being focused on federalism. In order for the next conservative president to be successful in terms of policy, he or she has to have a bubbling up of ideas from the states. We cant rely on the folks in this building behind me in the Capitol to do that yet. But given in 2023 as we sit here that its already the most successful legislative session ever for conservative policy, there are a lot of great policy ideas bubbling up from the states, so Im very focused on that. The third and final thing in terms of my priorities and the priorities for Heritage is to take a step back from the political and policy landscape. Take a step back from the frustrations we have about the two-tiered system of justice. Take a step back from the daily news and remember whats special about being an American. Remember the privileges we have to wake up here. Whether we were born here or came here by choice, this is the greatest experiment and self-governance in history. The Heritage Foundation is aptly named. We honor the heritage of the United States. Not just with good policy, but by reminding all of our fellow Americans on the Left, on the Right, in the center, what it means to be an Americanto live in self-governance so that we can live the good life. Mr. Jekielek: Kevin Roberts, its such a pleasure to have you on the show. Mr. Roberts: Its always a pleasure to be here and look forward to more. Mr. Jekielek: Thank you all for joining Kevin Roberts and me on this episode of American Thought Leaders. Im your host, Jan Jekielek. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. America First Legal Sues Mars for Illegal, Racist, and Sexist Hiring Practices Snickers and Mars chocolate bars lie on a table in Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 23, 2016. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) A legal nonprofit filed a federal civil rights complaint against Mars Inc. on Wednesday, alleging that the chocolate company blatantly discriminates against race, sex, and national origin in its hiring, promotion, and training practices. America First Legal (AFL), a Washington-based nonprofit, filed the complaint (pdf) with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), asking the Commission to investigate Marss systemic and discriminatory hiring, promotion, and job-training employment practices. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal for employers to impose hiring quotas that favor applicants based on an individuals race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Yet Mars does just that, openly touting its discriminatory quota to increase racial minority representation among management in its U.S.-based consumer-packaged goods businesses by forty percent, the AFL stated. The Civil Rights Act also prohibits discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in admission to, or employment in, any program established to provide apprenticeship or other training. Mars admits to acting to achieve gender balance [sic] across one hundred percent of its leadership teams and ensuring that its leadership teams and Associate representation reflect the race and ethnicities of the labor force in the markets in which it operates, The AFL claims. In other words, the company is employing numeric quotas to balance the immutable characteristics of its workers and thus facially violating Title VII [of the Civil Rights Act]. The complaint also mentions that Mars is using race, color, national origin, or sex to structure interview panels and candidate lists. Mars states on its corporate website that its ambitions include increasing racial minority representation among our management population in our Mars CPG businesses by 40%. We will also promote expanded opportunities for all racial minorities across our total workforce. To meet its hiring and promotion quotas, the company claims that it is launch[ing] technologies to achieve a larger and more diverse talent pool, according to AFL. Although Mars claims these technologies eliminate bias, the AFL complaint states that the massive shifts in Marss self-reported hiring demographics strongly suggest algorithmic discrimination based on race, color, national origin, or sex. The complaint mentions training courses provided by Mars solely to women and members of certain ethnicities or races. There is ample evidence suggesting that the company has knowingly and intentionally violated federal law and will continue to do so, the complaint concludes. Attached to it are parts of what it says are Marss statements regarding gender equity and hiring and training practices. James Rogers, the AFL legal counsel who filed the complaint, said: Marss brandsM&Ms, 3 Musketeers, Wrigleys, Lifesavers, and so many othershave been a part of Americans lives for generations. It is sad that, like so many other woke corporations, Mars has degenerated into a sad parody of the great company it once was. Mars needs to stop trying to socially engineer the country. It must abandon its illegal and sordid bigotry, which only contributes further to the growing division and hatred in our country. We hope that the EEOC acts quickly on our complaint to investigate Mars to end its dangerous and destructive discrimination and go back to focusing on making chocolate. This complaint follows others filed by America First Legal against Anheuser-Busch, Hershey, Amazon, and Starbucks. The Epoch Times reached out to Mars Inc. for comment. Medibank Wont Release External Probe Into Cyber Hack Medibank signage sits on top of the Medibank building in Docklands, Melbourne of Australia on Oct. 1, 2014. (Scott Barbour/Getty Images) Medibank wont reveal the findings of an external review into a high-profile cyber attack due to security fears. The private information of about 10 million Medibank customers was released onto the dark web following a cyber hack in October 2022. Consultancy firm Deloitte was recruited by the health insurance giant to investigate the incident and make recommendations about potential improvements to Medibanks IT processes and systems. In a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) on April 28, Medibank said it had received the review findings and it planned to implement all recommendations. The company did not outline details of the recommendations. A spokeswoman for Medibank told AAP the review would not be made public as it contained confidential and sensitive information about cyber security measures. We dont think its in the interests of our customers or the broader Australian community to publicly release their findings given the security risks this would pose, not only to Medibank but other Australian businesses, the Medibank spokeswoman said. Data stolen by the hackers included names, phone numbers, Medicare numbers and sensitive health information. Medibank chairman Mike Wilkins said the company was focused on making sure customers had the security they expected and deserved. The board will continue to oversee the completion of steps to implement the recommendations to enhance systems and processes even further, Wilkins said. Medibank shareholders and customers launched separate class actions following the hack. Judge authors 3-volume work on the Founders views of religion Mark Boonstra has been on the cutting edge to witness the social and moral decline of America. After practicing private law for nearly three decades, he has sat on Michigans 3rd District Court of Appeals for the past decade. His adherence to the letter of the law and his disdain for judicial activism has drawn the ire of the Left. His appreciation for textualism, commonly referred to as constitutional originalism, has led him to place his needle within the social fabric of American society in hopes of sewing back some of its tears. Boonstra diligently spent eight years working on his In Their Own Words multi-volume project, which presents the beliefs and ideas from all 118 signers of Americas three foundational documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. His third and final volume was released late last year. It was indeed a massive undertaking, but according to Boonstra, the work was more than worth it if it can help right the ship of state back on course toward what the Founding Fathers had intended for the republic. Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, 1940, by Howard Chandler Christy. (Public Domain) I think the country is in trouble and its been increasingly in trouble for a long time. Its what compelled me to write the book, he said during an interview on The Sons of History podcast. Our Founding Fathers must be rolling over in their graves looking at what weve done to the country they gave to us. A Return to the Founding Principles His goal is simply to refresh the American mind concerning the founding principles. The founders believed corporately on the need for a virtuous nation, and, as Boonstra tries to demonstrate in his books, that virtue stems from religion. Religion was fundamental. The belief in a supreme being and the need for His guidance and direction was fundamental to the founding of this country, he said. It was the essence of why they came here and why they founded this country. Were becoming secularized in every aspect of our society. I think they would be aghast. He believes that religion has been completely undermined in the United States, even to the point that it is held in contempt by much of the general public, along with local, state and federal governments. A notion that has driven this narrative is what he believes to be a misinterpretation of the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment, commonly referred to as the separation of church and state clause. Boonstra noted that the Establishment Clause was absolutely necessary when the founders began forming the republic. Colonists had come to the New World to escape religious tyranny via an established church. Most of the colonies, however, still had established churches. A lot of them brought over what they came from, such as Massachusetts was established as a Congregationalist colony, Virginia was Anglican. They were taxed to support a particular church, he explained. The founders agreed that they wanted freedom of religion. They believed they should promote religion. Most of them were Protestant Christians of various denominations. Some wanted to restrict it to that, but ultimately it was agreed there would be no established church. They would allow all religions and everyone would be able to exercise their religion as they see fit. A Misconstrued Phrase Since the phrase separation of church and state is not in the Constitution, but is rather a reference to the spirit of the law in a letter from Thomas Jefferson responding to ministers of the Danbury Baptist Association, it apparently has allowed for some people, from politicians to political commentators to professors to the average citizen, to misconstrue the spirit of that law. Today we say separation of church and state and we make it appear antagonistic, but it wasnt at all, Boonstra said. When Jefferson wrote that, it was because Baptists had been persecuted in certain colonies, including his colony of Virginia, and they wanted assurance that they would be able to practice as they wished. He said, Absolutely. There would be a wall of separation. What he was not trying to sayif you look at the context and his wordswas that we need to protect the government and society from religion, but that we need to protect the churches from government interference so that everyone is free to worship as they see fit. Thats what the wall of separation was intended to be. The wall of separation is important, but Boonstra emphasized how important religion within a society was to the founders. He said the reason the founders believed freedom of religion was essential to the founding of the republic was because they believed that personal liberty came from God. Freedom of religion was the freedom to decide for themselves about what they believed and about how to worship. Without that freedom and without religion in general, the societal structure would fall apart. The founders believed freedom of religion was essential to the founding of the republic was because they believed that personal liberty came from God. (founders own words) Religion to Move Forward So many of them talked about how the government and our society was founded on virtue and morality; and what was the underpinning of morality? It was religion, he said. They were very much Christianalmost to a person in varying degreesand believed fundamentally in a supreme being and that our government and society needed to rely on that to move forward. His books are testaments to the founders belief in religion as an absolute necessity. They are full of short biographies and excerpts from letters and documents referring to virtue, morality, and religion. One of the more notable references Boonstra quotes comes from the Father of Our Country [based on podcast interview], George Washington, during his farewell address, in which he stated that Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Samuel Adams believed that religion and public liberty are connected. Samuel Adams, 1772, by John Singleton Copley. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. (Public Domain) As a legal scholar who has practiced the law in some form or other, from law clerk to attorney to judge, Boonstra has witnessed personally the moral degradation within society and within governments. He referenced Samuel Adams on the idea that religion and public liberty are connected and how they rise and fall together. For this reason, it is always observable, that those who are combined to destroy the peoples liberties, practice every art to poison their morals. I think thats a lot of what you see going on in our country today. Were poisoning the morals and were undermining the fundamental underpinnings of our society, he said in the podcast interview, and then warning further: I think were at a crossroads. I think we are in danger of losing our country, if its not late already to save it. Its time for people to stand up and say, Were not going to let you do this to our country. Military Commander Threatens Legal Action Over Union Picketing at Kingston Base Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada watch a performance as they picket outside Place du Portage in Gatineau, Que., on April 28, 2023. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press) The commander of a military base has issued a warning to one of the largest components of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) to cease all blockade activities at his base immediately or face legal action. In a letter to the Union of National Defence Employees (UNDE) Local 00641, Colonel Sonny Hatton of the Canadian Forces Base Kingston in Ontario told its president, Chris Snooks, that striking bureaucrats who block access to the military base must stop their illegal picketing activities right away. We respectfully ask that you take the appropriate measures to ensure that all unlawful picketing activities cease immediately, said the letter dated April 28. If they continue, we will have no other option but to pursue available legal options without further notice. Hundreds of striking PSAC members blocked gates to CFB Kingston on April 26 amid a bargaining stalemate. A spokesperson told The Epoch Times at the time that the blockades impacted the day-to-day function at the base, and delayed operational and emergency traffic. According to the letter, UNDE Local 00641, which represents employees from the Department of National Defence (DND) in Kingston, has been communicating with Hatton. Offences Hatton said while he respects the unions right to strike, it has to abide by the law and respect the Essential Services Agreement that was signed between PSAC and the Treasury Board. Picket Captains and their fellow picketers have prevented CAF [Canadian Armed Forces] members, employees occupying essential, excluded, and unrepresented positions, as well as other personnel, from entering CFB Kingston, he wrote. Furthermore, there are approximately 3500 CAF members and their families who are being denied free unobstructed movement to and from their residences at CFB Kingston. The commander said picketers have sealed off at least four entrances to the base, including the Royal Military College Gate, McNaughton Gate, Vimy Gate South, and Vimy Gate North Gate. He warned of possible charges should the involved public servants keep up with the blockades. Blocking access to premises, obstructing the public or employees from entering or leaving premises, and significantly delaying vehicles (5-15 minutes total delay is seen as excessive) may constitute various offences under the Criminal Code and may also render the employees involved liable to administrative and disciplinary action, as well as other measures. The letter said that these employees do not have the right to strike under the Federal Public Service Sector Labour Relations Act and are expected to report to work, though Hatton did not elaborate on which clauses in the act would prohibit their participation. The commander did acknowledge that DND employees represented by PSAC as of April 12 have been in a legal position, and that majority of locations across the country have been lawfully picketed. PSAC did not respond to a request for comment by publication time. Comprehensive Offer The blockade at the military base came shortly after PSAC President Chris Aylward warned on April 24 that the union would move its picket lines to strategic locations in order to cause greater disruption to the federal government. That same day, striking workers briefly blocked the Port of Montreal in Quebec, the Port of Vancouver in British Columbia, and the Port of St. Johns in Newfoundland and Labrador. The next day on April 25, workers in Ottawa temporarily blocked access to the Prime Ministers Office building and the Treasury Board headquarters, while another group blocked vehicles on a bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau, Quebec, where many federal buildings are located. The union is asking for a 13.5 percent pay raise spread out over three years, while the Liberal government has offered a 9 percent raise over the same perioda move the Treasury Board said will add an average salary increase of $6,250 to employees. In the afternoon of April 28, the federal government tabled a new contract offer to PSAC. The press secretary for Treasury Board President Mona Fortier called it a comprehensive offer but provided no further details. In a series of tweets, the PSAC confirmed receiving the offer as talks resumed Friday. We hope to continue bargaining this weekend in order to reach a fair deal for our 120,000 federal public service members, the union said. Talks are also ongoing for our 35,000 members at Canada Revenue Agency. Well be providing no other details at this time. Matthew Horwood and The Canadian Press contributed to this report. SYDNEY, AustraliaApril 27 was a special day for Simran Gulati, a film and television actress based in Australia, as her soul was awakened after attending the opening performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sydney Lyric Theatre. Apart from being involved in the film industry, Mrs. Gulati is also a model and social media influencer. She was the winner of Mrs. India Global 2018 and the first runner-up of Mrs. India Australia 2016. Going through a two-hour journey, the actress was speechless by the beauty and rich cultural experience of Shen Yun. My soul is awakened, and thats what Shen Yuns all about. Its the divine beauty celebrated in the cultural form, and its just so beautiful, Mrs. Gulati said. Coming from an Indian background, Mrs. Gulati found many similarities in Chinese culture. Its very similar in so many ways: so delicate, so [elegant], so divine, Mrs. Gulati said. Its all about going into the gods and how we, as humans, get so enriched with it. I think thats where I feel like my soul is awakened. It takes you back to your root where youre from. Shen Yuns mission is to revive 5,000 years of Chinese culture, which has almost been destroyed since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) came into power in 1949. Mrs. Gulati believed Shen Yun well depicted a China before communism through the colours on the stage, the dancers elegance, and the musicians effort. Its a great example of how nicely this is articulated to show the rich Chinese [culture], she said. The actress noted that Shen Yun was able to connect the modern world with the past, which she said was important as many things had been lost in the current era of social media. One aspect of Shen Yun that impressed Mrs. Gulati was the performers ability to create beautiful performances from small, simple things. The actress referred to a performance in which Shen Yun artists danced with chopsticks, which she found amazing as she had only seen people use them for eating. Mrs. Gulati also praised Shen Yun for its efforts in preserving the Chinese culture. I think its a great job by Shen Yun and the whole team for doing this for 16 years and keeping the Chinese culture alive, she said. At the same time, Mrs. Gulati said she felt heartbroken when learning that Shen Yun was banned in China despite representing authentic Chinese culture. I think thats a very sad thing on its own. Shen Yun has been doing this for [preserving] the heritage in China, and you cant actually show this in China. Its really heart-breaking, she said. As such, Mrs. Gulati strongly believed that Shen Yun should be able to perform in China without interference from the communist regime. Reporting by NTD and Alfred Bui. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. Nebraska Democrat Faces Ethics Investigation After Hiding Key Information in Transgender Vote Demonstrators listen to the speaking program during an "Our Bodies, Our Sports" rally for the 50th anniversary of Title IX at Freedom Plaza in Washington on June 23, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Nebraska state Sen. Megan Hunt, a Democrat, is facing an ethics investigation after a complaint was filed on Wednesday, accusing the senator of a conflict of interest after she voted against a bill that would ban gender-affirming health care for minors. The complaint, filed Wednesday by Omaha lawyer David Begley, alleges Hunt could benefit financially from the failure of the Let Them Grow Act, a measure that would bar health care providers from administering gender-affirming medical care to transgender patients younger than 19, the bill states. Hunt has a young child who is transgender and read Begleys complaint out loud during the session on Wednesday to her legislative colleagues. Sen. Hunt and her minor child have a slightly more than average [chance] of obtaining medical coverage for the childs gender transition medical services via a lawsuit if LB574 does not become law. If LB574 does not become law, then Sen. Hunts immediate family member could receive a financial benefit with Medicaid paying for the medical services necessary to transition genders. Begley wrote in the complaint, a portion of which was read aloud by Hunt during Wednesdays floor session. Sen. Hunt has the burden of proving that she is exempt from the provisions of Nebraska Statute 49-1499 because LB547 would apply to a broad segment of the public. Hunt acknowledged Begleys complaint and response to the looming investigation on Twitter. Today I was informed that because of a complaint filed by David Begley, I am under official investigation for a conflict of interest, Hunt said in a Twitter post. In February, Hunt advocated for supporting gender-affirming care for trans children. LB 574, a bill that would prohibit healthcare providers from providing gender-affirming care to children, will be heard in the Health and Human Services Committee on February 8, Hunt said in a statement. Childrens Hospital, an organization that has previously been so vocal in supporting LGBTQIA+ kids, has decided to take no position on the bill. Please consider signing and sharing this letter asking Children to stand up for trans kids on February 8 and always! According to data compiled by the Associated Press, 14 states ban gender-affirming care as of March 30, 2023, including Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. Neil the Seal Relocated From Australian State Beach A supplied image obtained on April 26, 2023, of Tasmania's only known resident elephant seal at Kingston Beach, Hobart, Australia. (AAP Image/Supplied by Marine Conservation Program-NRE Tas) Tasmanias only known resident elephant seal has been evicted from a popular beach after taking up residence ashore. Known affectionately as Neil, the three-tonne seal surprised locals during the week with a visit to Kingston Beach in Hobart. Conservationists, wildlife biologists and a veterinarian moved the seal to a more secluded location to ensure his safety on April 28. Locals were asked to keep their distance until the juvenile southern elephant seal made its way back to sea. Sadly, some people have not taken this advice and have continued to gather close to the seal, dogs have been brought to the area, and the department received reports of people harassing the seal, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania said in a statement on April 28. Wildlife officials said they had relocated Neil to a safer location in the southeast. Marine Conservation Program wildlife biologist Sam Thalmann said it was important the seal did not become used to human behaviours. Neil is Tasmanias only resident elephant seal and will grow to four to five metres in length and about 3500 kg in weight, Thalmann said. Thats a very large animal and potentially dangerous if provoked. We want to see Neil reach adulthood and beyond safely so its critical he doesnt get used to being near humans. Neils arrival was a back-to-school surprise for local Meg Garvey and her family on April 25 morning. At first I thought it was a really large rock, then I saw the people gathered around and realised thats a really large seal, Garvey told AAP. He must have gone up the disability ramp, cruised up from the beach and then gone to sleep, Garvey said of the seals journey across the busy Osborne Esplanade. The kids were getting ready for their first day back at school. I yelled at them to come down and take a look. Neil is no stranger to public visits, making multiple trips along Tasmanias southeast coast since his birth in 2020. He doesnt seem very perturbed by people or dogs, Garvey said. I hope he stays around. New California Gold Rush Coming as Record Snowpack Melts Tourists are seen panning gold during a tour with the California Gold Panning. (Courtesy of Nick Prebalick) Gold isnt raining from the sky in California, but it might be flooding into the rivers by summer. Nugget Nick Prebalick expects the melting of the record snowpack in northern California to deposit even more gold in Woods Creek in Tuolumne County, where he shares a claim with his father and son near Jamestown. The family has been offering tours to those who want to experience gold mining and learn about the history of the California Gold Rush. Im already finding more gold, Prebalick told The Epoch Times. Ive been finding gold every tour. The Prebalicks, who own California Gold Panning, usually find about an ounce of gold a day when they take guests to pan for nuggets on their claim. The most that he and his father have found was 127 ounces in one day. (L-R) Nick Prebalick, Nathania Prebalick, and prospector Terry Prebalick of California Gold Panning. (Courtesy of Nick Prebalick) As this years snow melts from the Sierra Nevada and other mountains, the runoff will wash away silt and deposit more gold in rivers and streams, prompting some to predict a modern-day gold rush this summer. Californias first gold rush in 1848 brought fortune seekers from all over the world. More than 300,000 came to the territory, and gold was worth $20.67 per ounce, according to the National Museum of American History. Today, each ounce is worth about $2,000. I think this summer. Im going to be swamped, he said. Well probably get 10 groups a day. Mark Keene, who owns the mining equipment company Keene Engineering in Chatsworthabout 30 miles northwest of the city of Los Angeleswith his brother, told The Epoch Times he also anticipates a big increase in gold mining activities when the snow starts to melt. In my lifetime, I dont remember this much snowpack in the mountains, Keene said, adding that he expects to see a superflood. Keene sells gold pans, sluice boxes, and other tools used by amateurs and professionals alike. When you have a catastrophic flood like that, all the riverbanks and the mountainsides wash down in the river and you see a lot of gold, he said. It could be one of the best years in decades for mining. Tourists are seen panning gold during a tour with the California Gold Panning. (Courtesy of Nick Prebalick) Keene and his family have a secret mining spot that they visit on the weekends, he said. Its not always about the gold, he said. Its about the journey and the adventure of it, too. First-timers need to know the rules before heading out to look for treasures, though, said Dickey Melton, manager of The New 49ers Prospecting Association, a gold mining club based about 20 south of the Oregon border in Happy Camp, California. What we have now is a whole bunch of hand miners, Melton said, as state law prohibits any type of mining other than panning, sluice boxes, or shovels. Even with restrictions, many people come out to the clubs 63 claims on 83 miles on the Klamath River, which flows more than 250 miles through Oregon and northern California. We get people from all over the world who come here, Melton said. Right now, all of that snow is melting, and the rivers are running really high. Were seeing some hand miners coming in with some pretty good gold. Gold flakes are found in the Klamath River. (Courtesy of the New 49ers Prospecting Association) The most popular gold panning area in Southern California is near the east fork of the San Gabriel River in Los Angeles County, according to Ken Maltby, a longtime prospector and state director of the Gold Prospectors Association of America. Its finally starting to warm up to where we can get out and go prospecting, Maltby told The Epoch Times. Maltby favors a dry washing technique, sifting dirt to look for gold. But others who prefer panning for gold in rivers and streams should see more gold washed into areas that have already been mined, he said. A lot of these places have been worked over pretty good, so hopefully, it will bring a lot more gold into the spring beds, Maltby said. The prospectors suggested people join clubs before heading out to look for gold. With state rules and restrictions, its easier to pan for gold on private claims owned by several clubs throughout the state. Theres a lot of clubs out there that dont cost anything to join, like the Hemet Valley Prospectors, Maltby said. There are no dues, and we welcome families. And if they dont know anything about it, well actually teach them. The Klamath River is seen in a file photo. (Courtesy of the New 49ers Prospecting Association) Prospectors are being encouraged to wait until the warmer weather comes before panning for gold at the South Yuba River and Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, northeast of Sacramento, State Parks Peace Officer supervisor Sgt. Ryan Randar told The Epoch Times. We still have really high flows, Randar said. Were not allowed to keep people out of the river but were encouraging them to stay out. The South Yuba River is a popular and legal state-owned area for gold panning, but people can only use a pan or their hands, he said. The park offers demonstrations every summer after Memorial Day weekend. Runoff from the massive Sierra Nevada snowpack is already threatening to flood Yosemite, the states most famous national park. It is very likely that the Merced River will reach flood stage off and on from late April through early July, federal park officials said in a statement updated on April 27. Park officials reported the snowpack at Tuolumne Meadows, located in the eastern section of Yosemite National Park, reached 15 feet deep on April 1. That broke a record from 1983. Key Insights Institutions' substantial holdings in Biglari Holdings implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price 66% of the company is held by a single shareholder (Biglari Capital LLC) Using data from company's past performance alongside ownership research, one can better assess the future performance of a company Every investor in Biglari Holdings Inc. (NYSE:BH.A) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. We can see that hedge funds own the lion's share in the company with 66% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk). Since hedge funds have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. Therefore, a good portion of institutional money invested in the company is usually a huge vote of confidence on its future. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Biglari Holdings, beginning with the chart below. See our latest analysis for Biglari Holdings What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Biglari Holdings? 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 Biglari Holdings. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Biglari Holdings' historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. It looks like hedge funds own 66% of Biglari Holdings shares. That catches my attention because hedge funds sometimes try to influence management, or bring about changes that will create near term value for shareholders. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Biglari Capital LLC with 66% of shares outstanding. This implies that they have majority interest control of the future of the company. With 3.5% and 2.5% of the shares outstanding respectively, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP and GAMCO Investors, Inc. are the second and third largest shareholders. Story continues While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. Our information suggests that there isn't any analyst coverage of the stock, so it is probably little known. Insider Ownership Of Biglari Holdings While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. Our information suggests that Biglari Holdings Inc. insiders own under 1% of the company. It has a market capitalization of just US$537m, and the board has only US$2.3m worth of shares in their own names. Many investors in smaller companies prefer to see the board more heavily invested. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership With a 18% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Biglari Holdings. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders. Next Steps: 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 1 warning sign for Biglari Holdings that you should be aware of before investing here. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Nuclear Sharing Not Part of Washington Declaration With South Korea: US Official South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and U.S. President Joe Biden (R) shake hands at an event at the White House in Washington on April 26, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) The agreement between the United States and South Korea to strengthen U.S. extended deterrence does not constitute a de facto nuclear sharing between the two allies, a White House official said. I dont think that we see this as a de facto nuclear sharing, Edgard Kagan, special assistant to the president and senior director for East Asia and Oceania of the National Security Council, said Thursday. I think that we see this as a very significant strengthening of the partnership and the alliance between the ROK and the United States, he added, referring to South Koreas official name, the Republic of Korea, Yonhap News Agency reported. Kagan was commenting on remarks made by Kim Tae-hyo, South Koreas deputy national security adviser, that the accord would make South Koreans feel that they are sharing nuclear weapons with the United States. The accord, dubbed the Washington Declaration, states that the United States will make every effort to consult with South Korea on any possible nuclear weapons employment on the Korean Peninsula. The two allies pledged to form a new Nuclear Consultative Group to strengthen extended deterrence, discuss nuclear and strategic planning, and manage the threat to the nonproliferation regime posed by North Korea. However, Kagan rejected the idea that the declaration amounted to nuclear sharing akin to that of the United States and NATO members and emphasized that the term nuclear sharing carries significant implications. I think weve also made clear that we are working as partners, that this is an area where, obviously, there are significant differences between the United States and the ROK, in terms of the U.S. being a nuclear state under the [Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty], he said. But we believe that theres tremendous room to do more together, and we look forward to doing that, the U.S. official added. South Korea, which abandoned its nuclear weapons development program in the 1960s, joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1975. But increasingly, South Koreans prefer that the nation build its own nuclear arsenal. According to a 2022 poll, 71 percent of South Koreans backed the development of a domestic nuclear weapons program. Earlier this year, Yoon said the U.S. strategy of providing a nuclear umbrella or extended deterrence to South Korea is not reassuring enough to guarantee public safety now that North Korea has developed its own nuclear weapons. Biden Warns North Korea Against Nuclear Attack Speaking at a joint press conference on April 26, Biden said the United States would deploy nuclear-capable systems to the Korean Peninsula but would not be stationing nuclear weapons. U.S. President Joe Biden (R) and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol walk on the colonnade as they make their way to a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House, on April 26, 2023. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Were not going to be stationing nuclear weapons on the [Korean] Peninsula, but we will have port visits of nuclear submarines and things like that, he said. Under the extended deterrence doctrine, there will be increased port visits of U.S. Navy 7th Fleet boomerslarge submarines that carry nuclear submarine-launched ballistic missilesfor the first time in four decades, U.S. Air Force rotational deployments of strategic bombers, combined operations between South Korean conventional forces and U.S. strategic units, and presidential-level consultations in a newly created nuclear consultative group. Biden warned that any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies is unacceptable and will result in the end of whatever regime. North Korea conducted a series of missile launches this year, including one involving a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-18, all of which are banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Koreas missile program. John Haughey contributed to this report. It was well past midnight when frenzied crew members of two wooden vessels abandoned ship. The Ironton and Ohio had collided north of Presque Isle Lighthouse up on Lake Huron, leaving a gaping 12-foot gash in Ohios hull. Ironton sustained a hole in her port bow and a splintered stem for having struck Ohio on her quarter, aft her boiler house, according to one survivor. Above the chaos on the water, it was a clear September night in 1894. Heavily laden with cargo, both ships were sinkingand fast. The crews knew it. All those on the Ohio got in lifeboats, yet only two of Irontons seven crewmembers survived. They clung to wreckage amid the frigid lake waters, until nearby ships got them. Fatefully, the other five had gotten in a lifeboat but, in their haste, had forgotten to untie the painterthe line connecting them to the mother vesseland all were plunged, along with the ship, into a dark, watery grave. With depths of around 300 feet, no humans would lay eyes on Ironton for well over a century, until the advent of autonomous mapping vehicles finally saw the shipwrecks discovery. It was the self-driving, diesel-powered, 12-foot boat BENBathymetric Explorer and Navigatorin 2019 that enabled research teams to locate Ironton after a previous search fell short. That one was in 2017; Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and partners had surveyed a 100-square-mile unmapped section of Lake Huron and had managed to locate the Ohio, yet Irontons final resting place remained a mystery. Location of NOAAs Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron in the vicinity of where Ironton sank. (Courtesy of NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary) Autonomous surface vessel BEN pictured in the Rogers City Marina. (Courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust/NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary); (Inset) Researchers from the University of New Hampshires Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping operate ASV BEN from the mobile lab in Rogers City, Michigan. (Courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust/NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary). In 2019, the Marine Sanctuary teamed up with Ocean Exploration Trustheaded by Dr. Robert Ballard, who famously explored the shipwrecked Titanic in 1985and together they expanded on the quest for Ironton. Now armed with the Ohios location plus new info related to the weather and conditions of that fateful night, they deployed BEN along with Remote Vehicle Storm to work in tandem mapping the lake bed. After surveying a large section, as the last days of the search drew near, still the ship remained at large. Expanding the search area, their persistence was rewarded when, through sonar digital imaging, they feasted their eyes on the unmistakable suggestion of a shipwreck that matched Irontons specifications to a tee. The 191-foot steamer sailboat had settled perfectly upright, her three masts jutting vertically skyward, while Lake Hurons cold, fresh waters had preserved Ironton as if frozen in time, a March press release stated. Although the wrecks identity seemed beyond certain, more effort was needed to remove all doubt. A sonar image of Ironton. (Courtesy of NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary) Image of the schooner barge Ironton as she sits on the lake floor today. This image is a point cloud extracted from water column returns from multibeam sonar. (Courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust/NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary) In her day, Ironton was one of numerous wooden schooner barges that once traversed the Great Lakes in the late 19th century. These were the workhorses of the regions wheat, coal, corn, lumber, and iron ore trades of the day. Employing the consort system, steamers towed one or several such schooner barges, allowing companies to ship greater volumes of cargo throughout the Great Lakes at lower cost. They were the steam-powered shipping precursors to the mechanized transportation systems of today, bridging the gap between wind- and fuel-powered industry. Schooner barges were either converted sailing vessels or were purpose-built for the task, as their being equipped with sails helped save on fuel for the vessels that towed them. Ironton was built as a towed schooner barge by the Niagara River Transportation Company in 1873. On September 26, 1894, alongside barge Moonlight, Ironton was in tow behind 190-foot steamer Charles J. Kershaw up what fatefully came to be called shipwreck alley, for its treacherous waters that have claimed the lives of so many sailors. Heading northbound under clear skies at 12:30 a.m., Kershaws engines failed, leaving her without power while a strong southerly wind sent both barges closing in dangerously. A historic image of the schooner barge Lizzie A. Law, built in 1875 and of similar construction to Ironton. (Courtesy of Thunder Bay Sanctuary Research Collection) (Left) A news headline from Grand Rapids Press, dated September 26, 1894. (Courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust/NOAA); (Right) A news headline from Grand Rapids Press, dated September 26, 1894. (Courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust/NOAA) Kershaws crew had to cut the tow lines to prevent entanglement or, worse, collision, releasing both Moonlight and Ironton adrift in darkness, at the mercy of Hurons wind-blown seas. Struggling to gain control, Irontons captain, Peter Girard, tried to set the sails but, despite his efforts, she was driven off course by strong winds from astern. Ironton headed straight into the path of the 203-foot wooden freighter Ohio, en route from Duluth, Minnesota, to Ogdensburg, New York, carrying 1,000 tons of grain, and couldnt avoid a collisionby the time Irontons crew saw her, it was too late. One of Irontons two survivors, William Wooley of Cleveland, Ohio, would recount to Duluth News Tribune: At this time we sighted a steamer on our starboard bow. She came up across our bow and we struck her on the quarter about aft of the boiler house. A light was lowered over our bow and we saw a hole in our port bow and our stem splintered. Heavily laden with cargo, the Ohio sank rapidly. Ironton followed suit but drifted for about an hour and was well out of sight from responding ships before she met her fate. While all 16 crewmembers of the Ohio were rescued by nearby vessels, only two of Irontons sailors lived. They were found clinging to wreckage and rescued amid cold wind and waves from Lake Huron. An anchor rests on the bow of sunken schooner barge Ironton, lost in a collision in 1894. Today the vessel sits upright and remains intact with all three masts still standing. (Courtesy of NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Undersea Vehicles Program UNCW, Ocean Exploration Trust) The wooden bowsprit of Ironton testifies to the preservation of the cold, fresh waters of the Great Lakes. (Courtesy of NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Undersea Vehicles Program UNCW, Ocean Exploration Trust) A lifeboat rests near Irontons stern. (Courtesy of NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Undersea Vehicles Program UNCW, Ocean Exploration Trust) As for the five who sank with the ship due to a lifeboat mishap, survivor William W. Parry of East China, Michigan, told the newspaper: Then the Ironton sank, taking the yawl with her. As the painter was not untied, I sank underwater, and when I came up grabbed a sailors bag. Wooley was a short distance from me on a box. I swam to where he was. So it was, that Ironton rested in peace for a century and some decades. Contemporary reports described the general location where she sank, yet only recently was she found. Only in the spring of 2021 was her identity demystifiedbeyond any doubtwhen the Marine Sanctuary teamed up with the Great Lakes Water Studies Institute, deployed an underwater robot (ROV), and obtained visual confirmation. With excitement, they watched as footage from the ROV streamed inIronton was found! In June 2021, the Marine Sanctuary and Ocean Exploration Trust returned to the wreck to conduct further investigation. ROV exploration continued andwith assistance from the University of North Carolinas Undersea Vehicle program and the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mobile Baythey obtained high-resolution video revealing the ships condition. Preserved by Lake Hurons cold, fresh waters, Ironton looks almost seaworthy today. The Ironton exploration team. (Courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust/NOAA) Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Oklahoma Passes Bill Banning Sex Change Surgeries for Children Oklahomas Republican-majority Legislature has passed a bill banning health care providers from performing transgender procedures or providing gender-altering medication to minors. Senate Bill 613 was introduced by Republican state Sen. Julie Daniels and passed Thursday by a 388 vote. The bill will now go to Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is expected to sign it. The Republican governor called on lawmakers during his State of the State address in February to deliver a bill to his desk that bans all gender transition surgeries and hormone therapies for minors. We must protect our most vulnerableour children, Stitt told the address. We shouldnt allow a minor to get a permanent gender-altering surgery in Oklahoma. Thats why I am calling on the Legislature to send me a bill that bans all gender transition surgeries and hormone therapies on minors in the state! he added, receiving a standing ovation. Under the bill (pdf), health care providers would be banned from performing any surgical procedure that alters or removes physical or anatomical characteristics of children relating to their sex. Doctors are also prohibited from prescribing gender-altering medication for people under 18, such as puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones. Any health professional who violates the act faces hefty penalties, including potential felony charges carrying up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine, as well as revocation of their medical license for a period of not less than one year. The bill would not prohibit health care services or mental health counseling for gender dysphoria. It also would not ban medications for depression and anxiety or stop providing assistance if an individual is born with ambiguous genitalia, incomplete genitalia, or both male and female anatomy. Daniels said in a statement that the measure is about delaying minors from making permanent and irreversible decisions that can lead to a host of medical problems later in life. Being transgender, gender non-conforming, or experiencing gender dysphoria is very real, but these are mental, not physical conditions. Children need behavioral and mental health treatment to give them the opportunity to resolve these issues, Daniels said. Once they reach 18, they may not wish to seek more drastic treatment, but at least they will have reached some level of maturity to make a more informed decision. Opponents Respond The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Americas largest LGBTQ advocacy group, denounced state lawmakers for passing the amended version of the bill Thursday, calling on Stitt to veto the legislation. SB 613 is a discriminatory, unnecessary, and cruelly targeted bill, HRC legal director Sarah Warbelow said in a statement. Theyre attacking transgender youth in Oklahoma and anyone that supports them. Time and time again, the data and evidence have shown gender-affirming care is best practice care that is always delivered in an age-appropriate manner in consultation with parents, doctors, and medical experts. The bill was also criticized by Democrats, with Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd saying the Legislature is inserting itself into a decision that should be left up to parents. Where do we stop? Floyd asked, according to Tulsa World. What other medical conditions are we going to interject [sic] the Legislature and lawmakers into? Sen. Carri Hicks, also a Democrat, said that gender-affirming care is life-saving carereferring to a term often used by President Joe Biden, who has openly denounced states efforts to outlaw life-changing sex procedures on children. Hicks said parents would do anything to help their children, adding that she believes lawmakers should not take away that opportunity. The development was announced a day before Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill into law Friday restricting transgender procedures for minors. Last month, states like Tennessee, Georgia, and Mississippi signed similar measures banning transgender medical procedures for children. In a statement, Gianfortes press secretary Kaitlin Price said that the governor is committed to protecting Montana children from invasive medical treatments that can permanently alter their healthy, developing bodies. From NTD News New Operator Hopes to Re-Vamp Once Popular Fried Chicken Chain in China A 200-meter-long queue, 8-hour-wait-time, just for a Popeyes fried chicken, a Chinese news outlet described the huge fanfare at Popeyes flagship store in Shanghai on its opening day. Three years later, the once-sizzling brand has shuttered all its stores in China. TH International announced in February that it will take over the operation of the fried chicken chain in China. Shares of the corporation, which owns donut and coffee giant Tim Hortons, rose dramatically after the news broke. However, it remains to be seen whether Tims China can breathe new life into the chain, says an expert. Unexpected Headwinds Popeyes, an American multinational fast food and fried chicken brand with about 4,000 stores worldwide, encountered strong headwinds in China in recent years. After failing to meet expectations, the chain discontinued all store operations in the country. Lu Yuanxing, a U.S.-based political and economic analyst and former marketing executive said the failure of Popeyes stores in China was due to two reasons. First, Popeyes caught up with the timing of the epidemic in China, and the Shanghai city lockdown had a huge impact on it, Lu told The Epoch Times on April 26. Pedestrians in the Huangpu district in Shanghai on December 21, 2022. (Photo by Hector Retamal / AFP via Getty Images) After the outbreak of COVID-19, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)s harsh zero-COVID policies, combined with urban lockdowns and disruptions in social activity, brought about an overall decline in the national economy. The second is that Chinas economic downturn [exceeded] many peoples expectations after the lifting of the curbs. People had been expecting a rebound and recovery in spending, but that did not happen. In December 2022, China eased pandemic restrictions and the virus exploded. With consumers buying power shrinking further, the Chinese became frustrated with the countrys economic outlook. Now, the Chinese economy is in a state of depression and contraction, Lu said. A Sizzling Start Popeyes flagship Chinese store debuted on bustling Huaihai Zhong Road in Shanghai, on May 15, 2020. Turkish company TAB Foods Investments, the Chinese partner of Popeyes owner Restaurant Brands International, hoped to copy the success of rival KFC, which had thousands of locations in China. Popeyes future looked positive despite the burgeoning pandemic. According to a report by Chinese state media National Business Daily, people lined up as early as 5 a.m. for a taste of the brands signature Louisiana recipe. Customers stood for up to eight hours in a line that stretched for blocks. The remarkable opening-day success became an industry case study in the food and beverage field. COVID-19 Slows Popeyes Growth With a vision of business prosperity in China, TFI set a goal to open 1,500 stores in the country within ten years. But over the next two years, due to the pandemic, Popeyes was unable to achieve a large-scale expansion, merely opening nine stores in Shanghai and the neighboring provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. In August of 2022, as Chinese local authorities maintained strict zero-COVID measures, TFI shut down seven stores. Its remaining two stores closed their doors in March and April of 2023, respectively. This is not the first time Popeyes has suffered a setback in China. As early as 1999, Popeyes opened a store in Beijing under the Chinese name Pai Pai Si. At one point, the brand planned to open 50 new stores in Beijing within two years and expand to the northeastern provinces. However, in 2003 Popeyes announced the closure of its stores and its withdrawal from China. Spending Slumps Before the epidemic, Popeyes was popular when it opened stores in Shanghai, said Lu, adding that Shanghai residents, especially the white-collar and high-income class, were able to afford Popeyes prices, which were mid-to-high end for fast food. But unfortunately, the epidemic and the subsequent economic decline made this pricing [model] unsuccessful, Lu said. The CCPs strict prevention and control policies in response to the epidemic heavily impacted the Chinese economy. A man looks on from a shop in a locked-down neighborhood as a worker erects fencing in Shanghais Changning district, on October 7, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) Almost two years after Popeyes flagship store opened in Shanghai, the city was suffering under a prolonged city-wide lockdown due to COVID-19. Chinas economic and financial center and home to 25 million people, the city took a huge hit from the two-month-long lockdown. It is estimated that Shanghai lost at least 27.7 billion yuan (about $4 billion) in one month of the city lockdown, according to a report in the Chinese language of The Epoch Times on April 28, 2022. Even after lockdowns were lifted, businesses continued to feel their effects. It [was] difficult for a brand like Popeyes to succeed with the previous prices, Lu said, adding that even after zero-COVID measures were lifted, the Chinese spent cautiously: They are squeezing their spending, saving money, preparing for unpredictable risks, and have no confidence in the future. Hoping for a Comeback On March 30, Popeyes closed a deal with TH International Limited (Tims China), which acquired the exclusive rights to develop and sub-franchise the Popeyes brand in China and Macau. Tims already operates the Tim Hortons donut and coffee chain in China. Tims China is currently repositioning the brand, menu, and store layout and plans to relaunch the Popeyes brand in the second half of this year, according to the Chinese news portal Sina on April 24. Whether the third time is the charm for Popeyes in China remains to be seen, Lu said. Its good if the new agent can fix a lower price, but if it keeps the same positioning, I think its still hard to succeed. Popeyes is a household fast-food name in the United States. For most Chinese, however, it is seen as a medium to high-price brand, and quite different from what the Chinese masses can often afford to spend for now. Ottawa Detective Helen Gruss Lawyer Requests Copies of Autopsy Reports for Infants Who Died Suddenly The lawyer for Helen Grus, an Ottawa Police detective who is being charged with disorderly conduct for investigating the vaccination status of the mothers of deceased infants, requested copies of the coroners autopsy reports in order to clarify the charge against her. We are in a position here where Im unsure of the exact elements and what it is that she has done that is unlawful. There are a number of pieces of evidence that havent been provided, and the evidence that has been provided, as far as the anticipated witness statements, is lacking, defence lawyer Bath-Sheba van den Berg said during a proceeding held in Kanata, Ontario, on Friday. Grus, a detective with the OPS sexual assault and child abuse unit investigating child abuse and neglect, faces a charge of discreditable conduct for allegedly conducting an unauthorized project between June 2020 and January 2022 when she probed into the sudden deaths of nine children. Grus allegedly accessed Ottawa police files and then contacted the coroners office to learn the COVID-19 vaccination status of the parents, as she believed there could be an association between the two. On Jan. 30, 2022, Grus also allegedly contacted the father of a deceased infant to inquire into the COVID-19 vaccination status of his wife, without the knowledge of the lead detective. Grus was suspended without pay in February 2022, but was ordered to return to work with restrictions during an Oct. 11, 2022, OPS internal hearing. Spotless Record If Grus is found guilty of the discreditable conduct charge, she could be demoted or suspended from the OPS. Van den Berg called the potential consequences very harsh, especially for a detective with a spotless record. As part of the OPSs Sexual Assault and Child Abuse unit, Gruss mandate was to investigate all sudden and unexpected child deaths of children under the age of five. Van den Berg argued that as part of the associated questionnaire, Grus was expected to ask about the parents medical history, which would have included their vaccinations. Theres a duty to carry out an investigation diligently, especially when theres an unexplained death. So when detective Grus is making a phone call as to her vaccination status, one would think but that is thats within her duty, she said. Van den Berg said there appeared to have been an apprehension of bias in the OPSs decision to pursue the charge of discreditable conduct against Grus. It appears that some colleagues were in disagreement and didnt like Detective Grus views, and this really does taint the investigation process and the decision to charge Grus with discreditable conduct, she said. In September 2021, Grus sent an email to her colleagues where she claimed to be concerned with the adverse effects of the experimental mRNA gene therapies commonly known as the COVID vaccine.' Subpoena CBC reporter Van den Berg requested that certain parts of Gruss discreditable conduct charge be severed, as they are duplications from the previous insubordination charge that was dropped. It would be procedurally unfair to include the same wording that is effectivelyfor a lack of a better way of saying thistrying Detective Grus for something she was already found not guilty of, she said. Van den Berg also requested a subpoena or investigation into who was responsible for leaking private police investigation materials to CBC reporter Shaamini Yogaretnam, who published two articles on Gruss case on March 28 and March 31, 2022, and that Yogaretnam be compelled as a witness to testify during the case. Grus submitted that the misconduct that brought the reputation of the OPS into disrepute was done not by her, but by the unidentified persons who leaked information to the CBC journalist. This is a case where we have an officer who was actually doing her job and is now faced with a discreditable conduct charge, van den Berg said. And were asking for Miss Yogaretnam to be compelled as a witness to testify, because that helps us answer the question of why we are here today in a disciplinary proceeding. Ottawa Grants Itself Extraordinary Powers to Prepare for Potential Bank Runs Bank scares in the United States and Switzerland have prompted the federal government to grant itself extraordinary powers to stem any financial panic in Canada, a parliamentary committee heard on April 27. Testifying before the Standing Committee on Finance, Rachel Grasham, a senior director with the federal finance department said those powers will be used only in exceptional sort of emergency situations. The purpose of that is to really allow the minister and the government to bring forward a temporary measure, under extreme circumstances, just to help promote financial stability and safeguard public confidence in the system, Grasham testified, as first reported by Blacklocks Reporter. Grasham was responding to NDP MP Daniel Blaikie who asked why the Liberal government feels those authorities should be granted pertaining to the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC) Act. There are some extraordinary powers being conferred to the minister of finance in respect to the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation and deposit insurance amounts, he said, referring to the amendments proposed in a bill sponsored by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on April 20. Known as Bill C-47, the 430-page omnibus budget bill seeks to amend the CDIC Act by allowing cabinet to guarantee deposits in case of a bank run to the amount that the Minister [of Finance] determines if it is deemed necessary to promote the stability or maintain the efficiency of the financial system in Canada. Potential Bank Runs Can you describe for the committee the kinds of circumstances that might trigger the use of this power? Blaikie asked. In the event that there is instability, concerns around potential bank runs, etc., as we saw in the U.S., the minister would be poised to be able to step in and bring forward a measure, Grasham replied. The bill follows the March 10 collapse of Silicon Valley Bank of Santa Clara, California, the failure of Signature Bank of New York on March 12, and the March 18 purchase of faltering Credit Suisse of Switzerland by rival UBS Group AG. The thinking is that given the current situation and the banking turmoil that we saw in the U.S. and in Switzerland, it was a prudent thing to do, said Grasham. The CDIC, a Crown corporation established in 1967, safeguards deposits at dozens of member institutionsincluding banks, federally-regulated credit unions, as well as loan and trust companies. It currently insures eligible deposits for up to $100,000 at each member institution, for each of nine different categories of accounts such as joint accounts, tax-free saving accounts, and deposits held in registered retirement saving plans. Precedent Although if passed, the bill will grant Freeland the ability to raise the existing deposit insurance limit to over $100,000, Grasham said those authorities are temporary. The new authorities, the proposed authorities rather, are time limited. Theyre set to expire on April 30, 2024, she told Blaikie. The committee learned this wont be the first time the finance minister was given such authorities. There is a precedent in the early days of COVID. Under the special emergency legislation, the minister was granted this power, Grasham said. It also had an expiry date, and it did expire, and it was never used. The COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, which received royal assent on March 25, 2020, allowed Freeland to decide a greater amount for the deposit insurance limit should she deem fit. That section of the Act expired on Oct. 1 that year. Poll: Majority of Americans Say Civility Has Declined Paying attention to others in all sorts of waystalking with them, laughing together, really listeningis surely the foundation of civility. (Alistair Berg/Getty Images) A vast majority of Americans believe that civility in society is worse than it was a decade ago, blaming social media and general media for the decline, according to the American Bar Associations (ABA) annual poll released on April 27. Fully 85 percent of the 1,000 respondents of the ABA Survey of Civic Literacy 2023 (pdf) said civility in todays society is worse than it was 10 years ago. Only 6 percent said it was better, while 8 percent said it is unchanged. When asked about the factors causing declining civility, 29 percent blamed it on social media, 24 percent said media, 19 percent said public officials, and 8 percent said the education system. ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross said the results spotlighted Americas period of divisiveness and called for efforts to restore confidence in our democratic institutions. More than one-third of those polled, 34 percent, said family and friends should be primarily responsible for improving civility in society, while 27 percent said public officials. When asked about making America a more polite place, 90 percent of respondents said parents and families are most responsible for instilling civility in children. Only 6 percent said schools had that responsibility. The survey was administered by DAPA Research on behalf of the ABA and was conducted by live telephone in March 17-22, 2023. Defining Civility Civility is often defined as polite behavior. Being civil is behaving in a way that is respectful and considerate of other people. Those who believe civility doesnt work were also more likely to justify uncivil behavior. Multiple polls and reports have affirmed the nations concern over deteriorating civility: The 2019 Weber Shandwick Civility in America report (pdf) documented growing levels of incivility starting in 2010. The report found that 93 percent of Americans identified incivility as a problem; 68 percent considered it a major one, and 74 percent thought it was getting worse. Almost half of reported uncivil encounters occurred online. A survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research (pdf) found that 74 percent of Americans think manners and behavior have deteriorated in the United States over the past several decades. A large majority of Americans believe that politicians should be held to a higher standard than the general public, but few think they are living up to that expectation. A CBS poll released in 2017 reported that 68 percent of people said civility in political debates is getting worse. On the positive side, more than 70 percent say they see the other side as people who disagree rather than a threat to (their) way of life. Internal research by Facebook found the social media platform contributes to incivility by promoting divisiveness, the Wall Street Journal reported. Our algorithms exploit the human brains attraction to divisiveness, read a slide from a 2018 presentation at the company. If left unchecked, it warned, Facebook would feed users more and more divisive content in an effort to gain user attention & increase time on the platform. Improving Civility Civil discourse is a key to a healthy democracy, said Pam Jenkins, president of Weber Shandwick Global Public Affairs, in a press release. The public has identified our civility problem, and it is now up to all of us to encourage the solutions that will make our government and society work better. According to the 2019 Weber Shandwick Civility in America report, the types of actions that people believe would improve civility include broad support for solutions ranging from greater parental responsibility to corporate measures to civility training: Parents teaching civility to their children (55 percent) Warning or taking disciplinary action against people who are uncivil in the workplace (42 percent) Civility education in schools and colleges (42 percent) Civility training in the workplace (37 percent) Employers training people how to intervene when others are being treated uncivilly (35 percent) Employers encouraging employees to report incivility at work (35 percent) Thomas Jefferson once noted, It is the manners and spirit of a people which preserve a republic in vigour. A degeneracy in these is a canker which soon eats to the heart of its laws and constitution. Likewise, Samuel Adams once said, Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. When it comes to improving civility, George Washington wrote out the 110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation as a school exercise in his early years. The list of rules was composed by French Jesuits in 1595. The U.S. government has data on millions of Americans through a secret surveillance program. Who has access to the data, and what are certain high-ranking officials saying? A Catholic organization sues the FBI for weaponizing government power to go after Catholics. The president of the group joins us to explore what has happened so far. A growing number of Democrats are favoring a resolution to overturn a Biden administration policy on importing solar panels made in Chinaoftentimes with forced labor. The House is demanding that the Chinese Communist Party release an American citizen wrongfully detained in China. The sponsor of the resolution joins us to discuss it. Opinions are split on how to handle the expiration of Title 42 and its aftermath. More enforcement or less? We hear from an immigration attorney. The White House Correspondents dinner is coming up Saturday night. Comedian Roy Wood Junior will be the host, and President Joe Biden and the first lady will also be in attendance. Reproductive Symptoms Affect More Than 400,000 Hongkongers With Long-COVID: Study The Faculty of Medicine of CUHK conducted one largest scale COVID-19 study in Asia and found that more than 70 percent of patients still suffer from at least one symptom of COVID-19 five months after diagnosis, with cognitive function and psychological symptoms the most common annoyances. (Courtesy of Communications and Public Relations Office, The Chinese University of Hong Kong) The Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) conducted the largest scale long-COVID study in Asia. The study was conducted from July to December 2022, and the sequelae of 10,043 Hong Kong patients who recovered from COVID-19 were interviewed through questionnaires. It found that more than 70 percent of the patients still suffered from at least one COVID-19 symptom five months on, and 12 percent of them had symptoms related to the reproductive system. Among the symptoms of COVID-19, cognitive function and psychological symptoms (38 percent) are among the most common, including memory loss, decreased concentration, slow thinking, insomnia, lethargy, anxiety, depression, and irregular sleep time. Some even had the symptoms for up to three years. Women aged 45 or above and having been admitted to hospital for treatment of COVID-19 are the more likely reasons for developing the long-COVID symptoms. In addition, 12 percent of patients with COVID-19 developed some form of symptoms related to the reproductive system, including menstrual disorders, lower body pain, and sexual dysfunction. Among them, 80 percent are women. The research team estimates that assuming five million people in Hong Kong have been infected, as many as 420,000 people with COVID-19 are likely to suffer these disorders, and about a quarter of them will have their interpersonal relationships affected. But more than half of them have not sought medical treatment and said they do not know the way to treat or prevent it, with about 70 percent of them feeling confused and overwhelmed. A similar large-scale British study also pointed out that the risk of loss of libido and difficulty ejaculating in patients with COVID-19 increased by more than twice than normal. Another scholar pointed out that the ACE2 receptor, which can bind to the COVID-19 virus and allows it to invade cells, is widely present in male and female reproductive organs, such as the testes, ovaries, and uterus. Some studies have even found that COVID-19-infected male patients suffer serious imbalances in their reproductive system hormone levels. Such imbalance has raised concerns about sexual dysfunction and the impact on fertility after infection with COVID-19. Prof. Francis Chan Ka-leung, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK, said: This study provides the largest scale and most comprehensive reference data to understand the impact of COVID-19 on Hong Kong, and once again proves that COVID-19 is a common yet complex disease. Prof. Ng Siew-chien, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK, added, This study shows that COVID-19 still troubled many patients post-recovery and continued to affect their physical and mental health. Prof. Chan made this appeal: Society must face up to the burden brought by COVID-19 as soon as possible, including strengthening the education of the public and medical personnel on relevant information, and also support the patients with COVID-19 through the primary medical system, and refer refractory cases to specialists for follow-up when necessary. At the same time , we hope to set up a long-term COVID-19 center to focus on complex cases, provide patients with an integrated approach to diagnosis and treatment, and help develop more ways for early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of it. San Francisco Takes Step Toward Rescinding 12X State Travel and Contracts Ban SAN FRANCISCOThe San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 74 on April 25 to rescind the 12X State Travel Ban. The ban is a city administrative code that prohibits city-funded employee travel to 30 listed states and forbids city contracts involving those states. It serves as a boycott of states considered to be restrictive of abortion, voting, or LGBTQ rights. San Francisco passed the ban in 2016, the year after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Initially, the boycott applied only to states considered to be restrictive of LGBTQ rights. However, the list was expanded to include states that have restrictive abortion laws in 2019, and to states that have restrictive voting laws in 2021. President of the Board of Supervisors Aaron Peskin co-sponsored an appeal against the ban. He stated in a Twitter post that these restrictions are cumbersome and ineffective, albeit well-intentioned and that the appeal is cutting bureaucracy and making government more efficient. The pass of the appeal on April 25 was the first read. The Board of Supervisors will vote on May 2 for a second read and then send it to Mayor London Breed for signing into law. According to the lists of states where the city will not fund travel or do business, compiled by the San Francisco City Administrator, the initial list had seven states: Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee. The idea was to exert financial pressure on those conservative states. The list of states continued to grow. The most updated list, issued in 2022, has 30 states, among which 20 have restrictive LGBTQ laws and 10 have strict voting laws or restricted abortion laws. Texas, Florida, and Ohio are on the list. San Francisco City Administrator Carmen Chu said in a report released in March that in order to keep contracts costs down, her department had approved hundreds of exemptions and waivers for $800 million worth of contracts. The contracts ban means fewer bids for city contracts. The report also concluded that the policy was raising costs and administrative burdens, and ending the boycott might reduce contracts costs by about 20 percent annually. District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said in the Board of Supervisors meeting on April 25: It creates a level of complexity precisely to administer the kinds of waivers that generated nearly [$1 billion] of contracts with 12X states in one of the years that was looked at in these reports that we requested. So its not achieving the goal we want to achieve. It is making our government less efficient, Mandelman added. In the same meeting, Supervisor Matt Dorsey said: I think San Franciscans would be angry if they knew the amount of hoops that have to be jumped through and the added cost to city contracting. California has a similar travel ban, but the state is also taking action to end the ban. Last month, State Senate leader Toni Atkins announced legislation that would replace the travel ban with a state-funded advertising campaign in those listed states to promote acceptance and inclusion for the LGBTQ community. Airlines are to blame for the recent post-pandemic surge in flight cancelations, according to findings from a new government report released Friday. Investigators with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said that the increase in cancelled flights recorded, as travel has bounced back from COVID-19-era lows, is mostly due to factors that airlines have control over, such as maintenance issues or staffing shortages. The GAO report also found that airlines are taking longer to recover from disruptions caused by bad weather. Surges in cancelations in late 2021 and early 2022 lasted longer than they did before the pandemic, the GAO said. The report comes as both airlines and government transportation officials have faced criticism for high-profile flight disruptions in recent years. Republicans on the House Transportation Committee had asked the GAO to investigate changes to the airline industry since the pandemic and whether the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or Department of Transportation (DOT) under Secretary Pete Buttigieg were helping to address those problems. AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT FORCED TO TURN BACK AFTER STRIKING BIRD The GAO examined flight data from January 2018 through April 2022 and interviewed several DOT and FAA officials to understand why delays and cancelations have increased. READ ON THE FOX BUSINESS APP Investigators found that flight cancelation rates in the last six months of 2021 outpaced 2018 and 2019 rates despite 14% fewer scheduled flights. The GAO said that weather was the leading cause of cancelations in the two years before the pandemic, but the percentage of airline-caused cancelations began increasing in early 2021. From October through December 2021, airlines caused 60% or more of cancelations higher that at any time in 2018 or 2019. Delays and cancelations happened at both smaller airlines and large carriers. In 2019, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines were the worst offenders, responsible for more than half of their respective cancelations. In late 2021, other low-fare carriers, including Allegiant Air, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Frontier, were to blame for 60% or more of their own total cancelations, according to GAO. Story continues WASTED DELTA PASSENGER IN FIRST CLASS ACCUSED OF FORCIBLY KISSING FLIGHT ATTENDANT: COURT DOCS United Airlines Boeing 777-222 takes off at Los Angeles international Airport on Sept. 15, 2020, in Los Angeles. Southwest, Delta, American and United also saw an increased percentage of their cancelations caused by issues those airlines could control, the report found. Staffing shortages have contributed to the problem. Although Congress provided about $54 billion for airlines to retain their employees during the pandemic, they reduced their workforce with early retirements or other incentives to lower costs. A spokeswoman for trade group Airlines for America said the majority of cancelations this year have been caused by severe weather and air traffic control outages. About 1,300 flights were canceled in one day because of an outage in a Federal Aviation Administration safety-alerting system. FAA WARNS OF SAFETY HAZARD FROM LEAKY FAUCETS IN BOEING 787, CALLS FOR INSPECTIONS Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (center) has faced questions over the Department of Transportation's response to a post-pandemic surge in airline cancelations and delays. "Carriers have taken responsibility for challenges within their control and continue working diligently to improve operational reliability as demand for air travel rapidly returns," said the spokeswoman, Hannah Walden. "This includes launching aggressive, successful hiring campaigns for positions across the industry and reducing schedules in response to the FAAs staffing shortages." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP Stakeholders interviewed by the GAO said that operational challenges, including a need for additional pilots and crew, have made it harder for airlines to manage flight disruptions. Airlines have since taken corrective measures to address the problem, including hiring new staff, opening new training facilities and reducing the number of scheduled flights. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Sen. Hawley Demands Probe Into 85,000 Missing Unaccompanied Alien Children Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has demanded the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigate the exploitation of thousands of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) who have been caught up in child smuggling and child labor operations. Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows that around 345,000 minors have come across the border unaccompanied since early 2021 when President Joe Biden took office. A New York Times report suggests that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has lost contact with 85,000 of these minors. In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Friday, Hawley blamed the Biden administrations loosening of border protection policies for the situation. The Biden Administration is morally responsible for their fate. The President lifted Title 42 restrictions on unaccompanied children in early 2021, he wrote (pdf). Reporting reveals that HHS loosened vetting processes for sponsors and retaliated against whistleblowers who raised these concerns. As a result, thousands of children have been handed over to modern-day slave traders. The senator from Missouri stated that as a result of the presidents actions, these lost minors are forced into factory work under punishing conditions, denied food and education, fear for their lives, and suffer sexual violence. In a country that claims to value the rule of law and the protection of children, this is unconscionable, he added. Xavier Becerra Denies Number of Missing Children In late March, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra denied knowledge of the claim that 85,000 UACs were unaccounted for. I have never heard that number of 85,000, I dont know where it comes from and so I would say it doesnt sound at all to be realistic, and what we do is we try and follow up as best we can with these kids, Becerra said at a Senate Finance Committee. Congress has given us certain authorities. Our authorities end when we have found a suitable sponsor to place that child with. We try and do some follow-up, but neither the child or the sponsor is actually obligated to follow up with us, he added. In addition to urging the FBI to mount a full-scale effort to locate the missing children and bring to justice the criminals who are holding them in modern-day slavery, Hawley also demanded a probe into HHS and the Department of Homeland Security. The FBI must also investigate HHS and the Department of Homeland Security for their role in facilitating the exploitation of these children, in violation of the law, Hawley wrote. The pervasive maltreatment of migrant children plainly violates both the Fair Labor Standards Act, which prohibits the abuse of underage workers, and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which designates human trafficking offenses as federal crimes, Hawley wrote. Hawley demanded a full report from the FBI priority by May 25. Whistleblower Earlier this week, an HHS whistleblower testified before Congress about how the federal government is acting as a middleman for a multi-billion-dollar child trafficking operation. The whistleblower, Tara Lee Rodas, appeared as a witness at The Biden Border Crisis: Exploitation of Unaccompanied Alien Children hearing held by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement. She stated that unaccompanied children have been suffering in the shadows of the U.S. immigration system for nearly a decade. I have to confess I knew nothing about their suffering until 2021 when I volunteered to help the Biden administration with the crisis at the southern border as part of operation Artemis, Rodas said at the hearing. The whistleblower said she was deployed to help HHSs Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) reunite UACs with adult sponsors in the United States. I thought I was going to help place children in loving homes. Instead, I discovered that children are being trafficked through a sophisticated network that begins with recruiting in home country, smuggling to the U.S. border, and ends when ORR delivers a child to a sponsorsome sponsors are criminals and traffickers and members of transnational criminal organizations, some sponsors view children as commodities and assets to be used for earning income. Rodas testified that in some cases, she witnessed adult sponsors being permitted to take in 10, 20, 30, and 40 children without any concerns from HHS. I saw sponsors trying to simultaneously sponsor children from multiple ORR sites at one time. I saw sponsors using multiple addresses to obtain sponsorships of children, and I saw numerous cases of children in debt bondageand the child knew they had to stay with the sponsor until the debt was paid, the whistleblower said. On Thursday, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) wrote to Becerra demanding answers about the whistleblowers claims. I am deeply concerned regarding the recent reports that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has mishandled unaccompanied migrant children by placing them with unvetted sponsors, leading to their exploitation and forced labor, Blackburn wrote. The Epoch Times contacted HHS for comment. Experts have described this as the ugly side of supporting so-called dreamers seeking to come to America but who find themselves trapped in what has been described as modern-day slavery. The number of unaccompanied children entering the United States has tripled under the Biden administration. This has led to a surge in child labor trafficking as well as abuse and neglect, according to experts. In the first two years of Bidens presidency, almost 300,000 UACs arrived at the border and were released into the U.S. interior with adult sponsors. However, only a small percentage of these sponsors were biological relatives of the children. BALTIMORESenator Mike McKay of the Maryland General Assembly had high expectations for Shen Yun Performing Arts, traveling three hours to attend the opening night performance at The Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore. It did not disappoint. It was absolutely wonderful and more than what we had expected, he said on April 28. New York-based Shen Yun was established in 2006 by leading Chinese artists seeking to revive Chinas 5,000 years of civilization, which was destroyed by decades of communist rule. Through classical Chinese dance, and folk, ethnic, and story-based dances, as well as solo musical performances, Shen Yun is showcasing to the world the glory of China before communism. Sen. McKay was very impressed by Shen Yuns dedication and mission to revive traditional culture. All the performers have just been marvelous. It was just really, really exciting to understand some of the historical background of the dance, he said. Purity, dedication, and I think, more especially, understanding that we all came from the creatorthats definitely needed in our world today. Referring to the ancient belief that Chinese culture is a gift from the divine, Sen. McKay said it was a pleasant surprise. I tell youits been very eye-opening. One of the things I did not know was how much Chinese culture was actually based on spirituality. It was a very, very eye-opening and welcoming revelation. Lastly, he would like to thank Shen Yun artists for sharing the talents that the creator has given them. Sen. Benjamin Brooks enjoyed Shen Yuns performance for the second time on April 28, 2023. (Jenny Jing/The Epoch Times) Also in attendance was Maryland Senator Benjamin Brooks. He, too, thought Shen Yun was fabulous and definitely No. 1. It was truly awesome. The way they tied in the 3D screen with the [live performance]the virtual with the realit was truly amazing! he exclaimed. According to its website, Shen Yuns patented 3D digital technology works together with the performers to extend the stage to infinite realms and brings to its audience storytelling without limits. This was Sen. Brooks second time attending the show. Knowing how well he enjoyed Shen Yun three years ago, his son bought tickets for him as a Christmas present this year. I was very, very much impressed the last time I saw it and was just as impressed this time, he said. This was a new one for me. I hadnt seen this [program] before. Every year, Shen Yun delights its worldwide audience with a brand-new set of original choreography and musical compositions. So, even for returning audiences, every show is a surprise. More than anything, Sen. Brooks was wowed by the traditional values depicted in Shen Yuns performance. Its something that we can truly grab onto and hold. Values, ethics, integritythese are all meaningful principles that we should try to live by, he said. In the show, the things I can relate to would betry to work together, respect the rights of all individuals, and try to appreciate the different experiences that we all have. I think thats good! Reporting by Jenny Jing and Jennifer Tseng. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. SYDNEY, AustraliaCommander Phillip Anderson OAM RAN (Retd), who formerly conducted the Royal Australian Navy Band, said Shen Yun Performing Arts radiates happiness as it presents another side of China that might be unfamiliar to some when he attended a full house matinee performance at Sydney Lyric Theatre on April 29. Commander Anderson, who has been awarded an Order of Australia medal, one of Australias highest honours, and has performed in China with and even conducted the PLA Navy Band, described the New York-based Shen Yun as food for the soul. He said it brings another side of China to Australian audiences. Shen Yun was founded in 2006 with a mission to restore Chinas 5,000 years of rich traditional culture through dance and music. Considered to be divinely-inspired by Chinese people, the countrys traditional culture was once almost lost under communism. The company declares it is presenting China before communism. For this reason, Shen Yun cant perform in China currently. Commander Anderson noted this was quite sad, declaring the companys and artists mission to share traditional Chinese culture noble. Shen Yun tours the world annually with eight companies simultaneously, reaching almost 200 cities in 2023. Its artists, dancers, and musicians hail from across the globe. I think theyre very lucky to be able to perform and do something they love and have the passion for it, said Commander Anderson. To tell the story about Chinese culture to so many places in the world is such a noble thing to do. I think its brilliant that the company is able to do that, he continued, and [Shen Yun] built their reputation over years to be so highly respected and to be allowed to present that story of China that we quite often dont get to hear. Shen Yun performs classical Chinese dance, ethnic, and folk dances, as well as story-based dances that depict ancient myths and legends as well as modern-day minidramas. Commander Anderson was struck by a feeling of happiness that he said radiated from the stage into the audience. The story they were telling radiated to the audience, and the audience instantly warmed to what they were doing, he said, adding that it was an uplifting feeling that he felt nourishing my soul. Commander Anderson reasoned that the audience seemed uplifted after the performance because Shen Yun was really food for the soul. The performers were amazing, the dances were superb, and the energy on stage, you know, its communicating, telling stories through dance and music, he said. Its just a great way to break down barriers between peoples. The former Navy commander, who conducted the Royal Australian Navy Band for 10 years, and was a member for four decades, said Shen Yun was a joyful experience that taught him a lot about the depth of Chinese culture. Commander Anderson was also struck by the Shen Yun Orchestra and, in particular, the Erhu, a two-stringed Chinese instrument capable of conveying a broad range of emotions. I felt totally enthralled with her performance and her mastery of the instrument. It just dazzled me, he said. It pierced my heart. It was just amazing. I wanted to stand up and shout, he added. The blend of Western classical instruments with Chinese instruments worked superbly, he said. The Chinese tones are different to Western, but theres a lot of similarities too, he added. Shen Yun performs with a live orchestra that blends traditional Chinese instruments into a classical Western orchestra. You dont get to see that very often, said Commander Anderson, who was impressed by the effort and skill of the artists and dancers. The dance, the music, the performers, and at the end, we saw how small the cast was, he said. But the whole performance was like it was huge! So they were working very hardthe costume changes and the dance from one scene to another, they worked very hard. They were excellent. I think the leaders of the company are doing a fantastic job, and I know how difficult it is, he went on to say. It is a lot of workso well done to them. I would certainly come again, said Commander Anderson. Its the first time Ive come to this and I was introduced to this by another friend. I would come again for sure. Reporting by NTD and Caden Pearson. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. Zirian Fatah, CEO of Australian First Construction Group, enjoys Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in Sydney, Australia, on April 28, 2023. (Steve Xu/The Epoch Times) SYDNEY, AustraliaZirian Fatah said he would definitely recommend Shen Yun Performing Arts to his friends after attending the show at a packed house at the Sydney Lyric Theatre on April 28. It was a transcendent experience, said Mr. Fatah, who is the CEO of Australian First Construction Group, a medium-sized construction company based in Sydneys west. Founded in 2006, New York-based Shen Yun seeks to restore the grandeur, the depth, and the diversity of five millennia of Chinese civilisation, which was once almost lost under communism. The company declares it is presenting China before communism. Definitely a good reminder to see that there is a part of the Chinese community that wishes for a different wayI would say its actually progressive rather than classical, Mr. Matah said. Shen Yuns artists present classical Chinese dance, ethnic, and folk dances, as well as story-based dances that depict ancient myths and legends as well as modern day dramas. The dancers were very talented. It was very elegant dancing. there were very powerful messages through the dance, through the expression, Mr. Fatah said of Shen Yun. And [the performers] really did tell some powerful messages and stories throughout that. He shared: A majority of the message for me was for people to go back to having faith and to not give up. And at the end of the day, there is a Creator a lot larger than man. I think its a very important message and a good reminder for people to know that there is a Creator. And for people to slow down a little bit. Shen Yun artists hail from across the globe. And each year, they also tour around the world. Millions of people have seen Shen Yun. As of 2023, Shen Yun has eight companies touring simultaneously, reaching almost 200 cities. Its incredible that theyre doing this around the world. Theyre doing this effort internationally. Theyre doing it in a very peaceful and powerful way, said Mr. Fatah. And I think at this grassroots level [the Shen Yun artists are] interacting with a lot of people on different levels. But because Shen Yuns mission runs counter to that of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which has sought to destroy Chinese culture since it came to power in 1949, Shen Yun cannot be seen in China today. This [situation] is an unfortunate reality of greed and corruption and dirty politics that we are in 2023, and you still have tyrannical governments around the world taking advantage, commercial advantage, Mr. Fatah said. Please Come and Watch: Founder of Law Firm Jason Arraj, the principal and founder of Forward Legal, enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in Sydney, Australia, on April 28, 2023. (NTD) Jason Arraj, the principal and founder of Forward Legal, a law firm based in Sydneys inner west, said he would tell his friends that Shen Yun is absolutely magnificent, and to please come and watch. I encourage everybody to come and watch this show. Its quite amazing, youll walk away just as excited as I am, said Mr. Arraj. He was personally struck by the energy of Shen Yun. The energy, the costumes, the passion that the dancers have, its phenomenal. Its exciting and passionate, and the stories that are told, they are really wonderful stories, he said. In a Shen Yun performance, audience members get to experience the timeless virtues and positive qualities of humanity, imbued in Chinas divinely-inspired culture that have been passed down through the ages. Mr. Arraj was particularly struck by an ethnic dance titled Snowy Mountain Celebration, in which young men pay their respects to the divine in a Tibetan dance set beneath towering Himalayan peaks. I like the Himalaya one, the one with the snowy mountains, the background, really touching, the passion involved in that [dance] was really beautiful, he said. Really impressive, keep it up, the energy, the excitement, the stories, theres such a story in history and culture, and I think thats really important to be told, Mr. Arraj said of his overall experience. Anywhere where you can show off your culture, show off your history, tell a story, show a journey, the past and leading into the future, it needs to be told and I think its wonderful that [Shen Yun artists] are celebrating that and taking it to as many places around the world. Reporting by NTD, Steve Xu, and Mimi Nguyen Ly. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. Felix and Kathy Simpkins enjoyed Shen Yun's evening show at the Center for the Performing Arts at Governors State University on April 28, 2023. (NTD) UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill.College dean Felix Simpkins and his wife Kathy attended Shen Yuns evening show at the Center for the Performing Arts at Governors State University on April 28 as an early Mothers Day celebration. Mrs. Simpkins had waited for years for the opportunity to see the production, and she couldnt be more excited. Our children blessed me with this for Mothers Day, and it was just amazing! From start to finishit was just breathtaking, she said. Shen Yun Performing Arts was founded by a group of leading Chinese artists who had fled persecution from Chinas ruling communist regime. In the decades following the regimes violent takeover in 1949, Chinese traditional culture was forced to the brink of destruction. Now in the safety of America, the New York-based artists are determined to bring Chinas 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture back to life and share the beauty of this culture before communism. Mr. Simpkins thought the whole show was magical, but what touched him most was Shen Yuns portrayal of the divine. I really loved the spiritual partjust to see spirituality from a different context and a different vantage point, he said. Sometimes we get caught up in a typical Christian vantage point. To see the [perspective] and heavenly possibilities of a different cultureas well as the historical accuracy of the various dynastieswas just excellent. A Human Tragedy Referring to Shen Yuns story-dance piece depicting the Chinese Communist Partys persecution of Falun Gongan ancient spiritual belief in the Buddhist traditionMr. Simpkins said it was a human tragedy. To supply Chinas transplant black market, the communist regime has murdered countless prisoners of conscience over the years for their organs. A vast number of these victims are Falun Gong practitioners. It moved me. Its just not right; it spoke to the meanness of society that can occur. Yet, the divine revelation, justice, and spirituality presented at the end [of the dance] were great, he said. To meet popular demand, Shen Yun has grown since 2006 to include eight equally sized companies that tour the world simultaneously each year. In 2023, the company is slated to visit over 180 cities across five continents. However, for its portrayal of what is happening in modern-day Chinese society, Shen Yun is forbidden to tour China. Mrs. Simpkins said her biggest takeaway from the show was to live each day to the fullest. People will try to silence you, and they will try to put their own [opinions] on you. So, its very important for you to stand up for what you believe in, she expressed. [We] saw that from start to finish in the show. Regardless of what the consequences wereto live or to die [they] stood up for what they believed in. I thought that was absolutely moving. Reporting by NTD and Jennifer Tseng. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. Stewart Airport Adds Nonstop International Flight to Faroe Islands New York Stewart International Airport in New Windsor, N.Y., on Feb. 22, 2023. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) Newburgh-based New York Stewart International Airport will soon start direct flights to the Faroe Islands, a popular European tourist destination. It is the nations first nonstop flight service to the island group halfway between Norway and Iceland, according to Alex Minton, Port Authority Manager of Air Service Development and Industry Relations. Port Authority is a bi-state agency of New York and New Jersey that operates and maintains a network of major transportation and infrastructure assets on the East Coast, including Stewart Airport. It has been a goal of [Faroe Islands] for some time to connect their country with the United States, Minton told The Epoch Times. We are very excited that we get to be a part of a historic milestone. Minton said Steward was a natural fit because of its similar size to the main airport in the Faroe Islands and its level of operational efficiency with a new arrival facility. The Faroe Islands national airline, Atlantic Airways, will operate the new flights, with outbound services from Stewart on Wednesdays and return flights on Tuesdays. Each one-way trip takes about six hours. Tickets will be available from May 15, and services will run from Aug. 22 through Oct. 4. The new flights are expected to serve between 1,800 and 2,700 riders this year, according to Minton. Last June, Stewart Airport started new daily flights to Iceland through the low-cost carrier PLAY, which was the first international service back at the facility since it lost Norwegian Air in 2019. In the latter half of 2022, about 53,000 travelers flew PLAY Airlines through Stewart, Minton said. On the heels of losing Norwegian Air, Port Authority came out with a strategic plan to recruit new international flights to Stewart, positioning the airport as a low-cost alternative with access to New York City area and Hudson Valley attractions. Between 2017 and 2019, Norwegian Air served about 600,000 international passengers at the airport. When Port Authority acquired Stewart in 2007, its leadership envisioned Stewart to be the fourth air traffic hub aside from Kennedy, La Guardia, and Newark in the New York City area. It has since invested $200 million in the airports infrastructure, including a new 20,000-square-foot terminal allowing for the screening of 400 international passengers in an hour. Minton told The Epoch Times that Port Authority remained committed to developing Stewart, including seeking more international flights and domestic services. The airport currently carries domestic flights to several destinations in Florida. New Rail Study For Stewart passengers heading for New York City, buses are the quickest and most affordable means of transportation. Last year, Orange County was awarded $500,000 of federal money with the help of former Congressman Patrick Maloney to conduct a feasibility study on connecting Stewart Airport and Beacon train station in Dutchess County. The proposed link would essentially connect the airport with Manhattan through rails. We see any improvement to access for customers to and from the airport as being really critical for our ability to increase services to the airport, and wed welcome the opportunity to discuss any future projects related to that, Minton said. The Orange County Transportation Council is tasked with developing the scope of work and preparing bids for the study, which is expected to take years to complete. In 2008, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) proposed a light rail linking Stewart Airport directly to Manhattan, but the idea failed to come to fruition. MTA is responsible for public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area. Surfers Hall of Fame to Add 3 Icons to Its Ranks in Huntington Beach HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.Just across from the Huntington Beach Pier several people walked April 27 over the hand and feet pressings of surfing legends. As part of the citys Surfers Hall of Fame, the impressions have grown from their initial location in 1997 at the entryway to Huntington Beach Surf and Sport shop and now reach the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street as more than seven dozen iconic surfers and surf industry professionals have been added. This year, Brazilian professional surfer Italo Ferreira, local surfing journalist Laylan Connelly, and the founder of Reef Brazil sandals, Fernando Aguerre will be forever immortalized with imprints during a ceremony in August. They are totally stoked and excited! Taylor Pai of Huntington Beach Surf and Sport said of the inductees. Along with humbled and honored. Surfing Hall of Fame Inductees (L-R) Fernando Aguerre, italo Ferreira, and Laylan Connelly. (Courtesy of Huntington Beach Surf and Sport) According to Pai, there is an adventurous spirit in all the surfing icons who have been inducted. Theyve charged mountains of water in remote places around the world, beyond what was once ever imagined, he said. Theyve broken barriers, broken world records, and in some cases even broken bones, along the way. It was Pais father and owner of the shop who came up with the idea for the tribute based on a childhood visit to Hollywoods iconic Graumans Chinese Theater. He loved the idea of being able to put ones hands and feet within the imprints of the movie stars and knew such would be a way to share surfing with the world. [He] thought it would be a fun way to honor surfings legends, Pai said. A staue of Duke Kahanamoku sits on the Surfing Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach, Calif., on April 27, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) The Surfers Hall of Fame started as a fun way to give tribute to our surf iconsa way to gather and honor the pivotal people who have shaped our culture and made surfing the greatest sport in the world. But more than just a nod to their contributions, the inductions have evolved into something much more through the years. Theyve become a collection of the worlds most influential surfers who have created crafts and innovations that have helped countless others experience the pure thrill of being one with the ocean, Pai said. Over the years, more imprints were added. But after running out of room, the Huntington Beach City Council in 2002 approved expanding the imprints to nearby sidewalks encircling a large, bronzed statue of Duke Kahanamoku, the Hawaiian early 20th century Olympic swimmer who is considered to be the father of modern-day surfing. The Surfers Hall of Fame is the first and only of its kind in the United States. Theyre Being Manipulated and Damaged: Author Breaks Down Transgender Ideologys Impact on Children Helen Joyce thinks she has partly solved a riddle that vexes millions of people worldwide: How can we make sense of the illogical debates swirling around transgenderism? Joyce and others seek to bring more reasonand solid researchinto view at The Bigger Picture, the first international conference of Genspect, an organization that is bucking a trend. Genspect challenges the prevailing notion that everyone, including doctors, should automatically affirm peoples gender-identity assertions and desires to transform themselves socially and medically. Genspect says it advocates a healthy approach to sex and gender. It also promotes safe, well-evidenced, and effective care for those who struggle with gender distress. Joyce, author of Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality, gave the keynote speech on April 27, launching Genspects sold-out, three-day conference in Killarney, Ireland. About 200 attendees came from the United States and other nations, as hundreds more watched via a live-streamed broadcast. Helen Joyce, keynote speaker, addresses Genspects first global gathering aimed at challenging prevailing notions about treating people for gender distress, in Killarney, Ireland, on April 27, 2023. (Janice Hisle/The Epoch Times via screenshot of live broadcast) Women Can Be Men? Years ago, when Joyce first heard people claiming that women can be men and vice versa, she thought they were joking. After realizing these people were serious, that concept was so crazy, I couldnt look away, she said. Drawing from her backgroundmathematician, mother of a gay son, and a truth-seeking journalistJoyce, an Irishwoman, developed insights about why this once-fringe concept has spread. A sign on a single-person bathroom at a Starbucks in Gainesville, Fla., on Jan. 23, 2023, indicates its offered for male and female users, instead of being designated by gender. (Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times) Claiming that there arent two sexes is like introducing just one tiny little false equation into the whole of mathematics, Joyce said. As the error is repeated, its effects multiply. If one equals zero, all of mathematics is broken, she said. And I think thats whats happened here and now a lot of things are breaking. Girls who think theyre not very girly, and effeminate boys often ask themselves, Why am I different? In past years, many of those children later realized they were same-sex-attracted. But now, many youths assume theyre transgender. Theyre being told: You are what you think you are, and there are no criteria for being male or female, Joyce said. Falsehood Multiplied Gender makes up a fundamental part of who each person is. Telling children that males and females are interchangeable is just as unwise as telling children that some people breathe air and some people breathe water, Joyce said. The result: Children are confused. Theyre being manipulated and damaged, she says in her book. The idea that anyone can transform into the opposite sex is so preposterous, its endlessly hard to comprehend why anyone gives it the time of day, Joyce said. Two Worldviews Collide After pondering why this concept has become more prevalent, Joyce had an epiphany, which she revealed at the Genspect conference. She realized that two disparate worldviews are at work. On one side, some people believe in individual rights, but they recognize that, for a society to function, those rights have limits. Rules, laws, and social norms are necessary and sometimes clash with individual rights. These people acknowledge the biological reality: there are two sexes. On the other side are people espousing hyper-individualism, a belief that self-declared identity trumps everything else, Joyce said. A doctor examines an eight-months pregnant woman at a health center in Denver, Colorado on March 15, 2017. (Jason Connolly/AFP via Getty Images) If those declarations make no sense, it doesnt matter. The only thing that matters is what the individual declares; it is their truth. Any attempt to establish norms or categorize people is deemed coercive and harmful, she said. Thus, transgender ideologues reject truisms such as, Every human who has ever been pregnant is female, Joyce said, and you cant have a test of reasonableness, either. In the name of human rights, claims that defy logic or contradict facts are accepted and celebrated. A cuckoo has come into the nest of the human rights framework, Joyce said. A cuckoo has come into the nest of the medical system as well. Medical Masquerade Gender clinics look like theyre doing medicine, but theyre not, Joyce said. People come in thinking that theyre seeing a doctor, and getting a diagnosis and that theres an evidence base behind that, but they are being misled, she said. Joyces lilting Irish voice softened even more as she acknowledged that, sadly, some Genspect attendees know this from personal experience. Several detransitioners, people who disavow their former gender identity, spoke at the conference. Many say medical professionals failed to warn them of the possible consequences of puberty blockers, wrong-sex hormones, and body-altering surgeries. After meeting some of these detransitioners and hearing their stories in 2019, Joyce felt compelled to write her book; she calls these people some of gender ideologys most poignant victims. They bought into an ideology that is incoherent and constantly shifting, and where the slightest deviation is ferociously punished, Joyce says in her book. Prisha Mosely before and after her detransition. (Courtesy of Prisha Mosley) One-Man Shows While raising alarms over these experimental procedures, detransitioners are often vilified; theyre labeled bigots or transphobic, Joyce said, while they struggle to recover from the mental and physical trauma. Joyce thinks that, instead of being a medical practice, a gender clinic functions more like a stage where people go to perform their gender, Joyce said. Then medical professionals affirm a patients self-declared identity and largely agree to provide whatever medical procedures the patient wants. Everybody is putting on one-man shows, Joyce said, while failing to recognize that everyone else is meant to be our supporting actors. Noting that puberty blockers have been used for about 20 years, especially in Europe, Joyce has repeatedly asked herself: Why are they not doing better studies? Why are they not doing long-term follow-ups? She now believes she knows why. Theyre already asking the only question they think is worth asking, which is: Who are you?' And they know the answer: You are who you say you are. Science Not Settled Genspect says it welcomes questions and different perspectives; it accuses the much larger World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) of being closed-minded. Until recently, there has been only one narrative on how to manage gender diversity, Genspect said in its conference materials. However, the world is moving beyond a medicalized approach to gender non-conformity and instead seeking out healthy approaches to sex and gender. Many groups, however, are now challenging WPATHs narrow narrative; They have made great headway in providing progressive, evidence-based, and up-to-date thinking, Genspect says in describing its conference. Simultaneously, the European branch (EPATH) is holding its annual gathering nearby. That was by design. Genspect intends this to be the first in a series of counter-conferences, a news release said. Genspect disputes WPATHs contention that the science is settled, holding that its beneficial to treat transgender people with hormones and surgeries. WPATH has issued a statement condemning U.S. efforts to ban medical procedures for gender-confused youths. A sign is placed by pro-transgender supporters to protest Canadian activist Chris Elton in Toronto in 2022. (Courtesy of Billboard Chris) To Listen or Not But Genspects director, psychotherapist Stella OMalley, said: Its not appropriate to push puberty blockers, hormones, and surgery on vulnerable kids. WPATH and its branches promote heavy medical interventions while Genspect favors the least-invasive approach first, OMalley said in a news release. Genspects conference brought together scientists, researchers, lawyers, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, sociologists, educators, and feminists. More than two dozen groups were represented. Together, they are striving to challenge the evidence base for gender medicine and describe the widespread damage that gender identity ideology has wrought, Genspect said, while also ensuring that all sides of this complex issue will be addressed. Yet, down the road from the Genspect conference, the leader of WPATHs European affiliate opened its conference by stating: We respect everyones freedom of speech, but we choose not to listen to it. Quoting that statement, Genspect wrote on Twitter: This is exactly why were having our conference in Killarney. WPATH/EPATH might not listen to us, but plenty of others will. Toyota Edges Past 9.1 Million Vehicle Output Goal, Warns Chip Shortage Lingering A Toyota logo during the New York International Auto Show in Manhattan, New York, on April 5, 2023. (David 'Dee' Delgado/Reuters) TOKYOJapans Toyota Motor Corp. set a global annual output record in the business year ended in March, just edging past its target of 9.1 million vehicles as factory disruption from global chip supply woes and pandemic lockdowns eased. But the worlds biggest automaker by sales warned it continued to see impacts from the long-running global chip shortage, saying it remained hard to predict its effect going forward. Toyota said on Thursday it produced 9.13 million vehicles in the 12 months through March 31, a fraction ahead of its target, though that goal was downgraded twice from an initial goal for the year of around 9.7 million amid industry disruption. In the previous year vehicle output was 8.57 million. Global sales for the 12 months ended March rose to 9.61 million vehicles from 9.51 million in the prior year, setting another annual record for the company. The company didnt release new sales or production targets for the current business year that started in April. It disclosed it has so far sold just 17,473 battery electric vehicles (EVs) worldwide, including those of its luxury Lexus brand, for the first three months of 2023. That compared with 24,466 battery EVs sold by Toyota worldwide for the whole of 2022. Trudeau Says Ukraine Conflict Wont End With Military Force The PM also addressed the issue of potential China aggression against Taiwan Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in a question and answer session with Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on April 28, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the conflict in Ukraine will not be settled using military force but rather through a political settlement. We know this doesnt end militarily, this only ends with a political resolution of some sort, he said during a discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) think tank in New York City on April 28. He said Ukraine would be the one to decide what conditions are acceptable to come to a settlement. They need to decide when is enough, or when the conditions to negotiate, or what theyre willing to cede, or what theyre willing to continue to fight and die to make sure that they hold. Trudeau added that our job is to be there to offer support so that Ukraine feels confident in its options, and said Canada would provide as much as it takes, as long as it takes, similar to the U.S. position. Its in relation to that position that CFR President Richard Haass asked Trudeau whether he saw a role for negotiations or if the policy was only to liberate territory by force. Recognizing the need for an eventual political settlement has not been a core part of the Canadian governments discourse surrounding the conflict. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said in Davos in January that one way to help the global economy was to defeat Russia in the conflict. One thing where we have some real practical levers is we can help Ukraine win, clearly, definitively. And if we do that, if that happens this year that would be a huge boost to the global economy, Freeland said, without define what would constitute a Ukrainian victory. In announcing further sanctions on Russia on March 10, Freeland said Ukraine can and must win this war. On the same day, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly spoke of regime change in the context of sanctions against Russia. Were able to see how much were isolating the Russian regime right now because we need to do so economically, politically and diplomatically and what are the impacts also on society and how much were seeing potential regime change in Russia, she said. Russia lodged a protest with Canadas embassy in Moscow over the comments. Taiwan Following Trudeaus comments about supporting Ukraine as long as it takes, Haass asked the prime minister about his stance towards Taiwan and potential aggression by the Chinese regime. What are you prepared to do to deter, or if need be, defend against Chinese action? said Haass. Trudeau said he would continue to have a military presence in the Pacific demonstrating that were there to uphold the status quo, while noting that Canada recognizes the One China policy. The One China principle is held by the Chinese Communist Party to claim that Taiwan belongs to the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). The One China policy, adopted by many countries, recognizes Beijing as the official seat of China, and does not simultaneously recognize Taipei. Canada currently has a limited military presence in the region. Two Royal Canadian Navy ships were deployed in the Indo-Pacific region from August to December last year as part of Operation PROJECTION. The year prior a single ship was deployed during the same timeframe. A single ship and surveillance plane have been deployed on a regular basis to East Asia for Operation NEON, which seeks to enforce UN sanctions against North Korea. Trudeau called the PRC an increasingly disruptive global power, but highlighted working jointly with China on the environment by co-hosting the COP15 conference on biodiversity in Montreal in December. Ignoring China is not an option for anyone but being strategic, and thoughtful, and firm, and clear on how we engage with it is the path forward for all of us, he said. Haass asked Trudeau if that stance would make China understand that Canada would be prepared to oppose any aggression against Taiwan. We will continue to stand for the principles of the rules-based order and international law, Trudeau answered. Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Alumasc Group fair value estimate is UK2.37 Alumasc Group is estimated to be 33% undervalued based on current share price of UK1.60 Does the April share price for The Alumasc Group plc (LON:ALU) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward. We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. View our latest analysis for Alumasc Group The Method We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK9.10m UK9.25m UK8.40m UK7.91m UK7.61m UK7.44m UK7.34m UK7.30m UK7.30m UK7.33m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Est @ -5.86% Est @ -3.76% Est @ -2.29% Est @ -1.25% Est @ -0.53% Est @ -0.03% Est @ 0.33% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 9.7% UK8.3 UK7.7 UK6.4 UK5.5 UK4.8 UK4.3 UK3.8 UK3.5 UK3.2 UK2.9 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK50m Story continues After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (1.2%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 9.7%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = UK7.3m (1 + 1.2%) (9.7% 1.2%) = UK87m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK87m ( 1 + 9.7%)10= UK35m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is UK85m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of UK1.6, the company appears quite good value at a 33% 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. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Alumasc Group as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 9.7%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.223. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for Alumasc Group Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is not viewed as a risk. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market. Weakness Earnings growth over the past year is below its 5-year average. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Threat No apparent threats visible for ALU. Moving On: Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. 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. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For Alumasc Group, we've put together three important aspects you should assess: Risks: Be aware that Alumasc Group is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about... Future Earnings: How does ALU's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every British 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Turkish Evacuation Plane Shot At in Sudan A damaged Turkish military aircraft claimed to be at Wadi Seyidna airport near Khartoum, Sudan, in a photo released by the Sudanese Armed Forces on April 28, 2023. (Sudanese Armed Forces via Reuters) Sudans army claimed that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shot at a Turkish evacuation plane as it was landing at Wadi Seyidna airport outside Khartoum on Friday, damaging its fuel system. Images shared by the Sudanese Armed Forces on social media showed what they said is the damaged aircraft parked on the tarmac. Hundreds have died and tens of thousands of people have fled in two weeks of conflict between Sudans army and the RSF. The two factions agreed late on Thursday to prolong a ceasefire by 72 hours to allow for humanitarian access, but fighting flared in parts of the capital Khartoum on Friday, according to eyewitnesses and live video broadcasts. The RSF denied firing at the plane and said the army was spreading lies. Our forces have remained strictly committed to the humanitarian truce that we agreed upon since midnight, and it is not true that we targeted any aircraft in the sky of Wadi Seyidna in Omdurman, the RSF said in a statement. A damaged Turkish military aircraft claimed to be at Wadi Seyidna airport near Khartoum, Sudan, in a photo released by the Sudanese Armed Forces on April 28, 2023. (Sudanese Armed Forces via Reuters) Reuters was able to confirm the make of the plane in the pictures as a C-130 transport used by the Turkish Air Force through the number and logo on the tail of the plane as well as the propellers, which matched file imagery. Turkeys defense ministry confirmed that a Turkish evacuation plane had been fired at as it was landing at Wadi Seyidna airport outside Khartoum on Friday. It was not possible to confirm the location or the date the photos were taken. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Friday that the damage to the military evacuation plane dispatched to Sudan for Turkish citizens was being inspected by the teams on the ground and was expected to be repaired soon. We do not have any injuries or personnel casualties. There is minor damage to the plane and our team is investigating it at the moment, Akar added. Akar also said that five military aircraft had been dispatched to the country to evacuate all remaining citizens. Before the alleged shooting incident, the Turkish military was in the process of evacuating hundreds of citizens from Sudan on Friday, as the two sides there agreed to extend a truce by 72 hours. A video released by the Turkish defense ministry showed citizens onboard a plane leaving Port Sudan and landing later on in Istanbul. The Sudanese army said the plane was being repaired. Reuters contributed to this report. University of CaliforniaIrvine to Construct Nations First All-Electric Hospital by 2025 The University of CaliforniaIrvine is set to finish construction on a new health centerfully electric and solar-powered with diesel fuel generator backupsby 2025. It will be the first all-electric hospital in the country. UCI Health is building the next chapter of healthcare in Orange County, UCI Health CEO Chad. T. Lefteris said in a 2021 press release when the project broke ground. The new UCI Medical CenterIrvine will be a full-service academic medical complex bringing a broad range of the most advanced healthcare services to coastal and southern Orange County, including access to the hundreds of clinical trials underway at UCI Health. Plans for the hospital recently received green certification from the Green Building Certification Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that provides, in part, such rankings for construction projects. The new four-story facility will have 180 beds with 20 reserved for its emergency department and another 16 for temporary observation. Construction costs are estimated at $770 million, with the final costs after purchase, taxes, and fees will be over $1 billion, according to Building Design + Construction Magazine. The University of California requires new facilities to be all-electric, according to the magazine. UK Ends Evacuation From Sudan Evacuation of British Nationals onto an awaiting RAF aircraft at Wadi Seidna Air Base in Khartoum, Sudan, on April 27, 2023. (Ministry of Defence/handout via PA) British nationals in Sudan were given until midday on Saturday to arrive at the airfield near Khartoum to board the last evacuation flight from the war-torn country. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said its wrapping up the campaign because of declining demand for seats and the risk of renewed conflict. British diplomats and their families left Sudan by April 23 after the Sudanese Armed Forces agreed to facilitate the evacuation of UK, U.S., French, and Chinese nationals. The Royal Air Force (RAF) took over the Wadi Saeedna airfield from the Germans on Tuesday to begin airlifting other British nationals and their immediate families who wished to leave and were able to get to the airfield. The evacuees were first flown to Cyprus and then to the UK. Some 2,000 UK citizens had registered with the British Embassy for evacuation on Tuesday, although more British nationals could be living in Sudan. According to the FCDO, by Friday, 1,573 have been flown out of the country. Asked if those who cant make it on time would essentially be abandoned, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden told Sky News that the UK would maintain consular support in Sudan, particularly at the exit route. So both to the north, to south, and particularly Port Sudan itself. The FCDO on Thursday said British ambassador to Sudan Giles Lever has been relocated to neighbouring Ethiopia to lead the UKs diplomatic efforts in the region to bring fighting to an end in Sudan. Evacuation of British Nationals onto an awaiting RAF aircraft at Wadi Seidna Air Base in Khartoum, Sudan, on April 27, 2023. (Ministry of Defence/handout via PA) The UK government has reportedly broadened the eligibility criteria for evacuation to include Sudanese NHS doctors after being pressured to allow British residents on the flights. Abdulrahman Babiker, a Sudanese doctor who works at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, told the BBC that he had initially been turned away by offices on Thursday despite having a UK work permit. He was later allowed to board a flight to Cyprus and would be travelling to the UK on Saturday. There is no official confirmation on the policy change, but the BBC said it has seen a text circulated by the Department of Health and Social Care telling NHS doctors to bring their work permits and dependents to the airfield. The Epoch Times has contacted the FCDO to ask whether British residents and their families were allowed to evacuate with the RAF. No Plan for Resettlement Scheme Asked whether the UK was looking at safe routes for refugees from Sudan, Home Secretary Suella Braveman said on Wednesday that there was no plan to do so. Downing Street also confirmed on Thursday there were no current plans to create a specific resettlement scheme for anyone fleeing Sudan, but it was something the government keeps under review. During the foreign evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021 after the Taliban quickly took over the country following the withdrawal of U.S. troops, the UK government set up a resettlement scheme for Afghan refugees in addition to a previous resettlement scheme designed exclusively for Afghan staff who worked for the UK including at the British embassy. By February 2023, the Home Office has granted indefinite leave to remain to 12,527 people under the two schemes, according to preliminary official statistics. The Home Office said 8,565 of them had moved into a home, with a further 590 people about to move into a home, while 9,483 people remained in hotels or serviced accommodation. More Than 500 Killed The conflict in Sudan, which broke out on April 15 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has disabled an internationally backed transition toward democratic elections. The fighting has also reawakened a two-decade-old conflict in the western Darfur region where scores have died this week. A man walks near a damaged car and buildings at the central market during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan on April 27, 2023. (Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters) Its believed to have killed at least 512 and injured some 4,200 people, according to the United Nations, which believes the real toll is much higher. The Sudan Doctors Union said at least 387 civilians had been killed. The casualties included U.S. citizens. Despite a 72-hour ceasefire announced earlier in the week, witnesses continued to see strikes by air, tanks, and artillery. In the Khartoum area, heavy gunfire and detonations rattled residential neighbourhoods. Plumes of smoke rose above Bahri. We hear the sounds of planes and explosions. We dont know when this hell will end, said Bahri resident Mahasin al-Awad, 65. Were in a constant state of fear. The army has been deploying jets or drones on RSF forces in neighbourhoods across the capital. Many residents are pinned down by urban warfare with scant food, fuel, water, and power. The RSF accused the army of violating an internationally brokered ceasefire with air strikes on its bases in Omdurman, Khartoums sister city at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers, and Mount Awliya. The army blamed the RSF for violations. The ceasefire is supposed to last until Sunday at midnight. Reuters contributed to this report. Understand Xi Jinpings Ideology to Grasp His Aggression in the Current Cold War China's leader Xi Jinping swears under oath after being firmly confirmed as head of the state for a third term during the third plenary session of China's rubber-stamp legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), in Beijing on March 10, 2023. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images) Commentary The cold war between the Chinese regime and the United States has many dimensions, but it is fundamentally an ideological one caused by the regimes communist ideology. Communism is innately aggressive by its own logic, as it must destroy alternative political ideologies and polities. It is brutal in its suppression of human freedoms and liberties because it knows it is an illegitimate political system that has no mandate from the people. It may only stay in power by coercion of the people. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) cannot accept other ideologies and must confront and defeat them. Yet communist regimes must also be aggressive as they are illegitimate forms of government. They must always have internal and external enemies to motivate their believers and sustain and justify their totalitarian grip on power. For the Chinese regime, what is now termed the new cold war with China is actually the continuation of the war against the West waged by Communists since the Bolsheviks came to power in 1917. U.S. leadership and the American people must understand the CCPs ideology in the context of this long-term ideological struggle. The Chinese regime seeks confrontation with the United States in order to achieve its conception of victorythe fulfillment of its ideological goals and the replacement of the United States by China as the dominant power in international politics. By its logic, the CCP will fight the United States because it is the single major impediment to Chinas strategic objectives. The U.S. model of political liberalism, capitalism, and a society and future defined by freedom, remains the most significant threat to the regimes own existence and its justification for perpetual one-party rule. These objectives have been boldly and transparently advanced by CCP leader Xi Jinping in his conception of a hegemonic China. The United States is the obstruction to the realization of Chinas ambitions and its principal ideological opponent. Thus, it is the focus of the CCPs enmity. The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, S.C., on Feb. 4, 2023. (Randall Hill/Reuters) Xis address at the 20th Party Congress in October last year was momentous and provided key insights into his leadership and impact on the CCP. From a historical perspective, this Congress will be seen as a significant development with lasting implications for the CCP, China, and the risk of war in international politics. First, in his address, Xi proclaimed that the CCP had achieved its first centenary goal, building a moderately prosperous society, and has now moved on to achieve the second centenary goal of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Americans should interpret this as an indication that China now perceives itself, first, as capable of achieving its aims of supplanting the United States and replacing the liberal international order, and, second, these actions will be legitimate. The modern socialist country gets to set the rules. Second, Xi was steadfast that the ideology of the CCP remains firmly anchored in Marxism and its guiding role for the Party. Xi is a firm believer in communist ideology. He seeks to strengthen the ideological purity of the CCP while strengthening its control over China and influence in the world. Third, belligerence was the order of the day in Xis speech, as we have witnessed thereafter in March 2023, for example, with a series of major speeches and pronouncements. His aggressive discourse was directed against the United States with its denunciations of hegemonism and implicitly its allies, like Japan, and partners, like India. Most explicitly, Xis aggressive intent was directed against Taiwan and also the United States. Customers dine near a giant screen broadcasting news footage of aircraft under the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese military taking part in a combat readiness patrol and Joint Sword exercises around Taiwan, at a restaurant in Beijing, on April 10, 2023. (Tingshu Wang/Reuters) The world must grasp that Xi fervently believes in Marxism-Leninism and address the implications. His image of Chinathat China is now able to lead the worldhis ideologyas a true believer in communismand its consequencehis belligerence expressed against the United States, its allies, and Taiwan mean that Xi and the CCP will seek to cause ever more forcefully the change they want. Like Joseph Stalin at the outset of the Cold War, Xi has provided the world with his vision for the CCP, China, and international politics. He has explained his reasoning for why the CCP is at war with the United States, its allies, and its partners. Now these states must recognize the gravity of the threat and respond with far greater alacrity than they have. In response, the United States and the American people must grasp their ideological motivation: the United States must struggle to maintain its ideological principles of political liberalism defined by individual rights to liberty, freedom, private property, the duties and obligations of citizenshipand thus are the foundation of Western political institutions. The power of government is controlled and limited through, first, our Bill of Rights, the separation of powers through federalism, periodic popular elections, and the rule of law. The struggle with the Chinese regime will define the 21st century and compel the United States to employ every tool at its disposal. A U.S. victory will require many steps, but the most important is the most fundamental: to motivate the American people and their allies to understand, enjoin, and sustain the fight. This requires understanding the CCPs ideology but also compels Americans to understand the ideas that our Founding Fathers created and sustained generations so that the United States once again triumphs over a tyrannical foe. The CCP is aggressive and ruthless in no small measure because it knows it is illegitimate. While it should never be underestimatedindeed, this struggle defined the 20th centuryit is vulnerable because its ideology, in theory and its application, is inhuman and dehumanizing. Communism has inflicted a horrific blood price on great peoples and civilizations from China to Cambodia, Angola to East Germany, and Russia to Spain. It is past time for Americans to understand its threat and once again defeat the ideology in the 21st century, as Americans did in the last. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. US and Canada to Increase Tracing of Guns Intercepted at Border Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas shake hands after signing an agreement following the conclusion of the 2023 Canada-United States Cross-Border Crime Forum, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on April 28, 2023. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) The United States and Canada signed four agreements in Ottawa on April 28 meant to reduce cross-border crime, including one that involves increased tracing of guns that are intercepted at the U.S.Canada border. The move is intended to enhance efforts to stop firearms trafficking to Canada from the United States, officials from both countries said. Canadas Border Services Agency will cooperate with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to trace guns seized at the border to see who purchased them and whether they were previously used in crimes. Canada and the United States have agreed to strengthen the bilateral cooperation to reduce gun violence, said Canadas Minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino. It means making even more progress on the tracing of illegal guns so that we can hold those criminals and organized criminal networks to account. It means more joint investigations into gun smuggling and trafficking. It means even more exchanging of intelligence and information between our law enforcement agencies. The agreement on firearms will allow Canada to target ghost guns, he said. Gangs often use such guns because theyre privately manufactured, often using 3D printers, which means theyre unregistered and untraceable. Mendicino signed the four agreements with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas while meeting with him at the 2023 CanadaU.S. Cross-Border Crime Forum, the second such forum. Also present were Canadas minister of justice and attorney general, David Lametti, and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, left, and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, right, look on as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti, center left, and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland shake hands after signing a document following the 2023 CanadaUnited States Cross-Border Crime Forum, in Ottawa, Ontario, on April 28, 2023. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) The United States requires sellers of guns to record the serial numbers of the guns they sell and who purchased them. Tracing provides the ATF with key information that the agency can use to investigate and prosecute people who bought the guns that were later sold illegally or smuggled. Data and information sharing are powerful tools in the fight against gun violence, Garland said. Ontario, Canadas most populous province, traces nearly all the handguns involved in crimes, and in 2021, more than 80 percent of those that were traced were found to have come from the United States. Last year, the two countries governments introduced new action intended to tackle crimes involving guns. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ordered a freeze on the sale, transfer, and importation of handguns into Canada and a ban on sales of large-capacity magazines. The measure became law in October 2022. President Joe Biden announced in April 2022 an executive action to stop ghost guns from being sold by requiring retailers to run background checks before selling kits that contain parts that can be assembled into a gun and to have such kits be registered. The rule also includes an effort to serialize ghost guns already in circulation. It also updates serialization and background check laws for guns with split receivers. The rule went into effect in August 2022. At the Cross Border Crime Forum, the four officials also agreed to enhance their collaboration to address opioid trafficking; money laundering, including the use of cryptocurrency to fund illegal activities; and human smuggling, among other issues. According to a joint statement, law enforcement from the United States and Canada will be trained to have a shared understanding of the nations privacy laws. Its all about meeting the moment, meeting the changes that occur and addressing them in real timesharing actionable, relevant information in real time, Mayorkas said. Regarding opioid trafficking, Garland said authorities will track the ingredients used to create fentanyl and the flow of its components from China. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. US Taking Urgent Action to Secure Data Amid TikTok Security Fears: Official U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo speaks about semiconductor chips subsidies during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on Sept. 6, 2022. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) The United States is taking urgent actions to protect Americans data amid growing concerns over security risks posed by TikTok and other foreign companies, a U.S. official said. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told Reuters that the government is hiring people to monitor and identify companies that may pose undue security risks to the countrys networks or data. At the Senate hearing on Wednesday, Raimondo said they planned to form a team to do monitoring, investigation, and enforcement while safeguarding communications and technology networks. I think it is a top priority, and we need to move with urgency, she said. Its more than one company, and it is a constant, pervasive threat, and we need the permanent tools properly funded with expertise, Raimondo added. Raimondo said her department was actively assessing the risks posed by Chinese companies, and that additional resources may be necessary to review export control issues. Ive put over 200 Chinese companies on the entity list in my tenure and we are actively, constantly investigating additional threats, and if we think companies need to go onto the list, I will not hesitate, she said. The White House and Raimondo support the Restrict Act. Critics say the bill is overbroad and hurts civil liberties of Americans including the more than 150 million U.S. TikTok users. The Chinese video-sharing app denies it improperly uses U.S. data. Earlier in February, Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen about the risks TikTok poses to U.S. national security and consumer privacy. They urged the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which is chaired by Yellen, to impose structural restrictions on TikToks American operations. This came after ByteDance, TikToks Chinese parent company, admitted that its employees used the social media app to track journalists, including two American journalists. The risks associated with TikTok are not limited to sensitive account data and information collected through advertising trackers, but include the apps access to hours of personal videos and discussions of tens of millions of Americans, and its control over the platforms powerful algorithmic recommendation system, they stated. As TikTok plays an increasingly important role in American civic and political life, we should be concerned whether Chinese entities can promote or hide particular topics, the lawmakers said, adding particularly in the service of the Chinese regimes political interests. Brainwashing App TikTok has more than 100 million users in America, with many earning an income from the app. Some lawmakers and security experts have described the app as a spy balloon into your phone. In line with actions taken by global leaders, the White House on Feb. 20 ordered TikTok purged from all government devices and systems to keep U.S. data safe. The Epoch Times previously revealed that ByteDance had been employing Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members in its highest ranks. The company, like many organizations in China, is bound by the regimes National Intelligence Law, which requires all organizations and citizens to support, assist, and cooperate with national intelligence efforts. TikTok has said that users personal data collected by the app can be remotely accessed in China but denied it had or would ever provide the data to the CCP. The promise has done little to assure security experts who warned against trusting the Chinese regime. Arthur Herman, a senior fellow at the U.S. think tank the Hudson Institute, previously told The Epoch Times that the app harvests an enormous amount of data that can be used to picture, in the case of the United States, where American vulnerabilities lie. Its algorithms can also turn the app into a brainwashing app by filtering content disliked by the CCP, Herman said. Caden Pearson, Lily Zhou, and Reuters contributed to this report. WHO Insider Gives Analysis of Its $31 Billion Pandemic Plan A logo is pictured outside a building of the World Health Organization (WHO) during an executive board meeting on update on the CCP virus outbreak, in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 6, 2020. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters) Garrett Brown, a professor of global health policy who was recently hired by the World Health Organization (WHO) to determine whether its $31.1 billion plan for pandemic preparedness and response is feasible, has expressed concerns about the cost-effectiveness of the initiative. The $31.1 billion fund is the estimated need for pandemic response at all regional, national, and global levels, Brown said in an April 22 interview with EpochTVs American Thought Leaders program. The estimate has been made by the WHO, the G20, and the World Bank. However, Brown is apprehensive about whether the initiative will succeed in getting that much funding. Lets put it in perspective. The total operating budget for the global fund, which is responsible for AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, three of the biggest communicable diseases, is around four billion a year. Those are already hard to finance. That is already complicated, Brown said. You have these annual replenishment models, and theres a lot of squabbling about whos going to pay what. They are already complicated with high transaction costs because you have to replenish them all the time. Suddenly, youre talking about $31.1 billion. Brown is unsure how the $31.1 billion amount was calculated. The estimate consists of two components, a global fund and a regional fund. Around $26 billion a year will be set aside to make states align their national programs with global programs. In addition, $4.7 billion is required at the global level for surveillance, coordination, and other mechanisms. One of the questions is whether or not this is really what pandemic preparedness and response should cost and how we can justify those numbers. But those are the numbers being used, he stated. Brown pointed out that COVID-19 is estimated to have cost the world somewhere around $12 trillion to $20 trillion in stimulus packages and lost GDP. Those are opportunity costs because if you just think, What if we put $20 trillion into something else? What if we did something else with that money or have that money used in other ways at a more micro-level in an individuals life? It would be profound. What did we get for that 20 trillion in the end? he said. Moving Money Out From Basic Health Care Brown expressed worries about money being moved from general health care to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. He pointed out that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OEC) added a line item for COVID-19 in 2020, which he says was an extraordinary amount of money. The term line item refers to an amount that is separately listed in a budget. Almost all the new aid money went into COVID or into infectious disease control, Brown said, noting that there were some staggering numbers that reflected how the decision negatively affected general health budgets. Basic health is a line item, and basic health fell by 34 percent. Youre shifting money from basic health into pandemic preparedness and response. Basic nutrition fell by 10 percent. Nutritional programs have seen money depleted, Brown said. Theres a study out of Indonesia where Indonesia has just basically suspended their polio program and moved those human resources into vaccines to administer vaccines. We saw this with malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, AIDS, and reproductive health. Coming back to the annual $26 billion fund that the WHO wants nations to cough up, Brown raised concerns that these countries will likely end up taking that money out of existing programs. Funding Sources, Pandemic Accord As to how the WHO intends to raise $31.1 billion, Brown says that the money would come from a mixture of donors, which usually includes high-income nations like the United States and the UK as well as big organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. On an annual basis, the State Department will relinquish a certain amount of money to these institutions. The leaders at the G7 will commit a replenishment package to the global fund. They are willing to pay a certain amount on an annual basis for the next two years or three years. Thats where the money is generated from. Meanwhile, member countries of the WHO are currently negotiating a global accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. The lead negotiator representing the United States in these discussions, Ambassador Pamela Hamamoto, has said that America is committed to forming the accord. Some are worried that the accord could compromise the autonomy of individual countries when it comes to responding to pandemics. Michelle Bachmann, a former Republican congresswoman, has suggested that the United States joining the accord could be a power grab by the Biden administration. There has never been a bigger power grab than this power graband its being led by the Biden administration, Bachmann told Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. The whole purpose of this legislation would be that 194 countries, all of the member states of the U.N., would give up their sovereignty to the World Health Organization over health care. Ukraine tried to assassinate Putin with explosive-laden drone LONDON, UKRAINIAN secret service agents tried to assassinate Vladimir Putin with a kamikaze drone laden with explosives, but their top secret mission failed after the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed a few miles short of its target, it has been claimed, according to a media report. The Ukrainian forces reportedly launched the UJ-22 drone, laden with 17 kg of C4 plastic explosives, from Ukraine on Sunday with the aim of reaching a newly-built industrial estate near Moscow where Putin was due to visit, German newspaper Bild claimed, Daily Mail reported. But before the deadly drone reached the Rudnevo industrial park on its apparent mission to assassinate the Russian leader, it crashed mere miles away from the site, Bild claimed while citing a tweet by Ukrainian activist Yuriy Romanenko. Romanenko, who claims to have close ties to Kyivs Intelligence services, alleged that Ukrainian secret service agents had received information about Putins apparent trip to the industrial site and had decided to launch the deadly drone in an attempt to assassinate the Russian President, Daily Mail reported. He claimed that the kamikaze drone that had crashed in Voroskogo village, 12 miles east of the Rudnevo industrial park, was the one that Ukrainian forces had launched as part of the assassination plot. In a tweet cited by Bild, Romanenko said: Putin we are getting closer. Everyone saw the news about the drone that flew to Moscow, but did not explode? So, this drone flew for a reason. Last week, our Intelligence officers received information about Putins trip to the industrial park in Rudnevo. Accordingly, our kamikaze drone took off, which flew through all the air defences of the Russian Federation and crashed not far from the industrial park. Air Chief Chaudhari emphasises on need to move towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat Staff Reporter Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, the Chief of Air Staff, visited the city on Thursday and Friday. During his stay here, the Air Chief chaired the Maintenance Command Commanders Conference at Vayusena Nagar. In his address to the commanders, he appreciated the vital role being played by Headquarters Maintenance Command (HQMC) and its units towards sustenance of various fleets and systems. Also, he emphasised upon the need to move towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat. He also spoke about positive contribution that could be made by Maintenance Command Units, and stressed upon active participation of all personnel in the transformative changes initiated towards nation-building. The Air Chiefs statements assume significance considering that a few days ago, on April 20, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM had highlighted certain needs at the IAF Commanders Conference at Air Headquarters. The CDS was then briefed about the operational readiness of the IAF. FILE PHOTO: Gina Raimondo speaks at a press briefing at the White House in Washington By David Shepardson and Alexandra Alper WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Biden administration outlined efforts this week to address growing U.S. national security concerns on foreign companies' handling of Americans' data. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said at a U.S. Senate hearing the department is working "to secure our communications and technology networks and we are right now in the process of hiring a team to do monitoring, investigation and enforcement." Raimondo told Reuters after the hearing "we're hiring dozens of people" to "look for any companies that may pose undue security risk to our networks or to our data." Concerns about Chinese-owned TikTok have sparked new efforts in Congress to boost powers to address it or potentially ban the popular short video sharing app. On Wednesday, Biden administration agencies briefed senators in a previously unreported closed session on "Foreign adversaries exploitation of America's data from social media platforms, data brokers and other companies," according to Republican Senator Jerry Moran. Under Commerce Secretary for Industry and Security Alan Estevez was among those addressing information and communications technology supply (ICTS) chain threats, the department said. Around 20 senators attended the briefing organized by the Commerce Committee, aides said. Last month, Senators Mark Warner and John Thune joined by 24 other senators proposed the Restrict Act to grant the Commerce Department new authority to review or block a range of transactions involving foreign that pose national security risks. "I think it is a top priority and we need to move with urgency," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said at a Senate hearing on Wednesday of the legislative effort. "It's more than one company and it is a constant pervasive threat and we need the permanent tools properly funded with expertise." The White House and Raimondo support the Restrict act. Critics say the bill is overbroad and hurts civil liberties of Americans including the more than 150 million U.S. TikTok users. Tiktok denies it improperly uses U.S. data. Story continues Raimondo said the department has been active in addressing threats from China. "I've put over 200 Chinese companies on the entity list in my tenure and we are actively, constantly investigating additional threats and if and as we think companies need to go onto the list, I will not hesitate," she said. Days before then President Donald Trump left office in 2021, the Commerce Department issued aimed at addressing ICTS concerns posed by China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Lincoln Feast) BARE THE TRUTH THE order of the honourable Calcutta High Court to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to conduct a detailed probe into the violence on Ram Navami day in Shibpur in Howrah district and Rishra in Hoogly district of West Bengal is a welcome development in the sense it will bring out the truth about the perpetrators of the crime. In response to a public interest litigation by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mr. Suvendu Adhikari, a Division Bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Mr. T.S. Sivagnanam directed the West Bengal Police to ensure that all the FIRs, documents, materials seized and CCTV footage are immediately handed over to the NIA. Though this direction may appear to be normal, it has a special significance in the context of the political situation in West Bengal. For, the West Bengal State machinery, under the chief ministership of Ms. Mamata Banerjee, has earned certain notoriety about its non-cooperation in important matters not just with the Central Government but also with the judiciary. The direction of the honourable judges to hand over all the relevant materials to the NIA assumes importance in this context. Though West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee always shouts from the rooftop about her secular and democratic credentials, she is known more for the violations of those concepts than their practice. This ugly side of the West Bengal situation has come out in the open for everybody to see on several occasions in the past some years. The general impression of the common Indian people is that Ms. Banerjee could go any distance, to any extent, to protect her turf rather than to abide by principles of justice and fairness, having been guided often by political vested interests and sectarian approach. The violence at two places on Ram Navami day was a planned activity, as suspected by many, including BJP leader and litigant Mr. Suvendu Adhikari. Bombs were alleged to have been hurled at Ram Navami celebrations in those places -- an allegation never denied effectively by the State Police. This violence was also seen by many observers as indicating certain pattern that was found elsewhere in the country as well. Hence the seriousness of the development. Some parts of the pattern extend back to the frightening post-election violence that West Bengal saw when those who did not vote for certain party were targeted most severely in a totally sectarian manner. In those tension-filled weeks, too, the nature of allegations against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) was similar to the allegations that are being made as regards the violence during the Ram Navami celebrations -- similar to those elsewhere in the country. Let alone a few events and incidents, the common impression across the country is that Ms. Mamata Banerjee conducts her governance in the most partisan and non-secular manner, favouring only certain sections of the society and suppressing some other sections, depending on which side of the political divide people are. Ms. Banerjee is known to harbour funny ideas about federal structure and unitary nature of Indian State. She has been found to refuse implementation of several central schemes alleging that those were designed to benefit the political power ruling at the Centre. Even the street urchins understand the fallacy of that thought-process, but Didi, as the feisty Chief Minister is popularly called, is in no mood to listen to the voice of reason. There is every hope that the NIA investigation would bring out the details of the truth of the violence on Ram Navami day in two places in West Bengal -- so that the wrong-doers are brought to book. BJP members burn Kharges effigy for derogatory remarks against PM Modi Staff Reporter A number of senior leaders and workers of BJP burnt the effigy of Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday for making indecent and derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP leaders accused Kharge of making highly objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is not only the PM of India but also a global leader. They condemned the Congress for resorting to cheap mentality and using indecent language about the worlds popular leader. It may be noted that Congress President Kharge during campaigning in the poll-bound Karnataka on Thursday reportedly compared Prime Minister Modi with a poisonous snake. He later tendered an apology for his remark and clarified that he was not referring to Modi but the ideology of BJP. Expressing great resentment on Kharges remark, BJP leaders said his behavior proves that Congress has poison in its blood and other leaders including Kharge are spewing the venom through their words. Congress Suicidal Choice! By Vijay phanshikar SO, THE Congress party is at it again -- abusing Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi personally in the filthiest possible manner. Obviously, it has not learned any lesson from the fact its leader Mr. Rahul Gandhi has just suffered a terrible blow to his political career for abusing the Prime Minister. He lost his Lok Sabha membership when a Gujarat court sentenced him to a two-year jail term for targeting people with surname Modi, implying thereby that Mr. Narendra Modi, too, was a man of suspect personality. Despite that, the Congress party has not learned any lesson to correct its conduct. Let alone other leaders, the octogenarian Mr. M. Mallikarjun Kharge himself indulged in a nonsensical but deliberate dirty comment against Mr. Narendra Modi. Obviously, the Congress party does not seem interested in protecting itself from making self-goals (to use a sporting term). Obviously, does not seem to have sat together to ponder over the setbacks it has been suffering for the past many years for making uncouth remarks against Mr. Narendra Modi even from his Chief Minister days. This story of using filthy epithets for Mr. Narendra Modi started straight from Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, the then Congress President. Thinking that she was making a smart statement, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi called Mr. Narendra Modi Maut Ka Saudagar meaning a trader of death. Following in the footprint of the leader, other Congress rank and file started using abusive language against Mr. Narendra Modi left-right-and-centre, current President Mr. M. Mallikarjun Kharge being the last to add to the line of abusers. As his contribution to spreading filth about Mr. Modi, Mr. Kharge has now called the Prime Minister a poisonous snake. Bah! There is no sense of shame. There is sense of responsibility, There is sense of dignity. There is no sense of respect for the institution of Prime Minister. Thoughtlessly and senselessly, the Congress party rank and file are indulging in heaping abusive language upon the Prime Minister. In the process, they did not spare even the Prime Ministers father. Nobody could have imagined that the Congress party that claims to have given the country many democratic institutions, appears to have forgotten the so-called historic role it is described to have played to nation-building. Looking at its current conduct, nobody would grant the grand old organisation the status of the countrys premier political party. On the contrary, anybody not knowing anything about contemporary history of India might wonder if the Congress party really once led Indias great struggle for Independence. For, its leaders appear the happiest while heaping abuses on Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Damodardas Modi. But Mr. Kharge crossed all limits of decency, decorum and dignity not just of his own but also of the Prime Minister and thereby of India. It was actually expected that being senior in age and political experience, at least Mr. Kharge would desist from making such thoughtless statements. But that common expectation makes no sense in the light of the internal contest among Congress leaders for giving choicest abuses to the Prime Minister. That was the reason why Mr. Narendra Modi said in a recent television event that the his opponents seem to have lost their sense of proportion. It is a matter of sheer shame that a leader of Mr. Kharges seniority should indulge in such an abusive language involving the Prime Minister of India! Poisonous snake!!!! Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge to have gone off his mind. But let us approach the issue the other way round. Let us examine if the Congress leaders are using such filthy language about the Prime Minister, obviously a peoples darling, as part of a deliberate plan. Are they intentionally provoking the Prime Minister to take drastic steps -- so that they would be able to drag Mr. Modi into taking some hasty action against them? True, there would never be a direct answer to such questions. nonetheless, it is obvious that the final gainer in the process is the Prime Minister, as was rightly said by Mr. Modi himself and by several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders. Then, dont the Congress leaders realise their folly? Possibly they do, but appear to continue doing the same thing again and again, may be as part of a grand political plan at the moment beyond decipher. But then, it is their own choice -- suicidal -- after all! Ex-JD(U) leader Ajay Alok joins BJP NEW DELHI, FORMER JD(U) leader Ajay Alok, a regular on TV debates, joined the BJP on Friday in the presence of Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Joining the BJP is like coming to a family, Alok said, vowing to contribute to the Modi mission. The country is today moving in the same direction as the Prime Minister, he told reporters. A practising doctor, Alok has been a strong defender of the BJPs policies and is seen by the party as a sharp and articulate voice. He was expelled by the JD(U), the ruling party in Bihar, last year for his perceived proximity to R C P Singh, the partys former president who quit following a fallout with its supreme leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and also toeing a line which was closer to the BJP than the party he then represented. Vaishnaw lauded Aloks contribution and praised him as a sharp analyst. Alok took a swipe at Kumar, saying he is an architect who is destroying his own work by compromising on law and order, corruption and communalism. Alok said he was thankful to Nitish Kumar for expelling him from the JD(U). Govt working for tech democratisation: PM Modi NEW DELHI, PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated 91 FM transmitters and said this would revolutionise the radio industry, while asserting his Government was working constantly for the democratisation of technology. Underscoring the emotional connect of his generation with the radio, Modi said he has a relationship with the medium as a host too as he referred to the upcoming 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat this Sunday. This kind of emotional connect with the people of the country was possible only through the radio. Through this, I remained linked to the strength of the country and the collective power of the duty among the people of the country, he said. Modi said Government initiatives such as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and Har Ghar Tiranga became peoples movements through the Mann Ki Baat. Therefore, in a way, I am part of your All India Radio Team, the Prime Minister said after virtually inaugurating 91 FM transmitters covering two crore people across 85 districts. Modi underlined that the inauguration of 91 FM transmitters was in line with the Government policy to give preference to the underprivileged who have been deprived of this facility so far. Like humans, there is need to worry about lives of wild animals: Governor Staff Reporter Governor Mangubhai Patel said that today, in the race for development humans are fighting with wild animals and forest areas are shrinking. We should try that there should be no conflict between humans and wild animals. Like humans, there is a need to worry about the lives of wild animals too. Unless the wild animals are provoked, they do not attack us. He expected that in this three-day workshop, there will be a special discussion on how to reduce the conflict between wild animals and humans so that conclusions will come out. Governor Patel, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister of State for Steel and Rural Development Faggan Singh Kulaste attended the workshop on International Wildlife Conservation and Forest Protection at Khatiya in Mandla district. Chief Minister Chouhan said that Madhya Pradesh has maximum forest area in the country. 12 per cent of the total forest area of the country comes in Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh is working with alacrity for the protection and conservation of wild animals. As a result, today Madhya Pradesh has become the Tiger State, Cheetah State, Leopard State and Gharial State of the country. If our forests are safe, then the wild animals will also be safe in them. Due to this, human life will also be safe. Due to this, human life will also be safe. It is our responsibility to protect and conserve wildlife and forests for the protection of human life and our future generations. Chouhan said that in this three-day workshop, efforts will be made to implement whatever new ideas and suggestions emerge regarding the protection and conserve of wildlife. He said that this earth is not only for humans. All living beings have the right to live on this earth. We have to live with the spirit of live and let live and protect the wild animals. In our ancient texts, wild animals have been made the vehicles of Gods and Goddesses. It gives us the message of protection of wild animals. It has been the tradition of our country that we worship trees, mountains and even rivers. We should have a feeling of compassion for every living being. As a result of the efforts made by the State Government, there has been an increase in the forest area in the State. We have been able to achieve this despite the pressures of human development. Today, there are six tiger reserves and 11 national parks in Madhya Pradesh. The State has got the status of Cheetah State by paying special attention to wildlife conservation. Cheetahs have been introduced in the Kuno sanctuary and alligators have been introduced in the Chambal park. Now efforts are being made to establish Bison in Bandhavgarh. Our government will leave no stone unturned in the conservation of wildlife. Pharma student jumps to death from hostels 3rd floor Staff Reporter A B.Pharma student allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the third floor of the hostel, police told on Friday. The incident occurred in Patel Nagar of Piplani. The student was standing on the third floor with his friend at around 7.15 pm on Thursday. Meanwhile, as soon as the friend went to the mess, the student jumped off the floor. He sustained serious injuries after falling on the ground and was undergoing treatment in hospital where he succumbed to the injuries. Sub Inspector Ramraj Singh told that Shreyash Mishra, (20), hailed from Katni and here he was pursuing B.Pharma (second year) from TIT College, Bhopal. His father Jaynarayan Mishra is a transporter in Katni. Police did not find any suicide note with him. His friends told police that the result of the student had come recently. Since then he was under stress. However, the police is probing for other reasons as well. Shreyash Mishra was the only son of his parents. On Thursday evening, he was standing with his friend in the mess on the third floor of Anika Hostel. Mobile and water were kept on the railing of the terrace. Friend says he went inside the mess, then Shreyash jumped. He died on the spot. SI Singh further said that no suicide note was found from the deceased. Because of this, the reason for the suicide has not been clear at the moment. In the initial investigation, the matter of tension regarding the examination is coming to the fore. Simultaneously, the mobile of the deceased is being seized and investigated. His call details are also being extracted, so that it can be known with whom he was in contact and with whom did he talk in the last moments. On the basis of this the investigation will proceed. On Friday, the police handed over the dead body to the family after getting the post mortem done after which the family members left for Katni to perform last rituals. PM virtually inaugurates FM transmitter at Damoh Our Correspondent Damoh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated 100 watt FM transmitter of Akashvani, Damoh, on Friday. During the function held at Akashvani, Damoh, the chief guest was Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industry and Jal Shakti and MP Prahlad Singh. He observed Akashvani centre and inquired from officers about the relay centre. On the occasion, the gathering saw and heard live telecast of address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Prahlad Patel said that Akashvani has spread the information of rich cultural heritage of area along with other information to each home even in remote areas, this is a very important factor. Mann Ki Baat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, success of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, activities under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav has reached to masses of rural areas due to Akashvani. Akashvani is the most simplest and best medium of communication in the country. He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur for gifting this great facility to Damoh. He further said that it is an old centre of Akashvani and has been restablished due to Central Government. Now this Akashvani centre of Damoh has new energy, new life and it can work effectively and reach Youre pretty sure you want a divorce, but theres a part of you thats having doubts. You already know this, but a divorce will change your life, and so the decision isnt easy. Before lawyering up, theres one big question you have to ask yourself: What is your goal is divorce your only or best option to achieve it? said therapist Maru Torres-Gregory, JD, Ph.D., LMFT, a teaching and supervising faculty member for the Marriage & Family Therapy Program at The Family Institute at Northwestern University. Theres a difference between wanting your marriage to end and wanting a different type of relationship that you just cant picture now, explained Torres-Gregory. What advice would you give your best friend if they were in this situation? That can often help you step back and see things as a more neutral third party, she said. Individual or couples counseling can also help you answer these questions, like whether you, deep down, want to save your marriage. It would be reassuring if there was one telltale sign that you should get a divorce, but it may be a multitude of factors driving you apart, which makes things way less simple. And the reality is that having one issue doesnt mean your relationship is beyond repair nor will divorce necessarily get rid of all your problems. The one exception: If there is abuse in the relationship, then yes, you should get a divorce. That is not easy, and youll need to seek outside resources and support from those you love and trust to ensure your post-exit safety. Beyond that, there are red flags that cause counselors to believe you may be headed for divorce. Here are 12 of those flags you should watch for and handle accordingly: 1. Youre not eating dinner together. What seems like a minor issue might actually be an indication of something more major. When I talk to a couple whos ready for divorce, I ask them if they eat dinner together, said Bonnie Eaker Weil, Ph.D., a couples therapist in New York City and author of "Make Up, Dont Break Up: Finding and Keeping Love for Singles and Couples." The common refrain is that one partner works late and the other doesnt want to wait to eat. But its a signal that you two are totally disjointed. Without eating together, theres no family tie. This is the connection time, Eaker Well said. 2. They are suffering from addiction and refuse to get help. Whether thats drugs, alcohol or gambling, its an understatement to say addiction affects you, too. The same goes for if you're spouse is suffering from a severe mental health issue. In all these circumstances, if they dont want or refuse to get help and are endangering you or others in some way, you may want to rethink the marriage, said Eaker Weil. 3. Youre only together because of your kids. Its common to think that staying together is better for children. But if that's the only thing keeping your marriage alive, it's "a sign that theres no connection between you and your partner, or you two have invested so much energy into the children that youre not investing any into the relationship, said Torres-Gregory. One day, though, your kids will leave home, and then what? And yes, if you have little ones, that seems really far way right now. Ive worked with whose parents divorced, and they say they wished they did it sooner because they could see how unhealthy, disrespectful and combative the relationship was, Torres-Gregory said. Divorce isnt necessarily the solution, but the kids should not be the only tie. 4. Youre not having fun. Couples who play together, stay together, said Eaker Weil. Watch out if theres no more fun, laughter, camaraderie and bonding. While it's possible to rekindle that part of your relationship, the absence of fun often indicates a level of resentment, which can be hard for some couples to get past. 5. You live totally separate lives. Happy couples feel connected to each other even when theyre not physically together, said Torres-Gregory. If youve been making decisions without your partner even entering into your awareness, you straight-up don't care about how they'd react or you arent interested in your partners life, well, those are all bad signs. It's not just leading separate lives part that's the issue it's the fact you or them or both of you couldn't care less about doing so. 6. Youve stopped having sex. If there are no health issues preventing sex but theres no sexual relationship as in, you or your partner have no interest, desire or attraction thats a sign you two arent connected, said Torres-Gregory. While it's common for marriages to go through dry spells, if your partner never initiates and neither do you, it won't be easy to bounce back. While sex isn't everything and for some couples, such as those that identify as asexual, it's the drastic change and lack of any kind of intimacy that may be a bad sign. 7. You'd be fine if they wanted to see other people. If youre in a monogamous relationship, let your mind go there: What if your partner had sex with someone else? If your answer is you dont really care and the image itself doesnt bother you, that may be a sign youre headed for divorce, said Torres-Gregory. This does not apply to couples who have decided to open their marriages in some way. 8. Theres no respect. Does your partner make decisions or engage in actions that they know would hurt you? Thats a sign the marriage is in real trouble, said Torres-Gregory. For instance, you told your partner you dont want them to do something and youve been clear about it, but they do it anyway. Or they make life-altering decisions without even consulting you especially when they know you wouldn't have agreed. 9. They mock you to others or to your face. The way someone talks about their partner when theyre not together can be a sign of disdain, said Torres-Gregory. The same goes if they share these things with you to your face, via name-calling or making fun of you during arguments. These attitudes and behaviors can be a sign that there are irreparable cracks in your marriage. 10. You dont want to come home. If you find yourself wanting to stay at the office late or sleep at your friend's place just to limit how much time you're around your spouse, that's not a sign to ignore. Similarly, if the sound of your partner's key opening the door fills you with anxiety or dread, your marriage isnt working right now, said Eaker Weil. 11. You cant see them with empathy. Eaker Weil called this looking at your partner like theyre a wounded child. Every marriage has disagreements, but when you cant look at your partner and their needs with empathy or tenderheartedness, that means you may indeed be better off apart. In marriages ready to break up, couples are holding on to so much negativity and so many grudges, she said. 12. The thought of ending the relationship is a relief. Enough said. Again, said Torres-Gregory, its worth it to explore if you really do want out of the marriage or actually want it to change. Either way, take all the time you need to self-reflect. In the end, only you know what's right for you. Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media NORWALK Norwalk Harbor will receive a $44,000 grant from the Connecticut Port Authoritys Small Harbor Improvement Project Program to improve access to the inner coastal harbor. The funding will be used for a Norwalk Harbor access study of 16 city-owned and often unimproved street-ends that were identified by the Norwalk Harbor Management Commission and Planning and Zoning Department. This project will be focused on improving public access on the east and west shorelines of the inner harbor. The board of Anglo-Eastern Plantations Plc (LON:AEP) has announced that it will be paying its dividend of $0.202 on the 7th of July, an increased payment from last year's comparable dividend. Based on this payment, the dividend yield for the company will be 2.4%, which is fairly typical for the industry. View our latest analysis for Anglo-Eastern Plantations Anglo-Eastern Plantations' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions We like a dividend to be consistent over the long term, so checking whether it is sustainable is important. Before making this announcement, Anglo-Eastern Plantations was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business. Over the next year, EPS could expand by 18.7% if recent trends continue. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 9.4% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range. Dividend Volatility The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. The annual payment during the last 10 years was $0.06 in 2013, and the most recent fiscal year payment was $0.25. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 15% a year over that time. It is great to see strong growth in the dividend payments, but cuts are concerning as it may indicate the payout policy is too ambitious. The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. It's encouraging to see that Anglo-Eastern Plantations has been growing its earnings per share at 19% a year over the past five years. A low payout ratio and decent growth suggests that the company is reinvesting well, and it also has plenty of room to increase the dividend over time. We Really Like Anglo-Eastern Plantations' Dividend Overall, we think this could be an attractive income stock, and it is only getting better by paying a higher dividend this year. Distributions are quite easily covered by earnings, which are also being converted to cash flows. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock. Story continues Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Anglo-Eastern Plantations that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SALEM, Ore. (AP) Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan is in hot water, with Republican lawmakers calling for her resignation and the Democratic governor seeking investigations because Fagan took a consulting job with a marijuana firm. Fagan released a statement late Friday saying she welcomed the governor's inquiry. I am relieved that the Governor has asked DOJ and the Government Ethics Commission to engage in fact finding because the facts will restore trust in our audits division and in me as your Secretary of State," Fagan said. The matter came to a head Friday after Fagans office released an audit of the states marijuana regulators, the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. The audit called for the OLCC to reform some rules for marijuana businesses, saying they are burdens when combined with federal restrictions on interstate commerce, banking and taxation. Fagan, a Democrat, recused herself from the audit because she is a paid consultant of an affiliate of marijuana retail chain La Mota, Fagan's spokesman Ben Morris said at a virtual news conference about the audits release. La Motas co-owner has hosted fundraisers for top Democratic Oregon politicians, including Fagan, while the co-owner, her partner and their business allegedly owe $1.7 million in unpaid bills and more in state and federal taxes, according to Willamette Week, a Portland newspaper. Fagan didnt appear at the news conference, which included her spokesman, deputy and the audits director. News of the consultancy was first reported Thursday by Willamette Week. Fagan hasnt disclosed how much the consultancy pays. Morris denied Fagans outside work represented a conflict of interest and said Oregon Government Ethics Commission guidelines specifically allow public officials to maintain private employment. But hours after the audit press conference, Republican legislative leaders, who are in the minority in the Legislature, called for Fagan to resign over the consulting job. This appears to be an ethics violation and if it isnt then Oregons ethics laws are broken," Senate Republican leader Tim Knopp and House Republican leader Vikki Breese-Iverson said in a joint statement. Gov. Tina Kotek, a Democrat, indicated she had concerns later on Friday. Its critical that Oregonians trust their government, Kotek said in an emailed statement. Kotek said she was urging the Oregon Government Ethics Commission to immediately investigate this situation and asked the Oregon Department of Justice to examine the audit. The audit questioned the OLCCs requirement that marijuana businesses keep their stash behind steel doors and have 24-hour video surveillance systems. The OLCC should make marijuana regulations more like those governing distilled spirits, which the agency also regulates, the auditors said. The audit also said Oregon should prepare for the U.S. government eventually legalizing marijuana and position the state, with its huge stockpiles of the drug, as a national leader in the industry. Oregon, long known for its potent marijuana, would be competing with other pot-producing states particularly California, which also has a vast oversupply for the export market if marijuana is ever legalized nationally. Now is the time for Oregon to prepare its system for a future when cannabis is legal nationally, Oregon Deputy Secretary of State Cheryl Myers said at the news conference. Oregon Audits Director Kip Memmott noted with a bit of envy that Canada legalized marijuana and is a lot more proactive in looking at the benefits financially. Oregon can lead the way in the U.S. in how pot is regulated, while also offering its high-end strains of marijuana, Memmott said. We have kind of a signature commodity, along with ... our timber and all the other great things that Oregon produces here. And theres a real opportunity, Memmott said. Oregons auditors reminded the OLCC to follow its own strategic plan to position the state as a national leader by increasing the number of speaking engagements at national conferences, holding more statewide meetings and championing a nationwide framework for cannabis regulation. OLCC Executive Director Craig Prins wrote in response that his agency is keen to move quickly if, and when, interstate marijuana commerce is permitted. Prins said he expects only the highest quality products from well-regulated systems, that have recognized testing, packaging, labeling, and traceability standards, will be allowed for sale into other states. Oregon has for years prioritized these standards, which are aimed at protecting consumers, Prins said. A total of 21 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational use of marijuana, but activists see little chance of the current Congress moving toward national legalization. Still, theres hope the Biden administration will allow pot commerce among states that have legalized it. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 AP Show More Show Less 2 of 3 AP Show More Show Less 3 of 3 BOISE, Idaho (AP) Why did 2,500 sheep cross the road? Because the grass was greener on the other side. In Idaho, it's not unusual to see ranchers moving a bleating herd of sheep up to higher elevation at this time of year. But the sight of 2,500 wooly beasts trotting across a highway earlier this week brought a crowd about 300 people. Dave Martin/AP CHICAGO (AP) A memorial honoring Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till, will be unveiled Saturday outside the suburban Chicago high school she attended as a young woman, long before she became a critical player in the Civil Rights Movement. Emmett Tills 1955 lynching in Mississippi and his mothers insistence on an open-casket funeral for the 14-year-old served as a catalyst for civil rights. Till-Mobley was a civil rights activist for the rest of her life. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate EDWARDSVILLE Ever wonder if the Edwardsville restaurants that most often tempt your taste buds are local secrets or known outside of town? The top 10 best restaurants in Edwardsville, as ranked by tripadvisor.com, may not surprise local residents. And there are many more than 10 mouth-watering menus at businesses across the community. But according to tripadvisor.com, which plenty of people outside Edwardsville use to get a look behind the curtain here, the 10 best restaurants in town are: 1 Doc's Smokehouse Doc's has been routinely making headlines for its barbecue since opening in 2014. Just last fall, Doc's landed on the national Best of the Best Barbecue Restaurants in America list by Barbecue News Magazine for the fifth year in a row. Looks like the secret is out about Doc's, located at 6108 Shoger Drive, Suite D. 2 Cleveland Heath Edwardsville institution Cleveland Heath opened in 2011 and, most recently, changed hands in 2021. It has received state honors among top Illinois restaurants, and local residents know why. Located at 106 Main St., the restaurant is known to specialize in comfort foods with elegance and unique dishes made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. 3 Peel Wood Fired Pizza Since December 2009, Peel Wood Fired Pizza has been pleasing palates, and the restaurant is now located in the One57 Building at 32 South Route 157, near Esic Drive. It's known for its brew pub and menu items inspired by Thai, Southern French and Italian cuisine in addition to (of course) pizza. 4 Dewey's Pizza Opening in 2012 at 112 E. Vandalia St., Dewey's Pizza offers pasta, salad, calzones and the it's-in-our-name dish, too. Dewey's is based in Cincinnati. The eatery is known for its variety of unique pizzas, with specialties named Ryan's Inferno, Edgar Allan Poe and Dr. Dre, just to name a trio. 5 Wang Gang Asian Eats Here's another award-winning Edwardsville restaurant, voted No. 3 Best Chinese Restaurant in St. Louis 2011 by Sauce Magazine readers. Wang Gang opened in 2009 and is located at 1035 Century Drive. 6 54th Street Grill and Bar Technically in Glen Carbon, 54th Street Grill and Bar opened in 2007 and offers a diverse menu. It's located at 6660 Edwardsville Crossing Drive, and meals available for order include flavorful lunch specials, mile high burgers, pasta and more. 7 Bella Milano Recognized as Small Business of the Month by the RiverBend Growth Association in 2014, Bella Milano offers pizza and pasta and much more. It's located at 1063 South State Route 157. 8 1818 Chophouse Debuting in 2012 as Craft Chophouse, the 1818 Chophouse now serves up fresh seafood at 6170 Bennett Drive. Menu items include oysters, peel-and-eat shrimp, lobster rolls and poke tuna bowls. 9 Sugo's Spaghetteria Oh sure, Sugo's made the Intelligencer's list of restaurants where you can take your dog with you, but the establishment opened here in 2012 is primarily known for its Italian menu, of course. Located at 243 Harvard Drive, Sugo's tempts with a taste of Tuscany that is sought by local residents and out-of-towners alike. 10 Oriental Spoon Located at 229 Harvard Drive, this Korean restaurant is known for Kimchi, bulgogi and bap. Be sure to ask about spiciness levels at Oriental Spoon, which first opened its doors in 2010. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ABOARD BRP MALABRIGO (AP) A Chinese coast guard ship blocked a Philippine patrol vessel steaming into a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, causing a frightening near-collision in the latest act of Beijings aggression in the strategic waterway. The high seas face-off April 23 between the larger Chinese ship and the Philippine coast guards BRP Malapascua near Second Thomas Shoal was among the tense moments it and another Philippine vessel encountered in a weeklong sovereignty patrol in one of the worlds most hotly contested waterways. The Philippine coast guard had invited a small group of journalists, including three from The Associated Press, to join the 1,670-kilometer (1,038-mile) patrol for the first time as part of a new Philippine strategy aimed at exposing Chinas increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea, where an estimated $5 trillion in global trade transits each year. In scorching summer heat but relatively calm waters, the Malapascua and another Philippine coast guard vessel, the BRP Malabrigo, journeyed to the frontlines of the long-seething territorial conflicts. They cruised past a string of widely scattered Philippine-occupied and claimed islands, islets and reefs looking for signs of encroachment, illegal fishing and other threats. In areas occupied or controlled by China, the Philippine patrol vessels received radio warnings in Chinese and halting English, ordering them to immediately leave what the Chinese coast guard and navy radio callers claimed were Beijings undisputable territories and issuing unspecified threats for defiance. Hostilities peaked that Sunday morning in the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly archipelago, the most fiercely contested region in the busy sea channel. As the two patrol vessels approached the shoal's shallow turquoise waters for an underwater survey, the Chinese coast guard repeatedly warned them by radio to leave the area, which is about 194 kilometers (121 miles) west of the Philippine island province of Palawan. After several radio exchanges, a Chinese coast guard caller, sounding agitated, warned of unspecified adversarial action. "Since you have disregarded our warning, we will take further necessary measures on you in accordance with the laws and any consequences entailed will be borne by you, the Chinese speaker said. A Chinese coast guard ship rapidly approached and shadowed the smaller Malapascua and the Malabrigo. When the Malapascua maneuvered toward the mouth of the shoal, the Chinese ship suddenly shifted to block it, coming as close as 36 to 46 meters (120 to 150 feet) from its bow, said Malapascuas skipper, Capt. Rodel Hernandez. To avoid a collision, Hernandez abruptly reversed his vessels direction then shut off its engine to bring the boat to a full stop. Filipino personnel aboard the vessels and journalists, who captured the tense moment on camera watched in frightened silence. But the Malapascua steered just in time to avoid a potential disaster. Hernandez later told journalists that the sudden and really very dangerous maneuver by the Chinese coast guard ship had disregarded international rules on collision avoidance. He had the Philippine vessels leave the area after the encounter for the safety of the ships and personnel. Earlier, a huge Chinese navy ship shadowed the two Philippine patrol vessels in the dark of night as they cruised near Subi, one of seven barren reefs China has transformed in the last decade into a missile-protected island base. The Chinese navy ship radioed the Philippine vessels to immediately leave and keep out. The coast guard radioed back to assert Philippine sovereign rights to the area before steaming away. China has long demanded that the Philippines withdraw its small contingent of naval forces and tow away the actively commissioned but crumbling BRP Sierra Madre. The navy ship was deliberately marooned on the shoal in 1999 and now serves as a fragile symbol of Manilas territorial claim to the atoll. Chinese ships often block navy vessels delivering food and other supplies to the Filipino sailors on the ship, including just a few days earlier, Hernandez said. As hostilities between Chinese coast guard and navy ships and the Philippine patrol vessels were unfolding, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang was in Manila, where he held talks with his Philippine counterpart and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday. China was willing to work with the Philippines to resolve differences and deepen ties, Qin said. The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to an AP request for comment on the encounters. In another Philippine-claimed reef called Whitsun, the Philippine patrol vessels spotted more than 100 suspected Chinese militia ships arrayed side by side in several clusters in the shallows. China says the huge trawler-like ships are fishing vessels, but Manilas coast guard suspects they are being used for surveillance or to hold the reef for future development. Filipino coast guard personnel aboard two motor boats approached the Chinese ships and ordered them through a loudspeaker to leave, but none did. Philippine officials required participating journalists to not immediately release information about the trip to ensure the safety of the mission and to give the coast guard time to brief defense, justice and foreign affairs officials in charge of handling the touchy territorial conflicts. Faced with a militarily far-superior China in the disputed waters, the Philippines launched the campaign early this year to expose the Asian superpowers aggression, hoping public awareness and criticism will force Beijing to abide by international law. Philippines coast guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said the strategy was working. He noted the Chinese ambassador in Manila was prompted to hold a news conference to explain Beijings side amid outrage over a publicly released video that showed a Chinese coast guard ship aiming a military-grade laser in early February that temporarily blinded two crewmembers of the Malapascua off Second Thomas Shoal. We are David, Tarriela said, likening the Philippines to the underdog hero of the Biblical story. We believe that through the publication of all these aggressive actions of China, we would find friends who would criticize Goliath. The territorial conflicts involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have long been regarded as an Asian flashpoint and a delicate fault line in the rivalry between the United States and China in the region. While the U.S. lays no claims to the South China Sea, it has deployed its warships and fighter jets for patrols and military exercises with regional allies to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight, which it says is in Americas national interest. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Saturday called media reporting on the encounters a stark reminder of Chinese harassment and intimidation of Philippine vessels as they undertake routine patrols within their exclusive economic zone. We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct. Beijing has criticized a recent agreement by the Philippines and the U.S. to grant American forces access to additional Filipino military camps. China fears the access will provide Washington with military staging grounds and surveillance outposts in the northern Philippines across the sea from Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory, and in provinces facing the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety. Miller reaffirmed Washington's repeated warnings that it would help defend the Philippines its oldest treaty ally in Asia if Philippine forces, ships or aircraft are attacked in the South China Sea. With multiple conflicts looming in what appears to be a placid expanse of sea, where dolphins and starlit night skies send seafarers grabbing their cameras, Malabrigos skipper Julio Colarina III said he would always strive to stay on the right side of a geopolitical minefield. As much as possible well avoid conflict in the area, he said. All these competing interests just need one spark. ___ Associated Press journalists Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila contributed to this report. ___ Find more of AP's Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A massive fire erupted at an oil depot in Crimea after it was hit by two of Ukraine's drones, a Russia-appointed official there reported Saturday, the latest in a series of attacks on the annexed peninsula as Russia braces for an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, a port city in Crimea, posted videos and photos of the blaze on his Telegram channel. Razvozhayev said the fire at the city's harbor was assigned the highest ranking in terms of how complicated it will be to extinguish. However, he reported that the open blaze had been contained. Razvozhayev said the oil depot was attacked by two enemy drones," and four oil tanks burned down. A third drone was shot down from the sky, and one more was deactivated through radio-electronic means, according to Crimea's Moscow-appointed governor, Sergei Aksyonov. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move that most of the world considered illegal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview this week that his country will seeking to reclaim the peninsula in the upcoming counteroffensive. Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Crimea last month to mark the ninth anniversary of the Black Sea peninsulas annexation from Ukraine. Putin's visit took place the day after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader accusing him of war crimes. The attack reported in Sevastopol comes a day after Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine, killing at least 23 people. Almost all of the victims died when two missiles slammed into an apartment building in the city of Uman, located in central Ukraine. Six children were among the dead, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Saturday, adding that 22 of the 23 bodies recovered have been identified. Two women remained missing, Klymenko said. Russian forces launched more drones at Ukraine overnight. Ukraine's Air Force Command said two Iranian-made self-exploding Shahed drones were intercepted, and a reconnaissance drone was shot down on Saturday morning. Razvozhayev said the oil depot fire did not cause any casualties and would not hinder fuel supplies in Sevastopol. The city has been subject to regular attack attempts with drones, especially in recent weeks. Earlier this week, Razvozhayev reported that the Russian military destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone that attempted to attack the harbor and another one blew up, shattering windows in several apartment buildings, but not inflicting any other damage. Ukraine's military intelligence spokesperson, Andriy Yusov, told the RBC Ukraine news site on Saturday that the oil depot fire was God's punishment for the murdered civilians in Uman, including five children. He said that more than 10 tanks containing oil products for Russia's Black Sea Fleet were destroyed in Sevastopol, but stopped short of acknowledging Ukraine's responsibility for a drone attack. The difference between the number of tanks Yusov and Razvozhayev gave could not be immediately reconciled. After previous attacks on Crimea, Kyiv also wouldn't openly claim responsibility, but emphasized that the country had the right to strike any target in response to Russian aggression. Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces shelled the city of Nova Kakhovka, according to Moscow-installed authorities in the Russian-occupied part of southern Ukraine's Kherson province. Severe artillery fire cut off power in the city, the officials said. The Ukrainian-controlled part of the province also came under fire on Saturday. Russian shelling in the area of the village of Bilozerka killed one person and wounded another, according to the Kherson prosecutors office. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kornelius Purba (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, April 29, 2023 20:53 3 d5259e4d93052b0e76bee70b0558fb18 1 Academia Prabowo-Subianto,anies-baswedan,identity-politics,Muslim,coalition Free Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subiantos third bid for the presidency will likely falter, this time because of Anies Baswedan, whom he helped win the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election. Not only will Anies attract many of Prabowos voters in the 2019 elections, but he will also send the former army general packing. Believed to turn into a three-horse race, the Feb. 14, 2024 presidential election will likely see Prabowo miss the cut, paving the way for a run-off between Anies and Ganjar Pranowo, the outgoing Central Java governor nominated on April 21 by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). In his quest for the presidency, Anies will likely repeat the identity politics tactic that helped him beat the reelection bid of then-Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian and Chinese Indonesian. On a number of occasions, however, Anies has claimed that he champions religious tolerance. When President Joko Jokowi Widodo installed Anies as Jakarta governor, The Jakarta Posts editorial said that Anies and his deputy Sandiaga Uno know full well that after a divisive election that came close to tearing the fabric of the community, pitting one ethnic group against the other or one neighbor against the other, whats needed is a winner who is not presumptuous and is ready to stop spreading rhetoric that could further sow fresh seeds of division. Anies choice of strategy will be damaging to Prabowo, who had also banked on identity politics to win his presidential bids in 2014 and 2019, but failed. Indonesia survived the two divisive elections, but the scars remain today. Many who voted for Prabowo in the last two elections will likely shift to Anies in 2024, according to various surveys. In 2014 and 2019 they voted for Prabowo, a former son-in-law of Indonesias second president Soeharto, because they were against Jokowi, whom they deemed was un-Islamic. Jokowi picked as his 2019 running mate Maruf Amin, who was then chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and a Nahdlatul Ulama cleric, to counter the Islamic card the Prabowo-Sandiaga pair were playing. The gamble paid off. Jokowi won in 21 provinces. On Sumatra, he prevailed in North Sumatra, Lampung, Bangka Belitung and Riau Islands. On Java, he won in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Central Java and East Java. Voters in Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Gorontalo, West Sulawesi, Maluku, Papua, West Papua and overseas gave him an edge. Prabowo defeated Jokowi in 13 provinces. On Sumatra, he won in West Sumatra, Aceh, Riau Jambi, South Sumatra and Bengkulu. On Java, Prabowo took West Java and Banten. He also led in West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, North Maluku and South Kalimantan. Anies has traveled to many regions to introduce himself as a presidential aspirant since his nomination by the NasDem Party last October. But uncertainty lingers until today as to whether he will really contest the election, as NasDem, the Democratic Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) backing his presidential bid have yet to settle a disagreement over his running mate. NasDem chairman Surya Paloh announced the partys decision to back Anies on Aug. 14 and formalized it on Oct. 3. The move surprised many, because NasDem is part of the ruling government coalition and it was an open secret that Anies had built up his image as an antithesis to Jokowi, who dismissed him as education and culture minister in 2016. The NasDem-led Coalition of Change for Unity (KPP) has yet to reach consensus on its vice presidential candidate. The Democrats insist on nominating their chairman, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, for the vice presidency, but Surya said the former Army major had not proven he deserved the post. Agus father, sixth president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is reportedly fighting hard for his sons political ambition. But even if the alliance manages to break the deadlock, NasDem has to tread extra carefully as its leader because Jokowi still has the power to embarrass the party. The President on several occasions hinted at another Cabinet reshuffle, which many predicted would affect the three ministerial posts NasDem held. But Jokowi changed his mind, preferring to keep NasDem in the government in order to keep the party hostage. The Attorney Generals Office (AGO) is now investigating a graft case that may implicate Communications and Information Minister Johny G. Plate, who is also NasDems secretary-general. State prosecutors have grilled Johny for nine hours as a witness over his alleged involvement in the case, which concerns the construction of base transceiver stations (BTS) as part of a state 4G telephony project under his supervision. In January, the AGO named and arrested three people as suspects in the case. Prabowos presidential ambition is no less complicated. Gerindra has forged an electoral alliance with the National Awakening Party (PKB) to meet the presidential nomination threshold. The PKB accepted Gerindras offer on expectations that its chairman Muhaimin Iskandar would be Prabowos running mate. Golkar, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the United Development Party (PPP), which formed the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB), intended to join forces with Prabowo to set up a grand coalition. But as soon as the PDI-P announced last week that it had nominated Ganjar, the idea started to fall apart. Instead, the KIB looks set to join forces with the PDI-P. Ganjars nomination means he is currently the only contender who has secured formal backing, as the PDI-P already meets the presidential threshold. He has talked about his potential running mates, including Prabowo. However, Prabowo has openly refused the offer to be Ganjars running mate and plans to run for president himself. Many things can happen until the General Elections Commission closes registration for presidential and vice presidential candidates on Nov. 25, but most likely a three-horse race scenario will bode ill for Prabowo. He lost twice to Jokowi in 2014 and 2019 and in 2024, ironically it will be his former partner Anies who will hand him his third defeat. *** The writer is a senior editor at The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rubeena Singh Jakarta Sat, April 29, 2023 06:57 3 d5259e4d93052b0e76bee70b0558ace4 2 Academia digital,ASEAN,Women,research,policy,inequality,media,leadership Free Women's lack of representation in digital leadership in policy, media, and research is a critical issue in the ASEAN region. Despite high-level commitments of ASEAN member states to gender digital equality and to lead the region in equal digital access, there are still significant challenges to womens advancement in digital leadership. For example, the dimensions, causes, and solutions related to digital leadership are not clearly defined, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of how to address this issue. In a recent report, Women and Leadership in the ASEAN Digital Economy: Mapping the Rhetorical Landscape, authors Araba Sey and Sara Kingsley analyze the rhetoric in the region and make several recommendations for womens advancement in digital leadership. Properly defining, understanding, and addressing the cause and symptoms of an issue is essential in making key policy decisions. Media institutions can create public support or interest in particular issues, which, in turn, can drive policy action and influence policymaking. They accomplish this through the number, type, and substance of the topics they report on. Media can monitor and report the status of policy implementation. Policymakers often emphasize issues that have extensive media coverage. Thus, by examining the medias reportage on women's issues in the digital economy in the ASEAN region, one can gain insights into how the public and policymakers perceive the problem. The report finds that media coverage of women's inequality in digital leadership is patchy and often limited to stories of individual women's experiences. This type of coverage fails to provide a comprehensive picture of issues and challenges faced by women in the digital economy. Similarly, policy and research on women's inequality in digital leadership are insufficient, as they are often focused on economic narratives than on equal representation as a matter of principle. This vagueness or merging of issues can have consequences for identifying and, consequently, addressing the core problem. It can also result in discrepancies between the issue and the solutions to address it. For example, whilst the ASEAN Sustainable Urbanization Strategy acknowledges the difficulties of automation's impact on women's employment and gender inequality in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, it is uncertain whether prioritizing a boot camp as the preferred action would solve the problem, particularly since boot camp models are primarily intended to provide entry-level skill training and perform tasks that are susceptible to automation. The narrow focus on economic benefits detracts from the larger principle of equal representation in digital leadership, which is essential for promoting gender equality and a more inclusive digital economy. Data, monitoring, and evaluation are crucial in addressing women's inequality in digital leadership. The heavy reliance on global, European, or North American data to define the issue underscores the need to improve the collection of gender-disaggregated data within the ASEAN economy. Even baseline data on the extent and nature of women's participation in the digital economy are scarce, with most economic gender data focusing on women in the textile, clothing, and footwear industry. The lack of data makes it difficult to understand the specific challenges faced by women, limiting the development of effective solutions to address these challenges. Without routine data collection and monitoring systems, it will be impossible to evaluate the effectiveness of policies and strategies. The authors thus advise policymakers to actively integrate monitoring and evaluation of policies intended to enhance the status of women in digital leadership, including using independent research and media coverage to continually raise public awareness of the issue. Systematic, longitudinal data are critical for effectively monitoring and managing the expected and unforeseen results of policy initiatives. This will also help determine whether gender equality in digital leadership in ASEAN is a policy, implementation, or management problem, and guide the allocation of resources accordingly. We need to shift the focus from economic narratives to a more comprehensive understanding of the issue and its causes. By improving the collection of gender-disaggregated data, we can gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by women in the digital economy and develop effective solutions to address them. Only by doing this can we achieve equal representation and a more inclusive digital economy for all. *** The writer is an external consultant on inclusive education for the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). The views expressed are her own. Topics : digital ASEAN Women research policy inequality media leadership Street scene of pink mannequins as two people talking on a smartphone outside the Versace store on New Bond Street - Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images For rich international shoppers seeking out the finest quality goods, New Bond Street has long been a trusted port of call. Far more upmarket than the nearby Oxford Street, it is home to some of the biggest names in global and national luxury, from Mont Blanc and Jo Malone to Versace and Jimmy Choo. On the surface, it appears to be thriving: both the high-end French candle brand Diptyque and luxury retailer Kering have announced the opening of new stores. In the latter's case it agreed a record 13m rent for a six-storey property. Yet behind the scenes there are worries the glamorous street could be losing its shine, as retailers struggle to cope with a fall in international shoppers following the Governments axing of VAT-free shopping in 2021 alongside soaring rents and business rates. Figures from the Local Data Company show vacancies on New Bond Street increasing, hitting 15.4pc in April 2023 although sources suggest refurbishment and redevelopment has played a role in driving this number so high. The issue was thrust into the spotlight when upmarket handbag brand Mulberry announced the closure of its longstanding New Bond Street boutique in February. Its chief executive Thierry Andretta did not mince his words on the reasons why. Without trade from overseas visitors dropping and costs soaring, he said, the site had simply become unviable. The extent of the damage is stark: before VAT-free shopping was axed, it is understood around 50pc of the stores sales were coming from overseas tourists. After it was ended, that share plunged to less than 5pc, delivering a brutal coup de grace to the shops future prospects. Observers need only look at the dire state of Oxford Street, which has suffered an exodus of retailers over recent years and an influx of tacky American candy stores, to see what could be coming next. It would have been inconceivable in 2019, to have empty stores in Bond Street. Absolutely inconceivable, says Paul Barnes, chief executive of the Association of International Retail (AIR). The fact that there are any now is part of it. Story continues It is very expensive to have a store in Bond Street, not just because of the rents, but because of the business rates, he adds. So the costs are extremely high there. And if suddenly you're not getting international visitors and you're relying on domestic ones, you can't make the model work. But some say there is still a steady pipeline of tenants for Bond Street and the surrounding area. There's a lot of tenants that want to be on Bond Street and pay exorbitant rents, says retail expert Jonathan De Mello. And there's a lot of spillover onto the side streets in Mayfair, like Albemarle Street and Conduit Street, and some of the other streets as well. Bond Street's recovery is well under way with multiple global flagships opening later this year, reflecting the hot competition there is for this iconic location, says a spokesman for the New West End Company (NWEC), which represents retailers, restaurants and other businesses in the area. New Bond Street has been an upmarket fashion destination since the 18th century - Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images At any rate, pressure is mounting on Rishi Sunak to scrap the so-called tourist tax, which bosses say is making Londons premier retail locations less competitive against international luxury destinations. The fact we do not have VAT-free shopping in the UK is an own goal and a missed opportunity, adds Andretta. British businesses across the UK are losing out to Europe. Luxury retailers depend, especially in Bond Street, on a foreign shopper to come in and purchase the products, says De Mello particularly those from China. The demand in the UK from domestic shoppers is not anywhere near close to replacing that level of demand. There is a danger though if the government does not level up the playing field, we will not realise our full potential on visitor spend against other European cities, says the NWEC spokesman. In the long term, Barnes believes the lack of VAT-free shopping not only risks destroying a retail legacy built up by the Capital over hundreds of years, but could scare off major investors in London. London was always the Premier Division for investment, he says. There's the potential it becomes Second Division. The West End is unique in terms of major cities in Europe. There's nowhere else with this big concentration of retail and culture and hospitality all in one walkable area. Before the ending of tax free shopping, global brands, their European capital investment programs would put a lot of money into growing what they were doing in London, because that's where the international visitors came in shopping. Now though, they are looking elsewhere. Major global brands who only really want to invest their money where they are making money, are starting to say that's not London anymore. And the moment that starts you get to spiral down, Barnes adds. Tax-free is not just about luxury shopping, the NWEC spokesman says. It also protects and creates more British jobs. That does not just mean the thousands of front-line retail and hospitality workers in flagship outlets for some of the world's top brands in the West End, but the hundreds of thousands of people working in British manufacturing, retail, property, leisure and cultural attractions, that are integral in creating the fantastic experiences enjoyed by our international visitors. The long-term prospects for these workers are directly linked to London's ability to recover the millions of pounds worth of tourist trade we are currently losing to other cities like Paris and Milan. It's all an ecosystem, adds Barnes. If the Treasury is just looking at luxury shopping, they don't get that if you start breaking that ecosystem, they will damage the whole of the West End. For now, with new entrants like Diptyque and Kering, there is certainly cause to think Bond Street may be able to hang on to its reputation in spite of the tourist tax. But speaking to The Telegraph on Wednesday, Fortnum & Mason chief executive Tom Athron said the true effect of it on Londons shopping streets is yet to be seen. I think that the effect of this is being masked by the relative weakness of Sterling, which is making Britain an attractive place to be, he said. But as and when that begins to unwind, we're going to have to think of ways in which we can keep Britain an attractive place to visit. If Rishi Sunak cant do that, the ramifications for destinations such as New Bond Street could be dire indeed. Roper Technologies (NYSE:ROP Get Rating) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The industrial products company reported $3.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.85 by $0.05, Briefing.com reports. Roper Technologies had a return on equity of 11.43% and a net margin of 80.89%. The firm had revenue of $1.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.45 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.77 EPS. Roper Technologiess revenue was up 14.8% on a year-over-year basis. Roper Technologies Stock Up 0.4 % ROP traded up $1.80 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $454.78. 560,645 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 554,149. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The company has a market cap of $48.32 billion, a PE ratio of 10.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.04. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $432.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $426.50. Roper Technologies has a one year low of $356.21 and a one year high of $481.65. Get Roper Technologies alerts: Roper Technologies Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 21st. Investors of record on Thursday, April 6th were issued a $0.683 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 5th. This represents a $2.73 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.60%. This is an increase from Roper Technologiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. Roper Technologiess dividend payout ratio is currently 6.41%. Insiders Place Their Bets Institutional Investors Weigh In On Roper Technologies In related news, Director Robert D. Johnson sold 250 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $436.00, for a total value of $109,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 6,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,682,708. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website . In other Roper Technologies news, Director Robert D. Johnson sold 250 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $436.00, for a total transaction of $109,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 6,153 shares in the company, valued at $2,682,708. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . Also, Director Richard F. Wallman acquired 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $424.95 per share, for a total transaction of $424,950.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $424,950. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . Insiders own 0.88% of the companys stock. Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ROP. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC raised its holdings in Roper Technologies by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC now owns 645 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $279,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its stake in Roper Technologies by 0.8% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 3,916 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,849,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Kinneret Advisory LLC raised its stake in shares of Roper Technologies by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. Kinneret Advisory LLC now owns 1,765 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $833,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Menard Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Roper Technologies by 6.9% in the 4th quarter. Menard Financial Group LLC now owns 682 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $295,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SVB Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Roper Technologies by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 3,101 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,464,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.41% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets ROP has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Mizuho began coverage on shares of Roper Technologies in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. They set a neutral rating and a $475.00 price target on the stock. Barclays increased their target price on Roper Technologies from $510.00 to $518.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Roper Technologies from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and lifted their price target for the company from $385.00 to $420.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Robert W. Baird reissued a neutral rating and issued a $476.00 price objective on shares of Roper Technologies in a research note on Monday, March 20th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded Roper Technologies from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $480.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Six 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 stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $494.58. About Roper Technologies (Get Rating) Roper Technologies, Inc is a diversified technology company, which engages in the provision of engineered products and solutions for global niche markets. It operates through the following segments: Application Software, Network Software, and Technology Enabled Products. The Application Software segment includes Aderant, CBORD/Horizon, CliniSys, Data Innovations, Deltek, Frontline Education, IntelliTrans, PowerPlan, Strata, and Vertafore. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Roper Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Roper Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. lifted its stake in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO Get Rating) by 6.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 16,019 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,028 shares during the quarter. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd.s holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $1,019,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of KO. Altus Wealth Group LLC bought a new stake in Coca-Cola in the 4th quarter worth about $203,000. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Coca-Cola by 11.1% in the 4th quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,161 shares of the companys stock worth $454,000 after buying an additional 718 shares in the last quarter. Lyell Wealth Management LP increased its holdings in Coca-Cola by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Lyell Wealth Management LP now owns 7,265 shares of the companys stock worth $462,000 after buying an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. Silver Lake Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Coca-Cola by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Silver Lake Advisory LLC now owns 31,630 shares of the companys stock worth $2,012,000 after buying an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evergreen Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Coca-Cola by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 27,631 shares of the companys stock worth $1,560,000 after buying an additional 854 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.74% of the companys stock. Get Coca-Cola alerts: Insider Activity at Coca-Cola In related news, SVP Nancy Quan sold 74,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.71, for a total transaction of $4,344,540.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 219,790 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,903,870.90. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Coca-Cola news, SVP Nancy Quan sold 74,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.71, for a total value of $4,344,540.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 219,790 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,903,870.90. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 46,421 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.50, for a total value of $2,808,470.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 592,546 shares in the company, valued at approximately $35,849,033. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 155,296 shares of company stock worth $9,256,671. Company insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock. Coca-Cola Price Performance Shares of KO traded up $0.23 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $63.91. 5,012,513 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 13,162,787. The company has a market cap of $276.49 billion, a PE ratio of 27.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.60 and a beta of 0.54. The Coca-Cola Company has a 52-week low of $54.01 and a 52-week high of $66.38. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $61.37 and a two-hundred day moving average of $61.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.15. Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 24th. The company reported $0.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.78 billion. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 42.96% and a net margin of 22.69%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.64 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.6 earnings per share for the current year. Coca-Cola Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, June 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 15th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.88%. Coca-Colas payout ratio is presently 80.70%. Analysts Set New Price Targets KO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Coca-Cola from $68.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 15th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Coca-Cola from $71.00 to $74.00 in a report on Monday. Barclays boosted their price target on Coca-Cola from $72.00 to $73.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Coca-Cola from $70.00 to $68.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Coca-Cola from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $67.88. Coca-Cola Company Profile (Get Rating) The Coca-Cola Co engages in the manufacturing and marketing of non-alcoholic beverages. It operates through the following segments: Europe, Middle East and Africa, Latin America, North America, Asia Pacific, Global Ventures, and Bottling Investments. The company was founded by Asa Griggs Candler on May 8, 1886 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Coca-Cola Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Coca-Cola and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Urals Energy PCL (LON:UEN Get Rating) passed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of GBX 38 ($0.47) and traded as low as GBX 38 ($0.47). Urals Energy PCL shares last traded at GBX 38 ($0.47), with a volume of 14,900 shares trading hands. Urals Energy PCL Trading Up 15.2 % The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 28.96. The business has a 50 day moving average of GBX 38 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 38. The stock has a market cap of 4.80 million and a PE ratio of 0.42. Urals Energy PCL Company Profile (Get Rating) Urals Energy Public Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an independent exploration and production company in Russia. Its primary exploration and production operations are on the Kolguyev Island based in Timan Pechora, on Sakhalin Island, and Komi region. The company has 2P proved and probable reserves of 46.3 mmboe. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Urals Energy PCL Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Urals Energy PCL and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fernwood Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Get Rating) by 0.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 67,192 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 605 shares during the period. Altria Group makes up about 1.3% of Fernwood Investment Management LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Fernwood Investment Management LLCs holdings in Altria Group were worth $3,071,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MO. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 404,894 shares of the companys stock worth $21,248,000 after acquiring an additional 6,324 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in Altria Group by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 18,647 shares of the companys stock valued at $974,000 after purchasing an additional 929 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the first quarter valued at $25,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 3.4% in the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,711,773 shares of the companys stock worth $141,690,000 after buying an additional 89,334 shares during the period. Finally, First Western Trust Bank purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the first quarter valued at $498,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.68% of the companys stock. Get Altria Group alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts have commented on MO shares. StockNews.com started coverage on Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $49.50 to $47.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They set a buy rating and a $52.00 target price for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, January 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $45.50. Altria Group Trading Up 0.7 % Shares of MO stock opened at $47.51 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.59. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $40.35 and a 1 year high of $57.03. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $45.89 and its 200 day simple moving average is $45.77. Altria Group (NYSE:MO Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.19 by ($0.01). Altria Group had a net margin of 22.44% and a negative return on equity of 245.43%. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.89 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.12 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.06 EPS for the current fiscal year. Altria Group Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 24th were paid a $0.94 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 23rd. This represents a $3.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.91%. Altria Groups payout ratio is 117.87%. About Altria Group (Get Rating) Altria Group, Inc operates as a holding company, which engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States. It operates through the following segments: Smokeable Products, Oral tobacco products, and Wine. The Smokeable Products segment consists of cigarettes manufactured and sold by PM USA and machine-made large cigars and pipe tobacco manufactured and sold by Middleton. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Get Rating). 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. Ares Management (NYSE:ARES Get Rating) announced its earnings results on Friday. The asset manager reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.82 by ($0.11), Briefing.com reports. Ares Management had a return on equity of 16.82% and a net margin of 5.48%. The firm had revenue of $813.36 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $694.04 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.65 earnings per share. Ares Management Stock Up 5.0 % ARES traded up $4.14 on Friday, reaching $87.59. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,351,709 shares, compared to its average volume of 803,215. The stock has a market cap of $25.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 103.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.31. The businesss 50 day moving average is $81.01 and its 200 day moving average is $77.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.98. Ares Management has a 1 year low of $53.15 and a 1 year high of $88.00. Get Ares Management alerts: Ares Management Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.77 per share. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.52%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 15th. Ares Managements payout ratio is 362.35%. Insider Activity at Ares Management Institutional Inflows and Outflows In related news, Chairman Antony P. Ressler sold 25,269 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.19, for a total transaction of $2,152,666.11. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 712,670 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,712,357.30. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . In related news, Chairman Antony P. Ressler sold 25,269 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.19, for a total transaction of $2,152,666.11. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 712,670 shares in the company, valued at $60,712,357.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink . Also, Chairman Antony P. Ressler sold 94,211 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.13, for a total value of $8,020,182.43. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 480,027 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $40,864,698.51. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last three months, insiders bought 2,458,214 shares of company stock valued at $43,767,828 and sold 5,121,973 shares valued at $154,478,492. 47.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Ares Management by 3.4% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,038,275 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $1,140,328,000 after buying an additional 458,646 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. increased its position in Ares Management by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,191,021 shares of the asset managers stock worth $502,895,000 after buying an additional 45,745 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its position in Ares Management by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,339,231 shares of the asset managers stock worth $144,915,000 after buying an additional 26,436 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Ares Management in the 4th quarter worth approximately $107,777,000. Finally, Morgan Stanley grew its position in Ares Management by 13.9% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,267,836 shares of the asset managers stock worth $86,771,000 after purchasing an additional 154,847 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 47.96% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts have commented on ARES shares. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of Ares Management from $86.00 to $97.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Ares Management in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating on the stock. TheStreet upgraded shares of Ares Management from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Ares Management from $93.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Ares Management from $82.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday, February 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $95.78. Ares Management Company Profile (Get Rating) Ares Management Corp. is engaged in providing investment management and consultancy services. It operates through the following segments: Credit Group, Private Equity Group and Real Estate Group. The Credit Group segment offers credit strategies across the liquid and illiquid spectrum, including syndicated bank loans, high yield bonds, credit opportunities, special situations, asset-backed investments and U.S. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Ares Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ares Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. (NYSE:BLX Get Rating) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $16.58 and traded as high as $17.99. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. shares last traded at $17.97, with a volume of 63,019 shares changing hands. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Get Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A. alerts: Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. Trading Up 0.2 % The businesss 50 day moving average price is $17.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $16.62. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.61. The company has a market capitalization of $652.14 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.56 and a beta of 1.16. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. Announces Dividend Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. ( NYSE:BLX Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 27th. The bank reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. had a net margin of 26.11% and a return on equity of 11.15%. The company had revenue of $53.19 million for the quarter. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 4th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 3rd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.56%. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A.s payout ratio is currently 30.86%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new stake in Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,630,000. Thomas White International Ltd. boosted its position in Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Thomas White International Ltd. now owns 353,718 shares of the banks stock worth $5,510,000 after buying an additional 1,021 shares during the period. Finally, LSV Asset Management boosted its position in Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 972,198 shares of the banks stock worth $15,750,000 after buying an additional 15,990 shares during the period. 7.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. (Get Rating) Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A., a multinational bank, primarily engages in the financing of foreign trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. The company operates through two segments, Commercial and Treasury. It offers short and medium-term bilateral loans, structured and syndicated credits, and loan commitments; financial guarantee contracts, such as issued and confirmed letters of credit, and stand-by letters of credit; and guarantees covering commercial risk and other assets, as well as co-financing arrangements, underwriting of syndicated credit facilities, structured trade financing in the form of factoring and vendor financing, and financial leasing. Featured Stories 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. StockNews.com upgraded shares of CEMEX (NYSE:CX Get Rating) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning. Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of CEMEX from $5.20 to $5.90 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $4.93. Get CEMEX alerts: CEMEX Stock Up 1.9 % CX stock opened at $6.00 on Wednesday. CEMEX has a 12-month low of $3.20 and a 12-month high of $6.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The company has a market cap of $8.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.17, a PEG ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a 50 day moving average of $5.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $4.74. Institutional Inflows and Outflows CEMEX ( NYSE:CX Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 13th. The construction company reported ($0.12) earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $3.87 billion for the quarter. CEMEX had a net margin of 5.54% and a return on equity of 5.09%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that CEMEX will post 0.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Inspire Advisors LLC raised its holdings in CEMEX by 26.2% in the 3rd quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 13,555 shares of the construction companys stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 2,817 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its position in CEMEX by 24.6% in the 2nd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 17,934 shares of the construction companys stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 3,545 shares during the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. grew its position in CEMEX by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 130,162 shares of the construction companys stock worth $446,000 after purchasing an additional 3,584 shares during the last quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in CEMEX by 93.2% in the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 7,429 shares of the construction companys stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 3,584 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC grew its position in CEMEX by 33.7% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 16,787 shares of the construction companys stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 4,228 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 28.74% of the companys stock. About CEMEX (Get Rating) CEMEX SAB de CV operates as a global construction materials company. It offers cement, ready-mixconcrete, aggregates, and urbanization solutions. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: Mexico, United States, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMEAA) and South, Central America and the Caribbean (SCA&C). Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for CEMEX Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CEMEX and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CenterPoint Energy (NYSE:CNP Get Rating) updated its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $1.48 to $1.50 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.49. CenterPoint Energy also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $1.48-$1.50 EPS. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Bank of America upped their target price on CenterPoint Energy from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, April 14th. StockNews.com upgraded CenterPoint Energy from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on CenterPoint Energy from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $33.00 price target on shares of CenterPoint Energy in a research note on Monday, March 6th. Finally, Guggenheim cut CenterPoint Energy from a buy rating to a neutral rating and increased their price target for the company from $31.00 to $32.00 in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, CenterPoint Energy has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $32.75. Get CenterPoint Energy alerts: CenterPoint Energy Trading Down 1.1 % NYSE CNP traded down $0.35 on Friday, reaching $30.47. The company had a trading volume of 3,674,119 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,775,083. The firm has a market cap of $19.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.88. CenterPoint Energy has a fifty-two week low of $25.03 and a fifty-two week high of $33.50. The business has a 50 day moving average of $29.28 and a two-hundred day moving average of $29.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.75. CenterPoint Energy Dividend Announcement CenterPoint Energy ( NYSE:CNP Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $2.78 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.79 billion. CenterPoint Energy had a return on equity of 9.97% and a net margin of 8.99%. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.47 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that CenterPoint Energy will post 1.49 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.19 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 17th. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.49%. CenterPoint Energys payout ratio is currently 47.80%. Institutional Trading of CenterPoint Energy A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Macquarie Group Ltd. grew its holdings in CenterPoint Energy by 15.7% during the 4th quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 357,314 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $10,626,000 after acquiring an additional 48,616 shares during the period. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in CenterPoint Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $226,000. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in CenterPoint Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $223,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its holdings in CenterPoint Energy by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,809,976 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $54,281,000 after acquiring an additional 123,717 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Advocates Investment Management grew its stake in shares of CenterPoint Energy by 45.1% in the 4th quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 24,121 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $723,000 after buying an additional 7,503 shares during the period. 90.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. CenterPoint Energy Company Profile (Get Rating) CenterPoint Energy, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the business of power generation and distribution. It operates through the following segments: CenterPoint Energy, Houston Electric, and CERC. The CenterPoint Energy segment consists of electric transmission and distribution services in the Texas gulf coast area in the ERCOT region and electric transmission and distribution services primarily to southwestern Indiana and includes power generation and wholesale power operations in the MISO region. Read More Receive News & Ratings for CenterPoint Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CenterPoint Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Deutsche Telekom AG (ETR:DTE Get Rating) shares shot up 0.1% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as 22.38 ($24.86) and last traded at 22.26 ($24.73). 5,650,982 shares traded hands during trading, The stock had previously closed at 22.23 ($24.70). Deutsche Telekom Trading Up 0.1 % The company has a 50 day moving average of 21.82 and a 200-day moving average of 20.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 173.87, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.86. The stock has a market cap of $110.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.58. Deutsche Telekom Company Profile (Get Rating) Deutsche Telekom AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated telecommunication services. The company operates through five segments: Germany, United States, Europe, Systems Solutions, and Group Development. It offers fixed-network services, including voice and data communication services based on fixed-network and broadband technology; and sells terminal equipment and other hardware products, as well as services to resellers. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Deutsche Telekom Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deutsche Telekom and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Key Insights The projected fair value for United Parcel Service is US$175 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity With US$180 share price, United Parcel Service appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value Our fair value estimate is 7.5% lower than United Parcel Service's analyst price target of US$190 Does the April share price for United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex. We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for United Parcel Service The Calculation We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$7.59b US$8.66b US$8.59b US$9.35b US$9.81b US$10.2b US$10.6b US$10.9b US$11.2b US$11.5b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x12 Analyst x12 Analyst x6 Analyst x2 Est @ 4.90% Est @ 4.05% Est @ 3.46% Est @ 3.04% Est @ 2.75% Est @ 2.55% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 8.2% US$7.0k US$7.4k US$6.8k US$6.8k US$6.6k US$6.4k US$6.1k US$5.8k US$5.5k US$5.2k ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$64b The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.1%) 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 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = US$11b (1 + 2.1%) (8.2% 2.1%) = US$191b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$191b ( 1 + 8.2%)10= US$87b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$150b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of US$180, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. 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. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at United Parcel Service 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 1.033. 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 United Parcel Service Strength Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings growth over the past year underperformed the Logistics industry. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Logistics market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Good value based on P/E ratio compared to estimated Fair P/E ratio. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the American market. Next Steps: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. 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 United Parcel Service, we've put together three pertinent items you should further research: Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with United Parcel Service , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does UPS's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every American stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Dover (NYSE:DOV Get Rating) posted its earnings results on Wednesday. The industrial products company reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $1.94, RTT News reports. Dover had a net margin of 12.51% and a return on equity of 28.27%. The firm had revenue of $2.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.08 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.90 earnings per share. Dovers revenue for the quarter was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Dover updated its FY23 guidance to $8.85-$9.05 EPS. Dover Trading Up 1.1 % Shares of DOV traded up $1.58 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $146.16. The company had a trading volume of 1,130,208 shares, compared to its average volume of 820,249. Dover has a 1-year low of $114.49 and a 1-year high of $160.66. The stock has a market cap of $20.44 billion, a PE ratio of 19.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.35. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $146.52 and a 200-day simple moving average of $141.45. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. Get Dover alerts: Dover Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 28th were paid a $0.505 dividend. This represents a $2.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.38%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 27th. Dovers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.93%. Analyst Ratings Changes Insiders Place Their Bets A number of research analysts recently weighed in on DOV shares. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Dover in a report on Thursday, March 9th. Barclays reduced their target price on Dover from $141.00 to $138.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on Dover from $176.00 to $170.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Mizuho upped their target price on Dover from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Dover in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $162.31. In other Dover news, CFO Brad M. Cerepak sold 34,972 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.25, for a total value of $5,009,739.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 73,878 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,583,023.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dover A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of DOV. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new position in shares of Dover during the 1st quarter worth $48,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new position in shares of Dover during the 1st quarter worth $938,000. Raymond James Trust N.A. boosted its holdings in Dover by 5.8% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 5,645 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $886,000 after acquiring an additional 310 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its holdings in Dover by 6.5% during the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 9,126 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,465,000 after acquiring an additional 561 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in Dover by 6.1% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 140,560 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $22,055,000 after acquiring an additional 8,054 shares during the period. 85.52% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Dover Company Profile (Get Rating) Dover Corp. operates as a manufacturer and solutions provider delivering innovative equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services. It operates through the following segments: Engineered Products, Clean Energy and Fueling, Imaging and Identification, Pumps and Process Solutions, and Climate and Sustainability Technologies. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Dover Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dover and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Extra Space Storage Inc. (NYSE:EXR Get Rating) saw a large increase in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 10,290,000 shares, an increase of 149.2% from the March 31st total of 4,130,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,440,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 7.1 days. Approximately 7.7% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Extra Space Storage Stock Performance Extra Space Storage stock traded up $0.92 during trading on Friday, hitting $152.04. The stock had a trading volume of 974,167 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,187,561. Extra Space Storage has a 1 year low of $139.97 and a 1 year high of $216.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80. The stocks 50 day moving average is $158.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $157.42. The stock has a market cap of $20.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.72 and a beta of 0.54. Get Extra Space Storage alerts: Extra Space Storage (NYSE:EXR Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 22nd. The real estate investment trust reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.08 by ($0.56). Extra Space Storage had a net margin of 45.52% and a return on equity of 22.01%. The firm had revenue of $506.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $433.39 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.91 EPS. Extra Space Storages revenue for the quarter was up 18.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Extra Space Storage will post 8.53 EPS for the current year. Extra Space Storage Increases Dividend Wall Street Analyst Weigh In The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were issued a dividend of $1.62 per share. This is a boost from Extra Space Storages previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.26%. Extra Space Storages payout ratio is presently 101.09%. Several research analysts have recently weighed in on EXR shares. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on Extra Space Storage from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. StockNews.com downgraded Extra Space Storage from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday. Wolfe Research downgraded Extra Space Storage from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 18th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Raymond James upgraded Extra Space Storage from an outperform rating to a strong-buy rating and set a $185.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. Finally, KeyCorp cut their target price on Extra Space Storage from $190.00 to $172.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Extra Space Storage currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $170.56. Insider Activity at Extra Space Storage In related news, CMO Samrat Sondhi sold 6,290 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.88, for a total transaction of $1,018,225.20. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer now owns 82,653 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13,379,867.64. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, COO Matthew T. Herrington sold 650 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.75, for a total transaction of $107,737.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 6,405 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,061,628.75. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CMO Samrat Sondhi sold 6,290 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.88, for a total value of $1,018,225.20. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 82,653 shares of the companys stock, valued at $13,379,867.64. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 13,440 shares of company stock valued at $2,172,313 in the last 90 days. 1.52% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Extra Space Storage A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in Extra Space Storage by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 3,648,605 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $630,149,000 after acquiring an additional 10,610 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Extra Space Storage by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,135,848 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $460,800,000 after acquiring an additional 38,582 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Extra Space Storage during the 4th quarter valued at $380,823,000. Pictet Asset Management SA raised its holdings in Extra Space Storage by 7.5% during the 3rd quarter. Pictet Asset Management SA now owns 2,084,840 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $359,005,000 after acquiring an additional 145,688 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Extra Space Storage by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,877,977 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $276,405,000 after acquiring an additional 22,497 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.32% of the companys stock. About Extra Space Storage (Get Rating) Extra Space Storage, Inc is a real estate investment trust. It operates through the following segments: Self-Storage Operations and Tenant Reinsurance. The Self-Storage Operations segment includes rental operations of wholly-owned stores. The Tenant Reinsurance segment includes reinsurance of risks relating to the loss of goods stored by tenants in stores. Recommended Stories 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 Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey, Inc. (OTCMKTS:FREVS Get Rating) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 500 shares, a growth of 400.0% from the March 31st total of 100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.5 days. First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey Price Performance Shares of First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey stock traded down $0.43 during trading on Friday, hitting $14.57. 4,160 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,105. The firms fifty day moving average is $15.05 and its 200-day moving average is $15.82. First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey has a 52 week low of $14.12 and a 52 week high of $28.00. Get First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey alerts: About First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey (Get Rating) Further Reading First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey, Inc engages in the acquisition, development, construction, and holding of real estate properties for long-term investment and not for resale. It operates through the Commercial Properties and Residential Properties segments. The Commercial Properties segment contains multi-tenanted retail or office centers, a single tenanted store, as well as owns land in Rockaway and Rochelle Park, NJ. Receive News & Ratings for First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC reduced its position in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM Get Rating) by 12.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 60,557 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 8,591 shares during the quarter. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NCs holdings in Waste Management were worth $9,500,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Twin Lakes Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. TD Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management in the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Waste Management by 232.1% during the 3rd quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 269 shares of the business services providers stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HBC Financial Services PLLC bought a new position in Waste Management during the 4th quarter worth approximately $47,000. 78.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Waste Management alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms have issued reports on WM. Stifel Nicolaus raised Waste Management from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the company from $171.00 to $177.00 in a research note on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on Waste Management from $157.00 to $151.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 6th. UBS Group lowered shares of Waste Management from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $190.00 to $165.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. StockNews.com began coverage on Waste Management in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Citigroup cut their target price on Waste Management from $183.00 to $180.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $175.17. Insider Buying and Selling Waste Management Stock Performance In related news, SVP Tara J. Hemmer sold 7,515 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $1,164,825.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 46,542 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,214,010. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website . In other Waste Management news, SVP Tara J. Hemmer sold 7,515 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $1,164,825.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 46,542 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,214,010. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . Also, CAO Leslie K. Nagy sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.11, for a total value of $120,888.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,210 shares in the company, valued at $787,283.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last ninety days, insiders sold 30,743 shares of company stock valued at $4,762,320. Insiders own 0.27% of the companys stock. NYSE WM traded up $4.42 during trading on Friday, reaching $166.05. 2,227,191 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,742,780. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $157.55 and a 200-day moving average price of $157.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $67.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.41, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.77. Waste Management, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $138.89 and a fifty-two week high of $175.98. Waste Management (NYSE:WM Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The business services provider reported $1.31 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $4.89 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.86 billion. Waste Management had a return on equity of 33.23% and a net margin of 11.33%. The businesss revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.29 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Waste Management, Inc. will post 6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Waste Management Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.70 per share. This is a boost from Waste Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. Waste Managements dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.28%. About Waste Management (Get Rating) Waste Management, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of waste management environmental services. It operates through the following segments: East Tier, West Tier, and Other. The East Tier segment consists of Eastern U.S., the Great Lakes Region, and Canada. The West Tier segment includes the upper Midwest region and British Columbia, Canada. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Waste Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Waste Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Genpact (NYSE:G Get Rating) was downgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report released on Friday. Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a buy rating and issued a $56.00 price objective on shares of Genpact in a research report on Friday, February 10th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Genpact from $51.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on Genpact from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Two investment 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 $52.50. Get Genpact alerts: Genpact Stock Performance NYSE G traded up $0.72 on Friday, hitting $44.55. 703,639 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 778,097. The businesss fifty day moving average is $45.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.94. Genpact has a 12 month low of $37.68 and a 12 month high of $48.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.70, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a current ratio of 1.61. Insider Buying and Selling at Genpact Genpact ( NYSE:G Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The business services provider reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.03. Genpact had a return on equity of 25.63% and a net margin of 8.08%. The business had revenue of $1.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.08 billion. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Genpact will post 2.54 EPS for the current fiscal year. In other Genpact news, SVP Kathryn Vanpelt Stein sold 55,500 shares of Genpact stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.29, for a total transaction of $2,624,595.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 66,206 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,130,881.74. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, CEO N. V. Tyagarajan sold 50,000 shares of Genpact stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.60, for a total transaction of $2,380,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 622,518 shares in the company, valued at $29,631,856.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Kathryn Vanpelt Stein sold 55,500 shares of Genpact stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.29, for a total transaction of $2,624,595.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 66,206 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,130,881.74. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 225,500 shares of company stock valued at $10,491,195. 2.62% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Genpact Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in G. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new position in Genpact in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new position in Genpact in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. purchased a new position in Genpact in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Fred Alger Management LLC raised its holdings in Genpact by 136.7% in the 4th quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC now owns 878 shares of the business services providers stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 507 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in Genpact by 148.5% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,014 shares of the business services providers stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 606 shares during the last quarter. 95.17% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Genpact Company Profile (Get Rating) Genpact Ltd. engages in the business process management, outsourcing, shared services and information outsourcing. The company operates through the following segments: Banking, Capital Markets and Insurance (BCMI), Consumer Goods, Retail, Life Sciences, and Healthcare (CGRLH) and High Tech, Manufacturing, and Services (HMS). Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Genpact Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Genpact and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HUTCHISON TELEC/ADR (OTCMKTS:HTHKY Get Rating) shares crossed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $5.99 and traded as high as $6.00. HUTCHISON TELEC/ADR shares last traded at $5.99, with a volume of 1,600 shares trading hands. HUTCHISON TELEC/ADR Stock Performance The company has a 50 day moving average price of $5.99 and a 200-day moving average price of $5.99. About HUTCHISON TELEC/ADR (Get Rating) Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, provides mobile communication services primarily in Hong Kong and Macau. It offers 4G long term evolution, 3G, and GSM dual-band mobile telecommunications services under the 3 brand. The company's mobile telecommunications services and products include local voice, SMS, MMS, international direct dialing, and international roaming; and broadband-based data services and applications, such as direct carrier billing offerings, mobile device security management, eBooks, music downloads, movies-on-demand, mobile social networking applications, and stock trading, as well as Wi-Fi services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for HUTCHISON TELEC/ADR Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for HUTCHISON TELEC/ADR and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Interfor Co. (TSE:IFP Get Rating)s stock price crossed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of C$23.48 and traded as low as C$20.81. Interfor shares last traded at C$21.12, with a volume of 219,751 shares traded. Analyst Ratings Changes IFP has been the topic of a number of research reports. Scotiabank lifted their target price on shares of Interfor from C$30.00 to C$32.00 in a research note on Friday, February 10th. TD Securities increased their target price on Interfor from C$29.00 to C$31.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Finally, CIBC reduced their price target on Interfor from C$31.00 to C$30.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Get Interfor alerts: Interfor Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 41.10, a current ratio of 2.39 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The business has a 50 day moving average price of C$22.72 and a 200 day moving average price of C$23.46. The stock has a market capitalization of C$1.09 billion, a PE ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 2.55. Insider Activity at Interfor Interfor ( TSE:IFP Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported C($1.65) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C($1.07) by C($0.58). The firm had revenue of C$810.36 million for the quarter. Interfor had a net margin of 13.05% and a return on equity of 32.66%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Interfor Co. will post 0.2407661 earnings per share for the current year. In other Interfor news, Senior Officer Simon Bruce Luxmoore purchased 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 28th. The stock was purchased at an average price of C$16.15 per share, for a total transaction of C$80,750.00. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. About Interfor (Get Rating) Interfor Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells wood products in Canada, the United States, Japan, China, Taiwan, and internationally. The company offers lumber products for decking, fascia and trims, framings, furniture, industrial packaging, Japan Zairai, millworks, paneling, sidings, trusses, and windows and doors. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Interfor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Interfor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mesa Royalty Trust (NYSE:MTR Get Rating) passed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $17.22 and traded as high as $19.21. Mesa Royalty Trust shares last traded at $18.50, with a volume of 19,278 shares. Mesa Royalty Trust Stock Down 1.9 % The business has a 50 day moving average price of $17.23 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $17.51. Get Mesa Royalty Trust alerts: Mesa Royalty Trust Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 28th will be given a $0.238 dividend. This represents a $2.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 15.73%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 27th. This is an increase from Mesa Royalty Trusts previous monthly dividend of $0.16. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mesa Royalty Trust About Mesa Royalty Trust A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MTR. UBS Group AG boosted its holdings in Mesa Royalty Trust by 800.0% in the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 4,500 shares of the energy companys stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 4,000 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA purchased a new stake in Mesa Royalty Trust in the 1st quarter worth about $58,000. Finally, Fayez Sarofim & Co purchased a new stake in Mesa Royalty Trust in the 4th quarter worth about $209,000. Institutional investors own 11.85% of the companys stock. (Get Rating) Mesa Royalty Trust holds royalty interests in oil and gas producing properties in the United States. It earns specified interests in certain producing oil and gas properties such as Hugoton Royalty Properties located in Hugoton field of Kansas, San Juan Basin located in San Juan Basin field of New Mexico, and the San Juan Basin in San Juan Basin field of Colorado. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Mesa Royalty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mesa Royalty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of NexPoint Residential Trust (NYSE:NXRT Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report released on Tuesday. A number of other research firms have also weighed in on NXRT. Credit Suisse Group lowered shares of NexPoint Residential Trust from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $47.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Monday, January 9th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on NexPoint Residential Trust from $46.00 to $49.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. Finally, TheStreet cut shares of NexPoint Residential Trust from a c rating to a d+ rating in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. Five equities 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, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $60.20. Get NexPoint Residential Trust alerts: NexPoint Residential Trust Stock Up 0.6 % Shares of NXRT opened at $42.93 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.09, a quick ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.41. NexPoint Residential Trust has a 12 month low of $38.67 and a 12 month high of $95.00. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $44.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $45.17. The company has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion, a PE ratio of -134.15, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.07. NexPoint Residential Trust Announces Dividend Institutional Trading of NexPoint Residential Trust The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.91%. NexPoint Residential Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -524.98%. A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NXRT. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of NexPoint Residential Trust by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,784,482 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $128,670,000 after buying an additional 29,122 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in NexPoint Residential Trust by 1.9% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,389,586 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $86,863,000 after acquiring an additional 25,510 shares during the period. Copeland Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in NexPoint Residential Trust by 18.0% during the 1st quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 1,241,425 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $54,213,000 after buying an additional 189,165 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of NexPoint Residential Trust by 6.1% in the second quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 732,549 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $45,792,000 after acquiring an additional 42,027 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC boosted its position in NexPoint Residential Trust by 8.2% during the 3rd quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 516,202 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $23,854,000 after purchasing an additional 39,140 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.28% of the companys stock. About NexPoint Residential Trust (Get Rating) NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc engages in the acquisition, management, and disposition of multifamily assets. It also focuses on providing lifestyle amenities and upgraded living spaces to low and moderate income renters in the Southeastern United States and Texas. The company was founded on September 19, 2014 and is headquartered in Dallas, TX. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for NexPoint Residential Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NexPoint Residential Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Get Rating) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 41,370,000 shares, a decline of 15.7% from the March 31st total of 49,070,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 21,940,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.9 days. Pfizer Price Performance Shares of PFE traded up $0.15 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $38.89. 20,809,507 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 22,450,746. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $40.64 and a 200-day moving average of $45.09. Pfizer has a 52 week low of $38.31 and a 52 week high of $54.93. The stock has a market cap of $219.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.10, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.22. Get Pfizer alerts: Pfizer (NYSE:PFE Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 31st. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $24.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.40 billion. Pfizer had a net margin of 31.27% and a return on equity of 42.03%. The businesss revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.08 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Pfizer will post 3.33 EPS for the current fiscal year. Pfizer Announces Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 12th will be given a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th. Pfizers dividend payout ratio is 29.93%. Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Pfizer from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Berenberg Bank set a $40.00 price objective on Pfizer in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a $45.00 price objective on Pfizer in a research note on Monday, February 27th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Pfizer in a research note on Monday, March 6th. They issued a hold rating and a $43.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an overweight rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Pfizer in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $48.80. Insider Transactions at Pfizer In other news, major shareholder Pfizer Inc acquired 1,811,594 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $2.76 per share, for a total transaction of $4,999,999.44. Following the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 5,952,263 shares in the company, valued at $16,428,245.88. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.05% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Pfizer Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. RB Capital Management LLC raised its position in Pfizer by 6.7% in the 1st quarter. RB Capital Management LLC now owns 5,446 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $282,000 after purchasing an additional 341 shares during the period. Ironwood Wealth Management LLC. raised its position in Pfizer by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Ironwood Wealth Management LLC. now owns 36,081 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,868,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. United Bank raised its position in Pfizer by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. United Bank now owns 46,671 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $2,416,000 after purchasing an additional 290 shares during the period. Ergoteles LLC raised its position in Pfizer by 136.3% in the 1st quarter. Ergoteles LLC now owns 36,766 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,903,000 after purchasing an additional 21,209 shares during the period. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its position in Pfizer by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 1,337,418 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $69,238,000 after purchasing an additional 79,887 shares during the period. 67.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Pfizer (Get Rating) Pfizer Inc is a research-based global biopharmaceutical company. It engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, marketing, sales and distribution of biopharmaceutical products worldwide. The firm works across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Pfizer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pfizer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. In light of that, when we looked at Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled. Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It? Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Boston Scientific: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.074 = US$2.1b (US$32b - US$3.8b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2023). So, Boston Scientific has an ROCE of 7.4%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Medical Equipment industry average of 9.9%. Check out our latest analysis for Boston Scientific roce In the above chart we have measured Boston Scientific's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company. How Are Returns Trending? Unfortunately, the trend isn't great with ROCE falling from 13% five years ago, while capital employed has grown 114%. That being said, Boston Scientific raised some capital prior to their latest results being released, so that could partly explain the increase in capital employed. The funds raised likely haven't been put to work yet so it's worth watching what happens in the future with Boston Scientific's earnings and if they change as a result from the capital raise. Also, we found that by looking at the company's latest EBIT, the figure is within 10% of the previous year's EBIT so you can basically assign the ROCE drop primarily to that capital raise. Story continues On a side note, Boston Scientific has done well to pay down its current liabilities to 12% 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. Some would claim this reduces the business' efficiency at generating ROCE since it is now funding more of the operations with its own money. The Key Takeaway In summary, Boston Scientific is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. Since the stock has gained an impressive 76% over the last five years, investors must think there's better things to come. Ultimately, if the underlying trends persist, we wouldn't hold our breath on it being a multi-bagger going forward. Boston Scientific does have some risks, we noticed 3 warning signs (and 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) we think you should know about. While Boston Scientific isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM Get Rating) had its price objective boosted by Oppenheimer from $73.00 to $80.00 in a research report released on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Oppenheimer also issued estimates for PulteGroups Q2 2023 earnings at $2.39 EPS, Q3 2023 earnings at $1.87 EPS, Q4 2023 earnings at $2.41 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $9.02 EPS, Q1 2024 earnings at $1.86 EPS, Q2 2024 earnings at $2.17 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $2.09 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $2.90 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $9.02 EPS. A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on PHM. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $56.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $46.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Credit Suisse Group lifted their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $52.00 to $61.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of PulteGroup in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of PulteGroup from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $46.00 to $60.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 11th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $66.86. Get PulteGroup alerts: PulteGroup Trading Up 1.3 % PHM stock opened at $67.15 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $14.99 billion, a PE ratio of 5.78, a P/E/G ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 1.33. PulteGroup has a 12 month low of $35.03 and a 12 month high of $67.20. The firms 50-day moving average is $57.34 and its 200 day moving average is $50.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.62. PulteGroup Dividend Announcement PulteGroup ( NYSE:PHM Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The construction company reported $2.35 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.78 by $0.57. The company had revenue of $3.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.27 billion. PulteGroup had a net margin of 16.22% and a return on equity of 31.03%. The firms revenue was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.83 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that PulteGroup will post 8.06 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 20th were paid a dividend of $0.16 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 17th. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.95%. PulteGroups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.51%. PulteGroup declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, April 25th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the construction company to buy up to 6.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued. Insider Activity In other news, VP Brien P. Omeara sold 4,924 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $295,440.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 17,308 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,038,480. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other PulteGroup news, Director Brian P. Anderson sold 15,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.95, for a total transaction of $1,004,250.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 55,886 shares in the company, valued at $3,741,567.70. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Brien P. Omeara sold 4,924 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $295,440.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 17,308 shares in the company, valued at $1,038,480. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 163,739 shares of company stock valued at $10,245,859. 0.83% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Trading of PulteGroup A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wealthfront Advisers LLC increased its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 0.7% during the first quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 70,674 shares of the construction companys stock worth $4,119,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 67.6% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 21,284 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,240,000 after buying an additional 8,581 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 1.9% during the first quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 232,834 shares of the construction companys stock worth $13,570,000 after buying an additional 4,274 shares during the period. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC purchased a new position in PulteGroup in the first quarter valued at approximately $244,000. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in PulteGroup by 3.9% in the first quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 304,095 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $17,723,000 after purchasing an additional 11,281 shares during the last quarter. 88.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About PulteGroup (Get Rating) PulteGroup, Inc engages in the homebuilding business. The firm is also involved in mortgage banking and title and insurance brokerage operations. It operates through the Homebuilding and Financial services business segments. The Homebuilding segment includes operations from Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Washington. Read More Receive News & Ratings for PulteGroup Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PulteGroup and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM Get Rating) issued its earnings results on Thursday. The semiconductor producer reported $1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.13, Briefing.com reports. STMicroelectronics had a return on equity of 37.62% and a net margin of 25.30%. The firm had revenue of $4.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.79 earnings per share. STMicroelectronics updated its Q2 2023 guidance to EPS. STMicroelectronics Trading Up 0.1 % Shares of STM stock opened at $42.88 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $38.95 billion, a PE ratio of 10.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.59. STMicroelectronics has a 1-year low of $28.35 and a 1-year high of $53.53. The business has a 50-day moving average of $48.94 and a 200 day moving average of $42.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.56 and a quick ratio of 1.88. Get STMicroelectronics alerts: STMicroelectronics Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 5th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 26th. STMicroelectronicss dividend payout ratio is presently 4.77%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On STMicroelectronics Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. First Trust Advisors LP purchased a new stake in STMicroelectronics during the 3rd quarter valued at about $540,000. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in STMicroelectronics during the 3rd quarter valued at about $501,000. Quantinno Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in STMicroelectronics during the 4th quarter valued at about $397,000. Advisor Partners II LLC boosted its holdings in STMicroelectronics by 28.3% during the 4th quarter. Advisor Partners II LLC now owns 9,978 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $355,000 after acquiring an additional 2,200 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in STMicroelectronics by 12.2% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,300 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $295,000 after acquiring an additional 904 shares during the period. 6.49% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. STM has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on STMicroelectronics from $45.00 to $55.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on STMicroelectronics from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a positive rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Barclays began coverage on STMicroelectronics in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. They set an overweight rating for the company. Cowen boosted their target price on STMicroelectronics from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, January 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut STMicroelectronics from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and nine have given 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 $54.33. STMicroelectronics Company Profile (Get Rating) STMicroelectronics NV engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of components, application-specific integrated circuits, full custom devices and semi-custom devices for analog, digital and mixed-signal applications. It operates through the following segments: Automotive and Discrete Group, Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group, and Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group. Recommended Stories 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. United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS Get Rating) had its price objective reduced by Oppenheimer from $199.00 to $188.00 in a report released on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Oppenheimer also issued estimates for United Parcel Services Q2 2023 earnings at $2.46 EPS, Q3 2023 earnings at $2.58 EPS, Q4 2023 earnings at $3.52 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $10.75 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $11.40 EPS. A number of other analysts have also commented on UPS. Credit Suisse Group set a $203.00 price target on United Parcel Service in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. Susquehanna boosted their price target on United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $180.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on United Parcel Service from $220.00 to $214.00 in a report on Monday, March 20th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on United Parcel Service from $200.00 to $215.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded United Parcel Service from an underperform rating to a market perform rating in a report on Tuesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $193.58. Get United Parcel Service alerts: United Parcel Service Stock Up 1.2 % NYSE:UPS opened at $179.81 on Wednesday. United Parcel Service has a 1 year low of $154.87 and a 1 year high of $209.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The stock has a market cap of $154.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.55, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.09. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $186.47 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $180.39. United Parcel Service ( NYSE:UPS Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The transportation company reported $2.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.01. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 57.68% and a net margin of 10.90%. The firm had revenue of $22.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $22.98 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.05 earnings per share. The companys revenue was down 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that United Parcel Service will post 11.05 earnings per share for the current year. United Parcel Service declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 31st that permits the company to repurchase $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the transportation company to buy up to 3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued. United Parcel Service Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 21st were given a dividend of $1.62 per share. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 17th. This is an increase from United Parcel Services previous quarterly dividend of $1.52. United Parcel Services payout ratio is 52.43%. Insider Activity In related news, CFO Brian Newman sold 19,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.46, for a total transaction of $3,466,740.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 11,677 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,130,585.42. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other United Parcel Service news, insider Laura J. Lane sold 14,617 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.16, for a total transaction of $2,604,164.72. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Brian Newman sold 19,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.46, for a total value of $3,466,740.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 11,677 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,130,585.42. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 54,341 shares of company stock valued at $9,848,061. 0.12% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of UPS. Worth Asset Management LLC bought a new position in United Parcel Service during the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Piershale Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. MADDEN SECURITIES Corp acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Y.D. More Investments Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Carderock Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter valued at about $32,000. 58.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About United Parcel Service (Get Rating) United Parcel Service, Inc is a package delivery company, which engages in the provision of global supply chain management solutions. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Domestic Package, International Package, and Supply Chain Solutions. The U.S. Domestic Package segment includes time-definite delivery of letters, documents, and packages. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for United Parcel Service Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for United Parcel Service and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Yelp Inc. (NYSE:YELP Get Rating) Jefferies Financial Group lowered their Q1 2023 earnings per share estimates for Yelp in a research note issued on Monday, April 24th. Jefferies Financial Group analyst B. Thill now expects that the local business review company will post earnings per share of ($0.10) for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of ($0.09). The consensus estimate for Yelps current full-year earnings is $0.92 per share. Jefferies Financial Group also issued estimates for Yelps FY2024 earnings at $1.81 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $2.53 EPS. Get Yelp alerts: Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Yelp from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. Credit Suisse Group increased their price target on shares of Yelp from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, February 10th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Yelp in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Yelp from $32.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Yelp from $31.00 to $39.00 in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Yelp currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $36.00. Yelp Stock Up 1.3 % Yelp stock opened at $29.92 on Thursday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $29.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $30.52. Yelp has a 12 month low of $25.30 and a 12 month high of $39.26. The stock has a market cap of $2.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 58.67 and a beta of 1.45. Yelp (NYSE:YELP Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The local business review company reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.31 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $309.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $306.34 million. Yelp had a return on equity of 5.09% and a net margin of 3.05%. Yelps revenue for the quarter was up 13.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.30 EPS. Insider Transactions at Yelp In other news, COO Joseph R. Nachman sold 6,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.77, for a total transaction of $184,620.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 339,743 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,453,892.11. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other Yelp news, COO Joseph R. Nachman sold 6,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.77, for a total transaction of $184,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 339,743 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,453,892.11. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CTO Sam Eaton sold 7,121 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.00, for a total transaction of $213,630.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer now directly owns 237,190 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,115,700. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 25,274 shares of company stock valued at $765,757. 7.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of YELP. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in Yelp by 12,790.7% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,269,731 shares of the local business review companys stock worth $34,714,000 after purchasing an additional 1,259,881 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Yelp in the 4th quarter valued at about $19,208,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Yelp by 7.8% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 8,257,853 shares of the local business review companys stock valued at $281,675,000 after buying an additional 596,879 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in Yelp by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 11,222,022 shares of the local business review companys stock valued at $380,539,000 after buying an additional 321,414 shares during the period. Finally, UBS Group AG boosted its position in Yelp by 28.6% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,090,725 shares of the local business review companys stock valued at $36,987,000 after buying an additional 242,696 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.01% of the companys stock. About Yelp (Get Rating) Yelp, Inc engages in the business of operating a community-driven platform that connects people with great local businesses. The company was founded by Jeremy Stoppelman and Russell Simmons in July 2004 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Yelp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Yelp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Federal Government has stated that hundreds of Nigerians who were evacuated from Sudan, were now stranded as they were not allowed to cross the border into Egypt since their arrival on Thursday evening. Recall that the Nigerian government had planned to airlift Nigerians from Egypt back to Nigeria as crisis continues to hit Sudan over leadership tussle. The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in a statement issued on Friday by Mr Gabriel Odu, Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, NiDCOM in Abuja said Nigerians were among the over 7,000 nationals denied entry by the Egyptian authorities as they were insisting on visas by Africans to transit to their countries. The Commission Chairman, therefore, called on those concerned with passages and movement of persons and services along the borders of Sudan to create a humane condition for them to have access to their various destinations. She also said the Nigerian mission in Egypt have been working on the issue and appealed to the Egyptian authorities to kindly allow the travellers to transit to their final destinations in various countries in Africa. Recall that the Nigerian students who were being conveyed to the Egyptian border in buses contracted by the Federal Government had raised an alarm on Wednesday that they were stranded in the middle of the desert as the drivers complained they had not been paid for their services The crisis in Sudan reportedly started on April 15 between the Sudanese army and paramilitary RSF, both headed by army generals. NiDCOM and NEMA at different times announced that about 1,600 Nigerian evacuees from Sudan were expected in Abuja on Friday. Officially, there are about 5,500 Nigerian students who are expected to arrive from Sudan in the evacuation that commenced on Wednesday. According to NEMA, 13 buses conveyed the first batch of the evacuees from Khartoum in Sudan to Egypt from where they will be airlifted to Nigeria. Sources within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that, As at 0700hrs on 28th April 2023, nine buses have arrived at the Sudanese side of the Arkin border, and four buses have also arrived at the Wadi Halfa border. They are waiting for clearance from the Sudanese end to cross to the Egyptian side. Wadi Halfa border is the one approved for our people, and this was communicated to our Mission in Khartoum. However, the fact that some of the drivers chose to go to another border post (about 200 km) away from the approved entry point, we have raised another team to go there and assist. The source added that there are thousands of people at the borders and as such there will be delays in getting Nigerians into Egypt. In a similar tone, the source at NiDCOM noted that there are not so serious diplomatic hitches at the border and the Nigerian embassy in Egypt is trying to get diplomatic cover for the students. Key Insights Significant control over Compagnie Financiere Richemont by individual investors implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions The top 25 shareholders own 35% of the company Institutional ownership in Compagnie Financiere Richemont is 35% To get a sense of who is truly in control of Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA (VTX:CFR), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. With 56% stake, individual investors possess the maximum shares in the company. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn). And institutions on the other hand have a 35% ownership in the company. Insiders often own a large chunk of younger, smaller, companies while huge companies tend to have institutions as shareholders. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Compagnie Financiere Richemont. See our latest analysis for Compagnie Financiere Richemont What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Compagnie Financiere Richemont? Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index. Compagnie Financiere Richemont already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Compagnie Financiere Richemont's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Compagnie Financiere Richemont. Because actions speak louder than words, we consider it a good sign when insiders own a significant stake in a company. In Compagnie Financiere Richemont's case, its Top Key Executive, Johann Rupert, is the largest shareholder, holding 9.1% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 3.2% and 2.6% of the stock. Story continues 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. While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily. Insider Ownership Of Compagnie Financiere Richemont The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. We can report that insiders do own shares in Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA. It is a very large company, and board members collectively own CHF8.1b worth of shares (at current prices). we sometimes take an interest in whether they have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a substantial 56% stake in Compagnie Financiere Richemont, suggesting it is a fairly popular stock. This level of ownership gives investors from the wider public some power to sway key policy decisions such as board composition, executive compensation, and the dividend payout ratio. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can find historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here The President-elect of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Saturday, gave the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Kogi State, Usman Ododo, his blessings, ahead of the November 2023 elections in the state. Ododo, who emerged the Kogi APC governorship candidate through a direct primary election on April 14 and was ratified through a special Congress of the party on April 15, was presented to Tinubu by Governor Yahaya Bello in Abuja. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Chairman, Kogi APC, Abdullahi Bello; were among the party stakeholders who interracted with Ododo, the party's flagbearer in Kogi State, during his visit to the President-elect. Tinubu, while congratulating the candidate, lifted his hand up as a show of acceptance and affirmation of his candidacy and expressed absolute confidence in the capacity of APC to win the November governorship election, landslide, in Kogi State. Recall that Ododo had, on Friday, also received President Muhammadu Buhari's blessings as the party's flagbearer in the November election. While briefing State House Correspondents after he was presented to the President by Governor Yahaya Bello, he said he was committed to building on the unparalleled developmental strides of the Governor, which were achieved through inclusive governance, if elected in the forthcoming polls. The Governorship Candidate said, with his wealth of experience in the private and public financial sectors, as well as the opportunity of learning from Bello, who he described as a great leader to Kogites, he was well equipped to steer the ship of the confluence state in the desired direction. He said specifically that he was confident of APC's victory in the November governorship election. Governor Yahaya Bello had also expressed delight in the capacity of the APC candidate to deliver even more wins for the party in the state and assured kogi residents of continuity in the infrastructure renewal master-plan, which his administration had embarked upon for more than seven years. He reiterated that the APC in Kogi State was one united family, noting that the party was very well positioned to win the next governorship election, landslide. Professional athletes are just like us. Or, at least, theyre not strangers to the gridlock traffic that plagues Lake Shore Boulevard in Toronto. Mark Giordano, a Leafs defenceman, was spotted in a suit walking along the Lake Shore ahead of Thursdays Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, with the person filming the video humorously asking, Did he get dropped off? To Giordanos left, cars inch forward stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Some speculated he chose to commute by foot because driving conditions were so backed-up. He wouldnt be the first on Torontos professional athlete scene to opt to walk instead of drive. And hell likely not be the last since congestion in the area around Scotiabank Arena is caused in part by the multibillion-dollar refurbishment of the Gardiner Expressway and its on-ramps a project not expected to be complete until about 2030 and is compounded by an extensive gas pipeline replacement along the Lake Shore. The city says that project wont be completed until June. Earlier this month, Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri was spotted walking among the median of Lake Shore Boulevard in a TikTok video as cars were stopped. The caption read: Masai wasnt having it with that lakeshore boulevard traffic (sic). Given Lake Shore Boulevard is home to three of the 10 most congested intersections in downtown Toronto, its clear why some living in the city say traffic is so bad theyve given up driving entirely. Its terrifying, one former driver who lives near the intersection of King and Parliament streets told the Star in March. People are trying to squish onto one lane, which is actually the Jarvis on-ramp. Youre not just sitting behind a lot of cars; youre dealing with people from the left and the right and it gets scarier when the trucks get involved big dump trucks, concrete mixers. Lake Shore Boulevard aside, some out-of-town players are shocked by the amount of traffic on Torontos streets including Leafs rookie Matt Knies. He lives with team captain John Tavares in Oakville but they take separate cars to the Scotiabank Arena. And its the Phoenix, Ariz.-raised players first trips into downtown Toronto. Theres a lot of traffic, he told the Star. I was following John in my own car and I couldnt understand how much traffic there was. There was a few times I was like, Where is he? And I had to turn down the music and try to find him. Welcome to Toronto, Matt. With files from Kevin McGran and Aisling Murphy Read more about: SHARE: A Superior Court ruling in November cost a Mississauga condominium corporation more than $50,000, plus its own legal bills, for failing to act reasonably in considering an owners renovation requests. Stephen Moran owns a condominium unit in a 341-unit building on Hillcrest Ave. Its governing declaration says that no owner can make any structural change or alteration to a unit without the prior written consent of the board of directors. In November, 2021, Moran applied to the board for permission to carry out renovations in the unit. He proposed to install new tile in the kitchen and washrooms, replace the kitchen counter and cabinets, and supply new bathroom vanities. The board approved the work only if it started on Dec. 6 and would be completed within four days. The service elevator could only be used twice for a maximum of 20 minutes to bring in and remove materials and equipment. Moran replied saying the restrictions were unreasonable, that the elevator would be needed for at least three hours to remove the construction debris, and deliveries of supplies could not possibly be scheduled within a 20-minute window. Morans contractors began to work during the scheduled time period, but quickly ran out of time. On Dec. 22, 2021, Moran retained a lawyer who submitted a proposed construction schedule and two requests for more reasonable access rights. When no response was received for almost three months, Moran began a court application for an order declaring that the condominium was in breach of the Condominium Act, and for an order requiring it to co-operate with him by permitting a reasonable access schedule. Moran also sought damages as compensation for the losses cause by the condominium. The buildings property manager never supplied copies of any written rules, policies or procedures that would apply, including anything supporting a 20-minute time limit for the use of the service elevator. Over the next few months, lawyers for both parties exchanged emails attempting, unsuccessfully, to agree on a construction schedule and access to the elevators. Finally, on Sept. 29, 2022, some 10 months after the original request, the matter came before Justice Marie-Andree Vermette. Morans contractor provided an affidavit stating the work could not possibly be completed within four days. Affidavit evidence submitted on behalf of the board was, in the judges words, replete with hearsay, speculation and general and unsupported statements. The judge set out a new construction schedule and ruled that Moran was reasonably entitled to expect that the condominium would consider his renovation requests fairly, take his concerns seriously, and provide timely responses and decisions. The board had done none of this. Morans evidence was that he could not move into the unfinished unit after the sale of his former residence, and suffered damages of almost $36,000 for moving, storage and temporary accommodation. In November, Justice Vermette ruled that Moran was entitled to an oppression remedy under the Condominium Act, and ordered the board to pay Moran damages of $35,826.93, plus $15,000 in costs. The outcome of this case serves as a useful lesson to condo boards throughout Ontario. Bob Aaron is a Toronto real estate lawyer and a contributing columnist for the Star. He can be reached at bob@aaron.ca or on Twitter: @bobaaron2 SHARE: Q My daughter, from age six, was always happy when the same-age boys allowed her to join their activities because there were no similar-age girls nearby. She determined to prove she could keep up with the boys. Now, at 16, my daughters hanging out with a teenage boy I hadnt met until they started seeing each other daily. He lives in an expensive neighbourhood, always has money available and invites her to his home right after school. She confessed theres no parent around as both parents run their family business. Recently, my daughter and I were out food-shopping together. At the store, I noticed her upper arm was causing her pain and she was grabbing it with her other hand. When I asked what was the matter, she changed the subject. Under my determined probing, she admitted her boyfriend likes to do floor combat with her. She eventually revealed a significant bruise. I raised the topic of abuse, and though she dismissed me as extreme, she confessed the wrestling-type activity has become an everyday practice, also saying that he always apologizes if I say it hurts badly. Enough. I told her that I dont trust this boy. He never comes to our house, and when I forced a situation where he had to pick her up at our place, he barely looked me in the eye. I told her that its over. I said she needs to recognize when someone is forcefully overbearing, and insists on things being about their interests. I said that if she saw him secretly, shed be breaking the trust between us. She ended the relationship. Did I handle this appropriately? Sensing abuse A You protected your daughter from an aggressive young male who wasnt likely to change or accept her wanting to stop their so-called floor combat. Otherwise, I believe it would have been her accepting his aggressive behaviour to please him. Fortunately, youd previously established your mother-daughter trust over her younger years. She recognized that you were seriously worried for her safety. She respected your judgment, even while struggling with wanting to keep the relationship going. When she herself looks back on this over the next few years, shell realize that this guy was not a trustworthy boyfriend. Q I need your insight and opinion. Im seeing a surgeon who I find very attractive and I have developed strong feelings for him. I cant help but want to be in a relationship with him. I see him once monthly for appointments and always look forward to it and cant wait to go. Its gotten to the point that I cry often thinking about the last appointment Ill have to see him and the mark he made on me (surgical wound). Just looking at it makes me cry and drives up emotions in me, knowing I want to be with him. But most probably hell reject my advances even if it was ever possible. What should I do? Crushing on my surgeon A Know this: You could harm his career. In Canada, physicians must not engage in sexual relations with a patient, nor touch a patient in a sexual manner nor engage in behaviour or make remarks of a sexual nature towards a patient. If your desire regarding your surgeon persists, I advise you to talk to a counsellor about what sounds like an obsession, not a connection. Moreover, if you reveal to the surgeon that you have strong feelings for him, youll likely be passed on to a different specialist for your surgical needs. FEEDBACK: Regarding the man who feels rushed to marry (April 7): Reader: The response to this question is full of excellent advice to definitely be heeded. Because the two people have met in person after initially dating online, the womans push to marry doesnt necessarily sound like a scam. However, the male letter-writer still needs be cautious about moving forward with any marriage plans. Another possibility is that her parents are pushing her to move things along. The pressure, or scam, or intimidation could be coming from them. The man involved needs to meet her family first. However, everything could also be legitimate and perhaps shes just eager, anxious, and/or insecure. I strongly suggest the man plans a visit to see her in her home and meet her friends and family. I suspect the answer will be revealed then, whether its worth the effort to pursue the relationship further. Ellies tip of the day: To gain mutual trust with your children, discuss its importance from early years. Ellie Tesher and Lisi Tesher are advice columnists for the Star and based in Toronto. Send your relationship questions via email: ellie@thestar.ca or lisi@thestar.ca SHARE: TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) A former U.S. national security adviser called for deeper interaction between his country and Taiwan during a visit Saturday to the self-ruled island, which has seen increasing military threats from China. John Bolton, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2024, said at a pro-Taiwan independence event in Taipei that national security teams from both sides must develop contingency plans on how to respond to actions Beijing might take, warning it would be too late once an attack occurs. And we have to tell China and Russia what the consequences are if they take actions against Taiwan. Not just in the immediate response, but over the longer term, to basically excommunicate China from the international economic system if it did take military actions against Taiwan or attempt to throw a blockade around it, Bolton said. Bolton, former President Donald Trumps hawkish national security adviser, started his week-long trip to Taiwan on Wednesday. The visit reflects the importance of the islands democracy as an issue in the U.S. presidential election next year amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing. Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with the Communist Party in control of the mainland. The island has never been part of the Peoples Republic of China, but Beijing says it must unite with the mainland, by force if necessary. The U.S. remains Taiwans closest military and political ally, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between them. U.S. law requires Washington to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern, though it remains ambiguous over whether American forces would be dispatched to help defend the island. Bolton said the backlog of U.S. military sales to Taiwan is estimated to be $19 billion and it needs to be resolved. Part of that is a U.S. problem. Our defense industrial base is not as strong as it used to be. We need to improve that for global reasons, but particularly for Taiwan, he said. On Friday, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry said Chinas military flew 38 fighter jets and other warplanes near Taiwan. That was the biggest such flight display since the large military exercise in which it simulated sealing off the island after the sensitive April 5 meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. China opposes any exchanges at the official level between Taiwan and other governments. Later Friday, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army also issued a protest over the flight of a United States Navy P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft through the Taiwan Strait, calling it a provocation that the U.S. openly hyped up. But the U.S. 7th Fleet said Thursdays flight was in accordance with international law and demonstrates the United States commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Bolton is scheduled to join a banquet on Monday organized by the Formosan Association for Public Affairs, a pro-independence organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. Tsai will also attend the event. ____ Find more of APs Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific SHARE: COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, officials in several battleground states have proposed boosting funding to add staff, enhance security and expand training within election offices that are facing heavier workloads and heightened public scrutiny. The potential extra funding comes as many election offices are grappling with a wave of retirements and a flood of public records requests, stemming partly from lingering election distrust seeded by former President Donald Trump in his 2020 defeat. In South Carolina, host of one of the earliest presidential primaries, almost half of county election directors have resigned in the last two years, said state Election Commission Executive Director Howard Knapp. The unprecedented turnover has created an enormous knowledge and competency gap, Knapp said, prompting a budget request for millions of additional state dollars to boost staffing and training. Without the funds, Knapp warned the gap will grow and elections will be severely impacted. I cant control county directors leaving, said Knapp. He added, What I can control is this agencys ability to deliver quality training to the counties so that it doesnt matter who is in the chair, they will have an established training program that they can take themselves and they can impart. Elections officials, governors and lawmakers in states that hold early primaries or play pivotal roles in the presidential election, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Wisconsin, also have proposed funding increases. In many of those states, lawmakers are still working on the final budget. Time is of the essence. Most annual state budgets take effect in July, meaning they will encompass presidential primaries occurring in the first half of 2024. Once funding is approved, election officials will need time to hire and train employees and purchase new security and voting equipment. Georgia, where a grand jury has been investigating whether Trump and his allies illegally meddled in the 2020 election, is one of about a dozen states where lawmakers already have passed a 2024 budget. The Republican-led General Assembly added $427,010 to hire two investigators, one administrative assistant and an executive director for the State Election Board. One state still weighing more election spending is Arizona, which became a focal point for election challenges and conspiracies after Trump narrowly lost the state in 2020. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who previously served as secretary of state, has proposed an $11 million increase for a new election task force. The panel, which held its first meeting earlier this month, is expected to release recommendations by November on ways to standardize election practices, update election equipment and security guidelines, and provide training to local workers. Arizonas Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is pushing for an additional $3.1 million in election-related spending, in part to add six employees to help train and certify election workers and a new chief information security officer to confront cyber vulnerabilities in election systems. There is no evidence of widespread fraud or manipulation of voting equipment in the 2020 elections. Yet distrust about U.S. elections persists among Republicans, fueled by Trump allies who have been traveling the country highlighting theoretical vulnerabilities. In the past three years, almost every election office across the country has seen an increase in the number of public records requests, said Tammy Patrick, chief executive officer for programs at the National Association of Election Officials. South Carolina experienced a 500% increase in election-related public-records requests, driven largely by election skeptics submitting model language drafted by out-of-state conspiracy groups, Knapp said. The state election commission is seeking $3.2 million to help establish a new training division and enhance technical support. Knapp also wants about $1.2 million to hire seven staff members, including a public information officer to respond to media, voters and interest groups. Voting advocates said strong training is especially important in a hostile environment where bad-faith actors may twist instances of incompetence or irregularities to undermine election integrity. Cynthia Holland, who oversees elections for Aiken County, an expansive rural county in the western part of South Carolina, said the funded training would be a blessing. She estimated that her four-person office has spent over 100 hours since November 2020 responding to records requests. Its enough time that it puts us behind on our work that were supposed to be hired to do, she said. Officials in Nevada, Oregon and Wisconsin also have proposed funding increases to hire additional staff to handle public requests for election records and information. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, proposed $1.9 million over the next two fiscal years to hire 10 staff for a new Office of Election Transparency and Compliance to handle requests and complaints. Until recently, the Wisconsin Election Commission only had a single attorney to process complaints and one public information officer. Unfortunately, this structure has proved inadequate to address the hundreds of thousands of questions and concerns, along with hundreds of records requests and complaints, the election commission wrote in its budget request. Separate budget plans by North Carolinas Democratic governor and Republican-led House both include money to hire more regional staff to help county election boards with technology, security and other needs. Michigans Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is seeking to boost the secretary of states overall budget by nearly $10 million, including a $3 million increase for branch offices and $1.2 million to expand staffing for seven mobile offices. But the increase is substantially less than the $100 million annually that Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson estimates is needed to address historic disinvestment in Michigan elections. About three-fourths of local election officials across the U.S. say their budgets need to grow over the next several years, according to a recent Brennan Center for Justice survey of 852 local election officials. The nonpartisan democracy-focused policy institute highlighted the need for more spending to hire poll workers and office staff, replace voting equipment and improve physical and cyber security measures. Things are strained theres no question about it. The challenges in the elections field keep mounting, said Lawrence Norden, director of the Brennan Centers elections and government program. Theres a lot of concern in the elections community about what can be done in the remaining 18 months to make sure that our elections are as strong and secure as possible. ___ Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri. AP reporters across the U.S. contributed to this report. Pollard, Cappelletti and Venhuizen are corps members 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. SHARE: BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) The banishment of transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr from Montanas House floor has showcased the rising power of hard-line conservatives organized under the banner of the State Freedom Caucus Network who are currently leveraging divisive social issues to gain influence in 11 statehouses. In Montana, they led the charge to enshrine a ban on gender-affirming care for minors that the governor signed Friday. In South Carolina, they slowed the budget process this year with failed amendments to punish universities with diversity programs. And in Wyoming, they tried to make certain library books crimes of obscenity. Across the country with varying levels of success, the groups have followed the playbook of the House Freedom Caucus, an eight-year old alliance of GOP conservatives determined to pull Republicans in the U.S. Congress to the right. After debuting on the second anniversary of the January 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol, the Montana Freedom Caucus 21 members over the past two weeks successfully pushed GOP leaders to punish Zephyr, a Democrat, following her statements and actions in support of the transgender community. The dispute brought Zephyr a national stage from which to advocate for transgender issues. Though shes seized the moment and drawn support from the left, her elevated profile could work to the GOPs advantage as Republicans try to paint Democrats as extremists heading into 2024, said University of Montana political analyst Robert Saldin. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a moderate Democrat and farmer, will be up for reelection in a race considered pivotal for control of the Senate. This is what the Freedom Caucus folks wanted, said Saldin. Now Zephyr is the second most well-known Democrat in Montana. To the extent that shes the face of the party in Montana, thats great for the Freedom Caucus. Zephyrs punishment appears unprecedented in Montana. It comes after the states political landscape careened sharply Republican over the past 15 years, giving the GOP a two-thirds supermajority in the statehouse. That shift sidelined the thinning ranks of Republican moderates and brought to the fore social issues once on the legislative fringe. They like to call us extremists, but were seeing the extremists on the left take front and center stage here, said Montana Freedom Caucus chairwoman and state Sen. Theresa Manzella. Were getting behind the right issues, the issues that are dear to our hearts and those of our constituency. The caucus and its members also have repeatedly misgendered Zephyr by using the wrong pronouns to describe her. Manzella indicated that will continue. Montanas Republican House Speaker stopped recognizing Zephyrs requests to speak on April 18 after she told colleagues theyd have blood on their hands if they restricted gender-affirming medical care. Days later, Zephyr was ousted from the floor on a party-line vote for the remainder of the session, accused of egging on boisterous demonstrators in the House gallery who had demanded she be allowed to speak. State Rep. Bob Phalen, a Freedom Caucus member and eastern Montana farmer, said the moves against Zephyr capped a session in which the caucus played a key role passing laws banning gender-affirming care for minors and restricting the dissemination of pornography. The group now includes one-fifth of statehouse Republicans and Phalen said he expects it to grow with the addition of freshman lawmakers whose votes aligned with Freedom Caucus priorities and will thereby earn entry. Phalen, like others in the caucus, described this weeks disruption on the House floor as a riot or insurrection employing the same language thats been used for the Jan. 6 siege by supporters of Donald Trump. The State Freedom Caucus Network is the brainchild of Republican strategist Andy Roth and U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, who in the lead-up to the 2020 election devised expanding the House Freedom Caucus model to the states. The network uses House Freedom Caucus members to establish state-level affiliates, with congressmen including Biggs, U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina informally advising lawmakers in their states hoping to create a pipeline of conservative lawmakers to higher office. Each backed Trumps false statements about fraud in the 2020 election. Since its founding, the national network has supported Republican primary candidates with modest funds for attack ads in at least one state, but its primary function has been to advise lawmakers on policy and strategy, Roth, the networks president, said. The state-level strategy mirrors that of the House Freedom Caucus, which led the GOP rebellion against U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy s bid for Speaker in January, extracting major concessions from leadership and coveted committee assignments. Were trying to expose the hypocrisy that is going on in every state, especially in red states, Roth said. Liberal Republicans are going to the voters and saying, Im conservative. Elect me to the Statehouse, and then getting there and voting exactly opposite. Biggs, the former Freedom Caucus chair who challenged McCarthy, said freedom caucuses create leverage points to try to advance a conservative cause. Leverage is the key, Biggs said. When I have something you want, and you feel like you need to have it, then you cant get it anywhere else. The majority of the 11 states with caucuses are controlled by Republican governors and Legislatures. Roth said thats by design. The national network advises its state members to be loud against Republicans who have compromised on fiscal and cultural conservative principles, Roth said. Freedom caucuses from Idaho to Pennsylvania have focused on abortion, crime and how race, gender and sexuality are navigated in schools and state offices. Theyve also frequently targeted what Roth called corporate welfare including tax incentives designed to lure Hollywood film productions to Wyoming. The groups rise in Montana follows the departure of lawmakers like former state Sen. Duane Ankney, who was among of a group of moderate Republicans that routinely negotiated with Democrats to break budget impasses. With Montana Republicans now in firm grip of power, Ankney said they no longer need Democratic agreement or even to engage public debate. Theres people up there that have an agenda, and it doesnt have to do with jobs and the economic health and well being of Montana, said Ankney, who served four terms in the state House and Senate before leaving the Legislature in January. ___ Metz reported from Salt Lake City. Associated Press reporters James Pollard in Columbia, South Carolina, and Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, contributed to this story. SHARE: Bodybuilders flex their muscles at Phuket Classic BODYBUILDING: The sport of bodybuilding is alive and well on the island of Phuket, as witnessed by the Phuket Classic 2023 event held last Sunday (Apr 23). Bodybuilding By The Phuket News Saturday 29 April 2023, 09:00AM Bodybuilding has seen a surge in interest throughout Thailand in recent times, none more so than in Phuket where the local circuit has truly developed over the last few years. The Physical Culture Association (PCA) of Thailand has been hosting a variety of bodybuilding competitions throughout Thailand, with contestants from dozens of countries taking part. Last Sunday it was the turn of Phuket to host a PCA-sanctioned event when Illuzion Phuket in Patong staged the Phuket Classic 2023, with athletes from several countries competing in a total of 17 events throughout the day. With four locally-based winners gracing the stage in the overall categories, the Phuket bodybuilding scene shows that its only growing in stature and will no doubt continue to do so moving forward. The Phuket Classic 2023 is also a qualifying event for this weekends Bangkok PowerFit Pro Qualifier, which takes place tomorrow (Apr 30). The winners of the four leading categories at last Sundays Phuket Classic 2023 included: Overall Classic Champion - Aleksandr Gruznevich; Bodybuilding Overall Champion - Ali Ejlali; Physique Overall Champion - Krittin Ponganan and Bikini Overall Champion - Natali Mamba. Evacuated Thais happy to be home BANGKOK: Several students evacuated from war-torn Sudan have safely arrived in their hometowns in the southern province of Pattani. violenceSafety By Bangkok Post Saturday 29 April 2023, 09:47AM Students evacuated from war-torn Sudan arrive in their hometowns in the southern province of Pattani yesterday afternoon (Apr 28). Photo: Abdullah Benjakat They were part of the first batch of 78 Thai evacuees who arrived in Bangkok on Thursday night (Apr 27) after being evacuated from the North African country, reports the Bangkok Post. Trinuch Thienthong, Education Minister; R Adm Somkiat Phonprayoon, secretary-general of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre; and Fourth Army chief Lt Gen Santi Sakuntanak welcomed the students at Bo Thong Airport in Pattanis Nong Chik district. Upon arrival, some of the students recounted their harrowing experience in Sudan, where fighting between two major factions, which began two weeks ago, has led to the deaths of hundreds of people and the evacuation of foreign nationals. Fatiha Zeeba, a 22-year-old student studying in Sudan, said dead bodies were scattered in the streets and bombs and military-grade weapons were being used. She said she was gripped with fear at her campus for over ten days. Hospitals were unable to accommodate the rising number of injured people, Ms Fatiha said. Fortunately, embassy officials picked her up from her university, she said, before boarding a ship to Jeddah for a flight to Thailand. I am very happy to arrive in Thailand. I want to see my parents and relatives, she said. However, I am worried about my Thai friends who are still there. I do hope they return home safe. Amad Jehmae, another student, said a clash broke out not far from where the Thai students had been. Everyone needed to stay home, he said, adding people faced shortages of food and water and various shops were closed. I may consider studying in Thailand if the clashes continue, he said, thanking the Thai and Saudi governments for getting him home. Muhammad Sofron Jehpoo, another student, said he was happy to see his family again, adding life in Sudan was difficult. He also thanked both government officials for bringing him home. The first batch of 78 Thai evacuees - 40 women and 38 men - from Sudan arrived at Bangkoks Don Muang Royal Thai Air Force Base on Thursday night. They were welcomed by government officials, including Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who thanked all agencies involved in the evacuation effort. The second batch of evacuees is expected to arrive in Thailand today. Phuket honours Princes birthday PHUKET: Tributes were paid today to mark the 18th birthday of Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti Sirivibulyarajakumar. culture By The Phuket News Saturday 29 April 2023, 03:50PM Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew led the tributes at Wat Mongkhon Wararam in Sakhu this morning where a merit making ceremony led by Buddhist monks was conducted in special honour of the young Princes landmark birthday. Joining Governor Narong was his wife Boonwandee Woonciew, President of the Phuket Red Cross Society, in addition to the President of the Cultural Council, several government officials, civil servants, police officers and legal officials. The ceremony was to pay respects to Prince Dipangkorn by offering love and prayers to him and the Royal Thai Family in general. Prince Dipangkorn was born on this day in 2005 and is heir presumptive to the throne as the son of King Vajiralongkorn and Srirasmi Suwadee. Prince Dipangkorn is a keen aviation enthusiast, interested in flying from a very young age with an avid interest in building model and radio controlled aircrafts. He has received praise for undertaking various charity and volunteer-based initiatives in the past such as the We Do Good Deeds with Heart Project and is also a keen spectator and participant in a variety of sports. Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. Nonetheless, only a fool would ignore the risk that a loss making company burns through its cash too quickly. So should Lara Exploration (CVE:LRA) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway. View our latest analysis for Lara Exploration When Might Lara Exploration Run Out Of Money? A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. In December 2022, Lara Exploration had CA$3.3m in cash, and was debt-free. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through CA$2.7m. So it had a cash runway of approximately 14 months from December 2022. That's not too bad, but it's fair to say the end of the cash runway is in sight, unless cash burn reduces drastically. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time. How Easily Can Lara Exploration Raise Cash? Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn. Lara Exploration's cash burn of CA$2.7m is about 7.3% of its CA$37m market capitalisation. 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. Story continues So, Should We Worry About Lara Exploration's Cash Burn? Because Lara Exploration is an early stage company, we don't have a great deal of data on which to form an opinion of its cash burn. We would undoubtedly be more comfortable if it had reported some operating revenue. However, it is fair to say that its cash burn relative to its market cap gave us comfort. While cash burning companies are always comparatively risky, we think its cash burn situation seems ok, on balance. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 4 warning signs for Lara Exploration (2 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Phuket Songkran celebrations declared a huge success PHUKET: Authorities have declared the recent Songkran celebrations a major success, lauding a variety of activities across the island that attracted significant interest from local residents and tourists alike, which helped boost the local economy. culturetourism By The Phuket News Saturday 29 April 2023, 12:28PM The comments were made at a press conference held yesterday (Apr 28) at Phuket Provinicial Hall overseen by Phuket Vice Governor Anupap Rodkwan Yodrambam who was joined by Narong Phromchit, Manager of Songkran No L (no alcohol) 2023 Project, Woranuch Petchdee, Head of Central Department Store Marketing Department Phuket, and Thithiti Thanomsak, Public Relations Manager from Blue Tree Phuket. Mr Anupap said public and private sector entities should be recognised and celebrated for the fine work they did in organising a wide range of events across the holiday period of Apr 13-16, the first time major festivities had been conducted in three years following the COVID-19 pandemic. The success of the events had contributed significantly to helping boost the local economy, he added. Mr Narong explained the No L Songkran 2023 project on Apr 13 had been a great success. The alcohol-free celebration held on Dibuk Rd in Phuket Town was first established in 2012 and has won numerous awards and accolades from national media who have declared it one of the most worthwhile celebrations to attend throughout the country during Songkran. This years No L Songkran project, which consisted of live concerts by Thai stars Khao Jirayu, retrospect and SDF as well as DJ Husky & MC Tmo, among others, attracted 30,560 attendees, Mr Narong explained, 8,000 of which were overseas visitors. It also allowed everyone opportunity to indulge in water play in a safe environment, he added. Ms Woranuch told how the Big Island Water Fun 2023 festival was also hugely successful. Held at the outdoor arena at Central Floresta, it attracted more than 160,000 visitors across the five-days it was operational. In addition to food and craft stalls, there was an area for water play and a series of live concerts across the five evenings, including Thai stars Playground and DJ Tyvon, DJ Roxy, DJ Leominati, Chin Chinawut, DJ Leochilee and DJ Man. Ms Woranuch stated the five-day event helped boost the local economy and created a very positive image for Phuket as a world-class tourist destination. Finally, Mr Tititi revealed the world-class techno music festival Drumcode x Blue Tree Songkran had been a tremendous success, attracting both local residents and domestic and international tourists alike. Swedish techno label Drumcode, managed by star DJ and producer Adam Beyer, took place on Apr 14-15 and saw the likes of DJs Kolsch, Joris Voorn, Teenage Mutants and many more international and local artists perform. KITCHENER Ager Hasan claimed self-defence in messages to police after he stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death in her Kitchener apartment and fled. Detective I did not attack her first. She came at me with a knife after I reveled (sic) to her what I did in the past, Hasan told a Waterloo Regional Police detective on the WhatsApp social media platform a few hours after she died. Things were good, I was in her room for hour (sic) just cuddling and kissing. Even ask her roommate, when I came back to get my Keychain I told her the truth and it got physical. She then went for the knife My hands got cut trying to protect myself. I then u (sic) had to do something back and it got out of hand. He posted a photograph of his hand which appeared to be cut twice on the palm. The photo was taken from inside an automobile. Hasan, now 30, is charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Melinda Vasilije, 22, on April 28, 2017, in her apartment on Country Hill Drive near Block Line Road in Kitchener. Her body was found by her roommate and a friend when they returned from Burger King at 2:30 a.m. She had been stabbed 47 times and was found in her living room, lying on her back. Blood was splattered on floors, walls, appliances and doors. Three bloody knives were found in the apartment, jurors in the murder trial were told Friday. The blade was bent on one knife. Waterloo Regional Police quickly began searching for Hasan who could not be found. The accused exchanged WhatsApp messages and emails with Det. Peter Collison, who pleaded with Hasan to contact a lawyer and turn himself in. Hasan responded in a WhatsApp message: I will turn myself in. Im contemplating suicide. I cant believe that happen (sic). I cant believe we did that to each other. I will not harm anyone else. I am not a danger to anyone but myself at the moment Collison and Hasan exchanged messages for several weeks by WhatsApp and later by email. Collison repeatedly asked Hasan to contact a lawyer and turn himself in, telling Hasan a warrant had been issued to arrest him on a murder charge. Im ready to turn myself in. I just want a proper deal, Hasan responded at one point by email. The accused wrote to Collison by email: I seen how the courts work in Canada and its never fair against (sic) a male on female case, especially if youre middle eastern. Hasan asked Collison to provide information about Vasilije and whether she cheated on him or slept with anybody else between certain dates. He asked to see photos taken after her death. Collison declined his requests. Hasan and Vasilije began dating early in 2016. She ended the relationship 25 days before she was killed but agreed to meet with Hasan again because he wanted closure, Crown prosecutor Brendan Thomas has told the jury. The prosecution has rejected Hasans plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter, arguing the evidence will prove murder. Jurors on Friday viewed two bloody knives found on floors in the victims apartment. A third bloody knife was found in a kitchen rack. Jurors saw photos of the victims bloodstained shirt, which they were told was cut in 25 places. Jurors saw photos of the crime scene but did not see Vasilijes corpse, which was replaced in photos with a silhouette image. Hasans DNA was found beneath Vasilijes fingernails, the jury was told. The DNA of a man was found in blood at the apartment but tests were inconclusive on an identity. The trial continues Monday. SHARE: CAMBRIDGE An immunization clinic for students will be held in Cambridge on Thursday. The Waterloo Region Public Health Neighbourhood Bus will be visiting the Chaplin Family YMCA at 250 Hespeler Rd. in Cambridge on Thursday from 10:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. to provide publicly-funded vaccines. Students in grades 7 to 12 may have missed their Grade 7 school program vaccines due to the pandemic, a release notes. The vaccines that will be offered at this clinic are Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis), meningococcal (MenC, ACYW135), HB (Hep B), and HPV9 (human papillomavirus). Immunizations are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and no appointment is necessary. SHARE: KITCHENER Two youths and a 19-year-old Kitchener man face various weapons-related charges after police were called to Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener Friday afternoon for reports of a disturbance involving knives. Waterloo Regional Police were called to the mall just after 3 p.m. They found the people involved and arrested two youths, one from Cambridge, the other from Waterloo. A 19-year-old Kitchener man was also arrested. A victim received non-life threatening injuries. Charges include assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and carrying a concealed weapon. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information can call police at 519-570-9777 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. SHARE: MHRC inspects police stations | IMPHAL, Apr 29: Today, Justice UB Saha, Chairperson of Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) accompanied by Member KK Singh paid surprise visits at several police stations located under Imphal West, Thoubal and Kakching district. The MHRC team inspected police lockups of Singjamei, Lilong, Pallel, Thoubal and Women Police Station Thoubal and it was found that the rooms were either too dark or without attached latrines. Surprisingly, Women Police Station Thoubal was found having only one latrine attached to the police lockup. The team also inspected police diaries and found them poorly maintained, said a statement of the MHRC. In one police station, all the personnel were found not wear uniforms even during their duties hour. An accused person detained in connection with a theft case was found arrested without following prescribed procedure established by law and when the MHRC team asked for arrest memo, one of the investigation officers told that he would prepare it at the time of producing the accused before the Magistrate. While visiting Pallel police station, the MHRC team was told that the police station has not been authorised to register any FIR. On further enquiry, one police officer on duty informed that any complaint that the station receive are forwarded either to Kakching PS or PS belonging to Tengnoupal district. Some of the police officers who do not want to reveal their names appreciated the MHRC team and they expressed hope that the MHRC would also take up human rights issues of the police personnel. It may have been a mistake made in the moment. But it was a big mistake and a big moment. It was Const. Ryan Coles job to serve and protect the most vulnerable. He had a knack for it. A passion for it. He asked to specialize in it, joining the Hamilton Police Services Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team (MCRRT). His duty was to help people in emotional distress and conduct Mental Health Act apprehensions Yet when Cole grabbed the genitals of a combative psychotic man, he triggered an SIU investigation, a criminal conviction for assault and now a guilty plea to discreditable conduct under the Police Services Act. Cole, who has repeatedly apologized for his actions, says he was trying to force the man to comply and he was running out of options. But the law and his training make it clear that grabbing a man in crisis by his genitals was not an option. The incident highlights the problematic relationship between police and those with serious mental-health issues. Neither police nor mental-health advocates believe police are always the best way to respond to mental-health crisis situations despite creations of special units like the MCRRT. Over and over in Hamilton and across the country we have seen force sometimes lethal force used by police in response to people in crisis. On Nov. 6, 2020, at 1 p.m., Cole and his partner Cynthia Bosett a civilian mental-health expert were called by a medical doctor to help with an out-of-control patient. According to a statement of facts, the doctor had ordered a Form 1 to send the patient for a psychiatric evaluation at the hospital without their consent under the Mental Health Act. Cole, who has been with Hamilton police since 2015, led a team to the physicians office. Six officers tried to wrangle the patient into a cruiser. During the struggle, the patients face was cut and his body bruised, according to the agreed facts. The patient kicked the cruisers windows, ripped off weather stripping and created legitimate safety concerns for himself, which lawyers agreed during Fridays Police Services Act hearing entitled officers to use reasonable force in restraining and securing him. Eventually the patient was driven to the hospital, but he resisted getting out of the cruiser. Cole and three officers tried to de-escalate the situation, but the patient clung to the cruiser and refused to leave. While officers tried to pull him, Cole grabbed (the patients) inner thigh on multiple occasions, and his genitals on one occasion, with an intention to cause (the patient) sufficient discomfort such that he would release his grip. It worked. The patient let go, yelling that he had been sexually assaulted. He was carried into hospital by police, restrained on a bed and sedated. He was examined and released a few hours later. The patient was charged with mischief under $5,000 for damaging the cruiser and kept in custody at the police station overnight. He told a sergeant his crotch had been grabbed, causing him pain. That led to the provinces Special Investigations Unit being called in. The watchdog probes deaths, serious injuries and allegations of sexual assault involving police. The patient was taken to hospital complaining of groin pain. However, the doctor did not conduct an examination and no general injuries were documented, according to the agreed facts. Over his next shifts, Cole changed his story. First he told Bosett he grabbed the patients crotch to get him out of the car. Then he said he grabbed him there accidentally. When Bosett pointed out hospital cameras which would have captured the incident, Cole said he intentionally grabbed the patient by the testicles as an effective use of force technique that would cause minimal damage. Then he told Bosett he did it because it was the only place left to grab. Cole said this wasnt a sexual assault as the person had to get off on doing whatever the assault is. When interviewed by the SIU, Cole denied touching the patients genitals or hearing the man complain about it. On April 13, 2021, the SIU charged Cole with sexual assault causing bodily harm. On July 22, 2022, Cole pleaded guilty to assault. Justice Tony Leitch imposed a conditional discharge, 18 months of probation and 80 hours of community service, which Cole has done. Leitch ordered him to provide a DNA sample to the national databank. Leitch told Cole unequivocally: You can not use that method of extraction from a police vehicle. It was a bad decision. Cole, who worked in technology and was a volunteer firefighter before becoming the valedictorian of his Ontario Police College class, has been on desk duty since the incident. Retired OPP superintendent Greg Walton accepted Coles guilty plea at his disciplinary hearing at police headquarters and handed him an agreed upon penalty of 120 hours of lost pay. The only other mark on Coles employment record was a minor reprimand for misusing his cellphone on duty. Aggravating factors considered by Walton included: vulnerability of the patient; the criminal finding of guilt; the effect on the publics confidence in police; media scrutiny of the case; and accountability for an officers actions. Prosecutor Marco Visentini put it this way: There was no reason for Const. Cole to employ the tactic he did He acted outside his use-of-force training. Mitigating factors included: Coles guilty pleas; letters of support from colleagues; and an apology he offered in court. At the end of his disciplinary hearing, Cole addressed the room. I failed (the patient), my police colleagues and the people of Hamilton, he said. The entire experience has been humbling. I look forward to being an officer again. SHARE: At least 9 lawmakers from both parties sold banking stocks during the financial turmoil in March, disclosures that are already renewing calls for an outright ban of Congressional stock trading. Notable traders include Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), who sold Silicon Valley Bank stock after that bank had signaled deep trouble and one day before regulators seized the lender. There is also Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL). An account linked to the freshman Congressman sold shares of Seacoast Banking Corporation (SBCF) just days before that stock tanked. Gottheimer and Moskowitz deny any impropriety and the transactions appear to be perfectly allowed within current law. Nevertheless, advocates of a ban say these trades further undermine the public's faith in Congress. The transactions have already spurred a demand for hearings on the issue. "I'm not at all surprised," said Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) of the disclosures. She is the author of a letter this week calling for a public discussion of the trades. Its become a familiar routine, Spanberger added in an interview this week, for a major news event to soon be followed by revelations of "buying or selling by members of Congress in a way that looks as though it's connected." Lawmakers in Washington are once again trying to stop their colleagues from trading stocks. (REUTERS/Jon Cherry) The Virginia lawmaker is the co-author with Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) of a bill that would require members of Congress as well as their family members to put their investments into a qualified blind trust. They have introduced their legislation in each of the last three sessions of Congress without success so far. One of the notable sponsors of her bill is Gottheimer, the lawmaker who disclosed his sale of Silicon Valley Bank stock. He has also disclosed a sale of Charles Schwab (SCHW) stock and a purchase of shares in Morgan Stanley (MS) during the turmoil. A representative for Gottheimer, when asked about the Silicon Valley Bank trade, pointed to a 2022 statement where the lawmaker said he was in the process of setting up a blind trust and had already turned over investment decisions to a third party. Story continues "I dont believe Members of Congress, judges, or any government employee in a policy role, should be involved in the day-to-day trading of securities, including crypto currencies," he said then. A representative for Moskowitz didn't respond to a request for comment but the lawmaker told The New York Times that the Seacoast trade took place in an account set up for his children and had been suggested by a financial adviser. He also maintains that the sale happened before a congressional briefing on the turmoil that he has previously discussed attending. 'Broad, growing momentum' There are at least 4 bills that have been introduced this Congress that would levy such a ban on lawmaker trading, including one unveiled last week called the Ending Trading and Holdings in Congressional Stocks (ETHICS) Act. That effort is being led by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) who said in a statement to Yahoo Finance that the reaction to last week's unveiling has shown "broad, growing momentum" adding that "without action, we will only continue to hear of situations where lawmakers voted on bills while holding or trading stocks that could be affected." Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) speaks at a press conference on the introduction of the Senate ETHICS Act which would restrict members of Congress and their immediate family members from owning or trading stocks while serving in office. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) The current rules governing the trading of stocks by lawmakers were put in place when then-President Obama signed the STOCK Act of 2012. That legislation clarified that insider trading laws applied to lawmakers and also instituted the 45-day disclosure rule. Calls for an outright ban have intensified in the years since after a series of scandals. The most infamous incident came in 2020 when then Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) sold an array of stocks after a private briefing on COVID-19 but before the larger public was fully aware of the coming pandemic. Burr faced a Justice Department investigation that eventually ended without charges and retired earlier this year while Loeffler lost her 2020 bid for election. Some have even launched ETFs that currently allow traders to invest like their lawmakers in a bid to bring attention to the issue. Congress seemed to be on the verge of taking action late last year before talks fell apart largely over the issue of whether to include Supreme Court justices in a ban. "We're not there just yet," says Donald Sherman, a deputy director at the watchdog group the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, of the political will for ban but says the selling that took place during the banking turmoil offers another opportunity for advocates to press their case. "Whether its the banking crisis scandal or the next one that will inevitably happen, eventually the problem will be too big, and the support for reform too strong, for leadership to continue to ignore." 'Do we want to take some action?' The various new bills seeking an outright ban are from lawmakers who hail from both parties. One from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) is called the Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments (PELOSI) Act to highlight the frequent trading activities of Paul Pelosi, the husband of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Another effort comes from Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) who has a bill called the Halt Unchecked Member Benefits with Lobbying Elimination (HUMBLE) Act. Merkley's bill has the support of 21 Democratic senators and bipartisan support in the House with Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Michael Cloud (R-TX) pushing the effort there. U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) talks to fellow representatives prior to a State of the Union address in 2023. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) As for Spanberger's efforts, her bill with Rep. Roy currently has 56 co-sponsors from both parties and no word yet on whether any hearing will be in the offing but she maintains that things are moving ever so slowly in her direction. "Congress as an entity can make the choice: Do we want to keep having these embarrassing headlines that denigrate the public trust or do we want to take some action?" she asked. Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance. Click here for politics news related to business and money Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Download the Yahoo Finance app for Apple or Android Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and YouTube The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the closing of Signature Bank, and the takeover of Credit Suisse, are all recent events that suggest that deposit insurance schemes and tight regulations are not always sufficient to prevent bank runs. Of course, unlimited deposit insurance has the potential to prevent bank runs, but most deposit insurance schemes are limited for instance, up to US$250,000 in the U.S. and $100,000 in Canada. And individual deposits at SVB were mostly over $250,000 and thus uninsured, so depositors ran to withdraw their money when their trust in the bank waned. Though too late to save SVB, the U.S. government moved swiftly and eliminated the upper insurance limit to prevent contagion and a banking crisis. Additionally, the Fed announced an emergency lending program to all banks to assure depositors that they could access their accounts whenever needed. While necessary given the circumstances, emergency-response programs tend to create a moral hazard situation: They encourage banks to take greater risks in good times under the expectation that they will be bailed out in bad times: Heads, they win; tails, taxpayers lose. Therefore, tight government regulations that prevent banks from taking excessive risks are also needed to preserve the stability of the sector. In this regard, Canadian pundits and politicians often praise the strength of our regulatory system at the time of the 2008 world financial crisis. Of course, these cheerleaders forget to mention two important points. One, the Harper government was pushing for the deregulation of the financial sector in the months prior to the onset of the crisis. And two, once the crisis materialized, the government provided a $114-billion bailout to the banks although, as economist David Macdonald reminds us, the government was careful to call it liquidity support and not a bailout. In any case, while necessary, financial regulation is not a panacea for three main reasons. Firstly, regulations do not always work because crashes continue even when banks comply with the rules. Secondly, more often than not, most financial innovations are aimed at evading regulations. And thirdly, governments are continually under pressure to relax the rules since they reduce banks short-run profitability. So, definitely, deposits insurance and tight regulations are not sufficient to guarantee the stability of the financial sector. Does it mean that we should be resigned to face bank crashes every now and then? Well, not necessarily. As Jan Eeckhout of Barcelonas Pompeu Fabra University points out, we now have a technological solution that could end bank runs forever: We can introduce a central bank digital currency (CBDC), providing all depositors with interest-bearing accounts at the central bank. And this is something the Bank of Canada is already considering, although not necessarily with the same objective in mind. How would a CBDC system work? Lets first consider the main functions of commercial banks. Commercial banks take deposits from some customers and make loans to other customers. But contrary to the popular belief, banks are not intermediaries between savers (depositors) and borrowers. Indeed, banks do not need a previous deposit to make a loan; rather, the loan itself creates an additional deposit where deposits are money, digital currency. That is, loans create money. So, banks are not financial intermediaries after all they are money creators that is, commercial banks create digital currency. These main functions of commercial banks would continue with a CBDC system, but with an important twist: Now commercial banks would become intermediaries between their customers and the Bank of Canada. On the one hand, when customers make deposits at commercial banks, they would be actually depositing in their CBDC accounts at the Bank of Canada. Hence, with an interest-bearing CBDC, a bank run is impossible, says Eeckhout. As the lender of last resort, the central bank could issue as much money as needed if depositors wanted to withdraw their money simultaneously. Therefore, bank runs would become a thing of the past. On the other hand, when a bank gives a loan to a customer, it needs to have the required amount of CBDC. If not, then it would have to borrow it from the Bank of Canada and the bank would profit from the difference between the interest paid and the interest received from its customer. Consequently, since commercial banks cannot create CBDC, banks cannot create money now. Instead, the Bank of Canada creates money now when it lends CBDC to commercial banks and the latter thus become mere intermediaries between their customers and the Bank of Canada. In a CBDC system the role of commercial banks would remain crucial for the financial system, notes Eeckhout. They monitor whether households that apply for mortgages are solvent, and whether business loans will be used for profitable investments. But now, the Bank of Canada could also monitor more easily whether banks are complying with risk management regulations, and whether they are providing loans to finance mostly GDP-enhancing transactions. Therefore, the introduction of a CBDC would put the Bank of Canada in a better position to ensure that fewer loans are extended to finance speculative asset-transactions, thus helping to prevent the development of asset-bubbles and financial crises. Unlimited deposit insurance and stringent bank regulations do not appear as a foolproof combination to prevent banking crises. A CBDC system, however, appears to have the potential to make bank crises a thing of the past and for two main reasons. On the one hand, customers deposits would remain bulletproof. On the other, a bad loan would reduce the profits of the bank in question, without affecting the stability of the sector. And even if a bank becomes insolvent, another bank would just purchase its loan portfolio without affecting the financial well-being of any customer, thus preventing the possibility of contagion and a banking crisis. The time for the adoption of CBDC appears to have come. The Bank of Canada is building the capability of issuing CBDC, and it appears ready. However, the decision to adopt a CBDC system is political and not technical that is, its up to Parliament and the Government of Canada, and not to the Bank of Canada. Gustavo Indart is a professor emeritus in the economics department at University of Toronto. SHARE: One person looms over the Toronto mayoral race as much or more than any issue. Doug Ford, Ontarios powerful and interventionist premier who has shaped city hall far more from Queens Park than when he was city councillor, is playing an offstage but pivotal role in the June 26 mayoral byelection. Candidates react to moves by Doug Ford Candidates know it, releasing policies and strategies on everything from Ontario Place to housing densification to public safety that explicitly or implicitly reference working with or against the province and its Toronto-obsessed leader. The Ontario government plays a large role in the life of municipalities and under the Ford administration, its been incredibly more so, says Matti Siemiatycki of the University of Torontos School of Cities. For every dramatic move on Toronto by his predecessor Kathleen Wynne, such as forbidding road tolls, Ford has dropped five hammers including slashing the size of city council, outlawing community benefit charges on developers and so far refusing to help end the citys unprecedented pandemic-fuelled budget crisis. Three ways the candidates say they will deal with Doug Ford Many Toronto-focused files, including Ontario Place redevelopment and the performance of transportation agency Metrolinx, are politically ablaze as mayoral candidates campaign. How they approach Ford is an issue in itself, said Siemiatycki, who sees hopefuls taking three distinct approaches. One is an embrace of the premiers position and seeing themselves as being able to work very closely with him and to pass those positions. That approach, according to Star interviews with six prominent candidates, is most apparent with Mark Saunders, the former police chief who ran unsuccessfully for Fords Progressive Conservatives in last years provincial election. The second approach is positioning themselves as someone who can engage with the premier to advance Torontos interests and seeing themselves as trying to leverage their role to advance Toronto vis-a-vis the premier. That appears to be the favoured tack of centrists in the race, some of whom have known Ford personally for many years, including ex-councillor Ana Bailao and Liberal MPP Mitzie Hunter. Third, Siemiatycki said, is a more adversarial position towards the premier that starts with the (impact) Ford has had on Toronto politics, and positioning themselves as being in opposition to that on behalf of the city. That best describes Josh Matlow, the midtown city councillor who has been a frequent Ford critic since they were both elected to council in 2010. You cant capitulate to bullies, Matlow told the Star. When our city is being bullied, we need to take a stand and set boundaries. Thats what a leader does.... If Premier Ford announces something that is in our best interests as a city, I will applaud him. But I wont be taking the go along to get along approach of my predecessor (John Tory) because it was not effective. John Tory fought Ford over public health cuts Tory, who resigned in February after two terms in the office he won by beating Ford in the 2014 civic election, fought the premier and won in 2019, getting him to reverse deep public health cuts less than a year before mass COVID-19 deaths began. When pleas to Queens Park failed, Tory and other officials went door to door in Torontos Progressive Conservative ridings telling voters their MPP and Ford were putting their health at risk so the funding had to be restored. It worked. Tory later avoided open warfare in favour of quiet diplomacy, including private meetings like the one before last falls election where he sought strong-mayor powers a request Ford revealed and granted only after Torys re-election. Relations between city and the province are more fraught Several colliding factors make the premier-mayor symbiosis even more vital and fraught now, according to observers, including some who have been directly involved in City Hall-Queens Park detente. Torontos stature as a mere creature of the province, despite having a budget and international profile bigger than that of several provinces, is clearer than ever thanks to the Ford governments Supreme Court victory upholding the council cut. No premier has so readily and overtly used that power while professing insights into the inner workings and chronic shortcomings of a city hall that he roiled, with his late mayoral brother Rob, during the chaotic 2010 to 2014 council term. Never has the city been so hobbled and weak thanks to chronic revenue shortfalls that were papered over by land-transfer-tax windfalls, until the pandemic pierced the budget like an iceberg, sinking revenues while shooting costs sky high. Torontos next mayor will inherit Torys unprecedented minority-rule powers but the Ford government has legislatively tied them to provincial priorities. Delicate dance between opposition and capitulation needed Former officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said the mayor must do a delicate dance between opposition and capitulation because the province has all the money and all the power. This notion that you can just fight all the time is just not on because you will literally get nothing done and youll get no funding for anything, said one, describing a pivot between partnership and public protest on vital issues. Publicly shaming other governments, as Tory did on public health and as city council is doing now with notes on property tax bills about the federal governments failure to provide budget relief, is one of the citys few tools. Tory appears to have tried to follow the lead of former mayor Mel Lastman, who was known as a master of gauging when to fight and when to hug. Torontos budget gap plays a key role But the potential failure of the fourth biggest city in North America, which faces a $933-million budget hole for this year alone, has tilted the dynamic said one former official who summed up Torontos financial predicament as Were f--ked. Until Toronto gets a share of sales or income taxes to sustainably fund itself, the new mayor shouldnt simply cave to Queens Park when it takes actions like Bill 23 that reduces or freezes fees that cities charge developers, the official said. In dealing with somebody like Ford, complacency, just going along, would do the city a disservice, so leveraging public opinion is going to be vital. Ford has not officially endorsed a mayoral candidate but has expressed his admiration for Saunders and his dread at facing a lefty mayor. Observers expect, however, Ford would find a way to work with an adversary like Matlow, because the premier likes to be liked, and polling shows Ontarians like him most when he is working well with others. How the main candidates would handle the Ford Factor Asked how they would deal with Doug Ford, here is what the major candidates said: Mitzie Hunter has known Ford for many years, back when his brother was a councillor and she worked for Toronto community housing. While they sometimes clash in question period at Queens Park, they are not enemies, she said. Ive already personally received his commitment that he would work with me should I be elected mayor of Toronto and I believe that we would have a respectful relationship, Hunter said. Knowing the inner workings of Queens Park from a decade as MPP, including stint as associate minister of finance, would be a built-in advantage when it came to getting a better deal for Toronto, Hunter said. If the Ford government gets something wrong, she said wouldnt hesitate to publicly tell them. Brad Bradford said he worked with the premier to introduce a small-business tax class in the city during the pandemic. I will always be a strong leader for Toronto but I will also focus on shared priorities with the provincial and federal government, said the city councillor. You start at a point of shared values and objective, and you focus your time and energy there. Getting into fights with the premier or the prime minister doesnt serve the citys interests. Mark Saunders said as police chief at major events I had to represent the city of Toronto, dealing with the premier and directly dealing with the prime minister Ill stand up for the city Torontos best interests. One of my key successes has been collaboration. I dont make decisions out of personal reasons. I make them out of collaborating. I make them from being informed by people that are knowledgeable in the field. And then I prioritize what needs to be done. But understanding that a co-operative working environment is far more healthy than one where there is agitation or conflict. Olivia Chow said she and Ford might be political opposites but they have a bond through Rob Ford who became friends at city council with her late husband Jack Layton. Each family expressed support during their fatal illnesses, she said. If you connect on certain issues with personal issues I think you get much further than just publicly insulting each other, said Chow, while adding she would be more transparent about their dealings than Tory was. If the city and province are in conflict, educating the public about the citys issue is one technique, Chow said, recalling when as councillor she got messages sent to people on the subsidized child-care wait-list to lobby their MPPs and MPs to increase funding so theyd get care sooner. Josh Matlow said that if Ford genuinely seeks to support the interests of Torontonians, my job will be to roll up my sleeves and work with the provincial government toward getting results. But Matlow who, if elected, would ask Ford to repeal strong-mayor legislation, said he will not follow Torys get along to go along approach. The gloves would come off if the premier acts in any way to harm Toronto or the interests of its residents. While the city constitutionally has little power, the city councillor says as mayor he would seek creative ways to fight Queens Park, such as his push for the federal government to take over city land at Ontario Place so Ford cant expropriate it. Ana Bailao said her relationship with Ford, when both were at city hall and she was among councillors fighting the Fords cost-cutting agenda, taught him that theres no BS with me and I think he appreciates that. The former councillor and housing advocate added: .I said at the start of my campaign the province needs to upload the (Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway) highways and I have said I dont agree with spending $500 million on a parking lot for a private company at Ontario Place. But I also said building housing on the parking lots of the Ontario Science Centre is a good idea. You need to find common ground. Doug Ford pays attention to the voter and the voter is the strongest power for us. David Rider is the Stars City Hall bureau chief and a reporter covering city hall and municipal politics. Follow him on Twitter: @dmrider Read more about: SHARE: Police are looking for a pair of male suspects in two child-luring incidents that took place in Mississauga this past week. Peel police said two youths were near River Grove Avenue and Riverdale Crescent on Wednesday, April 26 at around 3:45 p.m. when the suspects left a white cargo van and began chasing them. The suspects left the area as the youths entered a community centre, police say. The next day, at around 12:30 p.m., another youth was outside within school boundaries, near McDowell and Rainspring Drives, when two suspects left a cargo van and reportedly tried to lure the youth toward them. The child returned to the school and the suspects escaped, police say. Police are looking for a male who is 40-50 years old, six-feet tall, with a thin build. He was wearing black pants, a black hooded sweater, a black bandana and black sunglasses. The second suspect is described as male, 20-30 years old. He was wearing white clothes and dark sunglasses. They were driving a white cargo van with windows only in the front, police say. Police have been unable to corroborate whether an offence has taken place or not, a police press statement read. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the 11 Division Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-453-3311, extension 1133. Ana Pereira is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @anabpereiraa Read more about: SHARE: A busy downtown intersection is closing Monday for nearly half a decade as construction on Torontos newest subway line begins in earnest. Starting May 1, Queen Street between Bay and Victoria Streets will be shut to cars for four and a half years in what will be one of the biggest disruption the city will face in the construction of the Ontario Line subway. Work on the line began last March, but will heat up this summer with the Queen Street closure and other projects. The 15.6-km, 15-stop subway line which will run from Exhibition Place through downtown to the Ontario Science Centre promises to change how people move around the city, making transit more accessible for hundreds of thousands of people and providing much-needed relief to the TTCs busy Line 1. But building a subway line through Canadas densest city will come with significant collateral damage, in the form of appropriated homes, felled trees, ruined businesses and headaches from years of heavy drilling. Some residents oppose Ontario Line plans Even more, the provincial transit agency charged with building the Ontario Line, Metrolinx, is deeply distrusted by many Torontonians, for both its cosy relationship with Premier Doug Fords government and its apparent fumbling of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, which is years delayed with no end in sight. Meanwhile, residents from Thorncliffe to Riverside have criticized the transit agency for bulldozing forward with its construction plans without adequately consulting residents at the heart of them. Metrolinx has already emerged as a key issue in the mayoral byelection, with city councillor and mayoral candidate Brad Bradford calling on the province Friday to fire Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster, while Anthony Furey announced plans to bring legal action against the transit agency for the LRT debacle. When the Ontario Line is ready, which the government says will be in 2031, Toronto will be a more sustainable, livable and equitable city. But getting there wont be easy. Were doing everything we can to try to mitigate these closures, said Roger Browne, the citys director of traffic management. But the reality is, it is going to be challenging. Ontario Line work could add 30 minutes to cross-town drives Browne advised planning trips downtown ahead of time and using other modes of transport whenever possible walking, biking or taking public transit. A city report from 2021 found that the construction of the Ontario Lines six new downtown subway stations, combined with other city-led construction, could add an extra 30 minutes to a drive across downtown. To accommodate the closure, the Queen streetcar, one of the citys busiest routes, will be diverted north to Dundas Street for the next 10 months, until streetcar tracks are restored on Adelaide Street, at which point the Queen car will divert along that street as well as Richmond Street. Shuttle buses will also run in the meantime. To keep traffic moving amid closures, Browne said the city is establishing protected routes around Toronto. For example, to enable diverted Queen traffic to flow along Dundas Street, the city is banning non-emergency construction on that street and limiting Cafe TO applications. The city is also modifying traffic lights on the surrounding parallel streets to enable east-west traffic to move more quickly, as well as implementing AI-powered traffic signals at some downtown intersections, which adjust timing based on traffic flow. Traffic agents will be posted at key intersections to help with diversions. Its all hands on deck, Browne said. Businesses fear the effects of the road closures But there will be little reprieve for businesses in the line of fire. This is pushing small businesses like us towards bankruptcy, said Salim Merchant, who is the leaseholder for the convenience store INS Market franchise at Queen and Yonge Streets. I took this store in 2019 November to get some extra bread and butter for me and my family, Merchant said. After four months of getting the store, there was the hard hit of COVID for three years. And now for five years, the construction. He said he understands Toronto wanting to improve public transit, but lamented that downtown businesses have still not had time to recover from the pandemic. Merchants lease runs out in 2027, the year the Queen closure is expected to end. But hes not confident his business will make it until then. Its not going to work out. Its only pushing me towards a financial crisis. In a statement, Metrolinx said communities will continue to be informed and we will communicate confirmed construction as early as possible using a multi-channel approach and by co-ordinating all our plans with the City of Toronto and the TTC. We set up construction liaison committees, hold regular open houses and provide 24/7 call centre support across the route of the project to address questions, gather feedback, and provide timely and critical updates. While much of the disruption is concentrated downtown, residents across the city will feel the effects of upcoming construction, which will destroy trees, homes, businesses and landmarks. Backlash to Metrolinx plans in eastern, northern parts of the route Backlash to Metrolinxs plans in the eastern and northern sections of the line, where the train will run above ground for stretches, has been brewing for years. Thorncliffe residents were gutted when Metrolinx announced in 2021 it planned to build a massive maintenance and storage facility in the neighbourhood, displacing a mosque and dozens of local businesses. Riverside-based group Save Jimmie Simpson has fought to bury the subway to preserve the areas parks. Near the future Pape Station, parents of children at Pape Avenue Junior Public School have criticized Metrolinx for failing to present a detailed plan for how they will protect students from disruptive construction. Metrolinx confirmed that construction on early upgrades to prepare for major work on the Ontario Line is already underway at Exhibition Station, the sites of the future Queen, Corktown, Osgoode and Moss Park stations, the Don Yard, in the Lakeshore East rail corridor east of the Don River, and in the area of the future tunnel portal near Pape Avenue and Gerrard Street Work will start this summer on King-Bathurst and Queen-Spadina stations, the agency added, which will require further street closures through the end of the decade. There will also be some disruptions due to the construction of bridges along the joint corridor with GO transit in the eastern side of the citys core. Beginning this summer through early 2025, there will be intermittent sidewalk and lane closures on Queen Street East, east of Boulton Avenue where a bridge is being built. During that time, traffic will also be restricted on Dundas Street East east of West Avenue, and bike lanes will be closed for around nine months. Bike lanes will also be closed on nearby Logan Avenue for two months sometime between early 2024 and spring 2025. Both Queen Street East and Dundas Street East, including sidewalks, will be fully closed on select weekends, according to Metrolinxs website. More downtown closures planned for Ontario Line work There are also several other Ontario Line-related closures in the downtown. As of Dec. 5, southbound traffic on University Avenue between Armoury Street and Queen Street has been reduced to one lane, set to last until mid 2023. While pedestrian access will be maintained, there may be some minor sidewalk impacts from the construction, and cyclists and cars will have to use the same lane. Northbound lane closures will also occur at some point this year, according to Metrolinxs website. James Street has also been closed to cars since mid-December, and will remain so until Queen Station is complete in November 2027. According to a report to Torontos executive committee this Tuesday, the construction of the two bridges that will carry the subway across the Don Valley Parkway the Ontario Line Don Valley Crossing and Lower Don Bridge will require multiple temporary lane closures on the DVP, Gardiner Expressway and the Don Roadway between 2023 and 2028. Mixed-use developments planned for Ontario Line stops Down the line, Toronto will see more construction in the form of housing hubs, called transit-oriented communities (TOC)s, which are planned around Ontario Line stops at Gerrard-Carlaw North, Corktown, Queen-Spadina, King-Bathurst, Exhibition and East Harbour. Theyre envisioned as mixed-use centres complete with residential office, retail and green space. There are some renderings available, but details are scarce. Asked about start dates and scope, provincial Ministry of Infrastructure spokesperson Sofia Sousa-Dias said in an email that construction will start once each station has been completed. Therefore, timelines are still being determined for each site. Consultations with municipalities, private partners and local communities help to inform the density and heights of each TOC site. The official website for the Gerrard-Carlaw North hub says that about 1,080 new residential units are planned. According to developer Cadillac Fairview, the East Harbour site will include 10 million square feet of commercial development and 3.2 million square feet of residential development (more than 4,000 units, including affordable housing). In early 2024 we are expecting to break ground on preparatory infrastructure work for the site, which is a necessary first step ahead of commencing construction on the residential and commercial buildings, reads an emailed statement from the company. Pending further municipal approvals and market conditions, we hope to break ground on our first building in late 2024. With files from May Warren Read more about: SHARE: Hardev Singh Samra walks across the marble floors of the Gursikh Sabha Gurudwara, through the community kitchen to the storage rooms filled with bags of flour and dal and stacks of massive cooking pots. Hes taking stock of everything in preparation for one of the kitchens busiest days of the year. Its when dozens of volunteers here, combined with many more at Ontario Khalsa Darbar Gurudwara in Mississauga, will feed thousands of people in Toronto to mark the Sikh New Year. Sunday is Khalsa Day, also known as Nagar Kirtan, and the annual parade is returning to the CNE after a pandemic hiatus, which means Samra returns to a role hes held for 24 years: managing the food. To get organized, he gathers with his team of volunteers a few days before the event at this temple in Scarborough to make sure all the logistics are in place to transport and serve food to more than 150,000 expected attendees at the CNE. Hes checking that the kitchen has enough onions and tomatoes; who will do all the cooking; and who will be driving the trucks full of dal, rice, subji, oil and serving buckets. And, of course, what the contingency plan will be if any of this falls through. By now, Samra, 66, has this operation down to a fine art. As manager of the massive langar operations at Khalsa Day, Torontos third largest parade, he estimates hes fed close to a million people in that time. Langar is a free vegetarian food service offered in every gurdwara, and Samra starts preparing everything about six weeks before the event. Referring to the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book of scripture, Samra explained that langar teaches us any human can share whenever we have anything to share. And for Samra, Khalsa Day is all about sharing with the city of Toronto. We show how Sikhs share with others, he said, and we show other cultures our identity, and that everyone is equal. On parade day, Samra arrives at the Gursikh Sabha Gurudwara at 4 a.m. loading 300 pounds of cooked dal, subji and rice. We have to make food the day of, he said. We dont pack any food from the night before. East Metal, a Sikh-owned trucking company, drives the hot food in a 26-foot-long truck to the CNE where 100 volunteers from gurdwaras across the GTA are ready with steel spoons in hand to distribute food to thousands, awaiting Samras directions. Samra was appointed the permanent manager of langar after the Ontario Sikh and Gurudwara Council and other volunteers were impressed with his efforts at the very first Nagar Kirtan Parade in 1999 at Jarvis Collegiate Institute. At that time, Samra said, there were probably only about 500 people in attendance. Aside from participating in Khalsa Day, Samra an HVAC technician whos lived in Vaughan since 1980 is a council member of the Guru Gobind Singh Childrens Foundation, a charity run by children to help other children in need, attends the gurdwara in Scarborough at least once a week to serve langar, and organizes a yearly picnic for the Sikh community there. Hardev has to manage hundreds of volunteers at any given time, says Ranvir Perhar, whos been volunteering since Samra became the main organizer for langar. We all organize collectively together, but he is the primary reason why we are so successful each year. Langar is distributed at the CNE before the parade begins. During the event, which opens with live drummers and cars adorned with orange flowers and the Khanda symbol, thousands of people holding Khalsa and Canadian flags will march to City Hall, where more food will be served. Organizations like Khalsa Aid, Sikh Motorcycle Club, Sikh Military Dudes, and small businesses also participate in the parade. I have to make sure that when people are serving, they dont pour too much. They should pour as though they are serving to a child, Samra explained. There is also a system in place like directing traffic because everyone sits in rows to be served. Samra has noticed an increase in people who arent Sikh coming out to Khalsa Day, including pedestrians and politicians. Liberal MP Mary Ng always comes every year to serve langar for 20 minutes, Samra said. Perhar said the parade is a great opportunity to showcase who Sikhs are, as both immigrants and Canadians. Some people come all the way from Thunder Bay because Toronto is an international cultural hub, he said. Some Sikhs dont have an active community there, so they come here. And given the current situation of unrest in the Punjab state in India where most Sikhs live, many in Torontos Sikh community are eager to come together. In the 24 years of overseeing langar, Samra has kept the food flowing despite below-freezing temperatures, major road closures (including the one year when the entire Gardiner was shut down) and friction between volunteers. Every year, Samra said, I feel the pressure, but when I come out, I feel so good at the end of the day. Though Samra said hes honoured to continue leading this large-scale operation, he does plan to eventually pass down his role as the langar organizer. My favourite memories involve 10-year-olds wanting to serve water, roti, or pick up plates from people, Samra said. Its the best part when the young kids come. Thats our next generation who is going to carry the torch. SHARE: The superheroes are in your face even before you enter the store. Outside the Beguiling, a shop at 319 College St. W., boxes upon boxes of discounted comic books and graphic novels are set up on folding tables against the large storefront windows, beckoning readers in search of a good deal on old Marvels and DCs and others. But right inside the light-filled main room, much floor and shelf space has been given over to independent and small-press titles, the kind of work that attracted owner Peter Birkemoe to the medium in the first place. A go-to purveyor of comics and graphic novels since opening 35 years ago on Harbord Street, the Beguiling supplied Torontonians with books that at the time were difficult to find. These comics aficionados werent necessarily looking for typical superheroes. They were scanning the racks for underground and experimental work by artists like Chester Brown and Seth, locals who deal in deeply confessional autobiography, and Daniel Clowes, whose graphic novels have been adapted into the movies Ghost World, Art School Confidential and Wilson. They dont sound like hard-to-find things, because those are among the widely read (now), Birkemoe said. But that was not (always) the case. In addition to running what may be the citys best comics store, one that also functions as an important academic resource, Birkemoe also helped launch the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) in 2003. The free event, happening this weekend, now brings thousands of visitors to the Toronto Reference Library (at 789 Yonge St.) from across North and South America and Europe along with a global roster of artists and writers. The Beguilings origin story From Harbord Street, the Beguiling moved in 1992 to Mirvish Village, where its colourful and quirky window displays intrigued pedestrians for 25 years. Often resembling the pages of the books inside, they featured large-scale cutouts of characters like Astro Boy and Popeye, collages made from TCAF posters, and original paintings by such local artists as Zach Worton and Jeff Lemire. There, Birkemoe picked up the occasional shift after studying chemical engineering in school. He never could have imagined that in 1998 hed become the proprietor (along with Shane Chung, who is no longer involved). But it turned out the shop needed me, he said. So, in the end, it all worked out very well. Birkemoe has continued to grow the Beguiling brand, opening Little Island Comics, a bright and inviting sister store for young readers next door, and creating a dedicated Library Services division, inspired by the intrepid librarians, Birkemoe said, who sought recommendations for school and public libraries. Weve gradually built upon that demand, and built a team around that, to become the largest supplier of comics and graphic novels to libraries in the country, he said. The division helps librarians from school boards such as the TDSB, special collections like the Canada Comics Open Library, and Nunavuts Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth develop their archives, by suggesting titles that tie into curricula. The teams expertly curated reading lists are available on the Beguiling website and include books covering a wide range of ages and topics. According to Lindsay Gibb, who will be speaking on a TCAF panel, there are many reasons a librarian would want to include comics or graphic novels in their collection, even in an academic library like Gibbs at University of Toronto Scarborough. Theyre popular for leisure reading and for study, and some educators teach with them, she said. They use visuals and words to help convey information often in a really compelling way, or in a way that helps to explain complex subjects. Birkemoe still works in the shop, where he is always pleased to offer recommendations and acts as a consignment dealer for artists such as Katherine Collins (Neil the Horse) and Jillian Tamaki (Boundless), whose work hangs on the stores walls. And as the massive back-issues basement attests, the store doesnt skimp on vintage and international favourites. Toronto Comic Arts Festival For an augmented Beguiling adventure, there is TCAF. Now in its 20th year, the festival, Birkemoe said, is my store, but spread out (for everybody to) easily see, with the authors speaking on behalf of the work. Its a really easy way for people who dont suffer from sensory overload to experience the world of comics. With its extensive in-person programming this weekend and online through May 7, Birkemoe said there is likely some talk that is going to speak to you from among the dozens that were putting on, which include readings and workshops geared toward kids. Throughout the weekend, exhibitors will be selling their work across three floors, featured guests will host signing sessions, and publishers will review artists portfolios. TCAF also offers a rare opportunity for manga fans to interact with some of the genres star artists. One of this years guests, Jun Mayuzuki, of After the Rain fame, Birkemoe said, is doing some fascinating genre-subverting romance work, and I dont want to diminish romance as a genre at all. This is working within that, but hitting a contemporary literary fiction note as well. The festival is as much for fans of comic art as it is for creators. Torontos Eric Kostiuk Williams, cartoonist behind Our Wretched Town Hall and this years TCAF poster design, has exhibited his work regularly at the festival over the last decade, after attending for the first time in 2009. The work on display from small-press publishers like Koyama Press and local collectives like Wowee Zonk galvanized me to pursue comic-making more seriously, he said. As the comics and illustration landscape becomes increasingly encroached upon by big tech, my hope is that the festival continues to showcase and prioritize local, up-and-coming creators. Meeting artists on the rise, like Chicago-based Caroline Cash, who self-publishes a comic called PeePee PooPoo, is one of the perks of Birkemoes job. (Shes) a new generations voice in the mould of underground comics of the 60s and the alternative comics of the 90s that drew me into comics, he said. But this is completely new. A highlight for Birkemoe this year will be interviewing Sammy Harkham, whose new book Blood of the Virgin, collects 13 years of his work. One of his first publishing enterprises, a small comic anthology called Kramers Ergot, came into the store not long after I took over and was learning the ropes of being a retailer, so Ive gotten to follow his career at the same time as my career is progressing, said Birkemoe. The fact that I dont have to travel the world to experience all this also makes me very happy. Correction May 2, 2023: The first Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) was held in 2003. A previous version of this article erroneously said it was held in 1993. Celeste Percy-Beauregard is a freelance journalist covering entrepreneurs, community builders, artists and more. You can find her work at celestepercybeauregard.com SHARE: TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) Tunisias coast guard says it has recovered around 210 bodies of migrants under two weeks that have washed up on the North African countrys central coastline amid an ongoing increase in migration. Preliminary examinations of the bodies indicated that the migrants were from sub-Saharan Africa, according to the National Guards Houssemeddine Jebabli. The number of bodies recovered was announced Friday. Of the 210 dead migrants found over 10 days starting on April 18, about 70 of those were recovered from the beaches of eastern Sfax, the neighboring Kerkennah islands and Mahdia, according to prosecutor Faouzi Masmoudi, who oversees migration issues. These three areas are starting points for most attempts to migrate to the Italian coast, including onward to the remote island of Lampedusa, he added. The increasing number of dead migrants has overwhelmed the Habib Bourguiba hospital morgue in Sfax, the capacity of which is 30 to 40 bodies. To ease the pressure on hospitals, local authorities are working to speed up the burial of the victims after carrying out DNA tests and possible identification by relatives, Masmoudi said. Romdhane Ben Amor, spokesperson for the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), an nongovernmental organization specializing in migration issues, said that local authorities had last year committed themselves to setting up a special cemetery for migrants, on the grounds that they are not Muslims. But Amor said that this is still not ready, leading to the difficulties in finding burial places. Following a visit earlier this week by European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, the Tunisian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that Tunisia and the European Union agreed to promote the voluntary return of sub-Saharan migrants to their countries of origin. During her stay, the EU official met with Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar, Interior Minister Kamel Feki and Social Affairs Minister Malek Ezzahi. Migration to Europe has been on an upward climb, peaking in 2022 to 189,620, according to the International Organization for Migration. Thats the most since 2016, when close to 400,000 left their homelands, and one year after more than 1 million people, mostly Syrians fleeing war, sought refuge in 2015. For many sub-Saharan Africans, who dont need a visa to travel to Tunisia, the North African country serves as a stepping stone to Europe, while others come from Libya, which shares a border with Tunisia. ___ Follow APs coverage of migration issues at https://apnews.com/hub/migration SHARE: Last week, Muslims across the world celebrated Eid al-Fitr with prayers, cultural foods, and festivities. As Muslims across Canada celebrated Eid, it was heartening to see dignitaries, including federal members of Parliament, joining in to share their best wishes. However, the irony of this situation is not lost on many in the Muslim community. While federal politicians celebrate Eid with Muslims, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has been targeting Muslim charities with biased audits, attempting to define Islam for Canadian Muslims through a narrow lens of understanding faith. One of the most dominant examples of this bias is the CRAs belief that Eid celebrations as Muslims know and practice it is not religious but rather social. According to the CRA, charities that organize Eid beyond the minutes spent on actual prayer should be scrutinized for possible violations of the Income Tax Act. This bias can be contrasted with the way churches organize Christmas celebrations, which I assume are considered religious by the CRA. This view ignores the deep religious significance of Eid for Muslims. Eid al-Fitr, or the Festival of Breaking the Fast and Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice, marking the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, are the two major holidays celebrated by Muslims. Eid is celebrated with morning prayers, formal embraces, and greetings of Eid Mubarak or have a blessed Eid. It is a time when family and friends come together to enjoy the celebrations, exchange gifts, and prepare special meals, often as a community. The community building aspects of religious rituals cannot and must not be stripped of spiritual significance if religious freedom is to have any real value beyond lip service. Many federal politicians, including opposition leaders Jagmeet Singh and Pierre Poilievre, have committed to addressing this systemic Islamophobia in the CRA, while the government for two years has offered no substantial resolution to this issue except for a failed investigation of the CRA by the taxpayer ombudsperson. However, it is important to remember that the CRA does not have the right to define what is and what is not religious. The Supreme Court of Canada is clear that religion involves more than just beliefs, but also traditions and relationships and defined a protected religious practice to be a sincere belief that an action has religious significance for an individual or a community. It is a well-established tradition of the Islamic faith, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), to celebrate Eid as a community and rejoice together, bringing happiness to families on this special day. The CRAs attempt to diminish Eid to just a social event is misguided, just like its attempt to undermine the importance of youth activities in nurturing religious values and ideals within a community. Muslims have the right to celebrate their religious festivals without fear of discrimination. This is why the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) has launched a charter challenge in the Ontario Superior Court to demonstrate that the CRA audits of Muslim charities violate our freedom of religion. For years, MAC has organized the largest Eid festivals across the country, bringing together thousands of Canadian Muslims to celebrate their religious holiday. These events have seen federal MPs and Prime Minister Trudeau himself joining in. The CRAs prejudice toward Muslim charities like MAC for facilitating rituals to advance its religious ideals raises the question of who has the wrong understanding of religious rights: the Supreme Court, the federal legislature or the CRA? It is time for the Canadian government to take concrete actions to ensure that the CRA does not continue to violate the rights of Muslim charities and to demonstrate that Canada is a country where all religions are respected and protected. Faisal Kutty is a lawyer and law professor. You can follow him @themuslimlawyer. Read more about: SHARE: In the winter of 2021 amid a housing and homelessness crisis, a group of residents in Torontos East York neighbourhood came together to oppose the construction of more than 50 modular homes for people exiting homelessness. One of these residents claimed, in a widely shared news interview, that the supportive homes should not be built because the proposed site, on a parking lot, was the heart of the community. Fast-forward and that modular housing is up and running. Today, not only is it home to dozens of seniors; despite the loss of the apparently beloved parking lot, the heart of the community is beating still. This was a rare housing success story in Toronto, a city in which the real estate market is impossibly expensive, rent is steep, homelessness is climbing, and residents groups regularly oppose the creation of new housing. Yet the story that unfolded in East York is one we hope repeats itself all over Toronto and in every shape and size, be it supportive housing on a parking lot, rental units in a skyscraper, or multiplexes on a quiet street. This month, we learned that more good news is likely in store thanks to the release of a proposal by the citys chief planner Gregg Lintern. The proposal is a set of recommendations calling for the authorization of multiplex housing duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes on low-rise residential streets. Otherwise known as the missing middle, this type of housing is desperately needed in Toronto where single-family homes are king, even though few young people can afford them. Consider the fact, according to the Stars Victoria Gibson and Nathan Pilla, that in the five years between the last two national censuses, the citys population grew by more than 62,000 people. Yet that growth is clustered in neighbourhoods that are already running out of space, with little choice but to reach up to add more homes. Changing Torontos housing landscape The chief planners recommendations could help to even things out across the city and closer to the ground. According to the report, multiplexes provide a housing option that can fit the needs of families, large households, and people who would prefer living in ground-related housing. It can also provide units for people to age in place in their neighbourhoods, to create housing for a family member, or to create additional units to help contribute to mortgage costs. As weve argued previously, it will take all three levels of government working together consistently to solve the housing and homelessness crisis in Toronto. However, if heeded by city council in the near future, the chief planners recommendations have the potential to drastically change Torontos housing landscape for the better. We urge Toronto city council and whomever emerges victorious in the citys mayoral by-election in June to follow through with these recommendations wholeheartedly: to write a new chapter in Toronto history in which renting or owning an affordable home is not a pipe dream. Too little housing But at the same time, we urge Torontonians to have an open mind. It is unlikely that many of us would (like the East York resident above) identify a parking lot as the heart of our community. But research shows that most Torontonians do have a tendency to say Not in My Backyard. RELATED STORIES GTA Multiplex housing belongs in every Toronto neighbourhood, final city hall report says According to recent polling from Mainstreet Research, 47 per cent of Torontonians said they believe the city is building too little housing. Yet a whopping 73 per cent said they think the city should build less where I live. It appears that we want the housing crisis to go away but we are reluctant to be a part of the solution. We want vulnerable people living in poverty to find housing but in many cases, wed prefer that housing exist across town, not around the corner. And too many who already rent or own are ready to deny others, often young families, the same opportunity. Our elected officials share this bent for cognitive dissonance likely because they want to be re-elected. Its not uncommon to observe Toronto councillors speak of the need for affordable housing while placating residents in their own wards who oppose new growth. If we truly want the status quo to change, this cognitive dissonance must end. A plea to Toronto councillors: match your actions to your words. A plea to residents: be a part of the housing solution. SHARE: TRCA says province did not consult on Ontario Science Centre move to Ontario Place, April 24 The Toronto Star correctly points out that most of the Ontario Science Centre land is composed of hazardous and floodplain lands. Good luck to the Doug Ford government and a developer in trying to secure a Toronto and Region Conservation Authority permit for new housing development over these lands! During Hurricane Hazel in 1954, many houses in the Don Valley were swept away by flooding and hence the conservation authority followed up by preparing floodplain mapping of the Don Valley to ensure that future housing would not be exposed to such destruction. There is also the concept of setback zones from floodplains. Ministers within Fords government need to learn how to interpret floodplain mapping before suggesting new housing over hazardous and floodplain lands. Jim McEwen, retired civil engineer, Bowmanville Read more about: SHARE: Australian Rare Earths Limited (ASX:AR3) insiders who acquired shares over the previous 12 months, can probably afford to ignore the recent 28% decline in the stock price. Even after accounting for the recent loss, the AU$355k worth of stock purchased by them is now worth AU$467k or in other words, their investment continues to give good returns. 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 Australian Rare Earths Australian Rare Earths Insider Transactions Over The Last Year In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Independent Non-executive Director Angus Barker bought AU$197k worth of shares at a price of AU$0.27 per share. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of AU$0.36. Because it occurred at a lower valuation, it doesn't tell us much about whether insiders might find today's price attractive. In the last twelve months Australian Rare Earths 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 click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! Australian Rare Earths is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Insiders At Australian Rare Earths Have Bought Stock Recently Over the last quarter, Australian Rare Earths insiders have spent a meaningful amount on shares. In total, insiders bought AU$305k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any sales whatsoever. This is a positive in our book as it implies some confidence. Insider Ownership I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Australian Rare Earths insiders own about AU$14m worth of shares. That equates to 30% of the company. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders. Story continues So What Do The Australian Rare Earths Insider Transactions Indicate? It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. But we don't feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. Given that insiders also own a fair bit of Australian Rare Earths we think they are probably pretty confident of a bright future. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. For instance, we've identified 5 warning signs for Australian Rare Earths (3 are potentially serious) you should be aware of. Of course Australian Rare Earths may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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, but not derivative transactions. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Ford defends plan for Science Centre, April 19 Says Premier Doug Ford, All of us grew up going to the Science Centre one time or another. Its tired. Surely this dismissal of world famous Canadian architect Raymond Moriyamas work entitles Ford to the honorific, Architectural Fatigue Assessor. Some day, post politics, we anticipate news of his world travels as he is invited to appraise the tiredness of other antiquities: Paris, Eiffel Tower, Gustave Eiffel, 1889, rather tired. London, St. Pauls Cathedral, Christopher Wren, 1710, quite tired. Agra, Taj Mahal, Ahmad Lahori, 1643, oh so tired. Paul Collier, Toronto SHARE: Wrecking ball will wreck lives, too, April 24 The chilling line in this article was given by Councillor Alejandra Bravo who said how land is used includes the right of people to profit. So, there we have it, no consideration to the needs of the community, the elderly, and the handicapped as Rosie Dimanno so rightly pointed out. Just good old profit is the be-all and end-all to the detriment of all else. Long live capitalism. Matthew Marosszeky, Aurora SHARE: Outside the No Frills at Jane and Lawrence Avenue West, a guy in baggy camo gear and a ball cap lights a cigarette. You gonna enjoy that smoke? Anthony Perruzza, the city councillor and mayoral candidate, asks him. Perruzza told the guy Fitzroy is his name he was running for mayor. What are the big issues for you? What could the city do to help you? Lower gas prices. Lower food prices, Fitzroy says in a Caribbean accent, laughing a bit as though he might as well be asking Santa for world peace. Well, how about this: I think we should keep property taxes down, fees down, TTC fares down, no increases for a few years until people can get back on their feet. How does that sound? Thats a good idea, Fitzroy says. Perruzza, a fixture of local politics for decades (as a Toronto city councillor, North York city councillor, Member of Provincial Parliament, and school board trustee) is known more for windy speeches full of winding logic than for his leadership potential. Most observers dont see him fighting in the heavyweight division of this crowded mayoral campaign his name isnt even included in most of the polls being conducted. But his goofy-uncle salesmanship is finding a receptive audience out here in the parking lot between the discount grocery store and the Salvation Army Thrift Shop. Im Perruzza, Im running for mayor, he says, tucking his literature into the hands or shopping carts of people trying their best to squeeze past him quietly. Many of them stop to chat reluctantly, then wind up smiling, some telling him theyll vote for him, some even literally embracing him. Doris starts out saying she doesnt even plan to vote, because shes disenchanted by politicians who dont respond to her problems. After a few minutes, shes telling Perruzza shell pray for him, and make sure her two kids vote for him. His glamorous campaign tour consists of ward-by-ward visits to discount supermarkets across the city, where he repeats a simple, maybe simplistic, message: people cant afford to pay any more, so no property tax increases, no fee hikes, no TTC fare increases for at least three years. Honestly, that familiar populist line is not all that interesting to me. But what is kind of interesting is how he proposes to pay for things. Other anti-tax politicians promise to hunt waste and inefficiency. Instead, Perruzza is looking at the property taxes the city already collects. In particular, the $2.2 billion education levy that the city collects every year and then remits to the provincial government. He says the city should keep that cash. For perspective, the entire municipal land transfer tax in Toronto generates less than a billion dollars a year. More than $2 billion in new city revenue without raising taxes or introducing new ones? Thats got to be wishful thinking, right? Listen: But its actually an idea some experts say is worth considering. The so-called education levy is not actually earmarked for education it goes into the provincial general revenues and it isnt directly connected to the cost of schools or anything. Many experts agree, as outlined in a 2019 report by the University of Torontos Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance (IMFG), that property taxes are not an appropriate way to pay for education, and that income or sales taxes are better for that. If you were to explain it to your average person, about the fact that its called education property tax, but it doesnt necessarily go to education, and that its levied on your local property tax bill but the city government has absolutely nothing to do with it, most people would say thats not common sense, says Gabriel Eidelman, the director of the Urban Policy Lab at U of Ts Munk School. Enid Slack, director of the IMFG and maybe the citys foremost expert in municipal finance, who co-authored that 2019 paper, agrees. I think the property tax is a good tax for local governments. Its not a particularly good tax for education, she says. This route, you know, if the province stopped levying the property tax at the provincial level, that will give tax room to the municipalities to cover their costs. So I think its a good idea. In Toronto weve seen a lot of debates about new revenue tools road tolls, municipal sales taxes, parking taxes or local liquor taxes. Most of those require setting up new bureaucratic systems to collect and distribute the money. But people are already paying these property taxes, and the city is already collecting them. This change would be streamlining the process, better connecting who collects the money to who spends it. Theres a catch. Which is that the province would have to make up that revenue from its own sources possibly raising income taxes if it gave this cash to the city. And local politicians could respond by cutting property taxes and then crying poor again. But before you even get to those details, youd need a premier who acknowledged Toronto needs more revenue, and saw this as a way the province could help. Many of us wont think the current occupant of the premiers office fits that description. Not for the first time, Perruzza doesnt think like many of us. Doug Ford does not want to see property taxes increased, he says, explaining why he thinks the big guy would go for it. If youre skeptical, of this or his entire run for mayor, that doesnt bother him Perruzza brushes off the perceived odds. He obviously enjoys being out here campaigning. He says this shaking hands, meeting people, talking with voters in the street is how hes beaten incumbents in multiple previous races for the school board, the provincial legislature, and city council. He grins. Ive retired a few people. SHARE: Shakespeare and Shaw wrote about her. An asteroid is named after her. Innumerable pop songs, operas and commercials pay homage to her. Her name is evoked as shorthand for allure, exoticism and power. For a woman of antiquity who has besieged imaginations from generation to generation for 2,000 years, its remarkable that the hot topic of the day in 2023 is the question: What did Cleopatra, who reigned from 51 to 30 B.C., look like? The trailer for a new four-part series Queen Cleopatra released by Netflix this month sounded the war cry of an old battle, setting off Egyptologists, Afrocentric thinkers, filmmakers, archeologists and everyday nobodies. I remember my grandmother saying to me, I dont care what they tell you in school. Cleopatra was Black, says an elderly woman in the trailer that shows the British actor Adele James, who is Black and of mixed heritage, playing the queen. Cleopatra is not Black, wrote a top Egyptian archeologist on Facebook. The pushback is not motivated by racism, insists Zahi Hawass, citing statues he found that were made of alabaster, and images on coins of Cleopatra with an aquiline nose and jutting chin as evidence. There is a similar lack of evidence for Cleopatra having been Black to be found in a depiction on the facade of the temple at Dendera, he wrote in Arab News. The depiction of a Black woman as the queen has so irritated some Egyptians that a lawyer filed a complaint with Egypts public prosecutor with the intention to ban the series in that country. He calls the depiction a form of identity theft, saying Netflix was promoting Afrocentric thinking which includes slogans and writings aimed at distorting and erasing the Egyptian identity, according to the Egypt Independent. This uproar comes on the heels of a racist backlash against Disneys remake of The Little Mermaid, who is played by a Black woman. But while the mermaid is pure fantasy, which makes claims to racial authenticity meaningless, the issue of Cleopatras identity is layered with history, politics and a quest for belonging. That makes it a delicate issue demanding compassion, not rejection. What is the controversy about? If its realism, Hollywood has never been realistic. If its about history, it demands a clear-eyed gaze at what is known and what isnt. Or, is this about her race, specifically Blackness? The backlash against the depiction of Cleopatras race is racist and also not racist. It weaves strands of anti-Blackness into genuine fear of the erasure of contemporary Egyptian identity in the face of Americas mighty cultural power. So, what was Cleopatra? To try to uncover her identity is to enter a maze of research, fact, theory, bias and subjectivity that would be impossible to cover in a column like this. Deciphering her race is at best an exercise in futility since race as we understand it a system of sorting and ranking people in British colonies to suit capitalist labour needs is a 17th- and 18th-century phenomenon. Historians agree Cleopatra was Greek Macedonian on her fathers side. Of her mother, not much is known, but she is widely believed to be of mixed ancestry and likely Egyptian. The remains of Cleopatra, who was Egypts last pharaoh, have never been found, so all accounts are best guesses. According to Discover magazine, most surviving paintings and sculptures of her are anachronistic inventions, more telling of their own times than of the subject herself. Her image on the coin appears excessively Romanized to match that of her husband Mark Antony on the other side of the coin, the Egyptologist Robert Bianchi says in the magazine. He says contemporary works are also overlaid with political or ideological concerns. It seems, despite strong claims to the contrary, nobody objectively knows what Cleopatra looked like. But it appears that the question of her identity is closely linked to to a long-disputed question of who gets to claim ancient Egyptians. There are three schools of thoughts on this: Modern Egyptian, that posits the ancients were the same as todays ethnically diverse Egyptians; Afrocentric, that says ancient Egyptians were Black Africans later displaced; Eurocentric, that believes ancient Egyptians are ancestral to modern Europe. The Kushite kings of about 700 BC were Black Africans as in, darker-skinned Africans from further south but Afrocentrism also claims the legacies of the later pharaohs, the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx, the gold of Tutankhamun and the omnipresence of the famed Cleopatra. Afrocentrism began as a response to Eurocentrism after slavery was abolished, in an attempt to reclaim lost history by stressing African achievement, and with the political and social motivation to restore the self-esteem of formerly enslaved people and their descendants. Afrocentric Egyptology has continued to grow, much to the consternation of Egyptians, who say there was no distinction among ancient Egyptians based on colour, and that Egypt was a site of continuous migrations and saw great geographical diversity. From an Egyptian perspective, African Americans claiming their history is akin to stealing its own identity. Living under an oppressive government, stagnant economy and an increase in human rights violations, many Egyptians cling to their majestic heritage, writes Abdelrahman ElGendy in New Lines magazine. Ancient Egyptian history has long provided a solid wall of pride for Egyptians to lean on when all else fails. However, while Egyptian rejection of Afrocentric claims to their history isnt automatically racist, there is a vehemence attached to the suggestion that Cleopatra is Black that was absent when the role was played over decades by white western actresses such as Elizabeth Taylor, Claudette Colbert and Vivien Leigh. If Cleopatra was not Black, her mixed heritage means she wasnt white European either. Egyptians are not magically exempt from anti-Blackness or colourism. Nobody wants to see their identity erased, but maybe Egyptians who let white actors go unchallenged need to be asking themselves what it is that theyre actually resisting. After all, as the archeologist Bruce Williams is quoted as saying, few Egyptians, ancient or not, transported to the 1950s would have been allowed to sit at the white lunch counter. They, too, would have had to go to the back of the bus. Shree Paradkar is a Toronto-based columnist covering issues around social and racial justice for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @ShreeParadkar Read more about: SHARE: Vishwas Sarang, one of the most powerful ministers in the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, is certain that the saffron party will emerge victorious in the Assembly elections scheduled to be held in the state by the end of the year, primarily because of its work and the welfare schemes launched for all sections of society. Sarang, who is the Medical Education Minister, is also credited with making Madhya Pradesh the first state in India to successfully introduce MBBS studies in Hindi too in all government medical colleges. Gaurav Chandra spoke to Sarang in Bhopal on a variety of issues. Excerpts: Q. How successful is the decision to introduce Hindi in MBBS courses and what is the response from students? A: I am extremely happy that what had not been done in the past 75 years, we have achieved. All three subject books for the MBBS first year have already been published in Hindi and are being used for teaching, while books for the second year are also almost ready. We have introduced Hindi as a medium of study for MBBS courses predominantly on the concept of transliteration and not translation. In the Hindi medium books, the medical terminology has been kept the same, only written in the Devanagari script. We are now planning to launch the system simultaneously for all four years of the MBBS course. The response from students can be gauged by the fact that in the Rewa Medical College, where we had supplied 78 books in Hindi, we received a demand from all 150 students of the first year for these books. Q: What about the future prospects of going for foreign studies and jobs abroad for the students who opt for the Hindi MBBS course? A: There will be no problem whatsoever, as we have only provided a parallel option for students to learn in Hindi too. The course is the same and the batch is the same. There is no separate batch for Hindi students. For example, the book on Anatomy in Hindi uses the English medical terms in the Devanagari script, along with the English terms given in brackets. Similarly, we have not tried to find Hindi translations for terms like angioplasty and have written them as they are in English, but in the Devanagari script. We researched and found that there are about 16 countries in the world which conduct medical studies in their mother tongues. Only after that, we chose the best way to introduce Hindi in our MBBS course. Q. What are the plans for improving and enhancing the medical education stream? A: We are the first state in the country to have started medical incubation centres and provide In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) facilities in the hospitals affiliated with our government medical colleges. We are working on a variety of programmes. We have set up a knowledge-sharing mission under which we have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an American university. We are doing a lot of work on technology, like Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI). We are going to sign an MoU with the Sankara Nethralaya and Google on Retinopathy. We have started a foundation course in MBBS, in which we are teaching about the lives of Dr Hedgewar, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and Swami Vivekananda so that our students not only become eminent doctors but also value-oriented good humans. Q. What are the partys preparations for the Assembly polls this year? A: The BJP is always prepared and ready to face elections because elections mean going to the public and our party and its leaders and workers are always amongst the public. We are always armed with the success of our policies, our plans and our welfare schemes for the people. The doubleengine government system, with PM Narendra Modi at the centre and CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan in MP, has been extremely successful. The BJP state governments report card has been highly appreciated and accepted by the people of the state. We will again form the government in MP with a thumping majority this year and in the centre next year. Q. Given the original result of the 2018 Assembly polls, where the Congress got more seats than the BJP, how tough do you think the polls will be this year? A: See, in 2018 no party got a clear majority. Congress only got a few seats more than us, but they still did not manage a clear majority on their own and had to take the help of others to form the government. Although we got a higher percentage of the overall votes polled, still we decided on ethics that Congress should be given the first chance to form the government. However, they could not run it for long, mainly due to the blatant corruption, misgovernance and overall failure of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government on all fronts. There was a parallel economy of corruption operating at all levels of the Congress government. Congress shut down all the ongoing welfare schemes of our government. While we are making a provision in our budget to send poor people on pilgrimage by air, the Kamal Nath government was only interested in making the provision for buying a jet aircraft for the CM. Q. Do you think other political parties, like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Samajwadi Party (SP) or Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), could also pose a fight this year in MP? A: We are not concerned about who our opponent is. The BJP always focuses on taking to the people its agenda, its works, welfare schemes and the mission of development through a committed, effective and corruption-free government Police in Uttar Pradesh is being lauded and lionised for tough action against mafia dons, and eliminating the dreaded ones. The Chief Minister of UP, Yogi Adityanath, is on the crest of the wave and has proclaimed that the dreaded criminals of the underworld will be ground to earth. He seems to have given carte blanche to the police to stage encounters and the police are faithfully and enthusiastically toeing the line and sometimes overshooting the mark. When the gangster politician Atiq Ahmed was killed along with one of his associates on April 13, Prasant Kumar, UPs special DG of crime and law and order declared that this happens to be 1830th encounter since 2017 and is in keeping with the promise of the government to eliminate crime and lawlessness. But the assassination of Atiq Ahmed, a former lawmaker and a notorious gang lord, has captured national as well as international media attention. He was gunned down by a man posing as a journalist, while he was handcuffed and in police custody along with his brother Asraf. The incident was broadcast live. His death came a week after the police had shot dead his son Assad, who was the main suspect in the killing of Umesh Paul, a main witness in an important murder case in which Atiq Ahmed was the principal suspect. It is reported that the hooded assailants raised the cry Jai Sri Ram before opening deadly fire. As the victims were in police custody, it was the duty and responsibility of the police to ensure full protection to them and the failure to do so was an egregious lapse that raises other disturbing questions. Admittedly, the incident and the surrounding circumstances give rise to the strong suspicion that the incident was pre-planned and stage-managed. Atiq had earlier expressed apprehensions before the court that the police were planning to bump him off and this proved to be a self-fulfilling prophesy. The UP government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the matter and it is hoped that the truth will surface. The prevailing public impression is that police encounters are generally illegal and mostly fake. This, however, is an erroneous impression. Encounters per se are not illegal. The Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian Penal Code, permit use of force in exercise of the right of private defence. Section 46(3) of the CRPC empowers police to use force to the extent of causing death of a person accused of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life if such a person resists arrest or intends to evade arrest. Thus, an encounter per se is neither illegal nor indefensible. Unfortunately many fake encounters also take place. The police use extra-legal methods to deal with the criminals and become executioners as well as investigators. It must be conceded that there is tremendous pressure on the police from the public as well as political masters to ensure that dreaded criminals and terrorists who threaten peace and order get instant justice and are liquidated through encounters because the chances of their conviction in courts of law are slender. Mostly cases drag on interminably and the witnesses do not come forward to depose out of fear. A large number of cases were pending against the mafia don Atiq, who from a tongawala had become a billionaire and was merrily cocking a snook at the justice delivery system. The police are encouraged to do the dirty job of the society because the criminal justice system is not functioning and overhauling the entire system is too big and too daunting a task. The fact of the matter is that encounters are not the problems but the symptoms of a collapsing system of criminal justice as well as the consequence of the public demand for quick solutions to law and order issues that create problems. Political leaders and chief ministers of states convulsed by terrorism also approve of extra-legal methods and encounters. I still recollect that as a senior officer in charge of the criminal investigation department of the police, I was berated by the chief minister of the state for not mastering all the tricks of the police tradecraft. However, the hard fact to be borne in mind is that encounters are counter-productive and generate a contempt for the law within the police. It is objectionable, because it is arbitrary as a process, and random in its effect. The National Police Commission in its (Fifth Report) strongly discouraged fake encounters as this is not a remedy for any situation The answer is to strengthen the law and legal processes. There are instances where in the name of encounters, the criminals used police to bump off their rivals in intra-gang warfare violating the rule of law. This has the effect of scapegoating the police. The police leaders have to remember that when the police take recourse to extra-legal methods to make up for the deficiencies of law and the legal procedures, they are trying to remedy the inadequacies they did not create. By resorting to extra-legal methods and exceeding their mandate, they not only take responsibility for the crime on themselves but also deflect attention from the negligence of others. As a result, when serious violations of law come to light, outside interventions take place and enquiry commissions are set up. The police organisations in order to fend off such interventions develop a a bunker mentality and become less willing to be transparent and open. Police scholar David Bayley has aptly said that illegality in service of public safety makes policing a furtive activity and undermines pride which is the basis of job satisfaction. Thus, it is the moral responsibility of the police leaders to change the mindset of their subordinates by constantly emphasising that violating the rule of law is dishonest and immoral law enforcement. Extra-legal methods are ultimately counter-productive. Unfortunately, there is supervisory cowardice to firmly pull up trigger-happy errant officers and this is compounded by systemic arrogance among many police officers which generates the belief that they have the power and influence to punish anyone posing, according to their perception, a threat to public order and safety. The cardinal fact to be always borne in mind by police leaders is that wrong means ultimately vitiate the end. The responsibility of the police is to maintain law and order, but order through law. Otherwise, criminals can always maintain better order than the police. (The writer is Senior Fellow Institute of Social Sciences, a former Director General of the National Human Rights Commission and former Director, National Police Academy) Haryana Police has arrested a cybercriminal from Bihar for duping a Kurukshetra resident of Rs 3 lakh by pretending to be a foreign relative of the victim. An official spokesperson of the Haryana Police on Saturday said the victim, Hardeep Singh, had received a call from a cybercriminal posing as his foreign relative who was in trouble and needed money urgently to get out of the situation. The victim, scared of the situation, transferred Rs 3 lakh into the bank account provided by the fraudster. As soon as the victim realised that he had been cheated, he filed a complaint immediately on the Cyber Crime Portal. The State Cyber Police Station in Panchkula registered a case and started investigating it. During the investigation, the cyber Police arrested the accused who had committed the fraud by posing as a foreign relative. The suspect was arrested from Bihar, where he had transferred the money from the victims account. The investigation revealed that he was a part of a larger cyber fraud network. The spokesperson said in this mode of operation, fraudsters call victims randomly and make them believe that they are their foreign relatives who are in trouble and need money to get out of the situation. To stop cybercrime, there is a need for better cyber training and awareness among the public. The state police is organizing cyber awareness programs in each district. In addition, the state crime branch has also released the 2023 cyber training calendar, which starts with providing cybercrime training to every investigative officer in the state, said Additional Director General of Police, State Crime Branch Haryana, OP Singh. The increasing awareness among the public can be gauged from the fact that in just the first three months of this year (January to March), approximately 25,000 complaints related to cybercrime were registered, out of which we filed 531 cases and sent 299 cybercriminals behind bars. Our Cyber helpdesk, which has been operating 24 hours a day, has saved approximately Rs 10 Crore in just three months by working in collaboration with the district Police, he added. Haryana Police advises people to be careful and not to trust calls or messages from unknown numbers or any suspect posing as someone they know, the spokesperson said. India on Friday brought home 24 Bihar-origin people under its Operation Kaveri launched to evacuate stranded Indians from war- torn Sudan on Saturday. Bihar Industries Minister Samir Kumar Mahaseth received them at the Mumbai airport with a warm welcome. Talking to The Statesman on phone from Mumbai, the minister said that most of them were from Siwan, Saran and Gopalganj districts of Bihar. We have offered them food and other essential items on their arrival at the airport itself, Mahaseth said. The Bihar Foundation under the Industries Department has set up a help desk at the Mumbai airport for the people of Bihar evacuated from Sudan under Operation Kaveri launched by the government of India to evacuate Indians stuck inside war-torn Sudan. The evacuees of Bihar origin should contact the help desk being managed by the Mumbai chapter of Bihar Foundation to avail free air travel to their home state. The Foundation has already released the contact details of its nodal officer Kavita Kumari at +918928692206. According to official sources, there was no mechanism to send them to their villages. Most of these people didnt have enough money for their return journey home. There must be a standard policy for all such people coming from war or disaster zone areas for their end destination, said an official. Talking to The Statesman, Kavita Kumari confirmed the arrival of 24 Bihar-origin people from Sudan. According to official sources, India has been rescuing its citizens in buses from war zone in Khartoum and other troubled region of port Sudan from where they are being taken to Jeddah. All these Bihar origin people brought by flight IAFs C130 J sources said. A MP-MLA court here has on Saturday convicted mafia don Mukhtar Ansari and his brother Afzal Ansari in the BJP MLA Krishnanand Rais murder and kidnapping and murder of a businessman of Varanasi. While Mukhtar, who is lodged in the Banda jail, was awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakh, his brother Afzal, BSPs Lok Sabha member from Ghazipur, was got a four-year jail term and a fine of Rs 1 lakh. Now, by virtue of the provisions contained in Article 102 r/w section 8 (3) of the Representation of People Act 1951, Afzal Ansari, a two-time MP and five-time MLA, who defeated BJP stalwart Manoj Sinha in the 2019 LS polls, will lose his MP seat and will be barred from contesting any polls. This is the first conviction for Afzal. It is a big setback for Ansari brothers and fourth conviction of Mukhtar. Last year, Mukhtar was handed a 10-year imprisonment in another Gangster Act case. Afzal was present in the court while Mukhtar was attending the hearing from Banda jail through video conferencing when the Special MP MLA judge pronounced his judgement. The case was registered under the Gangster Act against the Ansari Brother after they were booked for their involvement in the kidnapping of Vishwa Hindu Parishad office-bearer Nandkishore Rungta in the year 1996 and also in the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai in the year 2005. Case number 1051 of the Gangsters Act was registered against Mukhtar. Similarly, another case under the same Act 1052 was registered against BSP MP Afzal for involvement in the murder. Both cases were lodged in the Mohammadabad police station of the district. There were 10 prosecution witnesses in the case. On September 21 last year, the Allahabad High Court, while hearing an appeal, sentenced Ansari to seven-year imprisonment in a 2003 case of assault on a jailer. A day later, the court, in another case, sentenced him to five-year jail term in a case registered against him under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters Act in Lucknow in 1999. On December 15 last year, a court in the Ghazipur district convicted Ansari under the Uttar Pradesh Gangster Act and sentenced him to 10 years in jail along with his alleged associate Bheem Singh. The case in which he has been convicted dates back to 1996 when the Ghazipur Police booked him under the Gangster Act. Seven people, including BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai, were killed in more than 400 rounds firing with sophisticated weapons like AK-47 in Siyadi village under the Bhanwarkol police station of Ghazipur on November 29, 2005. One thing we could say about the analysts on OverActive Media Corp. (CVE:OAM) - they aren't optimistic, having just made a major negative revision to their near-term (statutory) forecasts for the organization. Revenue estimates were cut sharply as analysts signalled a weaker outlook - perhaps a sign that investors should temper their expectations as well. Shares are up 6.3% to CA$0.17 in the past week. We'd be curious to see if the downgrade is enough to reverse investor sentiment on the business. Following this downgrade, OverActive Media's two analysts are forecasting 2023 revenues to be CA$14m, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Losses are predicted to fall substantially, shrinking 59% to CA$0.19. Yet prior to the latest estimates, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of CA$18m and losses of CA$0.18 per share in 2023. So there's been quite a change-up of views after the recent consensus updates, with the analysts making a serious cut to their revenue forecasts while also expecting losses per share to increase. See our latest analysis for OverActive Media The consensus price target fell 28% to CA$0.70, with the analysts clearly concerned about the company following the weaker revenue and earnings outlook. Of course, another way to look at these forecasts is to place them into context against the industry itself. It's pretty clear that there is an expectation that OverActive Media's revenue growth will slow down substantially, with revenues to the end of 2023 expected to display 1.7% growth on an annualised basis. This is compared to a historical growth rate of 40% over the past three years. By way of comparison, the other companies in this industry with analyst coverage are forecast to grow their revenue at 19% 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 OverActive Media. The Bottom Line The most important thing to note from this downgrade is that the consensus increased its forecast losses this year, suggesting all may not be well at OverActive Media. Unfortunately analysts also downgraded their revenue estimates, and industry data suggests that OverActive Media's revenues are expected to grow slower than the wider market. The consensus price target fell measurably, with analysts seemingly not reassured by recent business developments, leading to a lower estimate of OverActive Media's future valuation. Overall, given the drastic downgrade to this year's forecasts, we'd be feeling a little more wary of OverActive Media going forwards. Story continues So things certainly aren't looking great, and you should also know that we've spotted some potential warning signs with OverActive Media, including a short cash runway. Learn more, and discover the 3 other flags we've identified, for free on our platform here. Another way to search for interesting companies that could be reaching an inflection point is to track whether management are buying or selling, with our free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Additional DGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar, on Saturday, held a high-level meeting with top brass of the Army, para-military forces and intelligence in South Kashmirs Anantnag on national highway security with special focus on emerging threat of Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs) and other modes of potential terror attack. Armys GOC Victor Force Major General Prashant Srivastava, IG CRPF (Kashmir Operations Sector) MS Bhatia, IG BSF Ashok Yadav, Joint Director Intelligence Bureau (IB) , Armys sector commanders in South Kashmir, DIGs of police, CRPF, SSB, ITBP and CID and SSPs of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Awantipora districts attended the meeting. During the meeting, potential threats from terrorists on the national highway were discussed in detail and more counter measures were decided. SOPs of convoy movement were also discussed and accordingly upgraded. All field officers were given their assessment. ADGP Kashmir instructed all SSPs to focus on anti-terrorist operations, busting of terror modules by apprehending terrorist associates. They were specially tasked to generate preventive intelligence and share timely amongst all stakeholders. GOC Victor force asked sector commanders to do extensive area domination in night too. Meanwhile, search for the Pakistani terrorists, who attacked an Army truck on 20 April in Poonch in the Jammu division and killed five soldiers, has been further intensified by the Army, BSF, CRPF and J&K Police. Northern Army Commander Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi, J&K DGP Dilbag Singh and top brass of BSF, CRPF and intelligence agencies are monitoring the massive search operations in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri. However, the terrorists could not yet be tracked because of inhospitable terrain. The terrorists involved in the attack escaped from the spot after tossing grenades and heavily firing at the Army truck in which these soldiers deployed for counter terror operations were travelling. Dilbag Singh told reporters on Friday that during interrogation an Overground Worker (OGW) revealed that ammunition for these terrorists was air-dropped by a Pakistani drone. The DGP said that the terrorist attack could not have happened without local support. The terrorists were given shelter at one place and then transported to the other spot for attacking the Army truck, he added. Delhi Development Minister Gopal Rai on Friday said the city government is taking all necessary steps to improve the condition of roads, parks, drains and multipurpose community centres in villages. These development works related to the Development Department are being done through Irrigation and Flood Control Department, MCD and other government departments, Rai said. He further added, The Kejriwal government is committed to providing basic facilities to the people of Delhi living in urban areas as well as to the people living in rural areas. Rai said Delhi Village Development Board was formed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to ensure development in the villages of Delhi, whose main objective is to ensure all kinds of basic amenities in the villages of Delhi. In order to expedite the development work of Delhis villages, a review meeting was held under the chairmanship of Rai, with the officers of the Development Department at the Delhi Secretariat on Friday. In order to expedite the development work related to the villages of Delhi, today a meeting was held with the officers of the Development Department at the Delhi Secretariat, Rai said. The ongoing and unfinished projects were discussed at the review meeting, and IF&C department officers were instructed to finish the village development work within the stipulated time. Along with this, it has been decided to organize the meeting of the Delhi Village Development Board on May 25 at the Delhi Secretariat. Orders have also been given to submit detailed reports of various projects worth Rs 400 crore related to the development of the villages of Delhi, he said. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said the state government will soon implement a policy to prevent private schools from selling books to students arbitrarily. Under the new policy, the rates will be fixed along with the quality of the pages and paper of the books. Also, information will be given to the general public by issuing lists of books at the state level, Khattar said while presiding over a meeting of the District Public Relations and Grievance Redressal Committee in Faridabad. In all, 14 complaints related to various departments have been placed in the meeting, out of which 12 complaints were disposed of; providing relief to the complainants. On a complaint regarding private schools charging higher rates of books from the parents, the CM while talking to director, secondary education, Anshaj Singh over phone directed to formulate a policy to prevent the financial loss of such parents. Thia apart, orders were issued by the CM to charge fees according to the prescribed slab by the private schools. Meanwhile, the CM directed the concerned officers to settle the disputes regarding the size of the plots allotted earlier under the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) with immediate effect. Talking to chief administrator, HSVP, over the phone, he directed that a policy should be formulated to re-allot the plots of the right size according to the demand of the plot holders whose plots in HSVP are less than or more than 20 percent in size. All such plot holders of the state will get relief, he added. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the use of technology in the judicial system can ensure transparency, productivity and efficiency. He said this while inaugurating the North Zone-II Regional Conference on Contemporary Judicial Development and Strengthening Justice through Law and Technology here on Saturday. The chief minister highlighted the importance of technology in making the lives of common people easier in every field, including the judiciary. Emphasising the need to view technology as an ally in bringing about change and strengthening the judicial system, he said that with the inclusion of modern technology, the functioning of the judiciary has accelerated, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual hearings had proved a boon for all, which saved both money and time of the people. He said that a reliable and speedy judicial system is essential for a healthy and self-confident society, as well as for the development of the country and when justice is seen being served, the faith of the common man in the constitutional institutions gets strengthened and continuous improvement of law and order becomes possible. The delay in justice is one of the biggest challenges being faced by the country and the judiciary is seriously working to solve this problem, said Sukhu. The Alternative Dispute Redressal option as a means of resolving disputes and preparing the legal education in line with technology should be an important goal for all those associated with this profession, he said. He expressed hope that the conference would go a long way in deriving new ideas and pave the way for legal reforms in the country thereby providing justice to the people of the country at the earliest. Sukhu said that he himself was a law student, and has a keen interest in the subject. He stated that Himachal Pradesh has contributed four judges to the Supreme Court of India, which is a matter of great pride for all of us. Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh Justice, Tarlok Singh Chauhan said that the judiciary being an important pillar of the state plays a vital role in shaping and interpreting the Constitution. He said that the conference is focused on deliberations on the development of technology including artificial intelligence, crypto-currency, information and communication technology in Courts. The two-day conference is being attended by approximately 160 Judges of the Supreme Court of India, High Courts and Subordinate Courts of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and was organized by the High Court of Himachal Pradesh in collaboration with National Judicial Academy Bhopal. In a tragic incident a ten-year old girl died at Kalasiguda in Secunderabad after slipping through the broken concrete slab covering a storm-water drain and was swept away by strong currents. The incident occurred when she had gone to fetch milk packets with her 15-year-old mentally challenged brother wading through a waterlogged street. Hyderabad experienced heavy rain and stormy weather in the early hours causing severe water logging in several areas and belying the claims about the city being one of the most developed ones in the country. Following the tragedy, the Opposition demanded the resignation of state Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao. Mounika, who studied in class IV had gone to fetch milk packets with her elder brother, was swept away while trying to save her brother from falling down near the broken spot on the concrete slab. Locals tried to rescue her but her body was recovered from a nearby storm-water lane at Park Lane by the team from the civic bodys Disaster Response Force. Vijayalaxmi Gadwal, the mayor of Hyderabad, visited the spot and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin after meeting Mounikas family. She promised strict action against GHMC officials responsible for the mishap. I have directed officials to investigate and take action against those responsible for this tragedy and submit an inquiry report, she said. Two officials, Assistant Engineer Tirumalaiah and work inspector were suspended immediately after the incident for negligence of duty. The tragic incident also came as a major embarrassment for the ruling BRS which has been upbeat over the inauguration of the state-of-the-art Secretariat slated for tomorrow. Telangana BJP mocked the statement of actor Rajinikanth who said some parts of Hyderabad reminded him of New York and the drone shots of the state secretariat that was being touted by the BRS at various social media platforms. The BJP even called for Mounikas death as sponsored by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. Bandi Sanjay Kumar, BJP state president demanded the resignation of KT Rama Rao. The fantasy world of drone shots hides these ground realities. BJP demands immediate review of all open drains and manholes and ensure they are secured before any untoward incident happens again. We demand justice for Mounikas family who suffered the loss only due to neglect of the municipal minister. In the past too children and even adults have fallen to their deaths in storm-water drains prompting the minister to initiate Strategic Nala Development Programme to cover all box drains however, the apathy of civic officials continued to claim lives in the city. Addressing election meetings in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) of making false promises to the farmers and creating obstructions in the implementation of central schemes for them. The Congress hardly understood poverty and was full of negativity, he said at a largely attended meeting in Bidar. Congress will never understand the struggle and pain of the poor. Congress slowed the pace of houses here. They have not seen poverty. Congress is the party that does politics in the name of development and is full of negativity. Congress had only made fake promises to the farmers and people of Karnataka, the PM said. When we started this scheme (Kisan Samman Nidhi), there was a Congress-JDS government here. But they created obstructions in sending the list of the beneficiary farmers. Can you imagine how much hatred Congress-JDS have for the farmers? The state government did not have to spend any money. We were sending money from Delhi. The problem they had was that the money was going directly into the bank accounts of the farmers, he added. He also stated that the Congress governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh had promised loan waivers for the farmers but they were still waiting for the fulfilment of the promises. The Centre gave Rs 6,000 and the BJP government in the state added Rs 4,000 extra which benefitted nearly 7 lakh farmers. The Congress government used to deceive farmers with their false promises of loan waiver before every election. They promised in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, but the farmers there have not received anything in their accounts. They never benefited from loan waivers. This is the true face of Congress, he said. The PM further noted that the upcoming polls in the state would decide its role in Indias journey to becoming a developed nation. This election is to make Karnataka the number one state in the country. This election is to decide the role of Karnataka in the making of a developed India. India will be developed when every corner of Karnataka is developed, he said. Foreign investment has increased thrice in the state under the BJP regime compared to the Congress regime. The meaning of double-engine government is a double benefit, double speed. When there was no double-engine government in Karnataka, it used to take years to complete small projects, he added. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will begin working from his chamber at the new secretariat at 1:20 pm tomorrow following a formal inauguration of the state-of-the art building on the banks of the iconic Hussain Sagar Lake named after BR Ambedkar. Rao had been working from his camp office in Begumpet after attending the office in the old secretariat for just a few days after assuming office of the chief minister of the newly-carved out state of Telangana in 2014. Ahead of the inauguration, the chief ministers office released an audio-visual clip of the construction of the secretariat measuring about 8.58 lakh square feet in just 26 months with Raos voice in the background. The Telangana Secretariat has been constructed in an innovative manner keeping in mind the aspirations of the public. As the symbol of the states prestige, enhancing the self esteem of the people is a proud moment for everyone in the entire Telangana, said Chandrasekhar Rao. He also thanked the labourers, masons, engineers, architects, government staff who worked tirelessly to build the structure. Soon after the state was carved out, the old secretariat buildings were divided in two sections one for Andhra Pradesh and another for Telangana as both state administrations were to function from Hyderabad which would have been the common capital till 2024. Rao stopped coming to the secretariat after a few months which his detractors attributed to bad vaastu. The government soon started looking for an alternate site for an integrated secretariat, even writing to the Defence Ministry for the parade ground. Meanwhile, after the cash-for-vote controversy, the then chief minister of Andhra Pradesh left Hyderabad and soon government employees shifted to Vijayawada leaving half of the blocks at the Secretariat vacant. However, it was only after YS Jagan Mohan Reddy came to power in 2019 that Rao could get the buildings belonging to AP in hand to fulfill his dream of building a grand new secretariat at a cost of Rs400 crore. The old rundown buildings, including a heritage one, were razed completely to pave the way for the new integrated grand building. The construction continued as the world struggled with the pandemic and the cost escalated in between, as did criticism. The BJPs Telangana unit has been vocal against the Indo-Saracenic architectural style chosen by Rao claiming that it resembled that of a mosque. The BRS social media team hit back with photographs of temples and other old structures with similar domes. Even yesterday the BJPs Twitter handle tweeted that the new secretariat building does not reflect the past glory of Telangana and resembles more of a mosque. While the chief minister and state minister KT Rama Rao are expected to take charge tomorrow at their new chambers most of the other ministers will shift on 1 May or thereafter. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans four-day visit to the UAE, which was scheduled for early next month, has been postponed as the Central government has not given its permission for the same. It is not clear why the permission is being delayed. The chief minister was scheduled to visit the Gulf country between May 7 and 11 to take part in an investment meet at the National Exhibition Centre in Abu Dhabi and a couple of other events. The CM was also supposed to interact with Indian expatriates at the Abu Dhabi-Kerala Social Centre on May 7. It was UAE Minister Dr Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi who invited the chief minister on behalf of the government of Abu Dhabi. The civic reception in Dubai scheduled for May 10 has also been deferred to another date. The state government had sought the Centres nod for the CMs UAE visit last month. The chief minister was supposed to be accompanied by state Industries Minister P Rajeev, PWD and Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas and Chief Secretary V P Joy. The trip can be cancelled if the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) doesnt give its nod to the trip on a later date as well. Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised the esteem of Indian diaspora abroad and the world looks up to Indians with great hope and expectation. Dr Jitendra Singh was speaking to the Indian diaspora as part of his 6-day visit to the United Kingdom, where he is leading a high-level official Indian delegation of the Ministry of Science & Technology to enhance S&T collaboration between India and the United Kingdom. The Minister said, given the recognition given to them, it is high time the Indians rise to the occasion and contribute to the well-being of the entire humankind in the true spirit of the theme of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam as given by PM Modi during Indias G20 presidency. Interacting with the diaspora, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Indian diaspora should try to channelise their resources to support the important initiatives taken up by the Government back home in India. He said that India is on a path of transformation. The Prime Minister has, on several occasions, emphasised the significance of science and technology in driving economic growth and rising living standards. He urged the diaspora to be a part of this growth story. The Minister expressed happiness in addressing the Indian diaspora and said that many of them have demonstrated extraordinary leadership positions in academia, industry and government in the United Kingdom. Sharing some of the key achievements of India in S & T, like Indias massive jump in its ranking of Global Innovation Index (GII) from 81st in 2015 to 40th in 2022, among 132 economies of the world; 3rd rank in terms of number of Start-ups, Unicorns, scientific publications and PhDs awarded, the Minister said that India has in recent years made some unprecedented progress in S & T areas. Dr Jitendra Singh proposed an active engagement of the Indian diaspora with Indian Institutions and individuals considering the transformative research happening in our country. The Minister mentioned that in the recent past, the Government of India has launched several flagship initiatives such as the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (ICPS); Quantum Computing and Communication; National Mission on Supercomputing, Electric Mobility, Green hydrogen etc. Talking about Start-ups, Dr Jitendra Singh said that India has emerged as the third-largest global start-up ecosystem, growing at an annual rate of 12-15 per cent and has around 90,000 start-ups. The Minister said that India has created several enabling platforms for the Indian diaspora to get engaged with Indian systems. Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA) Faculty scheme of DST/SERB is well poised to take accomplished overseas scientists including NRIs, OCIs to the Indian academic and research institutions to undertake high quality collaborative research. The Pravasi Bharatiya Academic and Scientific Sampark, (PRABHASS) a National Digital Portal helps to connect with the global Indian S&T Diaspora for jointly addressing societal and scientific challenges. Since inception, PRABHASS has published over 150 collaboration opportunities for various Departments, Ministries, bi-lateral and international organisations. Many of these interactions have already started culminating into fruitful collaborations. Another initiative is the Vaishwik Bharatiya Vaigyanik(VAIBHAV) Platform providing a comprehensive roadmap for leveraging expertise/knowledge of global Indian researchers to address emerging challenges for universal development. At least two Palestinians, including a teenager, were injured during an Israeli Armys operation at the refugee camp of Jenin in northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Friday that two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, were moderately injured by Israeli soldiers who stormed the Palestinian refugee camp, Xinhua news agency reported. Palestinian security sources said that an Israeli Army force, backed by armoured vehicles, stormed the outskirts of the refugee camp, and intensive gunfire was heard in several areas. The armed wing of several Palestinian factions said in separate statements that its militants exchanged fire with Israeli soldiers who stormed the area of Jenin and detonated roadside bombs against the Israeli Army vehicles. Meanwhile, an Israeli Army spokesman said in a press statement that upon security data, an Israeli Army force raided the Jenin refugee camp and arrested a Palestinian wanted by Israeli security for being involved in carrying out attacks against Israel. The spokesman added that during the military operation, several gunmen threw hand grenades and gunfire was exchanged, while no injuries were reported among the soldiers. For several months, the Israeli Army has carried out daily raids on Palestinian towns, villages, and refugee camps, mainly in the northern West Bank, aiming to arrest Palestinian militants wanted by Israeli security forces. During the tension that had mounted since early January, official Palestinian figures said more than 90 Palestinians were killed, while Israel said that 19 Israelis were killed during the same period by Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. AUSTIN, Texas Artificial Intelligence (AI) models might soon surpass humans capabilities, but only if we stop teaching them to think like us and allow them to be better than us, Freedom of the Press Foundation President Edward Snowden said at Consensus 2023. The former National Security Agency whistleblower, who joined the conference virtually from Russia, shared his cautiously optimistic views on the future of AI, the technology that exploded into the mainstream after OpenAIs ChatGPT rollout last fall. While Snowden at times echoed some experts warnings that AI technologies might empower bad actors, he also considered positive use cases for the emerging technology. Snowden argued AI models could obstruct government surveillance rather than fuel invasive intelligence programs. "Maybe they could stop spying on the public and start spying for the public, Snowden said. That'd be a net good." Read full coverage of Consensus 2023 here. However, he also warned that the launch of ChatGPT and other increasingly sophisticated AI models, could fuel big tech and government-driven initiatives to encroach upon users privacy. In order to prevent bad actors from co-opting AI technologies, people must fight for open AI models to remain open, Snowden told CoinDesk. People are going to be raising the red flag of 'software communism,' where we need to declare the models must be open, Snowden said. He aimed his criticism specifically at emerging AI models that are becoming less and less open, calling out OpenAI specifically. "It's a poor joke, right? They refused to provide public access to their trading data, their models, the weights and so on but they're a leader in the space. They're being rewarded. They're being rewarded for antisocial behavior." How the technology is used, he argued, boils down to how researchers train AI engines. Much AI training currently entails spoon-feeding the AI large amounts of online content, including social media comments, which Snowden says is not ideal. Story continues They're training [AI models] on Reddit threads, Snowden said. It's like the internet equivalent of YouTube comments. But you want to create something decent, good, that's creative and useful. Current training methods, he also observed, revolve around teaching AI models to think like us, which could limit the technologys potential to better humanity. As with children, we don't need machines to be like us, Snowden said. We need them to be better than us. And if they aren't better than us, we did a terrible job. Read more: Whats the Relationship Between Crypto and AI? Is There Any? With the situation in the strife-torn Sudan continuing to deteriorate, another flight carrying 231 Indian nationals evacuated from the African country reached New Delhi today. As they disembarked from the special flight, the Indian evacuees chanted slogans like Bharat Mata ki jai, and Vande Mataram and also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for rescuing them under Operation Kaveri. One of the Indian passengers spoke about the worsening situation in Sudan, triggering a humanitarian crisis. It has become very difficult to stay in Sudan due to the ongoing conflict. There is a shortage of food and drinking water, moreover, there are continuous bombings, and rockets are being fired. None of us were coming out of our houses. The food canteen was bombed. It is very difficult to flee also, travelling in the vehicle is also not safe, they can bomb buses too, he said. Operation Kaveri moves further. 231 Indians reach home safely as another flight reaches New Delhi, tweeted the Indian foreign minister, who is currently on a foreign tour. According to Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, nearly 2,100 Indians have arrived in Jeddah from Sudan so far as part of Operation Kaveri. Sudan is witnessing bloodshed as a result of the power struggle between the Army and paramilitary forces. To further boost Operation Kaveri, Indian carrier IndiGo has joined the mission. Indigo joins #OperationKaveri. 231 Indians on a flight to New Delhi from Jeddah. With this 5th outbound flight, around 1600 reached or were airborne for India. Happy journey. Our Mission continues, Muraleedharan tweeted. We have offered our services for charter flights to Jeddah under the Indian Governments Operation Kaveri rescue mission of our citizens from Sudan. We are still awaiting details from the ministry to launch these flights, nothing has been confirmed as of yet, IndiGo Airlines said in a statement. Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6) Today Showers and thundershowers during the morning giving way to periods of light rain this afternoon. High around 55F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of light rain. Low 46F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A federal judge overseeing the New Orleans Roman Catholic bankruptcy recused himself in a late-night reversal that came a week after an Associated Press report showed he donated tens of thousands of dollars to the archdiocese and consistently ruled in favor of the church in the case involving nearly 500 clergy sex abuse victims. U.S. District Judge Greg Guidry initially announced hours after the AP report that he would stay on the case, citing the opinion of fellow federal judges that no reasonable person could question his impartiality. But amid mounting pressure and persistent questions, he changed course late Friday in a terse, one-page filing. I have decided to recuse myself from this matter in order to avoid any possible appearance of personal bias or prejudice, Guidry wrote. The 62-year-old jurist has overseen the 3-year-old bankruptcy in an appellate role, and his recusal is likely to throw the case into disarray and trigger new hearings and appeals of every consequential ruling he's made. But legal experts say it was the only action to take under the circumstances, citing federal law that calls on judges to step aside in any proceeding in which their "impartiality might reasonably be questioned. This was a clear and blatant conflict that existed for some time, said Joel Friedman, a longtime legal analyst in New Orleans who is now a law professor at Arizona State University. It creates the exact problem the rules are designed to avoid, the impression to the public that hes not an impartial decisionmaker." Guidry's recusal underscores how tightly woven the church is in the citys power structure, a coziness perhaps best exemplified when executives of the NFLs New Orleans Saints secretly advised the archdiocese on public relations messaging at the height of its clergy abuse crisis. AP's review of campaign-finance records showed that Guidry, since being nominated to the federal bench in 2019 by then-President Donald Trump, gave nearly $50,000 to local Catholic charities from leftover political contributions from his decade serving as a Louisiana Supreme Court justice. Most of that giving, $36,000, came in the months after the archdiocese sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2020 amid a crush of sexual abuse lawsuits. Guidry also served on the board of Catholic Charities, the archdioceses charitable arm, between 2000 and 2008, as the archdiocese was navigating an earlier wave of sex abuse lawsuits. In the bankruptcy, Guidry frequently issued key rulings that altered the momentum of the bankruptcy and benefited the archdiocese. Just last month, he upheld a $400,000 sanction against Richard Trahant, a veteran attorney for clergy abuse victims who was accused of violating a sweeping confidentiality order when he warned a local principal that his school had hired a priest who admitted to sex abuse. He also rebuffed at least one request to unseal secret church documents, part of a trove of records detailing clergy abuse in New Orleans going back decades. Guidry referred the potential conflict to the Washington-based Committee on Codes of Conduct, which noted that none of the charities he donated to has been or is an actual party in the bankruptcy. It also noted that Guidrys eight years on the board of Catholic Charities ended more than a decade before the bankruptcy and that his church contributions amounted to less than 25% of the campaign funds he had available to donate. Based upon that advice and based upon my certainty that I can be fair and impartial, I have decided not to recuse myself, Guidry told attorneys in the case on April 21. But it was not clear what details Guidry shared with the committee, and he refused to release its advisory opinion. The opinion also raised eyebrows because one of the judges Guidry consulted on the potential conflict, Jennifer Walker Elrod, is scheduled to hear an appeal from the bankruptcy next week for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. We have no reason to rely on this secret opinion because we have no idea what the analysis is, said Kathleen Clark, a legal ethics professor at Washington University in St. Louis, adding it was utterly reasonable to question Guidrys ability to be impartial under these circumstances. The public shouldnt have to rely on a judges personal certainty about his own rectitude, Clark added. The fact that he would even make this assertion shows how misguided and ethically blind this judge is. Charles Hall, a spokesman for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, said Guidry had no comment beyond the recusal order. James Adams, a creditor in the bankruptcy who alleges he was abused by a priest as a fifth grader in 1980, says the judges recusal was long overdue. Like the church, some federal judges will often do the right thing only after the press begins to investigate and question them, he said. Inflated ego and arrogance can be a dangerous side effect of putting on a black robe. ___ Mustian reported from New York. Contact APs global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org. ALTON Dan and Pamela (Runtz) Drew are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. They were married on April 27, 1973 by Father O'Shea at St. Matthews Catholic Church in Alton. Dan Drew worked as a machinist at Olin Brass in East Alton for 48 years until his retirement. Pam Drew worked as a doctor's assistant for Dr. DiVievier, as a homemaker, in Alzheimer's care at the Methodist Village in Godfrey, and as a hospice caregiver for St. Anthony's Hospital. They are the proud parents of one child, Joe Drew of Granbury, Texas, and one grandson, Jackson Drew. Dan and Pam Drew have enjoyed many years traveling to see family and hot rodding in classic cars. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HIGHLAND Former Gov. Pat Quinn and Highland Mayor Kevin Hemann honored more than 300 Illinois servicemembers, many from central and southern Illinois, on Thursday at the opening of the Portrait of a Soldier exhibit at the City of Highland Public Safety Building. The traveling memorial art exhibit will be on display there for approximately a week. It consists of replicas of graphite portraits of Illinois servicemembers who have been killed since Sept. 11, 2001, as drawn by artist Cameron Schilling of Mattoon. Its the duty of us, the living, to take good care of those who have borne the battle, said Quinn. The best way to honor the women and men who have given their lives to protect our democracy is to always remember and never forget their sacrifice." President Abraham Lincoln referred to it as their "last full measure of devotion," Quinn said. Highland is proud to host this moving tribute to the men and women who have given their lives to keep us safe," said Hemann. "May this exhibit remind us all of the sacrifices made by those who have served. Quinn explained the origins of this project begun in 2004. "I went to over 300 military funerals when I was lieutenant governor and governor," he said. "I had a young man on my staff named Cameron Schilling." Schilling, who is from Mattoon, began the project while a student at Eastern Illinois University, drawing a portrait of fellow Mattoon resident U.S. Army Specialist Charles Neely who lost his life in Iraq. Quinn said Schilling gave the portrait to Neely's parents. Schilling noted their reaction and later told Quinn he wanted to do more portraits for other families who lost sons and daughters to war; could Quinn put him in touch with more parents like the Neelys? Quinn said they wanted a way to remember the names, ranks, ages, branches of service and hometowns of the fallen young people. Gold Star families were contacted and those who were interested submitted photos of their sons and daughters. Schilling and Jeremiah kept drawing, gifting the original portraits to the Gold Star families. Quinn emphasized the importance of not forgetting the servicemembers, their sacrifices and Sept. 11. After remarks, Quinn and Hemann invited people inside to view the portraits in the building's lobby. To start the event, members of the Highland Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5694 and the Highland American Legion Post 439 participated in an honor guard formation. EDWARDSVILLE A Chris Farley comedy, a 1950s Humphrey Bogart classic and a film co-starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise are among the $3 Tuesday movies for May at the Wildey Theatre. The movie calendar for the month kicks off May 2 with Tommy Boy, the 1995 buddy adventure comedy starring Farley and David Spade. Directed by Peter Segal and produced by longtime Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels, Tommy Boy was the first of many films that Segal filmed with former SNL castmates. It tells the story of a socially and emotionally immature man (Farley) who learns lessons about friendship and self-worth following the sudden death of his industrialist father. Tommy Boy grossed $32.7 million on a budget of $20 million, making it a financial success. The film received mixed reviews from critics. Since its release, Tommy Boy has become a cult favorite and has also been successful on home video. Chris Farley died a couple years after that (in 1997), but its one of those whenever anyone mentions, they talk about how funny it was, Wildey manager Al Canal said. People still love it 28 years later. Up next, on May 9, is Sabrina, the 1954 romantic comedy-drama starring Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn and William Holden. In 2002, the film directed by Billy Wilder was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. We always like to show at least classic every month, and this film is definitely a classic with an all-star cast, Canal said. The planned May 16 movie at the Wildey has been pre-empted by live music. The classic rock band Zebra is playing at the Wildey for a second night after its May 17 show sold out. Movies return to the Wildey May 23 with the 1988 road comedy-drama Rain Man starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. Directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass, Rain Man tells the story of abrasive, selfish young wheeler-dealer Charlie Babbitt (Cruise), who discovers his estranged father has died and bequeathed virtually all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son, Raymond (Hoffman), an autistic savant, of whose existence Charlie was unaware. Charlie is left with only his father's beloved vintage car and rosebushes. Valeria Galino also stars as Charlie's girlfriend Susanna. Morrow created the character of Raymond after meeting Kim Peek, a real-life savant; his characterization was based on both Peek and Bill Sackter, a good friend of Morrow who was the subject of Bill (1981), an earlier film that Morrow wrote. The film grossed $354.8-412.8 million, on a $25 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1988, and received a leading eight nominations at the 61st Academy Awards, winning four (more than any other film nominated): Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (for Hoffman) and Best Original Screenplay. Its one of those movies that people always enjoy, Canal said. When it comes on the TV, Ive always got to sit down and watch it. Dustin Hoffman plays the role so well. The last movie of the month, on May 30, is Up, a 2009 computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Up stars the voices of Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai and Bob Peterson. The film centers on Carl Fredricksen (Asner), an elderly widower who travels to South America with wilderness explorer Russell (Nagai) to fulfill a promise that Carl made to his late wife Ellie. Along the way, they meet a talking dog named Dug (Peterson) and encounter a giant bird named Kevin, who is being hunted by the explorer Charles Muntz (Plummer), whom Carl had idolized in childhood. The film earned $735.1 million worldwide, finishing its theatrical run as the sixth-highest grossing film of 2009. Up was nominated for five awards at the 82nd Academy Awards and won two, along with numerous other accolades. It became the second animated film in history to receive a nomination for Best Picture, ultimately losing to The Hurt Locker. Its the last Tuesday of May and the kids are out of school, and we want to have something for them and their parents to do, Canal said. Its a movie that was made for kids, but adults find it enjoyable as well. In addition to the usual 7 p.m. showing, there will also be a matinee showing of Up on May 30, with a starting time to be announced. Once a month during the summer, were looking to show a family/kids movie for a matinee so parents can bring their younger children to a show in the afternoon, Canal said. For more information on any event at the Wildey Theatre, 252 N. Main St. in Edwardsville, call 618-307-1750 or go to wildeytheatre.com. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BOISE, Idaho (AP) The sister of a woman killed in what prosecutors say was a doomsday-focused plot told jurors Friday that her sister's funeral was held so quickly that some family members couldn't attend and that she was devastated when she learned her former brother-in-law remarried just a few weeks later. You dont get married four weeks after you just buried your wife of almost 30 years you just don't do that, Samantha Gwilliam said, explaining that she later learned that Lori Vallow Daybell married Gwilliam's former brother-in-law, Chad Daybell, just two weeks after Gwilliam's sister Tammy Daybell died. The testimony came in the triple murder trial of Vallow Daybell, who is accused along with Chad Daybell in Tammy Daybell's death and the deaths of her own two youngest children, Joshua JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. Idaho prosecutors say the couple espoused strange doomsday-focused beliefs involving demonic possession and zombies to further their plan to kill the kids and Chad Daybell's previous wife and to collect life insurance and survivor benefits. Both have pleaded not guilty to murder, conspiracy and grand theft charges, and they are being tried separately. Daybells trial is still months away. Vallow Daybell has also been charged in Arizona in connection with the the death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. He was shot and killed by Vallow Daybells brother, Alex Cox, outside of his Phoenix-area home in July 2019. Cox told police the shooting was in self-defense and was never charged in the case. He died of natural causes later that year. Vallow Daybell has not yet had the opportunity to enter a plea in the Arizona case. Tammy Daybell died Oct. 19, 2019, of what was originally reported as natural causes. Emergency dispatchers and first responders described how Chad Daybell appeared distraught when he reported Tammy Daybell's death, telling authorities that he'd woken to find his wife's body hanging halfway off of their bed after she'd spent part of the night coughing and vomiting. Cammy Willmore, an EMT who was a deputy coroner for Fremont County at the time, responded to the scene. She said she was concerned because Tammy Daybell was just 49 and also had quite a bit of foamy pink sputum coming from her mouth. Willmore said that seemed odd but she didn't see any unusual bruises. Fremont County Coroner Brenda Dye also went to the home and discussed the possibility of doing an autopsy with Willmore, the deputy coroner said. Chad Daybell declined the procedure. He told the coroner that the 49-year-old school librarian had recently had fainting episodes and low blood pressure and that she sometimes had leg convulsions or seizures, Dye said. Based in part on that information, she determined Tammy Daybell had died of natural causes. Authorities later grew suspicious and had the body exhumed for an autopsy, which determined Tammy Daybell died of asphyxiation. Gwilliam told jurors that her sister was fit she took a clogging class and was training for a running race and that she'd never heard her complain of any seizures or fainting episodes. Chad Daybell scheduled the funeral for just three days after her sister's death, so soon that some family members couldn't attend, Gwilliam said. She said she was devastated when she learned Chad Daybell remarried just a couple of weeks after Tammy died. She said he told her that he and his new wife connected because they were both grieving over deceased spouses. Chad Daybell said his new wifes name was Lori Ryan and that her previous husband had died of a heart attack. He also said they were both empty nesters with no young kids at home, Gwilliam told the jury. Gwilliam said she later found out the new wife was also associated with the last name Vallow and did an internet search. Thats when she realized Charles Vallow had been shot to death. An online comment under Vallows obituary also mentioned two kids and that was the first time Gwilliam heard anything about Vallow Daybell's son and daughter, she told the jury. Eventually, the last conversation I had with Chad was in December, Gwilliam told the jury. It was just to ask him to stop lying about what was going on. The two children were last seen alive that September. At the time, JJ was just 7 and Tylee was a few days short of her 17th birthday. Their bodies were found the following June, buried in Chad Daybell's yard. Earlier in the trial, former friends of Vallow Daybell told jurors about the couples purported spiritual beliefs, which included the idea that evil spirits could take over a persons body, forcing the persons soul out and turning them into a zombie. The only way to get rid of the evil spirit was to kill the body, former friend Melanie Gibb told jurors. Vallow Daybell called JJ and Tylee zombies several times before they died, Gibb told investigators. Key Insights The projected fair value for Air New Zealand is NZ$0.71 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity With NZ$0.76 share price, Air New Zealand appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value Analyst price target for AIR is NZ$0.85, which is 20% above our fair value estimate Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Air New Zealand Limited (NZSE:AIR) by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow. We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Air New Zealand The Method We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (NZ$, Millions) NZ$1.03b NZ$251.0m NZ$255.3m NZ$108.0m NZ$110.0m NZ$112.1m NZ$114.4m NZ$116.8m NZ$119.2m NZ$121.7m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ 1.52% Analyst x1 Est @ 1.72% Analyst x1 Est @ 1.85% Est @ 1.95% Est @ 2.01% Est @ 2.06% Est @ 2.09% Est @ 2.12% Present Value (NZ$, Millions) Discounted @ 9.8% NZ$936 NZ$208 NZ$193 NZ$74.3 NZ$68.9 NZ$64.0 NZ$59.4 NZ$55.2 NZ$51.3 NZ$47.7 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = NZ$1.8b We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.2%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 9.8%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = NZ$122m (1 + 2.2%) (9.8% 2.2%) = NZ$1.6b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= NZ$1.6b ( 1 + 9.8%)10= NZ$638m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is NZ$2.4b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of NZ$0.8, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf Important Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Air New Zealand as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 9.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.286. 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 Air New Zealand Strength Debt is not viewed as a risk. Weakness Shareholders have been diluted in the past year. Opportunity Expected to breakeven next year. Has sufficient cash runway for more than 3 years based on current free cash flows. Good value based on P/S ratio compared to estimated Fair P/S ratio. Significant insider buying over the past 3 months. Threat No apparent threats visible for AIR. Moving On: Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For Air New Zealand, there are three essential elements you should assess: Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Air New Zealand , and understanding this should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does AIR'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. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the NZSE 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Odelyn Joseph/AP SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Two local journalists have been killed in Haiti over the past couple of weeks as rampant gang violence has gripped the capital of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. The Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement Thursday that radio reporter Dumesky Kersaint was fatally shot in mid-April, while journalist Ricot Jean was found dead on Tuesday. Fairyproof, a dark horse in the Web3 security field, stood out from over 100 participating projects. Fairyproof Fairyproof, a dark horse in the Web3 security field, stood out from over 100 participating projects. Singapore, Singapore , April 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On April 16th, the Big Demo Day hosted by Central Research was held at the Hong Kong Cyber Arena, with a combination of online and offline roadshow. Well-known VCs and KOLs were invited to participate in the Demo Day, and live broadcasts were conducted on various major media and streaming platforms, while local media in Hong Kong conducted interviews and exposure offline. Fairyproof, a dark horse in the Web3 security field, stood out from over 100 participating projects and was invited to participate in the roadshow for free. Fairyproof showcased their innovative technology and products at the event, gaining a lot of attention. Full-stack dynamic security services At the Big Demo Day, Fairyproof's co-founder, Tan Yuefei, demonstrated to investors the functionality and advantages of their dynamic security services, emphasizing that while security auditing is an essential means of maintaining blockchain security, its role is mainly before the product goes launch/deploy. The challenges and attacks that the product faces after it goes launch/deploy are the more difficult challenges that the product must face. Existing security audits cannot provide good security guarantees for the latter, so real-time solutions must be provided in a dynamic way. Many investors and users showed a strong interest in this new concept and raised various questions about the products and technologies behind it. The Fairyproof team answered these questions in detail and provided a clear roadmap for the technology. In addition, Fairyproof members presented the company's development direction and business model to investors. In presentations, introductions, and Q&A sessions showcased a refreshing technological scene and unique technical ideas to the live audience and investors. Fairyproof's unique full-stack dynamic security services include: Story continues Security Audit Service: Blockchain audit, smart contract audit, crypto wallet audit, and more Security Analysis Tools: A set of security tools such as static analysis tool, code vulnerability database, bytecode decompiler, and more. These tools help users uncover typical, common vulnerabilities, and help developers develop high quality code Data Inquiry Service: This service allows users to enquire information about crypto assets, contract addresses, and more Blockchain Intelligence: This service allows users to enquire complex information and data such as potential issues or risks about projects, addresses, or crypto assets Regulation Inquiry Service: This service allows users to check regulation rules and terms, and check how to legitimately participate in a project or launch a project Enterprise Security Service: This is a customized service for enterprises such as life cycle service for a project, security solutions, attack prediction, and more Situational Awareness System: This system monitors real-time transactions, data and information of crypto assets and underlying blockchains, gives risk alarms on code security, tokenomics security and governance security, and provides solutions accordingly After the event, many investors expressed their favor and investment intentions towards Fairyproof, believing that Fairyproof's technology and products have great potential and will play an important role in the field of blockchain security. Fairyproof's team members are very grateful to Central Research for providing such an opportunity, allowing them to showcase their technology and products and interact with investors. Fairyproof will continue to focus on providing better products and services for the field of blockchain security and providing more business opportunities for investors. About Fairyproof Fairyproof is a pioneering blockchain security company established in Singapore in 2021 by a group of passionate blockchain experts. The founding members have drafted multiple Ethereum Improvement Proposals (Including ERC-1646, ERC-2569, EIP-2794), authored books and tutorials on blockchain, and applied for multiple patents. The team has developed various projects on Ethereum including blockchain platforms, DAOs, onchain data storage solutions, DEXs and more. In addition, they have audited many projects and have developed comprehensive security systems based on the accumulated experience. Since its foundation, Fairyproof has serviced more than 100 projects and teams. Fairyproof has solid research and development experience in blockchain mainnets, layer 2 solutions (Optimism, Arbitrum, zkEVM, zkStark), zk technologies, MPC technologies, and more. Fairyproof has developed comprehensive security solutions and systems from four perspectives: code vulnerabilities, logic vulnerabilities, governance vulnerabilities and tokenomics vulnerabilities. Fairyproof is working on a system to monitor real-time blockchain situations and a system to predict blockchain attacks. Fairyproof is striving to its utmost to make the world of Web3.0 a safer place by safeguarding web 3 projects and crypto assets. Media Contact Contact: Angela Tong Company Name: Fairyproof Address: 1 RAFFLES PLACE, 50 - 00 ONE RAFFLES PLACE, 048616, SINGAPORE Website: www.fairyproof.com Email: angela.tong@fairyproof.com Disclaimer: There is no offer to sell, no solicitation of an offer to buy, and no recommendation of any security or any other product or service in this article. Moreover, nothing contained in this PR should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security, or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. It is your responsibility to determine whether any investment, investment strategy, security, or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. Consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax advisor regarding your specific business, legal, or tax situation. For more info, please contact brandnewsproject@gmail.com. Attachment When the consortium of Dubai-based businessman Murari Lal Jalan and UK's Kalrock Capital won the bid in June 2021 to acquire the bankrupt Jet Airways, the hope was that the once storied airline would take off once again soon. Almost two years have passed since and there is yet no sign of that. Instead on Friday, Sanjiv Kapoor, the CEO designate, put in his papers. That will raise fresh question marks on the airline's revival and its future flight path. Facing financial difficulties, Jet Airways was grounded on April 17, 2019, after over 25 years of service. Two years later on, on June 22, 2021, the Jalan-Kalrock consortium's (JKC) resolution plan for the airline was approved by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Later in August 2022, Kapoor got all the necessary clearances to become the CEO designate. Kapoor was an aviation industry veteran having been associated with various airlines, including SpiceJet and Vistara. He resigned as the president of Oberoi Hotels when he was appointed as Jet's CEO designate. On Friday, he announced his resignation, wishing the team the "very best." It will be effective May 1. The airline's accountable officer and company secretary also recently quit. "I am a firm believer in the tremendous value that can be created by full-service carriers such as Jet Airways following bankruptcy restructuring, and I know JKC is fully committed towards the revival of Jet Airways and wish them the very best. Consumers in a market as large as India need a choice of full-service carriers and I look forward to seeing Jet Airways back in the skies again soon," said Kapoor in his parting statement. How soon the airline can fly again though remains a question mark. There were hopes that Jet Airways would take off in 2022 itself. It received the Air Operators Certificate in May, and made several senior level appointments as a part of the revival plan. The airline was also in talks with plane makers Airbus and Boeing to place orders for new aircraft. However, the year has come and gone, there is no sign of take-off. Differences over certain issues between the new owners and the erstwhile lenders led to the revival plans getting stuck. At a meeting held in December 2022, JKC had maintained that it had met all the conditions to restart the airline. However, lenders concurred otherwise. There had also reportedly been differences over payment of pending gratuity and provident fund payments of Jet's employees. JKC approached the NCLT seeking its intervention in implementing the resolution plan. In January 2023, the Mumbai-bench of the NCLT allowed the transfer of ownership of Jet Airways to JKC, stating the consortium had met all the conditions precedent. It gave JKC time till mid-May to settle the remaining dues with lenders. It has to pay Rs 180 crore to the creditors and around Rs 250 crore to former employees. The airline's Air Operators Permit is also set to expire next month. JKC has reiterated now that it "remains fully committed" to the revival of Jet Airways. "The revival of Jet Airways is through a court approved process, which has taken more time than originally estimated by us, but needless to say JKC is committed to the revival of Jet Airways. We are in the last leg of closing the transfer of ownership of Jet Airways to JKC, subsequent to which we will settle outstanding amounts payable to previous creditors as per our approved resolution plan and shall, soon thereafter, recommence the commercial operations of Jet Airways as per our re-launch plans," said Ankit Jalan, board member of JKC. The resignation of Kapoor, will however, cloud things. The executive committee of JKC will oversee CEO designate responsibilities until a suitable replacement is in place, it said. But, the clock is ticking. May 14, the last date to make the required payments is fast approaching. The airline's Air Operators Permit is also set to expire next month. The aviation landscape too has changed in the past two years. A new airline Akasa, promoted by the late billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, took to skies and is growing at a fast clip. The government sold Air India to the Tata Group. The Tatas are currently in the midst of consolidating the airline business, which will see Air Asia India and Air India Express being merged into one low-cost entity and Air India and Vistara being merged into one full-service carrier, in which Singapore Airlines will hold 25 per cent stake. Meanwhile, Jet Airways 2.0 still awaits a take off and there are a lot of headwinds in its flight path. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday hinted that a meeting of opposition leaders may take place in Patna after the crucial Karnataka assembly polls were over as many would be busy electioneering there. The JD (U) supremo said issues related to forging opposition unity could be expected to be discussed at length at this meeting. We will definitely sit together and discuss the issue pertaining to the formation of an alliance of opposition parties to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "Currently, some leaders are busy in the assembly poll (Karnataka). Once it is over, we will finalize the venue of our meeting. If Patna is unanimously decided as the next venue of the meeting of opposition leaders, it will be held here. We will be happy to organize this meeting in Patna," he said. It may be recalled that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after meeting Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, in Kolkata on April 24, had requested her counterpart to organise a meeting of all non-BJP parties in Patna to discuss opposition unity before the coming Lok Sabha elections. I have made just one request to Nitish Kumar. Jayaprakash ji's movement started from Bihar. If we have an all-party meeting in Bihar, we can then decide where we have to go next, Banerjee had said after the meeting with Kumar in Kolkata. Kumar, acknowledging this friendly demand by his TMC counterpart said, "Unhone--Mamta Banerjee--to Bola Hin Tha Patna mein meeting ke liye ( Mamata Banerjee had sought the meeting in Patna)." "We are making efforts to unite more and more parties in the country against the BJP-led central government. I recently met several opposition leaders. Now I will talk to other non-BJP parties ... My aim is to unite opposition parties before the general elections," he said. After meeting Mamta, Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi had met Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on the same day and discussed the formation of an alliance of opposition parties. TMC and SP, which earlier wanted to keep both Congress and BJP at equidistance, seem to have changed their stance and conveyed as much after the separate meetings the two parties leaders had with Kumar. Prior to this Kumar and his deputy Yadav had also met Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on April 12. Besides, Kumar met Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, who had conceded that it was "extremely necessary" that the entire opposition and the country came together and change the government at the Centre. Kumar, on several occasions in the past, had appealed to all opposition parties, including the Congress, to join hands to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. A united front would be able to reduce the BJP to less than 100 seats, Kumar had said while speaking at the 11th general convention of the Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) Liberation or CPI-ML, which has extended outside support to the Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan government, in February in Patna. He had also reiterated that he does not have any ambitions to become the Prime Minister, or was a contender for the post. Meanwhile, Kumar also met Lalu Prasad on Friday, as the RJD supremo landed in his hometown after seven months, amid speculations that the two leaders will jointly work towards forging a countrywide opposition unity to take on the BJP. Prasad had been away for close to seven months, during which he underwent a kidney transplant in Singapore. Known as 'bada bhai-Chhota bhai' (big brother-little brother) in the political lexicon of Bihar, the RJD chief and the JD(U) supreme leader have been close associates since the JP Movement' of the 1970s when both were student leaders. With the election fervour at its peak in Karnataka that goes to polls on May 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch his two-day state visit on Saturday. Modi is scheduled to address multiple public meetings and hold two roadshows. According to his itinerary, Modi will first address a public meeting at Humnabad in Bidar district at 11 am. Modi will later address rallies in Vijayapura, Kudachi and Bengaluru North on Saturday. On Sunday, the prime minister will take part in rallies in Kolar, Channapattna and Belur. He will also hold a roadshow in Mysuru before returning to Delhi. This is Modi's ninth visit to poll-bound Karnataka this year since February. In a significant push to the saffron party's efforts to retain power in the state, Modi will return to the other districts and his campaigning will continue till May 7. Over six days, PM Modi will hold 12 to 15 public meetings and road shows, NDTV reported, quoting a source. The BJP is leaving no stone unturned and national leaders including Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman and Yogi Adityanath have been aggressively campaigning in the state that the party refers to as the 'gateway to the south'. Internal rumblings and defection of senior leaders to the Congress had rattled the Karnataka BJP after the list of candidates were declared earlier this month. Adding to the party's woes, multiple pre-poll surveys have also come as a dampener for the party that is reportedly fighting an anti-incumbency wave. The pre-poll surveys conducted by regional media houses last week predicted an edge for the Congress, indicating the possibility of a hung verdict in the Assembly election. Congress versus BJP Modi's campaigns also come at a time when the state is witnessing a bitter war of words between the BJP and the Opposition Congress. Both the parties have now approached the Election Commission seeking ban on electioneering by top leaders of the other side. While the BJP sought an FIR and a bar on campaigning by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress demanded restrictions on Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Kharge is facing the heat over his comments on Modi in which he likened the PM to a 'poisonous snake' during one of the election rallies. Shah and Yogi have been accused of flaring communal passions and creating disharmony in the poll-bound state with their statements against minorities. Kharge later clarified that his remarks were not aimed at the prime minister but at the ruling BJP and its ideology. In retaliation to Kharge's remarks, BJP MLA from Vijayapur Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Friday likened former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to a 'vishkanya' (venomous maiden). In its appeal to the Election Commission, the Congress alleged that Shah and Adityanath made "false", "partisan" and "communal" statements during the poll campaign in Karnataka with a view to seek electoral gains. Big, open tracts of flatland, a sea of brown, arid terrainsedimentary basins and plains punctuated by rocky outcrops in the sandand oases of vegetation far in the distance. There is no shade, but there is intense heat during the day and and low temperatures at night. There, in the middle of the noonday sun, hundreds of people toting their most personal belongings walked exhausted, exasperated, and afraid in the blinding Atacama day. Dust rose with each step and their bodies were lost in the haze of their own making as they headed north toward the Peruvian border, dispersed wide among the distortion of the heat waves, as if distance from others would help the elusive breezes find them. At the northern edge of the Atacama where the Tarapaca region of Chile diffuses into the the Tacna region of Peru, they are hot and sweaty Venezuelans, Haitians, Colombians who crossed illegally into Chile from Peru or Bolivia in search of their Land of Opportunity. Undocumented, and now, under growing pressure here, some are heading north to join caravans to the US. Most tell you they are going back to their home countries. It sounds like a rehearsed line. Some are returning because of broken dreams and tough new anti-immigrant measures, but some claim they were recently intercepted by Chilean police, deemed inadmissible into Chile and pointed north in the direction of Peru on paths to avoid Peruvian checkpoints. Their journey is tough and full of obstacles, natural, animal, and man-made the sun, scorching and unrelenting sandstorms, venomous spiders and scorpions in any crevice or crack, packs of feral dogs and the desolate wastes. Many women say that Chilean police have abused them. The situation for immigrants has gotten worse lately, spurred by the killings of three Chilean police by Venezuelans in three different acts while committing other crimes. So Chile has been cutting immigrants off in the desert before they get to the cities, and turning them back toward the northern border. The problem was compounded when Peruvian authorities, alarmed by the waves of humans coming their way, reinforced crossing points and began denying entry to those without documents. There are young people, children, people from their 20s to their 70s, many with health and physical problems. Some are noticeably sick, others overcome by the conditions. The situation has become a full-blown humanitarian and diplomatic crisis. The diverse peoples began accumulating at the border unable to enter Peru and unable to go back into Chile. Hungry, worn out and without sanitary conditions, they are in dire need of basic necessities such as food, water, shelter, and medical attention. The overcrowding and lack of resources have created a dangerous and volatile situation. Peru has declared a state of emergency at its borders and militarized the area, and it has been pushing back into Chile those who entered without documents, which is most of them. So, the migrants are sandwiched between the heavily militarised forces of both countries. Peru has complained that Chilean President Gabriel Boric is shifting his border problems onto them unfairly. Chile has reacted by complaining about the complaint and criticising Peru for "unproductive language." And while the tit-for-tat diplomatic spats get ambassadors called in and messages sent back and forth between high government officials, the immigrants and there are hundreds of musky and weary men on foot, besides women and children and some sick and elderly camped at the edge of the desert in front of highways near the border. Among them was a couple in their late 20s, Carlos and Maria from the Caracas mountainside neighborhood of Petare, with their little daughter Isabel; the family had left their country 18, maybe 20 months ago they can't remember and they are too whittled to try in search of a better life. Now the owners of a thousand-mile stare and trembling in the shadow of the approaching night, the young couple claimed unconvincingly that they just want to go home. They could have been saying that they just wanted a home in any safe place where they could work, but in these camps with authorities deciding your fate based on what you say, there are unwritten rules as to how to talk, lest your words worsen your lot. Merchants and homeowners in the Peruvian city of Tacna have withdrawn the welcome mat to immigrants complaining that their "nice, clean, organised city" is now overrun by people camping in their plazas and public places, turning them into Jerry-rigged refugee camps that quickly become dirty and unsanitary, with trash and debris accumulating in the surrounding areas. It is not just the military policing the area that is up in arms; some citizens are openly calling for shooting "criminal foreigners" on sight to stop them when committing a crime. Up to 400 people a day are reaching the border region. The exodus crosses six lanes of high-speed freeway as cars and trucks thunder past them. Their eyes darting nervously, scanning for breaks in traffic, Carlos held Maria's hand while she held tightly onto Isabel's little hand; they stopped at the median after narrowly missing a rushing van, and Maria decided to carry Isabel on her back the rest of the way. They make it to the other side, but it is a pyrrhic victory, for the road ahead is uncertain and now they have nowhere they can go. Invariably, some do get through the police controls and military cordons, a few hoping to settle and find work and rest at least for a while in the fertile Caplina valley just north of Tacna. But Peru's President Dina Boluarte sees a direct relationship between immigration and criminality and has given them six months to regularise their documents to remain in the country, or risk immediate deportation. Chile and Peru agree, at least in rhetoric, that the crisis is a regional problem that requires the participation of other countries in the area, particularly those through which the immigrants passed on their way to Chile, namely Brazil and Bolivia. Slowly developing are calls to fly to Venezuela those who claim their quest is a return to their country, but plans have either stalled or not yet started. Yet the despair and the humanitarian crisis continue, caught between the political rhetoric of diplomacy and the harsh reality of a human suffering which is mounting and getting worse by the day. In a historic moment, the 100th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' will be broadcast live at the United Nations headquarters here. Get ready for a historic moment as the 100th episode of PM Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat' is set to go live on April 30th in Trusteeship Council Chamber at @UN HQ!, the Permanent Mission of India to the UN said in a tweet. The 100th episode of Modi's monthly radio address will air at 11am on April 30, which will be 1.30am, Sunday, in New York. The live broadcast of the programme in the early hours of Sunday in the UN headquarters will be historic and unprecedented. It will be aired in the UN's Trusteeship Council Chamber. #MannKiBaat has become a monthly national tradition, inspiring millions to participate in India's developmental journey, the Permanent Mission said. The Consulate General of India in New York, along with community organisations, is also hosting the broadcast of the 100th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' for members of the Indian-American and diaspora community in New Jersey during a special event at 1.30 am Sunday. Don't miss #MannKiBaatAt100 at 01.30 hrs EST on April 30th, 2023! Let us celebrate the landmark 100th episode of #MannKiBaat as Hon'ble @PMOIndia connects with Indians, Indian diaspora and listeners across the world, the Consulate said in a tweet. In the Mann Ki Baat' radio broadcast hosted by Prime Minister Modi, he addresses the people of the country on different issues. It was first aired on October 3, 2014, and is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month at 11am on the entire All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) network. The 100th episode of the 30-minute programme will be aired on April 30. (Bloomberg) -- US regulators were working into the night to resolve the First Republic Bank crisis late Sunday after a midday deadline passed for submitting final bids to take over the struggling lender. Most Read from Bloomberg The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. had asked banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co., PNC Financial Services Group Inc., and Citizens Financial Group Inc. to submit offers, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Bank of America Corp. and US Bancorp were also invited but decided against bidding, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential talks. Regulators have been asking follow-up questions to at least some of the bidders as they compare the banks proposals. If no agreement is reached, regulators would have the option of seizing First Republic and taking ownership of the bank. Spokespeople for JPMorgan, PNC, Citizens Financial, US Bancorp, Bank of America and the FDIC declined to comment. The bidding process kick-started by regulators after weeks of fruitless talks among banks and their advisers could pave the way for a tidier sale of First Republic than the drawn-out auctions that followed the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank last month. Authorities are stepping in after a particularly precipitous drop in the companys stock over the past week, which is now down 97% this year. Unclear to some involved in the process is whether regulators might use a bid for a so-called open-bank solution that avoids formally declaring First Republic a failure and seizing it. The stocks drop leaving the company with a $650 million market value has made such a takeover at least somewhat more feasible. Story continues Jumbo Mortgages But finances arent the only hurdle to doing a deal. JPMorgan is among a small number of giant banks that have already amassed more than 10% of nationwide deposits, making the firm ineligible under US regulations to acquire another deposit-taking institution. Authorities would have to make an exception to allow the countrys largest bank to get even bigger. As of Friday evening, the FDIC had yet to reach a decision on putting First Republic into receivership, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. Representatives for Californias banking regulator, which would take the lead in declaring whether the San Francisco-based lender has failed, didnt respond to requests for comment. Weighing on First Republics balance sheet is a mountain of low-interest loans, including an unusually large portfolio of jumbo mortgages to wealthy clients. Such debts have lost value amid interest-rate hikes, leaving the firm facing losses if forced to sell them. During last months regional banking crisis, wealthy customers and businesses yanked their cash from banks with such flaws in their balance sheets. In response, the Federal Reserve opened up an emergency lending facility to give banks a way to borrow against some of their holdings to meet any demands for cash. Waiting for Aid A group of 11 banks that deposited $30 billion into First Republic in March giving it time to find a private-sector solution have proved reluctant to band together on making a joint investment. A few proposals that surfaced in recent days called for a consortium of stronger banks to buy assets from First Republic for more than their market value. But no agreement materialized. Instead, some stronger firms have been waiting for the government to offer aid or put the bank in receivership, a resolution they view as cleaner and potentially ending with a sale of the bank or its pieces at attractive prices. But receivership is an outcome the FDIC would prefer to avoid, in part because of the prospect it will inflict a multibillion-dollar hit to its own deposit insurance fund. The agency is already planning to impose a special assessment on the industry to cover the cost of SVB and Signature Banks failures last month. --With assistance from Lydia Beyoud and Max Reyes. (Adds regulators questions in third paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. With a range of up to 150 km per charge and a payload capacity of 700 kg per trip, the EVs will distribute Finished Goods from their Rasayani factory to Merck Lifescience customers across Mumbai. (L to R) Mr Varun Gada, Director, LP Logiscience, Warehousing and Contract Logistic arm of Liladhar Passo, with Mr Bhushan Patil, Head, Country Procurement - India, South East Asia, and ANZ, Merck Lifescience Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 29: Merck Lifescience today signed a strategic contract with LP Logiscience, the warehousing and contract logistic arm of the legendary Liladhar Passo group, which launched its first Electric vehicle for distribution. As part of the contract, LP Logiscience will use the EVs for the distribution of finished goods from their Rasayani factory to Merck Lifescience customers across Mumbai. The contract is a part of Merck and LP Logisciences commitment to achieve mutual sustainability goals and to move towards carbon-neutral distribution services. The contract was signed in the presence of Mr Andre Overmeyer, Head of Global Plant Operations, Merck Lifescience, Mr. Bhushan Patil, Head, Country Procurement India, South East Asia, and ANZ, Merck Lifesciene, Ms Rashmi Iyer, Head of Distribution, Merck Lifescience and Mr Varun Gada, Director, LP Logiscience. With a range of up to 150 km per charge and a payload capacity of 700 kg per trip, the launch of the EV makes LP Logiscience, one of the leading Indian players to adopt green initiatives and innovative tech-enabled operations with a focus on building carbon-neutral/ sustainable warehouses in India. LP Logiscience was established a decade ago as the warehousing and transportation business arm of the legendary Liladhar Pasoo group and today handles warehousing space equivalent to 3 million sqft. Across its Grade A complaint warehouses, with a reach of 7000+ distribution pin codes PAN India. Since its inception, LP Logiscience has registered an impressive evolution, growing at the rate of 20% - 25% YoY and has been driving the transformation of the warehousing sector in India. It is also one of the leading Indian players to adopt innovative tech-enabled operations and focus on building carbon-neutral/ sustainable warehouses in India. Speaking about the pivotal milestone for LP Logiscience, Mr Varun Gada, Director of LP Logiscience, said, As a company that is focused on bringing the best-in-class innovations in warehousing and contract logistic space for our clients, adopting greener practices was the next milestone. And we are happy to share the enthusiasm with our long-term client, Merck Lifescience. After working together for over 3 years now, we are excited to take our relationship to the next level through this strategic contract of green distribution through a dedicated fleet of EVs exclusively for Merck Lifescience. With a range of up to 150 km per charge and a payload capacity of 700 kg per trip, the EVs are equipped with a reliable and tested power management system, vehicle tracking and tracing, and driver behavior alerts to ensure timely and efficient delivery of goods. Additionally, LP Logiscience has also invested in research to incorporate onboard photovoltaic cells in the EVs, allowing them to charge on the go during sunlight hours, increasing the overall efficiency of the vehicle and reducing the need for grid power-supported charging, thereby inching closer to a carbon neutral transportation system. At LP Logiscience, we are committed to providing our clients with customized warehousing and transportation solutions backed by a green sustainable philosophy. In line with this, we aim to have a strong fleet of 30 EVs by the end of 2023. And we are happy to have embarked on this journey with Merck Lifescience as it marks an important another step towards our goal of 100% green transportation by 2025, Mr. Varun Gada, Director, LP Logiscience, further added. Speaking about the strategic Partnership, Mr Bhushan Patil, Head, Country Procurement - India, South East Asia and ANZ, said, I always encourage my team to Drive Sustainable Procurement Roadmap align with Business Priorities, under Merck Group Procurement Think & act sustainably initiative. I am happy to share in the success story on Foster Carbon emission reduction with External Business Partner LP Logiscience, who has been a trusted partner with Merck on several engagements on Warehousing, Logistics and Distribution Projects. As a milestone, we are happy to be a part of the successful launch of the EV Vehicle distribution for our Life science Business distribution services on transportation of Finish Goods to our customers from the LP Logiscience warehouse in Bhiwandi, Mumbai. Fair to mention it was a quick decision with the great Turnaround time from LP leadership and Operations Team to make this happen. Looking forward to more such milestones in the future. LP Logiscience has been aggressively driving tech integration and adoption of green practices by leveraging renewable energy sources like solar power for operations and rainwater harvesting. CNG vehicle deployment for last-mile deliveries Is also planned so as to reduce carbon footprints through greener modes of transportation. Along with standard WMS features like inventory accuracy, inventory visibility, traceability, and location management, LP Logiscience has also created its customized solutions for its operations and a few industry-specific solutions. Additionally, all their warehouses are cloud-connected, including handheld terminals used for all warehouse processes, and have many tech features. With a strong business model supported by an IT backbone and a focus on green practices, over the next five years, LP Logiscience aims to accelerate digital adoption further, expand the geographical reach and build state of the art, green warehousing facilities across the country, keeping in mind a growth target of CAGR 30%. About LP Logiscience a Liladhar Pasoo Company: LP Logiscience, the contract logistics division of the 100-year-old legacy brand Liladhar Pasoo, has been driving the transformation of the warehousing sector in India since its inception a decade ago. Apart from its scientific approach to specialised storage and warehouse management, LP Logiscience is one of the leading Indian players to adopt smart tech-enabled operations and focus on building carbon-neutral/ sustainable warehouses in India. Liladhar Pasoo, its parent legacy brand, has shaped the logistics sector since its inception in 1919 and, since then, has emerged as Indias most experienced integrated logistics and supply chain solutions provider. Following in its footsteps, LP Logiscience has grown its warehousing and transportation business to 3 million sq. ft of storage space and a reach of 7000 distribution pin codes PAN India within 11 years of inception. Today, LP Logiscience has brought about revolutionary changes in the contract logistics business to gain one of the highest market shares in the warehousing business to service the niche speciality chemical market. They have a footprint of 20 locations all over India (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR New Delhi, Apr 29 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday said it has searched the Bengaluru-located office and residential premises of Edtech major BYJU's CEO Raveendran Byju and seized "incriminating" documents and digital data as part of a foreign exchange violation probe. A total of three premises, two business and one residential, were raided recently under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), it said in a statement. The agency said it has seized various incriminating documents and digital data. It said the action was taken on the basis of "various complaints" received by private people and alleged that Raveendran Byju was issued "several" summons but he remained "evasive and never appeared" before the ED. The searches found that his company, Think & Learn Pvt. Ltd., received foreign direct investment (FDI) to the tune of about Rs 28,000 crore during 2011-2023. "The company also remitted about Rs 9,754 crore to various foreign jurisdictions during the same period in the name of overseas direct investment," the agency said. Houston, Apr 29 (PTI) A 47-year-old Indian-origin former CEO of a Silicon Valley technology company pleaded guilty to securities fraud for overstating revenue to investors, according to the Attorney's Office in the US state of California. Manish Lachwani, the former CEO and founder of a tech start-up, HeadSpin, pleaded guilty in San Francisco federal court on Thursday to two counts of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud charges for his scheme to dupe potential investors into supporting his company, according to a press release by the US Attorney's Office. Lachwani was arrested in August 2021 and charged with defrauding investors to the tune of USD 80 million by overstating the start-up's revenue and other key financial metrics. He founded HeadSpin in 2015 and served as its Chief Executive Officer until May 2020. The company provided clients with software tools and access to devices to test mobile applications, the press release said. Between April 2017 and April 2020, HeadSpin raised more than USD 100 million from investors over multiple rounds of fundraising, leading to a valuation of approximately USD 1.1 billion. According to his plea agreement, Lachwani admitted that he disseminated false and overstated revenue metrics to potential investors to lure investments into his company. Lachwani acknowledged that while the company was raising money, he provided prospective investors with information about the companys business, customers, revenue, and finances, the press release said. He also admitted to providing the investors with overstated revenue and inflated annual recurring revenue numbers, which are significant to investors and their decisions on whether to invest in the start-up. According to the press release, both the wire and securities fraud charges carry maximum penalties of 20 years in prison and fines up to USD 250,000 and USD 5 million, respectively. In addition, as part of the sentence, Lachwani may be ordered to pay additional fines and to serve an additional term of supervised release after any prison sentence. Lachwani is currently released on bond, the press release said. US District Judge Breyer has scheduled Lachwanis sentencing hearing for September 27, 2023, it added. Before he co-founded Headspin, Lachwani made a name for himself when he developed the first operating system for Amazon's tablet, the Kindle. He went on to help create Appurify, a mobile testing platform that Google bought in 2014, cbslocal.com reported. Rishikesh, Apr 29 (PTI) The Rishikesh Ganga Anti-Plastic Expo kicked off in Parmarth Niketan Ashram here on Saturday, with Rishikesh Mayor Anita Mamgai describing the single use plastic ban as a visionary decision. Applauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision behind the decision, she called on participants to take personal responsibility for eliminating plastic pollution in the Ganga. The Single Use Plastic Ban was a visionary step and to implement it, we must come together to reduce plastic from every aspect of our lives, she said. Being organised by the Centre for Global Affairs & Public Policy (CGAPP), the two-day expo will feature startups and solution providers working on plastic alternatives, river cleaning and waste management. It also includes an exhibition of solution providers/startups working on plastic waste issues on the banks of the Ganga at Parmarth Niketan Ashram, which will continue till 30 April. Indian and foreign startups and civil society organisations like Waste Warriors, Switcheko, Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board, River Recycle, Recykal, Amwoodo, Plastic Fische, Code Efforts and Nirmalya are part of the exhibition. Mamgai was the chief guest at the inaugural session, which featured discussions on the issue of plastic waste in the Ganga. Following her address, she interacted with women researchers and signed the banner, printed by Switcheko on sustainable materials, to participate in the CGAPP outreach programme on eliminating plastic waste. The expo is part of the solution component of CGAPPs project on Tackling Plastic Pollution in the Ganga Basin. The project will also feature research in 12 locations in India and Bangladesh by an all-women team, who will collect water and sediment samples to estimate plastic pollution in the Ganga. The team will travel by boat from Prayagraj to Varanasi and conduct outreach programmes with youth, local communities, and other stakeholders. It will conclude in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with a summit at the end of the year. The session started with a musical performance by Sukrit Sen, who also explained how music can be a means to connect with water systems. The inauguration also featured a session from Sara Ahmed, the founder of the Living Waters Museum, which is a virtual museum engaging youth in visualising water heritage and re-imagining sustainable, inclusive and equitable water futures. She said that the museum offers people a new way to look at water systems and helps preserve the traditional ties to these systems. Johannesburg, Apr 28 (PTI) Two South African Indian-origin citizens, the late struggle icon Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim and scientist Dr Aboubaker Ebrahim Dangor, were among the many recipients of National Orders when President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted the annual event in Pretoria on Friday. National Orders are the highest awards that South Africa country bestows on its citizens and eminent foreign nationals who have contributed towards the advancement of democracy and have made a significant impact on improving the lives of South Africans. The National Orders also recognise the contributions made by individuals towards building a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa as envisaged in our Constitution. Popularly known as Ebie, Ebrahim passed away after a long illness in December 2019, shortly before his autobiography Beyond Fear Reflections of a Freedom Fighter was released by his wife Shannon. Ebrahim served time on Robben Island as a political prisoner alongside Nelson Mandela, Ahmed Kathrada and others. After his father was arrested twice for defying laws that restricted the movement of Indians in South Africa, he joined the liberation struggle at the age of 13. Ebrahim often shared how he had been inspired by the Satyagraha style of Mahatma Gandhi, which he used in his passionate representation of the ANC in global conflict situations in Sri Lanka, Palestine, Rwanda, Kosovo, Bolivia and Nepal. After his release, Ebrahim went into exile to continue his work with the ANC, but was abducted by apartheid-era security police from neighbouring Swaziland, tortured and sentenced to a second term on Robben Island. He obtained two university degrees while on Robben Island. After the release of all political prisoners and the election of Mandela as South Africas first democratic president, Ebrahim served in various capacities, including as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Parliamentary Counsellor to Mandela. Ebrahim citation said he was receiving the Order of Luthuli in Gold for his lifelong commitment to the liberation of all South Africans. He lived by the courage of his conviction and became a formidable opponent to the repressive apartheid government, it read. Shannon Ebrahim described her late husband as a gentle giant, even to his family. He inspired us with his undiluted moral values, his absolute commitment to transform South Africa for the better (even beyond political liberation), and his willingness to engage warring factions in conflicts around the world as a peacemaker. He was the essence of humility and never expected recognition for any of the hardships he endured throughout his life in the cause for freedom. His one hope was that South Africans would read his memoir Beyond Fear to better understand what revolutionaries of his generation went through to bring about a new South Africa. (Our children) Sarah, Kadin and I miss him dearly, but will always cherish his legacy, Ebrahim said. Dr Dangor was awarded the Order of Luthuli in Silver for his admirable and distinguished contribution to the field of science through his ground-breaking research in physics, his citation read. Dangor has been based in the UK since he went there to continue his studies after getting his first Honours degree at Wits University in 1961. He could not return home permanently because the white minority apartheid government denied entry to his wife from Bermuda, as she was of Black descent. Widely published in academic journals, Dangor has also overseen scores of doctorate candidates in his career. It is particularly humbling for me that the first recipient of the Award was Nelson Mandela, our first post-apartheid president. I hope that being the recipient of this award will encourage the youth in the sciences in South Africa, Dangor said. Dangors niece, Zubeda Dangor, founder and director of Nisaa Institute for Women in Johannesburg, said he was very shy and did not like the limelight. He could not attend the ceremony and his award was accepted by his grandnephew Mohammed Raees Dangor. London, Apr 29 (PTI) An Indian-origin crime gang boss is serving an eight-year-10-month prison sentence after admitting to drug smuggling and money laundering charges in a British court. The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) said its officers proved that Raj Singh, 45, from Surrey in south-east England ran an organised crime group and regularly worked together with Waqas Iqbal, 41, to buy and sell Class A drugs and firearms. The duo also planned to launder money and send ketamine to Canada. In February, Singh whose full name is Rajinder Singh Bassi pleaded guilty to charges of supplying Class A banned substance cocaine, conspiracy to supply Class B banned substance ketamine and money laundering at the Guildford Crown Court. He also admitted to assault in a separate matter, when he was involved in a pub fight in which he kicked a police officers leg as she tried to restrain him. His sentence includes 16 months for causing actual bodily harm to the officer, who required significant rehabilitation on her knee and cannot return to frontline policing due to the injuries. The NCA revealed details of the case this week after Iqbal was sentenced to 12 years in prison at the same court in southern England on Friday after he admitted conspiracy to import Class A drugs, conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon and money laundering. Though Iqbal and Singh operated within the London area they had criminal connections in multiple countries within mainland Europe and further afield, said Dean Wallbank, NCA operations manager. Like other high-end dealers, Iqbal and Singh are toxic and responsible for causing very serious levels of harm to society. They didnt care what bloodshed the guns and drugs led to, just as long as they made money. Protecting the public from the threats of Class A drugs and firearms is a priority for the NCA, he said. The NCA caught the duo after intercepting their messages to buy and supply Class A drugs and guns on the encrypted communications platform EncroChat. They were not known by their real names on EncroChat but by handles, with Singh as Salmonagent and Iqbal as Ghostshooter. The crucial phone evidence also showed the pair conspiring on firearms details. The duo was held as part of the NCA-led Operation Venetic, the UK response to the takedown of EncroChat in 2020 after the messages between Singh and Iqbal revealed how significant their offending was. Pune, Apr 28 (PTI) Senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar on Friday said if there are allegations of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, they should be probed. Wrestlers have launched a protest in Delhi against Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment and intimidation. "I heard the statement of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president P T Usha...In my opinion, be it wrestling or any other sport, transparency is important," Pawar said. "The government should probe the matter and let everything be crystal clear," he added. Usha, a Rajya Sabha member, has condemned the protest, saying the grapplers lacked discipline in hitting the street in support of their demand. She also said their action has tarnished the image of India. Noida, Apr 28 (PTI) Greater Noida Police on Friday arrested Manoj alias Aase, one of the most wanted gangsters in western Uttar Pradesh, after an encounter, a senior officer said. Along with Manoj, his accomplice Jeetendra alias Jeetu, was also held after a gunfire exchange, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Saad Miya Khan said. "Manoj alias Aase was one of the most wanted criminals of the Gautam Buddh Nagar commissionerate and also featured in the list of gangsters of UP police. He carried a bounty of Rs 1 lakh," DCP Khan said. He said the shots were fired when the police intercepted Manoj in a Mahindra Thar during a check along the Eastern Peripheral Expressway following a tip off from two men, who were held earlier in the day with illegal firearms. "Officials of the Beta 2 Police Station and the SWAT team were conducting the check when they intercepted the suspicious Thar. The car instead of stopping for inquiry sped away, with its occupants opening fire on the police party," Khan said. "The car was chased down and a gunfight ensued in which Manoj alias Aase and his accomplice Jeetendra alias Jeetu were injured and taken into police custody," the officer said. According to the police, Manoj had 19 FIRs lodged against him starting from 2005 in cases of murder, rioting, attempted murder, rape, criminal intimidation, among others. Further legal proceedings in the case are underway, the police added. Durg, Apr 29 (PTI) A policeman has been arrested for allegedly repeatedly raping a woman on a false promise of marriage in Chhattisgarh's Durg district, police said on Saturday. An inspector posted in District Special Branch (DSB) Durg was on Friday arrested under section 376 2(n) (repeated rape) of the Indian Penal Code, Superintendent of Police (SP) Durg Abhishek Pallav said. According to the police, the accused cop was posted at Amleshwar police station six months ago, when he established physical relationship with a woman from the area by promising to marry her. However, the woman later found out that the accused was already married to someone else, they said. The accused even physically assaulted the victim a few days ago, following which she approached the police with a written complaint, the official said. The accused was arrested and presented before a local court that has sent him to jail, he added. Kolkata, Apr 29 (PTI) A woman was killed near Serampore area of West Bengal after she came under the wheels of a dumper on Saturday, police said. The accident took place around 9.15 am when the woman, riding a cycle, was crushed to death by the dumper, they said. Angry locals blocked the arterial Delhi Road on National Highway-2 and burnt tyres in protest, disrupting traffic movement, a police officer said. The driver of the dumper fled from the accident spot, he said. First Republic stock has plummeted after Silicon Valley Bank's failure. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images First Republic Bank shares plunged 43% on Friday after CNBC reported the lender looks headed toward a government takeover. The lender that lost $100 billion in deposits in Q1 will likely be put into FDIC receivership, the report said. First Republic's market cap was shoved to roughly $65 million, sharply lower than its peak of $39 billion. First Republic Bank stock wiped off more than 40% of its value by the end of Friday's selloff, veering sharply lower following a CNBC report the struggling lender was likely headed toward a takeover by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Separately, Reuters reported that the FDIC, the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve were working on putting together urgent talks with other banks to come up with a rescue plan for First Republic. Trading was halted numerous times for volatility on Friday. The shares finished down by 43% at a record-low close of $3.51. The stock during the session had fallen by more than 50%. The company's market capitalization has been hammered down to about $65 million, severely lower than its peak of $39 billion in November 2021. CNBC said sources said the most likely route for First Republic was for the FDIC to take it into receivership. Such action would mark the third bank seizure by the FDIC since March when it took over the collapsed lenders Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. The SVB and SBNY takeovers were the first in the US since the global financial crisis. Shares of First Republic - part of the S&P 500 Index - have plunged 97% this year in the wake of the banking industry shakeup spurred by SVB and SBNY shutdowns. First Republic Bank shares had climbed sharply in pre-market trading after the Financial Times reported the company, centered on wealthy clients, was working on a plan to prevent being seized by the FDIC. The agency last month took over SVB and SBNY to prevent a broader run on deposits at regional banks sparked by SVB's massive financial troubles. Story continues First Republic lost $100 billion in deposits in the first quarter. The bank's advisors were working on a private-sector plan to stave off the potential of a takeover by the FDIC, the FT reported late Thursday. Three unnamed sources told the British publication there had been a shift in tone among the bank's advisors compared with Tuesday and Wednesday when the bank's stock slid 65% and fears about an FDIC takeover grew. The advisors were asking banks to purchase bonds from First Republic at above-market rates, allowing the company to shrink its losses. But sources told the FT that such a move may not be sufficient to stabilize First Republic on its own and that it was still possible the FDIC would seize the bank. JPMorgan was involved in the talks but other large institutions may have been party to another rescue plan for First Republic, the FT reported, adding that JPMorgan has acted as First Republic's banker. The advisors have been eager to win approval from Biden administration officials for a plan that can keep the bank running. The FT report said the White House, US Treasury and FDIC declined to comment. JPMorgan and Lazard, which is also working with First Republic, also declined FT's comment requests. CNBC on Wednesday reported that First Republic's advisors were pitching the bond-buying idea to larger rivals. They were making the case that if they didn't purchase the bonds that they may be on the hook for FDIC fees of about $30 billion should First Republic fail. JPMorgan along with other banks chipped in last month for a $30 billion deposit infusion into First Republic. Read the original article on Business Insider Purnea (Bihar), Apr 29 (PTI) A 19-year-old resident of Bihar's Purnea district was on Saturday arrested for a provocative Facebook post, though he claimed his social media account was hacked, police said. According to Purnea Superintendent of Police Aamir Jawaid, Shakeel Ahmed was arrested from his residence in Kaliganj locality of Purnea town by a police team. The police team had taken note of a Facebook entry, from the user ID of Shakeel, wherein it was said that "India will become Pakistan". Upon his arrest, though, Shakeel insisted that he had no knowledge of the Facebook post since his ID was "hacked" 24 hours ago. However, local police have received inputs that Shakeel had come up with objectionable Facebook posts in the past and it was being probed whether he had been doing so "at the behest of some other people". Further investigations were on, the SP added. Kolkata, Apr 29 (PTI) Following are the top stories from the Eastern Region at 5 pm. CAL 10 WB-AMARTYA-COURT-LD CHALLENGE Amartya Sen's lawyers move court over eviction notice Santiniketan: Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen's lawyers have moved Bengal's Birbhum district court challenging a fresh eviction order by Visva Bharati, asking the celebrated economist to vacate a portion of encroached land within his ancestral property situated on the university campus by May 6. CAL 9 AN-MUNDA-TRIBALS Expert team to be set up in Andaman to uplift PVTG Port Blair: A central team of experts will be set up soon for extensive research of tribal communities for better communication to uplift the socio-economic conditions of the particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG) in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Union Tribal Minister Arjun Munda said. CAL 7 MN-CHURACHANDPUR-VIOLENCE-LD SITUATION Manipurs Churachandpur situation remains grim, night curfew from Saturday Imphal: The situation in violence-hit Churachandpur in Manipur remained "grim", with unidentified miscreants setting fire to forest department building, even as night curfew was imposed in the district from Saturday, officials said. CAL 6 BH-NITISH-LD OPPN UNITY MEET Will be happy to organise opposition leaders' meet in Patna: Nitish Kumar Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday hinted that a meeting of opposition leaders may take place in Patna after the crucial Karnataka assembly polls were over as many would be busy electioneering there. CAL 4 TR-MAN-WIFE-BEHEAD Man kills wife, cuts her body into two pieces in Tripura Agartala: A man in Tripura's West district allegedly killed his wife and cut her body into two pieces, police said on Saturday. New Delhi, Apr 29 (PTI) For the first time, the Indian Army has inducted five women officers into its artillery regiment. The women officers have joined the Regiment of Artillery after successfully completing their training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai on Saturday. Military sources said the women officers who joined the Regiment of Artillery are Lt Mehak Saini, Lt Sakshi Dubey, Lt Aditi Yadav and Lt Pious Mudgil. Out of the five women officers, three are posted to units deployed along the borders with China and the other two in "challenging locations" near the frontier with Pakistan, the sources said. The commissioning of women officers into the Regiment of Artillery is a testament to the ongoing transformation in the Indian Army, a source said. In January, Chief of Army Staff Gen Manoj Pande announced the decision of commissioning women officers into artillery units. The proposal was later approved by the government. New Delhi, Apr 29 (PTI) The release of tainted politician Anand Mohan Singh from jail may help the JD(U)-RJD alliance in getting some support from the Rajput community, but the situation remains fluid as new caste equations emerge in Bihar ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, political experts say. Mohan, a former MP, was released from Saharsa jail on Thursday after remaining behind bars for 15 years for killing G Krishnaiah, the then district magistrate of Gopalganj, who was beaten to death by a mob in Muzaffarpur district in 1994. His remission of a sentence followed an amendment of the Bihar Prison Manual, whereby the restriction on early release of those involved in killing a public servant on duty was done away with. Even as it drew flak for the Bihar government, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has defended the move. Political observers say it may benefit the ruling alliance electorally. However, the political realignments in the state have left the Mahagthbandhan and the main opposition BJP looking for new caste equations. Political commentator Manikant Thakur says that this could be the second rise of community politics in Bihar, where all parties attempt to get support from communities other than their traditional voters. "Release of Anand Mohan will definitely impact Bihar's politics. The Rajput lobby has been working on this for a long time. The RJD is not getting any additional support except the Yadav-Muslim combine. The JD(U) is realising that a section of EBC (Economically Backward Castes) has been captured by the BJP. The JD(U) was looking for some other section to come with it. Probably, the Rajput lobby will now move towards JD(U)," Thakur told PTI. "It seems the Rajput lobby persuaded Nitish Kumar and he agreed. The issue is whether BJP's larger politics will allow the upper caste to move towards this alliance or not, that is where the dilemma is," he said. In January, the JD(U) held an event to observe Rashtriya Swabhiman Diwas in Patna to commemorate the death anniversary of Rajput king Maharana Pratap. At the event, Kumar was greeted by chants for Mohan's release. The chief minister had assured Mohan's supporters that the government was working on it. Thakur, however, said Mohan's influence might remain limited to the areas around Saharsa, and may not impact the prevailing caste politics of south Bihar, or the larger upper-caste voters in the state. Mohan hails from Panchgachia village in Saharsa district and yields influence in the Kosi region, which includes Supaul and Madhepura districts. "Some new caste equations may emerge before 2024 in Bihar. We are not sure what it would be. If RJD-JD(U) remain together, some upper caste votes may get attached to RJD due to JD(U). This is a very fluid situation. There is also an internal contradiction between RJD and JD(U), which the BJP is trying to use, Thakur said. "This is a new turn in community politics in Bihar. This is the second rise of community politics, he added. DM Diwakar, a former director of the Patna-based AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies, agreed the move is political and may benefit the ruling alliance, but added it's not enough to get the support of the whole Rajput community. "The timing of this move is important. After Raghuvansh Babu, the vacuum of votes from a particular community was there and RJD was looking for a leader from that community," said Diwakar. In 2019, Jagdanand Singh, a renowned Rajput leader from central Bihar, became the Bihar state president of the RJD, the first upper-caste leader to hold the post. Diwakar said Mohan's release from prison appears to be a step in that direction. He, however, added, They may feel community votes may get mobilized but it is not necessary. In the present-day democracy, voters don't get mobilized only on the basis of caste, unless a Robin Hood comes. The grand alliance can encash it, but much depends on how (other) political parties deal with this situation. The opposition will also not remain silent, he said. Mohan being accused of the murder of a Dalit IAS officer is another factor, and how the Dalit communities react to it remains to be seen, added Diwakar. Asked about the social impact of the decision from the perspective of law and order, he said being released after serving a sentence is a legal right given to all citizens. One perspective to the situation is that it will embolden criminals, but in that case, one would need to change the legal system, because the Constitution gives criminals the right to be released after serving their sentence, Diwakar told PTI. Thakur too said that having a criminal background does not affect the popularity of leaders and, therefore, political parties are not concerned about their image being dented by such moves. Candidates having a criminal background do not impact voters. Probably what is a crime for urban voters is Robin Hooding for their support groups, he said. According to a report by the think-tank Association For Democratic Reforms, in the 2020 Bihar Assembly polls, around 68 per cent of winning candidates had declared criminal cases against themselves. Jaipur, Apr 29 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Saturday appeared to dismiss former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot's charge that a parallel meeting organised by Gehlot camp MLAs in September was a rebellion against the high command, saying he does not want to "carry too much of the past". Pilot recently raised questions over inaction by the Congress against the MLAs who had defied the central leadership by holding a parallel meeting at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's residence on September 25 last year. At the meeting, the MLAs loyal to Gehlot submitted their resignations against any party move to appoint Pilot as the new chief minister on Rajasthan. Gehlot was in the race for the post of Congress president at that time. Asked about Pilot's charge, Randhawa, the party in-charge of Rajasthan, referred to the rebellion by the Pilot camp in July 2020. "Some people say there was a rebellion before Corona (pandemic). I do not want to carry too much of the past, I want to talk about the future, he told reporters here. We should think about the future and take lessons from the past so that such mistakes do not happen in the future, he added. In July 2020, Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs had revolted against Gehlot's leadership, which led to a political crisis in the state that lasted for one month. The crisis ended after the party leadership intervened and assured Pilot that it will look into the issues raised by him. Gehlot and Pilot have been at loggerheads ever since the Congress formed the government in Rajasthan in December 2018 over the post of chief minister. Their tussle for power has often spilled into the public. On April 23, speaking to media after offering prayers at Jhadkhad Temple (Shiv Temple) in Jaipur, Pilot referred to the September 25 incident. "It is true that the incident that took place on September 25 was an open violation of the orders of then Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken were openly insulted. Why hasn't action been taken against them yet? This is the question, the answer lies with the party, he said. On April 11, Pilot again opened a front against his own party's government by sitting on a day-long fast in Jaipur, alleging inaction by it in cases of alleged corruption during the previous Vasundhara Raje dispensation. Pilot said the Congress raised the issue of corruption when the party was in opposition from 2013 to 2018 and promised in the 2018 polls that action would be taken if it forms the government in Rajasthan. However, no action was taken in over four years of the Congress government, he added. New Delhi, Apr 29 (PTI) A unique Himalayan museum, along with a planetarium, will be constructed in Uttarakhand's Pauri at the cost of more than Rs 30 crore, BJP MP from the hill state Anil Baluni said on Saturday, expressing confidence that it will become a major tourist attraction. The project will be largely financed by Baluni's MP local area development scheme (MPLADS) fund and he has issued an initial amount of Rs 4.62 crore to start it, the BJP chief spokesperson said. Some organisations will also be roped in to help finance the project, he added. The facility will come up along the route to Badrinath, with the imposing Himalayan range visible at a distance. In a statement, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami appreciated the scheme and promised all possible help from the state government to make it a success. Baluni said it will be a unique facility where astronomical, geographical, historical and cultural knowledge about the region will be available under one roof, and people will also get to know in detail about its flora and fauna. Biodiversity, knowledge and science parks will also be developed on its premises, he added. Hamirpur/Shimla, Apr 29 (PTI) Two more persons -- a brother and a sister -- were arrested in connection with the Junior Office Assistant (Information Technology) JOA (IT) paper leak case by the Special Investigation Team of the State Vigilance Bureau on Saturday, officials said. The accused were living in the neighbourhood of kingpin Uma Azad, who was working as a senior assistant in the erstwhile Himachal Pradesh Staff Service Commission (HPSSC) when the paper leak case surfaced. She was arrested on December 23 last year and the solved question paper and cash of Rs 2.5 lakh were seized from her possession. The accused were identified as Neetu and her brother Gopal and, a Vigilance Bureau spokesman said, adding both had cleared the JOA IT exam. Investigations revealed that Azad had sold question papers to them, he said. The siblings were produced before a court which sent them to judicial custody till May 2, the spokesman said, adding the judicial custody of Azad was also extended till May 2. Meanwhile, a case of cheating under sections 420 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code was registered against Sohan Singh, who owns a Dhaba at Pakka Bharoh in Hamirpur, in connection with the leakage of the question paper of HP Secretariat Clerk Post Code 962 examination, held in the month of April 2022. An advertisement for 82 seats of the said exam was published on May 24, 2022. The written exam was held on September 18, 2022 and the results were declared on October 22, 2022. A total of 57,710 candidates had appeared in the written exam, out of which 897 cleared the test. As many as 265 candidates had been shortlisted after typing skill test and a list of 82 candidates had been prepared after verification of documents. The final result of this exam is yet to be declared. Following the paper leak, the Vigilance Department is investigating 20 examinations held in the past three years. The state government had suspended the functioning of the HPSSC over the recruitment exam paper leak and postponed all the examinations to be held in near future before dissolving the commission. Forensic experts examining the electronic devices recovered by the Vigilance Department in the case had found that question papers, financial transactions, voice audios recordings and chats during the scrutiny of electronic data from the devices of the accused which indicated that papers were leaked in the past as well, according to officials. Meerut (UP), Apr 28 (PTI) A man was arrested from an ashram in Hastinapur area here on Friday for allegedly killing a Delhi Police head constable, officials said. The accused has been identified as Ganeshanand alias Ganpat, they said. Superintendent of Police (rural) Kamlesh Thakur said that Delhi Police Head Constable Gopichand went missing on March 26. His wife Rekha lodged a police complaint on March 27 at Sardhana police station, following which an FIR was registered. During the probe, it came to light that Gopichand used to meet Ganeshanand at Shukrtaal for the past year and was building pressure on him to kill Rekha using black magic. For this, Gopichand had given almost Rs 2.5 lakh to Ganpat, the SP said. On March 26, Ganpat called Gopichand to his ashram so that he could kill Rekha and also asked the victim to bring Rs 1.5 lakh, the police said. Later, Ganpat took Gopichand to Sirjepur village near the Ganga river and performed a ritual while the victim lay nearby, they said. During the ritual, Ganpat attacked Gopichand with a weapon and later threw his body, mobile phone and motorcycle into the river. They were recovered on April 12, they added. On Friday, when Ganpat was questioned at the ashram, he told police that he killed Gopichand as he had taken a lot of money from him and was unable to kill his wife, the officials said. Gurugram, Apr 28 (PTI) A gunman of a Congress MLA allegedly thrashed a toll plaza employee on Gurugram-Faridabad road, forced him into his car, and drove him to a police outpost, according to a police complaint filed by the toll plaza management. The incident happened at the Bandhwari toll plaza when NIT-Faridabad MLA Neeraj Sharma stopped there with his staff and a row erupted between them and the toll workers, police said on Friday. The entire incident was captured in CCTV footage which is purported to have shown the MLA's gunman and other staff thrashing a toll worker and forcing him into the MLA's car. The gunman, Constable Virendra, in his complaint, accused the toll booth worker of being drunk on duty and misbehaving with him when they reached the toll plaza. Both parties filed complaints against each other Thursday at DLF Phase 1 Police Station on Thursday, with police filing two FIRs on the basis of these complaints. As per the first complaint filed by Chetan Sharma on behalf of the Bandhwari toll plaza management, on April 9 at around 1.30 am a Toyota Innova stopped in lane number 7 on its way to Faridabad from Gurugram. Sumit Sirohi, who was manning the booth in the lane, asked the driver to pay the toll, but the driver replied the car belonged to MLA Neeraj Sharma, the complaint read. The car had three other people, with one sitting in the front passenger seat beside the driver. According to Chetan Sharma, when Sirohi asked the driver to show the MLA's id card, he got furious and started abusing him. "After that. the gunman of MLA barged into the toll worker's booth and not only abused catching his collar but also threatened to kill him. "The gunman forcibly removed the barrier and made the car pass. Soon after the gunman came back to the toll booth, dragged toll worker Sumit into their car and took him to Mangar police chowki," he said in his complaint. When contacted, MLA Neeraj Sharma said that the toll worker was drunk and misbehaved with them. The Congress MLA also accused the state BJP government of trying to frame him into the matter. DLF Assistant Commissioner of Police Vikas Kaushik said police are exploring the CCTV footage to verify the facts. Jaipur, Apr 29 (PTI) Five men were killed in two separate accidents in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh district, police said on Saturday. Two men and as many mares died in a fire when the pickup van in which they were travelling touched a live wire hanging in the middle of the road and caught fire near the Ramthali village in the Kapasan area early on Saturday. Driver Kishan Khateek and Shanti Lal, who owned the mares, died in the fire. The two mares were also burnt alive, the police said. The men were returning from a wedding function when the incident occurred. In the Begun area, three men died and one was injured when a speeding car jumped the divider and collided with a truck on the Kota-Chittorgarh Highway, the police said. The victims were residents of Uttar Pradesh, they added. We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt. So, the natural question for Futura Medical (LON:FUM) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'. View our latest analysis for Futura Medical How Long Is Futura Medical's Cash Runway? A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. As at December 2022, Futura Medical had cash of UK4.0m and no debt. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through UK6.5m. Therefore, from December 2022 it had roughly 7 months of cash runway. To be frank, this kind of short runway puts us on edge, as it indicates the company must reduce its cash burn significantly, or else raise cash imminently. Importantly, if we extrapolate recent cash burn trends, the cash runway would be noticeably longer. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years. How Is Futura Medical's Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Because Futura Medical isn't currently generating revenue, we consider it an early-stage business. Nonetheless, we can still examine its cash burn trajectory as part of our assessment of its cash burn situation. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by a very significant 52%. Oftentimes, increased cash burn simply means a company is accelerating its business development, but one should always be mindful that this causes the cash runway to shrink. While the past is always worth studying, it is the future that matters most of all. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company. Story continues How Hard Would It Be For Futura Medical To Raise More Cash For Growth? Since its cash burn is moving in the wrong direction, Futura Medical shareholders may wish to think ahead to when the company may need to raise more cash. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash and drive growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn. Futura Medical has a market capitalisation of UK147m and burnt through UK6.5m last year, which is 4.4% of the company's market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money. Is Futura Medical's Cash Burn A Worry? On this analysis of Futura Medical's cash burn, we think its cash burn relative to its market cap was reassuring, while its cash runway has us a bit worried. Summing up, we think the Futura Medical's cash burn is a risk, based on the factors we mentioned in this article. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 3 warning signs for Futura Medical (1 is a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here. If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Gurugram, Apr 29 (PTI) A Delhi Police assistant sub-inspector died after being hit by a speeding vehicle on Delhi-Gurugram expressway, police said on Saturday. The incident happened when Naresh Kumar Yadav (52), a resident of Saraswati Enclave Colony here, was returning home after work on Friday morning, they said. Yadav was posted at Kapashera police station, they said. According to police, a speeding vehicle came from behind and hit Yadavs motorcycle. The driver fled from the spot immediately after the incident. Police reached the spot and rushed the ASI to a hospital but he succumbed to injuries, they said. On the complaint of Yadavs son, an FIR was registered against the unidentified driver under sections 279 (rash driving) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code at Sadar police station on Friday. We handed over the body to kin after the post-mortem and are trying to identify the vehicle and its driver with the help of CCTV cameras of the area, said the investigating officer, ASI Ashok Kumar. Nagpur, Apr 29 (PTI) The police in Maharashtra's Nagpur district have arrested four members of an inter-state gang involved in 21 burglaries and recovered valuables worth more than Rs 18.69 lakh, an official said on Saturday. Teams of the local crime branch were formed to probe several cases of house break-ins in rural areas of the district, Superintendent of Police Vishal Anand said. Two of the accused were nabbed from a village in Rajasthan, while two others had been arrested earlier in a different case registered at Saoner police station, he said. The accused confessed to committing 21 burglaries in Khaperkheda, Narkhed, Kuhi, Katol, Saoner, Mouda, Butibori, Aroli, Parseoni, Wardha and Senoni (Madhya Pradesh), the official said. Subsequently, the police apprehended two more members of the gang and recovered gold, cash and electronic devices worth more than Rs 18.69 lakh from them, he said. Westerly, RI (02891) Today Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 54F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 43F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. A couple who were fed up with London's high rents and extortionate property prices are now saving 1,400 a month by living in a camper van. Robert Bolohan, 28, and his wife Mariona, 26, founders of translation agency Lotuly, converted a minibus into a camper van to live and work away from the capital. A few months into their adventure, Robert said it was the best decision they have ever made. He said: 'Not only has it transformed our lifestyle for the better, allowing us to travel as much as we like, but we have also saved a fortune in the process.' In London, average asking rents hit a record of 2,501 a month in the first three months of this year, according to figures from the property website Rightmove. Robert Bolohan, 28, and his wife Mariona (pictured), 26, founders of translation agency Lotuly, converted a minibus into a campervan to live and work away from the capital Pictured: The minibus. In London, average asking rents hit a record of 2,501 a month in the first three months of this year, according to figures from the property website Rightmove Robert said: 'We initially made the decision after we struggled to buy a house, despite having a 40,000 deposit, and so far believe we are saving around 1,400 per month.' The couple were inspired by the social media trend #VanLife during the coronavirus pandemic. They believed that the transition would suit their lifestyle as they work remotely and love to travel. Robert said: 'We bought the minibus in April 2022 and took eight months to convert it into a fully electric, self-sufficient and off-grid campervan. Pictured: Robert Bolohan and his wife Mariona. A few months into their adventure, Robert said it was the best decision they have ever made 'We opted for a minibus over a normal van as they tend to be bigger. It has its own challenges, but I think we made the right choice. 'We sold our other car and reinvested the money into the van, recovering part of the investment, so to speak.' Robert said that the pair are saving money each month on rent and energy costs, which already feels 'significant' after just a few months. He said: 'The fuel costs of the van can vary depending on how much we travel, but right now it's pretty cheap to run. 'We used to pay around 900 on rent, 150 on council tax, and 200 on energy bills each month; alongside other living expenses, we ended up spending around 1,800 per month. Now we don't have to worry about any of those expenses. Pictured: The interior or the minibus before it was converted. The couple were inspired by the social media trend #VanLife during the coronavirus pandemic Pictured: Mariona inside of the vehicle. The couple believed that the transition would suit their lifestyle as they work remotely and love to travel 'We pay around 400 on fuel each month, so overall this means we spend 1,400 less than we used to, thanks to our new lifestyle. Since we moved into the van in December, we've saved around 7,000.' He added: 'The lifestyle change has also meant that we've saved money in other ways, too. We live a much more minimalistic lifestyle due to the size constraints of a van, which tends to mean less spending. 'We find free spaces to park where we can, and we enjoy shopping at local markets for groceries which is usually cheaper than the supermarket.' The move hasn't affected their jobs as the van is equipped with Wi-Fi. The couple said that, if anything, it has helped them run their business 'even better'. Robert said: 'Being able to go outside and explore after work has helped us to prevent burnout.' Robert and Mariona's goal is to save up to buy a house in the UK or Spain, but at the moment they are focusing on enjoying life in the van. The couple met while out jogging in the streets of Lleida in Catalonia as teenagers and bonded over their shared love of languages. Pictured: The conversion of the minibus begins to take shape. Robert said: 'We bought the minibus in April 2022 and took eight months to convert it into a fully electric, self-sufficient and off-grid campervan' Pictured: Wiring is installed inside of the campervan. Robert said: 'We opted for a minibus over a normal van as they tend to be bigger. It has its own challenges, but I think we made the right choice' In 2015 they moved to London. After staying in hotels for the first few months they rented a studio flat in Hayes, west London, for 900 a month. They lived in that property for four years and during that time became company directors of Lotuly. They got married in January 2019 in Uxbridge and then a year later moved in with Robert's sister Roberta and his mother, in West Drayton, near Heathrow. Their aim was to be closer to family during the pandemic and they also wanted to save money to reinvest it in their business. However, their shift from being sole traders to company directors made securing a mortgage more difficult. So they bought a Transit minibus for 14,000 to travel the country in the hope of finding a place to settle down. Pictured: The conversion of the minibus at an almost complete stage. The couple also invested in a reliable battery bank and solar system Pictured: The finished version of the campervan. Robert said: 'We pay around 400 on fuel each month, so overall this means we spend 1,400 less than we used to, thanks to our new lifestyle. Since we moved into the van in December, we've saved around 7,000' The campervan has a kitchen and space for the couple to do their work. Speaking about their decision, Robert said: 'Not only has it transformed our lifestyle for the better, allowing us to travel as much as we like, but we have also saved a fortune in the process' They made sure that the van was fully sound-proofed and insulated, and installed a skylight on the roof. They also invested in a reliable battery bank and solar system. Robert told The Times in May last year that Rugby and Leamington Spa are high on their bucket list of places to visit, but they could end up settling down anywhere. He said: 'We have been renting in the UK for seven years and in that time we haven't seen much of it, so off-grid living seems like a natural next step for us to take and because our business is entirely online, we have the flexibility to make it work.' For years, holiday lets were a lucrative investment often more profitable than traditional buy-to-let properties. And they offer landlords somewhere to go on holiday in between rentals. Popularity has soared with 2,500 limited companies established to hold holiday lets last year, compared with 1,323 in 2019, according to estate agency Hamptons. Owners have profited from rising demand for UK staycations since the pandemic. But, the Government is seeking to restrict holiday lets amid concerns local residents are struggling to afford a home in popular tourist hotspots. So are they still worth investing in? Great for mini-breaks... as well as tax breaks A holiday let is a property that you own in addition to your own home, which you rent out to short-term tenants. They are taxed as a business, unlike buy-to-let property, which is treated by Revenue & Customs as an investment. Lucrative: Popularity has soared with 2,500 limited companies established to hold holiday lets last year That means owners enjoy far greater tax benefits than buy-to-let landlords. They can deduct more costs, including full mortgage interest, the cost of replacing fixtures and furnishings and ongoing expenses such as cleaning costs and utility bills. Holiday lets are also subject to business rates rather than council tax, which can work out cheaper. However, business rates only apply to properties let for a minimum of 140 days a year. Wales recently increased the holiday let occupancy rate from 70 days to 182 days, which means holiday home owners face higher tax bills if they can't meet the minimum occupancy rate. Owners also face a lower tax burden when they sell a holiday home. They pay just 10 per cent on any profits made on the sale, under the Business Asset Disposal Relief. Buy-to-let landlords pay capital gains tax at 18 or 28 per cent, depending on whether they are a basic or higher-rate taxpayer. Furthermore, income made from a holiday let can be paid into a pension, which helps owners save for retirement and reduce tax bills. So how do the numbers stack up? Holiday let owners turned over 24,000 last year on average, according to holiday rental agency Sykes Cottages. This is a 59 per cent increase in just two years. However, costs will significantly eat into those returns. Average overheads are 7,400 a year, including cleaning, bills, maintenance, tax and marketing. Sharon Olivero-Chapman, 46, used to be a buy-to-let landlord. But after she had a few bad experiences with tenants and spent thousands restoring properties that had been damaged, she switched to holiday lets. Since then, her rental income has ballooned. 'I would get around 700-750 a month if I was renting a one-bedroom flat to a long-term tenant,' she says. 'But I get around 2,500 by having it as a holiday let. Obviously I have to pay the bills out of that, but even so the income is phenomenal. You hear horror stories of party animals and guests who trash a place, but I'm really careful about who I let in.' Sharon owns 17 holiday lets in West Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire and also advises other landlords through her management company, SD Property Group. Income: Sharon Olivero-Chapman owns a total of 17 holiday lets Around 20 per cent of guests are tourists. The others are people looking for short-term lets while they wait for a house purchase to complete, or contractors working in the area for a few weeks. You have to work for the money Holiday lets are not easy money. They require a higher level of management and maintenance than long-term rentals. Properties must be cleaned between visits and bookings need to be arranged. Income is also far from secure. You may have peak periods in the summer, but struggle to attract visitors in the winter. A spate of negative reviews could sabotage bookings. Victoria Paterson, 48, bought a cottage in South Ayrshire, Scotland, two years ago. Although she earns a good rental income, she has found managing the property a challenge. 'It's been harder work than my husband and I expected but overall it's been a positive experience,' she says. 'It's a seven-hour drive from us in Lincolnshire and we can't just nip up if something goes wrong. You need a good network of people close to the property.' Paterson, a soft tissue therapist, lets the cottage through Airbnb and Booking.com. She charges 85 to 120 a night and it has an occupancy rate of around 75 per cent. Paterson bought the property for 185,000 with an interest-only holiday let mortgage, which is fixed at 6 per cent and costs her 643 a month. Where is the best place for a bolthole? Ideally you want a place popular with tourists. Then compare the cost of a property with the potential rental yield. The top earning region is Cumbria and the Lake District, according to Sykes Cottages. A two-bedroom home in the region will take income of 22,000 a year, while a four-bedroom home will take 44,000. Other high-income regions are the Cotswolds, the Peak District, Cornwall and Dorset. HSBC's bosses are braced for a major public showdown this week with shareholders who want to break up Britain's biggest bank. It comes at a time when investors are concerned about the fate of California-based lender First Republic, the 14th largest in the US, which suffered a run on deposits after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). HSBC rescued SVB's London operation earlier this year. The 158-year-old bank, which was set up in Hong Kong to provide finance between Europe and Asia, is under mounting pressure from Chinese insurance giant Ping An, its biggest shareholder, which wants HSBC to spin off its lucrative operations in Asia. The HSBC board is resisting but Ping An has escalated its campaign for change in recent weeks. Sign of the times: The bank is under mounting pressure from Chinese insurance giant Ping An, which wants HSBC to spin off its lucrative operations in Asia Ping An, which has an 8 per cent stake in HSBC, is expected to vote in favour of two proposals to be tabled at Friday's annual general meeting in Birmingham by a group of disgruntled Hong Kong retail investors led by Ken Lui. Their demands for a regular review of strategy and a more generous dividend policy stop short of asking for a full-break up. However, they are widely seen as a 'stalking horse' to test wider investor support for dismantling the FTSE 100 bank. Lui's proposals have the support of Ping An but it is not clear if he or the insurer will attend the AGM in person. They are opposed by the HSBC board, chaired by Mark Tucker. HSBC, whose biggest profit centre is in Hong Kong, has held more than 20 meetings with Ping An to discuss its demands. These include a separate stock market listing for HSBC Asia in Hong Kong where it would be subject to local regulation. Despite the talks the two sides seem to be as far apart as ever. John Cronin, banking analyst at Goodbody Stockbrokers, said: 'It certainly feels like Ping An is ramping up the hostilities and I think this is going to continue, which will increase the pressure on the HSBC board.' Tensions rose recently when Ping An asset management chair Michael Huang said HSBC 'should at least respect their shareholders and their concerns or views'. Huang added: 'We have been extremely disappointed by HSBC management's consistent closed-minded attitude to all solutions.' Tucker and his colleagues believe the costs and risks of spinning off its Asia business are too great. Analysts at investment bank KBW reckon a split would incur a one-off cost of up to 8.8 billion. HSBC, whose balance sheet is bigger than the UK economy, is keen to draw a line under the row and is confident it can see off the rebels at least for now. It received a boost when influential shareholder advisory groups Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services urged investors to vote against the rebels' proposals. No other major shareholders have so far backed Ping An's break-up plans. HSBC is expected to post strong results this week with first quarter pre-tax profits of around 6 billion versus 3.3 billion a year ago. Its shares are up 16 per cent in the past year and the bank is now valued at 115 billion. Housebuilder Vistry whose brands include Bovis Homes has been plunged into boardroom chaos by the sudden resignation of its most senior independent director. Ashley Steel, a former vice chair of accountancy firm KPMG, became the third board member to quit in a month when she handed in her notice last week after less than two years. The turmoil risks reviving the row over fat cat rewards for bosses in the housebuilding industry at a time when young people are struggling to afford a home. No reason was given for Steel's departure. However, it comes just a few weeks after she was drafted in as chair of Vistry's pay panel following a boardroom row over plans to award chief executive Greg Fitzgerald an enormous 'Jeff Fairburn-style' bonus package. Fairburn was the former chief executive of Persimmon who became synonymous with executive greed when he pocketed a 75 million bonus under a pay scheme with no upper limit. Housing row: Bovis Homes is one of Vistry's most popular brands Shares in the housebuilder had soared, thanks in part to the taxpayer-backed Help to Buy scheme. Under the proposal at Vistry, which was rejected by the board, Fitzgerald would have been in line to receive 60 million if the shares hit 18 within three years. They closed at 7.80 on Friday, valuing the company at 2.7 billion. Steel had replaced Nigel Keen, who left abruptly last month as head of Vistry's remuneration committee in protest at the controversial pay plan. Another director, Katherine Innes Ker, also announced that she was stepping down. Directors feared the proposal would generate similar bad publicity to that heaped on Fairburn, who was ousted as boss of Persimmon in 2018. Vistry's pay plan was proposed by US activist investors Inclusive Capital and Browning West. They are also pushing the company to grow its partnerships business, which delivers affordable homes for housing associations. The Mail on Sunday can also reveal that Fitzgerald, who earned 2.4 million at Vistry last year, pocketed another 1.6 million as part-time chairman of his Devon-based housebuilder Baker Estates. In addition, he received 421,000 in interest on loans he made to Baker, which recently built a 5 million stake in Vistry. Based in Kent, Vistry became one of the UK's biggest housebuilders after buying Countryside in a 1.2 billion deal six months ago. It is not clear if Fitzgerald's bumper bonus plan will be revived following the clear-out of three key board members. Ralph Findlay, Vistry's chairman, is said to have agreed to revisit the scheme. Steel's exit comes just a fortnight before she was due to stand for re-election at Vistry's annual meeting. In a statement to investors, Findlay praised her 'valuable contribution' during 'a period of significant change'. Vistry said it was 'entirely comfortable' with Fitzgerald's role at Baker Estates. His involvement did not impact his responsibilities to Vistry, the company added, and had been disclosed in all annual reports since he joined Bovis Homes in 2017. UNACCEPTABLE FACE OF FAT CAT PAY Unacceptable: Jeff Fairburn trousered a 75 million bonus in 2018 Jeff Fairburn became the unacceptable face of fat cat pay when he trousered a 75 million bonus in 2018 on the back of a taxpayer-funded housing scheme. The jackpot was one of the largest in corporate history and made the former boss of housebuilder Persimmon the UK's highest paid director. His incentive plan had no upper limit. Critics said it paid out so handsomely because the Government's Help to Buy plan had boosted Persimmon's profits and share price. Pay campaigners dubbed it 'excessive and unearned'. The adverse publicity eventually forced Fairburn to quit. He is listed as having 27 active directorships on Companies House, including privately-owned housebuilder Berkeley DeVeer, where he is chief executive. x Every day, at the back door of an ageing unit on an industrial estate in East Sussex, about a thousand parcels are wheeled into a small warehouse on a trolley. Inside most will be an old camera or photographic lens. The odd one might contain an unwanted tripod or a cast-off camera bag. The pile of parcels might look like somewhere old cameras come to die, but it is in fact the cornerstone of one of the most interesting companies many people have never heard of. It is now trading internationally and is expected to rake in sales of more than 200 million this year. MPB, which employs 450 staff in the UK, is jointly based in Brighton and in the equally hipster locations of Brooklyn and Berlin. Its founder and chief executive Matt Barker has taken the concept of the second-hand camera shops that used to be a feature of the British high street and moved the business online. 'The power of the internet is quite amazing,' he says. 'It has opened up a niche for smaller industries to become large global ones.' Despite the vast majority of people now reaching for their mobile phone to capture their memories, old-school cameras are still in big demand, with 20 billion worth produced and sold every year. Zooming in on growth: Matt Barker has expanded MPB from Brighton to Brooklyn and Berlin Barker, 39, is a passionate advocate for 'circularity' the economic and environmental benefits of re-using second-hand goods, eliminating waste and maximising the use of all resources. Cameras, he says, are ideal for second-hand trading, because they are built to last. 'Manufacturers build in obsolescence in many products, like mobile phones, but not at all in cameras. 'I find it very satisfying. Every day we have items come in and go out. Every day we are finding people who want to use them. It is about making more of what we have, relying less on producing new, and making people think a bit more about their own impact.' His platform matches buyers and sellers and also pays out cash or offers part exchange when it accepts goods in-house. Sellers get an online estimate of what their item is worth before they send it. On arrival, it is tested and authenticated, and the estimated value will be adjusted if the camera or lens is not as described. It is then photographed and posted on the website with details and a six-month warranty. Most people who send their camera equipment to MPB are given cash. The rest exchange their items for goods being advertised on MPB's website. That means there is a lot of value sitting in the warehouse stockroom about 6 million worth in Brighton alone, which is only a third of the business. 'We have 50,000 items in our warehouses globally at any one time,' says Barker. The trick is to sell it quickly. Staff working in another office, near the Brighton seafront, are constantly moving prices up and down to maximise revenue and shift stock. It takes an average of 22 days to sell each item, and while prices range from less than 10 for a scuffed-looking camera case to 50,000 for a Hollywood-level movie camera, the average purchase is about 700. Barker insists MPB never sends anything to the dump. 'Nothing ever doesn't sell,' he says. 'There is a price for everything. 'The idea that we would throw something away is an absolute nightmare. It would destroy what we stand for. We have built technology that ensures everything finds a new home. We have never, ever thrown away a piece of kit.' This philosophy applies to the whole business and it is now essential, he says, to running a successful firm with the best staff. 'We send zero to landfill, and we use zero plastic. You have to be impactful in business. People won't work for you if you are not. People won't choose to buy from you. Small things really do make a big difference.' MPB's customer base has been transformed in the 12 years since the business started. It used to be traditional photographers, says Barker. 'But now we've got Instagram the customer base has massively changed.' For a start they are no longer called photographers they are 'visual storytellers' and 'content creators' because so much of their output goes online. Potential sellers are everywhere. More than half of British adults own a camera, many untouched since the advent of the smartphone. But almost three quarters have never traded in an old gadget. Like so many other internet-based businesses including Google, Snapchat and Facebook MPB started life in a university bedroom, as a 'side hustle' for Barker when he was a Warwick University economics student. As an undergraduate, amateur photographer and a self-confessed nerd, he traded second-hand cameras on eBay to bring in extra cash. 'I was buying on one eBay account, selling on another, and making some money,' he says. It turned into something bigger when his studies came to an end in 2005. 'I was offered a place on the Bank of England graduate economist scheme,' he recalls. 'But I didn't want to be in London. I wanted to be back in Brighton. So I carried on trading down here and that enabled me to get started in life.' In 2011 he moved up a gear, hiring some help and founding MPB as a dedicated platform to trade second-hand cameras. Barclays bank had witnessed his success on eBay and backed him with 1 million. The first five years were quite a slow burn. He says: 'By 2016 we were still only 20 people and still just the UK, but we were becoming well known.' Then came a sea change. Barker and his lieutenants decided they 'had a lot of ambition' and borrowed 2 million in venture capital funding to expand and go international. By November 2016 they had opened in New York. 'We were really successful,' he says. 'We built as big a business in one year in the States as we had built in five years in the UK.' So they went out and borrowed more. 'We have gone from 20 employees to 450. We have grown the revenue by a factor of more than 20. This year we will be pushing towards 200 million. We have grown 30 to 40 per cent a year and we very much plan to continue doing that.' With that in mind he has raised three more tranches of funding, totalling 64 million with 14 million from German sources, linked to the opening of the Berlin hub. It was not a location Barker had expected or wanted to open and he remains exasperated by the need for it. They went to Germany, he says, because of Brexit. MPB simply could not service EU customers from the UK any more, he says. 'There is a lot of friction on the border, so unfortunately cross-border commerce from the UK into the EU is challenging.' The funding has diluted Barker's shareholding. He is coy about how much of the business he now owns, saying only that it is 'a decent amount'. It is less than 50 per cent, but none of his investors have a majority either and he says he is 'still very motivated'. The world is changing rapidly. He says making money quickly and easily is 'no longer appropriate for the world that we live in'. He adds: 'I think people are aware of that now.' Barker says: 'Second-hand is now in massive growth mode.' MPB is ready for far more cameras to arrive daily. He adds proudly: 'We have built a global infrastructure now that can support about 1 billion in revenue.' Profits at oil giants Shell and BP are set to drop following a slump in energy prices. The FTSE 100 firms raked in record amounts of cash last year after the war in Ukraine led to spikes in the price of oil and gas. City analysts expect BP's profits for the first three months of 2023 to have plunged by a third to 3.4billion, from 5 billion last year. Taxing: Profits at oil giants Shell and BP are set to drop following a slump in energy prices Shell is predicted to see its profits ease slightly lower to around 7 billion, according to Refinitiv data. In the first quarter of last year, the invasion of Ukraine led to a rally in oil and gas prices amid fears that supply from Russia would be cut off. At its peak, crude hit more than $120 a barrel in March 2022 and averaged $102 throughout the first quarter. In the first three months of 2023, it averaged $81 a barrel. The figures call into question whether the UK Government will be able to reap as much money from the two firms through the 35 per cent windfall tax on producers in the North Sea. Shell paid 108 million last year, while BP paid 583 million. Seventeen per cent of BP investors last week voted in favour of a radical proposal to ensure the company's strategy is aligned with the Paris climate agreement, which aims to cap global warming to 1.5 degrees. This could result in the group scaling back its oil and gas business. The company is already investing billions each year in renewable energy. Boss Bernard Looney said the group was already 'compliant'. William Hall William Hall HMCS William Hall HMCS William Hall HMCS William Hall HMCS William Hall HMCS William Hall From Left to Right: Vice Admiral Angus Topshee, Royal Canadian NavyRoss Langley, Vice Chairman of Irving ShipbuildingJenna Belony, Daughter of Ships SponsorDebbie Gibson, Wife of Ships SponsorMinister of National Defence Anita AnandCraig Gibson, Ship SponsorLieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, The Honourable Arthur LeBlancJim Irving, Co-CEO J.D. Irving, LimitedDirk Lesko, President of Irving ShipbuildingCommander Scott Kelemen, Commander of the future HMCS William Hall HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today marked the official Naming Ceremony of the future HMCS William Hall, the fourth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) underway at the Halifax Shipyard for the Royal Canadian Navy. The six AOPS are named to honour other prominent Royal Canadian Navy heroes who served their country with the highest distinction. The naming of a ship is a steeped in history and naval tradition. Dating back centuries, this ritual is believed to bring good luck and safe travel to the vessel and crew. The ships sponsor, Chief Superintendent Craig Gibson (Retd), officially named the ship during a ceremony attended by the Minister of National Defence , The Honourable Anita Anand, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, , Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, The Honourable Arthur J. Leblanc, The Honourable Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia, The Honourable Barbara Adams, NS Minister of Senior and Long-Term Care as well as descendants of William Hall, the ships company and Halifax Shipyard shipbuilders. As part of the event, Craig Gibson broke a bottle of Nova Scotias Avondale Skys Blanc de Noir (2013) sparkling wine against the ships bow and participating in Navy Tradition declared: I name you William Hall. Bless this ship and all who sail in it. Craig Gibson is a retired 34-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who, in August 2012, became the first black person to be promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendent as the Commanding Officer for L Division, Prince Edward Island. Craig Gibson was raised in Gibson Woods, a small black community where Gibson families (relations of William Hall) settled as Black Loyalists. William Hall was the first Black person, the first Nova Scotian and one of the first Canadians to receive the British Empires highest award for bravery, the Victoria Cross. Hall received this recognition for his service at the Siege of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The son of former American slaves, Hall was born in 1827 at Horton, Nova Scotia, where he also attended school. He grew up during the age of wooden ships, when many boys dreamed of travelling the world in sailing vessels. As a young man, Hall worked in shipyards at Hantsport for several years, before going to sea on merchant ships and joining the Royal Navy in 1852. Story continues Joining Craig Gibson at todays ceremony were several descendants of William Hall as well as a number African Nova Scotian organizations including the Africadian Empowerment Academy, the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre, the Black Cultural Centre, Africville and the Defence Visible Minority Advisory Group (DVMAG). The Halifax Shipyard will deliver one AOPS per year to the Royal Canadian Navy ending with the sixth ship in 2026. A further two AOPS variants will be built for the Canadian Coast Guard. In 2024, the company will commence construction of the first of 15 Canadian Surface Combatants. QUOTES: I was happy to preside over the Assumption of Command ceremony at Government House, and I am confident that Commander Keleman and members of his Command Team, will uphold the finest traditions of the Royal Canadian Navy, and build upon the remarkable legacy of William Hall by enhancing the values of equity, diversity and inclusion. The Honourable Arthur LeBlanc, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Throughout his military career, Petty Officer William Hall demonstrated bravery, perseverance, and duty. A proud Nova Scotian, he became the first Black person, and one of the first Canadians, to win the Victoria Cross. I join Canadians in paying tribute to Petty Officer Hall for his outstanding service to our country. I thank all those who will be serving in HMCS William Hall in the future. I look forward to watching them carry out vital missions to defend our values, our way of life and our country. The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence Today is the latest example of how our governments National Shipbuilding Strategy is delivering positive economic and social benefit to our region while supporting our Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard. This ship is a testament to the hard work and ingenuity of our shipbuilders, and the importance of the shipbuilding industry to our local economy and national defense. It is also a proud moment for the African Nova Scotian community, as this ship will bear the name of Petty Officer William Hall, a trailblazing African Nova Scotian whose story and bravery inspires us all. Andy Fillmore, MP for Halifax and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry. Today is a proud day for Canada, in particular the community of Hantsport, and for the family of William Hall. We continue to draw inspiration from V.C. William Halls bravery, and the work being done at the Irving Shipyard to modernize and equip Canadas Navy is important to ensure our heroes of today, the men and women of the Royal Canadian Navy, have access to the tools needed to protect our freedom. Kody Blois, Member of Parliament for Kings-Hants The legacy of William Hall lives on and his service will inspire a new generation of Nova Scotians thanks to the ship that bears his name. On behalf of a proud and grateful province, thank you to the hardworking staff of the Halifax Shipyard who are delivering the highest quality patrol vessels to our nation. The Honourable Barbara Adams, Minister of Seniors and Long-term Care Today marks a momentous event for our fleet, as the fourth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship is officially named. Named for naval heroes, like William Hall, these ships epitomize the courage and resilience needed to operate throughout Canadas Arctic and around the world. These modern and multifunctional ships will ensure we can patrol, secure, and protect Arctic waters for decades to come. Commander Royal Canadian Navy, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee As a Black Canadian from Nova Scotia and Kings County, I am very proud and humbled to have been asked to serve as the sponsor of HMCS William Hall at this historic event. Heroes are important. We look to them for inspiration and strength on our own journeys. William Hall received our countrys highest award for his valour and bravery. The son of former slaves, he is also a proud symbol of someone who broke through the colour barrier. We stand on the shoulders of righteous people of courage and character like William Hall. To Commander Keleman and the crew of the future HMCS William Hall, it is an honour to associated with your commitment to service, love of country and bravery. I look forward to being an active champion for this ship, the crew, and the legacy of William Hall attending as many functions as possible to celebrate the history of William Hall. I wish you fair winds, following seas and always a safe return to this harbour and province that we all love so much. Craig Gibson, Ships Sponsor, HMCS William Hall The naming of the fourth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship the future HMCS William Hall is a significant milestone. Today is the culmination of 4 years of hard work by thousands of people across Canada. We are proud of our 2,300 skilled shipbuilders. This ship is 90% complete and will be delivered for 44% fewer hours than the first ship of the class. This improvement in efficiency is a tribute to the determination and skill of the entire shipbuilding team that includes Canada and our industry partners. For our shipbuilder team, HMCS William Hall is special to us because it represents the diversity, we are committed to achieving with our Pathways to Shipbuilding Program through valued community partners like the Africadian Empowerment Academy. Dirk Lesko, President of Irving Shipbuilding About Irving Shipbuilding: Irving Shipbuilding is Canadas National Shipbuilder, selected in 2011 to build the new fleet of combat vessels to the Royal Canadian Navy. To date, three Arctic and Offshore Patrol ships (AOPS) have been delivered and a further three are underway. The company will also build two custom AOPS for the Canadian Coast Guard before commencing the larger Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) Fleet. To date over $5.34 billion in investments have been made across Canada as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. Our team of 2300 shipbuilders are proudly based in Halifax, NS and include the largest team of apprentices in Atlantic Canada. www.shipsforcanada.ca CONTACT: Mary Keith Vice President, Communications keith.mary@irvingshipbuilding.com Office: 902-484-2435 | Cell: 506-650-8209 Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/693db214-a91c-472a-b5aa-7ffe520e0ec3 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d146507c-bbe5-48af-a690-4319fa1ea656 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5cfee234-5ad3-4a98-aabe-f1107291a313 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9a9dd2f7-9542-4489-bc32-1d23145644dd Ropes Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT Get Rating) by 14.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,981 shares of the medical technology companys stock after buying an additional 497 shares during the quarter. Ropes Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings in Medtronic were worth $309,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new stake in shares of Medtronic during the first quarter worth approximately $47,000. MAS Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Medtronic by 10.3% during the 1st quarter. MAS Advisors LLC now owns 2,388 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $266,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management boosted its stake in Medtronic by 34.5% in the first quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 7,400 shares of the medical technology companys stock worth $821,000 after purchasing an additional 1,900 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Medtronic by 22.8% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 74,914 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $8,312,000 after buying an additional 13,895 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kinneret Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of Medtronic by 2.3% in the first quarter. Kinneret Advisory LLC now owns 15,340 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $1,712,000 after buying an additional 343 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.37% of the companys stock. Get Medtronic alerts: Medtronic Price Performance MDT opened at $91.38 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $121.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.71. Medtronic plc has a 12 month low of $75.76 and a 12 month high of $107.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $81.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $81.41. Medtronic Dividend Announcement Medtronic ( NYSE:MDT Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The medical technology company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. Medtronic had a return on equity of 13.37% and a net margin of 13.20%. The company had revenue of $7.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.37 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was down .8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Medtronic plc will post 5.28 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 24th were paid a $0.68 dividend. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.98%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 23rd. Medtronics payout ratio is currently 89.47%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group downgraded shares of Medtronic from a buy rating to a sell rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $127.00 to $79.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and issued a $89.00 price objective on shares of Medtronic in a research report on Friday, April 21st. Barclays upgraded Medtronic from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Monday. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on Medtronic from $88.00 to $93.00 in a research report on Monday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Medtronic from $80.00 to $87.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $91.79. Medtronic Company Profile (Get Rating) Medtronic Plc is a medical technology company, which engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of device-based medical therapies and services. It operates through the following segments: Cardiovascular Porrtfolio, Neuroscience Portfolio, Medical Surgical Portfolio, and Diabetes Operating Unit. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MDT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Medtronic Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Medtronic and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kite Realty Group Trust (NYSE:KRG Get Rating) will be announcing its earnings results after the market closes on Monday, May 1st. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.47 per share for the quarter. Investors that are interested in participating in the companys conference call can do so using this link. Kite Realty Group Trust Stock Performance KRG opened at $20.72 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -296.00, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a fifty day moving average of $20.61 and a 200 day moving average of $20.84. Kite Realty Group Trust has a fifty-two week low of $16.42 and a fifty-two week high of $23.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04. Get Kite Realty Group Trust alerts: Kite Realty Group Trust Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 7th were paid a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 5th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.63%. Kite Realty Group Trusts payout ratio is currently -1,371.43%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kite Realty Group Trust Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Voya Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kite Realty Group Trust by 99.1% in the 4th quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 166,480 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $3,504,000 after purchasing an additional 82,873 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in shares of Kite Realty Group Trust by 107.8% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,631 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 846 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming purchased a new position in shares of Kite Realty Group Trust in the 4th quarter worth approximately $226,000. Retirement Group LLC grew its position in shares of Kite Realty Group Trust by 237.0% in the 4th quarter. Retirement Group LLC now owns 5,490 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $116,000 after buying an additional 3,861 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC grew its position in shares of Kite Realty Group Trust by 29.5% in the 4th quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 150,356 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $3,165,000 after buying an additional 34,217 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.84% of the companys stock. A number of equities analysts have commented on KRG shares. Raymond James dropped their price objective on shares of Kite Realty Group Trust from $27.00 to $26.00 and set a strong-buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Kite Realty Group Trust in a report on Monday, April 24th. They issued a neutral rating and a $23.00 target price for the company. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Kite Realty Group Trust in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered shares of Kite Realty Group Trust from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $26.00 to $25.00 in a report on Thursday, January 5th. Four 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 data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $25.00. About Kite Realty Group Trust (Get Rating) Kite Realty Group Trust operates as a real estate investment trust. It engages in the ownership, operation, acquisition, development, and redevelopment of neighborhood and community shopping centers in selected markets in the United States. The company was founded on August 16, 2004 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, IN. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Kite Realty Group Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kite Realty Group Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sonoco Products (NYSE:SON Get Rating) will be announcing its earnings results after the market closes on Monday, May 1st. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $1.25 per share for the quarter. Investors that wish to register for the companys conference call can do so using this link. Sonoco Products (NYSE:SON Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The industrial products company reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.78 billion. Sonoco Products had a net margin of 6.43% and a return on equity of 32.53%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 16.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.90 EPS. On average, analysts expect Sonoco Products to post $6 EPS for the current fiscal year and $6 EPS for the next fiscal year. Get Sonoco Products alerts: Sonoco Products Stock Up 1.5 % Shares of NYSE SON opened at $60.62 on Friday. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $59.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is $59.91. The company has a market cap of $5.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. Sonoco Products has a 12-month low of $51.52 and a 12-month high of $65.96. Sonoco Products Increases Dividend Insider Buying and Selling at Sonoco Products The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 10th will be given a dividend of $0.51 per share. This is an increase from Sonoco Productss previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 9th. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.37%. Sonoco Productss dividend payout ratio is 41.53%. In other news, insider Ernest D. Haynes III sold 1,093 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.11, for a total value of $66,793.23. 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 Ernest D. Haynes III sold 1,093 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.11, for a total value of $66,793.23. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Ernest D. Haynes III sold 531 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.36, for a total value of $30,458.16. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,198 shares of the companys stock, valued at $68,717.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 3,458 shares of company stock worth $207,291. Company insiders own 0.51% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Sonoco Products A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Creative Planning increased its stake in Sonoco Products by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 5,426 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $309,000 after purchasing an additional 214 shares in the last quarter. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC increased its stake in Sonoco Products by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC now owns 7,289 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $456,000 after purchasing an additional 247 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its stake in Sonoco Products by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 17,102 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,070,000 after purchasing an additional 298 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its position in Sonoco Products by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 56,018 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $3,178,000 after acquiring an additional 385 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its position in Sonoco Products by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 8,810 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $551,000 after acquiring an additional 386 shares during the last quarter. 76.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts recently issued reports on SON shares. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Sonoco Products in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on shares of Sonoco Products from $61.00 to $57.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. Argus upgraded shares of Sonoco Products from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $67.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 14th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Sonoco Products from $71.00 to $69.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Sonoco Products from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, March 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $66.17. Sonoco Products Company Profile (Get Rating) Sonoco Products Co engages in the manufacture of industrial and consumer packaging products and services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Packaging, Paper and Industrial Converted Products, Protective Solutions, and Display and Packaging. The Consumer Packaging segment offers round and shaped rigid containers, fiber and plastic caulk and adhesive tubes, and aluminum, steel, and peelable membrane easy-open closures for paper and metal cans. Further Reading 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. Sisecam Resources (NYSE:SIRE Get Rating) and Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC Get Rating) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends and valuation. Institutional & Insider Ownership 5.7% of Sisecam Resources shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 90.1% of Vulcan Materials shares are held by institutional investors. 0.6% of Vulcan Materials shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Get Sisecam Resources alerts: Risk & Volatility Sisecam Resources has a beta of 0.69, indicating that its share price is 31% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Vulcan Materials has a beta of 0.75, indicating that its share price is 25% less volatile than the S&P 500. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Sisecam Resources 8.79% 16.91% 10.25% Vulcan Materials 7.87% 10.09% 4.82% Valuation & Earnings This table compares Sisecam Resources and Vulcan Materials net margins, return on equity and return on assets. This table compares Sisecam Resources and Vulcan Materials gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Sisecam Resources $720.10 million 0.70 $63.30 million $3.13 8.10 Vulcan Materials $7.32 billion 3.19 $575.60 million $4.31 40.63 Vulcan Materials has higher revenue and earnings than Sisecam Resources. Sisecam Resources is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Vulcan Materials, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Sisecam Resources and Vulcan Materials, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Sisecam Resources 0 0 0 0 N/A Vulcan Materials 0 3 9 0 2.75 Vulcan Materials has a consensus price target of $205.75, suggesting a potential upside of 17.49%. Given Vulcan Materials higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Vulcan Materials is more favorable than Sisecam Resources. Dividends Sisecam Resources pays an annual dividend of $2.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 7.9%. Vulcan Materials pays an annual dividend of $1.72 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.0%. Sisecam Resources pays out 63.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Vulcan Materials pays out 39.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Vulcan Materials has raised its dividend for 10 consecutive years. Summary Vulcan Materials beats Sisecam Resources on 12 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks. About Sisecam Resources (Get Rating) Sisecam Resources LP engages in the production and sale of natural soda ash. It operates through the Domestic and International geographic segments. The company was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. About Vulcan Materials (Get Rating) Vulcan Materials Co. engages in the production of construction aggregates. Its products include crushed stone, sand, and gravel. It operates through the following business segments: Aggregates, Asphalt, Concrete, and Calcium. The Aggregates segment produces and sells asphalt mix and ready-mixed concrete primarily in its mid-Atlantic, Georgia, Southwestern, Tennessee, and Western markets. The Asphalt segment relates to the production and selling of asphalt mix in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Texas. The Concrete segment refers to the production and selling of ready-mixed concrete in California, Georgia, Maryland, New Mexico, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C., and the Bahamas. The Calcium segment includes the production of calcium products for the animal feed, plastics, and water treatment industries with calcium carbonate material mined at the Brooksville quarry. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Birmingham, AL. Receive News & Ratings for Sisecam Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sisecam Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW Get Rating) Research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group cut their Q3 2023 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research note issued on Wednesday, April 26th. Jefferies Financial Group analyst L. Alexander now forecasts that the specialty chemicals company will earn $2.44 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $2.45. The consensus estimate for Sherwin-Williams current full-year earnings is $8.56 per share. Get Sherwin-Williams alerts: Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.84 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.14 billion. Sherwin-Williams had a return on equity of 86.29% and a net margin of 9.41%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.61 EPS. Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance SHW has been the topic of a number of other reports. UBS Group raised their price objective on Sherwin-Williams from $242.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, January 11th. Loop Capital raised their price objective on Sherwin-Williams from $260.00 to $285.00 in a report on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Sherwin-Williams from $231.00 to $253.00 in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Sherwin-Williams from $260.00 to $235.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 27th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $285.00 to $267.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $257.83. NYSE:SHW opened at $237.54 on Thursday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $222.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $230.77. Sherwin-Williams has a twelve month low of $195.24 and a twelve month high of $285.00. The stock has a market cap of $61.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.55, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.03. Sherwin-Williams Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.605 per share. This represents a $2.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 18th. Sherwin-Williamss payout ratio is 29.69%. Insider Transactions at Sherwin-Williams In other news, SVP Bryan J. Young sold 2,750 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.76, for a total value of $607,090.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 7,955 shares in the company, valued at $1,756,145.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.55% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Sherwin-Williams Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of SHW. Roundview Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 8.1% in the first quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 8,065 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $2,013,000 after acquiring an additional 607 shares during the period. Cibc World Market Inc. grew its holdings in Sherwin-Williams by 189.1% during the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 10,409 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $2,598,000 after purchasing an additional 6,808 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in Sherwin-Williams by 26.5% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 118,763 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $29,956,000 after purchasing an additional 24,884 shares during the period. Prudential PLC bought a new stake in Sherwin-Williams during the first quarter valued at about $1,231,000. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in Sherwin-Williams by 2.6% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 11,387 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $2,842,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.03% of the companys stock. Sherwin-Williams Company Profile (Get Rating) The Sherwin-Williams Co engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of paint and coatings. It operates through the following segments: America Group, Consumer Brands Group, and Performance Coating Group. The America Group segment manages the exclusive outlets for Sherwin-Williams branded paints, stains, supplies, equipment, and floor coverings. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Sherwin-Williams Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sherwin-Williams and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kinross Gold Co. (NYSE:KGC Get Rating) (TSE:K) Analysts at Raymond James reduced their Q4 2023 earnings per share estimates for Kinross Gold in a report released on Wednesday, April 26th. Raymond James analyst F. Hamed now anticipates that the mining company will post earnings of $0.02 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.03. Raymond James has a Market Perform rating and a $5.00 price objective on the stock. The consensus estimate for Kinross Golds current full-year earnings is $0.31 per share. Get Kinross Gold alerts: A number of other research firms have also weighed in on KGC. Bank of America lowered Kinross Gold from a buy rating to an underperform rating and set a $4.70 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. TD Securities decreased their price target on Kinross Gold from $6.50 to $6.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Barclays lowered Kinross Gold from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $5.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Monday, January 30th. National Bank Financial upped their price target on Kinross Gold from C$8.25 to C$8.50 in a research note on Friday, January 13th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on Kinross Gold in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kinross Gold currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $6.33. Kinross Gold Stock Performance NYSE KGC opened at $5.05 on Thursday. The stocks fifty day moving average is $4.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $4.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.20 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.74 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 2.47. Kinross Gold has a fifty-two week low of $3.00 and a fifty-two week high of $5.36. Kinross Gold (NYSE:KGC Get Rating) (TSE:K) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 16th. The mining company reported $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.07 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $962.80 million. Kinross Gold had a positive return on equity of 4.58% and a negative net margin of 17.18%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.08 earnings per share. Kinross Gold Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 8th were issued a $0.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 7th. This represents a $0.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.38%. Kinross Golds dividend payout ratio is presently -25.53%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kinross Gold Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Neuberger Berman Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Kinross Gold by 19.7% in the 1st quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 14,458 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $85,000 after purchasing an additional 2,383 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Kinross Gold by 15.0% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 20,789 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $86,000 after purchasing an additional 2,708 shares during the period. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Kinross Gold by 10.4% in the 1st quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 31,192 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $147,000 after purchasing an additional 2,950 shares during the period. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Kinross Gold by 28.0% during the 1st quarter. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. now owns 13,711 shares of the mining companys stock worth $81,000 after acquiring an additional 3,002 shares during the period. Finally, Vident Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in Kinross Gold by 19.9% during the 4th quarter. Vident Investment Advisory LLC now owns 18,901 shares of the mining companys stock worth $77,000 after acquiring an additional 3,134 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 55.58% of the companys stock. Kinross Gold Company Profile (Get Rating) Kinross Gold Corp. engages in the production, acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties. Its mining operations are in the United States, the Russian Federation, Brazil, Chile, Ghana, and Mauritania. The firm operates through the following business segments: Fort Knox, Round Mountain, Bald Mountain, Kupol, Paracatu, Tasiast, Chirano, and Corporate & Other. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Kinross Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kinross Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE:PEB Get Rating) had its price target upped by analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $15.25 to $15.50 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, The Fly reports. Stifel Nicolaus price objective indicates a potential upside of 8.92% from the stocks previous close. PEB has been the subject of a number of other reports. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from $13.00 to $12.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating for the company. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from $18.00 to $16.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from $15.00 to $16.50 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from $18.00 to $16.00 in a report on Wednesday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and six have given a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $17.70. Get Pebblebrook Hotel Trust alerts: Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Trading Up 2.4 % Pebblebrook Hotel Trust stock opened at $14.23 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $1.78 billion, a P/E ratio of -14.67, a P/E/G ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.85. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has a 12 month low of $12.37 and a 12 month high of $26.01. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $14.08 and its 200-day simple moving average is $14.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Insider Activity Pebblebrook Hotel Trust ( NYSE:PEB Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 21st. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.34) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.18 by ($0.52). The business had revenue of $319.61 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $309.55 million. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust had a negative return on equity of 0.33% and a negative net margin of 0.73%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 29.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.06 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Pebblebrook Hotel Trust will post 1.69 EPS for the current fiscal year. In related news, CEO Jon E. Bortz acquired 14,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 16th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $13.62 per share, with a total value of $190,680.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,108,102 shares of the companys stock, valued at $15,092,349.24. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Pebblebrook Hotel Trust news, CEO Jon E. Bortz purchased 11,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 22nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $12.95 per share, for a total transaction of $142,450.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,122,102 shares in the company, valued at $14,531,220.90. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Jon E. Bortz purchased 14,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $13.62 per share, with a total value of $190,680.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 1,108,102 shares of the companys stock, valued at $15,092,349.24. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders purchased 39,865 shares of company stock valued at $555,064. Insiders own 2.40% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust during the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust by 429.6% during the first quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,092 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 1,697 shares in the last quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust during the third quarter worth approximately $48,000. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust during the third quarter worth approximately $64,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust by 91.6% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 4,686 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $68,000 after buying an additional 2,240 shares in the last quarter. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Company Profile (Get Rating) Pebblebrook Hotel Trust is a real estate investment trust, engages in investments and acquisitions in hotel properties. Its hotels are located in markets like Atlanta, Georgia, Boston, Massachusetts, Chicago, Illinois, Key West, Miami and Naples, Florida, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, California, Nashville, Tennessee, New York, New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pebblebrook Hotel Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Snap (NYSE:SNAP Get Rating) had its price objective decreased by Rosenblatt Securities from $10.00 to $9.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning, The Fly reports. A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on SNAP. Credit Suisse Group decreased their target price on shares of Snap from $13.00 to $11.00 in a research note on Friday. UBS Group downgraded shares of Snap from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $10.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of Snap from $8.00 to $7.00 in a research report on Friday. New Street Research started coverage on shares of Snap in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. They set a buy rating and a $12.00 price target for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Snap from $10.00 to $9.00 in a research report on Friday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirty have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $11.69. Get Snap alerts: Snap Trading Down 17.0 % Shares of NYSE SNAP opened at $8.71 on Friday. Snap has a fifty-two week low of $7.33 and a fifty-two week high of $30.37. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $10.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $10.18. The company has a quick ratio of 4.32, a current ratio of 4.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. Insider Activity at Snap Snap ( NYSE:SNAP Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 31st. The company reported ($0.08) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.10) by $0.02. Snap had a negative net margin of 30.89% and a negative return on equity of 32.66%. The business had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.30 billion. On average, analysts forecast that Snap will post -0.73 EPS for the current year. In related news, General Counsel Michael J. Osullivan sold 13,000 shares of Snap stock in a transaction on Friday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.13, for a total transaction of $144,690.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel now owns 478,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,323,812.90. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other Snap news, General Counsel Michael J. Osullivan sold 13,000 shares of Snap stock in a transaction on Friday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.13, for a total value of $144,690.00. Following the sale, the general counsel now directly owns 478,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,323,812.90. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CTO Robert C. Murphy sold 900,000 shares of Snap stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.90, for a total transaction of $9,810,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer now owns 71,477,238 shares in the company, valued at $779,101,894.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 1,258,323 shares of company stock worth $13,735,115. 22.68% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of Snap Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Snap by 21.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 90,476,082 shares of the companys stock worth $888,475,000 after buying an additional 16,046,220 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Snap by 95.8% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 17,811,242 shares of the companys stock worth $641,028,000 after buying an additional 8,712,380 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its holdings in shares of Snap by 55.7% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 21,895,177 shares of the companys stock worth $215,011,000 after buying an additional 7,831,100 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its holdings in shares of Snap by 51.5% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 16,139,726 shares of the companys stock worth $158,492,000 after buying an additional 5,485,640 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in shares of Snap by 249.1% in the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 5,395,451 shares of the companys stock worth $52,983,000 after buying an additional 3,850,038 shares during the last quarter. 43.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Snap Company Profile (Get Rating) Snap, Inc operates as a camera company. Its flagship product, Snapchat, is a camera application that helps people communicate visually with friends and family through short videos and images called Snaps. The firms primary source of revenue is advertising. Snap was founded by Frank Reginald Brown IV, Evan Thomas Spiegel, and Robert C. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Snap Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Snap and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Rio Tinto Group (LON:RIO Get Rating) had its target price raised by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from GBX 5,110 ($63.82) to GBX 5,250 ($65.57) in a research note released on Friday, The Fly reports. Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on Rio Tinto Group from GBX 5,100 ($63.69) to GBX 5,000 ($62.45) in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Jefferies Financial Group set a GBX 7,500 ($93.67) price objective on Rio Tinto Group in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Barclays set a GBX 5,800 ($72.44) price objective on Rio Tinto Group in a research note on Thursday, January 12th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Rio Tinto Group from GBX 5,840 ($72.94) to GBX 5,800 ($72.44) in a research note on Monday, April 24th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a buy rating on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 6,134.62 ($76.62). Get Rio Tinto Group alerts: Rio Tinto Group Stock Performance Shares of RIO opened at GBX 5,049 ($63.06) on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 5,511.63 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 5,569.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 23.47. The company has a market capitalization of 63.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 819.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.64 and a beta of 0.69. Rio Tinto Group has a 52-week low of GBX 4,424.50 ($55.26) and a 52-week high of GBX 6,406 ($80.00). Rio Tinto Group Cuts Dividend Insiders Place Their Bets The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 9th were given a GBX 185.35 ($2.31) dividend. This represents a yield of 2.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. Rio Tinto Groups payout ratio is 6,607.14%. In other Rio Tinto Group news, insider Kaisa Hietala acquired 500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 22nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 5,313 ($66.35) per share, for a total transaction of 26,565 ($33,177.22). In other Rio Tinto Group news, insider Peter Cunningham sold 2,167 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 5,922 ($73.96), for a total value of 128,329.74 ($160,271.94). Also, insider Kaisa Hietala bought 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 22nd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 5,313 ($66.35) per share, for a total transaction of 26,565 ($33,177.22). Over the last quarter, insiders acquired 1,410 shares of company stock worth $7,455,580. 14.67% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Rio Tinto Group Company Profile (Get Rating) Rio Tinto Group engages in exploring, mining, and processing mineral resources worldwide. The company offers aluminum, copper, diamonds, gold, borates, titanium dioxide, salt, iron ore, and lithium. It also owns and operates open pit and underground mines, mills, refineries, smelters, power stations, and research and service facilities. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Rio Tinto Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rio Tinto Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited (OTCMKTS:TSGTY Get Rating) saw a significant increase in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 600 shares, an increase of 50.0% from the March 31st total of 400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.3 days. Tsingtao Brewery Price Performance Shares of OTCMKTS:TSGTY opened at $53.20 on Friday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $51.76 and its 200 day simple moving average is $48.65. Tsingtao Brewery has a 1 year low of $34.17 and a 1 year high of $54.55. Get Tsingtao Brewery alerts: Tsingtao Brewery Company Profile (Get Rating) Further Reading Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, wholesale, and retail sale of beer products worldwide. It operates through seven segments: Shandong Region; South China Region; North China Region; East China Region; Southeast China Region; Hong Kong, Macau and Other Overseas Region; and Finance Company. Receive News & Ratings for Tsingtao Brewery Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tsingtao Brewery and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. (Bloomberg) -- Glen Point Capital co-founder Neil Phillips asked a federal judge to toss out charges that he tried to manipulate the $7.5 trillion-a-day foreign exchange market. Most Read from Bloomberg Sean Hecker, a lawyer for Phillips, filed a request for dismissal Friday with US District Judge Ronnie Abrams in Manhattan. Phillips faces an October trial on the charges after being arrested while on vacation in Spain last year. He has pleaded not guilty and has been released on bond. Glen Point Co-Founders Arrest Could Ripple Across Funds Phillips, a veteran of finance backed by billionaire George Soros, is accused of attempting to drive down the exchange rate between the US dollar and the South African rand on the day after Christmas in 2017 to trigger a $20 million wager on the pairing. The trades allegedly generated $16 million for Glen Point and $4 million for Soros Fund Management. In the filing late Friday, Hecker argues there was nothing illegal about the trades. The transactions were made on the open market real trades with real counterparties and real risk, Hecker wrote. Phillips also didnt have any obligation to disclose his trading activity. Prosecutors, relying on boilerplate language in an agreement between Phillipss hedge fund and its broker, wrongly suggest it created such an obligation, according to the filing. The agreement imposed no duty on Phillips to disclose his trades to anyone let alone the counterparty to the option, a market participant whose identity Phillips did not even know, Hecker argued. The indictment invents a duty that did not exist based on the very written agreement that disclaimed it. Story continues Glen Point was closed after an aborted merger with rival hedge fund Eisler Capital. The case is US v. Phillips, 22-cr-138, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan). (Updates with details of the filing in the fourth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lowered its stake in Two Harbors Investment Corp. (NYSE:TWO Get Rating) by 71.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 34,937 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 86,812 shares during the quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Two Harbors Investment were worth $551,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in TWO. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Two Harbors Investment by 18.2% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 62,766 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $347,000 after purchasing an additional 9,682 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Two Harbors Investment during the first quarter worth about $68,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Two Harbors Investment by 37.5% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 162,618 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $899,000 after purchasing an additional 44,348 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers grew its holdings in shares of Two Harbors Investment by 1.2% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 974,314 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $5,388,000 after purchasing an additional 11,111 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS grew its holdings in shares of Two Harbors Investment by 14.1% during the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 296,479 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,640,000 after purchasing an additional 36,555 shares in the last quarter. Get Two Harbors Investment alerts: Two Harbors Investment Stock Performance Shares of TWO stock opened at $13.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.01. Two Harbors Investment Corp. has a fifty-two week low of $12.12 and a fifty-two week high of $21.84. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $14.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $15.52. The company has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.60 and a beta of 1.75. Two Harbors Investment Dividend Announcement Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 4th were given a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, April 3rd. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 17.23%. Two Harbors Investments payout ratio is currently 148.15%. Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Two Harbors Investment from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, February 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Two Harbors Investment from $17.25 to $17.50 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. StockNews.com began coverage on Two Harbors Investment in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating for the company. JMP Securities cut their target price on Two Harbors Investment from $18.00 to $14.50 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Maxim Group raised Two Harbors Investment from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $19.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, February 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $16.63. Insider Buying and Selling at Two Harbors Investment In other Two Harbors Investment news, CFO Mary Kathryn Riskey sold 2,181 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.97, for a total value of $37,011.57. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 68,146 shares in the company, valued at $1,156,437.62. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, CEO William Ross Greenberg sold 4,020 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.72, for a total transaction of $71,234.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 185,710 shares in the company, valued at $3,290,781.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Mary Kathryn Riskey sold 2,181 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.97, for a total value of $37,011.57. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 68,146 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,156,437.62. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 30,492 shares of company stock worth $528,144. 0.42% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Two Harbors Investment Profile (Get Rating) Two Harbors Investment Corp. is a real estate investment trust, which invests in, finances, and manages agency residential mortgage-backed securities, mortgage servicing rights, and other financial assets. Its objective is to provide risk-adjusted returns to its stockholders over the long-term, primarily through dividends and secondarily through capital appreciation. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TWO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Two Harbors Investment Corp. (NYSE:TWO Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Two Harbors Investment Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Two Harbors Investment and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG Get Rating) had its target price hoisted by Wedbush from $2,080.00 to $2,200.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. Wedbush also issued estimates for Chipotle Mexican Grills Q2 2023 earnings at $12.22 EPS, Q3 2023 earnings at $10.93 EPS, Q4 2023 earnings at $9.38 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $43.03 EPS, Q1 2024 earnings at $11.81 EPS, Q2 2024 earnings at $14.77 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $13.70 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $11.77 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $52.05 EPS. Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,800.00 to $1,900.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,600.00 to $1,800.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,050.00 to $2,250.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays increased their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,550.00 to $1,885.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Stephens lifted their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,970.00 to $2,000.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Chipotle Mexican Grill presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $2,021.37. Get Chipotle Mexican Grill alerts: Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Up 1.5 % CMG opened at $2,067.62 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $1,651.54 and a 200 day moving average of $1,563.09. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 12 month low of $1,196.28 and a 12 month high of $2,071.00. The firm has a market cap of $57.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.32. Insider Activity at Chipotle Mexican Grill Chipotle Mexican Grill ( NYSE:CMG Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The restaurant operator reported $10.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $8.89 by $1.61. The firm had revenue of $2.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.34 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 45.01% and a net margin of 11.49%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 18.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $5.70 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 41.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. In related news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 1,868 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,999.90, for a total value of $3,735,813.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 23,347 shares of the companys stock, valued at $46,691,665.30. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 991 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,537.37, for a total value of $1,523,533.67. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 23,347 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $35,892,977.39. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 1,868 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,999.90, for a total transaction of $3,735,813.20. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 23,347 shares of the companys stock, valued at $46,691,665.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 12,724 shares of company stock worth $21,674,555 in the last three months. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Panagora Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 79.5% in the 1st quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 948 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $1,500,000 after acquiring an additional 420 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 15.5% in the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 171 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $271,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board increased its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 7.3% in the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 3,032 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $4,796,000 after purchasing an additional 205 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 6.1% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 777 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $1,229,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 38.9% during the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 218 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $345,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. 93.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile (Get Rating) Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc engages in the development and operation of classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. It offers a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads prepared using classic cooking methods. The company was founded by Steve Ells in 1993 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, CA. Featured Articles 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. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Nomad Foods (NYSE:NOMD Get Rating) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Friday morning. NOMD has been the topic of several other research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Nomad Foods from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $21.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Sunday, February 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on Nomad Foods from $24.00 to $21.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 24th. Credit Suisse Group reiterated a neutral rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Nomad Foods in a research note on Monday, February 27th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Nomad Foods from $18.00 to $21.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, April 14th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Nomad Foods has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $22.00. Get Nomad Foods alerts: Nomad Foods Stock Performance Nomad Foods stock opened at $18.80 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The company has a market capitalization of $3.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.53 and a beta of 0.74. The stocks 50 day moving average is $18.25 and its 200 day moving average is $17.15. Nomad Foods has a twelve month low of $12.50 and a twelve month high of $21.45. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nomad Foods Nomad Foods ( NYSE:NOMD Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $766.03 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $788.13 million. Nomad Foods had a return on equity of 11.77% and a net margin of 8.49%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Nomad Foods will post 1.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Nomad Foods by 117.5% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 1,897 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 1,025 shares during the period. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Nomad Foods by 61.6% during the 1st quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,588 shares of the companys stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 987 shares during the period. Mendota Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Nomad Foods in the 1st quarter worth $91,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC bought a new position in Nomad Foods in the 3rd quarter worth $66,000. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank bought a new position in Nomad Foods in the 4th quarter worth $132,000. 78.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About Nomad Foods (Get Rating) Nomad Foods Ltd. operates as a holding company, which manufactures and sells frozen foods for human consumption. The firm offers its products under the brands LUTOSA, la Cocinera, Birds Eye, Iglo, and Findus. The company was founded by Noam Gottesman and Sir Martin E. Franklin on April 1, 2014 and is headquartered in Middlesex, the United Kingdom. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Nomad Foods Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nomad Foods and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI France ETF (NYSEARCA:EWQ Get Rating) by 84.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 31,290 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after acquiring an additional 14,290 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC owned approximately 0.11% of iShares MSCI France ETF worth $1,036,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI France ETF by 2,553.2% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 89,545 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $3,164,000 after purchasing an additional 86,170 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI France ETF by 5,098.9% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,868,322 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $66,007,000 after buying an additional 1,832,385 shares during the period. Flow Traders U.S. LLC grew its position in shares of iShares MSCI France ETF by 285.8% in the 1st quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC now owns 48,664 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,719,000 after buying an additional 36,051 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI France ETF by 53.9% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 37,700 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,332,000 after buying an additional 13,200 shares during the period. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI France ETF by 211.9% during the first quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 101,825 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $3,597,000 after acquiring an additional 69,183 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI France ETF alerts: iShares MSCI France ETF Stock Down 0.4 % NYSEARCA:EWQ opened at $39.57 on Friday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $37.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $34.86. The stock has a market cap of $1.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.58 and a beta of 1.03. iShares MSCI France ETF has a twelve month low of $26.26 and a twelve month high of $39.95. About iShares MSCI France ETF iShares MSCI France ETF, formerly iShares MSCI France Index Fund, seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the French market, as measured by the MSCI France Index (the Index). The Index seeks to measure the performance of the French equity market. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EWQ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI France ETF (NYSEARCA:EWQ Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI France ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI France ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. (NYSE:AMBP Get Rating) shares shot up 11.3% during trading on Thursday following a dividend announcement from the company. The stock traded as high as $3.86 and last traded at $3.85. 347,743 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 79% from the average session volume of 1,666,476 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.46. The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Wednesday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 14th will be issued a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 13th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 9.80%. Ardagh Metal Packagings dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 105.26%. Get Ardagh Metal Packaging alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms have commented on AMBP. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Ardagh Metal Packaging from $6.30 to $5.50 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Ardagh Metal Packaging from $5.00 to $5.50 in a research note on Wednesday, January 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Ardagh Metal Packaging from $4.80 to $4.25 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $5.81. Ardagh Metal Packaging Stock Up 1.5 % The firm has a market capitalization of $2.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.74, a PEG ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.63. The firms fifty day moving average price is $4.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $4.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.75, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 0.92. Ardagh Metal Packaging (NYSE:AMBP Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.01. Ardagh Metal Packaging had a return on equity of 36.60% and a net margin of 3.82%. The company had revenue of $1.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.13 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.08 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. will post 0.24 earnings per share for the current year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ardagh Metal Packaging Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Signaturefd LLC lifted its stake in Ardagh Metal Packaging by 615.5% during the first quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 7,327 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 6,303 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its position in Ardagh Metal Packaging by 34.1% in the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 542,302 shares of the companys stock worth $2,213,000 after buying an additional 137,898 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. bought a new position in shares of Ardagh Metal Packaging in the first quarter valued at $48,000. Beach Investment Counsel Inc. PA acquired a new stake in shares of Ardagh Metal Packaging during the 1st quarter valued at $44,000. Finally, Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ardagh Metal Packaging by 8.9% in the 1st quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC now owns 1,559,859 shares of the companys stock worth $6,364,000 after acquiring an additional 128,003 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 19.04% of the companys stock. Ardagh Metal Packaging Company Profile (Get Rating) Ardagh Metal Packaging SA supplies metal beverage cans in Europe, the United States, and Brazil. Its products are used in various end-use categories, including beer, carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, hard seltzers, juices, pre-mixed cocktails, teas, sparkling waters, and wine. The company serves beverage producers. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Ardagh Metal Packaging Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ardagh Metal Packaging and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPW Get Rating) had its target price cut by Stifel Nicolaus from $14.00 to $12.00 in a research note released on Friday morning, The Fly reports. Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. StockNews.com started coverage on Medical Properties Trust in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Credit Suisse Group reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $11.00 price objective on shares of Medical Properties Trust in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on Medical Properties Trust from $8.00 to $9.00 in a research report on Friday, March 31st. Bank of America cut Medical Properties Trust from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $10.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on Medical Properties Trust from $14.00 to $12.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $13.23. Get Medical Properties Trust alerts: Medical Properties Trust Stock Performance Shares of MPW opened at $8.77 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $5.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.85, a P/E/G ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 0.95. Medical Properties Trust has a 52 week low of $7.10 and a 52 week high of $19.12. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $8.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $10.96. Medical Properties Trust Dividend Announcement Institutional Investors Weigh In On Medical Properties Trust The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 13.23%. Medical Properties Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 77.33%. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Medical Properties Trust by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 87,449,640 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,037,153,000 after buying an additional 550,802 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in Medical Properties Trust by 11.7% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 36,158,910 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $774,593,000 after buying an additional 3,800,294 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in Medical Properties Trust by 13.2% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 20,044,006 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $223,290,000 after buying an additional 2,330,812 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Medical Properties Trust by 24.5% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 17,071,940 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $202,473,000 after buying an additional 3,355,195 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Centersquare Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Medical Properties Trust by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Centersquare Investment Management LLC now owns 11,064,042 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $123,253,000 after buying an additional 348,998 shares in the last quarter. 80.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Medical Properties Trust (Get Rating) Medical Properties Trust, Inc is a self-advised real estate investment trust, engages in the investment, acquisition, and development of net-leased healthcare facilities. Its property portfolio includes rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, hospitals for women and children, regional and community hospitals, medical office buildings, and other single-discipline facilities. 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. Shares of iShares MSCI Australia ETF (NYSEARCA:EWA Get Rating) saw strong trading volume on Thursday . 1,915,725 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 15% from the previous sessions volume of 2,253,685 shares.The stock last traded at $22.93 and had previously closed at $22.84. iShares MSCI Australia ETF Price Performance The firm has a 50-day moving average of $22.90 and a 200 day moving average of $22.76. Get iShares MSCI Australia ETF alerts: Hedge Funds Weigh In On iShares MSCI Australia ETF A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in iShares MSCI Australia ETF by 487.5% in the third quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 6,568 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $139,000 after acquiring an additional 5,450 shares during the period. CX Institutional lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI Australia ETF by 83.9% during the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 264,813 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $5,196,000 after buying an additional 120,840 shares during the period. Susquehanna International Group Ltd. acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI Australia ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at $480,000. American Trust boosted its stake in iShares MSCI Australia ETF by 232.5% in the 3rd quarter. American Trust now owns 144,508 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $3,066,000 after buying an additional 101,044 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in iShares MSCI Australia ETF by 29.5% during the third quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 680,168 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $13,345,000 after acquiring an additional 154,847 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.63% of the companys stock. iShares MSCI Australia ETF Company Profile iShares MSCI Australia ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI Australia Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, of publicly traded securities in the Australian market, as represented by the MSCI Australia Index (the Index). Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Australia ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Australia ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. WisdomTree International LargeCap Dividend Fund (NYSEARCA:DOL Get Rating) shares saw strong trading volume on Thursday . 36,553 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 3% from the previous sessions volume of 35,373 shares.The stock last traded at $47.93 and had previously closed at $47.73. WisdomTree International LargeCap Dividend Fund Price Performance The firm has a market capitalization of $507.46 million, a PE ratio of 9.96 and a beta of 0.78. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $46.76 and a 200 day moving average price of $44.91. Get WisdomTree International LargeCap Dividend Fund alerts: Institutional Trading of WisdomTree International LargeCap Dividend Fund A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of DOL. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of WisdomTree International LargeCap Dividend Fund by 11,697.0% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 570,737 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $21,357,000 after purchasing an additional 565,899 shares during the period. Creative Planning lifted its position in WisdomTree International LargeCap Dividend Fund by 9.8% in the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 2,899,204 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $108,488,000 after buying an additional 259,412 shares in the last quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in WisdomTree International LargeCap Dividend Fund by 160.4% in the 3rd quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. now owns 267,649 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $10,015,000 after buying an additional 164,868 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of WisdomTree International LargeCap Dividend Fund by 551.5% during the 4th quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 169,684 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $7,468,000 after acquiring an additional 143,640 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in shares of WisdomTree International LargeCap Dividend Fund by 109.4% in the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 192,111 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $7,188,000 after acquiring an additional 100,370 shares during the last quarter. WisdomTree International LargeCap Dividend Fund Company Profile WisdomTree International LargeCap Dividend Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that closely correspond to the price and yield performance of the WisdomTree International LargeCap Dividend Index (the Index). The Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of the large-capitalization segment of the dividend-paying market in the industrialized world outside the United States and Canada. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for WisdomTree International LargeCap Dividend Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WisdomTree International LargeCap Dividend Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Turkiye Garanti Bankasi A.S. (OTCMKTS:TKGBY Get Rating) was the target of a large decline in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 90,200 shares, a decline of 33.5% from the March 31st total of 135,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 11,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 7.6 days. Turkiye Garanti Bankasi A.S. Stock Performance Shares of TKGBY opened at $1.37 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $1.38 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1.34. Turkiye Garanti Bankasi A.S. has a 52-week low of $0.75 and a 52-week high of $1.69. Get Turkiye Garanti Bankasi A.S. alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Turkiye Garanti Bankasi A.S. from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st. About Turkiye Garanti Bankasi A.S. Turkiye Garanti Bankasi AS engages in the provision of service to its corporate, commercial and retail customers, including deposit, loans, foreign trade transactions, investment products, cash management, leasing, factoring, insurance, credit cards and other banking products. It operates through the followings segments: Retail Bank; Corporate and Commercial Banking; and Investment Banking. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Turkiye Garanti Bankasi A.S. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Turkiye Garanti Bankasi A.S. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Thunder Mountain Gold, Inc. (OTCMKTS:THMG Get Rating) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,600 shares, a decrease of 23.8% from the March 31st total of 2,100 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 32,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days. Thunder Mountain Gold Stock Performance Shares of Thunder Mountain Gold stock opened at $0.09 on Friday. Thunder Mountain Gold has a 52-week low of $0.05 and a 52-week high of $0.20. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $0.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $0.09. Get Thunder Mountain Gold alerts: Thunder Mountain Gold Company Profile (Get Rating) Recommended Stories Thunder Mountain Gold, Inc operates as a mineral exploration company, which engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of premier precious and base metal properties. Its projects include South Mountain located southwest of Boise, Idaho and Trout Creek located in Nevada. The company was founded on November 9, 1935 and is headquartered in Boise, ID. Receive News & Ratings for Thunder Mountain Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Thunder Mountain Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Time to check your pantry. General Mills is recalling some specifically-dated bags of its Gold Medal Unbleached and Bleached All Purpose Flour for the potential presence of salmonella, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The Minneapolis-headquartered food company's national recall covers two-, five- and 10-pound bags of Gold Medal Unbleached and Bleached All Purpose Flour with a Better If Used By date of March 27, 2024, and March 28, 2024, according to the recall. General Mills issued the recall after discovering Salmonella Infantis in a sample from a five-pound bag product. Other types of Gold Medal Flour are not affected by this recall, the company said. Neither General Mills nor the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said whether this is connected to a multi-state salmonella outbreak the agencies began investigating last month. So far the agencies have identified 12 illnesses and three hospitalizations, but no deaths, in the outbreak across 11 states, but have yet to identify specific brands of flour linked to the illnesses. McDonald's menu: You can add Big Mac sauce to anything; get it free with McNuggets Inflation and food: Consumer prices increased 4.2% in March, but food and energy rose more slowly Details on the General Mills flour recall General Mills' voluntary recall includes the following products currently in stores or consumers' homes with "Better If Used By Dates" of "27MAR2024" and "28MAR2024," and these specific UPC codes: Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose 5LB Flour: Package UPC 000-16000-19610 Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose 10LB Flour: Package UPC 000-16000-19580 Gold Medal Bleached All Purpose 2LB Flour: Package UPC 000-16000-10710 Gold Medal Bleached All Purpose 5LB Flour: Package UPC 000-16000-10610 General Mills is recalling two-, five- and 10-pound bags of Gold Medal Unbleached and Bleached All Purpose Flour with a better if used by date of March 27, 2024, and March 28, 2024, for the potential presence of salmonella, according to the Food and Drug Administration. What to do if you bought potentially contaminated General Mills flour Consumers should dispose of any product affected by this recall, the company said. Consumers who have to discard products covered by this recall may contact General Mills Consumer Relations at 1-800-230-8103. Story continues General Mills did not have information about how much flour was involved in the recall. Food safety is our top priority, and we are voluntarily recalling these specific lots of Gold Medal Unbleached and Bleached All Purpose Flour, General Mills spokesperson Mollie Wulff said in a statement to USA TODAY. What else is under recall? Check out USA TODAY's searchable recall database; cars, food, consumer good and more. Why should I not eat raw cookie dough? Flour is a raw food and has not been treated to kill germs, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and salmonella, which can cause food poisoning, the CDC advises. Salmonella is killed by heat when flour is baked, fried or otherwise cooked, General Mills notes in details about the recall on its website. When done cooking, properly clean and sanitize your hands, utensils and all surfaces. We are continuing to educate consumers that flour is not a ready to eat ingredient," Wulff said. "Anything made with flour must be cooked or baked before eating. More coverage from USA TODAY Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider. What's everyone talking about?: Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: General Mills recalls some Gold Medal flour over salmonella concerns Los Angeles Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. (NYSE:PB Get Rating) by 7.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 108,713 shares of the banks stock after purchasing an additional 7,880 shares during the quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC owned 0.12% of Prosperity Bancshares worth $7,901,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of Prosperity Bancshares in the 3rd quarter valued at about $883,000. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System acquired a new stake in Prosperity Bancshares during the 4th quarter worth approximately $521,000. Boothbay Fund Management LLC raised its holdings in Prosperity Bancshares by 14.4% during the 3rd quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC now owns 54,214 shares of the banks stock worth $3,615,000 after buying an additional 6,809 shares during the period. Cambiar Investors LLC raised its holdings in Prosperity Bancshares by 34.9% during the 4th quarter. Cambiar Investors LLC now owns 32,276 shares of the banks stock worth $2,346,000 after buying an additional 8,350 shares during the period. Finally, Keybank National Association OH raised its holdings in Prosperity Bancshares by 136.7% during the 3rd quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 7,860 shares of the banks stock worth $524,000 after buying an additional 4,539 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.32% of the companys stock. Get Prosperity Bancshares alerts: Prosperity Bancshares Stock Performance PB opened at $62.62 on Friday. Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $58.25 and a fifty-two week high of $78.76. The company has a market capitalization of $5.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.96. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $64.60 and a 200-day moving average of $70.33. Prosperity Bancshares Dividend Announcement Prosperity Bancshares ( NYSE:PB Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The bank reported $1.37 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.33 by $0.04. Prosperity Bancshares had a return on equity of 7.93% and a net margin of 39.87%. The company had revenue of $365.58 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $285.02 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.33 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. will post 5.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a $0.55 dividend. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.51%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. Prosperity Bancsharess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 38.13%. Analysts Set New Price Targets PB has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Raymond James dropped their target price on shares of Prosperity Bancshares from $85.00 to $70.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of Prosperity Bancshares from $83.00 to $71.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Prosperity Bancshares in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating for the company. DA Davidson raised shares of Prosperity Bancshares from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $79.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, March 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Prosperity Bancshares from $69.00 to $58.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $73.09. Insider Activity at Prosperity Bancshares In related news, Chairman H E. Timanus, Jr. purchased 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 13th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $62.90 per share, with a total value of $62,900.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chairman now directly owns 202,891 shares in the company, valued at $12,761,843.90. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 4.20% of the stock is owned by insiders. About Prosperity Bancshares (Get Rating) Prosperity Bancshares, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of financial products and solutions. It offers retail and commercial banking services such as deposits, online Internet banking, loan, investments, trust, and credit card to small and medium-sized businesses and consumers. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. (NYSE:PB Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Prosperity Bancshares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Prosperity Bancshares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in General Electric (NYSE:GE Get Rating) by 1,473.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 86,926 shares of the conglomerates stock after purchasing an additional 81,403 shares during the quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLCs holdings in General Electric were worth $7,284,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its position in General Electric by 7,640.4% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 1,183,582 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $3,666,000 after purchasing an additional 1,168,291 shares during the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC grew its position in General Electric by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 13,761,615 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $851,982,000 after purchasing an additional 725,871 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of General Electric by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 86,108,801 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $5,330,997,000 after acquiring an additional 625,757 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in shares of General Electric by 76.1% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,281,439 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $79,333,000 after acquiring an additional 553,960 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of General Electric by 911.3% in the 3rd quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 604,509 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $37,424,000 after acquiring an additional 544,736 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.12% of the companys stock. Get General Electric alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets GE has been the topic of several recent research reports. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of General Electric from $109.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of General Electric from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of General Electric from $98.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of General Electric in a research note on Friday, March 10th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of General Electric from $97.00 to $103.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $103.20. General Electric Stock Performance NYSE:GE opened at $98.97 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.25. The company has a fifty day moving average of $91.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $84.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $107.77 billion, a PE ratio of 12.90, a P/E/G ratio of 6.96 and a beta of 1.27. General Electric has a fifty-two week low of $46.55 and a fifty-two week high of $102.01. General Electric (NYSE:GE Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The conglomerate reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $14.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $13.46 billion. General Electric had a net margin of 11.85% and a return on equity of 9.45%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.24 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that General Electric will post 1.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. General Electric Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 7th were given a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 6th. General Electrics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.17%. About General Electric (Get Rating) General Electric Co engages in the provision of commercial and military aircraft engines and systems, wind, and other renewable energy generation equipment and grid solutions, and gas, steam, nuclear, and other power generation equipment. It operates through the following segments: Aviation, Healthcare, Renewable Energy, and Power. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for General Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:MDY Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 406 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $180,000. A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Coco Enterprises LLC purchased a new stake in shares of SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust in the third quarter worth approximately $3,965,000. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust by 116.0% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 83,583 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $37,010,000 after acquiring an additional 44,895 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its position in SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 511,015 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $227,351,000 after acquiring an additional 36,750 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust by 97.9% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 67,337 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $33,026,000 after acquiring an additional 33,318 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James & Associates boosted its position in SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust by 9.5% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 383,277 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $153,955,000 after acquiring an additional 33,124 shares in the last quarter. Get SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust alerts: SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust Trading Up 1.0 % Shares of NYSEARCA MDY opened at $454.75 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.74 billion, a PE ratio of 11.00 and a beta of 1.12. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $456.30 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $455.62. SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust has a 12-month low of $398.11 and a 12-month high of $499.48. SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust Profile SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF is an exchange traded fund. SPDR MidCap 400 Trust focuses to correspond to the price and yield performance of the S&P MidCap 400 Index. The S&P MidCap 400 covers over 7% of the United States equities market, and is part of a series of S&P the United States indices. The index also includes companies, which should have four consecutive quarters of positive as-reported earnings, excluding discontinued operations and extraordinary items. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MDY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:MDY Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. First Dallas Securities Inc. lessened its position in Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM Get Rating) by 1.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 56,090 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after selling 555 shares during the quarter. Exxon Mobil makes up 3.7% of First Dallas Securities Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. First Dallas Securities Inc.s holdings in Exxon Mobil were worth $6,187,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Clear Perspectives Financial Planning LLC increased its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 259.0% in the 3rd quarter. Clear Perspectives Financial Planning LLC now owns 377 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 272 shares during the last quarter. Align Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil in the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. Mine & Arao Wealth Creation & Management LLC. increased its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 61.7% in the 3rd quarter. Mine & Arao Wealth Creation & Management LLC. now owns 443 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 169 shares during the last quarter. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil in the 3rd quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Red Tortoise LLC purchased a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil in the 4th quarter valued at about $46,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.49% of the companys stock. Get Exxon Mobil alerts: Exxon Mobil Price Performance XOM stock opened at $118.34 on Friday. Exxon Mobil Co. has a 52-week low of $80.69 and a 52-week high of $119.92. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $111.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $110.40. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $480.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.08. Exxon Mobil Dividend Announcement Exxon Mobil ( NYSE:XOM Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Friday, April 28th. The oil and gas company reported $2.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.45 by $0.38. Exxon Mobil had a return on equity of 31.25% and a net margin of 13.47%. The firm had revenue of $86.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $90.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.07 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Exxon Mobil Co. will post 9.9 EPS for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 16th will be given a $0.91 dividend. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.08%. Exxon Mobils payout ratio is 27.45%. Insider Transactions at Exxon Mobil In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 2,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.50, for a total value of $288,750.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 31,772 shares in the company, valued at $3,669,666. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.06% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America upped their target price on Exxon Mobil from $136.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Redburn Partners cut Exxon Mobil from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. UBS Group raised Exxon Mobil from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their target price for the company from $125.00 to $144.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Cowen increased their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $108.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, HSBC increased their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $113.50 to $115.50 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $124.61. Exxon Mobil Company Profile (Get Rating) Exxon Mobil Corp. engages in the exploration, development, and distribution of oil, gas, and petroleum products. It operates through the following segments: Upstream, Downstream and Chemical. The Upstream segment produces crude oil and natural gas. The Downstream segment manufactures and trades petroleum products. Recommended Stories 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. Synovus Financial Corp increased its holdings in shares of Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE:KMI Get Rating) by 0.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 93,835 shares of the pipeline companys stock after purchasing an additional 761 shares during the period. Synovus Financial Corps holdings in Kinder Morgan were worth $1,697,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of KMI. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Kinder Morgan during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. VitalStone Financial LLC acquired a new position in Kinder Morgan in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. TD Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Kinder Morgan in the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. MADDEN SECURITIES Corp acquired a new position in Kinder Morgan in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Independence Bank of Kentucky grew its holdings in Kinder Morgan by 305.9% in the 4th quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 2,123 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 1,600 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 60.48% of the companys stock. Get Kinder Morgan alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Kinder Morgan from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and upped their price objective for the company from $19.00 to $22.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Kinder Morgan from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Monday, January 9th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Kinder Morgan in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Barclays cut their target price on Kinder Morgan from $21.00 to $20.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, Scotiabank assumed coverage on Kinder Morgan in a research report on Thursday, March 2nd. They set a sector perform rating and a $20.00 target price for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Kinder Morgan currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $20.56. Insider Activity Kinder Morgan Price Performance In related news, VP Anthony B. Ashley sold 13,232 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.14, for a total transaction of $240,028.48. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 27,826 shares of the companys stock, valued at $504,763.64. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . Insiders own 12.64% of the companys stock. Shares of KMI opened at $17.15 on Friday. Kinder Morgan, Inc. has a 12-month low of $15.77 and a 12-month high of $20.20. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $17.29 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $17.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market cap of $38.44 billion, a PE ratio of 15.18, a PEG ratio of 5.34 and a beta of 0.94. Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The pipeline company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.01. Kinder Morgan had a return on equity of 8.06% and a net margin of 13.62%. The business had revenue of $3.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.75 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.32 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Kinder Morgan, Inc. will post 1.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Kinder Morgan Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 1st will be issued a $0.2825 dividend. This represents a $1.13 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 28th. This is a boost from Kinder Morgans previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. Kinder Morgans dividend payout ratio is presently 98.23%. Kinder Morgan announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Wednesday, January 18th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the pipeline company to repurchase up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued. Kinder Morgan Profile (Get Rating) Kinder Morgan, Inc engages in providing pipeline transportation of natural gas services. It operates through the following business segments: Natural Gas Pipelines, Products Pipelines, Terminals, and CO2. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment operates major interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines and storage systems. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KMI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE:KMI Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Kinder Morgan Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kinder Morgan and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. iShares MSCI Japan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWJ Get Rating) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $59.11 and last traded at $59.04, with a volume of 1991079 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $58.36. iShares MSCI Japan ETF Stock Down 0.8 % The companys 50-day moving average price is $57.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $55.52. The firm has a market cap of $10.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.76 and a beta of 0.68. Get iShares MSCI Japan ETF alerts: Institutional Trading of iShares MSCI Japan ETF Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in iShares MSCI Japan ETF by 15.7% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 202,282 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $12,462,000 after acquiring an additional 27,428 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its position in iShares MSCI Japan ETF by 37.8% during the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 92,661 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $5,807,000 after acquiring an additional 25,415 shares during the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. boosted its position in iShares MSCI Japan ETF by 15.3% during the first quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 89,447 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $5,511,000 after acquiring an additional 11,850 shares during the last quarter. Wit LLC acquired a new position in iShares MSCI Japan ETF during the first quarter worth about $239,000. Finally, Founders Financial Securities LLC acquired a new position in iShares MSCI Japan ETF during the first quarter worth about $2,797,000. About iShares MSCI Japan ETF iShares MSCI Japan ETF (the fund), formerly Ishares Msci Japan Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the Japanese market, as measured by the MSCI Japan Index (the Index). Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Japan ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Japan ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ellevest Inc. trimmed its holdings in Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN Get Rating) by 57.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 515 shares of the energy companys stock after selling 685 shares during the quarter. Ellevest Inc.s holdings in Devon Energy were worth $32,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of DVN. Continuum Advisory LLC increased its stake in Devon Energy by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 6,605 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $397,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. CRA Financial Services LLC increased its stake in Devon Energy by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. CRA Financial Services LLC now owns 3,794 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $228,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Wahed Invest LLC increased its stake in Devon Energy by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Wahed Invest LLC now owns 7,933 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $469,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Devon Energy by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 9,782 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $602,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Devon Energy by 9.5% during the 3rd quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 2,013 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $121,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. 78.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Devon Energy alerts: Insider Activity In related news, CEO Richard E. Muncrief acquired 10,000 shares of Devon Energy stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $53.28 per share, for a total transaction of $532,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,973,977 shares in the company, valued at approximately $105,173,494.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Richard E. Muncrief acquired 10,000 shares of Devon Energy stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $53.28 per share, for a total transaction of $532,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,973,977 shares in the company, valued at approximately $105,173,494.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 7,179 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.77, for a total transaction of $393,193.83. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 262,498 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,377,015.46. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.80% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Devon Energy Price Performance A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Devon Energy from $70.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of Devon Energy from $82.00 to $75.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Devon Energy from $77.00 to $66.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Devon Energy from $70.00 to $59.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 17th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price target on shares of Devon Energy from $84.00 to $71.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $71.32. NYSE DVN opened at $53.43 on Friday. Devon Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $44.03 and a 12 month high of $79.40. The stock has a market cap of $34.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.86, a PEG ratio of 0.16 and a beta of 2.33. The companys 50 day moving average is $52.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $61.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The energy company reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($0.09). Devon Energy had a return on equity of 52.20% and a net margin of 31.38%. The firm had revenue of $4.30 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.29 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.39 EPS. Devon Energys revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Devon Energy Co. will post 6.51 earnings per share for the current year. Devon Energy Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a None dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were given a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a dividend yield of 9.3%. This is a boost from Devon Energys previous None dividend of $0.49. Devon Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.77%. Devon Energy Profile (Get Rating) Devon Energy Corp. engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties. It develops and operates Delaware Basin, Eagle Ford, Heavy Oil, Barnett Shale, STACK, and Rockies Oil. The company was founded by J. Larry Nichols and John W. Nichols in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK. Read More 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 Get Rating). 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. D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its holdings in Invesco Ltd. (NYSE:IVZ Get Rating) by 13.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 46,490 shares of the asset managers stock after purchasing an additional 5,510 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO.s holdings in Invesco were worth $836,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. State of Alaska Department of Revenue raised its stake in Invesco by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 63,661 shares of the asset managers stock worth $1,145,000 after acquiring an additional 555 shares during the period. State of Michigan Retirement System raised its stake in Invesco by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 138,650 shares of the asset managers stock worth $2,494,000 after acquiring an additional 1,100 shares during the period. Toroso Investments LLC raised its stake in Invesco by 9.5% during the 1st quarter. Toroso Investments LLC now owns 13,510 shares of the asset managers stock worth $312,000 after acquiring an additional 1,177 shares during the period. Vident Investment Advisory LLC raised its stake in Invesco by 10.4% during the 1st quarter. Vident Investment Advisory LLC now owns 12,586 shares of the asset managers stock worth $290,000 after acquiring an additional 1,190 shares during the period. Finally, Strs Ohio raised its stake in Invesco by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 172,106 shares of the asset managers stock worth $2,357,000 after acquiring an additional 1,283 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 69.42% of the companys stock. Get Invesco alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms have commented on IVZ. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Invesco from $18.00 to $18.50 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, April 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Invesco from $15.00 to $16.00 in a research report on Wednesday. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Invesco in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Invesco from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Invesco from $14.00 to $17.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, January 19th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $17.72. Insiders Place Their Bets Invesco Trading Down 0.6 % In other Invesco news, major shareholder Trian Fund Management, L.P. sold 786,378 shares of Invesco stock in a transaction on Monday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.11, for a total transaction of $14,241,305.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 45,419,188 shares of the companys stock, valued at $822,541,494.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . 2.00% of the stock is owned by insiders. IVZ stock opened at $17.13 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $16.64 and a 200 day moving average price of $17.51. Invesco Ltd. has a fifty-two week low of $13.20 and a fifty-two week high of $20.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 4.44 and a current ratio of 17.95. The firm has a market cap of $7.79 billion, a PE ratio of 12.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.34. Invesco (NYSE:IVZ Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The asset manager reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.36 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.10 billion. Invesco had a net margin of 14.87% and a return on equity of 7.12%. Invescos quarterly revenue was down 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.56 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Invesco Ltd. will post 1.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Invesco Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.67%. This is a positive change from Invescos previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 8th. Invescos payout ratio is presently 54.35%. Invesco Profile (Get Rating) Invesco Ltd. engages in the investment management business. Its product includes mutual funds, unit trusts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and retirement plans. The company was founded in December 1935 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Invesco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Westpac Banking Corp decreased its position in shares of Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL Get Rating) by 6.6% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 96,390 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 6,830 shares during the period. Westpac Banking Corps holdings in Aflac were worth $6,934,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Hartline Investment Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,170,000. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 4th quarter worth approximately $360,368,610,000. CarsonAllaria Wealth Management Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Aflac by 534.9% during the 4th quarter. CarsonAllaria Wealth Management Ltd. now owns 527 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 444 shares in the last quarter. Wrapmanager Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 4th quarter worth approximately $201,000. Finally, Kentucky Retirement Systems boosted its position in shares of Aflac by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 45,211 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,252,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 66.22% of the companys stock. Get Aflac alerts: Insider Transactions at Aflac In other news, Director Joseph L. Moskowitz sold 500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.45, for a total transaction of $32,225.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 19,269 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,241,887.05. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, Director Joseph L. Moskowitz sold 500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.45, for a total transaction of $32,225.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 19,269 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,241,887.05. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Masatoshi Koide sold 19,291 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.36, for a total transaction of $1,357,314.76. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 87,598 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,163,395.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets Aflac Price Performance Several analysts recently issued reports on AFL shares. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Aflac from $73.00 to $69.00 in a research report on Thursday. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Aflac in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Raymond James raised their target price on shares of Aflac from $74.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Aflac from $62.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, January 6th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Aflac from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Monday, February 6th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $71.22. Shares of NYSE AFL opened at $69.85 on Friday. Aflac Incorporated has a twelve month low of $52.07 and a twelve month high of $74.01. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $65.61 and a 200 day simple moving average of $67.98. The company has a market capitalization of $42.76 billion, a PE ratio of 10.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 0.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. Aflac (NYSE:AFL Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The financial services provider reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.15. Aflac had a net margin of 22.90% and a return on equity of 14.54%. The firm had revenue of $4.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.61 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.42 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was down 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Aflac Incorporated will post 5.59 EPS for the current year. Aflac Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 17th will be given a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.41%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 16th. Aflacs payout ratio is presently 25.57%. Aflac Profile (Get Rating) Aflac, Inc is a holding company. engages in the provision of financial protection services. It operates through the followings segments: Aflac Japan and Aflac United States (U.S.). The Aflac Japan segment offers life insurance, death benefits, and cash surrender values. The Aflac U.S. segment sells voluntary supplemental insurance products for people who already have major medical or primary insurance coverage. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AFL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Aflac Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Aflac and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Brinker Capital Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX Get Rating) by 29.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 47,888 shares of the asset managers stock after acquiring an additional 10,802 shares during the period. Brinker Capital Investments LLCs holdings in Blackstone were worth $3,553,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Mach 1 Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Blackstone during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new position in shares of Blackstone in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in Blackstone during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Trust Co. of Vermont raised its stake in Blackstone by 133.3% during the 3rd quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 350 shares of the asset managers stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Ellevest Inc. raised its stake in Blackstone by 107.9% during the 3rd quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 420 shares of the asset managers stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 218 shares during the period. 62.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Blackstone alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades BX has been the subject of a number of research reports. StockNews.com started coverage on Blackstone in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating for the company. Barclays raised their price objective on Blackstone from $94.00 to $99.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Oppenheimer cut their target price on shares of Blackstone from $111.00 to $106.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Blackstone from $86.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 30th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group cut their target price on shares of Blackstone from $74.00 to $70.50 and set an underperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $103.04. Insider Activity at Blackstone Blackstone Stock Up 3.5 % In related news, Director Joseph Baratta sold 85,000 shares of Blackstone stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.94, for a total value of $8,154,900.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,122,168 shares of the companys stock, valued at $107,660,797.92. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . In other Blackstone news, major shareholder Holdings L.P. Blackstone III sold 180,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.63, for a total transaction of $5,513,400.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 8,812,747 shares of the companys stock, valued at $269,934,440.61. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link . Also, Director Joseph Baratta sold 85,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.94, for a total transaction of $8,154,900.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 1,122,168 shares in the company, valued at approximately $107,660,797.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last three months, insiders have bought 10,950,338 shares of company stock valued at $18,744,064 and have sold 140,757,216 shares valued at $1,738,001,650. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. NYSE BX opened at $89.33 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Blackstone Inc. has a 1-year low of $71.72 and a 1-year high of $123.18. The company has a 50 day moving average of $86.79 and a 200-day moving average of $86.92. The company has a market cap of $63.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 108.94, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.50. Blackstone (NYSE:BX Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The asset manager reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.97. Blackstone had a net margin of 12.92% and a return on equity of 18.08%. The company had revenue of $1.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.44 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.55 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was down 73.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Blackstone Inc. will post 4.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Blackstone Cuts Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 8th. Investors of record on Monday, May 1st will be paid a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 28th. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.67%. Blackstones dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 443.91%. About Blackstone (Get Rating) Blackstone, Inc engages in the provision of investment and fund management services. It operates through the following segments: Real Estate, Private Equity, Credit and Insurance, and Hedge Fund Solutions. The Real Estate segment includes management of opportunistic real estate funds, Core+ real estate funds, high-yield real estate debt funds, and liquid real estate debt funds. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Blackstone Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Blackstone and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. 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. 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 Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR). 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. Check out our latest analysis for Portland General Electric Portland General Electric's Improving Profits Even modest earnings per share growth (EPS) can create meaningful value, when it is sustained reliably from year to year. So EPS growth can certainly encourage an investor to take note of a stock. In previous twelve months, Portland General Electric's EPS has risen from US$2.33 to US$2.56. That's a modest gain of 9.9%. Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. Portland General Electric maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 15% to US$2.8b. That's a real positive. You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. For finer detail, click on the image. While we live in the present moment, there's little doubt that the future matters most in the investment decision process. So why not check this interactive chart depicting future EPS estimates, for Portland General Electric? Story continues Are Portland General Electric Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? It should give investors a sense of security owning shares in a company if insiders also own shares, creating a close alignment their interests. Shareholders will be pleased by the fact that insiders own Portland General Electric shares worth a considerable sum. Indeed, they hold US$26m worth of its stock. That's a lot of money, and no small incentive to work hard. Despite being just 0.5% of the company, the value of that investment is enough to show insiders have plenty riding on the venture. 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. For companies with market capitalisations between US$4.0b and US$12b, like Portland General Electric, the median CEO pay is around US$8.1m. Portland General Electric offered total compensation worth US$6.3m to its CEO in the year to December 2022. That seems pretty reasonable, especially given it's below the median for similar sized companies. 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 Portland General Electric Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist? One important encouraging feature of Portland General Electric is that it is growing profits. The fact that EPS is growing is a genuine positive for Portland General Electric, but the pleasant picture gets better than that. With a meaningful level of insider ownership, and reasonable CEO pay, a reasonable mind might conclude that this is one stock worth watching. Even so, be aware that Portland General Electric is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those makes us a bit uncomfortable... Although Portland General Electric certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Burney Co. lessened its position in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR Get Rating) by 1.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 19,706 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 260 shares during the quarter. Burney Co.s holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions were worth $2,643,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Asset Dedication LLC acquired a new stake in Broadridge Financial Solutions in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. MV Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 33.0% in the 4th quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. now owns 290 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. General Partner Inc. acquired a new stake in Broadridge Financial Solutions in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Finally, Lumature Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 82.5% in the 1st quarter. Lumature Wealth Partners LLC now owns 365 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.45% of the companys stock. Get Broadridge Financial Solutions alerts: Insider Transactions at Broadridge Financial Solutions In related news, Director Robert N. Duelks sold 1,425 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.06, for a total value of $201,010.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 6,275 shares of the companys stock, valued at $885,151.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Broadridge Financial Solutions Stock Performance BR has been the subject of several research reports. Raymond James lifted their target price on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $180.00 to $183.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada initiated coverage on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions in a report on Monday, April 24th. They issued an outperform rating and a $169.00 target price for the company. Wolfe Research dropped their target price on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $137.00 to $135.00 in a report on Thursday, January 5th. TheStreet upgraded shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from a c+ rating to a b rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $161.40. NYSE:BR opened at $145.41 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $141.71 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $142.47. The company has a market cap of $17.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.46 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.30. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. has a 52 week low of $131.35 and a 52 week high of $183.33. Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE:BR Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 2nd. The business services provider reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.91. The business had revenue of $1.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.35 billion. Broadridge Financial Solutions had a net margin of 9.13% and a return on equity of 40.38%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.83 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. will post 6.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Broadridge Financial Solutions Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were given a dividend of $0.725 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $2.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.99%. Broadridge Financial Solutionss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 64.73%. About Broadridge Financial Solutions (Get Rating) Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc engages in the provision of investor communications and technology solutions to banks, broker-dealers, mutual funds, and corporate issuers. It operates through the following segments: Investor Communication Solutions and Global Technology and Operations. The Investor Communication Solutions segment offers services for broker-dealer investor communication, customer communication, corporate issuer, advisor solutions, and mutual fund and retirement solutions. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Broadridge Financial Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Broadridge Financial Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Burney Co. decreased its stake in Science Applications International Co. (NYSE:SAIC Get Rating) by 2.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 18,367 shares of the information technology services providers stock after selling 427 shares during the period. Burney Co.s holdings in Science Applications International were worth $2,037,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of SAIC. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates acquired a new stake in Science Applications International in the 4th quarter valued at about $46,000. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Science Applications International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $41,000. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new stake in Science Applications International in the 4th quarter valued at about $55,000. Fiduciary Alliance LLC acquired a new stake in Science Applications International in the 4th quarter valued at about $55,000. Finally, Atlas Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Science Applications International in the 2nd quarter valued at about $66,000. Institutional investors own 76.40% of the companys stock. Get Science Applications International alerts: Science Applications International Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:SAIC opened at $102.03 on Friday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $106.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $106.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.96 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Science Applications International Co. has a 1 year low of $79.33 and a 1 year high of $117.94. Science Applications International Dividend Announcement Science Applications International ( NYSE:SAIC Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 3rd. The information technology services provider reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $1.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.86 billion. Science Applications International had a net margin of 3.89% and a return on equity of 25.20%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.50 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Science Applications International Co. will post 6.95 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th were paid a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 13th. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.45%. Science Applications Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.51%. Insider Activity at Science Applications International In other Science Applications International news, CEO Nazzic S. Keene sold 26,237 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.37, for a total transaction of $2,817,066.69. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 65,680 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,052,061.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other Science Applications International news, insider Michael W. Larouche sold 6,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.19, for a total transaction of $643,140.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 49,192 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,272,890.48. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Nazzic S. Keene sold 26,237 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.37, for a total transaction of $2,817,066.69. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 65,680 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,052,061.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 33,430 shares of company stock valued at $3,589,623 over the last three months. 1.12% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades SAIC has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Science Applications International from $121.00 to $118.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Science Applications International from $141.00 to $127.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Science Applications International from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 10th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Science Applications International from $110.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Science Applications International from $90.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $113.30. Science Applications International Profile (Get Rating) Science Applications International Corp. is a provider of technical, engineering and enterprise information technology (IT) services. Its offerings include engineering, systems integration and information technology offerings for large, complex government projects and offer a broad range of services with a targeted emphasis on higher end, differentiated technology services, and end-to-end services spanning the entire spectrum of its customers IT infrastructure. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Science Applications International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Science Applications International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Park National Corp OH lessened its holdings in shares of SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:MDY Get Rating) by 1.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,409 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 25 shares during the period. Park National Corp OHs holdings in SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust were worth $624,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new stake in shares of SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its holdings in shares of SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust by 102.0% in the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 99 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Colonial Trust Advisors acquired a new position in shares of SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Arcus Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust in the 4th quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, Marshall & Sullivan Inc. WA acquired a new position in shares of SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust in the 4th quarter worth approximately $50,000. Get SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust alerts: SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust Stock Performance Shares of MDY stock opened at $454.75 on Friday. The firms 50 day moving average price is $456.30 and its 200-day moving average price is $455.62. SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust has a one year low of $398.11 and a one year high of $499.48. The firm has a market cap of $18.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.00 and a beta of 1.12. About SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF is an exchange traded fund. SPDR MidCap 400 Trust focuses to correspond to the price and yield performance of the S&P MidCap 400 Index. The S&P MidCap 400 covers over 7% of the United States equities market, and is part of a series of S&P the United States indices. The index also includes companies, which should have four consecutive quarters of positive as-reported earnings, excluding discontinued operations and extraordinary items. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MDY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:MDY Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lessened its holdings in ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW Get Rating) by 27.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 16,262 shares of the information technology services providers stock after selling 6,188 shares during the quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.s holdings in ServiceNow were worth $6,313,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Merit Financial Group LLC grew its position in ServiceNow by 1.1% in the third quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 2,356 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $890,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. SWS Partners grew its holdings in shares of ServiceNow by 0.6% during the third quarter. SWS Partners now owns 4,753 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $1,795,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its holdings in shares of ServiceNow by 9.0% during the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 350 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $195,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. KB Financial Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of ServiceNow by 14.6% during the first quarter. KB Financial Partners LLC now owns 236 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $131,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. grew its holdings in shares of ServiceNow by 25.4% during the third quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 148 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.31% of the companys stock. Get ServiceNow alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at ServiceNow In other ServiceNow news, CEO William R. Mcdermott sold 2,483 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $455.03, for a total value of $1,129,831.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 53,117 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,169,647.91. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other ServiceNow news, CEO William R. Mcdermott sold 2,483 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $455.03, for a total value of $1,129,831.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 53,117 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,169,647.91. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Christopher Bedi sold 2,613 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $447.18, for a total value of $1,168,481.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 15,752 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,043,979.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 64,546 shares of company stock worth $29,474,729 in the last quarter. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. ServiceNow Trading Up 1.1 % Shares of ServiceNow stock opened at $459.42 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $448.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $420.75. ServiceNow, Inc. has a 12-month low of $337.00 and a 12-month high of $521.58. The company has a market capitalization of $93.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 234.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.87 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 25th. The information technology services provider reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $1.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.93 billion. ServiceNow had a return on equity of 10.18% and a net margin of 5.25%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that ServiceNow, Inc. will post 2.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Analysts Set New Price Targets NOW has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Credit Suisse Group cut their price objective on ServiceNow from $600.00 to $575.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Robert W. Baird raised ServiceNow from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $475.00 to $548.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on ServiceNow from $500.00 to $510.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on ServiceNow from $500.00 to $525.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Finally, 92 Resources reissued a reiterates rating on shares of ServiceNow in a research note on Thursday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $526.33. ServiceNow Profile (Get Rating) ServiceNow, Inc engages in the provision of enterprise cloud computing solutions. The firm delivers digital workflows on a single enterprise cloud platform called the Now Platform. Its product portfolio is focused on providing Information Technology, Employee and Customer workflows. The company was founded by Frederic B. See Also 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 Get Rating). 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. Ropes Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Chevron Co. (NYSE:CVX Get Rating) by 4.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 23,938 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,001 shares during the period. Chevron makes up 0.8% of Ropes Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings, making the stock its 29th largest position. Ropes Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings in Chevron were worth $4,297,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CVX. Edmp Inc. raised its stake in Chevron by 17,439.1% during the 4th quarter. Edmp Inc. now owns 2,949,893 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $16,435,000 after acquiring an additional 2,933,074 shares in the last quarter. New England Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Chevron by 106.3% in the 3rd quarter. New England Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,439,965 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $637,889,000 after buying an additional 2,288,050 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Chevron by 7.6% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,052,751 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $1,731,739,000 after buying an additional 847,841 shares in the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Chevron by 28.3% in the 3rd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 3,477,683 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $499,801,000 after buying an additional 767,699 shares in the last quarter. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System raised its stake in shares of Chevron by 18.3% in the 3rd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 4,550,363 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $653,751,000 after buying an additional 703,646 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.37% of the companys stock. Get Chevron alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Chevron In other Chevron news, VP Rhonda J. Morris sold 19,666 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $3,343,220.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 3,967 shares in the company, valued at $674,390. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.32% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes Chevron Stock Performance A number of research firms have recently commented on CVX. Bank of America downgraded Chevron from a buy rating to a neutral rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $190.00 to $191.00 in a research note on Friday, January 6th. Scotiabank raised Chevron from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $195.00 to $200.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. Mizuho reissued a neutral rating and issued a $206.00 price objective on shares of Chevron in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. StockNews.com began coverage on Chevron in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Chevron from $204.00 to $199.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven 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 $193.50. Shares of CVX stock opened at $168.58 on Friday. Chevron Co. has a 1-year low of $132.54 and a 1-year high of $189.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The company has a market capitalization of $319.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.22, a P/E/G ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.16. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $163.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $171.62. Chevron (NYSE:CVX Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 28th. The oil and gas company reported $3.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.41 by $0.14. Chevron had a return on equity of 23.52% and a net margin of 14.40%. The business had revenue of $50.79 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $49.49 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.36 earnings per share. Chevrons revenue for the quarter was down 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Chevron Co. will post 14.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Chevron announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Wednesday, January 25th that authorizes the company to repurchase $75.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the oil and gas company to buy up to 21.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued. Chevron Profile (Get Rating) Chevron Corp. engages in the provision of administrative, financial management, and technology support for energy and chemical operations. It operates through the Upstream and Downstream segments. The Upstream segment consists of the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas, the liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas, the transporting of crude oil by major international oil export pipelines, the processing, transporting, storage, and marketing of natural gas, and a gas-to-liquids plant. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CVX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Chevron Co. (NYSE:CVX Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Chevron Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chevron and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. Having said that, from a first glance at LHN Logistics (Catalist:GIH) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look. What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)? Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for LHN Logistics, this is the formula: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.061 = S$1.7m (S$35m - S$7.3m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2022). Therefore, LHN Logistics has an ROCE of 6.1%. Even though it's in line with the industry average of 5.9%, it's still a low return by itself. Check out our latest analysis for LHN Logistics roce Above you can see how the current ROCE for LHN Logistics compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering LHN Logistics here for free. How Are Returns Trending? In terms of LHN Logistics' historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 29% over the last three years. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line. Story continues On a related note, LHN Logistics has decreased its current liabilities to 21% of total assets. So we could link some of this to the decrease in ROCE. Effectively this means their suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of the business, which reduces some elements of risk. 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 LHN Logistics' ROCE In summary, LHN Logistics is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. Unsurprisingly then, the total return to shareholders over the last year has been flat. Therefore based on the analysis done in this article, we don't think LHN Logistics has the makings of a multi-bagger. One more thing, we've spotted 2 warning signs facing LHN Logistics that you might find interesting. For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here The main aim of stock picking is to find the market-beating stocks. But the main game is to find enough winners to more than offset the losers So we wouldn't blame long term Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Berhad (KLSE:KPS) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 41% over a half decade. So let's have a look and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress. See our latest analysis for Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Berhad To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. While the share price declined over five years, Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Berhad actually managed to increase EPS by an average of 3.8% per year. So it doesn't seem like EPS is a great guide to understanding how the market is valuing the stock. Alternatively, growth expectations may have been unreasonable in the past. Based on these numbers, we'd venture that the market may have been over-optimistic about forecast growth, half a decade ago. Having said that, we might get a better idea of what's going on with the stock by looking at other metrics. The steady dividend doesn't really explain why the share price is down. While it's not completely obvious why the share price is down, a closer look at the company's history might help explain it. You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). We know that Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Berhad has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? If you are thinking of buying or selling Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Berhad stock, you should check out this FREE detailed report on its balance sheet. Story continues What About Dividends? As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Berhad, it has a TSR of -5.0% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! A Different Perspective It's good to see that Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Berhad has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 2.9% in the last twelve months. Of course, that includes the dividend. That certainly beats the loss of about 1.0% per year over the last half decade. This makes us a little wary, but the business might have turned around its fortunes. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Berhad better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Berhad (including 1 which is potentially serious) . Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Malaysian exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here SARATOGA SPRINGS When Tim Coll arrested Shahed Hussain for running a drivers license scam, it was the beginning of a long and controversial relationship. Coll was an Albany-based FBI agent focused on terrorism. Hussain, facing criminal charges and deportation after the 2002 bust, agreed to become an informant and operative. Together, Coll and Hussain would zero in on a Central Avenue mosque and its imam, a man the FBI suspected had terrorism ties. Whether that suspicion was justified remains controversial, as do the methods used in a sting that imprisoned Yassin Aref, the imam, and Mohammed Hossain, the owner of an Albany pizzeria. At Colls direction, Hussain allegedly convinced the men, using a $50,000 loan as an enticement, to participate in a phony plot for the purchase of a shoulder-fired missile to be used, supposedly, in a terrorist attack. Did they really understand the scheme? Did Hussains tactics amount to entrapment? And should the FBI have been working with a guy of such dubious morality and honesty? (Coll in a deposition said Hussain was good at being deceptive.) Roughly two decades later, those questions remain about a case that, with the benefit of hindsight, seems symbolic of an ugly bloodletting following Sept. 11, 2001. The case and later stings involving Hussain were, as a New York Magazine article put it, legal landmarks in the War on Terror, helping establish the legitimacy of secret evidence, warrantless wiretapping, and the governments practice of inventing terror plots to entrap ordinary Americans with no prior connection to violent Islamic groups. Weep for civil liberties and the Constitution. Then fast forward to 2018, when three days after Arefs release from prison, a limousine with bad brakes accelerated downhill in Schoharie and crashed near the Apple Barrel Country Store, killing 17 passengers, the driver and two pedestrians. That limo, of course, was owned by Shahed Hussain. The trial of his son, Nauman, the now 33-year-old operator of Prestige Limousine accused of criminally negligent homicide and manslaughter, starts Monday. The crash leads to more questions centered on Shahed Hussains FBI relationship, including how he and his family were able to operate an outlaw limo company and other businesses that seemed to flout rules. Unpaid taxes and unsafe conditions at their hotel didnt seem to matter. Neither did reckless driving or unusual fires or an obviously unsafe stretch limo, or the list could go on. Did the FBI allow Hussain to act with impunity, putting the public in danger? On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik said she wants more information. Accusing the agency of being less than forthcoming to her prior requests, the North Country Republican also said she wants to hear directly from the agents who handled Hussain. In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Stefanik said, Additional work is needed for full transparency regarding the FBIs apparent lack of adherence to their confidential human source programs standard operating procedures. Stefaniks request brings us back to Tim Coll, who retired from the FBI in 2020 but isnt avoiding attention. Coll recently announced hes running to be the public safety commissioner in Saratoga Springs. The Democrat is challenging incumbent James Montagnino and has been endorsed by the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee. Normally, you wouldnt expect a retired FBI agent to talk much about his career, especially with regard to undercover informants. But retired FBI agents dont normally run for office, have their former informants tied to a high-publicity criminal trial or have a member of the House Intelligence Committee openly demanding explanations of their work. His career is his record. Voters deserve the full story. As my colleague Larry Rulison reported Friday, an internal FBI report found that Nauman Hussain reached out to an agent immediately after the Schoharie crash to ask what he should do. The agent told Hussain to go to police and tell the truth, the report says, and calls from Shahed Hussain to the FBI were not returned. But what about previous moments when the Hussains found themselves in legal trouble? Did the family contact the FBI after the crash because they had received help previously? Kathy Manley, an attorney who worked on the Aref and Hossain defense, told me she believes Coll was making calls on Shahed Hussain's behalf as recently as 2016, after the operative was publicly confronted on his work with the FBI. So what is Coll saying? Not much so far. When I contacted him for this column, he directed me to the FBI statement issued after Stefaniks latest request and said it would serve as his public comment. In that statement, the agency for the first time denied culpability for the crash. "The FBI did not take any action which allowed Prestige Limousine to operate, nor did we take any action to interfere with the prosecution of the case," a spokesperson said. That statement doesn't address many of the questions raised by Hussains work and life. Coll should say more. So should the FBI. cchurchill@timesunion.com 518-454-5442 @chris_churchill FORT ANN Pritam Singh, a 70-year-old real estate developer from Key West, Fla. who has homes all over the country and a reputation for building luxury resorts and condominiums, has plans to turn Washington Countys former Crossett Lake Boy Scout Reservation in the eastern Adirondacks into a private family compound. The 945-acre site includes the 122-acre Crossett Lake, views of nearby Lake George, and frontage on Inman and Thurber ponds. Adirondack Park Agency staff were slated to meet with Singhs representatives on Thursday to discuss a preliminary permit application, records show. The APA oversees public and private development in the 6-million-acre state park. S. Jeffrey Anthony, vice president of Studio A Landscape Architecture and Engineering representing Singh, said he will be applying for a class A regional project in resource management lands. Resource management is an APA zoning classification that generally involves residential, agricultural and forestry land uses. The APAs website also notes that special care is taken to protect the natural open space character of these lands. APA spokesman Keith McKeever said should Singh submit an application, the agency has 15 days to determine if it is complete. Once complete, the APA would issue a 30-day public comment period. In an interview with the Explorer on Tuesday, Singh said he felt a responsibility to protect the property. He had not yet discussed a conservation easement with his family, but said everyone 100% agrees it should be protected forever. Realtor Dan Davies said Singh paid $9.5 million in cash for the property, previously owned by Elizabeth Miller, a Glens Falls-area businesswoman. The property on Millers Way in the town of Fort Ann was listed for $14.9 million. Its the greatest piece of property in the southern Adirondacks, in my opinion, Davies told the Explorer on Tuesday. Ive been doing this for 35 years. Ive never seen anything like it. Singh called the property extraordinary for its feeling of remote wilderness, while still in proximity to New York City, Boston, Montreal and Saratoga Springs. Crossett Lake, also called Crossett Pond, is about 130-feet deep and is incredibly clean water, Davies said. There are several islands in the water body. The property is adjacent to the Lake George Wild Forest and is a stones throw to the Buck Mountain trailhead. It is visible from one of the vistas on Buck Mountain. Singh was beguiled by the pristine beauty of Crossett Lake, and how its elevation and remoteness have protected its water quality. There are no roads near the lake, no runoff from development or agriculture, no public boats to worry about spreading invasive species, and Singh hopes to keep it that way. In plans submitted to the APA, Singh wants to build three new homes and renovate an existing one on site, build a guest cottage with no cooking facilities, and erect a new lodge, arts and crafts building and maintenance barns, records show. He also proposes to build three boat houses with docks on the west side of the lake, and to replace a previously existing lakeside shelter. Singh told the Explorer he plans to have two gas-powered boats for safety reasons, but will otherwise be using electric boats or his favorite method of water travel, a rowboat. The plans include tearing down the former Boy Scout camp dining hall, staff lodge and trading post, a lakeside gazebo and other miscellaneous deteriorated sheds and structures, according to a letter from Anthony to the APA the Explorer received through a Freedom of Information Law request. Thats a lot, Singh said of his development project. That still comes out to be 20,000 square feet of buildings, but it will all be tucked on one end, very respectful of the environment. And the rest of the pond will be preserved forever. Miller, who previously owned the property under an entity called the Crossett Lake Preserve, also used it as a private residence, records show. Miller purchased the land around 1995 from the Essex Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Many of the Scout facilities had not been maintained since 1995, Anthony wrote the APA. Samuel J. Hall, Fort Ann town supervisor, said the area was always great for the Boy Scouts, but he thought it hadnt seen much maintenance since the camp closed. Any projects there would have to go through the town planning board, he said, adding that short-term rentals have been an issue in the town. The town board recently passed a local law regarding short-term rentals that includes quiet hours, septic system reports, dog vaccinations and other stipulations to protect everyones safety and investment, Hall said. This story is from the Adirondack Explorer, a nonprofit news organization that covers the Adirondack Park. Its journalism is published in a bimonthly magazine and daily on adirondackexplorer.org. BALLSTON SPA Saratoga County Court Judge James A. Murphy III dealt several setbacks to prosecutors in the Saratoga Springs shootout case Friday. Murphy denied the district attorney office's effort to block a request by the lawyer representing Vito Caselnova, the Vermont deputy charged with attempted murder, from getting information, including an interview transcript of a second grand juror who has concerns about the first juror who came forward who complained about the indictment process. Murphy homed in on assistant district attorneys Al Poremba and John Latella's reasoning for withholding the information, ruling that defense attorney Greg Teresi must have the transcript just as he has a letter from another grand juror who came forward to the Commissioner of Jurors on March 31 saying "we rushed through our decision with little thought after hearing many days of complicated evidence. Murphy said it was only fair and constitutional that Teresi have that information. "He has been charged with attempted murder," Murphy said, referring to Caselnova. "The juror has identified certain things that he believes went well or didn't or wanted to tell of his experience to the district attorney. But yet you, saying you want to be transparent, have not turned that over to Mr. Teresi. I find that very, very concerning to me. It involves his client ... I don't know what basis the district attorney had the authority to do that. But you still haven't turned it over. Why?" The reply from Poremba and Latella was that the second juror came forward because of news reports about the first juror. After he was pressed again by Murphy, Poremba said it did not provide protection for the juror and would require them to redact the interview. Murphy said the name, address and phone number of the juror can be redacted. "We redact him," Murphy said. "Now, why not? Let's redact it right now." The grand jury indicted Caselnova on March 28 on eight charges that include attempted murder, assault, menacing, reckless endangerment and possessing a firearm in a sensitive location after he and a Utica man, Alexander Colon, allegedly exchanged gunfire in the early morning of Nov. 20 on Broadway. Caselnova was off-duty. The grand jury also indicted Colon and two companions on misdemeanor assault counts, saying they repeatedly punched Caselnova. Both men are claiming self-defense. City police responded to the gunfire, and shot Caselnova as he allegedly leveled his gun at them and did not drop it after being repeatedly commanded to do so. His girlfriend, Cali Brown, was also shot by police and has said she'll sue the city. Murphy also denied Poremba's request to block the defense from disclosing any information on the case, including grand jury minutes or any evidence, to a third party. Poremba said he wanted to ensure case materials are not leaked to the media, the public and to other witnesses, and to prevent the case from being "tried in the media." He wants to be able to charge the defense team with contempt to ensure Teresi complies because Teresi emailed Poremba to say he intended to share the information with other witnesses. But Murphy said the district attorney's office had "no factual basis" for that, and that law and ethics already prohibit Teresi from disclosing information beyond the defense team. "At this stage, it is premature," Murphy said, calling Poremba's concerns vague and overly broad as he was not able to articulate specific information that prompted him to seek the gag order. During the discussion, it came out that Poremba did not provide Teresi the grand jury minutes when they became available to the court on April 3. The defense just received the information April 26. Murphy wanted to know why that was the case. Poremba said he had 35 days to supply them. The district attorney's office also tried to block the grand jury instructions from the defense. Murphy denied that request, saying the defense has the right to be provided grand jury instructions. And Murphy ruled against the district attorney's office, which tried to prevent Caselnova's lawyers from getting Colon's and his companions' subpoena records. After court was adjourned, Poremba said he had no comment. Neither Teresi nor District Attorney Karen Heggen responded to a Times Union request for comment. Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Q & M Dental Group (Singapore) fair value estimate is S$0.59 Q & M Dental Group (Singapore)'s S$0.32 share price signals that it might be 46% undervalued Analyst price target for QC7 is S$0.42 which is 30% below our fair value estimate Does the April share price for Q & M Dental Group (Singapore) Limited (SGX:QC7) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward. Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for Q & M Dental Group (Singapore) The Model We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (SGD, Millions) S$25.6m S$27.7m S$29.6m S$31.0m S$32.2m S$33.3m S$34.2m S$35.1m S$36.0m S$36.8m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Est @ 4.77% Est @ 3.92% Est @ 3.32% Est @ 2.91% Est @ 2.61% Est @ 2.41% Est @ 2.26% Present Value (SGD, Millions) Discounted @ 7.3% S$23.9 S$24.1 S$23.9 S$23.4 S$22.6 S$21.8 S$20.9 S$20.0 S$19.1 S$18.2 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = S$218m We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 1.9%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.3%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = S$37m (1 + 1.9%) (7.3% 1.9%) = S$696m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= S$696m ( 1 + 7.3%)10= S$343m 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 S$561m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of S$0.3, the company appears quite undervalued at a 46% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf The Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Q & M Dental Group (Singapore) as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.3%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.908. 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 Q & M Dental Group (Singapore) Strength Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Healthcare market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Singaporean market. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat Annual revenue is forecast to grow slower than the Singaporean 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. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For Q & M Dental Group (Singapore), we've put together three additional factors you should look at: Risks: For example, we've discovered 4 warning signs for Q & M Dental Group (Singapore) that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does QC7'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 Singaporean stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TROY Two lawsuits that aimed to prevent construction of an apartment complex on the citys northern boundary with Schaghticoke due to environmental and overcrowding concerns were dismissed, according to court decisions filed in the Rensselaer County Clerks office. While the lawsuits were dismissed in the first round of court action, Jessica Bennett, co-founder of the grassroots group The Friends of the Mahicantuck that opposes the development at 1101 Second Ave., has filed notice that she appeal will both cases to the Appellate Division of the Third District, the mid-level appeals court. The lawsuits attempted to overturn zoning decisions by the City Council and city Zoning Board of Appeals that would allow construction of up to 240 apartment units by developer Kevin Vandenburgh. The proposed 10-acre construction site is on the Hudson River. The location includes nine acres in Troys Lansingburgh neighborhood and one acre in the town of Schaghticoke. The lawsuit filed against the city ZBA also included Starlight Development LLC and Vandenburgh as defendants. State Supreme Court Justice Laura M. Jordan dismissed the case as a result of Starlight Development not being properly served. Starlight Development is the owner of the project. Jordan found that the lawsuit could not proceed without Starlight "and the petition is dismissed for failure to join a necessary party. In the case against the City Council, Bennetts attorneys, Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic of White Plains argued that the council performed spot zoning in rezoning the property to permit construction of the apartments and not followed the city code. The attorneys also argued that the city had not properly followed the State Environmental Quality Review Act in reviewing potential environmental impacts of the construction of the apartments. Jordan also handled this case, finding that Bennett failed to meet her burden of establishing that the zoning of the property at issue constitutes illegal spot zoning. Jordan also determined that the city complied with the law mandating the environmental review. Bennett said she is pressing forward with the appeals. This cross appeal is based on the fact that the entire zoning decision was for one developer, not the community as a whole, which is exactly why it was illegal spot zoning, Bennett said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Time to say goodbye. Seven lions, a bear, a camel and even a porcupine left Puerto Rico's lone zoo Friday to head to a new home in Colorado. A U.S.-based animal rescue group started transferring the animals under a plan to find better places for the animals than the zoo, where various species have died. Zoo employees and workers with the Wild Animal Sanctuary organization prepared the big cats and the other animals for the long journey. Activists have long held the U.S. territorys government responsible for the deaths and ill health of animals reported for more than a decade at the zoo in the western town of Mayaguez. Wild Animal Sanctuary is overseeing the removal of the animals and other creatures at the zoo. They will be transferred initially to a refuge in Colorado until a permanent home is found for them. Some of the smaller specimens like reptiles and some monkeys were already transferred, but the bigger mammals like the lions, the bear and the camel required special measures for traveling. A government-appointed committee said that in the past decade two pumas died at the zoo. It also raised concerns about an underweight chimpanzee as well as a rhinoceros named Felipe that was limping and said there was a lack of shelter for animals. In January, an American black bear named Nina who had stopped eating died from a heart attack at more than 20 years old. Black bears can live up to 35 years in captivity. In March, federal authorities said they were dropping all investigations into the zoo after reaching an agreement with local officials to transfer the animals to sanctuaries on the U.S. mainland. The announcement angered many activists. The zoo opened originally in 1954, but it has been closed since hurricanes Irma and Maria battered Puerto Rico in September 2017. ALBANY Emergency regulations in place for five months have given state officials the authority to bust illegal pot shops despite lawmakers and law enforcement officials across New York recently citing what they said is a lack of authority to regulate the booming underground marketplace. The state's Office of Cannabis Management has the power to "take action against unlicensed entities that are engaged in unlawful cannabis," according to emergency regulations printed in the state's register. Similar language is posted on the office's website, where it published the proposed regulations and an adjoining memo. The regulations were passed by the state's Cannabis Control Board in November and then renewed earlier this month. They are in effect until Aug. 3. The office is "further empowered to seize any and all cannabis and cannabis products from unlicensed entities, as well as require such entity to cease all cannabis related activity," reads the rule's justification for adopting it under an emergency process, which bypasses typical rule-making steps. The office also has the power to refer investigations to the state Department of Taxation and Finance, district attorneys or other enforcement agencies. Penalties, according to the emergency rule, could range from fine of $50 to $10,000 and also can include criminal offenses under state cannabis and tax laws. The details of the little-discussed emergency rules may run counter to public comments Gov. Kathy Hochul delivered Thursday night, when she unveiled a "conceptual agreement" on the state's budget. "What we do not have is (the authority) for individuals from Office of Cannabis Management or from our state tax and finance office to go in and enforce the laws," Hochul said. She added that state officials are "not allowed to do searches because we only had civil penalties, not criminal penalties." Hochul is proposing a misdemeanor offense for those thwarting the tax law when it comes to illegal cannabis sales, which she says will then grant clear authority to take down the illegal shops. While she said an agreement was in place with state lawmakers, as part of beleaguered budget negotiations, state lawmakers said conversations remained ongoing on the details. "The key is the Department of Taxation and Finance has to have the power to go in and search and seize illegal product," Hochul's chief counsel, Liz Fine, said after the governor's comments. She added that the Office of Cannabis Management also would be granted the "tools to also go in" and seize illegal product, under the new rules that have yet to be adopted. "The state will, hopefully, be able to show that illegal dispensaries cannot continue to thrive," Fine said. Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie offered similar comments earlier in the week when describing the latest hold-up in budget negotiations. "The illegal pot shops are hurting the ability for the cannabis (industry) to begin and grow," Heastie told reporters at the Capitol. "We want to be able to shut them down, so we have to make a change." The office may have already used its power to seize products from illicit businesses recently. Two Queens store clerks were arrested for possession of cannabis and untaxed cigarettes on Monday, according to reporting in QNS.com. The New York City Sheriffs Office, the state Office of Cannabis Management and local police handled the investigation that led to 63 violations issued and $45,000 in civil penalties. Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar said she had spoken to the city's sheriff earlier in the month about remedying the proliferation of illegal pot shops. Following the raid, Rajkumar issued a statement thanking law enforcement for acting on her concerns. "We must shutter these illegal, unlicensed smoke shops, which endanger our communities," Rajkumar, D-Queens, said. Two months ago, the union representing deputies with the New York City Sheriff's Office questioned their authority to conduct raids on illegal pot shops, according to a letter obtained by The City. It said that since mid-November, around the time the state issued its emergency regulations, it had conducted at least 50 inspections of unlicensed cannabis retailers, a Feb. 2 letter from the union states. The deputies said the sheriff's office had created a "Cannabis Task Force" to carry out the inspections. "The union has found legislation which permits the New York state Office of Cannabis Management to conduct inspections at licensed retail locations, however that is the extent of the authority that we have found," the letter reads. The emergency rules have been on the books since Nov. 21. State and city officials say New York City has at least 1,500 illegal pot shops. The state has five fully licensed shops that are open for business, which includes organizations that have gone through a lengthy regulatory process to meet specifically crafted rules to earn the right to sell. State officials have prioritized "social equity" standards to try to ensure those who may have been prosecuted for pot possession have the first chance to profit off of the new, legalized industry. At least 155 conditional adult-use retail dispensary licenses have been issued by the state, officials said at a Cannabis Control Board meeting in early April. "I want to also make note at this time of what were doing to ensure that the space in which you are operating is one that is fully supportive and that is really pointing to the need for additional enforcement," Office of Cannabis Control Management Executive Director Chris Alexander said on April 3. "We have been working constantly, small team, but working constantly across the state to ensure the continued operation of these illicit shops comes to a close," Alexander continued. "The governor in the last few weeks announced a new effort to give us some additional authority, some additional powers, to conduct that enforcement. We will continue to make enforcement a priority. We understand that in order for you all to be successful we must tamper down that effort, that activity and that remains a key priority for that office." Alexander was referring to proposed legislation by Hochul to be able to more clearly police the illegal pot industry. That legislation has been the subject of budget negotiations with legislative leaders and has resulted in at least a tentative agreement to pass a version that balances enforcement, to help promote tax revenue for the state, while avoiding falling back to criminalizing the same activity it just legalized. Later in the April 3 meeting, the board approved continuing the emergency regulations, which are often discussed in the context of enforcement of violations and related hearings. It was not immediately clear how often the Office of Cannabis Management has used its emergency powers to seize illegal products, seek to have an illegal business cease operations or refer an investigation to state or local authorities. A spokesman for the office directed the Times Union to file a Freedom of Information Law request to obtain any information on the office's use of emergency powers to police illegal pot shops. ALBANY The state Office of Children and Family Services on Friday confirmed it will investigate an unlicensed child care center that state Democratic Assembly leaders have been operating for several months on the ninth floor of the Legislative Office Building. The complimentary child care service, which has been staffed by two legislative aides, has provided what the chamber refers to as drop-in day care services for a handful of Democratic Assembly members since it was quietly launched earlier this year. Spokespeople for Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, who authorized the use of the conference room for that purpose, said it had also been offered to Republican Assembly members. OCFS has initiated an investigation of the program in question, Solomon Syed, a spokesman for the agency, said in a statement Friday afternoon. As the state oversight authority, OCFS will investigate after it is made aware of an alleged unlicensed or unregistered program. In a series of statements over the weekend, Syed outlined their handling of the matter and said that members of their offices legislative affairs staff met with Assembly officials last year to provide information on applicable regulations for child care services, including several program models that dont require a license. But officials with OCFS and the office of Heastie have declined to provide more information about that meeting, including who were the attendees. OCFS officials did confirm that during that meeting they did not give any direction to the Assembly that it was appropriate or inappropriate to go forward with setting up an unlicensed facility. OCFS provided Assembly staff with information on applicable regulations for child care services, including several program models that dont require a license, Syed said. On Monday, OCFS declined to say whether they had inspected the Assemblys conference room that had been converted to a day care. Assessing if a child care programs service model requires state oversight includes OCFS visiting the program in question, Syed said. Since this review is in progress, we cannot comment further at this time. Although Heasties office has used the term drop-in center to describe the day care room, OCFS generally defines those centers as serving homeless and runaway youth. The Times Union reported Thursday that the conference room has housed a small unlicensed day care center serving a select number of Democratic Assembly members, many of whom bring their children along when they take part in legislative meetings and other government business. Heasties office has described the setup as a trial program to gauge the need among lawmakers for the service. The large conference room has been fully converted to a child care setting, with amenitites that include a microwave oven, refrigerator, colorful floor mats, childrens' books, toys, blankets, pillows, a water cooler and at least one crib. The Times Union monitored the office for several days recently and discovered that toddler-age children were being cared for there for more than several hours per day while the Legislature has been in session. The conference room is steps from offices used by Assembly Majority Leader Crystal People-Stokes and Heastie. The space has been used for official purposes through the years ranging from legislative ethics meetings to employee training sessions. We know we have a need to provide the working parents with some assistance, said Kerri Biche, a spokeswoman for Heastie, said this week. We kind of developed this drop-in center as a trial. Its available to any legislator who has parenting needs. The Assemblys informal child care services have not been offered to legislative staffers, some of whom have noted privately that some lawmakers direct them to watch their children while they are at the Capitol. Members also get per diem money and free day care and staffers who serve as free nannies, said a person who identified themselves as a legislative aide but asked to remain anonymous. Members talk in front of staff about everything they do. We know to keep quiet or get fired. It is a silent understanding. Staffers earn very little and are not offered free child care for staff who have babies. Biche said the two staff members who care for the children had been teachers before in their previous employment so theyre dedicated staff in there. One was hired to do this job plus another, Biche added. The other is an existing staffer who had previous experience and asked to be part of it. So on the days were not in session or were out of session they have other duties. But both have previous day care, teacher experience. Biche declined to identify the two staffers. Heasties office, which had offered the Times Union a tour of the day care room last week, has since retreated from that offer. The Legislature has been in session for more than 40 days since January, including returning to Albany last week during a school holiday week when they had not been scheduled to meet. In a statement on Thursday, Syed, the spokesman for the state Office of Children and Family Services, had said that if a program meets the requirements under the law, then they must obtain a license or registration, regardless of whether the provider is compensated or has an informal agreement with the childs parent or guardian. As the state oversight authority, if after an investigation OCFS determines a child care program is operating without a required license or registration, the agency issues a notice to cease operations. The Office of Children and Family Services, which licenses day care centers, defines a small day care center as a program or facility which is not a residence in which child day care is provided to three through six children for more than three hours per day per child for compensation or otherwise. There are added restrictions for small day care centers, including that no more than two children under the age of 2 may be cared for at any one time and when any child who is less than 2 years of age is present, the maximum capacity is five. In the conference room used by the Assembly members, who are paid more than $141,000 a year, its unclear how much capacity there is or how many children and what ages have been cared for on a regular basis. The working world has changed. Were more accommodating to being a family-friendly environment, and the speaker doesnt want parents to have to choose between being a legislator and having young kids, Biche said Thursday. In some cases members have had to choose between leaving their young kid with a relative at home or trying to convince a relative to come up here and stay with them, and this is just trying to give them some flexibility. Michael Whyland, another spokesman for Heastie, noted that the speaker has the authority to provide benefits to members and that the center is viewed as a benefit. [April 28, 2023] REDWIRE INVESTIGATION INITIATED by Former Louisiana Attorney General: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates the Officers and Directors of Redwire Corporation - RDW Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW). In November 2021, the Company disclosed that it could not timely file its quarterly report due to an internal investigation into accounting issues. On March 31, 2022, the Company disclosed a multitude of internal procedural and control failures, including "an additional material weakness" beyond the company's "previously identified internal control deficiencies." The next day, the Company finally filed its 3Q2021 report revealing that its "disclosure controls and procedures" suffered from an inadequate "control environment" and that "certain members of senior management failed to consistently message and set certain aspects of an appropriate tone at the top." Thereafter, the Company and certain of its executives were sued in a securities class action lawsuit, charging them with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. Recently, the court presiding over that case denied the Company's motion to ismiss, allowing the case to move forward. KSF's investigation is focusing on whether Redwire's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to its shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws. If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Redwire shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-833-938-0905 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-rdw/ to learn more. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005526/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] More aftermath and perspective from both sides . . . We'll start with a quote that might not seem "middle-of-the-road" to many constituents . . . The Republican-controlled Legislature overrode a veto from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to define a woman in state law by a persons reproductive biology at birth. Its a move LGBTQ activists say will legally erase trans existence and will embolden conservative school districts to install stricter policies against already vulnerable students. I promised Kansans Id govern from the middle of the road and that Id serve as a check on legislation that is too extreme one way or the other, Kelly tweeted after the override. Im disappointed some legislators are eager to force through extremist legislation that will hurt our economy and tarnish our reputation as the Free State. From the GOP side of the equation . . . The Kansas house speaker, Dan Hawkins, told GOP colleagues after the vote that the override was truly the icing on the cake among conservative policy victories this year and said that he was just giddy. The Kansas law is different than most other states laws in that it legally defines male and female based on the sex assigned at birth and declares that distinctions between the sexes in bathrooms and other spaces serves the important governmental objectives of protecting health, safety and privacy. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Congressional Republicans want to define 'woman.' Kansas did it first. The measure is the culmination of a long-running messaging campaign Republicans have built across the country directed at passing a "Women's Bill of Rights." And the GOP's victory in Kansas may signal the success of their tactics as similar proposals get introduced or advance in Oklahoma, South Carolina, North Dakota and Tennessee. Kansas enacts most sweeping transgender bathroom law in the US Kansas enacted what may be the most sweeping transgender bathroom law in the US on Thursday after Republican lawmakers overrode the Democratic governor's veto of the measure. The state's governor, Laura Kelly, had blocked the bill, suggesting it was discriminatory and would hurt the state's ability to attract businesses. Developing . . . Quick update on gunfire aftermath, court cases, investigations and the future of local police. Check TKC news gathering . . . Ralph Yarl still recovering two weeks following shooting at wrong address RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. TODAY, RALPH'S CLASSMATES ARE SHOWING THEIR SUPPORT AS HE CONTINUES HIS RECOVERY. ABC NEWS REBECCA GANNON JOINS US LIVE AT STALEY HIGH SCHOOL AHEAD OF THIS MORNING'S UNITY WALK. GOOD MORNING, REBECCA. GOOD MORNING, JAMIE. CLASSES STARTED ABOUT 20 MINUTES AGO HERE AT STALEY HIGH SCHOOL. Wrongfully convicted Kansas man to get $7.5 million payment A Kansas man who spent 16 years in prison for a rape and murder he didn't commit will receive $7.5 million from the county where he was arrested and convicted of the crime.Jefferson County commissioners approved the settlement last week with Floyd Bledsoe, who was released from prison in 2015 Kansas City man found guilty in 2017 murder, among other charges KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Kansas City, Missouri man was found guilty Friday evening in the 2017 murder who shot and killed a 36-year-old woman inside a home. John A. Frazier was found guilty of murder and armed criminal action charges. True crime: Dinner invite ends in Missouri family cult killing KIRTLAND, Ohio - On October 24, 2006, Jeffrey Lundgren, who was convicted of murdering a Missouri family, received a lethal injection at a correctional facility in Lucasville, Ohio. Lundgren was originally from Independence, Missouri and claimed to be a prophet of God who killed the Avery family of five. Here's what to know about the newly enacted Kansas "anti-smuggling" bill Advocates for Latino immigrants expressed alarm after Republicans in the Kansas Legislature enacted a law against human smuggling over the objections of Gov. Laura Kelly. They fear it will be used to criminalize the acts of good Samaritans with hazy definitions of human smuggling and over-the-top charges. Lawrence police investigating death of woman at KU sorority, foul play not suspected SOURCE: KMBC The Lawrence Police Department is investigating after a 19-year-old woman was found dead in her bed at the Alpha Chi Omega Sorority on Saturday morning. A University of Kansas student, she was found dead at 10:30 a.m. Saturday after emergency personnel were called to 1500 Sigma Nu Place. 176th Entrant Officer Class Runs In Honor of Officer James Muhlbauer They ran in honor of Officer Jim Muhlbauer, who was killed in the line of duty on Feb. 15. The run started at the police memorial in front of headquarters to Truman & Benton, the intersection where Muhlbauer's police vehicle was struck by a driver who sped at a high rate of speed through a red light. Developing . . . Three years into the return to office battle, an exasperated JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is not mincing words. More from Fortune: 5 side hustles where you may earn over $20,000 per yearall while working from home Looking to make extra cash? This CD has a 5.15% APY right now Buying a house? Here's how much to save This is how much money you need to earn annually to comfortably buy a $600,000 home Earlier this month, JPMorgan senior leaders asked hybrid workers to continue coming in three days a week at minimum and managing directors to start coming in full-time. Workers would still have flexibility to work from home for things like family issues or doctors appointments, but it seemed there was an or else implied for those who wouldnt comply. The memo, which Fortune reviewed, said that failure to come into headquarters when required would result in appropriate performance management steps, which could include corrective action. Many JPMorgan workers up and down the totem pole, including managers, didnt take fondly to it. They pushed back on what they called a tone deaf and divisive order on the companys messaging platform, Reuters reported in an exclusive published Thursday. They vented about being stuck in a Zoom culture, in which in-person staffers are yanked into virtual meetings and conference calls. They also, per Reuters, expounded upon the logistical difficulties of balancing commuting with other responsibilities. Most people on my team (and even other teams around me) live pretty far from the office, one commenter wrote. Being stuck in traffic more often and paying even more for gas (prices are rising) is not good for myself and many others. Less than a day after the committee shared the memo and scores of workers reacted, comments were reportedly turned off. JPMorgan declined to comment to Fortune, but Dimon said in an earnings call this month he understands his workers concernsbut stands by his stance. He sent the memo, titled The importance of being together, because, some people werent following the rules. Story continues We dont want to punish everybody because of that, but people agreed to do three days a week; we expect three days a week, Dimon said, adding that he gets why people dont want to do it. But in his mind, those people can not do it elsewhere. Dimons words bear striking similarity to those of fellow pro-office stalwart Elon Musk. In a leaked memo to his staff at Tesla last spring, the bombastic billionaire said, Remote work is no longer acceptable. Sowing doubt over remote workers commitment and productivity, he then tweeted that remote workers should pretend to work somewhere else. What Dimon says, goes Despite pushback from his workers, Dimon is often the rock that redirects the course of the river on Wall Street. As the chief executive of the nations largest lender, his word tends to create a ripple effect among his peersand detractors. That holds true on financial matters as well as cultural ones. You cant miss Dimon. His annual shareholder letter is an industry event, and he was the one to rush to First Republics rescue after it stumbled during the implosion of Silicon Valley Bank. Because Dimon, who has helmed JPMorgan for nearly two decades, cuts such an influential figure in Wall Street culture, his beliefs and mandates about the future of work will likely set the tone for New Yorks entire banking landscape; he has shepherded JPMorgan from triumph to triumph while many of his peers have struggledor been wiped out. Among the major U.S. employers, leaders in the banking industry have been bullish on their pro-office stance. Dimon, alongside Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman, has been outspoken about the value of in-office collaborationand the drawbacks of working from home. (For his part, Solomon called remote work an aberration; Gorman thinks the discussion should not include workers at all.) Back-to-work mandates might be futile This isnt JPMorgans first go-around. Dimon initially called workers back to their desks about two years ago, but backed down when scores of staff failed to show up. Not for lack of trying. Im about to cancel all my Zoom meetings, Dimon said in May 2021. Im done with it. He added that remote work, on the whole, doesnt work for people who want to hustle. He said at the time that he expected a return to workplace normalcy in the fall of 2021. And everyone is going to be happy with it, he added. And yespeople dont like commuting, but so what. The office is vital for fostering spontaneous discussions, Dimon insisted earlier this month. This has been his party line for some time; at Davos in January, he said remote work doesnt work for young kids (meaning new employees), or spontaneity, or management. Workers on the inside fear Dimons turn of phrase for managing directors is just the tip of the iceberg, and soon workers at all levels will be folded into the five-days-per-week edict. There is a growing concern thatthey may informally start asking the juniors to be in there as well, one employee told Reuters. That might be enough for them to leave the high-paying company altogether; for most American workers, flexibility in a role is more important than pay. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com More from Fortune: 5 side hustles where you may earn over $20,000 per yearall while working from home Looking to make extra cash? This CD has a 5.15% APY right now Buying a house? Here's how much to save This is how much money you need to earn annually to comfortably buy a $600,000 home Weekend reading led us to this interesting passage which offers a teachable moment . . . So many lofty political ideas expressed in Kansas City don't really offer us a pathway to a peaceful future. Here's one international example . . . "In 2003, in Kansas City, MO, on the sidelines of the Friends of Morocco meeting, the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum hosted a screening of Bab Al-Sama Maftuh, directed by Farida Ben Lyazid. Among the audience was John Garangs daughter. She was studying at university in Kansas City. Obviously, the Sudan issue was raised. She smartly explained that she was not interested in politics but insisted that South Sudan would gain independence no matter what . . . Like a premonition and perfect evidence of realpolitik that would considerably impact Sudans political and identity future." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Military Regimes Cannot Be Peace-Builders or Democracy-Promoters In 2002, Mustafa Osman Ismail, then foreign minister of Sudan (1998-2005), held a formal meeting with the head of the Arab diplomatic corps accredited in Washington, DC, at the end of his work visit to the United States of America. Sudan and the United States had just resumed their diplomatic relations after a decade of turmoil. Further reading . . . U.S. carries out 1st evacuation of American citizens from Sudan conflict WASHINGTON (AP) - Hundreds of Americans fleeing two weeks of deadly fighting in Sudan reached the east African nation's port Saturday in the first U.S.-run evacuation, completing a dangerous land journey under escort of armed drones. Sudan fighting: No talks until bombing stops, Hemedti tells BBC One of Sudan's duelling generals, who leads the paramilitary force fighting the country's army, has told the BBC he will not negotiate until fighting ends. But Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, said his fighters were being "relentlessly" bombed since a three-day truce had been extended. US, partners scurry to contain fighting in Sudan The U.S. and international partners are scrambling to contain an outbreak of fierce fighting in Sudan, where a conflict between heavily armed military factions risks exploding into a civil war that threatens devastating consequences. Intense diplomacy by the U.S., the U.K., the African Union, United Nations, Gulf countries and others succeeded in extending a cease-fire early Friday... Sudan crisis risks becoming a nightmare for the world - former PM Hamdok The former prime minister of Sudan has warned that the conflict in his country could become worse than those in Syria and Libya. Abdalla Hamdok said the fighting will be a "nightmare for the world" if it continues. The latest ceasefire between warring generals is faltering, with airstrikes reported in the capital Khartoum. Developing . . . Today, many locals engage in an important conversation about police staffing and the city's budget. KC Fraternal Order Of Police leader Brad Lemon started the discussion . . . Check his note that contains a great deal of info . . . However . . . A balanced view of this argument should include the perspective of detractors who note the rising total of funds allocated to police . . . And of course there's a response to that criticism . . . And here's our question . . . CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN WHY KANSAS CITY HASN'T WORKED HARDER TO HIRE MORE COPS?!? Our TKC blog community has been complaining about this for at least 3 years and . . . Sadly, the problem has grown worse. In the meantime, despite the political blame game . . . There hasn't been much progress on this front despite assurances from every side the concern for rank & file cops is their top priority. Right now . . . Police are responding to the 4th Kansas City homicide in less than 24 hours. Developing . . . For many, the main point of investing is to generate higher returns than the overall market. But even the best stock picker will only win with some selections. So we wouldn't blame long term Mondi plc (LON:MNDI) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 35% over a half decade. Furthermore, it's down 17% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. Now let's have a look at the company's fundamentals, and see if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business. View our latest analysis for Mondi There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). During the unfortunate half decade during which the share price slipped, Mondi actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) improve by 12% per year. Given the share price reaction, one might suspect that EPS is not a good guide to the business performance during the period (perhaps due to a one-off loss or gain). Alternatively, growth expectations may have been unreasonable in the past. Due to the lack of correlation between the EPS growth and the falling share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics to try to understand the share price movement. We note that the dividend has remained healthy, so that wouldn't really explain the share price drop. It's not immediately clear to us why the stock price is down but further research might provide some answers. The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers). Mondi is a well known stock, with plenty of analyst coverage, suggesting some visibility into future growth. Given we have quite a good number of analyst forecasts, it might be well worth checking out this free chart depicting consensus estimates. Story continues What About Dividends? As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Mondi, it has a TSR of -22% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! A Different Perspective Investors in Mondi had a tough year, with a total loss of 12% (including dividends), against a market gain of about 2.8%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 4% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Mondi better, we need to consider many other factors. For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Mondi (1 is potentially serious!) that you should be aware of before investing here. We will like Mondi better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on British exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Hello again Krakowed Quite the contrary to posting number 2. Phnom Penh International airport is a very easy airport to enter and exit through. I am in and out at Phnom Penh on a regular basis and will be so again a week today. And given that check in counters open two hours prior to flight departure time and close 30 minutes before, passing through immigration control and then airport security screening is a breeze. It's getting to and from the airport that can be time consuming. It can take anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour and a half at the extreme. Best regards. Ian/Angkorlad Government is weaning off Desalcott. In fact, it's the government's intention that by the ti Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it. I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends. More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it. The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity. About me: I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS. Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line). Age: 42 Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed. I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it). Since the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion, Estonia has expressed support for Ukraine and provided assistance worth more than 500 million euros. The Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said this during a briefing in Odesa, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Minister said that Estonia had supported Ukraine from the beginning of the war and invested more than 500 million euros. He also added country will join the reconstruction of Ukraine and supports its way to joining the EU and NATO. In addition, Margus Tsakhkna emphasized that Estonia supports the establishment of a special international tribunal for Russia. As reported, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal expressed gratitude to Estonia for the initiative to provide Ukraine with ammunition at the EU level, and for its involvement in the reconstruction and support for the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukrainians. Pakistan is preparing to provide Ukraine with Anza Mark-II man-portable air-defense systems of its own production. This is said in a report published on mil.in.ua with reference to The Economic Times, Ukrinform reports. According to the report, Pakistan's air defense equipment will be delivered through Poland. The publication notes that Poland in February signed a memorandum of understanding with the Pakistani side on the supply of defense equipment to Kyiv. Polands PHU Lechmar LLC will act as an intermediary buyer, while Canada-based Tradent Global Solutions will act as an intermediary consultant. Read also: Pakistan to provide Ukraine with 230 containers of military equipment In addition, Pakistan is in the process of exporting Anza Mark-II MANPADS to Poland for transfer to Kyiv. For reference: the Anza is a series of shoulder-fired, man-portable surface-to-air missiles produced by Pakistan. The Anza is used for short-range air defense. The Anza MK-1, Anza MK-2, and Anza MK-3 missile have a fire range of 4, 5, and 6 km, respectively. Introducing the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine HARRISON TOWNSHIP, N.J., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In what was a landmark day for veterinary medicine nationallyand for New JerseyGov. Phil Murphy and other state officials and veterinary medicine leaders joined the Rowan community on April 28 to celebrate a $30 million gift for the state's first veterinary school. New Jersey business leader and animal welfare advocate Gerald B. Shreiber has given a $30 million gift for the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine at Rowan University. The school is New Jersey's first veterinary school. Shreiber is chairman of J&J Snack Foods Corp., based in Pennsauken, N.J. The gift from South Jersey businessman and staunch animal welfare advocate Gerald B. Shreiber was announced during a groundbreaking ceremony on Rowan's West Campus in Harrison Township, N.J. The school will be named the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine, a fitting tribute to the successful business leader and entrepreneur from South Jersey who has generously supported education and animal health and wellness for decades. "Just think about itthere's going to be a very good chance that not too far in the future, graduates of Rowan University will be providing medical care to every member of a family living in New Jersey," Murphy said to the capacity crowd at the future home of the veterinary school adjacent to the South Jersey Tech Park of Rowan University. "When the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine is added to all else that Rowan University does so well, this institution is truly living up to its motto, 'Education, hope of the world.'" Learn more about Shreiber and the gift here. Three medical degrees With the addition of the veterinary school, expected to welcome its first class in 2025, Rowan will be one of only two universities in the nation to offer three medical degrees: D.V.M., D.O., and M.D. Currently, there are just 33 veterinary schools in the United States and only five on the east coast. Shreiber's gift, announced by Rowan President Ali A. Houshmand to thundering applause and a prolonged standing ovation, is the third-largest gift to the University (and the second-largest gift from an individual). Story continues A generous supporter of the University for more than two decades, Shreiber in 2019 pledged $3 million to establish the Shreiber Family Pet Therapy Program. Since then, the program has provided group and individualized therapy animal visits for more than 8,000 Rowan students and employees. 'His confidence in us is both humbling and inspirational' With Shreiber's gift to the veterinary school, the University will have the means to offer scholarships to veterinary students, Houshmand said. The school will address an increase in demand for veterinary professionals in New Jersey and across the nation. It will help keep state residents seeking veterinary careers in New Jersey and also attract out-of-state students. The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges has predicted a shortage of 15,000 veterinarians in the nation within two decades. "Gerry Shreiber's generosity has literally changed the lives of students at Rowan University. His confidence in us over the years is both humbling and inspirational," Houshmand said. "Thank you, Mr. Shreiber, for your investment in Rowan, in New Jersey, in education, and in the health and welfare of animals for years to come. Your gift will be used to support scholarships, making attaining a veterinary degree more accessible and affordable. And that will happen in perpetuity." Addressing affordability Affordability is an important issue for veterinary students, Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine Founding Dean Matthew Edson said. The gift and its support of scholarships will distinguish the Shreiber School as it works to keep veterinary students in New Jersey, said Edson, who earned his D.V.M. degree from Kansas State University. "Affordability of veterinary education is one of the big problems that we have in our industry," Edson said. "Folks come out with a large amount of debt and that's a struggle. We don't want to be that program. Donations like what Mr. Shreiber has provided for us are really going to allow us to fill that gap and our students can pursue that career that they want after they graduateand not just pursue a paycheck." Lifelong animal lover Chairman of J&J Snack Foods Corp., Shreiber said he is pleasedand proudto support the veterinary school. In 1971, Shreiber, who grew up outside Atlantic City, purchased a bankrupt soft pretzel company and transformed it into a multi-billion-dollar snack food and beverage industry that has been listed on the FORBES list of "200 Best Small Companies' seven times. The company's brands include SUPERPRETZEL, ICEE, LUIGI'S and Minute Maid. A lifelong animal lover, Shreiber has used his business success to generously support education and animal welfare. He created SAFE (Shreiber Animal Foundation Enterprise), which made a transformational gift to establish a pet therapy program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "I've been very fortunate in business over the years," he said. "I'm honored to give this gift. Animals are my passion, so I couldn't think of a better way to give something back to make a positive impact on their lives," Shreiber said. "I'm excited to see the development of the veterinary school and to know I have a role in that. I believe New Jersey needs better veterinary care and if I can do my small part to help that, I'm happy to." Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/njs-first-vet-school-at-rowan-university-receives-30m-gift-from-business-leader-301811404.html SOURCE Rowan University As part of his visit to Dnipro, President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel visited a dormitory for internally displaced persons (IDPs), which has been operating since 2014. Serhiy Lysak, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, wrote this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports. "Since the full-scale invasion, the region has welcomed almost 400,000 displaced people. They usually rent housing on their own. Some were sheltered by the regions residents for free. The local government also offers accommodation options. In total, more than 8,000 places have been prepared. Today, Czech President Petr Pavel visited one of them, Lysak wrote. According to the regional governor, the Czech president visited a vocational school dormitory, which has been welcoming IDPs since 2014. As the regional governor noted, up to 500 IDPs were once accommodated here at the same time. Today, a little more than 70 IDPs are remaining here. They are from Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Luhansk regions. The Czech president also visited the site of Russias missile attack near a multi-story apartment block destroyed by a Russian missile on January 14. Flowers were laid here in memory of those killed. In addition, Pavel laid flowers on the Alley of Memory of Heroes, dedicated to the fallen defenders of Ukraine. As reported, President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel and his Slovak counterpart Zuzana Caputova arrived in Ukraine on April 28. They visited Bucha and Borodianka in Kyiv region, met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Today, April 29, the leader of the Czech Republic is visiting Dnipropetrovsk region to discuss with the local authorities the reconstruction of the region. Photo: Instagram president_pavel, Telegram Serhiy Lysak Lithuania transferred six more Land Rover off road vehicles and military food rations to Ukraine. Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas posted this on Twitter, Ukrinform reports. Tonight the Lithuanian Armed Forces delivered six more Land Rover off road vehicles and military food rations to Ukraine. Everything is needed to support mobility, he wrote and published the relevant photo. As reported by Ukrinform, Anusauskas earlier stated that the amount of military aid provided to Ukraine reached EUR 454 million, assuring that Lithuania is ready to provide Ukraine with support to defeat Russia. At the beginning of this week, the Netherlands sent a war crimes investigation team to Ukraine for the third time. That's according to the Netherlands Ministry of Defense, Ukrinform reports. "A forensic and investigation team left for Ukraine at the beginning of this week to investigate war crimes," the ministry said. It added that this time the issue concerns an approximately 60-strong team, which also includes nine Czech experts. The group includes experts from the military police of the Netherlands and other units of the Ministry of Defense. The team's duties are to investigate and secure evidence. This is done under the auspices of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The team of experts first visited Ukraine in May last year. Their second visit to Ukraine was the end of last year. Evidence was collected and submitted to the International Criminal Court. On March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Children's Ombudswoman Lvova-Belova who are suspected of illegally deporting children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia since at least February 2022. This year, the Czech Republic will allocate CZK 22 million (over $1 million) to cover tuition for up to 25 students of Ukraine's National Aviation University. This was reported by Radio Prague International, Ukrinform saw. The government approved the relevant proposal on Wednesday, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky told a press conference. The money will come from the program of humanitarian and economic aid to Ukraine, which was approved by the government in 2022. As part of the program, the Czech Republic has committed to annually allocate half a billion korunas ($23.5 million) in the period 2023-2025. It is specified that students who have completed training in the Czech Republic will be ready to operate civil aviation aircraft as co-pilots. "The project will contribute to the speedy restoration of air traffic and, therefore, the countrys overall recovery," the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized. As Ukrinform reported earlier, President Petr Pavel of the Czech Republic stated that the country was ready to provide assistance to Ukraine in reconstruction and preparation for NATO membership. Ukraine will have to make the decision to increase electricity tariffs, otherwise the country's power system will not be able to prepare for the next winter. Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Energy Farid Safarov said this on national television, according to Ukrinform. "Any tariff changes during growth peaks are difficult and forced decisions. Currently, the government and the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities are working to understand how much the tariff should be increased. But such a decision will still have to be made, because otherwise the energy industry will not only be able to recover, but will also not be able to prepare for the next winter that may be much more difficult than the previous one," Safarov said. He added that international partners also provide support in the field of recovery of the Ukrainian energy industry. This is both equipment and funds. At this time, Ukraine has already received EUR 150 million from the EU for the energy support fund and a 200 million grant from the World Bank. But, according to Safarov, these funds are not enough. Safarov noted that assistance would be provided to vulnerable categories of the population so that they can pay for electricity. Sources of funding for this assistance can be revenues from electricity exports or financial assistance from partners, he said. So far, there is no final decision on the size of the electricity tariff, Safarov said. The Georgian delegation did not take part in the adoption of the resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which recognizes the forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia as genocide, as it was unable to attend the vote. That is according to the Novosti-Georgia portal, Ukrinform reports. The delegation, which flew to Strasbourg on April 24, included the chairman of the ruling party of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, Deputy Speaker Archil Talakvadze, MPs from the parliamentary majority Irakli Chikovani, Khatia Tsilosani, Givi Mikanadze, and Eka Sepashvili. The Georgian Dream party stated that they had purchased return tickets in advance, and therefore could not attend the vote. Read also: PACE recognizes deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia as genocide "The return tickets were bought several weeks in advance because we had a specific agenda... The fact that we are not joining something on purpose is speculation," said Givi Mikanadze, a member of the delegation. At the same time, Beka Davituliani, a deputy of the ruling Georgian Dream party, did not rule out that "the resolution contained something else that they do not support." "For example, one of the previous resolutions was not only about supporting Ukraine, but also about releasing Saakashvili. Then our delegation said it would support the resolution if this clause was removed. But it was not removed, and we could not support the resolution," he said. Earlier, a member of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE, MP from the European Solidarity party, Oleksii Honcharenko, said that the Georgian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe did not cast a single vote for the resolution on the forced removal of Ukrainian children from the territories occupied by Russia. As reported by Ukrinform, on April 27, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recognized the deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children to the territory of the Russian Federation as genocide and called on the ICC to consider criminal prosecution for this crime. The document entitled "Deportations and forcible transfers of Ukrainian children and other civilians to Russian Federation or to Ukrainian territories temporarily occupied: create conditions for their safe return, stop these crimes and punish the perpetrators" was voted for by 87 deputies out of 89 present, one was against, and one abstained. Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin at a meeting with Slovak President Zuzana Caputova thanked her for the decision of her country's parliament to support the establishment of a special tribunal for Russia's crime of aggression against Ukraine. According to Ukrinform, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office said this in a Telegram post. "Slovakia has always been and remains a reliable partner of Ukraine, helping us resist Russian aggression and supporting Ukraine on its path to EU membership and our initiatives on the legal front," Kostin said. He thanked Caputova for her consistent position and support for Ukraine. "Both of our states are clearly aware that the Russian regime is terrorist, and terrorists must be stopped and brought to justice. We highly appreciate the decision of the Parliament of Slovakia to support the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression," he said. Ukraine's prosecutor general also thanked his Slovak colleagues for their contribution to the work of the joint investigation team probing serious international crimes in Ukraine (JIT) and the help of Slovak experts who visited Ukraine and worked side by side with Ukrainian prosecutors. "We hope for further cooperation for the sake of restoring justice and peace in Europe and beyond," Kostin added. In September 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky formed a working group headed by the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, which is working on the creation of a special tribunal to hold the Russian leadership criminally responsible for committing the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The creation of such a tribunal was supported by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and individual states. Photo: Prosecutor General's Office, Telegram Insiders were net buyers of TransAlta Renewables Inc.'s (TSE:RNW ) stock during the past year. That is, insiders bought more stock than they sold. Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. See our latest analysis for TransAlta Renewables The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At TransAlta Renewables There wasn't any very large single transaction over the last year, but we can still observe some trading. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! TransAlta Renewables is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Insider Ownership Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. From what we can see in our data, insiders own only about CA$564k worth of TransAlta Renewables shares. We might be missing something but that seems like very low insider ownership. So What Does This Data Suggest About TransAlta Renewables Insiders? The fact that there have been no TransAlta Renewables insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. We'd like to see bigger individual holdings. However, we don't see anything to make us think TransAlta Renewables insiders are doubting the company. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with TransAlta Renewables (including 1 which can't be ignored). Story continues If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here (@FahadShabbir) ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2023 ) :Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday chaired the meeting of the Reforms and Resource Mobilization Commission (RRMC). Ashfaq Yousuf Tola MoS/Chairman RRMC, Tariq Bajwa SAPM on Finance, Tariq Mehmood Pasha SAPM on Revenue, Secretary Finance, Chairman FBR, and other senior officers from Finance Division, FBR, and RRMC attended the meeting, said a press release issued here. Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar welcomed the members of the Commission and highlighted the current economic and financial outlook of the country. He shared that in spite of challenges, the government is determined to set the economy on a positive trajectory through introducing reforms in various sectors in order to achieve economic stability and growth. The Chairman of the Commission presented an interim report containing recommendations of the Commission to the Finance Minister. The Finance Minister further appreciated the efforts of the RRMC in recognizing issues and challenges in the existing taxation system and for devising valuable suggestions for reforms in the revenue policies for resource mobilization, ease of doing business, and taxpayer facilitation to achieve sustainable economic growth. The meeting deliberated upon the suggestions being put forward by the Commission and agreed to come up with business-friendly tax reforms after interacting with all the stakeholders. The Finance Minister extended his best wishes and absolute support to the Commission to ensure fast-track implementation of the reforms. Chairman RRMC expressed his gratitude to the Finance Minister for taking a keen interest in the process and for his kind support for comprehensive reforms. The funeral prayers of martyrs of Lakki Marwat terrorist attack were offered and laid to rest with full military honours at their respective hometowns RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2023 ) :The funeral prayers of martyrs of Lakki Marwat terrorist attack were offered and laid to rest with full military honours at their respective hometowns. Naib Subedar Taj Mir (age 40, resident of District Nowshera), Havaldar Zakir Ahmed (age 38, resident of District Abbottabad) and Sepoy Abid Hussain (age 29, resident of District D.I. Khan) who embraced shahadat while fighting gallantly with terrorists in District Lakki Marwat on the night of 27/28 April 2023, were offered at their respective home towns, an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release said. A large number of serving, retired military and civil officials, relatives and people from all walks of life attended the funeral prayers. "These sacrifices only strengthen our resolve to eliminate the menace of terrorism from Pakistan, Insha Allah," the ISPR said. (@ChaudhryMAli88) UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th April, 2023) High-level Astana-format meetings on Syria are expected to be held in the second half of 2023, but no dates have been set yet, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin told reporters. "High-level meetings of the Astana format are held regularly, and such meetings are also planned for the second half of this year. No specific dates have been set yet," Vershinin said. The Astana format is a positive element in stabilizing the situation on the Syrian settlement and in the region as a whole, the diplomat said. "There are positive developments around Syria in general, primarily in terms of normalizing relations between the Syrian Arab Republic and other countries of the region, something which can only be welcomed," Vershinin said, adding that "important meetings at the level of defense ministers and deputy foreign ministers" in the four-party format involving Russia, Iran, Turkey and Syria have been held. The deputy minister noted "good dynamics" and expressed the hope that a higher-level meeting may be arranged "in the nearest future." The war in Syria has been going on since 2011, with President Bashar Assad's forces fighting various armed insurgent groups. In 2017, Russia, Turkey and Iran launched a mediation group on the Syrian settlement in Astana. In January 2018, the Russian city of Sochi hosted a congress of the Syrian national dialogue, the first such attempt since the start of the conflict to gather an inclusive pool of Syrian political forces. The main result of the Congress was the decision to create a Constitutional Committee, which operates in Geneva and whose main task is to prepare a constitutional reform in Syria. When voters in Paraguay go to the polls on Sunday, one issue hanging in the balance is whether the small South American nation will continue to recognise Taiwan diplomatically or switch to mainland China. That's because the ruling Colorado Party and its presidential candidate Santiago Pena - who has pledged to maintain the status quo - face a strong challenge from the opposing Authentic Radical Liberty Party and its leader Efrain Alegre. Alegre has pledged that, should he win, he will forge formal relations with Beijing. Polls show the race as a toss-up. 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. The recognition matters because Paraguay, a landlocked nation of 6.7 million in the central part of the continent, is Taiwan's last South American ally. Efrain Alegre, the opposition presidential candidate, has vowed to switch Paraguay's diplomatic recognition to China. Photo: EPA-EFE alt=Efrain Alegre, the opposition presidential candidate, has vowed to switch Paraguay's diplomatic recognition to China. Photo: EPA-EFE> Even if diplomatic recognition is switched, though, some analysts contend that the move might merely be symbolic. "Taiwan's formal diplomatic relationships are not the most important relationships," argued Lev Nachman, an assistant professor at National Chengchi University in Taipei. "It's the informal relationships" - like the one with the United States - "that matter most," he says. So while Taipei does not want to lose allies, a loss "does not actually change Taiwan's relative level internationally", Nachman said on Friday at the Atlantic Council in Washington. Beijing views Taiwan, a self-ruled island of nearly 24 million, as a breakaway province, to be united eventually with the mainland, by force if necessary. Story continues Paraguay, which established diplomatic relations with it in 1957, is just one of 13 countries that maintain formal ties with Taipei. Last month, Honduras became the latest country to break off formal ties in favour of Beijing, sparking concern that Taiwan was rapidly losing its international standing. Nachman acknowledged that diplomatic recognition confers Taiwan legitimacy and "offers channels for countries to advocate for Taiwan in international organisations". But he said that most people in Taiwan were not concerned when Honduras switched. At the same time, observers have noted the political win that a change by Paraguay would represent for China. In Nachman's words, getting the last South American country that recognises Taiwan to switch is a "huge symbolic victory for Xi". "It's much more about the symbolism than it is the economic gain", he added, noting that Paraguay already exports indirectly to China. While it may be mostly symbolic for Taiwan and China, advocates for the switch argue otherwise for Paraguay, saying it would bring the country potentially significant economic gains. Soy and cattle farmers in the country have been seeking entry into Chinese markets. Such access, according to Fernando Masi, a senior researcher at the Centre for Analysis and Diffusion of the Paraguayan Economy, would enable not only more exports but higher-value ones, especially for goods for which Paraguay has a competitive advantage. Masi, a former adviser to Paraguay's government, added that a switch would also create opportunity for greater diversification of investments in the country, as well as clear the way for a regional free trade agreement with Beijing. The Southern Common Market, known commonly as Mercosur, prohibits member states - Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay - from making trade deals with other nations without its consent. Paraguayan recognition of Taiwan has long blocked the group's efforts to consolidate a free-trade agreement with Beijing. Regardless of Sunday's election outcome, Masi said, switching recognition is a matter of when, not if. "Sooner or later, Paraguay will establish diplomatic relationships with China because not doing so ... will not be smart," he said. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visiting Paraguay's President-elect Mario Abdo Benitez, then Paraguay's president-elect, at his home in Asuncion on August 14, 2018. Photo: AFP alt=Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visiting Paraguay's President-elect Mario Abdo Benitez, then Paraguay's president-elect, at his home in Asuncion on August 14, 2018. Photo: AFP> The Taiwanese foreign ministry said last week that Paraguay's questioning of benefits of keeping relations with Taipei has "caused some perplexity" and that it would "do its best" to maintain its long-standing diplomatic relations with Asuncion. Severing ties with Taipei would not necessarily lead to immediate results or "vast increases" in investments, warned Evan Ellis, a research professor at the US Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute. "If you look at the capabilities of an organisation like Rediex - the Paraguay trade promotion organisation - you just don't have the capability of expanding across the board rapidly exports to the PRC to compensate for what you will lose for Taiwan," he said. Ellis added that a switch would lead to the loss of Taiwan's development aid to Paraguay, as well as the snapping of personal ties. Were Paraguay to break off relations with Taiwan, Paraguayan students would face having to withdraw from their studies on the island. Those arguments may fall on deaf ears in Paraguay. Masi said that annual contributions by Taipei for "certain types of public works" in Paraguay was a "symbolic amount with no real impact on the Paraguayan economy". Trade with Taiwan hit a record US$196 million in 2021 but represented less than one per cent of Paraguay's total exchanges that year. China, on the other hand, is already one of Paraguay's largest trading partners, with Paraguay importing US$3 billion worth of goods in 2020, according to the World Bank. The US, on the alert to China's expanding footprint in Latin America, is concerned that Paraguay's weak institutions open the possibility for Beijing to rapidly exert its economic influence. Ultimately, though a lot of the countries in the region "consider the United States a very important partner, not in competition with China", said Victoria Chonn, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Southern California. Masi said that he understood "the geopolitical interests of the US, of China ... but as Paraguay, we are not part of that game". "What we really don't want is to have some sort of Cold War like we had in the past, where Latin American countries had very limited independence." Formal relations with China "would not automatically entail that we are not a strategic ally of the United States, because we will continue to be", he added. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Pope Francis on Saturday warned against "the evils of indifference" while greeting refugees on the second day of a visit to Hungary where Prime Minister Viktor Orban has adopted a tough stance against immigration Budapest, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2023 ) :Pope Francis on Saturday warned against "the evils of indifference" while greeting refugees on the second day of a visit to Hungary where Prime Minister Viktor Orban has adopted a tough stance against immigration. Around 600 refugees -- mostly from Ukraine -- and poor people gathered at St. Elizabeth's Church in Budapest to listen to the pope. About a thousand more gathered outside. After hearing accounts of their lives, including that of Oleg Yakovlev, a father-of-five who fled Ukraine, the pope thanked Hungary "for having welcomed -- not only with generosity but also with enthusiasm -- so many refugees from Ukraine". Orban's government -- in a departure from its usual anti-refugee position -- has welcomed those fleeing the war in neighbouring Ukraine. But activists say there is barely a support system in place. Orban's insistence on maintaining ties with Moscow has also alienated Ukrainians. The pope stressed the need to show "compassion toward all". He urged people to "help to uproot the evils of indifference and selfishness from society, from our cities and the places where we live, and to rekindle hope for a new, more just and fraternal world." On Friday, the 86-year-old Argentine stressed "the need for openness towards others", warning against "withdrawing into oneself" in a speech to Orban and other government officials. A Ukrainian woman outside the church, who only gave her name as Elena, on Saturday told AFP that she hoped to see the pope "who is a strong advocate of peace". - 'Demolished' refugee support - "We have no problems here, but obviously when you are waiting to go back, you don't immerse yourself too deeply," the 43-year-old dancer from north of Kyiv said. Since Russia invaded its neighbour more than a year ago, more than two million Ukrainians have crossed into Hungary, but just 35,000 have applied for the EU's temporary protection status in the country. That's far fewer than in other countries just west of Ukraine. Within the EU, Orban is an exception in refusing to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin by name over the invasion of Ukraine. He is also refusing to send military aid to Ukraine and has blasted EU sanctions against Russia. The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) rights group says Ukrainians face a "demolished" refugee support system. Since 2020, after the EU forced Budapest to close so-called border transit zones that Brussels called "detention camps", Budapest only accepts asylum seekers' applications at Hungarian embassies abroad. This has slowed the number of asylum seekers to a trickle. On Sunday, the pope will preside over an open-air mass at 9:30 am (0730 GMT) in Budapest that thousands of worshippers are expected to attend as the crowning event of his three days in Hungary. It is Francis' 41st international trip since becoming pope in 2013 and his first abroad after spending three nights in hospital with bronchitis last month, fuelling concerns about his long-term health. - 'Closing ourselves off' - Despite persistent knee pain forcing him to move around in a wheelchair, the pope appeared to be in shape. On Saturday, around 11,000 young people treated him to a rock-star welcome at a stadium concert where he was given a Rubik's cube, a Hungarian invention, as one of many gifts. University student Maria Varga, 22, said she hoped more Hungarians would follow the pope's teachings. "We are far too ready to close ourselves off and not help people who are fleeing war and trouble," she told AFP. But high school student Tamas Banhidi, 18, cautioned that not all the pope's views were popular, including on migration. "We want to keep Hungary a Christian and conservative country," he told AFP. Earlier Saturday, Francis spoke for about 20 minutes to Hilarion, the bishop and former head of the Russian church's department for external relations. Russian Orthodox leader Patriarch Kirill ousted Hilarion, while the pope's and Kirill's relationship has soured over the latter's strong support for Moscow. Francis last visited Hungary -- where 39 percent of the 9.7-million population are Catholic -- briefly in 2021. John Paul II was the first pope to visit Hungary, making trips in 1991 and 1996. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Saturday invited Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to visit Azerbaijan, saying that the Azerbaijani people are waiting for Erdogan's trip ISTANBUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th April, 2023) Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Saturday invited Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to visit Azerbaijan, saying that the Azerbaijani people are waiting for Erdogan's trip. The Turkish president made his first public appearance on Saturday after falling ill earlier in the week. Erdogan showed up at aerospace and technology festival Teknofest in Istanbul. Aliyev along with his wife, Mehriban, visited the event at the invitation of Erdogan. "I am visiting the brotherly country for the third time this year. My dear brother, it is your turn (to visit Azerbaijan). All the Azerbaijani people are waiting for you. The unity of Turkey and Azerbaijan is forever," Aliyev said at the event. On Tuesday, Erdogan abruptly interrupted a live television interview as he fell ill. Following a long break, the Turkish president returned on air and said that he had caught stomach flu. The next day, he canceled several election campaign events on doctors' advice. Some media reported that Erdogan had suffered a heart attack, but the president's office dismissed the reports. (@FahadShabbir) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th April, 2023) Classified documents on the UK's nuclear-powered attack submarine HMS Anson have been found in a toilet cubicle at a pub in the port town of Barrow-in-Furness, the Sun newspaper reports, citing a source. "The pub was full of people from the docks military and civilian. I went into the toilet and the plans were lying on the floor of the cubicle with the lanyard ... Anyone could have found them," the source told the newspaper. The documents appear to detail the inner workings of the HMS Anson and had "official sensitive" markings, which means they must only be shared on "genuine need to know," the report says. However, a Royal Navy spokesman said, as quoted by Sky news, that the files are "generic training documents that carry no classified information." The HMS Anson submarine cost 1.3 billion Pounds ($1.6 billion) and left the shipyard this February. The vessel is armed with long-range Tomahawk land attack missiles along with Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes and can operate for 25 years without refueling thanks to its nuclear reactors. An interminable row of minibuses lines the road that separates Sudan's southeastern city of Gedaref from the Ethiopian border, slowly bringing people fleeing Sudan's war closer to safety Gallabat, Sudan, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2023 ) :An interminable row of minibuses lines the road that separates Sudan's southeastern city of Gedaref from the Ethiopian border, slowly bringing people fleeing Sudan's war closer to safety. There, families have been "sleeping on the ground out in the open", said Oktay Oglu, a Turkish engineer who worked at a factory in the capital Khartoum before escaping with his family. Locals and foreigners alike have made this journey, fleeing more than two weeks of brutal fighting that pits forces loyal to rival generals against one other, with civilians caught in the crossfire. The war in the capital and other parts of Sudan has killed hundreds, injured thousands and uprooted tens of thousands, some of whom have fled to neighbouring countries including Ethiopia. The minibuses move at a snail's pace. At the end of the road to the border, Sudanese and Ethiopian flags flutter in the sky, a mere 10 metres (yards) between them. But there, another long wait lies in store. With his wife and three children, Oglu made the arduous trip from Khartoum to Gedaref after waiting days until a relative lull in fighting allowed them to escape. They first reached the city of Wad Madani 200 kilometres (124 miles) south of the capital, where witnesses say life continues relatively normally. They spent the night there before continuing on to Gedaref another 250 kilometres east. Finally, the road led them to the border with Ethiopia and the small community of Gallabat, with its bare-bones homes made out of wood and dried grass. Having arrived at the crossing after it closed at 5:00 pm, they had to wait out the night until it reopened at 8:00 am the next morning. At the crossing they found nationals from all over the world gathered, all hoping to make it to the other side in as little time as possible. An official at the crossing, speaking on condition of anonymity, said about "9,000 people crossed the border, the majority foreigners, including many Turkish". Data from the United Nations' International Organization for Migration said about 3,500 people of 35 different nationalities had found refuge in Ethiopia as of Tuesday. More than 40 percent of those are Turkish, while 14 percent are Ethiopians who lived in Sudan and are returning home. Many of the Sudanese crossing are Gulf workers like 35-year-old Diaeddin Mohammed, an accountant with a Dubai-based company. Though many among Khartoum's five million residents chose to flee northwards towards Egypt or east to Port Sudan -- where Saudi ships have been transporting foreigners across the Red Sea to Jeddah -- Mohammed favoured another route. "I chose Ethiopia because the distance from Khartoum to the Ethiopian city of Gondar, which has an airport... is about 850 kilometres," he said. By comparison, Cairo is a gruelling 2,000 kilometre road trip north through the desert, with refugees often waiting days to be processed at the border. Once in Gondar, Mohammed could easily book a direct flight to Dubai. Others have fled with no prospect of job security or a second home to return to. Ahmed Hussein, 45, had to abandon his small business in Khartoum for a life in exile along with his wife and three daughters. "We want to cross to safety in Addis Ababa until we see where things are going in Sudan," he told AFP. Hussein added that he would try to start a small business in Ethiopia, "if that is possible". In the meantime, he said, they would try to survive "with whatever means I have". bur/sbh/it An accountant working on a high-profile corruption case was killed along with his son by unknown gunmen while traveling on one of South Africa's main highways. A government health department employee who warned of illegal dealings worth nearly $50 million was shot 12 times in the driveway of her home. The slayings and other cases have anti-corruption groups urging South African authorities to provide far better protection for whistleblowers. They also have fueled outrage over widespread graft linked to government contracts, which has plagued Africa's most developed economy for years but appears to continue unabated. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime counted a total of 1,971 assassination cases in South Africa between 2000 and 2021, with whistleblowers accounting for many of the targeted individuals. The specialist accountant and liquidator, 57-year-old Cloete Murray, was working on the financial accounts of a company that was heavily implicated in allegedly bribing government ministers and others to win huge state contracts. The company, previously known as Bosasa and now named African Global Holdings, was one of the most prominent subjects of the Zondo Commission a judicial inquiry into government and other high-level corruption during the 2008-2019 presidency of Jacob Zuma, who is on trial on separate corruption allegations. Murray was shot in the head while driving with his son in an SUV on the N1 highway just outside Johannesburg in March. He died in the hospital. His son, Thomas Murray, who worked with his father, was declared dead at the scene. No one has been arrested in the killings, which police said had the hallmarks of a professional hit. South African anti-corruption organization Corruption Watch said the killings of the Murrays was further evidence that the country faced a crisis in terms of the rule of law." Levels of public confidence in our law enforcement capabilities, not to mention the political will to hold criminals and the corrupt accountable, have dropped to an all-time low, Corruption Watch executive director Karam Singh said. As the most recent example, the brazen murder of Cloete Murray and his son sends a chilling and intimidating message to anyone seeking to end impunity for corruption and crime. This must represent a turning of the tide for our country. The death of Babita Deokaran, an employee of the health department in Gauteng province, already underlined the dangers for whistleblowers in South Africa. Her August 2021 slaying was described as an assassination. Six men have been charged with murder in her killing. Deokaran had spoken up about potentially corrupt payments to more than 200 companies by the health department and was a key witness in a probe by the country's anti-corruption Special Investigating Unit into contracts worth more than $45 million. She was shot multiple times inside her car soon after dropping her daughter off at school and her story has become a rallying call. Deokarans killing spurred another corruption whistleblower, Athol Williams, to leave the country, he said. Williams testified before the Zondo Commission implicating about 39 parties in corrupt activities at the countrys tax authority, the South African Revenue Service. Williams is a former partner at consultancy firm Bain & Co, which he also accused of in his allegations regarding the tax authority. He said he testified out of a sense of civic duty but was not offered any protection despite the important evidence he provided and will not return to his home country unless his safety is guaranteed. Without any assurance for my safety from our government, combined with the fact that none of the parties I implicated have been prosecuted, it is unlikely that I can return. This breaks my heart, Williams said in an interview with The Associated Press. It is the lowest form of unethical behavior to ask a citizen to risk their life for our country and then not offer them protection when they face retaliation. South Africa's Department of Justice did not respond to messages seeking comment on Williams' experience and the general policy on protection for whistleblowers. But in his State of the Nation Address this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged shortcomings and the need to strengthen the witness protection unit. This week, the former head of the state-owned electricity utility, a company brought to its knees by mismanagement and corruption, appeared at a parliamentary hearing virtually from an undisclosed location because of fears for his safety, he said. Andre de Ruyter has spoken of corruption linked to the government and others at the utility and said Wednesday that unnamed sources who provided him with information feared for their lives. He has also claimed he survived an attempt on his life when his coffee was laced with cyanide. The alleged criminal and unlawful activities ... involve elements that are best characterized as organized crime, de Ruyter said. Key Insights Predictive Discovery's significant retail investors ownership suggests that the key decisions are influenced by shareholders from the larger public A total of 14 investors have a majority stake in the company with 50% ownership Insider ownership in Predictive Discovery is 13% To get a sense of who is truly in control of Predictive Discovery Limited (ASX:PDI), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. With 46% stake, retail investors possess the maximum shares in the company. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn). Institutions, on the other hand, account for 31% of the company's stockholders. Large companies usually have institutions as shareholders, and we usually see insiders owning shares in smaller companies. In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Predictive Discovery. View our latest analysis for Predictive Discovery What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Predictive Discovery? 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. Predictive Discovery already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Predictive Discovery's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Predictive Discovery. BlackRock, Inc. is currently the company's largest shareholder with 12% of shares outstanding. Capital DI Limited is the second largest shareholder owning 6.2% of common stock, and Phillip Perry holds about 6.1% of the company stock. Story continues After doing some more digging, we found that the top 14 have the combined ownership of 50% in the company, suggesting that no single shareholder has significant control over the company. While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. We're not picking up on any analyst coverage of the stock at the moment, so the company is unlikely to be widely held. Insider Ownership Of Predictive Discovery While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. 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. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. Our most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of Predictive Discovery Limited. It has a market capitalization of just AU$318m, and insiders have AU$41m worth of shares in their own names. This may suggest that the founders still own a lot of shares. You can click here to see if they have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership With a 46% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Predictive Discovery. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Private Company Ownership Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 11%, of the company's shares. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company. Next Steps: I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Predictive Discovery (of which 3 are significant!) you should know about. Of course this may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free free list of interesting companies. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Airstrikes and artillery rocked Khartoum on Saturday as Sudan entered a third week of fighting between rival military forces despite a cease-fire, prompting more civilians to flee and renewed warnings of wider instability if the war is not stopped. As dark smoke rose over Khartoum, a U.N. envoy offered a possible flicker of hope, saying the warring sides that have so far shown no sign of compromise were now more open to negotiations - though no date had been set. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands wounded since April 15 when a long-simmering power struggle between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted into conflict. The fighting has pitched Sudan toward a civil war, derailing an internationally-backed transition aimed at establishing a democratic government and sending tens of thousands of people fleeing into neighboring countries. "I'm afraid that one day I'm asleep and I wake up to a bomb falling on my house," said a man named Khalid, speaking to Reuters from Khartoum where he has stayed because his elderly grandmother and ill sister would suffer on the long and costly trip out. "That's my deepest fear right now. That's all that I think of. That's why I can't sleep at night." The sides have continued to battle it out during a series of cease-fires mediated by foreign powers, notably the United States. The latest 72-hour truce expires at midnight Sunday. The RSF said in a statement on Saturday it had shot down an army warplane in Omdurman, across the Nile from Khartoum, and accused the army of violating the cease-fire with an attack there. The army did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters could not independently verify the RSF report. The army has previously blamed the RSF for violations and said on Saturday its forces were continuing to work to end "the rebellion." Despite the fighting, violence was less intense in the capital area than in recent days, residents said. Residents also reported relative calm in the city of El Geneina in the western Darfur region after days of fighting there, allowing people to bury the dead. The Darfur Bar Association said the death toll had reached 200, and thousands had been wounded. The prospects of negotiations between the army and paramilitary have so far seemed bleak. On Friday, army leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said he would never sit down with the RSF's "rebel" leader, referring to General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti. The RSF chief in turn said he would talk only after the army ceased hostilities. Nonetheless, the U.N. special representative in Sudan, Volker Perthes, told Reuters he had recently sensed a change in the sides' attitudes, and they were more open to negotiations, and were saying they would accept "some form of talks." "The word 'negotiations' or 'talks' was not there in their discourse in the first week or so," Perthes said. Not a 'small rebellion' Perthes said the sides had nominated representatives for talks which had been suggested for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, or Juba in South Sudan, though he said there was a practical question over whether they could get there to "actually sit together." The immediate task, Perthes said, was to develop a monitoring mechanism for cease-fires. "They have both accepted that this war cannot continue." At least 528 people have been killed and 4,599 wounded, the health ministry said. The United Nations has reported a similar number of dead, but believes the real toll is much higher. More than 75,000 people had been internally displaced by the fighting, the United Nations reported. Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, speaking at a conference in Nairobi, said the war must stop, warning of its ramifications not just in Sudan but in the region. "This is a huge country, very diverse ... I think it will be a nightmare for the world," he said. "This is not a war between an army and small rebellion. It is almost like two armies that are well trained and well armed." Andrew Mitchell, Britain's minister for Africa, warned of "vast areas of disorder, chaos and misery" if the fighting continued. "Those are circumstances, as we've seen elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, where the terrorist thrives so I think there is every reason to be extremely anxious on that score," he said, speaking to journalists at the Nairobi conference. "The whole of the international system is looking at ways of stopping this fighting." Darfur The fighting has also reawakened a two-decade-old conflict in Darfur with fighting in several cities over the past two weeks. Residents in the Darfur city of El Geneina said on Saturday major fighting appeared to have stopped, and some people had returned home, after a militia attack destroyed the city's market, hospital, and other public buildings. Speaking at a camp in Chad after fleeing Darfur, pregnant 23-year-old Zamzam Adam said she was stranded, in labor, and alone as armed militias attacked and pillaged her village near El Geneina. "In our village, armed people came and burned and looted houses and we were forced to flee," said Adam. Foreign governments have organized a major evacuation of expatriates. Saudi state broadcaster Alekhbaiya said that a passenger ship with 1,982 people on board from 17 countries would arrive at Jeddah port on Saturday, adding to 5,000 others who had already arrived. "We thought we could die." The Russian invasion had just begun when Nancy Pelosi made a surprise visit to Ukraine, the House speaker then the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to lead a congressional delegation to Kyiv. Pelosi and the lawmakers were ushered under the cloak of secrecy into the capital city, an undisclosed passage that even to this day she will not divulge. "It was very, it was dangerous," Pelosi told The Associated Press before Sunday's one-year anniversary of that trip. "We never feared about it, but we thought we could die because we're visiting a serious, serious war zone," Pelosi said. "We had great protection, but nonetheless, a war theater of war." Pelosi's visit was as unusual as it was historic, opening a fresh diplomatic channel between the U.S. and Ukraine that has only deepened with the prolonged war. In the year since, a long list of congressional leaders, senators and chairs of powerful committees, both Democrats and Republicans, followed her lead, punctuated by President Joe Biden's own visit this year. The steady stream of arrivals in Kyiv has served to amplify a political and military partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine for the world to see, one that will be tested anew when Congress is again expected this year to help fund the war to defeat Russia. "We must win. We must bring this to a positive conclusion for the people of Ukraine and for our country," Pelosi said. "There is a fight in the world now between democracy and autocracy, its manifestation at the time is in Ukraine." Looked beyond US borders With a new Republican majority in the House whose Trump-aligned members have balked at overseas investments, Pelosi, a Democrat, remains confident the Congress will continue backing Ukraine as part of a broader U.S. commitment to democracy abroad in the face of authoritarian aggression. "Support for Ukraine has been bipartisan and bicameral, in both houses of Congress by both parties, and the American people support democracy in Ukraine," Pelosi told AP. "I believe that we will continue to support as long as we need to support democracy... as long as it takes to win." Now the speaker emerita, an honorary title bestowed by Democrats, Pelosi is circumspect about her role as a U.S. emissary abroad. Having visited 87 countries during her time in office, many as the trailblazing first woman to be the House speaker, she set a new standard for pointing the gavel outward as she focused attention on the world beyond U.S. shores. In her office tucked away at the Capitol, Pelosi shared many of the honors and mementos she has received from abroad, including the honorary passport she was given on her trip to Ukraine, among her final stops as speaker. It's a signature political style, building on Pelosi's decades of work on the House Intelligence committee, but one that a new generation of House leaders may or may not chose to emulate. The new Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library this month, the Republican leader's first foray as leader into foreign affairs. Democrat Hakeem Jeffries took his own first trip abroad to as House minority leader, leading congressional delegations last week to Ghana and Israel. Pelosi said it's up to the new leaders what they will do on the global stage. "Other speakers have understood our national security we take an oath to protect and defend and so we have to reach out with our values and our strength to make sure that happens," she said. 'A fight for everyone' When Pelosi arrived in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stood outside to meet the U.S. officials, the photo that ricocheted around the world a show of support for the young democracy fighting Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion. "The courage of the president in greeting us on the street rather than us just meeting him in his office was yet again another symbol of the courage of the people of Ukraine," she said. Pelosi told Zelenskyy in a video released at the time "your fight is a fight for everyone." Last year, in one of her final trips as speaker, Pelosi touched down with a delegation in Taipei, Taiwan, crowds lining the streets to cheer her arrival, a visit with the Taiwanese president that drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing, which counts the island as its own. "Cowardly," she said about the military exercises China launched in the aftermath of her trip. Pelosi offered rare praise for McCarthy's own meeting with Tsai, particularly its bipartisan nature and the choice of venue the historic Reagan library. "That was really quite a message and quite an optic to be there. And so, I salute what he did," she said. In one of her closing acts as House speaker in December, Pelosi hosted Zelenskyy for a joint address to Congress. The visit evoked the one made by Winston Churchill, the prime minister of Britain, at Christmastime in 1941 to speak to Congress in the Senate chamber of a "long and hard war" at the start of World War II. Zelenskyy presented to Congress a Ukrainian flag signed by frontline troops that Pelosi said will eventually be displayed at the U.S. Capitol. The world has changed much since Pelosi joined Congress one of her first trips abroad was in 1991, when she dared to unfurl a pro-democracy banner in Beijing's Tiananmen Square shortly after the student demonstrations that ended in massacre. After the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it's Russia and China that remain front of her mind. "The role of Putin in terms of Russia that is a bigger threat than it was when I came to Congress," she said. A decade after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, she said, Putin went up. "That's where the fight for democracy is taking place," she said. And, she said, despite the work she and others in Congress have done to point out the concerns over China's military and economic rise, and its human rights record, "that has only gotten worse." Armenia and Azerbaijan will hold a new round of talks in Washington on Sunday to try to normalize relations, Yerevan said on Saturday, after weeks of rising tensions over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armed forces from the two Caucasus neighbors have frequently exchanged fire amid disputes over the mountain enclave, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but populated mainly by ethnic Armenians. Azerbaijan set up a new checkpoint last Sunday on the Lachin Corridor, a road to Karabakh that passes through Azeri territory, in a move that Armenia called a gross violation of a 2020 cease-fire. "From April 30 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will be in Washington DC on a working visit. The next round of discussions on the agreement on normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan is scheduled," the spokesperson, Ani Badalyan, said on her official Facebook page. There was no immediate confirmation of the meeting by Azerbaijan. Later on Saturday, the Armenian defense ministry said one of its soldiers had been injured by shot fired by Azeri forces near the village of Tegh in Armenia's southern Syunik province, Tass news agency said. Tegh is the last village on the Lachin Corridor in Armenia before it enters Azeri territory. Russian peacekeepers were deployed in 2020 to end a war, the second that Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought over the enclave since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Despite years of attempted mediation between them, Armenia and Azerbaijan have yet to reach a peace agreement that would settle outstanding issues such as the demarcation of borders and return of prisoners. Every decision Assata Salim makes for her young son is important. Amid a spike in mass killings, questions of safety were at the top of her mind when choosing a school. Next on her checklist was the school's culture. Salim and her 6-year-old, Cho'Zen Waters, are Black. In Georgia, where they live, public schools are prohibited from teaching divisive concepts, including the idea that one race is better than another or that states are fundamentally racist. To Salim, the new rules mean public schools might not affirm Cho'Zen's African roots, or accurately portray the United States' history of racism. "I never want to put his education in the hands of someone that is trying to erase history or recreate narratives," she said. Instead, Cho'Zen attends a private, Afrocentric school joining kids across the country whose families have embraced schools that affirm their Black heritage, in a country where instruction about race is increasingly under attack. At Cho'Zen's school, Kilombo Academic & Cultural Institute in an Atlanta suburb, photos of Black historical figures hang on the walls. And every single student and teacher identifies as Black or biracial. In recent years, conservative politicians around the country have championed bans on books or instruction that touch on race and inclusion. Books were banned in more than 5,000 schools in 32 states from June 2021 to June 2022, according to free-speech nonprofit PEN America. Instructional bans have been enacted in at least 16 states since 2021. Even when a topic isn't explicitly banned, some teachers say the debates have caused them to back away from controversy. The situation has caused more Black families to leave public schools, opting for homeschooling or private schools that embrace their identity and culture. Public school enrollment of Black students between pre-K and 12th grade has declined each year measured in federal data since 2007. "I think it is important to teach those harsh moments in slavery and segregation, but tell the whole story," said Salihah Hasan, a teaching assistant at Kilombo Institute. "Things have changed drastically, but there are still people in this world who hate Black people, who think we are still beneath them, and younger children today don't understand that. But that is why it is important to talk about it." Kilombo goes further, focusing on the students' rich heritage, from both Africa and Black America. "I want him to know his existence doesn't start with slavery," Salim said of her son. The private, K-8 school occupies the basement of Hillside Presbyterian Church just outside Decatur, an affluent, predominantly white suburb. Families pay tuition on a sliding scale, supplemented by donations. Classrooms feature maps of Africa and brown paper figures wearing dashikis, a garment worn mostly in West Africa. In one class, the students learn how sound travels by playing African drums. The 18-year-old school has 53 students, up a third since the start of the pandemic. Initially, more parents chose the school because it returned to in-person learning earlier than nearby public schools. Lately, the enrollment growth has reflected parents' increasing urgency to find a school that won't shy away from Black history. "This country is signaling to us that we have no place here," said Mary Hooks, whose daughter attends Kilombo. "It also raises a smoke signal for people to come home to the places where we can be nourished." Notably, the student body includes multiple children of public school teachers. Simone Sills, a middle school science teacher at Atlanta Public Schools, chose the school for her daughter in part because of its smaller size, along with factors such as safety and curriculum. Plus, she said, she was looking for a school where "all students can feel affirmed in who they are." Before Psalm Barreto, 10, enrolled in Kilombo, her family was living in Washington, D.C. She said she was one of a few Black children in her school. "I felt uncomfortable in public school because it was just me and another boy in my class, and we stood out," she said. Racial differences are evident to babies as young as three months, research has shown, and racial biases show up in preschoolers. Kilombo provides a space for kids to talk about their race. "I'm Blackity, Black, Black!" said Robyn Jean, 9, while spinning in a circle. Her sister, Amelya, 11, said their parents taught them about their Haitian American heritage knowledge she thinks all children should have. "I want them to know who they are and where they come from, like we do," Amelya said. "But in some schools, they can't." Last year, Georgia passed a bill known as the Protect Students First Act, which prohibits schools from promoting and teaching divisive concepts about race. Elsewhere, bills that restrict or prohibit teaching about race- and gender-related topics passed in states including Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. In other states, such as Arkansas, restrictions have come via executive orders. Proponents say the restrictions aim to eliminate classroom discussions that make students feel shame or guilt about their race and the history and actions of their ancestors. The bills have had a chilling effect. One-quarter of K-12 teachers in the U.S. say these laws have influenced their choice of curriculum or instructional practices, according to a report by the RAND Corporation, a global policy think tank. At Kilombo, daily instruction includes conversations about race and culture. Founder Aminata Umoja uses a Black puppet named Swahili to welcome her students, ask how they are doing and start the day with morals and values rooted in their African heritage. The puppet might say: "'Let's talk about iwa pele. What does that mean?' and then one of the children will tell us that it means good character," said Umoja, who teaches kindergarteners through second graders. Teaching life skills and values, Umoja said, has its roots in freedom schools started during the Civil Rights Movement, in response to the inferior "sharecropper's education" Black Americans were receiving in the South. The school follows academic standards from Common Core for math and language arts and uses Georgia's social studies standards to measure student success. But the curriculum is culturally relevant. It centers Black people, featuring many figures excluded in traditional public schools, said Tashiya Umoja, the school's co-director and math teacher. "We are giving children of color the same curriculum that white children are getting. They get to hear about their heroes, she-roes and forefathers," she said. The curriculum also focuses on the children's African heritage. A math lesson, for instance, might feature hieroglyphic numerals. Social studies courses discuss events in Africa or on other continents alongside U.S. history. When she was in public school, Psalm said she only learned about mainstream Black figures in history, such as Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr. and Harriet Tubman. Now, she said, she is learning about civil rights activist Ella Baker, journalist Ida B. Wells and pilot Bessie Coleman. Said Psalm: "Honestly, I feel bad for any kids who don't know about Black history. It's part of who we are." The difficulty of obtaining U.S. visas and the economic aftershocks of Chinas COVID lockdowns have led to a sharp increase in Chinese nationals presenting at the U.S.-Mexico border. Some of those arrivals have learned from social media websites and applications about how to make the long and dangerous journey, migrants, immigration experts, attorneys and current and former U.S. officials, told Reuters. Entering the United States at the southern border is an expensive and risky proposition. But if you have personal or economic reasons to do so, then it is a route is available to you, said Erik Finch, director of immigration strategy at the Seattle, Washington-based legal tech startup Boundless Immigration and a former State Department official with experience in both China and Mexico. And I think the fact that you're seeing an increasing number of people utilize that is a product of the general trend and also the fact that other routes have become even more impossible. Over the course of three weeks photographing and reporting from a remote border stretch in southeastern Texas, Reuters witnessed hundreds of Chinese migrants crossing into the United States and interviewed more than two dozen in Mandarin. All of those interviewed said they got the idea to take the land route to the United States on social media and drew on influencers, private groups and comments to plan their trips. About half said they had been small business owners in China, running online stores, a sheep farm and a movie production company. Some wore crosses and carried Chinese-language bibles, saying they were Christians who felt they could not freely practice their religion at home. Chinas constitution guarantees religious freedom, but in recent years critics, including the U.S. government, say Beijing has tightened restrictions on religions seen as a challenge to the authority of the ruling Communist party. One migrant who asked after speaking with Reuters that their face not be shown said his route took them to Hong Kong, Thailand, Turkey before getting to Ecuador. I go to Hong Kong from Hubai first, then to Thailand from Hong Kong by plane, then Turkey from Thailand by plane, then Ecuador and up through South America to America here, the migrant said. The migrant said they were relieved when they arrived in the U.S. I feel relaxed. And I can breathe more comfortably. Its rare. The people here, the police here, are very kind. And thats the America in my head. Thats it. Its good. Its great, the migrant said. The Chinese Embassy in Washington said in an email that the government opposes illegal migration, which is an international issue that requires cooperation between countries, but did not respond to a request for comment on the issue of religious freedom. Short video app Douyin, owned by TikTok owner ByteDance, is one of the main sources of the Chinese tech giants revenue overall, Reuters previously reported. ByteDance, which also owns Xigua Video, didnt immediately respond to requests for comments. Apprehensions of Chinese nationals at the U.S.-Mexican border reached more than 6,500 in the six months since October 2022, the highest on record and a more than 15-fold increase over the same period a year ago, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data. While just a sliver of the hundreds of thousands of migrants arriving at the southwest border, Chinese people were the fastest growing demographic in those six months, CBP data show. In a March 16 tweet, CBP Chief Border Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez in the Rio Grande Valley sector that includes Fronton said the increase was creating a strain on our workforce due to the complexities of the language barrier & lengthens the processing. Refusal rates among Chinese nationals for the most common U.S. visitor visas reached 80% in fiscal year 2021 and more than 30% in 2022, the two highest years on record, according to State Department data. While U.S. visa issuance globally has mostly recovered to pre-pandemic levels, the number of U.S. visas issued from China last year remained 90% below 2019s pre-pandemic levels. Because of their zero-COVID policy, the actual impact of COVID extended past the point where a lot of the restrictions and things were more severe than in the rest of the world, and to the point where a lot of 2022 and late 2022 COVID, the COVID situation in China was at its most severe, and therefore that inhibited travel to and from China during that period, even after restrictions had been removed in most of the rest of the world, said Finch, whose career at the State Department included overseeing various visa section services in China. So I think just generally speaking, that impact was much amplified there. And it's stands to reason that they are experiencing issues like recovery and visa issuance is just one of the indicators of that. Visa holders and border crossers can request U.S. asylum on arrival if they fear persecution at home. Asylum seekers from China won in U.S. immigration court 58% of the time, according to U.S. Justice Department data. The State Department in an emailed statement said 2021 and 2022 were not standard years. It said visa issuances were expected to increase as China catches up on its passport backlog and air travel resumes after the end of the zero-COVID policy. Other Chinese nationals didnt wait and chose to follow in the steps of others who learned via social media. Scrolling through their social media feeds, one migrant came across Baozai, an internet personality who gained tens of thousands of followers on Douyin, Xigua Video, YouTube and Twitter by posting videos about his migration to the United States. Reuters was not able to independently confirm Baozai's identity and in messages to Reuters, he denied being an influencer and said he was just a migrant. Baozais original account Baozai adventure the world alone is shown as blocked on Douyin for violating community self-discipline regulations. He is now posting under a new account with the same name on Douyin, sticking to content about his life in the United States. Douyin did not respond to a request for comment on Baozai. The travel guide presented on social media matched descriptions given by clients to U.S.-based immigration attorney Xiaosheng Huang, who says he has represented 15 Chinese nationals who have made the trip to the U.S. via Ecuador since last summer. They start talking about getting out of the country on the social media, such as Doiyin, the Chinese version of Tik Tok and also Kuaishou and some other platforms. So they exchange the information: how to get out of the country, how to go to Ecuador, from Europe or Macao, Hong Kong, said Huang, who added that most of his clients were leaving to look for a better life. At a clinic in Quito one migrant told Reuters they found a group of Chinese migrants who had contacted a local Colombian guide known only by his first name, Carlos. The migrant and several others said Carlos and his associates charged around $1,230 per adult and $700 per child to arrange travel and hotels from Ecuador to Panama including a guided trek through the Darien Gap. Jungle tents and horses were also available for part of the trip for an extra fee, the migrants said. The Federal Reserve blamed last month's collapse of Silicon Valley Bank on poor management, watered-down regulations and lax oversight by its own staffers, and it said the industry needs stricter policing on multiple fronts to prevent future bank failures. The Fed was highly critical of its own role in the bank's failure in a report released Friday. The report, compiled by Michael Barr, the Fed's top regulator, said bank supervisors were slow to recognize blossoming problems at Silicon Valley Bank as it quickly grew in size in the years leading up to its collapse. The report also pointed out underlying cultural issues at the Fed, where supervisors were unwilling to be hard on bank management when they saw growing problems. Those cultural issues stemmed from legislation passed in 2018 that sought to lighten regulation for banks with less than $250 billion in assets, the report concluded. The Fed also weakened its own rules the following year, which exempted banks below that threshold from stress tests and other regulations. Both Silicon Valley Bank and New York-based Signature Bank, which also failed last month, had assets below that level. The changes increased the burden on regulators to justify the need for supervisory action, the report said. "In some cases, the changes also led to slower action by supervisory staff and a reluctance to escalate issues." Separate reports also released Friday by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, also faulted the Fed and other regulators for a lack of urgency regarding Silicon Valley's deficiencies. About 95% of the banks deposits exceeded the FDIC's insurance cap and the deposits were concentrated in the technology industry, making the bank vulnerable to a panic. The Fed also said it planned to reexamine how it regulates larger regional banks such as Silicon Valley Bank, which had more than $200 billion in assets when it failed, although less than the $250 billion threshold for greater regulation. "While higher supervisory and regulatory requirements may not have prevented the firm's failure, they would likely have bolstered the resilience of Silicon Valley Bank," the report said. Tighter regulation seen Banking policy analysts said the trio of critical reports made it more likely regulation would be tightened, though the Fed acknowledged it could take years for proposals to be implemented. The reports "provide a clear path for a tougher and more costly regulatory regime for banks with at least $100 billion of assets," said Jaret Seiberg, an analyst at TD Cowen. "We would expect the Fed to advance proposals in the coming months." Alexa Philo, a former bank examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and senior policy analyst at Americans for Financial Reform, said the Fed could adopt stricter rules on its own, without relying on Congress. "It is long past time to roll back the dangerous deregulation under the last administration to the greatest extent possible and pay close attention to the largest banks so this crisis does not worsen," she said. The Fed also criticized Silicon Valley Bank for tying executive compensation too closely to short-term profits and the company's stock price. From 2018 to 2021, profit at SVB Financial, Silicon Valley Bank's parent, doubled and the stock nearly tripled. The report also pointed out that there were no pay incentives at the bank tied to risk management. Silicon Valley Bank notably had no chief risk officer at the firm for roughly a year, during a time when the bank was growing quickly. The Fed's report, which included the release of internal reports and Fed communications, is a rare look into how the central bank supervises individual banks as one of the nation's bank regulators. Typically, such processes are rarely seen by the public, but the Fed chose to release these reports to show how the bank was managed up to its failure. Bartlett Collins Naylor, financial policy advocate at Congress Watch, a division of Public Citizen, was surprised at the degree to which the Fed blamed itself for the bank failure. "I don't know that I expected the Fed to say 'mea culpa' but I find that adds a lot of credibility" to Federal Reserve leadership, Naylor said. Silicon Valley Bank was the go-to bank for venture capital firms and technology startups for years, but failed spectacularly in March, setting off a crisis of confidence for the banking industry. Federal regulators seized Silicon Valley Bank on March 10 after customers withdrew tens of billions of dollars in deposits in a matter of hours. Two days later, they seized Signature Bank. Although regulators guaranteed all the banks' deposits, customers at other midsize regional banks rushed to pull out their money often with a few taps on a mobile device and move it to the perceived safety of big money center banks such as JPMorgan Chase. Although the withdrawals have abated at many banks, First Republic Bank in San Francisco appears to be in peril, even after receiving a $30 billion infusion of deposits from 11 major banks in March. The bank's shares plunged 70% this week after it revealed the extent to which customers pulled their deposits in the days after Silicon Valley Bank failed. Warplanes on bombing raids drew heavy anti-aircraft fire over Khartoum on Saturday as fierce fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitaries entered a third week, despite a renewed truce. Sudan has plunged into chaos and lawlessness since the fighting erupted on April 15 between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his No. 2, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Burhan and Dagalo have agreed to multiple truces since the start of the conflict, but none has effectively taken hold, with each side blaming the other for breaching them. The latest three-day cease-fire was agreed Thursday after mediation led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the United Nations aimed at securing a more lasting truce. "We woke up once again to the sound of fighter jets and anti-aircraft weapons blasting all over our neighborhood," a witness in southern Khartoum told AFP. Another witness said fighting had been ongoing since the early morning, especially around the state broadcaster's headquarters in the capital's twin city of Omdurman. Residents across Khartoum -- home to five million people -- have largely sheltered at home despite supplies of food and water dwindling to dangerously low levels, and a lack of electricity. Some managed to sneak out only during brief lulls in fighting to buy desperately needed supplies. Trading blame As battles raged on the ground, the two rival generals took aim at each other in the media, with Burhan branding the RSF a militia that aims "to destroy Sudan," in an interview with US-based TV channel Alhurra. He also claimed "mercenaries" were pouring over the border from Chad, Central African Republic and Niger to exploit the chaos. Dagalo denounced the army chief in an interview with the BBC, saying he was "not trustworthy" and a "traitor." The clashes have so far killed at least 512 people and wounded 4,193, according to the health ministry, with the death toll feared to be much higher. Some 75,000 have been internally displaced by the fighting in Khartoum and the states of Blue Nile, North Kordofan, as well as the restive western region of Darfur, the U.N. said. Tens of thousands of Sudanese have fled into neighboring countries including Egypt, Ethiopia, Chad and South Sudan, while foreign countries have carried out mass evacuations of their nationals. Britain said it would end evacuation flights for its citizens and their relatives Saturday, after airlifting more than 1,500 people this week. The United Nations said on Friday that its last international staff had been evacuated from Darfur. The World Food Program has said the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where 15 million people -- one-third of the population -- already need aid to stave off famine. 'Alarming' conditions in Darfur In West Darfur state, at least 96 people were reported to have been killed in the city of Geneina since Monday, according to U.N. human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani. The United Nations described the situation in Darfur as "alarming" while Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said there were reports of widespread looting, destruction, and burning of property, including at camps for displaced people. "The current fighting has forced us to stop almost all of our activities in West Darfur," said Sylvain Perron, MSF's deputy operations manager for Sudan. "We are incredibly worried about the impact this violence is having on people who have already lived through waves of violence in the previous years." Darfur is still reeling from its devastating 2003 war, when then hardline president Omar al-Bashir unleashed the Janjaweed militia, mainly recruited from Arab pastoralist tribes, to crush ethnic minority rebels. The notorious Janjaweed -- accused by rights groups of committing atrocities in Darfur -- later evolved into the RSF, which was formally created in 2013. The scorched-earth campaign left at least 300,000 people dead and close to 2.5 million displaced, according to U.N. figures, and saw Bashir charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by the International Criminal Court. Burhan and Daglo -- commonly known as Hemeti -- seized power in a 2021 coup that derailed Sudan's transition to democracy, established after Bashir was ousted following mass protests in 2019. But the two generals later fell out, most recently over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army. Iran's supreme leader and president both slammed the United States' presence in the Middle East, as Tehran hosted the president of neighboring Iraq for wide-ranging talks Saturday. Decades-old arch enemies the United States and Iran have vied for influence in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. Both helped Iraq defeat the Islamic State group, and the U.S. still has 2,500 noncombat troops in the country to provide it with advice and training. Some 900 U.S. troops remain in Syria, most in the Kurdish-administered northeast, as part of a U.S.-led coalition battling remnants of IS. And the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain, across the Gulf from Iran. 'One American in Iraq is too much' "Americans are not friends with anyone and are not even loyal to their European friends," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said at his meeting with Iraq's President Abdul Latif Rashid, the supreme leader's website said. "Even the presence of one American in Iraq is too much." Earlier, Rashid met President Ebrahim Raisi and held a joint news conference. "We do not consider the presence of foreign forces and foreigners in the region to be useful," Raisi told reporters. "The presence of the U.S. disturbs the security of the region," said the Iranian president. "Our relationship with Iraq is based on common interests," he said, adding the "Americans think about their interests, not the interests of the countries in the region." Warming relations Although Iraq and Iran fought an eight-year war in the 1980s, relations between the Shiite-majority neighbors have warmed considerably since the 2003 invasion ousted Saddam and his Sunni-dominated regime. Iraq has become a key economic lifeline for the sanctions-hit Islamic republic, while Iran provides Iraq with gas and electricity as well as consumer goods. At the news conference with Rashid, Raisi stressed the importance of Iran's cooperation with Iraq in security and other matters. "Relations between Iran and Iraq will continue in the field of water and electricity infrastructure," he said. "A security understanding has been established between the two countries, and the security of Iraq and its borders is very important to us," Raisi added. Thousands of Iranians participated in a rally in London on Saturday and asked Britain to declare the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization. According to the videos received by Voice of America, the protesters chanted against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranians who oppose the Islamic Republic of Iran had called for the protest rally weeks ago. Alireza Akhondi, an Iranian-born member of the Swedish Parliament, said on Friday that he would participate in "the big demonstration in London to convince Britain and the countries of the European Union to take the final steps toward weakening the Islamist regime in Iran, including the classification of IRGC as a terrorist organization." The Association of Families of Flight PS752 victims has also asked the international community to hold the IRGC "accountable for its crimes." The association was formed after the downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane on January 8, 2020, minutes after it took off from Tehran's international airport, by two IRGC missiles. All 176 crew members and passengers, most of whom were Iranians with dual citizenship in Canada, were killed. In January, when the European Parliament called for the IRGC to be put on the EU's terrorist list, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said the vote was "against international law and the charter of the United Nations" and a "desperate move," the official IRNA news agency said. Raisi said the IRGC is an official body and part of Iran's military. Hunger strike Vahid Beheshti, a human rights activist born and raised in Iran, has been on a hunger strike for 66 days in front of the British government's Foreign Office calling on the U.K. to recognize the IRGC as a terrorist group. Beheshti was arrested twice by the IRGC before he fled Iran 24 years ago. He met earlier this week with Tariq Ahmad, minister of state for the Middle East, and afterward announced Ahmad's support for adding the name of the IRGC to the terrorist list. In an interview Tuesday with Panah Farhadbahman, an independent journalist reporting for Voice of America in London, Beheshti said that Ahmad promised to raise his request with the senior officials of the country. 125 lawmakers back plea On Wednesday, 125 members of the British Parliament signed a letter to the prime minister backing an Iranian activist's plea for the IRGC to be proscribed as a terror organization. The United States, which previously declared the IRGC a terrorist organization, on Thursday announced sanctions against the Intelligence Organization of the Revolutionary Guards and its senior officials for their role in the wrongful detention and hostage-taking of Americans. Japan adopted a new five-year ocean policy on Friday that calls for stronger maritime security, including bolstering its coast guard's capability and cooperation with the military as China grows increasingly assertive in regional seas. The new Basic Plan on Ocean Policy adopted by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet also says Japan must accelerate the development of autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated robots to strengthen its surveillance capability. It cited a list of threats: Chinese coast guard ships' repeated intrusions into Japanese territorial waters, growing unauthorized maritime activity by "foreign survey boats" inside Japan's exclusive economic zone, increasing joint military exercises by China and Russia, and North Korea's repeated missile launches. "The situation in the ocean around Japan is increasingly tense," Kishida said at a policy meeting Friday. "It's time for us to unite our wisdom among the industry, academia and government for ocean policy reform or ocean transformation." He also noted the need to better use maritime resources to achieve carbon neutrality. The new ocean policy is in line with Japan's new national security strategy that Kishida's government adopted in December in a major break from the self-defense-only principle that the country has maintained under its postwar pacifist constitution. Doubling defense budget The new strategy provides for the strengthening of Japan's military power with a strike capability and double its defense budget within five years. The strategy also calls for closer cooperation between the military and the coast guard in any emergency over Taiwan or other possible conflicts. Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao urged Japan on Friday to stay away from the Taiwan issue, saying it is China's core national interest and "a red line that should not be crossed." He blamed rising tensions around Taiwan on "foreign forces that are colluding with Taiwanese independence forces" and said their ultimate goal is to split self-governed Taiwan, which Beijing claims, from China. A change in the status quo would cause a "catastrophic outcome," he said at a news conference. If Japan takes sides with independence forces, it would lead the Japanese people "into the fire," he said. The ocean plan also says the capability of Japan's coast guard, which has been on the front line of border disputes, needs to be improved. The coast guard frequently confronts Chinese coast guard vessels approaching Japanese-controlled disputed islands in the East China Sea, North Korean poachers and suspected spy boats, and Russian coast guard vessels near disputed northern islands. Japan's coast guard is used for civilian policing at sea and not military combat, and the new plans calling for closer cooperation with the Self Defense Force have raised concerns about its role and safety in a possible conflict. The ocean plan also says Japan needs to be more aggressive about undersea surveys and using undersea resources for energy, calling for greater use of the exclusive economic zone outside territorial waters to build offshore wind-power generators. Japan has repeatedly protested Chinese research ships' entry into Japanese waters or the exclusive economic zone just outside it for apparent surveys of undersea deposits and other marine resources. Canadian Utilities Limited (TSE:CU) just released its quarterly report and things are looking bullish. The company beat both earnings and revenue forecasts, with revenue of CA$1.1b, some 8.7% above estimates, and statutory earnings per share (EPS) coming in at CA$1.01, 27% ahead of expectations. Earnings are an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance, look at what the analysts are forecasting for next year, and see if there's been a change in sentiment towards the company. We thought readers would find it interesting to see the analysts latest (statutory) post-earnings forecasts for next year. Check out our latest analysis for Canadian Utilities Following the recent earnings report, the consensus from six analysts covering Canadian Utilities is for revenues of CA$3.94b in 2023, implying a small 3.1% decline in sales compared to the last 12 months. Statutory per share are forecast to be CA$2.28, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of CA$3.96b and earnings per share (EPS) of CA$2.33 in 2023. So it looks like there's been a small decline in overall sentiment after the recent results - there's been no major change to revenue estimates, but the analysts did make a minor downgrade to their earnings per share forecasts. It might be a surprise to learn that the consensus price target was broadly unchanged at CA$39.56, with the analysts clearly implying that the forecast decline in earnings is not expected to have much of an impact on valuation. Fixating on a single price target can be unwise though, since the consensus target is effectively the average of analyst price targets. As a result, some investors like to look at the range of estimates to see if there are any diverging opinions on the company's valuation. The most optimistic Canadian Utilities analyst has a price target of CA$43.00 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at CA$37.00. Still, with such a tight range of estimates, it suggeststhe analysts have a pretty good idea of what they think the company is worth. 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 also point out that the forecast 4.1% annualised revenue decline to the end of 2023 is roughly in line with the historical trend, which saw revenues shrink 3.7% annually over the past five years By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in a similar industry are forecast to see their revenue grow 2.9% per year. So it's pretty clear that, while it does have declining revenues, the analysts also expect Canadian Utilities to suffer worse than the wider industry. The Bottom Line The most important thing to take away is that the analysts downgraded their earnings per share estimates, showing that there has been a clear decline in sentiment following these results. Fortunately, the analysts also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, suggesting sales are tracking in line with expectations - although our data does suggest that Canadian Utilities' revenues are expected to perform worse than the wider industry. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates. With that in mind, we wouldn't be too quick to come to a conclusion on Canadian Utilities. Long-term earnings power is much more important than next year's profits. We have estimates - from multiple Canadian Utilities analysts - going out to 2025, and you can see them free on our platform here. However, before you get too enthused, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Canadian Utilities 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here New Developments: Zelenskyy said in an interview he would fight to the death if Russians stormed the headquarters in Kyiv. "I know how to shoot, he said. During a visit to Hungary, Pope Francis spoke with Ukrainian refugees and called for a culture of charity in a country where the nationalist government has implemented firm anti-immigration policies. Ukrainian counteroffensive coming soon with or without U.S. F-16s, Zelenskyy said. A Ukrainian drone struck a Crimean fuel depot on Saturday while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed punishment for the terrorist state and all its war criminals after Russias deadly strike on Friday on the central city of Uman. In his nightly video address Saturday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine will do everything possible to make Russia and its accomplices answer for war crimes committed against Ukraine. Referring to Fridays deadly airstrikes against Uman, Zelenskyy said anyone who prepares such missile attacks cannot but know that he will be an accomplice in the murder. He said a tribunal against Russian war crimes will be established soon. Rescuers have finished searching for survivors in Uman after two Russian missiles struck an apartment building, destroying 27 apartments and 33 cars in the blast. Rescue teams recovered 22 bodies from the rubble, while one victim died later in the hospital, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Saturday. Among the dead were six children, three boys and three girls. Two women remain missing. Nine people were wounded. A total of 17 people were rescued from the rubble. In Dnipro, airstrikes killed a 2-year-old and her mother. Moscow claimed its target was Ukrainian reserve troops and that it struck successfully, preventing them from reaching the front lines. Russia supplied no evidence to support this, according to Reuters. Crimea attack Russia blamed Ukraine for a drone strike early Saturday that set fire to a fuel storage facility in the Russian-occupied Crimean port city of Sevastopol. The fire has been extinguished, Moscow-installed Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev said later in the day on Telegram. Razvozhaev said the fire would not affect fuel supplies in Sevastopol and that no one had been injured. He said another drone was downed and its wreckage found on the shore near the fuel terminal. However, Ukrainian military intelligence official Andriy Yusov said more than 10 tanks with a capacity of about 40,000 metric tons were destroyed. The tanks, he said, contained oil products intended for use by Russia's Black Sea Fleet, RBC Ukraine reported. Yusov did not say Ukraine was responsible for the attack. Instead, he said it was "God's punishment" for the Russian strikes on Uman Friday. "This punishment will be long-lasting. In the near future, it is better for all residents of temporarily occupied Crimea not to be near military facilities and facilities that provide for the aggressor's army," RBC quoted Yusov as saying. Ukraine does not have missiles that can reach targets as far away as Sevastopol, but it has been developing drones with longer ranges, according to Reuters. Ukrainian counteroffensive There will be a counterattack and I think it will succeed, Zelenskyy said in an interview with Scandinavian media published Saturday. I will not give details. Have we had enough armaments for that? I would say that we are on the way to the fact that we are." According to The Kyiv Independent, the Ukrainian leader said the counteroffensive will happen with or without U.S. F-16 fighter jets. "It would help a lot," he said. "But we understand that we will not delay this, and we will start even before we have F-16s or something else." Ukrainian officials have repeatedly asked for more fighter jets as their counteroffensive nears. In a tweet on Thursday, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba wrote, Giving Ukraine F-16s will deter Russia rather than 'provoke' it. Time to take this step. So far, Poland has provided eight MiG-29s, The Kyiv Independent reported. However, The Washington Post reports that military experts and Ukrainian officials say MiG-29s may not be as effective in a Ukrainian offensive against Russian forces. The MiG radar doesnt work far; their missiles dont fire far, said Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian air force. We need new, modern generations of aircraft, he noted. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. New Developments: The European Commission said Friday that it had agreed in principle to resume the transit of Ukrainian grain through five European Union countries that had imposed restrictions. NATO allies have delivered almost all promised combat vehicles to Ukraine, including more than 1,550 armored vehicles and 230 tanks. In a meeting with Russian lawmakers, President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow would expand ties with countries in Eurasia, Africa and Latin America to counter what he called the West's "economic aggression." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used his nightly video address Friday to condemn massive Russian airstrikes, the first such large-scale strikes in months. In Uman, a town in central Ukraine, at least 23 civilians were killed in their sleep early Friday morning, officials said. "A missile on Uman, a city that is peaceful, known to the whole world for hosting tens of thousands of Hasidic pilgrims every year. Only absolute evil can unleash such terror against Ukraine, Zelenskyy said. "My neighbors are gone. No one is left," Serhii Lubivskyi, 58, who survived inside a flat on the seventh floor, told Reuters. He and his wife escaped to their balcony, where firefighters rescued them. Those killed included three children. An estimated 109 people were living in the part of the building that was hit, and 27 apartments were destroyed by the blast. In Dnipro city in southeast Ukraine, a missile killed a 2-year-old child and a 31-year-old woman, regional Governor Serhiy Lysak said. In a tweet, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also condemned Russias airstrikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure. It is just inexcusable that in places like Uman, far from the front line, civilians were killed while sleeping at their homes. This must stop," Matthew Hollingworth, humanitarian coordinator, wrote. Moscow said it was targeting Ukrainian reserve troops and that they were struck successfully, preventing them from reaching the front lines. Russia supplied no evidence to support this, according to Reuters. Zelenskyy reiterated that only heavy, hard-hitting weapons could stop the war and save lives. Air defense, modern aircraft, artillery, armored vehicles are necessary to provide security to our people who are still, unfortunately, in the occupied territory, he said. We cannot leave anyone under the power of Russian evil. The latest assessment by the Institute for the Study of War supported Zelenskyys assertions. Metering Western support to Ukraine and inadequately resourcing all of the required Ukrainian counteroffensives not just the next one will protract Russias war and increase the associated risks for the U.S., ISW said. EU grain deal The European Commission said Friday that it had agreed in principle to allow the transit of Ukrainian grain to restart through five European Union countries that had banned imports. Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia had cited concerns that grain from Ukraine that was supposed to be exported to other countries ended up in their local markets, pushing down prices for their farmers. In a tweet, European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis wrote that the EU had reached "an agreement in principle" with the five "to address concerns of both farmers in neighboring EU countries and Ukraine. The deal also includes a support package worth 100 million euros ($110.25 million) for the support of local markets, Dombrovskis said. Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant Russia may be preparing to connect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, to the power grid of Russian-controlled territory, a U.N. agency said. An International Atomic Energy Agency team of experts monitoring the plants operations said Friday that Russian forces and the Russian nuclear company Rosatom had ordered the skeleton crew there to link the plants only working line to the currently Russian-controlled electrical grid, to the south of the ZNPP site." This line is the only source of external power to the plant, which it needs to keep cooling the fuel in its six reactors, even though they are shut down. Failing to cool that fuel could lead to a potentially catastrophic nuclear meltdown, the IAEA said. In a statement Friday, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reiterated that the increased military presence and activity in the region underscored the need to safeguard the plant from continuous shelling and landmine explosions in the area. A Russian mine exploded near the generator room of the fourth power unit at the nuclear plant, Ukraine's state operator Energoatom said Thursday. It also said Russian troops, who last year seized control of Ukraine's largest nuclear complex, told workers that it was "their own mine that detonated," according to Reuters. Airstrikes continue Meanwhile, the threat of Russian airstrikes continued across Ukraine, with officials warning residents to take shelter as soon as they heard sirens. "Do not ignore the alerts," Andriy Yermak, head of Zelenskyy's office, said on the Telegram messaging app hours after deadly Russian missile strikes earlier Friday. The attacks came days after Zelenskyy spoke by phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping about finding a solution to the war. The Chinese leader said China would dispatch a peace envoy to Ukraine. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. A Texas man went next door with a rifle and fatally shot five of his neighbors, including an 8-year-old boy, after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep, authorities said Saturday. The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza, remained at large more than 18 hours after the shooting and authorities warned that he might still be armed. The attack happened just before midnight Friday near the town of Cleveland, north of Houston, on a street where some residents say it is not uncommon to hear neighbors unwind by firing off guns. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said Oropeza used an AR-style rifle, and as the search for him dragged into Saturday evening, authorities had widened their search to as far as 32 kilometers from the shooting scene. He said Oropeza may still have a weapon but that he believes authorities have the rifle used in the shooting. Capers said they found clothes and a phone while combing a rural area that includes dense layers of forest but that tracking dogs had lost the scent. "He could be anywhere now," Capers said. Capers said the victims were between the ages of 8 and 31 years old and that all were believed to be from Honduras. All were shot "from the neck up," he said. The attack was the latest act of gun violence in what has been a record pace of mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, some of which have also involved semiautomatic rifles. The mass killings have played out in a variety of places a Tennessee school, a Kentucky bank, a Southern California dance hall, and now a rural Texas neighborhood inside a single-story home. Capers said there were 10 people in the house some of whom had moved there earlier in the week but that no one else was injured. He said two of the victims were found in a bedroom lying over two children. FBI spokesperson Christina Garza said investigators do not believe everyone at the home were members of a single family. The victims were identified as Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 8. The confrontation came after the neighbors walked up to the fence and asked the suspect to stop shooting rounds, Capers said. The suspect responded by telling them that it was his property, Capers said, and one person in the house got a video of the suspect walking up to the front door with the rifle. The shooting took place on a rural pothole-riddled street where single-story homes sit on wide half-hectare lots and are surrounded by a thick canopy of trees. A horse could be seen behind the victim's home, while a dog and chickens wandered in the front yard of Oropeza's house. Rene Arevalo Sr., who lives a few houses down, said he heard gunshots around midnight but didn't think anything of it. "It's a normal thing people do around here, especially on Fridays after work," Arevalo said. "They get home and start drinking in their backyards and shooting out there." Capers said his deputies had been to Oropeza's home at least once before and spoken with him about "shooting his gun in the yard." It was not clear whether any action was taken at the time. At a news conference Saturday evening, the sheriff said that while firing a gun on your own property can be illegal, he did not say whether Oropeza had previously broken the law. Across the U.S. since January 1, there have been at least 18 shootings that left four or more people dead, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today, in partnership with Northeastern University. The violence is sparked by a range of motives: murder-suicides and domestic violence; gang retaliation; school shootings; and workplace vendettas. Texas has confronted multiple mass shootings in recent years, including last year's attack at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde; a racist attack at an El Paso Walmart in 2019; and a gunman opening fire at a church in the tiny town of Sutherland Springs in 2017. Republican leaders in Texas have continually rejected calls for new firearm restrictions, including this year over the protests of several families whose children were killed in Uvalde. "I tell my wife all the time, 'Stay away from the neighbors. Don't argue with them. You never know how they're going to react,'" Arevalo said. "I tell her that because Texas is a state where you don't know who has a gun and who is going to react that way." Here are some Native American-related news stories that made headlines this week: Lawmakers seek to embed Indian child welfare protections into North Dakota law With only weeks to go before learning the fate of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), North Dakota lawmakers Wednesday approved a bill that would ensure that Native American children in the state's welfare system will be placed with Native American families whenever possible. ICWA was enacted in 1978 to help prevent the widescale placement of Native children in non-Native homes and institutions. The U.S. Supreme Court in November heard arguments in Brackeen v. Haaland challenging ICWA as race-based and accusing the federal government of intruding on state affairs. The Court is expected to issue its ruling in late June or early July. North Dakota Representative Jayme Davis, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, introduced House Bill 1536 in January to make sure that ICWA is codified in North Dakota law. The state is home to all or part of five federally recognized tribes where nearly 40 percent of children in foster care identify as Native American. The bipartisan legislation now goes to Gov. Doug Burgum. Read more: Is America's biggest art museum holding stolen or fake Native artifacts? As part of its ongoing series on the repatriation of Indigenous ancestral remains, ProPublica reported Tuesday that Native American works donated to or on loan to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art may be stolen or fake. At issue is a collection of works from more than 50 tribal cultures across North America, some of which date to before European contact. ProPublica found that only 15% of the 139 works donated or loaned by collectors Charles and Valerie Diker have documented histories of ownership, known as provenance. Further, ProPublica reports that some of the items are culturally sacred or funerary, in violation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. That law directs all federally funded institutions to catalogue Native American human remains, funerary items and objects of cultural significance and submit them to the National Park Service. They must also notify tribes of these holdings and help effect their repatriation. The law does not apply to private collections or items on loan. The Met is the largest art museum in America and operates on an endowment of $2.5 billion. The report comes just a month after the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists reported that more than 1,100 pieces in the Met's collection were connected to persons who have been indicted or convicted of crimes including looting and trafficking. Read more: In the video above, Theland Kicknosway, a member of the Wolf Clan, Potawatami and Cree Nation in Ontario, Canada, explains the significance of long hair to Indigenous North Americans. Rights groups challenge schools' ban on long hair The Native American Rights Fund (NARF) this week called on a North Carolina charter school system to reverse a policy mandating that males wear their hair short. Classical Charter Schools of Leland operates four schools in the state's southeast. According to its handbook, the wearing of "distracting, extreme, radical, or faddish haircuts, hair styles, and colors," are forbidden and hair should be "neatly trimmed and off the collar. "This School policy is a gross violation of students' religious and cultural beliefs that disproportionately impacts Native American students attending CCSL," reads a letter from NARF sent on Wednesday, one day before the school system met to discuss the matter. "Since time immemorial, many Tribes and Indigenous communities have placed significant cultural and religious importance on hair and to many is an important aspect of Indigenous identity," NARF attorneys wrote. NARF joins the American Civil Liberties Union in calling the ban discriminatory. Read more: Was Kansas the center of a long-forgotten Native American nation? A Kansas archaeologist is challenging traditional understandings of precolonial societies of the Great Plains. Contemporary thinking is that the Plains were home to scattered groups of hunter gatherers. But University of Wichita professor Donald Blakeslee says the Quivira society spanned most of eastern Kansas, northeast Oklahoma and a portion of western Missouri, and was the center of a wheel of trade routes that stretched from Florida through California and into Mexico. First described as a village by Spanish military explorer Francisco Vazquez de Coronado in the mid-16th century, Blakeslee says Quivira was home to as many as 200,000 people who were ancestors of the present-day Wichita Indians. "In its day, Quivira was probably the most important native political unit in what's now the United States," Blakeslee said in a university statement in March. But the Wichita Eagle reported this week that others are skeptical, including the president of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes in Anadarko, Oklahoma, who has asked to see the evidence. The paper also quotes a retired state archaeologist as saying Blakeslee's rewriting history is "a little grandiose." Blakeslee is currently working on a book manuscript that he says will explain everything. Read more: The Kenyan government has evacuated citizens from troubled Sudan, but with a shaky cease-fire set to expire at midnight Sunday, the parents of Kenyan students who are stuck are appealing to Nairobi to speed up the departure process. Ahmed Hussein reports from Wajir County where more of the students are from. Strikes by air, tanks and artillery rocked Sudan's capital, Khartoum, and the adjacent city of Bahri on Friday, witnesses said, mocking a 72-hour truce extension announced by the army and a rival paramilitary force. Hundreds have been killed and tens of thousands have fled for their lives in a power struggle between the army and Rapid Support Forces that erupted on April 15 and disabled an internationally backed transition toward democratic elections. The fighting has also reawakened a two-decade-old conflict in the western Darfur region where scores have died this week. In the Khartoum area, heavy gunfire and detonations rattled residential neighborhoods. Plumes of smoke rose above Bahri. "We hear the sounds of planes and explosions. We don't know when this hell will end," said Bahri resident Mahasin al-Awad, 65. "We're in a constant state of fear." The army has been deploying jets or drones on RSF forces in neighborhoods across the capital. Many residents are pinned down by urban warfare with scant food, fuel, water and power. At least 512 people have been killed and close to 4,200 wounded, according to the United Nations, which believes the actual toll is much higher. The Sudan Doctors Union said at least 387 civilians had been killed. The RSF accused the army of violating an internationally brokered cease-fire with airstrikes on its bases in Omdurman, Khartoum's sister city at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers, and Mount Awliya. The army blamed the RSF for violations. The cease-fire is supposed to last until Sunday at midnight. The violence has sent tens of thousands of refugees across Sudan's borders and threatens to compound instability across a volatile swath of Africa between the Sahel and the Red Sea. "From the warplanes to the tanks and rockets, we had no other option than to leave," said Motaz Ahmed, a Sudanese man who arrived in Egypt's capital, Cairo, after a five-day trip. "We left behind our homes, our work, our belongings, our vehicles, everything, so we can take our children and parents to safety." Foreign governments airlifted diplomats and citizens to safety over the past week. Britain said its evacuations would end on Saturday as demand for spots on planes had declined. The U.S. said several hundred Americans had departed Sudan by land, sea or air. A convoy of buses carrying 300 Americans left Khartoum late on Friday on a 525-mile trip to the Red Sea in the first U.S.-organized evacuation effort for citizens, The New York Times reported. Darfur deaths In Darfur, at least 96 people have died since Monday in intercommunal violence rekindled by the army-RSF conflict, U.N. human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said. Releases and escapes from at least eight jails, including five in Khartoum and two in Darfur, were compounding chaos, she added. In El Geneina, capital of West Darfur, a major hospital supported by medical charity MSF was looted over the past two days, the group said. "Many people are trapped in the midst of this deadly violence. They fear risking their safety and lives trying to reach the rare health facilities that are still functional and open," said Sylvain Perron, MSF's deputy operations manager for Sudan. The United Nations said its offices in Khartoum, El Geneina and Nyala were also ransacked. "This is unacceptable and prohibited under international humanitarian law. Attacks on humanitarian assets must stop," U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths posted on Twitter. Relief agencies have been largely unable to distribute food to the needy in Africa's third-largest country, where a third of its 46 million people were already reliant on donations. Among Sudan's neighbors, Egypt said it had taken in 16,000 people, while 20,000 had entered Chad. The U.N. refugee agency said more than 14,000 had crossed into South Sudan, which won independence from Khartoum in 2011 after decades of civil war. Some had walked from Khartoum to South Sudan's border, a distance of over 400 km (250 miles), a spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency said. Despite global appeals for talks, army chief General Abdel Fattah Burhan told U.S.-based Arabic language broadcaster Al Hurra it was unacceptable to sit down with RSF head Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, whom he called "the leader of the rebellion." Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, told the BBC that the RSF would not hold talks until fighting ends. Saying the armed forces were "relentlessly" bombing his fighters, he blamed Burhan for the violence. "Cease hostilities. After that we can have negotiations," Dagalo said. Suspected Israeli airstrikes targeted the Syrian province of Homs early Saturday, state media reported. Syria's state news agency, SANA, citing military officials, said that three civilians were wounded in the strike and that a civilian fuel station caught fire and a number of fuel tankers and trucks were burned. It reported that Syrian air defenses responded to Israeli missiles in the sky over Homs and shot down some of them. The pro-government Sham FM radio said fires broke out south of the city of Homs as a result of the strikes and successive explosions sounded from the area. The Britain-based opposition war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Israeli missiles had destroyed an ammunition depot belonging to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah at a military airport in the countryside of Homs. The observatory said it was the second time Israel targeted the site in a month. On April 2, state media reported Israeli airstrikes hit several sites in Homs, wounding five soldiers. The observatory said two Hezbollah members were killed by the earlier attack. There was no immediate statement from Israeli authorities on the strikes. Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment next door, has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in government-controlled parts of neighboring Syria in recent years, but rarely acknowledges them. Earlier this year, suspected Israeli strikes in Syria intensified, culminating in an exchange on the border April 8, when the Israeli military said its forces attacked targets in Syria after six rockets were launched from southern Syria toward the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. On Monday, Syrian pro-government media said Israel shelled targets in southern Syria near the Golan Heights, causing unspecified material damage. Warring sides in Sudan are more open to negotiations and have accepted the conflict that erupted two weeks ago cannot continue, a U.N. official told Reuters on Saturday, a possible flicker of hope even as fighting continued. Volker Perthes, U.N. special representative in Sudan, said the sides had nominated representatives for talks, which had been suggested for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, or Juba in South Sudan, though he said there was a practical question over whether they could get there to "actually sit together." He said no timeline had been set for talks. The prospects of negotiations between the leaders of the two sides have so far seemed bleak. On Friday, army leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said in an interview he would never sit down with the RSF's "rebel" leader, referring to General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who said he would only talk after the army ceased hostilities. Hundreds of people have been killed since April 15 when a long-simmering power struggle between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) boiled over into conflict. Perthes noted that he had told the Security Council both sides thought they could win the conflict, most recently in a briefing a couple of days ago, but he also said attitudes were changing. "They both think they will win, but they are both sort of more open to negotiations, the word 'negotiations' or 'talks' was not there in their discourse in the first week or so," he said. While the sides had made statements that the other side had to "surrender or die," Perthes said, they were also saying, "okay, we accept ... some form of talks." "They have both accepted that this war cannot continue," he added. While the army has conducted daily air strikes and says it has maintained control of vital installations, residents say the RSF has a strong presence on the ground in Khartoum. Fighting between the forces has damaged electricity, water, and telecommunications infrastructure, and looting has destroyed businesses and homes. Tens of thousands of Sudanese have fled fighting either to other towns or to neighboring countries. The immediate task, Perthes said, was to develop a monitoring mechanism for cease-fires, which have been agreed to several times but have failed to stop the fighting. Jeddah had been offered as a venue for "military-technical" talks while Juba had been offered as part of a regional proposal by East African states for political talks. Perthes said that signs of the impending conflict had been visible in early April as international and local mediators scrambled to ease tensions, but they had thought a "temporary de-escalation" had been achieved the night before fighting began. Chinese leader Xi Jinping said Wednesday that Beijing will send an envoy to Ukraine to discuss a possible "political settlement" to Russia's war with the country. Beijing has previously avoided involvement in conflicts between other countries but appears to be trying to assert itself as a global diplomatic force after arranging talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran in March that led them to restore diplomatic relations after a seven-year break. Xi told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call that a Chinese envoy, a former Chinese ambassador to Russia, would visit Ukraine and "other countries" to discuss a possible political settlement, according to a government statement. It made no mention of Russia or last year's invasion of Ukraine and didn't indicate whether the Chinese envoy might visit Moscow. The Xi-Zelenskyy phone call was long anticipated after Beijing said it wanted to serve as a mediator in the war. WHY DOES THIS MATTER? China is the only major government that has friendly relations with Moscow as well as economic leverage as the biggest buyer of Russian oil and gas after the United States and its allies cut off most purchases. Beijing, which sees Moscow as a diplomatic partner in opposing U.S. domination of global affairs, has refused to criticize the invasion and used its status as one of five permanent U.N. Security Council members to deflect diplomatic attacks on Russia. Zelenskyy earlier said he welcomed a Chinese offer to mediate. WHY DID CHINA DO THIS? Xi's government has pursued a bigger role in global diplomacy as part of a campaign to restore China to what the ruling Communist Party sees as its rightful status as a political and economic leader and to build an international order that favors Beijing's interests. That is a sharp reversal after decades of avoiding involvement in other countries' conflicts and most international affairs while it focused on economic development at home. In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran issued a surprise announcement, following talks in Beijing, that they would reopen embassies in each other's capitals following a seven-year break. China has good relations with both as a big oil buyer. Last week, Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts that his country is ready to help facilitate peace talks. Wednesday's statement warned against the dangers of nuclear war, suggesting Beijing might also have been motivated by what it sees as the growing danger of a more destructive conflict. Mediating between Ukraine and Russia would increase China's presence in Eastern Europe, where Beijing has tried to build ties with other governments. That has prompted complaints by some European officials that China is trying to gain leverage over the European Union. Political science professor Kimberly Marten of Barnard College at Columbia University in New York doubted China would succeed in a peacemaker role. "I have a hard time believing that China can act as peacemaker," she said, adding that Beijing has been "too close to Russia." WHAT ARE CHINA'S RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA? China is the closest thing President Vladimir Putin's isolated government has to a major ally. Xi and Putin issued a joint statement ahead of the February 2022 invasion that said their governments had a "no limits friendship." Beijing has tried to appear neutral but has repeated Russian justifications for the invasion. Xi received a warm welcome from Putin during a visit to Moscow in March. The Chinese defense minister visited Russia this month. China has stepped up purchases of Russian oil and gas for its energy-hungry economy, helping to offset lost revenue resulting from Western sanctions. In exchange, China gets lower prices, though details haven't been disclosed. Marten said the Xi-Zelenskyy call was "kind of a slap at Russia, because Russia has been very keen to portray China as its ally." She said the direct China-Ukraine contact "indicates China is taking at least a step away from Russia." WHAT ARE CHINA'S RELATIONS WITH UKRAINE? China was Ukraine's biggest trading partner before the invasion, though on a smaller scale than Chinese-Russian trade. In 2021, Ukraine announced plans for Chinese companies to build trade-related infrastructure. Zelenskyy's government was more ambivalent toward Beijing after it was clear Xi wouldn't try to stop Putin's war, but the two sides have remained amicable. "Before the full-scale Russian invasion, China was Ukraine's number one trading partner. I believe that our conversation today will give a powerful impetus to the return, preservation and development of this dynamic at all levels," an official Ukrainian readout of the call reported. Qin, the foreign minister, promised this month China wouldn't provide arms to either side, a pledge that benefits Ukraine, which has received tanks, rockets and other armaments from the United States and European governments. The Chinese ambassador to France set off an uproar in Europe when he suggested former Soviet republics a group that includes Ukraine might not be sovereign nations. That was in line with Putin's comments denying Ukrainian sovereignty. Beijing then reassured former Soviet states it respected their sovereignty and said the ambassador's comments were a personal opinion, not official policy. Elizabeth Wishnick, of the U.S.-based think tank CNA and Columbia University's Weatherhead East Asian Institute, said in an email: "I wonder if Xi's call was set up quickly to deflect attention" from the uproar over the Chinese ambassador's remarks. Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Global saw its net loss narrow by more than half last year despite the impact of intermittent Covid-19 outbreaks and an unprecedented fine imposed by the country's cybersecurity regulators. The Beijing-based company posted a net loss of 23.8 billion yuan (US$3.44 billion) for 2022, down 52 per cent from 49.3 billion yuan in 2021, according to its first annual report filed since it delisted from the New York Stock Exchange last year. Revenue declined 19 per cent to 140.8 billion yuan in 2022 from 173.8 billion yuan in the previous year, as users in China took fewer rides during Covid-19 outbreaks in the second and fourth quarter, Didi 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. The company's adjusted Ebitda from its mainland operations also took a hit from the 8.026 billion yuan fine levied on the firm last July by the Cyberspace Administration of China over data violations. It followed a year-long investigation into Didi that kicked off just days after the firm held an initial public offering in New York in the summer of 2021. Partly because of the fine, Didi's China mobility segment last year recorded a 1.5 billion yuan adjusted loss before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, compared with 6.1 billion yuan adjusted earnings in 2021, the company said in its report. While the fine was announced last summer, Didi was only able to resume registrations of new users and make its main app available for download again in China in January this year, nearly 18 months after it was ordered to halt customer enrolment in line with the probe. The Didi ride-hailing app seen on a smartphone in Shanghai. Photo: Bloomberg alt=The Didi ride-hailing app seen on a smartphone in Shanghai. Photo: Bloomberg> Story continues Amid business headwinds in China, Didi said it managed to expand its international business, which consists primarily of ride-hailing and food delivery services. While gross transaction value dropped 20 per cent in China in 2022, it grew 32 per cent overseas. However, Didi's Chinese operations are showing signs of recovery in the first months of this year. In March, Didi recorded an average of 28.2 million daily transactions, representing a 42 per cent year-on-year increase, the firm said. Earlier in April, the company unveiled its first prototype robotaxi. Named Didi Neuron, it is shaped like a minibus, and has robotic arms inside that are supposed to help move luggage and pick up water bottles for passengers. The company also debuted a new business named Kargobot, which will integrate its autonomous driving capabilities with logistics and freight transport. In April, Didi's autonomous driving unit unveiled a concept car with a robotic arm inside. Photo: Handout alt=In April, Didi's autonomous driving unit unveiled a concept car with a robotic arm inside. Photo: Handout> Didi's push into autonomous driving dates back to 2016, when it set up a dedicated unit. In 2020, the company started allowing users to hail self-driving cars in designated areas in Shanghai, and launched an automated operation and maintenance centre in the city earlier this year, offering battery charging for autonomous vehicles, repairs and parking. It made the service available in part of Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province, in March this year. Meng Xing, chief operating officer of Didi's self-driving unit, said in April that the areas for such operations in Shanghai expanded seven-fold between 2020 and 2022. As of the end of March, Didi had 587 million annual active users and 23 million annual active drivers worldwide, the company said. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. By comparing the genetic blueprints of an array of animals, scientists are gaining new insights into our own species and all we share with other creatures. One of the most striking revelations is that certain passages in the instructions for life have persisted across evolutionary time, representing a through line that binds all mammals including us. The findings come from the Zoonomia Project, an international effort that offers clues about human traits and diseases, animal abilities like hibernation and even the genetics behind a sled dog named Balto who helped save lives a century ago. Researchers shared some of their discoveries in 11 papers published Thursday in the journal Science. David OConnor, who studies primate genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the studies tackle deep questions. Its just the wonder of biology, how we are so similar and dissimilar to all the things around us, said OConnor, who wasnt involved in the research. Its the sort of thing that reminds me why its cool to be a biologist. The Zoonomia team, led by Elinor Karlsson and Kerstin Lindblad-Toh at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, looked at 240 species of mammals, from bats to bison. They sequenced and compared their genomes the instructions organisms need to develop and grow. They found that certain regions of these genomes have stayed the same across all mammal species over millions of years of evolution. One study found that at least 10% of the human genome is largely unchanged across species. Many of these regions occur outside the 1% of genes that give rise to proteins that control the activity of cells, the main purpose of DNA. Researchers theorized that long-preserved regions probably serve a purpose and are likely what they call regulatory elements" containing instructions about where, when and how much protein is produced. Scientists identified more than 3 million of these in the human genome, about half of which were previously unknown. Scientists also focused on change within the animal kingdom. When they aligned genetic sequences for species and compared them with their ancestors, Karlsson said, they discovered that some species saw a lot of changes in relatively short periods of time. This showed how they were adapting to their environments. One of the really cool things about mammals is that at this point in time, theyve basically adapted to survive in nearly every single ecosystem on Earth, Karlsson said. One group of scientists looked for genes that humans dont have but other mammals do. Instead of focusing on new genes that might create uniquely human traits, we kind of flipped that on its head," said Steven Reilly, a genetics researcher at Yale University. Losing pieces of DNA can actually generate new features, Reilly said. For example, he said, a tiny DNA deletion between chimps and humans caused a cascade of changes in gene expression that may be one of the causes of prolonged brain development in humans. Another study focused on the fitness of one well-known animal: Balto. Scientists sequenced the genome of the sled dog, who led a team of dogs carrying a lifesaving diphtheria serum to Nome, Alaska, in 1925. His story was made into a 1995 animated feature film and a statue of the pup stands in New Yorks Central Park. By comparing Baltos genes to those of other dogs, researchers found he was more genetically diverse than modern breeds and may have carried genetic variants that helped him survive harsh conditions. One of the authors, researcher Katherine Moon of the University of California, Santa Cruz, said Balto gives us this guide through comparative genomics, showing how genetics can shape individuals. OConnor said he expects Zoonomia to yield even more insights in the future. To have these tools and to have the sort of audacity to ask these big questions helps scientists and others learn more about life around us, he said. Alexander Molony and Ever Anderson in Peter Pan & Wendy. Photo: Walt Disney Studios A word to filmmakers looking to remake Peter Pan: Dont. Maybe this is one classic that deserves to live in the past, preserved in all its wonder and problematic charm. I say this as something of a Peter Pan nut: The animated 1953 Disney film is probably my favorite from the studios golden era, and I grew up obsessed with James M. Barries original tale. Apparently, Im not alone. Over the years, a number of talented directors have offered their takes on the Boy Who Wouldnt Grow Up. Some have had the right idea and avoided trying to retell the same story, instead going forward or backward in time. But the right ideas can still yield disasters like Joe Wrights Pan, a prequel. I actually think Steven Spielberg did a fine job with Hook, a sequel that saw Peter as a grown-up yuppie struggling to reconnect with his past self but mine is still a minority view. David Lowerys Peter Pan & Wendy represents Disneys official live-action remake of the studios 1953 hit. So it probably cant afford to stray too far from the basic events of the story, in which the Darling children Wendy (Ever Anderson), John (Joshua Pickering), and Michael (Jacobi Jupe) are whisked away by Peter Pan (Alexander Molony) across the skies of Victorian London, following the second star to the right until they reach the idyllic island of Neverland, where they join the Lost Boys and do battle against Captain Hook (Jude Law) and his band of pirates. Its a familiar story, but in its details, the film suffers from an odd mix of overcorrection and half-hearted ness. You can almost read the tsk-tsking studio notes as you watch the movie. We all know that the original Peter Pan story has its share of outdated elements: demeaning portraits of Native Americans, a surprising amount (at least for childrens fare) of romantic jealousy, and a few too many situations involving Wendys utter helplessness as a girl. All those are good reasons to free up the filmmakers to try something different. And Lowery has added a couple of interesting twists to Peters past, turning him into a more complicated and reflective character, which might have paid emotional dividends later in the movie. But the moniker of the Boy Who Wouldnt Grow Up doesnt just denote age and childishness; Peter Pan should be the very spirit of youth, pure dash and bravado, at least initially. Otherwise, why would anyone follow him to the ends of the Earth? Here, hes mostly joyless right from the start. Peter Pan & Wendy seems afraid to let Peter be any kind of hero, which makes his eventual mopeyness more dispiriting than insightful. Theres no point in undercutting the fun if youve already excised all the fun. The problem with Peter Pan & Wendy is all too often one of subtraction, not reinvention. You can almost read the tsk-tsking studio notes as you watch the movie. Peters loyal fairy Tinkerbell (Yara Shahidi), once a sassy and occasionally traitorous sprite, consumed by her love for Peter and spite for Wendy, has now been reduced to an assortment of affirming gestures, which renders her useless as a narrative element and an awkward afterthought as a character. If you told me she was added during editing, Id believe you. Ever Andersons Wendy still has to extoll the virtues of mothers and of growing up, but shes also a fighter in her own right. The young actress brings plenty of liveliness to the role, but the film seems confused about what to do with this Wendy, leaving her half-imagined. These are well-meaning changes, but theyre surface ones, and the characters havent been transformed in any fundamental ways which means that there are gaping holes where their motivations and souls should be. The film fares better with turning Tiger Lily (Alyssa Wapanatahk) from a damsel in distress to an indigenous warrior who joins in with Peter and the Lost Boys in their battles against Hook and the pirates. She at least gets some stuff to do this time. The picture redeems itself mightily, however, with Laws Captain Hook, whom the actor plays as a total psychopath. His performance is in some senses an extension of Dustin Hoffmans marvelous turn in Spielbergs Hook, where the pirate captain was portrayed as a whimpering weirdo. To be fair, its a great part. Hooks obsession with Pan, ostensibly the result of the boys slicing off the older mans hand, has always been more pathological than vengeful. (In the animated Disney version, Hans Conrieds voice acting lent him an operatic single-mindedness that was chilling, another example of the magic those early Disney films worked with their villains.) Law grabs this idea and runs with it so far that the menace and the comedy become one; his Hook is unpredictable, wild, dangerous, and (yes) fun. Even Jim Gaffigans Mr. Smee, a character usually depicted as a cozy, confident caretaker of the captain, now seems baffled much of the time, unable to solve the riddle of his master. Whenever Peter Pan & Wendy stays with the pirates, its on solid footing. Maybe because theyre pirates, and they get to be assholes. In most other respects, the movie is a mess. It certainly didnt need to be. Lowery also made 2016s lovely Petes Dragon remake, where the studio seemed to give him the freedom to do with the original as he saw fit. He took that not-so-classic story of an orphan and his enormous dragon best pal and turned it into the portrait of a small-town community, settling into the Pacific Northwest atmosphere and letting the cuddly creature of the title exist in the margins, glimpsed in captivating snatches, as much local folklore as real-life beast. This director is good with mood, and he has a great eye. (It is a shame that Peter Pan & Wendys grand, windswept Neverland vistas will never be seen on a big screen, since the film is going straight to Disney+.) One wonders if, without the weight of a classic property bearing down on him, Lowerys fondness for striking imagery and elliptical storytelling might have soared. As it is, Peter Pan & Wendy feels both too unwieldy and inconsequential ever to take flight. Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin on March 21. Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via Reuters Russia's economy has little to offer China, and their growth in trade is more modest than it appears. That's according to Agathe Demarais, global forecasting director at the Economist Intelligence Unit. "Russia's much-vaunted pivot toward China, in other words, is probably not as successful as Putin and Xi claim." Despite talk of a "no limits" partnership between Moscow and Beijing, China is reluctant to increase trade with Russia, according to Agathe Demarais, global forecasting director at the Economist Intelligence Unit. In an article in Foreign Affairs, she pointed to drawbacks about Russia's economy that limit deeper cooperation between the two allies, who have set a goal of $200 billion in trade this year. "And contrary to conventional wisdom, Moscow does not have much to offer Beijing. China does not buy Russian oil and gas at a large discount, and it wants a diverse array of energy providers," she wrote . "Russia's much-vaunted pivot toward China, in other words, is probably not as successful as Putin and Xi claim." Although China's exports to Russia rose by 12.8% in 2022, Demarais pointed out that's due in part to currency fluctuations and it lags trade growth with non-allies. For example, China's exports to Australia and India jumped by about 20% last year. Trade with Russia actually accounts for only 2% of all Chinese shipments, and doesn't give Moscow supplies withheld by sanctions, such as needed semiconductors, she added. Meanwhile, Russian exports to China are also less striking than they appear, Demarais said. While exports surged, that's due in part to a jump in commodity prices, such as oil. And the total volume of imports remains modest. Imports from Russia make up just 4% of Chinese trade, similar to volume from Malaysia. Demarais listed reasons why the Russia isn't that attractive to Chinese companies. First, Russia's economy was in a recession last year and is expected to be stagnant at best this year. Chinese firms could also be disincentivized by the recent dismissal of intellectual property protections in Russia. Story continues But the main reason for China's limited interest in the Russian market is fear of secondary US sanctions, Demarais wrote. It's a fear shared on the Russian side as well, according to recently leaked US documents. "A look at Chinese customs data makes it clear that China retains the upper hand in its economic relationship with Russia and that Beijing appears in no rush to provide an economic lifeline to the Kremlin," she said. This is the latest dim view of the Russian economy, which is suffering a record workforce shortfall amid losses in Ukraine and a mass exodus. Russia's economy is also becoming increasingly primitive as its war in Ukraine drags on, according to the Russian economist and University of Chicago professor Konstantin Sonin. And an adviser to Finland's central bank said Russia is experiencing "reverse industrialization" as Western sanctions and its continued war on Ukraine weigh on long-term economic growth. Read the original article on Business Insider Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share They keep coming and keep dying. Just this week, another 55 migrants trying to reach Europe drowned off the coast of Libya when their rubber dinghy sank. Two days earlier, 33 people died in four different capsizes near the Italian island of Lampedusa. A few days before that, dozens of bodies washed up on a beach near Tripoli. Each of these men, women or children could have told a tale of unimaginable sorrow. The running tally of migrant drownings for the year so far is 661, according to the International Organization for Migration. That makes about 20,000 such deaths since 2014. And this number only counts fatalities on the central Mediterranean route from Africa to the European Union, not the refugees who perished on the Aegean or other passages. If theres more dying, its because theres more migrating again. Illegal entries into the EU, by land or sea, were up 64% in 2022 over the previous year, to the highest number since the refugee crisis of 2016. Formal asylum requests grew by 50%, with about one million applications filed. Not counted in those numbers are the millions of Ukrainians who fled the Russian invasion and now live in the EU under so-called temporary protection. Advertisement The EU is at a loss. It doesnt want so many people to come, but also doesnt know how to stop them or what to do with them once they reach European shores. Italy now has a prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, who ran as a far-right populist on anti-migrant rhetoric. She tries to make it as hard as possible for dinghies or even rescue ships to ferry refugees to Italy. But she cant break the law and wants to avoid even more egregious humanitarian disasters. Other European leaders are in a similar bind. Some, like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, pretend the problem isnt theirs and just keep migrants out completely. Formerly liberal Denmark has in effect closed its doors and focuses instead on deporting refugees back home, even to war-traumatized Syria. But sending migrants back against their will and without the cooperation of their home countries is hard. The EU still swears by the rule of law and prefers to see itself as a paragon of decency, especially in contrast to barbarian regimes like that of Russian President Vladimir Putin. That makes it difficult to just shove people on a plane, knowing they may be welcomed on the other side by the Taliban, or Boko Haram, or the troops of either of the two generals now tearing up Sudan, or others of that ilk. Such complications explain why only 21% of the roughly 300,000 migrants told to leave the EU every year actually go. Advertisement The reality is that migrants will keep coming to Europe for the foreseeable future and in growing numbers just as theyll also keep trekking from South and Central America to the US. Its because they come from places that resemble hell on earth and make Europe or America seem like relative heavens. Theyre huddled masses fleeing from disorder toward order. Theyre trying to outrun despair in search of hope. Theyre doing what I would do too. To glimpse the potential of the coming migrations, just take a look at the Sahel, the arid belt of Africa just south of the Sahara. The regions problems start with droughts and famines, which anthropogenic climate change has made 100 times more likely to occur. (That problem of global warming, it should be added, was caused not by Africans, but by rich countries in North America, Europe and elsewhere.) But droughts are just the start of the Sahels problems. The intertwined list goes on to include ethnic strife and other mayhem, from coups in Burkina Faso to civil wars in Sudan or Mali, as well as Islamic terror and random violence in various places. Advertisement Together, these scourges have displaced a record 36 million Africans, three times the number a decade earlier. Three in four of these refugees are internally displaced that is, still in Africa. But that could change. Now comes the most diabolical part. There are actually people in this world who delight in this human suffering and want to exacerbate it, because they want to cause mass migrations that will make the EU break down, or apart. Enter Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Putin confidante who runs the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary conglomerate which the US considers a transnational criminal organization and Kremlin proxy. Lately, Prigozhin has been in the news for hiring convicts out of Russias prisons and sending them as cannon fodder to attack Ukrainian lines in places like Bakhmut. But Wagner operates in many countries, and has taken a particular interest in Africa. Advertisement According to US intelligence documents that were recently leaked, Wagner like the Russian state is actively pushing into the Sahel to take advantage of ambivalent interest in the region by the former colonial power, France, and superpower, America. Its goal is to cause chaos, by selling martial services to any warlord willing to make a bid. One target is Chad. Its a problematic country government forces killed scores of peaceful protesters in October but also a US and Western ally of sorts in the fight against Islamic insurgencies. Wagner is apparently hiring and training fighters from the Central African Republic, Chad and other places to oust the Chadian government, perhaps even plotting to assassinate its leader, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno. This coup would be just one part of plans by Prigozhin and therefore presumably Putin to foment rebellion and strife across the Sahel, in order to turn the region against the West, and of course to cause a mass migration toward Europe. Advertisement As the EUs 27 leaders haggle about tweaking their dysfunctional asylum regime this year, let none of them peddle the illusion that the problem of migration can be either solved or ignored. Not on a planet that is heating, not in a universe with so much evil, not in a world that includes the likes of Prigozhin. Such bleak assessments are hardly de rigueur in Brussels. But anything else is simply dishonest. The price of being European will include pulling bodies out of mare nostrum, our sea. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Putin Ups the Ante with Nukes in Belarus: Andreas Kluth Ukraines Big Offensive May Put Biden in a Bind: Hal Brands The Xi-Macron Summits Unexpected Payoff: James Stavridis This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering European politics. A former editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist, he is author of Hannibal and Me. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2023 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share NEW DELHI Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh urged the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on Friday to work together to eliminate terrorism and ensure accountability for those who aid or fund such activities, his ministry said. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Any kind of terrorist act or support for it in any form is a major crime against humanity, the Defense Ministry quoted Singh as saying at a one-day meeting of SCO defense ministers in New Delhi. The SCO was founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It was later expanded to include India and Pakistan. India accuses longtime rival Pakistan of arming and training insurgent groups fighting for the independence of Indian-controlled Kashmir or its integration into Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denies. In Afghanistan, the Talibans imposition of new measures such as restrictions on women is a concern for SCO member states. Advertisement The grouping identifies security, trade, investment, environmental protection, information technology and tourism in the region as key areas of cooperation. Singh met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on the sidelines of the meeting and discussed military-to-military ties as well as industrial partnerships. Indias Defense Ministry said they discussed the Russian defense industrys participation in the Indian governments Make in India initiative to increase domestic production. India is dependent on Russia for up to 60% of its arms purchases and Prime Minister Narendra Modis government is trying to set up joint ventures to develop the domestic industry. The two ministers also discussed regional peace and security and reiterated their commitment to strengthen the partnership between the two nations, particularly in defense, the ministry said. GiftOutline Gift Article Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size A foolish attempt to help multinational companies avoid paying tax in Australia has spectacularly backfired on the multibillion-dollar professional services industry, infuriating Canberra and potentially costing these high-profile firms billions in fees. A recent ban on PricewaterhouseCoopers former head of international tax, Peter Collins, acting as a tax practitioner for attempting to profiteer from confidential information about government plans to combat tax avoidance has achieved the rare feat of uniting Australias warring political parties. Former PwC partner Peter Collins has been banned as a tax practitioner. On Tuesday, public hearings will commence in the Senate inquiry into the billions the federal government spends with these financial services firms and how to ensure the integrity of the providers. Meanwhile, the government is mulling options that include banning tax advisory firms from tendering for contracts if they do not curb this kind of misconduct. Collins was banned for two years by the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) for integrity breaches after leaking confidential government tax plans to other staff and partners at his firm. The TPB report on his ban said: Some of the confidential information was disclosed by Mr Collins with other PwC personnel who, in turn, disclosed to clients or potential clients of PwC. Advertisement The inquiry into consulting services was sponsored by Greens senator Barbara Pocock and supported by the Liberals in response to the uproar over the tax leak. The inquiry will be chaired by Liberal senator Richard Colbeck and Labor senator Louise Pratt will act as deputy. Its hit a bit of a nerve, hasnt it? Pocock says. Greens senator Barbara Pocock pushed for a Senate inquiry into the billions of dollars spent on consultants. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The PwC tax issue gives it a real salience, but I think theres interest in the longer term, and larger picture, about how dependent the advisory structures have become on consultants. There is also the question of whether PwC is the only shocking example out there. Were interested in what else is there, and hoping that the inquiry will flush out any other examples, and how we need to think about responding when things go off the rails, Pocock says. Advertisement This includes the $1 million robo-debt bill, also from PwC, for a damning report which was not delivered, to a Coalition government that did not want to receive it. Ive had a lot of very lively conversations with people who say, youve got to be kidding. When they hear about a million dollars, I mean, a million dollars is a lot of money. While the Liberals and Greens sift through the consulting wreckage in public, Labor has already planted the seeds for significant change and not just the legislation recently introduced to beef up the powers of the Tax Practitioners Board, which banned PwCs Collins late last year. In February, Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy responded to a letter from Treasurer Jim Chalmers outlining more measures to ensure the integrity of any further consultation with private consultants. Treasury is working with the Australian Tax Office to prepare advice for government on further options, beyond TPB sanctions, to penalise tax advisory firms which do not put in place appropriate government arrangements to curb misconduct, Kennedy said in his letter to Chalmers. Labor senator Deborah ONeill has accused PwC of dodging accountability for the tax leak. Credit:Australian Financial Review This includes new conditions to the statement of tax record that firms must hold in order to bid for Commonwealth government contracts valued at more than $4 million. Advertisement Keep in mind The Australian Financial Review report last year saying the five biggest consulting firms, PwC, EY, Accenture, Deloitte and KPMG, were paid $2 billion in 2021-22 alone. This was not the only bombshell. Treasury is also contemplating deeds of confidentiality with entire organisations rather than individuals, meaning these firms could be held responsible when staff such as Collins misbehave. Loading The PwC example provides plenty of evidence as to why this is considered necessary. Accountability still appears to be a sticking point. Last month, PwCs local chief executive, Tom Seymour, made the claim that other employees were not implicated in the sharing of confidential information that got Collins banned. There was no findings at all that up to 30 staff were giving advice using the confidential information, he said. Advertisement It appeared to directly contradict what another Senate estimates hearing had been told about the matter. Mr Peter-John Collins of PwC took that information back to his company and shared it with colleagues, who then monetised that for profit. Is that it, in a nutshell? Senator Deborah ONeill asked TPB chairman Ian Klug just weeks earlier. In a nutshell, thats correct, he replied. TPB chief executive Michael ONeill offered more detail, when questioned. There was confidential communication and information from Treasury and the board of tax to Mr Collins. Mr Collins, as we said in our public entry on our register, shared that information with PwC personnel, both in Australia and overseas, who, in turn, shared that with clients. That was part of the monetisation, as you said. At the time of the ban, where TPB had also found that PwC had failed to properly manage conflicts of interest, PwC said we deeply regret the failures. Doubling down on denial is a sign that PwC still refuses to be accountable. Senator Deborah ONeill Advertisement Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a cabinet meeting via videoconference in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. Gavriil Grigorov/AP Russia's pipeline gas exports are set to halve this year, according to a report from a Kremlin-affiliated news outlet. Those losses are largely due to Russia slashing pipeline gas flows to Europe last year in retaliation for sanctions. But Russia's economy is now struggling as it pulls in lower energy revenue, experts say. Russia's pipeline gas exports could fall by 50% this year, another sign that the nation's dominance in global energy markets is fading as it struggles to find customers for its products. Government forecasters predicted the Russia's pipeline gas exports could halve in 2023, the Kremlin-affiliated Russian news outlet Izvestia reported on Thursday. That will pile on to hefty losses Russia's gas industry already weathered in 2022, with state-owned Gazprom reporting the lowest volume of gas exports last year since the start of the century. The hole in Russia's gas trade stems from the nation halting key pipeline flows to Europe in mid-2022 in retaliation for Western sanctions. The move was expected to exacerbate the supply shortage and push up energy prices for the West, but its efforts to weaponize gas have largely backfired, experts say, as it's been difficult for Russia to find other customers for its gas supplies. The nation did ramp up its LNG exports to Europe last year as it slashed pipeline gas supplies, but European nations are now considering banning Russian LNG to further crimp the nation's war revenue. The European Union's energy commissioner asked the 27-country bloc not to renew Russian LNG contracts last month, a move that could bring more headwinds to Russia's economy. Russia's oil and gas revenue crashed nearly 50% in January of this year alone, according to estimates from Russia's finance ministry. And despite more positive economic stats touted by the Kremlin, sanctions have dented Russia's economy far more than it will admit, two Yale researchers said, who claimed the nation's economy is actually "imploding" amid its costly invasion of Ukraine. Read the original article on Business Insider The battle between Barb and Ted Grimley, the parents of missing fraudster Melissa Caddick, and the victims their daughter defrauded has escalated with the Grimleys foreshadowing legal action against the court-appointed receivers handling Caddicks estate. Barrister Robert Newlinds, SC, who is representing the Grimleys, told the Federal Court on Friday that his clients want the receivers, Bruce Gleeson and Daniel Soire of Jones Partners, to personally pay the interest on the mortgage of his clients Edgecliff apartment. Melissa Caddick at the Dover Heights property during the raid by the AFP. He said this was because the receivers were not complying with a previous order of the court. Last July Justice Brigitte Markovic granted the application from the receivers to use funds from the sale of Caddicks Dover Heights house to discharge the mortgage on an Edgecliff apartment. Students are more likely to be excluded from the states schools for physical violence than any other reason, making up a record 45 per cent of all long suspensions in the first half of 2022. New figures reveal that across public primary and high schools about 22,600 students received a suspension in the first half of last year, a reduction of about 15 per cent from the same time in 2021. Students are more likely to be excluded from the states schools for physical violence than any other reason. Credit: Janie Barrett Less than 1 per cent of primary students were suspended the lowest rate in five years and about 6 per cent of high school students received a suspension. But physical violence is now the reason almost half of all long suspensions are issued, rising from 39 per cent in 2013. Violence has also overtaken persistent misbehaviour as the most common reason about 7000 students in the states schools received a long suspension of up to 20 days. My husband and I are travelling to the Greek Islands in September. We have three weeks including travel time. Any suggestions for stopovers and the best islands for that time of the year? P. Lucas, Brisbane, Qld Bangkok is exciting, fun, great value and perfect if you like Thai food and while Dubai and Qatar are closer to your destination, and better for recovering from jet lag, theyre more expensive. My first stop on an island-hopping tour out of Piraeus would be Hydra, or Idra, celebrated as a refuge for writers, poets, musicians and dreamers since the 1970s, and still known for its bohemian tastes. There are no cars on the island, adding to its charm. September is a good time to visit the Cycladic Islands since the summer crowds should have departed and my next stop would be Paros, one of the most attractive of all the islands, with its villages of sugar-cube houses clustered around tiny harbours filled with dancing fishing boats. Next stop, Santorini, a surreal hunk of red rock that erupts from the sea, with glittering white houses and blue-domed churches fastened to the rim of its cliffs. Best place to stay is Oia, the smaller of the two main villages and easily the winner in any beauty contest. Finally, Crete, largest of all the Greek Islands, the source of myths and legends, site of some of the most flagrantly beautiful scenery in the Mediterranean including mountains that rear up to 2400 metres and towns that weave together Turkish bathhouses, Venetian fortifications and Byzantine architecture. My partner and I will spend four weeks travelling around Switzerland, Austria and Hungary in May and June. After Vienna we head to Budapest for four nights before departing for Australia 12 days later. Can you suggest an itinerary for the eight days between Vienna and Hungary? V. Pryse, South Yarra, Vic Vienna to Budapest is just a 2-hour train journey and theres nothing between them thats likely to keep you occupied for eight days. But from Vienna youre spoiled for choice. To the south youve got the mountains and lakes of Slovenia, Slovakias Bratislava is just 90 minutes train trip to the east, Prague is a half-day rain journey or you could fly to Polands former royal capital of Krakow in an hour. Without even leaving the borders of Austria youve got some wonderful cities including Salzburg, Innsbruck and Klagenfurt and if the Sound of Music landscapes appeal, there is hardly anywhere better for alpine walking. GET ONLINE Cruise ships usually charge exorbitant prices for Wi-Fi in cabins - it can be $400 for seven days - is there a SIM card for use on Mediterranean cruises? C. Sinclair, West Pennant Hills, NSW Its difficult to achieve connectivity without using your cruise operators satellite-based system. Even with a local SIM card, youd need to be in range of a land-based cell tower for that to work and apart from those times when youre docked, thats not likely to happen. However getting yourself online via your vessels Wi-Fi network is a lot less expensive than in the past. For example Carnivals Premium Wi-Fi plan starts at $21.25 per day, aboard Holland Americas ships the Premium Plan costs $US20 ($30) per day. ON SAFARI Together with three other family members, were planning an 8-12 day safari trip to Africa in December. We dont have a huge budget ($2500-$4500 each) and we want to avoid long daily drives between camps. We want to see the big five, Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls with a side trip to see gorillas if possible. S. Clarke, Como, NSW That suggests a camping safari, and you can expect an early morning game drive which might last until 9.30 or 10, and another in late afternoon. Transfers between camps usually happen in the middle of the day, when theres not too much else happening. However, some camping safaris involve six to 10 hour drives between overnight stops and that is going to impact on the amount of time you have available for game viewing. Its also not much fun. With the time available youre better off focussing on just one region, and Botswanas Okavango Delta has much of what youre looking for. What you could do is fly into Maun from where the safari camps in the delta are just a short drive away. African Budget Safaris (africanbudgetsafaris.com) has several camping and budget lodge-based safaris in this area that do not involve long trips between camps. You can fly from Maun to Victoria Falls but both time and budget put the gorillas out of reach. Rwanda and Uganda are the most reliable and safest options but either would add several days to your itinerary, and the steep cost of trekking permits, guides and accommodation in the highlands where they live make this an expensive experience. After experiencing severe burnout during the pandemic and being diagnosed with PTSD and ADHD, 34-year-old Caitlin Gibson knew she had to make some changes. 'I realized I wasnt taking good care of myself and was stressed out both personally and professionally," said the former healthcare worker turned wellness blogger. "Self-care and self-love are now a priority." As Gibsons priorities changed, so did her summer vacation plans. "Usually Im running around doing what the kids want to do Disney, Universal. But this summer, Im planning on taking a self-care trip." On her agenda: a two-week stay in Phoenix, Ariz., with her best friend. "Were going to relax with some drinks by the pool, get pedicures, talk about life, make dinners together, brainstorm ideas to take over the world and make all of our dreams come true." Amid all the chaos the world is facing, this type of trip as well as spiritual retreats and outdoor and adventure travel is gaining momentum, said Ben Harrell, US managing director at Booking.com. This summer is going to be 'the summer of escape.'" "Its an escape that we need physically, emotionally, and mentally," Harrell said. "For some people, an 'escape' means going to a new place for a new kind of experience; for others, it's a place thats old and familiar." (Photo: Getty Creative) While Orlando, Fla., Myrtle Beach, S.C., Las Vegas, New York and Ocean City, Md., are among this summers most popular destinations, Harrell said the mission is to have a break from the "everyday doldrums." For 38-year old Kristen Valenti, an 'escape' means staying close to home and keeping things simple. She and her fiance (along with their dog), who live in the West Hartford, Connecticut area, recently bought a trailer and are planning on taking a 3-week road trip through New England this summer. "Were going to head up to Vermont first and spend a week hiking there, followed by Maine, and then New Hampshire." Story continues Others, such as 27-year old musician Alissa Musto, have more elaborate plans. "I'll be spending two weeks in Santa Barbara California and two weeks in Wisconsin Dells before flying to Europe where I'll be spending two weekends in the south of Germany, performing in Waldshut, and exploring nearby Switzerland and Liechtenstein. From there, I plan on going to the Netherlands and Austria (which have been on my bucket list) and then Poland." Like many travelers, Musto is mixing business with leisure ("bleisure") and is particularly excited about traveling internationally again now that things have opened up. An airplane takes off from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands June 16, 2022. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw Pauline Frommer, Co-President of frommers.com, concurs. "I think were going to see more international travel this summer than perhaps ever before. Just look at the incredible surge of people getting passports." During a recent House Appropriations subcommittee budget hearing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the demand was unprecedented. The State Department is getting half a million passport applications a week, which is "30 to 40% above last year," Blinken said. Rome, Paris, London, Athens and even Tokyo, which was closed last summer, top the list of popular international destinations, Harrell said. "Bucket list travel is huge," said Frommer. People are saying, This is the summer Im going to go to India or Mexico or take that African safari that theyve always wanted to do. Theyre biting the bullet and going for it." Personal finance journalist Vera Gibbons is a former staff writer for SmartMoney magazine and a former correspondent for Kiplinger's Personal Finance. Vera, who spent over a decade as an on-air financial analyst for MSNBC, currently serves as co-host of the weekly nonpolitical news podcast she founded, NoPo. Click here for the latest personal finance news to help you with investing, paying off debt, buying a home, retirement, and more Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance It was a year at the Detroit Auto Show for a pint-sized Adrian Lazarovits and his father Andrew. The trip had become a tradition and one Adrian looked forward to each year as a son who admired his dad, and as a burgeoning car buff. With all the boldness of a six-year-old, Adrian announced quite earnestly that the 1992 BMW 850, on display that year, would one day be his. Some might have called it an outlandish goal. A few decades later, Lazarovits, 36, a pilot and business owner, not only owns an 850 himself, but is a proud dad to eight BMWs in total, including the luxury brands latest and greatest. Lazarovits explains how the collection came to be: From the very first day it was announced, I was on a need-to-own basis with the 2023 BMW iX. This was a couple of years ago now, and there was this application process a call-out for those interested in owning one of the first to arrive in Canada. I had to submit one of the current BMWs I own and tell them why I love it, why I love cars in general and why I loved the BMW iX. Essentially, Ive been into cars, and BMWs in particular, my entire life. Its something that I inherited from my father, who was a BMW guy through and through. At this stage in my life Im a soon-to-be-dad and a business owner the iX checked all the boxes for me. The fit and finish is spectacular; everything is just properly built. Its also mind-blowingly fast. Electric cars have notoriously, en masse, lost that driver-focus aspect . Even though youre somewhat disconnected from the drive, itself, because its an electric car and has electric steering, the way this one handles, the way it accelerates, it just feels like a true BMW. If I were to be a one-car-individual, this car would do it for me. Im sure that owning eight BMWs in total sounds a bit much, but, truthfully, I was lucky that almost all the cars in my collection were only worth about $500 a piece when I was in university. I bought them before anybody ever viewed them as collectible, fixed them up and have given them endless love. In turn, Ive been fortunate enough to find that most of them have paid dividends. In fact, thats one of the ways I paid my way through college. When I applied for this 2023 BMW iX, I, of course, told them about my 1992 BMW 850. I would say its the most special one to me of all the cars because of that connection with my dad. Its a V12 six-speed manual. Its green with gold trim. It has pop-up headlights. I drive it all summer long and have been for the last 15 years. Its got 250,000 kms on it now. Unfortunately, my dad passed away when I was 12, so he didnt get a chance to see me finally get to buy it. Why did he love BMWs so much? I dont know, to be quite honest with you, but it was always an exciting bonding moment to get to drive in some of his neat cars when we were kids. The local dealer that I dealt with to get the 2023 BMW iX, Budds BMW Hamilton, was able to get early allocation for the (vehicle). Because of that I was able to customize the car to my exact preferences with the interior and the exterior that greenish colour and gold trim . I spec-ed it out like it was 1992 again. They dont make them like this anymore. The process of acquiring the 2023 BMW iX starting during COVID which included BMW allowing me to customize the car in whatever way I wanted and choose from a range of features. The funny thing is, car production promptly crashed after that and the full launch of the car to the public was delayed. So even now, my iX has a bunch of extra cool options that dont come with the model anymore. As a car guy, features like adaptive dampers and rear-wheel steering arent necessarily things that anyone would need, but I find them pretty wild. We wanted something that was safe. I, thankfully, had the foresight to know that we were going to start a family, so I definitely wanted something that I was going to feel comfortable with my wife and child in. Its a full-sized SUV, and, although my wife isnt quite at the same level of car-fanatic as myself, this one ticks all the boxes for her, too. She adores it. I mean, it has seat massagers. Plus, at the risk of sounding like a bleeding-heart millennial, a part of me really does like the idea that its actually environmentally friendly. SHARE: Passengers faced lengthy delays at airports last summer - REUTERS/Henry Nicholls Summer holidays could still yet be under threat as Whitehall red tape threatens to hold up vetting and security clearances for airport security staff. Executives at one of the worlds biggest airport ground handling companies say hundreds of staff bound for UK airports have been left in limbo as it takes up to 12 weeks to carry out the necessary checks. Prior to the pandemic such clearances typically took four to five weeks, bosses at Menzies say. Ministers intervened a year ago to relax background checks so that vetting and security clearances could be fast-tracked amid chaotic scenes at airports. Juliet Thompson, chief people officer at Menzies, said that much of that acceleration had petered out, however. Its still a challenge that we're pushing the Government quite hard to try and accelerate that process because it's quite a lengthy time, she added. On average, it still takes six to 10 weeks for them to get the security clearance, and then another couple of weeks to get it ID-ed by the airports. Ms Thompson and Philipp Joeinig, Menzies chief executive, explained that more than 200 of the firms future staff were in a queue awaiting clearance. It can be a kind of 12-week process from making an offer to getting a person permanently badged so they can operate in their full capacity within the airport, Ms Thompson added. A four to five week average would be typical for us. Michael O'Leary, chief executive officer of Ryanair Holdings Plc, speaks at the Bloomberg New Economy Gateway Europe conference near Dublin, Ireland, on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. The conference is focusing on the theme of aReglobalizationa a exploring the forces transforming trade and industry, from banking to aviation and energy to semiconductors. Photographer: Paulo Nunes dos Santos/Bloomberg - Paulo Nunes dos Santos/Bloomberg The bosses of Edinburgh-based Menzies, which employs 27,000 people across 58 countries, underlined that the company and the wider aviation sector was far better placed in terms of staffing levels ahead of the crucial summer period compared with 2022. Menzies has filled 94pc of the expected vacancies. But fears persist elsewhere within the industry that staffing could once again prove problematic, especially if demand for holidays is much higher than currently expected. Earlier this year Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary locked horns with Baroness Charlotte Vere, the aviation minister, during a meeting in which she warned bosses that there could not be a repeat of last year's long queues snaking outside of terminal buildings. Story continues Brexit has been blamed as a contributing factor in last years travel chaos at airports for cutting off a vital supply of labour for the aviation industry. But Mr Joeinig, a former executive at rival Swissport, said Britains exit from the European Union would ultimately prove beneficial. In the short term Brexit has caused irregularities. Processes have to be and are still to be adopted, he said. But in the medium term there is no knock-on effect that we expect to last and even the other way around. Now the UK has an advantage if it can turn down the level of bureaucracy and reduce it and create itself as the hub for long-haul traffic outside of Europe, into the world. The Department of Transport was contacted for comment. RCMP may never fully learn why Myles Sanderson went on a deadly stabbing rampage on a Saskatchewan First Nation, but they may be able to offer answers that some experts say could help victims families make sense of it all. Mounties released on Thursday a preliminary timeline of the Sept. 4 attacks on the James Smith Cree Nation and in the nearby village of Weldon, which killed 11 people and injured 17. They also announced they are conducting a psychological autopsy on Sanderson, who went into medical distress and died after he was taken into custody. The psychological autopsy could help investigators understand why people were attacked and others not, Supt. Joshua Graham told a news conference. Staff in the RCMPs behavioural sciences branch have met with community members and Sandersons family as part of the process, Graham said, and a report is expected in several months. Experts in the field say a psychological autopsy could provide answers into Sandersons thinking and whether substance use played a role. It may also undo confusion in the community. It is quite possible and likely that we cannot get all the reasons, but Im sure that we will get some and we will get more, said Antoon Leenaars, a clinical and forensic psychologist in Windsor, Ont., who has written about psychological autopsies. For the survivors, if theyre given proper feedback, it can be very helpful and healing. Leenaars said a psychological autopsy normally involves extensive interviews with family, friends and those who knew the person. Documents, emails and records that may shed light on who the person was and what they were about are also examined. Dr. Scott Theriault, a forensic psychiatrist and associate professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, said a psychological autopsy aims to reconstruct the state of mind of the person at the time of a crime. Theriault conducted a psychological autopsy on Lionel Desmond, a former soldier from Nova Scotia who shot and killedthree family members before killing himself in 2017. Theriault determined that Desmond was aware of what he did and would have been criminally responsible. You need to build up an image of who this person was or what he or she was like, Theriault said. Because you cant talk to the individual directly, you need a lot of collateral information. Leenaars said psychological autopsies can identify risks for communities and help prevent other tragedies. If we dont understand, we cant really change things, he said. Some of the new information RCMP released this week offers some hints, said Theriault. Mounties said Myles Sanderson and his brother Damien Sanderson were together a few days before the attack, selling cocaine and getting into fights. Damien Sanderson told a friend at a bar the night before the mass killing that the brothers had a mission and people would hear all about it in the next few hours. RCMP said a witness also said the brothers were drinking heavily and pumping themselves up for something before the attacks. Myles Sanderson first killed his brother before stabbing the others in various homes and locations, police said. From what Ive seen, theres some hints dropped about some disturbance in the mental state of the individual before this all happened, Theriault said. But to what degree that will lead to sort of any clear conclusions about why it happened the way that it did and when it did, I dont know. A parole document from February 2022 showed Myles Sanderson had a two-decade-long criminal record and propensity for violence when intoxicated. He told the board that regular drug use and drinking hard alcohol would make him lose (his) mind and get angry. Mounties said its not known what motivated the attacks, and they may never know. We want to ensure (families) feel supported, informed and that they are able to continue processing and healing while awaiting answers to their questions, said Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore, commanding officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP. Two coroners inquests into the killings and into Sandersons death in custody are scheduled for next year. Blackmore said an independent officer review will also be publicly released. Everyone impacted by what happened at James Smith Cree Nation and in Weldon deserve answers. Psychological autopsies have been called into question. During the inquiry into Nova Scotias 2020 mass shooting that left 22 dead, two researchers said the psychological autopsy of killer Gabriel Wortman lacked fundamental information and that the practice doesnt provide sound means of generating predictions or preventive strategies. The researchers said the psychological autopsy did not clearly define its purpose and contained bias, as beliefs were delivered as fact. However, Leenaars said psychological autopsies can be effective, as long as theyre done properly. Researchers need to speak to lots of people, get as much information as possible and not jump to conclusions. Psychological autopsies are difficult, but they have a long history, he said. You have to be good at it and you have to be comprehensive. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2023. SHARE: WINNIPEG - Megan Maxwell, like many Manitobans, fires up her computer every spring on the opening day of campsite reservations. And like many, she has often come away disappointed as the limited number of high-demand accommodations such as yurts and cabins are snapped up within minutes. Booking a campsite can be as competitive as buying concert tickets online. Ive had family members trying, to see if we can co-ordinate, Maxwell said. Theres been five different groups trying to get yurts, and maybe 20 per cent are successful (in getting sites) on weekends. This year, Maxwell lucked out and got a spot high in the randomly assigned electronic queue seconds after reservations opened. As I was clicking on weekends at the yurt I wanted, they were disappearing before my eyes. I got one locked in and then I was like maybe I can do another weekend and all the other weekends were gone. For years, demand has far exceeded supply for upscale camping options such as cabins, yurts and campsites with electrical and water service for vehicles. The provincial government is now promising to address the shortage though a 10-year, $110-million infrastructure plan to be formally announced later this year following public consultations. The public has a voracious appetite for more and more, Greg Nesbitt, the minister for natural resources, said in an interview. You give them 50 yurts and they want 100. And thats what we intend to do is keep expanding parks to meet the demand. The government commissioned a consultants report that was completed in December and is still being considered. The report recommends, among other things, more camping opportunities, especially so-called luxury options such as yurts and cabins. Birds Hill Provincial Park, a popular site just north of Winnipeg that currently has no yurts, could use 50, the report states. Nesbitt hinted the government may act on that proposal when it releases its annual short-term infrastructure plan in May. I think that youll be pleasantly surprised, likely, with what were going to announce, thats all I can say at this point, he said. But obviously, the high-demand areas, thats where the demand is, thats where we need to do the construction. The consultants report also suggests raising fees to recover more of the costs at parks. The $56-a-night fee for a yurt is about half what the federal government charges in national parks, and other camping fees starting at $12 a night are among the lowest in Canada, the report states. The reports suggested options include a sharper increase in luxury camping rates and a limited increase in rates for basic campsites. The government could also ensure access to low-income earners by having free park entry passes available through libraries, the report said. Nesbitt said the government is not looking at increasing fees now, but some raise in the future is likely. I think once the public sees that were investing in campgrounds that perhaps have needed some capital improvements for a long time there might be an appetite for modest rate increases in the future, Nesbitt said. The Opposition New Democrats said fees need to remain within reason for public access. They need to make sure that they keep that so its affordable for everybody, NDP natural resources critic Tom Lindsey said. An announcement on this years capital plan for parks, including new yurts, will come before the May long weekend, Nesbitt said. Public consultations on the longer-term plan to improve parks and camping services are to start later this year. The promise of more camping accommodations by the Progressive Conservative government, months out from an election slated for October, may sound familiar to Manitobans. The former NDP government promised in 2016 to double the number of yurts but lost the ensuing election. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2023 Read more about: SHARE: KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A massive fire erupted at an oil depot in Crimea after it was hit by two of Ukraines drones, a Russia-appointed official there reported Saturday, the latest in a series of attacks on the annexed peninsula as Russia braces for an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, a port city in Crimea, posted videos and photos of the blaze on his Telegram channel. Razvozhayev said the fire at the citys harbor was assigned the highest ranking in terms of how complicated it will be to extinguish. However, he reported that the open blaze had been contained. Razvozhayev said the oil depot was attacked by two enemy drones, and four oil tanks burned down. A third drone was shot down from the sky, and one more was deactivated through radio-electronic means, according to Crimeas Moscow-appointed governor, Sergei Aksyonov. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move that most of the world considered illegal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview this week that his country will seeking to reclaim the peninsula in the upcoming counteroffensive. Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Crimea last month to mark the ninth anniversary of the Black Sea peninsulas annexation from Ukraine. Putins visit took place the day after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader accusing him of war crimes. The attack reported in Sevastopol comes a day after Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine, killing at least 23 people. Almost all of the victims died when two missiles slammed into an apartment building in the city of Uman, located in central Ukraine. Six children were among the dead, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Saturday, adding that 22 of the 23 bodies recovered have been identified. Two women remained missing, Klymenko said. Russian forces launched more drones at Ukraine overnight. Ukraines Air Force Command said two Iranian-made self-exploding Shahed drones were intercepted, and a reconnaissance drone was shot down on Saturday morning. Razvozhayev said the oil depot fire did not cause any casualties and would not hinder fuel supplies in Sevastopol. The city has been subject to regular attack attempts with drones, especially in recent weeks. Earlier this week, Razvozhayev reported that the Russian military destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone that attempted to attack the harbor and another one blew up, shattering windows in several apartment buildings, but not inflicting any other damage. Ukraines military intelligence spokesperson, Andriy Yusov, told the RBC Ukraine news site on Saturday that the oil depot fire was Gods punishment for the murdered civilians in Uman, including five children. He said that more than 10 tanks containing oil products for Russias Black Sea Fleet were destroyed in Sevastopol, but stopped short of acknowledging Ukraines responsibility for a drone attack. The difference between the number of tanks Yusov and Razvozhayev gave could not be immediately reconciled. After previous attacks on Crimea, Kyiv also wouldnt openly claim responsibility, but emphasized that the country had the right to strike any target in response to Russian aggression. Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces shelled the city of Nova Kakhovka, according to Moscow-installed authorities in the Russian-occupied part of southern Ukraines Kherson province. Severe artillery fire cut off power in the city, the officials said. The Ukrainian-controlled part of the province also came under fire on Saturday. Russian shelling in the area of the village of Bilozerka killed one person and wounded another, according to the Kherson prosecutors office. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Read more about: SHARE: EDMONTON - Albertas two main provincial political party leaders are set to duel for the provinces highest office starting Monday in a campaign that for both could be a case of win or go home. A win by United Conservative Leader Danielle Smith and her party gets a second term, defeating Rachel Notley and her NDP just like in 2019. A loss and Smith risks being tossed out by her party, wearing the ignominy of the first Alberta conservative leader to lose in a head to head fight with the NDP, given the NDP won government in 2015 with a big boost from conservative vote-splitting. A win by Notley and its two of the last three elections going orange, with a chance to cement the NDP as Albertas dominant party. A loss and its two Ls in a row and perhaps calls for renewed leadership. Political scientist Lori Williams said both will bring baggage to the campaign trail, which begins with Mondays expected writ drop and ends with a May 29 voting day. Smith is shouldering multiple controversies, including an ongoing ethics investigation tied to her phone call offering to help a street preacher with his criminal trial. Notley had to quell a messy internal party fight last year over accusations of verbal abuse of party volunteers, not to mention former caucus member Thomas Dang, who is not seeking re-election, being charged with hacking into a government website. Williams said Notley also has to cope with residual discontent from her time as premier in 2015, when her government passed a bill to regulate employment and safety rules on farms, prompting protests on the steps of the legislature. Even though she did win the agreement of farmers on what the policy actually wound up being, that image of farmers driving their tractors in protest, the sense that she wasnt listening to rural Alberta, was a point of huge sensitivity in rural Alberta, said Williams, with Mount Royal University in Calgary. Polling suggests Smith faces a different challenge on the doorsteps given her conflicting comments, rollbacks and clarifications on a range of policies such as COVID-19 prosecutions, restrictions for the unvaccinated and her sovereignty act. Danielle Smith is much more of a polarizing figure, said Williams. Questions about her judgment, character, even integrity, and competence, stability, all of these things are being asked. Pollster Janet Brown said that with Edmonton solidly NDP and the UCP dominating the rural areas, the path to victory in the 87-seat legislature likely runs through Calgary. The leader, she said, could be the determining factor in a head-scratcher of a city that voted solid Conservative blue in the 2021 federal election but for progressive candidates in the municipal campaign that same year. Its like the tale of two Calgarys. Which Calgary is going to show up on May 29? said Brown. If its a Calgary preoccupied with Ottawa and defending Albertas economic interests, it could be a good night for Danielle Smith. If its a Calgary thats worried about social programs and honest leadership, itll be a good night for Rachel Notley. Both leaders came of age in Alberta politics over the last decade and, regardless of the outcome on May 29, will have left their mark on the political landscape. Both have been Opposition leader. Both have been premier. Both are in the 50s. Both have prospered at the expense of the other. In 2008, when Notley won a seat, the NDP occupied a tiny corner of the legislature chamber with four seats. By 2015, the New Democrats under Notley won government for the first time in provincial history, then captured more than a quarter of the legislatures seats in their 2019 loss. Polls suggest they are now poised for a narrow win or a bigger seat share in 2023. Smith helped foment the split on the right when she became Wildrose party leader in 2009. Under her leadership, the Wildrose was poised to defeat Premier Alison Redfords PCs in 2012, but a late polling lead evaporated after Smith refused to remove candidates for intolerant remarks and questioned the validity of climate change. Two years later, the PCs had turfed Redford amid scandals and replaced her with Jim Prentice. When Prentice began defeating the Wildrose in a series of byelections and appeared to have recaptured momentum, Smith led a mass floor crossing of most of her Wildrose caucus to Prentices PCs. The result was public outrage over the move while the Wildrose began to rejuvenate under Brian Jean, contributing to the vote split and the NDPs breakthrough win in 2015. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2023. Read more about: SHARE: If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here. PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS - Air Products & Chemicals Inc. plans to invest a half-billion dollars to produce environmentally friendly hydrogen in New York state. - The Trexlertown Chick-Fil-A plans to add a second drive-thru lane as part of a plan to reduce traffic congestion. - The Harrisburg-based Mid Penn bank has opened its first full-service branch in the Lehigh Valley in South Whitehall. - The Allentown Planning Commission put off a decision on a new Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen at the site of the former Nostos Greek restaurant. - The former Star Crete concrete plant at the intersection of Farmersville Road and Easton Avenue has been sold for $1.58 million, and that may clear the way for a medical office building. - The local business SuperSets Gym will open its third location in Allentown's South Mall, with no opening date set yet. - The jewelry boutique Versant will close later this year, but the business will be consolidated at Gary Werkheiser's other location in Saucon Valley Square. - The DSW Woodmill Commons has moved to Berkshire West, 1101 Woodland Road in Wyomissing. - Trainer Michael Melendez has opened his new Reading Extreme Boxing Club where PacSun used to operate in the Berkshire Mall. - Frackville NAPA Auto Parts held a grand opening with the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce and Frackville Business & Professional Association. - Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers in North Manheim Township held a grand opening, in conjunction with the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce and Pottsville Business Association. - PDC Machines, a maker of hydrogen compressors, showed off a new plant in Lower Salford. - Maya Capital Partners has acquired Amwell Valley Self Storage, a 265-unit storage business on Route 31 in Ringoes, New Jersey. - Norwescap is buying the former Sullivan's on the Main restaurant in Phillipsburg to renovate the building and then use it for programs to help educate and feed people. Today Mostly cloudy, brisk, and unseasonably cool with a few scattered showers. More dry than wet overall, but still cool and unsettled. Tonight A shower or two. Low: 42F. Tomorrow Lots of clouds, a few breaks of sun, and continued brisk and cool with a few spotty showers. Turkey's Baykar plans production of new air combat drone next year Visitors surround Kizilelma, company's newest 15 meter jet powered ground attack drone, at Teknofest airshow in Istanbul ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish defence firm Baykar aims to begin production of its new unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) next year which is already attracting international interest, its chairman Selcuk Bayraktar said. Baykar has come to prominence internationally in recent years because of the company's light drone TB-2, which has been used in Ukraine, Azerbaijan and North Africa and has been a huge export success, catapulting the firm to becoming one of the largest Turkish defence exporters. Named Kizilelma, the drone expands the company's product range from slow, ground attack drones to fast and agile autonomous ones that work alongside fighter jets. "It is designed to be a highly autonomous, under human purview of course, air-to-air combat vehicle" said Bayraktar, who led the design of the 15-meter-long jet-powered UCAV. "In a sense, the Kizilelma expresses a whole new future for combat aviation." Baykar plans to begin production in small quantities next year. Kizilelma made its first flight in December and began formation flight tests with Baykar's other drones this month. The craft is ready to begin test flights alongside piloted jets. Deployment on Turkey's amphibious ship is scheduled for next year. There is already demand from abroad for the new drone, though its specialised capabilities mean it can be sent to less export markets. Bayraktar, who is married to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's daughter, spoke on the sidelines of an aerospace and technology festival organised by his own foundation. High profile military projects have figured prominently in Erdogan's election campaign and Bayraktar said he sees the drone as the culmination of a national aspiration and a product "where we tell the world that our country is not only a player but also a game maker." (Reporting by Can Sezer; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) ROME (AP) Austrian authorities on Friday handed over to Italy one of the suspected smugglers of the boat which capsized in February off southern Italy in a tragedy that killed 92 migrants, Italian police said. The suspect, a 27-year-old Turk identified by police as Ufuk Gun, was arrested on March 7 near Graz, Austria. Prosecutors in Calabria, in the toe of the Italian mainland, are investigating the shipwreck, near the beach town of Cutro. There were 80 survivors, many of whom staggered ashore or were pulled to safety by local residents. They are also investigating whether the Italian coast guard should have been dispatched hours earlier, in time to prevent the deaths. After the shipwreck, the conservative government of Premier Giorgia Meloni sharply raised criminal penalties against people smugglers who cause death but denied any blame for the tragedy. Italian police said in a written statement that authorities arranged for the suspect, sought on a European arrest warrant, to be returned to Italy at the border town of Tarvisio. After formalities, the man will be brought to Crotone, the headquarters of prosecutors near Cutro, for continued investigation, police said. Survivors had indicated the suspected smugglers to investigators. At the time, a warrant for Gun was issued, court documents indicated his whereabouts as unknown and no lawyer for him was listed. It's common for smugglers to try to mingle with their passengers in hopes of avoiding arrest, and then attempt to slip out of Italy. Three other suspected smugglers have previously been arrested in the shipwreck investigation. The boat had set out from Turkey. Afghans, Pakistanis, Iranians, Somalis and Palestinians were among those who paid about 8,000 euros (then $8,700) apiece for the trip, which they hoped would reach Europe so they could find work or reunite with family. Italy's interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, has dismissed contentions by opposition lawmakers and rights groups that the shipwreck could have been avoided. He argued that the smugglers could have brought the boat to shore hours earlier but deliberately kept it at sea in hopes of avoiding police on shore. Just offshore, the boat, rocked by tall waves, slammed into a sandbank, splintering and rapidly taking on water. Bodies washed up on beaches for days afterwards. Italy decided at first only to send border police boats, which couldn't handle the rough seas, and not coast guard vessels, better equipped for rescue in adverse marine conditions, after the migrant boat was spotted by surveillance aircraft. At a Cabinet meeting held in Cutro, 11 days after the shipwreck, Meloni and her government had issued a decree establishing a new crime people smuggling that results in death of migrants punishable by up to 30 years in prison, an exceptionally stiff sentence for crimes involving facilitating illegal immigration. Despite the crackdown, the migrants keep coming. Since the start of this year, nearly 40,000 had arrived by Thursday on Italy's southern shores, some four times more that the number of migrants arriving in the same period last year. The tiny Italian isle of Lampedusa has been struggling to temporarily house many of the migrants, who come ashore either unaided or after rescue by coast guard boats, before they can be sent elsewhere for screening of their asylum bids. While boats still set out from Libya and Turkey, lately many of the smugglers' precariously constructed vessels are being launched from Tunisia. Follow APs coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration READING, Pa. - Reading residents are still being told to conserve water, but days after a water shortage issue arose, the city is seeing progress. The Reading Area Water Authority (RAWA) says it's started process changes over the last two days, and they have been successful. A spokesman says the changes have helped them improve the city's water supply, but a city-wide 15% mandatory water conservation notice will remain in effect for the time being. A rare form of algae in Lake Ontelaunee is clogging filters at a plant in Maidencreek Township, and the clog is affecting people's water pressure. Officials say they'll let people know once their tanks and reservoirs are at normal capacity. Meantime, a pizza shop in Reading is slicing more than pizza and sandwiches; the owner says staff are taking efforts to cut water consumption. That's Nino & Son's on North 13th Street. When the owner found out that RAWA tanks were low, he says worry kicked in and he wanted to make sure the business didn't make matters worse. He's also dealing with water pressure issues at home. "We got to take care of whatever is left," said Nino & Sons Owner Roberto Navarette. The business is using less and making sure their customers are, too. Navarette says staff are turning off faucets when they're left on in the public restrooms and making sure they aren't dripping, either. He says you might be surprised to know how much water a pizza shop can use. "We got to do dishes. We got to, you know, clean grills, all the equipment, floors," explained Navarette. The water pressure at Nino & Sons is fine, but the owner says at his home, just a few blocks away, it's a different story, especially on the second floor. "You know, normally, when you use the washer and your bathroom at the same time, pressure goes low," he said. "Now, it's completely like, even water doesn't come out of the thing." A spokesman for the Reading Area Water Authority says around 20 people have complained about very low water pressure. There have been about 1,000 reports of water being just low. "Sometimes, we're kind of concerned, like we thought like, 'Well, we were using the washer at the same time,' and we're going downstairs," explained Navarette. "I'm like, 'Nobody's using the washer, so what's going on?'" The issue arose after RAWA's tank and reservoir levels plummeted. A rare algae not seen in at least 45 years clogged filters at the Maidencreek water treatment plant. Chemicals are being used to treat the algae, but officials say water is safe to drink. The authority is thanking residents for their conservation efforts to date, and a spokesman says if all goes well over the weekend, the mandatory conservation notice could be lifted. 69 News stopped by Fountain Park's Wire Mill Meadow Arboretum in Allentown for an Arbor Day tree planting and flag raising Friday. The idea of Arbor Day really took off in the United States in 1907. That's when conservationist Gifford Pinchot - from Pennsylania - encouraged President Theodore Roosevelt to speak to America's school children about the importance of trees and forestry. CAIRO (AP) Gunfire and heavy artillery fire persisted Saturday in parts of Sudans capital Khartoum, residents said, despite the extension of a cease-fire between the countrys two top generals, whose battle for power has killed hundreds and sent thousands fleeing for their lives. With ordinary Sudanese caught in the crossfire, the civilian death toll jumped Saturday to 411 people, according to the Sudan Doctors' Syndicate, which monitors casualties. In some areas in and around the capital, residents reported that shops were reopening and normalcy gradually returning as the scale of fighting dwindled after the shaky truce. But in other areas, terrified residents reported explosions thundering around them and fighters ransacking houses. Now in its third week, the fighting has wounded 2,023 civilians, the syndicate added, although the true toll is expected to be much higher. The Sudanese Health Ministry put the overall death toll, including fighters, at 528, with 4,500 wounded. In the city of Genena, the provincial capital of war-ravaged West Darfur, intensified violence has killed 89 people, the Doctors' Syndicate said. Khartoum, a city of some 5 million people, has been transformed into a front line in the grinding conflict between Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the commander of Sudans military, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. The outbreak of violence has dashed once-euphoric hopes for a democratic transition in Sudan after a popular uprising helped oust former dictator Omar al-Bashir. Foreign countries continued to evacuate their citizens while hundreds of thousands of Sudanese fled across borders. The first convoy organized by the United States to evacuate hundreds of American citizens from the conflict reached the coastal city of Port Sudan Saturday after a dangerous overland journey escorted by armed drones. Britain meanwhile was ending its evacuation flights Saturday, after demand for spots on the planes declined. The United Arab Emirates announced Saturday it had started evacuating its own citizens along with nationals of 16 other countries. Over 50,000 Sudanese refugees mostly women and children have crossed over to Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, the United Nations said, raising fears of regional instability. Ethnic fighting and turmoil has scarred South Sudan and the Central African Republic for years while a 2021 coup has derailed Chad's own democratic transition. Those who escape the fighting in Khartoum face more dangers on their way to safety. The route to Port Sudan, where ships evacuate people via the Red Sea, has proven long, exhausting and risky. Hatim el-Madani, a former journalist, said that paramilitary fighters were stopping refugees at roadblocks outside Khartoum, demanding they hand over their phones and valuables. There's an outlaw, bandit-like nature to the RSF, he said, referring to Dagalo's Rapid Support Forces. They don't have a supply line in place. That could get worse in the coming days. Airlifts from the country amid the chaotic fighting also posed challenges, with a Turkish evacuation plane even hit by gunfire outside Khartoum on Friday. On Saturday despite a cease-fire extended under heavy international pressure early Friday clashes continued around the presidential palace, headquarters of the state broadcaster and a military base in Khartoum, residents said. The battles sent thick columns of black smoke billowing over the city skyline. But in other areas, residents reported signs that the cease-fire had taken hold. We are not hearing the bombs as we did before, so we're hoping that this means they will go back to a political process, said Osman Mirgany, a columnist and editor of the daily al-Tayar, who assessed it was safe enough on Friday to return home to Khartoum after seeking refuge in a far-flung village. But Khartoum residents are forced to live side by side with armed fighters. Many RSF militants have moved into civilian homes and taken over stores and hospitals in the capital. The paramilitary group even transformed Mirgany's newsroom into a makeshift base, he said. Residents also must cope without sufficient electricity and running water, among other basic supplies. For the past 14 days we've suffered from a lack of everything, Mirgany said. Residents in the city of Omdurman, west of Khartoum, have been waiting at least three days to get fuel complicating their escape plans. The U.N. relief coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said that U.N. offices in Khartoum, as well as the cities of Genena and Nyala in Darfur had been attacked and looted. Genena's main hospital was also leveled in the fighting, Sudans health ministry said. This is unacceptable and prohibited under international law, Griffiths said. Over the past 15 days, the generals have failed to deal a decisive blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africas third largest nation. The military has appeared to have the upper hand in the fighting, with its monopoly on air power, but it has been impossible to confirm its claims of advances. "Soon, the Sudanese state with its well-grounded institutions will rise as victorious, and attempts to hijack our country will be aborted forever, the Sudanese military said Saturday. Both sides in the conflict have a long history of human rights abuses. The RSF was born out of the Janjaweed militias, which were accused of widespread atrocities when the government deployed them to put down a rebellion in Sudans western Darfur region in the early 2000s. A unit of Sudan's armed forces, known as the Central Reserve Police, have been sanctioned by the United Staets for grave human rights violations against Sudans pro-democracy protesters. Accusations of rape, torture and other abuses against demonstrators carried out by the unit first surfaced in 2021, after Burhan and Dagalo joined forces in a military coup that ousted a civilian government. The Sudanese Interior Ministry confirmed the deployment of the Central Reserve Police in Khartoum on Saturday, posting photos of the fighters riding with heavy machine guns mounted on pickup trucks. Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was ousted in the 2021 coup, appealed to the international community from a conference in Nairobi, Kenya, to push for an immediate halt to the conflict. He warned that a full-blown civil war in the strategically located country would have consequences not just for Sudan but for the world. God forbid if Sudan is to reach a proper civil war ... it is a huge country and very diverse ... it would be a nightmare for the world, he said. But the generals have so far publicly dismissed attempts to reach a compromise. Regional mediators have been unable to travel to Khartoum because of the fighting. African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki said he would nonetheless try to send peacekeepers to the country. Im ready to go there myself, even by road," Faki said. We ask the two generals to create the conditions for us to go to Khartoum. DeBre reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Evelyne Musambi from Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report. ISTANBUL (AP) Turkeys first astronaut will travel to the International Space Station by the end of the year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday after an illness forced him to cancel several days of appearances. Air force pilot Alper Gezeravci, 43, was selected to be the first Turkish citizen in space. His backup is Tuva Cihangir Atasever, 30, an aviation systems engineer at Turkish defense contractor Roketsan. Erdogan made the announcement at the Teknofest aviation and space fair in Istanbul, the president's first public appearance since falling ill during a TV interview on Tuesday. He appeared alongside Azerbaijans president, Ilham Aliyev, and Libya's interim prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. Our friend, who will go on Turkeys first manned space mission, will stay on the International Space Station for 14 days, Erdogan said. Our astronaut will perform 13 different experiments prepared by our countrys esteemed universities and research institutions during this mission. Erdogan described Gezeravci as a heroic Turkish pilot who has achieved significant success in our Air Force Command. The Turkish Space Agency website describes Gezeravci as a 21-year air force veteran and F-16 pilot who attended the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology. Wearing a red flight jacket, Erdogan appeared in robust health as he addressed crowds at the festival. Turkey's presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 14, and opinion polls show Erdogan in potentially his toughest race since he came to power two decades ago. Turkey is dealing with a prolonged economic downturn, and the government received criticism after a February earthquake killed more than 50,000 in the country. Experts blamed the high death toll in part on shoddy construction and law enforcement of building codes. While campaigning for reelection, Erdogan has unveiled a number of prestigious projects, such as Turkeys first nuclear power plant and the delivery of natural gas from Black Sea reserves. BALTIMORE, April 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Urology Care Foundation (UCF), the world's leading nonprofit urological health foundation and official foundation of the American Urological Association (AUA), announces the creation of the UCF Humanitarian Endowment for Pakistan. This fund will support humanitarian work specifically within the geographic area of Pakistan. Dr. Badar Mian, primary coordinator of donations to bring the UCF Humanitarian Endowment for Pakistan to fruition. Harris M. Nagler, MD, Urology Care Foundation President, said, "The leadership of Dr. Badar Mian has been outstanding and demonstrates his commitment, and that of his colleagues, to the UCF's humanitarian efforts worldwide and to Pakistan." An annual $4,500 grant will be available for this endowment starting in 2024, and the selected grantees and identified projects will support the improvement of urological care in underserved communities and/or research involving health policy to improve patient access to care and education. "We are so appreciative for the UCF and to all the fellow urologists who contributed to make a pivotal project like this feasible," said Dr. Badar Mian, urologist at Albany Medical Center and primary coordinator of donations to bring the endowment to fruition. "There is a remarkable need in Pakistan for altruistic efforts like this to improve urologic care for their struggling communities, so we hope this endowment, which is entirely funded by AUA members, can help change lives." The program is designated for AUA members who are board certified urologists, and for resident/fellow members who are sponsored by, and work in collaboration with, a board-certified urologist. Applicants must highlight their affiliation with an established organization and project taking place in Pakistan. A Program Announcement detailing the application requirements, review and selection process will be distributed by the Urology Care Foundation at the beginning of the application cycle. For more information visit https://www.urologyhealth.org/humanitarianism/support-our-global-mission/endowments. Story continues About the Urology Care Foundation: The Urology Care Foundation is the world's leading nonprofit urological health foundation, and the official foundation of the American Urological Association. Collaborating with physicians, researchers, patients and the public, the Foundation supports and improves urologic clinical care by funding research, developing patient education and pursuing philanthropic support. To learn more about the Urology Care Foundation and its programs visit: www.urologyhealth.org. Media Contact: Corey Del Bianco, Corporate Communications and Media Relations Manager 410-689-4033, cdelbianco@auanet.org American Urological Association (PRNewsFoto/American Urological Association) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/urology-care-foundation-announces-new-humanitarian-endowment-for-pakistan-301811515.html SOURCE Urology Care Foundation What workers think will happen during their golden years is a lot different than what retirees report is actually reality, a new survey found. Worker expectations over when they will retire, whether they will work in retirement, and what role Social Security and Medicare will play in their lives differ quite markedly from the experience of retirees now, according to a survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald Research that polled 1,320 workers and 1,217 retirees online in January. The disconnect underscores how workers need to educate themselves more about what to expect in retirement to help them better prepare for the future. This level of difference in terms of work expectations has persisted for close to two decades, so now many of those workers are now retirees and the numbers havent changed, Craig Copeland, director of Wealth Benefits Research at EBRI, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research institute based in Washington, D.C., and chief researcher for the group's 33rd annual Retirement Confidence Survey, told Yahoo Finance. (Getty Creative) Retirement age and working As in prior years, theres a huge gap between when active workers expect to retire and when retirees say they actually did: Workers report an expected median retirement age of 65, while retirees report they retired at a median age of 62 One in three (33%) workers expect to retire at 70 or beyond or not at all, while only a slim 6% of retirees report that came true. A little less than 1 in 3 (32%) say they will retire before age 65. An important fact driving this result is that roughly half of workers retire earlier than expected, with about 40% because they have a health problem or disability or they have to care for someone who has these issues, Copeland said. Another third retired earlier than expected because they were laid off or their company had a reorganization, leaving them searching for a new job near retirement age, he added. Actually being able to work past traditional retirement ages is not likely to happen for many Americans, he said. Workers today need to be preparing for this eventuality and plan accordingly. Story continues SOURCE: Employee Benefit Research Institute & Greenwald Research Retirement Confidence Survey That dovetails with another mistaken assumption by workers over income sources. A whopping three-quarters of workers expect to continue to earn a paycheck in their retirement years, yet less than a third (30%) do. The idea of working in retirement sounds great in theory, but it's tricky. "Life often gets in the way of plans to work into retirement," Richard Johnson, director of the Program on Retirement Policy at the Urban Institute, told Yahoo Finance. "People who thought they would work well into their 60s sometimes develop nagging health problems that make work less attractive, or they need to care for grandchildren or aging parents or spouses. Others lose their jobs and find that employers are reluctant to hire a 60-year old. And some want to work only part time but their employer wont give them that flexibility. All these factors make older workers rethink their plans to keep working." Medicare and Social Security Workers also underestimate Social Security as a source of income in retirement. Only a third, 33% of workers, expect Social Security will be a major source of income in retirement compared to the majority (67%) of retirees who say it is. The recent annual report for the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund, showed Social Security's reserves are projected to run out in 2033, at which point the program will be able to pay out just 77% of benefits to seniors. The repercussions for many workers who plan to rely on Social Security for a major portion of their retirement income would be significant. SOURCE: Employee Benefit Research Institute & Greenwald Research Retirement Confidence Survey Workers confidence in Medicare has also dipped, according to the survey. A little over half of those workers feel at least somewhat confident it will continue to provide benefits of equal value to today, down from nearly 6 in 10 last year. Retirees confidence in their Medicare benefits, however, has not faltered in the past year. About 7 in 10 are very or somewhat confident benefits will be of at least equal value in the future. Running the numbers One way workers can close the expectations-reality gap is to investigate the true costs and financial needs for retirement. For instance, when asked if they had actually tried to calculate the cost of their future healthcare, 46% of those 55 and older had done so, compared to 39% of those 45 to 54 and 35% of workers ages 35 to 54. And 51% of workers say they have tried to calculate how much money they will need in retirement. A large portion of workers 2 in 5 go to their family or friends to get information about retirement planning. Only 1 in 5 turn to their workplace retirement plan provider for help, and 1 in 3 use a personal financial advisor. I worry that a very consistent 2 in 5 workers and 1 in 5 retirees say they do not know who to go to for good financial or retirement planning advice, Lisa Greenwald, CEO of Greenwald Research, told Yahoo Finance. Kerry is a Senior Reporter and Columnist at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @kerryhannon. Click here for the latest personal finance news to help you with investing, paying off debt, buying a home, retirement, and more Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust Plc (LON:ASL Get Rating) shares crossed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of GBX 1,265.78 ($15.81) and traded as low as GBX 1,235.56 ($15.43). Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust shares last traded at GBX 1,242 ($15.51), with a volume of 106,847 shares changing hands. Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust Price Performance The stock has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 1,263.66 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 1,276.19. The company has a market cap of 1.08 billion, a PE ratio of -688.40 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.99, a current ratio of 0.05 and a quick ratio of 4.86. Get Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust alerts: Insider Activity In other news, insider Patricia Dimond acquired 3,536 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 3rd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 1,406 ($17.56) per share, for a total transaction of 49,716.16 ($62,090.87). Corporate insiders own 8.91% of the companys stock. About Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust Plc is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Aberforth Partners LLP. The fund invests in public equity markets of the United Kingdom. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. The fund primarily invests in value stocks of small-cap companies. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Westpac Banking Corp raised its position in Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT Get Rating) by 0.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 114,823 shares of the medical technology companys stock after buying an additional 463 shares during the period. Westpac Banking Corps holdings in Medtronic were worth $8,924,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MDT. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in Medtronic by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 115,998,561 shares of the medical technology companys stock worth $9,366,883,000 after buying an additional 5,620,477 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Medtronic by 33.1% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 19,374,686 shares of the medical technology companys stock worth $1,564,508,000 after purchasing an additional 4,816,172 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Medtronic by 322.3% during the 3rd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 3,554,073 shares of the medical technology companys stock worth $286,991,000 after purchasing an additional 2,712,530 shares during the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can acquired a new position in shares of Medtronic during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $198,877,000. Finally, Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH boosted its holdings in shares of Medtronic by 164.5% during the 4th quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 2,337,084 shares of the medical technology companys stock worth $181,638,000 after purchasing an additional 1,453,349 shares during the last quarter. 80.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Medtronic alerts: Medtronic Stock Up 1.6 % Medtronic stock opened at $91.38 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. Medtronic plc has a twelve month low of $75.76 and a twelve month high of $107.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $121.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.71. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $81.74 and its 200-day simple moving average is $81.41. Medtronic Announces Dividend Medtronic ( NYSE:MDT Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 21st. The medical technology company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.03. Medtronic had a net margin of 13.20% and a return on equity of 13.37%. The company had revenue of $7.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.37 earnings per share. Medtronics revenue for the quarter was down .8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Medtronic plc will post 5.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 24th were paid a $0.68 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 23rd. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.98%. Medtronics dividend payout ratio is presently 89.47%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Mizuho lowered their target price on Medtronic from $100.00 to $95.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 24th. Barclays raised shares of Medtronic from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Monday. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a sector perform rating and set a $89.00 price target on shares of Medtronic in a research report on Friday, April 21st. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Medtronic from $88.00 to $93.00 in a research report on Monday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised Medtronic from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and boosted their target price for the company from $77.00 to $100.00 in a research report on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $91.79. About Medtronic (Get Rating) Medtronic Plc is a medical technology company, which engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of device-based medical therapies and services. It operates through the following segments: Cardiovascular Porrtfolio, Neuroscience Portfolio, Medical Surgical Portfolio, and Diabetes Operating Unit. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MDT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Medtronic Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Medtronic and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS Get Rating) by 2.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 302,951 shares of the companys stock after selling 6,724 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.s holdings in Novartis were worth $27,484,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of NVS. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in Novartis by 103.0% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,992,558 shares of the companys stock valued at $174,847,000 after buying an additional 1,010,806 shares during the last quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new stake in shares of Novartis in the 4th quarter worth about $55,110,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Novartis by 27.2% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,781,596 shares of the companys stock worth $244,085,000 after acquiring an additional 594,194 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Novartis by 7.7% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 6,503,191 shares of the companys stock worth $494,313,000 after buying an additional 465,677 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. increased its stake in Novartis by 115.7% in the 3rd quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 649,700 shares of the companys stock worth $49,384,000 after buying an additional 348,500 shares during the period. 8.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Novartis alerts: Novartis Stock Performance NYSE:NVS traded down $0.23 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $102.42. The stock had a trading volume of 740,561 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,202,532. The stock has a market cap of $217.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.54. Novartis AG has a 12-month low of $74.09 and a 12-month high of $105.56. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $89.93 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $87.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Novartis Increases Dividend Novartis ( NYSE:NVS Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.16. Novartis had a net margin of 13.78% and a return on equity of 23.29%. The business had revenue of $12.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.60 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Novartis AG will post 6.6 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared an annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 10th were issued a $3.4694 dividend. This represents a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 9th. This is a boost from Novartiss previous annual dividend of $1.18. Novartiss dividend payout ratio is currently 69.85%. Analysts Set New Price Targets NVS has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Novartis from an underweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 3rd. BTIG Research lifted their price objective on shares of Novartis from $75.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Morgan Stanley cut shares of Novartis from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 6th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Novartis in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Novartis from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $82.89. About Novartis (Get Rating) Novartis AG is a holding company, which engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Innovative Medicines, Sandoz, and Corporate. The Innovative Medicines segment researches, develops, manufactures, distributes and sells patented pharmaceuticals, and is composed of two business units: Novartis Oncology and Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS Get Rating). 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. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. increased its position in Raytheon Technologies Co. (NYSE:RTX Get Rating) by 5.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,662 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 201 shares during the quarter. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd.s holdings in Raytheon Technologies were worth $370,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Raytheon Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Private Ocean LLC lifted its holdings in Raytheon Technologies by 65.3% in the third quarter. Private Ocean LLC now owns 329 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. GoalVest Advisory LLC boosted its position in Raytheon Technologies by 219.8% during the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 291 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. James Investment Research Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Raytheon Technologies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, My Personal CFO LLC bought a new position in shares of Raytheon Technologies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.83% of the companys stock. Get Raytheon Technologies alerts: Raytheon Technologies Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:RTX traded up $0.21 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $99.60. 778,450 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,585,493. Raytheon Technologies Co. has a one year low of $80.27 and a one year high of $108.84. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $99.15 and a 200 day moving average of $97.40. The company has a market cap of $145.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.13. Raytheon Technologies Increases Dividend Raytheon Technologies ( NYSE:RTX Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.13 by $0.09. Raytheon Technologies had a net margin of 8.08% and a return on equity of 9.81%. The firm had revenue of $17.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.98 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.15 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Raytheon Technologies Co. will post 5.02 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 19th will be paid a $0.59 dividend. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.37%. This is an increase from Raytheon Technologiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 18th. Raytheon Technologiess dividend payout ratio is presently 58.67%. Insider Activity at Raytheon Technologies In other news, VP Amy L. Johnson sold 3,622 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.55, for a total transaction of $356,948.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 4,061 shares in the company, valued at $400,211.55. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.11% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades RTX has been the topic of several recent research reports. Credit Suisse Group upped their price target on Raytheon Technologies from $103.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Raytheon Technologies from a buy rating to a hold rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $115.00 to $110.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Raytheon Technologies from $106.00 to $113.50 in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Raytheon Technologies in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Finally, Susquehanna upped their price target on Raytheon Technologies from $116.00 to $117.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Raytheon Technologies currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $111.88. About Raytheon Technologies (Get Rating) Raytheon Technologies Corp. is an aerospace and defense company, which engages in the provision of aerospace and defense systems and services for commercial, military, and government customers. It operates through the following segments: Collins Aerospace Systems (Collins), Pratt and Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence and Space (RIS), and Raytheon Missiles and Defense (RMD). Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RTX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Raytheon Technologies Co. (NYSE:RTX Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Raytheon Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Raytheon Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Arch Resources, Inc. (NYSE:ARCH Get Rating) declared a None dividend on Thursday, April 27th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 31st will be paid a dividend of 2.45 per share by the energy company on Thursday, June 15th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 30th. Arch Resources has decreased its dividend by an average of 17.8% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 1 years. Arch Resources has a payout ratio of 4.0% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Arch Resources to earn $25.06 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 4.0%. Get Arch Resources alerts: Arch Resources Trading Up 0.9 % NYSE:ARCH opened at $122.25 on Friday. Arch Resources has a twelve month low of $110.97 and a twelve month high of $183.53. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $139.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $143.72. The company has a market cap of $2.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.69. Insider Transactions at Arch Resources Arch Resources ( NYSE:ARCH Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The energy company reported $10.02 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $10.46 by ($0.44). Arch Resources had a return on equity of 114.13% and a net margin of 35.73%. The firm had revenue of $869.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $767.03 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $12.89 EPS. The companys revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Arch Resources will post 37.18 EPS for the current fiscal year. In other news, CFO Matthew C. Giljum sold 199 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.08, for a total transaction of $28,074.92. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 12,236 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,726,254.88. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, CFO Matthew C. Giljum sold 199 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.08, for a total value of $28,074.92. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 12,236 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,726,254.88. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Rosemary L. Klein sold 623 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $93,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 7,071 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,060,650. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 9,337 shares of company stock worth $1,430,173 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 5.40% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Arch Resources A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. raised its stake in Arch Resources by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 2,371 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $325,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its position in Arch Resources by 113.8% during the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 295 shares of the energy companys stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 157 shares during the period. Cetera Advisors LLC increased its position in Arch Resources by 9.2% during the 4th quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 1,941 shares of the energy companys stock worth $277,000 after buying an additional 164 shares during the period. Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Arch Resources during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in Arch Resources during the 2nd quarter worth $32,000. Institutional investors own 88.71% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have weighed in on ARCH shares. B. Riley reduced their price target on Arch Resources from $200.00 to $198.00 in a research report on Friday. StockNews.com downgraded Arch Resources from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Arch Resources from $185.00 to $200.00 in a research note on Friday, February 17th. About Arch Resources (Get Rating) Arch Resources, Inc engages in the production and distribution of thermal coal. It operates through the following segments: Powder River Basin, Metallurgical, and Other Thermal. The Powder River Basin segment contains the companys thermal operations in Wyoming. The Metallurgical segment contains metallurgical operations in West Virginia. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Arch Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Arch Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Banco Bradesco S.A. (NYSE:BBDO Get Rating) shares passed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $2.33 and traded as high as $2.47. Banco Bradesco shares last traded at $2.45, with a volume of 12,435 shares traded. Banco Bradesco Stock Performance The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $2.33 and a 200 day moving average price of $2.52. The company has a market cap of $26.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.92 and a beta of 0.86. Get Banco Bradesco alerts: Banco Bradesco (NYSE:BBDO Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The bank reported $0.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $8.61 billion for the quarter. Banco Bradesco had a return on equity of 13.43% and a net margin of 11.49%. Banco Bradesco Increases Dividend Institutional Investors Weigh In On Banco Bradesco The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 4th will be given a dividend of $0.0034 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 3rd. This is a positive change from Banco Bradescos previous monthly dividend of $0.00. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.63%. Banco Bradescos payout ratio is 8.33%. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Banco Bradesco during the third quarter valued at $36,000. Virtu Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of Banco Bradesco by 63.9% during the 3rd quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 17,092 shares of the banks stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 6,661 shares in the last quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Banco Bradesco by 43.4% during the 3rd quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 17,012 shares of the banks stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 5,151 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Banco Bradesco during the 1st quarter worth about $56,000. Finally, SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda boosted its stake in shares of Banco Bradesco by 61.8% during the 3rd quarter. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda now owns 22,904 shares of the banks stock worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 8,751 shares in the last quarter. 0.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Banco Bradesco (Get Rating) Banco Bradesco SA engages in the provision of financial and insurance services. It operates through Banking, and Insurance segments. The Banking segment includes banking activities. The Insurance segment covers auto, health, life, accident and property insurance, and pension plans aw well as capitalization bonds. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Banco Bradesco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Bradesco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. OneMain (NYSE:OMF Get Rating) had its price objective cut by BMO Capital Markets from $47.00 to $45.00 in a report issued on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. A number of other equities research analysts have also commented on the company. Credit Suisse Group upped their target price on OneMain from $45.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Citigroup upped their target price on OneMain from $39.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. Northland Securities decreased their price target on OneMain from $50.00 to $48.00 in a report on Wednesday. StockNews.com downgraded OneMain from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, JMP Securities boosted their price target on OneMain from $49.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten 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 $50.15. Get OneMain alerts: OneMain Stock Performance Shares of OMF stock opened at $38.37 on Wednesday. OneMain has a fifty-two week low of $28.77 and a fifty-two week high of $49.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.23 and a beta of 1.69. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $38.44 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.01. OneMain Dividend Announcement OneMain ( NYSE:OMF Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The financial services provider reported $1.46 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.13). The firm had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $864.65 million. OneMain had a net margin of 17.03% and a return on equity of 26.05%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.36 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that OneMain will post 6.23 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 5th will be issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 10.42%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 4th. OneMains dividend payout ratio is presently 64.94%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On OneMain A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of OMF. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in shares of OneMain by 43.2% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 200,354 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $9,500,000 after purchasing an additional 60,428 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in OneMain by 106.2% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 13,392 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $635,000 after acquiring an additional 6,898 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in OneMain during the 1st quarter worth about $534,000. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its stake in OneMain by 72.6% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 49,082 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,336,000 after acquiring an additional 20,646 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in OneMain during the 1st quarter worth about $104,000. 84.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About OneMain (Get Rating) OneMain Holdings, Inc is a consumer finance company, which provides origination, underwriting, and servicing of personal loans, primarily to non-prime customers. It operates through the Consumer and Insurance segment. The Consumer and Insurance segment offers services to secured and unsecured personal loans, voluntary credit, and non-credit insurance, and related products through its combined branch network, digital platform, and centralized operations. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for OneMain Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for OneMain and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TrueBlue (NYSE:TBI Get Rating) had its price target cut by BMO Capital Markets from $20.00 to $18.00 in a report released on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. StockNews.com lowered TrueBlue from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on TrueBlue from $21.00 to $20.00 in a report on Tuesday. Get TrueBlue alerts: TrueBlue Price Performance TBI stock opened at $15.15 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $17.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $19.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $470.00 million, a PE ratio of 10.59 and a beta of 1.44. TrueBlue has a 1 year low of $14.20 and a 1 year high of $26.61. Institutional Investors Weigh In On TrueBlue TrueBlue ( NYSE:TBI Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 24th. The business services provider reported ($0.06) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.11) by $0.05. TrueBlue had a return on equity of 13.39% and a net margin of 2.19%. The firm had revenue of $465.29 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $465.30 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.44 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was down 15.6% on a year-over-year basis. A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Strs Ohio lifted its position in TrueBlue by 5.6% in the first quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 34,100 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $606,000 after purchasing an additional 1,800 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of TrueBlue by 28.3% during the 1st quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 15,350 shares of the business services providers stock worth $273,000 after purchasing an additional 3,387 shares in the last quarter. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of TrueBlue during the 1st quarter worth approximately $121,000. First Hawaiian Bank grew its stake in TrueBlue by 27.0% in the 1st quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 25,860 shares of the business services providers stock worth $460,000 after acquiring an additional 5,500 shares during the period. Finally, SummerHaven Investment Management LLC grew its stake in TrueBlue by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 43,596 shares of the business services providers stock worth $776,000 after acquiring an additional 964 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.65% of the companys stock. TrueBlue Company Profile (Get Rating) TrueBlue, Inc engages in the provision of staffing, recruitment process outsourcing and managed service provider solutions. It operates through the following segments: PeopleReady, PeopleManagement and PeopleScout. The PeopleReady segment offers staffing solutions for blue-collar, contingent on-demand and skilled labor to a broad range of industries that include retail, manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, energy, construction, hospitality and others. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for TrueBlue Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TrueBlue and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. British American Tobacco p.l.c. (OTCMKTS:BTAFF Get Rating) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 273,800 shares, an increase of 80.8% from the March 31st total of 151,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 10,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 26.8 days. British American Tobacco Stock Down 2.3 % BTAFF traded down $0.86 on Friday, hitting $36.50. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,494 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,536. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $36.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.23. British American Tobacco has a 12 month low of $34.75 and a 12 month high of $45.65. Get British American Tobacco alerts: British American Tobacco Company Profile (Get Rating) Featured Stories British American Tobacco plc is a holding company, which engages in the manufacture and distribution of tobacco products. Its brands include Kent, Dunhill, Lucky Strike, and Pall Mall. It operates through the following geographical segments: United States, Asia-Pacific and Middle East (APME), Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa (AMSSA), and Europe and North Africa (ENA). Receive News & Ratings for British American Tobacco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for British American Tobacco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NYSE:USNA Get Rating) Equities research analysts at DA Davidson issued their Q2 2023 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for USANA Health Sciences in a report issued on Wednesday, April 26th. DA Davidson analyst L. Weiser forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $0.77 for the quarter. The consensus estimate for USANA Health Sciences current full-year earnings is $2.85 per share. DA Davidson also issued estimates for USANA Health Sciences FY2024 earnings at $3.50 EPS. Get USANA Health Sciences alerts: USANA Health Sciences (NYSE:USNA Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.31. USANA Health Sciences had a return on equity of 15.31% and a net margin of 6.70%. The firm had revenue of $227.96 million during the quarter. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.03 earnings per share. USANA Health Sciences Stock Performance Separately, StockNews.com raised USANA Health Sciences from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Shares of NYSE:USNA opened at $66.37 on Thursday. USANA Health Sciences has a fifty-two week low of $48.61 and a fifty-two week high of $77.58. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $62.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $57.94. The firm has a market cap of $1.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.58 and a beta of 0.77. Insiders Place Their Bets In other USANA Health Sciences news, CEO Kevin Guest sold 5,297 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.15, for a total value of $318,614.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 4,058 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $244,088.70. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, CEO Kevin Guest sold 5,297 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.15, for a total transaction of $318,614.55. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 4,058 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $244,088.70. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Joshua Foukas sold 3,771 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.01, for a total transaction of $230,068.71. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,012 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $183,762.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 27,770 shares of company stock valued at $1,701,731. 0.33% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On USANA Health Sciences Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in USNA. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of USANA Health Sciences by 225.0% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 533 shares of the companys stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 369 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in shares of USANA Health Sciences by 61.3% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 637 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 242 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its stake in shares of USANA Health Sciences by 318.1% during the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 949 shares of the companys stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 722 shares during the period. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in shares of USANA Health Sciences during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $69,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd grew its stake in shares of USANA Health Sciences by 92.7% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 927 shares of the companys stock valued at $74,000 after acquiring an additional 446 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 52.62% of the companys stock. About USANA Health Sciences (Get Rating) USANA Health Sciences, Inc develops and manufactures nutritional, personal care and weight-management products. It operates under the following segments: USANA Nutritionals, USANA Foods, Personal Care and Skincare, and All Other. The firms brands include Procosa and MagneCal D. The company was founded by Myron W. Read More Receive News & Ratings for USANA Health Sciences Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for USANA Health Sciences and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wednesday's phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Ukraine counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky was a diplomatic coup for Beijing but China still faces formidable challenges in mediating any peace between Ukraine and Russia, analysts said. The hour-long conversation, which was cautiously welcomed by the US and its European allies, signalled that China is willing to take a more active role as a peacemaker in regional conflicts, the analysts said. It also shows that Chinese leaders now believe the country is capable of assuming greater responsibilities as a global power, and that such efforts could help mend its ties with Europe and bolster its diplomatic influence, especially with its neighbours and in Central Asia, they added. 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. The call, the first between the two leaders since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago, was a "crucial step" showing that China has now "normalised" its ties with Ukraine, said Wang Yiwei, an international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing. "To some extent, relations between China and Europe are also normalising; so are China's ties with Russia, which are gradually emerging from the shadow of the crisis," Wang said. "China's ties with Ukraine and Europe, and more broadly, with the West, should not be hijacked by the Ukraine crisis," he added. According to official readouts of the conversation by both countries, Xi said that China would send special envoy Li Hui to Ukraine and other countries to help mediate peace discussions, while Zelensky gave his assurance that Kyiv would abide by the "one-China principle" - a central condition of Beijing for foreign countries managing ties with Taiwan. Story continues In addition, the two leaders agreed to maintain regular dialogue. Since the call, China has stepped up its charm offensive. On Thursday, Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan that Beijing and Central Asia should work closely together to push for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. "China and the Central Asian countries share similar views and positions on the crisis in Ukraine," Qin said on the sideline of the foreign ministers meeting with the five Central Asian states. "We are willing to continue to work together with all parties, including the Central Asian countries, to build consensus and promote the international community to form the greatest possible convention to resolve the crisis in Ukraine." The former Soviet republics in Central Asia have maintained deep economic and security ties with Moscow, and, like China, have tried to stay neutral in the war, neither supporting nor condemning Russia's invasion. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (centre right) with his counterparts at the China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' meeting in Xian, Shaanxi province, on Thursday. Photo: China Daily via Reuters alt=Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (centre right) with his counterparts at the China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' meeting in Xian, Shaanxi province, on Thursday. Photo: China Daily via Reuters> Wang said that Xi's call with Zelensky was also meant to calm the diplomatic furore in Europe after the Chinese ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, questioned the sovereignty of the former Soviet republics in a television interview early this week. "This is important, especially when China is to host a summit with Central Asia" next month, he said. Li Mingjiang, an associate professor at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said that while the Xi-Zelensky call was long overdue, it was "a positive shift" from China's approach to Ukraine and could also offset some pressure on China's ties with its neighbours. The war has sent jitters as far as East and Southeast Asia, where there have been deep concerns over the increasing rivalry between China and the US and the growing possibility of conflict concerning Taiwan. Beijing rejects any parallels between Ukraine and Taiwan, which it maintains are two fundamentally different issues. "But it's unlikely to fundamentally change the mindsets particularly of those in Europe and the US, where there have been firm beliefs that although China is neutral on the surface, its policy is in essence favourable towards Russia," Li said. Zhang Xin, an associate professor of international relations at East China Normal University in Shanghai, said that hopes for a significant improvement in China's ties with the West remain slim for now. "So far China's gesture remains limited, and its proposed mediation effort is hardly enough to completely break the isolation led by the West," Zhang said. Xi with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on March 21. Photo: Sputnik via AP alt=Xi with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on March 21. Photo: Sputnik via AP> China has positioned itself as a responsible global power. In March, Xi flew to Moscow and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin; earlier this month, he hosted leaders of France and the European Union in Beijing. "Xi may currently be the most informed person on the Ukraine conflict since he enjoys direct communication with the two opponents, Moscow and Kyiv, as well as with the indirect participants of the Ukraine crisis - the US and the European powers," said Artyom Lukin, an associate professor at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia. Doubts remain over China's credentials as a peace broker. In an interview with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that if Beijing sought that role, a "precondition" was condemning Russia's invasion. "As long as China hesitates to take a very clear position on that, it's very difficult to believe that it might be the credible moderator in this conflict," he said. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that any bid by China to mediate between Russia and Ukraine first required Beijing to condemn Russia's invasion. Photo: dpa alt=Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that any bid by China to mediate between Russia and Ukraine first required Beijing to condemn Russia's invasion. Photo: dpa> With no sign of a ceasefire in the near future, it remains an open question how far any Beijing peace offer could go. A day after Xi and Zelensky spoke, Russian forces launched large-scale air attacks at cities across Ukraine, following speculation that Ukraine was preparing for an early summer counteroffensive. Sourabh Gupta, a senior fellow at the Institute for China-America Studies in Washington, said that China was a marginal player within the European security architecture. "As such, its capacity to underwrite its peace proposals will necessarily be a limited one," he said. "Until such time one or both sides are keen on ceasing hostilities, China's proposals will have no lift-off potential." This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Capri (NYSE:CPRI Get Rating) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Tuesday morning, The Fly reports. The firm currently has $45.00 target price on the stock, down from their previous target price of $58.00. Jefferies Financial Group also issued estimates for Capris FY2023 earnings at $6.07 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $6.09 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $6.68 EPS. A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on CPRI. Barclays reduced their price target on Capri from $72.00 to $58.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Morgan Stanley restated an overweight rating and issued a $55.00 price objective (down from $58.00) on shares of Capri in a report on Thursday, February 9th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Capri in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Raymond James upgraded Capri from an outperform rating to a strong-buy rating and set a $60.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, Cowen cut Capri from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $70.00 to $55.00 in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $60.87. Get Capri alerts: Capri Stock Up 0.2 % CPRI opened at $41.50 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $5.22 billion, a PE ratio of 7.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 2.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Capri has a twelve month low of $36.90 and a twelve month high of $69.25. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $45.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $51.50. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Capri Capri ( NYSE:CPRI Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 8th. The company reported $1.84 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.21 by ($0.37). The business had revenue of $1.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.54 billion. Capri had a net margin of 12.66% and a return on equity of 36.64%. The firms revenue was down 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.22 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Capri will post 6.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ellevest Inc. increased its stake in Capri by 77.0% during the 4th quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 492 shares of the companys stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 214 shares during the period. TCI Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Capri by 123.5% during the 4th quarter. TCI Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 590 shares of the companys stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 326 shares in the last quarter. Capital Analysts LLC acquired a new position in Capri during the 4th quarter worth $80,000. Kistler Tiffany Companies LLC grew its holdings in Capri by 80.5% during the 4th quarter. Kistler Tiffany Companies LLC now owns 1,531 shares of the companys stock worth $88,000 after acquiring an additional 683 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its holdings in Capri by 42.9% during the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,570 shares of the companys stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 471 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.28% of the companys stock. About Capri (Get Rating) Capri Holdings Ltd. operates as a global fashion luxury group. It engages in the design and distribution of sportswear, accessories, footwear and apparel of branded womens apparel and accessories and mens apparel. The firm operates through the following segments: Versace, Jimmy Choo, and Michael Kors. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Capri Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Capri and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Centre Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM Get Rating) (TSE:AEM) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 143,436 shares of the mining companys stock, valued at approximately $7,457,000. Agnico Eagle Mines makes up 2.0% of Centre Asset Management LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Agnico Eagle Mines by 96.5% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 15,067,317 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $922,721,000 after acquiring an additional 7,399,467 shares during the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI increased its stake in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines by 726.4% during the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 3,341,610 shares of the mining companys stock worth $172,857,000 after purchasing an additional 2,937,253 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines by 57.5% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,884,284 shares of the mining companys stock worth $237,874,000 after purchasing an additional 1,417,607 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in Agnico Eagle Mines by 33.6% in the 3rd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 3,901,162 shares of the mining companys stock worth $164,750,000 after buying an additional 980,639 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its holdings in Agnico Eagle Mines by 47.0% in the 3rd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 2,825,582 shares of the mining companys stock worth $120,011,000 after buying an additional 903,800 shares during the period. 58.11% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Agnico Eagle Mines alerts: Agnico Eagle Mines Price Performance AEM traded up $0.14 during trading on Friday, hitting $56.73. 3,431,470 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,922,340. The company has a market cap of $28.03 billion, a PE ratio of 37.82, a P/E/G ratio of 27.58 and a beta of 0.80. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $51.51 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $50.57. Agnico Eagle Mines Limited has a 1 year low of $36.69 and a 1 year high of $60.79. The company has a current ratio of 2.30, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. Agnico Eagle Mines Dividend Announcement Agnico Eagle Mines ( NYSE:AEM Get Rating ) (TSE:AEM) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 17th. The mining company reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.02. Agnico Eagle Mines had a net margin of 40.12% and a return on equity of 6.41%. The company had revenue of $1.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.42 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.46 earnings per share. Agnico Eagle Miness quarterly revenue was up 45.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Agnico Eagle Mines Limited will post 2.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.82%. Agnico Eagle Miness payout ratio is currently 106.67%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts have commented on AEM shares. Raymond James raised their price target on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from $65.00 to $67.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, January 31st. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. National Bank Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from C$89.00 to C$88.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 14th. TD Securities dropped their price objective on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from $68.00 to $62.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 17th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from $62.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $70.63. About Agnico Eagle Mines (Get Rating) Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. engages in the exploration and production of gold. It operates through the following segments: Northern Business, Southern Business, and Exploration. The Northern Business segment comprises of LaRonde mine, LaRonde Zone 5 mine, Lapa mine, Goldex mine, Meadowbank mine including the Amaruq deposit, Canadian Malartic joint operation, Meliadine project and Kittila mine. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Agnico Eagle Mines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Agnico Eagle Mines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China CITIC Bank Co. Limited (OTCMKTS:CHCJY Get Rating)s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $10.38 and last traded at $10.38, with a volume of 1 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $10.38. China CITIC Bank Stock Up 5.0 % The businesss 50-day moving average is $9.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85. Get China CITIC Bank alerts: China CITIC Bank (OTCMKTS:CHCJY Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 23rd. The company reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $7.16 billion during the quarter. China CITIC Bank Company Profile China CITIC Bank Corporation Limited provides various banking products and services in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company operates through Corporate Banking, Personal Banking, and Treasury Operations segments. It accepts deposits; offers corporate and personal loans; and provides securities agency, remittance and settlement, and guarantee services, as well as investment banking and international services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for China CITIC Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China CITIC Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chubu Electric Power Company, Incorporated (OTCMKTS:CHUEF Get Rating) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,574,000 shares, an increase of 30.0% from the March 31st total of 1,211,200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 7,870.0 days. Chubu Electric Power Stock Performance Shares of OTCMKTS:CHUEF remained flat at $10.58 during trading on Friday. Chubu Electric Power has a 12 month low of $8.08 and a 12 month high of $10.85. The companys 50-day moving average is $10.42 and its 200-day moving average is $9.61. Get Chubu Electric Power alerts: Chubu Electric Power Company Profile (Get Rating) Featured Articles Chubu Electric Power Co, Inc engages in the supply of electricity, gas, and on-site energy. It also deals with overseas consulting and investment, real estate management, and information technology (IT) business. It operates through the following segments: Miraiz, Power Grid, JERA, and Others. The Miraiz segment handles the development of energy services centered on gas and power. Receive News & Ratings for Chubu Electric Power Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chubu Electric Power and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Visa (NYSE:V Get Rating) had its price objective hoisted by Citigroup from $270.00 to $273.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on V. Raymond James upped their price objective on Visa from $261.00 to $281.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Barclays upped their price objective on Visa from $266.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Sunday, January 29th. Wolfe Research upped their price objective on Visa from $240.00 to $255.00 in a report on Thursday, January 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Visa from $243.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Visa from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $260.88. Get Visa alerts: Visa Trading Up 1.6 % NYSE:V opened at $232.73 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $437.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.11, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $224.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $215.81. Visa has a 12-month low of $174.60 and a 12-month high of $235.57. Visa Announces Dividend Visa ( NYSE:V Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The credit-card processor reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $7.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.79 billion. Visa had a return on equity of 50.21% and a net margin of 50.95%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.79 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Visa will post 8.53 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 12th will be given a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.77%. Visas dividend payout ratio is currently 24.06%. Insider Activity at Visa In related news, insider Rajat Taneja sold 61,721 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $229.92, for a total value of $14,190,892.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 232,112 shares in the company, valued at $53,367,191.04. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, General Counsel Julie B. Rottenberg sold 13,394 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.00, for a total value of $2,933,286.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now directly owns 4,583 shares in the company, valued at $1,003,677. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Rajat Taneja sold 61,721 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $229.92, for a total value of $14,190,892.32. Following the sale, the insider now owns 232,112 shares of the companys stock, valued at $53,367,191.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 133,115 shares of company stock worth $30,115,598. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Visa A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of Visa by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 34,187 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $7,708,000 after purchasing an additional 672 shares during the period. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Visa by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 99,956 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $22,536,000 after purchasing an additional 1,119 shares during the period. abrdn plc raised its holdings in shares of Visa by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. abrdn plc now owns 961,955 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $216,882,000 after purchasing an additional 39,038 shares during the period. Sigma Investment Counselors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Visa during the 1st quarter valued at about $305,000. Finally, Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Visa by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc. now owns 57,133 shares of the credit-card processors stock valued at $12,881,000 after buying an additional 610 shares during the period. 81.87% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Visa (Get Rating) Visa, Inc engages in the provision of digital payment services. It also facilitates global commerce through the transfer of value and information among a global network of consumers, merchants, financial institutions, businesses, strategic partners, and government entities. It offers debit cards, credit cards, prepaid products, commercial payment solutions, and global automated teller machines (ATMs). Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Visa Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Visa and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Societe Generale upgraded shares of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (NYSE:CCEP Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Wednesday, The Fly reports. The brokerage currently has $61.15 price objective on the stock. Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on the company. Barclays upped their target price on Coca-Cola Europacific Partners from $67.00 to $73.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, April 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Coca-Cola Europacific Partners from $63.00 to $66.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 5th. StockNews.com lowered Coca-Cola Europacific Partners from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Argus raised their price objective on Coca-Cola Europacific Partners from $60.00 to $62.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $66.66. Get Coca-Cola Europacific Partners alerts: Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Price Performance Shares of NYSE CCEP opened at $64.47 on Wednesday. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners has a 12 month low of $41.80 and a 12 month high of $64.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $57.77 and a 200-day simple moving average of $54.37. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Cuts Dividend Institutional Inflows and Outflows The business also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 25th. Investors of record on Friday, May 12th will be paid a $0.74 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th. Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Private Advisor Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners by 27.5% during the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 12,218 shares of the companys stock worth $595,000 after purchasing an additional 2,638 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 14,173 shares of the companys stock worth $690,000 after purchasing an additional 277 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners by 5.0% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 14,447,992 shares of the companys stock worth $702,316,000 after purchasing an additional 685,745 shares in the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can acquired a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners during the 1st quarter worth approximately $10,809,000. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners by 13.9% during the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 4,954 shares of the companys stock worth $241,000 after purchasing an additional 605 shares in the last quarter. 28.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (Get Rating) Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc engages in the distribution and sale of non-alcoholic ready to drink beverages. It operates through the following geographical segments: Iberia, Germany, Great Britain, France, Belgium/Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland. The company was founded on August 4, 2015 and is headquartered in Uxbridge, the United Kingdom. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (OTCMKTS:CMWAY Get Rating) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 26,600 shares, an increase of 186.0% from the March 31st total of 9,300 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 75,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.4 days. Commonwealth Bank of Australia Trading Down 0.2 % Shares of CMWAY traded down $0.15 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $66.01. The company had a trading volume of 18,306 shares, compared to its average volume of 40,003. Commonwealth Bank of Australia has a one year low of $58.14 and a one year high of $78.96. The companys fifty day moving average price is $65.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $69.23. Get Commonwealth Bank of Australia alerts: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Cuts Dividend The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 27th were given a $1.4294 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 3.99%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 24th. Commonwealth Bank of Australia Company Profile Commonwealth Bank of Australia engages in the provision of banking and financial services. It operates through the following segments: Retail Banking Services, Business Banking, Institutional Banking and Markets, New Zealand, Corporate Centre and Other, and Wealth Management. The Retail Banking Services segment provides home loan, consumer finance, and retail deposit products and servicing to all retail bank customers and non-relationship managed small business customers. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Commonwealth Bank of Australia Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Commonwealth Bank of Australia and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Compass Financial Group INC SD bought a new stake in shares of Invesco Quality Municipal Income Trust (NYSE:IQI Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 24,369 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $230,000. Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Karpus Management Inc. grew its position in Invesco Quality Municipal Income Trust by 34.3% during the third quarter. Karpus Management Inc. now owns 1,845,644 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $16,851,000 after buying an additional 471,427 shares during the period. Guggenheim Capital LLC increased its holdings in Invesco Quality Municipal Income Trust by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 610,995 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $5,578,000 after acquiring an additional 48,438 shares in the last quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Invesco Quality Municipal Income Trust by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 431,034 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,060,000 after acquiring an additional 22,073 shares in the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Invesco Quality Municipal Income Trust by 14.2% during the third quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 422,868 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,861,000 after acquiring an additional 52,670 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James & Associates lifted its holdings in Invesco Quality Municipal Income Trust by 9.0% during the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 369,131 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,182,000 after purchasing an additional 30,494 shares in the last quarter. 24.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Invesco Quality Municipal Income Trust alerts: Invesco Quality Municipal Income Trust Stock Performance IQI opened at $9.75 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $9.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $9.62. Invesco Quality Municipal Income Trust has a twelve month low of $8.76 and a twelve month high of $10.92. Invesco Quality Municipal Income Trust Cuts Dividend About Invesco Quality Municipal Income Trust The company also recently declared a monthly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Monday, April 17th were issued a dividend of $0.0372 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 14th. This represents a $0.45 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.58%. (Get Rating) Invesco Quality Municipal Income Trust is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Invesco Ltd. The fund is co-managed by Invesco Advisers, Inc, INVESCO Asset Management Deutschland GmbH, INVESCO Asset Management Limited, INVESCO Asset Management (Japan) Limited, Invesco Hong Kong Limited, INVESCO Senior Secured Management, Inc, and Invesco Canada Ltd. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IQI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Invesco Quality Municipal Income Trust (NYSE:IQI Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Invesco Quality Municipal Income Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco Quality Municipal Income Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:CIK Get Rating) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 62,700 shares, a growth of 161.3% from the March 31st total of 24,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 277,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund in the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund by 30.7% during the 4th quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 20,663 shares of the companys stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 4,859 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund during the 4th quarter worth about $59,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 7.80% of the companys stock. Get Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund alerts: Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund Trading Up 0.4 % NYSEAMERICAN CIK traded up $0.01 on Friday, hitting $2.66. 282,577 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 249,087. Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund has a fifty-two week low of $2.39 and a fifty-two week high of $3.01. Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund Announces Dividend About Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 19th were given a $0.0225 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, April 18th. This represents a $0.27 annualized dividend and a yield of 10.15%. (Get Rating) Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund, Inc is a closed-ended fund, which engages in investing in the fixed income markets and companies operating across diversified industries. It seeks current income consistent with the preservation of capital by investing primarily in fixed-income securities. The company was founded on February 11, 1987 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Financial Architects Inc grew its holdings in shares of ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW Get Rating) by 16.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 616 shares of the information technology services providers stock after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the quarter. Financial Architects Incs holdings in ServiceNow were worth $239,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of NOW. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of ServiceNow by 1.9% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 16,866,914 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $6,369,116,000 after purchasing an additional 320,130 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in shares of ServiceNow by 0.6% during the third quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 14,107,929 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $5,342,228,000 after purchasing an additional 90,051 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of ServiceNow by 2.3% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,969,975 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $3,009,542,000 after purchasing an additional 182,606 shares during the last quarter. Polen Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of ServiceNow by 26.5% during the third quarter. Polen Capital Management LLC now owns 3,953,299 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $1,492,805,000 after purchasing an additional 827,285 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. grew its holdings in shares of ServiceNow by 8.6% during the third quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 2,378,372 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $898,098,000 after purchasing an additional 187,393 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.31% of the companys stock. Get ServiceNow alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price target on ServiceNow from $460.00 to $485.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 26th. BNP Paribas upgraded ServiceNow from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $410.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday. Barclays upped their target price on ServiceNow from $535.00 to $551.00 in a report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on ServiceNow from $485.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price target on ServiceNow from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, ServiceNow has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $526.33. Insiders Place Their Bets ServiceNow Trading Up 1.1 % In related news, insider Christopher Bedi sold 377 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $464.59, for a total transaction of $175,150.43. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 16,990 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,893,384.10. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink . In related news, insider Paul John Smith sold 2,301 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $447.22, for a total transaction of $1,029,053.22. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . Also, insider Christopher Bedi sold 377 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $464.59, for a total value of $175,150.43. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 16,990 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,893,384.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold a total of 64,546 shares of company stock valued at $29,474,729 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.24% of the companys stock. Shares of NOW opened at $459.42 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.17. The business has a 50-day moving average of $448.51 and a 200 day moving average of $420.75. ServiceNow, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $337.00 and a fifty-two week high of $521.58. The firm has a market cap of $93.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 234.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.87 and a beta of 1.04. ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The information technology services provider reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.28. ServiceNow had a return on equity of 10.18% and a net margin of 5.25%. The firm had revenue of $1.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.93 billion. As a group, research analysts forecast that ServiceNow, Inc. will post 2.73 EPS for the current year. ServiceNow Profile (Get Rating) ServiceNow, Inc engages in the provision of enterprise cloud computing solutions. The firm delivers digital workflows on a single enterprise cloud platform called the Now Platform. Its product portfolio is focused on providing Information Technology, Employee and Customer workflows. The company was founded by Frederic B. See Also 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 Get Rating). 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. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares mentioned his faith when discussing his offices interactions with victims of crime. Whatever person I meet has an amazing intrinsic value because they are made in the image of God, he told a crowd assembled Thursday at Peppers Grill in Culpeper. Crime victims and their loved ones fear they are going to be forgotten and will be seen as just a number, Miyares said. They have gone through unimaginable pain, and the family members that have lost loved ones, he said. There is no greater anguish than the cry of a mother who has lost a child. They are not just a number. You have an empty chair at birthdays, holidays, grief comes to you like a roller coaster One of the passions I have is respect and dignity for the victims, also understanding the healing process. The criminal justice system should always be part of that healing process. Miyares was in town for a luncheon in recognition of National Crime Victims Rights Week, April 2229, hosted annually by the Culpeper County Victim Witness Program led by Director Mark Nowacki. This years theme was, Survivor Voices: Elevate, Engage, Effect Change. Nowacki looked around the banquet facility for one of his previous clients, a woman who had adopted a little boy. Though she could not make it, she gave Nowacki permission to tell her story. (The little boy) was punished by his mother and mothers boyfriend by putting his hands in boiling water when he was 3-years-old, he said. Thats one of the many reasons we are here to remember crime victims. Miyares said he met Wednesday with victims from around Virginia, and that he asked them, Tell me the journey that brought you here. The attorney generally shared one of those stories from an Orange County mother who left her son with her boyfriend while she went to work. She was gone for just four hours, Miyares said. When she went in the bedroom, his ear was completely caved in, bleeding profusely, unconscious, he had been beaten over and over. The childs age and the fact that his skull was not completely formed saved him, he said, adding, All she wanted was justice. A visiting prosecutor, without consulting the mother, gave the defendant a plea deal, and nine months jail time, the attorney general said. Miyares commended the woman for sharing the story with him. He said that often, victims voices are ignored or diminished. My vow is that wont happen on my watch, he said. To the victims, thank you for your bravery, youre not just a number, youre real people, and my heart breaks for you. For the advocates, thank you. I have such gratitude for the work you do for working with those who have seen the face of hell. At the luncheon, Nowacki presented the first Lifetime Victims Advocacy Award to retired Culpeper Police Chief Chris Jenkins, who worked for 45 years before retiring last year. He epitomizes this years theme, Nowacki said. His legacy is his honesty, integrity, kindness, generosity and trustworthiness, Nowacki said. The former chief took the podium, recalling the beginning of his career. When I started in the business as a young officer, I quickly found out the scales of justice were blind to victims and that the system is blind to victims, Jenkins said. There was no victim-witness program in Culpeper until former Commonwealths Attorney Gary Close brought it to Culpeper more than 20 years ago, he continued. I am so proud of where we have come, he said, and this room is full of folks who have contributed. Weve come a long, long way, but we have a lot further to go. FourThought Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 12,143 shares of the industrial products companys stock, valued at approximately $2,675,000. Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cibc World Market Inc. increased its position in Illinois Tool Works by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 9,666 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,024,000 after buying an additional 348 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its position in Illinois Tool Works by 4.2% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 9,070 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,899,000 after buying an additional 368 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in Illinois Tool Works by 54.7% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,859 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $599,000 after buying an additional 1,011 shares during the period. Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its position in Illinois Tool Works by 9.9% during the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 2,407 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $504,000 after buying an additional 217 shares during the period. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its position in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 70.7% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 746 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $156,000 after purchasing an additional 309 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.83% of the companys stock. Get Illinois Tool Works alerts: Insider Activity In related news, CEO Ernest Scott Santi sold 235,656 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.29, for a total transaction of $58,039,716.24. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 213,538 shares in the company, valued at $52,592,274.02. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other Illinois Tool Works news, Vice Chairman Christopher A. Oherlihy sold 60,137 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.26, for a total value of $14,809,337.62. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 40,072 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,868,130.72. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Ernest Scott Santi sold 235,656 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.29, for a total value of $58,039,716.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 213,538 shares in the company, valued at approximately $52,592,274.02. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.88% of the companys stock. Illinois Tool Works Trading Up 0.6 % Shares of Illinois Tool Works stock traded up $1.38 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $241.94. The company had a trading volume of 1,444,393 shares, compared to its average volume of 879,693. The firm has a market cap of $73.75 billion, a PE ratio of 24.74, a P/E/G ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 1.10. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $234.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $226.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 0.95. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $173.52 and a fifty-two week high of $253.37. Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The industrial products company reported $2.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.60 by ($0.26). The business had revenue of $3.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.90 billion. Illinois Tool Works had a return on equity of 87.15% and a net margin of 19.04%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.95 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post 9.5 earnings per share for the current year. Illinois Tool Works Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $1.31 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $5.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.17%. Illinois Tool Workss dividend payout ratio is 53.58%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages recently commented on ITW. Vertical Research cut Illinois Tool Works from a buy rating to a hold rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $240.00 to $220.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 3rd. StockNews.com began coverage on Illinois Tool Works in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Illinois Tool Works from $241.00 to $240.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Barclays decreased their price target on Illinois Tool Works from $211.00 to $205.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Illinois Tool Works from $174.00 to $223.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $228.64. Illinois Tool Works Profile (Get Rating) Illinois Tool Works, Inc engages in the manufacture of industrial products and equipment. It operates through the following segments: Automotive OEM, Test and Measurement and Electronics, Food Equipment, Polymers and Fluids, Welding, Construction Products, and Specialty Products. The Automotive OEM segment produces components and fasteners for automotive-related applications. Featured Stories 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. Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF (NYSEARCA:FLTW Get Rating)s share price was up 0.5% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $35.93 and last traded at $35.93. Approximately 1,396 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 97% from the average daily volume of 44,151 shares. The stock had previously closed at $35.77. Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF Price Performance The stock has a market cap of $132.94 million, a P/E ratio of 11.15 and a beta of 0.85. The firms 50-day moving average price is $36.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $34.69. Get Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its stake in Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF by 30.7% during the third quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 103,127 shares of the companys stock worth $3,142,000 after buying an additional 24,240 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF by 106.0% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 15,515 shares of the companys stock worth $507,000 after purchasing an additional 7,983 shares in the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC boosted its position in Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF by 5.6% in the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 6,684 shares of the companys stock worth $238,000 after purchasing an additional 356 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada purchased a new stake in Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $131,000. Finally, OLD Mission Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF by 309.5% during the 4th quarter. OLD Mission Capital LLC now owns 163,199 shares of the companys stock worth $5,337,000 after buying an additional 123,348 shares during the period. Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF Company Profile The Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF (FLTW) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the FTSE Taiwan RIC Capped index, a market-cap-weighted index of Taiwanese companies, excluding small-caps. FLTW was launched on Nov 2, 2017 and is managed by Franklin Templeton. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC decreased its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Get Rating) by 9.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 960 shares of the investment management companys stock after selling 100 shares during the period. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NCs holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $330,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its position in The Goldman Sachs Group by 44.3% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 4,743,628 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $1,390,120,000 after purchasing an additional 1,456,801 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 58.5% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,298,015 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $428,474,000 after buying an additional 479,032 shares during the period. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 52.9% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,079,009 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $316,202,000 after buying an additional 373,142 shares during the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC boosted its position in The Goldman Sachs Group by 90.8% during the 3rd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 647,195 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $189,731,000 after buying an additional 307,993 shares during the period. Finally, Great West Life Assurance Co. Can bought a new stake in The Goldman Sachs Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $55,307,000. 69.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get The Goldman Sachs Group alerts: The Goldman Sachs Group Stock Up 0.5 % NYSE GS traded up $1.84 on Friday, reaching $343.44. The company had a trading volume of 1,714,119 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,122,164. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The companys fifty day moving average is $334.30 and its 200 day moving average is $348.39. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $277.84 and a 52-week high of $389.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $115.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.23, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.41. The Goldman Sachs Group Dividend Announcement The Goldman Sachs Group ( NYSE:GS Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The investment management company reported $8.79 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.14 by $0.65. The Goldman Sachs Group had a net margin of 13.23% and a return on equity of 9.61%. The company had revenue of $12.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.66 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $10.76 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 31.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be issued a $2.50 dividend. This represents a $10.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.91%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 31st. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 35.60%. Analyst Ratings Changes GS has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $329.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Odeon Capital Group upgraded The Goldman Sachs Group from a sell rating to a hold rating and set a $370.14 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. Barclays lowered their price objective on The Goldman Sachs Group from $495.00 to $437.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $430.00 to $415.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, The Goldman Sachs Group presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $389.17. Insider Activity at The Goldman Sachs Group In other The Goldman Sachs Group news, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 4,000,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.43, for a total value of $25,720,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 17,099,784 shares of the companys stock, valued at $109,951,611.12. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, Treasurer Philip R. Berlinski sold 3,750 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $338.10, for a total value of $1,267,875.00. Following the transaction, the treasurer now owns 21,366 shares in the company, valued at $7,223,844.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 4,000,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.43, for a total value of $25,720,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 17,099,784 shares of the companys stock, valued at $109,951,611.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 4,116,302 shares of company stock valued at $30,101,191. 0.54% of the stock is owned by insiders. About The Goldman Sachs Group (Get Rating) The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following business segments: Global Banking and Markets, Asset and Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions. The Global Banking and Markets segment includes investment banking, equity and debt underwriting, Fixed Income, Currency, and Commodities (FICC) intermediation and financing activities, relationship lending and acquisition financing, and investing activities. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hollencrest Capital Management lowered its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Get Rating) by 3.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 70,201 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,199 shares during the period. Hollencrest Capital Managements holdings in Altria Group were worth $3,209,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Summit Trail Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 53.5% during the 4th quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 11,983 shares of the companys stock worth $558,000 after acquiring an additional 4,175 shares during the period. Fernwood Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Fernwood Investment Management LLC now owns 67,192 shares of the companys stock worth $3,071,000 after acquiring an additional 605 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Altria Group by 4.6% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,630,570 shares of the companys stock worth $120,243,000 after acquiring an additional 116,654 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Altria Group by 12.6% during the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,284,085 shares of the companys stock worth $58,452,000 after acquiring an additional 143,885 shares during the period. Finally, Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 511,137 shares of the companys stock worth $23,364,000 after buying an additional 2,943 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 58.68% of the companys stock. Get Altria Group alerts: Altria Group Price Performance MO traded up $0.32 during trading on Friday, hitting $47.51. 11,070,671 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,813,412. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.59. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $45.89 and a 200 day moving average of $45.77. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $40.35 and a 12-month high of $57.03. Altria Group Dividend Announcement Altria Group ( NYSE:MO Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.19 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.89 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 22.44% and a negative return on equity of 245.43%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.12 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.06 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 24th were given a dividend of $0.94 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 23rd. This represents a $3.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.91%. Altria Groups payout ratio is currently 117.87%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $52.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, January 23rd. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $49.50 to $47.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Altria Group has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $45.50. About Altria Group (Get Rating) Altria Group, Inc operates as a holding company, which engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States. It operates through the following segments: Smokeable Products, Oral tobacco products, and Wine. The Smokeable Products segment consists of cigarettes manufactured and sold by PM USA and machine-made large cigars and pipe tobacco manufactured and sold by Middleton. 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 Get Rating). 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. Hunter Technology Corp. (CVE:HOC Get Rating) fell 22.6% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as C$0.24 and last traded at C$0.24. 930 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 6,684 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.31. Hunter Technology Trading Down 22.6 % The firm has a market capitalization of C$544,800.00, a PE ratio of -0.07 and a beta of 6.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 0.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. The businesss fifty day moving average price is C$0.32 and its 200 day moving average price is C$0.24. Hunter Technology Company Profile (Get Rating) Hunter Technology Corp. focuses on the development, operation, and management of digital platforms for energy resources in Canada. It offers OilEx, a blockchain-based marketplace for hydrocarbons that enables international buyers of physical oil to connect with independent crude oil producers in a global market. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Hunter Technology Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hunter Technology and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. IFP Advisors Inc lowered its position in iShares Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:IAU Get Rating) by 26.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 184,739 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 65,709 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Incs holdings in iShares Gold Trust were worth $6,718,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of IAU. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new position in iShares Gold Trust in the 3rd quarter worth about $264,003,000. Bank of Montreal Can grew its stake in iShares Gold Trust by 93.3% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 4,573,365 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $150,602,000 after acquiring an additional 2,207,676 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 24.1% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 7,397,408 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $272,323,000 after purchasing an additional 1,436,094 shares in the last quarter. GM Advisory Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 107.9% during the first quarter. GM Advisory Group Inc. now owns 2,486,906 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $91,593,000 after purchasing an additional 1,290,420 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank boosted its stake in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 309.8% during the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 1,229,400 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $38,759,000 after purchasing an additional 929,400 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.40% of the companys stock. Get iShares Gold Trust alerts: iShares Gold Trust Price Performance Shares of NYSEARCA IAU traded up $0.02 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $37.71. 2,992,773 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,679,083. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $36.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $34.90. iShares Gold Trust has a one year low of $30.69 and a one year high of $38.84. iShares Gold Trust Company 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. Featured Articles 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. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Kennedy-Wilson (NYSE:KW Get Rating) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report published on Tuesday. Separately, TheStreet upgraded Kennedy-Wilson from a c rating to a b- rating in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. Get Kennedy-Wilson alerts: Kennedy-Wilson Stock Performance Shares of Kennedy-Wilson stock opened at $16.78 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.09, a P/E/G ratio of 13.51 and a beta of 1.16. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $16.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $16.55. Kennedy-Wilson has a 12 month low of $13.97 and a 12 month high of $23.40. Kennedy-Wilson Announces Dividend Kennedy-Wilson ( NYSE:KW Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The financial services provider reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $139.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $142.52 million. Kennedy-Wilson had a return on equity of 19.82% and a net margin of 17.35%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Kennedy-Wilson will post 0.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st were paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. Kennedy-Wilsons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 213.34%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its position in Kennedy-Wilson by 0.8% during the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 95,267 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,473,000 after buying an additional 784 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kennedy-Wilson by 24.3% in the 3rd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 64,724 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,001,000 after purchasing an additional 12,651 shares during the last quarter. First Manhattan Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Kennedy-Wilson by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 148,900 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,301,000 after purchasing an additional 5,500 shares during the last quarter. MQS Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kennedy-Wilson in the 3rd quarter valued at about $255,000. Finally, Rock Point Advisors LLC raised its stake in Kennedy-Wilson by 8.3% during the 3rd quarter. Rock Point Advisors LLC now owns 1,036,600 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $16,026,000 after acquiring an additional 79,745 shares during the last quarter. 90.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Kennedy-Wilson Company Profile (Get Rating) Kennedy-Wilson Holdings, Inc operates as a real estate investment company, which engages in the ownership, operation, development, and investment in real estate properties. It operates through the Consolidated Portfolio and Co-Investment Portfolio segments. The Consolidated Portfolio segment includes the investments that the company has made in real estate and real estate-related assets. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Kennedy-Wilson Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kennedy-Wilson and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. LDR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:IRT Get Rating) by 2.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 63,289 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after purchasing an additional 1,478 shares during the quarter. LDR Capital Management LLCs holdings in Independence Realty Trust were worth $1,067,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. TD Asset Management Inc bought a new stake in Independence Realty Trust during the 4th quarter worth about $2,032,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Independence Realty Trust by 5.9% in the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 114,378 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,902,000 after acquiring an additional 6,403 shares during the last quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama increased its stake in shares of Independence Realty Trust by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 295,028 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $4,974,000 after acquiring an additional 4,621 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Independence Realty Trust in the 4th quarter valued at about $724,000. Finally, Asset Management One Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Independence Realty Trust by 8.8% in the 4th quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 403,330 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $6,857,000 after acquiring an additional 32,507 shares during the last quarter. 81.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Independence Realty Trust alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. BTIG Research lowered their price target on Independence Realty Trust from $27.00 to $21.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 11th. Citigroup upped their price target on Independence Realty Trust from $18.50 to $20.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. TheStreet cut Independence Realty Trust from a b- rating to a c rating in a research note on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered Independence Realty Trust from a buy rating to a hold rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $22.00 to $19.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered Independence Realty Trust from a buy rating to a hold rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $20.00 to $17.00 in a research report on Monday, January 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Independence Realty Trust currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $20.81. Independence Realty Trust Price Performance Independence Realty Trust Dividend Announcement NYSE:IRT traded up $0.18 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $16.65. 2,040,361 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,726,314. Independence Realty Trust, Inc. has a twelve month low of $14.55 and a twelve month high of $27.95. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $16.51 and a 200 day moving average of $17.11. The stock has a market cap of $3.74 billion, a PE ratio of 72.39, a PEG ratio of 7.10 and a beta of 1.00. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st were issued a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.36%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 30th. Independence Realty Trusts payout ratio is presently 243.49%. Independence Realty Trust Profile (Get Rating) Independence Realty Trust, Inc is a real estate investment trust, which acquires, owns, operates, improves and manages multifamily apartment communities across non-gateway U.S. markets. It aims to provide stockholders risk-adjusted returns through diligent portfolio management, operational performance and consistent return of capital through distributions and capital appreciation. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IRT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:IRT Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Independence Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Independence Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Local Bounti (NYSE:LOCL Get Rating) is one of 34 publicly-traded companies in the Agricultural production crops industry, but how does it compare to its rivals? We will compare Local Bounti to similar businesses based on the strength of its risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership, dividends, earnings and profitability. Volatility and Risk Local Bounti has a beta of 1.75, meaning that its stock price is 75% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Local Bountis rivals have a beta of -23.11, meaning that their average stock price is 2,411% less volatile than the S&P 500. Get Local Bounti alerts: Earnings and Valuation This table compares Local Bounti and its rivals revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Local Bounti $19.47 million -$111.07 million -0.42 Local Bounti Competitors $1.63 billion $21.77 million 0.26 Insider & Institutional Ownership Local Bountis rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Local Bounti. Local Bounti is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. 65.3% of Local Bounti shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 27.4% of shares of all Agricultural production crops companies are held by institutional investors. 36.3% of Local Bounti shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 17.2% of shares of all Agricultural production crops companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Profitability This table compares Local Bounti and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Local Bounti -570.35% -95.94% -47.68% Local Bounti Competitors -339.13% -25.58% -15.99% Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Local Bounti and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Local Bounti 0 1 4 0 2.80 Local Bounti Competitors 103 172 491 23 2.55 Local Bounti currently has a consensus price target of $2.85, suggesting a potential upside of 432.71%. As a group, Agricultural production crops companies have a potential upside of 56.97%. Given Local Bountis stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Local Bounti is more favorable than its rivals. Summary Local Bounti rivals beat Local Bounti on 7 of the 13 factors compared. Local Bounti Company Profile (Get Rating) Local Bounti Corporation grows fresh greens and herbs in the United States. It produces lettuce, herbs, and loose-leaf lettuce. The company sells its products to food retailers and food service distributors. Local Bounti Corporation was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Montana. Receive News & Ratings for Local Bounti Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Local Bounti and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mohawk Industries (NYSE:MHK Get Rating) issued an update on its second quarter earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $2.56-2.66 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $2.64. Mohawk Industries also updated its Q2 2023 guidance to $2.56-$2.66 EPS. Mohawk Industries Trading Up 7.2 % Shares of NYSE:MHK traded up $7.12 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $105.90. 1,716,064 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 592,452. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $98.97 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $103.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.92 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The stock has a market cap of $6.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 353.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.27. Mohawk Industries has a fifty-two week low of $87.01 and a fifty-two week high of $159.00. Get Mohawk Industries alerts: Mohawk Industries (NYSE:MHK Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $2.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.74 billion. Mohawk Industries had a return on equity of 10.06% and a net margin of 0.22%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.78 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Mohawk Industries will post 8.92 EPS for the current fiscal year. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Insider Buying and Selling Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MHK shares. Barclays lifted their price objective on Mohawk Industries from $83.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. StockNews.com started coverage on Mohawk Industries in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Credit Suisse Group decreased their price objective on Mohawk Industries from $109.00 to $103.00 in a research note on Monday, March 20th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on Mohawk Industries from $110.00 to $108.00 and set an underperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Mohawk Industries from $104.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Mohawk Industries has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $129.77. In related news, insider Suzanne L. Helen sold 4,250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.23, for a total transaction of $438,727.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 13,453 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,388,753.19. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Mohawk Industries news, insider Suzanne L. Helen sold 5,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.59, for a total value of $621,868.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 14,853 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,776,270.27. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Suzanne L. Helen sold 4,250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.23, for a total transaction of $438,727.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 13,453 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,388,753.19. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 12,150 shares of company stock valued at $1,374,876 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 18.90% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Gyon Technologies Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Mohawk Industries during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in shares of Mohawk Industries by 143.7% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 307 shares of the companys stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd increased its stake in shares of Mohawk Industries by 191.0% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 390 shares of the companys stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares in the last quarter. Creative Planning acquired a new stake in Mohawk Industries during the second quarter worth approximately $203,000. Finally, Prudential PLC acquired a new stake in Mohawk Industries during the first quarter worth approximately $229,000. 75.85% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Mohawk Industries Company Profile (Get Rating) Mohawk Industries, Inc engages in the manufacture, design, and distribution of residential and commercial flooring products. It operates through the following segments: Global Ceramic, Flooring North America (NA), and Flooring Rest of the World (ROW). The Global Ceramic segment manufactures ceramic, porcelain, and natural stone tile products used for wall and floor applications. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Mohawk Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mohawk Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A former Fremont resident was sentenced on April 25, 2023, to 14 years in federal prison after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location. In a press release, officials from the federal Department of Justice in Omaha announced that Gianetta Lynn Middleton, 51, of Omaha, was sentenced in federal court by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Buescher to 14 years imprisonment. According to U.S. Attorney Steven Russell, Middleton was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after her release from prison. No parole is available in the federal prison system. In the press release, Russell described the crimes Middleton had been convicted of. Between Sept. 1, 2021, and Nov. 23, 2021, Middleton and others conspired to distribute 168 grams of methamphetamine from her apartment in Fremont, Nebraska, Russell stated in the press release. During this time period, Middleton sold methamphetamine multiple times from her apartment, which is located across the street from a city park. Officials with the Fremont Police Department and the federal DEA investigated the case. Middleton has a prior history with law enforcement authorities, having been previously convicted of numerous drug-related offenses. In 2011, Middleton, then 39 years old, was accused of stealing from her employer and arrested and was cited for theft by unlawful taking and false reporting. Middleton was accused of selling meat at less than the actual price at Bradys Meats & Foods. In August, 2012, Middleton, then 40, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine. In November, 2012, Middleton, then 41, of Fremont was sentenced to two years of intensive supervised probation for possession of methamphetamine. In January 2013, Middleton then 41-years-old admitted to violating her probation for possession of methamphetamine and was sentenced to a year in state prison. In December 2014, Middleton, then 43 years old, of Fremont was found guilty of possession of methamphetamine, a Class IV felony; and possession of drug paraphernalia, an infraction. In September 2015, Middleton found herself in more trouble after she was accused of acting as a drug look-out during a drug deal. For that conviction, she was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance-methamphetamine, a Class II felony. In a related case, she had admitted to violating her probation. According to archived news articles form the Tribune, Middleton agreed to a plea agreement, and saw charges of possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, a Class III felony; possession of a controlled substance, a Class IV felony; and child abuse, a Class IIIA felony; all be dismissed. District Court Judge Geoffrey Hall sentenced Middleton to 42 months to 72 months in prison for the felony drug charge and 20 months to five years on the probation violation. The sentences were to be served concurrently. Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund (OTCMKTS:CGIFF Get Rating) had its target price reduced by National Bank Financial to C$11.50 in a research report released on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. CGIFF has been the subject of a number of other research reports. CIBC increased their price objective on Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund from C$11.00 to C$12.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 12th. Desjardins dropped their price target on shares of Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund from C$13.50 to C$12.50 in a research report on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund from C$10.50 to C$11.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. Scotiabank dropped their target price on shares of Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund from C$10.50 to C$10.00 in a report on Thursday, March 9th. Finally, Raymond James lowered shares of Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a report on Monday, February 27th. Get Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund alerts: Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund Stock Performance Shares of CGIFF stock opened at $5.66 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $6.08 and a 200 day moving average of $6.44. Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund has a 1-year low of $4.93 and a 1-year high of $7.64. Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund Company Profile Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund engages in the provision of portfolio of industrial chemicals and value-added services. It operates through the following segments: Sulphur and Water Chemicals, Electrochemicals, and Corporate. The Sulphur and Water Chemicals segment markets sulphuric acid, liquid sulphur dioxide, sulphur, sodium hydrosulphite, sodium bisulphate, zinc oxide and a variety of inorganic coagulants used in water treatment. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. North American Construction Group (TSE:NOA Get Rating) (NYSE:NOA) had its price target hoisted by BMO Capital Markets from C$25.00 to C$30.00 in a research report report published on Tuesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. NOA has been the topic of a number of other reports. TD Securities downgraded North American Construction Group from a buy rating to a hold rating and lifted their target price for the stock from C$25.00 to C$26.00 in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their target price on North American Construction Group from C$22.00 to C$26.00 in a research report on Friday, February 17th. National Bankshares lifted their target price on North American Construction Group from C$24.00 to C$27.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. CIBC lifted their target price on North American Construction Group from C$20.00 to C$23.50 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Finally, ATB Capital raised North American Construction Group from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and lifted their target price for the stock from C$24.00 to C$29.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, North American Construction Group presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$29.72. Get North American Construction Group alerts: North American Construction Group Trading Up 1.3 % Shares of TSE:NOA opened at C$26.05 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of C$724.97 million, a P/E ratio of 12.29, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.57. The stocks 50-day moving average is C$23.27 and its 200-day moving average is C$19.82. North American Construction Group has a 52-week low of C$12.65 and a 52-week high of C$26.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 142.32, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.20. North American Construction Group Announces Dividend North American Construction Group ( TSE:NOA Get Rating ) (NYSE:NOA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The company reported C$1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$0.73 by C$0.37. The company had revenue of C$233.42 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$204.70 million. North American Construction Group had a return on equity of 23.06% and a net margin of 8.75%. Equities research analysts predict that North American Construction Group will post 2.3423006 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 25th. North American Construction Groups payout ratio is 18.87%. Insider Buying and Selling at North American Construction Group In other North American Construction Group news, Director Martin Robert Ferron sold 40,000 shares of North American Construction Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$23.10, for a total transaction of C$924,000.00. Company insiders own 9.05% of the companys stock. North American Construction Group Company Profile (Get Rating) North American Construction Group Ltd. provides equipment maintenance, and mining and heavy construction services in Canada, the United States, and Australia. The company's Heavy Construction & Mining division offers constructability reviews, budgetary cost estimates, design-build construction, project management, contract mining, pre-stripping/pit pioneering, overburden removal and stockpile, muskeg removal and stockpile, site preparation, air strip construction, site dewatering/perimeter ditching, tailings and process pipelines, haulage and access road construction, tailings dam construction and densification, mechanically stabilized earth walls, dyke construction, and reclamation services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for North American Construction Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for North American Construction Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of NovaBay Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:NBY Get Rating) in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock. NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 16.7 % NBY stock opened at $1.15 on Tuesday. NovaBay Pharmaceuticals has a one year low of $1.09 and a one year high of $12.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.35 million, a PE ratio of -0.12 and a beta of 2.73. Get NovaBay Pharmaceuticals alerts: About NovaBay Pharmaceuticals (Get Rating) See Also NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc engages in the development and sales of scientifically-created and clinically-proven eyecare and skincare. Its products include Avenova, NeutroPhase, CelleRx, and DERMAdoctor. The company was founded on January 19, 2000 and is headquartered in Emeryville, CA. Receive News & Ratings for NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NovaBay Pharmaceuticals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Prospa Group Limited (ASX:PGL Get Rating) insider Greg Moshal bought 30,672 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 21st. The shares were bought at an average price of A$0.45 ($0.30) per share, for a total transaction of A$13,710.38 ($9,201.60). Greg Moshal also recently made the following trade(s): Get Prospa Group alerts: On Wednesday, April 19th, Greg Moshal acquired 50,000 shares of Prospa Group stock. The shares were acquired at an average price of A$0.45 ($0.30) per share, for a total transaction of A$22,400.00 ($15,033.56). On Monday, April 24th, Greg Moshal acquired 50,000 shares of Prospa Group stock. The shares were acquired at an average price of A$0.47 ($0.32) per share, for a total transaction of A$23,500.00 ($15,771.81). On Wednesday, March 8th, Greg Moshal acquired 9,009 shares of Prospa Group stock. The shares were acquired at an average price of A$0.56 ($0.38) per share, for a total transaction of A$5,054.05 ($3,391.98). On Tuesday, February 28th, Greg Moshal acquired 9,009 shares of Prospa Group stock. The shares were acquired at an average price of A$0.56 ($0.37) per share, for a total transaction of A$5,000.00 ($3,355.70). On Thursday, March 2nd, Greg Moshal acquired 18,018 shares of Prospa Group stock. The shares were acquired at an average price of A$0.54 ($0.36) per share, for a total transaction of A$9,729.72 ($6,530.01). On Monday, February 13th, Greg Moshal bought 123,684 shares of Prospa Group stock. The stock was purchased at an average price of A$0.58 ($0.39) per share, with a total value of A$71,241.98 ($47,813.41). Prospa Group Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 612.57, a quick ratio of 53.42 and a current ratio of 45.81. About Prospa Group Prospa Group Limited, an online lending company, provides finance services to small businesses in Australia. The company offers business accounts, as well as small and plus business loans, and line of credits. It serves art and lifestyle, building and trade, financial services, hair and beauty, health, hospitality, manufacturing, professional services, retail, transport, wholesaling, and other industries. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Prospa Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Prospa Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG Get Rating) had its target price lifted by Robert W. Baird from $2,000.00 to $2,200.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the restaurant operators stock. CMG has been the topic of several other research reports. Raymond James increased their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,750.00 to $1,900.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Stephens raised their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,970.00 to $2,000.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday. Credit Suisse Group upped their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,050.00 to $2,200.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group increased their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,800.00 to $2,050.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,800.00 to $1,960.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Chipotle Mexican Grill currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $2,021.37. Get Chipotle Mexican Grill alerts: Chipotle Mexican Grill Price Performance Shares of NYSE CMG opened at $2,067.62 on Wednesday. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 1-year low of $1,196.28 and a 1-year high of $2,071.00. The businesss 50 day moving average is $1,651.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,563.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $57.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.81, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.32. Insider Buying and Selling Chipotle Mexican Grill ( NYSE:CMG Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The restaurant operator reported $10.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.89 by $1.61. The firm had revenue of $2.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.34 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 45.01% and a net margin of 11.49%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $5.70 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 41.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, CMO Christopher W. Brandt sold 1,013 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,795.00, for a total value of $1,818,335.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 8,125 shares in the company, valued at $14,584,375. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 2,193 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,633.11, for a total value of $3,581,410.23. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 23,347 shares in the company, valued at $38,128,219.17. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CMO Christopher W. Brandt sold 1,013 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,795.00, for a total value of $1,818,335.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer now owns 8,125 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,584,375. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 12,724 shares of company stock worth $21,674,555 in the last 90 days. 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of Chipotle Mexican Grill A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4.6% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,620,725 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $3,938,320,000 after buying an additional 114,699 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,966,428 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $2,955,068,000 after acquiring an additional 23,107 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,058,549 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $1,590,745,000 after acquiring an additional 5,450 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 555,959 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $769,954,000 after purchasing an additional 14,505 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC increased its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 0.7% in the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 542,847 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $815,769,000 after purchasing an additional 3,709 shares during the period. 93.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Chipotle Mexican Grill (Get Rating) Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc engages in the development and operation of classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. It offers a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads prepared using classic cooking methods. The company was founded by Steve Ells in 1993 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, CA. Recommended Stories 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. SHIMAMURA Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:SHAOF Get Rating) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 14,400 shares, a decline of 46.3% from the March 31st total of 26,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently days. SHIMAMURA Price Performance Shares of SHAOF remained flat at C$93.74 during mid-day trading on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average is C$93.74 and its 200-day moving average is C$88.69. SHIMAMURA has a fifty-two week low of C$93.74 and a fifty-two week high of C$93.74. Get SHIMAMURA alerts: About SHIMAMURA (Get Rating) Further Reading SHIMAMURA Co, Ltd. operates stores in Japan and Taiwan. The company's stores provide clothing, fashion, food, and housing-related products. SHIMAMURA Co, Ltd. was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in Saitama, Japan. Receive News & Ratings for SHIMAMURA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SHIMAMURA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:DV Get Rating) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,730,000 shares, a growth of 23.5% from the March 31st total of 3,830,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,630,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.9 days. Currently, 4.7% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Insider Activity at DoubleVerify In other news, insider Andrew E. Grimmig sold 40,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.52, for a total value of $1,220,800.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 55,964 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,708,021.28. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, insider Julie Eddleman sold 11,300 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.24, for a total value of $296,512.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 116,015 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,044,233.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Andrew E. Grimmig sold 40,000 shares of DoubleVerify stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.52, for a total transaction of $1,220,800.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 55,964 shares in the company, valued at $1,708,021.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 28,750,665 shares of company stock valued at $762,115,964. 3.22% of the stock is owned by insiders. Get DoubleVerify alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of DV. Handelsbanken Fonder AB bought a new position in DoubleVerify in the 1st quarter worth approximately $202,000. New York State Teachers Retirement System bought a new stake in shares of DoubleVerify during the 1st quarter valued at $981,000. Arizona State Retirement System raised its position in shares of DoubleVerify by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 11,943 shares of the companys stock valued at $360,000 after acquiring an additional 372 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio raised its position in shares of DoubleVerify by 31.0% during the 1st quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 40,321 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,215,000 after acquiring an additional 9,546 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tiedemann Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of DoubleVerify during the 1st quarter valued at $210,000. Institutional investors own 90.21% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth DoubleVerify Stock Down 1.7 % Several research firms have recently weighed in on DV. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on DoubleVerify from $26.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, March 2nd. Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price target on DoubleVerify from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on DoubleVerify from $32.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Piper Sandler began coverage on DoubleVerify in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. They set an overweight rating and a $35.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Loop Capital lifted their target price on DoubleVerify from $32.00 to $35.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, DoubleVerify has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $34.18. Shares of DV traded down $0.52 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $29.42. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,228,650 shares, compared to its average volume of 884,345. DoubleVerify has a 1 year low of $17.22 and a 1 year high of $32.43. The company has a market cap of $4.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 117.68 and a beta of 0.83. The business has a fifty day moving average of $28.29 and a 200 day moving average of $26.57. DoubleVerify (NYSE:DV Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 1st. The company reported $0.10 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.11 by ($0.01). DoubleVerify had a return on equity of 5.16% and a net margin of 9.56%. The business had revenue of $133.64 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $133.20 million. On average, analysts predict that DoubleVerify will post 0.38 earnings per share for the current year. DoubleVerify Company Profile (Get Rating) DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc provides a software platform for digital media measurement, data, and analytics in the United States and internationally. Its solutions provide advertisers unbiased data analytics that enable advertisers to increase the effectiveness, quality and return on their digital advertising investments. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for DoubleVerify Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for DoubleVerify and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTCMKTS:MCOA Get Rating) saw a large drop in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,300 shares, a drop of 20.7% from the March 31st total of 9,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 68,272,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.0 days. Marijuana Company of America Price Performance Marijuana Company of America has a twelve month low of $0.00 and a twelve month high of $0.00. Get Marijuana Company of America alerts: About Marijuana Company of America (Get Rating) Read More Marijuana Company of America, Inc owns and operates licensed cannabis cultivation, processing, and dispensary facilities. It also engages in developing, producing, and distributing branded cannabis and cannabidiol products in the United States. The firm operates through the hempSMART segment. It operates a diversified business portfolio positioned across various cannabis segments including Cultivation, Nationwide Distribution, International Consumer Products, and Strategic Investments. Receive News & Ratings for Marijuana Company of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Marijuana Company of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV Get Rating) announced its earnings results on Thursday. The airline reported ($0.27) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.21) by ($0.06), Briefing.com reports. The company had revenue of $5.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.73 billion. Southwest Airlines had a net margin of 2.65% and a return on equity of 6.99%. The firms revenue was up 21.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted ($0.32) EPS. Southwest Airlines Stock Performance Shares of LUV stock opened at $30.29 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $18.02 billion, a PE ratio of 37.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 1.15. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $31.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $34.74. The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. Southwest Airlines has a 52-week low of $28.81 and a 52-week high of $48.18. Get Southwest Airlines alerts: Southwest Airlines Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 8th were issued a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 7th. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.38%. Southwest Airliness dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 90.00%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Southwest Airlines Analyst Ratings Changes Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Fund Management at Engine No. 1 LLC purchased a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines in the 1st quarter valued at about $230,000. Red Wave Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines in the 1st quarter valued at about $227,000. Evergreen Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines in the 1st quarter valued at about $214,000. Brown Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines in the 4th quarter valued at about $210,000. Finally, Sovereign Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines in the 4th quarter valued at about $206,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.71% of the companys stock. Several analysts have issued reports on LUV shares. Redburn Partners cut Southwest Airlines from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $40.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Barclays downgraded Southwest Airlines from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $42.00 to $38.00 in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Raymond James dropped their target price on Southwest Airlines from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 5th. Susquehanna downgraded Southwest Airlines from a positive rating to a neutral rating and set a $40.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, January 11th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price target on Southwest Airlines from $40.00 to $39.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 9th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $47.07. Southwest Airlines Company Profile (Get Rating) Southwest Airlines Co engages in the operation and management of a passenger airline. The firm also offers ancillary services such as early bird check-in, upgraded boarding, and transportation of pets and unaccompanied minors. It operates in the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Belize, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Southwest Airlines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southwest Airlines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI Get Rating) updated its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $12.35-12.55 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $12.47. The company issued revenue guidance of $12.32-12.55 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $12.41 billion. S&P Global also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $12.35-$12.55 EPS. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Oppenheimer upped their target price on S&P Global from $403.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, April 4th. StockNews.com began coverage on S&P Global in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Raymond James raised their price objective on S&P Global from $398.00 to $402.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Credit Suisse Group raised their target price on S&P Global from $385.00 to $395.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, February 10th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $434.00 target price on shares of S&P Global in a research note on Monday, March 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $394.50. Get S&P Global alerts: S&P Global Trading Up 2.0 % Shares of NYSE:SPGI traded up $7.00 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $362.58. 1,742,496 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,353,880. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $342.54 and a 200-day moving average price of $342.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.94. S&P Global has a 1 year low of $279.32 and a 1 year high of $395.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $118.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.12. Insiders Place Their Bets S&P Global ( NYSE:SPGI Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The business services provider reported $3.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.92 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $3.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.06 billion. S&P Global had a return on equity of 9.84% and a net margin of 29.05%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.89 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that S&P Global will post 12.44 earnings per share for the current year. In related news, CEO Douglas L. Peterson sold 7,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $360.52, for a total transaction of $2,703,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 160,816 shares in the company, valued at approximately $57,977,384.32. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other S&P Global news, CEO Douglas L. Peterson sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $360.52, for a total value of $2,703,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 160,816 shares in the company, valued at approximately $57,977,384.32. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Sally Moore sold 3,499 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $367.30, for a total transaction of $1,285,182.70. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 4,957 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,820,706.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 11,749 shares of company stock worth $4,266,185. Company insiders own 0.10% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of S&P Global Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of S&P Global during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,112,935,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of S&P Global by 11,089.7% during the 1st quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 2,230,227 shares of the business services providers stock worth $914,794,000 after purchasing an additional 2,210,296 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its position in shares of S&P Global by 49.9% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 4,318,418 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,446,412,000 after purchasing an additional 1,437,116 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in shares of S&P Global by 39.5% during the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,727,874 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,529,100,000 after purchasing an additional 1,056,097 shares during the period. Finally, Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of S&P Global by 113,163.2% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,005,777 shares of the business services providers stock worth $336,875,000 after purchasing an additional 1,004,889 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.27% of the companys stock. About S&P Global (Get Rating) S&P Global, Inc engages in the provision of transparent and independent ratings, benchmarks, analytics, and data to the capital and commodity markets worldwide. It operates through the following segments: Market Intelligence, Ratings, Commodity Insights, Mobility, Indices, and Engineering Solutions. The Market Intelligence segment provides multi-asset-class data and analytics integrated with purpose-built workflow solutions. Read More Receive News & Ratings for S&P Global Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for S&P Global and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Megan Skiles knows how critical growth is to a community. Skiles is executive director of the Greater Fremont Development Council. The GFDC works with community partners to help retain and create jobs, attract business and improve the quality of life in the greater Fremont area. Skiles has worked toward these goals since she started at GFDC in September 2021. Shes seen an increase in numbers of companies looking to relocate to Fremont or existing businesses wanting to expand. Now, shes an adviser to the newly formed Inland Port Authority board, which will work to draw more industry and thus more jobs to Fremont. Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg commends Skiles. Megan Skiles is an exceptional leader and visionary for the Greater Fremont Development Council, Spellerberg said. Her efforts have been instrumental in securing our designation as one of Nebraskas first Inland Port Authorities. Her work to support our local industry, develop housing, attract new capital investment, and bring high paying jobs will give much benefit to our community in the future. Skiles, who grew up in McCook, graduated in 2013 from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a degree in international business. She worked in the travel industry for a couple years before working in the Omaha Chamber of Commerces economic development department. My first job there was answering requests from out-of-market companies looking to establish a presence in the greater Omaha area or in Nebraska, Skiles said. GFDC is a partner with the Greater Omaha Chamber Economic Development Partnership, which includes Dodge and seven other counties. Whats good for one county creates new business and new opportunity for some of the surrounding counties, too. The local economy doesnt stop at the county lines, Skiles said, adding, Our workforce is mobile and we need to partner together to create initiatives and opportunity for our whole region. Many local businesses hire people who live in Omaha and commute to Fremont, she said. Businesses in Fremont have access to a larger market, because of the citys close proximity to Omaha. While still with the Omaha Chamber, Skiles had different roles, which included running an ag council, a manufacturing council and sitting on site development advisory groups. She then traveled to the East and West coasts in the United States, and internationally, working to recruit new companies to Nebraska and the greater Omaha area. Because GFCD has a partnership with the Greater Omaha council, Skiles previously worked with two of her predecessors: Cecilia Harry and Garry Clark. Skiles then learned GFDC had an opening for executive director. Given her regional view and familiarity with the Fremont area, she applied for the position. When this opportunity came up, it was really appealing to me, because I knew that Fremont was ripe for growth opportunity. I was excited about that, she said. GFDC focuses on attracting new businesses, while retaining existing local businesses and helping them expand, along with workforce development and quality of life the last of which involves encouraging and recruiting more housing development in the area. Inland Port Authority The GFDC board, the City of Fremont and Dodge County have been pursuing the Nebraska Municipal Port Authority Act. This act allows for the creation of a governing board that would manage an inland port district. Skiles said the purpose of the inland port authority act is to help create shovel-ready sites for industrial development, which can include an advanced manufacturing plant, warehousing and distribution or a new rail service to existing businesses that need more transportation options. Skiles said the GFDC spent a lot of time educating the public and elected officials about why the community should pursue this opportunity. GFDC played a major, supporting role in the citys applying for a designation as an inland port authority from the state. In February, Fremont was chosen as one of the first inland port authorities in Nebraska. Former Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman has been appointed chairman of the inland port authority board, which can buy, sell and lease land, issue revenue bonds and apply for grants. GFDC hired an engineering firm to look at the port authority area, which consists of 1,500 acres southeast of the city. The engineering firm will help the board understand the sites potential and how it might develop. A variety of things can happen there for industrial uses, Skiles said. Interest from companies Skiles talked about businesses looking at Fremont as a future location. Every year, we get these requests from companies that are looking to relocate to Fremont or existing businesses that want to expand here, Skiles said. Weve seen that interest in our community grow. In 2019, we saw probably a little over 20 requests for industrial prospects, but last year we had over 40 industrial prospects. In their real estate strategies, most companies are looking at multiple areas. So we might be competing with other communities in Nebraska, but were likely also competing with communities in Iowa and Texas. We need to have a site and a local economy thats attractive enough to beat out our competitors, she said. With the port authority, the community is creating a more attractive site to win some of these prospects into this area. Why growth is vital Heres where Skiles points out how crucial growth is to a community. Fremont has seen a lot of growth of businesses, but our population remains stagnant as a community and the population of the state has had very conservative growth, Skiles said. At some point, if you see a legacy industry leave or which is suffering and theres not new opportunities for people and jobs coming inyoure very susceptible to pretty rapid population loss. This can mean people leave the community, because they cant find jobs. The tax base becomes smaller and, ultimately, the community struggles. Having this growth mindset helps to make sure theres a diverse set of companies within a community. It makes your economy more stable, she said. Opportunities for future generations Skiles points out something else. A lot of the manufacturing requests that were seeing now are what we call, advance manufacturing, and so theyre high-paying jobs, Skiles said. Ultimately, its about creating a community where kids, who are in school today, can see themselves working in in the future. That means if kids want to be engineers, there are jobs in Fremont for them. If they want to be pastry chefs, theres a market big enough to support them. Its about creating and maintaining opportunity for future generations, Skiles said. GFDC will work with the inland port authority board, which will be its own government entity, to recruit businesses that could locate within district and work with site development. Its a really exciting time and its going to take a lot of time, Skiles said. These things dont happen overnight. Skiles said it could take six months or five years, before a company might want to invest in this area. The more money theyre investing in a new facility most of the time the longer it takes them to make that decision, she said. Fremonts advantages for companies Skiles points out advantages to companies locating in Fremont. Were very centrally located in the United States so they can get their product to the majority of the United States within 48 hours of our location, she said. She cites the transportation network in this area, which includes U.S. 275, and good proximity to Interstate 80 and Interstate 29. In addition, the citys close proximity to Lincoln and Omaha allows it to have a larger workforce than a community of 26,000 would have otherwise. Skiles points to the new Fremont Southeast Beltway, a four-lane divided expressway on the south side of Fremont, as attractive to companies looking to expand here. She believes the community is investing in itself, citing the $123 million bond issue approved by voters for Fremont Public Schools in September 2021 with projects that include three new elementary school buildings and a new Career and Technical Education center at Fremont High School. Housing developers GFDC does much behind-the-scenes work, such as making low-interest loans available to housing developers for more projects in the area. It helped recruit the developer, which used the housing loan funds, to turn the previously unused 505 building downtown into a place with 28 apartments. Our funds have also been utilized in the Fremont Commons (apartments) project, and the Bluestem Commons, a housing development, north of town, and its also been used for single-family homes in Scribner as well, Skiles said. Skiles enjoys the variety of her job. No two days are the same, she said. I like to think of myself as a lifelong learner and this job really allows me to exercise that. We have a really great team here and a really great board of directors that makes a huge difference. Sunnova Energy International (NYSE:NOVA Get Rating) announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported ($0.70) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.58) by ($0.12), Briefing.com reports. The firm had revenue of $161.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $159.54 million. Sunnova Energy International had a negative return on equity of 13.71% and a negative net margin of 30.75%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 146.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted ($0.30) EPS. Sunnova Energy International Price Performance Sunnova Energy International stock opened at $17.96 on Friday. Sunnova Energy International has a 12-month low of $12.46 and a 12-month high of $31.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.07 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.32 and a beta of 2.08. The firms 50-day moving average is $16.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $18.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.02, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.75. Get Sunnova Energy International alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have commented on NOVA shares. Roth Mkm upped their price objective on shares of Sunnova Energy International from $51.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, February 27th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Sunnova Energy International in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. They set an overweight rating and a $35.00 price target on the stock. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Sunnova Energy International from $51.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 28th. Scotiabank started coverage on shares of Sunnova Energy International in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. They set a sector outperform rating and a $28.00 price target on the stock. Finally, B. Riley lowered their price target on shares of Sunnova Energy International from $32.00 to $31.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Sunnova Energy International currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $34.95. Insiders Place Their Bets Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sunnova Energy International In other Sunnova Energy International news, insider Kelsey Hultberg sold 2,400 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.03, for a total transaction of $33,672.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 19,974 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $280,235.22. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . 4.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its stake in shares of Sunnova Energy International by 236.4% during the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,487 shares of the companys stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,045 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in shares of Sunnova Energy International by 168.8% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,809 shares of the companys stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 1,764 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Middle East FZE acquired a new stake in shares of Sunnova Energy International during the 4th quarter worth about $81,000. Toroso Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Sunnova Energy International by 25.7% during the 3rd quarter. Toroso Investments LLC now owns 4,470 shares of the companys stock worth $99,000 after acquiring an additional 915 shares during the period. Finally, First Republic Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Sunnova Energy International by 9.1% during the 2nd quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. now owns 13,052 shares of the companys stock worth $241,000 after acquiring an additional 1,094 shares during the period. Sunnova Energy International Company Profile (Get Rating) Sunnova Energy International, Inc operates as a residential energy service provider. It offers solar energy systems, electric vehicle chargers, and home solar protection. The company was founded by William Jackson Berger in 2012 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Sunnova Energy International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sunnova Energy International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Treasure Coast Financial Planning reduced its stake in Pimco Total Return ETF (NYSEARCA:BOND Get Rating) by 6.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 114,479 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 7,779 shares during the quarter. Pimco Total Return ETF comprises about 7.7% of Treasure Coast Financial Plannings portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Treasure Coast Financial Planning owned about 0.32% of Pimco Total Return ETF worth $10,358,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of BOND. Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in shares of Pimco Total Return ETF by 0.5% in the 1st 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 last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. raised its position in shares of Pimco Total Return ETF by 13.3% in the 1st 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 last quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Pimco Total Return ETF by 47.3% in the 1st 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 last quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV raised its position in shares of Pimco Total Return ETF by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 54,927 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $5,590,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sowell Financial Services LLC raised its position in 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 during the last quarter. Get Pimco Total Return ETF alerts: Pimco Total Return ETF Price Performance BOND traded up $0.46 during trading on Friday, reaching $93.12. 117,849 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 267,930. Pimco Total Return ETF has a 1 year low of $86.61 and a 1 year high of $98.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 56.50 and a beta of 0.16. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $92.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $91.48. Pimco Total Return ETF Company Profile 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. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BOND? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Pimco Total Return ETF (NYSEARCA:BOND Get Rating). 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. WCM Investment Management LLC cut its stake in WEX Inc. (NYSE:WEX Get Rating) by 2.4% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 95,807 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 2,375 shares during the period. WCM Investment Management LLCs holdings in WEX were worth $15,679,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Lindbrook Capital LLC grew its stake in WEX by 85.6% in the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 167 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of WEX by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 12,226 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,552,000 after buying an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of WEX by 70.2% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 223 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of WEX by 4.7% during the 3rd quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,324 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $295,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amalgamated Bank raised its holdings in shares of WEX by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 33,115 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $4,204,000 after buying an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. 98.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get WEX alerts: Insider Activity In related news, CTO David G. Cooper sold 16,639 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.00, for a total value of $3,277,883.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer now directly owns 6,358 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,252,526. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, COO Robert Joseph Deshaies sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.19, for a total value of $199,190.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 7,537 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,501,295.03. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CTO David G. Cooper sold 16,639 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.00, for a total transaction of $3,277,883.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer now owns 6,358 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,252,526. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 21,364 shares of company stock valued at $4,203,786. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades WEX Stock Performance A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Truist Financial lifted their price target on WEX from $185.00 to $190.00 in a research note on Friday. Mizuho boosted their target price on WEX from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, February 10th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on WEX in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Citigroup boosted their target price on WEX from $190.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Finally, TheStreet raised WEX from a c rating to a b- rating in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $210.90. NYSE:WEX opened at $177.35 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. WEX Inc. has a 12-month low of $125.00 and a 12-month high of $204.05. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $182.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $171.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.60. WEX (NYSE:WEX Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The business services provider reported $3.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.77 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $618.61 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $575.79 million. WEX had a return on equity of 32.29% and a net margin of 6.00%. Equities research analysts forecast that WEX Inc. will post 12.21 EPS for the current fiscal year. WEX Company Profile (Get Rating) WEX Inc provides financial technology services in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Fleet Solutions, Travel and Corporate Solutions, and Health and Employee Benefit Solutions. The Fleet Solutions segment offers fleet vehicle payment processing services. Its services include customer, account activation, and account retention services; authorization and billing inquiries, and account maintenance services; credit and collections services; merchant services; analytics solutions with access to web-based data analytics platform that offers insights to fleet managers; and ancillary services and tools to fleets to manage expenses and capital requirements. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WEX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for WEX Inc. (NYSE:WEX Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for WEX Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WEX and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Westhaven Gold Corp. (CVE:WHN Get Rating)s stock price dropped 1.5% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as C$0.32 and last traded at C$0.32. Approximately 5,000 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 95% from the average daily volume of 102,620 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.33. Westhaven Gold Trading Down 1.5 % The firm has a fifty day moving average of C$0.32 and a 200 day moving average of C$0.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.03. The firm has a market capitalization of C$44.64 million, a PE ratio of -16.00 and a beta of -1.62. About Westhaven Gold (Get Rating) Westhaven Gold Corp., a junior exploration company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada. The company primarily explores for gold and silver deposits. It owns 100% interests in four properties, which include the Shovelnose, Prospect Valley, Skoonka Creek, and Skoonka North gold projects that covers an area of approximately 37,000 hectares located in British Columbia. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Westhaven Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Westhaven Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Weather Alert ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Northwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph expected. * WHERE...All of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...From 10 AM CDT this morning to 7 PM CDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Strong winds and rough chop on area lakes will create hazardous conditions for small craft. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Some lakes in the advisory area include Clearwater Lake, Lake Wappapello, Rend Lake, Crab Orchard Lake, Kinkaid Lake, Cedar Lake, Little Grassy Lake, Devil's Kitchen Lake, Lake of Egypt, Kentucky Lake, and Lake Barkley. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Lake Wind Advisory indicates that winds will cause rough chop on area lakes. Boaters on area lakes should use extra caution since strong winds and rough waves can overturn small craft. && Pork producers who own a processing plant in Fremont that received a $25 million federal grant include Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen. (Keith Weller/USDA Agricultural Research Service) OMAHA Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen is one of about 200 farmer-owners of a pork processing plant in Fremont, Neb., that was awarded a $25 million federal grant to help add a second shift. Pillen, whose family runs a Columbus-based hog operation, Pillen Family Farms, is also part-owner of Wholestone Farms, a pork processing company that revived the former Hormel plant in Fremont. Wholestone received the grant last month as part of the U.S. Department of Agricultures efforts to help smaller local meat processors compete against larger national and international conglomerates. The governors most recent financial interests disclosure form, filed in March with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, still listed Pillen as a Wholestone board member. The governors office and the company said he no longer serves on the board. They said he stepped back from the board and from Pillen Family Farms during his campaign for governor. His children are handling his business affairs while he is in office, they said. Pillens name was not listed on the paperwork Wholestone filed for the grant, the USDA confirmed. Pillens office said he learned about the grant after a reporters inquiry. None of the companys owners participated in the application process, Wholestone President and CEO Luke Minion said. No owners, including anyone from the Pillen family, were involved in the process, Minion said. Governors spokeswoman Laura Strimple shared a statement: Governor Pillens family business has a minority ownership in Wholestone Farms. He holds no position with the company and has not attended any meetings with Wholestone since taking office. Jack Gould of Common Cause Nebraska said he sees no legal issues in Wholestone pursuing the grant. But, he said, Pillen needs to be clearer and more transparent about his business interests while he is in office. The public, Gould said, has a right to know Pillen has a financial stake in the company. And federal taxpayers should know, too, so they can see later if they got their moneys worth, Gould said. Minion said in March the grant would help fund a second shift and double the production capacity of the Fremont plant to nearly 6 million pigs a year. The company hopes to finish construction this year and open the second line when market conditions for pork make the most sense, he said. That would add 1,000 workers to the 1,300 there already. A grant like this, in terms of its focus, it really fits us well, Minion said. Were really grateful to have received it. And we will use it in the best interests of taxpayers. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, said USDA was excited about this one, when announcing the award during the National Pork Industry Forum in Florida. He touted the value of having farmers own more steps in pork production, Farm Journals Pork reported. Owning the plants helps farmers keep the next generation on the farm, he said. Wholestone, which has a grocery label now on its pork in the Midwest, is growing. Its got a new partner, Prestage Foods of Eagle Grove, Iowa, that is working on an Iowa pork processing plant. And the company has bought land in Sioux Falls, S.D., to build a possible third plant. Protesters gather at the White House to call for end of Sudan violence The Texas state Senate has passed a bill that would require every public school classroom to prominently display the Ten Commandments. Another bill passed by the Senate would allow schools districts to require every campus to provide students and employees a time to participate in a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious text on each school day. Each bill now moves on to the state House. A monument with the Ten Commandments sits on the north side of the Texas capitol, Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011, in Austin, Texas. [AP Photo/Eric Gay] This is only the latest move by the extreme right to force Christian religious indoctrination into Texas public schools. In 2021 a law went into effect allowing schools to display signs saying, In God We Trust, but only if the sign was donated or paid for with private donations. The new laws go further than the earlier law and it can be expected that future laws regarding religion in public schools will go beyond the bills in this years legislative session. These laws have support at the highest levels of the state government. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said, I believe that you cannot change the culture of the country until you change the culture of mankind. Bringing the Ten Commandments and prayer back to our public schools will enable our students to become better Texans. The hypocrisy of the political forces involved is so brazen it hardly warrants comment. While insisting that students be confronted every day with the words, Thou shalt not kill, the same state government has presided over more executions of prisoners than any other state. Since 1976, over 500 executions have been carried out in Texas, over one third of the total in the country. Every war that the United States has fought since the Civil War has involved war crimes and mass killing as a matter of policy. From the Philippine insurrection at the turn of the 20th century, to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to the carpet bombing and massacres in the Vietnam War, to the atrocities committed in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States military conducts war by killing large numbers of people on a near-genocidal scale and destroying societies. Notwithstanding all the pious religious rhetoric about the sanctity of human life, the same far-right state government in Texas has done everything in its power to encourage the spread of the COVID virus, which has killed around 1 in 300 people in the state and has responded to the epidemic of school shootings with demands for more guns. This week the Texas House passed a bill calling for the hiring of at least one armed guard at each campus and allowing for school employees to become certified to carry a weapon. The Texas state government is in a competition with states like Florida in a stampede to enact the most extreme right-wing policies. The Texas state government has imposed a ban on abortions throughout the state, endangering the lives of countless women and children, and Texas Republicans have worked assiduously to create a climate of fear and hatred targeting immigrants. The border with Mexico has become militarized, with the Texas National Guard deployed alongside the federal Border Patrol in hunting down refugees like animals and housing them in detention camps where they are subjected to humiliation and abuse. Religious provocations have long played a role in Texas politics. A monument with the Ten Commandments stands outside the Texas state capitol building, an open affront to the democratic principle of separation of church and state that is affirmed in the Bill of Rights. (There are also three monuments to the Confederate army on the capitol grounds.) The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment prohibits the establishment of religion, or the use of state power or resources to favor or disfavor any particular religion. The Texas bills violate that principle openly and directly. Similar efforts to flout the Establishment Clause were struck down repeatedly in federal courts over the past half-century, but the Texas Republicans are emboldened by the far-right Christian fundamentalist majority on the Supreme Court, which is poised to roll back and abrogate democratic norms across the board. The proposed law has been met with opposition from teachers on social media. One post to a Texas teachers group asked, Is anyone else going to resign rather than post the Ten Commandments in their classroom or is it just me? and received nearly 300 replies in 12 hours. Teachers opposed to these measures should not resign but should stand up and organize to fight back. The only way to defend and expand democratic rights is through the collective action of the working class, which will also win broad support among parents and students. It is important to note that neither the Texas AFT (the Texas affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers) nor the Texas State Teachers Association (affiliated with the National Education Association) has released any comment regarding the bills to date. This follows a pattern of the Democrat-aligned unions in the state cowering in the face of religious fundamentalist provocations or responding in the most limited, inadequate and ineffective fashion. Teachers interested joining a rank-and-file committee at their workplace, or creating one if it does not yet exist, should contact the Educators Rank-and-File Committee. April 1st marked one year since the successful unionization campaign by Amazon Labor Union (ALU) at the JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island, New York. The workers at the facility, which employs more than 8,000 people, were the first Amazon workers in the US to vote to join a union. This is an event which clearly contains significant lessons for the whole working class. JFK8 workers voted for ALU because they were determined to fight the worlds second largest corporation, notorious for dangerous working conditions that are enforced through electronic monitoring. Later last year, JFK8 workers showed their determination again when they stopped operations at the warehouse when management tried to make them work through a fire. Workers were attracted to the newly-founded ALU because it presented itself as an independent, democratic alternative to the existing bureaucratically controlled trade unions. Indeed, even as JFK8 workers voted for ALU, the Retail, Warehouse and Department Store Union (RWDSU) endured its second debacle in a row in its bid to unionize an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama. The RWDSU refused to even raise any concrete demands in its campaign. It had no connections with workers in the plant, relying instead on support from the Democratic Party and various celebrities. The RWDSU made clear that it saw unionization at Amazon as only an opportunity to expand its dues base and develop the sort of corrupt ties with management that it and other unions have long established at other workplaces. JFK8 workers saw ALU as representing something different. But almost immediately after its election victory, the ALU began integrating itself into the apparatus of the AFL-CIO. It received hundreds of thousands of dollars and even Manhattan real estate from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the American Federation of Teachers and other unions who hoped to use ALU to bolster their own credibility, under conditions where they have spent decades enforcing one sellout after the other. The big unions are going to support us, and thats all were asking forresources, office space, money, whatever it takes, manpower, strike funds, lawyers, negotiators, ALU President Chris Smalls said at the time. President of the Amazon Labor Union Chris Smalls speaks during the American Federation of Teachers convention, Friday, July 15, 2022, in Boston. Smalls spoke before an address by First Lady Jill Biden. [AP Photo/Michael Dwyer] Smalls became a media sensation and toured the country speaking and meeting with Democratic Party officials, including a visit to the White House to meet President Joe Biden. Youve done it in one place, lets not stop, Biden told Smalls while embracing him. ALU was also embraced by Democratic Party lefts, including the Democratic Socialists of America and Bernie Sanders. All of these supposed friends of labor in the Democratic Party came together with Republicans last year to ban a strike by 120,000 railroaders. Biden repeatedly calls himself the most pro-labor president in US history. What he really means is that he is using the union bureaucracy to block strikes and limit wage growth. No small factor behind this strategy is the disciplining of the working class at home as American imperialism escalates the war against Russia and plans for war against China. Smalls has become part of a continuous stream of union officials eagerly making pilgrimages to the White House. Every step in the direction of the Democratic Party and the bureaucracy removed the newly-minted ALU officials more and more from Amazon workers. Today, workers at JFK8 report to the WSWS that they hardly ever even see ALU representatives on the shop floor. ALU, meanwhile, experienced a series of high-profile organizing debacles at a string of other warehouses, including at LDJ8, located next door to JFK8, only one month later. In October, ALU was rejected by a margin of 2 to 1 at Amazons ALB1 warehouse in Albany, New York, and it was forced to suspend unionization drives elsewhere. One year later, little has changed at JFK8. Workers still do not have a contract, and Amazon has made it clear that it has no intention of even negotiating one any time soon. Instead, the company spent more than $14.2 million on anti-union consultants last year. Worldwide, Amazon has embarked on a jobs bloodbath, cutting more than 27,000 positions since the start of the year. While these are focused on white collar workers, the company is also rapidly moving to consolidate its warehouse operations. Amazon has canceled, closed or delayed 99 US facilities, according to industry consultant Marc Wulfraat. This only shows that the need for a struggle by Amazon workers is even more urgent now than last April. Meanwhile, ALU, formerly the poster child for democratic unionism, is controlled by a small group of unelected officials, including Smalls himself, who are increasingly at each others throats over access to money and control of the organization. In interviews, a dozen people who have been closely involved with the Amazon Labor Union said the union had made little progress bringing Amazon to the bargaining table, to say nothing of securing a contract. Many cited lopsided losses at two other warehouses, unstable funding and an internal feud that has made it difficult for the union to alter a strategy that they considered flawed, the New York Times reported in March. Most of the ALU staffers interviewed by the Times placed blame for the crisis mainly on Smalls for his profligate travel expenses and authoritarian attempts to control the organization. But Smalls himself is essentially being used as a scapegoat. All of the factions involved accepted without question the ALUs integration with the union apparatus and the Democratic Party. The ALU claimed that it was building a new rank and file-led, militant union. But its orientation was not to building an international movement of the working class against capitalism but to building a new union apparatus. ALUs attitude towards union and workplace democracy is essentially the same as a constellation of groups in more established unions that have spent decades campaigning for the union apparatus to be reformed from within. According to their argument, the origin of bureaucratism and corruption in the unions is bad individual leaders, which could be fixed by replacing them with good ones, as well as with certain minor amendments to union constitutions and procedures. All of these groups, including Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) in the Teamsters and Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) in the United Auto Workers, are explicitly opposed to a rank-and-file rebellion to smash the influence of the apparatus. In last years UAW elections, UAWD attacked the program of Will Lehman, a socialist autoworker running for president on a platform of abolishing the bureaucracy, as supposedly divisive. The experience at ALU is now being repeated with UAWD and TDU, which now occupy top posts within the bureaucracies of their respective unions. They are playing critical roles in the attempt to engineer sellouts at UPS and in the auto industry, where thousands of jobs are on the chopping block. These organizations, far from pushing the unions to the left, are being carried forward within the bureaucracy towards the right. The victory of ALU was a test case for this perspective of union reform under virtually ideal conditions. No bureaucracy even existed from the outset within ALU, and the organization initially enjoyed no broader institutional support. And yet, beginning within a matter of days after the election, a bureaucracy nevertheless rapidly began to emerge semi-spontaneously within ALU. The evolution of the ALU was predicted even in advance of the vote by the World Socialist Web Site. As we wrote in March 2022: ... the ALU provides no strategy or perspective for how this will be achieved. In fact, Smalls and the ALU have no strategy at all. Despite their veneer of independence, the ALU has close ties with the RWDSU and the officialdom in the existing unions as a whole, who have deliberately promoted them as a democratic prop to shore up the legitimacy of the unions at Amazon. If workers vote to bring them in, they will quickly find that the ALU, like countless earlier experiments with democratic unionism, is no different than its bigger brothers in the AFL-CIO. It will quickly seek to come to an arrangement with Amazon management which secures its role as joint enforcer of concessions and brutal working conditions. Regardless of how the vote plays out, the central question which workers confront is how and on what basis they can establish their own power and initiative and fight for their own demands. The way forward is not through the reform of the outmoded pro-corporate unions, but the development of a new movement based on internationalism and the independence of the working class from the corporate parties and their trade union lackeys. Amazon workers at JFK8 and elsewhere still face the need for better wages and working conditions. But in doing so, they must also deal with this new apparatus which has sprung up. Workers need organization, but they need organizations which they control and which are not subordinated to the bureaucracy or to the Democratic Party. The way forward for Amazon workers is to join in the growing movement for rank-and-file committees, composed of and led by workers themselves. This will provide the organizational framework in which they can unite with their coworkers at Amazon warehouses around the world. It will also provide the means for them to link up with workers in the auto industry, on the railroads and other workplaces, where workers are also forming rank-and-file committees in opposition to the union bureaucracy. On Thursday, the Biden administration announced changes to immigration rules that significantly escalate the assault on the rights of migrants seeking to enter the US at the southern border. The changes, which are being prepared before the May 11 expiration of Title 42 rules put in place in 2020 by the Trump administration and continued by Biden to carry out mass deportations, involve declaring nearly all migrants crossing the border illegal and deportable to Mexico or their home countries. A centerpiece of the policy is the establishment of regional processing centers in Latin American countries, where immigration officials will attempt to block migrants from beginning their journey to the US by declaring them ineligible for asylum. Federal officers remove handcuffs from men before releasing them through a gate in a border wall to Tijuana, Mexico, Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in San Diego. [AP Photo/Gregory Bull] Additionally, the White House plan says that those who still attempt to cross the US border and seek asylum without applying in another country first will be immediately deported without access to a proper hearing. In a joint press conference at the State Department, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Director of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas explained that the measures were being taken to stem an expected surge of migrants at the southern border when Title 42 is lifted in two weeks. Title 42 rules had allowed the US government to expel hundreds of thousands of migrants on grounds that they posed a public health risk during the coronavirus pandemic. The xenophobic policy was put in place in March 2020 by then-president Trump while his administration simultaneously denied that COVID-19 posed any threat whatsoever within the US. In his remarks on Thursday, Mayorkas made it clear that the new policy is an extension and intensification of Trumps anti-immigrant program. He said: Beginning on May 12th, we will bewe will place eligible individuals who arrive at our southern border in expedited removal proceedings. Mayorkas went on to explain that the new rules will be more severe and migrants will be banned for five years and prosecuted for attempting to enter the US. Unlike the Title 42 public health authority, he said, the penalty for being removed from the United States under Title 8 through expedited removal and other immigration laws we will be enforcing is not just removal. An individual who is removed is subject to at least a five-year ban on admission to the United States and can face criminal prosecution for any subsequent attempt to cross the border illegally. Mayorkas said that advanced technologies and expanded facilities will be used to carry out the deportations quickly and send the migrants back to their home countries. He hypocritically tried to claim that the Biden administration was sympathetic to the plight of migrants who go through the traumatic experience of making the journey to the US and are frequently taken advantage of by smugglers. The processing center program will begin first in Colombia and Guatemala and be expanded to other countries with which the US has diplomatic relations. They will be staffed by international organizations that are partnering with the Biden administration. Mayorkas said those seeking entry into the US must schedule appointments at the centers. Migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and Nicaraguacountries where the US is either unable or unwilling to deport directlywill be sent back to Mexico under the terms of an agreement with the government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. While Mayorkas said that US border officials have no plans to detain families at the border, it is known that the Biden administration considered reviving the program that was used by the Trump White House. For his part, Secretary of State Blinken focused on the global considerations behind the new policies. He said it was important to step back and look at the fact that, there are more than 100 million people on the move today, compelled to leave their homes in search of security and better lives. Blinken spoke of the long-term drivers of the migrant crisis, explaining that violence, corruption, lack of economic opportunity continue to push people from their homesproblems that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, crises of governance, extreme weather events caused by the changing climate. Of course, Blinken did not note that the factors he cited are the result of the policies of US imperialism and successive Democratic and Republican administrations over many decades. The plunder of Americas back yard, the herd-immunity COVID policy and the refusal and inability to address climate change are all directly tied to the drive for global domination by US corporate and financial interests. Most corporate media outlets are straining to bolster the claims of the Biden administration that the new immigration rules are aimed at significantly raising admissions for refugee resettlement programs and other pathways to US residency. However, the White House did not provide any details about this and focused instead on the workings of the deportation program. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has pledged to file a lawsuit against the asylum ban on migrants who cross the southern border. Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLUs Immigrants Rights Project and lead attorney in Title 42-related lawsuits, told Politico, We successfully sued to stop the Trump asylum bans and will sue again if the Biden administration enacts these anti-asylum rules. The International Refugee Assistance Project said in a statement that it strongly opposes the new measures as a trade-off for limiting the legal rights of people seeking asylum in the United States. The organization said the administration was pursuing an asylum ban. Lacy Broemel, a project policy analyst, told the Washington Post that the organization is concerned with the lack of details in the Biden plan, and said, We have more questions than answers. The timing of the immigration press conference, coming two days after Joe Biden announced his 2024 reelection campaign, is clearly an effort to respond to pressure from Republicans and extreme-right and fascist political forces in Congress. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, House Republicans, who have sharply criticized Mr. Bidens handling of the border, are expected to unveil a sweeping immigration and border security bill on Thursday after months of internal disagreements over how to approach asylum seekers. Some Republicans have suggested the bill, which will likely be a nonstarter with Democrats and the White House, could be brought to the House floor on May 11 to coincide with the ending of Title 42. Some 10 years after the first reports of stonemasons developing lung disease during kitchen benchtop manufacturing, workers in Australia are suffering an epidemic of diseases from exposure to silica dust. Worker cutting engineered stone products. [Photo: Alireza Naseri on Unsplash] From the estimated half a million workers who could be exposed to silica dust in the workplace, approximately 100,000 could develop silicosis, with an additional 10,000 developing lung cancer. The current number of deaths is unclear. A study from 2012 estimated that silicosis contributes to 10,400 deaths per year. Unlike many occupational lung diseases that see illness develop later in life, with silica exposure from the engineered stone used for kitchen benchtops, those workers succumbing to silicosis are often in their 20s and 30s. Unlike exposure to asbestos which may take many years to present, acute silicosis can occur within three years of exposure. Accelerated and chronic silicosis is slower but still rapid, occurring before or following 10 years of exposure, respectively. While it remains a preventable disease by avoiding inhaling the dust, there are currently no treatments for silicosis, other than a lung transplant. Silica is a natural product in sandstone. When aerosolised from cutting or drilling, this can then be inhaled to cause lung disease. Silica comes in different forms, however more recently engineered stone has high concentrations of silica (>90 percent) which can lead to greater exposure and more rapid onset of lung diseases. Natural alternatives can still be harmful, but the silica content is significantly lower (230 percent). Silicosis is a fibrosing or stiffening of lung tissue that results from an inflammatory or immune response to combat the inhaled silica dust. Other diseases are also known to occur, including lung cancer and autoimmune diseases that mainly develop as a condition known as scleroderma. The dry cutting of benchtops leads to potentially higher-than-normal exposures of ultrafine dust particles. The particles, as small as one hundredth the size of a grain of sand cannot be seen, but can be inhaled and deposited deep in the lung. The most recent indication of the potential numbers of workers exposed in Australia came from a report last April from researchers at Curtin University. Modelling the risk of disease to respirable crystalline silica, using data from sources such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the study found that around 584,050 workers are currently exposed. This included workers who were working on any products containing silica, such as stone, rocks, concrete and bricks processed by cutting, drilling or grinding. The findings suggest that between 83,090 and 103,860 silicosis cases are expected to result from current silica exposure, and around 10,390 workers will develop lung cancer. Silica has been called the new asbestos. In reality, silica exposure among workers has existed for well over a century, yet the diseases were less common. The earliest and largest manufacturer of engineered stone was Caesarstone in Israel in the early 2000s. Dr Mordicai Kramer, a cardiothoracic surgeon was the first to observe an increase in silicosis and made the link to the cutting of the stone. Israeli stonemason Yigal Rosman, who was suffering from silicosis, noticed Australia was a large customer of Caesarstone. In 2014 he wrote to Australian Employment Minister Eric Abetz to sound the alarm. It was not until 2015, however, that the first case of silicosis associated with artificial stone was reported in Australia. This was followed in 2017 by a small study describing the disease in eight patients. This study associated the disease with a failure to enforce adequate safety measures, such as dust control to limit inhalation. Only in 2018 did the Queensland state government department Workcover screen 10 workplaces involved with cutting stone. The initial review was later expanded to include all stonemasons in that state. By May 2019, Workcover had accepted 141 silicosis claims. Nationally, since 2015 almost 580 stonemasons have been diagnosed with silicosis out of an estimated workforce of 4,000. The first fatality caused by silicosis from engineered stone was 36-year-old Queensland stonemason Anthony White, who was diagnosed in 2017 and died in March 2019. At the time of Whites death, his brother Shane White told Nine News: Everyone was talking about how great it [engineered stone] was. Its a cheap product, easy to handle, and they could make more money off it in the long run. But why wasnt there a lot more thought put into the hazards of it? In the whole time I was in the industry there was only a handful of companies that I know of that you would get fired from for not wearing your mask. Any other ones it would be a slap on the wrist and put your mask on. The White family demanded the products be banned and blamed governments for failing to police workplace standards. Anthonys mother Di White told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC): Personally, I have not had a response from any of them. This has been out in the media since my son passed away. Not one government official has sent us a letter of condolences. I know to them thats one individual, but thats my son. The former Liberal-National federal government eventually established a National Dust Disease Taskforce, which operated from 2019 to 2021. The taskforces main finding was that approximately one-quarter of engineered stone workers prior to 2018 suffered from silicosis or other silica dust-related diseases. The taskforce acknowledged: The risk of asbestos dust was first recognised in the 1930s, however, a complete ban on the use of asbestos was only implemented on 31 December 2003, after tens of thousands of individuals had been exposed, and many thousands of Australians dead from mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. We do not want a repeat of this experience in relation to silica dust. Nevertheless, the report postponed banning the substance, possibly to be considered in 2024, and instead recommended a registry to track cases of silicosis. All the federal and state governments accepted the report, but even the registry has been delayed. Last month, it was reported that draft legislation would be tabled later this year to require doctors to hand over information within 30 days about workers who have developed these diseases. Dr Graeme Edwards, a former member of the taskforce, has labelled the combined inaction of governments as tantamount to industrial manslaughter. He told the Sydney Morning Herald: Its about time they actually insisted on action, [and] create the legislative framework that enables it to happenwhich is a political responsibilityand protect the workers of Australia. Dr Edwards said the proposed legislation was essentially draconian, fining doctors up to $8,000 for not reporting silicosis related diseases. That could potentially undermine the registrys integrity and delay diagnosis for fear of being fined. The manufactured product is cheaper than marble or other more expensive products. This has seen its use surge over the past 20 years, during which a housing and renovation boom has generated massive profits for the building industry, which has strong ties to the major parties and the trade unions. Occupational exposure-related illnesses have a long history of companies going to great lengths to minimise payouts to workers. James Hardie, one of the largest producers of asbestos in building materials, spent many years, with government assistance, fighting workers and their families to avoiding paying out compensation for life-threatening diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. The history of the corporate and government response to the silicosis epidemic is no different. In February, the Albanese governments Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke convened a meeting of state and territory ministers to discuss the issue. He called for a coordinated national response but insisted that would take a good 12 months or more. It is likewise with the trade unions. While the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) commissioned the Curtin University report, it backed that further delay in banning engineered stone. The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union said its members would refuse to work with silica-containing products if no ban was implemented on engineered stone by July 2024. But many more workers could be scarred for life or die painfully before then. At the time of the ACTU announcement, stonemason Duane Calvey, who has been diagnosed with silicosis, told the ABC: I dont believe theres any safe way to work with it, where dust isnt going to be taken with somebody on their clothes or on their skin. Our nations government was founded on a system of checks and balances. We have three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. After escaping from a tyrannical monarchy, our founders were concerned that one branch might become more powerful than the others, focused on accomplishing its own goals rather than those of the American people. As a member of the U.S. Senate, I am working to fulfill a purpose of the legislative branch by curbing the excesses of the executive branch the Biden administration. The administration recently issued new regulations cracking down on vehicle emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calls these regulations an emissions plan, but this plan is really a pipe dream. The administration wants 67% of the cars in the country to be electric by 2032, just nine years from now. Last year, electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for 6% of new automobile sales. The International Energy Agency predicts that by 2030, EVs will only make up 15% of the vehicles in our country. The administrations new emissions standards are essentially an EV mandate. These standards make it harder for people to drive gas-powered cars, in an attempt to coerce Americans into purchasing electric vehicles that cost about as much as the average family makes in a year. The Biden administration is ignoring the many complexities at play when it comes to EVs. Electric vehicles rely on the electric power grid, and a massive increase in EV use due to a mandate could cause serious issues with the grid. During a heat wave last September, power authorities in California asked residents to avoid charging electric cars in the evenings, for fear that the power grid would malfunction from being overwhelmed. EVs also have a strong impact on our roads. Right now, only gas-powered cars pay into the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), which provides 90 percent of federal highway assistance. Electric vehicles do not. This fund repairs wear and tear from vehicles on the highway. Electric vehicles can weigh up to three times as much as gas-powered cars because of their heavy batteries. That weight pulverizes the road bed, causing more maintenance and more costs. The HTF exists to fix exactly the type of damage that heavy EVs can cause so its only fair that both types of vehicles pay into the fund. I plan to introduce a bill soon that will fix this discrepancy. The repercussions of an EV mandate go beyond Americas borders. Sixty to 100% of battery minerals are processed in China, according to SAFE, an energy think tank. Our domestic supply is nowhere near meeting the demand that would result from this regulation. A push for EVs is a push for energy dependence on China and China is not our friend. Studies also show that Americans arent even that interested in EVs. A Gallup poll found that 4% of Americans own an EV, and only 12% are seriously considering getting one. Forty-one percent claimed they will never buy an EV. A Pew Research poll found that the majority of Americans oppose the Biden administrations plan to phase out gasoline-powered cars and trucks by 2035. I support Americans right to buy electric vehicles if they so choose but they should also have the right not to buy one. Our government is supposed to be of the people, by the people, and for the people. This federal mandate is of the EPA, by the EPA, and for the EPA. Its not based on the interests of the people, but the interests of a power-hungry White House. The Biden administrations plan for a utopia of green vehicles is a cute idea, but its completely out of touch with reality. Its also out of touch with Americans real needs and desires. This administration must stop with top-down mandates that force Americans into outcomes they wouldnt choose themselves. As your senator, I will continue to oppose this administrations overreach. Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week. On April 26, in an escalation of far-right attacks on democratic rights, Republicans in the Montana House of Representatives banned the first openly transgender lawmaker in state history from speaking on the House floor for the remainder of the session, which runs through May 10. The lawmaker, Democratic Representative Zooey Zephyr (100th District-Missoula) had faced a week of threats from the Republican majority to censure or expel her for speaking out against a raft of anti-transgender legislation. On Wednesday, in a 68-32 party-line vote, the Republicans, led by the far-right Montana House Freedom caucus, voted to block Zephyr from appearing on the House floor, antechamber or gallery. Under the ban, Zephyr must cast her votes remotely for the rest of the session, although she is still allowed to participate in committee meetings. Zephyr currently serves on the Houses Judiciary and Human Services committees. On Friday, the Montana Free Press reported that a previously scheduled Human Services Committee meeting had been canceled following the vote to ban Zephyr. Zephyr told the Daily Montanan that the cancellation of the committee meeting was an additional undemocratic step taken by the leadership of the Republican Party for the disenfranchised voters who elected me to represent them in the peoples House. Montana Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr hoists a microphone into the air on April 24 as her supporters interrupt proceedings in the state House by chanting "Let Her Speak!" [AP Photo/Amy Beth Hanson] The silencing of Zephyr marks the second time this month that Republicans have compared peaceful protests at state capitols against their fascistic agenda to Donald Trumps January 6, 2021 failed coup in order to justify bans on Democratic state lawmakers. Less than three weeks ago, the Republican super-majority in the Tennessee state House expelled two Democratic lawmakers, Justin Jones (Nashville) and Justin Pearson (Memphis), for an alleged breach of House rules. The Democrats and most media outlets presented the expulsion of Jones and Pearson, who are black, entirely in racial terms, although the two spoke up on the House floor in support of multi-ethnic protests by youth demanding gun reform following a deadly school shooting in Nashville. Zephyr, who is white, has been targeted as part of a concentrated attack by the fascist wing of the Republican Party on the rights of transgender people. This is linked to the the promotion of religious bigotry, homophobia and anti-abortion fanaticism. Zephyr represents about 11,000 Montanans. She drew the ire of the Republicans last week for speaking in opposition to state Senate Bill 99, one of over 460 reactionary anti-LGBTQ bills that have been advanced by Republicans in states across the US during the 2023 legislative session, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. S.B. 99 prohibits certain forms of gender-affirming care for minors, such as puberty blockers, and imposes penalties on doctors who administer such care. In her closing statement on S.B. 99 on April 18, Zephyr said, If you vote yes on this bill and yes on these amendments, I hope that the next time there is an invocation, when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands. The Montana Freedom Caucus responded to Zephyrs statements by releasing a hypocritical statement calling for civility while deliberately misgendering Zephyr. The Freedom Caucus demanded that Zephyr be censured for using inappropriate and uncalled-for language. The caucus is part of the State Freedom Caucus Network, which is affiliated with the US House Freedom Caucus, whose members include Trump co-conspirators Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia), Lauren Boebert (Colorado) and Paul Gosar (Arizona). The State Freedom Caucus Network is run by former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who has yet to be charged for his role in organizing the failed coup. For three straight days after Zephyrs statements against S.B. 99, Republican Speaker of the House Matt Regier refused to recognize her when she attempted to speak on pending legislation and against a potential censure. Regier justified his authoritarian action by claiming it was up to me to maintain decorum here on the House floor, adding that any representative I dont feel can do that will not be recognized. In response to Zephyrs silencing, Missoula residents and defenders of democratic rights have protested at the state Capitol in Helena. Last week, protesters filled the gallery, chanting, Let her speak. On the third day of protests, Speaker Regier ordered the house cleared by the police, leading to multiple arrests. Last month, Republicans in Oklahoma formally censured the first openly nonbinary and Muslim person elected in the state legislatures history. On March 7, Democratic state Representative Mauree Turner was censured and removed from their committee assignments in a party-line vote. As in Tennessee and Montana, Republicans hold a super-majority in the Oklahoma state House and were able to pass their censure motion without any support from the Democrats. As with the other Democratic lawmakers, Rep. Turner was not accused of a crime, such as plotting the overthrow of the government. Instead, the Republicans claimed Turner temporarily prevented Oklahoma state police from arresting a transgender rights activist. The activist, who was later charged with assault and battery, was accused of pouring a cup of water onto a Republican lawmaker after the lawmaker voted in favor of legislation that would prohibit gender-affirming medical care for trans children, and prohibit insurance companies from covering gender-affirming care for people of all ages. The legislation censuring Turner noted that the lawmaker would be returned to their committee assignments once they issued a formal apology to the Republicans and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Turner has so far refused to apologize. In a March 7 statement Turner cited recent death threats they had received said: I think an apology for loving the people of Oklahoma is something that I cannot do. Its something that I actively refuse to do. State senator and former mayoral candidate Chris Hansen threw his support behind Kelly Brough in the race for Denver mayor on Friday. Hansen announced his endorsement surrounded by gun violence prevention activists, saying a key reason he is backing Brough is because of her commitment to reduce gun violence. Hansen said the issue is particularly important to him as the father of two Denver teenagers and the senator representing East High School, where a student shot two faculty members last month. "This is a moment where we have to press forward and act with urgency to reduce gun violence, and that means tight cooperation between the city of Denver and the state of Colorado," Hansen said. "With Kelly as our next mayor, I know we can continue to make Denver safer and the state of Colorado safer." Hansen also named Brough's commitment to taking action on climate change and professional experience working with city hall as reasons why she earned his support. Hansen came in sixth place in the April election for Denver mayor. His endorsement of Brough comes days after his legislative colleague, state Rep. Leslie Herod, endorsed Brough's opponent, Mike Johnston. Herod also ran for mayor in April, coming in fifth place. Brough, former CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, will face Johnston, a former state senator, in the runoff election in June. Mike Johnston, Kelly Brough commit to protecting DACA recipients if elected Denver mayor Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. On Friday, Brough said if she were elected mayor, she would address gun violence by demanding stronger coordination and better use of Denver's public safety resources; replicating successful efforts from other cities, such as buy back programs, to reduce the number of weapons on the streets; and, partnering with other mayors to advocate for stronger gun laws. "I look forward to working together with Sen. Hansen and this coalition of supporters to make Denver a city where we can keep our kids safe," Brough said. "I hope others will be inspired to join our team." Maisha Fields, a gun violence survivor and the daughter of state Sen. Rhonda Fields, also backed Brough on Friday, saying Brough is "going to lead and act and implement to ensure that every Coloradan but specifically Denverites lives in a safer community, where our kids have less access to guns." The endorsement event took place outside of the Colorado state Capitol building, hours after Gov. Jared Polis signed a package of new gun control legislation into law. So far, Brough has also secured endorsements from former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, former state legislator Wilma Webb, former Colorado Democratic Party Chair Rick Palacio and Vice Chair Beverly Benavidez-Ryken. In addition to Herod, Johnston is backed by former Colorado first lady Dottie Lamm, former Denver Mayor Federico Pena, former Colorado House Speaker Terrance Carroll and former Colorado Senate President Peter Groff. Denver Gazette, University of Denver to host Denver mayoral debate on May 18 Sixty Years Ago This Week: For the previous year, the Republican majority in the state legislature had been touting the many benefits of conservative fiscal policies, but reporters uncovered a spending spree on the production and publication of several legislative studies that had many in the public policy community questioning their necessity. It turned out that in the preceding budget year, the General Assembly had spent over a quarter of a million dollars on the studies, which included $100,000 for a study of local government, another just over $100,000 for a study on air pollution and $25,000 on a study for a proposed Denver college. Other smaller studies included expanded medical care for the aged, review of potential needs for a womens prison and a separate prison for the criminally insane. Forty Years Ago: In a surprise move, Rep. David Bath, D-Arvada, announced at a press conference that, after weeks of indecision, he was switching his party affiliation to become a Republican. Bath was joined by Colorado Republican Party Chairman Bo Callaway, House Speaker Carl Bev Bledsoe, R-Hugo, and a host of other GOP county officials. David didnt ask for any special favors from the Republican Party, said Callaway, and nor was he given any. The freshman representative had narrowly defeated incumbent Judy Ford, R-Arvada, in House District 27 and his voting record tallied with the Republican line for much of the session. Regardless, House Minority Leader David Skaggs, D-Boulder, said he was willing to accommodate Bath and other conservative Democrats. When asked by Colorado Statesman reporters why he had not changed his party affiliation before the 1982 election, Bath said he didnt realize until after he took his seat in the House, that there was no room for conservative Democrats. In a prepared statement, Skaggs stated that it was his belief that Bath had asked for and received assurances of his political future from the Republican Party. Skaggs charged that Baths defection was a breach of loyalty to the people who worked for him and elected him. Bath won the seat by the dint of a lot of hard work by the Democrats, Skaggs wrote. Gov. Dick Lamm and first lady Dottie Lamm walked precincts on Baths behalf. Lamm also donated $2,800 from his own campaign. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Baths switch was one of those things that evokes a lot of emotions anger, frustration, hurt and sadness, Skaggs wrote. Skaggs also vehemently denied that House Democrats had pressured Bath to change his votes, but agreed that Democratic officials in Jefferson County had been upset at their sole representatives very conservative stances. In lieu of Rep. Bon Leon Kirschts, D-Pueblo, earlier defection from the party, Skaggs was asked whether this had become a trend. Kirschts defection came after the leadership elections in the fall of 1980, when Kirscht was denied a leadership position, Skaggs said. Comparisons are not useful. Bob was rebuked by the party, David was accommodated. Twenty Years Ago: Following the horrifying January abduction and murder of a 20-year-old University of Northern Colorado student, Lacy Miller, Republican Gov. Bill Owens signed House Bill 03-1304 into law. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Bob McCluskey, R-Fort Collins, and Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, imposed stricter penalties on anyone convicted of impersonating a police officer in the state. Judges would be able to impose and 18-month jail sentence and a fine of up to $5,000. He caused Lacy Miller a young woman with her entire life ahead of her, to pull over her car as if for a traffic stop, said Owens at the signing ceremony. He preyed on her trust, and then he brutally murdered her. Millers mother, Wendy Cohen, not content to sit idly by, circulated petitions urging stricter penalties and rallied supporters to take away tools from would-be law enforcement impersonators and keep our loved ones safe. Rachael Wright is the author of the Captain Savva Mystery series, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics and The Gazette. The El Paso County Board of Commissioners is looking for citizen volunteers to apply for a vacant position on its land use and development advisory board. The county Planning Commission, normally consisting of nine regular members and up to five associate members, is charged with reviewing applications related to development and zoning in the county and makes recommendations to the county commissioners based on compatibility with the Master Plan, which was adopted in 2021 and outlines strategies for managing growth. The application can also be mailed to: Board of El Paso County Commissioners Attn: Ingrid Mobley 200 S. Cascade Ave., Suite 100 Colorado Springs, CO 80903-2208 ingridmobley@elpasoco.com All regular and associate members are volunteers and are appointed by county commissioners. The vacancy was created by the departure of Brian Risley, an architect who previously served as the Planning Commission chair before being elected to the Colorado Springs City Council earlier this month. Planning Commission meetings are held at 9 a.m. on the first and third Thursday of the month at the Pikes Peak Regional Building just east of Memorial Park. The application form can be found online at https://bocc.elpasoco.com/volunteer and should be emailed to Volunteer@elpasoco.com or faxed to 719-520-6397 by May 12. Letecia Stauch admitted to fatally shooting her 11-year-old stepson Gannon, telling a forensic psychologist that she saw a man in a black cape enter the basement of her El Paso County home in January 2020 and that she shot him out of fear. It wasn't until later that she realized the caped man was Gannon, according to a recorded interview jurors heard Friday. Stauch, who stands accused of first-degree murder and other counts, claims that she didn't know what she was doing when she pulled the trigger because she was insane. To me, or to whoever I was, it was a man in the cape. That was the only reason the gun went off, Stauch said in the interview. I was not OK. I would never hurt anyone on purpose. In the interview, conducted in March 2022, Stauch told the psychologist that she had become very paranoid in the days leading up to Gannon's death. Stauch said she believed she was being followed by someone in a black car, and that she also believed a man named Michael the Archangel was following her. She also told the psychologist that she couldn't remember large chunks of the day that Gannon was reported missing, and that at one point she ended up naked in her garage and didnt remember how she got there. Stauch's attorneys claim that she suffers from dissociative identity disorder, a mental illness in which a person has more than one personality. Earlier in the trial, the prosecution played an interview in which Stauch told a psychologist that she has numerous personalities with names like Harmony, Jasmine, Taylor and Maria. She claims to have been acting as Maria when prosecutors say she shot Gannon. In a separate interview in June 2022, Stauch described her Maria personality as her protector and claimed that she can speak with Maria. She also claimed that Maria speaks Spanish and Russian even though Stauch isn't fluent in either language. During an interview with a psychologist, Stauch claimed that there were no stab wounds on Gannons body and that the autopsy was wrong in saying he had been stabbed 18 times. At trial, prosecutors have pointed out that Stauch has told several stories about what happened to Gannon, including that he went missing while going to a friend's house, that he was abducted from the Stauch residence after Stauch was assaulted, and that he was abducted by a man from whom Stauch was trying to buy a bike. Loandra Torres, a forensic psychologist who conducted Stauch's first sanity evaluation, told jurors that she found Stauch sane at the time of Gannon's murder. She ruled out the possibility that Stauch suffers from dissociative identity disorder because almost none of Stauch's family members knew of her multiple personalities. 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. She talks about having this mental illness since she was 16 years old and its never repeated anywhere," Torres said of the lack of corroborating evidence from those who know Stauch. "That's meaningful to me." Torres also testified that people who suffer from dissociative identity disorder can't control it, and often are "ashamed" or "overwhelmed" by their mental illness. Torres said Stauch did not exhibit those traits during her forensic interviews. Torres said that even if she believed Stauch had dissociative identity disorder, she still would not have classified Stauch as insane. "There is no mental illness that is impacting Ms. Stauchs ability to interpret what is right and what is wrong," Torres said. An expert for the defense, Dorthey Lewis, came to the opposite conclusion, ruling that Stauch was insane at the time of Gannon's murder. On Friday, defense attorney Josh Tolini spent nearly two hours cross-examining Torres, pointing out that Stauch had certain traits that could correlate to a dissociative identity disorder diagnosis, including anxiety, OCD and significant trauma suffered as a child. Tolini added that Stauch at several points in life had referred to herself as Taylor something backed up by Stauch's own daughter, Harley Hunt. And that it often takes years for some people to be properly diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. District Attorney Michael Allen said the prosecution intends to call one more witness, and that it should rest its case on Monday. The defense expert who found Stauch to be insane is expected to testify early next week. A man will spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering a Colorado Springs taxi driver in cold blood early one morning in January 2022, an El Paso County judge ruled Friday. In February, a jury found 23-year-old Demar Ravenell guilty of four charges including first-degree murder in the shooting death of Brian MacDonald. At Friday's sentencing hearing, MacDonald's family described him as a kind and devoted son, brother, husband and father. In a courtroom packed with MacDonalds family and friends, Judge Jill Brady said she was shocked by how senseless the crime was after handing down the life sentence to Ravenell, who appeared emotionless during proceedings. Ravenell was given the maximum sentence for his crimes Friday: life without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder to run consecutively with a 48-year sentence for attempted first-degree murder and concurrently with a 32-year sentence for aggravated armed robbery. MacDonald, 42, was driving a taxi around 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 21, 2022, when he picked up Ravenell from a motel on North Nevada Avenue and drove him to a warehouse near North Stone Avenue. 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. Prosecutors said Ravenell pointed a gun at MacDonalds head from the back seat and pulled the trigger, but the gun didnt fire. Later, at the destination, Ravenell demanded money from MacDonald, who obliged. Then, Ravenell shot him in the head, killing him, prosecutors said. Life for the MacDonald family since Brians murder has been a nightmare they are waiting to wake up from, according to victim impact statements delivered in court Friday. Prosecuting attorney Sharon Flaherty read a letter during the hearing from Brians son, John MacDonald, who faces a future without his father. It hurts to know that I will never be able to pick up the phone and call my dad, the letter said. Brians father, Robert MacDonald, said the family would have preferred that Ravenell receive the death penalty, but since Colorado abolished capital punishment in 2020, they support the maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Ravenell, appearing in handcuffs and a jumpsuit, did not make a statement at the sentencing hearing. He watched the proceedings, often looking at Brians loved ones sitting together, and occasionally hung his head. I aint got nothing to say, he told the judge. Robert MacDonald said he believes Ravenell was on a mission to kill someone, anyone, the day his son was murdered. It is our view that Brian saved a life that day, Robert said, calling his late son a hero. Oye La Noticia, the explosive opener from Ray Barrettos 1970 album Barretto Power, starts with the low rumble of conga drums a quick, barely-there flourish that sets the stage for the ferocity that Barretto eventually unleashes. The song stands out as one of the most forceful on a record that reaffirmed Barrettos place as a masterful and versatile drummer. Softer moments on the album including the smooth Perla Del Sur and the bolero-style romance of Se Que Volveras speak to Barrettos subtle hand, but Oye La Noticia is a formidable declaration. To the envious one who wants to see me on the floor, I give you news once more that Im here, the Puerto Rican crooner Adalberto Santiago sings, memorably announcing Barrettos intentions with Barretto Power. Barretto was born in New York City, but he fell in love with bebop music in Germany. (He enlisted in the Army in 1946 at the age of 17.) His love of music led him to teach himself to play the conga drum once he left the service. I got my first congas from a bakery on 116th Street in Harlem that used to import drums from Cuba, Barretto told JazzTimes, adding, I used to take those drums and put them on my shoulder and get on the subway, and anywhere between 110th Street and 155th Street in Harlem there were places to jam every night. I spent three, four years just going to jam sessions. It turned out to be the best thing I ever did. I met Charlie Parker, Dizzy, Max Roach, Roy Haynes, and Art Blakey. Listen to the best of Ray Barretto on Apple Music and Spotify. In 1961, he landed his first hit with the song El Watusi, which reached no. 17 on the Billboard charts. Rather than aim for another blockbuster track, however, Barretto signed with Fania Records in the late 1960s and went down a decidedly experimental route. His label debut, Acid, turned boogaloo on its head by mixing it with rock, jazz, and soul. The follow-up, Hard Hands, featured a more street-style approach to percussion, while 1969s Together showcased the tightness Barretto could achieve with a band. Each of these records proved Barrettos ability to effortlessly meld sounds. But its on Barretto Power that the full extent of his versatility became clear. Story continues Barretto Power came out late in 1970, an interesting time for Fania Records. Fania had been around for six years, and was refining its approach. That explains, in part, why the cover for Barretto Power was more polished, made up of a slightly retro image that shows Barrettos band strewn into the congueros hair. The image is both psychedelic and immaculately arranged, qualities that speak to the precision of the music played by a band that effortlessly riffed on the Cuban conjunto sound. The record includes Andy Gonzalez, the young, Bronx-born bassist, as well as Louis Cruz on piano, Tony Fuentes on bongos, and Orestes Vilato on timbales. Papy Roman, Rene Lopez, and Roberto Rodriguez energized the album with their trumpets, adding boosts of energy on Quitate La Mascara and a dreamy, almost throwback quality on smoother cuts, such as Perla Del Sur. Bubbling under the surface of all this was a defiant, righteous spirit that mirrored the time period. In a 2019 feature for JazzTimes, Bobby Sanabria remembers that Barretto could sometimes be found at a rally protesting some injustice, and Barretto Power offers a glimpse into how engaged he was. Right On, for instance, is an understated empowerment anthem, its trumpets blaring out like a fist in the air. As forward-thinking as Barretto was on Barretto Power, he constantly embraces tradition as well. This may seem surprising, given his avant-garde flourishes, but it was a point of pride. Barretto was constantly looking back at history and reminding both Nuyoricans and other Latin musicians of the wealth of sounds theyd inherited. Perhaps its why songs such as De Que Te Quejas Tu have a slight old-school flair. Y Dicen and Se Que Volveras continue the albums classic streak and show how tenderly Barretto could produce clear-eyed, timeless salsa. Barrettos experimental impulses come surging back for the closer Power. A piano melody starts the song off gently, almost as though its stirring the band awake. Then, a few seconds in, Barretto begins hammering out a percussion rhythm, bringing the energy up and preparing listeners for a choir of trumpets that blare out enthusiastically. Power is six minutes long, ducking in and out of impressive improvisations, and it serves as a proud display of Barrettos power as a conguero and a musician. It also feels like Barretto is urging his fans to take some strength from his playing and to remember their own power. Perhaps thats why the album still resonates today, providing a soundtrack for people working to make their voices heard. In the end, Barretto Power lays bare all the things that the master conguero stood for: a love of tradition, a chameleonic approach to music, and an enlightened progressiveness. Check out the 50th anniversary edition of Barretto Power. For the latest music news and exclusive features, check out uDiscover Music. uDiscover Music is operated by Universal Music Group (UMG). Some recording artists included in uDiscover Music articles are affiliated with UMG. A Facebook post shared Tuesday morning showed water mysteriously bubbling up off the coast of the Myrtle Beach State Park. The video was shared at 8:30 a.m., and has captured the attention of hundreds of viewers. The cause of the water mysteriously bubbling? Its the internet. DC Bloxs sub-sea cable project is correlated to the bubbling, the state Department of Parks, Recreations and Tourism confirmed Wednesday. The $31.5 million project by Atlanta-based DC BLOX includes a 500-mile dark fiber network to Atlanta dotted with eight nodes to support broadband internet access and cloud computing into under served portions of Georgia and South Carolina. Sam Queen, the director of communications at the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, said to the best of her knowledge the group is working closely with environmental groups through the course of the project. The fiber network is known as a cable landing station and will connect with five sub-sea pipes to create an international web of internet access. As the legal battle over abortion pills continues, legal experts are pointing to two lawsuits related to medication abortion that haven't made headlines but could have national implications. In North Carolina and West Virginia, two separate lawsuits filed in January are making their way through the court system, challenging state restrictions on mifepristone access. "These lawsuits have been flying under the radar, most likely because they're happening on a more state-by-state basis as opposed to the ruling in Texas," said Allison Whelan, assistant law professor at Georgia State University. "But at the same time, the outcome of these cases can also have nationwide implications." In April, two competing court decisions, including a Texas ruling that sought to revoke FDA approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, plunged the future of the drug into uncertainty. The case heads back to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals for a hearing next month after the Supreme Court ruled to allow widespread access to the drug as the lawsuit works through the court system. There's a good chance the case will wind up back in front of the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the lawsuits in North Carolina and West Virginia seek to entrench mifepristone access, experts said. Boxes of the drug mifepristone sit on a shelf at the West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on March 16, 2022. North Carolina, West Virginia lawsuits center mifepristone access The cases were brought by a North Carolina physician who prescribes mifepristone and GenBioPro, a pharmaceutical company that makes a generic version of the drug and filed the lawsuit in West Virginia. Rachel Rebouche, dean of Temple University's law school, said the lawsuits revolve around preemption, a constitutional doctrine "that essentially says federal law preempts conflicting state laws, that federal law reigns supreme." Both cases challenge the states' restrictions on mifepristone by arguing FDA regulations preempt state law. "Both cases are pressing the argument that the FDA was given the authority by Congress to create a uniform drug policy for this country and is the agency trusted with assessing drugs' safety and efficacy," she said. "So FDA regulations should preempt or is superior to any state regulation that contradicts it." Story continues Has this been done before? Rebouche said this argument "hasn't really been tested before." "One of the reasons we haven't really seen this argument is because it's not very often that a state would try to ban an FDA-approved drug or challenge the FDA's authority," she said. Whelan said if the two courts rule differently in the cases, they could work their way up to the U.S. Supreme Court "to decide really knotty, unclear issues of federal preemption that the court has never squarely addressed." Mifepristone (Mifeprex) and Misoprostol, the two drugs used in a medical abortion, are seen at the Women's Reproductive Clinic, which provides legal medication abortion services, in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on June 17, 2022. State lawsuits have 'nationwide implications,' legal experts say The cases could have "nationwide implications" and lead to similar lawsuits in other states with abortion bans and restrictions, Rebouche said. "This is likely going to be the heart of the abortion debate for years to come as states seek to close down access to pills and other litigants seek to expand and broaden access to medication abortion," she said. How might the Texas abortion pill ruling affect these lawsuits? Rebouche called the pair of cases "the mirror image of the Texas case" and said they "offer radically different visions of FDA authority to approve a drug." "These are cases that seek to solidify and entrench the FDA's authority to weigh in on a drug's efficacy and safety, whereas the other case in Texas is largely seeking to do the opposite," she said. With the Texas case moving through the court system at an expedited pace, it may have a significant impact on the outcomes of the cases in North Carolina and West Virginia. For example, if mifepristone's FDA approval is revoked, "these lawsuits essentially become moot," Whelan said. Rebouche also said it's unclear how these cases will move through the court system with the legal battle over the Texas lawsuit still underway. North Carolina, West Virginia restrictions on medication abortion While the lawsuit in Texas directly targets nationwide access to mifepristone, these two cases target specific state restrictions to the drug. In addition to general abortion restrictions, 19 states including North Carolina and West Virginia have separate laws restricting how, when and where physicians can prescribe and dispense abortion pills. North Carolina bans nearly all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and only allows physicians to prescribe abortion pills after state-mandated counseling, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization that supports legal access to abortion. The state also requires physicians to dispense the pills in person, rather than allowing telemedicine. West Virginia outlaws most abortions with exceptions for rape, incest and life-threatening medical emergencies. This year, eight states have seen bans on medication abortion introduced in state legislatures, according to the Guttmacher Institute. This includes Wyoming, which became the first state in the country to ban the manufacturing, distribution and sale of abortion pills. Dig Deeper: Abortion access Contributing: The Associated Press Contact Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mifepristone Supreme Court case: 2 other lawsuits target abortion pill Of all the bands that emerged from the beer-soaked basements of New York Citys music scene at the turn of the 21st Century, Yeah Yeah Yeahs were by far the most compelling. A trio of art school misfits, Karen O, Nick Zinner and Brian Chase flouted the conventions of indie rock and, with their debut album, Fever To Tell, brought a sense of fun and urgency to the quickly calcifying garage-rock revival. Listen to Fever To Tell on Apple Music and Spotify. The future of rock Both the band and album were a product of a specific time and place. Rising out of the ashes of a post-9/11 New York, Yeah Yeah Yeahs embodied the hedonism and debauchery of the nightlife scene, when people were looking for release. Riding a wave of critical buzz from their first two EPs, the group set about shedding the garage-rock label and channelling the energy of their live shows into a fully-formed, genre-defying debut album that more than lived up to the hype. Released on April 29, 2003, Fever To Tell signalled what the future of rock would sound like. Much of Yeah Yeah Yeahs outsider status came from their art school sensibilities. Karen O and Brian Chase met at Oberlin college, while Nick Zinner matriculated at Bard before they all decamped to New York and enmeshed themselves in the mythologised Brooklyn underground scene, playing warehouses and crumbling lofts before opening for likes of The White Stripes. But while Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a product of New York, they got their first brush with fame overseas, playing headlining shows in the UK and creating pandemonium wherever they went, before even releasing their debut album in the States. It could in no way be mistaken for garage-rock At the time of the albums release, Brooklyn was a just a blip on the radar as far as the mainstream was concerned, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs were battling Clear Channels chokehold of the charts, dominated by Linkin Park, Creed, Nickelback and the rest of their ilk. Story continues As its title suggests, Fever To Tell has a wild sense of urgency to it; it burns red-hot and rarely lets up who knows if there will even be tomorrow? For now, you have a date with the night. Fever To Tell opens with the No Wave punch of Rich, a blast of snares, thrashing guitars and Karens guttural shrieks, making it clear they werent f__king around. Theres also a layer of synths, so the track could in no way be mistaken for a garage track, as Karen told NME. Outside the albums sonic outlier, Maps, Date With The Night is Fever To Tells most brilliant cut, a stomping rocker that morphs from punk anthem to a sweaty dancefloor number, punctuated by Karens orgasmic trills. By the time its over, it feels like youve survived a bender with the band. The sum of New Yorks musical parts Birthed in the New York tradition, Yeah Yeah Yeahs represented a sum of the citys musical parts, from No Wave to art-rock, post-punk to brash pop. Fever To Tell also predicted the next wave to come out of NYC: dance-rock, something their groove-laden debut helped set into motion. You cant listen to the scuzzy, wailing guitars, bouncy percussion and enticing synth line of Y Control without walk-walk-walking your butt to the dancefloor, the citys cabaret laws be damned. At the center of all this hype was the bands fearless leader, Karen O. Dubbed the female Iggy Pop, for her wild stage antics and lack of self-preservation, Karen O is the albums emotional lightning rod. World-conquering swagger Along with inspiring a generation of rock frontwomen Karen O is also to blame for every girl in Brooklyn with a Beatles bowl cut. That said, she was untouchable on stage, and she brings her beer-swelling, world-conquering swagger to the album. From her man-eating grin on Man to her lusty uh-huhs on Black Tongue and frenzied shrieks on Tick, Karen O doesnt do the detached, post-punk flat vocal delivery; she works every word, demanding you listen. Sometimes, however, her punk tendencies ran the risk of overshadowing her actual vocal performances. She only drops her guard towards the end of Fever To Tell, with Modern Romance, the Velvet Underground-inspired Poor Song and Maps. Those f__king weird kids wrote a beautiful hit Fever To Tell wasnt all just piss and vinegar, though. It also birthed the bands most beautiful song: Maps, a vulnerable, lovelorn ballad thats as devastating as the rest of the album is frenetic. The intro to Maps has become one of the most recognizable in rock music history. It starts out spare and sweet, before Zinner fully unleashes his guitar at the end, creating an immortal, indie-rock ballad for the hipster generation. Those f__king weird art-project kids wrote a beautiful hit, and it went global, said Vice Media co-founder Suroosh Alvi in Lizzie Goodmans excellent oral history of the scene, Meet Me In The Bathroom. Maps not only put Yeah Yeah Yeahs on the map, but planted a flag for the Brooklyn scene they came from. What also set Yeah Yeah Yeahs apart from their Pabst-drinking peers and the punk revivalists is the dynamic guitar work of Nick Zinner and the percussive assault of Brian Chase. Zinners idiosyncratic technique and his producers ear more than made up for the fact the band had no bassist: listen to the thrashing fervour and guitar stabs of Pin, the monster blues riffs on Black Tongue and the crashing cymbals of Cold Light, and Fever To Tell makes one thing abundantly clear: Yeah Yeah Yeahs are their own power trio. Fever To Tell can be bought here. For the latest music news and exclusive features, check out uDiscover Music. uDiscover Music is operated by Universal Music Group (UMG). Some recording artists included in uDiscover Music articles are affiliated with UMG. JOHN MELLENCAMP, PAINTER Spanish fans got a lot more than they bargained for last night (April 28) during Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Bands European tour kickoff in Barcelona, as former First Lady Michelle Obama and actress Kate Capshaw stunned the crowd by joining the group for Glory Days during the encore. Both women sang during the performance, with Obama adding some tambourine flourishes. Their on-stage appearance capped an evening which, per TMZ, began with them joining Springsteen and his wife/E Street Band member Patti Scialfa for dinner in tandem with their own famous husbands, former President Barack Obama and director Steven Spielberg. More from Spin: The Springsteens and Obamas have been friends since the Boss stumped for Barack during his inaugural presidential run in 2008. In 2016, Obama awarded Springsteen the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and five years later, the pair launched a Spotify original podcast, Renegades: Born in the USA, on which they discussed their love of music and the state of America. The Springsteen and Spielberg families have also been friends and traveling companions for many years, with the Boss contributing music to a number of Spielbergs films. Springsteen and the E Street Band returned to the road for the first time in seven years on Feb. 1 in Tampa, Fl., and completed the first North American leg April 14 in Newark, N.J., despite having to cancel several dates due to band members contracting COVID-19 and other illnesses. The tour continues in Europe through July 25 in Monza, Italy, before swinging back to the States for another leg starting Aug. 9 at Chicagos Wrigley Field. To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here. The post JOHN MELLENCAMP, PAINTER appeared first on SPIN. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., right, shakes hands with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen after delivering statements to the press after a Bipartisan Leadership Meeting at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., Wednesday, April 5, 2023. | Ringo H.W. Chiu, Associated Press Following Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wens meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in early April, China launched a series of military drills, in efforts to demonstrate that it is ready to fight at any time and crush separatism activities and foreign interference. This is not the first time China has flexed its muscles in retaliation to growing U.S.-Taiwan relations, as it responded similarly when then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last August. China cannot dictate how Taiwan makes friends, and China cannot dictate how our friends internationally interact with Taiwan. Against Chinas imminent threats, we assert that a war against Taiwan would not go down easily. Taiwan has been actively working with the U.S. to bolster its defense capabilities. To illustrate, the Arms Exports Delivery Solutions Act is already underway to work toward the speedy delivery of defense weapons from the U.S. to Taiwan. Related We are also greatly appreciative of countries who have spoken up in support of Taiwan and against Chinas threats. Their disapproval of Chinas military drills significantly moves the needle in dissuading China against taking more aggressive action. With the continued support of like-minded partners, Taiwan is determined to uphold the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and regional peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region. Scott Lai Director general Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco Note: Some responses were pulled from this Reddit thread by u/itscool112, this thread by u/thatmissy, and this thread by u/skinreccos. 1. "My parents married each other for money and were pretty manipulative to get their earnings. However, when the truth was revealed years later, they realized that they both needed to change their ways. With a lot of couples therapy and time management for each other, my parents came to actually love each other." "The real test was when both bank accounts were frozen and I was about 3 years old. Fortunately, they stuck with it and stayed together. As of today, they are happily married and are raising one more child before she leaves the nest." 22, New York Jamie Grill / Getty Images / Tetra images RF 2. "I was engaged to my soulmate when he blindsided me and broke up with me. I was in the depths of depression for nearly a year when I met my current husband. Hes nice and we get on well, but I knew Id never be in love. He was financially stable and responsible and could offer me good support for my education, amazing travels, a beautiful home, and two wonderful children. Life is very good, but well never be in love. I crave that some days so much." "Were not affectionate, and I wonder what effect thatll have on our children. I often think that well separate later in life, and Ill find someone who makes me feel that way again. I did the practical thing; I cant complain, but sometimes Im sad." 46, Canada Jules Ingall / Getty Images 3. "I married for love; she married me for money. I told her I was a hardworking man, not a rich man. It was great in the beginning we were happy and traveled. I would bring home treats and special gifts like jewelry from my work travels. Then it became expected and demanded, like an entitlement. Then my father helped buy me a condo for my daughter. It was pretty much all his money and my inheritance from my mom that bought the place. So when it came to the deed, I put his name and my name on the title. My wife blew a gasket when she found out; she expected to be an equal name on the title." "Things spiraled downward from there, and she plotted the divorce for two and a half years, squeezing and hiding every penny she could steal from our joint account. In the end, she pretty much ended up with nothing, and my daughter will end up with everything." Story continues 65, Hawaii Dragana991 / Getty Images / iStockphoto 4. "My mom did this. She had me at 19 and didnt know English. An American man asked her to marry him, so she did he HAD money. Hes 16 years older than she is, hes now broke, a terrible person overall, and shes miserable. He also cheated on her two years ago." Anonymous Indeed / Getty Images / ABSODELS RF 5. "I met him in a business school class. Hes about 22 years older than I am. He's the heir to one of the biggest family fortunes in the state. He gave his lecture about entrepreneurship, and then there was a reception for honors students after. We started talking, and I could tell he was interested. I gave him my number. Fast-forward, we dated a bit, got married two years ago when I got pregnant, and now Im expecting our second child. Everything was perfect in the beginning, and I have no regrets. However, being married to a man who has an ex-wife and already has kids has been tough. Ive been able to live out my dream as a stay-at-home mom. Im in all the right social clubs, and there are plenty of other wives and moms to hang out with and make playdates. But his ex-wife is really involved in his business, and she resents me. My stepchildren are distant and think Im just a gold digger." "Their daughter is roughly my age, and Ive never been able to bond with her despite many attempts. What it has led to is that Im pretty lonely most days. Just me, the dog, and my year-old daughter. He works all the time and travels a lot, so most of the time, its just me in this big house. I think my 'friends' are superficial and fake, not real friends. I never want for anything materially (I have a pretty sizable household and personal allowance), but I just want to travel and do the things women my age do. All the money in the world isn't worth it if you're basically confined to your house for days or even weeks at a time." 24, Alabama Tempura / Getty Images 6. "I tried. I swear I tried. The guy talked nonstop and knew everything there was to know. I loved hanging out on the boat and going to the cottage, but he would never shut up. Although he was very generous, I couldn't handle it. Never again." luckyangel30 Yana Iskayeva / Getty Images 7. "I experienced a bit of both: marrying for love and money. It was love at first sight, but he was raised in a well-to-do family. He had his own company, and I was a dirt-poor farm girl working in a hospital kitchen. Well, it worked out, sort of we've been married 24 years now, only now he's 80 and we live on his SSI . His company went bankrupt 10 years ago, and he's trying to do a start-up, but no one takes him seriously at his age. We live check to check, and we're on SNAP EBT ." "I'm used to being poor, but it's tough going for my near-deaf sweetheart. He keeps going on about the dream house we'll have someday, and I know damn well that's hopeless. I just have to hope he lives long enough until I can collect Social Security." 60, Washington Sinenkiy / Getty Images / iStockphoto 8. "My mom married for money and status...a classic narcissistic trait. She's delighted with her choices, but neither of her children is because the kind of person who marries for money is usually a HORRIBLE person." miznortonbuswell Thomas Barwick / Getty Images 9. "First, I had a college romance and married for love. We were married for eight years, and he never had one single job (he also had a kid from a previous relationship), so yay! I got to take care of a whole family at 19. He cheated the whole time. Lied. Left me with his kid for long periods of time while he was doing goodness knows what. I was in the military (to pay for said family), so I couldnt just come and go as he did. My second marriage was when I was close to my 30s, and I was financially stable and doing well. I didnt want that to happen again, so I made sure the person I married was at least financially on my level. His family is loaded. We had a prenup so that Id be protected in case of divorce. Turns out, he's HORRIBLE with money." "He is an alcoholic and has a gambling addiction. He makes a lot, but he spends it as fast as it comes in. He kept all of that a secret until he hit rock bottom. I had no idea what kind of debt we were in; I signed my own death warrant, though. Before I knew what was happening, we had kids. I wanted to stay home and raise them. On paper, it would work easily. We had three babies at home when I found out what was happening. Now my kids are teens, and I cant get a job that would fully support me and my kids because I dont have a car or clothes, have health problems, and have a 16-year job gap. So Im stuck. Youd say, 'Leave him! Take half of everything!' Two things: There isnt anything to halve, and we have a prenup saying I cant touch his money and he cant touch mine. Right this very minute, hes blackout drunk in our backyard like he is every single night." 46, Missouri Saskia Albers / Getty Images 10. "My dad's third wife and (kinda) my mom, his second wife, married him for the money. It was all about money. Everything was about money and looks. Thats all anyone talked about. Now my dad's 20-years-younger exthird wife lives with her vapid, emotionally messed-up daughter who supports her, despite having gotten everything when my dad died. She went deeply into debt expecting more. What a waste of a family. She started dating my dad like 10 years before he left my mom. She blames my dad as if he was some controlling monster, but she was a hot 19-year-old. Then she got rich in real estate. She has zero excuses for the train wreck her life has become." "Despite everything, my mom went on to kick ass all by herself. But my mom was also the classic, angry first wife despite being the hot second wife. So theres that. As someone who married a poor man and now supports myself and raises kids mostly alone, I want to wring all of their necks for the stupid things they freak out over and make important. I wouldnt choose that life again in a million years. Its misery. Backbiting. Catty. Depressed, aimless kids. Petty drama." Anonymous Jasmin Merdan / Getty Images 11. "My cousin married for money. She is really pretty, and the guy is really rich. Our families aren't so close that's why we had no idea about her family's financial situation. Their eldest brother and sister-in-law cut them off after their parents died. She was doing her master's and was taking care of her three sisters. It just became too much for her, and she agreed to marry the guy." "The guy had the longest crush on my cousin; he is very loving. Now that I am a little older and can have 'grown-up talks,' she shares her feelings. She really respects her husband and is really grateful to him for taking care of her family." u/junkolee27 Evgeniia Siiankovskaia / Getty Images 12. "My cousin is on husband number three, living it up in the United Arab Emirates. I never liked her as a person; she always prided herself on her wealth and spoke down to me as though she was the successful one for marrying rich men. The thing that pisses me off the most is that she is cunning and has turned her current husband against his son." "Positives? She does make really nice food." Anonymous Gary John Norman / Getty Images 13. "I was 25, had just quit a job, and had $200 to my name. He was 35, a hedge fund manager whose dad was a successful executive (aka a millionaire). Fairy-tale romance, quickie wedding, and 10 years later, its a completely mixed bag. He never wanted to have an 'us' life. He never wanted to share anything." "He still goes to the grocery store to buy his own snacks (after I go and ask what he wants). He wont jointly file taxes with me. And the most annoying thing is that because hes always had money, he makes all decisions on a whim. Want to go to Las Vegas this weekend? It was exciting in the beginning, but 10 years later, I guess I wanted a more pragmatic and equal relationship." 35, New York Momo Productions / Getty Images 14. "My ex-mother-in-law was widowed with two young children, leaving them dirt poor. She got married to a family friend from a very wealthy family a year later. My ex-husband and brother-in-law were privately educated, and they've always lived in huge houses. I don't think the ex-mother-in-law and her husband are in love at all, but she was under pressure to marry from his family. They get along OK, and they're OK people. I can't really blame her for jumping at the arrangement, as it's a good one." "As a parent now, I wouldn't rule out doing the same in her position if my kids could grow up with that life instead of in poverty. They were able to set us up with a deposit for our first home, which would not have happened from my background." annak4f45e0f65 Jgi / Getty Images / Tetra images RF And finally... 15. "I was emotionally blackmailed by my mom into marrying into a super-wealthy family. We ourselves were not wealthy at all. Before marriage, it was all stressful being on the poor side of the marriage. After the marriage, I learned that the seriously wealthy sometimes had serious money problems. Very soon after marriage, I had to learn a whole lot about how money works and got into a few fights to make sure that the money remained with us. At least we are wealthy, if not super wealthy now." "Now its quite nice. To be honest, I never realized while growing up how much better life is when you are rich like, not just the material stuff, but the freedom." u/ConfusedKinkyWet Jacoblund / Getty Images / iStockphoto Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. A student with a loaded handgun was arrested Friday afternoon near the Roy J. Wasson Academic Campus in east Colorado Springs, according to police. Police said a school resource officer initially detained the student, who has not been publicly identified, after it was found he had multiple warrants out for his arrest. While searching the student, the school resource officer and security team located the firearm. Police said the student did not make threats to students or staff, calling it an "isolated incident." This story may be updated as more information becomes available. Sometimes the darkest experiences can yield the brightest results. Case in point: Robyns self-titled fourth album, which emerged after a torturous period that had left her exhausted and despondent. Despite some success at the close of the 90s (notably the glorious Show Me Love, from 1997), further efforts to develop Robyn into an identikit soul/pop puppet, so prevalent in the era, had led to a fractious relationship with her paymasters and diminishing commercial returns. Returning to her Swedish homeland in 2003 and at a professional crossroads, she was drawn to a richer European synth sound and, deciding to release her new album on her own label, was determined that the time for compromise had passed. Working with her countrys top writers, including brothers Klas (later to work with Kesha, Kylie, Madonna, and Katy Perry) and Joakim Ahlund (behind Cheryls No.1 I Dont Care), the material that emerged was a spectacular union of commercially- and critically-acclaimed electronic dance that would go on to redefine Robyns career to such a degree that few would recall anything much of her work before it. Listen to Robyn on Apple Music and Spotify. A significant return The first track to be released in Sweden was Be Mine! The choppy pop shuffler was an immediate radio hit and proved a significant return to the Swedish charts, where the single peaked at No.3 (it would later be released across the rest of Europe as sales of Robyn exploded). It had echoes of the 90s pop/soul sound from the start of her career, but the approach this time was brittle and hypnotic, while Klas Ahlunds production genius lifts it to a different level than any of her work before. Robyns self-titled album followed on April 29, 2005, and it became her first No.1 in her homeland. The albums 13 original tracks include the glittering Konichiwa Bitches, which became Robyns first international single as interest in the project extended beyond her homeland. Its kooky, electro-pop riffs failed to deliver a big hit, but Gwen Stefani was obviously listening; the song excited the critics and set the next international release up nicely. With Every Heartbeat, a collaboration with Andreas Kleerup, is a monster electro-ballad that made it to the top of the UK charts and even got Robyn back in the US Top 30. This is the song that will forever define her, but its most certainly not the whole story. Story continues A truly distinct voice Like many passion projects, Robyns self-titled album has moments that demand a little more of the listener than normal. Robotboy, for example, straddles the divide between a standard pop tune and something more experimental. With its echoes of Laurie Andersons O Superman, the song is about as far away as could be imagined from what her former label wanted; Eclipse is a sweeping, more traditional ballad that could have been recorded by Cyndi Lauper. Neither of those references, however, is designed to place Robyn alongside other female recording acts. Hers is a truly distinct voice, and the unique creative energy on display across Robyn is infectious. Its an album that draws you in on repeated listens, and, if there is an obvious comparison to make, its with the maverick talent of Prince. Should Have Known is an R&B/electro showstopper that should have received a single release, but the competition was fierce. Handle Me, for example, was perhaps a more predictable choice, with its hooky chorus sitting on top of a sparser set of verses. Whos That Girl, recorded with Gothenburg synth duo The Knife, was another single, with a more direct, euphoric call to the dancefloor. A spectacular reinvention With the smash With Every Heartbeat taking time to roll out around the world, the commercial lifespan of Robyns self-titled album was longer than most, with its Grammy nod for Best Electronic/Dance Album not coming until the 2009 awards ceremony. It didnt win, but Daft Punk had decided to come out of hiding that year Robyns reinvention with this record was, however, nothing short of spectacular. It set up her career as a revered critical and commercial powerhouse for years to come, and remains, for many, the highlight in her discography. Its a rare thing to craft something so delicate that has the power to punch above its weight, but these fragile tunes proved that, in moments of adversity, self-belief is usually the greatest gift of them all. Robyn can be bought here. For the latest music news and exclusive features, check out uDiscover Music. uDiscover Music is operated by Universal Music Group (UMG). Some recording artists included in uDiscover Music articles are affiliated with UMG. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, BGR may receive an affiliate commission. The past year and some months has been rocky for the International Space Station. After Russias invasion of Ukraine, and the subsequent response from the United States and other world powers, Russias withdrawal from the ISS seemed imminent. Now, that doesnt seem to be the case at all, as Russia has reinforced its commitment to the ISS through 2028. Back in 2022, Russia said that it would leave the ISS sometime after 2024. This left NASA and other ISS partners scrambling to figure out who would replace Russia, which is involved in several key parts of the station. The vague departure, of course, left it open that Russia would stick with the ISS and thats exactly what has happened. Today's Top Deals According to an update shared by NASA in late April, Russia has confirmed its commitment to the International Space Stations operations throughout 2028. The rest of the stations partners including Europe, Canada, and Japan have signed on through 2030. international space station over Earth The ISS has been in operation since 1998, and astronauts have continually occupied it since November 2000. Now, after three decades of working and operations, the station continues to deliver vital information about space, while also taking part in an assortment of experiments. NASA has already shared details about how it plans to deorbit the ISS in 2030, including expensive plans to create a tug-boat for the ISS, to help facilitate its return to Earth. Still, its good to see Russias commitment to the ISS being renewed, especially given that NASA would have needed to find someone to replace that spot and quickly for all operations to continue as they have. Story continues At least now NASA and the other collaborators can rest easy knowing that the ISS will continue its operations at least until 2028, allowing NASA to hopefully fullfil its plans to keep the station operating into 2030, before it plummets it to the Pacific Ocean and transitions to operating off private commercial space stations in the coming decades. Don't Miss: Todays deals: $3 smart plugs, $162 AirPods Pro, Ninja blenders, Sony TVs, COSORI air fryers, more More Top Deals See the original version of this article on BGR.com Sinclair Broadcast Group plans to shutdown two newsrooms in small markets to ensure our long-term success, leaving people with fewer options to receive local news. This week, the broadcast giant announced it was shutting down news operations at WNWO-TV, NBC 24 Toledo, Ohio, by mid May. NBC 24 is changing the way we produce news in Toledo to ensure our long-term success, the statement read on the stations website. Beginning May 15, The National Desk, which provides real-time national and regional news from Sinclairs television stations across the U.S., will air during our regularly scheduled news time periods. Across the country, KTVL-TV, the Southern Oregon and Northern California TV station plans to lay off the entire news staff, according to employees at the station. Instead of local news, the station will air nationally syndicated programming, similar to what will happened to WNWO-TV. Also Read: California TV Station Trashed for Posting Gruesome Fatal Crash With Disgusting Hashtags: Shame on You Fox 26 Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) obtained a statement from Sinclair about the future of KTVL-TV which confirmed the networks national news desk will take over starting Monday, May 15. The National Desk, which provides real-time national and regional news from Sinclairs television stations across the US, will air during KTVLs regularly scheduled news time periods, with an opportunity for local news cut-ins in the newscast, the statement read. In OPBs reporting, an employee for KTVL-TV spoke on the record about how the media giant didnt plan to make the announcement to viewers the day the station will cease news operations. They were planning to keep the entire community, all of Southern Oregon in the dark, all of our viewers in the dark, until our last day, until our last broadcast, said Taylar Ansures, who is a digital content producer for the Medford station. Story continues Ansures told OPB the closure will impact all 17 people on their news staff, including managers. Major layoffs have been common as of late. Last month, laid off 10% of its workforce, and this month BuzzFeed announced it was shuttering BuzzFeed News. Also Read: How Spectrum News LA Station Is and Isnt Addressing Reporter Safety After Fatal Orlando Shooting | Exclusive Isaiah Subia was awarded the Methodist Mansfield Medical Center's Community Health Hero Award on Thursday Methodist Mansfield Medical Center A 48-year-old woman in Texas is a stroke survivor, thanks to the heroic efforts of her 12-year-old son. On Thursday, Isaiah Subia was awarded the Methodist Mansfield Medical Center's Community Health Hero Award following his ability to recognize the symptoms of his mother's stroke, which helped save her life during a horrifying ordeal in August. Related:Couple Die in Georgia Plane Crash 'Doing What They Loved': 'We Find Comfort Knowing They Were Together' "Isaiah saved me," proclaimed his mother, Stephanie Subia, while recalling the experience during an interview with Shine Magazine in November. Methodist Mansfield Medical Center She told the outlet that her symptoms began when she experienced trouble moving her right side, and a portion of her face drooped. When her son asked what was wrong and she "wasn't responding," he used two phones to alert both his grandmother and 911 of what was happening. "I was folding laundry on the couch, and my mom fell when she was trying to put up a dish. She fell on her knees," shared Isaiah, speaking about the experience with KXAS-TV. He explained that he was "scared and nervous." The outlet reports that when medics arrived, Isaiah who was only 11 years old at the time of the experience walked first responders through her symptoms and brought her medication along during their ambulance ride to the hospital. Related:Search Suspended for Man Who Went Overboard on Cruise Ship Headed to Hawaii: 'Our Family Is Heartbroken' When they arrived at Methodist Mansfield, nurse Rachel Cochran was among the first to respond and shared with KXAS-TV that they were able to treat Stephanie in 27 minutes due to "the help of her son." The prompt response also allowed Stephanie to go home after a 10-day hospital stay, as well as the ability to return to her regular routine. Story continues Methodist Mansfield Medical Center "I'm very, very proud of Isaiah. I have no doubt in my mind that Isaiah was an integral part in saving his mom from a life of disability," Cochran noted. According to the Mayo Clinic, "An ischemic stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients." Since brain cells begin to die in minutes, prompt and early treatment is crucial to reduce brain damage and other complications. 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. "In so many cases, people make the mistake of waiting too long to get help," Dr. Tulbert, an emergency medicine physician at Methodist Mansfield, explained to Shine Magazine while discussing the family's experience. "They don't realize that time lost is tissue lost. If you can't move an arm or leg or have vision issues or trouble speaking, you should call 911." "The best thing was that her son noticed something was wrong and reacted quickly," he added. "The sooner you get to a hospital, the more we can do for you." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Last year, the Tony Awards nominating committee expanded its Best Actor in a Play category to a whopping seven nominees so that none of the three British actors in The Lehman Trilogy would have to suffer the humiliation of being left out. Simon Russell Beale eventually won out over his colleagues, Adam Godley and Adrian Lester. So what happens this year on May 2 when the Tony nominees are announced? The category most likely to expand again to absurd proportions is Best Play. Twenty years ago, I toiled as a theater reporter and wrote an article about there being no new plays running on Broadway. In comparison, we are now living in a veritable golden age of new plays. An amazing 17 titles qualify this season, which saw the openings of three Pulitzer Prize winners (Stephen Adly Guirgiss Between Riverside and Crazy, Martyna Majoks Cost of Living and James Ijamess Fat Ham) and three Olivier Award winners (Tom Stoppards Leopoldstadt, Lolita Chakrabartis Life of Pi and Suzie Millers Prima Facie). Rather than snubbing any of those contenders, the Tonys will probably add David Auburns Summer, 1976 and Larissa Fasthorses The Thanksgiving Play, both of which opened recently, which always helps. Eight nominees is only two fewer than what the Oscars anointed as the potential Best Picture of 2022. Who cares that the film community has a couple hundred titles to choose from, and not fewer than a couple dozen? Also Read: Fat Ham Broadway Review: Somethings Rotten and Ripe With Laughs in North Carolina It wasnt such a bumper crop of new musicals, and the Tonys may stick to nominating its standard four, with Kimberly Akimbo, Shucked and Some Like It Hot assured slots. Will Tony also include well-packaged schlock like & Juliet or the flawed but more serious-minded New York, New York? Or expand the category to five? The urge to punish Aaron Sorkin for his botched rewrite of Camelot could turn the Lerner and Loewe show into this years Funny Girl loser. More assured of recognition as Best Revival of a Musical are Bob Fosses Dancin, Into the Woods, Parade and Sweeney Todd. Story continues Although it just opened, The Sign in Sidney Brusteins Window could be the Camelot in the Best Revival of a Play category. Only A Dolls House is still running, making it a shoo-in. Expect Death of a Salesman, The Piano Lesson and Topdog/Underdog to make the cut. Rather than Sidney, Id much prefer to see the short-lived Ohio State Murders honored. Its a much better play. The Tony Awards require its voters to take an unconscious bias training test. One thing not covered in this video course is the awards bias towards overseas directors. The Brits tend to be very showy at the helm, as evidenced by the most likely nominees in the Best Director of a Play category: Jamie Lloyd (A Dolls House), Patrick Marber (Leopoldstadt), Justin Miller (Prima Facie) and Max Webster (The Life of Pi). If the category goes to five nominees, Miranda Cromwell (Death of a Salesman) will probably join her fellow Brits. I hope Im wrong. I prefer the more subtle work of Saleem Ali (Fat Ham), Jo Bonney (Cost of Living), Kenny Leon (Topdog/Underdog), Austin Pendleton (Between Riverside and Crazy), Daniel Sullivan (Summer, 1976) and Stevie Walker-Webb (Aint No Mo). Its the difference between a director putting the spotlight on the play and a director showing off, usually to the detriment of the work. Also Read: Shucked Broadway Review: A New Musical That Doesnt Actually Suck The Yanks should make a clean sweep of it for Best Director of a Musical. The likely nominees are Michael Arden (Parade), Lear deBessonet (Into the Woods), Thomas Kail (Sweeney Todd), Casey Nicholaw (Some Like It Hot) and Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo). Best Actor in a Play is a lot more competitive than Best Actress in a Play, which is why the Tonys wont be merging the two categories anytime soon to make them gender-neutral. Among the men, John David Washington (The Piano Lesson) and David Zayas (Cost of Living), along with Stephen McKinley Henderson (Between Riverside and Crazy), deserve to top the actor list. Only Henderson is guaranteed a slot. Expect major competition from Corey Hawkins (Topdog/Underdog), Sean Hayes (Good Night, Oscar), Oscar Isaac (The Sign in Sidney Brusteins Window), Nathan Lane (Pictures from Home) and Wendell Pierce (Death of a Salesman). Compare that extensive list with the contenders for Best Actress in a Play: Rachel Brosnahan (The Sign in Sidney Brusteins Window), Jessica Chastain (A Dolls House), Jodie Comer (Prima Facie) and Jessica Hecht and Laura Linney (Summer, 1976). Audra McDonald (Ohio State Murders) and Zoe Wanamaker (Pictures from Home) deserve to make the cut. At first glance, I thought the Tonys might snub Linney because, as they occasionally do with McDonald and Nathan Lane, she has been nominated a lot. But then I checked: despite five nominations, Linney has never won the award for Best Actress. Also Read: Camelot Broadway Review: With Aaron Sorkin, Whats Love Got to Do With It? The category for Best Actress in a Musical is slightly more competitive: Annaleigh Ashford (Sweeney Todd), Victoria Clark (Kimberly Akimbo), Micaela Diamond (Parade), Phillipa Soo (Camelot) and Anna Uzele (New York, New York), but dont count out Lorna Courtney (& Juliet). The five nominees for Best Actor in a Musical will come down to Josh Groban (Sweeney Todd), Ben Platt (Parade), Colton Ryan (New York, New York), and Christian Borle and J. Harrison Ghee (Some Like It Hot). The most acting generally wins an actor the Oscar. Its also true for the Tonys, and in the musical categories, it helps if the performer is also very loud when he, she or they sing. Herewith are not predictions, but actors in plays and musicals who turned in featured performances that remain memorable for me. They include Kevin Del Aguila (Some Like It Hot), Sharon D Clarke (Death of a Salesman), Glenn Fitzgerald (The Sign in Sidney Brusteins Window), Arian Moayed (A Dolls House), Bryce Pinkham (Ohio State Murders), Katy Sullivan (Cost of Living), Betsy Wolfe (& Juliet), Steven Boyer and Bonnie Mulligan (Kimberly Akimbo), Elizabeth Canavan and Michael Rispoli (Between Riverside and Crazy), Gavin Creel and Julie Lester (Into the Woods), Jordan Fisher and Gaten Matarazzo (Sweeney Todd), and Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Potts (The Piano Lesson). The 76th Tony Awards will be held on June 11 at the United Palace in New York Citys Washington Heights. The ceremony airs on CBS. Montana became the latest state to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth Friday after Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill that was passed in the legislature last week. The bill restricts the use of hormone therapy, puberty blockers and surgeries on people under age 18 for the purposes of gender transitioning. Fourteen other states block families from access to these medical procedures. PHOTO: Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte poses a question while taking part in a panel discussion during a Republican Governors Association conference, Nov. 16, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP, FILE) Gender-affirming care has been found to be associated with improved mental health of transgender adolescents and teenagers, according to research in the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA Pediatrics. MORE: Transgender lawmaker censured by Montana House Republicans The bill passed along party lines on April 18 after Gianforte vetoed an original version of the bill and asked for new definitions for male and female. The governor told legislators in a letter attached with his amendments that he had met with transgender Montanan youth and adults and, "Montanans who struggle with their gender identity deserve love, compassion, and respect." However, he strongly criticized the idea of performing gender transition procedures on minors, and said the legislation "protects Montana children from permanent, life-altering medical procedures until they are adults, mature enough to make such serious decisions." Gianftore's office didn't immediately put out a statement about his signing. The law, which also makes medical professionals liable to penalties for offering the gender affirming services to youth, is slated to go into effect on Oct. 1. Transgender families, advocates and Democratic leaders strongly opposed the bill and warned that it would lead to more mental health struggles and suicides among the trans youth population. PHOTO: Zooey Zephyr speaks on the House floor for the first time in a week during a session at the Montana State Capitol in Helena, Mont., April 26, 2023. (Tommy Martino/AP) MORE: Transgender legislator Zooey Zephyr defends actions following censure in Montana House Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the state's first openly transgender member, told conservative lawmakers they would have "blood on their hands" during the debate over the bill, which led to the house voting to censure the Democrat this week. Story continues "I have lost friends to suicide this year," Zephyr told ABC News after the censure vote. "I've had families call me when... there have been suicide attempts by trans youth, including one trans teenager who attempted to take her life watching one of these hearings on legislation targeting the transgender community." Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Montana have said they would file a court challenge against the ban. ABC News' Kiara Alfonseca contributed to this report. Montana blocks gender-affirming care for trans minors originally appeared on abcnews.go.com As countries wind down mass evacuations of their nationals from war-torn Sudan and the White House warns time is running out, the United States has undertaken its first effort to move hundreds of Americans citizens out of Khartoum, the capital. A government-organized convoy carrying U.S citizens, locally employed staff and nationals from allied and partner countries arrived at Port Sudan on Saturday, according to the State Department, which said Sunday that a second convoy had also arrived. "We continue to assist U.S. citizens and others who are eligible with onward travel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where additional U.S. personnel are positioned to assist with consular and emergency services," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement on Sunday. Almost 1,000 U.S. citizens have left Sudan since fighting broke out between Gens. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, Miller said Sunday. "Fewer than 5,000 US citizens who have sought guidance from the government," he said. The State Department has stressed its commitment to American nationals amid the still-developing violence. According to Miller, the routes for exit have included partner-country flights and convoys as well as U.S.-organized travel and seats on departing ships. A U.S. official confirmed on Sunday that the USNS Brunswick was in Port Sudan to help extricate Americans. The official later said the Navy vessel is expected to take them from Port Sudan to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. "The U.S. government has taken extensive efforts to contact U.S. citizens in Sudan and enable the departure of those who wished to leave. We messaged every U.S. citizen in Sudan who communicated with us during the crisis and provided specific instructions about joining this convoy to those who were interested in departing via the land route," the State Department said in a statement Saturday. "We encourage U.S. citizens who want to leave Sudan but chose not to participate in this convoy to contact the Department of State using the crisis intake form on our website." Story continues The evacuations have been enabled by "intensive negotiations by the United States with the support of our regional and international partners," according to the State Department, which reiterated its warning to Americans not to travel to Sudan. Later Saturday, the Pentagon confirmed it received a request for assistance, though it did not say whether it came from Sudan. The Pentagon has provided intelligence and surveillance assets, including drones, a department spokesperson said. "The Secretary of Defense approved a request for assistance from the Department of State to support the safe departure of U.S. citizens and their immediate family members via overland. The Department of Defense deployed U.S. intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets to support air and land evacuation routes, which Americans are using, and we are moving naval assets within the region to provide any necessary support along the coast. Our focus has been and remains to help as many U.S. citizens depart as safely as possible," Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said in a statement. PHOTO: This image grab taken from AFPTV video footage on April 28, 2023, shows an aerial view of black smoke rising over Khartoum. (AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images) On Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre advised that Americans in Sudan who wished to leave should "take advantage of the options that are available to them in the next 24 to 48 hours." Although countries like Saudi Arabia and Spain started evacuating their citizens and other foreign nationals from Sudan in the early days of the week and the U.S. airlifted diplomats from Khartoum over the weekend, the administration maintained that carrying out a large-scale operation to rescue some of the thousands of American citizens residing in Sudan was not feasible. The U.K., Germany and France have all also evacuated thousands. But not all operations have gone smoothly. On Friday, Turkey reported that one of its aircraft had come under fire as it landed in Khartoum -- underscoring the threat that ongoing fighting poses to air rescues. MORE: As Sudan cease-fire announced, some Americans still struggling to escape Before news of the U.S.-led convoys broke, the State Department's principal deputy spokesperson, Vedant Patel, defended the administration's posture and said it had played a hand in the mass evacuations orchestrated by other countries. "Our allies and partners that are conducting operations that are able to also take American citizens out--we of course, are incredibly thankful and gracious for their ability to do so. But this is a collective and collaborative effort," he said. "We are offering logistical support for some of these operations to be conducted. Whether they be overland, whether they be through the air." Patel also said that "only a fraction" of the thousands of U.S. citizens in Sudan had actively sought assistance to leave the country. MORE: World Health Organization warns of a high-risk biological hazard in Sudan Other officials familiar with the situation have said it's unclear how much demand there is from American nationals for an exit route, emphasizing that individual's desire to leave can change on a day-by-day basis. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that the State Department was working to establish "a sustained process" through which Americans could depart Sudan. "We believe that the best way to have an enduring capability to help people leave Sudan--if that's what they so choose--is overland. And we're working to establish a process that would enable people to move overland to a place where they can more easily exit the country," Blinken said. At least two American citizens were among the 500-plus killed in in the sectarian violence that first erupted two weeks ago, which has injured thousands more. MORE: Prosecutors allege Pentagon leak suspect Jack Teixeira could flee, compare him to Edward Snowden Although the U.S. had assisted in brokering a number of cease-fires in Sudan, their implementation has been uneven. While both sides agreed to another 72-hour truce on Friday, there's little hope it will hold. "It's obvious to everybody that the ceasefires are not perfectly working," a U.S. official said. "But we are hearing from multiple contacts on the ground, as well as our international partners, that the series of efforts to push forward ceasefires are creating meaningful periods of reduction of violence and that these periods are allowing people to move out of Khartoum." But as more foreign nationals leave, there's looming concern in Sudan that the battle for control over the country will catapult to new intensity. "There's going to be fewer eyes on what's happening," said Jon Temin, vice president for policy and programs at the Truman Center for National Policy. ABC News' Matt Seyler contributed to this report. US continues mass evacuation effort from Sudan with 2nd convoy originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The model and mom has been featured in five SI Swimsuit Issues. Hunter McGrady was photographed by James Macari in Costa Rica. James Macari/Sports Illustrated Hunter McGrady made a splashy debut in the 2017 SI Swimsuit Issue after being discovered through the brands Model Search. That year, she participated in a body paint feature in Anguilla with makeup artist Joanne Gair and photographer Josie Clough. Since then, the body diversity advocate and mom of two has returned to the magazine for a total of five SI Swimsuit features. She posed in a Brooklyn studio for a powerful In Her Own Words photo shoot with Taylor Ballantyne her sophomore year and traveled to Costa Rica with James Macari in 2019. McGrady posed for photographer Yu Tsai in Bali in 20 and returned to the publication for her most recent feature last year, after working with Tsai in Belize. A proud mom of two, McGrady and her husband, Brian Keys, welcomed their son Hudson in June 2021. Just six months later, she returned to the SI Swimsuit Issue as a new mom. The parents welcomed a daughter, Ava, in March of this year. All-encompassing representation in media is important for many reasons, the main reason being that the more we shed a positive light on any and all stereotypes, we increase the chance that they may be eradicated, McGrady eloquently told SI Swimsuit when asked about diversity. As a society we see ourselves through a social lens and because of that, it is imperative to see images each of us can relate to. Below are 10 of our favorite photos from McGradys photo shoot in Costa Rica. James Macari/Sports Illustrated James Macari/Sports Illustrated James Macari/Sports Illustrated James Macari/Sports Illustrated James Macari/Sports Illustrated James Macari/Sports Illustrated James Macari/Sports Illustrated James Macari/Sports Illustrated James Macari/Sports Illustrated James Macari/Sports Illustrated Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube! Dotdash Meredith and Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. The versatile looks will go with everything in your closet. Travel + Leisure / Daisy Rodriguez As a travel content creator, Ive had the privilege of visiting many beautiful countries over the past few years. One thats always been high on my bucket list is Japan, and I was finally able to visit the amazing country this past March. During my week-long journey through Tokyo and Kyoto, I became quite inspired by the culture, food, and most markedly the styles I observed in the two cities. Before I traveled there, I knew that Japanese fashion at its core was known for balancing classic minimalism and contemporary street style. But the moment I got on the JR line from Haneda airport, I began to notice just how effortlessly cool people in Tokyo dressed. Its no wonder, since Japans vibrant fashion designers, including the likes of Onitsuka Tiger, Issey Miyake, and Comme des Garcons, inspire with their blending of basic monochrome and yet experimental pieces. I couldnt help but think the looks I saw on my trip would make for the perfect capsule wardrobe (you know, a minimalist wardrobe parsed down to a few select, basic pieces you can wear with anything, usually neutral and of high quality, so they last a long time). As a traveler, Ive found that this kind of wardrobe is essential, because having pieces you can mix and match means you pack fewer items of clothing and Ive always found it more strategic to travel with a carry-on only. If youre anything like me, youre going to be inspired by Japanese style to build your very own capsule wardrobe, too. From your classic cool girl sneakers to the perfect oversized blazer and crossbody, Ive rounded up my favorite versatile, classic looks inspired by my observations traveling throughout Japan starting at just $5. Whether youre strolling through the vintage shops in Harajuku, admiring cherry blossoms in Kyoto, or getting lost in the Shibuya crossing shuffle, here are 16 essential items you need to build the perfect capsule wardrobe for Japan, or wherever your travels may take you. Story continues Related:I'm an American Writer in Italy, and These Are the 15 Classic Italian Looks I Always Wear From $17 Travel + Leisure / Riana Singh Poplin Oversized Shirt Madewell I observed the trend time and again in Japan: an oversized shirt paired with a blazer, trench coat, or even simply by itself depending on weather conditions. And of course, a lightweight oversized button-up shirt is arguably one of the most versatile base pieces you can have in your capsule wardrobe. Whether you add layers to this piece or wear it with a pair of shorts, youll find that this item will add a level of comfort yet sophistication to your look. I love that this Madewell poplin shirt is crisp and strong, yet also delicate, which really embodies the fluidity that is present in Japanese style. When going for a more relaxed timeless vibe, I love adding a pop of color in my bag or sneakers to tie everything together. To buy: madewell.com, $68 (originally $85) Cole Haan Hooded Trench Coat Nordstrom Can you really build a capsule wardrobe without having a trench coat? Id argue that the answer is no. I was absolutely blown away to see that what felt like every third person in Tokyo was wearing a trench coat, and the styles and colors really did run the gamut. While I am biased to a classic khaki trench coat, I did notice a wide variety of colors in Japan. Having visited in March, I loved that I could wear my trench coat from day to night, but its so genius because its great for any season. A classic nude, or even black, trench coat is perfect to dress up or dress down any look depending on weather (major key that its waterproof!) and whats on your itinerary. This classic, versatile Cole Haan style is a particularly good choice, since its now 57 percent off at Nordstrom. To buy: nordstrom.com, from $135 (originally $375) New Balance 2002R Sneaker Nordstrom Does anyone else remember the scene from Crazy, Stupid, Love when Ryan Goslings character threw Steve Carells characters New Balance sneakers away and then proceeded to take him shopping? Well, clearly Steve Carells character was actually ahead of the time, because everyone was rocking dad sneakers in Japan. I personally love the 2002R, and they are super walkable shoes, which make for a perfect addition when traveling abroad. The impact-resistant cushioning will keep your feet supported all day as you're on the go in Japan, making them the perfect accompaniment for your capsule wardrobe. To buy: newbalance.com and nordstrom.com, from $140 Travel + Leisure / Riana Singh Uniqlo Round Mini Shoulder Bag Uniqlo If you have this bag, then you totally get the hype. As someone who has this bag in three colors, I cant emphasize enough how perfect this shoulder bag is for traveling. I found it was very common in Japan to see a variety of shoulder bags/fanny packs, and this one is especially popular given how prevalent Uniqlo is throughout Japan it is its birthplace, after all! The bag has convenient inner pockets with plenty of storage, and its water-repellent finish will ensure that all of your items inside stay safe during those one-off rainstorms. Given the affordability of this product, I highly recommend getting creative with a few colors that you can mix and match to your outfits while traveling. To buy: uniqlo.com, $20 Boyfriend Blazer Nordstrom Can we all agree that a solid oversized blazer has to be the M.V.P. of a capsule wardrobe? Whether youre wearing it in the office, or strolling through Shibuya City, this boxy yet structured blazer is perfect for dressing up any casual jeans and sneakers outfit combo. Once you get a blazer you love, youll be sure to have this piece included weekly in your outfit rotation! Plus, it nails that slightly businessy look that is so prevalent in Tokyo street style. To buy: nordstrom.com, from $78 (originally $129) Linen Workwear Dress Everlane When I think of my favorite iconic Japanese looks, I instantly think of linen oversized dresses. Add a cute pair of sneakers or kitten heels, and you can basically wear a version of this look all spring and summer, making this shirtdress a perfect capsule wardrobe staple. Id opt for a shirtdress with no prints to ensure that your linen investment pieces stand the test of time, and can carry you through season after season. To buy: everlane.com, $98 Satin Bomber Jacket Nordstrom If you want to build a chic and versatile capsule wardrobe, with hints of inspiration from Japanese street style, a classic bomber jacket will enable you to embody that edgy Tokyo Drift vibe. I love how lightweight this &Other Stories version is, so it wont feel overwhelmingly bulky when youre packing it in your suitcase. The combo of a classic khaki green with the satin finish makes for a perfect pop of color and texture for a more sporty streetwear look. For an even more affordable yet still classic look, this best-selling Amazon version achieves a similar style for just $36. (If youre partial to prints, get inspired by the cherry blossoms while maintaining a neutral palette thatll go with everything in your closet.) To buy: nordstrom.com, $149; amazon.com, $36 Onitsuka Tiger Shoes Zappos Onitsuka Tiger is a Japanese fashion brand that started in 1949, and since then has become known to blend Japanese heritage with a modern feel. My favorite silhouette has to be Mexico 66 (but good luck finding this hot style in stock!) followed closely by the style New York, which is a more contemporary lifestyle running shoe. This shoe is perfect for adding a touch of Japanese style to any look. I loved observing locals rocking a wide variety of colorways, but I find the classic black and white to be the perfect addition to your shoe rotation. To buy: zappos.com, $75 (originally $85) Travel + Leisure / Riana Singh Black Rectangular Sunglasses Amazon Ive tried to adopt the ethos of balancing simplicity with practicality, which is a common theme I picked up from Japanese style. One piece in a capsule wardrobe in particular that I believe should follow this same spirit is a really solid pair of sunglasses. One that balances a unique vibe, with good UV protection. I love Ganni, the Danish contemporary ready-to-wear fashion brand, but you can get this solid lookalike for a more affordable price at Amazon. Overall, I love the boldness of this shape, and given its strong rectangular base, these sunglasses are the only pair youll need. To buy: amazon.com, $12 (originally $20) Uniqlo Ribbed Knit Socks Uniqlo It wasnt until I was sitting on the Tokyo metro and I snapped a picture of a guy wearing really cool New Balance shoes with ribbed socks that I realized how important it is to have a great pair of socks to elevate any shoefie (a shoe selfie). I found this pair from Uniqlo and I have now purchased them in so many colors because they truly are the perfect pair of socks. The fit is comfortable without being too tight, ensuring that they dont slip, while also providing a nice length for cropped pants where you dont want your leg visible during colder months. Id recommend bulk buying in a few different colors to coordinate with any outfit. To buy: uniqlo.com, $5 Comme des Garcons Striped Long Sleeve T-Shirt Nordstrom A basic T-shirt is the foundational building block of every travel wardrobe, and this coveted street-ready style is from Japanese brand Comme des Garcons. The black and white stripes ensure you can layer this your other capsule wardrobe classics, and the red heart gives a hint of personality. Plus, Id argue that stripes are a neutral they can be paired with almost anything. If you like the brand, youll definitely want to check out their Comme des Garcons Converse, too. To buy: nordstrom.com, $166 Travel + Leisure / Riana Singh JW PEI Mini Flap Crossbody Amazon I purchased my first JW PEI bag last summer and I was pleasantly surprised at how great the quality is, especially for the price point. While the goal of building a capsule wardrobe is to ensure youre buying less products that last a really long time, my experience with JW PEI is that its totally worth the price point and the bag serves as a durable piece to add to your rotation. I love a classic vegan leather black crossbody, and the fact that you can wear this during the day and night is perfect when traveling and ensuring that one product gets as much use as possible. To buy: amazon.com, $68 (originally $80) Madewell Polo Sweater Tank Madewell I loved spotting locals in Japan wearing both fitted and oversized vests with their looks for a touch of a preppy vibe in an otherwise more minimal, masculine look. To achieve that look, make sure your capsule wardrobe has a solid, multifunctional layer like the Everlane Cashmere Vest that can be worn on top of a cute boxy T-shirt, and also by itself. A classic vest like this is a perfect quality piece because it adds a touch of sophistication that can make the most basic outfit look put together. Other shoppers have caught on though and its quickly selling out, so Id recommend shopping a similar style that can be worn alone or over shirts like this Madewell Polo Sweater Tank thats good in any season. To buy: madewell.com, $68 Everlane Cinch Back Utility Jean Everlane When traveling to Japan, I convinced myself that there was a need for only one pair of jeans, and this style from Everlane was that perfect pair. These jeans have a relaxed fit and are mid-rise, which is perfect for my gals who want something to sit right in the middle waist. I also love the darker color, because it can be dressed up for nighttime occasions with a black blazer and chic blouse. I noticed a common theme in Japan is to embrace darker colors and baggier silhouettes, and Im a huge fan of the quality, cut, and color of these Everlane jeans. To buy: everlane.com, $118 Cotton Box-Cut Tee Everlane You cant go wrong with investing in a classic box-cut tee. I love that this silhouette sits right around the hip, making it perfect for both tucking in and wearing solo. The classic crewneck and pocket detail of this 100 percent organic cotton tee from Everlane is a great lightweight basic to include as a wardrobe staple. I personally love how Japanese style can really dress up something as simple as a white tee, and by throwing on top any of the jackets or layers mentioned above, you can take this basic staple into a stylish and effortless Japanese-inspired look. To buy: everlane.com, $30 Sam Edelman Slingback Pump Zappos During my morning commute to get coffee, I noticed many women (of all ages) on their way to work rocking a variety of kitten heels. When youre bopping around a city as busy as Tokyo, you have to ensure that your heels will keep you on the go all day. I am obsessed with a cute, but functional, slingback pump, and this heel comes in at just under 2.5 inches, making for a perfect accessory. When packing light and sticking with a capsule wardrobe, you want to ensure that you get as much use as possible from your items, and I love that these Sam Edelman Bianka Slingback Pumps can be dressed down or dressed up depending on your vibe. To buy: samedelman.com and zappos.com, $140 Travel + Leisure / Riana Singh Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and well send you our favorite travel products each week. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Dotdash Meredith and Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. The products are formulated for dry, sensitive skin. Real Simple / Daisy Rodriguez When packing for vacation, whether by plane, train, or car, travel-sized toiletries are a must. Even if youre not dealing with TSA, its a pain to pack giant bottles of shampoo and lotion. Enter: Curels new trial size kit. The bundle from Japans leading skincare brand is ideal for tossing in your carry-onor for testing out some new products. You can grab it now for your next trip for only $14 at Amazon. The four-step routine follows Japanese skincare tradition with two cleansing (Makeup Cleansing Gel, Foaming Facial Wash) and two moisturizing steps (Moisture Facial Lotion Enrich, Intensive Moisture Facial Cream). All the items included in the trial kit are fragrance- and colorant-free, pH-balanced, and formulated for shoppers with dry or sensitive skin. Amazon To buy: $14 (was $17); amazon.com. The two-step cleansing process consists of the gel and foaming face washes that gently clean while protecting the skin barrier. The oil-based gel removes makeup, sebum, dirt, and anything else that can cause irritation or clog pores, and it can even tackle waterproof makeup with ease. Then apply the water-based face wash to completely cleanse your skin. Related:12 Internet-Famous Spring Beauty Products With Thousands of Five-Star Ratings Under $25 at Amazon Once your face is squeaky clean, the facial lotion calms and soothes your skin to prepare for the final step: moisturizer. Apply the best-selling, award-winning Intensive Moisture Facial Cream to hydrate and improve the skin barrier. While its super nourishing to fight dehydrated, tight skin, the ceramide-rich cream also feels lightweight. If you suffer from dry skin on the go, give Curels trial kit a try. The miniature sizes are so easy to pack for traveling, and theyll keep your skin feeling soft and fresh. For more Real Simple news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Real Simple. Two people were taken into custody late Thursday night after being found in their vehicle under the influence and in the possession of drugs in northeast Colorado Springs, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department. Police said officials received reports at 11:12 p.m. of a DUI driver near the area of Parkmoor Village Drive and North Academy Boulevard. Upon arriving at the scene, police discovered a male driver and female passenger slumped over in the front seats of the vehicle. Officers also observed drug paraphernalia and narcotics in the vehicle, according to CSPD blotter entry. Due to the high volume of traffic in the area, police proceeded to block the vehicle in, using marked police vehicles. Police said when the suspect awoke, he attempted to escape authorities by pushing through the formed barricade. The suspect was unable to break free, and their vehicle eventually mechanically failed and caught on fire. According to police, the suspect attempted to flee on foot but was taken into custody without further incident. Here at Parade, we know what we're talking about when it comes to tasty snack foods, delicious drinks, and binge-able candy. After all, we've ranked everything from the best Pringles flavors and Dr. Pepper flavors to the best- and worst-tasting Hershey's Kisses. So, if you're looking for expert opinions on anything digestible, look no further. And now we've got Cutwater cocktail flavors ranked. By far and away one of the most exciting items to rank is alcohol (but only if you're 21+ and over, y'all!). For fans of canned malt liquor, there's White Claws, ranked best to worst, and for mixers, you can drink your way through the best Gatorade flavors. Next up, dive into the world of canned cocktails. Since Cutwater is the best-selling, full-flavored canned cocktail in the US, that means diving into the world of Cutwaterevery flavor. Here at Parade.com, we're all about sharing products we love with our audience. When you make a purchase on an item seen on this page, we may earn a commission, however, all picks are independently chosen unless otherwise mentioned. What are Cutwater canned cocktails? Cutwater Spirits is a California-based brand of canned cocktails. Each can is a ready-to-go, pre-mixed cocktail made from a variety of alcohol bases including vodka, tequila, whiskey, gin and rum. Related: All 23 MiO Water Enhancer FlavorsRanked Why is Cutwater called Cutwater? Cutwater Cutwater started as a side gigkind of. Yuseff Cherney, head brewer at Ballast Point Brewery, and Jack White were doing so well with their liquor-based mixed drinks, that the two eventually separated from Ballast Point to start their own venture, which they called Cutwater. To this day, Cherney is still the company's master distiller. But where does the name 'Cutwater' come from? A 2017 article from Sandiegoville points to a seabird of the same name as the distillery's inspiration and turns out, that's exactly where the company drew inspiration for the name. Story continues Related: It's a Showdown of the 40 Best Monster Drink Flavors of All TimeRanked According to a brand rep: "Driven by an obsession with the sea and fishing, the name Cutwater is a reference to the Black Skimmer seabird, known for flying low and 'cutting' into the water with its long beak. The name also ties back to the distillation processas most spirits are cut with water during the proofing process." The rep adds: "The Cutwater logo illustrates these nautical origins merging the bow of a ship with the shape of a Black Skimmer bird in flight." Cutwater is known for their award-winning cocktails made with real spirits. Their official description is as follows: "From the ballpark to the beach, Cutwater allows you to bring the bar wherever you are." Related: From Phish Food to Cherry Garcia, These Are the Best Ben and Jerry's FlavorsRanked Who owns Cutwater canned cocktails? Though its 2017 inception came from a side gig that started at Ballast Point Brewery, Cutwater is no longer affiliated with Ballast. Jack White and Cherney were the founders of the "spinoff" and Cherney still works there distilling to this day. Related: Which Vitaminwater Flavor Reigns Supreme? All FlavorsRanked But things continued to grow for Cutwater when Anheuser-Busch purchased the ready-to-drink company (RTD) in 2019, according to San Diego Tribune. Cutwater sales increased by 640 percent after the Busch purchase. Does Cutwater use real liquor? Cutwater uses real liquor in their cocktails, most of which are made on-site at their San Diego-based distillery. However, the tequila must be imported from Jalisco, Mexico by law, so Cutwater has a partnership with the Orendain family's tequila business. This includes all of Cutwater's tequilaanejo, bianco and resposado. Related: Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too, With 27 Cake FlavorsRanked Worst To Best 14 Cutwater Flavors Ranked from Worst to Best A top seller for the brand, it might surprise you to see Mango Margarita in last place. Tequila fans might disagree and rank Mango Margarita closer to the top, but you have to really appreciate tequila in order to suck this one down. Again, Cutwater makes strong tequila drinks. While the pineapple version undoubtedly has a stronger flavor profile than the Strawberry Marg below, it still left much to be desired. Strawberry Margarita? Eh. Good enough, but not as good as the 11 others below it. Even if you love a Bloody Mary drink in general, be warned that this one is a spicy take on the morning brunch classic. And when they say "spicy," they mean it. So long as you can handle the kick, the Spicy Bloody is a thumbs up, but we had to take into consideration, of course, that Bloody Marys aren't for everyone. After all, they're a very specific taste. Cutwater also makes a non-spicy, traditional Bloody Mary but we didn't include that one in our ranking because we didn't get the chance to try it. The Tiki Rum Mai Tai is mostly average. It's good, don't get us wrong, but that 12.5% ABV doesn't go unnoticed. The rum flavors are spot-on but it's the overpowering alcohol content that makes it tough to have more than one. A little seltzer-y in its delivery, the Ranch Water Lime is A-OK. We wanted to rate it better and rank it further toward the top, but the truth is, there are a handful of flavors (eight to be exact) that are simply executed better. One of the most popular Cutwater cans, the Lime Margarita is strong with a sometimes overpowering taste of tequila. But if you like your margaritas strong (and without a salt rim), the Lime Margarita is a great choice. You may go into your initial White Russian tasting a bit skeptical, but you'll be pleasantly surprised. A little more boozy than a typical White Russian14% ABV, after allthis canned cocktail isn't for the light-hearted. You have to appreciate the citrus, near-sour flavor of grapefruit juice in order to enjoy this one, but as far as palomas go, Cutwater's Tequila Paloma takes the cake. Does anyone remember the days when Applebees used to offer two-fer Long Island Iced Teas? No? Am I aging myself? Either way, the Cutwater LI Tea isn't as delicious as that per se, but it's certainly a comparable, modern-day version. A chill drink that evokes island vibes, the Cutwater Tiki Rum Punch is one to keep in your fridge all throughout the summer days. You don't have to hop on a cruise ship or visit a tropical island in order to get yourself an authentic pina colada. With a very high alcohol content, it can be easy to overdo it, but Cutwater gets it just rightnot too boozy to overpower other flavors, but boozy enough. Right behind the Vodka Mule, Rum Mojito just barely makes it to second best. This one is comparable to other malt liquors that come in can form, but tastes more like a real mojito than just a lime-flavored seltzer. This one's perfect for the beach or drinking around the pool. A 10/10, Cutwater has absolutely perfected its Vodka Mule. Most similar to a hard seltzer, it's extremely drinkable and definitely the one you're going to want to reach for the most. Next up, what's the best ice cream flavor of all time? Twelve Democrats and eight Republicans crossed the aisle on Friday with their votes on a resolution that seeks to restart tariffs on solar power imports that were suspended by the Biden administration. The House approved the resolution in a 221-202 vote. President Biden signed an order in June 2022 to free Southeast Asian countries from new tariffs on solar panels for two years, a move that was meant to bolster the solar industry during a Commerce Department investigation into whether Southeast Asian nations were being used to circumvent tariffs on Chinese solar companies. The order pertained to certain solar imports from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. An inquiry by the Commerce Department ultimately found probable trade violations. On Friday, House Republicans and a coalition of Democrats moved to undo that freeze on tariffs through a Congressional Review Act resolution, which allows Congress to overturn federal rules. Republicans broadly saw the measure as a way to crack down on China. On Monday, the Biden administration issued a Statement of Administration Policy saying it strongly opposes the resolution, arguing the Commerce Department rule provides a short-term bridge to ensure there is a thriving U.S. solar installation industry ready to purchase the solar products that will be made in these American factories once they are operational. The statement said the president would veto the measure if it landed on his desk. Twelve House Democrats, nonetheless, supported the resolution: Reps. Don Davis (N.C.), Chris Deluzio (Pa.), John Garamendi (Calif.), Jared Golden (Maine), Marcy Kaptur (Ohio), Ro Khanna (Calif.), Dan Kildee (Mich.), Frank Mrvan (Ind.), Bill Pascrell (N.J.), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.), Terri Sewell (Ala.) and Elissa Slotkin (Mich.). In a statement following the vote, Kaptur said she broke with the president on his tariff freeze in an effort to crack down on China. The evidence of Chinas targeting of our domestic solar industry required a forceful response, Kaptur wrote. Deploying new energy technologies in our country cannot come at the expense of Americas solar industry and the thousands of workers at Ohios hometown companies like First Solar and Toledo Solar. Story continues On the other hand, eight Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the resolution: Reps. John Curtis (Utah), Anthony DEsposito (N.Y.), Andrew Garbarino (N.Y.), Nick LaLota (N.Y.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), Thomas Massie (Ky.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Iowa) and Marc Molinaro (N.Y.). Molinaro, a first-term lawmaker representing New Yorks 19th Congressional District, said he broke with my own party and opposed the GOP-led resolution because it would kneecap our advances in domestic solar energy and eliminate jobs in Upstate New York. Solar energy producers have made significant investments in our communities and are supporting hundreds of good-paying, local union jobs. We cant turn our backs on the progress we have made, he added in a statement. The resolution now heads to the Senate, where it could pass and land on Bidens desk. Three Democratic senators Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio) and Ron Wyden (Ore.) have all said they will support the measure, giving it more than the simple majority it needs for passage. Fridays vote in the House, however, indicates there is not two-thirds support to overturn Bidens veto. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Hugh Grant has claimed The Sun ordered burglaries of his home and tapped his landline to get information about his personal life. The actor, 62, attended the final day of a hearing at the High Court, at which News Group Newspapers (NGN) is bringing a bid to have claims by him and the Duke of Sussex thrown out. Prince Harry is suing NGN over alleged unlawful information gathering at two of its titles, The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, claiming that his private information was unlawfully accessed. Hugh Grant attended court in the final day of the hearing. Prince Harry attended last month (PA) Mr Grant, who settled a claim against NGN relating to unlawful information gathering at the News of the World in 2012, is now bringing a similar legal action in relation to The Sun. In a witness statement, Mr Grant said: My claim concerns unlawful acts committed by The Sun, including burglaries to order, the breaking and entering of private property in order to obtain private information through bugging, landline tapping, phone hacking, and the use of private investigators to do all these and other illegal things against me. He referred in the statement to evidence he gave to the Leveson Inquiry into press standards and ethics in 2011, in which he spoke about a break-in at his London flat, where the front door was forced off its hinges. He said a story shortly after in The Sun detailed the interior. He said: I had no evidence that this burglary was carried out or commissioned on the instruction of the press, let alone The Sun. The actor added that he had been told by a private investigator in early 2022, which prompted him to launch the claim against NGN. In his witness statement, the actor says he brought his recent claim after being passed information which showed, for the first time, evidence that The Sun had targeted unlawful activity at me and my associates directly. He said the information included private investigator invoices and payments, and that they included the period during which the Leveson Inquiry into press standards and ethics was taking place. Story continues Hugh Grant arrives at the High Court on Thursday (PA) Mr Grant said in the statement: It was particularly shocking to learn that me and my associates, including members of my family who were not in any way in the public eye, had been targeted by The Sun during the Leveson Inquiry. It was widely reported and well known at the time these private investigators were commissioned in November 2011 that I was shortly going to be giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry which included NGN. I found it astonishing that The Sun carried out these unlawful acts against me at a time when I was preparing to give evidence to a public inquiry on press ethics. Of course, all of this was concealed from me at the time. His statement concludes: I have invested a great deal of time in my campaign work for a better and ethical press. A corollary of that has been my interest and my own investigations to understand the truth. I have been shocked by what I have unearthed, without any help at all from the defendant, about unlawful acts committed by The Sun against me. The fact that it has now been confirmed, through my investigations, that these unlawful acts included targeted burglaries is truly appalling. The defendant clearly considers itself above the law and is using the law now in a way I believe it was never intended, that is to further cover up and conceal what it has done. I strongly believe that cannot be allowed to happen and that what it has done must be brought to light. Mr Grants statement came as more evidence was heard in court over the alleged secret agreement between the royal family and NGN. Emails between Buckingham Palace staff and NGN executives discuss finding a resolution without lawyers (PA) Emails about phone hacking allegations between executives from The Sun and senior staff in the royal family discuss finding a resolution without lawyers, the court heard. In a 2017 email to the CEO of News Corporation, Robert Thomson, former director of royal communications Sally Osman said: The fact that we can have this conversation, with the Queen's full authority and knowledge of the scale and effect of hacking and surveillance on her family, their staff, associates, friends and family, is important with a view of resolution in the near future. However, in a March 2018 email, Ms Osman, seeking the arrangement of a meeting with Mr Thomson to discuss the matter said: The hope is still to find a resolution, without involving lawyers. However, if we do not receive a response and a sense of what might be done and by when, then we will need to reconsider. David Sherborne, representing Prince Harry, said this is consistent with a secret agreement and shows this wasnt dealt with by the legal department, it was dealt with at a much higher level. NGN has previously settled a number of claims since the phone-hacking scandal broke in relation tothe News of the World, which closed in 2011, but has consistently denied that any unlawful information-gathering took place at The Sun. The Sun strongly refutes the allegation that it ever commissioned anyone to break into Hugh Grants home, a spokesperson told The Independent. NGN has called for both claims to be thrown out, arguing they have been brought too late. The judge is expected to give his ruling at a later date. Over the past decade, Japanese whisky exploded in popularity and age statements disappeared from labels. Distilleries blamed unexpected demand outpacing supply for this, and began releasing non-age statement expressions to keep the whisky flowing. But Nikka, the second biggest Japanese whisky brand after Suntory, just announced that its bringing back a 10-year-old age statement to its Yoichi single maltsomething Japanese whisky fans will be very happy about. Nikka first removed its 10, 12, and 15-year-old age statements from Yoichi nearly a decade ago in 2015 (Yoichi is one of the two distilleries operated by Nikka, the other being Miyagikyo). Then in 2019, Nikka removed the 17, 21 and 25-year-old age statements from its Taketsuru Pure Malt, a blend of malt whisky from different distilleries. So the return of Yoichi Single Malt 10-Year-Old is a big step for Nikka, which increased production by 20 percent starting in 2019 and announced plans to surpass its 1983 peak by the year 2025. More from Robb Report And, according to the brand, the 10-year-old age statement also commemorates the government designating ten buildings at the Yoichi Distillery as Important Cultural Properties of Japan last February. This designation helps ensure we will pass on the history of Japanese whisky to future generations, said global marketing and sales GM Emiko Kaji in a statement. To celebrate this special honor, we welcomed the return of Nikka Whisky aged statements and released the Yoichi Single Malt 10-Year-Old, a new expression created by the current blenders. In addition to the NAS Yoichi single malt that first became available in 2016, there have been some other whiskies of note to come from the distillery over the past few years. The Apple Brandy Barrel Finish was released in 2020, finished in apple brandy barrels from Nikka as a tribute to the apple products that were made by the company to support it while its first whiskies matured in the 1930s. And the first Discovery Series whisky came out in 2021, a Yoichi single malt that was unpeated as opposed to the smoky whisky usually produced at the distillery. Story continues Nikka Whisky Yoichi Single Malt 10-Year-Old is bottled at 90 proof, and has an SRP of $175but dont be surprised if, like other age statements Japanese whiskies, you find it being sold for more than that. The plan is for this to be an annual release in limited quantities, and at the moment it might be hard to find online. But check out ReserveBar for Nikka expressions from Yoichi and its other labels, including this $20,000 bottle of the limited-edition 2021 Miyagikyo Single Malt Peated. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Some voters in the Keller school district have received a text message suggesting that two candidates have the support of Keller ISD Progressives, a group the candidates are unaware of and one that is not registered with Texas Ethics Commission. The text message names Place 5 candidate Beverly Dixon and Place 4 candidate Haley Taylor Schlitz, who said the texts were sent to people who voted in Republican primaries. The message said in part, Hey Keller ISD, vote for Haley Taylor Schlitz and Bev Dixon. These progressive candidates will fight for our values and stand up for equity. Dixon, 53, is seeking her third term. She said she is filing a complaint regarding the message, but did not elaborate. I received the text while taking prom pictures of my daughter, she wrote in an email. I am definitely filing a complaint. This is just one of many things that have occurred during this election cycle that have been dishonest and unethical. Taylor Schlitz, 20, is seeking her first term on the school board. She said she is talking to her campaign team about next steps they might want to take regarding the text message. Obviously, raising awareness is key as far as responding to this, she said. Their opponents, John Birt, who is running against Taylor Schlitz, and Chris Coker, who is running against Dixon, did not return messages from the Star-Telegram. The message was saying vote for me and for Beverly. It was almost provoking voters, Taylor Schlitz said. Taylor Schlitz said she is a teacher and has a passion for education. She said there has been misinformation spread about her on social media, such as that she never attended Keller schools. But she did attend from the second through fifth grade before her parents home-schooled her because the schools werent meeting her needs. Taylor Schlitz said she wants to create an environment where all are welcome in public schools. Dixon, who is also president of the Keller Chamber of Commerce, said in an endorsement interview for the Star-Telegram that she has taken a conservative stance on issues, but has tried to stay nonpartisan. She said the process the school board adopted for dealing with library books went too far. I was the conservative, but now, Im not conservative enough. Kendall Jenner is seen in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City on April 28, 2023. Gotham/GC Images Kendall Jenner showed some skin under a blue turtleneck dress on Friday in New York City. The model attended a Karl Lagerfeld retrospective at luxury vintage store What Goes Around Comes Around. This year's Met Gala theme is centered around Lagerfeld's life and legacy in fashion. Kendall Jenner stood out in the streets of New York City as she attended a Karl Lagerfeld retrospective on Friday. The model was photographed heading to the event honoring the late designer, the center of this year's Met Gala. Jenner chose a sheer, royal blue dress with a turtleneck and feathery blue skirt for the event, held at the luxury vintage store What Goes Around Comes Around, per Elle. She paired the look with matching satin shoes and a Chanel clutch bag. The bag choice may have been a nod to Lagerfeld, who served as creative director for the French fashion house from 1983 until he died in 2019. Kendall Jenner paired her blue dress with slicked-back hair and matching accessories. Gotham/GC Images Jenner kept her glam simple, opting for a slicked-back ponytail, natural makeup, and a small pair of hoop earrings. She shared photos from the event on Instagram Friday, including a shot of someone holding an umbrella for her as she beamed for the camera. According to Elle, the event also celebrated the store's 30th anniversary and expansion to a retail store called WGACA Atelier. Rita Ora, Taika Waititi, and Michaela Coel were also in attendance, with Ora donning silver pants, a black fur jacket, and a draped chain top over a lace bralette. Rita Ora is seen in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City on April 28, 2023. Gotham/GC Images This year's Met Gala theme, "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," will highlight the designer's lifetime of work in fashion. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's website says that the exhibition will examine Lagerfeld's "diverse and prolific body of work unparalleled in the history of fashion." "Focusing on the designer's stylistic vocabulary as expressed in aesthetic themes that appear time and again in his fashions from the 1950s to his final collection in 2019, the show will spotlight the German-born designer's unique working methodology," the website reads. The red carpet kicks off on Monday, May 1, at 6 p.m. ET. Read the original article on Insider Stabler and Benson in apartment in Law & Order: Organized Crime Spoilers ahead for Episode 19 of Law & Order: SVU Season 24, called "Bend the Law." The case of the week for Law & Order: SVU with Bend the Law was delicate in a different way than usual, with the husband of Trial Division Chief Lorraine Maxwell (Betty Buckley) arrested on some pretty heinous charges for Benson (Mariska Hargitay) to investigate. All hands in Special Victims were not on deck, as shed sent Velasco (Octavio Pisano) and Churlish (Jasmine Batchelor) to Maine to track down his killer childhood friend. In the process, Benson dropped a comment that may have been a window into how she feels looking back at her partnership with Stabler (Christopher Meloni), and Im so ready for the crossover with Organized Crime now. How Benson May Have Referenced Her Partnership With Stabler Velasco hasnt exactly been devoting all of his waking hours to trying to track down Chilly (Joseph Castillo-Midyett), so Benson recruited Carisi (Peter Scanavino) to issue some subpoenas, leading to money transfers from a location in Maine. To Velasco's dismay, she told him that he was driving up there and taking Churlish with him. He immediately asked if he could take Muncy (Molly Burnett) instead, to which Benson said No and explained: Because the only thing worse than a partner with no loyalty is a partner with blind loyalty. Fortunately, Velasco never knew her before she was a captain, so he could not have called Olivia Do As I Say, Not As I Did For 12 Years Benson out on her too-close partnership with Stabler that could be the bane of Captain Cragens (Dann Florek) existence back in the day. Sure, they never covered for each other on something quite as major as what Velasco was hiding and Muncy probably would have helped with but can we honestly say with 100% certainty that they wouldnt have tried to handle it themselves without involving Cragen? If anybody in the Law & Order universe knows something about devotion between partners that approaches blind loyalty, it would be Benson and Stabler. Thats why they were so interesting to watch together for twelve seasons and why they were such a headache for Cragen whenever they had each others back more than they should have. Story continues What It Could Mean For The Organized Crime Crossover Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime are on the verge of what could be the biggest multi-part event in the L&O universe since the three-parter that opened the 2022-2023 TV season (which Hugh Dancy addressed as a possible answer to a question about next fall). Kelli Giddish is set to return to both SVU and OC as Amanda Rollins by the end of the spring, and Mariska Hargitay previewed her on-screen reunion with Chris Meloni via some fun images. Unless Hargitay or Meloni makes a cameo on the others show sometime between now and the crossover, the SVU/OC event should be their first on-screen interaction since their near-kiss that frustrated some fans even though the actors nailed the complicated scene . If Bensons comment in Bend the Law is even slightly a clue into her feelings about their partnership back in the day, then it suggests that she doesnt see it in the most positive light now that shes in Cragens position. Meanwhile, Stabler is still a detective, and the weight of leadership on Organized Crime rests on Sergeant Bells (Danielle Mone Truitt) shoulders. Hes also been easier to read about wanting to reconnect with his former partner, given that she didnt ghost him for a decade. Does Stabler see their partnership in hindsight differently than she does? Honestly, I have no idea and could be reading too much into Benson's remark, but Id love to find out. Im on the record as enjoying the ups and downs of their dynamic without needing it to become romantic, and a proper crossover vs. Chris Meloni popping into SVU for a cameo surely means that theyll have to have a real conversation at some point, right? Im certainly hoping so, and would be perfectly happy if they found a way to a normal friendship again and wouldnt be mad if Stabler took another step to make amends for how he wronged her. For now, though, there are still episodes left before Season 24 of SVU and Season 3 of Organized Crime wrap for the spring. Both shows (as well as Law & Order and the three One Chicago series) were recently renewed for the 2023-2024 TV season , and it seems safe to say that Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni will still have dominant roles next season even if other characters will get less screentime . Lily Collins may not be in the City of Love right now, but there's definitely no shortage of romance between her and her husband, Charlie McDowell. The duowho have been married since 2021have been enjoying a variety of travels together around the world, including their latest adventures in Copenhagen, Denmark. On Friday, April 28, the Emily in Paris actress shared a couple of photos from their time in Copenhagen, which included a scenic stroll around a placid body of water. "Morning smooch, stroll, and stretch" Collins, 34, captioned the post, which featured her planting a kiss on her hubby's cheek. Another shot showed her smiling for a selfie while McDowell, 39, was seen getting in some lunges out in the distance. View the original article to see embedded media. "Best couple !!" one commenter gushed of the well-traveled couple, who were also seen horsing around on the streets of Copenhagen in another Instagram post shared earlier this week. Collinswho also spends a lot of time in Paris while filming for her hit Netflix seriesrecently purchased property in Copenhagen, as reported by the CPH Post last month. Copenhagen was also the destination of her 2021 honeymoon with McDowell, which may explain why the pair have such a connection to the Scandinavian destination. Collins also just shared snaps from Helsinki, Finland at the beginning of the week, and so far this year, she has already documented her and McDowell's trip to Japan, as well as more travels to Copenhagen and other Scandinavian spots, including Stockholm, Sweden. In fact, the Mirror, Mirror actress has spent so much time in the area she was even featured as a digital cover star for Vogue Scandinavia this year, making history as the publication's first non-Scandinavian to do so. It's no wonder fans are requesting a Netflix spinoff: "Emily in Scandinavia!" Cristina Arias / Getty Images Fact checked by Nick Blackmer Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in the diabetes medication Mounjaro, appears to be a safe and effective obesity treatment. Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro, reported that tirzepatide can help people with type 2 diabetes to lose almost 16% of their body weight. Lilly will ask the FDA to approve tirzepatide as a weight loss drug. Doing so would add a new highly effective treatment option for obesity. Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in the diabetes medication Mounjaro, can help patients lose almost 16% of their body weight, according to trial data shared by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly. The weight loss seen in this study was greater than that seen from other medications for obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to Lilly. The company said it will ask the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant an indication for weight managementsomething the drug is not currently approved for, despite its off-label use. Its great that we have another medication that helps people to lose weight as well as improving glycemic control. If [tirzepatide] is approved for the management of obesity, I think thats a welcome addition for us as obesity experts to prescribe, David Lau, MD, PhD, adjunct professor in the departments of medicine, biochemistry and molecular biology, and kinesiology at the University of Calgary, told Verywell. Wegovy (semaglutide) is currently the most effective drug indicated for weight loss in the United States. Approving tirzepatide for weight loss would add another strong obesity treatment option, both for people with and without diabetes, said Dan Bessesen, MD, an endocrinologist and a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado. I think it is terrific for the field and for patients to have a second medication available. Over time, my sense is the medications available for treating obesity are becoming more effective and will become more widely-used, Bessesen told Verywell in an email. Story continues If tirzepatide is approved for weight loss, it will likely get a new brand name and dosage to differentiate it from Mounjaro, which is the same drug but only labeled for diabetes treatment. Wegovy and diabetes drug Ozempic provide a similar example; both contain semaglutide, but in different concentrationsso only Wegovy is technically approved for weight management in people without diabetes. When Ozempic is used this way, its considered off-label. Lilly said it will present its full study results at a conference in late June and will apply for FDA approval of a weight loss indication. The company said it expects an FDA decision in late 2023. Related:What's the Difference Between Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro? Mounjaro Works Well in People With Diabetes The new study included 938 adults who were overweight or living with obesity as well as type 2 diabetes. People taking 10 milligrams (mg) of Mounjaro saw an average of 12.8% body weight reduction while those taking 15 mg lost up to 15.7% of their weight. It is well established that people with type 2 diabetes tend to have a harder time losing weight than those without diabetes, said Angela Fitch, MD, FACP, FOMA, president of the Obesity Medicine Association. Related:Obesity and Diabetes: What Is the Relationship? When we look at patients with type two diabetes and obesity, the people with diabetes consistently lose less weight than the people with just obesity alone, Fitch told Verywell. What is being shown here is that Mounjaro is better for weight loss, even in people with diabetes. In an earlier phase 3 trial this year, Lilly showed that people with obesity or who are overweight without diabetes lost up to 22.5% of their body weight while taking tirzepatide. How Mounjaro Stacks Up Against Wegovy Wegovy works by mimicking the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which boosts insulin production. This lowers blood sugar and makes people feel full for longer. Mounjaro also increases GLP-1 as well as the hormone glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). Acting on both GIP and GLP-1 can boost metabolism and decrease appetite, causing even greater weight loss and management of blood sugar than GLP-1 agonists alone. [The data] are certainly very impressive because not only do you see a slightly greater percent body weight loss with tirzepatide, but you also see better glycemic control, Lau said. Most of us in the field feel that this is an unexpected finding in the sense that it has a more profound effect. Wegovy, which is FDA-approved for weight management, causes an average of 12.4% weight loss in people without diabetes and 6.2% in those with type 2 diabetes. Related:Who Should Get Weight Loss Drugs? Why People With Obesity Cant Access Ozempic, Mounjaro Its challenging to know exactly how Wegovy and Mounjaro stack up as there have been no completed trials directly comparing the two drugs. The study design is slightly different from clinical trial to clinical trial. So you cant really compare the efficacy unless you do a head-to-head comparison, Lau, who is a principal investigator for the STEP 10 semaglutide trials, said. Lilly only just began a 700-person study, called SURMOUNT-5, to test tirzepatide against semaglutide directly. Wegovy and Ozempic manufacturer Novo Nordisk is years ahead of Eli Lilly in terms of testing its drug for outcomes beyond weight loss. The company is now testing how semaglutide effects overall cardiovascular health, and the data is expected to be shared this year. If its shown that Wegovy has a cardiovascular benefit, it would trump [Mounjaro] anytime when it comes to prescription because now you have a drug that has been shown to have safety data and, if anything, cardiovascular benefits, Lau said. While Mounjaro appears to be better for weight management, Lau said providers will look to prescribe a drug that has proven health benefits beyond shedding pounds. For patients with heart disease, for instance, it will be helpful to have data showing that Wegovy can support heart health while reducing body weight. The data from the SURMOUNT-1 trial is very encouraging. It looks great, Lau said. But my recommendation is lets wait and see. Lets not jump the gun and say tirzepatide will torpedo semaglutide because it showed better weight loss data. A New Drug on the Market Could Improve Obesity Care Ultimately, having more obesity treatment options in the toolbox will help clinicians to tailor their treatment for each individual patient, Fitch said. Its nice to have multiple options so that we can balance the outcomes with the side effects, she said. For months, patients have been scrambling to get their hands on weight loss medications, which have become increasingly popular even among people without obesity. As with Wegovy and Ozempic, Mounjaro is an injectable medication that cannot be mass-produced as easily as an oral medication, so its not clear how the new indication would help the drug supply problem, Lau said. Its also too soon to know how expensive and accessible Mounjaro will be as a weight loss medication. Some insurance plans may cover obesity medications. But most insurers, including Medicare dont. Medicare Part D has excluded anti-obesity medications from coverage for two decades, despite general recognition of obesity as a disease. If tirzepatide is FDA-approved for weight management, it will be up to insurance companies to decide whether they will cover the medication. Having another large and successful pharmaceutical company involved in this therapeutic area will be helpful for patients, Bessesen said. Over time, it will help people see obesity as the chronic metabolic disease that it is. It will likely be months before the FDA decides whether to indicate tirzepatide for weight loss. In the meantime, ask a trusted provider about what treatment options are available to you for weight management. It may be impossible to evacuate British citizens from Sudan once the war-torn countrys fragile ceasefire ends, the foreign secretary has warned. James Cleverly said that the UK government could not predict what would happen once intense fighting resumed. He urged British nationals who may be hesitant or weighing up their options to make their way to Wadi Seidna, where there were planes and capacity to get people out. Fighting flared in Sudan yesterday as its armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) battled on Khartoums outskirts, undermining a truce in their 11-day conflict. The fighting came as the army agreed to extending the ceasefire that is in force till today. The army said last night its leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, gave initial approval to a plan to extend the truce for another 72 hours and send an army envoy to the South Sudan capital, Juba, for talks, reported Reuters. There was no immediate response from the RSF to the proposal. Key Points Fighting flares as military approves ceasefire extension Paramilitary forces yet to respond to ceasefire proposal Blinken and African Union Commission chairperson discuss ending Sudan fighting Six UK flights evacuate 536 people from Sudan Sudan evacuations for Britons can continue even if ceasefire breaks Potentially impossible to evacuate Britons once ceasefire ends - Cleverly 07:54 , Matt Mathers It may be impossible to evacuate British citizens from Sudan once the war-torn countrys fragile ceasefire ends, the foreign secretary has warned. James Cleverly said that the UK government could not predict what would happen once intense fighting resumed. He urged British nationals who may be hesitant or weighing up their options to make their way to the extraction point, where there were planes and capacity to get people out. End of ceasefire could result in humanitarian catastrophe - minister 09:26 , Matt Mathers Africa minister Andrew Mitchell warned that an end to the ceasefire could result in a humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan. Story continues He told the foreign affairs think tank Chatham House: "It is essential that a ceasefire is maintained and that a political process is secured. "If not, the humanitarian consequences will be incalculable. "The UK will continue to work tirelessly to help bring an end to the violence and provide vital humanitarian relief." File photo: Andrew Mitchell (PA Wire) Cleverly avoids questions on safe and legal routes for Sudan 09:10 , Matt Mathers James Cleverly has refused to get into details about the possibility of safe and legal routes for those fleeing Sudan to get to the UK. The foreign secretary said: "There is war and conflict all over the world. There are literally millions upon millions of people who are in countries plagued by war. We recognise that we cannot host everybody who is in a country plagued by war. "Sudan is not the only country suffering from conflict and so picking out Sudan because it happens to be in the news, I think, diminishes the suffering of other people around the world firstly, and, secondly, we have to remember there are millions upon millions of people who are fleeing conflict or who are fleeing economic privations." Mapped The map below shows Sudans location in North Africa. Khartoum, the capital, is where the most intense fighting is taking place. (Datawrapper) WHO fears more deaths in Sudan due to outbreaks, collapse of services 08:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta The World Health Organisation (WHO) expects many more deaths in Sudan. The world health agency said yesterday that there could be many more deaths due to outbreaks of disease and a lack of essential services amid fighting between Sudans army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary, reported Reuters. Since mid April, the ongoing fighting has killed at least 459 people and injured more than 4,000, according to the WHO. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Cleverly - were pushing for ceasefire extension 08:14 , Matt Mathers The UK is pushing for an extension to the ceasefire in Sudan, the foreign secretary has said - Archie Mitchell reports. Speaking to Sky News, James Cleverly said: We pushed for the original ceasefire, we are pushing to have the ceasefire extended, we are pushing with our international partners and leaders in the region, to have a permanent peace settlement. But the point Im making is I cant guarantee any of those things. If they happen, thats great, thats what were pushing for.My worry is if people are having to make difficult decisions, and of course they are, if they are basing those decisions on a belief that this ceasefire will continue, and then it doesnt, they put themselves in a more dangerous situation. So my strong advice is to err on the side of caution, take advantage of what we know, which is the ceasefire is currently holding, even though we dont know whether itll hold for the full duration, rather than relying on what might not happen, which is an extension of the ceasefire, which of course we are pushing for. Foreign secretary James Cleverly (Hannah McKay/PA) (PA Wire) ICYMI: Dodging bullets and paying thousands: How these British families escaped wartorn Sudan 08:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta British families fleeing Sudan have described dodging heavy gunfire and bombing in their bids to escape the wartorn country after the Foreign Office failed to secure safe routes out. Many have spent thousands to escape the country safely. Bel Trew and Tara Cobham report: Dodging bullets and paying thousands: How these families escaped wartorn Sudan ICYMI: Wounded British doctors agonising choice risk deadly infection or leave mother in Sudan war zone 07:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta A British doctor is facing an agonising choice of either risking a deadly infection from his gunshot wound or leaving his vulnerable elderly mother to fend for herself in a war zone in Sudan. Tara Cobham reports: Wounded British doctor faces agonising decision in Sudan Over 500 Britons brought to safety from Sudan with more flights to come 07:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta The British evacuation mission from Sudan has lifted 536 people to safety on six flights as the military races against time to rescue citizens while a fragile ceasefire holds. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said in a fast-moving situation these were the figures at 9pm on Wednesday with further flights to come. Read more: UK brings more than 500 people to safety from Sudan with more flights to come Sudan evacuations can continue even if ceasefire breaks 06:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta Air evacuations from Sudan can continue even if a fragile ceasefire breaks, military chiefs said yesterday, as the first flight carrying British nationals arrived back in Britain. Brigadier Dan Reeve, Britains chief of joint force operations, said that up to 500 people a day can be flown out of Wadi Saeedna, an airfield just north of Khartoum, with transport planes available to increase that number if necessary. The ceasefire itself was not a condition for us launching this operation, although of course it helped and was a useful window, he said. Kim Sengupta, Rebecca Thomas and Kate Devlin report: Sudan evacuations can continue even if ceasefire breaks How Putins chef and his Wagner Group are cashing in on Sudan 06:00 , Martha Mchardy Theyve drawn most attention in eastern Ukraine, but it seems wherever war breaks out from Syria to Sudan this group of mercenaries can be found profiting from bloodshed, writes World Affairs Editor Kim Sengupta. How Putins chef and his Wagner Group are cashing in on Sudan Blinken and African Union Commission chairperson discuss ending Sudan fighting 05:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta US secretary of state Antony Blinken and African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat discussed working together to create a sustainable end to the fighting in Sudan, the State Department said in a statement yesterday. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the two spoke about a collaboration to create a sustainable cessation of hostilities and end the fighting in Sudan. Secretary Blinken and chairperson Faki agreed that the AUs continued leadership remains essential in pressing the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to immediately cease military operations and allow unhindered humanitarian access, the statement said. I spoke with @AUC_MoussaFaki today to continue the United States close collaboration with the @_AfricanUnion to end the fighting in Sudan, and to secure unhindered humanitarian access for the Sudanese people. https://t.co/8sQVgkAuC5 Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 27, 2023 What could happen in Sudan? 05:00 , Martha Mchardy International parties have called for a ceasefire and a return to dialogue but there has been little sign of compromise from the warring factions. The army has branded the RSF as a rebel force and demanded its dissolution, while Hemedti has called Burhan a criminal and blamed him for visiting destruction on the country. Though Sudans army has superior resources including air power and the RSF expanded into a force estimated at 100,000 men that had deployed across Khartoum and its neighbouring cities as well as in other regions, raising the spectre of protracted conflict on top of a long-running economic crisis and existing, large-scale humanitarian needs. The RSF can also draw on support and tribal ties in the western region of Darfur, where it emerged from the militias that fought alongside government forces to crush rebels in a brutal war that escalated after 2003. Fighting flares as military approves ceasefire extension 04:48 , Sravasti Dasgupta Fighting flared in Sudan yesterday as Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) battled on Khartoums outskirts, undermining a truce in their 11-day conflict. The fighting came as the army agreed to extending the ceasefire that is in force till today. The army late last night said its leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, gave initial approval to a plan to extend the truce for another 72 hours and send an army envoy to the South Sudan capital, Juba, for talks, reported Reuters. There was no immediate response from the RSF to the proposal from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional bloc. The military said the presidents of South Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti worked on a proposal that includes extending the truce and talks between the two forces. Burhan thanked the IGAD and expressed an initial approval to that, the army statement said. (Rapid Support Forces (RSF)/AFP) Which countries are evacuating citizens from Sudan? 04:00 , Martha Mchardy The conflict between Sudans army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has triggered a rush to extract foreign diplomats and citizens. Several countries have evacuated nationals by air, while some have gone via Port Sudan on the Red Sea, about 500 miles (800 km) by road from Khartoum. UK Britain is beginning a large-scale evacuation of its citizens, with priority given to families with children, the elderly and the infirm. Foreign minister James Cleverly said the UK is working closely with its international partners. The government estimates there are around 4,000 Britons in Sudan. It evacuated its diplomats and their families on Saturday. Japan All Japanese people who wished to leave have been evacuated, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. Forty-five left on Monday night on a Japanese military flight, and eight others left with the help of France and other groups, he said. Germany As of Tuesday morning, a German evacuation mission had brought a total of 500 people from more than 30 countries to safety, including Belgian, British, Dutch, Jordanian and US citizens as well as Germans. The countrys foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said efforts were under way to get the remaining Germans out, but did not say how many were left. France France has evacuated more than 500 people from Sudan, comprising more than 200 French citizens as well as Americans, Britons and others, President Emmanuel Macron told his government. Paris has also sent a warship to Port Sudan to help pick up evacuees, two diplomatic sources said. Italy Italian military planes flying from Djibouti evacuated 83 Italians and 13 others overnight, including children and the Italian ambassador. The countrys foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said some Italian NGO workers and missionaries had decided to stay in Sudan, while 19 others had been taken to Egypt two days ago. Cyprus Cyprus said on Tuesday it had activated a humanitarian rescue mechanism to allow third countries to use its facilities to evacuate foreign citizens from Sudan. China Most Chinese nationals have been safely evacuated in groups to neighbouring countries, Chinas Foreign Ministry said. United States of America US forces evacuated American and some foreign diplomats on Saturday. Washington said on Monday that several dozen Americans were travelling overland in a UN-led convoy to Port Sudan, and that dozens more had expressed an interest in leaving. It said it was positioning naval assets to assist evacuations if necessary. Ukraine Kyiv said it had rescued of its 87 citizens - most of them pilots, aircraft technicians and their families - among a total of 138 civilians, who also included citizens of Georgia and Peru. South Africa Officials said it expected the last 12 of its nationals known to be in Sudan to have left on Tuesday. Egypt On Monday, Egypt said it had evacuated 436 of its nationals out of about 10,000 in neighbouring Sudan. It said one of its diplomats had been wounded by gunfire, without giving details. About 800 Sudanese and 100 foreigners had passed through the Egyptian border with Sudan, two Egyptian security sources said, as Egypt loosened restrictions on those allowed in. Saudi Arabia and Gulf Arab states Saudi Arabia took 91 Saudis and about 66 people from other countries out from Port Sudan by naval ship to Jeddah on Saturday. Kuwait said all citizens wishing to return home had arrived in Jeddah. Qatar said Saudi Arabia had helped evacuate Qatari citizens. Sudans army accused the RSF of attacking and looting a Qatari embassy convoy heading to Port Sudan. It was not clear if it was the same group that left for Saudi Arabia. The RSF and Qatar have not commented. Russia Moscows ambassador in Khartoum said 140 of about 300 Russians in Sudan had said they wanted to leave, but said evacuation plans could not yet be implemented because they involved crossing front lines. He said there were about 15 people, including a woman and child, stuck in a Russian Orthodox church close to heavy fighting in Khartoum. Whats going on in Sudan? 03:00 , Martha Mchardy Fighting has erupted in Sudans capital city Khartoum and other sites across the country this month as powerful rival military factions battle for control of the African nation and its future. So far, over 420 people, including 264 civilians, have been killed in the conflict and over 3,700 wounded. Tension had been building for months between Sudans army and the RSF, which together toppled a civilian government in an October 2021 coup. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) The friction was brought to a head by an internationally-backed plan to launch a new transition with civilian parties. A final deal was due to be signed earlier in April, on the fourth anniversary of the overthrow of long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir in a popular uprising. Both the army and the RSF were required to cede power under the plan and two issues proved particularly contentious: one was the timetable for the RSF to be integrated into the regular armed forces, the second was when the army would be formally placed under civilian oversight. When fighting broke out on 15 April, both sides blamed the other for provoking the violence. The army accused the RSF of illegal mobilisation in preceding days and the RSF, as it moved on key strategic sites in Khartoum, said the army had tried to seize full power in a plot with Bashir loyalists. Watch: Moment plane carrying British nationals escaping Sudan lands at Stansted Airport 02:00 , Martha Mchardy Braverman rebuked over claim Sudanese refugees can seek asylum in UK 01:00 , Martha Mchardy Suella Braverman has been rebuked by the UNs refugee agency for falsely claiming Sudanese asylum seekers have various legal ways to reach the UK. The Home Secretary said there was no good reason for those fleeing Sudan to cross the English Channel in small boats and instead urged asylum seekers to contact the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. If you are fleeing Sudan for humanitarian reasons, there are various mechanisms you can use, the UNHCR is present in the region and they are the right mechanism by which people should apply if they do want to seek asylum in the UK, Ms Braverman said. But the UNHCR quickly responded, saying it was aware of the statement and wished to clarify that there is no mechanism for refugees to seek asylum in the UK through the organisation. There is no asylum visa or queue for the United Kingdom, it said. The UNHCR added that an overwhelming majority of refugees have no access to safe and legal routes to the UK, noting that only a very small number seek asylum here. Archie Mitchell reports: Braverman rebuked for claim Sudanese asylum seekers have various ways to come to UK Britons among thousands queuing for days without food and water amid chaos at Egypt-Sudan border Thursday 27 April 2023 00:00 , Martha Mchardy A British medical student and NHS doctor with her children are among thousands stuck in chaotic scenes at Sudans border with Egypt, in what is rapidly deteriorating into a humanitarian crisis. The Britons became trapped in Khartoum when ferocious fighting between Sudans top generals erupted and they were forced to make the treacherous journey to the border where dire conditions awaited them. Dr Lina Badr, 42, an NHS gynaecologist based in Birmingham, and her three children have been waiting in the queue for two days. She described chaos as thousands of desperate people wait to cross into Egypt in the heat with no way of securing food or water. Tara Cobham and Bel Trew report: Britons among thousands queuing without food and water in chaos at Egypt-Sudan border Father told children it was like hide-and-seek amid gunfight near Sudan home Wednesday 26 April 2023 23:00 , Martha Mchardy A British-Sudanese father of three has said he told his children it was like a hide-and-seek game when his home was caught in the middle of a gunfight in Sudan. Munzir Salman was at home in Khartoum with his three children when Sudanese armed forces soldiers were ambushed by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) officers outside his block of flats. The 37-year-old, who has dual citizenship, spoke to the PA news agency while he and his children waited to fly to the UK via Larnaca, Cyprus. He said: What happened was some army soldiers were coming through and they were ambushed by the RSF. They then ran behind my house, and they were shooting at each other, I was in the middle. It was horrendous and, unfortunately, its not the first time Ive had gunshots around me. Im a single father of three kids so I had to stay calm for them. I had to tell them it was like a game and told them it was like a hide-and-seek game. It was an experience they had never been through before, it was very scary but I tried to make it a game for them. I explained the danger before trying to make it like Tom and Jerry where the people outside were Tom and we were Jerry. Ben Roberts-Haslam reports: Father told children it was like hide-and-seek amid gunfight near Sudan home Watch: Thousands wait for days in dire conditions at Egypt-Sudan border Wednesday 26 April 2023 22:00 , Martha Mchardy Six UK flights have evacuated 536 people from Sudan Wednesday 26 April 2023 21:48 , Martha Mchardy Six UK flights have evacuated 536 people from war-torn Sudan, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said. British-Sudanese woman 'takes matters into her own hands' to flee Sudan Wednesday 26 April 2023 21:00 , Martha Mchardy Caught up in a conflict that flared during what was meant to be a brief trip to Khartoum, British-Sudanese author Rozan Ahmed spent days calling the UK embassy for advice until she finally took matters into her own hands and boarded a bus for Egypt. The scenes she filmed on her phone as she left give an insight into the violence sweeping through the Sudanese capital since a power struggle between the army and the RSF paramilitary group escalated into all out conflict on April 15. The clashes have killed at least 512 people. I contacted the British embassy. I would say all day, every day for a week to see when we would be able to be evacuated, she told Reuters from Cairo. No solid plan was given to us a week later, which is when I decided to take matters into my own hands because I ran out of water, she said, describing cowering at home with dwindling provisions as gunfire, shelling and air strikes raged outside. Britain, with an estimated 4,000 nationals in Sudan, began airlift evacuations on Tuesday to Cyprus. It has been criticised for lagging other European countries in flying out citizens. Ahmed said she and others mobilised to plan their escape, after hearing some people were heading north by bus to Egypt. We hired a bus. There were about 50 of us, she said. Moving through the war zone was the most frightening part. On a number of occasions we drove past tanks and heavily armed humans. That just terrified us because we had heard reports of buses being stopped and robbed and people being shot... That left me truly shaken. But we didnt have a choice. Although feeling absolutely petrified, externally she was remarkably composed and calm, Ahmed said. I suppose you know what they say - God takes the wheel. Her journey from Khartoum to the Egyptian border took 12 hours but then it took another day and a half to enter Egypt because of the queues. She plans on leaving Egypt after taking a few days to recover from her ordeal. My heart is still in Sudan. I cant stop thinking about the people that are stuck there, who dont have the means to get out. I really hope and pray that evacuations are now in order. That there is support, that there is assistance. Sudan's Burhan gives initial approval to proposed trade extension Wednesday 26 April 2023 20:56 , Martha Mchardy Sudans army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, gave initial approval to the regional African bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Developments (IGAD) proposal to extend a truce for 72 hours and send an army envoy to the south Sudan capital, Juba, for talks, an army statement said on Wednesday. The proposal suggests sending both an army and Rapid Support Forces envoys to Juba to discuss the details. Diplomat says 15 Syrians killed amid clashes in Sudan Wednesday 26 April 2023 20:47 , Martha Mchardy Fifteen Syrians were killed as a result of running clashes in Sudan, Sham FM, a radio and TV station, cited the charge daffaires of the Syrian Embassy in Sudan as saying on Wednesday. No injuries were reported among Syrian expats, said the diplomat, adding that all members of the diplomatic missions there are alright. Wounded British doctors agonising choice in Sudan Wednesday 26 April 2023 20:30 , Martha Mchardy A British doctor is facing an agonising choice between risking a deadly infection from his gunshot wound and leaving his vulnerable elderly mother to fend for herself in a war zone in Sudan. The doctor, who retired recently after working in the NHS for over 30 years, was visiting his family in Khartoum for Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr when fierce clashes between forces loyal to the countrys two top generals erupted in the city on 15 April. He was shot in the leg when he risked his life moving his daughter and 87-year-old mother, who requires constant care, to a safer place in Khartoum. Tara Cobham reports: Wounded British doctor faces agonising decision in Sudan Watch: Sunak asked if UK will provide safe route for children fleeing Sudan Wednesday 26 April 2023 20:00 , Martha Mchardy Canadian aircraft positioned for evacuations once conditions permit in Sudan - Defence minister Wednesday 26 April 2023 19:48 , Martha Mchardy Canada has positioned two C-130 Hercules aircraft near Sudan to evacuate Canadians from the North African country once conditions on the ground permit, defence minister Anita Anand said on Wednesday. There are conditions that we are monitoring very closely, one of which is the space at the airport, another is to ensure that Canadians are able to get to the airport in a secure manner, Ms Anand told reporters in Ottawa. Evacuees from Sudan land in Paris Wednesday 26 April 2023 19:45 , Martha Mchardy Some 245 evacuees from Sudan, including 195 French nationals, landed in Paris on Wednesday, expressing relief at escaping the heavy fighting and chaos. Sudan erupted in warfare on April 15, derailing a transition to civilian rule, since when the paramilitaries have embedded themselves in residential districts and the army has sought to target them from the air. The fighting has turned residential areas into battlefields. Air strikes and artillery have killed more than 500 people, wounded more than 4,000, destroyed hospitals and limited food distribution in a nation where a third of the 46 million people rely on food aid. The past few weeks, we felt a rise in inter-community tensions with looting, carjacks, shootings between communities, humanitarian worker Charline Petitejean told Reuters at the Paris headquarters of her NGO Solidaritas International. The 27-year-old had been working for three months in Sudan but arrived back in Paris Wednesday morning. When the decision was made to evacuate, there were so many things that needed to be done that there was no time for fear, she said, adding that now she was in France she was worried for her Sudanese colleagues who stayed and for the Sudanese people as the humanitarian context worsens. She said she would like to return to Dafur as soon as possible. Several countries have evacuated nationals by air, while some have gone via Port Sudan on the Red Sea, about 800 km (500 miles) by road from Khartoum. I felt completely paralysed, said 28-year-old PhD student Leila Oulkebous, another evacuee. Oulkebous was out doing thesis interviews when fighting broke out nearby. I didnt know how to get out..., she said. Im very, very relieved. (...) I will continue to have nightmares about it. Franck Haaser, cooperation councillor at the French Embassy in Sudan, was relieved that there were no deaths among those evacuated. We lived through a week of chaos ... it was very difficult, he said. The shooting was all across the city. We didnt directly see the shooting, but with the intensity of the fighting, there were stray bullets everywhere, broken windows in all buildings, it was chaos. Chaos. British nationals face dangerous journeys to Sudan evacuation site Wednesday 26 April 2023 19:30 , Martha Mchardy British nationals in Khartoum are facing dangerous journeys to the Wadi Saeedna airstrip in the hope of boarding an evacuation flight out of Sudan. One Sudanese-British citizen said some people are too scared to make the trip as another described complete chaos on the streets. Eight flights were expected to have left by the end of Wednesday to lift people to safety as the military races against time to rescue citizens while a fragile ceasefire holds. Harry Stedman reports: British nationals face dangerous journeys to Sudan evacuation site Braverman appears to rule out safe and legal routes for refugees from Sudan Wednesday 26 April 2023 19:00 , Martha Mchardy Suella Braverman has appeared to rule out introducing safe and legal routes to the UK for refugees trying to escape the conflict in Sudan. The Home Secretary confirmed on Tuesday the Government has no plans to consider making provisions for civilians from the war-torn country to access Britain. During a visit to Northamptonshire, Ms Braverman was asked about the prospect of turning efforts towards helping those trying to flee Khartoum once the evacuation of British nationals has been completed. Nina Lloyd reports: Braverman appears to rule out safe and legal routes for refugees from Sudan Sudanese crowd at borders to escape amid shaky truce Wednesday 26 April 2023 18:30 , Martha Mchardy Sudanese families were massing at a border crossing with Egypt and at a main port on Wednesday, desperately trying to escape their countrys violence and sometimes waiting for days with little food or shelter, witnesses said. In the capital, Khartoum, the intensity of fighting eased on the second day of a three-day truce. Taking advantage of relative calm, many residents in Khartoum and the neighbouring city of Omdurman emerged from their homes to seek food and water, lining up at bakeries or grocery stores, after days of being trapped inside by the fighting between the army and a rival paramilitary group. Some inspected shops or homes that had been destroyed or looted.There is a sense of calm in my area and neighbourhoods, said Mahasen Ali, a tea vendor who lives in Khartoums southern neighbourhood of May. But all are afraid of whats next. Still, gunfire and explosions could be heard in the city, though residents said clashes were in more limited pockets, mainly around the militarys headquarters and the Republican Palace in central Khartoum and around bases in Omdurman across the Nile River. British military assures Sudan evacuations can continue even if ceasefire breaks Wednesday 26 April 2023 18:00 , Martha Mchardy Air evacuations of British nationals from an airfield near Sudans capital can continue even if the fragile ceasefire breaks, military chiefs have assured. More than 300 people have been airlifted from Wadi Saeedna airstrip near Khartoum since the pause in fierce fighting was agreed but thousands more may need help fleeing. Brigadier Dan Reeve, chief of joint force operations, the RAF can move 500 people per day on five aircrafts but that could be increased by calling on more, or larger, planes. Sam Blewett reports: British military assures Sudan evacuations can continue even if ceasefire breaks In pictures: First British nationals arrive in UK from Sudan Wednesday 26 April 2023 17:30 , Martha Mchardy Evacuees, believed to be British nationals, arrive at Stansted Airport following evacuation from Sudan (REUTERS) (REUTERS) Wahied and Fatima Hassan, evacuees from Halfaya near Khartoum, Sudan, pose for a picture (REUTERS) (REUTERS) (REUTERS) (PA) (PA) UN warns of immense suffering for years as first Britons land back in UK Wednesday 26 April 2023 16:58 , Martha Mchardy The UN has warned of immense suffering for years in Sudan as the first Britons land back in UK. The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres warned prolonged fighting in Sudan could cause years of immense suffering, and that the conflict could not be resolved on the battlefield. The comments come as more than 300 Britons have been evacuated from Sudan as the military races against time to bring people to safety before a 72-hour ceasefire ends. The first plane landed at Stansted Airport at around 2.30pm from Lanarca, Cyprus. There were children on the flight, a Foreign Office spokesperson said. However, No.10 has confirmed only British passport holders and their dependents are being evacuated - meaning some NHS doctors stranded in Sudan who are non-British and visa holders will not be able to seek safety. The warring factions in Sudan have agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire starting on Tuesday, while Western, Arab and Asian nations raced to evacuate their citizens from the country. The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) said the US and Saudi Arabia mediated the truce. The UK has said it will pursue all avenues to help British citizens still trapped in Khartoum. With around 4,000 UK citizens possibly stranded amid deadly street fighting and a shortage of food, water and electricity, the government is pursuing all diplomatic avenues in removing British nationals from Sudan, Downing Street said. Sudan crisis exposes governments Refugee Ban Bill as inhumane, says Choose Love CEO Wednesday 26 April 2023 16:08 , Martha Mchardy The Sudan crisis exposes the governments Refugee Ban Bill as inhumane, the Choose Love CEO has said. Josie Naughton said: The Sudan crisis exposes the governments Refugee Ban Bill for what it is: an inhumane piece of legislation belonging to a different era. As the world rises to the challenge of mass displacement from Sudan, the UK is turning its back on the global principles required to maintain refugees rights to protection. Instead, this Bill will rip families apart, re-traumatise survivors of conflict and persecution, and most shamefully of all, it will criminalise and detain unaccompanied children. The worlds displaced population will grow exponentially in the coming decades, international cooperation, compassion and integration is our only solution. WHO fears more deaths in Sudan due to outbreaks and collapse of services Wednesday 26 April 2023 16:00 , Martha Mchardy The World Health Organisation (WHO) expects many more deaths in Sudan due to outbreaks of disease and a lack of essential services amid fighting, its director general said on Wednesday. Battles between Sudans army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary since mid-April has killed at least 459 people and injured more than 4,000, according to the WHO. On top of the number of deaths and injuries caused by the conflict itself, the WHO expects there will be many more deaths due to outbreaks, lack of access to food and water and disruptions to essential health services, including immunization, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Mr Tedros added that only 16 per cent of health facilities were functioning in the Sudanese capital. WHO estimates that one quarter of the lives lost so far could have been saved with access to basic haemorrhage control. But paramedics, nurses and doctors are unable to access injured civilians, and civilians are unable to access services. The U.N. health body was carrying out a risk assessment to determine whether the seizure of a laboratory in Khartoum housing pathogens represented a risk to public health. When lab workers are forced to leave a laboratory and untrained people enter that laboratory, there are always risks, but the risks are primarily to those individuals first and foremost to accidentally expose themselves to the pathogens, said Mike Ryan, head of WHOs health emergencies programme. However, the absence of clean water and vaccines, as well as other sanitation issues, represented the main risk to Sudanese, he added. Sudan Doctors Union warn of hospitals taken out of service due to fighting Wednesday 26 April 2023 15:50 , Martha Mchardy The Sudan Doctors Union in the UK published a letter on Monday warning major hospitals and healthcare facilities had been taken out of service due to structural damage from direct hits or/and an inability to safely provide healthcare personnel. It said there are serious shortages in all sorts of medical supplies and life-saving medicines, along with the lack of water, electricity, and fuel which is complicating the healthcare response on the ground. We urge the UK and US Governments and the European Union to put the escalating humanitarian crisis in Sudan at the top of their agenda so we can save lives. Current efforts should focus on an immediate and permanent cessation of all military activity in Sudan and the provision of safe passage for civilians to and from healthcare facilities. The provision of life-saving drugs and intravenous solutions is urgent as well as restoring blood bank services, the letter said. Overnight construction along I-25 between South Academy Boulevard and Santa Fe Avenue will begin next week as part of the Military Access, Mobility, and Safety Improvement Project, according to a press release from the Colorado Department of Transportation. Officials said beginning at 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, May 4, drivers can anticipate left lane closures along northbound I-25 between mile markers 132 and 135, with marked detours provided. Closures will be instituted between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. On Thursday, May 4, northbound traffic along the interstate will be directed to the newly constructed southbound lanes, separated by temporary barriers, to allow for the construction of the new northbound lanes, according to the release. Motorists can expect new on- and off-ramps, lane closures, ramp closures and several detours with the traffic switch, CDOT said. The Military Access, Safety, and Mobility Project is an $161 million project with the goal of promoting safety and efficiency throughout roadways in west and south Colorado Springs. 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. The delivery of these improvements will strengthen and enhance the redundancy of strategic movement between the nationally significant El Paso County military installations of Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, and Schriever Space Force Base, according to CDOT. Hey, TechCrunch people. If you're looking for a recap of the week's news in tech, you've come to the right place. It's Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch's regular recap column. Glad to have you. Before we get on with the meat of it, a PSA that tickets for TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 are available now. Disrupt, of course, is TechCrunch's flagship in-person event, focused on founders, investors and the future of tech year after year. In San Francisco on September 1921, expect to hear from thought leaders in the fields of AI, fintech, hardware, sustainability, SaaS, security and more. It'll be well worth the trip. In the nearer term, tune into the next TechCrunch Live show, which will spotlight Cambrian BioPharma, a startup billing itself as a pharmaceutical outfit with a revolutionary approach to managing drug development. Founder James Peyer will be joined by Maryanna Saenko of Future Ventures, who invested in Cambrian's Series A, B and C rounds. Now, without further ado! most read Elon exposed: Elon Musk tweeted a photo on Monday night that showed him logged into his Twitter account, advertising to content creators how they can activate monetization features on Twitter. Unfortunately for Musk, people werent paying much attention to the fact that he has 24.7K paid subscribers instead, some users realized that he appeared to be logged into another account, Amanda writes -- possibly his burner. Oops. SpaceX finds success in failure: SpaceX launched a fully integrated Starship launch vehicle for the first time last Thursday, a long-awaited and highly anticipated milestone in the vehicle development program. Despite its fiery fate, the test was a success, Aria reports: SpaceX got tons of valuable data that will inform future Starship and Super Heavy prototypes. Tile, but for cats: Tile, the AirTag rival now owned by Life360, this week launched a new cat-tracking tag to help pet owners find their furry friends. The new device, "Tile for Cats," is essentially a modified version of the Tile Sticker with a silicone collar attachment that costs $39.99. Ivan has more. Story continues Epic loss: Apple has won its antitrust-focused appeals court battle with Fortnite maker Epic Games over its App Store policies, Sarah reports. The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld the district courts earlier ruling related to Epic Games antitrust claims in favor of Apple, but it also upheld the lower courts judgment in favor of Epic under Californias Unfair Competition Law. Holmes avoids prison: Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes will not be heading off to prison this week to begin serving an 11-year sentence, as first reported by the WSJ. Though earlier this month U.S. District Court Judge Edward Davila denied her request to remain free while she appeals her conviction, this week she asked the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals directly if she could stay out of prison while her case makes its way through the appeals process; the request automatically puts her reporting date on hold while the court considers her request, writes Connie. Protestors sting back: A Missouri government tip site for submitting complaints and concerns about gender-affirming care is down after people flooded it with fanfiction, rambling anecdotes and the "Bee Movie" script. The Missouri Attorney Generals office launched the online form for "Transgender Center Concerns" in late March, inviting those whove witnessed troubling practices at clinics that provide gender-affirming care to submit tips, Morgan reports. Twitter pushes advertisers to pay up: As Twitters legacy blue check mark system finally comes to an end, the social networks new paid-for verification system is causing more than a little chaos, with CEO Elon Musk himself stepping in to pay for some celebrities verification when they refuse to do so. However, another little nugget to emerge from the carnage this week is that anyone looking to advertise on Twitter will now seemingly have to have a verified account, Paul reports. WhatsApp across devices: WhatsApp is finally rolling out multidevice login support for more than one phone. Mark Zuckerberg announced the features rollout on Facebook and Instagram, clarifying that users can log into the same WhatsApp account on up to four phones. Until now, you could only use one WhatsApp account on one phone and multiple companion desktop devices. audio TechCrunch is cross-medium, in case you weren't aware. The crew maintains a fantastic (in this writer's humble opinion) slate of podcasts for your edification and enjoyment -- so consider giving them a listen if you haven't already. This week on Equity, Ankur Nagpal, the entrepreneur behind Teachable, Ocho and Vibe Capital, spoke about the future of solo GPs; how Ankur built, sold, pivoted and launched in public; and the importance of brand and succession. And Found -- live from TechCrunch's Early Stage event in Boston -- was joined by Russ Wilcox, who founded E Ink and is currently a partner at Pillar VC. TechCrunch+ TC+ subscribers get access to in-depth commentary, analysis and surveys -- which you know if youre already a subscriber. If youre not, consider signing up. Here are a few highlights from this week: Slow revenue growth: Public tech firms are for the most part on a moderate pace of trailing growth in the most recent fiscal quarter. Alex breaks down what that means -- as well as the broader implications. Founders change their pitch: More and more founders are adapting their pitches and business strategies to be more downturn-friendly, Natasha M writes. Now that it's been over a year since tech's current period correction first began, founders are getting more innovative in how they approach breaking their pitch. Capital efficiency is the new VC filter for startups: Igor Shaversky, a partner at Waveup, writes about which metrics startups should track to understand where they stand on the capital efficiency scale. Spring flooding on the upper Mississippi River has reached nearly historic levels this year, the result of overwhelming and quick snowmelt from Minnesota and Wisconsin. The water is drenching fields and parks, impeding transportation and creeping into homes and businesses. Communities have come together to sandbag and wait out the worst of it until the river begins to return to its banks, and they can start cleaning up the damage left behind. Here are five things to know about what's unfolding. More: As heavy, wet snow melts, upper Mississippi River floods to near record levels Floodwaters are among the highest levels on record In the spring 1965, the upper river flooded to its highest level ever recorded, causing $225 million in property damage. The second-highest floodwaters, at least in many locations, were recorded in spring 2001. Now, in La Crosse and Prairie du Chien, the river has reached its third-highest level ever. Several other locations along the river recorded levels that are in the all-time top five, according to Jordan Wendt, service hydrologist at the National Weather Service's La Crosse office. It's a result of all the snow we got during the winter You surely haven't forgotten how winter unfolded across Wisconsin and Minnesota, and then dropped what seemed like weekly wet, heaving snowstorms in the last few months. The river floods every year due to snowmelt, but this year, an abundance of heavy snow held an extreme amount of water. Then, when the region experienced a string of 70-degree days in mid-April, that snow melted and water began pouring into tributaries on its way to the Mississippi. Forecasters initially feared that the floodwaters could be worse than the 2001 levels or even approach 1965 levels, Wendt said. But the soil, still on the drier side from last fall's drought, soaked up water for the first three days of the melt, taking the edge off before it started running toward the river and flooding. Story continues More: Heavy, wet snow in upper Wisconsin, Minnesota raises risk of serious Mississippi River flooding The flooding is shutting down roads and halting river barges Several locks and dams on the upper river are closed due to high water, meaning barges can't move upriver and downriver with goods that need to be delivered. Patrick Moes, deputy public affairs chief for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' St. Paul District, said some locks are closed because the water levels are higher than the lock itself, which boats use to pass through different sections of the river. That's the case in Alma. In other places, swirling currents were pushing barges too close to the dams. As of late in the week, the Great River Road, also known as Wisconsin Hwy. 35, was closed in Fountain City. A bridge that connects Lansing, Iowa, to the De Soto area in Wisconsin had been shut down so officials could inspect the integrity of the attached dike. (The same state highway also was because a train derailed in the area Thursday, sending two cars into the river. It's unclear if high water had any impact on the incident.) More: Train derails in Wisconsin, south of De Soto in Crawford County along Mississippi River Far southwestern Wisconsin and northeast Iowa were hit hardest Prairie du Chien and McGregor, Iowa, which sit near the spot where the Wisconsin River joins up to the Mississippi, were hit particularly hard during this spring's flooding. So much water was rushing in from the Wisconsin River that it was creating a "backwater effect," Wendt said essentially forming a small lake where the water waited until it could flow down the Mississippi. The river will start receding over the next week The river has crested in many upriver communities and the floodwaters will slowly begin to recede. Then cleanup will begin, clearing away mud and debris washed ashore by the swollen river and inspecting properties that were inundated for mold. Nate Melby is the fire chief in the Town of Campbell on low-lying French Island, near the city of La Crosse, where floodwaters infiltrated some homes. "On the way down it takes forever," he said, "because you didn't think about that part." Madeline Heim is a Report for America corps reporter who writes about environmental issues in the Mississippi River watershed and across Wisconsin. Contact her at 920-996-7266 or mheim@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mississippi river floods: 5 things to know about why this year is bad John Roark/AP Jurors in the trial of doomsday mom Lori Vallow this week heard how two of her children were murdered and buried in her apocalypse-obsessed new husbands Idaho backyard. The gut-wrenching revelations, which made at least one Ada County juror cry, will weigh heavily on jurors when they have to decide if Vallow was part of a conspiracy to kill 7-year-old son Joshua JJ Vallow and 16-year-old daughter Tylee Ryan in 2019, legal experts said. When you combine how horrific these murders were with her religious and cultish beliefs and her actions after her childrens disappearanceher seeming lack of concern for their disappearancesall that testimony unveiled shows it was a great week for the prosecution in proving their case beyond a reasonable doubt, criminal defense attorney Silva Megerditchian, who is not involved in the case, told The Daily Beast. The condition of how the childrens bodies were found was emotional, particularly barbaric, and will have a huge effect on that jury. The prosecution has structured a very strong case. Prosecutors say that Vallow and her author husband Chad Daybell conspired to kill the kids and then a month later killed his first wife, Tammy Daybell, by asphyxiation for an insurance and Social Security payout. So far, the trial has focused on Vallow and Daybells membership in a renegade branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and her bizarre behavior after her children were officially declared missing. Prosecutors say Vallow initially lied about the whereabouts of her kidsthen ceased all cooperation and communication with authorities until her arrest. Duncan Levin, a criminal defense attorney not involved in the case, told The Daily Beast that the prosecutions decision to focus on Vallows religious beliefs early on in the trial allowed them to establish a motive for the murders before they moved on to the physical evidence. That physical evidence was presented in grisly detail by several prosecution witnesses, including Dr. Garth Warren, who works for the Ada County Coroners Office. Story continues The Disturbing Searches on Doomsday Mom Lori Vallows Internet History He testified that JJ was smothered with a white plastic bag duct-taped over his head. His body was found in a pet cemetery by authorities in June 2020 near his older sister, who died by unspecified means and was dismembered and buried in a fire pit. JJ was still wearing a red pajama set when he was found and had bruises on his arms and a scrape on his neck. A toxicology report concluded that he was found with low levels of ethanol, the date-rape drug GHB, and caffeine in his system. Warren said it was unclear if the GHB was a naturally occurring product or was given to the child. Jurors were also shown gruesome photos. The testimony regarding JJs death was especially graphic and hurts Vallow, Megerditchian said. The asphyxiation, the plastic bag found over his headadd to that the GHB and alcohol found in his system, shows a particular heinousness. Experts say if jurors had any doubt about whether Vallow is guilty, the witnesses who followed Warren could have changed their minds. Megerditchian said the testimony takes away any doubt that the killings could have been an accident. This is an extremely violent act that they will argue, probably successfully, requires some amount of deliberation, Levin added. The prosecution will be sure to use that to support its theory that Vallow and her co-conspirator, Chad Daybell, had a motive and intent to kill the victims. The horrendous details the jury heard include the explanation of how investigators determined that Tylee had been hacked by a serrated, bladed tool and torched after her murder. (Her remains were so badly burned, they were found melted in two different places in the backyard.) Douglas Halepaska, who works for the FBI lab in the firearms and tool marks division, testified that he examined several sharp trauma areas on Tylees bones. While he could not determine the exact tool used, he concluded it could have been a machete, hatchet, or cleaver. A retired Idaho State Police analytical chemist, David Sincerbeaux, testified that he found gasoline on Tylees flesh and other debris on Daybells property. A forensic biologist with the Idaho State Police, Katie Dace, testified about where she found Tylees DNA. Revealed: Doomsday Moms Hubby Wanted to Start Child-Free Life in Hawaii I found several presumptive positive blood stains on the tools and on several of the tools I found what could be charred flesh, Dace said, according to EastIdahoNews. Dace also testified that duct tape found on JJs ankles, hands, mouth, and around the plastic bag wrapped around his head had irregular edges, leading her to believe someone tore it with their mouth. Experts predicted the defense will argue the details of the deaths do not necessarily implicate Vallow. One way theyll certainly try to do this is by arguing that Vallow was coerced or manipulated by Chad Daybell and that he was the true mastermind behind the murders, Levin said. One witnesss testimony, however, may be hard for the defense to explain. Tara Martinez, a forensic scientist with the Idaho State Police, testified that she found a fingerprint on a piece of plastic with JJs remains that matched Lori Vallows late brother, Alex Cox. Another print also matched his palm. Cox, who fatally shot his sisters former husband, Charles Vallow, in apparent self-defense, died in December 2019 from a blood clot. Vallow is facing a separate set of charges in Arizona for allegedly conspiring to murder Charles in July 2019. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said the defense is sure to try to blame Daybell or Cox for the killingsbut jurors weighing Vallows fate may not be able to look past the ghastliness of the evidence. The shock and awe of the prosecutions case clinched a guilty verdict. The jurors wont be able to look past JJs asphyxiation or Tylers dismemberment, Rahmani said. Adding Loris bizarre behavior when her children were missing and her own family members disbelief in her innocence, we are well on our way to a guilty verdict. 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 Vice President Mike Pence stands with former Gov. Gary Herbert at an event at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. The event was hosted by the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke at a private event in Salt Lake City on Friday about the tragedy of the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, his related grand jury testimony on Thursday, and what he thinks the Republican Party should focus on going into the 2024 election. Pence has been floated as a potential presidential candidate, and he appears to be preparing for a run as he crisscrosses the U.S. doing speaking events in support of his memoir, So Help Me God. Known for his strong Christian faith, Pence said his book was a record of Gods faithfulness in both he and his wife, Karen, who was also at the event. The event was hosted by former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, in conjunction with the public policy institute named for Herbert at Utah Valley University. Herbert asked Pence questions and the two former governors Pence was the governor of Indiana in the 2010s joked about their previous interactions. Related Pences visit to Utah came just a day after he testified to a grand jury for seven hours. The jury is exploring whether criminal charges should be filed against former President Donald Trump for his role in seeking to overturn the 2020 election results. Earlier this week, a federal appeals court rejected Trumps attempt to stop Pence from testifying. Pence had also opposed the grand jury subpoena on the grounds that his role as president of the Senate should provide him congressional privilege. In that case, Pence was allowed to avoid some lines of questioning over the conflict. Pence has not shied away from talking about his anger with Trump over his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, when protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol Building. In his memoir, Pence said he told Trump he was angry over Trumps actions that day. He also recounted how he, his wife and daughter had to huddle in the Capitol garage to escape rioters who were reportedly chanting, Hang Mike Pence! Story continues Pence demurred when Herbert asked him about what he said in his seven hours of grand jury testimony the day before, saying he was very limited in what he could discuss. Former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen Pence, arrive at an event at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. The event was hosted by the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News If people are curious about what I might say, you can look at the interviews that Ive done over the last six months, and you can read the pages of my book, he said. The audience gave Pence a sustained standing ovation after he spoke about his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, and how he believed it was a tragic day, that became a triumph of freedom, because the institutions and Constitution held strong. I will always believe by Gods grace with my wife at my side the whole day, the whole night, and our daughter beside her Ill always believe it was by Gods grace that we did our duty that day under the Constitution of the United States, he said. He also declined to answer a question about his plans for a presidential run in 2024. He has hovered in third or fourth place in early presidential primary polls, trailing behind Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Pences decision to run will likely be based on his ability to raise money, and on whether he is able to capture the lane once held by conservative evangelical Republicans. He may have some competition in that lane from other candidates, including South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott who is exploring a run. Pence did seem to try to set himself apart from Trump and DeSantis with a more optimistic message. Ive often said to people, Im a conservative but Im not in a bad mood about it, he said. Pence also weighed in on what he thought the Republican Party should focus on in the lead-up to the election, saying candidates should focus on the future. In the 2022 midterms, those caught up on re-litigating the past, he said, did not fair as well making a not-so-veiled reference to candidates who were focused on false claims that the 2020 election was rigged. Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at an event at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. The event was hosted by the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News He also said repeatedly that the problems faced by the country would also be solved through strong leadership. Pence had harsh words for the policies of the Biden administration, saying he thought Democrats had been overtaken by the politics of the radical left. His criticisms focused on Bidens policies on immigration, energy, spending and foreign defense. Im here to tell you hope is on the way, he said. I truly do believe we are eight months away from a great American comeback and itll start right here. When asked what he thought the biggest challenges were facing the country, Pence named the rise of China and the nations debt. He said China was a strategic and economic threat to the vitality and future of the United States. On the debt, Pence spoke about his worries for his three granddaughters and he touched the so-called third rail of politics by speaking in favor of entitlement reform. Despite possible blowback from Trump, who has criticized his fellow Republicans who are willing to speak in favor of Social Security and Medicare reform, Pence said Social Security should be reformed for younger workers those who dont share his white hair color, he said. He also acknowledged the Trump-Pence administration didnt do everything we needed to do to rein in spending. During their administration, the national debt increased before the COVID-19 pandemic, and then shot up in its wake. Herbert also asked Pence about immigration. While Pence and Trump were known for their focus on a border wall, Herbert said lawmakers also need to provide a gate for immigrants. Pence said immigration reform should start with border security, but he said there was a need to fix the doors. On lawmakers inability to compromise, Pence said Washington acts when they feel a gale-force wind of pressure from the American people. He also spoke about the need for civility in Washington, and his friendship with the late Democratic congressman John Lewis of Georgia. While he didnt agree with Lewis politically, the two struck up a friendship, he said, leading to Lewis inviting Pence to lead a commemorative walk across the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in 2010. On the Republican Partys struggles with younger voters, Pence said he thinks the younger generation values freedom, and he said that will eventually drive them away from Democratic policies. Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks with former Gov. Gary Herbert at an event at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. The event was hosted by the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News Former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen Pence, accept a gift from former Gov. Gary Herbert and his wife, Jeanette, at an event at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. The event was hosted by the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at an event at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. The event was hosted by the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News Former Vice President Mike Pence shakes hands with Boyd Matheson of KSL Newsradio after an interview at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News Former Vice President Mike Pence talks to journalists during an interview after speaking at an event at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News Ethiopians suing Meta for failing to adequately moderate content that amplified violence that left over half-a-million people dead during the Tigray War have been granted the go-ahead to serve the social media giant outside Kenya. This is the latest case that seeks to compel Facebook to stop amplifying violent, hateful and inciteful posts. A Kenyan court on Thursday granted petitioners leave to serve Meta in California, U.S., after they failed to trace the social media giants office locally. It emerged that while Meta has business operations in Kenya, it doesn't have a physical office, as its local employees work remotely. The decision lays the groundwork for the beginning of a lawsuit filed in December last year by Kenyan rights group Katiba Institute, and Ethiopian researchers Fisseha Tekle and Abrham Meareg. Meareg's father, professor Meareg Amare Abrha, was killed during the Tigray War after posts on Facebook doxed and called for violence against him, the lawsuit alleges. The petitioners seek to compel Meta to stop viral hate on Facebook, ramp up content review at the moderation hub in Kenya, and to create a $1.6 billion compensation fund. The petitioners allege that Facebooks algorithm amplified hateful and inciteful posts that drew more interactions and kept users logged in for longer. They claim Facebook under-invested in human content review at the hub in Kenya, risking lives as it ignored, rejected or acted sluggishly to take down posts that also violated its community standards. Meareg said his family has firsthand experience of how flawed content moderation could endanger lives, and break up families. He claims his father was murdered after Meta failed to act on repeated requests to take down posts that targeted him and other Tigrayans, as calls for massacre against the ethnic group spread online and offline. The Tigray War, which lasted two years, erupted in November 2020 after the Ethiopian army clashed with Tigray forces, leaving 600,000 people dead. Story continues My father was killed because posts published on Facebook identified him, accused him falsely, leaked the address of where he lives and called for his death, said Meareg, a former PhD student, adding that he was forced to flee the country and seek asylum in the U.S. after his fathers death. My fathers case is not an isolated one. Around the time of the posts and his death, Facebook was saturated with hateful, inciteful and dangerous postsmany other tragedies like ours have taken place, he said. Meta declined to comment. Meareg says he reported the posts he came across, but his reports were either rejected or ignored. He claims to have reported several posts in 2021, including one that contained dead bodies, and some of those posts were still on the social site by the time he went to court last December. He faulted Facebooks content review, saying the hub in Kenya had only 25 moderators responsible for Amharic, Tigrinya and Oromo content, which left out 82 other languages without personnel to moderate. Meta previously told TechCrunch that it employed teams and technology to help it remove hate speech and incitement, and that it had partners and staff with local knowledge to help it develop methods to catch violating content. A flaw has been allowed to grow within Facebook, transforming it into a weapon for spreading hatred, violence and even genocide," said Martha Dark, director of Foxglove, a tech justice NGO supporting the case. "Meta could take real action, today, to pull the plug on hatred spreading across Facebook." This is not the first time Meta is being accused of fueling violence in Ethiopia. Whistleblower Frances Haugen previously accused it of literally fanning ethnic violence in Ethiopia, and a Global Witness investigation also noted that Facebook was poor at detecting hate speech in the main language of Ethiopia. Rights groups, activists and whistleblowers last week co-signed an open letter calling on Facebook to make changes to its algorithm and put in better protections. Currently, social media platforms including Facebook remain blocked in Ethiopia since early February after state-led plans to split Ethiopian Orthodox Tewhado Church caused anti-government protests. Adding to Meta's troubles in Kenya Meta is facing three lawsuits in Kenya. The company and its content review partner in sub-Saharan Africa, Sama, were sued in Kenya last May for exploitation and union busting by Daniel Motaung, a former content moderator. Motaung claimed to have been fired by Sama for organizing a 2019 strike that sought to unionize Samas employees. He was suing Meta and Sama for forced labor, exploitation, human trafficking, unfair labor relations, union busting and failure to provide adequate mental health and psychosocial support. Meta sought to have its name struck off the suit, saying Motaung was not its employee, and that the Kenyan court had no jurisdiction over it. However, it failed to stop the lawsuit after the court ruled that it had a case to answer, as some aspects of how the company operates in the country make it liable. The social media giant has appealed the courts decision. Earlier this month, Meta was sued alongside Sama and another content review partner, Majorel, by 183 content moderators who alleged they were laid off unlawfully and blacklisted. The moderators claimed they were fired by Sama unlawfully after it wound down its content review arm, and that Meta instructed its new Luxembourg-based partner, Majorel, to blacklist ex-Sama content moderators. Meta sought to be struck out of this case as well, but last week, the Kenyan court said it had jurisdiction over employer-employee disputes and "matters of alleged unlawful and unfair termination of employment on grounds of redundancy and that it had power to enforce alleged violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms by Meta, Sama and Majorel. Updated to include thoughts shared in an open letter to Meta by rights groups, activists, and whistleblowers Reuters Freddy vs. Jason. Alien vs. Predator. We can now add fascists vs. satanists to this list of iconic crossovers, after the white nationalist group Patriot Front showed up in Boston on Saturday to protest SatanCon 2023. For the last few days, self-described devil-worshippers from across the country have been converging on the city for what has been advertised as the largest Satanic gathering in history. Yet the Beelzebub blowout also attracted 100 or so Christian protesters, who were joined by the designated hate group on Saturday afternoon. Patriot Front members were spotted taking the train in their characteristic khaki pants, ball caps, and white face masks, as other riders confronted them over their views and posted the interactions to social media. 2/ neo-Nazis patriot front getting a mouthful from antifascist legend @AntuanCDR in Boston#patriotfront pic.twitter.com/FYRmFoMuny Rod Webber (@RodWebber) April 29, 2023 When they arrived at the event, counter-protesters chanting Nazis, go home, streamed their demonstration on Twitch. Other Christian demonstrators held signs claiming that Satan has NO Rights! and warning the Homosexuals, baby killers, idolaters, unbelieving, liars, drunkards, gossips, cowards, thieves, mockers, fornicators presumably in attendance that hellfire awaits. Yet the protesters seem to have committed their own transgression in the process, violating an explicit order from the Archdiocese of Boston for them not to organize or encourage others to go to the event to protest and to stick to praying instead. Satanists held an opening ceremony at 10th anniversary of Satancon in Boston Massachusetts. Organizers say it the largest satanic gathering in history. Bibles and Thin Blue Line flags were destroyed. pic.twitter.com/MP3mJ1Lozd Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) April 28, 2023 Organizers of the sold-out event advertised satanic ceremonies, a satanic wedding chapel, and panel discussion on topics including Reclaiming the Trans Body and Deconstructing Your Religious Upbringing as major draws for the conference, held by the Satanic Temple, which this year marks its 10th anniversary. Story continues The organization views Satan not as the embodiment of evil but instead as a figure who dares to question authority, and it advocates for various causes, including abortion and the separation of church and state. The mission of the Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense, oppose injustice and undertake noble pursuits, the Satanic Temples website says. This stands in contrast to the position advocated by the Patriot Front, which the Anti-Defamation League calls a white supremacist group whose members maintain that their ancestors conquered America and bequeathed it to them, and no one else. The group was born in the aftermath of the infamous 2017 Unite the Right in Charlottesville, Virginia, which resulted in the murder of protester Heather Heyer. Patriot Front has demonstrated in Boston before, recently leading a procession of nearly 100 masked men through the city on July 2, 2022, sparking an altercation that resulted in one man being injured. 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. EAST LANSING Scientists may be one step closer to being able to protect Earth from objects on a collision course, and Michigan State University says its students and faculty are playing a role in making that happen. Seth Jacobson, an MSU assistant professor and planetary scientist, recently helped NASA confirm that its Double Asteroid Redirect Test successfully diverted an asteroid from its initial path. Undergraduate students who belong to the MSU Observatory Research Program, including senior Emma Dugan, also are working on a variety of projects, including DART, as part of their academic careers. In the DART test, NASA sent an Impactor spacecraft barreling into an asteroid named Dimorphos , which orbits a larger asteroid named Didymos, at 13,000 mph. The collision was roughly 7 million miles away from Earth, which is close enough to see with telescopes like the one at the MSU Observatory. The James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble both looked at the asteroid before and after impact, but its really expensive to do that, Dugan said. At MSU, Dugan and her MORP colleagues could watch the asteroid every clear night for a month. Jacobson recently contributed to a paper published in the journal "Nature" thats part of the first wave of analysis showing how NASA successfully knocked a near-Earth asteroid off its initial path, MSU said in a press release. The best part of this story is the astronomy students at the MSU Observatory, said Jacobson, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences . The undergrads are driving research at the observatory. Theyre out there observing all night. They finish their classes, have dinner, stay up until 5 oclock in the morning at the observatory, and still make their classes the next day. The MSU Observatory has a decades-long history of providing undergraduates hands-on research experience and more than a dozen took part in watching the DART test and compiling data. Although MORPs data wasnt included in the first round of publications detailing the asteroid deflection, the team has new papers in the works, Jacobson said. Story continues Dugan, a student in MSU's Department of Physics and Astronomy, works with Joey Rodriguez , an assistant professor in the College of Natural Science who also oversees undergraduate research at the observatory. As part of Rodriguez's team, Dugan studies exoplanets, but she took part in work that was part of DART. The DART mission was happening at the perfect time, Dugan said. After I heard Seths talk, we realized the observatory would be capable of seeing the asteroid. From there, we wanted to find out if we could get any useful data. It was really hard to know what to expect going into this, Dugan said. It wasnt like anything we had observed before. In addition to Dugan, about 15 other undergraduates, and former postdoctoral researcher Kirill Sokolovsky, who is now with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, took part in the tracking effort. The observatory completely changed the track I was on, Dugan said. In a very good way. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan State professors, students work with NASA on collision test Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed into law a bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Gianforte, a Republican, signed the legislation Friday, and it is scheduled to take effect October 1, the Montana Free Press reports. He supported the measure over objections from his gay nonbinary son, David Gianforte. The Human Rights Campaign termed the measure draconian and said it was made worse than its original version because of amendments requested by the Republican governor. Senate Bill 99 is a wide-ranging bill that would make it effectively impossible for health care practitioners to provide age-appropriate, best practice, gender affirming care to transgender youth, says an HRC press release. It would also forbid state employees who work with minors from promoting treatment for gender dysphoria, chilling the ability of educators, public health workers, child care workers, and employees of state medical facilities to be able to do their job. Recipients of Montana Medicaid and the CHIP program will not be able to receive coverage for gender-affirming care. Health care professionals who violate the law could see their licenses suspended for up to a year. SB 99 further allows them to be sued for up to 25 years after performing a banned procedure, and these procedures could not be covered by malpractice insurance. Banned treatments for people under 18 include puberty blockers, hormones, and surgeries if done for the purpose of gender transition; theyre allowed for young people who have a disorder of sexual development. Genital surgeries are almost never performed on minors. The ban on the promotion of treatment applies to social transition as well as medical. Officials with the Movement Advancement Project said its the first legislation they know of that restricts social transition. The legislative process for SB 99 was particularly contentious. Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr, one of the first trans lawmakers in Montana, told her colleagues theyd have blood on your hands if they approved the bill. Republicans, who hold a majority in the legislature, then barred Zephyr from speaking on the House floor for the rest of this years session. Some citizens who came to the capitol to demonstrate their support for her were arrested. Story continues LGBTQ+ activists and allies expressed hope Friday that the law would be blocked by court action. Akilah Deernose, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana, responded to the bills signing by saying See you in court, the Free Press reports. My bottom line to families is that this care remains legal, Kathryn Lowe, a Bozeman pediatrician and member of the Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told the publication. To all the families who are panicking, who are moving, who are listing their houses to sell we have great hope that [SB 99] will never take effect. Zephyr added, These bills are as cruel as they are unconstitutional. And I have no doubt that they will go down in court. But at this moment we have to care for our communities given that the government has failed to do so. Governor Gianforte is an extremist, and the last thing he cares about is the well-being of transgender kids, said a statement from Cathryn Oakley, HRCs state legislative director and senior counsel. The care he and the legislature have forbidden today is age-appropriate, best practice care supported by the entire American medical establishment care that helps children grow into their full potential. This bill prevents certain kids from getting potentially life-saving health care simply because those kids are transgender and thats discrimination. Montana families deserve so much better. This week Gianforte also signed House Bill 361, which states that it is not discrimination to refer to a student by their legal name or the sex they were assigned at birth that is, to deadname or misgender them. A bill is still pending that would define sex according to a persons reproductive capability, as is one restricting drag performances. Other states that have outlawed most or all gender-affirming care for trans minors through legislation are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. Florida has put a ban in place through its medical boards and is considering a bill for an even stricter measure. Missouri's attorney general has put out severe restrictions on this care, but they are now temporarily blocked by court action, as are the Alabama and Arkansas bans. Bans are pending in several other states. SpaceX fired off two SES broadband communications satellites from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Friday atop a Falcon 9 rocket, and then tried to launch a ViaSat internet relay station from the nearby Kennedy Space Center aboard a triple-core Falcon Heavy booster. However, a last-minute glitch triggered a frustrating abort at the end of the launch window. SpaceX tweeted that the ViaSat payload, and the rocket the company's most powerful operational booster were healthy and that another launch opportunity was available Saturday. But no details were provided, and it wasn't immediately known if whatever went wrong could be fixed in time to permit a 24-hour turnaround. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasts off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station carrying two broadband relay satellites, the third and fourth launched by the California rocket builder for Luxembourg-based SES. / Credit: SpaceX The scrub capped an especially busy day in space, with the first launch coming just two hours after NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen and United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi completed a 7-hour and one-minute spacewalk outside the International Space Station to make preparations for installation of roll-out solar blankets in June to augment the lab's aging power system. The spacewalkers also tried to bring in a degraded communications antenna back to Earth for refurbishment, but they were foiled by a jammed bolt and were forced to leave it in place to await another attempt on a future spacewalk. It was the eighth spacewalk for Bowen, who now ranks 10th on the list of most experienced spacewalkers, and the first for Alneyadi. "Sultan, you've now entered an exclusive club of humans who have stepped out into the void of space and in doing so, you've marked a milestone for the United Arab Emirates," astronaut Anne McClain radioed from mission control in Houston. "Congratulations to you both." Astronauts Stephen Bowen, left, and United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, right, are seen after a failed attempt to retrieve a degraded 145-pound antenna assembly, center, for return to Earth, refurbishment and relaunch. A stuck bolt prevented the unit's removal from a stowage platform. NASA likely will make another attempt during a future spacewalk. / Credit: NASA Alneyadi, the first Arab astronaut to make both a long-duration flight aboard the ISS and a spacewalk, thanked NASA and the leadership of both countries for the opportunity, saying "it's a great moment for the UAE." "It might be a first in the Arab world, but it definitely won't be the last," he said. "We have astronauts under training now to undergo missions to the ISS, to the lunar surface and to Mars. I would like to thank everone who helped getting us to this moment." Story continues Back on Earth, SpaceX was in the midst of gearing up for a dramatic doubleheader, and what would have been the shortest time between two orbit-class launches since 1966. It also would have been the company's second and third launches in just two days. SpaceX tried to launch a Falcon Heavy rocket Friday evening, but a last-minute abort foiled the company's attempt to launch two rockets within a little more than two hours of each other, the shortest time between two orbit-class launches since 1966. But it was not to be. / Credit: SpaceX On Thursday, a Falcon 9 boosted 46 Starlink internet satellites into space from California, but stormy weather in Florida blocked an attempt to get the Falcon Heavy off the ground carrying the first of three ViaSat broadband relay stations. Despite another gloomy forecast, the ViaSat launch was reset for Friday, shortly after another Falcon 9 launch from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to put the two SES 03b mPOWER medium-altitude internet satellites into orbit. That flight got off the ground at 6:12 p.m. EDT using a first stage making its second flight. Two hours later, the two SES satellites were released to fly on their own as another SpaceX team was fueling the Falcon Heavy for liftoff at 8:26 p.m. SpaceX had hoped to launch the Heavy at 7:29 p.m., but the flight was re-targeted for the end of the launch window because of weather. Everything appeared to be going smoothly as the countdown ticked into its final minutes. Then, at T-minus 59 seconds, when the rocket's flight computer began final checks, the clock stopped and the countdown was aborted. SpaceX provided no immediate explanation, other than to say another launch opportunity was available Saturday. Thursday's Starlink launch, the SES flight Friday and the eventual launch of ViaSat's third-generation satellites, highlight the ongoing competition to deploy internet relay stations in space to provide broadband access to customers anywhere in the world, including rural, hard-to-reach or under-served areas, as well as aircraft and ships at sea that cannot be serviced by traditional suppliers. The satellites illustrate the different architectures being employed, from multi-thousand satellite constellations in low-Earth orbit like SpaceX's Starlink initiative 4,284 Starlinks have been launched to date to ViaSat's plan to launch a handful of much more powerful, high-altitude satellites that can provide broadband access on hemispheric scales. How those competing architectures will play out is anyone's guess, but the rush to stake out a claim on that high frontier is heating up. How Queen Elizabeth's coronation created a TV broadcasting battle in the U.S. Florida principal forced to resign visits Michelangelo's David Bill would ban kids under 13 from using social media Authorities are on the hunt for a suspect following a deadly shooting at a home in Texas in which five people died, including an eight-year-old. Four people were pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting and the fifth died at a hospital in Cleveland, the San Jacinto County Sheriffs Office said early on Saturday. The deceased, who ranged in age from eight to early forties, were from Honduras. The gunman, described as a 39-year-old man from Mexico by authorities, shot his neighbours with an AR-15 style rifle after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep, authorities said Saturday. The shooting, located around 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast of Houston, was reported around 10.30pm local time. Two female victims were found in the bedroom lying on top of two children who survived the ordeal, the report added. The suspect, who has yet to be identified, is believed to have fled the country, the San Jacinto Sheriffs Office said on Saturday morning. He is described as a Hispanic male who is approximately 58 tall, last seen wearing blue jeans with a black shirt and work boots and is described as having short black hair, as reported by ABC. Key Points Five dead in Texas shooting as armed suspect on the loose How a complaint over gun noise turned into a mass murder 23:00 , Andrea Blanco A Texas man allegedly opened fire on his neighbours after they asked him to stop shooting rounds in his yard, authorities in Texas said on Saturday (29 April). Five people, including an eight-year-old child and a 15-year-old girl, were killed in the Friday night violence, according to the San Jacinto County Sheriffs Office. Heres everything we know about the shooting: Everything we know about Texas mass shooting that left five dead Republicans insist most gun violence happens in Democratic cities the figures tell a different story 22:36 , Andrea Blanco Conservatives like to paint Democratic states as crime-ridden warzones, but gun violence is worse in red states, The Independents Josh Marcus writes: Story continues GOP says gun violence mostly happens in Democratic cities the figures disagree Suspect cornered, police say 21:57 , Andrea Blanco According to KHOU11, authorities have moved reporters to an area about 1.5 miles away from the crime scene. The suspect is now cornered, although little is known about the details. The San Jacinto Sheriffs Office said earlier in the day that Oropeza is considered armed and dangerous. This is what we know about the shooting suspect 21:21 , Andrea Blanco Police in Cleveland, Texas, have identified the suspect in Friday nights shooting as 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza. Oropeza, originally from Mexico, has been deported at least twice in the past, Univision 45 Houston reported. According to NPR, Oropeza has been surrounded by police at an unknown location but is not yet in custody. Oropeza was reportedly intoxicated when he allegedly opened fire on his next-door neighbours. Ten people were at the home when the violence took place. Five, including a 15-year-old girl and an eight-year-old, were killed. Three children were found covered in blood and transported to a hospital, where they were determined to be uninjured. How many mass shootings have there been in 2023? 20:53 , Andrea Blanco Among high-income countries around the world, the United States has for years stood out for one reason: its rate of gun violence. Over the last decade, among relatively wealthy countries with populations of 10m or more, the rate of gun violence in the US has far surpassed that of any other nation. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the adjusted firearm homicide rate in the US is 22 times that of the European Union and more than that of Asian countries like Japan and the Republic of Korea. How many mass shootings have there been in 2023? Suspect identified as 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza 20:30 , Andrea Blanco The gunman, identified as 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza, shot his neighbours with an AR-15 style rifle after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep. Oropeza, who is originally from Mexico, is believed to have fled the country. (KHOU11) Gun activists slam Texas Governor Greg Abbotts tweet following Friday shooting 20:04 , Andrea Blanco Gun safety activist and Mothers Demand founder Shannon Watts criticized Mr Abbotts reaction or lack thereof to the massacre. The political leader, who tweeted a picture of his pet dog along with the caption all smiles for the weekend on Saturday, has yet to issue a statement regarding the shooting. The Independent has reached out to his office for comment. This is the Governor of Texas tweet AFTER learning that a gunman armed with an assault rifle opened fire on a family in his state, killing five people, including an 8-year-old, Ms Watts wrote. Brett Cross, who lost his son Uziye in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde last year, also lashed out at the Republican governor for not making mention of the deadly shooting. All smiles this weekend? No mention of the 5 that were murdered for asking a man to quit shooting so they could sleep? Mr Cross tweeted. The same damn smiles after Uvalde. The same damn smiles after Santa Fe. The same damn smiles after El Paso X2. F*** you and your smile. All smiles this weekend? No mention of the 5 that were murdered for asking a man to quit shooting so they could sleep? The same damn smiles after Uvalde. The same damn smiles after Santa Fe. The same damn smiles after El Paso X2. Fuck you and your smile. #chickenshitabbott https://t.co/5nPsTZbLX8 Brett Cross (@BCross052422) April 29, 2023 What do we know about the suspect? 19:09 , Andrea Blanco Police in Cleveland, Texas, have identified the suspect in Friday nights shooting as 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza. Oropeza, originally from Mexico, has been deported at least twice in the past, Univision 45 Houston reported. According to NPR, Oropeza has been surrounded by police at an unknown location but is not yet in custody. Oropeza was reportedly intoxicated when he allegedly opened fire on his next-door neighbours. Ten people were at the home when the violence took place. Five, including a 15-year-old girl and an eight-year-old, were killed. Three children were found covered in blood and transported to a hospital, where they were determined to be uninjured. Fifteen-year-old girl and eight-year-old boy among the victims 18:45 , Andrea Blanco Four people were pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting and the fifth died at a hospital. The deceased, who ranged in age from eight to early forties, were from Honduras. Police have yet to identify the victims WATCH: Five dead, including eight-year-old, in Texas shooting 18:30 , Andrea Blanco Gunman somewhere in the Houston area, authorities at the scene say 18:12 , Andrea Blanco Speaking to reporters at the scene on Sunday morning, authorities said the suspect was somewhere in the Houston area. Univision 45 Houston reports that Francisco Oropeza had been deported at least twice before the violence on Friday. Suspect in deadly shooting surrounded by police 17:59 , Andrea Blanco Francisco Oropeza, the 38-year-old suspect in the massacre on Friday night, is now surrounded by police, NPR reported. The suspect is not in custody. The San Jacinto Sheriffs Office has said in an earlier press release that Oropeza was believed to have fled the country. The Independent has reached out to authorities for comment. Four months into the year, America has seen over 160 mass shootings. When will it stop? 17:28 , Andrea Blanco We dont have to live this way; we dont have to die this way, the Twitter profile for Everytown for Gun Safety tweeted on Saturday, following the senseless massacre in Cleveland, Texas. We don't have to live this way; we don't have to die this way. Our hearts are broken for those whose lives were stolen and all impacted by this horrific act of mass gun violence in Cleveland, Texas. https://t.co/J9op1EzQ3f Everytown (@Everytown) April 29, 2023 Texas gunman kills five neighbours including child, 8, after complaint over him shooting in yard, authorities say 16:55 , Andrea Blanco A Texas man killed five people, including an eight-year-old child, after his neighbour asked him to stop shooting in his yard because their baby was asleep. Four people were pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting and the fifth died at a hospital in Cleveland, the San Jacinto County Sheriffs Office said early Saturday. Read more: Five dead in Texas shooting as armed suspect on the loose Shooting suspect named and pictured 16:38 , Andrea Blanco The gunman, identified as 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza, shot his neighbours with an AR-15 style rifle after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep. Oropeza, who is originally from Mexico, is believed to have fled the country. (KHOU11) Suspect at large 12 hours after shooting 16:11 , Andrea Blanco The suspect in the deadly mass shooting in Cleveland, Texas, has yet to be arrested. The gunman has been described as a 39-year-old Hispanic man, originally .from Mexico, who shot the victims after a neighbour complained about the noise he made while firing rounds in his backyard. The San Jacinto County Sheriffs Office saif on Sunday morning that the suspect is believed to have fled the country. Victims shot execution style, police say 15:43 , Andrea Blanco The youngest victim of the shooting was eight years old. Two female victims were found in the bedroom lying on top of two children who survived the ordeal, the report added. The Honduran ladies that were laying over these children were doing it in such an effort as to protect the child, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said. Authorities have said that a family member walked up to the fence and requested the gunman stopped shooting rounds in his own backyard. The suspect then allegedly responded that it was his property and the violence unfolded. The gunman, described as a 39-year-old man from Mexico who is believed to have fled the country, shot his neighbours with an AR-15 style rifle after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep, authorities said on Saturday. Survivor caught gunman on video moments before violence, police say 15:08 , Andrea Blanco Authorities have said that a family member walked up to the fence and requested the gunman stopped shooting rounds in his own backyard. The suspect then allegedly responded that it was his property and the violence unfolded. One of the survivors reportedly caught the moment the suspect walked into the house with the rifle on video. The suspect is described as approximately 58 tall, last seen wearing blue jeans with a black shirt and work boots and with short black hair, ABC reported. Manhunt after gunman, believed to have fled the country, kills five neighbours 14:54 , Andrea Blanco Scene of mass shooting in Cleveland, Texas, where a man is accused of killing five, including an eight-year-old child, after they asked him to stop firing his gun outside (AP) Police respond to the scene of a shooting early Saturday, April 29, 2023 in Cleveland, Texas. A man went next door with a rifle and began shooting his neighbours, killing several including an 8-year-old inside the house, after the family asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep, authorities said (AP) (KPRC 2) Suspect, 39, shot neighbours over gun noise complaint, police say 14:40 , Andrea Blanco The gunman, described as a 39-year-old man from Mexico who is believed to have fled the country, shot his neighbours with an AR-15 style rifle after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep, authorities said on Saturday. The deceased, who ranged in age from eight to early forties, were from Honduras. Three surviving victims were transported to the hospital, and two other witnesses at the scene were evaluated by first responders and released. Suspect believed to have fled the country 14:16 , Andrea Blanco Montgomery County SWAT arrived to assist and cleared several properties adjacent to the crime scene and determined that the shooter had fled the county, the San Jacinto Sheriffs Office said in a statement on Saturday morning. The suspect has not been identified. A judge has issued an arrest warrant and a $5m bond. Sheriff deputies were on their way to answer harassment complaint when shooting unfolded 14:11 , Andrea Blanco The San Jacinto Sheriffs Office said in a press release on Saturday morning that night shift patrol deputies were dispatched to a residence in reference to a harassment complaint. On their way there, deputies received multiple 911 calls of an active shooter incident at the dispatch location. Five people were found deceased at the residence, including an eight-year-old child. The suspect, who has not been identified, is on the loose. First images of scene as officers hunt shooting suspect 13:50 , Emily Atkinson The San Jacinto County Sheriffs Office also said that the suspect has been known to shoot his 223 out in his front yard, which is evident by the shell casings that are laying in the front yard. (KPRC 2) Night shift deputies were dispatched to a residence after a harassment complaint was called in. (KPRC 2) However, as they were en route, multiple 911 calls were made to the communication centre citing an active shooter. What we know about the suspect so far 13:29 , Emily Atkinson Authorities are still looking for the suspect who appears to be a Mexican male armed with an AR-15 style rifle. They said they are looking for a Hispanic male who is approximately 58 tall, last seen wearing blue jeans with a black shirt and work boots and is described as having short black hair, as reported by ABC. The San Jacinto County Sheriffs Office also said that the suspect has been known to shoot his 223 out in his front yard, which is evident by the shell casings that are laying in the front yard. Five dead in Texas shooting as armed suspect on the loose 13:15 , Emily Atkinson Five people are dead following a shooting at a home in Texas, police have said. Four people were pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting and the fifth died at a hospital in Cleveland, the San Jacinto County Sheriffs Office said early Saturday. The shooting in the community about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast of Houston was reported around 10:30 p.m. My colleague Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports: Five dead in Texas shooting as armed suspect on the loose By El Tayeb Siddig and Nafisa Eltahir KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Air strikes and artillery rocked Khartoum on Saturday as Sudan entered a third week of fighting between rival military forces despite a ceasefire, prompting more civilians to flee and renewed warnings of wider instability if the war is not stopped. By Saturday evening, heavy clashes could be heard near downtown Khartoum, close to the army headquarters and the presidential palace. In one of the latest efforts by foreign governments to evacuate their citizens and others, a U.S.-government organised convoy arrived at the Red Sea city of Port Sudan on Saturday, evacuating U.S. citizens, local staff and others, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. The U.S. government will help evacuees travel on to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Miller added. He did not say how many Americans remained in the country. A U.N. envoy earlier offered a possible glimmer of hope for an end to the fighting, saying the warring sides that have so far shown no sign of compromise were now more open to negotiations - though no date had been set. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands wounded since April 15 when a long-simmering power struggle between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted into conflict. The fighting has pitched Sudan towards a civil war, derailing an internationally-backed transition aimed at establishing a democratic government and sending tens of thousands of people fleeing into neighbouring countries. The army said in a statement it had conducted sweep operations and clashed with RSF troops in northern Bahri and in Omdurman, across the Nile from Khartoum, and destroyed 25 vehicles of RSF reinforcements. It said several banks and stores across the capital had been looted. Eyewitnesses told Reuters they saw army drones targeting RSF soldiers near one of the country's main oil refineries north of the capital. The sides have continued to battle during a series of ceasefires mediated by foreign powers, notably the United States. The latest 72-hour truce expires at midnight on Sunday. "I'm afraid that one day I'm asleep and I wake up to a bomb falling on my house," said a man named Khalid, speaking to Reuters from Khartoum where he has stayed because his elderly grandmother and ill sister would suffer on the long and costly trip out. "That's my deepest fear right now. That's all that I think of. That's why I can't sleep at night." The RSF said in a statement on Saturday it had shot down an army warplane in Omdurman, and accused the army of violating the ceasefire with an attack there. The army did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters could not independently verify the RSF report. The army has previously blamed the RSF for violations. For periods on Saturday, violence was less intense in the capital area than in recent days, residents said. Residents also reported relative calm in the city of El Geneina in the western Darfur region after days of fighting there. The Darfur Bar Association said the death toll had reached 200, with thousands wounded. The prospects for negotiations between the army and paramilitary have so far seemed bleak. On Friday, army leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said he would never sit down with the RSF's "rebel" leader, referring to General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti. The RSF chief in turn said he would talk only after the army ceased hostilities. Nonetheless, the U.N. special representative in Sudan, Volker Perthes, told Reuters he had recently sensed a change in the sides' attitudes and they were more open to negotiations, and were saying they would accept "some form of talks". "The word 'negotiations' or 'talks' was not there in their discourse in the first week or so," Perthes said. 'THIS WAR CANNOT CONINUE' Perthes said the sides had nominated representatives for talks which had been suggested for Jeddah, or Juba in South Sudan, though he said there was a practical question over whether they could get there to "actually sit together". The immediate task, Perthes said, was to develop a monitoring mechanism for ceasefires. "They have both accepted that this war cannot continue." At least 528 people have been killed and 4,599 wounded, the health ministry said. The United Nations has reported a similar number of dead, but believes the real toll is much higher. More than 75,000 people had been internally displaced by the fighting, the United Nations reported. Foreign governments have organised a major evacuation of expatriates, some by land and sea, and some by air. Egypt said on Saturday it would stop running evacuations out of the Wadi Seidna base north of Khartoum, a day after Turkey said an evacuation plane was shot at. Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, speaking at a conference in Nairobi, said the war must stop, warning of its ramifications not just in Sudan but for the region. "This is a huge country, very diverse ... I think it will be a nightmare for the world," he said. "This is not a war between an army and small rebellion. It is almost like two armies well trained and well armed." (Reporting by Khaled Abdelaziz and Eltayeb Siddig in Sudan, Nafisa Eltahir, Ahmed Tolba and Omar Abdel-Razek in Cairo and Hatem Maher; Eleanor Whalley in London; David Lewis in Nairobi and Mahamat Ramadane in Chad; Jason Lange in Washington; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Frances Kerry and Daniel Wallis) The entire Treasure Coast is under a tornado watch until 10 p.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River are among the 33 Florida counties included in the watch, which spans the full width of the state from as far north as St. Johns County. Martin is the southernmost county named in the advisory. The NWS Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, issued the watch at 3:40 p.m. on April 29, capping off a week of severe thunderstorms on the Treasure Coast. April showers: Treasure Coast can expect stormy, rainy rest of month Hailstorm: Hutchinson Island endures nearly 80-mph winds Florida twister: EF-0 tornado strikes Boynton Beach April 28 The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for 33 Florida counties on Saturday, April 29, 2023, through 10 p.m. More than 11.1 million Floridians are under threat of a couple tornadoes and scattered wind gusts up to 70 mph, according to the NWS office in Melbourne. The agency also cautioned those in the watch zone to look out for isolated hail as large as a ping-pong ball. Southeastern Martin County, including Hobe Sound, was under a severe thunderstorm warning until 5:15 p.m. About a half dozen adjacent coastal waters are included in the tornado watch, including those from Sebastian Inlet south to Jupiter Inlet. The NWS also issued a special marine warning from Sebastian to Jupiter inlets until 5:15 p.m. At 4:12 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing waterspouts had been spotted near Palm City, moving northeast at 45 knots. Mariners should continue to take heed after the tornadic threat has passed. A small craft advisory remains in effect until 5 a.m. Sunday, and another will be in effect from 6 p.m. Sunday to 12 a.m. Monday. A gale warning will be in effect from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, with seas of 6-9 feet expected, the NWS said. April has brought above-normal rains to the Treasure Coast, NWS climate data show. Below are observed monthly totals as of about 5:30 p.m. April 29: Vero Beach: 3.8 inches (normal is 2.96) Fort Pierce: 9.28 inches (normal is 2.94) Stuart: 9.81 inches (normal is 3.44). Story continues Though areas south of Martin County werent included in Saturdays tornado watch, an EF-0 tornado touched down in Boynton Beach near Interstate 95 on Friday evening, the NWS office in Miami confirmed. Lindsey Leake is TCPalms projects reporter. She has an M.A. in Science Writing from Johns Hopkins University, an M.A. in Journalism and Digital Storytelling from American University and a B.A. from Princeton University. Follow her on Twitter @NewsyLindsey, Facebook @LindseyMLeake and Instagram @newsylindsey. Call her at 772-529-5378 or email her at lindsey.leake@tcpalm.com. Read more of Lindseys stories and support her work with a TCPalm subscription. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida tornado watch in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River on April 29 The death toll rose to 23 people Saturday in a missile strike on an apartment building in Ukraine, authorities said. Two people remain missing after the shelling. Crews concluded search and rescue operations Saturday after the missile strike in the central Ukrainian city of Uman left 23 people dead, including six children, according to Ukraines Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko. The children included three boys and three girls, he said. All 23 bodies have been identified. Two women remain missing, and nine others were injured in the strike, Klymenko said. Seventeen people were rescued after the missile strike, he added. The building kept collapsing during the rescue effort, said Yulia Norovkova, a spokesperson for the region's emergency services. About 150 officers were involved in recovery efforts, which also included heavy equipment and volunteers. Following a Russian attack, first responders remove rubble at a residential building in Uman, central Ukraine, Friday, April 28, 2023. GRAPHICS: Mapping and tracking Russia's invasion of Ukraine The strike was among the deadliest attacks on Ukrainian civilians in months. "I am grateful to the rescuers, police, utility workers, and dozens of Uman residents who joined in the dismantling of the collapsed building," Klymenko said in a Facebook statement. "The work went very quickly because everyone was in a hurry. We were hoping to find someone alive under the rubble until the last minute." Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy offered condolences to families of the victims and said the attacks emphasize the need for modern aircraft in order to counter Russian attacks. He said Ukraine's air force was able to shoot down most Russian missiles. "If not for this, the terrorist state would have managed to claim many more casualties, more lives," he said, adding that "air defense, modern aircraft" and additional weapons were the way to "save people." PREVIOUS UPDATES: Russia unleashes mass airstrikes in attack on Ukraine, killing at least 19 Story continues Following a Russian attack, first responders remove rubble at a residential building in Uman, central Ukraine, on April 28, 2023. Latest developments: Nova Kakhovka, a Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town, is under "severe artillery fire" from Ukrainian forces, the Russian-backed administration said. The shelling has left the town without power, local officials said. Pope Francis thanked Hungarians for welcoming Ukrainian refugees during a Saturday visit with refugees and poor people at St. Elizabeth's church in Hungary. He urged Hungarians to continue helping Ukrainian refugees and others in need, even as the country's prime minister touts anti-immigration policies. A Russian court convicted Marina Novikova, a 65-year-old lawyer, with spreading false information after she was accused of decrying the Russian invasion of Ukraine and criticizing the Russian government on Telegram. She was fined 1 million rubles, which is over $12,400, according to a Russian human rights and legal aid group. Fire in Crimea oil depot 'completely extinguished,' Russian authorities say A massive fire Saturday at a fuel storage facility in Sevastopol, the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea, has been "completely extinguished," Mikhail Razvozhaev, the city's Russian-backed governor said. The fire erupted after the oil depot was hit by two Ukrainian drones, Russian-appointed officials said Saturday. Razvozhayev said the oil depot was attacked by two enemy drones," and four oil tanks burned down. No one was injured, he said. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 in a move that most of the world considered illegal. Zelenskyy has vowed to take back Crimea as Ukraine prepares for a counteroffensive. Zelenskyy says 'there will be a counteroffensive' from Ukraine In an interview posted to his Telegram page Saturday, Zelenskyy said a Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russia "will happen." "There will be a counteroffensive," he said, adding that he believes the mission will allow the country "to de-occupy our territories." Zelenskyy revealed few details about the counteroffensive, saying he is "not ready to say in detail when it will happen and how." But he said Ukraine needs additional weapons and ammunition to make the counteroffensive a success. Contributing: The Associated Press Contact Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine, Russia war updates: 23 dead in missile strike on Uman Two US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons US Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Matthew Lotz F-16s are "critical" to rapidly defeat Russia, retired Air Force Col. Jeff Fischer told the Kviv Post. It would only take two to six months to train Ukrainian pilots to use the jets, Fischer argued. The Biden administration previously said it would not send the US-made fighter jets to Ukraine. American-made F-16 fighter jets would help Ukraine defeat Russia and rapidly end the drawn-out conflict, according to an experienced former US Air Force serviceman. In an exclusive interview with the Kyiv Post, retired Air Force Col. Jeff Fischer laid out his thinking on why the US should provide F-16s to the war-torn country. "I have come to the conclusion that F-16s or a fourth-generation multi-role fighter is critical for Ukraine, and there's a simple reason why," Fischer said in an interview this week. "If you can dominate in the battle space and in the air domain, we can get away from this air parity, which exists right now," he added. Fischer served for over 30 years in the US Air Force and completed seven combat tours. While it may seem "counterintuitive," using greater force or having "air dominance" is actually likely to "bring the war to an end much faster," he said. "Send F-16s to Ukraine so Russia can be defeated now," he added. When asked about American Defense Undersecretary Colin Kahl's evaluation that it would take 18 months to train Ukrainian fighters to use F-16s, Fischer responded that he believed that assessment was "a little bit disingenuous." While it would take someone without any experience 18 months to learn, he said, a transition program for "already trained and skilled Ukrainian pilots" would only take two to six months, he argued. The retired colonel added that it would be simple to find people to help provide technical and logistical support for the jets because they already exist "in massive numbers." Story continues There are 4,500 fighter jets already manufactured, he said, and the US is still producing them. A Ukrainian medic runs through a partially dug trench on the frontline outside Bakhmut on March 5, 2023. John Moore/Getty Images Fischer, noa an author and military analyst, noted that the current "war of attrition" means not only the cost of human lives but also a continued decrease in missiles and artillery shells for Ukraine's military. The jets, he said, would help to improve this situation. The stalemated war in Ukraine has been ongoing for over a year, and the question of whether the country's military should be supplied with Western-built fighter jets has been contentious. While some have argued the single-seat fighter jets would be a "game changer" for the country, other experts believe it might prove more complicated. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the White House to send the jets, the Biden administration has said it is not a priority. Read the original article on Business Insider RFA/Health Care Access Reporter Santiago Ochoa is a bilingual journalist covering health care access at the Yakima Herald-Republic in Yakima, Washington. Before joining the Herald, Ochoa reported for Flint Beat in Flint, Michigan, covering the citys Latino populationhealth care, education, community building and more, and winning top honors in the Michigan Press Associations feature category. He served as photographer and later editor for his college newspaper, The Michigan Times. When hes not working, Ochoa enjoys cross-country trips on his motorcycle, going to the movies, reading and skiing. Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 57F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 57F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Tomorrow Partly cloudy. High around 85F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Climate change activists will be protesting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday night, organizers of the protest announced Friday. Climate Defiance organizers said they plan to blockade the streets surrounding the Washington Hilton, where President Joe Biden is set to deliver remarks. The protesters are looking to hold Biden accountable for climate promises he made on the campaign trail in 2020, organizers told ABC News. CLIMATE PROTESTERS SMEAR PAINT ON SCULPTURE DISPLAY CASE AT NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART "We are aware of the planned protest. There are security precautions in place," WHCA President Tamara Keith told the outlet. Biden promised to end subsidies for the fossil fuel industry, end drilling on federal land, and end drilling overall during a Democratic presidential debate in March 2020. "If Biden wants to continue to see the youth support that he had when he got elected, he needs to keep his promises, especially around climate change, because young people know that it's an existential threat," Climate Defiance recruitment lead Rylee Haught said. "We know we don't have time to wait. If he wants to keep young people voting, he better stop extraction on federal lands." The group is asking protesters to gather at a Metro station near the Hilton hotel. The owner of the hotel, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, said it supports lawful and peaceful demonstrators. "Washington Hilton respects all parties' rights to express their points of view in lawful and non-disruptive manners; however, we are simultaneously committed to protecting our Team Members' and guests' safety and security," a Hilton spokesperson said. "We will take all necessary steps, in cooperation with local law enforcement officials, to ensure such activities do not interfere with those entering and leaving the hotel," they added. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Climate activists have been leading protests in the country's capital all week. Protesters most recently smeared paint on a sculpture's display case at the National Gallery of Art on Thursday. Two people smeared black and red paint on the Plexiglas case of Edgar Degas's "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen" sculpture. Both were detained. The Metropolitan Police Department said it was aware of the planned protest and was monitoring and planning security accordingly. Original Location: Climate activists to protest at White House Correspondents' Association dinner: Report Washington Examiner Videos Vesti proaste pentru politistul de la Nehoiu Ar putea fi ultimele ore in libertate pentru politistul B.P. de la Nehoiu, daca Tribunalul Buzau va admite contestatia formulata de procurori fata de o decizie a Judecatoriei Patarlagele, care l-a lasat pe barbat in libertate, sub control judiciar. Astazi, procurorii buzoieni au revenit cu noi informatii privind [citeste mai departe] Stiri pe aceeasi tema - Romania will receive almost 30 million euros from the European Commission to support farmers affected by cheap grain imports from Ukraine, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Petre Daea, announced on Tuesday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro - Ukraine, Romania considering opening three new border crossing points.Ukraine and Romania are considering opening, in the near future, three new border crossing points between them, Vice-President of the Chernivtsi Regional Council Mykola Guitor told AGERPRES on Wednesday. Fii la curent cu - The Minister of Agriculture, Petre Daea, stated on Wednesday that all products entering the country, including those from Ukraine, are checked by the state institutions in customs, and they do not represent a danger for human consumption or animals. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. - The ambassador of Ukraine in Bucharest, Ihor Prokopchuk, expressed on Tuesday his conviction that Romania will continue to help the Ukrainians as long as necessary, stressing that cooperation with Ukraine is necessary for peace. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro - Prime minister Nicolae Ciuca met, on Monday, at the Victoria Palace of Government, with the leaders of trade unions in the defence and the aerospace industry, with the situation of the Romanian state companies in these sectors of activity being analysed on this occasion, informs a press release of - On Tuesday, Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu met Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres to discuss climate change and its consequences, as well as recent developments in Ukraine, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro - The minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, had, on Wednesday, a telephone conversation with his counterpart from the Republic of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, the two officials talking about the regional security situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) informs. Fii la curent - Prime minister Nicolae Ciuca sent, on Monday, a message of solidarity and compassion with the Turkish people and emphasized that Romania is ready to offer support after the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey on Monday evening. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro Six foreign citizens, arrested for drug trafficking in Mamaia Six foreign citizens were pre-arrested after being caught red-handed while selling drugs at a festival taking place in southeastern seaside resort of Mamaia, according to a press release sent by DIICOT (Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism) on Saturday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro .ro Help your friends know more about Romania! Share this article on Facebook Share this article! NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER Am citit si sunt de acord cu Politica de Citeste articolul mai departe pe stiripesurse.ro Sursa articol si foto: stiripesurse.ro Stiri pe aceeasi tema - Approximately 600 dogs from several countries were registered at the international exhibition Satu Mare Dog Show, during the days of Saturday and Sunday being a total of five canine beauty competitions. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro - As many as 82,428 people, including 8,103 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania on Saturday, March 4, the General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF) reported on Sunday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro Help your friends - As of February 28, 2023, the National Bank of Romania's foreign exchange reserves stood at EUR 52,001 million, as against EUR 50,202 million on January 31, 2023, according to BNR. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro - The Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) prosecutors are conducting over 80 searches in Bucharest and seven counties at persons suspected of establishing a criminal group and migrant trafficking, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste - The contests for heads of the General Prosecutor's Office, the National Anticorruption Directorate and the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism represent "an important step", with the relevant procedures starting "from scratch", President Klaus Iohannis declared on Monday. - More than 84,000 people, including 7,687 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania on Saturday, the General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro Help your friends know more - As many as 68,725 people, including 7,712 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania on Wednesday, February 15, the General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF) reported on Thursday, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro - MEP Eugen Tomac (EPP, People's Movement Party - PMP) estimated on Saturday that CJEU proceedings over the lawsuit initiated by him for Romania's not being accepted to join the Schengen could last between one year and a half and two years. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste New Delhi: The government on Saturday appointed Rajneesh Karnatak as managing director of Bank of India (BoI) while Debadatta Chand as head of Bank of Baroda (BoB). The central government appoints Karnatak, Executive Director, Union Bank of India, as managing director and CEO of Bank of India for three years with effect from the date of assumption of office, the Department of Financial Services said in a notification. Karnatak replaces Atanu Kumar Das who completed his three-year term in January this year. (Also Read: Apple Store India Employee Salaries, Educational Qualifications, And Other Details) In a separate notification, DFS said Chand, currently ED of BoB, has been appointed as managing director of the same bank for a period of three years. (Also Read: 'Not Interested In Marrying Your Men': Investor Criticises Schengen Visa Application Process) However, Chand would assume charge on July 1 after incumbent Sanjiv Chadha superannuates on June 30. The notifications for the two appointments came after the approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB), the headhunter for directors of state-owned banks and financial institutions, in January, had selected their names and recommended them to DFS for seeking necessary approval. Her run for the US Vice President in 2020 galvanised Indian-Americans to turn out to vote, with about 49 per cent of respondents indicating that Kamala Harriss nomination made them more enthusiastic about Joe Bidens candidacy. For nearly six times, Biden has referred to his 2024 running mate and second-in-command as "President", accidentally though, but that doesn`t take away the fact that Harris is set to play a more prominent role in a second coming to the White House. She was featured 13 times in Biden`s recent campaign launch video, and already leading from the front on most potent issues like abortion, voting rights, gun control -- signalling that the 58 year-old is positioning herself as the potential heir-apparent to the octogenarian US President. Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis of California told The New York Times that Harris would be able to showcase more of her skills on the campaign trail this time than in Pandemic-hit 2020. "Connecting with real people on the campaign trail is very natural for her, and where she truly thrives," Kounalakis said. As she hits the campaign trail afresh, Harris is reportedly expected to travel across the length and breadth of the country to gain support from black voters and consolidate her position, by connecting with the next generation of Democrats and increase her visibility.Stepping into the Biden administration with an undefined portfolio, the Californian born to immigrant parents from Jamaica and India, has gained a firm footing by establishing herself as an advocate of police reform, abortion rights and stricter gun control measures as the vice president, The Times said. In recent weeks, Harris has travelled to help further Biden`s calls for stricter gun control measures amid a series of mass shootings While according to The Telegraph, the Indian-American`s pivotal role in the election campaign will put her in a favourable position to lead the party in 2028, critics have gone a step further to say that a vote for Biden is really a vote for President Harris. Corroborating this stance, Republican presidential nominee Nikki Haley recently said: "If you vote for Joe Biden, you really are counting on President Harris... Because the idea that he would make it until 86 years old -- the age Biden would be at the end of a second term -- is not something that I think is likely." The national opinion polls of America`s first woman, Black and Indian American Vice President do not look very promising though with 53 per cent of registered voters viewing her negatively. Her net favourability is negative, not just five points lower than Biden`s but also lower than her predecessors Mike Pence, Dick Cheney and Al Gore. Between February 14 and 20, a poll conducted by the Berkeley Institute of Government Studies and The Los Angeles Times found that 59 per cent of registered voters were hesitant about Harris seeking the country`s highest office. What was more shocking was that the majority of these voters were from California -- a Democrat bastion and Harris` home state. But then Biden hasn`t exactly set Harris up for success, according to Bloomberg`s Francis Wilkinson. Critics argue that Biden is running for 2024 as he does not believe Harris would have as good a chance of beating Trump. In response, Nadia Brown, chair of the women`s and gender studies program at Georgetown University, told Bloomberg that "it`s hard not to conclude that voters just have higher expectations for women and non-White politicians". New Delhi, Apr 29 (PTI) The wife of slain IAS officer G Krishnaiah, who was lynched by a mob led by former Bihar MP Anand Mohan in 1994, has moved the Supreme Court challenging his premature release from prison. Mohan was released from Saharsa jail on Thursday morning following an amendment in Bihar's prison rules. Uma Krishnaiah, the wife of G Krishnaiah, has contended that the sentence of life imprisonment awarded to the gangster-turned- politician meant incarceration for his entire natural course of life and it cannot be mechanically interpreted to last just 14 years. "Life imprisonment, when awarded as a substitute for death penalty, has to be carried out strictly as directed by the court and would be beyond application of remission," she said in her petition before the Supreme Court. Also Read: Bihar Ex-MP Anand Mohan Singh, Convicted Of Murdering IAS Officer, Released From Jail After Rule Tweaked Mohan's name figured in a list of more than 20 prisoners who were ordered to be set free by a notification issued by the state's law department earlier this week as they had spent more than 14 years behind bars. The remission of his sentence followed an April 10 amendment to the Bihar Prison Manual by the Nitish Kumar government whereby the restriction on early release of those involved in killing of a public servant on duty was done away with. Also Read: Such Dilution Leads To Impunity: IAS Body Urges Bihar Govt To Reconsider Release Of Murder Convict Anand Mohan This, the critics of the state government claim, was done to facilitate the release of Mohan, a Rajput strongman, who could add heft to the grand alliance led by Nitish Kumar in its fight against the BJP. Several others, including politicians, benefited from the amendment to the state prison rules. Krishnaiah, who hailed from Telangana, was beaten to death by a mob in 1994 when his vehicle tried to overtake the funeral procession of gangster Chhotan Shukla in Muzaffarpur district. Dubai: UAE astronaut Sultan Al-Neyadi has become the first Arab to undertake a spacewalk during Expedition 69 venturing out of the International Space Station (ISS) and completing his spacewalk. The historic spacewalk lasted 7.01 hours in the vacuum of space on the starboard side of the ISS's truss structure, accomplishing two key objectives. One of the objectives of the Extravehicular Activity (EVA), undertaken by Al-Neyadi along with NASA Flight Engineer Stephen Bowen, was to work on a series of preparatory tasks which involved routing power cables, which was successfully concluded. These cable works were completed as a precursor to the installation of the Space Station's fourth roll-out solar array, known as the International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (iROSA), which is scheduled to be delivered on the upcoming SpaceX Dragon cargo mission. The next objective was to retrieve a crucial Radio Frequency Group (RFG) unit. This communications antenna, or RFG will stay bolted on the station for now due to the difficulty of removing it. Prior to embarking on their spacewalk, Al-Neyadi and Bowen underwent a two-hour oxygen purge to eliminate nitrogen from their bodies. Following this, Warren Hoburg and Frank Rubio assisted the astronauts in donning their spacesuits - a major operation in itself. It took both Al-Neyadi and Bowen an additional hour to put on their spacesuits and safety gear before entering the airlock to gradually reduce the pressure to a safe level for opening the exterior hatch. Prior to the spacewalk, a thorough set of checks were conducted to ensure the safety of the astronauts. During their high-altitude walk outside the ISS, Al-Neyadi and Bowen had to contend with two major challenges: radiation and extreme temperatures. The surrounding environment in space can reach scorching temperatures of up to 120 degrees Celsius in the sunlight and drop as low as -150 degrees Celsius when the sun is out of sight. While the spacesuit is geared to handle all this, careful management of the suit during the mission was also a task at hand. Hamad Obaid Al-Mansoori, Chairman, MBRSC, said: "The UAE Mission 2 is a truly inspiring endeavour that embodies the spirit of Emirati excellence and determination to achieve greatness in all our pursuits." "From its inception as the longest Arab space mission to the historic appointment of the first Arab increment lead on an ISS expedition, and now continuing with the ground-breaking achievement of the first Arab spacewalk by Sultan Al-Neyadi, this mission has set a new standard for excellence in space exploration." Salem Humaid Al-Marri, Director General, MBRSC, said, "Sultan Al-Neyadi's spacewalk has generated an unprecedented level of excitement and interest within the public, underscoring the immense significance of this mission." "While Sultan is conducting ground-breaking scientific experiments on the ISS, the addition of the spacewalk showcases yet another dimension of the UAE's remarkable expertise in space exploration. This milestone achievement will play a critical role in restoring the International Space Station to its full operational capability, cementing the UAE's position as a leading contributor to the global space community," Al-Marri said. Al-Neyadi will soon be completing two months in space after launching from Cape Canaveral in Florida with his Crew-6 team members on March 2. For his second month aboard the Space Station, Al-Neyadi conducted multiple experiments. The UAE Astronaut Programme is one of the projects managed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre under the UAE's National Space Programme and funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, which aims to support research and development in the ICT sector in the UAE and promote the country's integration on the global stage. A Boeing 727 freighter aircraft carrying 300 refugees from a conflict zone in Sudan overshot a runway upon landing, as per Aeroflap's report. The incident occurred on runway 13 at Juba Airport in South Sudan. During its landing, the aircraft failed to stop within the bounds of the runway. However, the reason for the incident is not known yet. It is to be noted that despite the accident, no casualties or injuries have been reported. The Boeing 727 aircraft with registration EY-627 was chartered by Two South Sudanese businessmen named Chagai and Bibi Ali, who collaborate with nonprofits there to get the refugees out of the conflicted area. Also read: Operation Kaveri: IndiGo's Delhi-Bound Flight Leaves Jeddah With 231 Indians Following the incident, Juba Airport (JUB) was forced to close, and a FlyDubai flight was diverted to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. Boeing 727 with over 300 passengers fleeing the fighting in Sudan has overrun the runway at Juba International Airport. FlyDubai flight FZ611 has had to divert to Entebbe Airport in Uganda due to the incident. No injuries reported. pic.twitter.com/Qtn2Aw2rRT Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) April 28, 2023 In another update, Indian budget carrier IndiGo has offered their aircraft to bring Indians stranded in Sudan. The airline offered its aircraft to transport 231 Indians from Jeddah to New Delhi. In a statement, the airline said, "We have offered our services for charter flights to Jeddah under the Indian Government`s Operation Kaveri rescue mission of our citizens from Sudan. We are still awaiting details from the ministry to launch these flights, nothing has been confirmed as of yet." Because of the ongoing battles between the army and paramilitary groups, Sudan has remained on edge. Even during the current 72-hour ceasefire, reports of violence and fighting have surfaced. Soldiers loyal to Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the commander of the Sudanese army, and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF), engaged in combat. Foreign countries have been advising their citizens to leave the country as soon as possible, including the UK. While there are still many foreign nationals in Sudan, evacuations are still taking place. Some people have had difficulty reaching the airstrip used for evacuations. Local residents are still evacuating the capital, where there are shortages of food, water, and fuel. New York [US], April 29 (ANI): The 100th episode of PM Modi`s "Mann Ki Baat" will be streamed live at the UN Headquarters in New York on Sunday." Get ready for a historic moment as the 100th episode of PM Modi`s "Mann Ki Baat" is set to go live on April 30th in Trusteeship Council Chamber at @UN HQ! #MannKiBaat has become a monthly national tradition, inspiring millions to participate in India`s developmental journey," the Indian Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted on Saturday. The Indian Mission in the US on Saturday also tweeted: "As #MannKiBaat goes global with a live broadcast at UN Headquarters, let`s take a moment to appreciate the impact it has had in promoting inclusivity and public participation." As #MannKiBaat goes global with a live broadcast at UN Headquarters, let's take a moment to appreciate the impact it has had in promoting inclusivity and public participation. pic.twitter.com/YgJwwJ8fe5 India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) April 29, 2023 A recent report said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s monthly radio programme `Mann Ki Baat` has become a key pillar of the government`s citizen-outreach programme addressing multiple social groups such as women, youth, farmers and has spurred community action. The research report identified five key themes associated with Mann Ki Baat, cleanliness and sanitation, health, wellness, water conservation, and sustainability, It said the programme highlights government and citizen action in these priority areas and in turn, encourages listeners to establish or participate in "change-making" initiatives in their own communities with the aim to have a lasting and sustainable impact on the lives of people and for the country. The report said that Mann Ki Baat speaks directly to people and celebrates their achievements within, and beyond, their communities. The programme celebrates grassroots-level changemakers. The 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat will be broadcast on Sunday. The programme started on October 3, 2014, months after Narendra Modi took over the Prime Minister`s Office in May. The research report `Mann Ki Baat: A Decade of Reflections` cited instances of people being "moved to action" after listening to the Mann Ki Baat programme. "In 2019, rural tourism entrepreneur Aditi Balbir began to develop a chain of affordable resorts. In 2021, Madhav Bhat Kullangalu redeveloped a lake on his family farm in Karnataka, thus helping increase groundwater levels, which benefited everyone in the community. In 2022, entrepreneur Ram Shankar Verma established solar energy to power a grain mill in Uttar Pradesh, doubling his own income while creating jobs for many of his neighbours," the report said. "Aditi was inspired by the Prime Minister`s call for students to travel more, and more sustainably; Madhav by an episode on water conservation; and Ram by a broadcast on the benefits of solar energy. Since its inception in 2014, the programme has become a key pillar of the government`s citizen-outreach programme," it added. A super PAC supporting Ron DeSantis for the GOP presidential nomination released its latest campaign ad this week seeking to position the Florida governor as the successor to former President Donald Trump and the future of the Republican Party. The minute-long ad, released by the Never Back Down PAC, features several clips of speeches given by DeSantis while touting his legislative record as governor over the last four years. The ad is set to begin airing on Monday and will target voters in the first four GOP primary states: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada. DESANTIS DOMINATES CASH CONTEST BUT COULD FACE PROBLEMS SPENDING WHEN CAMPAIGN STARTS The seven-figure ad titled "Winner" seeks to paint DeSantis as the apparent heir to Trump, showcasing newspaper headlines showing the governor's wins in 2018 and 2022 hanging on a wall next to Trump's win in 2016. Later in the ad, the video shows a clip of a man replacing a "Trump 2016" bumper sticker with one that reads "DeSantis for president." Although DeSantis has not yet announced whether he intends to run for president, the Florida governor is widely expected to do so in the coming months. Should he choose to run, DeSantis is considered to be the top challenger to Trump as he seeks a return to the White House. More than half (51%) of Republican voters say they'd back Trump compared to just 38% who said they'd vote for DeSantis, giving the former president a substantial lead over his closest rival, according to a recent poll from the Wall Street Journal. However, DeSantis dominates the field when it comes to campaign cash, far outraising his possible opponents for the GOP nomination. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Meanwhile, Trump has benefited from a number of high-profile endorsements. More than 50 Republican House members have endorsed Trump for the GOP nomination compared to just three for DeSantis. Among those, 10 Republican House members from DeSantis's home turf in Florida have offered their support to Trump over the state's governor. DeSantis has ramped up efforts to establish a national standing before deciding whether to run for president, as the Republican governor has scheduled meetings with several members of Congress in Washington over the last week. However, that plan seemed to backfire in some cases after a handful of GOP members publicly endorsed Trump just hours after meeting with DeSantis. Original Location: DeSantis-aligned PAC paints Florida governor as Trump's successor Washington Examiner Videos Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has slammed the BJP-led Manipur government accusing it of turning Churachandpur into almost a war zone only a year after getting a decisive majority in the state. Taking to Twitter over violence in the state, the Congress General Secretary said that the double engine government in the state is 'blowing up'. Jairam Ramesh's remarks came in the wake of clashes between locals and police in the area over the eviction of villagers. "While entire Team Modi is fixated on Karnataka, Churachandpur in Manipur has turned into almost a war zone only a year after the BJP got a decisive majority in the state. The double engine there is blowing up! Neither the Union govt or the national media is bothered about it," said Ramesh. According to reports, the state witnessed fresh clashes between demonstrators and police personnel in Churachandpur. The security forces even used batons, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd last night. Ramesh shared a video of the incident on Twitter. While there is no confirmation on casualties, rumours are rife that several people were killed, reported PTI. The state witnessed clashes following the bandh call announced by Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF). The ITLF had called the eight-hour bandh in protest against the eviction of Kuki villagers from protected forests. While Churachandpur witnessed clashes at night, demonstrators and police clashed in New Lamka during the day at the venue where Chief Minister N Biren Singh was scheduled to address a public rally. CM Singh had to call off the program following the unrest. Other areas that witnessed protests were Tuibong Bazaar, Sielmat bridge, Lanva bridge and T Champhai. The mob also set on fire an open gym which was up for inauguration by the CM. Meanwhile, restrictions under Section 144 of CrPC have been imposed in the affected areas of the Churachandpur district. Mobile internet services have also been suspended. An order issued by the Home Department said, "To prevent any disturbance to the peace and order the suspension of mobile internet services shall be in force for the next five days with immediate effect in Churachandpur and Pherzawl districts." An MP MLA court in Uttar Pradesh`s Ghazipur on Saturday convicted jailed mafia Mukhtar Ansari in a kidnapping and murder case pertaining to the killing of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment. A fine of Rs 5 lakh was also imposed on the jailed mafia. He was produced virtually before the court today. Earlier today, wife of late BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai who was murdered in Ghazipur in 2005 allegedly by gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari and his brother Afzal Ansari on Saturday said that the rule of mafia has ended in Uttar Pradesh and that she has faith in the judiciary. "I believe in the judiciary. Rule of Goondas, Mafias have ended (in the state)," Alka Rai said, wife of late BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai who was murdered in Ghazipur in 2005. On September 21, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court convicted Mukhtar Ansari and sentenced him for threatening jailer SK Awasthi and pointing a pistol at him. The case dates to 2003 when Lucknow district prison jailer SK Awasthi lodged an FIR saying that he was threatened to order a search of the people who came to meet Ansari in prison.On September 23, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court sentenced him to five years in a case registered in 1999 under the Gangster Act. The court had also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Mukhtar in this 23-year-old case. Ghazipur MP-MLA court will today pronounce the verdict in the case, in which gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari and his brother Afzal Ansari are accused. Security was heightened ahead of the verdict by an MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh`s Ghazipur in a kidnapping and murder case against gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, his elder brother and BSP MP Afzal Ansari on Saturday. Earlier in January this year, the police registered a murder case against Mukhtar Ansari in connection to the 2001 `Usri Chatti` gang war incident.A case under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against Ansari at PS Mohammadabad in Ghazipur. Earlier on January 18, Allahabad High Court dismissed the March 15 order of the Ghazipur MP/MLA Court, which allowed Ansari to be kept in a superior-class jail in Banda. While giving the order, the court had said the order of the special court is without jurisdiction, and gangster, dreaded criminal Bahubali Ansari is not legally entitled to get a superior class in jail.Earlier on December 15 last year, Ansari and his aide Bhim Singh were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Gangster Court in Ghazipur in five cases related to murder and attempt to murder. The cases include the murder of constable Raghuvansh Singh and a murderous assault on an additional SP of Ghazipur among others. On September 21, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court convicted Mukhtar Ansari and sentenced him for threatening jailer SK Awasthi and pointing a pistol at him. The case dates to 2003 when Lucknow district prison jailer SK Awasthi lodged an FIR saying that he was threatened to order a search of the people who came to meet Ansari in prison.On September 23, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court sentenced him to five years in a case registered in 1999 under the Gangster Act. The court had also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Mukhtar in this 23-year-old case. Srinagar: It all started in 1980 when Shabbirs friend met with an accident in Srinagar and needed blood. For the first time, Shabbir donated his blood and discovered that his blood group was O negative and that he was a universal donor. Feeling the pain and need of his friend for blood turned him into a volunteer blood donor. Since then, he has donated 182 pints of blood over the last four decades, which is the highest blood donation by anyone in Jammu and Kashmir and has earned him the name Blood Man. Now it has become his mission. He is fully involved in serving humanity and has not only donated blood but also organized more than 1200 blood donation camps in Jammu and Kashmir. When my friend had an accident and needed blood at SMHS Hospital of Srinagar Medical College, I donated blood for him. I felt the pain of people who need blood but dont get it, so I decided to continue donating blood. This created a beautiful satisfaction in my heart. I believe its the best thing to help humanity. Our Islam also teaches us the same. I have donated 182 pints of blood since 1980 and have organized more than 1200 blood donation camps across the valley, said Shabbir Hussain. Also Read: J&K: Model G20 Summit Held In Srinagar, 60 Participants Attend Event Shabbir is now called the Blood Man. He says that he will keep donating blood as long as he is alive because saving lives is his lifes mission and gives him satisfaction. Having O negative blood makes him a universal donor. Khan said, My mission is only to help needy people and Allah will reward me for that. My blood type is O negative and there are so many children in need. I feel proud that I have been able to help. People pray for me all the time and I have promised myself that I will keep donating my blood as long as I am alive. Also Read: J&K LG Inaugurates 1,208 Flats For Kashmiri Pandit Employees Khan has not only kept this confined to himself, but he is also continuously conducting awareness programs in the Kashmir Valley and motivating people to donate blood for those in need. Shabir was also very active during the coronavirus pandemic and organized blood donation camps for the needy. "Govt Does Not Recognize Our Efforts": Shabbir However, what pains Shabir is that the government has not recognized his and other blood donors efforts in the valley. Despite being the highest blood donor, Shabir has not received any government award. The government does not recognize our efforts. My name was sent for a state award ten times, but I was not selected once, Khan said. New Delhi: Delhi`s Rouse Avenue Court on Saturday extended Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia`s judicial custody till May 8 in the ED case pertaining to the excise policy matter. While being taken to court amid police security, Sisodia told the media persons that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not be able to "stop Arvind Kejriwal`s work no matter how much he tries". "Modi ji jitni koshish kar le lekin Kejriwal ji ke kaam ko rok nahi payenge Delhi me (No matter how much PM Modi tries, he won`t be able to stop Kejriwal`s work in Delhi)," Sisodia said. This comes after Rouse Avenue Court on Friday denied bail to Delhi`s former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case in connection with an alleged Excise scam in the national capital. Special Judge MK Nagpal on Friday dismissed Sisodia`s bail plea in the money laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Earlier, appearing for Sisodia, Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan submitted that it is not the job of the ED to tell what happened in the GoM and the cabinet, the job of the ED should be to tell that if any crime was committed, who benefited from it. The lawyer said that Sisodia cannot be kept in custody only on the basis of speculation. He claimed that no money laundering case is made out against the Aam Aadmi Party leader. Enforcement Directorate had opposed the bail plea and said "an illegal ecosystem was created in view to give illegal benefits to liquor cartels to get kickbacks".Appearing for ED, Zohaib Hossain submitted before the Court that all the elements of conspiracy are present here in the matter. Conspiracy is hatched in secrecy, the policy made in the public domain, submitted ED lawyer and also said every process of activity dealing with proceeds of crime is money laundering. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 9 arrested former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case, after hours of questioning at Tihar Jail.Sisodia was arrested by the CBI earlier in its ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of the GNCTD. NEW DELHI: In a daring operation, a C-130J heavy-lift aircraft of the Indian Air Force rescued 121 people from a small airstrip at Wadi Sayyidna which is about 40 km north of the violence-hit Sudanese capital city of Khartoum, officials said on Friday. The rescue operation was carried out on the intervening night of April 27 and 28. Those rescued in the operation included a pregnant woman and those who had no means to reach Port Sudan, the key transit point from where India is rescuing its citizens using military aircraft and naval ships, the IAF officials said. The airstrip in question had a degraded surface with no navigational aid or fuel, and most critically no landing lights which are required to guide an aircraft landing at night, said one of the officials. The officials said the aircrew used their electro-optical and infrared sensors to ensure that the runway was free of any obstruction and there were no inimical forces in the vicinity. "Having made sure of the same, the aircrew carried out a tactical approach using night vision goggles on a practically dark night," said the official. "Upon landing, the aircraft engines were kept running while eight IAF Garud Commandos secured the passengers and their luggage into the aircraft. As with the landing, the take off from the unlit runway was also carried out using night vision goggles," he said. "This approximately two-and-a-half hour operation between Wadi Sayyidna and Jeddah will go down in the annals of IAF history for its sheer audacity and flawless execution -- akin to that carried out in Kabul," the IAF official said. Approaching the airstrip, the aircrew used their Electro-Optical/Infra-Red sensors to ensure that the runway was free from any obstructions and no inimical forces were in the vicinity. Having made sure of the same, the aircrew carried out a tactical approach on Night Vision pic.twitter.com/KOzQ0TKjxj ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2023 The Indian Air Force had carried out similar operations to evacuate Indians from Kabul after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021. India launched 'Operation Kaveri' earlier this week to bring back the stranded Indians from Sudan. Sudan has been witnessing fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group that has reportedly left around 400 people dead. New Delhi: Met Gala is a star-studded event organised by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, every year. The 2023 Met Gala will take place on Monday, May 1, in NYC. It is one of the most popular Hollywood events and many famous celebrities walk the red carpet. This year, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Alia Bhatt are scheduled to appear among others. Priyanka Chopra had earlier attended the Met Gala with her now husband Nick Jonas in 2017 when they first met, and in 2019 when they were married. Alia Bhatt on the other hand is all set for her red carpet debut this year. What is Met Gala? The Met Gala is a fundraising event organised by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, on the first Monday of May every year. Met Gala 2023 Theme The Met Gala theme this year is dedicated to Karl Lagerfeld, the late designer and creative director of Chanel, who passed away in 2019. The theme is titled 'Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty', the dress code is 'In honor of Karl.' Where to watch Met Gala 2023? Met Gala 2023 will stream live on the feed of the fashion magazine Vogue. Who all are to attend Met Gala 2023? From India, other than Alia and Priyanka, Deepika Padukone, Natasha Poonawala, Ishan Ambani and Sudha Reddy might walk the red carpet this year. Popular K-pop band BTS members Jimin and RM and K-pop girl group Blackpink's Jennie and Rose are likely to debut at the mega event this year. Met Gala 2023 Hosts The event's co-chairs are Michaela Coel, Dua Lipa, Penelope Cruz, Roger Federer and Vogue'e Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. Bapatla: Star worship gained new momentum with a die-hard fan of Samantha Ruth Prabhu building a temple in his house premises in Alapadu village of Bapatla district on the occasion of the actor's birthday. Tenali Sandeep, who is a self-proclaimed fan of the `Yashoda` actor, unveiled Samantha`s statue and cut a cake on Friday as the actor turned 36 years old. The statue is covered in a red coloured saree, teamed with a green blouse. People from neighbouring villages thronged Sandeep`s house to celebrate Samantha`s birthday. Sandeep said that he wished to build a big temple, but could not do so due to financial constraints. Apart from acting, Sandeep admires Samantha for her charitable works. He also distributed food among the poor to mark the actor`s birthday. Samantha, who comes from a humble background, has made a name in the Tamil and Telugu industry. The actor also entered the Hindi industry with the Amazon Prime Original show `The Family Man Season 2`. She is also gearing up for the Hindi version of `Citadel`, where she will act with Varun Dhawan. Sandeep told ANI, "Samantha took the initiative to perform heart operations for needy children through a foundation. As she herself hails from a humble background, she always stands for the needy ones. This incident made my admiration double for her."Samantha suffers from an auto-immune disease called Myositis. She has talked about it on multiple occasions. Sandeep said the villagers prayed for Samantha`s speedy recovery. They are very happy as the actor is now doing well. Sandeep has not met the `Oo Antava` actor in person. But he surely harbours a wish to meet her one day. New Delhi: On International Dance Day, we celebrate actors in India whove stood out for the energy, enthusiasm, precision and style they bring on screen and on stage with their performances. One of the most notable dancers is superstar Allu Arjun who finds fans not just amongst the Indian public but also fellow industry-mates whove often showered praise on his dancing skills. Heres taking a look at actors who loved Allu Arjuns dancing. Samantha Prabhu Samantha Prabhu who danced with Allu Arjun on the cult hit Oo Antava spoke of how he is so effortless, with moves that are challenging. She said, It is so challenging to get the steps right, rhythm, and dance with Allu Arjun, its my god tiring. A performance that just keeps you hooked .. every second was I am always inspired when an actor is just so good that it is impossible to look away ..Allu Arjun was that for me in Pushpa Rashmika Mandanna Srivalli and Pushpa will forever go down as some of the most loved characters and Rashmika Mandanna who starred opposite Allu Arjun in the film, was another actor who was completely mind blown by the superstar. Talking about her experience working with him she said, I really fell in love while working with allu arjun sir. He is totally fun and also professional. Such an amazing actor to work with. Above all, we all knew him as a brilliant dancer and his dancing skills are simply mindblowing. I really enjoyed working a lot with him.`` Pooja Hegde Pooja Hegde who has worked with Allu Arjunon his blockbuster Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo calls him the Rubber Man and also spoke highly of his phenomenal dance moves. Said Pooja, He is like a Rubber Man, a phenomenal dancer and every move of his looked so stylish and appealing. I used to tell him that I would need several rehearsals to match up to him. Hrithik Roshan One of the best performers from Indian cinema, Hrithik Roshan too spoke highly of Allu Arjuns dancing describing it as energetic, strong and inspiring. Disha Patani Allu Arjun found a special fan in Disha Patani who was in awe of his moves in Butta Bomma the hit track from Allu Arjuns film Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo. Posting a clip from the song Disha said, @alluarjun how do you do it. Thank you for inspiring all of us. Tiger Shroff Quite the dancer himself, Tiger Shroff was quick to take Allu Arjuns name when asked who his favourite star in the South was. He also added that he was envious of his dancing. Tiger said, I like Allu Arjun very much. Hes my favourite. I wish I could move like him. New Delhi: Dance is a form of expression that allows us to convey emotions and tell stories. On International Dance Day, &TV actors discuss their favourite Bollywood celebrity dancers and their aspiration to perform with them on stage someday. These actors include Anita Pradhan (Malti Devi, Doosri Maa), Kamna Pathak (Rajesh Singh, Happu Ki Ultan Paltan), and Shubhangi Atre (Angoori, Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai). As Malti Devi in Doosri Maa, Anita Pradhan reveals, "Dance runs in my veins, and I cannot imagine my life without it. Although people recognize me as an actress in this industry, they are unaware I am also a professional dancer and instructor. I keep performing all around the world. My roots belong to folk dance since I come from Jaipur. I represented Rajasthani folk dance during the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi on the Rajpath. Even though I am content with my journey as a dancer, I dream of performing with the stunning Rekha one day. I admire her as much as I admire the art of dance. I still watch her charismatic performances in songs like Salam-e-Ishq and Ankhon Ki Masti. I watched her movies on television and mimicked her movements and gestures. Someday, I hope to share the stage with her and perform one of her dancing routines." Kamna Pathak, who portrays Rajesh Singh in Happu Ki Ultan Paltan, expresses, "Dancing makes me feel relieved and confident. I was inspired to learn how to dance by the legendary actress Sridevi Ji. Even though she is no longer with us, I am certain that, like me, thousands of girls fell in love with dance after watching her perform. I have been a massive fan and have seen her movies multiple times. Nobody could match her energy and expression while performing any dance number. When I was in school, I danced to many of her songs. My friends called me 'Hamari Sridevi,' and I was overjoyed. If someone is your idol, their mannerisms are reflected in your dance moves. Sridevi Ji was undoubtedly the dancing queen of Bollywood, and I don't believe anyone can top her. She always left me in awe whenever I watched her perform in 'Mere hathon mein nau nau churiyan, Hawa Hawaii,' and many others. I always wished to share the stage with her, but that dream will remain unfulfilled. I dedicate this International Dance Day to my idol, Sridevi." Shubhangi Atre, aka Angoori, from Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai, shares, Madhuri Dixit is the epitome of dance in Bollywood, and I enjoy watching her dance with so much grace and style on screen. No one can match her perfection. The title 'Dancing Diva' is genuinely hers. As a dance enthusiast, I could watch her perform for hours, and her expressions and smiles were captivating. She inspired me to pursue my passion for dancing. Besides Bollywood, I appreciate Indian classical dance forms. Even if my work schedule is hectic, I take some time out to dance every day. I remember the day when Jackie Shroff Dada was shooting with us, and he compared me to the iconic Madhuri Ji. I was on cloud nine that day, and it was one of the most fulfilling compliments I had ever received. Madhuri Ji and I are trained Kathak dancers, and it is one of my dreams to perform with her. Fingers crossed, I hope everyone can use dancing as a medium to express themselves and stay fit. I wish everyone a spirited International Dance Day. Watch Doosri Maa at 8:00 pm, Happu Ki Ultan Paltan at 10:00 pm, and Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai at 10:30 pm, airing every Monday to Friday only on &TV (Reuters) -A Ukrainian drone strike set ablaze a Russian fuel storage facility in the Crimean port of Sevastopol early on Saturday, sending a vast column of black smoke into the sky in the latest attack on the Russia-occupied peninsula. The city's Moscow-installed governor blamed Ukraine and later said the fire had been put out before a disaster occurred. A Ukrainian military intelligence official said more than 10 tanks of oil products with a capacity of about 40,000 tonnes intended for use by Russia's Black Sea Fleet were destroyed, RBC Ukraine reported. The strike came as Ukraine prepares for a long-promised counter offensive to push Russian forces back from territory they seized since invading in February 2022. Ukraine says control of all its legal territory, including Crimea, is a key condition for any peace deal. Russian forces occupied the peninsula in 2014. Moscow has accused Kyiv of sending waves of aerial and seaborne drones to attack Crimea. Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhaev said only one drone hit the oil tanks. "The enemy ... wanted to take Sevastopol by surprise, as usual, by staging a sneak attack in the morning," Razvozhaev wrote on the Telegram app. Russian firefighters had shown how to defeat a major blaze "and prevent a catastrophe", he added. Ukraine lacks longer-range missiles that can reach targets in places such as Sevastopol, but has been developing drones to overcome this hurdle. Ukrainian officials do not usually claim responsibility for explosions at military sites in Crimea, although they sometimes celebrate them using euphemistic language. Andriy Yusov, a Ukrainian military official, did not say Ukraine carried out the attack. Instead, he told RBC the blast was "God's punishment" for a Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of Uman on Friday that killed 23 people. "This punishment will be long-lasting. In the near future, it is better for all residents of temporarily occupied Crimea not to be near military facilities and facilities that provide for the aggressor's army," RBC quoted Yusov as saying. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kyiv would do all it could to ensure that those responsible for the attack on Uman be held accountable as soon as possible. "You are all terrorists and murderers and you must all be punished," he said in an evening video address. Zelenskiy did not refer directly to the months-long fighting for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, focus of repeated Russian assaults that have slowly closed in on the centre. The attacks are largely led by the Wagner private army. Its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said his forces had advanced between 100 (300 feet) and 150 metres on Saturday and claimed pro-Kyiv units now only controlled three sq km (1.2 sq miles). Prigozhin, speaking in a voice message posted to Telegram, repeated his complaints that Moscow was not sending his men enough ammunition. Prigozhin has made over-optimistic statements about Wagner's military successes in the past and Reuters was not able to immediately verify his latest claim. (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Alexandra Hudson, Alex Richardson, Helen Popper, David Ljunggren and Daniel Wallis) Gov. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) has signed legislation banning gender-transition procedures for minors in the state, making Montana the latest state to do so. The legislation, Senate Bill 99, had been approved in the Senate by a vote of 31-17 and was signed by the governor on Friday. Now signed into law, the legislation goes into effect on Oct. 1. THE VIEW HOST LIKENS TRANSGENDER LAWMAKER TO CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, BOSTON TEA PARTY Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte poses a question while taking part in a panel discussion during a Republican Governors Association conference, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP The signing of the legislation comes after state Rep. Zooey Zephyr (D-MT), who is transgender, had been censured by the state House on Wednesday, barring the lawmaker for the remainder of the legislative session. Zephyr's censure allows the lawmaker to vote remotely on legislation for the rest of the session; however, Zephyr is not allowed to speak on the floor while being censured. The censure was voted on by the Montana House after Zephyr told Republican lawmakers on April 18 they would be subjecting transgender youth to torture by banning treatment. In response, House Republican Majority Leader Sue Vinton said the House Republicans would not "be shamed by anyone in this chamber. We are better than that." "If you vote yes on this bill and yes on these amendments, I hope the next time there's an invocation, when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands," Zephyr replied. FILE - Rep. Zooey Zephyr poses for a photo at the Montana State Capitol in Helena, Mont., on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Tommy Martino, File) Tommy Martino/AP CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER On Monday, nearly 100 protesters chanted "Let her speak" from the statehouse gallery in support of Zephyr after the lawmaker was not recognized to speak for a third consecutive day. Police arrested seven protesters for disrupting proceedings at the statehouse, who were then charged with criminal trespassing and were moved to the Lewis and Clark County jail. Montana is the latest state to issue a ban on gender-transition procedures, with other states, including Indiana, Tennessee, and West Virginia, all doing the same within the last two months. Original Location: Montana governor signs law banning gender-transition procedures for minors Washington Examiner Videos Authorities are searching for a Texas man accused of killing five of his neighbors after they asked him to stop shooting gunfire in his backyard because they were trying to sleep, police said on Saturday. Francisco Oropeza, 39, went next door with an AR-style rifle and began shooting the family members "execution-style," killing five of the people inside the home Friday night, according to San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers. The youngest victim was 8 years old. SUSPECT IN NORTH CAROLINA SHOOTING OF 6-YEAR-OLD ARRESTED IN FLORIDA Oropeza has been charged with five counts of murder, and a manhunt for the suspect is ongoing. There were a total of 10 people in the home at the time of the shooting, with the other five left uninjured, according to police. Two of the victims were found lying on top of children who were in the home, who were later taken to the hospital and deemed to be uninjured. Two other people in the home were examined and released at the scene. "The Honduran ladies that were laying over these children were doing it in such an effort as to protect the child," Capers told reporters at the scene. Three of the victims were women, and one was a man, although no other identifying information was immediately available. All five of the victims are believed to be from Honduras and were between the ages of 8 and 40 years old, according to police. The confrontation occurred after family members walked up to the fence to ask Oropeza to stop shooting late at night so that their baby could sleep, Capers said. However, the suspect told the family that it was his property and was later seen walking to their front door with the rifle. Authorities have previously made visits to Oropeza's home for similar complaints, Capers said. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER "Deputies have come over and spoke with him about him shooting his gun in the yard," he told reporters. Police are still searching for the suspect in the town of Cleveland, Texas, which is located about 45 miles north of Houston. Original Location: Texas police say man kills family of five after complaints about him shooting rounds in backyard Washington Examiner Videos Russia has deployed forces to Ukrainian hospitals and schools to use the civilians as "human shields" from an expected counteroffensive, according to Ukrainian officials. "The adversary continues to use educational institutions of the temporarily occupied territories, having them re-purposed as military facilities, hiding behind a human shield of schoolchildren and the teaching staff," the Ukrainian General Staff asserted in a Friday evening update. CHINA BRAGS ABOUT US CASUALTIES IN KOREAN WAR Ukrainian officials are preparing for a major effort to reclaim some of the southern and eastern Ukrainian territory seized when Russian troops poured out of Crimea and the occupied regions of Donbas last February. Yet Russian forces have worked to fortify their positions across southern and eastern Ukraine while clinging to a massive nuclear power plant near the front lines, and the campaign to drive them back could be fraught with practical and moral hazards. "For example, Russian occupation troops are stationed in the building of a local school in the settlement of Lubyanka (Luhansk oblast)," the general staff said. "The personnel is stationed in the buildings of educational institutions, as they force the teaching staff to continue the educational process, with the attendance of children and teaching staff being mandatory." The strike could deliver the first substantial advance of Ukrainian troops since the fall counteroffensive spurred Russia to withdraw from key territories and begin to mobilize conscripts. Ukrainian forces are expected to attempt to break through the so-called land bridge linking Russian forces in the southern peninsula of Crimea to Donbas and mainland Russia further north, though recently leaked U.S. intelligence assessments cast doubt on the likely extent of their success. "The counteroffensive should not be considered a decisive battle," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Friday. "If one counteroffensive will be needed, there will be one. If we will need two or more, it will be so. This is not a conflict that can be frozen." From left, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, and Iceland's Foreign Minister Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir attend a news conference in Odesa, Ukraine, Friday, April 28, 2023. Andrew Kravchenko/AP The exact path of the impending counteroffensive is a closely guarded secret "no more than five people" have access to the battle plans, a senior adviser to Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksii Danilov said on April 6 but Russian officials have added new fortifications around Zaporizhzhia, a partially occupied region north of Crimea and Kherson but south of Donbas. "The Russian assessment appears to be that the Ukrainians' most likely and most dangerous place to attack is in the south, particularly in Zaporizhzhia," retired Australian Army Maj. Gen. Mick Ryan told Reuters this week. That's an anxious prospect for international observers due to Russia's occupation of a Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. U.N. nuclear experts at the plant "were again forced to shelter this week after missile attack warnings," according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. "In addition, one landmine exploded near the site," the IAEA added. The Biden administration has accused Russia of militarizing the power plant while using the threat of a nuclear disaster to deter Ukrainian counterattacks. "That brings the notion of having a human shield to an entirely different and horrific level," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last year. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The new military updates suggest that more conventional versions of that dilemma are strewn across the occupied territory. "The occupiers re-purposed the local hospital in Kalanchak (Kherson oblast) into a military hospital, where a large number of gravely wounded Russians were brought to on April 27," the general staff said. "The enemy used a KAMAZ-based medical truck to transport the casualties." Original Location: Ukraine accuses Russia of 'hiding behind a human shield of schoolchildren' Washington Examiner Videos If you voted in city elections April 4, congratulations! Most didnt. Nor were voters pre-warned of clear fault lines, how races fell into three categories: Democrat-Assisted, Republican-Unassisted and Developer-Bought seats. If you typically vote Democrat or Republican, sorry your candidates all lost, or will soon, due to unprecedented dark money buying seats for developer-funded winners, who claim to be independent/unaffiliated, but trust me, theyre fully sponsored, and not by you the voters. Case in point, among City Council candidates, yours truly Gordon Klingenschmitt was No. 1 in those developers own polls one month before election, with highest name recognition among 11 in a once conservative city. Then the money hit, and three others got launched from obscurity to surprise winners. But what are the odds, absent coordination, that all three had simultaneously received endorsements in the same week from: Mayor John Suthers, Wayne Williams, Norwood Development, The Gazette, HBA, Realtors, after a leaked email from David Jenkins said he expected council seats to cost between $75,000 and $150,000 each. Then a dark-money group, Defend Colorado, paid $100,000 for a mailer supporting all three, quoting Suthers endorsement. Guess who won? Leinweber suddenly raised $91,820, Crow-Iverson got $88,155, Risley got $113,842 to finish 1-2-3 for a $6,350 annual salary job, and Jenkins/Norwood consolidated future control of tens of millions in tax-payers water rights forever, already owning 80% of developable city land. Congratulations, more power to them. But young homebuyers just got priced out, and taxes reraised, ironically hurting developers and realtors. Thats not the only fault line to be discovered here. Despite Democrat and Republican county party bylaws forbidding open endorsements of city candidates, because municipal elections are nonpartisan, the Democrat Party decided to actively play in this city election. On March 16 without endorsing anyone, the Democrat Party held a private, invitation-only rally to closely coordinate with only three candidates for city council: Kat Gayle, Glenn Carlson and Chineta Davis. Guess who came in fourth and fifth in the council race after so much unofficial Democrat coordination? Gayle and Carlson. Why didnt the Republican county party get behind Gordon Klingenschmitt, Jay Inman and Roland Rainey, the three conservative veteran candidates? Because to her great credit, Republican County Chair Vickie Tonkins cited her allegiance to party bylaws, and could not in good conscience lend party resources, names, emails, fundraising lists, to registered Republican candidates. She stayed out with integrity, while Dems unethically went all in. Klingenschmitt raised and spent only $8,300 and fell from first down to sixth. Rainey and Inman fell to seventh and ninth place. Sign up for free: Gazette Opinion Receive updates from our editorial staff, guest columnists, and letters from Gazette readers. Sent to your inbox 12:00 PM. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. To recap, three developer-funded candidates rose to 1-2-3, three assisted Democrats rose to 4-5-8, and three unassisted Republicans fell to 6-7-9 in a formerly Republican city. Tenth and 11th were unaffiliated and unfunded. Only one mayoral candidate was invited to the Democrat debate Yemi Mobolade who pledged support for abortion and strict church/state separation at their event. One conservative mayor-candidate snuck in and took video, but was banned from speaking. Guess who got 29% first place? Yemi solely benefited from Democrat pre-selection, while many conservatives split our votes and lost. Setting aside the Wayne Williams versus Sallie Clark endorsement contest over who could raise more money from city developers (Norwood for Wayne) or county developers (ONeill/Johnson/LaPlata for Sallie), do you realize the next four unendorsed conservative mayor candidates evenly split 26% of the vote? Wayne got 20%, Sallie got 18%, but the next four low-tax conservatives Glenn-Gonzales-Tiegen-Dalby finished 4-5-6-7 combined for 26%. Any one of them could have finished first overall for mayor, if the other three dropped out and endorsed him. Solution: Do grassroots Republicans want low-tax conservatives in city government ever again? Our Republican party must take the gloves off. Dems have. Either amend the bylaws to allow open endorsements in city races, or heres a simpler solution for State Party Chair Dave Williams to enact: 5 months before any non-partisan election, authorize Republican county parties to host and publish a straw-poll, then ask the rest to drop out and endorse the winner. Consolidate, so one good David can beat 10 Goliaths. Consolidate! Gordon Klingenschmitt, Ph.D., is a former state representative. Colorado secured its status as an abortion sanctuary state when the governor signed a trio of bills bolstering abortion rights. Gov. Jared Polis gave final approval to the bill package, designed to protect and increase access to abortion in the state, just over one year after Colorado enshrined abortion as a fundamental right. The bills became law immediately with Polis' signature. Senate Bill 188 protects patients and providers of abortion and gender-affirming care in Colorado from penalties from other states. Senate Bill 189 expands health insurance coverage for abortion, sterilization and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Senate Bill 190 prohibits deceptive advertising and the use of abortion "reversal" pills in crisis pregnancy centers. "Today is really about freedom. Standing up to protect freedoms that are under attack, sadly, in many other states," Polis said. "That's not the Colorado way. We believe in the ability of individuals to make their own decisions. That's a really important value that we share in our state. These bills further that value." Polis was flanked by 17 state lawmakers during the signing, all of whom were Democratic women and most of whom sponsored the bills. The governor's office was also filled with dozens of abortion advocates and providers, including representatives from Planned Parenthood, Cobalt and the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights. The bill package quickly advanced through the state legislature, taking only 36 days since introduction to pass both chambers and be signed into law. Despite unanimous opposition and filibuster attempts from Republicans, the legislature's Democratic supermajority easily carried the bills through. Only two Democrats voted against any of the bills: Sen. Kevin Priola, who switched parties last year, and Rep. Bob Marshall, the first Democrat to ever represent his Highlands Ranch district. In a statement, House Minority Leader Mike Lynch criticized the bills and the Democratic Party as "radical and extreme." The three bills that Gov. Polis signed today do not protect choice, but instead denies it to a new generation of Colorado women, said Lynch, R-Wellington. They deny a new mother the choice to consider alternative options other than to end her pregnancy. ... Those who call for abortion-on-demand have ensured with the signing of these three ideological bills that Colorado will continue to be an abortion destination. The bill's proponents say it's clear the abortion debate has been settled among Colorado voters. A 2022 survey from the Rocky Mountaineer found that 67% of Colorado voters believe that women in Colorado should have access to abortion care. Voters overwhelmingly re-elected Polis and increased the Democrats' control of the state legislature to near historic levels last year, with some observers attributing their victory to their support for abortion. One exit poll from the election found that 68% of unaffiliated voters surveyed said they couldnt vote for a candidate who wanted to ban abortion, even if they agreed with them on other policy issues. "Here in Colorado, the voters were loud and clear," said Sen. Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, sponsor of SB 189, during the bill signing. "We support access to the full range of reproductive care. We all value this. It's health care." The three bills are the first legislative action Colorado lawmakers have taken on abortion since the Supreme Court overturned national abortion protections in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling in June. Since then, 14 states have passed laws banning or limiting abortion, with many more currently trying to enact blocked bans. Some states, including Texas, Idaho and Oklahoma, have passed "bounty hunter" laws, incentivizing citizens to sue anyone who has helped a person get an abortion. This has quickly made Colorado a national hub for abortion access. In the month following the Dobbs decision, the Colorado-based Cobalt Abortion Fund reported that 94% of its clients seeking practical abortion support came from out of state, including 66% from Texas alone. In January, 750 people traveled to Colorado Planned Parenthoods from out of state for abortion care compared to only 1,500 people during the entirety of 2021, according to Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. "In Colorado, we've got your back," said Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, sponsor of SB 188. "Let the passage of these three bills, as they are being signed into law today, stand as a testament to folks in this state and across the country that Colorado is a beacon of care. That we will support you." SB 188 prohibits Colorado from recognizing criminal prosecutions or civil lawsuits regarding legally protected abortion care and enshrines into law an executive order directing state agencies to withhold relevant records from such states. The new law also applies to gender-affirming care for transgender individuals. SB 189 requires health insurance carriers that serve employers with more than 100 employees to cover abortion, sterilization and treatment of HIV and other STDs without deductibles, copays or coinsurance. For the small group and individual market, health insurance coverage depends on how it would affect premiums. Lastly, SB 190 prohibits crisis pregnancy centers from advertising abortions, emergency contraceptives or referrals they dont actually provide, classifying it as deceptive advertising. It also prohibits the controversial practice of using "abortion reversal pills" to try to stop a medication-based abortion. For more information about each bill and the respective debates, check out these articles: A very quick committee hearing late Thursday night put a few more changes into legislation that initially sought to ban hospital facilities fees. Those changes are expected to result in the Colorado Hospital Association removing its opposition to House Bill 1215. The ban still applies to preventive services, but House legislators watered it down to a study on the effects of those fees, along with requirements for more transparency for patients who are charged those fees. Facilities fees are an outgrowth of the movement away from patient hospitalization and toward more outpatient services. For the purposes of HB 1215, the bill affects a variety of clinics operated by hospitals, which said the fees cover virtually all services save for those provided by physicians. That's everything from security to nursing to technicians to cleaning staff. The bill garnered intense opposition from Colorado's hospitals, which argued it would devastate rural hospitals a group taken out of the bill. Hospitals also said they aren't seeing the kinds of profits alleged by supporters of the bill since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supporters pointed to large bills, sometimes in the thousands of dollars, that patients did not expect, and that insurance either doesn't cover or covers only a small part of, leaving the rest to patients who often have high deductibles. Thursday night's hearing in the Senate Health & Human Services Committee added three more amendments, one significant enough to remove opposition from the hospital association. Sen. Lisa Cutter, D-Littleton, called the claims that hospitals would lose money "extreme." As to the bill's study provision, it's important to understand how facilities fees work, as well as putting common sense limits on fees levied for preventive services, she said. "We've been able to find that compromise," said Sen. Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton, noting that one of the amendments offered Thursday night went to the wire on negotiations. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. "Transparency is a good thing and if we have the opportunity to provide it to our patients, we should," he added. The late hour the bill was heard after 11 p.m. in a hearing that lasted 16 minutes meant no one testified on the measure. One amendment changed the study design. A second one was technical in nature. The third which included the more substantive changes negotiated up until the committee hearing started would move the hospitals off their opposition position, according to Mullica. Its main provision deleted the ban on telehealth facilities fees. In a statement Friday, the Colorado Hospital Association said the group and member hospitals "appreciate the detailed and thoughtful work of the sponsors and proponents as we seek to ensure that HB 23-1215 (facility fees) does not risk access to care for Coloradans." "We particularly appreciate the agreement that there is a significant need to study the impact of facility fees on health care in the state before making changes that could otherwise harm patient access," the group said. The CHA pledged to continue working on the bill to "ensure that patient protections are included in the new bill language about preventive care services." The bill now heads to Senate Appropriations Committee and a Monday hearing. Gov. Jared Polis on Friday signed off on four gun bills, which the Democratic majorities controlling Colorado's General Assembly believe will help rein in the state's gun violence problem. At a ceremony at the state Capitol, Polis said the four gun bills are a "significant investment in making Colorado safer." He said Coloradans deserve to be safe in their communities, schools, grocery stores, nightclubs and everywhere in between, adding, "They shouldn't have to fear the threat of gun violence." Second Amendment advocates, who earlier threatened a lawsuit against the measures, said they have, indeed, challenged two of the four measures, arguing the new laws infringe on their right to keep and bear arms. They said they are considering suing over the other two bills. Republicans in both chambers, significantly outnumbered by their Democratic colleagues, won concessions on several bills. In the House, Republicans launched several filibusters to delay their passage. In a statement Friday, House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, R-Wellington, described the bill signings as a "historically dark day." Today, Colorado is less free and our citizens less safe and able to protect themselves. For law abiding Coloradans, its a historically dark day a day that many of our citizens, no matter their political party, thought impossible in their state," Lynch said. Lynch said most Colorado gun owners follow the law but that Democrats want to punish them for the criminal or tragic actions of a few. Democrats believe that their strong midterm election gave them a mandate to infringe on Coloradans inalienable right to live their lives without needless government intrusion," he said. "But Americans have always rejected this broad attack on our freedoms, even in the name of good intentions." Senate Bill 168, the first bill from the package, repeals previous state law that barred gun violence victims from suing firearms manufacturers and dealers. The measure was driven in part by the experience of Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, who sued a Texas gun dealer in Colorado court because he sold ammunition without a background check to the man who murdered 12 people at the Aurora theater shooting in 2012. Seventy others were injured in the shooting, including nearly 60 from gunfire. The name of their daughter, Jessica Ghawi, who was one of the victims, was added to the title of the bill. Sen. Tom Sullivan's son, Alex, was also among the victims. The Phillips, who held each other during the ceremony, stood by Polis' side as he signed the measure. "Enough is enough," said Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Longmont, one of the bill sponsors. She said it was a "day to be hopeful," one in which Coloradans can hold the gun industry to the same rules as any other business. "Today is about action, not words," added co-sponsor Sen. Chris Kolker, D-Littleton. Rep. Javier Mabrey, D-Denver, added that it was powerful to work on the bill, while high school students demanded action from the General Assembly. The students have been protesting at the state Capitol, particularly following the shooting of two school administrators at East High School in March. Police said a student under a pat down regime shot the staffers, who survived. The student was later found dead. Authorities believes he killed himself. Senate Bill 169 increases the minimum age for purchasing a firearm from 18 to 21, with limited exceptions. Lawmakers saluted the many advocates for the bills: Giffords, Everytown for Gun Sense, the Brady Center, Moms Demand Action, and the students from Colorado high schools, most notably, East High, where the March shootings took place. They also praised Sullivan, who has been the driving voice behind measures that proponents say address gun violence. Sullivan was not able to attend the signing ceremonies on Friday. Sen. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, and her daughter, Maisha, also won praise for being long-term advocates against gun violence. Field's son and his fiance were murdered in 2005. Rep. Eliza Hamrick, D-Centennial, a former teacher at Overland High School, spoke about the trauma teachers, students and parents have experienced for the past 20 years from lockdown and active shooter drills. Some students have been experiencing those drills since preschool, she said. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. "We shouldn't have to live like this," she said. Senate Bill 170 seeks to expand the state's Extreme Risk Protection Order, known as the red flag law, by allowing district attorneys, higher education faculty and school teachers, as well as mental health or medical professionals to seek red flag petitions that would remove firearms from someone deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. The deadly Club Q shooting last November was part of the impetus for expanding the law, although the alleged shooter had a set of firearms removed under a restraining order a year before the shooting. Attorney General Phil Weiser noted the room full of people who have experienced gun violence. "There's so much trauma in this room," Weiser said. "We are living in a time where the Second Amendment has been taken to a place that makes no sense." He pledged that the work to reduce gun violence would continue. Senate President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, said these bills "will save lives tomorrow." "I can't wait to see what we do next year," he added. The final proposal from the package, House Bill 1219, creates a three-day waiting period for delivery of firearm after purchase. The package of legislation builds on previous work to address this public health crisis, said Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, one of the bill sponsors. She thanked the survivors who, "for too long, have had to lead" on this issue. "We have to work smart and work fast," added Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver. In a statement, the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners said it filed two lawsuits against Polis in his official capacity as governor over HB 1219 and SB 169, calling the former unconstitutional and the latter a denial of adults' right to purchase and possess guns. Taylor Rhodes, the group's executive director, said the bill's backers "will not be happy until all law-abiding gun owners are disarmed, and only the criminals have guns." Dudley Brown, the group's president, added, "Gun control extremists think they can play fast and loose with our constitutionally protected freedoms because of their large majorities, but as we have promised, we will not let that happen. The idea that an 18-year-old can vote, serve on a jury that could send someone to jail for life, sign contracts, own property, and even be drafted into our nations military, but not be able to possess a basic hunting rifle is asinine," he said. "Regardless of age, sex, race, religion, or creed, rights are rights and cant be cherry-picked by bigoted politicians. The four bills signed Friday formed a package announced in February to address gun violence. Another bill sponsored by Rep. Elisabeth Epps, D-Denver, to ban assault weapons died in a House committee last week. Polis expressed skepticism about a the efficacy of a state-level ban when asked about the policy this session. A sixth bill that aims to ban ghost guns cleared the state Senate on Friday on a 20-12 vote, with 11 Republicans and Sen. Kevin Priola, D-Henderson, voting against. The final bill introduced this session is a measure to allow counties to prohibit the discharge of firearms in communities with 35 dwellings per acre. The measure has stalled in the Senate. Hundreds of Corvallis School District educators, students and community members gathered in solidarity Thursday, April 27 outside the Benton County Courthouse to support the 50 staff members who may be laid off as a result of statewide budget cuts. But its not too late to turn things around. Close 50 black t-shirts emblazened with red xs were made to symbolize each of the 50 jobs in the Corvallis School District that may be lost due to the impending state wide budget cuts. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Protestors showed off signs to show the Corvallis community their frustration with the impending budget cuts. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Christa Schmeder, president of the Corvallis Education Association delivers a speech on the steps of the Benton County Circuit Courthouse. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. A mother and daughter stand together as speakers from the local education community take turns speaking outside of the Benton County Circuit Courthouse. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Christa Schmeder, president of the Corvallis Education Association stands in front of a crowd of educators and allies who gathered to protest impending budget cuts facing their school district. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Educators and supporters alike gathered gathered outside of the Benton County Circuit Courthouse to listen to speakers from the local education community. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Marcy Hermens, co-president of the Oregon School Employees association stands with constituents as she gives a speech on the steps of the Benton County Courthouse. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Marcy Hermens, co-president of the Oregon School Employees association speaks in front of a crowd of educators and allies who gathered in protest of impending budget cuts facing the Corvallis School District. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Christa Schmeder, president of the Corvallis Education Association cheers on a fellow speaker at a protest of recent state wide cuts to educational budgets. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Educators and allies alike wore red to Thursdays protest in a show of solidarity with the teachers facing impending budget cuts. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Educators and their allies gathered together in protest of recent budget cuts that would result in a substantial number of teachers to lose their jobs in the coming year. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Protestors showed off signs to show the Corvallis community their frustration with the impending budget cuts. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. City Contrevas-Colin stands on the steps with her supporters as she gives a speech to a crowd of gathered protestors. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. City Contrevas-Colin gives a passionate speech in favor of protecting educators in the face of impending state wide budget cuts. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Educators and their allies gathered together in protest of recent budget cuts that would result in a substantial number of teachers to lose their jobs in the coming year. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Protestors showed off signs to show the Corvallis community their frustration with the impending budget cuts. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. A protest sign pleading for educational funding is seen through a car window as it drives by the gathering outside of the Benton County Circuit Couthouse. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Protestors wave to passing traffic as they honk their car horns in a show of support for the educators movement. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Educators and their allies gathered together in protest of recent budget cuts that would result in a substantial number of teachers to lose their jobs in the coming year. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Gallery: Corvallis educators protest at courthouse over incoming state budget cuts. A sea of red flooded the steps of the Benton County Circuit Court as educators, families and other community members protested incoming budget cuts on Thursday April 23. If Gov. Tina Kotek's most recent proposal for the state's educational budget goes through it could lead to a deficit of over 5 million dollars for the Corvallis School District. If unchanged this deficit could result in the firing of up to 50 educational support staff in the district. Red was worn by the protesters as a symbol of solidarity as a part of their "#RedforED" campaign. Exactly 50 black t-shirts emblazoned with red x's were made to be worn to symbolize the 50 jobs that could be possibly lost as a result of the budget cuts. 50 black t-shirts emblazened with red xs were made to symbolize each of the 50 jobs in the Corvallis School District that may be lost due to the impending state wide budget cuts. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Protestors showed off signs to show the Corvallis community their frustration with the impending budget cuts. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Christa Schmeder, president of the Corvallis Education Association delivers a speech on the steps of the Benton County Circuit Courthouse. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. A mother and daughter stand together as speakers from the local education community take turns speaking outside of the Benton County Circuit Courthouse. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Christa Schmeder, president of the Corvallis Education Association stands in front of a crowd of educators and allies who gathered to protest impending budget cuts facing their school district. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Educators and supporters alike gathered gathered outside of the Benton County Circuit Courthouse to listen to speakers from the local education community. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Marcy Hermens, co-president of the Oregon School Employees association stands with constituents as she gives a speech on the steps of the Benton County Courthouse. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Marcy Hermens, co-president of the Oregon School Employees association speaks in front of a crowd of educators and allies who gathered in protest of impending budget cuts facing the Corvallis School District. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Christa Schmeder, president of the Corvallis Education Association cheers on a fellow speaker at a protest of recent state wide cuts to educational budgets. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Educators and allies alike wore red to Thursdays protest in a show of solidarity with the teachers facing impending budget cuts. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Educators and their allies gathered together in protest of recent budget cuts that would result in a substantial number of teachers to lose their jobs in the coming year. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Protestors showed off signs to show the Corvallis community their frustration with the impending budget cuts. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. City Contrevas-Colin stands on the steps with her supporters as she gives a speech to a crowd of gathered protestors. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. City Contrevas-Colin gives a passionate speech in favor of protecting educators in the face of impending state wide budget cuts. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Educators and their allies gathered together in protest of recent budget cuts that would result in a substantial number of teachers to lose their jobs in the coming year. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Protestors showed off signs to show the Corvallis community their frustration with the impending budget cuts. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. A protest sign pleading for educational funding is seen through a car window as it drives by the gathering outside of the Benton County Circuit Couthouse. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Protestors wave to passing traffic as they honk their car horns in a show of support for the educators movement. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. Educators and their allies gathered together in protest of recent budget cuts that would result in a substantial number of teachers to lose their jobs in the coming year. Taken April 27, 2023 in Corvallis. The state needs to shell out $10.3 billion to adequately fund education for Oregon students, according to the Oregon Department of Education. Instead, Gov. Tina Kotek is proposing a $9.9 billion fund, a number far below what is recommended by ODEs Quality Education Model, which provides legislators with an idea of how much money is needed to adequately fund schools. Corvallis schools' share is just over 1% of the fund, Superintendent Ryan Noss said, and if the current proposal goes through, the district will face a deficit of nearly $5 million the equivalent of 50 staffing positions. Evan Walker is one of the many classified, or nonteaching, staffers who was informed a couple of weeks ago that his job was in jeopardy. A first-year educational assistant with the Urban Farm program at College Hill, Walker said hes worried for the staff who will be left behind with no support. It sets a dangerous precedent for people coming into the profession that they'll have to handle more with less, he said. Walker wore a black shirt with a bright red X taped over his torso. He matched with 49 others who represented the hypothetical behavioral and support staff destined to lose their jobs if the budget goes through, and if the district does not choose to make the cuts elsewhere. According to Koteks website, education is a Top 3 priority for the governor. Along with homelessness and mental health, education and child care issues are among her promises to improve for Oregonians. Christa Schmeder, union president for the Corvallis Education Association, organized the event and handed out #RedforEdCSD T-shirts. Educators, families and advocates held up signs as cars honked in support of support staff keeping their jobs. Corvallis school board members Sami Al-Abdrabbuh and Shauna Tominey attended the rally, as well as Superintendent Ryan Noss. While Al-Abdrabbuh said he cannot speak to staffing decisions until the budget is finalized, he encourages people to be laser-focused on urging state leaders to increase the School State Fund. This is the worst proposal Ive seen since 2011, he said. It will have catastrophic impacts. Education has changed, she said, and todays educators teach more than academics; they teach the whole child. For many children, it takes several staff members to help elevate the lagging academic and behavioral skills that students are lacking post-pandemic. Every single day we show up to meet them where they are, but we can only wear so many hats, McBride said. It's the human condition to carry as much as you can, and right now your schools are carrying it all. She called for proactive measures, not just reactions. Students are also feeling the pressure of the impending cuts. Charlotte Patel, a junior at Crescent Valley High School and student board representative, said she cant help but feel scared for the future of the school district in which she grew up. Not only is the district taking away job positions, they are taking away the necessary supports that our students require, Patel said. I truly think there are better solutions. Outside of school, parents will feel the impact of behavioral and support staff being let go. Caty Contreras-Colin tutors mothers how to tutor their children who dont get the necessary educational support they require at school. As a parent of color herself, she tearfully spoke in solidarity with the historically marginalized communities who will be most affected by these budget cuts. These mothers and many other parents have a voice, and it isnt being heard, Contreras-Colin said. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times. Fourth-grade teacher Erin Jamison-Ordeman said the 2021-22 school year was the toughest she ever faced, and if she hadnt had the support of her behavior staff and education assistants, it would have set her over the edge. I dont think that I can do my job without them, she said. Ill feel really defeated if I cant support my students. With entire departments, programs and positions being slashed including nearly half of Linn-Benton Community College's faculty of color due to budget cuts, some educators are doubting the future of the institution's reputation as an inclusive place to learn. When you cut 46% of people of color, youre sending the wrong message, said Sisi Virasak, a computer science instructor who has been teaching for 12 years. Virasak is one of several casualties of the colleges budget cuts, which President Lisa Avery attributed to the states disinvestment in community colleges. Both state funding and enrollment have been on a downslide for the past 10 years, which Avery said has forced community colleges to look in the mirror and consider their role going forward. The hard truth is that LBCC cant be everything for everyone, and we need to be strategic about what areas we are cutting, she said. In collaboration with a number of staff, I made these decisions, and I stand by them. The LBCC Faculty Association alleges that the administration violated its full-time contract by not including faculty members in the decision-making process. According to the contract, the association may present alternative solutions to budget shortfalls. The fact that the association was unilaterally informed of cuts a few days prior to their announcement suggests that the administration never intended to take alternative suggestions into serious consideration, Association President Claire Burke said in a statement Friday, April 28. The college is projecting a revenue shortfall of $4 million over the next two years. As a result, LBCC will reduce its budget by $2.5 million in the 2023-24 academic year, and the other $1.5 million in 2024-25. Heres where the cuts are being made and who is affected: Breaking down the numbers The criminal justice and computer science programs, including all degrees and certificates offered with the programs, will be eliminated at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. This gives students one more year to complete their degrees, which computer science instructor Joseph Jess said may be difficult for those who take classes part time. A product of LBCCs computer systems program himself, Jess said he believes 10%, or maybe 30% if hes being optimistic, of current computer science students will remain at the college after the program is slashed. Avery guestimates 50% of computer science students will stay enrolled. Cutting the criminal justice program is forecast to save $160,000, and cutting computer science is forecast to save $612,000. Avery said those numbers were calculated by adding costs and subtracting projected enrollment loss. The gross expenses minus the foregone revenue equal the net savings recognized in the budget. The college is also getting rid of its three full-time librarians, which means there will no longer be an information literacy instruction program, reference service desk or proper book collection management staffed by trained faculty members. Richenda Hawkins, a full-time librarian of 17 years, said it is a violation of her contract to transfer full-time faculty work to others who are not trained or qualified to do so. Without librarians, it simply wont get done, Hawkins said. That work doesnt just go away. Cutting the librarians is expected to save the college $312,000. The number is similar to the raise LBCC management voted to give themselves a 4% increase of $310,780 at a board meeting April 19. Avery said the board approves these types of cost-of-living-adjustment raises for management and other groups every April, and this year was no exception. Additionally, there will be cuts made to the Adult Basic Skills program, which brings adults up to speed in reading, learning English and earning their GED. Cuts to this program is forecast to save the college $500,000 over the next two years. Hawkins, who will be losing her job in June, said making cuts to this program will be devastating to the community. We are abandoning them all because we have decided that we do not value providing adult basic education, Hawkins said to the board during a meeting on April 19. I am ashamed at how they have been treated at this community college, year after year. Additional reductions include the closing of the Sweet Home Center, which will save the college $117,000, and the vacancy of one faculty adviser and elimination of four management positions, saving the college $613,000. In all, these cuts add up to $2.4 million over two years. Losing diversity The cuts include getting rid of 46% of LBCCs faculty members of color. The college faculty is already 90% white. In her initial communication to the faculty regarding the cuts, Avery acknowledged that it was especially difficult to make reductions of diverse employees. Departments were not singled out for reduction based on diversity data, she added, and the colleges equity-focused mission was considered in the budget reduction process. David Becker, computer science department chair, said he found Averys acknowledgement to be condescending, adding that it felt like the first time hed been spoken down to in his 22 years at the college. You're just talking the talk, he said. You're not walking the walk. The computer science department has more faculty members of color than any other program at LBCC. But, Avery said, just as departments or areas with high percentages of diverse faculty would never be singled out for reduction, they also could not be excluded from cuts. The faculty librarians who are being laid off are the only full-time Spanish speakers in the library. The only Spanish speaker left in the library will be a part-time student worker. All remaining library staff will be white. We are not the only place that has Spanish speakers, but were the main place where a Spanish speaker could come and get help, Hawkins said in an interview. Thats a huge problem. Libraries are complicated places, she added, and she often has to help people navigate the librarys services in Spanish. After she and the others are gone, she worries people will not be able to access important services. At the same time, the college is preparing to become what's called Hispanic-Serving Institution. Such a designation, which is only given to colleges where at least 25% of their full-time undergraduate students are Latinx, makes the schools eligible for additional grants. But without a full-time Spanish speaker in the library where people go for help and information Hawkins said none of this makes sense. Tough decisions Part of the reason this years budget is so challenging is because federal funding meant to alleviate impacts from the pandemic is now coming to an end. Those one-time funds, plus the colleges reserves, helped offset shortfalls during the past two years, but they are not part of the ongoing budget. For short-term and one-time costs, using those dollars makes sense to plug holes, but they are not sustainable sources of revenue, Avery said. While were grateful for the emergency relief funds, as they dissipate, were left with significant shortfalls. Avery testified in Salem alongside an LBCC student last week, asking for $855 million for Oregons community colleges, plus a one-time $50 million allocation to help bridge the gap as colleges adjust to the new economic reality. She said she hopes to lower the proposed 6% tuition increase if LBCC receives substantial funding assistance. Avery and other administrators met with leadership from the full-time faculty association and classified association the union representing nonteaching employees before the reductions were announced. She said employees also had an opportunity to submit ideas for possible savings, but that contradicts with the associations stance they were excluded from such decisions. I am ultimately charged with the responsibility of keeping LBCC as a vital community service for generations to come, Avery said, and to be able to serve those future generations, we are going to have to continue to make tough decisions. Community impact These cuts affect more than those being laid off, the computer science department chair said. Students, businesses and neighboring community colleges will feel the impact as well. You're going to do away with the program that has allowed students to get livable wages and be hired without all the debt of college or a four-year institution, Becker said. Most of the computer science graduates already have full-time jobs by the time they graduate, often employed by local tech companies, school districts or the college itself. The classes are completely full, Virasak said, and these programs are now more important than ever given cyberattacks in an increasingly technology-driven society. Im just speechless, she said. This disrupts the workflow, which disrupts all the classes for the students who are trying to figure out where they want to go. Its a mess. Avery said her reduction decisions were based on programs that either had low enrollment or were offered elsewhere. While computer science is offered at other nearby community colleges, and at Oregon State University, Virasak said many of her students chose to attend LBCC because it was a better fit for them. Whats even more important is the work the students do outside the classroom, Virasak said. Cooperative work experience provides students the opportunity to get paid for work while they are earning their degree. She connects with local high school students who are interested in computer science and enrolls them in courses to help them get a head start. The first time I taught a class I saw the light, she said. To see the impact that you have on people in a classroom is very profound. I feel like I have the ability to transform lives and to better someones life. Ever since she found out shed be losing her job, Virasak has felt unmotivated to go to work. She said she has lost faith in the leadership. Its hard to do my job, she said. But I am committed to our students, and Im focused on their success and making sure that they graduate. Related stories: Chris Lovell of Clear Lake will assume the role of chief operating officer of local internet service provider CL Tel effective Monday, (May 1), according to a press release from the company. CL Tel is a locally owned and operated telecommunications service provider, providing the fiber internet, TV, phone and security services to the communities of Clear Lake, Ventura, Mason City and other surrounding areas since 1895. "We are thrilled to announce that Chris will be COO and leading CL Tel's daily operations," said CL Tel President Jan Lovell. "This is an integral step in the evolution of CL Tel to our fifth generation of family leadership, and it positions us for our next phase of growth and success." Since 2015, Chris Lovell has held positions of business development executive, assistant general manager, and vice president. He architected the companys operational efficiency and revenue-generation efforts, leading marketing, business intelligence, product development, customer service, and cybersecurity. Chris has demonstrated his many talents and capabilities in the more than eight years he has been at CL Tel, said Jan Lovell. He is trustworthy, treats employees well, and will ensure the long-term success of the company. Tom Lovell will continue as CL Tel chief executive officer. Jan Lovell will remain as president and principal shareholder. The two will maintain critical roles in oversight, philanthropy, community involvement, and the Pension Investment Committee, as well as Woodford Lumber & Home oversight. "We are confident that Chris will continue to be a great asset to the team," said Jan Lovell. "He embodies the company's mission to enable customers, employees, and communities to lead fulfilled lives and positively impact the world." Chris Lovell is a 2010 Clear Lake High School alum and a 2014 graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington. He and his wife, Morgan, live in Clear Lake with their two children, Adeline and Charles. Close Kirk Apartment Fire 1. The author implies that a possibly negative aspect of the Treaty of Utrecht was - it ended the War of Spanish Succession in 1714 - it ceded Gibraltar to England - it elevated Prussia to a kingdom Then, decide which of these things is most negative. Ending a war is (presumably) a good thing, so that one's out like a trout. Ceding Gibraltar to England? That's a bit controversial in modern times, but the passage doesn't comment on it except to say that it proved "invincible" later on, so if anything, this is a positive aspect of the Treaty of Utrecht (maybe not to enemies of the Crown...). The passage does say that elevating Prussia to a kingdom set in motion a chain of events that arguably made the bloodshed that consumed the 20th century more likely, and bloodshed does sound a bit negative (maybe not to vampires?), so this is likely what the question is after. Find an answer that matches. To answer this, it'll be best to go to the part of the passage and re-read the part about the consequences of the Treaty of Utrecht (skim for mention of the treaty--it's in para. 2). Note what's said about the treaty:Then, decide which of these things is most negative. Ending a war is (presumably) a good thing, so that one's out like a trout. Ceding Gibraltar to England? That's a bit controversial in modern times, but the passage doesn't comment on it except to say that it proved "invincible" later on, so if anything, this is a positive aspect of the Treaty of Utrecht (maybe not to enemies of the Crown...). The passagesay that elevating Prussia to a kingdom set in motion a chain of events that arguably made the bloodshed that consumed the 20th century more likely, and bloodshedsound a bit negative (maybe not to vampires?), so this is likely what the question is after. Find an answer that matches. (C) elevating Prussia to a kingdom (C) clearly matches the prediction. You might wonder what makes this an inference question rather than an "according to the passage" question. Essentially, it's just that you have to connect some structural dots to choose (C)--the passage doesn't outright say that this was a bad thing, and it doesn't immediately say that elevating Prussia led to bloodshed. It's up to you (yes: you ) to make the connection. 2. Which of the following must be true, according to the passage? Unlike the last question, this one doesn't give us any specific details to latch onto. In these cases, it's usually a good idea to start by scanning the answers and seeing if there are any that are obviously wrong (or obviously right--fingers crossed). This is plausible. There were military personages mentioned in the first paragraph, and it's hard to say what kind of powers they were from. Keep this for a minute. This one's pretty suspicious: was it the most important engagement of the war? Hyperbolic answers such as this one often go by the wayside, especially when the question stem is open-ended. You're on the bubble, (B). This seems more plausible than the previous answer (watching you, (B)), but you might remember from the research done on the previous question that Prussia also won some sort of victory, inasmuch as it was elevated to a kingdom as a result of the war. That makes an answer calling England the victorious power a bit hard to choose. This, again, might be right, and unlike (C), it doesn't single France out as the defeated power, so keep it around for later analysis. Again, this one's a bit hyperbolic, so it's significantly less likely to be right. Also again, you know from the previous question that the elevation of Prussia to *kingdom status* led to big dramatic vampire-pleasing things in the 20th century, so that might have been the most important result of the war. This one's definitely not looking good. Coming away from this first run through the answers, (A) and (C) emerge as the most promising among them. At this point, it's a good idea to go back to the passage and research the details mentioned in (A) and (C) more carefully: [list]Where did the military personages come from? At least one was from Savoy, a place described as an independent territory east of France and not listed among the major powers in the previous sentence. This answer looks promising. Did France lose the war? You know by that Spain lost something (Gibraltar, once fondly known as the Pillars of Heracles) to England, and you know that Prussia (a power listed on the same side as England) also won something big in the Treaty of Utrecht, which is almost definitely a real place. Therefore, it's pretty fair to assume that Spain lost a bit and that England and Prussia were on the winning side of things. However, nothing is specifically mentioned about France besides a low-key panegyric on Louis XIV. It's possible that France fought this one to a draw. And given that it's undeniable that answer (A) has some affirmative backing in the passage, you shouldn't choose this unsubstantiated (in either direction) answer over it. The correct answer is (A). Manhattan Prep EA , GMAT , and GRE Instructor https://www.manhattanprep.com Ryan StarrManhattan Prep, andInstructor Signature Read More The War of the Spanish Succession, 170114, began as a quarrel over whether an Austrian Habsburg or French Bourbon would succeed the childless Charles II of Spain. The conflict eventually embroiled most of Europe, with Austria, England, Holland, and Prussia the major powers opposing France, Spain, and Bavaria. For centuries afterward, school children learned of the Duke of Marlboroughs victory at Blenheim, the military brilliance of Prinz Eugen of Savoy, an independent territory east of France, as well as the opposing brightness of Louis XIV of France, known as the Sun King, who also built the famous palace at Versailles. Today, however, virtually all those names would elicit only blank stares.Although this war and its personages have now vanished into obscurity, its effects greatly affected the course of European and world history. The Treaty of Utrecht, which ended the war in 1714, ceded the Spanish island of Gibraltar to England. The Rock of Gibraltar became an invincible British fortress that controlled the Mediterranean and thus was of paramount importance in both world wars. Conversely, the same treaty elevated Prussia to a kingdom, thus setting in motion a chain of events that led to a unified Germany under a Prussian Kaiser instead of one governed by the Austrians, arguably making the bloodshed that consumed the 20th century more likely.(A) awarding Gibraltar to the British(B) reducing the Duke of Marlborough to obscurity(D) failing to resolve the Spanish succession(E) unifying Germany(A) Not all of the important military personages were from major powers.(B) The battle of Blenheim was the most important engagement of the war.(C) England was the victorious power.(D) France was defeated in the war.(E) The transfer of Gibraltar was the most important result of the war._________________ LOS ANGELES Anne Franks story is one many think they know. But when you get into the nitty gritty of it, most people dont know it all, says actress Bel Powley. In the limited series, A Small Light, audiences learn how many helped Annes family hide from the Nazis and, ultimately, rescue and publish her diary an account of life during the Holocaust. Powleys character, Miep Gies, was an assistant to Otto Frank, Annes father. She willingly agreed to help him and his family hide in an annex and keep his company running. She was a frivolous, fiercely independent young woman, Powley says. And then she found herself in extreme circumstances. With her husband, Jan (played by Joe Cole), she found herself making bold decisions, ones that protected the Franks and their friends for two years. Their lives were turned upside down when they made this really heroic decision to help hide these eight people, Powley says. Hopefully, it will make lots of viewers think, Would I be able to do this? Its a question both actors asked themselves during filming. What they did was so extraordinary and so incredible, Cole says. Hopefully, I never will be put in that position. Id like to think I could do a little something for somebody. What (Miep and Jan) did was a little something that turned out to be a huge, huge thing. They represent a huge number of people who were also doing that all over Europe. The title comes from something Miep said: Anyone can turn on a small light in a dark room. The Gieses downplayed their role in the Anne Frank story. Jan never spoke about it after the war, Cole says. Theres actually very little anecdotal evidence of him talking about the experience. Miep, however, wrote a book, Anne Frank Remembered, and did interviews. Her book was my main source of research, Powley says. You get the sense she was quite cheeky and playful. She talks about how much she loved going out dancing and partying with her friends and how she found her husband so attractive. Jan had been married and had to divorce in order to continue his relationship with Miep. It was a social faux pas in those days, Cole says. To show how they maintained their relationship in spite of the pressures of war A Small Light includes moments in which theyre talking in the bathroom, in the bedroom, anywhere they can get a moment of privacy. Jan is told he cant talk to anyone not even his wife about his participation in the resistance. That raises a question: Who can you trust? Cole says you often have to find your person someone who shares your outlook. Im a very trusting person, Powley admits. I can actually be quite gullible sometimes. It takes me a minute to warm to people, Cole says. I just need to get to know you a little bit before Im youre best mate. For both actors, A Small Light tested those boundaries and, says Powley, proved to be one of the best working experiences Ive ever had. It will stay with me. I knew about Anne Franks story Im Jewish myself but I actually didnt know anything about Miep or Jan or any of the other people who helped hide the Franks. There are a lot of unlikely everyday heroes who are coming out of the woodwork since Miep. I feel honored to have been able to play her and tell the story. The people in the annex and Miep and Jan and the workers who were helping hide them were hopeful to the end, says Joan Rater, the series executive producer and writer. They didnt know the end of the story. Every time I read Anne Franks diary, I hoped that this time theyd be saved. As a writer, I didnt play the ending. I played the hope the hope these people were living with. Liev Schreiber, who plays Otto Frank, says A Small Light is not the Anne Frank story you were taught in elementary school. Theyve found nuance in this. Its a very powerful argument against anti-Semitism because (Mieps) commitment was one of friendship and loyalty and kindness and compassion. She wasnt a Jew. This is about a normal person who goes, Yes, when the question is asked, Can you help me? A Small Light airs on National Geographic beginning May 1. It will also stream on Hulu and Disney+. The dispute between West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a former billionaire coal magnate, and Martinsville-based Carter Bank and Trust is back on after an announced settlement in 2021. In May 2021, Carter Bank filed a suit in Martinsville Circuit Court regarding $58 million in loans the bank maintained were personally guaranteed by Justice and his wife Cathy. Justice responded with a lawsuit against the bank, seeking $421 million related to outstanding loans. But by the end of August, Steve Ruby, Justices attorney, announced that Justice and his businesses had successfully concluded a number of matters relating to CB&T, one of the companies longtime financing partners. Last week, a release indicated the Justices and CB&T were again embroiled in a significant lending dispute. The Justice companies have been unable to reach agreement with the bank despite having secured a refinancing opportunity that would pay Carter Bank $250 million in immediate cash and provide a path to completely pay off the companies Carter Bank loans within months, the release stated. Carter Bank marketing officer Brooks Taylor said the bank would not comment on the matter due to its policy of not responding publicly to issues involving ongoing litigation. Records on file with the Martinsville Circuit Court Clerks Office indicate that on April 21, Carter Bank filed multiple confessions of judgement against Justice, his wife and his son, James C. Justice III, in the amount of nearly $295.7 million in principal, almost $3.9 million in interest and more than $5.2 million in attorneys fees. A confession of judgment is usually a clause within a contract in which the debtor agrees to allow the creditor to obtain a judgment without advanced notice or a hearing in the event of nonpayment. The Justice companies have been unable to reach agreement with the bank despite having secured a refinancing opportunity that would pay Carter Bank $250 million in immediate cash and provide a path to completely pay off the companies Carter Bank loans within months, Justice announced in the release. As explained in a previous civil complaint that the Justice Companies were forced to file against Carter Bank and which the bank later settled, the companies have made efforts to pay off their Carter Bank loans only to have the bank block them, in an apparent attempt to continue extracting interest payments from the Justices. The most recent impasse appears to result from the same pattern of obstructive conduct by the bank, said Justice in the release. On the same day Justice released the statement regarding Carter Bank , Politico reported that Justice is planning to launch a long-awaited campaign against Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., soon describing Justice as a well-funded and popular recruit and the best opportunity [for Republicans] to flip a Senate seat. In September 2018, Justice was reportedly worth $1.2 billion, making him the wealthiest person in West Virginia, but by October 2021, his worth had dwindled to $513.3 million. Justice said the arranged refinancing plan with Carter Bank would have allowed him to retire seven of 11 loans his businesses held with the bank and result in an immediate cash payment of more that $250 million. The remaining four loans, totaling approximately $57 million, would be secured by collateral appraised at more than $325 million. The Justice plan includes the sale or refinancing of assets that would completely retire the remaining Carter Bank loans within four months, the release stated. Instead, Justice claims Carter Bank enjoys more than $20 million a year in interest revenue from the loans with his companies and retiring the loans would eliminate the revenue stream. The release described the confessions of judgement on file in the Martinsville Circuit Court Clerks Office as a last-ditch effort to retain a revenue stream that routinely accounts for a large portion of the banks revenue. Our companies refinancing plan would immediately pay off several of our loans with Carter Bank and set the stage to quickly eliminate all the remaining loans, said Justice in the release, but the bank has blocked those efforts, instead seeking to stop us from refinancing our loans with other lenders. The inability to reach agreement with the bank is astonishing, particularly in the current business climate for small banks, which should make a $250 million payoff exceptionally attractive to the bank, its shareholders, and its depositors. Unfortunately, the banks predatory behavior will now obligate us to aggressively protect our legal interests. Justice said his family enjoyed a rock-solid lending relationship with Carter Bank for more than 20 years, when the bank was under the leadership of its founder, Worth Carter, but after Carters death in 2017, the banks current management has consistently chosen to act in bad faith in their dealings with the banks largest borrower even as we have paid the bank more than $580 million in principal reduction and more than $100 million in interest during that six-year span. The Justice family will demonstrate that the banks new court filing is nothing more than an illegal attempt to stop us from working with other lenders, Justice said in the release, and it is unimaginable that a bank would deny a customer the ability to pay off a loan. REIDSVILLE Police and school officials on Thursday, acting on a tip from a student, recovered a loaded handgun from a Reidsville Middle School 8th grader on the schools campus, according to Sean Gladieux, safety and public information officer for Rockingham County Schools. No students or staff were harmed or threatened during the incident which happened sometime before 1:20 p.m. The gun was loaded with a full magazine, through police would not disclose the number of bullets it held. There was no live round in the chamber, Gladieux said Friday via email. So far, school officials have not found any evidence that the student planned an attack of any kind at the school at 1903 Park Drive, which is home to 626 pupils, spanning 6th to 8th grade, the spokesman said. The name of the minor in possession of the weapon was not provided. State juvenile laws protect the identities of young offenders. The student, who had the gun on his person, was immediately suspended for an undisclosed amount of time, school officials said. Reidsville Police Department, heading the investigation of the incident, would not say whether the teen has been referred to the juvenile justice system. The RPD also declined to discuss the model of the gun or whether investigators are examining the students computer and social media accounts to rule out dangerous plans. This incident is currently under investigation so Im unable to answer any those other questions at this time, said RPD spokesman Venus Carter. We applaud the students who heard something and said something to RMS staff, Gladieux said in a news release. This quick action allowed administration to immediately address the issue and safely resolve the situation within minutes. The safety of our students, staff and school community is our greatest responsibility and we appreciate the students, staff and law enforcement that helped to resolve this situation quickly and keep Reidsville Middle School safe. Students who heard about the gun told a teacher who alerted school administrators and the schools SRO officer, Gladieux said. Counselors from across the school district and crisis support teams were available on Thursday to any student who requested help. Asked if the district will step up security at the school or district-wide, Gladieux said, This was an isolated incident and we will remain vigilant with all of our safety protocols. The problem of guns in schools is not unique to Rockingham County. In fact, law enforcement noticed a spike in such incidents in February when 13 students across North Carolina brought firearms to school, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. The onus is on gun-owning parents to effectively secure their arms so that school kids cannot intercept, gun safety advocates at the North Carolina Center Against Gun Vioence in Durham. In North Carolina, owners have registered 152,238 guns. Beyond securing weapons, adults can arm themselves with knowledge about the type of kids who bring guns to school, experts said. A National Institutes of Health study showed that in a randomized survey of about 1,500 7th-and 8th-graders in the U.S., 15% of respondents said they had brought a weapon of some kind to school within the previous month. Teens who took weapons on campus tended to be male, live with only one parent, feel alienated from parents, drink heavily, engage in fighting, damage school property and perceive that at least several of the students carried weapons on campus, the study revealed. While there is no North Carolina law requiring unattended firearms to be stored in a particular manner, a gun owner can face misdemeanor charges if a minor who lives with them gains access to the gun and commits a crime. With gun storage being such a critical safety issue, the National Rifle Association offers guidelines for gun-owning families: *Always unload firearms when they arent in use. *Store ammo in separate location from guns. *Make sure there are no accessible keys or stepladders kids could use to reach guns. *Consider using trigger locks, which prevent a gun from being loaded or fired by unauthorized users. *Consider fingerprint readers to lock up firearms. *Consider buying a safe for your guns. *Teach children the importance of never touching firearms. *Teach children what to do if they find a gun: Stop. Dont touch. Leave the area. Tell an adult. WENTWORTH Justice will be served well in Rockingham County if Teen Court volunteers are on the job, local judicial officials said after observing the teens practice debate in the courtroom. Seven Rockingham County School students brought home an overall third place ranking in a recent state competition, The Teen Court Summit, hosted in Atlantic Beach. It was the first time Rockingham County Teen Court members competed in such a competition. Attending the Teen Court Summit was an invaluable opportunity that left me feeling grateful and inspired I was moved by the sight of so many individuals from different programs who shared a passion for restorative justice, said Thomas Blackstock, a junior at Rockingham County Early College. The mock trial competition, conducted by the North Carolina Teen Court Association, pits county teams against one another in simulated courtrooms. Judges and juries are seated to ensure strict rules are followed and to score participants. Each team is given the same case narrative and evidence and is charged with formulating their opening statements, closing arguments and line of questioning. I cant put into words how extremely proud I am of this team, said Teen Court Coordinator Tammy Burbey. Each of them contributed their hearts and talents to make this a successful mock trial competition. Sponsored by Rockingham County Youth Services, the Teen Court Program allows student volunteers an opportunity to try and defend cases. The program further serves as an alternative to the juvenile justice system for first-time offenders. In such mock trials, student volunteers hear defendants admit guilt before a jury of their peers and accept the jurys recommendations. Youth Services had help preparing from: Rockingham Countys Assistant District Attorney Mike Davis; Sgt. Tammy Ferguson, Deputy Richard Payne; and clerks office staffer Angela Austin. Youth Services recently added a new opportunity for Rockingham County teens with Teen Traffic Court, in partnership with the Rockingham County District Attorneys Office. A few researchers began to wonder: What if science could develop a synthetic mRNA with a specific coding sequence that could be delivered to the body and instruct cells to create any type of protein growth agents to repair damaged tissues, enzymes to cure rare diseases or even antibodies to protect against infection. In 1990, a group of University of Wisconsin researchers actually pulled off making a synthetic mRNA and tested it in laboratory mice. The problem was that synthetic mRNA was sensitive to the mice's defenses and was destroyed before ever reaching the target cell to deliver the coded message, says Paul Goepfert, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and an expert in vaccine design. Many in the scientific world saw this as a fatal flaw and turned their attentions elsewhere. Advertisement But two University of Pennsylvania researchers, Katalin Kariko, Ph.D., and immunologist Drew Weissman, M.D. Ph.D., still believed in the opportunities synthetic mRNA held. They set out to find a way to make mRNA more stable. In 2005, after a decade of painstaking research, they discovered that they could use tiny balls of fat called lipid nanoparticles, or LPNs, to protect the synthetic mRNA. This gave the fragile molecule stealth-like qualities that enabled it to travel outside the immune system's radar. In the years that followed, researchers would explore the possibilities of mRNA using this new technology. In 2010, Cambridge, Massachusetts-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna Inc., was founded to focus specifically on vaccine technologies based on mRNA. The name "Moderna" literally comes from combining the words "modified" and "RNA." In 2008, German-based BioNTech, short for Biopharmaceutical New Technologies, was founded to develop pharmaceutical cancer immunotherapy candidates using mRNA technology. In 2018, the company partnered with U.S.-based Pfizer Inc. to develop mRNA-based flu vaccines. And then the world was hit by a global pandemic. Researchers everywhere began directing all their efforts toward developing a vaccine for coronavirus. " " This diagram shows an encapsulated mRNA vaccine from a viral spike protein (developed from COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2) and how its work for immune response. BigBearCamera/Shutterstock The Montana chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention hosted its Tri-County Out of the Darkness Campus Walk Saturday afternoon at East Helena High School. The annual event raises awareness and funds for resources in an effort to reduce the rate of suicide in the state, the ninth leading cause of death in Montana in 2022 and the second leading cause of death for Montanans between the ages of 10 and 44. The state ranks third in the nation in suicide deaths per 100,000 people at 25.88. The national average is 13.48, according to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention statistics. AFSP Executive Director Katie Levine said she hopes attendees came away from the event with a sense of hope. Friends and family of a person who completed suicide can feel ashamed and often do not want to talk about their grief because of it. "That's why we want to create this environment," Levine said. "It's important to gather around this community and show them they are not alone." The organization employs three full-time staffers, but Levine said their work could not happen without volunteer support. She said about 20 volunteers were on hand for Saturday's event. One of those volunteers was Jason Slead, who said his family has been affected by suicide. "We want to put it in the forefront of peoples' minds: This affects everybody," Slead said. He said the stigma surrounding suicide can be crippling for those grieving, noting the use of euphemisms in the obituaries of those who took their own lives. "Then the next family dealing with this feels that same shame," he said. "They often don't realize resources are available to them." Alison Fuller, another volunteer, said she has a family member who has made attempts. "I want to learn the right words to use," Fuller said. "I want to learn how to hold those conversations, how to ask those big questions." She said AFSP offers such training for schools and businesses, and that Saturday's gathering highlighted such connections be it to resources or simply to the people around you. "I hope they make some connections," Fuller said of the attendees. "It is really special being in the same room for the same cause. It's beautiful." American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Montana chapter hosts events like Saturday's twice yearly. A virtual orientation is scheduled for 7-8 p.m. May 16 for those interested in learning more about what the organization does at a national and local level, resources available and volunteer opportunities. Information is also available on the group's website at afsp.org/chapter/montana. With the exception of Eureka, watercraft inspection stations are open across Montana. All vehicles transporting any type of boat including canoes, kayaks, paddleboards and rafts are required to stop at all inspection stations they encounter. Watercraft inspection stations are Montanas first line of defense to prevent the movement of aquatic invasive species, which can have devastating impacts on Montana waterways. More than 2,400 watercraft have been inspected so far this year. Of those, 13 boats were found to be transporting invasive mussels. Recently, a pontoon boat was intercepted at the Wibaux inspection station (operated by the Garfield Conservation District). The boat had been purchased at auction in Wisconsin and was being transported to Idaho. Inspectors preformed a decontamination, locked the boat to the trailer and notified Idaho to follow up. Boat owners should ensure their watercraft, trailers and gear are clean, drained and dry before transporting and need to be aware of Montanas inspection rules: All watercraft coming into Montana from out of state must be inspected prior to launching. All watercraft traveling west across the Continental Divide into the Columbia River Basin must be inspected prior to launching. Anyone transporting watercraft must stop at all open watercraft inspection stations they encounter. And all boaters are reminded to always clean drain and dry their boat, live wells, anchors, boots and gear when leaving the water. Trips with super-tight schedules popular among Chinese youth People's Daily Online) 10:41, April 27, 2023 Trips with super-tight schedules have gained popularity among young Chinese, with some "punching in" six scenic spots in a day, walking 100,000 steps on the weekend, and visiting three cities in the identical number of days. They are called "tourist special troops" or "travel squads," as such a traveling style resembles intense "special forces" training. A young woman in traditional Chinese clothing Hanfu tours on a boat in Xixi Wetland in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, April 2, 2023. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang) Liu Meng, a young worker in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, arrived at the high-speed train station in the city after work on Friday, April 21. Over three hours later, she was in the Instagram-perfect city of Changsha in central China's Hunan Province. "I wanted to visit Changsha on the weekend," Liu said, explaining that it's her first trip after she found a job. Liu said she planned the trip on a whim, but visited several scenic spots in Changsha and tried the local snacks with her friends. Liu was thinking of visiting Beijing and Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province next time, saying that she can arrange a similar schedule every week if someone joins her. Similarly, Zhu Yuanyuan, a college student in Beijing, traveled to Qinhuangdao city in north China's Hebei Province on a weekend and visited six scenic areas in a day. "Trips with busy schedules are suitable for college students. It's good to visit different places and try the local food," Zhu said. However, Liu said it's better to choose lesser-known cities and scenic areas on such a trip. In the case of long lines, she suggested moving on to the next place to ensure an enjoyable travel experience. "The travel squads are usually young people who pursue a fast-paced lifestyle. Most young people are busy studying or working, so they will ease their pressure by traveling in their spare time," said commentator Zhang Xuefeng. Around April 5, which marks the Qingming Festival, 62 percent of the post-2000 travelers took overnight transportation, with 30 percent of them visiting more than four tourist spots in a day, data from online travel platform Tongcheng Travel showed. Trips with super-tight schedules have become popular among young Chinese because they have changed their lifestyles to balance travel and work, said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy. Tourist destinations have intensified promotion efforts, rolled out a wider range of tourism products, and provided more consumption options. Experts pointed out that the popularity of the traveling style can also be attributed to the rapid development of China's high-speed trains, which makes medium- and short-distance trips possible, as well as the country's internet technologies, which make online bookings of tourism products, including air tickets, hotels and tickets of scenic spots, more convenient. Noting that such a traveling style may be too hectic to truly experience and enjoy a city, Dai suggested that the travel squads take time to experience local customs, history, culture, and lifestyle. (Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming) Two bills dealing with distribution of marijuana tax revenues are lining up for a showdown in the final week of the 2023 Legislature. For weeks now, lawmakers in the Senate and the House have been at odds over how tax revenue should be distributed from medical and recreational cannabis sales. Montana saw an estimated $380 million in sales in 2022, the first active year of the new recreational market. That brought in nearly $58 million in tax revenues to the state, and estimates for the coming years suggest that figure could rise to $57 million in 2027. The marijuana tax revenue distribution bill with the widest consensus so far is Senate Bill 442 from Sen. Mike Lang, R-Malta. The bill has seen support from over 93 groups ranging from petroleum to sportsmen's groups for its allocations to county road repairs, veterans services, habitat conservation and restoration projects. The Senate initially passed the bill in early April by a 49-1 margin, and the House earlier this week advanced it on an 82-17 vote. Threatening to thwart the apparent harmony over SB 442 is Senate Bill 538. The bill began as a proposal that merely added a $50 fee to a dispensary's license renewal to fund a drug education program. Since it was passed by the Senate and moved to the House, the appropriations committee tagged on an amendment that has since been pitched as this session's last-chance to tie marijuana tax revenues to public safety funding. The bill would create a special revenue fund to be administered by the Montana Department of Justice to be used for "combating crime, to include human trafficking, investigations, narcotics and the associated legal casework." The two bills encapsulate two philosophies that have prevailed in recent months at the Legislature: One side prefers the popularity of outdoors funding and county road repairs, and the other believes marijuana should pay for law enforcement services they say are drained by the proliferation of cannabis. At the moment, the Senate is preparing for a final vote on SB 442 while the House is considering SB 538. In a Republican Senate caucus meeting Friday afternoon, Lang, who carries SB 442, said he was concerned about SB 442's fate while SB 538 still appears to have legs. "The position of the Governor's Office is very clear they're going to veto that bill," Senate Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, replied. "They've said it multiple times." On top of the governor's preference, Rep. Mike Hopkins, R-Missoula and something of an architect of the current regulatory framework, has said SB 538 carries policy implications needed to update the state's laws regulating cannabis providers. It may be a dose of deja vu for lawmakers who were held up from adjourning in the final hours of the 2021 Legislature, trying to keep the proposed framework from falling apart and reverting back to the blueprints laid out in the citizens' initiative that legalized marijuana in 2020. This time around, three policy bills remain in play to make the desired upgrades from last year's framework bill, House Bill 701. Those bills are: House Bill 128 Developed by a legislative committee during the interim, the bill would extend the moratorium on new business licenses to 2025. The initial framework put the kibosh on new marijuana business licenses until June 30 of this year in an apparent attempt to allow existing businesses to stake out the new market before out-of-state companies with massive budgets move in. However, lawmakers have expressed concern about a growing presence of cannabis businesses in communities, and the Cannabis Control Division indicated earlier this session the start-up bureau would not be prepared for a wide-open market hardly two years into existence. House Bill 903 From Rep. Mike Hopkins, the Missoula Republican who carried HB 701 last session, HB 903 would end a provision that allowed cannabis providers to leap from Tier 1, the smallest growing capacity license issued by the state, to Tier 5 without meeting certain production-and-sales requirements. The provision was included to allow providers to scale up and meet the demand of the new recreational cannabis market, but the Montana Cannabis Industry Association this session has noted production has far outpaced sales, and could lead to issues seen in other states. The bill also includes new setback limits, adding child care facilities and private preschools into those definitions. Additionally, providers who entered the market after Montana's Nov. 3, 2020, vote to legalize recreational marijuana are currently barred from entering the market until the moratorium ends. To allow a number of providers who have complained they were misled about the opportunity, HB 903 moves that deadline back to April 27, 2021; so anyone who obtained a business license up from the state up until that date would be able to sell recreational cannabis. HB 538 The initial version of the bill included a new provision that added more specificity to the marijuana statutes outlining when law enforcement can seize marijuana and marijuana products from an individual who fraudulently claimed to be a cultivator or dispensary employee. This bill had died on the House floor this week, but it was revived when Hopkins urged lawmakers to give him another chance to explain the statutory updates he wanted from the bill. It is expected to be heard again in the House early next week. The 90-day timeline allotted to the legislative session expires May 5. During the Senate GOP caucus meeting, several surmised the bill could be stripped back to its original form. Leadership suggested that, while still in the House, they weren't sure what form the bill would take by the time it returns to the Senate. When it does, the Senate will have final say over the Senate bill. "We don't control the House," Senate President Jason Ellsworth, R-Hamilton, told members. "Let them do what theyre going to do, bring it to us and then you know what, well put the Senates touch on it. So thats where were at." LLCU to acquire Nokomis Savings Bank The proposed transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both institutions, LLCU announced in a press release. After the acquisition, Land of Lincoln will have approximately $482 million in assets and will grow to include Montgomery County and the surrounding areas with a total of 15 branches. We are excited for the opportunity to partner with Nokomis Savings Bank and expand access to our service in Montgomery County and other contiguous market areas, said Robert Ares, president and CEO of Land of Lincoln. This acquisition is part of Land of Lincolns strategic growth plan, which includes adding branches and markets to better assist our members throughout Illinois. Donnies downtown restaurant now open The pizza oven is hot and ready to serve hungry diners at Donnies Homespun Pizza's new location in downtown Decatur. Located at 190 N. Merchant St., the newly refurbished restaurant once housed Sloans Calzones. Weve been open for a week, said owner Neill Dressen. Donnies had been located on Oakland Avenue. Adding their signature artistic touches the local restaurant is known for took nearly three months. Dressen said there have been some menu changes. The restaurant has separate lunch and dinner hours and menus. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. everyday, except Sundays and Mondays. It is open for dinner from 4 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Lunch consists of pizza by the slice, sandwiches, salads and other changing items. For the dinner menu, we do pizza and certain specials, Dressen said. BLOOMINGTON The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is awarding $6.6 million in grants to boost local tourism efforts and encourage visitors to travel along the historic Route 66. As Illinois' transportation sector continues to shift to electric vehicles, grants also will focus on building the state's EV infrastructure through the installation of new charging stations. Among the grant recipients are the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, which was awarded $263,319, and the Logan County Tourism Bureau, which was awarded $29,320. The millions of dollars the State is investing in local tourism promotion and enhancing the historic Route 66 will do wonders for Illinois tourism industry while boosting local economies and promoting the future of travel," DCEO Director Kristin Richards said in a news release. The Logan County Tourism Bureau's grant will go toward the installation of two EV charging stations and the painting of Route 66 insignia on the county's roads. Alice Roate, executive director of the tourism bureau, said the charging stations will be installed in Atlanta and new signage will be installed in Lincoln. "(Route 66 shields) will also double as wayfinding, since we have a few twists and turns in town where Route 66 runs," Roate said. If all goes well, Roate said she hopes to incorporate these shields across the entire county. Bloomington-Normal's grant will go toward the installation of monument gateway signage in five communities on McLean County's leg of Route 66. A charging station that would promote Route 66 also would be financed. Crystal Howard, president and CEO of the Bloomington-Normal Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the signage would be installed in Bloomington, Normal, Chenoa, Lexington and McLean. Howard added that the grant funding and projects wouldn't be possible without the involvement of each community. "We can apply for funds, but when it comes to installing and all the work that goes into it, it takes everyone involved, and we appreciate those efforts," Howard said. The charging station would be placed in Bloomington, but Howard said the bureau has not selected a specific location yet. All of the Route 66 projects are expected to be completed by June 30. Grants also were awarded to the following organizations: Choose Chicago, $210,756 for the installation of architectural pylons on the north and south sides of Jackson Boulevard where it meets Michigan Avenue. Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau, $493,032 for the expansion of a mural trail, the creation of interpretive panels at Green Book sites, Route 66 event signage and promotional efforts. Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau, $1,609,400 for marketing and advertising, Route 66 monuments, murals and charging station and landscaping projects in Lockport, Bolingbrook and Joliet. The City of Springfield, $623,000 for upgrades to Shea's Gas Station and the creation of 12 murals connecting Williamsville, Sherman, Springfield, Chatham and Auburn to the murals in the Heritage Corridor and Great Rivers and Routes service area. Visit Oak Park, $475,000 for various projects to add or upgrade iconic stops along Route 66, including an illuminated Route 66 Gateway structure on Ogden Avenue and additional wayfinding signage. Main Street of America: Route 66 attractions state by state Main Street of America: Route 66 attractions state by state Grant Park (Chicago) Mural City (Pontiac, Illinois) Lauterbach Giant (Springfield, Illinois) Chain of Rocks Bridge (Madison, Illinois) World's Largest Catsup Bottle (Collinsville, Illinois) Henry's Rabbit Ranch (Staunton, Illinois) Old Log Cabin (Pontiac, Illinois) (Former) World's Largest Rocking Chair (Cuba, Missouri) 66 Drive-In Theatre (Carthage, Missouri) Route 66 State Park (Eureka, Missouri) Meramec Caverns (Stanton, Missouri) Wagon Wheel Motel (Cuba, Missouri) Devil's Elbow, Missouri Cars on the Route (Galena, Kansas) Galena Mining & Historical Museum (Galena, Kansas) Brush Creek Bridge (Cherokee County, Kansas) Williams' Store (Riverton, Kansas) Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station (Baxter, Kansas) Milk Bottle Grocery (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) Blue Whale (Catoosa, Oklahoma) Lucille's Service Station and Roadhouse (Hydro, Oklahoma) Allen's Conoco Fillin' Station (Commerce, Oklahoma) Totem Pole Park (Foyil, OK) Cadillac Ranch (Amarillo, Tesas) VW Slug Bug Ranch (Conway, Texas) Midpoint Cafe (Adrian, Texas) Tower Station and U-Drop Inn Cafe (Shamrock, Texas) Leaning Tower of Texas (Groom, Texas) Big Texan Steak Ranch (Amarillo, Tesas) Blue Swallow Motel (Tucumcari, New Mexico) Tee Pee Curios (Tucumcari, New Mexico) Clines Corners Retail Center (Clines Corners, New Mexico) 66 Diner (Albuquerque, New Mexico) El Rancho Hotel (Gallup, New Mexico) Blue Hole (Santa Rosa, New Mexico) Hackberry General Store (Hackberry, Arizona) Winslow Corner (Winslow, Arizona) Angel and Vilma's Original Route 66 Gift Shop (Seligman, Arizona) Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In (Seligman, Arizona) The town of Oatman (Oatman, Arizona) Wigwam Village Motel #6 (Holbrook, Arizona) Grand Canyon National Park Meteor Crater (Meteor City, Arizona) Elmer Long's Bottle Tree Ranch (Oro Grande, California) Emma Jean's Holland Burger Cafe (Victorville, California) Rt. 66 Museum (Victorville, California) Original McDonald's (San Bernardino, California) Cucamonaco Service Station (Rancho Cucamonga, California) Roy's Motel & Cafe (Amboy, California) Santa Monica Pier (Santa Monica, California) Were going to talk some history today. According to testimony at the federal ComEd Four trial, then-House Speaker Mike Madigans former 13th Ward Alderperson Frank Olivo was brought on as a subcontractor under then-ComEd Chairman and CEO Frank Clark. Clark retired in September of 2011, almost a dozen years ago. He has never been charged, nor has it ever been claimed that he did anything at all illegal. And Olivo didnt officially register as a lobbyist until the beginning of 2012, according to a 2019 report by NBC Chicago. Olivo was put on ComEd lobbyist Jay Dohertys payroll as a subcontractor, according to a secretly recorded video of a conversation Doherty had with ComEds top in-house lobbyist at the time, Fidel Marquez. Doherty explained that John Hooker, ComEds former top in-house lobbyist, was the person who carried the news to him. It didnt stop there, of course. The alleged ComEd scheme was drastically expanded and even perfected under Clarks successor, ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, who appeared to express surprise when she was told by Marquez how, long ago, Olivo had been hired and by whom. Oh my God, she said on a secret government recording when told the news. Pramaggiore, Doherty, Hooker and former Statehouse lobbyist Mike McClain are now all on trial for allegedly carrying out a massive scheme to bribe Mike Madigan. Give Madigan an inch and he would always try to take a mile. But this sort of thing often happens with big bureaucracies, private and public. Assign a bureaucracy a task, and itll tend to stay on that path, sometimes to a ridiculously absurd conclusion although rarely does that conclusion wind up with a federal criminal trial as it has here. Putting Olivo on the payroll eventually led to a level of absurdity that surpassed anything seen before or since, even if there are legitimate arguments that the behavior was not criminal. Needless to say, this is not how it was all supposed to end when Frank Olivo was awarded a $4,000-a-month Jay Doherty subcontract a dozen years ago. But theres an aspect to this lobbying topic that isnt really being addressed at the ComEd 4 trial. Over the decades, Madigan built a giant farm system that became the backbone of his political and Statehouse organization. Young people either started out on campaigns before they were put on Madigans Issues Staff or were subsequently sent out to work on campaigns after joining the staff. The most favored were moved up to the top of the in-house food chain, and the most favored of them were eventually sent forth into the lobbying world, where they could make very good money and continue overseeing campaigns, training the young people hired for the next cycle. Every other legislative leader had a similar operation, although none were nearly as extensive as Madigans far-flung operation. Madigan, as was his habit, perfected it to the point where companies and other special interests believed they had to hire his people as contract or in-house lobbyists, or their bills wouldnt advance. A buddy of mine recently recalled a conversation with a former legislative leader who only half-jokingly predicted a certain bill wasnt going anywhere because the proponents hadnt yet hired enough Madigan people to work the legislation. None of the current legislative leaders have been around long enough yet to set up anything like that. Senate President Don Harmon is the most senior leader, but hes had the job for over three years. House Speaker Chris Welch has led his chamber for over two years, and the two Republican leaders just started in January. The ComEd Four trial should put a damper on such things going forward. Madigan and the other leaders branded this practice as building goodwill. The accused have used that in their defense. Those who wanted something done did favors for people close to the leaders to grease the skids and what could possibly be so horrible about that, was the feeling. But doing such things now could well be seen as attempted bribery by the feds. To be clear, many of the lobbyists themselves are not the issue here. They participated in a tradition that started long before they came to the legislature. And none of them were charged by the feds in this case, after all. But now the Statehouse leaders need to figure out where to go from here. There was a fitting paragraph in our story that Dan Caulkins was not going to run again for a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives. Lee Enterprises' Brenden Moore wrote, "a conservative Republican in a legislature dominated by supermajority Democrats, Caulkins legislative record was not long. But he said he was most proud of helping his constituents." The best efforts of Caulkins and his fellow Republicans were unable to crack that supermajority, something they certainly know every time they run in the present Illinois climate. So the best they're allowed to do is be an occasional thorn in the sides of Democrats, particularly Gov. J.B. Pritzker. But Caulkins was also able to step up and deliver for constituents needing help cutting government red tape or pointing them in the next direction. That's a vital role that politicians minority and majority play that often provides the most help for those in need. His path to return to the House wasn't a paved road. Caulkins represents the 88th House District, which stretches from the outskirts of Decatur to the outskirts of Bloomington and includes rural portions of DeWitt, Macon, McLean, Livingston and Piatt counties in between. Caulkins was drawn out of his district by Springfield Democrats who controlled the redistricting process in 2021. Prior to his election to the Illinois House, Caulkins served on Eastern Illinois Universitys board of trustees from 2015 to 2018 and as a Decatur city councilman from 2005 to 2009. A retired Army major, Caulkins has also run several businesses focused on senior and disabled adult long-term care living facilities throughout the state. We don't expect any of those to stop, and we thank Caulkins for his service. Ernie Wittwer is a resident of New Braunfels. Retired after a career in public service, he is a monthly contributor to this page. A Virginia man is pleading guilty to illegally trafficking wild turtles. Forty-one-year-old Stanlee Fazi of Louisa, Virginia, admitted Monday in federal court in Alexandria that he made nearly $13,000 over three years catching and selling turtles to customers across the U.S. Prosecutors say many were brokers who went on to sell the turtles to customers in Asia, where the animals are in demand as pets. Fazi sold primarily eastern box turtles, which can live for up to 100 years. In particular demand were screamer turtles, which have unusually colorful markings on their shells. Authorities say turtle poaching has increased in recent years as demand has increased. BRISTOL, Va. When Wilhelmina Banks returned to Bristol in the 1990s, she was coming back to her hometown to fulfill her dreams and make a change. Banks died on Thursday at the age of 90. She came back to fulfill her childhood dream. She opened up the Nyumba ya Tausi Peacock Museum in her family home, built in 1896 and is still standing today, said Rev. Jackie Nophlin of the Household of Faith Community Church, a close friend and mentee of Banks. Nophlin emphasized that through the various artifacts and histories on display in her museum, which she collected throughout her time living in Brooklyn, New York, and Tanzania, Banks was able to reconnect the Black community of Bristol with their past. She brought such a rich field of information, one that we would have never known and never been able to tap into, you know, she brought to us our roots, Nophlin said. She reminded us that we should always be grounded in our roots; who we are and to be a proud people. Wilhelmina Banks was born in Bristol, Virginia, on Dec. 8, 1932. She lived on Clinton Avenue across the street from Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, which she was not allowed to attend due to segregation. Instead, she attended the Frederick Douglass School, which was the only school for Black children in Southwest Virginia until Integration in 1965. Banks frustration at not being allowed to enroll in Virginia Intermont College, also due to segregation, led her at age 16 to leave Southwest Virginia and continue her studies at the Morristown Normal and Industrial College, a historically Black college in Morristown, Tennessee. Nophlin reminisced about her own journey, which saw her leave Bristol to live in various military bases where she was exposed to the diversity of people, cultures and ideas that make up the U.S. before making her own return to Bristol at age 30. She recalled how instrumental Banks was in teaching her how to channel her anger toward the injustices she witnessed in her community into meaningful dialogue and action. We still are faced with racism and hatred and bigotry and those things that seem to have never gone away, and it was aggravating for me when I was young, Nophlin said. She taught me to listen before I spoke and to learn to read the room, study the project, do your research and then come back to the table and talk. Ive been practicing it ever since. She was an educator, a teacher, and she would encourage you, you know, dont ever let go of your purpose and your reason, Nophlin said. Theres a reason we came back to Bristol. On July 27, 2008, Banks and a group of 15 Bristol residents celebrated the renaming of the Randall Street Expressway in Bristol, Virginia, and Edgemont Avenue in Bristol, Tennessee which had previously been where Bristols Black businesses, community, and homes were to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Nophlin highlighted this as one of Banks greatest achievements, alongside her introduction of Kwanza and Juneteenth as holidays to acknowledge and celebrate for the Black community of Bristol. Every time you look at the Bristol Virginia/Tennessee a good place to live sign, your eyeballs have to go across that Martin Luther King Boulevard, and Ms. Banks is responsible for it, Nophlin said. Most people coming in from other places, its common that they have a Martin Luther King Boulevard, or Martin Luther King Alley, or Martin Luther King something. But youre only going to find one Martin Luther King in this entire nation thats going stretch from the state of Virginia to the state of Tennessee, she said. Thats powerful. Tina McDaniel, a member of the Bristol Community Remembrance Project, which is working to raise awareness about the history of lynchings in Bristol, recalled meeting Banks at the MLK Day Celebration back in 2008 when Martin Luther King Boulevard was inaugurated. She spoke about what she learned from years of collaborating with Banks. What I learned from her is just how important truth telling is and how important that is to a community and the impact it has on our ability to heal and even be unified as a community, McDaniel said. Over the course of her 50 years as a civil rights leader in Bristol, Banks held many roles, from vice president of the regional chapter of the NAACP to her time as part of the Be the Bridge Group. Banks has left a lasting legacy in Bristol. Nophlin highlighted that the path she paved must be continued, as there is still much to do. Theres a lot of work to do, and you keep plowing at it, one day at a time, one issue at a time as they come up. And you take young people with you so that they can see, to learn that one thing, listen, read the room, read the people and do your research. Then come back and have a discussion, Nophlin said. Shes affected me for a lifetime. I hope and pray Ill never forget the things that she taught me, Nophlin said. Virginia parents fears about gun violence in schools, already top of mind, have been intensified by two school shootings in the commonwealth this year one at Newport News in January and one on Thursday in the parking lot of George Wythe High School in Richmond. If Henrico mom Jamie Bass drives past her two kids schools during the day, she worries when she sees small details awry, like a police car parked out front, or a door being propped open. Something that I had always heard but didnt understand until I was a parent is that when we enroll our kids in school we are trusting schools with the physical safety of our children for a huge portion of the day, Bass said. Amid heightened concerns, local school divisions are taking varied approaches to school safety. In Henrico County, for example, the school division piloted metal detectors starting in February at some schools to study the effectiveness. Bass is part of an increasingly worried group of parents across the nation. A CBS News poll conducted this month shows that American parents concern about gun violence is higher than it was last summer. This month, 77% of parents are at least somewhat concerned about the possibility of gun violence at their childrens school, according to the poll, while 72% of parents had the same concern last year. About 61% of parents of school-age children reported this month that their children worry about gun violence at school, either a lot or sometimes. Days after a 6-year-old student fired a single round and intentionally shot his teacher Jan. 6 at Richneck Elementary in Newport News, Colleen Renthrope, mother of a 7-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son in the school system, was among parents pouring out their anguish at a meeting of the Newport News School Board. Theres no single answer to this abhorrent situation that our kids, teachers and parents find ourselves in daily, Renthrope said. I send my kids to school and find myself praying to God that they will return home safely. Around the same time that the 6-year-old shot teacher Abigail Zwerner in Newport News, another teacher across the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel faced threats of gun violence from students. She said the school administration failed to act, the same way that school administration reportedly failed to protect the teacher in Newport News. Kelley Green, a third grade teacher in Virginia Beach, said she reported a verbal threat of gun violence from a student immediately after it happened, but said she didnt hear back from school administration until four hours after school had ended. I still had to sit in the office with that same student who had threatened me that day with an AK-47, Green said. (The student did not have a gun.) When the situation at Richneck Elementary occurred, it was weeks after numerous incidents of teachers, myself included, reporting unsafe scenarios, and nothing being done. Green has faced several threats and acts of violence during her teaching career. Within her first few weeks of her first teaching job, a student punched Green in the stomach. Earlier this school year, a parent came into school and punched Green, she said. Next year, Green will join a new school in Virginia Beach. I was allowed to be assaulted. After reporting it for 17 days and saying that I dont feel safe, nothing was done, she said. I was told that, Well, you were hit because that was your fault. Thats when I knew I kind of had to go. Green said that recent school shootings across the U.S. have prompted school division officials to hold faculty meetings and reassure teachers that they are safe. But the officials have not taken any actions to make teachers safe, she said. We are someones child as well, Green said. We deserve to be able to go home to our families and our parents and our kids and our pets in order to do what we love the next day. Green plans to push for better policies in her school division to protect teachers. She proposes that teachers should be given personal leave to go home and recover if theyve been physically or mentally assaulted by students or others. The proposal also says that parents who threaten teachers should be banned from the school, and threat assessments should be mandatory. She said she is pushing for things that should be the bare minimum, in order to make a better environment for teachers and students. I love those kids and I love being able to make an impact, Green said. As many headaches and heartaches as they give, theyve given more love. They deserve so much better. Alarming, but uncommon In Richmond on Thursday, police said, two George Wythe High School students were hospitalized, one in critical condition, after they were shot near the school. Police found one student in a wooded area outside the schools parking lot on Crutchfield Street, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. That student was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said. A second student, who was also shot but suffered less serious injuries, took himself to a hospital, police said. As of Thursday evening police had not made an arrest. Although school shootings and parents worries about them are on the rise, school gun violence remains uncommon. Despite the alarming scariness of school shootings, and despite the fact that they have increased in recent years and the terrible nature of them, theyre still an extremely rare event and extremely unlikely to happen in any individual school, said Jeff Temple, a professor and psychologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch who studies adolescent violence. For many people, a large number of our kids, school is the safest place that they can be. Gun violence overtook automobile accidents as the leading cause of youth deaths in the U.S. as of 2020. But less than 1% of youth gun deaths each year happen in schools, and even fewer are from mass shootings in schools. Although school shootings are statistically rare, they are on the rise. Last year, more school shootings took place in the U.S. (46) than in any year since at least 1999, when 15 were killed at Columbine High School in suburban Denver, according to a Washington Post database. School shootings are not only here to stay, but theyre probably going to get worse before they get better in terms of frequency and severity, Temple said. Were going to have a day in the not too distant future where were going to have two schools have mass shootings on the same day. That will happen, just statistically speaking. Moms Demand Action is a national nonprofit organization with localized groups of parents who are advocating for what they term common sense gun laws to make schools safer. Membership for the Richmond chapter has soared in the wake of the high-profile school shootings March 27 at The Covenant School in Nashville, in which a former student killed three 9-year-olds and three adults and Jan. 6 in Newport News. It was largely dormant during the depths of the pandemic when parents were hunkered down, focused on their kids online learning. Last year, the groups membership snowballed. It wasnt until after the Uvalde (Texas) shooting in May 2022, in which a former student killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers, that we have seen an enormous surge in interest in joining the movement, said Kristin DuMont, a local co-lead for Richmonds Moms Demand Action chapter. Now weve had over 100 people join us in the last few weeks, really since the Nashville shooting. Aside from what it terms common-sense gun laws like stricter background checks and mental health checks on gun purchases the group pushes for practices and laws that would keep kids from having guns in the first place. It also want parents to talk to children, educate and be mindful about guns. School safety measures Henrico County Public Schools Superintendent Amy Cashwell said the school system is constantly talking about safety and how to upgrade or improve it. Within the past five years or so, the countys schools have seen visible changes to safety features. Security vestibules where visitors can do school business without coming into the school were added, while a buzz-in system keeps people from entering schools without speaking to someone in a front office. Cashwell said the overall goal of the school districts security systems is to have a layered approach that catches all types of gun violence, from a potential mass shooting to a student who brings a gun into school. The school division has a host of physical security devices like visitor identification scanners, newly upgraded camera systems and KnoxBoxes wall-mounted safes that hold keys so first responders can access a building. The school system just concluded a study testing metal detectors and weapons scanners at three of its schools. Cashwell said that beyond the need for physical protections at schools is the importance that each school community plays in reporting problems that might involve students. Its been public that weve had some weapons on our campus, at our high schools specifically, Cashwell said. Without picking any one of them out, in almost every instance, a student reported that they believed another student had a weapon on their person either through anonymous alerts or to a trusted adult directly. HCPS also has an internal team that focuses solely on its school safety plans, which are vetted annually by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services school safety audit program. Cashwell said the system is consistently working to upgrade those plans based on expert feedback. Student mental health Despite the effort, coordination and resources, those best laid school security plans havent proved entirely perfect. Joshua M. Langberg, a parent of a student at Holman Middle School in Henrico, said the safety measures themselves can be dangerous for children. He said Holman had experienced two gun-related events over the past couple of months. In the second, which the school said appeared to be a prank, police burst into his daughters classroom during a lock-and-hide drill with their guns drawn, red laser dots leveled at all around the room. I understand that given all thats going on in the world, we have to focus on and prioritize school safety, but as a parent, I feel the pendulum has swung too far and that weve forgotten that our core mission at schools is child development and well-being, Langberg said. Thats why we send our children to school. If we focus on safety too much, we will not be able to meet our core mission. Langberg is a licensed child psychologist in Virginia and New Jersey, having worked for Virginia Commonwealth University for 11 years. He says his daughter has been showing signs of PTSD since the incident that drew law enforcement. This is not normal. This is stuff that we typically dont think about it unless people are in in war situations, Langberg said. Can we at least acknowledge that some of the safety procedures weve put into place are literally causing our children potential PTSD, which is a lifelong debilitating condition and I want to make sure that side of the discussion doesnt get left. Data compiled by Everytown, a national gun safety nonprofit, found that 52% of school campus shootings come from arguments that escalate, robberies or parking lot altercations. The compilation found that less than 1% of school gunfire incidents were done with the intent to commit a mass shooting. Anne Forrester, a middle school teacher in Richmond Public Schools, said the answer isnt hardening schools or more discipline its more mental health supports for students. I dont think our schools have become any more or less safe (over the past few years). I think that our students mental health has declined, Forrester said. Its not that Im not concerned about violence, but I think whats causing violence amongst our students is unmet mental health needs. The problem, she said, is that students come to school with unprocessed and unresolved trauma. It stems from violence in their households and their communities, she said. In the news, you see this child brought a weapon to school, or this child assaulted someone, or this child made a threat. At the end of the day, there were teachers and parents and other students who knew that child and probably cared about that child, and knew that child as someone who was suffering, as someone who needed a lot of help. Theres more to it than, this kid was bad, Forrester said. Kids arent bad. People make bad choices, people get desperate in bad circumstances, especially kids. As a teacher, I have to believe that they can change if they just get the help they need. HICKORY St. Andrews Lutheran Church and the Lenoir-Rhyne University Music Department invite members of the community to a concert in the glen featuring The Dancing Fleas, Americas premiere ukulele party band, on Saturday, May 6, at 6:30 p.m. The Fleas bring a high-energy, big-fun approach to genre-bending tunes with styles ranging from classic country to sassy funky. Audiences should expect dueling ukuleles, blistering pedal steel licks, and big harmonies. This event is free and open to the public and will take place beside the church at 718 Seventh Ave. NE, Hickory. The concert is a part of the City Walk Stroll which will take place along Hickorys City Walk from 4-8 p.m. on May 6. Prior to the concert there will be arts and crafts on the St. Andrews lawn and food trucks including the Lost Highway Pizza. During the concert, children can make their own musical instruments to play along with the band. Concert-goers are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket to enjoy the show. St. Andrews Lutheran Church is located at 629 Eighth St. NE in Hickory. Parking is available along Seventh Avenue NE. There will be limited handicapped parking in the St. Andrews parking lot which is accessible from Seventh Avenue NE. NEWTON The Catawba County Museum of History is opening a new exhibit entitled 1,000 Words: Photographs by Vietnam Veterans." This collection of images, assembled by photographer Martin Tucker, was taken by North Carolina soldiers in Vietnam. The Vietnam War took place literally half a world away from the United States. Life for the soldiers was an unknown to most Americans in the 1960s and 1970s. Many only knew the war from images on TV some of which were quite graphic. But what did the war look like to the troops on the ground? Some recorded the horrors of war. Others focused less on the war and more on the experience their friendships, the Vietnamese people, the countryside, the longing for home. This collection of images explores the human elements and experiences of Vietnam, with commentary by the veterans on what each image means to them. This exhibit offers visitors the chance to see how the troops themselves chose to remember their time in Southeast Asia. According to Tucker, The photographs paint as broad a picture as possible of what 18- to 20-year-old young men experienced in their year away from home (in addition to combat) and how they chose to document it. Theyre showing what they couldnt say. "When Martin Tucker originally collected these images and the stories that go with them, he provided a glimpse into a very turbulent time period in U.S. history," said Charlie Knight, military curator. "The images in 1,000 Words convey what everyday life was like for those in uniform in Vietnam, and we hope that visitors will gain a greater understanding of this war 50 years ago." The new exhibit will run from May 13 to Aug. 30. The Museum of History is located at the 1924 Courthouse, 30 North College Ave., Newton. Admission is free. Museum hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. or by appointment. Guided group tours are available at a small fee. Exhibits such as this are brought to the museum through membership and community donors and sponsorships. For more information, visit its website at www.catawbahistory.org or call 828-465-0383. " " Emmett Till with his mother, Mamie Bradley, ca. 1950. To expose the horror of her 14-year-old's lynching, Bradley insisted on an open coffin funeral to show his tortured and mutilated body. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Mamie Till Mobley family The brutal murder of Emmett Till might have been lost to time, just another of the thousands of lynchings that were perpetrated all over the United States after the Civil War. The Equal Justice Initiative has documented more than 4,400 lynchings, in 20 states (mostly in the Deep South), between 1877 and 1950. Till's murder stands out separately from those, though, not because of its sheer violence lynchings were, by definition, alarmingly savage but because the particular inhumanity brought upon him was not automatically relegated to the inside pages of newspapers, as many others had been. Even in Mississippi, shortly after his death, news accounts almost immediately condemned the boy's murder. The governor of the state at the time Gov. Hugh White even spoke out against it. Advertisement Still, it wasn't until Till's mother, Mamie Till Bradley, demanded that her son be returned to Chicago for burial that the entire world took notice. She held an open-casket funeral to show what happened to him. He was beaten, shot, a 75-pound (34-kilogram) fan tied to his neck with barbed wire and then tossed into the Tallahatchie River, where he was found several days later. The brutality was hard to ignore. "Oh, yes, we're going to open the casket," Bradley told documentarian Keith Beauchamp years later, in retelling the story of the day she saw her son's body return from Mississippi. "Let the people see what I see. I want the world to see this." More than 100,000 people attended Till's funeral. Jet magazine published graphic photos including one depicting Bradley above the coffin containing her battered son's body and the outrage grew louder. When the two men accused of the murder, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, were acquitted by an all-white jury weeks later, anyone looking for further reason to put an end to lynching and demand racial justice had a rallying point. With the new North Carolina Supreme Court decision that came Friday about using voter ID for elections, there could be changes ahead for voters in the 2024 presidential election. Challengers failed to prove lawmakers discriminated by passing the voter ID law, the court said in a decision on Holmes v. Moore. The now majority-Republican Supreme Court reversed the December decision made by the previous court that was majority Democrats. So what does this actually mean for voters? The most basic level, it means youre gonna need an ID to vote in 2024, Western Carolina University political science professor Chris Cooper told The News & Observer on Friday. Among the acceptable forms of identification include a valid, unexpired North Carolina drivers license, United States passport, state voter identification card, and local or state government employee ID card. There are a number of questions that remain on the implementation, particularly as it relates to absentee balloting. But youre going to need an ID to vote, he said. We will see what they end up accepting. I think there are other implementation questions about what IDs exactly are going to count, weve heard before that university IDs could count under certain circumstances. And so well have to see if that remains true. Other court decisions will play a role. A trial is expected on a federal case. Yet another case involves a constitutional amendment passed by voters. This is an issue that, in addition to the General Assembly deciding a number of times to put in voter ID, this was a constitutional amendment, so people did vote for voter ID (a) majority of the voters. Will of the people? House Speaker Tim Moore said Friday that the decision means the will of the people of North Carolina (is) honored. Nearly five years after the voters of this state overwhelmingly voted in favor of photo ID at the polls, it has finally become the law of the land, said Moore, a Kings Mountain Republican. Holmes v. Moore is about Senate Bill 824, which details the implementation of the voter ID constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2018. The court opinion from the majority, written by Justice Phil Berger Jr., the son of the Republican Senate leader, also references the voter ID amendment approved by voters. The people of North Carolina overwhelmingly support voter identification and other efforts to promote greater integrity and confidence in our elections, the opinion states. Subjective tests and judicial sleight of hand have systematically thwarted the will of the people and the intent of the legislature. But no court exists for the vindication of political interests, and judges exceed constitutional boundaries when they act as a superlegislature, the majority opinion says. Could voters be disenfranchised? Jeff Loperfido, interim chief counsel for voting rights at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and one of the lawyers who argued the case, said they dont yet know all this means for voters. The related federal case could proceed toward trial later this year or next year, he said. On a press call with reporters on Friday, Loperfido said there now needs to be adequate buildup and education activity because this doesnt seem like the type of thing that can with a snap of fingers can just be rolled out the next election. That includes new training for poll workers, getting the word out to voters, and reaching out to individual voters who dont have required IDs, he said. And this has to be done by by everybody: election officials, groups like ours, and anyone else who can get the word out that the laws going to change and its going to change soon and people need to be made aware of that, Loperfido said. Otherwise, theres just going to be chaos at the polls. And many eligible voters are going to be disenfranchised because they dont know that the rules have changed, again, when they go in to vote, he said. North Carolina has had one previous election that required voter ID. Loperfido said that after previous voter ID legislation in 2013, which was later struck down, there was a lengthy rollout period before that election. Cooper, the politics professor, said the State Board of Elections is going to have a lot of work to do to figure out exactly how theyre going to implement this law. Were not out of the woods yet on voter ID. Those (pending legal) cases could still matter and we just dont know yet, he said. In North Carolina politics, I think the most recent ruling is almost never the final one. This is no exception. A Greensboro man died Saturday morning after his damaged car was struck by another vehicle on Interstate 40 East near West Wendover Avenue, authorities said. Marcell Houston, 43, was driving a 2014 Chevrolet Impala east on I-40 when his vehicle ran off the highway and crashed into the concrete median barrier near Wendover Avenue, Greensboro police said. Following the collision, Houston's vehicle came to rest in the highway's middle lane of travel, police said. Witnesses told officers that Houston was standing next to his vehicle's open driver's door when a 2003 Mercedes S55 AMG sedan driven by William Alston, 73, of Greensboro was traveling east on I-40, police said. Alston's vehicle then collided with Houston's car and Houston, police said. Houston's car then went off the highway, struck a guardrail and came to rest on the highway's right shoulder, police said. Alston's vehicle also went off the highway and came to rest against the median wall, police said. Houston was on the paved left shoulder behind Alston's vehicle, police said. Houston was taken to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries, police said. Alston also was taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, police said. Selena Bostic, 47, of Greensboro, a passenger in Alston's vehicle, was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said. Houston's next of kin has been notified of his death, police said. Impairment is not considered a factor in the incident, police said. The Greensboro Police Department's crash reconstruction unit is investigating the incident. A Winston-Salem man is facing charges in connection with multiple larcenies in Forsyth County, authorities said Friday. Investigators with the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office assisted the Madison Police Department in the case, the sheriffs office said. On Wednesday, Madison police asked the sheriffs office to help them find a suspect and a vehicle involved in a robbery at a tobacco shop Tuesday in Madison, police said. Deputies found the vehicle used in the Madison robbery and arrested Francisco Rico Noble, 33, for alleged probation violations, the sheriffs office said. Noble was then charged with felony larceny after breaking and entering, two counts of felony larceny, misdemeanor shoplifting, felony robbery and two counts felony probation violation, the sheriffs office said. Investigators linked Noble to a spree of cigarette thefts in April, including at Q Tobacco and Vape in Clemmons, the Circle K in Walkertown, the Walgreens in Clemmons and the Tarheel Tobacco Shop in Walkertown, the sheriffs office said. Noble is being held at the Forsyth County Jail with his bond set at $135,000, the sheriffs office said. In case you missed it, the Carroll County Sheriffs Office recently hired Myles Cosgrove as a law enforcement officer. In March 2020, Cosgrove, a former Louisville police officer, shot and killed Breonna Taylor unarmed and in her apartment. Taylor was the victim of the Louisville Police Departments no-knock warrant gone awry. Cosgrove and seven other officers wrongfully entered Taylors apartment. The commotion startled the 26-year-old Taylor and her boyfriend. The no-knock policy does not require police to identify themselves beforehand. Taylors boyfriend, thinking it was an intruder, fired a single shot. According to reports, Cosgrove fired half of the 32 return rounds. Two of his rounds struck and killed Taylor. A grand jury ultimately concluded the charge of wanton endangerment was not applicable. No criminal charges were filed related to Taylors death. In January 2021, the Louisville Metro Police Department terminated Cosgrove for violating department procedures on the use of deadly force and for violating LMPD policy by not wearing a body camera during the raid. In Cosgroves termination letter, the interim Louisville Police Chief Yvette Gentry wrote: The shots you fired went in three different directions, indicating you did not verify a threat or have target acquisition. Gentry added, In other words, the evidence shows that you fired wildly at unidentified subjects or targets located within the apartment. But in 2022, the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council voted to allow Cosgrove to keep his police certification, which made him eligible to work for other police departments in the state. Though notable, the murder of Taylor has not received the media attention of George Floyd. Two months after Taylor, Floyd was murdered in a Minneapolis parking lot by police officer Derek Chauvin. Floyds murder was more difficult to escape. The world was privy to the horrifying 8-minute-and-46-second video as Floyds life ebbed away. I cant breathe were reported to be his last words as Chauvin nonchalantly applied pressure to Floyds neck. We had to sit with it; there was no plausible on the other hand scenario that could justify his death. Unlike Floyd, we didnt witness a video of Louisville police going into the wrong house. We were not privy to what it looks like when no-knock warrants go bad. Was Taylor simply reflective of the unintended consequence associated with so-called tough on crime policies? It is by definition absurd when going to bed becomes a contributing factor to ones murder. There is something that reeks of moral depravity when an individual, whose sworn responsibility is to protect and serve and is fired for what could at best be described as dereliction of duty, could find similar work in a nearby jurisdiction. How many bank presidents are in their present capacity after having been fired from their previous bank position for embezzlement? Given the high profile nature of this case, it is extremely unlikely Cosgroves background was unknown to the Carroll County Sheriffs Office. Did he offer a contrarian version, contradicting the Louisville Police Departments findings that the Carroll County hiring team found amenable? Or was the violation of Taylors humanity not a mitigating factor? Not everyone feels that hiring Cosgrove once again in a law enforcement capacity is a travesty, as the online donations he received nationwide amounted to in excess of $60,000 when he was placed on administrative leave. Isnt a prerequisite to send Cosgrove financial support to be blind to Taylors humanity? The death of Breonna Taylor is part of the American narrative. And no-knock warrants are an asterisk used by certain law enforcement agencies to loosen the constitutional protections offered by the Fourth Amendment. No-knock warrants, in general, transform the use of deadly force from only when necessary to a reactionary possibility thats placed on a hair trigger. Presumably, they are issued when entry could lead to the destruction of key evidence or safety for police or others is at risk. Moreover, no-knock warrants, in theory, require that officers cannot disregard reliable information that clearly negates the pressing need prior to the execution of the warrant. Would that also include making sure, at minimum, to have the damn address correct? In this case, the wrong address, that resulted in an innocent person being murdered, did not deter future employment. Breonna Taylors saga remains one of Americas unresolved absurdities; hiring Cosgrove proves it. KFF Health News former senior editor Andy Miller discussed long covid, telehealth, and health care worker shortages on WUGAs The Georgia Health Report on April 21. He also discussed cancer treatment for the uninsured on WUGAs The Georgia Health Report on April 14. Click here to hear Miller on The Georgia Health Report on April 21 KFF Health News senior correspondent Aneri Pattani discussed the distribution of opioid settlement funds on the Daily Remedy Podcast on April 14. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF. USE OUR CONTENT This story can be republished for free (details). Hundreds of Nebraska educators braved a chilly April morning to rally at the Capitol in opposition of a bill that would provide tax incentives for donations to scholarship funds for private and faith-based schools. Approximately 300 teachers from the Nebraska State Education Association, chanted and marched Saturday morning from the Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker hotel in downtown Lincoln to the Capitol, where the group was met by other supporters of public education. About 450 people attended in total, according to event organizers. This is a tremendous show of strength and support for Nebraska Public Schools, said Jenni Benson, NSEA president. LB753 would provide tax credits for individuals and entities that donate to scholarship funds that help students attend private and parochial schools. Under the bill, $25 million would be available for credits in 2024, with the same amount available for the next two years. After that, the limit for credits would grow to a maximum of $100 million per year. The bill was initially introduced by Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn and is part of Gov. Jim Pillens package of education proposals. The bill has been placed for final reading in the Nebraska Legislature; lawmakers are set to take a final vote on the bill sometime next week. Molly Gross, a representative from the Nebraska Parent Teacher Association who spoke at Saturdays rally, said the bill would be a massive detriment to the public school system. LB753 is not about scholarships, Gross said. Its a tax scheme that will hurt our public school students while benefiting the wealthy. Rebecca Firestone, OpenSky Policy's institute executive director, said on Saturday that the tax credits proposed in LB753 will overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy and corporations. She outlined the potentially dangerous snowball effect that diverting state dollars to private schools could have, citing similar laws passed in states like Arizona, Louisiana and Virginia. Firestone said that in those states, more than half of all scholarship tax credits are flowing to families with annual incomes of over $200,000. She added that those tax credits are likely to take additional public funds away from Nebraskas school districts. For Benson, that paints enough of a picture. The facts are clear: private school tax schemes in other states have proven to be enormously expensive and ineffective, Benson said. Dunixi Guereca, executive director of Stand for Schools Nebraska, backed Firestone. She noted that there is a large body of evidence that tax credit scholarships like the ones LB753 proposes fail to improve student academic performance. In state after state, researchers are unable to find any meaningful gains in standardized test scores or other metrics of academic success, Guereca said. In at least three states, the students who received tax credit scholarships fared worse than their public school peers. The main sticking point among the six speakers that spoke at Saturdays event, though, was that LB753 is not popular among Nebraska voters. Benson reiterated that Nebraska voters have rejected giving public funds to private schools on three separate occasions in the past. Those votes occurred in 1966, 1970 and 1976. Did you hear me, Governor Pillen and senators? Benson said. "Im reminding you that Nebraska voters have thrice rejected constitutional amendments that would have allowed public funds to be used for private schools. Benson closed Saturdays rally by delivering a promise should the Legislature pass LB753 a statewide petition drive allowing Nebraskans to voice their opinion on giving tax dollars to private schools. Photos: Hundreds of Nebraska educators gather at Captiol to protest LB753 In the race for mayor between incumbent Leiron Gaylor Baird and former state Sen. Suzanne Geist, three issues repeatedly rise to the top: public safety, Geists voting record and the amount of money being spent on this race. Gaylor Baird has attacked Geists voting record on a number of controversial issues in the Legislature, saying her views are too extreme and dont reflect Lincolns values. Geist has countered that she would focus on only city business and not social issues that divide the community. Attack ads supporting Geist paint a picture of rising crime in Lincoln; Gaylor Baird says those are cherry-picked numbers that distort the truth. On public safety investments and morale, Gaylor Baird says shes added money for additional police officers, but Geist says the actual number of officers on the street is lower. This mayoral campaign is the costliest in the city's history, and two deep-pocketed donors have spent over $1 million to oppose Gaylor Baird. The mayor's supporters have questioned whether Geist will be beholden to her large donors. Geist maintains she will not. Heres a closer look: Public safety On crime: Attack ads opposing Gaylor Baird say there's been a 37% increase in homicides; 23% increase in car thefts; 10% increase in robberies and a 44% increase in arson. Those statistics compare crimes in 2022 to those in 2021, but percentages can be deceiving, especially when dealing with small numbers such as homicides, which vary greatly from year to year. Over the past decade, the number of homicides has ranged from zero in 2017 to 11 in 2016 with an average of six each year over the decade, according to Lincoln Police Department statistics. Other crimes went down from 2021 to 2022, including rape (10%), aggravated assault (17.7%) and burglary (4.6%). A 65% increase in vandalism in one ad compares 2018 to 2022 and while vandalisms during that time period have trended upward, other crimes, such as residential burglaries, have trended down. Violent crime rates in Lincoln have stayed essentially stagnant for 30 years, despite Lincoln's population growing by about 100,000. Police force: Gaylor Baird has added money for 31 additional police officers and support staff and 28 firefighters and support staff during her tenure. That includes increasing the authorized force of commissioned officers from 348 her first year in office to 366 this year, and by another five officers in the next fiscal year. The total authorized strength numbers (366) also include grant-funded officers. In 2022-23 that was eight officers, which means the number the city budget would pay for is 358. That doesnt reflect the number of officers on the street at any given time. As of February, LPD had 336 commissioned officers on staff (almost 92% of the authorized force), including 10 recruits who had not yet graduated from the academy, according to LPD. Department officials did not respond to a request for an update. Commissioned officers include some positions not regularly on the streets, such as command staff. Discrimination allegations: Ads from Geists supporters allege the city has fired officers who've filed complaints or lawsuits alleging sexual harassment and discrimination. Gaylor Baird hired Police Chief Teresa Ewins, who fired four of the officers who came forward. Ewins has said the firings weren't related to the allegations. The Lincoln Police Union, which endorsed Geist, also endorsed Ewins as the next chief. Gaylor Baird says she has implemented all the recommendations of an outside assessment of the department. Several lawsuits over the allegations are pending. Geist's voting record Permitless concealed carry (LB77): Gov. Jim Pillen signed the bill last week, which allows Nebraskans 21 and older to carry concealed weapons without a permit. Early in the session Geist voted for the bill on first round, part of a compromise she brokered. She was present and not voting on second round. She had resigned from the Legislature when the bill passed the final round of debate. A year earlier, shed voted to advance a similar bill to second reading, but was present and not voting when the bills sponsor failed to end debate with cloture. Gender-affirming care ban (LB574): The bill would prohibit anyone under the age of 19 from obtaining a range of gender-affirming care. Geist was one of 33 senators (the minimum needed) who voted for cloture, ending debate on the bill and allowing it to move forward. She also voted to advance it to second reading. Six-week abortion ban (LB626): Geist resigned before senators passed it on first reading. In the last session, she co-sponsored and voted for cloture on a trigger bill but it didnt get the necessary 33 votes to proceed. She was among senators who signed a letter in support of a special session once the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade. She has been a sponsor or co-sponsor of other bills that would further restrict abortion. Campaign finance Lincolns mayoral race has become the most expensive in the citys history with well over $1 million coming into both candidates coffers. Much of the money supporting Geist has come from two deep-pocketed donors: U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts and the Peed family of Lincoln and their company Sandhills Global. In addition to contributing hundreds of thousands to Geist in cash and in-kind contributions, the two families have donated $835,000 to a political action committee that has spent more than $545,000 to oppose Gaylor Baird. Tom Duden got into police work because his dad suggested he check things out in Norfolk, where a friends son worked at the police department. That turned into a 26-year law enforcement career, nearly 15 years of teaching criminal justice and now a private investigator business. Today, Duden is running for City Council to represent southeast Lincolns District 2 because Lancaster County Republican Party officials said they were looking for people to run. He'd dabbled in politics, becoming a neighborhood precinct captain for the Republican Party, signing up to be a delegate, attending Lancaster County Republican Party meetings. Initially, he said he considered running for Lincoln Board of Education, given that hed been teaching for years. Then some of the people from headquarters got a hold of me and said, 'Tom, we think youre in the wrong race.' He said no to a run for City Council initially because he didnt want to run against incumbent Richard Meginnis, whose family he knows. When Meginnis announced he wasnt running, Duden was in. My ideals and what have you just followed right down the Republican Party's platform, he said. I didn't have any problem with agreeing to everything that they believed in. And I've been a Republican my entire life ever since I was able to vote at age 18. He will square off in Tuesday's general election against educator Bailey Feit, who he finished ahead of in a four-person race in April's primary. Duden, 69, the oldest of five, dabbled in construction and manufacturing jobs after graduating from Lincoln Pius X High School, and took a couple of courses at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but he wasnt thrilled with any of it. So he took his dads advice and drove north. He visited the police department, checked out the community college and by the time he got home that night hed landed a part-time job as an animal control officer, had signed up for the colleges criminal justice program and had found a roommate. While going to school and working as an animal control officer in Norfolk, he learned to be a police dispatcher, did ride-alongs with officers and fell in love with the work. After hed graduated, he landed a job with the Lincoln Police Department, where he spent 10 years on the night shift, became a field training officer and was active with the police union. He spent years on the union's executive board and as vice president, roles that put him in charge of the unions charities, most notably its Santa Cop program. He was part of the departments bike patrol when he fell and hurt his back, which led to surgery and his decision to retire in 2015. He took a job with a software development company called Data Design Corp. as human resources and facilities manager, and got his undergraduate and a masters degree from Doane University. Hes been teaching criminal justice courses at Doane University since 2009, and began teaching at Lincoln Public Schools Career Academy in 2021. When he was laid off from the software company after it was sold, he began doing private investigation work. Duden said his experience as a police officer would serve him well on the City Council, including his work with the union, and as a human resources manager, which has made him familiar with labor laws and regulations. Hes critical of police department leadership and like mayoral candidate Suzanne Geist stresses the department doesnt have as many officers on the streets as Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird has authorized. The Lincoln Police Department is an absolute mess right now, he said. How do you add police officers when people are quitting? As a council member, he said, hed point out issues with the department. Im gonna make those things known to the public, he said. If Im the lone ranger there (on the council) and Im outnumbered and out-voted, Ill have to put up with that. But I can still be a voice. Other priorities include reducing regulations on builders to help lower housing costs and investing in improving roads. He said he would convene stakeholder groups to decide which roads the city should focus on. After a week marked by departures of controversial figures in national media, including Don Lemon at CNN and Tucker Carlson at Fox News, local radio host Jack Riggins took to the airwaves to say his final farewell Friday afternoon. As the host of KLINs 5 p.m. weekday talk show "Drive Time Lincoln," Riggins has developed a reputation as both a staunch conservative and a source of controversy over the past few years, including airing unverified anonymous allegations of sexual assault against Adam Morfeld during his run for county attorney, tweeting obscene imagery in protest of educational materials at public schools and feuding with a KLIN colleague. But during Friday's show, the retired Navy SEAL commander made an argument for more dialogue across the political spectrum ahead of next week's mayoral election. "Everything you generally feel is local politics," Riggins said. "(Which is) why you need to pay attention to it, and you've got to talk to people about getting out to vote no matter how they vote." Riggins also acknowledged his own controversial nature. "Any time you're going to make a stance, you're going to make 50% of people mad," Riggins said. "You cannot please everyone and take a stance." Despite his strong views, Riggins claimed he's shown a willingness to engage, pointing to discussions he's had on the show with people on the other end of the spectrum, such as transgender activist Natalie Weiss and Rachele Walter, the vice chair of Secular Democrats of Nebraska. "If you go back and listen to those conversations from polar opposites of the political aisle and maybe even values," Riggins said. "When we could decide on the common problem, we could then begin to work for everybody that lives here." At the end of the episode, Dan Parsons, a public relations consultant and former vice president of the state Chamber of Commerce, was announced as Riggins' replacement. Riggins encouraged listeners to continue supporting the show, regardless of their feelings toward him. "I can be a divisive guy, and some of you are going to love today, some of you are going to hate today," he said. "At the end of the day, I think Dan's going to do a bang up job." Top Journal Star photos for April 2023 A law passed 150 years ago that banned the mailing of contraceptives, lewd materials and drugs that induce abortions could provide a pathway for effectively banning abortion nationwide even in states where the procedure is legal. When the Supreme Court last summer reversed Roe v. Wade and eliminated constitutional protections that guaranteed abortion rights nationwide, the conservative majority fashioned its ruling as returning the matter of abortion policy-making to elected officials, particularly in state legislatures. But the battle lines now being drawn around the Reconstruction-era federal law the Comstock Act are an example of how the picture after Roe v. Wade is far more complicated as abortion opponents are challenging the means of abortion, such as the drug mifepristone, in court. The most sweeping Comstock Act arguments from anti-abortion activists could at the very least end the availability of medication abortion, which make up the majority of abortions in the U.S. today, and could have the effect of eliminating surgical abortions as well by restricting the shipment of medical instruments and supplies used in the procedure. "Comstock is really the backdoor way to remove access to abortion across the whole country," said Greer Donley, a University of Pittsburgh Law School professor who specializes in abortion law. A fight over the reach of the law and how it can be deployed is beginning to brew in court. It has also been on the radar of state and local officials. But the the end goal is a GOP-led federal government willing and empowered to wield the law in a way that could make it impossible for abortion providers to operate. If the current proxy legal battles over the statute's meaning unfold in the way abortion opponents hope, enforcement of the law could be a central issue in the 2024 White House race and congressional campaigns, given federal lawmakers' power to repeal it. 'Now that Roe is gone' The Comstock Act, first passed in 1873, is named after Anthony Comstock, who was a special agent of the U.S. Postal Service and an anti-vice crusader. The law's critics say it's discriminatory against women, pointing out that at the time of its adoption, women could not vote and the Supreme Court had not yet interpreted the Constitutional Equal Protection Clause to prohibit sex discrimination. The statute bans the mailing of articles or things "designed, adapted, or intended for producing abortion, or for any indecent or immoral use," and in a separate section, describes its prohibition as being on "any drug, medicine, article, or thing designed, adapted, or intended for producing abortion." Prosecutions under the law were bought in the first few decades after its passage, but by the 1930s, courts began whittling down some of its provisions and enforcement of the law ceased. Congress meanwhile amended it in the 1970s to remove its ban on mailing birth control. Anti-abortion activists contend, however, that the part of the statute having to do with abortion-inducing drug remains good law, even if there was no appetite for enforcing it while the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade precedent which protected abortion rights nationwide was on the books. That precedent was overturned by the high court's conservative majority last June. "Now that Roe is gone, the law springs back into life," said Roger Severino, the vice president of domestic policy at the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, who also served as a top civil rights lawyer in the Department of Health and Human Services under the Trump administration. Severino argued that, at least when it comes to the Comstock Act's prohibitions on mailing abortion pills, Congress is well within its powers to regulate those shipments. While prominent anti-abortion lawyers are focused on how the law applies to the mailing of abortion drugs, the maximalist interpretations being put forward by some abortion foes would mean that tools and medical instruments that facilitate surgical abortions that are shipped in the mail to clinics and other facilities would be caught in the Comstock Act's net. "If Comstock comes to life, it has power to ban abortion nationwide. ... It's not just pills," Donley said. "Any abortion provider in the country is going to use the mail to get the things that they need for the provision of abortion." 'The Supreme Court is going to have to address this issue' Already, the Comstock Act has played a cameo role in the ongoing, high-stakes lawsuit over the U.S. Food and Drug's Administration regulation of abortion pills, which made it up to the Supreme Court once and is likely to land with the justices again. The Supreme Court froze lower court orders that would have curtailed access to a medication abortion drug, but litigation over its use will continue, raising the possibility that the Comstock Act could play a more central role in that case. Depending on how the legal battle plays out, it could empower the Justice Department in a possible future Republican administration to bring prosecutions under the law, which could complicate or perhaps even end access to abortion. In the meantime, the anti-abortion movement appears to be looking for ways to tee up disputes over whether the law is enforceable and how far it reaches. "The Supreme Court is going to have to address this issue, sooner rather than later," said Mark Lee Dickson, an anti-abortion activist who has been involved in local efforts to seize upon the U.S. law. He sees the Comstock Act as a "de facto federal abortion ban." Both sides of the abortion debate acknowledge that the clearest test of what the Comstock Act means likely wouldn't emerge until a Republican takes the White House and puts in place Justice Department leadership that would be willing to enforce the law. The Biden administration has adopted a legal posture that takes a narrow view of the law's applicability, arguing that it does not prohibit the mailing of abortion drugs if they're not intended for an unlawful use. If the Supreme Court endorses the broad interpretation of the law put forward by anti-abortion activists, it would raise the stakes "significantly" for the 2024 election, said Mary Ziegler, a UC-Davis School of Law professor and author of "Abortion and the Law in America: Roe v. Wade to the Present." "You would have essentially on the ballot the question of both Comstock enforcement and also potentially Comstock repeal," Ziegler said. "Do I think, under a Trump presidency, they're going to confiscate surgical gloves because they could be adapted for use in abortion? No, I don't think that's probably going to happen," Ziegler added. "But the language is so broad that it really would be the license to go after a lot of things beyond just abortion pills." The Biden administration, in an internal advisory opinion released by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, argues that the law does not apply to the mailing of abortion pills if they're not being sent with the intent of unlawful use. The opinion pointed to how 20th century courts had interpreted it narrowly as excluding drugs mailed with legitimate intent. (OLC opinions dictate how executive branch agencies approach legal questions but do not have any binding effect in the court of law.) The opinion was rolled out just before the FDA unveiled new rules around abortion pills that allow pharmacies to dispense the drug. The Comstock Act has been invoked in the challenge to the FDA's 2000 approval of the medication abortion drug mifepristone, where the plaintiffs anti-abortion doctors and medical organizations are arguing that the FDA broke the law by failing to take its criminal prohibitions into account when approving the drug. There are also questions about whether the law applies not just to medication abortion, but to the tools used for surgical abortions as well. A lawyer representing the anti-abortion doctors in the current FDA case told CNN they're not focused on that question while their assertions about mailing abortion pills play out in court. Under-the-radar cases touting the law The challenge to the FDA's 2000 approval of the drug used for medication abortion is not the only case where courts are being asked to expound upon the Comstock Act's reach. Several towns, some in New Mexico and elsewhere, have passed local ordinances that cite the Comstock Act and prohibit business within those jurisdictions from shipping or receiving items used for abortions in the mail, as covered by the Comstock Act. Dickson, who is director of Right to Life of East Texas and has advocated for the passage of the ordinances, said part of the focus in where the ordinances are being passed is towns in the border regions of blue states that abortion clinic organizations may be eying for new facilities. The lawsuits in New Mexico state court that those ordinances have prompted may provide for another opportunity for courts to elaborate on what the Comstock Act means. The state Supreme Court is dominated by Democratic justices. But getting multiple courts to interpret the law and create judicial disagreement about its meaning appears to be part of the anti-abortion movement's strategy for encouraging the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in. One case is a challenge to some of the ordinances that New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez filed to the state Supreme Court early this year. His briefs argue that the Comstock Act is irrelevant to the questions before the high New Mexico court, and he is asserting that the ordinances run afoul of state law and the state constitution. However, a second case has been brought by the city of Eunice a New Mexico town near the Texas border that passed its own ordinance that was not covered in Torrez's lawsuit. Eunice is asking for a court ruling that would interpret the Comstock Act as outlawing "all shipment and receipt of abortion pills and abortion-related paraphernalia throughout the United States, regardless of whether the sender" intends the items to be used unlawfully. The city argues that the ordinance should be allowed to stand because the federal 1873 law trumps New Mexico law and the state constitution. In Texas, the Comstock Act has been raised in a wrongful death lawsuit that a man has filed against friends of his ex-wife who allegedly helped her procure abortion drugs to terminate a pregnancy. The lawsuit claims that the manufacturer of the pills has criminal liability under the law while alleging that criminal liability extends to the two people who are accused of helping the ex-wife procure the pills. Jonathan Mitchell, the architect of Texas' ground-breaking civil enforcement six-week abortion ban, is involved in both the Texas wrongful death case and the lawsuit Eunice has brought. A coalition of Republican state attorneys general, meanwhile, invoked the Comstock Act in a February letter to pharmacy chains, warning the companies that private litigation could be used to enforce the law against them if the pharmacies seek to dispense abortion pills in their states. "I really believe the abortion industry is going to find themselves Comstock-ed, one way or the other," Dickson said. "They're going to find these federal statutes coming down upon them one way or the other." The Comstock Act's role in the blockbuster abortion pill case While those cases percolate, the case against the FDA for its approval of mifepristone will move forward and is almost guaranteed to land back before the Supreme Court. The lawsuit, however, does not make for the perfect vehicle for settling the questions about the Comstock Act's prosecutorial potency, as the FDA plays no role in enforcing the law. Instead, the plaintiffs are using the Comstock Act to argue that the FDA should have never approved the drug, which has been on the marketplace for nearly 23 years, in the first place. "The FDA went above and beyond just approving the drug," Erik Baptist, the lawyer for the plaintiffs, told CNN while pointing to the distribution plan submitted to the FDA at the time showing how the drugs would be shipped. "It actually requires something of the drug manufacturer that is explicitly illegal." At least in the very conservative pockets of the judiciary where the first two rounds of the litigation over the abortion pill's FDA approval played out, the anti-abortion movement has gotten some traction with its assertions about the Comstock Act's breadth. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who issued a now-frozen ruling that would have halted the approval of the drug, agreed with the plaintiffs' assertions about the Comstock Act, calling the narrower reading of the law being pushed by the DOJ "unpersuasive." The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals when it put some aspects of Kacsmaryk's ruling on hold but left untouched parts of the order that blocked FDA's policy allowing the drugs to be mailed to patients suggested it was inclined to view the law the same way, even as it stopped short of fully adopting Kacsmaryk's holding that mailing the drugs violated the 1873 law. The Supreme Court, in the emergency order it issued last week, did not say anything about the Comstock Act. But legal experts anticipate that abortion foes will continue to tout the law in this and other cases. "They are going to use every effort to try to get the question of the Comstock Act before the Supreme Court," said David Cohen, a professor at the Drexel Kline School of Law and co-author of the book "Obstacle Course: The Everyday Struggle to Get an Abortion in America." ___ Abortion in America: How access and attitudes have changed through the centuries The evolution of abortion in America Pre-1850: Abortions in early America are commonplace Mid-1800s: Birth of the American Medical Association shifts abortion oversight from midwives to doctors; abortion is criminalized 1960s: 'Back-alley butchers,' birth control, and protests 1970s: Roe v. Wade protects women's right to abortion; politics shift 1980s-2000s: Legal challenges to Roe v. Wade introduce restrictions 2020s: Roe v. Wade is overturned; Postal Service allowed to mail abortion medication The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will oversee further cleanup at a Marengo explosion site after state officials struggled to enforce deadlines for removing contaminated water and soil. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources earlier this week sent the EPA a request for federal action to investigate and take "actions it deems are necessary" to address diesel fuel, lead and other chemicals in and around the C6-Zero site. "C6-Zero is not in compliance with the requirements laid out in the DNR Emergency Order, the Consent Order, and the applicable requirements in 567 IAC 133 as documented in an April 10, 2023 DNR Extension Request," said the April 25 letter signed by Michael Sullivan, Solid Waste and Contaminated Sites supervisor for the DNR. The EPA will oversee the site as part of Superfund, a program that allows the EPA to clean up contaminated areas and force responsible parties to perform the duties or reimburse the government for that work. "EPA Region 7 acknowledged receipt of the request on Tuesday, April 25, and will begin transitioning oversight responsibilities," spokeswoman Shannan Biesser said in an email Thursday. "Although oversight responsibilities shift, EPA continues to work with local, state, and tribal partners as these sites progress to ensure all stakeholder positions are being considered." Earlier this month, the EPA filed a notice of violation against C6-Zero for failing to alert first responders and the state about dangerous chemicals and vapors at its plant in Marengo before a Dec. 8 explosion and fire. The EPA said the company broke federal law by not giving safety data sheets to first responders and not issuing an emergency notice after the explosion that injured nine employees at least two seriously and caused a fire that took Eastern Iowa firefighters 18 hours to extinguish. The agency is continuing its investigation into C6-Zero and considering enforcement options, Biesser said this week. The agency has authority to pursue civil penalties of up to $67,500 per day for failing to submit safety data sheets and $27,000 per violation for failing to submit an emergency notice after an incident. Howard Brand III, owner of C6-Zero, has a pending U.S. patent application for a process to use a proprietary chemical solution to dissolve spent asphalt shingles into base ingredients, including oil, sand and fiberglass. The Marengo plant did not yet have a state permit to operate, but was processing shingles Dec. 8, when a mechanical failure ignited air vapors. C6-Zero spokesman Mark Corallo said Thursday he welcomes the EPA oversight. "In stark contrast to our experiences with IDNR, C6-Zero has had a collaborative and cooperative relationship with both the Iowa Attorney General's Office and the EPA and as a result, cleanup at the Marengo site is moving toward completion. We look forward to any assistance EPA can provide in the late stages of this process," he said in an email. The DNR and C6-Zero dispute who should be responsible for ongoing cleanup costs. The state already agreed to pay up to $834,000 to hire contractors to remove perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that likely came from firefighting foam used to fight the blaze. But after treating 12 million gallons in a nearby retention basin, there still are PFAS in the sludge, the DNR reported. "The DNR has stated that this is the responsibility of C6 Zero, but that is strongly disagreed upon from C6 Zero's perspective, given the elevated PFAS numbers in both the basin and the adjacent wastewater lagoon," according to an April 21 report to the DNR from EcoSource, a Des Moines-area contractor C6-Zero hired to remove water and soil contaminated with diesel fuel and other chemicals. Despite this year's filibuster-laden travails that have blocked and delayed action on major legislation while burning this session's 90-day legislative clock, senators will be able to address all the major issues still pending before they adjourn, Speaker John Arch of La Vista says. Tax reduction bills, the two-year state budget package, school aid reform, tax exemptions for donations to private schools, a green light to proceed with construction of a new state prison, voter photo ID legislation, all will be considered before the 2023 legislative session is completed about a month from now. "And hopefully justice reform along with committee priorities," Arch said during an interview in the speaker's office immediately following the dramatic conclusion of a three-day legislative week. Just before heading home for a four-day weekend break on Thursday, senators blocked a bill to sharply limit access to a legal abortion in Nebraska, triggering a boisterous celebration in the Capitol Rotunda by abortion rights advocates that echoed through the hallways. That was a largely unexpected result that probably matched the unique character of this legislative session. Even though the session-long filibuster sparked by Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha to express her determined opposition to a bill (LB574) that would prohibit transgender youth from obtaining puberty blockers, hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgery has slammed on the brakes, "We will address the big issues in the time remaining," Arch said. "I think when we're done we can look back and say that we were able to accomplish what we were sent here to do. "The number of bills passed does not equate to their impact," he said. "It's the quality of those bills that has far greater impact," the speaker said. While the Legislature is poised to give the go-ahead to launch construction of a new $350 million state prison, Arch also has his eye on accompanying justice reform. "The consensus is that we need to do both," he said. "We can do better with how we help incarcerated people move back into society" upon completion of their prison terms. Arch said "the overriding principle" that has guided him in managing a sharply divided Legislature that has been under what may have been a unique form of stress this year has been to "protect the institution." "Senators come and go, issues come and go, but the institution must remain and be passed on to future generations," the speaker said. Undamaged, unharmed, undiminished, secure. Despite this session's unique filibuster that in effect has been applied to the session itself, Arch said he has resisted calls to quickly change the Legislature's rules and procedures in response to that challenge. "We can give consideration over the summer as to whether we need to adjust," he said. "We have to make sure that if the filibuster rule is changed, that doesn't stop the minority voice," he said. "My commitment is to the institution," the speaker said. "The minority voice must be protected," Arch said. "At some point, we will all be in the minority. We must allow the minority to speak. "It would be unwise to damage the institution because of the current situation," he said. "My desire has been to provide a steady hand through our disagreements," Arch said. Despite the deadlock and the backlog and the stress applied to this session, "we are moving bills," he said. Arch, a health care administrator who previously had been chairman of the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee, was elected speaker in January. Photos: The business of governing in Nebraska in 2023 Susan Foltz of Lincoln, an employee of Community Alternatives Nebraska at 220 Oakcreek Drive in Lincoln, has been recognized as Nebraskas 2023 Direct Support Professional of the Year a significant achievement for the direct care workforce. Without having any prior experience in the field, Foltz has excelled at caring for individuals with mental health diagnoses and works to ensure their physical, emotional and mental health needs are met. Thousands of Nebraskans with intellectual and developmental disabilities rely on caregivers for help with daily activities like getting dressed, going to the grocery store, brushing their teeth or even going to the bathroom. Recently, President Biden issued a proclamation recognizing April as Care Workers Recognition Month to honor the crucial work of caregivers like Foltz. These are images of people charged with a crime in Racine County. Booking photos are provided by Racine County law enforcement officials. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty and convicted. RACINE A Racine man has been charged in a Dec. 22 hit-and-run that killed Anthony Morales Sr., 69. Shawn A. Shelton, 42, was charged with a felony count of hit and run resulting in death. He was taken to the Racine County Jail without incident, the Racine Police Department said in a news release. At 10:36 p.m. on Dec. 22, officers were sent to the 1800 block of Erie Street for a rescue run, according to a criminal complaint. Officers found Morales, 69, on the ground unresponsive and bleeding from the head. He was transported to Froedtert Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The family of Morales held a vigil for him on Jan. 1 at the scene where he was struck, across from 1809 Erie St. The Racine Interfaith Coalition helped with organizing. Officers reportedly spoke to a person who said Morales went outside to warm up his vehicle, and they heard a loud boom. The person told police they went outside and found Morales injured in the street. The person did call 911. The complaint said several vehicle parts were scattered on the scene, including a front grill with the Subaru emblem. Footage from the Rock Inn at 1600 Erie St. showed a silver Subaru driving northbound on Erie Street. At the same time, the footage showed Morales walking across the street. The Subaru braked, swerved and struck Morales. The complaint said the vehicle drove off without anyone getting out to check on Morales. On Dec. 29, officers went to Finishing Touch Auto Body at 5306 Douglas Ave. where the shop owner said Shelton dropped off the suspect Subaru on Dec. 23. Shelton reportedly said he hit a dumpster after work the day before. The Subaru had substantial damage on the passenger side as well as blood spots and hair, according to the complaint. Cellphone records showed that Shelton was the one driving the vehicle at the time of the incident. Additionally, Sheltons Google searches included the local news section of The Journal Times website at 11:34 p.m. and the Racine County section of Fox 6 News website the night of the collision. Mugshots: Racine County criminal complaints, April 28, 2023 Today's mugshots: April 28 These are images of people charged with a crime in Racine County. Booking photos are provided by Racine County law enforcement officials. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty and convicted. John G. Nash John G. Nash, 1800 block of Thurston Avenue, Racine, misdemeanor theft, criminal trespass, felony bail jumping, burglary of a building or dwelling, felony theft (movable property between $2,500-$5,000). Shawn A. Shelton Shawn A. Shelton, 1300 block of Carlton Drive, Racine, hit and run (resulting in death). Danny M. Williams Danny M. Williams, 2000 block of DeKoven Avenue, Racine, disorderly conduct, misdemeanor bail jumping. Dallas David Gomez Dallas David Gomez, 500 block of Sixth Street, Racine, burglary of a building or dwelling, misdemeanor theft. Gandee Dumas Gandee Dumas, 4900 block of Byrd Avenue, Racine, operate motor vehicle while revoked, misdemeanor bail jumping. Gentle L. Bogan Gentle L. Bogan, 4000 block of Erie Street, Racine, misdemeanor battery, disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments, felony domestic abuse repeater), strangulation and suffocation (domestic abuse assessments, felony domestic abuse repeater), criminal damage to property (domestic abuse assessments, felony domestic abuse repeater). Jesus I. Aguilera Jesus I. Aguilera, 6500 block of 14th Avenue, Kenosha, criminal damage to property (domestic abuse assessments, felony domestic abuse repeater), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments, felony domestic abuse repeater), operating a motor vehicle while under the influence (1st offense, with a minor child in the vehicle), felony bail jumping. Jimmy Lee Sims Jr. Jimmy Lee Sims Jr., 2400 block of Northwestern Avenue, Racine, possession of a firearm by a felon. Derek A. Roig Derek A. Roig, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, repeated sexual assault of a child, child enticement, causing child under 13 to view/listen to sexual activity. Tyvonn Sharp Tyvonn Sharp, 4200 block of 30th Avenue, Kenosha, carrying a concealed weapon, felony bail jumping. Travis P. Callow Travis P. Callow, 1600 block of Howe Street, Racine, obstructing an officer. 1. Yes. Of course. Local governmental entities have the most direct impact on our lives. 2. Yes. Its always important to weigh in on local issues; otherwise we cant complain. 3. No. Im not that familiar with the issues or the candidates this year. Ill sit it out. 4. No. My vote doesnt seem to matter much, so Im not going to make the effort. 5. Unsure. I havent decided whether to take part this time around. Vote View Results KEARNEY Most people have a healthy fear of standing on stage and making jokes because it could very easily lead to public humiliation. Not Nick Hoff. The thing inside my head thats scared of heights, the thing that people who climb mountains and ride on roller coasters dont have, well, I dont have that when it comes to public speaking, he said in an interview from his home in Los Angeles. Stand-up comedy is one of my favorite things in the world. A lot of people say it takes a lot of guts to do that. To the average person, thats true. To be honest, Hoff has honed his comedy over years of practice and hundreds of performances, but underneath it all, the stage and the spotlight feel comfortable to him. Whatever that self-preservation thing is that most people have, I dont have it, he said. Sometimes you see people hanging off a sky scraper. I cant do that. The other day I climbed a high set of stairs and it made my palms sweat. Theres something inside of me that says, This will kill you. When I get on stage, in front of people, I dont have any fears. A respite from daily life What: Comedian Nick Hoff performs as part of the All American Comedy Tour with Brandon Vestal. When: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 4. Where: The World Theatre at 2318 Central Ave. Admission: $20. Contact: 308-234-8046; TheWorldTheatre.org. Hoff, originally from Hastings, will show off his comedic skills at a 7 p.m. comedy show Thursday at The World Theatre in Kearney as part of his 50-state All American Comedy Tour. Tickets are $20. Audiences might know his work from his album Baby Daddy, which hit No. 1 on the iTunes comedy charts. His other credits include appearances on MTV, co-hosting gigs on a weekly show on SiriusXM and work in commercials for Miller Lite, Pepsi and Amazon where Nick has been cast by top directors in the business, including Peter Farrelly, Craig Gillespie, James Mangold and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Hoffs new comedy special, Front to Back, released in 2022, continues to stream on YouTube. Audiences also might know Hoff from his previous Kearney appearances. Ill be doing all new material from when I was in Kearney two years ago, he said. Ive been working on the new hour, and Im excited to show people that. And Im bringing my buddy Brandon Vestal who is just a super funny guy. Hes had a Dry Bar special thats had more than 3 million views. Some comedians look for openers with fewer skills, just to make the headliner look better. I want to go with as funny a person as I can possibly bring, Hoff said. Thats part of what I love about doing shows in my home state. I get to expose people to all the comedians Ive worked with over the years. Otherwise people in Nebraska might not get to see them. I know some comedians that bring a dud with them so, by comparison, they look great. Thats a loser mentality. Most of Hoffs material centers on his family. He mostly avoids political jokes. Ive tried political material in the past, and it didnt change the way the government was run, he joked. I dont think they were listening to me. For the most part, Hoff wants to offer audiences a respite from daily life. I think the biggest thing I can do is to add a little levity to our lives, he said. Theres this idea of these broader responsibilities of the comedian. No. 1, if its not funny, youve already shirked your responsibilities, youve already sidestepped by primary objective. I try to help people relax a little. When people come to my show, I want it to be an hour and a half of forgetting all of their worries and just have a good time. Hoff describes that as his main goal. A lot of time you can disarm people with comedy so they're not bringing so much baggage to a show, he said. Sometimes you can help people see the world from a different view point. But I try to give people a little more credit than some comedians. Everybody needs different things, and everybody has thought about issues. And just because they landed on a different conclusion, or landed in a place they needed and I didnt, that doesnt mean they didnt think about it. When the lights go down and Hoff takes his place on stage to deliver his material, he keeps that all in mind. I dont necessarily think its my job to affect change in society, aside from allowing people to have a good time and realize that maybe these things that they were worried about aren't quite as important. KEARNEY CHI Health Good Samaritan, Safe Kids Platte Valley, Kearney Police Department and Buffalo County Sheriff's Office are teaming up for Wednesday's National Bike to School Day. On Wednesday, representatives of those groups will greet pupils as they arrive for class at Northeast Elementary and Central Elementary schools. This Serve and Protect the Noggin Bike Safety Event will convey the importance of wearing a helmet, following traffic rules and other safety tips related to wheeled sports. Students who wear helmets as they bike to school will have a chance to win prizes, including bike lights and bike locks. This community outreach project was funded by a grant from Safe Kids. Those without bike helmets are invited to Good Samaritans annual Bike Helmet Event 2:30-3:30 p.m. June 1 at the Kearney Public Library at 2020 First Ave. Helmets, toddler through adult sizes, are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis for a suggested donation of $10 to the Good Samaritan Foundation. All helmets meet current safety standards and will be fitted by trained staff members from Good Samaritan Emergency Services. Last summer, more than 100 new bike helmets were provided during this event. Safe Kids reports more children ages 5-14 are seen in emergency rooms for injuries related to biking than any other sport. Helmets can reduce the risk of severe brain injuries by 88%, yet only 45% of children 14 and under usually wear one. Parents, educators, school leaders and members of the public flood the steps of the Nebraska State Capitol in support of public schools and against an "opportunity scholarships" measure on Saturday, April 29, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN Public school advocates flooded the steps of the State Capitol on Saturday morning in anticipation of a final vote on whether Nebraska should finally adopt some form of public funding for private schools. The Legislature is preparing for a final vote in the coming weeks on Legislative Bill 753, proposed by State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn. However, protesters Saturday had a message for lawmakers: Not in Nebraska. Linehan has fought during her seven years in office to allow students to attend private schools through some form of school choice legislation. North Dakota is the only other state without some sort of school choice legislation (the states governor rejected a school choice proposal earlier this month). Linehans proposal would permit state tax credits for those who donate to organizations providing scholarships to students attending private schools. A legislative fiscal note estimates 5,000 students could use the scholarships to switch to private schools. Critics say the approach would siphon public dollars away from public schools. Leading up to Saturdays rally, teachers who had been meeting in downtown Lincoln marched to the Capitol, shouting in support of public schools and public funding. Jenni Benson, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, said the rally was a tremendous show of strength and support for public schools. Nebraskans have rejected school choice efforts three times already, she added, and were going to do it again. LB 753 has maintained support through two rounds of votes, including from State Sens. Terrell McKinney and Justin Wayne, both of Omaha. If the measure succeeds in the final round and is signed into law, advocates on Saturday committed to bringing a final decision to the people. If we have to go to the ballot, we will show them that our Nebraskans support public schools, Benson said. They support public educators, and most of all, they support all kids. Promise to Nebraska children State Sen. George Dungan, a freshman senator from Lincoln, told the crowd he has advanced to where he is because of public schools. After graduating from Lincoln Southwest High School, Dungan attended college in Kansas, where he saw the Brownback experiment fail. In 2012, then-Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback signed into law a bill to dramatically cut taxes, which caused revenues to plummet. Dungan said teachers couldnt get paid and schools couldnt open, with the state failing to fulfill its promise to each and every child. That promise is to our children that no matter who you are, no matter where you come from and no matter what you believe, you will always have a seat in our classrooms, Dungan said. Duff Martin, a Wisconsin educator and executive committee member for the National Education Association, encouraged Nebraskans to keep fighting and to not become Wisconsin. Instead of saving taxpayers money, Martin said similar proposals have drained public school funds while benefiting those who are wealthy. Benson and others on Saturday said shifting support to unaccountable private, religious or charter schools would allow them to intentionally discriminate based on race, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Dunixi Guereca, executive director of Stand For Schools, which advocates for public schools and public school funding, said LB 753 invests in school choice schemes, not students. This bill is not about giving students choice, its about giving schools choice, Guereca said. Choice to pick and choose the students that they serve, unlike public schools that serve all students. Increasing general support for education Rather than opportunity scholarships, advocates such as Dungan said Nebraska must first provide improvements for teachers. He said the state must do everything it can to provide financial and emotional support, telling the crowd he has friends who wanted to be teachers their whole lives and then quit the work just a year or two after starting. I dont blame them, Dungan said. Theyre in a world where theyre not supported by our state and by other institutions, and theyre in a world where theyre being told that the things theyre saying have to be moderated and monitored by people who dont know what theyre talking about. After the rally, Dungan told the Nebraska Examiner that Nebraska succeeds in part because of its strong support for public schools across the state. Though the odds seem to be in favor of LB 753 of passing, based on previous vote counts, Dungan encouraged people to maintain hope and fight for the centerpiece of the community. I know the road to get here has been somewhat arduous and I know that sometimes this session its been hard to have hope but look at this last week, folks, Dungan told the crowd, a nod to a failed vote Thursday to further restrict abortion. Im asking you to stand and fight and join with me as we continue to fight for our schools. People often talk about serving God and country, but few get the opportunity or have the training to take that service as far as Rice Lakes Peter Muschinske. Muschinske works as a U.S. Navy chaplain and is expected to be appointed a Navy rear admiral later this year. Navy Capt. Muschinske has been nominated for appointment to the grade of rear admiral, according to the Secretary of the Navy and Chief of Naval Operations. Muschinske currently serves as deputy region chaplain, Navy Region Hawaii Regional Operations Center. Muschinske is among people 14 nominated by President Joe Biden in a flag officer announcement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who are awaiting confirmation by the Senate Armed Services Committee and approval by the the U.S. Senate. Muschinske is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He has served twice as interim pastor at Bethany Lutheran of Rice Lake and at Living Water Church of Cameron, among other locations. Growing up with a father who is a World War II veteran and a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force, Muschinske is no stranger to the military or the church. He said his job is to live bi-vocationally; he gets to be a sailor and a clergy person. That presents its own challenges, he said. While active duty sailors bear the brunt of long deployments, Muschinske said even in the Navy Reserves hes spent 70% of his Navy duty time away from home. Becoming a military chaplain or religious program specialist means helping sailors through moments of crisis, counseling them when they are faced with difficult decisions and providing comfort and encouragement to their families. In his role as a Navy chaplain, Muschinske has built close relationships with sailors while providing them with spiritual guidance. Its a part of his service to God and country. When I came back from Iraq, you heard a lot of, Thank you for your service, and I continue to say there are myriad forms of service that are legitimate that I hope ultimately are working to further the common good, or the civil discourse, Muschinske said. This is one way to serve and its one way for me to exercise my citizenship on a national level. Religious jobs in the Navy create a sacred space for sailors of all religions to exercise their faith and build community. We have a Chaplain Corps because of the religious clauses of the First Amendment. We dont have an established state religion or national religion in this country. But even though no one dictates what your religion will be, everyone has a right to exercise their faith. So the Chaplain Corps serves to ensure that service members to the fullest extent possible, can exercise, can practice, can live out their faith in the most beneficial way for them and for their families, he said. As part of his chaplain duties, Muschinske helps sailors of various faiths get what they need to exercise their religion. That might include kosher foods, prayer time and time off on high holy days for each persons specific religion or spiritual practice. Muschinske said his job is to help nurture the whole person in body, heart and soul. History of service Muschinske graduated from Rice Lake High School in 1980 before heading to Barron County University, which is now called UW-Eau Claire at Barron County. He earned an associates degree before heading to UW-Eau Claire for a double major. Muschinske got married and joined the Navy in 1990. Then he earned the requisite masters degree at Luther Seminary in St. Paul to become a religious leader in his faith tradition, Muschinske said. His first congregation was in Dodgeville in southern Wisconsin. Dodgeville is also where his first child was born. After becoming a chaplain, he said he wanted a new challenge, so he moved to southern California, where he had his second child. After his time in California, Muschinske moved back to Wisconsin, where he spent seven years in Marshfield and had his third child. He was mobilized to serve in Iraq in 2006 and deployed with the Seabees, then headquartered at Fort McCoy. After he returned from Iraq, he became active duty to begin his work with Navy Recruiting Command. The Navy moved him and family to St. Louis, where he spent 13 years, he said. Muschinskes recruiting work took him to numerous divinity schools. For years, he recruited chaplains and chaplain candidates from various faith traditions. While in St. Louis, he also served students from Washington and St. Louis universities with Lutheran Campus Ministry and was mobilized to New Orleans to supervise chaplains and religious program specialists serving with Marines. One of the components of being a military chaplain Muschinske said he particularly enjoys is counseling service members. He said congregation work is more worship-oriented and filled with more like-minded individuals. But when he works as a Navy chaplain, he gets to interact with those who may come from different faith backgrounds or have no faith background at all. Thats challenging and appealing, he said. It just so happens that most military chaplains do a lot of counseling, he said. My denomination, which tends to have a pretty open view, I would say a pretty big view of God, can be very inclusive and welcoming of people who are quite different, who think about the world differently or who have vastly different understandings of God. During the pandemic, Muschinske and his family moved back to Wisconsin. Im literally on the farm that I mostly grew up on, he said. Muschinske said though he was getting ready to retire before he was nominated for rear admiral, he finds the position to be an honor and privilege. If confirmed by the Senate for the position of rear admiral, Muschinske will take several training courses with the admiral select class in preparation for his new role, a 3-year tour as deputy chief of chaplains for Reserve matters, which means hell be responsible for the health and vitality of the Reserve Component Chaplain Corps. Presumably by the middle of summer, Ill be really ramping up to start in the new job, he said. The phrase he has left the building comes from Elvis has left the building and is a phrase often used by public address announcers at the end of Elvis Presley concerts to disperse audiences who lingered in hopes of an encore. It has since become a catchphrase and punchline. Yet it was no punch line when Larry Marquart left the town of Hallie office at the end of the annual meeting of the electors April 18. Larry Marquardt is the son of Walter and Florence Marquardt whose roots go far back in town of Hallie. If you drive through the town, you will come to the home farm of the Marquardt family. It is located at southeast corner of the County Highway P and 40th Avenue. Larry grew up on that farm and to this day lives in the town of Hallie, on a hill off County Highway OO. Larry has the work ethic of his parents and of his German tradition. Growing up on a farm and keeping the home farm alive, Larry became used to long days with the cows, the fields, raising his family with his wife Dianne. Like many of us, who consider ourselves very fortunate, Larry found a wonderful woman to marry. Everything Larry has become, again like many of us, he owes in part to Dianne. Somewhere with all those responsibilities, Larry made time to serve as a 20-year firefighter for the Hallie Station of the Chippewa Fire District, County Board member, town of Hallie chairman, member of the Chippewa County Board of Review, drive for Meals on Wheels, serve as a member of the County ARDC, serve on the Northern Wisconsin State Fair Board. I believe he was also involved in the Hallie 4-H Club. Those are only the roles I know about. In 2003, the town of Hallie faced a huge decision. In 2000, the towns population was 4,703 according to the U.S. Census. On Feb. 18, 2003, most of the town incorporated as the village of Lake Hallie, taking with it nearly all the towns population and reducing the towns remaining land area to 7.5 square miles. Most people believed the remainder of the town of Hallie would join the village of Lake Hallie and the town of Hallie would cease to exist. Its somewhat ironic considering, the city of Eau Claire and the city of Chippewa Falls had the same plans for the town of Hallie. Three individuals stepped up: Larry Marquardt, Ron Steinmetz and George Szotkowski. They did their homework. The town of Hallie could have joined with the village of Lake Hallie or returned to the town of Lafayette from where it came. In the end, the town of Hallie decided to stay as it was. Today, the town is not the smallest community in the State of Wisconsin. There are 45 towns and several villages smaller than the town of Hallie. On April 8, 2003, Larry Marquardt became chairman of the town of Hallie. A position he held for 20 years. Larry never had an opponent in any town election. The only changes in the town of Hallie board have occurred when people have retired. The town and its leadership have been remarkably stable. The people in the town have appreciated the leadership style of Larry and the board. Larry has a belief that I do not agree with. He often feels that the town of Hallie appears to be getting a special deal. The town of Hallie pays 40% of its budget to fire, police and emergency medical services. Where the town of Hallie has agreements with the village of Lake Hallie or the town of Seymour, they have funded those agreements in full force. If the town of Hallie upgrades 150th Street or 10th Avenue it will apply for grants and pay the going rate. Larry has left the building. I doubt if anyone more remarkable will hold the office of town chairman again. Larry leaves well respected and admired. He and Dianne are planning some trips now they have time to spend together. Godspeed Larry, be well and stay safe. Susie desperately wanted to stay sober. From the age of 16, opiates had a hold on her, leading to two incarcerations and extended periods away from her son. She relapsed four times, battling depression and finding herself pulled back into the same lifestyle after each stretch of sobriety. It was an overdose during her second pregnancy that sparked a wake-up call, and a team of compassionate health providers that helped her achieve lasting success and a healthy, unified family. Susie, 28, who requested her last name not be used, is part of the Pregnancy, Addiction and Social Support, or PASS, program at Gundersen Health System. Its comprehensive team approach helps pregnant people actively struggling with addiction or in recovery stay substance free before and after birth. Comprised of an OB-GYN, a registered nurse care coordinator, a nurse midwife and a social worker, the team offers support and internal and community resources, checking in with the patients frequently and managing their mental health conditions, if applicable, with medication and therapy. These patients are seen typically more frequently than you would for routine obstetric care, said PASS program lead Dr. Heather Riese, who has specialized training in perinatal mood disorders and substance abuse. Our goal is using a team approach to develop trust and relationships with them and help them be successful. An innovative approach Riese took over the program in 2019, when obstetrician and addiction medicine specialist Dr. Charles Schauberger, who developed PASS in 2012, retired. For the past 8 years, Schauberger has been a member of the Wisconsin Maternal Mortality Review Team, a group that serves to increase awareness of the factors in pregnancy-associated and related deaths, and to compose and promote recommendations for state residents and health care systems to help eliminate preventable maternal deaths. One of the key drivers of rising maternal mortality is drug use during pregnancy and the year afterward, said Schauberger. The increase in drug use in our country and the rise in overdose mortality has been a key driver for the increase in maternal mortality. A review of 2017-2019 data from maternal mortality committees from 36 states, including Wisconsin, examined 1,018 pregnancy related deaths, for which cause of death was identified for 987. Mental health conditions topped the list, accounting for 22.7% of deaths. Mental health and substance abuse are frequently co-occurring disorders, with the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported 17 million U.S. adults experienced both in 2020. In a 2021 report, The Wisconsin Maternal Mortality Review examined pregnancy-associated overdose deaths from 2016 to 2019, finding that in 92% of cases, both mental health conditions and substance abuse were confirmed or probable contributors. Both mental health and addiction are prevalent issues in the U.S., and participation in PASS has increased in recent years. Currently, there are 30 women in the program, with an annual average of 75 patients. Candidates are identified through initial OB-GYN appointments, where screening questions include substance abuse and mental health concerns. Depending on the response and the patients medical history, a referral may be made. Not every referred patient chooses to participate in PASS, and some who have used drugs in the past but are currently sober may decline, because they dont want to be labeled a drug addict for their entire life. We say, If you dont feel like you need our services, thats totally fine. Were happy to see you if your feel like youre struggling or you need help connecting with behavioral health services, said Riese. But the stigma, unfortunately, is always there. We even see it in other medical providers. Theres just not as much knowledge about these patients, and they can be seen as difficult. But these are patients that we can really help and improve their lives and their babies lives. If the patient prefers, the team will help set them up with a primary care provider, with the family medicine team keeping PASS staff posted on progress. We have great teamwork here at Gundersen to really make sure these patients dont fall through the cracks, said Riese. The team, which has started seeing more word-of-mouth recommendations, finds many women choose to utilize the program during subsequent pregnancies, with the comfort and rapport reducing their chances of backsliding on their progress. Riese blocks off portions of her schedule to accommodate PASS patients who need to be seen outside of regular appointments, with either herself or nurse midwife Jessica Hamilton making themselves available. Social worker Chrystal Johnson helps patients, many of whom are homeless, secure housing or shelter, food and free childbirth and parenting classes. Riese may prescribe medication for mood disorders or buprenorphine, a prescription drug used to treat opiate use disorder. The team also helps secure any other services necessary for the patients overall health and care, from therapy or psychiatry appointments to dental cleanings. The old saying is, It take a village to raise a child, and with the PASS clinic we start building that village right away, Johnson said. The team also works with incarcerated patients and helps those who need more intensive treatment enter a residential program. Were not here to judge, said Riese. The struggle for success Around 60% to 80% of those with substance abuse disorder will relapse within a year, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and when Susie left her first inpatient treatment facility at age 19 her sobriety lasted only five months. I went right back to the same life, Susie said. She was actively using opiates when she became pregnant with her first child, and was jailed on drug-related charges near the end of her second trimester. With the help of a second inpatient program, she stayed sober until her child was 11 months old. But she soon found herself incarcerated again, spending a year in prison. Just 12 months later, she was back in prison for another year. During her incarcerations, Susies child lived with family, and, ashamed of her drug use, she had little contact with them outside of supervised parental visits. When you are living in that lifestyle, around people who are using and having those connections, its hard, Susie said of her relapses. I was living in the same area and running into the same people. I knew they didnt care about me and they werent my friends, but I was lonely. Its hard to make all new connections. And going to AA meetings that can be scary going alone. Starting a new life after being released proved nearly impossible. I was using when I went to jail and I wanted to be clean, but when you get out and youre homeless or living in a trap house, and you have no job and might not have a connected phone, where do you go? said Susie. There are shelters, but a lot of them are surrounded by drugs. You might want to be sober, but its hard when there is one obstacle after another in the way. When Susie left prison for the last time in 2019, she found herself in an abusive and controlling relationship, turning back to drugs. She became pregnant and went to Gundersen for care, where the team worked to find her resources and tried medication assisted treatment, which combines medications with counseling and behavioral therapies. But being around drugs proved too tempting, and at four months pregnant, Susie overdosed. It was a wake-up call, said Susie. I knew if I didnt get sober I would be leaving the hospital without my baby, and that was something I couldnt wrap my head around. The reality of relapse The success rate for mothers staying healthy during pregnancy and being able to take their children home a report to child protective services is mandated in cases of prenatal drug exposure is a mixed bag, said Riese. I feel like overall our patients really do quite well when we are able to get them connected and start treating their mood disorders, regardless of if theyre successful with their sobriety or not, said Riese. Patients are very motivated to get to be able to become sober and maintain that sobriety. Obviously, patients are at different places in their sobriety journey in pregnancy, and for some this is the 10th time theyve tried to become sober before theyre successful. Patients, said Riese, are generally very honest about their substance use, and will admit when they have slipped up. And then we say, OK, thanks for letting us know. And then we move on, said Riese. The PASS team is upfront about the possibility of child protective services being involved, whether its through the development of a safety plan, temporary loss of custody or other actions. Demonstrating a commitment to the PASS program may be have a positive influence on the outcome. Babies who have been exposed to opiates in utero go through withdrawal, called neonatal abstinence syndrome, and the PASS team works closely with the pediatric hospitalist staff to ensure the child is healthy prior to release. The babies are kept in the hospital longer than other newborns and able to be in the room with their mothers. For moms who have been sober for at least 30 days, breastfeeding may be encouraged. While many PASS patients suffer from opioid addiction, methamphetamine laced with fentanyl has become the primary substance seen in patients. We have patients that have no idea they think theyre using pure meth and then it comes back positive for fentanyl, said Riese. We have patients that actually have used marijuana that had fentanyl in it. Methamphetamine has proven the harder addiction to beat, as it can alter the brain chemistry for up to 2 years after halting usage, Riese said. In addition, suboxone is not effective with non-opiate drugs. Methamphetamine is just a challenging, challenging substance to treat, said Riese. Until recent years, said Riese, there has been really poor reporting of maternal death rates related to mood disorders and/or substance abuse, and historically the rate has likely been far higher than believed. With more awareness now of mental health concerns, perinatal and postpartum depression, psychosis and suicide, and increased access to resources, Riese is hopeful for improvement. However, Relapse rates are higher postpartum, as for some the big motivator of staying sober for baby is no longer there when theyre not pregnant, said Riese. Postpartum depression or untreated mental health concerns can also be a barrier to sobriety, and with the drug crisis ongoing patients have died due to either overdose or homicide related to drugs. It is the most devastating thing to see this patient that you took care of and was doing well ultimately die, said Riese. It is a horrible thing for everybody involved. Patients have also had the father of their child or another close relation die from drugs, said Johnson. They might not be the one to overdose, but theyre still being impacted somehow by that overdose death, said Johnson. Shes now having to administer Narcan to someone whos overdosing as shes eight months pregnant. Seeing those who so desperately want to be clean and want to do the right thing for their baby wrestle with the beast that is addiction is the most challenging part of her job, Johnson said. We want them to be successful. When we see them postpartum and they are happy and clean and doing well and loving on their baby, its amazing to see. Resilience and commitment When Susie entered the PASS program, she was really significantly struggling with addiction, Riese said. At one point, the team requested a welfare check when Susie became unreachable. Actively using at the time, Susie felt their genuine concern. I could have overdosed, Susie said. To help Susie get on track, the PASS team admitted her withdrawal support in the hospital before Susie entered a residential treatment facility for around five weeks. Susie was prescribed suboxone and upon her return frequently met with Riese, Johnson and Hamilton, with RN care coordinator Heather Bushman also involved in her care. It wasnt just, check your vitals, Any questions? No? See you next time, said Susie. I felt very comfortable with them and could trust them. They always told me how proud they are of me and to keep going. Susie committed to her sobriety, attending AA meetings and becoming active in the recovery community. She was sober when her baby was born in January 2022, the infant completely healthy and not suffering any withdrawal symptoms. The Gundersen team was like my family. If I didnt have people pushing for me I wouldnt be here today, said Susie. Anytime I needed anything, theyd help me find resources. Post-pregnancy, PASS remains involved in patients lives. New moms can enroll in GunderKids, a program designed for families coping with substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence or other barriers to a healthy household. Newborns are seen 17 times in their first 12 months, and staff check in with parents on access to necessities, sobriety, child development, stressors, challenges and more. The close evaluation and parental education increases vaccination rates and overall measures of health as the child grows, while also reducing the risk of child maltreatment. Part of the PASS clinic is making sure that its not going from this super supportive prenatal experience to just, OK, youre done, you had the baby, goodbye, said Johnson. Its making sure that Im getting them connected to those programs in the community so they still have that social worker, they have that medical connect, all of those things out in the community as well or through the clinic. Theyre going to be seen for whatever it may be. Added Riese, Its amazing how resilient these women are. When they get the support they need, they are able to improve their lives and their kids lives and ultimately help their overall community. As part of her responsibility to her sobriety, Susie moved back to her hometown around an hour outside La Crosse, surrounding herself with family and sober friends and away from triggering people and places. Engaged, Susie became pregnant again several months ago and continues to see the PASS team through her third pregnancy. She is in a completely different place to when we first saw her, said Riese. She is doing fantastic and rocking it. Due in about a month, Susie has a job, is attending school and is an active mom to her two kids and her fiances child. Her six-year-old, who struggled with behaviors and emotions while Susie was incarcerated and battling addiction, is thriving with the structured schedule and stable household Susie and her fiance have created. She is unique in the sense that she has an internal drive to get things done herself, which is amazing, Johnson said. She knows that we are here for support and to assist her when she hits road bumps. Susie hopes to wean off suboxone in the future, but for now the medication is helping her be a productive member of society, she said. She has been sober for close to a year and a half. Susie is the success story we hope to see with all of our patients, said Johnson. She continued to push through things that were hard for her because she trusted in the team and that her efforts would have a positive outcome which they have. Photo: The Canadian Press Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) demonstrate outside the Treasury Board building in Ottawa on Friday, March 31, 2023. Union leaders are criticizing what they view as a shocking double standard after Ottawa Police ticketed a striking public servant for honking at a picket line and city bylaw officers have repeatedly fined another picketer for an unauthorized hot-dog stand outside the Prime Ministers Office. Police and bylaw officers were denounced by many downtown residents for failing to properly respond to last years trucker convoy protests, where anti-lockdown protesters blocked traffic in the area for weeks with illegally parked trucks and engaged in incessant honking. Yet it was honking in support of her colleagues at a picket line near Treasury Board President Mona Fortiers constituency office in Ottawas Vanier neighbourhood that led Ottawa police to fine one government worker last Friday. Im actually quite shocked, said Public Service Alliance of Canada national executive vice-president Sharon DeSousa in an interview. With the juxtaposition of what weve seen when the convoy movement was in here, Im just appalled that this would even happen. Ms. DeSousa said honking is a common way of showing support at picket lines and the union is considering legal options to defend its member, who was pulled over by police. The union is also looking into how it can support Jean-Paul Surette, a striking Correctional Service Canada employee who has been fined by bylaw officers for serving hot dogs to his union colleagues on Wellington Street. Federal workers union leader calls on Trudeau to get directly involved in negotiations O'Connell: Think government is inefficient? That is exactly why we need to pay civil servants more That is the same street that was at the heart of the trucker convoy protests, where cooking, concerts, dancing, hot tubs and bouncy castles were common amid the honking transport trucks. The strike affecting more than 155,000 federal public servants entered its tenth day Friday. The two sides are primarily at odds over pay and the terms of future work-from-home arrangements. Ms. DeSousa said talks have resumed and bargaining is expected to continue into the weekend. The union released an update Friday afternoon saying it had received a new offer from the government. A Treasury Board spokesperson described the offer as comprehensive, but declined further comment. The worker who received the ticket for honking spoke to The Globe and Mail Friday. The Globe has not identified her because she was concerned that she would face harassment. She said she drove past the picket line early that afternoon on her way to find a parking spot and honked about five or six times, for a total of about 10 seconds. She said she was later pulled over by an unmarked police vehicle and received a $110 ticket. She said a large number of other vehicles honked in support of the striking workers as they drove by throughout the day and were not ticketed. She intends to contest the fine. A spokesperson for the Ottawa Police confirmed that a ticket was issued on April 21 for excessive noise under the Highway Traffic Act. The police said officers responded to complaints from local businesses related to excessive honking. Roger Chapman, the citys director of bylaw and regulatory services, said in a statement that the bylaw team respects the right to protest, demonstrate and strike and does not issue tickets to individuals as a result of protesting, but rather for failing to follow officer direction and contravening municipal regulations. After receiving three tickets from bylaw officers Thursday, Mr. Surette was back on Wellington Street serving hot dogs to a long line of picketing public servants on a sunny Friday afternoon. If theyre hungry, Im going to feed them, but I guess, you know, bylaw has other thoughts, he told The Globe. The tickets Mr. Surette received said he was encumbering a highway [sidewalk]. I was a little disappointed, but I get theyre just doing their job, so I dont hold a grudge, Mr. Surette said. The City of Ottawa and the federal government are currently at odds over the future of Wellington Street, which had been closed to traffic since the convoy. The city reopened the street to traffic on Friday, over objections from some federal politicians who want the street permanently closed for security reasons. Mr. Surette said PSAC not only told him to keep coming out, but to not worry about the tickets hes been given. He said the union believes the tickets are a mistake and intends on taking the issue to court. WASHINGTON Heres a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week. Along with the weeks roll call votes, the Senate also passed: the Justice for Jana Elementary Act (S. 418), to provide financial assistance to schools impacted by radioactive contaminants; and a resolution (S. Res. 175), recognizing the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea. HOUSE VOTES House Vote 1 Relations with China: The House has passed a resolution (H. Res. 90), sponsored by Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, to demand that Chinas government immediately release from prison Mark Swidan, a U.S. citizen whom China sentenced to death in 2012 after being convicted of drug trafficking charges. Cloud said Swidan has been severely mistreated while in prison, and that no drugs were ever found on Swidan or in his hotel room, and the prosecution did not produce any evidence tying him to the drugs. The vote, on April 25, was unanimous with 418 yeas. Yeas: Pocan D-WI (2nd), Gallagher R-WI (8th), Moore (WI) D-WI (4th), Grothman R-WI (6th), Steil R-WI (1st), Fitzgerald R-WI (5th), Tiffany R-WI (7th), Van Orden R-WI (3rd) House Vote 2 Middle East diplomacy: The House has passed a resolution (H. Res. 311), sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., to encourage Middle East countries to join the Abraham Accords for improving relations between Israel and neighboring countries. Wagner said: Israel is a force for peace and a beacon of democracy in a challenging region. At a time of heightened anti-Semitism across the globe, it is more important than ever that we maintain our strong connection to this very key ally. The vote, on April 25, was 401 yeas to 19 nays. Nays: Pocan D-WI (2nd) Yeas: Gallagher R-WI (8th), Moore (WI) D-WI (4th), Grothman R-WI (6th), Steil R-WI (1st), Fitzgerald R-WI (5th), Tiffany R-WI (7th), Van Orden R-WI (3rd) House Vote 3 Emergency telecommunications: The House has passed the Advanced, Local Emergency Response Telecommunications Parity Act (H.R. 1353), sponsored by Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio. The bill would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take measures to improve emergency communications services, such as 9-1-1 calls, in areas of the country that lack adequate services. Johnson said the bill would help ensure everyone has access to critical lifesaving emergency services regardless of where they live or travel. The vote, on April 26, was 422 yeas to 1 nay. Yeas: Pocan D-WI (2nd), Gallagher R-WI (8th), Moore (WI) D-WI (4th), Grothman R-WI (6th), Steil R-WI (1st), Fitzgerald R-WI (5th), Tiffany R-WI (7th), Van Orden R-WI (3rd) House Vote 4 Budget changes: The House has passed the Limit, Save, Grow Act (H.R. 2811), sponsored by Rep. Jodey C. Arrington, R-Texas. The bill would suspend the federal debt limit until spring 2024 and make numerous spending and policy changes, including rescinding unobligated funding for Covid and Internal Revenue Service programs, establishing work requirements for Medicaid and food stamp programs, and reducing subsidies for electric vehicles and energy efficiency and renewable energy. Arrington called the bills $4.8-trillion spending cut an important first step to getting our fiscal house in order and a good faith effort to bring the president to the negotiating table for budget talks. An opponent, Rep. Brendan F. Boyle, D-Pa., said the bill made risky cuts to public safety, health, and food programs, and represented reckless brinkmanship by raising doubts about whether the U.S. will pay its debt obligations. The vote, on April 26, was 217 yeas to 215 nays. Nays: Pocan D-WI (2nd), Moore (WI) D-WI (4th) Yeas: Gallagher R-WI (8th), Grothman R-WI (6th), Steil R-WI (1st), Fitzgerald R-WI (5th), Tiffany R-WI (7th), Van Orden R-WI (3rd) House Vote 5 FCC and precision agriculture: The House has passed the Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act (H.R. 1339), sponsored by Rep. Robert E. Latta, R-Ohio, to require the Federal Communications Commission to evaluate potential changes to its rules governing the use of satellites to enable precision agriculture practices. Latta said of the benefit of such changes: Farmers use information in real time to make smarter decisions on how to optimize inputs and whether and when to plant or harvest. When terrestrial or cellular networks are not available, satellite broadband steps in to make these technologies work. The vote, on April 26, was 409 yeas to 11 nays. Yeas: Pocan D-WI (2nd), Gallagher R-WI (8th), Moore (WI) D-WI (4th), Grothman R-WI (6th), Steil R-WI (1st), Fitzgerald R-WI (5th), Tiffany R-WI (7th), Van Orden R-WI (3rd) House Vote 6 Withdrawal from Somalia: The House has rejected a resolution (H. Con. Res. 30), sponsored by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., that would have ordered the removal of U.S. soldiers stationed in Somalia within 1 year. Gaetz said I have yet to see the evidence that U.S. troops are the essential element to fusing relationships among warring African warlords, clans, and tribes and succeed in stabilizing Somalia. An opponent, Rep. Richard McCormick, R-Ga., voiced concerns that if the U.S. military leaves Somalia, we will have an increase in terrorist activities and therefore an increased threat to U.S. security. The vote, on April 27, was 102 yeas to 321 nays. Yeas: Pocan D-WI (2nd), Tiffany R-WI (7th) Nays: Gallagher R-WI (8th), Moore (WI) D-WI (4th), Grothman R-WI (6th), Steil R-WI (1st), Fitzgerald R-WI (5th), Van Orden R-WI (3rd) SENATE VOTES Senate Vote 1 Veterans benefits: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Joshua David Jacobs to be the Veterans Affairs Departments Under Secretary for Benefits. Jacobs is currently a senior benefits management advisory official at the VA, and was in a similar role at the VA during the Obama administration. A supporter, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Jacobs experience at the VA shows his deep commitment to serving those who served our nation and why he is such a strong fit and trusted choice for this role. The vote, on April 26, was 74 yeas to 25 nays. Nays: Johnson R-WI Yeas: Baldwin D-WI Senate Vote 2 Regulating vehicle emissions: The Senate has passed a resolution (S.J. Res. 11), sponsored by Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., to disapprove of and void an Environmental Protection Agency rule limiting nitrogen oxide air emissions from heavy-duty engines. Fischer said: The technology required to meet this new rules standards will cost between approximately $2,500 and $8,500 per vehicle. This means that many truckers will choose to keep their old heavy-duty vehicles, which do have higher rates of emissions, instead of buying vehicles that are both affordable and more climate-conscious. A resolution opponent, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said: For the sake of clean air, for the sake of our environment, and for the sake of the health of all communities across the country, I urge you to oppose this repeal. The vote, on April 26, was 50 yeas to 49 nays. Yeas: Johnson R-WI Nays: Baldwin D-WI WASHINGTON She swaggered, she jabbed, she inspired. She even joked. Anyone looking for a glimpse of what Vice President Kamala Harris could bring to the campaign trail would have found it this week at Howard University, where she headlined a rally for reproductive rights. After two years of tightly scripted, uneven performances that often dismayed Democrats and cheered Republicans, Harris is looser, more forceful and more willing to speak off the cuff following her trip to Africa a month ago. "That is the vice president that America is going to get a chance to get to know for the first time," said Laphonza Butler, a former adviser to Harris who leads EMILY's List. Now Harris, the first woman and person of color in her position, will be put to the test as President Joe Biden seeks a second term. Although vice presidents are rarely decisive in reelection efforts, Harris is poised to be an exception. Not only is she leading the charge on Democrats' most potent issue, the battle over abortion rights, she's the running mate for the oldest president in history, increasing scrutiny over whether she's ready to step into the top job if necessary. It's an issue that Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, raised on Wednesday in an interview with Fox News. "If you vote for Joe Biden, you really are counting on a President Harris," Haley said. "Because the idea that he would make it until 86 years old" the age Biden would be at the end of a second term "is not something that I think is likely." Harris' mission until Election Day will be energizing the voters that Democrats most need specifically women, people of color and young people while sustaining what will likely be an unrelenting barrage of Republican attacks. "Vice presidential candidates, if they're going to make a difference, they're going to make it at the margin," said Joel Goldstein, a historian of the vice presidency. "But if you look at our recent history, a lot of our presidential elections have been decided at the margins." Harris' appearance at her alma mater Howard University on Tuesday night, the same day that Biden announced his reelection bid, was a first look of how she'll approach the campaign. Her focus on abortion echoed her message during the midterm elections, but was even more barbed than usual as she targeted "extremists" she accused of taking away people's rights. "Don't get in our way because if you do, we're going to stand up, we're going to organize and we're going to speak up and we're going to say we're not having that, we're not playing that!" Harris said. Addressing herself to "so-called leaders" who want to restrict abortion, Harris told them to "open your medicine cabinet in the privacy of your bathroom, in the privacy of your home. I wonder what's sitting up in there." The crowd roared with laughter. "You don't want me getting in your business, do you?" she said. Harris linked efforts to restrict abortion to Republican attempts to tighten rules for voting and limit what can be taught in schools. "Understand what's at play," she said. "You can't sleep on this." Cornell Belcher, a Democratic pollster, said Harris is "probably better positioned to connect with, in an authentic way, that critical emerging cohort of the American electorate that we are absolutely positively dependent on to win a majority." Not everyone has felt that way, and she's faced chatter from the sidelines over whether Biden should replace her as vice president. She consistently polls worse than Biden, whose own numbers are underwater. In an AP-NORC poll conducted in January, 43% of U.S. adults had a favorable opinion of Biden, and 36% said the same about Harris. Among Democrats, Biden was at 78% and Harris was at 67%, while 10% said they didn't know enough about Harris to have an opinion. However, Harris featured prominently in Biden's announcement video walking alongside the president, embracing first lady Jill Biden, taking a selfie with a supporter and more. Biden's campaign website is topped by the names "Biden Harris," and a pop-up fundraising solicitation includes a picture of the two leaders smiling together. Biden's Twitter account shared the same photo on Tuesday night, adding the caption "in this together." "I was really put off by all the prognostication about whether she was a drag on the ticket," said Mini Timmaraju, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. "She's the biggest asset." Harris' portfolio as vice president changed with last year's Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that legalized abortion nationwide. Although she had previously been assigned thorny issues with little political upside, such as stemming migration from Central America, Harris swiftly embraced a new role as the administration's most ardent defender of reproductive rights. When a copy of the decision was leaked, Harris reviewed it with a small circle of aides in a West Wing office. "How dare they?" she kept repeating, according to a member of her staff at the time who requested anonymity to discuss the private conversation. The phrase was swiftly included in a previously scheduled speech that night. Outrage over abortion helped Democrats limit their losses in the midterm elections, and the party expects it to remain a focus for voters. "It's going to be a major mobilizing issue," said Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster who has worked with Biden. "Republicans keep doing things to keep the issue alive." Photos: Kamala Harris through the years EVERETT, Wa. Terrica Purvis squinted through goggles as her hands carefully guided a pipette full of indigo-tinted fluid into clear glass test tubes. It was the last chemistry lab of the winter quarter at Everett Community College. Purvis was working through the steps of what chemistry professor Valerie Mosser jokingly refers to as the "post-apocalypse survival" lab an experiment using boiled red cabbage water to test the acidity of common household chemicals. Purvis, 27, is in her first year of study for an associate degree in nursing at Everett Community College. She is also one of more than 6,000 Washington community and technical college students enrolled in the state's Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program. Students who need extra help in subjects such as algebra struggle to learn if the content is taught in an abstract way, educators say. So I-BEST programs feature two teachers in the classroom: One provides job training and the other teaches basic skills in reading, math or English language. Nationally, two-year community colleges have the worst completion rates in higher education, with only slightly more than 40% earning degrees within six years. In Washington state, students in the program graduate at a higher rate. Among students who started college from 2015 to 2018, an average of 52% enrolled in I-BEST classes earned a degree or certificate within four years. That compares with 38% of students who did so while enrolled in traditional adult basic education coursework, according to the state Board for Community and Technical Colleges. The program is so successful that 12 states have begun implementing an I-BEST model at one or more education institutions. For Purvis, who hadn't been in school for nearly a decade, this class meant getting extra math help when she needed it: during a chemistry class. Each time Mosser gave a lecture or held a lab, she was joined by Candace Ronhaar, who works as a tutor and extra math instructor. In one session, Ronhaar drew a heart on the whiteboard. She wrote the word "mole" beside it, and explained it is a unit of measurement equivalent to the amount of atoms in 12 grams of carbon-12. She guided students through practice problems, calculating the mass of chemical compounds. All six students in Chemistry 121 were also taking an entry-level statistics class, and Ronhaar was co-instructor for both courses. Mosser said Ronhaar's presence was the most valuable part of the I-BEST model. "I'm an assessment instructor," Mosser said. "She's just a helping instructor. In the minds of students, the difference is incalculable. They have a different relationship with her. They're more willing to go to her, because she doesn't grade them." Purvis said chemistry was the first class that ever "humbled" her. She doesn't think she would have passed without I-BEST. Students fresh out of high school had an easier time remembering chemistry and math, Purvis said, but she hadn't studied those subjects for 10 years. "They couldn't have picked a better second instructor," Purvis said of Ronhaar. "I loved it. We went to her office hours all the time." After high school, Purvis spent six years as a cook in the Navy, and took classes at a couple other colleges. Last year, she was medically discharged and returned to school at Everett Community College full-time. She plans to go on to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and hopes to work in labor and delivery at a hospital. Helping more students graduate from nursing school has a larger societal benefit. In the first year of the pandemic, from 2020 to 2021, the number of working registered nurses in the United States decreased by more than 100,000 the highest drop in four decades. An estimated 200,000 jobs for registered nurses are expected to open each year in the U.S. through 2031, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in 2021. I-BEST was launched as a state pilot program almost 20 years ago as data suggested students needed vocational training to improve job prospects. The program was to change the remediation model in most community colleges, where students who don't do well on placement tests must take pre-college classes in their weak subject essentially a repeat of high school. I-BEST enrollment in the state has increased by more than 20% in the past five years, bringing in a diverse group of students. Forty-six percent of its students are students of color, 55% are women and 39% have dependents. At Bellevue College, I-BEST students enrolled in Business 101 meet with instructor Eric Nacke for an adult basic education class on a separate day. Nacke teaches English in the context of the business world. Student Forouzan Barfibafeghi moved from Iran to the U.S. in 2020. She holds a bachelor's degree in business from Islamic Azad University in Tehran, where she graduated in 1999. She said Nacke's classes helped her develop her English skills and given her a sense of community. "We have created a strong bond between us. That is one of the highlights for me," said Barfibafeghi, who hopes to find work in the insurance industry after completing an associate degree in business. 100 best community colleges in America Intro #100. Kansas City Kansas Community College #99. Harper College #98. Central Wyoming College #97. Oakton Community College #96. San Diego Mesa College #95. CUNY Kingsborough Community College #94. Manchester Community College - New Hampshire #93. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College #92. Redlands Community College #91. College of Lake County #90. Glendale Community College - California #89. Lewis & Clark Community College #88. 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Ogeechee Technical College #56. Florida Gateway College #55. Sandhills Community College #54. Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Nashville #53. Lincoln Land Community College #52. Moorpark College #51. Santa Monica College #50. Wayne Community College #49. Elgin Community College #48. Texas State Technical College #47. Santiago Canyon College #46. MiraCosta College #45. Western Suffolk BOCES #44. Minnesota State Community and Technical College #43. North Dakota State College of Science #42. Southwest Wisconsin Technical College #41. Southwestern Community College - North Carolina #40. Canada College #39. Southwest Mississippi Community College #38. Santa Rosa Junior College #37. Ohlone College #36. Holmes Community College #35. Cuesta College #34. University of South Carolina - Lancaster #33. Western Iowa Tech Community College #32. Nicolet Area Technical College #31. Roxbury Community College #30. Pasadena City College #29. College of San Mateo #28. Alexandria Technical & Community College #27. Mt. San Antonio College #26. Southern Regional Technical College #25. Brazosport College #24. Wallace Community College - Dothan #23. Waukesha County Technical College #22. Allan Hancock College #21. City College of San Francisco #20. Lake Tahoe Community College #19. North Florida College #18. Western Technical College - Wisconsin #17. Renton Technical College #16. New Mexico Military Institute #15. Mitchell Technical College #14. Lake Area Technical College #13. Lakeshore Technical College #12. Bellingham Technical College #11. Collins Career Technical Center #10. The Ohio State University - Agricultural Technical Institute #9. Craven Community College #8. Atlantic Technical College #7. Southeast Technical College #6. Las Positas College #5. Santa Barbara City College #4. Moraine Park Technical College #3. Fox Valley Technical College #2. Northwood Technical College #1. Foothill College CAIRO Gunfire and heavy artillery fire persisted Saturday in parts of Sudans capital, Khartoum, residents said, despite the extension of a cease-fire between the countrys two top generals, whose battle for power has killed hundreds and sent thousands fleeing for their lives. With ordinary Sudanese caught in the crossfire, the civilian death toll jumped Saturday to 411 people, according to the Sudan Doctors Syndicate, which monitors casualties. In some areas in and around the capital, residents reported that shops were reopening and normalcy gradually returning as the scale of fighting dwindled after the shaky truce. In other areas, terrified residents reported explosions thundering around them and fighters ransacking houses. Now in its third week, the fighting wounded 2,023 civilians, the syndicate added, although the true toll is expected to be much higher. The Sudanese Health Ministry put the overall death toll, including fighters, at 528, with 4,500 wounded. In the city of Genena, the provincial capital of war-ravaged West Darfur, intensified violence has killed 89 people, the Doctors Syndicate said. Hundreds of Americans fleeing the fighting in Sudan reached the countrys port Saturday in the first U.S.-run evacuation, completing a dangerous land journey under escort of armed drones. American unmanned aircraft, which have been keeping an eye on overland evacuation routes for days, provided armed overwatch for a bus convoy carrying 200 to 300 Americans over 500 miles to Port Sudan, a place of relative safety, U.S. officials said. The U.S., which had no officials on the ground for the evacuation, was criticized by families of Americans trapped in Sudan for initially ruling out any U.S.-run evacuation for those among the estimated 16,000 U.S. citizens who wish to leave the east African nation. U.S. special operations troops flew to Khartoum on April 22 to airlift staffers at the U.S. Embassy and other American government personnel. More than a dozen other nations carried out evacuations for their citizens, using a mix of military planes, navy vessels and on-the-ground personnel. Khartoum, a city of some 5 million people, has been transformed into a front line in the grinding conflict between Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the commander of Sudans military, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. The outbreak of violence dashed once-euphoric hopes for a democratic transition in Sudan after a popular uprising helped oust former dictator Omar al-Bashir. Other countries continued to evacuate their citizens while hundreds of thousands of Sudanese fled across borders. Britain was ending its evacuation flights Saturday, after demand for spots on the planes declined. The United Arab Emirates announced Saturday it started evacuating its own citizens along with nationals of 16 other countries. Over 50,000 Sudanese refugees mostly women and children crossed over to Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, the United Nations said, raising fears of regional instability. Ethnic fighting and turmoil scarred South Sudan and the Central African Republic for years while a 2021 coup derailed Chads own democratic transition. Those who escape the fighting in Khartoum face more dangers on their way to safety. The route to Port Sudan, where ships evacuate people via the Red Sea, has proven long, exhausting and risky. Hatim el-Madani, a former journalist, said paramilitary fighters were stopping refugees at roadblocks, demanding they hand over their phones and valuables. "There's an outlaw, bandit-like nature to the RSF," he said, referring to Dagalo's Rapid Support Forces. "They don't have a supply line in place. That could get worse in the coming days." Airlifts from the country amid the chaotic fighting also posed challenges, with a Turkish evacuation plane even hit by gunfire outside Khartoum on Friday. On Saturday despite a cease-fire extended under heavy international pressure early Friday clashes continued around the presidential palace, headquarters of the state broadcaster and a military base in Khartoum, residents said. The battles sent thick columns of black smoke billowing over the city skyline. In other areas, residents reported signs that the cease-fire had taken hold. "We are not hearing the bombs as we did before, so we're hoping that this means they will go back to a political process," said Osman Mirgany, a columnist and editor of the daily al-Tayar, who assessed it was safe enough Friday to return home to Khartoum after seeking refuge in a far-flung village. Khartoum residents are forced to live side by side with armed fighters. Many RSF militants moved into civilian homes and took over stores and hospitals in the capital. The paramilitary group transformed Mirgany's newsroom into a makeshift base, he said. Residents also must cope without sufficient electricity and running water, among other basic supplies. "For the past 14 days we've suffered from a lack of everything," Mirgany said. Residents in the city of Omdurman, west of Khartoum, have been waiting at least three days to get fuel complicating their escape plans. The U.N. relief coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said that U.N. offices in Khartoum, as well as the cities of Genena and Nyala in Darfur had been attacked and looted. Genena's main hospital was leveled in the fighting, Sudan's health ministry said. "This is unacceptable and prohibited under international law," Griffiths said. Photos: Sudan battles intensify Lake Geneva elected officials have officially been sworn into their positions. Aldermen-elect Shari Straube, Linda Frame, Peg Esposito and Ken Howell were sworn in by City Clerk Lana Kropf during the Lake Geneva City Council re-organizational meeting, April 18. The four aldermen were elected to their positions during the April 4 spring election. Frame defeated incumbent John Halverson to become the new District 2 alderman for the City of Lake Geneva. She received 311 votes, and Halverson received 245 votes. This will be the first time that Frame will serve as a Lake Geneva aldermen. She previously worked as the city's harbormaster from 2019 to 2020. Halverson was first elected alderman in 2017 after defeating then incumbent Ted Horne. He ran unopposed during the 2019 election and defeated challenger Ann Esarco during the 2021 election. Esposito defeated incumbent Richard Hedlund to become the new District 3 alderman. She received 372 votes, while Hedlund obtained 230 votes. The race was a political rematch from the 2021 spring election, in which Hedlund won by three votes. This will be the first time that Esposito will serve as a city alderman. She has been a member of the Lake Geneva Board of Park Commissioners and has been involved with the Friends of Hillmoor Group. Hedlund had served as a city alderman for about nine years. He was appointed to the city council in 2014 to fill out a term left vacant by Sturges Taggart who passed away that September. He ran unopposed during the 2015, 2017 and 2019 spring elections before being challenged by Esposito in 2021. Incumbents Straube, District 1, and Howell, District 4, ran unopposed during the spring election. Municipal Judge Henry Sibbing also was sworn in during the April 18 re-organizational meeting. Sibbing was re-elected municipal judge by defeating challenger Paul Karkula. He obtained 1,407 votes, while Karkula received 589 votes. Sibbing was first elected municipal judge in 1997. He previously served as Lake Geneva's city attorney from 1980 to 1996. Mayor Charlene Klein congratulated the aldermen and Sibbing for being elected to their positions. "Congratulations to all our newly-elected officials and Judge Sibbing," Klein said. "I'm looking forward to a very productive next year. We got a lot on our plate, and I'm looking forward to it." New president and new vice-president selected Also during the meeting, Alderwoman Mary Jo Fesenmaier was selected as the new president for the city council. She was nominated by Frame. Howell was nominated by Straube for council president. Fesenmaier received four votes, and Howell received three votes among the council members with Fesenmaier elected president. Alderwoman Cindy Yager was selected vice-president for the city council. She was nominated by Fesenmaier. Straube was nominated by Alderwoman Joan Yunker for vice-president. Yager received four votes, and Straube received three votes among the aldermen with Yager being elected vice-president. Photo: The Canadian Press Protesters hold banners with a photograph of Myles Gray, who died following a confrontation with several police officers in 2015, before the start of a coroner's inquest into his death, in Burnaby, B.C., on Monday, April 17, 2023. The coroner presiding over the inquest says he won't allow the jury to see a photograph showing injuries at the time the 33-year-old died, because the application was made too late in the process. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck The jury in the British Columbia coroner's inquest into the death of Myles Gray nearly eight years ago won't be allowed to see a photo showing the man's injuries because the application was made too late, the coroner ruled Friday. Larry Marzinzik said his view on admitting the photo would have been "very different" had the lawyer for Gray's family, Ian Donaldson, brought it up earlier. Gray died in August 2015 after a beating by police that left him with injuries including ruptured testicles and fractures in his eye socket, nose, voice box and rib. Marzinzik agreed with Donaldson that the photo would most likely have added value for the jury at the proper time, but not as the inquest was coming to a close. There was no application for photos to be admitted before testimony from officers involved in the struggle to restrain Gray or first responders who tried to revive him. Marzinzik heard arguments from Donaldson, as well as Crown counsel and lawyers for Vancouver police, who opposed the admission of the photo, before deciding there was no longer an opportunity for witnesses to provide context for the jury. He said evidence of Gray's injuries have been well-documented for the jury through other materials and testimony. Before outlining his decision not to allow the photo, Marzinzik told the inquest he was "torn between complete transparency and proper procedure." Speaking to media on Friday, Gray's mother, Margie Gray, said the photo Donaldson wanted to show the jury was taken in the backyard where her son died. She said procedure won over transparency in the coroner's decision, and suggested witnesses could have been called back to provide context for the photo. Of the 14 Vancouver police officers who testified at the inquest, most said they didn't notice signs of injury besides redness on Gray's face and some bruising. Several firefighters and paramedics told a different story, including one who said the bruising was so severe he initially thought Gray was not a white man. Dr. Matthew Orde, the forensic pathologist who performed an autopsy on Gray, testified Thursday that a "perfect storm" of factors led to his death, including his extreme physical exertion and the actions of police to restrain him. "What we can say with some degree of certainty ... is I don't think he would have died when he did had it not been for the police interaction on that day," Orde said. The inquest heard Friday from a retired B.C. police officer turned trainer, Mike Massine, who testified as an expert in the use of force. Critical incident and de-escalation training came into effect in B.C. in 2015, the year Gray died, although training has generally improved since then, he said. Officers are taught to recognize signs of so-called "excited delirium" and they are told getting medical treatment for that person takes priority over any criminality, he said. But Massine said getting the person to a hospital requires physical restraint. Several of the officers involved in the struggle to restrain Gray told the inquest they believed he was experiencing excited delirium, saying he was sweating profusely, yelling nonsensically, and he seemed to have "superhuman strength." However, Orde told the inquest this week that "acute behavioural disturbance" is a better term to describe what Gray was experiencing on the day he died. On occasion, it was thought "so-called excited delirium syndrome" could result independently in death, the pathologist said. "But I think critical analysis of the published data suggests that's probably quite unlikely," Orde testified. "I'm not persuaded that there's any good evidence that excited delirium syndrome can independently bring about death." Orde pointed to police actions including "neck compression," blunt-force blows, the use of pepper spray, holding Gray on his stomach and handcuffing him behind his back as complicating factors in his death. The inquest was expected to finish Friday after 10 days of testimony, but it was delayed over the debate about allowing the photo of Gray's injuries. Supt. Shelley Horne, head of personnel services for the Vancouver Police Department, is the last person set to testify before the end of the inquest. Helga Zepp-LaRouche Gives Pakistan TV Interview on Ukraine Crisis and Chinas Foreign Policy April 28, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)Schiller Institute founder and chairwoman Helga Zepp-LaRouche gave an interview to Pakistan TV Worlds Views on News broadcast on April 27, titled Ukraine Crisis & Chinas Foreign Policy. Anchor Jawad Tehami spoke with Mrs. Zepp-LaRouche and in the studio with Air Marshal Farhat Hussain Khan (ret.), president of the Center for Aerospace and Security Studies. Mrs. Zepp-LaRouche gave her analysis of the significance of the hour-long phone call between Chinas President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying: I think this is extremely important and urgent, given the fact that the world really is on the verge of a nuclear catastrophe. If theres any country which has the power and credibility to mediate this conflict, it is China. First of all, China proven in the past, absolutely, that it is impartial. It was able, as you just mentioned, to get the governments of Iran and Saudi Arabia to the negotiation table.... I personally think that President Zelenskyy is happy that President Xi Jinping has reached out to Ukraine in the way he did, because the Ukrainian people are the worst victims of this proxy war between the West and Russia, and theyre being slaughtered.... Moreover, she assessed that the economic-financial crisis in the West is making it less attractive as a partner to Ukraine. But the West is not so attractive right now, because if you look at the banking crisis, the United States, only six weeks after the first, Silicon Valley Bank went bankrupt, and you have a new banking crisis erupting. The UBS took over the Credit Suisse, but that is not going smoothly. So the West has severe economic problems, she spelled out. Whereas, by contrast, should the Belt and Road Initiative be extended as a Eurasian perspective, Ukraine would be in a completely different position, and could become a bridge between Europe and the rest of Asia. Responding to Tehamis question about how great a threat of nuclear war over Ukraine might be, Mrs. Zepp-LaRouche emphasized: Scott Ritter: Ukraine Victory Resolution a Delusional Suicide Pact April 28, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)In his column for Sputnik International, former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter makes the obvious and important point that the Ukraine Victory Resolution put forward in Congress earlier this week will lead to nuclear war, or at best, the end of Ukraine as a state. The resolution was co-sponsored on April 25 by Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) in the House of Representatives, and by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), along with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), in the Senate. These members of Congress are a part of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, which Ritter describes as a bureaucratic relic of the Cold War. Founded in 1975 as The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), the U.S. Helsinki Commission monitors and deals with compliance issues for the Helsinki Final Act and other Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) commitments. In a statement issued for their Ukraine Victory Resolution, these members of the U.S. Helsinki Commission affirm that it is the policy of the United States to see Ukraine victorious against the Russian invasion, holds that the peace brought by victory must be secured by integrating Ukraine into NATO, and declares that the United States must work with its allies and partners to secure reparations, reconstruction, justice for Russian war crimes, and accountability for Russian leaders. The text of the draft resolution affirms that it is the policy of the United States to see Ukraine victorious against the invasion and restored to its internationally recognized 1991 borders. Ritter notes the shameless fact that the Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova was the person chosen to make the official announcement regarding the presentation of the Ukraine Victory Resolution to the House of Representatives. In his column, Ritter makes the point that Ukraine is losing the war, and that dragging it out would only confirm the point that former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has notedif the crisis does not reach a negotiated end, Ukraine itself may cease to exist as a sovereign entity. Ritter then notes that the irony of a piece of U.S. legislation purporting to defend Ukrainian sovereignty serving as the foundation of the death of Ukraine as a nation seems to have escaped the sponsors of the resolution. However, Ritter then makes the stark point that continuing the escalation in Ukraine can lead to nuclear war, and that the Russians are not bluffing when they say that nuclear weapons can be used when Russias existence as a state is threatened. He then cites the April 25 statement by Dmitry Medvedev who said in reference to his responsibility as President of Russia in using nuclear weapons, you must be prepared that your hand will not tremble in a certain situation to use it, no matter how monstrous and cruel it sounds. For those who would counter Ritters arguments as alarmist, it should be remembered that U.S. Helsinki Commission member Roger Wicker (R-MS) said on Dec. 7, 2021, that for the United States, Military action could mean that we stand off with our ships in the Black Sea and that we rain destruction on Russian military capabilities.... We dont rule out first-use nuclear action. We dont think itll happen. But there are certain things in negotiations if youre going to be tough that you dont take off the table. Ritter ends his column: After Xi-Zelenskyy Talk, Brits Instruct Ukrainians, CCD Instructs Ukraines Diplomats: Stand Firm for War April 28, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)The U.S.-funded and -advised information warfare unit of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council, the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), (in Ukrainian) issued instructions to Ukraines diplomats on April 27, one day after Wednesdays hour-long talk between Chinas President Xi Jinping and Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. CCDs message was that diplomats should continue to engage with China, but Ukraines position must remain the same: No negotiations until Russian troops are out, and peace requires Ukraine in NATO and within its 1991 borders, including Crimea and the Donbass. The National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) and its CCD are controlled by the neo-Nazi war-party in Kiev. The same day that the CCD issued instructions to Ukraines diplomats, the British masters of the Kiev war-party were at the NSDC delivering their instructions. A delegation organized by the Slovakian-based Atlanticist thinktank, GLOBSEC met with NSDC director Oleksiy Danilov to discuss global cooperation and unity for a common victory, which Danilov defined as the final resolution of the issue of Russia, according to the NSDCs report. Among the GLOBSEC delegation of 11 were former British MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove; Tobias Ellwood, the rabid neocon who heads the House of Commons Defense Select Committee; former NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Sir Richard Shirreff, who authored the novel 2017: War with Russia and is an honorary freeman of the City of London; former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, former president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs Ivo Hans Daalder; and former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO Policy Ian Joseph Brzezinski, the son of Breakup Russia strategist and Carter National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, amongst others. Not surprisingly, the CCD viewed Xis call with Zelenskyy as likely the result of Putins agreement with Xi to prevent the start of an active phase of the Ukrainian counteroffensive and to impose negotiations to freeze the existing balance of power at the front. Therefore, Ukraine should continue contact with China, but the timing of the potential negotiation process will be determined by the success of the upcoming Ukrainian counteroffensive and the final depletion of Russian troops, which will create the leverage Ukraine needs from a position of strength. At that point, the CCD suggests, France and China could become the main mediators in determining the conditions for ending the war. The CCD cautioned that Chinas intentions should not be overestimated and immediate positive results should not be expected, and referred readers to its earlier response when China released its peace plan in February. The CCD protested then, that China did not hold Russia responsible for the war; the clause on preventing the mentality of the Cold War ... directly contradicts Ukrainian interests, because it prohibits Ukraine from joining NATO; the clauses on ceasefire and resumption of negotiations are also inappropriate; and Chinas proposal to end unilateral sanctions is only beneficial to Russia. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SATURDAY APRIL 29, 2023 People First!: A Promethean Solution to Thermonuclear War April 28, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)The decomposing hand of the still-undead Dirty Bertie Bertrand Russell (1872-1968) seems to have authored Wednesdays London Economists call for thermonuclear war with Russia. Ukraine is right. The arguments for denying it F-16s are becoming steadily more threadbare. At the start of the war, Ukraine had about 125 elderly combat-capable aircraft, of which a little over half were air-superiority fighters. At least 40% of them have since been lost.... If flying in Ukraines airspace becomes less dangerous, Russia could establish air superiorityfirst over Donbas and then other areas. The chances of Ukrainian land forces retaking territory could evaporate.... As to the self-deterring fear of escalation, fighter jets for Ukraine would send a message to Vladimir Putin about the Wests long-term commitment. He might respond with possibly deniable physical sabotage or cyber-attacks, but few observers think that deploying F-16s would prompt the Kremlin to start World War III. Really? The British deftly leave out the small qualifier, that in order for anyone in the world to transfer F-16s to Ukraine, they must receive permission from the United States. Thus, the Brits are proposing to commit the U.S. policy to a military line of action that must cause a direct confrontation with Russia. As to the matter of Russian air superiority, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov announced April 24 that Russian aviation has gained air superiority over the entire territory of Ukraine. Whether one agrees with that assessment or not, it is clear that American pilots, and/or NATO pilots would find themselves manning the aircraft, since it is impossible to train pilots dealing with completely different aircraft adequately in a matter of weeks, and NATO personnel would also be involved in maintaining the aircraft. World War Three is precisely what The Economist is proposing. On the matter of World War Three, Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian Prime Minister (2012-2020) former Russian President (2008-2012) and Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia (2020-present), speaking to an audience on April 25 at a meeting of the Scientific and Production Machine Building Association, responded to a questioner: you said that Russia would never use nuclear weapons firstbut its not exactly the case.... There are truly a lot of things wrong with our world.... Our enemies understand only the use-of-force language and do not want to hear or understand anything else except it.... All these speculations about how the Russians will never do this or the other way roundThe Russians keep scaring us with the use of nuclear weaponsare worthless. The Western analysts and Western commandersboth military and political leadersshould simply assess our rules and our intentions. But what if the Anglosphere has incompetents for leaders? A new bill, the Ukraine Victory Revolution, was introduced into the Congress this week, which proclaimed that it is the policy of the United States to see Ukraine victorious against the Russian invasion, holds that the peace brought by victory must be secured by integrating Ukraine into NATO, and declares that the United States must work with its allies and partners to secure reparations, reconstruction, justice for Russian war crimes, and accountability for Russian leaders. Former IAEA weapons inspector Scott Ritter observed that the irony of a piece of U.S. legislation purporting to defend Ukrainian sovereignty serving as the foundation of the death of Ukraine as a nation seems to have escaped the sponsors of the resolution. Dirty Bertie Russell, in a March 1959 interview with John Freeman, was asked about some of his earlier 1940s statements regarding preventive nuclear war (such as his September 1945 There is one thing, and one thing only, which could save the world, and that is that America should make war on Russia during the next two years, and establish a world empire, by means of the atomic bomb.) Russell made it clear to the interviewer that you cant threaten (nuclear war) unless youre prepared to have your bluff called. Medvedev, in his April 25 remarks, said of the British: The situation in the United Kingdom does not give reason for optimism. Particularly when there is, simply to say, a freak show in power. Just look at their latest three prime ministers [Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.] The United States leadership group is not much better. The actual driving force underlying what is now continuous war, is the collapse of the trans-Atlantic monetary system, and its inevitable bankruptcy. This species-destructive cause may, however, yet prove to be the very means to turn off the infernal war machine. As Pam and Russ Martens of Wall Street On Parade point out, since March 15the Ides of March when the Wall Street Journal reported that JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo have lost about $91 billion in market value over the past week, there has been, for the past month and a half, an elaborate, but losing financial game being played. The biggest Wall Street banks, in an effort to prop up the then-already-reeling First Republic Bank, mobilized 11 banks to give First Republic an uninsured fund of $30 billion on March 16. Now since bankers are not known for their altruism, why was this done? The worry from JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo Bank of America and others, was that the $247 trillion derivatives marketof which, over half is owned by the aforementioned four bankswould suddenly be exposed to the world for the worthless fraud that it is, and governments might choose to take action to protect their populations, including by a worldwide imposition of Glass-Steagall on an emergency basis. This, the orderly dismantling of the largest speculative cancer in world history, the City of London views as a casus belli, especially since, in their twisted world, China and Russia, India and Brazil might insist that war take a back seat to securing the welfare of their, and the worlds populations; even more horrific for London, such a policy might become the policy of the United States and other nations of the trans-Atlantic sector. War would no longer be accepted as the primary organizing and mobilizing principle for society by the populations victimized by it, either by death, or by taxation. The LaRouche paper, On a Basket of Hard Commodities: Trade Without Currency; the Ten Principles for a New International Strategic and Development Architecture of Helga Zepp-LaRouche; the LaRouche pamphlet, The Coming U.S. Economic Miracle on the New Silk Road; the expose of the plot to dismantle Russia, and of the International Assassination Bureau, are the heartbeat of a new trans-Atlantic resistance. This international movement, based on the solidarity of the citizens of each nation for the benefit of the other, will allow citizens of every nation to either take back their governments, or to establish republics of principle for the first time. Knowing what is to be done, teaching what is to be done, and appropriating every public forum available to advocate what is to be done, is the only efficient exercise of freedom commensurate with, not only surviving the danger of this moment, but wielding this very dangerous moment as humanity first wielded the dangerous gift of fire, to power our way out of the present darkness to true economic and political freedom for all, and that for the first time in human history. VOA Learning English presents Americas Presidents. Today we are talking about a vice president. John Tyler was William Henry Harrisons partner on the ticket in the 1840 election; he was the Tyler of the campaign slogan Tippecanoe and Tyler, too. But only one month into his term as president, Harrison unexpectedly died. He was the first U.S. president to die in office. Today, Americans accept that when that happens, the vice president becomes the president. But in 1841, no one really knew what to do. So people turned to the Constitution. It said if the president is removed from office, or if he dies, resigns, or is not able to perform his duties, his power and responsibility is given to the vice president. But the meaning of those words was unclear. Did the vice president really become the president, or did the vice president just act like the president? The Constitution may not have been clear, but John Tyler was. He claimed that, after Harrisons death, he really was the president. Tyler made sure he was quickly sworn-in. He answered only to the title president. He even refused to open letters that were sent to Acting President Tyler. Eventually, Americans accepted John Tyler was the nations 10th president. But some Americans were not happy about that fact. During his presidency, all but one of Tylers cabinet advisors resigned, and members of his own party tried to impeach him. Early life Tyler was from the southern state of Virginia, home to five earlier U.S. presidents. Like many of the leaders before him, he was a lawyer from an upper class family who owned slaves. He strongly supported the power of the states against the federal government, expansion of slavery, and rule by a small, elite group. But the United States was starting to change. For example, President John Quincy Adams had proposed creating a national system of roads. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 limited slavery in new states in the northwest. And in the 1830s, many white men who did not own property earned the right to vote. In other words, the U.S. was becoming more national, abolitionist, and equal. Tyler resisted these changes. He fought against them as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a governor of Virginia, and a senator. His fight reached a crisis during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. The two men belonged to the same party, the Democratic Party. However, Tyler hated Jacksons populist policies and use of presidential powers against the states. In the middle of the 1830s, Tyler joined with several other political leaders to create a new, anti-Jackson party. They were called the Whigs. Presidency The new Whig party badly wanted to win the 1840 presidential election against Jacksons right hand man, Martin Van Buren. They proposed John Tyler as the partys vice presidential candidate because they hoped he would appeal to southern voters. The Whigs succeeded. Tyler and Harrison won the election. The new party expected that they would be able to achieve many of their policy goals. But then Harrison died, and Tyler unexpectedly became president. Tyler kept Harrisons cabinet of top advisers. But he did not accept their advice. Whig lawmakers presented bill after bill to Tyler, but he failed to support the measures. He believed they gave too much power to the federal government over the states. In anger, all but one of Tylers cabinet members resigned. Then Whig leaders officially declared that Tyler was no longer part of their group. The following year they even moved to impeach him. He became known as a president without a party. Tyler was able to achieve one major political act, however. Three days before he left office, he signed the law that made Texas a state. Perhaps wisely, Tyler withdrew from the next presidential election. He eventually withdrew even his support for the federal government. He became a leader in the movement for Southern secession. In other words, he believed the Southern states had the right to separate from the North and leave the Union. In time, the separation between the South and North would lead to the Civil War. Family Tyler was an unusual president. He took office in an unusual way, and he took the unusual step of vetoing legislative action proposed by his own party. His family life has other unusual details. Tyler was the first president to get married while in office. He was the president with the most children. And two of his grandchildren remained alive until well into the 21st century. In 1844, Tyler married Julia Gardiner. She was his second wife. His first wife, Letitia, had died two years earlier. John and Letitia Tyler had eight children together. Since Julia Gardiner Tyler was 24 years old -- 30 years younger than her new husband -- the two had plenty of time to have another seven children. And, because one of their sons had children in the 1920s, two of Tylers grandchildren are still alive as of early 2017. Legacy Tyler is not remembered as a good president. But he is remembered for establishing a precedent a way of doing something that other people have followed. The Tyler precedent permitted the peaceful of transfer of power from president to vice president in 1841. And it eased the transition after other presidents have died since then. In 1967, the Constitution was even changed to clarify what Tyler had claimed all along: when the president dies, the vice president becomes the new chief executive. Im Kelly Jean Kelly. Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story slogan - n. a word or phrase that is easy to remember and is used by a group or business to attract attention elite - n. the people who have the most wealth and status in a society abolitionist - n. a person who wants to stop or abolish slavery achieve - v. to get or reach (something) by working hard secession - n. the act of separating from a nation or state and becoming independent transfer - v. to give rights to another person executive - n. a person who manages or directs other people in a company or organization We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. Some American skateboarders are creating new moves by combining longboarding and dance. This version of the activity is already popular in southern California. It has also become popular in cities like Paris, France and Seoul, South Korea. Reporters from The Associated Press recently spoke with some skaters about the unusual activity. The AP described it as bringing together skating and dance -- with a little danger as well. Hannah Dooling told the AP she often joins friends in Santa Monica, near Los Angeles, where they enjoy longboard dancing and doing tricks. Longboards started out as a way for surfers to keep in shape when they were not in the water. They are longer than traditional skateboards. The added length can be more difficult to move with, but many skaters say they can be more graceful on a longboard. Today, skaters use longboards to make sidewalk turns and bomb hills. They also use them for longboard dancing. Dooling, who is 30 years old, showed off some of her moves during a recent night in an empty parking lot in Santa Monica. She was joined by her 33-year-old friend Yun Huang and Jane Kang and Christie Goodman. Kang and Goodman are both 29. Everyone in the group wore wide-leg pants and flat-bottomed shoes for riding. The friends get together most Saturday and Sunday afternoons if the weather is nice. The meetups are supported by the Dancing Foundation. The non-profit group started with assistance from American technology company Google. The organization was started by Achille Brighton, a 39-year-old software engineer. Longboard dance is still quite young. But Brighton told the AP it has already spread worldwide from southern California to Paris to Seoul. He said those places have public squares and a lot of open spaces where people can watch the skaters. You dont need skate parks. You just need roads," Brighton said. "And because you do it in public, youre out there, people see it. And theyre like, Oh, thats kind of cool. Dooling was one of the first to try longboard dancing. She learned to skate in the northwestern city of Seattle, Washington. Now, she works remotely for the technology company Amazon in Los Angeles. Dooling said she did not know anybody when she first moved to the area with her partner in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through skating, she said, she found a community. Huang, a native of Melbourne, Australia, started skating during the pandemic. Some days, her board and her dog were the only things that would get her outdoors and moving. We were all kind of depressed from COVID," she told the AP. "I tried meditation before. That didnt work for me, but I felt like I could really be in the zone with this. Brighton said he thinks one thing that ties together longboarding and longboard dancing is danger. You might miss a step; you might fall; you might get hurt, he said. And thats the exciting bit. Im Bryan Lynn. The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English. ___________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story graceful adj. moving in a smooth, relaxed and attractive way parking lot n. a place where vehicles can be parked remote n. far away depressed adj. very unhappy meditation n. an activity where people try to calm thoughts for a long period in order to relax in the zone idiom. to be happy or excited because you are doing something very skillfully and easily ______________________________________________________________________ What do you think of this story? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. ABORTION | SOUTH CAROLINA, NEBRASKA LINCOLN, Neb. Abortion bans in deeply conservative Nebraska and South Carolina both fell short of advancing in close legislative votes amid heated debates among Republicans, another sign abortion is becoming a difficult issue for the GOP. In Nebraska, where abortion is banned after 20 weeks of pregnancy, an effort to ban abortion after about the sixth week of pregnancy fell one vote short of breaking a filibuster. Cheers erupted outside the legislative chamber as the last vote was cast, with opponents of the bill waving signs and chanting, Whose house? Our house! In South Carolina, lawmakers voted 22-21 to shelve a similar near-total abortion ban for the rest of the year. Republican Sen. Sandy Senn criticized Majority Leader Shane Massey for repeatedly taking us off a cliff on abortion. "The only thing that we can do when you all, you men in the chamber, metaphorically keep slapping women by raising abortion again and again and again, is for us to slap you back with our words," she said. The Nebraska proposal, backed by Republican Gov. Jim Pillen, is unlikely to move forward this year. In South Carolina, where abortion remains legal through 22 weeks of pregnancy, the vote marked the third time a near-total abortion ban failed in the Republican-led Senate chamber since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last summer. The Nebraska bill failed Thursday when Republican Sen. Merv Riepe, an 80-year-old former hospital administrator, refused to give it the crucial 33rd vote needed to advance. Riepe was an original cosigner of the bill but later expressed concern that a six-week ban might not give women enough time to know they are pregnant. When his fellow Republicans rejected an amendment he offered to extend the proposed ban to 12 weeks and add an exception for fatal fetal anomalies, Riepe pointed to his own election last year against a Democrat who made abortion rights central to her campaign. His margin of victory dropped from 27 percentage points in the May primary election, which occurred before the fall of Roe, to under 5 percentage points in the general election. "Had my opponent had more time, more money, and more name recognition, she could have won. This made the message clear to me how critical abortion will be in 2024," he said. "We must embrace the future of reproductive rights." An AP Vote Cast nationwide survey of the 2022 electorate showed only about 1 in 10 midterm voters including Republicans believe abortion should be "illegal in all cases." Overall, a majority of voters said abortion should be legal in all or most cases. That includes nearly 9 in 10 Democrats and about 4 in 10 Republicans. An Associated Press NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll in July showed Republicans are largely opposed to abortion "for any reason" and at 15 weeks into a pregnancy. But only 16% of Republicans say abortion generally should be "illegal in all cases." Even so, Republican politicians who buck party leadership on abortion can find themselves targets of political retaliation. The backlash against Riepe was swift, with public reprimands from the governor and fellow Republican lawmakers. Anti-abortion groups demanded his immediate resignation. And the Nebraska Republican Party issued a statement warning that Riepe would be censured. Riepe did not return a message Friday seeking comment on the backlash. 'Grow a spine' Some of the South Carolina Republican holdouts shared last week that they received anatomical backbone figurines from an anti-abortion group urging them to "grow a spine" and pass a ban starting at conception. Massey, the South Carolina majority leader, showed his frustration after Thursday's vote in a debate that marked his last-ditch effort to break an impasse on the ban with just days left in the legislative session. The session began shortly after the South Carolina Supreme Court struck down a 2021 law banning abortion when cardiac activity is detected about six weeks into pregnancy. Massey issued a warning for the ban's fiercest Republican opponent after the vote. "The response to Sen. Senn will be in 2024," Massey told reporters Thursday, referring to elections next year. Elsewhere Fourteen states ban abortion at all stages of pregnancy. Four other states have bans throughout pregnancy where enforcement is blocked by courts. The majority of those bans were adopted in anticipation of Roe being overturned, and most do not have exceptions for rape or incest. In Utah, a judge on Friday heard a request from Planned Parenthood to delay implementing a statewide ban on abortion clinics set to take effect next week. Planned Parenthood argues a state law passed this year will effectively end access to abortion throughout the state when clinics stop being able to apply for the licenses they've historically relied on to operate. In North Dakota,Gov. Doug Burgum signed a ban Monday that has narrow exceptions: Abortion is legal in pregnancies caused by rape or incest, but only in the first six weeks of pregnancy. Abortion is allowed later in pregnancy only in specific medical emergencies. On FridayTennesseeRepublican Gov. Bill Lee signed off on softening the state's strict abortion ban after several high-profile Republican lawmakers warned that doctors and patients were facing steep risks under Tennessee's so-called trigger law, arguing that the statute did not include clear exemptions when a physician may provide abortion services. Photo: The Canadian Press PSAC workers walk the picket line out front of His Majesty's Canadian Dockyard in Esquimalt, B.C., on Friday, April 28, 2023. The federal government says an offer extended Friday to striking federal workers is final and describes it as fair and competitive. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito The federal government is describing the contract proposal extended on Friday to the union representing more than 100,000 striking public servants as its final offer. The Treasury Board issued a statement today saying the offer includes a better wage package and solutions to deal with priorities such as telework and seniority, but offered no further details. It describes Friday's proposal to the Public Service Alliance of Canada as a "fair, competitive and reasonable final offer" and says employees should have a chance to review it. The comments come as the strike affecting thousands of government and Canada Revenue Agency workers dragged into an eleventh day. Union members walked off the job on April 19 after failing to reach a deal with Ottawa. The union issued a statement on Friday confirming it had received the government's offer but declining further comment, saying only that it had resumed negotiations with the Treasury Board and hoped to continue talks over the weekend. STATEBUDGET | REPUBLICAN RESPONSE As expected, the state's GO Pled budget committee plans to strip hundreds of items from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' proposed two-year spending plan, including measures to create a paid family leave program, legalize recreational marijuana and increase funding for mental health providers in schools. An omnibus budget motion for the Joint Finance Committee's Tuesday meeting includes a list of more than 500 items that Republicans plan to remove from the governor's 2023-25 budget proposal. Lawmakers enter the budget process with a historic $7 billion projected state surplus, although much of that is in the form of one-time funds. The governor's $103.8 billion, two-year budget, which he unveiled in February,marks a nearly 19% increase over the roughly $87.3 billion budget that runs through the end of June. It would create more than 800 new fulltime positions, roughly 369 of which would be covered by state funds a proposal that Republican legislative leaders have called "ridiculous." Asked for comment, Evers' spokesperson Britt Cuda back referred to a tweet she posted Friday that said,"GO Phaveno real plans to address pressing challenges facing our state." Legislative Republicans have long signaled plans to handle Evers' proposal the same way they did in the last two budget sessions by stripping the measure down to its base and starting over from scratch. The Republican-controlled budget committee will soon begin rewriting the budget that will eventually be sent to Evers' desk for action sometime this summer. "Although the items on the list will not be included in the Committee's budget deliberations, some of them might be addressed in non-budget legislation and could require language in the budget to carryout the intent of those acts,"budget committee co-chairs Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, and Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, said in a memo to committee members. "The Committee will address those matters as necessary." Democrats on the committee blasted the GOP announcement in a joint statement issued Friday. "Republicans are once again choosing political retribution over people," the lawmakers said. "Gutting 545 provisionsan increase fromthe391stripped out in the last state budget on the first day of executive sessions from even being discussed is not healthy for democracy and it is not the way Wisconsinites want their government to operate." Paid leave One item Republicans plan to remove from Evers' budget is the governor's call for the creation of a paid family and medical leave program that would provide eligible public and private-sector workers with 12 weeks of paid leave beginning in 2025. The program, which would be launched using about $243 million in state funds, would become self-sustaining by 2026, as it would be funded through payroll contributions from employers and employees similar to the state's unemployment insurance program. Wisconsin's current family leave law provides two weeks of unpaid leave for an employee's serious health condition and two weeks for a serious health condition of a parent, child or spouse. It also offers six weeks of unpaid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. But employees are limited to taking off eight weeks total. To become eligible for those benefits, employees must have worked at their company for at least52consecutive weeks and worked 1,000hours in the previous year. Other targets The committee also plans to strip Evers' proposals to legalize recreational and medicinal marijuana. Assembly Republicans told The Associated Press that they plan to introduce a limited medical marijuana program this session. The committee is also scheduled to eliminate budget provisions authorizing $270 million to add more mental health workers to schools. Evers proposed increasing the number of mental health providers in schools after the state Office of Children's Mental Health found Wisconsin youth feeling increasingly sad and hopeless, though half of them received no treatment. Republicans for months have said Evers was unlikely to get as much spending on mental health as he proposed, though they have said they want to tackle the issue. They've introduced legislation to permit family therapists to work in schools, provide loan forgiveness for school psychologists and allow schools to bill for more services. Another Evers proposal that Republicans plan to remove from the budget is spending $290 million to repair the Milwaukee Brewers' stadium. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said Evers' plan was "dead" in March, though he added that Republicans plan to release their own proposal to extend the team's lease in Wisconsin. Evers' proposed tax cut, which would cut income taxes by 10% for individuals earning $100,000 or less a year and married filers making $150,000 or less, will also be removed. Republicans have largely focused their efforts on flattening the state's more than 110-year-old income tax. Also marked Additional proposals Republicans plan to remove from consideration include: $120million to provide free meals in Wisconsin schools. $52 million to support K-12 students with limited English knowledge. Limiting the expansion of private school voucher programs. $24.5 million to cover tuition costs not otherwise covered by scholarships or grants for low-income students in the University of Wisconsin System. $2.8million to provide services for veterans who are UW System students. $2 million to create a homeless veteran rental assistance program. $9.3 million to establish the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy. Allowing courts to prohibit people who may be a danger to others from having guns. Raising the minimum wage for most employees. Full Medicaid expansion. Establishing a $35 co pay cap on insulin. Spending $218,700 to administer new record retention requirements for state lawmakers. Requiring the Department of Natural Resources to create rules establishing acceptable levels and required response actions for PFAS. Adding equity officers to Wisconsin agencies. Allowing cities and counties outside of Milwaukee to impose a 0.5% local sales and use tax. $380 million to pay principal and interest on outstanding transportation revenue bonds. $200million for workforce innovation grants. Repealing the state's right-to-work law. $1.9 million to create and operate an office of election transparency and compliance within the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Following a balcony collapse last year, Madison officials are urging caution among those partaking in Saturdays Mifflin Street Block Party. Residences along the 400 and 500 blocks of Mifflin Street were inspected in March, but structural integrity wont prevent partiers from falling off ledges, nor are the homes built for the seismic levels of movement the Mifflin Street Block Party is known to bring, said Madison Building Inspection Director Matt Tucker. Many of these structures are nearing 100 years old, said Tucker. When you have a lot of people crowded on a balcony that might be jumping and dancing to the same song, youre creating a load that is not necessarily designed or intended to be supported by that structure. Last year, a balcony at 544 W. Mifflin St. collapsed, sending more than a dozen people to the ground 15 feet below. Three people were injured, two of whom were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. An inspection later found part of the balconys wooden structure was likely rotten. Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes added that his officers, 200 of whom are expected on West Mifflin Street Saturday, will be paying special attention to elevated structures and to people who may be jumping around on them. Theres a particular song that were fond of here at UW. Im kind of fond of it myself, Barnes said, referring to the raucous Camp Randall tradition of dancing to House of Pains Jump Around. But that gives officers something to think about. Police presence in the area wont be limited to the ground. Similar to last year, a drone will be patrolling the skies, helping to draw attention to any fights, assaults or other bad behavior at the unsanctioned block party. Residents of the Mifflin Street area, many of whom will be opening their homes to the celebration, were reminded to conduct themselves in a safe manner in a recent meeting. Those carrying glass and open containers of alcohol can expect citations from police. Police will also notify school officials of any student misconduct, Barnes said, joking that students cannot come out unless they have a 4.0 GPA. I think we have a good plan, the cooperation of our community, and we expect to have a very, very successful day, said Barnes. We want everyone to come out and be safe. While Mifflin Street wont be cordoned off, much of the Downtown area will be as the Crazylegs Classic run and walk begins at 9:50 a.m. Between the block party, the race and the Dane County Farmers Market, Barnes expects vehicle and foot traffic downtown to peak around noon. The National Weather Service is predicting rain Saturday morning, and a high temperature of around 50 degrees. I think thats one of the great things about Madison we can do more than just one thing, said Barnes. Balcony collapse, mud, arrests and booze: 2022 Mifflin Street Block Party in photos Mifflin 2022 Mifflin 2022 Mifflin 2022 Mifflin 2022 Mifflin 2022 Mifflin 2022 Mifflin 2022 Mifflin 2022 Mifflin 2022 Mifflin 2022 Mifflin 2022 Mifflin 2022 Mifflin 2022 Mifflin 2022 Our nations highest court the Supreme Court should live by the highest ethical standards. It should adopt a transparent code of conduct for its nine members similar to the code requiring all other federal judges to avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all activities. ProPublica earlier this spring broke the news that Justice Clarence Thomas secretly accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars (at a minimum) in travel and vacations from Harlan Crow, an ultra-wealthy supporter of conservative efforts to change the federal judiciary and the law. Thomas, who first met Crow after he joined the court, did not disclose a penny of what ProPublica uncovered, saying later he thought a personal hospitality exemption applied. Presumably, Thomas was referring to his disclosure obligations under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, which requires public officials including Supreme Court justices to report certain gifts so the public can follow the money and evaluate conflicts of interest. After ProPublicas reporting, Thomas will amend some disclosure forms to account for a previously undisclosed real estate deal with Crow in 2014. That deal was part of the megadonors plans to build a museum to honor Thomas. This is not the first time that Thomas has had to take steps to comply with his transparency obligations after third-party revelations. In 2011, he amended 20 years worth of disclosure forms after Common Cause discovered he had failed to report the source of income for his wife, a political activist. Why does this matter? It is about much more than Thomas. With each stroke of their pens, Supreme Court justices change the lives of everyday Americans when they decide cases. Both the public and litigants must be able to assess any potential conflicts of interest for themselves. We need to ensure that the people making these decisions are fair and impartial. A new poll by NPR, PBS NewsHour and Marist found that 6 in 10 respondents had little to no confidence in the court. This continues a dangerous downward trend in public trust. It comes as the court has issued a series of deeply unpopular opinions to roll back reproductive freedom, gut the Voting Rights Act and greenlight unlimited corporate spending in elections. Action is as urgent as it is overdue. Strengthening ethics at the Supreme Court is vital yet only one step to building trust. At a minimum, we need better compliance with and enforcement of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. The court also must adopt a transparent code of conduct. If it fails to do so voluntarily, Congress must act swiftly to make it happen. It has been more than a decade since Chief Justice Roberts used his 2011 year-end report on the federal judiciary to discuss Supreme Court ethics. In it, he said that while Supreme Court justices consult the Code of Conduct that applies standards of ethics to all other federal judges, the court has had no reason to adopt the Code of Conduct as its definitive source for ethical guidance. Instead, he called it a starting point because it does not adequately answer some of the ethical considerations unique to the Supreme Court. Roberts confirmed in 2012 that the court does not plan to adopt the Code of Conduct for United States judges. Senate Judiciary Committee chair Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, recently invited the chief justice to testify at a hearing regarding the ethical rules that govern the justices of the Supreme Court and potential reforms to those rules. Roberts respectfully declined, offering instead a statement signed by all the justices in which they reaffirm and restate foundational ethics principles and practices to which they abide. Congress should quickly pass legislation requiring enforceable and transparent ethical standards at the court. Several pending bills would do just that, including the Supreme Court Ethics Act and the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal and Transparency Act. These merit bipartisan examination, refinement and passage. The Supreme Court cannot be its own referee. Justices have tried and failed repeatedly at that. We should expect all public officials to abide by high ethical standards when conducting the peoples business -- with no exceptions. CRAWFORD COUNTY Crews have secured two container cars that floated away in the Mississippi River after a freight train derailed in Crawford County, officials said Friday. Thursdays derailment between De Soto and Ferryville involved two of the trains three locomotives and 10 cars carrying a variety of freight, including paint and lithium-ion batteries, said BNSF Railway spokesperson Lena Kent. The cause of the derailment remains under investigation. The derailment blocked the main railroad tracks in both directions, and while neither of the cars that went into the river contained hazardous materials, an absorbent boom was put in place to reduce the possibility of pollution, Kent said. Diesel fuel that leached from one of the derailed locomotives was contained with an absorbent boom, Crawford County Emergency Management Director James Hackett said. Kent said Friday morning that the two container cars had been removed from the river but later said that was not the case and that they had been secured to the shore and were not floating in the river. Marc Myhre, a specialist with Crawford County Emergency Management, said the last information he had was that the two containers had been tied to a group of trees along the river to prevent them from drifting farther south. Hackett said all materials inside the derailed containers have been recovered or contained. BNSF is building "access ways" of rock and sand from Highway 35 to the railway, which runs parallel to the highway. With water between the railroad and the highway, a platform must be constructed so crews can reach and remove the cars. Rock was being brought to the scene from nearby quarries, said De Soto Fire Chief Chris Mussatti. Both derailed locomotives and many of the cars had already been removed from the BNSF-owned railway as of Friday afternoon. Officials at the scene Friday said crews still have a long way to go before Highway 35 can reopen to traffic and freight can begin moving along the rail line. Four BNSF crew members were taken to a hospital after the derailment about 12:15 p.m. Thursday. They were treated for mostly minor injuries and released, Kent said. The most serious injury was a broken collarbone, officials said. The Federal Railroad Administration tweeted that it was sending a team to the site to gather information and help local emergency workers. Nearly 30 state, local and federal agencies are responding to the derailment, Hackett said. Governor visits Gov. Tony Evers visited the derailment site Friday, surveying the scene from the air before he spent about two hours on the ground, getting an update from officials and visiting with emergency personnel, said his spokesperson Britt Cudaback. Evers said Thursday that he was getting regular updates from the Wisconsin departments of Transportation and Natural Resources, and state emergency management officials. Evers said high water from the Mississippi River and flooding could have caused or contributed to the accident, but that it is still under investigation by BNSF and the federal government. Cudaback said Thursday that it wasn't clear whether the derailment caused any environmental contamination. The DNR did not immediately respond to emails Thursday and Friday about whether any contamination has been reported in the derailment. Other incidents Thursday's derailment came almost three months after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Officials there ordered the large-scale evacuation of residents and decided to release and burn toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars to prevent a catastrophic explosion. Hundreds of people also had to evacuate in Raymond, Minnesota, last month after a BNSF train hauling ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire. This is not the first time a BNSF train has derailed near Ferryville. In 2016, two locomotives and six rail cars derailed due to extensive flooding at a site about 5 miles south of Thursday's derailment. An estimated 1,170 gallons of diesel poured into the river from a ruptured tank in that incident. HELENA, Mont. (AP) The swift punishment brought down on Zooey Zephyr, a transgender lawmaker in Montana, began over words that others in American politics have used without hesitation or consequence: saying opponents have blood on their hands. The governor of Texas. A GOP congressman in Florida. A city councilwoman in Denver. Just in the past few years, they are among the elected officials who have chastised colleagues in government with the same pointed rhetoric almost word for word accusing them of bearing responsibility for deaths over everything from immigration policy to gun laws. None faced blowback, let alone retribution. But not Zephyr, who on Thursday began legislative exile after Montana Republicans barred her from the state House floor a week after saying those who voted to support a ban on gender-affirming care would have blood on their hands. I don't remember until now that there's been a controversy over that cliche, said Republican Lou Barletta, a former Pennsylvania congressman who used the same words to attack the state's Democratic governor in 2021 over nursing homes. I've never had anyone make a huge issue out of it. In retaliating against Zephyr, Montana Republicans accused her of crossing a line that is faint at best in political debate that happens daily in the U.S., particularly in statehouses where it is not uncommon for legislators wading into heated issues like abortion or gun rights to be scolded about blood on your hands by protesters or even fellow representatives. The case that Zephyr went too far in her remarks is a stretch, said one scholar who studies American political speech, even though the Republican majority in Montana had the power to impose discipline. The confrontation is the latest example of lawmakers punishing dissent, an increasingly prevalent move. The phrase there's blood on your hands is not necessarily that controversial," said Jennifer Mercieca, a professor at Texas A&M University who studies political rhetoric. "It's not necessarily an insult. It doesn't cross the line. In fact, it's a polite way of saying that there are consequences to these decisions." The fallout began April 18, when Zephyr made a reference to the body's opening prayer while speaking against what is part of a wave of Republican efforts to roll back LGBTQ+ rights across the country this year. I hope the next time theres an invocation, when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands, she said. The remark provoked outrage from Republicans who said the language was belittling and an affront to civil discourse. In an interview with The Associated Press after losing her access to the House floor on Wednesday, Zephyr said she expected the House's majority leader to object in the moment but did not think the pushback would escalate. By that point, she said opponents had closed their ears" to the harms posed by the bill. Multiple studies have shown that transgender youth are more likely to consider or attempt suicide in general but are less at risk for depression and suicidal behaviors when able to access gender-affirming care. So you say what is on your heart, which is this bill is going to kill people, and if you vote for it, you are complicit in that, she said. Zephyr, a first-term Democrat, has plenty of company among both parties in her choice of words. When Texas Democrats broke quorum in 2021 in protest of new voting laws, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott fumed that their absence was also stopping passage of a crime bill. The Democrats have blood on their hands for failing to step up and do their job, he said. When Alabama last year moved toward ending state permits to carry concealed handguns, then-state Rep. Merika Coleman, a Democrat, spoke to her colleagues directly. And I tell you, some of you are going to have blood on your hands because this piece of legislation passes, she said. The comment doesnt always slide. When Grant Cramer, a Colorado high school freshman whose schoolmate was killed in a shooting, spoke in support of a sweeping ban on semiautomatic firearms earlier this month, he addressed four Democrats on the committee who would help decide the bill's fate: Our blood is on your hands," Cramer said. The chairman gently admonished the teenager. "I thought you were going to call out all 13 of us, which I would have allowed, Rep. Mike Weissman said, referring to the rest of the committee. I want people to have their say, and that kind of testimony is on the line of what I feel is appropriate. In Florida, state Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democrat, said he has heard remarks about blood on hands many times in debate, sometimes more than once a day. He said language is often ignored, including once when he cursed at a state agency head giving testimony. Florida Republican Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said she didn't know whether Zephyrs comment was inappropriate to use in floor debate. Its probably not senatorial," she said. "Ive heard it from different people, but we just move on. Weber reported from Austin, Texas. Associated Press writers Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Florida; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Jesse Bedayn in Denver contributed to this report. FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS Congressional investigators said in a report Friday that an increase in flight cancellations as travel recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic was due mostly to factors that airlines controlled, including cancellations for maintenance issues or lack of a crew. The Government Accountability Office also said airlines are taking longer to recover from disruptions such as storms. Surges in cancellations in late 2021 and early 2022 lasted longer than they did before the pandemic, the GAO said. Much of the increase in airline-caused cancellations occurred at budget airlines, but the largest carriers also made more unforced errors, data shows. Airlines clashed with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg over blame for high rates of canceled and delayed flights in the past two years. Airlines argue that the government is at fault for not having enough air traffic controllers, while Buttigieg blames the carriers. Republican leaders of the House Transportation Committee requested the GAO report. The GAO said it examined flight data from January 2018 through April 2022 to understand why travelers suffered more delays and cancellations as travel began to recover from the pandemic. The GAO said weather was the leading cause of cancellations in the two years before the pandemic, but the percentage of airline-caused cancellations began increasing in early 2021. From October through December 2021, airlines caused 60% or more of cancellations higher than at any time in 2018 or 2019. The airlines took $54 billion in taxpayer money to keep employees on the job through the pandemic, but they reduced workers anyway by paying them incentives to quit. As travel rebounded, the airlines struggled to replace thousands of departed workers. They now have more workers than in 2019 and the cancellation rate this year is lower than during the same period in 2019, according to data from tracking service Flight Aware. A spokeswoman for trade group Airlines for America said the majority of cancellations this year have been caused by severe weather and air traffic control outages about 1,300 flights were canceled in one day because of an outage in a Federal Aviation Administration safety-alerting system. In 2019, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines had the highest percentages of their own cancellations being caused by an airline-controlled issue more than half of each carrier's cancellations. In late 2021, they were joined by low-fare carriers Allegiant Air, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Frontier, each of whom were responsible for 60% or more of their own total cancellations, according to GAO. US President Joe Biden will meet 18 leaders from across the South Pacific when he visits Papua New Guinea in May, the countrys foreign minister said Saturday, signaling a renewed US drive to cultivate regional allies. The United States and China are vying for influence in what was once a diplomatic backwater, but is increasingly seen as a vital space for commercial, political and military influence. Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko said Biden would attend bilateral talks with his hosts and is also having a meeting with the 18 Pacific Island leaders from the Pacific Island Forum a regional bloc of mostly small states that are scattered across the vast swathe of ocean. The prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand will be among those attending. Biden is set to become the first sitting US president in at least a century to visit Papua New Guinea when he touches down on May 22. He is also scheduled to attend a G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan and a summit of the Quad Australia, India, Japan and the United States in Sydney. ADVERTISEMENT US special envoy Joseph Yun this week admitted that the United States was playing catch-up after years of relative neglect that saw Chinas influence across the region soar. We need to accelerate our catch-up, he told the Hudson Institute. Any high level engagement is welcome, he said, speaking before Bidens Pacific meeting was confirmed. Lets face it, it is a strategic competition between China and us, Yun said. Bidens trip may also put the finishing touches on a US-Papua New Guinea Defense Cooperation Agreement that would allow more joint training and the development of security infrastructure. The region could prove vital in any possible military conflagration over Taiwan. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. A record number of inmates were serving time in France at the start of this month, official data showed Friday, as the country battles serious prison overcrowding. France counted 73,080 inmates in prisons equipped to hold just 60,899 people on April 1, according to figures released by the justice ministry. That meant the countrys jails were at 120 percent capacity, it showed. Prune Missoffe, of the France-based International Prison Observatory rights monitor, said the situation was only getting worse, month by month. The government should take measures to decrease the pressure on prisons until more structural measures are found, she said. The European Court of Human Rights in early 2020 ordered France to pay thousands of euros in damages to dozens of inmates after ruling that authorities had not taken sufficient measures to end prison overcrowding. France is hoping to make room for 15,000 more inmates by the end of President Emmanuel Macrons second term in office in 2027. ADVERTISEMENT But the court auditing public finances found in a recent report that implementation was lagging behind schedule. The government had not even built enough new cells to reach the target of 7,000 extra spots in prisons by the end of last year, it said. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Russian strikes battered cities across Ukraine on Friday, killing 26 people including five children, as Kyiv said preparations for a counter-offensive against Moscows forces were nearly complete. The deadly new attacks included a strike on a residential block in the historic city of Uman in central Ukraine, where AFP journalists saw rescue workers extracting victims remains from a destroyed residential building. The barrage of almost two dozen missiles ended a weeks-long pause following the repeated Russian strikes that had aimed to paralyse Ukraines energy grid during the winter months. On Friday evening, workers in Uman, the site of an annual Hasidic pilgrimage, pulled the body of another child from under the rubble. Authorities said Russian cruise missiles killed 23 people including four children in Uman. Earlier in the day, Dmitry, a 33-year-old resident from Lugansk, an eastern city under Russian control, was looking for his children. I want to see my children, they are under the rubble, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Rescuers were using cranes to search for survivors among the remains of the multi-storey housing block in the city of 80,000 inhabitants. Ive seen a lot, but I havent lost my children before. Now I want to see my children, alive or dead, Dmitry said. Russian missiles also hit the central city of Dnipro, already grief-stricken after a January strike on a tower block that killed more than 40 people. Authorities said the strikes in Dnipro killed a 31-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter while they slept. The young womans parents were hospitalized. Neighbours say that it was a quiet and kind family, regional authorities said. Separately, authorities in the southern region of Kherson said on Friday evening that Russian forces shelled the village of Bilozerka, killing a 57-year-old woman and wounding another three people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the latest barrage and vowed a response. Only absolute evil can unleash such terror against Ukraine, he said in his evening address. His advisor Mykhaylo Podolyak tweeted: If you dont want THIS spread around the world, then give us weapons. Lots of weapons. And add sanctions. Moscow said it had targeted reserve units of the Ukrainian military and that all assigned objects were hit. Moscow-installed officials in eastern Ukraine said Ukrainian shelling had killed nine people, including an eight-year-old girl in the city of Donetsk. There were no reported casualties in Kyiv, which was among the cities targeted Friday. The capital had not been hit by missiles in more than 50 days, although last week it was attacked by 12 Iranian-made drones, eight of which were shot down without causing any casualties. Ukraine said overall it had downed 21 of 23 Russian missiles and two attack drones. The countrys air defence system has been bolstered in recent months by the delivery of Western equipment crucial to the countrys war effort. The new strikes came as Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said his countrys preparations to push back against entrenched Russian positions were almost complete. NATO allies and partners have provided Ukraine with 1,550 armored vehicles and 230 tanks to form units and help it retake territory from Russian forces, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday. Equipment has been promised, prepared and partially delivered. In a global sense, were ready, Reznikov said. Kyiv has said throughout the war launched by Russia in February 2022 that it is intent on repelling Moscows forces from territory they control in eastern and southern Ukraine. Preparations are coming to an end, Reznikov added of the planned offensive. As soon as there is Gods will, the weather and the decision of the commanders we will do it. But he added that Washingtons promised Abrams tanks will not have time to take part in this counteroffensive. Last month the Pentagon said the Abrams vehicles one of the most powerful and sophisticated weapons in the US army would arrive in Ukraine in late 2023. Most of the fighting has been focused on the eastern Donbas region, particularly the city of Bakhmut, which has been almost completely destroyed. Several Ukrainian soldiers told AFP that tough clashes in Bakhmut involved not only members of mercenary group Wagner but also Russian special forces. Not far from Bakhmut, Alex, 34, said the situation was difficult. We lack soldiers, we have many wounded, and also dead, he said. Sometimes in the trenches, you have to hide behind a corpse. Its the only way to survive. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said on Friday he had paid a rare visit to the embattled city and vowed Moscow would rebuild it. In need of allies to support its drawn-out war effort, Moscow has cultivated its relationship with China. The leaders of Ukraine and China spoke by telephone this week, with Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly advocating peace talks. Xi and Zelenskys discussion on Wednesday was met by Russian accusations that Ukraine was undermining efforts to end the fighting. Zelensky said Friday he had asked Xi to help bring back Ukrainian children deported by Russia. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. The galleries of the Arts Club of Chicago are currently filled with objects resembling banquettes, etageres, armoires, sconce lighting, a side table, a modular shelving unit and more. All of it is sculpture, most of it can also be furniture and the difference between the two is an exciting place to spend some time and maybe to sit down. Jessi Reaves, the 37-year-old Queens-based artist who made the work on view in All possessive lusts dispelled, comes at the confusion of furnishing and artwork honestly. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, one of the craftiest cities in the country, she studied furniture design for a semester at the Rhode Island School of Design before taking some time off and then returning to focus on painting. Her jobs post-graduation included doing window displays, installing custom sculptures for the Syfy channel, working as a freelance upholsterer and laboring for a mid-century modern-style furniture maker. Advertisement Although her own sculptures could arguably find a home in avant-garde design settings like the annual Milan Furniture Fair, they are shown exclusively in fine art contexts, including the Whitney Biennial and Carnegie International. The one exception, when she collaborated with the fashion designer John Galliano to create usable backdrops for his 2018 spring couture collection, proves the rule. Contemporary art can be all sorts of things food, environment, conversation, clothing, storage but it often prefers to be recognized first and foremost as art. "Jessi Reaves: All possessive lusts dispelled" at the Arts Club of Chicago. (Michael Tropea / HANDOUT) All possessive lusts dispelled is Reaves first exhibit in Chicago, and its a terrific survey of the work shes done since 2016, though I wish it included some of her experiments with polar fleece as an upholstery fabric for desk chairs and polyurethane foam as a veneer for shelving and an exposed structure for seating. My best guess as to why those works were excluded is their unsexiness. To take the exhibit title at face value, nobodys lusting possessively after fleece- or foam-covered anything. Nothing to dispel there! But a tall, curvy shelving unit sheathed in tightfitting magenta vinyl with strategically placed zippers, partly undone as if to display cleavage? A long, lean ottoman enveloped in bruised silvery fabric, irregularly tufted and looking fit to burst in a few swollen areas? Thats some seriously risque stuff. Other racy elements include hot pink tiger stripes decorating an enormous modular storage unit, sheer leopard print used in a wall lamp, beaded curtains dangling like locks of hair from the top of a shelving unit, punk fabric strapped to the shiny metal rods of a hanging rack, and spit-curl shelves and peekaboo doors on a wardrobe. Advertisement Not all of the 21 artworks on exhibit are literally erotic, but even those that arent contain something desirable. Mostly this is an element of high design, the kind of name-brand furnishings that those in the know might recognize: a Hans Wegner folding chair, Noguchi paper lamps, those cylindrical Kartell plastic side tables, Danish modern anything. These are the things design-conscious people covet in 2023, though mostly they buy reproductions, because who can afford the real thing? And who would know? Reaves might, and her Kartell units are legit, albeit discolored and dirty and suspended in a yellow beribboned coffin, but the rest of the design objects in the show are either found knockoffs or built from scratch. Even the banquettes, which look as if they were ripped out of a diner, were built to spec before being painted and delicately slipcovered, and the central shelving system, which could have been in my grandfathers den, was constructed from a shipping palette, among other materials. Things are not quite what they seem. "Jessi Reaves: All possessive lusts dispelled" at the Arts Club of Chicago. (Michael Tropea / HANDOUT) Reaves knows her design history well enough, and when she copies, she samples from the best, including a fabulous Pierre Cardin lacquered armoire from 1980 with doors resembling the forewings of a beetle. Dinner every night (Cardin knockoff cabinet #1) must have been extremely difficult to make, but its also defiantly crude. The back panel is pieced together from dozens of mismatched offcuts, filled in with sawdust and glue, and held together by metal braces and screws. The doors are just stretchy fabric tied onto a wire metal frame. The paint and joints are clumpy. An office chair base holds it all up. Is it trashy or luxurious, good taste or bad? Hard to say. This deliberately shoddy level of finish is one source of the tension in Reaves sculptures, most of which have a junkiness thats hard to take. You want them, but you also really dont. Some parts are sanded or polished or neatly stitched, but plenty more bear pencil markings, rough edges, exposed hardware, falling-out stuffing and plain old dirt, as if theyve just been plucked out of a dumpster. Two cupboards feature banged-up old car parts, left over from repairs done to the artists vehicle. A wall shelf contains within it a dusty old bamboo corner etagere, swallowed up by swirling cuts of plywood and a black-and-white checkered purse. Excess challenges restraint, while the functional tussles with the purposeless. Speaking of purpose, did I sit? I regret to say I did not, though I am the kind of person who usually delights in putting on a Helio Oiticica wearable, walking on a Carl Andre floor piece, sitting in a Mary Heilmann chair, eating a Rirkrit Tiravanija curry bowl or otherwise trying out anything I have ever been permitted to do in a gallery. But Reaves show continues through the end of May, so theres time yet to take on her dare. Jessi Reaves: All possessive lusts dispelled runs through May 20 at the Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario St.; more information at 312-787-3997 and artsclubchicago.org Lori Waxman is a freelance critic. Heavy fighting raged on in Sudan Friday with warring generals trading blame, despite their agreement to extend a truce aimed at stemming nearly two weeks of warfare that has killed hundreds and caused widespread destruction. Black clouds rose over the capital Khartoum in fresh fighting and the United Nations reported bitter urban battles in the war-ravaged Darfur region where scores were reported dead. Turkeys defence ministry reported that one of its military transport aircraft had come under fire, underscoring the risks as foreign governments scramble to wrap up evacuations of their citizens. Violence broke out on April 15 between Sudans army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy and fellow coup leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, with warplanes pounding RSF positions in densely packed districts of Khartoum and fighters exchanging heavy machine gun fire. The rival generals agreed Thursday to extend a repeatedly broken ceasefire for three more days after mediation led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the UN aimed at securing a more lasting truce. ADVERTISEMENT But witnesses told AFP they heard air strikes and anti-aircraft guns being fired near the army command in Khartoum, where many residents have been shuttered at home with dangerously low levels of food. Daglo denounced the army chief in an interview with the BBC, saying: Burhan is not trustworthy and is a traitor. This war destroys Sudan. In an interview with US-based channel Al-Hurra, Burhan claimed mercenaries were pouring over the border from Chad, Central African Republic and Niger to exploit the chaos. At least 512 people have been killed and 4,193 wounded in the fighting, according to health ministry figures, which are believed to be incomplete. The Sudanese doctors union warned Friday that the collapse of the healthcare system was imminent, with more than 12,000 patients at risk of dying as they could not access regular kidney dialysis. The UN humanitarian agency said just 16 per cent of health facilities in Khartoum were still operating normally, leaving millions without access to health care. Darfur violence Fighting has also spread across Sudan, especially in long-troubled Darfur, where witnesses reported intense conflict and looting. The Darfur Bar Association, a civil society group, said fighters were launching rockets at houses in the West Darfur state capital El Geneina, some 1,100 kilometres (685 miles) west of Khartoum. It also reported firing from rifles, machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons. There is no food except what people have stored at home, one resident said, asking not to be named. Fighting has spread nearly all over the city, the Bar Association said, urging Burhan and Daglo to immediately stop this foolish war that is being waged on the backs of civilians. UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said 96 people were reported to have been killed in El Geneina since Monday. The UN is concerned at the serious risk of violence escalating in West Darfur, Shamdasani said, warning that the hostilities between the military and RSF have triggered intercommunal violence. Darfur is still reeling from the devastating war that raged in the 2000s, when then hardline president Omar al-Bashir crushed ethnic-minority rebels by creating the Janjaweed militia to carry out atrocities, a force that later formed the basis of Daglos RSF. The scorched-earth campaign left at least 300,000 people dead and close to 2.5 million displaced, according to UN figures, and saw Bashir charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by the International Criminal Court. Amid the chaos, several prisoners escaped jail, including war crimes suspects from Bashirs regime. The UN voiced alarm at the prison breaks, pointing to the prospect of further violence, amid a generalised climate of impunity. Diplomacy on ceasefire The US, whose diplomats have been mediating by telephone between the warring generals, acknowledged violations of the truce. But implementing ceasefires is often difficult at the start. Violations of the ceasefire do not mean a failure of the ceasefire, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters. Britain announced it would end evacuation flights from Sudan on Saturday, after airlifting more than 1,500 people out this week. The World Food Programme has said the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where 15 million people one-third of the population already need aid to stave off famine. Over 75,000 have fled their homes, according to the UNs International Organization for Migration, while tens of thousands have crossed into neighbouring countries including Chad, Egypt and South Sudan. South Sudans foreign ministry warned Friday that the conflicts spillover effects are already visible. Burhan and Daglo commonly known as Hemeti seized power in a 2021 coup that derailed Sudans transition to democracy, established after Bashir was ousted following mass protests in 2019. But the two generals later fell out, most recently over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. For a team of Canadian and French researchers, dark clouds on the horizon are potentially ominous not because they signal an approaching storm but because they were found in a recent study to carry drug-resistant bacteria over long distances. These bacteria usually live on the surface of vegetation like leaves, or in soil, lead author Florent Rossi said in a telephone interview Friday. We found that they are carried by the wind into the atmosphere and can travel long distances around the world at high altitudes in clouds, he told AFP. The discovery was published in last months edition of the journal Science of The Total Environment. The researchers from Laval University in Quebec City and Clermont Auvergne University in central France searched for antibiotic-resistant genes from bacteria found in cloud samples. ADVERTISEMENT The samples were taken from an atmospheric research station perched 1,465 meters (4,806 feet) above sea level atop the Puy de Dome summit, a dormant volcano in central France between September 2019 and October 2021. An analysis of the retrieved mist revealed that they contained between 330 to more than 30,000 bacteria per milliliter of cloud water, for an average of around 8,000 bacteria er milliliter. They also identified 29 subtypes of antibiotic-resistant genes in the bacteria. Drug resistance occurs when bacteria are exposed to antibiotics and develop an immunity to them over generations. Health authorities have repeatedly warned these adaptations are becoming what the study described as a major sanitary concern worldwide, making it harder in some cases impossible to treat certain bacterial infections as antibiotics use continues to rise in health care and agriculture. The study offered no conclusions on the potential health effects of the spread in the atmosphere of antibiotic resistant bacteria estimating that only five percent to 50 percent of the organisms could be alive and potentially active. But Rossi suggested the risks are likely low. The atmosphere is very stressful for bacteria, and most of those we found were environmental bacteria, which are less likely to be harmful to humans, he explained. So people shouldnt be afraid to go for a walk in the rain. Its unclear if those genes would be transmitted to other bacteria, Rossi added. Atmospheric monitoring, however, could help pinpoint the sources of drug-resistant bacteria similar to wastewater tests for Covid-19 and other pathogens in order to limit their dispersal, he said. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. BGC The borderless opportunities to boost local businesses and industries to accelerate the Philippine market were strongly emphasised by notable organisations such as AVOW, AppsFlyer, GroupM and more during the Petal Ads Summit 2023, aptly themed Go Beyond, Go Borderless. The summit, which highlighted the latest mobile advertising landscape, was co-hosted by Huawei Philippines and Adglow, with a shared vision of building a better ecosystem for local businesses. Petal Ads, a mobile advertising platform formerly known as HUAWEI Ads, brought together established Philippines brands, partners, leading experts and like-minded powerhouses to share ideas and discuss challenges in the current economy. The opportunity for Petal Ads to accelerate and drive brands efforts through first-party data in a mobile-first advertising world was highlighted to a global audience in sectors such as travel & transport, finance, e-commerce and more. Shown here are (from left) Kevin Zhang, Head Huawei APAC Petal Ads; Ken Liang, Huawei PH Director for Mobile Ecosystem Business; Eduardo Emperlis, Jr., Member PMA; Alejandro Vazquez-Guillen, CEO, Adglow; Ashwin Shekhar, co-founder, Chief Revenue Officer, Avow; Laurent Goirand, Group M Head of Digital & E-commerce; Steve Stearns, Head of Sales for SEA/PK, Appsflyer; Dale Cruz,H ead of Branding Angkas; Jace Susara, GM and Executive Director of Mad Agency and Board of Trustee, IMMAP. Speaking at the event, Alejandro Guillen, Chief Executive Officer, Adglow, said they are confident that Petal Ads can deliver powerful advertising solutions with its high quality audience and fraud-free environment. Laurent Goirand, GroupM Head of Digital & e-commerce, Adglow, shared that as AI redefines the mobile advertising landscape, we are unlocking the potential to create meaningful connections between brands and consumers, powered by data and enhanced by human creativity. While Ashwin Shekhar, Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer, AVOW shared some strategies on how to empower mobile marketers through Smart Media buying and KPI-driven approach to maximize their campaigns. Ken Liang, Director of Philippines Ecosystem Development and Operation elaborated that the goal to present Philippines businesses with more advanced global commercial solutions is not to create competition with other platforms, but to provide relevant options that fit their needs. Thus, with the introduction of two new solutions during the Petal Ads Summit, these will bolster local businesses efforts in broadening global connectivity. ADVERTISEMENT The strengthening of these businesses positions while helping Philippines to build one of the most robust mobile advertisement platform ecosystems will equip the Philippines market with capabilities to go beyond and borderless. With technological advancements getting faster and more effective, cross border opportunities are in abundance especially with the China market being the largest in the world, said Ken Liang. During the Summit, Petal Ads also launched the rebranding from HUAWEI Ads to Petal Ads, presenting more cutting-edge and borderless solutions to market to a wider audience. With the rebranding, Petal Ads hopes to help Philippines strengthen the mobile advertising ecosystem while contributing their latest technology as well as industry solutions to boost the Philippines economy. As an all-scenario intelligent marketing platform, Petal Ads provides marketing and traffic monetization services for advertisers and publishers worldwide to help them achieve business growth and improve brand value. It does this by leveraging Huaweis 1+8+N all-scenario ecosystem, Huawei apps marketing capabilities, massive premium third-party traffic, extensive business resources, and powerful ad technologies. For more information on Petal Ads, please visit the website here: https://ads.huawei.com/usermgtportal/home/index.html#/ Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. According to Google Trends, the Philippines is the top country in the world searching for terms fake news and misinformation in 2023. The country is also part of the top ten in the world searching for disinformation and fact-checking as topics. This means that more Filipinos are getting curious and would like to understand more about these important issues. Access to trusted information and content is so important. Our goal is to empower media, creators, and fact-checkers around the world with the tools, opportunities, and capacity to help people online make informed opinions, said Mervin Wenke, Head of Communications and Public Affairs at Google Philippines. Google Philippines Head of Communications and Public Affairs Mervin Wenke details the many ways Google and YouTube combat misinformation. This includes the $13.2M grant to the International Fact-Checking Network, Google and YouTubes single largest grant in fact-checking. As part of its ongoing commitment to drive news and media literacy in the Philippines, heres some of the various tools and ways Google and YouTube are helping fight misinformation: Google Search About This Result feature Now available in Filipino, this shows people more information about a particular entry on the results page simply by clicking the three dots beside a results URL. The information pane shows additional context for that entry to help people understand where the information is coming from and see how Googles systems determined it would be helpful for their query. Breaking News on YouTube When a major breaking news event happens, this shelf appears on YouTubes homepage to ensure that viewers have easy and immediate access to authoritative news sources. ADVERTISEMENT Information Panels When people search or watch videos on YouTube related to topics prone to misinformation, such as the moon landing or the Earth is flat, they will see an information panel linked to third-party sources at the top of their search results or under a video youre watching. Community Guidelines The rules of the road for how to behave on YouTube. These policies apply to all types of content on the platform, including unlisted and private content, comments, links, Community posts, and thumbnails. Creators receive a strike for every Community Guideline violation and three (3) strikes within 90 days means permanent removal from YouTube. Fact-checking Training Google consistently holds capacity-building workshops around the world to help media assess information online. Over the past several years, Google has trained more than 177,500 journalists in 17 countries across Asia Pacific, including the Philippines. Fact-checking Grants Google and YouTube provide grants to organizations to help strengthen fact-checking efforts. Google and YouTube announced in November 2022 a $13.2M grant to the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the Poynter Institute to launch a new Global Fact-Check Fund. This is Google and YouTubes single largest grant in fact-checking. The Fund is open to applications from IFCNs network of 135 fact-checking organizations from 65 countries, including the Philippines, covering over 80 languages. Applications are now open until May 15, 2023, for grants from the Funds first phase, called BUILD. Interested applicants may submit their application here. On top of efforts to support and enable fact-checking, Google is also committed to helping media and creators succeed on platforms like Shorts so that quality content and journalism thrive even on new popular formats. We believe the media and creators do play an important role in ensuring that more Filipinos online can connect to trusted information even on new formats like short videos, said Wenke. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Rockingham County, North Carolina authorities are looking for a Martinsville man wanted for his alleged involvement in a domestic disturbance. Deputies responded to 411 Vintage Road in Eden, North Carolina on Thursday at approximately 7:45 p.m. where Douglas Alan Scholz, of 2850 Green Hill Drive in Martinsville, had already fled the scene in a dark-blue, newer model Ford F150. He was armed with a handgun at the time of the incident, a release stated. Scholz is wanted in Rockingham County for first degree kidnapping and violating a domestic violence protective order and should be considered armed and dangerous, the release stated. Henry County Chief Deputy Wayne Davis said his department was assisting the Rockingham County Sheriffs Office with locating and apprehending Scholz. Anyone with information regarding Scholzs whereabouts is urged to contact the Martinsville-Henry County 911 Center, or Crimestoppers at 276-632-7463. The Crimestoppers Program offers rewards up to $2,500 for information related to crime. The nature of the crime and the substance of the information determine the amount of the reward paid. Recurring childrens programs Preschool story time Ages: 1-5 Mondays at 10:30 a.m. Marion branch library Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Old Fort branch library Books, songs, felt board stories, action rhymes and fun for preschool aged children. Crafts for little hands Ages: 1-5 Second Monday at 11 a.m. Marion branch library Second Wednesday at 11 a.m. Old Fort branch library Once a month after story time, preschool-aged children are invited to craft at the library. Dress for a mess because we will be using glue, scissors, paints, paper, markers, crayons and much more! Targeted age group 3 to 5 years old, but all are welcome. Craft take-and-make kit pick-up (while supplies last) Ages: 5 through fifth grade Every third Friday of the month at 10 a.m. Stop by your local branch to pick up a fun craft kit. Craft kit for little hands: Mushroom craft Elementary craft kit: 3D flower craft Virtual programs CLOSED Facebook page: McDowell Library Children Services This closed childrens page is for children in fifth grade and younger. Juvenile story time Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. Join Mrs. Kelly and Ms. Megan for a chapter book for children in grades 2-5. Bedtime stories Fridays at 7 p.m. Join Mrs. Kelly and Ms. Megan for a bedtime story. Special programs Friday, May 5 Adult Vaya Health: Substance Misuse in your World (Marion) 11 a.m. Substance use is a reality in every community. Possibly you or someone in your life has been impacted by the challenges of substance use and addiction. This course identifies common substances, addiction development, and their impact on families and communities. Saturday, May 6 Children Super Saturdays (Old Fort library) at noon. Join us for a tea party with a special guest reader, Mrs. Nanette Hankins! Spots are limited. Registration required. Call 828-668-7111 to reserve a spot. Friday, May 10 Children Reptile and amphibian encounters (Marion library) 4-5 p.m. Join us for an educational program with the North Carolina Arboretum to learn all about the many different Herptiles that call western North Carolina their home! Whats a Herptile you ask? Herptiles are reptiles and amphibians! Come ready to hear about the ecoEXPLORE program, find out what distinguishes Herptiles from other animals, where different Herptiles live, what they eat, how they breathe, plus much more. Tuesday, May 9 Adult Amateur Writers Club Meeting (Old Fort library) 4-5 p.m. The AWC is a group of aspiring writers creating a community for sharing ideas and learning new techniques for writing. Thursday, May 18 Adult Introduction to Music (Marion library) 1 p.m. This class is for anyone who enjoys music and would like a better understanding of how music works. You will be introduced to different musical notes, harmonies, and rhythms. The music used in this class will be old time hymns we all know and love taught by one of McDowells best music teachers, Lucy Fresina. Adult Thursday Crafternoons (Old Fort Library) at 3:30-4:30 p.m. This month we will be making mushrooms from recycled books. Registration required. Call 828-668-7111 to reserve a spot. Friday, May 19 Adult Book Club Meeting (Ingenious Coffee Roasters Shop) 1 p.m. At this months book club meeting we will be discussing The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. You can pick a copy of our next book Educated by Tara Westover. All are welcome to enjoy great conversation, wonderful people, and delicious coffee. Tuesday, May 23 Adult Once Upon a Craft (Marion) 3 p.m. This month we will be making book birdhouses. A great way to use recycled old books and make them into the perfect gift or a beautiful decoration. 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 Paediatricians from European countries have raised the alarm over a shortage of medicines for children including antibiotics and asthma treatment, warning it was endangering health. In a letter addressed to health ministers and seen by AFP on Saturday, the doctors stressed it was "urgent to find a fast, reliable and lasting solution" to the problems facing stocks in Europe. "The health of our children and our youngsters is in danger because of the lack of medicines throughout Europe," they wrote. The letter was addressed to the health ministers of Austria, France, Germany, the Italian region of South Tyrol and Switzerland. It was co-signed notably by Andreas Werner, president of the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics, his German counterpart Thomas Fischbach and Laura Reali, head of the European Confederation of Primary Care Paediatricians. The doctors said it was the responsibility of political decision-makers to guarantee sufficient production and supply to ensure medicines were available for basic paediatric care. It is crucial to have antibiotics, pain relief, fever and asthma medicines and vaccines available, they said. Reacting to the letter on Saturday, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on Twitter that the concerns were "justified". A law aimed at tackling delivery issues is currently before the German parliament, he said. Over the winter, Europe has seen shortages of the key antibiotic amoxicillin and other medications as surging illnesses particularly among children have increased demand for the drugs. 2023 AFP " " Brainstorming in a group can be challenging but it can yield unique, innovative results. Maskot/DigitalVision/Getty Images Creativity is among the most in-demand skills in the workplace. It's not surprising that top multinational companies are looking to hire inventive thinkers: Research shows that creativity can drive innovation and resilience in organizations. Advertisement Tech giant Google has grown by innovating the way we all use the internet. Electric car maker Tesla touts a collaborative working environment to "solve the world's most important problems with talented individuals." Still, sharing ideas can get messy when colleagues don't understand or support novel concepts or if they shut them down. Research offers some concrete ways to facilitate idea generation, both individually and in groups. But first it helps to know what you're trying to facilitate. So what do employers mean when they talk about creativity? Reem Townsend attended a DuPage Township town hall-style meeting in early April as part of her duties as a trustee elected to a four-year position in 2021. It was a meeting just like any other, except for the fact that she had to break her fast during the meeting at sunset. As a practicing Muslim, Townsend was observing the month of Ramadan. Many constituents were gathered to voice their feedback about the proposed location of a resource center and food pantry, and one constituent in particular, who she said was pretty heated in the moment, stopped to comment on Townsend eating. Advertisement He said something like, You can just go back to eating your lunch, because I broke my fast during the meeting, Townsend, 36, told the Tribune. So, basically, he was mocking me for practicing my religion. In that moment I heard it, so I stood up and said to him, Excuse me, Im fasting for Ramadan. We eat this late, and I am going to sit here and eat my food. The rhetoric escalated as the April 6 meeting progressed. The same man again addressed Townsend and said he voted for her in 2021. When Townsend thanked him, he responded by saying he wouldnt do that again, she recalled. Advertisement Thats when another man, who was taking a video of the meeting, said something to the effect of, Well, he didnt know she was a suicide bomber, Townsend recalled. That wasnt just an attack on my religion, she said. It was also an attack on me as a Palestinian. He was also sitting with people that I ran against in the election that attacked me for being Palestinian. The racist outburst drew immediate condemnation from the DuPage Township Democrats, the Will County Progressives and the Council on American Islamic Relations. Islamophobia and bigotry have no place in our society, and we urge local officials to take appropriate action to address and prevent such incidents from happening in the future, the statement from CAIR said. We also encourage the community to come together in support of our Muslim neighbors and to work toward building a more inclusive and welcoming society for all. Despite the number of Muslims growing across the country, slurs against Muslims in elected office remain nothing new, with even former President Donald Trump once posting racist tweets about four female lawmakers. However, more members of the community continue to get politically involved in more visible ways, activists say. [ As more Muslims run for office, community urged to take center stage in an era of immigration raids and racist tweets ] According to a report released last July, which showed that the states Muslims are the most diverse and one of the fastest-growing faith communities in the country, there are more Muslims per capita now in Illinois than in any other state. In January, state Rep. Nabeela Syed, a Democrat from Inverness, became one of the first Gen Z legislators to serve in Springfield after she defeated a Republican incumbent for a seat representing the northwest suburbs. Qasim Rashid, a human rights lawyer from Naperville who also lived in Bolingbrook for about 10 years, said he reached out to Townsend after hearing about what had happened and offered his support. In solidarity, he attended the next DuPage Township meeting on April 18 because, he said, being able to call out and condemn that kind of bigotry in a public setting can show others how to become better allies and is a great way to stop hate in its tracks. Advertisement There isnt a single piece of this countrys major history that Muslims were not a part of, Rashid said. Not only are Muslims part of this country, but this country never existed without Muslims. There is no America without American Muslims. I want my 7-year-old American Muslim daughter to grow up and not have to experience any of this bigotry, and that only happens if we play an active role in our communities without shying away from our faith and our backgrounds. Townsend said both her parents are first-generation immigrants from Palestine and that she wears her religion and her culture on her sleeve. She said she is 100% very proud and very vocal about it. Townsend lives with her family in Bolingbrook, which she said makes up most of DuPage Township along with small parts of Naperville and Romeoville. She works for the township part time while working full time as an executive assistant for a health care company CEO. She said she heard similar discriminatory remarks when she was running for trustee, and that her family has also been subjected to some negativity from the community. I just think its so ignorant, Townsend said. There are millions of Muslims in the world and even in DuPage Township we have a large Muslim population, and people dont even know it was just Ramadan? I practice my religion, but Im also making sure that I am fulfilling my duties in public office. Its just disrespectful and offensive that there are still people like this out there. Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > The other people who were running against me even said racist and hateful things, not just about my religion, but about being a Palestinian, Townsend said. I grew up hearing that stuff, so it was like, really? Youre still saying the same stuff. Then Im in office and youre still saying that stuff. Advertisement Townsend said that at another township meeting on April 18, the township supervisor Gary Marschke made an announcement saying anyone who makes comments similar to the ones made earlier about Townsend will be removed from the meeting and not be allowed back. At that meeting, Townsend said several people came out to support her in light of what had happened earlier in the month. Suzanna Ibarra, chair of Will County Progressives, said she has known Townsend for a few years, even before they both got involved with the Will County group. She said she was happy to show up at last weeks meeting to show solidarity for Townsend. Ibarra, who is Catholic, said that not speaking up against hateful voices is like allowing it to continue and perpetuate. Being silent never got anything solved, she said. To me, silence is actually complacency, and complacency can lead to violence. Silence is violence. The Tribune reached out to the DuPage Township Republican Organization for comment. Antonio Timothee, chair of the DuPage Township Republican Organization, said in a statement Friday that he is repulsed and saddened by this situation. As an immigrant and a person of color, I understand what Trustee Townsend must be going through, Timothees statement said. Its disheartening to see that in this day and age, we still have to deal with ignorance and insults leveled at people because of their ethnicity. My hope is that people learn from this situation and that it does not create more division and hate. Its times like these where we must reflect on our own biases and attempt to grow as individuals for the sake of our communities. As for any person of color that one day may have the desire to run for office, this should increase your resolve. HELENA Superintendent Arntzen is partnering with Frontline Education to provide professional development training for substitute teachers and educator support staff. This training consists of 13 courses requiring 20 hours to complete and can be translated into university credit toward an education degree. Guest educators, or substitute teachers, will be better prepared to guide a classroom and can work toward becoming licensed educators. Montana joined two other states, North Dakota and Missouri, in offering this professional development to guest educators. After deliberating for nearly two hours on Friday, a conference committee accepted the majority of an amendment brought for a bill that would codify parts of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act into state law. Known as ICWA, the Indian Child Welfare Act determines how Native children are put in foster or adoptive homes, prioritizing family and tribal placements. The federal law was enacted in 1978 in response to decades of state child welfare and private adoption agencies separating Native children from their families. House Bill 317, which has received strong public support in its committee hearings, comes as the federal ICWA is under threat. The federal Supreme Court in July will issue a ruling on a case that challenges ICWAs constitutionality. The bill passed out of the House and Senate but with different amendments, so it was heard in the conference committee as a form of reconciliation. The amendments approved by the committee will then move to the floor where they can be concurred. Committee action The committee on Friday was tasked with reviewing an amendment proposed by Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, who also sponsored the original bill. While the committee approved most sections in the amendment, there were three main areas of contention. First, the amendment contains a section about the determination of Indian status, instructing courts to treat the child as an Indian child, unless and until it is determined on the record that the child does not meet the definition of an Indian child. Opponents of this section argued it would delay processes and leave children in limbo, but supporters argued the opposite, saying treating a child as if they are Native actually saves time and streamlines processes. On the contrary, supporters said if a child is treated as non-Native and later found to be Native, the process of undoing that work could delay placements. This section also included language saying that tribes must verify a childs membership status. Windy Boy argued that as sovereign nations, tribes determine their own membership and said it is not the business of the state to do so. The committee ultimately voted to remove this section of Windy Boys amendment from the bill, and after the vote, Windy Boy, half-jokingly said, See you in court, alluding to his comments on tribal sovereignty. Second, Windy Boys amendment also removed a section calling for contingent voidness. That section stated that only if the federal court strikes ICWA down in its entirety would the Montana ICWA become law for two years. Windy Boy and others argued that the U.S. Supreme Court is not challenging ICWA in its entirety, so it would therefore be unlikely for the court to strike down the law in its fullness. The committee voted to remove the contingent void section from the bill, without much further discussion. Finally, Windy Boys amendment also got rid of a termination date that would sunset the legislation in June 2025. Supporters of the amendment said the bill is meant to keep Native children safe, arguing it should not terminate in two years. Others said that the termination date makes sense because the Legislature will likely need to revisit the law after the Supreme Court issues a ruling. Sen. Jason Small, R-Busby, said he feared the termination date could put some cases into limbo, if the legislation terminated as cases were ongoing. He said he would prefer if the bill required a revisitation in 2025, not a termination. The committee ultimately voted to keep the 2025 termination date in the bill. Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed into law a bill banning some gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. Senate Bill 99 from Sen. John Fuller, R-Whitefish, has been among the most fiercely debated bills of the 68th Legislature. The bill prohibits surgery or medication for gender-affirming care and includes penalties for medical professionals for providing care. Fuller and other supporters of the bill say it is necessary to protect minors from life-altering procedures. But opponents argue the kinds of surgeries the bill bans are not performed on minors in Montana and that the legislation would harm children seeking care they say is necessary to keep them healthy. Others say the bill would trample the rights of parents to make decisions for their children. SB 99 saw intense debate in both chambers from lawmakers and the public. It passed through the House and Senate largely along party lines, with all its support coming from Republicans. A few GOP legislators, along with all Democrats, have opposed it. Gianforte then returned the bill to the Legislature with suggested amendments. In a letter to lawmakers, the governor wrote Gender-affirming care for children is Orwellian Newspeak, a seemingly innocuous, even solicitous phrase that masks its true nature of permanent, invasive, life-altering and surgical procedures, performed on children whose young minds and bodies are still developing. Opponents of the bill have included medical groups and LGBTQ advocates. The Montana Human Rights Network said Friday it and the American Academy of Pediatrics had requested meetings with Gianforte before he signed the bill but were not granted them. Some opponents have said they plan to file a lawsuit if SB 99 were signed. The bill has been the catalyst for controversy in the House that led the barring of a Missoula Democrat from the floor for the remainder of the session. Last week, Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the first transgender woman to serve in the state House, was prohibited from speaking on the floor following comments on SB 99 directed at Republicans, including that they should be ashamed for voting for the bill and that they will have blood on their hands. On Monday, a protest in support of Zephyr disrupted the House floor proceeding, leading to seven arrests. Zephyr was censured on Wednesday, including barring her from the floor, gallery and anteroom. While traditionally groundbreaking ceremonies involve shovels being driven into dirt, it seemed more appropriate Thursday for the shovels to be driven into a box of cat litter. The drop of the shovels signaled the beginning of the latest project of KENT Pet Group, a subsidiary of KENT Corporation, to construct a 113,000-square-foot facility right next to the KENT distribution center. The new facility will sit on 70 acres and be completed in summer 2025. Using state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, the plant will focus on the KENT Pet Group model of making pet products, including Worlds Best Cat Litter, which is made out of corn, upcycled plant ingredients and recycled paper. When complete, it will bring 30 new jobs to Muscatine. Our corn-based cat litter is in high demand, KENT Pet Group President Steve Gordon said. Expanding our footprint will allow us to continue to enable the love and boundless joy of pets through innovative products and brands around the world. In February, the Muscatine City Council approved a requested 75% tax increment rebate for five years and a 50% rebate for five years for the expansion. The financial investment is expected to be between $75 and $80 million. During the ceremony, Gage Kent, KENT chair and CEO, explained the history of the cat litter in the market. He told the story of how a group of people came together and made the product happen. This facility is really exciting, and I hope you feel that way because we took this one off the ground 25 years ago, created the product, and taught the market what good cat litter is and taught cat owners to love their cats more, he said. Kent also said, after living most of his life in Muscatine, he was proud the company could continue the tradition of working within the city. Muscatine Mayor Brad Bark thanked KENT Corporation for continuing to invest in Muscatine. During the planning stage of the project, he said, the city learned there were several locations under consideration for the plant. He is happy Muscatine was chosen. This is a true testament to the economic vitality of our community, he said. We are surrounded by companies here that do real work and provide real products for our growing world needs. Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, also spoke at the event. He expressed how happy he was that KENT chose to remain in Iowa with the project. Todays announcement is an excellent example of a great Iowa business taking a raw commodity like corn and adding even more value to it, which in turn creates new jobs and builds an even stronger future for Iowa agriculture, he said. KENT Corporation has deep roots here in Muscatine, and Im grateful they chose Iowa as the place to continue to grow their business. Growing on the success of the KENT Nutrition Group Feed Mill expansion project in Sheldon, KENT Pet Group will work with WL Port-Land Systems Inc. for the design, engineering, and construction of the facility KENT Corporation is a diversified, family-owned company headquartered in Muscatine. It serves customers across the world and employs about 2,000 people in 40 locations across 20 states and seven countries. WAPELLO A 59-cent per $1,000 taxable valuation levy proposal, which would be used to fund essential emergency medical services (EMS) in Louisa County, will be placed before county voters in November, Supervisor Shawn Maine reported to the rest of the board during its regular weekly meeting on Tuesday. Maine, who serves as the chair of the Louisa County EMS Advisory Council, told supervisors Brad Quigley and Chris Ball the levy amount had been decided at the advisory councils April 24 meeting. I know we can go clear to 75 (cents), but I was very adamant that we are not going to the max that we are going to figure out what our needs are and that is what we are going to go for, Maine said. Under Iowa law, voters can approve a maximum 75 cents per $1,000 property tax levy, a 1% income tax surcharge or a combination of the two to fund the EMS services. The advisory council establishes the amount and formula and then presents that recommendation to the board of supervisors. If the supervisors agree with the recommendation, a ballot question is then presented to voters, who must pass the measure with a 60% supermajority. County officials have indicated they plan to place the tax referendum on the Nov. 7, 2023, city-school election ballot. Ball questioned why an income tax surcharge was not part of the funding proposal, explaining farmers were raising that issue with him. Maine said that idea had not been raised at the latest meeting. However, in an earlier report he gave the board, Maine said the council members had rejected the surtax idea. Quigley indicated he was concerned an income tax surcharge might significantly impact the countys older residents with less income, pointing to renters who use his facilities as an example. Maine said the proposed tax rate would provide the countys three ambulance services with enough funding to cover an anticipated $203,000 revenue shortfall in fiscal year 2024. He also said the tax revenue would allow the county to set aside another $250,000 annually for new ambulances, equipment and other expenses. The council will meet again in three weeks and expects to develop an informational flyer that can be distributed at summer parades and other events. In the meantime, county officials will contact the countys bonding company to develop the proper wording for the upcoming vote. In other action at Tuesdays meeting, the supervisors: Agreed to accept the lone bid of $174,393 submitted by Evolve Contracting, Morning Sun, for repair work primarily on the sheriffs office side of the County Complex. Met with Louisa County Historic Preservation Commission member Kathy Jolly Vance and approved a National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) application for the Mellinger Library in Morning Sun; and learned the review of the Fairview Church NRHP application would be held by the State National Register Nomination Review Committee on June 7. Reviewed and approved a renewal of a 28E agreement with the Muscatine Special Operations Response Team. Accepted an $11,506 bid from TnT Restoration to caulk windows and doors on the first floor. Met with County Engineer Adam Shutt for his weekly update. The board also met with General Assistance Director Cyndi Mears and learned a potential impasse over indigent funerals had been averted. Mears said officials with Snyder-Hollenbaugh Funeral and Cremation Services had agreed to accept a $1,500 payment for a cremation service. Family members had also agreed to the cremation of their parent. Mears said Eric Snyder had requested to be on next weeks agenda. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country's first astronaut will travel to the International Space Station by the end of the year. Air force pilot Alper Gezeravci was selected to be the first Turkish citizen in space. His backup is a 30-year-old aviation systems engineer at Turksih defense contractor Roketsan. Erdogan made the announcement on Saturday at the Teknofest aviation and space fair in Istanbul. It was his first public appearance since he fell ill during a TV interview on Tuesday. Turkeys presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 14, and opinion polls show Erdogan in potentially his toughest race since he came to power two decades ago. BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) Shelters in a Texas city struggled to find space Saturday for migrants who authorities say have abruptly begun crossing by the thousands from Mexico, testing a stretch of the U.S. border that is typically equipped to handle large groups of people fleeing poverty and violence. The pace of arrivals in Brownsville appeared to catch the city on the southernmost tip of Texas off guard, stretching social services and putting an overnight shelter in an uncommon position of turning people away. Officials say more than 15,000 migrants, mostly from Venezuela, have illegally crossed the river near Brownsville since last week. That is a sharp rise from the 1,700 migrants that Border Patrol agents encountered in the first two weeks of April, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. Its a quite concerning because the logistical challenge that we encounter is massive for us, said Gloria Chavez, chief of the U.S. Border Patrol Rio Grande Valley Sector. The reason for the increase was not immediately clear. Chavez said migrants have been frustrated by relying on a glitch-plagued government app that can allow them to seek asylum at a port of entry. Some migrants who crossed this week cited other motivators, including cartel threats that immediately preceded the sudden increment. The uptick comes as the Biden administration plans for the end of pandemic-era asylum restrictions. U.S. authorities have said daily illegal crossings from Mexico could climb as high as 13,000 from about 5,200 in March. Other cities some far away from the southern U.S. border are also grappling with suddenly large influxes of migrants. In Chicago, authorities reported this week a tenfold increase in the arrival of migrants in the city, where as many as 100 migrants have begun arriving daily and begun sheltering in police stations. Brownsville is across the Rio Grande from Matamoros, Mexico, where a sprawling encampment of makeshift tents has housed about 2,000 people waiting to enter the U.S. Last week, some tents were set ablaze and destroyed. Some migrants have said cartel-backed gangs were responsible, but a government official suggested the fires could have been set by a group of migrants frustrated over their long wait. It was desperation, the cartel, said Roxana Aguirre, 24, a Venezuelan migrant who sat outside a Brownsville bus station Friday afternoon. You couldnt be on the street without looking over your shoulder. In downtown Brownsville, families from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and China walked aimlessly, carrying their belongings and talking on their cellphones. Some waited for their buses while others were in limbo, waiting for relatives before making plans to leave but finding no shelter in the meantime. One Venezuelan couple said they slept in a parking lot after being turned away at an overnight shelter. Officials in Brownsville issued a disaster declaration this week, following other Texas border cities that have done the same in the face of suddenly large influxes of migrants, including last year in El Paso. "Weve never seen these numbers before, said Martin Sandoval, spokesperson for the Brownsville Police Department. The reshuffling of resources at the border in one of the busiest sectors with robust Border Patrol staffing levels comes as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security prepares to end the use of a public health authority known as Title 42, which allowed them to reject asylum claims. The administration has expelled migrants 2.7 million times under a rule in effect since March 2020 that denies rights to seek asylum under U.S. and international law on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19. Title 42, as the public health rule is known, is scheduled to end May 11 when the U.S. lifts its last COVID-related restrictions. A Napa activist who co-founded the Rise Up Napa movement died Wednesday morning in a car-train collision in Fairfield, authorities have confirmed. Jennifer Simi, 53, died in the wreck, according to Fairfield Police and the Solano County Coroners Office. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. The collision occurred at about 9:15 a.m. Wednesday on a track owned by Union Pacific Railroad, and involved an Amtrak train on the Capitol Corridor service heading northeast from San Jose to Sacramento, according to Kelly Just, an Amtrak spokesperson. Train 524 on the Capitol Corridor struck a vehicle that was obstructing the track, and that vehicle in turn struck a second vehicle, she said Friday. It was not immediately clear which vehicle Simi was in at the time of the collision. Several other people were hospitalized after the crash with injuries ranging from major to moderate, CBS affiliate KOVR-TV of Sacramento reported. No injuries were reported among the train crew or the estimated 120 passengers, according to Just. The wreck occurred at East Tabor Road and Railroad Avenue, and caused closures of both roads that lasted several hours, police said in a news release. The Amtrak train was delayed by nearly three hours, Just said. Napa Valley rallies to end gun violence at Rock the Ride YOUNTVILLE When the first Rock the Ride fundraiser to end gun violence was held last summer, the Napa Valley community was still reeling fro Simi rose to local prominence in the Napa Valley in the wake of Donald Trumps 2016 election as president, which led her and three others to form Rise Up Napa in response to what they described as a rising threat of racism and intolerance. We have a president who doesnt represent our beliefs, she told the Napa Valley Register during a December 2016 march Rise Up Napa organized in downtown Napa against the then president-elect. I realized complacency is no longer an option. We have to get off our couches and out of our houses and organize to stand up for what we believe. This is not politics as usual. Simi also was a member of the Napa chapters of the anti-gun-violence group Moms Demand Action, Indivisible and the Rock the Congress political action committee, according to Ermilita Bruce Gulliksen, a friend, neighbor and fellow Rise Up Napa co-founder. A pair of attacks that killed Napa County residents the March 2018 Pathway Home shooting in Yountville and a mass shooting that November in Thousand Oaks in which the Napa native Alaina Housley and 12 others died moved Simi to urge quicker action against the onslaught of gun violence in our community and in our country, she said during the Rock the Ride benefit in 2019 to fundraise for groups battling gun violence. Lilea Heine, a former neighbor of Simis in Browns Valley and the executive director of First 5 Napa Valley, recalled the support Simi lent her and others involved in Rise Up Napa and Moms Demand Action. She was so comforting, reminding me of our work to shape the world we want for our kids and for our community, said Heine, who first came to know Simi when both were serving as volunteer escorts for Planned Parenthood clinic visitors. She was a great comfort during our time (together). (Heine is a member of the Napa Valley Registers editorial board.) Later Thursday, Bruce Gulliksen reflected on the loss not only of a comrade-in-arms in political activism, but also of a neighbor and loyal friend. She was so personable. She would just know you from the first time you met her; shed find something you had and find something to connect with you, she said of Simi. She was just beaming positivity; she was always a great relationship kind of a person. Im still in shock, said Bruce Gulliksen. Everyone who knows her is still in shock. She was gone too soon. She had so much life to live. Simi leaves behind her husband, daughter and son, along with her parents and two sisters, according to Bruce Gulliksen. Photos: Napa Valley Faces and Places, April 23, 2023 Napa Countys library system has a new collection of an old media ready for patrons to take for a spin. Vinyl records. This past week 148 vinyl records were added to the collections of the AmCan, Napa, Yountville and Calistoga libraries. Were talking Taylor Swifts Folklore album, Princes Purple Rain, Led Zeppelins Physical Graffiti, Journeys Live in Houston 1981: the Escape Tour, albums from Dua Lipa, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler the Creator, Harry Styles and even the Monsters Inc. soundtrack. Each can now be borrowed, for free. All you need is a library card. Anthony Halstead, library director, said its been at least 15 years since the library loaned LPs. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. While the Friends of the Napa Library sell used and donated records and CDs at their regular sales, this is the first time in a long time that a collection of newly released (and re-released) vinyl has become part of the library. Halstead said over the past two to three years he started noticing more and more interest in vinyl records. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, in 2022 revenue from vinyl records grew 17% to $1.2 billion the 16th consecutive year of growth. For the first time since 1987, more vinyl albums were sold than CDs (41 million vs 33 million). There's a physical aspect of listening to records that I think people want, said Halstead. Yes, you can hear almost any song instantly via streaming music sites. But theres a special something about physically selecting a record, putting it on the player and moving the needle into place. There's a ritual about it, he said. I think it meets a number of different senses. And so I think that's part of the enthusiasm. For adults over a certain age, selecting and playing a record is its own form of nostalgia, said Halstead. And for those who didnt grow up with vinyl, it can be just as exciting to experience that new format. To Halstead, playing a vinyl record removes us from the digital universe we all live in, even if for just 20 minutes at a time. I think that people like that, he said. Some of the new albums even come with printed booklets or posters, including the Prince Purple Rain album and the Elton John Madman Across the Water set of four discs, Halstead noted. Is he worried that those extras will get damaged or lost? Not really, the librarian said. When comes to bonuses such as posters, lyrics and liner notes, there's almost a reverence for it; or a special appreciation. People tend to take good care." Besides the new vinyl collection, the library system continues to expand its library of things, in other ways. Today, locals can borrow everything from Chromebooks (for up to six months), Wi-Fi hot spots, record players, microscopes, games such as Catan and Dungeons and Dragons, puzzles, guitars, sewing machines, cookie cutters, state park passes or blood pressure cuffs. Patrons can even check out coloring books and markers (once most of the pages are colored, the library buys another copy of the coloring book). Some artists even sign and date their work, creating a feeling of a community art project. Most library items and books can be loaned for three weeks. The library no longer charges late fees, Halstead added. Such fees werent impactful. At the same time borrowers discover vinyl, fewer and fewer clamor for CDs and DVDs. "We really have seen a reduced interest from the public in both of those formats, he said. Even with the lure of nostalgia, Halstead acknowledged there are a few kinds of media that are not likely coming back at least any time soon: cassette tapes, 8-Track tapes and VHS tapes. Cassette and VHS tapes were maintenance heavy, heavy, he said. They break, they tear, they stretch I don't know that tapes will come back into the collection, he said honestly. Hes even more definitive about bringing back 8-track music. Boy, that one's probably not going to happen. Photos: Kids go wild for bugs at the Napa library Roger Krahl, president of R Guns, left, gives information to Zack Johnson about an R Guns-brand TRR15 model rifle at Krahl's gun store on April 29, 2023, in Carpentersville. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) Suburban gun shop owners were swamped with weekend crowds after a federal judge in the district court for the Southern District of Illinois issued an injunction Friday, blocking enforcement of the states January ban on military-style firearms. When Roger Krahl, owner of RGuns in Carpentersville, heard about the injunction, he said the phones in his office lit up like a Christmas tree. Advertisement Within 15 minutes, we had people coming in, Krahl told the Tribune on Saturday. There was a line outside the door before I could open up this morning. There will be no lunch today, because well be going nonstop. Krahl told the Tribune he was overjoyed when he got word of the ruling by Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn. Advertisement Writing that a constitutional right is at stake, McGlynn found the plaintiffs in the case showed the law caused an irreparable harm by denying them the ability to purchase their firearm of choice and exercise their right to self-defense in the manner they choose. Two other federal judges from northern Illinois have upheld the ban, and Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul has filed an appeal to McGlynns ruling and Raoul has also filed a motion in federal court to have the ruling not go into effect, pending the outcome of the appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. [ Illinois ban on high-powered firearms blocked by federal judge downstate; Gov. Pritzkers office confident law will be upheld ] Maxon Shooters Supply owner Dan Eldridge said he hasnt seen this level of business at his Des Plaines establishment since the panic buying that occurred immediately following the first COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020. Eldridge said he expects record crowds and panic buying to continue into next week, as courts move forward with the ruling. Eldridge, who is also president of Federal Firearm Licensees of Illinois, called the ownership of military-use rifles, like M-16s, with AR-15s, a constitutionally protected activity. He said many gun owners have lost over half their revenue since the bill was signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker earlier this year. On Friday, owners pulled their high power firearms inventory out from storage. Eldridge said Maxon puts five to six thousand students through self-defense programs each year basic pistol safety, rifle classes and medical emergency training. Even as sales have dropped since January, he said, demand for defense training has increased. AR-15s have been blamed for many mass shootings in the U.S., but Eldridge said they are excellent self-defense weapons. Advertisement Living in Chicago raises obvious self-defense issues, Eldridge said. If somebody is ready to spend $250 and 16 hours of their time on a concealed carry class, thats a pretty good indication that they do have some concerns about personal safety. Eldridge said AR-15s have instant recoil, are comfortable to shoot and adaptable to people of all different heights while Krahl called AR-15s: Barbie for guys. The ban goes well beyond assault rifles. It addresses large capacity ammunition magazines of more than 10 rounds for long guns and 15 rounds for handguns, and devices that increase the firing rates of a firearm, known as switches. Fridays ruling does not apply to the laws ban on switches, and it doesnt affect an additional provision extending firearm restraining orders to take guns away from people who are a danger to themselves or others. Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Krahls said his statewide sales plummeted 90% in January. He stressed that passing laws to take firearms away from law-abiding citizens is not the solution. A gun is a gun, said Krahl. If you want to increase penalties for committing crimes with a firearm, my industry is 100% behind it. Advertisement Eldridge said that he plans to continue to fight the law so his members can earn their livelihoods and serve their customers. He said the law was a knee-jerk reaction to last summers deadly mass shooting in Highland Park. It belies some pretty ugly perspectives from the gun control people that a tragic mass shooting is worth engaging in a constitutional battle, when the number of people who are murdered in Chicago each weekend dont drive them to do anything, Eldridge said. Zack Johnson, of Woodstock, purchased a TRR15 rifle Saturday at RGuns. He was at work when he heard about the district court ruling, and his phone went off with elated texts from friends and co-workers. Im fairly excited that I got my rights back, Johnson said. We live in the United States, we should follow the Constitution and be able to do what law-abiding citizens are able to do. nsalzman@chicagotribune.com A man accused of drunk driving handed out fliers ahead of an event featuring District Attorney Allison Haley Friday, asking the countys top prosecutor to change a filing decision he said puts him in jeopardy of being deported. Haley was speaking at a meeting of the Napa County Bar Association, held at the Elks Lodge on Soscol Avenue. Joaquin Gutierrez, 23, came to Napa from Mexico at 2-years-old with his older brother and mother. In a statement, he acknowledged he had a Blood Alcohol Level of 0.12 above the legal limit of 0.08 when he was arrested in late 2021. His attorney, Jess Raphael, said he has asked prosecutors to change the charge to a so-called wet reckless which has the same penalty as the misdemeanor charge Gutierrez currently faces but does not have the immigration-related consequences. Raphael said that Haley asked to see legal authorities showing this was indeed the case. He said he has done so and is awaiting a response. Assistant District Attorney Paul Gero said the two handing out fliers did not factor into the negotiations in the case. District Attorney Haley addressed the issue in an email to defense counsel earlier this year and will continue to consider all evidence presented in the case," he said. SAN LUIS OBISPO The jurors who convicted Paul Flores for the murder of the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student and former Napan Kristin Smart were forbidden to talk about the case with anyone even one another for more than three months. That was the hardest part, four of Paul Flores jurors told The Tribune. The jurors spoke on condition of anonymity to protect their privacy around the high-profile case, but agreed to be identified by their juror numbers. Its very traumatizing to go through something like that, Juror 273 told The Tribune. Having nightmares, experiencing something, and not be able to tell each other, This is what were going through. This is what Im feeling. This is what Im thinking. Is this normal? The jurors convicted Flores on Oct. 18, more than a quarter century after the 19-year-old Smart disappeared when she left an off-campus party in May 1996. A separate jury acquitted Flores father, Ruben Flores, of helping his son conceal the crime. Coping with the horrors of the case and the pressure of their decision completely alone, the jurors said, affected nearly every aspect of their lives. It also created friendships that outlasted the three-month trial. The jurors said they talked about literally anything and everything else outside of the case and continue to keep their group chat alive despite not spending eight hours in court together anymore. Food was a passion many of the jurors shared, as were their kids and families. We just learned a lot about each other, Juror 209 said. Nearly 1,500 people screened for Kristin Smart jury When Juror 86 arrived at jury selection in July, she didnt think much of it. She had served jury duty twice before, and the number of people in her selection time seemed typical. She didnt realize at the time there were several rounds of jury selection. In total, nearly 1,500 Monterey County residents were screened as potential jurors. Juror 174 said she and her husband were both called into jury duty for the case. Curiously, they were asked to arrive in different rounds. I knew that there was something weird, Juror 174 said. Two of the jurors who spoke to The Tribune work for local governments, and the other two are self-employed, which they said allowed them to serve for three months without a great financial burden. Juror 174 said she had remembered hearing something about the case when Smart first went missing but didnt recall any details about it before the trial started. The other jurors The Tribune spoke with hadnt heard about the case. Smarts murder has haunted San Luis Obispo County since 1996, when she disappeared toward the end of her freshman year at Cal Poly. (Smart had graduated high school in Stockton after spending her junior year at Vintage High School in Napa, where her father Stan was the principal at the time his daughter vanished.) Flores has been the prime suspect in the case for just as long but wasnt arrested until April 2021. The jurors said they realized the significance of the case as soon as the trial started in Monterey County Superior Court on July 18. There were two defendants with separate attorneys and two juries. Also, they hadnt expected the family or several members of the media to attend the trial every day. As it was starting, I feel scared, Juror 86 said. I felt like, Im going to have a big job. I didnt think it was going to be this big. The jurors said they all remained open and neutral as they absorbed the evidence throughout the trial. Some scribbled notes. Others sketched witnesses and courtroom moments. And the rest didnt take notes at all. How jurors coped with trauma of case It was difficult to cope with the facts of the case, the jurors said. They werent allowed to talk about what they were going through feelings included with anyone. There was no way to process the trauma they were hearing and how it was affecting them. It strained family relationships greatly, the jurors said, especially marriages. Juror 174, who said she and her husband had been struggling previously, came home from court one day to find a divorce petition in her email. She said the trial became a sort of escape for her at that point, but the feelings all compounded outside the courtroom. The other three jurors, who are also married, said their relationships became strained because the emotions inside the courtroom would affect their mood outside of it. Worse, when their husbands, family or friends would ask them whats wrong, they couldnt talk about it. One day, Juror 86 said, her daughter came home from school. She was excited to tell her mom about what she learned in class the Smart case. I just walked away, the juror said. And got out of the house. Juror 273 spent a lot of time with her animals as an outlet, while Juror 209 said she did a lot of walking. Despite the emotional toll it took to not talk about the case and how it affected them, the jurors said they were never tempted. I never had any desire to talk to somebody outside of court because I felt like such a huge responsibility to the family of the victim that this took 26 years to get to court, Juror 174 said. I dont want to be the reason they screw this up. Juror 273 believes there needs to be a court-appointed counselor for jurors in order to help them process their emotions and manage their mental health during traumatic cases. But according to the Judicial Council of California, all cases must be decided only on the evidence presented in the courtroom. Discussing the case with anyone outside of it could influence a jurors decision-making. Some unsure of Paul Flores guilt on first day of deliberations When the jurors entered the deliberation room on Oct. 4 after a 12-week trial, Juror 209 said it was a feeling of relief. It was just a big sigh of, We could finally talk about it. One by one, the jurors shared their thoughts about the case and the different pieces of evidence presented by the defense and prosecution. At the end of the first day of deliberations, nine jurors wanted to convict Flores of Smarts murder. Three others were on the fence. There was limited physical evidence and, most notably, no body. Juror 174 said this annoyed her because one of the questions she and other potential jurors were asked during jury selection was if they would be able to convict someone without a body. I really was sick inside, Juror 174 said of the stress of deliberations. Its a lot of pressure, and the pressure for me was that we had to come with the right decision. And three people dont agree with us. What are we going to do? Juror 273 was one of the three people on the fence. She said she remained neutral throughout the trial even when she cried out loud in reaction to a soil stain found at Ruben Flores home that prosecutors said was a result of Smarts body being buried there. The reaction prompted the court to take a recess, and the defense unsuccessfully attempted to remove her from the jury. Juror 273 said that was the first evidence she saw that made her think Flores could be guilty. That said, she didnt make up her mind in that moment. Her mind still wasnt made up at first in the deliberation room. Juror 273, and the other two jurors on the fence, had to make sure there was enough circumstantial evidence to outweigh not having a body. Thats what they went over during four days of deliberations. The jurors said they went through every witness in the trial more than 50 people and pinpointed parts of testimony that stuck out. Jurors said they also constantly referred to the jury instructions Monterey County Superior Court Judge Jennifer OKeefe gave them. We all wanted to make sure that whatever decision we came to, we all agreed on, Juror 273 said. We all did it personally on our own. According to the jurors, the most important pieces of evidence were the testimonies of the two women who said Flores raped them following Smarts disappearance, and the soil evidence found at Ruben Flores home. The jurors said the women who testified that Flores raped them established a pattern and made them believe Flores attempted to rape or raped Smart before her death. Jurors describe verdict day: A whole different vibe The morning of Oct. 18, the jurors knew they were reaching a verdict. But walking into the courtroom that day for the verdict reading, Juror 209 said, was a whole different vibe. I was nervous, Juror 209 said. It just felt like the tension was so thick in that building. And I dont know if it was just because of me and the way I was feeling with having to sit in the same courtroom as somebody we just convicted of first-degree murder, or if everyone knew that the verdict was out so everybody was anxious to hear it. Juror 174 said she was anxious about how the verdict would play out in court, but it was gratifying walking to her car after it was read. I think we were just like running to just get out of there, Juror 174 said, because it was just too much. The verdict reading was exciting, Juror 86 said, but as soon as she left court for the last time, she felt jittery and overwhelmed. I got home and I sat down in my bed and I wanted to cry, Juror 86 said, But I couldnt. Thats when her husband came in, and they could finally talk about what shes endured for the past three months. So was he guilty? Juror 86s husband asked her. Definitely. He then asked, Was it the Kristin Smart case? To which Juror 86 responded, Yes. I knew it, her husband said. Thats why you were so stressed out. It was such a relief to be able to talk to him about it, Juror 86 said. News coverage and podcast solidified decision, jurors say Juror 209 said she looked up the Your Own Backyard podcast, which was mentioned several times throughout the trial for the part it played in cracking the Smart case, as soon as she sat in her car after the verdict. She then began reading news articles from the trial, and started listening to the podcast, hosted by Chris Lambert, the next day. It just solidified how accurate my decision and how I felt so strongly that my decision was a correct decision with the verdict that we gave, Juror 209 said. Jurors shared news articles and their thoughts on Your Own Backyard in their group chat, all taking in information at their own pace. Juror 174 said she already believed the jurys verdict was correct, but listening to the podcast and reading news articles about Flores conduct that werent shown in court made it clear there was no reason to feel remorse in any direction for this guy. I started to actually get mad at the whole justice system, Juror 174 said, feeling like were better off a defendant than a victim. The fact Flores was free for 26 years despite being the only suspect in the case, which allegedly allowed him to rape several women, makes Juror 273 feel really unsafe. It does not make any sense to me that somebody like that can be able to get away with so many things, Juror 273 said. If somebody like that can, how many other people are out here doing that? She said she found more reassurance with the jurys decision as she learned more information about the case. It did give us peace of mind to be able to hear and to know actually the facts and the truth, news and the podcast, said Juror 273. Jurors continue to seek justice for Kristin Smart A group of jurors, including the four The Tribune spoke with, attended the sentencing on March 10. They wanted to see the impact of their decision through to the end and be reassured the defenses motion for a new trial didnt succeed. Juror 209 said they also were there to confirm the past three months of their lives werent a waste. She said witnessing the sentencing provided a much-needed sense of closure. Juror 86 was curious if Flores would have a reaction to the sentencing he didnt and also wanted to reconnect with her fellow jurors. The group of jurors have met with Lambert, the Your Own Backyard podcast host, multiple times. They decided to reach out after listening to his podcast because of the substantial work he did for the case. In one of their meetings, Lambert led them on the walk from the party house where Smart was last seen to her dorm, and visited a small memorial on campus. The jurors said the walk reconnected them to the case, and to Smart. Some were parents whose kids are getting ready to leave for college. They hoped visiting the campus would give them closure. Instead, it put them in the shoes of Smarts family, who have said there wont be true justice for their daughter until her body is found. The jurors feel the same, and said they will do anything they can to help find Smart. Its been an up and down couple weeks. Grandpa Donnie remains on hospice care. After a lifetime of leading his large family, owning a small business and being a community leader, he said he is not ready to leave us yet. We visit him often. Every time we drive away I wonder if I will see him again. But then he rallies and surprises us all. Then, April 22 was the five-year anniversary of my own dads passing. Five years gone is weird. I can still see my dad sitting at his kitchen counter with a little desk light reading his daily newspapers. Hes looking at family photos on his laptop or poking around on Ancestry.com. Hes cooking salmon fillets on his green tile komodo grill. Hes calling our girls by their nicknames, which sometimes made their eyes roll but I hope they never forget. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. My beloved Napa Valley Register is changing too. I thought our mandatory two-week furloughs this spring were rough but then we learned that two of our small yet scrappy staff had been laid off. Sasha Paulsen came close to celebrating 25 years of reporting Napa news. Nobody knows food and wine like Sasha. Its like we cut off an arm when we lost Sasha. Make that two arms. Danielle Wilde was a Napa newcomer but had already jumped in with both feet. She was quietly confident and wasnt afraid to call up the movers and shakers around the valley. Plus, she always admired my latest desk decorations. Both Sasha and Danielle deserved more, much more. In the middle of all of this c r a p, a surprising visitor appeared outside the Register. Next to our parking lot, underneath our Redwood tree, picnic bench and next to our Little Free Library, its a bicycle. But Im not talking about an ordinary two-wheeler. Its a bicycle from Margaritaville. As in Cheeseburger in Paradise Jimmy Buffett. Stepped on a Pop Top Jimmy Buffett. Fruitcakes Jimmy Buffett. No other two-wheeler has more fully embraced the Jimmy Buffett aesthetic. Other bikes go by names like Schwinn or Huffy. Not this one. Margaritaville, reads the pink, swoopy script on the banana yellow frame. The front and back fenders are covered by a cheery pineapple, hibiscus and green leaf print. The flower motif continues on the handlebars and nice wide seat (which looks super comfy BTW). The wheel rims are painted bright pink with white sidewalls. A strip of LED lights is wound around the spokes of the front wheel. It has a handlebar basket decorated with more pineapple flower print, contrasting trim and striped black and white interior. A large plastic pineapple drink holder is attached to the right handlebar. A safety-minded Parrothead installed a blinking light on the yellow bike rack above the rear wheel. The chefs kiss is a bottle opener attached to the side of the bike frame conveniently located just below the seat. Its not just a bike. Its a party/vacation/parade/on wheels. Its as if a colorful tropical bird had flown from an island, landed at our humble block of auto repair places on Vallejo Street, and decided to take a siesta under our Redwood tree. Actually, the Margaritaville bike kind of brightens up the place. It gives our little outdoor patch some flair. For a good time, hop on! it practically screams. This bike has Instagram selfie written all over it. For the first couple days I kept thinking the owner would return to reunite with their beloved companion. Or was it stolen? Was there a Jimmy Buffett fan out there desperately searching for their lost shaker of salt/Buffett bike? I mean, no one would willingly part with such a treasure, right? Days passed, and then a week. Two weeks later, the bike remained locked next to the picnic bench. On the day Sasha and Danielle were laid off, a few of us sat outside by the bike and commiserated about the changes. The peppy two-wheeled cruiser seemed to mock the mood, which irritated me. Read the room Margaritaville bike. Enough of the happy vibes. We are in mourning here. These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes Nothing remains quite the same With all of our running and all of our cunning If we couldnt laugh wed all go insane. Photos: Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville bike found at Napa Register Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville bike: a lost shaker of salt? Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville bike: a lost shaker of salt? Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville bike: a lost shaker of salt? Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville bike: a lost shaker of salt? Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville bike: a lost shaker of salt? Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville bike: a lost shaker of salt? Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville bike: a lost shaker of salt? Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville bike: a lost shaker of salt? In Artsakh, significantly lower revenues were entered into the state budget. State Revenue Committee Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan hold talks in Washington for the second day in a row Kristina Kvien underscores Armenia Constitutional Court-US Embassy collaboration (PHOTOS) Central Bank: Armenia food prices dropping, services prices increasing Armenia Central Bank head: Yerevan real estate prices are inflated by about 25% Central Bank chief: Half of those who came from abroad want to stay in Armenia for at least one year Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin: Armenian clergy continue their spiritual service in Dadivank thanks Russian peacekeepers Armenia to get more than $86M additional loan for North-South Highway construction PM, Rosatom head discuss construction of new nuclear power unit in Armenia Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan arrangements regarding Karabakh have no alternative, Peskov says Armenia, Iran businessmen discuss possibilities of cooperation (PHOTOS) Azerbaijan demands Armenian clergymens expulsion from Dadivank Monastery NO to the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh movement pitches tents on Stepanakert-Shushi motorway Armenia legislature speaker to head for Turkey Wednesday Yeghoyan: If there is sour word about Russia, should we vote with abstention if Russian peacekeepers are in Karabakh? Senators Menendez, Blackburn introduce bill to support Armenian Genocide education in US Armenia refinancing rate left unchanged at 10.75% Tatoyan Foundation: Azerbaijanis are laying mines, committing thefts in Armenia territory Ruling power lawmaker: Armenia does everything for Azerbaijan-Karabakh dialogue to take place Hurriyet: Turkey presidential election runoff probability is more than 50% Armenia ruling force MP: Everything will be done to reach agreement with Azerbaijan Optimar research center pre-election survey: Turkey's Erdogan to get 51.4%, Kilicdaroglu to garner 48.6% of votes Sisak Gabrielyan: There is interest from India, US to shoot film in Armenia Arman Yeghoyan: Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs meeting planned in Moscow also Zangezur corridor is part of Middle Corridor, Azerbaijan official says Armenia ambassador, Georgian official discuss cargo transportation via Georgia Israel damages Aleppo airport runway during its attack on city World oil prices are stable Gabriel Garcia Marquez's heirs to publish his unpublished novel in Spring 2024 Armenia can submit counterarguments to UN court regarding Azerbaijan lawsuit until August 21 Armenia parliament convenes regular sessions Blinken: Dialogue is key to reaching lasting peace in South Caucasus (PHOTOS) Patel: We believe that peace is possible between Armenia, Azerbaijan US State Department: Issue of unblocking Lachin corridor continues to be the case Natural gas leak causes explosion in Armenia, injured are taken to Yerevan burn center Newspaper: Azerbaijan to present gift to reelection of Turkeys Erdogan VOA: Armenia-Azerbaijan document being discussed is called Agreement on the Normalization of Relations Arlington hosts bilateral meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers The Mirzoyan-Blinken-Bayramov meeting ended in Washington Karabakh state minister: I have no direct communication with Armenias authorities President of Artsakh convenes Security Council session Mirzoyan-Blinken-Bayramov meeting starts in Washington Russia, Iran plan to jointly manufacture research satellite Mirzoyan-Blinken meeting discusses process of normalizing Armenia-Azerbaijan relations David Babayan: Karabakh society awaits answers from its authorities, Moscow, Yerevan, the West State minister: Meeting between Karabakh authorities, Russian peacekeeping troops new commander concluded Armenian language courses being conducted for repatriates in Armenia Aram Ananyan: Yerevan-Istanbul flight will take place Mirzoyan-Blinken meeting starts Head of Karabakhs Mets Shen village: We remain in complete blockade Iran embassy, consulate in Saudi Arabia to resume work Tbilisi mayor: EU did not grant Georgia candidate status due to its not joining sanctions on Russia Former human rights activist: Armenian side also set up checkpoint, this legitimizes Azerbaijani sides actions Azerbaijan preparing to organize rowing competition in occupied Mataghis village of Karabakh Murder with firearm in Yerevan, victim was Netherlands citizen Paraguay president-elect wants to restore diplomatic relations with Venezuela World gold prices going down US embassy in Armenia closed Monday Armenias Mirzoyan to meet with US Secretary of State Marina Kaljurand condemns Azerbaijan actions that endanger peace process Anti-Crisis Council head: Russian peacekeepers commander told Karabakh authorities he is going to Azerbaijan for talks Moldova opposition party vice-chair detained at Chisinau airport International Workers' Day marked in Greece with mass labor strikes, demonstrations It snows heavily in Armenia village in May Natural gas supply to Armenia temporarily stopped 6 dead after minibus falls into gorge in Tajikistan 18 dead after tourist bus falls into ravine in Mexico Switzerland heads UN Security Council by rotation shamhsyan.com: Man found dead with gunshot wounds after shooting in Yerevan 4 consecutive earthquakes recorded off Japan coast Turkey's Erdogan expresses hope for wheat deal extension Sudan army agrees to extend humanitarian truce for 72 hours Armenia PM: Only knowledge-based work can bring development, progress Karabakh state minister: Azerbaijanis, putting our citizens in desperate situation, force them to fulfill their demands Italy wants to build world's longest suspension bridge Blinken tells Aliyev deep US concern over Azerbaijans establishment of checkpoint on Lachin corridor Artsakh Information Center: Residents of Karabakh communities under siege are those in Azerbaijan media video Zelenskyy, Macron discuss prospects for development of situation on battlefront 10 killed after armed attack in Ecuador Information about Armenia soldier being wounded not true Iran dismisses industry minister Cuba cancels May Day parade Russian embassy in Poland ready for any decisions by Moscow Operation "Ring": 30 years later, Artsakh faces same existential threat CEC of Uzbekistan declares referendum valid French senator calls for sanctions against Azerbaijan US accuses Russian pilots of aggression in Syria Kyrgyz PM concerned over driverless taxis Artsakh President: No to ethnic cleansing of Artsakh Car falls into gorge in Ararat Province Paris-Yerevan flight arrives from Chisinau Blinken's promise to Armenian PM Pashinyan Stepantsminda-Lars road closed for trucks "Armenia" opposition members visit Gegharkunik Province Turkey closes airspace to FlyOne Armenia Armenian PMs call with Blinken An Armenian serviceman received a gunshot wound in the direction of Tegh Russia and Turkey to increase passenger air traffic "Endangered Christian Culture of Artsakh" conference held in Cologne Warring parties in Sudan more open to negotiations On April 29, in connection with Azerbaijan blocking the only road connecting Artsakh with Armenia, 16 patients were transferred from the Republican Medical Center of the Republic of Artsakh Ministry of Healthcare to various specialized medical institutions in Armenia with the mediation and assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This was reported by the Ministry of Healthcare of Artsakh. 10 patients transferred to Armenia for treatment returned to Artsakh escorted by ICRC. As of now, a total of 394 patients have been transported from Artsakh to Armenia with the mediation and escort of the ICRC. Stories of state gifts to Xi: Photo of 8 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets escorting Xi's plane shows ironclad China-Pakistan friendship People's Daily Online) 11:39, April 27, 2023 Chinese President Xi Jinping received a state gift from Pakistan - a photo of eight JF-17 Thunder fighter jets escorting him on his flight to the country. The escort was Pakistan's highest reception for Xi's state visit to the country in April 2015. Pakistan presents a photo of JF-17 Thunder fighter jets escorting Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane to Xi as a state gift in April 2015. (Photo/Hu Yang) The Thunder fighters are a shining example of cooperation between China and Pakistan. In the 1990s, Pakistan remained actively engaged with China, hoping to jointly develop an advanced fighter aircraft. In 2003, a jointly developed Thunder fighter jet flew for the first time. The excellent fighter jets have succeeded in protecting Pakistans national security, with the fighter jet project praised by the Pakistan Army as the most successful cooperation project between the two nations. A Pakistan Air Force pilot involved in the escort mission who identified himself as Khan said that using the Thunder fighter jets for the escort was the best way for the air force to show respect to the Chinese leader. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers an important speech titled Building a China-Pakistan Community of Shared Destiny to Pursue Closer Win-Win Cooperation" at the Pakistani parliament on April 21, 2015. (Photo/Yao Dawei) During his visit to Pakistan, Xi and Pakistani leaders raised China-Pakistan relations to an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. All-weather means that the two countries will always move ahead together, rain or shine. This bilateral relationship is rare in the world. Xi said to then Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that they had the responsibility to carry forward China-Pakistan friendship that had become a valuable asset of the two peoples. (Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming) As the spring semester at Southern Illinois University winds down, Ive been thinking about what final insights to pass on to my students. Ive decided to emphasize the importance of mentors. I think of mentors as role models who show us how to live correctly. They do so by example and instruction, however, Ive found consistent example is far more persuasive and enduring than verbal instruction. Advertisement Ive come to believe that life provides us with different kinds of mentors. The daily mentors: These are the people we regularly encounter at work, school or in our community. They profoundly shape our lives. For more than 25 years, I was a reporter in the Washington bureau of Market News International, a global financial news service. Our bureau chief was a man named Denny Gulino. I never once heard him outline his philosophy of management or discuss leadership. But I did notice that he was the first to arrive at work every day and the last to leave. He assigned to himself the hardest and most thankless jobs. Advertisement Denny proclaimed to the entire company everything a staff member did well and relegated our mistakes to brief and private discussions which he seemed to find more painful than we did. He worked tirelessly and laughed endlessly. When he retired as bureau chief, we presented him with a plaque that said simply, Example is everything. From Denny, I learned that the best approach to management is optimism, kindness and sheer hard work. The middle distance mentors: These are the people we observe either casually over time or more intensely over a short period. One summer during college, I worked on a railroad crew, laying track, in my hometown of Peoria. It was the hardest job Ive ever had, combining difficult physical labor with intense heat, stifling humidity and endless mosquitoes. It was a summer of misery. However, there was a middle-aged man on my crew who I can still see clearly four decades later. His name was Jose Silva. He was quiet, intelligent and proud. He was also extremely competent. Unlike the rest of us, Jose declined opportunities to take occasional shortcuts or slack off in the shade. Im certain he never knew the impression he made on me, but decades later, I can still recall him skillfully, even elegantly, repairing track on brutal summer afternoons at the Peoria & Pekin Union Railroad. From Jose, I learned that no task is too small for excellence, that all work provides opportunities for honorable behavior, and there is enormous dignity in doing the right thing, even when you are pretty sure no one is watching. The glimpsed mentors: These are people we observe for a short time, but whose impact is far greater and more enduring than these brief encounters suggest. About 15 years ago, I was writing a book on former Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana. For my research, I joined a delegation of about a dozen congressional staffers, reporters and senators on a trip to Russia, Ukraine and Albania. The trip was well organized from start to finish. CIA Director William Burns testifies March 9, 2023, during the House Select Committee on Intelligence annual open hearing on worldwide threats at the Capitol in Washington. (Carolyn Kaster / AP) One enduring memory is of the American ambassador to Russia who hosted us in Moscow. He did everything right. He met our plane at the airport when we arrived and saw us off several days later at our early morning departure. He attended our meetings with Russian officials, made it a point to have conversations with each of us in the traveling delegation, and hosted receptions and briefings that were informative and welcoming. His name was William Burns. He went on to become the deputy secretary of state and is now the CIA director. From Bill (as he introduced himself), I learned that professionalism can be modest, unassuming and manifested in small gestures and tiny details. The historical mentors: These are the people we read about in biographies and histories and whose lives are full of instruction and example. Several have been important to me: George Marshall, the solider-statesman; Eleanor Roosevelt, the formidable first lady who became a global human rights crusader; and Abraham Lincoln, the most remarkable president in American history. Of course, its difficult to write about Lincoln without lapsing into cliche. His toughness and kindness are astonishing, as are his vision, courage, compassion, civility and effectiveness. My fascination with Lincoln inspires me to read at least one book about him every year. As it happens, the book Im reading this spring is Lincolns Mentors: The Education of a Leader by Michael Gerhardt. Gerhardt attributes Lincolns greatness, in significant part, to his search for, and embrace of, mentors. Lincoln, he writes, had a handful of men to whom he turned for guidance and inspiration throughout his life. Even as a young man, Lincoln knew enough to know he needed mentors. He could not learn in isolation all the skills he needed to become a great leader. Im going to encourage my students to seek out mentors to help guide their careers and navigate difficult times. However, Im also going to urge them to be on the lookout for mentors who come into their lives in unexpected places and in surprising ways. Advertisement John Shaw is director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University. He is also a professor at SIU teaching a class on American statesmanship. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Its out with the shovels and hard hats and in with the permanent markers at the beam-signing ceremony on April 28 to dedicate the construction of a $10.75 million, 21,000-square-foot addition to the Coad Science Building. Construction of the addition will begin as the spring semester ends and will be completed by the fall of 2024. A fiberglass beam, signed by the guests at the ceremony, will be displayed in a prominent place in Coad during construction before being incorporated into the additions structure. The addition will include neuroscience, computational and environmental research labs as well as collaborative spaces, being built in the first phase of the project. The second phase will build out the second and third levels of the expansion with additional science labs, classrooms and experiential research spaces. The third phase will involve the renovation of the existing space in the Coad Science Building. The addition to Coad will provide a state-of-the-art learning environment for the Mounts STEM programs, enabling programmatic expansion consistent with STEM profession demands, and helping the university continue to attract and retain outstanding faculty and students, said President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. Built in 1964, Coad is a three-story 50,100 square foot building serving the School of Natural Science and Mathematics, which has outgrown the existing space and needs to be renovated for modern STEM pedagogical practices. The new classroom and lab spaces will be technology-rich, multi-use, flexible and configurable for a variety of instructional formats and class sizes. We are fortunate to have experienced tremendous growth in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics over the last several years thanks to the hard work of our students, faculty, and staff, said Dean of the School of Natural Science and Mathematics Christine McCauslin, Ph.D. I look forward to the road ahead as we build on our trajectory of success and gain recognition as a leading STEM educator whose graduates are highly sought after and prepared to make a positive impact on the world. Specific goals for the expansion include a design that promotes circulation and spontaneous interaction; is flexible and adaptable; and provides natural light where STEM students and faculty in action can see and be seen. The Coad expansion and renovation project is being funded by donations to the Our Mission, Our Moment, Our Mount Campaign and a $2 million grant from the State of Maryland, in conjunction with donations made in support of the project through the Forward! Together as One Campaign. A lead donation from George B. Delaplaine, Jr. will provide the collaborative space, to be called the Delaplaine Family Academic Commons. Other top-level donors to the expansion project are the Page Family Foundation; Trish and D.J. Monagle, both C84; Paula and Fred Neuer, M.D., C67; and Christina Lee and Mark Sobus, J.D., Ph.D., C89. Stantec Architecture, based in Butler, Pennsylvania, designed the expansion plan. Construction is being managed by JEM Group, LLC, based in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Photo Gallery 76 per cent of the Indian media persons believe that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popular radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' played a significant role in introducing the 'Real Bharat' to the countrymen, a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) said. The special radio programme has initiated a trend where people are now more aware of the things in other parts of the country and they have started appreciating them. "75 per cent of the respondents feel that 'Mann Ki Baat' has emerged as a platform, which introduces grassroots innovators working selflessly to ensure a significant difference in the lives of people living in remote areas of India," the study pointed out further. According to IIMC Director General Prof. Sanjay Dwivedi, the Outreach Department of the Institute conducted the study between April 12 and 25, 2023. A total of 890 persons associated with the media -- media persons, media faculty, media researchers and media students -- from 116 media houses, academic institutions and universities across the country participated in the study. Of these, 326 were women and 564 were men. 66 per cent of the respondents were between the age group of 18 and 25 years. According to the respondents, 'Knowledge about the Country' and 'PM's Vision about the Country' are the two important reasons which motivate them to listen to the programme. When the respondents were asked how they listen to the programme if they miss any episode, 63 per cent said they prefer YouTube over other mediums. 76 per cent of the respondents feel that they are a participant in the democratic process by listening to PM Modi on various issues in 'Mann Ki Baat'. Prof. Dwivedi pointed out that the study also tried to understand which issue discussed by the Prime Minister in 'Mann Ki Baat influenced the people most. In response, 40 per cent of respondents mentioned 'education', while 26 per cent said 'information about grassroots innovators' as the most influential topic. The study also tried to understand with whom the people share information about the topics discussed in 'Mann Ki Baat'. 32 per cent of respondents said they share their thoughts on the issues discussed in the programme with their family members, while 29 per cent of people said they discuss the topics with their friends and colleagues. Another interesting fact that emerged in the study was that 12 per cent of people use radio, 15 per cent television and 37 per cent use Internet-based platforms to listen to 'Mann Ki Baat'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's radio program 'Mann Ki Baat' will complete its 100th edition on April 30 (Sunday). PM Modi addresses the nation through this radio programme on the last Sunday of every month. The radio program was started on the occasion of Vijayadashami on October 3, 2014, and is broadcast in 22 Indian languages, 29 dialects, and 11 international languages through multiple platforms. (ANI) New Delhi [India], April 29 (ANI/BusinessWire India): On April 19th, 2023, Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Limited, one of India's leading pharmaceutical companies, celebrated its 19th anniversary. The occasion marked a significant milestone for the company, its employees, and its customers. This landmark event celebrated the company's history of providing high-quality pharmaceutical products to the Indian and global markets. Incepted in 2004 by Sanjeev Jain and Sandeep Jain with the setting up of their first plant for Oral Solid, Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Limited has since grown into a trusted name in the pharmaceutical industry, with a reputation for innovation, excellence, and a commitment to research and development. Since its inception, Akums has invested in cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art facilities, allowing it to produce world-class pharmaceutical products that meet the highest quality standards. Speaking on the occasion of the company's anniversary, Sanjeev Jain, Managing Director of Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Limited, said, "I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved at Akums over the past 19 years. We have built a company that is synonymous with trust, innovation, and research, and I believe that we have only scratched the surface of what we can achieve in the future." Echoing the same exuberance, Sandeep Jain, the Joint Managing Director of Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Limited added, "I would like to thank our employees, partners, and customers for their unwavering support and trust over the years. We look forward to continuing to deliver high-quality pharmaceutical products that make a difference in people's lives." "ICRA has certified our financial rating with a Long Term rating as AA- " he added. Their foray into the gummy's nutraceutical market is a step towards promoting a healthier lifestyle that is tasty and convenient, thus, aiming to make it easier for people to incorporate essential nutrients into their daily routine. The pharmaceutical giant has increased their production capacity by acquiring a plant in Baddi, with Plant 1 & Plant 3 being approved and certified by the European authority (EU-GMP). With an astonishing 919 + DCGI approvals, 690+ FSSAI approvals, 85+ Patents Applied (4 granted patents), Akums firmly establishes itself as one of the pioneers in the industry. 18,000+ brands under the aegis is a testament to an unwavering commitment to keep raising the bar in the field of pharmaceuticals. Akums' commitment to applying science, and celebrating innovations has been at the forefront of its success. The company has a dedicated team of scientists and researchers who work tirelessly to develop new and improved formulations, ensuring that its products remain at the forefront of the industry. With its state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and a strong focus on research and development, Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Limited is poised for continued growth and success in the years to come. Adjudged as the India Pharma Leader Award by the Government of India, Department of Pharmaceuticals for two consecutive years 2018 & 2019, Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Limited is India's largest CDMO, manufacturing more than 13% of the country's total domestically consumed medicines. Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Limited is a trusted name in the industry, with a reputation for innovation, excellence, and a commitment to research and development. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) New Delhi [India], April 29 (ANI/PNN): Duroplast India Pvt Ltd, today proudly announced the launch of its new facility in Howrah, West Bengal, which will extrude extremely energy-efficient uPVC window profiles. The building is situated in the immediate vicinage of the system supplier's extrusion plant, which has been there since 2010. Because of its superior looks, longer lifespan, reduced maintenance requirements, improved insulation, stronger impact strength, higher wind load capabilities, and factory-finished windows, uPVC is quickly replacing other window materials. In response to improved demand in the housing, hotel, education, and healthcare sectors, Duroplast, a firm that is actively growing at 20 per cent Y-O-Y, has set its sights on expanding both its domestic presence and its exports to the Indian and African subcontinental markets. Recently, it received a few minor orders from Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. With its manufacturing partners, it has completed the most renowned projects in the fields of healthcare, education, and housing, including a number of AIIMS, IITs, IIMs, IISCs, and, to top it all off, residences for Members of Parliament of India. The firm has expanded its production capabilities with the opening of the brand-new uPVC profile extrusion factory in West Bengal's Howrah district, which cost 40 crores to build. The facility, which includes a 40-crore investment, is spread out across 1,50,000 square feet and has 6 extrusion lines that have already been ordered and commissioned. Six more are anticipated to be added over the course of the next year, along with fully automated mixing and a SCADA-based conveying system. A foiling line is also installed for the colour-finishing of window profiles. As a result, the ability to create 8,000 tonnes of profiles--or the windows needed for 100,000 homes annually--is increased overall. The business also disclosed intentions to build more showrooms, various warehouses, and further marketing expenditures around the country. The plant's entire capacity is 15 uPVC extrusion lines, but it may be expanded to 3,00,000 square feet to accommodate future investment and an additional 30 lines to fulfil rising demand. Both a large logistical area and a technical training facility for the partner firms are included. It will be India's largest window profile extrusion facility, the company's managing director, Neeraj Agarwal, told reporters today. There are now 200 people employed directly and 1,000 people employed indirectly in the largest uPVC facility in India, located in Howrah, which is roughly 50 kilometres from Kolkata. Duroplast is a company that manufactures building materials. Its products include wall panels, false ceilings, uPVC window and door systems, and PVC doors. According to the company chairman, Lalit Agarwal, the company plans to invest heavily in infrastructure, new product development, and brand building in order to dominate a crowded market will continue to explore both organic and inorganic growth. Lalit Agarwal, stated, "We have built the groundwork with Duroplast India and the newly established production plant to further diversify and optimise our product- and service portfolio to satisfy the future market. We have set ambitious targets and have started the execution with our new production facility having the highest range of profiles by any firm in this industry. Our portfolio includes, Elite 67 series, Elixir 60 series, Elegant 50 series, Vent 39 series, Indiana 34 series, Premium Door series. We further want to further optimise our product portfolio." "We deploy the best-in-class, one-of-a-kind tropical lead-free mix compound in the new production facility since it was specifically created to prevent the discoloration of profiles in areas with particularly high UV radiation in the subcontinent. The business produces systems tailored to specific markets and industries in accordance with worldwide quality requirements, including casement, dual sash casement with choices for grilles and insect mesh, tilt & turn systems, and sliding variations with one or more panes. All of our primary profiles have co-extruded glazing beads and pre-fixed thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) gaskets in grey and black colours. Dark Oak, Rustic Oak, Golden Oak, Mahogany, Anthracite Grey Smooth, and Black Smooth are the six colour options we provide for foil with many more to come." "We have been in the business for twelve years, and from the beginning, we have written a success narrative with our clients. Our new facility has the required infrastructure in addition to the most recent, cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, which will further contribute to the success of our clients. We wish to continue expanding in India and moving forward with our exciting and prosperous development along with them. I want to express my gratitude to our channel partners for their ongoing support during this journey as well as to our workers for their commitment to creating Duroplast one of the most well-liked and demanding profile systems in India." "We provide further support for the product through marketing, teaching people about its benefits, and holding conferences and consultations with architects, developers of real estate, and contractors. We encourage them to explain the benefits of uPVC window systems and the difficulties they encountered while picking out and installing window systems. We educate them on appropriate items and emphasise the need of upholding quality and standards in accordance with BS EN 12606 or the newly published IS 17953." The second director in the company, Mehul Agarwal quoted, "We will be at the centre of these changes and to further expand our production and service capability across India, the new extrusion plant is an initiative towards the Made in India campaign and begins on a path to establish a 5 trillion-dollar economy." To know more, go over to www.duroplast.inreach us at mail@duroplast.incall us on 033 4107 0000Whatsapp: +91 99031 21353 This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) Faridabad (Haryana) [India], April 29 (ANI/NewsVoir): Joint convocation ceremony of Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS, including Manav Rachna Dental College (MRDC)) and Manav Rachna University was held yesterday at Manav Rachna, Aravali campus to celebrate and acknowledge the achievements of its students of batch 2022. This is the 8th Convocation for MRU and the 18th convocation for MRIIRS. 1500+ students (undergraduate, postgraduate & doctoral) were bestowed with their treasured degrees at the solemn ceremony presided over by Dr. Raghunath Anant Mashelkar, Indian Chemical Engineer & Former Director General of CSIR & Prof. Yogesh Singh, Vice-Chancellor, University of Delhi as the Guests of Honour. A total of 91 Ph.D. scholars, including 29 from MRU and 62 from MRIIRS, were awarded their Doctoral degrees. A total of 1256 UG degrees were awarded including 409 from MRU, 756 from MRIIRS and 91 from MRDC. 293 PG Degrees from all three institutions were awarded that included 31 from MRU, 247 from MRIIRS and 15 from MRDC. In addition to academic proficiency awards, students were recognized with medals for exceptional achievements. The medals included Chief Patron Medal, President Medal, Vice President Medal, and Vice Chancellor Medal that were conferred upon merit students. Honoris Causa degrees were bestowed upon ten stalwarts, including Dr Raghunath Anant Mashelkar, Indian Chemical Engineer and Former Director General of CSIR; Prof. Yogesh Singh, VC University of Delhi; Sh. Saqulain Yasin Siddiqui, Chief Mentor, Maruti Suzuki; Shri Naveen Maheshwari, Director Allen Career Institute, Kota; Rajkamal Vempati, EVP and Head HR, Axis Bank; Padamshri Gagan Narang (Olympian & Vice President IOA); Barun Dass, Youngest MD & CEO of TV9 Network; Suresh Dutt Tripathy, Chief Resource Officer, Air India; Narendra Agarwal, Chairman and Managing Director, Shivalik Prints Ltd; and Mr Manish Mehrotra, Corporate Chef, Indian Accent. The Convocation Memoir was released by the dignitaries and Smt. Satya Bhalla, Chief Patron, MREI; Dr Prashant Bhalla, President, MREI; Dr Amit Bhalla, VP, MREI; Dr Sanjay Srivastava, VC, MRIIRS; Dr IK Bhat, VC, MRU; Dr Raghunath Anant Mashelkar and other senior functionaries. Dr Sanjay Srivastava and Dr IK Bhat presented the Annual Report of the MRIIRS and MRU respectively, and congratulated the graduating students for their commitment towards education. While delivering the Convocation address, Dr Raghunath Anant Mashelkar said, "At Manav Rachna, I witnessed an uncommon abundance of admiration and celebration with 10 Honoris Causa being bestowed upon across diverse domains." He also shared the powerful message of Education being equivalent to Future; and three distinct things about Education: Right to Education, Right Education and Right way of Education. Congratulating the graduands, Dr Prashant Bhalla shared, "I feel immense respect for the efforts and hard work of all the students, their parents and the teachers who have made this day possible by working tirelessly towards their academic goals. Both the universities MRIIRS & MRU have prepared students to be an ideal fit for the industry with the right inculcation of skills, and I am hopeful that Batch 2022 will make their alma mater proud with their every achievement." Guest of Honour and Honoris Causa recipient of Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree, Dr Raghunath Anant Mashelkar shared, "This Honorary Causa bestowed upon me is a responsibility that I adhere to pass on integrity and diligence and expressed his happiness to be part of Manav Rachna". Guest of Honour and Honoris Causa recipient of Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree, Dr Yogesh Singh expressed, "It's a matter of pride and honour for me to be bestowed with Honoris Causa." He addressed students, "Degree is just a document. Your education is seen in your behaviour and your conduct will drive your future. Work for the welfare of others and objective should be doing good to others." Gagan Narang delightfully accepted honoris causa degree and stated, "This degree is precious to me because it recognzies the journey, hard work and my quest for excellence." Suresh Dutt Tripathy pleasantly accepted the honoris causa and mentioned that "it is nothing other than your passion which can take you the way you want to pursue. HR is a field of passion, contribution and has been realized by all the sections in the country." Narendra Agarwal humbly received the honoris causa from Manav Rachna and stated that he is amazed to see the plethora of wisdom and dedication. He also praised how Manav Rachna has vision of sustainable environment and he is also committed for a development of green environment by practicing healthy industry practices. Manish Mehrotra thanked Manav Rachna for bestowing the degree on him and congratulated institute for taking such an initiative where culinary experts are being recognised and culinary education is given such an importance. In the absence of Sh. Saqulain Yasin Siddiqui, his son accepted the degree on his behalf and expressed his happiness stating that he is honored and privileged to receive it. And thanked Manav Rachna for bestowing the honor upon his father who is steering the Strategic Mentoring Board of Manav Rachna. And Tanu Malhotra gracefully accepted the honoris causa degree on behalf of Rajkamal Vempati thanked Manav Rachna for the recognition and wished the institution for a bright future. Naveen Maheshwari beamingly acknowledged the honoris causa degree and said, "I accept this honour on behalf of entire Allen Family; this is not just an honour for me but for all hardworking students." Barun Dass expressed his delight on being awarded the degree and shared how knowledge always increases when distributed. He mentioned that India is in best phase for students to flourish in their fields and said that focus and commitment can take them long way. With the achievements soaring high and a promise of a better future, the convocation ceremony was a content experience for all graduands, their families and friends. Manav Rachna will keep building characters that mark their presence worldwide and create sagas for all to recognize. This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], April 29 (ANI/PNN): The World Earth Day recognises the significance of positive environmental impact and the importance of investing in sustainable practices and technologies to protect our planet. The global leader in evaporative air coolers - Symphony Ltd, has launched the world's first range of highly energy-efficient air coolers powered by BLDC Technology. They consume up to 60 per cent less power compared to other coolers which result in energy savings up to Rs. 2000 per year. The company has launched 3 models in the BLDC range of 80 litres, 55 litres and 30-litre water tank capacity. Apart from being highly energy efficient, they are also packed with additional features such as 7- speed options, up to 8 hours of night sleep mode, touchscreen control panel, empty water tank alarm etc. Symphony coolers are engineered to reduce carbon footprint equivalent to planting 18 trees per year* per cooler and consume only 10 per cent energy vs air conditioners. Commenting on the development, Achal Bakeri, Chairman and Managing Director, Symphony Ltd, said, "At Symphony, we think about tomorrow, today. Our endeavour has always been to build a better future for the planet and its inhabitants which is reflected through our brand tagline - 'Thinking of Tomorrow', We are certain that with this new air-cooling range, Symphony will revolutionize the future of air cooling while bolstering its position as the global leader of sustainable cooling solutions to consumers". Symphony's BLDC product range is manufactured in India and the company has developed the complete ecosystem for supplies within the country. Brushless DC electric motors (BLDC) contain permanent magnets which result in less heat loss, thereby making the motor energy efficient and reduces power consumption. Nilesh Gupta, CMD, Vijay Sales, said, "Known for technology, modernization, and consumer-first approach, Symphony air coolers have remained the preferred choice for customers looking for air coolers. Symphony has emerged as a global leader in air coolers through the launch of many innovative and industry-first products and BLDC range will be another breakthrough innovation from the brand. We are proudly associated with Symphony brand for over 15 years". Established in 1988, Symphony Ltd is the leading Indian multi-national air-cooling company with presence in over 60 countries. The company has a wide product range meeting cooling requirements for household, commercial and industrial spaces. Headquartered in Ahmedabad, India, Symphony leads the air-cooling industry's efforts to develop breakthrough green technologies to combat climate change. Highly ranked on R&D and innovation, the company has 200+ Trademarks, 60+ Registered designs, 15+ Copyrights, and 50+ Patents to its credit, defining the gold standard of air-cooling. Symphony's global clientele includes Walmart, GE, Ford, GM, Cinepolis, Tata, Asian Paints, Maruti Suzuki, Nestle, ABB, DHL, L&T, Coca Cola, HP, Honda etc. *As tested on Winter + model. T&C apply. https://symphonylimited.com/ Established in 1988, Symphony Ltd is the leading Indian multi-national air cooling company with presence in over 60 countries. The company has a wide product range meeting cooling requirements for household, commercial and industrial spaces. Headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, Symphony leads the air cooling industry's efforts to develop breakthrough green technologies to combat climate change with subsidiary companies in Mexico, China, Australia, USA and Brazil. Highly ranked on R&D and innovation, the company has 201+ Trademarks, 64+ Registered designs, 15+ Copyrights, and 48+ Patents to its credit, defining the gold standard of air cooling. Symphony's global clientele includes Walmart, GE, Ford, GM, Cinepolis, Tata, Asian Paints, Maruti Suzuki, Nestle, ABB, DHL, L&T, Coca Cola, HP, Honda etc. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) Hours after a special court acquitted him of the charge of abetment actor Jiah Khan's death, on Friday, Sooraj Pancholi penned a thank-you note for "all those who have always supported and believed" in him during his legal battle. "Thank you to all those who have always supported and believed in me, only I know how I have lasted through all these years of suffering and pain. Your unconditional love prayers and duas have been my only strength...I could not have survived without you," he wrote on Instagram Story. The 25-year-old 'Nishabd' actor was found dead at her Juhu home in Mumbai on June 3, 2013. Police later arrested Sooraj on the basis of a six-page letter, purportedly written by Jiah, and booked him for abetment to suicide. Sooraj was in an alleged relationship with Jiah. Jiah's mother Rabia Khan alleged that her daughter was murdered. In October 2013, Rabia moved Bombay High Court seeking a CBI probe in the case, alleging that her daughter had been murdered. On the order of the Bombay High Court, the CBI took over the probe from the Maharashtra Police in July 2014. Rabia claimed that her daughter was in an abusive relationship with Sooraj, son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab. However, on Friday, Sooraj was finally cleared of all the charges by the CBI court in Mumbai. Sooraj also issued a statement to the press after his being acquitted in the Jiah Khan case, saying the last 10 years had been 'painful' for him and his family. "The verdict has taken 10 long and painful years and given us many sleepless nights, But today, I have not only won this case against me but I have also won my dignity and confidence back. It took a lot of courage to face the world with such serious allegations levelled against me. I hope and pray to God that nobody goes through what I have at such a young age," he said. He added, "I don't know who will give me these 10 years of my life back but I am glad that this has finally come to an end not only for me but, especially, for my family." Earlier, after his acquittal, Sooraj had shared a note on Instagram that read, "The Truth always wins! #GodIsGreat". Sooraj Pancholi appeared in court on Friday with actor-mother Zarina Wahab. (ANI) Ali Fazal made his Hollywood film debut with a special appearance in the 2015 action film Furious 7, the seventh instalment in the immensely successful The Fast and the Furious franchise. The actor recently took a stroll down memory lane and shared pictures of himself posing with Vin Diesel and late actor Paul Walker. "Its that time after a long time... this was the beginning of my journey in the west , thank you Vin @vindiesel . . sending my love to the fast fam. Going strong as always. .. @thefastsaga And to @paulwalker .. i remember it was his birthday the day we clicked this second photo. May he be watchin from up there..Fyi Thanks to @purvilavingia," he wrote. https://www.instagram.com/p/CrlcATfKgEW/?hl=en In the film, Ali essayed the role of Safar, an Emirati garage owner and friend of the computer hacktivist Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel). Ali is now gearing up for the release of his new Hollywood film titled 'Kandahar'. Helmed by Ric Roman Waugh, the film star popular Scottish actor Gerard Butler, Navid Negahban, Ali Fazal, Travis Fimmel and Elnaaz Norouzi in lead roles. The film is all set to hit the theatres on May 26, 2023.The film's description reads, "Tom Harris (Gerard Butler), an undercover CIA operative, is stuck deep in hostile territory in Afghanistan. After his mission is exposed, he must fight his way out, alongside his Afghan translator, to an extraction point in Kandahar, all whilst avoiding elite enemy forces and foreign spies tasked with hunting them down." He will also be seen in 'The Underbug', 'Girls will be Girls', 'Metro In Dino', and in another Hollywood film 'Afghan Dreamers'. (ANI) While 392 people arrived in New Delhi in a C-17 Indian Air Force aircraft, another batch of 362 Indians were brought to Bengaluru. With this, the total number of Indians who have been brought back from the troubled African nation, is now 1,360, as per official data. The people have been brought home from the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, where India has set up a transit camp for the evacuees. The first batch of 360 evacuees was brought to New Delhi in a commercial plane on April 26. The second batch of 246 evacuees arrived in Mumbai in a C-17 Globemaster on April 27. Under Operation Kaveri, India has been rescuing its citizens in buses from conflict zones in Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan. From there, they are being taken to Jeddah and from the Saudi Arabian city, they are being brought back to India. India has set up separate control rooms in Jeddah and Port Sudan, while the Indian embassy in Khartoum has been coordinating with them and the External Affairs Ministry here. --IANS ans/vd ( 220 Words) 2023-04-28-19:48:03 (IANS) Katrina Spade, co-founder of Recompose, monitors the temperature of a mound of wood chips that contains a human body at Western Carolina University's human decomposition facility in Collowhee, North Carolina, on March 7, 2015. (Mike Belleme/The New York Times) Thank you for the story on human composting (Proposal offers eco-friendly approach to burial, April 24). I have been fascinated by this concept for years. Its interesting, but not surprising, that the Catholic Conference of Illinois is opposed to this. Advertisement I learned of this process through Roman Catholic nuns who wanted a natural sustainable burial! As we Catholics hear on Ash Wednesday, Remember you are dust and into dust you shall return. How can you return to dust when you are buried in a metal casket surrounded by a concrete vault? Where is the human dignity in that? Where is the natural law in that? This is a dignified and environmentally responsible way to deal with human remains. We go back to the earth, and our spent bodies provide food and sustenance to the same earth and life continues. Advertisement Rick Garcia, Chicago God will have last word It was sad to read of the opposition of state Rep. Steven Reick to proposed legislation to allow natural organic reduction of human remains. Even sadder and inexplicable was the offense he seems to take at the characterization that at the end of life, were nothing more than food for worms. I wonder if Reick knows that that is exactly how Martin Luther characterized himself. It is a characterization that no Christian would ever reject, but rather embrace joyfully, confident that even when the worms have done their work, God will have the last word, and that the last word is resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Rev. Rodney A. Juell, Joliet An earth-friendly burial I was happy to read Jeremy Gorners article about human composting legislation in Illinois. I have been tracking these developments over the past four to five years and am pleased that my spouse will not have to make arrangements to ship my body to Washington or another state that has passed this legislation. Hopefully, it can now happen in my home state. For my money, the human composting option is the most earth-friendly option we have. Contrary to arguments raised by Rep. Steven Reick, R-Woodstock, that people like me dont value life, quite the contrary. We value all life and want our bodies to decompose in the most natural way to contribute to life on the planet, not detract from it no toxic chemicals, no absurdly expensive caskets and cement casings, no burning of fossil fuels. Any way you do this, the worms will get you. Composting just grants the worms faster access. Three cheers to Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, for introducing this legislation that gives me freedom of choice over my final decision. Jon Schmidt, Chicago Advertisement Unnecessary bureaucracy Regarding the op-ed by Illinois Rep. Lakesia Collins and Sen. Ann Gillespie about Senate Bill 1478 (A first step for children in Illinois DCFS? Give them a lawyer., April 23), who can argue that children in abuse and neglect cases should not be guaranteed appointed counsel? In Cook County, our office serves that role for some 7,000 abused and neglected children, most of whom are in the care of the Department of Children and Family Services. Collins and Gillespie are correct that research shows that children have far better outcomes if they have counsel to represent them in complex Juvenile Court proceedings and to hold DCFS accountable. And they are correct that it is scandalous that Illinois is one of only seven states in the country that do not guarantee counsel for children in all counties. But the op-ed does not explain that S.B. 1478 would require every county in Illinois to appoint, and pay for, two separate individuals or bureaucracies to represent every child one bureaucracy to represent the childs stated interests and a separate bureaucracy to represent the childs best interests. Currently, our office is appointed in both capacities. In our experience, these roles are harmonious in the majority of cases. In the cases where there is a conflict, the rules of professional conduct for Illinois attorneys, and appellate case law, provide appropriate guidance. That is why, as the op-ed does not mention, the majority of the 43 states that guarantee appointed counsel for children provide for various models of representation necessitating only one person or bureaucracy, including hybrid models like our office. The flaw and wastefulness of the two-bureaucracy approach are particularly pronounced for nonverbal infants. Of course, they are not able to state their interests. Having one person or bureaucracy to represent an infants stated interests, and a separate person or bureaucracy to represent the infants best interests, is nonsensical. The money spent to provide for two people or bureaucracies for every child is better spent ensuring that lawyers for children have manageable caseloads and the resources they need to do this difficult work. Appointing two people with unrealistic caseloads and inadequate supports serves no one. Advertisement Yes, lets provide counsel for all children in Illinois in abuse and neglect cases. But lets allow the individual counties the flexibility to determine the model of representation that makes sense. Charles P. Golbert, Cook County public guardian, Chicago Suggestion for LGBTQ folks I read with great interest the article on LGBTQ residents looking for a fresh start in Illinois (LGBTQ residents find fresh start in Illinois, April 24). In addition to searching for homes in Chicagos Rogers Park, Andersonville and Edgewater neighborhoods, I would like to add the suburban communities of Homewood and Flossmoor. We are diverse communities, very affordable and welcoming. Patricia Smith, Flossmoor Join the conversation in our Letters to the Editor Facebook group. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. RJD leaders have reacted strongly to the upcoming visit of self-styled godman Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, the chief of Bageshwar Dham, a pilgrimage site in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district, who is scheduled to hold a five-day spiritual camp in Patna soon. RJD's state unit chief Jagadanand Singh said that people like Shastri should be put behind bars. "It is extremely unfortunate that he (Shastri) is not in jail. The BJP is lining up communal hooligans in Bihar. The people of this country have great faith in saints, but the BJP is destroying that. How can a hooligan turn into a saint? It has never happened in our country before," Singh said. "Dhirendra Shastri advocates turning India into a Hindu nation. I firmly believe that people's comments should be within the purview of the Constitution. Such saints are dangerous for the society," Singh added. State minister and RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav said: "If Dhirendra Shastri is coming here to stoke communal tension, I will stage a protest at the airport. He can enter Bihar only if he sends across the message of Hindu-Muslim-Sikh-Christian brotherhood." Earlier this month, Shastri had drawn the ire of Maharashtra Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil for his "I don't consider Saibaba as God... He may be called a saint or fakir" remark. "A criminal complaint should be filed and action should be taken against him for his irresponsible statement," Patil had said. --IANS ajk/arm ( 253 Words) 2023-04-28-19:54:05 (IANS) The Telangana High Court on Friday adjourned, to June 5, the hearing on the anticipatory bail petition of Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy in former Andhra Pradesh minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy's murder case. While the MP's counsel pleaded to the court to pass an order restraining CBI from taking any harsh measure against him in the case, Justice K. Surender made it clear that it's not possible to hear the arguments and pass an order immediately. As the court has summer holidays from Saturday, the judge adjourned the hearing to June 5. Avinash Reddy's lawyer Niranjan Reddy requested the court to hear the case during holidays as the CBI is likely to arrest the MP. The judge suggested that in case of any emergency, they may make a request to the Chief Justice. Counsel then requested the court to at least pass an order restraining the CBI from arresting him for two weeks. The High Court, however, made it clear that in view of the Supreme Court's judgement, it can't pass such an order. The MP's counsel was suggested to approach a special vacation bench, if necessary. The Supreme Court had last week set aside Telangana High Court's interim order, staying his arrest by the CBI till April 25. The apex court pronounced the order on a petition filed by Vivekananda Reddy's daughter Suneetha Reddy. A bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice P.S. Narasimha also extended the deadline for completing the investigation into the case till June 30. The Supreme Court had earlier fixed April 30 as the deadline for the CBI. Avinash Reddy, cousin of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Redddy, appeared before the CBI as per the interim order of the Telangana High Court on his anticipatory bail petition. Vivekananda Reddy, brother of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and uncle of Jagan Mohan Reddy, was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula on March 15, 2019, weeks before the elections. The 68-year-old former state minister and former MP was alone at his house when unidentified persons barged in and killed him. The CBI took over the investigation into the case in 2020 on the direction of Andhra Pradesh High Court while hearing a petition of Vivekananda Reddy's daughter Suneetha Reddy, who raised suspicion about some relatives. --IANS ms/vd ( 397 Words) 2023-04-28-20:30:05 (IANS) As the clock ticks down to the third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting under India's presidency, to be hosted by Srinagar, the Tourism Department of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday organised a Model G20 Summit at SKICC, Srinagar, replicating the original meeting scheduled next month. The third meeting of the G20 Tourism Working Group is scheduled to take place in Srinagar from May 22 to 24. The three-day global event will host delegates from 20 countries and will involve a series of discussions under the rubric of tourism. The mock summit, in the run-up to the global event, was organised at the same venue and saw the participation of students from Jammu & Kashmir and across the country, replicating foreign delegates. "We are here for the mock G20 summit and are replicating delegates from each and every member-state. I am representing Saudi Arabia. My friends are representing other countries like South Korea, Brazil, and Canada," said Gurudas Veeranekar, a student from the Institute of Hotel Management, Srinagar. He said it was a "very good experience to be a part of the mock event". Ifrah Ahmed, who was replicating a delegate from France, which is also part of the G20, said, "I am replicating a delegate from France and during my mock address, I talked about sustainable tourism and women's participation in tourism activities in France. I also dwelt on how women face barriers when it comes to being involved in tourism activities. I also talked about the policies and initiatives of the French government." The mock event ahead of the original summit was also graced by several officials from the administration in the Union Territory and others. Fazl-ul-Haseeb, director, Kashmir Tourism, said, "The Department of Tourism organised today's event. This event [G20 Model Summit] was organised to replicate the original G20 Working Group meeting, scheduled next month. In this mock event, students from colleges and universities were invited to pose as G20 delegates from different member countries. He said the students spoke well on a range of subjects, which will be part of the agenda for the working group meeting next month. Syed Abid Rashid Shah, secretary, J&K Tourism and Culture, said, "We are delighted and proud at the opportunity to host the G20 delegates for the third Tourism Working Group meeting in the last week of May. In the run-up to the main event, our Tourism department thought of putting together a G20 Model Summit wherein students from schools and colleges, replicating the delegates, spoke on issues relevant to the member-states and the world." The top Tourism official said he hoped that the global event will help project Jammu and Kashmir as a tourism destination and also benefit the stakeholders associated with the tourism industry. "This will give us an opportunity to project the true picture of Jammu & Kashmir. Tourism is the backbone of our economy and the G20 event comes as a great opportunity to take tourism in J-K to global heights and help it rank among the top tourism sites of the world," he added. (ANI) The body of a Nigerian woman was found wrapped in bedsheets and concealer in a box bed in a flat in south Delhi on Friday, police said, adding that the accused, who is also a Nigerian national, has been apprehended. The deceased has been identified as Flora Gold, around 35, while the accused has been identified as Obizone Alexander, who had rented the flat in Maidangarhi since 2021. According to police, a police control room phone was received at 11.21 a.m at Maidangarhi police station. "The caller told police that a foul smell is coming from a flat on the third floor of the Sriram Apartment. The flat has been closed for the last three days," Deputy Commissioner of Police, South, Chandan Chowdhary, said. Acting on the call, a police team rushed to the spot and the owner of the flat, Ravinder Sehrawat, a resident of Chirag Delhi, was called to the spot. A key maker also called and the flat was opened," she said, adding that the body, wrapped in bedsheets, in the bed in the right side room of the flat. "The owner of the flat told police that he had rented out the flat to Alexander for Rs 12,000 since 2021. However, he was not found on the spot," the DCP said. The official said that police teams are questioning Alexander to ascertain the crime sequence and to know motive behind the killing. Initial investigations suggest that the woman may have been killed several days before her body was found. "Police are investigating the murder from all angles, including rape," said a police official privy to investigation. --IANS ssh/vd ( 287 Words) 2023-04-28-21:50:03 (IANS) The Supreme Court, in a late evening hearing on Friday, stayed the order passed by Calcutta High Court's Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, directing the apex court's Secretary General to produce the report and official transcript of an interview he had given to a news channel. A bench of Justices A.S. Bopanna and Hima Kohli observed that the order of present nature ought not to have been passed in judicial proceedings, keeping in view the judicial discipline and stayed the order passed by the high court judge in the suo motu proceeding. The bench said the order was improper and against judicial discipline and directed the Secretary General to convey its order to Justice Gangopadhyay. Earlier during the day, the top court asked the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court to assign the recruitment scam in government schools in West Bengal to some other judge, instead of Justice Gangopadhyay, who heard the matter so far, after considering his interview to a news channel. The top court passed the order on a plea by Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee against the High Court's order allowing his questioning by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Within hours of the top court's order, Justice Gangopadhyay himself registered a case as "In Re: The Court on its own motion" and directed the apex court's Secretary General to produce before him transcripts of the translation of his interview to a TV channel furnished before the top court. Following this, a bench of Justices Bopanna and Kohli considered the matter in a special sitting after 8 p.m. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said it is unfortunate that this order was passed and asked the apex court to stay the order. On April 24, the top court said that judges have no business granting interviews to news channels on matters pending before them. The court took strong exception to sitting Calcutta High Court judge Justice Gangopadhyay's interview to a news channel in connection with Abhishek Banerjee, even as a case concerning Banerjee was being heard by him. The bench said: "Judges have no business granting interviews to television or whatever channels on matters which are pending before them... how can they, given an interviewa." --IANS ss/vd A ( 390 Words) 2023-04-28-21:54:02 (IANS) A day after the Supreme Court issued an order asking to reassign proceedings in the West Bengal teachers' recruitment 'scam' to another judge, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court, who was heading a single-judge bench that was looking into these cases, said he will continue to raise his voice against "corruption". Several heavyweights of the ruling Trinamool Congress, including former Education minister Partha Chatterjee, are currently behind bars for alleged irregularities in the recruitment of teachers for government schools in the state. Hundreds of aspiring teachers have been holding a sit-in in the heart of Kolkata for several months, claiming that they were not drafted into service despite clearing the teachers' recruitment exam. They alleged further that several undeserving candidates bagged teaching jobs despite faring poorly in the exam, in exchange for kickbacks. Taking cognisance of an interview that Justice Ganguly gave to a vernacular news channel, in which he allegedly shared details of the proceedings in the ongoing cases pertaining to the teachers' recruitment 'scam', a bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Friday issued the order. Responding to the apex court order, Justice Gangopadhyay said, "This is not my decision. The case was shifted from my bench on the orders of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the highest office of justice in the country and we all need to abide by its orders." On whether the order has come as a blow for the protesting teaching aspirants, who are on the streets demanding jobs, Justice Gangopadhyay said, "Even if some are disheartened or disappointed by the order, there's not much that can be done as we all have to respect the Supreme Court's direction." "As long as I am in the service of justice, I'll continue to raise my voice against irregularities and corruption," Justice Gangopadhyay told reporters here. On his message to the protesting job-seekers, Justice Ganguly said, "I would advise them to be patient as the matter is still in court and has only been shifted to a different judge." On his opinion on the apex court order, he added, "I still haven't examined the order. I will come to a proper understanding of it once the lawyers come and give their submissions (in the matter)." Earlier, on Friday, after taking note of the transcript of an interview given by Justice Gangopadhyay to a news channel, said Justice Gangopadhyay could not hold any further hearings in the matter and directed the Calcutta High Court's Acting Chief Justice to reassign proceedings related to the alleged recruitment scam to another judge. (ANI) Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court vowed on Friday evening that he will continue to be vocal against corruption in the coming days. Gangopadhyay's remark came after the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice to take away Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee's case from the court of Justice Gangopadhyay, and assign it to some other judge. The top court passed he direction based on its analysis of the transcript of an interview which Gangopadhyay gave to a Bengali news channel in September last year. "As long as I operate as a judge, I will always be vocal against corruption. Even when I am not working as a judge, then also I will be vocal against corruption. But all of us will have to accept the decision of the Supreme Court," Gangopadhyay said while leaving the court premises late on Friday evening. Just half-an-hour before that, the Supreme Court in a late evening hearing stayed the order passed by him directing the apex court's Secretary General to produce the report and official transcript of the interview he had given to a news channel. While admitting that at this moment, only two cases related to the recruitment scam have been transferred from this bench, Justice Gangopadhyay expressed apprehension that the remaining cases might also be transferred from his bench on similar grounds. "Everyone has his own style of functioning. My style is different from others. If a process is completed in six months under my jurisdiction, the same might take seven years to complete in the future. In that case, neither I, nor the Supreme Court will have anything to say. All I can say is 'long live Supreme Court'," Justice Gangopadhyay said. He also said that it is the duty of every person to follow the directives of the Supreme Court. "Some might be sad. But there is no option but to follow the directive of the Supreme Court. This applies to all," he said. --IANS src/arm ( 344 Words) 2023-04-28-22:38:02 (IANS) A gang of men badly thrashed a woman, a resident of Kajiamati village, on Friday morning in Baksa's Dumuni Ghat area. The entire incident was recorded on mobile phones and was later circulated on social media. In the video, a group of men could be seen dragging, abusing, and bashing the woman. The woman was allegedly involved in some improper activities' in a public spot, therefore she was thrashed by a few men, locals alleged. However, Rajen Singh, Baksa district Superintendent of Police, said that they are not aware of any such incident as no complaint has been lodged with the police yet. In another case, two teenage boys were beaten up in a market place in Juria town of Nagaon for allegedly stealing cellphones from a store. An eyewitness told mediapersons, "A group of men stopped the two youngsters on Friday morning after suspecting that they had stolen cellphones at midnight the day before. The boys were pulled, smacked, and kicked despite their denial of the accusations. Later, the police came to their aid." The two boys have been detained, according to Leena Doley, Superintendent of Police, Nagaon district, on charges of cellphone theft. --IANS tdr/arm ( 234 Words) 2023-04-28-22:44:03 (IANS) A 34-year-old man, who was arrested by the Gurugram Police for allegedly killing his wife and then chopping her body, has reportedly admitted to the police that he killed his wife over an extra-marital affair. According to the police, the accused has been identified as Jitender, a resident of Gandhi Nagar, who was living on rent in Manesar. He used to work as a cook in the Navy and had retired last year. The deceased has been identified as Sonia Sharma (28). The couple has an 8-year-old daughter. During questioning, Jitender told the police that he had an extra-marital affair with a Bihar-based woman whom he had met on a train. Later, he secretly married her. He also has a son from his second marriage. "The accused's wife came to know about his affair which led to a dispute between them. To get rid of the situation, he decided to kill his wife. The accused first strangled her to death and later chopped her body into multiple pieces and packed them in polythene bags. "He decided to dispose of the body parts in different places in Gurugram so that the body couldn't be identified. He tried to dispose of the torso in a room built in the fields in Kukdola village in the Manesar area on April 21," said Vijay Pratap Singh, DCP (crime). The accused disposed of the other body parts in Manesar's forest area, Kherki-Daula, and the head in a pond near KMP road. The head was recovered by the police in the presence of the executive magistrate on Jitender's disclosure on April 23. The police also recovered the clothes of the deceased, a knife, a trolly bag, and a backpack used in the crime. During the search of the room in which the torso was found, the police found a polythene bag with the name of a Vishakhapatnam-based company. On inquiry, a vendor of the company informed the police that they supply that type of polythene bags to the Indian Navy only, as it is expensive. While examining the record of missing reports in several police stations, the police found that a man named Jitender had registered a missing person FIR for his wife on April 21. "After strenuous efforts and analysis of CCTV footages of that particular period, Jitender was seen in a footage carrying a packed trolly bag and backpack on a bike, and returning with a deflated bag. We apprehended Jitender on April 26 from Manesar. On interrogation, he confessed to his crime," Singh said. The incident came to light after a villager alerted the police about the half-burnt torso after smoke was emanating from the room built on his farm. Based on his complaint, an FIR was registered under Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (hiding evidence) of the IPC at the Manesar police station. --IANS str/arm ( 486 Words) 2023-04-28-23:04:02 (IANS) A defence spokesman said that the six persons were kidnapped between April 13 and 27 and the kidnappers contacted their family members to pay ransom. The six were rescued from Bamanpukhri House, apparently a site for similar nefarious activities by the NSCN-IM, in Dimapur early on Friday. The rescued people are residents of Nagaland, Assam, and Bihar. The defence PRO said that five NSCN-IM cadres have been arrested in connection with the abduction. --IANS sc/vd ( 123 Words) 2023-04-28-23:24:04 (IANS) For nearly three hours Friday, Chicago aldermen met in an impassioned joint hearing on budget and immigration and refugee rights to discuss the influx of migrants arriving in Chicago daily, overwhelming nonprofits and city social services. There has been a tenfold increase over the past 10 days in daily arrivals of migrants, said Brandie Knazze, commissioner of the Department of Family and Support Services. Migrants often families with children are now sheltering in police station lobbies across the city. Knazze said the city used to receive 10 people per day; thats now risen to as many as 100. Advertisement Advocates and city officials say the potential for crisis is growing, with migrants arriving with injuries, health needs and underlying conditions after surviving in substandard conditions for weeks or months on their journeys to the United States. How many kids (do) we have currently in our police districts waiting for assistance? shouted Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, who migrated to the U.S. himself as a teenager. I personally know of several in our districts that have been already waiting for two or three days. ... This is unacceptable, and I do expect from our city and our colleagues to make sure that we work collaboratively to make sure that we have solutions that go beyond the narrative. Advertisement Last fall, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began sending busloads of migrants to Chicago to protest new arrivals in his state. But now, individuals and families are arriving from Texas on planes, said the citys chief engagement officer, Nubia Willman. The city used to bring arriving migrants to safe spaces like hospitals, Willman said. Shelter requests are immediately made through Chicagos 311 system, and the city partners with community organizations to transport migrants to shelters that have availability, said Matt Doughtie, manager of emergency management services at the citys Office of Emergency Management and Communications. OEMC leads the effort to explore potential new sheltering opportunities across the city. Historically, any unhoused individual could wait at their local hospital or police station for placement from 311. However, due to the influx in wait times, medical partners requested that they no longer be used as respite, Willman said. Knazze said the situation has drastically changed in the past 10 days with many children forced to sleep on the hard floors of police stations. Its easier for single men than families to find shelter beds, she said. Migrants from Venezuela wait for days at the 16th District police station in Chicago on April 26, 2023. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Knazze called recent arrival numbers a surge that will only increase after an anticipated May 11 expiration of Title 42, a 2020 U.S. policy that tightened border regulations to stem the spread of COVID-19. She emphasized that the immediate solution is to increase the amount of appropriate shelter spaces around the city, like decommissioned schools, vacant commercial properties, church properties and Park District facilities. Though there are many empty buildings in Chicago, not all can be turned into shelters, Knazze said. An appropriate shelter space must house at least 250 people, Knazze said; there needs to be space for eating and restrooms and the ability to have showers and laundry services. Buildings must pass fire, safety and environmental tests. The OEMCs Doughtie said the city has explored the viability of approximately 200 various facilities and conducted site visits to about 50. The city has established 20 shelters since the 108 buses were sent from Texas, Doughtie said. Twelve of them have closed, leaving just eight, he said. Advertisement Doughtie also said the OEMC established a planning cell within its Emergency Operations Center to develop a surge plan in anticipation of the end of Title 42. The plan includes 13 courses of action or potential options the city can take in different situations. It includes estimated costs of each plan of attack. But none of this work can be done without appropriate funds at the state and federal levels, said Chicago budget director Susie Park. The total anticipated cost for January through June is $124.8 million, which includes planning for the current surge to reach a peak of 4,700 new arrivals per day, Park said. Leveraging state and city funding and anticipated funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency still leaves a shortfall of about $53 million to meet needs through June 30 alone, she said. Venezuelan migrants Karen Malave and daughter Avril Brandelli, 7, spend their seventh day at the 16th District police station in Chicago on April 26, 2023. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) With migrants crowded at stations in their wards, aldermen responded with emotion. They raised questions about how they could best help facilitate these shelter efforts. Ald. Michael Rodriguez, 22nd, said that he has been struck by the significant amount of tension between city, state, federal and nonprofit entities in recent conversations. He suggested the creation of a multiagency resource center. Im worried about the way in which were collaborating or not. Theres a lot of pointing fingers, he said. Why dont we have a federal entity here sitting next to you, Commissioner Knazze, talking about their response here? Advertisement Knazze said that the city recently instituted a 30-day maximum stay time in shelters to try to help lessen the strain on Chicago police. Most stay for longer, she said. People are leaving the shelter system, but I just want to be clear, the pace were getting new arrivals the outflow does not match the inflow. And so that is why there is a bottleneck, she said. A resettlement plan is just as important as a comprehensive shelter system, added Marisa Novara, commissioner of the Department of Housing. Resettlement programs include case management and rental assistance managed by community partners in collaboration with the state. Dozens of migrants, including Leidys Marquez and Abel David Toledo Sanchez, both from Venezuela, obtain city identification from a city employee at Park Community Church in Chicago on April 26, 2023. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Dozens of migrants line up in a parking lot of a church to get information from volunteers before obtaining city identification at Park Community Church in Chicago on April 26, 2023. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) A spokesperson for Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker told the Tribune that a total of more than $200 million in both state and federal funding has been committed to housing asylum seekers both in and outside of Chicago. Since December 2022, the state has approved 652 household applications (nearly 1,900 people) through the Asylum Seeker Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ASERAP). As of today, 46 people remain in hotels and are on a path to resettlement, a Pritzker spokesperson said in a written statement. Cook County Health has been providing care to asylum seekers since the influx began late last summer. County Board President Toni Preckwinkle told reporters Wednesday that the county needed a total of $28 million to continue supporting the health care needs of our asylum seekers, and that she planned to lobby for the funds in Springfield early next week. Advertisement State payments covered roughly $1.5 million of the total $1.7 million in monthly costs for care provided at Cook County Health. But those payments stopped on Feb. 1, Preckwinkle said. Ald. Rossanna Rodriguez, 33rd, thanked the volunteers who have been stepping up to coordinate support and provide meals to families sleeping in police stations. This has been a really difficult and painful time, she said. Rodriguez asked about the possibility of allowing migrants at police stations to shower, even as they wait to hear back from 311. She asked if there was any way to provide cots that could be folded and then put away. Were unable to do storage of those items, said police Cmdr. Robert Vanna. Personal items that are part of the belongings of asylum seekers is a different conversation, but the day-to-day storage of those things is something that were unable to do at this time. Ald. Samantha Nugent, 39th, credited the OEMC with hard work responding to the ever-changing situation. Advertisement Were dealing with people. And you cant just tick a box with people. They have unique circumstances, she said. The city (is) handling a humanitarian crisis at large that is bigger than this city. It is bigger than us. It is a national problem that has to be addressed on the federal level, and so we cant do this all by ourselves. Chicago Tribunes A.D. Quid, Jeremy Gorner and Dan Petrella contributed. nsalzman@chicagotribune.com Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said on Friday that the young women in the state are at high risk due to child birth without the spacing of three years, adding that some of them are even giving birth to more than five children by the age of 23. Speaking at the national seminar on 'Representation of Women of North East India in Multi - Disciplinary Discourse' at the Don Bosco College in Tura, the Chief Minister said that the government has conceptualised a programme to empower women through different economic activities. Through the Self Help Group (SHG) movement, the government is ensuring that the women become financially independent, he said. Sangma said "We had to come up with a solution which is long-lasting and ensures the health and well-being of a mother. The Safe Motherhood Programme addresses the concerns of the women. We have also introduced an initiative that empowers women financially through income generating activities launched through SHGs." Economic empowerment of women is of paramount concern for the government, he told the seminar. He also informed that Meghalaya is one of the few states in the country where 95 per cent of the women from rural areas are part of the SHG movement. Sangma said that there are over four lakh women under the SHG movement in the state, which was around 35,000 prior to 2018. He also said that the government is working with a positive mindset to provide different opportunities to enable economic empowerment of women. There are different problems confronting women, but the government is working with an approach to provide effective solutions to those problems. "Having a positive mindset does not mean that we overlook the problems. However, we have come up with a perspective to address the concerns and improve things. It is a challenge but we have to come up with an approach to ensure real change," he said. The seminar was attended by scholars from different parts of the country. --IANS sc/arm ( 343 Words) 2023-04-28-23:28:02 (IANS) The state's Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Shalini Pandit, issued an order, announcing the incentives, on Friday. The notification mentioned that the medical officers (MOs) serving in Odisha, with qualification of DNB board speciality as per the National Medical Commission Act-2019, would be given a cash incentive of Rs 20,000 incentive per month, over their salaries. Similarly, the MOs having DNB super speciality qualification would be given monthly incentives of Rs 30,000, over their salaries. Earlier, a similar financial incentive was announced for medical officers in the Odisha Medical and Health Services (OHMS) OHMS cadre having post-graduate specialisations or super specialisation degrees like MD/MS and DM/MCH, among others. It was expected that this provision would add to qualitative human resources in the OHMS cadre by attracting DNB title-holders from different parts of the country. (ANI) The body of the 12-year-old boy was found dumped in a drain near a government school in Badarpur, in the national capital. According to Delhi Police, a PCR call was received around 8.20 pm that a body of a school child had been found floating in a drain. Upon receiving word, a team from the Badarpur Police Station reached the spot. The deceased was identified as a class 8 student of an MCD School. After the body was medically examined, it was found that the child was bludgeoned to death with a blunt object. "Further during the investigation, two juveniles studying in the same class were apprehended. During the investigation, it was revealed that the deceased child saw these two juveniles smoking cigarettes on the school premises and threatened to report it to the school authorities. The accused then lured him to an isolated spot and assaulted him, resulting in him sustaining several head injuries that eventually proved fatal," Rajesh Deo, deputy commissioner of police (DCP)m South East, said. The police added that both juveniles were apprehended and will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board. (ANI) Impressed with a large gathering of the tribal students at the function of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology and Kalinga Institute of Social Science here, Soren said his government "would not hesitate to provide support for a KISS-like institute in Jharkhand where students would be imparted skill and technical training". He said establishing such institutes could facilitate access to education for tribal students. He added that Odisha and Jharkhand share some common problems like left-wing extremism. KISS is a higher education institute established in 1992-93 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It provides education to students of deprived tribal communities from across the country. (ANI) Security was heightened ahead of the verdict by an MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur in a kidnapping and murder case against gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, his elder brother and BSP MP Afzal Ansari on Saturday. Earlier in January this year, the police registered a murder case against Mukhtar Ansari in connection to the 2001 'Usri Chatti' gang war incident. A case under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against Ansari at PS Mohammadabad in Ghazipur. Earlier on January 18, Allahabad High Court dismissed the March 15 order of the Ghazipur MP/MLA Court, which allowed Ansari to be kept in a superior-class jail in Banda. While giving the order, the court had said the order of the special court is without jurisdiction, and gangster, dreaded criminal Bahubali Ansari is not legally entitled to get a superior class in jail. Earlier on December 15 last year, Ansari and his aide Bhim Singh were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Gangster Court in Ghazipur in five cases related to murder and attempt to murder. The cases include the murder of constable Raghuvansh Singh and a murderous assault on an additional SP of Ghazipur among others. On September 21, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court convicted Mukhtar Ansari and sentenced him for threatening jailer SK Awasthi and pointing a pistol at him. The case dates to 2003 when Lucknow district prison jailer SK Awasthi lodged an FIR saying that he was threatened to order a search of the people who came to meet Ansari in prison. On September 23, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court sentenced him to five years in a case registered in 1999 under the Gangster Act. The court had also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Mukhtar in this 23-year-old case. (ANI) Talking about Shivaji Maharaj, Fadnavis praised Maratha warrior and listed down the works done by him. "The way he managed tax system and law and order was exceptional." Fadnavis also announced a grant of 44 million Mauritius rupees for building a multi-purpose hall and a scholarship for 10 students. Devendra Fadnavis was joined by the Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and the Mauritius Marathi Mandali Federation members for the inauguration ceremony. "Inspiring and insightful! Called on the Hon'ble Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth ji, a great leader who has played a very important role in preserving and strengthening the India - Mauritius bond since many years. Had very positive discussions on taking Maharashtra - Mauritius connect to an even more advanced stage," said Fadnavis in a tweet. During his visit to the island nation Fadnavis also met representatives of Mauritian companies in an event organised by the Mauritius India Business Community. Sharing the details of his visit Fadnavis in a tweet Fadnavis said, "Delighted to have witnessed the MoU signing, in presence of Hon Minister Alan Ganoo ji between Economic Development Board Mauritius (EDB) and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). This will pave way for a stronger connect & bring ease of doing business between Mauritius and Maharashtra." (ANI) According to the police, a team from Rupahihat police station conducted an operation in the Rupahihat Kalisthan area following a tip-off on Friday night. "During the search, we recovered a bag in possession from the person and found fake Indian currency notes (FICN) worth Rs 29.31 lakh in the bag. On further search, a printing machine of FICN was also recovered from the house," Sanjit Kumar Roy, Officer-in-charge of Rupahihat PS said The apprehended person identified as Rakibul Islam hails from 2 no Borghuli of Laokhowa area, Assam. Meanwhile, a case has been registered at Rupahihat police station, the police said. Earlier in February this year, Assam police arrested one person and recovered fake Indian currency notes (FICN) worth Rs 5.65 lakh. The officials identified the accused as Jogen Nath alias Madhab Nath. According to an official statement, a team of Police from the Sonitpur district launched the operation based on information from sources. "During the search, police recovered many high-quality fake Indian currency notes. 239 and 175 Indian currency notes of Rs 2000 and Rs 500 respectively were seized from the accused. The seized fake currency notes' worth is Rs 5.65 lakh," said Borah. "We launched the operation based on source information and arrested Jogen Nath alias Madhab Nath from the Beseria Pukhuria area," he added. (ANI) Delhi's Patiala House Court on Saturday directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to collect and file the FSL report in a 200 crore money laundering case. Sukesh Chandrasekhar and actor Jacqueline Fernandez are accused in the matter. Special Judge Shailendra Malik directed the ED to collect the report. "One week time has been granted so that the date for argument on charge can be fixed," the judge said. The Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) assured the court that the FSL will be collected within the given time. The court listed the matter on May 15 for further hearing. The court also granted time to the counsels for some of the accused to inspect the judicial file which submitted that some of the documents have not been supplied. Other counsels submitted that all the documents along with the charge sheet have been supplied. Some of the counsels said that ED has not supplied the un-relied documents. The special public prosecutor for ED submitted that there was not any direction in this regard. The court said that the direction has already been given. There is no need to give any specific direction in view of the latest ruling of the Supreme Court. The agency is duty-bound to furnish the list of un-relied documents of the case. The court on April 18 took cognizance of a supplementary complaint (charge sheet) filed against three Tihar jail officials Mahender Prasad Sundriyal, Sunder Bora, and Dharam Singh Meena. The court had asked the ED what stage of the investigation was and when would it be completed as it has been going on for the last four years. The court also said that the accused are in jail and asked what is the status of the investigation regarding them. They are saying the trial is being delayed. The accused persons were arrested in February 2023. ED has filed the supplementary charge sheet after an investigation against them. These accused persons are in judicial custody. The allegations of the agency are that the arrested jail officials are involved in the offence of money laundering. In this case, Sukesh Chandrasekar is the main accused. Actor Jacqueline Fernandez is also an accused. There are other accused in the matter. Jacqueline Fernandez is on bail in the matter. This case is based upon a case registered by Delhi Police against Sukesh and the other accused. Thereafter, ED registered a complaint against the accused persons for alleged money laundering. This ED case is based on an FIR filed by Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) against Sukesh Chandrasekhar who is accused of cheating and extorting Aditi Singh, wife of former promoter of Religare Enterprises Shivinder Mohan Singh, who was arrested in October 2019 in a case related to alleged misappropriation of funds at Religare Finvest Ltd. Chandrasekhar and his associates reportedly took money from Aditi after posing as government officials and promising to get bail for her husband. Chandrasekhar reportedly persuaded Aditi to transfer money by impersonating a central government official over a spoof call while he was lodged in Rohini jail and promised to manage bail for her husband. Both Chandrasekhar and his actor wife Leena Maria Paul were arrested by the Delhi Police in September last year for their alleged role in the duping case. (ANI) The incident occurred under Aerodrome police station limits in the city on Thursday. The woman was identified as Reena Yadav, a resident of Scheme-51. Investigating officer Uma Shankar Yadav said that the woman was married to Balram Yadav about 15 years ago. On Thursday, she asked Balram to go to the beauty parlour but he refused. "Following this, Reena ended her life by hanging from the ceiling. When Balram came home, he found her hanging and informed the police about the matter," the officer said. He added that the police recorded the matter and the body has been sent to the district hospital for post-mortem examination. Further investigation into the matter was underway. (ANI) The wife of late BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai who was murdered in Ghazipur in 2005 allegedly by gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari and his brother Afzal Ansari on Saturday said that the rule of mafia has ended in Uttar Pradesh and that she has faith in the judiciary. "I believe in the judiciary. Rule of Goondas, Mafias have ended (in the state)," Alka Rai said, wife of late BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai who was murdered in Ghazipur in 2005. Ghazipur MP-MLA court will today pronounce the verdict in the case, in which gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari and his brother Afzal Ansari are accused. Security was heightened ahead of the verdict by an MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur in a kidnapping and murder case against gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, his elder brother and BSP MP Afzal Ansari on Saturday. Earlier in January this year, the police registered a murder case against Mukhtar Ansari in connection to the 2001 'Usri Chatti' gang war incident. A case under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against Ansari at PS Mohammadabad in Ghazipur. Earlier on January 18, Allahabad High Court dismissed the March 15 order of the Ghazipur MP/MLA Court, which allowed Ansari to be kept in a superior-class jail in Banda. While giving the order, the court had said the order of the special court is without jurisdiction, and gangster, dreaded criminal Bahubali Ansari is not legally entitled to get a superior class in jail. Earlier on December 15 last year, Ansari and his aide Bhim Singh were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Gangster Court in Ghazipur in five cases related to murder and attempt to murder. The cases include the murder of constable Raghuvansh Singh and a murderous assault on an additional SP of Ghazipur among others. On September 21, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court convicted Mukhtar Ansari and sentenced him for threatening jailer SK Awasthi and pointing a pistol at him. The case dates to 2003 when Lucknow district prison jailer SK Awasthi lodged an FIR saying that he was threatened to order a search of the people who came to meet Ansari in prison. On September 23, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court sentenced him to five years in a case registered in 1999 under the Gangster Act. The court had also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Mukhtar in this 23-year-old case. (ANI) The Supreme Court has granted bail to former Jharkhand minister Anosh Ekka in a disproportionate assets case. Ekka had been convicted earlier by a Jharkhand court in the case. A bench consisting of justices V Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal on Friday directed to release Anosh Ekka on bail observing he had already spent 5 years and 6 months in custody in connection with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case and has completed the period of seven years in the CBI case. "In the meantime, since the petitioner has already spent 5 years and 6 months in custody in connection with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case and has completed the period of seven years in the CBI case, the petitioner shall be released on bail in both cases, subject to such terms and conditions as may be imposed by the Trial Court," the top court said. The top court also issued notice to the Centre on his plea challenging the Jharkhand High Court order dated January 20, 2023, upholding his conviction in the disproportionate assets cases being probed by CBI and ED. Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave and advocates Vishal Kumar and Nikhil Jain appeared for Anosh Ekka. Ekka has challenged a Jharkhand High Court order which has dismissed his appeal and upheld the trial court order dated January 20, 2023, convicting him in a disproportionate assets case being probed by CBI and ED. A CBI Special Court in Ranchi on Feb 25, 2020, held petitioner Ekka guilty of offence under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and sentenced the petitioner to undergo Rigorous Imprisonment of seven years and to pay a fine of Rs 50 Lakhs. On March 21, 2020, the trial court in Jharkhand convicted him under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Anosh Ekka then filed an appeal in Jharkhand HC against the trial court order but could not get any relief. In 2008, a vigilance case was registered against Ekka under various provisions of IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act, of 1988. Subsequently, CBI took over the investigation of the case. The charge sheet was filed against him alleging that Anosh Ekka while working as a minister in the then Jharkhand government had assets disproportionate to his known source of income. (ANI) An MP MLA court in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur on Saturday convicted jailed mafia Mukhtar Ansari in a kidnapping and murder case pertaining to the killing of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment. A fine of Rs 5 lakh was also imposed on the jailed mafia. He was produced virtually before the court today. Earlier today, wife of late BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai who was murdered in Ghazipur in 2005 allegedly by gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari and his brother Afzal Ansari on Saturday said that the rule of mafia has ended in Uttar Pradesh and that she has faith in the judiciary. "I believe in the judiciary. Rule of Goondas, Mafias have ended (in the state)," Alka Rai said, wife of late BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai who was murdered in Ghazipur in 2005. Ghazipur MP-MLA court will today pronounce the verdict in the case, in which gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari and his brother Afzal Ansari are accused. Security was heightened ahead of the verdict by an MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur in a kidnapping and murder case against gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, his elder brother and BSP MP Afzal Ansari on Saturday. Earlier in January this year, the police registered a murder case against Mukhtar Ansari in connection to the 2001 'Usri Chatti' gang war incident. A case under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against Ansari at PS Mohammadabad in Ghazipur. Earlier on January 18, Allahabad High Court dismissed the March 15 order of the Ghazipur MP/MLA Court, which allowed Ansari to be kept in a superior-class jail in Banda. While giving the order, the court had said the order of the special court is without jurisdiction, and gangster, dreaded criminal Bahubali Ansari is not legally entitled to get a superior class in jail. Earlier on December 15 last year, Ansari and his aide Bhim Singh were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Gangster Court in Ghazipur in five cases related to murder and attempt to murder. The cases include the murder of constable Raghuvansh Singh and a murderous assault on an additional SP of Ghazipur among others. On September 21, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court convicted Mukhtar Ansari and sentenced him for threatening jailer SK Awasthi and pointing a pistol at him. The case dates to 2003 when Lucknow district prison jailer SK Awasthi lodged an FIR saying that he was threatened to order a search of the people who came to meet Ansari in prison. On September 23, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court sentenced him to five years in a case registered in 1999 under the Gangster Act. The court had also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Mukhtar in this 23-year-old case. (ANI) In response to Union Cabinet Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw's tweet informing the completion of the bridge, the PM lauded the project. The Union Minister informed that the bridge was completed in 11 months and the total length of cable strand used in the bridge is 653 km. Taking to Twitter, Minister Vaishnaw said, "In 11 months, India's first cable-stayed rail bridge is ready. All 96 cables set! #AnjiKhadBridge PS: Total length of cable strands 653 km." Earlier on Thursday, Union State Minister of Railways and Textiles, Darshana Jardosh visited the Bridge and praised everyone associated with the project. "The majestic Anji Khad bridge in Jammu and Kashmir - India's first cable-stayed Rail Bridge. Visited the bridge site and congratulated everyone for successfully installing all 96 cables of the bridge in a record time of 11 months", Minister Jardosh shared on Twitter. She further said, "This asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge crosses the deep gorges of Anji River, a tributary of river Chenab. The bridge connects tunnel T2 on the Katra side and tunnel T3 on the Reasi side and is a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line project." Minister Jardosh also added that it was the PM's vision to make Indian Railways the best in the world and the country's engineers conquered the invincible. "It has been PM @narendramodi ji's vision to make Indian Railways, the best in the world. Overcoming geographic and climatic challenges, our Engineers and Railway Officials have conquered the invincible. #NayeBharatKiNayiRail", she said. (ANI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan coined a term "SMS" reffering to Congress leaders Siddaramaiah, Mallikarjun Kharge and Shivakumar and called them dangerous for Karnataka's development on Saturday. Chouhan who has reached Karnataka for election campaign further asserted that only BJP's double-engine sarkar can save the state. "SMS (Siddaramaiah, Mallikarjun Kharge and Shivakumar) is dangerous for the development of Karnataka. Just like a corrupt message destroys your mobile phone this SMS would ruin the future of Karnataka. Only a double-engine government can save Karnataka, said Chouhan. Chouhan further referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'Neelkanth' who is drinking all the poison spilling out from Congress 'Vishkumbh' (a pot) because of restlessness of losing power. "PM Modi is building a prosperous and powerful India. But the Congress has turned into 'Vishkumbh' who keeps spreading poison against Modi ji. Some say Modi ji 'Maut ka Sudagar', some say 'all Modi are thieves', and some call him a 'Snake'. But PM Modi is like Neelkanth, who is drinking all the poison spilling out from Congress 'Vishkumbh'", said MP CM. Notably, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is on a two-day tour of Karnataka. He will do canvassing on two assembly seats. He will also participate in the roadshow in Bellari assembly seat. On this occasion, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai would also be present. Taking on Congress in poll- bound Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the grand old party lacks capability to understand poverty and is "full of negativity", while also accusing it of doing politics on development. The Prime Minister accused Congress and Janata Dal (Secular), which are contesting the Karnataka Assembly elections separately, of harbouring "hatred" for farmers and said that they created obstructions in the implementation of the central scheme for farmers. Karnataka will go to Assembly polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13. "Congress will never understand the struggle and pain of the poor. Congress slowed the pace of houses here. They have not seen poverty. Congress is the party which does politics in the name of development and is full of negativity. Congress had only made fake promises to the farmers and people of Karnataka," PM Modi said while addressing an election rally here. "When we started this scheme (Kisan Samman Nidhi), there was a Congress-JDS government here. But they created obstructions in sending the list of the beneficiary farmers. Can you imagine how much hatred Congress-JDS have for the farmers? The state government did not have to spend any money. We were sending money from Delhi. The problem they had was that the money was going directly into the bank accounts of the farmers," he added. The Prime Minister also stated that Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh where Congress is in power and had promised loan waivers for farmers but the still the farmers are waiting for the fulfilment of the promises.(ANI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated North Zone-II Regional Conference on 'Contemporary Judicial Development and Strengthening Justice through Law and Technology', said a press release on Saturday. The use of technology in the judicial system can ensure transparency, productivity and efficiency. This was stated by Chief Minister, Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while inaugurating the North Zone-II Regional Conference on 'Contemporary Judicial Development and Strengthening Justice through Law and Technology' here on Saturday, added the press release. He highlighted the importance of technology in making the lives of common people easier in every field, including the judiciary. The Chief Minister emphasized the need to view technology as an ally in bringing about change and strengthening the judicial system. With the inclusion of modern technology, the functioning of the judiciary has accelerated. During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual hearings had proved a boon for all, which saved both money and time of the people, added the Chief Minister. He said that a reliable and speedy judicial system is essential for a healthy and self-confident society, as well as for the development of the country and when justice is seen being served, the faith of the common man in the constitutional institutions gets strengthened and continuous improvement of law and order becomes possible. The delay in justice is one of the biggest challenges being faced by the country and the judiciary is seriously working to solve this problem, said the CM. The Alternative Dispute Redressal option is a means of resolving disputes and preparing the legal education in line with technology should be an important goal for all those associated with this profession, he added. He expressed hope that the conference would go a long way in deriving new ideas and pave the way for legal reforms in the country thereby providing justice to the people of the country at the earliest. The Indian Constitution unites us all as "We the People," with its aims and objectives forming the fundamental features of our democracy. It is the foundation of our democracy, and it is supported by three pillars. He added that these pillars must operate within their own domains, ultimately bringing prosperity, transparency and harmony in society. Sukhu said that he himself was a law student, and has a keen interest in the subject. He stated that our State has contributed four judges to the Supreme Court of India, which is a matter of great pride for all of us. Earlier, Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh Justice, Tarlok Singh Chauhan welcomed the distinguished guests and said that the judiciary being an important pillar of the state plays a vital role in shaping and interpreting the Constitution. He said that the conference is focused on deliberations on the development of technology including artificial intelligence, crypto-currency and information and communication technology in Courts. Director, National Judicial Academy Bhopal, Justice, AP Sahi, Judges of Supreme Court, Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice, Aniruddha Bose also spoke on the occasion, while Justice, Vivek Singh. Chief Secretary, Prabodh Saxena was also present on the occasion. The two-day conference is being attended by approximately 160 Judges of the Supreme Court of India, High Courts and Subordinate Courts of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and was organized by the High Court of Himachal Pradesh in collaboration with National Judicial Academy Bhopal. (ANI) Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia while being produced in Rouse Avenue Court for extension of judicial remand in an Enforcement Directorate (ED) case related to the Excise scam told reporters that "Modi ji won't be able to stop the work of Kejriwal ji in Delhi". "Modi ji may try as much as he wants, but he won't be able to stop the work of Kejriwal ji in Delhi. Modi ji may conspire as much as he wants," said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader on Saturday as he left the Rouse Avenue Court. During the hearing before the Court, Special Judge MK Nagpal extended the Judicial Custody of Sisdodia till May 8, 2023, in the ED case. The same court had on April 28, 2023, dismissed the bail petition of Manish Sisodia. The Rouse Avenue Court on Friday dismissed the bail plea of Sisodia stating, "This case of economic offences has serious repercussions upon the general public and society at large as the evidence collected during investigation speaks volumes of his involvement in the commission of the said offence." Court also noted that some evidence is also alleged to have surfaced during the investigation to show that some part of the kickback or bribe amount received from South lobby was spent or utilized in connection with the election campaign of the AAP in Goa and some cash payments through hawala channels are alleged to have been sent to Goa for bearing the said expenses and even some fake invoices are alleged to have been created as a cover-up for the cash amounts transferred through hawala channels. "It is stated that the above cash transfers were made as per instructions of the co-accused Vijay Nair, who was the representative of the applicant and the AAP and also the Media Incharge of AAP and looking after the work related to said elections and he also roped in a company named M/S Chariot Productions Media Pvt. Ltd. owned by the co-accused Rajesh Joshi to do the election-related advertising work and other jobs for the party during said elections," noted the court. Thus, in view of the above background, the serious nature of the allegations made and the role played by the applicant in the above criminal conspiracy, his connection with the activities relating to the generation or acquisition and use etc. of the above proceeds of crime within the meaning of Section 3 of the PMLA and the oral and documentary evidence collected in support of the same and as placed for the perusal of the court, this court is of the considered opinion that even if the rigours and restrictions contained U/S 45 of the PMLA are viewed and construed reasonably, the prosecution has still been able to show a genuine and prima facie case for the involvement of the applicant in the commission of the alleged offence of money laundering. The ED on March 9 arrested Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case, after hours of questioning at Tihar Jail. Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) earlier in its ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD). (ANI) The train was flagged off from Platform No.10. SCR General Manager, Arun Kumar Jain along with other IRCTC and railway officials joined the minister at the flag-off. Speaking to ANI, Union Minister Kishan Reddy said, "We recieved many requests to allot special trains for Ganga Pushkarala. However, we decided to introduce Bharat Gaurav trains." Reddy added, "The train will cover Puri, Lord Jagannath Temple, Konark Sun Temple, Varanasi, Ganga, Ayodhya Ram Temple and many other places. The pilgrims are very thankful and give their blessings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this train. In the coming days, through the railway department, we will try to take this Gaurav yatra to many more places." (ANI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar once again retorted that he is having talks with several people while it is underway with some other leaders of like-minded parties for uniting Opposition forces against the BJP-led government at the Centre for Lok Sabha polls in 2024. "I have told you earlier that we held talks with several people and talks are yet to be done with some others. After that, it will be decided what needs to be done. For now, elections are underway and many of the parties are busy with that once it gets over after that discussion will take place. Some are saying (to hold opposition meeting) in Patna but it will be decided after talking with everyone," said Bihar CM while interacting with reporters on Saturday. Earlier, Kumar reached Lucknow to meet Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on April 24. That time Samajwadi Party's National General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav and Shivpal Singh Yadav also remained present in the meeting. Later, Kumar left for West Bengal to meet his counterpart Mamata Banerjee at her office in the State secretariat 'Nabanna' in Kolkata. Earlier on April 12, Nitish Kumar had met with Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and former MP Rahul Gandhi in the national capital. The efforts are seen as the major step to laying the groundwork for a grand Opposition alliance ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections. (ANI) Former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot on Saturday called the language that is being used against the political leaders "unfortunate" and said that it is setting a negative example in politics. Pilot also condemned the use word 'Vishkanya' by Karnataka BJP MLA Basanagouda Yatnal for former Congress president Sonia Gandhi. "The kind of language that is being used against the leaders is unfortunate. It is setting up a negative example in politics. Sonia Gandhi is a very senior leader and was president of Congress party, using such language for her is highly condemnable," said Pilot. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Friday likened former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to a 'vishkanya' (venomous woman) and called her "an agent of China and Pakistan", When asked about the recent appointments of three new co-in charges in Rajasthan, Pilot called the development an organisational change that keeps happening from time to time. "There are changes that keep happening in the organization from time to time. Election is six months away, so people are being assigned responsibilities, which will give a good message. But we want all of us who are the representatives of AICC, who are handling the work of the organization, should go door to door, interact with party workers and try to understand their feelings. I too had given suggestions to the AICC that should also be implemented," Pilot said. Commenting on the ongoing protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar by a group of wrestlers alleging Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment and exploitation of female wrestlers, Pilot alleged that, today the issues which need to be discussed in politics are not getting attention. "Players who won medals for India and brought laurels to the country, the government is not taking any action against those who are being accused and trying to protect them. FIR is getting registered only after the intervention of the Supreme Court," he said. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday expressed regret after a row erupted over his "poisonous snake" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.In a tweet, Kharge said, "BJP's ideology is divisive, hostile and full of hatred and prejudice towards the poor and Dalits. I discussed the politics of hatred and malice. My statement was neither for PM Modi personally nor for any other person." (ANI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Choujan has said that SMS (former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge and Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar) is dangerous for the development of Karnataka. CM Chouhan made the remark while talking to ANI during his Karnataka visit for election campaign on Saturday. "Karnataka has to avoid the SMS trio. They (Siddaramaiah, Kharge, Shivakumar) are dangerous for the development of Karnataka. As one wrong message spoils the mobile, similarly, this SMS will destroy the future of Karnataka. Only the double-engine government can save Karnataka," CM Chouahan said. CM Chouhan further slammed Congress for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a snake. The chief minister said, "PM Modi is not a snake, he is the breath of the nation. He is the hope and the faith of the people. Just as oxygen gives life to the whole body and fills it with energy, similarly, PM Modi has given new life to the country. He is building a glorious India, a prosperous India and a powerful India." Congress has become a 'Vishkumbh' (poison pot). They keep spreading poison about PM Modi. Sometimes they (congressmen) say that PM Modi is the merchant of death, someone (targeting Rahul Gandhi) says that all Modi are thieves and someone says PM Modi is snake. It is the anxiety of Congress after losing power, CM Chouhan said. The anxiety and pain of the congress that used to be, has now turned into fury that is why poisonous statements are coming out from Vishkumbh of Congress. But PM Modi is a 'Neelkanth'. He is drinking the poison for the people and the country. He is working day and night for the development of the country, the chief minister added. Notably, while addressing an election campaign in Karnataka on Thursday, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "PM Modi is like a 'poisonous snake', you might think it's poison or not. If you lick it, you're dead." Nonetheless, Kharge later clarified that what he wanted to say is that BJP's ideology is as dangerous as a snake and didn't mean to make a personal attack against PM Modi. Talking to the media, Kharge clarified his earlier comment and said, "No no, I didn't mean it to Modi, what I meant was BJP ideology is like a snake. I never said personally to Modi, what I said was that their ideology is like a snake and if you try to touch it, your death will be certain." (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' has become a key pillar of the government's citizen-outreach programme addressing multiple social groups such as women, youth, farmers and has spurred community action, according to a report. The research report identified five key themes associated with Mann Ki Baat - cleanliness and sanitation, health, wellness, water conservation, and sustainability. It said the programme highlights government and citizen action in these priority areas and in turn, encourages listeners to establish or participate in "change-making" initiatives in their own communities with the aim to have a lasting and sustainable impact on lives of people and for the country. The report said that Mann Ki Baat speaks directly to people and celebrates their achievements within-- and beyond-- their communities. The programme celebrates grassroots-level changemakers. The 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat will be broadcast on Sunday. The programme started on October 3, 2014, months after Narendra Modi took over the Prime Minister's Office in May. The research report 'Mann Ki Baat: A Decade of Reflections' cited instances of people being "moved to action" after listening to Mann Ki Baat programme. "In 2019, rural tourism entrepreneur Aditi Balbir began to develop a chain of affordable resorts. In 2021, Madhav Bhat Kullangalu redeveloped a lake on his family farm in Karnataka, thus helping increase groundwater levels, which benefited everyone in the community. In 2022, entrepreneur Ram Shankar Verma established solar energy to power a grain mill in Uttar Pradesh, doubling his own income while creating jobs for many of his neighbours," the report said. "Aditi was inspired by the Prime Minister's call for students to travel more, and more sustainably; Madhav by an episode on water conservation; and Ram by a broadcast on the benefits of solar energy. Since its inception in 2014, the programme has become a key pillar of the government's citizen-outreach programme," it added. 'Axis My India' was the knowledge partner, the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC) the research partner of the report and the research was supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The research looked at what makes Mann ki Baat unique. "Real application of nudge theory; over 100 crore people have connected to Mann Ki Baat at least once; conversational, personal tone and practical subject matter make the programme feel more relevant, contextual and accessible to its audience; inclusion of all and encourages citizen action to bring about social and economic change; and it highlights key public-policy interventions related to the themes it covers in the episode," the report said. The objective of the report was to perform a quantitative and qualitative textual analysis of 99 transcripts of the Mann Ki Baat episodes published from 2014-2023 and also to identify the most prominently discussed thematic areas in the programme. The themes identified included cleanliness and sanitation, health, wellness, water conservation and sustainable development. There were associated subthemes with the themes, for instance, in health, these were Ayushman Bharat, COVID-19 vaccination and e-Sanjeevani. The text-mining tool WordStat revealed that Prime Minister addressed the nation as a whole, using words such as "India," "Indian," and "people." "The programme addressed multiple social groups-- "women," "youth," and "farmers"-- and emphasized on topics such as "cleanliness," "Yoga," "water," "conservation," "innovation," "technology," and "environment," the report said. According to the report, the ethos of Mann Ki Baat is 5Cs - Citizen Engagement, Catalysing Collective Actions, Cultural Commitment, Connecting with the Wider Masses and Celebrating Changemakers. "Mann Ki Baat has encouraged listeners to participate in societal change-making and citizen engagement (is) at the heart of the program. Our research finds that Mann Ki Baat has focused on five thematic areas: cleanliness and sanitation, health, wellness, water conservation, and sustainability," the report said. "It emphasizes the role of start-ups and small businesses in achieving a self-reliant India; encourages people of all ages to take action to promote the social and environmental causes that matter most to them; and spreads the word about government policies, programs, and initiatives aimed at economic, social, and sustainable development," the report said. Over 100 crore people have connected to Mann Ki Baat at least once. Mann Ki Baat has been translated into 22 Indian languages, 29 dialects, and 11 foreign languages by AIR. In addition to English, the programme is broadcast in 11 foreign languages such as French, Chinese, Indonesian, Tibetan, Burmese, Baluchi, Arabic, Pashtu, Persian, Dari, and Swahili. The programme is currently being aired by over 500 broadcast centres of All India Radio and is also available on YouTube and on the Prime Minister's own communications app. The report said Mann Ki Baat has catalysed collective action towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). "By sharing examples of efforts of common citizens, and by highlighting stories of progress and change, Mann Ki Baat has transformed into an inspirational platform that is encouraging sustainable progress on priority themes that are core to India's efforts towards achieving the SDGs," it said. "Themes such as environmental sensitivity, development challenges, water conservation and sustainability help to raise public awareness about these subjects and energize people to experiment with new, innovative, and long-term solutions, for India and the world," the report added. Stating that Mann Ki Baat connects people to their culture and traditional values, the report said people feel it reinforces the country's traditional practices such as Yoga, Ayurveda and constant learning. "Mann Ki Baat focuses on priority themes around the SDGs and presents a good example of effective communications for social progress as it leverages real-life examples and experiences to create an emotional connection with listeners," the report said. Speaking to ANI, Archana Vyas, Deputy Director, Policy, Communications & Behavioural Insights, at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said with Axis My India and IFC as partners, they looked back at all the episodes of Mann Ki Baat. A thorough analysis was done about the themes that have been highlighted by the Prime Minister and there was tracing back of people to see if it did really generate any impact. Vyas said Mann ki Baat has reached to both urban and rural populations. "There are two or three things which have stood out in the research. One, it is a unique platform which has reached out to both rural and urban populations effectively. The use of traditional as well as digital platforms has been unique and transformational. Nearly 100 crore people have actually watched at least one of the episodes of Mann Ki Baat. It is a case study," she said. "Second - it has spurred community action. We have seen through the case studies that communities have taken action on the clarion call of the Prime Minister. This community action can be sustainable because of community adoption," she added. Mann Ki Baat is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month. (ANI) Anand Mohan, a convict in the then District Magistrate G Krishnaiah case, walked free from Saharsa jail before the break of dawn on Thursday, April 27. Anand was serving a life sentence in the 1994 murder of then Gopalganj District Magistrate G Krishnaiah. After the Bihar Government amended the rules of the Jail manual, an official notification stated that 27 prisoners who have served 14 years or 20 years in jail had been ordered to be released. The gangster-turned-politician was earlier on parole of 15 days to attend the engagement ceremony of his MLA son Chetan Anand. He returned to Saharsa jail on April 26 following the end of his parole period. Anand Mohan was convicted in the murder case of Gopalganj District Magistrate G Krishnaiah on December 5, 1994, in Muzaffarpur. Krishnaiah was killed by a mob allegedly provoked by Anand Mohan Singh. He was dragged out of his official car and lynched. Anand Mohan was sentenced to death by a trial court in 2007. A year later, the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Patna High Court. Mohan then challenged the verdict in Supreme Court but no relief has been granted yet and he remained in Saharsa jail since 2007. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that the state is now entirely free of anarchy. Every person is guaranteed security without discrimination, and investors from the country and the world are willing to invest in UP. Addressing a business conference organized in view of the municipal elections in Gorakhpur, CM Yogi said, "Contrarily, UP is now entirely free of this anarchy. Every person is guaranteed security without discrimination, and investors from the country and the world are willing to invest in the state." Talking about the secure environment in the state, Yogi said, "In the past, extortion and the Gunda tax were collected here. Goons, mafia, and people of the ruling party used to encroach upon the properties of the poor and the establishments of the traders." "As a result of the establishment of a secure environment, everyone's perception of Uttar Pradesh has changed', he added. Stating that security and peace are very important for trade, the Chief Minister said, "The confidence of the people of the country has increased under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the area of trade and industry, numerous reforms have been implemented. Today, the global market is completely open for India. All these have had a positive impact on per capita income and standard of living." The Chief Minister continued by saying that businessmen are eager to support Bharatiya Janata Party on their own during the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections. However, it must also be remembered that the municipal body is the third house and that the importance of its election must not be undermined. "The number of facilities will rise if a strong board is formed in the local bodies. The environment will be made beautiful. If the wrong candidates are chosen, the funds allotted by the central and state governments will be wasted. Triple-engine government is essential with the double-engine government," he added. The Chief Minister stated that the municipal bodies did not previously have as many schemes. A world-class city is being created under the BJP government's smart and safe city initiatives. "The Central Government selected 10 cities of Uttar Pradesh under the Smart City Mission, while seven others, including Gorakhpur, were selected by the State Government under the State Mission. Today, 17 cities are being developed as smart cities in UP," he said. CM also noted that the city had single-lane roads in the past, then double-lane roads, and now a network of four-lane roads is being built. There is a multi-level parking facility. A strong board needs to be elected for the Municipal Corporation in order to expand these facilities. CM Yogi also humorously cautioned the traders against being overconfident and warned them, saying, "Don't make the mistake of going to Nepal on May 4, the border will remain sealed." The Chief Minister encouraged people to vote more and more by stating that elections are a celebration of democracy and that people should experience this celebration firsthand. In elections, each vote has a value. (ANI) "Today one male person aged 40 years named Nannu Mia of Dinhata, Coochbihar has been arrested by West Bengal STF from Howrah in connection with an ongoing case," the official said. "Nannu Mia was arrested in connection with an investigation of the Shashan Police Station case. The case is currently being investigated by the West Bengal STF under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)," the official added. Further investigation is underway in this matter. (ANI) Delhi's Patiala House Court on Saturday extended the police custody of Deepak Pahal alias Boxer by eight days in a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime (MCOCA) case. Boxer was produced before the court through video conferencing after 14 days of police remand by the Special Cell of Delhi Police in a case registered under MCOCA. Special judge Shailendra Malik extended the police custody of Deepak Pahal alias Boxer by a further eight days. The court also directed the police to ensure his safety and security while taking him to hospital for medical examination. The court also allowed the council to meet the accused during police custody on every alternate day.He is to be produced before the court on May 6. ACP Lalit Mohan Negi (Investigation Officer) sought a further extension of custody by 10 days. He submitted that during interrogation some important and vital incriminating evidence has been revealed. For the purpose of investigation custody of the accused is required. Delhi police also said that the accused was evading the judicial process. He was involved in various heinous crimes during this period. The court also noted the submission that he also revealed the hideout of his associates. His associates were extorting money on his behalf. Earlier, Deepak was remanded to 14 days of custody to the special cell on April 15 by the link court. Advocate Virender Mual appeared for the accused and submitted that the safety and security of the accused be secured by taking him to medical examination in a SWAT van. This case was registered in the police station Ali Pur. Later on, the investigation was transferred to a Special cell. In this case, a gang of Jitender alias Gogy was allegedly involved.Delhi police have arrested 14 accused and they are in judicial custody. Jitendra Gogy was shot dead by a rival gang in Rohini court in September 2021. He was arrested by Delhi police after deportation from Mexico. The operation was jointly conducted by the FBI and Delhi police. He has been interrogated for 10 days in this case by the special cell. Deepak Boxer is also an accused in an alleged murder case of builder Amit Gupta in the Burari Area in 2022. The case was registered at Burari police station. A case was registered against Deepak Boxer and his gang on 16/03/2023 in the Police Station, Special Cell, under Passport Act. (ANI) People queued up on both sides of the road to greet the Prime Minister who was on a specially designed vehicle. He reciprocated the greetings by waving to people. People showered flowers along the route as an expression of their support for PM Modi. Apart from BJP flags, some people were also carrying cut out of PM Modi. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi addressed public meetings in poll-bound Karnataka. In his rally at Belagavi, PM Modi targeted Congress and said the party's rule was marked by "scams". "BJP is sincerely working for the poor, Dalits, backward and Banjara communities. We are working day and night for various sections. Congress is abusing Modi, Congress hates whoever works for Dalits and backward," PM Modi said. Karnataka will go to the polls on May 10 and votes will be counted on May 13. (ANI) "He has been identified as Khursheed Ahmad Bhat. Incriminating materials and a hand grenade were recovered from his possession," the official statement said. "During routine checking at Ganai Mohalla Pazalpora Magam, a joint party of Handwara Police and Army (15RR) intercepted an individual who attempted to evade the joint party suspiciously but he was apprehended tactfully by the alert joint party. He has been identified as Khursheed Ahmad Bhat son of Gulzar Ahmad Bhat resident of Amargarh Tarathpora," it mentioned. The police further mentioned that the preliminary investigation reveals that he was working as a terrorist associate for the proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). In this regard, the police have registered a case under the relevant sections and an investigation is underway. "Accordingly, a case FIR No 95/2023 under relevant sections of law has been registered at Police Station Handwara and further investigation has been initiated," the official statement said. (ANI) The 100th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio address 'Mann Ki Baat' will be broadcast on Sunday with lakhs of people expected to listen to the popular programme in different parts of the world. It will be a historic moment with the 100th episode also to be broadcast live in the United Nations headquarters in New York. The programme, which started on October 3, 2014, has become a key pillar of the government's citizen-outreach programme addressing multiple social groups such as women, youth, farmers and has spurred community action. Apart from 22 Indian languages and 29 dialects, Mann Ki Baat is broadcast in 11 foreign languages including French, Chinese, Indonesian, Tibetan, Burmese, Baluchi, Arabic, Pashtu, Persian, Dari and Swahili. Mann Ki Baat is being broadcast by more than 500 broadcast centres of All India Radio. Studies have shown that over 100 crore people have connected to Mann Ki Baat at least once, it speaks directly to people, celebrates grassroots-level changemakers and achievements of people and has influenced people towards positive actions. The BJP has planned massive outreach to make the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat a memorable occasion. Sources said the party is planning to organise facilities in every assembly constituency of the country for people to listen to the programme. The programme will be telecast live by Doordarshan in Raj Bhavans across the country. The Raj Bhavan in Mumbai will host citizens from Maharashtra who have been mentioned by the Prime Minister in previous editions of Mann Ki Baat along with other eminent personalities from the state. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who attended the valedictory session of National Conclave on Mann Ki Baat @100 on Wednesday, said that Mann Ki Baat is a unique experiment that has strengthened the foundation of democracy in the country. The event, which was also attended by Union Minister for Railways Ashwani Vaishnav and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur marked the release of a stamp and coin commemorating 100 episodes of Mann Ki Baat. Shah said that people had almost forgotten All India Radio due to changing times and different mediums of communication, but Prime Minister connected the young generation through Mann Ki Baat and gave a new lease of life to All India Radio. He said that PM Modi took All India Radio to every home and village of the country. He said the programme has provided a platform for the expression of the country's positive energy and creative power. He said PM Modi has brought the mantra of democracy to the grassroots through 99 episodes of Mann Ki Baat. Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday released Coffee Table Book 'My Dear Fellow Citizens...'. The book, brought out by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, presents glimpses of over 100 inspiring stories, mentioned by PM Modi in the radio programme. He also released a book "Collective Spirit, Concrete Action", authored by Shashi Shekhar Vempati, former CEO, Prasar Bharati, which describes the impact of the programme 'Mann Ki Baat' on the nation. Dhankhar, who was speaking at the national conclave 'Mann Ki Baat @ 100' in New Delhi, said the programme reached every nook and corner of the country and is unparalleled in reach and popularity. He also credited the program for giving recognition and brand value to local art and artisans, and for generating a market space for them. The Vice President said that as 'Mann Ki Baat' completes its 100th episode, it will be the foundation to 'India @ 100'. He said that India will be at the top of the world when it will celebrate centenary of Indpendence in 2047. Dhankhar said Mann Ki Baat gave a huge impetus to flagship initiatives of the government such as Swachh Bharat, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and turned them into mass movements. He added that the PM's addresses on the show were a 'beacon of positivity' to the nation during the COVID pandemic. Noting that the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat will be a historic milestone, Dhankhar lauded the programme for serving as an effective platform to popularise and bring to the mainstream the culture and festivals of the northeast and other states. India's Permanent Mission at the United Nations said the 300th episode of Man Ki Baat will go live in Trusteeship Council Chamber at the UN headquarters. "Get ready for a historic moment as the 100th episode of PM Modi's "Mann Ki Baat"[?] is set to go live on April 30th in Trusteeship Council Chamber at @UN HQ! #MannKiBaat has become a monthly national tradition, inspiring millions to participate in 's developmental journey," India's Permanent Mission at the United Nations said in a tweet. Tourism Ministry has decided to celebrate the 100th Episode of 'Mann ki Baat' through its Yuva Tourism Clubs. Tourism has been mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from time to time in the programme. Tourism Ministry proposes to undertake a special initiative of "100 Episodes of Mann ki Baat - 100 days of Action" through the Yuva Tourism Clubs. Culture Ministry has taken up three unique initiatives to mark the completion of the 100th episode of Mann ki Baat. It is celebrating it through state-of-the-art projection mapping shows at 13 iconic locations including ASI monuments located across the country commencing on April 29. The projection on each of the monuments will showcase the history, architectural importance and distinctiveness of the region highlighting the diversity of India on the lines of diverse topics and themes addressed by the Prime Minister in his show Mann Ki Baat. Culture Ministry, in collaboration with NGMA, has curated an immersive experience though an art exhibition called the Jana Shakti, which will be inaugurated on April 30. It will showcase paintings by 12 renowned artists. The third key initiative of the Culture Ministry involves the publication of the Amrit Chitra comics which will highlight the heroic stories of the common people mentioned by the Prime Minister in his Mann Ki Baat. It will present the experiences and the exceptional and good work done by these heroes in a story format. A special study conducted by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) found that 76 per cent of the Indian mediapersons believe that Mann Ki Baat has played a significant role in introducing the "real Bharat" to the countrymen. The programme has initiated a trend where people are now more aware of the things in other parts of the country and they have started appreciating them. Seventy-five per cent of the respondents felt that 'Mann Ki Baat' has emerged as a platform, which introduces grassroots innovators working selflessly to ensure a significant difference in the lives of people living in remote areas of India. Another survey by IIM Rohtak said that Mann Ki Baat has reached 100 crore listeners It said there were 23 crore regular listeners of Mann Ki Baat and 96 per cent of population was aware of the radio programme. The powerful and decisive leadership of PM Modi and emotional connect with audience were cited as reasons for popularity of the programme by the listeners, the survey said. Another research identified cleanliness and sanitation, health, wellness, water conservation, and sustainability as key themes of Mann Ki Baat. It said the programme highlights government and citizen action in these priority areas and in turn, encourages listeners to establish or participate in "changemaking" initiatives in their own communities with the aim to have a lasting and sustainable impact on lives of people and for the country. The report said that Mann Ki Baat speaks directly to people and celebrates their achievements within-- and beyond-- their communities. The programme celebrates grassroots-level changemakers. The 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat will be broadcast on Sunday. The programme started on October 3, 2014, months after Narendra Modi took over the Prime Minister's Office in May. The research report cited instances of people being "moved to action" after listening to Mann Ki Baat programme. The research looked at what makes Mann ki Baat unique. "Real application of nudge theory; over 100 crore people have connected to Mann Ki Baat at least once; conversational, personal tone and practical subject matter make the programme feel more relevant, contextual and accessible to its audience; inclusion of all and encourages citizen action to bring about social and economic change; and it highlights key public-policy interventions related to the themes it covers in the episode," the report said. "The programme addressed multiple social groups-- "women," "youth," and "farmers"-- and emphasized on topics such as "cleanliness," "Yoga," "water," "conservation," "innovation," "technology," and "environment," the report said. According to the report, the ethos of Mann Ki Baat is 5Cs - Citizen Engagement, Catalysing Collective Actions, Cultural Commitment, Connecting with the Wider Masses and Celebrating Changemakers. Mann Ki Baat is broadcast on last Sunday of every month. (ANI) The Gwalior Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday reprimanded the district police for falsely keeping a man in jail in connection with a drug case and ordered the applicant should be released on bail on a personal bond of Rs 500. The single bench of Justice Deepak Kumar Agarwal directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to pay a sum of Rs 10 lakh to the applicant as compensation for his wrongful confinement within a period of two months from the date of judgement and compliance report to this effect be submitted in the Registry. The court also said that the DGP is free to recover the aforesaid amount from the erring officials. It also directed the DGP to instruct the subordinate officers not to repeat such irregularity in future. Advocate and petitioner Sunil Goswami told ANI, "Murar police in the district arrested eight persons, including the applicant Mohit Tiwari on September 6, 2022 in connection with drugs in which the police claimed to have seized 760 grams of MDMA drug from them. Since then Mohit has been in jail." "When Mohit Tiwari filed a bail petition in Gwalior Bench of High Court then the court checked the Forensic Science Laboratory report in which the seized drug sample by police was not MDMA drug and it was Urea which does not come under the category of drugs. After which the court granted the bail to Mohit Tiwari and directed the DGP to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the applicant," he said, adding that the hearing for the bail of remaining accused will be heard further. (ANI) The accused have been identified as Subair Sulaiman, a native of Palakkad district and Nisamudheen, a native of Thrissur district. According to the customs officials, in the first instance, on the basis of profiling done by the officers of the Customs AIU batch, a passenger who arrived from Dubai to Kochi Airport by flight No.AI 934 was intercepted at the green channel. During the examination of the accused, three capsules of gold in a compound form, weighing 835.79 grams worth Rs 44 lakhs concealed inside his body were recovered and seized. Meanwhile, in the second instance, the passenger coming from Dubai to Kochi Airport by flight EK532 was intercepted at the green channel. During the examination of the said passenger, four capsules of gold in a compound form, weighing 1063.25 grams worth Rs 57 lakhs concealed inside his body were recovered and seized. Both persons were taken into custody by Customs. Further investigation into the matter is underway. Earlier on Tuesday, AIU of the Customs department seized a total of 788.57 grams of gold worth Rs 38 lakhs at Kochi airport, said an official statement. "On the basis of profiling done by the officers of Customs AIU batch, a passenger identified as MK Hakkeem a native of Palakkad district was coming from Doha to Kochi by flight IX476 and was intercepted at the green channel," a customs official said. "During the examination of the said passenger, 3 capsules of gold in a compound form, weighing 788.57 grams were concealed inside his body, were recovered and seized," the official added. The person was taken into custody by Customs. (ANI) The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Saturday convicted a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Seelampur constituency Abdul Rehman, for criminally intimidating and assaulting a Government School Principal in the year 2009. He is a MLA from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal in the judgement passed on Saturday convicted MLA Abdul Rehman and another accused Asma under offences for Assault/ criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty and Criminal Intimidation with common Intention. Court said, "having carefully considered the entire case, the documents placed on record, the police report, the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses, the statement of accused persons, the arguments advanced by both the sides and the provisions of law and the rule of procedure, this court holds that the prosecution has successfully proved its case, beyond reasonable doubts, against accused Asma that she caused simple hurt on the person of a public servant in discharge of her duties". The prosecution has further proved beyond reasonable doubt that both the accused persons i.e.Abdul Rehman and Asma, in furtherance of their common intention, criminally intimidated the complainant and assaulted her, while she was holding the office of the public servant and was in discharge of her duties as a public servant, to deter her from discharging her duties, said the Court. Accordingly, both the accused are hereby convicted for the offences under section 353, 506 (Para II) read with sections 34 IPC and additionally, the accused Asma is hereby separately convicted for the offence under section 332 of IPC, Court said in the order. According to the Police, the complaint of Razia Begum, who at the time of the incident was employed as a Government Servant, working under the Directorate of Education and on the date of the alleged incident she was holding the post of Principal of a Government School. As per the complainant, on 04.02.2009 while performing duties as a Principal of SKV School, Jafrabad, Delhi, she was slapped by the accused Asma, thus causing simple hurt to the complainant. It was further alleged that the co-accused Abdul Rehman alongwith a few other persons, barged into the school after having made preparation of causing hurt. As per the complainant, the accused persons also threatened to kill her and also abused her with the intention to outrage her modesty. In the matter, a charge sheet was filed in the court. On the basis of the charge sheet and annexed documents, cognizance of offences was taken and the accused persons were summoned to face trial. After hearing the parties, the charge of offences under sections 451, 323, 506, 509 and 34 of IPC was framed against the accused persons, to which they pleaded not guilty and claimed trial, noted the court. (ANI) Lashing out at the Congress in poll-bound Karnataka on Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rectified wrong done by Congress by doing away with Muslim reservation quota in Karnataka. The Home Minister made the remarks while addressing a gathering in Byndoor. Amit Shah said, "BJP has rectified the wrong done by Congress by doing away with the Muslim reservation quota in Karnataka. Congress wants to restore it. Ensure that it is not given this chance; it is unconstitutional as well as compromises the rights of Vokkaligas, Lingayats, SCs, STs and Dalits in the State." "BJP scrapped the 4 per cent Muslim reservation. That reservation was not as per Constitution. Our Constitution does not permit reservation on the basis of religion. Congress says that once their reverse gear government comes, they will bring back the Muslim reservation once again. Do you want that?" questioned Shah. Alleging that Congress was incapable of the protection of coastal Karnataka, Amit Shah said, "Only BJP can do the job of securing Coastal Karnataka. Greed for a vote bank, Congress can never ensure the security of Coastal Karnataka. We worked to provide security to fishermen by building a new port in Udupi." "BJP banned the PFI and ensured peace, safety and security for Karnataka," the Home Minister added. Earlier, Amit Shah said that Congress would put the state into "reverse gear", depriving it of the benefits of "double-engine sarkar". Addressing a rally at the Navalgund Assembly constituency, Shah said, "One hand, there is the Congress under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and on the other, is the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. This (Karnataka Assembly) election is an opportunity for you to decide if you want a double engine sarkar led by PM Modi, which will take Karnataka forward, or the Congress's reverse gear sarkar, which will take Karnataka backwards." The polls for the 224-seat assembly will take place on May 10 and the counting of votes will be held on May 13. (ANI) Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party chief Bandi Sanjay slammed the Congress and JDS at a rally in Chinthamani assembly seat of Kolar district on Saturday. Bandi Sanjay said, "There is one person named Kharge here, nobody knows what he says. Congress and JDS are behaving in a way that insults the Hindu Santana Dharma and Hindu Sanskriti. Yesterday Kharge went to a Muslim head person's house, that person didn't say to remove the Tilak, he won't say, he won't say to remove tilak, he respects other religions. What did Kharge do? Is there a need for such a party in Karnataka? The party that removes Tilak, is there a need for such a party in Karnataka? Karnataka people should think about it". "Nobody should sleep till 10 May, we should not sleep and we should not let Congress and JDS sleep. KCR gave money to Congress and JDS, they are distributing money, congress believes in money, but we believe in the people. All these years congress and BJP have won here, did any company come? did anyone get the jobs? are roads laid? Is water given? At least any facility given? Did they care about the people? Then why vote for Congress or JDS? You should vote for the BJP," he added. The BJP government should be formed here, if not, the development will stop, if the government goes into the hands of the Congress party, they will use Karnataka as an ATM. The Congress party will use the Karnataka money as an ATM to distribute to the states that are going for elections but not for the development of Karnataka. Congress party leaders want to become CM, minister but they don't have a plan, they are not saying that they will develop Karnataka. They don't have thought of developing the state. All they want is to defeat BJP, and stop the development work of Karnataka. In the Chintamani constituency all these years JDS and Congress have won, let Venu win this time, he said. (ANI) CM Yogi gave instructions to provide immediate relief amount of 4-4 lakhs to the relatives of the deceased, said an official release. The Chief Minister has expressed condolences to the bereaved families of the deceased. Four students died due to drowning in a lake in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur on Saturday. (ANI) "The present BJP-led government is committed to solving the basic problems of common people. This government wants to bring good governance to every family of the state with the aim of 'Good governance in every home', said CM Saha. "Apart from this, the state government wants to implement the promise made to the people of the state during the assembly elections to build a better Tripura", he added. A day after his visit to Delhi, the chief minister listened to people's various problems at the official residence in the capital Agartala on Saturday. On Saturday morning, CM Saha faced the common people at his official residence where the people flagged various common issues. The Chief Minister said, "Our government is constantly working to solve the various problems of the people. In order to deliver the government more simply to the citizens, today I came to know about the various problems of the people in my official residence." "I directed the officials of the concerned departments to take necessary steps to resolve these issues properly," he added. During the meeting with the people, Chief Minister's Office Secretary PK Chakraborty, Health Department Secretary Dr Debashis Basu and other officials were present. (ANI) A lower court on Saturday granted West Bengal Police 11 days custody of the suspected terrorist from the Al-Qaeda outfit who was arrested earlier in the day by West Bengal Special Task Force (STF). While addressing the mediapersons, the Government lawyer said,"Today he was produced in Barasat District court where police prayed for 14 days of police custody. The Court granted 11 days of police custody. A case has been registered against the accused under several sections of the Indian Penal Code related to terrorist activities. An investigation is going on". "We cannot right now confirm that he is associated with the Al-Qaeda organization. However, the accused was produced in the court today as per the provisions of the case of those who were arrested earlier on suspicion of being involved in the militant organization," he added. Earlier in the day accused person named Nannu Mia was arrested by West Bengal STF in connection with an investigation of the Shashan Police Station case. "Today one male person aged 40 years named Nannu Mia of Dinhata, Coochbihar has been arrested by West Bengal STF from Howrah in connection with an ongoing case," the official said. "Nannu Mia was arrested in connection with an investigation of the Shashan Police Station case. The case is currently being investigated by the West Bengal STF under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)," the official added. (ANI) Trinamool Congress legislator Jiban Krishna Saha, who was recently arrested by the CBI in connection with the alleged multi-crore recruitment scam in West Bengal, has now been reported to be drawing double salary -- both as an MLA and as a teacher in a state-run school. The authorities of Debagram High School in Birbhum district, where Saha was a teacher, has reported to the state school education department that despite not attending his teaching duty for a single day since he became an MLA in 2021, Saha had been drawing his salary on a regular basis. The school authorities have also recommended that the credit of his salary to his bank account should be stopped immediately. Sources in the school education department said that the school authorities have sent the recommendations to the office of the district inspector of schools of Birbhum and the papers will be sent to the state education directorate by next week, which again will forward its recommendations to the education department. The CBI had arrested Saha from his residence on April 17, and he is currently under its custody. Saha is the third Trinamool legislator to be arrested by the central agencies, the previous two being former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and ex-President of West Bengal Board of Primary Education, Manik Bhattacharya. --IANS src/arm ( 231 Words) 2023-04-29-19:42:04 (IANS) Maharshtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the Indira Gandhi Hospital and met the people injured in the Bhiwandi building collapsed on Saturday night. Earlier in the day, he visited the incident site and said that the rescue operation is underway and as many as 12 people have been rescued so far. CM Shinde met with the injured labourers and inquired about their condition. He also inquired about the two children who survived the accident. The two children have been identified as Prem and Prince. Three people have died after a multi-storeyed building collapsed in Maharashtra's Thane on Saturday, said Thane Municipal Corporation. The CM has also given instructions to provide medical treatment to the injured at government expense. Earlier on Saturday, he announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased in the Bhiwandi building collapse, said an official statement. CM Shinde also instructed the administration that the police, fire brigade, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other rescue teams should carry out the rescue work properly and the injured should be shifted to the hospitals immediately and the treatment should be started. The incident took place in the Bhiwandi area in Maharashtra's Thane district on Saturday afternoon. After visiting the incident site, he said that any questions related to redevelopment will be proposed and decided soon. "Any questions related to redevelopment will be proposed and decided soon. I have given instructions to Collector and concerned officers that they must survey those buildings which are dangerous and can collapse anytime during monsoon season," he added. As soon as the information was received, a police team including the fire brigade and disaster management were rushed to the spot and launched an operation to clear debris and rescue people. (ANI) The judge of a special CBI court here on Saturday set a 21-day deadline for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to show the progress it made in its probe into the alleged multi-crore recruitment scam in West Bengal. The judge was especially critical of the CBI for not arresting the government employees named as beneficiaries in the alleged recruitment scam yet. "Barring two cases, the progress of the probe in the other related cases is extremely demoralising. Is this a civil matter? How long will you be able to keep the accused behind bars in the name of investigation process? Take some concrete steps," the judge told the CBI counsel. When the CBI counsel said that there is evidence of involvement of government officials in the alleged scan, the judge asked why the central agency is yet to question them after taking them into custody. "You are yet to reveal who received money from the accused persons such as Kuntal Ghosh and Tapas Mondal. A scam of such a nature could not have been possible without the involvement of government officials. Please complete the circle. Show your progress in the investigation in the next 21 days," the judge told the CBI counsel. --IANS src/arm ( 221 Words) 2023-04-29-20:30:07 (IANS) According to officials, as many as 14 passengers were travelling on the bus and were rescued on time. "A bus caught fire on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, and no casualties were reported. 14 passengers were there on the bus during the incident and are out safely," informed police officials. The bus was travelling from Ahmedabad to Hyderabad. The reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained. Further investigation is underway and details are awaited. Earlier in January, a Maharashtra State Transport Corporation (MSTC) bus caught fire due to a short circuit in its starter, as per sources. The bus carrying 65 passengers was going from Thane to Bhiwandi. All passengers were rescued safely. No casualty was reported, the sources said. (ANI) Amid the ongoing wrestlers' sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar here in the national capital demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, ace wrestler Sakshee Malikkh on Saturday complained of a repeated power outage at the protest site. "The lights go off again and again at our protest site. That's why we have lit candles here and also made arrangements with some generators. Some college students have also come, who have cooperated with us here, and lit candles," said Sakshee Malikkh. Earlier on Saturday, the WFI chief asserted that if he resigns from his post it would mean that he has accepted the allegations which have been raised by the wrestlers. Reacting to World Wrestling Federation Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's remark she said that all they wanted was justice. The Delhi Police on Friday registered two FIRs against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation of female wrestlers by him. He also said that 90 per cent of Haryana players stand with him while only one wrestling family continues to protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. Earlier on April 26, Wrestlers held a candle march at Jantar Mantar urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to their 'Mann Ki Baat'. While talking to the media, Sakshee said, "We urge PM Modi to listen to our Mann Ki Baat. Even Smriti Irani ji is not listening to us. We are trying to show them the light through this candle march," said Sakshee to the media. Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia and star wrestlers like Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik on Friday said that they will continue their protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh until he is sent behind bars. Top Indian grapplers such as Vinesh Phogat, Sakshee Malikkh, Bajrang Punia, and many others wrestlers are involved in the protest against the WFI chief. Over the last six days, the wrestlers have slept and trained at the protest site near Jantar Mantar in the national capital. (ANI) Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday held a meeting with former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar -- who has switched to the grand old party from the BJP, and other senior party leaders at Dharwad in Karnataka. The meeting, held at a hotel, was also attended by prominent leaders of the Lingayat community. During the meeting, Priyanka Gandhi gave a call to ensure Shettar's victory. He will contest the May 10 Assembly election from Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency. Notably, Union Home Minister and former BJP president Amit Shah has recently held a series of meetings. The saffron party has deputed its veteran member and former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa to ensure Shettar's defeat on his home turf "to send a strong message to the defectors". A source said that Congress has organised the meeting as the BJP is "trying to draw in Congress leaders to its fold in Dharwad and Hubballi". Thousands of people participated in the roadshow of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra later in Kundagol. Addressing the crowd, she said "if the Congress is voted to power, the life of people would reform". "During the regime of BJP, the woes of people were only aggravated," she said. "The party has given guarantee cards to every house in Karnataka. We have assured that women heads of families would get Rs 2,000. The schemes such as Anna Bhagya and Ksheera Bhagya would be implemented. Women will get free travel facilities. We will fulfill all assurances," she said. The vote should be given to the future of the state. The price rise has affected people. This election will shape the future of young children, she said. Priyanka Gandhi would address public meetings in Khanapur on Sunday. She is also scheduled to hold a public meeting at Jamakhandi in Bagalkot district as well as in north Karnataka. --IANS mka/pgh ( 317 Words) 2023-04-29-21:38:02 (IANS) The use of technology in the judicial system can ensure transparency, productivity and efficiency, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu said on Saturday while addressing nearly 160 judges of various courts, comprising the Supreme Court. Inaugurating the North Zone-II Regional Conference on 'Contemporary Judicial Development and Strengthening Justice through Law and Technology' here, he highlighted the importance of technology in making the lives of the common people easier in every field, including the judiciary. The Chief Minister emphasised the need to view technology as an ally in bringing about change and strengthening the judicial system. "With the inclusion of modern technology, the functioning of the judiciary has accelerated, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, virtual hearings had proved a boon for all, which saved both money and time of the people," said the Chief Minister. He said a reliable and speedy judicial system is essential for a healthy and self-confident society, as well as for the development of the country, and when justice is seen being served, the faith of the common person in the constitutional institutions gets strengthened and continuous improvement of law and order becomes possible. The delay in justice is one of the biggest challenges being faced by the country and the judiciary is seriously working to solve this problem, said the Chief Minister. The alternative dispute redressal option is a means of resolving disputes and preparing legal education in line with technology should be an important goal for all those associated with this profession, he said. Sukhu hoped that the conference would go a long way in deriving new ideas and pave the way for legal reforms in the country, thereby providing justice to the people of the country at the earliest. The Constitution unites us all as "We the People", with its aims and objectives forming the fundamental features of the democracy. "It is the foundation of our democracy, and it is supported by three pillars. These pillars must operate within their own domains which would ultimately bring prosperity, transparency and harmony in the society," he added. Sukhu said he himself was a law student and has a keen interest in the subject. He stated "our state has contributed four judges to the Supreme Court. which is a matter of great pride for all of us". Earlier, acting Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, welcomed the guests and said the judiciary being an important pillar of the state plays a vital role in shaping and interpreting the Constitution. He said the conference is focused on deliberations on the development of technology, including artificial intelligence, crypto-currency, information and communication technology in courts. National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, Director Justice A.P. Sahi, judges of Supreme Court, Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Aniruddha Bose also spoke on the occasion, while Justice Vivek Singh Thakur presented the vote of thanks. The two-day conference is being attended by approximately 160 Judges of the Supreme Court, High Courts and subordinate courts of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. It was organised by the Himachal Pradesh High Court in collaboration with the National Judicial Academy of Bhopal. --IANS vg/pgh ( 541 Words) 2023-04-29-22:04:02 (IANS) Yoon, who was on a state visit to the United States, met with Anantha Chandrakasan, dean of the MIT School of Engineering, Professor Robert Langer, co-founder of Moderna, and James Collins, professor of biological engineering, among others. "It's significant that I came to Boston right after my trip to Washington," Yoon said, referring to the first leg of his state visit marking the 70th anniversary of the bilateral alliance, reports Yonhap news agency. "Our alliance does not stop at defense and security, but this kind of creative and innovative cooperation on science and technology is a new domain of our alliance," he said. Yoon explained he believed it would make a big difference to see and learn for himself where the two countries can work together and create synergies in the areas of cutting-edge science and technology, bioscience, artificial intelligence and other digital technology. Later in the day, Yoon led the Korea-U.S. Cluster Round Table and discussed cooperation between the two countries in cutting-edge industry clusters. Boston is known as a biotechnology cluster and is home to global pharmaceutical companies, research labs and major institutions, including MIT and Harvard University. The roundtable was attended by representatives from LabCentral, which fosters startups in biotechnology, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Boston Dynamics, and investment companies and hospitals. --IANS na/ ( 256 Words) 2023-04-29-20:40:06 (IANS) The Indian Air Force (IAF) in a daring operation carried out by the C-130J aircraft on the night of April 27, 28, 2023, rescued 121 personnel from a small airstrip at Wadi Seidna, which is about 40 km North of Khartoum, Sudan. The passengers included medical cases, including a pregnant lady, besides those who had no means to reach Port Sudan, the IAF said in a statement. The convoy was led by the Indian Defence Attache who was in continuous touch with IAF authorities all along, till they reached the airstrip at Wadi Seidna. The airstrip in question had a degraded surface, with no navigational approach, aids or fuel, and most critical or landing lights (that are required to guide an aircraft landing at night). The aircrew on approaching the airstrip, used their Electro-Optical/Infra Red sensors to ensure that the runway was free from any obstructions and no inimical forces were in the vicinity. Having made sure of the same, the aircrew carried out a tactical approach on Night Vision Goggles, on a practically dark night. Upon landing, the aircraft engines were kept running while eight IAF Guard Commandos secured the passengers and their luggage into the aircraft. As with the landing, the take-off from the unlit runway was also carried out using NVGs. This approximately two-and-a-half-hour operation between Wadi Sayyidna and Jeddah will go down in the annals of IAF history for its sheer audacity and flawless execution - akin to that carried out in Kabul. Meanwhile, under 'Operation Kaveri' on Friday, another Indian Air Force C-130J flight took off from conflict-torn Sudan with 135 passengers onboard for Jeddah. "Another IAF C-130J flight takes off from Port Sudan with 135 passengers onboard. This is the 11th batch of stranded Indians heading to Jeddah," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. Earlier in the morning, the IAF C-130J flight on Friday (today) evacuated the 10th batch of 135 Indian passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region. "#OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah," tweeted the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, informing about the evacuation. This comes after the army said it would extend the ceasefire "for an additional 72 hours" following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States in the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday. The RSF also said it approved the extended truce, adding that the proposal came from two diplomatic groupings that include the US, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence. Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI) On his way to the police station, Inspector Sharbat Khan's vehicle was on the Quetta-Karachi Highway when a roadside bomb exploded. According to hospital staff, Khan died there and then after the explosion completely wrecked his vehicle. According to police, an IED containing about 5kg of explosive substance was used in the blast. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as of now, Dawn reported. However, an investigation has been launched into the attack, according to the police. Balochistan's home minister, Mir Ziaullah Langove, denounced the act in the meantime. He added that Pakistan would overcome any obstacle with the help of the population and that the nation's struggle against terrorism would continue until the last militant was neutralised. This is the second incident in Balochistan that has targeted CTD employees, reported Dawn. Four Quetta CTD personnel were killed earlier on April 11 in a fierce gunfight with militants in the Killi Spin neighbourhood of Kuchlak town. During the raid, one claimed the terrorist was also slain. (ANI) A total of 533 people were killed due to the terror attacks and 2,210 disappearances cases are still unsolved in Pakistan, reported The News International citing the latest Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) report. In the flagship annual report on the state of human rights in the country, the data revealed that most of the cases of disappearance are from Balochistan (2,115) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (3,369). Stating that last year's floods affected gravely, the report said 33 million people were affected by the floods but these problems were overshadowed by the selfish and petty political dramas of politicians. Year after year, the HRCP's annual report points to the sorry state of women in the country. The year 2022 was no different with 4,226 women surviving rape and gang rape, News International reported, citing HRCP data. The HRCP report revealed that there is no room for optimism or hope for the future. While Pakistan is in the throes of a severe economic crisis, the HRCP report revealed further that the status of human life has also been deteriorating year on year. Apart from highlighting the climate-change crisis in the country as well as the rising persecution of transgender persons, the report revealed how the tussle between the country's opposing political forces and the dispute between institutions has further worsened the lives of ordinary people. However, the HRCP noted that some progressive legislation has taken place. This progressive legislation, the report points out, has come in both the centre and provinces and pertains to the minimum wage, harsher punishments for employing children as labour, and attempts to resolve issues such as harassment at the workplace, reported News International. However, the law protecting transgender persons, which was passed in 2018, received a huge backlash with the community under attack from various sources. The report particularly painted a bleak picture on the extent of the use of political disputes and the use of sedition, a colonial aid era law, to punish people often over petty matters, the destruction of graveyards belonging to minority groups, the resurgence of terrorism, and the continuing lack of the basic freedoms of speech, assembly, housing to the people of Pakistan, according to the News International. (ANI) Cash-strapped Pakistan urged the United States to restore military financing and sales, which was earlier suspended by Former America President Donald Trump, according to Dawn. Addressing the seminar in Washington, Pakistan's envoy to US Masood Khan, on Thursday said, "It is important that the US restores, for Pakistan, Foreign Military Financing and Foreign Military Sales, suspended by the previous administration." Since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the US-Pakistan relationship has been stuck in a prolonged period of uncertainty. And, now with the rivalry between US and China, Pakistan's relations with America have strained and also damaged the country's deteriorating economy. US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Elizabeth Horst, who was also at the event, focused on the need to help rebuild the troubled Pakistani economy and urged Islamabad to work with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to do so, reported Dawn. "The reforms that Pakistan and the IMF agreed to are not easy," she said, adding, "But it's crucial that Pakistan take these actions to bring the country back to sound financial footing, avoid falling into further debt, and grow Pakistan's economy." Washington asks Islamabad to implement 'tough reforms' agreed with IMF Recently, the increase in high-level diplomatic engagements and dialogues gave Pakistan a ray of hope again with regard to repairing the strained ties with the US. The half-day conference at Wilson Centre, Washington, focused on how the US-Pakistan relationship can be crafted against the backdrop of multiple challenging developments. Responding to a question, Ambassador Khan said Pakistan placed its first order for Russian oil and did so in consultation with the US government, Dawn reported. He also spoke about the role Pakistan can play in bringing stability to Afghanistan. "Afghanistan's stability is imperative, first and foremost, for its own people who have suffered grievously over the past four decades," Dawn quoted Khan as saying. Noting that the United States and China were both concerned about the growth of terrorism in Afghanistan, he said: "Let's work together to eliminate this threat. Today it is a threat for Pakistan and Afghanistan; if unchecked, it will spread to other parts of the region and beyond." (ANI) Fatima Bhutto, the granddaughter of former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and niece of Benazir Bhutto, tied the knot in a closed ceremony in Karachi. The nikkah ceremony of Fatima Bhutto, daughter of Murtaza Bhutto, took place at the family's residence at 70 Clifton in Karachi, according to the information shared by the bride's brother Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. "On behalf of our father, Shaheed Mir Murtaza Bhutto and the Bhutto family, I'm very happy to share some happy news. My sister Fatima and Graham were married in an intimate nikkah ceremony yesterday at our home, 70 Clifton," Zulfikar Ali Bhutto tweeted. "The ceremony was attended by Fatima's loved ones in our grandfather's library, a place that means a lot to my dear sister. Due to the difficult circumstances felt by our fellow countrymen and women, we all felt it would be inappropriate to celebrate lavishly," he added in a tweet. He also called for prayers for the couple. During the "nikkah ceremony," Fatima Bhutto embraced simplicity and elegance with her wedding attire. She opted for a white Anarkali suit that she paired with bangles and a silver maang tikka. The silver work on her ensemble made it more appealing. She also kept her make-up minimal by wearing pink nude lip shades. Her husband complemented her in a white Pathani suit. According to The Express Tribune, Fatima was born on May 29, 1982 and has written several books, including a memoir titled 'Songs of Blood and Sword', which narrates the story of her family's turbulent political history, and the novel 'The Shadow of the Crescent Moon', which explores the lives of people in a small Pakistani town near the Afghan border. In addition to her authorship, she has also contributed to articles and essays to various international publications such as The Guardian, The Financial Times and The New York Times. The Bhutto family has a long history in Pakistani politics, as her grandfather Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was the prime minister of the country. Her aunt Benazir Bhutto, too, served as the country's premier. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was executed in 1979 after being overthrown in a military coup, while Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on December 27, 2007. Despite the family's political legacy, Fatima Bhutto has largely remained out of the political spotlight, focusing instead on her career as a writer and activist and has been critical of the traditional political system in Pakistan, reported The Express Tribune. (ANI) To further boost the ongoing repatriation efforts under 'Operation Kaveri' of the Union government, Indian carrier IndiGo joined the mission and with 231 stranded Indians took off from Jeddah. "Indigo joins #OperationKaveri. 231 Indians in a flight to New Delhi from Jeddah. With this 5th outbound flight, around 1600 reached or airborne for India. Happy journey. Our Mission continues," Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan tweeted. "We have offered our services for charter flights to Jeddah under the Indian Government's Operation Kaveri rescue mission of our citizens from Sudan. We are still awaiting details from the ministry to launch these flights, nothing has been confirmed as of yet," IndiGo Airlines said in a statement. Airlines had earlier expressed their willingness in participating in the ongoing evacuation of stranded Indians in the strife-torn African country under 'Operation Kaveri'. IndiGo said it remains committed to supporting the Central government's mission to evacuate Indian citizens from Sudan. The airline crew stepped forward to respond to the critical humanitarian need of the hour, enabling the safe return of the stranded citizens back to their families and homes. Earlier, on Friday, Mos MEA V Muraleedharan informed that so far, 2,100 Indians have arrived in Jeddah, as part of 'Operation Kaveri'. Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said INS Sumedha, which is stationed at Port Sudan, had also left the crisis-hit country with 300 passengers onboard, for Jeddah. This is the 13th batch of INS Sumedha with evacuated Indians, heading to Jeddah. Earlier, on Friday, the Indian Air Force C-130J evacuated the 10th and 11th batches of 135 passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region. Earlier, the Sudanese army said it would extend the ceasefire "for an additional 72 hours" following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States in the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday. The RSF also said it approved the extended truce, adding that the proposal came from two diplomatic groupings that include the US, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. Sudan has been on the boil as a result of the ongoing clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. There have been reports of violence and clashes even during the ongoing 72-hour ceasefire. Clashes erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI) Pakistan has made progress in its intellectual property (IP) legislation, but more needs to be done, the United States said in its report, according to Dawn. In its new report, the United States Trade Representative acknowledged that Pakistan has made progress but much needs to be done regarding intellectual property enforcement. USTR released its 2023 special report on intellectual property protection and enforcement on Wednesday. In the report, USTR kept Pakistan on the 'watch list' for 2023 while acknowledging that the country "maintained a positive dialogue with the US on intellectual property matters and promoting IP protection and enforcement". The report stated that Pakistan was amending its IP laws and encouraged the government to seek stakeholders' input on draft laws. In February this year, the US-Pakistan Trade and Investment Framework (Tifa) Ministerial meeting deliberated on improvements to Pakistan's IP laws and the progress on joining IP treaties, reported Dawn. The US also welcomed Pakistan's interest in joining international treaties, such as the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) and WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT), collectively known as the WIPO Internet Treaties and the Patent Cooperation Treaty, the report said. Pakistan's Intellectual Property Organisation (IPO) continued to make efforts to coordinate among various government bodies involved in IP. Nonetheless, serious concerns remained, particularly in the area of counterfeiting and piracy was widespread in pharmaceuticals, IT, digital content and software sectors. Reports of numerous cable operators providing pirated content were also prevalent, the report noted. The initial development by Pakistan was traced way back in 2016 with the establishment of IP Tribunals in three cities. And plans to create new tribunals in other cities, but, pakistan has not moved forward, reported Dawn. Moreover, litigants with experience in these tribunals have raised concerns over the lack of capacity, inconsistency of rulings, nominal fines, a general lack of expertise among tribunal judges, and confusion over standards by which courts review tribunal decisions, according to the report. The US expressed concern over the proliferation of counterfeit pharmaceuticals manufactured, sold and distributed by numerous trading partners. The report said Pakistan has not provided criminal enforcement authorities with the power to take action against counterfeit goods. While optical disc piracy continues in many countries, including China, India, Mexico, and Pakistan, online piracy is the most challenging copyright enforcement issue in many foreign markets, Dawn reported. (ANI) Brussels [Belgium], April 29 (ANI/WAM): The European Commission and the European Investment Bank have announced Euro 18 billion of financing under Global Gateway, Europe's investment strategy for partner countries. This will boost investment in Global Gateway's priority areas - climate action, clean energy and connectivity -- in Europe's partner countries around the world. In particular, these projects will aim to help bridge the global climate finance gap and support prevention, adaptation and mitigation. Speaking from the Global Citizen NOW Summit in New York, President von der Leyen of the European Commission, said, "Europe is already the top provider of climate finance globally and of official development assistance. But more is needed to bridge the climate finance gap, and everyone needs to chip in. This is where our investment strategy Global Gateway comes into play. Global Gateway invests in the projects our partners need from natural risks prevention to clean transport and energy infrastructure. And this Euro18 billion in financing will get even more such projects off the ground, swiftly. Global Gateway will help advance the climate transition around the world, improving people's lives and making our partners more resilient." EIB President Werner Hoyer said, "Thanks to our solid partnership with the European Commission, EIB Global has already mobilised investments amounting to Euro 31 billion under Global Gateway. This new financing package unlocks more EU support for projects that will make a real difference in partner countries and in some of the areas of the world most in need of transformation. We believe that the Global Gateway initiative will greatly contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, to which we remain fully committed and strongly aligned with partners worldwide" (ANI/WAM) Clearing the air on Pakistan's former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa's statement on "combat worthiness" and his views on future threats, Pakistan military's media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Bajwa was quoted "out of the context." After media discussions on the "Pakistan Army's combat worthiness in view of the condition of certain weapon systems on its inventory," the ISPR released the statement. The ISPR said, "To this end, views of former army chief on the future threat to Pakistan, which he shared with media persons in an off-the-record interactive session, have been quoted out of the context." The military's media wing reassured the people that the army will always take pride in its "operational preparedness and utmost combat worthiness". The ISPR said, "Pakistan's Armed Forces always did and will continue to keep their weapons, equipment and battle-hardened human resource ever ready for the defence of the motherland." The statement came after Pakistan journalist Hamid Mir made the startling revelation that Gen Javed Bajwa had doubts about Pakistan's military prowess. Pakistan's former Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had reportedly told two senior journalists that Pakistan lacked the ammunition and economic strength to fight against India, according to UK-based Pakistani media 'UK44'. The Pakistani journalists- Hamid Mir and Naseem Zehra- during a show said that Gen Bajwa had in 2021 revealed that he held secret talks with India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and how Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit was planned to Pakistan soon after a ceasefire was announced between the two countries in 2021. "Qamar Javed Bajwa deal on Kashmir has not yet been revealed to Pakistani citizens. After the ceasefire along Line of Control with India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to visit Pakistan. When Foreign Office came to know about it, they went to Imran Khan as they were unaware of it. Imran Khan said that he knew about it and the talks are going on with NSA Ajit Doval, but Imran siad that he had no confirmation about PM Modi's visit to Pakistan," said Mir. According to Mir, Gen Bajwa admitted that Pakistan "cannot go to war with India". Citing Gen Bajwa, Mir said that during a conference of commanders, Bajwa confessed that the "Pakistan Army is no match for the Indian Army." "After the incident, he asked Faiz to at least inform Foreign Office about, however, Bajwa came and lectured them -- the same lecture given to us---do you remember -- tanks are not in condition to work, there is no diesel for the movements of cannons," said Mir. Pakistani journalists Mir and Naseem Zehra revealed that Pakistan Army Chief told journalists that Pakistan Army was incapable to fight Indian Army. Mir also claimed that devoid of options, Javed Bajwa proposed to mend ways with India to have a normal relationship. Two sides were working on a solution for Kashmir as Pakistan realised it lacked ammunition and economic strength to fight India. According to Dawn's report, the threat of an "all-out war" with India was one of the security-related issues for Pakistan trying to delay elections. The report was submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan by the defence ministry in a move to delay the General Elections. With the recent revelations by Hamid Mir, questions surround the ability of the Pakistan Army to face Indian soldiers. (ANI) The UN Security Council unanimously condemned the Taliban's ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations in Afghanistan and called to "swiftly reverse" a crackdown on the rights of women and girls, reported UN News. The resolution passed unanimously by the 15-member body in New York on Thursday urged all countries and organisations with influence on the Taliban, "to promote an urgent reversal" of policies which have in effect erased women from public life. The resolution - drafted by the United Arab Emirates and Japan - described the ban as "unprecedented in the history of the United Nations," asserting "the indispensable role of women in Afghan society" and said that the ban on Afghan women working for the UN "undermines human rights and humanitarian principles," reported UN News. Since the Taliban takeover in July 2021, it has rolled back a wide range of human rights of women and girls, including a ban on attending high school and university, restrictions on movement and work, and in December, a decree banning female nationals from working from most NGOs. The resolution also stresses the urgent need to keep addressing Afghanistan's "dire economic and humanitarian situation" and help the country restore self-reliance, recognizing the importance of allowing the Central Bank to use assets that are currently frozen outside the country, "for the benefit of the Afghan people," reported UN News. A record 28.3 million people in Afghanistan are in need of assistance this year, making Afghanistan the world's largest aid operation, with the UN asking for USD 4.6 billion to fully fund relief efforts this year. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator warned this month that Afghanistan was also the world's least well-funded operation, with less than five per cent of funding pledged so far. The Security Council resolution lays out ambassadors' "deep concern" over the ban on women working at the UN, saying that - along with the other erosions of basic rights - "will negatively and severely impact" the UN aid operations throughout the country, "including the delivery of life-saving assistance and basic services to the most vulnerable," reported UN News. It stressed that the UN Assistance Mission in the country, UNAMA, will also be unable to implement its humanitarian mandate until the ban ends. The resolution emphasized that the ban "is unprecedented in the history of the United Nations." The Council backed the continued work of UNAMA reiterating its "full support", and called on all with a stake in Afghanistan, including Taliban authorities, "to ensure the safety, security and freedom of movement of the United Nations and associated personnel throughout the country," reported UN News. (ANI) Chinese contractors working on the Thar Coal Project are unhappy due to non-payment of arrears for the past 11 months by Pakistan, reported Pak vernacular publication, Express Daily. It was said that if the issue is not resolved than working further on the third phase of the extension project would not be possible. China earlier had conveyed to Pakistan that huge amount of unpaid power bills are drying up of Chinese funding to other Pakistan power projects. The issue of receivables and opening of a revolving account for Chinese CPEC Independent Power Producers (IPPs) is still pending with their receivables now over Rs 300 billion, reported Business Recorder. The huge receivables of existing Chinese power projects are the main hurdle in convincing banks for further funding in other power projects to achieve their financial closures, well-informed sources in the federal government told Business Recorder. Last month a detailed meeting was held between Secretary Power Division, Rashid Mahmood Langrial and Vice President of China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure) Xu Xinwei to discuss the financial closure of certain CPEC energy projects. M/s Sinosure has shared a list of the six following banks involved in financing the Thar Block-1 power projects by Shanghai Electric: (ii) China Development Bank (CDB); (ii) Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC); (iii) Postal Savings Bank of China Limited (PSBC); (iv) Bank of Communications (BCM); (v) China Minsheng Banking Corporation Limited; and (vi) Agricultural Bank of China (ABC). According to sources, the Chinese side was clear on Pakistan's concerns and issues in the project's financial closures, saying that they understand four major projects of concern, i.e., Thar Block-1, Azad Pattan, Kohala and Gwadar power project. These projects are very highly valued by the Chinese government and relevant financial institutions, reported Business Recorder. Chinese side further stated that for the Thar-coal projects, the current situation suggests that some of the banks are holding back investing in CPEC projects, due to the overdue power tariffs as they lack confidence in new projects, since most of the banks are public listed companies and have strict risk management systems, reported Business Recorder. Meanwhile, Secretary Power then noted that since Thar Block-1 power project employed local coal, its commercial operation would help the energy sector's overall ability to make repayments because of cheaper electricity generation. Similarly, if Kohala and Azad Pattan power projects could be completed, they would help in bringing down the overall basket price and would help in making payments promptly to the banks which was in both Pakistan and the banks' interest, reported Business Recorder. Responding to Secretary Power, the Chinese side said that the overdue electricity bills were still a major concern for the banks and if that could be resolved then Sinosure could push forward the banks' progress, adding that being unable to receive financing solutions from the banks, Chinese officials are unable to move forward to take the next steps, reported Business Recorder. (ANI) Two minor female students have allegedly gone missing while going to school in Tando Muhammad Khan district, Pakistan vernacular media reported. According to Pakistan Daily, Jasarat, the two female students, 16-year-old Dua Chandio and 13-year-old Muzamil Fatima Chandio, have allegedly gone missing while going to school. The families protested against the incident in front of the press club and shouting slogans, Ali Asghar, the father of the missing girls, told reporters that his two daughters went to school yesterday and could not return home, which was also reported to the police, as per Jasarat. However, the police have not recovered his daughters so far. His daughters have been abducted by a man named Akbar Abro. The protestors have demanded that the daughters should be recovered and the accused Akbar Abro should be arrested as soon as possible, according to Jasarat. Such incidents of people going missing are common in Pakistan. A couple of days ago 'Voice for Baloch Missing Persons' held a protest rally in Quetta against fake encounters and forced disappearances, Pakistan vernacular media Urdu Point reported. The protesters called for the recovery of missing people. The protest rally was held in Quetta under the leadership of Mama Qadeer and Huran Baloch. A demonstration was held in front of the Quetta Press Club, as per the Urdu Point report. During the Eid celebrations in Pakistan, various groups and families of missing persons, student organizations, and political parties, held protests in Balochistan and Islamabad, demanding action on enforced disappearances, Balochistan Post reported. Demonstrators from diverse backgrounds called for the safe recovery of missing persons and an end to the long-standing issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, as per the news report. In Turbat, a protest against enforced disappearances was organised by the Baloch Students Organization (BSO) and families of missing persons, addressing "state oppression and violence towards the Baloch nation". The protesters said the primary purpose of their demonstration was to unveil the "state's oppressive" actions against the Baloch people on both national and international levels. They called on the civilised nations to take action to prevent further injustice and oppression faced by the people of Balochistan, Balochistan Post reported. The participants in the Turbat protest also underscored the need for the state to reassess its policies before the situation worsens further. They highlighted the resilience of the Baloch people, who have a long history of resisting oppression and are determined to ensure their survival. In Khuzdar, families of forcibly disappeared individuals held a protest on Eid and called for the safe return of their relatives and accountability for those responsible for the enforced disappearances. As per the Balochistan Post report, the protest, held at Shaheed Abdul Razzaq Chowk, was reportedly met with harassment from Frontier Corps personnel. Grieving families expressed their distress over forced disappearances by state authorities, opting to protest instead of celebrating Eid. (ANI) The sixth Operation Kaveri Flight with 365 Indian nationals on board has departed Jeddah for New Delhi. "Another flight carrying Indian evacuees departs from Jeddah to New Delhi. 365 passengers onboard this 6th outbound flight are on their way back home," MEA official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Saturday. Earlier on Saturday, a flight carrying 231 Indian passengers evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan, reached New Delhi. The Indian evacuees shouted slogans like "Bharat Mata ki jai," and "Vande Mataram" and also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for rescuing them from Sudan under Operation Kaveri. One of the Indian passengers shared the tough humanitarian crisis faced by them in Sudan. "It has become very difficult to stay in Sudan due to ongoing conflict. There is a shortage of food and drinking water, moreover, there are continuous bombings, and rockets are being fired. None of us were coming out of our houses. The food canteen was bombed. It is very difficult to flee also, travelling in the vehicle is also not safe, they can bomb buses too," said an Indian electrician from Buxar, Bihar evacuated from Sudan. He lauded Operation Kaveri and said that his evacuation from Sudan was like "re-birth" as he had lost hope to survive. "If it had not been PM Modi and EAM Jaishankar none of the Indians could have come here alive. From the deep of my heart, I want to thank them. Bharat Mata ki jai, Modiji Zindabad," he added. "#OperationKaveri moves further. 231 Indian reach home safely as another flight reaches New Delhi," tweeted Jaishankar. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Garud Commandos carried out a daring, overnight operation to air-lift stranded Indians despite the airstrip in Sudan's Wadi Seidna having no navigational approach, aids or fuel, and landing lights (that are required to guide an aircraft landing at night). On the night of April 27, 28, 2023, the IAF C-130J aircraft rescued 121 personnel from a small airstrip at Wadi Seidna, which is about 40 km North of Khartoum, Sudan, the IAF said in a statement. Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence.Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI) Chinese authorities banned most Uyghurs from praying in mosques, and even in their homes, during the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday, in many parts of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, as per the residents and the police, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported. During Eid, which fell on April 20-21 this year, people aged 60 and older were allowed to pray in a local mosque under heavy police surveillance, sources said. China has since 2017, restricted or banned ethnic customs and religious rituals among the mostly Muslim Uyghurs in what they say is an effort to stamp out "religious extremism." Authorities in Xinjiang during Eid patrolled city streets and searched houses to prevent people from secretly praying inside their homes, according to sources, RFA reported. An administrative staffer from Yarkowruk town in Akesu Prefecture said one mosque there was open for Eid prayers. "Our police officers went to the mosque to watch the people. I don't know if people needed permission to go to the mosque because I did not go there," the employee said. An officer at the local police station said that only one mosque was open for Eid prayers in Bulung town, Bay county, though only residents over 60 years old were allowed to pray if they wanted. The government issued a notice that people younger than 60 could not pray on the Eid holiday, the officer said. Only a dozen Uyghur elders in Bulung attended Eid prayers in a mosque as three police officers and several auxiliary police staffers observed and wrote down the Uyghurs' names, said the officer from the town's police station, according to RFA. "The mosque was open yesterday, and we went there to surveil people," the police officer said, adding that he told residents under 60 not to go to the mosque. A woman from a residential area in Maralbexi county in Kashgar Prefecture said none of her neighbours or relatives held Eid prayers or celebrations. "The mosque was not open," she told RFA. "My husband is a policeman, and he went to work on Eid. There was no Eid-ul-Fitr prayer here. It was quiet." (ANI) The Japanese national, an employee of drugmaker Astellas Pharma who was detained in China, was involved in espionage, said Beijing's new ambassador to Tokyo, Wu Jianghao, reported Nikkei Asia. Responding to queries from reporters at the Japan National Press Club, Wu said, "The core of this incident is that it is a spying incident that touches on China's national security. That fact is becoming more and more certain." Wu also said that it is not China that should back down, but rather the individuals and organisations that are making people like the Astellas employee engage in acts of spying. Tokyo lodged an official protest after the drugmaker company confirmed last month that one of its employees had been detained, as per Nikkei Asia. He lamented Japanese TV coverage of the incident by saying, "They say that in China you get arrested by walking down the street, by taking photos, by talking with your friends. There is no way that can be true." The Chinese envoy also said that China will welcome with open arms Japanese people willing to engage in normal economic activity. Earlier on April, a member of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing conducted a consular meeting with the detained man. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi the next day declined to provide details of the meeting, but confirmed that the man, in his 50s, had no particular health problems, according to Nikkei Asia. Hayashi said, "During my recent visit to China, I protested this incident and strongly reiterated Japan's resolute position on this matter, including the Japanese national's swift release," adding, "We will continue to strongly urge China, through various levels and occasions, to swiftly release this citizen." Ambassador Wu also touched on the overall bilateral ties, insisting China has never seen Japan as a rival, let alone a threat or an enemy. Wu drew a contrast with Tokyo's labelling of China as the "greatest strategic challenge" in a National Security Strategy issued last December, according to Nikkei Asia. Wu effectively urged Japan to develop its China strategy without the assistance of Washington. He expressed his hope that Japan may develop a "strategic autonomy" towards China with an "objective" perspective that takes into account the "trend of the times." According to him, the Taiwan question is "the foundation of the foundations of Sino-Japanese relations and a red line that must not be crossed." As President Xi Jinping did in a speech to the Chinese Communist Party's national meeting last October, Wu stated that China will work towards a peaceful unification with Taiwan but would not make the same commitment to giving up using force. Many of the Japanese people he interacts with have voiced concern over this position, he said. But if you think about it, continuing to use force to prevent Taiwanese independence is a deterrent. It ensures the stability and peace of the Taiwan Strait, he said. Wu criticised the idea that a Taiwan contingency would also be a Japan contingency, as the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once stated. He said, "Connecting a purely domestic Chinese issue to Japan's security is illogical and dangerous." He also warned, "Japan will be tied to forces that seek to divide China and will be dragged into the fire," reported Nikkei Asia. (ANI) Under Operation Kaveri, a total of 1,191 passengers have been evacuated from Sudan of which 117 are currently under quarantine as they are not vaccinated against Yellow Fever. The passengers will be released after seven days if they remain asymptomatic, according to an official press release. The Indian government under Operation Kaveri, is set to evacuate about 3,000 Indian-origin passengers from Sudan. India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is working in close collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs to carry forward the operation. According to the official release, necessary quarantine facilities are being arranged at transit junctures in mission mode for incoming passengers. These passengers are provided rent-free accommodation with free food facilities in quarantine centres managed by Airport Health Officers (APHO)s, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at various hospitals across states holding a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as well as central government hospitals in Delhi such as Safdarjung Hospital. Arrangements have also been made at RHTC, Najafgarh (100 beds); NITR, Mehrauli (40 beds) and Lady Hardinge Medical College (60 beds). Under Operation Kaveri, the first batch of 360 passengers arrived in Delhi from Sudan, none of whom required quarantine, followed by a second flight which arrived in Mumbai with 240 passengers on April 26 of which 14 were quarantined. Two were released after the validation of their vaccination certificates. The remaining 12 will complete their quarantine period till today evening (as they were in transit for 4 days at Jeddah), as per the official release. The third Operation Kaveri flight arrived in Bengaluru yesterday afternoon with 360 passengers of which 47 passengers were initially quarantined. Three were released today after verification of vaccination. As per official information, the verification of five more passengers is in process. The fourth flight containing passengers arrived in Delhi yesterday evening with 231 passengers of which 61 were quarantined (one was later released). A total of 35 passengers are at Delhi APHO and 26 passengers are at Safdarjung Hospital. The fifth flight is expected to arrive in Delhi tonight with 367 passengers and an additional flight with 320 passengers is expected to arrive tomorrow morning at 10:30 am in Bengaluru. The number of those quarantined will be dynamic as it is dependent on the verification status of passengers' passport number(s). 'Operation Kaveri' is a rescue operation launched by the Government of India to evacuate Indian citizens who are stranded in Sudan. It was launched on April 24, 2023, in response to the Sudan crisis. A team of officials including the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Air Force, and the Indian embassy in Sudan has been appointed by the Indians to ensure the proper process of evacuation gets followed. During the evacuation, Indians will be transferred from Sudan to the capital city of Khartoum from where they will be flown back to India. (ANI) "More Indians come back home under #OperationKaveri. 365 passengers have just landed in New Delhi," External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar tweeted on Saturday. The flight with 365 Indian nationals on board, earlier on Saturday, departed from Jeddah for New Delhi. "Another flight carrying Indian evacuees departs from Jeddah to New Delhi. 365 passengers onboard this 6th outbound flight are on their way back home," MEA official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. On Saturday morning, a flight carrying 231 Indian passengers evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan, reached New Delhi. The Indian evacuees shouted slogans like "Bharat Mata ki jai," and "Vande Mataram" and also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for rescuing them from Sudan under Operation Kaveri. Under Operation Kaveri, a total of 1,191 passengers have been evacuated from Sudan of which 117 are currently under quarantine as they are not vaccinated against Yellow Fever. The passengers will be released after seven days if they remain asymptomatic, according to an official press release. The Indian government under Operation Kaveri, is set to evacuate about 3,000 Indian-origin passengers from Sudan. Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence. Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI) Ever since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India, the Indian diaspora in the United Kingdom has seen visible change, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Saturday. In an interview with ANI, Union Minister Singh, after interacting with the Indian diaspora in London, said, "Ever since Prime Minister Modi has taken over the last eight, nine years, each of the members, the diaspora is appreciative of the fact that they can see a change." He also stated that his observation was supported by all the others in the room who had been to India recently. "The Indian diaspora said they could see a visible change. And I think also many of those professionals who had come over to the United Kingdom or the other parts of the world out of some kind of disillusionment back home, are now looking back. They have some kind of also regret that they came, didn't possibly destiny allow them to wait till PM Modi had taken over?" Union Minister said. Singh said that the esteem of the Indian diaspora has gone up tremendously. The third generation of post-independence Indians is coming up and they are being seen as a force to reckon with across the world, he added. Union Minister, who is on a six-day visit to the UK, interacted with the Indian Diaspora on Saturday. Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised the esteem of the Indian Diaspora abroad, according to the statement released by the Ministry of Science and Technology. The Minister said, the world is looking up to the Indian Diaspora with great hope and expectation and it is high time that they also rise to the occasion and contribute to the well-being of the entire humankind in the true spirit of the theme of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' as given by PM Modi during India's G20 presidency. Interacting with the Diaspora, Jitendra Singh said that the Indian Diaspora should try to channelise their resources to support the important initiatives taken up by the Government back home in India. He emphasised that India is on a path of transformation. PM Modi has, on several occasions, emphasised the significance of science and technology in driving economic growth and rising living standards. He urged the Diaspora to be a part of this growth story, the statement read. The Minister expressed happiness in addressing the Indian diaspora and said that many of them have demonstrated extraordinary leadership positions in academia, industry and government in the United Kingdom, the statement added. Sharing some of the key achievements of India in S & T like India's massive jump in its ranking on the Global Innovation Index (GII) from 81st in the year 2015 to 40th in 2022 among 132 economies of the world, 3rd rank in terms of number of StartUps, Unicorns, scientific publications and PhDs awarded, the Minister said that India has in recent years made some unprecedented progress in S & T areas. Dr Jitendra Singh proposed an active engagement of the Indian diaspora with Indian Institutions and individuals considering the transformative research happening in our country, according to the statement. (ANI) The United States called upon China to stop the provocative and unsafe conduct in the South China Sea, the State Department said in the statement. In a statement, the State Department said, "We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct. The United States continues to track and monitor these interactions closely." This statement came after the Philippines accused China's coast guard of "aggressive tactics" on Friday following an incident during a Philippine coast guard patrol close to the Philippines-held Second Thomas Shoal, a flashpoint for previous altercations located 105 nautical miles (195 km) off its coast, Reuters reported. In February, the Philippines said a Chinese ship had directed a "military-grade laser" at one of its resupply vessels. The Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said that Philippine vessels had intruded into Chinese waters and made deliberate provocative moves. "On April 23, two Philippine Coast Guard vessels intruded into the waters of the Ren'ai Reef without Chinese permission. One of them made deliberate provocative moves by closing in on a Chinese Coast Guard vessel. In accordance with the law, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel upheld China's territorial sovereignty and maritime order by making timely manoeuvres to dodge the dangerously approaching Philippine vessel and avoid a collision. The Chinese side's manoeuvres were professional and restrained," Ning replied to a media query. The State Department said that the US stands with the Philippines in the face of the People's Republic of China (PRC) Coast Guard's continued infringement upon freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. "Imagery and video recently published in the media is a stark reminder of PRC harassment and intimidation of Philippine vessels as they undertake routine patrols within their exclusive economic zone," the state department said in the statement. "The United States stands with our Philippine allies in upholding the rules-based international maritime order and reaffirms that an armed attack in the Pacific, which includes the South China Sea, on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those of the Coast Guard, would invoke U.S. mutual defence commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U.S. Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty," it added. (ANI) Afghanistan is witnessing unfavourable trends in the security situation, including the growth of terrorist and drug threats, Collective Security Treaty Organization members noted, according to ToloNews citing CSTO's statement. In the 37th meeting of the Working Group on Afghanistan at the CSTO Ministerial Council, the members noted, "There was a detailed exchange of views on the situation in Afghanistan. The participants noted the persistence of unfavourable trends in the security situation, including the growth of terrorist and drug threats emanating from the territory of this country. It was noted that Afghanistan was still in a difficult economic situation and the Afghan people were facing problems in the social and humanitarian sphere." On Thursday, the organization held the 37th meeting which was attended by delegations from the organization's member states, the CSTO Deputy Secretary General SI Ordabaev, Charge d'Affaires of Afghanistan in the Russian Federation, representatives of the UNRCCA, the CIS ATC, the Coordination Service of the Council of Commanders of Border Troops of the CIS and the ICRC, according to the statement. However, the Taliban denied the concerns of the CSTO regarding the situation in Afghanistan. "The collective security treaty organization should not have any concerns about Afghanistan. Afghanistan is more secure now than before and there have been no incidents and we don't have any rebels and individuals who are uncontrolled. The government has controlled all over Afghanistan and we don't see any issue that could be considered insecurity," said Zabiullah Mujahid, Taliban-appointed Spokesman. "Our geographical location caused the tensions to continue and the tensions among the regional and world countries have not let us have permanent stability," said Yousuf Ameen Zazai, a military veteran, according to ToloNews. "The message of the CSTO is clear. They are concerned about the counterproductive harm of the ongoing situation from Afghanistan," said Hameed Safoot, a political analyst. This comes as Pakistan news outlet Dawn reported that the Pakistan ambassador to Washington said at a seminar that "Afghanistan's stability is imperative, first and foremost, for its own people who have suffered grievously over the past four decades." Elizabeth Horst, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Pakistan, said that the US and Pakistan are working together on security, reported ToloNews. "We are working together to ensure that Afghanistan is never again a place for terrorism. So our future is together as partners, we continue to believe that Pakistan and the United States should work together," she said. Earlier the Taliban said that it has conducted more than 70 operations against Daesh in Afghanistan in which key Daesh fighters were killed, according to ToloNews. (ANI) Our annual Souths Best Awards posed a difficult question: Which taco joints do you love the most? This is what Texans had to say. Laurey Glenn You really cant name any singular taco as the best in Texas, as it would be quite the unimaginable feat. However, if you allow the Texans in the room to have a voice, there do seem to be a few clear favorites, whether were talking about a two-bite street taco topped with onion and cilantro, a hefty barbecue taco that melts in your mouth, or the humble breakfast taco of which Texas has mastered a hundred times over. Our annual Souths Best Awards posed a difficult question: Which taco joints do you love the most? This is what Texans had to say. Here are the 10 best places to get tacos in Texas, as voted by Southern Living readers. 10. Del Norte Tacos Courtesy Del Norte Tacos Godley Chef-owner Chris Garcia transformed an old 1920s gas station into a taqueria in 2008, originally starting with only four items on the menu. Now, the menu has greatly expanded, including his famed Smoked Chile Relleno and larger-than-life burritos and enchiladas. It's a BYOB, kid-friendly, dogs-allowed destination for locals and beyond. delnortetacos.com 9. El Tejavan Courtesy El Tejavan Amarillo If youre headed to the Panhandle of Texas (also known as cattle country), expect beef on the menu. In fact, the Plato Al Pastor, which is traditionally a pork dish, is instead made with beef at El Tejavan. What started out as a laid-back roadside store became a full-fledged sit-down spot. Plus, we respect any place that offers guacamole two ways: smooth or chunky. eltejavanmexican.com 8. La Calle Courtesy La Calle Houston With three locations in Houston, this high-reviewed cantina is known for tacos and tortas, as well as its late-night hours which allow you to order snacks like creamy elote, crunchy chicharrones, and street tacos any time of day. The happy hour and daily specials serve up major deals and are popular amongst Houstonites. lacalletacos.com 7. Taqueria Datapoint Courtesy Taqueria Datapoint San Antonio The long list of menu items at this authentic taqueria nestled into a quiet storefront makes it hard to choose, but youll never go wrong with the machacado con huevo (shredded dry beef scrambled into eggs) for breakfast and the mini tacos for a perfect lunch. You can choose between different proteins, but get a multifaceted taste by ordering the mixed meats, which comes with a combination of asada, carnitas, pastor, and tripa. taqueriadatapoint.net Story continues 6. Urban Taco Laurey Glenn Dallas Mexico City native Markus Pineyro was a pioneer in what would become known as Modern Mexican in Dallas. The flagship location in Uptown Dallas offers unique takes on classics, such as salsa flights, ceviche towers, and chilled tequila on draft. The signature dish is its tacos al pastor, which contains meat sliced off the vertical rotisserie known as a trompo. Choose from various locations throughout the city. urban-taco.com 5. Valentinas Tex Mex BBQ Courtesy Valentinaas Tex Mex BBQ Austin This barbecue trailer by pitmaster Miguel Vidal and his wife Modesty is serious about tacos. Grab one of the picnic tables, and choose from a menu of melt-in-your-mouth meat tacos and barbecue plates. The most popular taco is the brisket, to no surprise, which is served on a fluffy flour tortilla and topped with a dollop of guacamole and lime wedge. You can also get the brisket on one of the breakfast tacos, and you wont be disappointed. valentinastexmexbbq.com 4. Los Gallos Taco House Courtesy Los Gallos Taco House New Braunfels This breakfast-and-lunch spot is known for stuffing its tacos to the brim, which is certainly a benefit for those who desire bang for their buck, or who show up extra hungry. The small family-run restaurant has just enough tables to always feel packed, and the to-go meals are perfect for families who need a Tex-Mex fix on a busy weeknight. losgallostacohouse.com 3. Little Taco Factory Courtesy Little Taco Factory San Antonio This local-favorite taco joint is open for breakfast and lunch. Its known primarily for having some of the best breakfast tacos in San Antonio. The homemade tortillas are worth any of the fillings, but the Chorizo & Egg taco is especially recommended. Its a casual hole-in-the-wall type of place with limited table space, and make sure to place your order at the counter. facebook.com/little-taco-factory 2. Joe T. Garcias Scott Slusher Fort Worth A Fort Worth staple since 1935, this restaurant is known as much for its hospitality as it is for its authentic food, which stems back to a menu created by founder Joe T. Garcia and his wife Jessie. Locals and tourists alike come together on an oasis-like patio to enjoy pitchers of margaritas and baskets of chips. Its the perfect place to relax after a day spent exploring the revitalized Fort Worth Stockyards and Mule Alley. Just make sure to come prepared: Its cash-only. joetgarcias.com 1. Torchys Tacos Trey Ellis Austin, Houston, Dallas, & More It's no surprise that this beloved chain ended up at the top of our Texas' Best list. From the first mobile trailer to a whopping 102 locations in 11 states, Torchy's Tacos offers a fast-casual atmosphere that has something for everyone. The menu includes unique options with quirky names like the Democrat, the Republican, and the Trailer Park, along with a green chile queso that has garnered fanatic popularity. Everything is made fresh in-house daily, including all six sauces, and you'll find a full-service bar of margaritas at most locations. (Just make sure to throw in an order of queso.) torchystacos.com For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Southern Living. The Washington Department of Labor and Industries observed Workers Memorial Day by adding 129 people to the list of more than 2,000 workers whove died over the years in the state by violence, accident or illness tied to their jobs. At an annual memorial service, the state remembered workers, including 19 with Tri-Cities connections. They included 15 with Hanford connections whose cause of death was attributed by L&I to chemical exposure. Statewide, 11 Washington workers died by homicide, including nine by gunfire. They included three law enforcement officers. In the Tri-Cities, Instacart shopper Justin Krumbah died in a shooting at a Richland grocery. Those with Tri-City connections included a construction worker who died in a fall, a meat packer who died of blunt force trauma, a Yakima County corrections deputy who died of COVID-19 and 15 who were associated with the Department of Energy and worked at the Hanford site or Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland. L&I said chemical exposure was the cause of death for 15 people who worked for Department of Energy and its contractors. There were no chemical exposure deaths reported last year. The addition reflects a change in state law that makes it easier for Hanford workers or their estates to claim illnesses are connected to their jobs. The somber bell-ringing service was April 27 in Tumwater was part of a series of nationwide programs tied to Workers Memorial Day, which falls on April 28 this year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported more than 5,100 U.S. workers were killed in 2021 and 2.6 million more were injured on the job. For L&I, the memorial service served as a reminder of its mission to improve working conditions to prevent accidents, illness and death. Joel Sacks, director of the workplace safety agency, noted this years ceremony fell on the 50th anniversary of Washingtons Industrial Safety and Health Act of 1973. Work-related deaths topped 200 then. Theyve fallen, but not to the target of zero, he said. Story continues Families were invited to share stories about their missing loved ones, with some tearfully recalling the devastating phone calls telling them a family member would never come home. One young worker died on the Fourth of July when a trench collapsed. His family said he was working to earn money for fireworks. Gov. Jay Inslee celebrated the workers for their service and sacrifice to their communities. Tri-Cities job-related deaths Most people honored died in 2021 or 2022, but some individuals were added because they were not recognized in earlier programs. They are: Dale V. Archer, 60, an Oregon resident who worked as an engineer at PNNL, died Feb. 11, 1999 of chemical exposure. Luis G. Bastian Flores, 34. a Franklin County resident who worked for Gutter Girl, died Sept. 20, 2022 in a fall off a roof while working on gutters, said the Franklin County Coroners Office. Gregory A. Bates, 38, a Benton County resident who was a firefighter associated with the Department of Energy, died March 30, 2000 of chemical exposure. Karen M. Brown, 47, a Benton County resident who worked at the Yakima County Jail, died April 7, 2022 of COVID-19. Lois A. Bumgarner, 75, a Kennewick resident who worked an administrative assistant associated with the Department of Energy, died June 21, 2021 of chemical exposure. Alvin H. Keck, 64, a Richland resident who worked as a piping engineer for Bechtel National, the Hanford Vit Plant contractor, died March 23, 2021, of chemical exposure. Leland H. Knapp III, 64, a Benton County resident who worked as painter associated with the Department of Energy, died Aug. 1, 2022, of chemical exposure. Justin Krumbah, 38, a Benton County resident who worked as an Instacart shopper, died by homicide in a Feb. 7, 2022 shooting at the Richland Fred Meyer. Gerald L. Massengale, 58, a Benton County resident who worked as an insulator associated with the Department of Energy, died March 25, 2022 of chemical exposure. Amos Milan Nieblas, 36, a Franklin County resident who worked as a meat processor who worked for Royal Pack LLC and died Dec. 4, 2022 after he was hit by a door, according to the Franklin County coroners office. Mauro Partida, 61, a Franklin County resident who worked in law enforcement associated with the Department of Energy, died June 29, 2013 of chemical exposure. Isidoro Perez Mata Jr., 64, a Benton County resident who worked as a utilities operator for CH2M Hill, died March 14, 2021 of chemical exposure. Pete E. Orgill, of Yakima, 62, a laborer doing Department of Energy work, who died May 14, 2015 of chemical exposure. David C. Perkins, 45, a Benton County resident who worked as a firefighter associated with the Department of Energy, died May 21, 2022 of chemical exposure. James L. Plaisted, 68, a Benton County resident who worked as a scheduler and planner associated with the Department of Energy, died Feb. 27, 2020 of chemical exposure. Patrick J. Price, 65, a Benton County resident who worked as a truck driver associated with the Department of Energy, died May 26, 2021 of chemical exposure. Barry L. Sharer, 69, a Benton County resident who worked as an operations manager associated with the Department of Energy, died Nov. 2, 2015 of chemical exposure. Michelle M. Turner, 56, a Yakima resident who worked as a custodian for Akima Facilities Management, which does work at Hanford, died Feb. 19. 2022 of chemical exposure. Oscar J. Valero, 60, a Franklin County resident who worked as a process operator for Mission Support Alliance LLC, a former DOE contractor, died Sept. 11, 2022 of chemical exposure. Hanford ill worker bill There were no deaths attributed to chemical exposure when L&I held its annual memorial a year ago. The sharp increase in the number of deaths attributed to workplace exposure to chemicals can be traced to a bill passed by the 2022 Washington state Legislature that eased requirements for workers at a radioactive waste site to claim their illnesses could be attributed to their jobs.. The ill worker bill targeted federal, contractor and subcontractor workers at the Hanford nuclear reservation plus state regulatory workers on site. It corrected wording flaws in a similar 2018 law struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. The ill worker law requires L&I to presume that radiological or chemical exposures at the Hanford nuclear reservation caused any neurological diseases or respiratory illnesses claimed by past or current workers at Hanford. Many types of cancer also are presumed to be caused by working at Hanford, plus some limited heart problems, under the new law. Workers no longer have to prove that not only that their illness was not caused by something else in their lives, but also no longer have to prove that an exposure to a specific chemical caused their illness. Most other workers in Washington state bear the burden of proof to show that their injury or illness was a direct result of a specific workplace incident in order for them to be paid workers comp. To qualify for the radioactive waste site exception workers must spend a minimum of one eight-hour shift at Hanford work areas can file throughout their lifetime under the new law. Or their survivors could file after their death. The law was passed after worker advocates, including unions and Seattle-based Hanford Challenge, argued that showing exactly what substance a worker was exposed to at Hanford that could cause a serious or deadly illness can be very difficult, particularly for chemical vapors associated with tank waste. The 56 million gallons of waste awaiting treatment in Hanford storage tanks includes at least 1,200 chemicals that may be released into the air in vapors. When you have people who work around these dangerous chemicals, its fair to put the burden on the federal government to prove that their problem was not associated with their work, said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee earlier. The 580-square-mile Hanford nuclear reservation adjacent to Richland, WA, is contaminated with radioactive and hazardous chemical waste from the past production of two-thirds of the plutonium for the nations nuclear weapons program. Hanford workers and PNNL employees who did work at Hanford, or their survivors, can learn more about state and federal compensation programs and how to apply for them at the Hanford Workforce Engagement Center at 309 Bradley Blvd., Suite 120, in Richland. The center can be reached at 509-376-4932. This July 22, 2016, photo provided by the U.S. Air Force shows a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, U.S. Army Alaska, taking off for a mission from a landing zone in Donnelly Training Area near Ft. Greely, Alaska. Three soldiers were killed in a U.S. Army helicopter collision in Alaska. | U.S. Air Force, Associated Press Three soldiers were killed and one injured after two U.S. Army helicopters collided in Alaska. The collision happened Thursday while the helicopters were returning to their base from flight training, according to The Associated Press. Related What happened in Alaska? The two aircrafts that crashed were reportedly AH-64 Apache helicopters from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment. NPR reported that three soldiers were killed and one soldier was injured in the crash detailing, two of the soldiers died at the scene of the crash near Healy, Alaska, and a third died on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks. The Army is reportedly withholding the names of the soldiers that died in the crash because the incident is under investigation and also so that their families could be contacted first, according to The New York Times. Related Details to note: This most recent crash comes after two Black Hawk helicopters collided during a training mission in Kentucky in late March, according to CNN. Nine soldiers were reportedly killed in the crash with no survivors. There were only two aircraft involved In the training at the time of the accident. There were other aircraft in the airspace conducting different training flights at the time of the accident, which is why multiple aircraft were able to respond quickly to the accident site. NBC News reported that Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin said that he felt saddened by this tragic loss, and was working with the Army in order to make sure our troops and their families receive the care that they need in the wake of this accident. Related Whats been said? This is an incredible loss for these soldiers families, their fellow soldiers and for the division, Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler said in a statement on the accident, according to ABC News. Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends and loved ones, and we are making the full resources of the Army available to support them. A suspect is at large following a shooting Friday night at a home in Cleveland, Texas, that left five people, including an 8-year-old child, dead, authorities said. Four of the victims were found dead inside a residence on Walters Road in the Trails End area, the San Jacinto County Sheriffs Office said in a Facebook post on Saturday. The child died at a hospital. Authorities said deputies were called to the home around 11:30 p.m. Friday in reference to a harassment complaint. The suspect, 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza, used an AR-style rifle in the shooting, according to The Associated Press. Authorities investigate the scene of a mass shooting in Cleveland, Texas (KPRC) "While enroute, the communications center received multiple 911 calls of an active shooter incident at the dispatch location," the department said. Sheriff Greg Capers told reporters that the deceased victims were all from Honduras and ranged in age from 8 to 40. They were located in the living room, a bedroom and the front door of the home. Three juveniles were taken to the hospital. Sheriff Capers said they were "covered in blood" but it's not clear if they had been shot. He told reporters that the two women killed in the bedroom were lying over some of the surviving children. Two others in the home were evaluated on scene and released, the sheriff's office said. The suspect, a Mexican national, is believed to have fled the county. An arrest warrant was issued for him and a judge assigned a $5 million bond. He faces five counts of murder. Francisco Oropeza. (Jacinto County Sheriff Department.) The motive is still being investigated, but the sheriff said it could be related to the suspect shooting his gun on his property. "The Mexican male subject has been known to shoot his [gun] out in the front yard which is evident by the shell casings that are laying in the front yard," the sheriff told reporters. The Texas Rangers are currently on scene assisting with the investigation. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Alice Lynn, 83, holds a photo of her mother, Varsen Katsky, maiden name Varsen Topoozian, who passed away in 1982 at age 79. Lynn, a working family therapist, is having her own struggles. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) For years, when Id check in on my parents and ask what they were up to, theyd have to cut the phone call short. Were on our way to the funeral home, my mother or father would say. Who died? Id ask, not admitting how depressing it sounded to hear that trips to the mortuary had become their primary social activity. The service was often for someone theyd known their entire lives in the small Bay Area town of Pittsburg, where my parents were both born, where they each made one last trip to the funeral home. Now its my peers who are beginning to turn up in the death notices. Im reminded of that line from the late actor and comedian Carl Reiner, who said hed wake up and check the obituaries, and if he wasnt in them, hed eat breakfast. Humor is one tool for confronting the inevitable, but that can be hard to pull off. Bravery is good, fear is natural, and denial works well, until it doesnt. Alice Lynn points to a photograph of social activists Stanley and Betty Sheinbaum, lower right, on the "memory wall" inside her office at her home in Pacific Palisades. The Sheinbaums and some others on her memory wall have passed away. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) Alice Lynn, a Pacific Palisades resident, sent me a note eloquently expressing her struggles with loss. For the second time this week the news was most unwelcome: two friends were diagnosed with terminal inoperable cancer. They have weeks to live, Lynn wrote. How can I, just turning 83, grasp more losses, after having experienced the deaths of five close friends in the last year and a half? With that, Lynn said the very words my parents surely thought, but never uttered. Ah, yes, many will say: It is to be expected, Lynn continued. When we reach a certain age (to be determined), we can expect to lose friends. But how do we react? Time after time? How can we integrate these losses and still feel grounded and not feel our own vulnerability? These are questions Lynn asks herself, and, as a therapist with more than 45 years on the job, theyre also questions she has heard from clients. Thats when its the most difficult, Lynn told me. Yes, she can certainly identify with those who struggle with loss and fear of mortality. "But it brings up the same feelings in me," said Lynn. "Theyll say something and my response is, I know exactly what youre saying. That can be comforting to the person, but my job isnt just to comfort. Its to help them deal with and cope with [problems]. And sometimes there are no answers. Story continues I visited Lynn in her home, where she told me a story of survival that goes back to the Armenian genocide, when her mother and grandmother fled to Boston, then Fresno and, later, Westwood. She speaks in reverential terms of their sacrifice and resolve and says that her mother, married and divorced as a young woman, worked as a teacher, put her son through Princeton and sent Lynn to Stanford. Lynn went through her own divorce at a relatively young age and said shes now been alone longer than she was married. She has a daughter in the Bay Area, a son in L.A. and four grandchildren. Along with work and friends, her life is full. But shadows are cast by whats been lost, and by fears of whats to come. Were still living vibrant lives, most of the seniors I know, Lynn said. But were living under a different framework, which is the possibility of impending death or serious illness and of losing friends. Its so far back in our thinking, and then its right there. Its a companion to us. Whats crept in, for her, is this sense of my own mortality. Of my vulnerability. Loss comes in three forms, Lynn said, and shes given this a lot of thought because shes writing a book about it. First is family. You have nobody who is your peer, and that in itself is startling, she said. Then the friends begin dropping, and youre never really prepared. And then its physical ability and mental acuity that fade. You find yourself thinking about managing stairs, wearing the right shoes for a walk, and whether you can park close enough to your destination to avoid too much back pain. I smiled more than once. A smile of recognition. And yet I told Lynn my instinct is to push back against the weight of time. Of course we're not what we once were, but we're better in some ways, more familiar with ourselves, and not keen on being taken lightly. Those of a certain personality declare war on their own vulnerabilities, as my father did, fighting to hold onto his dignity. Lynn knew a little bit about my parents because she had read my columns about losing them. I told her I had lost a son too. She had words of comfort and a keen understanding of the peace we search for in the spaces between grief and fear. I appreciated that she had said there arent always answers. We want to believe there are fixes for every problem, but sometimes coping is all we can do. And coping is easier, we agreed, if you have someone to talk to. Lynn said she meets regularly with a small group of friends, all therapists. The youngest is 70, the oldest is 85. We talk about what we can and can not do and how its impacting us. Its better than therapy, Lynn said. Its four of us. There used to be five. Steve.lopez@latimes.com This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Nine people were injured by gunfire during a teen party at a park in Columbia, South Carolina, authorities said. In all, 11 people were hurt in the incident, nine with varying injuries from gunfire, one struck by a vehicle and one with a hand injury. The victims range in age from 16 to 20 years old. Around 1:20 a.m. on Saturday, sheriff's deputies were called to Meadowlake Park where a crowd of teenagers from various high schools had gathered, the Richland County Sheriff's Department said in a Facebook post. The event was not park-sponsored, the sheriff's office said. Upon arrival at the park, deputies said most of the people left, but they found shell casings scattered around. Dispatch soon began alerting police that gunshot victims were arriving at area hospitals. Deputies attempted to make a traffic stop for a car without headlights leaving the park, but the car didn't stop, the sheriff said. Deputies chased the car and found a pistol in the car, the sheriff's department said. Investigators are trying to determine if the pistol was used in the park incident. What happened the night Chip Flynn was shot? Deputies use drone to find missing 3-year-old girl in Washington A look at King Charles III's coronation celebration in Legos Cinephiles in seven Chinese cities including Beijing, Guangdong, Chengdu and Wuhan, are in for a treat in the form of eight new French feature films brought by the 19th French Film Panorama in the upcoming two months. The event, co-organized by Unifrance and the French embassy in China as part of the Croisments Festival, kicked off on Thursday at the Broadway Cinematheque MOMA in Beijing. "The purpose of French Film Panorama in China is to show the Chinese audience French films on the big screen," said Isabelle Glachant, Unifrance's Greater China representative at the opening ceremony, noting the event had been scheduled for 2022 but was postponed due to COVID-19. "Starting from May 5, Chinese audiences can buy a movie ticket and, with it, you can fly to France France both in the past and at present through the eight films," she said. Covering genres like comedy, tragedy and animation, the eight films, chosen by the Chinese distributors, tell the confusion of growth, the struggle of survival, unspeakable love and other topics. They illustrate a diversity of talent in French cinema, highlighting established directors, emerging filmmakers and renowned actors, according to the organizers. Fabien Gorgeart's The Family, a tear-jerking drama which won him the Best Director Award at the 2022 Beijing International Film Festival, opened the festival. The film, inspired by the directors childhood experience, tells the story of a seismic change in a foster family when Simon, a 6-year-old boy placed there by social services since he was 18 months old, is about to meet his biological father who wants custody back. "Before becoming a filmmaker, I was an avid film enthusiast and I loved Chinese kung fu films starring Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan and those directed by Hark Tsui and John Woo," said Gorgeart, who also attended the opening of this year's Beijing International Film Festival. Also citing the influence of the mis-en-scene art of auteur directors Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Jia Zhangke, the French director said he is excited to visit China, a country which holds special meaning to his growth as a filmmaker. Aside from The Family, the festival features a number of other award-winning productions. For example, Close, a coming-of-age drama film directed by Lukas Dhont, premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim and won the Grand Prix. The Innocent, a drama film by Louis Garrel, garnered two Cesar Awards, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress in 2023. Chinese filmmaker Ning Hao acts as the ambassador of this year's event. He mentioned in his video speech how the works by French New Wave masters such as Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut have influenced generations of filmmakers around the world, including himself. The director also said he hopes to collaborate with French actors such as Sophie Marceau, Jean Reno and Dany Boon. Chinese director Lou Ye, who acted as the event's ambassador last year, was made a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres (Knight of Arts and Culture) by French ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary at the opening. In Beijing, the festival will be held in two Broadway theaters (MOMA and APM), from May 5 to 14. I was visiting Bald Eagle State Park recently and noticed all of the new fish habitat work. All parties involved should be congratulated. This looks like a big improvement to the lake. Sayers Dam, at Bald Eagle State Park, is an Army Corps of Engineers flood control facility that is drawn down 20 feet every winter so that it can retain more water if a flood should hit the area due to snowmelt or heavy spring rains. The dam is being slowly refilled now and should be to summer level within a month. The habitat projects are the result of a partnership between the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy. We had a meeting last fall of all partners to discuss shoreline erosion and fish habitat improvements, Bald Eagle State Park Manager Bill Kocher said. We identified five or six sites needing work. Bald Eagle State Park is one of the largest state parks in Pennsylvania. At the meeting, they discussed costs, timing and who might do the work. According to Kocher, there were so many unknowns that it seemed like nothing would get done in 2023. All of a sudden, everything came together, Kocher said. DCNRs Resource Management Section in Harrisburg said that they had money to contribute for materials. A job was canceled for a Fish and Boat crew, which freed them up to do the habitat work. Mike Swartz, Lake Habitat Manager for the Commission, designed the placement of the habitat structures and is happy with the finished product. Work began the second week of February. At Lower Greens Run, we completed shoreline hardening to stop erosion and create better fish habitat, he said. This will also reduce nutrients and sediment entering the lake and improve fishing access. The shoreline hardening was accomplished by building seven stone framed deflectors, which are triangular structures with one point protruding out into the lake. They are constructed out of large limestone rocks and back filled with soil and smaller rock. Story continues Stone framed deflectors were constructed along the lake to stop shoreline erosion and create a better place to fish. Also, at Lower Greens Run, 220 tons of limestone rock were used to build more than 35 mounds of rocks called rock rubble humps. The large mounds are spread along approximately 180 feet of shoreline on either side of the boat launch. Rock rubble humps create excellent, long-lasting fish habitat. Similar habitat work occurred at the parks Winter Launch on the west side of the lake. There, the PFBC crew completed 12 stone framed deflectors, protecting the shoreline, and brought in 220 tons of stone to construct 75 rock rubble humps in the lake along 360 linear feet of shoreline. There are more rock mounds at this site, but they are smaller than those constructed at Lower Greens Run. The total value of the work at both sites was about $110,000. Local angler Clyde Mighells of Howard fishes the lake a couple days each week, usually from a small boat. He describes his fishing frequency as not often enough. Mighells is really excited about both projects, but particularly the work at the Winter Boat Launch. These projects are super. I am excited for the fish, Mighells said. The structures at the Winter Launch will attract crappies and perch and will allow bank anglers access from three sides. Lots of children fish here, so with the habitat structures near the shore, kids might lose a few hooks, but the fishing should be great. Several of the Rock Rubble Humps at the Winter Launch in Bald Eagle State Park contain hollow catfish spawning structures. Helping with lake work is a new endeavor for the Williamsport based Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy. Part of the Conservancys mission is to preserve and enhance habitat. We have worked with the Fish and Boat Commission on nearly 200 stream projects going back to 2007 and we wanted to be a partner with this lake work, Executive Director Renee Carey said. In addition to improved habitat, there are recreational benefits to these projects giving people a better opportunity to enjoy nature. More work is planned According to Swartz, the Commission and DCNR also complete smaller-scale annual volunteer habitat improvement projects at the lake. On June 23, they will partner with the PA Bass Leadership Academy to build 15 turtle basking platforms. These platforms are created to help turtles protect themselves from predators. Basking allows turtles to thermoregulate, which aids in their digestion. The turtle basking platforms are also often used by mammals, birds, and provide simple overhead cover for fish species, Swartz said. On Sept. 24, the PFBC will host an event for National Fishing and Hunting Day, which will include various programs to promote fishing and boating opportunities. There will be a habitat portion of the program to complete 20 PA Brush Boxes. The boxes are weighted wooden structures that encapsulate brush. Volunteer crews will cut the invasive Russian olive found at the park and will place it in the structure. The boxes are then dropped in the lake from a pontoon boat, Swartz said. This complex structure provides excellent habitat for fish while also improving the upland habitat by removing invasive species. More large-scale habitat work from the partnership is also planned as funding becomes available. The Conservancy has submitted two grant applications that, if successful, will help to fund the next phases of the DCNR and PFBC work. Jeff Meadows, Chief of West Section Susquehanna River Projects, is pleased with the recent work and plans on fixing the eroding banks near the breast of Sayers Dam. The Fish and Boat Commission will design the project. They are the aquatic ecosystem experts, Meadows said. We need to find the Corps funding and the project will likely be bid as a public contract. No date has been set for this work. This work is a fishermans dream, Mighells noted. It makes the kind of good fishing that people will come back to helping future generations enjoy the outdoors. If you want to see the improvements that were finished in February, head out to Bald Eagle State Park soon. Lake levels are rising from the low winter/spring levels and should be at summer pool level by Memorial Day weekend. All of the new habitat structures except the stone framed deflectors will be underwater by then. Mark Nale, who lives in the Bald Eagle Valley, is a member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association and can be reached at MarkAngler@aol.com . A holidaymaker is being sought after having gone missing in The Gambia. It is understood Michael Costain, from Rhayader, Powys, travelled to the African country on 8 March and was expected back on 20 March. It's believed the 69-year-old stayed in Busumbala, western Gambia, for two days before leaving to travel to the village of Abene, in southern Senegal. He had booked a flight home but was not on it and has not been seen since. Dyfed-Powys Police has appealed for anyone with information to get in touch. Google Alphabet and Bard. Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images The smartest insight and analysis, from all perspectives, rounded up from around the web: Google's $162 billion search business is under threat for the first time from AI competitors, said Nico Grant in The New York Times. For 25 years, that "simple white page with the Google company logo and an empty bar in the middle" has been "one of the most widely used web pages in the world." But in March, Google employees were stunned by the news that "Samsung was considering replacing Google with Microsoft's Bing as the default search engine on its devices." Bing, an also-ran for years, suddenly had something that Google did not: It was faster to incorporate artificial intelligence technology into its product. Now "Google is racing to build an all-new search engine" and upgrade the old one using AI that offers a "more personalized experience." At stake isn't just Samsung's $3 billion annual contract but also Google's $20 billion deal with Apple, up for renewal this year. The irony here is that Google led the AI race for years, said Miles Kruppa in The Wall Street Journal. In 2014, Google's parent, Alphabet, acquired DeepMind, a U.K. AI research lab that, like OpenAI, has been working on "computer systems that can closely mimic or even replicate human thought." But its breakthroughs to date have mostly been devoted to life sciences, such as AI that's used to predict protein structures. A sign of the panic at Google is the decision to now scrunch together DeepMind with its other AI team, Google Brain, said Ron Amadeo in Ars Technica. The two groups "seldom collaborated or shared computer code with one another," and built up "years of intense rivalry." A merger may not fix this: Jeff Dean, the head of Brain, which invented the neural network architecture at the core of most current AI work, will still report directly to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. Google's rush to keep pace is compromising its ethics, said Davey Alba and Julia Love in Bloomberg. It had always been cautious of AI's power "and the ethical considerations for embedding the technology into search." But in December, Google's leadership "changed its appetite for risk." The head of Google's responsible-innovation group "over-ruled a risk evaluation by members of her team stating that Bard," its AI chatbot, "could cause harm." One worker called Bard "a pathological liar," or worse for instance, giving answers to questions about scuba diving that "would likely result in serious injury or death." But now that AI is Google's top priority, ethics employees say, "it's become futile to speak up." What does Google have to fear? asked Dan Gallagher in The Wall Street Journal. Microsoft beat it to market in search technology, but that "hasn't made much of a dent." Microsoft's share of the global search market grew to a whopping 2.88 percent in March. And as for the possibility of losing Samsung? Phone users in the European Union "have had an option to pick search engines since early 2020, following a $5 billion antitrust ruling against Google." Google's share of the market in Europe has remained unchanged at 97 percent. This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here. You may also like U.S. production of bullets, shells, and missiles sidelined by explosion at 1 Louisiana gunpowder mill FAA overruled engineers to let Boeing 737 Max keep flying, report alleges Bill finalized to allow DeSantis to run for president while remaining governor Russia reportedly uses missiles manufactured last fall or winter to strike Ukraine, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said on national television on April 29. Ihnat added that Russia still has missiles and also keeps producing them, although at a slow pace. "We know the Russians have few missiles left, although they continue to make them," he said. Russian forces launched another large-scale missile strike against Ukraine in the early hours of April 28. Russia launches another mass attack on Ukraine, killing 2-year-old child Russian forces launched yet another large-scale missile strike against Ukraine in the early hours of April 28, killing at least 19 civilians and injuring 24 more. The number of casualties is not final and will be updated. Kyiv IndependentDinara Khalilova Ukraine's air defense destroyed 21 of the 23 X-101 and X-555 cruise missiles and two drones that Russia had launched using strategic Tu-95 aircraft from the Caspian Sea, according to Ukraine's Air Force. In central Ukraine's city of Uman, Cherkasy Oblast, the Russian strike hit a nine-story apartment building and a warehouse. Rescue operations are over in Uman, where an April 28 Russian missile strike on a residential building killed 23 people, including six children, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. Nine people were wounded and 17 victims were rescued from the rubble. Russian troops hit a private house, an enterprise, and a construction base in Dnipro, killing a young woman and a two-year-old child, according to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak. Four more civilians in the city were reportedly injured. Kyiv Oblast Governor Ruslan Kravchenko said on Facebook that a high-rise building in the city of Ukrainka, located some 50 kilometers south of Kyiv, was damaged by the missile debris. Two people were wounded, including a 13-year-old child who was transferred to a hospital in Kyiv, according to the Interior Ministry. Story continues Alec Baldwin was seen in a daunting scenario on his "Rust" movie set. The 65-year-old was spotted with a large blood stain on his shirt and being carried to the gallows in a morbid scene for his project. While Baldwin geared up in his western wardrobe for his role, hes seen with a noose around his neck as two men wearing cowboy hats wrangled him up the wooden platform. ALEC BALDWIN SPOTTED ON 'RUST' SET HOLDING GUN AFTER CRIMINAL CHARGES DROPPED Its unclear if the actual hanging of Baldwin will be featured in the "Rust" movie. Alec Baldwin was spotted with a large blood stain on his shirt and being carried to the gallows in a morbid scene for Rust filming. In the video, Baldwin was surrounded by other actors dressed in costumes with horses in the background. The camera crew was shown filming the scene and it appeared to be extremely windy on set. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Alec Baldwin photographed on the gallows as he prepared to be hung on the set of Rust. The new "Rust" photos come after Baldwin was recently seen holding a rifle by the barrel while filming, last week. Alec Baldwin was seen holding a rifle by the barrel while filming Rust. Fox News Digital obtained additional photos of Baldwin leaving an apartment in Montana, where "Rust" is being filmed. Alec Baldwin resumes filming of the movie Rust in Livingston, Montana, Friday, April 21, 2023. Filming of the movie was shutdown after the death of cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins in October, 2021. Baldwin recently expressed his gratitude for the support hes received in Montana after he returned to filming on the set of "Rust." ALEC BALDWIN'S RUST CRIMINAL CHARGES OFFICIALLY DROPPED; DIRECTOR INJURED IN SHOOTING SPOTTED ON SET "We filmed SUPERCELL in Billings," he captioned a photo of himself from the set. "Now outside of Bozeman to complete RUST. Montana is stunning. "Im grateful for all of the support I have received here." ALEC BALDWIN 'GRATEFUL' FOR 'SUPPORT' HE'S RECEIVED WHILE FILMING 'RUST' IN MONTANA AFTER FATAL SHOOTING He was charged with involuntary manslaughter in January after a gun he was holding fired on the set of "Rust" in New Mexico, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Hutchins died Oct. 21, 2021. The group had been rehearsing a scene, and Baldwin had been practicing cross-drawing the revolver. A live round struck Hutchins and director Joel Souza. He was injured in the shooting that killed Hutchins. Story continues Halyna Hutchins died on the set of "Rust" in October 2021 by a gun Alec Baldwin was holding. Although the case has been closed in the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico, Baldwin could potentially still face new charges in the future. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Baldwin still faces a handful of lawsuits, including one brought by "Rust" script supervisor Mamie Mitchell along with another by Hutchins' mother, father and sister. Both parties are represented by attorney Gloria Allred. "Mr. Baldwin should know that we remain committed to fighting and winning for our clients and holding him accountable for pointing a loaded gun at Halyna Hutchins, pulling the trigger and killing her," Allred said in a statement. "Mr. Baldwin may pretend that he is not responsible for pulling the trigger and ejecting a live bullet which ended Halynas life." On Earth Day last weekend, we wanted to talk about mucus. Admittedly, there are much more appealing ways to rally support for protecting our planet. But mucus is a potent symbol of a stark and sobering truth: Climate change is harming our health. Not years into the future. Not halfway around the world. Right here, right now and were all at risk. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which synthesizes findings from hundreds of scholars, laid out the stakes quite clearly in its recent report: There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all. The stories accompanying such dire warnings often highlight droughts in Africa or floods in Asia or hurricanes in the Caribbean. These are all deadly and tragic consequences of climate change. Climate change triggers serious health risks Behind the headlines, however, there are myriad health consequences caused by our warming planet smaller in scale than a multination famine, but serious nonetheless. Study after study suggests that climate change raises the risk for cancer, heart disease, stroke, autoimmune disease, neurodegenerative disorders, asthma and allergies. We believe that raising awareness of the intimate connection between our planets health and our personal health could begin to galvanize support for stronger actions to combat climate change. Warmer temperatures mean extended growing seasons and new habitats for plants that often trigger allergies. Across the U.S., scientists have measured a substantial increase in pollen counts and allergen sensitivities. We call on advocates, activists and government officials to bring the public health lens to climate change. Its critical that everyone understands this is not an abstract crisis: Warming temperatures pose a deeply personal threat to our own health and longevity, and to the well-being of our friends and family. Consider: Story continues That last item brings us back to mucus. The average person produces about half a cup of snot and phlegm a day. If you have allergies, however, you produce up to 2 gallons of mucus a day. (And yes, scientists have actually measured it.) Allergies can make you more vulnerable to heart disease All that goop in your nose is not just inconvenient. Its also a hazard. Bacteria love to grow in mucus, so producing excess quantities raises your risk for pneumonia, sinusitis and infections in the airways, as well as serious asthma flare-ups. Allergies also put your immune response on high alert, to the point where immune cells can start attacking otherwise healthy systems, leaving you vulnerable to cardiovascular disease and autoimmune conditions. Mucus, then, is a powerful sign of the dangers of climate change. Of course, you dont typically see runny noses on Earth Day posters. On the contrary, ever since the first Earth Day in 1970, most of the graphics created to promote the occasion have depicted scenes from nature: towering trees, bountiful forests, crystalline rivers. Theyre beautiful. But they make the planet seem like an entity apart a delicate bubble to be preserved for its own sake. The truth, of course, is that our public health and the planets heath are highly interdependent. Only when voters and politicians understand that at a visceral level will we be able to muster support for crucial steps like transitioning to a net-zero economy. It is in that spirit that we nominated mucus as an unofficial mascot of Earth Day. It might seem frivolous, but we believe it could help focus attention on the widespread effects on health of climate change. And thats critical. Our planet is warming quickly. We dont have time to waste. Kari Nadeau chairs the Environmental Health Department and Sarah Fortune chairs the Immunology and Infectious Diseases Department at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why climate change is a dire threat to your health Investigators found a "small bone fragment" on a hacksaw that Brian Walshe allegedly tossed in a dumpster after killing his wife, court documents say. Brian Walshe, 47, was in a Massachusets court Thursday for the first time since he was indicted on several charges, including murder, in connection with Ana Walshe's presumed death. He pleaded not guilty to accusations that he beat his 39-year-old wife to death in their Cohasset home and discarded her body, which investigators still have not found. Among the evidence collected is a hacksaw that was found in a dumpster across the street from his mother's home in Swampscott, Massachusetts, along with Volkswagen keys, Ana's COVID vaccination card, a Hermes watch and Gucci necklace that Ana was known to wear, Hunter boots, a black Prada purse and a short black coat, the April 27 court filing says. BRIAN WALSHE HIRED PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, SUSPECTED WIFE ANA WALSHE WAS CHEATING: PROSECUTOR Investigators also found rugs that appeared to be from the Walshe's living room and kitchen that "contained red brown staining" and "numerous items identical" to Brian's alleged purchases at Lowe's and Home Depot, according to the latest court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Three grainy surveillance images of Brian Walshe buying large amounts of cleaning supplies and carrying a trash bag were included in search warrants that were unsealed in Quincy District Court this week and obtained by Fox News Digital. UPDATED DETAILED TIMELINE OF ANA WALSHE'S DISAPPEARANCE AND BRIAN WALSHE'S ARREST In one image, Brian is seen pushing a shopping cart in Rockland Home Depot on Jan. 8 between 4:12 p.m. and 4:56 p.m., according to the search warrant. Some of the items in the cart include three mops and brushes, two large clear tarps, drop cloth, two rolls of Scotch Heavy duty tape, a Tyvek suit with hood boot coverall, a mop bucket with ringer, three buckets with lids, two splash-resistant goggles, a utility knife, two 12-pound bags of baking soda and a hatchet, the warrant says. Story continues Ana Walshe pictured in front of a Ritz-Carlton hotel sign in August 2022. Many of these items were found in the Walshes' Cohasset home after police executed a search warrant on Jan. 8. In another surveillance image, Brian is seen on Jan. 1 around 5:13 p.m. in the parking lot of Vinnin Liquors in Swampscott, where he's seen throwing out a black garbage bag, the warrant says. ANA WALSHE'S KIDS CAN HOPEFULLY FIND PEACE, SAYS COLLIER LANDRY, WHOSE MOM WAS MURDERED BY HIS DAD About an hour later, at 6:05 p.m. on Jan. 1, Brian is seen on security cameras shopping at Lowe's in Danvers, where he allegedly bought $450 worth of tools, including a hacksaw, the warrant says. Investigators found a hacksaw that they say Brian Walshe tossed in a dumpster after he allegedly killed his wife Ana. Brian and his mother hired a private investigator in December to tail to Ana around her job in Washington, D.C., where she worked as a real estate executive, because he believed she was cheating on him, prosecutors revealed during Thursday's court appearance. There was growing tension in Brian and Ana's marriage stemming from Brian's unrelated legal troubles, which forced him to be on house arrest as part of his pre-sentencing probation for selling fake Andy Warhol paintings, according to prosecutors. MURDER OF ANA WALSHE HAS LAWYERS RAISING QUESTIONS, POKING HOLES IN CASE AGAINST BRIAN Walshe is also fighting charges that he allegedly destroyed his father's will. In December, Brian suspected Ana was cheating on him, and "he would repeatedly access the Instagram page of one of Ana's male friends from Washington D.C. ," the court filing says. The day after Christmas, Brian's mother, "with his input and direction," hired a Washington, D.C.,-based private investigator "to conduct surveillance of Ana for the purpose of proving infidelity," according to the court filing, and researched divorce on Dec. 27. On Dec. 28, Ana "became uncharacteristically emotional and extremely upset" while she was out with her friends in Washington, D.C., because she thought Brian was going to jail, according to court documents. THE MURDER OF ANA WALSHE HAS LAWYERS RAISING QUESTIONS, POKING HOLES IN CASE AGAINST HUSBAND "Ana told her friend that she intended to relocate her three children to Washington, D.C. and was prepared to leave Mr. Walshe," the court filing says. Walshe's lawyer, Tracy Miner, addressed these new revelations in court on Thursday, when she told the judge that the private investigator was allegedly Walshe's mother's idea. Brian and Ana Walshe on their wedding day in Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Newbury St., Boston, Massachusetts on Monday, December 21, 2015. Miner said that her client had reportedly told his mother, "Go ahead. You'll be proven wrong. Ana is good." Prosecutors revealed that Walshe would be the sole beneficiary of Ana's life insurance, which totaled about $2.7 million. CRIMINAL PSYCHIATRIST DISSECTS BRIAN WALSHE'S SMILE WHILE WALKING OUT OF JAIL IN HANDCUFFS Miner addressed this point in court, as well, claiming that there was nothing to suggest that Brian was looking for money and alluded to the New Year's Eve party, where Brian, Ana and their mutual friend had spent a "celebratory" night. Throughout Thursday's hearing, Brian could be seen shaking his head as prosecutors detailed their allegations. After the two sides presented their arguments, Walshe was ordered to be held without bail, as he has been. His next court appearances are scheduled for Aug. 23 and Nov. 2. Reporters shouted questions at Brian as law enforcement escorted Brian out of the courthouse, and he is seen in a video on Twitter shaking his head no when asked whether he killed Ana. BRIAN WALSHE ALLEGEDLY SEARCHED GOOGLE 21 TIMES BEFORE, AFTER WIFE ANA WALSHE WAS KILLED The Norfolk County District Attorney called Thursday's hearing one more step "in a long process" that will wind its way through the Massachusetts judicial system. After the hearing, Fox News Digital spoke to Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer Nate Amendola, who isn't involved in the case, for his reaction. Ana Walshe wrote in an Instagram post on May 21, 2018: "Mild concussion, bruised hip and a cut...#vulnerability" as the caption with a picture of her with a cut above her eye. He said that both sides gave a glimpse into their arguments during a potential trial. Miner painted Brian as a doting father and caretaker while Ana was working in D.C. most of the time; and the state alluded to potential motives: Infidelity, jealousy and financial gain. He said that first-degree murder cases almost never end in a plea deal in Massachusetts, so Amendola said he fully expects a trial after a number of conference hearings to sort through discovery. WASHINGTON (AP) Drew Maggi doesn't know if he'll have any major league at-bats in his future, so he was determined to take advantage of any chances he got Saturday night. Maggi got his first two hits, three days after making his big league debut with the Pittsburgh following 13 years in the minors, and the Pirates routed the Washington Nationals 16-1 to complete a day-night doubleheader sweep. The 34-year-old lined a 2-2 splitter from Hobie Harris into center field for an RBI single as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning, boosting the Pirates lead to 13-0 in the second game. Who knows where it goes from here. Maybe I never get back up here and that was it, said Maggi, who was optioned to Double-A Altoona on Saturday morning and was appointed Pittsburghs 27th man for the doubleheader, necessitated by Fridays rainout. "That was going through my head the whole day, so it was kind of like, You know what? Im swinging. Im going out hacking' and I got some good pitches to hit with two strikes and I kept fouling them off. Im like Gosh, just hit it, find the hole. Hit if forward. And finally I did. Maggi stayed in the game at third base and added a ninth-inning double off Lane Thomas, an outfielder who pitched the ninth. Miguel Andujar homered in his season debut as the Pirates won the opener 6-3, then hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning of the second game. Jack Suwinski had three hits in the second game, including his first career grand slam, as the Pirates scored their most runs since routing the Chicago Cubs 18-5 on July 1, 2019. Vince Velasquez (4-2) pitched six scoreless innings in the nightcap for the Pirates, who have won four straight and 11 of 12. The Pirates, coming off four losing seasons, are 20-8 for the time since 1992, when they won their last division title. Were playing good baseball, Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. We played a complete game tonight. Vinny set the tone and we played the full game. Something I was most proud of is that we extended the score in the (late innings). Every ground ball we hit we ran out like it was a 1-0 game." Story continues Maggi played in 1,154 games in the minors, making 4,494 plate appearances. He was called up last weekend from Altoona when outfielder Bryan Reynolds went on the bereavement list and debuted to a standing ovation when he pinch hit Wednesday night in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He struck out in his debut, then grounded out, fouled out and flied out in his first start on Thursday. Saturday night he got a chance in the seventh, with the contingent of Pirates fans chanting his name and his teammates at the railing of the dugout. I was just trying to slow everything down, Maggi said. "Just trying to breathe and look for a pitch I could hit. Not trying to do too much. It was like the perfect hit, too, because I saw it go right through the middle and its so vivid in my mind right now. I was so happy I got it done, got that weight lifted off my shoulders. Velasquez won his fourth straight start. allowing five hits with five strikeouts and no walks. Cody Bolton, a 24-year-old right-hander, followed with two scoreless innings of one-hit ball in his major league debut. Pittsburgh chased Chad Kuhl (0-2) with a four-run fourth, capped by Carlos Santana's RBI single that made it 8-0. In sixth, the Pirates loaded the bases against Hobie Harris. Suwinski, already with a single and RBI-double, homered into the second deck in right center. Kuhl allowed eight runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 inning. Dominic Smith homered for Washington, which is last in the NL East at 9-17, including an NL-worst 2-11 at home. In the first game, Andujar drove in three runs and Connor Joe also went deep for Pittsburgh. Rich Hill (3-2) allowed three runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings while striking out five to win his third consecutive start. Andujar, a 28-year-old infielder and outfielder claimed off waivers from the New York Yankees last September, hit .284 with three homers and 15 RBIs in 23 games for Triple-A Indianapolis before the Pirates selected his contract on Saturday. Washington starter Patrick Corbin (1-4) allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. The whole thing was tough, Nationals manager Dave Martinez said of the doubleheader. Today was just not a good day. The first game, walks. The second game, fll behind, walks and the game got out of hand. ROSTER MOVES Pirates: RHP Wil Crowe (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Nationals: Washington added RHP Jordan Weems as its 27th man. UP NEXT RHP Johan Oviedo (2-1, 3.03) is to start Sunday's series finale for the Pirates against Nationals RHP Josiah Gray (1-4, 2.93). ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Despite being one of the biggest stars of our time, Angelina Jolie knows how to keep her kids personal lives as private as can be. However, with her newest red carpet appearance, her guest made everyone raise eyebrows (in the sweetest way ever!) For this White House outing, her eldest son Maddox Jolie-Pitt came, and he looked all grown up! (Seriously, where has the time gone?!) On April 26, the Maleficent star and her eldest son Maddox arrived at the White House State Dinner to honor South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and of course, they arrived in style. See the super-sweet (and super-rare) mother-son photos below: More from SheKnows Stefani Reynolds / AFP) (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images Stefani Reynolds / AFP) (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images For the super-rare appearance, the Know Your Rights co-author arrived in a flowing, angelic white Chanel look, while her son looked so dashing in an edgy and pristine black suit. Not only did they look oh-so chic together, but they looked so happy together (you can see Jolie is positively glowing while out with her son!) Now these two were only a couple of the 200 guests in attendance at the esteemed event, and this was Maddoxs first time at the White House! Speaking of Maddox: while he is the eldest son, not much is known about him. However, we do know that back in In August 2019, it was reported that Maddox started his freshman year at Yonsei University in South Korea to study Biochemistry, Russian, and Korean. Along with that, hes fluent in French and Russian, and speaks at least intermediate in many other languages, including German. Click here to read the full article. Jolie shares six children with her ex-husband Brad Pitt named Maddox, 21, Pax, 19, Zahara, 18, Shiloh, 16, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 14. Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. ABC30 is losing another on-air personality. And this reporter is planning to get completely out of television media. Alyssa Flores Johansen announced on social media Friday night that she is leaving ABC30 after nearly three years at the popular Fresno station. In turn, Flores Johansen said she will make a career change and get out of TV news to become a public information officer with UC Merced. After eight years, my time in TV news has come to an end, Flores wrote on social media. This job has been my childhood dream come true and has touched my heart in ways I never imagined. Flores Johansen worked primarily as a reporter but also anchored on occasion and some times worked in weather. She is the second on-air personality to leave ABC30 this week. Meteorologist Madeline Evans announced her pending departure Monday before working her final shift Friday. Her Navy pilot husband, whos worked at Lemoore Naval Air Station, received military orders that required them to relocate. Flores Johansen, a Southern California native, worked in Bakersfield and in Helena, Montana, prior to coming to Fresno. While she didnt have a massive social media following like some of her co-workers and others TV personalities, Flores Johansen seemed to take pride in handling her job with a more serious journalistic approach and having viewers focus more on her story. Flores Johansen especially had a knack for getting those who she interviewed to open up and provide candid comments. She credited one of her aunts and an uncle for influencing her TV journalism career. They showed me, Flores Johansen said, how to do this job with integrity and compassion. While it wasnt exactly clear why Flores Johansen decided to leave and get out of TV news altogether, she said it wasnt easy. The decision to move on from local news was heavy and emotional, Flores Johansen said. Ill always be thankful to have been part of the ABC30 newsroom that has such a meaningful impact on Central California. Flores Johansen said she plans to continue to tell stories about the Central Valley at her new job at UC Merced. Father builds 8 miniature trains to show love for autistic son People's Daily Online) 10:57, April 28, 2023 In southwest Chinas Chongqing Municipality, a man spent eight years constructing eight miniature steam trains for his autistic son. His love and dedication have brought new hope for his son and their family. A GIF shows Hanghang driving his miniature train in southwest Chinas Chongqing Municipality. (Photo/CCTV News) In a rural courtyard in Yongchuan district of Chongqing, 15-year-old Hanghang enthusiastically described his beloved train, This is the pressure gauge. These are the forward and reverse gears. This is the speed controller. At age three, Hanghang was diagnosed with autism. After struggling through primary school, he dropped out due to difficulties communicating with his peers. When his parents were at work, Hanghang spent most of his time watching TV. He took a particular interest in small cartoon trains, even falling asleep while holding toy trains. Hanghangs father, Li Jiawei, is an electrician. Noticing his sons fascination with trains, Li often took him to watch real steam trains. This inspired him to build miniature replicas for his son. Li began studying the appearance and internal composition of steam trains, and consulted train station workers for knowledge. Li received a book on steam locomotives from a retired train driver and spent three months designing blueprints for a locomotive using CAD software. A photo shows a locomotive blueprint by Li Jiawei. (Photo/CCTV News) Due to the intricate manufacturing process and low demand, factories were unwilling to produce parts for the trains. Instead, Li had to learn about mechanical drive systems and the principles of dynamics, determined to make the trains himself. Life has to be meaningful. I can only leave my spirit, or something memorable for my son, to let him feel his fathers love, said Li. A GIF shows Hanghang smiling. (Photo/CCTV News) To create space for his train project, Li rented a rural courtyard and set up a simple workshop. Over eight years, he spent 200,000 yuan ($28,920), experimented countless times, and changed six boilers before successfully building a miniature steam locomotive in 2021. After constructing the first train, Li continued to build more refined and powerful trains. Meanwhile, Hanghangs condition significantly improved and has become a talented train driver. My son is gradually healing. He is less afraid of strangers, smiles more, and is more lively, said Li. Having built eight small trains, a scenic area in Lis hometown later invited him to build railways for the site. Hanghang now drives a train carrying 20 to 30 passengers, earning a salary from the rides. Children with disabilities can ride for free. I hope society can show more tolerance and care for children with autism. I hope my son can live happily and bring happiness to other people, said Li. A GIF shows Hanghang driving his train in southwest Chinas Chongqing Municipality. (GIF/CCTV News) As Hanghangs condition improves, his family becomes more hopeful about the future. Gradually, Hanghang is integrating into society and building his life on his fathers railway. A GIF shows Hanghang playing with his mother in southwest Chinas Chongqing Municipality. (Photo/CCTV News) (Web editor: Tian Yi, Du Mingming) Flash "We already have so many buyers here and we get the contract here. So it is a very good chance to meet other new buyers." Foreign companies attending the Canton Fair in China's Guangdong have voiced optimism about their growth prospects in the Chinese market. After more than three years of litigation, Apple has quietly dropped its lawsuit against Gerard Williams III, the former chip executive the company accused of poaching employees. Williams spent nearly a decade working for Apple, leading development on some of its most important chips including the A7 , the first 64-bit processor for mobile devices. In 2019, Williams left Apple to co-found Nuvia, a chip design firm later acquired by Qualcomm in 2021 . When the tech giant first sued Williams, it accused him of secretly starting Nuvia and recruiting talent for his startup while he was still an Apple employee. Williams disputed Apples claims and accused the company of spying on his text messages . As reported by Bloomberg , Apple filed a request to dismiss the suit against Williams earlier this week. The document does not state the companys reason for dropping the case. However, it does say Apple did so with prejudice, meaning it cannot file the same claim against Williams again. It also suggests the two sides came to a settlement. Apple did not immediately respond to Engadgets comment request. In the weeks leading up to Wednesdays dismissal request, court documents show Apple sought the recusal of Judge Sunil Kulkarni. Around March 17th, 2023, the company added two lawyers from the legal firm Morrison and Foerster to the team litigating its case against Williams. On March 28th, Judge Sunil Kulkarni filed a brief disclosing that he had worked at Morrison and Foerster for approximately 13 years and had kept in contact over the years with Bryan Wilson and Ken Kuwayti , the two MoFo attorneys Apple hired on as counsel earlier in the month. I have occasional social interactions with them (e.g., bimonthly lunches, seeing them at parties of mutual friends, and so on), Judge Kulkarni wrote. I believe I have recused myself from past cases involving Mr. Wilson and/or Mr. Kuwayti, but solely as a prophylactic measure. After learning of the involvement of his former colleagues, Judge Kulkarni held an informal meeting with the two sides where he said he was leaning toward recusal if Apple retained the counsel of either Wilson or Kuwayti. In that same meeting, Kulkarni says he told Apple and Williams his recusal from the case would likely mean a delay in the case going to trial. Before the meeting, the case was scheduled to go to trial on October 2nd, 2023. Story continues In a brief filed on April 6th, Williams and his legal team came out strongly against the idea of Judge Kulkarni removing himself from the case, arguing Apples position on the subject should not matter and that the move had the potential to be prejudicial against the former exec. Given that this case has been pending for over three years with a fast-approaching discovery deadline and trial date and given the Courts familiarity with the parties, the case history, and the applicable law, the Courts recusal decision has the potential to be prejudicial and disruptive, the brief states. It then argues it was Apple that introduced a potential conflict of interest to the case. Even if a conflict existed that might warrant recusal, the procedure imposed by the Court allowing the party that introduced the conflict and would theoretically stand to benefit from it to decide whether to waive it is inconsistent with basic rules of fairness and due process, the brief concludes. Such a procedure would set a dangerous precedent for judge shopping in the middle of a case: any part, at any time, could recruit former colleagues of a sitting judge and then force his or her recusal. Putting together what happened after that point is more difficult. However, after the 6th, the court in Santa Clara held multiple hearings where no one from either side appeared. Apple then filed to dismiss the case on April 26th. Qualcomm, Williams' current employer, did not immediately respond to Engadget's request for comment. Humpback whales off the coast of County Kerry More and more species of whales and dolphins are being recorded in Irish waters, a group that monitors the mammals has said. Padraig Whooley, of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), said it was an "exciting time" to be studying them. The group lists more than two dozen species which can be found in Irish waters. "We are recording more new species," Mr Whooley said. "The likes of Beluga whales, the white whale from the Arctic - the last Beluga whales we had were off Dunluce Castle in 2015. "We've also had a Bowhead whale at the mouth of Carlingford Lough. "These are animals that live on the edge of the Arctic ice and it makes absolute sense that as the ice is fragmenting that Arctic populations may also fragment. "If you live up at the top of the world you can't go any further north, there's only one way you can go if your population is going to move and that's south." He added that there had been "an amazing run of walrus in the last two or three years." Mr Whooley cited last weekend as typical in terms of sightings, with, in Northern Irish waters alone, bottlenose dolphins seen off the coast of Donaghadee, basking sharks off the Skerries near Portrush and a Minke whale in the Fairhead area. Fin whales, than can grow to over 20 metres in length, are also found in Irish waters "I meet people who've gone whale watching in Hermanus in South Africa, they've been to Patagonia in Argentina, they've been to British Columbia, Hawaii, Mexico," Mr Whooley said. "They go whale watching around the world and I'd say to them: 'Did you ever sit up on an Irish clifftop?' And they'd say: 'No we'd never do that, what would we do that for?' "We've got some of the best land-based whale watching on the planet." Mr Whooley said Ireland is a prime destination for whales, particularly Minke, humpback and fin. Story continues "We always posed the question, was Ireland just a roadside cafe, a quick stop on a journey somewhere else or was Ireland actually the destination? "You'd have to say, as the years go by, that Ireland is increasingly looking like a destination in and of itself, a feeding destination," he said. 'A spectacular place' Colin Barnes runs a whale-watching boat off the coast of west Cork. He agrees that Ireland can rival anywhere in the world for seeing whales and dolphins. "There are very few places where you have a sporting chance of seeing three species [of whale] like we have here," he said. Ireland is a prime feeding destination for whales such as this humpback "The patch of water we're in is a spectacular place for cetaceans, we haven't done a blank trip for years and years, we always find some." Mr Barnes said some of the whales can get up close and personal during the boat trips. "Three or four times we've had humpbacks come up and visit the boats for more than an hour and just show off," he said. "Experiences like that come rarely." The dark side of dolphins Even more common than whales in Irish waters are dolphins and porpoises. While dolphins are among the most beloved of sea creatures, a recent incident in Strangford Lough shows they can have a darker side. Two bottlenose dolphins were seen in the lough over a number of days and on the third day footage seemingly showed them playing with a third dolphin. "But they weren't playing with another dolphin, they were attacking and killing a harbour porpoise and this is something that bottlenose dolphins do quite routinely," Mr Whooley said. "People are absolutely horrified because they think, dolphins - aren't they supposed to be cute and cuddly? "We've been saying for 30 years, dolphins and in particular bottlenose dolphins, which are definitely a species on the increase in Northern Ireland, have a dark side. "They're big mammals and like lots of big mammals they kill lots of things and they're not even going to eat it." Mr Whooley said adult bottlenose dolphins can grow to weigh up to 200kgs and are "the size of a bull and as powerful". He said people often forget this and jump into the water with dolphins, thinking they're "going to have this cosmic experience", but instead can potentially end up with serious injuries. "We had one bottlenose dolphin down in County Clare called Dusty," he said. "Every summer the Coastguard and the beach rescue work around the clock to get visitors not to swim with that dolphin because there is literally a caseload of incidents which have resulted from mild injuries all the way up to a German film-maker being medevaced back to Germany. "He had massive internal organ damage. "Another woman was seriously injured trying to hold on to its dorsal fin." Bottlenose dolphins, like this one photographed off the coast of County Clare, are described as larges as a bull and just as powerful While the seas around Ireland are full of life, it would be wrong to say there are no concerns. Sea Deep NI is an Ulster Wildlife project to protect the sharks, skates and rays that inhabit Northern Irish waters. The project catches, tags then releases the likes of flapper skates - which can be up to two and a half metres long, small spotted catsharks, and other small sharks such as spur dogs and bull huss, then collates the information. "From that, if there are any major developments, say for windfarms, cable laying or something like that, these areas would be slightly better protected," one of its volunteers, Ronald Surgenor, said. "The species make-up is definitely changing slightly. It used to be in the 70s, 80s, you'd have been getting lots of good-size fish and now just probably with overfishing and a multitude of different things, you're not getting those big fish coming inshore as mush as you used to." Commercial fishing threat The IWDG's Padraig Whooley said there is no single threat to whales and dolphins in Irish waters but they are concerned about the removal of small forage fish from the sea by big commercial boats. "We need to be more mindful of what's happening to these small fish because even though we might think they're insignificant, they're the basis of the marine food chain, and if you start messing with that the big whales in particular - the likes of humpbacks and fin whales - they'll start very soon voting with their fins," he added. He said climate change was also concerning because, as waters warm, predators could follow prey fish to cooler waters elsewhere. For now, though, the opportunity is very much there for anyone who wants to see some of the sea's most amazing creatures in Irish waters. "We're under the idea that to see interesting wildlife you have to go to exotic places - whales and dolphins are no different," Mr Whooley said. "We're an island out in the middle of the Atlantic. We have extraordinary potential to observe these magnificent mammals right at home." The Armys top officer grounded all of the services aircraft Friday night following two deadly crashes in the past month including one on Thursday that claimed three lives. Gen. James McConville ordered a safety stand-down, directing all aviation units to go over the maintenance of their aircrafts, pilot training and safety precautions. The grounding includes aircraft overseas in Europe and combat zones such as Iraq and Syria, but an officer at the rank of two-star general or above can disregard the stand down in emergencies such as medical evacuations, one Army official told Military.com. "The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel, McConville, who has a background as an aviator, said in a statement. During this stand down, we will focus on safety and training protocols to ensure our pilots and crews have the knowledge, training and awareness to safely complete their assigned mission. Read Next: 1st Woman to Take Top Enlisted Job at Army Special Ops The order comes after two AH-64 Apache helicopters crashed into each other near Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Three 11th Airborne Division soldiers died and another was hospitalized. In March, nine soldiers with the 101st Airborne were killed in a crash involving two Black Hawk helicopters in southwestern Kentucky, marking one of the deadliest training accidents in the Armys history. The specifics behind both those crashes are still being investigated. In addition to those crashes, two Tennessee National Guard soldiers died in a Black Hawk crash in Alabama in February. In that same month, two soldiers were injured when an Apache helicopter crashed in Alaska. Fridays order requires active duty units to complete the safety stand down by May 5, a process that entails briefings by senior officers on safety issues. Army National Guard units have until May 31, a possibly tricky task for units heavily manned with part time soldiers. Aviation units are allowed to resume flights after the stand down. Story continues Senior commanders, including generals are expected to participate in the stand down briefings, one Army official with direct knowledge of the order explained to Military.com. We are deeply saddened by those we have lost, McConville added in his statement. It is their loss that makes it all the more important we review our safety procedures and training protocols, and ensure we are training and operating at the highest levels of safety and proficiency. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: In Wake of Fatal Black Hawk Crash, Renewed Scrutiny of the Helicopter's Safety Record The Army has grounded its pilots until they complete mandatory safety training following a series of helicopter crashes that killed 12 soldiers in the past few weeks. The move was announced by Gen. James McConville, the Army top officer, after a Thursday midair collision involving two Apache helicopters in Alaska that killed three soldiers. In March, nine soldiers died in Kentucky when two Black Hawks collided. MILITARY HELICOPTER CRASH IN AK INJURES 2 SOLDIERS "The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel," McConville said in a statement. "During this stand down, we will focus on safety and training protocols to ensure our pilots and crews have the knowledge, training and awareness to safely complete their assigned mission." Active-duty units will be required to complete the 24-hour stand down between May 1 and May 5. The National Guard and Army Reserve has until May 31, the Army said. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Army aviation units can resume normal operations following the stand down. The announcement came a day after two Apaches collided during a training mission in Wainwright, Alaska, killing three soldiers. A month earlier, nine soldiers were killed when two Black Hawks collided during night flight training near Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Both incidents remain under investigation. "We are deeply saddened by those we have lost," McConville said. "It is their loss that makes it all the more important we review our safety procedures and training protocols, and ensure we are training and operating at the highest levels of safety and proficiency." The U.S. Army issued a ground stop to all aviation not used in critical missions after three soldiers were killed, and another injured, on Thursday in a helicopter crash over Alaska. The order will require Army aviators to undergo training to prevent similar occurrences in the future, according to a statement. The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training, the Army said in a statement, according to The Associated Press. The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel, U.S. Army Chief of Staff James McConville said. McConville said the Army will take time during the ground stop to focus on safety and training procedures. During this stand down, we will focus on safety and training protocols to ensure our pilots and crews have the knowledge, training and awareness to safely complete their assigned mission, he wrote in the statement. Two AH-64 Apache helicopters from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment crashed near Healy, Alaska on Thursday while returning from a training mission. Two of the soldiers were declared dead at the scene, while a third died en route to the hospital, the Army said. A fourth soldier is being treated at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. The crash marked the second this year involving an Apache helicopter in the state, after two soldiers were injured in February when one of the helicopters rolled after taking off from Talkeetna, Alaska. With Thursdays crash, 12 people have been killed in Army helicopter crashes since last month. Nine were killed during a training incident in Kentucky involving two Blackhawks in March. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Glendale police announced Friday that an arrest had been made in connection to the murder of 25-year-old Irma Rivera-Martinez. Martinez was murdered on April 21 at a Chevron gas station, where she worked, located at 51st and Glendale avenues. Officers had responded to the Chevron at around 9:19 p.m. after a clerk reported someone had been shot. Upon arrival, officers found Rivera-Martinez on the ground in the store, having sustained more than 10 gunshot wounds, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Glendale police spokesperson Officer Gina Winn told reporters on Friday that the clerk told officers the shooting suspect, dressed in all black, including a black mask, had entered the Chevron, walked up to Rivera-Martinez and shot in her direction 10 times. The Glendale Police Department - Arizona is announcing major developments in the murder of 25-year-old Irma Rivera-Martinez. https://t.co/oZMWzXUTI6 via @FacebookWatch Glendale Police (@GlendaleAZPD) April 28, 2023 Winn said that video surveillance corroborated the clerk's story, as the tape showed Rivera-Martinez stocking shelves when the suspect, identified by police as 20-year-old Mohammad Ataei, entered the store. Rivera-Martinez moved to another section of the store and the suspect followed before firing multiple times at her and proceeding to flee on foot. Surveillance footage also showed the suspect arrive in a dark blue Toyota Camry, parking it in an alleyway down the street from the gas station and re-entering the vehicle after the murder with a gun in his hand, Winn said. Cameras in the area were able to help officers pull the suspect's license plate, which showed him to be the registered owner of the Camry. Glendale Chevron shooting: Woman shot to death in Glendale gas station; investigation underway Story continues Police were later able to detain Ataei following an undercover surveillance operation and conducted a search of both his home and vehicle. "During the execution of this search warrant, our detectives located the same clothing which was worn during the homicide as well as the firearm which we believe to be involved with the homicide," Winn told reporters Friday. Police are still unsure of the relationship between Ataei and Rivera-Martinez as well as a motive, but do believe it to be a targeted attack, Winn said. Ataei was arrested and booked without incident, and is being charged with one count of first-degree premeditated murder. No other information had been released as the investigation remained ongoing. A GoFundMe for Martinez funeral expenses was created by her cousin. Those who would like to donate can visit the site here. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arrest made in fatal shooting of Glendale Chevron employee President Bidens four-day visit to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which began on April 11, has provided an overall opportunity to highlight our important, and complex, relationships with both Ireland and Britain. These ties span significant economic, military security, and above all historical dimensions. Northern Ireland is geographically part of the island of Ireland, but under the sovereignty of Britain. Together with England, Scotland and Wales these regions comprise the United Kingdom. The majority of Northern Irelands population is Protestant, while Ireland is overwhelmingly Catholic. Arthur I. Cyr Ireland overall was under British rule until 1921. Independence relieved considerable political pressure, but Northern Ireland has remained a source of tension and periodically violence. United States leaders have been influential in efforts to broker and maintain peace, over many years. Former Sen. George Mitchell (D-ME) was central to the successful peace negotiations. On St. Patricks Day in 1977, Sens. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Pat Moynihan (D-NY) joined with fellow Democrats Gov. Hugh Carey of New York and U.S. House Speaker Tip ONeill from Massachusetts in urging Irish-Americans and others to stop sending money to violent groups. Bidens successful trip has reflected both these political and more personal dimensions. The President addressed an enormous audience at a cathedral in County Mayo, where his family has strong roots. Over the years, he said, stories of this place have become part of my soul, part of my family lore. During a visit to Knock Shrine, Biden had the opportunity to talk with former U.S. Army Chaplain Fr. Frank OGrady, who gave last rites to his late son Beau Biden. Former President Bill Clinton arrived on April 14 for celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, that ended the sectarian violence that had plagued the territory and both Ireland and Britain from the late 1960s. Story continues The understanding, actually two agreements, signed on April 10, 1998, involved the details of power-sharing among Northern Irelands political parties and also the governments of Britain and Ireland. Despite challenges and occasional crises, this historic peace accord overall has held. President Biden made a point of visiting with five leaders from the main political parties of Northern Ireland. Events related to Northern Ireland reach well beyond the province. Britain after a long ordeal implemented Brexit, departing the European Union (EU). Ireland remains a staunch EU member. Britain is a military power within NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), while Ireland is a neutral nation. Wider relationships may prove crucial. The G8 (Group of Eight) nations held a summit in Northern Ireland in June 2013. Members emphasized economic cooperation. The venue selected also underscored progress toward peace. The Northern Ireland summit also reconfirmed commitment to wider strategic cooperation. The participants agreed to work to ensure negotiations to end the Syria civil war became an urgent priority. Britain and the U.S. are historically close military partners. Such alliance began in World War I, and became close, vital and lasting during World War II. Intelligence operations were important in both wars, and were the initial source of cooperation in the second war, which evolved into our continuing Special Relationship. Current developments in Europe provide sound reasons to reemphasize this cooperation. Both Britain and Ireland are closely tied to the U.S. in the most human dimension of international relations, immigration. President Biden and former President Clinton have done a fine job of reinforcing these relationships. Arthur I. Cyr is author of After the Cold War American Foreign Policy, Europe and Asia, (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan). Contact acyr@carthage.edu. This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Arthur Cyr: Preserving fragile peace in Northern Ireland A former president, a world-famous Hollywood director and a rock music icon walk into a restaurant. It sounds like the setup to a joke, but staff at Amar restaurant in Barcelona witnessed just that on Thursday night. Employees were left in shock when 44th US president Barack Obama, director Steven Spielberg and musician Bruce Springsteen walked in unannounced. Chef Rafa Zafra said Amar had been suggested by Spanish-American celebrity restaurateur Jose Andres. "They came recommended by Jose Andres, who has a very close relationship with Obama," Mr Zafra told Spanish radio. Mr Zafra said Jose Andres told him that the booking was important. It was then that he realised that Mr Obama and his wife Michelle were in the city to attend a Springsteen concert, as was Spielberg. Staff member Pol Perello uploaded a photo of them posing with wait staff and chefs to Instagram with the comment: "The pleasure this job brings you!" "We gave them oysters, shellfish and fish from Roses, my classic - the caviar bikini - a little bit of everything... and super grateful!" Mr Zafra said. Accompanied by security detail, the Obamas and Spielberg used Friday to visit some of Barcelona's most famous sights, such as the Sagrada Familia basilica and the Picasso museum. Springsteen's E Street band began their European leg of their tour on Friday at the city's Olympic Stadium. The former president first met the rock legend on the presidential campaign trail in 2008. In 2021, they hosted the podcast Renegades: Born in the USA. Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty/Reuters Congressman Shri Thanedar is desperate to go viral. He hangs out with Democratic Socialists. He proudly touts that one of his office numbers is 420. And he loves the Big D. The Big D is how he once referred to Detroit in a since-deleted tweet from early April that included a photo of him standing and smiling in front of the citys skyline, a part of which is in his district. We in Detroit call Detroit the Big D. Now, people in Dallas call their city Big D. I didnt know that, Thanedar said in an interview with The Daily Beast. Thanedar continued that, when you go to the riverfront from the Canadian side and look at Detroit, its just a beautiful shot. So, I just stood there asked somebody to take a picture of me. And they took that picture and I just wanted to share that picture because I really loved the skyline from that angle, he said. And I just basically said, I love Big D. Once people started noting the innuendo, he took the post down. But its Thanedars love for pushing boundaries on social media that seems to be the point. Hes not your average congressman. And to internet onlookers, in the internet parlance of our times, Thanedar is basedsimultaneously meaning, in true internet fashion, that Thanedar is both his authentic self, and that people agree with him. If Thanedar is a bit too online, that may be the point. Hes already had multiple brushes with internet fame, like when Thanedar was spotted in the background of President Joe Bidens State of the Union smiling, standing completely still, staring directly into the camera as Biden spoke to another member. Hes just always in his own world, a voiceover says in the TikTok. Hes really quiet, for real, unless he know you. Hes funny as hell though. Story continues When The Daily Beast asked Thanedar about the moment over the phone this week, offering that we didnt know if Thanedar had seen the video, his spokesperson on the call quickly interjected. We all saw the video, the spokesperson said. The congressman wasnt shy about it either. It was just amazing to be able to talk to the president, to see him in action, Thanedar said, noting he told Biden of Detroits struggles in a brief exchange. And I was like a kid in a candy store, whatever you call it. Thanedars persona in Congress is quickly becoming that of someone whos a kid in candy storeor whatever you call it. He told The Daily Beast that, on the night of the State of the Union, he was just wowed to be there. I still look at myself as that person struggling in India, having nothing, and I justevery time I walk in the House chamber, I am just amazed, he said. Its very surreal for me. Indeed, Thanedar grew up in a rural area of India, in what hes described as a lower-middle class family with strong values. He came to America to pursue a doctorate in chemistry. In true American dream fashion, he built a successful chemicals business, and amassed a good degree of wealth. But his fortune has also sometimes undermined the progressive values he espouses. Thanedar drew some pushback after he won his Democratic primary in 2022, beating out a crowded field. He told The Daily Beast he doesnt see the two as mutually exclusive ideas. Most people look at me as my later years of financial well-being and my wealth, but the 24, 30 years of life that I lived in poverty and struggles, Ive never forgotten those. And thats who I am at the core, he told The Daily Beast. Michigan Dems Take Page Out of GOP Book, Pass Flurry of Progressive Bills The congressman in behavior that, again, earned him some based fandom, toed the line of that progressivism in March when he appeared at a Democratic Socialists of America protest on tax abatements in Detroit. In another photo from a 2022 picnic, Thanedar is seen wearing a Democratic Socialists of America T-shirt. In the comments below posts of the protest, onlookers applauded Thanedar for being very based and having major rizza term used for someone with exceptional charm or allure. Asked explicitly if he considers himself a Democratic Socialist, Thanedar offered an ambiguous response. Im not much for labels, he said. Somebody needs to fight for them. And if Im fighting for them, if Im fighting against $800 million tax breaks to the billionaires who want to build hotels and residential buildings and office buildings in downtown Detroit, that worries me, he further explained. And thats why and thats why I went and stood in front of the city halls and protested. Thanedars district encompasses a sizable chunk of the Detroit area and some surrounding suburbs. And in continued based energy, Thanedars district office is in suite 420: a point he made very clear on social media when April 20 rolled around. The congressman, who is a proponent of marijuana legalization, says he did not choose the office. That was just the draw of the bag, he said. Actually, Brenda Lawrence, my predecessor, had that office. He also said, like other moments of his career thus far, that he didnt get the joke at first. But in a jubilant tone, Thanedar described it as a happy coincidence. I learned about it because when I put my office address on the internet and said we opened an office, this is our suite 420 in downtown Detroit, come if you have any issues, and all of the trolls commented on that. And they draw my attention to the 420 suite. Until that Id not actually realized, to be honest, he said. Congress wasnt Thanedars first venture into public life. He served in the Michigan House of Representatives. And in 2018, he ran for the Democratic nomination for governor of Michigan, ultimately losing to now-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. (In a recent, also-deleted tweet, Thanedar praised Whitmer as Big Gretch, before rewriting it as Gov. Whitmer.) Before he entered politics, Thanedar actually wrote a book: The Blue Suitcase: Tragedy and Triumph in an Immigrants Life. The Daily Beast read the book in full, and there are more than a few notable parts. Roughly the first quarter of the book details Thanedars initial years in Americagetting off the plane from his small town in India with only $20 to his name, sleeping in his car, struggling at times to adapt to the English language and American culture. He writes about how he waited tables, how he worried about his family back home, how hed send them money to help get by. Michigan Bans TikTok From State DevicesExcept for Gov. Whitmer The book also chronicles, in sometimes eye-popping detail, Thanedars early love life, including his first three romances. One was his former student from when he was a teaching assistant, who had a history of wearing short skirts and sometimes sitting in a manner that would distract me. Another was a woman who wasnt what youd call pretty, though he noted he adored her. And the third was a young woman, named Merlyn, who Thanedar said struggled with addiction. Thanedar once tried her lithium medication, which he said knocked him on his back for 24 hours. In another section of the book that borders on erotica, Thanedar discusses losing his virginity to the woman at 24 years oldwhich he described as not an unusual age for a young Hindu man. She started becoming very attracted to me, Thanedar wrote. I was too naive to feel the shift, at first. But she soon made her desires plain. Our rooms were next to each other, and she started knocking on my door late in the evening to chat. In the privacy of my room I usually just wrapped a piece of light cloth around my waist When Merlyn started coming over in nightgowns, I realized that I had better switch to pantsthe fabric would be thicker and, well, less revealing. She wasnt the least bit modest; she tickled my belly or tugged playfully at my sarong, and her gowns were almost transparent. Even I couldnt miss the message, the now-congressman wrote. (In 2018, when Thanedar was running for governor, his book was adapted into a play.) Thanedar went on to find his first wife via an ad he placed in Times of India, which he wrote resulted in the romantic equivalent of a job fair. He chronicled his love for herand his heartbreak when she died by suicide, an event that still impacts his policy ambitions on mental health. Later, also via an ad placed in the Times of India, Thanedar found his second wife, who he is still with today. Nowadays, with a year-and-a-half to go in his first term, the congressman is biding his time, hoping to have an impact on policy as Democrats strategize to win back their majority. And hes plotting to bring his excited energy, his based, along for the ride. Its not just any other job for me, he said. I love my job. You know, I love being able to represent, able to make a difference in peoples lives. 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 large brown bear in woodland in Italy Italian authorities are deciding what to do with a brown bear that mauled a jogger to death in the northeastern province of Trento. The case has shone a light on the country's successful but problematic rewilding program. On the evening of April 5, 26-year-old Andrea Papi was jogging on a woodland path near the village of Caldes. When he failed to return home, his family reported him missing. His mauled body was found at 3 a.m. the following morning. On April 8, provincial president Maurizio Fugatti, issued an order to kill the Alpine bear, but a court suspended that order following an appeal from animal rights group the Anti-Vivisection League (LAV), ANSA news agency reported. The bear, a female known as JJ4, was captured on April 17 accompanied by three cubs. This is the second time JJ4 has had a kill order overturned, having previously attacked a father and son in 2020, Reuters reported. The victims of the 2020 encounter survived. Claudio Groff coordinates the large carnivores sector within the provincial government's wildlife department. He told Live Science that Papi's death is even harder to accept because of what happened in 2020. "We tried to remove this dangerous bear," Groff said. "We didn't manage it, unfortunately, because of the decision of the court." Papi's death marks the first fatal bear attack in Italy, according to the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera . However, bear-related incidents like this fuel a long-running debate about the presence of bears in the region. How many bears are there in the Trentino-Alto Adige? Brown bears (Ursus arctos) were on the brink of extinction in the Alps in 1999, with only a handful surviving in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy. The European Union-funded Life Ursus project brought bears from Slovenia to the region as part of conservation efforts to establish a minimum viable population of around 40 to 60 individuals. Today, there are around 100 bears in Trentino-Alto Adige. Story continues Related: 'Prehistoric' mummified bear discovered in Siberian permafrost isn't what we thought "Italy is a great success story," said Lana Ciarniello , an independent researcher in Canada and co-chair of the International Union for Conservation of Natures (IUCN) Human-Bear Conflicts Expert Team , of which Groff is also a member. "The bears were reintroduced, and they've done very well." The bear program has worked so well that the animals have made a remarkable recovery but now the region is adapting to once again becoming, as Ciarniello puts it, "bear country." brown bear jj4 inside a trap at night trentino What causes bear attacks? Tom Smith , a professor at Brigham Young University in Utah whose research focuses on human-bear conflicts, told Live Science that the most common cause of brown bear attacks is people unintentionally surprising them. Smith has studied more than 2,000 bear attacks in North America. He said all bears, regardless of whether they have cubs, can attack if approached. "Anytime you intentionally or unintentionally run into a bear, you're going to unleash a natural instinct in them, which is to defend themselves," Smith said. BEAR SAFETY GUIDES The Trento provincial government published a leaflet on close encounters with bears. For North America, check out the U.S. National Park Services staying safe around bears guide. Bears typically avoid humans and run away if they hear people coming. Smith noted that certain human behaviors increase the chances of attacks, including trying to get close to bears, feeding them, leaving food around, mountain biking, walking alone or having a dog off the leash bears don't like dogs. However, according to Smith, solo runners are at greatest risk. "That's the worst thing you can do," Smith said. "Runners are single, they move fast, they don't make noise; it's the perfect storm of bad variables." What has gone wrong in Italy, and what's the solution? Groff said there are hundreds of signs telling people how to behave, including where the fatal attack happened, "but it's not enough." He claims there are two things that would help that are out of his hands. The first is for people to carry bear spray an effective bear deterrent in North America that is currently illegal in Italy. Ciarniello and Smith also advocated for the use of bear spray. The second is to be able to "shoot dangerous bears as soon as possible," Groff said. "There are very few," Groff added. "But we have to be fast to remove them, and as we can see, we are not." Related: Woman killed in unusual grizzly bear attack The decision to increase the number of bears in Italy was controversial, with fears from local communities that bears threaten livestock and people. The revival of the bear population also brought about the revival of poaching, according to a 2015 article in the journal Arcadia . With the people living alongside bears being forced to make concessions, Ciarniello said that removing a bear perceived as a threat can help them feel more secure, helping to alleviate human-bear conflict. "If it continues to foster positive attitudes for the [bear] population as a whole, then that individual should be removed, whether that individual needs to be removed or not," Ciarniello said. RELATED STORIES In 'extremely rare' attack, polar bear killed mother and child in Alaska. Now we know why. American black bears are evolving to have cinnamon-colored coats, study finds Family of 5 bears found hibernating under Lake Tahoe home A spokesperson for WWF Italy told Live Science in an email that the province can do more to promote coexistence. "Unfortunately these have not yet been adopted by the Province of Trento," the spokesperson said. WWF Italy recommended more preventative action to avoid bears gaining access to human food and livestock, increased bear education and awareness, the use of bear spray for hikers and residents, and measures to allow the population to expand. "The brown bear population in the Italian Alps has not been able to expand into other territories due to severe habitat fragmentation," the spokesperson said. "It is crucial to intervene by restoring habitats and providing wildlife corridors to allow the population to expand into other suitable areas outside western Trentino." Are there too many bears in Italy? a brown bear walking in the snow in Italy Italy's environment minister, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, told Italy's Mediaset television that he has set up a committee to address the possible excess number of bears in the region, ANSA news agency reported. If there are deemed to be too many, some could be removed. Ciarniello noted that on every landscape, there's an ecological carrying capacity how many individuals of a species an environment can support and a social carrying capacity how many of those animals a human population will tolerate. She said Italy now needs to decide when the social carrying capacity for bears will be reached and how to manage it for example, by removing bears or hunting. What will happen to the bear that killed the jogger? Envoys from 14 countries, including Brazil, Iran, Indonesia, Pakistan, Ecuador and Senegal, visited northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from April 24 to 28 at the invitation of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Consuls general of 14 countries, stationed in different cities across China, visited the regional capital city of Urumqi, as well as Kashgar, Turpan and other locations in Xinjiang to experience first-hand the social and economic development of the region. They said that Xinjiang's achievements are remarkable, and that people of all ethnic groups live in harmony and happiness. They noted that the various lies fabricated by certain Western media are completely inconsistent with the reality of Xinjiang. "To root out terrorism, it is crucial to have a comprehensive plan for a region's development and help people improve their lives," said Agha Hunain Abbas Khan, Pakistani acting consul general in Chengdu, after visiting an exhibition on Xinjiang's counterterrorism and deradicalization work. "And China has made tremendous strides," he added. The envoys also visited the old town in the city of Kashgar and experienced the tourism boom in the run-up to the May Day holiday. Zaw Linn Oo, consul general of Myanmar in Chongqing, hailed Kashgar as a "land of hope" that is attractive to both local and distant visitors. "A country needs social stability and economic development, and both are well-reflected in Kashgar," he said. Mehmet Mert Tokman, Turkish consul general in Chengdu, paid a visit to the region years ago. During this visit, he said that the land has a rich heritage and has undergone tremendous development and change, which can be seen particularly in the region's incredible infrastructure construction achievements. Giving high praise to the local government's efforts to guarantee people's freedom of religious belief, Ben Perkasa Drajat, Indonesian consul general in Guangzhou, said that Muslims in Xinjiang are free to go to the mosque to pray, after visiting the Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar and the Xinjiang Islamic Institute. "The news from the Western media that the Chinese government doesn't allow Muslims to do religious activities is not true." As the country with the world's largest Muslim population, Indonesia resolutely opposes external forces that manipulate the Xinjiang issue, interfere in China's internal affairs and attempt to split China, the Indonesian envoy said. The reality of Xinjiang is completely different from the biased reports of the Western media, he said. He noted that he hopes the two countries can continue to promote cooperation and encourage relevant individuals from Indonesia to visit Xinjiang. Speaking to Xinhua, Judyth Muthoni Nsababera, Ugandan consul general in Guangzhou, said that she would not blindly believe the lies about Xinjiang that have been fabricated by Western media. It is important to come and see the region and feel it in person, and China has the right to choose its own path, she said. On a Friday evening after work, C. Leigh Stevens did what a lot of people do, he poured himself a drink. Stevens cocktail, however, was sipped on a train out of Manhattans Penn Station roaring toward the Lowcountry with other wealthy Wall Street businessmen. It was the 1940s and they were clamoring to their South Carolina plantations for the weekend. Theyd get off and go to their various plantations and party, said Jessica Loring, speaking about her grandfather. [Theyd] get on the train Sunday afternoon and then be back at work in the morning. Nearly eighty years and four generations later, the Old Combahee Plantation is on the market for $11.1 million. With boundaries that havent changed since established in 1754, the 1,851 acre property borders over four miles on the Combahee River in Beaufort County north of Ridgeland. The Plantation House, built by Lorings parents, is located on a bluff along Izards Creek, a Combahee River tributary, with two docks and a boat landing. Its the only livable structure on the property, not including hunting blinds and an old fish camp. Its beautiful and you just feel its history all around you, Loring said. And the work that people did. Its incredibly awesome and inspirational. To protect the plantations natural beauty, Loring put a conservation easement on the property, which is a legal agreement that permanently protects the use of the land from commercial and residential development to preserve its natural and historic features. Many plantations in the ACE Basin watershed have entered conservation easements in the past decades. The ACE Basin watershed is about 1.6 million acres and one of the largest undeveloped wetlands and uplands ecosystems remaining on the Atlantic Coast, according to the Nature Conservatory. I allow for some change in the property, certainly, Loring said. But I want it with respect to the land and I want whoever buys it to love Izards Creek and the beauty of the woods surrounding it because [it is] extraordinary and very, very unique. Theres nothing like it. Story continues Old Combahee Plantation Pottery and arrowheads The plantations history goes further back than Gatsbyesque stories to before the Yemassee Indian Wars, which were from 1715 to 1716. The war partially started over British-American colonialist encroachment upon American Indian land, including what is now the plantation. Initially, that land back in the early 1700s was set aside for Indian lands and then surveyors came and started selling it, Loring said. They completely didnt pay attention to the Indian rights. Loring said that they still find American Indian pottery and arrowheads on the property today. Giant hydraulic machine The plantation was first owned by the Izards, a wealthy South Carolina family, before Mary Izard married politician Arthur Middleton in 1764. About 12 years later, after British troops marched over the land during the Revolutionary War, Middleton signed the Declaration of Independence. During this time, the Middletons lived in Charleston, but made much of their money off of slavery at rice plantations, including the Old Combahee Plantation. The work done there by the enslaved African Americans is extraordinary, Loring said. They dug canals through the whole property leading out to the Combahee River. The canals purpose was two-fold, they irrigated the fields and ensured the land would have drainage so it wouldnt flood, according to the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium. The place worked like a giant hydraulic machine, Loring said. The canals are still on the property today, and can be kayaked. When exploring the canals and creek, alligators bumpy heads and anhingas slender necks, among other wildlife, peak out of the water. My main joy of that property is the kayaking and the exploring and the beauty of the creek and landscape there, Loring said. I adore it. Civil War forts During the Civil War, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee had soldiers build earthen fortifications where they would man cannons in front of dugouts. There are two still on the property. From this time period, Loring finds bullets and buttons. Confederate General Robert E. Lee had soldiers build forts where they would man cannons. There are two still on the property. Shermans March to the Sea, waged by the Union Army during the Civil War, burned down much of the physical evidence of slavery on the plantation in 1864, including a rice mill, the slave quarters and a plantation house, according to Chip Hall at Plantation Services Inc., which is listing the plantation for sale. It stayed in the Middleton family until about 1913, according to Loring, and passed through a couple more hands until Stevens, her grandfather, purchased the land, along with four other plantations, in 1938 from a Georgia lumber company that went bankrupt. Stevens made his money from time-and-motion studies. The land Stevens purchased was about 4,000 acres combined, and he named the properties Auldbrass, a modification of Old Brass. Thats where he would go on his weekender trips from New York. Theyd take the train to Yemassee so often that the road in front of the station was eventually named Wall Street by the locals. Since then, Stevens daughter, Lorings mother, sold off all but the Old Combahee plantation, and built the house there. Jessica Loring said the home on the property was built in the early 1990s by her parents. Loring would spend the summers on the plantation with her family. She said she remembers horsing around and riding horses and learning how to drive on River Road, which has since been paved. Now, she frequently walks the property with her husband. After five generations, she said it makes sense to move on because most of their family is now on the West Coast. Whoever buys it, I want them to love and respect it, she said. Its very much a place with its own being and its own soul. I love that place. Shutterstock The Carnegie Library of Reims is an undeniable, art deco dream. But its also incredibly easy to miss. Located right across the square from the Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Reims, the building is literally dwarfed by its ostentatious neighbor, a UNESCO World Heritage site that traditionally served as the location for the coronation of French kings. During World War I, the church was also notable as a safe haven, with a red cross flag marking the structure off-limits as a military target. Perhaps its fitting, or at least low-key poetic, that post-World War I, the library next door was built to offer a different kind of refuge, making it an unexpected entry in The Daily Beasts The Worlds Most Beautiful Libraries. Reims is a city of about 180,000 people, with a bucolic reputation enhanced by the fact it also serves as the unofficial capital of the Champagne regionmeaning a good number of visitors are probably experiencing the regions charms while tipsy. But after World War I the city looked significantly different. Thanks to German occupation, Reims had experienced the horrors of war, including loss of life, disruption of business, and significant structural damage to over 60 percent of its buildings. Enter Andrew Carnegie. It might seem strange that a Scottish-American philanthropist concerned himself with post-war efforts, or that his donations would take the form of such a specific form of infrastructure. However, like nearly every building, the existing library had been seriously damaged. And Carnegie was partial to the kind of giving that would allow people to help themselves. Also, the dude just loved libraries, building over 1,689 of them across the United States, and speaking about them with the kind of elevated reverence one usually reserves for romantic partners. There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the free public library, he once noted. This republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration." Story continues And so, along with two other frontline cities: Leuven, Belgium, and Belgrade, Serbia, Reims was given $200,000 to rebuild through the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. ECJY5A The Carnegie Library of Reims in Art Nouveau style, the three bay windows and the glass roof of the reading room were designed by the master glassmaker Jacques Gruber of Nancy. Hemis/Alamy Stock Photo That lump sum would be worth roughly $3.93 million today. But despite having a large portion of its collection destroyed in the bombing of city hall, the institution made the money go a long way. To create its new permanent home, it reached out to semi-local architect Max Sainsaulieu, a graduate of the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Having completed the Basilica of St. Clotilde in Reims, he was well-acquainted with ornate, neo-gothic architecture. Initially, he searched for inspiration from libraries in Switzerland and Belgium. However, he ultimately settled on Art Deco as the style, which was perceived to be more modern. Opened to the public on June 10, 1928with the French president in attendancethe 44,000 square feet building was smaller than most of the regions grand libraries. (A hiccup of a building, compared to the National Library in Paris 624,307 square feet of floor space.) However, ornamentation was heavily prioritized, making it still one of the most beautiful places in the world to stop for a book. And thanks to a restoration in 2005 by architects Jacques Blehaut and Jean-Loup Roubert, the experience of walking into the library remains largely unchangedsave for some much-needed tweaks to allow for increased accessibility and air conditioning. With its exterior columns and lacey ironwork by Schwartz-Haumont (the company that took a gold medal at the 1925 Arts Deco Exhibition in Paris), the Carnegie Library has all the hallmarks of a modern temple. (It also features a Bibliotheque sign stylized enough to make Wes Anderson weepproving just how well the aesthetic has aged.) Entering requires walking up a short flight of stairs in order to ascend to knowledge, and walking under an engraved motto from sculptor Edouard Sedley that reads Educunt folia fructum, or flowers lead to fruit. (One imagines Andrew Carnegies joy at all this high-brow, library-based symbolism.) 1419851081 Public Carnegie Library garden and front tower of Reims cathedral on square Place Carnegie, summer, Reims. Sergii Zinko/Shutterstock Likewise, the lobby hits with a larger-than-life gravitas that feels equally split between art-gallery chic and detective-agency foreboding. Behind the public area is a semi-circular storage unit containing 400,000 books stretched across five levels. But here in the public area, theres room for additional flourishes, including an opulent, stained glass skylight by Jacques Simon, and green marble and onyx fountain whichsymbolism alertrepresents nothing less than the source of all science and knowledge. The library prioritizes function without sacrificing form. After all, whats the use of having 100,000 books printed between the 16th and 18th centuries (including 8,000 that are considered particularly rare), if you cant actually get to them? Dark wood shelving, a card catalog that runs nine rows high, and chevron-patterned floors line the reading rooms and salle de lectureall design elements that weve come to consider hallmarks of places of higher learning. But even the more modest reading rooms are flanked by rounded, stained glass windows, bathing would-be knowledge seekers in natural light. (Feel free to draw your own symbolism here.) In 1983, the Carnegie Library of Reims was declared a historical monument. It continued to serve as Reims main library until 2003. Now its just one of seven lending instructions scattered throughout the city. (Although arguably its still the most aesthetically pleasing.) Some of Carnegies statements continue to sound overly poetic. (A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people, he notes. It is a never-failing spring in the desert.) However, Reims rebuilding success story has proven his idealism correct. No matter who you are, egalitarianism and knowledge is a beautiful combination. 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. Mohamed Ibrahim founded Britains fastest growing non-surgical clinic. Photo: The Clinic Room The way I see through the noise in business is reflecting back on where we came from, says Mohammed Ibrahim, CEO and founder of The Clinic Room. When you have poor, humble beginnings you have the constant desire to go above and beyond. Ibrahim runs what is billed as Britains fastest-growing non-surgical clinic, using state-of-the-art technology to create bespoke treatments. It has expanded from its Birmingham base to Leicester, Peterborough, Manchester and even Istanbul in over a year. Ibrahim admits his move into the cosmetic space all happened by chance. Living on a council estate in Birmingham with six sisters, Ibrahims father passed away when he was 12. All the pressure was on me to go to college, university and be a big success, he says. Ibrahim attended five different colleges but quickly dropped out. His first steps into the entrepreneurial world came as an 18-year-old when he started nightclub events. What I didnt realise was how much an events company teaches you about business, the 30-year-old admits today. As a one-man band and promoter you have to do everything. The biggest learning curve came from that company. I had to make the nights a success, make the 500 people who attended happy and get repeat business. Read More: Behind the brand: How Spacegoods is making mushrooms mainstream Despite bringing in 60,000 a year, Ibrahim pivoted and launched one of the first influencer marketing agencies in the world, Panache Media, with clients such as Huda Beauty and Zoella. However, influencers were not yet widely recognised as an effective marketing tactic and as a result, businesses such as LOreal and ASOS (ASC.L) had yet to see the value. Moving into e-commerce, he spent a few months building a cheap app in India but realised that he needed a CTO to keep the backend running. I had no clue, I was always a consumer, he says. The system crashed after six weeks. As he continued his search on LinkedIn, he started to rent out one of his three work spaces in Birmingham and met a woman needing an area for a cosmetic clinic. Story continues He enquired what she did, which included treatment for dark under-eye circles. Ibrahim also suffered from terrible, puffy eye bags", having previously tried home remedies and vitamins without success. She treated Ibrahim, it worked immediately and a deal was struck where his new tenant could work from his office space. Rahema Akhtar is co-founder and now The Clinic Room's medical director. The pair worked on various formulas through 2018 guess work, according to Ibrahim and after six months Ibrahim noticed his eye bags had completely disappeared. He put the results up on Instagram, changed his account to the Clinic Room and he was immediately messaged by multiple clients. All of a sudden we had a business, he recalls. We came up with a system whereby a protocol would work for almost everybody. In skin and cosmetics, whats important is skin types and tones for different people. The risk Ibrahim has taken as a business came when it acquired its first cosmetics machine. I was on my last credit card and purchased an 18,000 cosmetics machine which took us where we are today. I was in 150,000 debt at the time because of the app. It took three years for The Clinic Room to fully launch after trial and testing and, after one year, the business had a 1m turnover from its miracle eye programme. In the cosmetic world, there are a lot of things that are unregulated, says Ibrahim. Our focus has been on showing absolute results to make a clear difference between us and many other companies. We stand apart on Instagram by putting out amazing before and after images which have led to clients from New York to Paris, all from our little place in Birmingham. Ibrahim stresses that his business is not all about beauty. He recalls going to interviews where having "dark circles" could leave a recruiter enquiring as to his tiredness or even some form of addiction. What we are doing is important, he says today. Basic things like dark circles aren't about beauty, its about presentation. The biggest skill an entrepreneur has, adds Ibrahim, is problem solving. Now Im in the cosmetics space, I understand that if Im with a client my behaviour towards this patient has to be of a certain demeanour rather than market the business, he says. It all happened by chance. Things just kept coming my way and I kept solving the problem, while everything I learned in tech we applied to a now traditional business with a physical space. Read More: Behind the brand: Duppy Share Rum, the UK spirit on global rise The Clinic Room uses smart clinic tech such as radio frequency and ultrasound energy. These treatments are so intelligent that we apply it to a clients face, explains Ibrahim, it bypasses the skin leaving no harm or damage and it will treat the inner muscle layers. Last year, the UK government outlined its intention to introduce a licensing regime for non-surgical cosmetic procedures. From a companys perspective, its vital that regulation comes in as it will not only clear up the market it will also add a safety aspect, admits Ibrahim. The business is clearly forging an upward trajectory. It now offers surgical treatments like hair transplants, bariatric surgery (diabetes reversal), dental treatments and IVF alongside all its cosmetic surgery, expanding from a team of 15 to 60, including doctors, dentists, nurses, practitioners and therapists. At the forefront are the life lessons garnered from his mother that Ibrahim applies to work and his personal life: that no problem is too big, and no stress is worth losing yourself over. Watch: How much money do I need to buy a house? Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. HALEDON Nory Derius left her textbooks in her locker on Friday to take up a righteous cause. She and more than 100 of her fellow students at Manchester Regional High School acted as ambassadors for the day, each choosing a foreign land to hold a torch for. They discussed history, feasted on ethnic food and flaunted their dancing skills. For Nory, a high school senior, the multicultural fair was a chance to support a Caribbean nation that could benefit from good PR. Theres a very negative image of my country because of the political situation, she said of Haiti. She and her family emigrated from its capital, Port-au-Prince, less than four years ago. Haledon, NJ - April 28, 2023 Gerardo Perez wears his Mexican hat to represent his heritage at the Manchester High School Multicultural Fair, featuring students with backgrounds from all over the world as they served food, danced and stamped passports in celebration of pupils from many cultures that attend the school in Haledon, NJ. I just want people to know that its one of the most beautiful countries ever in the world, Nory said. Thirty-two nations were represented at the fair, which featured a disc jockey and a photo booth. It was the first time that the event was held at the high school since the 2018 school year, said Bernadette Orsita, a world languages teacher who organized it. Students of all grades volunteered to perform dance compositions and to prepare trays of food, such as empanadas, fattoush a Middle Eastern salad and yes, even hot dogs. Tables were arranged around the perimeter of the high school gymnasium. Most of them were used as information kiosks, where students wearing costumes indicative of their cultures displayed artifacts and heirlooms to explain the nations they represented. And suspended from the tall ceiling were the many flags of countries showcased at the event, from Bangladesh and Brazil to Peru and the Philippines. STONE QUARRY: Can Haledon business and residents coexist? A text message may help Even the former nation of Circassia had a delegation. Mariam Abey, a high school senior, and Taya Ishak, a junior, represented the onetime country, which was conquered and occupied by Russia almost 160 years ago. Students who were not directly involved in the fair were also able to participate. Story continues Instead of going to their English classes, they went to the event. They carried with them faux passports index cards that they asked to have stamped each time they visited a table. Orsita said the students needed at least five stamps on their passports to enter the food line. The high school first held the fair in the 2013 school year after Orsita said she found success doing a similar event, but on a smaller scale, to celebrate Spanish-speaking countries. Haledon, NJ - April 28, 2023 Students representing Circassia and Syria at the Manchester High School Multicultural Fair, featuring students with backgrounds from all over the world as they served food, danced and stamped passports in celebration of pupils from many cultures that attend the school in Haledon, NJ. I love bringing people together, Orsita said. I love bringing cultures together. Manchester Regional, which serves Haledon, North Haledon and Prospect Park, is arguably the most diverse high school in this area. More than two-thirds of its students are Hispanic, according to state data. Principal John Coviello said he was impressed with the fair and that it covers all the bases as a community-building event. Were all being humans together, he said. Thats what these types of celebrations bring out were all human. We need to celebrate what makes us different and the same. And on any other day, high school freshman Matthew Pelar may have paused before putting on a kilt. But he said he was proud to show off his Scottish heritage at the fair and to teach his classmates about the Eilean Donan Castle, built in the 13th century. I like to see what these cultures represent, Matthew said. Were not so different, after all. Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Email: devencentis@northjersey.com This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Manchester Regional High School NJ culture fair shows diversity A pair of sailors from Alaska could have found themselves in the brig, but instead were cited and released on suspicion of misdemeanor theft when they were caught stealing a canoe from atop a parked car near Bellingham Technical College, police said. Officers stopped Duran Philip O. LaFramboise, 37, and Loren Gosline Churchill, 50, walking toward Squalicum Harbor at 12:46 a.m. Thursday, April 27. They were carrying the canoe, police said. (A) witness called to report watching as two males stole a canoe off a neighbors car, said police Lt. Claudia Murphy. Officers contacted the duo with the stolen orange canoe in the 2900 block of Roeder Avenue, midway through their very long portage, Murphy told The Bellingham Herald in an email. Churchill admitted stealing it with LaFramboise and that they needed it for their boat, in which they recently arrived from Alaska, Murphy said. Churchill and LaFramboise were cited and released, and the canoe was returned to its home port, Murphy said. Bernard Arnault is CEO of LVMH and worth more than $200 billion. Tefano Rellandini/Getty Images Bernard Arnault is head of luxury giant LVMH and the world's richest person worth $206 billion. He earned the nickname the "wolf in cashmere" because of his ruthless moves to acquire rivals. The LVMH group owns 75 luxury brands including Dior, Bulgari, Givenchy, and Loewe. Bernard Arnault, the world's richest person, is known for his ruthless takeover moves so much so that the LVMH boss was once nicknamed the "wolf in cashmere" by a rival firm because of his predatory pursuit to acquire their brand. This moniker has stuck and Arnault's battle to the top and a net worth of just over $200 billion has been intrinsically linked to his ability to "stalk" and then "swallow up" luxury brands. It's enabled him to create the world's largest luxury conglomerate, which was valued at $500 billion this week. It's the first time a European company has reached such a lofty valuation and left LVMH rivalling Tesla and Meta in terms of market cap. "Arnault is a man of great vision," Pierre Mallevays, former head of acquisitions at LVMH, previously told The Guardian. "He did not invent luxury brands, but he invented the luxury industry." Arnault's reputation for ruthless takeovers began when he took control of LVMH in 1989. At that point, LVMH consisted of a merger between Louis Vuitton, the luggage maker, and champagne house Moet Hennessy. It was described as a hostile takeover at the time, though Arnault has since denied this. A Louis Vuitton suitcase with its distinctive pattern. Louis Vuitton In the years that followed, he continued to buy up brands and grow his empire to 75 houses, including Dior, Bulgari, Givenchy, and Loewe. But his acquisition targets haven't always been successful. It was during his pursuit of Hermes International that he earned the nickname of the "wolf in cashmere." Hermes is known for its expensive and highly exclusive Birkin and Kelly handbags, which have fetched as much as $500,000 on the resale market and are seen as one of the ultimate status symbols. Story continues These bags are often considered investments. They've outperformed both the stock market and gold in recent years, and the company had proven to be resilient in economic downturns making this an enticing target for Arnault. But Hermes didn't want to sell, and relations between the two soured in the early 2010s when LVMH announced that it had secretly acquired a 20% stake in Hermes through its subsidiaries and via equity swaps. An Hermes Birkin handbag can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Rally WWD reported that at a press conference at the time, Hermes International's then-CEO, Patrick Thomas, wasn't shy in sharing his sentiments about Arnault's moves. "If you want to seduce a beautiful woman, you don't start by raping her from behind," he reportedly said. Vogue reported at the time that Hermes could not be reached at the time of publishing and that LVMH had no comment to make. Still, there's no guarantee that Arnault won't have his way eventually. At the time, an unnamed LVMH source told The Guardian that Arnault was happy to play the long game. "He will wait it out, even if it takes a generation or two. That's what he's like," the source said. In 2001, Arnault lost out to arch-rival Francois Pinault, CEO and founder of French luxury group Kering, in a two-year legal battle for Gucci. This very public rivalry continued in the years that followed and made headlines again in April 2019 when Pinault pledged 100 million euros, or $110 million, to help rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral after a huge fire damaged the roof and spire. His pledge was promptly trumped by Arnault with the promise of a 200 million euro donation. Later on in 2019, an Financial Times journalist asked Arnault over lunch whether he still mourned the missed opportunity to buy Gucci all those years back. "I hate the past. What interests me is the future," he responded, with a deadpan expression. Read the original article on Business Insider WASHINGTON Some of the biggest Democratic donors gathered in Washington on Friday night for a rare opportunity: face time with President Joe Biden. The event, hosted by the Democratic National Committee, offered the Biden campaign a chance to show the president in action as Democrats eye a long race and court the deep-pocketed donors who'll be needed to power it. Meeting with more than 150 donors at the Salamander Hotel, Biden and first lady Jill Biden took pictures and chatted with supporters during a cocktail hour alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff. Attendees later dined on roasted beetroot salad, prime New York strip loin with tiger shrimp and orange mousse cake. There was kind of confidence in the air among the Democrats that Im not sure you saw in 2020, said a source in attendance, who described Harris as being in a good mood there was a hop in her step. Biden, who spent about two hours at the event, thanked his audience for their past contributions and emphasized the stakes for 2024 as he prepares for a potential rematch against former President Donald Trump. You raised significant amounts of money to allow us to compete in 2020 and helped beat back the red wave in 2022, he said. Were going to do it again in 2024 together," Biden said. We carry a heavy responsibility, but also we have an extraordinary opportunity, an extraordinary opportunity to build a future we want for our children and our grandchildren an extraordinary opportunity to meet the commitment I made in 2020. And we will restore the soul of this nation." His remarks appeared to resonate with the wealthy crowd, who gave him a standing ovation. Alan Kessler, a longtime Democratic fundraiser from Philadelphia who attended, said: People were happy tonight. They were happy that the president finally announced, and now we get on with business. Asked whether he believed Biden would raise enough money, Kessler said: Theres nothing better for good fundraising than having Donald Trump on the other side. Story continues While Biden didnt mention Trump, he did call those MAGA Republicans" a "real problem." "This is not your fathers Republican Party," he said. "But in a bizarre way, all we got to do is point out, in many cases, comparison with what these guys want to do. Look what they just introduced, what they just passed in the House." Biden has billed 2024 as a choice between more rights or fewer, warning of MAGA extremists lining up to cut the social safety net. Biden said he wants to finish the job for the American people and will fight for the nation at a critical juncture. But he faces obstacles, including worries about the economy and lukewarm enthusiasm among voters. An NBC News poll released this month found that 70% of Americans, including 51% of Democrats, said Biden shouldn't run for president again. Nearly half of those who said Biden, 80, shouldn't run respondents cited his age as a top concern. Donors have been worried about his age as well. NBC News reported in November that top fundraisers had told Biden aides that donors were questioning whether he's capable of running again, which left them hesitant to cut checks. Some of the reservations seemed to fall away as Biden made his campaign official this week and Democratic mega-donors began to rally behind him. Jeffrey Katzenberg, a longtime Democratic donor and a co-chair of Bidens 2024 campaign who attended Friday's speech, told CNBC that he believes Biden will raise even more this time around. Still, Bidens campaign didnt release early fundraising numbers, which typically are an indicator of enthusiasm. It did, however, launch a seven-figure ad campaign in battleground states to double down on its opening message that MAGA Republicans are attacking America's freedom. Harris has also been out pushing the Biden agenda, having recently delivered remarks about abortion rights in a speech at Howard University. She talked about her work on abortion issues, insulin and broadband access in her remarks Friday. A Biden campaign official emphasized the partys record fundraising in the 2022 midterms and described Harris as an asset whose addition to the ticket in 2020 yielded a $26 million haul in 24 hours and 150,000 first-time donors after a text campaign. Other high-profile Democrats at the donor event Friday were California Gov. Gavin Newsom, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, deputy chief of staff and 2020 campaign manager Jen OMalley Dillon and Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison. There was a real electricity in the room, because this was the first time people were in the same room in [several] years, said the source in attendance, alluding to the fading impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which had forced many events in the 2020 election cycle to be held virtually. Starting the fundraising process in April gives Biden's backers time to conduct broad outreach. On Saturday, Bidens top aides are set to convene donors for strategy briefings. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com President Joe Bidens age is prompting internal party doubts and struggles with the nations youth, as he embarks on a reelection bid. But it actually may be helping him with a critical cohort of the electorate: older voters. The latest example of this tradeoff came this week. A new Harvard Youth poll out this week showed Biden with a 38 percent approval rating among voters under the age of 30, despite that cohorts overall liberal lean. But despite Bidens struggles, he has remained resilient with older voters. A Fox News poll, also released this week, showed 49 percent of voters age 65 and older approve of the job Biden is doing, outpacing his overall approval rating by 5 points. The two surveys underscored an inside-the-crosstabs phenomenon thats appeared in many though not all recent public surveys: Voters in older age groups approve of Bidens job performance in greater numbers than those in younger clusters. Over the past few decades, thats been unusual for presidents from Bidens party. The splits look more like polling from Bidens predecessor, former President Donald Trump, who retained stronger numbers with seniors and voters just shy of retirement age than among the younger half of the electorate. Enduring popularity with older voters could be a major asset for Biden in his just-announced reelection campaign. Though no Democratic presidential candidate has carried seniors those 65 and older since Al Gore in 2000, Biden limited his losses among that cohort, losing them by a mid-single-digit margin in 2020, according to exit polls. (By contrast, Republicans carried the senior vote by roughly twice that margin 10 or 12 points, depending on the voter survey, in the 2022 midterm elections.) Biden, 80, is the oldest person to serve as president. And there's debate about whether attacks on him from some Republicans recall Trump's "Sleepy Joe" nickname during the last campaign backfire among voters at or fast approaching the same age. Story continues Seniors have become the most reliable voters in every presidential election since 1996, according to data from the Census Bureau. Seventy-two percent of voters 65 and older turned out in the 2020 presidential election, a higher rate than voters aged 45 to 64 (66 percent), 25 to 44 (55 percent) and those under 25 (48 percent). Most public surveys show older voters are more likely to approve of Bidens job performance than younger voters. In the Fox News poll, Bidens approval rating was right-side-up with seniors, 49 percent approve versus 47 percent disapprove but 8 points underwater among voters under 45. An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist College poll released Tuesday similarly showed Bidens approval lowest among Americans aged 18 to 29 (27 percent) and highest among those 60 and older (49 percent). And though a large-sample Pew Research Center poll from late March and early April showed a smaller disparity across ages, the trend was the same: Bidens net-approval rating was lowest among Americans aged 18 to 29 (-32) and highest among seniors 65 and older (-20). Not all polls show the same pattern. An Economist/YouGov poll this week showed Biden with a much higher approval rating among Americans aged 18 to 29: 61 percent. Bidens approval rating with seniors was only 38 percent. Thats much closer to what one would expect for a Democratic president, but it also represents an uptick in approval among young voters in their polling, as The Economists G. Elliott Morris wrote on Twitter this week. Whether thats an outlier, a more accurate reflection of public opinion or the start of a new trend could have significant implications for the next election. Whether the 80-year-old Biden is mostly unpopular among young voters, or equaling his best-ever approval rating with them could reshape his 2024 coalition. Democratic presidential candidates have carried the under-30 vote in each of the past eight presidential elections. But dating back to 1976, only three Democratic presidential candidates have carried the senior vote, according to exit polls: Bill Clinton in his decisive victories in 1992 and 1996, and Gore in 2000. In 2020, Trump edged Biden among older voters by a narrow margin: The traditional network exit poll gave the then-president a 7-point edge among voters 65 and older, while AP VoteCast, another survey of actual voters, had Trump only ahead by 3 points. Biden, meanwhile, won voters under 30 by a more-than-20-point margin. As Americans live longer, seniors are also growing as a share of the electorate. Americans 65 and older made up 17 percent of all U.S. residents in the 2020 census up from 13 percent only 10 years prior. And those numbers understate their share of the electorate, given that older Americans are more likely to be citizens, more likely to be registered to vote and more likely to turn out than younger ones. Older voters outpunch their weight even more in Republican primaries which might be why both Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are sparring over the future of Medicare and Social Security in recent weeks. Biden is also highlighting the issue. About 35 seconds into the announcement video his campaign produced to announce hes running for a second term, Biden begins decrying MAGA extremists who are lining up to take away Americans bedrock freedoms. His first example? Cutting Social Security youve paid for your entire life. Correction: This story has been updated to accurately reflect which lawmakers were present at the event. The White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) dinner weekend was in full steam on Friday evening at the Elle Women of Impact event, where lawmakers, models, activists and members of the Biden family rubbed elbows. Held at Ciel Social Club the penthouse bar area atop the AC Hotel in Washington, D.C. the party was a packed affair with little room to move among fresh flower arrangements of roses, Queen Annes lace and ranunculus. Overhead, faux cherry blossoms and paper lanterns hung as the gathering hit its peak. Amidst torrential downpour over the evening, guests mingled with cocktails including French 75s and a libation dubbed Tanukis Treat: a vodka, amaro and sake concoction. The partygoers dined on passed hors-doeuvres including vegetable spring rolls, pork buns, a crab and mango salad and siracha cauliflower bites before Elle Executive Editor Sara Austin took the mike to lay praise on the five Elles 2023 Women of Impact attendees at the event. They included Oriaku Njoku, who leads a network of nearly 100 grassroots abortion funds; Elena Velez, who won the CFDA American Emerging Designer of the Year Award in November; Amanda Nguyen, a social entrepreneur and civil rights activist who was involved in proposing and drafting the Sexual Assault Survivors Rights Act, passed in Congress; Ashley Biden, the only child of President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden; and Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska), the first woman to represent Alaska in the U.S. House. Also in attendance was the first lady herself, wearing a spotless white suit, several strands of peals and what appeared to be Valentino rockstud heels. Her arrival set off a frenzy of gatherers surging forward and holding up their phones to attempt to snap a picture. But the packed atmosphere also lent to rising temperatures in the room, with one guest fainting near the bar and others attempting to fan themselves with issues of Elle Magazine spread across the space. Story continues Also spotted at the event: Actress Julia Fox, Sen. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), fashion model Winnie Harlow and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). Updated April 29 at 11:35 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). Amir Levy/Getty Images The Florida Legislature on Friday passed a bill that would allow the state's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, to stay in office during a potential presidential campaign. The bill passed the state House along 76-34 party lines, after previously moving through the Senate along a similarly partisan margin, The Hill reported. The bill will now make its way to DeSantis' desk, where he is expected to sign it into law. The state's current law mandates that any Floridian running for public office must step down from their current position once they declare their candidacy. However, this new law carves out an exception for officials running for president or vice president. While DeSantis has not yet announced his presidential campaign, he is widely expected to run, with this bill being perhaps the clearest indication yet. Despite backlash from Democrats in the Florida Legislature, Republicans have said that the bill was not designed around DeSantis and serves only to clarify the laws. This is because the presidency is an individual office that is unique. It is the chief executive of our country," state Rep. Ralph Massullo (R) said during debate, per The Hill. "This isn't just for our governor. It's for anyone in politics." However, Democrats, like state Rep. Angela Nixon, said the legislature was "doing the governor's bidding," adding, "Last time I checked, being governor is a full-time job. Running for president takes a lot of work." The proposed revisions to Florida's "resign-to-run" laws were put forth just days before the bill's passage. This marks the third straight year that Florida's Republican-led legislature, with supermajorities in both chambers, has pushed through changes to the state's election laws, Politico reported. In addition to the candidacy exception, this new bill also creates provisions that would make it more difficult for voters to use mail-in ballots, which Democrats have argued amount to voter-suppression tactics. Story continues You may also like U.S. production of bullets, shells, and missiles sidelined by explosion at 1 Louisiana gunpowder mill FAA overruled engineers to let Boeing 737 Max keep flying, report alleges Bill finalized to allow DeSantis to run for president while remaining governor Flash The latest phone talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky was widely welcomed in the international community, and many voiced expectations that China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis. Dai Bing (C, front), charge d'affaires of China's permanent mission to the United Nations, addresses a high-level Security Council briefing on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York, Feb. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Xie E) Xi stressed on Wednesday that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way out for the Ukraine crisis, and no one wins a nuclear war, adding that bilateral ties between the two countries have reached the level of strategic partnership, which has boosted the respective development and revitalization of the two countries. Following the conversation, Zelensky said on Twitter that he had "a long and meaningful phone call" with Xi, adding that he believes the call and the appointment of Ukraine's ambassador to China "will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations." The United Nations expects China to continue to play a helpful role in resolving the Ukraine crisis, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told a press conference on Wednesday. "We certainly encourage the involvement of all key nations around the world, including, of course, the members of the Security Council, in terms of the contributions they can make toward the resolution of the crisis involving Ukraine and Russia," said Haq. "And certainly, we hope that China will continue to play a helpful role." Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that Moscow welcomed the "readiness of the Chinese side to strive to establish a negotiation process," adding that a broad range of provisions outlined within China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis, a document China published on Feb. 24, are in line with Moscow's principled approaches. On the Ukraine crisis, China always stands on the side of peace, and its core stance is to facilitate talks for peace, Xi stressed during Wednesday's phone conversation. Calling the conversation "positive," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that China can play an important role in bringing an end to the Ukraine crisis, adding that France encourages any dialogue that can contribute to the resolution of the crisis. "We welcome the news that there was a phone call between President Xi and President Zelensky. We think that's a good thing," John Kirby, the U.S. National Security Council's coordinator for strategic communication, told reporters on Wednesday. Brussels also welcomed the Xi-Zelensky conversation, as it's an important step by China in exercising its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council, according to European Commission Chief Spokesperson Eric Mamer on Wednesday. European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell welcomed the development as well, saying it is very important that China talked with Ukraine, and all parties want peace. The app is still in beta and is only available to those on a waiting list or with an invite. Getty Images People are scrambling to try out the new Twitter rival called Bluesky. The app is still in beta and only available to those on a waiting list or with an invite. Bluesky has been compared to Mastodon and is backed by Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey. A new invite-only Twitter alternative just lured in Twitter celebs Dril and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and people are scrambling to follow them. The Jack Dorsey-backed platform, Bluesky, is a Twitter clone with a very similar format to its established rival. The profile of Bluesky CEO Jay Graber. Sam Tabahriti/Insider Bluesky has been available on Apple's app store since February but recently added an Android and beta web version. The app has been downloaded for iOS more than 240,000 times, with about half of these installs in April, according to Data.ai research cited by Bloomberg. According to Bluesky CEO Jay Graber, 1.2 million people were on the platform's waitlist following Musk's Twitter takeover. Musk's ex-girlfriend, Grimes, also appears to have joined the platform, posting a link to her own Discord server. Insider could not independently verify the profile. Bluesky users set up a profile by choosing a picture, bio, display name, and domain name. Once on the app, they can post, repost, and like and reply to other users. There's also a search tab to find others and the platform suggests people to follow that are "in your network." Bluesky's timeline is split into two feeds posts from users an account is following, and a "What's Hot" section that displays popular posts. Unlike most alternatives, the app doesn't have any direct messaging features or hashtags. Another missing function is the ability to block fellow users or set your profile to private. On Thursday, Graber acknowledged that some users are "being harassed" and that the team was working on a block function, delayed because of "protocol-level complexity." The app is still in the beta stage and is only available to users with an invite or on the waiting list. The invite codes are usually given out once every two weeks, although a representative for Bluesky said on the platform the team would occasionally "arbitrarily" hand out extra invite codes to activate more users. Story continues Bluesky has been compared to Mastodon, an earlier Twitter alternative. Both platforms are decentralized, meaning user data is not stored on servers owned by one company. However, unlike Mastodon, users don't have to choose a server when they sign up something that appeared to be an issue for Mastodon users who found the process too complicated. Bluesky began in 2019 while Dorsey was still CEO of Twitter and initially received funding from the company it now rivals. In April last year, Bluesky clarified the company's relationship to Twitter, saying: "The bluesky project originated with Twitter in 2019, but the Bluesky PBLLC established this year is an independent company focused on decentralized social network R&D." Read the original article on Business Insider A cold, snowy spring has been a boon for Southwest Idahos snowpack and reservoir levels, but as temperatures begin to warm and mountain snow melts, the Boise River is running high. Parts of the Greenbelt are already closed for flooding, and with warm temperatures this weekend and rain in the forecast for next week, flows could increase. The Boise Rivers water level is controlled in part by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages flows from the mountain reservoirs that feed into the river. Jon Roberts, the water management lead for the Corps Walla Walla District, told the Idaho Statesman in a phone interview that the Corps should be able to avoid raising water levels to flood stage, when flows can start to create a hazard to lives, property or commerce, according to the National Weather Service. River flows are measured in cubic feet per second (cfs), which denotes the volume of water that is moving past a specific point in one second. A cubic foot of water is roughly 7.5 gallons. According to U.S. Geological Survey data, the average Boise River flow for this time of year is around 2,800 cfs. The river is hovering just under 6,000 cfs, and Roberts said it could fluctuate as high as 6,500 cfs over the weekend. Thats nearly 50,000 gallons of water flowing past a point the USGS uses the Glenwood Street Bridge as its reference point in one second. The Boise River has been flowing at around 6,000 cfs for most of the week. Warm weekend temperatures in the mid- to high 80s will likely cause more mountain snow to melt into the reservoirs that supply the river. Reservoir space should keep flows below flood stage Roberts said despite the high snowpack which is more than 150% of normal for the Boise Basin the Boise River is unlikely to reach flood stage, which is 7,000 cfs. We have a lot of space in the reservoirs compared to some similar years where weve had this much snow, Roberts told the Statesman. By Thursday, the three reservoirs in the Boise Basin system had room for snowmelt runoff and were at 56% of capacity basin-wide. Arrowrock Reservoir was only 33% full, while Lucky Peak Reservoir was 52% full and Anderson Ranch Reservoir was 75% full. Story continues Its a three-part approach where step one is were evaluating the snowpack, Roberts said. Step two, were looking at how much space we have (in the reservoirs) and how much irrigation water we need to provide. And then were looking at, how do we stretch that out over time to minimize sudden spikes in the river so that we dont run out of space in the reservoir. Increasing flows on the river this spring has created room in the reservoirs for the snowmelt thats on the way, Roberts said. But while the river may not reach flood stage, the high water is still having impacts in Boise. The citys Parks and Recreation department began closing portions of the Greenbelt more than a week ago, starting with a portion of the Bethine Church River Trail in southeast Boise. Since then, two other portions of the path have been closed. Parks and Rec director Doug Holloway told the Statesman people can find closures on the interactive map on the citys website. The city keeps tabs on which areas of the Greenbelt typically flood at different river flow levels, Holloway said, but he noted that can always change since the rivers natural path changes each year. Between 5,000 and 6,000 cfs, the entire Bethine Church River Trail is usually under water, Holloway said. Around 6,000 cfs, paths in Marianne Williams Park start to flood. Parks and Rec has staff checking the Greenbelt multiple times a day to monitor for flooding. Were really watching Marianne Williams and some tunnels downtown to see if water is creeping in there, Holloway said. Other closures include portions of the Greenbelt at the East and West Parkcenter bridges. The water table is also starting to show at Ann Morrison Park where the park meets the river, Holloway said. In the past, that hasnt happened until the river reaches flood stage. According to Holloway, the flooding likely wont damage the Greenbelt itself. The path is pretty resilient, he said. Its more about erosion on the banks. We wont know what that looks like until the water recedes. Holloway said extensive repairs were made on the banks following widespread flooding in 2017, when the river flows reached as high as 8,600 cfs. Those repairs should help prevent damage to the riverbanks this year, he said. Holloway also urged people to respect the Greenbelt closures and find alternate paths in those areas. On Friday, the Boise Fire Department issued a Dangerous River Condition notice warning residents of the potential threats to humans and pets if they enter the frigid, fast-moving water. The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center is marking its 50th anniversary this year with its annual Walk for Change at Constitution Beach in East Boston on Sunday, organizers said. Attendees can take part in the walk either in person at Constitution Beach at 799 Bennington St. in East Boston or virtually. Survivors, friends, family members, elected officials and activists will gather for a day of healing, hope, and reflection, the organization said in a statement. Attendees are encouraged to register before the event. The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center was founded in 1973 in the Cambridge Womens Center by a group of volunteers and survivors dedicated to building a hotline to answer calls from rape survivors, according to its website. The center provides free, confidential support and services for survivors of sexual violence and their families. One out of every six American women has been the victim of an attempted or complete rape in her lifetime, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, or RAINN, in Washington, D.C. Women ages 18 to 24 who are college students are three times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence, according to RAINN. On Wednesday, a 33-year-old Level 3 sex offender with a prior conviction was held without bail following his arraignment on charges that he attacked and sexually assaulted an MIT student in Boston last weekend. Funds raised during Sundays Walk for Change to benefit the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center will be used to continue providing free, confidential services to 15,000 survivors, their families, and communitywill members, organizers said. The event is featuring remarks from BARCC Interim Executive Director, Duane de Four and Former City Councilor and survivors advocate Tito Jackson. Paid parking is available at the Orient Heights T Parking Lot at 99 St. Edward Road, East Boston. The event is family and dog friendly and will feature fun activities for adults and children. Story continues Anyone who has experienced sexual violence or knows a victim of sexual violence can get help by calling the Boston Area Rape Crisis Centers hotline at 800-841-8371 or the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673), which will connect you with a trained staff member who can assist you. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Lula (left) signed the demarcation decree at a gathering of Brazil's indigenous people in the capital Brasilia Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has decreed six new indigenous reserves, banning mining and restricting commercial farming there. The lands - including a vast area of Amazon rainforest - cover about 620,000 hectares (1.5m acres). Indigenous leaders welcomed the move, but said more areas needed protection. Lula, who took office in January, has pledged to reverse policies of his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, who promoted mining in indigenous lands. Lula, who previously served as president in 2003-2010, signed the demarcation decree on Friday - the final day of a gathering of indigenous people from around the country in the capital Brasilia. "We are going to legalise indigenous lands. It is a process that takes a little while, because it has to go through many hands," the 77-year-old leader told the crowds. "I don't want any indigenous territory to be left without demarcation during my government. That is the commitment I made to you." And in a tweet, Lula described the decision as "an important step". Recent years have seen an alarming rise in deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, a crucial buffer in the global fight against climate change. The new reserves are in central Brazil, as well as the country's north-east and south. The presidential decree grants indigenous people exclusive use of natural resources on the reserves. All mining is banned, and there are tighter rules for commercial farming and logging. While hailing Lula's decision, some indigenous leaders pointed out that his government had vowed to recognise 14 new territories. During his time in office, Mr Bolsonaro made it his mission to push economic development in the Amazon. He repeatedly argued that by mining in indigenous territories, Brazil - which relies heavily on imported fertilisers - could build more of its own potassium reserves. That argument has been questioned by some experts. The WNBA star and her wife join a star-studded list of guests set to appear during Washington's biggest night of the year including the president himself Leon Bennett/Getty for BET Cherelle Griner (left) and Brittney Griner (right) appear at the NAACP Image Awards Brittney and Cherelle Griner will attend the 2023 White House Correspondents' Dinner as esteemed guests of CBS News on Saturday night, nearly five months after the WNBA star was freed from Russian detainment in a high-profile prisoner swap coordinated by the Biden administration. The Griners' surprise addition to the WHCD guest list will put them in the presence of the journalists and administration officials who fought for Brittney's release including President Joe Biden bringing their emotional journey full-circle. The duo, on the heels of celebrating Cherelle formally becoming a lawyer, will be seated at a table with CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, CBS Evening News anchor Norah O'Donnell and Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan. Related:Brittney and Cherelle Griner's Relationship Timeline Miguel Negron/U.S. Army West Brittney Griner and wife Cherelle hug each other as soon as the WNBA star returned to the U.S. Brittney was arrested in Russia in February 2022 after officials allegedly found vape cartridges containing hash oil, an illegal substance in the country, in her luggage. She was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison on drug smuggling charges. Following widespread calls to negotiate her release, the Biden administration was able to get her home through a one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout on Dec. 8. Brittney announced earlier this month that she will tell her "raw, emotional" story of her arrest and 10-month detainment in Russia in a new memoir, which is slated to be released next year. 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. During a rare weekend where politics, media and pop culture merge in Washington, D.C., CBS News is aiming to steal the spotlight with its slate of guests. In addition to bringing the Griners and noteworthy D.C. figures like Reps. Maxwell Frost and Nancy Mace, the network has invited Rosario Dawson, BD Wong, Justin Hartley, Sofia Pernas, Jerry O'Connell, Rebecca Romijn and Julia Fox to attend. Story continues The network is also celebrating WHCD weekend with pre- and post-dinner events, hosting an early evening reception with Politico at the Washington Hilton on Saturday and following the dinner with an exclusive after-party at the French Ambassador's Residence, co-hosted by Ambassador Laurent Bili and fellow Paramount brands BET, Comedy Central and Pluto TV. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Michelle Stevens, a professor of environmental sciences at Sacramento State, was walking along the Bushy Lake behind Cal Expo in 2014 in the wake of a fire in the area when she ran into a botanist who was also strolling the path. The botanist, Mary Moret from Sacramento County Parks and Recreation, was feeling discouraged and upset looking at the ruins, left charred and black from the July 4 fire that not only threatened the holidays fireworks display but devastated the native plants and habitat behind Cal Expo. Sort of like a little angel coming out of the smoke, (Stevens) cheered me up and she told me that Bushy Lake would rise again, Moret said. The timing of the incident was right, Moret said, because at the time, the department was looking for university partners to help manage the parkway through applied science. Sacramento State celebrated years of restorative efforts along the Bushy Lake habitat of the American River near Cal Expo Saturday, April 29, 2023. They celebrated the years of work Saturday near the Bushy Lake habitat, which sits along the north banks of the American River Parkway in the shadow of the state fairgrounds. In that celebration, the women reflected on the efforts of students and county officials who brought the 86-acre ecological habitat back to life, giving it new life as a vital living laboratory. But the work wasnt easy. With the help of a few grants, Stevens and her students collaborated with the parks department in 2015 to build fire-resilient restoration throughout the habitat. Despite the restorative efforts over the following five years, a fire once again tore through the habitat in June 2021, undoing years of revitalizing planting, weeding and watering by hand. Stevens said she was completely devastated when she received a phone call from Sacramento State President Robert Nelsen who expressed sadness that the site had burned to the ground and offered an Anchor Grant for the students to rebuild and replant. I know that this project actually changes (students) lives, Nelsen said. We must continue to fund it. We must continue to support it. Story continues Sacramento State President Robert Nelsen was a guest speaker at the Bushy Lake celebration Saturday, April 29, 2023. Nelsen said the project changes students lives. Along with the support from the university, the project received $350,000 in funding from the California Wildlife Conservation Board in 2021. While the restoration is complete, work will continue at the site as it continues to provide ecological education for students and the community. Besides plant maintenance, work includes efforts to help save northwestern pond turtles, cleaning trash, documenting wildlife and creating educational brochures. This project is unlike other projects on the river, Stevens said. We dont have paid professionals, we have students with good hearts and strong arms and good spirits. Gorman-Rupp reports first quarter 2023 financial results The Gorman-Rupp Company has reported financial results for the first quarter that ended March 31. Net sales of $160.5 million increased 57.1%, or $58.3 million, compared to the first quarter of 2022, a 17.9% increase excluding sales from Fill-Rite which was acquired in May 2022. First quarter net income was $6.5 million, or $0.25 per share, compared to net income of $7.5 million, or $0.29 per share, for the first quarter of 2022. Incoming orders of $167 million increased 49.1% when compared to the same period in 2022, an increase of 12.3% excluding Fill-Rite. Scott King, president and chief executive officer, noted Gorman-Rupp continues to deliver "strong organic growth" and incoming orders also continued at a good pace and backlog remains at record levels. King said inventory grew as planned during the quarter to support order volume and backlog. Regional economic forum to be held May 19 The Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development along with the Regional Manufacturing Coalition will host the 2023 Regional Economic Forum, sponsored by The Eichinger-Brafford-McClead Group at Merrill Lynch, at noon May 19 at the Westbrook Country Club in Mansfield. Tickets are $25 and include lunch. The program begins at 1 p.m. Guest speakers include Robert Alt, president and CEO of The Buckeye Institute, a nonprofit policy organization in Columbus that promotes pro-growth policies, and Jerry James, president of Artex Oil Com., an oil and gas producer in Marietta. For more information or to register, visit richlandareachamber.com. The Phoenix Brewing Company celebrates nine years The Phoenix Brewing Company is located at 131 N. Diamond St. in Mansfield. The Phoenix Brewing Company in Mansfield is celebrating its ninth anniversary this week with events all week. Events culminate Saturday with a cake cutting, live music, food trucks and the release of a new beer called The Fantastic Voyage, a hazy IPA infused with passionfruit for sweet and twangy citrus notes. Story continues In 2014, the Phoenix brewed on a 5 bbl (150 gallons) system. That quickly expanded to include a second 20-barrel (600 gallons) brewhouse. Ten barrels of fermentation tank space went from 10 barrels to 150 barrels and purchasing a 25,000 square foot warehouse. The staff has grown from five to 22, with seven of those positions being full-time. The taproom-only space has expanded to include two patios and the new Spirit Room. The beer portfolio started with only four offerings. The portfolio adjusts every year, but there are typically over 70 offerings throughout the year including collaborations with other breweries and non-profit organizations. For more information about the celebration week, visit phoenixbrewing.com/nine. LaRose announces record first quarter business creation COLUMBUS Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced another strong month for new business growth this year with 18,881 new business filings in March. The first quarter of 2023 saw the highest new business creation in state history with 51,881 new business filings. Here are some quick facts: 18,810 new businesses were created in March, a 527 filing decrease from March 2022. 51,881 new businesses were created so far in 2023, a 1,485 filing increase from the same point in 2022. 2019, 2020 and 2021 were all record-setting years in Ohio for new business creation. In 2021, Ohio surpassed the annual filing record with 197,010 new business filings. Ohio entrepreneurs can visit OhioSoS.gov/BusinessResources to discover the opportunities available to them start and grow a business. Dayton Freight named 2022 LTL Carrier of the Year by ProTrans DAYTON Dayton Freight Lines, a leading provider of regional less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation services, received for the first time a 2022 LTL Carrier of the Year Excellence Award from ProTrans. The recognition honors one carrier each year for superior performance in on-time service, capacity and overall customer service performance. ProTrans is an award-winning Indianapolis based transportation and supply chain management provider that specializes in Third-Party Logistics (3PL), Freight Consolidation, Freight Management Services, and Inventory and Fulfillment Management. Dayton Freight has more than 70 service centers in 15 Midwest states, including Mansfield. This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Gorman-Rupp, economic forum, Phoenix Brewing Company, dayton Freight A busy Dayton intersection will be closed Saturday due to road work. >>RELATED: Busy Dayton road closed starting tomorrow for gas line installation The northbound lanes of Gettysburg Avenue will be closed from Fruedenberger Avenue to James H. McGee Boulevard due to road work, the City of Dayton announced on social media. Traffic will be rerouted to Hoover Avenue and James H. McGee Boulevard. The work is expected to be done by 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon. A California man who used stolen police pepper spray against officers battling a mob during the Jan. 6 attack was sentenced to more than four years in prison Friday, prosecutors said. Jeffrey Scott Brown, 56, was sentenced to 54 months in prison, or 4 years, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia said in a statement. Brown, of Santa Ana, was handed pepper spray that another man had taken from a police bag, and then he sprayed police officers with the irritant as the officers were trying to hold a line, officials said. The assault happened as supporters of then-President Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress was formally counting the electoral votes affirming Trumps election loss. Brown and two other men, Peter Schwartz and Markus Maly, were found guilty of a variety of charges by a jury in December. Schwartz stole the pepper spray from a police bag amid the chaos, and gave it to Brown who sprayed the police line, prosecutors said. Maly also sprayed officers with a chemical irritant, they said. Attorneys for Brown did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday night. Browns attorneys argued in a sentencing memorandum ahead of sentencing that he has no criminal history and is not a political zealot. They wrote that some allegations are still in dispute, but that Brown admits he should have never been in the Lower West Tunnel that day, and he regrets it. The charged conduct revolves around less than 10 minutes of Mr. Browns life, and the Governments claim that Mr. Brown sprayed pepper spray toward law enforcement, the attorneys wrote. Defense attorneys asked for 40 months, or three years and four months for Brown, a former salesman. Prosecutors asked for at least five years and three months, and said Brown has never expressed any remorse for his actions. Brown lunged forward along with the crowd when Washington, D.C. police Officer Daniel Hodges was crushed against a door, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo. Story continues Brown also has referred to himself as a "political prisoner" in legal defense fundraising efforts, the government said. "Browns actions on January 6 show an absolute disregard for the rule of law coupled with a willingness to engage in violence," prosecutors wrote. Brown was found guilty of seven counts, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcements officers using a dangerous weapon; and interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder, both felonies. The other two people convicted along with Brown, Schwartz and Maly, have long criminal histories, according to prosecutors, and face potentially far longer sentences. Prosecutors are asking for 15 years and eight months in prison for Maly, according to a sentencing memo filed by the government. They are seeking 24 years in prison for Schwartz, according to a sentencing memo in that case. If imposed, that would be the longest sentence yet stemming from the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Schwartz is scheduled be sentenced on May 5, and Maly was supposed to be sentenced Friday but it was delayed, according to court records. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Some 1,888 British nationals have been rescued from Sudan, the government said An operation to evacuate people from Sudan has been "extremely successful", a government minister has said, as the UK ended its evacuation operation. The Foreign Office said the last flight left the capital, Khartoum, at 22:00 local time (21:00 BST) on Saturday. "We can't stay there forever in such dangerous circumstances," said Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell. A 72-hour ceasefire broke down on Saturday, with armed factions stepping up their battle for the capital. Bombers and heavy artillery are targeting parts of Khartoum, while the Sudanese army claimed it was attacking the city in all directions to try to drive out the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Tens of thousands of people have fled the country since fighting engulfed Sudan two weeks ago. The death toll is thought to be much higher than the most recent official figure of 459, and the United Nations fears hundreds of thousands could be displaced if the conflict continues. The former prime minister of Sudan has warned that the conflict could become worse than those in Syria and Libya. Other countries have been frantically evacuating their citizens, while some have fled via unofficial routes by boat and bus. On Saturday evening the US government said it had completed the first rescue of its citizens. US nationals and permanent residents had been taken by convoy to Port Sudan and were crossing the Red Sea by boat to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, it said. The UK government said 1,888 people had been evacuated on 21 flights, and it is "no longer running evacuation flights". The UK government, which began evacuations last Tuesday, had faced criticism for not reacting quickly enough to help its citizens after it began its airlift after other European countries had rescued hundreds. It also faced pressure for only evacuating British nationals and excluding NHS doctors - but later made a U-turn and decided to allow them to board flights. Story continues British nationals have been evacuated to Cyprus, before flying to the UK Last weekend, special forces troops were sent to evacuate UK diplomats from Khartoum after fighting broke out around the embassy, but it wasn't until a few days later that British passport holders would be rescued. Speaking to the BBC in Nairobi, Mr Mitchell said it was right that the evacuation flights were ending. "I don't think there's a single Brit in Khartoum who won't know about the evacuation and the flow of people who've been coming to the airport indicate that that is correct," he told the BBC. Referencing a Turkish evacuation plane that was fired at when coming into land, Mr Mitchell described the situation at the Wadi Seidna airfield as "extremely dangerous". He said the UK government was "looking at every single option to help British citizens who are caught up in this terrible crisis". He added that he was concerned that the situation could become "incredibly serious" unless there was a permanent ceasefire. "The whole international system is looking at ways of stopping this fighting" he said, "which after all is two generals slugging it out for power". A Foreign Office spokesperson said the UK's Sudan evacuation was "the largest of any western country". Millions of people remain trapped in Khartoum, where there are shortages of food, water and fuel. Families were able to flee war-torn Sudan with the support of the British military. More than 20 NHS medics were initially told they could not board flights because they were not British nationals, despite having UK work permits. A change of heart came after the plight of Sudanese doctor Dr Abdulrahman Babiker came to light. He was in Sudan visiting relatives for Eid when the fighting broke out. He was initially refused a place on a British evacuation flight but after media coverage and contacting his MP, the criteria was widened and he was allowed to join. He landed in the UK on Saturday afternoon. Flash State Councilor and Defense Minister Li Shangfu called for joint efforts to bring the China-India border situation "under regular control at an early date", as he met with India's defense minister, Rajnath Singh, on Thursday in New Delhi. Indian and Chinese national flags flutter side by side at the Raisina hills in New Delhi, India, in this file photo. [Photo/Xinhua] The meeting, held on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Defense Ministers' Meeting, was the first between Chinese and Indian defense ministers since a meeting in Moscow in 2020. According to a news release on Friday by China's Ministry of National Defense, the two defense ministers exchanged views on relations between the two countries and militaries. Li said that China and India, as major neighboring countries and important developing countries, share far more common interests than differences. He stressed that both sides should view bilateral relations and each other's development from a "comprehensive, long-term and strategic" perspective. Li also said that the current China-India border situation is generally stable, and the two sides have maintained communications through military and diplomatic channels. He called for both sides to put the boundary issue in its "proper place" in bilateral relations. He expressed the hope that the two sides would work together to continuously enhance mutual trust between the two militaries and make due contributions to the development of bilateral relations. Liu Lin, a researcher at the People's Liberation Army Academy of Military Science, said the defense ministers' meeting was very important for both sides to enhance the management of the border dispute. "The 'proper place' mentioned by Li signals that China hopes both sides can work together to properly manage differences in border issues, and prevent the dispute from being a major obstacle affecting the whole picture of China-India ties," she said. "Regular control" of the situation could be the right direction, and that would demand a viable settlement of current border tension, which could be reached through dialogue and negotiations between the two countries, Liu said. On Sunday, the Chinese and Indian militaries conducted their 18th round of corps commander-level talks at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Chinese side. Both sides agreed to maintain close contact to accelerate the resolution of border issues between the two countries, according to an earlier statement from China's Defense Ministry. Liu said that China and India the world's two largest developing countries can conduct cooperation in various fields, such as economy and trade, people-to-people exchanges and sustainable development. "Therefore, India should not view China only from the perspective of geopolitics, but also cooperation and development," she said. The finest cardboard boat engineers in Columbia tested the waters Saturday to see if their work would float or sink in the 10th annual Float Your Boat competition Saturday from the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri. The competition held at the Bass Pro Shops Lake also served as one of the Food Bank's major spring fundraisers. Entry fees, sponsors and people's choice awards all went toward supporting the work of the Food Bank, said Lindsay Young Lopez, Food Bank president and CEO. Guests put donations into buckets in front of the 33-entered boats. Whichever team raised the most was the people's choice award winner. Each $1 raised can purchase four meals for the region's disadvantaged. Cardboard boat teams the 'Sea Serpents' and 'Teachers Rule' start to race from the Bass Pro Shops lake in the annual Float Your Boat competition from the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri. "This is a well-established event for the food bank ... (and) is the area's only regatta of this type," Lopez said. All boats had to be constructed of cardboard, duct tape and latex paint only. Boats had a max size limit as well. Any boats that did not follow materials or size rules were part of a pirate class instead of the short-course race for elementary school students or the long-course race for teens and adults. This year had no pirate class boats. More: How the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri will use major donation from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Lopez and Heather Hargrove, Feeding Missouri board president, served as boat judges, which were inspected by Coil Construction leadership. "Sometimes boats fly across the water or sink in a humongous way, so it is really fun," Lopez said. "It's fun and such a family-friendly event and atmosphere. I love that it is a way for some families to come together and work on this project." Mill Creek Elementary School students particpate Saturday in the annual Float Your Boat cardboard boat competition from the Food Bank of Central and Northeast Missouri at Bass Pro Shops lake. The competition also featured teams from Mill Creek Elementary School with fourth-grade classes making boats. "The teachers use this collaboratively as a STEM project, You know they are involving science and math and engineering to construct this boat and they do fundraisers for us too," Lopez said. "It really is about the community embracing the work that the Food Bank does." Story continues More: Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri raises awareness with Hunger Action Day The Food Bank never sets a goal amount for what is raised said Katie Adkins, director of communication and marketing, but it always is a significant, amount, Lopez added. This was the second year the competition was back following the COVID-19 pandemic. Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism. This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Food Bank's Float Your Boat race welcomes cardboard boat engineers A career in healthcare is not for the faint of heart. It requires strength, determination, courage and a selfless regard for others. Over the past few years, healthcare workers have faced an increasingly challenging work environment as our industry has undergone immense change caused by the pandemic and other external pressures. For these reasons, it is important to pause and recognize the many hard-working healthcare workers that live and work in our communities. Throughout the month of May, we celebrate three important national observances that honor our nurses, hospital teams and EMS personnel for their professional achievements and significant contributions. National Nurses Week (May 6-12) celebrates our more than 400 nurses, who serve as dedicated and dependable caregivers for patients and their loved ones throughout their healthcare journey. Whether a routine check-up at your providers office, an outpatient visit or a trip to our emergency department with a hospital stay, our nurses provide compassionate, individualized care, knowing that every patient is unique. John Harris National Hospital Week (May 7-13) honors hospitals, health systems and health care workers across the country and the innovative ways they are supporting and connected to their community. Memorial Medical Center is proud to have more than 1,400 providers and employees on our team, who provide constant care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to ensure that our community members have access to the care they need, when they need it. For the individuals often working behind the scenes to ensure our facilities are clean, safe and have the necessary resources to care for our patients, to the providers and staff who work at the bedside, everyone has a unique and important role to play in the delivery of care. Finally, National EMS Week (May 21-27) recognizes emergency services personnel and other first responders who partner with us to provide lifesaving care to critical patients and serve as an important extension of our hospital into the community. Often the first to arrive at the scene of an accident or disaster, providing emergency care in potentially fatal situations before a patient arrives at the hospital, we are grateful for your services, which helps us save lives when minutes matter most. Story continues I am honored and grateful to work alongside these dedicated individuals, who are helping Memorial Medical Center advance our mission of making communities healthier. Thank you to our nurses, hospital teams and EMS partners for your commitment, your care and for never giving up, despite the ongoing challenges and changes facing our industry. Please join me in showing your gratitude for the local healthcare workers in your lives friends, neighbors, family members, acquaintances or even strangers. They deserve our recognition, appreciation and support this month and year-round for everything they do. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to serving Southern New Mexico, today and for generations to come. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Celebrating our nurses, hospital teams and EMS partners In a video on his campaign website and an email to supporters Saturday, Charlotte City Council member Braxton Winston said he will seek to become North Carolinas next Commissioner of Labor in 2024. The core responsibilities of the Department of Labor are to ensure the health and safety of workers in the workplace, and that has to be the No. 1 priority, Winston told The Charlotte Observer in a phone interview Saturday afternoon. According to the latest available data, 179 people died in North Carolina workplaces in 2021, Winston, a Democrat and Charlottes mayor pro tem, told the Observer. We need to do everything we can to eliminate that, and the toll on families and communities, he said. And we need to ensure worker rights to fair wages, Winston said. In his email to supporters, he added: Communities where workers are safe and making competitive wages lead to improved housing opportunities, better educational opportunities for their children, and better access to all forms of health care. North Carolina has ranked No. 1 in the country to do business, Winston said in his 1-minute, 37-second video. And I want to make sure we are the No. 1 state for business and workers, he said. During his six years on council, Winston said, hes worked to make Charlotte a more equitable, accessible and interconnected city. Winston, a 2007 Davidson College graduate, was first elected to his at-large council seat in 2017, after coming to prominence during protests over the police killing of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte. As commissioner, Winston told the Observer, he would combine his municipal leadership and more than 12 years experience as a labor leader to build community coalitions. He is a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees Locals 322, stagecraft, and 491, film and TV. Hes learned through his time on council to focus on common ground rather than differences and has received support from such titans of U.S. commerce as Hugh McColl, former Bank of America chairman and CEO, he said. Story continues We can connect the diversity of strengths in our rural and urban communities to work together for the common good of North Carolinas workforce and business communities, he said in his email to supporters. I want to work with you toward that common good. He said he will criss-cross the state in the months ahead to learn about the needs of work forces in all of our communities. Josh Dobson, the current Commissioner of Labor, announced in December that he wont seek another four-year term. Dobson is a Republican and former state House member and county commissioner from McDowell County. He succeeded long-time Commissioner of Labor Cherie Berry after narrowly defeating Democrat Jessica Holmes in 2020. Asked by the Observer in a 2022 candidate questionnaire what separated him from other candidates, Winston said hes a single father of three who works multiple jobs, some with hourly wages, to make ends meet. I rent housing and have moved 3 times in the past 3 years, he said in the questionnaire. I know the difficulties of trying to afford to live in this city in the middle class. I am a victim of domestic violence that played out publicly. I understand the tightrope so many in our community walk in order to provide for your family and maintain a level of self care while living in a toxic situation, he said. Charlotte Observer Staff Writer Genna Contino contributed. The Olakino pool area at Wailea Beach Resort - Marriott, Maui Scott Clark/Wailea Beach Resort Welcome to The Check-In, our weekend feature focusing on all things travel. These U.S. hotel pools make a splash In the summer, almost every guest wants their hotel to have air conditioning and a pool. And while an A/C unit can't offer much of a wow factor, it's great when the pool area features something out-of-the-ordinary, like a lazy river in a surprising shape or an aquarium where swimmers are separated from sharks by just a piece of glass. Here are some of the fun hotel pools you can dive into across the United States: Marriott Marquis in Houston, Texas Everything's bigger in Texas, including the lazy rivers. At the Marriott Marquis in Houston, the Altitude Rooftop & Pool on the sixth floor has an infinity pool with sweeping views of downtown, a whirlpool, and the piece de resistance: a one-of-a-kind Texas-shaped lazy river. It takes about 15 minutes to go around, and there are water cannons and waterfalls to check out along the way. The lazy river is 3.6 feet deep, holds 140,000 gallons, and would be 510 feet long if straightened out. In the summer months, the hotel offers pool parties and other events on the rooftop, with DJs playing on the weekends. A Texas-shaped lazy river Courtesy of Marriott Marquis Houston Indian Springs Resort in Calistoga, California This Napa Valley resort has not one, not two, not even three, but four thermal geysers on its property, all of which feed the hotel's two restorative pools. Visitors have been flocking to this spot since the 19th century, wanting to soak up the benefits of natural thermal pools. The Main Pool also known as just "The Pool" is an Olympic-sized mineral pool that was built in 1913. The temperature is always between 92 and a toasty 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Swimmers can use floats and noodles provided by the hotel, and curl up by the fireplace inside the poolside cabana lounge. There is also the Adult Pool, which is a lot smaller and also cooler than The Pool. Both are open until midnight, so guests can swim under the stars. Story continues The Pool at Indian Springs Resort Courtesy of Indian Springs Resort The Governor's Pool in Nashville, Tennessee You'll want to be in this pool from 9 to 5. The Governor's Pool at the White Limozeen is inspired by Dolly Parton, and there's nothing subtle about it; the entire area is an over-the-top celebration of all things pink and kitsch. The pool which yes, has a giant pink sculpture of Dolly in the corner offers gorgeous views of the city skyline, and is just a few steps away from the White Limozeen bar (named after Parton's 1989 album and song of the same title). If it gets too warm outside, guests can slip into the bar and relax on one of the velvet couches illuminated by crystal chandeliers. A few things to note: The Governor's Pool is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The pool is also an extension of the bar, so even though both are inside The Graduate Hotel, it is not considered a property amenity and reservations are required. The Governor's Pool in Nashville Courtesy of The Governor's Pool TWA Hotel in Queens, New York The '60s are alive and swinging at the TWA Hotel. Located at John F. Kennedy International Airport, this hotel is all about evoking nostalgia and reveling in retro vibes. The lobby of the hotel is inside the TWA Flight Center, which dates back to 1962, while the Connie Cocktail Lounge is on the tarmac in an old Lockeed Constellation. The rooftop infinity pool and adjacent observation deck have runway views the planes are right there and are both open year-round, with the water heated to 95 degrees in the winter. The TWA Hotel boasts that the pool's water is highly filtered and purified every 30 minutes. For a few hours in the morning, it's open swim for hotel guests, but later, anyone who wants to take a dip (including non-hotel guests) has to make a reservation for 1 hour and 45 minutes of pool time. The view from the TWA Hotel pool MCR/TWA Hotel Golden Nugget Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada At this classic Las Vegas hotel, there are card sharks inside the casino and real sharks outside. The centerpiece of the Golden Nugget's Tank pool complex is a 200,000-gallon shark tank aquarium, home to five different species of shark, including tiger sharks and black-tipped sharks, stingrays, and exotic fish. For a little extra thrill, there is also a three-story enclosed water slide that goes right through the tank. Those who want to learn more about the sharks can sign up for a weekly behind-the-scenes tour with the marine biologists who take care of them. If lounging is more your thing, you can hang out in the heated pool that encircles the tank, or rent one of the 17 private cabanas. The Tank pool at the Golden Nugget Courtesy of the Golden Nugget Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego, California If it's luxury you're after, you'll find it at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. There are four pools on the opulent property, with the biggest draw being the main pool. It's family-friendly, with an underwater sound system, poolside bar, and cabanas sporting dedicated servers, fresh fruit, snacks, gelato, sparkling water, and televisions. Kids will adore the separate pool with a white sand play area, bringing the beach to the hotel. One pool is just for adults, and if you book one of the signature poolside rooms, you can access the area via hidden terraces. All of the pools are spacious, sparkling, and the perfect 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The main pool at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar Courtesy of Fairmont Grand Del Mar Glenwood Hot Springs Resort in Glenwood Springs, Colorado The mineral hot springs pool at Glenwood Hot Springs Resort is one of the hottest in Colorado, and the world's largest it's as long as two city blocks. People have been drawn to the thermal spring water here since 1888, with the Yampah Spring producing water at 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Before it makes its way to the resort's two pools, it's cooled down to 104 degrees for the Therapy Pool (similar to a hot tub) and between 90 and 93 degrees (bathtub temperature) for the huge main pool. That's not all at the Sopris Splash Zone, there's a splash pad, water play area, and the Shoshone Chutes, an open-air tube ride reminiscent of riding down the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon. Day passes are available for people who want to check out the pools but aren't staying at the resort. The Shoshone Chutes Courtesy of Glenwood Hot Springs Resort Wailea Beach Resort - Marriott, Maui in Wailea, Hawaii The hardest decision you'll have to make at the Wailea Beach Resort is which pool to dip into first. There are three distinct pools: the NALU Adventure Pool with four water slides (including the longest one in Maui, at 325 feet); the adults-only Maluhia Pool, which has floating cabanas and unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean; and the brand-new Olakino oasis, which offers guests a peaceful wellness experience. The wellness program, which takes place around an infinity-edge saline pool, is based on four pillars: La'i (tranquil, harmony), Ala (awaken), Konea (restored), and A'o (to acquire knowledge). Every four days, the schedule changes, and offerings might include floating yoga, aquatic sound baths, acupuncture, and living tea ceremonies. Through it all, guests receive personalized service and are treated to wellness shots and Hawaiian shave ice. This is an experience that has to be booked in advance; limited spaces are available. The view from the Olakino pool Scott Clark/Wailea Beach Resort Travel news round-up There are lots of travel-related gadgets and gizmos that promise to make life easier, but with suitcase space at a premium, you don't want to throw something into your bag that isn't absolutely necessary. Conde Nast Traveler's Megan DuBois recently tested several of these tools, and put together a guide to items that really are helpful to travelers. The best part? All are under $50. A phone charging passport holder makes perfect sense to pack, as does this universal adapter. One noteworthy suggestion is the Yogasleep Rohm portable white noise sound machine, which can block out loud street noises you might hear during trips to a big city. It's just 3.5 inches in diameter, so even if you're only bringing a carry-on, it'll fit. The Southwest holiday debacle ended up costing the airline even into the new year, the company announced Thursday. Between Christmas and New Year's Day, the airline canceled more than 16,000 flights, leaving passengers stranded in airports across the country. Altogether, the airline lost $159 million from January through March. Southwest President and CEO Bob Jordan said that looking ahead, he expects to see "solid profits" for the rest of 2023 because demand for travel is high and "we also continue to expect our network to be roughly restored to pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year." A Southwest plane in flight Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Plan accordingly: Upcoming events to add to your calendar The Chicago Blues Festival is a celebration of the genre's past, present, and future, taking place this year from June 8-11 in Millennium Park. Blues culture started in Chicago, so it's fitting that this is the world's largest free blues festival. Headliners for 2023 are Los Lobos, Blind Boys of Alabama with Bobby Rush, and Mud Morganfield. Looking to elevate its culinary options, the festival is also introducing Wally's BBQ Pit, with barbecue staples and specialty drinks catered by Millennium Hall. Those who can't make it can catch a livestream of performances on YouTube. The Chicago Blues Festival crowd Courtesy of Chicago DCASE You may also like U.S. production of bullets, shells, and missiles sidelined by explosion at 1 Louisiana gunpowder mill FAA overruled engineers to let Boeing 737 Max keep flying, report alleges Bill finalized to allow DeSantis to run for president while remaining governor In todays hospitality industry, unique experiences are at the forefront of customers minds when it comes to spending their time of leisure. However, the best unique experiences come from unique individuals. Enter Chef Roze Traore, famous model-turned-chef who started his culinary career in Michelin starred restaurants in New York City and then began catering private events for celebrities such as Rick Owens, Lupita Nyongo, and the late Michael K. WIlliams. He has now embarked on providing experiences of his own through La Fourchette de Roze. As the son of immigrants from Africas Ivory Coast, La Fourchette de Roze is a resort in his parents home country that celebrates the arts and culture of his people and all of Africa. His hotel concept provides handpicked artists with a residency to create art alongside artists from various African countries, while showcasing his culinary talents to visitors from around the world. Travel Noire recently had a chance to speak to Roze about how travel led him to build La Fourchette de Roze and what hes looking to accomplish by providing a platform for his food and African artists. Photo Credit: Nuits Balneaires TN: Your life has been full of remarkable transitions. You were a famous model, then became one of the most sought-after chefs in New York City, and now youve embarked on a new journey, opening a hotel in your parents homeland in West Africas Ivory Coast. Could you tell us what inspired you to open your own resort? Could you share with us how proud your family must be of a project of this magnitude? Roze Traore: What inspired me to open my hotel back home is that I felt it was time to pay homage back to my roots. Everything that Ive learned throughout my career I really wanted to bring back. The motherland has so much to offer, and going back to expand my knowledge and give back was important. The country is super resourceful, and I just want to contribute in my own way. Setting the tone for something new, fresh & vibrant. As for my family, they are very happy to see my vision come to life and the fact that Im showing off Cote dIvoire through my lens to the world. TN: Could you tell us how your modeling and chef experience traveling the world at a young age contributed to your becoming a chef? RT: It has expanded my knowledge of different communities and how to quickly adapt to settings that I may not be familiar with. It has exposed me to different cultures and ingredients, which sparks my curiosity. Throughout all these experiences, Ive been able to push myself and my craft to greater limits. TN: Youve worked for a few prestigious locations in New York such as Eleven Madison Park and The Nomad, and youve had some very high-profile clients. Could you share with us what elements you pay the most attention to when providing a Chef Roze dining experience? What do you feel sets you apart from others? RT: The element I pay most attention to is how I can highlight my dishes to the fullest. Paying attention to the smallest details while still sharing my vision within the theme that the guest desires. Its always exciting to find ways to spark my guest palette. I love curating, and I love the boutique approach. Every project is unique and specially curated for that specific guest. TN: Tell us about the hotel, what inspired you to create such a fantastic piece of real estate, what were the influences behind La Fourchette? What can our readers expect when they visit your hotel? Photo Credit: Roze Traore RT: Merging food, fashion and art is a special thing to me because I wanted the hotel to be the meeting ground for creatives within those worlds to feel welcome when they enter the hotel. Its a sense of freedom and letting go while still getting the full Ivorian experience. Simplicity is key, and I just let the energy and work speak for itself. TN: Now that your hotel, La Fourchette de Roze, is close to four months old, what can you say has been the biggest lesson youve learned so far about the hospitality business that you werent aware of before? RT: I would say more patience. Yes, my roots are from the Cote dIvoire but it was honestly still a culture shock starting a hospitality business. I really had to adapt and get grounded with the way things worked on that side and adjust my creative approach. Whether that would be from cooking to training the front-of-the-house staff. Really having them understand the standard we are going for and how they should always remain high. Photo Credit: Roze Traore TN: At La Fourchette, you created an Artist In Residency program featuring artists from all parts of Africa. Could you tell us how this idea came about and whats been the feedback so far from patrons of your hotel? RT: The feedback has been so welcoming. Unfortunately, regardless of how talented you are, if you dont have opportunities or resources, it makes it 10 times harder for you to share your love and passion with the world. Ive been able to move forward in my career because I was hungry for it and was blessed with the opportunity. That is the reason why I started the artist residency because it was my way of saying that if you have that spark and magic in you, I am willing to help in any way I can. Whatever I can do for you to create that next masterpiece, Im here for it. Whether providing flights, accommodation, material and studio space within the hotel. This is all backed by me, and its a curated experience that I want my guest to witness. We finished the first residency program highlighting 3 amazing artists Terence Ntsako, Victor Olaoye and David Olaytoye. The next Residency will take place in August which I plan on having an all-female program. Photo Credit: Roze Traore TN: Since La Fourchette is still a very new project, would there be any opportunities in the near future for our readers in the States to experience Chef Rozes menu? How often do you travel back and forth between the U.S. and West Africa? RT: They most definitely will be able to, and the opportunities are endless. In fact, weve already had many New Yorkers and Europeans come by and enjoy the full experience. My schedule as of now is going to Cote DIvoire every two months. I created a special menu highlighting both gastro and Ivorian flavors/techniques. TN: Lastly, what does Chef Roze consider his best entree of all time? RT: One of my staple dishes is a dry-aged beef ribeye with chanterelle mushrooms, pomme puree and a truffle jus. This is a dish that has been tried by a good amount of my guests and it is something I will always suggest. Its simple yet classic and rich. In celebration of its anniversary, Daves Hot Chicken is giving customers around the United States a free chicken slider this week including in San Luis Obispo. The spicy chicken restaurant, which calls itself the fastest growing restaurant chain in America, is celebrating its sixth anniversary as a company on Tuesday. That day, customers will be eligible for a free slider at any Daves Hot Chicken location. Their sliders include crispy fried chicken, secret sauce, pickles and slaw. To get one, just download the Daves Hot Chicken app, and a free slider will automatically be added to your rewards, the company said. Meanwhile, founders Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, Gary Rubenyan and Tommy Rubenyan will all participate that same day in a one-night-only pop-up event in the East Hollywood parking lot where the spicy chicken chain began, according to a release. Six years ago, four friends created something phenomenal, and on May 2 well be celebrating that success by making sure everyone has the ability to enjoy Daves, whether youve been visiting since the parking lot pop-up days or have just been wanting to give the best hot chicken on the planet a try, CEO Bill Phelps said in the release. Daves Hot Chicken opened in the Madonna Plaza in San Luis Obispo in June 2022. One of two former child care workers in Yuma embroiled in a child abuse case pleaded guilty to child abuse after she was seen roughly handling 1-year-old children at a day care center at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. Valerie McKinstry, 29, pleaded guilty earlier this month to two counts of felony child abuse and 11 counts of modified child endangerment, misdemeanors, according to court documents. She originally faced 13 child abuse charges. Katherine McCombs, 29, another former staff member at Marine Corps Air Station Yumas Child Development Center also faces similar charges. According to court documents, from December 2020 to March 2021, McKinstry was seen doing various actions that were considered child abuse or child endangerment. Court documents revealed she yanked children causing them to fall or bump against furniture, grabbed a childs wrist, arms and legs suddenly and violently; and pulled a child off his feet by yanking his arms. She was also seen carrying a child by his wrists, dragging and throwing a child by his arms, and shoving a childs chair in with such force that his body hit the table. Court documents said she also hit a child in the face with a toy or other object, and push and pulled on a childs head, among other abusive treatment. McKinstry is scheduled for a sentencing hearing at 8:30 a.m. on May 10. All the children were 1 year old at the time of the abuse. McCombs, the other child care provider facing charges for alleged abuse, is charged with seven counts of child abuse for similar actions which spanned from December 2020 to February 2021, according to court documents. She pleaded not guilty in February 2022 and has a change of plea hearing scheduled at 8:30 a.m. on June 15. Abuse of the children was discovered by an assistant trainer who identified an inappropriate interaction of a direct care staff member, at the Child Development Center, said Capt. Brett Vannier a spokesperson for the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. Story continues The assistant notified the management team, who along with subject matter experts reviewed closed circuit television footage and notified local authorities, Vannier wrote in an email. During the investigation, the Yuma Marine Corps Air Station also reviewed approximately 20 hours of random video samples from each of the other classrooms to make sure the abuse was not a systemic problem within the Child Development Center, he said. He noted that the center has added an additional monitoring requirement for all classrooms that is now a permanent internal policy at the Yuma Marine Corps Air Station. One of two former child care workers in Yuma embroiled in a child abuse case pleaded guilty to child abuse after she was seen roughly handling 1-year-old children at a day care center at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. Live and recorded video feed from each classroom is monitored every week, at unannounced times, by curriculum specialists and trainer assistants, with additional reviews conducted by the Child & Youth Program leadership to ensure that the quality of care meets the high standards we demand, he wrote. Vannier said Child Development Center staff also have implemented additional requirements for staff, including conducting a mandatory child care training refresher of 26 different subjects including developmentally appropriate practices, appropriate touch policy and procedures, child safety, and more. Coverage of southern Arizona on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is funded by the nonprofit Report for America in association with The Republic. Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Child care worker pleads guilty to abuse; 2nd faces charges in Yuma Chris Pratt revealed he almost gave up on auditioning for Marvel before booking "Guardians of the Galaxy" role. (Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic) Can you imagine a world without Chris Pratt as the star of Guardians of the Galaxy? Well, it almost happened. On April 27, Pratt told Jimmy Kimmel that he bombed his Marvel auditions so badly, he almost gave up on being in a Marvel film entirely. As a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Pratt revealed, I auditioned for Thor, but not even to be Thor but to be one of the sidekick guys, and I didnt get a callback." Usually they give you a little bit of feedback, and I remember the casting director goes, 'Wow. You really made a big choice there,'" he added. "Which is code for like, Hey, dial back the acting there, guy. He shared the failure "got to the point where I was never gonna audition for Marvel again." "I was like, 'This is stupid, Im never gonna be in a Marvel movie,'" he admitted. At the time, he was auditioning for "anything that came out that needed a guy that even remotely looked like me." "I would either submit a tape and they would say 'No, we dont need to see him,' or I would get there and see them, theyd go, 'No, thats the last time we need to see you,'" he said. Luckily, Pratt eventually booked his Guardians of the Galaxy role and the rest is history. But his transformation from NBC's Parks and Recreation to Guardians movie star didnt come easily. In 2018, Pratt told Mens Health, "I probably lost about 35 pounds in six weeks. I ran five or six miles a day. I ate leafy green salads and protein shakes. I cut out all alcohol. Trim, trim, trim." Pratt will wrap his Guardians role with the upcoming film, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3. Dont do any emotional preparation, just go see it, and youll see why people were moved, Pratt advised the audience during Marvels San Diego Comic-Con panel in June 2022 of the final movie. "Its an emotional moment for us, certainly as actors who were in the piece, watching it for the first time and being reminded of everything we did over the past year-plus making the movie. And being out in Hall H in front of all these fans [for] the first time in years and understanding that this is the end of this trilogy. Its all emotional." OAKLAND If there was a play that signified how the Cincinnati Reds wanted to take advantage of the large outfield at the Oakland Coliseum, it was Tyler Stephenson, of all people, sprinting to second base on a line drive to center field. Oakland Athletics center fielder Esteury Ruiz fielded the ball on one hop to his right, showing his speed to keep it from rolling past him in the gap, but Stephenson never hesitated as he rounded first base. Ruizs throw was off target and Stephenson slid into the bag safely. The Reds turned Stephensons one-out double into a three-run inning, which played a large role in the Reds 11-7 victory to begin the three-game weekend series and extend their winning streak to four games. All nine Reds starters reached base at least once, totaling 16 hits, and they produced their highest run output in a game this season. More: Report: Bally Sports Ohio misses payment, MLB may broadcast Cincinnati Reds games More: How Reds closer Alexis Diaz took a step forward after a stellar rookie season Apr 28, 2023; Oakland, California, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley (27) gestures as he reaches home plate on a two-run home run against the Oakland Athletics during the third inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports It was a night where the Reds didnt make a ton of hard contact Stephensons double left his bat at 111 mph, a career high exit velocity but they struck out only four times and sprayed the ball all over the field. Jake Fraley, who crushed a two-run homer to dead center in the third inning, was hit by a pitch following Stephensons seventh-inning double. Two batters later, Nick Senzel cleared the bases with a double down the left field line. Senzel scored on a single. The Reds had a stretch in the second inning where the bottom five batters in their order delivered five hits in a row against As starting pitcher Drew Rucinski, who was making his first MLB appearance since 2018. Jose Barrero hit a two-run double to highlight the rally, but the hardest hit ball came from Jonathan India on a groundout. Spencer Steer was the only Reds starter who didnt record a hit. The other eight players totaled at least two hits, the first time they've had eight players with two hits in a game since Aug. 3, 2007. Story continues Takeaways from the Reds series opener against the As Apr 28, 2023; Oakland, California, USA; A Cincinnati Reds fan holds a sign reading home run reds after a home run by Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley (not pictured) during the third inning against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports 1. The As have the worst record in the majors and their defense played the part Friday. Before the Reds scored three runs in the second inning, a fly ball dropped between shortstop Kevin Smith and left fielder Tony Kemp in shallow left field to give the Reds an extra out. The third inning was a disaster for third baseman Jace Peterson. He committed a fielding error to put a runner on base Fraley was the fourth batter in the inning when he homered and committed another error later in the inning when a ball deflected off his body and he airmailed a throw to first base. Apr 28, 2023; Oakland, California, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Jose Barrero (2) gestures after hitting a two-run RBI double against the Oakland Athletics during the second inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports 2. Jonathan India is off to a solid start at the plate this year, looking more like he did when he won Rookie of the Year in 2021, but Friday he helped win a game with his glove. India saved at least one run, and potentially more, when he snagged a pair of line drives at second base. Listed at 6-foot, India needed every inch when he leaped and reached out for a liner in the fourth inning. With a runner on first base and no outs, it turned into a key double play. With a runner on third base in the sixth inning, the infield drawn in with a two-run lead, India made another leaping catch. Reliever Derek Law escaped without letting in a run in the inning and the Reds scored three runs in the following half-inning. Apr 28, 2023; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics fans shout sell the team behind signs reading Kaval=liar, sell and #fisherout during the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports 3. Inside Fridays crowd of 6,423 at the Oakland Coliseum was a loud contingent of fans who wanted to voice their frustration with As owner John Fisher and team president David Kaval. Friday was the first game since the As announced their agreement to buy land in Las Vegas to build a new ballpark. There were bedsheets draped above the right field wall that read Sell, Kaval = liar, Fisher out. The fans from that area did a lap around the stadium and chanted Sell the team! and Stay in Oakland! Injury report Tony Santillan was placed on the 60-day injured list Friday, making room for infielder Matt Reynolds on the 40-man roster, but the timing of the move isnt due to a setback. The Reds just dont expect him to return before the end of May. Santillan is scheduled to throw a 20-pitch side session Saturday while traveling with Triple-A Louisville. There is no way to get him back (faster), Reds Manager David Bell said. It may have been a day or two earlier, but we gave it every chance because we didnt want to do it prematurely. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds, Jake Fraley extend winning streak against Athletics The City of Bellflowers Code Enforcement Division has reportedly flagged the mural for multiple violations including the direction it faces. A southeast Los Angeles County mural honoring local legends such as Kobe Bryant, Snoop Dogg and 2Pac may soon be removed by the city due to municipal code violations. The 54-foot-by-10-foot piece by muralist Louie Sloe Palsino, commissioned in February by the owners of Speedy Auto Tint in Bellflower, has reportedly been flagged by the citys Code Enforcement Division for multiple violations including the direction it faces, according to the Los Angeles Times. Per city ordinance, all painted murals in the city of Bellflower must face a side street. The mural spanning a side of Speedy Auto Tint reportedly does not. (KTLA YouTube Screenshot) Per the report from KTLA, co-owners Robert and Renae Cornejo also did not obtain a permit for the artwork and were given a notice from the city. They explained to the outlet that because the mural was commissioned on their private property, they did not think a permit was needed. I was heartbroken to receive the notice because I felt like everyone involved poured their soul into the project, Robert told the Times.We first did this to promote and expand the business, yes, but after the mural was completed, it was a beautiful tribute to L.A. culture. Since completion, the mural has become a beloved feature of the city in the eyes of many local residents, including Jeana Jennings of Riverside. Todays climate bothers me, so any bit of beauty is a good thing, Jennings told KTLA. Keep it, its worth it. The artwork has even garnered celebrity attention, including a message of support from actor Danny Trejo, who is featured in the mural. He told his Twitter followers to go see it before it disappears. According to city officials, however, not all residents of Bellflower are in support of the mural. The artwork has reportedly been the subject of complaints sent to the mayors office, KTLA reported. Story continues [The mural] does not comply with the established mural standards in the Municipal Code, and we have received complaints about that fact, reads a statement from the office of Bellflower Mayor Sonny R. Santa Ines, which said it does not object to the murals content. Our staff is engaged with the owner of the business and we are actively seeking an appropriate solution. Speedy Auto Tint co-owner Renae Cornell told the outlet she is hoping to continue receiving signatures on the petition she and Robert launched, which has over 6,400 signatures as of Saturday afternoon. We really wanted something to kind of bring the community together, kind of make Bellflower proud, Renae told the outlet. Im hoping (the petition) will show the city, if we get enough people, that, hey, people love this, come on, you cant make us tear it down. Robert told the Times that they are trying to find a way to work with the city to save the mural, including filing an appeal and requesting an official court hearing on the matter. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post City might force destruction of mural featuring Kobe, Snoop, 2Pac appeared first on TheGrio. Recognition, Swanola Debnam says, feels good after 63 years. On February 12, 1960, she was one of 41 Black college students arrested for trespassing near a segregated Woolworths department store in Raleighs Cameron Village, now known as the Village District. On Saturday afternoon, North Carolina commemorated their act of protest with a roadside marker, adding another post to states growing Civil Rights Trail. I wasnt used to stuff like that, Debnam, now in her mid-80s, said of the protest. But I was proud of what I did. The protesters were students at Shaw University and St. Augustines University, two historically Black colleges in Raleigh. They were inspired to act less than two weeks after four North Carolina A&T students famously conducted a sit-in at a Woolworths lunch counter in Greensboro. The 41 Raleigh students were initially found guilty in court before an appellate court dismissed their cases. Their protest and subsequent legal battle inspired the creation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) at Shaw University in the spring of 1960. SNCC would go on to lead sit-ins and other nonviolent actions across the South during the civil rights movement. Seven of the 41 Shaw and St. Augustines students were in attendance for the marker unveiling Saturday. This is sacred ground, where students were willing to risk their freedom in order to see equality promoted, Rev. David Forbes told the crowd of around 150 people who gathered for the event. Im happy and proud to be among those who were here. Forbes, a cofounder of SNCC, was arrested that day. At the time, he was a 19-year-old student at Shaw. Rev. David Forbes celebrates the unveiling of the latest North Carolina Civil Rights Trail marker in West Raleighs Oberlin Village on April 29, 2023. Forbes cofounded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in 1960 at Shaw University. Set on a white background and outlined in retro pink, the new historical marker reads: Protests against segregated lunch counters, here, Feb. 1960, led to 41 arrests. Later acquittals marked noted civil rights victory. The neighborhood group Friends of Oberlin Village applied to have the Woolworths protest added to the North Carolina Civil Rights Trail. Launched in 2020, the trail now has more than 20 markers, from the western mountains to Ocean City Beach on the coast. Story continues By the end of the year, the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission hopes to have 50 markers up statewide. Understanding our history of how Black people in our state have been able to achieve progress has been on the shoulders of these various fights, said commission Chair Valerie Johnson. This is actually the second Civil Rights Trail marker in the area. In the fall, the state erected a plaque at the home site of Joseph and Elwyna Holt, parents who led an effort to desegregate Raleigh schools in the 1950s. Egypt has accused Netflix of misrepresenting history by casting a Black woman to play Cleopatra, its most famous historical figure, in a new series. Queen Cleopatra, which is released May 10, features Adele James in the lead role, a casting decision that the streaming giant says is a nod to the centuries-long conversation about the rulers race but which officials in Cairo have dismissed as blatant historical fallacy. The government statement issued Thursday marked an escalation in a feud that has sparked demands for the shows cancellation, amid a broader debate over representation in popular culture. The eight-episode docudrama is executive produced by Jada Pinkett-Smith. But Egypts Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities argued that the documentary nature of the feature requires those in charge of its production to investigate accuracy and rely on historical and scientific facts. Coins and statues from the time show a light-skinned woman, in keeping with Cleopatras Macedonian Greek ancestry, it argued. Dr. Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in the statement that Cleopatras appearance in the show was a falsification of Egyptian history and a blatant historical fallacy. He added that his complaint was far from any ethnic racism, stressing full respect for African civilizations and for our brothers in the African continent that brings us all together. Representation of historical figures on screen has fueled heated debates across the world, but especially so in a country with such a rich history as Egypt, which has made its ancient past a huge part of its modern national identity and tourism industry. The famous queen, who was crowned Cleopatra VII and reigned from 51 to 30 BC as its last ruler, was the direct descendent of Ptolemy I Soter, bodyguard to Alexander the Great and founder of the Greek-speaking Ptolemaic Kingdom. After her much-discussed and dramatized death according to popular legend due to a self-inflicted snake bite Egypt became a Roman colony. Story continues Roman writers including Plutarch and Cassius Dio, known for chronicling the Roman and Greek worlds during Cleopatras reign, said Cleopatra was light-skinned and of Macedonian ancestry. Other scholars have argued it is possible she could have been one-quarter Egyptian. Egyptians did not bear the features of sub-Saharan Africans, said Dr. Samia Al-Mirghani, former director general of the Center for Research and Conservation of Antiquities, in a statement citing evidence from anthropological studies and DNA tests. Inscriptions on ancient tombs and statues, she argued, portrayed the [ancient] Egyptians with features as close as possible to the contemporary Egyptians. She admitted however that there was a great diversity among Egyptians due to the kingdoms fluid, international nature. One of Egypts most famous archaeologists and twice-serving antiquities minister, Zahi Hawass, was adamant: Cleopatra was not Black. If we see statues and forms of her father and brother, we will not find any evidence supporting this claim that she was black, he said in a statement. Hawass added that Egypt at the time of Cleopatras reign ruled over the Kingdom of the Kush, also known as Nubia, in what is now Sudan and southern Egypt, with its distinctive Black African culture. But they have no connection with the Pharaonic civilization, he said. The creators of a petition on change.org calling for the show to be canceled said it had more than 100,000 signatures before it was taken offline without warning. NBC News has approached Change.org to ask if the petition was taken down and, if so, the reasons why. Both Netflix and Nutopia, the production company behind Queen Cleopatra, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Egyptian lawmaker Saboura al-Sayyed this week repeated an earlier call for Netflix to be banned across the country. This is not the first time the casting of Cleopatra has sparked controversy. Israeli actor Gal Godot made headlines in 2020 when she was chosen to play the role in a forthcoming movie, leading to accusations of whitewashing. Writing in Variety last week, the Netflix shows director, Tina Gharani, wrote that as a child she watched Elizabeth Taylors Hollywood portrayal of Cleopatra, but had always wondered about the accuracy of the casting: I was captivated, but even then, I felt the image was not right. Was her skin really that white? She argues that while the queen was descended from Macedonian royalty, Cleopatra was eight generations away from these Ptolemaic ancestors, making the chance of her being white somewhat unlikely. Gharani wrote that the casting of a Black actor was a political act, one that has seen her become the target of an online hate campaign. Why shouldnt Cleopatra be a melanated sister? And why do some people need Cleopatra to be white? Her proximity to whiteness seems to give her value, and for some Egyptians it seems to really matter, she said. James, the actress playing the iconic queen, fired back at critics in a recent Twitter post featuring screengrabs of abusive comments that included a racist slur. If you dont like the casting, dont watch the show, she said. Charlene Gubash reported from Cairo, and Patrick Smith from London. This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. This article was originally published on TODAY.com The Nevado del Ruiz volcano emits a cloud of ash in Murillo, Colombia on April 6, 2023 Authorities in Colombia on Saturday recommended that towns closest to a rumbling, notorious volcano be evacuated, ahead of a a possible eruption. The Disaster Risk Management Office said it was moving to evacuate communities that are located within 15 kilometers (nine miles) from the main crater of three that make up the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in the Colombian Andes. Seismic activity has increased at the volcano, which killed 25,000 people in an eruption in 1985. That blast was the worst natural disaster in Colombian history and one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century. There has recently been a "significant increase in seismic activity," the ministry of mines said in a statement while Colombia's SGC geological service warned of a "probable eruption within days or weeks." The 5,300-meter (17,400-foot) colossus in western Colombia is one of the many volcanoes along the Ring of Fire, a path around the Pacific basin characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. On November 13, 1985, it erupted and emitted so much heat that it melted the snow that caps the mountain. This triggered a cascading wall of mud that swallowed the town of Armero, killing half its population of 50,000. bur/mdl/dw Jared Polis at Club Q As the U.S. continues to grapple with gun violence, Colorado has joined several other states in passing gun control legislation. The states out Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed four such bills on Friday, five months after the massacre at Club Q. The new laws raise the buying age for any gun from 18 to 21, create a three-day waiting period between buying a firearm and then getting it, expand the states red flag laws, and remove certain legal protections for companies if their guns have defects. Today we are taking some important steps to help make Colorado one of the ten safest states, and building upon the ongoing work to make Colorado communities safer. Last year, I was proud to sign a comprehensive public safety plan of action into law to put Colorado on track to becoming one of the ten safest states in the nation, and this legislation today will improve public safety and reduce gun violence. I thank the bill sponsors for bringing this common-sense legislation to my desk, said Polis in a statement. Fridays signing comes months after a shooter gunned down patrons of a gay club in Colorado Springs in November. Many others were injured in the violence that saw five people Daniel Aston, Raymond Green Vance, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh, and Derrick Rump killed. The alleged shooter is facing more than 300 charges related to the shooting. Coloradoans deserve to be safe in our communities, in our schools, in our grocery stores, in our nightclubs, Polis said at the signing in his office, according to the Associated Press. Gun control advocates wearing red Moms Demand Action shirts stood with him as well as a mother of a victim of the Aurora theater shooting in 2012, and several students from a Denver high school that saw gun violence. The Gun Violence Archive has tracked 174 mass shootings in 2023 so far. It counted 646 last year. Gun rights groups are already suing over the laws related to raising the gun purchasing age and the waiting period. Story continues Democrats passed the legislation even after filibusters from Republicans. The laws look to stop increased suicides, youth violence, and mass shootings as well as provide openings for gun violence victims to sue manufacturers. The state has a history of mass shootings going back to the shooting at Columbine High School in 1999. Its a sad day for Colorado; we are becoming one of the most anti-Second Amendment states in the nation, said Rep. Mike Lynch, the Republican minority leader, according to the AP. Republican lawmakers called the laws attacks on residents Second Amendment rights. The new red flag law which is also called an extreme risk protection order now allows more people to petition judges to temporarily remove ones firearms. The previous iteration of the law limited those who could do so to family members, household members, and law enforcement. Now, those who work with youth those who are at risk for suicide or attacking others like doctors, mental health professionals, and teachers can do so. The state has the sixth-highest suicide rate in the U.S., with nearly 1,400 in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Twitter, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre applauded the laws. \u201cToday, Colorado has enacted four common-sense gun reforms, including elimination of some of the barriers to holding gun manufacturers and dealers accountable. Thank you, Colorado leaders and gun violence survivors, for this important step forward.\u201d Karine Jean-Pierre (@Karine Jean-Pierre) 1682712720 Today, Colorado has enacted four common-sense gun reforms, including elimination of some of the barriers to holding gun manufacturers and dealers accountable, she tweeted Friday. Thank you, Colorado leaders and gun violence survivors, for this important step forward. Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Democrat and one of the bill's sponsors, said at the signing ceremony that Republicans and other gun control opponents say its always too soon after gun violence to do something. "It isnt too soon. Its too late for so many of the lost souls," Fenberg shared. We needed to have done more to prevent what happened. If you are having thoughts of suicide or are concerned that someone you know may be, resources are available to help. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 is for people of all ages and identities. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678. Poke has become popular far beyond Hawaii. Alex Bitter/Insider Poke has become popular around the world, with restaurants popping up far beyond its home of Hawaii. The US market for poke is expected to grow by $782 million, or 71%, between 2021 and 2026, according to market research firm Technavio. I tried poke on the US mainland and compared it with what's available in Hawaii. The Hawaii poke was simpler but tasted better to me since it wasn't cluttered with toppings. Poke, or marinated raw fish, has become popular around the US and the world. A poke bowl with kimchi. Getty Restaurants that serve the dish have popped up everywhere from Manhattan to European capitals. Diners at a poke restaurant in London. Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Images You can't get a can of Pepsi or a Big Mac in Moscow anymore, but a quick search suggests you can choose between several poke restaurants in the Russian capital. A map showing poke restaurants in and around Moscow. Alex Bitter/Insider I grew up in Hawaii eating poke, so I decided to try poke in Washington, DC, and compare it with what I could find in Hawaii. Alex Bitter/Insider I started my comparison with a visit to Poke Papa, a restaurant in Washington's Chinatown. Alex Bitter/Insider Poke Papa has roughly 1,100 reviews on Google, with an average rating of 4.7. That makes it the most reviewed poke shop in Washington, as well as one of the highest-rated. Alex Bitter/Insider At the counter, the first thing that caught my eye was the variety of toppings you could add to your poke. Examples were corn, mango, pineapple, and seaweed salad. Alex Bitter/Insider Poke Papa guests can choose from a list of pre-built "signature" bowls. Alex Bitter/Insider They can also create their own custom bowls, with more-traditional options like spicy tuna and furikake (a mix of dried seaweed, fish, and sesame seeds), as well as unconventional additions such as crab salad and carrot. Alex Bitter/Insider I ordered three of Poke Papa's signature bowls, each of which came with a few additional-topping options free of charge. The bowls were about $15 each. Alex Bitter/Insider One of the bowls was the "onolicious," which uses ahi (yellowfin tuna) in a soy sauce as its base. I added seaweed salad, mango, and pineapple as optional toppings. Alex Bitter/Insider The pineapple and mango were odd additions to the bowl. Ultimately, it was my choice to add them, but I wondered what on the menu, if anything, they would complement. Story continues Alex Bitter/Insider The fish wasn't fresh, but I liked the sauce on it the best out of the three bowls I ordered. It reminded me most of the poke I had growing up in Hawaii. Alex Bitter/insider I also ordered the sakura-salmon bowl, which included salmon marinated in a sauce of cilantro, jalapeno, and yuzu, a citrus fruit that tastes like a cross between a lemon and a grapefruit. I added crab salad, seaweed salad, and corn as optional toppings. Alex Bitter/Insider The yuzu sauce mixed together flavors that didn't work well together, let alone on poke. Meanwhile, the fish itself didn't taste much like salmon. Alex Bitter/Insider Overall, each of the three bowls felt like an odd mix of flavors. The mismatch was most pronounced with the fruit and vegetable toppings, but the sauces also disappointed me, especially the yuzu marinate on the salmon. Alex Bitter/Insider After leaving Poke Papa, I headed a few blocks down the street to get something I would find more satisfying for dinner. Alex Bitter/Insider A few days later, I met up with some friends who had also grown up in Hawaii to visit another local poke restaurant: Hilo Poke & Sushi in Washington's Adams Morgan neighborhood. Alex Bitter/Insider I scanned the picture menu posted outside before entering. Like Poke Papa, the choices seemed to contain several toppings each. Alex Bitter/Insider And like Poke Papa, Hilo's menu gave diners a lot of choices when it came to toppings. This time, though, I stuck to the restaurant's signature bowls and did not add any extra toppings. Alex Bitter/Insider The poke bowls at Hilo contained a dollop or two of fish. The "toppings," meanwhile, made up the majority of what was in the bowls. Alex Bitter/Insider A great example was a bowl called "R. House" on the menu. It contained more cubed cream cheese, which I already thought was an odd choice, than poke. Alex Bitter/Insider One of my friends said that the wide variety of toppings reminded him more of Chipotle or Cava fare than authentic poke from Hawaii, which tends to include few, if any, additions. A Chipotle order. Grace Dean/Insider I agreed. By this point, it was obvious that a lot of mainland poke restaurants were serving something very different from traditional poke from Hawaii. Alex Bitter/Insider So I flew to the real Hilo, Hawaii, to visit my parents for the holidays and get some Hawaii poke to compare with what I had on the mainland. Alex Bitter/Insider My destination was a Hawaii supermarket chain called Sack N Save, which operates a store near my family's house. Alex Bitter/Insider While there are many great restaurants in Hawaii that serve poke, Sack N Save and its sister chain, Foodland, have stores on the most populous Hawaiian islands, making it an easy place to stop for poke. Francis Dean/Corbis via Getty Images Sack N Save and Foodland have built a reputation as a place to get poke, as demonstrated by these reusable bags I found near the front of the store. Alex Bitter/Insider I headed to the back of the grocery store to get to the seafood department and the poke counter. Alex Bitter/Insider I could choose from several kinds of poke, including spicy ahi and octopus. Alex Bitter/Insider There were almost no toppings, just different prices for different poke options. The only add-ons were cucumber kimchi and imitation crab, according to the menu. Alex Bitter/Insider Shoppers can also buy poke by the pound, a popular choice in Hawaii if you're headed to a party or plan on serving multiple people. Alex Bitter/Insider I kept it simple and ordered a bowl with just spicy ahi, white rice, and furikake. Alex Bitter/Insider At $7.50, it was half the price of the poke bowls I had ordered in Washington partially because it came from a grocery-store counter. Alex Bitter/Insider While the entire bowl wasn't as big as the ones I got in Washington, there was a lot more fish than in any of the bowls that I had ordered at Poke Papa or Hilo. Alex Bitter/Insider The fish itself tasted fresher than anything I had in Washington. Alex Bitter/Insider The furikake provided a seaweed-flavored kick to the bowl without overpowering the poke itself. Alex Bitter/Insider This grocery-store poke was simple, but to me, it was superior to anything I ordered at the restaurants in Washington. Alex Bitter/Insider I wanted to understand the disparity between poke on the mainland and in Hawaii, so I talked to Akina Harada, who grew up on the island of Oahu and founded Abunai Poke, a restaurant with locations in Washington and Philadelphia. Akina Harada, the founder of Abunai Poke. Akina Harada Harada serves poke similar to what you can find in Hawaii, which means her poke doesn't come with toppings like mango or pineapple. "If you want something less traditional, per se, then there's other options," she said. Alex Bitter/Insider Getting quality fish is a challenge outside Hawaii, Harada said. Abunai sources its ahi from farms on the East Coast, a higher-quality, more-expensive option than the frozen fish that many poke restaurants use, she said. Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Image Those two differences fresh fish and fewer toppings made the poke I had in Hawaii much better than the copy-cat versions I tried on the mainland. Alex Bitter/Insider Before I left Hawaii, I made sure to eat as much good poke as I could. The cluttered poke bowls of the mainland just didn't hit the spot for me. Alex Bitter/Insider If you can't get to Hawaii but like poke, I recommend ordering ahi or salmon marinated in spicy mayo or soy sauce. And, most importantly, skip the toppings. Poke from Koloa Fish Market on the island of Kauai. Michelle Mishina Read the original article on Business Insider The scene of a shooting where five people, including an eight-year-old child, were killed, in Cleveland, Texas (AP) A Texas man allegedly opened fire on his neighbours after they asked him to stop shooting rounds in his yard, authorities in Texas said on Saturday (29 April). Five people, including an eight-year-old child and a 15-year-old girl, were killed in the Friday night violence, according to the San Jacinto County Sheriffs Office. The gunman, identified as 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza, shot his neighbours with an AR-15 style rifle after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they had children trying to sleep. Mr Oropeza fled the scene after the violence, but has since been surrounded by law enforcement, NPR reports. The neighbours walked over and said Hey man, can you not do that, weve got an infant in here trying to sleep or whatever, Sheriff Greg Capers said, per the Washington Post. They went back in their house and then we have a video of him walking up their driveway with his AR-15. The deceased, who ranged in age from eight to their early forties, were originally from Honduras. Authorities at the scene told reporters that Mr Oropeza, an illegal alien from Mexico, had been deported at least twice before the tragedy on Friday night, according to Univision 45 Houston. Heres everything we know about the shooting: The motive The shooting was reported at around 10.30pm on the 100 block of Walters Road in the Trails End area in the community about 45 miles (72 kilometres) northeast of Houston. Night shift patrol deputies were dispatched to a residence in reference to a harassment complaint. The house where the shooting took place (AP) On their way there, they received multiple 911 calls of an active shooter incident at the dispatch location. Three children covered in blood were transported to the hospital, where they were determined to be uninjured, while two other witnesses at the scene were evaluated by first responders and released. The SJCSO also said that Mr Oropeza has been known to shoot his 223 out in his front yard, which is evident by the shell casings that are laying in the front yard. Story continues The victims The names of the victims have not been released pending notification to their next of kin, police said. Authorities have said that a family member walked up to the fence and requested the gunman stopped shooting rounds in his own backyard. The suspect then allegedly responded that it was his property and the violence unfolded. Police respond to the scene of a shooting early on Saturday (AP) The youngest victim of the shooting was eight years old. Two female victims were found in the bedroom lying on top of two children who survived the ordeal, the report added. The Honduran ladies that were laying over these children were doing it in such an effort as to protect the child, Mr Capers said. Ten people were in the residence at the time of the tragedy. The suspect The suspect has not been apprehended and it is unclear where in Texas he had been located. An earlier press release by the SJCSO stated that he was believed to have fled the country but more recent reports suggest he is in the Houston-Cleveland area. One of the survivors reportedly caught the moment the suspect walked into the house with the rifle on video. Francisco Oropeza, 38 (KHOU11) Mr Oropeza is described as approximately 58 tall, last seen wearing blue jeans with a black shirt and work boots and with short black hair, ABC reported. More than 170 mass shooting in the US this year The US is setting a devastating record pace for mass killings in 2023, according to the Associated Press. The violence is sparked by a range of motives: murder-suicides and domestic violence; gang retaliation; school shootings and workplace vendettas. All those listed as mass killings in the report have taken the lives of four or more people since 1 January. Reacting to the deadly violence on Friday night, gun safety advocates slammed lax weapon laws in Texas. Assault rifles were designed to be used by highly trained soldiers in battle, not marketed to violent men to carry out revenge fantasies, gun violence prevention activist and Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts tweeted on Saturday. From Newtown to Nashville, Las Vegas to Uvalde, these weapons of war are chosen and used to inflict as much harm as quickly as possible. Assault rifles were designed to be used by highly trained soldiers in battle, not marketed to violent men to carry out revenge fantasies. From Newtown to Nashville, Las Vegas to Uvalde, these weapons of war are chosen and used to inflict as much harm as quickly as possible. Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) April 29, 2023 Ms Watts went on to criticize Texas Governor Gregg Abbotts reaction or lack thereof to the massacre. The political leader, who tweeted a picture of his pet dog along with the caption all smiles for the weekend on Saturday, had yet to issue a statement regarding the shooting by midday on Saturday. The Independent has reached out to his office for comment. This is the Governor of Texas tweet AFTER learning that a gunman armed with an assault rifle opened fire on a family in his state, killing five people, including an 8-year-old, Ms Watts wrote. Brett Cross, who lost his son Uziyah in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde last year, also lashed out at the Republican governor for not making mention of the deadly shooting. A Cornelius police officer was arrested late Friday and booked in the Mecklenburg County jail on a fugitive/extradition warrant from York County, South Carolina. Officer Erickson Douglas Lee resigned effective immediately on Friday, Cornelius police said Saturday. He remained jailed on a $150,000 secured bond, jail records show. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested Lee about 10 p.m. Friday on charges related to an investigation by the York County Sheriffs Office, Cornelius police said in a news release late Friday. Lee will be placed on administrative leave, and the Cornelius Police Department will conduct an internal investigation because of his arrest, police officials said. Cornelius police declined to specify the charges and said they were releasing no further information about the case. The York County Sheriffs Office on Saturday also declined to specify the charges against Lee. We are investigating, sheriffs spokesman Trent Faris told The Charlotte Observer in an email. We dont have any further information at this point because its an active investigation. In a statement, Cornelius Police officials said they hold their officers to the highest professional standards both on and off duty. Any officer who does not conform to these standards will be held accountable when they fail to meet those standards. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. A Cornelius Police Department officer was arrested Friday night, according to officials. Police said Erickson Douglas Lee was arrested by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. He resigned from his position effective immediately, according to Cornelius police. ALSO READ: CMPD: Two arrested, including officer, after separate DWI crashes in southwest Charlotte The charges are related to a York County Sheriffs Office investigation. A spokesperson with York County told Channel 9 they are investigating Lee and had no further comment. According to jail records, Lee was taken to the Mecklenburg County jail and was given a bond of $150,000. His bond was lowered during a hearing Monday to $50,000. It is still unclear what charges Lee is facing, so Channel 9 is working to gather more information. According to the Cornelius police chief, Lee, 25, had been working at the department since June 2021 as a patrol officer. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. (WATCH BELOW: Officials: CMPD officer suffers minor injuries in southwest Charlotte crash, 2 others hurt) Rescuers search for survivors in the rubble of a residential building in Uman A huge fire erupted in Moscow-annexed Crimea after a suspected drone attack hit an oil depot, as fighting intensified on the southern Ukrainian front and shelling deprived Russian border villages of power. The attacks on Saturday came one day after Kyiv said preparations for a long-awaited counteroffensive were nearly complete, having vowed to expel Russian forces from territory they seized in the east and south following their 2022 invasion. On Friday, a Russian strike on a block of flats in the central Ukrainian city of Uman killed 23 people, including a baby boy. On Saturday, officials in Moscow-controlled Crimea, towns under Russian occupation in southern Ukraine reported attacks. The governor of a Russian region near the border with Ukraine also said two people were killed when a Ukrainian missile hit a village. "As a result of the strike inflicted by Ukrainian nationalists, unfortunately, two civilians were killed," Alexander Bogomaz, governor of Bryansk oblast, said in a message posted on Telegram, reporting an attack on Suzemka. Fears of Ukrainian reprisals more than a year into Moscow's offensive have grown in Russia, where a range of cities have cancelled traditional May 9 celebrations to mark the Soviet victory over the Nazis at the end of World War II in 1945. In Sevastopol, home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, clouds of smoke rose high into the sky as fuel reserves burned. The Crimean port city has been hit by a series of drone attacks since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine began more than a year ago. - 'God's punishment' - Russian-installed authorities said the fire was caused by a suspected drone but sought to play down the incident, amid rising security fears on the peninsula. The Kremlin said nothing about the attack. It came less than 24 hours after Russia struck a typical Soviet-era housing block in the historic city of Uman, killing more than two dozen residents. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his evening address on Saturday, said six children had been killed in the attack -- the previous figure given by the authorities had been five. Story continues "We will do everything possible to ensure that the terrorist state is held accountable for its actions as soon as possible," he added. "Anyone who prepares such rocket attacks cannot but know that they will become an accomplice to murder." The Ukraine leader said that next week would be important in terms of "our struggle for justice". He stressed that Kyiv was preparing "several important, powerful steps to consolidate our partners and give more energy to the creation of a tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression. And to accelerate the defeat of the terrorist state". Earlier Kyiv had identified an 18-month-old baby boy as among the victims. "One woman is considered missing. The search continues," Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said. Ukraine did not claim the Crimea attack, but military intelligence implied it was revenge for Uman. Andriy Yusov, from the defence ministry's intelligence unit, said it was "God's punishment, in particular for the civilians killed in Uman". He warned people in Crimea to "avoid being near military facilities and facilities providing the aggressor's army in the near future". - 'Intense shelling' - On the Russian-annexed peninsula, the governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, urged Crimeans to "remain calm" and said "nobody was hurt". He estimated the fire was "around 1,000 square metres" (11,000 square feet). Razvozhayev insisted that the peninsula's reserves had not been impacted and that authorities had enough fuel for all civilian needs. Earlier this week, Moscow said it had repelled a drone strike on Crimea -- annexed by Russia in 2014 and used as a launchpad for its invasion. In southern Ukraine, Russian occupation authorities said a key city they control -- Novaya Kakhovka -- had come under "intense shelling" and had been cut off from power. The city fell to Russian forces on the first day of their invasion on February 24, 2022. It lies in the part of the Kherson region that Moscow still controls, having withdrawn from the eponymous regional capital last November. Russian forces urged people in the city "to keep calm", saying work to restore power would start "after the shelling ends". - Russian border villages shelled - The shelling of Novaya Kakhovka came a day after Russian shelling killed a 57-year-old woman in a southern Ukrainian village. Zelensky had promised a response. Inside Russia there are fears of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive. The governor of the border Belgorod region -- also hit by several attacks during the course of the war -- said Saturday that five frontier villages were without power after Ukrainian shelling. "The power lines are damaged," Gladkov said, adding that there had been no victims. Elsewhere, Russia accused Poland -- with whom it has historically poor relations -- of a "blatant violation" of international norms after Warsaw impounded a school run by the Russian embassy in the Polish capital. Moscow called the move an "illegal act" and promised "harsh" consequences. bur/pvh/jj/leg/mtp David Arquette has admitted to feeling inferior to his ex-wife Courteney Cox while the latters profile was skyrocketing due to the success of Friends. Arquette and Cox met on the set of Scream (1996), where they played a couple before becoming romantically involved in real life. They married in 2009 before separating in 2010 and divorcing in 2013. They have an 18-year-old daughter together. During an interview on SiriusXMs Andy Cohen Live, the eponymous host asked the actor if he ever struggled in his relationship with Cox based on how successful the NBC sitcom was when they were together. Yeah, absolutely. Its difficult, he said. ... I have some of the traditional male things where I want to like, you know, provide and pick up the cheque and, you know, be the breadwinner. He continued: In the acting world in general, youre always going on this rollercoaster of popularity and, you know, not able to get a job. And then when youre, you know, comparing yourself to someone whos at the, you know, top of the television, iconic world, its kinda hard to put yourself there, so there was definitely like learning and dealing with that and a lot of pain and, you know, arguments or, you know, ego, early on. Courteney Cox and David Arquette (Getty Images) In the last two seasons of Friends, all six main cast members were earning $1m per episode, making them the highest-paid TV actors of the time. Cox and Arquette recently reprised their Scream roles for Scream V last year. Its a cathartic experience to just be able to act opposite Courteney, Arquette told The New York Times at the time. Its been 25 years of our lives. Weve grown up together. We have a child together. The actor previously praised Screams original director Wes Craven for setting him and Cox up: Thank God for Wes Craven because I got a baby out of it. Cox has been dating Snow Patrol musician Johnny McDaid since 2013 after being introduced by their mutual friend, Ed Sheeran. Arquette has since welcomed two children with wife Christina McLarty, whom he married in 2015. A Dayton man was indicted Friday on multiple child pornography charges. Scott Rairden, 51, was indicted on 20 counts of pandering sexual material involving a minor, according to court documents. >> 1 dead after car hit by train in Preble County Rairden was arrested after Oakwood Police Department got a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in regard to child pornography on Twitter, according to a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Prosecutors Office. He is accused of downloading and trading child pornography images. He is not in custody and is set to be arraigned on May 11. (Bloomberg) -- Democrats say they need Mitch McConnell to prevent a market-upending debt default, viewing the Senate Republican leader they once derided as the grim reaper as more of a pragmatist and deal-maker than newly empowered House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Most Read from Bloomberg Such is the jittery political climate in Washington, with the Treasury Department preparing its latest estimate on when the US could find itself in a financial crisis if no accord is reached. That date could arrive as early as June. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland cited McConnells crucial role during the 2011 debt ceiling talks with the Obama administration the worst such standoff to date in saying that the leader must help broker a compromise. What we are all waiting for is Mitch McConnell, someone who cares about the US economy getting in the room, said New Hampshire Representative Annie Kuster, a moderate Democrat. A master tactician and a tough partisan, McConnell earned his ghoulish nickname for his use of the Senate filibuster to block key Democratic priorities from campaign finance reform to gun control. But he has a knack for eleventh-hour deals, including those he cut with Biden, both during his vice presidency and since he entered the Oval Office himself. This time, McConnell appears content to sit on the sidelines at least for now and let House Republicans try to forge an agreement with President Joe Biden. The American people expect the president and the speaker to get together and work this out, McConnell said Wednesday as McCarthy amassed the House votes needed to pass his Republican-only debt proposal that would cut $4.8 trillion in domestic spending as the price for agreeing to raise the debt ceiling. Story continues The Kentucky Republicans comments havent stopped Democrats from opining about the good old days when things could be worked out between the parties, with McConnell as a reliable and canny dealmaker. Mitch McConnell has brokered deadlocks before, said Senate Budget Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse. At the end of the day I think the bill will come from the Senate. I just dont think the conditions for that have yet been set. Deal-Maker Sidelined A senior GOP aide said McConnell isnt going to come riding to the rescue, especially now that McCarthy has gotten his debt legislation through the House. McCarthy echoed that sentiment in a Thursday interview with Bloomberg Televisions Balance of Power. They support our plan, theyre telling Schumer, why dont you produce something? McCarthy said of McConnell and his lieutenants and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Theyre telling the president, why dont you sit down and negotiate? A key problem for McConnell aside from the being in the minority is that hes simply not liked by many ultra-conservative House Republicans. Those lawmakers have the power to oust McCarthy who was elected in January on the 15th round after much arm twisting with a no-confidence motion. Any deal he cuts no matter how substantively fantastic it might be, there is a cohort of House Republicans whose vision of themselves is theyre better at this than Mitch McConnell, said Rohit Kumar, McConnells chief negotiator in the 2011 crisis. Its almost automatically going to be unpalatable to some House Republicans and its a risk of destabilizing the House speaker. The lack of trust in McConnell is evident in the House. Ultra-conservative Republican Ralph Norman of South Carolina said he fears McConnell will try to undercut his party in that chamber. I think he is going to try. Thats what he has done in the past, said Norman, adding that conservatives would contest such an effort. The votes of Norman and other conservatives could bring a motion to oust McCarthy as speaker if he goes along with any McConnell-authored compromise. McConnell Record In October 2021, despite withering denunciations from former President Donald Trump, McConnell mustered enough GOP backing to push a short-term $480 billion debt limit increase past a filibuster on a 61-38 vote. No Republicans voted for it when it then passed with 50 Democratic votes. Two months later, with another increase needed, McConnell and Schumer negotiated a one-time process to raise the borrowing limit by a simple majority without any filibuster. That allowed a $2.5 trillion increase which extended the governments borrowing authority into this year to pass on a 50-49 party-line vote. Yet even within the Senate, McConnell is weaker than he once was as restive conservatives chafe at his authority. After Republicans failed to retake the Senate last fall, McConnell was challenged for the leadership post by Rick Scott of Florida, who ultimately got 10 votes a clear demonstration that McConnells unquestioned power had eroded. Scott and many of his supporters went on to sharply criticize a broad $1.7 trillion annual government funding bill that McConnell negotiated with Schumer in December and theyre promising to band together for deep spending cuts in any debt-limit deal this year. McCarthy told reporters he has no concerns Republicans in the Senate will try to water down the bill. They are very excited, he said. --With assistance from Mike Dorning. (Adds possibility of motion against McCarthy in 19th paragraph. Previous versions corrected Ralph Normans state and an error in the Senate minority leaders name.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Democrats are rebuilding their strength in the blue wall states that former President Trump won in 2016, raising the partys hopes in a region that will prove critical to races up and down the ballot next year. The party is riding high after key victories in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin over the past six months, signaling a newfound momentum after Trumps win called into question the partys standing in the rust belt. But Democrats say theyre not taking the states for granted and still have more work to do as President Biden looks to clinch a second term and several senators in those states face reelection. Its clear that the path to the White House, the path to retaining a Senate majority cuts through the Midwest, said Kaitlin Fahey, a Democratic consultant who led the successful bid to host next years Democratic National Convention in Chicago and former chief of staff to Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.). Meanwhile, Republicans clearly have their sights set on pummeling the blue wall, choosing to host the Republican National Convention in nearby Milwaukee next year. Both on the Republican and Democratic sides, its indicative of their choice how critical they view the path of the Midwest, the Rust Belt, some describe it as flyover states, Fahey said. Those are states and constituencies who cannot be forgotten about; who have been at times felt left behind, especially in previous administrations. The party made its focus on protecting the traditional blue wall clear earlier this month when Biden and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) selected Chicago to host the 2024 party convention. Governors of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota each signed onto a letter supporting Chicagos DNC bid in which they said the party must do everything we can to ensure the blue wall becomes an impenetrable blue fortress. In addition to being swing presidential states, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin are also home to competitive Senate races this cycle. Story continues While the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates these Senate races as lean Democratic, that does not mean the party is complacent going into these elections especially given the GOP primary fields are still solidifying over a year and a half out from Election Day. This is Pennsylvania, the work never stops, said one Pennsylvania Democratic strategist. We will not be abandoning any part of the state. In Pennsylvania, Democrats made gains up and down the ballot in 2022, winning the suburbs while making a play for rural areas usually dominated by Republicans. From a GOP perspective, those margins that Trump was able to do in 2016 are good, but its also [because] he was able to have much better margins in the suburbs, the strategist said. Michigan was also a major success story for Democrats at the ballot last year, but like Pennsylvania Democrats, Michigan Democrats say thats a sign to keep going. Make no mistake, Michigan is still a purple state and if we turn our backs on it, if we get complacent, it can go in the wrong direction, said Andrew Feldman, a Democratic strategist who works closely with Michigan Democrats. Michigan Democrats across the board from the state Legislature all the way up to the top of the ticket in the state have done the work since Trump won in 2016 to rebuild the party and rebuild that infrastructure, and I think youre going to continue to see them aggressively organize. Wisconsin Democrats saw a major statewide victory earlier this month when Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewiczs victory handed a majority to liberals on the states Supreme Court for the first time in 15 years. On top of that, Democrats also point to incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwins (D-Wis.) reelection win in 2018, two years after Trump flipped the state in 2016. In 2018, Sen. Baldwin proved that she can win Trump voters as well as bring out the Democratic base, said Arik Wolk, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Democratic Party. In large part, it is because of her focus on issues that are important to people across the political spectrum in Wisconsin, Wolk added, referring to manufacturing and agriculture. The Biden campaign and outside groups backing the presidents reelection made clear where their focus will be within hours of the presidents 2024 launch. The campaign announced it would air ads in six battleground states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. United the Country, a pro-Biden super PAC, announced its first ad of the 2024 cycle would air in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as part of a $1 million ad buy focused on those states to remind voters of Bidens legislative accomplishments. And Priorities USA, another major Democratic super PAC, announced a goal of putting $75 million toward digital mobilization and programming to persuade voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Biden carried all six of those states in 2020. All are expected to be competitive in 2024, and all but Georgia will have competitive Senate races for seats currently held by a Democrat. Thats your incumbent advantage that everybody talks about. They can run on something right now, and Republicans cant, said Mike Nellis, a Democratic strategist at Authentic, a fundraising and consulting agency. They understand persuasion needs to be happening 24/7, Nellis said. And not just in the final 90 days of a campaign. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Consequences of the Russian attack on Mykolaiv The main goal of the program is to restore Ukraine. The restoration of Mykolaiv will be a significant focus of this program, the minister said, referring to Odesas neighboring regional center to the east. Read also: Denmark, the Netherlands to transfer 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine He said Denmark would not stop supporting Ukraine, and he condemned the recent shelling of Mykolaiv. Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmarks defense minister, added that Denmark supports Ukraines fight for freedom together with the rest of the free world. That is why we will continue to support Ukrainians with military equipment, financing, and training to support their struggle against Russia, Poulsen said. On the night of April 27, the Russian army attacked Mykolaiv with four missiles. The Ukrainian militarys South Operational Command stated that the missiles had been guided along a complex trajectory that made it difficult for them to be intercepted. One civilian was killed, and 23 were injured in the Russian missile attack. 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 Deputies are asking for the publics help in locating a missing and endangered adult in Osceola County. Constance Lynn Campbell was last seen by her relative at their home on Bay Court on Friday morning before she left for work at Animal Kingdom, deputies said. >>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<< Investigators believe that she was in the area of the Rodeway Inn Hotel in Kissimmee and could be driving a blue 2019 Honda Civic, with a Florida tag VC5MG, a specialty Disney 50th Anniversary plate with a yellow Disney annual pass magnet on the vehicles rear. Read: Saturday Weather Alert Day: Watch for storms in the afternoon, stronger in the evening Campbell is 65 years old, has white hair, brown eyes, stands five foot, three inches tall and weighs 215 pounds. Read: Investigation underway after 1 person shot in a car, Orlando police say If you have any information on her whereabouts, please call 407.348.2222 or dial 911. Read: Pedestrian dies after hit-and-run crash in Orange County, troopers say Deputies ask public to help locate missing Central Florida woman last seen heading to work Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. A new affordable housing complex for seniors in southeast Fresno is getting a $2. 7 million boost from the Fresno City Council to help pay water-system connection fees before the apartments can be opened for occupancy. Prominent Fresno developer Ed Kashians Lance-Kashian & Co. has already completed construction on the 180-unit Brandhaven project in his broader Fancher Creek Town Center mixed-use plan for housing, retail and commercial businesses near Tulare and Clovis avenues, and another 240 affordable housing units for families are either under construction or planned. But the city cannot issue a certificate of occupancy for the completed apartments or anything else until fees are paid to Bakman Water Co., the private company that operates the water system serving the area, for hooking up to the service for fire suppression and other water needs. At its meeting Thursday, the Fresno City Council unanimously approved a proposal by Councilmember Luis Chavez to cover up to $2.7 million in connection fees owed by Kashian to Bakman Water. But the vote only came after several members raised serious questions about how construction was allowed to move forward before a water service agreement was even in place. The city will pay the fees from its share of federal American Rescue Plan, or ARPA, funds received during the COVID-19 pandemic. The subsidy was one part of a two-piece action. The other piece was to exempt Kashians affordable housing and other fully affordable housing projects moving forward from the citys existing Better Business Act if federal or state money is used to support them. That law, authored by then-Fresno City Councilmember Lee Brand in 2009, imposes rigorous standards on projects in which the city invests. It includes requirements for evaluating myriad details regarding the ability of developers to financially follow through on their commitments before the city makes any contributions of money. An urgency to enable occupancy in the apartments Chavez, whose district in southeast Fresno includes Kashians Fancher Creek project, brought the issue to the council on an accelerated basis with only about a days notice for a special meeting. Chavez cited the urgent nature of having seniors on a waiting list for the Brandhaven apartment units who may be at risk of becoming homeless without immediate action to get the water fees paid. Story continues We know that affordable housing is a priority for this council, Chavez said. I think weve put our money where our mouth is in the past, and thats what Im requesting. Questions remain, however, about whether the Kashian project would even be subject to the Better Business Act; thats an evaluation that is being undertaken by both the city attorneys office and City Manager Georgeanne White. I would say this is the means to achieve (occupancy) on an abbreviated timeline, White told the council. White said that if it were determined that the Better Business Act did apply to the project, it would take her office at least 45 to 60 days to complete the extensive financial review of the applicants. So what I explained to Councilmember Chavez is if he was trying to get somewhere quickly, I cant get there quickly if the Better Business Act applies, White said. And I know there is a sense of urgency to get the certificate of occupancy. That certificate cannot be issued until there is an agreement for water service that provides sufficient flow to meet the citys fire-suppression standards. Support for housing or a subsidy for a developer Kashians company has also developed numerous other projects in the Fresno area, most notably the River Park shopping center on North Blackstone Avenue. Since entering a development agreement with Kashian in about 2010 for the Fancher Creek project, White estimated that the city of Fresno has already pitched in nearly $10 million from federal Community Development Block Grant and federal HOME funds for the affordable-housing components of the project. That includes about $6.1 million for two phases of Sarahs Court, a total of 240 affordable units for families. Contributions in Sarahs Court, White added, represents the largest investment that the city of Fresno has made in any single development project. The additional $2.7 million for the water connection fees would bring the citys financial commitment to the housing projects to $12.5-ish million, White said. The water connections would not only benefit the housing portion of the Kashian project, but also the retail and commercial components as well. Councilmember Miguel Arias said he would reluctantly support Chavezs proposal. In this case were dealing with two private parties who sued each other over fees and now were being asked to pay the litigated cost that one party was determined to be responsible for, he said. How is it we can legally cut Bakman Water a check when Bakman Water is not part of the development agreement on this project? Is it accurate to say the city is stepping in to pay the financial obligation that the (Public Utilities Commission) determined was the developers responsibility and not the water districts? Arias asked. Chavez countered that characterization. I would phrase it that the city is stepping in to support affordable housing by helping with the infrastructure costs, he said, just like weve done with other projects. Why was construction allowed before a water agreement? Arias also questioned how or why Kashian was allowed to begin construction on the housing project when the developer didnt have an agreement to connect to water thats needed for fire sprinklers. White said she was at a loss to explain how the process was overseen under then-Mayor Lee Brands administration and a different city manager. At the time the decision was made and I dont know who said yes somebody in the previous administration said yes to allow construction. Ive seen a letter from the fire department saying, Were going to allow you to begin construction, but you wont get occupancy until you meet fire flows, White added, noting that the city requires the capacity to have 2,500 gallons per minute for fire suppression. I dont know why it happened, but it happened. I can assure you that as long as Im in this chair, were not going to be in this position again, White told the council. Chavez agreed. The process should have been, we should have had that (water agreement) secured beforehand and that did not occur. Thursdays vote does not automatically clear the way for would-be residents to immediately start moving in to the completed Brandhaven portion of Fancher Creek. Before the city can make the payment to Bakman Water for the connection fees, the Kashian project must first become part of a community facilities district a self-taxing arrangement that provides for long-term maintenance of infrastructure associated with the center. They havent submitted an application to join a community facilities district, White said. They have to get the application in and they havent done that. Sal Gonzales, co-president and chief operating officer of Lance-Kashian & Co., said he anticipated that the company may be able to submit some of the materials needed to apply for annexation into a district in the coming week, after which the city would begin its process of processing the application. Gonzales added that while the company would welcome the citys support in other ways on the future Sarahs Court housing stages of the Fancher Creek project, he committed that there would be no additional request to the city to cover additional water connection fees to Bakman Water. If you listen to the sponsors of legislation to make it easier to demolish historic buildings, their proposal is about making coastal construction more resilient to storms and flooding. Its about putting peoples safety before buildings. Lawmakers are sold on that idea. The Senate on Friday passed Senate Bill 1346 with bipartisan support by a 33-6 vote. But, make no mistake, the real winners would be developers who would bypass local governments and potentially build bigger, taller oceanfront buildings in place of older ones with historic value. Its as if the legislation were written to overrule Miami Beachs Historic Preservation Board and efforts to preserve the Art Deco buildings that are the backbone of a profitable tourism industry. On Friday, sponsor Sen. Bryan Avila of Northwest Miami-Dade County amended the legislation to create a carve-out that seems to protect St. Augustines historic downtown. Miami Beach didnt get so lucky, even though the scope of the bill became smaller after outcry from across the state. Within days of the legislation being filed in March, real estate company 13th Floor Investments gave $10,000 to each of the political committees run by Avila and the bills House sponsor, the Herald reported. The company owns a beachfront Art Deco building on Collins Avenue that it plans to develop along with an adjacent property. A company spokesperson told the Herald the donations are unrelated to the legislation. Development has long been a contentious issue in Miami Beach given its limited vacant land and an engaged constituency who balks at attempts to turn the Beach into anything resembling Brickell. Blocked by local opposition, its easier for developers if the Legislature passes blanket state laws preempting local authority. Banning local rule SB 1346 prohibits local governments from blocking the demolition of any building with some exceptions that are at least in part seaward of the coastal construction control line (essentially, properties close to the ocean). Those structures must also sit in certain flood zones outlined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and not meet new federal construction standards. Story continues Virtually no historic building, by definition, meets those standards. Most of Miami Beach lies in the flood zones listed in the bill, City Commissioner Alex Fernandez wrote in a letter to Avila. The legislation makes exceptions for single-family homes and properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, on which Miami Beach has only seven, Fernandez wrote. It also exempts towns of fewer than 10,000 residents and communities that have at least three buildings over 200 years old in other words, St. Augustine. Another exemption was created for areas of critical state concern, a designation under which the Key Wests Old Town falls. A previous version of the bill banned local governments from restricting demolitions in areas within half a mile from the coast. That would have exposed 2,600 buildings protected by Miami Beach historic preservation regulations to demolition. The bill has been scaled down but would still cover properties along the iconic Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue the heart of Miami Beachs Art Deco architecture. It guarantees that 13th Floor Investments can demolish at least one of the properties it wants to develop, the shuttered Patrician Hotel on Collins Avenue, without going through the citys Historic Preservation Board, Fernandez said. The legislation also allows property owners anywhere in the state, not just on the coast, to tear down a building historic or not that has been deemed unsafe or ordered to be demolished by a local government. This could easily turn into an incentive for developers to purchase historic properties and let them become derelict. Think of the impact on gentrifying historic neighborhoods such as Little Havana and Coconut Grove. Once those buildings are razed to the ground, municipalities and counties would be banned from having any say on the scale of the replacement construction or requiring that features of the original structure be preserved. Developers could build as high and as big as local zoning rules allow. Avila told a Senate committee his bill is very narrowly tailored, intended to only do away with unsafe buildings. But he misrepresented his bill by suggesting only structures deemed unsafe could be torn down. A simple reading of the bill proves otherwise. Any property that falls in the areas designated in the bill could be demolished, no matter the state they are in. Avila said historic protections can go too far and get in the way of replacing outdated structures. Not everything can be historic, Avila said. If everything is deemed historic, you devalue whats really historic. Avila might have a point that local governments can be too zealous. But, as Democratic Sen. Jason Pizzo, of Hollywood, said on the Senate floor Friday, Avila is using a hammer on a bug. For Miami Beach, his bill is anything but narrow. Diane Keaton is sharing how she really felt while on set of "The Godfather." In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Keaton reflected on her over 50 years in the industry, revealing why she feels anxious when she steps onto a set, especially when she was making "The Godfather." "I was terrified. I didnt understand why me. I mean, I went up to the audition. I didnt even really I hadnt read it. See, this is bad! But I needed a job, so I got up there," the actress explained. "Id been auditioning around for about a year, and then this happened like that. And I kept thinking, "Why me? Why would he cast me?" I didnt understand it. I still dont, really." Keaton was unsure she was the right person for the role, explaining she saw herself as "more of a comedy-type person," and that anytime she works with amazing actors she begins to second guess herself. She admits to worrying at the beginning of every project, thinking, "How will this match that ? Can I do ? What am I ? Oh, dear." Diane Keaton didn't think she was right for the role she played in "The Godfather," saying she saw herself more in comedies. DIANE KEATON SAYS IT'S 'HIGHLY UNLIKELY' SHE'LL EVER DATE AGAIN The actress went on to explain that the director of a project is just as important as who your co-stars are, saying she never brought her anxieties up with helmer Francis Ford Coppola while filming the movie. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "I never really had a palsy friendship with our director. He was nice," Keaton said. "When he was working, he would say, if he didnt like something, hed tell me, Try this. That was it! It wasnt what I thought it would be. I thought, 'Oh, my God, Im trouble. I shouldnt be here.'" Since then, Keaton has realized the nervous energy she feels at the start of every project is just part of her process and whether it goes away with time or not, she's okay with it. When working with Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler on "The First Wives Club," Keaton admitted to "feeling always kind of anxious and a little worried." Story continues Keaton admitted to feeling nervous while on set of "First Wives Club" because she was acting alongside Goldie Hawn, center, and Bette Midler. "Because they are really amazing actresses! You know, I didnt really know them. But that changed over time like life does," she said. "I was very fortunate, and it was great to watch them work because they both work differently from each other, and I worked my own odd way. Not that theirs is odd. Mine is odd." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Keaton will next appear in "Book Club: The Next Chapter," alongside Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen. The movie is a sequel to the 2018 film "Book Club," which followed the foursome as they read "50 Shades of Grey" together and were inspired to live their lives to the fullest. In the followup, the group turn their book club into an international affair, traveling to Italy to celebrate Fonda's character's bachelorette party, and, of course, things go wrong along the way. When speaking about her co-stars, Keaton said "each one is a unique, amazing character." "Mary Steenburgen is the kindest mother of them all. Shes really a great actress, and shes so there for everyone. You just lay eyes on her, and you feel like youre being helped," she said. "And then, of course, theres Jane, who is always Jane. What life is that like? Shes brilliant, and shes had this brilliant life, and she continues on. Then there is Candice, who is by far the funniest. She is a character among all of us, hilarious and straightforward." Keaton will next appear in "Book Club: The Next Chapter," alongside, from left, Mary Steenburgen, Jane Fonda and Candice Bergen. "Book Club: The Next Chapter" is set to premiere in theaters May 12. A California man was convicted of murder on Friday after being accused of killing three 16-year-olds by ramming their vehicle with his in 2020 after they played a doorbell prank. Authorities said Anurag Chandra fled after intentionally ramming his car into a Toyota Prius with six teenagers inside, causing it to crash into a tree. Three of the teens died and the others were injured. A jury found him guilty of three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. The murder of these young men was a horrendous and senseless tragedy for our community. I thank the jury for their verdict. This is an important step toward justice, Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in a statement. HERO MIDDLE SCHOOLER: Michigan 13-year-old saves busload of children after driver passes out Ding-dong ditch ends in tragedy On Jan. 19, 2020, the teens were having a sleepover when one of them was dared to either jump into a pool or do a "doorbell ditch," investigators said. They drove to a nearby house, where one of the boys rang Chandra's doorbell and ran back to the Prius. Chandra, officials said, chased after them in his Infinity Q50. He rammed them and they crashed into a tree in Temescal Valley, about 60 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Daniel Hawkins of Corona, Drake Ruiz of Corona, and Jacob Ivascu of Riverside, all 16, were killed. Sergio Campusano, 18 at the time, was driving the Prius. He and then-13-year-olds Joshua Hawkins and Joshua Ivascu survived the crash. Chandra said he was 'extremely mad,' had been drinking Chandra testified during his trial that one of the teens rang the doorbell and exposed his buttocks. Chandra said he was "extremely, extremely mad" and had drunk 12 beers in the hours beforehand, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported. He said he didn't plan to hurt the teenagers, and said he didn't stop after the collision because he didn't realize anyone was hurt, though he admitted to driving 99 miles per hour. Story continues Records showed Chandra was already facing charges for alleged battery on a cohabitant and child endangerment at the time. An attorney representing Chandra did not immediately respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY on Saturday. VIRGINIA SCHOOL SHOOTING: School board says teacher shot by 6-year-old should get workers' comp, not $40 million from lawsuit Boys were goofy, 'relished living,' family members said Family members described the boys as fun-loving, goofy and full of life in the wake of the murders. Church leaders said they were among a tight-knit group of teens who participated in a youth group in the community. An October, 2019 photo shows Jacob Ivascu and Sergio Campusano sitting on the shoulders of Drake Ruiz and Daniel Hawkins during a youth event organized by Northpoint Evangelical Free Church of Corona They relished living ... life itself was celebratory, Craig Hawkins, the father of Daniel and Joshua Hawkins, told USA TODAY in 2020. Craig Hawkins said they were excited about having an impromptu sleepover, and planned on eating junk food and playing video games. They were just playing ding-dong ditch, "didn't we all do that?" Craig Hawkins said. Contributing: Joel Shannon and Ryan Miller, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Doorbell prank murder: Anurag Chandra guilty of killing teens with car The federal judge presiding over Disneys lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has recused himself, citing a conflict of interest. The lawsuit, filed by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. on Wednesday, accuses DeSantis of a targeted campaign of government retaliation. That would violate the companys First Amendment rights, the suit contends. More from Deadline Fridays order by U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin Fitzpatrick claims the judge is related in the third degree to someone employed by one of the parties in the lawsuit as the reason for stepping down. The case will be assigned to a different judge, according to the order. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Melanie Lynskey has found her spotlight as Shauna in Showtimes thriller series Yellowjackets (Dave Benett) I dont have a big, booming voice, says Melanie Lynskey in a Kiwi accent that is the antithesis of big and booming. Its high and quite quiet so I think its easy for people to make assumptions. People have been making assumptions about Lynskey for decades now. Each time, she upends them. She implodes them. In fact, shes so good at it that not who you expect has become her calling card as an actor. Were taught that power is in masculinity, and I dont agree with that. Feminine traits are also powerful, she says. I think soft-spoken people can carry a lot of things within them. Lynskey, 45, is living, breathing, softly speaking now, latte-sipping proof of that. She was 16 when she landed her first role opposite a then-upcoming star Kate Winslet. Together, they played the intensely entwined, murderous schoolgirls of Peter Jacksons Heavenly Creatures (1994). Even then, Jackson innately understood something about Lynskeys allure a glimmer of danger never totally out of sight. It flickers across the length of her career, from her 12-year stint opposite Charlie Sheen (and later Ashton Kutcher) on the sitcom Two and a Half Men to last months episode of HBOs The Last of Us, in which she played a merciless rebel leader. No doubt, that glimmer is the crux of her performance in Showtimes series Yellowjackets, which has returned for a thrilling second season. The hit series toggles between the Nineties and the present day, following the survivors of a plane crash in its immediate aftermath and later fallout. The part of Shauna, a survivor turned suburbanite who doesnt so much have skeletons in her closet as she does a dark, dingy basement chock full of them, is perfect for Lynskey and that dangerous streak. In person, it is absent. That is, except for when Lynskey shows me a posture she often strikes when she wants to convey a severity on screen: uncrossed legs, steely gaze, elbows on knees. (That move has a lot of power for me, she says, adding it first came to her in a dream.) But mostly, Lynskey is warm in the way most celebrities have already grown out of. She is also unfailingly polite and ill. Oh my God, Im so sorry, she coughs, lifting her hand to cover her mouth. Tiny black hearts are etched into her baby pink manicure. Its the worst to be in the room with someone who is sick. Its not for nothing Lynskey has a reputation as the nicest person in Hollywood. Story continues Phonetically, her name might not lend itself as easily to a portmanteau as Laura Derns or Kathryn Hahns (mind you, Melanaissance isnt half bad) but given the double whammy of Yellowjackets and The Last of Us, like them, she, too, is experiencing a career resurgence. It feels very different, I have to say, Lynskey gestures to the swanky London hotel suite where she is spending the day chatting about one of her recent hit shows. Shows plural! Its funny, Ive never had a publicity schedule before so its all new. But the years have made her realistic about the business; she knows this is temporary. And shes OK with that. Its not going to last forever so Im trying to make the most of it. You can hardly blame Lynskey for her pragmatic attitude. She was a jobbing actor for nearly 30 years, playing supporting roles in mainstream films (Sweet Home Alabama, Coyote Ugly, Dont Look Up) and lead roles in indie films (Hello I Must Be Going, Happy Christmas), before mainstream and lead role coalesced with Yellowjackets. But the uptick in her career has dovetailed with major life events, making this period in her life both exciting and really complicated. In 2018, Lynskey gave birth to her daughter (she is married to the actor Jason Ritter). Two years later, she had a pregnancy loss. I was grateful not to be working at that moment because I got to process it a little bit but theres definitely still things Im working through. She needs a vacation. A crying vacation is that a thing? Lynskey laughs. A crying vacation where you take a bath every day, cry a little bit, then go and have a glass of wine. It helps matters that her daughter, now four, goes with her pretty much everywhere. Lynskeys first experience as a working mother was not ideal. It was 2019 and she was playing a conservative activist in the acclaimed miniseries Mrs America opposite Cate Blanchett. It was really hard, says Lynskey of her time on set. Cate validated my feelings. Yknow, I would come to set and burst into tears and she would be like, Aw honey She was very, very there for me in that way. As was Sarah Paulson. Blanchett and Paulson, higher up on the call sheet than Lynskey, offered up their trailers so she would have somewhere private to pump and breastfeed. These generous women were giving me the things that were afforded to them in their contracts so that my life as a mother would be easier, she smiles. The whole thing was a learning curve. By the time negotiations forYellowjackets rolled around months later, Lynskey knew what she needed as a working mum. I asked for the world, she says. I wasnt going to do that again! Lynskey was 15 when producer and screenwriter Fran Walsh paid a visit to her high school in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Walsh was looking for an unknown to star opposite Kate Winslet in Peter Jacksons movie about a real-life Christchurch murder case from the Fifties in which two genteel schoolgirls killed one of their mothers. Lynskey netted the part of glowering, curly-haired Pauline Parker and was astounding. A brilliant showcase of a burgeoning talent, Heavenly Creatures shouldve been a catalyst for Lynskey like it was for her co-star Winslet, who went on to win an Oscar shortly after. It was years before Lynskey next appeared on screen; and decades until she landed another lead role. Lynskey as Shauna in Showtimes Yellowjackets (Colin Bentley/Showtime) Lynskey has spoken of feeling sidelined on the films publicity circuit. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to speak to Winslet only. For what its worth, she isnt bitter. Not then and not now. People were never cruel. It was more that I had a co-star who was so undeniably spectacular that I fell by the wayside a little bit. It was Kate Winslet becoming Kate Winslet, she says, widening her eyes. It was funny because I was super excited for her; I knew it was very much what she wanted but then, you know, I wanted to be working as well. Lynskey did work eventually. She didnt have the very specific look studios wanted for their leads, however, leaving her with supporting roles. Youre either the bitchy friend or the shy friend. She identified with neither. My agents would try to talk me into auditioning for things but Id be like, I dont want to play that kind of character. I dont like that this character exists. I dont want to do it, she says. In a recent New York Times interview, Lynskey recalled reading a script in which a character held a candy bar in every scene. She passed on that and plenty of others. Its hard when you dont have money, frankly, to pass on things but I really tried to commit to building as interesting a career as I could with my limited options. I was always a person who was exploring my sexuality even before Heavenly Creatures To use a cliche, the first time Lynskey felt seen was in 2003 when she auditioned for Mona Lisa Smile. Lynskey had been up for Connie Baker, a role that fell squarely within the carriage of strait-laced characters she had by then grown accustomed to playing, when director Mike Newell told her it wasnt a fit. Instead, he encouraged her to read for Giselle, a sexually adventurous college student. Nobody had ever taken the time with me to stop and say, Hang on a minute, who is this person internally? Lynskey didnt get the part (it went to Maggie Gyllenhaal) but wrote Newell a thank-you note, regardless. It was just nice to have a good experience. Sometimes thats enough. Lynskey and Kate Winslet in Heavenly Creatures in 1994 (Rex Features) Lynskeys career so far has been punctuated with canonically queer titles, chief among them Natasha Lyonnes pepto-pink cult classic But Im a Cheerleader (1999). There was Heavenly Creatures as well as a recurring role in The L Word. Yellowjackets, too, has been praised as the queerest show on TV right now. Someone once asked Lynskey whether perhaps she was playing too many gay people. Their subtext being that yes, she was. I was like, What? she laughs. There are so few gay characters in the world. Its not like Im going to be able to exclusively play gay people. Theres just not enough material. Its always been strange to me that people have those concerns. OMG yes let me push that homosexual agenda just by showing up! An honour! https://t.co/gJqgIJ3DSU Melanie Lynskey (@melanielynskey) February 1, 2023 Queerness was never a taboo in the Lynskey household. I was always a person who was exploring my sexuality even before Heavenly Creatures, she says. I always thought I could be anything! A laugh erupts from Lynskey as she recalls how her mother would always question her and her siblings over whether they were gay. She always wanted a gay child. It was always something that was not just on the table but she would say, Do you think maybe? And so I was like, Yeah, maybe! I was always exploring it. And how does she feel about her status as a gay icon a la Jennifer Coolidge? Lynskey beams in response. Doesnt everybody want to be loved by gay people? I feel like heterosexuals are not always so discerning. This feels like more of an achievement. In February, one irate person criticised her involvement in The Last of Us as homosexual agenda-pushing. Lynskey responded aptly and hilariously: OMG yes let me push that homosexual agenda just by showing up! She is quick with a clapback. Well, I ignore a lot, she says when I ask what prompts her to engage. I was a shy kid, kind of bullied and I didnt know how to stand up for myself. All I knew to do was double down on being a weirdo and make them even more freaked out by me. Now, I just dont like it. I dont like people being mean. Would her younger self be proud of her now? I think so. Little weird me would be like, Oh my goodness! Lynskey would like to clarify, though, that most comments she receives online are very kind. She is the sort to dwell on the good. Clea DuVall, Lynskey and Natasha Lyonne in 1999s But Im a Cheerleader (Alamy) Lynskey recently recounted how she had been body shamed by someone in the Yellowjackets production team. She is careful to clarify today that it was one singular person at fault. I feel like sometimes its been made out to be a cultural thing, but it was literally one time, she says. The shows co-creator, Ashley Lyle, wrote Lynskey an email after she learned what happened. Im going to keep it forever, she says. Ashley said how proud she was to have created a show where there is a regular-sized woman who is in a love triangle with two hot guys. She said that if she had seen something like this when she was a teenager, it would have changed the trajectory of her life. She said that they love me, and they love what I look like. Lynskey is very loved online, too. The internets affection increased tenfold earlier this month after her appearance with Ritter on The Drew Barrymore Show went viral. Her husband had opened up about struggling with alcoholism during the early days of their relationship. Its a heart-pinching moment and completely romantic. Lynskey tells me now there was not always a light at the end of the tunnel. They even had a goodbye party for their relationship once. We called it a goodbye party, but it was just the two of us locked in a house for a weekend trying to get it out of our systems. It didnt work. Within a fortnight, they were back in touch. Things were crazy for a while. It got a lot easier when my husband got sober, which Im so proud of him for, but we were not two people who were ready for a relationship at all. Maybe it was their unborn daughter, she muses, out in the universe willing them to keep going. We were at a bad time in our lives, but Im so grateful to have found him. As always, Lynskey finds the silver lining. Motorists driving to Sacramento International Airport will be able use a new road connector on Elkhorn Boulevard as an alternative to the airports main entrance off Interstate 5, airport officials said Friday. Construction of the $14.5 million one-mile expansion of Elkhorn Boulevard, from Power Road to the airport, is supposed to start next week and be complete by the end of this year. On Friday, airport officials joined State Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, and Sacramento County Supervisor Patrick Kennedy at a ceremonial groundbreaking for the road extension. The ceremony took place near the airport Arco gas station, where the road extension will end. The gas station is right past the airports entrance. Airport officials characterized the second direct connection to the airport as an alternative entrance if travel backs up on I-5. Motorists on State Highway 99 could get off at the Elkhorn Boulevard exit and take that road right to the airport, they said. The connector would also serve as a direct link for traffic between a proposed airport cargo station in Metro Air Park and the airport. Our goal has always been to have secondary access to the airport, TJ Chen, deputy director of airport planning and development said at the groundbreaking ceremony. Secondary access does exist now but the new connector will be a straight shot. Its possible to currently enter the airport from Elkhorn Boulevard using a roundabout route on Bayou Road paralleling I-5 , but its about a quarter-mile longer than the planned Elkhorn connector. Around $11 million of the funding for the new road comes from state transportation funds, money that wouldnt be possible if the state legislature hadnt approved an increase in the state gas tax in 2017, McCarty said. The plan increased gas taxes by 43%. McCarty said at the groundbreaking that raising gas taxes was necessary, even if it was unpopular. I thought about it for a couple of seconds and theres no free lunch in life, he said. And our roads and our infrastructure were deteriorating in Sacramento and across California, and they werent going to fix themselves. Story continues The debate over gas taxes continues today. The oil industry has been citing Californias high state taxes on gas in its battle with California Governor Gavin Newsom over his plan to rein in oil company profits. The road connector is just one part of a $1.3 billion makeover of Sacramento International Airport. Other project include a pedestrian walkway connecting the check-in and departure gate area of Terminal B, new airport gates and a new rental car center and parking garage. India's crime-fighting agency searched three premises of edtech giant Byju's and its founder Byju Raveendran, it said Saturday, and seized various "incriminating" documents and digital data. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said it conducted the searches under the provisions of the nation's anti-money laundering law FEMA, but declined to elaborate. The agency has conducted several similar probes in recent months, including at crypto firms WazirX and CoinSwitch Kuber, phonemaker Vivo and news broadcaster the BBC. The agency said "various" complaints from private individuals prompted the investigation. As part of the probe into Byju's, which is ongoing, ED said it summoned Raveendran "several" times but the founder "remained evasive and never appeared during the investigation." The probe has so far found that Byju's raised about $3.4 billion in foreign direct investment during the period of 2011 to 2023. During this period, the startup remitted about $1.1 billion to foreign entities and labeled about $115 million as advertisement and marketing expense. It appears that part of what prompted ED to conduct the investigation was the delayed filing of annual financials by Byju's. The so-called findings -- how much money Byju's raised, and later invested in overseas units -- have been widely disclosed by Byju's and reported by media earlier. "The company has not prepared its financial statements since financial year 2020-21 and has not got the accounts audited, which is mandatory. Hence, the genuineness of the figures provided by the company are being cross examined from the banks," ED said in a statement Sunday. The Bengaluru-headquartered Byju's, which is India's most valuable startup and which counts BlackRock, Sequoia India, Lightspeed Venture Partners India and UBS among its backers, termed the searches by the agency as "a routine inquiry," and said the startup maintains complete transparency with the authorities and has provided all the information that was requested. Story continues "We have nothing but the utmost confidence in the integrity of our operations, and we are committed to upholding the highest standards of compliance and ethics. We will continue to work closely with the authorities to ensure that they have all the information they need, and we are confident that this matter will be resolved in a timely and satisfactory manner. We want to emphasize that it is business as usual at Byju's," a spokesperson of Byju's legal team said in a statement. "We are committed to delivering high-quality educational products and services to our customers across India and the world." ED's statement comes at a time when Byju's is closing a large funding round and is gearing up for the IPO of its subsidiary unit physical tutor chain Aakash. PETERSBURG A senior citizen has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run Friday morning that injured a student on his way to school. According to police, Robert Macklin, 79, of Petersburg has been charged with hit-and-run with injury, which is a felony. A bond was set for him, but it was not immediately clear if he still was in custody. The incident happened shortly after 8:30 a.m. as the 10-year-old boy was crossing the street to Pleasants Lane Elementary School. Police said the unidentified youth was in the crosswalk when he was hit by a blue vehicle. The driver of the vehicle stopped briefly, then left. The boy was taken to a local hospital where he was treated and released, police and Petersburg City Public Schools officials said. An investigation into the incident is continuing. This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg senior citizen charged with felony hit-and-run As many writers have noted, writing is the painting of a picture in another persons mind using only words. The magnificent scenery of Texas has inspired many artists and writers through the years, and the backdrop of overwhelming beauty and sometimes larger-than-life characters has often been the spark needed for a great story. Elmer Kelton, a son of the dusty plains of West Texas, wove these elements into famous, award-winning tales of the Old West and became one of the most famous novelists in the nation. Elmer Kelton was born in a ranch camp in eastern Andrews County simply called Horse Camp on the Five Wells Ranch in 1926. His father, Robert W. Buck Kelton, was a ranch hand, a man respected for his work ethic as he tried to scratch out a living for his family. In 1929, the family moved to the small town of Crane, not far from Midland, when he father got a job with the McElroy Ranch. Sometimes the younger Kelton would work alongside his father when he was not in school. In 1942, he graduated from Crane High School. Because he was barely 16 when he graduated in the midst of World War II, he could not enlist in the army like so many young men of the time were doing. Instead, he attended the University of Texas for a couple of years while studying journalism. After his 18th birthday in 1944, he enlisted in the army, serving in the infantry in Europe. Once his tour of duty ended in 1946, he returned to Austin and graduated from the university with his journalism degree in 1948. He quickly found a job as the farm and ranch editor for the San Angelo Standard-Times. He was a popular writer and enjoyed his work. Along the way, he started writing novels about the Old West. His first, Hot Iron, was published in 1956. In 1957, Buffalo Wagons won a Spur Award from the Western Writers of America. He produced new books at a rapid rate. Kelton even wrote for two popular television westerns. In 1958, he wrote an episode for the program Colt .45 and wrote a 1960 episode of Maverick starring James Garner. Story continues In 1963, he became editor of Sheep and Goat Raiser Magazine, a position he held until 1968. Continuing to write novels on the side, he then became editor of Livestock Weekly. He would soon publish two more widely-acclaimed novels, The Day the Cowboys Quit (1971) and The Time It Never Rained (1973). In 1977, though his writing career had yet to reach its peak, he earned the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Western Writers of America. In 1979, The Good Old Boys was published. The novel centered on a middle-aged cowboy struggling with raising his family while pining for the adventure of life on the frontier. The book was made into television movie in 1995 and featured Tommy Lee Jones, Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek. Though he steadily achieved fame for his novels, he continued to work for Livestock Weekly until 1990. His next-to-last novel, Many A River, was published in 2009. Kelton earned his eighth Spur Award for the work. He worked until the end. Kelton died quietly at his home in San Angelo in 2009 at the age of 83. He had just completed his sixty-second book, Texas Standoff, which was released after his death. He was celebrated for his many achievements as a writer. Today, years after his passing, his novels still have many fans. Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan. He holds a doctorate from the University of North Texas. Bridges can be reached by email at drkenbridges@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Elmer Kelton born in West Texas, became one of nation's famous writers Getty Images Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk went from being friendly to each other online to competitors. Most recently, Dorsey said Musk should have "walked away" from his Twitter takeover. Here's a timeline of how their bromance faltered after being cordial for years. Both Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk have enjoyed success as tech entrepreneurs in their own respective lanes. Over the years the billionaires have exchanged praise for one another online, even coming to each of their defense at times. Their bromance appears to have dwindled though after Musk subpoenaed Dorsey in 2022 for material relating to spam accounts as part of his defense against Twitter. Dorsey's most recent comments on Musk seem to show their friendship could be rocky. In a series of posts on Twitter rival platform Bluesky, Dorsey said Musk was the "only alternative" to Twitter being taken over by "Wall Street activists" even if he didn't turn out as the "best possible" leader for the company. Here's how their relationship has evolved over the years. One of Dorsey's first public bouts of praise for Musk was in 2016 Francois Mori/AP The Twitter CEO said Musk's account on the social platform was one of his favorites. "He's constantly on Twitter, constantly talking about what [Tesla is] doing and how he's feeling about it as well," Dorsey said at a trade show in 2016. "He's very open and using it to correct press and if people aren't focused on the right things. I think he's a really good model of how to use it well." Musk gave Dorsey some tips on how Twitter could be improved in January 2020 Win McNamee/Getty Images Dorsey asked Musk for "direct feedback" in a video call in front of thousands of Twitter employees. The Tesla CEO said it would be helpful to tell fake and real users apart. "Is this a real person, or is this a bot net, or a sort of troll army, or something like that?" Musk said. Story continues Musk came to Dorsey's defense in March 2020 amid an attempted ousting AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana An activist hedge fund that had amassed about a 5% stake in Twitter pushed an initiative to drive Dorsey out of his role as CEO. The hedge fund, Elliot Management, reasoned that since Dorsey led two companies, Twitter and Square, he wasn't focused enough on the former. Musk who also helms two companies tweeted, "Just want say that I support @Jack as Twitter CEO. He has a good" heart, using the heart emoji. Musk said he called Dorsey right after his account was compromised in the great Twitter hack of July 2020 Britta Pedersen / POOL / AFP via Getty Images Hackers staged a coordinated attack on dozens of celebrity accounts last summer, and Musk's was one of them. He told The New York Times that he personally called Dorsey after realizing he was hacked. "Within a few minutes of the post coming up, I immediately got texts from a bunch of people I know, then I immediately called Jack so probably within less than five minutes my account was locked," Musk told the Times. Musk and Dorsey shared their mutual enthusiasm for crypto at a bitcoin conference in 2021 Joe Skipper/Reuters; Philippe Wojazer/Reuters Dorsey posted about a bitcoin event called "The B Word" on Twitter in the summer 2021, and after Musk responded to it, the Twitter CEO invited him to attend for a conversation. Musk responded, "For the Bitcurious? Very well then, let's do it," and added a wink face emoji. Dorsey said he would set it up. The virtual chat in July 2021 was the first public appearance starring the two friendly executives. You can watch a recording of it here. Dorsey chimed in with support for Musk when he joined Twitter's board in March 2022 Picture Alliance/Getty Images In March 2022, Musk became Twitter's largest shareholder after buying up a 9.2% stake in the social media giant. Musk also became a Twitter board member, and the company's current CEO tweeted his support early Tuesday for the news, calling Musk a "passionate believer." Dorsey shortly after tweeted something similar. "I'm really happy Elon is joining the Twitter board!" Dorsey said. "He cares deeply about our world and Twitter's role in it. Parag and Elon both lead with their hearts, and they will be an incredible team." Musk subpoenaed Dorsey in August 2022. Associated Press Musk was after any documents or communications as far back as 2019 that might mention "the impact or effect of false or spam accounts on Twitter's business and operations." Twitter sued Musk in July 2022 after the Tesla CEO attempted to back out of his $44 billion takeover. Musk countersued the company, accusing it of misleading his team over how many bots are actually on the platform. Dorsey said in April 2023 Musk never should have bought Twitter. AP/Getty Images Dorsey was asked by Bluesky users if Musk was the "best possible" person to take over Twitter and the co-founder said he wasn't. "No. Nor do I think he acted right after realizing his timing was bad," Dorsey wrote of Musk. "Nor do I think the board should have forced the sale. It all went south." Dorsey added: "If Elon or anyone wanted to buy the company, all they had to do was name a price that the board felt was better than what the company could do independently. This is true for every public company. Was I optimistic? Yes. Did I have final say? No. I think he should have walked away and paid the $1 billion." Read the original article on Business Insider Elon Musk appeared on Bill Maher's HBO show Friday. Getty Images Elon Musk dismissed claims he'd become conservative on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" Friday. The Tesla chief said he'd spent a "massive amount" of his life developing sustainable energy. "It's not exactly far-right," Musk said, adding that he thinks of himself as a "moderate." Elon Musk said he thinks of himself as a "moderate" in response to critics who say he's become conservative since buying Twitter last year. He made the comments during an appearance on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" Friday. "I, at least, think of myself as a moderate," the Tesla CEO said. "I spent a massive amount of my life energy building sustainable energy, you know, electric vehicles, and batteries, and solar. It's not exactly far-right." Musk wants to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy with electric vehicles as well as renewable energy generation and storage. However, the way he runs Twitter since buying the social media platform for $44 billion in October has attracted more attention. Musk has repeatedly called himself a "free speech absolutist," and disagreed with Twitter's decision to ban former President Donald Trump's account following the Capitol riots in January 2021. He's also put free speech at the forefront of why he bought the social media platform. Musk told Maher: "Free speech used to be a left or liberal value, and yet we see from the quote 'left' a desire to actually censor, and that seems crazy." "I think we should be extremely concerned about anything that undermines the First Amendment," Musk said. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the government. Musk later added: "My concern with Twitter was to that it is somewhat of the digital town square and it's important that there be both the reality and perception of trust for a wide range of viewpoints." Story continues Musk has called himself an independent and centrist. He previously said that he'd only voted Democrat until May last year but could no longer support the party. He's frequently feuded with elected Democrats, including President Joe Biden, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. However, the billionaire has shown a friendlier approach when exchanging with right-wing officials such as GOP Representative Lauren Boebert. Experts previously told Insider he was using Twitter to amplify far-right viewpoints. Musk didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider made outside normal working hours. Read the original article on Business Insider Timberland Regional Library leaders met with The Olympian on Friday to offer insight into the systems loss of $120,000 to a bogus account as well as other issues raised by the state Auditors Office. A recent audit examined the operations of the multi-county library district that serves Southwest Washington, including Thurston County, from Jan. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2021. The audit ultimately resulted in a management letter that was sent to the board in February that outlined some concerns and listed recommendations to address them. One of those items was addressed by the board this week, while the two more serious issues raised by the letter public loss of funds and questions about the competitive bid and prevailing wage process have already been dealt with, Executive Director Cheryl Heywood and Operations Director Brenda Lane said. Between December 2020 and January 2021, the library district learned that around $120,000 had been electronically transferred to a bogus account to renew Timberlands annual insurance policy. As soon as the district learned of the problem, the board, the Thurston County Treasurers Office, the FBI, Tumwater police (TRLs headquarters is in Tumwater), the insurance company and the state Auditors Office were alerted about the problem, Heywood said. The library also launched an internal investigation and found that an employee had not followed the proper procedures, but also had fallen victim to a scam by someone pretending to be the executive director and operations director. Lane remembered the day well, saying she and Heywood were in a long meeting when Lane said she started to receive messages from a staffer in finance who was getting ready to make the $120,000 payment. What payment? Lane asked. The employee replied: The one you keep emailing me about. Unbeknownst to both of them, the scammers were sending those emails. Despite the fraudulent payment, the FBI was able to recover about $65,000, while most of the remaining balance was covered by insurance. The library had to pay a $10,000 deductible, Heywood said. Story continues Although the state Auditors Office was alerted at the time about the incident, it was still part of the later audit. Lanes initial reaction to the management letter was, This is not fair, but she came to terms with it. It happened, she said. We cant hide from it. Heywood said the library has since invested in more training for finance staff and now requires multi-factor authentication, which is similar to a multi-step verification process to identify a person online. As to the status of the employee who made the error, Lane said she wouldnt comment on personnel matters. Employee and library mistakes also were at the center of concerns surrounding the prevailing wage and competitive bid process. An employee thought sending prevailing wage information to the state Department of Labor and Industries was the responsibility of the contractor, not the library, Lane said. As for the competitive bid process, the library understands the process, Lane said. The challenge, however, is that their projects sometimes fail to attract the required number of bidders. Contractors arent always interested in traveling to remote branches, such as Amanda Park in Grays Harbor County, Naselle in Pacific County or Salkum in Lewis County, Lane said. That means the library has to call those contractors directly. Thats OK, according to the state Auditors Office, so long as they call at least three and document those efforts. Lane said the problem was there wasnt any documentation. We had the processes in place but they werent as fine tuned, Heywood said, but she added that a state Auditors Office management letter is nothing like a finding, when auditors have significant concerns about a governments control over public resources or other issues. The Board of Trustees is aware of the management letter and the recommendations, said Trustee and President-elect Mary Beth Harrington. They made sense, they were not shocking, they were not surprises, necessarily, and they were things that were easily resolved, she said. Accountability audit of Timberland Regional Library details errors, but financial audit clean Timberland library board tweaks policy after audit, says little about audit itself Lacey Timberland library receives $920,000 gift from former patron (Bloomberg) -- Claudio Descalzi, Chief Executive Officer of Italian oil and gas giant Eni Spa, said he sees no significant jolts to the energy market this year. Most Read from Bloomberg For this year, I dont expect further big shocks on the energy market, Descalzi told newspaper La Stampa in an interview Saturday. European gas stocks are full and, even though the global economy has restarted, demand is not at the maximum levels because China hasnt yet restarted activity at full speed. Descalzi said imports of Russian gas had shrank to almost zero, reduced to a few percentages. He added: Thanks to imports of liquefied natural gas from the US and to new supply contracts with northern and Sub-Saharan Africa. Eni posted a first-quarter profit Friday that beat estimates on strong gas trading, but trimmed its full-year earnings guidance due to lower prices for the fuel. Eni was among the first oil majors to report earnings in a season thats expected to deliver sizable cash flows even as profit falls from last years record levels. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. DUBAI (Reuters) - The United States is an unreliable friend, and Iraq should not allow any U.S. troops on its territory, Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told visiting Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid on Saturday. Iran, which has strong ties with Iraq, opposes the U.S. military presence on its borders in Iraq and the Gulf, saying Western military intervention is the root of insecurity in the region. "Americans are not friends of Iraq. Americans are not friends with anyone and are not even loyal to their European friends," state media quoted Khamenei as saying. U.S. national security agencies are investigating after a leak of classified documents has suggested the United States spied on allies including Ukraine. "Even the presence of one American in Iraq is too much," Khamenei told Rashid, who was in Tehran with a delegation to boost ties between the two neighbours. The United States has some 2,500 troops in Iraq to help advise and assist local troops in combating Islamic State, which in 2014 seized territory in the country. "Iraq's main effort is to deepen relations with Iran and resolve certain remaining issues between the two countries," Rashid was quoted as saying, without referring to Iraq's ties with the United States. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom; editing by Barbara Lewis) REUTERS Former New York mayoral candidate and radio host Curtis Sliwa owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid child support, according to a new lawsuit filed Saturday. The suit, filed by Sliwas third wife Mary Paterson in New York Supreme Court and obtained by The Daily Beast, alleges that when the couple divorced in 2012, after 12 years of marriage, Sliwa agreed to pay $144,000 a year in child support to his ex-wife and son. But, Paterson says, between 2015 and 2023, Sliwa refused to pay the promised amount. Now, she is suing Sliwa for more than $530,000 in unpaid child support. Last fall, Curtis Sliwa unilaterally decided to reduce his bi-monthly child support payment by 23% for his son Anthony. Instead of reinstating the court-ordered amount, he tried to maintain the unauthorized reduction by making threats to expose my client and her husband with bad publicity, Paul Siegert, a lawyer representing Paterson, told The Daily Beast, Neither my client nor I have anything against Curtis but we will not tolerate his disregard for the legal process. Sliwa, who rose to prominence as the founder of the 1970s New York vigilante group The Guardian Angels, has made a living as a radio broadcaster since the 1990s. Its not the first time that Sliwa has been sued by his ex-wife. In 2013, Paterson filed a suit against Sliwa in Manhattan civil court, claiming he had been unfaithful to her since 2008. While married to Paterson, Sliwa had an affair with Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, the suit claims, fathering two children with her through IVF while still married to Paterson. Paterson described Sliwa as an "an inveterate, world-class liar" in that suit, according to reporting from DNAInfo, and said he had swindled money more than half millions dollars from Paterson to build a nest egg for his children with Katz. That year, Sliwa complained that he was unable to pay child support to Paterson and his son, because his WABC salary had been slashed from $688,000 to $120,000. Story continues After Sliwa and Paterson divorced, he lived with Katz and their two children in Forest Hills. The two split-up in 2015. Sliwa married his fourth wife, Nancy Regula, in 2018. Paterson meanwhile, is now married to former New York Governor David Paterson, who once co-hosted a radio show with Sliwa. Sliwa did not return a request for comment on Saturday. 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. BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) The Azerbaijan Grand Prix will remain on the Formula One calendar until at least 2026 after a three-year contract extension was announced Saturday during the race weekend. The Baku City Circuit has been a favorite with fans since its debut in 2017 following several eventful races at the high-speed street circuit, with the Caspian Sea and Baku's old city walls as a backdrop. Barriers close to the track offer little room for error. It is an incredible circuit which always delivers huge drama, and has played host to some of the most exciting races in recent memory, F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said in a statement. "We are delighted to extend our relationship with the country of Azerbaijan and look forward to continuing our growth together. Baku was hosting a sprint race for the first time Saturday as well as the main Grand Prix on Sunday. ___ More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Boeing 737 Max's parked in 2020 following their grounding. David Ryder/Getty Images The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) overruled concerned engineers to allow the Boeing 737 Max to continue flying even in the aftermath of two deadly crashes, a new investigation alleges. The report, released Friday by the inspector general of the U.S. Transportation Department, examined the FAA's actions following two 737 Max crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019, respectively. In all, 346 people were killed. Following the crashes, the FAA held off on grounding the 737 Max, the report alleges, because they wanted to get more conclusive data from the planes. This is despite the fact that Boeing engineers reportedly voiced concerns that the planes were too dangerous to remain in service. The Transportation Department's investigation "revealed that individual engineers...recommended grounding the airplane while the accident was being investigated based on what they perceived as similarities between the accidents." One engineer even made an initial estimate that the risk of another deadly crash was 13 times greater than the FAA standard, the report claims. The FAA reportedly acknowledged that engineers "suggested that there was a 25 percent chance of an accident in 60 days" if the planes were not fixed. However, FAA officials bypassed this warning because the estimate "did not go through managerial review due to lack of detailed flight data," the report claims. The FAA was the last major international regulator to ground the 737 Max, The Associated Press noted, not doing so until three days after the second crash. They did not reauthorize the planes to fly again until late 2020. The agency said in an attached response to the investigation that it has updated its procedures to improve the safety of all planes. The FAA additionally told CNN that it had "identified the issues outlined in the report before it was issued and is working to address them." Story continues You may also like U.S. production of bullets, shells, and missiles sidelined by explosion at 1 Louisiana gunpowder mill FAA overruled engineers to let Boeing 737 Max keep flying, report alleges Bill finalized to allow DeSantis to run for president while remaining governor The claim: Media admits governments are using geoengineering to manipulate weather An April 23 Instagram post (direct link, archived link) includes a screenshot of an article from The People's Voice. "The mainstream media has finally admitted what the alternative media has been reporting for years," reads the text in the screenshotted article. "Governments across the world are secretly manipulating the weather using top-secret geoengineering technology." The screenshot also includes an image of an airplane leaving white trails in the sky. The post garnered more than 200 likes in three days. Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks Our rating: False The article erroneously conflates geoengineering technologies with cloud-seeding and the chemtrails conspiracy theory. Climate scientists say geoengineering technology is not yet in use and is still being researched. The article was published by a website that regularly publishes fabricated stories. What we know about cloud seeding and geoengineering There is no evidence mainstream media outlets reported that governments are utilizing geoengineering technologies. The People's Voice article includes several video clips of footage featured on ABC News' "The Power of Water" series aired during Earth Week 2023. In the clips, meteorologist Ginger Zee discusses cloud seeding and its use in the Rocky Mountain region to mitigate the effects of drought. The article also features several ABC News articles reporting on cloud seeding programs and a tweet from Zee about cloud seeding. But the article erroneously conflates three distinct concepts: cloud seeding, geoengineering and the 'chemtrails' conspiracy theory. Cloud seeding refers to a localized form of weather manipulation that utilizes aircraft to inject clouds with silver iodide to induce precipitation on a hyperlocal scale. Geoengineering refers to a number of emerging climate intervention technologies that could manipulate the atmosphere to mitigate the effects of climate change. These are not yet in use. The "chemtrails" conspiracy theory baselessly claims governments and other nefarious actors are secretly adding toxic chemicals to the atmosphere via airplane condensation trails. There is no such thing. Story continues The People's Voice, previously known as NewsPunch, has a lengthy history of publishing fabricated stories, many of which have been debunked by USA TODAY. There are two broad categories of geoengineering: carbon geoengineering aims to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, while solar geoengineering aims to modify the amount of solar radiation absorbed and released by the Earths atmosphere. Alan Robock, a climate science professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey, previously told USA TODAY both categories of climate interventions are still being developed and studied. Robock explained much of the technology necessary to make these interventions work does not yet exist and he was not aware of any ongoing experiments or operations utilizing geoengineering technology. Fact check: Geoengineering technology not yet in use, despite posts to the contrary Cloud seeding, on the other hand, has been around for decades. Cloud-seeding airplanes use flares mounted to the wings and belly of the plane to inject clouds with silver iodide particles. Some programs also use ground-based machines to aerosolize the silver iodide. The silver iodide condenses the existing moisture in clouds, causing the water molecules to fall as snow or rain. The process only works if there are existing clouds in the sky with lots of moisture in them, according to cloud-seeding experts. The Peoples Voice article purports that these efforts are capable of manipulating the weather and generating severe weather like hailstorms, tornadoes and floods. But Julie Gondzar, the program manager for Wyomings Weather Modification Program, previously told USA TODAY cloud seeding can only increase precipitation on a "microscale" in a localized area. A lot of people think its manipulating the weather pattern," Gondzar said. "We are essentially just playing with cloud dynamics and cloud physics, on a super, super small scale. Charles Konrad, director of NOAA's Southeast Regional Climate Center, previously told USA TODAY that no one has the ability to create large-scale weather events or storms. Experts say the chemtrails conspiracy theory lacks any credibility. Claims purporting to prove chemtrails are real have been repeatedly debunked by USA TODAY and other fact-checkers. Fact check: False claim chemtrails and HAARP are used to manipulate the weather USA TODAY reached out to the People's Voice and the Instagram user who shared the post for comment, neither of whom immediately responded. Our fact-check sources: Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: No, media did not admit government is using geoengineering Rasheem Carter. Laurel Police Department The family of Rasheem Carter is protesting the police handling of his case. Carter was found dead in Mississippi last year with his head severed. His family calls his death a "modern-day lynching" and is demanding answers from officials. The family of Rasheem Carter, a 25-year-old Mississippi man found dead with his head severed last year, is planning a protest on Saturday, according to his attorneys and ABC News. National civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, announced that the demonstration would take place in Taylorsville, Mississippi. Carter's mother who is from nearby Fayette reported her son missing in October 2022 shortly after he called and said a group of white men in trucks had been harassing him, Insider previously reported. A month later, police found his remains in a wooded area near Taylorsville. Officials at the time said they believed that no "foul play was involved" but that the incident was still under investigation. Crump previously said that Carter's head was "severed" from his body and some of his body parts were missing. The attorney told ABC News that his spinal cord was found in another location from his head. Carter's family believes his death was a "modern-day lynching" and has demanded more answers from law enforcement. Police told Insider in March that there's no evidence to suggest that Carter was killed and that animals could have torn his body apart. Carter was captured on deer camera footage in the Mississippi woods the day he was reported missing and his mother told Insider that she knew he "was somewhere struggling, somewhere running for his life." According to a statement released Thursday, Crump said that Mississippi Crime Lab informed the family that another set of remains, which were discovered in February, is linked to Carter. "The family of Rasheem Carter, while still deep in grief, is being denied adequate information and closure from the Mississippi officials overseeing this case. From the beginning of this case, the family has been misled," Crump said. Story continues Ben Crump Law, PLLC (@BenCrumpLaw) April 26, 2023 "Now, it's unacceptable that the family had to find out through an email that more of Rasheem's remains were found, and still, they haven't been told any other information, been offered a meeting with officials, or received his remains," the statement said. "They continue to be stonewalled at every turn. This family just wants to find out what happened to Rasheem and say their goodbyes they ask that the additional remains be returned to them so that they can lay him to rest." Read the original article on Insider Wayne State University police shot a goldendoodle in the face while responding to a call inside of The Cultural Gardens in Midtown Detroit on Friday night, witnesses said. Ace a 10-year-old black goldendoodle, a crossbreed of golden retriever and poodle that is known for its friendliness and energetic playfulness, weighing about 55 pounds was outside of a neighbor's home when his family said a WSU officer purposely shot him in the lip. Ace was at the house next to our house that he always goes to when we take him out to do his business, said Justin Fuller, 18, the dog's owner. He spotted an officer and began trotting up to him, and when the officer saw Ace, he looked at me and then looked at Ace and just shot him. Fuller said the officer did not give any warning or command to get the dog before shooting him. The Detroit Free Press reached out to Wayne State University police twice on Friday night. The on-call officer was not available for comment. The Free Press' calls had not been returned as of Saturday afternoon. The incident happened right around 9:30 p.m., witnesses said. The goldendoodle was taken to Blue Pearl Pet Hospital in Southfield by his family and was released Saturday morning with stitches and a cone attached to his neck. He was shot in the top of his lip, and it came out the bottom of his lip, said Robin Gamble, Fuller's mother. "It went through his jaw and cracked two of his canine teeth. Gamble, a mother of two, lost her oldest son to gun violence in August. She said she is still in disbelief and now traumatized about the officers actions. More: Grosse Ile police shoot, kill bull after it terrorizes island for 7 hours More: 'We tried everything': Family says system failed paranoid man shot by police I just thank God they didnt shoot my son, too, she said. Gamble says Ace is just as much a part of her family as her children. Ace, a 10-year-old black goldendoodle weighing about 55 pounds, was shot in the lip by Wayne State University police on Friday, April 28, 2023, his family says. He is the sweetest boy ever. He enjoys daily walks at Belle Isle Park and chasing birds and squirrels, she said. Now we have to figure out how to feed him and all he is doing is crying and panting. Story continues Gamble said Ace has a long recovery ahead of him. She does plan to file a complaint against WSU police to get some answers for why someone would just shoot her doodle. Dogs matter, too, she said. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Family says WSU police shot goldendoodle in face, demands answers After Kansas City, Kansas, police shot and killed a man during a traffic stop Wednesday night, the mans girlfriend, who was a passenger in the car, said an officer opened fire after the man tried to drive away. Much about how police came to shoot Amareeya Henderson, 25, a delivery driver from Independence, remains unknown. Kansas City, Missouri, police have taken over the investigation as an outside agency and have provided few facts about the shooting. But shooting the driver of a moving car is generally considered a bad idea except under certain circumstances, according to national law enforcement experts and the policies of some of the biggest police departments in the country. The policy of the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department places limits on the authority of officers to shoot at moving vehicles, allowing it in situations where occupants are using a deadly weapon against police or the vehicle is being used as a deadly weapon against a person who is not able to move out of its path. How that policy matches up to what occurred in the shooting is not clear. Video from body cameras or dashboard cameras that may have captured the shooting is not open to the public under Kansas law and might never be publicly released, though the Wyandotte County District Attorneys Office has in the past shared videos after completing case reviews. Hendersons family could be allowed to see the video under the law. Nancy Chartrand, a spokeswoman for Kansas City, Kansas, police, declined on Friday to speak about the investigation in the context of the departments use of force policies. A man was fatally shot Wednesday night by a Kansas City, Kansas police officer during a traffic stop in the 1100 block of Metropolitan Avenue. But she welcomed the public to examine the departments policies, which are posted on the departments website, saying residents should have access to information about the way police operate and instruct officers. Hendersons family and girlfriend have said they do not believe he had a weapon in the car at the time of the shooting. Kansas City, Missouri, police, who said the shooting occurred after a confrontation during the traffic stop, have not said a weapon was found at the scene. Story continues Donna Drake, a Kansas City Police Department spokeswoman, did not respond to questions Thursday about whether Henderson was armed at the time of the shooting. Details of the shooting So far, the most detailed account of the shooting has come from Shakira Hill, Hendersons girlfriend who was in the car with him at the time, and his mother, Pauletta Johnson, who was on a FaceTime call with the couple. Hill told The Star that the couple had hopped in their shared car Wednesday so Henderson could make some extra money by making a few DoorDash deliveries. They dropped off the last order in Kansas City, Kansas Argentine neighborhood. About 8:30 p.m., near the 12th Street Bridge over the Kansas River, Henderson stopped at a stop sign, then let his foot off the brake to go through the intersection. That is when they saw the police lights, Hill said. They were pulled over by a Kansas City, Kansas, police officer in the 1100 block of Metropolitan Avenue. Hill could see the fear in her partner as they waited for the officer to return their paperwork. Henderson, who was Black, had years earlier been wrongly arrested and beaten by police, according to his mother, and feared them since. Amareeya Henderson, 25, was shot and killed by Kansas City, Kansas police on April 26, 2023. I want it to be known they killed an innocent man, said his mother, Pauletta Johnson. Hill said she told the officer they were scared long before the traffic stop escalated. They had both been pulled over in the past, but this time, something felt off, Hill said. At Hendersons request, Hill pulled out her phone and FaceTimed Johnson, who said she would head there immediately. In the meantime, two more police cars pulled in nearby, Hill said. Again, they asked why they were pulled over, Hill said, and Johnson confirmed, from her vantage point on the FaceTime call. The officer, Hill said, told Henderson that hed tell them if Henderson got out of the car. Henderson told the officer he wasnt going to get out of the car until his mother arrived. She would be there soon. Johnson said she saw the officer crawl part-way into the front seat with Henderson and start grabbing, pulling, punching, stomping. At some point, Johnson said, Henderson started to back the car up. Baby, dont run, Johnson recalled hearing Hill say to Henderson through the FaceTime. But we need to be where somebody can see us, he responded. Baby, its OK. Just go ahead and pull back over. Its cool. Hill remembered telling him. OK, baby, he responded, turning the wheel to park again, Hill said. A moment later one of the officers shot him twice. The vehicle only came to rest after it crashed into a parked car on Metropolitan Avenue. Johnson heard the gunshots through the FaceTime video as she was driving. She watched the phone drop to the floor as Hill wailed Why? in the background. An officer eventually picked up the phone and hung up the call, Johnson said. In total, the FaceTime call lasted about 14 minutes. Amareeya Rashon Henderson and his girlfriend Shakira Hill while on a vacation in California in 2021. Shooting at moving vehicles For decades, policing experts and many law enforcement leaders have been advising departments to adopt strict policies governing when an officer might fire a gun into a moving vehicle. Since the 1970s, the New York City Police Department abandoned the practice of shooting a moving vehicle when no other threat such as a person firing a weapon from the car is present, and many other departments have taken similar steps. Many law enforcement groups, including the U.S. Department of Justice, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Police Executive Research Forum, a think tank, advise that officers should simply not do it at all unless the occupants present a danger in some way other than the vehicle itself. That is partly because bullets do not stop a moving car. If the officer is in the path of a moving vehicle the best or only way to safety is to move. And if the officer is not in the path, there may be no need to shoot. It is also frequently noted that firing at a vehicle creates a risk to bystanders, either from bullets that miss the target or a vehicle that would be left out of control once the driver is injured. Kansas City, Kansas police policy Under the most recently-approved rule book for Kansas City, Kansas police, use-of-force is broadly accepted in any case where an officer is in a situation where the risk of death or great bodily harm is imminent. The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department has two sections of policy that speak to shooting at moving vehicles. A section posted online under the departments pursuit policy says officers are prohibited from discharging firearms from, or at, a moving vehicle unless the officer is confronted with a direct, immediate deadly force confrontation, where the vehicle itself is being used as a deadly weapon and the officer has no avenue of escape. Officers are expressly forbidden from voluntarily placing themselves in the path of an oncoming vehicle in an attempt to provoke a deadly force confrontation, it reads. Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department Pursuit Policy by Ian Cummings on Scribd Chartrand, the police department spokeswoman, on Friday also cited another policy, which she shared in the form of a screenshot by email. It was unclear if the policy was included in the department policies posted online, which include nine categories, each with many sections. That policy reads, in part: Officers will not fire at a moving vehicle, its tires, etc., with the intend of rendering it inoperable. However, this does not prohibit firing at the occupants of a vehicle when the occupants are using deadly force against the officer or others by means other than the vehicle itself An officer threatened by an oncoming vehicle should move out of its path if possible, the policy reads. Officers may fire at a driver using a vehicle as a weapon when the officer is not reasonable able to move out of its path or when the vehicle is being used to assault another person who does not appear able to escape the vehicular assault. A Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department policy on the use of force is shown in a photo shared by a department spokesperson April 28, 2023. Hendersons mother said that, because of her sons race and size, he had been profiled by police in the past. So she understood why he felt afraid that night and wanted her to come to the traffic stop. Hes never committed a crime. Hes never gave me any trouble. Hes never been in the street, none of that, Johnson told The Star. I want it to be known they killed an innocent man. The Stars Anna Spoerre and Glenn E. Rice contributed to this report. A DeKalb County man is in custody after authorities say he blew up an ATM last month. Police say a man used a pipe bomb to blow up the ATM at the Bank of America near North DeKalb Mall just after 3 a.m. on March 29. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] They say he was able to get away with a large amount of cash, but did not confirm the exact amount. On Saturday morning, police, the ATF, FBI and other local agencies responded to a house off of Scott Blvd. to arrest the suspect. TRENDING STORIES: Authorities have not identified the suspect or commented on his exact charges. No injuries were reported during the bombs detonation or during the suspects arrest. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: PROVIDENCE The family relationship between an accused fentanyl trafficker and his uncle, Providence's newly appointed police chief, Col. Oscar Perez, has drawn interest from FBI investigators for about a year now, according to former Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare. FBI agents in Massachusetts have talked with Pare about Perez more than once, focusing on whether Perez might have done anything inappropriate to help his nephew, Pare said, adding that he holds Perez in the highest regard. During the talks, which continue, Pare said, the FBI has also shown interest in the relationship between the chief's brother, Providence police Sgt. Andres Perez, and the same nephew, Jasdrual "Josh" Perez. Pare said he has not learned anything through the dialogue that has changed his perception of either of the longtime Providence police officers. "Their integrity is beyond reproach," he told The Providence Journal on Tuesday. Providence Detective Andres Perez, left, and his older brother Oscar Perez pose in front of their childhood home on Elma Street in Providence in 2014. He made his comments in the aftermath of a WPRI report on the situation. Pare declined to comment in any detail about the nature of the FBI's inquiry into the two brothers and their nephew. Federal prosecutors accuse Jasdrual Perez, 33, of running a drug-trafficking organization. They say that federal investigators raided Perez's homes in February 2022 and seized 10 kilograms of suspected fentanyl, including fentanyl within more than 50,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills and $80,000 in proceeds from the operation. On Thursday, Oscar Perez acknowledged he had been interviewed by the FBI. Calling the situation "frustrating and disappointing," he declined to provide specific comments on his discussion with the agency but emphasized he has done nothing inappropriate. "Absolutely not," Perez said. "I'm very proud to be a Providence police officer. I picked this profession for a reason. I am focused on the mission. I will never jeopardize or embarrass the badge that I wear so proudly." Story continues Perez said he told Mayor Brett Smiley about the FBI's inquiry into the situation before Smiley chose him as Providence's 38th police chief. He said he was "very transparent" about his nephew's arrest and the FBI's contact with him about it. A lawyer for the chief's brother said that ethical and procedural rules prevent him and Sgt. Perez from commenting on the specifics of any pending investigations. "Rest assured that Sgt. Perez has not wavered in his willingness to assist and cooperate in the prosecution of any individuals," the lawyer, Michael Colucci, said in an email. Colucci added, "It would be terribly unfair to infer anything inappropriate simply because a relative may have chosen a wrong path to follow, a path that the sergeant is and was completely disassociated from." A spokeswoman for the FBI, Kristen M. Setera, declined to comment on the matter. Chief Perez said he has about seven nephews, including Jasdrual Perez. Asked to comment on his nephew's behavior, he said, "I'll say this. There was some concerns, definitely. But I have been estranged from my family because of some of these concerns and the recent arrest." "The immense support I have received both internally from the men and women of the department and the community," said Perez, "reminds me of the impact I have made in this community and in the department for the last three decades." The case: Jasdrual "Josh" Perez accused of being 'Starbucks barista for fentanyl' Jasdrual Perez was arrested in February of 2022. He and another man were accused of a conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. An investigation dating back to September 2019 had found that the two men had distributed large quantities of controlled substances to customers in numerous locations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. In federal court in Boston last summer, a special agent for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Sean Geary, told a judge that in conversations intercepted by federal agents, Jasdrual Perez had talked with an unknown man who was suspected of buying fentanyl pills from him. Perez told the man that he needed "to sell at least 10,000 pills to this individual in order to have it be worth his while," Geary says in a court transcript. Perez wanted to charge $3 a pill, he said. The pills at issue in the discussion were fentanyl disguised as oxycodone, Geary said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein told the court that Perez could provide pills in specific colors. "He makes custom orders of these pills," she said. "He's essentially a Starbucks barista of fentanyl pills in the Rhode Island-Massachusetts-New York area." Perez had expressed an understanding of how dangerous fentanyl is in one phone call, she said. She said Perez told a woman he owned five trucks, 12 houses, two apartments in Colombia and 12 other houses. Geary said Perez was an owner of two Rhode Island nightclubs: Lovera RIP and Rebel. Weinstein told the court that Perez had been arrested by Rhode Island State Police just after he crossed the Rhode Island line on a trip from New York. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. The case continues in federal court. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: FBI probing ties between police chief and accused fentanyl dealer A much-anticipated report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence revealed a 95 percent drop in the number of warrantless FBI searches of the communications of U.S. citizens from 2021 to 2022. However, that decline hasnt dissuaded Congress from pursuing reform of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Security Act (FISA), through which that data is collected. Under standard surveillance law and even Title I of FISA, law enforcement and intelligence agencies are required to obtain a warrant and thus a show of probable cause to surveil Americans. However, Section 702, designed to subvert hostile foreign actors abroad, also allows the collection of data from U.S. citizens stateside if they have had communication with a foreign target. Agencies such as the FBI can then search or query communications collected. While there is an expectation that these queries will be done for genuine national-security concerns, the FBI has abused the system, vetting persons such as pastors, office repairmen, participants in the FBI Citizens Academy, and even members of Congress through the database. The exact number of such queries was 2,964,643 in calendar year 2021 and that number dropped to 119,383 in calendar year 2022, according to the report. In 2020, the number was 852,894. For the Biden administration, the drop is vindication that it can rein in its own agencies. The report aptly illustrates how built-in oversight that Congress put in the statute works to . . . repair trust and transparency, one unnamed official told Politico. Internal reforms to discourage misuse of the database have included requiring agents to affirmatively opt in to Section 702 searches and setting an upper limit on the number of search terms used at one time. As further signal of a concern for civil liberties, President Joe Biden signed an executive order last month banning the U.S. government from using commercial spyware in a number of instances, though not all. Story continues However, this decline in the numbers wont deter members of Congress from pursuing reforms, like those being considered by the bipartisan FISA Working Group. It is incumbent upon Congress, not the Executive Branch, to codify reforms to FISA Section 702, said House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Turner (R., Ohio) and FISA Working Group leader Darin LaHood (R., Ill.) in a statement. LaHood said he believes that even he has been surveilled by the program, as reported earlier this year by the New York Times. Section 702 has identified threats to U.S. troops and disrupted planned attacks both at home and abroad, prevented components needed to build weapons of mass destruction from reaching foreign actors, and contributed to successful efforts against fentanyl production and processing equipment in Mexico. However, we must protect the American peoples privacy and civil liberties, the pair wrote. Without additional safeguards, a clean reauthorization of 702 is a non-starter, they added. Senator Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) also released a statement asserting that his privacy concerns remain unaddressed. Todays report highlights the urgent need for reforms to government surveillance programs in order to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans, he said. More from National Review WASHINGTON FBI searches for Americans information collected under a warrantless surveillance program declined significantly over the past year, according to a government report released Friday. The number of searches plunged 94%, from 3.4 million to about 204,000 in the 12-month period ending in November, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in its Annual Statistical Transparency Report, which outlines the intelligence communitys use of national security surveillance authorities. The New York Times first reported the drop in searches. The decline followed changes adopted by the FBI in the summer of 2021 designed to place more restrictions on the use of warrantless surveillance authorities. A judge and a Justice Department inspector general report had accused the FBI of abusing its authority under the Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). "This reduction occurred following a number of changes FBI made to its systems, processes, and training relating to U.S. person queries," the report said. Section 702 allows government agencies to collect messages of foreigners overseas, including when they communicate with U.S. citizens. The program permits intelligence agencies and the FBI to search the archive of intercepted messages using Americans names, phone numbers or email addresses, even though the information was gathered without a warrant. That authority is due to expire at the end of this year. Some lawmakers on Friday called the drop in warrantless FBI searches a positive step, and said the law allowing the surveillance program should not be renewed unless Congress makes major changes to it. We need to pass substantive and meaningful reforms to help deter abusive behavior by the FBI in the FISA process, said Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Illinois, leader of the bipartisan FISA 702 Working Group. Without additional safeguards, a clean reauthorization of 702 is a non-starter, the lawmakers said in a joint statement. Story continues Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, said the decline in FBI searches showed recent changes undertaken had produced positive results and that Congress should follow up with more protections of civil liberties. The transparency report released today provides strong evidence that the reforms already put in place, particularly at FBI, are having the intended effects. Congress task will be to build on that success and put in place additional safeguards to ensure this critical tool is used appropriately and in a way that protects our national security, our safety, and our civil liberties, Himes said. Top intelligence and law enforcement officials say the surveillance tool is crucial to preventing terrorist attacks and foreign espionage. But critics argue it is open to abuse and threatens civil liberties and privacy rights. CIA Director William Burns said this month that Section 702 has been crucial for efforts to stop drug cartels moving fentanyl across the U.S. border. Avril Haines, director of national intelligence, told lawmakers in March that the law has helped U.S. intelligence agencies counter Chinas spying efforts. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com FBI searches of U.S. citizens' electronic data under a warrantless surveillance program plunged significantly last year, according to an annual report released Friday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Searched dropped from more than 3.4 million in 2021, to just over 204,000 in 2022, according to the report, a decline of nearly 94%. The decline follows a series of major reforms instituted by the FBI, which had been accused by lawmakers and civil liberties advocates of overreach and abuses of its existing authority. The reduction was the result of changes to FBI "systems, processes, and training relating to U.S. person queries," the report, compiled by ODNI, found. Other U.S. agencies, including the CIA and the National Security Agency (NSA), also acknowledged making changes to the way their U.S. person queries were conducted or counted, resulting in smaller revisions. "Reducing our current numbers was not the goal of our reforms. And in fact, this number could well increase again in future years," a senior FBI official told reporters in a briefing on Friday. "However, what this decrease does show is how significant an effect our reforms have had on the FBI's querying practice overall." Under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), U.S. agencies are authorized to collect, via telecommunications providers, electronic data including phone calls, text messages and emails of foreigners overseas, even if those communications involve U.S. citizens. Those records, which do not require a warrant to obtain, can then be searched for information related to national security investigations. ODNI's statistical overview has been released annually since 2014, following the leaks by NSA contractor Edward Snowden. It acknowledges that trends are prone to fluctuation year-to-year, as agencies' use of the authorities can be influenced by world events, technological changes and target behaviors. Story continues It comes amid an intensifying debate in Congress about the reauthorization of legal authorities permitted under Section 702, which is due to expire at the end of this year. It was last renewed in 2018. "While there was a sharp decline in U.S. person queries from December 2021 to November 2022, it is incumbent upon Congress, not the Executive Branch, to codify reforms to FISA Section 702," Rep. Darin LaHood and House Intelligence Committee Chair Rep. Mike Turner, both Ohio Republicans, said in a statement Friday. "Without additional safeguards, a clean reauthorization of 702 is a non-starter," they said. Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the House Intelligence Committee's ranking member, also said additional reforms were needed, but praised the FBI for making effective inroads. "The transparency report released today provides strong evidence that the reforms already put in place, particularly at FBI, are having the intended effects," he said, adding Congress would have to "build on that success." Top intelligence officials have said that the authorities allowed under Section 702 are essential to protecting U.S. national security. In congressional testimony in March, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said Section 702 had been "crucial" in counterintelligence matters, including tracking China's efforts to send spies into the United States. NSA director Gen. Paul Nakasone called it, "the #1 authority that we need." How Queen Elizabeth's coronation created a TV broadcasting battle in the U.S. Florida principal forced to resign visits Michelangelo's David Bill would ban kids under 13 from using social media A fire has broken out again on the morning of 29 April in a high-rise building in Uman which had been destroyed by a Russian missile. Emergency workers have been clearing the rubble for more than a day. Source: Suspilne Details: Emergency workers continue to clear the rubble of the high-rise building. Around 08:30, a fire broke out again while they were clearing debris. As emergency workers explained, it was fanned by the wind. As of the morning of 29 April, the number of victims had not changed: 23 dead, including four children. Another 18 people were injured. Background: On 28 April, a Russian missile attacked a residential building in Uman, Cherkasy Oblast. In the morning, it was reported that seven people, including a child, had been killed. Another 17 were injured. Later, the death toll increased. Ihor Klimenko, Minister of Internal Affairs, reported from the scene that the Russians had hit a house in Uman with a Kh-101 missile. This resulted in the collapse of an entire stairwell of a building where 109 people were living or registered. Twenty-seven apartments were destroyed entirely. More than 33 cars were also burned out or damaged. Emergency workers are doing their best to clear the rubble as soon as possible. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A fire broke out on the territory of the Motovilikha Plant defence holding in Perm, Russia. Source: Kommersant citing Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation and Motovilikha Plant Details: Photos of the fire were posted by Perm's social networks. Smoke from the territory of the plant is visible from different locations in Perm. The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation stated that a report of a fire on the territory of PJSC Motovilikha Plants was received at 20:08. After arriving on location, it was established that the transformer booth was on fire. 37 people and 10 pieces of equipment from the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia were involved in extinguishing the fire. The previous area of the fire was 10 square metres. Quote: "Today, a fire broke out at the transformer substation on the territory of the enterprise. The fire was promptly contained by the specialists of the Ministry of Emergency Situations who went to the spot," the press office of the PJSC Motovilikha Plant reported. " . , , ", pic.twitter.com/djYJtYMoPV 36,6. (@perm36_6) April 29, 2023 The transformer station belongs to the VK-2 boiler house (MZ subsidiary - Teplo-M LLC). According to the media sources, the fire did not affect the power supply of the boiler house. As Kommersant writes, PJSC Motovilikha Plant, Russia's only manufacturer of multiple rocket launcher systems, has been in the tender process since 2018. At the time of its introduction, the company's registered debt amounted to about RUB 17.6 billion. The production activity of mashholding is concentrated in its subsidiary structures: Special Design Bureau CJSC is engaged in the manufacture of weapons, and the rest of the production is carried out by Motovilikha - civil engineering, LLC. The PJSC property complex is put up for auction. Story continues On 16 December 2022, PJSC Motovilikha Plant was sanctioned by the European Union for manufacturing weapons supplied to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and used during the aggressive war against Ukraine. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Tanks with petroleum products for the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation are burning near Sevastopol, April 29, 2023 Yusov told the Ukrainian media outlet that the incident was divine retribution for the 23 civilian who died in an April 28 Russian missile attack on the city of Uman. Five of the civilians killed in the Russian attack were children. This punishment will have long-lasting implications, said Yusov, referring to the fire at the oil depot. It is recommended that all residents of temporarily occupied Crimea get away from military facilities and facilities that provide support to the aggressors army without delay. Read also: France condemns Russian airstrike on civilians in Uman Yusov added that Ukraine is aware of the embezzlement of petroleum products and other corrupt actions by officials of the occupation authorities at this and other similar Crimean sites, which undoubtedly expands the possibilities of the Ukrainian Security and Defense Forces. An explosion occurred early in the morning on April 29 in the Kozacha Bay near Sevastopol. Immediately, a massive fire broke out at a local oil depot, and thick black smoke rose from the scene. The occupation authorities acknowledged damage to four fuel tanks, with the fire covering an area of 1,000 square kilometers. As of 2.00 p.m., they reported that the fire had been liquidated. Read also: Occupiers claim attack on Sevastopol by surface drones The Kremlin puppet governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, claimed that there had been a drone attack on Sevastopol, and that Russian air defenses allegedly shot down one UAV, while jamming the controls of another with electronic warfare equipment. The Ukrainian Armed Forces did not comment on their involvement in the incident, but Ukraines General Staff published a reminder in the morning that today marks the 105th anniversary of the raising of Ukrainian flags on the ships of the Black Sea Fleet and the Sevastopol fortress. Read also: Explosions heard in Ukraines Russian-occupied Sevastopol 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 Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast The prominent feminist legal scholar Catharine MacKinnon in 2020 published a law review article making an argument that has become depressingly commonthat the First Amendment has been transformed over the last century from a shield of the powerless to a sword of the powerful, including authoritarians, racists and misogynists, Nazis and Klansmen. MacKinnon is by no means alone in this opinion. The idea that the First Amendment has been weaponized by the powerful has gained increasing traction in the digital age, when social media can supercharge political tribalism and amplify extreme voices. Free Speech Is Killing Us read the headline of a 2019 New York Times op-ed by New Yorker reporter Andrew Marantz, and similar arguments have been published frequently in elite mainstream outlets, including The New York Times Magazine and the Los Angeles Times. U.K.s Crackdown on Anti-Royal Protests Makes U.S. Free Speech Look Good But look closer and the facts on the ground paint a very different picture than the breathless narratives of weaponized free speech. The truth is that core First Amendment principles of viewpoint and content neutralitywhich mean the government may never restrict speech simply because officials disagree with or disapprove of a particular opinion, idea, or topichave been essential for unconvinced progressives like MacKinnon to speak, read, perform, teach, and protest in states where majorities are hostile to progressive ideas. In Llano County, Texas, a group of concerned citizens gradually morphed into an official censorship board, removing inappropriate books without input from librarians. In true authoritarian fashion, they even barred their fellow citizens from attending their meetings. The 17 books that these citizen-censors got banned as inappropriate included works on LGBT+ issues as well as historical books about the origins of the Ku Klux Klan. But on March 30, a federal judge in Texas issued a preliminary injunction ordering the books to be returned to the librarys shelves. The judge reminded the censors that the First Amendment protect[s] the right to receive information, and it prohibits the removal of books from libraries based on either viewpoint or content discrimination. Story continues That same month in Tennessee, a Trump-appointed judge delayed the implementation of a law criminalizing public drag performances on First Amendment grounds. The judge sided with the plaintiffa Memphis-based LGBTQ theater grouppreliminarily finding that the laws prohibition of expressive conduct was impermissibly content based as well as overly broad and vague. The judge concluded that the record here suggests that when the legislature passed this statue, it missed the mark. Ron DeSantis Anti-Free Speech Crusade Would Cancel Fox News In Florida, the First Amendment has provided the most important protective armor for those on the wrong side of Gov. Ron DeSantis War on Woke. SARAH SILBIGER/Reuters Several elements of DeSantis controversial Stop W.O.K.E. Act have been preliminarily halted by courts due to First Amendment concerns. In November, a federal court ordered Floridas public universities not to enforce the law, the tentacles of which reach into university classrooms just as they reach into K-12 classrooms and private employers' trainings. The law officially bans professors from expressing disfavored viewpoints in university classrooms while permitting unfettered expression of the opposite viewpoint, wrote U.S. District Judge Mark Walker. Defendants argue that, under this Act, professors enjoy academic freedom so long as they express only those viewpoints of which the State approves. This is positively dystopian. Judge Walker also had to safeguard the First Amendment right of Floridians to peacefully protest. Heres Why a Court Struck Down Floridas Dystopian Stop WOKE Act In the wake of Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd, the Florida Legislature passed a 2021 anti-riot law that was written in such vague and overbroad language, the judge wrote in his decision, that authorities could have used it to prosecute peaceful protesters or people close to a demonstration that turned violent. If this court does not enjoin the statutes enforcement, wrote Walker, the lawless actions of a few rogue individuals could effectively criminalize the protected speech of hundreds, if not thousands, of law-abiding Floridians. The law remains blocked pending an authoritative state supreme court interpretation. These recent decisions convincingly demonstrate that the First Amendment serves an essential role in protecting minorities against majoritarian intolerance and revanchism. While its true that the First Amendment permits speech that many progressives find abhorrent and discriminatory, thats a feature not a bug of robust and principled free speech doctrine. And its not based on white supremacist or right-wing ideology. Rather, this doctrine is informed by a potent mix of universalist ideals and the lived experience of a nation, including groups and individuals who have felt the oppressive consequences when these ideals have been violated or selectively applied. Thurgood Marshalls illustrious career highlights the mutually reinforcing relationship between free speech principles and the fight for racial justice. Marshall was the legal mastermind of the NAACPs highly successful campaign to transform the First Amendment into a legal shield for the civil rights movements ability to protest peacefully. While serving as the Supreme Courts first black justice, Marshall penned the majority opinion in Mosley v. Chicago, which declared, above all else, the First Amendment means that government has no power to restrict expression because of its message, its ideas, its subject matter, or its content. Its impossible to believe that Marshalls opinion reflected a wish to punch down on the people he had devoted his career to defending. To the contrary, the immediate beneficiary of that rulingalong with so many landmark free speech rulingswas an African American who was protesting racially discriminatory policies. Tech Bosses Are Letting Dictators Censor What Americans See Fortunately, there are still many prominent voices committed to both freedom and equality who recognize that these values are indispensable pillars of justice. When Stanford Law School Dean Jenny S. Martinez wrote a letter denouncing students disruption of a talk by a conservative federal judge last month, she explicitly highlighted the importance of content and viewpoint neutrality for the weak and marginalized. I can think of no circumstance in which giving those in authority the right to decide what is and is not acceptable content for speech has ended well, Martinez reminded her law students. Indeed, the power to suppress speech is often very quickly directed towards suppressing the views of marginalized groups. Martinez, like many progressives and liberals before her, understands that free speech has been and continues to be a powerful shield protecting the marginalized and the oppressed. Across America today, the real danger is not the weaponization of free speechas some like MacKinnon contendbut its suppression by powerful lawmakers and intolerant majorities. Fortunately for Americans of all stripes, judges continue to ensure that free speech remains an engine of both equality and freedom. Jacob Mchangama is the CEO of the Future of Free Speech Project, Research Professor at Vanderbilt University, and author of Free Speech: A History From Socrates to Social Media. Nadine Strossen was national president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) from 1991-2008, and is professor emerita at New York Law School. She is the author of HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship. Both are Senior Fellows at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). 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 ferry carrying 1,900 evacuees including 65 Iranians arrives at the King Faisal Naval Base in Jeddah The first Iranian evacuees to escape the Sudan conflict through Saudi Arabia arrived on Saturday in Jeddah, relieved that their country has settled its differences with the regional rival. The 65 Iranians were among about 1,900 people on the latest boat to arrive from Port Sudan as the battle between rival Sudanese forces entered a third week. Saudi Arabia has so far organised evacuations for about 5,000 people from 96 countries, according to the foreign ministry. Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to end a seven-year diplomatic rupture on March 10, and four Iranian diplomats were on hand when the latest ship arrived at the King Faisal Naval Base in Jeddah. Merhdad Malekzadh, a 28-year-old Iranian who had been living in Khartoum since he was a child, said no one had expected the fighting to become so intense ,and his escape had also been a surprise. "Because of our nationality, we had never imagined we would come to Saudi Arabia when we were evacuated," said Malekzadh, whose family runs an oil lubricants business in the Sudanese capital. "Fortunately, they really helped us. They put their differences aside and worked together. They saved lives," he added. Saudi Arabia and Iran have not yet opened embassies after their new diplomatic agreement, but Hassan Zarnegar Abarghoui, one of the Iranian diplomats waiting at the base, said his government was grateful for the "humanitarian cooperation" shown by the Saudi authorities. More than 510 people have been killed since fighting erupted on April 15 between the forces of Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his number two Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). rcb-am/tw/srm University researchers said theyve conducted a first-of-its-kind study that observed global Twitter activity, which revealed some positive aspects of social media during extreme weather. A recent study by staff at Charles Darwin University in Australia and Paderborn University in Germany examined more than 60,000 tweets in 2022, with heat waves being the predominant subject. When temperatures were well above average in Asia, South America, Australia and over the Atlantic and Pacific basins, researchers said 66% of climate-related tweets discussed the ongoing heat wave. Of those posts, 20% discussed its health impacts, and 17% were devoted to climate change. During those times, the study showed that tweets that were first or posts by trusted users were viewed more credibly than those that spewed disinformation. TWITTER CHANGES COULD DISRUPT EXTREME WEATHER ALERT TWEETS FOR MILLIONS Surprisingly, the research groups did not spot many accounts that produced misinformation in the specific climate realm. "Our analysis suggests that many Twitter users are aware of heat or heat waves and that social media can help to disseminate information about extreme temperatures and weather updates," Kerstin Zander, an associate professor and the study's lead author, said in a statement. "The most prolific accounts belonged to individual scientists or scientific organizations. This suggests that people rely strongly on scientific information and traditional news channels during extreme weather events and that these channels are not having to compete with misinformation." Popular heat terms on Twitter According to the study, tweets sent out by government emergency services did not particularly become popular, but nearly identical information gained more traction if a celebrity or well-known figure posted similar information. FOLLOW FOX WEATHER ON SOCIAL MEDIA Heat waves are the deadliest weather-related killer annually, with an estimated 1 million fatalities worldwide. These events form when air becomes trapped, and impacted communities bake like an oven. The unusually warm temperatures last at least two days and, in extreme circumstances, can last several weeks. Story continues A limitation of the study is that researchers did not examine social media behaviors during summer in the Northern Hemisphere or posts on other social media sites. As of 2012, Twitter reported having 100 million users, which is much less than competitors such as Facebook and Instagram. The study said Twitter tends to be used by people who are seeking quick disaster information, while other platforms tend to go into more detail about a specific event. Five people are dead following a shooting at a home in Texas (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Five people are dead following a shooting at a home in Texas, police have said. Four people were pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting and the fifth died at a hospital in Cleveland, the San Jacinto County Sheriffs Office said early Saturday. The gunman, described as a 39-year-old man from Mexico who is believed to have fled the country, shot his neighbours with an AR-15 style rifle after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep, authorities said on Saturday. The deceased, who ranged in age from eight to early forties, were from Honduras. Three surviving victims were transported to the hospital, and two other witnesses at the scene were evaluated by first responders and released. The shooting was reported at around 10.30pm on the 100 block of Walters Road in the Trails End area in the community about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast of Houston. Night shift patrol deputies were dispatched to a residence in reference to a harassment complaint. On their way there, they received multiple 911 calls of an active shooter incident at the dispatch location. The suspect remains on the loose as officers continue their search (KPRC 2) A rifle was used in the shooting and no arrests have been made, ABC News reported. The youngest victim of the shooting was eight years old. Two female victims were found in the bedroom lying on top of two children who survived the ordeal, the report added. Authorities are still looking for the suspect who was described as a Hispanic male armed with an AR-15 style rifle. They described the suspect as approximately 58 tall, last seen wearing blue jeans with a black shirt and work boots and with short black hair, ABC reported. The San Jacinto County Sheriffs Office also said that the suspect has been known to shoot his 223 out in his front yard, which is evident by the shell casings that are laying in the front yard. Four people were pronounced dead at the scene in Cleveland while a fifth person died in hospital (KPRC 2) The age range of those who were shot are between eight and 40. The victims are believed to be from Honduras, though their names were not immediately known. Night shift deputies were dispatched to a residence after a harassment complaint was called in. However, as they were en route, multiple 911 calls were made to the communication centre citing an active shooter. The Florida House approved a bill on Friday that would allow Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to remain as governor if he chooses to run for president in 2024, sending it to his for his signature. The bill passed 76-34 on a party-line vote after passing the state Senate also along party lines on Wednesday, 28-12. Florida election law states that anyone running for an office needs to step down from a position they hold once they are officially a candidate. If signed, the bill would create an exception that the law would not apply to officials running for president or vice president. DeSantis has not formally announced if he is considering a run for the GOP nomination for president in 2024, but he is widely speculated to enter the race soon. Supporters of the bill have said it is not designed for DeSantis and is only a clarification, while Democrats slammed it as a way to ensure DeSantis can remain as governor while running for president. It is an individual office that is unique. It is the chief executive of our country, state Rep. Ralph Massullo (R) said during debate on Friday. This isnt just for our governor. Its for anyone in politics. State Rep. Angela Nixon (D) said the legislature is doing the governors bidding, arguing that DeSantis needs to resign if he wants to run for president. Last time I checked, being governor is a full-time job, Nixon said. Running for president takes a lot of work. The law would also place additional restrictions on mail-in ballots and place the responsibility for a voter to determine if they are eligible to vote on them instead of the state. Democrats argued these provisions are voter-suppression tactics on minorities and economically disadvantaged groups to keep Republicans in control of the state government. But GOP lawmakers defended them as being needed to streamline elections and eliminate ambiguity. There is no more sacred thing than our vote, Rep. John Snyder (R) said. It should be easy to vote and hard to cheat. Story continues Most aspects of the law would take effect on July 1, but the section allowing someone running for president to not resign from their office would take effect immediately upon the act becoming law. The Associated Press contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Florida House passed a measure on Friday that would lower the minimum age from 21 to 18 to buy rifles and other long guns. This vote would scrap a high-profile change passed after a 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Lawmakers included the gun restriction in a sweeping 2018 school-safety package after Nikolas Cruz, then 19, used a semi-automatic rifle to kill 17 students and faculty members and injure 17 others. Federal law already barred people under 21 from buying handguns. RELATED: Duval schools tightening security at middle, high schools on 5th anniversary of Parkland shooting During the debate on the plan to lower the age on Friday, House bill sponsor Bobby Payne, R-Palatka, said the measure corrects the wrong we did in 2018. Payne argued that the bill (HB 1543) would leave intact other provisions of the 2018 law that addressed mental health and school safety. But Democrats fiercely opposed lifting the age restriction, attributing it to helping the state avoid a repeat of the mass shooting in Broward County. State Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, a Democrat who was the mayor of Parkland at the time of the shooting, pleaded with her colleagues to keep the age restriction in place. She called the 2018 law a national gold standard for school safety. With a week remaining in the 2023 legislative session, the measure faces an uncertain future. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, has expressed opposition to the proposal. Ill see it when it comes over, Passidomo told reporters prior to the Houses 69-36 vote Friday. Supporters of the bill have argued, in part, that the prohibition on people under 21 buying long guns violates the constitutional rights of young adults. The Republican-controlled Legislatures 2018 decision was highly unusual in a state that had expanded gun rights over decades. RELATED: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bill to carry concealed guns without a permit Story continues The National Rifle Association immediately filed a challenge in federal court, arguing that the law violated the Second Amendment. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in 2021 upheld the constitutionality of the law. Walker said he was following legal precedent, though he also described the case as falling squarely in the middle of a constitutional no mans land. The NRA appealed to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A three-judge panel of the Atlanta-based appeals court in March upheld the law. The NRA has asked the full court to reconsider the ruling. It remains to be seen whether the Senate will approve the measure, as Senate President Kathleen Passidomo has expressed opposition to the proposal. [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. skaman306/Getty Images A Florida in-home nursing assistant is facing charges after opening a credit card in her patient's name. The local sheriff's office says Tiffany Acuna used the card to pay for cosmetic procedures. Acuna told authorities that the patient gave her permission to open the account. Police arrested a Florida nursing assistant for opening up a credit card in the name of her 88-year-old Alzheimer patient to pay for multiple cosmetic procedures, officials said. The woman, identified as Tiffany Acuna, 31, worked at American In-Home Care. She is facing charges of grand theft and using an ID without consent, according to the Volusia Sheriff's Office. The patient and her husband unexpectedly received a $7,160.11 credit card bill in the mail at their Deltona, Florida home earlier this month, officials said. According to the sheriff's office, an investigation revealed that Acuna used the card last November at Miami's Moon Plastic Surgery. The police report stated that the plastic surgery she paid for included a "Brazilian butt lift" and arm liposuction, per the NBC affiliate WESH 2 News. Acuna has denied the charges. "When a detective contacted Acuna about the allegations via phone, she initially denied applying for a credit card in the victim's name and denied receiving cosmetic surgery," a statement from the sheriff's office said. "Acuna later contacted the victim's husband requesting a meeting to set up a repayment plan." Acuna was detained by authorities when she arrived at the patient's house with $1,500 in cash on Thursday. She also had a loan contract in her possession but claimed the patient gave her the green light to open the account. According to the Volusia Sheriff's Office, Acuna was suspended from her job. She was taken into custody and released on bail. Read the original article on Insider Former Alachua County superintendent Carlee Simon has landed a new gig where she will continue to work in education but in a town far, far away. In fact, its almost the farthest possible location in the U.S. Simon, 46, announced on Facebook that she has accepted a job as interim dean for the University of Alaska Southeasts School of Education. The position comes with a two-year contract that will allow the former district leader to reassess her options and apply for the permanent role if she chooses. In her role, she will work on accreditation and recruit teachers, among other tasks. I'm very pleased to be able to continue to be in the education field, she said. I met the community in Juneau, Alaska and they're very proud of their education in K-12 and higher ed. I'm glad I have the opportunity to continue this work because I think its very purpose driven. Carlee Simon, former superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools, poses for a photo in her office in Gainesville, Fla. Sept. 9, 2021. More: Alachua school officials discuss findings of 'alarming' Camp Crystal Lake investigation Opinion: Keep Carlee Simon as superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools Working in Alachua Simon was tapped for Alachua County's interim superintendent job in December 2020 before being named to the permanent position. During her tenure, the Eastside High graduate was instrumental in establishing a districtwide early literacy program with the University of Florida, known as UFLI. During its first year, the program showed progress in students learning. She was also the leader behind the districts rezoning efforts and forming a strategic plan to better address the achievement gap between white and minority students. Much of that work, however, has largely stalled following her termination as superintendent from the previous, more conservative school board. Carlee Simon, the former superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools, poses for a photo outside the school district office, in Gainesville, Fla. Sept. 9, 2021. Simons toughest challenge came in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, as she and other educators tried to keep families and students safe from a deadly virus while still learning. Her stance on requiring masks in schools made her a target for local Republicans, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Board of Education. Story continues It was an enormous challenge, but Im proud of that, she said. She was a leader of accountability as head of the district, a skillset not widely seen in years prior to or since her tenure. Simon brought to light a questionable land deal orchestrated by other district employees and led the charge for better financial control and management of Camp Crystal Lake. The two causes drew pushback from some longtime board members and played a role in her ultimate termination. Florida's political attack on schools The landscape of education drastically changed following the pandemic. The state began targeting critical race theory, banning textbooks, library books and removing teachers who spoke out or didnt heed the states demands. Simon said she cares for the district but is scared for students, educators and future potential teachers. Its a hostile work environment for education in Florida right now, she said. Im very concerned about whats happening around the state. I hope theres a way out of this. The room was full as the Alachua County School Board meets to takes up a motion to terminate the contract of school superintendent Carlee Simon, during a meeting at the school board headquarters in Gainesville, March 1, 2022. Simon said she plans to recruit teachers from Florida to Alaska, hoping to capitalize on some of those concerns. Also while in Alachua County, Simons created a political committee called Families Deserve Inclusive Schools, which aims to support candidates who believe in public education. Simon has been vocal about protecting education in Florida throughout her time in office and after and has pushed back against conservative groups like Moms for Liberty. She hopes the PAC will further deter the groups efforts come 2024. We dont believe in banning books and we believe in teaching all of history, she said. Moving on There is a bittersweet farewell that comes with Simons new role, she says. I value the time I had serving our district as superintendent, she wrote on Facebook. I learned so much about myself and about people. We had a strong team and were moving forward. It was painful and joyous at the same time. I am stronger, more resilient, and more compassionate for all the families I served, even the ones that disagreed with my choices. I also saw the savagery of politics and the stooges involved. Carlee Simon, the former superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools, poses for a photo in the recreated historical classroom at the school district main office, in Gainesville, Fla. Sept. 9, 2021. I've told many people about my feeling of fulfillment in the superintendency position. The job was exceptionally hard but also the most fulfilling and purposeful position I ever had. When I lost that position I felt rudderless. She said she will miss being close to lakes and people who she has known almost her entire life. The August heat, however, is one thing she wont miss. Simon said she doesnt know what the future holds for her or her family and hasnt entirely ruled out coming back to the Sunshine State. My successes in life have always come from my willingness to embrace change, she wrote. This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Carlee Simon lands job at University of Alaska Southeast Victoria Bargas and Laura Tobias Rios, life-long Fort Worth residents, recalled the joy of going downtown to the Central Library on weekends or the bookmobile at the Seminary South Shopping Center on Thursdays in the 1950s and 1960s. Their parents stressed the importance of reading to improve their speaking skills in English and to avoid school punishment for speaking Spanish. When the Seminary South Branch Library opened at 501 E. Bolt St. in 1967, it became the reading Mecca for thousands of monolingual and bilingual South Side residents. Bargas as a teen discovered the Nancy Drew mystery series at the Seminary library. Wishing to become Nancy Drew, she said, that was her girl. Rob Bosquez, local playwright, director, short story writer, whose works have appeared on Stage West, Hip Pocket Theater, and Rose Maine Theater, relished the convenience of walking to the Seminary branch as a child with his father. After reading Spiderman comic books to him, his father challenged him to read on his own. Bosquez recalled as a teen in the 1980s the joy of sitting for hours reading plays and movie scripts and about directors lives. Rob Bosquez, right, directs youth actors at the Rose Maine Theater. Bosquez enjoyed going to the Seminary branch library as a child with his father. Courtesy/Rob Bosquez In Rosemont Middle School, a teacher advised Bosquez to read widely at the public library since school curricula and readings were limited. At the Seminary branch, he read about Mayan and Aztec mythologies, La Llorona, Big Foot, the history of the Alamo, Pancho Villa, and Mexican Americans. Tammy Gomez, nationally famed poet, visited the Seminary branch starting when she was 5 years old with her mother. An advanced reader, she planned to read the entire childrens books section in alphabetical order, checking out no fewer than eight books at a time. When she realized the library continued to add new books, she read works of interest. Her favorites were Beverly Clearys Ramona books. Tammy Gomez reads her poems at the 100 Thousand Poets for Change event in South Fort Worth on Sept. 30, 2017. She began visiting the Seminary branch of the Fort Worth Library at age 5 and later found it to be a good place to read, research, and write school assignments Courtesy/LeeCastro DeChoudens Living in a small, wood-framed home, with no private reading area and a kitchen table often occupied, Gomez found the Seminary library a safe, welcoming location to read, research, and write school assignments. Determined to matriculate to a challenging womens college, she wrote at the Seminary branch her admission essay for Goucher College in Maryland, where she was accepted. Story continues Rios saw first-hand the value of the Seminary branch in the Mommy and Me reading program offered to toddlers and infants. As a grandmother, she continued the family legacy of book reading by taking her grandchildren to the branch. She found family book trips a bonding experience. Her father, away at times because of military obligations, took her to the library, where they grew closer. The Seminary branch allowed confirmation candidates to serve their required community hours there. Bargas found Seminary staff to be professional and accepting. Gomez perceived them as non-judgmental and respectful. Bosquez found the staff responsive to his requests for more play scripts. They encouraged him to become an independent researcher instead of relying on staff for answers. As the Worth Heights community became increasingly Latino/a, staff diversified with Latino/a and Spanish-speaking librarians. Over a half-century, Bosquez felt the Seminary library was host to a close-knit community of readers and learners. The same families sat at their favorite tables, read books together, and formed literary bonds. Joe Guerrero, life-long resident of Worth Heights and the retired 30-year owner of a downtown barber shop, sent his two sons to the Seminary branch. Guerrero, president of the Worth Heights Neighborhood Association, considered accessibility of many books in the barrio valuable. Guerrero was shocked to learn that after 55 years, library administration transformed the Seminary branch from a neighborhood library to the History Center for archives and genealogy research in October 2022. Guerrero said the neighborhood association had no input in the decision. (In full disclosure, the writer is a member of the Worth Heights Neighborhood Association.) Library administration decided to open La Gran Biblioteca in La Gran Plaza, directly south of the former library location as the new branch. Manya Shorr, director of Fort Worth libraries, said her staff tried to contact the Worth Heights community four times to apprise of the changes. After visiting La Gran Biblioteca, Gomez described it as a noisy childrens activity center with no room for quiet reflection, original writing, and deep reading. For la poeta, the joy of browsing or the serendipity of the stacks at the Seminary branch library was valuable. A diverse selection of books from classic novels to Chiltons Guide to Auto Repair provided Seminary branch patrons the wonderful adventure of treading un-mapped paths to discover worlds they didnt know existed. At La Gran Biblioteca, the browsing experience was gone. Author Richard J. Gonzales writes and speaks about Fort Worth, national and international Latino history. Petty drama is the perfect distraction from all of the real problems going on in the world, and none may be more petty than this weeks olive-oil wars. Andrew Benin, the founder of the olive-oil start-up Graza, called out a competing company for also packaging its wares in a squeeze bottle, setting off a mini-feud, The New York Times reported on Friday. Benin specifically harped on Brightland, which has been around since 2018, for a newer product meant to be drizzled on pizza. More from Robb Report While friendly competition was always welcome, I do view this as a blatant disrespect and am choosing to voice my discontent, Benin wrote. Personally, I think its ok to get miffed when folks rip you off. War may be too strong of a word to use for the scenario, given that Brightland and its founder, Aishwarya Iyer, havent publicly responded to Benins post. Brightland declined to comment to the Times, while Graza did not respond to the newspapers requests for comment. The New York Times noted that many people online seemed to view Benins comments as unnecessary, given how ubiquitous squeeze bottles are. Other companies have had to deal with copycat products as well, and they can sometimes be seen as a form of flattery. I think it comes with the territory, said Ju Rhyu, the CEO of Hero Cosmetics, which has faced similar situations. It means youre achieving some level of success, if there are copycats out there. A few hours after his initial post, Benin seemed to come around to these perspectives, and noted that he may have overreacted. I was heated, and reacted poorly, and have learned from the variety of comments that everyone has left today, he wrote in an update to his missive. This was out of character for me, and there was no need to insert so much negativity into our day. I hope that we can return to our vision of getting insanely high quality olive oil to as many people as we can at the best price possible, all while having a blast doing it. Story continues This week, at least, was probably anything but a blast for the founder. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. A Fulton County Sheriffs Deputy has been indicted on sex trafficking-related charges. Attorney General Chris Carr said Friday that Courtney Lofton, an FCSO Deputy, is accused of soliciting a 17-year-old girl for sex in October 2022. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Those who wear the uniform are entrusted to protect and defend their fellow citizens, and when that trust is broken, it is difficult to restore, said Carr. This indictment is part of a larger investigation conducted by our state and federal partners, and we will keep working with them to ensure all buyers are held accountable. We appreciate the assistance and cooperation of Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat as we continue our efforts to protect Georgias children from human trafficking. The indictment comes after an investigation conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit. TRENDING STORIES: Lofton was indicted on one count of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude and is currently being held in the Cobb County Detention Center. It is of utmost importance that officers who violate their oath to protect and serve be held accountable for their actions, said GBI Director Mike Register. Our HEAT Unit is committed to making Georgia a safer place to live. The investigation remains ongoing. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: A Georgia gas station clerk stopped a Florida robbery suspect from committing a string of armed robberies, according to deputies. Deputies with the Flagler County, Florida Sheriffs Office say Qwinntavus Kwame Jordan walked into a convenience store in their area at 3:30 a.m. on Friday morning and demanded all the money in the cash register after threatening the clerk with the threat of a gun. After getting $90 from the register, deputies say Jordan got a Gatorade from the refrigerator and demanded the clerk give him cigars, put $5 on a gas pump and give him the quarters from the register so he could put air in his tires, according to the incident report. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Flagler County is located approximately 70 miles south of Jacksonville. After chasing Jordan into south Georgia, police were able to use a stop stick on his car on I-95. Jordan then ran to another convenience store and pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded his car keys. After getting the keys, Jordan tried to drive away, but accidentally crashed into the store instead. TRENDING STORIES: Deputies say Jordan then began chasing the clerk and a customer through the store and began fighting with the clerk. When the clerk got Jordans gun, he shot the robber eight times. Jordan was arrested and taken to a nearby hospital where he is in critical condition. Jordan also had armed robbery warrants out of Coffee County, Georgia that were dated earlier this week. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Vladyslav (left) and Pasha (right). Pasha Lagoyda A gay Ukrainian military couple that got engaged only days ago is heading off into combat. Pasha, 21, and Vladyslav, 30, met a year ago and fell in love as war consumed their homeland. The couple told Insider that while war is tough, they haven't let go of hope. Throughout the past year, thousands of Ukrainians have left their homes and former lives to fight against Russia's invasion. They've had to say goodbye to families and friends, unsure if they'd ever see them again. And as bloody battles rage on, Ukrainians have been forced to watch in horror as the war tears apart the country they once knew. One couple has navigated much of the war with an added layer of concern: They're both fighting in the Ukrainian military. In this war that has already claimed tens of thousands of lives, tragedy can strike in an instant. Pasha and Vladyslav, a newly engaged couple, are on their way into combat, but they won't be together. It's a tough time for the pair as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues his campaign, though it faces struggles, to break Ukraine's defenses and enforce his unwanted vision for the country's future. They worry for each other's safety, partially because they serve in separate battalions and areas. "It is very difficult," Vladyslav told Insider, but if they were able to see each other more, or possibly fight alongside one another, it'd make the days a bit easier. Currently, Vladyslav's trying to switch to Pasha's unit. "We'd like to do the job together," he said, but "it's hard to change battalions." A military land vehicle lies wrecked by a shelling on April 12, 2023 in Bakhmut, Ukraine Viktor Fridshon/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images The young gay couple began dating last year after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. They told Insider, courtesy of translator Maxim Potapovych, that they met on a dating app. That's pretty common for many modern couples, and at first glance, Pasha and Vladyslav's relationship is like any other. They share pictures together on Instagram, some selfies of them making dinner and cuddling. In the past year, they've celebrated birthdays and anniversaries. Vladyslav turned 30 last September, with Pasha commemorating 21 just a few weeks later. "You're already 21 years old, what can I say..." he wrote on Instagram, "So as not to be dead by 22." Story continues The harsh realities of their situation in a war-torn country are hard to miss. One picture, posted by Pasha, shows the two holding hands while wearing their military uniforms. Another post details a vacation they took together. Pasha wrote, "These 10 days of my vacation have been better than half of my life before the war! You know when you weren't around before, I didn't care about life or death, whether to be shot or shoot." Just days before the pair deployed for combat operations, Pasha and Vladyslav got engaged. Pasha said there was sort of an ultimatum in play: it was either get engaged or leave one another. They chose to stay together, and they celebrated as much as possible before the war called them back. On Friday, their last day in Kyiv, Pasha and Vladyslav told Insider it's been difficult to fight in the war because it constantly tries to pull them away from one another. And the combat is intense, no matter how much time you've spent on the battlefield. Pasha says the fighting feels like entering a "volcano." He said that "if he could describe it simply," he would say that a "normal, city person" has suddenly been thrown into a new environment where the heat, pressure, and sweat of battle can be overwhelming. Vladyslav and Pasha got engaged just days before returning to combat. Pasha Lagoyda Pasha joined the military in 2021 and is now a gunner. Vladyslav joined last year. Though neither told anyone they were gay, Pasha recalled experiencing homophobia and discrimination from the other soldiers in his first few weeks at a training camp. Before Russia invaded, Ukraine's stance on LGBTQ rights was murky. Gay marriage and adoption weren't legal, and although they still aren't, President Volodymyr Zelensky has since suggested same-sex civil partnerships could be revisited after the war. There was also varying public opinion on gender and sexual orientation, although anti-discrimination laws offered some protection, and homosexual relations weren't legal in Ukraine until 1991. The atmosphere, especially in the military, has improved, the couple told Insider. There's a mutual respect of sorts, a realization that they're all fighting for the same cause regardless of sexual orientation. That said, LGBTQ personnel don't have the same benefits as their heterosexual counterparts. When Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun submitted a draft to legalize same-sex partnership in early March, she noted that if an LGBTQ person is injured in combat, their partner can't make decisions about their medical treatment. Ukrainian soldiers fire targets on the front line in the direction of the city of Ugledar, Donetsk, Ukraine as Russia-Ukraine war continues on April 18, 2023 Muhammed Enes Yildirim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Pasha and Vladyslav have talked about this issue, too. In a post for LGBTIQ Military an organization of Ukrainian LGBTQ active military members, veterans, and volunteers fighting for equal rights the couple expressed their support for legalizing same-sex partnerships. They wrote that while they want to be able to marry, have children, and live happily together, there are also more immediate concerns about not being legally recognized as a couple. If one of them is injured, the other has no say in their hospitalization and care. If one dies, the other won't be able to claim their body, they said. It's a stark reality of both the war and LGBTQ rights. But Pasha and Vladyslav said they're hoping for a better future for themselves. They see the war as a fight against how Russia oppresses people, how it treats its LGBTQ people "full of discrimination, killing activists," Vladyslav said. Winning the war would mean winning freedom, both for Ukrainians and LGBTQ people like Pasha and Vladyslav. When Insider asked about the coming months of combat and how the couple is feeling, Vladyslav held Pasha closely and said: "We strongly believe Ukraine will win." Read the original article on Business Insider Liza Burke, the University of Georgia student who was hospitalized last month after suffering a brain hemorrhage on a spring break trip to Cabo San Lucas and was diagnosed with a brain tumor died early Friday morning, her family said. "Liza has now been reunited with her sister and they are making up for lost time!" her family said in an update on a website where they chronicled her treatment. Her sister Edie died from a rare genetic disorder in 2008. The familys post continued, "Liza took a final breath, sighed, and transitioned into the next realm After Hospice was called, we dressed Liza in colorful pajamas, gifted by her boyfriends mother and Jacks girlfriend, Elli, braided her hair. Lizas dad, uncle, and a few of my UGA friends came in to say their goodbyes." They said, "celebrations of Lizas big energy" were being planned, including one in Athens, Georgia, held by her college friends and another in her hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. MOM CLAIMS WEEKLONG BRAIN BLEED WAS DISMISSED AS FOOD POISONING: THOUGHT I WAS DYING Liza Burke's friends took her to a Mexican hospital on March 10 after they couldn't wake her up hours after she took nap for a headache. Burke said she had a headache at breakfast while on vacation with friends on March 10 and a few hours later her friends called a doctor because they were unable to wake her from her nap, a friend wrote on her GoFundMe page at the time. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP UGA student Liza Burke suffered a brain hemorrhage while on spring break in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. AI TESTING OF BRAIN TUMORS CAN DETECT GENETIC CANCER MARKERS IN LESS THAN 90 SECONDS, STUDY FINDS "She was immediately rushed to the hospital where she was diagnosed with Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) which cause[d] her brain to hemorrhage," Jennifer Ritter wrote in the March update, adding that she was on "life support." She was then transferred from Mexico to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Last week, the family said they decided to stop radiation after Burke wasnt responding to the treatment after six weeks, saying they wanted to "pursue providing Liza a send-off like only she deserves!" Story continues "Tonight we begin the hunt for the perfect place by the sea where Liza can enjoy her final days supported by the infinite love that surrounds her!" the April 17 update said. They also said they plan on setting up a fund in Liza and Edies names with the Foundation of the Carolinas. In an earlier update, the family asked people to "Please pray for Liza's continued peace and comfort and that she forever lives every dream she ever imagined." A dog that went missing in Georgia in 2017 will be reunited with his owner after being found wandering around a lake in West Virginia hundreds of miles away. Tara Hillis, who lives near Atlanta, told WSAZ-TV her 1-year-old pit bull Chief somehow escaped from her property in 2017, and she had given up hope of finding him as the years went on. "I honestly thought Id never see him again," Hillis acknowledged. "Initially, I thought maybe someone took him to try to breed him, but hes fixed. So many years go by, you just really miss him." Six years later, Chief was found by passersby wandering around East Lynn Lake in Wayne County, West Virginia, roughly a 450-mile drive from Atlanta. TEXAS HOMEOWNER TURNS THE TABLES ON BURGLAR WHO SHOT HIS DOG, LEAVES HIM 'YELLING FOR HELP' A pit bull named Chief that went missing six years ago in Georgia was found in West Virginia. Chief was first found by rangers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before he escaped and was found by another unknown individual who took him to a shelter. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "One of our rangers at East Lynn Lake, West Virginia, picked up this dog that was running loose on the lake property," a spokesperson for the Huntington District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told Fox News Digital Friday. LOUISIANA DOG HAILED A HERO FOR PROTECTING YOUNG GIRLS LOST IN WOODS FOR HOURS "The rangers kept it at the project office for about a week while they tried to find its owner. Unfortunately, it escaped from them. The rangers were contacted by WSAZ and informed that the dog had been picked up by someone in the community and brought to the animal shelter in Cabell County. The animal shelter scanned it for a microchip and found that it belonged to someone in Georgia." Chief was brought to the Huntington Cabell Wayne Animal Control Shelter and linked to Hillis thanks to a microchip she had put in him. TENNESSEE DOG RESCUED FROM CAVE AFTER FALLING OVER 50 FEET A welcome sign at the entrance to the state of West Virginia. "I cant believe this," Hillis said. "This is insane. Every time Id talk about it that day, Id get chill bumps." Story continues Rachel Boone, a K-9 behavior specialist at the shelter, said Chief is doing well. "If I think about my dog missing that long, it makes me want to cry," Boone said. "I already want to cry for her." The shelter said it is figuring out the best way to reunite Chief with Hillis in the Atlanta area. Their reunion may happen this week. Int'l community welcomes Xi-Zelensky phone talks, expects China's role amid Ukraine crisis Xinhua) 09:48, April 29, 2023 Dai Bing (C, front), charge d'affaires of China's permanent mission to the United Nations, addresses a high-level Security Council briefing on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York, Feb. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Xie E) On the Ukraine crisis, China always stands on the side of peace, and its core stance is to facilitate talks for peace, Xi stressed during Wednesday's phone conversation. BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The latest phone talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky was widely welcomed in the international community, and many voiced expectations that China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis. Xi stressed on Wednesday that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way out for the Ukraine crisis, and no one wins a nuclear war, adding that bilateral ties between the two countries have reached the level of strategic partnership, which has boosted the respective development and revitalization of the two countries. Following the conversation, Zelensky said on Twitter that he had "a long and meaningful phone call" with Xi, adding that he believes the call and the appointment of Ukraine's ambassador to China "will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations." The United Nations expects China to continue to play a helpful role in resolving the Ukraine crisis, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told a press conference on Wednesday. "We certainly encourage the involvement of all key nations around the world, including, of course, the members of the Security Council, in terms of the contributions they can make toward the resolution of the crisis involving Ukraine and Russia," said Haq. "And certainly, we hope that China will continue to play a helpful role." Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that Moscow welcomed the "readiness of the Chinese side to strive to establish a negotiation process," adding that a broad range of provisions outlined within China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis, a document China published on Feb. 24, are in line with Moscow's principled approaches. On the Ukraine crisis, China always stands on the side of peace, and its core stance is to facilitate talks for peace, Xi stressed during Wednesday's phone conversation. Calling the conversation "positive," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that China can play an important role in bringing an end to the Ukraine crisis, adding that France encourages any dialogue that can contribute to the resolution of the crisis. "We welcome the news that there was a phone call between President Xi and President Zelensky. We think that's a good thing," John Kirby, the U.S. National Security Council's coordinator for strategic communication, told reporters on Wednesday. Brussels also welcomed the Xi-Zelensky conversation, as it's an important step by China in exercising its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council, according to European Commission Chief Spokesperson Eric Mamer on Wednesday. European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell welcomed the development as well, saying it is very important that China talked with Ukraine, and all parties want peace. (Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun) Palestinians are seen in a place damaged during an Israeli army's operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, on April 28, 2023. At least two Palestinians, including a teenager, were injured on Friday during an Israeli army's operation at the refugee camp of Jenin in northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) RAMALLAH, April 28 (Xinhua) -- At least two Palestinians, including a teenager, were injured on Friday during an Israeli army's operation at the refugee camp of Jenin in northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, were moderately injured by Israeli soldiers who stormed the Palestinian refugee camp. Palestinian security sources said that an Israeli army force, backed by armored vehicles, stormed the outskirts of the refugee camp, and intensive gunfire was heard in several areas. The armed wing of several Palestinian factions said in separate statements that its militants exchanged fire with Israeli soldiers who stormed the area of Jenin and detonated roadside bombs against the Israeli army vehicles. Meanwhile, an Israeli army spokesman said in a press statement that upon security data, an Israeli army force raided the Jenin refugee camp and arrested a Palestinian wanted by Israeli security for being involved in carrying out attacks against Israel. The spokesman added that during the military operation, several gunmen threw hand grenades and gunfire was exchanged, while no injuries were reported among the soldiers. For several months, the Israeli army has carried out daily raids on Palestinian towns, villages, and refugee camps, mainly in the northern West Bank, aiming to arrest Palestinian militants wanted by Israeli security forces. During the tension that had mounted since early January, official Palestinian figures said more than 90 Palestinians were killed, while Israel said that 19 Israelis were killed during the same period by Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Palestinians are seen in a place damaged during an Israeli army's operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, on April 28, 2023. At least two Palestinians, including a teenager, were injured on Friday during an Israeli army's operation at the refugee camp of Jenin in northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) (Bloomberg) -- Germany will start one of the most affordable public transit offers anywhere in the world on Monday, setting a new benchmark to encourage consumers to ditch their cars and putting pressure on Berlin to make the shift work. Most Read from Bloomberg For just 49 ($54) a month, holders get unlimited travel on all city buses, subways and trams in every municipality across the country. That means with one ticket which breaks down to less than the cost on one espresso a day you can ride buses along the shores of Lake Constance on the Swiss border and traverse Hamburgs harbor on the North Sea. Local and regional trains are included in the so-called Deutschland-Ticket, but not faster intercity services, as the idea is to encourage people to re-route short-distance travel. Click here for a German version of this story. The pass builds on the popular 9-euro ticket that was introduced last summer to help manage the energy crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine. While the new offer is notably more expensive, its proposed run of at least two years far exceeds its predecessors three-month trial and indicates public transport is becoming a component of national policy rather than just a local service. Read more: All Aboard Germanys Gas-Saving Summer of Super-Cheap Trains As part of the rollout, Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday visited a bus depot in Berlin, throwing his weight behind the plan but also tying his reputation to its success. The shift is sorely needed as the home of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche has struggled to make much of a dent in transport emissions. The sector has regularly missed targets for reducing carbon dioxide output and is well off the pace needed to nearly halve pollution by 2030. Story continues The new ticket available only by subscription is priced well below normal monthly rates. To offset initial estimates of lost revenue, the federal government will provide 1.5 billion a year and Germanys 16 states have agreed to contribute the same amount. Any additional costs will also be split. The plan though doesnt include investment in more services, which will likely limit its impact, according to Philipp Kosok, a public transport analyst at think tank Agora Verkehrswende. There is currently not one euro earmarked for expanded operations, he said. We need a prioritization that says rail before road. We dont currently have that in German politics. Despite the criticism, agreeing on the ticket was a major political act for Scholzs government. It involved getting more than 60 transport authorities to accept a digital-only ticket, a revolution for Germany where paper slips are often still the norm. Read more: Germanys Ultra-Cheap Train Ticket Saved 1.8 Million Tons of CO2 Germanys transit systems generally dont have turnstiles to control access. Passengers can hop on and off, but there are spot controls and fines for not having a valid ticket can be steep. In some regions, local operators dont have the technology to read chip cards or scan apps and may still demand printed proof. This may help kick-start a broader upgrade. The Deutschland-Ticket is an important step, which ultimately can help get more consumers onto trains, said Naren Shaam, chief executive officer and founder of Omio Group, an online travel comparison and booking site. Its also proof that an interconnected, simplified transportation network is possible in Germany. For commuters like Claudia Jutz, its a rare instance of getting more for less. Its a huge savings, said the 47-year-old billing clerk, who previously paid over 180 euros for a pass from her home on the outskirts of Munich. Jutz was one of dozens of would-be buyers in a queue that snaked its way some 80 meters (nearly 90 yards) through a transit station below the Bavarian citys famed neo-gothic townhall. Armed with more travel freedom, she plans to visit nearby Salzburg in Austria with a friend, which is something we wouldnt have done otherwise, she said. Thats one of the criticisms. The flat rate encourages people to take more leisure trips, adding stress to Germanys already-overloaded networks. Last summers ultra-cheap offering led to widespread disruptions as passengers crammed into trains and buses. This time, operators anticipate less of a crush. We dont expect more passengers all of a sudden from one day to the next, as was the case with the 9-euro ticket, said a spokeswoman for national rail operator Deutsche Bahn AG. Were assuming a noticeable, steady increase in demand, including more traffic on weekends. The impact of the ticket could ripple through to other countries by taking the potentially radical step of positioning transit systems as a public good to which all deserve affordable access. It could also be a model for others in the European Union, as the bloc aims to become climate neutral by 2050. Reinforcing the use of railway is an important priority for European governments, Gonzalo Cantabrana Fernandez, a senior director at S&P Global. But the impact might be modest in the near term. Germanys unreliable train system serves as a disincentive for many consumers. On top of that, the lack of service in the countryside means people there are all but shut out. Read more: Germanys Beleaguered Rail Network Set for $14 Billion Overhaul In rural areas, the willingness to buy a Deutschland-Ticket is low, said Katharina Luca, a spokeswoman for German auto club ADAC, which surveyed members and found just 15% plan to use it. Germanys also not using all the resources available. Private services like Omio arent able to sell the ticket, and Deutsche Bahn-rival Flix SE lobbied the government to have its intercity bus services included, but fell short. Germanys transport system has been a source of tension as climate activists regularly block traffic to protest the sluggish progress on green goals. Meanwhile, the ruling coalition is at odds over plans to expand the countrys Autobahn network. For fear of undermining the auto industry a cornerstone of Europes largest economy some officials are signaling that the car remains the top dog. Transport Minister Volker Wissing even made the improbable suggestion that the 49-euro ticket could be given to everyone who buys a new vehicle. While the simplicity of the offering will help, Germany still needs to focus on service to truly reduce road traffic, according to Andreas Barth, head of the Munich chapter of German passenger lobby Pro Bahn. The Deutschland-Ticket doesnt increase the number of trains, he said. But it is a step in the right direction. --With assistance from Iain Rogers. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A dead reptile of its kind washed up on the shores of Dong Mo Lake in Vietnam, measuring 156 cm. long and weighing 93 kg. Visual China Group via Getty A Yangtze giant softshell turtle The Yangtze giant softshell turtle is now on the brink of extinction. On Sunday, a dead reptile of its kind washed up on the shores of Dong Mo Lake in Vietnam, measuring 156 cm. long and weighing 93 kg., reports VnExpress. "It is the same individual that we've been monitoring in recent years. It's a real blow," shared Tim McCormack, director of the Asian Turtle Program for Indo-Myanmar Conservation, in a conversation with TIME. McCormack explained that local officials would soon conduct a genetics test of the animal's carcass to verify its identity, but it was "almost certainly" the last known female Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei). "It was a large female that obviously has great reproductive capacity. She could have potentially laid a hundred eggs or more a year," McCormack added. The outlet reported that the reptile could have died days before it was spotted by locals. Its cause of death remains unknown as a full necropsy has yet to be conducted. Related:Australian Reptile Park Announces the Birth of Its 100th Koala Joey: 'A Significant Achievement' According to the Asian Species Action Partnership, which works to end species extinctions in Southeast Asia, the Yangtze giant softshell turtle "remains under extreme pressure from the exploitation of adults and eggs for (subsistence) consumption and targeted capture attempts in recent years due to its increased value." "In addition, it has been affected by habitat loss through conversion, drainage, fragmentation and pollution of wetlands and riparian habitats, and hydroelectric barrages and sand mining," the organization adds on its website. 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. Only two known reptiles remain after Sunday's discovery, one in Suzhou Zoo in China and another in Hanoi's Xuan Khanh Lake, reports TIME. However, McCormack added, "I do think there's more out there. I do think there's still hope for the species, but the loss of a large female is very sad." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A mural with the inscription "Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes" has appeared in the centre of Kyiv on one of the administrative buildings of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament). Source: Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Facebook The author has dedicated the mural to the memory of all those who died during the war. The mural depicts Oleksandr Matsiievskyi, Hero of Ukraine, whom Russians shot after he spoke the words "Glory to Ukraine". "We must always remember the feats of each of our heroes and heroines, who, at the cost of everything, are bringing Ukraine's victory over the cruel Russian aggressor closer. And this memory should be perpetuated from generation to generation", said Viacheslav Shtuchnyi, Head of the Staff of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Mural in the centre of the capital. Photo: Verkhovna Rada Mural in the centre of the capital. Photo: Verkhovna Rada The creator of the mural is French artist Christian Guemi, known under the pseudonym C215. As the Verkhovna Rada states, the idea of creating a mural arose during a visit by a Ukrainian delegation to France. "In January 2023, a delegation from the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine visited a photo exhibition of works by Christian Guemi, presented in the building of the National Assembly of the French Republic. It was there that the joint idea to create a mural in Kyiv arose," the parliament noted. The mural decorated one of the walls of the administrative buildings The mural decorated one of the walls of the administrative buildings This is not Christian's first work in Ukraine. The artist has already created a number of murals in Lviv, Zhytomyr and liberated cities in Kyiv Oblast. One of his most famous works is a wall painting in Kramatorsk, depicting a border guard saying goodbye to his beloved. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Golden Valley Health Centers is joining forces with the Merced City School District to build a community health center in Merced. The plan is to break ground on the facility next month at Joe Stefani Elementary School in Merced with a target opening date in the spring of 2024. The new health center will offer various services including pediatrics, family medicine, dental care and behavioral health. The 4,000-square-foot facility will be equipped with six exam rooms and three large operating rooms. The Stefani health center represents the kind of development both teams imagined nearly a decade ago, rooted in the heart of a community and within walking distance for families of Stefani Elementary who would otherwise have to drive to receive healthcare services, said Merced City School District Acting Superintendent Brian Meisenheimer. The new clinic will be the sixth school campus health center under the Golden Valley Health Centers umbrella, joining two in Modesto, one in Patterson, one in Riverbank and one in Empire. These centers provide health education, offer health services to students who do not have health insurance, and provide support for community members living in the vicinity of the school. We are eager to see this project completed, said John Price, of Golden Valley Health Centers Board of Directors. Our health centers provide an important point of access for students, by bringing high-quality healthcare directly to where students and families are already spending much of their time at school. Golden Valley Health Centers serves 145,000 patients per year throughout Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. A small groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 10 at 4 p.m. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Republican lawmakers in Kansas who say parents need alternatives to public schools couldn't pass even a scaled-back version of the school choice plans enacted in other states with GOP-controlled Legislatures. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly strongly opposed using state tax dollars to help parents pay for private or home schooling, and GOP conservatives had trouble winning over rural Republicans who didn't think families living in areas with few private schools would receive much of a benefit. That meant as Republican leaders pondered a final push Friday on the last day of the Legislatures annual session, supporters never seemed likely to get the two-thirds majorities needed to override Kelly's expected veto. GOP leaders instead dropped plans to consider the bill shortly before gaveling out for the year. The bill would have created a program to help families with low or modest incomes pay for private or home schooling. It was targeted at the 10 most populous counties and would have given those parents $4,848 for the upcoming school year, with the amount rising in the future. The struggles of advocates for such programs in Kansas contrast sharply with their successes in Iowa and Utah, where GOP lawmakers approved statewide programs in January and saw GOP governors sign them. But Kansas voters narrowly reelected Kelly in November. Iowa families knew this was coming because the governor that they elected campaigned on this, said Senate Education Committee Chair Molly Baumgardner, a Kansas City-area Republican. The state of Kansas is very different because we dont have a governor that campaigned on that. Lawmakers did approve a bill providing $6.3 billion for K-12 public schools, the bulk of their operating funds for the 2023-24 school year, including an expansion of an existing program that gives income tax credits to donors to funds offering private school scholarships to low-income students. Total credits would remain capped at $10 million a year. Story continues The votes Friday were 87-37 in the House and 23-16 in the Senate, sending the measure to Kelly. Public education groups have urged a veto, arguing in part that it does not sufficiently fund special education. A veto would likely force the governor to call a special session to ensure that schools could operate for a full year. Supporters of using state funds for school choice argue that it would benefit students who struggle in public schools, and they also contend that competition would force those schools to improve. Pandemic-era school closures and battles over curriculum particularly on race and gender have further fueled GOP interest. Every child in the state of Kansas should have an opportunity for success, and if theyre not succeeding in our public schools, we need to provide them an opportunity somewhere, somehow, said Rep. Kristey Williams, a Wichita-area Republican, who chairs a House committee on K-12 spending. But Democrats and moderates, along with teachers and administrators, fear such programs would siphon money from public schools because their state funding is tied to enrollment. Some rural Republicans were also skeptical because of their concerns over the lack of private schools in their areas. This week Kelly attended a Statehouse news conference held by a dozen former state teachers of the year who oppose the use of tax dollars to pay for private or home schooling. Later, speaking from the podium, Kelly said the state needs to be fully funding its public schools instead of diverting public funds to private schools. This is the foundation of our state, Kelly said, with the teachers standing behind her. Without the work that these people do in our school buildings, there would be no Kansas. We would have no work force. Tracy Taylor Callard, a Wichita educator and the 2002 teacher of the year, said public schools allow children of different backgrounds and from different neighborhoods to interact. We all know that public schools are under attack, she said at the same event. The school choice proposal derided as a voucher plan by critics would have piggybacked onto a program created by Kelly. That program, funded through U.S. government coronavirus relief, provides $1,000 a year to low-income parents of public school students to help them cover education expenses. The $4,848 payments envisioned under the GOP proposal would have been available to families with a household income of 250% or less of the U.S. poverty level, or $75,000 for a family of four. The measure would have been doomed by Kelly's expected veto. Electing a GOP governor would have made the difference, said Senate President Ty Masterson, another Wichita-area Republican. I think of all the things that would have gone with just simple majorities, Masterson said. ___ Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/apjdhanna Republicans have attempted to turn the phrase on Democrats Silenced by her Republican colleagues, Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr looked up from the House floor to supporters in the gallery shouting Let her speak! and thrust her microphone into the air amplifying the sentiment the Democratic transgender lawmaker was forbidden from expressing. It was a brief moment of defiance and chaos. While seven people were arrested for trespassing, the boisterous demonstration was free of violence or damage. Yet later that day, a group of Republican lawmakers described it in darker tones, saying Zephyrs actions were responsible for encouraging an insurrection. Its the third time in the last five weeks and one of at least four times this year that Republicans have attempted to compare disruptive but nonviolent protests at state capitols to insurrections. Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones calls on his colleagues to pass gun control legislation from the well of the House Chambers during the legislative session at the State Capitol Thursday, March 30, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (George Walker IV/The Tennessean via AP, File) The tactic follows a pattern set over the past two years when the term has been misused to describe public demonstrations and even the 2020 election that put Democrat Joe Biden in the White House. Its a move experts say dismisses legitimate speech and downplays the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. Shortly after, the U.S. House voted to impeach him for incitement of insurrection. Ever since, many Republicans have attempted to turn the phrase on Democrats. They want to ring alarm bells and they want to compare this to Jan. 6, said Andy Nelson, the Democratic Party chair in Missoula County, which includes Zephyrs district. Theres absolutely no way you can compare what happened on Monday with the Jan. 6 insurrection. Violence occurred that day. No violence occurred in the gallery of the Montana House. This weeks events in the Montana Legislature drew comparisons to a similar demonstration in Tennessee. Republican legislative leaders there used insurrection to describe a protest on the House floor by three Democratic lawmakers who were calling for gun control legislation in the aftermath of a Nashville school shooting that killed three students and three staff. Two of them chanted Power to the people through a megaphone and were expelled before local commissions reinstated them. Story continues As in Montana, their supporters were shouting from the gallery above, and the scene brought legislative proceedings to a halt. Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton condemned the Democratic lawmakers. (What) they did today was equivalent, at least equivalent, maybe worse depending on how you look at it, of doing an insurrection in the Capitol, Sexton, a Republican, told a conservative radio station on March 30. He later clarified to reporters that he was talking just about the lawmakers and not the protesters who were at the Capitol. He has maintained that the Democratic lawmakers were trying to cause a riot. To Democrats, Republicans reaction was seen as a way to distract discussion from a critical topic. They are trying to dismiss the integrity and sincerity of what all these people are calling for, said Tennessee Democratic Rep. John Ray Clemmons. Theyre dismissing what it is just to avoid the debate on this issue. Legal experts say the term insurrection has a specific meaning a violent uprising that targets government authority. Thats how dictionaries described it in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the term was added to the Constitution and the 14th Amendment, said Laurence Tribe, a constitutional law professor at Harvard University. Protests at the capitols in Montana and Tennessee didnt involve violence or any real attempts to dismantle or replace a government, so its wrong to call them insurrections, Tribe said. Montana Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr hoists a microphone into the air on Monday, April 24, 2023, as her supporters interrupt proceedings in the state House by chanting Let Her Speak! in Helena, Mont. (AP Photo/Amy Beth Hanson, File) Michael Gerhardt, a law professor at the University of North Carolina, said insurrection is understood as a coordinated attempt to overthrow government. Disrupting things is a far cry from insurrection, Gerhardt said. Its just a protest, and protesters are not insurrectionists. Nevertheless, conservative social media commentators and bloggers have used the word insurrection alongside videos of protesters at state capitols in attempts to equate those demonstrations to the Jan. 6 attack, when thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to halt certification of the presidential vote and keep Trump in office. Some of the rioters sought out then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and shouted Hang Mike Pence as they roamed the Capitol. Republicans use of the term insurrection in these cases isnt just wrong, its also strategic, said Yotam Ophir, a University at Buffalo communications professor who focuses on misinformation. Repeating a loaded term over and over makes it lose its meaning and power, he said. The term also serves two other purposes for Republicans: demonizing Democrats as violent and implying that the accusations against Trump supporters on Jan. 6 were exaggerated, Ophir said. In Montana, one widely shared Twitter post falsely claimed transgender insurgents had seized the Capitol, while the right-wing website Breitbart called the protest Democrats second insurrection in as many months. The Montana Freedom Caucus, which issued the statement that included the insurrection description, also demanded that Zephyr be disciplined. The group includes 21 Montana Republican lawmakers, or a little less than a third of Republicans in the Legislature. It was founded in January with the encouragement of U.S. House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Matt Rosendale, a hardline Montana conservative who backed Trumps false statements about fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Republican lawmakers eventually voted to bar Zephyr from participating on the House floor, forcing her to vote remotely. Notably, Republicans largely avoided referencing insurrection when discussing the motion, but some did accuse Zephyr of attempting to incite violence and putting her colleagues at risk of harm. The Montana and Tennessee examples follow at least two other statehouse protests that prompted cries of insurrection from Republicans. Security forces draw their guns as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) Donald Trump Jr. cited insurrection in February in a tweet claiming transgender activists had taken over and occupied the Oklahoma Capitol. But according to local news reports, hundreds of supporters of transgender rights who rallied against a gender-affirming care ban before the Republican-controlled Legislature were led in through metal detectors by law enforcement and protested peacefully. In Minnesota, some conservative commentators used the word insurrection earlier this month as demonstrators gathered peacefully outside the Senate chambers while lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled Legislature debated contentious bills ranging from LGBTQ issues to abortion. There was no violence or damage. The rhetoric lines up with the refusal among many Republicans to acknowledge that the Jan. 6 attack was an assault on American democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. My colleagues across the aisle have spent so much time trying to silence the minority party that anyone speaking up and amplifying their voice probably strikes them as insurrectionist, even though it doesnt resemble anything like it, said Clemmons, the Democratic lawmaker in Tennessee. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post GOP uses state capitol protests to redefine insurrection appeared first on TheGrio. GRAMMY nominated guitarist Paul Galbraith performs ORCMAs chamber music season finale The season finale of the Oak Ridge Civic Music Associations Chamber Music Series features internationally acclaimed Grammy-nominated classical guitarist Paul Galbraith at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 5, at First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge, 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Paul Galbraith will perform in Oak Ridge. Galbraith performs on an eight-string Brahms Guitar, an instrument he developed together with David Rubio, according to an ORCMA news release. Galbraith will give a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m., free with ticket purchase. Tickets are available online at orcma.org, at the door, or by calling (865) 483-5569. Admission is free for youths 18 and younger. Galbraith is one of the great innovators of guitar playing, said ORCMAs Chamber Music Series Chairperson Bill Schwenterly. His 8-string guitar - supported by a metal endpin, somewhat like a cello - is considered groundbreaking in the development of the instrument. ORCMA's venue partner, First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge, provides the perfect setting and acoustic for the concert. Born in Scotland, and now residing in England, Galbraith is on a whirlwind tour of the United States, with Oak Ridge his first stop on the East Coast. His rise to fame began at the age of 17 when he won the Silver Medal at the Segovia International Guitar Competition. He is the founder of the Brazilian Guitar Quartet and has appeared at festivals and with orchestras across the globe. Paul Galbraith performs in Oak Ridge by arrangement with Lisa Sapinkopf Artists, www.chambermuse.com Spectra Tech Inc. is the underwriting sponsor of the concert. Additional support for ORCMAs Chamber Music Series is provided by the Tom & Effie Carlson Estate, the Feldman Family, Korsmeyer Endowment & Consulting, Bill Schwenterly, and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Oak Ridge. The 20232024 Chamber Music Series artists will be announced in the summer. This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Grammy-nominated guitarist Paul Galbraith to perform in Oak Ridge The incident began when the gunman started shooting near the house, police say Police in Texas say they believe a man killed five of his neighbours after an argument about him practice-shooting with a semi-automatic weapon nearby. The victims were all from Honduras, and included an eight-year-old child. The shooting happened on Friday night in the small town of Cleveland, San Jacinto County, north of Houston. Among those killed were two women who were found lying on top of two surviving children, according to local Sheriff Greg Capers. "In my opinion, they were actually trying to take care of the babies and keep them alive," Sheriff Capers told a local station KTRK. He added that all the victims had been shot "from the neck up, almost execution style, basically in the head". The suspect, believed to be Mexican, has been named as Francisco Oropez, 38. He is still on the run and thought to be armed. He has been charged with five counts of murder. Police are using dogs and a drone in the hunt for the suspect, who is believed to be hiding in a nearby forest. The sheriff's office said it received a call about "harassment" at about 23:30 local time on Friday (04:30 GMT Saturday). Investigators believe that the victims had asked Mr Oropez, who it is thought had been drinking, to stop shooting as they were trying to put a baby to sleep. According to Sheriff Capers, the man replied: "I'll shoot out in my front yard, do what I want to in my own residence." After both parties returned to their houses, the gunman "topped off his magazine, and walked down his driveway... into the people's house and started shooting," Sheriff Capers said. A total of 10 people were at the property at the time. The adults were declared dead at the scene, and the eight-year-old died at a hospital. The gunman is believed to have used an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. Neighbour Veronica Pineda said she heard the shooting, but that the sound of gunfire was a regular occurrence: "It's normal, in this neighbourhood they're always shooting. They're always calling the cops and there's nothing done for that. Story continues "So yesterday I heard the shooting but I thought it was, like, a normal day. I never thought this was happening." The incident came days after nine people were injured at a shooting during a teenagers' party in western Texas. Two weeks ago four young people were shot dead during a 16th birthday party in Alabama. Firearm incidents are the top cause of death for US children and teenagers, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Around a dozen people gathered at Living Waters Park in east Fort Worth on Saturday afternoon to remember loved ones lost to violence, to share resources and to heal. As the group held hands, they went around the circle and shared the names of their loved ones or words of encouragement. The healing vigil marks the end of National Crime Victims Rights Week and was timed to coincide with other vigils around the country. They say like hurt people hurt people, but healed people can heal people, said Keevy Wilkerson. And when you have them all together, you can do something about it. You can make some sort of impact and change. Wilkersons brother was murdered in 2007. Since then shes turned her pain into power and is working with Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, an organization that advocates for crime victims and promotes public safety policies. Wilkerson said as shes talked to lawmakers, shes noticed that when they hear crime statistics, its just numbers to them. But when they meet people whove been impacted by crime, it humanizes it for them. One of our taglines is When survivors speak, change happens, and it does, Wilkerson said. Because we have to have the seat at the table because its impacting us. Melinda Hamilton founded Mothers of Murdered Angels in July 2020 after losing her brother, daughter and grandson to gun violence. Enough was enough, she said. Hamilton said her organization has worked with 87 families whove lost loved ones. They provide support and connect them with resources to help them through their loss. Recently Hamilton has gone into Fort Worth high schools to talk about the problem of gun violence. We know where its coming from, she said. Its coming from all ages. Arnetta Gee said too many people are getting killed. Her 19-year-old son Malik Sims was fatally shot in June in his own bedroom by a boy he was trying to befriend. Gee herself was injured when someone fired a bullet at her car. Her eyes were damaged by the flying glass and she had to spend time in the hospital. Story continues I thank God Im still here, she said. Wilkerson said crime victims often dont know where to turn for help. That is why shes out there raising awareness about resources and advocating for change. Something bad happened to me, but Im turning it into something positive, Wilkerson said. You know what Im saying? I can see that for my state, for the state of Texas you know, there are things that are changing that, you know, 10, 20 years ago, would I have thought that it would have changed? No, but I actually get a chance to see that now. A public hearing Friday hosted by the Washington state Department of Health attracted both support and criticism for expansion plans at Puyallups Good Samaritan Hospital amid current labor challenges. The hospital at 401 15th Ave. SE in Puyallup is part of the Tacoma-based MultiCare Health System. The three-and-a half-hour hearing was a chance for the health system to offer its plans in a public forum, with public comment and a Q and A session. MultiCare has filed a Certificate of Need with the state DOH for a 242,660 square foot patient care tower that would add 160 acute care beds to the hospital with room to grow. At project completion, the hospital would be licensed for a total of 535 acute care beds. According to the application, This patient care tower will include four floors of 40 beds each, plus a fifth floor of shell and core, which can accommodate an additional 40 beds and will be completed at a to-be-determined future date. The estimated capital cost associated with the project is $402,743.983. In opening remarks, Good Samaritan President and Chief Operating Officer Jim Beatty noted the areas continued, rapid growth. East Pierce County is a large and growing healthcare market and estimates of resident need indicate ... an additional 140 acute care beds by 2028 and 250 beds by 2036, he said. Good Samaritan is currently full, he said. Without additional capacity, it would eventually be unable to continue to meet demand for acute health care service. If this project is not approved, residents of East Pierce will be forced to seek care in other areas. With respect to capacity and need, all sides agreed Good Sam was overflowing, with descriptions of triage tents in the parking lot and hallway beds in the ER. Puyallup Police Chief Scott Engle, who also attended the virtual hearing, said given his departments interactions with the hospital and its ER, I personally believe the need for more beds was about three or four years ago. Story continues He added, It will be likely five or six years before a new patient tower opens. Our community need is tremendous. While no one questioned the need, many questioned current and future staffing levels. In response, officials at the hearing focused on elements of current recruiting, fellowships, training and other retention efforts to ease strain among current staff. June Altaras, RN and executive vice president and chief quality, safety and nursing officer for MultiCare, took the bulk of the staffing questions at the hearing. Our primary care nursing model is no longer sustainable. We need an approach in which we utilize every team member to the top of their license, she said ahead of explaining the recruiting/retention efforts. Those efforts, among others, include a nursing support robot, doubling new graduates and growing the systems own support personnel, as well as virtual nursing and taking recruiting international. Most of the questions about the project came from nursing staff at the hospital, who repeatedly asked directly and indirectly how the health system planned to ensure safe staffing while current staff faced labor shortages and an overwhelming number of patients. A nurse asked why recommendations from staffing committees over safe patient ratios and additional help for breaks had not been pursued. Marni Leonard, Good Sams chief financial officer, responded at the hearing, We believe were following the staffing law. A letter to DOH from the Washington State Nurses Association, which represents nurses at the hospital, underscored the staffing questions after the hearing. A WSNA representative shared a copy of the letter with The News Tribune. MultiCares understaffing at Good Samaritan limits nurses ability to provide quality patient care and creates an unsafe work environment. If MultiCare cannot or will not staff adequately at the current Good Samaritan facility, how will it staff a hospital with 160 additional beds? The hearing came two days after hundreds of Good Sam nurses represented by WSNA held an informational picket outside the hospital over staffing and breaks. The nurses have been in the bargaining process with MultiCare for 13 weeks, according to WSNAs letter on Friday. DOH on Friday said a decision for the project is scheduled for June 26. ISLAMABAD, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan has expressed gratitude to China for helping the country in the evacuation of its citizens stranded in Sudan, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Twitter on Friday night that a batch of 216 Pakistani nationals had arrived in Jeddah city of Saudi Arabia from Port Sudan aboard the Chinese navy vessel Weishanhu. "We are grateful to our Chinese friends for this gesture of support and friendship," added the ministry. On Saturday morning, the ministry released another statement saying that another batch of 97 Pakistani nationals from Port Sudan has arrived at Jinnah International Airport in the country's southern port city of Karachi via Jeddah. According to the ministry, the people came back home from Jeddah aboard an aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force. "Government of Pakistan will continue to facilitate the safe return of stranded Pakistanis," added the ministry. Earlier on Friday, the spokesperson of the ministry Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the Pakistani side was engaging with "friendly countries in the region for facilitating this process by providing transport to shift Pakistanis from Sudan." Photos: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for US-Ireland Alliance, Strategic Marketing Agency/Blackpool Zoo, Alhambra Elementary School District Turn off the cable news, tune out the doom and gloom and get ready for your weekly dose of good news. Here are this weeks best feel-good stories from Yahoo News partners. Help wanted: Costume-wearing seagull deterrent Candidates for a "seagull deterrent" position will need to dress in costume for the job. (Strategic Marketing Agency/Blackpool Zoo) A zoo located less than 3 miles from the Irish Sea on Englands west coast has gone viral for its quirky job posting, receiving hundreds of applications for a recently advertised seagull deterrent position, Yahoo News partner Insider reported. As a seaside resort, Blackpool is not short of seagulls. However, the seagulls are proving to be a bit of a nuisance when it comes to trying to steal food from our visitors and our animal enclosures, the job posting on Blackpool Zoo's website says. We need to do what we can to keep the seagulls away from our main visitor dining areas, which is why we are looking for a team of people to join our Visitor Services team as Seagull Deterrents. Any interested candidate should be friendly, energetic, flexible, outgoing, an excellent flapper and comfortable wearing a bird costume. The zoo says it's tried several unsuccessful techniques to scare off the unwelcome avian visitors, including eagle-shaped kites and large statues of various birds of prey, so it's hoping the new deterrents will do the trick. HIV drug may help fight dementia, study says The molecular structure of maraviroc, an antiviral used to treat HIV. (Getty Images) A drug used to treat patients with HIV may also help treat neurodegenerative conditions like dementia after a study published on Wednesday showed promise in mice, Yahoo News partner the Daily Beast reported. A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge in the U.K. used an antiviral drug called maraviroc, which was approved by the FDA in 2007 to treat HIV, to treat mice that had been genetically engineered to develop specific forms of Huntingtons disease. At the end of the four-week trial, the mice that had been treated with maraviroc performed better on memory and object-recognition tests than the untreated mice. Story continues The treated mice also had less protein build-up than the untreated ones. Neurodegenerative issues largely stem from the bodys inability to clear misfolded proteins out of the brain, and as they build up, these proteins can kill brain cells and trigger diseases such as Alzheimers. Maraviroc may not itself turn out to be the magic bullet, but it shows a possible way forward, senior study author David Rubinsztein said. During the development of this drug as a HIV treatment, there were a number of other candidates that failed along the way because they were not effective against HIV. We may find that one of these works effectively in humans to prevent neurodegenerative diseases. Carrie Fisher to receive posthumous star on Hollywood Walk of Fame The late Carrie Fisher will be honored with a star on Star Wars Day. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for US-Ireland Alliance) Actress Carrie Fisher, best known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars films, will finally be receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Yahoo News partner the Evening Standard reported. Long overdue & so well-deserved, her Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill tweeted on Monday. Fisher, who died in 2016 at age 60, will be memorialized on Hollywood Boulevard near the El Capitan Theatre on May 4, aka Star Wars Day, close to the Walk of Fame star of her late mother, Debbie Reynolds. Fishers daughter, actress Billie Lourd, will accept the star on her mothers behalf. Fishers star will be the 2,754th on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Motion Pictures category, joining Star Wars leading men Hamill and Harrison Ford, who already have stars on the prestigious promenade. Elderly city cats reunited with owner after building collapse Damage from the partial collapse of a parking garage in Manhattan, April 20. (Barry Williams for the New York Daily News via Getty Images) Two elderly cats in New York City were united with their owner on Thursday after being trapped in an apartment building when an adjacent garage collapsed in lower Manhattan, Yahoo News partner the Guardian reported. The feline reunion is a bright spot in an otherwise grim incident in which one person the garages longtime manager was killed and five others were injured. I personally didnt think the cats were going to survive, Sandy Imhoff said of Dave, age 12, and Cathy, age 14. Imhoff, who has lived in the building since 1977, said she tried to evacuate with her pets shortly after the garage collapse on April 18, but was unable to corral the cats in time, the Guardian said. Dave and Cathy were later found under Imhoffs bed, and a number of other cats were also rescued at the address by Department of Buildings workers. 3rd graders surprised with free college tuition All third graders at Madrid Neighborhood School in Phoenix have the opportunity to attend college at no cost, thanks to the Rosztoczy Foundation's College Promise program. (Alhambra Elementary School District) Eighty-nine third graders at Madrid Neighborhood School, an elementary school in Phoenix, were surprised on Tuesday with news that they would receive full scholarships to college, Yahoo News partner the Arizona Republic reported. The Rosztoczy Foundation, a family foundation based in Avondale, Ariz., will fund tuition and room and board for a four-year school, or tuition and books at a community college, for students who graduate from the Alhambra Elementary School District and the Phoenix Union High School District. Students who attend private universities or out-of-state universities will receive the equivalent of in-state tuition at a public Arizona university to put toward their tuition costs. A weight has been lifted off my shoulders for them, said one parent, Michelle Chavez, who has two children in third grade. Tom Rosztoczy, co-founder of the scholarship program with his wife, said the foundation focuses on third graders because they are at the magic age when they are old enough to understand what a scholarship means and young enough to change their trajectory to work toward college, the Arizona Republic said. The foundation also wanted to make higher education more attainable for students at a school with a high percentage of low-income families. A hospital room. Gettyimages Rural America has lost hundreds of hospitals and could soon lose hundreds more. Why is this happening? Here's everything you need to know: How bad is the problem? In many areas of the country, there's simply no nearby place to go to for a serious medical emergency or to give birth. More than 300 hospitals in rural areas have closed in recent decades, leaving tens of millions of Americans an hour or more away from the nearest trauma-care center. Over 2,000 rural hospitals remain, but more than half are operating at a financial loss, and 30 percent could close in the near future. Many have already cut vital services: Nearly 90 rural hospitals closed their obstetric units from 2015 to 2019, and by 2020 about half of all rural community hospitals offered no dedicated maternity care. When a small community hospital closes entirely, it can devastate the local economy and public health. A 2019 National Bureau of Economic Research study found that rural hospital closures increased nearby mortality rates for inpatients by up to 9 percent. "It is very dark, and I'm not exaggerating this," said Jeff Moses, an overwhelmed emergency room physician in Greenwood, Mississippi. "I just can't imagine what will happen to this community if this hospital closes." What changed? Several factors have conspired against rural hospitals, including an older and sicker population, people moving away, poverty, and the refusal of 10 Republican-led states to expand Medicaid. Hospitals that see fewer patients tend to have higher average costs. In urban areas, hospitals have been bought up by larger chains that cater to wealthier, well-insured patients to whom they can charge higher prices. Rural areas, though, tend to be older and poorer: Nearly a third of rural Americans are enrolled in Medicare, and a quarter of those under 65 use Medicaid. Forty states have now approved expanding Medicaid under 2010's Affordable Care Act, but three-quarters of the rural hospitals that have closed since 2010 have been in states that have not expanded their programs. Hospitals in these states have to absorb the cost of providing care to people who can't pay for it. Story continues What's the impact of closures? The overall health in rural communities is worsening. Since 2010, the life expectancy for rural Americans has declined, and the gap between rural and urban mortality rates nearly tripled between 1999 and 2019. Cardiovascular disease accounts for much of that disparity: Rural adults have a 19 percent higher risk of heart failure than their urban counterparts. Rural Americans also have higher rates of obesity, hypertension, and use of drugs such as tobacco and methamphetamines. And while COVID deaths spiked in New York City and the Northeast in early 2020, the disease took a much greater toll on rural America after vaccination began in early 2021. Overall, the COVID death rate is 33 percent higher in rural areas than in urban ones. Is the pandemic a factor? Yes. Hospitals everywhere were put under strain by a flood of very sick patients, overcrowded emergency rooms, and staffing shortages. Since rural hospitals were struggling to recruit workers before the pandemic, they were hit particularly hard. A record 19 shuttered in 2020. But $15 billion in pandemic relief provided a vital cushion for those that stayed open: The following year, the number of rural closures dropped to two. That aid has largely ended, though. What's the role of Medicaid expansion? The Affordable Care Act offers federal funds to cover 90 percent of each state's cost of widening Medicaid eligibility to Americans just over the poverty line. (In 2023, people with incomes up to $20,120 qualify.) In states that have opted in, rural hospitals have higher operating margins and spend less on uncompensated care. Rural people in those states have also been seeking out preventive care more often, which may be keeping more out of emergency rooms. But 10 states, all with Republican-controlled legislatures, still haven't expanded Medicaid, despite evidence that their health-care systems stand to benefit financially. In Mississippi, the nation's poorest state, uncompensated care costs hospitals more than $600 million a year, and only a handful of hospitals are not losing money. A recent poll found that 80 percent of Mississippians including 70 percent of Republicans support Medicaid expansion, which Mississippi Hospital Association president Tim Moore called a "no-brainer." But Republican Gov. Tate Reeves continues to oppose what he calls "the expansion of Obamacare, welfare, and socialized medicine." What else can be done? The federal government's Rural Emergency Hospital program is now offering many struggling rural hospitals a trade-off: Reduce overnight inpatient stays in exchange for $3.2 million a year and a boost in Medicare payments. Participating hospitals would prioritize emergency and outpatient treatment, and transfer patients who need extended stays to bigger facilities. There is some resistance to the program because the delay created by transporting very sick patients can be hazardous. Still, many hospital officials say they have to do whatever is necessary to avoid a complete shutdown. "The math gets harder and harder," said Tom Reinhardt, the chief executive of a 10-bed hospital in Cascade, Idaho. "It would be irresponsible for me to not take this option to the board." Maternal-care 'deserts' Half of America's rural counties have no obstetric services, forcing 7 million women of childbearing age to travel long distances if they become pregnant. Maternal care is expensive, and often one of the first services an ailing hospital cuts. Fewer than half of rural pregnant women can now find needed levels of care within 30 miles, which is particularly dangerous for risky pregnancies. Counties with a high proportion of Black residents are more likely to lose obstetric services, and rural Black women's maternal death rate is triple that of their white counterparts. Christine Daniels of Jasper, Florida, had to drive 70 miles round-trip for her prenatal appointments in 2017. Medical workers missed signs of preeclampsia, from which Black women are more likely to suffer. She barely survived delivery, and her daughter sustained permanent brain damage. "I don't want nobody to go through what I had to go through," Daniels said. "It was scary. You feel alone." This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here. You may also like U.S. production of bullets, shells, and missiles sidelined by explosion at 1 Louisiana gunpowder mill James Corden hosts his last Late Late Show, with an intervention from fellow late-night hosts Abortion bans fail in South Carolina and Nebraska by just 1 vote The countrys largest LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group is urging Anheuser-Busch to stand in solidarity with the transgender community amid backlash over its Bud Light partnership with TikToker Dylan Mulvaney. In a letter issued this week, the Human Rights Campaign slammed the brewing company for its response to conservative outrage about the trans influencers sponsorship, according to a Friday report by The Hill. When faced with anti-LGBTQ+ and transphobic criticism, Anheuser-Buschs actions demonstrate a profound lack of fortitude in upholding its values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, wrote HRC Senior Vice President Jay Brown. This not only lends credence to hate-filled rhetoric, it exposes Anheuser-Busch to long-term business impacts with employees and customers increasingly looking for steadfast commitment to LGBTQ+ corporate citizenships. A file photo of Bud Light beer at a grocery store in Glenview, Illinois. A file photo of Bud Light beer at a grocery store in Glenview, Illinois. The letter added that HRC looks to drop Anheuser-Buschs 100% score on the Corporate Equality Index, which rates companies on criteria such as Supporting an Inclusive Culture & Corporate Social Responsibility. The message comes as sales and pours of Bud Light beer have reportedly dipped amid this months controversy. In a TikTok video posted this week, Mulvaney broke her silence on the right-wing firestorm, which has included musician Kid Rock shooting Bud Light cans in a viral video and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) boycotting the beer in favor of Coors Light (despite the latter brand also professing support for the LGBTQ+ community). What Im struggling to understand is the need to dehumanize and to be cruel, Mulvaney said. Dehumanization has never fixed anything in history. Anheuser-Busch did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment on HRCs letter. Related... An Illinois man who was using a leaf blower in his own yard was fatally shot by his neighbor, police said. Ettore Lacchei, 79, is accused of shooting 59-year-old William Martys once in the head outside Martys Antioch Township driveway on April 12. Officials with the Lake County Sheriffs Office arrested Lacchei on Tuesday. The altercation began in the early evening while Martys was using his leaf blower in his yard. Lacchei approached Martys, and the two allegedly began to argue. Lacchei then shot Martys once in the head, according to the sheriffs office. Our condolences go out to the family and friends of William Martys, who was senselessly murdered, Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said in a statement. The members of the sheriffs office are relentless when it comes to seeking justice for victims. Ettore Lacchei, 79, is accused of shooting 59-year-old William Martys once in the head outside Martys Antioch Township driveway on April 12. Ettore Lacchei, 79, is accused of shooting 59-year-old William Martys once in the head outside Martys Antioch Township driveway on April 12. Witnesses told police that Lacchei was known to escalate arguments by brandishing a gun. Witnesses we spoke to on the street said it was very common for him to get into disputes with neighbors, Lake County Sheriffs Spokesperson Chris Covelli told ABC News. He has been alleged to pull a firearm on victims. Lacchei is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and is being held without bond. Related... Police were investigating Friday, a day after a noose was found hanging from tree outside of a middle school in Naperville, Illinois, west of Chicago. "On Thursday, April 27, a noose was found in a tree on the property of Scullen Middle School," Indian Prairie School District spokeswoman Lisa Barry said in a statement given to Fox News Digital. "School administrators contacted the Naperville Police Department, and they are investigating." The schools statement and the Naperville Police Department both told Fox News Digital there is no evidence that a student was responsible for the noose. CONSTRUCTION CREW REPORTEDLY FINDS NOOSE' ON CONSTRUCTION SITE OF OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER "Therefore, we do not know the origin of the object," the districts statement continued. "Indian Prairie School District takes these matters seriously, and we will continue to collaborate with the police on this matter." A noose (not pictured) was found hanging from a tree on the grounds of Scullen Middle School outside of Chicago Thursday, officials said. A police spokesperson told Fox New Digital that the investigation is ongoing and no other similar incidents have perviously occurred at the school. The Hamilton East Public Library in Indiana has emptied over half of its teen section as it searches for books deemed inappropriate for children, the Indianapolis Star reported Friday. The section has been stripped of novels like Forever by Judy Blume, as well as comics, books about puberty, and more after the librarys board of trustees orderedstaffers to review titles over the next few months, IndyStar said. In December, the board implemented a policy saying books that are not age appropriate must be removed from the teen section and relocated to sections for adults, with the extensive review process expected to cost up to $300,000. The policy measures age appropriateness based on criteria related to nudity, alcohol and drug use, violence and sexual content. During a board meeting Thursday, the policy was expanded to include a list of profanity and criminal acts considered inappropriate for young readers. According to official documents, 18,000 individual copies [of books] are impacted by the policy. The move follows similar library reviews across the country a conservative-led push that has targeted books on race and LGBTQ+ topics. According to a recent report from the American Library Association, attempts to ban and restrict books in schools and public libraries surged in 2022 to a record level. Such efforts have led librarians to be harassed and threatened with legal action. In Indiana, school librarians could soon face felony charges if they fail to comply with House Bill 1447, a proposal that seeks to ban harmful materials from school libraries. The bill was passed by Indiana legislators this week and now awaits the governors signature to become law. Related... "Even the presence of one American in Iraq is too much" - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) to Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid Iran's supreme leader and president both slammed the United States' presence in the Middle East, as Tehran hosted the president of neighbouring Iraq for wide-ranging talks on Saturday. Decades-old arch enemies the United States and Iran have vied for influence in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. Both helped Iraq to defeat the Islamic State group, and the United States still has 2,500 non-combat troops in the country to provide it with advice and training. Some 900 US troops remain in Syria, most in the Kurdish-administered northeast, as part of a US-led coalition battling remnants of IS. And the US Navy's Fifth Fleet is based in Bahrain, across the Gulf from Iran. "Americans are not friends with anyone and are not even loyal to their European friends," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said at his meeting with Iraq's President Abdul Latif Rashid, the supreme leader's website said. "Even the presence of one American in Iraq is too much." Earlier, Rashid met President Ebrahim Raisi and held a joint news conference. "We do not consider the presence of foreign forces and foreigners in the region to be useful," Raisi told reporters. "The presence of the US disturbs the security of the region," said the Iranian president. "Our relationship with Iraq is based on common interests," he said, adding the "Americans think about their interests, not the interests of the countries in the region". Although Iraq and Iran fought an eight-year war in the 1980s, relations between the Shiite-majority neighbours have warmed considerably since the 2003 invasion ousted Saddam and his Sunni-dominated regime. Iraq has become a key economic lifeline for the sanctions-hit Islamic republic, while Iran provides Iraq with gas and electricity as well as consumer goods. At the news conference with Rashid, Raisi stressed the importance of Iran's cooperation with Iraq in security and other matters. Story continues "Relations between Iran and Iraq will continue in the field of water and electricity infrastructure," he said. "A security understanding has been established between the two countries, and the security of Iraq and its borders is very important to us," Raisi added. rkh/srm/kir Opponents of the Israeli government's controversial judicial reform plans carry candles as they march through Tel Aviv ahead of the new session of parliament The latest protest against the Israeli government's controversial judicial reform plans packed central Tel Aviv on Saturday, as divisions persist before lawmakers return to parliament. Opponents of the legislation have kept up demonstrations in the commercial hub and across the country since January, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu putting the controversial reform programme on ice a month ago. "History has its eyes on you," read a placard held aloft at the rally in Tel Aviv, where demonstrators lit flares and waved national flags in the latest show of political discontent. Israeli society has been deeply split over the ambitious legislation, which seeks to weaken the Supreme Court and hand politicians greater influence over the selection of judges. Netanyahu's right-wing administration argues the proposals are necessary to rebalance power between the judiciary and elected officials, while opponents say they represent a threat to democracy. The weekly rallies have repeatedly drawn tens of thousands onto the streets of Tel Aviv. Israel's Channel 12 estimated around 150,000 attended Saturday, while Channel 13 put the figure at around 200,000. Holding an Israeli flag, protester Iris Oren said the rally was a "fight for democracy". "This struggle gives us strength and it is clear to me that it also reaches the Knesset (parliament), and it is clear to them that they will not be able to pass unilateral decisions," she told AFP. - Rival rallies - Israelis gathered against the backdrop of cross-party talks hosted by President Isaac Herzog this month, which have sought to reach a compromise on the reform package. The negotiations were launched after Netanyahu announced a halt to the legislative process on March 27 "out of a desire to prevent a rift in the nation", in the face of mass protests and a general strike. However, the opposition has remained sceptical of the premier's intentions and no compromise has been reached. Story continues With parliament due to hold an opening session Monday after a recess, both backers of the reform and its detractors have sought to keep up the pressure on politicians. The architect of the reform, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, addressed thousands of supporters who rallied in Jerusalem on Thursday. The pro-reform protest was also attended by far-right Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich, who vowed the government would not "give up" on the package. The cabinet ministers are part of a coalition of right-wing, extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties which took office in late December. bur-rsc/jj TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Tens of thousands of Israelis protested judicial overhaul proposals Saturday in the 17th weekly rally against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition. The demonstrations have been ongoing since the beginning of the year, and organizers plan to continue, despite Netanyahu delaying the changes last month. The leaders of the mass protests want the proposals scrapped altogether. We are just getting started, read a banner that demonstrators held at the main protest in Tel Aviv, Israels economic hub. Smaller demonstrations were reported in several parts of the country. Spanish Prime Minister and Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez voiced support to the Israeli antigovernment protesters in a video message aired on a large screen in Tel Aviv. We as Socialist International have always fought for freedom, equality, justice, and democracy. Yet, as many of you know, these are values that we cannot take for granted, Sanchez said. Protesters argue the proposed changes threaten Israels democratic values, hurting a system of checks and balances and concentrating authority in the hands of Netanyahu and his extremist allies. They also say that the prime minister has a conflict of interest in trying to reshape the nations legal system at a time when he is on trial. Such changes would result in weakening the Supreme Court, giving parliament, which is controlled by Netanyahus allies, authority to overturn its rulings and limiting its ability to review laws. The protest gained support from the militarys elite reserve force, businesses, and large sectors of the Israeli community. But on Thursday, tens of thousands of right-wing Israelis who support the legal changes flocked to Jerusalem to rally for the proposal. Russian President Vladimir Putin's decree allowing the deportation of people without Russian citizenship from the occupied territories after 1 July 2024 is aimed at encouraging local residents to obtain Russian passports and creates conditions for the deportation of Ukrainians from their territories. Source: Institute for the Study of War Details: On 27 April, Vladimir Putin signed a decree that codifies the conditions for further mass deportation of residents of the occupied oblasts of Ukraine to Russia, as the Institute's report states. It is noted that the Russian president signed a decree entitled "On the Peculiarities of the Legal Status of Certain Categories of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Russian Federation" that defines those who are living in Russian-occupied territories who have declared their desire to retain their current citizenship and who refuse to obtain Russian passports as "foreign citizens and stateless persons currently residing in the Russian Federation". The decree stipulates that such persons may continue to reside in the occupied territories until 1 July 2024, suggesting that they may be deported after that date. "This decree codifies coercive methods to encourage residents of occupied areas to receive Russian passports and also sets conditions for the deportation of Ukrainians who do not agree to become Russian citizens," ISW analysts state. The institute emphasised that the Russian authorities are also continuing other attempts to deport Ukrainians, including children. ISW continues to believe that all efforts to deport Ukrainians to Russia may violate the Geneva Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and may constitute a deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! TIANJIN, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Increased inquiries for hotel rooms, catering and events reservations have thrilled Javier Gimeno, cluster general manager of a pair of hotels under Marriott International Group. Gimeno, from Spain, was invited to north China's Tianjin Municipality to manage the two hotels, the Marriott and Four Points by Sheraton, which are adjacent to the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Tianjin), and has been in this management role since February this year. "This year's hotel business is expected to far exceed that of last year. The future business outlook is more positive," said Gimeno. Both hotels have experienced a strong rebound in business thanks to China's robust economic recovery and the increase in people's mobility. China's huge consumption market gives Gimeno much confidence. Marriott International Group currently operates more than 450 hotels in approximately 120 cities in Greater China, and is expected to have over 700 hotels open in Greater China by 2025, according to the company. The value-added output of China's service sector rose 5.4 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2023, which contributed 69.5 percent to the overall GDP growth. The accommodation and catering sector surged 13.6 percent over the period. As CEO of LifePlus, an international education institution, Martin Klopper, from the United Kingdom, was delighted to obtain a multiple-entry visa for China this year to attend conferences and investigate the market. LifePlus opened its first school in Tianjin in 1986. With more foreign-funded enterprises investing in China, LifePlus has also set up five schools in five other cities, with over 2,000 students in total. Klopper previously lived in China for nearly 20 years. "China is our most valued market. I believe our market will continue to expand and more foreign companies will come to China to find opportunities in the future." Yokota Kaei, director of Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance (China) Company Limited, has been in Tianjin for a decade. "I first came to Tianjin in 2004. The rapid development here is amazing," he said. The company seized the opportunity provided by China's rapid development of auto consumption from 2007 to 2022, expanding its business scale by about 15 times, with its registered capital increasing from 200 million yuan (28.9 million U.S. dollars) to 1 billion yuan. Kim Won Seob, with the Industrial Bank of Korea (China) Limited, views accelerated digitalization and localization transformation of the company as important strategies needed to deeply cultivate the Chinese market. "China's swift economic recovery is beyond our expectations this year," said Kim. The company has actively formulated business plans, especially loans targeting high-tech, eco-friendly companies and personal consumption. "The broad market gives us confidence to deeply develop in China," Kim said. Data from the Ministry of Commerce showed that China's import and export of services totaled about 969.6 billion yuan in the January-February period, rising 1.7 percent year on year. Imports of services climbed 14.7 percent year on year to about 557.3 billion yuan in this period. "We are looking forward to sharing opportunities resulting from China's economic recovery and growth," said Yokota. Lamar High School held a memorial on Friday honoring 16-year-old JaShawn Poirier, who was fatally shot outside the school on March 20. Justice for JaShawn and forever 16, the crowd chanted in unison after Roshone Jacob, Poiriers mother, spoke at the memorial. JaShawn Poiriers family and loved ones attended alongside many others at a memorial for him at Lamar High School on Friday, April 28, 2023. The past month has been an unbelievable journey on many levels, said Andy Hagman, Lamar Highs principal. The sun is always there, we can always take ourselves there and its been hard to do this past month, but thats the kind of thing that helps me keep moving ... is knowing theres love. We are very blessed to experience that in this past month. Its been truly incredible. The event commenced with a welcome and introduction from Hagman. He said the family wanted to wait to hold the memorial on Friday, which would have been Poiriers 17th birthday. JaShawn Poiriers mother, Roshone Jacob, and other loved ones released green balloons for him on what would have been his 17th birthday outside of Lamar High School on Friday, April 28, 2023. We are glad that we could hopefully provide some comfort and some solace for the family in this incredibly difficult time. Thank you for everything youve given to us and to the family as we remember JaShawn today, Hagman said to the attendees. Poirier died at a hospital after being shot in the head and chest on the morning of March 20 right outside of the school by another male student who attended Lamar High. A female student was grazed on the cheek by a bullet in the shooting. The victims and the suspect were all under 17 years of age. The 15-year-old student accused of shooting Poirier is being held in the Tarrant County juvenile detention center and is facing a capital murder charge. On behalf of the Arlington ISD Board of Trustees, we want you to know that we share in your heartbreak. What happened to JaShawn should never happen to any child, said Melody Fowler, the board president of the school district. We want his mom, Ms. Jacob, to know and all of his friends and all of his family that we will continue to pray for them. JaShawn will remain a Viking forever in our hearts. Lamar High School Principal Andy Hagman displayed JaShawn Poiriers last piece of artwork at a memorial for him Friday, April 28, 2023. Following Fowler, Solomon Adair, the pastor at Inspired to Live Church, gave a prayer. After Lamar High staff displayed the last piece of artwork that Poirier made, his mother spoke. Story continues March 20th was the worst day of my life. Never in a million years did I think this would happen to me, Jacob said. You see it on TV all the time, but when it hits home its a different story. So now is my time to speak and be JaShawns voice. As hed want the gun violence to stop we all have to come together and stand as one and let our voices be heard. Put yourself in my shoes and you would be doing the same thing by speaking up. ... JaShawn didnt deserve this at all, and he has one fight he left behind him and Im going to fight until justice is served. The memorial finished with the singing of Amazing Grace and a release of green balloons, remembering Poiriers favorite color. The crowd and attendees all said happy birthday together as JaShawns mother and loved ones released the green balloons. Just remember he was a good young man and that he was loved by many. He is missed by many, Jacob said. JaShawn Poiriers friends stood next to another close friend, Dwayne Scott (third from the right), a student at Lamar High School, and Poiriers mother and sister, Roshone and Nautica Jacob, at his memorial Friday, April 28, 2023. JaShawn was a loving, caring person. He didnt do nothing to make nobody mad, didnt make nobody angry, didnt make nobody sad, said Dwayne Scott, a close friend and classmate of Poirier. If you made jokes about JaShawn, hell push it to the side and laugh at the jokes with you because he wasnt that type of person to go around with an anger stink face and just want go fight. He was just a good person. Police have not publicly announced a motive for the shooting. Although, authorities have said that they discovered that the shotgun used by the accused student was owned by his father. The father was arrested and charged with felon in possession of a firearm three days after the fatal shooting at Lamar High. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram does not publish the names of youths accused of offenses as juveniles or the names of adults in circumstances in which publication could identify the juvenile. A multi-convicted felon, Corinthian King, has been sentenced to over eleven years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and for violating the terms of his supervised release, according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice. Corinthian King, a 32-year-old man from Jacksonville, was sentenced to eleven years and eight months in federal prison for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it. King, who has multiple previous convictions, has also been found guilty of violating the terms of his supervised release. The sentence was handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan. In addition to the prison sentence, King has also agreed to forfeit a Glock 9mm pistol and ammunition that were in his possession during the commission of the offense. King had reportedly pleaded guilty to the charges on September 21, 2022. According to court documents, in April 2022, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office conducted a traffic stop on King as he was leaving a Southside motel. During the stop, officers discovered a digital scale with cocaine residue, plastic baggies, and a loaded Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol under the rear passenger seat. King was also found to be carrying a plastic baggie containing more than 50 grams of powder cocaine, more than 40 grams of methamphetamine, and fentanyl and oxycodone pills. The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran. [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. A local man known for his ties to the community and local politicians was sentenced to seven years in prison for fraud and identity theft. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Action News Jax told you last year when 35-year-old Siottis Jackson turned himself into Jacksonville Sheriffs Office. Related Story: Arrest warrant: Community activist used pastors personal information to commit fraud He was found guilty of using Pastor Reginald Gundys personal information to apply for more than $100,000 in loans without Gundys knowledge. Gundy was the founder of the nonprofit The First Coast Leadership Foundation Jacksonville, Inc. When ANJ reached out to the nonprofit back in June of 2022, CEO Nahshon Nicks said he was no longer employed by the organization. Jackson worked with prominent political figures like state representative Angie Nixon and former Congresswoman Corrine Brown. In 2011, Jackson was accused of stealing thousands of dollars from Ribault High School, where he worked as a student activities director. In 2015, he was charged with stealing checks from a Clay County realty company he worked for. Jackson was also accused of fraudulently using that same business owners banking information to fund JEA and Comcast accounts. STAY UPDATED: Download the Action News Jax app for live updates on breaking stories The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is seeking the identity of a suspect who fraudulently used a stolen credit card in the 7000 block of 103rd Street on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. The Sheriffs Office began investigating the incident and released a picture of the suspect on Friday. The suspect is described as a male, approximately 59 and weighing roughly 225 pounds. He was wearing a black beanie hat, a black shirt, and gray sweatpants at the time of the incident. Witnesses also reported that he was seen driving a 2014-2015 White, Mercedes-Benz, E-Class with dark tint, a sunroof, and Silver after-market rims. Despite efforts to identify the suspect, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office has been unsuccessful and is now seeking the assistance of the community. Anyone with information on the suspects whereabouts or identity is urged to contact the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office at 904-630-0500 or via email at JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org. Those who wish to remain anonymous and potentially receive a cash reward can call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS. The investigation is ongoing, and the Sheriffs Office encourages anyone with information to come forward. [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. Jake Angeli, the Phoenix man who took part in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, shirtless and wearing a furry horned helmet, has asked that his sentence be vacated because of video footage shown two months ago by former Fox News Network host Tucker Carlson. The Hawaii attorney who filed the motion has asked for donations from the public for a legal defense fund to argue the case. The motion, filed on Thursday in federal court in Washington D.C., cited footage Carlson showed in March. The footage showed Angeli walking calmly with officers inside the U.S. Capitol. At one point in the footage, as described in the court document, an officer appears to try to open a door as if wanting to allow Angeli to enter. In the motion, Angeli's attorney argues that Angeli pleaded guilty to a felony without his attorney at the time having seen that footage, which he said was exculpatory. The motion was filed by William Shipley, a Hawaii attorney who has defended several people facing charges for their actions during the Capitol riot. He has also been a prodigious fundraiser for the January 6 Legal Defense Fund Foundation. Jan. 6, 2021: These are the Arizonans arrested after rampage at U.S. Capitol The motion was previewed on April 19 on a Substack newsletter written by Shipley. Paid subscribers were able to see more of his argument ahead of the filing. Shipley, in a Twitter post, linking to a donation page said that the costs of the case "are expected to be significant because I do not expect the Government to concede without a fight." Shipley in a phone interview on Friday said that as a former federal prosecutor he felt he owed something to defendants caught in the system, especially those without means to hire an attorney with his experience. Shipley said he was fundraising because there was "some sentiment in the public that there's people that deserve competent council." Fundraising was going well in its initial six months, he said, but had slowed down a bit recently. Shipley said that he hoped taking Angeli's case would boost donations, something he said Angeli has agreed with. Story continues "Jake has committed to helping that happen," Shipley said. Angeli was sentenced to 41 months in prison in November 2021 after pleading guilty to a single felony count. He is serving the last weeks of his sentence in a Phoenix halfway house. Angeli became an icon of the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol thanks to his eye-catching getup: shirtless, showing off elaborate shamanistic tattoos, painted face and a horned hat with fur tails that lined his face. Angeli wore the same outfit during protests in Phoenix, also carrying a sign that said, "Q Sent Me." He preached fealty to the false QAnon conspiracy that imagined a top-level government agent with Q-level security clearance was posting cryptic messages on an online bulletin board. The theory coalesced around a narrative that former President Donald Trump was set to dismantle a global cabal of leaders who had committed crimes against children, including ingesting their blood. After the nation saw Angeli at the Capitol, he was dubbed the QAnon Shaman and became fodder for late-night comedy shows. He also played a starring role in the March 6 episode of "Tucker Carlson Tonight," during which Carlson showed what he described as never-before-seen footage given to him by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. As Carlson showed footage of Angeli being near officers, he asked why, if Angeli was committing "such a grave crime, why didn't the officers who were standing next to him place him under arrest?" Carlson showed the footage on his show to make an argument that the breach of the Capitol was overblown, with most of the Trump supporters who broke through security to enter acting peacefully. The chief of the Capitol Police called Carlson's use of the footage "offensive and misleading." U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said it was a "mistake" for the network to depict the storming of the Capitol the way it did. Carlson parted ways with the network earlier this week. Why did Tucker Carlson leave? Everything to know about the ex-Fox News host Prosecutors did not accuse Angeli of any act of violence or property damage during his time in the U.S. Capitol. But, prosecutors said he played a key role in goading the crowd through shouts blasted through his megaphone. Angeli also refused an officer's order to leave the U.S. Senate chamber, briefly taking the dais and leaving a note for then-Vice President Mike Pence. The note said: "It's only a matter of time. Justice is coming!" At his sentencing, Angeli took responsibility for his actions, saying the time in near solitary confinement, brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, left him a lot of time for soul searching. "I'm a good man who broke the law," he told the judge. Angeli, who was charged under his legal name Jacob Chansley, had appealed his conviction in February 2022, but withdrew it voluntarily in June 2022. That motion was filed by another attorney for Angeli, John Pierce of Woodland Hills, California. As of late Friday, the online fundraising campaign hosted by GiveSendGo had raised just over $2,200. It's goal was listed as $250,000. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Jake Angeli, the QAnon shaman, asks for his conviction to be tossed James Cleverly says that 'engaging with China does not mean agreeing with China' - Geoff Pugh for The Telegrah James Cleverly has said his meetings with Chinese officials are not a comfortable chit chat over tea and biscuits, as he defended himself against calls for the Government to take a tougher line against Xi Jinping. The Foreign Secretary told The Telegraph that he had raised human rights issues and the sanctioning of British MPs whenever he had spoken to Chinese ministers and said to cut off the regime would not be a show of strength. Mr Cleverly has faced criticism from Tory MPs, including his former boss Liz Truss, for refusing to reclassify China as a threat in response to the premiers aggressive foreign policy and abuse of Uyghur Muslims. In a speech this week, he said it would be impossible, impractical and most importantly unwise to sum up Britains relationship with the communist state in such a word and promised to engage with China where necessary. That approach is unpopular with Conservative MPs in two influential groups set up to monitor UK-Sino relations - the China Research Group and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC). Earlier this month, Ms Truss told Western democracies they must get real about China and accused leaders of appeasing the country in the face of human rights abuses and threats to Taiwan. The Foreign Secretary said he had been criticised by some of [his] closest friends in Parliament and that while he would listen to their views, friends don't agree on absolutely everything. Confronting China over those things is being tough, and we can only do that credibly if we engage with China, he said. In terms of defining diplomatic language, people need to really understand that engaging with China does not mean agreeing with China. Talking to China is not about comfortable chit chat over tea and biscuits it's about highlighting our opposition to the actions they take that we disagree with, it means doing so directly. Whenever I've had a conversation with a Chinese minister, whether face-to-face or over the phone, I have always highlighted the plight of the Uyghur Muslims, I've always highlighted their posture towards Hong Kong. Story continues I've always criticised their decision to sanction my parliamentary colleagues and I've always demanded that they lift those sanctions. Ms Truss had pledged to reclassify China as a threat in a defence review after she took office but was unable to complete it before she was forced to resign. Mr Sunak has been criticised for softening his stance on China since the Conservative leadership race last summer, in which he described the country as the largest threat to Britain and the worlds security and prosperity. Since taking office, he has refused to repeat that claim and instead referred to the end of the golden age in UK-Chinese relations once heralded by David Cameron and George Osborne. Responding to the suggestion that Ms Trusss criticism of the Governments new approach had made his life difficult, Mr Cleverly said: If you want an easy life, Foreign Secretary is not the job to get. These are some of my closest friends in Parliament. These are long, long, long, long-standing friends. She made me Foreign Secretary because she'd seen me working as a foreign affairs minister. Now that doesn't mean that we have always agreed on every particular detail of every particular point. Friends don't agree on absolutely everything, and of course I respect her thoughts on this. She knows what she's talking about, she's been foreign secretary and she has strong views. And of course, I listened to those views, as I listen to the views of others. (Bloomberg) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to visit South Korea in early May to meet with President Yoon Suk Yeol, Kyodo News reports, citing sources it didnt identify. The meeting is expected to take place around May 7 or May 8, the report says. Most Read from Bloomberg The visit is aimed at strengthening cooperation with its neighbor in dealing with North Korea, which has repeatedly launched ballistic missiles, according to the report. Kishida told reporters on Saturday that no specific date had yet been set, when asked about the trip, before he departed for his visit to African countries. North Korea has recently taken a more confrontational stance, with its foreign minister making a statement last week that Pyongyang will retain its nuclear weapons and punish Group of Seven members who try to change that. South Koreas presidential office said no official decision has been made yet on the reported summit, according to Yonhap News. The office did not respond to text messages seeking confirmation and comment by Bloomberg. Relations between Japan and South Korea have been steadily improving. In March, both leaders pledged at a rare summit in Tokyo their readiness to end a long-simmering dispute that had hurt security and trade ties. They also agreed to resume shuttle diplomacy, an initiative that had been suspended for years due to political acrimony. Read more: South Korea, Japan Leaders Meet to End Feud and Heal Trade Rift Japan also plans to invite South Korea to an outreach meeting at the G-7 summit to be held in Hiroshima next month. In another sign of warming ties, the Japanese government announced on Friday that it would restore South Koreas preferred trading status. Story continues --With assistance from Youkyung Lee. (Updates with Kishidas comment in the third paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. By Kevin Buckland TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to visit South Korea in coming weeks and meet with President Yoon Suk Yeol, officials said, reciprocating a Tokyo visit by the South Korean leader last month. A Japanese government official and another official from a Group of Seven government said the meeting was expected before Kishida hosts a G7 summit from May 19. Japan's Kyodo news agency said on Saturday the two will meet around May 7 or 8, citing multiple unnamed Japanese and South Korean diplomatic sources. Their aim will be to confirm the two neighbours' strengthening of cooperation over North Korea ahead of the Hiroshima G7 summit, Kyodo said. Asked about reports of the bilateral summit, Kishida said in remarks broadcast by public network NHK that nothing concrete had been decided. An answering machine at Japan's foreign ministry on Saturday said no one was available over the weekend. Ties between Japan and South Korea, long strained by issues including war time compensation and trade, have been improving in recent months in the face of North Korea's frequent missile launches and China's more muscular role on the global stage. The two sides agreed to revive shuttle diplomacy when Yoon met with Kishida in Tokyo in March, the first Japan visit by a South Korean president in 12 years. The last visit by a Japanese prime minister to South Korea was made by Shinzo Abe in 2018, according to NHK. U.S. President Joe Biden this week praised Yoon's efforts toward improving relations with Japan during a visit by Yoon to Washington. Biden, Yoon and Kishida are to meet on the sidelines of the Hiroshima summit, according to Japanese media reports. North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said a U.S.-South Korea agreement this week about the need to shore up South Korean security will worsen the situation, according to state media KCNA. North Korea is convinced it must further perfect a "nuclear war deterrent" as a result, Kim was quoted as saying. (Reporting by Kevin Buckland and Kentaro Sugiyama in Tokyo and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington; Editing by Lincoln Feast and William Mallard) MIAMI (AP) Jean Segura hit a game-ending RBI single, lifting the Miami Marlins to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. Jorge Soler sparked the winning rally with a leadoff single. Michael Rucker (1-1) then plunked Luis Arraez and Avisail Garcia before Segura hit a grounder back up the middle and through a drawn-in infield. Every time you put a W on the board is always good, Segura said. Its not about me. Its about the team winning baseball games and playing good baseball. Segura is in his first season with Miami after finalizing a $17 million, two-year contract in January. The veteran infielder entered Friday's game with a .203 batting average. I dont remember having a tougher stretch, Segura said. At some point, it happens to all major leaguers. I have to continue working hard and do my best to get out of it. A.J. Puk (3-0) got three outs for the win. Chicago put two runners on with two out in the top half of the ninth, but Nelson Velazquez bounced into a forceout at second. Miami improved to 8-0 in one-run games this season. The Marlins also are 3-0 in their teal jerseys this year. We have a lot of winners in our clubhouse, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. They know what winning looks like. The Cubs wasted a strong start by Marcus Stroman, who allowed two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. Chicago went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base. Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled twice and stole two bases for the Marlins. Jesus Luzardo also pitched 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball. We have tremendous confidence in our bullpen and tremendous confidence with our batters as well, Luzardo said. It doesnt matter that we are losing by two, three, five runs. Everyone in the dugout is optimistic we are going to score. The Cubs grabbed a 2-1 lead on Eric Hosmers pinch-hit RBI single in the seventh. Hosmer drove in Cody Bellinger, who tripled with one out on a line drive to left. Story continues The Marlins tied it in the bottom half of the inning. Arraez walked, advanced to third on Garcias single and scored on Seguras single to left. I feel like Im starting to catch my stride and as the year progresses, I wont have those spurts where I kind of lose it with a batter on four pitches, Stroman said of his walk to Arraez. Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner singled in the third, extending his on-base streak to 23 games. It is the third longest active streak in the majors. Chicago jumped in front on Velazquezs solo shot in the third. Velazquez drove Luzardos first pitch over the wall in left for his third homer. Miami tied in the bottom half when Jesus Sanchez scored from third on a double-play grounder by Jon Berti. HITTING THE ROAD Chicago played 16 of its first 24 games at home. The series opener against Miami began a stretch of 16 of the next 22 away from Wrigley Field. ROSTER MOVES The Cubs reinstated Bellinger from the paternity list and designated catcher Luis Torrens for assignment. The Marlins promoted right-hander Johan Quezada from Triple-A Jacksonville and designated left-hander Devin Smeltzer for assignment. TRAINERS ROOM Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (right shoulder strain) allowed six runs and six hits in 1 2/3 innings in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Iowa on Thursday. Marlins: INF Joey Wendle (strained right intercostal) went hitless in three at-bats in a rehab game with Triple-A Jacksonville on Thursday. ... RHP Johnny Cueto (right biceps tightness) is scheduled to throw 60 pitches in an extended spring training outing Monday. UP NEXT RHP Caleb Kilian will make his season debut for the Cubs in the second game of the series Saturday. The 25-year-old Kilian is currently at Iowa but manager David Ross confirmed his pending promotion on Friday. The Marlins will go with RHP Edward Cabrera (1-2, 4.91 ERA). ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports A veteran of the Monroe County Prosecutor's Office is the county's new prosecuting attorney. Jeffrey A. Yorkey was appointed to the position Thursday by Monroe County's circuit judges, Mark S. Braunlich, Daniel S. White and William P. Nichols, a news release from the prosecutor's office said. Yorkey will succeed Michael G. Roehrig, who is retiring effective Monday, May 1, and will complete the term, which ends Dec. 31, 2024. It is an honor to be appointed as Prosecuting Attorney to serve the citizens of Monroe County, Yorkey said in the release, adding that he looks forward to working with the "outstanding and talented" prosecutor's office staff and its "dedicated law enforcement partners." "I am committed to the rule of law, the pursuit of justice, and the fair and reasoned administration of the law, he said. More: Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney Michael G. Roehrig to retire May 1 When a vacancy occurs in the prosecutor position, Michigan law assigns the task of appointing a new prosecutor to the county's circuit judges. The judges had a public hearing Thursday at the county courthouse to make the appointment. Yorkey, of Temperance, has been a Monroe County assistant prosecutor since June 2014. He graduated from the University of New Orleans in 1993 and earned his law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law in 1996. He opened his private practice in Monroe in 1997 and specialized in criminal defense. He was on the Child Protection Attorney Consortium and the newly developed specialized Drug Court, and he gained extensive trial experience. After joining the prosecutors office, Yorkey participated in the newly developed Mental Health Recovery Court and prosecuted hundreds of felony and misdemeanor cases, the release said. He has tried several of the most infamous cases in recent years, including the Blanchong/Morris homicide, the Austin Lucas homicide, the Kordney McDonald assault with intent to murder case where the defendant shot a police officer during a carjacking investigation, and the Brewton/Harris assault with intent to murder case where the defendants shot numerous times into a car full of innocent children and young adults. Yorkey will be able to run for election to a full term in 2024. This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Jeffrey Yorkey appointed as Monroe County prosecutor Chinese people evacuated from Sudan by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu arrive at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah on April 29, 2023. Chinese naval vessels evacuated 493 people from Sudan in a second evacuation operation that concluded on Saturday, as the evacuees arrived at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah, according to an official statement. The evacuees include 272 Chinese and 221 foreigners from countries such as Pakistan and Brazil. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou) BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese naval vessels evacuated 493 people from Sudan in a second evacuation operation that concluded on Saturday, as the evacuees arrived at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah, according to an official statement. The evacuees include 272 Chinese and 221 foreigners from countries such as Pakistan and Brazil. The first evacuation operation carried out by the Chinese navy earlier this week helped 678 people leave Sudan. Children evacuated from Sudan by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu arrive at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah on April 29, 2023. Chinese naval vessels evacuated 493 people from Sudan in a second evacuation operation that concluded on Saturday, as the evacuees arrived at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah, according to an official statement. The evacuees include 272 Chinese and 221 foreigners from countries such as Pakistan and Brazil. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou) A Chinese man evacuated from Sudan by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu arrives at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah on April 29, 2023. Chinese naval vessels evacuated 493 people from Sudan in a second evacuation operation that concluded on Saturday, as the evacuees arrived at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah, according to an official statement. The evacuees include 272 Chinese and 221 foreigners from countries such as Pakistan and Brazil. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou) The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu arrives at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah on April 29, 2023. Chinese naval vessels evacuated 493 people from Sudan in a second evacuation operation that concluded on Saturday, as the evacuees arrived at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah, according to an official statement. The evacuees include 272 Chinese and 221 foreigners from countries such as Pakistan and Brazil. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou) A child evacuated from Sudan by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu arrives at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah on April 29, 2023. Chinese naval vessels evacuated 493 people from Sudan in a second evacuation operation that concluded on Saturday, as the evacuees arrived at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah, according to an official statement. The evacuees include 272 Chinese and 221 foreigners from countries such as Pakistan and Brazil. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou) A Brazilian man evacuated from Sudan by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu arrive at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah on April 29, 2023. Chinese naval vessels evacuated 493 people from Sudan in a second evacuation operation that concluded on Saturday, as the evacuees arrived at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah, according to an official statement. The evacuees include 272 Chinese and 221 foreigners from countries such as Pakistan and Brazil. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou) Pakistani people evacuated from Sudan by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu arrive at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah on April 29, 2023. Chinese naval vessels evacuated 493 people from Sudan in a second evacuation operation that concluded on Saturday, as the evacuees arrived at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah, according to an official statement. The evacuees include 272 Chinese and 221 foreigners from countries such as Pakistan and Brazil. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou) The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu arrives at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah on April 29, 2023. Chinese naval vessels evacuated 493 people from Sudan in a second evacuation operation that concluded on Saturday, as the evacuees arrived at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah, according to an official statement. The evacuees include 272 Chinese and 221 foreigners from countries such as Pakistan and Brazil. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou) On Today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: Democrats continue to blast a House GOP debt limit plan that includes trillions in cuts. Plus, USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Bart Jansen recaps another busy week for former President Donald Trump's legal concerns, the Federal Reserve releases a report about the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, Colorado's governor signs bills aimed at fighting gun violence. And USA TODAY Health Reporter Karen Weintraub explains what new DNA analysis can tell us about mammals, including humans. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here. Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Taylor Wilson: Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson, and this is five things you need to know, Saturday the 29th of April, 2023. Today, the latest from Capitol Hill as the clock ticks for Congress to act on the debt limit, plus another busy legal week for former President, Donald Trump, and what new DNA analysis can tell us about mammals. Democratic House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, told reporters yesterday that President Joe Biden and Congressional Democrats will not settle for anything less than a clean debt ceiling increase. Hakeem Jeffries: President Biden has produced a budget. House Republicans produced a ransom note. Taylor Wilson: The house GOP plan outlined this week includes 4.5 trillion dollars in spending cuts. The bill has been slammed by most Democrats who are following Biden's refusal to negotiate with house Republicans on tying budget cuts to the debt limit. The clock is ticking for Congress to raise the debt ceiling with the US set to run out of cash to pay its obligations at some point in June. It was another busy week for former President, Donald Trump's, legal headaches as he juggled developments in five cases simmering against him. USA Today Justice Department correspondent, Bart Jansen, has the latest. Bart, thanks for hopping on the podcast. Story continues Bart Jansen: Thanks for having me. Taylor Wilson: Former Vice President, Mike Pence, testified in the January 6th probe. What do we know about his testimony? Bart Jansen: Well, he's been considered a key figure because he was at the center of Trump's strategy to try to overturn the results of the 2020 election. As Vice President, he also served as President of the Senate so that when they were counting electoral college votes on January 6th, 2021, he was the guy in the chair in the Senate. And the strategy that Trump's lawyers had adopted was try to have Pence single-handedly reject electors from seven states, flip them from President Joe Biden to Trump, and in that way overturn the results. So he was pressured repeatedly by Trump's allies and then by Trump himself, called Pence the morning of January 6th. We don't know yet what happened during that conversation, but Pence's aids have testified in the house that he came back from receiving the call steely and grim, but Pence refused to go along with the scheme, and so his views will be presumably pretty crucial to the grand jury that's studying what happened on January 6th. Taylor Wilson: And there are all kinds of other investigations and legal questions surrounding Trump. Let's get to the classified documents probe. What's the latest here, Bart? Bart Jansen: Both the January 6th investigation and the classified documents are being investigated by a Justice Department special counsel, Jack Smith, and he's been moving along what appears fairly briskly. They don't really reveal what happens in a grand jury investigation, but we can see from subpoenas that they've been moving to increasingly higher level witnesses. In the classified documents case, they've been subpoenaing Trump's lawyers and winning. The lawyers tried to resist based on attorney-client privilege, but you can't have attorney-client privilege while discussing potentially criminal acts. Those lawyers have also been ordered to testify, and so it appears that we are moving briskly to decisions, not necessarily charges, but decisions in whether Trump or anybody else might be charged in these two federal investigations. Taylor Wilson: And E. Jean Carroll testified this week in her defamation lawsuit over her allegation that Trump raped her back in the nineties. What did she say, Bart, and what's next for that trial? Bart Jansen: She testified that he raped her in a Manhattan clothing store in 1996. She didn't report it at the time, and so Trump's lawyers challenged her on that, "Why didn't you report it? Are you just after him politically now or for a payoff?" So she said that what happened was she did not report it because she thought that he would attack her, diminish her back at the time. She later wrote a memoir, and as the memoir came out, he started criticizing her reputation, her appearance, and denied that the incident had even happened. And so she is now suing him for defamation. Her testimony was pretty vivid this week. Trump has not yet attended the case, but he posted on social media, he called it a hoax and said that it's a false accusation. But the judge in the case scolded his attorney saying, "Hey, he cannot be posting this stuff during the trial." And so, those are the developments this week. And we, as with these other cases, it looks like at least we're finally getting close to a decision. Taylor Wilson: And Trump was criminally charged earlier this year in the Hush-Money case. Anything new to report on this front part? Bart Jansen: Yeah, Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, filed a motion Monday seeking to limit Trump's access to evidence in that case. Some of the materials we're talking about is like grand jury testimony, the kind of stuff that isn't typically released publicly unless they want to use a piece of the grand jury testimony actually at the trial. Then it's public, then everybody can talk about it. While it's still just confidential testimony at this point, Bragg is saying that he wants Trump to only be able to review that sort of material in the company of his lawyers and not take notes on it, not photograph it, not take transcriptions. And then he'd like the judge to order something that would limit social media posts about the stuff that he looks at. The problems that District Attorney Bragg raises in his motion is that Trump will go on social media. He contends that it is First Amendment right to criticize the people who are investigating him and he says what he thinks is wrong about it, or whatever. And there have been death threats against District Attorney Bragg. There have been all sorts of public outcry against these previous investigators. Bragg is basically trying to put the breaks on that if he can. The judge has not yet ruled in that case, we might get a hearing as early as May 4th on that. And so yeah, Bragg is trying to basically limit what Trump is able to look at and say about that case. Taylor Wilson: And finally, in Georgia, do we have any timeframe for the grand jury's decision on criminal charges related to election fraud there? Bart Jansen: Yeah. Again, we are sailing toward at least decisions on whether charges will be filed. Fulton County District Attorney, Fani Willis, has been investigating potential election fraud because of the phone call that Trump made to the Secretary of State there on January 2nd, 2021, and also his campaign's recruitment of fake electors to try, again, to replace Biden electors. So it looks like we're getting close to a decision in that investigation as well. Taylor Wilson: Lots on Trump's plate. Bart Janssen, thanks so much. Bart Jansen: Thanks for having me. Taylor Wilson: The Federal Reserve is blaming last month's collapse of Silicon Valley Bank on poor management, watered down regulations and lacks oversight by its own staffers. In the report out yesterday, the Fed also said the industry needs stricter policing on multiple fronts to prevent future bank failures. The Fed was critical of its own role in the bank's failure. It points to cultural issues at the Fed where supervisors were unwilling to be hard on bank management when they saw growing problems. The report concluded that those cultural issues stem from legislation passed in 2018 aimed at lightening regulations for banks with less than 250 billion dollars in assets. The Fed also weakened its own rules the following year. Colorado's Governor yesterday signed four bills aimed at fighting gun violence. The laws increased the minimum age to buy a gun from 18 to 21 and create a three-day waiting period between buying and taking possession of a firearm. One move expands the state's existing red flag law, while another aims to make it easier for victims of gun violence to sue the gun industry. Gun rights groups filed lawsuits yesterday over the new restrictions on waiting periods and minimum purchasing age. The group cite a Supreme Court decision last year that expanded gun rights. What makes a human human? The largest ever DNA analysis of mammals offers up some clues with insight into evolution, disease and more. USA Today Health Reporter, Karen Weintraub, explains. Howdy, Karen. Karen Weintraub: Hi, how are you? Taylor Wilson: Good, thanks. Thanks for hopping back on the program. Karen Weintraub: Of course. Taylor Wilson: I want to start by just asking why do this kind of sequencing in the first place? Karen Weintraub: So they've got 240 mammals, and the reason to have that number of mammals is so that they can figure out what's changed as these mammals evolved. So from early rodent- like creatures through to primates and us, when they have that many of them, they can figure out exactly what the changes have been in the genes. Taylor Wilson: So let's get into some of the most compelling findings of this research. What does it tell us about human disease? Karen Weintraub: So I can't tell you that they've cured cancer or anything, but they have found more sites in the genome, in the package of DNA that we carry in every cell, that could be targets for treatments. Taylor Wilson: And how can genetic knowledge help save endangered species? Karen Weintraub: So with this work, they were able to identify species that seemed to be at highest risk because they had the most dangerous mutations, they had the most precipitous drop off in population. They can calculate that from a single genome and sort of figure out which animals are most at risk. So they took a look, for instance, at three particular species and figured out that the Orca, the killer whale, is at biggest risk. And the reason this is important is that there are a lot of species in the world and a lot at risk, and this will help them prioritize which ones need the most attention. Taylor Wilson: And what can we learn from Balto, the Siberian Husky? Karen Weintraub: Yeah. So Balto, if you remember your Disney trivia, was the subject of a Disney movie in the mid-nineties. He was a Siberian Husky who led a team of dogs and a couple of humans who brought vaccine to Nome, Alaska, now the Iditarod, which is run now, recreates that race. And this vaccine saved the children of Nome from diptheria. So they managed to get DNA from the carcass, the taxidermy body of Balto, which was at the Cleveland Museum, and they could figure out that Balto was actually quite well adapted to his Alaskan surroundings and probably healthier than today's dogs, which are much more inbred than he was. Taylor Wilson: All right, Karen Weintraub, thanks as always. Karen Weintraub: Thank you. Taylor Wilson: Thanks for listening to 5 Things. You could find us seven days a week wherever you get your podcast. The Sunday edition is up tomorrow, and I'll see you Monday with more of 5 Things from USA Today. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeffries slams House GOP debt limit plan, Trump's legal concerns: 5 Things podcast The Kansas City Mavericks have a brand new playoff series on their hands. They assured themselves of a fresh start Friday in Allen, Texas, beating the Allen Americans 2-1 at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center. Friday nights outcome evened the teams ECHL Kelly Cup playoff series at two wins apiece. The remaining games in the best-of-seven series will be in Allen, Texas, starting with Saturdays Game 5. Loren Ulett scored in the opening period (assisted by Theo Calvas and Cade Borchardt) and Ryan Harrison netted the eventual game-winner in the third (with Luke Stevens providing the assist). Goalie Shane Starrett saved 24 saves in a series thats been a dogfight since its outset. All four games have been decided by a single goal. Heres the remaining schedule for the series: Game 5: 7:05 p.m. Saturday in Allen, Texas Game 6: 7:05 p.m. Monday in Allen, Texas Game 7*: 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, May 3 in Allen, Texas *if necessary Feeling great tonight, thats for sure pic.twitter.com/LVVzmFyVNo x - Kansas City Mavericks (@kc_mavericks) April 29, 2023 Kate Middleton made rare comments about the late Princess Diana while visiting Wales on Thursday. Prince William and the Princess of Wales met with volunteers of the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team and later grabbed pizza during the trip. The royal couple ordered the slices from the Little Dragon Pizza Van and spoke to a crowd that had gathered. When asked about her engagement ring, Middleton explained that it had belonged to Diana, her husband's late mother. Kate Middleton poses for a photo while speaking to a crowd during a visit to Wales. The Princess of Wales made rare comments about the late Princess Diana. PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE MIDDLETON GO ON RESCUE MISSION, GRAB PIZZA AHEAD OF KING CHARLES' CORONATION Kate Middleton wears Princess Diana's engagement ring. "And it was exactly the same size," she said in a video of the moment. "It is very special. What an honor to be able to wear it." Princess Kate also reflected on Diana's impact on the royal family. Princess Diana passed away in 1997 after she was injured in a car collision. Then-Prince Charles and Diana had been officially divorced for about a year before her tragic death. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "I never met her, sadly," Middleton said before admitting the late royal would have been a "brilliant grandmother." "We miss her every day," she added. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Kate Middleton honored the late Princess Diana with her jewelry at her first Commonwealth Day as the Duchess of Wales. Kate Middleton and Princess Diana wearing similar polka dot outfits. Middleton often pays tribute to Diana with her jewelry and outfits. She wore earrings to Queen Elizabeths Platinum Jubilee celebrations that Diana had worn to the 1996 Met Gala. Middleton also attended the 2022 Royal Ascot wearing a black and white polka dot dress similar to the one Princess Diana wore to the Epsom Derby in 1986. Catherine, Princess of Wales and William, Prince of Wales laugh during their visit to the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue on day one of their visit to Wales on Thursday. Before the pizza Thursday, Middleton and Prince William went on a rescue mission with the volunteer team. Middleton and William both wore matching red coats the same ones as the rescuers for the outing. The prince and princess also got to participate in rescue activities, including rappelling down the side of a cliff. They both got a turn before then working with a rescue dog. Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch, leaves the Lloyds Bank building in the City of London Almost seven years after the UK voted for Brexit, it will astonish many that the country still retains any EU law on the statute books at all. It is an indictment of Civil Service inertia and of the efforts of establishment Remainers to thwart the whole affair, but also of the failure of successive Conservative administrations to think imaginatively about how the UK can best use its new legislative and regulatory freedoms. Now Kemi Badenoch, the Business Secretary, has decided to limit the scope of the Retained EU Law Bill, which was originally intended to abolish more than 4,000 EU laws by the end of the year. The Bill will instead scrap a more modest 800 or so. This will be seen as a pragmatic move, a recognition that the Bill as it stood was likely to get bogged down in the Lords. Mrs Badenoch is a Leave voter who has shown that she has the right instincts on how to exploit the opportunities that Brexit presents, notably in her work to sign the UK up to the trans-Pacific trade deal. But the Government does still need to follow through on its promises on regulatory reform. Mrs Badenochs job is now perhaps the most important in the Cabinet. Companies increasingly view the UK as a hostile environment in which to operate, thanks in large part to recent tax rises. If the fiscal situation is not going to change, ministers must place greater weight on deregulation to show Britain is open for business. It is also becoming urgent politically. We may be just a year away from a general election that present indications suggest will return a Labour majority government with questionable views on Brexit. The Tories will need a compelling answer when voters ask: what has leaving the EU done for us? WASHINGTON Your kids may finally have to put their phone down after a bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation to set age restrictions on social media. The lawmakers introduced a bill Wednesday that bans children younger than 13 from using social media platforms and requires parental consent for those between the ages of 13 and 17. The move is among the first major bipartisan effort in Congress to restrict platforms for children and comes after lawmakers have recently pushed to make online platforms safer for children, including efforts to ban TikTok and regulate Instagram. However, parents told USA TODAY they are skeptical of the legislation and whether it would be effective in addressing the rapidly emerging concerns over minors use of social media. I appreciate a bipartisan effort around this. And I do think its important to start building coalitions, said Samuel Chapman, a 58-year-old California parent whose 16-year-old son died from fentanyl-laced drugs purchased through Snapchat in 2021. I just dont see it as the solution. Most social media companies already prohibit users under 13 because of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, otherwise known as COPPA. However, it's not strictly enforced. Smart analysis delivered to your inbox: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter Parents skeptical over proposed social media age restrictions People gather for a press conference about their opposition to a TikTok ban on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on March 22, 2023. Chapman and his wife, OWN TV host Dr. Laura Berman, have been large proponents of social media legislation following the death of their son, including advocating for parental monitoring technology on such applications. Chapman and Berman have advocated for Sammys Law legislation named for their son which would require major social media companies to allow parents to track their children through third-party monitoring software. Im all for parental permission. I dont know if codifying will make it happen because everything thats been put in place by these platforms and by our legislators thus far any 12-year-old has been able to get around, Chapman added. Story continues Chris Kunkle, whose children are 10, 15 and 17, voiced similar concerns while also taking issue with lawmakers reasoning for the legislation. I think theyre using social media as a scapegoat. The mental health crisis there's a lot of factors that go into it, Kunkle said. Yes, social media has shone a light on that for some of these kids, but I dont think just blocking or making social media more difficult for children is really going to have any effect on the problem with mental health that we have," the 39-year-old father of three added. Bipartisan group of senators push social media bill Sens. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Katie Britt, R-Ala, introduced the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act aimed to protect children from the harmful effects of social media, emphasizing its impact on mental health. The senators laid blame directly on social media for the growing mental health crisis, noting that the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions 2021 Youth Risk Behavior found poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors increased across nearly all groups of youth. For too long big tech has exposed our kids to dangerous content and disturbed people. Moms and Dads have felt helpless while their kids suffered, sometimes leading to devastating tragedies, Cotton said during the press conference introducing the legislation. WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 10: Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) listens to testimony from leaders of the intelligence community during a Senate Intelligence Committee on March 10, 2022 in Washington, DC. The committee held a hearing on worldwide threats. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775784453 ORIG FILE ID: 1383965418 This bill is a giant step towards fixing that problem. It puts parents back in control and sends an important message: Social media companies have a duty to help keep kids safe and parents informed or face serious consequences, he added. In addition to restricting children under 13 from social media and requiring parental consent for those between the ages of 13 and 17, the proposed legislation, according to the bill text, also includes: Restricting social media companies from using algorithms to recommend content to minors. Requiring platforms to use rigorous age verification measures but prohibiting social media companies from using the information for other purposes. The creation of a pilot program for a government-established age verification system companies can choose to use. Providing the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general the authority to enforce the measures of the proposed legislation. By instituting these simple, straight forward guidelines well be able to give the next generation of children what every parent wants for their child, which is a chance to grow up happy and healthy, Schatz said Wednesday. Bills protect children online The legislation is not the first targeting children who use social media platforms. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced a bill in February the Making Age-Verification Technology Uniform, Robust, and Effective (MATURE) Act to require social media platforms to verify that users are at least 16 years old before allowing them onto the platform. Under Hawleys bill, individuals would have to provide the platform with their full legal name, date of birth and a scan, image or upload of a form of government-issued identification, which would verify a users name and birthday Hawley also introduced the Federal Social Media Act, a bill that would commission a report to study the impact of social media on users mental and physical health of those under the age of 18. The Missouri lawmaker also led the effort to fast-track a national TikTok ban, before being blocked by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who said such a ban would violate the First Amendment. Contributing: Rachel Looker This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Social media bill in Senate would ban kids under 13. Parents speak up. Rapper Killer Mike argued in a April keynote speech that when laws are enacted to use government as a force to quell dissent, "the first and worst cases are Black people." (Scott Garfitt / Invision / Associated Press) Run the Jewels rapper Michael "Killer Mike" Render had a lot to say this week about free speech, and he did it in a keynote address during a gala in New York. "I need us here to know tonight that there is no grand final winning of freedom of speech. There's no end of the race where we all hold up trophies. It is a constant and protracted struggle to make sure the rights to become a more perfect union are always striven for," he said. The social-justice advocate, who is the founder of Grind Time Official Records, encouraged the attendees of the 2023 Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) Gala to "vehemently advocate" for those they don't agree with, quoting the likes of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, linguist Noam Chomsky and his own mother, grandfather and ninth-grade civics teacher throughout the impassioned address. He told the audience not to think about free speech from a selfish perspective, but from one that would allow for listening to an opposing point of view. "If we allow ourselves to express to one another our deepest and sometimes our darkest thinkings, we will eventually hear one another," the 48-year-old said. "Burn off the fat of prejudice, of racial injustice, of misogyny, of phobias, and we will get to a place where we make a better, a more perfect union. "But that never happens if we're not allowed to speak, because if not allowed to speak we will not be allowed to hear one another." Killer Mike said he was giving the April 18 keynote address for FIRE an organization that defends fundamental rights on college campuses and has recently broadened its mission to off-campus free-speech advocacy and legal defense because he believes in America. But he had plenty of notes for the nation too, highlighting that it is a republic founded by people who no longer wanted to live under a monarchy and whose first priority in the Bill of Rights was to ensure freedom of speech. Today, he observed, that's not always the case. Story continues "Right now, in this country, your freedom of speech is at risk," he said, repeating the refrain, "the government has no right to limit your freedom of speech, your freedom of religion, your freedom to assemble." The Bernie Sanders supporter and MIT race lecturer delivered his speech as the nation remains starkly divided about the meaning and limits of freedom of speech. Killer Mike, who wrote the foreword to "Rap on Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America," argued that when laws are enacted to use government as a political force to quell dissent, "the first and worst cases are Black people." He called for the release of Atlanta rapper Young Thug and others whose music and lyrics have been used against them in court, notably describing how he saw a young lawyer "clumsily recite" Thug's lyrics in court and then attempt to argue that lyrics the rapper "made up while stoned and high" should get him imprisoned for up to 40 years. Repeatedly getting personal throughout the speech, Killer Mike called back to his own childhood and said his illiterate grandfather still understood that the U.S. Constitution afforded him inalienable rights. And his grandfather explained that people whose speech was free to the point of overt racism let a person know "who your enemies are when you walk into a room." "That helped put me on a pathway to understanding why simply because I didn't like [what someone said] was not not enough to shut people up. Simply because it made me uncomfortable was not enough to shut people up. And it was always wrong to use government [to shut people up]," he said. His ninth-grade civics teacher, Mrs. Ellison, who had flunked his mom and ran her class like a totalitarian despot, also taught him the value of freedom of speech, he said. She might have been "a dictator," but he knew that anybody who completed her class had such an appreciation for the Bill of Rights that they would never be quiet while the rights of others were taken. "Her firm hand made me understand that even in the bowels of slavery, Dred Scott understood that freedom of speech was a necessity," he said. Scott and other abolitionists such as Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and Douglass, he argued, knew that free speech "was a right that we were not given by a government." "We were given [it] by the Creator that put us here as human beings," Mike said, "and the government simply recognized what God had already done." He also warned about "the good guys " allies and activists getting too comfortable and empowered by government, media or propaganda. "A lot of people support free speech until it becomes offensive," the rapper said, explaining that as a 12-year-old he believed in free speech until he heard someone use the N-word. Then his grandfather helped him understand that free speech goes across the board. "It doesn't end because your feelings are hurt." Killer Mike tasked those in attendance to find a local case to advocate for, even involving organizations they typically might not support. "It's up to us as individuals to do our little bit so that no one person has to do a lot and get shot," he said. "It is up to us to do a little bit to make sure that even those we disagree with have the opportunity to express freely, that we may engage in dialogue that will push this country into a truly more perfect union. "That means we ain't perfect yet." Killer Mike's full speech, which contains offensive language and profanity, can be seen below. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Osceola County Sheriffs Department said a Kissimmee man was arrested on Thursday, April 27th and charged with multiple counts in a counterfeit drivers license scheme. Police said Yonathan Rosario, 30, was charged with five third-degree felonies. Read: Investigation underway after 1 person shot in a car, Orlando police say Police said the charges included unlawful possession of the personal identification information of a deceased person, fictitious driver licenses, and manufacturing counterfeit driver licenses. According to authorities, the investigation began after the Department of Homeland Security (HSI) intercepted a package in Ohio from an international delivery service. The package contained blank cards embedded with the State of Florida hologram. >>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<< Florida Dept of Law Enforcement (FDLE) agents then identified Rosario as a suspect, who was serving felony probation for fraud-related charges out of Georgia. Rosarios Florida Probation officer and Federal agents conducted a search of his home and vehicle. Investigators said they came up with a whole trove of evidence that included the victims personal information. Agents also seized sensitive tax documents, and a laptop with digital copies of stolen drivers licenses from multiple states. Read: 5 fatally shot at Texas residence; gunman at large, sheriff says There were also instructions on how to manufacture counterfeit licenses in the state of Florida. Rosario was booked into the Osceola County Jail on a $11,000 bond. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit. Read: Lawsuit: Doctor Accused of choking assistant, pointing guns inside the office Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. A local Charlotte nonprofit, Greater Steps Scholars, announced a $1 million donation on Thursday. The large gift came from John D. Richards, a Wells Fargo financial professional, and his wife Ann to create the John T. Crawford legacy scholarship. It was presented to the nonprofit during the 40th Anniversary Believers and Achievers Gala, where over 200 guests celebrated Greater Steps Scholars contribution through the power of education to help youth in Charlotte living in low and moderate-income families. ALSO READ: Giving Tuesday: Local nonprofit helps people get back on their feet Richard, also a former Greater Steps Scholars board member, credited the nonprofit for impacting so many lives and the nonprofits founder, Dr. John P. Crawford, whose words inspired him to give back. Im greatly inspired by words I heard from Dr. Crawford many years ago when speaking about the college scholarship fund, said Richards. He shared that potential is universal, opportunity is not. After hearing those words, I was moved. I knew that I had to do something proactive to support the work he was leading. So many lives have been changed because they had the opportunity to attend college. It is my hope that many more young adults will have an opportunity to not only attend school but also to have their lives enriched as mine has been through a partnership with Greater Steps Scholars. The gala was sponsored by Wells Fargo and held at the Wells Fargo Atrium. Past graduates, 2020 Founders Award winners, and Mission Award winners who missed recognition during the pandemic were also celebrated. For more information about Greater Steps Scholars, please click here. (WATCH BELOW: Speed for Need nonprofit asks for public help finding racing chairs, trailer after theft) DOVER, Del. (AP) Kyle Larson has survived near-death experiences on the track in all kinds of racing series. Even by those harrowing standards, the 2021 NASCAR champion still found the aftermath of the full-contact hit from Ryan Preece last week at Talladega unsettling. It twisted and busted the support bars in Larson's Chevrolet's roll cage. Kyle Busch compared the wreckage to a brick getting rammed into a stick of butter. Larson walked away. So did Preece. Both drivers are in good health and ready to race again Sunday at Dover Motor Speedway. Larson, who drives for Hendrick Motorsports, was thankful the wreck wasn't worse. The Next Gen car is entering its second NASCAR season, and the organization is still making needed changes to improve safety in an inherently dangerous sport. You see things that could have easily gotten me in the car, whether it be the bars that had completely broke off and could have shanked me," Larson said Saturday. Or what if I had a second impact? I'm not knocking NASCAR at all on that. They've worked really hard with this car to make it safer. I've been very thankful they took both my car and Preece's car afterward to dive in deeper into it and see how they can make it safer yet. NASCAR's ongoing investigation includes a re-creation of the crash through computer-aided designs and reviewing film from the in-car camera. It's pretty clear that changes have to be made, reigning NASCAR champion Joey Logano said. I don't know how you fix it. Logano and Busch were among several drivers who wondered whether accident could have potentially been fatal had Larson been hit on the driver's side door. NASCAR said Saturday the driver's side construction is multiple times stronger than the right." There's no other form of racing, in my opinion, that takes safety more seriously than them, Larson said of NASCAR. But that doesn't mean the sport is safe. Story continues At Talladega, Ross Chastain shoved his car into the middle for a third lane and his car bounced off Noah Gragson, who hit the wall to trigger the crash. Larson was knocked into the grass and his car shot back into the middle of traffic and was smacked by Preece. Preece's helmet visor was knocked open with the hit. It was probably one of the toughest hits Ive ever taken in a race car, and Ive hit walls with hung throttles on concrete, concrete walls with dirt behind them," Preece said. Racing safety was again a hot topic at Dover after the Talladega wreck and with Hendrick Motorsports' driver Alex Bowman suffering a fractured vertebra in a sprint car crash this week. Last year, Kurt Busch was forced to retire following a July crash in qualifying due to a concussion and Alex Bowman also missed five races with a concussion after a September hit at Texas. I think people assume the odds are much higher getting hurt in a sprint car, Larson said. I would love to see the data that would prove that because I don't view it that way. We've got drivers out with concussions, we got drivers breaking bones, I've broken bones in a Cup car. RAINY DAYS A year after the Cup race at Dover was postponed to a Monday, the weather again caused another schedule change: Saturday's qualifying session getting rained out. Kyle Busch starts on the pole and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell joins him on the first row. Ford drivers benefited from the rain, with Ryan Blaney starting third, followed by Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher and Chase Briscoe. Heavy rain is forecast for Sunday and NASCAR bumped green flag up an hour to 1:11 p.m. EDT ODDS AND ENDS Larson is a 5-1 favorite to win Sunday, per FanDuel Sportsbook. ... Keselowski hit 158.660 mph on the concrete-mile track to top the mornings lone practice. Larson and Byron followed on the chart. ___ More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Laurence Fox was taken to task by a doctor he invited onto his show. (Getty Images) Laurence Fox was left floundering on live TV after a doctor told him, "I sometimes wonder why you exist," in a discussion about COVID vaccines. The 44-year-old actor, musician and activist invited Dr Bharat Pankhania, an expert in infectious disease management from University of Exeter Medical School, onto his GB News show to discuss a new report on the vaccination roll out. Asked to give his opinion Pankhania said: "I sometimes wonder why you exist, to be honest with you. After the good doctor started to sermonise about Brexit in relation to vaccine harms, the remainder of the interview was me trying not to giggle. https://t.co/UwixTT15F7 Laurence Fox (@LozzaFox) April 27, 2023 "A lot of these things that you spew out, just send things that are worrisome to people, are not verified, not factual. Read more: Laurence Fox engaged to marry for second time "You just have your own agenda, that's what I think. You are just spewing out your biased views. That's how I feel about you." Laurence Fox attending an anti-lockdown rally in 2021. (Getty Images) Fox appeared to be briefly lost for words, before finally replying: "I wasn't asking you what you felt about me, I was asking you what you felt about the discussion." The doctor went on to claim his appearance on the show was an "ambush" as he had been invited to a one-on-one interview with Fox, only to find himself in a panel discussion about a critical report of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) roll out of the vaccines. Pankhania said of the coronavirus vaccination programme: "All in all on the balance of good versus harm - the good outweighs the harm by a large, large margin." Fox later tweeted: "After the good doctor started to sermonise about Brexit in relation to vaccine harms, the remainder of the interview was me trying not to giggle." Story continues The actor is best known for playing detective James Hathaway in long-running ITV drama Lewis. He become the centre of a media storm after voicing controversial opinions on political debate show Question Time in January 2020. During the coronavirus pandemic he has been outspoken against lockdown restrictions and in May 2021 he stood for London Mayor, only to lose his 10k after getting just 1.8 per cent of votes. Laurence Fox lost his deposit in the London Mayoral elections after failing to attract enough votes. (Getty Images) He was invited to join GB News presenter in October 2022. A member of the Fox acting dynasty his father is James Fox, his uncle is Edward Fox and his cousins are Freddie and Emilia Fox. Read more: Laurence Fox taken down by Gary Lineker over Homes for Ukraine scheme He was married to actor and pop singer Billie Piper from 2007 to 2016 and they share two sons Winston, 14, and Eugene, 10. Watch: Laurence Fox campaigning to be London Mayor in 2021 NAIROBI, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The renewal of African economies, currently grappling with internal and external shocks, will be possible once governments hasten policy reforms, invest in youth-driven innovations and promote integration, senior officials said on Saturday. Yemi Osinbajo, vice president of Nigeria, said Africa is poised to become the next frontier for investments, trade, and innovations, subject to sustaining reform momentum in the continent's policy and regulatory regimes. Speaking at the 2023 Ibrahim Governance Weekend underway in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, Osinbajo stressed that it is possible to unleash economic prosperity in Africa if governments accelerate reforms, restructure governance systems, and harness demographic dividends. Osinbajo added that the secret to unlocking Africa's huge potential lies in investing in education for the youth and reimagining key sectors like manufacturing, agriculture, energy, and financial services. Kenya is hosting the 2023 Ibrahim Governance Weekend that has brought on board retired African presidents, senior officials, industry executives, heads of multilateral agencies, donors, civil society leaders, and scholars to discuss innovative ways to revitalize governance architecture in the continent. Convened by Mo Ibrahim Foundation, a not-for-profit pan-African lobby founded by Sudanese-British entrepreneur and philanthropist, the three-day forum is expected to inject vitality into a new governance agenda for the continent that roots for fidelity to the rule of law, transparency, and inclusivity. Africa has the potential to experience a significant post-pandemic economic rebound anchored on retooling economic policies, improved governance, and visionary political leadership, said Donald Kaberuka, former president of the African Development Bank. According to Kaberuka, Africa's greatest potential lies in its vast natural wealth like minerals and arable land, skilled youthful workforce, the embrace of democratic tenets, and ongoing economic reforms that are attracting foreign direct investments. Kaberuka said Africa's economic renaissance is in sight once the continent hastens diversification, invests in green manufacturing, and revamps crucial sectors like education and health. He added that the African Continental Free Trade Area has the potential to convert the continent into a manufacturing and trading hub besides shielding countries from tremors in the global supply chains. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, African Union special envoy for food systems, emphasized that structural reforms, progressive leadership, and leveraging technology and innovations are key to realizing the continent's growth and transformation agenda. Mayaki said African nations should establish vibrant and resilient institutions of governance in their quest to tackle poverty, under-development, climate crisis, and conflicts. Laurence Fox was accused of spewing out biased views during an interview segment on his GB News show that swiftly went off the rails. The Lewis actor, who is a vocal critic of Covid-19 vaccines, was hosting his show on the news channel on Thursday (27 April), when he was joined by Dr Bharat Pankhania, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeters medical school. Asked his thoughts on a new report seen by GB News criticising the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agencys (MHRA) roll out of the vaccines, Pankhania told Fox: I sometimes wonder why you exist, to be honest with you. With Fox looking shocked, the doctor continued: A lot of these things that you spew out, just send things that are worrisome to people, are not verified, not factual. You just have your own agenda, thats what I think. You are just spewing out your biased views. Thats how I feel about you. I wasnt asking you what you felt about me, I was asking you what you felt about the discussion, Fox said, with Pankhania replying: I feel [that] about you, your statements and the panellists that you brought together. I was brought up on this programme right now, told Im going to have a one-to-one conversation with you, and suddenly I find myself in a panel discussion. Pankhania claimed he hadnt read the report and hadnt been told he was coming on GB News to discuss it, accusing Fox of an ambush. Expert slapping the wet fish of reality around the smug, entitled chops of Laurence Fox. Theres another expert they wont be inviting back pic.twitter.com/Zng7xG2jE0 Monster Of Truth (@TheMooseOfTruth) April 28, 2023 Defending the MHRA, he added that the organisation was in a harder position post-Brexit, but concluded: Having said all that, it is absolutely fit for purpose and said that, when it comes to Covid-19 vaccines, the good outweighs the harm by a large, large margin. Story continues The clip was widely shared, with Foxs name trending on Twitter on Friday (28 April) afternoon. Expert slapping the wet fish of reality around the smug, entitled chops of Laurence Fox. Theres another expert they wont be inviting back one tweet read. Always nice to see Laurence Fox getting his arse handed to him. But also, it sounds like GB News producers werent exactly straight with Dr. Pankhania when they were booking him. He obviously felt ambushed, another wrote. Another tweet read: Stop what you are doing and watch this 30 second video of an academic confronting the risible @lozzafox with a dose of truth. Trust me. A popular lesbian dating app has one message for users who dont want transgender people on the platform: Dont let the door hit you on the way out. HER, a global dating and network platform for lesbians and other queer people looking for love and friendship, sent a mass notification to its users on Wednesday: A Message for Transphobes: Time to delete HER, it said, in part. We have a very big thriving lesbian community on HER, and so we want to make that message really clear, Robyn Exton, who founded the platform in 2015, told NBC News on Friday. All lesbians are welcome and celebrated on HER trans lesbians, nonbinary lesbians. NEW YORK, NY - MAY 11: Founder of Her Robyn Exton speaks onstage during TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2016 at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on May 11, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for TechCrunch) TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2016 - Day 3 (Noam Galai / Getty Images for TechCrunch file) Exton, who said the app has 20 million users globally, 12.5% of which identify as transgender or nonbinary, said she and her colleagues at HER are determined to push back against the narrative that lesbian identity is owned by cis[gender] lesbians, meaning lesbians who do not identify as transgender. We are cis women, and we just fundamentally do not agree with that, she said. In honor of Lesbian Visibility Day on Wednesday, the HER team published a blog post titled: This Lesbian Visibility Day, We Are Reclaiming Lesbian. The post, which was written by Exton, expresses support for trans and nonbinary lesbians and pushes back against those who dont. Theres no such thing as a real lesbian. But being a genuinely lousy human? Oh, thats a thing. Join us in honoring trans and non-binary lesbians today and forever, the post said. Following the publication of the post, HERs Twitter account received a tidal wave of backlash from those who disagreed with it. The HER Twitter account pushed back, and, shortly after the heated exchanges, Twitter temporarily suspended the HER account. Exton said the 24-hour suspension, which occurred on Lesbian Visibility Day, was largely because of the interaction with the TERF audience, who then just kept repeatedly reporting our account. (TERF is an acronym for transgender-exclusionary radical feminist.) Story continues Twitter responded to a request for comment with the Pile of Poo emoji, which, as Elon Musk announced last month, is now the automated message sent to press requests. As NBC News reported last week, Twitter has quietly changed its hateful conduct policy, removing language that protected transgender people from online harassment. The advocacy group GLAAD condemned the move, calling it the latest in a series of changes that have made the platform less safe for people and advertisers. Exton said the HER app seeks to minimize transgender discrimination on the app by, among other things, suspending the accounts of those who publicly post preferences that exclude transgender users. When you are explicitly stating that you will not consider a whole identity group, that tosses discriminatory behavior. After the restoration of the HER Twitter account, Exton shared a video on the platform in celebration of Lesbian Visibility Week, saying HER wants to make it clear that lesbians exist in all different kinds and types; there is no one way to be a lesbian. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The Marine Corps' top general expressed serious regrets over the fact that Marines were not available to help in two major crises in recent months because of a lack of available Navy ships to position units in nearby waters. "Places like Turkey or, the last couple of weeks, in Sudan -- I feel like I let down the combatant commander," Commandant Gen. David Berger told members of the House Armed Services Committee on Friday. "[Gen. Michael Langley] didn't have a sea-based option -- that's how we reinforce embassies, that's how we evacuate them," Berger added, referring to the head of U.S. Africa Command. Read Next: 1st Woman to Take Top Enlisted Job at Army Special Ops The remarks come amid a growing debate in the halls of Congress over how the Navy is meeting the legal requirement to operate 31 amphibious ships for the Marines, designed to be used as maritime operations hubs. Corps leaders and even lower-ranking officers have been stressing that they need those ships at sea to fulfill their missions. In this year's budget proposals, the Navy suggested that it would drop its amphibious ship numbers below that 31 ships threshold by retiring older dock landing ships, or LSDs, while pausing orders of the replacement San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships, or LPDs. "We have some LSD platforms, for example, that cannot be made operationally available to fulfill the requirements that we need," Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said in the same hearing. Meanwhile, reporting from USNI in March revealed that the pause in buying more LPDs didn't come from the Navy but rather from the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Pentagon leaders told reporters at the time that they felt that the current array of amphibious ships was "sufficient." The devastating earthquake that struck Turkey in February and killed more than 50,000 people and the more recent civil conflict in Sudan that prompted the evacuation of 70 people from the U.S. embassy in Khartoum have provided clear examples for Berger of the value of always having a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) nearby. Story continues "That's the best chance you have of responding to a crisis immediately, and there needs to be one in the Pacific and one in [the] Mediterranean, Africa, [Middle East] area 12 months a year," Berger told Congress. In the fleet, Navy leaders seem to agree. During a recent Marine-sponsored trip to the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, Capt. Martin Robertson, the commander of Amphibious Squadron Eight, told reporters that the ability for Marines to base off of amphibious ships is "a very important capability" that allows the two services to not only extract Americans from harm's way but also offer foreign humanitarian assistance and disaster response "if we're deployed forward somewhere." "We can move very quickly and get into the area and get that initial help flowing," he added. Col. Dennis Sampson, the commander of the 26th MEU, also stressed to reporters that "our presence does matter [and] amphibs are critically important for the Marine Corps." Berger made clear that he views the capability as key to America's standing in the world. "That's how we evacuated citizens out of Lebanon, that's how we went into Afghanistan in 2001," Berger said Friday. "Here's my concern: The first time this nation can't respond to a crisis and one of our adversaries can -- probably the last time we get asked." -- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin. Related: Why the US Evacuation from Sudan Left Americans Behind Soldiers from Ukraines 110th Territorial Defense Brigade hold a training session on small arms tactics in a forested training camp in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, on April 19, 2023. (David Guttenfelder/The New York Times) ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION, Ukraine In a thicket of trees between two vast farm fields, a plywood trapdoor built into the forest floor opened to reveal stairs leading underground. Inside was a subterranean bunker, cut into the black earth, where Ukrainian troops from a mortar unit awaited coordinates for their next target. The men squeezed past one another down a shoulder-width dirt corridor lit with LED strips, staring at tablet computers showing a live drone feed of the terrain outside. Blast waves from artillery shells and rockets shook the bunker, and a radio crackled with a warning of incoming Russian helicopters. But the soldiers were focused on their screens, specifically on a line of Russian troops and heavy equipment dug in a short distance away and marked with red plus signs. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times That would be their target. The guys dug all this by hand, and they want to fight, they want to shoot, said the unit commander, a 32-year-old with a braided ponytail who uses the call sign Shuler. We just want to kick them off our land; thats it. For the soldiers of the 110th Territorial Defense Brigade, to which the mortar unit is attached, this is a critical moment in the war. With fighting in the eastern Donbas region settling into a bloody stalemate, their patch of the Zaporizhzhia region of southeastern Ukraine could prove to be the next big theater, a focal point of a long-awaited counteroffensive. Ukraine is under pressure to show some measure of success in bolstering morale for soldiers and civilians, shoring up Western support and reclaiming stolen territory. The fighting here is intensely personal. Most of the soldiers of the 110th Brigade come from areas now occupied by Russia. Shulers unit was forced to retreat in the early days of the war, which began in February 2022, and his parents remain in occupied Melitopol, roughly 80 miles from the bunker. Over the past year, they have slowly turned the tide, halting the Russian advance and building a network of defensive positions that the Russian military, for all its superiority in weaponry and numbers, has been unable to crack. Story continues We really know this location every bush, said Col. Oleksandr Ihnatiev, a veteran of Ukraines special operations forces who took command of the brigade in April last year. From the beginning of the war, we in our strip have not lost one position or post. No one knows where or when the counteroffensive will kick off. It could be weeks from now, when the summer sun dries the spring mud into a hard pavement ideal for the new Western-supplied tanks and armored personnel carriers soon to enter the fight. Or it may have already begun for good reason, the Ukrainians will not say with the recent probing attacks on Russian positions east of the Dnieper River in the neighboring Kherson region, or with the rotation of new units to Zaporizhzhia. Recently, the lines here were bolstered by the arrival of an elite, British-trained artillery unit that had previously been deployed outside Bakhmut. A military push by Ukraine in the Zaporizhzhia region makes strategic sense, military officials and experts say. By punching south through the Russian lines and driving hard toward the Sea of Azov, Ukraines military could split Russian forces in half, severing important supply lines and dealing a blow to the war aims of Russias president, Vladimir Putin. Zaporizhzhia makes up the heart of a land bridge that Russian forces seized in the early weeks of the war that links Russian territory to the occupied Crimean Peninsula. It is one of the Kremlins few tangible successes in Ukraine. But the combat challenges are daunting. Ukraines success will require overcoming heavily armed defensive lines that Russian troops have spent the past 10 months reinforcing, as well as its own militarys shortcomings. Supplies of artillery and air defense ordnance are dwindling. American officials have said that it is unlikely the counteroffensive will result in a significant shift in momentum in Ukraines favor. After 14 months of nonstop fighting, Ukrainian soldiers are exhausted. Shulers hands now shake uncontrollably, the result of a concussion suffered when a tank round exploded near him at the beginning of the war. A history teacher before the invasion, Shuler views the looming fight within a broader context. He wears a patch with a Star of David on his arm, a reminder of his great-grandparents who died in the Holocaust. His Jewish grandfather had to change his name to sound more Russian when the Soviets took control of his native western Ukraine at the end of World War II. Now Shuler must hide his face, refusing to be photographed for fear that his parents could suffer reprisals from the occupiers. Imagine the situation: Youre alive, but your life has been taken away, he said. Well have nowhere to return to if we dont stop this, if we dont end it, if we dont win. Flowers Blooming Alongside Corpses At the far end of the bunker, closest to the Russian lines, soldiers rolled open another trapdoor this one made of metal and plastic sheeting and built on a track exposing the muzzle of an Iranian-made HM16 mortar to a blue sky. It was a demonstration of the ingenuity that has kept the smaller, weaker Ukrainian armed forces in the fight. Although practically under the Russians noses, the mortar team is largely invisible in the underground shelter, even to the Russian drones that are constantly buzzing overhead. Postril! a soldier yelled. Fire! A fat mortar round shot in the direction of a group of about 10 Russian soldiers that a reconnaissance team had identified in a nearby tree line. The shock wave from the mortars report reverberated down the length of the bunker, compressing lungs and rattling teeth. If we end up hitting it, some will be turned into meat, said the units 36-year-old technical sergeant, who uses the call sign Shamil. Well scare them a bit. A few seconds later, a puff of smoke erupted on the screen of Shamils tablet. They overshot and would have to try again. Shuler complained that their Iranian weapon, which he believed had been confiscated by the United States and delivered to Ukraine, was less accurate than Western-built models. And the Pakistani and Soviet-era shells they have in their arsenal, while sufficient in quantity, at times failed to detonate. Still, the 110th Brigade is in far better shape than it had been at the start of the war, when it had only about 100 men to fight the Russian forces who poured into the Zaporizhzhia region from Crimea after Putin announced the invasion. A young battalion commander with the brigade who uses the call sign Polyak said he and his men initially had nothing but shovels to defend themselves with. The first day, we had to move like caterpillars, Polyak said. We couldnt even stand up; the Grads were never-ending. And gradually, we crawled and crawled and crawled. The intensity of that early fighting is evident in a swath of annihilated villages that stretches along the Zaporizhzhia front. Mangled armored vehicles sit parked between burned-out houses. Soldiers said they had tried to collect most of the bodies of those killed in the fighting, but on a recent day, the skeletonized remains of a Russian soldier, still dressed in a green camouflage uniform with a hammer and sickle belt buckle, lay in the yard of an abandoned home, red tulips and yellow daffodils blooming nearby. Ihnatiev, the brigades commander, said his men alone had killed more than 900 Russian soldiers in more than a year of fighting and had destroyed some 150 armored vehicles. The 110th Brigade, he said, now has several thousand soldiers, the majority of whom had never touched a weapon before the war began. It was not easy, Ihnatiev said. There was a lot of crying and whining, but we were able to mold the tears and the snot into character. To press forward in any counteroffensive, he said, his men would need additional armor and reinforcements from other units. Some of that aid has already begun to arrive. Ready for More Action The incoming shells howled overhead, their explosions getting closer and closer as Russian troops stationed about 1 mile away adjusted their cannons trajectory. But the Ukrainian artillery team positioned to return fire was unfazed. The men joked as they loaded shells into their Australian-made howitzer in the shade of a cherry tree, swatting away bees that hummed around its white spring blooms. They fired. And fired again. After the fifth round, the Russian side fell silent. These Ukrainian soldiers are part of an elite, British-trained artillery unit attached to an airborne assault brigade. A month ago, they were stationed near Bakhmut burning through 1,000 shells a week as they mowed down waves of Russian infantry. And before that, they took part in the liberation of Kherson. Given their skills and experience, it was puzzling to some of them why they were sent to this corner of the war. Maybe it is connected with our offensive. Maybe it is a distraction maneuver, said a junior sergeant with the unit, named Maksim, who goes by the call sign Stayer. We dont see the whole picture. The Russian military clearly believes that the Zaporizhzhia region is critical to the war. After a winter hiatus, Russian forces have begun to pound Ukrainian military positions, as well as cities and towns, with an array of weaponry, including artillery shells, guided missiles and Iranian-made explosive drones. This could be a sign that Russian forces are preparing for their own assault or anticipating a Ukrainian one. Stayer, 39, said his men were ready for more action. When theres an offensive, theres movement; its fun, he said. Youre shooting at them; theyre shooting at you. In Bakhmut, there was never even time to sleep, Stayer said. The muck and fatigue of battle had so changed his appearance that his iPhones face recognition system ceased to work for a bit, he said. Inside his phone was a horror show: drone photographs of fields littered with Russian bodies blown apart by the mortars his team had fired at them. In Zaporizhzhia, Stayer has enough time in between artillery volleys to run 10 kilometers every other day and indulge his passion for coffee, which he has delivered from a specialty roaster called Mad Heads in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. The counteroffensive, though, is on everyones minds, he said. Using a rock, Stayer drew on the wet ground what he thought the outlines of an operation might entail: a push south toward the port city of Berdiansk, accompanied by feints on the eastern front and perhaps an attempt by Ukrainian forces stationed in Kherson to cross the Dnieper River to attack Russian forces dug in on the eastern bank. It all looks very simple, he said. Were waiting to see what our high command comes up with, some kind of clever plan. For Civilians, Renewed Hope A pensioner who longs to return home to his ailing sister. An exiled small-town mayor who is already drawing up plans to rebuild once the Russians are gone. Since the beginning of the war, the city of Zaporizhzhia, the regional capital, has been a refuge for thousands who have fled the Russian takeover of towns and villages farther south. But for many, it has never become a home. Now like never before, talk of a counteroffensive has begun to buoy hopes that they will someday go back. I think our guys will get going soon and give it to them right in the said Volodymyr Mateiko, a retired truck driver, finishing the sentence with a vulgarity. Mateiko, 65, left Melitopol, large occupied city about 75 miles south of Zaporizhzhia, in August, after Russian troops entered his home with guns and stole his television, computer and other belongings. He left behind his ailing older sister and the graves of his parents and wife, and settled in a shelter for exiles like him in Zaporizhzhia, where he has a bottom bunk in a large communal room and not much else. Here, I dont know who I am, he said. A bum maybe, a refugee. I dont know. The regional government estimates that there are about 230,000 people living in Zaporizhzhia who have been displaced by the war. Although excited by the prospect of returning home, many worry about the destruction any counteroffensive might wreak. Irina Lipka, the exiled mayor of Molochansk, a small town north of Melitopol, said Ukrainian forces had already begun carrying out strikes on Russian bases in the town, including a former school where she was a teacher, something she described as painful but necessary. This is war, Lipka said. There is no other way to de-occupy. Scanning the Night Sky for Drones When darkness falls over the Zaporizhzhia front, the challenges ahead for the Ukrainian army become starkly apparent. On a recent night, Russian troops unleashed volley after volley of strikes from multiple-launch rocket systems called Grads, which briefly lit up the sky. In response, the Ukrainian side managed to shoot off an occasional artillery shell. Watching all of this from across a farm field, members of an air defense team with the 110th Brigade cursed as they sucked down cigarettes. Armed with a machine gun on the back of a pickup truck, the team was posted to guard against explosive Shahed drones, which Russia launches from nearby occupied territory. Even the most dedicated soldiers now admit that the war is beginning to wear on them. A private named Vitaly said a friend, who had returned home from Israel to fight, was recently killed near Bakhmut. The units commander was also dead. Dogs barked incessantly, and a Russian Orlan surveillance drone soared overhead, the light from its thermal camera nearly indistinguishable from the stars in the sky. There was a flash, and the whoosh of several incoming shells sent the team diving into the mud. Of course, after a year and two months of war, everyone is tired, Vitaly said. But without victory, no one is going to leave here. As midnight approached, clouds moved in, obscuring the stars and a crescent moon, making it easier for Russian drones to escape detection. Across the field, the battle still raged in the dark. c.2023 The New York Times Company SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Time to say goodbye. Seven lions, a bear, a camel and even a porcupine left Puerto Rico's lone zoo Friday to head to a new home in Colorado. A U.S.-based animal rescue group started transferring the animals under a plan to find better places for the animals than the zoo, where various species have died. Zoo employees and workers with the Wild Animal Sanctuary organization prepared the big cats and the other animals for the long journey. Activists have long held the U.S. territorys government responsible for the deaths and ill health of animals reported for more than a decade at the zoo in the western town of Mayaguez. Wild Animal Sanctuary is overseeing the removal of the animals and other creatures at the zoo. They will be transferred initially to a refuge in Colorado until a permanent home is found for them. Some of the smaller specimens like reptiles and some monkeys were already transferred, but the bigger mammals like the lions, the bear and the camel required special measures for traveling. A government-appointed committee said that in the past decade two pumas died at the zoo. It also raised concerns about an underweight chimpanzee as well as a rhinoceros named Felipe that was limping and said there was a lack of shelter for animals. In January, an American black bear named Nina who had stopped eating died from a heart attack at more than 20 years old. Black bears can live up to 35 years in captivity. In March, federal authorities said they were dropping all investigations into the zoo after reaching an agreement with local officials to transfer the animals to sanctuaries on the U.S. mainland. The announcement angered many activists. The zoo opened originally in 1954, but it has been closed since hurricanes Irma and Maria battered Puerto Rico in September 2017. April 23 through April 29 is National Infertility Awareness Week. According to the Mayo Clinic, about 10 to 18% of couples struggle with some form of infertility. A local Charlotte nonprofit, Fertile Ground, hosted its first annual Queens Charity Lunch on Saturday at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Ayrsley in southwest Charlotte. Fertile Ground is a voice for women battling infertility, and Saturdays luncheon was used to help raise awareness and donations to the nonprofit. ALSO READ: Large anniversary donation made to local nonprofit that helps Charlotte youth Funds raised at Saturdays event will be used for the Fertile Ground Foundation grant. The winner will be chosen at the end of the year to cover reproductive assistance and procedure costs, along with other fees. Director of Reproductive Specialists of the Carolinas and founding physician, Dr. Markita Johnson, was a keynote speaker at the event. Johnson was recently named one of Charlottes Great 28, a list of influential Queen City citizens. For more information about the Fertile Ground Foundation, please click here. (WATCH BELOW: Speed for Need nonprofit asks for public help finding racing chairs, trailer after theft) An area World War II veteran is celebrating turning 104 years old. John Dorsey was born in Tuskegee, Alabama in 1919 and served in the Army from 1942 until 1946, according to a media release by the Dayton VA. After the army, Dorsey moved to the east coast then Dayton which he has since called home. He retired from Dayton Power and Light Co. He is a member of Corinithan Baptist Church where he has sung in the male and senior choirs. >> Pee Wee Martin Jumpfest this weekend to honor late World War II veteran He and his wife had four children, six children and 13 great-grandchildren. Dorseys daughter Sandra said he is a loving, caring father and friend. The secret to his long life? The Lord, its all up to the Lord, he said. Northampton police are once again urging caution while sending mail after finding nearly 40 stolen checks following the arrest of two for alleged theft earlier this month. Chief Steven LeCompte said Friday that after the April 18 arrest of two men for allegedly stealing from mailboxes, investigators found 37 stolen checks in their vehicle. Additionally, investigators have found discarded mail thrown into sewer drains in the township. Law enforcement in the region have said thieves are targeting residential mailboxes to steal checks. They will then take the checks and "wash" them, removing written information like the payee and the amount. They then put someone else's information on the payable line. Police in Solebury, Doylestown Township, Lower Makefield and Warwick have reported thefts in recent weeks. Police find stolen checks from Bucks, Montgomery counties On April 18, Northampton police arrested Diego Castro, 20, of Elmhurst, New York, and Marlon Figueroa, 25, of Raleigh, North Carolina, for stealing from residential mailboxes in the Green Valley and Hillside Manor sections of Churchville. Both men are charged with theft and receiving stolen property, which are felonies. They are free after posting bail. LeCompte said authorities searched the vehicle they used, which belonged to a third person from New York, and found 37 checks that were stolen from both Bucks and Montgomery counties. Investigators are in the process of finding who the checks belong to, he said. The department is working alongside the United States Postal Inspectors. Mailboxes are targeted: Thieves are targeting mailboxes in Bucks County for checks. Here's how to protect yourself More: Is New Jersey man preparing to take plea deal in Bristol Township hit-and-run death? More: Body found in Delaware River in Solebury ID'd as missing Northampton County man Northampton police urge caution with sending mail The Northampton police chief urged residents who need to send mail to either hand the mail directly to the carrier or take it to their local post office during business hours. Story continues This is an ongoing problem," he said. Thieves have been rifling through mail for checks and discarding the ones without them. Recently, the discarded mail has been found in sewer drains or the street. Residents should call police right away, according to the chief. Anyone sending mail from their home mailbox should not put the flag up. The flags, he said, let thieves know which mailboxes to target. If residents see people going through residential mailboxes or loitering near them, they should call the police, LeCompte said. The mail thefts have continued, weekly, even after the arrest of the two men last month. It is more widespread that this one group," LeCompte said. People may also sign up for the postal service's informed delivery, a free service that sends preview images of incoming mail to whoever signs up for it. It also lets people track the status of incoming and outbound packages. This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Northampton mail theft arrest yields stolen checks from Bucks County, Montco A 69-year-old man who called 911 from his submerged car died Friday after the vehicle swerved into a pond in South Hills Sunrise neighborhood, according to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department. The call from the man came at 2:50 p.m., said sheriffs spokesperson Darren Moss. The mans car ran off the road near the intersection of 122nd Avenue East and Sunrise Park Way East. He knew exactly where he was, Moss said, adding that the man lived nearby. Divers tried to rescue the man one broke the back window of the sunken car in an effort to reach him, Moss said. It was too late. Divers pulled the man out of the water at 3:28 p.m. Paramedics were ready to transport him to an area hospital, but he was pronounced dead in the ambulance, Moss said. Divers dragged the vehicle out of the pond. There were no other passengers. The drivers window was open, and so was the sunroof, on a day when temperatures approached 80 degrees. A 41-year old man was arrested for possessing an assault rifle after he tried to flee police officers on Friday night in Merced, according to police. Merced Police Department gang violence officers received information that Chad Hosburgh was in possession of an assault rifle. Hosburgh is on probation and has an outstanding warrant, according to police. Officers served a search warrant in the 3700 block of Hatch Road at 6 p.m. on Friday. Upon the officers arrival, Hosburgh fled out of the back of the home. He was apprehended a short distance away. Officers located a .223 AR-15 Rifle, ammunition and approximately 58 grams of methamphetamine. Hosburgh was arrested for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, a felony warrant out of Tuolumne County and a violation of probation. Hosburghs bond was set at $247,000, according to jail records. A second suspect, Gary Cooper, 39, was arrested for possession of narcotics for sale. MANILA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Tourism stakeholders in the world-famous Boracay Island resort in central Philippines have requested more clean public restrooms, comprehensive foreign language training for staff, and a hyperbaric facility as tourists flock to enjoy the summer heat. From January to April this year, the famous resort in Aklan province recorded 687,139 tourist arrivals, the Philippines' Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Saturday. DOT said the stakeholders made requests during a meeting on Friday with Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, stressing the need to prioritize the training of local tour guides and the urgent need for a hyperbaric chamber, a chamber used to treat diving emergencies. The stakeholders also stressed the need to install more clean public toilets around the island. "This has become a problem for many visiting tourists," the DOT quoted Ernest Cruz, president of the Boracay Photographer Association, as saying. Boracay is surrounded by several reef dive sites that can be reached by a short boat ride. Famous for its powdery white sand beaches, shallow azure water, and spectacular sunsets, the island resort is a favorite tourist destination among international tourists. In 2019, Boracay recorded more than 2 million visitors. Last year, despite the pandemic's challenges, the island resort hosted 1.75 million tourists, according to DOT. Photograph: Larry W Smith/EPA What started as a date at a Texas burger joint earlier this month ended with one of the participants going to jail after allegedly murdering someone else over $40 and carrying on with the rest of the date as if nothing happened, according to authorities. Erick Aguirre, 29, stepped away from a dinner date he had with a woman to grab a pistol from his car and shoot 46-year-old Elliot Nix dead after Aguirre learned from a restaurant employee that he had been scammed by a fake parking attendant, investigators have said. Aguirre then reportedly returned to the Rodeo Goat, insisting to his date everything was fine, the Washington Post reported. Houston police later arrested Aguirre on a count of murder after releasing surveillance photos of him to the local news as they investigated what they are calling only the latest instance in the US of a relatively petty dispute escalating into deadly gun violence. The woman who was on the date with Aguirre was shocked to see a photo of herself on the news and to hear that she was a person of interest in the investigation, her attorney, Rick DeToto, told the Washington Post. DeToto said that his client voluntarily spoke to police after she saw the photos, leading to Aguirres arrest. She will not be charged in connection with the shooting and was devastated to learn of Nixs death. Erick Aguirre. Photograph: AP She was simply having dinner with the defendant and was unaware of the shooting, DeToto said of the woman, who has not been publicly identified. On 11 April, after Aguirre and the woman parked their cars, Nix posing as a parking attendant approached them in a lot across from Rodeo Goat in Houston and told them that it would cost $20 each to park their cars. Nix claimed they would get their money back if they returned from dinner with a receipt. Aguirre got cash from a nearby store and paid $40 to Nix. Once the pair were told that Nix had been a known parking scammer, Aguirre allegedly left the restaurant, sprinted to his white Cadillac, retrieved a gun and chased after Nix. The Washington Post reported that witnesses heard a single gunshot and told police that they saw Aguirre nonchalantly walking back to his car with the gun in his hand. Story continues He allegedly returned his gun to his car and went back to the restaurant to resume his date. Police said that Aguirre and the woman soon left, however, after Aguirre started to look uncomfortable being at the restaurant. First responders were soon called out to the scene of the shooting, and Nix was pronounced dead. Police noted in a press release that Nix and a man later identified as Aguirre were involved in an argument that escalated into a shooting. Nix was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. Local prosecutor Michael Hanover told reporters on Thursday that Nix was allegedly shot in the back. Police arrested Aguirre on 25 April in Aransas county, Texas, roughly 200 miles south-west of Houston, where he lived and worked as a crane operator. Nixs killing was not the first time Aguirre has been accused of acting violently he had previously been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in 2017. Aguirre could face life imprisonment if he is convicted of murder. WASHINGTON Former Vice President Mike Pence's testimony before a federal grand jury is only one of the high-profile developments in the investigations of former President Donald Trump this week. Pence, as president of the Senate, was key to Trumps strategy to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He testified Thursday before the grand jury in Justice Department special counsel Jack Smiths investigation of Trumps role in the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021. Trumps other legal challenges include: Heres what we know about the legal cases: Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on April 27, 2023 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Trump, who is currently dealing with a growing number of legal cases against him, is the Republican frontrunner for the Republican presidential ticket. Pence testifies in DOJ investigation of Capitol attack Jan. 6 Pence testified for hours on Thursday, spending at least seven hours at the courthouse. He is a key figure in any Jan. 6 because Trump and his allies pressured him to single-handedly reject electors from seven states President Joe Biden won, to flip the election to Trump. Pence refused to participate. Trump tried to block Pence's testimony by appealing to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. But a three-judge panel denied his appeal Wednesday. In previous testimony before the House committee that investigated the attack, Pence aides described how Trump pressured and scolded his vice president. Story continues Greg Jacob, Pences general counsel, testified that Trump called Pence the morning of Jan. 6 in a heated exchange. Jacob said Pence took the call privately but returned looking steely, determined, grim. Smith hasnt announced any schedule for completing his inquiry, but legal experts say the high-status level of witnesses being subpoenaed suggests charging decisions could be coming soon. Former Vice President Mike Pence calls Trump's indictment 'an outrage' and 'political prosecution.' DOJ investigates classified documents seized at Mar-a-Lago Smith is also investigating classified documents found in a search of Mar-a-Lago, 18 months after Trump left the White House. A conviction for retaining sensitive records could disqualify Trump, who is campaigning for the White House in 2024, from holding federal office again. At stake in the case are documents that contained some of the countrys most important secrets, including the names of undercover agents overseas, according to national security experts. Again, subpoenas to high-level witnesses such as Trumps lawyers suggest the investigation may be nearing a decision on charges. Attorney-client privilege doesnt cover the discussion of potentially illegal acts. Legal experts say it might be the most open-and-shut case against Trump. But trying a case over national secrets risks more exposure of what was in the sensitive documents. But public opinion on the case was perhaps challenged after authorities retrieved classified records from the locations associated with President Joe Biden and Pence, as well. An aerial view of President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate is seen Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022, in Palm Beach, Fla. E. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuit over rape allegation begins Carrolls civil lawsuit was the first of Trumps current legal troubles to make it to trial, with opening arguments Tuesday. Carroll alleges Trump raped her in the changing room of a Manhattan clothing store in 1996, which she didnt report at the time. After she described the incident in a 2019 memoir, while Trump was president, he used the most powerful platform on earth to lie about what he had done, attack Ms. Carrolls integrity and insult her appearance, attorney Shawn Crowley told the newly selected jury. Im here because Donald Trump raped me, and when I wrote about it, he said it didnt happen, Carroll told jurors. He lied and shattered my reputation, and Im here to try and get my life back. Trump earlier said Carroll was totally lying, and he called the case a hoax, a lie and a complete con job. Trump hasnt attended the trial yet, but U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan admonished his legal team and suggested that the defendant is risking a contempt of court citation. Former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, right, leaves federal court with her lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, on April 27, 2023, in New York. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg seeks to limit Trump's social media posts about hush-money case In Manhattan, District Attorney Bragg urged a judge to limit Trumps access to sensitive documents in a felony case alleging the former president falsified business records. Bragg also asked the judge prohibit Trump from posting the contents of the documents on social media. At stake are documents dealing with material such as grand jury testimony and victim name and contact information. Bragg said he wasnt seeking a gag order. But he proposed that Trump only be allowed to review sensitive materials while accompanied by his lawyers and not be allowed to copy or transcribe the information. Bragg argued his precautions were based on Trump attacking witnesses, jurors and investigators in the past, including in DOJ special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and two House impeachments. Trump is charged with falsifying business records to hide payments to silence two women who claimed to have had sex with him before the 2016 election. He has pleaded not guilty and called the prosecution politically motivated. The trial is scheduled in January 2024. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg discuss charges filed against former President Donald Trump on April 4, 2023, in New York City. Georgia prosecution sets July-August time frame for decision on criminal charges Fulton County D.A. Willis warned local law enforcement officials in Georgia about the potential for significant public reaction" when grand jury results are announced in July or August, setting a summer timeframe for a long-awaited decision in her inquiry. Willis has been investigating two potential ways Trump might have committed election fraud. One is that in the weeks after the 2020 election, Trumps campaign recruited Republican electors as alternates to the official electors in Georgia and other states Democrat Joe Biden won. No states agreed to those fake electors. The second vein Willis is exploring deals with Trump personally calling Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021, to plead with him to find the votes he needed to win the state. By that point, Trump had tried to call him 18 times and Raffensperger had avoided taking the calls, according to an investigation by the House of Representatives. I just want to find 11,780 votes, Trump said. Give me a break. You know, we have that in spades already. Trump has denied wrongdoing and declared the call perfect. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump's legal cases and investigations, in one place President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has released footage of Mariupol which has been occupied and destroyed by the Russians. Source: Zelenskyy on Facebook Quote from Zelenskyy: "Mariupol. Once, almost half a million people were living there. And now there are almost no whole houses left. The terrorist state did everything possible to kill this city. More than 90% of Mariupol has been destroyed." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A Ukrainian drone strike caused a massive fire to erupt at an oil depot in Crimea, a Russia-appointed official reported Saturday. Mikhail Razvozhayev, Russias selected governor of Sevastopol, said that authorities had spotted two "enemy drones" that attacked the depot, with four tanks burned down as a result. Local forces were able to shoot down a third drone and disable a fourth through radio-electronic means. Razvozhayev assigned the fire the highest level of difficulty to extinguish, but he claimed the fire had at least been contained. The fire has not yet claimed any casualties, he added. He also noted that despite the complexity and significant damage the strike had caused, fuel supplies in Sevastopol would remain unaffected. UKRAINE HAS RECEIVED OVER 98% OF COMBAT VEHICLES PROMISED BY NATO ALLIES, PARTNER COUNTRIES Andriy Yusov, Ukraines military intelligence spokesperson, said the fire was "Gods punishment" for "the murdered civilians in Uman, including five children." He said more than 10 tanks containing oil products for Russias Black sea Fleet were destroyed in Sevastopol, but did not admit Ukraines role in the attack. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Russian forces on Friday fired 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraines capital city of Kyiv and other cities, killing 23 people. The attack marked Russias first direct attack on the capital since March 9. PUTIN'S TROOPS FORTIFY ZAPORIZHZHIA NUCLEAR REACTORS AS RUSSIA GROWS WORRIED OVER UKRAINIAN OFFENSIVE A view shows smoke rising following an alleged drone attack in Sevastopol, Crimea, April 29, 2023. Kyiv itself escaped relatively unscathed with damage to residential buildings but no reported casualties at the time. Uman suffered the greatest losses, with at least 20 dead in that city alone and another 17 injured, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Russian forces launched additional drones at Ukraine overnight, but Ukraines Air Force Command claimed that it intercepted two drones both Iranian-made and shot down a reconnaissance drone on Saturday morning. Story continues UKRAINE'S PRIME MINISTER ASKS POPE FRANCIS TO HELP FACILITATE THE RETURN OF UKRAINIAN CHILDREN FROM RUSSIA Razvozhayev reported that the Russian military had destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone that attempted to attack the harbor earlier this week. Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, remains one of the most contentious elements of Russias war in Ukraine as many consider its occupation of the region illegal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview this week that his country will seek to reclaim the peninsula in the upcoming counteroffensive. Experts working with the United Nations on Friday denounced reports of human rights violations including abduction, deportation and enforced disappearances against ethnic minorities in Russian-occupied Crimea, calling on Moscow to do more to protect the rights of Tatars and others there. The committee cited reports of "destruction of and damage to Crimean Tatar cultural heritage, including tombstones, monuments and shrines," and cited a lack of information about efforts to protect such sites from vandalism. Fox News' Lawrence Richard and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Video footage released April 19 by Fort Worth police shows 20-year-old Brandon Zapata appeared to be in severe distress and asking for help from security personnel at La Gran Plaza before a struggle that ended in his death. The April 11 incident at the south Fort Worth shopping center was captured on video from multiple angles. The Star-Telegram reached out to three experts in the field of policing to give their impressions of the video footage, and one responded. Police have become the panacea for all social problems, and maybe theyre not the best all-in-one tool to deal with everything, said Johnny Nhan, a criminal justice professor at TCU who is also a reserve officer with the Fort Worth Police Department. Nhan said the officer who initially responded did not appear to act with any type of maliciousness. It appeared from the video that he was following the protocol Fort Worth police officers use when dealing with someone who might be experiencing a mental health crisis, Nhan said. Zapatas family has said that his only known medical condition was asthma, and they believe his behavior may have reflected his struggles to breathe during an asthma attack. Family members have said they believe that police and security used excessive force. Brandon Zapata, 20, died after he was restrained and handcuffed by police and security officers at La Gran Plaza in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 11, 2023. Autopsy results are pending to determine his cause of death. A witness at La Gran Plaza said Zapata came in yelling and saying he couldnt breathe. He told a female security guard near the entrance that he needed help. Video shows she appeared to hand him a water bottle. The security guard called someone on her radio and an off-duty Fort Worth police officer employed by La Gran Plaza responded. Once the officer arrived, Zapata didnt seem to repeat anything about not being able to breathe, according to the witness. In the video, Zapata is stumbling around and pulling his pants down. Nhan said the officer could have judged from his observations that Zapata might be having some type of mental health crisis and dealt with him accordingly. The protocol for dealing with someone experiencing mental health issues is to handcuff them so they wont hurt themselves or someone else, Nhan said. Its difficult to handcuff a person alone, so officers usually have to wait until more officers arrive to help, he said. Story continues The handcuffs do not mean the person is under arrest, Nhan said. They are intended to take that persons arms out of the equation. Once the person is handcuffed, officers are supposed to wait for an ambulance to arrive so paramedics can determine what kind of help the individual needs, Nhan said. If a physical issue needs to be addressed, the person is taken to a hospital. If it seems to be a purely mental issue, an officer takes the person to the Psychiatric Emergency Center at John Peter Smith Hospital. The video shows that the off-duty officer handcuffed Zapata with help from another security guard and a bystander, and at one point the officers knee was on Zapatas back. Shortly after being handcuffed while lying face-down on the floor, Zapata became unresponsive. Nhan said it appeared from the video that the officer tried life-saving measures immediately when he noticed Zapata was not moving. Unfortunately, he said, police officers have limited medical training and the supplies in their first-aid kit are intended to treat gunshot or stab wounds and drug overdoses. If theres something underlying such as asthma, I mean, theyre just not the right people to diagnose it and treat it, Nhan said. Other officers arrived around that time, and video shows they performed CPR and gave Zapata a Narcan injection. An officer is heard saying on the video that Zapata mentioned smoking something, and according to police, officers feared he might be overdosing. Officers only receive a one-time training on how to administer Narcan, according to Nhan. Nhan said he didnt detect the officer using an increasing amount of force as he struggled to handcuff Zapata. Even when Zapata seemed to be resisting, the officer didnt use a Taser or pepper spray, which signals he was trying to restrain him in handcuffs so the ambulance could come and check him out, according to Nhan. Police in North Texas are trained to cuff the hands behind the back, Nhan said. He doesnt think there is a Fort Worth police policy against putting a knee on someones back as a way to get them handcuffed quickly. Nhan confirmed that off-duty Fort Worth police officers have to abide by the same rules as when they are in uniform. In addition to off-duty police, La Gran Plaza employs security officers. The video shows the security officer trying to help the police officer, but in a more limited way. Nhan said rules for security officers depend on the company they are employed by. It is a gray area, he said, and the rules arent written in stone like they are for police. A bystander also helped subdue Zapata, according to witness testimony and some moments on the video. Nhan said a police officer in the state of Texas can order a civilian bystander to help them, but its not clear if that is what happened in this situation. According to Nhan, the incident at La Gran Plaza highlights the fact that police are first and foremost crime fighters. They are not fundamentally equipped to deal with people in a mental health or medical crisis. The Fort Worth Police Department has a Crisis Intervention Team composed of specially trained officers and mental health professionals, but police told Zapatas family the CIT was not called. Nhan said the program is still growing and he doesnt know if the CIT are always on call. When somethings unfolding like this quickly, and youre trying to assemble that, I can see it taking a long time, he said. Nhan said its possible the officer did trigger a preexisting condition in Zapata, but you cant know that with certainty from the video. At the same time, Nhan said its not fair to say the police had nothing to do with Zapatas death. Its just a tragic situation, he said. According to Nhan, police started to promote themselves in the 1960s and 1970s as trained professionals who were available to help with everything. Around the same time mental health facilities were being closed due to poor conditions. Instead of improving the mental health system, Nhan said, politicians called for more money to be poured into the criminal justice system. This is really the police being a victim of their own success, he said. Because if you look at police history, at one point they were like, Hey, we want to be the solution to everything. If someone is having a physical or mental breakdown, Nhan said the mere presence of an armed officer, even when they are trying to help, could make the situation worse. Results of an autopsy and toxicology tests are pending to determine Zapatas cause of death. The actor's new pet pig is named "Schnelly Schwarzenegger" Arnold Schwarzenegger/Instagram Arnold Schwarzenegger has a new pet to add to his family...and it is a pig! The former California governor's new pig's name is Schnelly Schwarzenegger. "Chnell" means "fast" in German, FOX-11 reports, and the pig is reportedly quick on its feet. Schwarzenegger, 75, discussed the new addition to his family for the first time ever during a sit-down with FOX 11's Elex Michaelson for The Issue Is. The Austria native said the piglet is getting along well with his other pets: A donkey, a miniature horse, and a dog. Arnold Schwarzenegger/Instagram Related:Arnold Schwarzenegger to Make Action Movie Return in New Film 'Breakout' (Report) This isn't the first time the Terminator actor has had a pet pig. When asked a question about his Batman & Robin (1997) co-star George Clooney while promoting his movie Sabotage, he revealed how Clooney, 61, also had a pet pig back in 2014 named Max. Ethan Miller/Getty 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. "I always liked that he was into pigs; he has this little pig that he takes everywhere," Schwarzenegger said, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Related:Arnold Schwarzenegger Stars in 'FUBAR', His First Scripted Live-Action TV Show See the Teaser "So I bought a pig right after that," the actor admitted. "Only thing is, I must've bought the wrong one because, in no time, it was 300 pounds and I could barely lift the son of a gun." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Mercedes-Benz factory in Germany Mercedes is being accused of installing four defeat devices in its diesel cars in a High Court case that threatens to be the biggest in British legal history. A third of a million motorists are suing the German car manufacturer for allegedly deceiving them over emissions standards, which - they argue - has resulted in knocking thousands off the value of their cars. Lawyers say the claims, if successful, could be worth as much as 3 billion. A 150-page legal claim was lodged with the High Court in London on Friday, ramping up the pressure not only on Mercedes but other manufacturers. The group action against Mercedes is the largest of its kind but will likely pave the way for further claims against other major car makers. Mercedes has insisted the legal action is without merit and denies any wrongdoing. The legal action follows the dieselgate scandal uncovered in 2015 in which it first emerged that Volkswagen had installed software designed to deceive official testing, reducing polluting NOx emissions in laboratory conditions that were not matched by real world driving. 'Defeat devices' and 'thermal windows' The action against Mercedes alleges that the German manufacturer had installed as many as four defeat devices in its diesel cars sold in the UK between 2009 and 2021. In certain Mercedes vehicles, it is claimed that sophisticated computer software was installed that was able to detect when the car was being run through an emissions test, triggering a change in how the engine functioned, according to the High Court claim. Some Mercedes were also equipped with a thermal windows defeat device which monitored air temperature and other factors such as altitude and air pressure which reduced emissions only under certain weather conditions. The other alleged defeat devices were installed to alter the effectiveness of the emissions systems in normal driving conditions, according to the High Court claim, enabling the cars to pass the tests. The lawyers argue those systems were installed on modern, larger engined diesel cars to ensure they were compliant with Euro 5 engine standards. Story continues The claim accuses Mercedes of installing defeat devices that were unlawful in that they were prohibited and had the effect that the vehicles produced far higher amounts of NOx than was permitted. 'It's time for Mercedes to be honest' Last year, Volkswagen agreed to pay 193 million to more than 90,000 car owners after settling a group claim. The Mercedes lawsuit will far exceed that due to the number of claimants and the greater value of their cars. Martyn Day, founding partner of Leigh Day which along with another law firm Pogust Goodhead are acting as lead solicitors, said: Talking to our clients, it is clear that the British Mercedes-owning public feel hugely let down by the manufacturer, and that is reflected by the sheer scale of people coming forward wanting to bring claims against Mercedes. There is a strong feeling from our clients that it is time for Mercedes to be honest, openly accept the emissions cheating allegations, pay appropriate levels of compensation and ensure that Mercedes cars in the future will be at the forefront of keeping emissions to an absolute minimum. The car industry has been rocked by VWs dieselgate scandal. Lawyers operating on a no-win, no-fee basis - with adverts running on TV and in the media - have signed up about a million car owners for the various group actions. Mercedes said in a statement: We believe that the claims are without merit and will vigorously defend ourselves against them or any group action with the necessary legal means. In a preliminary court hearing in February, lawyers for Mercedes denied liability. The lawyer said there were crucial differences between the cases against Mercedes and the Volkswagen litigation and that significant care was needed when referring to it. Mercedes said it would show that there was no reduction of effectiveness in its emissions systems. Former first lady Michelle Obama backed Bruce Springsteen on vocals as she joined The Bosss band Friday at a concert in Barcelona. Michelle Obama played tambourine alongside Indiana Jones star Kate Capshaw and E Street Band member Patti Scialfa as he sang Glory Days during the show at Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium. The trio smiled as they played tamborines with the band while Springsteen, at one point in the song, walked over to Obama and played guitar and sang with her. You can watch clips of the performance below. The Glory Days performance comes one day after the husbands of the former first lady, Capshaw and Scialfa former President Barack Obama, Steven Spielberg and Springsteen, respectively grabbed dinner in Barcelona. Obama, Spielberg and Springsteen posed for a photo with restaurant staff after they ate at the Amar restaurant in the Palace Hotel, according to Reuters. Obama, Spielberg and Springsteen delight Barcelona restaurant staff https://t.co/28knNJ4Ls9pic.twitter.com/YFA3rjFBWe Reuters (@Reuters) April 28, 2023 It isnt the first time that Michelle Obama has sung alongside a music icon. Story continues In 2016, she performed her star-studded benefit song This Is for My Girls with Missy Elliott during one of James Cordens Carpool Karoake segments. You can watch a clip of their on-the-road performance below. Related... Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance on the singer's international tour on April 28, 2023. Jordi Vidal/Redferns; Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance at Bruce Springsteen's concert in Barcelona Friday. The former first lady joined the musician onstage to sing backup vocals and play the tambourine. Springsteen, the Obamas, and Steven Spielberg also dined together at a hotel restaurant on Thursday. Michelle Obama brought her musical skills to a surprise onstage appearance at a Bruce Springsteen concert on Friday. The former first lady joined the iconic musician, who is currently on an international tour with the E Street Band, for his performance in Barcelona, Spain, this weekend. According to The Independent, Obama, and actress Kate Capshaw teamed up with Springsteen's wife and bandmate Patti Scialfa to sing backup vocals for his 1984 song "Glory Days." Footage from the concert shows Barack Obama and Capshaw's husband, filmmaker Steven Spielberg, were in attendance, dancing and filming near the stage. Spielberg, Capshaw, and the Obamas also explored the city before the concert. The couples were photographed holding hands as they walked around Barcelona and visited the Moco Museum, home to several contemporary art exhibitions. Barack Obama and Michelle Obama leave the Moco Museum on April 28, 2023, in Barcelona, Spain. David Zorrakino/Europa Press via Getty Images The former president joined Spielberg and Springsteen for a last-minute reservation at the Palace Hotel's Amar restaurant on Thursday much to the delight of the staff, as Insider's Isobel van Hagen previously reported. The restaurant's chef Rafa Zafra told Spanish radio station Cadena SER that the reservation was only made a few hours in advance, according to The Guardian. He also said Spanish-American chef Jose Andres called him and told him it was "a very important table, but that we should please not say anything." "And of course, I began to investigate and saw that Obama was coming, that Bruce had a concert," he said. Zafra noted that the group appeared tired but wanted to try everything on the eatery's seafood menu. "The one who behaved best was the one who had to work today," Zafra said in reference to the group. Story continues Staff member Pol Perello posted a photo on Instagram Friday of the staff and chefs posing with their famous friends, writing in the caption, "The pleasure this job brings you!" Read the original article on Insider Michelle Obama was the surprise guest at Bruce Springsteens latest gig, joining the US artist and even singing backing vocals with him. The former US First Lady was present at the Barcelona leg of Springsteens international tour with the E Street Band. During Friday nights (28 April) concert, Obama teamed up with actor Kate Capshaw to share a microphone during the artists performance of his 1984 track, Glory Days. Patti Scialfa, Springsteens wife and bandmate, led Obama and Capshaw in background vocals. In footage from the high-energy moment, Obama, 59, is seen shaking a tambourine with the two other women while joining in with the song. According to TMZ, the Obamas, Capshaw and Springsteen had all dined together in the Catalonian city the previous night. Reacting to the unexpected collaboration online, fans have praised Obama for showing a fun side to her personality. I didn't think it was possible for Michelle Obama to be any cooler than she already was... but I was wrong, said one person on Twitter, while another replied: Wait what? How absolutely awesome. Another commenter noted that the former First Lady was living her BEST LIFE. According to TMZ, the Obamas, Capshaw and her husband Steven Spielberg, Springsteen and Scialfa had all dined together in the Catalonian city the previous night. Michelle Obama and Bruce Springsteen (Getty) Springsteen, 73, has been a friend of the Obamas for several years. He was also vocal about his distaste for Donald Trump, Barack Obamas presidential successor, during his time in office. To Springsteens chagrin, his 1984 hit Born in the USA has been commonly used by Trump supporters as a patriotic anthem. In a 2021 episode of his and Obamas podcast, Renegades: Born in the USA, the rock star explained the meaning behind the song. Written in response to the ill-treatment of US Vietnam war veterans, the song is meant to represent complicated feelings of American identity, rather than having unwavering pride for the USA. This is a song about the pain, glory, shame of identity and of place, Springsteen told Obama. So its a complex picture of the country. Our protagonist is someone who has been betrayed by his nation and yet still feels deeply connected to the country that he grew up in. TOKYO, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A total of 48 people landed in Tokyo on Saturday morning after evacuating from conflict-ravaged Sudan to nearby Djibouti. The Japanese government-chartered flight carrying the batch, including both Japanese nationals and their family members, left Djibouti on Friday, according to the Foreign Ministry. As of Friday, 65 Japanese nationals and their family members of other nationalities have fled the northeast African country. Some have returned to Japan by private means, the ministry said. A growing number of countries have evacuated citizens from Sudan since fierce clashes broke out between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in mid-April. SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) A migration crisis at the border between Chile and Peru intensified Thursday as hundreds of people remained stranded, unable to cross into Peru in an effort to return to their home country of Venezuela. The mostly Venezuelan migrants are seeking to cross into Peru to continue on to their home country but Peru isnt allowing them to enter because they lack documents. While stalled at the border of the two South American countries, the migrants face the inhospitable climate that characterizes the Atacama Desert, one of the driest on the planet, with extremely hot days and intensely cold nights. Some have improvised tents with blankets but they lack water and other basic services. A group of migrants ran through the desert toward Peru, but they were turned back by Peruvian officers. Some women complained and demanded that the government of President Gabriel Boric provide a bus for them to travel to Venezuela. Images showed migrants shoving Peruvian border patrol officers in an effort to enter the country. Officials in Arica, the northern Chilean city that borders Peru and is around 2,000 kilometers (1,245 miles) from the capital of Santiago, declared a migration emergency Thursday. A day earlier, the Peruvian president, Dina Boluarte, declared a state of emergency in Tacna, a town near the border with Chile, in order to preserve domestic order and contain the arrival of migrants. In announcing the measure, the president attributed criminal acts to migrants. Boluarte said she would push for a constitutional reform to authorize the intervention of the armed forces in the border area. Boric, for his part, already deployed troops to the border in late February to help stop the entry of migrants. Amnesty International urged Peru and Chile to end what it called the militarization of the border. Leaders on both sides are needlessly aggravating the situation, turning it into a humanitarian crisis that increases the risk to the lives and safety of these people, said Erika Guevara Rosas, director of Amnesty International for the Americas. Story continues The Chilean government summoned Peruvian Ambassador Jaime Pomareda to express its displeasure over statements by Tacna Mayor Pascual Guisa, who called Chile's president irresponsible for what the envoy called an effort to transfer the country's migration woes to the border. Pomareda did not publicly comment on the meeting. Aricas mayor, Gerardo Espindola, vowed to provide resources to support those in need, particularly children and the elderly. We will act as quickly as this critical situation affecting the people stranded at the border requires, Espindola said. Amid the impasse, the head of Chiles lower house of Congress, Vlado Mirosevic, called for a humanitarian corridor involving all the countries in the region to resolve the crisis and allow migrants safe passage back to Venezuela. Chiles foreign minister, Alberto van Klaveren, warned there was a significant humanitarian problem in the area and said Boluartes decision increases pressure at the border. The departure of migrants from Chile comes shortly after the National Prosecutors Office on April 10 called on prosecutors to request preventive detention for anyone caught committing a crime who could not prove their identity. In addition, a measure is set to be debated in the lower house of Congress that would classify irregular immigration as a crime and proposes jail sentences of as many as 541 days for anyone caught entering Chile through unofficial channels. The entrance of a high-rise building destroyed by a Russian missile strike in Uman, April 28, 2023 Seleznyov said that during the recent attack on Mykolaiv, the invaders may have targeted a Ukrainian Marine Corps barracks. However, the Russians intelligence was out of date: no marines were present, and the building now has no connection to the Defense Forces. Similarly, the high-rise building in Uman that was severely damaged by a Russian missile strike on April 28 has no connection to the Ukrainian military. Seleznyov said the Ukrainian army is now faced with a choice of where to position its modern air defense systems: at the front, to cover the Ukrainian Defense Forces, which are expected to launch a counter-offensive soon, or to protect the rear, where civilians including women, children, and soldiers parents are located. Read also: Russia unlikely to restore stockpile of long-range missiles, says Air Force The military expert also pointed out that Ukraines war aims include ensuring the safety and peace of residents in the regions of Ukraine behind the front lines. Regarding claims that Russia is attacking civilians to influence the militarys actions, Seleznyov said this assumption was a valid point. On the night of April 27, the Russian army attacked Mykolaiv with four missiles, which the Ukrainian military said were guided along a complex trajectory to make it difficult for them to be intercepted. One person was killed, and 23 were injured in that attack. According to the Air Force, the attack was carried out using Iskander-K ballistic missiles. Read also: Putins personal reactions to bad news might cause him to order missile strikes on Ukraine, says political scientist Early on April 28, Russia launched a massive missile strike against Ukraine, but air defense forces managed to destroy 21 out of 23 of the Russian cruise missiles, including 11 near Kyiv. Two drones were also shot down near the Ukrainian capital. However, one of the missiles destroyed an entire section of a nine-story residential building in the city of Uman, in Cherkasy Oblast, central Ukraine, resulting in 23 reported deaths as of 7.30 p.m. on April 28. 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 new batch of Starlink terminals from Poland Everything is working steadily, the minister told the Ukrainian news agency. Were in constant communication with the (U.S. SpaceX, owned by U.S. billionaire Elon Musk) company, and react promptly to everything. Currently, there are 42,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine, which provide communication for energy workers, medical personnel, and military personnel. Read also: SpaceX to appeal losing Starlink trademark in Ukraine The minister noted that the state did not spend a penny on them all were provided by international partners, who also pay for the equipments functioning on preferential terms. He also noted that Russia is attempting to use its technology to disrupt Starlinks operations, but Ukraine has certain mechanisms to counter these attempts and is working to ensure that they dont occur. Earlier, U.S. newspaper the Washington Post reported that Russia has been experimenting with its Tobol electronic warfare systems for months in an effort to cut off Ukrainian troops access to satellite internet communication via Starlink. Read also: SpaceX further limits Starlink service in Ukraine Also, SpaceX said in February that it was taking measures to restrict Ukraines use of Starlink for military purposes, specifically, the use of drones to drop munitions on enemy positions. However, regular releases of videos of such attacks indicate Ukraine still has the capability of using drones in this way, with or without Starlink. News agency Reuters also reported in February that governments including those of the United States and France are helping to fund the operation of Starlink terminals to ensure Internet communications in Ukraine. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine One of two southwest Missouri men charged in the gruesome killing of a woman who authorities say was kept in a cage entered a plea on Friday. In a hearing in Dallas County, James Phelps who was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Cassidy Rainwater entered an Alford plea in the case. An Alford plea does not admit guilt but acknowledges that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict if the case had gone to trial. Also on Friday, according to online court records, Judge Jill Porter sentenced Phelps to life in prison with no chance for parole. The plea came several days after Phelps was granted a change of venue with parties agreeing to move his trial to Jasper County because of extensive media coverage in Dallas County. A trial date had not been set. The Rainwater case dates back to September 2021 after the Kansas City office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation received an anonymous tip with photos of Rainwaters partially nude body inside a cage. Some photos showed the womans body bound to a gantry crane, commonly used for deer processing, and her evisceration and dismemberment, the Dallas County Sheriffs Department posted on its Facebook page back then. Cassidy Rainwater That tip led the FBI to Dallas County, about 160 miles southeast of Kansas City, and launched what became a secretive, weeks-long criminal investigation. The tip the FBI received was titled Cassidy. Phelps and Timothy Norton, both of Dallas County, were charged in September 2021 with kidnapping the 33-year-old woman and facilitating a felony, inflicting injury and terrorizing. After tests confirmed that the labeled remains found in a freezer inside Phelps rented home were Rainwaters, the charges were upgraded to murder several weeks later. The men also were charged with abandonment of a corpse. Deputies searched the property for seven days, according to the Dallas County Sheriffs Department. Skeletal remains believed to be Rainwaters were located on the adjacent property. Story continues Rainwater has ties to the Kansas City area. In a 2003 yearbook from Harrisonville High School in Cass County, shes listed as a freshman. She was reported missing in late August 2021 by a woman named Cora Terry. Terry told authorities that the last time Rainwater was seen was about six weeks earlier and she believed that a James Rainwater was the last person to see her. Authorities later learned that she was talking about James Phelps. Deputies went to Phelps home at 386 Moon Valley Road near Windyville and asked if he knew Rainwater. Sheriffs officials have said that Phelps said he did but that he hadnt spoken to her in roughly a month. He said that Rainwater had been talking about going to Colorado. A fire Oct. 4 destroyed a home near Windyville, Missouri, where James D. Phelps lived. He is charged with murder and kidnapping in the case of Cassidy Rainwater. About a week later, a Dallas County detective went to Moon Valley Road and spoke to Phelps about the missing-person case. Phelps then said that Rainwater had been staying with him until she could get back on her feet, according to the probable-cause statement related to the initial charges filed against Phelps. He also told the deputy that at the end of July 2021, Rainwater had left in the middle of the night and met with someone in a vehicle at the end of the driveway and he had not seen or heard from her since. After receiving the information from the FBI, deputies went back out to Moon Valley Road and recognized items in Phelps backyard that coincided with the photos. Authorities said Norton told them that he knew that Rainwater was being held at the home of Phelps and that she had been kept in a cage, court records show. Norton further said that Phelps had contacted Norton to come to Phelps home, an affidavit said. Norton then admitted that after arriving at Phelps home he did physically confine CR by holding her down for a substantial period of time, for the purpose of facilitating the commission of a felony, or inflicting physical injury on, or terrorizing CR, the document said. Court records say Phelps had seven photos of Rainwater on his cellphone that showed her partially nude body inside the cage in the small, rundown home where he was living. That home burned to the ground in early October 2021 and authorities ruled it arson. Norton is scheduled to appear in Dallas County for a hearing May 2. Stephane Bancel, chief executive of Moderna, had a good year in 2022, exercising stock options that netted him nearly $393 million. The company decided his pay wasn't good enough. The Cambridge, Mass.-based biotech, known for its lifesaving coronavirus vaccine, raised his salary last year by 50 percent to $1.5 million and increased his target cash bonus, according to a March securities filing. Bancel, 50, says he is donating the proceeds of stock sales to charity. He owns stock worth at least $2.8 billion and, as of the end of last year, had additional stock-based compensation valued at $1.7 billion. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. Moderna emerged from the pandemic as a standout corporate winner, as its vaccine supercharged its stock price and made billionaires of Bancel and two co-founding board members. The firm's windfall profits have drawn criticism, particularly because it used $1.7 billion in taxpayer funding and assistance from the National Institutes of Health to develop its vaccine. Now, analysts are finding fault with its executive pay and governance, with one influential firm advising shareholders to vote against the company's compensation plan at its annual meeting on May 3. Moderna defends the raises for Bancel and others as "reflective of merit," pointing out that shareholders have done well and overwhelmingly approved its compensation plan last year. The pay is "appropriate in light of the increased scope of increasingly global responsibility for Moderna's executives," the company said. Even by the roller coaster standards of the biotechnology world, Moderna's rise has few parallels in the annals of modern American business. The company brought in revenue of $18.5 billion in 2021, 300 times more than it generated just two years earlier. Moderna's board is one of just five in the S&P 500 with three directors owning more than $1 billion in company stock, along with household names like Google-parent Alphabet, Berkshire Hathaway and Estee Lauder, according to Equilar, a research firm specializing in executive pay. Story continues Moderna's prominence has come with certain costs, and it has spent up to $1 million a year on security for Bancel due to what it calls the "heightened threat environment in connection with production of our COVID-19 vaccine." Financial success has also made Moderna a target of lawmakers like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who blasted the company at a hearing last month for its plans to raise vaccine prices when it shifts to commercial distribution. "In the pharmaceutical industry today, we are looking at an unprecedented level of corporate greed, and that is certainly true with Moderna," he said. Yet Sanders still credited Moderna with helping blunt the toll of the coronavirus and save lives. Bancel said he was driven by Moderna's mission and took a pay cut to join the fledgling firm in 2011. "I took a risk on an untested medical technology when the rate of failure in the pharmaceutical industry is around 90%," he said in a written testimony. Before its pioneering messenger RNA technology hit pay dirt, Moderna rewarded its executives and co-founders with generous helpings of stock. In 2013, the company gave Bancel more than 4.5 million stock options that he could exercise for 99 cents each. By 2021, the company estimated these options alone were worth more than $1 billion. "Moderna has provided my family with financial security the likes of which I never imagined or, frankly, sought," Bancel wrote in May 2022, explaining his plan to exercise the 2013 stock options before they expire this year. He said in a blog post last month that he donated the after-tax proceeds of his stock sales last year - $176 million - to charity, along with another $76 million this year. Experts say that executives who strike it big can present a conundrum for boards who want to retain and motivate them. "How much is enough and how much is too much?" said David Larcker, director of Stanford University's Corporate Governance Research Initiative. In the wake of its breakout success, Moderna's board has sweetened the pay packages for senior executives like Bancel, raising his target stock compensation by 67 percent in 2021. Board members' own pay ranks among the top 25 percent of directors at America's 500 largest publicly traded companies, according to Equilar data from 2021. Last year, Moderna board members received pay valued at an average of $475,000 - well above their counterparts at drug giants Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck that are more than twice as big as Moderna. A company spokesperson said board members are mostly paid in stock options to align them with shareholders. Moderna's governance is coming under criticism from firms that advise shareholders on how to cast their votes at annual meetings. Institutional Shareholder Services for the last two years has recommended voting against directors to protest practices that, it argues, make the company less responsive to shareholders. Moderna says that some practices at issue, such as staggering terms of its board members, are a defense against a hostile takeover. Glass Lewis, the other major shareholder advisory firm, criticizes Moderna for boosting CEO pay without tying it to performance goals and is recommending shareholders rebuke the company for its pay plan. Most of Bancel's pay is tied up in stock options that he earns over time - and that only have value if the stock price goes up. Brian Cadman, a professor of accounting at the University of Utah, said giving stock options to executives without a requirement to meet performance goals - such as profits or shareholder returns - is increasingly uncommon. "I would even say it's somewhat archaic," he said. "It seems to me they're granting equity more with the idea of trying to retain the CEO." Moderna emphasizes that Bancel and other senior executives only reap rewards if shareholders do. In 2022, when Moderna's stock fell 29 percent, Bancel's actual pay equated to a loss - on paper - of $306.2 million, according to a March securities filing. The prior year, when the stock rose 143 percent, his package was actually worth $793 million, according to the company's estimates. Moderna's commercial success, however, makes pay in the form of stock options less risky than it once was, according to some experts. "The chance that the CEO may not make a considerable amount of money out of them is very small," said Paolo Volpin, a finance professor at Drexel University. One unusual feature of Moderna's pay was called out by both ISS and Glass Lewis as cause for concern: changing performance metrics to boost cash bonuses for executives. Moderna had committed to sell 750 million vaccine doses for middle and low-income countries, but the buyer, Gavi, later declined to take the orders, citing a lack of demand and storage infrastructure. That meant the company didn't receive $2.8 billion that it had expected, denting sales that make up the biggest metric for calculating bonuses. The board determined that the cancellation was outside the company's control, and added the sales it had expected, but didn't achieve, to its formula for determining bonuses. That resulted in a slightly higher payout, with Bancel receiving about $225,000 more than he otherwise would. Moderna said that formula determines the bonus pool for all employees. ISS said the adjustment was grounds for "some concern" but concluded that pay was reasonably aligned with performance. Glass Lewis acknowledged the amounts were relatively minor but wrote that tinkering with metrics can "undermine the integrity of the pay program." In a rebuttal, Moderna wrote that the pay practices Glass Lewis rates as "poor" received a "fair" grade by the firm the previous year, "despite the fact that no significant changes have been made." As for the adjustment to sales, Moderna wrote that the board's compensation committee determined the company "could not independently create market demand for vaccines." - - - The Washington Post' Cate Brown contributed to this report. Related Content The first arrests from DeSantis's election police take extensive toll Fifty years after his Triple Crown, Secretariat remains an immortal wonder 'Do people have to die?' Why these Californians fear catastrophic floods. Ryan Donohue always believed the bad stuff would catch up with his mother. Last month, Donohue learned that his mom, Sarah Hartsfield, had been indicted on a murder charge in the death of her husband, nearly five years after she killed another romantic partner in a shooting that was deemed justified at the time. Its unreal seeing my mom in that jumpsuit now, Donohue, 22, said in his first interview since the indictment on Feb. 3. Ive waited for it my whole life. Joseph Hartsfield. (KPRC) Sarah Hartsfield was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Joseph Hartsfield, 46. Her fifth husband died in January, more than a week after he was hospitalized near Houston. His cause of death hasnt been released. He may have had too much insulin in his system, an affidavit in support of a search warrant says. Sarah Hartsfield has pleaded not guilty and is being held in lieu of $4.5 million bond. Her lawyer didnt respond to multiple requests for comment; he has previously said Hartsfield maintains her innocence and will assist in the investigation of her husbands untimely death. Authorities havent identified a possible motive. In Facebook messages shared with NBC News, Hartsfield complained to a friend about her husbands financial irresponsibility and said she had nothing left. Years earlier, in 2018, Hartsfield fatally shot a man her son said she had been engaged to, and officials ruled that she did so in self-defense. But six days after Hartsfields arrest this winter, a Minnesota prosecutor announced that he was re-examining the death of the fiance, David Bragg. Growing up with Hartsfield Hartsfield, 48, has been married five times since the mid-1990s. Her children Donohue and his three sisters are from her third and longest marriage. According to Donohue, a postal worker, his family has followed a grim path that includes allegations of abuse and doomed relationships, two deaths and allegations of a murder plot. One of his sisters confirmed his account; fearing backlash, she asked not to be identified. His father declined to comment. Story continues Donohue said that his mother grew up in Sedalia, Missouri, a small town about 90 miles southeast of Kansas City, and that when she was younger, she was in and out of foster care. Donohue knew both sets of her foster parents and considered them grandparents, he said. After two failed marriages in the 1990s, Hartsfield married Donohues father in 1999, he said. Theyd met in Alaska and were later stationed together at Fort Hood, Texas. Both were in the Army. Christopher Donohue, who served from 1996 to 2020, retired as a master sergeant, an Army spokesman said. Hartsfield served from 1997 to 2017 and left the service as a sergeant first class, a spokeswoman said. Ryan Donohue was mostly raised in an upscale neighborhood in Belton, Texas, between Austin and Waco. From the outside looking in, things were great, he said. We grew up in an environment where how you were presented meant everything, he said, adding: You always said yes maam. You never questioned anything. Sarah Hartsfield and Ryan Donohue. He described his mother as the smartest person he knows someone who could change the world if she put her brain to doing the right thing. She was also physically and mentally abusive, he said. When his father tried to protect him and his siblings, Ryan Donohue said, my mom made his life a lot harder. A longtime friend of Ryan Donohues, who asked not to be identified for fear of his safety, recalled that as a kid, Donohue would miss school for long stretches and say he had been sick. Years later, the friend said, Donohue confessed that hed actually been bruised so badly that he couldnt go to school. It would be easy to say, Why didnt you call child protective services and get out of the situation? But it was more than physical abuse. It was psychological, the friend said, recalling another confession from Donohue: Shed literally line the kids up and tell them: Theres nothing you can do. Go try and tell someone. They wont believe you. Donohue never reported the abuse, which he said lasted into his mid-teens. His mother later apologized and said shed been hard on her children because your dad made me unhappy, Ryan Donohue recalled. Hartsfields lawyer, Keaton Kirkwood, didnt respond to requests for comment about the abuse allegations. In a statement to NBC affiliate KPRC of Houston last month, he said: We adamantly denounce the misinformation that has been provided to the public regarding her past. Donohue said he moved to South Korea in 2016 with his father. Two years later, Christopher Donohue filed for divorce from Hartsfield, court records show, and Ryan Donohue said he returned to Texas to live with his mother and sisters. Self-defense shooting reopened David Bragg. (KPRC) By March 2017, Sarah Hartsfield was in a new relationship with David Bragg, a former Air Force mechanic who was working as a contractor at Fort Hood, her son said. In December of that year, Ryan Donohue recalled, his mother told him her new boyfriend had a well-paid solar contract in Minnesota and the family would move there within days. (His older sister was no longer a minor and stayed in Texas.) They moved into what Donohue described as a large fixer upper in Douglas County, a rural area roughly 150 miles northwest of Minneapolis. The couple were briefly engaged, Donohue said, but the relationship deteriorated. Donohue said he clashed with his mothers fiance, whom he described as physically abusive and who he said once slammed him into a wall after he had a disagreement with a sister about whose turn it was to use the bathroom. His sister recalled their mothers saying that Donohue, then a junior in high school, deserved it after "he got in David's face." In another instance, after an argument over homework, Donohue said, Bragg knocked him down the stairs and pointed a rifle at him as he ran down the driveway. Another sister, who asked not to be identified over fears of being publicly linked to her mother, heard the altercation over the phone and confirmed Donohues account. Braggs brother, Daniel, said in a text message that he didnt believe his brother was abusive but added: If theres any truth to it, thats incredibly sad. On May 9, 2018, Hartsfield fatally shot Bragg in their home. Donohue said his mother told him she had gone home to grab clothes for his sisters when Bragg became upset and believed she was leaving him for her ex-husband, who had traveled from South Korea to Minnesota to surprise his sister on her birthday. I took the beating of my life for letting my child see her father, Hartsfield said at a bail hearing this month. She said that Bragg opened fire and that had she not dived to the floor, he would have struck her in the head. I blindly fired, she said. I didnt aim. Citing forensic testing and witness accounts, the Douglas County district attorney found that Hartsfield acted in self-defense and declined to file charges. After Hartsfield was indicted in February, the prosecutor said the case was active again. As of Friday, the case was still being investigated, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor said. Bragg's family has challenged Hartsfields account, saying in February that the man she described was not the David we all knew and loved, adding, His death was very random, and the circumstances that surrounded his death seemed farfetched, and almost made up. Donohue is still wrestling with his mothers account of the shooting. At one point, he said he believed her; at another, he said he wasnt sure. To be real, from the outside looking in, its gotta be a crazy coincidence to go through this not once but twice in less than five years, he said. After the shooting, Sarah Hartsfield married her fourth husband, David George. For a time, the couple lived in the home where Bragg had been killed, Donohue said. Was exs new wife a target? Donohues father also remarried, and court records show the aftermath of his divorce from Hartsfield turned increasingly hostile. In 2021, Christopher Donohue leveled an alarming accusation: His ex was plotting to have her new husband kill his new wife, according to an affidavit in support of a request for a restraining order he filed in the Texas county where they were divorced. He alleged that the plot was aimed at derailing his efforts to get custody of their two minor children, so that I would be too busy dealing with the death to focus on fighting for my girls anymore, the affidavit cites Christopher Donohue as saying. Hartsfields new husband is alleged to have told Christopher Donohue that she had given him a gun and was pressuring him to carry out the act, the document says. He told me he would lie to her about why it hadnt happened yet, the affidavit quotes Christopher Donohue as saying. The FBI investigated, the affidavit says, and a federal agent asked a Sierra Vista, Arizona, police detective to monitor Christopher Donohues home with a close patrol, a department spokesman said. No charges were filed, the spokesman said. The FBI hasnt responded to requests for comment. Efforts to reach George, Hartsfields fourth husband, have been unsuccessful. At the bail hearing, Hartsfield said George retracted the allegation, which she accused him of having made for retaliation purposes. Two months after Christopher Donohue signed the affidavit, a judge issued the restraining order barring his ex-wife from contacting him and his family for two years. Even before the order was issued, Hartsfield had filed for divorce from her fourth husband, according to the records. Ryan Donohue said that when he asked his mother about the allegations, she denied them, saying George was a monster who lied about everything and was in cahoots with your dad to take away the girls. 'Between her and God' Donohue met his mothers fifth husband only twice, he said, and the last time he saw her was in December, when she visited his apartment in San Antonio. The trip was supposed to be brief, but it stretched into weeks and ended badly, Donohue said, with his mother scolding his roommate after he complained that shed left a mess on their stovetop. Knowing Hartsfield was armed, the roommate locked himself in his room until she left, Donohue said. Donohue is grappling with how to feel about his mothers arrest. He doesnt know whether hes supposed to feel sad, he said; often he feels nothing. If there is a conviction and she pretty much gets the ultimate punishment, whatever happens next is between her and God, he said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte on Friday signed a bill to ban gender-affirming care for minors, marking the latest effort by a Republican-led state to wrest control of certain health care decisions away from licensed medical professionals. The move sparked outcry from groups like the Montana chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, whose president, Dr. Lauren Wilson, said that the legislation is based in false information. This bill is an overly broad blanket ban that takes decisions that should be made by families and physicians and puts them in the hands of politicians, the state chapter said earlier this month, as the measure moved through Montanas Legislature. Wilson and others have pledged to fight the new law, which fits into a broader strategy by Republican officials to curtail bodily autonomy. Debate over the bill prompted Democratic state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, who is transgender, to tell her fellow lawmakers last week that I hope ... you see the blood on your hands. Research indicates that suicidal ideation is particularly high in transgender youth experiencing social stigma. Republicans then censured Zephyr for her comments and barred her from the state House floor for the remainder of the legislative session. In a statement that also intentionally misgendered her, the Montana Freedom Caucus said that Zephyr had cast aside a commitment to civil discourse. Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr talks with the media after a House session in Helena on Wednesday. Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr talks with the media after a House session in Helena on Wednesday. Montana is now one of at least 15 states that have laws banning or severely restricting gender-affirming care for minors, according to a tally by The Associated Press. The Montana measure is set to go into effect Oct. 1, barring transgender youth from receiving puberty blockers, hormone treatments and surgical interventions. Medical professionals who disregard the law can have their medical licenses revoked for at least one year, and they can be sued in the 25 years after a procedure for any psychological or physical harm to patients. Story continues The law also restricts public funds and employees from being directly or indirectly used for gender-affirming treatments. Such health care is supported by a host of major medical groups, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The law is expected to face immediate challenges. I know that this is an unconstitutional bill. It is as cruel as it is unconstitutional. And it will go down in the courts, Zephyr said after Gianforte signed the legislation, per the AP. Theres an understandable inclination towards despair in these moments, but know that we are going to win, she added. If you or someone you know needs help, dial 988 or call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also get support via text by visiting suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat. 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... After Sarah Hartsfield was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of her husband in Texas this year, authorities in Minnesota said it would re-examine another death her 2018 fatal shooting of a former fiance. After the indictment, the district attorney's office in Chambers County, Texas, said investigators were seeking information about her previous names Hartsfield had been married four times before and the sheriff whose office investigated the case made an ominous claim about the earlier relationships. "Everybody wants out of it because they fear for their life, he told NBC affiliate KPRC of Houston last month. Hartsfield has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and is being held in lieu of $4.5 million bond. Her lawyer didnt respond to multiple requests for comment; he has said Hartsfield maintains her innocence and will assist in the investigation of her husbands untimely death. Here's what we know about Hartsfield's former partners. Titus Knoernschild Titus Knoernschild met Hartsfield when he was a junior at a small-town high school in Missouri in 1991. They married two years later, and their divorce was finalized in January 1996, he said. While they were separating, Knoernschild said, she appeared to threaten him. Im very surprised I got out of the marriage alive, he said. Knoernschild's wife, Angela, said Hartsfield remained an unwanted presence in their lives in the decades after her husband's divorce. Sarah Hartsfield's first ex-husband, Titus Knoernschild. He says that their marriage ended horribly and that his family has been watching their backs for the last 27 years as she kept interjecting herself into their lives. (KPRC) "She was like a bad penny every time youd turn around, shed be there," she said. "She doesnt do it to confront you. She does it to remind you shes there. Michael Traxler Hartsfield next married Michael Traxler. In a brief interview, Traxler said their relationship was super short and in the rearview mirror. I havent spoken to her in 15 years, he said. Ryan Donohue Hartsfield's son, Ryan Donohue, said his father met Hartsfield in Alaska and married her in 1999. They had four children and spent much of their time at Fort Hood, Texas, where they were stationed in the Army, Donohue said. Story continues They remained married until 2017, when Christopher Donohue filed for divorce. David Bragg Hartsfield and three of her children moved to Minnesota that year with a new partner, David Bragg, her son said. They were briefly engaged, he said. David Bragg. (KPRC) On May 9, 2018, Hartsfield fatally shot Bragg in their home northwest of Minneapolis. Douglas County Attorney Chad Larson cleared her in the shooting, saying she had "no reasonable possibility of retreating" from Bragg, who she said had fired at her. After Hartsfield was indicted this year, Larson said the case was active again. As of Friday, his office was still investigating. David George Roughly one year after her fiance's death, Hartsfield married David George, who worked for a gas company in Minnesota, her son said. They lived together in the home where she fatally shot Bragg, he said. Hartsfield's ex-husband Christopher Donohue also remarried, and in 2021 he made an alarming claim in court: His ex was plotting to have her new husband kill his new wife, according to an affidavit in support of a request for a restraining order. The affidavit describes a plot to derail Christopher Donohues efforts to get custody of couple's two youngest children. A judge granted the order on June 7, 2021, and barred Hartsfield from contacting her ex-husband or his family for two years. By the time the order was issued, Hartsfield had already filed to divorce George, her fourth husband, court records show. Joseph Hartsfield Hartsfield met her fifth husband, Joseph Hartsfield, online, and they were married Feb. 2, 2022, her son said. By December, the relationship was in trouble: Facebook direct messages obtained by NBC News show her calling him a "nightmare" and telling a friend she had a plan to get out of the relationship. Joseph Hartsfield. (KPRC) On Jan. 7, Joseph Hartsfield was taken to a hospital east of Houston; he died more than a week later. Authorities havent released a cause of death. Hospital staff members believed that Joseph Hartsfield, who was diabetic, may have had too much insulin in his system, according to an affidavit in support of a search warrant. After his death, Sarah Hartsfield said on Facebook that she felt numb and lost without him and that shed listened to old phone messages just to hear his voice. On Feb. 3, she was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder in his death. She pleaded not guilty. Her lawyer didnt respond to multiple requests for comment. He previously said in a statement to KPRC, We are engaged in the discovery process and would remind the public to withhold any judgment until due process has been satisfied." This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Business owners along Myrtle Beachs Ocean Boulevard are divided on polices implementation of a flushing policy to clear large crowds along the citys main drag. The move by police came after an April 15 shooting that went viral on social media. The citys police department again carried out the tactic last weekend and plan to continue it in the next few weeks as needed. Some business owners say that they shouldnt be punished for crimes that take place on Ocean Boulevard. When the crowds are directed away from the area, they lose business, they say. Other store owners declined to speak on the crime and flushing policy but wouldnt say why. Bryan Murphy, a police captain with Myrtle Beach Police Department, said in an email Tuesday that traffic on the boulevard usually becomes heavy on weekends in the evening time due to the millions of visitors that visit the beach. Our main focus is public safety, which includes reducing congestion and being able to respond quickly to emergencies, he added. That includes keeping road and sidewalk traffic calm, while also ensuring emergency vehicles can get through. On April 21 and 22, the department tested the flushing method off and on between 4 p.m. and 2 a.m., Murphy said. The plan consisted of turning southbound traffic on Ocean Boulevard toward Kings Highway at 9th Avenue North and doing the same for northbound traffic at 8th Avenue North, Murphy said. He added that the boulevard was closed between 8th and 9th avenues. There was also an emergency access lane in the northbound lane from 9th to 16th avenues. However, people still had access to businesses and parking lots in the area, according to Murphy. Downtown business managers take sides Lavelle, a manager at clothing store Wacky Ts, expressed concerns about losing business when the city flushed Ocean Boulevard after reports of crimes. He said he doesnt understand why people come to the beach for vacation and leave on probation. But he added the recent incidents are nothing new, saying thats how it usually is around this time of the year. Story continues Another business owner, who asked not to be named, said he doesnt agree with the citys policy because it negatively impacts his business. It costs me money, he added. He said if more officers patrolled the boulevard on foot, there wouldnt be as many crimes, specifically people pulling out their guns, and maybe flushing wouldnt be needed. Jo Baroody, who owns Daddios Ice Cream, understands the reason for the flush and said it hasnt affected her business, even at her old location. She moved her storefront from 3rd Avenue South last year and opened the new shop at 7th Avenue North in March. I can understand what theyre doing, Baroody said of the police. Its for everyones own good. You cant complain about it. Baroody said the recent incidents are concerning since the summer season hasnt even started yet. I am worried about the safety with leaving here so late, she said about the time she usually closes her shop. With the crime and shootings, its going to become more (frequent). How long will police flush Ocean Boulevard? Flushing Ocean Boulevard isnt a new practice, according to city spokesman Mark Kruea. He said its been used in the city for 15 to 20 years. We will evaluate the conditions and may cancel or modify the plan as needed, Murphy said of the tests in a Tuesday email. He said drivers may also see more directional signs and cones near Ocean Boulevard. The department has notified Google Maps and Waze of the plan, so app users should be able to move easily through the area. The tactic used by city police is not any different than those used by other cities across the country. However, the term is. The word flushing is what city police use when talking about controlling traffic, Kruea said. Its also been described as turning traffic off the boulevard or turn the boulevard. Myrtle Beach city leaders speak about crime Chief Amy Prock told city leaders in an email April 16 that Ocean Boulevard was flushed between 10 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. on April 15 and 16 as officers tried to keep people from congregating and worked to clear parking lots. Prock said in the email to City Manager Jonathan Fox Simons that officers worked for more than four hours on April 15 to clear pedestrian and vehicle traffic on Ocean Boulevard as service calls mounted, resulting in multiple traffic and pedestrian stops related to vehicle violations, pedestrian violation and noise resulting in arrests for driver violations, loitering, guns, and drugs. The email followed the April 15 incident that involved a confrontation between a truck driver and two other people, which led to a shooting along the busy boulevard. The video shows the congestion along the street as well as a number of people walking on the sidewalks. One person is facing multiple charges in connection to the event. Over the weekend, a nearly three-minute video posted on Myrtle Beach Polices Facebook features Prock sitting at a table talking about crime in Myrtle Beach. She said the department will continue to hold people accountable for any crimes that are committed, including drug use and illegally carrying guns. Our goal is for everyone to remain safe by living in, working in and visiting our city, Prock said. We are committed to doing everything we can to make this happen. The video follows Mayor Brenda Bethunes statement in a text message April 19 about how people who commit crimes in Myrtle Beach will be caught. We have a very safe city, Bethune said. Unfortunately we sometimes have people who come here to do the wrong things. With over 1,000 cameras, license plate readers and increased police presence, the message is that if you commit a crime in Myrtle Beach, you will be caught. What took place in the social media videos? It was a 54-second video showing the April 15 shooting incident that led to a recent flushing of the boulevard. The video starts off with a truck driver attempting to pull off from behind a black Nissan as a woman stands in front of the truck. People can be heard yelling in the background as the truck continues to move forward toward the woman. A man approaches the passenger side window of the vehicle, which is open, and appears to have a gun in his hand. His hand, with the item, is hanging on the inside of the truck and is no longer visible in the video, which was posted by Alex Strickland. After a few seconds of talking to the driver, a potential gunshot is heard. The driver then speeds off towards South Ocean Boulevard, and the man gets in the Nissan on the passenger side. An earlier incident on Ocean Boulevard has gained over 1.5 million views on a TikTok video posted April 1. That incident shows several police officers pointing their guns as they run up to an occupied car. It then continues as a crowd of people on both sides of the road watch as the vehicles occupants are detained by police. Those two people were arrested on several charges. Housing advocates are considering the Nampa City Councils latest move to reverse its previous denial of a hotly debated apartment complex a win. The Northwest Village, which consists of 264 apartments, is on its way to the northeast corner of Karcher and Sundance roads, near Karcher and Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard, despite hours of public opposition and dozens of pages of letters from neighbors. The Nampa City Council was originally divided over the apartment complex, because they knew they needed more affordable housing but heard neighborhood concerns about congestion. Council members denied the project in a 3-2 vote in February, but this month, faced with the decision again, they supported it. Council members Daryl Bruner and Natalie Jangula reversed their votes to support the apartments. They said they believed the developer addressed the traffic concerns with improvements to Middleton Road. Bruner just asked that the developers didnt hurry to rent the apartments out before road widening improvements could be done. Apartment project helps agriculture, housing Council Member Dale Reynolds, who supported the project the first time the council voted on it, said the council members had recently attended an agricultural forum, where they learned the importance of developing areas within the city rather than moving outside the city to consume more agricultural land. The Northwest Village is an infill project, which means it is surrounded by existing development and accessible from city infrastructure. Reynolds said Nampas two large employers, Lactalis and Materne Gogo Squeeze, are looking to each add 150 employees in the coming years. They both expressed that the employees they hire do not want to own homes and they are looking at places to rent, Reynolds said, adding that the city doesnt provide enough rental housing. He supported the project because of its location and ability to provide housing for lower-income Nampa residents. Story continues We dont set the rents, but when we reach that saturation point, that will control rents, Reynolds said. When we get there, rents will come down and it will be more affordable and that is what we are looking for. Now there is a shortage, so I think its important that we get closer to that saturation point. The Northwest Village apartments were proposed by TV Holdings LLC and Zion Ventures LLC. TV Holdings is run by Mark Bottles, an Eagle real estate agent. Zion Ventures is run by Riley Verner, an employee at Bottles real estate office. The apartments are expected to fill 11 buildings on the northeast corner of Karcher and Sundance roads, on a vacant lot next to a Maverik convenience store, about one-third of a mile west of Karchers intersection with Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard. The developers say they would charge market rents. The average rent for a studio apartment is $1,000, a one-bedroom $1,430, and a two-bedroom $1,450 as of Monday, according to Rent.com, a listing service. Such services typically calculate averages from their own listings. Zumper, another service, places the one-bedroom average at $960 for a studio, $1,245 for a one-bedroom, and $1,385 for a two-bedroom. Jean Mutchie, former Nampa City Council member and program manager for St. Lukes Childrens Hospital, supported the apartment project during both hearings. We have far too many people who come into this community who cannot participate in the American dream, she said. They have a right to that American dream. For them, maybe it is multifamily homes. They may have to rent a place because they dont get a choice at this point. Neighbors, school district opposed to apartments Another Nampa resident, Paulette Blaseg, wrote to the council in support of the apartments, calling it a good location for an apartment complex. But Blasegs letter was accompanied by dozens of letters in opposition, mostly stating concerns about traffic and high-density housing in their neighborhoods. Many of the residents who were opposed lived outside of Nampa city limits. Rachel Bassett, a Nampa resident, was one of those in opposition. We have watched this small rural town become overcrowded and already have far too many apartment complexes and subdivisions in this area, she wrote in an email. The traffic has become almost unbearable and impossible to navigate. There are more accidents on these roads in the last year than Ive seen in the last 10 years total. The Vallivue School District, also plagued by overcrowding, opposed the development too. Developers tried to soften the blow by donating $1,000 per apartment to the district, which totaled $264,000. Still, Joey Palmer, director of federal and state programs for Vallivue, wrote a letter opposing the additional residents. East Canyon Elementary School is 75 students over capacity, he wrote. East Canyon would be one of the elementary schools where students living in the apartments would attend. The neighboring elementary schools are also experiencing the impact of growth, so a boundary change to meet the demands of this particular development is not a solution. More apartment buildings. A specialty grocery store. EV charging station. Coming near you Toward a balanced market: Ada County home prices continue their plummet. By how much? (CNN) To many, the stereotypical image of a drag queen is one of a gay man dressed in exaggerated feminine getup, oversized wigs and heavy makeup. But drag's image and history is far more complex. Drag is a grand dame in a glittering gown, commanding the stage with a power ballad or disco classic. Drag is also an underground performer twirling onstage to Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach." It's the glitzy cast of "RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars" and small-town performers with dedicated local followings. It's a queen named Meatball dressed as a ghoulish exaggeration of George Santos, singing the "Greatest Showman" anthem "This is Me," and a king named Mo B. Dick in a firetruck-red pompadour and drawn-on goatee. It's cisgender and trans men, trans and cis women and nonbinary people. Its performers are gay and straight. It's masculine and feminine; it's neither or both. "Drag is the theatrical exaggeration of gender," said Joe E. Jeffreys, a drag historian and adjunct instructor at New York University, who noted that the artform constantly subverts "what people think they know about gender." At its core, drag is an art form that for over a century has affirmed and uplifted LGBTQ people who perform and enjoy it. But this year in particular, some US states have attempted to impose legislative measures that would impact where and when drag can be performed. In Tennessee, where the most restrictive measures to date were passed in March, people who perform in drag in an area where children could see them could be charged with a misdemeanor or felony. (The ban was temporarily blocked hours before it was expected to be implemented.) Drag has become increasingly visible in recent years through mainstream shows like "RuPaul's Drag Race" and popular public events such as drag brunches, drag bingo and drag queen story hours, in which drag performers read children's books to young audiences, often at libraries. Outside of the impact recent legislative measures will have on drag performers, many fear that trans people could also be wrongly criminalized for expressing their gender in public. And all of these bills are being introduced amid a wider campaign in many states to roll back the rights of queer and trans people. Drag probes and questions gender and social norms, provoking audiences to do the same -- and that is "inherently political," Jeffreys said. LGBTQ historians and performers say drag will endure in spite of any fearmongering and hate. Survival, they say, is baked into the art form's long, defiant legacy. The first 'queen of drag' was a formerly enslaved person Drag is likely as old as gender norms it's a "part of the human condition," said Larry La Fountain-Stokes, a professor of Spanish, American culture and women's and gender studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor who also performs in drag under the name Lola von Miramar. "As long as people have been using clothes or marking gender in different ways, you've had people transgressing and challenging those conventions," he said in a phone interview. New York's Harlem neighborhood is thought by many to be the birthplace of drag balls in the 1860s. There, Black queer and trans residents donned dresses and wigs to perform in a safe, creative environment. (One theory about the origin of the term "drag" is that it referenced the way gowns "dragged" across the floor; another is that it derived from Polari, a slang-y language used frequently by queer British men, Jeffreys said.) One of the first known people to call themselves a "queen of drag" was William Dorsey Swann. A formerly enslaved man, Swann in 1882 began hosting guests, many of them former slaves, for drag dances at his Washington, DC home. When Swann confronted police in a cream satin gown after they raided one of his parties in 1888, he was arrested and charged with "being a suspicious character." He was arrested several more times throughout his life after protecting queer friends during raids, according to Channing Gerard Joseph, an LGBTQ historian and Princeton University instructor who has said he's the first academic to highlight Swann's contributions to drag history. Swann's drag dances and subsequent arrests were some of the first recorded acts of resistance in the burgeoning queer liberation movement in America, in which drag has played an essential role for more than 100 years, said Nino Testa, an associate professor of professional practice in women and gender studies at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. "The pleasure was the resistance," Testa said in a phone interview. "The celebration of queer joy when it's been denied in all these other spaces is activism." Drag performers were often stars of the vaudeville scene of the early 20th century, Jeffreys said. "Female impersonator" Julian Eltinge was a particularly popular performer who published a magazine and launched his own makeup line, Jeffreys said. Those who perform exaggerated forms of masculinity, now often referred to as drag kings, also commanded stages across the US, proving masculinity could be prodded as much as femininity. The term "homosexuality" came into greater circulation in the '30s, Jeffreys said, as did "pansy acts" -- hyper-feminine queens whose routines included innuendos about same-sex desire. And even though the '50s were a "dark period" for queer and trans people, Jeffreys said, some drag acts like the Jewel Box Revue found national success and catered to mainstream audiences. Drag queens have long been leaders in the queer liberation movement Even after the counterculture movement took over the '60s and sizable LGBTQ communities were forming in major cities, dressing in drag in public could still be dangerous. Police regularly raided gay bars in the US until the late '60s, Jeffreys said, it was illegal for bars in New York to serve a drink to a "known homosexual." Despite the pervasive danger of living authentically, drag performers in this era also experimented with the traditional drag format. Queens founded their own drag houses and chosen families in the process; for many Black and Latino queer and trans people this was a reaction to the racism they faced within the gay pageant scene. This was also the era when lip syncing became the norm, Jeffreys said, and drag became less binary "genderf**k" drag was used to describe some performers who weren't easily defined as masculine or feminine. Offstage, many queens led collective efforts to aid queer and trans people. When the AIDS crisis worsened in the '80s, groups like the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in San Francisco raised money to house AIDS patients and pay for their health care. Others gladly hosted events or lent their talents to fundraising efforts. "We had to get out on the street and save our own lives," said Joan Jett Blakk, a drag queen who ran for US president in 1992. Blakk, then an advocate with AIDS grassroots organization Act Up and political group Queer Nation, never ran to win -- she wanted to do "something different with drag and tie activism in," she said in a phone conversation. "It's great to think that you made a little dent in history," Blakk said. "But I'm surprised we have to get back out in the streets again and keep going." How trans performers contributed to drag history Trans drag performers have played a key role throughout the history of the art form "you can't tell the story of drag without trans people," Testa said. As drag grew in popularity in the '60s and beyond, many trans women found themselves performing because rampant transphobia and homophobia made it difficult to find other work. Drag was often a form of financial survival, said Testa. Devin Antheus, who coauthored the photo book "Legends of Drag" with Harry James Hanson, said many of the queens he and Hanson photographed and interviewed began performing in the '60s and '70s, before terms like "trans" came into popular use. Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, two trans women of color best known for participating in the 1969 Stonewall protests, used several terms to describe themselves throughout their lives, whether it was drag queen, "transvestite," which then wasn't widely considered a slur and was more commonly used than "transgender," or trans, La Fountain-Stokes said. "People of our generation and after grew up in a realm where identity categories are very important and delineated," Antheus said over the phone. "And for a lot of the girls, both queens who currently now identify as trans and those who don't, back in the day, there weren't such precise divisions when people were in internal spaces ... they all rolled together." And yet, even within the LGBTQ community, trans women who performed in drag were often ostracized, particularly among some cisgender gay drag queens, according to Esther Newton, an anthropologist who authored the seminal 1979 book "Mother Camp" about Midwestern drag queens. Some trans drag queens who received hormone injections were "strongly deplored by stage impersonators who (said) that the whole point of female impersonation depends on maleness," Newton wrote. That sentiment has not entirely disappeared. In 2018, RuPaul Charles, one of the world's best-known drag queens and host of the Emmy-winning reality series "RuPaul's Drag Race" franchise, said that he would "probably not" allow trans women who'd undergone gender-affirming procedures to compete on the series. (Despite this, several contestants had already come out as trans while appearing on the show or after their season aired, like Monica Beverly Hillz, Kylie Sonique Love and Peppermint.) "Drag loses its sense of danger and its sense of irony once it's not men doing it, because at its core it's a social statement and a big f-you to male-dominated culture," RuPaul said in an interview with The Guardian, positioning the "trans movement" and the "drag movement" as two dichotomous groups. RuPaul later walked back his comments, and the series has seen several trans contestants since, including Season 15 winner Sasha Colby. Many "Drag Race" cast members have graduated to appearances on Broadway, sold-out tours and recording careers. But "Drag Race" has also skewed viewers' definition of drag -- no drag kings have ever competed on the series, Testa noted, and the judges have long imposed somewhat traditional beauty standards upon contestants. Drag performers say it will survive Drag's growing popularity hasn't come without challenges. While recent legislative attacks like Tennessee's restrictions on public drag performances took some LGBTQ researchers and performers by surprise, Jeffreys said they shouldn't be shocked. "As soon as anything gets that level of visibility, there's going to be pushback," he noted. Drag performers and scholars said they believe drag is being scapegoated as a distraction from serious issues in the US, including gun violence, poverty and institutional racism, all of which disproportionately impact LGBTQ people, particularly Black trans women. And as bills aim to limit drag performances in public, advocates fear how they might affect trans people who are not drag performers. Antheus said that if police interpret the law to apply to trans people wearing gender-affirming dress in public, they could potentially criminalize trans people's very existence. The rights of trans people have already come under attack in more than half of US states, many of which have introduced bills that would restrict trans young people from receiving gender-affirming health care or from participating in a sport that matches their gender. There's no evidence that exposure to drag "harms" children, as many conservative lawmakers and drag ban supporters claim, Testa said. These lawmakers falsely claim that drag performers "groom" or sexualize children, of which there is also no evidence. Drag acts containing sexual innuendos and adult themes take place in age-restricted bars or at events children aren't allowed to attend or that require parental consent. What drag does do is expose people of all ages to alternative ways of thinking about gender and sexuality, La Fountain-Stokes said, and encourages spectators to consider their own identities more critically. "Queer people have always found creative ways to resist the violence of their experience and norms that have tried to restrict our ability to live freely in the world," Testa said. "Drag is a process of that resistance. These communities formed as a response to harassment, exclusion and violence. I'm hopeful in the sense that we've done this before we never stopped doing it." Drag has survived for as long as it has because it's always been a vessel for expression for queer and trans people who've had to carve their own paths. It's why Alaska Thunderf**k, the blonde bouffanted winner of the second season of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars," first got into drag to make art that wasn't bound by rules. That, she said in an email, and to have pure, unadulterated fun. "The great thing about drag is that the second you think you've got it figured out, it changes and turns into something else," Alaska wrote. "That's why we'll always survive." This story was first published on CNN.com, "The US has a rich drag history. Heres why the art form will likely outlast attempts to restrict it" A North Carolina Supreme Court ruling Friday gives the General Assembly free rein to draw North Carolinas congressional districts however it sees fit with little oversight from the courts. North Carolinas state lawmakers had already planned to redraw the states 14 congressional districts, but Fridays court decision green-lights Republicans to draw the map in their favor. Now that the state supreme court has held the courts cant involve themselves without specific constitutional direction, the legislature has the power to draw congressional districts to maximize Republican opportunities for winning US House districts, Michael Bitzer, political science professor at Catawba College, said in an email. Bitzer predicted that Republicans are also likely to redraw state legislative maps after Fridays ruling. Its not yet clear how the state Supreme Court ruling will impact a parallel case playing out in the U.S. Supreme Court, which had already been heard by the justices there before the state justices announced they would reconsider their ruling. This saga began following the 2020 census after North Carolinas population grew large enough to give the state a 14th seat in the U.S. House. Originally, Republicans drew a congressional map that would likely win the party 10 seats. But the state Supreme Court, then led by Democrats, intervened and declared the map unconstitutional due to partisan gerrymandering. Republicans produced a second map that left the courts unsatisfied and led to special mapmakers producing the current districts that voters used in 2022. That map gave Republicans and Democrats seven seats each. But the election also yielded a newly elected Republican majority on the state Supreme Court, and in an unprecedented move, the new justices said they would again take up the case, known as Harper v. Hall resulting in Fridays ruling. Its likely that well see at least a 10-3 Republican advantage with a potential swing district left, but it could go even further in a Republican advantage, Bitzer said. Its dependent on whether Republicans decide to pack Democratic votes into a few urban-based districts, or decide to crack Democratic urban voters into adjoining areas that are heavily Republican, and thus dilute Democratic votes to create Republican districts. Story continues North Carolina has one true swing district the 13th held by Rep. Wiley Nickel, a Democrat from Cary. Democrats like Reps. Kathy Manning, of Greensboro, and Jeff Jackson, of Charlotte, are also in areas that can easily be drawn to give Republicans an advantage. That could help Republicans maintain or widen their control of the U.S. House, where they now have a majority of just a handful of seats. Democrats react to redistricting ruling North Carolinas seven Democratic members of Congress released a joint statement calling Friday a sad day for democracy and saying the ruling disenfranchises the people of our state. They promised to pursue legislation at the federal level, but they are in the minority in the U.S. House. Reached by phone as he landed in North Carolina from Washington, Nickel called the ruling an attack on democracy and the right to free and fair elections. We had a fair map in the last election and they elected seven Democrats and seven Republicans, which is exactly what we should have in a 50-50 state, Nickel said. The bottom line with all this is that voters should choose their politicians, not the other way around, and Im going to redouble my efforts to continue to fight for nonpartisan independent redistricting reform so we get fair maps and voters have a real choice. Anderson Clayton, the new elected chairwoman of the North Carolina Democratic Party, echoed Nickel on Friday evening. She told McClatchy that as she talked with people following the announcement, Republicans repeatedly told her that Democrats gerrymandered the state to their advantage first and this was just a page out of their own playbook. Im not in favor of it when we did it either, Clayton said. Im in favor of an independent redistricting committee doing this, because its supposed to be the voters decision to pick their representatives, and you had seven and seven because thats what North Carolina looks like. Clayton said what is most frustrating to her is she once viewed North Carolina as a leader in ensuring all voices were heard at the ballot box, but the state has and continues to regress. On Friday, the court also ruled that people with felony convictions must complete their sentences before they can vote, and it reinstated a voter ID requirement. Common Causes executive director, Bob Phillips, called Fridays decision on redistricting dreadful. I think its the worst decision perhaps the state Supreme Court has ever made, the greatest assault on our democracy in North Carolina, and again, it goes against what the people of North Carolina know, and that is gerrymandering is wrong including the very people who are defending it. Republicans react to Supreme Court ruling The decision could make it easier for House Speaker Tim Moore, a Kings Mountain Republican, to draw a district for himself if he wants to serve in Congress. That would be somewhere near the 14th, where Jackson currently serves. Moore did not respond to a voicemail seeking comment Friday evening. He said in a statement that the decision, and another the court issued Friday reversing itself on voter ID, ensures the state constitution is honored We will fulfill our constitutional duty to redraw state house, senate and congressional maps, he said in the statement. Moore has said in the past that he was waiting for a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to decide when to schedule lawmakers to redraw the map. North Carolina is unique in that the person leading the charge to find and retain electable Republicans for all of the U.S. House districts across the country happens to be from the state. Rep. Richard Hudson, of Southern Pines, became the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee in January. Hudson wasnt available Friday, but his staff sent a statement. The committees communications director, Jack Pandol, said that in light of the ruling, we look forward to the state legislature drawing fair lines that best represent North Carolina. Yale University is giving an honorary degree to the first known Black person to study at the institution, the New Haven Register reported. Rev. James W.C. Pennington, who escaped slavery to seek education 186 years ago, attended Yale from 1834-37 and studied theology. Along with Pennington, the Yale board of trustees voted to award an honorary degree to the Reverend Alexander Crummell, who attended the university from 1840- 1841. According to the university, the two men werent allowed to register formally for classes or matriculate for a degree at that time because theyre Black. They were also prohibited from participating in classroom discussions or accessing library resources. Although we cannot return to Pennington and Crummell the access and privileges they were denied when they studied at Yale, we recognize their work and honor their legacies by conferring on them these M.A. Privatim degrees, Yale president Peter Salovey said in a statement. Pennington published a autobiography titled The Fugitive Blacksmith. He also wrote the first African American history textbook. Crummell founded the American Negro Academy in Washington, D.C. The university will host a ceremony next fall semester to honor the two scholars and commemorate the conferral of their M.A. Privatim degrees, a masters degree given to individuals who were unable to complete their studies due to special circumstances. Salovey said the school made the decision to honor the two scholars after conducting research on the schools ties to slavery. The research brought forth by the Yale and Slavery Working Group are milestones on our journey to understand and reckon with our history, Salovey said. More work remains, and we will announce additional programs and projects as we approach the publication of the working groups findings in early 2024. The university has also named a Yale Divinity School classroom and a portrait in the Divinity Schools Common Room in honor of Penningtons legacy. Additionally, the school has launched the Pennington Fellowship, a scholarship opportunity which aims to encourage high school students in New Haven, Connecticut to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities. A slew of long-in-the-works Middle Housing laws were adopted this year, but Tri-Cities homeowners likely dont need to worry about their neighbor splitting their house into a sixplex. What they do need to be aware of, though, is how development of neighborhoods is going to change over the next few years. Those already in homeowners associations have the most insulation and protection from the major changes coming. What to expect Jeff Losey, president of the Home Builders Association of the Tri-Cities, told the Herald that existing homes and subdivisions arent likely to see major changes, but builders will likely shift the way they approach new developments. Losey cited Badger Mountain South as an area already doing this, with builders having the option to use corner lots for duplexes. Theres going to be more flexibility when it comes to builders and developers, but less predictability for homeowners, he said. Losey said when the laws take effect after June 30, they effectively spell the end of single-family residential zoning. He said that doesnt mean you cant build single-family homes, just that developers, homeowner associations and cities cant ban multi-family homes in new developments. Multi-family homes doesnt mean apartment complexes, but rather duplexes, tri-plexes, quad-plexes, and in some cases six-plexes. Concrete workers smooth out freshly poured sidewalks in front of a group of tri-plex homes on South Nelson Street at West 33rd Avenue in Kennewick. Common Interest Agreements, which is an umbrella term for Home Owner Association (HOA) agreements, which exist before June 30, 2023 are exempt from the density changes, unless they are old racially-restricted covenants which the state already invalidated. Losey said in residential areas previously zoned single family without an HOA, if a house were to burn down or be destroyed, that could mean the owner could rebuild a triplex on the property. They could also look into splitting large lots. He noted that Washington isnt a particularly landlord friendly state, so he doesnt expect a lot of individuals to start splitting their property. Story continues Theres no change if theyre with an active, current HOA, theyre not going to see a change in their neighborhood, Losey explained. I think that itll certainly allow for more creativity with developers in coming up with more innovative development plans in a way that will meld together, he said. I think the rub is going to be in the places that dont have an HOA, if you dont know whats going to be built around you, thats where the heartburn is going to take place. That could lead to a rush of communities looking to incorporate HOA agreements before June 30. A sign illustrates the lots offered at the Sage Crest housing development by Peake Homes on South Nelson Street just off Ridgeline Drive in south Kennewick. Population size restrictions Also, each city in the Tri-Cities area falls under different rules because the rules vary by population size. Pasco and Kennewick will see previously single-family lot sizes that allowed up to four units, with the ability to go to six. If the developer chooses to go for six, then at least two of the units have to fall under the states affordable housing guidelines. Richland will see lots allowing up to two units, with the ability to go to four. West Richland wont have minimum restrictions due to a provision that exempts cities with fewer than 25,000 people. If Benton County grows larger than 275,000, or if West Richland hits 25,000, they could be moved into a category similar to Richland, but thats likely decades out with the current population of West Richland at 17,000 and the county about 215,000, according to U.S. Census data. Kerwin Jensen, Development Services Director for the city of Richland encouraged homeowners with questions to reach out. It will allow greater opportunity for higher density housing, which sometimes may translate into more affordable housing, he said. Not always, but it certainly will provide an opportunity for more housing options. Pasco already has a new housing plan that they enacted before the state passed its middle housing laws this year. Pasco City Planner Jacob Gonzalez said their plan allows many of the same provisions, but they have been customized to fit their needs. Construction workers install a roof on a home under construction in the 3700 block of South Nelson Street in Kennewick. Prior to the changes, attached housing, duplexes, townhomes were restricted on more than 85% of the citys residential zoned lands, Gonzalez said. When we went through the changes before the recent state legislation, we made some changes to our zoning codes that allows multiple forms of housing and now Pasco allows multiple forms of housing on more than 80% of our land. He said their approach focused on what made sense in Pasco, and what residents wanted to see more of. I think one of the things were really excited about that we did in Pasco was that rather than do one of the one size fits all approach, we really wanted to increase housing in areas residents wanted more access to, increased threshold near areas like parks, schools, (and other places), Gonzalez said. I think in a sense, Pascos current zoning code, and what we did, is more practical for us, but its also more aggressive. Gonzalez said he expects that some developers who have submitted plans to build new communities may come back to the city with adjusted lots to take advantage of the states changes in zoning. Theyre also expecting more homeowners to inquire about adding Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) or splitting their lots, but he doesnt think its going to set off a mad dash. Particularly folks that have larger lots or maybe want to accommodate mother-in-law suites. We really wanted to make it practical for residents, Gonzales said. Were not mandating, and the state isnt mandating everyone builds sixplexes, its just an option. Multiplex boom Since Pasco made changes to its plans, theyve seen something of a boom in developments for duplex and triplex communities within the city. Signs stuck in the ground designate individual lots at the Sage Crest housing development by Peake Homes on South Nelson Street just off Ridgeline Drive in south Kennewick. These stand apart from the future developments over in the Broadmoor area, with many already starting to rent. With plans for thousands of lots for new single-family homes already drawn up in the Broadmoor development and to the north of Burns Road, builders will have the option to take a look at those lots and see if splitting them further makes sense. If theres a product out there that residents are going to need, our more flexible options will allow it, he said. I think for those builders that want to remain adaptable for the changing needs of the community, they may see options for more of a blend for their development. I would expect well see more interest and developments that more than one kind of housing Gonzalez also said the city is currently doing another housing survey, to get a finger on the pulse of what the community feels is most needed. The idea is that theres more flexibility, we have a shortage of housing, thats been well document, and Pasco has really taken an aggressive approach, he said. Now were looking at policies to fill in gaps. Gonzalez said hes excited theyre able to move some of these changes forward, because housing availability in the Tri-Cities will remain an issue for the foreseeable future. If youre a Pasco resident and are interested in taking the citys new housing survey, it can be found here, or at this link in Spanish. ADUs and tiny homes Most areas of the Tri-Cities already allow accessory dwelling units. ADU is a fairly broad term that applies to a variety of structures. The city of Pasco has a comprehensive ADU guide covering everything from financing to building one. So what is an ADU? The term encompasses structures such as mother-in-law cottages, which are considered a standard detached structure, garage conversions, an addition to your home and attic and basement conversions. Things like an RV or motorhome are not considered ADUs. ADUs also have to meet residential building codes. You cant just slap a shed in the backyard and call it a cottage. Changes by the state remove the need for the owner to live on site, as well as alleviate onsite parking rules and allow two units per lot. Most previous ordinances only allowed one ADU. That means you could now have a garage apartment and a backyard tiny house. It also sets a height limit for freestanding ADUs at 24 feet, and cities cannot establish maximum sizes for units smaller than 1,000-square feet. Volunteer firefighters and fire police officers who live within the Neshaminy School District and answer at least 25% of the calls to their fire stations will receive an $800 real estate tax refund from the district. The Neshaminy School Board unanimously approved the refund at its meeting Tuesday night. Board member Cyndie Bowman said the tax refund is being given in appreciation of the fire volunteers dedication to public safety and the communities they serve. Neshaminy School Board member Cyndie Bowman stands with Feasterville Fire Co. President Dave Williams (left) and Langhorne-Middletown Fire Co. President Steve Link following a Neshaminy School Board meeting Tuesday in which an $800 school district tax refund for volunteers who serve with their fire company or as fire police was enacted. School District Business Manager Donald Irwin said that about 95 residents of the municipalities within the school district are volunteer firefighters or fire police members and would be eligible for the tax refund. Pennsylvania enacted law to help with recruitment The refund was made possible through a Pennsylvania law enacted in 2020 which provides the real estate tax credit of up to $800 as a way to incentivize citizens to volunteer for fire service. It applies to all volunteer firefighters and fire police who have been members of their fire company for at least a year and responded to 25% of calls in the previous year. More: After finding of 'system-wide' lack of trust, Middletown adopts improvement plan for township fire service Bowman said that the fire companies do not have to be within the school district, but the members applying for the tax credit need to be residents who pay real estate taxes to the school district. Bowman said she thought Neshaminy was the first school district in Lower Bucks to approve the tax refund for the fire company volunteers. Both David Williams, president of the Feasterville Fire Co., and Steve Link, president of the Langhorne-Middletown Fire Co., praised the board for approving the refunds. Link told the board members the measure was something you should be very proud of. More: 'Struggling' to meet response time standards, Newtown Township Fire Department hopes third FEMA request gets funded This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Neshaminy to give volunteer firefighters, fire police $800 tax refund CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) At the end of a hearing for a bill that would further expand coverage for gender-affirming medical care, transgender rights advocate Brooke Maylath shifted her focus from the majority-Democratic senators before her to the Republican governor who likely will decide the bills fate. This bipartisan support has been described as The Nevada Way, Maylath said, repeating Gov. Joe Lombardos mantra coined during his January inaugural address. In the speech, Lombardo vowed broadly to push conservative tenets like school choice and bolster criminal penalties while working with the Democratic-controlled Legislature. Four months later, little more is known about how Lombardo will respond to several ambitious policy proposals advancing in the Legislature. He has declined to comment publicly on most bills, setting the stage for last-minute deals and conflicts as the final month of the session nears. The stakes are high in one of the few Legislatures meeting every other year. Nevada lawmakers adjourn in early June, and the final stretch will further define Lombardo the only Republican to unseat a Democratic governor in the 2022 election. As his counterparts in the GOP push anti-transgender rhetoric and vow to curtail transgender healthcare on the campaign trail, Lombardo steered a more moderate path. He stayed away from anti-transgender rhetoric and touted his position as Clark County sheriff to build an ethos among conservatives. The Democratic sponsor of the gender-affirming care bill contends it's worth a shot with Lombardo. If he ultimately approves the bill, Nevada would join some states led by Democrats in carving out safe havens amid a flurry of conservatives moving to ban or limit transgender care. They know that this is not a political stunt, state Sen. Melanie Scheible said. Im not trying to give them a bill to veto just so I can complain about it later. Nevada is one of 10 states with executive and legislative branches split in different parties the lowest number since 1952, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Story continues While the two major parties become more polarized, national party identity has become a stronger driver of voting patterns, said Jesse Richman, an associate professor of political science at Old Dominion University, who researches the topic. State-level parties have less room to differentiate themselves. Single-party control is producing substantial changes on hot-button issues, such as abortion rights, access to gender-affirming care and gun control. Other states with dual-party control have seen gridlock. Democratic Govs. Tony Evers in Wisconsin and Katie Hobbs in Arizona recently set their state's records for vetoes. In North Carolina, Democratic Gov. Roy Coopers influence has appeared to wane after a House member switched parties in April, giving Republicans veto-proof supermajorities in both legislative chambers. In Nevada, a bill is still in play that would establish trust fund investments for the children of families who receive Medicaid, known as baby bonds." Another bill would expand Medicaid or similar programs to undocumented children and pregnant parents. Other measures, including a trio of gun control bills and a measure to criminalize fake electors, have advanced through one chamber. Lombardo declined an interview request from The Associated Press. As hundreds of bills work through the legislative process, our office has chosen to only engage on legislation when we feel necessary, his spokesperson Elizabeth Ray said in an email. As bills are presented to Governor Lombardo in their final form, our office will comment and respond appropriately. Lombardos win over incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak was part of a series of tight, split-ticket races in Nevada's midterms last year that cemented the state as solidly purple. Still, Democrats won a supermajority in the state Assembly and are one seat short of achieving a supermajority in the state Senate. While Lombardo has given few early predictors of his stance on certain bills, he has broken away from the GOP by indicating hed sign a bill to codify his predecessor's executive order to protect out-of-state abortion patients and in-state abortion providers from prosecution and penalties. Its a marked shift from an early campaign promise to repeal the protections, on which he switched course later in the campaign. Overall, he has maintained an anti-abortion stance. The Nevada Republican Party said Chairman Michael McDonald was away on Friday and unavailable to comment on Lombardos position. But it previously chided two GOP senators who voted to advance the measure to the Assembly. Democratic lawmakers advancing bills that have riled conservatives elsewhere said Lombardos office has been open to talking about them. Those conversations will likely narrow down a bill expanding state health programs to undocumented children and pregnant women, said Democratic Sen. Fabian Donate, the bill's sponsor. Lombardo's bills haven't always gotten a warm reception from Democratic leadership, who called his proposals for voter identification and a partial rollback of the state's universal mail-in ballot system a non-starter. But the state Assembly recently advanced one of his bills to strengthen certain disciplinary policies in schools, and an Assembly committee held a long, contentious hearing for his school choice measures. I am imagining that hes going to and we can use Las Vegas parlance here lay that bet on the table, said Sondra Cosgrove, a professor of history at Southern Nevada College and executive director of Vote Nevada, a civics education nonprofit. "And say, OK, this is what I want. If I dont get it, dont expect to get what you want. ___ Associated Press writers Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed reporting. ___ Stern is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow him on Twitter: @gabestern326. President Barack Obama in the White House Situation Room discussing the mission against Osama bin Laden on May 1, 2011 (Official White House photo by Pete Souza, courtesy Barack Obama Presidential Library, through Washington Post FOIA) New pictures have been revealed illustrating the tense atmosphere in the White House during one of the most dramatic special operations of the century the killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The pictures were released through a Freedom of Information Act request from The Washington Post to the Obama Presidential Library. Taken by White House photographers during the administration of President Barack Obama, the photographs exhibit the near-palpable tension among Americas top leaders as they watched remotely while US soldiers located and killed the al-Qaeda terrorist. Staffers working on President Obamas address to the nation (Official White House photo by Pete Souza, courtesy Barack Obama Presidential Library, through Washington Post FOIA) The raid took place nine years and almost eight months after hijacked airplanes struck New York Citys World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people in a terrorist attack that nearly brought the world to a standstill. The Bush administration immediately named Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda, the Islamic terrorist organization he co-founded, as the prime suspects. A $25m reward was offered for information leading to bin Ladens capture or death. It took nearly a decade, however, before the US would hunt down the terrorist and exact justice but operations had been ramping up for months before President Obama gave the final order just days before his killing. According to senior administration officials at the time, the president had begun working with the CIA in September 2010 on a set of assessments that led it to believe that in fact it was possible that Osama bin Laden may be located at a compound in Pakistan. Intelligence became more aggressive and pinpointed, and President Obama, in the middle of March, began chairing a number of National Security Council meetings. On 29 April 2011, he gave the final order ro pursue the operation. Days later, the White House cancelled all public tours on 1 May and, as official photographers documented events, Cabinet members and others began crowding into the Situation Room complex. At 1.22p., CIA Director Leon Panetta gave the order to begin the operation; by around 3.30pm, helicopters carrying US special forces were nearing the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where Bin Laden was believed to be. Story continues By 4pm, Obamas national security team soon squeezed into the room with the president, the Post reported on Saturday. White House photographer Pete Souza also was in the room, taking pictures with his butt up against a printer. At 4:05 p.m., Souza took the now iconic photo of Obama and his advisers intensely watching the video feed of the raid. A document on the desk remains blurred in the version released by the Obama Library. The Library withheld 307 photos from the Post, describing their contents as national security classified information. The Obama Presidential Library withheld 307 photos from the FOIA response, describing their contents as national security classified information (Official White House photo by Pete Souza, courtesy Barack Obama Presidential Library, through Washington Post FOIA) Bin Ladens body was buried at sea the same day. Hours after his killing, at 11.35pm, President Obama addressed the nation and the world from the East Room of the White House in a televised speech. Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, he said. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body. He continued: Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals whove worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice. Then-President Obama and Vice President Biden engrossed in briefing materials (Official White House photo by Pete Souza, courtesy Barack Obama Presidential Library, through Washington Post FOIA) We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day. The new images which took more than a year to receive after filing the FOIA request, the Post reported reveal an even more intimate glimpse of a deeply significant day of American history. Mr Souza has spoken with similar gravity about the weight of the job of White House photographer, detailing in a 2020 interview the advice he hoped to give to the next person taking up the mantle. Remember what the number-one function of this job is: Its to document for history, he told Fast Company. Youve got to give access to whats happening for the history books. You can make your own decision on whether you want to make any of those public during the administration, but, for history, we gotta make sure we have those images. State officials say they will need up to two years to fully eliminate wait times for inpatient mental health treatment, after a federal judge ruled New Hampshire must stop holding patients in psychiatric distress inside emergency rooms. A group of about 20 local hospitals, however, say that timeline is too slow. They want the state to end the practice, sometimes called ER boarding, within one year. New Hampshire has long struggled to meet the demand for mental health care, particularly for those in crisis. Some patients who are held involuntarily due to a psychiatric crisis spend days or weeks in hospital emergency rooms, because the state doesnt have enough treatment beds to meet the demand. As of Monday, nine children and 33 adults including 27 in ERs and six in correctional facilities were waiting for emergency mental health beds, according to state data. Concord Hospital is one of the facilities involved in the ongoing dispute with the state. State officials have worked to expand the mental health system in recent years, but they say labor shortages have slowed that progress. At New Hampshire Hospital, the state-run psychiatric facility in Concord, two units comprising about 30 beds are currently closed for repairs after they flooded in February. But interim Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Weaver told the Executive Council last month that the facility would not have the staff to reopen them anyway. State says labor shortages complicate hospitals proposed timeline A hearing on the competing proposals is scheduled for May 15. The filings are part of an ongoing lawsuit brought by patients who alleged that the state violated their rights in handling their involuntary detentions in hospital settings. The hospitals intervened in the lawsuit, arguing the state has a responsibility to immediately transfer involuntarily admitted patients to appropriate treatment and is unlawfully seizing the hospitals property when it instead leaves them in emergency departments for long periods. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya B. McCafferty sided with the hospitals in February and directed both sides to propose a timeline for fixing the problem. Story continues In court filings, the hospitals argue the state should be required to bring at least 60 more inpatient beds online within a year starting with getting the unused beds at New Hampshire Hospital up and running again within six months. The Hospitals are willing to afford the [Health and Human Services] Commissioner one year to come into compliance, but the concession of time requires that the Commissioner demonstrate progress along the way, lawyers for the hospitals wrote in a recent filing. State health officials, meanwhile, say the hospitals desired timeline is impossible to achieve, in part due to labor shortages. New Hampshire Hospital already has vacancies, they say, even without trying to staff additional beds in a matter of months. The Commissioner cannot force individuals to apply for posted jobs, lawyers for the state wrote, adding that a court may not impose a remedy that is impossible to comply with. Theyre asking for two years. In their court filing, state officials say multiple improvements to the mental health system are slated to come online during that time including a new private psychiatric hospital creating a realistic possibility the issue will be resolved by then. Bed requirements, burden on hospitals also at issue State officials also say the court should not impose specific requirements for how they get that done, such as requiring a minimum of new beds. They argue that would tie policymakers hands as they wrestle with a complex issue and new beds are just part of the solution, in addition to community-based services that reduce the need for hospitalization and transitional housing for people ready to leave inpatient treatment. For their part, the hospitals say specific benchmarks are needed to make sure the state lives up to its promises. They say the state could contract with temporary staffing agencies if it cant hire permanent workers quickly enough. The hospitals also expressed concern that state officials could try to shift the burden and cost onto private hospitals. They cited Gov. Chris Sununus recent proposal to require every hospital to operate emergency mental-health beds as a condition of licensing. (House lawmakers stripped that proposal from the budget they passed this month.) The two sides also differ on how quickly patients should be transferred once an emergency room doctor signs off on an involuntary admission. The hospitals say the states mental health system should be ready to accept those patients within six hours; the state is arguing for 12 hours. State officials declined to comment on pending litigation. A spokesperson for the New Hampshire Hospital Association referred a reporter to a statement the organization issued in February about McCaffertys order. These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH, hospitals disagree on how long it will take to end ER boarding' A U.S. Senate bill proposes to establish a minimum age for using social media. | Kiichiro Sato, Associated Press A new bill, unveiled in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, proposes to establish a minimum age for using social media. The bipartisan measure would prohibit users who are under age 13 from accessing social media platforms. Named the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, it would prevent tech companies from distributing algorithm-recommended content to those under 18 and require parental consent before creating a profile. Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, a co-sponsor, said during a press event that social media (companies) have stumbled onto a stubborn, devastating fact: The way to get kids to linger on the platforms and to maximize platforms is to upset them. Social media bill sets to verify age Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, another co-sponsor of the bill, said he believes this bill will give the power back to the parents. Big tech has exposed our kids to dangerous content and disturbed people, Cotton said at a news conference, per NBC News. Another component of the bill is a pilot program, headed by the Secretary of Commerce, to virtually verify users according to age requirements. The Federal Trade Commission will be tasked with enforcement. Moms and dads have felt helpless while their kids suffer, sometimes leading to devastating tragedies, he said. NEWS: I just introduced an important bill with three of my colleagues @brianschatz @SenTomCotton @SenKatieBritt who are also parents of young kids. Our bill: - prohibits kids under 13 from being on social media - requires parental consent and prohibits algorithms for kids 13-17 pic.twitter.com/KBumDRlcx1 Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) April 26, 2023 According to a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42% of high school students said they experienced sadness and hopelessness last year, while more than one-fifth said they contemplated suicide. Story continues The other two sponsors are Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama. As a parent of two kids one a teenager and one about to be a teenager I see firsthand the damage that social media companies, 100% committed to addicting our children to their screens, are doing to our society, said Murphy in a statement. The alarm bells about social medias devastating impact on kids have been sounding for a long time, and yet time and time again, these companies have proven they care more about profit than preventing the well-documented harm they cause. Reaction and context Related Utah Gov. Spencer Cox recently signed two bills that would bar those under 18 from using social media without parental permission, making it the first state to do so. Arkansas is following Utahs legislation while Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio and Texas are also considering age verification-related bills. Some family policy and media experts showed concern over the proposed federal law that sets out to protect children but increases government oversight. James Steyer, the founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, which rates media content suitable for children, said in a statement posted to Twitter that this strategy would further harm kids and families. While the "Protecting Kids on Social Media Act" is well-intentioned in the face of a youth mental health crisis and has some features that should be adopted, other aspects of the bill take the wrong approach to a serious problem. Our full statement: https://t.co/7udA9beRc2 pic.twitter.com/U7KvCV3OAR Common Sense Media (@CommonSense) April 26, 2023 Congress should place the onus on companies to make the internet safer and avoid placing the government in the middle of the parent-child relationship, he said. The Family Online Safety Institute said in a statement: Children have rights, particularly older teens, and should have the privacy and freedom to access information about sexuality, history, religion, and health. Cotton, who introduced the bill, dismissed the concerns over privacy, according to CNN. If a child is, say, too young to sign a contract or too young to open a bank account in the real world, theyre too young to sign terms of service agreements and use social media in the digital world, he told reporters. North Korea's Kim Yo Jong responded Saturday to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol after the world leader urged the U.S. to continue pressing North Korea with military strength. During a diplomatic visit to the United States this week, Yoon spoke to Congress about his desire to curb North Korea's nuclear program and missile testing. SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT QUOTES REAGAN TO WARN ABOUT KIM JONG UN IN ADDRESS TO CONGRESS South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol delivers remarks to a joint meeting of Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol on April 27, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Yoon evoked former President Reagan in his remarks, quoting the leader's famous "A Time for Choosing" speech. "As President Reagan once said, There is a price we will not pay. There is a point beyond which they must not advance," Yoon said. "We must make his words clear to North Korea." Kim Yo Jong, sister of dictator Kim Jong Un, dismissed the remarks and warned that recurring military drills by South Korea and the U.S. were only escalating the conflict. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP BIDEN TO NORTH KOREA: A NUCLEAR ATTACK WOULD BE 'THE END' OF UN'S REGIME South Korea and the U.S. struck a deal Wednesday to periodically dock nuclear-armed submarines in the region, alongside more collaborative training between the countries. "The more the enemies are dead set on staging nuclear war exercises, and the more nuclear assets they deploy in the vicinity of the Korean peninsula, the stronger the exercise of our right to self-defense will become in direct proportion to them," Kim Yo Jong said, according to English-language North Korean outlet Korean Central News Agency. Yoon, who first entered South Korean politics two years ago to run for president, and first lady Kim Keon Hee joined President Biden and first lady Jill Biden for a state dinner Wednesday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korea alliance. CHINA, UKRAINE ON MAIN STAGE AS SOUTH KOREA'S PRESIDENT VISITS BIDEN, ADDRESSES CONGRESS FOR 1ST TIME IN DECADE President Biden and South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol hold a joint press conference at the White House in Washington D.C., April 26, 2023. In her message, Kim Yo Jong also took shots at Biden, who stated Wednesday that the use of a nuclear weapon by North Korea would mean an end for the Kim regime. "It may be taken as a nonsensical remark from the person in his dotage who is not at all capable of taking the responsibility for security and the future of the U.S., an old man with no future, as it is too much for him to serve out two-year remainder of his office term," Kim Yo Jong said. "The pipe dream of the U.S. and South Korea will henceforth be faced with the entity of more powerful strength," she warned. The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) was established in 2015 to promote the economic development of marine cargo operations in both the north and south harbors. Commissioners from both homeports, known as Managing Members, are committed to shared core objectives of supporting customer success, protecting and increasing regional jobs and expanding the Pacific Northwest corridors role in U.S. trade and the greater North American economy. This joint venture has been hailed as a positive and creative approach throughout our industry at the national and international levels. So much so that our alliance has been used as the model for the Hong Kong Seaport Alliance. Prior to NWSAs formation, detrimental competition between two Puget Sound ports was clearly costing our state and region. The Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma competed vigorously for customers and grants, to the detriment of our state and to the benefit of our regional competitors such as the Port of Vancouver and Prince Rupert. In focusing our gateway as one entity, we are better positioned to address competitive threats at a national and international scale. With the opportunity to strategically prioritize investments in terminal infrastructure and environmental initiatives in two harbors, the NWSA will be able to compete on the West Coast for many years into the future. Therefore, any investments made into our gateway should not be viewed as an investment in Seattle or Tacoma but rather, an investment in the alliance. Any way of thinking contrary to this is a relic of the past. By working together, the NWSA has made major strides, securing funding opportunities to support shore power infrastructure, zero-emission cargo handling equipment and cleaner drayage trucks moving cargo across our region. Single-handedly, these investments would be big lifts for a single port, but by putting competition aside and joining together, the north and south harbors have both received significant federal grants that are helping to modernize and decarbonize port operations faster. Story continues International trade is the lifeblood of ports. The NWSA, like all other ports in our industry, is subject to constant change from economic, political and environmental forces compounded by the recent realities of the COVID pandemic and related supply chain impacts. We expect income and investment across both harbors to ebb and flow based on these realities and for NWSAs Managing Members to make business decisions that put our regional economy first. Similar to any joint venture partnership, revenues and capital expenditures are the decisions of the governing board and in this case, the Managing Members. These investments dont happen in a vacuum. They are made within the larger context of the overall organizational needs and strategy. This could mean that for a short period, one harbor receives more investments than the other. However, over time, both harbors will get the investments they need to remain competitive in the global marketplace and both harbors will reap those benefits. All Managing Members have the opportunity to weigh into the process by voice and vote in public meetings. There is also an Internal Governance Work Group, comprised of the current and past NWSA co-chairs, who examine how we bring properties in and out of the NWSA in Seattle and Tacoma. To ensure the success and stability of this organization, recently, all 10 Managing Members voted unanimously to extend CEO John Wolfes contract for another four years in recognition of his exceptional leadership and vital role in the international marketplace. He is dedicated to the success of this joint venture and we are fortunate to have him at the helm of this organization. As Co-Chairs of the NWSA, we encourage all of our Managing Members to be committed to the success of this organization on behalf of the voters of Pierce and King Counties. We encourage them to work together with their elected colleagues to not only ensure the success of this organization but to honor the contractual agreement of the NWSAs Charter as established in 2015. Joint partnerships are similar to a marriage; and marriages sometimes require focus on one partner over another from time to time. When that happens, the marriage is stronger overall. Together, through our partnership as the NWSA, we are making our region more competitive, efficient, and sustainable in moving cargo that supports businesses, economic opportunities and job creation for our regions and across Washington state. We are stronger together. Deanna Keller is President Port of Tacoma Commission and co-chair of the Northwest Seaport Alliance. Sam Cho is President Port of Seattle Commission and co-chair of the Northwest Seaport Alliance. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 29) Some areas of Panay Island will continue to experience power outages as system disturbances continue to plague the Visayas grid, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said. Shortly before 9 a.m. on Saturday, the NGCP reported another disturbance in the Visayas grid that resulted in the disengagement of multiple Panay power plants from the Visayas grid's transmission system. "Parts of the franchise areas of AKELCO , CAPELCO, ANTECO, MORE Power, ILECO I, ILECO II, and ILECO III lost power," the NGCP said. This comes after the NGCP detected two disturbances to the Visayas grid which have since been resolved: first on Thursday, when a distribution utility-owned line tripped, causing power plants to disengage from the transmission system; and second on Friday, which was triggered by the tripping of a generation facility. Due to the disturbances, the NGCP placed the Visayas grid which includes the Panay, Cebu, Negros, Leyte, Samar, and Bohol island grids -- on red alert on April 27, which was later downgraded to yellow alert on April 28. Yellow alert means that a grid's "operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid's regulating and contingency requirements." The NGCP said that it would implement manual load dropping or rotational brownouts throughout its coverage areas to maintain the integrity of the grid's power system. "Not all of the affected power plants have successfully synchronized to the transmission system, which is the direct cause of the power interruptions some areas in the island of Panay still endure," the NGCP said in an earlier advisory. The Visayan Electric Company likewise said on Friday that its coverage areas should expect rotational brownouts. The NGCP said that all transmission facilities affected by the April 27 and 28 disturbances had been restored. However, the NGCP has yet to resolve the April 29 disturbance which currently affects the Panay power plants. "NGCP is in constant communication with other affected power plants and distribution utilities to ensure that when ready, the remaining power plants are able to synchronize and provide power to transmission system connected distribution utilities/electric cooperatives," it added. Meanwhile, the NGCP's power situation outlook for the Visayas grid on April 29 stands at an available generating capacity of 2,277 megawatts (MW), a system peak demand of 2,029 MW, and an operating margin of 249 MW. The Louisville police officer critically injured in a mass shooting at Old National Bank earlier this month has opened his eyes and is making progress, but he is still in critical but stable condition, the Louisville Metro Police Foundation said. Nickolas Wilts family says he is doing better each day and the medical team is making progress in getting him off the machines and medical equipment, the police foundation said in an update shared on Facebook Friday evening. Wilt remains on a ventilator, and the next 24-36 hours are critical in determining when he might be able to have it and other medical equipment removed, the post stated. The 26-year-old rookie police officer is fighting hard, the post said. Hes even able to open his eyes and look at you, which is a huge step forward, it stated. We are proud of his progress and ask for continued prayers to keep his fire going. Wilt is being cared for at UofL Jewish Health Hospital, where he was moved for treatment of pneumonia, the police foundation said late last week. Wilt, who has also worked as a firefighter and dispatcher, graduated from the police academy March 31 and was working his fourth shift as a police officer when he was shot in the head while responding to the shooting, which left seven other people injured and six people, including the shooter, dead. The Louisville Metro Police Foundation is collecting donations for Wilt and his family. Report: Louisville shooters parents say son shouldnt have been able to buy gun Mikhail Razvozhayev, the so-called "governor of Sevastopol", reported that a fuel storage tank was burning in Kozacha Bay, which he said was caused by a drone strike on the night of 29 April. Source: Razvozhayev on Telegram Quote: "A fuel storage tank is on fire in the area of Manganari Brothers Street in Kozacha Bay. Preliminary reports indicate that the fire was caused by a UAV hit. All necessary special services are working at the scene. The area of the fire is about 1000 square metres, the fire has been classified as a Class 4 fire." Details: Razvozhayev said that information about casualties is currently being confirmed. Updated at 07:02: Razvozhayev states that no one was injured in the fire. The so-called "governor of Sevastopol" said that 18 fire crews and 60 rescue workers were working at the scene, and a fire train was expected to arrive. Updated at 07:42: The occupation "authorities" of Sevastopol will not evacuate residents from the area where an oil depot is reportedly on fire due to a drone strike, Russian propaganda outlet TASS reports, citing the press service of the so-called "governor of the city". Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Fire in Kozacha Bay in Sevastopol, in Ukraines Russian-occupied Crimea The fire broke out at the facility, which is located in Kozacha Bay in the west of the city, during the hours of darkness. By morning the skies over the city were blanketed with smoke, and judging by multiple photos and videos from the scene, the fire appeared to be spreading out of control among the tanks at the depot. REUTERS/Stringer There were no reports of any casualties as a result of the fire. The oil depot has more than 20 large oil tanks. A spectacular photo circulating on social media showed a massive plume of smoke rising from the scene, with clouds of fumes spreading across the sky in a mushroom-cloud formation. Officials from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, said a fire train and multiple firefighting boats and aircraft were being sent to Sevastopol. Read also: Video evidence points to successful Ukrainian sea drone attack on target in Sevastopol The Russian occupation governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, said that the fire at the depot covered an area of about 1,000 square meters and was now a Level 4 Emergency the highest level. He said 18 fire appliances with at least 60 firefighters were tackling the blaze. He also said that Sevastopol had been attacked by a UAV" or unmanned aerial vehicle. Later, Russian propaganda outlet TASS reported that the occupation authorities in Sevastopol will not evacuate residents from the area where the oil depot is on fire, reportedly due to a drone strike, citing Razvozhaevs press service. The location of the blaze at the oil depot in the west of the city of Sevastopol Google Maps screenshot The reports of the fire came a day after Russia launched its latest mass missile strike on Ukraine. Twenty-one of the 23 cruise missiles in the attack were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, but one missile struck a residential building in Uman, a town in central Ukraine, and another hit the city of Dnipro. Read also: Russia murders Ukrainian civilians as they slept video and photo essay Twenty-three people, including four children, are known to have been killed in the missile strike on a nine-story apartment block in Uman, which partially collapsed. Story continues A young mother and her three-year-old daughter were killed in the missile strike in Dnipro. 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 SPARR A newly approved four-year equine studies program at North Marion High School is meant to be a fast track for students toward college and an estimated 244,200 jobs in Floridas $11.7 billion horse industry Equine Science 2, 3 and 4, courses with student performance standards written by NMHS instructor Lori (Albritton) Jones, were approved as curriculum by the Florida Department of Education in April. The three Equine Science courses, along with the already in place Agriscience Foundation in freshman year, make up a four-year program at NMHS. Big land sale: Buc-ee's pays $8.62 million for Ocala land off I-75 Leon County schools: State finds 'cause' to discipline Leon superintendent over 'politically charged statements' Equine 2 aims to develop competency in the areas of horse safety, behavior, breeds and classification, grooming, health, digestion and nutritional requirements, anatomy and body systems, global impact, governing agencies and equine industry careers. Equine 3 and 4 build upon the foundation course and include areas like breeding readiness, reproduction leadership, analyzing records and the environment, according to Jones. The four-year Equine Science program is unique in Florida and is currently offered only at NMHS. Equine Science is an outcropping of an extracurricular horse program, North Marion FFA Equine, which was started by Jones and Animal Science students in 2016 with a $5,000 grant obtained by Jones and her students. This program has opened doors not only for students to take an Equine Science class, but they are getting real world experiences by working with industry leaders. This program would not have been possible without the help of our equine sponsors in our community, Jones wrote in an email. Sponsors of North Marion Equine include Buckeye Feeds, Pleasant Acres Farm, Ocala Stud, Sparr Building & Farm Supply, Hugh and Valerie Dailey, Dr. Corey Miller-Equine Medical Center of Ocala, Dr. John Peloso, Florida Thoroughbred Farm Managers, TizWhiz Hay and farriers Tanner Smith and Brian Gleason. Story continues A rich tradition Jones, a teacher for 28 years and at NMHS since 2015, is a lifelong horsewoman. She is the wife of Bobby Jones of Bobby Jones Equine, a major supporter of the program. The North Marion Equine program kicked off with the donation of two bred mares by Bobby Jones Equine: Clueless Brook in 2017 and Perfect Biscuit in 2018."I am very impressed by the students that are interested in this equine program. I feel this program fuels the fire, for young people that possibly could have a future or career in the equine industry. It has been a pleasure working with these young people over the past six years, Bobby Jones wrote in an email. North Marion High School Equine Science II students Camille Ashbaugh, left, and Cooper Espinoza, right, work with Ahaya, a thoroughbred mare. Bobby Jones said working with the students has been amazing. Since 2017, students participating in the North Marion Equine program raised and cared for two colts and a filly from the mares and a yearling donated by Valerie Dailey. The two colts, filly and yearling were sold at Ocala Breeders Sales for a total of $44,000. The funds have been put back into the NMHS agricultural program for feed, supplies, veterinarian care, facilities need, field trips and more, according to program literature.According to program literature provided by Lori Jones, students in the North Marion Equine program spend time at the Bobby Jones Equine Farm and volunteer and help groom, learn about sales prepping, reproductive work (and surgical procedures) with the vet, and (Bobby) Jones and some have been present when foaling mares. The mares in the program now are Perfect Biscuit, Country Song and Ahaya, a 12-year-old mare, purchased by North Marion Equine. All the mares are in foal. Lori Jones, Animal Science teacher at North Marion High School, prepares to show her students the lip tattoo on Ahaya, a 13-year-old thoroughbred mare. Plans include selling Perfect Biscuits filly in October. Country Songs yearling is set to be sold in 2024. Pleasant Acres and Charlotte Weber of Ocala Stud have also contributed horses to the North Marion Equine program. All about the students The North Marion Equine program now has 11 students, and most participants remain in the program through their time at NMHS. There are currently 22 students in the Equine Science 2 class. Students in the Equine Science 2 class at NMHS, Madison Bias, 18, Cooper Espinoza, 16, Ava Densmore, 16, and Camille Ashbaugh, 17, all worked with the mares during a recent session. Their career interests range from veterinarian to turf management. Fianna Roberts-Squier came to the right place to follow her career goal as a horse behaviorist. Fianna, 17, moved with her family to Ocala from Volusia County last year and now, as a senior, shes enrolled in the Equine Academy at North Marion High School, is taking the new Equine 2 class, and is participating in the extracurricular equine program. North Marion High School Equine Science II students Madison Bias, left, and Fianna Roberts-Squier, center, and Cooper Espinoza, right, with Ahaya. Although she joined the NMHS program as a senior, Fianna is taking Equine 2. She has already taken the Agriscience course and Animal Science 3 courses at NMHS. Lori Jones said Fianna will have a great educational background for all aspects of livestock. (Fianna) has been an asset to our program this year, Jones said. Fianna has said she plans to attend a four-year college and major in equine psychology so she can better understand horse behavior. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences/Department of Animal Science Department offers Horse Psychology and Training and Intermediate Horse Psychology and Training, according to animal.ifas.ufl.edu An important field According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website (fdacs.gov) (the) Florida horse industry, including industry suppliers, generates an annual $6.8 billion economic impact on the gross domestic product of Florida. Total employment figures add up to 244,200 jobs. With a population of over 385,000 horses, Florida ranks as the third largest equine state in the United States. Horse ownership, equine associations and profit-making organizations, plus tourism spending by riders and spectators, combine for a $11.7 billion annual economic impact. The Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership has partnered with MCPS for equine programs. Our ultimate goal is to expose students to the many employment opportunities available in the equine industry from media to exercise riders and farm managers to veterinarians, stated CEP Chief eXperience Officer Tamara Fleischhaker. Fleischhaker explained that Pyranha Animal Health products is the sponsor of the CEPs equine initiative. Fleischhaker indicated two years of meetings between Marion County Public Schools officials, equine industry representatives and CEP staff led to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Foundation for Chamber & Economic Partnership and MCPS.The CEPs equine initiative will continue to provide guidance and connections to the equine industry, particularly with the local farms, to coordinate field trips, learning experiences and horse visits to schools, she wrote, in part. Kevin Christian, director of public relations for MCPS, stated in an email that the NMHS Equine Studies program was off and running even before the current CEP backing. The financial backing for NMHS was already in place prior to the MOU thanks to the hard work of the teacher, Mrs. Jones. The CEP is working with us to connect with businesses that provide support in the future to other high schools that want to offer Equine Science or to add a horse for Animal Science experience, he wrote, in part. This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Florida's only high school equine science program is at North Marion Updated to note that the Microsoft investment closed in January. The money from VCs reported here, part of a tender offer, is separate to that. OpenAI, the startup behind the widely used conversational AI model ChatGPT, has picked up new backers, TechCrunch has learned. VC firms including Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Thrive and K2 Global picking up new shares, according to documents seen by TechCrunch. A source tells us Founders Fund is also investing. Altogether the VCs have put in just over $300 million at a valuation of $27 billion $29 billion. This is separate to a big investment from Microsoft announced earlier this year, a person familiar with the development told TechCrunch, which closed in January. The size of Microsoft's investment is believed to be around $10 billion, a figure we confirmed with our source. If all this is accurate, this is the closing of the tender offer the Wall Street Journal reported was in the works in January. We confirmed that was when discussions started, amid a viral surge of interest in OpenAI and its business. We have reached out to the investors named here, as well as to OpenAI, for comment and will update this story as we learn more. OpenAI declined to comment on the tender offer, which is separate to the Microsoft investment that closed in January. While Microsoft's investment comes with a strong strategic angle -- the tech giant is working to integrate OpenAI's tech across a number of areas of its business -- the VCs are coming in as financial backers. From what we understand, the term sheets have been signed by investors and the money's been transferred; still to come is countersigning from OpenAI. The plan was to make this investment public next week. Altogether, outside investors now own more than 30% of OpenAI, the source said. According to PitchBook data, it appears that Peter Thiel had already been a backer but it seems this is the first time Founders Fund will be investing; K2 Global, a firm with just one partner, Ozi Amanat, and Thrive are also first-time backers of the startup. From PitchBook data, it looks like Sequoia, A16Z and Tiger Global had been earlier investors in the company. Story continues A number of firms, including Tiger and Sequoia, have had some knocks as a result of the financial crisis the tech sector has seen in the last year; in general, a number of VCs have massively slowed down their investing pace, sitting on so-called "dry powder" waiting for a better climate, and maybe better opportunities. So at a moment when investors are on the hunt for interesting AI startups to back, OpenAI is likely seen as the kind of opportunity that looks good right now. "They're probably trying to use this [funding] to say hey, look, we found a golden apple," a source said of the decision to back OpenAI here and now. "Venture is a very strange place where anything can happen. You can go big to broke to big again, at any time." OpenAI has an army of technical teams working across a range of areas, but the area that has attracted a lot of attention of late is GPT, short for Generative Pre-trained Transformer, which is OpenAI's family of large language models used by third parties by way of APIs. There is also ChatGPT, the generative AI service that OpenAI released at the end of November 2022 based on GPT that lets anyone type out a natural question and get a cogent, detailed answer. ChatGPT has been a certifiable hit, with more than 1 billion visitors to its website in February, says SimilarWeb -- and that's not including those using that tech via third parties. Generative AI is very much all the rage right now, but OpenAI has its controversies, too, with many focused on that buzzy, consumer-facing ChatGPT product. People have questioned whether it lies, whether it is a "virus", how it handles privacy, if it can be manipulated to be toxic, or commit libel; and in the wake of so many more rushing into AI development, even the very nature of how "open" OpenAI's GPT branding will be longer term has come up for discussion. In fairness, OpenAI has acknowledged the work that still needs to be done, and meanwhile it's continued to develop services and iterate. In February, the startup introduced a paid version of ChatGPT, called ChatGPT Plus with a faster user experience. It was upgraded with multimodal LLM GPT-4 in March. Key to the proposition, OpenAI's valuation, and the likely interest of investors is that, alongside the technology, there is also a rapidly developing ecosystem around that tech. In addition to the hundreds of millions of people who have played around with ChatGPT, hundreds of businesses large and small have started deploying GPT and ChatGPT into their products and services. That has also been a fillip to other big tech companies speed up the roll out of their own efforts in generative AI. Google has launched Bard and Meta also introduced LLaMA to take on GPT with its proprietary LLM. OpenAI, however, has some undeniable gravity amidst the competition, not least because of its singular focus on the AI space since its founding in 2015. That's been even as it has gone through some significant changes -- including shifting from its original non-profit model. We don't really know if AI will precipitate the seismic shift that many say it will, but as one person put it: OpenAI may be the closest thing we have to a winner in the space right now. Weve been working on it for so long, but its with gradually increasing confidence that its really going to work," co-founder and CEO Sam Altman said at an AI conference earlier this month. "Weve been [building] the company for seven years. These things take a long, long time. I would say by and large in terms of why it worked when others havent: Its just because weve been on the grind sweating every detail for a long time. And most people arent willing to do that." In addition to ChatGPT, OpenAI has its AI-based image-generation tool called Dall-E that received a significant update in July last year. It also has speech recognition model Whisper AI. Microsoft's efforts have included integrating OpenAI's APIs with its Azure infrastructure to support the computational requirements of the models. It also in March announced a GPT-4 integration to supercharge Bing, part of Microsoft's longstanding efforts to make a dent in the dominance of Google's search services. Who can afford to pick up the $24 million tab for Highland Park's decades-old water and sewer debt? Not the cash-strapped city government. The Highland Park City Council asked Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last week to expedite a municipal bankruptcy filing under the state emergency manager act, noting that the amount the city owes the Great Lakes Water Authority for water and sewage fees exceeds both Highland Park's annual property tax collections and its roughly $12 million yearly operating budget. Not Highland Park's handful of businesses, and its 8,900 residents, facing a court judgement that would add a debt service levy to the city's property tax, already eighth-highest in the state. Highland Park, by the way, has a poverty rate of 41%, and a median income of roughly $19,000. GLWA and the City of Detroit sued Highland Park in 2014, seeking to recover years of unpaid water debt. GLWA won a property tax levy, but another court halted the tax increase. Last year, the Michigan Court of Appeals ordered a Wayne County Circuit Court judge to reinstate the tax hike. Earlier this month, that judge halted the property tax increase, giving GLWA and Highland Park a May 31 deadline to come to an agreement. Let's cut to the chase: Either the State of Michigan or GLWA is going to settle this debt. It's not just inevitable, it's what ought to happen. Highland Park on Thursday, August 19, 2021. So why don't we skip the next month of tense negotiation, recrimination and self-righteous objections from Macomb County elected officials and settle this quickly with federal or state funds, a modicum of dignity, and, perhaps a reasonable, state-assisted plan to help Highland Park inch toward reliable services and fiscal stability? Broke means broke Highland Park is broke. This is not news. The city's problems are both structural and pervasive: Built around Chrysler's headquarters and a Ford factory, Highland Park's tax base was gutted when both relocated in the mid 1990s. It has never recovered. Its operating budget is about $12 million; combined with its business operations, like water service, the budget is about $20 million. The city has struggled to function, in and out of state oversight multiple times in the last two decades. The water and sewage debt was incurred because the city didn't pay GLWA, despite that some residents faithfully paid their water bills. At least, when the city issued them for a period of years, Highland Park wasn't even doing that. Story continues Highland Park residents already pay exorbitant property taxes, including a hefty levy to cover other debts. It would be unconscionable, and not particularly productive, to add to those bills, something the Wayne County judge who set the May deadline acknowledged in a hearing earlier this month: "It's just difficult to see on a practical level how that's going to work," said Judge Edward Joseph. The tax levy aims for a full recovery of the sum owed, a mark any professional debt collector would deem unrealistic. Highland Park residents have no incentive to pay yet more property tax, and the court has no real means of enforcement beyond mass foreclosure, another legal thicket unlikely to result in meaningful debt repayment, or indeed any positive outcome, for the City of Highland Park or Wayne County. The politics of it all Nor is Whitmer likely to appoint an emergency manager, even as a prelude to bankruptcy, or authorize a bankruptcy, even at the city's request. As a state lawmaker, Whitmer voted against Public Act 436, the state emergency manager law, and campaigned promising its repeal. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer takes the stage at the UAW special bargaining convention at Huntington Place in Detroit, Tuesday, March 28, 2023. A pragmatic leader, the governor can't really afford to make good on that promise the situation in Highland Park shows that the state needs to have some options for a fiscally distressed city. She also owes at least some portion of her two gubernatorial wins to labor unions, which vehemently oppose the state's emergency manager law. And, presumably, bankruptcy, because either allows for the alteration of collective bargaining agreements, and in bankruptcy, cuts to retired city workers' pensions. Whitmer, who took office in a reasonably strong economy, hasn't been confronted by a city in fiscal distress. That's largely to the governor's advantage. An emergency manager for Detroit wasn't appointed until Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican who'd already gone to war with labor unions over right-to-work, took office in 2011; Detroit's fiscal crisis had been worsening for more than a decade, but former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat like Whitmer, steered clear. Mostly, Whitmer has ignored the existence of the emergency manager law, and she'd probably prefer to preserve that status quo. Using the law's authority would land Whitmer in a political minefield. Her public statements have been cautious. Chrysler Corp., headquarters in Highland Park, Mich., as viewed from the air in April, 1994. The corporation had recently announced that it was planning to move its headquarters to Auburn Hills, Mich., sometime after the end of 1995. And listen up, Highland Park bankruptcy is a terrible option. A bankruptcy court wouldn't simply adjust the water debt; in such a proceeding, all debts and contracts are on the table. Retirees who told the Highland Park City Council last week that they were concerned their pensions could be in jeopardy are right to worry, particularly against the backdrop of pension cuts in Detroit's historic 2013 municipal bankruptcy. A word about Macomb County It's no secret that Michigan's third most populous county isnt all in on regionalism. County Executive Mark Hackel has fought regional transit, saying autonomous vehicles might be a better option. When GLWA attempted to raise water rates in 2022 to account for Highland Park's debt, CBS Detroit reported, Hackel and Macomb County Drain Commissioner Candice Miller suggested that member communities withhold payment of the new rate. GLWA dropped the proposed increase. Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel discusses COVID-19 vaccination sites and the new indoor drive-thru coronavirus test site at the former Baker College on Gratiot Avenue in Clinton Township on Dec. 11, 2020. "Simply put, this has always been a fairness issue. Although there is always a willingness to help our neighbors, it is unacceptable to expect that other communities should be paying for another who is unwilling to do so," Hackel told CBS Detroit after the court ruling this month, apparently not noting the contradiction in the latter part of his statement. But this is exactly what Hackel and other regional partners agreed to, and such objections shouldn't be taken seriously. Back in 2015, when the water system became a regional authority, Highland Park's debt was part of the negotiations. Suburban partners won a prohibition on water revenues supporting Detroit's general fund, the Free Press reported, but "the suburbs appear likely to lose on the issue of $25 million owed to the system by the City of Highland Park, with that debt being shouldered by all suburban customers." Whither $24 million? GLWA is the recipient of a $25 million state grant that Whitmer's office has said could be used to to settle this debt. The State of Michigan is sitting on $9 billion in federal pandemic relief money. Use it to pay Highland Park's water debt. In fact, do what any debt collector would do and settle the debt for less than face value. Use the rest to upgrade the city's aging water infrastructure. When Detroit filed for bankruptcy, or as Flint's water crisis unfolded, some former state leaders were wary of helping. If the state helps Detroit, or Flint, they reasoned, won't every community expect this kind of help? Yes. And that's how it ought to be. A state, like a body, is only as healthy as its component parts. A state with struggling cities where residents face the loss of sanitation or drinking water isn't functional. The state should help every community in Michigan that needs it, and every community should be able to rely on that sort of help. Correction: The originally published version of this story incorrectly stated that Hackel supported ride-sharing as an alternative to regional transit. Hackel said autonomous vehicles could be that alternative. Nancy Kaffer is the editorial page editor of the Detroit Free Press. Contact: nkaffer@freepress.com. Contact the Free Press opinion page: letters@freepress.com. Become a subscriber at Freep.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Opinion: Michigan, use federal funds for Highland Park water debt A lone ChargePoint fast charger is seen in a parking lot off the 5 Freeway at the foot of the Grapevine in September 2022. (Russ Mitchell / Los Angeles Times) The first time I drove off a dealer lot in an electric vehicle, it was in a bare-bones Nissan Leaf with 150 miles of range. Having been warned about so-called range anxiety, I quickly learned that 150 miles was more than enough for driving around Los Angeles. That was almost five years ago. Now, I have a 250-mile-range Chevrolet Bolt, and although road trips still require planning, fast-charging EV stations have proliferated enough to make longer drives a little more relaxing. Just last month, for example, I drove my children to a desert tortoise preserve near California City and was able to make an easy 45-minute charging stop in the town of Mojave, which up until recently had reliable EV service only for Tesla drivers. Things are getting better. But they're still not good enough for mass EV adoption in California, a point made by deputy editorial page editor Mariel Garza in her recent piece saying she may trade in her fully electric Kia Niro for a gas-powered plug-in hybrid. Garza's piece touched off a lively discussion among our letter writers, many of whom shared their experiences driving long distances in EVs and spotting weaknesses in the charging network. To the editor: I agree with every complaint in Garza's commentary on EVs, but I think she left out the most important problem. Tesla and other EVs do not have interchangeable charging stations. Imagine being on a road trip and pulling into a town along the way in your Chevrolet and discovering that the town's one gas station only sells fuel for Fords. I really believe that the future of EVs would be much brighter if all car manufacturers agreed to a single standard for fast-charge stations. Having charging stations that could service all EVs would increase their patronage and would almost certainly make them a better investment for the entrepreneurs building them. David Roberts, New Braunfels, Texas .. To the editor: As the lead tester for the study performed by UC Berkeley and the nonprofit Cool the Earth on fast-charging reliability, I heartily agree with recent criticisms of the state of public charging. Story continues Thankfully, 80% of charging is done at home, but what is at risk is equitable access to charging. Those who live in multi-family housing cannot install a home charger. The federal government recently set a new requirement of 97% up-time for stations, but it lacks real "teeth." It is now up to the California Energy Commission to set strong rules that hold the industry accountable. Reliable chargers are essential for mass EV adoption, and Tesla has figured it out. If other charging companies want to keep their taxpayer subsidies, it's past time for them to figure it out as well. The climate clock is ticking, and the future of the electric revolution is at stake. Susannah Saunders, San Anselmo, Calif. .. To the editor: I built my first electric vehicle in my garage because it was the only way to drive electric. I have been driving them ever since. You can drive all over California (and the U.S.) in an EV. I've made three round trips from San Francisco to Los Angeles in as many weeks. I've also driven my EV from the Bay Area to Montana and Utah. Over the last decade I have been inconvenienced, yes, but never stranded. The EV infrastructure of 2023 is vastly superior to that of 2013, and it is getting better every month. Garza mentions the need to get our act together with respect to policy, and she is 100% spot on. However, she focuses on policy for charging away from home. Here too she is accurate, but misses the larger picture. Where California policy is embarrassingly inadequate is for charging at home. Charging at home is great if you own your own single-family home. If not, buying an EV is typically not a good idea. The topic of charging at home for people who live in multi-family housing is the story that needs to be told. John Higham, Mountain View, Calif. .. To the editor: It is striking that Garza focuses mostly on her own needs and much less on the needs of society now and in the future. That is how we got here, of course. We cannot replicate the internal combustion engine car in the coming world of electrics. EVs are first and foremost for urban transport. To build all those cars for the occasional long-distance trip wouldn't be sensible. We need light cars with small batteries for economical commuting. These are not being built in the U.S. because the legacy automakers need to sell high-end vehicles to tide them over. What we need is the modern "people's car," and that's where the federal incentive program should have been focused. The other urban imperative is to move toward reduction in reliance on personally owned automotive transport through the facilitation of alternatives. That will be resisted by those who are well served by the infrastructure that exists, but it needs to happen nonetheless. Siegfried Othmer, Woodland Hills This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. By Lucinda Elliott ASUNCION (Reuters) - In Paraguay's election on Sunday, Soledad Nunez, a 40-year-old engineer and former minister, is looking to break into the South American country's male-dominated political arena as its first elected female vice president. Paraguay - which has a reputation for misogynist 'machista' culture even within the often conservative region - has been tough for women seeking to enter politics. Only 15% of lawmakers are women, below the Latin American regional average of around a third. At the last election five years ago, only one of the candidates for president or vice president was a woman. But there are signs of change, with seven female candidates out of 26 this time around. "Something is shifting, even if slowly," Nunez told Reuters in an interview, recalling how when she was a student a university professor had told her engineering class of eight women and over 90 men that ladies should be cleaning the floors and cooking. "From a young age... I saw very few women in leadership roles, across politics and in industry," said Nunez, who at 31 became the youngest ever female minister in 2014. "Having a woman at the top will have consequences," she said. "Just being there is important because it inspires confidence in others to take part." Nunez is the vice presidential candidate for the main opposition coalition, hoping to unseat the ruling Colorado Party. Opinion polls ahead of the vote have been mixed and the contest is expected to be close. If elected, Nunez and her presidential running-mate Efrain Alegre have committed to gender parity in the cabinet. Around a quarter of current ministers are women. The more right-wing Colorado party has also approved gender parity plans for the cabinet, though two men are on its ticket. Lea Gimenez, a former Paraguayan finance minister from the Colorado Party, told Reuters that there was a "tough, hard-fought" process for women to get into local politics. Story continues "Many times the women who start to venture into politics are newer than the men and that implies a learning process," she said. "But I'd want to make it for having done a good job and not for a quota." Progress for Paraguayan women has been patchy. They were among the last in Latin America to be allowed to vote or register as candidates in elections, in 1961. In 1992, when democracy was restored after a 35-year dictatorship, gender equality was enshrined in the constitution. In the elections five years ago, not a single female governor was elected among the 17 state governors. But in municipal elections in 2021, around a quarter of posts went to women. In 2021, an electoral change was implemented that means voters must rank their favored lawmakers, as opposed to a closed list choice - the aim being to create a wider and more competitive field of contenders. Some women are worried that may work against female candidates, who often contend with having less political apparatus and campaign funding. "Each candidate will have to campaign alone, creating huge costs for individuals, which is detrimental to female nominees," said Senator Esperanza Martinez, 63. Martinez, from the left-wing Frente Guasu alliance, is among 45 senators up for re-election. Only eight Senate seats, around one-fifth, are currently held by women, a number she expects to decline after the election. "There can be a long list of female candidates to choose from, but they won't be voted in if they don't have visibility and travel across the country," she said. "What little we represent in the Senate will get worse under this system." Rights activist and politician Lilian Soto agreed: "From now on, you'll need more resources to get yourself known," she said. Martinez said, however, that the cabinet gender parity policy was an important step, which comes amid broader debates in universities and businesses around women's rights, often being pushed by younger generations. "By insisting on gender parity, it opens up the debate further," Martinez said. "However, the bars to entry in politics are still too onerous to ignore." (Reporting by Lucinda Elliott; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Rosalba O'Brien) Police arrested a teenager Friday they say is responsible for the death of a 15-year-old at a trailer park near Miami two days ago. The 16-year-old who was arrested, whom the Miami Herald is not identifying due to his age, is being charged with manslaughter with a deadly weapon. Barry Ellis III, a 15-year-old eight-grader at Horace Mann Middle School, was shot and killed at the trailer park at 8050 NW Miami Ct. on Wednesday. Latasha Goldwire, his mother, pleaded for the one who killed her boy, who had big dreams and loved to play video games with friends, to come forward. This was the last thing I would have thought would have happened, she told Miami Herald news partner CBS News Miami. He meant so much to me. READ MORE HERE: Ripped me apart: Mother seeks answers after teen son killed in trailer park shooting On Friday, Miami-Dade police released details on what happened at the trailer park the afternoon Ellis was killed. The charged 16-year-old was with a group of other teens and Ellis inside the mobile home. Ellis pulled out a gun and began showing it to the group, police said. Eventually it got around the 16-year-old, who shot the gun in Ellis direction, hitting him in the chest. The suspect told officers he shot Ellis accidentally. The [16-year-old] handled the firearm in a negligent manner by keeping his finger on the trigger while pointing it in the direction of the victim, police said. A petition to keep Brixton Academy in operation has gained more than 25,000 signatures. The south London venue, which has been a popular concert location since 1983, has been closed since two people died in a crowd crush in December. Concert-goer Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and security worker Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died outside the scheduled gig of Afrobeats star, Asake. A third person also incurred critical injuries. Since the tragic event, the venue licence has been under police review. In January, it was announced that Brixton Academy would remain closed for at least three months. On 17 April, the Metropolitan Police said it had lost confidence in Academy Music Group, the venues operator, and recommended that Lambeth Council permanently revoke the licence. In response, a petition was started by live music supporter Stuart OBrien to stand up for Brixton Academys survival. I personally have been to hundreds of gigs in my lifetime, many of them here and I have never once felt like safety was an issue! OBrien writes in the description. He adds that the venues closure would also have a devastating effect on the local economy. As of noon on Saturday (29 April), at least 28,400 people have added their names to the campaign. Brixton Academy (Getty) On Twitter, music fans have shared the petition, along with the hashtag #SaveBrixtonAcademy. Brixton Academy is a vital part of the London Music scene, reads one message. It's an act of extreme cultural vandalism to suggest that the venue should close, rather than solving an issue faced by all other music venues. Others have called the venue the heart of Brixton and have noted this as a potential loss to footfall and business in the area. Feels so heavy-handed, and nightlife bearing the brunt again, writes Guy Hornsby, a DJ. A great venue with so much history. Prior to the Met Polices recent recommendation, Lambeth Council held a meeting to discuss the venues licence and called for AMG to provide an amended application. The next council meeting is due to be held on 15 May, where the potential future of Brixton Academy will be under discussion. (CNN) Counting millions of people is never an easy task, but the United Nations says its latest calculations show that by the end of this weekend, India will have more people than China, marking an epochal shift in global demographics. Most of the world has grown up with China holding the title of the world's most populous country, but decades of restrictive policies limiting families to one child dramatically slowed China's birth rate, allowing India to pull ahead. But having a chart-topping headcount is not necessary a title that most countries covet. A few years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern about India's "population explosion" and lavished praise on families who carefully considered the impact of more babies on themselves, and the nation. "In 21st-century India, the ability to fulfill dreams starts with a person, starts with a family. If the population is not educated, not healthy, then neither the home nor the country can be happy," Modi said. So how did India's population get so big, and how long will it last? CNN analyzed the UN's World Population Prospects data and spoke to experts to delve beneath the headline numbers at the detail surrounding India's demographic shift. How did India get so big? Not surprisingly, fertility is key to understanding what drives the rise or fall of a country's population. It is commonly accepted that a country's average fertility rate children per woman must be 2.1 for the population to sustain itself and even more to grow. Back in the 1960s, when today's grandparents were having children, India's fertility rate was 6, around the same rate as some African countries now. But, according to the government, India's total fertility rate dropped to 2.0 in the latest nationwide assessment period from 2019 to 2021, down from 3.4 from 1992 to 1993. The rise in population despite a drop in the fertility rate can be explained by "demographic momentum." "When the fertility rate drops, the population continues to grow for several decades. And that is because younger, large cohorts are still growing into that age when they become parents," said Frank Swiaczny, senior researcher at the Federal Institute for Population Research. So, even with a replacement or sub-replacement fertility rate, India's population will continue to grow slowly because of the considerable number of women entering their reproductive years. Not surprisingly for a nation of its size, India's fertility rate is uneven across the country, contributing to a north-south divide that sees more babies produced in the north. But even there, the numbers aren't off the charts. "What really surprised us is that the highest fertility rate in India 3.0 in Bihar is not even that high," said Barbara Seligman, chief strategy and growth officer and senior vice president at PRB, a nonprofit group that focuses on demographic data and population research. "It is really striking to see just how many states are below replacement level," Seligman added. All but five states Bihar, Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Manipur are at that level, and notably, they're all in the north. In southern states, a different pattern emerges. For example, Goa has a fertility rate similar to certain countries in southern Europe, which are currently struggling to support an aging population with a shrinking workforce. It's a trend experts say India's leaders would be wise not to ignore. According to the UN's classification, India is now an "aging society" meaning that 7% of its population is age 65 or older. In some states, for example in Kerala in southern India, the population over 65 has doubled in the last 30 years and is now at 12%. The same pattern will extend to more states given the low total fertility rate. "We're going to see more and more states over the course of the next 30 years aging in the way that Kerala is now," Seligman said. India's population growth is slowing down India may have overtaken China in total population, but UN data also shows that its growth rate has slowed. Between 1971 and 1981, India's population was growing on average 2.2% each year. By 2001 to 2011, that had slowed to 1.5% and is even lower now. According to UN projections, India's population is expected peak at about 1.7 billion in 2064. Right now, more than 40% of the country's residents are younger than 25, and the estimated median age in 2023 is 28 nearly a decade younger than China's according to UN data. In 2021, India's working-age population stood at more than 900 million and is expected to hit 1 billion over the next decade, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Not only is this massive and relatively low-paid labor force young, it is largely English-speaking, digitally literate and has a reputation for entrepreneurship, making the country a big draw for Western companies seeking an alternative manufacturing hub to China. But India's contribution to the share of the world's working-age population is expected to slow in coming decades, making way for a younger population of workers emerging from Africa. India may have the lion's share of today's working-age people, but experts say the nation needs strong policies to capitalize on its youth. "A large number of people is not enough, we need to come up with a holistic plan," Sonalde Desai, director at National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and professor at the University of Maryland, told CNN. "We need people who have the skills to fill some of the high-value jobs and an economy that produces these high-value jobs." Poonam Muttreja, the executive director of the Population Foundation of India, said addressing the gap is "imperative for India to progress to fulfill its aspirations of being a developed country." What's next for India? Though it remains one of the world's poorest countries per capita, India is moving up the global economic league tables its nearly $3.5 trillion economy is now the world's fifth largest and among the fastest growing. In 2023, the World Bank expects India to outperform all other major economies with growth of 6.6% compared to 4.3% for China and just 0.5% for the United States, while on some projections it is expected to take the number 3 spot within the next 10 years and become only the third country with a GDP worth $10 trillion by 2035. Yet despite its fortunes, India's wealth is not evenly spread. Poverty remains a daily reality for millions of Indians, and experts say while the country has a large population of young people ready and willing to work, comparative to other countries, figures show there aren't enough jobs for them. The problem is worse in economically disadvantaged regions in the north, which rely heavily on agriculture. Uttar Pradesh, for instance, is home to 17% of India's population but has only 9% of its industrial jobs. Sabina Dewan, a senior visiting fellow at the Center for Policy Research, says population growth can be a "tremendous productive force for the economy" but economic growth "hinges on providing good quality, productive, and well-remunerated jobs." And that starts with investing more in education beyond primary school, especially for women. "We need to strengthen our secondary school system, make it safer and closer to where the girls are, because many parents do not send their daughters to secondary schools, which are far away, because of security issues," Muttreja said. Once they leave school, women's participation level in the work force the estimation of the active workforce and people looking for work was just 19% in 2021, World Bank data shows. That's less than half the overall labor force participation rate of 46%, already one of the lowest in Asia. The comparative rates for China and the United States were 68% and 61%. Not only does India need better policies to put women in work they need to ensure they're able to stay there, said Desai. For that, more options are needed for temporary contraception to give women more control over childbearing, she said. Education is the best contraceptive pill that can be given to a woman, Muttreja added. Dewan, from the Center for Policy Research, said if India doesn't get the balance right, it risks squandering the considerable advantage of being the world's most populous country with the world's largest share of working age human capital. "The challenge of educating, providing training, and enough good quality jobs is huge," she said. "If we don't create enough good jobs, we waste the tremendous potential of our workers. And we could be looking at a youth population that has greater aspirations than ever before, but few opportunities for income generation." This was first published on CNN.com, "How India's population exploded to overtake China's and what's next." An angler casts her line on an ice-free patch of open water Saturday at the outlet of Convict Lake. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Frozen lakes, closed roads and swift-moving water failed to deter die-hard fishermen out along the Eastern Sierra for the opening day of trout season Saturday. Many were out before sunrise to stake a out a spot of snowy shoreline during the highly anticipated event. Record snowfall left many areas inaccessible to anglers as roads to popular fishing spots were closed and most lakes were still frozen over. Fishermen braved a walk out on a thawing but still frozen Crowley Lake, augering holes through foot-thick ice to drop a line into the water. Intake 2 near Aspendell saw anglers crowding a snow-covered shoreline to cast. Down at lower elevations, anglers around the Owens Valley dealt with fast-moving water and unusually crowded spots to cast a line. Bill Sear of Seal Beach and Bishop pulled a trout out of the chilly North Fork of Bishop Creek Canal just after sunrise, proclaiming, Im killing it. You have to know where the best spots are, and I know them. Bill Sear of Seal Beach pulls in a trout out of Bishop Creek Canal in Bishop. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) A fisherman waits for a bite on frozen Crowley Lake on the official opening day of Eastern Sierra trout season Saturday. Ice fishing was the only option on the lake as the marina was still frozen. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Anglers cast long shadows on the snow-covered shoreline at Intake 2 near Aspendell in Bishop. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Kelsey Hammond exits a frigid Convict Lake after a three-minute soak. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) A fisherman heads out to try his luck against the backdrop of a snow-covered Sierra Nevada along North Bishop Creek Canal. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) The Sierra Nevada crest is reflected on Intake 2 near Aspendell. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Bill Waters hooks up his second trout of the morning in Bishop as the sun rises above the White Mountains. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Pink collar crisis If Lynsey Bleakleys daughter wanted to follow her into nursing, her response would be: No, dont do it! Bleakley, 46, worked for the NHS for 18 years, mostly as a specialist nurse health visitor a role monitoring pregnant women, new mothers and the development of children from birth to school age. In 2019, she quit to set up a baking business and never looked back. Painfully aware of how heavy a toll nursing takes, she is anxious to avoid seeing someone she loves go through it. Although she left for personal reasons, she says she could never return to such a thankless and emotionally demanding profession. I was really passionate about my job, its such a privileged job to do, being closely involved with families at one of the most special times of their life, says Bleakley, from near Donaghadee in Northern Ireland.Would I go back? Absolutely not under any circumstances. I wouldnt go back to that pressure, that stress. Similar pressure and stress are driving many otherwise passionate workers mostly women away from the caring professions, or what are sometimes called pink collar jobs (so-called because they dont fit into the blue collar (physical labour) and white collar (office based) terms already in common parlance). As a result, these sectors are in crisis. From nursing and midwifery to social care and early years childcare, all these vital areas have entered a perilous downward spiral of understaffing. Overwhelming workloads, long and unsociable hours, fears over safety for those being cared for, and inadequate pay have been driving pink collar workers to quit in their droves. The 'drain' factors The diminishing number of caring professionals is a major problem. Both the NHS and private businesses across these pink collar sectors are complaining that they are unable to fill scores of open positions. The data to support this is fairly stark. In July, a report by MPs warned that the NHS was facing the worst workforce crisis in its history. Story continues In the three months to December 2022, there were 43,619 vacancies in nursing across the NHS, compared to 39,721 in the same period the year before. Private social care and childcare providers are experiencing similar chronic understaffing. England has a shortage of 2,000 midwives, with 600 more jobs needing filling in April 2022 than at the same time the previous year. In 2021-22, there were 165,000 vacancies in adult social care, a 52 per cent increase on 2020-21, according to the charity Skills for Care. And research by daynurseries.co.uk last June found 77 per cent of nursery staff were dealing with workforce shortages in their nursery. The consequences are disturbing: last year, four in 10 maternity units were forced to temporarily close due to staff shortages, figures obtained by the Labour party revealed. The same year, eight in 10 nurses told a Royal College of Nursing survey there werent enough nursing staff to meet all patient needs safely and effectively on their most recent shift. Childcare - Westend61 As for childcare, between April and July 2022, 65 per cent more day nurseries closed compared with the same period the previous year, figures from the National Day Nurseries Association showed. As growing numbers of their colleagues drift away, those who remain are placed under greater strain still. Every time I go into work I think, We cannot go on like this, says Claire*, a trainee nurse in a south London hospital. The staff shortage has really created unsafe situations. Ive constantly got the feeling something is going to go badly wrong any minute. Its both physically and mentally challenging, says Lucy Marett, manager of Activetime Day Nursery in Harrow, north-west London, of the job. Youre on your feet most of the day, youre risk-assessing all the time to make sure the children are safe, engaging with parents and carers about the childs needs, maintaining control in the classroom. Its continual. But despite the intensity of the work, staff at Maretts nursery earn little over the minimum wage. With the Governments previous funding for free childcare failing to fully cover the costs, and with energy and other prices rising dramatically, nurseries struggle to pay more attractive wages. While money is not the only cause of recruitment and retainment problems in pink collar jobs, its a major factor. As David Maguire, a senior analyst at The Kings Fund, a health and care charity, points out, In a cost of living crisis, if youre earning minimum wage in the care sector, its a much more attractive prospect to work in retail, where you get more regular hours, can plan your social life around it and have more of an idea of how to move up within your role, and [more] training and development to move on with your career. In healthcare, the money is a little better, but not enough to stop nurses striking this year. Lots of nurses are taking on extra bank shifts because they need the money, says Claire. They end up working 12 hours a day, five days a week, so theyre burned out, and youre not as attuned to your patients needs when youre that knackered. For Laura Mudie, 39, who worked for 19 years in nursing and midwifery, the lack of staff, antisocial work hours and relentless admin fuelled her decision to leave something had to change for my mental health. Recalling her time at Southend Hospital in Essex, the mother-of-two says not only were there too few midwives, and the job was tricky to combine with family life, but an increasing amount of paperwork had crept in over the years. Theres only so much one person can do," says former midwife Laura Mudie - Getty A government consultation on reducing excess bureaucracy in the health and care system in England in 2020 noted that around a third of a community-based clinicians time was estimated to be spent on administration. Those in clinical settings also report wishing they had more time to spend on the actual caring part of the job. Mudie understands why the paperwork is necessary but its adding to the heavy burden on midwives. Theres only so much one person can do, she says. Ripple effects While the issue has created an acute crisis in the NHS and wider care sector, it is clear that the ripple effect has resulted in chronic problems in the wider economy. A lack of nurses has resulted in longer NHS waiting times, contributing to an increase in the number of people who are too sick to work. And the UKs patchy childcare is preventing many new parents from returning to their jobs as quickly as they might. The shortage of nurses is a major challenge to Britains health and its economy, says Samuel Huckstep, of the Centre for Global Development. Longer NHS waiting times have now resulted in the number of workers economically inactive due to illness reaching a record high, while many sick (up to 10 per cent of the workforce) continue to work. But boosting the workforce across all sectors not just pink collar is proving difficult. The UKs economically inactive cohort is very large. At the beginning of the year it came in at just under nine million people. This means nearly 40 per cent, or two in five adults aged between 16 and 65, are not contributing to the economy. Not all of these people want to, or are able to, find a job; many, for example, are students. However, within the amorphous grouping of economically inactive are 1.13 million people under the age of 65 who have taken early retirement some of whom would have had long and successful careers in care or care-adjacent industries. Many of these adults will be living comfortably in their early retirement, and government policy is unlikely to prompt them to un-retire, argues Louise Murphy, an economist at the Resolution Foundation. Then there are the 2.5 million people who are not in the labour force because of long-term sickness, a number that has increased by 460,000, or roughly 25 per cent, since the start of the pandemic. Some of these people will have permanent conditions but others are no doubt stuck on the NHSs ever-lengthening waiting lists. Another 1.7 million people are counted as looking after family/home. In his Back to Work Budget speech last month, Jeremy Hunt said almost half of non-working mothers said they would prefer to work if they could arrange suitable childcare. This tallies with a survey conducted in 2021 by the Centre for Progressive Policy think tank. It found that 1.7 million women would like to work more hours but were unable to do so because they had issues with childcare. Another 1.3 million had turned down jobs for the same reason. The result was up to 11 billion in forgone earnings, according to the CPPs estimates. So the need and importance of pink collar jobs could not be more clear and the stakes could not be higher: lives, livelihoods and indeed the whole economy are threatened. As Maguire says, The health and care sector does a huge amount, not just directly in terms of providing care to people but also for boosting the rest of the economy and helping people carry on in work. Fixing the crisis The UKs labour shortage is belatedly pushing the Government into action. Hunts Budget last month announced reforms to childcare funding, which from 2025 will see existing free provision for three- and four-year-olds (up to 30 hours a week) extended to children as young as nine months in an attempt to get more parents back to work. But where will this additional childcare come from? England has seen a steady decline in providers in recent years. By the end of March 2022, there were 19,100 fewer registered with Ofsted than in 2015, a 22 per cent decrease, attributed to financial pressures and staff shortages. Higher wages would, of course, tempt many in the sector to stay. Few feel the Government has thrown enough of it at the problem, preferring sticking plaster solutions to any long-term strategy. Hunts offer of incentive payments of 600 for new childminders has been criticised by Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, as paltry and unhelpful. But with the UK tax burden at a post-war high, theres not a great deal of money to throw around. Radical answers are needed. A fully integrated health and social care system would help, suggests Professor Carol Atkinson, who researches work and employment (specialising in the adult social care workforce) at Manchester Metropolitan University. The idea has already got off the ground in some areas but a massive up-front cost will be required to overhaul the whole system. In the long-term, it would relieve pressure on the NHS: better social care would mean fewer people ending up in hospital, and better links between the sectors would mean fewer patients bed-blocking while awaiting social care. Pink collar jobs must also be made more attractive, experts argue, and not only through better pay (although that is crucial). Social care is sometimes seen as a last resort, but it doesnt have to be, says Prof Atkinson. Just a glance in the direction of Scandinavia will illustrate that if workers in the care sectors are well remunerated and respected by society at large, the value of the work in the eyes of potential recruits rises exponentially. They are inherently meaningful [jobs] so part of the process is allowing that meaningfulness to be one of the primary factors, to design those jobs in a way that allows meaningfulness to be prominent in those roles. Nurses - Getty Getting this message out in schools and colleges could be helpful, she suggests. Theres something about employers and providers thinking about the things they can do without additional funding to make the sector more attractive to come into and stay in, agrees Maguire. [Offering better] professional development, for instance so if you cant pay people more, can you give them a better place to be when theyre at work? Claire points out that at her hospital, there are no changing rooms for the nurses, who must don their uniforms in the toilets. The rest area where they take their lunch breaks is full of ripped chairs and dirty floors. Improving these basics would surely be a start. The UK is not the only country facing these problems. European Commission reports last year found Italy and Germany were the only EU states not subject to concerns about staff shortages and/or poor working conditions in health and care. The World Health Organisation has advocated solutions including better working conditions that promote a work-life balance, protection of workforce health and wellbeing and continuing the professional development of workers. There are all sorts of levers that can be pulled on, says Maguire. Its important not to let a sense of hopelessness kick in. *Name has been changed City officials and police took control of the Russian high school building in Warsaw Poland on Saturday said it had seized a high school building near Moscow's embassy in Warsaw meant for the children of diplomats, a move the Russian envoy called "illegal". The spat over the 1970s multi-storey building has been going on for a year. "This building belongs to the Warsaw City Hall," Polish foreign ministry spokesman Lukasz Jasina told AFP, adding that the move followed a bailiff's order. The spokesman for the municipality was unavailable for comment. Poland says there is a huge disparity in the number of diplomatic buildings each had in the other country. "We regard this as yet another hostile act by the Polish authorities and a blatant violation of the Vienna Convention of 1961," Russia's foreign ministry said. The ministry promised a "harsh reaction and consequences for Polish authorities and Poland's interests in Russia". Moscow's envoy, Sergei Andreyev, also denounced Poland's intervention as an "illegal" intrusion on a diplomatic facility, saying teachers and staff lived on the building's grounds. The school will continue to operate in a different part of the Russian embassy's premises, he added. "Our priority is ensuring the safety and the interests of our employees and their families." - 'No diplomatic status' - On Saturday afternoon, Warsaw's Deputy Mayor Tomasz Bratek announced that the city authorities had "taken possession" of the building. "Initially, the Russian side refused to open the gate and doors. We had to call a locksmith who, thanks to his tools, allowed us to enter the site," Bratek was quoted by the PAP news agency as saying. "Seeing that we were not going to withdraw, the Russian side, represented by the deputy ambassador, gave us back the keys," he added. During the day, people could be seen leaving the building, some carrying cardboard boxes, bags and bin liners full of belongings as they were ushered off the premises. Story continues For several hours, trucks with diplomatic plates evacuated various objects from the building. Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski stressed on his Twitter account in the evening that the school building "has no diplomatic status and is not protected by any immunity". He added that in 2016 the Russian Federation had been ordered to pay more than 31 million zlotys ($7.4 million) plus interest for illegal occupation of the site. The Russian high school was housed in a building that belonged to the Polish tenor Jan Kiepura before World War II. In 1945, the building was nationalised by the state before being handed over by the ruling communists to the Soviet authorities in 1953. According to the Polish authorities, this operation was conducted "without legal basis". Poland's foreign ministry issued a statement in March 2022, shortly after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, saying the Polish courts had ruled that Russia had to return the buildings to Polish control. Saturday's announcement by the Polish foreign ministry came a year after the Warsaw city council seized a former Russian diplomatic site, nicknamed the "nest of spies" by Warsaw residents, and handed it to Ukraine. sw/jj/kjm/pvh/kjm Marissa Police, a state bomb squad and the FBI are investigating after a police officer found an explosive device in a Marissa trailer park early Saturday. Authorities closed roads and evacuated some trailers at the South Marissa Trailer Park as a bomb squad neutralized the device, Marissa Police Chief Brian Sheridan said in an interview just before 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Sheridan said no one was injured and the area was back open. An officer initially responded to a report of a suspicious subject in the 100 block of Hotz Street. Sheridan said the call came in at 2:50 a.m. The officer found out there was some type of altercation, Sheridan said. ... He located a device that appeared to be possibly an explosive device. Local authorities called in a bomb squad from the Illinois Secretary of States office. Scott Air Force Bases Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, as well as law enforcement from St. Clair County and New Athens, came to the scene to assist, according to Sheridan. The police chief said the device had some components that had the potential to cause damage but the way it was lit did not actually cause it to detonate. He declined to provide further details about the device because it remains under investigation. Sheridan said authorities believe the altercation was related to the device. No one had been arrested or charged as of Saturday morning. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Marissa Police Department at 618-295-3622 or to submit an anonymous tip through villages website. Burglary Fewer burglaries are likely to be solved following a shake-up in the way forces define the offence, a senior police leader has warned. Since 2017, police in England and Wales have considered any domestic burglary to include not just the house but also outbuildings such as sheds and garages. But a U-turn on that policy has prompted fears that victims will get poorer service from officers. Police forces made a commitment last year to attend every reported break-in, following criticism that they were not taking burglary seriously. But there is concern the pledge could now be watered down after the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) announced that sheds and other outbuildings would no longer be included in the main domestic burglary statistics. Many seasoned thieves will target an outbuilding first in order to obtain the tools needed to smash their way into someones home. Since the pandemic and the shift towards working from home, thousands of people have also converted sheds and garages into offices, kitting them out with expensive computer equipment. 'Backwards step' An NPCC spokesman said: In response to a request from the NPCC, the Home Office Counting Rules for burglary have been changed. It has been decided to split the existing classification of residential burglary into two components residential burglary of a home and residential burglary of unconnected building. This was done because the break-in of a home and of an unconnected building within the boundaries of a residential property can have very different impacts on victims. Steve Hartshorn, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said the move was a backwards step and warned that it could impact on the ability to bear down on burglary. He told The Telegraph: Having your home burgled is one of the most invasive and upsetting crimes you can suffer, particularly if you are elderly or vulnerable. It is absolutely right that police forces have made a commitment to attend every burglary and it is exactly what police officers up and down the land want to be doing. Story continues They want to attend burglaries, look for evidence, comfort and reassure victims and of course catch the criminals. So I am really concerned that the decision to change the Home Office Counting Rules - which makes a distinction between a house being broken into and a shed or outbuilding being targeted - could result in victims getting a poorer service from the police. 'Missed opportunity' to gather evidence He said that anyone breaking into a shed or garage is probably not only interested in stealing items stored there. They are more than likely looking for the tools they need to break into your home, he said. We know that many burglars do not carry tools with them because then they can be charged with 'going equipped', so they prefer to get the tools at the scene, he said. If we start ignoring or downgrading shed break-ins, then we are missing the opportunity to gather the evidence that could help us catch the person whose next job might be breaking into an elderly person's home and terrifying the life out of them. It is worth remembering that during lockdown many people converted their outbuildings into offices, so they no longer only contain a lawnmower and a rusty bike, but in some cases thousands of pounds worth of computer and office equipment. If we want to restore trust and confidence in the police then it is important we get crimes like burglary right, whether its a house or a shed, and I think this decision is a backwards step that could leave the public thinking we are not interested. According to official statistics, around 200,000 domestic burglaries are reported to the police every year. But data obtained from the Crime Survey of England and Wales, which records peoples experience of crime, suggests the true figure is more than double that. It is believed many people who have outbuildings burgled do not report it to the police because they do not believe anything will be done. Mr Hartshorn said he feared reclassifying burglary in the official statistics to strip out outbuildings would make people even less likely to report it. This article was originally published in CommonWealth Magazine. Amid growing concerns over violence in Boston schools, a new poll finds that more than two-thirds of parents of Boston Public Schools students are worried about their childrens safety in school and three-quarters would support a return of police to the citys schools. The survey, conducted by the MassINC Polling Group for the Shah Family Foundation, found that 68 percent of Boston Public Schools parents were somewhat or extremely worried about school safety. The figures were even higher for parents of color, with 71 percent of Black and Latino parents voicing such concerns and 79 percent of Asian parents doing so. Concern was also greater among parents of high school students, 81 percent of whom said they were somewhere or very worried about school safety. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter When it comes to strategies to address safety concerns, 75 percent of BPS parents said they favor returning police officers to schools. Police have not been stationed in Boston schools since the summer of 2021. Their removal came in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, and following passage of a 2020 police reform bill that required officers to obtain an additional 350 hours of training by July 2021. The district has instead deployed school safety specialists, who dont carry weapons or handcuffs and dont have arrest powers. The decision to remove police has been controversial, with some school advocates and a number of youth and education-focused organizations supporting the move, while others, including several city councilors, have called on the city to bring police back into schools. The safety of our children must be a top priority. We need to reconsider our public safety plan as it relates to our BPS community, and there is a role for police in our schools, said City Council President Ed Flynn, one of four councilors who co-authored a letter to Superintendent Mary Skipper in February calling for school police to be brought back. Story continues Flynn said he was not surprised by the poll finding of strong support from parents for bringing police back to the schools. I hear those comments throughout my district and throughout the city, he said. Parents are concerned about the safety of our children in the public school system. Ruby Reyes, director of the Boston Education Justice Alliance, said parents reaction to safety issues and student views can be completely different things. We know students dont want police in schools, she said. What students have been asking for is social and emotional supports. I think there is a disconnect. Opponents of police in schools say their presence will lead to more Black and Latino students getting pulled into the criminal justice system and that non-punitive approaches to safety issues and school disputes, such as restorative justice strategies, should be used instead. Several high-profile, violent incidents have shaken the district in recent years, including a November 2021 assault on a school principal, who was knocked unconscious, and a stabbing last September at a high school. Support for returning police to schools was higher among parents of color. Support for police in schools was 60 percent among white parents, 72 percent among Black parents, 80 percent among Asian parents, and 87 percent among Latino parents. Meanwhile, 76 percent of parents said they support metal detectors in schools. Of the parents polled, 25 percent said their childs school has metal detectors, while 64 percent said their childs school does not. Eleven percent said they didnt know or didnt answer the question. In February, the Boston Globe reported that the Boston Public Schools and Boston Police Department were negotiating an agreement that would spell out the procedures for when police should be called to deal with situations in the citys schools. The district did not respond directly to the poll finding on parent safety concerns or support for police in schools. We continue to work in close collaboration with the Boston Police Department on violence prevention efforts, including community engagement with Boston Police officers in our schools, a BPS spokesperson said in a statement after the poll results were shared with the district. We will continue to work tirelessly with our partners in government to address the violence we see across our neighborhoods and schools. Our staff will continue to work daily to ensure that all students have access to social-emotional support and a learning environment that makes them feel safe, respected, and academically challenged. In other findings from the poll, 22 percent of parents say their children have fallen behind academically since COVIDs arrival, while 56 percent say their children have remained on track. Among those who say their children have fallen behind, only 25 percent say their school is doing enough to help them, while 67 percent say the school should be doing more. The poll is the sixth in a series of surveys of BPS parents, the first of which was carried out in August 2021. Overall satisfaction with the school system is trending down. In the first poll, 87 percent of parents were somewhat or very satisfied with the district. In the latest poll, which was conducted among 828 parents between March 22 and April 10, that figure was 73 percent, the lowest of any of the six surveys. LONDON The portrait photographer Jeannette Montgomery Barron has always had a knack for stealing moments with famous subjects, and doing it all with a light touch. In the 80s, she was used to slipping in and out of downtown New York City studios and other private places, taking pictures of Keith Haring, Robert Mapplethorpe, Bianca Jagger and other denizens of underground New York. More from WWD Then, and now, she doesnt work with assistants and uses minimal props. She has always searched for the soul in her subjects. People trusted her and still do. She doesnt waste anyones time. A selection of those soul-focused images will come to light for the first time on Saturday with the release of Barrons limited-edition book, JMB, from the London-based publisher NJG Studio. The book features images of fast friends and artistic collaborators Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat from 1984 and 1985 before the two fell out. The pictures are darkly glamorous and intimate, two pop culture figures whose fame and mystique has lasted far longer than Warhols predicted 15 minutes, and flourished since their deaths, which happened within a year of each other, in 1987 and 1988, respectively. Jean-Michel Basquiat captured in the mid-80s by Jeannette Montgomery Barron. It may have been decades since she sat with the artists, but Barron said she can recall the two photo sessions in detail. There were no tantrums, or diva behavior. They were just starting to work together, and you could tell they adored each other, as friends and as collaborators, said the softly spoken Barron in a telephone interview. Andy was getting a lot of wind in his sails at the time. He was riding high and always looking for new inspiration, new young people from out of town or from Europe. Thats where he got a lot of ideas and inspiration, the photographer added. Barron had been invited to shoot the artists by the Swiss art dealer and collector Bruno Bischofberger, who was close to both. Story continues She photographed Basquiat in December 1984 at the artists Great Jones Street studio in New York City. Her only props were a birdcage, a chair and an unfinished painting. She shot three rolls of 120 film 36 images layering light and shadows in her signature black-and-white. It was early evening, in the winter, so it was dark already. And I was the only one there no one else was in the studio. Im pretty minimal, too. I dont bring a lot of equipment, or work with assistants. I feel that just messes up my correspondence with the subject. I want to be the only one interacting with them, she said. Basquiat, whose star was still on the rise, was really sweet and very accommodating. I dont think we talked much at all. He liked the images, and so did Bruno, she said. Jean-Michel Basquiat by Jeannette Montgomery Barron. Warhol was a slightly different story. Barron knew him already and had photographed him before. I knew the Factory very well so for me it was just like, Im going in, Im going to photograph these two people, and then Im going to leave. People knew I was OK, that I wasnt going to take advantage of them, or take up their whole day, so I was allowed in. Barron said her approach to portrait-taking hasnt changed. Im not interested in a superficial, setup photo. Somebody else can do that better. Im always trying to get some inner, spiritual feeling and to [discover] what these peoples souls are about. Thats what I try, although I cant always do it, she said. The book features an introductory essay by Francesco Clemente, who had collaborated with Basquiat and Warhol on paintings, and was also close to Bischofberger. In the essay, Clemente describes Barron as an elegant woman, and an elegant photographer. She conveys the widest range of expressivity (sic.) with the minimum amount of means. The secret of her good luck is that she travels light. The 64-page book comes as a signed, limited edition, and is for sale on njgstudio.com, priced at 45 pounds. It features the complete sittings from 1984 and 1985, and also includes six contact sheets with 24 large-format images, plus a previously unseen artwork by Basquiat. Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol at The Factory, photographed by Jeannette Montgomery Barron. True to her low-key style, Barron isnt planning a splashy launch, and instead will be celebrating the books release and other photography projects at a party in Rome, where she used to live part-time. The launch event will take place in early June at Chez Dede, a multibrand luxury store on Via di Monserrato, not far from Campo deFiori, followed by a dinner at Ian Schragers Rome Edition hotel. The store will also be showcasing other work by Barron, including her photographs of tabletops and mirrors, and her hand drawings. The books release happens to coincide with the show Basquiat x Warhol A Quatre Mains, which is taking place at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. The show, which runs until Aug. 28, examines the paintings the two artists created together between 1984 and 1985, and includes the portraits they made of each other. Barron has been prolific throughout her career and her many books include My Mothers Clothes, a record of her late mothers couture wardrobe, and collections of her work with Keith Haring and Cindy Sherman. Shes long been at home in Italy. In 2014, her portraits of Robert Mapplethorpe, Bianca Jagger, Basquiat, Haring and other 80s influencers went on display at the Collezione Maramotti, in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The show was called Scene: Photographs of the 1980s New York Art Scene. Although she now lives permanently in Connecticut with her art dealer husband, shes often in Rome, a city whose skies she finds hard to resist. Theres no place else in the world that has that light. Its what heaven must be like, said Barron. Best of WWD Click here to read the full article. President Biden delivered a speech Friday during a reception for the Democratic National Committee in which he said "MAGA Republicans" are attempting to undo the progress made in the U.S. Biden's remarks in Washington, D.C., come just days after he announced his presidential re-election campaign. He touted his presidential accomplishments during his speech on Friday, including signing the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, the American Rescue Plan and the bipartisan infrastructure and gun reform laws. He also highlighted his historic Supreme Court appointee of Justice Kentanji Brown Jackson, the first black woman to sit on the bench, and claimed his administration "reestablished America's leadership in the world." "We restored America's standing on the world stage," he told Democratic donors. AMERICANS LIST BIDEN'S GREATEST FAILURES, ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN OFFICE President Biden delivered a speech Friday at a reception for the Democratic National Committee. Biden also claimed that "12 million brand-new jobs" were created in two years, which he said is more than any president has created in a four-year term. He also said unemployment is at 3.5%. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP But the president also purported that American freedoms and democracy are under attack by "MAGA Republicans," a reference to former President Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. Trump has also declared his candidacy for president. "MAGA Republicans are trying to take us backwards," Biden said. "But together, were not going to let them do it. Not an inch back. Instead, our agenda is going to continue to bring us forward and build on the progress we made. And we must finish this job." "Let's keep growing the economy from the middle out and the bottom up," he continued. "Let's protect a woman's right to choose and codify Roe v. Wade. Let's protect our children from gun violence by continuing to work to eliminate assault weapons. And lets keep lowering the prescription drug cost not just for those on Medicare, but for all Americans." Story continues Biden warned that the "real problem" is "those MAGA Republicans" he says represent 30 percent of the Republican Party, adding that "this is not your father's Republican Party." Biden's remarks at the DNC reception come just days after he announced his presidential re-election campaign. BIDEN APPROVAL RATING HITS ALL-TIME LOW AMID RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN LAUNCH: POLL His caution about "MAGA Republicans" echo comments he made in his re-election video announcement released earlier in the week when he warned that they are attempting to strip American freedoms through abortion restrictions, banning books and other proposals. During Friday's reception, Biden also reminded donors of their contributions during the 2020 election, when he defeated Trump, and said he was optimistic he could win re-election. "Remember 2020, when everyone had written us off? But you folks in this room, you knew we could do it, and we did. You raised significant amounts of money to allow us to compete," Biden said. The president also recalled polling and Republicans' claims ahead of the 2022 midterm elections predicting that Democrats would perform poorly. Republicans narrowly took back the House and Democrats gained a Senate seat following November's elections. "Remember 2022, the midterm elections, when we were supposed to get our clock clean and swamped? The red wave is coming Because of your help, it never happened, and we met the moment again and again, a broad coalition with all of you. And we're going to do it again in 2024 together," he said. Biden concluded by telling donors their support helped boost him during the 2020 election, and that they could again propel him to victory in 2024. "There's so much we can do, and we can contribute so much to the country right now," he said. "And it's because of you I'm standing here, and it's going to be because of you we win this next time around." Almost exactly 12 years to the day since Barack Obama authorised the raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden, a cache of previously unseen pictures of events in the White House around the raid was obtained by the Washington Post. Related: To give him space: Biden reveals why he told Obama to wait on Bin Laden raid The images of Obama, his vice-president, Joe Biden, secretary of state Hillary Clinton and key military and civilian advisers underscored the high stakes of the operation, the tension as US special forces carried out the mission, and celebrations of its completion. Bin Laden founded al-Qaida, the terror network which attacked New York and Washington on 11 September 2001, killing more than 3,000 people. The US invaded Afghanistan in search of Bin Laden but he avoided capture for nearly 10 years before finally being tracked to a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Obamas official White House photographer, Pete Souza, took the new images of the night. The Post also published a timeline of the raid, from approval on 29 April 2011 to completion and Obamas address to the nation shortly before midnight on 1 May. It included a picture already widely known, of Obama, Biden, Clinton and other aides squeezed into a small White House room, watching the raid in progress. With an unremarked echo of current investigations into Biden and former president Donald Trump over their handling of classified information, the paper said: At 4.05pm, Souza took the now iconic photo of Obama and his advisers intensely watching the video feed of the raid. A document on the desk remains blurred in the version released by the Obama Library. The library withheld 307 photos describing their contents as national security classified information. The images the library did release show discussions between Obama and aides also including Leon Panetta, then CIA director; James Clapper, director of national intelligence; Tom Donilon, national security adviser; and Bill Daley, White House chief of staff. Story continues In 2020, Obama described deliberations over the raid in his memoir, A Promised Land. Joe weighed in against the raid, Obama wrote of Biden, in a book released shortly after the former vice-president beat Trump for the White House. As had been true in every major decision Id made as president, I appreciated Joes willingness to buck the prevailing mood and ask tough questions, often in the interest of giving me the space I needed for my own internal deliberations. Biden was not the only adviser and Washington veteran to counsel against the raid. Obama wrote that he knew Joe, like Gates, had been in Washington during Desert One. Ordered by President Jimmy Carter in April 1980, Desert One was an attempt to rescue US hostages in Iran that went badly wrong, resulting in the deaths of eight Americans in a helicopter crash and severe damage to Carters hopes of re-election. Obama was a year out from his own re-election campaign when he ordered the Bin Laden raid. Robert Gates, the defense secretary and a holdover from the Bush administration which launched the hunt for Bin Laden, told Obama that no matter how thorough the planning, operations like this could go badly wrong. Obama has said Panetta, the homeland security adviser John Brennan and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Adm Mike Mullen, favoured mounting the raid. Clinton, Obama said, thought it was a 51-49 call but came down on the side of sending in the Seals. Brennan later saluted Obama for one of the gutsiest calls of any president. Pictures published by the Post also showed Obama working on the speech he made to announce Bin Ladens death. In one celebration shot, Biden and Mullen displayed rosary beads they carried while the raid played out. Hope Carrasquilla (right) arrived in town on Friday and went almost directly to the museum A US principal forced to resign after parents complained about an art lesson showing one of the world's most famous sculptures has visited the masterpiece. Hope Carrasquilla and her family went to see Michelangelo's David on Friday at Florence's Accademia Galleria. They came at the invitation of museum director Cecilie Hollberg, who said that she was grateful for the visit. Ms Carrasquilla said she was impressed by the gallery, saying: "I think it's beautiful. It looks like a church." "The thing that impresses me the most is that this whole gallery was built for him," she said in a statement provided to BBC News on Friday. "There is nothing wrong with the human body in and of itself," she continued. "Michelangelo would have done him wrong to sculpt him in any other way. I think it's wonderful." The educator was asked to resign from the Tallahassee Classical School in Florida last month after less than a year on the job. Local media reported that Ms Carrasquilla did not know the reason she was asked to leave, but believed it was related to the complaints over the lesson. The 5.17m (17ft) statue depicts an entirely naked David, the Biblical figure who kills the giant Goliath. The art lesson, given to 11 and 12-year-old students, included an image of David and referenced Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam" painting and Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" - both of which also contain nudity. One parent complained the Renaissance era material was pornographic and others said they wanted to know about the lesson before it was taught. The incident caused an international outcry and confusion in the classical art community. Director Cecilie Hollberg (left) issued the invitation to visit the artwork Florida's Department of Education was moved to issue a statement, declaring that the David statue has "artistic and historical value". Ms Hollberg, the museum director, said that she was "delighted to personally introduce" the educator to the sculpture. Story continues "It is a masterpiece representing a religious symbol of purity and innocence, the triumph of good over evil." She added that more than half of the museum's visitors come from the US. The David was completed by Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504. It was instantly hailed as a masterpiece, with Renaissance artist Giorgio Vasari saying the David "surpassed" any statue that had ever existed before. Livestreaming connects China's manufacturers with the world Xinhua) 09:50, April 29, 2023 *More and more Chinese manufacturers are leveraging livestreaming platforms to boost foreign trade, and the boom in cross-border livestreaming offers a glimpse into China's rapidly expanding digital economy. *In 2022, the scale of China's digital economy grew to 50.2 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year nominal growth of 10.3 percent, making up 41.5 percent of the country's GDP, according to an industry report released at the 6th Digital China Summit. FUZHOU, April 28 (Xinhua) -- As the camera started working, Steven Leeds kicked off his social media livestream in a studio in Shishi City, east China's Fujian Province, selling Chinese products such as shoes directly to overseas customers. The 39-year-old English teacher from the United States has been doing this part-time job three times a week for the past six months. In his most successful show, over 2,000 orders were placed in three hours. In his opinion, China's cross-border e-commerce livestreaming will soon sweep the world. "More and more people will jump on it to buy goods from China," said Leeds, adding that he's proud to have been part of this trendy business. More and more Chinese manufacturers are leveraging livestreaming platforms to boost foreign trade. At Alibaba.com, a leading platform for global wholesale trade, cross-border business-to-business (B2B) trade via livestreaming has seen steady growth with the active participation of both sellers and buyers. In the first week of a trade event held by the platform in March, over 60,000 Chinese businessmen used cross-border livestreaming to promote their products, attracting more than 700,000 foreign buyers. The most-viewed products included laser cutting machines, household excavators, charging piles, and energy storage batteries, according to the platform. Live streamer Daniela Sena (R) sells products online with her colleague in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Jan. 19, 2022. (Xinhua) "We didn't expect that one piece of industrial laser equipment worth 200,000 yuan (about 28,885 U.S. dollars) could be sold overseas directly through a livestream at Alibaba.com," said Zhang Jie, general manager of a mechanical technology company in east China's Shandong Province, who was stunned by the efficiency of the new way of securing business deals. "Conducting cross-border livestreaming is similar to attending offline fairs abroad, as we can communicate with buyers in real-time through video. This helps build trust between buyers and sellers quickly and saves our costs," said Zhang, adding that the company has seen the number of followers rising after several livestream sessions. Buyers in B2B livestreaming at Alibaba.com can be shown around the factories virtually and watch the production process and product testing, greatly eliminating barriers in time and location. The hosts speak many languages, including English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Arabic. Many people believe that livestreaming has contributed to the latest rebound in China's foreign trade. Official data showed that total goods imports and exports expanded 4.8 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023, reversing a decline of 0.8 percent in the first two months of the year. In the first three months, exports grew 8.4 percent year-on-year to 5.65 trillion yuan while imports rose 0.2 percent to 4.24 trillion yuan, bringing the total trade to 9.89 trillion yuan. The burgeoning business form is set to embrace a bright prospect. China recently released a guideline document to promote the stability of foreign trade scale and to improve foreign trade structure, underlining the importance of supporting foreign trade enterprises in expanding sales channels through cross-border e-commerce and other new business modes. A visitor tries a 5G-based remote driving system developed by Chinese bus maker King Long at an exhibition of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou,east China's Fujian Province, April 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) The boom in cross-border livestreaming offers a glimpse into China's rapidly expanding digital economy. At the 6th Digital China Summit held on Thursday and Friday in the city of Fuzhou, east China's Fujian Province, many participants noted the increasingly important role of the digital economy in foreign trade. Wang Wenxin, an account manager at Kingdee Software (China) Co., Ltd., said that digital economy helps enhance the operating efficiency of the whole supply chain, adding that Kingdee is developing a supply chain coordination platform to provide more convenience to its clients. In 2022, the scale of China's digital economy grew to 50.2 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year nominal growth of 10.3 percent, making up 41.5 percent of the country's GDP, according to an industry report released at the summit. The number of 5G users in the country had reached 561 million by 2022, accounting for more than 60 percent of the world's total, the report said. (Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun) (CNN) A growing number of people say they are stranded in Sudan because Western embassy workers fled the conflict-ridden country without returning passports that were surrendered during visa applications. Diplomats from at least three Western missions have been unable to grant access to travel documents belonging to Sudanese nationals, according to nine testimonies reviewed by CNN. Most Western embassies in Sudan were evacuated a week into the fighting, leaving many Sudanese visa applicants without their travel documents and in legal limbo. In some cases, embassy workers advised people to "apply for a new [Sudanese] passport" despite the violence grinding Sudanese government services to a halt, according to screenshots seen by CNN. In one case, a Swedish official suggested that the Sudanese visa applicant use a photocopy of his passport in lieu of his travel document. The Sudanese nationals who spoke to CNN accused the embassies of neglect, obstructing their legal passage out of the country, where the violence has claimed at least 512 lives. The Dutch foreign ministry confirmed to CNN that "a number of Sudanese passports" were left behind at the embassy after it closed "with immediate effect" due to the conflict. "A number of Sudanese passports were left behind at the Dutch embassy. These are passports of Sudanese passport holders who have applied for a short-stay Schengen visa or an MVV (provisional residence permit). The sudden outburst of fighting in the early morning of April 15, forced the Dutch embassy to close with immediate effect," a spokesperson for the ministry said in a statement. "The diplomatic staff has since been evacuated and transferred to the Netherlands. Unfortunately, we have not been able to collect these passports due to the poor security situation. We understand that this has put the people involved in a difficult situation. We are actively investigating possibilities to provide individual support," they added. The Italian foreign ministry told CNN it was aware of the problem, and will try to return passports to Sudanese nationals "as soon as possible." "We are well aware of the problem. Keeping in touch with all concerned people and will do our outmost [sic], even under the current circumstances, to return the passports as soon as possible. We are taking care of Sudanese nationals who are in this situation with the same attention we are devoting to our evacuees. We are actively working to be able to respond quickly to the requests," Niccolo Fontana, the head of communication for Italian Foreign Ministry, said to CNN. CNN also asked the Swedish foreign ministry for comment, but had not received a response by the time of publication. A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross told CNN the aid organization does not issue emergency travel documents to Sudanese citizens trying to leave the country. "I can't imagine, how incredibly difficult it must be for Sudanese people who want to leave the country, but can't do so because they don't have their documents. But unfortunately the ICRC cannot issue emergency travel documents for people to leave their own country," they told CNN in a statement. Sporadic attacks have continued to flare in parts of the capital Khartoum, the epicenter of the power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Civilian hopes of fleeing the danger through safe and legal routes are dwindling, as the clashes persist despite a ceasefire agreement between the Sudanese army and paramilitary forces. On Friday, RSF claimed it had secured all the roads into the capital and controlled 90% of what is Sudan's most populous state. Meanwhile, SAF accused the paramilitary group of violating international humanitarian law and targeting retired military and police officers. "[The RSF] is committing crimes and terrorist practices that have nothing to do with the legacies of the Sudanese people," the SAF said in a statement, vowing a harsh response. Since the conflict broke out, more than 50,000 people have fled Sudan to Chad, Egypt, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said on Twitter on Friday. The number includes both Sudanese nationals and refugees who were forced to return to their countries, Grandi said, warning that the number will continue to rise until the violence stops. India's Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday that it had evacuated "nearly 2,400" Indian citizens from Sudan since the start of the conflict. They were transported out by the Indian Navy and Air Forces in 13 batches. 'Totally unsafe' News of those stranded without passports comes amid a growing chorus of criticism against foreign governments and international aid organizations leading rescue operations to extract their own nationals, leaving locals to fend for themselves. Power, food and water shortages are rampant as the conflict devastates large parts of the country. Fatima -- a pseudonym CNN is using for security reasons -- said she is desperate to leave the country. Two people in her east Khartoum neighborhood were killed in the fighting. But her travel documents are locked in the Italian Embassy, where she said staff members denied her repeated pleas to retrieve her passport. "I'm still trying to communicate with them, trying to explain that this is a critical situation," she said. "Of course no country will allow people to enter their lands without a valid passport." Zara, another Sudanese woman caught up in the passport bind, said her family has refused to leave the country without her. CNN is using a pseudonym for security reasons. The evacuated Dutch Embassy -- where she said her passport has been held for more than three weeks -- has not responded to her attempts to contact them. "I am now an obstacle for my family since they cannot travel and leave me," she told CNN. "Please help end this war. And please consider this passport issue. It might save lives. The house in front of us has been attacked." In a social media exchange seen by CNN, between another visa applicant and the Dutch Embassy, the official Facebook page of the diplomatic mission declined a request to return a withheld passport. "We deeply regret the current situation you're in," the embassy replied to 35-year-old Sarah Abdalla. "We were forced to close the embassy and evacuate our staff. This unfortunately means we can't get to your passport." "We advise to apply [sic] for a new passport with your local authorities," the embassy added. For many, that's not possible. Sudanese government services have been largely suspended in Sudan due to the fighting. "I am in urgent need of my passport to leave to Egypt through the road," Abdalla told CNN. "We are in an unsafe condition and suffering from lack of water in the taps now for 13 days. "We go out threatening our lives to fetch water and usually get salty water. I have four other colleagues [whose] passports [are] stuck and facing the same situation." Nabta Seifelyazal Mohamed Ali, a 20-year-old Sudanese medical student at the University of Khartoum, said she urgently needs to obtain her passport from the Dutch Embassy so she can make the treacherous journey to Egypt with her family, including her mother, father, uncle, and her four siblings. In an email correspondence with the Dutch Embassy, seen by CNN, an embassy worker replied: "We understand your situation but it is not safe enough to reopen our services. We do not know how long this situation will last. If there are any updates we will inform you." Ali said that the family needs to leave their home by Sunday because they are running out of medication for her sick uncle, who has a chronic kidney condition. A bureaucratic nightmare Filmmaker Ahmad Mahmoud, 35, said the Swedish Embassy has held his passport since he applied for a visa to attend Sweden's Malmo Arab Film Festival, which started on April 28. Christina Brooks, the head of migration at the Swedish Embassy in Khartoum, repeatedly told Mahmoud that personnel could not access his passport because they had evacuated the building, according to excerpts of phone messages seen by CNN. "Please please let me know when I can go to the embassy and take my passport. I need to be ready to leave the country. Our building is not safe anymore," Mahmoud said in one excerpted message to Brooks. Brooks replied: "As mentioned, I'm deeply sorry to say that it is not possible." In lieu of travel documents, she recommended he use a photocopy of his passport to exit Sudan and to "collect all other documents of identification" including his marriage certificate, the messages said. "At least it is good that you have a copy if you manage to get out without the actual passport," said Brooks. "I hope that you and your family manage to get out and that you stay safe!" "I can't leave with this," Mahmoud said, attaching a picture of his faded photocopied passport. CNN asked Brooks for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication. When CNN last spoke to Mahmoud on Thursday, he and his wife were en route to the coastal city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea. They will contend with chaotic border crossings, where confused border guards have frequently been denying people passage out of the country, including some Sudanese-American dual nationals. "Not having my passport with me puts crazy, crazy stress on me because my wife is not going to accept leaving without me," he told CNN. Mahmoud said he will attempt to "go to Ethiopia or Egypt from [Port Sudan]. It's going to be a huge, huge problem that I have no idea how to deal with. I'm just hoping for an end to the war, I guess, so I can get a new passport." This story was first published on CNN.com, "We cant get to your passport: People stranded in Sudan after Western diplomats flee without returning travel documents" Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero / The Daily Beast / Getty The race is on to land human explorers on Mars, possibly as early as the 2030s. NASA, the European Space Agency and the China National Space Administration all have plans, however vague, to put people on the Red Planet. But the race to land on Mars risks sideliningand potentially canceling outa separate effort to find evidence of life on Mars, be it living microbes or the remains of other long-dead organisms. When Earth explorers arrive on the Red Planet, theres a good chance theyll bring Earth microbes with them. That could contaminate Mars environment, and make it difficult or even impossible to distinguish Martian organisms from Earth organisms. In our rush to colonize another planet, we might thwart our best chance of finding life on that same planet. Theres a Better Chance of Alien Life on Mars Than We Thought But not if one Florida-based team has anything to say about it. The Agnostic Life Finding AssociationMars, or ALFA Mars, is scrambling to organize an unmanned mission to probe Mars underground ice deposits for the biological signs of present or past life. It would be the first private, uncrewed mission to Mars ever launched, and one that doesnt depend on the whims of NASA, the ESA or the CNSA. Well, at least not entirely. ALFA Mars might need to borrow a ride to Mars. ALFA Mars is a new project of the Foundation for Applied Molecular, a consortium of researchers at the University of Florida, Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Texas. The foundation, which formed in 2001 and has drawn funding from NASA, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, and Department of Energy, aims to understand life, what it is, and how to find it in the cosmos, according to its website. ALFA Mars focuses the foundations attention on Mars. The project hopes to conduct a thorough search for life on Mars before the planned landing of humans significantly increas[es] a risk of false positives, ALFA Mars stated in a press release it sent to reporters on April 18. Story continues The proposed mission is a longshot bid for a history-making astrobiological breakthrough. And its only necessary because, despite lip-service to the contrary, none of the worlds space agencies have prioritized a search for evidence of life on Mars. At least, not since the very first Earth probes to land on the Red Planet: NASAs Viking 1 and Viking 2 in 1976. The Viking probes boiled scoops of Martian soil and analyzed the resulting gas for signs of native biology. NASA scientistswell, all but oneconcluded the soil was lifeless. After this failed attempt to find life, NASA gave up on further attempts, Jan Spacek, the senior research scientist at the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution in Florida and ALFA Mars manager, told The Daily Beast. In the space agencies defense, looking for alien life is really hard when no one knows for sure what alien life would even look like. Its a problem ALFA Mars has grappled with. Since we dont know what potential Martians look like or their biology, we have to rely on characteristics that must apply to life in general, the organization stated. The Plan to Look for Life on VenusWithout NASA Earth life has DNA or RNA. We cannot know if Martians will also have DNA, ALFA Mars stated. But Martian life should at least include some kind of genetic polymer that would transmit information from generation of organisms to the next. It might not be DNA or RNA, but it should function in the same way. And ALFA Mars thinks it can detect it. Thanks to decades of research in synthetic biology, we also know what properties genetic polymers should have, regardless of their origin from any planet, the group stated. ALFA Mars has built a prototype device it calls the Agnostic Life Finder, or ALF. It works by filtering large samples of sparsely microbially populated waterlike we believe exists on Mars, Chris Temby, an undergraduate physics student at the University of California, Santa Barbara and ALFA Mars team member, told The Daily Beast. After separating out salts and other ions, ALFA subsequently concentrates and analyzes genetic information. At least, thats how its supposed to work. We have not yet tested it, Spacek conceded. Jan Spacek, ALFA Mars manager, with a prototype of the life-finder. Jan Spacek The team needs to test and refine the new instrument, then figure out how to get it to Mars before any astronauts or taikonauts step foot on the planet. Ohand theres the money problem, too. Private space exploration is becoming more common. One ALFA Mars team member, MIT astrobiologist Janusz Petkowski, is also helping organize a private mission searching for life on Venus. But paying for these non-government probes is always hard. To test out the life-finder, ALFA Mars has enlisted some of its young scientists-in-trainingundergraduates, graduate students and postdocs from across the United States and Europeto travel to the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island, in northern Canada around a thousand miles from the North Pole, as early as this summer. The icy ground on Devon Island can stand in as a rough approximation of Mars subsurface polar ice caps. It is imperative for us to test ALF in an extreme environment such as the High Canadian Arctic in order to replicate Martian conditions as closely as possible, Yael Brynjegard-Bialik, a University of California, Santa Barbara physicist and ALFA Mars team member, told The Daily Beast. While the students are prodding the Arctic ice, Spacek and other ALFA Mars leaders will be trying to find a solution to a third major challenge: wrangling a ride to the Red Planet. While they could buy their own rocket, the cost and prep time might be prohibitive. The best way for ALFA Mars probe to get to Mars, Spacek said, is to piggyback on a separate mission thats already on the calendarand fully funded. The agnostic life-finding instrument we are developing is a hitchhiker, Spacek said. Theres an obvious candidate. To prepare for human explorers, space agencies and private companies plan to begin establishing robotic factories on Mars that can process ice into drinkable water and rocket fuel for the explorers return voyage. NASAs been studying robotic ice-mining on Mars for decades now. Billionaire Elon Musk, whose rocket company SpaceX is tangled up in NASAs Mars ambitions, clearly sees an opportunity. Hes been talking up the idea of SpaceX building and launching the ice-mining bots that would form the basis of a pre-explorer propellant factory on Mars. To make sure theres a healthy stockpile of rocket fuel on Mars before the people arrive, SpaceXs proposed mining bots might need to depart Earth in the next few years. Roving Packs of Robot Dogs Are Coming to the Moon That could be ALFA Mars best chance at hitching a ride, Spacek said. We believe that we can convince private billionaires or NASA to give ALF a free ride, Spacek said. The pitch is simple: Since you are going to mine water on Mars anyway, if you take ALF with you, you can [also] find life there. Theres a downside to piggybacking a search for life on ice-mining missions. To conduct a thorough survey of the Martian ice caps, astrobiologists would eventually need to piggyback on a lot of mining efforts, all over the Red Planets poles. Science-industry collaborations like this can be great drivers for scientific progress, Niels Ligterink, a physicist at the University of Bern in Switzerland, told The Daily Beast. But the question remains when large-scale Martian ice-mining will become a reality. People might reach Mars before extensive mining infrastructure is in place. Whoever Controls the Moon Controls the Solar System And even with a free ride, ALFA Mars needs a lot of cash. Sending just one team member to the Arctic this summer will cost $20,000. The group wants to send at least two. Then theres the cost of the final life-finder instrument. Its not clear how much that might set ALFA Mars back, but its worth noting that the similar private mission to Venus needed several hundred thousand dollars in startup funding. ALFA Mars will be looking far and wide for money. The group is accepting small donations and also soliciting sponsorships from big companies. Its an uphill climb for a scrappy but ambitious organization. We are still short on funding, Spacek said. At this point, there is a real possibility that we will miss this years opportunity to test ALF in the Arctic. Every year of delay raises the risk that ALFA Mars wont be ready in time to send its life-finder probe to Mars, collect samples and analyze the data before human explorers arrive and spoil the pristine red environment and any microbesliving or deadthat might linger under its surface. 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 private music teacher in Mascoutah has been charged with sexual abuse following an investigation by the Mascoutah Police Department. Reid Setterlund, 46, of the 500 block of North August Street in Mascoutah, is accused of abusing two girls under the age of 18 on or about Feb. 24 at his home, according to Mascoutah Police. Setterlund teaches private music lessons from his home, police stated in a news release on Friday. The St. Clair County States Attorneys office charged Setterlund with: Aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim under 18 years old by a person who holds a position of trust, a Class 1 felony. Indecent solicitation of a child, a Class 3 felony. Setterlund was arrested Wednesday and remains in custody at the St. Clair County Jail on an $85,000 bond. An attorney for Setterlund was not yet listed in the court record as of Saturday. The Mascoutah Police Department asked anyone with additional information related to the investigation to contact law enforcement by calling 618-566-2976 or 618-825-2051. A super PAC that is calling on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to run for president released a new advertisement on Friday, presenting him as the GOP successor to former President Trump in 2024. The Never Back Down PAC, which former senior Trump administration official Ken Cuccinelli founded to urge DeSantis to run, called the ad Winner, presenting DeSantis as the future of the Republican Party. The ad incorporates remarks from speeches DeSantis has given declaring Florida to be a citadel of freedom and where woke goes to die. It also shows a picture of three newspaper covers. The first one on the left shows one from the Des Moines Register with a picture of Trump and the headline Hes hired. The camera then focuses on two on the right, centering on one from The Naples Daily News, a local Florida paper, that has the headline DeSantis does it and one from The New York Post that says DeFuture. Decline is a choice, and freedom is worth fighting for, DeSantis says, as a video of two people placing a DeSantis 2024 sign in their lawn is shown. The ad then shows a man placing a DeSantis for President sticker on top of a Trump 2016 sticker on his vehicle. Here I stand. Im not backing down, the ad concludes. The ad was first shared with ABC News. ABC reported that Never Back Down will show it in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, the four states that vote first during the Republican nominating process. Never Back Down launched another ad earlier this month attacking Trump as a gun-grabber over comments he has made in the past endorsing gun control measures. DeSantis has not formally announced whether he is considering a run for the presidency in 2024, but multiple news outlets have reported that he is planning to get in the race in the coming weeks. NBC News reported that he would join next month, while Bloomberg reported that he would join in June. DeSantis said on Thursday that the reports on his plans are inaccurate, as he has not made any plans for a possible campaign launch event. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Alina Habba, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, arrives at federal court in Manhattan, May 2, 2023. (Anna Watts/The New York Times) NEW YORK During E. Jean Carrolls first day on the witness stand, her lawyer asked what had brought her to a federal courtroom in Manhattan, New York. I am here because Donald Trump raped me, and when I wrote about it, he said it didnt happen, Carroll replied. He lied and shattered my reputation, and I am here to try to get my life back. A day later, Trump, who has denied the attack and called Carroll a liar, campaigned in New Hampshire, joking to a crowd about his changing nicknames for Hillary Rodham Clinton and President Joe Biden. He did not mention Carrolls testimony or the civil trial going on 250 miles away. But he remarked cheerfully on a poll released that day, which showed him far and away leading the 2024 Republican primary field. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Since Trump was indicted last month in a criminal case brought by the Manhattan district attorneys office, his legal travails and his third presidential campaign have played out on a split screen. The courtroom dramas have taken place without news cameras present, even as the race has returned Trump to the spotlight that briefly dimmed after he left the Oval Office. Carrolls harrowing testimony, a visceral demonstration of Trumps legal peril, has emphasized the surreal nature of the divide. Trump is the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. But he has also been indicted on 34 felony false records charges and in Carrolls case faces a nine-person jury that will determine whether he committed rape decades ago. And then there are the other investigations: for election interference, mishandling sensitive documents and his role in the attack on the U.S. Capitol. To see a former and potential future president of the United States confront all these legal issues at once is bizarre, said Jennifer Horn, a former chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party and a vocal opponent of Trump. But whats really disturbing about it is that hes the front-runner for a major political party in this country. And you cant just blame that on him. You have to blame that on the leaders of the party and their primary base. Story continues The past week brought the former president a steady stream of setbacks. Carroll gave detailed and graphic testimony about the encounter with Trump. The judge in the case sought to limit Trumps posts on social media, as did the Manhattan district attorneys office in its own case. And former Vice President Mike Pence testified before a grand jury hearing evidence about Trumps attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Mike Murphy, a Republican political strategist who advised John McCain and Jeb Bush, said that trials and investigations of Trump often create a psychological roller coaster for Trump-hating Democrats, giving them hope that he will be taken down, only to leave them disappointed. Trumps legal problems have yet to create significant political problems given the unflinching loyalty of his core supporters. Since Trump was indicted, his poll numbers have risen. Criminal investigations against him, in Georgia and Washington, as well as Carrolls trial and a civil fraud lawsuit brought by the New York Attorney Generals office, have done little to hamper him with his supporters. The poll he mentioned Thursday predicted that he would receive 62% of the vote in the Republican primary. His closest opponent, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who has not yet declared that he is running, was polling at 16%. But the investigations could cause Trump real harm. If he is convicted in Manhattan, where he pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records, he could face up to four years in prison. Criminal charges in Georgia and Washington could come with steeper punishments. And the New York attorney generals lawsuit against him which accused him of deceiving lenders and insurers by fraudulently overvaluing his assets could exact a heavy financial toll. No matter the outcome, any direct connection between Trumps legal fate in the rape case and his political fortunes is tenuous. But Carrolls lawyers have reshaped a political bombshell from 2016 into a potent legal weapon: They plan to use the Access Hollywood tape on which Trump boasts about grabbing women by the genitals as the basis for a compelling story about a self-styled playboy man-about-town whose modus operandi was assaulting women. Trump said on the tape that when youre a star, they let you do it. When the comments became public during the 2016 election, Trump characterized them as locker room banter, and after his victory, they became an example of his apparent immunity to scandal. In the courtroom, which Trump has avoided, Carrolls team argued that his words were not to be dismissed, even years after they became public. This was not locker room talk, Shawn Crowley, one of her lawyers, said on the first day of the trial. Its exactly what he did to Carroll and to other women. Those other women, named by Crowley as Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff, are expected to testify for Carroll. Carroll described for the jury how a chance meeting with Trump in a Bergdorf Goodman store in New York City in the mid-1990s turned into an encounter that would haunt her for nearly 30 years. The assault, she said, took place in a sixth-floor dressing room. After Trump shut the door, she said, he shoved her against the wall hard enough that she hit her head. He put his mouth against hers, Carroll said, pulled down her tights, put his fingers inside of her vagina and then his penis. Carroll testified that she has been unable to have sex or a romantic relationship since. I am a happy person, basically, but Im aware that I have lost out on one of the glorious experiences of any human being, she said. Being in love with somebody else, making dinner with them, walking the dog together. I dont have that. On Thursday, a lawyer for Trump, Joseph Tacopina, began cross-examining Carroll. He sought to highlight her memory lapses most prominently, her inability to provide the date of the alleged rape and to elicit testimony that he suggested showed the jury how implausible the story seemed. He noted that Carroll herself had written in her 2019 memoir, where she first told her story, that some of the details were odd and inconceivable. It all comes down to: Do you believe the unbelievable? Tacopina said during his opening statement. The jurors, six men and three women, will decide whether Carroll proved by a preponderance of the evidence that Trump committed the assault. Because the trial is civil, he would face monetary damages rather than a conviction. Carrolls lawsuit also seeks a retraction of what the suit says were defamatory comments on his Truth Social website last October, when he called her case a complete con job and a Hoax and a lie. The social platform is one of Trumps most potent political tools. And the legal cases are threatening his ability to use it unhindered. On Tuesday, a prosecutor working for the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, asked the state judge in the false business records criminal case to limit Trump from disseminating evidence online, including on that platform. And on Wednesday, after the former president made Truth Social posts calling Carrolls allegation a made up SCAM and a fraudulent & false story, the federal judge, Lewis Kaplan, said they were entirely inappropriate and suggested the former president was attempting to influence the jury. When, hours later, Kaplan was told by Carrolls lawyer that Trumps son Eric had tweeted an attack on Carrolls case, the judge sternly suggested the former president might face criminal sanction. If I were in your shoes, Kaplan told Tacopina, Id be having a conversation with the client. c.2023 The New York Times Company A fragment of an installation called 'Unbroken Project' by Felipe Jacome and Svitlana Onipko outside the National Opera of Ukraine When Russia invaded Ukraine, artist Zhanna Kadyrova felt her work was useless. "What can you do against a tank with your art? Nothing," she said, sitting in her Kyiv studio. But the 42-year-old changed her mind as galleries around the world snapped up her war-inspired work, raising funds to help civilians and soldiers. The war has sparked huge interest in Ukrainian culture and contemporary artists are finding ways to highlight the horrors the country faces as well as explore ideas about its future. Evacuating to rural western Ukraine without her usual studio and tools, Kadyrova spotted large stones smoothed by river water that resembled Ukrainian loaves of bread. She shaped and sliced them and placed them on a table to create an installation called Palianytsia, a type of traditional wheat bread. The name of the loaf has sparked numerous jokey memes. It is seen as impossible for non-Ukrainians to pronounce correctly and therefore a good way to spot Russian spies. "We came up with this project in a second, and it exceeded all my expectations. I've already had about 40 exhibitions... I've just come back from India, I've been to Thailand, Taiwan, America, Europe," Kadyrova said. "And, of course, after that my disappointment in art disappeared." She talked frankly about the financial benefits, too, as she has used the money to help artists and soldiers and travelled to frontline areas to hand over aid. "We made money like I've never made before," she said. "We spend 100 percent of the money we get from Palianytsia on the army." A Kyiv gallery is currently displaying her "Anxiety" series -- tapestries depicting kitsch flowers and cats, which she over-embroiders with air raid warnings. The tapestries depict "the opposite of war", she said. "When I add the inscription 'Air Alert' to this, I get a contrast. This is our reality." - Ballerina on bullets - Story continues Playing with similar contrasts, an image of a ballerina printed on bullet casings is on display outside the National Opera of Ukraine in central Kyiv. Passers-by take selfies beside the installation, called "Unbroken Project". "I think it's important to remind people that there is still a war going on," said one, Nadiya, an interior designer. For this work, Ecuadorian Felipe Jacome, 37, photographed his collaborator Svitlana Onipko, 26, a Ukrainian ballerina now based in the Netherlands, using an UV-printer to transfer her image onto bullet casings mounted in resin. Onipko danced at the National Opera of Ukraine before war broke out. The photographers are selling smaller versions to raise money for war orphans and supplies for the front lines and have raised "over $50,000," Jacome said. He watched as a pair of middle-aged men posed in front of the work, one holding a cigarette. "The message is immediately understood by people here," he said. He added the artists wanted to display their work "in different places in Europe and in the United States... to continue to shed light on the situation in Ukraine". - 'Toxic ex' - Nearby in Kyiv's PinchukArtCentre gallery, 21-year-old Maksym Khodak was participating in a show by young artists. For his installation, the video artist persuaded two prolific TikTok bloggers to travel with him to the war-torn eastern city of Kharkiv. They spent a few days there in October, under regular shelling and with intermittent electricity and internet. The bloggers, Roman and Viktoriya, came from western Ukraine and had not experienced such heavy fighting before. "You know it's uncool. Lying in bed and at some point getting paranoid that you will be under shelling now," said Roman. Made using the TikTok app, the resulting video work is displayed simultaneously on three separate screens. They constantly stream memes such as ex-British prime minister Boris Johnson dancing with a lightsaber and games shooting Russian "orcs". The group stayed in a building that was once home to avant-garde Soviet writers and artists who experimented with utopian ideas and were killed in Stalin-era repressions. The building was shelled in March last year. "I started to think about what the new political language can be -- basically how to speak with my generation," Khodak said. He encouraged 20-something bloggers to talk in their own way about the future of Ukraine. Viktoriya described Ukraine's "co-dependence" with Russia, while Roman likened it to "a toxic ex" who is "triggering you". "We don't want to have anything to do with the past," he said. am-jbr/lcm Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the assistant House Democratic leader, said the debt limit bill backed by Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will be dead on arrival in the Senate. Clyburn said Saturday in an interview on MSNBC that he does not believe the Lift, Save, Grow Act which the House narrowly passed in a 217-215 vote on Wednesday itself will bring President Biden to negotiate on raising the debt ceiling, but negotiations can start after the House bill is dead. In fact, it may die somewhere around Statuary Hall before it ever gets on to the Senate, Clyburn said. So it will be dead on arrival, and then, thats when the negotiations start. The sensible people in the Senate will be sitting down with the White House. Theyll hammer out something, he added. The South Carolina Democrat said the negotiators will come up with a proposal that makes sense for the American people and the White House. He added that McCarthy knows the House bill that passed is a joke that was merely pushed through just to get it out of the body. The bill passed the House with all but four Republicans Reps. Ken Buck (Colo.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.) and Tim Burchett (Tenn.) voting in favor and all Democrats voting against it. The legislation would raise the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion or through the end of next March, whichever comes first, in exchange for a wide range of cuts in government spending. It would limit spending growth to 1 percent every year for the next decade, cap federal funding during the fiscal appropriations process at fiscal year 2022 levels and end the Biden administrations student debt relief actions. It would also increase work requirements for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as food stamps. Republicans do not expect the House bill to become law but hope it will drive Biden to negotiate with them on a deal to pair raising the debt limit with spending cuts in order to avoid a default. Biden has called for a clean bill to just raise the debt ceiling which experts say could come as early as the summer. Story continues Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the bill an extremist, right-wing agenda on Wednesday. The president can no longer ignore by not negotiating, McCarthy told reporters after the bill passed. Sen. Schumer, if he thinks hes got a plan, put it on the floor, see if you can pass it, and then we can go to conference. But now, the president can no longer put this economy in jeopardy, the House Speaker said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan subpoenaed three government agencies on Friday as part of a Republican-led investigation into allegations of censorship. The subpoenas were sent to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Jen Easterly, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA); and James P. Rubin, Special Envoy and Coordinator for the State Department's Global Engagement Center. Jordan, R-Ohio, is requesting they provide his committee with communications between their agencies and private companies and third-party groups to determine if the agencies "coerced, pressured, worked with, or relied upon social media and other tech companies in order to censor speech," Jordan wrote in letters announcing the subpoenas. Jordan alleged that the agencies have failed to respond or produce any documents responsive to the committee's request for voluntary cooperation with the three agencies in March. But that's disputed by the Department of Homeland Security, which houses CISA, and the Department of Health and Human Services, which houses the CDC, both of which suggested that the subpoenas were unnecessary. "The Department of Homeland Security does not censor speech and does not request that content be taken down by social media companies," a DHS spokesperson told NBC News in an emailed statement. "Instead of working with the Department, as numerous committees have done this Congress, the House Judiciary Committee has unnecessarily escalated to a subpoena. DHS will continue cooperating appropriately 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." A source familiar with the process said that the DHS was working to gather the requested information when the committee issued its subpoena. Story continues A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told NBC News in an email that HHS received the subpoena and complies with "legitimate oversight requests." "In this case, HHS promptly responded to Chairman Jordans March 22, 2023, letter by the requested deadline and informed the Chairman that HHS intends to cooperate with his inquiry," the statement read. "Since then, HHS did not hear from Chairman Jordan or his staff until they informed the Department that the Chairman intended to issue a subpoena. HHS does not censor speech and as part of its mission to protect public health, HHS and CDC remain committed to sharing data and science so Americans can make informed decisions about their health. In response, Jordan spokesman Russell Dye said: HHS has stonewalled legitimate Congressional oversight for over a month, and we look forward to their complete and total compliance with our subpoena." "We gave the CDC over a month to produce documents to our committee, and unfortunately, they have not produced a single one," he added. "Any reasonable congressional committee would resort to similar measures." The State Department did not immediately respond to NBC Newss request for comment. In announcing the subpoenas, Jordan alleged that the "Twitter Files" exposed government collaboration with "Big Tech" to censor viewpoints, which his committee is working to provide evidence of. Since gaining control of the House in the 2022 midterms, Republicans have used their majority to spotlight their allegations that the government unfairly targets conservatives. The Republican-led Judiciary Committee created a new Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, which is also chaired by Jordan. In the subcommittee's first hearing in February, ranking member Del. Stacey Plaskett, D-Virgin Islands., said she was deeply concerned about the use of this select subcommittee as a place to settle scores, showcase conspiracy theories and advance an extreme agenda that risks undermining Americans faith in our democracy. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Royce Williams joined the U.S. Navy as an aviation cadet following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He remained in college and became a naval aviator by the end of World War II. He learned to fly the F9F-5 Panther jet and was assigned to active duty in the Korean War, where he would engage in one of the most impressive airborne battles in naval aviation history. "I had a fair amount of training under my belt," Williams told Fox News. "I was eager to do my part and I didn't in any way think it was going to involve shooting down enemy airplanes." On Nov. 18, 1952, Williams was assigned to USS Oriskany which was stationed in the Sea of Japan. "Our primary mission was air support and anti-air logistics," Williams said. "There was a major city about halfway between the border and Soviet Union called Chongjin. We basically stationed the carriers and the other ships in that area so that we could hit a city called Hoeryong. It had major supplies of manufacturing and warehousing." Details of Navy Capt. Royce Williams' heroics had been classified. U.S. NAVY WARSHIP SUCCESSFULLY INTERCEPTS MEDIUM-RANGE BALLISTIC MISSLE IN TEST Williams was on the first flight out that morning. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "It was ripe with targets, and we struck, and then I went back, landed and was informed to get something to eat because I had the next flight coming up for the combat air patrol." Williams and three other Panther pilots would launch in blizzard-like conditions, heavy winds and snow. They climbed 12,000 feet to clear sky. During their ascent, the lead pilot had a warning light on for his planes fuel system. He and his wingman were ordered to turn back to the Oriskany. Williams was also receiving communications from the ship, warning him of inbound, unidentified aircraft coming from the north. "As we popped on top, I scanned and I saw seven aircraft contrails," Williams said. "I now had the lead and a wingman that I'd never flown with before, but we were assigned to intercept." Story continues Williams and his wingman climbed in the direction of the MiGs at full throttle. Four broke away and started approaching the Americans, opening fire. "There was no intention of any harm. We didn't intend to have any killing going on," Williams said. There is a new push to recognize and honor Capt. Royce Williams' achievements. U.S. AIR FORCE SERVICE MEMBER FOUND DEAD IN SAN ANTONIO HOME, OFFICIALS SAY He later wrote in his once-classified report on the battle, that it was then that he identified the planes as MiGs. Williams returned fire, sending the first plane spiraling into the sea. His wingman broke away to follow the downed plane. Williams continued firing at any planes in sight. "Two broke right and one left for a coordinated attack. I had planned to attack the single plane but lost him in the sun, so I countered to the right into the first attacking plane." Williams wrote he tried to get on the tail of the MiGs. It was then he would straighten his flightpath and fire at close range. "When the MiG was hit or had observed me it seemed to stop in mid-air as though it dropped speed brakes. I had to wrap it up to the right to avoid collision," he wrote. The fight would eventually become one of the longest dogfights known in naval aviation. "35 minutes," Williams said. "I just had another MiG smoking, losing speed and altitude, and I ran out of ammunition." Most dogfights last two or three minutes and exceptional cases last up to five. Williams had taken down at least five MiGs during the 35-minute battle but knew he needed to return to the Oriskany. "I had the guy go in and quit when I ran out of ammunition, but it gave plenty of time to make me a target," Williams said. "I looked and I saw him made a quick maneuver, but he got me just as I turned and the damage was done." USS Oriskany was named for the Revolutionary War's Battle of Oriskany. IRAN SEIZES SHIP ALL GULF OF OMAN, US NAVY SAYS His Panther was in bad shape. "I got all kind of battle-scarred and lost pretty much the capability to fight." Williams considered ejecting but decided to try and make it back to the Oriskany. He was able to land safely and counted 263 bullet holes and a 37-millimeter shell gash in the Panther. Another classified report revealed the planes were Soviet MiG-15s and had been ordered to attack the U.S. aircraft. Williams battle was also classified as top secret because officials feared the incident might cause a devastating increase in tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union. "I had been warned, informed, told not to talk about it. Even that is in direct order," Williams said. "I didn't talk to anybody, including my wife." The events were declassified nearly 65 years later in 2017. Williams said a friend told him the events were now made public. "He said, there's more to the story than has been let out, isn't there? And I said, well, more or less," Williams explained. "I didn't know anyone to tell my story to. I told it to my wife. And she said, Oh, Royce." Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., is working to get Capt. Williams recognized for his accomplishments. "This is even before the latest redo of Top Gun, because here's somebody who flew off the Oriskany, which is talked about in the first Top Gun, downed MiGs, basically single-handedly, and then had it classified so that none of us knew about it for more than a generation," Issa said. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol presented retired Navy Capt. Royce Williams with the Taegeuk Order of Military Merit. ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, APRIL 27, 1805, US MARINES ATTACK SHORES OF TRIPOLI, KEY VICTORY IN BARBARY WARS Issa, a former Army captain, met Williams at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in California a few years ago. He said he was inspired by the little-known battle. "It's an amazing story of what would have had an absolute impact on the war had we known that Captain Williams was in a dogfight with Soviet aircraft," Issa said. "That would have been essentially World War III." President Eisenhower even traveled to Seoul, South Korea, to meet with Williams and to discuss the then-classified information in person. "It was important for Eisenhower to know what had been classified, but too important for the public to know for half a century," Issa said. MARINE LANCE CORPORAL REPORTEDLY KILLED BY GUN DISCHARGE IN TRUCK IN CALIFORNIA South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was in Washington this week for a state visit. He took the time to honor several Korean War veterans including Williams. Yoon presented him with the Taegeuk Order of Military Merit. "They've been teasing me with presents and whatnot until the moment today. Meeting the president and getting their highest award, the equivalent of the Medal of Honor," Williams said. "I think it's a little overblown. But I've been thrilled." Issa is still working to get Williams the highest U.S. military award, but Defense officials have yet to sign on because they believe upgrading Williams sets a bad precedent since the dogfight is not recorded in official U.S. records. "The reality is we believe that if the facts get to the president's desk, he will award the Medal of Honor, as it could not be awarded, but should have been awarded by Eisenhower a generation ago," Issa explained. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol honoring Capt. Royce Williams, seen at right. Williams met with nearly a dozen midshipmen from the Naval Academy during his visit to Washington. He hopes to inspire other young people to join the military. "My thinking is that the world changes. Now versus the 1920s. We're not quite the same nation. Nor do I see the same outlet of young people who I feel should be thinking about a career in the military," Williams said. "If I have any chance to speak to groups, I try and encourage them to think about it. We need them and they're hard to come by. My purpose, I guess with what time I have, is to try and promote that." The Washington Commanders finally selected an offensive lineman Friday night, drafting Arkansas center Ricky Stromberg at No. 97 overall. One of the better centers in the draft, Stromberg was a four-year starter in the SEC and won the Jacobs Trophy as the leagues top blocker in 2022. He will likely compete for a starting role as a rookie, either at center or guard. After Washington selected Stromberg, he met with the local Washington media via Zoom. To say Stromberg was excited would be an understatement. Courtesy of Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, here is Stromberg talking about how fired up he was to be heading to Washington. According to a person with knowledge of the situation Ricky Stromberg is so hyped right now. pic.twitter.com/oMBkWtGDPb Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) April 29, 2023 It wont take long for Stromberg to be a fan favorite. Story originally appeared on Commanders Wire Republican Party officials plan to keep private an internal "autopsy" report assessing why many of their candidates fell short in the 2022 midterm elections, two people familiar with the party's thinking on the matter told NBC News on Friday. In late November, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced that the party would conduct a post-election review of the GOP's disappointing performance in a cycle that should have favored Republicans. A panel created by the Republican National Committee has completed a draft of the introduction of the report, but in a break from past practice, it's not likely to be widely available. I believe that the post-election analysis is meant to be for internal use only; taking the lessons weve learned so we can improve, one RNC member said. I dont think it will be made publicly available. After the 2012 presidential election, the RNC commissioned a frank review of the partys shortcomings at the ballot box and publicly released recommendations for the future. The resulting 100-page report, titled the "Growth & Opportunity Project, provided an unsparing look at the partys struggle to win over voters and communicate a winning message. Many of the suggestions were brushed aside by the partys next standard-bearer, Donald Trump, who went on to defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. After his defeat in 2020, Trump played an outsize role in the midterms elections two years later, vetting Republican candidates and endorsing those who championed his agenda. Yet the draft introduction of the report doesnt mention his name, nor that of any candidates, according to a person familiar with the matter. The RNC has pledged to be neutral in the 2024 GOP presidential primaries. Given that Trump is running again, the source said, the draft purposely omitted his name so as to preserve the RNCs neutrality and avoid the appearance that it is favoring one candidate or another. Story continues But the omission rankled at least one RNC member. It would be malpractice to write a report about the 2022 midterms and not mention Donald Trump, said William Palatucci, a Republican National Committeeman from New Jersey. Whether it was Kari Lake or Blake Masters in Arizona, or Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania, or Herschel Walker in Georgia, these are acolytes of Donald Trump," Palatucci said. "Those candidates and the former president bear the burden of explaining why we lost. A draft introduction of the report was reported on in recent days by The Washington Post, CNN and The Associated Press. Those outlets detailed a report that notes the need for Republicans to focus on the future rather than re-litigate the past a nod to Trumps unrelenting false claim that the 2020 election was stolen. The Associated Press reported that the draft also said Republicans underestimated the impact of the Supreme Courts overturning of Roe v. Wade months before the election. NBC News has not seen a copy of the draft. In January, Henry Barbour, who is co-chair of the review, said the RNC planned to closely examine Trumps role in the electoral defeats last fall. He also said the panel would get into the weeds on everything from the former presidents role to ticket splitting. Looking at President Trump, what has he gotten right? And what has he gotten wrong? And how do we learn from that to win elections going forward? Barbour said at the time. And so I think were going to work our way through all of those various issues and dynamics to hopefully lay out our recommendations that will put the party in a much stronger position to win going forward. Barbour declined to comment Friday. Trump, the GOPs current presidential frontrunner, has deflected blame for midterm defeats and instead said it was abortion that weakened Republicans in key swing state races. At the RNCs winter meetings in California earlier this year, Barbour and Tyler Bowyer, an RNC committeeman from Arizona, argued behind closed doors over whether candidate quality a euphemism for Trumps failed endorsements explained the partys underwhelming performance. Bowyer argued the problem was not candidate quality but a lack of resources offered to high-profile, hardline nominees who lost. Typically, the party that controls the White House the Democrats in this case suffers substantial losses in the midterms. While the GOP narrowly wrested control of the House in 2022, President Joe Bidens party defied expectations by retaining command of the Senate. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Early Friday morning, Qwinntavus Kwame Jordan allegedly robbed the Circle K Gas Station at 6125 State Road 100 East in Palm Coast, making off with $90 in cash and other items, and then headed north on I-95, according to police. But Flagler County Sheriff's deputies, using "investigative means," according to an extensive and detailed Facebook post, were aware of where the man was going. He was located by the St. Johns County Sheriffs Office. Qwinntavus Kwame Jordan The chase begins Jordan's vehicle was pursued by the Florida Highway Patrol, the St. Johns County Sheriffs Office, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office, and the Nassau County Sheriffs Office on I-95 until it reached the Florida-Georgia line, according to the post. Once Jordan got to Georgia, the Camden County Sheriffs Office took over the pursuit, and the Kingsland Police Department put out "stop sticks" on I-95 and the vehicle came to a halt. Jordan then fled on foot. He entered a nearby convenience store, brandished a firearm, and demanded the clerks car keys. He then took the clerks vehicle and started to flee but somehow managed to crash the vehicle through the front of the convenience store. Shot 8 times He then got out of the vehicle and chased the clerk and a customer through the store and a struggle ensued. But the clerk, who was now armed, shot the suspect "approximately eight times," according to Georgia authorities. He was taken into custody and transported to a hospital in critical condition. More: FPC student arrested, accused of threatening to kill 2 other students, sheriff says. The investigation is "active and ongoing" with several law enforcement agencies involved including the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Flagler County Sheriffs Office. Wanted fugitive At the time of the robbery, Jordan was also a fugitive wanted for armed robbery in Coffee County, Georgia. The warrants had been issued on April 27th. Police don't know why he was in Flagler County. Story continues Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly commended his team for its fast action and thanked all the agencies that assisted in apprehending the fugitive. I also commend the Georgia store clerk that put a swift end to this dirtbag's crime spree," he stated in the post. "If he survives his injuries, he should spend a long time in prison. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Suspect shot 8 times by clerk after police chase ends in Georgia As part of an ongoing conversation about school resource officers, the State College Community Oversight Board held a meeting Thursday to hear parents and community members experiences. The Community Oversight Board oversees the State College Police Department, which is where the districts two full-time school resource officers are employed. The district held events in February about the role of SROs, but COB chair Cynthia Young said the COBs event was more focused on community experiences. It seemed like an important opportunity for us to say what are peoples experiences with the SRO? Young said. So we wanted to have an event that allowed people just to say what theyve experienced. Throughout the open mic portion, attendees were split on support for the SROs and the need for security. Some parents asked that the district consider adding more than two full-time and one part-time officer in the district. Many said they were comfortable with State Highs SRO, John Aston, but questioned how the district could ensure future SROs have the same temperament. The district has a one-year memorandum with the State College Police Department that will go in front of the board again in September. Other parents questioned the role of SROs and their level of involvement with students. Parent Zachary Morgan said he does not feel comfortable having his children interact with police officers in the building. The community has to decide if what they want to do is have a police officer whos there to protect from outside threats, or if what theyre doing is trying to train people to interact with police, Morgan said. Those are two different very, very different goals. And I think the contract needs to be clear on what were hiring people for. Out of the three dozen gathered in the room at Schlow Centre Region Library, students were notably absent. Only one State High student attended the meeting. Although the event was open to students and parents, Young said she had heard that students feared speaking publicly about the topic of SROs. Story continues I have been approached by more than one person saying that they (are) ... or have talked to people who are scared to say anything, because they think they could be retaliated against or it could have some impact on them, Young said. Board president Jackie Huff said there are other ways for students to get involved in the conversation around SROs, including a second school climate survey that was recently sent out. Survey results are not yet public but will contain information on how students react to SROs and safety in the building. The board also conducted a listening session with students at the high school on Monday, discussing several topics including SROs. Huff, along with board members Peter Buck and Carline Crevecoeur, were in attendance Thursday alongside school board candidates Michelle Young and Megan Layng. I really came to listen because like anytime we have community input, especially around an issue where people have such strong feelings and such divided opinions, Huff said. Its really good to just be here and dedicate time to listening and trying to understand where everyones coming from. Following the event, the COB will write up a report with recommendations for the borough and the SCPD. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to soon announce his bid for US president, failed to make a favourable impression on UK power players during an international trade mission this week, according to reports. The governor and his wife, after making stops in Israel, Japan and Korea, finished the trip in London, where he met with senior business figures at an event hosted by Lloyds, the worlds largest insurance marketplace and where attendees told Politico they found the politicians appearance to be lacklustre and even low-wattage. He had been to five different countries in five days and he definitely looked spent, but his message wasnt presidential, one businessperson told Politico. He was horrendous. Ron DeSantis leaves the Foreign Office in London after meeting Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly (AP) The event was attended by more than 50 representatives of UK firms and business lobbying groups, the outlet reported. Another business figure who called the presidents behavior low-wattage said: Nobody in the room was left thinking, this mans going places ... It felt really a bit like we were watching a state-level politician. I wouldnt be surprised if [people in attendance] came out thinking thats not the guy. Mr DeSantis, however, is believed to be launching his campaign to be the guy next month in a bid to defeat former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. A veteran with a conservative track record and a charismatic, former journalist wife, the Florida father-of-three is seen by many within Republican circles as less polarising than the 45th president. Opponents, however, gloated over the muted UK response to DeSantis. The reviews are in from DeSantis trip to Britain and they are absolutely brutal, anti-GOP group MeidasTouch tweeted to its one million followers, quoting the Politico story and its criticisms from one attendee that the governor looked bored and stared at his feet. DeSantis trip abroad was a complete and utter disaster from start to finish, the tweet concluded. Story continues The reviews are in from DeSantis trip to Britain and they are absolutely brutal. DeSantis met with titans of British industry in an event co-hosted by Lloyds of London the worlds largest insurance marketplace. And to say they were unimpressed is an understatement. pic.twitter.com/QGspcWovIU MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) April 29, 2023 It was the second overseas trade mission of his governorship, organized by the states economic-development agency, Enterprise Florida, and his office told the Miami Herald the trip came at no cost to the taxpayer, though his press secretary provided no details. During the governors first trade mission to Israel in 2019, the paper reported, documents showed that a major source of private funds for the governors previous trade mission in Israel came from 12 private donors, including a donor to the governors political action committee, Friends of Ron DeSantis, the paper wrote. It is unclear whether the financial dynamics will be the same for this years trade mission. DeSantis leaves the Lloyds Bank building in London after a meeting with business leaders (REUTERS) The trip began in Japan, where Mr DeSantis and his wife were joined by Florida Secretary of Commerce Laura DiBella and Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd. The governor then travelled to Israel and Korea before ending the trip in the UK. The mission will build on economic relationships Florida has with each country, and the Governor will meet with business executives and government leaders to discuss ways in which Florida can expand economic partnerships, the governors office said in a release announcing the trip on 20 April. While Mr DeSantis may have come in for criticism at the Lloyds event, he also came under fire for another meeting even thanks to a tweet from his own press secretary. Posting a photo of his boss with Kemi Badenoch, the British Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and a rising star on the right of the Conservative Pary Mr Griffin wrote that Mr DeSantis had met the woman who has been branded by British media as the Anti-woke darling of the right. Two great conservative fighters on mission. Another Twitter user took aim at the photo not for its political content but, cheekily, for its aesthetic. THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM WITH MEN'S PANTS DeSantis' outfit here illustrates one of the most common problems with pantsand the one that requires a bit of know-how to fix. So let's talk about it. https://t.co/URXH4LmTba derek guy (@dieworkwear) April 29, 2023 THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM WITH MENS PANTS, tweeted menswear writer Derek Guy, @dieworkwear. DeSantis outfit here illustrates one of the most common problems with pants and the one that requires a bit of know-how to fix. So lets talk about it, he wrote, with the accompanying emoji of a spool of thread and a subsequent Twitter thread about how to achieve properly worn trousers. While the British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted a picture of his meeting with Mr DeSantis, as did Ms Badenoch, the Florida governors account had not tweeted any pictures of his trip to the UK as of Saturday morning although pictures of his trip to Israel had been featured. The Independent has reached out to the governors office for comment. Dmytro Lubinets Lubinets said the Russians opened the case against the girl when it became known that the Ukrainian authorities were attempting to obtain her return from Russia. He did not give details of the nature of the criminal case. We showed (at a meeting of the UN Security Council of which Russia is currently the president ed.) a photo of this girl, Lubinets said. She is 14 years old, and she was taken by the Russians quite deliberately, and they are deliberately keeping her virtually captive and not allowing other Ukrainian children to see her. When we started dealing with the issue of returning her return, Russia allegedly opened criminal proceedings against her there, Read also: Russian special services obstructing return of Ukrainian children home ombudsman According to him, the girl was examined by doctors without the permission of her parents. Lubinets added that the Russians had said they would not return the child until the "court case" is completed. He said believes that this case once again shows that Russia does not want to return Ukrainian children that it has deported from the occupied parts of Ukraine. "Just think about (this) cynicism: Theres a mother in Ukraine, she is looking for her child, and the Russians, knowing this, invent some kind of court case solely in order not to hand over the girl, so that it would not set a precedent of us (Ukrainians) being able to take back our Ukrainian children." Read also: Ukraine returns over 2,000 people from Russian captivity during full-scale war, Malyar says Lubinets called on the UN not only to express deep concern, but also to create an effective mechanism for the return of deported Ukrainian children home from Russia. He believes that the UN should create a special mission that would go to Russia to take away the Ukrainian children who are there. Ukraine has handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross a list of more than 19,000 Ukrainian children who have been illegally deported by the Russian occupiers from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Story continues On March 17, the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Netherlands issued arrest warrants for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and his children's rights ombudsman, Maria Lvova-Belova. They are both accused of illegally deporting children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation in the period from Feb. 24, 2022. In its resolution, PACE welcomed the decision of the International Criminal Court. The dictator can be arrested on the territory of 123 countries that have ratified the Rome Statute. 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 T-90M tanks take part in a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022. Bai Xueqi/Xinhua via Getty Images A Russian colonel has been accused of stealing seven engines meant for T-90 battle tanks. Colonel Alexander Denisov has been arrested and could face up to 10 years in prison. The engines are estimated to value roughly 20.5 million rubles, or around $260,000. A Russian army commander has been arrested in connection with the alleged theft of engines meant for advanced T-90 battle tanks. Investigators accuse Colonel Alexander Denisov of stealing seven tank engines valuing roughly 20.5 million rubles, around $260,000, between November 2021 to April 2022, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported. The V-92C2 engines were intended to be installed in T-90 tanks, investigators said. Denisov, who was the head of the technical support department of the Southern Military District, was arrested last month. The colonel's lawyers objected to Denisov being held at a pre-trial detention center and pointed to his long military record, but an appellate court upheld the decision. Denisov has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers say he is innocent of the charges. He could face up to 10 years in prison, the appeal ruling says, according to Kommersant. Reports of rampant corruption have long plagued the Russian military. Since the war began, reports have revealed that fuel meant for tanks was sold on the black market, and soldiers were sent to the front line with little to no equipment. Earlier this month six Russian logistics officers were found guilty of stealing aviation fuel in separate thefts and earning millions of rubles from it, according to Russian outlet Tayga.info. The allegations of corruption in the Russian military are not new. In 2019, army officers from the same Southern Military District were convicted of a similar theft that Denisov is accused of, Kommersant noted. Russia is believed to have lost nearly 2,000 tanks throughout the conflict, according to open-source intelligence analysis by Oryx, which would make up roughly half the pre-invasion tank force. Story continues Retreating Russian troops have been reported to have left behind T-90 tanks, which are among Moscow's most advanced. Over a year into the invasion, Russia's army has been forced to send older equipment, including 70-year-old T-55 tanks. Read the original article on Business Insider Danish military video of bubbles in Baltic Sea where Nord Stream pipeline leaked. Danish Defense Command A Russian navy ship was photographed near the Nord Stream pipelines before they were blown up. It was previously unknown that the specialist SS-750, that carries a mini-sub, was in the area. International probes into the underwater bombings are yet to produce conclusive results. A Russian navy vessel was seen near the Nord Stream gas pipelines four days before they were sabotaged by explosions, a new report says. The SS-750 navy ship, which carries a small submarine, was tracked by a Danish patrol boat in the Baltic Sea near the sites of the explosions, according to Danish newspaper Information. The Danish military confirmed it took 26 photographs of the Russian ship on September 22 last year but said the photos were classified. The prosecutor leading Sweden's investigation, Mats Ljungqvist, confirmed the existence of the photographs, which were previously unknown to the public. "This is not new information to us," Ljungqvist told AFP on Friday. Ljungqvist said he could not comment on the significance of the photographs to the investigation. It has previously been reported that various other Russian vessels had been photographed in the area, but this is the first time it has been confirmed that the specific Russian vessel SS-750 was sighted. "It's incredibly interesting. The SS-750 is a special vessel that is designed precisely for underwater operations," intelligence expert Joakim von Braun told Information. A former Danish intelligence officer and now analyst Jacob Kaarsbo said that the information "sheds light on what was going on in the area in the days before". "The SS-750 is the most interesting vessel to confirm because we know it has the capacity to carry out such an operation," Kaarsbo said. "It's incredibly interesting. The SS-750 is a special vessel that is designed precisely for underwater operations," the Swedish researcher, Russia expert, and intelligence expert Joakim von Braun told Information. Story continues Gas leaks were reported in the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to northern Germany, after the suspected sabotage. Yasin Demirci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images International authorities have been investigating after a series of underwater bombings struck the gas pipelines which transported natural gas from Russia to Germany in September last year. Many US officials and Western analysts initially suspected Russia was behind the sabotage, which Russia denied. Investigations are yet to provide conclusive results, and Russia has, at times, without any evidence, blamed the United States. In March, The New York Times reported that intelligence indicated that a pro-Ukrainian group unaffiliated with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might have been behind the attack. The Ukrainian government has denied any involvement, and Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the theory. The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines were not operational at the time of the attack due to disputes between Russia and the European Union. Read the original article on Business Insider The Russian state TV channel "Russia 1" released video footage of a high-rise building destroyed by a Russian missile in Uman, Cherkasy Oblast, as the alleged shelling of the occupied Donbas by the Ukrainian army. Source: Radio Svoboda and Voice of America project "Nastoyashchee Vremia." Details: The TV channel "Nastoiastchee Vremia" published a fragment of the plot on "Russia 1", comparing it with a video of the destruction in Uman. "Ukrainian militants again shelled the territory of Donbas tonight," Russian propagandists claim, showing footage of a house in Uman where a Russian missile destroyed the entrance. Background: Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Occupying forces in Crimea have called for attacks on Odesa after a fire at an oil depot in Russian-annexed Sevastopol. Source: Olga Kovitidi, a so-called "senator from Crimea", quoted by The Insider Quote from Kovitidi: "About the attack by a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone on Sevastopol and the fire at an oil depot in Kozacha Bay. We have no time for slow dancing. What has happened requires appropriate and tough decisions and actions. All oil storage facilities in Odesa must be destroyed. A strategic decision to neutralise Odesa as a Ukrainian military base must be made." For reference: Kovitidi was a member of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea from 2006 to 2014, and after the annexation, she began to cooperate with the Russians. Since then, she has held the position of "senator". Background: Mikhail Razvozhaev, the so-called "Governor of Sevastopol", reported that a fuel storage tank was burning in Kozacha Bay, which he said had been caused by a drone strike on the night of 29 April. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The Russians are far from capturing the "road of life" between Chasiv Yar and Bakhmut, which is used for supplying food, medicine, weapons and other necessary things for the military and civilians. Source: Serhii Chrevatyi, spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in an interview with ZN.UA Quote: "For several weeks, the Russians have been talking about seizing the 'road of life', as well as about constant fire control over it. In reality, everything is different. Yes, it is really difficult there because their attempts to seize the road continue, as well as attempts to establish fire control. But thanks to the military forces, special operations, and artillerymen, the Defence Forces do not allow the Russians to cut off our logistics." Details: The spokesman said that engineers and logistics staff are also working, paving new paths. All this together allows them to deliver weapons, medicines, food, and ammunition to Bakhmut, as well as pick up the wounded. "Heavy battles are going on, but there is no panic or lack of control. Everyone is acting according to predetermined scenarios. The situation is fully controlled by the General Staff, plus we see all the enemy's intentions and prevent them with fire. All this in a complex allows us to continue keeping Bakhmut [under Ukraines control]," Cherevatyi added. He also said that the Russians are forced to involve paratroopers in the battles in Bakhmut because the Wagnerites are "running out". According to Cherevatyi, the Russians are trying to destroy the infrastructure in Bakhmut as much as possible to make it difficult for the Armed Forces to defend themselves. "The Russians are now doing everything to destroy the city's infrastructure as much as possible because it is quite difficult to navigate in the built-up area. This is done so that we cannot use the fortifications to build defences," he said. Story continues The spokesman added that the Russians are trying to attack wherever there is an opportunity. This is what the Armed Forces of Ukraine are doing, striking at the advance in urban development. The defence forces attempt to act in such a way as to make the occupiers' tasks as difficult as possible. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russian occupiers continue to loot occupied territories; in Luhansk Oblast, they are looting the homes of local residents. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook Quote: "Russian occupiers continue to loot in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. In the village of Bokovo-Khrustalne, Luhansk Oblast, servicemen of the Russian occupation forces are looting the homes of local residents." Background: Earlier, it was reported that residents of Kherson Oblast were left without electricity due to looting by the occupiers. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Sacramento is a tale of two cities. On one hand, our beloved Sacramento Kings are division champions for the first time in 20 years. On the other hand, many of our community members are suffering from financial stress. In one breath, we speak of individuals thriving after COVID restrictions; in the next, we empathize with community members grieving loved ones lost from the pandemic. Sacramento is due to elect a new mayor in 2024. As we begin to think about the next leaders for our city, we must recognize that it is time to usher in a new generation of thinkers who are able to address the difficult nature of race, socioeconomic issues, social determinants of health and the criminal justice system. Sacramento is touted as one of the most diverse cities in the nation, yet extremist groups like the Proud Boys continue to disrupt school board meetings. The disparities throughout our city are rampant. Opinion We house our most vulnerable foster youth in cells; meanwhile, the Office of Youth Developments vision is for all young folks to have the highest-quality youth development experiences. Drive around Sacramento and you can find magnificent infill projects, only to turn the corner and see the 2023 version of shanty towns. Sacramentos next mayor will face a 67% increase in individuals who live unhoused and with housing insecurity, while also seeing a boom in infill projects. They will face issues that exist in a complicated landscape. Our city is experiencing the same societal pains the nation is feeling, and ideals that are not in line with the needs of communities. People are experiencing the world differently, and our current politicians are incapable of addressing these differences. Our tale of two cities reality is complex. Social determinants of health and health disparities, xenophobia in the midst of racial and ethnic diversity, education fueling the pipeline to the criminal justice system and implicit biases leading to explicit police violence are just a few of the challenges our political leaders face. Story continues Our new mayor will need to imagine a Sacramento that can serve all of its citizens. They will need to channel their frustrations into policy solutions that inspire us all. For years, weve talked about the leaders of the future. Now, Sacramento is at a tipping point. We can tip forward, toward a future where all of our citizens are cared for, or we can tip backwards, to our detriment. Our next election will decide which fate well choose. We can no longer watch our city be divided into the haves and have-nots. Everyone should have access to affordable housing and opportunities to work for a life-sustaining wage. Everyone should be able to feel safe in their communities. As candidates begin to announce their mayoral run, we must choose the visionary leader who will transparently unify Sacramento into the one great city we all deserve. Its time to think about what we want in 2024. And, most importantly: Who can do the job? Dr. Addie Ellis is vice president of the Sacramento chapter of Black Women Organized for Political Action and a consultant focused on racial and cultural equity whose research explores the impacts of homelessness and poverty on communities. Tina Reynolds is president of Uptown Studios, Inc. and a longtime advocate for equity in Sacramento. Saturday is your last chance to see Stone Mountains iconic laser show. A new laser show that officials are calling bigger and better will arrive soon. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Last month, officials confirmed to Channel 2s Veronica Griffin that the new show will have more fireworks, more flames, new music and a drone show. Griffin spoke with tourists who came from across the country last month to see the mountain known for its carving of Confederate leaders Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Abel Donis, from California, says he timed his visit just right because he wanted to see the classic laser show. TRENDING STORIES: Its something were kind of looking forward to, Donis said. The Oberholtzer family from Pennsylvania said they were hoping to see the new show, but are just a little too early. We were hoping to check it out, but its not open for us yet, unfortunately, Melissa Oberholtzer said. We thought wed come stop into Stone Mountain Park because we hear its a cool place to check out. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The new show will debut on Memorial Day Weekend. The final show takes place at 9 p.m. on Saturday. IN OTHER NEWS: (Bloomberg) -- Hello from London, where the temperatures are finally climbing and so are the stacks of coronation-themed biscuit tins and tea towels. Most Read from Bloomberg Rishi Sunak might not be able to make the most of the back-to-back bank holidays with a general election to contest next year. A real-life electoral test looms next week, with thousands of local council seats up for grabs in votes across England. And there are more big challenges coming down the track, Alex Wickham and Kitty Donaldson write. Nurses are striking tomorrow and further walkouts by train staff could make it harder for fans to reach Eurovision in Liverpool and and the FA Cup final at Wembley. There are some positive developments, too, with the UK and EU nearing an agreement on post-Brexit financial regulation. European officials could sign off on a deal as soon as June after two years in limbo. The EUs dealing with some internal strife on the best way to approach China, which has continued its close alliance with Russia despite the invasion of Ukraine. Germany, Italy and the Netherlands are exploring export and investment controls similar to those imposed by the US, while French President Emmanuel Macron cautioned against getting caught between the superpowers during a recent trip to Beijing. The City of London got a boost on Friday when Deutsche Bank agreed to pay a 72% premium for Numis. Its the first big deal for Christian Sewing, five years after he became the Germany banks CEO. Michael Spencer, the ICAP founder who owns about 6% of the boutique stockbroker, is set for a 22.8 million payout from the surprise deal. Sticking with finance, Brevan Howard ended its relationship with the US hedge fund firm Commonwealth Asset Management that had about $1 billion in assets. Digital bank Atom sees growth in British mortgages and business loans as it looks to raise about 150 million before a stock listing next year, CEO Mark Mullen told Aisha S Gani. Story continues If the Numis deal came out of the blue, the protracted battle for the Reds might be wrapping up. Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani offered about 5 billion for Manchester United; the other remaining bidder is British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe. German transportation has long been envied for its punctuality and cleanliness and now its going to be cheaper as well. Starting Monday, travelers can buy a pass for unlimited travel on all city buses, subways and trams in every municipality across the country for 49 ($54) a month. The ticket could encourage drivers to abandon the Autobahn and put pressure on the government to upgrade its patchy rail network. Finally, rents in the capital climbed to 2,500 a month for the first time. That might make the 9 oyster at Bentleys off Regent Street seem a little cheaper. Meanwhile, just across Piccadilly at Fortnum & Mason, its absolutely fine to serve Champagne with afternoon tea, executive pastry chef Roger Pizey tells Kate Krader. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. South Carolina Democrats on Saturday elected Christale Spain to lead the state party, charging her with turning around past election loss cycles and ensuring the state doesnt lose its status as the first Democratic presidential primary after 2024. Spain, who formerly worked as the partys executive director, becomes the first Black woman to chair the S.C. Democratic Party. Christale Spain has dedicated her life and energies to electing Democrats, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, who poured $10,000 into Spains campaign, said Saturday. She has proven to be successful. She deserves a promotion. Two other candidates challenged Spain for Chair: Activist Catherine Fleming Bruce and Brandon Upson, a former party executive and chair of its Black caucus. Spain and Upson were seen as the the front runners in the race, but minutes into Saturdays election it was clear Spain had the votes, leaving Upson to concede early. The race competitive was competitive after Chair Trav Robertson opted not seek another term as the partys leader. Spain in 2022 led a communications and national organizing program for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that won 12 out of 13 competitive U.S. House races, three of which were in North Carolina. Spain also had the backing of the partys biggest names, including Robertson, Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison and Jim Hodges, South Carolinas last Democratic governor. Upson, meanwhile, had the backing of Democratic state Reps. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, John King, Russell Ott, Lonnie Hosey and Roger Kirby as he made inroads in rural counties. And he had the backing of former Democratic state Reps. Wendy Brawley, Shedron Wiliams and Chardale Murray, who all lost their seats in the 2022 elections. Spains victory gives her control over the 2024 Democratic presidential primary, which will kick off the nominating process. Running a smooth primary will be key if Democrats want to keep the slot in 2028, which is expected to be more competitive. Story continues The new chair also will be charged with trying to reverse the partys fortunes at the ballot box, which includes losing five House and Senate seats in 2020 and eight House seats in 2022. Spain said she is prepared to lead the party ahead of the primary and has hands-on experience to hit the ground running on Day One. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Im sorry, Dave, Im afraid I cant do that. With this line, the renegade computer HAL 9000 directly contradicted a direct order given to it by Dave Bowman, mission scientist aboard the Discovery One spacecraft bound for Jupiter, in Stanley Kubricks 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey." In 1984, James Camerons "The Terminator" introduced us all to Skynet, a defense computer network that initiated a global nuclear war to exterminate humanity. Cinematic portrayals like these have made us all familiar with the risks of artificial intelligence, where computers capable of thinking like humans pose a danger to us all. But thats simply science fiction, right? Perhaps not. Hey Siri, who's Alexa? We all use computer-assisted artificial intelligence every day. The autocorrect feature in text messaging is one example; Apples Siri and Amazons Alexa are others. The endoscopy unit in my office has an artificial intelligence feature that assists us in detecting colon polyps. When you order something on Amazon and ads pop up on social media for similar products? Thats AI, too. So is the facial-recognition technology on your phone. Opinions in your inbox: Get exclusive access to our columnists and the best of our columns Not your parents' Google: Why universities should embrace, not fear, ChatGPT and artificial intelligence In 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the nation that controls AI will become the ruler of the world. Putin has become a worldwide villain following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but the dictator was not wrong about AI. Artificial intelligence impacts all of us daily. A search on the Apple app store reveals hundreds of AI-driven apps in areas as disparate as art, photography, video production and music composition. Progress in AI went relatively slowly until 2012, when the idea of a neural network revolutionized the entire industry. A neural network is a mathematical system that finds statistical patterns in enormous amounts of data. Story continues The humanoid robot Abel interacts with scientist Lorenzo Cominelli on April 26, 2023, in Pisa, Italy. Abel has been created by bioengineers at the Pisa University and an artist from a Biomimic company to read human emotions. In 2018, another technological leap occurred when Google, Microsoft and OpenAI began building vast neural networks trained on large volumes of text from the internet. These large language models opened the door for the next step in AI evolution: Generative AI, where the systems learned to write prose, poetry and have conversations that seemed almost human. The AI chatbot ChatGPT, launched by developer OpenAI in collaboration with Microsoft last November, has made headlines because of its conversational and writing abilities, which mimic human speech and writing, respectively. ChatGPT can write business pitches, compose music and poetry, simulate an entire chat room, and write essays. It can compose grocery lists, give you ideas about travel and can describe art in detail. AI chatbot programs can also read large articles and summarize them a sort of computerized SparkNotes. How far will we let AI go?: ChatGPT made up research claiming guns aren't harmful to kids John Oliver is wrong to worry about ChatGPT: AI can help us solve complex problems Hey Siri and Alexa, what's GPT-4? A newer version of Open AIs chatbot platform, GPT-4, recently scored in the 88th percentile on the Law School Admission Test. Naturally, there are concerns about the capabilities of such an advanced system. Italy recently banned ChatGPT due to concerns about privacy. ChatGPT is available for free on the OpenAI website. I have an account there and asked ChatGPT to compose a poem about Savannah, a haiku about enduring love and a paragraph about pirates in the style of Ernest Hemingway. ChatGPT composed each of these in seconds. Both were passable, if not spectacular. William Kelley attempts to "Find the Bot" in Donnie Piercey's class at Stonewall Elementary in Lexington, Ky., Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. Students in the class each summarized a text about boxing champion and Kentucky icon Muhammad Ali then tried to figure out which summaries were penned by classmates and which was written by the chatbot. The chatbot was the new artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, which can generate everything from essays and haikus to term papers in a matter of seconds. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley) ORG XMIT: KYTE305 As a writer, this frightens me. What might be even more frightening is the ability of AI programs to create misleading, but realistic-looking disinformation. AI programs can create realistic-looking digital images, such as one of Pope Francis in a puffy Balenciaga jacket or of Donald Trump marching through the streets of New York this month in front of a crowd of flag-waving supporters, which in fact were both AI-generated fakes. In an era in which social media is filled with all sorts of misleading information, the ability of realistic AI-generated fakes to be propagated in the media should arouse concern in all of us. 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. Real concerns could arise if artificial intelligence becomes self-aware, or sentient. This is the concern graphically illustrated in The Terminator, where Skynet decided that human beings were no longer necessary and exterminated them. There are some researchers who claim that this sort of thing is already happening. Last year, Google sidelined an engineer who claimed that its LaMDA AI software was sentient. Most researchers in the area do not believe that AI models have achieved sentience, at least not yet. But the progress in these areas has been very rapid, and its likely only a matter of time before that occurs. This is especially concerning considering the increasing automation of the worlds military. The U.S. Navy estimates that up to 60% of its carrier air fleet will be composed of AI-driven unarmed aerial vehicles in the next decade. This first deployment of such a vehicle is slated for 2026. The Navy has already taken delivery of a full-sized fully autonomous warship, the USNS Apalachicola, which is unmanned and can remain at sea for up to 30 days without any human crew. Mark Murphy The advent of the internet in the early 1990s revolutionized commerce, communication and the dissemination of information. Today, with 63% of the globe connected via the web, most of us cannot imagine the world without it. Artificial intelligence holds similar promise, but greater peril. How we utilize AI will define the trajectory of humanitys next generation, and beyond. Mark Murphy, a Savannah-based author and physician, is a longtime contributor to the Savannah Morning News, where this column first published. You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Siri, Alexa, now ChatGPT: Good and bad, how we use AI will define us Rescuers in a nine-story building in Uman that was destroyed by a Russian strike Currently, rescuers are dismantling structures and searching for possible victims and injured persons at the scene of the tragedy. So far, 247 cubic meters of construction debris have been removed, and 27 pieces of equipment and more than 100 emergency workers from the State Emergency Service are working on the site. In addition to the 23 dead, 18 people were injured and 17 were rescued. Psychologists from the State Emergency Service are providing assistance to 115 citizens. Meanwhile, in Moscow, local police were harassing people bringing flowers to the monument to Ukrainian poet Lesya Ukrainka in the center of the Russian capital, where an impromptu memorial to the victims of the missile strike by Russia on April 28 had been set up. Read also: What Russian literature reveals about Russia Russian independent publication Meduza and the Astra Telegram channel reported that flowers with a sign Uman. Dnipro had appeared near the monument in memory of the Ukrainian civilians killed by Russian missiles in two Ukrainian cities. However, on the evening of April 29, police officers arrived at the monument, and began taking pictures of the flowers and those who brought them. People were also asked for their home address, and one of the police officers, according to eyewitnesses, advised a women who laid flowers at the monument to go away to Ukraine. Finally, according to Astra, Russian security forces collected all the flowers and threw them away. Read also: Putins personal reactions to bad news might cause him to order missile strikes on Ukraine, says political scientist Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense cynically boasted of the strike on a residential building in Uman. The Russian agency posted a photo of a missile on Telegram with the caption Righton target, just hours after the Russian militarys deadly missile strikes on Ukrainian residential buildings. Responding on social media, the head of the Ukrainian Presidents Office, Andriy Yermak, said that this was an obvious sign of mental illness in a whole nation of terrorists and killers. 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 Consequences of a Russian terrorist missile attack on a high-rise building in Uman Unfortunately, as a result of the Russian strike, 23 people were killed: 22 were taken out from under the rubble, and one more person died in hospital. Among the dead are six children: three boys (aged one-and-a-half, 16, and 17) and three girls (aged eight, 11, and 14), Klymenko said. He added that a special headquarters had been set up at the site of the Russian strike, where close relatives of the deceased could provide DNA samples for comparison. Law enforcement officers were able to identify all 23 bodies, but two women are still considered missing. Read also: As search and rescue efforts go on in Uman, Moscow police destroy impromptu memorial to victims Rescuers worked tirelessly to extract people from under the rubble, Klymenko added. Heavy machinery and special equipment were brought in, and police and volunteers provided assistance. Seventeen people were rescued. Additionally, nine people were (hospitalized) as a result of the missile strike. Russia carried out its latest mass missile attack on Ukrainian cities in the early hours of April 28. Near Kyiv, 11 missiles and two drones were shot down, while in Uman, one missile destroyed an entire section of a nine-story residential building. In the city of Dnipro, in the southeast of the country, a young mother and her three-year-old daughter were killed in a Russian missile strike during the attack. It was the biggest Russian missile attack on Ukraine since March 9. Russia launched 23 cruise missiles at Ukrainian towns and cities from Tu-95 bombers flying over the Caspian Sea. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 21 of the missiles a 91% success rate. Russia launched a campaign of mass missile strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure in the autumn of 2022, with the apparent aim of denying Ukrainian civilians heat, water and electricity supplies during winter. The Kremlin appears to have hoped that this would have caused Ukrainians to put pressure on their government to seek a ceasefire. Story continues But despite widespread blackouts, Ukraines energy network proved to be resilient, and Russian mass missile attacks began to be less frequent and smaller as the winter wore on, with military experts speculating that Russia might be running low on missiles. Read also: Death toll in Uman rises to 21 after Russian missile attack on Ukrainian apartment block UPDATED 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 Blake Lively knows how to make a statement at the Met Gala. However, it appears the "Gossip Girl" veteran is skipping out on the 2023 event, which will take place on Monday, May 1. While speaking with reporters at the grand re-opening of the Tiffany & Co. Fifth Avenue in New York City on April 27, she was asked if fans would be seeing her at the event. You will not, Lively said, per People. But I will be watching. After being complimented on her ensemble from last year, she replied, "Thank you, thats very sweet. Ill be wearing that on my couch on Monday." Last year, the actor was among the four co-hosts of the 2022 Met Gala, held on May 2, along with her husband, Ryan Reynolds; Lin-Manuel Miranda; and Regina King. The "It Ends With Us" star has attended the exclusive event since 2008, and has donned consistently stunning looks, including a gold and blue feathered Versace mermaid dress, a Chanel gown with a Greek goddess silhouette, and a crimson Versace ensemble that took 600 hours to put together. The gowns are united by an elegant aesthetic. Last year, Lively along with the Met Gala's other guests wore garments riffing off the theme of "Gilded Glamour." Each year, the theme is tied to an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute. The 2023 theme for the A-list event is "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty." Guests will be expected to don ensembles meant to honor the late designer's legacy, as he led the fashion houses Chanel, Fendi and Chloe before his death in 2019. While Lively won't be in attendance this year, here's a retrospective of her past looks. 2008 Theme: "Superheroes: Fashion And Fantasy" For her first-ever Met Gala, Lively wore a strapless Ralph Lauren gown, paired with black gloves. This wouldn't be the last time her Met Gala outfit would incorporate feathers. 2009 Blake Lively at the 2009 Met Gala. (Chance Yeh / Patrick McMullan via Getty Image) Theme: "The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion" Story continues In 2009, Lively wore a blue Versace gown with a thigh-high slit, and paired it with simple accessories and a sleek updo. 2010 Theme: "American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity" Surrounded by gowns, Lively opted to go for a short dress in teal, continuing the trend for herself she set in 2009. Lively wore a Marchesa dress to the 2010 Met Gala. She also wore a Marchesa gown during her wedding to Reynolds in 2012. 2011 Theme: "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" After being named the new face of Chanel in 2011, Lively walked the Met Gala in a bodycon Chanel dress, which had silver embroidered detailing. 2013 Theme: "PUNK: Chaos to Couture" The feathers made a return in Lively's 2013 Met Gala strapless gown, designed by Gucci. 2014 Theme: "Charles James: Beyond Fashion" The 2014 Met Gala marked the first time Lively and Reynolds walked a red carpet together, though they got married in 2014. Wearing a blush-colored Gucci gown, Lively seemed to channel Old Hollywood glamour. 2016 Theme: Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology If springtime were a dress, it would be the pink Burberry gown Lively wore to the 2016 Met Gala. At the time, Lively was pregnant with her second child with Reynolds. 2017 Theme: "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art of the In-Between" Lively's Versace mermaid style gown culminated in a train of blue feathers. Reynolds wore blue accents to match Lively's dress. 2018 Blake Lively (Gilbert Carrasquillo / GC Images) Theme: Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination" Lively told Vogue it took 600 hours to her Versace gold and crimson gown, which came with intricate beading. She added, in the interview, that it was her "favorite dress ever." According to Vogue, Lively took a party bus to the event to accommodate the elaborate garment. Lively paired the museum-worthy dress with a gold headpiece. 2022 Theme: Gilded Glamour As a co-chair of the event, Lively did not disappoint when it came to her look. The actor was inspired by the Statue of Liberty and wore a copper detailed gown complete with opera gloves and a long train by Versace. The show-stopping look got even better when she had a dress reveal, switching things up and unveiling a turquoise look underneath. Lively's ensemble had a big reveal. (Gotham/Getty Images - Kevin Mazur/MG22/Getty Images for The Met) This article was originally published on TODAY.com ELKMONT CAMPGROUND, Tenn. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park recently opened the lottery for its Annual Firefly Viewing Opportunity, a chance to see the parks famous synchronous fireflies at their peak glow. Lasting June 4-11 this year, the viewing opportunity takes place during mating season for synchronous fireflies, as the insects put on light shows as part of their courtship. The Annual Firefly Viewing Opportunity will occur near the Elkmont Campground in East Tennessee, which has one of the largest populations of synchronous fireflies in the Smokies. Fireflies light up a forest. To see this glowing spectacle at the national park, however, visitors will have to apply for a lottery. The lottery is now open and runs until 8 p.m. ET on May 1. Applicants can enter the lottery for $1 per submission on Recreation.gov, where applicants can select two dates when they would like to attend the viewing opportunity. Applicants will be notified whether their applications were accepted by May 11. The firefly viewing has grown in popularity over the years, leading park officials to host the lottery as a way to curb traffic and protect the fireflies. HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER "We started managing this area because so many people would come here, and it was beginning to have an impact on not only the visitors experience, but also on the resources themselves," said Becky Nichols, an entomologist in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Having a lottery also ensures the safety and overall experience for visitors, who come to watch the fireflies in the woods in total darkness. Visitors who win the lottery walk up a trail from the Elkmont Campground to watch the firefly light show. Beginning at 9:30 p.m., the show lasts for about two hours. Fireflies illuminate a path through a forest. According to Nichols, synchronous fireflies typically mature and reach the adult stage in the early spring and throughout the summer. This is when the insects are capable of showcasing their signature glow. Called bioluminescence, this flashing glow serves an important role. Story continues "Primarily, the function of the flashing is for mate recognition," Nichols said. "In order for the males to find the females in total darkness, usually they have to have a method for communicating." FILE - View of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, USA at sunset from Clingman's Dome parking lot. Males will communicate by using a particular flash pattern. Then, the females will flash in response. FIREFLIES FIND ROMANCE BY GLOWING IN THE DARK According to Nichols, females are often on the forest floor, so their flashing is not as pronounced. This means that the flashing most people see at night is coming from male fireflies. For those selected to watch this year's fireflies during the Annual Firefly Viewing Opportunity, the NPS provides tips for Light Show Etiquette for the best viewing experience and to help protect the fireflies. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) speaks at an event to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act, at the U.S. Capitol on April 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. The legislation would provides funds for child care and early learning programs for low to moderate income families. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Senator Patty Murray is once again pushing legislation to make childcare affordable and accessible. Under her proposal, costs would be capped, new centers could open, and workers would earn more. She told Insider the growth of the US economy relies on workers having access to childcare. Senator Patty Murray says the growth of our economy relies on access to childcare. "We are going to continue to have workforce shortages," the Washington Democrat told Insider. "We're going to continue to see it impossible for us to keep our economy growing." Murray, alongside Democrats like Rep. Bobby Scott, has introduced again legislation that would bring down child care costs and up wages for providers. Under the Child Care for Working Families Act, families' childcare costs would be capped at 7% of their income, and families that earn under 85% of their state's median would pay nothing at all. The legislation would also provide funding for opening new centers, better support for care during off-hours, and wages for teachers comparable to their peers in elementary schools. "Childcare was a crisis long ago, but it was a silent crisis," Murray told Insider. For years, even as America's childcare grew increasingly expensive and out of reach, parents were worried they'd jeopardize their careers, she said. Now, though, it's clear that childcare is an economic necessity. "Employers need workers, and they know that unless we fix the childcare system, they won't have them," Murray said. "So this is an economic crisis that is now hitting everyone. People are much more vocal about it, which is helpful." For parents and workers, it's no secret that American childcare is ailing. Several teachers told Insider that working in the field is essentially a labor of love, with many either relying on higher-earning partners or extreme cost-saving measures to stay afloat. That creates a vicious cycle where childcare workers leave their roles behind, care centers struggle, and parents bear the brunt of less availability and higher costs all things that Murray's proposal intends to address. Story continues At the same time, costs are untenable for both center owners and parents, and childcare deserts remain rampant. Research from the Department of Labor's US Women's Bureau finds that childcare is unaffordable almost everywhere in the US, and, in places where it's more costly, fewer women are employed. At minimum, families put 8% of their income towards childcare costs, per the DOL report; under Murray's legislation, that percentage would be capped at 7%. "Women are in the workforce to provide for their families," Murray said. "There are women who don't have two income families. There are families that have changed in different ways. Everybody needs childcare." But a large social spending proposal is an uphill battle in a House controlled by Republicans eager to cut spending, and a razor-thin Democratic majority in the Senate that already has squashed ambitious federal proposals for paid leave and affordable childcare. House Republicans have already passed a debt ceiling package that would strengthen work requirements on welfare programs and ban student-loan forgiveness, among a bevy of other cuts. "What they've passed and what they're talking about is theories that they've liked to throw out there for a long time, ten second sound bites of we will cut childcare, we will make it hard to get SNAP, we will do all these things," Murray said. "And they've never lived the consequences of that, which are severe." Murray pointed to the outcome of Roe v. Wade as one example where politicians and the country have felt the consequences. She said that her legislation is meant to get ahead of that, and help the other side of the aisle see a way to support both the economy and families. And the economic consequences could be dire if childcare is left unaddressed, according to Murray, who said "we will cut our own throats in terms of our economy growing." Read the original article on Business Insider In December, Sarah Hartsfield told a friend that her husband and marriage had become a nightmare and that she had a plan to get out, according to private Facebook messages the friend provided to NBC News. Weeks later, the husband was dead; Hartsfield, a former Army sergeant, was charged with first-degree murder; and authorities in Minnesota had decided to re-examine the death of a former partner who they had previously said Hartsfield killed in self-defense in 2018. In a Dec. 19 message, Hartsfield, 48, called her husband, Joseph Hartsfield, 46, an empty person and derided his financial irresponsibility. Ive paid for everything to the point I have nothing left, she said. He was just looking for a meal ticket and way back to a lifestyle he could never attain on his own, she wrote in the messages, which NBC News confirmed came from an account that belonged to Hartsfield. Hartsfield, who did not detail any specific plans to her friend and neighbor, wrote that its now a matter of implementing / executing. The friend, who asked not to be identified for fear of being publicly linked to Hartsfield, said shed thought her friends message meant she wanted out of her marriage and to get on with her life not that she was planning to kill him. Joseph Hartsfield. (KPRC) Sarah Hartsfield has pleaded not guilty. Five years before she was accused in her husbands death, Hartsfield fatally shot another partner. Authorities in Minnesota determined that she fired in self-defense and that the killing was justified. But days after her Feb. 3 indictment in the killing of Joseph Hartsfield, authorities said they had reopened the investigation into the 2018 death of David Bragg. Chambers County, Texas, Sheriff Brian Hawthorne alluded to other episodes in Hartsfields past, telling NBC affiliate KPRC of Houston that she had been married five times in relationships that often ended under grim circumstances. Everybody wants out of it because they fear for their life, Hawthorne told the station. Story continues Her first ex-husband, Titus Knoernschild, was among them. He told NBC News that he was afraid of her while they were married and after their divorce. Im very surprised I got out of the marriage alive, he said. Joseph Hartsfield was scared for his life, too, and he told a family member so, according to Hawthorne, who declined to comment on the Facebook messages. He felt like his wife was trying to kill him, Hawthorne said in an interview, adding that Joseph Hartsfield shared the concern with a relative before a nurse summoned deputies to the medical facility east of Houston where he was hospitalized. A suspicious illness When Joseph Hartsfield was hospitalized on Jan. 7 with what authorities described as a suspicious illness, he was already brain dead, according to a search warrant affidavit. He was pronounced dead 11 days later, public records show. A cause of death has not been determined. Sarah Hartsfield is being held in lieu of $4.5 million bond, court records show. Hawthorne said she was placed on suicide watch after her March 1 arraignment. Hartsfields lawyer, Keaton Kirkwood, did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement to KPRC last month, he said his client maintains her innocence and will assist in the investigation of her husbands untimely death. We are engaged in the discovery process and would remind the public to withhold any judgment until due process has been satisfied, he added. Joseph Hartsfield was diabetic, and before he was hospitalized, his blood sugar levels had dropped precipitously, a search warrant affidavit shows. Sarah Hartsfield told investigators that she went to get him juice and jam and that when she returned to their bedroom, hed vomited on himself, according to the affidavit. Hawthorne said that by the time Joseph Hartsfield arrived at Houston Methodist Hospital in Baytown, he was unconscious and in dire straits. According to the affidavit, a nurse believed there may have been foul play because he was failing to respond to the glucose that medical staff members were pumping into his body. The amount should have been enough to last for hours, the affidavit says. In Josephs case, his blood sugar kept crashing. This could be a sign of too much insulin in his system, the document says, adding that eight to 10 insulin pens were found on his side of the couples bed at their home. In the weeks after Joseph Hartsfields death, Sarah Hartsfield posted on Facebook that she felt numb and lost without him and that shed listened to old phone messages just to hear his voice. I guess Im going to try to sleep, I cant possibly cry and weep anymore than I have this evening, she wrote on Jan. 27. I love you Joseph Hartsfield. Two days later, she wrote: As I sit here trying to think of something to be grateful for in the midst of where I am, Im so so glad Joe and I said the things that were said to each other so thered be no regrets. We didnt have cross words, no raised voices, no cold shoulder or silent treatment. We were being ourselves, united, figuring it out together. Army career In the upscale central Texas neighborhood where the friend who provided the Facebook messages lived near Sarah Hartsfield for years, residents were utterly stunned by the allegations and the murder charge. The neighbor said Sarah Hartsfield had always been very nice someone who participated in a neighborhood-focused Facebook group and seemed more like a divorced housewife than a soldier. She moved away, got married and was happily married, the friend said. She had beautiful wedding pictures. Then he goes to the ICU and never comes out of the ICU. An Army spokeswoman said Sarah Hartsfield then known as Sarah Donohue served in the Army for a year in the late 1990s and again for a decade beginning in 2007. She was in the Army Reserve from 1998 to 2007. Initially a motor transport operator, she later became an intelligence analyst and deployed to Iraq from November 2007 to August 2008, the spokeswoman said. At the end of her service, she held the rank of sergeant first class. A woman who served with Sarah Hartsfield in Iraq said she was in shock over the arrest. At the time, she was a devoted squad leader, wife and mother, said the woman, who also asked not to be identified for fear of being publicly linked to Sarah Hartsfield. Efforts to reach Hartsfields adult children were unsuccessful. Interactions with exes after divorces The news of Sarah Hartsfields arrest was hardly shocking to Knoernschild, her first ex-husband. The two met at a small-town Missouri high school in 1991 when Knoernschild was a junior, he said. They married two years later and were separated by April 1995. Knoernschild said that while they were splitting up, she appeared to threaten him, alleging she said: Dont be surprised if you dont make it through this. In the decades that followed, she continued to interject herself in his life, even after he remarried and had a family, Knoernschild said. Knoernschilds wife, Angela, said: She was like a bad penny every time youd turn around shed be there. She doesnt do it to confront you. She does it to remind you shes there. In a brief interview, Sarah Hartsfields second husband, Michael Traxler, said their relationship was super short and in the rearview mirror. I havent spoken to her in 15 years, he said. Another husband, Christopher Donohue, filed for divorce in 2017, court records show. A little over four years later, at roughly the same time the records show he requested an order of protection against Sarah Hartsfield, federal authorities asked a police detective in Sierra Vista, Arizona, southeast of Tucson, to monitor Donohues home, Sierra Vista police said. Details of the episode remain unclear. Court officials in Bell County, Texas, have not provided documents associated with the request, and a Sierra Vista police spokesman said the police department was not involved in the FBI probe that involved Christopher Donohue, his new wife and Sarah Hartsfield, who had remarried and was known then as Sarah George. (The FBI did not respond to a request for comment.) The detective carried out close patrols of the home as asked, the spokesman said, adding that no criminal charges were filed. On June 7, two months after Donohue sought it, a judge granted the protective order, according to court records in Bell County. The order barred Hartsfield from contacting Donohue and their children for two years. Donohue did not respond to requests for comment. Kirkwood, Sarah Hartsfields lawyer, did not respond to requests for comment. In the statement to KPRC, he said: We adamantly denounce the misinformation that has been provided to the public regarding her past. Head over heels before she shot him In 2017, David Bragg met Hartsfield at Fort Hood, where she was stationed and he was working for a solar company, said Braggs mother, Laura. Initially, Laura Bragg said, her son was head over heels in love with Hartsfield and believed she was the great love of his life. We looked at it through those lenses because what made him happy made us happy, she said. Sarah Hartsfield moved to Minnesota and began working on a house with Bragg on a large plot of land in Douglas County, 150 miles northwest of Minneapolis, said the friend who provided the Facebook messages. Perp: Sarah Jean Donohue - not shown (KPRC) The friend recalled that Sarah Hartsfield would email her about the home, describing the pantry she wanted and what color paint she was considering. But after a couple of months, Laura Bragg said, her family started seeing flaws and cracks. On May 9, 2018, Sarah Hartsfield fatally shot David Bragg in their home. Hartsfield told investigators that she shot Bragg after he assaulted her and fired a gun at her, Douglas County Attorney Chad Larson said in a 2019 letter. A forensic analysis of the weapons supported her version of events, as did witness statements, Larson wrote. The letter does not say who saw the shooting. Under the circumstances, Ms. Donohue was justified in shooting Mr. Bragg as a matter of self-defense as she was facing lethal force and had no reasonable possibility of retreating from the threat, Larson wrote. But after Sarah Hartsfields indictment in Texas this year, the top prosecutor in Douglas County said an investigation into Braggs fatal shooting was active again after new information was provided to the sheriffs office. In a statement, Larson did not offer additional details about the information. His office said this month that the investigation was still active. Braggs relatives said in a statement that they were relieved the prosecutor was taking another look at his death. Almost 5 years ago our family lost a son, a brother, an uncle, and a FATHER, the statement said. With very little information regarding his death, we were unable to ever really move forward. All we knew is that the man that was described by his killer was in fact not the David we all knew and loved. His death was very random, and the circumstances that surrounded his death seemed farfetched, and almost made up. We are hopeful that this time around, we will be able to have that closure, and the knowledge that nobody else will be hurt by this woman, the family said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The number of international schools has increased significantly in the past few decades (including within the United States) to more than 13,000 schools serving close to 10 million students, elementary through high school, around the world. Globalization has been the driver, but so has a growing appreciation for the value of these schools. Theres no standard definition as to precisely what makes a school international, but the typical elements include a global curriculum focused on the world as a whole (and the legitimate study of two or more languages), a diverse student body (by nationality, race, culture, etc.), and a similarly diverse faculty. Most schools on the planet are not international, but organized around national, state, or local curricula and simply as diverse as the areas they serve. The international school the Rev. Dr. Gemechis Buba recently launched here in Addis Ababa serves students from throughout Ethiopia, Africa, and the world with a curriculum focused on global citizenship, critical thinking, and leadership. Like most international schools today, English is our primary language of instruction though Amharic and Afaan Oromo are also studied and spoken. The economic dominance of the United States over the past several decades, coupled with the vast reach of the British Empire a few centuries ago, has made English a truly global language. When I traveled just 30 years ago, English speakers (and signage) were close to nonexistent outside the former British colonies. Today English is ubiquitous. Though this has surely made Americans more complacent about learning multiple languages (when kids everywhere else are learning two or more) we should, at the very least, make fluency in Spanish (the dominant language of the Americas) a priority. John Shea The most important decision in starting any school is the establishment of the academic program (the curriculum, instructional practices, and assessment systems) what will be taught, how itll be taught, and how well know what students have learned. About half of all international schools utilize the international version of the National Curriculum of England which puts a significant emphasis on the externally graded iGCSE exams in Years 10 & 11 and the A-level courses and exams in Years 12 & 13. This is the program weve adopted at Cambridge Academy Ethiopia. The British system is well-known, and the exams offer legitimacy and accountability. The fastest growing academic program in the world (and second most common among international schools) is the International Baccalaureate designed about 60 years ago by a Geneva-based team of international educators. The IB program has always been global in perspective and is recognized by universities around the world. Like the British system, externally graded exams are central to the program. Many schools in the United States (public and private) have adopted the IB whether they label themselves international or not drawn by the rigorous curriculum, the emphasis on creative and critical thinking, and the validity offered by the IB exams. International schools that serve a large number of expat kids from the United States will often adopt an American curricular program though there really is no such thing. What makes such schools international is their location and/or the diversity of their student body. The U.S. system is essentially just a general framework not anything close to a standard curriculum. Instructional practices vary greatly. Assessments are not commonly scored externally other than particular high school courses offered through the College Board as Advanced Placement (AP). Curricular guidelines vary from state to state and district to district. A school (or network of schools) can also create its own curriculum within the parameters of any relevant regulations or accreditation standards but more than 90% of international schools utilize the British curriculum, International Baccalaureate program, or American framework. (In the United States, of course, well over 90% of our schools follow the general American framework with only a small percentage offering innovative curricula or global programs like the IB.) Having worked for 30 years now in education, in a variety of different schools, at home and abroad, Im convinced the world would be a much better place if we put the labels aside and all schools, everywhere, adopted a more global orientation. This does not mean letting go of local history, culture, or the story of a given people, region, or nation (which are all critically important). But they certainly shouldnt be taught in an us/them manner, with unfounded judgements of superiority, or at the expense of better understanding of who we are as humans sharing this planet. A rigorous global curriculum focused on critical thinking, compassionate problem solving, and our shared story better serves our kids and our world. Though cultivating a variety of perspectives around such a curriculum might be easier for schools with diverse student bodies, all schools, in this day and age, can find ways to maximize different perspectives if they just choose to make it a priority. Distance learning, online resources, student exchange initiatives, scholarship programs, etc. maybe even efforts to voluntarily and cooperatively desegregate and simply being more deliberate in choosing literature and other curricular materials. We also shouldnt lose sight of the fact that we need to do much better at assessment. No school can rightly claim to offer a quality academic program if it doesnt reliably, validly, and regularly measure student learning. This doesnt mean SAT scores or college matriculation data (fundamentally just measures of a communitys socioeconomic status not the efficacy of its schools). It means sound assessments (focused on higher order skills and not just content regurgitation) tied directly to the schools curriculum. This is not something we do well in the United States and it is what has drawn many districts to, for example, the IB program. Im a bit biased, but Im certain that getting K-12 education right for all our kids, worldwide is the solution to all our problems. Quite possibly, in the long-term, the only solution. Poverty, war, the next pandemic, gun violence, racism, collapsing democracies, climate change, etc. tackled by a generation of global citizens, critical thinkers, and collaborative problem solvers educated with a shared accountability for their growth and learning. No political agenda here, just sound educational practice for a better world. John Shea, a Kittery, Maine resident and occasional contributor to these pages, is currently serving as the interim head of school of Cambridge Academy Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. This is the third in a series of commentaries. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Shea: In support of sound educational practice for a better world The Peoria Police Department and Peoria County Sheriff's Department are now two members of a law enforcement agency task force created to combat gun violence in the Peoria area. The Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force is composed of officers and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the FBI; Peoria Police Department; Peoria County Sheriff's Department; Illinois State Police; and the parole unit of the Illinois Department of Corrections. The task force will also be assigned a federal prosecutor. Last year the Peoria Police Department was able to reduce gun violence by 28%, but that is not enough, said Peoria police Chief Eric Echevarria in a news release. The Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force is another example of how our department is using every resource and partnership available to reduce gun violence. With the creation of this taskforce, we now have a team operating out of the Peoria Police Department streamlining the process of identifying, investigating, charging, and prosecuting violent offenders federally." More: 'Owed some sort of explanation': Peoria-area leaders contemplate Blickenstaff's legacy Gun crimes had been on the rise in Peoria, hitting a peak in 2021 when Peoria set a record for homicides, many of those stemming from firearms. This federal task force will specifically target fully-automatic and machine guns being utilized in the Peoria area, according to the release. The task force says its investigations have already led to the seizure of a 3-D printer that was used to make weapon modifiers that turn non-automatic weapons into automatic guns. "Straw purchasers," people who purchase firearms on behalf of someone else, are also a target of the task force. The Illinois State Police is a committed member of the Peoria Area Task Force and is focused on getting illegal guns off the streets and out of the hands of criminals, said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly in the news release. The collaborative effort between ISP, local and federal law enforcement agencies, and the justice system is helping make our communities safer. Story continues The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, which is a nationwide database that tracks firearms used in crimes, will be a key tool of the task force, the news release said. More: Bradley students felt 'left in the dark' by messaging during bomb threat lockdown The NIBIN program automates ballistics evaluations by comparing shell casing evidence collected from shooting scenes, enabling law enforcement to link shooting incidents within their jurisdiction, in neighboring jurisdictions, and to others across the country, the release said. Federal prosecutor Gregory K. Harris will be the lead attorney of the task force. Reducing gun violence in our communities requires cooperation, commitment, and determination, said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris in the news release. Collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement partners is one of the most effective ways to combat violent gun crime. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria police, Sheriff's Department join federal gun task force Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars in March 2022. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2021 Oscars, sparking a public fallout between the pair. Rock addressed the incident during his Netflix comedy special, "Selective Outrage." Dr. Frederick Smith told Insider it's important to acknowledge one's role in an argument. It was the slap seen around the world. Three hours into the 2022 Oscars, Chris Rock was presenting the award for best documentary feature when Will Smith strode onstage and slapped him over comments about Jada Pinkett Smith on national television. The incident preceded a wave of criticism, prompting Smith to apologize several times. "And, you know, if you hang on, I promise we'll be able to be friends again," Smith told fans in a July 2022 YouTube video. Chris Rock and actor Will Smith attend Nickelodeon's 23rd Annual Kids' Choice Awards in 2010. Kevin Mazur/WireImage For his part, Rock remained relatively mum on the matter until he aired out his grievances in a no-holds-barred Netflix comedy special, "Selective Outrage." "I have rooted for Will Smith my whole life," Rock said. "And now, I watch 'Emancipation' just to see him get whooped." The pair previously had an amicable relationship, having worked together on a 1995 episode of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and Spike Lee's mockumentary "Torrance Rises" in 1999. Rock later worked with Pinkett Smith on the "Madagascar" franchise. Friendships are complicated, and the dissolution of one is not always a blame game, according to a psychologist. Dr. Frederick Smith, who has been working mental health field for 15 years, spoke to Insider about what can cause friendship breakups, how to navigate them, and knowing when to cut your losses. Smith said there are several reasons why a friendship may falter, but sometimes we have to acknowledge our role in a rift Smith explained that everything from moving cities to opposing values could strain a friendship. Smith and Rock's case involved both parties feeling disrespected by the other on the night of the slap. When this happens, Smith said it's important to determine where the anger came from. Story continues "Was the anger you felt toward the person related to them or something they did?" Smith said. "Or is it something else that was going on, and you took your anger out on that person?" Sometimes people can misplace their anger. "A lot of times, we won't face the major stressor and we'll take it out on the person that deserves it the least. That can be a spouse, significant other, family member, or even a friend," Smith said. But that doesn't mean a friendship is unsalvageable after a disagreement. After an argument, friends will need to decide whether the relationship is worth repairing Smith said both parties must be willing to repair the friendship for it to thrive again. That can involve coming together to discuss the problem or getting third-party help from a licensed professional. "A therapist will help them reestablish that friendship by helping them look into where it started. My philosophy is we cannot focus on the present without looking into the past," he said. On the other hand, Smith acknowledged that friendships can run their course. "This is difficult for some people to accept, but some friendships will end. That's natural," he said. "You will not be able to maintain friendships with everybody that comes into your life." He added: "A lot of times, we run into these problems because we're trying to make seasonal people a lifetime commitment." Smith said learning to apologize and forgive properly is 'so important' in friendships According to Smith, sincerely telling someone "I'm sorry" initiates the process of forgiveness, meaning the other person has the opportunity to let go of hurt feelings. If all else fails, it's okay to grieve a broken friendship, Smith told Insider. "We don't just grieve when we lose a loved one to death. We also grieve the loss of relationships even if the person is still living," he said. He added: "Sometimes friendships aren't meant to last forever and that's okay." Read the original article on Insider Christale Spain was elected to lead the South Carolina Democratic Party on Saturday, becoming the first Black woman to hold the position in the state that will host Democrats first-in-the-nation primary in 2024. South Carolina we did it! I am honored to be the first Black woman to ever chair our party, Spains campaign tweeted. We made history, and our work is just getting started. The South Carolina Democratic Party congratulated Spain on her win on Twitter, adding that Democrats are fired up and ready to get to work under her leadership. Onward to 2024! South Carolina will kick off the 2024 Democratic presidential primary process on Feb. 3, after the Democratic National Committee (DNC) voted earlier this year to overhaul the primary calendar. The Palmetto State, which played a crucial role in President Bidens 2020 run, will be followed by New Hampshire and Nevada on Feb. 6, Georgia on Feb. 13, and Michigan on Feb. 27. Following Spains win, the state parties in four of the first five Democratic primary states are led by Black women. Spain received DNC Chair Jaime Harrisons endorsement on Thursday, just two days before the election. Christale is a lifelong South Carolinian, a seasoned operative in our party, and I know she will be an excellent Chair, Harrison tweeted on Saturday. This is historic, long overdue, and Im grateful to President Biden and @TheDemocrats members leadership in elevating new, diverse voices that for too long were not heard, to lead the way, he added. Spain also had the backing of longtime South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn (D), whose district office she previously worked in. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Leopard tank "By defending Ukraine, we are not only protecting the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, but also supporting the right to legitimate self-defense enshrined in the UN Charter," Robles said at a meeting with her German and French colleagues in Madrid. Read also: As Ukraine gears up for offensive, Spain delays transfer of Leopard tanks to Ukraine The Spanish Leopard tanks, which were shipped from Santander last Saturday, are of an older model Type 2A4. They have long been out of service and have been stored at a warehouse near Saragossa since 2012. Before being sent to Ukraine, the tanks were refurbished and tested for use on the battlefield. Read also: Spain to send Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine within days, minister says Earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Ukrainian tank crews had already started training on older Leopard-1 tanks and that 80 of these vehicles would gradually be transferred to Ukraine in 2023. 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 Matt Ferguson's Return of the Jedi poster was unveiled ahead of the film's 40th anniversary "There must've been a couple of thousand fans there. It was like watching a band with lasers and music, and there were people in the audience with lightsabres going crazy," Matt Ferguson recalls with a wide-eyed grin. As attendees at this month's Star Wars Celebration convention in London cheered news of a cinema release marking Return of the Jedi's 40th anniversary, Ferguson had more reason than most to be smiling. Beaming out from across the stage was his artwork promoting the film. "I can't think of a more exciting time in my career than that weekend because I was there and part of it and they said my name - 'poster by Matt Ferguson'. "There's lots of pressure because of expectations from fans and my own standards, but also it's really fun because I've loved Star Wars my entire life. "I'm a fan first. That's how I got started - doing artwork based on the things I like. It's almost unreal." The 39-year-old from Sheffield was no stranger to depicting Luke Skywalker's battle against Darth Vader having been commissioned to create a poster for The Empire Strikes Back's 40th anniversary in 2020. Ferguson's artwork for The Empire Strikes Back was a hit with fans of the Star Wars franchise With the series' original artwork so familiar to generations of film-goers, that first project proved tough. Adopting his preferred "storytelling" approach, key themes and emblems were picked out with the imposing Vader centre-stage, flanked by TIE fighters, AT-ATs and Star Destroyers. "Because it was The Empire Strikes Back, which is the Star Wars movie, I had to come up with something I felt hadn't been done before - and there's been a lot of Star Wars art. "[But] the designs of Star Wars are so good they lend themselves to it. They're other-worldly. "It was very much about Darth Vader and then all the iconography of the Empire because they're chasing down the Rebels. "With Return of the Jedi, it's Luke's story so I have him at the centre of proceedings with Vader looming large." Story continues The illustrator used Jeff Goldblum's "must go faster!" line from the film as inspiration for his 2018 Jurassic Park poster It is not just the Star Wars franchise which has called upon his talents, though. As well as being a long-time contributor to the Marvel universe, Batman, Blade Runner and Jurassic Park are among Ferguson's other projects. So just how did he make the giant leap from working in a comics shop and selling DVDs at his local HMV store to a full-time role creating art for the biggest names in film? Having "failed miserably at art school", one day he got an email "out of the blue" from an assistant for Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo. They wanted a copy of a Hulk illustration Ferguson had posted on social media for the Hollywood star. In 2012, Marvel enlisted him to design artwork for the DVD and Blu-ray box-set releases of its Phase One superhero stories. Within two years he had quit his job at HMV. "It's been constant ever since," Ferguson says from his self-described Hobbit hole - a basement office where posters line the walls and Star Trek and Transformers action figures fill the shelves. Ferguson was responsible for the official poster for the 2021 version of Dune by director Denis Villeneuve Inspired by the "deceptively simple, stark" shots of director John Carpenter and the likes of ET poster designer John Alvin, he is part of a wave of artists who have helped revive a more creative style of work common in the 1970s and 80s. Where hand-painted efforts by the likes of Alvin and his contemporaries Drew Struzan (Back to the Future), Bob Peak (Apocalypse Now) and Richard Amsel (Raiders of the Lost Ark) were once the norm, the 1990s saw a shift towards more formulaic composition with airbrushed photographs of movies' stars becoming dominant. Key to kick-starting the renaissance would be small, independent operations in the United States with a "punk, DIY attitude". Among those at the forefront was Mondo, a spin-off from the then single-screen Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas, a cinema favoured by Hollywood trend-setters such as Quentin Tarantino and influential film bloggers. Initially selling T-shirts, it began commissioning illustrators to reimagine posters of classic films being shown at the "dark, dirty second-floor theatre" where beer and pizza were served alongside the celluloid. Apocalypse Now's poster, designed by Bob Peak, was among the most distinctive of the 1970s and 80s Tim Doyle, Mondo's art director from 2004 to 2009, remembers selling posters in the cinema's lobby as well as pitching in as the "cook, waiter and ticket taker". He said: "Back then, none of the work was licensed. It was just to promote events at the theatre and kind of in that grey area between bootleg and official merchandise. "Usually we would find an artist we thought would work well with a property or be counter-intuitive so you got something crazy. It gave us a punk-rock ethos - like we know better than the movie studios. "With the appreciation of older films [being shown there] came a love for the older poster styles, and it became clear the artwork we were producing had a much bigger life online as more and more people picked up on it." Small print runs of between 50 and a few hundred posters were eagerly snapped up by fans and collectors. Keen to capitalise on what the 46-year-old describes as the "underground promotional effect", film companies soon struck deals with Mondo and the likes of New York's Bottleneck Gallery and California's Gallery 1988 to partner on projects. Doyle, who has run his own poster and printing company, Nakatomi Inc, since departing, adds: "It's always good to see illustrators getting high-profile work even if some of the more surprising aspects of the early days have dried up. It comes from this culture we built up." Matt Ferguson says his work has been met "overwhelmingly positively" by fans Back in Sheffield, Ferguson, who uses a mix of traditional pen and pencil sketching as well as digital programmes, now also co-owns an artwork business called Vice Press. He credits social media with having a "massive impact" on the way film marketing is done these days. He explains it has helped studios tap into trends and get immediate feedback on releases, with Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn cited as a notable figure who regularly interacts with fans. And he argues the re-emergence of "more dynamic artwork" over the last 15 years shows there is room for different approaches when studios make decisions over multimillion-pound films - which also creates opportunities for other illustrators to share his success. "I think there's a place for a close-up of Tom Cruise on a poster because he's the star of Mission Impossible and people are going to go and see it because of him. A big star sells a movie. "But there are two lanes now. Back in the day there'd be one key art poster, now there are multiple posters and space to do photos of famous people as well as artistic ones at the same time. It maximises their reach. "People come up to me now at conventions and say 'you can do this as a job?' I'm like 'just try really hard, put your artwork out there and it can happen'." After the workers at a Starbucks store in Ithaca, New York, went on strike last April, a communications specialist from the public-relations firm Edelman emailed a real-time alert to corporate Starbucks officials. Flagging an article from The Ithacan that discusses the Cornell University Starbucks strike, the specialist wrote. Partners went on strike due to repeated grease trap spills that caused an unsafe environment and lack of action from management. The story renewed discussion among Starbucks management about what to do with the store. A regional director recommended closure because the space is not meeting our partners or brand needs, but she also noted they were exploring the possibility of a renovation. Starbucks ended up shuttering the store permanently two months later, leading workers and federal labor enforcers to accuse the company of retaliation. The workers had recently voted 19-1 in favor of joining Workers United, making it one of 300 corporate-owned Starbucks stores nationwide that have been organized since late 2021. The emails, which Starbucks disclosed in a recent trial at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), shed light on the thinking among Starbucks brass leading up to the closure. The store was in a prime location with great sales potential but suffered serious maintenance issues, chief among them the overflowing grease trap. In June, Denise Nelsen, senior vice president of U.S. operations, emailed Rossann Williams, then the head of Starbucks business in North America, about the debate over whether to close the store permanently or renovate it. We have to solve these condition issues because we also keep getting media on the store condition there, Nelsen wrote. Kolya Vitek, a barista who worked at the College Avenue location, argued that the walkouts unwanted attention prompted Starbucks to shutter the store for good. It was retaliation for the strike we went on because we were being forced to work in unsafe conditions, said Vitek, who now works in a different Starbucks store in Ithaca. They didnt care [before]. They cared all of a sudden now when were making national news. Story continues We have to solve these condition issues because we also keep getting media on the store condition there.Starbucks official Denise Nelsen in an email to coworkers Starbucks insists it closed the cafe for legitimate business reasons, saying its concerns with the store stretched back to the previous year. The company also denied that negative press played any role in the call. Media attention had no bearing on our decision to close the store, Andrew Trull, a company spokesperson, told HuffPost. It would be illegal for a company to shut down an individual worksite because of union activity there. The NLRBs general counsel found merit in the unions claims in Ithaca and brought a sweeping complaint against the company last November. According to the union, Starbucks informed workers on June 3, 2022, that the College Avenue store would be closing permanently. But the Starbucks emails suggest the company was still undecided at the time about what it should do with the cafe, partly because the location was so solid. A memo on the stores situation said it had the strongest real estate trade position in this area and any relocation would be inferior. Operations team members had recommended a permanent closure, while the real estate recommendation for the store was to go dark, reinvest and reopen. Former Starbucks CEO testifying on Capitol Hill last month. The union has accused the company of closing more than two stores as retaliation. Former Starbucks CEO testifying on Capitol Hill last month. The union has accused the company of closing more than two stores as retaliation. Several days after workers were told the store was shutting down for good, company officials were still discussing whether they should rehab and reopen it. Its gone dark this is our last ditch effort to get the [landlord] to solve these issues, Nelsen wrote to Williams. Noting the media attention on the store, Nelsen added, If we cant get him to respond to this message and cooperate, we will need to discuss permanent closure. Michael Dolce, a lawyer for the union, said the emails show Starbucks was not straight with the stores workers. He noted that on the same day that Nelsen and Williams were discussing the stores possibilities, Starbucks lawyer sent workers a list of reasons why they were shutting it down permanently, among them the troublesome grease trap. At the bargaining table, they told the union they were permanently closing the store, Dolce said. The plan was not to permanently close the store; it was to survey options. Dolce argued that the negative publicity brought by the strike prompted Starbucks to hurry up and close the store even as it was still evaluating what to do. Another Starbucks email says the original closure plan was to keep the cafe open through June, but the operations team moved the closure date up nearly three weeks. Starbucks says it still considered the closure permanent because it could not have restored the cafe in a matter of weeks. Instead, it would have taken one to two years at a cost of $700,000. Pressed on why the company told workers the store would be closed permanently when a renovation was still on the table, Nelsen said during the labor board trial that the depth of issues at the store made a timeline for reopening uncertain. Our timeline for a new like for a brand-new store opening is a year, she said. So were literally talking about something taking that long. Like yes, this would be treated as a permanent closure. Williams played a leading role in the companys effort to contain the union drive before leaving Starbucks last June. Based in Seattle, the executive visited and worked in stores in the Buffalo area, where the campaign began, when workers considered forming unions a presence some workers found intimidating. Emails suggest Williams received detailed updates on the unions progress. It was retaliation for the strike we went on because we were being forced to work in unsafe conditions.Starbucks worker Kolya Vitek In a June 2022 email, a regional director of operations emailed Williams a Buffalo executive summary that called Ithaca a hot spot for union activity that continues to have presence from Buffalo union organizers. She also gave Williams a rundown of upcoming union elections. She said the company planned to challenge the results of a recent store vote because four workers apparently didnt receive ballots. The union had won that vote 7-4. It is believed these four partners are no votes, she wrote. (The challenge ultimately failed.) The College Avenue store is one of 25 that the union claims Starbucks closed either permanently or temporarily to disrupt the union campaign. Union members argue Starbucks has two aims with the closures: to break up and disperse a core of union support perhaps prompting resignations from baristas who couldnt or wouldnt work at a different location and to make workers everywhere think twice about trying to organize. Starbucks maintains that it hasnt closed any stores in retaliation for union activity. But an administrative law judge has already ruled that Starbucks illegally closed a mall kiosk that had unionized, deeming the companys reasons for the closure clearly pretextual. The NLRBs general counsel hasnt yet announced whether the unions allegations regarding nearly two dozen other closures have merit. After Starbucks announced the closure of the Ithaca store, workers began whats known as effects bargaining with the company to hash out their rights during the closure. Workers were offered positions at other stores. Vitek said they pushed for a severance package for workers who wouldnt be taking other positions, but the company was staunchly opposed. Evan Sunshine, an Ithaca barista who took the lead on that bargaining, said he did not expect Starbucks to close the store permanently. He believed the grease trap was a serious problem and that the company might close the store for a while to fix it, but that ultimately workers would have the same store to return to. Sunshine said they crowdfunded money to help cover workers wages affected by the shutdown. We didnt meet our goals every week, he said. In the end, Sunshine said, the shuttering of the College Avenue store had a dramatic effect on the workforce and the organizing campaign in town. When the election was held in April 2022, there were 27 workers at the store. Starbucks said fourteen workers accepted positions at other stores after the closure, while the rest declined. The vast majority have since moved on from the company. Two of the 27 still work at Starbucks, said Sunshine, referring to himself and Vitek. Related... Stars of the big and small screen gathered in Washington, D.C., Friday evening as part of the Creative Coalitions call to preserve arts funding. The organizations Right to Bear Arts gala took two years off due to the COVID pandemic before returning last year. The nonprofit lobbies for public funding for community arts programs, which members warned are often first on the chopping block. Actor Tim Daly (The Sopranos), the organizations president, hailed the power of the arts to inspire in remarks opening the event. When [people] take ownership of a poem, or a song or dance when they take ownership of their story, then they take ownership of the future, ability to be one of the most powerful and effective change agents available to human beings, Daly said. Actress Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) told The Hill on the red carpet that members of the coalition spent Friday on Capitol Hill lobbying lawmakers, talking about arts programs and trying to bolster as much financial support and political support as possible for them. I think we nailed it, Smulders added, saying were all impacted at some point in our lives by an arts program or a teacher, so were all here to speak to that and get as many kids in a theater or studio as possible. Actor Jason Isaacs (The Death of Stalin) told The Hill the work the Creative Coalition does is particularly vital given the relative lack of public funding for the arts in the U.S. compared to other countries, like his home country of the U.K. This is the only organization that advocates for the [arts] budget, and its a tiny budget, frankly, compared to other countries, Isaacs said. Other countries, he said, pay to subsidize the arts because they understand how important it is, practically, to save peoples lives, create business and work for the spiritual life of every nation. Other members of the delegation included Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), Billy Eichner (Bros), Judy Gold (Better Things) and BD Wong (Jurassic Park). Crazy Ex-Girlfriend actress and co-creator Rachel Bloom was set to attend but tested positive for COVID before the event. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A flawed state funding plan, declining enrollment, and the loss of federal COVID dollars are causing Bellingham Public Schools to cut the districts budget by $16 million, according to Superintendent Greg Baker. The 7.5% cut will drop school spending back to 2021-22 levels, which will likely mean fewer teachers, larger class sizes and fewer student resources. Its super frustrating and it puts us, as a school district, on this roller coaster year-to-year, Baker said in an interview with The Bellingham Herald. The legislature comes into session every year and they change the rules and change the funding. Were kind of at the mercy of it. All of this comes at a time when operating costs are up and staffing is the highest its been in years. Rep. Joe Timmons (D-Bellingham) is on the states Education Committee, which considers issues relating to K-12 education. He agrees more needs to be done to manage the challenges school districts are facing. We have our work cut out for us as we continue to grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our schools are seeing enrollment declines and the end of one-time federal funds, Rep. Timmons said in a statement to The Bellingham Herald. The state legislature made monumental investments in special education this session, but we have more work to do moving forward, including examining our funding model to ensure that educators have the resources they need and that all students receive the quality education they deserve. State funding model The state government is required to pay for the public education of every K-12 student in Washington through its general fund. Every district is given a certain amount to pay for a minimum number of staff, including teachers, counselors and custodians, with the expectation that local tax dollars will also partially support staffing. But the state gets to decide how much staffing its willing to pay for. In Bellingham, thats much less than what the district believes is necessary. Story continues For example, the states model says a district of Bellinghams size should need six school nurses and provides the funding for 4.5 nurses, leaving the district to fund the remaining 1.5 with local taxpayer dollars. With 22 schools in the district, Baker says Bellingham Public Schools should have one nurse for each school. Currently, the district has eight nurses. But with the budget cut, that staffing becomes even harder to finance. Another issue Baker cites is a decision by the legislature to finance a 3.7% cost-of-living raise for school district employees. The state only pays for 70% of Bellingham Public Schools staff, with the other 30% supported through local taxpayer dollars. So, to fund that cost-of-living increase for every district employee, Bellingham Public Schools needs to make up the difference by passing local levies. The use of regionalization factors, which are meant to provide extra funding to retain educators in school districts with higher property values, is also affecting the budget. Bellinghams regionalization factor has gone down over the last four years, reducing state funding to the district by an additional $1.4 million, according to Baker. Loss of COVID funding Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding was provided by the federal government during the pandemic and Bellingham Public Schools opted to invest it in staffing. The extra money helped the district avoid layoffs during the pandemic and provide childcare for first responders, according to Baker. Bellingham Public Schools has added 204 staff positions since the 2016-17 school year, up about 15%. Now that ESSER funding has run out, the district will need to reduce staffing significantly, Baker said, although some positions will be maintained through grants. The district currently employs 1,396 people. Low enrollment Enrollment is a driving factor for how much money the district receives from the state. The district is estimating a loss of students for the 2023-24 school year, though officials wont know how many until the school year begins. The districts early predictions estimate enrollment will drop by 2% next year, about 200 students less than the current enrollment of 10,962. Baker says the districts predicted low enrollment could be due to continuing effects of the pandemic keeping students at home, a lower birth rate across the state of Washington and in Whatcom County, along with the increasing challenges of the housing market. Division of funding Restrictions on the way specific allocations of funding can be distributed also mean the district cant easily move money around to make up for losses. When its tough economic times and youre trying to hire more teachers or nurses, can you just move money from your capital, not build schools and hire people? The answer to that is no its illegal. The state has given certain rules for each of these pots of money, Baker said. School districts have the option to run local levies, which allow property owners to vote to tax themselves and pay for additional staffing and programs. Bellingham Public Schools runs two levies every four years, the Operations Levy and the Technology Levy. In 2016, the district also ran a Transportation Levy to upgrade the school bus fleet. Local districts can also sell bonds, which allow property owners to tax themselves in order to pay for capital improvement projects like new buildings or renovations. The state doesnt fund the construction of local schools. Theyve left that primarily up to local communities to decide when and how to update their facilities, which makes it inequitable across our state, Baker told The Herald. NEW CASTLE, Ind. Indiana State Police are investigating a Friday stabbing at the New Castle Correctional Facility. According to a news release, a female mental health counselor at the prison was conducting a group session with eight inmates about 9:40 a.m. when one of the offenders, armed with a "pointed metal object," became stabbing her in the area of her neck and throat. Several of the other offenders tried to stop the assault, and one of those inmates was stabbed in the chest. That inmate and the female counselor were treated at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital for "non-life-threatening injuries," according to the release. State police were asked to investigate the incident, and were being assisted by investigators from the state Department of Correction and GEO Group, the private company that operates the New Castle prison. The results of the investigation will be sent to the Henry County prosecutor's office, where decisions will be made on what charges will be filed. The name of the inmate who allegedly committed the stabbings was not released. Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Inmate, counselor stabbed at New Castle Correctional Facility The hotel had a statue of a T. rex and cool artwork. Emma Kershaw During my trip to Amsterdam, I stayed in the Bunk hotel, which used to be a church. The hotel has both pods, or hostel-style areas, and private-room accommodations. I was instantly drawn to the quirky decor, including floating rooms and a giant purple T. rex statue. When I visited Amsterdam for the first time, I stayed at the Bunk hotel. The Bunk hotel even looks like a church. Emma Kershaw Amsterdam was on my bucket list for a while so recently I took the plunge and booked a three-day trip. When I was researching accommodations for my party of two, I came across Bunk hotels, a small chain with a unique concept both properties are actually converted churches. Situated in the Amsterdam Noord district, Bunk Amsterdam is around 15 minutes from the city center. Since Amsterdam has a great public-transit system and even a free ferry that runs 24 hours a day, getting to the hotel from the city wasn't an issue for us. The hotel has 50 pods, or hostel-style rooms, and 106 en suites to choose from. I thought the yellow walls created a bright, warm atmosphere. Emma Kershaw We opted for a private room and bathroom, although the hostel pods seem to have lots of privacy and might be a great option for those who are on a tighter budget. We stayed in the Epic Book room +, which cost 137, or about $150, a night. There was also an additional fee of 7% city tax and a tourist tax, coming out to 3 per person per night. Our room was small but cozy. I liked the ceilings in our room. Emma Kershaw The original detailing of the building, like the wooden beams on the ceiling, was a nod to the hotel's previous state. The bedroom area had mood lighting fitted into the headboard, which was nice to set and help us drift off the sleep after a long day of exploring. The bathroom was on the smaller side and featured a rainfall shower, a sink, and a toilet. The bathroom had some unique wallpaper. Emma Kershaw In our Epic Book Room +, amenities such as towels, soap, and shampoo were included but after looking online, it doesn't seem like they come with every room option. The room was split over two levels. If I wanted to lay in bed, I had to go upstairs. Emma Kershaw The bathroom was located on the ground floor and the bed was on the second level and could be reached by a winding staircase. Story continues For a two-night stay, we thought the room was a great choice. Our room also had a shelf full of trinkets. Emma Kershaw Though there wasn't too much space to move around when we were getting ready for the day, there was ample storage under the bed. We stored our bags under the bed and used the chair for laying out clothes and toiletries. The main quirk I noticed was that I couldn't get the television to work and we could not find a remote control. However, this wasn't a big deal as we didn't spend enough time in the room to watch TV. Formerly the Saint Rita Church, the building has a rich history. A plaque in the hotel detailed the building's history. Emma Kershaw The church was built in 1921 and bombed by the Allied forces in 1943, an event Anne Frank described in her diary. After World War II, the church eventually lost its function as a religious building. In some ways, the building looks far different from a church. Emma Kershaw In 1995, the church became an office space for Universal Studios and a local branch of the city's public library. Bunk later acquired the building and turned it into the amenity it is today. Most of the walls and ceilings are in their original states and some areas of the building still have their religious features. The property has lots of original pieces and nods to its monumental past. Depictions of Jesus were situated around the hotel. Emma Kershaw I noticed depictions of Jesus and stained-glass windows at the hotel. I thought that even the exterior of the building still looks like a church. I saw a lot of fun, eye-catching details that brought a unique quirkiness to each area. The T .rex statue had a plush teddy bear in its mouth. Emma Kershaw The hotel also features several communal spaces for guests to hang out. A giant purple T .rex filled the space in the lobby and a plant wall and neon signs surrounded the check-in desk. Skeleton art adorned the elevator doors. The skeleton art added a whimsical tone to the elevators. Emma Kershaw When I took the elevator to way to the top floor, I saw even more artwork. The floating pods featured a that could only be seen from a certain angle. The monster art was a clever illusion. Emma Kershaw From the top floor, I saw a hand-painted monster on top of the hotel's "floating" pods. The library is a more elegant space with vintage books lining the walls. The library was a great place to study. Emma Kershaw The library seems like a great place to work or study, as there's a large table, comfy seating, and lots of power outlets. If you want to make things a little more interesting, there's a book you can tug on that will activate disco lights. You need to find it first, though. There are also lots of hidden spaces to check out. The spiral staircase led to a secret recording room. Emma Kershaw I found a hidden spiral suitcase leading to a recording studio, where guests and local businesses can rent out the room to make music or podcasts. We also saw a giant safe decked out in space-themed decor right by our room. The restaurant and bar are open to the public. The restaurant's menu includes food inspired by local and international cuisine. Emma Kershaw Breakfast was included in our room rate and when we went, we opted for the pancakes. The hotel's restaurant serves food from 7:30 a.m. through 10 p.m. We went back to grab a snack and a couple of glasses of wine. I thought the service was quick and friendly so it was a lovely way to spend a bit of time relaxing. Locals and tourists are welcome to dine at the restaurant or bar, and I was told that residents coming from church services often visit the hotel. I highly recommend the hotel, especially for short stays. One common area had a statue of a horse. Emma Kershaw Though it's a little outside of the city, it was a great base to come back to after a day of exploring. In my experience, it was easy to reach the Amsterdam city center via public transit, and there were also things to do around the Amsterdam Noord area, like the A'DAM Lookout and the Nxt Museum. If you're visiting Amsterdam for a few days, I think the Bunk is a great budget-friendly option for guests of all ages. It's warm, inviting, and ideal for those who love an Instagram-friendly, immersive property. Read the original article on Insider A student was hospitalized Friday after being stabbed during a fight at Valencia High School, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. (KTLA-TV Sky5/KTLA-TV Sky5) Two students were treated at local hospitals after a fight broke out at Valencia High School and ended with one boy being stabbed, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The fight broke out inside the school about 10:30 a.m. between two 15-year-olds, according to Lt. Luis Molina of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. One of the boys produced a pocket knife and stabbed the other, Molina said. The stabbed boy was taken to a hospital in stable condition, Molina said. He has been released to his parents. The boy with the knife was arrested pending a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, Molina said. It's unknown what the fight was about. The school was on lockdown during the investigation but has since reopened. William S. Hart Union High School District released a statement saying both students were taken to hospitals. "It is with sadness that we inform our community of a situation that occurred on the Valencia High School campus today where two students were involved in an altercation and injured," the statement read. "A team of counselors are on site to provide support to students and staff." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. NHS doctor Abdulrahman Babiker was evacuated from Sudan on Friday after initially being turned away The UK government has told NHS doctors in Sudan they can now catch evacuation flights out of the country, in a U-turn on its previous policy. More than 20 NHS medics were initially told they could not board flights because they were not British nationals - although they have UK work permits. The government confirmed to the BBC that non-Britons in Sudan working for the NHS could be evacuated. The change comes just hours before the UK's final rescue flights out of Sudan. Fighting erupted in capital Khartoum two weeks ago due to a power struggle within the Sudan's military leadership. A UK government spokesperson told the BBC the evacuation criteria had been extended to non-British nationals in Sudan working "as clinicians within the NHS, and their dependents who have leave to enter the UK". The spokesperson added that the government was working with partners to "maintain the ceasefire and bring an end to fighting - the single most important thing we can do to ensure the safety of British nationals and others in Sudan". Countries have been frantically rescuing their citizens, with the latest evacuations happening during a US-brokered ceasefire, which has not held. On Friday evening, the US also reportedly started evacuating civilians on buses - with a convoy carrying some 300 people leaving Khartoum and heading towards the coastal city of Port Sudan, according to US media. It appears to be the first evacuation of non-diplomat Americans from Sudan. British nationals and the NHS doctors hoping to leave Sudan had until midday local time (11:00 BST) to reach the Wadi Seidna airfield. They were instructed to make their own way to the airfield. The Ministry of Defence has told the BBC flights will continue to leave Sudan until all those people who registered at the airfield before the deadline have been evacuated. More than 1,650 people have been evacuated from Khartoum and more than 1,000 have been flown to the UK, it added. Story continues The Foreign Office has also announced consular support in the coastal city of Port Sudan, with an office established at the Coral Hotel. It advised British nationals to visit the team for help or call the 24-hour helpline on +441908 516 666. The Foreign Office said the last flights marked "the end of a successful evacuation operation" and it was winding up evacuations due to "declining demand for seats". It added that the UK has "set up a limited consular presence at Port Sudan to signpost British nationals to available options for departure". Stories emerged this week of National Health Service doctors being turned away from the airport in Khartoum - and the Foreign Office repeatedly told the BBC that only British passport holders and their dependents were able to get on the flights. They insisted anyone with a work permit was welcome in the UK, but must make their own way there. On Friday evening, a message was circulated by the Department of Health and Social Care to NHS doctors in Sudan, telling them to make their way to Wadi Seidna airfield, just north of the capital, for evacuation. The text, seen by the BBC, tells any medical staff with leave to remain to bring dependents and proof of NHS employment. The change comes after the case of Sudanese doctor Dr Abdulrahman Babiker, who was initially refused a place on a British evacuation, made headlines. Dr Babiker landed back in the UK on Saturday after he was successfully evacuated on a flight to Cyprus which landed there on Friday evening. He told the BBC he was "really glad" that the UK government had changed its guidance - but said there was "just one day only" for his colleagues in Sudan to make the last flights. After he landed in Cyprus, he said he had "mixed feelings", saying: "I am happy that I am finally in a safe place, away from a war and on my way back to the UK. At the same time I feel down that my family (my dad, mum, brother and sister) are still endangered by this deadly fighting in my country. "I am thinking about them now and trying to work out what I can do to help them escape the danger zone." Speaking to the BBC from Stansted Airport after finally making it home, Dr Babiker thanked the journalists who highlighted the position of NHS doctors trapped in Sudan and the UK government for changing evacuation guidance, as well as colleagues for their support. The Manchester Royal Infirmary doctor is planning to fly to the UK later and is due back at work on Tuesday. Dr Abdulrahman Babiker is due back at work at the Manchester Royal Infirmary where he has been working for four years The British Medical Association had called on the government to "ensure all NHS doctors, and their families, including those on UK visas are evacuated". Those comments were echoed by Labour shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, who said if there was a reduced demand for evacuation flights while the ceasefire is ongoing, then the government should widen its criteria to include British residents trying to flee Sudan. He added: "It cannot be right for the government to clap for NHS doctors one day and then turn them away from evacuation flights out of a conflict zone the next." The UK's evacuations to the RAF base in Cyprus began last Tuesday. Other countries have also been evacuating their citizens, and the UN refugee agency said around 33,000 refugees fled from Khartoum to refugee camps in Sudan's White Nile state. People evacuate war-torn Sudan, as RAF aircraft transports British nationals from Wadi Seidna airfield to Cyprus Heavy fighting between the Sudanese army and its rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed at least 512 people, and injured almost 4,200. Missiles and heavy weaponry has also damaged the country's key infrastructure, including access to clean water and the internet. Health officials say most hospitals in conflict areas are not functioning, and more than 60% of health facilities in the capital, Khartoum, are inactive. Despite the ceasefire, fighting has not come to a halt and eyewitness have reported fighting in Khartoum, the western Darfur region and other provinces. The truce - due to end at midnight local time on Thursday (23:00 BST) - was extended for a further 72 hours. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken - who mediated talks alongside neighbouring countries, the UK and UN - said that while the ceasefire was imperfect, it had reduced violence. The UK Foreign Office called the evacuation effort "the longest and largest evacuation effort of any Western country". Map showing Darfur in Sudan and the surrounding countries Banner saying 'Get in touch' Are you in Sudan? If you are preparing to leave on an evacuation flight share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. Listen on Sounds banner Abdalla Hamdok served twice as Sudan PM between 2019 and 2022 Sudan's former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has warned that the conflict in his country could become worse than those in Syria and Libya. The fighting between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) would be a "nightmare for the world" if it continued, he said. Early on Sunday, warplanes and heavy anti-aircraft fire were heard over the capital Khartoum, residents said. The army said it was attacking from all directions, using heavy artillery. The fighting that started on 15 April has left hundreds dead, while tens of thousands of people are fleeing the country. Thursday night's extension of an uneasy ceasefire between the rival factions followed intensive diplomatic efforts by neighbouring countries, as well as the US, UK and UN. But the 72-hour extension has not held. Meanwhile, there are chaotic scenes in Port Sudan where people are desperate to board ships, some of which are heading to Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The UK government said it had ended its evacuation operation. The Foreign Office said the last flight left Khartoum at 22:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Saturday, and in total nearly 1,900 people were flown out. The US government meanwhile said a US-organised convoy had reached Port Sudan to evacuate more US citizens by ship to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. It said hundreds of Americans had already left Sudan, in addition to the diplomats evacuated by air a week ago. Speaking at a conference in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, Mr Hamdok called for a unified international effort to persuade the Sudanese army chief and the RSF leader to hold peace talks. "This is a huge country, very diverse ... I think it will be a nightmare for the world," he said. "This is not a war between an army and small rebellion. It is almost like two armies - well trained and well armed." Story continues Mr Hamdok - who served as prime minister twice between 2019 and 2022 - added that the insecurity could become worse than the civil wars in Syria and Libya. Those wars have led to hundreds of thousands of deaths, created millions of refugees and caused instability in the wider regions. Army commander Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF chief Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, disagree about the country's proposed move to civilian rule, and in particular about the timeframe of the 100,000 strong RSF's inclusion into the army. Both factions fear losing power in Sudan, partly because on both sides there are men who could end up at the International Criminal Court for war crimes committed in the Darfur region almost 20 years ago. Millions of people remain trapped in Khartoum, where there are shortages of food, water and fuel. Sudan's army has urged people in Khartoum to remain indoors and stay away from windows, as it deploys tanks and other artillery in an effort to recapture areas held by the RSF. The RSF says the army is widening the conflict by deploying the Central Reserve police - a unit with a reputation for brutality against civilians. Violence is also reported to have been particularly bad in El Geneina, a city in Darfur in western Sudan, with claims that militia groups have looted and torched markets. Hemedti has told the BBC he will not negotiate until fighting ends. He said his fighters were being "relentlessly" bombed since the truce was extended. "We don't want to destroy Sudan," he said, blaming army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan for the violence. Gen Burhan - the head of Sudan's regular army - has tentatively agreed to face-to-face talks in South Sudan. Around 2,000 people have arrived in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah Around 2,000 people have arrived in Jeddah from Port Sudan. Most are expected to be flown home via charter flights arranged by their governments within the next few days. Speaking to BBC's Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet in Jeddah, Nazli, a 32 year-old Iranian civil engineer who fled with her fellow engineer husband, recalled the fighting they fled. "We couldn't even sit on our balcony; the gunfire was everywhere," she said. "Please please help our family in Sudan," cried Rasha, a Sudanese-American mother of four children - who spoke of hiding for three days, terrified. "I call on the world to protect Sudan," she pleaded, underlining fears that once all the foreign nationals have fled, the fighting will intensify. Banner saying 'Get in touch' Are you in Sudan? If you are preparing to leave on an evacuation flight share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. Listen on Sounds banner As summer nears, and before parents get caught hearing the inevitable humdrum whining tune of Im bored, they should check out these kid-friendly outdoor Beaufort County activities. Beaufort Hunting Island State Park Pro tip: You never have to leave the beach if you camp there. Make some core memories with your kids by pitching up a tent at one of two available campgrounds on the parks north end and waking up to a gorgeous sunrise to start the beach day all over again. Each campground has access to restrooms and showers. Visitors can also book dolphin-watching tours or a tour of St. Phillips Island, an undeveloped barrier island home to a cottage for rent that was once owned by Ted Turner. Highway 21 Drive-In Theater Anyone with a hankering for the old days when drive-in theaters were all the rage can pretend theyve been transported back in time at the Highway 21 Drive-In Theater. Featuring the latest Hollywood films, the theater boasts over four decades worth of history in the area. In 2017, it was pronounced among the best drive-ins in the country by the Travel Channel, according to previous Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet reporting. Port Royal Cypress Wetlands and Rookery in Port Royal Take a walk through the Cypress Wetlands and Rookery in Port Royal and learn all about the birds and other critters who call it home. The rookery, located in Port Royals downtown area near Ribaut Road and Paris Avenue, attracts tourists and local birders alike year-round. Over the next six weeks, according to previous reporting, visitors will be privy to a flurry of wildlife activity from the boardwalk as birds begin to build their nests and chicks begin to hatch. Ken Scott, pointing, a master naturalist with the Fripp Island Audubon Club, leads a group on a tour of the Town of Port Royals Cypress Wetlands on Tuesday following the dedication ceremony for the half-mile-long walking trail through the wetlands on Tuesday. In the wetlands park, boardwalks and pathways circle the wetlands, which feature an egret rookery in the spring and numerous other species wading birds and ducks, as well as a bald cypress and tupelo swamp. Kayak tour Get a front-row look at the Lowcountrys most precious ecosystems by booking a guided kayak tour with the Port Royal Sound Foundation Maritime Center, an environmental preservation nonprofit organization on Okatie Highway. A naturalist with the Port Royal Sound Foundation will take you and your crew out from the Maritime Center for a two-hour guided tour of the Chechessee River. Kids under 13 years old must ride in a kayak with an adult. Tours can be booked online at the Port Royal Sound Foundation Maritime Center website Story continues Hilton Head Pinckney Island National Wildlife Preserve If the rookery in Port Royal wasnt enough for animal-enthused kiddos, head over to the wildlife preserve on Pinckney Island. Thousands of migratory birds flock to the island each year and other animals like alligators, snakes and turtles also call it home. Families can go to the island from sunrise to sunset and can hike or bike to spot their favorite critters. Avocado Bikes For kids who need to get a little extra energy out, exploring Hilton Head and its beaches on bicycles from Avocado Bikes might just be the ticket. The electric bike rental store is located at 890 William Hilton Parkway. Cruise along the beach and, when the kids get tired, stop in at a local restaurant on the water. Bluffton New River Linear Trail Amateur adventurers can flex their exploring muscles on this 3.4-mile stretch of walking trails along an old Seaboard Air Line Railway corridor. If youre lucky, you might spot one of the many animals that call this trail home including alligators, armadillos and deer. Old Town Bluffton Farmers Market Take kids to meet local farmers and vendors and teach them about the benefits of locally grown produce at the Bluffton Farmers Market. The market started in 2008 and received such a positive response from locals and tourists alike that it was moved from the Bluffton Oyster Company Park to a stretch of Calhoun and Lawrence Streets. In its new location, the market serves the public better, according to its website. Shoppers are welcome from noon until 5 p.m. every Thursday. Summer is around the corner, and most of us love to be stylish under the sun. Travel Noire has researched popular retailer, Sunglass Hut, to see what the latest styles are from the top designer brands. Whether youre poolside, having brunch outside with the girls, or riding on a yacht off the coast of Miami, we found the right looks for you. Heres our choices for the top latest designer brands. Gucci Model GG0291S Gucci $755 Buy Now Gucci Photo Credit: Sunglass Hut The Gucci GG0291S sunglasses are the perfect accessory for those who want to add a touch of luxury to their outfits. These sunglasses are designed with a classic rectangular frame that is crafted from premium quality acetate material. They are available in various colors, including black, tortoise, and Havana, and are accentuated with gold details on the temples. The lenses of the GG0291S are made from top-quality materials that offer 100% UV protection, shielding your eyes from the suns harmful rays. They come in a wide range of colors, including gray, brown, and blue gradient, giving you the freedom to choose the perfect color that complements your style. With the iconic Gucci logo prominently displayed on the temples, these sunglasses offer both style and functionality. They come with a case and cleaning cloth to ensure they are well-protected and easy to maintain. The Gucci GG0291S sunglasses are a must-have accessory for anyone looking to make a bold fashion statement. Yves Saint Laurent Model SL 312 Yves Saint Laurent $505 Buy Now Yves Saint Laurent Photo Credit: Sunglass Hut Yves Saint Laurent, commonly referred to as YSL, is a reputable luxury fashion brand renowned for its high-end and fashionable products. YSLs sunglasses are no exception and are crafted to be both stylish and practical, providing adequate protection from the suns harmful rays. The YSL SL 312 sunglasses are a well-liked model that showcase a square-shaped frame crafted from top-quality acetate material. The lenses come in a brown gradient tint, offering a trendy and sophisticated appearance. Additionally, they come with a UV protection coating to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. Story continues Dolce & Gabbana Model DG4438 Dolce Gabbana $317 Buy Now Dolce Gabbana Photo Credit: Sunglass Hut The DG4438 is a versatile accessory that can be paired with any outfit, making it perfect for both casual and formal occasions. Whether youre lounging by the pool or attending a social event, these sunglasses are sure to make a statement. If youre looking for a pair of designer sunglasses that are both fashionable and functional, DG4438 from Dolce is an excellent choice. Prada Model PR 14ZSF Prada $517 Buy Now Prada Photo Credit: Sunglass Hut The Prada PR 14ZSF sunglasses are a highly sought-after model that boasts a rectangular frame made from a combination of metal and acetate materials. These sunglasses come with gradient lenses that have a UV protection coating to shield your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays. The PR 14ZSF sunglasses are available in several colors, such as black, tortoise, and Havana, and the temple arms feature the iconic Prada logo, which enhances the overall look with an air of luxury and sophistication. To ensure that these sunglasses stay in excellent condition, they are accompanied by a case and a cleaning cloth. Built to last, the PR 14ZSF sunglasses are designed to be durable and are an excellent investment for anyone seeking high-quality designer sunglasses. Versace Model VE4425U Versace $345 Buy Now Versace Photo Credit: Sunglass Hut Versace is a renowned luxury fashion brand that is highly regarded for its upscale clothing, accessories, and fragrances. In keeping with this reputation, Versace sunglasses are also designed with a focus on both style and functionality. Among these sunglasses, the VE4425U model is a popular choice, featuring a cat-eye shape with a sturdy metal frame and acetate temple tips. Additionally, the gradient lenses come with a UV protection coating to shield your eyes from harmful rays. The VE4425U sunglasses come in several colors, including black, gold, and silver, and the iconic Versace logo is prominently displayed on the temple arms, lending an air of luxury and sophistication to the overall design. Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, and other supermarkets have released their opening times for the Easter bank holiday weekends (iStock) Britons are being treated to two bank holiday weekends in a row, as the early May bank holiday and the coronation weekend of King Charles III arrive one after the other. Monday 1 May is the early May bank holiday, while Buckingham Palace announced last year that Monday 8 May would also be a bank holiday to give the country an extra day to celebrate the coronation. With warmer spring weather expected this coming weekend and Big Lunches and street parties planned for the following one, British people have plenty to look forward to in the coming fortnight. However, it could also mean closures across some supermarkets on more days than usual. Many people will be looking to stock up for the long weekends and ensure they have plenty of food and drink for gatherings, parties, or just to relax with. Here are the opening times for Sainsburys, Tesco, Morrison, Lidl and more. Sainsburys 1 May early May bank holiday Its business as usual across most Sainsburys stores throughout the weekend before the early May bank holiday. Stores are usually open from 8am to 8pm, while smaller Sainburys Local shops are usually open from 7am until 11pm. Opening hours may vary according to individual stores, so its best to check the store locator. 8 May Kings coronation bank holiday Sainsburys is operating at normal hours for the weekend of the Kings coronation. Again, opening hours may vary. Check your local store before you visit. Tesco 1 May early May bank holiday Most of Tescos large stores will be open from 8am to 6pm on 1 May, with some staying open until 8pm. However, opening hours do vary from branch to branch. Customers should check their local Tesco using the companys store finder. 8 May Kings coronation bank holiday Most of Tescos large stores will operate at normal hours on 8 May. (PA) Morrisons 1 May early May bank holiday Morrisons stores will remain open at normal hours across the weekend before the early May bank holiday. On 1 May, stores will open at their usual time but are set to close slightly earlier at 8pm. Story continues 8 May Kings coronation bank holiday On 8 May, Morrisons stores will open at their usual time but will close at 8pm, slightly earlier than normal. Customers should check their local store times on Morrisons store finder. Aldi 1 May early May bank holiday Normal opening hours across Aldi stores on Saturday and Sunday (29 and 30 April). On 1 May, stores will be open until 8pm in England and Wales, while stores in Scotland will be open until 10pm as usual. 8 May Kings coronation bank holiday Normal opening hours across Aldi stores on Saturday and Sunday (6 and 7 May). On 8 May, stores will be open until 8pm in England and Wales. In Scotland, stores will be open until 10pm. The opening times of some stores may vary and customers should check their local stores on Aldis website. Lidl 1 May early May bank holiday Lidl stores will be open as normal across the bank holiday weekend. Saturdays see the stores open from 8am until 10pm, while Sunday hours are shorter, from 10am to 4pm or 11am to 5pm. On 1 May, all Lidl stores will be open from 8am to 8pm. 8 May Kings coronation bank holiday On Monday 8 May, Lidl stores will be open from 8am to 8pm in England and Wales. Stores in Scotland will remain open as normal until 10pm. Store opening hours may vary, so check the store finder before visiting. Asda (PA Wire) 1 May early May bank holiday Asda store opening times will remain as normal on Saturday and Sunday (29 and 30 April). They usually open from 6am or 7pm and close around 10pm or 11pm on Saturdays, while Sunday operating hours are shorter, between 10am or 11am to 4pm or 5pm. On the bank holiday itself, most Asda stores will open from 8am to 8pm. 8 May Kings coronation bank holiday Asda stores will be open at normal hours on Saturday and Sunday (6 and 7 May), but will shorten opening hours from 7am to 8pm on Monday 8 May. Marks & Spencer 1 May early May bank holiday All M&S stores will be open as usual on the weekend, but many stores will have shorter hours on the bank holiday Monday. 8 May Kings coronation bank holiday Stores will be open at usual times on Saturday and Sunday (6 and 7 May), but will have shorter hours on Monday 8 May. Customers should check their local M&S using the store finder before visiting. Waitrose 1 May early May bank holiday Stores are set to be open as usual across the early May bank holiday weekend, including on Monday 1 May. Some Little Waitrose shops will be open from 7am to 10pm. 8 May Kings coronation bank holiday Large Waitrose stores will be open for normal hours throughout the coronation bank holiday weekend. You can check your local Waitrose opening times using the companys store finder. MILWAUKEE (AP) Rowdy Tellez hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the eighth inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat Los Angeles 2-1 on Friday night to stop the Angels' three-game winning streak. Willy Adames had a first-inning home run for Milwaukee, and Gio Urshela hit a two-out RBI single in the fourth as part of a 3-for-3 night. With two outs and two on, Joey Wiemer ran 89 feet to make a leaping backhand catch on the center-field warning track 395 feet from the plate to retire Chad Wallach. William Contreras and Mike Brosseau singled off left-hander Aaron Loup (0-2) starting the eighth. Tellez grounded a single in the hole between second and first, and into right field. Loup has "made a really good career of getting lefties out, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. Over his last 14 games, Tellez is hitting .319 with six home runs and 15 RBIs. Los Angeles had put runners at the corners in the top half when Taylor Ward reached on a throwing error by Brosseau at third and Shohei Ohtani singled with one out. Peter Strzelecki (2-0) retired Anthony Rendon on a flyout and Hunter Renfroe on a groundout. Devin Williams pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save in four chances. He has pitched nine scoreless innings in nine appearances. Los Angeles made its first visit to Milwaukee since 2016. In a matchup of left-handers, the Angels' Tyler Anderson bounced back from three bad outings. He allowed five hits and three walks in 6 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts, throwing a season-high 109 pitches. He gave up 16 earned runs over 14 innings in his three previous starts. You can kind of feel guys game plans out as the game goes on, and then when you get in a situation, just dont give in," Anderson said. Milwaukees Wade Miley, coming off wins over San Diego and Boston, allowed seven hits in six innings. Ohtani and Mike Trout went a combined 2 for 8. You've just got to try to find their holes and attack them, Miley said. I feel like if you go in there pitching a little scared, that's when the damage is going to happen. Story continues Milwaukee's four pitchers didn't walk a batter. HOT HOP One of the hardest hits stayed in the infield. It was a one-bounce grounder that Adames snagged and turned into a forceout that ended the third inning. The ball was 110 mph off Trouts bat, an exit velocity 4 mph faster than Adames homee. OHTANI A day after nearly hitting for the cycle while pitching, Ohtani went 1 for 4 as the designated hitter. His next mound start is slated for Wednesday at St. Louis, manager Phil Nevin said. TRAINER'S ROOM Angels: LHP Jose Quijada will be put on the IL with elbow discomfort. RHP Chris Devenski will be recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake...RHP Justin Garza was claimed off waivers by the Red Sox. He was designated for assignment April 21. UP NEXT LHP Reid Detmers (0-1, 4.15 ERA) starts for the Angels on Saturday and RHP Corbin Burnes (2-1, 4.55 ERA) for the Brewers. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports A Tesla Model S captured footage of a man setting it on fire. Noam Galai/Getty Images for Nantucket Film Festival A Tesla with Sentry Mode reportedly captured footage of a man setting the EV on fire. The video, posted by a news outlet, appears to show a man pouring liquid on the car and setting it ablaze. The Tesla owner told local news he was visiting a friend when the incident occurred overnight. A Tesla customer's Model S cameras appeared to capture footage of a man setting the car on fire last week. The Tesla owner, J.R. Harriston, told KREM2 that he was visiting a friend in Spokane, Washington when his car was set ablaze overnight. He told the news outlet that Tesla's Sentry Mode recorded the incident, which took place at about 12:40 a.m. Saturday. Harriston shared the video with the news station. It appeared to show a man walking up to the car with two cans and pouring the liquid on the electric car. The footage then flashes bright orange as the car is apparently engulfed in flames. "I can't fathom myself wanting to set fire to anything for any political reason, whatever," Harriston told local news. "I just, I don't get it." Harriston told the publication that he had owned the Tesla for just over a year and it was his "dream car." A motive for the apparent crime has not been reported. The Spokane Police Department did not respond to a request for comment from Insider ahead of publication, but told the local news outlet that it is investigating the incident as a case of arson. Insider was unable to reach Harriston. Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk have also become increasingly polarizing in recent years. Some Tesla owners told Insider's Tim Levin this year that they planned to ditch their cars because of Elon Musk's antics. A Tesla owner told CNN last year that they felt the electric car was "the new MAGA hat." Electric cars have also become targets for opponents of the EV revolution. Vandals have pulled stunts like stuffing ground beef into EV charging stations filling charging stations with gas trucks so that EVs aren't able to recharge a practice known as ICEing. Story continues Fortunately for Tesla owners, the vehicles have Sentry Mode, which records video of the car's surroundings when it detects "suspicious activity." The feature has caught Tesla vandals in the past. The cameras have sparked privacy concerns, however. Earlier this month, Reuters reported that Tesla employees had shared images from customers' footage. Tesla has not commented on the issue, but the report sparked a lawsuit. Watch the video from the Sentry Cameras on the local news outlet's website. Read the original article on Business Insider King Charles as a 17-year-old student with his roommate, Stuart McGregor, and a member of staff As the coronation approaches, there is a lifetime of moments to look back on which prepared King Charles for his role as monarch - including the time spent in what he has described as "by far the best part" of his education, his two terms at Timbertop in the mountains of south-eastern Australia. Most of the future king's education was in British boarding schools, but in 1966 he was sent to a campus in rural Victoria offering a very different type of schooling, a long way from the more austere world of Gordonstoun in Scotland. Timbertop was where the prince took a break from his royal duties and enjoyed a much quieter life, away from the relentless spotlight. "While I was here I had the Pommy bits bashed off me," Charles said during a return visit to Australia. And despite describing the 70-mile hikes "in a blood-stained shirt" as "hell", he looked back with great affection on his short spell here, saying "it was good for the character". The remoteness here at the rural campus of Geelong Grammar School helped keep away prying eyes, though the world's media was allowed to visit for a day soon after Charles arrived. And in archive footage, the prince can be seen chopping logs with Stuart McGregor - a former pupil at Timbertop who was chosen by the school to be the royal's companion. Stuart McGregor has stayed in touch with the King since their days at Timbertop Mr McGregor occasionally returns here - and as we walk together around the grounds, he tries to remember all the different buildings and lodges, many since replaced by newer and more modern-looking structures. "That's where I shared quarters with our King," he tells me. The accommodation was basic and wasn't big, he says - certainly nothing like what the young prince was used to. And Mr McGregor acknowledges that it must have been "pretty daunting" for the future monarch to "suddenly be thrust into a very small suite with someone he never knew". "There was no snoring that I can remember," he laughs. "Perhaps I was guilty." Story continues Mr McGregor clearly remembers what a contrast his friend experienced. "Suddenly he was transported to a very different world," he says of the future King. "It started out as almost bemusement, to some extent: 'What is going on? Why am I here?'" But this "quickly resolved itself and he started to embrace the concept". The prince was preparing for university during his time in Timbertop. As an older student, he took on a supervisory role - but still participated in the tough stuff. Timbertop offered the young prince the opportunity to gain practical skills And for today's pupils, it remains a robust programme - albeit an exclusive one. Fees are now more than A$75,000 (42,000; $50,000) a year. Today, Timbertop has girls as well as boys on the campus, which is a picturesque three-hour drive north of Melbourne. In the grounds, half a dozen pupils hack at logs with axes. Others carry their spoils away in a wheelbarrow, ready to stoke the fire that ensures tomorrow morning's wash won't be icy. "You have to chop wood to have hot showers," 14-year-old Tom Ward tells me. "And if you don't have enough then you have cold showers, which is pretty unpleasant," he adds, smiling. In a blacksmith's workshop 100 metres away there is more evidence of tradition. Getting hands on with molten iron isn't your typical school activity. But here everyone has a go - some proving better than others at keeping a steady hand as they strike the hot metal. Mr McGregor says that he's stayed in touch with the King through the years - a friendship he values and keeps private. "We were living in a different time," Mr McGregor says. "It was easier to have that informal relationship." "As my King that changes the dynamics. I understand that," he says. The decision to give Charles a few months in the High Country of Victoria came as a bit of a shock to Geelong Grammar - whose former pupils include the media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Cross-country runs remain a key part of the Timbertop experience "I'm not sure why the royal parents chose Timbertop," says Jeremy Madin, who attended the campus in the early 1960s and came back in 1983 as headmaster. "They certainly wanted him to be in a practical environment, and learn to live with others, out of the hurly burly of royal engagements, and that's what happened. Security kept in the background. "One of my brothers was there at the time, and thought he was a good guy. Simple as that - because he mucked in with everyone else." Mr Madin also says that other boys weren't intimidated but "very interested" in the young prince. "One of them called him a 'Pommy b*****d.' And he laughed." Mr McGregor believes that those few months in 1966 were perhaps the first time that the young royal could be himself. "The media were kept at bay and I think it allowed him to develop in a way that wouldn't have been possible in other circumstances, and certainly not back in the English environment." Abbie Lord is a current student at Timbertop in rural Victoria For the students here today, it is slightly surreal to know that the monarch was once in their shoes. "It's a bit crazy to feel he has had that experience similar to mine, to have that connection," 14-year-old Abbie Lord says. Tom Ward says it was an honour "doing pretty much the same as he did here". He adds: "We've probably been in the same mountains, seen the same views. It's pretty incredible." But while the mountains and views have not changed since 1966, in other ways, Australia has. Australians rejected calls to become a republic in 1999. But many argue the Queen's death last year pushed the republican debate back to the fore. "I said the next time we vote on this will not be before the end of the Queen's reign. Well, the Queen's reign has ended," former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told me after the death of Queen Elizabeth in September. There's also a generational question. A number of young Australians told me they relate more to the younger royals than the generation of King Charles. The debate about the British monarchy also brings on many difficult sentiments for Australia's First Nations people. For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people there's a renewed sense of trauma from the painful legacy of colonisation, and the role of the Crown in the displacement and violence enacted on indigenous Australians. When the Queen's reign began, Aboriginal Australians were not even counted as part of the population. If Charles returns as King, it would be a time of great sensitivity for the Royal Family. He'll need to convince a considerable part of the population that he, as head of state, still makes sense for Australia. Eastern Washingtons winter weather has gone into hibernation, sending families back outside, flowers back into bloom and of course, the bluebirds back to Bickleton. The small town is just over an hours drive from Tri-Cities and is considered the bluebird capital of the world. This designation isnt accidental while bluebirds naturally migrate to the area, it was the efforts of Bickleton residents and a dedicated couple from Richland that ensures the birds return by the thousands every year. While it is believed that Bickleton appointed itself as the bluebird capital of the world, the noteworthy title has been formally recognized by the North American Bluebird Society. Some areas in the eastern U.S. have tried to take the title, but Bickletons crown remains. A bright blue nesting box for bluebirds stands out against the landscape and heavy fence post its mounted to outside of Bickleton. Hundreds of the tiny birdhouses, in various stages of upkeep, are easily spotted along the roads around the community of 90 people. #13 Bluebird capital of the world Local lore says three people in the 1960s were responsible for making thousands of birdhouses in their lifetimes, contributing to the towns massive bluebird population. In fact, during the warm seasons, there are more bluebirds than people in Bickleton, which has a reported population of about 90 people. Its one of the smallest towns in Washington state. That is, if you only count the human residents. Lawrence Whitmore was a Bickleton resident who loved the sight of the cavity-nesting birds. This means they live in enclosed spaces, like birdhouses, tree holes and other birds former nests. He reportedly spent his free time building birdhouses and other dwelling options for the birds. It wasnt long before his efforts were noticed by Jess and Elva Brinkerhoff, a couple in Richland making a day trip to Bickleton. They became enamored with the small birds and Whitmores efforts. Rumor has it that Jess Brinkerhoff nailed an aluminum can on its side to a fence, offering another cavity option in hopes of attracting more bluebirds. After it worked, the couple came back every bluebird season. Their efforts won them a North American Bluebird Society award. Story continues While all three birdhouse builders have since died, they left hundreds of houses behind to keep the effort going. Ada Ruth Whitmore shows some of the nearly 500 Bluebird nesting boxes they have stored in a shipping container at their home near Bickelton. Herald/Bob Brawdy #10 The town rallied behind the three, alive and after death. As more and more bluebirds came each year, more people joined in. Volunteers clean the installed birdhouses annually, and new ones are installed often. The towns only school services K-12, and offers students volunteer credit for taking part in the yearly cleaning. Tri-Cities to Bickleton Its not hard for Tri-Cities residents to take after the Brinkerhoffs and make a day trip down to Bickleton. Just make sure you have a full tank before you go, as there are no gas stations in the tiny town. From Tri-Cities, take Interstate 82 to Mabton. Head south when you hit Mabton-Bickleton Road. The unincorpated town of Bickleton, population 90, is all about the birds....Bluebirds and their nest boxes found on a majority of fence posts along the roads around the small town. Herald/Bob Brawdy #1 Theres more than bluebirds in Bickleton, too. The town is full of history, despite having less than a dozen operating businesses. Theres plenty to do and learn. The Bickleton Carousel Museum is open every Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., plus every Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Bickleton burger and other eats The small town has plenty to eat, too. Market Street Cafe and Grocery is home to the highly-praised Bickleton burger. It offers a variety of food and drink options, with daily lunch specials and seasonal soups and salads. Its also the town grocery store, should you need any necessities. While picking up your groceries, take a look at the selection of birdhouses and bluebird-themed gifts. The cafe and grocery store are open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturdays. Advance notice is requested for large groups. The Bluebird Inn in Bickleton is a popular place in the unincorporated town of 90 to get a meal or cold drink. The restaurant and bar features an historic 1884 Brunswick pool table. Bob Brawdy | bbrawdy@tricityherald.com #5 More good food and drinks can be found at the Bluebird Inn, Washingtons oldest operating tavern. It was built as a drug store in 1887, becoming a saloon within a year, according to town history. While its occupants have varied over time, the Inn currently features a restaurant side and a bar side. The bar side is complete with a Brunswick pool table that has been in the building for 120 years. The Bluebird Inn is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Its also open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday and can be reserved for groups of at least eight on Wednesdays. WAs oldest rodeo Bickleton is also home to Washington states oldest rodeo, the Alder Creek Pioneer Picnic and Rodeo. The Alder Creek Pioneer Association was created in 1911 for the purpose of holding a reunion in town, with community games and gathering. An invitation was printed in the June 2, 1911 edition of The Bickleton News: The following invitation has been issued and is being mailed to the known addresses of pioneers, but no one need wait for a bid, for everyone will be made welcome. The operation has only grown since then. The rodeo grounds feature one of the oldest carousels on the West side of the country, a 1905 Herschell-Spillman. It is said that only three of these carousels remain operational. Rides are only offered during the rodeo weekend. The rodeo offers numerous categories for competition. In 2022, a local to the region, Eltopias Trav Johnson, was awarded second place in steer wrestling. The 2023 picnic and rodeo is scheduled for June 9 through 11. "This was the first time I had ever shared that I might be ready to become a mother with someone outside my inner circle," the author writes. Like 60% of Americans, I avoid going to the doctor. I often find myself paying significantly more out of pocket than my insurance promised, even for preventive care. As a survivor of childhood trauma, I do not enjoy being touched by strangers. Years ago, my mother was unexpectedly diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and now I worry that any trip to a doctor could uncover a life-threatening illness. Going to see a medical professional is an uncomfortable experience for me at best, and I know that I am not alone. Last year, I turned 30, and I promised myself that I would go to the doctor more regularly. I planned to find a primary care physician, get more consistent dental and eye care, and schedule annual visits with a gynecologist. The latter is especially important, because my husband and I have decided we want to try to have a baby soon. This is both exciting and terrifying. I am confident my husband will be an excellent father, but the complicated relationship I have with my mother makes me less confident in my own maternal instincts. It has taken years for me to be able to think I am a person who is fit to be a mother, and it is a fragile, scary, hopeful feeling. I recently bit the bullet and scheduled an annual exam with an OB-GYN. It took two hours to navigate the insurance platform, review in-network options, and select a doctor. As the appointment inched closer, my nervousness grew. I double-checked the insurance coverage and tried to stay calm. The morning of the appointment, I couldnt muster an appetite. Though my palms were sweating as I arrived and checked in, the kind nurse reassured me that my blood pressure was normal. Then, she closed the door, and I waited in the small, white room. When the doctor entered, I met her eyes and tried to smile, but she quickly dropped her gaze, examining my chart. In a flat tone, she asked, What are we here for today? I explained, my voice an octave higher than usual, that I needed an annual exam, and I had some questions about pregnancy. Story continues This was the first time I had ever shared that I might be ready to become a mother with someone outside my inner circle. It was frightening, but empowering. The doctor did not even look up, responding instead, Lets talk about your weight. My self-confidence withered. Stammering, I acknowledged that I had gained weight during the pandemic (like 39% of all Americans). Had she asked, I would have divulged my decades-long struggle to love my body after battling eating disorders throughout my teens and 20s. I would have said, proudly, that my husband had recently discovered a love of cooking, and his delicious (and sometimes high-calorie) dinners had been a bright spot during long months of quarantine. I would have shared that I had already lost a quarter of the weight I had gained, and that I had a plan to lose the remaining weight in a healthy, nourishing way prior to trying to conceive. She did not ask. Rather, she consulted her body mass index (BMI) chart and suggested that I lower my weight loss target an additional 40 pounds, pointing to a number on the page that I had not seen since prepubescence. I gaped, my eyes welling with shame. Suddenly, and before I was ready, the doctor told me to lie back for the physical exam. She did not ask my permission before she opened the front of my gown and began to examine my breasts. At this point, tears started streaming down my face. I asked, more timidly than I wish I had, Can I please have a moment? Barely masking her irritation, she asked if I was a victim of sexual assault. I said no in a small voice, overwhelmed and still crying, as she continued with the exam. We were both silent until I had removed my legs from the stirrups. Sensing the appointment was nearing its end, I tried to salvage the remaining time. I knew how difficult it would be for me to make another appointment. I took a deep breath before asking how the anxiety medication I am prescribed might impact fertility and pregnancy. I explained that I relied on this medication for my mental health and that it helped me face a demanding workload as a school administrator and doctoral student. Without it, I worried I would not be able to fulfill certain job functions or successfully defend my dissertation. Patronizingly, she reminded me that all medication that a mother takes will impact the fetus, and if I continued to take my anxiety prescription while pregnant, my child would be at risk for birth defects. Before I could reply, she suggested that I speak to my psychiatrist and promptly exited the room. I was alone, mortified and exposed, and abruptly convinced that I had no business becoming a mother. As an educator, I am trained to consider the whole student. I cannot simply review a childs test scores and discipline record to decide whether they will be successful. Often, there is more to a students story than meets the eye: An understanding of their hidden talents or difficult home life might provide a more nuanced view of their academic progress and offer valuable insight into how I can better support them. I have learned to be trauma-informed and relationship-driven in my interactions with children, since each child comes to school with unique life experiences. If I am not careful, I might inadvertently trample on a students budding love of learning or dampen a tiny spark of newfound self-confidence. It is my professional duty to protect my students, giving them a safe place to explore their curiosities while using my expertise to guide them. Why is this not also the approach adopted in health care professions? It seems reductive that a patients BMI should be the first point of discussion between a patient and their doctor, especially since many experts question the measurements accuracy and relevance. When I visit a doctor, I expect them to see me as a human being with individual needs, wants and experiences. Instead of shaming patients into changing their behavior, perhaps doctors should trust that a patient knows their body best and instead use their professional knowledge to support patients own aspirations. Moreover, given the intrusive nature of breast and pelvic exams, OB-GYNs should be better trained to administer these procedures with care, compassion and explicit patient consent. Some even suggest having a chaperone present during sensitive procedures like a Pap smear. No patient should leave a doctors office feeling physically or emotionally violated. Though there are some encouraging conversations within medical communities about offering patient-centered care and ensuring size-friendly health care providers, I can say with certainty that none of it reached my gynecologists cold, brightly lit office in Alexandria, Virginia. It might be tempting to cast off my experience as an unlucky case, but the reality is that two-thirds of patients have had a negative experience with a health care provider. I challenge the medical industry to rethink how it approaches patient care because every interaction a patient has with a health care professional can have significant consequences. Due to this one poor experience with a gynecologist, I walked away feeling like I had somehow already failed at motherhood before I had even tried to conceive. Perhaps I should take the advice of more seasoned parents and simply ignore those who tell me that I am a bad mother but that puts me right back where I started: avoiding the doctor. Shaun Shepard lives with her husband, Grant, and rescue dog, Achilles, in Alexandria, Virginia. She is an educator serving Prince Georges County Public Schools and is currently pursuing her doctorate in education leadership and administration at George Washington University. Do you have a compelling personal story youd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what were looking for here and send us a pitch. Related... In April, I explored Tokyo on a public water bus. The ticket cost $13 and I thought it was a refreshing break from the city's subways and trains. It was also much cheaper than other day cruise options I saved $35. The first thing I did when I landed in Tokyo after a 12-hour flight was hop on a train and head to my hotel. Insider's author on a subway car in Tokyo. Monica Humphries/Insider And for the next five days of the 12-day trip, I navigated the world's largest city by trains and subways. A subway in Tokyo. Monica Humphries/Insider But by day six, I was itching to see the city from a new perspective, so I headed to the water. A view of one of Tokyo's many rivers. Monica Humphries/Insider Up until this point, I hadn't seen much water in Tokyo. But I learned that the city was built around four major rivers: Arakawa, Sumidagawa, Edogawa, and Tamagawa. A birds-eye view of Tokyo and one of the city's rivers. kokouu/Getty Images And on those rivers, tourists and locals can find dozens of boating options ranging from public transit ferries to leisure cruises. A river cruise in Tokyo. Monica Humphries/Insider Major cruise lines like Norwegian, Princess Cruises, and Windstar Cruises offer multi-day sailings out of Tokyo Bay, where the Tamagawa and Sumidagawa Rivers empty, according to Cruise Critic. The Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Tokyo. YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images Source: Cruise Critic But I didn't want to spend my limited time in Tokyo on a lengthy cruise, so I turned to shorter options. A birds-eye view of a Tokyo cruise. Torjrtrx/Getty Images I first considered day cruises, but most were expensive. For example, Tokyo's Urban Launch is a luxury afternoon cruise for $640 (85,800 yen), according to Live Japan. I could also take the Symphony Bay Cruise, but that would set me back $48 (6,400 yen), according to the same source. A boat on a waterway in Tokyo. Sanga Park/Getty Images Source: Live Japan Tokyo also has private water taxis, but according to Live Japan, they start at $38 (5,000 yen) for 15 minutes. A water taxi in Tokyo. Chachawal Prapai/EyeEm/Getty Images Source: Live Japan Then I found Tokyo's public water buses, or suijo bus in Japanese. Operated by Tokyo Cruise, the water buses offer a handful of routes on numerous ships. A boat navigates one of Tokyo's rivers. Photography by ZhangXun/Getty Images Source: Tokyo Cruise And they were my cheapest option. The routes, which varied in sailing length and port locations, cost $15 or less. A water bus in Tokyo. Monica Humphries/Insider The closest pier for me was in the Asakusa neighborhood in northeast Tokyo. I opted for an hour-long route on the company's Hotaluna boat, which would drop me off at Tokyo's Odaiba Seaside Park at the edge of Tokyo Bay. Story continues A view of the Odaiba Seaside Park from the water. Monica Humphries/Insider Since I was visiting during the popular cherry blossom season, day-of tickets were hard to book, so I reserved my spot a few days ahead of time. The one-way ticket cost about $13 (1,720 yen). A view of the Hotaluna boat. Monica Humphries/Insider On the day of the cruise, I headed to Asakusa. It's a bustling Tokyo neighborhood near the Senso-ji temple, which is Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple, according to Go Tokyo. The Senso-ji temple in Tokyo. Monica Humphries/Insider Source: Go Tokyo After pinballing through crowds, I made it to the pier. Here, my ticket was scanned and I walked to the water where the Hotaluna boat was docked. The boat docked at a pier in Asakusa. Monica Humphries/Insider It was unlike any boat I've been on. Designed by Japan's manga and anime artist Leiji Matsumoto, the boat was crafted to look like a futuristic spaceship, according to Chugoku + Shikoku x Tokyo. The exterior of the Hotaluna water bus. Monica Humphries/Insider Source: Chugoku + Shikoku x Tokyo The boat was encapsulated by windows. Its metallic window frames glittered in the bright sun, and a door opened vertically to let passengers onboard. Insider's author steps onboard Tokyo's water bus. Monica Humphries/Insider I stepped inside and thought the futuristic exterior matched the interior. Black couches lined the ship and domed windows let in bluish-tinted light. Black couches and seats lined the boat. Monica Humphries/Insider As the boat set off, it felt like I was floating in the water instead of above it. My eye level hovered at the water's surface, and other boats passing by towered above the Hotaluna ship. The author was nearly eye-level with the river's water. Monica Humphries/Insider At the front of the ship, captains navigated the boat from a glass capsule. Along the way, they shared stories and information about the sights we were passing in Japanese. The captain's room at the front of the ship. Monica Humphries/Insider Inside, I noticed that people filled every bench, chair, and table. At the back of the boat was a bar, but it wasn't open during my ride. In another area, I spotted bathrooms. The interior of the Hotaluna ship. Monica Humphries/Insider From the domed windows, I could spot famous landmarks like the Tokyo Skytree observation deck and the city's famous bridges. Famous Tokyo buildings like the Skytree Tower. Monica Humphries/Insider About halfway through the ride, the rooftop area opened and passengers flocked to the fresh air outdoors. A view of the deck on Tokyo's water bus. Monica Humphries/Insider The views from the top deck were unlike anything I had seen yet in Tokyo. Before the boat ride, it had been challenging to see the outline of Tokyo's cityscape since there were constantly skyscrapers towering above me. A view from the deck of one of Tokyo's water buses. Monica Humphries/Insider But with 360-degree views of the city, I gained a whole new perspective of just how large Tokyo truly is. During the one-hour trip, the boat made a stop at the Hinode Pier. The boat pulls into the Hinode Pier. Monica Humphries/Insider And its final destination was Odaiba Seaside Park. The area is home to a manmade beach, a replica of the Statue of Liberty, the city's aquarium, and other attractions. The replica of the Statue of Liberty at the Odaiba Seaside Park. Monica Humphries/Insider It was a place I would've wanted to visit whether or not I arrived by boat, but I was happy to splurge a few extra dollars to arrive by water instead of by subway. Not only did I enjoy the fresh air, but I gained a new perspective on Tokyo. Insider's author on the Tokyo water bus. Monica Humphries/Insider Read the original article on Insider The Hispanic Academic Achievers Program awarded a historic amount in scholarships Friday night at its annual ceremony in Kennewick. Thirty-two Mid-Columbia seniors graduating this spring received scholarships valued at a total $213,000 nearly triple the amount awarded in 2022. And Kamiakin High School senior Vanessa Anguiano was awarded a full-ride scholarship worth $80,000. She plans to attend Heritage University this fall to study nursing. Every year were fortunate to get over 100 students that apply for HAAP scholarships, and this year was no different, said HAAP Chairman Frank Armijo. Were excited about the students that we were able to provide scholarships to this year. Theyre quite diverse in the types of careers they want to pursue, and were extremely thankful to our sponsors, our colleges and university partners that this year were going to be able to award the largest amount of scholarships that we have ever in our 34-year history, he said. Kamiakin High School senior Vanessa Anguiano, right, and Chiawana High School senior Omar Pantoja, left, were awarded the largest scholarships Friday night at the Hispanic Academic Achievers Programs 34th annual ceremony. Like several of her fellow scholarship recipients, Anguianos academic journey is unique, and she had to work hard to overcome adversity. The daughter of Mexican immigrants will be a first-generation college student. Child Protective Services separated Anguiano and her siblings from their parents when she was just 7. After eight months, despite being an American citizen, she went to live with her father in Mexico while her mother stayed in the U.S. to receive mental health treatment. There, she learned to navigate the education system, care for her siblings, maintain academic excellence and care for her paternal grandmother, who was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. Nine years later with no knowledge of English or the U.S. school system Anguiano returned to the Tri-Cities to live with a former foster family and she flourished. She is an active member of the Achieving Leadership with All Students and a Link Crew member at Kamiakin High School. Because of her familys experience, Anguiano says she wants to advocate for mental health solutions in the Hispanic community and pursue a nursing degree. Story continues Were so grateful for the HAAP scholarships that support outstanding students like Vanessa to pursue higher education, Kennewick Superintendent Traci Pierce said in a prepared statement. Vanessa has challenged herself by choosing to take advanced classes and engage in the most rigorous coursework during her high school experience. She exemplifies what the HAAP scholarship awards are all about. In order to be eligible for HAAP scholarships, seniors must be enrolled in a public or private school in either Burbank, Connell, Finley, Kennewick, Pasco or Richland, and have a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher by the end of the first semester of their senior year. HAAP also recognized 8,180 honor students with certificates this year, who are in grades 4th through 12th. Several senior scholarship recipients have received honors from HAAP since they were in 4th grade. Senior scholarship winners Corey Trumbull, charged in the slaying of an 11-year-old boy in Texas, appears in court at the Regional Justice Center on Thursday, March 5, 2020, in Las Vegas. Trumbull was arrested in Las Vegas after police responded to a call about a domestic violence attack on Boulder Highway on Feb. 25, 2020. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye A trial date has been set this summer for a Texas man accused of murdering 11-year-old Logan Cline on Dec. 14, 2019, in a Wichita Falls hotel room with the boy's mother as an accomplice. Corey Allen Trumbull, 35, is scheduled for trial Aug. 21 in 30th District Court on charges of capital murder of a child 10 to 14 years old and tampering with evidence-a human corpse. Trumbull appeared Friday before 30th District Judge Jeff McKnight for a short hearing with Assistant Public Defender Will Hull and Chief Felony Prosecutor Kyle Lessor. McKnight requested the attorneys be ready with any pretrial matters for hearings set for July 14 and Aug. 11. If convicted of capital murder of a child 10 to 14 years old, Trumbull faces up to life in prison without parole. Evidence tampering is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Trumbull and the child's mother, Stormy Loraine Johnson, are accused of repeatedly abusing the boy, torturing him and beating him to death in a Wichita Falls hotel room, according to allegations in court records. Police say the couple dumped the child's body in an abandoned car, according to allegations in court records. Wichita Falls police found the body on Feb. 27, 2020, in the 1200 block of Kenley Lane within walking distance of the hotel where they stayed. Corey Trumbull Trumbull was being held Friday in the Wichita County Law Enforcement Center on $3 million in bonds, according to online jail records. Johnson, 40, has been charged with murder and tampering with evidence and was being held Friday in the LEC on $1.25 million in bonds, according to online jail records. Murder is punishable by up to life in prison. Around Jan. 5, 2020, after the child's death, the couple drifted to Las Vegas, Nevada, with Johnson's underage daughter, according to allegations in court documents. On Feb. 26, 2020, Johnson made an outcry about domestic violence in Las Vegas, and the ensuing investigation led to the discovery of her son's body the next day in an old Ford in the 1200 block of Kenley near the Red Roof Inn off I-44, according to allegations in reports from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Story continues Johnson told police she feared and loved Trumbull, a self-professed white supremacist who believed the white race should multiply, according to allegations in police reports. Both were convicted of charges in Clarke County, Nevada, and served time in prison before they were extradited to Wichita County. Trumbull has convictions for battery-domestic violence with a deadly weapon, lewdness with a minor and child abuse, endangerment or neglect, according to the Nevada Department of Corrections. Johnson was convicted for child abuse, endangerment or neglect, according to online Nevada prison and jail records. The couple encountered each other online and then met in Midland where Johnson is from, according to Las Vegas arrest reports. Stormy Johnson Trumbull's last known address before he was arrested was a homeless shelter in San Angelo, according to arrest reports and publicdata.com. Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Read her recent work here. Her Twitter handle is @Trishapedia. This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Trial date set for man accused of 11-year-old's torture, murder Former President Donald Trump stepped around another question Thursday about whether he would sign a national 15-week abortion ban, should he be back in office for a second term in 2025. Speaking with New Hampshire station WMUR, the Republican candidate said his administration would "look at" the ban that's been proposed by South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. "Were looking at a lot of different options. We got it back to the states. We did the Roe v. Wade thing, which theyve been trying to get it done for 50 years," Trump said, adding that he had appointed "incredible justices and federal judges. He said that "everyone [would be] very satisfied" by his decision on the divisive issue. TRUMP RETIRES 'CROOKED HILLARY' NICKNAME, UNVEILS 'CROOKED JOE BIDEN' Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on April 27, 2023, in Manchester, New Hampshire. Trump was asked whether that statement meant on the national level. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "I think well get it done on some level. It can be on different levels, but were going to get it done," he added. "I know the issue very well. I think I know the issue better than most, and we will get that taken care of." Trump had given a similar answer when asked that question by The Associated Press in March, although previously referring to himself as "the most pro-life president in American history." Trump's campaign had released a statement suggesting that he supported having the issue of abortion access settled at the state level drawing harsh rebuke from pro-life activists. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America, introduces Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations, right, at the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. NORTH DAKOTA LAWMAKERS PASS NEAR-TOTAL ABORTION BAN WITH VETO-PROOF MAJORITIES "President Trumps assertion that the Supreme Court returned the issue of abortion solely to the states is a completely inaccurate reading of the Dobbs decision and is a morally indefensible position for a self-proclaimed pro-life presidential candidate to hold," Majorie Dannenfelser, who leads the socially conservative organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a statement. Story continues She had also asserted that "life is a matter of human rights, not states' rights," and that "no one gets a pass." Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on April 27, 2023, in Manchester, New Hampshire. Dannenfelser said she had spoken with most of the prospective members of the GOP field, and believed they would all embrace a federal ban. The pro-life group said it would not support any White House candidate who does not at a minimum back a 15-week federal abortion ban. Several Republican presidential contenders have been pressed on the issue in recent weeks and all Republicans in the 2024 presidential race or moving toward running have supported state bans. Most have been more cautious regarding a nationwide ban. Speaking before evangelicals in Iowa, Trump won applause noting that he was the first president to attend the annual March for Life rally. "Those justices delivered a landmark victory for protecting innocent life. Nobody thought it was going to happen," Trump said of the overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling last year, appearing via video to a gathering of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition. "They thought it would be another 50 years. Because Republicans had been trying to do it for exactly that period of time, 50 years." The Associated Press contributed to this report. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The competition between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis is intensifying as the former president is scheduling a return trip to Iowa on the same day that the Florida governor was already going to be in the state that will kick off the Republican contest for the White House. A Trump campaign official said Saturday that the former president plans to be in Iowa on May 13 to headline an organizing rally at a sprawling park in downtown Des Moines. That's when DeSantis was already slated to headline Iowa Rep. Randy Feenstra's annual summer fundraiser in northwest Iowa and speak at a party fundraiser later that evening in Cedar Rapids. The Trump campaign official, who requested anonymity to discuss the trip before it was announced, said the Des Moines organizing rally has been in the planning stage for weeks and is aimed at identifying caucus supporters and volunteers. The move is a sign of the escalating competition between the two men who, at least for now, are leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination. Trump and his allies have become increasingly emboldened in their efforts to attack and marginalize DeSantis, who is expected to announce his White House bid sometime after the Florida Legislature wraps up its work in the coming week. But Trump's trip is also notable for its emphasis on the type of ground-level organizing that is vital in Iowa politics and was often missing during his 2016 campaign, when Texas Sen. Ted Cruz overtook him and won the state's GOP caucuses. Trump has been almost singularly focused on swinging at DeSantis, whom he has attacked for policy positions on entitlement reform, his loyalty to conservative causes, even his character. While DeSantis has largely ignored Trumps jabs, a pro-DeSantis super political action committee, Never Back Down, began to respond in paid ads this month. Meanwhile, the super PAC promoting DeSantis is hiring Iowa staff to begin organizing support for the governor before he enters the race. Story continues The stakes for both men are particularly high in Iowa, where the caucuses in February offer opportunities for them to cement their status atop the GOP. A poor performance, however, would give an opening for other Republicans to mount an upstart campaign. Trump's 2016 Iowa campaign was a seat-of-the-pants operation disparately managed by campaign newcomers who, including the candidate, had little idea what the caucuses are. The roughly 1,700 precinct-level Republican political meetings, vestiges of prairie civic life, include a presidential preference question but require in-person participation on a typically frigid winter evening. Eight years ago, Trump's Iowa team had left contact information for roughly 10,000 Iowans interested in supporting him unprocessed before the caucuses, where Trump had led in lead-up polls, but fell short against Cruz's more organized campaign. Armed with not just refined 2016 caucus data but information collected during two national campaigns, Trump's advisers says they are building a data and digital engagement strategy they say would put him in position to win the caucuses. It's an expectation Iowa GOP strategists say is an absolute must for the former president, who carried Iowa comfortably in the 2016 and 2020 general elections. Meantime Never Back Down, run by DeSantis' 2022 Florida re-election campaign senior strategist, Phil Cox, has named Iowa Republican operatives to its roster as it seeks to tap into interested GOP activists as the Iowa 2024 campaign gets underway. Among them are Ryan Koopmans, the former chief of staff to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. The group has been airing TV advertisements in Iowa and other early-voting states, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, for weeks, and plans to launch a new one Monday. (Reuters) - Turkey on Saturday closed its airspace to low-cost Armenian airline FlyOne Armenia without warning, the domestic Armenpress news agency cited the carrier's board chairman as saying. "For reasons incomprehensible to us and without any visible grounds, Turkish aviation authorities cancelled the permission previously granted to the FlyOne Armenia airline to operate flights to Europe through Turkish airspace," said Aram Ananyan, FlyOne's chairman. "Turkish aviation authorities implemented the cancellation without prior notification, putting our airline and our passengers in an uncomfortable situation." FlyOne Armenia, a subsidiary of Moldovan airline FlyOne, began operations in December 2021. In February 2023, Ananyan told Armenpress that the carrier had five Airbus aircraft and offered flights to 14 destinations in eight European and Middle Eastern nations. Ankara has not had diplomatic or commercial ties with Armenia since the 1990s. The two nations are at odds primarily over the 1.5 million people that Armenia says were killed in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor to modern Turkey. Armenia says this constitutes genocide, a charge Turkey denies. But in February, a border gate between the neighbours was opened for the first time in 35 years to allow aid for victims of the devastating earthquakes in southern Turkey. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Leslie Adler) April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and I encourage everyone in Illinois to join us and stand up for the future of children in our state. This initiative is rooted in communities working together to serve children and their families in meaningful, impactful ways that provide families what they need to thrive through both calm and challenging times. A majority of children involved with Youth Services Network have experienced trauma. Trauma can include neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, bullying, loss of a loved one, domestic violence or community violence. Youth Services Networks mission is to develop, provide and coordinate services to improve the physical, developmental, psychological and social well-being of children, young adults and families. All services are trauma-informed, strength-based, and provided in our community. Each year, we educate and raise awareness about the impact child abuse has on children and society. Providing information about best practices that are known to build parental capacity through protective factors is key in helping families become more resilient. Protective factors are conditions or attributes that mitigate or eliminate risk and can increase the health and well-being of children and families. They provide parents with the tools they need to parent effectively even under stress. Major protective factors include knowledge of parenting, knowledge of child development, parental resilience, social connections, and concrete supports. National Child Abuse Prevention Month is more than just raising awareness about the reality of child maltreatment. It's about taking action to reduce it. Each of us have the ability to help children and families in our neighborhoods. Illinois can join in this national effort by providing our families with the support they need. There are certain issues, such as a familys neighborhood, income level, or other societal factors that can make parenting more challenging. Story continues By reducing these vulnerabilities through strength-based approaches that truly support families, we can begin to mitigate child maltreatment and improve the outcomes of children, youth, and families. As we observe Child Abuse Prevention Month, I hope youll take one of three simple steps to make a difference: mentor a child or parent, advocate for family-friendly policies or donate to a child-serving organization. If we all pledge to do each of these activities, we can make a real difference. More importantly, if we continue to take steps like these beyond the month of April and into the future, we can help grow the next generation of American leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators. All children deserve to grow up in safe, supportive environments. Together, we can end child abuse and neglect. Lindsay Blackful is a supervisor at the Youth Services Network. This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Your turn: Together, we can end child abuse and neglect A U.S. government convoy carrying hundreds of American citizens arrived at Sudans port Saturday, according to the State Department. The evacuation is part of a larger effort to relocate American citizens in the East African nation amid escalating violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces that has left over 500 dead. It comes less than one week after a special forces operation airlifted 70 U.S. diplomats and embassy employees out of Sudan. When pressed Friday to confirm reports about the convoy, State Department officials declined to comment, citing operational security. Al-Monitor first reported on the convoy plan. Eligible U.S. citizens and other evacuees would be assisted to travel from Port Sudan to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the State Department said, emphasizing that the U.S. government has been in contact with all American nationals in Sudan who wished to leave. We messaged every U.S. citizen in Sudan who communicated with us during the crisis and provided specific instructions about joining this convoy to those who were interested in departing via the land route, the statement read, before reiterating a warning that U.S. citizens should not travel to Sudan. A Pentagon statement said the Defense Department "approved a request for assistance from the Department of State to support the safe departure of U.S. citizens and their immediate family members." "The Department of Defense deployed U.S. intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets to support air and land evacuation routes, which Americans are using, and we are moving naval assets within the region to provide any necessary support along the coast," the statement added. Fighting first erupted in Khartoum on April 15 as a power struggle between the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, came to a head in their attempt to jointly steer the government. Fighting resumed Saturday despite a ceasefire intended to allow foreign governments to evacuate their citizens, which was set to expire on Sunday night. As of Friday, an estimated 40,000 refugees fled Khartoum for various refugee camps, according to the UNHCR. Nahal Toosi contributed to this report. ABU DHABI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates evacuated its citizens, other nationalities and humanitarian cases from Sudan by plane on Saturday, part of the flow of people fleeing a conflict which broke out two weeks ago. Around 128 evacuees, including British and U.S. citizens, landed in the capital Abu Dhabi where they were greeted by officials. The UAE will host the evacuees until they can be transferred to their own countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said. "Khartoum is starting to be empty. We no longer felt secure, people were breaking into homes, they would break and loot," said Nagham Hayati, a Sudanese woman who had left Sudan on the plane. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands wounded in Sudan since April 15 when a long-simmering power struggle between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted into conflict. "The situation is very bad, we didn't expect it ... There was fire in the streets, fire in the houses, in the cars. After two, three days of this, the RSF had a shortage of food, water and power, so they started to invade homes," said Sudanese national Marwan Ghandour on landing in Abu Dhabi. The UAE said it was committed to serving the interests of the Sudanese people, stressing the importance of intensifying ceasefire efforts and a return to an agreed political framework. Until the fighting broke out, Sudan had been engaged in an internationally-backed transition toward democratic elections. (Reporting by Abdelhadi Ramahi and Roula Rouhana; Writing by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Frances Kerry) Warzone 2 Plunder The UK government has responded to Microsoft president Brad Smith in defense of its decision to block Xbox's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In case you missed the big news, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority this week prevented Microsoft from purchasing Activision Blizzard on the grounds that the deal would prove anti-competitive in the Cloud gaming market. Microsoft is almost certain to appeal the decision in court, but in the meantime Smith recently had some choice words for the UK regulator, calling its move to block the Activision buyout "bad for Britain." As Eurogamer reports, Smith said in an interview with the BBC shortly after the CMA's decision went public that it was "probably the darkest day in our four decades in Britain" adding, "It does more than shake our confidence in the future of the opportunity to grow a technology business in Britain than we've ever confronted before." "There's a clear message here - the European Union is a more attractive place to start a business than the United Kingdom," a visibly enraged Smith said. In its response to these comments, a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (via Reuters) said the above claims are "not borne out by the facts." The CMA's decision is Microsoft and Activision's biggest setback yet, though it remains to be seen whether it's the nail in the coffin for the largest video game acquisition in the industry's history. Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission in the US is scheduled to begin its final hearings on the case in August, which will likely delay Microsoft's June target to close the deal - and that's assuming Microsoft and Activision win the appeal against the CMA, which is anything but a sure thing. Of course, for some PlayStation fans, the block on Xbox's Activision merger is cause for celebration. (Bloomberg) -- A massive fire erupted at a fuel depot in Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula after it was hit by a drone, the regions Russia-appointed governor said. Social media images showed black smoke billowing into the sky. Most Read from Bloomberg Ukraines defense chief said final preparations are underway for a counteroffensive thats expected as an attempt to dislodge Russian forces from parts of Ukraines southeast. The comments followed a fresh wave of aerial assaults across Ukraine that killed at least 25 people. Turkeys president and the UN secretary-general spoke Friday about the Black Sea initiative for Ukraines grain exports, which is set to expire May 18 and faces threats from Russia that it will pull out of the deal. Key Developments Russia Strikes Across Ukraine as Kyiv Says New Offensive Nears Bank of Russia Sees Economy Growing as Sanctions Shock Fades Russian Oil Still Powering Europes Cars With Help of India EU Allows Some Eastern Members to Ban Ukraine Grain Russia Seeks to Reduce Fuel Subsidy for Refiners by $4.5 Billion (All times CET) EU May Buy Ukrainian Grain to Ease Border Glut (11:20 a.m.) The European Union is considering buying Ukrainian grain stuck in bordering countries to ease a glut thats raised tensions within the bloc, according to an European Commission official. The EU on Friday reached a deal with Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania that will replace those countries ban on Ukrainian products with temporary restrictions. The Eastern European nations claimed excess grain piling up in their warehouses hurt local farmers by pushing down prices. A direct grain purchase, which would be a first for the EU, could be expensive and needs to be carefully discussed within the commission, said the official, who declined to be identified because discussions are private and ongoing. Story continues Read more: EU Allows Some Eastern Members to Ban Ukraine Grain Imports Finance Minister Says Ukraines Needs Wont Be Less in 2024 (8:40 a.m.) Ukraines financing needs for 2024 will again be huge, finance minister Serhiy Marchenko said on the sidelines of an informal meeting of EU finance ministers and central bank governors outside Stockholm. Of course it depends on the military campaign but I think it could be no less than the existing amount of 18 billion that the EU is providing this year, Marchenko said. At the same gathering, European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said it was too soon to discuss 2024 but repeated a view that the EU should seize sanctioned Russian assets to help fund Ukraines reconstruction. EU finance chiefs on Saturday are scheduled to discuss how to coordinate financial support to Ukraine in the longer-term, as well as considering Kyivs path toward closer integration with the EU economy and internal market. Huge Crimean Fire Said to Follow Drone Hit on Fuel Depot (8:30 a.m.) Fuel tanks caught fire in Sevastopol, Crimea, after a possible drone strike early Saturday morning, Tass reported, citing Moscow-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhaev. No injuries were reported and there is no danger to local population, he said. Images posted on social media massive cloud of black smoke rising from the annexed peninsulas largest city. Erdogan, UNs Guterres Spoke About Black Sea Grain Deal (8 a.m.) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke by phone on Friday about the future of the Black Sea initiative, according to a readout from the UN. The safe transit deal brokered by Turkey and the UN has allowed Ukraine to export millions of tons of grain from Black Sea ports since last summer. The initiative runs through mid-May but its future is imperiled by repeated Russian threats to pull out. The pair exchanged views on how to guarantee the improvement, expansion and extension of the Black Sea initiative as well as how to better promote Russian food and fertilizer to the world market, according to the readout. Attacks Hint at Change in Russian Tactics, UK Says (7 a.m.) Fridays widespread missile attacks, the first by Kremlin forces since early March suggest a departure in Russias use of long-range strikes, the UK defense ministry said. Fewer missiles were involved than over the winter, and it was unlikely that Russia was targeting Ukraines energy infrastructure. There is a realistic possibility that Russia was attempting to intercept Ukrainian reserve units and military supplies recently provided to Ukraine, the UK said, adding that Russia prioritizes perceived military necessity over preventing collateral damage, including civilian deaths. Most of the cruise missiles were shot down by Ukraines air defense but at least 25 civilians were killed, mostly after a multi-storey apartment building in Uman, south of Kyiv, was destroyed. Fridays Death Toll From Russian Missile Strikes Over Two Dozen (6:45 p.m.) Russia unleashed a fresh wave of aerial strikes early Friday, killing at least 25 people and destroying several buildings. Explosions were heard in the capital, Kyiv, for the first time in more than a month. In Uman, south of Kyiv, a missile slammed into apartment blocks, killing at least 23 people, including four children, and wounding at least 18. The toll may rise as rescue efforts continue. Separately, a woman and a child were killed in Dnipro. The attacks involved Tu-95 strategic aircraft coming from the Caspian Sea region as well as drones, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said on Telegram. Ukraines air defenses destroyed 21 out of 23 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles as well as two drones, he said. Explosions were also heard in a number of regions including Kremenchuk, Dnipro, Mykolayiv, Poltava and Cherkasy, according to Ukrainian TV channel TSN. Read more: Russia Launches Deadly Aerial Assault on Ukraine, Hits Kyiv Ukraine Calls for End to Restrictions on Its Food Exports (6 p.m.) Zelenskiy called for the removal of restrictions on Ukrainian food products by five EU members in a telephone call with European Council President Charles Michel. The artificial and illegal restriction of trade with the European Union is hitting Ukraine, resisting Russian aggression, both economically and politically, Zelenskiy said. Im convinced that in the conditions of war with Russia, Ukraine as a candidate country and the European Union must always adhere to the provisions of the Association Agreement and the rules and regulations of the EU Single Market. Earlier, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria agreed to restrictions on Ukrainian grain products as part of a deal with the blocs executive arm, replacing unilateral bans on imports in response to plummeting prices. Russia Prepares to Connect Zaporizhzhia Plant to Its Grid (5:52 p.m.) International Atomic Energy Agency monitors at Ukraines occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant said Russian engineers are preparing to connect the station to their electricity network. Russia shipped a large transformer to Zaporizhzhia this week as part of a plan to repair damaged cables linked to the currently Russian-controlled electrical grid, the IAEA wrote in its weekly update. The agency chided Russian plant operators for delaying an inspection of repair work. Zaporizhzhia is Europes biggest nuclear plant and has been subject to on-and-off attacks since Russian troops seized the facility during the first days of the war. Russia Sees Economy Growing as Sanction Shock Fades (2:02 p.m.) Russias central bank said the economy will recover this year, growing as much as 2% as the impact of sanctions imposed over the invasion of Ukraine fades. Gross domestic product is likely to reach pre-war levels by the end of 2024, policymakers said. Thats far earlier than many economists had expected and reflects the more-limited impact of the restrictions the US and its allies have slapped on Russia. Read more: Bank of Russia Keeps Hawkish Bias in Leaving Rates on Hold Again Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine had protested to key allies the European Union and Poland over restrictions on its grain supplies on Friday, before the European Commisssion announced later in the day that a deal had been reached in principle to resolve the matter. Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Saturday it had sent notes to the Polish Embassy and EU representative office in Kyiv on Friday expressing dissapointment with the situation and saying restrictions on its grain exports via the European trade bloc were "categorically unacceptable". The European Commission said on Friday afternoon it had reached a deal in principle to allow the transit of Ukrainian grain to resume through five EU countries that had imposed restrictions. Foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said on Saturday in response to a question from Reuters that the notes had been sent before the Commmission's announcement. Asked if the announcement had changed the ministry's position, he said: "There must be (unhindered) export for all Ukrainian goods". "There are full legal grounds for the immediate resumption of exports of Ukrainian agricultural goods to Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria, as well as the continuation of unhindered exports to other EU member states," the ministry said in an emailed statement on Saturday. In imposing restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports, those five countries have cited concerns that grain from Ukraine meant to be exported to other countries have ended up in their local markets, pushing down prices for local farmers. A Polish foreign ministry spokesman said he had not yet seen the note. A Polish government spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment. (Reporting by Max HunderAdditional reporting by Alan CharlishEditing by Alexandra Hudson and Frances Kerry) Ukraine is preparing special forces to cross the Dnipro River in kayaks Ukraine is training combat kayakers who will be involved in the expected upcoming Ukrainian counter-offensive against the Russian invaders, the German tabloid newspaper Bild has reported. The newspaper said Ukraines military intend to use small operational special forces in kayaks to cross the Dnipro River. Bild said that Ukraine has been actively purchasing special equipment for this purpose and engaging expert trainers since January. The newspaper published photos and videos from a training camp where elite fighters were being trained to perform the risky river crossing. In them, Ukrainian special forces soldiers in full combat gear can be seen carrying kayaks to water and then paddling across a river. In October, the Ukrainian military made a failed attempt to retake the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant by crossing the Dnipro River, UK newspaper the Times claimed in a report on the secret operation. Bild said a German citizen is also involved in the training of special forces, overseeing the training of about 40 Ukrainian soldiers. Read also: How Ukraines soldiers are mastering NATO weapons in UK The newspaper said kayaks are better than motorboats for approaching enemy positions undetected, as there is no engine noise, and soldiers are closer to the water, making it harder to spot their approach. The kayaks the Ukrainians are training with are easily disassembled for transportation even over difficult-to-reach terrain, Bild reports. But the most important thing is that the kayaks have a special coating and structurewith a low level of infrared radiation emissions. This makes it difficult for the Russians to see them in the dark even with night vision devices. Thus, the Ukrainian military will be able to silently cross rivers or reservoirs, hopefully unseen, and under the cover of one or more Ukrainian snipers on the other bank. Read also: From the archives: Ukrainians master drone operation NV exclusive Story continues As Bild writes, the details of exactly where these fighters can be used in a counter-offensive are not known, but, obviously, such operations could be launched wherever the Russians have retreated behind a reservoir and think they are safe. Last week, information appeared that Ukrainian defenders landed on the left bank of the Dnipro in Kherson Oblast, near the town of Oleshki. The Ukrainian military called for informational silence about the crossing for the sake of the safety of Ukrainian soldiers. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the training of the Ukrainian soldiers was taking place abroad. They are in fact being trained at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Drone attack crimea A brilliant explosion turned night to day in the strategic Russian-occupied Crimean port city of Sevastopol, then blacked out the sky as a Russian fuel depot burned throughout the day after a Ukrainian drone attack. The reported kamikaze drone attack set several fuel storage tanks ablaze at a large fuel terminal on Sevastopols west end. The complex on Kozacha Bay made a towering plume of black smoke before burning out, leaving charred tanks and pipelines in its wake. https://twitter.com/Flash_news_ua/status/1652150317583151105 https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1652155232896286720 https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1652146514691518464 The strike is the latest in a series of Ukrainian operations against Sevastopol using unmanned air and sea vehicles dating to last summers attack on the Black Sea Fleet Headquarters. Ukrainian kamikaze boats attacked the fleet itself in October, with numerous other attempted and successful attacks before and after. The blaze triggered a sizable response of numerous fire brigades and even a firefighting train. https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1652251644606705665 https://twitter.com/TreasChest/status/1652232911137959942 The site may not be the primary fuel depot for the Russian Black Sea Fleet, as noted below in a thread from The Lookout (@The_Lookout_N). A separate hardened tank farm with piers closer to the fleet's main berthing areas in Sevastopol harbor possibly serves that role, or at least part of that role. The oil terminal in Kozacha Bay that was hit tonight is civilian, so it's highly unlikely this will have an impact on Black Sea Fleet operations. https://t.co/5NLcIPFDAu The Lookout (@The_Lookout_N) April 29, 2023 Video from a drone used to survey damage at the facility shows the total destruction of multiple fuel tanks and what looks like serious thermal damage to some of the tanks that didnt burn themselves. The damage looks significant, likely compromising facility operations for the foreseeable future. Story continues https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1652261997860253697 A cropped screenshot showing damage to the fuel storage facility as seen on a Russian drone surveying the site. However, satellite imagery shows the facility is close to other Russian BSF infrastructure. Telltale revetments show an air defense and/or anti-ship missile site to the northeast immediately across Komyshova Bay from the tank farm. In satellite imagery from April 25 that The War Zone reviewed (posted below), the site's revetments appeared empty, aside from one possible vehicle. If this vehicle is air defense related, it would be a short-range point defense system. The targeted fuel depot (circled in red) with Sevastopol and the Black Sea Fleet's base to the east. Google Maps. Several Russian military facilities surround the targeted fuel depot, among them the 810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade's garrisons to the south and west, and the missile site to the northeast across the bay. Google Maps. April 25, 2023 photo of the revetments to the NW of the fuel farm. PHOTO 2023 PLANET LABS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION A sizable maneuver and vehicle training area sits to the south, and the military bases along the adjacent Kozacha Bay reportedly garrison the BSFs 810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade. The brigade took part in the siege of Mariupol and its Azovstal Complex, and has reportedly suffered heavy casualties since the war began. Regardless of its potential impact on operations, no Russian supply officer wants to see that much fuel and infrastructure go up in smoke. The issue isn't so much the lost fuel itself, but the lost capability to retain large amounts of fuel in the future. Ukraine bought a massive fleet of fuel trucks to account for this issue knowing its established fuel farms would be destroyed. So they distributed their fuel into thousands of mobile fuel trucks. As concerns over the looming Ukrainian counteroffensive grow, any damage to critical supply stockpiles like fuel and ammunition could pose real threats to Russian defensive plans. The fuel depot attack would fit the tried and true Ukrainian strategy of preparing the battlespace ahead of such an offensive. Russian worries for Crimea could be just the beginning, according to a post from the Crimean Wind (@Crimeanwind) Telegram channel. The post claims Russia is trying to organize a larger ferry system to support evacuation operations from Crimea to Russia alongside the Kerch Strait Bridge. Russia used ferries during the bottleneck last fall after several spans of the bridge fell in a Ukrainian attack, but the post suggests the ferries would supplement any traffic on the bridge if Moscow orders an evacuation. Before we head into the latest updates from Ukraine, The War Zone readers can catch up on our previous rolling coverage here. The Latest The British Ministry of Defense believes Fridays wave of Russian cruise missile attacks on Ukraine was a stark departure from this winters onslaught. In its latest intelligence update, the MoD noted the strikes involved fewer missiles, and its unlikely the Russians targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure as they did this winter. The more plausible assessment, however, is that the Russians tried to hit Ukrainian reserve units and supply shipments; its not clear whether these strikes accomplished their objective. The update noted Russias inefficient targeting process that does not account for collateral damage as evident in Fridays strikes with more than 25 civilians killed. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 29 April 2023. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/BsVHWurn0W #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/lQLW4TyK8s Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) April 29, 2023 Reuters has a remarkable piece on Russias string of fortifications along both its border with Ukraine and the frontline in its occupied areas. The report shows satellite imagery and incredibly detailed illustrations of Russian fortifications and the challenges they pose to attacking Ukrainian forces. https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1651572272572801030 https://twitter.com/BenDoBrown/status/1652077594395783168 Ukrainian drone operators continue to terrorize Russian vehicles and fighting positions from above, with the latest montage of strikes from the Ukrainian SBU Alpha unit. The clips reportedly show the destruction of four tanks, a companys worth of vehicles, and three strong points. Video of UAVs from Ukrainian SBU Alpha dropping munitions on Russian vehicles and positions. They say they destroyed 4 T-72 and T-90 tanks, 9 BMPs, a BTR, MT-LB, Ural truck, and three strong points. https://t.co/gnFCRgwtE7 pic.twitter.com/H2CPpL8Kgg Rob Lee (@RALee85) April 29, 2023 Russian drones remain a threat, as evidenced by an improvised anti-drone net set up over this Ukrainian M777 howitzers position. US-supplied M777 in Ukrainian service, note the portable anti-drone netting setup. pic.twitter.com/yVlxWlkKI3 OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 28, 2023 In its latest assessment of controlled terrain, the Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) noted another week of limited Russian gains amid Bakhmuts ruins. The battle in the city itself remains a brutal street-by-street contest, with the vital highway carrying Ukrainian supply lines west to Chasiv Yar threatened further. #Bakhmut: Russian forces are increasing pressure against the T0504 Kostyantynivka-Chasiv Yar-Bakhmut highway. Geolocated footage posted on April 27 shows that Russian forces advanced to the Bakhmut Industrial College on the T0504 in southwestern Bakhmut. https://t.co/8UQTvXZmyg https://t.co/z3VLSzNBum pic.twitter.com/96TA9cnEij ISW (@TheStudyofWar) April 29, 2023 Wagner Group PMC mercenaries have fought much of the battle in and around Bakhmut, with founder Yevgeny Prigozhin repeatedly criticizing the Russian Ministry of Defense for supply bottlenecks and shortages for his troops. In a recent interview, Prigozhin warned that Wagner will cease to exist if the ammunition problems are not solved. Prigozhin takes into account that Wagner will cease to exist in the near future if the ammunition problems are not solved. pic.twitter.com/8wPrn88EUA NOEL (@NOELreports) April 28, 2023 Its unclear precisely what warning Prigozhin is trying to send here, but it bears mentioning that Wagner remains at the forefront of Russian-backed operations overseas in addition to Ukraine. Prigozhin could be warning Moscow that the supply situation jeopardizes not only its campaign in Bakhmut, but Wagners ability (or willingness) to conduct operations on Russias behalf elsewhere. Video from a drone with the Ukrainian 92nd Mechanized Brigade reportedly shows Wagner casualties in bodybags outside Bakhmut, further grim evidence of the battle's toll. CODE 9.2, part of the 92nd mechanized brigade, shows from the sky how Wagner PMC soldiers lay in the field, wrapped in bodybags. pic.twitter.com/fAMIN4zGzR NOEL (@NOELreports) April 29, 2023 The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense showed just how busy its air defense units have been. While kill marks are a common sight on planes nose art, it appears one Ukrainian air defense command post has a sizable kill score of its own. If the proof is in the paint, this command post has claimed kills of 22 cruise missiles, nine kamikaze drones, nine helicopters, seven Russian Air Force aircraft, and six drones. Lastly, a Ukrainian soldier's video shows that despite the chaos and carnage on the frontline, the wildlife remains. A marbled polecat decided to claim a Ukrainian foxhole for itself and defended it as such. The weasel-like creature hissed and tried to charge at the soldier until they dropped a vest pack into the hole to help it climb out. This little guy paired with the famous trench beaver should really start their own fighting unit. Ukrainian military uses their wits to regain the lost positions captured by the wild Marbled polecat. pic.twitter.com/6uysdXDMgQ Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) April 29, 2023 Thats all for now. Well update this story when theres more news about Ukraine to report. Contact the author: stetson.payne@thewarzone.com After a fire at an oil depot in Sevastopol, Ukraines Defence Intelligence recommends residents of occupied Crimea stay away from military facilities. Source: Andrii Yusov, representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Details: Ukraines Defence Intelligence clarified that the explosion at the Russian oil depot in occupied Sevastopol destroyed more than 10 tanks with oil products with a capacity of 40,000 tonnes. As Yusov states, oil products were intended for the Black Sea Fleet of the aggressor state. Quote from Yusov: "Cotton [Russian propaganda, initially refusing to use the word vzryv (explosion), used khlopok (a bang) instead. However, khlopok also means cotton, and this has since become a meme - ed.] in Sevastopol is God's punishment, in particular for the civilians killed in Uman, including five children. This punishment will be long-lasting. It is advisable for all residents of temporarily occupied Crimea not to stay near military facilities or facilities providing for the aggressor's army in the near future. " Background: Mikhail Razvozhayev, the so-called "governor of Sevastopol", reported that a fuel storage tank was burning in Kozacha Bay, which he said was caused by a drone strike on the night of 29 April. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has exposed and detained six more collaborators involved in organising sham referendums in the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson and Luhansk oblasts. Source: Security Service of Ukraine Details: The SSU states that they voluntarily sided with the Ruscists [Russian occupiers] and offered assistance in organising sham referendums at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Five residents of the Beryslav and Kherson districts, who were part of the so-called "polling stations" during the occupation of Kherson Oblast, have been detained as a result of stabilisation measures in Kherson Oblast. They visited the homes of local residents together with the Russian military and forced them to "vote". The collaborators were paid in Russian roubles for their work. A resident of the temporarily occupied Starobilsk district has also been detained during a special operation in Luhansk Oblast. She was engaged in organising a sham "referendum" as a "member of the territorial election commission". In particular, the offender drew up lists of "voters", issued "ballots", and prepared a "voting protocol". She left the zone of temporary occupation and arrived in the Ukrainian government-controlled territory in April of this year to apply for social welfare payments. The suspect planned to come back after that, but the SSU officers timely identified the woman and detained her. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration, has said that the authorities have been preparing to evacuate the population from the oblast in case of a massive Russian attack. Source: Prokudins video address Quote: "We have recently noticed that the enemy has ramped up Kherson Oblast bombardments, as well as the entire Ukraine. I cannot let the people of Kherson suffer. Therefore, I requested that the evacuation routes for civilians in case of a major attack on the oblast be worked out in advance. Details: He explained that the authorities should immediately evacuate people from the danger zone in case of a massive attack on Kherson Oblast. For this purpose, safe routes for transport, places of temporary residence with medicines and food have been determined, and lists of people with limited mobility and large families have been compiled. Background: All civilians have recently been banned from using any watercraft in Kherson Oblast. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The government has banned the letters Z and V on car license plates The main service center of the Interior Ministry said that from now on, the letters "Z" and "V" are prohibited if their use in a license plate has a hint of the symbolism of the Russian invasion. That is, these letters cannot be used separately, or in combination with words written in Cyrillic, in place of the Cyrillic letters "", "", "", "". This prohibition also applies to inscriptions, images, and symbols of the communist totalitarian regime, and those of the National Socialist (Nazi) totalitarian regime. Read also: Ukraine to return to pre-war taxation and inspection rules, as under peacetime regulations Hetmantsev The ministry emphasized that Ukrainian license plates cannot show the emblems of the bodies of the terrorist state (of Russia) and the armed forces of Russia: ground forces, aerospace forces, navy, strategic missile forces, etc. The ministry published an infographic on license plates, according to which it is not allowed to place inscriptions such as "KUZVAS", "ZAPOBEDU", "ZAPRAVDU" on license plates, but inscriptions such as "VICTORY", "ZORRO", "PIZZA" are allowed. Back in April of last year, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law banning the symbols used by the Russian military in the war against Ukraine, and recognizing Russia itself as a terrorist state. A year later, Ukraines Cabinet of Ministers on April 21 adopted a resolution according to which the license plate of a vehicle cannot contain symbols of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia used the symbols Z, V and O as tactical symbols during its full scale invasion of Ukraine, and continues to inscribe them on tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other military vehicles. Examples of the use of letters on individual license plates Ministry of Internal Affairs Read also: Ukrainian business will have to adjust to new rules once Ukraine joins EU, expert warns In particular, the Latin letter Z has come to stand more generally for Russias war of aggression on Ukraine, being referred to as the Zvastika or half-swastika for its resemblance to a pared down version of the symbol of Nazi Germany. Story continues Supporters of the Kremlin regime use the symbol as a sign of support for Russias war of aggression on Ukraine. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Four mayors from Ukraine pleaded for continued support against the Russian invasion during a visit to Stanislaus County. The tour neared its end with a Thursday afternoon panel at Stanislaus State University. Bohdan Kvachuk, who heads the village council for Zarichne, spoke in Ukrainian through an English interpreter: We have had beautiful villages, beautiful cities, absolutely stunning landscape, absolutely stunning nature, that have been taken, bombed, mined, cut into pieces and destroyed by the enemy, with so many people perishing. The visit came 14 months into a war that has killed an estimated 24,000 Ukrainians, about a third of them civilians, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The mayors are taking part in the federal Open World Leadership Program. It supports people in nations that once were part of the Soviet Union. The visitors were hosted by Modesto Sister Cities International, which does exchanges with six locales around the world. One of them is Khmelnitskiy, Ukraine, but its mayor was not part of the delegation. The mayors also discussed city governance, sustainable energy and other non-war topics. They visited city halls in Modesto and Waterford, as well as Waterford High School. They attended a Modesto Rotary Club meeting and finished up with a reception at the McHenry Museum. They had lots of questions about how a California city functions, Modesto spokesman Andrew Gonzales said. They were very inquisitive. Radio interview Saturday Councilman Chris Ricci interviewed the mayors at Redeemer Church for his radio show, Better Modesto. It will be broadcast Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. on KFIV 1360 AM. All four mayors spoke at Stan State through interpreter Alexander Krainiy, based in Sacramento. Zarichne is in the northwest, away from most of the violence but on guard against neighboring Belarus, a Russian ally. Roman Voluiko leads Haivoron, a city in central Ukraine that has taken in refugees from other areas. He told of frequent air-raid warnings: Story continues I never thought that my child would hide in bomb shelters. Just imagine the 3- to 5-year-olds that have been told, You have to go to the basement because we might get bombed. 44 dead in one city Raids have killed 44 civilians in the southeastern city of Huliaipole, Mayor Serhii Yarmak said. Many other residents have fled, leaving only about 3,000 of the 20,000 before the war. We have been working ever since, hard, to make sure that the victory comes, and it comes soon, Yarmak said. The delegation also included Serhii Karpuk, mayor of Shatsk in northwest Ukraine. The panel was facilitated by Roman Oleksenko of Open World, who is fluent in both languages. He said Ukraine appreciates the NATO support so far, but more is needed to win the war and rebuild. Oleksenko said Russia must give up Crimea, which it invaded in 2014. And it must free all Ukrainian prisoners of war, as well as women and children deported during the conflict. Were on the front lines, Oleksenko said. We have no other choice. We have no other country. Modesto Bee staff writer Kevin Valine contributed to this report. The musicians are sure that Crimea will be liberated in the summer of 2024 The musicians are certain that Crimea will be returned to Ukraines control by summer 2024, if not sooner, and plan to perform in Yalta. They expressed their confidence in the inevitable future liberation of the peninsula from Russian military occupation. Read also: Rock legends Scorpions looking to give concert on Maidan after Ukraines victory Furthermore, the sale of tickets for the show, which is expected to take place on Aug. 23, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. at the Avangard Sstadium in Yalta, has already begun. antytila_official/Instagram From the first day of the Russian invasion, taking up arms and being on the front line, we never doubted Ukraines victory, wrote the band members, who joined Ukraines Territorial Defense forces at the start of Russias full-scale war on Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Read also: Martin Scorsese records heartfelt address to Ukrainians We always knew that the day would come when the Armed Forces of Ukraine would regain control over the Crimean steppes, Ayu-Dag, Cape Fiolent, the Genoese fortress, and the Swallows Nest (or simply Crimea). And we will definitely all come there with our loved ones, children, and friends, the band said. 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 By Nafisa Eltahir CAIRO (Reuters) - Warring sides in Sudan are more open to negotiations and have accepted the conflict that erupted two weeks ago cannot continue, a U.N. official told Reuters on Saturday, a possible flicker of hope even as fighting continued. Volker Perthes, U.N. special representative in Sudan, said the sides had nominated representatives for talks which had been suggested for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, or Juba in South Sudan, though he said there was a practical question over whether they could get there to "actually sit together". He said no timeline had been set for talks. The prospects of negotiations between the leaders of the two sides have so far seemed bleak. On Friday, army leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said in an interview he would never sit down with the RSF's "rebel" leader, referring to General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who said he would only talk after the army ceased hostilities. Hundreds of people have been killed since April 15 when a long-simmering power struggle between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) boiled over into conflict. Perthes noted that he had told the Security Council both sides thought they could win the conflict, most recently in a briefing a couple of days ago, but he also said attitudes were changing. "They both think they will win, but they are both sort of more open to negotiations, the word 'negotiations' or 'talks' was not there in their discourse in the first week or so," he said. While the sides had made statements that the other side had to "surrender or die," Perthes said, they were also saying, "ok we accept ... some form of talks". "They have both accepted that this war cannot continue," he added. While the army has conducted daily air strikes and says it has maintained control of vital installations, residents say the RSF has a strong presence on the ground in Khartoum. Story continues Fighting between the forces has damaged electricity, water, and telecommunications infrastructure, and looting has destroyed businesses and homes. Tens of thousands of Sudanese have fled fighting either to other towns or to neighbouring countries. The immediate task, Perthes said, was to develop a monitoring mechanism for ceasefires, which have been agreed to several times but have failed to stop the fighting. Jeddah had been offered as a venue for "military-technical" talks while Juba had been offered as part of a regional proposal by East African states for political talks. Perthes said that signs of the impending conflict had been visible in early April as international and local mediators scrambled to ease tensions, but they had thought a "temporary de-escalation" had been achieved the night before fighting began. (Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester used a tweet Friday to defend a transgender Montana state lawmaker who told Republicans earlier this month they have "blood on (their) hands." "I served in the Montana legislature for years, working with everyone to get things done for Montana," Tester wrote in a tweet, offering defense for Democratic state Rep. Zooey Zephyr. "Lets be clear: Banning a duly-elected representative is an extreme, undemocratic step that harms the thousands of Montanans who no longer have a voice in their government," MONTANA TRANSGENDER LAWMAKER BARRED FROM HOUSE FLOOR AFTER 'HATE-FILLED TESTIMONY' Earlier this month, amid the legislature's efforts to pass amendments to a bill that would prohibit sex change treatments for minors in the state, Zephyr told Republicans in the House that they have "blood on (their) hands." "The only thing I will say is if you vote yes on this bill and yes on these amendments, I hope the next time there's an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands," Zephyr said. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Democratic Sen. Jon Tester defended transgender Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, who told Republicans earlier this month that they have "blood on (their) hands." Accompanying Tester's tweet was a portion of a radio interview he took part in to discuss the situation and defend Zephyr, the first transgender state lawmaker in Montana history. "What I would rather have us make national news for is keeping 11 rest homes open that are closing, making steps to make child care affordable or homeownership affordable," said Tester, who's seeking re-election in 2024. "Barring a duly represented representative who, quite frankly, represents thousands of Montanans is extreme. I think it's undemocratic." Zephyr's remarks led to the lawmaker being censured and barred from the House floor for the rest of the 2023 session after Republican lawmakers accused Zephyr of presenting "hate-filled testimony" while debating Senate Bill 99. Afterward, Republican Speaker Matt Regier refused to acknowledge Zephyr, who wanted to speak on a separate bill aiming to put a binary definition of male and female into the state code. Story continues "It is up to me to maintain decorum here on the House floor, to protect the dignity and integrity," Regier said. "And any representative that I dont feel can do that will not be recognized." Regier said the decision to not allow Zephyr to speak came after "multiple discussions" with other lawmakers, adding that there have been similar issues. Zephyr hasn't been allowed to speak on the House floor since. Zephyr was notified Tuesday night that House leaders would consider disciplinary action, according to a Twitter post by the lawmaker. On Wednesday, lawmakers voted to ban Zephyr from the House floor for the rest of the 2023 session. TRANS MONTANA LAWMAKER LASHES OUT AT GOP COLLEAGUES DURING HOUSE FLOOR DEBATE: 'BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS' "I have been informed that during tomorrows floor session there will be a motion to either censure or expel me. I've also been told I'll get a chance to speak. I will do as I have always done rise on behalf of my constituents, in defense of my community, & for democracy itself," Zephyr said. Since being barred from the House floor for the remainder of the legislative session, Zephyr has continued working outside of the chamber in a public seating area. "Though they initially tried to have me removed from the public seating area, I am here working on behalf of my constituents as best I can given the undemocratic circumstances," Zephyr wrote in a tweet Thursday. "I'm talking to legislators, listening to debate, voting on bills, and fighting for democracy." In another photo shared by Zephyr Friday, the lawmaker was shown sitting outside of a closed-door hearing. "Republicans used a series of procedures to remove every bill from my committees, silencing my constituents beyond what they already voted to do," Zephyr captioned the post. "My constituents elected me to speak on their behalf in committee & on the floor and stopping me from doing so is anti-democratic." Phoenix police made eight arrests this week as they searched the downtown encampment of tents known as "The Zone," where many unhoused people live. Throughout April, undercover police officers entered tents and contacted at least six people to pay for fentanyl and meth. The arrests, unveiled with unusual publicity, have come amid growing public scrutiny of safety in and around The Zone. They have come after residents filed a lawsuit against the city, complaining of drug use, violence and public nuisance. Police and prosecutors touted their efforts to protect the Phoenix's "vulnerable" unhoused community. In June, Phoenix police busted one man with 1,000 fentanyl pills. In November, prosecutors trumpeted that they had gotten a conviction and a three-and-a-half-year sentence for a man they claimed was preying on the homeless. But available records show the arrests on Monday came to just 33 oxycodone pills and 30 grams of meth, or about enough to fill eight sugar packets. On Wednesday, the city passed out flyers announcing that Ninth Avenue, between Washington and Jefferson streets, would be the first block they would clear of people living in tents in response to a lawsuit for not enforcing public nuisance laws. Two days earlier, police began executing search warrants and making at least three arrests on Ninth Avenue. The Police Department did not comment on whether the order affected its investigation. Plan in motion: Phoenix determines which block of 'The Zone' homeless encampment will be cleared out first Police arrested five people on charges of sales of narcotics and dangerous drugs. Three others were arrested on warrants. The arrests were part of a combined effort in the area, consisting of several different teams and units within the department, according to Phoenix police spokesperson Sgt. Brian Bower. Police drove into the area with multiple vehicles at about 6 a.m. Monday. People living in the encampments didnt know what was going on, according to one resident, Susana Gutierrez. Story continues The bust was part of a longer investigation into the sales of drugs negatively affecting our community in the downtown area, Bower explained in an email. According to ACLU Legal Director Jared Keenan, these types of war on drugs investigations do more harm than help since they target users, the people most in danger of being harmed from overdoses and drug-related violence. Police arrested a couple living together in a tent, Crystal McDougall, 39, and Matthew Burke, 28, after undercover officers claimed they bought 20 blue oxycodone m30 pills and one-and-half grams of meth. A view of a vacant spot where Crystal McDougall and Matthew Burke lived at a homeless encampment known as "The Zone" along Ninth Avenue near Jefferson Street in Phoenix on April 28, 2023. People who are selling small amounts of drugs are doing it to fund their own habit, Keenan said, and sometimes they do it because they know the person they sell to might sell them some back down the line. In Arizona, selling a dangerous drug is considered a class 2 felony, which can come with three to 12.5 years of prison. Out of six classes, class 2 felonies are the highest in legal severity outside of class 1 felonies, which only apply to first- and second-degree murder. Selling meth is special. Arizona has singled out the crime of selling meth, applying a range of five to 15 years of prison time. Police also arrested Jewel Armstrong on charges of selling five oxycodone blue pills and 28.35 grams of meth to an undercover officer. Thats about seven sugar packets worth of meth. They're not going after the people who are actually making or supplying all sorts of drugs into the communities, they're going after and arresting users, Keenan said. In June 2022, police arrested Cristian Machado on suspicion of distributing fentanyl pills to dealers that would specifically target unhoused people. According to police, the officers received tips that someone known as the Ghost had come to the area to sell to people. Police used several informants and electronic surveillance and made undercover purchases to find Machado. In November, he was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell released a statement, saying the sentence was a warning and a reminder of her offices commitment to come down on dealers who target the vulnerable. To target those who are experiencing homelessness, and particularly vulnerable, is especially cruel, she said about the case. Drug offenses are the number one crime prosecuted by the county attorney. They represent 33% of all charges that the office takes to court. The people that police and prosecutors want to keep safe are the same people they are arresting every day, Keenan said. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Undercover Phoenix officers pose as drug buyers, arrest 8 in The Zone The US Army has grounded all of its non-critical mission aviators in the wake of two helicopter crashes that killed two servicemen. The move was announced by the services chief of staff and came the day after the mid-air collision of two AH-64 Apache helicopters in Alaska that killed three soldiers and wounded another. All of the aviators will remain grounded until they complete the required training, the Army stated on Friday evening. The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel, Army Chief of Staff James McConville said in a statement. Army pilots will focus on safety and training protocols to ensure our pilots and crews have the knowledge, training and awareness to safely complete their assigned mission. In March, nine soldiers were killed when two HH-60 Blackhawk helicopters collided during night training near Kentuckys Fort Campbell. Both fatal incidents are the subject of investigations but the Army has said there is no indication of any pattern between them. This photo taken on April 21, 2023 shows a Chinese Coast Guard ship patrolling near Philippine-occupied Thitu island in the disputed South China Sea The United States called on China Saturday to stop "provocative and unsafe conduct" in the disputed South China Sea after a recent near-collision with a Philippines coast guard boat there, ramping up rhetoric ahead of a visit by the Filipino president to the White House. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, in a statement two days before President Joe Biden is to host his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said the incident was a reminder of China's "harassment and intimidation" of Philippine vessels in the contested waterway. "We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct," he said, adding that any attack on Philippine armed forces would trigger a US response. Biden has been working to bolster relations with Asian allies as the US-Chinese relationship remains in a historically deep chill, and the Philippines' proximity to key sea lanes and Taiwan gives it particular strategic importance. The near-miss Sunday off the Spratly Islands was the latest in a long string of maritime incidents between China and the Philippines. Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, ignoring an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis. - A near-miss - AFP was one of several media outlets that witnessed the incident after journalists were invited to join two Philippine Coast Guard boats on a six-day patrol of the waters, visiting a dozen islands and reefs. The Philippine vessels approached Second Thomas Shoal, known in China as Ren'ai Jiao, in the Spratly archipelago. As one boat, the BRP Malapascua, which was carrying Filipino journalists, neared the shoal, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel more than twice its size sailed into its path. AFP journalists watched the incident from the other Philippine Coast Guard boat, which was less than a kilometer (0.6 miles) away. The Malapascua's commanding officer said the Chinese ship came within 45 meters (50 yards) of his boat and only his quick actions avoided the steel-hulled vessels crashing into each other. Story continues The Chinese foreign ministry said Friday that the Philippine boats had "intruded" without China's permission and called it a "premeditated and provocative action." - Manila pushes back - But Manila hit back, saying that "routine patrols in our own waters can be neither premeditated or provocative" and insisting they will continue to conduct the patrols. The near-miss came just a day after Marcos hosted Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang for talks in Manila aimed at defusing tensions in the waterway. Marcos has insisted he will not let China trample on the Philippines' rights in the sea, and has gravitated toward the United States as he seeks to strengthen defense ties. Early this month, the Philippines identified four additional military bases -- in addition to five existing sites -- to which US forces will have access, including one near the Spratly Islands. The two countries also carried out their biggest ever military maneuvers in recent weeks. This shift has alarmed China, which has accused Washington of trying to drive a wedge between Beijing and Manila. - 'Ironclad commitment' - US-Philippine ties were badly frayed under Marcos's predecessor, the authoritarian Rodrigo Duterte. Marcos has sought to allay public fears that the reviving alliance with the US could bring the Philippines into the conflict if China were to invade Taiwan. He has said that with Biden he will discuss the "need to tone down the rhetoric" over the South China Sea, Taiwan and North Korea. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier in the month that Biden intended, in the meeting with Marcos, to "reaffirm the United States ironclad commitment to the defense of the Philippines." bur-st/bbk/dw TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) A former U.S. national security adviser called for deeper interaction between his country and Taiwan during a visit Saturday to the self-ruled island, which has seen increasing military threats from China. John Bolton, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2024, said at a pro-Taiwan independence event in Taipei that national security teams from both sides must develop contingency plans on how to respond to actions Beijing might take, warning it would be too late once an attack occurs. And we have to tell China and Russia what the consequences are if they take actions against Taiwan. Not just in the immediate response, but over the longer term, to basically excommunicate China from the international economic system if it did take military actions against Taiwan or attempt to throw a blockade around it," Bolton said. Bolton, former President Donald Trump's hawkish national security adviser, started his week-long trip to Taiwan on Wednesday. The visit reflects the importance of the island's democracy as an issue in the U.S. presidential election next year amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing. Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with the Communist Party in control of the mainland. The island has never been part of the Peoples Republic of China, but Beijing says it must unite with the mainland, by force if necessary. The U.S. remains Taiwans closest military and political ally, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between them. U.S. law requires Washington to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern, though it remains ambiguous over whether American forces would be dispatched to help defend the island. Bolton said the backlog of U.S. military sales to Taiwan is estimated to be $19 billion and it needs to be resolved. Part of that is a U.S. problem. Our defense industrial base is not as strong as it used to be. We need to improve that for global reasons, but particularly for Taiwan, he said. Story continues On Friday, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry said Chinas military flew 38 fighter jets and other warplanes near Taiwan. That was the biggest such flight display since the large military exercise in which it simulated sealing off the island after the sensitive April 5 meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. China opposes any exchanges at the official level between Taiwan and other governments. Later Friday, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army also issued a protest over the flight of a United States Navy P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft through the Taiwan Strait, calling it a provocation that the U.S. openly hyped up." But the U.S. 7th Fleet said Thursdays flight was in accordance with international law and demonstrates the United States commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Bolton is scheduled to join a banquet on Monday organized by the Formosan Association for Public Affairs, a pro-independence organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. Tsai will also attend the event. ____ Find more of APs Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific By Karen Lema and David Brunnstrom MANILA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday was essential in advancing his country's national interest and strengthening the "very important alliance" between Manila and Washington. Before leaving for his four-day official visit to Washington, Marcos said on Sunday he would convey to Biden his determination to forge "an even stronger relationship" with the United States to "address the concerns of our times," including issues related to the economy. "During this visit, we will reaffirm our commitment to fostering our long standing alliance as an instrument of peace and as catalyst of development in the Asia Pacific region, and for that matter for the rest of the world," said Marcos, the son of the late strongman whom Washington helped flee into exile in Hawaii during a 1986 'people power' uprising. Marcos' official visit to Washington is the first by a Philippine president in more than 10 years, and the latest in a series of high-level meetings the Philippines has held with leaders of the United States and China, which are jostling for strategic advantage in the region. Biden and Marcos are expected to reach agreements on greater business engagement, as well as "military enhancements" amid shared concerns about China, a senior Biden administration official told Reuters. The senior U.S. administration official said it was impossible to underestimate the strategic importance of the Philippines, although the relationship was more than just about security. The official said that as part of moves to boost commercial ties, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo would a lead a presidential business delegation to the Philippines. While Marcos was seeking good relations with both China and the United States, Manila was increasingly concerned about "provocative" diplomacy by Beijing and seeking stronger ties with allies, he said. Story continues "We're seeking not to be provocative, but to provide both moral and practical support for the Philippines as they try to make their way in a complex Western Pacific," the official said. "Their geographic position is critical," he added. Experts say Washington sees the Philippines as a potential location for rockets, missiles and artillery systems to counter a Chinese amphibious invasion of Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory. Marcos' Washington visit comes after Philippines on Friday accused China's coast guard of "dangerous maneuvers" and "aggressive tactics" in the South China Sea. The maritime confrontation between the two countries comes despite a visit to Manila this weekend by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. In the face of such pressure from China, the Philippines and the United States have rapidly stepped up defense engagements, including large-scale military exercises and a recent expansion of U.S. access to Philippine bases. China has objected to the bases agreement. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said earlier this month that it was "too early" to discuss what assets the United States would like to station at bases in the Philippines. It is a delicate issue for Manila, not only because of its concerns about China, its main trading partner, but given domestic opposition to U.S. military presence in the past. The two sides did agree to complete a road map in coming months for the delivery of U.S. defense assistance to the Southeast Asian nation over the next five to 10 years. Alluding to the difficult period in bilateral relations under Marcos' predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, the official said Monday's summit would be part of efforts to build the "habits of alliance management" back to levels of the 1970s and 1980s. The official said the U.S. planned to enhance trilateral dialogue with Japan and the Philippines, and Marcos would have discussions at the Pentagon about joint maritime patrols. "We will and have stepped up our broader regional security discussions with the Philippines on all the issues in the South China Sea and elsewhere," the official said, a reference to Manila's disputed maritime claims with China and other nations. Separately, the official said no final decision had been made on whether Biden would stop in Papua New Guinea next month as part of stepped-up engagement with the Pacific-island region, but Washington was "in active discussions no matter what about our direct high-level interactions with the Pacific." (Reporting by Karen Lema in Manila and David Brunnstrom and Steve Holland in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler and Lincoln Feast.) Massachusetts authorities discovered and confiscated a weapon called a vampire straw at Bostons Logan International Airport after a passenger attempted to conceal it in carry-on luggage, authorities said. Transportation Security Administrator Dan Velez on Monday tweeted a photo of the vampire straw, which can be used like a dagger, and wrote: These items are not allowed in passenger carry-on bags. A passenger found that out yesterday @BostonLogan when @MassStatePolice confiscated the item and eventually arrested the 26-year-old man on a state charge. #travelfail This is a Vampire straw. These items are not allowed in passenger carry-on bags. A passenger found that out yesterday @BostonLogan when @MassStatePolice confiscated the item and eventually arrested the 26-year-old man on a state charge. #travelfail pic.twitter.com/8TGQYP93c7 TSA_NewEngland (@TSA_NewEngland) April 24, 2023 Arman Achuthan Nair, of Chicago, was detained on Sunday evening and charged with carrying a dangerous weapon after a 10-inch long titanium straw with a beveled end was found in his backpack, AP reported. The straws, which can be used to consume drinks, is referred to as a weapon on the website of knife retailer Szaboinc.com. Designed for self defense, the Vampire straw is super tough and long enough to be used like a dagger; its chiseled tip is sharp enough to puncture most synthetic materials, the site states. TSA spokesman Velez told McClatchy News that the Logan passenger had artfully concealed the Vampire straw with other straws. Nair posted bail and was next due in court on 30 May, AP reported. Peter the Great is set to be scrapped because it is too expensive to modernise - Polaris/eyevine A military band roared into life as Ekaterina Bogdasarova, a millionaire socialite married to a powerful governor, smashed a bottle of champagne against the Kremlins latest submarine. But the pomp and glamour of the launch of the Mozhaysk at the naval shipyard in St Petersburg this week came at the end of a torrid month for the Russian navy, which analysts said has been exposed as often decrepit and dysfunctional. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, thought he had pulled off a diplomatic masterstroke by ordering his Pacific fleet, one of the Russian navys most powerful armadas, to go on exercise as Chinas defence minister was visiting Moscow earlier this month. He wanted to impress his ally. However, within days of his order, the commander of the once-feared Pacific fleet was reassigned to a job overseeing military gyms, while the flagship of Russias Northern fleet was earmarked for the scrap. Blake Herzinger, a research fellow at the US Studies Centre in Sydney, said this reflected the below-average leadership in the Russian military. The snap exercises and subsequent relief of the fleet commander is probably more confirmation of the sorry state of the Russian navy, he said. The US-based Institute for the Study of War agreed. Dmitry Gorenburg, at the Center for Naval Analyses in the US, said the decision to promote an admiral from the Baltic fleet as the new commander over an officer from within the Pacific fleet suggested the Kremlin was unhappy. This is the first time that this hasnt happened since the late 1990s, early 2000s, he said. Named after a Red Army defensive line against Nazi German invaders in 1941, the diesel-powered Mozhaysk can be armed with cruise missiles and is the fourth submarine to be built under the Kremlins Project 636.3. Problems facing Russian ships The sophisticated craft represents how the Russian navy wants to be seen by its enemies, although the sorry state of its legacy Soviet capital ships may be a more potent image. Story continues Last week, Russian media reported that the nuclear-powered flagship of the Northern fleet, the Peter the Great, will probably be scrapped because it was too expensive to modernise. With a crew of 700 sailors, the cruiser is the worlds largest non-aircraft carrier warship and was supposed to project Russias power and influence when it was launched in 1998. But it has never seen battle, and now likely never will. The experience of repairing and modernising the Admiral Nakhimov has shown that this is very costly, reported the Tass news agency. The Admiral Nakhimov is a similar-sized Soviet-designed Kirov-class cruiser that was sent to port in 1999 for repairs. It is still there. Then there is Russias only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, which is famed for belching black smoke as it sails. However, it has also been under repair, since 2018. The Russian navy has suffered several embarrassing setbacks since the Kremlin ordered its invasion of Ukraine. In April 2022, Ukraine sank the Moskva, the flagship of the Black Sea fleet. Two months later, the Russian navy surrendered control of Snake Island in the Black Sea. It has also had to move its submarines out of Sevastopol, its Black Sea base, because of the threat of Ukrainian boat drone attacks. Analysts said that Putin will take these setbacks to his navy personally because of emotional scarring from early on in his presidency. Its the legacy of the Kursk, said Mr Gorenburg. It was an emotive issue for Putin. The nuclear-powered Kursk submarine sank in the Barents Sea on Aug 12 2000 when a torpedo exploded on board, killing most of its crew of 118 and leaving 23 sailors trapped on the seafloor. Russian rescue efforts failed. British and Norwegian divers later reached the submarine to find them dead. The disaster eight months into his presidency was humiliating for Putin, who was accused of mishandling the crisis. It also spurred his drive to modernise Russias army, air force and navy into world-class units. WASHINGTON Republicans have sharpened their attacks against Kamala Harris since Joe Biden announced his reelection bid Tuesday in a push to make the 2024 election as much about the vice president as the president. The verbal barrage signals scrutiny to come for Harris, who Biden has made clear will be his running mate despite criticism Harris has gotten from members of both parties. Republicans view Harris, whose approval ratings lag below Biden's lackluster marks, as a campaign liability a characterization that Biden allies reject. Although Republicans targeted Harris in 2020 and before the 2022 midterms, the criticism this time is more overt, even warning of a "likely" scenario that Biden can't finish a second term and Harris becomes president. "I think we can be all clear and say, with a matter of fact, that if you vote for Joe Biden, you really are counting on a President Harris," Republican presidential contender Nikki Halley said on Fox News Wednesday. "Because the idea that he would make it until 86 years old is not something that I think is likely. 'Don't get in our way': Kamala Harris opens 2024 campaign with fiery speech on abortion rights Biden camp: Republicans resorting to 'same tired, failed attacks' on Harris Biden, 80, is already the oldest-serving president in U.S. history and would be 86 when he finishes a second term if he's reelected. Harris, the first Black woman and first Asian American vice president, has faced detractors during her first two and a half years as vice president who say she's failed to define an effective role in the administration. Some of her assignments have included the difficult tasks of solving Central American migration along the southern border and ensuring voting rights amid a barrage of new state election laws. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris stand on stage at the Democratic National Committee winter meeting, Feb. 3, 2023, in Philadelphia. Harris is poised to play a critical role in next year's election as President Joe Biden seeks a second term. Harris supporters point to her advocacy for abortion rights, an issue that helped Democrats exceed expectations in last year's midterm elections and which remains at the center of Biden's reelection bid. Story continues Kevin Munoz, spokesman for the Biden campaign, said Republicans are "resorting to the same tired, failed attacks on Vice President Harris" that they tried in past elections because they "can't argue on the merits" of Biden's record. "Vice President Harris has been a tireless fighter for the American people, will continue to be a leading voice on the issues that matter most to American people, and hold MAGA Republicans accountable for their extreme positions on reproductive rights, health care, and our very democracy," Munoz said. More: Progressives saw Kamala Harris as a unique champion. Lately, they're disappointed. Yet Harris' job approval rating consistently registers lower than Biden's. The RealClearPolitics average of polls has 43% of Americans approving of Biden's job performance, compared to 38.5% for Harris, despite a recent CBS poll last week that found Biden and Harris both at 43%. "Joe Biden is 142 years old," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in an interview on Fox News, mocking Biden's age. "In a very release sense this election, the Democrats are suggesting Kamala Harris for president." Cruz added: "Can you image Kamala sitting across from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin? Can you imagine Kamala sitting across from (Chinese President) Xi (Jinping)? And when they stand up and bully America, which is what they do, can you imagine her just cackling ineffectively and weirdly and creepily?" Biden, Harris show united front during early campaign The Biden campaign has presented a united Biden-Harris front. A video announcing Biden's reelection campaign included extensive footage of Harris. The campaign's web site features an image of the pair together. And on the night of Biden's entry into the 2024 race, Harris spoke to Democratic activists and young voters at Howard University, a historically Black institution that is also her alma mater. She was met with chants of "four more years!" "We are living, I do believe, in a moment in time where so many of our hard-won freedoms are under attack," Harris said, "and this is a moment for us to stand and fight." More: President Biden wants to repeat his 2020 formula in 2024 reelection bid. Here's why it won't be easy. Vice President Kamala Harris greets supporters after speaking on reproductive freedom at Howard University on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, in Washington. Biden and Harris "at the top of the Democrat ticket is a gift to every Republican running for office, from school board to the top of the ticket," Emma Vaughn, national press secretary for the Republican National Committee, told USA TODAY. But Biden allies argue criticism about Harris lives mainly in the Beltway and that she's been an effective messenger for the administration, even if it isn't recognized. "I think Vice President Harris has done an excellent job," Ron Klain, Biden's former chief of staff, said in an interview with New York Magazine published this week. "I think she takes a lot of grief unjustifiably, and that being a vice president is a very, very tough job." Klain blamed "racism and sexism" as part of the problem facing Harris and said she's not gotten credit for her achievements. "I think hopefully during the campaign season, the American people will get more of a chance to see her on the stump and get to know her a little better," Klain said. Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: VP Harris becomes go-to Republican target in Biden 2024 bid PROVO, Utah Video released Saturday shows fallen trees and other debris in choked up waterways being blown to bits to help mitigate flood risks. The Utah County Sheriffs Office and the Utah Department of Transportation teamed up for this initiative, spending the past few weeks removing debris ahead of potential flooding this weekend. The video starts off with crews preparing a creek clogged up with branches, fallen trees and other debris with explosives. Setting up the explosives. Once the preparations have been made, the explosives are denoted. Debris flies through the air, allowing the dammed water to gush and head downstream. HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER River Flood Watches have been issued for many parts of the Beehive State, as water levels are expected to rise due to warming spring temperatures melting record snowpack. For example, mountain resorts Alta and Solitude in Utahs Wasatch Mountains, only 30 miles outside of Salt Lake City, both broke all-time records. Alta's record stood for more than 40 years. Alta Ski Area Snowiest Winters Brighton, Utah, with an average snowfall of 42 feet per year, reported at least 64 feet of snow this season. This record snow has led to increased snowmelt, creating hazardous conditions in parts of Utah. SEE WHAT THE SPRING HEAT WAVE DID TO THE COUNTRY'S SNOWPACK Flooding and mudslides caused by snowmelt have threatened roadways and homes. In fact, an emergency order was issued in Salt Lake City, leading to the evacuation of dozens of homes due to the hazards of melting snow. In areas such as Utah County, temperatures in the 70s will melt more snowpack. This will send more water downstream, placing more urgency on the need to clear blocked waterways. Joe Biden's plan to run for reelection was one of Washington's worst-kept secrets, but few knew how the president planned to cast his 2024 reelection bid. In a 3-minute campaign video released Tuesday, Biden was explicit that he sees the upcoming contest as part of the continued "battle for the soul of America." But polling shows some voters might not have an appetite for a sequel. President Joe Biden speaks about his economic agenda in Accokeek, Md., on April 19, 2023. The president's age also remains a persistent question, including among a Democratic base who say they would prefer someone else run. Speaker Kevin McCarthy scored a needed win as he prepares to have a showdown over spending with the White House. Stay in the conversation on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter By a 217-215 vote, the Republican-controlled House passed a debt ceiling plan that seeks to cut $4.5 trillion from the budget and returns discretionary spending to fiscal year 2022 levels. Now comes the hard partnegotiating with Biden, who has firmly claimed the GOP plan hurts "hard-working" Americans the most. Senate Democrats want Chief Justice John Roberts to talk about ethics rules that govern the Supreme Court, but he isn't interested. Also, a civil trial brought by a columnist who has accused former President Donald Trump of rape began this week. And outside of Washington, state legislatures again gripped the nation's attention when Montana's first openly transgender woman elected official was silenced. What happened this week in politics? President Joe Biden wants to "finish this job" in a second term in the White House as he still grapples with questions about his age. Speaker Kevin McCarthy successfully led the House to pass a Republican debt ceiling plan that includes $4.5 trillion in cuts and raises the debt ceiling until May 2024. Montana state lawmaker Rep. Zooey Zephyr has been barred from the chamber floor after criticizing a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender children. Chief Justice John Roberts rebuffed a call to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the high court's ethics amid a series of high-profile controversies involving his colleagues. Former President Donald Trump''s legal troubles continued as a civil trial alleging he raped and defamed a professional writer began. Story continues Biden's reelection kicks off Within hours of the announcement that Biden is running again, the president's team convened with progressive groups and Democratic officials to discuss messaging in key battleground states. What's clear from the debut campaign video is Biden wants to contrast his administration with Trumpwho is still the GOP frontrunnerand his allies, whom Biden describes as "MAGA extremists" ready to rollback "bedrock freedoms." Every generation of Americans has faced a moment where they have been called on to protect our democracy, to defend it, to stand up for it. And this is our moment. Watch the very first ad of our reelection campaign then, pitch in to help share our message far and wide. pic.twitter.com/RvPc51xqRz Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 26, 2023 But unlike four years ago Biden will have to defend his record, which has been struck with multiple crises including deep anxieties about the U.S. economy. Then there's the question of whether the 80-year-old president is up to juggling the most demanding job in the country coupled with a grueling campaign. It's something Biden admitted he took a "hard look" at when making his decision. Politics: Biden, addressing age, says voters can 'judge whether or not I have it' More: How old will Joe Biden be if re-elected as president in 2024? This one chart breaks it down. "One of the things that people are going to find out is, they're going to see a race, and they're going to judge whether or not I have it or don't have it," he said. Most Democrats, according to multiple polls, say they prefer a different presidential nominee, with Biden's age topping their concerns. McCarthy delivers on debt plan Republican Kevin McCarthy avoided what would have been an embarrassing failure had the House not passed a debt limit plan. The measure's odds of passing in the Democratic-controlled Senate are slim, but it sets up negotiations between the speaker and Biden on how the government spends your money and pays its bills. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., holds an event to mark 100 days of the Republican majority in the House, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, April 17, 2023. At the outset the president rebuked the GOP plan, saying he would not negotiate on the debt ceiling, arguing it should be raised by Congress without parameters. But someones got to blink. Politics: Biden says McCarthy risking default on national debt: 'What are MAGA Republicans doing in Congress?' If the federal government defaults on its payments this summer, experts warn it could throw the country into a recession. Montana silences trans lawmaker The Republican-run Montana House voted to prohibit Democratic state Rep. Zooey Zephyr from participating on the chamber floor. The reason? She refused to apologize after saying legislators would "have blood on your hands" after passing a bill that bans gender-affirming care for transgender for minors. Rep. Zooey Zephyr, D-Missoula, walks out of the Montana House of Representatives after lawmakers voted to ban her from the chamber on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, in the State Capitol in Helena, Montana. The move is another flashpoint in a year defined largely by transgender rights, which is likely to be the next culture war in the 2024 election. It's something social conservative activists are banking on for next year. Politics: Republicans lean into anti-trans messaging ahead of 2024. But will it mobilize voters? More: Tennessee Three push gun reform in White House meeting with Biden A recent national NBC News poll found 48% of Americans think the country has gone too far in accepting transgender people. The same survey showed 43% believe the country has not gone far enough." Roberts to Senate Dems: No thanks Chief Justice John Roberts isn't interested in speaking to the Senate Judiciary Committee about ethical questions orbiting other justices. Roberts noted how it is "exceedingly rare" for the chief justice to testify before the panel, plus he cited worries about separation of powers and judicial independence. Courts: Chief Justice John Roberts declines to testify on ethics, Clarence Thomas revelations More: Clarence Thomas revelations prompt bipartisan Senate bill to require a Supreme Court code of conduct Regardless, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the committee's chair, said changes "must happen whether the court participates in the process or not." Trump defamation trial Trump's legal problems once again were among the top headlines in an unprecedented civil suit centered on accusations of rape against a former president. E. Jean Carroll, a writer, alleges he raped her at a Manhattan department store in 1996. She detailed the incident in a 2019 memoir, and the suit accuses Trump of lying about her after she wrote about the alleged rape. Former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, right, leaves federal court with her lawyer Roberta Kaplan, Thursday, April 27, 2023, in New York. "I'm here because Donald Trump raped me," Carroll said during the first day of testimony in her defamation lawsuit against the ex-president. Trump blasted the entire process online from his Truth Social website, saying her account is a "fraudulent" and "false story." More: 'I'm here because Donald Trump raped me': E. Jean Carroll testifies; Trump attacks Because this is a civil case, Trump's not at risk of a criminal conviction for sexual assault, but it brings another dark cloud over his 2024 campaign. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: This week in politics: Biden sees 2024 as 'battle' for America's soul President Joe Biden is considering a visit to Finland, NATOs newest member, to coincide with the 30-member blocs July summit in Lithuania, according to three U.S. officials familiar with the discussions. The White Houses discussions of a potential visit have been ongoing for several months and remain active, according to the officials, who said no final decision has been made. Any Finland visit would be for a summit of multiple Nordic countries, not for a bilateral visit, an administration official said. The National Security Council declined to comment. Officials see a Finland trip, first and foremost, as an opportunity to highlight what the president acknowledged again this week was one of his proudest accomplishments in office: maintaining, and even expanding the NATO alliance in the face of Russian aggression. As Biden often puts it, Russian President Vladimir Putin expected to see the Finlandization of NATO but instead saw the NATOization of Finland. The potential visit would come three months after Finlands formal and relatively swift accession to NATO, nearly a year after applying. Sweden, which applied at the same time, has failed to garner unanimous support from NATO members. Turkey has blocked Swedens application indefinitely over concerns it harbors what Ankara says are members of the Kurdistan Workers Party, a designated terrorist group. For that reason, experts say a meeting with Biden and multiple Nordic leaders would carry more weight than a bilateral visit to Finland, where the direct security risk remains low despite its 830-mile border with Russia. Any visit that has the president of the United States backstopping Sweden while its security status is in limbo is a more significant thing than simply celebrating the accession of Finland, said Michael OHanlon, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Politically, though, a presidential visit to Finland could offer a powerful contrast between Biden and his predecessor. It was in Helsinki that former President Donald Trump stood next to Putin and publicly sided with him over his U.S. intelligence agencies on the question of Russian interference in the 2016 election. I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today, Trump said at the time. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Julia Steiny blogs at juliasteiny.com. Beginning in 2006, the federal government required all states to test students in grades three through eight, and once in high school. In 2018, Rhode Island wisely dumped the unloved NECAP state test and switched to the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), considered to be the best K-12 state testing program in the country. That was a brave move. An apples-to-apples comparison between students in the two states would inevitably shine a harsh light on Rhode Islands underperformance. Indeed, if Rhode Island were a district in Massachusetts, it would fall in their lowest 10 percentile. But Rhode Island only uses the RICAS (our renamed MCAS) to assess grades three through eight. Logically we would use the high school MCAS to ensure consistency within the state system and comparability with Massachusetts. But no. More: Report: Poor English skills a hallmark of RI school districts. Who scored highest, lowest? We use the PSAT in 10th grade and the SAT in 11th. Huh? Arent those college entrance exams? What do they have to do with a K-12 state testing system? From third through eighth grade, the 2022 RICAS English scores show a decline from 36.5% proficient in the third grade to 29% in eighth. (Math rebounded for eighth graders from 16.1% in 2021 to 20.8% proficiency.) SATs have become optional at about 80% of colleges. But from eighth to 10th grade, the state system jumps the track and starts over. The PSAT cant show us an individual students or schools academic MCAS growth. Its like following up on a funky thyroid test with a cholesterol panel. Instead, the PSAT becomes a new baseline to measure against the 11th grade SAT, a year later. This presents high schools with two huge problems: First, Rhode Island urban students often enter ninth grade with abysmal educational backgrounds. Likely they read at a third- to fifth-grade level. If by grade 10 or 11, a high school ramps up individual readers by more than three grade levels, wow and high fives! But that progress is nowhere acknowledged in the accountability system. Instead, the school is deemed substandard for not teaching elementary-level readers to meet high school standards. Story continues More: Why changes to midterms in Providence schools have some students, parents frustrated Second, from the get-go, the purpose of the Scholastic Aptitude Test was to help colleges sort through their applicants in search of academic promise. But after accusations of biases against certain student cohorts, SATs have become optional at about 80% of colleges. Not even colleges find the SAT super useful. Most importantly, what does a college entrance exam say about K-12 students interested in auto mechanics, the military, construction, health care support (phlebotomist) or union apprenticeships, none of which require four-year degrees? Instead, we learn that sorted from top to bottom, SAT scores and median family income almost match. Which we already knew. And it tells families with money they might want to invest in the bazillion-dollar test-prep industry to boost their kids shot at the best colleges. No family money, no test-prep for the other kids. In other words, using the SAT solidifies structural inequities. Why did we do this to ourselves? The official answer was that about half the students take the SAT anyway, so the switch would be easy. Well, so what? And what about the other half? The unofficial answer is that Massachusetts requires students to pass a modest MCAS benchmark to earn a diploma. That requirement poisoned Rhode Islands adoption of a high school MCAS, even though no test is bound and tied to a graduation requirement. (Not that the requirement hasnt done wonders for Massachusetts' workforce.) Still, guilt by association proved too toxic to build a consistent, unfragmented, useful testing program. At the end of the day, you can call Rhode Islands state testing system a reinforcement of inequity. But dont call it accountability. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Using the SAT solidifies structural inequities in our schools. WASHINGTON Before entering the 2024 presidential race as a Democrat, Robert Kennedy Jr. spent years cultivating the kind of following on the far-right that now has prominent Donald Trump allies urging the former president to consider Kennedy as his running mate. Kennedy inhabits an ambiguous ideological space. He's proudly running as a Democrat who supports abortion rights and gun control, but his views on vaccines and other issues and frequent appearances on outlets from Fox News to Alex Jones Infowars have made him popular among far-right conspiracy theorists. That groundwork is paying off in the form of widespread praise from conservative media influencers who have urged their audiences to keep an open mind about Kennedy, perhaps eager to use him as a foil against President Joe Biden. Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon said he received a standing ovation from a hardcore MAGA crowd at a recent speaking engagement for floating the idea of a bipartisan Trump-Kennedy ticket. Bobby Kennedy would be, I think, an excellent choice for President Trump to consider as a running mate, Bannon said this week on his "War Room" show. Roger Stone, the former Richard Nixon aide who was one of Trumps early political advisers, called Trump-Kennedy a dream ticket on the news program "Real America." Image: Roger Stone Addresses Women's Republican Club Of Miami (Joe Raedle / Getty Images file) While Stone said he disagrees with Kennedy on some issues, he likes the candidate's opposition to globalists and skepticism of continued U.S. support for Ukraine against Russia. On those geopolitical ideas, he makes a lot of sense. In fact, he sounds a lot like Donald Trump, Stone said. Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security adviser who has promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory, on Friday tweeted, I am really starting to like this presidential candidates attitude. Turning Point USA head Charlie Kirk on April 6 called Kennedy one of the most articulate and thoughtful political activists going after the administrative state. Story continues A day earlier, conservative talk show host Steve Deace posted a picture with Kennedy on Twitter saying, As long as he doesnt go trans, a man with high character and courage like RFK Jr will be tempting. And QAnon influencer Jordan Sather posted to Trumps Truth Social platform saying he hopes to see RFK Jr. redpilling the hell out of libs on the vaccine. While Biden is overwhelmingly favored to reclaim the Democratic nomination, early polls show a sizable portion of the party's base interested in Kennedy though most mainstream Democratic operatives dismiss that as a product of his recognizable last name. Kennedy, 69, is the son of the late famed Democrat senator of the same name and nephew of President John F. Kennedy. A recent Emerson College poll found Kennedy with 21% of the vote among Democrats, while a Fox News poll had him at 19% among Democratic primary voters. Marianne Williamson, the other declared Democratic candidate in the race, had smaller but not insignificant support in both polls. Asked for comment about the praise from conservatives, Kennedy campaign communications director Stefanie Spear said only, He is a candidate for the Democratic nomination. Kennedy has pushed back on reports that Bannon encouraged him to run for president as a chaos agent against Biden, tweeting on April 8, Steve Bannon has nothing to do with my presidential campaign. Former White House strategist Steve Bannon, accompanied by his attorneys David Schoen, left and M. Evan Corcoran, right, speaks with the media departs federal court, Friday, July 22, 2022, in Washington. Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump has been convicted of contempt charges for defying a congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) (Jose Luis Magana / AP file) That hasn't stopped Kennedy from receiving praise from right-wing influencers who may be trying to draft the scion of the famous political family into a similar role as the one Rep. Tulsi Gabbard played in the 2020 Democratic primary, when she made common cause with the right by claiming the primary was rigged against her. An environmental lawyer by trade, Kennedy has devoted much of his adult life to attacking what he views as an unholy alliance between the pharmaceutical industry, the government and the media to promote vaccinations, which he claims are responsible for autism and other chronic diseases, despite the overwhelming scientific evidence against that theory. Ignored or fact-checked by mainstream news outlets, Kennedy has found a friendlier reception in contrarian alternative media, which promote alternative medicine alongside conspiracy theories about UFOs and about the CIA, which Kennedy has blamed for killing his father and uncle. I dont agree with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on some topics, but hes a man of integrity that fights fluoride and poison shots and fentanyl and everything else. Hes a good man, Alex Jones, the right-wing conspiracy theorist said on his Infowars broadcast this month. Hes got a lot of guts, and I really support him for the Democratic nomination. Image: Alex Jones (Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call via AP file) Jones and his company, which were recently ordered to pay more than $1 billion in damages to families of the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre for promoting falsehoods about the 2012 school shooting, have frequently promoted Kennedy interviews and books, and hosted him for several exclusive interviews. If he backed off gun control, which he doesnt really talk about, and became more pro-life, which he is starting to do, I would support him over most RINO Republicans. So I would actually vote Democrat, Jones continued. I mean, I would vote for Trump over him or [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis, but if he won the presidency, thats a classy guy who is a good man and who cares about people and who is against the establishment. Hes a good man. Thats why the whole media is attacking him right now. A few days later, when a caller told Jones he was surprised how much of Kennedys message resonated with him, Jones replied, Kennedys definitely awake, and knows whats going on, and has been listening to the show for a very long time. Ive been at the forefront of the JFK assassination and Robert F. Kennedy assassination information and of course covered it forever. Well, he knows better than anybody what really happened, so thatll kind of wake you up when the government kills your dad and your uncle. As vaccine hesitancy grew among conservatives during the coronavirus pandemic and as Kennedy got banned by social media platforms for advancing misinformation about the virus he found a wider audience on more mainstream conservative outlets, where his family association lent an air of bipartisan credence to his broadsides against Anthony Fauci, social distancing mandates and his allegations of censorship. Kennedy was also one of former Fox News host Tucker Carlsons final guests this month. He received what he called a very kind introduction from Carlson, who said he agreed with most of what Kennedy said. After Carlson was fired, Kennedy defended him for a breathtakingly courageous monologue against Covid vaccines, suggesting he was fired because he crosse[d] the red line by acknowledging that the TV networks pushed a deadly and ineffective vaccine to please their Pharma advertisers. Kennedys star seems to have only risen higher on the right now that hes running in the Democratic primary. Shortly after kicking off his presidential campaign, Kennedy received a warm reception when introduced by Breitbarts Joel Pollak for an interview. I know that this is a conservative audience, including many Trump supporters, but many of the themes of [Kennedys] launch speech were familiar to you and me, Pollak said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The White House said President Biden will not attend the coronation of King Charles The United States and the United Kingdom have long enjoyed what Winston Churchill dubbed a "special relationship" - yet no US president has ever attended a royal coronation. Does this tradition point to an underlying antagonism between the two nations - or something more mundane? The Coronation of King Charles will be marked by centuries of pageantry and tradition. The King will swear his oath in Westminster Abbey in front of thousands of his subjects and heads of state. But there will be one glaring absence among the throng of dignitaries: US President Joe Biden. He was invited, the White House told the BBC. But in a phone call with the King, the president said he would send his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, and a diplomatic envoy, instead. The White House gave no reason for Mr Biden's absence, but said the President had "conveyed his desire to meet with the King in the United Kingdom at a future date". The no-show has sent ripples across the pond. Conservative MP Bob Seely told the Telegraph that Mr Biden seems "pretty remiss" to skip the "once-in-a-lifetime event". Russell Myers, royal editor at the Mirror newspaper, also told Sky News that the president's absence was due to his being "staunchly proud of his Irish roots, his Irish American roots". "I didn't think it was a real possibility that he would come," Mr Myers said. But historians say the reason is far less political, and that it's actually a centuries-long tradition for American presidents to miss the coronation. 'It's not a snub' "I certainly don't view it as a snub on President Biden's part," said Laura Beers, a professor of history at American University, who specialises in modern Britain. "It is a non-story in terms of the idea that Biden is anti-British," she said. "He's not going because no American president has ever gone to a coronation, so why start in the 21st century." Story continues Before the reign of Queen Victoria, Ms Beers noted that the US-UK relationship was largely adversarial, following the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Queen Victoria's accession to the throne ushered in "Victoria Fever" and a new era of American fascination with the British monarchy, but even then President Martin Van Buren did not attend the ceremony. "It was not practical for an American president to come, and I think it just became tradition after that," Ms Beers said. Troy Bickham, a fellow with the Royal Historical Society and a historian, said travelling overseas wasn't practical before transatlantic air travel began in 1939, three years after the coronation of King George VI. Eisenhower and Elizabeth The Second World War marked a turning point in the diplomatic relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom, according to historians. Throughout the war, King George VI and his daughter, then-Princess Elizabeth, developed a relationship with Dwight D Eisenhower, who served in London as the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces and supervised "Operation Overlord," the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Queen Elizabeth II with US president Dwight D Eisenhower at a White House State banquet in 1957 Mr Eisenhower was elected 34th President of the United States just months after King George VI died and Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne. But despite his close ties to the UK, Mr Eisenhower chose to keep to tradition and send an envoy to the coronation instead. Historian Sam Edwards noted that the US was embroiled in the Korean War at the time, and President Eisenhower would also have been needed in Washington. A young King Charles poses with US President Dwight Eisenhower during a visit to the royal estate in Balmoral Short presentational grey line President Eisenhower's absence at the coronation didn't hinder his relationship with the UK or the royal family. In October 1957, the US welcomed Queen Elizabeth II for her first official state visit as monarch. Two years later, the Queen hosted President Eisenhower and his family for a less formal visit at her royal estate in Balmoral. One queen, 14 presidents As Britain's longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II ruled through 14 US presidencies, and met all but one president during their tenure in office. Three sitting US presidents have made official state visits to the UK, while the Queen made four state visits to the US during her reign. While he appears to have chosen not to break with tradition by sending an envoy in his stead to the coronation, President Biden has already accepted an invitation from King Charles for a state visit. A date has not been set. No matter who attends the coronation, Mr Edwards said King Charles presides over a renewed commitment to the diplomatic relationship between the two countries. Attending the coronation, he said, "is but one piece of the contemporary transatlantic relationship puzzle". A pie chart with an arrow and money_investing.png A wealth managers job is to preserve your wealth, but high advice fees are eating into clients returns so much so that investors would be better off buying shares in the firms themselves, rather than investing in their products. An investor who 10 years ago bought 10,000 worth of shares in Britains biggest wealth manager St Jamess Place (SJP) would have built a pot worth 34,205 today, whereas the same sum invested in its UK equity fund would be worth just 15,839, analysis reveals. In fact, of the 25 SJP funds available to British investors, not one delivered better returns than the companys shares across a 10-year period, according to data from Morningstar, an investment research firm. Three of the funds actually lost investors money. These were the SJP Gilts, SJP Government Corporate Bond and the SJP Global Absolute Return unit trusts. All three returned at least 9,000 on a 10,000 investment. The wealth management industry is dominated by firms with 200-year histories, and yet since it was founded in 1991, SJP has overtaken its rivals in terms of client assets and become a household name. Today, it is the largest wealth manager in Britain, with more than 900,000 clients. Last year SJP earned 987m in advice fees, up 40m on the year before. It also claimed 1.04bn in wealth management fees and 60.8m in investment management fees. The company reported a 42pc rise in pre-tax profit for the whole year. There are two types of advice firms in Britain: independent or restricted. Whereas independent advice firms can recommend products across the entire market, restricted advisers such as SJP only recommend products from a limited range. SJP rated the vast majority of its funds as good value or having broadly delivered value in its most recent assessment of value report, which all asset managers must provide under the Financial Conduct Authoritys rules. It placed just 1pc of funds on its watchlist. But Mike Barrett, of the consultancy the Lang Cat, said asking asset managers to mark their own homework is a flawed way to measure value for money. He said: Some firms take it quite seriously others just give themselves gold stars all round. Story continues SJP funds have been named on investment firm Bestinvests Spot the Dog list, which identifies funds that have significantly and frequently underperformed against their market index. In its most recent report, the SJP International Equity fund (2.2bn) was the third biggest fund on the list. Last year, SJP was one of the companies with the largest number of funds in the dog house. SJP said it is important to consider that the performance of its funds reflects the total charge, fund costs, administration, product charges and ongoing advice. It also said that independent research has consistently shown that the total charge its clients pay is below the market average for the service it provides. SJP clients can expect to pay between 1.6pc and 1.9pc in underlying fund fees for a typical portfolio. SJP charges an initial advice fee of 4.5pc and an initial fee of 0.5pc for investing in Isas and unit trusts. If you have a bond or pension and you cash out in the six years, you will be charged a 1pc exit fee. Justin Modray, of Candid Financial Advice, said consumers should beware initial charges and exit penalties on some products, both outdated practices that most of the industry scrapped years ago. Analysts at fund adviser Yodelar said in its review of SJP that the majority of clients are unaware of poor fund performance and high charges. The report said: Those that are aware, are often tied in with hefty exit penalties or trust vehicles making it difficult to leave. On Thursday, SJPs shares lost 4pc in early trading after it posted its first quarter results, which revealed a 560m year-on-year drop in new customer investments. Tim Page, of the financial advice firm PageRussell, said after decades of raking in client cash, the tide is finally turning for the countrys largest wealth manager. He said: SJP has been a formidable gatherer of both financial advisers and their clients assets for decades. Their enviable marketing machine hoovered up huge piles of wealth saved by the baby boomer generation by promising market-beating returns with glossy brochures and attentive service. But it faces several headwinds: the boomers have mostly retired and are now drawing down on the funds theyve saved. Its service is not cheap, and its costs are a drag on client returns. Younger, more savvy customers are more likely to know this and be less susceptible to the traditionalist St Jamess Place marketing messages. There is another reason why both prospective clients and investors may be thinking twice about the firm. SJPs share price has fallen ever since it revealed in its full-year results for 2022 in February that the Financial Conduct Authoritys incoming consumer duty would force it to change the way it operates to meet regulatory expectations. The firm had previously said the consumer duty will not impact its charging structure. However, the new regulation will oblige firms to show evidence that services provide good value for money. They will also have to show that they are acting in their customers interests. Mr Barrett said the new regulation represents a significant raising of the bar in terms of service for all firms offering retail investment. An SJP spokesman said: Diversification is one of our core investment beliefs. Putting all your eggs in one basket is not a prudent investment strategy. By diversifying assets, you can reduce the negative impact of changing market conditions, without necessarily hurting long-term returns. With SJP, our clients receive full financial planning and an advised portfolio of professionally monitored funds. On average, clients invest with SJP for 14 years and our solutions are designed to build wealth over the long-term. Clients typically invest in a diversified portfolio, with performance one of several factors considered in its construction. Over the past three years we have made changes to investment funds with over 125bn in Asset Under Management with the aim of improving long-term performance. This includes changing the [external] investment managers that run our funds, bringing down fees and embedding responsible investment principles across everything we do. School safety continues to be a common topic of debate in Texas, as well it should be. Republicans, who control the entire legislature and executive branch, should approach the topic, including gun control measures, with humility, curiosity, and common sense. On Wednesday, the Texas Senate passed a school safety bill. Senate Bill 11 would create a safety and security department within the Texas Education Agency, which could force school districts to establish active-shooter protocols. All districts should have these already, but this would light a fire under the ones that dont, as districts that dont meet the agencys standards could risk being placed under the states supervision. The bill also addresses truancy, given that missing school can be a red flag. The shooter in the Uvalde tragedy missed a lot of school and eventually dropped out of high school. The fact that this bill is addressing two different sides of school safety mental health and preparedness is a good thing. On Tuesday, House members passed a number of school safety bills as well. House Bill 3 now heads to the Senate. It requires that schools hire at least one armed security officer at every campus and provides incentives for school employees to get the certification necessary to carry a weapon. The bill also calls for the installation of silent panic alert buttons in every classroom and provides individual schools an additional $15,000 each year to upgrade their security, costing, ultimately about $1.6 billion. Trump and Biden: Senile men with awful track records. Is this the best we can do? | Opinion While the policy itself may be helpful to schools, allowing them choice in the marketplace, Tinderholts involvement suggesting an amendment that could line his own pockets is, at best, not a good look and, at worst, a possible violation of the Texas Constitution and other ethics rules. When reached for comment, Tinderholts office responded with this statement: Im proud to have worked to give schools less expensive options to be able to afford the security needed to protect their students. My amendment allows schools the freedom to choose the security option that they believe ensures maximum safety for their students. Story continues While Tinderholt is just one politician, Republicans are constantly suggesting they support family policies and are adamant about school safety. A move like this - which prompts questions about Tinderholts credibility - undermines their efforts. Then there is the controversial issue of guns. The Uvalde school tragedy ran contrary to the Texas-wide belief that a good guy with a gun subverts a bad guy with a gun. In Uvalde, dozens of law enforcement officers showed up and failed to act for over an hour. Some of these policies look like lawmakers learned from Uvalde, but any legislation related to guns themselves has yet to be broached, let alone passed. One thing has become clear: Democrats reach for gun control because it seems like a one-size-fix-all measure. Republicans reach for hardening schools because it keeps gun ownership safe and still addresses one facet of the problem. But lets be honest: Both things are real issues. Little respect was shown to Uvalde families who lost loved ones when they traveled to Austin on April 18 to testify about HB 2744, which would raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic guns from 18 to 21. Families waited all day to testify until the evening hours. The legislature is busy, but thats despicable. Florida passed a similar bill, which then GOP-Governor Rick Scott signed, following the 2018 Parkland shooting. Both gunmen involved in the Uvalde and Parkland shootings were under 20 years old. Republicans likely wont really hear the bill and it wont pass because, while theyre open to mental health measures and hardening schools, Texas conservatives dont want to move an inch on guns. While some might suggest a bill like that wont save many lives many mass shooters are over 21 had such a measure been in place and enforced last year, the Uvalde shooting may not have happened. Looking at the devastation post-Uvalde, one wonders: There are exceptions for law enforcement and the military, so would such a bill really infringe on the gun rights many, including myself, hold dear? Or would it keep a gun out of the hands of someone too immature to make good choices? Criminals will still find ways to get guns. So, is a bill like that an infringement of the Second Amendment that makes the playing field more uneven for law-abiding citizens, or is it a common-sense law based on what weve learned? If it saves 17 lives a year and keeps hundreds of law-abiding citizens from owning that type of weapon for two years, is it worth it? Florida Republicans thought so, what about Texas Republicans? They would do well to have these discussions, instead of shutting them out, which is typically their reflex on any bill that restricts guns. Many of these policies are good ideas, but none of them will keep our kids and schools safe unless we enforce the laws currently in place and enforce protocols that Abbott put in place in 2019. We must also continue to reinforce the importance of community, looking out for one another, remaining watchful for those who might act out due to mental illness or just plain malice. Neither Republicans nor Democrats can pass laws everyone will follow, which is why crime still exists. But Republicans must continue to try and address all aspects of school safety, whether its locking doors or looking at guns. Books on shelf in library. Diyosa Carter/Getty Images A Wisconsin school district has allowed a teacher who used racist and homophobic slurs toward students to return to class. A letter from Asian American leaders in the community accused Robert Perkins of "gross misconduct." The school district said it sees Perkins' comments as an "educational opportunity," the Wausau Daily Herald reported. A Wisconsin high school teacher is back in the classroom after a student complained about his use of racial slurs in class. The Wausau School District removed band teacher Robert Perkins from class earlier this month after students alleged that he used homophobic and racist slurs in class, according to Wausau Daily Herald. The Wausau School District did not immediately return Insider's request for comment on Saturday. According to the Daily Herald, the school district said in a news release that it received a complaint that Perkins was using anti-Asian racial slurs and making sexist comments in early April. Perkins has had six complaints filed against him since September 2022 about his alleged use of racial and homophobic slurs and other inappropriate conduct, including aggressively rushing at students, according to an open letter posted on Facebook by Asian American leaders in the community. The letter calls Perkins' comments "gross misconduct" and accuses him of "harassing" his students. "Perkins has repeatedly violated multiple [Wausau School District] policies," the letter says. "Instead of holding him accountable for his behavior and rhetoric, [Wausau School District] condones teachers calling our children 'chink,' 'dirty monkey,' 'faggot,' 'ching chong' and attacking their sexual orientation when it's done under the guise of 'fun.'" Wausau School District Superintendent Keith Hilts, however, said that Perkins' language did not "rise to the level of discrimination or harassment" in a letter sent to parents on April 26, according to the Daily Herald. Story continues Hilts said that the school district's compliance officer conducted an investigation where she interviewed Perkins, the impacted students, their parents, and other students, and ultimately determined that Perkins used "insensitive language" that caused the children to feel "unease," the outlet reported. In a press release on Wednesday, the school district said that it viewed Perkins' comments as an "educational opportunity" and that the district will be hiring a consultant to improve the student experience in its schools, according to the Daily Herald. In their letter, Asian American leaders said Perkins' use of racial slurs in front of the children will have a "long-lasting" and "detrimental" impact on the students who were subjected to it. In January, a local radio station gave Perkins its "Teacher of the Month award, putting him in contention for local Teacher of the Year, according to the school district's Facebook page. Read the original article on Insider For David George and Sarah Hartsfield, the first eight months of 2018 were marked by death and destruction. His longtime partner died. She fatally shot her fiance. His home burned. By the summer of 2019, George, 59, and Hartsfield, 48, were married, and she had been cleared in her former fiances slaying. George was Hartsfields fourth husband. It wasnt until months after the death of her fifth husband in Texas earlier this year that officials in Minnesota reopened their investigations into the fire and the death of Georges partner. For more on this story watch Datelines Along Came Sarah tonight at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT In February, Hartsfield was indicted on a murder charge in the death of her husband. She is being held in lieu of $4.5 million bail in Chambers County, Texas, and has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. The investigations in Eagle Bend, Minnesota, northwest of Minneapolis, are active again in light of new information, Todd County Sheriff Michael Allen said in a statement to NBCs Dateline. No charges have been filed. The sheriff said his office is re-examining the Jan. 31, 2018, death of Rebecca Kunze, 62, and the fire exactly seven months later at the home of George, her longtime partner. Allen declined to provide additional details. The prosecutor in nearby Douglas County said in February that his office was re-examining the killing of Hartsfields fiance after authorities previously determined it was an act of self-defense and justified. It isnt clear whether the newly reopened cases have any connection to the shooting of her fiance. Any possible target of the investigations is unclear. Kunzes family has long had questions about her death and its aftermath, said Dana Kunze, her brother, citing instances that he described as out of the ordinary. I hope to God theres nothing nefarious, said Kunze, 62. Im also a man of reality. I dont just believe in coincidences. Its hard not to look at the whole thing now and not wonder what the hell really happened. Story continues All we want to know is the truth, he said. Rebecca Kunze in the 1990s. (Courtesy Dana Kunze) David George told Dateline this week that Rebecca Kunze who went by Becky died of a heart valve problem and that he had nothing to do with her death. He didnt respond to requests for comment about the cases being reopened. George acknowledged his role in a separate incident linked to Hartsfield an apparent plot in which she allegedly pressured him to kill the new wife of one of her ex-husbands. The ex-husband detailed the allegations in an affidavit in support of a protection order against Hartsfield two years ago. In the interview, George told Dateline that Hartsfield gave him a gun but that he had no intention of going through with the killing. In a text message to Dateline from jail, Hartsfield denied the allegation and said she never gave George any kind of gun ever. No clear answers about death Becky Kunze was the oldest sibling of five in a close-knit family that grew up in the Minneapolis area, her brother said. She met David George at a hearing aid company where she was a sales rep and he was an accountant, Dana Kunze said. They got together in the late 1980s or the early 90s, he said. While Becky Kunze was working at a residential home for people with disabilities three decades ago, a patient pushed her down a flight of stairs, causing a broken back and years of health problems, her brother said. For a time, Becky Kunze smoked cigarettes and took pain medicine to cope with the injury, although by the time of her death she had quit smoking and mostly weaned herself from the medication, he said. A few years ago, she had heart valve surgery and related complications that were later resolved, Dana Kunze said. She was living with it just fine, he said. To Dana Kunze, the details of his sisters death have remained vague, and he said George never provided the family with clear answers. Ryan Donohue, one of Hartsfields children who lived with her while she was married to George, recalled Georges saying that on the day of her death, Becky Kunze had been doing nothing but screaming all day and gave herself a heart attack. He told that story to everyone, Donohue said. After his sisters death, Dana Kunze said his family felt rushed. Within days, shed been cremated, all of her possessions had been donated and a service was held in a place that felt more like a cramped garage than a church, Dana Kunze said. Becky Kunzes family supported her cremation and did not request an autopsy, her brother said. I had a conversation with one of my sisters who said, All I wanted was one of her sweaters so I could get her scent again, Dana Kunze said. There was nothing. I personally felt steamrolled, and I never understood it, he said. Hartsfield kills her fiance On May 9, 2018, roughly three months after Becky Kunzes death, Sarah Hartsfield fatally shot her onetime fiance in the large home they had moved to from Texas months before. David Bragg. (KPRC) George told Dateline this week he delivered propane to the house and had seen Hartsfield once before David Bragg was killed. He and Hartsfield met afterward, George said. In a partly redacted call for service document about the incident from the Douglas County Sheriffs Office, five people are listed Hartsfield, then known as Sarah Donohue; her fatally wounded fiance; an ex-husband who was visiting at the time; her oldest daughter in Texas; and George. The document doesnt say why it includes George, who didnt respond to a follow-up request for comment. Lacey Grinager, the records supervisor with the Douglas County Sheriffs Office, declined to comment on the specifics of the case because it is open. Generally, that type of document covers people who may have a connection to an emergency response witnesses and suspects, guardians and key holders, complainants and people mentioned in conversation for any number of reasons, Grinager said. Douglas County Attorney Chad Larson initially cleared Hartsfield in the shooting, saying she had no reasonable possibility of retreating from Bragg, who she said had fired at her. After Hartsfield was indicted this year on the Texas murder charge, Larson said the case was active again. Hartsfield told Dateline this month by text that when she opened fire, she was looking down the barrel of a .45 thinking, This man is really going to kill me. He fired at me first, she said. Had I not dove into the floor at the base of the stairs, he would have shot me in the head. Within months of the shooting, Hartsfields son said, George had become a more permanent fixture at their home he moved in that summer and started paying rent. She and George were married the next June, Donohue said. I thought he was a good guy, Donohue said. He never raised his voice at us. He would say, You could listen or not listen; its up to you. Sarah Hartsfield and Ryan Donohue. Destructive fire On Aug. 31, 2018, shortly before George moved in with Hartsfield and her children, the home where he had lived with Becky Kunze went up in flames. George said he and Hartsfield were in Texas at the time. The cause of the fire is unclear. A brief incident report from the Todd County Sheriffs Office said it broke out around 5:20 p.m. and crews from three local agencies responded. It was extinguished five hours later, and the house was a total loss, the report says. Georges son, David George Jr., reported the blaze to authorities. Efforts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful. Among the things lost in the fire, Dana Kunze said, was something his family had previously asked George for: his sisters ashes. The family had planned to place them at Fort Snelling National Cemetery with their mother, he said. In a phone call after the fire, before Dana Kunze knew the ashes were gone, George broke the news, telling him they were on the mantle and had burned with everything else, Dana Kunze said. I said, Are you kidding me? Dana Kunze recalled. I got this deep, sickening feeling that he never wanted me to have them. I dont know if Im right or wrong about that, but thats what I felt personally. George didnt respond to a follow-up request for comment. Alleged murder plot About two years after they were married, George was implicated in the alleged murder plot involving Hartsfields third husband, Christopher Donohue. Christopher Donohue said in the protection order affidavit filed in 2021 that George told him Hartsfield had been pushing him for months to kill Donohues new wife. Shed given George a pistol to carry out the act and wouldnt let him come home until hed done so, George said, according to the affidavit. At one point, George traveled to Arizona and delivered flowers to Christopher Donohue without identifying himself or his reason for being there, according to the affidavit. George told Dateline this week that he didnt have the gun with him when he went to the door and that he had no intention of going through with the alleged plot. He said he hoped Sarah Jean would come to her senses and know that was not going to happen. No charges were filed, a police spokesman in Sierra Vista, Arizona, has said. Hartsfield filed for divorce from George on April 1, 2021, four days before Christopher Donohue filed the affidavit detailing the alleged plot. I got burned, George said. I got burned hard. This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. This article was originally published on TODAY.com For David George and Sarah Hartsfield, the first eight months of 2018 were marked by death and destruction. His longtime partner died. She fatally shot her fiance. His home burned. By the summer of 2019, George, 59, and Hartsfield, 48, were married, and she had been cleared in her former fiances slaying. George was Hartsfield's fourth husband. It wasn't until months after the death of her fifth husband in Texas earlier this year that officials in Minnesota reopened their investigations into the fire and the death of George's partner. In February, Hartsfield was indicted on a murder charge in the death of her husband. She is being held in lieu of $4.5 million bail in Chambers County, Texas, and has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. The investigations in Eagle Bend, Minnesota, northwest of Minneapolis, are active again in light of new information, Todd County Sheriff Michael Allen said in a statement to NBC's "Dateline." No charges have been filed. The sheriff said his office is re-examining the Jan. 31, 2018, death of Rebecca Kunze, 62, and the fire exactly seven months later at the home of George, her longtime partner. Allen declined to provide additional details. The prosecutor in nearby Douglas County said in February that his office was re-examining the killing of Hartsfields fiance after authorities previously determined it was an act of self-defense and justified. It isnt clear whether the newly reopened cases have any connection to the shooting of her fiance. Any possible target of the investigations is unclear. Kunzes family has long had questions about her death and its aftermath, said Dana Kunze, her brother, citing instances that he described as out of the ordinary. I hope to God theres nothing nefarious, said Kunze, 62. Im also a man of reality. I dont just believe in coincidences. Its hard not to look at the whole thing now and not wonder what the hell really happened. Story continues "All we want to know is the truth," he said. Rebecca Kunze in the 1990s. (Courtesy Dana Kunze) David George told "Dateline" this week that Rebecca Kunze who went by Becky died of a heart valve problem and that he had nothing to do with her death. He didnt respond to requests for comment about the cases being reopened. George acknowledged his role in a separate incident linked to Hartsfield an apparent plot in which she allegedly pressured him to kill the new wife of one of her ex-husbands. The ex-husband detailed the allegations in an affidavit in support of a protection order against Hartsfield two years ago. In the interview, George told "Dateline" that Hartsfield gave him a gun but that he had no intention of going through with the killing. In a text message to "Dateline" from jail, Hartsfield denied the allegation and said she "never gave George any kind of gun ever." No clear answers about death Becky Kunze was the oldest sibling of five in a close-knit family that grew up in the Minneapolis area, her brother said. She met David George at a hearing aid company where she was a sales rep and he was an accountant, Dana Kunze said. They got together in the late 1980s or the early 90s, he said. While Becky Kunze was working at a residential home for people with disabilities three decades ago, a patient pushed her down a flight of stairs, causing a broken back and years of health problems, her brother said. For a time, Becky Kunze smoked cigarettes and took pain medicine to cope with the injury, although by the time of her death she had quit smoking and mostly weaned herself from the medication, he said. A few years ago, she had heart valve surgery and related complications that were later resolved, Dana Kunze said. She was living with it just fine, he said. To Dana Kunze, the details of his sisters death have remained vague, and he said George never provided the family with clear answers. Ryan Donohue, one of Hartsfields children who lived with her while she was married to George, recalled George saying that on the day of her death, Becky Kunze had been doing nothing but screaming all day and gave herself a heart attack. He told that story to everyone, Donohue said. After his sisters death, Dana Kunze said his family felt rushed. Within days, shed been cremated, all of her possessions had been donated and a service was held in a place that felt more like a cramped garage than a church, Dana Kunze said. Becky Kunze's family supported her cremation and did not request an autopsy, her brother said. I had a conversation with one of my sisters who said, All I wanted was one of her sweaters so I could get her scent again, Dana Kunze said. There was nothing. I personally felt steamrolled, and I never understood it, he said. Hartsfield kills her fiance On May 9, 2018, roughly three months after Becky Kunzes death, Sarah Hartsfield fatally shot her onetime fiance in the large home they had moved to from Texas months before. David Bragg. (KPRC) George told "Dateline" this week he delivered propane to the house and had seen Hartsfield once before David Bragg was killed. He and Hartsfield met afterward, George said. In a partly redacted "call for service" document about the incident from the Douglas County Sheriffs Office, five people are listed Hartsfield, then known as Sarah Donohue; her fatally wounded fiance; an ex-husband who was visiting at the time; her oldest daughter in Texas; and George. The document doesnt say why it includes George, who didnt respond to a follow-up request for comment. Lacey Grinager, the records supervisor with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, declined to comment on the specifics of the case because it is open. Generally, that type of document covers people who may have a connection to an emergency response witnesses and suspects, guardians and key holders, complainants and people "mentioned in conversation for any number of reasons," Grinager said. Douglas County Attorney Chad Larson initially cleared Hartsfield in the shooting, saying she had no reasonable possibility of retreating from Bragg, who she said had fired at her. After Hartsfield was indicted this year on the Texas murder charge, Larson said the case was active again. Hartsfield told "Dateline" this month by text that when she opened fire, she was "looking down the barrel of a .45 thinking, 'This man is really going to kill me.'" "He fired at me first," she said. "Had I not dove into the floor at the base of the stairs, he would have shot me in the head." Within months of the shooting, Hartsfield's son said, George had become a more permanent fixture at their home he moved in that summer and started paying rent. She and George were married the next June, Donohue said. "I thought he was a good guy," Donohue said. "He never raised his voice at us. He would say, 'You could listen or not listen; it's up to you.'" Sarah Hartsfield and Ryan Donohue. Destructive fire On Aug. 31, 2018, shortly before George moved in with Hartsfield and her children, the home where he had lived with Becky Kunze went up in flames. George said he and Hartsfield were in Texas at the time. The cause of the fire is unclear. A brief incident report from the Todd County Sheriffs Office said it broke out around 5:20 p.m. and crews from three local agencies responded. It was extinguished five hours later, and the house was a total loss, the report says. Georges son, David George Jr., reported the blaze to authorities. Efforts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful. Among the things lost in the fire, Dana Kunze said, was something his family had previously asked George for: his sister's ashes. The family had planned to place them at Fort Snelling National Cemetery with their mother, he said. In a phone call after the fire, before Dana Kunze knew the ashes were gone, George broke the news, telling him they were on the mantle and had burned with everything else, Dana Kunze said. "I said, 'Are you kidding me?'" Dana Kunze recalled. "I got this deep, sickening feeling that he never wanted me to have them. I dont know if Im right or wrong about that, but that's what I felt personally." George didnt respond to a follow-up request for comment. Alleged murder plot About two years after they were married, George was implicated in the alleged murder plot involving Hartsfields third husband, Christopher Donohue. Christopher Donohue said in the protection order affidavit filed in 2021 that George told him Hartsfield had been pushing him for months to kill Donohues new wife. Shed given George a pistol to carry out the act and wouldnt let him come home until hed done so, George said, according to the affidavit. At one point, George traveled to Arizona and delivered flowers to Christopher Donohue without identifying himself or his reason for being there, according to the affidavit. George told "Dateline" this week that he didnt have the gun with him when he went to the door and that he had no intention of going through with the alleged plot. He said he hoped Sarah Jean would come to her senses and know that was not going to happen. No charges were filed, a police spokesman in Sierra Vista, Arizona, has said. Hartsfield filed for divorce from George on April 1, 2021, four days before Christopher Donohue filed the affidavit detailing the alleged plot. "I got burned," George said. "I got burned hard." This article was originally published on NBCNews.com North Carolina historian Tim Tyson was one of the few people to ever interview Carolyn Bryant Donham about the encounter that led to the lynching of Emmett Till 68 years ago. His 2017 book, The Blood of Emmett Till, revealed Donhams stunning statement that she had lied about the circumstances of what happened between her and Till in 1955 details that set off a chain of events ending with his murder. Donham died Thursday in Louisiana at the age of 88. She lived part of her life in Raleigh. The day after her death, Tyson said people should not focus on Donhams death, which has stirred strong and mixed emotions. Instead, her death should be a reminder of what Tills mother, Mamie, wanted for America. Which is focusing on taking racial tragedies and turning this into a society more like the one that we envision for ourselves a multiracial democracy, said Tyson, a Duke University professor and historian, in a phone interview with The News & Observer on Friday. Thats what she fought for, Tyson said. Thats what she wanted her sons life to mean. Timothy Tyson is an author, historian and teacher who is known for writing the books, The Blood of Emmett Till and Blood Done Sign My Name. After the news of her death was announced, some said it marked the end of a painful chapter for Tills family. But others says it doesnt equate to justice and that the fight after Tills death should continue. Tyson said he learned of Donhams death late Thursday, prompting reflections about his interviews with her. Those conversations are never what you would imagine, Tyson told The N&O. She was involved in something despicable and I, too, wish that justice had been served somehow in this case. Who was Emmett Till? What we all need to know about his death and legacy What happened to Emmett Till? Till had just turned 14 when he was tortured, mutilated and shot in August 1955. Donham, who was white, was married to one of Tills assailants, Roy Bryant. She accused Till of whistling at her and grabbing her in a grocery store in Money, Mississippi. Bryant, his brother John Milton, and a lynch mob drove to Tills uncles home to kidnap the boy in the middle of the night. Story continues Tills body was found in the Tallahatchie River tied to a cotton gin fan. A month later, an all-white jury acquitted Bryant and Milton of murder. According to Tysons book, Donham told him that she had lied about what happened that day. The men who murdered Emmett Till were alive for years and years and could have been prosecuted, Tyson said. Not just the two who were tried, but several more that participated in the lynching were never tried. But last year, Donhams unpublished memoir, which Tyson had obtained, fueled further questions when she introduced contradictory statements about the events from 1955. She said she had not identified Till to her husband and didnt know what would happen to the young boy, according to The Associated Press. I think its easier to condemn Carolyn than it is to confront what our society was and is, Tyson said. Were still killing Emmett Till in so many ways. Tills mother dedicated the remainder of her life to seeking justice for her only child. Her decision to have an open casket funeral for Till sparked international outrage that led to the early start of the Civil Rights Movement. Tills death is still evoked today when an African American is killed at the hands of a white police officer, such as George Floyd, or when Black people are killed in racist incidents, like Ahmaud Arbery, a jogger who was killed by white men in Georgia. Family of slain civil rights figure Emmett Till, state representatives and acitvists march from the Mississippi State Capitol to the SIllers building to submit a petition to MS Attorney General Lynn Fitch on Friday afternoon. The petition, signed by several hundred thousand individuals, asks for an investigation into Carolyn Bryant Donham and her alledged association with Tills murder in August of 1955. Friday, March 11, 2022 in Jackson, MS. Emmett Till Justice Petition How to get there from here A year ago, Tills family and civil rights activists were on a mission to find Donham, who was last known to live in Wake County, to serve a recently surfaced unserved arrest warrant that was issued shortly after Tills death. A search team found the warrant in a file folder at the Leflore County Circuit courthouse, the same Mississippi county where Till was killed. Some took to social media on Thursday to remember Till and his familys fight for justice. One of Tills cousins, Joshua Harris-Till, said in a TikTok video that his family is still trying to make this country atone for what it did wrong. Were still trying to make this country actually care about Black and brown lives and Black and brown bodies, he said. To achieve a more just country, Tyson said there needs to be a different approach, including the reformation of the criminal justice system. Beginning with thinking about what kind of country wed like our children and grandchildren to grow up in and thinking hard about how to get there from here, Tyson said. And focusing on the cultivation of human capacities in young people that we need to do in a far more deliberate and resourceful way. Earlier this week, on April 24, local activists came to downtown Raleigh to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Moral Monday campaign. One of the campaigns leaders, the Rev. William J. Barber reignited the crowd with a mission to continue the mission for equity. Tyson said the campaign was a good start to building a stronger multi-racial coalition, better strategies for protests, litigation and voting. Weve got to fight the rise of authoritarianism and these racially-fueled backlash politics, Tyson said. We dont have to submit to that. ... Despair is a luxury we cant afford. With Emmett Till murder back in the news, these books and documentaries are essential Kalizma, a yacht that once belonged to Elizabeth Taylor, is moored near London in August 1968. Frank Coldwell /Syndication International/Mirrorpix via Getty Images Security guards on a pleasure yacht shot at the Yemeni Coast Guard in the Gulf of Aden on Friday. The guards said they mistook the Coast Guard for pirates, the Associated Press reported. The yacht involved was the 117-year-old Kalizma, which was once owned by Elizabeth Taylor. A famous yacht once owned by Hollywood actors Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor was caught in a skirmish off the coast of Yemen, on Friday. Security guards on the 117-year-old super yacht, known as Kalizma and which is now owned by Indian billionaire Shirish Saraf, fired at an approaching Yemeni Coast Guard vessel after mistaking them for pirates, DW reported. One Yemeni Coast Guard member was killed in the intense gunfire that followed. About 200 rounds of ammunition were exchanged, the Associated Press reported. While the Gulf of Aden is a major trade route, it is also a hotbed for pirates, mostly coming from nearby Somalia, Marine Insight reported. The AP, citing a brief from Ambrey, a maritime intelligence company, reported that the Yemeni Coast Guard approached the yacht after it failed to respond to radio calls. The Yemeni Coast Guard told Ambery that the armed men on board began to shoot as they approached. The Yemeni Coast Guard returned fire and chased the yacht for almost an hour until it finally responded to radio calls, clearing up the misunderstanding, the AP reported. The Coast Guard said the boat had been acting "in a very suspicious manner" because it had armed men and was approaching very close to the Yemeni coast, according to a statement obtained by local outlet Aden AlGad. Satellite data reviewed by the AP showed the Kalizma close to the coast. The owner of Mumbai's West Coast Marine Yacht Services, which manages the yacht, insisted that pirates had attacked the yacht, the AP reported. "If it was the Yemeni Coast Guard, why did they open fire?" Aashim Mongia told the AP. Read the original article on Insider The YMCA and a Muslim civil rights group recently partnered to host a holiday gathering for Afghan refugees resettling in the Oklahoma City metro area. The YMCA Rockwell branch hosted an Eid Festival for Afghan refugees in partnership with the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Oklahoma chapter. Afghan families were invited to the YMCA Rockwell, 8300 Glade Ave., to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr, the festivities and communal prayers that mark the end of the Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid ul-Fitr, or Feast of the Fast-breaking, began around April 21 in the United States. One of the Afghans enjoying the celebration was Maryam, 20, who asked that her last name not be published. She said she and her family came to Oklahoma in January 2022 and she currently works for a local agency as a translator for Afghan women. A young boy uses his creativity at the arts and crafts station at an Eid Festival for Afghan refugees hosted by the YMCA Rockwell branch, in partnership with the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Oklahoma chapter. Maryam said she was happy to see so many Afghan families participating in the festival because Eid ul-Fitr is an important time in Afghanistan and people often enjoy a break from work to mark the special occasion. She said she lived in Kabul and attended a private school where she learned to speak English. Many of the individuals resettling in Oklahoma are currently trying to learn English but haven't mastered it just yet, she said, so it was great for them to be around other Afghans for conversation and fun. "I am so happy for them because I want to help them and I love them," she said of the families. "This is a good connection for them because they are so far from home." More: Violence, dwindling funds prompt 'Operation Move Out' for some Afghan refugees in Oklahoma 'It's glorious and joyous' Taylor York, Rockwell Plaza YMCA district executive director, said the Y branch hosted the recent festival because the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City's focus is to "be a beacon of hope for all our community." "The most important part of our mission is that we are an organization FOR ALL," he said in an email. "We are so grateful for the partnership and the opportunity to love, serve and care for an entire community that we had not had the opportunity to connect with before. It is an incredibly special partnership, and we look forward to finding other ways to serve." Story continues Adam Soltani, executive director of CAIR-OK, said his organization held an Eid event for the refugees last year but there were space limitations because it was held at a local hotel where some of the Afghan families were still being housed. He said his agency was trying to determine what might be doable this year when YMCA leaders reached out and offered to host the festival. Maryam, 20, poses for a photo at an Eid Festival for Afghan refugees hosted by the YMCA Rockwell branch, in partnership with the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Oklahoma chapter. More: Elected leaders break Ramadan fast with Oklahoma Muslims "We weren't exactly sure what to do, then in comes the YMCA that actually proposed to us that they would like to host it and partner with us," Soltani said. "It just was a perfect time where they came in and they said, 'We would love to partner with you and host this and use the model we use for other holiday celebrations for the Christian community, such as Christmas and so on, to replicate those in the culturally and religiously appropriate way.'" Volunteers with the YMCA served food and helped with games, arts and crafts and other activities alongside community volunteers and others who have been helping Afghan families. Many of the community volunteers and advocates for the Afghans said they were pleased to see the men, women and children having fun because they have had to make many adjustments after fleeing Afghanistan amid the August 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops and the Taliban takeover of the country. "It's glorious and joyous," Jennifer Hund, refugee services coordinator for CAIR-OK, said of the festival. Dr. Shirin Mohammad, another community volunteer, said she was grateful for the organizations that came together to host the recent event. "Looking at them, you might not know it but they have gone through some traumatic experiences," she said of the Afghans. The local internist said she migrated to the United States 30 years ago from her native Pakistan and eventually became an American citizen. Jennifer Hund, refugee services coordinator for the Council on Islamic-American Relations-Oklahoma, chats with CAIR-OK/Spero volunteer Mak McCleary in a hallway near hanging paper lanterns and crescent moons decorations at an Eid Festival for Afghan refugees hosted by the YMCA Rockwell branch, in partnership with CAIR-OK. "When organizations like the YMCA have the principles of welcoming diversity, it's important, especially in times when we are so divided and we fear each other," she said. "Once we know each other, we realize we all want peace, we all want acceptance, and, at the end of the day, we all belong to the race of humanity." Soltani shared similar sentiments. "It's just a wonderful thing to see the Afghan community happy, smiling, comfortable in their own cultural element, but also comfortable in what is traditionally known as the Young Men's Christian Association," he said. "I think that speaks volumes to what Oklahoma is really all about, that we work beyond the lines of faith and culture and we find a way to connect with people, even when we don't speak the same language, even when we don't have the same customs. There's nothing, in my opinion, that says the Oklahoma Standard more than what you see here today." This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: YMCA opens doors to OKC Afghan refugees for Eid ul-Fitr By Nick Starkov LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy carries a pistol and would have fought to the death with his inner circle had the Russians stormed his Kyiv headquarters at the start of the war, he said in an interview shown on Saturday. "I know how to shoot. Could you imagine (a headline like) 'The President of Ukraine is taken captive by Russians?' This is a disgrace. I believe this would be a disgrace," he told the 1+1 television channel. In the first days after the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion, Ukrainian officials said Russian intelligence units tried to break into Kyiv but were defeated and failed to reach Bankova Street in the centre, home to the presidential offices. Other Russian units launched an attack on the outskirts of Kyiv, but were unable to advance. Officials also reported several unsuccessful sabotage attempts inside the city. "I think if they had gone inside, into the administration, we would not be here," Zelenskiy said. It was not clear which Russian units he was referring to. "No one would have been taken prisoner because we had a very seriously prepared defence of Bankova Street. We would have been there to the last," he said. Asked whether he carried a pistol and practised using it, he replied that he did, while dismissing a suggestion he might have used it to kill himself rather than be captured. "No, no, no. It's not (to shoot) myself. To shoot back, surely," he said. (Reporting by Nick Starkov, writing by David Ljunggren, editing by Sandra Maler) President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced that Russia has been greatly weakened in its year-long war with Ukraine, so the prospects of Ukraine suffering great losses of manpower during the liberation of Crimea have changed significantly. Source: Zelenskyy in an interview to Finnish, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian journalists Details: Zelenskyy was reminded of his statement made on 23 May 2022, where he said that the liberation of Crimea by military means could cost Ukraine hundreds of thousands of soldiers' lives. He was asked how many lives he was willing to give for the liberation of Crimea now. Quote from Zelenskyy: "Russia has become much weaker since then. They have lost a large amount of powerful manpower - professional soldiers, not mobilised men. All the figures produced by the analytics of all states regarding their number of real military manpower, coherence and training, were overstated. They are a great power, and they have many different weapons, but psychologically much has changed since that moment. We saw this during the Kherson operation. They are afraid, they are afraid of dying. I think their spirit has been broken. They dont understand how this happened: We reached Kyiv, just two or three more days and it will be over They were psychologically broken. The situation is very different from last year's. So it could be different in relation to Crimea." Earlier: In the same interview Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is preparing for a counteroffensive, but weapons are needed to preserve more lives. At the same time, he believes that Ukraine cannot delay the campaign to liberate its territories until its partners have provided F-16 fighter jets, so the counteroffensive will have to begin earlier. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!